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punkshort · 1 year ago

Text

Chapter warnings: graphic depictions of violence, death, language

Chapter Twelve

Pairing: Joel x F!Reader, pre-outbreak and post outbreak

AU (the only thing I kept was the outbreak, Joel, and Tommy's characters. Joel's backstory is different, and the way he finds Jackson is different. I may include Ellie one day, I just haven't planned that far)

Fic Summary: You worked for Joel and Tommy a few months before the outbreak. The outbreak happens, and you and Joel get stuck traveling the country and keeping each other safe. Neither of you spoke about the feelings you had for one another pre-outbreak, and in a post-apocalyptic world, it seems like survival should be your only focus. But feelings can't be ignored forever.

Fic tags: Explicit Smut (18+ MDNI), Smut, Language, Canon-Typical Violence, Alcohol Use, Age Difference (Reader is 10 years younger than Joel), slow burn, mutual pining, angst, trauma, SA referencing later but I will put a big warning on those chapters

February 2004

Des Moines, IA

You gripped your knife tightly in your fist, the blade pointed towards the ground as you crouched silently forward, choosing your steps very carefully. About 5 feet away from the runner, you stupidly stepped on a piece of glass you didn't notice embedded on the thin carpet. The runner whipped around with a scream, lunging towards you snapping its teeth in the air. You sidestepped it at the last minute, kicking and making it fall face first onto the ground. You jumped on its back and jammed your knife deep into its skull, blood dripping down to absorb into the floor as you panted heavily.

"What the hell was that?!" Joel yelled, whipping the back door open. You felt the cold blast of air hit you, even from all the way across the restaurant. You tugged on your knife, removing it from the runner's head and wiped it on the back of its shirt before putting the knife back on your hip.

"There was one left, must've missed it," you called back to him, brushing yourself off and walking towards the back of the room.

"Shit, I swore I got 'em all. You good?" He said, looking you over with his flashlight as you approached. You held up your hand to your eyes to block the beam of light.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I fucked up," you said, lowering your hand when he aimed his light down, satisfied you were not harmed. "I stepped on some glass, had to get creative. You think we can stay here the night? I think these cushions come off the booths. Not sure we can find any extra blankets here, though."

"We can put on layers, we've been through worse," Joel said, already yanking on some of the booth cushions, pulling a few out on the floor to sleep on.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom, then check the kitchen. I'll be right back," you dropped your pack on the ground and strolled off towards the women’s room in the corner. Once you were done, you stared at yourself in the mirror over the bathroom sink, shocked to see how different you looked. You hadn't seen a mirror in several weeks. Your face looked more hollow, you definitely had lost some weight. You pulled your hair out of the ponytail you typically kept, realizing that it was the longest you’ve seen it since you were little. You tried running your fingers through it to manage it a bit, but it seemed hopeless. You gathered your hair back behind your head and slid the hair-tie over it once again.

You didn't find much left in the restaurant kitchen, which was a huge disappointment. You were running low on food, having walked through thick forests and then open prairies for the past two weeks, not coming across any shelters to raid. Joel had purposely redirected you to this city in the hopes of restocking your food supplies and taking a short break from sleeping in the freezing cold wilderness. Luckily, your bow and arrows proved very useful, and kept the two of you fed when you had barely anything else to survive. Joel had never used a bow before yours, so you had taught him the basics from what you could remember. He seemed to have a knack for survival. He caught on very quickly and soon became better with it than you.

You sighed as you opened the last cupboard door, finding it just as empty as the rest. You were about to close it when a colorful wrapper caught your eye, shoved all the way in the back behind some pots. You reached your arm in as far as it could go, your fingertips barely grazing the item before you managed to pull it forward a smidge and grab it. You could have cried you were so happy with what you found.

“Joel!” you called out as you walked back into the dining room, heading towards the small lit up area he made for the two of you and your sleeping bag already rolled out on your cushion. “You’ll never believe what I found!”

