#yea I used a lot of the wings to cover up the fucked up parts

[isame-allen]

The child of the punished

[inspector-montoya-fox]

i’m currently away but i wanted to briefly discuss how some of the villains’ lairs/ interiors & exteriors contribute to their story and character. this is an aspect that has really evolved throughout the series: in Sly 1, the villains’ branding was absolutely horrific, each of them quite literally living inside replicas of themselves or decorating with stuff associated to their species. like Miss Clockwerk being quirky and building a huge tower of himself in the volcano as if it isn’t supposed to be a “secret” lair. or Muggshot taking over an entire city and filling it up with every possible symbol associated to dogs. bones? yeap. leashes? he’s got you covered. fire hydrants? fuck it. let’s just build a colossal fucking fire hydrant on the casino’s roof.

Sly 2′s villains retained some of this wackiness, like Rajan’s ancestral palace imitating an elephant, but there was much more to it. some were more straightforward like Arpeggio’s blimp flying higher than he ever could achieve with his wings, or Jean Bison’s rustic, log cabins being surrounded by sawing machinery showing how he is stuck in the past. Rajan’s ballroom matches the image he is so desperately trying to project: regal, successful, an international tycoon who loves to spend his money on his guests and his parties. after the Clockwerk wings are stolen and he migrates to the jungle however, his true self is revealed: brutal, unhinged, unpredictable. the jungle lair can also be described as such.

the most notable example however is the Contessa. in Jailbreak, the prison reflects her impenetrable mind and how clever a strategist she is. i think, apart from Neyla, she’s Sly 2′s most fierce villain and this is presented through the symbol of her prison, a thief’s worst nightmare. in comparison, after Interpol drops her and the odds are stacked against her, the re-education tower mirrors this by being an isolated and slender building. the Contessa’s on her own now and everyone else is catching up to her.

i’m probably gonna make a part 2 for this post because Sly 3 has lots to unpack in relation to this topic, but i really want to discuss the Black Baron’s castle. when i reblogged my analysis of gender in Flight of Fancy, i added this via the tags:

i mean i pretty much cover most of what i want to say here^ but to summarise even further: the episode’s major theme is masculinity being portrayed as a shallow mask for femininity because the latter is generally stigmatised and this is even reflected in Penelope’s lab being positioned behind the castle. the castle is synonymous with the Black Baron (strong, fortified, grand and superior), whereas the lab/hangar embodies Penelope and her facade (hidden, sneaky, blinded + overtaken by the Baron’s persona).

what i didn’t include in these tags however is that Sly is the one who scaled the castle but Bentley is the one who infiltrated the lab/hangar. the awkward switch from Sly to Bentley during the mission serves to foreshadow how Sly is the one who Penelope had a crush on but Bentley is the one who ultimately won her heart. Penelope’s crush on Sly is superficial, based on looks and nothing deeper (just like the Baron’s persona); but Bentley entering the metaphorical heart of the lair shows how he is the one Penelope is meant to be with and how only he can truly reach and understand her.

furthermore, the castle and its defenses come off as very cheap and plastic: there are hooks and poles for Sly to use everywhere and the catapult is just conveniently sitting at the top? it’s as if Penelope had a castle checklist and just wanted to make it look this way without it having the essence of one (like the Contessa’s estate for example). this reflects the Baron’s persona, whereas the lab which is highly guarded with advanced technology, is more true to the real Penelope.

so yea ! apologies if this reads out as rushed, i really wanna add to this post but these were the main points i wanted to get out first

[hopelesshawks]

History of Us Part 36- The Recovery

Summary: Once upon a time Todoroki and (y/n) were best friends. Now they haven’t spoken in years. When (y/n) is forced to transfer to UA, will she and Shoto reconnect or will their troubled past keep them apart? A childhood friends to enemies to lovers hybrid fic.

If you don’t want to see History of Us content blacklist #hopelesshou

Masterlist Kofi

You slowly wake up to a rhythmic beeping sound, feeling as if you’ve been run over by a truck and then it backed back up over you a few times. You blink your eyes open, taking in the white ceiling and fluorescent lighting above you for a moment before shifting to try and sit up. You wince and suck in a breath at the action, squeezing whatever’s in your left hand to help you grit through the pain. Once you’re comfortable the oddity of having something in your hand occurs to you and when you look to see what it is your heart immediately softens. Shoto is passed out asleep, head resting on his arm which sits on your hospital bed, his other hand holding yours. As you look past him you notice Kirishima and Bakugo passed out in chairs nearby. A nurse walks in and smiles when she sees you awake and notices your gaze. “They’ve been here since you were admitted. A couple of nurses tried to kick them out when visiting hours ended the first night but they barricaded themselves in. After that we just decided to let them stay,” she explains. “The first night? How long have I been here?” you ask. “About a week,” the nurse responds and you push out a shaky and disbelieving breath. You can’t remember the last time you had to go to the hospital instead of just healing yourself, let alone having to stay multiple nights. “You should get some rest, your body needs time to recover. Plus, it’s late,” the nurse assures you as she checks over your chart and vitals. “I’ll let the doctors know you woke up and in the morning we can talk you through everything ok?” “Ok.” “Good. Sleep well Eclipsa.” Something about hearing a civilian use your hero name affectionately lights something warm in your chest. With that feeling and the knowledge that Shoto and your friends are right by your side, you drift back to sleep content.

When you next wake up it’s to Kirishima and Todoroki watching you eagerly from the side of the bed while Bakugo hangs back, as if he’s any more subtle than the other two just because he’s slightly further away. “Damn, you guys are so obsessed with me,” you joke and immediately Shoto and Kirishima are launching themselves into your hospital bed to pull you into an embrace. Your still sore body protests a bit but you can’t bring yourself to complain. Bakugo continues to hover nearby until you notice he still hasn’t joined. “Are you getting in on this or what asshole?” you ask. He scoffs. “Well if you want me in there so bad then fine dumbass,” he quips before climbing into your hospital bed much more delicately than Shoto and Kirishima had, careful not to disturb your injuries. It isn’t long afterwards that the attending nurse walks in, a middle aged woman in her 40s most likely, and immediately she yells at the boys to get off the bed and begins scolding them for potentially aggravating your injuries. “I understand you missed your friend but she is still healing! For Christ sake get down!” she admonishes until all of the boys are somewhat sheepishly back in their own seats. You can’t help but laugh at Kiri’s kicked puppy look and it only gets worse when you see the disgruntled looks on Bakugo and Shoto’s faces as well. You laugh harder than you have in a long time, so hard your stomach and still healing ribs ache with it, but you relish in the feeling. By the time you stop you notice that you’re glowing again, which causes the nurse to give an amused huff. “Well I’m glad your healing factor is finally kicking in, that should speed up your recovery considerably,” she sighs before whirling back on the boys to say, “but so help me god if I come back in here to find you boys smothering her again I will kick all your asses, quirks be damned!” The boys all mumble “yes ma’am,” with Shoto and Bakugo’s sounding far more resentful than Kiri’s. It’s funny how alike the two of them can be.

The nurse leaves the room after doing a quick check of your vitals to go inform the doctor that your quirk has finally kicked in when yet another visitor arrives. Your mother is panting by the time she gets to your room, having sprinted from the other wing of the hospital where she’s been working her shift. “Oh my sweet baby,” she coos before rushing to your bed side to caress your cheeks in her hands. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again, God I was so worried,” she admonishes lightly. “Sorry Mom,” you reply with a sheepish smile. She gives you a soft smile in return, relieved that you’re safe and sound again. “Well Shoto I know but are you going to finally introduce me to your other two watch dogs?” she asks teasingly and you can’t help but to laugh again as you introduce her to Bakugo and Kirishima properly. It’s nice, the four of you talking and laughing, and you can tell that she’s happy to see you finally have friends. As day turns to night and visiting hours end, your guests are shooed out, although your mom does pull some strings to ensure Shoto can spend the night again. “No funny business you two, (y/n)’s still healing,” your mom says with a wink. Shoto’s face goes bright red as you groan out a horrified “Mom!!!” before collapsing back against the hospital bed and covering your face with a pillow. When Shoto lifts the pillow from your face, cheeks still tinted slightly red, and peers down at you with earnest eyes as he asks if it’s ok to join you, you can’t help but melt and nod. He carefully climbs in alongside you and the moment he’s settled you curl into his arms, your head resting on his chest. A warm contentment fills you as you snuggle up against him, the scent of him filling your nose and the steady rise and fall of his chest instantly lulling you to sleep.

The next day the doctor explains that, while your quirk activating is certainly helping matters, the extreme overuse of your right side had done a number on your body and the bulk of your healing was likely going to undoing that damage so you’d need to stay in the hospital for a little bit longer so they could monitor you. You can tell there’s something he’s not saying but you don’t press the issue. If the doctor doesn’t think you need to know it then it’s probably for the best you don’t. At least for now while you’re still feeling decently tired. Your mother swings by again, it’s kind of funny seeing how enamored she is with Shoto and his dedication to staying in the hospital with you until your release. Her endless praise makes him blush and it occurs to you then that he may have assumed your mother would hate him as much as you used to. It’s a sad thought but it makes you all the more appreciative to be where you are now. Eventually she too has to leave to resume her shift, but your next guest is by far the most surprising.

Endeavor walks into the room looking the most awkward you’ve ever seen him. Immediately Shoto stands in front of your hospital bed protectively. “If you’re here to try to arrest her I swear-“ Shoto starts but you put a hand on his shoulder and cut him off. “I don’t think that’s what he’s here for,” you assure him. He clearly still doesn’t trust his father but he does sit back down on the bed, even as he continues to glare at Endeavor. Endeavor sighs at his son’s behavior but it doesn’t sound disapproving it just sounds resigned. You can’t help your budding curiosity as you watch the hero shift awkwardly as he tries to find where to begin. It’s the most vulnerable you’ve ever seen the man look and it’s still odd seeing him without flaming facial hair. Finally he clears his throat and then bows lowly to you. You and Shoto both seem stunned at the gesture. “I owe you an apology (y/n) not just for my recent conduct but my conduct in the past as well,” he states. You and Shoto exchange a look but he makes it clear he’s just as lost as you are. “Oook?” you reply hesitantly. “It was unfair of me to blame you for the sins of your father. I should know better than anyone how unfair that is, it’s the very concern I had for Shoto when my own misdeeds were exposed,” Enji elaborates. “You really don’t have to bow and I get why you were so hesitant even if it was unfair,” you shrug but he shakes his head, rejecting your dismissal. “No. You saved my life, in spite of the way I’ve treated you, and maybe had I been better to you you wouldn’t have felt you had to take on your father alone and we could’ve coordinated our efforts with you and saved a lot of lives and prevented a lot of damage,” Enji continues before finally standing back up. “I once promised Shoto I’d try to be a hero he could be proud of. I’ve failed in that recently. I hope now to be a hero you both can be proud of and to right the rest of my wrongs. If you need anything just let me know,” he finishes. You stare blinking at him for several moments as you process his words. You’ve no intention of just forgiving and forgetting immediately but there’s no doubt in your mind his apology is at the very least sincere. “I, uh, appreciate your apology I guess,” you reply. It’s not much but it seems to be more than he expected because he bows to you again. “By the way, when you’re finally released from the hospital, Rei and I, uhm, we were thinking you and your mother could come by for dinner,” he offers sheepishly. “We’d love that.” “Great. I’ll see you then.” With his mission apparently fulfilled, Enji nods to you and Shoto before making his leave. “That was weird,” you note once he’s gone. “Yea,” Shoto confirms. “Your dad is kinda super fucking awkward when he’s not trying to be intimidating,” you note, causing Shoto to snort. “You can say that again. Now you know what I’ve been dealing with the past two years,” Shoto scoffs. “He’s trying though,” you note and to that Shoto nods. “He’s trying,” he confirms.

You reach out and gently grasp hold of Shoto’s hand, giving it a quick squeeze. He turns to look at you, eyes searching yours. You notice his gaze linger on your right eye for a moment but before you can ask him about it he leans in to press a chaste kiss to your lips. It lasts only a second before he draws back a bit, still so wonderfully close as he asks, “Is this ok?” “It’s perfect,” you tell him before sealing your lips back together.

A/N: After last chapter was so intense (and that one angsty ask I got lmao) this is just allllll fluff

Taglist: @sorrythatspussynal @miss-bakugo-writes @pixelwisp @larkspyrr @sokkaandzukosimp @akkaso @sunaispretty @shot0stea @todoplusultra @oliviasslut @lapysllazuly @immah0e4fictionalmen @cinnamonruts @koifishq

[autumnleaves1991-blog]

Day 12: It Evaded Me - Poe Dameron

Day 12: It Evaded Me - Poe Dameron 

Pairing: Poe Dameron x Reader 

Rating: 18 +

This was a challenging prompt to write for just because of the wording but I am really happy with the way this has turned out.

Once again, thank you for reblogging, commenting, and liking. It means a lot to me that people are reading and enjoying my writing. :) 

November Writing Challenge Masterlist 

Day 11: Walk the Dog- William ‘Ironhead’ Miller 

You had been working on base for several weeks before you had first met him, the poster boy for the resistance, Poe Dameron. You were a transfer mechanic on a temporary assignment, assigned to Black Squadron. More specifically Black One, Poe Dameron's personal x-wing. The ship was hard to miss with its distinctive black and orange coloring it stood out among the others, just like the man himself. He was passionate (arrogant), outspoken (egotistical), and always (ALWAYS) messing up his damn ship. Which meant more work for you. 

This led to some colorful conversations between the two of you. It was getting so bad that after he came back last time you both had to sit down with the General and have a talk. You couldn’t stand the man honestly. It was like he was trying to get under your skin, and the worst part was you let him. 

“How’s my ship sparky?” came the smug voice you hated. 

“I told you stop calling me that,” you sighed, “we promised the General that we were going to be professional from now on and you make it really fucking hard when you call me...that.” It had been a late night attempting the repairs on Poe’s X-wing, the ship was in horrible condition after a run in with some ties. You were replacing a power coupling when you had gotten shocked. Poe had been unfortunately nearby and saw the whole thing causing thus beginning of your trouble with the cocky pilot. 

“Yeah, yea sorry about that,” he brushes off your comment, “but seriously how's my ship?” 

You groaned, “honestly? It’s a mess fly boy, how do you always manage to make such a mess and still manage to not die?” 

“I am the best pilot in the resistance, or hadn’t you heard?” he gives you that smirk and you honestly don’t know if you want to punch him or kiss him. 

Whoa...what the hell was that thought?! You shake your head to hopefully restart your brain into working again. Poe Dameron, hate him, horrible person, get it right. 

“You ok there?” Poe asks and for a moment you trick yourself into thinking he actually sounds concerned. 

“I’m fine,” you huff, “I just can’t stand to be near you for too long, I’m worried some of your ego may rub off on me like some disease,” you brush your clothes off for affect. 

You're too busy brushing yourself off. You miss the slight droop in his smile before he puts back on his poster boy face. “Well I won’t bother you anymore then, take care of my ship I’m leaving tomorrow for a mission.” 

“You're leaving again already? You just got back,” the words are out of your mouth before you can even process what you just said. 

Poe looks just as surprised, “yeah, I need to go retrieve some parts on Yavin for the General and I’m going to stay a couple extra days and visit my dad.” 

“Oh...ok...but, you’re taking the x-wing? Why don’t you take one of the larger transports since you will be bringing back supplies?”

“I am.” 

“Then...then why are you out here talking to me about your ship if you're not even taking it tomorrow?” your voice is quiet. 

Several emotions cross over his face before he masks them all with indifference, “I just want to make sure you don’t skimp on my ship while I’m gone.” 

Like a snap of your fingers, the ass is back, “Whatever Dameron, get the hell out of here and let me work. And leave BB-8, I could use his help.” 

The droid has been quiet during the whole exchange and rolls over to you. While Dameron was a nightmare his droid was the sweetest in the entire galaxy. You wave Poe off and he just turns away and leaves. 

You sit down and sigh, putting your head in your hands. Poe always left you with feelings you couldn’t understand. He could be so pleasant and then just...not in the blink of an eye. You feel the body of the droid press gently to your knee in comfort and you rest your hand on his dome head. “Is he always like this?” you ask the droid. 

Beep beep boop beep 

“Only with me? Well that’s a comfort,” you rub your fingers gently into your temples. 

Beep boop beep beep 

Your head snaps up and you look at the droid incredulous, “He what? Can you repeat that?” 

Beep boop beep beep 

You can’t help but burst out laughing, holding onto your sides as you almost slide off the crate your sitting on. “He...he likes me?! Oh BB-8 I didn’t realize you were programmed to tell jokes!” 

Beep Beep

“No, no BB-8 he does not like me, and I’m sorry buddy but I don’t like him like that either,” you pat him gently before going back to the x-wing leaving the conversation unfinished. 

The next morning, you wake up and shower. Walking to the mess hall to grab a quick breakfast before going back to the chaos of the x-wing. When you're just about to enter the mess hall you're quickly crowded back into one of the stone pillars holding up the structure. “Where the hell did you put them?” Poe Dameron asks, getting in your face. 

You push him away from you but he’s like a statue, unyielding. “What are you talking about?” you shout. His hand quickly comes over your mouth and you bite him. He yelps before pulling his hand back shaking it. 

“Will you quiet down! The General is in the mess and I don’t want her to hear us.” 

“Then don’t put your dirty hands over my mouth, I don’t know where the hell those have been!” you hiss at him. 

“Ok, okay….now back to my question, where did you put the keys to my transport?” 

“How the hell would I know where the keys are?!” you try to keep your voice down, “I’m a mechanic not your mother!” 

“Shhhhh!” he whispers at you before pulling you away from the mess hall and the warmth of your breakfast. You try to rip your arm out of his, to no avail.

“Where the hell are you taking me?” you ask. He doesn’t answer, just keeps pulling you back towards the personal quarters. 

When you reach his room, he pulls you inside before closing the door behind you, dropping your arm. “Ok, tell her exactly what you told me?” he gestures to BB-8. 

Beep Beep Boop Beep Beep 

Poe shakes his head before dropping to one knee in front of the droid, “You lied? Buddy, why would you lie to me?” 

Beep Boop Boop Beep 

“What do you mean you have something to show me BB-8? Show me what?” you ask kneeing beside Poe in front of the droid. You know it’s impossible but the droid almost looks like a delinquent child in front of his parents. 

BB-8 looks back and forth between the two of you before he begins to play a holographic recording. On the scene is Poe sitting down on his couch with his guitar strumming gently. 

“Turn it off,” Poe whispers horrified, “BB-8 turn it off right now.” 

The droid ignores him and continues to play the recording. Poe rises from his knee and begins pacing behind you running his hands through his curls. Your eyes are glued to the recording. 

“Why does she get under my skin so much buddy? It’s like...no it can’t be. I mean yes, she’s beautiful...smart...and god when she is covered in engine grease it’s one of the sexiest images in the verse….shit I...I like her don’t I?” Hologram Poe puts down the guitar before running his hands through his hair. 

BB-8 ends the recording and you don’t move for several minutes. Replaying the scene over and over again in your mind. You slowly rise to your feet and turn not sure what you're going to see. Behind you Poe Dameron, the hero of the resistance is staring at you a mixture of fear and hope on his face. 

You take a few hesitant steps toward him, he remains rooted to the ground. You reach out one hand tentatively toward him before placing it gently on his cheek, his head moves slowly into the embrace. “You like me?” you whisper. 

He nods slowly, “yeah…I wanted to deny it, it evaded me for so long. 

You nod slowly, running your hand down his neck, to his arm, and down to his hand. You hold his much larger hand in your own. He takes a step closer to you. “But you haven’t told me, how do you feel?” his words are low and deep and you feel the heat pooling between your legs. 

“....I think....you are one of the most infuriating men in the galaxy...but you're also kind, loyal, and the best pilot in the resistance, even if your reckless with your ship. I would be lying if I told you I haven’t been feeling something too.” 

He steps one step closer, and you feel his breath on your lips, “so what do we do now?” he whispers, you feel the ghost of his lips on your own. 

“This,” he whispers before moving the rest of the way and kissing you. His lips are soft and warm and his kisses are sweeter than any honey. He doesn’t push too far and your hands slowly reach up to bury into his curls. You open your mouth to sigh, and he slides his tongue into your mouth and you smile into the kiss. When you break apart for air he presses his forehead gently to your own. His smile matching your own. 

“That was...everything I thought it would be and more,” he tells you whispering. 

You press your lips to his lightly and he groans against your mouth when you begin to move your body against his own. He pulls back slightly, “as much as I want this, and god do I want this, I really need to find those keys and get going.” 

You pout slightly and he laughs pulling you in for several more small kisses. Both of you draw your attention to the small droid who is beeping happily. You both furrow your brow at him before he pops open a compartment on his body and out pops the keys on the ground. You both drop open your mouths before bursting into laughter. 

“I think your droid has been playing matchmaker,” you giggle at Poe. 

“Well if that’s one of the new upgrades they installed, I think it’s the best one yet!” he laughs with you. 