He turned around from adjusting his own sleeping bag. He immediately spotted the jar in your hand and groaned. “Peanut butter!” he exclaimed with relief, “Fuck yes.” He sat down on his cushion to dig out the spoons from your packs. You both ate in silence, enjoying eating something other than rabbit or squirrel for the first time in weeks. You still had some provisions in your packs that lasted you about a week after you left Chicago, but as you traveled more out west, the options became limited, and the weather slowed you down significantly, causing you to eat through a lot of your food. You had become dependent on the wildlife for sustenance, and you got lucky, but it was getting old.

Joel had been kind enough to bury your parents before you moved on. He didn’t want you to have to help carry their bodies, so he had to make do with burying them where they were killed. He found a broken shovel about half a mile down the road in an abandoned mechanic’s shop, and it took him the rest of the day, but he made sure they were taken care of. He even found some large rocks to mark their graves. He was worried about you for a long time after that. You were distant and didn’t speak much. He didn't know what to do, other than giving you space and time to process your grief, while taking on as many of the responsibilities he could to keep you both alive. He insisted on being the one to hunt as often as possible. He sought out as many safe places indoors to set up camp as he could, even if it meant wasting half the day’s sunlight, he would sacrifice it so you would be more comfortable. He stayed in those places a day or two longer than he wanted, just so you could possibly sleep a little more soundly. It hardly mattered anyway: he wasn’t convinced he would ever find Tommy, or even if he was still alive. There didn’t seem to be much rush to your journey anymore, but it gave you something to fight for, so he kept pushing forward.

Then, one day, he did something to make you laugh. He couldn't even remember what it was, but hearing the sound made him desperate to make you do it again. So, the next day, he tried telling you a shitty joke, and you laughed again. Every time he heard it, he felt his chest loosen and his breathing eased. You seemed like yourself again, but he could tell the deaths of your parents changed you. You became more hardened, more focused, and angrier at the world around you. He noticed the way you took down infected with such ferocity, such disdain. It used to bother you, but now you could kill one without blinking an eye. He knew it was foolish to expect your innocence to remain intact, but every night he still wished he could somehow shield you from it all.

Somewhat full, you laid down on your cushion and wrapped yourself in your sleeping bag, exhaling softly and closing your eyes. Joel gazed at you a little longer than he should have before he leaned over to turn the lanterns off. Tomorrow, he knew you would have to venture back out into the cold and find some more food. He had hoped this restaurant would have had more than enough, but someone before him must have thought the same thing. He turned his head to glance over at you again in the darkness, listening to your steady breathing. He still ached for you, desperately. He hoped he didn't read the signals wrong that morning in your bedroom - there was no way he could have - but the more time that passed, the more unsure of himself he became. He was so close. So close to tasting you again, holding you in his arms, protecting you from the evil surrounding you.

He stared up at the ceiling and focused on falling asleep. He needed to be alert and well rested so you could finally find some food and get back on the road.

The two of you were walking down the street the next morning after having eaten the rest of the peanut butter and not much else. This part of town seemed to be abandoned by people, but you did come across a few infected. Most of the time, you heard them clamoring about in a closed up building you passed, but a few did cross your path that you had to take down. Joel had a theory that the infected slowed down in the colder months, that maybe they went dormant, or it was just harder for them to move. Whatever the reason, he seemed to be right. Even when you did come across one, they seemed a lot slower, making your job much easier.

As you made your way towards the end of the road, the houses and trees cleared and you could see further ahead, smiling when you saw a familiar logo. You turned to Joel, who seemed to notice it, too.

"I don't think I've ever been so excited to see a Walmart before," you said, smiling in his direction. He chuckled, shaking his head.

"It's a big store, we gotta be real careful. Ain't no way we can clear the whole place by ourselves," he told you as you entered the parking lot. "Gotta stay close together and be silent. No guns. Let's just stick to the grocery section, take what we need, and get the hell out." You nodded, looking at the building as you approached it from the outside, trying to listen for any noise coming from within. Joel put his hand out on your arm to stop you, making you twist around and giving him a confused look.

"I mean it," he said, looking serious. "Could be a whole hoard in there. And it'll be dark. It's risky."

"I know, I'll be careful, I promise," you gave him a look just as serious to prove you were paying attention. His eyes shifted back and forth between yours before nodding his head in the direction of the store.

You both stepped quietly inside the store through the broken sliding door, clicking on your flashlights and looking at your surroundings before making a move. Your attention went up to the signs hanging above the aisles, spotting the grocery section was straight ahead past the cash registers. The two of you crept forward, careful not to step on anything that would give away your position. You walked through the bakery, surrounded by moldy bread. So far, the place seemed quiet, but that didn't necessarily mean it was empty.

The store was reasonably picked over but there were a few things left on the shelves you could use. You packed your bag with rice, chicken broth, a few cans of dented soup, and a jar of pasta sauce. For the sake of being extra quiet, you motioned with your finger for Joel to step forward, and you stretched to whisper in his ear.

"We should check out the stock room," you said quietly, your breath tickling his neck. It wasn't the sexiest thing anyone had ever said to him, but that didn't matter. He nodded and suppressed the urge to shudder. He picked up his bag and led you to the end of the aisle, looking both ways before leading you to the swinging doors on the wall. Joel held out a hand for you to stay put while he pushed the door open a crack, sweeping his flashlight across the room. It had aisles, just like the store, but it wasn't as neatly organized. Once he confirmed it was safe, you both entered, scanning the shelves to pinpoint where the groceries were stocked. Your flashlight landed on a corner of the room where you recognized boxes of crackers and cans of vegetables. You nudged him with your elbow, and you both made your way over, checking down every aisle before advancing.

Your jaw dropped at the amount of food that was left. Someone had the same idea as you, it wasn't fully stocked, but it was much more well stocked than the shelves out front. You hurriedly packed your bags with as many useful items as you could carry. You were so hungry, but you had to resist the urge to rip into anything right then and there, afraid the noise of a wrapper would possibly draw attention.

You were just finishing up when Joel wandered towards the end of the aisle, his flashlight settling on something shiny the next aisle over. He squinted and bent down to get a closer look through the shelves. By the time he realized he was looking at blood pooling around a dead clicker, it was too late. A pair of arms reached out behind him, yanking him backwards. A hand covered his mouth and an arm squeezed around his neck, making his vision go fuzzy. His eyes shot over to you in a panic. You were still crouching over your backpacks, facing away from him, and zipping them closed. He brought his hands up and laced them together before driving his elbow behind him, hitting the man right in the diaphragm. The grip on his throat instantly loosened and the man doubled over coughing. You whipped around now, your knife already in your hand. You watched as Joel brought his knee up to the man's face twice, blood bursting from his mouth and nose, staining Joel's pants. Joel drove his knife into the man's eye, his body twitching before slumping on the floor at his feet.

Joel looked up just in time to see you dodging the knife of a second man, kicking him in the groin before shoving your knife between his ribs. He ran down the aisle to you, hearing the man's raspy breaths as blood filled his lungs. You pulled your knife out and stabbed him again, this time closer to the heart. The raspy breathing stopped, and his body relaxed against the linoleum floor. Joel sighed in relief, slowing his pace, his heart pounding.

Then he felt something hard hit the back of his head, causing him to fall forward, his vision narrowing as he fought the urge to pass out. Joel felt the heavy boot of his attacker sticking to his back as he tried to push himself up, but his head was swimming, and he couldn't find the strength. He collapsed back on the floor with a grunt, blinking his eyes frantically trying to clear his vision. He was struggling to breathe with the weight of the man's foot pressed on his back, and once again raised himself up to try and roll over when the pressure on his back was suddenly gone. He gasped for breath, pulling himself into a seated position and shaking his head wildly, his vision finally clearing.