“Come along Commander, it’s time we get you off to your mission, we will have plenty more time to talk when you get back,” you go to move towards the door when his hand gently grabs your wrist. 

You look at him with questioning eyes, “I know I said this before….but I really like you….Sparky.” The grin that fills his face leaves with that same feeling you had yesterday, you want to either punch him or kiss him. But, this time you choose the latter, and you do. 

Day 13: Water Flowed - Llewyn Davis 

[writing-gifts]

datura (moth!bruno x butterfly!reader)

------

A/N: Back with the 2nd chapter! Previous chapter | Next chapter

Reader is gender neutral!

------

[Mid Spring]

The bags hanging from your body make your movements sluggish as you make your way to the entrance of your home. While crossing the threshold, one of your satchels' straps catch on the door and you almost end up on the floor. You remove the strap and shut the door behind you slightly annoyed.

Your current fatigue was due to spending most of the morning gathering with few breaks. There were just so many flowers to pick from, and you struggled to decide. So you ended up stopping at every different one that you came across.

Knowing yourself, you had expected this and prepared the day before, collecting any empty canisters left sitting around your house. You even found some that you had thought you lost.

How you even managed to get off the ground with all the nectar weighing you down was a mystery though.

After setting the heavy satchels on the dining table, you take one of the canisters hanging on your belt to replenish some of your energy. Lilac. You stand in place to give yourself a moment to catch your breath.

A giant part of you wants to taste all the nectar you collected, but you hold back. You needed to use some of it to trade for items and supplies, and a taste test could quickly turn into half the can.

And even though you wanted to lay down, you plan on making more trips before the day ends so you could have enough for yourself and trading.

Then there was the task of switching all the nectar to jars. There were also all the unlabeled jars from the last couple days too. You could just keep your favorite ones in the cans to save time...after you figured out which contained them.

Then you could finally have a day to rest.

You sigh and finish your drink. The image of a new sun hat keeps your resolve.

By the time you get back from your third trip, you can’t muster up the energy to organize everything right away and lay down instead. Just for a little bit. The sun was still out but you didn’t want to risk another trip when it was this late in the evening, so you had some spare time.

You don’t even realize that you're falling asleep--then you hear knocking. Groaning, you drag yourself off the soft cotton of your daybed to go answer the door.

When you open it, Bruno's on the other side and you wonder why he's here. You smile sleepily before noticing that the sun is long gone.

You look at the sky and rub the sleep out of your eyes. “There goes my lazy day...”

“Hmm? You look like you had a good rest. Sorry if I woke you up.”

“I didn’t even mean to fall asleep, so now I gotta organize everything tomorrow…"

You mumble to yourself trying to figure out how you could salvage this. Then you realize that what you collected for Bruno was still sitting in one of the canisters in your bags.

"Uh, are you okay with something random? I don't even remember what flowers I went to today...”

Bruno stares at your most likely disheveled appearance and shakes his head. “Don't worry about it. We can properly trade once you have your thoughts together."

However, he still holds out his canister towards you, but you can't help the slight guilt you feel.

"Sorry…"

“I wouldn't lie about something like that. It’s fine, really.”

“So you’d lie about something else?” You look at him, not expecting an answer to your rhetorical question, to see if he was actually okay with it. But you only find his usual untelling expression.

You take the canister from him, an unsure smile on your face. "I'm just going to believe you then. Thanks..."

When Bruno smiles at you in return, you immediately look away using opening the canister as an excuse. You almost drink from it but remember that it isn't yours.

"Wait l-let me go pour this into a jar real quick!"

You leave Bruno at the entrance, doing your best to slow your racing heart.

-----

“Hello!”

“Hi Mrs. Joestar! I brought you some Mum nectar and also a new drink I made."

"Oh, I’m good on the drink dear, but I'll definitely save it for later. I'm guessing you want to trade for fabrics?"

"Yea!"

"Good, cause I saved some of your favorite colors!” She goes to the back and quickly returns with them to show you.

You didn’t have any solid ideas on what you would make but some were starting to form now that you were here. You thank the elder bug and pull out the Mum filled jars from your satchel to place on the store's counters, setting the drink slightly apart from the rest of them.

"By the way, I heard you haven't been staying out late much anymore? Some of the neighbors were wondering if you were okay."

"Yea, I've been avoiding staying out too late now...”

"Well that's good, we don't want you getting hurt, but I find it hard to believe you would just stop so suddenly."

You fiddle with your satchel. "It’s because I met this moth and we started trading and stuff, so now I just try to go directly home so I dont leave him waiting."

"I see. Well, I'm glad you're making more friends dear!"

That makes you purse your lips. Were you and Bruno friends? You’d only known him for a little over a month now...How long did you need to know someone before you could consider them a friend?

"--____?"

"Ah...yea he’s really nice. He’s actually the first moth I’ve officially met."

“Hun.”

“Yea?”

“You know I’m a moth right?”

“Huh? But--what?”

She laughs. “What did you think I was?”

“I don't know, I thought you were like some sort of butterfly….Ah sorry!” Your face felt much warmer than before.

"It’s okay!” She's still laughing a bit though.

Mrs. Joestar’s partially transparent wings looked so similar to yours in shape and pattern. And with her being diurnal you had just assumed. You could definitely see the similarities between her and Bruno though.

“...Are all moth’s just super pretty?” The moment the question’s out of your mouth, you realize that it was better kept as a thought.

Mrs. Joestar places a hand on her cheek. “Oh, you're such a flirt!”

“Wait, I didn’t mean--!” You cover your face, unable to finish your sentence.

“I kid, I kid.” She smiles teasingly.

“You and Mr. Joseph are too much…”

-----

"I know you usually leave pretty quickly, but do you want to stay for a while--inside? I can make you something new to drink?”

Bruno seems to be thinking, and you prepare yourself for him to say no and leave after you both trade. But then he gives you a small smile. “You like mixing drinks?”

Averting your eyes, you ignore the weird flip within your chest cavity. “Yea, it’s something I learned from another bug some time ago. I'm still figuring it out though...” You move out of the way so he can walk in.

This was the first time that Bruno had actually come into your home. You had tried inviting him multiple times before so he didn't have to wait outside, but he would always politely decline.

You hope you didn’t leave anything weird laying around.

You softly close the entrance. “Ah you can sit over there, I’ll be right back.” Once Bruno sits down on your daybed, you quickly head into the space in your house where you kept all your food and beverages.

You decide to make something you had already done before with the Datura since you didn’t want any accidents right now.

You do your best to recall the steps that you should probably just write down at this point. And even though there were a few times where you thought you messed up, you end up with a result that’s not bad. You just hoped it was to Bruno’s taste.

After you pour the drink into two cups, you head back to Bruno. You plop down next to him and shove the drink a bit too close to his face.

He carefully grabs the cup and you watch him take a sip, forgetting your own drink for the moment.

After way too long for your liking he finally says something. “It’s not bad. I’d even go as far to say that it’s good.”

You roll your eyes at him but smile. “Well as long as you drink it all, then I consider that a win.”

You down your drink in one swoop and stare into your empty cup. "I think I might drink the rest of the pitcher by myself…"

"I think you might have a problem."

"What?"

"That sounds like a lot to drink at once."

"Please, I was like this before I was even a pupa."

Bruno raises a brow, skeptical. "How? I know wasps much bigger than you that drink less."

You immediately gawk at him. “You interact with wasps!?”

"Well one." The moth tilts his head slightly. "It’s a...unique relationship."

"...Bruno, what the fuck."

-----

Bruno didn't always come in to relax when visiting but when he did, you always made sure to try to give him something new to drink. They weren’t always hits though.

One time he shows up and you're surprised to see that he doesn’t have anything to trade.

"It's become habit now. The night wouldn't feel complete without visiting."

You keep your face from putting on the giant smile it wants to and instead settle for a regular one.

After inviting him in, you tell him to wait while you try to make one of your "concoctions". This time you decide not to do anything too crazy, just a simple sweet tea. You wish you could make it cooler. It would be much more refreshing in this weather.

The two of you sit together speaking idly. Your relationship was starting to get to the point where you both could sit in silence and it didn't feel awkward. Or maybe you just felt comfortable enough with Bruno to do that, and maybe he felt the same way.

"Hey."

“Yes?”

“What do you like to eat?” you ask.

“I don’t really eat that often but I like most fruits, except apples. Occasionally I’ll chew on something salty too if I can find it...Honey’s good too.”

That made sense. Some that drink nectar didn’t need solids to survive. It was strictly a pleasure activity in your case. “You don’t like apples?”

“I think they’re a little overrated to be honest.”

“Hmm, well I'm going to make sure to get you other fruits then cause I'm striving to be the best host ever.“

“Do you not invite people over?”

“My friend visits sometimes but they don't like my drinks! They only really eat grainy stuff without any sugar. The lack of flavour…” You grimace. “And I literally can’t make anything without sugar.”

“What are they?”

“A grasshopper.”

“Then of course they wouldn't want sugar.” A hint of amusement sounds in his voice.

"I know BUT I tried some of their grain stuff and it's not bad. It could be way better though. If you mix it with water and sugar--” You make an okay sign. "It’s at least 50 times better."

“No offense but that sounds disgusting.”

"You haven’t even tried it yet though!" The lack of sugarcoating caught you off guard.

"I’m going to make you take that back.”

Bruno shakes his head and smirks. "Good luck with that.”

You knew he was mostly messing with you but you were already set on proving him wrong. “Fine but I’m going to come up with something you really like one day.”

Maybe you were just excited to have someone you were somewhat close to to experience your relatively new hobby with, but you already felt like getting started.

"I look forward to it."

[itstittycitybaby]

Flirty (Lin Beifong x reader) Part 5

a/n: brooooo. liinnnnnn. pulllll uuppppppp brooooo. kiss?? kiss for monty?? right here?? please?? also this took like. two fucking hours to write lmao. i just want that to be known.

Warnings: This is VERY angsty and sad. Proceed with caution.

You waved Opal off with the others as the airship left. It was sad having to see her go. You knew she’d do great training with the other airbenders. She was so sweet and clever. Opal seemed excited to join the other benders at the air temple. Even though you felt happy for her it didn’t stop the ping of jealousy in your heart. Maybe if you had finally become a bender your mother and father would’ve been proud of you. Maybe they would finally love you.

You glanced to your side. Lin stood next to you with her arms were crossed and and a frown on her face. She looked annoyed and tired. You snickered. “What are you laughing at?” You shook your head, grinning. “Nothing. Couldn’t help but realize how grumpy you are. Sad to see her go?” Lin scoffed. It seems like you were right. 

The sky was pink and purple as the sun set. The metal shields whirred to life, slowly covering the pretty sky. You watched them sadly as they closed in on one another. The sky was so beautiful at night. If only you could see it.

*****

The metal roof was cool underneath you. Azure was curled up in the collar of your turtle neck sleeping. Ruby pecked at the bird seed in your hands gently. The lights in Zaofu glowed softly, illuminating the streets. It was really a beautiful city.

Lin was more distant lately. She didn’t seem to pay any attention to you or care about the others. You knew that it’d happen eventually, but it still hurt. It made  the stone in your stomach roll more. It sunk heavily underneath the surface and jabbed at your heart. The anxiety of being abandoned still jostled and tore at your soul. It never seemed to go away. At this point you figured it never would.

 Thirty years was a long time. So much had happened in thirty years. A lot of loss and heartbreak had tore you down, leaving you on the ground defenseless. Even though life seemed to always strike you down you stilled waited. Waiting for a miracle to happen as you laid there reflecting. Now, it seemed like it was your chance. It didn’t matter how long it could take. You’d always wait for Lin.

She still held a fondness for you. Her eyes softened for a second once she saw you and she wasn’t as snarky. It was a start. As much as you wanted to kiss her face and hold her close, Lin needed time. She was impatient but you weren’t. The waiting game was something you were incredibly talented at. Thirty years of waiting you thought was the test. Now, it seemed like it was more of a test than ever. You glanced up at the covered sky. The stars had always comforted you before, it was a shame they were hidden now.

Ruby stilled in your hand, peering into the distance. “What is it Ruby,” you asked, jutting your head forward. Your eyes narrowed and your brows tugged together. Azure pecked you in the neck for waking him up. “Sorry drama queen, but you gotta go home!” Immediately, Azure flew out of your collar. You watched him go until he was out of sight. “Ruby, go fetch Lin! Bring her to me.” She sqwaked and flapped her wings. Grabbing your grappling hook, you aimed it at a crevice in the building in front of you. The button was smooth once you pressed it with the pad of your thumb. It shot out immediately making a soft swoosh sound. It clinked softly against the beam you aimed it at and swung you forward. Rotating your hips, you glided into the air. You wiggled slightly for better control and momentum. Your boots met the roof and your grappling hook quietly zipped back in place. Once you got to your destination,  you rolled onto the pavement with a soft thud. In the distance you could see them. Four people were creeping at a window. Korra.

****

“What,” Lin groaned, tugging her pillow over her head. Ruby shrieked and pecked at her fingers. She tried swatting at the bird but to no avail, Ruby wouldn’t let go. “Ow! Little shit. When I find them they’re gonna-”

Boom! Lin bolted up from her bed, flinging open her door she saw Mako and Bolin tumbling onto the pavement. Bang, Bang. Lin snapped her head. Speak of the devil.

There were two weapons clutched in your hands tightly. They were shooting out some weird metal pellets. You grunted as you swiftly dodged some sort of water arm. “Lin,” you shouted, “They’ve got Korra!” Lin broke into a sprint, guarding Mako and Bolin as they came back to their senses. Her scanned the area quickly and followed where you aimed. Four people stood in the middle of the court yard. There was a woman flailing her arms at anyone who dared to come closer, along with a lady that was creating explosions with her mind.

 Lin rose her fists and the metal around Korra’s attackers surrounded them. Your pellets hit the metal as soon as they came up. You cursed, taking cover behind a fallen pillar and loaded your pistols again. Suyin and her sons ran to you raising the rest of the metal around the attackers. All four of them were trapped.

“We have you surrounded it’s over!” Ruby landed on your shoulder as you trained your eyes on the target. “Good girl Rubes,” you whispered, stroking her softly. Suddenly, a rumbling noise shook the ground under you. Lava lazily slid out from the metal panes. “Lava bender,” you shouted, “Everyone, hop back!” You jumped back a few feet from the quickly pooling lava. The metal fell with a creak from the lava. It surrounded them, pushing you all fifteen feet away from Korra.

“No way. That guy’s lava bending! That’s awesome!..ly not good for us,” Bolin murmured. You stifled a laugh. Lin glared at you with her fists clenched. You shrugged in reply before getting back to the fight.

****

An explosion was sent your way for what felt like the twentieth time. You barely dodged it; the wind of it grazed your side. Ruby fluttered about, dodging their attacks swiftly. She couldn’t decide if she wanted to be by your side or fly from the danger. You couldn’t blame her; you wished you were back on the metal roof and not having your joints aching like hell. Ducking, you behind a metal pane as soon as another explosion swept by. Your boots skidded onto the pavement. Ruby flew to your side immediately. “You’re doing great girl,” you comforted her. 

Lin, Mako, Bolin, and Asami joined you behind the metal cover. “What should we do,” Bolin cried as he and Mako started hurling fire and rocks at the attackers’ way. Asami crouched in nothing but her nightgown. “Hey Asami?” “Yea?” You handed her one of your daggers. “Just in case,” you said, sending her a smile. She looked thankful as she gripped it.

“Look,” Lin shouted, pointing to the airbending guy. “They’ve been split up now!” A guard somehow had managed to get him away from the group. In the distance you could see Korra laying on the rock with lava around it. Mako hurled another fire ball at the explosion lady but the water bender blocked it with her arms. The chick focused on the four of you, a lazer starting to form from her forehead.

The explosion collided with another metal plane. Asami snapped her head behind her. Suyin and her sons blocked the lazer just in time. They caught up with the five of you and all eight of you huddled for protection. Your body blocked anything coming Asami’s way as you stood on the defense side of fighting.

 “How did they get in here,” Lin yelled over the explosions. “I don’t know, but they won’t get away,” Suyin exclaimed. 

“There’s no way to cross,” Asami muttered, as she watched the guards being flung from the metal bridge they had built to the four criminals. Suyin eyes narrowed as she observed the scene in front of her. Her green eyes lit up as an idea striked through her head. “We don’t need to. Lin and I can get up there and use our cables.” “Good idea,” Lin replied, following her gaze to where her sister looked. “How are we going to get past her?” You followed Lin’s eyes. “Don’t worry. Bolin and I will have your back.” Her brows furrowed. “How?” “I don’t know,” you answered honestly, “But you have to trust me.”

Lin furrowed her brows. She didn’t say anything but eventually agreed. “Alright, I trust you.” You smiled. “Take Ruby with you.” “Why?” “I don’t want her getting hurt. Besides, she’ll be the first to warn you in the air.” Lin looked at you with disbelief but stretched her arm out to the red bird anyway. “Take care of her Rubes,” you whispered, as Lin and Suyin disappeared into the air.

You raised your pistols. “Bolin! I need you to hit the third eye lady!” Bolin yelled, “I can’t get a good shot!” “Keep trying,” you yelled, firing more pellets.

****

Bolin’s rock hit her square in the head. She stumbled, and her face pulled in anger. Taking this as your shot, you fired a pellet in her damn forehead. Lightening shot out once it made contact. “Holy,” Bolin and Mako murmured at the same time. The lightening traveled through her body and it reached her face. A scream ripped out of her chest. The water armed lady snapped her head towards her. Lin’s eyes widened in shock as the explosion chick toppled over. “Lin!” Suyin’s voice snapped her out of her surprised state. Taking this as her chance, Lin grabbed Korra, swinging her over her shoulder. Korra groaned but laid limp. Ruby’s screeching pierced through Lin’s ears. Lin swung her hips to the right and the water bender’s arm reached out to were she was seconds ago. “Clever bird,” Lin muttered, eyes wide as she slowly raised up into the hidden panel.

The air bender scooped up the unconscious third eye lady. The lava bender and the water bender sent a death glared towards you. “We failed! Move out,” he commanded. Twirling his staff with one hand, he swept  air above the four of them. It became darker and darker from the smoke and flames. The four of you coughed from choking on smoke. When the air bubble slowly dissipated, they were gone.

****

Korra laid on one of the green couches in Su’s study. She was awake but her voice was hoarse. Lin and Suyin hovered over her as Aiwei treated Korra. Bolin, Mako, and Asami sat on the couch across from them. Asami had given you your dagger back once you all met up in Suyin’s study. Ruby stood on your shoulder with you by the door. She wasn’t hurt thankfully, but she was very skittish. “You’ll be getting all the almonds you want tomorrow,” you told her, stroking her feathers. She tweeted softly, beak nuzzling your hand softly.

“You assured me this was the safest place in the world,” Lin said harshly as Korra drank the bottle Aiwei gave her. “It is,” Suyin argued defensively, “don’t blame me! It was well planned, how could I have known?!” Your face tugged in thought as you listened to their arguing. The metal shields that came up prevented from anything entering or leaving. There was no way they could’ve got in..unless...

“You have a traitor in your city Suyin,” you said softly. “That’s how they got in.” Aiwei got up and cast Suyin an apologetic look. “They’re right. It seems the four of them had some inside knowledge in Zafou.”

“We searched throughout the entire estate. There’s no sign of them.” A guard stood in the doorway of Suyin’s study. “Well keep looking,” Lin snapped. They nodded and left.

“The- The guards. It had to be one of them.” You all snapped to Korra. She rubbed her head with the heel of her palm as she sat up. She sounded so weak. “I agree,” Aiwei said. “Question them all!” Suyin sounded so angry. You cast a glance towards Lin. Her brows had sunk in anger and her green eyes twinkled dangerously. Everyone looked nervous and afraid. “This has been one hell of a night,” you mumbled to yourself. “I could use a drink.”

****

“We’re getting no where,” Lin growled, as Aiwei dismissed the guard. “Things like this take time Lin,” you reassured her softly. “We’ll find them.” Lin grumbled and crossed her arms. Bolin looked at her surprised. Usually she’d snap and berate anyone who dared to talk back at her. Now that he thought of it, Lin never seemed to snap at you. He tilted his head at you questioningly. You waved him off, eyes turning back to watch the interrogations.

“You should be doing this,” Lin huffed, turning to you. “It’s your area of field after all.” You hummed, “You’re not wrong.” Suyin interjected, “Aiwei is a trusted member of my council. He’s family. Are you saying he can’t be trusted?” 

“It’s better to investigate everyone,” you said. “Never know who it could be.” “Exactly,” Lin gritted out narrowing her eyes at Suyin. Su scoffed at her. “Are you insinuating it could’ve been me.” “Someone higher up could’ve done it.” Suyin rolled her eyes. “Fine. Aiwei question me. I’ve got nothing to hide.” He nodded, “If you wish.”

****

Suyin rose from her chair. “She is telling the truth,” Aiwei confirmed, turning to Lin. She groaned. She couldn’t believe this. Zaofu was supposed to be the safest city in the world. Who let these criminals infiltrate the city? Aiwei’s eyes turned to you. They narrowed suspiciously. “Oh my god,” you huffed, crossing your arms. “You’re not even considering me are you?” “Sit.” You sighed, moving around Korra to the chair across from Aiwei.