You had tackled and pinned Joel's attacker on the ground, sitting on his chest as you struggled with his knife between the two of you, the blade pointed downwards towards his throat as you gritted your teeth and pushed down with everything you had. His feet kicked wildly underneath you, trying to roll you off, but you weren't budging, your eyes burning into his as the blade scratched at his throat. Joel stumbled to his feet, still dizzy, as he struggled to make his way towards you. With a loud grunt, you put all your weight onto the hilt of the knife, lifting off his chest and finally piercing through his skin until you could feel the tip of the knife make contact with the linoleum. He laid underneath you gurgling as blood poured from his neck, his eyes wild with fear. You panted heavily, letting your muscles relax after the strenuous fight. With your weight off his chest, the man was able to grab a second knife you hadn't noticed from his belt and stabbed frantically at your side, which you tried to swat away before his arm grew weak and he stopped breathing.

Joel's arms wrapped around you and lifted you off the dead man, turning you around to look at you closer with his flashlight. Your face was splattered with blood, your hair wild, covered with sweat and still gasping for air. He aimed his flashlight lower and noticed a big red circle of blood staining the side of your t-shirt. His breath caught in his throat and the adrenaline sharpened his vision as he lifted your shirt up gingerly. You winced when the fabric peeled away from your skin, not realizing you had been hurt until that moment.

"Oh, fuck," Joel whispered and his breathing picked up as he glanced around for something to stop the bleeding. You had been stabbed along your ribs and down your side. He couldn't tell how deep the wound was in the dark, but it was enough to cause you to bleed heavily. He grabbed a used rag from his jeans pocket, pressing on your wound firmly, making you cry out in pain. He wrapped your hands over the rag and instructed you to press as hard as you could. He ran back to grab your packs, slinging both backpacks, the rifle and the bow over his shoulder. When you saw him trying to pull everything onto his back, you held your hand out to him.

"Give me my pack," you rasped. He shook his head, still trying to find a way to carry it all. "Give it to me!" you raised your voice in a harsh whisper now, giving him a look that meant were serious. He relented, gently putting the straps over your shoulders, then pulling out a new rag to wedge between your side wound and the strap of your backpack.

You leaned on Joel as he led you out of the back room, pausing briefly to make sure there weren’t any others, then headed back towards the front door. It began snowing while you were inside, and the wind was picking up, making it difficult to see. He looked around, desperately trying to find a safe place to take you.

Across the street he could make out a strip mall, and one of the buildings looked like it was a dentist's office. It was a long walk across the big parking lot, but he moved as fast as he could while you leaned on him for support. He propped you up against the building to catch your breath as he used his knife to work the lock of the office open.

"Stay here," he instructed. You nodded weakly; your eyes half closed. He pushed the door open and checked to make sure the small office was empty of threats before taking you inside. He helped you sit down in one of the exam chairs, pushing it back so it reclined. You stared up at the ceiling and at the lamp dangling over your face. Joel pushed the curtains open in the room and looked down at the wound on your ribs, noticing the amount of blood increased due to the walk across the street: it was now trailing down past your hips and nearly touching your mid-thigh. He took the soiled rag from your hand and replaced it with a fresh one while he went to work ripping open drawers and cabinets. He finally found a needle and thread and a stack of stainless-steel bowls. He set the needle aside and picked up some of the bowls.

"You keep pressin' as hard as you can, you hear me?" he said, and you nodded as you draped your other arm across your eyes. "I gotta go out and get some snow, I'll be back in a minute. You holler if you need anythin'."

Joel stepped out the door with the bowls in his hand, glancing around to make sure no one had followed you. He scooped up snow into the bowls, grateful it had begun to storm since it would hide your tracks and keep any raiders away.

He came back into the room and saw you had nearly bled through another rag. He set a couple bowls aside to melt into drinkable water and took a handful from another, pressing it against your wound. You hissed at the contact, but after a minute the numbness from the cold made your muscles relax.

Joel dug around in his pack to find some rubbing alcohol he had taken from your apartment months ago. He found another clean rag to drench the alcohol in and removed the snow from your side.