“There’s no way they could’ve done it,” Bolin interjected. “They were the first ones there! If they were on their side they would’ve been with the others!” “It’s fine Bolin,” you reassured him. At least someone had your back. “It’s just an investigation.” He shrunk but you could see his green eyes still filled with worry.

****

“They’re lying.” “What?” You laughed in disbelief. “I didn’t do it!” “(Y/N).” Your eyes snapped to Lin’s. Surely, she had to believe you. Oh how wrong you were. Lin’s eyes were cold as she stared into your soul. Her fists clenched by her sides and her aura felt betrayed. The blood in your veins ran cold. The air in the room felt suffocating and your heart tore into two. She didn’t believe him did she? “I suggest we search their place.”

They all got up and left for your chambers. Except for Lin. “Lin-” “Don’t. Say. Anything.” Her hard voice made you flinch. Lin shook her head in disbelief. Her back was turned to you, trembling. Lin swallowed thickly before muttering, “None of this was real.” Her voice shoke with every word she spoke. Lin shook her head one last time before leaving.

****

“This is a mistake!” The sound of the guards harshly pulling your drawers out and threw your clothes out rang in your ears. This can’t be real, this can’t be happening. “Hey!” A couple of guards shuffled through the plans on your desk aggressively. Ruby and Azure screeched in their cages. “Be careful with that,” you shouted as a guard picked up a project you had been working on for Suyin. You watched them helplessy destroy your chambers. All you could do was stand there and watch all of your hard work be destroyed. They went as far as flinging off the sheets from your bed along with the comfy pillows. 

“Found it!” Mako called, holding up a slip of paper from your desk. Suyin and Lin’s head perked up. Korra and Bolin stiffened behind them. Aiwei’s hand reached out for the slip of paper. Mako handed it to him sending a glare your way. Your jaw clenched tightly, but you didn’t say anything. Aiwei’s eyes widened and he lifted his head to you. “Team assembled. Ready to Rendezvous.” “And look at this,” Asami piped up from the bookshelf. She handed Aiwei a green book with fancy gold carvings on it. The silence in the room as he read through the pages made your heart sink even lower. The whole world was against you.“It’s the guards logs,” he muttered darkly as he flipped through it. “It’s filled with routes and their schedules.” 

“No,” you whispered. “It wasn’t me!” “Guards, seize them.” “Hey,” you shouted, as the guards swept towards you. Their hands tightened on your arms and they hauled you up. You swung your legs trying to get out of their grasp. “Wait a minute,” Bolin shouted, “Let them talk.” “We have enough evidence.” Lin. You snapped your eyes up to hers as the guards hauled you at. Her eyes were cold and unforgiving. She felt betrayed. She trusted you. They all trusted you. You were finally in her grasp and she latched on too quickly. She allowed the avatar to be vulnerable, because she trusted someone who wanted nothing to do with her years ago. This is why we can only trust ourselves, a voice told her, this is why we’re alone. “Take them to the interrogation room.” The doors swung closed muffling your shouts of protest. Lin felt her heart shatter again. No one said a word as they eventually shuffled out one by one. “Lin-” “I don’t want to hear it Suyin,” she muttered to her sister. “Just leave me alone.” Suyin’s eyes fell but she didn’t say anything. She gave a slight nod and left. The doors closed softly behind her. All Lin could hear was the soft twittering of your parakeets and the clock ticking on the wall. A cry left her throat. The tears flowed freely now and she raised her hand to her mouth, clamping it shut. Lin felt like she was going to vomit. She stood in the destroyed room alone. Paper was scattered and torn on the floor.

Lin clenched her jaw tightly. It begun to ache from her teeth grinding so hard. Another cry left Lin’s throat. She was a damn fool.

****

The cuffs on the table were cutting into your wrists. They were heavy and cold. The circulation in your blood was being cut off. Your ass felt numb from the stiff metal chair you were trapped in. The cold, sturdy metal dug into you. How long had it been?  Minutes? Hours? There wasn’t a way to tell. Tears welled in your eyes. Lin looked so disgusted with you. She wouldn’t listen to you. It was perfect, too perfect. Everyone was now against you in a matter of minutes. How was the evidence there? Someone must of snuck into your room and planted it there. But when? 

Aiwei. You chuckled; there was no joy or humor in it. “That bastard,” you snarled, nails digging into your skin. You ignored the pain that flared up in your palms.

Creak. The metal door opened slowly.You perked your head up at the it. You felt the lump in your throat tighten at the sight of her. Lin stood in front of you with no emotion on her face. Her green eyes were dull and her posture was upright once she sat down. There wasn’t an ounce of softness in her eyes anymore. The light had been replaced by hate. “I swear to you didn’t do it,” you whispered weakly, head hanging low. “I would never put you or Korra in danger.” “Liar.” You snapped up to her. Lin swallowed thickly as she peered into your soul. Her eyes were hallow. You’d rather have her look at you with anger then seeing her eyes filled with nothing.

 “I wouldn’t hurt you Lin. What could I gain by forming an attack on you and the avatar? You know I care about you.” Lin’s jaw clenched and her eyes narrowed into angry slits. “You think your words are going to make me care? I thought you were better than that. Now, I don’t know what to believe anymore. ” Her tone was cold. The walls around her were back up again. She looked at you with disgust. But more importantly, she looked at you with hurt in her eyes. 

“The evidence. Explain that.” “It’s not mine..Aiwei...” you whispered. The tears in your eyes fell freely. Your lips pulled back into a grimace and you whimpered. The darkness in the room swallowed you. “Are you claiming that he had something to do with it? How childish, now you’re putting the blame on someone else. Grow up.” Her words made you flinch. No longer was it Lin sitting in front of you. It was your mother.

 “Please... you have to believe me I-” “(Y/n).” You looked up at her. “Who were those people?” “I don’t know,” you replied, voice slightly raising. Lin arched a brow. Your stress levels were high. It was dark, it was too dark and you felt like the room was choking closing in on you. The woman you loved now looked at you with hatred in your eyes. Your breathing became shallow and you choked on the stale air in this shitty interrogation room.

“Breathe,” Lin commanded, “Get your fucking shit together!” Her hands slammed down on the table. It echoed throughout the cold and dark interrogation room. You swallowed your breath and choked an exhale out. Tears poured out of your eyes. Your heart in your chest was being sliced up and bruised from Lin’s harsh words. Spirits, why was everything spinning so fast.

I didn’t want it to come to this,” you whimpered. “I never wanted this to happen.” She swallowed thickly. “I hope you’re proud of yourself. Do I even matter to you?” You sniffled, “Of..Of course Lin. H-how could you say that? I told you I’d do anything for you!” Her nostrils flared. “Then why are you lying to me?” “I’m not,” you cried. “I’m not, I do love you Lin.” Lin’s eyes widened. Her eyes started to water and her throat tightened. She refused to cry in front of you. She had been weak before, she wouldn’t be weak now. “No, you never meant a single word that you said to me. You’re a damn liar.” Your lip quivered and you let out a whimper. Everything was falling apart.

She looked so disgusted with you. Your presence was a reminder of how frail she really was. Lin would never be the strong and tough woman she had always aspired to be. You saw the cracks in her facade and manipulated her for your own gain. Everyone’s life was on the line because of her. Korra almost got kidnapped because she had been so careless. Lin was ashamed at herself for believing your lies and making her feel happy again.

“You know what? I was wrong. You never really meant anything to me. You’re broken, you’re beyond fixing, you’re not something I want to take the time to handle.” You bit your quivering lip. You choked on the cry that wanted to cry its way out of your throat from swallowing it. The two of you stared at each other for what felt like an eternity.

She slowly rose up from her chair. The clinking of her metal armor was the only sound in the room. Her hand hovered over the door handle. “Lin.” She stiffened. Your voice sounded so heartbroken and sad. Her hand balled up into fists as she turned back to look at you. It hurt more having to see the tears and fear in your eyes. “Don’t give up one me.. I can’t loose you too.” Lin laughed. You flinched; the pain in her laugh echoed in the small dark room. “This is all your fault. It always comes back to this with you doesn’t it? Save your tears.”

“Why can’t we talk about this? Why can’t we just-” “Does it ever occur to you that I’m done talking? That I am done reflecting my words and actions? Can’t you just take a fucking hint that I’m done with you? I don’t want anything to do with you anymore.” You didn’t say anything. The tears made your vision blurry. The stunned silence gave the cue to Lin that it was time to leave. “Hope you’re proud, I’m done here.”

The sound of the door slamming shut was the thing that broke your resolve. The dam you had tried so hard to close had its walls torn open. Sobs left your trembling body. You cried so hard your throat begun to ache and your face became sluggish. Aiwei’s actions had been your undoing. Now, you were the one paying the price.

[ghoulishhusband]

I just realized I can actually talk here. Like this is my account fuck u

Fucking uhhhhhh, hi ig lemme ramble abt my God ocs yea?

Ignore this part if you don't wanna hear (likely) unedited rambles lol it doesn't matter

CW: neglect/abuse, assholery/narcissism, manipulation, tread lightly!

read the under cut owo

Also don't steal my art I'll fucking?? Fight you????

So

I have three main gods that I wanna talk abt especially bc they've been on my mind lately.. Less get it, side notes are in (parentheses) and are bolded cause I have perception issues whoo I don't want it to jumble together is my point lol

First up is my asshole,

Giodine

they/them (preferred)

god/godself (i like pronouns that fit my characters, so I'm giving a bunch away for one night only at--)

ID : Giodine is colored with gold-ish yellow skin and ginger hair. Their eyes are a muted purple and they have tiny eyebrows. Their lips are a muted brown and are full looking, their nose is sharp and points down. They have wings for ears and is wearing a blazer with a long-sleeved, collared shirt underneath it. The background is beige with a yellow square and a dark purple square partially encompassing it. It is signed GH (for ghoulish husband), Spork, 21.

(lemme know if that helps at all! I'm sure I can do better so lemme know!)

If they look weird here it's bc I accidentally made their face too long but believe it or not this is in fact just a doodle Ik I'm so fuckin talented babes.

Anyways, they're basically the first God to ever exist on my version of earth (though even that is fickle rn, world-building is hard unless I hyper-focus on it, and haha Guess What I Haven't Been Thinking About) and they're very egotistical and selfish. As I'll probably yap about later is how they're manipulative as well, especially to another God I'll mention, and very neglectful to the other... other one.

Their partner(professionally), or fiend as they call him, is sam who for the first few eons was, unsurprisingly, absolutely terrible to him. A few tender moments are few and far in between in what could only be described as a completely rancid relationship. I'll describe giodine's side and in sam's lil ramble, I'll describe his :]

I have to explain this because it's a big part of the lore and how they can't work together, even when one of them is very much near The Void (technical death for gods) BUT basically, with Sam, giodine created purgatory. The issue here is that they basically seduced sam into doing it. Well, even if they hadn't, sam was in lesbians(happy pride month lmao) with giodine and would've done it anyway. But the ISSUE is that with the creation of purgatory came complications. See, my gods have to take time to develop into their power, and considering giodine was first and sam was around 666th.. you see the issue. Sam wasn't into his complete power yet and thus lost a giant part of it that went into purg.

See, giodine saw no problem with this (until much later, they do get a VERY SLOW BURN redemption arc cause this ain't even the worst of it), they got what they were aching for out of them and thusly had no need for..sam. They laid him in the spot where she was made (fwi it isn't inherently sexual, it can be, but literally, they just merged together-- taking bits and pieces of each other (which sam did not have enough of) and earth and light yadda, yadda I'll post the story I wrote for that later if I'm up to it) and left him there in the grass.

Again, they saw no problem with that, the deed was done, they didn't care anymore. A common issue in their qualms, sam and Giodine. They did find an issue in Sam finding an issue in the lack of aftercare, which resorted to any message going to or coming from sam going straight to his assistant and going back through them for a couple of thousand years. They found that infuriating-- how could he not face them over something so small! and for years?! it was ridiculous. After forcing a face-to-face meeting, a heated proclaim of hurt from sam, and a bitter agreement to meet up every now and again, they got what they wanted from him. Again. It was a business after all, there was no point in making it harder than it needed to be. 

Giodine doesn't necessarily like boundaries and tends to overstep sam's frequently. They also don't like his reaction to his boundaries being long jumped over, which thusly ends up in disgruntled messages being sent back and forth between them and his assistant for a month or three. It slowly gets through to them, but they tend to say some stupid shit and if they want sam to stay, they have to try and avoid mentioning how "overly sensitive" he is to something that happened eons ago.

(quick mention, there isn't like. time. here. so in all honesty, giodine probably counted earth days instead of Heaven 'days' to get that) Soon into their arrangements to meet, they seem to get on at least tolerable terms, obviously, a few meetings where neither of them feels like going apeshit and taking proper shapeless (or in sams case, he's got a newfound form for ANGER OO just for giodine 🤗) forms isn't going to fix a grudge that has yet to be apologized for by the way. But it's a start to a very long process down the road. Tolerance.

Giodine as an entity is very fickle and rude and demanding. They tend to have a short temper that no one else is allowed to have or comment on-- They were the first therefore they were the most important!

This is very obviously an issue. But it's mostly directed to purgatory. Almost all of their seething rage is pointed towards the poor entity, she's barely been alive yet and they already seem to hate her for things she doesn't know how to do. Honestly, I don't think Purg will ever fully forgive them for the unnecessary abuse of her character, but just as Sam and Giodine get on better terms, they had barely just begun fixing the hole in their relationship. As of now, Sam/Giodine don't have any minor plot points with purgatory other than the major one so I don't have a lot to say about their relationship right now. Maybe one day.

I'd go into details, seriously, but I just wanna ramble about their relationships with each other and their impact on each other's existence. Hope you don't mind a few secrets 😉

But, now, it's time for a new God, one I think most people take a liking to...

Sam (Samuel)

He/him

ID: Sam is surrounded by clouds in the light blue, fading to a darker blue sky and the yellow sun. His horns are a darker beige, which is being highlighted by the sun shining down on him, he also has pointed ears. His skin is red which is very prominent in the sun. His eyes are completely yellow, his hair, beard and mustache are also black. He has an orange scar crawling up to his Adams apple. His wings are a darker grey which is also being highlighted by the sun. His nails are painted black and his hand is holding up the black fabric barely covering his shoulders. Around the painting is a gold and red shaded frame with swirls complimenting each side and a crystal at the bottom of it. It is lightly signed GH, for ghoulish husband.

Sam, Sam, Samuel.

If you don't realize right away, Sam is basically Satan, he's the ruler of hell

Like how giodine was the first to appear on earth, as mentioned before sam was 666th for funnie reasons. Sam was made from bugs, dried blood, and sunlight which sounds pretty gross, but he's far from it. He's a silly, yet neat, guy. He wears Hawaiian shirts and khakis (not around giodine lmao) for cryin' out loud! how bad of a person can he be? Apparently to giodine (for a while obviously) he was the most retched entity to exist. This very much hurt him considering the amount of fake care they showed him before. With a mixture of confusing feelings (which wasn't supposed to be a thing but Univerce went "lmao you'll be fine" and left... short explanation, Univerce is the Universe and is the entity who simply builds these planets and gods that'll appear there and leave them to their own devices, xyr not extremely important in this story. Nor would they care.) and feeling used, he decided that no he wasn't going to take that.

If there is one thing Sam knows how to do is to self preserve himself, even if that means getting passive-aggressive notes sent to him every once in a while. While this period, Sam was surprisingly the least productive (unfortunately giodine knew this and eventually mentioned it in one of their meetings which made him hide away cause like hell giodine was going to be critical of /him/) but he managed. It wasn't terrible, but unfortunately, Sam being able to talk it out with someone who does practically the same work as he does and gets newer, more helpful ideas was better in the long run.

Unsurprisingly, Sam was the first to initiate the healing of his and giodine's relationship but it wasn't reciprocated. Who would've figured, aye? Giodine kept pushing it back onto him and ignoring any progress that could've been made before. Which was frustrating.

The painting above was 'painted' by giodine, which is sorta where their relationship gets somewhat on an understanding of each other. Giodine gets to take a deep long look into who Sam is and tries to express it but it never fit him, it makes them realize that they never really-- truly got to know him. And all it does for Sam is make him even more confused about his place in giodine’s mind. He figured it's another fluke to get him to do something, so he ends up distancing himself when they start actually reciprocating his friendship advancements.

Suddenly, like a flash, Sam was forced to stay with giodine which is where the majority. I'll explain.

Sam...isn't actually the ruler of hell. Anymore, anyways depending on the timeline. His and purgatory's relationship has always been complicated, she always avoided him, and when they talked she always seemed scared of him. So in the end, they've never been close. Distant. Sam always wanted to talk to her, he made her, but if she didn't want to talk to him he wouldn't force it. But imagine his surprise as Purg singlehandedly took over hell in a hazed frenzy.

And not only that, had a personal vendetta against him!

Well, that would be the only explanation to Sam considering how he ended up broken and barely 'alive' at the hands of her. Horns broken and in tatters, pain and almost obliterated it felt like a hate crime. He didn't know what to do when he made it to the office, Purgatory was creating chaos outside his door and barely being able to breathe he felt like it was the end. So he called giodine. 

Purgatory

She/her

ID: Purgatory is surrounded by flowers that are dark grey and white. The light fades down into a dark green. The light shines down on top of her straight, white hair that has yellow flowers tucked into it.  Her skin is a dark brown and has a orange-ish yellow scar on her shoulder trailing up to her neck. Her skin is also highlighted by the sun. In one of her eyes, her sclera is black with an orangey, glowing iris. As for the other eye it it has a white sclera and the same, glowing orange iris. She has wings for ears, one dark grey and one white along with beige horns. She has a white fabric covering her chest. The frame is gold with white accents, but also has vines and moss crawling up the side. 

(may have goofed a bit and forgot to color the sclera of her other eye white but ignore that pls)

Purgatory was made by Sam and Giodine, but to her it felt like a mistake. Why make someone that you’re going to be terrible to, she believed. Giodine seemed to hate her and eventually made her section almost obsolete because she simply wasn’t able to keep up with the backlog that she wasn’t taught to deal with. Not only that, she didn’t have any help with any of it, it was almost like she was expected to just do it on her own. Until Death came along to help, but that’s not what we’re going to be talking about right now. 

And also, Purgatory is Purgatory yadda, yadda, I wont insult your intelligence.

Giodine’s thought process (other than wanting to be Real Close to Sam and once that thought filtered out, promptly ignored it) was that all the extras that don’t fit in either category of their thought of good and evil they’d go to her. (doesn’t matter cause in Sam's system it filters through ‘levels of assholery’ and depending on how bad you are you either just vibe in the upper city under rule of capitalism and possibly many under paying jobs or being actually tortured for his amusement if you’re just evil. Morally grey. Anyway, it could work p well in heaven if giodine wasn’t such a damn stickler.) But in the end, every day, less and less people ended up in purgatory, leaving her with barely any people and more verbal abuse from giodine who ‘HAS to take them or they would be more dead than they already are’. You see the pain she has to go through, right? 

~Idea section, this is probably not canon anyways so dont take it serious~ 

My thought is that another oc (BA, you may have heard of him idk) takes over simply because Purg took multiple hims from alternative timelines (which isn’t allowed but what’re they gonna do, undead a dead clown? multiple times from multiple timelines???)) because she adored him and they figured ‘well we gotta redo purgatory may as well do it like this’ and make him a demi-dead-god. i think thats a cool idea right? anyhoo

~Idea section over uwu~

Purgatory overall is a fairly timid character, she doesn’t like conflict, is easily overwhelmed, and generally keeps to herself. She doesn’t see the point in being in any drama if she’s just going to be yelled at and scolded even if it’s not about her. The only way i could describe her taking over hell is this: 

She was tired. She was angry and after feeling like nothing was in control or in her hands, she snapped. Why doesn’t she get anything or get to be ‘all powerful’ but they do? She knew if she took on Giodine she’d likely get thrown to the void, but sam? He felt fair game. Considering her fear of both of these gods, she planned and got her courage up to take him over. She had considered negotiations but in the end, she ended up going into a haze and ruining everything in sight. She was more powerful than she thought and once she started, she didn't stop until Death restrained her and Sam was already in pieces at God’s doorstep. 

The aftermath was fuzzy for her and for everyone really. Godine was planning a take back hell while actually worrying for sam, sam was planning for a retirement, and she was being consoled while trying to get in contact with sam to apologize. Giodine wouldn’t dare let her talk to him, until she just showed up in their office. She didn’t have a problem with Sam, honest, she just was going to take shit over, but it got out of control. 

Spoiler, Sam took her apology and they actually became.. somewhat closer after reaching an understanding. 

I wanna say that giodine took them being okay and sam retiring as good as sam did about purg running hell, but they didn’t. Giodine and purgatory actually barely got along in the first place, and only begun ‘working’ on their bitterness toward each other because they both had sam to encourage it. I can’t say for certain if they’ll get better, as theyre both undying and have time, but I’ll just say for now its uncertain. 

Also, Death is Purgatory’s girlfriend after all of that lmao.

And.. yeah, i hope this makes sense and that you like my drawings and ramblings about my lil story in my head, i guess this is my way to develop it without just keeping it to myself cause god forbid i keep things to myself hshsh. If you made it to the end, thank you for taking the time to read and attempting to process everything, and even if you didnt read and just looked to look at my art thank you to!!

I may post some art over on @ghoulishhusbandart cause.. it was my art account before i completely forgot about it but i might reboot it! But if you wan art NEOWWW follow me on insta (ik cringe lmaoo) by the same name as this account @ghoulishhusband​ or just click that insta link! also ignore the fact that giodine is the only one without a portrait, maybe I’ll replace it the next time i draw but im graduating on monday and my dad’s coming TOMORROW?? so i won’t have too much time to do it... but i hope you like my art anyways :]

ok!! ty!! ily!!

[yourdeepestfathoms]

Vulture Food

[UK Tour; Wing Au]

Wing Reference EB’s Reference

So @spooner7308 and I did a writing-art trade!! They requested EB looking out for Tour!Joan in the wing AU, which is a dynamic I can really get behind! 

This fic is not meant to be taken in a shippy kind of way despite the ship they made with EB and Joan, because 1) this is Tour!Joan and 2) I write Tour!Joan as a teenager. EB and Tour!Joan kinda have a mentor-student relationship. Or maybe a grouchy gay aunt and niece relationship? It’s just not romantic. 

Anyway, I hope you enjoy it, Rowan!! Sorry if I got EB wrong in some parts!

----------------------

Everyone said Joan was scared of everything- being late, delayed shows, messing up during a performance, talking to people, ordering food, the dark, probably even her own shadow, and Joan wouldn’t deny some of those things (though, she was not afraid of her own shadow…), but she felt like she had every right to be afraid of the technician in the show.

EB, or Elizabeth Barron, was a griffon vulture Avem, and also quite possibly the scariest person Joan had ever seen before. Her wings were massive, a dull sand color that faded to gradients of dark brown at the tips of the primary feathers, and her tail feathers were short and choppy, quills picked out and frayed, leaving them looking like the remnants of an avian after Drop Feather Fever. She was covered in tattoos, some of skulls and dead things, others of symbols that reminded Joan of their past life, and a few that didn’t make any sense to Joan at all. Her body was gangly and lean, but she made up for it in killer glares, razor sharp talons that never stopped twitching, and a mouth that always seemed to be contorted into a Resting Bitch Snarl.

And she scared the absolute shit out of Joan.

Avems always made Joan wary; out of all the tribes, they always seemed to hate hybrids the most, but something about EB just made Joan want to play dead whenever she came near. She would always freeze and watch the woman fearfully, waiting for her to snap around and gouge her throat out with her talons. But she never did. Not that that diminished Joan’s anxiety.

The first time they formally met each other, Joan had froze in her place and slammed her eyes shut, willing the vulture to go away. And it wasn’t even that EB was a vulture, she didn’t care about what her wings were from, she was just nervous around everyone. It wasn’t a personal thing. She hoped EB didn’t think it was a personal thing. Would she rip her guts out if she did? Would anyone care if she did? Oh goddesses, what if she--

  “Damn. You are shaking.”

The deep, but snarky gruff voice made Joan’s ears flick in surprise. She dared to open one eye, and saw that EB was peering at her curiously. Her large wings were folded back against her back, feathers slightly sticking up in disarray, and Joan wondered how she managed to hold them up so easily. The stench of cigarette smoke invaded Joan’s nose, and she struggled not to react to the smell to avoid looking rude and setting EB off.

  “You’re Joan, yeah?” EB said.

  “Umm--” Joan floundered for a moment. “Y-yeah. I-I mean-- Y-yes, ma’am.”

  “Okay, do not do that.” EB said, snorting lightly. She looked closely at Joan as if she were a peculiar flower that just sprouted out of the tile. “Abiel’s tail feathers, you are weird-looking.”

Joan’s ears lowered and she looked away, suddenly feeling hot shame rocket through her. Now she just wanted to melt into a puddle and live the rest of her miserable life as a liquid. People would still walk all over her, but at least they couldn’t make fun of her when she was water.

  “Oh, shit,” EB said, suddenly looking a little less scary and a little more concerned. She ran her sharp claws through her hair, and Joan could just barely see patchy crest feathers sticking out from her scruffy brown hair. “Fuck, kid, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I meant ‘weird’ as in ‘cool’. I think you look pretty rad. Much cooler than most avians around here.”

Joan shifted her wings, not used to being complimented. “Oh. Th-thank you, ma’am-- I mean-- Sorry.”

  “You are very nervous.” EB observed. She tilted her head at Joan. “Why aren’t you running away from me? Are you not scared of me?”

  “I am.” Joan blurted, then instantly wanted to bite off her tongue. But EB didn’t look offended. “I-I just, umm…” She couldn’t get her words to form coherently.

  “Freaks gotta stick together, huh?” EB said.

  “Oh, uhh-- Y-yeah.” 

EB cracked the smallest smile, ruffled Joan’s hair, and then lumbered away. Joan blinked as she walked away, feeling slowly returning to her tense muscles. She touched the area that EB had pat, and wondered how she got out of that alive.

------

Joan saw EB frequently, but it wasn’t until a freezing cold rainy day that they really interacted again.

Joan had trudged through the rain, already late for work, and was now shivering from head-to-toe. Her ears felt like they were frozen solid, her wings were dripping wet and heavy with rainwater, and she was beginning to worry that her claws were about to fall off. Mist was streaming from her nostrils and her fangs chattered together loudly as she staggered to her dressing room to get busy, but was stopped when a certain griffon vulture stepped into her path.

  “You about to blow up or something?” EB said, glancing at the white mist wreathing around Joan’s small fawn horns.

  “Oh, uhh-- N-no,” Joan said. “Th-this just, umm, happens. Sometimes. Wh-when I get too cold.”

  “Ah,” EB nodded. “You gonna dry off?”

  “I don’t have time,” Joan said. She shook off her wings, and droplets sprayed everywhere. “I gotta s-s-start working.” 

She attempted to duck around EB to get into her room, but EB opened one huge wing and stopped her. She stepped back, folding her ears back. EB suddenly looked a lot like an actual griffon with the glinting of her eyes and sharpness of her facial features.

  “Look at you,” EB said. “You can barely speak coherently without stuttering. Do you really think you can work like this?”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Joan said, pulling her dripping wings in close around her. 

  “What if you get sick?”

  “I’ll still go to work. That isn’t gonna stop me…”

EB rubbed her forehead. “You are a stubborn little thing, aren’t you? I wouldn’t have expected that.” Then, she was sliding off her thick grey-green coat and dropping it over Joan. “There.”

The weight of the jacket actually made Joan stagger slightly. It was heavy and bulky, but was still warm from EB wearing it. She blinked over its mass at EB.

  “I’m sorry, but I can’t wash this right now. There’s not a washing machine here. I can take it home with me, though?” Joan said.

EB looked at her like her ears just detached from her head and flew off into the ceiling. “No, I’m giving it to you. So you can wear it.”

Joan blinked even more. “What?”

  “You’re shivering just a little, kid,” EB said, gesturing to Joan’s vibrating body with one wing. “Take it. You need it more than I do.” Without the jacket, EB’s tattoos and the scar around her neck was more visible than it usually was. It was inflamed bright red, like Anne’s and Howard’s, but rough like a third-degree rope burn that never truly healed. Joan struggled not to look at it, so she just focused her eyes on the tattoo of a noose wound around EB’s left wrist.

  “B-but--” Joan stuttered. “I-I can’t. Y-you need it, too!”

  “Trust me, it’s okay,” EB said. “Go on. Put it on and go do your work. Don’t worry about me.”

And then, she walked away, ending the conversation and not allowing Joan to give her her jacket back. Joan hesitantly put the coat on. The smell of cigarettes and incenses was oddly comforting.

------

  “Oi, heads up!” Joan yelped out loud when a water bottle suddenly hit her in the head. She rubbed the area of impact and turned around to see EB standing in the doorway.

  “Sorry.” EB said. “Stay hydrated, kid.”

And then, like last time, she whisked off before Joan could even say anything else.

------

When molting season rolled around, Joan’s wings became two masses of discolored itchiness. Her old feathers were now brittle and stiff, and the new feathers scratched her skin as they grew over the old ones. She had to start plucking soon, since she didn’t want to bother Aragon and Howard with helping her molt.

And then, there was a knock against her door frame.

  “Damn,” EB said. “You got worse wing care than me, kid.”

She walked over to where Joan was hunched over her work table. Her own wings were surprisingly glossy and shiny, meaning she had molted recently. It was strange to see her feathers not sticking up everywhere like they were charged with static electricity. She extended her clawed hands to Joan’s wings.

  “May I?”

  “Umm… Sure.” Joan said hesitantly.

EB opened Joan’s wing with more gentleness than Joan had been expecting and whistled.

  “Yikes.” EB commented helpfully. “Yeah, I’m afraid to tell you that your wings are now overgrown bushes.”

Joan grunted. “They’re usually like this…”

EB raised an eyebrow. “Really? Hybrids can’t molt?”

Joan shook her head sluggishly. “No. So I gotta pull them out or else they’ll overgrow and get yucky and then I’ll get sick.”

EB nodded. “Ah,” She said, then swiped some scissors from a cup of supplies. “Well, we don’t want that happening, do we?”

Joan glanced back at her. “Wh-what are you doing?” She asked.

  “What does it look like?” EB answered, twirling the scissors haphazardly on one of her fingers. “I’m helping you. Now, face forward and sit still, or I can’t be blamed for you getting cut. For once.” She chuckled.

That’s right. Didn’t EB go to jail? Several times?

Joan swallowed thickly and sat as still as she could. Her hand was shaking slightly, splattering small droplets of black ink on her notepad. Her ears were pinned back flat against the top of her head. In her mind, she kept saying that nothing would happen, that everything was going to be okay, that it was--

  “Ow!” Joan yelped, flinching and flaring her crest feathers.

  “Sorry, sorry,” EB said. “Yikes, these are fragile. They’re just breaking right off.”

  “Yeah, that--that happens,” Joan said.

Behind her, the scissors EB was using snipped away, cutting off old feathers and allowing room for the new ones to grow in properly. Her hands and movements were surprisingly gentle, wickedly sharp claws just barely brushing the skin of Joan’s wings. She was actually being quite careful to avoid cutting Joan on accident.

  “So…” EB started. “Sorry, I’m a little awkward, too. I’m not used to this, either. Being around people so much. I kinda just avoid everyone. Though, it’s not like anyone goes around me anyway.” She opened one wing and waved it slightly.

Like crow and raven Avems being a sign of death and dove Avems being completely innocent, a stigma was formed around vultures. Mary I of England, aka Bloody Mary, had been a white-backed vulture. After she mass murdered hundreds of people by burning them alive, a mark was left on the views of vulture Avems, and not just the white-backed ones. They were stereotyped as malicious, sadistic, and filthy creatures that ate corpses and smelled like decay and had sex with dead bodies.

But EB didn’t look like she particularly enjoyed engaging in necrophilia (Joan wasn’t even sure where that stereotype even came from). She didn’t smell like decay, either, rather just cigarettes and the smallest hint of what she thought was oil. And she definitely didn’t seem like she ate dead stuff; Avems couldn’t even eat dead things without getting sick, anyway, only Vespers could!

No, EB just looked jaded. Grizzled from the gore of her brutal execution and rugged from the harshness of the modern London world, EB was cold, but not cruel. She was helping Joan, after all. She was just hiding a warmer heart behind walls of thorns because she had learned that to stay safe, she had to become stony and detached. So, she kept her eyes in a permanent sharp leer and her voice barbed and wrapped in shards of glass. She gave in to the stigma of her wings to keep them on her back.

  “Oh,” Joan said after a moment. “I’m sorry.”

EB shook her head. “I’m not sure why you’re apologizing. You didn’t do anything.”

  “Yeah, but stil…” Joan said. “It’s awful… What some people say…”

  “It wasn’t that bad before my death,” EB shrugged. “Mary hadn’t gone fucking insane. Though, some people did think it was weird that a vulture was also a nun.” She chuckled, and it was a rough, rumbly sound in her throat. “But I got used to it.”

Joan wished she could do that. She was never able to just ignore what people said about her, and simply not caring was even harder. Because she did care. A lot. And it hurt really badly to hear some of the things people said about her.

  “Yeah,” Joan whispered softly, though she didn’t have the same outlook as EB at all. She could never be that strong or confident over herself.

A silence descended upon the two of them again as EB continued to cut away Joan’s old, dead feathers. Joan’s wings still itched, but not as badly; she truly appreciated what EB was doing for her.

  “Thank you,” Joan said, breaking the silence. “This was really nice of you to do for me.”

  “Don’t mention it,” EB said. “No need for you to get picked on even more for having dirty wings.” Then, thoughtfully, after a moment of thinking, “Your wings looked better than most of theirs, anyway. Much cooler.”

Joan felt a shy blush rise to her cheeks, folding her ears bashfully. “Th-thanks,” She whispered. “Really. I really do appreciate it.”

EB hummed. “No problem. I got your back, kid.”

------

There was a small storage area on the back of one of the tour buses that held spare tech equipment, and EB was insanely protective of it.

Nobody really knew why, but most of the other crew members called it her “nest.” She manned and took care of the equipment, she unloaded tech items when they were needed, and she made sure everything was in working order. And she /hated/ when people went back there without her permission.

But Joan didn’t get the memo.

Well, she did, but she wasn’t in the right headspace to consider the risk she was taking when she staggered to the back of the truck. She just needed to be alone, away from the workers that had called her rude slurs for accidentally hitting them with her wings, and she thought that the truck would be the perfect place to have her mental breakdown in peace. The door was cracked open slightly, anyway, so it should have been shut if nobody wanted her being inside. And she hadn’t even recognized the truck when she shimmied underneath the door and staggered into the darkness.

Instantly, a wire wrapped around Joan’s ankle and she yelped, jumping free. She ran into some stacked speakers, then smacked a few metal poles with her wings, and now she was starting to see why she had been yelled at. She was so stupid and clumsy and--

Joan sniffled. She stepped over several snarls of wires and weaved around spotlights before finding a nice spot between a few boxes where she could sit down. She wedged herself into the small space, hugged her knees in close, and then started to cry.

Every bad thing was bubbling forth again, but she was used to it by now. She tried so hard to suppress all her emotions, but the slightest bad thing caused them to come spewing out.

She just hated her wings. And she hated being a hybrid. And she hated even being alive again because she felt like there was no real point for her being there. She wasn’t anyone special at all. She was just forgettable and useless and dumb.

Joan’s chest began to ache with the force of her sobs. She pulled her ears with her claws dug in; sometimes she considered just ripping them right out. Maybe she could pass for a regular Avem if she removed them and then broke off her horns and then never opened her wings.

Maybe she could finally just be normal.

A sound interrupted Joan’s crying session- footsteps, ruffling wings, rattling metal.

The truck door flew open.

Joan flinched, accidentally letting a gasp escape her when the metal door hit the top of the truck. She only then realized where she was and froze, curling into a tight ball to try and hide herself behind the boxes.

  “Who is in here?” The vulture’s voice snarled.

Joan squeezed her eyes shut and prayed to the goddesses that she would be spared from a brutal death. She was already imagining her throat being gouged out by EB’s claws or her stomach getting slashed open and her guts ripped out.

She imagined the jaw trap and barely suppressed a sob.

She could take a gut spill and even EB decapitating her to mimic her own death, but she couldn’t take the jaw trap. Not again. She was already starting to taste the metal plate and feel the iron jaws clamping around her mouth and hear the clinking and ticking of gears and springs as the rusty old jaw trap began to malfunction and spring open, ripping her bottom jaw off while she was still breathing…

EB stepped into the truck; Joan could hear her wings brushing against speakers and lights and boxes.

  “Who is in here?” EB said again, this time a lot more fiercely. “Answer me, now!”

Joan wrapped her wings around herself and wept in fear. She couldn’t stop shaking. She didn’t want to be punished for something she did on accident. She didn’t want the jaw trap on her again.

She heard EB walking further into the truck, peeking behind metal beams and moving boxes to check in crevices. And then she came to Joan’s hiding spot and they locked eyes.

  “Joan,” EB said, slightly surprised.

  “I’m sorry!” Joan blurted instantly. “I’m so, so sorry! I-I didn’t mean it! I didn’t look where I was going, I’m sorry!”

  “Woah, hey, calm down,” EB said.

  “Please don’t hurt me,” Joan begged, trying to hide under her wings. “Please, please… I didn’t mean it, I promise!”

EB stared her down in silence for a moment. “Okay, you need to take a breath,” She said after a moment. “You’re freaking out, kid.”

Joan whimpered pathetically in response.

  “I’m not going to hurt you, alright? I’m not mad.” EB said, raising her talons to seem less threatening. “Just calm down.”

Joan sniffled and wiped her eyes. EB looked at her closely.

  “Why are you crying?”

  “I-it’s nothing,” Joan said, then hiccuped. Of course. She always hiccuped when she was nervous or scared. Or upset. Or flustered. It was just awful.

  “Did someone say something to you?” EB pressed anyway.

Joan shrugged, even though she knew the answer was ‘yes.’ “I-I just needed to be alone,” She croaked. 

  “Ah,” EB nodded. Then, she took a key off the key ring she was holding and tossed it to Joan. “Here. This is a spare for the truck. You can come in here whenever you need to get away from everything.”

Joan floundered for a moment in shock, blinking and opened and closing her mouth several times.

  “Th-th-thank you,” She finally sputtered out.

  “Yeah, yeah,” EB said. “Just don’t touch anything. And don’t break anything.”

Joan sniffled and nodded. “O-okay. Thank you.”

------

Joan was standing outside of the theater, watching the rain, getting some fresh air to ease her aching chest. She didn’t like the anxiety attacks that made her heart feel like it was exploding inside of her; she would rather not be able to breathe because this just made her think she was having a heart attack, which then made the anxiety attack even worse.

She closed her eyes and held her breath for five seconds, then released it. She did this several times, not really feeling a change in her heart pain, then heard the front doors to the theater open and close.

  “You good, kid?”

Joan opened her eyes and saw EB standing there beside her. She thought the woman had an expression of worry on her face, but she couldn’t quite tell; EB’s emotions were always really difficult to discern.

  “Y-yeah,” Joan whispered shakily.

  “You don’t sound good,” EB observed. She leaned against the wall next to Joan. “I’ll keep you company until you are.”

  “Thanks…”

Silence fell between them. Thunder rumbled deeply from the thick dark grey clouds overhead. The rain fell harder. A chill settled over the street. Joan shivered and pulled her wings around herself, but the smooth bat skin inside of them provided little warmth.

  “How do you do it?” Joan asked quietly.

The tufts on EB’s ears pricked up and she looked at Joan curiously. “What?”   “How do you not get bothered by all the mean people?” Joan clarified, internally wincing at how childish the question sounded.

  “Oh,” EB said, then shrugged. “I just ignore it, I guess. Why should I care what other people think? They don’t know me, and they certainly don’t matter to me.”

Joan nodded, but didn’t find that very helpful for her. It was impossible for her not to care.

  “Alright,” Joan said quietly.

  “Don’t let stupid people bother you.” EB said.

  “I’m afraid I can’t do that.” Joan mumbled. “Sorry…”

  “Hm.” EB hummed. She took a pack of cigarettes out of her back pocket and held one down to Joan. Joan blinked up at her. “You mind?”

  “Oh.” Joan understood after a moment. She ground her teeth together, riling up the firestorm inside of her, then blew a breath of frost onto the cigarette.

She and EB stared at the now-frozen cigarette. Joan’s face turned bright red, while EB chuckled gruffly.

  “S-sorry,” Joan whispered.

  “Don’t sweat it, kid,” EB said. She put the frozen cigarette back into the box to thaw and grabbed a new one, using an actual lighter to light it. She offered the box to Joan. “You want one?”

Joan wrinkled her nose in distaste. “No thank you.”

EB chuckled again, this time a little more heartily. “Good girl.” She said. “This stuff will kill you.”

  “Then why do you smoke?” Joan asked confusedly.

EB shrugged and blew out some smoke like a Hydra would. “Old habits die hard, I guess. Plus, who knows, maybe I like pretending to be  Hydra.”

  “Oh.”

Another silence fell over them as EB smoked. The smell was overwhelmingly rank, but Joan didn’t want to make EB mad or upset by saying something, so she kept her mouth shut.

  “Does what people say bother you that much?” EB asked.

  “Yeah,” Joan answered softly. “It’s all I can think about sometimes.”

  “I see,” EB said. She finished her smoke and then put the cigarette out. She turned to Joan. “Let me know who bothers you, yeah? I’ll break their ribs.”

Something about those violent, but protective words touched Joan’s heart, and she was suddenly leaping forward and throwing her arms and wings around EB.