“I ain’t gonna lie to you, this is gonna hurt. You need to hold onto somethin’?” he asked you, trying to hide the tremor in his hand. You shook your head, turning your face away from him and gripped the arm of the chair anyway. He pressed the alcohol-soaked rag onto the stab wound, finally cleaning some of the blood away to get a better look at what he was dealing with. You groaned and your body tensed, but you remained as still as possible while he cleaned you up. He could see a stab wound between two of your ribs. It didn’t look very deep, but it was wide. He made his way down your side, cleaning the blood up as he went with the snow and then the rag, refreshing it with alcohol when he needed to. There was a longer gash down the length of your side, maybe about five inches long. It was wide, but it was shallow. There were a few other scratches as well, but those would be fine to heal on their own. He gauged the main problem would be the wound between your ribs, and the long gash.

He turned around to prep the needle, filling a bowl with some rubbing alcohol and pulled out more rags. Turning back to you, he was startled to find you looking at him. He swallowed, bringing the needle and black thread towards you.

“Are you ready?” he asked you, and you nodded steadily, but he could see the fear in your eyes. He laid a hand on top of one of yours reassuringly. “I got this, I got you,” he said. You turned away from him then, staring at the wall opposite you as you braced for the pain. The first few times he pierced you with the needle hurt the most, then as you got used to the pain and knew what to expect, it got a little easier to handle. He took his time with the stab wound, he wanted to make sure he didn’t have to redo that later, then let you have a break before starting on the long gash. He told you it would only need a few stitches, just where the wound was the widest so it wouldn’t scar too badly. That part ended up hurting the most since it was closer to the bones of your ribs and there was less fat to cushion the pain.

Once the stitches were done, he rinsed everything with the rubbing alcohol from the bowl, his hands and needle included. He made a mental note to keep that needle in his pack in case one of you got hurt again.

“You hungry?” Joel asked you, and you nodded eagerly but then winced at the pain the movement caused. He dug around in his pack for some of the food you had grabbed from Walmart and set you up with a few things to eat, then went to explore the rest of the office in hopes of finding some medicine. He got lucky in the dentist’s actual office, finding a few bottles of antibiotics and some pain killers in his desk drawer. He made sure you took two antibiotics with your food before finding something to eat for himself. He sat hunched over against the wall in the room, looking down at his food and avoiding eye contact. You adjusted yourself in the chair so you could look at him and let out a whimper when the movement was too much. He shot up to help you, but you waved him off.

“What’s going on?” you asked him directly, staring him down. He looked up at you, his eyes filled with grief and anger.

“This was my fault,” he said bluntly, a clipped tone to his voice. “I wasn’t payin’ attention, I should’ve seen that guy comin’, and it got you hurt. If somethin’ worse woulda happened, I never would’ve forgiven myself,” his voice broke at the end of his sentence, looking away from you so you couldn’t see the emotion in his eyes.

"It wasn't your fault. We got jumped, don't beat yourself up about it. Please," you told him, trying to catch his eye again but failing. "Joel?" you said, but he turned away, rubbing his hands up and down his face like he always does when he's frustrated. "Joel!" you called out again, this time more firmly. He stilled, and slowly turned to face you, dropping his hands to his sides.

"Us or them," you said, staring intently at him, desperately trying to communicate the words you couldn't say.

He let out a shaky sigh, and nodded, breaking eye contact with you and gazed out the window at the snow fall. "Shoulda been me," he said quietly.

"Yeah, well," you grunted as you struggled to sit up in the chair, "I'm glad it wasn't because I couldn't carry all our stuff and you out of there," he turned his head to look back at you, then giving him a smirk, added, "I would've left you for dead."

His lips twitched as he tried to hold back his grin at your joke, not ready to forgive himself yet. He cleared his throat and leaned over to sling your backpacks over his shoulders.

"The dentist had a couch in his office. C'mon, grab my shoulder, lean on me," he said, bending forward so you could get yourself into a standing position. It took a few tries; the pain was worse than you had expected now that you were moving. You slowly ambled down the hall with Joel, and he got you stretched out on the couch before he unzipped your sleeping bag and rested it on top of you like a blanket.