  “Oof-- Okay,” EB stumbled back slightly. Her talons hovered over Joan. “Agh. Alright. Fine. Just this once.” She returned the embrace, sweeping her massive wings around Joan.

  “Thank you,” Joan whispered, nuzzling into EB’s warmth and secure hold without even thinking it through. She couldn’t help herself- she so desperately craved touch and affection.

  “Heh. Yeah. No problem, love.” EB said. “You adorable little freak.”

And, for once, Joan wasn’t hurt by those words.

[buckyscrystalqueen]

Meant To Be: Part 5

Pairings: Machine Gun Kelly x Reader

Warnings: Swearing, drug use.

Word Count: 4,072

A/N: Y’all can thank @wings-of-a-raven for this one….

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4

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

“So… you’re just going back, then.”

“Damn it.” You groaned as you shoved the last of your clothes back in a box to ship them back to Los Angeles. “She called in the cavalry.” You glanced over at Colson, who was standing in the nursery that could strangely only be accessed through your room, before looking back to the door where your father was leaning against the door frame.

“Do you really think that’s a good idea, (Y/N)?” He asked. “Going back to him?”

“Excuse me?” You asked as you turned completely toward him. “Do I think it’s a good idea to go to LA to live with the father of my child? Is that what you’re asking me right now?”

“Yes, that’s what I’m asking you.” He said with a slow nod. “He wasn’t there for you, (Y/N). What makes you think he’s going to be there now?”

“Think the better question here would be where were you?” Colson asked softly as he carried a box full of toys out of the nursery to add to the stack that was temporarily destined for the small moving pod that was sitting in the driveway to be taken to his house the next day. “Because I left to save her and had I known about my son, that gap of time would’a been a lot shorter.” Your dad shut up relatively quickly since he hadn’t realized that your significant other was in the room as well, and Kels simply walked back into the nursery to finish packing.

“He’s got a point, you know.” You sighed as you grabbed another one of the rented plastic totes from the stack and set it on your bed to pack up the stack of laundry and photos off of your mom’s dresser (since yours was in a storage unit out in California.) “I love you, Dad but you turned your back on me when I got fucked up at your wedding. Mom when I dropped out, and Junior and Tabby did when I moved. The only person I’ve had by my side in the last ten years is Colson.”

“And who’s choice was that, (Y/N)? Huh?” Ross asked, harshly. “I don’t think you get it yet. Your actions are the reason we aren’t there…”

“No, you are the reason!” Colson shouted as he came out of the room, which startled Gage in his baby swing, and made him start to cry. “You’re her fucking father! The man that should have been by her fucking side no matter what!”

“Babe.” You tried as you picked up Gage to soothe him.

“What kinda man just abandons his fucking kid when she fucks up?”

“Baby…”

“She needed you, old man!” He roared as he stepped toward your father and you quickly stepped between the two men and put your hand on his chest.

“Colson, look at me. Hey…” You gave him a firm push, which didn’t move him far, but it was enough to get his attention. He huffed and put one of his hands on yours on his chest as the other went to your hip to pull you back a step away from your dad.

“And this is the kinda man you want to be around? This violent thug?”

“Fuck you, dick!”

“Colson! Walk it off!” You growled as you moved your hand and grabbed his chin. You yanked hard, and guided his eyes to his own crying son. “Take him, please. We have a flight to catch and we have to get this shit out to the storage box before we go. And I can’t do that shit by myself if you’re making our son cry when he should be napping.”

“You’re right.” He said as he physically relaxed in the safety of the nursery. “You and your fucking Jedi mind shit.”

“Just take your son, please.” You sighed with a smirk. “I have to cover your slack now, too.”

“Jesus, bitch! Ain’t that fucking hard to be a mom.” He teased as he quickly stepped out of your reach.

“Fucker!” You barked as you kicked him hard in the butt cheek. “Get him back to sleep. I’m gunna carry this stack up.” You paused in the doorway and looked at your father with your eyebrow raised. “What? It surprises you that the tattooed, piece of shit thug is that passionate about me when my own family only cares when my son got involved?” You gave him a tight lipped smile and nodded your head as you picked up two boxes and stood in front of your dad until he moved. 

“He’s my family.” You said to him as you stoped by his side for a moment longer. “And I love him. So yes, I’m going with him to California, then I think somewhere overseas for his tour. Not sure. But I’ll be… we will be with him as a family. One that doesn’t turn their backs on loved ones no matter what.” With a slight bob of your head goodbye, you turned and headed toward the stairs to finally finish packing the POD so you could catch your flight.

——

You weren’t exactly sure how you forgot the insanity, but when Gage’s bedtime came and went, and the party was still raging down stairs, you quickly realized that raising a child in Colson’s house was going to be a very difficult challenge. You didn’t want to be ‘that bitch’ that came in and tried to change his lifestyle but the later it got and the more Gage cried, the more pissed off you were. You were at least glad that Kels had a small balcony off his master bedroom, which helped damper the sound, but even so, Gage would not fall asleep. Which is exactly why you found yourself, sitting on a slightly broken lounge chair, with your six month old laying on your chest, watching the Wiggles on the baby channel on your phone at three in the morning.

“Stupid fucking Wiggles.” You grumbled softly under your breath as your son laid peacefully, mesmerized by the bright colors on the screen. “Shit’s like a bad fuckin’ acid trip. Who the fuck though this was a good idea anyways? Should be fucking banned…” Your words were cut off by the deafening rumble of a chainsaw, which made you lurch to your feet.

“Oh no!” You shouted as you ran through the house with Gage once again screaming in your ear since either the sound, or your quick movement startled him. Your heart raced in your chest because you knew, at this late hour, there were enough drugs and alcohol involved in this situation to kill an elephant and that someone was gunna get seriously hurt with that chainsaw. 

“Colson!” You roared as you ripped open the front door and moved Gage to your hip. Your boyfriend whipped around to look at you with wide, panicked eyes as he let the chainsaw in his hand putter to a stop. You shook your head and hiked your son up a little bit more as words escaped you. ‘No’ was all you managed to say before you turned around and slammed the front door behind you. You started all over again with calming your son down as you headed back upstairs, and the front door opened a few moments before you slammed the bedroom door closed behind you.

“OK.” You soothed as you laid Gage down in your arms and started to bounce him gently to calm him down again. “I know, baby boy. Mommy’s not happy either.”

“Babe.” Colson said softly as he came into the room, which made you instantly round on him with rage in your eyes.

“Are you out of your fucking mind?!” You screamed as you continued to bounce. “A fucking chainsaw?! Colson, you are so fucking high, I don’t even think you could tell me what Gage’s middle name is…”

“Michael.” He interrupted, daringly as he closed the bedroom door.

“DON’T YOU FUCKING DARE!” You screamed as you set Gage down in his rocker. “It’s three in the Goddamn morning and your son has been up here screaming for HOURS! So don’t you dare think you can get smart with me right now!”

“Yo, I’m…”

“I don’t wanna fucking hear it!” You countered over him as you stuck your finger in his face, angrily. “You are the one that wanted us here. You are the one that wanted to be a fucking father. So fucking act like a fucking father and let your Goddamn son go to fucking bed already! He’s exhausted from the time change, I’m exhausted from listening to him scream, and you’re downstairs snorting coke like it’s the fucking 80’s again. Get your fucking shit together, Kels.” You slammed your finger into his chest so hard, you heard your knuckle crack and he reached out and quickly grabbed your wrist before you could turn away.

“OK.” He said simply with a nod of his head, knowing that this was not the time to piss you off because you would swing on him. “My bad. I’ll wrap it up and come help get him to sleep. I’m sorry, baby girl.”

“You fucking better be.” You barked as you ripped your arm out of his grip and went back to pick up your son. “Goddamn chainsaw. It’s three in the fucking morning and you dumb mother fuckers are running a fucking chainsaw. Fucking idiots.” Kels watched you step back onto the patio with a shake of your head, and after a moment, he turned and quickly headed down stairs.

“Yo, parties over.” He called out as he turned down the music.

“The fuck?!”

“Dude, you just got back…”

“Yea, and I got a screamin’ son and a pissed off baby mama upstairs that need to get some sleep. So keep your shit down because I don’t feel like getting fucking stabbed tonight.”

“Dude.” Baze laughed as he poured himself another drink. “When’d you get fucking whipped?”

“When I had a fucking kid, dog.” Colson snapped as he grabbed two beers from the fridge in hopes that they would be a good start of a peace offering. “When I became a fucking parent. That’s when I got fucking whipped.” With a shake of his head, he grabbed some weed from the bag the counter and headed out of the kitchen to calm you down. “And keep the fucking music down!” He called out over his shoulder as he climbed the stairs. He slipped into the room as silently as he could and cringed when he heard Gage still whimpering on the patio.

“Here, baby girl.” He tried as he set the beers and the bud down on the bed on his way outside. “Give him here. Go smoke…”

“Why do you do this to me, Colson?” You asked as you turned around toward him with tears in your eyes. “Huh? Why do you constantly make me the bad guy?”

“Babe, it’s not like that.” He sighed as he gently took Gage from your arms.

“But it is.” You sighed as you walked past him. “Because I know the crew enough to know they called you pussy whipped for wanting to get my son to bed at a reasonable hour. I know that being up here to do something other than getting laid right now is the last thing you want to be doing when there’s at least a half dozen half naked skanks downstairs. And I also know that every minute for the last seven hours, I wanted to be down there partying it up with friends I haven’t really seen in a year…”

“So why didn’t you?”

“What and let him just scream up here all by himself?” You snapped as you flopped down on the bed and cracked open one of the beers. “What kind of mother would that have made me? And don’t you dare say you could have stayed up here with him because we both know you would have lost your shit.” With a heavy sigh, Colson sat down on the bed beside you and moved Gage to lay on his chest comfortably.

“I’m trying, (Y/N).” He said as he looked over at you with a small shake of his head. “I don’t know what I’m doing here.”

“And you think I do? Colson, I’m literally in the same boat as you here. But I can tell you this much for damn sure, we need to find a fucking medium because if night one of us being here was any fucking indication of what it’s gunna be like to live with you again, then I’m taking Gage and finding my own place again and we can figure out some kind of co-parenting shit.”

“No, please.” He said quickly as he sat up a little bit in fear. “Please, I just got you back…”

“Then fucking meet me in the middle here, Kels.” You interrupted as you gestured to the two of you with your finger. “Us as parents, and us as partiers. Because we can’t live on two different pages in the same house. I can’t be a mom and your booty call when you want it while you party it up with our friends. We’re gunna fucking resent each other for that shit real quick and it is gunna tear us apart.”

“And I swear baby girl, I will figure out how to do that ASAP. Just fucking bear with me, OK? I’ll get us there.”

“You better.” You sighed as you got up to grab his bowl from the entertainment center. “And no more Goddamn chainsaws, you hear me?”

“Don’t you wanna hear the idea…”

“No!” You interrupted as you grabbed the weed off the bed and stepped out onto the balcony. “Shit was probably stupid as fuck.”

“It really was.” He chuckled as he laid back down with Gage on his chest so he could sooth him to sleep. “But it was funny as fuck all the same.”

——

“Hey (Y/N).” Colson said as softly as he could as he kneeled on the bed beside you and ran his fingertips through your hair. You growled at him for waking you up just a few hours after you went to bed and pulled the blanket up over your head.

“Unless you or Gage is dying, you better get the fuck away from me, Colson or I will fucking stab you again.”

“No one is dying.” He chuckled as he very carefully pulled the blanket back. “But you, me, and Gage are gunna go to a hotel for a couple days. I have a surprise but it’s gunna keep you and him up for a couple days…”

“I fucking hate you.” You groaned as you opened your eyes to look up at him. “What’s the surprise?” 

“If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise. Come on. I already packed us up a bag, and fed and changed Gage. Just gotta get you dressed.”

“I’m dressed enough.” You sighed as you sat up and rubbed your hand down your face. You glanced down at the ‘Bloom’ shirt that showed most of your tattooed side thanks to the sleeves and most of the under arm holes being cut out, and nodded. “Fuck it, I’m in LA.”

“OK, you at least need pants.” He laughed as he handed you the pair of jeans he had grabbed from your suitcase. “And shoes.”

“Wait, you’re telling me you heated up a bottle all by yourself?” You asked incredulously as you pulled on your jeans and looked at your tired little boy in his crib from your storage unit in the corner.

“Without the microwave, too.” He said proudly as he held out your sunglasses. “Come on, it’s gunna get really loud in here real soon.” With a heavy sigh, you went over to pick up Gage as Colson grabbed your bag and the car seat. You headed out of the room and nearly tripped over Rook, who was coming out of his bedroom with a large pile of his clothes in his arms.

“Where are you going?”

“Keep walkin’, Uber’s waitin’.” Colson said behind you as JP continued down the hall in front of you. You sighed and did what you were told, too tired to care anymore. You were beyond grateful that he picked a hotel close by and had pulled some strings to get a quiet room, because by the time you got into said room, you had just enough time to pull off your jeans, and put Gage down on the bed beside you before you were back asleep. He let you sleep for the better part of the day before he gently woke you up by running his finger down the bridge of your nose.

“Hey sunshine.” He cooed with a smile. “If you sleep any more, you’re not gunna be able to sleep tonight.” You whined and rolled over on to your back, startling the slightest bit when Gage was laid down on your chest. His giggle made a smile pull at the corner of your lips and you opened your eyes to see his blue eyes staring back at you.

“Well hi there handsome.” You cooed as you put your hands on his back to keep him from rolling off you. “Did you have a fun day with Daddy?”

“We went down to the pool.” Colson said with a smile as he laid down against your side. “And we went swimming for a little bit. Then we went to the atrium and looked at all the plants… and we took some pictures for Mommy and let Mommy catch up on sleep because Daddy’s a fuck head.”

“Daddy is a fuck head.” You giggled as you tilted your head to the side a bit to look at Gage’s new hair style. “And giving out free mohawks?”

“Well I knew you would be pissed if I cut it and he was starting to look a little androgynous…”

“Ooo, big word.”

“Fuck you.” He grumbled as he reached up and fixed the ‘hawk. “So I made my son look bad ass.”

“I would have killed you if you cut his hair.” You said with a small nod as you looked over at him. “But I’m digging the mohawk.”

“It’s fucking bad ass.” He chuckled with a smile. “We’re gunna have to get special EST shit for him since 19 doesn’t work.”

“We both need new tattoos.” You said with a nod as you poked the 19XX tattoo on his collarbone that matched the one across your hip bone. “Fuck, now I want a new tattoo.”

“We should get matching tats for Gage.”

“What the fucking six we already have ain’t enough for you?”

“Bitch.” He groaned as he flicked you in the temple. “Keep that shit up and I’ll call the sitter back and you can order fucking pizza for dinner of some shit.”

“What sitter?” You snapped as you looked over at him with your eyebrow raised. “I’m not leaving him…”

“Relax.” He said as he propped his head up on his fist. “I called Ashleigh. She’s got a niece and she used to baby sit when she was younger all the fucking time. I trust her not to fuck up our kid.”

“Colson, that in no fucking way, shape, or form reassures me.”

“Oh fucking suck it up.” He laughed as he pushed himself up. “We’re going up the fucking block to dinner to get on the same fucking page about shit, OK? Now get your ass up, get into that smokin hot black dress that makes that ass look so fucking good, and let’s go fucking eat some fucking steak like a couple’a sexy carnivores.”

“I’m not going.” You said with a shake of your head as you held Gage to your chest a little tighter.

“Yes… you are.” Colson said, simply as he came over and picked up his son. “Hey, little man. You gunna stay with Ash tonight so Daddy can smooth talk Mommy into his pants again?”

“Richard Colson Baker!” You snapped as you got out of bed and whipped around to look at him. “No sexcapades talk to the baby!”

“Oh, Daddy’s getting lucky tonight.”

——

“Kels! Kels, over here!”

“(Y/N)! Are you finally going back to Penthouse?”

“Where’s your son?”

“Here, baby. Over here.” Colson said softly as he let go of your hand and put it on the small of your back. “Guys! Can you fuckin’ move and let her walk, please?!” You stuttered a bit and stopped walking when someone with a giant camera stopped at the curb in front of you.

“Guys, please?” You asked as you put your hand up in front of your face to shield your eyes from the camera flashes to look for the town car that was supposed to be picking you up.

“Yo, fucking move!” Kels roared as the camera people kept taking their photos and not giving a damn about either of your privacy as they fought to get one of the first photos of you and Colson out in public together. Your hand flew out to catch his fist before he swung on the man with the camera in your face.

“I won’t ask you again.” You growled evenly as you stepped around the photographer.

“Babe!” Colson shouted as he grabbed your arm and yanked you back on the sidewalk as the car came screeching to a stop where you had just been standing and only a few inches away from the man with the camera. You stumbled into his chest and the paparazzi actually stopped taking pictures for a moments. “Go, go.” Colson said quickly as he ran in front of you and ripped open the back door of the car. You sprinted on your toes in your heels and ducked around him into the car at the same moment the photographers started to take their photos again.

“Drive!” You said as Kels slammed the door behind himself. “Just drive!” You ducked your head below the seat and realized that you were actually panting to catch your breath as Colson whipped around and cupped your face in his hands.

“Holy fuck… are you OK? Jesus, come here.” You shook your head as he pulled you into his arms with a heavy sigh. “Fuck, that fucking car was right there.”

“I’m fine.” You sighed as you sat up and flipped your hair back. “Jesus, Colson. I said yes to dinner, not to being fucking mauled.”

“OK, are you at least fucking OK? Scared the fucking shit outta me.”

“How the fuck did they even know we were staying at a fucking hotel?”

“Because I was down in the fucking lobby with Gage.” Colson sighed as he leaned back against his seat. He gave the driver the address of the restaurant and huffed as he looked over at you with a smile. “At least you look hot.”

“You’re an asshole.” You laughed as you pulled your phone from your bag to check your hair and makeup. “Knew I should have stayed in bed with my son.”

“Wrong. You get to party it up with me instead starting right now. Yay!” You looked over at him and did a double take as he shook a small vial of coke between his fingers.

“Wait, you’re serious?” You hissed as you glanced up at your man.

“You quit breastfeeding just this week.” He said as he unscrewed the vial. “And I want my party girl back. Even if it is for one night.” You bit your cheeks to hide your smirk as he poured out a bump on his hand and held it out between the two of you. “Come on, baby. Fly with me.”

“You are a very, very bad influence.” You whispered as you carefully pulled his hand up a bit to snort the coke down. You shivered at the distantly familiar burn and sniffled as you sat up straight. “Bad influence, Colson. So, so bad.”

“How the fuck else did we get Gage?” He teased as he did a bump himself before pouring one more out for you. “Quick, we’re here.”

“Horrible.” You muttered as you did the last bump. “Fuck, that’s good shit.”

“Welcome home, baby girl.” Colson said as he slid the vial into the nice leather jacket he had on. “Welcome home.”

Part 6

[imnotwolverine]

White gulls

Henry Cavill x OC Lisa - multi-chapter fic

Author’s note: Its been raining all weekend, so I needed all the sun flooded heart buzzing fluff I could fit into one chapter. And BOI has it become fluffy. I hope you enjoy! Have a lovely Sunday everyone <3 

Word count: 3.061

Disclaimer: fluffff

--

This is part 20 of the Tea for Two series.

Find the Masterlist here. 

-- 

< Go back to part 19

Salt.

Sun.

The sensation of a soft, lukewarm wind on toasty skin.

A lushious towel, its soft weft protecting me from the seething hot, wooden deck.

Gulls, screeching atop our heads.

And the sea. Its waves softly breaking against the boat’s bow.

I turned the page on the book I was reading and looked over at Henry, his satisfied face poking out from the shimmering water as he floated around in the pale blue sea. Cute bear. 

He looked so very relaxed, a soft smile playing on his lips as his eyes tracked the gulls that were flying big circles through the sky, his hands languidly paddling through the Aegean sea water.

We had agreed on taking some holidays after the production for the Witcher had wrapped up. And though I had been apprehensive - I loved working JUST a bit too much - Henry was quick to veto his vote. 

‘I’ll organise everything.’ He had stated simply. And so he did. And here we were. In Greece, on a private yacht. Which is totally, totally ridiculous, but…whatever. Life was never truly normal with Henry in it.

Our days were spent eating freshly caught fish, learning some Greek words from the ship’s crew, meandering through small harbour towns and swimming. Lots and lots of swimming. I, especially, since I was struggling to keep my cool in these high temperatures. 

Talking about which.

I checked the page number of my book and closed it, crawling up from my towel and readjusting my bikini before quickly tiptoeing over the burning hot wood to the back end of the deck. I squealed, feeling my feet almost melt as my skin touched the wood, the arduous journey becoming even more complicated as the boat shimmied in irregular patterns, making me wobble unsteadily on my half-sleeping legs. 

‘Oh fuck fuck fuck.’ I cursed under my breath, before finally finding a more comfortable spot to stand on.

‘..You okay there love?’ The wind carried Henry’s deep baritone voice to my ears as I stretched myself out, looking for a good spot to jump into the water. Ha. I could jump almost right next to Henry without him seeing, his eyes still peering up at the sky.

‘Yes dear.’ I said sweetly, before pushing myself off the deck, landing a little distance away from Henry in the cool, cool water.

‘OI! You little..’ He quickly turned, spluttering out the water that had gotten into his mouth as he reached out an arm for me. I squealed as I tried to make a swim for it, my blubbery legs unfortunately letting me down.

In no time I was wrapped in Henry’s iron grip and my body shuddered. Be it because of the cool water, or the fact I was a prisoner to his will now.

‘..little vixen.’ He breathed in my ear, nipping at my earlobe playfully. I laughed and bit my lip, turning my head towards him as far as I could, my back still pulled flush against his chest.

‘What?’ I said, feigning innocence.

‘You know what.’ He growled.

‘It’s not like you got any wetter.’ I shrugged, feeling a dry chuckle reverberating through his chest.

‘Mhm..’ He hummed, one of his hands now reaching down for my fabric covered crotch, a teasing finger pressing against my clit, making me shiver again.

‘BEAR!’ I gasped.

‘What? It’s not like you can get any wetter…hmm?’ He nuzzled my neck, his finger continuing to make small circles over my nub.

I squirmed, my legs kicking out as I felt my breath hitch. ‘..Hen…’ I rolled my eyes back, my oversensitive flesh yielding much to quickly to his touch. 

Gods..this man.

Electricity started to bubble up in my pinky toes, licking up my calves, washing over my thighs before knotting up in a tight coil in my core. I let out a low moan before being suddenly interrupted by another large spray of water that took us both by surprise.

‘Kal…’ Henry chuckled, the big dog apparently not wanting to miss out on whatever fun we were having as he had just now also launched himself in the water. 

Henry released me from his grip and greeted the large akita as he circled towards us, large paws kicking the water as his fur clouded around him, making him look even bigger.

‘Saved by the Kal.’ I chuckled, earning a teasing smirk from Henry as he scratched Kal. ‘You just wait.’ He winked.

—

‘A shot to good health!’ Felipe, the captain smiled as he pressed a shot glass of Ouzo in my hand. I smiled, raising the small glass and clinking it with his before taking a small sip. The captain wasn’t quite as subtle however, taking a good long swig of the strong liquor. 

I studied the way he hollowed his cheeks and let out a satisfied sigh, his eyes shimmering as he gazed back over the water, checking if all was well. If you thought of a captain of the ship, this is probably what popped up in your head. His skin looked almost leather like, his eyes soft and dark brown, most of his face hidden behind a well trimmed, greying beard. 

And, Felipe was a jovial, romantic spirit. He spoke in great length of local history, myths and legends and seemed to know this sea better than his women - which he had..plenty of..if his stories were anything to go by.

We had just finished another delicious lunch that the cook had prepared - like…totally ridiculous..we had a cook on board - and Henry, Kal and one of the crew members had made it to shore so Kal could do his business, the boat now languidly gliding over the water, waiting for them to return.

Felipe tapped my shoulder, alerting me to follow his pointing finger.

‘See there? Those are white seagulls. Lovers. See the way they circle each other?’ He sat down besides me on the blue and white striped pillows, keeping his gaze fixed at the birds. The birds tilted their heads at each other, dancing on the wind as their wings twisted and turned.

I smiled, the birds reminding me of the dream I had that night.

‘I actually..dreamt of white gulls last night.’ I hummed, taking another sip of the Ouzo, the liquor burning a trail through the back of my throat.

‘Oh! Tell, tell! What is it you dreamed about?’ Felipe turned his warm, curious eyes at me, studying the way I now looked at the glass in my hand.

‘I eh…was standing on a rocky shore, alone. A seashore I think, though I can’t remember seeing a sea. And everything around me was big, blue.. cloudless sky, the only sound I heard being the screeching of gulls. Two gulls. Circling above me just like they do now.’ I looked up as the birds made a bit of a dive, their little feet almost touching the water before circling back up again.

‘Just two of them?’

‘Yea..two gulls. It was quite nice to watch..but weird as well. Usually my dreams are a whole lot more busy, action packed..haha.’

‘Hmmm. Well, it is a good sign.’ He nodded, taking a last swig of his drink and pushing the glass on his table.

‘How so?’ I asked, looking over at the captain as he let his hand slip down from the glass, his fingers spreading on the table.

‘We greeks believe that dreaming about two seagulls means you have met..or WILL soon meet..your one true love. They are a representation of eternal love…marital bliss even.’ He sighed, a satisfied grin appearing on his lips as he quirked his head towards the beach where Henry was strolling.  

‘I see.’ I said slowly, looking back over my shoulder to see Henry and Kal running around on the beach, Kal jumping up at a piece of driftwood that was thrown. A soft smile curled on my lips. ‘I see.’

—

We had come to shore for a day, our feet now flip-flopping over the promenade while watching the locals be about their business - selling small trinkets and ice cream, chatting on the docks, fixing fishing nets.

Henry glanced over at me, smiling.

‘Hi.’ I said impishly, smiling back.

‘Hi.’ He said, his voice smooth as butter.

We smiled almost stupidly, lost in each others eyes for a moment as we walked into a secluded little bay.

‘Even now, with you just looking at me, you can make my stomach flutter.’ I said, sniffling shyly and folding my hand around his before leaning my head against his shoulder. He kissed the top of my head. ‘Good.’ He hummed, his hand squeezing mine gently.

‘I can no longer imagine a life without you.’ He said as I lifted my head back up.

‘Not even when I steal all the blankets?’ I jested. He raised an eyebrow. ‘Oh, don’t tease me little she-devil!’

Without warning he lifted me up and over his shoulder. I shrieked.

‘Nooo HEN! Put me down!’ I kicked my feet haphazardly, both our flipflops now discarded on the beach.

‘Perhaps a swim?’ He suggested, walking towards the water. I tried to worm out of his tight grasp, but to no avail.

‘Oh you wouldn’t dare.’ I challenged.

He however didn’t stop as the water moved passed his calves, his hand now playfully patting my butt.

‘Then no more blanket stealing?’ He rumbled.

I chuckled and finally managed to wiggle out of his grasp as a surprise wave hit him, making him lose his balance for a split second.

Quickly I strode further into the water, up to my waist, before turning back towards him.

‘Never!’ I said exasperated, laughing, letting myself slip fully into the water, my summer dress now pooling around me like a colourful cloud. He joined me, rolling his eyes at my cheekiness.

Within moments I was back in his grasp.

Our lips connected. Eager tongues fighting as I wrapped my legs around his waist, feeling him as he pressed his groin into me. He let out a low moan, feeling the friction as I pulled him even closer in the hook of my legs, his eyes quickly darkening.

‘No blankets needed here.’ I said, quirking up an eyebrow. He tilted his head, unbelieving, his eyes quickly looking over my shoulder at the shoreline.

It was practically deserted, two fishermen just walking around the corner out of sight. The shutters of all the few houses here closed to keep out the heat.

I kissed his neck to regain his attention, sucking the sensitive skin behind his ear and earning a low moan from him.

‘You’re my undoing!’ He groaned, wrapping his hands around my buttocks and steadying my shimmying hips. I sniggered playfully.

‘Mmhmm.’ I hummed, catching his lips again.

It took but a few seconds for him to pull down his slacks and move aside my panties, his erection springing free before delving into me. The water caused an unfamiliar friction, making us groan as he slowly pushed inside. ‘Mmmppfff.’ He hissed, catching my lips again before I would moan too loudly.

We mostly just stayed like that while our lips discovered every little bit of skin, the salt sticking to our lips as his hips ever so slightly gyrated against my core. I fluttered my walls around him, making him moan, his lips curling into a smile. ‘Positive side effects of core workouts.’ I whispered in his ear, earning one of his breathy laughs.

Not long after he came, the friction just too overwhelming, his legs shivering. He moved his hand to my nub, but I stopped him. ‘Later.’ I hinted at some people just walking past the corner of the small bay. He sniggered, still somewhat shivery and his cheeks flush with embarrassment, his arms keeping me closely tucked to his chest.

I unwrapped my legs and looked for the bottom of the sea shore, the small sand grains melting between my toes again as I found my footing, the water washing our sweet sins away. 

We kissed while Henry manoeuvred his pants back on and I moved my panties back in place - all while trying to not catch the attention at the people who were now strolling on the beach. We chuckled quietly, seeing the people move at an excruciatingly slow tempo, both our cheeks pink with embarrassment.  

‘Well that was naughty.’ He said, still a bit flustered. We kissed again.

‘I love you.’ I hummed, smiling at him. He cupped my face, looking into my eyes. Deeply. His ocean blue eyes almost burning into my green eyes. Not saying a thing. He just..looked at me, his breath still a slight bit irregular. He clenched his jaw, leaning his forehead against mine as he continued to look at me. ‘Be mine.’ He whispered. 

I leaned back against his forehead, closing my eyes, feeling his hands still cupping my jaw with a certain need. As if he was scared I would vanish, if not for his tight grip. ‘I am yours.’ I whispered in turn. He was quiet for a moment before he nodded, kissing me.

I could feel he was not saying something he really wished to say. But I figured, as is with all men, it just needed some time to turn into words. I cupped his face in return. ‘I am yours.’ I said with a touch more seriousness, looking back up into his eyes. His thought stricken face melted into one of love.

—

We had left the boat behind us as we had reached our last destination; a small harbour town with thousands of white-painted houses that seemed to grow like mushrooms from a steep rocky shoreline. The sun was currently sinking further and further to the horizon as our feet carried us through the narrow streets, our hands interlocked as Henry guided me to another one of his “little surprises”.

I didn’t really know what to expect, but apparently a “little surprise” meant in this case an absolutely lovely, completely private dinner with view of the sunset, the small terrace hewn from the coast rock itself. I hugged him, endeared by the gesture. 

‘This is…a-ma-zing.’ I said exasperated, looking out over the railing to see the waves clashing against the rock below. My eyes probably spoke a thousand words, because Henry could only just smile broadly, proud of his present.

We sat down and a waiter came up to us in full black tux, pouring us some champagne, before quickly shuffling off through a small gate in the back.

We raised our glasses. ‘To life and to love.’ Henry said, our glasses clinking. I sipped the champagne, looking back at the sun, the sky now slowly turning deep hues of pink. And once more two gulls were floating in the soft evening wind. 

How fitting.

‘Reminds me of when we met.’ I said, smiling happily before looking back at him, reminiscing that early morning hike in LA. He smiled sweetly, his nostrils flaring.

Strange…Was he uncomfortable? He always did that when he was uncomfortable...His shirt too tight? Too hot? I can’t be right...My thoughts rolled over in my mind as I studied him. No amount of acting classes could hide from me that something was up with him.

He was now also looking out at the sunset, his hands clenching his glass in a death grip and.. did I see a certain …worry.. in his eyes? He looked back at me, his smile growing wider, before realising I was noticing his discomfort, my eyes glancing down at his clutching hands. He grinned, as if caught, nodding, then took a deep, deep breath.

‘Go ahead then, spill the beans.’ I said, knowing something was up while looking at him with studious eyes.

He looked back at me too, our eyes meeting, and love melted back into his blues. Those big, anxious, puppy eyes. Gosh. He is so..nervous? Whatever it was: it was endearing. He moved his chair back, taking my hands and pulling me up, his eyes looking at me studiously as I quickly straightened my dress, confused as to why he wanted us to get up. 

‘My sweetest, sweetest Lisa. Not in my long life have I felt so nervous about asking anyone such a question.’ He smiled. I smiled in return, peering into his eyes while squeezing his hands, my heartbeat slowly raising.

Our eyes delved deeper and deeper into one another as he continued.

Was he...?

‘We have this most wonderful, relaxed…well-balanced relationship. I just honestly didn’t even know I could have that. But here we are..’ He gestured at the sea with a quick raise of his hand, as he took another quick breath, swallowing his nerves.

Is he..?

‘I do not wish anything more then for this to never end. For us to see a thousand sunsets together, if life allows..’ He sank down on one knee, looking up at me.

OH BOI.

My heart started to flutter like a captured bird, restless and begging to be released, my lip suddenly trembling with emotion.

‘Would you dear Lisa, please, marry me?’

I felt a tear burning as I started to nod feverishly. ‘Yes, yes you fool.’ I laughed, the tears slowly flowing down my cheek as I threw myself in his arms. The air was suddenly so thick and heavy I couldn’t even stand on my own legs anymore, my full weight now hanging onto Henry as he remained there on one knee, quickly capturing me in his arms. 

We kissed, laughing giddily and gasping for breath, our lips curling in such broad smiles it hurt our cheeks.

He finally settled me more comfortably on his knee as he moved one of his hands down a pocket, reaching for a ..marker?

He held it up. ‘No ring.’ He smiled with boyish enthusiasm, carefully taking my left ring finger and drawing a black band with his initials in it. I laughed, releasing a breath I didn’t know I was holding, a smile etched on my cheeks as I looked at him as he drew on the band.  

He put the marker back in his pocket, blowing gently over the ink, before kissing it, his eyes interlocking with mine again. 

This was it. I realised. 

Forever.

The two white gulls that were now circling the burning skies, our witnesses.

--

Epilogue >

[thepaperpanda]

Dissipated by a Parrot || Sam Drake x Reader

Summary: What might happen when a parrot takes over control

Warnings: none

Words: 2030

Authors: Cass & Rouge

Sam stopped the motorcycle and looked around the place full of people, surrounded by colorful stands full of everything. "Here we are, Indian market, just like you wished," He said helping you off the vehicle. "But I honestly don't know why are we in here."

"Don't know what exactly?," You asked him and rushed towards one of the stalls shortly after. "Come here, Drake!"

"I don't know why you've wished to come here," Sam explained quickly and followed you, joining you soon. "What did you find there, huh?," He asked, wrapping his arm around your waist.

You slipped out of his embrace smoothly and started a conversation with the seller, asking the elder man about some local spices you could buy. "Look, smell!," You turned face to Sam. "It's so awesome here, can you smell all these scents of fresh spices and herbs?"

Sam looked at you with cigarette between his lips, he put the lighter back into his pocket puffing out some smoke. "Sure I can, smells like this Indian place you love to visit or order the dinner from there," He said, rubbing his nose.

You ignored his comment which in your opinion was partly offensive and you kept on lurking through stalls, talking with people and having good time.

Unfortunately your mood quickly dropped when with the corner of your eye you have spotted a stall where some men were selling animals.

Sam noticed this and got worried. "Hey? What's wrong sweetheart? If this is about my comment, I was just joking. You know me," He said, touching your shoulder.

"Look," you whispered and clenched palms in fists. "I bet they do this illegally. Look at these animals!"

The men were having a lot of animals in cages, sometimes too small to accommodate three or four animals at once. There were parrots, monkeys, iguanas, and many more.

You rushed toward the stall.

Few steps away from stall Sam grabbed you by the arm and pulled you closer. He took cig out of his mouth and looked at you. "Love, that's the way it is here. It's not America, stuff like this happen here, there is nothing we can do about it."

"Help! Madam!" screechy voice got Sam's attention. It was coming from the stall. "Okay, let's see what's going on there." He said letting go of you.

You were first who approached the stall. "Excuse me, don't you think these cages are too small for the animals, huh?," You raised your voice a little and put hands on the metal table on which a cage with a parrot was placed.

Shady looking man glared at you with a frown. "Ah! Americans! Want get a pet? They good and healthy! I have papers," He said and smiled at you. "For nice lady like you 250$! Go, look, find perfect pet."

Sam frowned at the poor attempt in both English and selling you a pet. He tried to find the source. He walked around looking at all the poor trapped animals. "I wish I could let you all out." Sam walked until he came face to face with a parrot cage.

"Cookie?," Bird asked and Sam recognized the voice.

"Y/N! Sweetheart, come here!" He called you.

Glaring angrily at the seller and didn't move your glance off his shady-looking face, you approached your boyfriend. "Yes?"

"Look at this cutie." He said pointing at the cage.

"Hello! Namaskaar!" Parrot screeched and started to bite the metal bars of a cage.

Sam licked his lips looking around. "How about we take her and I will make sure this stand disappears and animals will be freed?"

Measuring his features with curious glance you gave him a slight nod of your head. "You can rip their little balls as well," you said.

Sam smiled and ruffled your hair. "Don't ya worry your pretty little head, love.”

Parrot looked at both of you. "Love, Love. Help." It screeched.

Sam chuckled and took the cage off the hook. "Go on, use your charm and get us some good price."

--------------

Afternoon came quickly and started covering the world with thick curtain of darkness and quietness.

The hotel room was filled with a dim light coming from a little lamp standing on a wooden nightstand.

Dressed in short shorts and too tight tank top you were sitting on the bed and observing how the parrot you and Sam bought on the market was wandering back and forth along windowsill.

Parrot stopped to clean its feathers, it shook its head and looked at you. "Hello. Cookie? Please!" It screeched.

Sam opened the door and smiled looking at you. "That's my favorite part of working with girlfriend. The sweet sight of you in my room," He joked and walked closer to kiss your head, Sam sat next to you. "So! I have good news, I took care of that man. He is done and animals will be free."

Parrot jumped off the windowsill and happily jumped toward Sam.

"Look!," You almost jumped in spot. "It's jumping! Look at these little jumps! Oh, God!"

"Yea, I think I know why." He said and picked up bird to look at it. "Those kind of people cut the wings, so they can ran away." Sam sighed and set parrot on his laps.

Bird looked at him and soon started to climb his jacket only to try to get to his pocket.

You took one of injured wings and saw a sharp line of where the cut was. You giggled seeing how parrot made it to Sam's shoulder.

"Ah! Yeah, yeah right! I have something for you." Sam said and pulled out few bird cookies, bird took one and started to eat it.

He smiled and started to pet animal's head. "Y/N? You think it can stay with us?"

"Why not. But I'll list up what is forbidden around this little sweetheart. First, no swearing. I don't want him or her to lurk around while squawking fuck, understood?," You smiled. "Second, I'll try to teach him or her talk. Next, no smoking around the parrot."

Sam smiled looking at you. "Look at you! Acting like a real life mom, I feel the maternal instinct kicking in." Sam joked and parrot nuzzled to his neck. "I think it likes my birds."

You reached hand and tried to invite parrot on your shoulder. "C'mere, baby. Come to mama."

Parrot took one more cookie from Sam and jumped on your hand and then traveled on your shoulder. "Cookie?" It said within high tone, offering you the said cookie, almost throwing it on your knees.

"Keep it to yourself, baby!," As gently as you could, you stroked parrot's head. "It's fluffy! I'm dying! I will never live this little lovely birdy behind!"

"Yes! We will take you home, buy you a big, nice, cozy cage or no you know what fu.... Heck the cage. I will get you a tree, you will be free and have a lots of snack." Sam said with a smile. "But I think it's time to sleep."

"What if baby will fly out through the window?," You asked in worried voice.

"Y/N, the wings? Remember?" Sam asked, looking at you. "It won't heal, love. This poor thing will stay flightless untill its last day," Sam said, picking up the parrot. "For now we will put it in the cage and cover it."

Man did exactly what he said and turned to you. "Baby is asleep so now daddy can take care of mommy," Sam hummed, slowly getting closer to you.

You knelt on the mattress and as soon as he came closer you put hands to his crotch where you massaged him lightly with your glance on his face.

Sam landed down to kiss you gently, pushing you further on the bed. His hand traveled under your top. "Now, let's see wh..."

Sam was interrupted by a loud parrot's sound. It wasn't any specific word, just a loud scream.

You almost let a hum of appreciation when you heard the parrot and its swishing voice. You laid back on the bed and rested head on the pillow and slowly spread you legs looking at Sam. "Go ahead, daddy. Our kid apparently needs attention."

Sam laughed resting his forehead on your shoulder, placing few kisses there. "C'mon. He... Or she is a big bird. It will be fine, now I want to give my attention to you."

He kissed your neck and moved down until he was kissing belly. The parrot screamed again, Sam groaned and put his head on your stomach. "I guess we will have our first sleepless night."

"Maybe it want to get outta cage. Let this happen and then maybe I'll let you to have some of this," you rubbed thighs together and licked your lips briefly, shifting your shirt up enough to reveal a little of your rounded boobs to him.

"I will put it in other room." He got up from the bed and walked to cage.

"You don't like sleeping, huh buddy?" Sam joked and removed the cover. He freed the bird and moved it to other room.

Soon your boyfriend joined you again, he didn't wasted more time and removed your top and shorts. "This will be fu..." Sam was again interrupted by a loud scream from other room.

As naked as you were beneath Samuel Drake, you used all of your strengths to push him aside. Then, you smoothly got off the bed and with a familiar swing in your hips you walked to another room and soon came back with parrot sitting on your shoulder. "Let him stay."

"You will let our baby watch how I F… you?" Sam said not really sure how else avoid the "F" word. "Isn't it depressing, I don't want this to become a disfuctional family."

You went to the wardrobe and let the parrot got off your shoulders to step on the counter of the furniture.

Parrot, squeaking happily walked back and forth along the edge of wardrobe and at the end it sat in the middle, looking down on the room.

With a smile you turned to Sam and slowly got on the old bed, straddling his laps quickly. "He or she doesn't understand anything at all darling," you explained. "Besides, since when are you concerned about someone watching us?," You asked and giggled shortly after. You placed hands to his chest and leant forward, rubbing your naked breasts against his chest covered under grey shirt. You nibbled onto his earlobe. "I thought it's turning you on, actually."

Sam sat up and wrapped his arm around you. "Well it's our baby after all, I don't want it to see those stuff until it's 18th birthday." He joked and kissed you deeply, suddenly Sam hissed. "Fuck." He pulled away to take a look at his hand, it was bitten. The parrot look at him from behind you.

You laughed and got off his lap. "I think no pussy for you tonight then."

"I guess so." Sam said with a heavy sigh, he quickly found his jacket.

"Cookie?" Parrot asked, tilting it's head.

"Yea, here." Sam muttered giving the last cookie to the bird. "I think we will have a lot things to adjust. When it comes to us and parrot."

"Like what?," You asked slipping your naked body under thin quilt.

"Teaching him that we need some private time too and learning that we have... feathery baby." Sam joked and removed his pants and shirt to join you under quilt. He sighed and pulled you closer, soon parrot tried to squeeze between two of you.

"Come here, little one," you let the parrot placed itself between two of you. You pressed your lips to little head which was accompanied with loud, squeaking "hello".

Sam looked at you with a frown. "Shall I be jealous?" He asked.

"Maybe," you replied.

Sam laughed quiely and pulled you a little closer, being careful to not hurt the bird. "You are lucky I love you." He said and kissed your forehead. "And I think I love you too. Even if I am a litte jealous." Sam muttered before kissing parrot's head.

Pandies🐼: @imidarogerson @grossograsso @thewildgardensstuff @leven-and-ashley @la-verdura @bearded-steve-rogers @atuckyismylife @krispyjellyfishzombie @personality-within @haseki-huricihan @choppedgardenwhispers @vroobelek @lattimelka @chris-beamz  @purepearls @volcanoxxx @kastrup-sofie @mikkal-akasaki @withoutashadowofhope @radbluebirdeagle @smutloversblog @buquete @super-psycho-love69 @tanglesss @peter-sommer @baysidewest @vegemania @philip-stan @chodiusmmm @tykorclint @dagger-dragger @kurant @oxfordkipem @deliciousbouquet90 @tuptuptup @hellenna80 @karina-marina9 @latimeriaaa @bratko @wurld89 @scott-evans @kiss-me-rouge @ovonel-espaniol @dancing-tacco @ratugadhi @white-tiger-shangrila @axn69 @eternal-life-awaits @mrs-laura-harmon @gleeeeees @darkllaama @jatut @agawux @fuzzy-tigrrr @jrjohnsson2 @maaargoshaaa @einexx @nwmtagsb @secretlygrantaire @kyloren-supreme-ben @infinity-stones-seeker @thehappyspider @wings4life @huxyluxy @dontbeafraidchild @misafiryanki @electronicpatrolcollective @thisismysecrethappyplace​ @aulika @a-happy-wolf @creative-seahorse @biologyforliving​ @stareyedplanet​

[robinrunsfiction]

Frank Iero Valentine’s Special 2020

Pairing: Frank Iero x Reader  Rating: General Requested By: @maria-the-ghoul​ Word Count: ~1,600 Author's Note: Trying to get back in the swing of writing and I wanted to write a few one shots for Valentines. I asked for a few friends to send me prompts, so here is the first one for Maria

Frank stuffed another card back into its spot on the shelf. “So fucking stupid,” he muttered.

“What’s stupid?” He heard a familiar female voice ask from behind him.

Frank whipped around and saw his friends Leigh and Mikey standing behind him. “Oh, umm, Valentine’s Day,” he mumbled feeling a blush creeping up his cheeks. “What are you guys doing here?” Frank asked, his tone grumpy.

“It’s a grocery store, so we’re grocery shopping,” Mikey smirked. 

“Yea, we’re getting things for our Valentine’s party, you’re coming, right?” Leigh asked with a smile.

“Why do you even have a Valentine’s party?” Frank grumbled.

“Because it’s an excuse to get together, and make adorable cupcakes and cookies,” Leigh grinned as she moved to browse the cards as well.

“Hey Leigh, look at this,” Mikey called from down the way.

“That’s so cute! You know who that reminds me of? (YN)!”

Hearing (YN)’s name, Frank turned to look. In Mikey’s hands was a small pink stuffed llama, but it also had a unicorn horn and wings. What he couldn’t see was the knowing look Leigh was giving Mikey.

“Will we see you next weekend for the party Frank?” Leigh asked.

“Maybe,” he grumbled.

“Hope to see you there!” She smiled.

Frank watched as they walked away. Leigh was saying something to Mikey and he was smiling before he placed a kiss to the top of her head and wrapped his arm around her waist. They were obviously stupidly in love with each other, so of course they liked the obnoxious holiday. Everything about Valentine’s Day was sweetness and pink and glitter, and that only reminded him of one of the many reasons why he didn’t like the holiday; It reminded him of (YN). Specifically the fact that he was completely and hopelessly in love with her and she had no idea, and worse yet, would never feel the same way about him.

He went over and picked up the stuffed llamacorn Mikey had set down and couldn’t help but smile, thinking of (YN), but his smile faded as he turned back to the shelf of cards, none of which accurately conveying the way he felt for (YN).

~

(YN) and Leigh were getting brunch the next morning at their favorite spot. Leigh had been holding back telling her friend what she had seen at the grocery store the afternoon before, but couldn’t hold back much longer.

“You’re coming to the party next weekend, right?”

(YN) sighed. “I don’t know, Valentine’s day is stupid, I’ve always hated it. And isn’t the party just for couples?”

“No! I mean yea there will be a few couples, but there will be single people too,” she paused. “And Frank.”

(YN)’s eyes got wide for a moment as she sipped her coffee. “Oh that’s nice,” she replied, trying to sound nonchalant.

“Yea he was at the store yesterday, looking for a Valentine,” Leigh replied, studying her friend’s face, but much to her dismay, it fell.

“Oh.”

“Come on (YN), I’m sure he was looking for one for you!”

“Why? What luck do I have with regard to guys? Especially guys like Frank?” (YN) grumbled.

“When was the last time you even went after a guy since you met Frank?” Leigh asked. (YN) rolled her eyes in response. “Just come to the party. At the very least to get out of the house for a little bit and eat a cupcake.”

“We’ll see,” (YN) replied before turning her attention back to her brunch.

~

(YN) looked herself over in the mirror. She knew that Leigh and the other girls at the party would probably be wearing cute dresses with their hair and makeup done, but she just couldn’t bring herself to do more than freshen up after leaving work. She had worn her black pencil skirt and a white sweater with black buttons at the shoulders, a cut-out at the chest, and a warm hood. She didn’t mind that she didn’t look festive, as she had spent all day listening to her coworkers talk about the presents they were receiving and the plans they had with their significant others and spouses. 

When she arrived at the party, there were plenty of people already there, a large selection of sweets covered the table, and there were drinks flowing, music playing and people dancing. Leigh pulled herself away from Mikey long enough to greet (YN) with a warm hug.

“I’m so glad you came!” Leigh smiled. “Frank is here,” she nodded to the corner where he was talking to Gerard and some others. She noticed he also didn’t look dressed very festively, or even for a nice party, in his torn blue jeans, black t-shirt and leather jacket.

(YN) nodded. “That’s nice.”

“Stop pretending like you don’t like him and go talk to him!” Leigh whispered harshly at her friend.

“If I pretend hard enough, maybe I’ll actually stop liking him! And save us both the heartache,” (YN) shrugged.

Leigh rolled her eyes. “You’re just wasting your time, time you could be with him!”

“We’ll see. Now, wasn’t I promised cupcakes?”

“Over there,” Leigh pointed to the table on the opposite side of the room from Frank and (YN) went to get a treat.

After enjoying a cupcake and talking to some of her friends, (YN) noticed that here head was starting to throb from the long day. She stepped out the back door and pulled up the hood of her sweater. The fresh air instantly brought relief and she sighed, a cloud forming in the cold air. She heard the door open and shut behind her, and she glanced back. Her heart lept in her chest when she saw it was Frank. “Hey.”

“Hey (YN),” he replied. He sounded nervous and (YN) couldn’t understand why.

“What are you doing out here?” She asked.

“I was gonna ask you the same thing,” he chuckled.

“I had a headache, it’s kinda stuffy in there,” she replied with a weak smile.

“Oh, sorry, I don’t wanna bug you,” he replied, suddenly feeling rather awkward, backing away from her.

“No, no, don’t go,” (YN) said, surprised at the words as they tumbled out of her mouth as she reached out and grabbed the sleeve of his leather jacket.

He smiled shyly as he glanced at her hand on his arm and then up in her eyes. “Ok.” 

They stood in the silence of the winter evening together, neither of them directly acknowledging the tension between them. After a few minutes, (YN) shivered.

“Are you cold?” Frank asked.

“Kinda,” she laughed lightly.

“Do you want my jacket, or to go inside,” he asked.

“No, I umm, was wondering, you never answered my question.”

“What question?”

“Why did you come out here with me?”

“Oh, yea,” he replied suddenly sounding nervous again. “Umm, Valentine’s Day is stupid. Everything is glittery and pink, but that kinda reminds me of you, and that’s the only good part of this stupid day,” he said looking down at his shoes. “So if you wanna shoot me down, it might as well be today because I already hate this day.”

“What?” (YN) replied, not sure she was understanding what he was trying to tell her.

“I really like you (YN), like a lot, and if you don’t feel the same way, that’s fine, but-”

Frank was cut off by (YN) grabbing his face and crashing her lips against his. He was stunned at first, not believing what was happening, then all too suddenly, she pulled back.

“I’m sorry, I just,” she laughed and covered her face with her hands. She could feel her cheeks burning red. “I just really like you too and I can’t believe that you like me back.”

Frank laughed and nodded. “Yea, I really do.” Then he reached down and grazed his thumb over her cheek as he held her neck, pulling her lips to his again while his other hand found her waist. She grasped at his jacket as he kissed her, softly at first, then with more need and passion. He ran his hand through her hair, knocking off her hood in the process. 

Despite the body heat that was radiating off Frank, (YN) couldn’t help but shiver as the cold air hit her now exposed skin.

“Oh, sorry,” he replied, pulling her hood back up, after breaking off the kiss and (YN) couldn’t help but laugh.

“Do you wanna go inside now?” She asked with a smile.

“Sure,” he answered, taking her hand. “Oh, I got you something, if you think it’s stupid you can throw it out or whatever,” he said as they stepped through the door. (YN) watched curiously as he reached in the pocket inside his jacket and pulled out the pink llamacorn.

“Seriously?!” She squealed with delight. “This is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen!” She grabbed him by the jacket again and pulled him to her, their lips crashing together in a happy kiss.

“Our sweet baby found love!” They heard Ray call from the doorway of the kitchen.

(YN) and Frank pulled apart and found their friends were assembling in the doorway of the kitchen behind Ray.

“Is that the llama thing from the grocery store?” Mikey asked with a smirk.

“I think it is,” Leigh answered with a grin, before turning and shooing the crowd away from the doorway. (YN) just dropped her forehead against Frank’s shoulder and laughed as he wrapped his arms around her.

“Wanna get away from them and this stupid party?” Frank asked.

“More than anything,” (YN) laughed.

[hopelesshawks]

History of Us Part 23- Game On

Summary: Once upon a time Todoroki and (y/n) were best friends. Now they haven’t spoken in years. When (y/n) is forced to transfer to UA, will she and Shoto reconnect or will their troubled past keep them apart? A childhood friends to enemies to lovers hybrid fic.

If you don’t want to see History of Us content blacklist #hopelesshou

Masterlist Kofi

When Shoto arrives in the common room you’re sitting on the couch rubbing your temples with a scowl on your face as Denki looks sheepishly at you and rubs the back of his neck. Shoto feels a twinge of jealousy ripple through him when he notices Sero sitting next to you trying to talk you down. He shoves it down as he calls out to you. “Are you alright?” he asks. You look up and your eyes immediately brighten when you find the source of the voice. “Sho-Chan thank god,” you groan dramatically, opening your arms wide in a silent request for comfort. It would be a lie for Shoto to claim he didn’t feel a small measure of smug satisfaction as he comes to sit on your other side and you immediately fall into his arms and groan into his chest. “They’re so dumb and unhelpful I want to die,” you whine. “Hey ‘they’ are right here!” Sero protests. “Did she stutter?” Shoto asks with a raised eyebrow. You jerk back with a surprised laugh. “Maybe I am a bad influence on you,” you cackle. “So what did they do to distress you so much anyway?” Shoto asks, his eyes silently challenging Sero. You immediately scowl as you recall what had soured your mood. Denki goes from amused at Shoto and Sero’s obvious competitiveness to sheepish again. “I gave Denki ONE JOB for this evening. Buy snacks. That’s it and he FORGOT TO DO IT,” you growl. “I’m sure Sato would be happy to bake something if you’d like,” Shoto offers. “Whomst the fuck is Sato?” you ask, blinking at him. “Y’know. Sato. Tall dude, pretty built?” Denki offers. “Sugar rush quirk?” Sero adds. “Never heard of him,” you shrug. “Don’t worry, I can ask him if you’d like. Our dorms are close to each other,” Shoto offers. “Seriously? Ugh you’re the best Sho, thanks,” you gush, much to Sero’s chagrin. “I’ll go help, I feel bad I couldn’t help you out more here pretty girl,” Sero offers. “You know how to bake?” you ask him with a raised eyebrow. “What, like it’s hard?” Sero replies easily. “Once when we were 7 my mom tried to teach Sho-Chan and I how to bake and he nearly set the kitchen on fire. He had to freeze the oven to stop it,” you confess, causing Shoto to blush with a scowl on his face as Sero laughs. “Hey no scowling,” you tell him, poking his cheek with one finger. He rolls his eyes and bats your hand away but that only makes you laugh. “That was a long time ago, I can certainly bake now. As Sero put it, it’s not as if it’s difficult,” Shoto scoffs. “Why don’t you help me and Sato too then,” Sero grins. “Fine.” “Fine.” “Good.” “Good.” “You two are so fucking weird but thanks! Denki and I will finish cleaning up in here and rally the troops. Class B should get here in like an hour. I’m counting on you two!” you tell them, interrupting their odd back and forth before they both give you a nod and then head off in search of Sato.

You and Denki have just finished cleaning up and texting the class A group chats to come down when you hear a loud clatter coming from the kitchen. Both of you snap your heads towards the sound only to see a frustrated Sato pushing Shoto and Sero into the common room, both of whom are absolutely covered in flour. “Please watch them. I’ll be done with everything soon but just..... keep them far away from the kitchen until I am,” Sato sighs before going back to resume his work. You immediately burst into full on, belly clutching laughter. The kind that hurts your stomach and makes your eyes water. Kaminari is similarly howling beside you, although neither Shoto nor Sero seem to share your amusement. When you’ve finally managed to contain your laughter a bit more you wheeze out “How? How did you two do this?” “It looks like you two got into a fight with the flour and it won,” Denki adds. Sero’s sheepish grin is a contrast to Shoto’s slightly grouchy look. “It turns out baking is that difficult,” Shoto admits, and your face softens a little when you realize he’s genuinely embarrassed. “People are going to be here soon you two should get cleaned up. Denki can you go light a fire under people’s asses?” you ask.

With a nod the boys all move towards where the rooms are but you catch Shoto’s shoulder to signal him to wait. You carefully brush some of the flour off until just the two of you are alone in the common room. “You wanna tell me what’s up with you today?” you ask. “What do you mean?” he asks. “Oh c’mon Sho, you seem so upset cause Sato kicked you out of the kitchen and typically shit like that doesn’t bother you,” you elaborate. Todoroki’s eyes scan over your face and he wonders, not for the first time, how even after a decade and all the changes you’ve both been through, you can still read him like a book. “I wanted to be helpful since I wasn’t here to help you before and all I did was make a mess,” Shoto finally sighs. “I’ve been stressing over this shit practically all day and you just had me cackling. That is helping Sho. You were busy training with Midoriya, it’s fine,” you assure him. “What do you mean training with Midoriya?” Shoto asks, cocking his head to the side. It always reminds you of a puppy when he does that but you shove the thought aside as you realize what he’s responded. “I was going to ask if you could come down and help but Sero told me you were out training with Midoriya and I didn’t want to bother you.” “I didn’t train with Midoriya today.” “You didn’t?” “No.” “Huh, weird. Sero must’ve been confused I guess,” you shrug.

The conversation ends when Denki comes skidding back into the common room to ask you if he looks ok. “Oh, am I interrupting something?” he asks, looking between you and Shoto. “Nah, Sho should probably get cleaned up anyway,” you reply easily. Even still you give Shoto’s shoulder a quick squeeze of reassurance before he sends you an appreciative look and heads upstairs. “What was that about?” Denki asks. “He felt guilty for not helping more,” you admit as you watch your friend head up to his dorm. “See, irl simp eyes,” Denki says, pointing at your face. You immediately scowl and punch his shoulder. “Hey! If I wanted this abuse I’d have called Bakugo,” he whines. “Aren’t you the one who always says we’re the same?” you point out. “You right. I should’ve known better, you two really are the same,” Denki sighs. You punch him in the shoulder again as you protest “No we’re not!” “You brought up the comparison first!” “You weren’t supposed to agree with it!” You and Denki’s bickering is interrupted by Sato’s arrival with various baked goods which he lays out on the table in the main area. Shortly after that both classes A and B start to spill into the common room.

As it turns out, wing manning for Denki is a full time job. He gets easily flustered and frequently requires moral support so even when he is with Shinso he frequently wants you there as moderator. He’s going to owe you huge for this one, but he knows it and seems genuinely appreciative so you don’t mind too much. Finally, finally Shinso and Denki seem to hit their stride on a topic so you quietly duck out and head outside to get some air. The air is crisp now as the sun starts to set but you still take in a long deep breath before slowly releasing it out. You sit down on the ground and stare out over the grounds of UA. You don’t think you’ve ever been this social your entire life. Soon a familiar presence sits down next to you. “Overwhelmed?” Shoto asks quietly. “A little, yea,” you admit. “I get that. It was a lot for me initially too,” he confesses. “Does it ever go away?” “Not entirely, but it does get better.” “Good,” you sigh as you lean over to rest your head on his shoulder. He brings one arm up to wrap around you as the two of you sit there in silence for awhile before finally he speaks up. “So you and Kaminari are getting pretty close,” he brings up. “Yea,” you sigh, “I’m trying to help him out with Shinso but I did not anticipate how much work that would be.” “Shinso?” “Yea, that’s the main reason he wanted to do all this.” “I thought Denki liked you,” Shoto confesses, and it shocks you a little that he even noticed. “Oh, maybe a little but not seriously and not lately. He’s like gone on Shinso, it’s cute,” you explain. You notice Shoto seems to relax beneath you at the words but before you can press him on it Sero pokes his head outside and the tension instantly returns to your friend’s body.

“There you are! I was wondering where the life of the party had snuck off to,” Sero greets. “That’s a new one,” you snort, reluctantly lifting your head off Shoto’s shoulder. “Come on back in, may as well enjoy the fruit of all your hard work right?” Sero encourages and it’s hard to come up with an excuse not to rejoin the festivities. “Give me a sec, I’ll be right in,” you tell him. His eyes flicker between you and Shoto briefly before he gives you a toothy grin and says “Don’t take too long!” and ducks back inside. “Guess that’s my cue to re-enter the fray,” you sigh as you stand up, “you coming?” “No, I think I’ll stay out here a bit longer before I go back inside,” Shoto tells you. You nod in understanding, a large part of you wanting to follow his lead. “Maybe another movie night tonight?” you offer cautiously, but the soft smile you get in response is enough to reassure you. “Sounds perfect,” Shoto replies. You grin back at him before heading back inside to rejoin the others.

A/N: No thoughts, head empty, just Grumpy Shoto and Soft Shoto.

Taglist: @sorrythatspussynal @miss-bakugo-writes @pixelwisp @larkspyrr @sokkaandzukosimp @akkaso @sunaispretty @shot0stea @todoplusultra @oliviasslut @lapysllazuly @immah0e4fictionalmen

[yodawgiherd]

Just a little sting

>>>Read on AO3<<<

Picking up on old storylines can be hard, but it has to be done.

Every story needs to have an end, doesn't it.

:)

 Enjoy!

“Annie!“

“What?“

“Your dad called.“

Annie stepped back from the punching bag she was abusing, throwing a look over her shoulder at Bert standing at the entrance of the gym.

“Again?”, she asked, her voice betraying no emotion.

“He would like to know how you are doing and wants you to call him back when you have the time.”

Looking down, she inspected her glove instead, playing with the strap.

“Tell him I’m busy.”

Bert sighed.

“Is this about the boyfriend thing? Are you still mad about it?”

“I’m not mad about anything, I just don’t want to talk to him at the moment.”

Looking back up, she put a hand on the punching bag, feeling the material.

“It doesn’t matter what happened in the past, I’ll just keep moving forward. This is what matters. This training, this bag, and that tournament I’m going to win. Not for him, or anyone else, but for me.”

She heard him shuffle behind her.

“Fine, I’ll tell him that you are focused on your training. He’ll understand.”

With that, Bert left, leaving Annie alone with the gym once more. Just as she wanted. Dropping back into her fighting stance, she punched the bag, alternating between left and right, feeling the rush of blood in her body. This was what mattered, not the memories and dreams and regrets in her past. She left those behind for a purpose and going back was impossible. Clenching her fists tighter, Annie allowed the rhythm of training to overwhelm her.

“It’s just a sting.”

“Sure, a few thousand of them.”

“Oh, don’t be such a baby.”, Mikasa grinned, reaching over to pat Eren on the cheek, “I’m sure you won’t even feel it.”

He didn’t seem to believe her.

“Now that’s a bare-faced lie if I’ve ever heard one.”, he grimaced, “You may be super tough, with your MMA fighter experience and piercings and the ink on your wrists, but me…”

Their conversation got interrupted, however, as the artist came in, eyeing his customers.

“You guys ready?”, he asked, sitting down next to Eren while his associate, a young woman, took her place next to Mikasa.

He swore under his breath while Mikasa couldn’t stop smiling, seeing how nervous he seemed.

“As we’ll ever be.”, she said, when her boyfriend was unresponsive.

“Let’s get on it then.”, the artist confirmed, nodding at his associate and both picking up their tattoo machines at the same time. “Two pairs of wings, coming right up.”

They got to work.

Sasha did expect a lot of people when she opened the door, but one of those she did not expect was Niccolo, standing there with a cigarette in his mouth and a gloomy look.

“Heard you’ve been looking for me.”, he murmured, looking anywhere but at her face.

Oh? She was looking for him. For the guy who promised to help her only to disappear after searching on his own. Well, who could see that coming, right? Pushing all her anger inside in order not to make a scene, Sasha gestured for him to come in. But when he did sit down, she exploded.

“Where were you? What did you think, disappearing like that? You didn’t tell me anything, I was sick with worry and no one knew where you are and…”

“I found out where Gabi is.”, Niccolo said, cutting her off, “And It’s not pretty.”

When he didn’t continue on his own, Sasha nudged him.

“Come on, where is she?”

He looked at her for a minute, the cigarette smoking at the table between them probably weighed his options. But it was just an act, if he wasn’t willing to tell her, he wouldn’t have come here.

“They use them as mules, in the underground, the kids carry drugs because cops don’t search them very often.”

“That’s insane! We have to do something about that.”

This naïve statement made Niccolo snort.

“Do what? They’ve been doing the same shit for years and no one stopped it. I’m sorry Sasha, but this is no longer just fun and games, this is a serious business. If we poke the hornet’s nest too much they will sting us.”

He stared at the table, obviously discouraged, but Sasha was having none of it.

“Well, I’m not giving up. I don’t care that its dangerous, I’ll see those kids free or…”

“Please don’t say I’ll die trying. This is not a movie, this is real life.”

“Fine, I won’t say it then. But please…”, reaching out Sasha put her hand over his, “Please don’t leave me alone in this.”

Staring at her, Niccolo realized that he couldn’t back down. Fuck it, the cause was just, and he couldn’t remember doing anything heroic in his life. Like ever.

“All right. We can do this, together.”

Sasha nodded, smiling.

“Together.”

“Say, what you’ve been up to lately.”, Hange asked, watching Levi over the rim of her glasses.

“Me? Not much, just helping Mikasa train for that tournament thing.”¨

“Do you feel like she has a shot at winning it?”

“Mikasa can do anything she puts her mind to. After all, I trained the girl myself.”

“And outside of the gym? Any news?”

He put his glass down with a sigh.

“Is this about Petra?”

“I don’t know, is it?”

“Stop turning my own words against me.”

“I’m not turning anything against anyone, my dear.”, voice completely calm, she pointed at him, “However, you are incredibly defensive about her.”

“She is a very old friend, I understand that you are worried, but there’s no reason to. I’ve made up my mind.”

Ok, here comes the part that Levi hated, the part when he has to say feeling stuff out loud.

“I lo-… I mean… I kind of… I li-like you, Hange, there is no one else.”

Oof, that was hard.

“Well good.”, standing up, she stretched, throwing a look at the clock. “You want to go to bed?”

Shrugging her t-shirt over her head, she threw It at the chair carelessly, walking towards the bedroom.

“Maybe you can show me how much you like me.”, she said before disappearing from the view.

Levi was just about to follow her when he noticed the shirt she discarded, picking it up and folding it neatly. There, now he could sleep in peace. With calmness in his mind, he went to join the woman whose company he somewhat enjoyed. Just don’t make him say it out loud.

“We look like two of my patients now.”, Eren said, watching the large bandage wound around his upper back.

Customary process, he knew, both he and Mikasa had to care for their new skin decorations before they would be fully settled in. It was a long process, and they had to be careful, especially with how big their tattoos were, covering the entirety of their upper backs, but they’ve been told what to do, step-by-step at the saloon, and instructed to call if they had any questions. Therefore, Eren was confident, especially after he managed to survive the whole long process of having his back pierced by the tiny needle over and over again in one sitting. Despite Mikasa’s claims that it would be painless, it did sting, but overall it wasn’t that bad, especially when he had her right next to him, getting the same treatment without batting an eye. Couldn’t appear weak in front of his lover, could he?

“It just for a short while.”, Mikasa said, “Just think about how amazing we will look after.”

Her expression turned dreamy.

“Like two angels.”

“You have always been my angel.”, Eren countered, watching her smile.

Yea, she was an angel all right. His angel with tattooed wings.

[tommyquackson]

Getting Me a Little Bit | t. holland | part 2

Not My Gif

summary: toms an angel but his life begins changing when he meets one of the most dangerous monsters he’s ever heard of, you. angel!tom and demon!au

warnings: cursing, uh angels? blood and stuff

note: yea idek why i made a part 2 tbh but make sure y’all request!!!

Walking into the Office of Heavenly Affairs, Tom is nervous. Y/ns walking next to him, somehow acting confident and innocent at the same time. She has a small smile on her face and a file in her small hands and she’s leading Tom through the building like she’s been here multiple times before. It isn’t until they arrive into the Demon and Unholy Creatures Department that he realizes y/ns winging this whole thing. He watches her as they both walk up to the secretary’s desk. The secretary, Harmony, recognizes Tom, but her face twists in confusion when her eyes meet Y/n.

“Tom, they’re almost ready for you in the conference room. May I ask who you are?” Harmony speaks to y/n.

“Harmony, I know i’m not down in this division a lot, but I do find it insulting that you don’t remember me. But I forgive you.” Y/n smiles sweetly, showing a ID badge with her name and picture on it. Harmonys eyes widen in shock.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ve met” Harmony speaks. Y/n sighs and rests on her elbows on the desk, looking into Harmonys eyes. It’s only a few seconds but suddenly Harmonys face flashes with recognition.

“Ms. Y/n! My deepest apologies, i don’t know where my mind has gone, please forgive me. Are you on official business with Agent Holland?” She smiles typing things into her computer.

“Yes I am, it was great seeing you again.” Y/n smiles, tapping the desk before looking at Tom and winking and walking away and towards the conference room where the meeting will be held.

She waits at the door for Tom and he pulls it open, straightening his collar while walking in. He and Y/n walk up to the table and sit down.

“Ah, Agent Holland, im fairly busy today so- oh, who is this?” One of his directors speak now looking at y/n, who immediately stands and hands the file over.

“Hi, I’m Y/n over at the Government Division, as you know, our reports show there’s a suspected 434 demons and other unspeakable creatures in the government in New York City alone, not including Lower Statten Island, but once we tackle our larger issues we’ll take care of the smaller challenges. Anyway, I was doing work in Hell’s Kitchen last night and realized you had field agents stationed there, specifically in The Devil, a popular nightclub. Now that’s not his fault, but it is yours because it has come to my attention that you haven’t alerted us or anyone for that matter about suspected demon activity, now as you know that’s a serious offense and I would hate to see a lot of your hard work be wasted simply because you were careless on a small intel project.” She finishes and looks sweetly at all the Angels sitting on the opposite of the table.

“We sent Agent Holland because we believe there to be a succubus in that nightclub, we didn’t think we’d have to alert anyone about our own mission. What did you say your name was again?” The first Director speaks up, looking her up and down.

“What is it with you guys today? Is there something in the water? Y/n with the Government Division. Have you not been getting my memos?” She puts her hand on her hip and looks at all of them.

“Uh no, I mean yes mam we have, but we had a credible lead that-“

“Well your lead isn’t as credible as you think, Tom, please give them the status report from last night.” She looks at Tom and nods.

“Oh uh, upon entering I saw no suspicious activity, everything was surprisingly human. I was there for a while and no trace or word of a succubus in that club,” Tom gulps, he hadn’t realized how much he didn’t think of what he was going to tell them.

“Great, so, I think you it’s safe to say you can stay out of GDs jurisdiction and we can avoid stepping on each other wings. It was lovely seeing all of you, see you at the Christmas gathering.” Y/n speaks, grabbing the file back and walking out of the room.

Tom is dismissed immediately after and jogs to catch up with her.

“What was in that file, they believed everything you were saying,” Tom gasps.

“Oh it’s empty, i just projected whatever I was saying onto the file and it appeared, simple illusions. Now shall we go get lunch?” She smiles, clothes changing as soon as she steps out of the stark white building.

—

2 weeks later and Tom has been hanging out with the literal spawn of satan nearly everyday. Except for last week when Y/n disappeared for 4 days and came back looking a little worse for wear. She demanded Tom to not talk about it or even question her when she arrived at his place.

Toms been neglecting his heavenly duties to spend more time with her. Although it always made him sick when she brought men to his place while he was out for a bit. He hoped it wouldn’t be a regular occurrence in the future.

He hadn’t seen her today however, she said yesterday that she had important things to do and wasn’t sure when she’d be back. She seemed annoyed at whatever she had to do, but Tom held his tongue.

He sat in his living room, eating spaghetti and watching a beautiful nature documentary. The polar bear cubs struggling to find food always struck a cord in Tom, it seemed so cruel and unfair. He watched as camera men followed penguins and seals around for 5 months and analyzed their behavior.

He’s interrupted by a quiet knock and then a large thump against his front door. He stands and moves quietly to the door, wondering who could be knocking at 11pm on a Tuesday? Y/n always appears in whatever room he’s in, usually scaring him half to death.

He slowly pulls open the door and her smaller body falls into his arms. Y/ns halfway covered in dark blood and her horns look battered. She looks up at him and her face is covered in cuts and more dried blood. Her “human” eyes are hidden and the whole space is covered in black with low flames flickering. She smiles lightly and he can see her sharp teeth barely poking out.

He pulls her in and lays the demon on the couch, spewing questions in her direction.

“Tommy, relax. You yelling at me ain’t gonna cure my headache” She winces, clenching her jaw.

“Y/n, what happened” He asks softly.

“Don’t wanna talk about it” y/n goes to turn over but quickly hisses and grab her ribs.

“You have to” He stands up straighter.

“I don’t fucking want to” She nearly growls. He’d be more scared if she wasn’t so pathetic looking.

“Y/n, I don’t care what you want to do. You need to tell me what happened so I can help you, NOW!” He shouts the last part and she almost chuckles at how adorable the angel looks yelling at her.

“had’t go t’hell and ran into s”trouble with m’dad” She mumbles, looking at the TV instead of Tom.

“I can’t hear you when you mumble” He says rolling his eyes at her stubbornness.

“I had to go to hell to do some shit and Lucifer found out I was there and decided to meet with me but things took a bad turn and I got my ass kicked by a bunch of leviathans while my dad watched” She spits out, louder and clearer.

“Oh”

“Yep, and since they beat me so damn bad, none of my powers or magic works, had to walk all the way here from the nearest portal, which i’m not sure if you’re aware, is VERY far” She pushes through and sits up on the couch.

“Why did he do it?” Tom asks quietly, unsure of the question was upsetting.

“Eh, there’s a few reasons. Main one being he’s god damn Satan. The other is he found out I was at the Office of Heavenly Affairs, got pissed and accused me of being a traitor” She shrugs like the information is nothing, leading Tom to wonder how much stuff y/ns already dealt with.

“Well, uh. I can do my best to patch you up and you can sleep in my bed.” Tom pushes his glasses up on his face and rushes to get some things to help, he doesn’t usually get hurt so he’s not super prepared, but he’s got the basics.

He spends a few minutes trying his best to disinfect her most serious wounds and cleaning the voood off of her. His hands are shaky as he sews a few cuts up but she doesn’t seem to notice, by looking at Y/ns face, you wouldn’t even know she’s in pain. She’s staring at the now black TV, watching her blurry reflection. Her eyes have gone back to normal and her horns have retreated, though it’s still not easy to read her. Tom usually prides himself on being able to read body language but he’s drawing a blank with y/n. Is she mad? maybe upset? maybe just tired? He’s not sure.

“Thanks tommy.” She winks as he wipes the last bit of ointment on her skin. She stands and clenches her jaw to stop from groaning in pain.

She walks towards the front door, leaving Tom in complete and utter confusion before he snaps to action.

“Wait! What? You can’t leave you’re hurt and in pain, you-“

“I’m fine” She shrugs, not turning around.

“No you aren’t! Why are you denying this, you need to stay here.” Toms eyebrows furrow together.

“Why does it fucking matter?” She finally turns around, eyes switched back to her demon form.

“Because you’re my friend,” Tom speaks quietly. He looks down at the ground afraid of her glare.

“Let’s get one thing straight Thomas. I don’t need a friend, which means i don’t need the bullshit that comes with them. I don’t need you to care about me got it? I’m perfectly fine without you, so don’t act like I need you to survive or like you’re the goddamn air i breathe. You’re nothing to me but an idiot fucking angel. So i’m gonna fucking leave and you’re gonna fucking let me. Any questions?” She throws her hands towards him. His head shoots up at her.

“You came here? You didn’t go to the club, you walked all the way from the nearest portal, which is 34 blocks by the way, you needed someone and you came here. Don’t get mad just because you want to be the one to hurt someone instead of the other way around. So you can leave if you really want to y/n, but don’t lie about why you’re doing it because you’re only fooling yourself” He spurts out, face red and hands shaky.

Y/n doesn’t say anything for a while. Just stares in anger, her eyes fill with tears and she quickly wipes them away as they fall.

“I don’t wanna be friends anymore Tom, that’s it.” She shakes out between her deep shudders of breath. She turns and limps out quickly, slamming Toms front door behind her.

[ssminibang]

Suggested "The Sea" prompts for your convenience!

Not sure what to draw for the Senshi & Shitennou Reverse Mini Bang 2019? Well, lucky for you we have a heck of a lot of prompts!

By the way, sign ups for Artists and Authors will remain open until Sunday 31 March 2019! Just go to our blog and click on the useful links in the description for more information! (We’re not using links here because Tumblr won’t let the post appear in searches if we do 😭)

Beach volleyball

She sells seashells by the sea shore

"The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea." - Isak Dinesen

Sandcastles

Shipwreck, alternatively “Ship To Wreck” - Florence + The Machine

Lighthouse

Siren song

"But let there be spaces in your togetherness and let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love: let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls." - Kahlil Gibran

Pirates, Buccaneers and Privateers, alternatively, Ching Shih (aka Cheng I Sao) 

(S)he's a shark!

Canon ball

“That figurehead on the prow is beautiful!”

Sports Illustrated, Swimsuit Edition

Unleash the Kraken!, alteratively, Legendary sea creatures/sea monsters

"A woman knows the face of the man she loves as a sailor knows the open sea." - Honore De Balzac

Moonlight skinny-dipping

Swimming with the dolphins

“Some people long for a life that is simple and planned / Tied with a ribbon / Some people won't sail the sea 'cause they're safer on land / To follow what's written / But I'd follow you to the great unknown / Off to a world we call our own.” - The Greatest Showman

Tropical vacation getaway

"A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor." - Franklin D. Roosevelt

Marooned

"I slathered on SPF 75 every hour, faithfully, and still cooked like an oversized fucking lobster."

Surfing

Palm trees

“A frog in a well does not know the great sea.” - Zhuangzi

The Spanish Armada

Message in a bottle

Thalassophobia

"Just keep swimming" - Finding Nemo

“Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” - Brian Hyland 

“Consider the subtleness of the sea; how its most dreaded creatures glide under water, unapparent for the most part, and treacherously hidden beneath the loveliest tints of azure. Consider also the devilish brilliance and beauty of many of its most remorseless tribes, as the dainty embellished shape of many species of sharks. Consider, once more, the universal cannibalism of the sea; all whose creatures prey upon each other, carrying on eternal war since the world began. Consider all this; and then turn to the green, gentle, and most docile earth; consider them both, the sea and the land; and do you not find a strange analogy to something in yourself? For as this appalling ocean surrounds the verdant land, so in the soul of man there lies one insular Tahiti, full of peace and joy, but encompassed by all the horrors of the half-known life. God keep thee! Push not off from that isle, thou canst never return!” - Herman Melville

"Only An Ocean Away” - Celtic Garden cover of Sarah Brightman

Sex On The Beach

Sea shanty, alternatively, “Cardiff Rose” - Roger McGuinn

The Age of Exploration

Tantallon Castle

Merpeople

Saint Emlo’s Fire

“Plenty more fish in the sea”

Namma, Mesopotamian goddess of the Cosmic Ocean.

Pearls

Stowaway

The long journey home

“A ship should not ride on a single anchor, nor life on a single hope” - Epictetus

Tying knots

"Time and tide wait for no man.” - Geoffrey Chaucer

"The whole business of love is to drown in the sea." - Rumi

Smuggling/trafficking

Beach glass and driftwood

“Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?" - Shakespeare

"His blue eyes were seas where sorrow sailed." - Dean Koontz

"Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink.” - Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Washed up ashore

“I need you like water in my lungs.”

Go with the flow

Creatures of the deep, alternatively, “With its untold depths, couldn't the sea keep alive such huge specimens of life from another age, this sea that never changes while the land masses undergo almost continuous alteration? Couldn't the heart of the ocean hide the last–remaining varieties of these titanic species, for whom years are centuries and centuries millennia?” - Jules Verne

You are my true north

With only the stars to guide us

The mournful cry of seagulls

“Yea, and if some god shall wreck me in the wine-dark deep, / even so I will endure… / For already have I suffered full much, / and much have I toiled in perils of waves and war. / Let this be added to the tale of those.” - Homer

Cruise ship shenanigans

“Well, someone's feeling salty about something, hmm?”

“Join the navy, see the world!”

“In a sea of faces, I always look for yours."

"Missing you comes in waves, and tonight, I'm drowning."

Hidden depths

“It’s called ‘wayfinding’, Princess. It’s not just sails and knots, it’s seeing where you’re going in your mind. Knowing where you are by knowing where you’ve been.” - Moana

"I followed the waves to you." - Melissa Auf Der Maur

If you put a conch shell up to your ear, you can hear the sound of the ocean.

Drifting away

Interesting/creepy discoveries while scuba diving

"The voice of the sea speaks to the soul. The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its close, soft embrace." - Kate Chopin

"The sea is as close as we come to another world." - Anne Stevenson

Storming the beach at Normandy

As faithful as the tides, alternatively, "Because there's nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline, no matter how many times it's sent away." - Sarah Kay

Feast of the Seven Fishes

“Heart of the Ocean" - Gaelic Storm

"This is the ship of pearl, which, poets feign, / Sails the unshadowed main,— / The venturous bark that flings / On the sweet summer wind its purpled wings / In gulfs enchanted, where the Siren sings, / And coral reefs lie bare, / Where the cold sea-maids rise to sun their streaming hair." - Oliver Wendell Holmes

Sand between your toes, alternatively, Sitting under a big umbrella with sand between your toes and a trashy romance novel 

"Go jump off a cliff, preferably into shark-infested waters, asshole!"

“Uh, who is the ship named after, Captain?”

The palaces and treasures of the Dragon Kings (Chinese mythology see Journey to the West by Wu Cheng’en)

The Bermuda Triangle

The Four Winds and the Seven Seas

Between Scylla and Charybdis

"It was many and many a year ago /I n a kingdom by the sea..." - Edgar Allan Poe

Starfish and Sea Horses

Steampunk ocean travel

"Red Sky at night, Sailors delight; Red Sky in the morning, Sailors take warning."

Ship's cat

A hasty shipboard marriage, alternatively, "(S)he has a girl/guy in every port."

Ghost Ship

Shore Leave antics, alternatively, Yacht party

Quaint coastal towns

Ship in a bottle

The Lost City of Atlantis

View through the spyglass

"Come unto these yellow sands, / And then take hands / Curtsied when you have and kissed" - Shakespeare

Sea Noir: “There's not much to do on the open sea. Play cards and bet away your last dollar, the shirt off your back. Pray for good weather. Work, day in, day out. Sing it again, Sailor. Maybe this time, the gods will take mercy on us. Maybe someday, we'll make it home.”

May Day! May Day!