He rolled his own sleeping bag out on the floor next to you, grateful the couch came with two pillows. It had been a long time since either of you slept on one. It was still daylight out, but the blizzard made it darker outside. Joel let you rest while he went around the office to see if there was anything else of use now that he wasn't so frantic. He had completely missed the small break room towards the back of the building. He found some unopened bottles of water, snacks, a couple cans of soup and crackers. He spread all the usable food out on the table but brought the crackers back with him to check on you. You were still laying stiffly on the couch and staring at a stock photo of a beach on the wall, looking uncomfortable.

"Are you in pain? I got some pills from the drawer," Joel dug out the bottle and read the warning label. "They sound pretty strong." You shook your head, not wanting to dull your senses in case of another attack, but now that the stiffness was setting in, the pain was getting worse. You glanced out the window, seeing the storm outside. Deciding it was unlikely anyone would be out in the snow and find you, you changed your mind and stuck your hand out to him. He dropped two pills into your hand and gave you a water bottle.

"Here, have a little somethin’ more to eat with those, don't need you gettin' sick," he said, offering the crackers in your direction. You took the sleeve from him and munched on one slowly as you waited for the pills to kick in. Joel walked around to the desk and collapsed into the leather chair, kicking his feet up on the desktop and mindlessly flipped through open patient charts left on the desk. You shoved another cracker in your mouth and watched the snow coming down outside. You sat up a little more on the couch. The movement made you feel dizzy from the pills, but you hardly felt a thing at your side when you moved. Your eyes drifted lazily to Joel’s broad figure sitting behind the wooden desk. It brought back memories you hadn’t thought about in months. Memories of a different time, when you would sit on the other side of his desk all flustered and nervous.

He looked up and caught you staring at him. “What?” he asked, a bemused expression on his face. You shook your head but couldn’t stop the stupid smile from spreading across your face. Goddamn pills.

“Nothing, it’s just funny…” you started, trailing off and then giggled, causing Joel to raise his eyebrows and grin.

“Those pills must be workin’, huh?” he asked, his grin widening. You nodded, stifling your giggles and took a deep breath.

“I was just thinking, everyone used to be so scared of you in the office, they would warn me to steer clear of you, that you had a horrible temper. And look at us now,” you let out another giggle before continuing. “What the hell happened?”

He smiled at you again and tipped his head back on the top of the leather chair to look up towards the ceiling, remembering life the way it was before.

“Yeah, I was an asshole, wasn’t I?” he said, making you laugh harder now, then you clutched your side with a small wince. “Hey, take it easy, you might not feel anythin’ but you can still pop a stitch.” You quieted your laughter now, knowing he was right, and chewed the inside of your cheek thoughtfully, reminiscing about those days just 6 short months ago. Joel rolled his head to the side to look at you. “I didn’t scare you, though,” he said quietly, not sure why he was encouraging you while you were in this state.

You glanced back at him and shook your head, then held up one finger. “Only once,” you said definitively.

He stared at you and held his breath. He knew exactly what you were referring to: the argument the two of you had that was never brought up again. The day he called you a whore and ruined everything. He was the first to look away, casting his gaze back down on the desk before him. He should have apologized by now, he should have explained himself, but he always found an excuse to avoid it. Today’s excuse was you were too loopy on the pain pills and that conversation needed to happen when you both had a clear head. He pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers as you waited for him to say something. Anything to take back what he said.

“I think you should get some sleep,” he finally told you, dropping his hand and looking up at you. You knew he was going to avoid talking about it, but you were still disappointed. The pills had really taken effect now as you felt your eyelids grow heavy. You sighed, scooting down to lay flat on the couch and pulling your sleeping bag over you. You closed your eyes but couldn’t resist saying one more thing.

“I would do anything for you,” you whispered before nodding off. Joel’s breath caught in his throat and his eyes fluttered shut as he tried to hold back the tears that unexpectedly sprung to his eyes.

“Me too, sweetheart,” he whispered back, but you were already asleep.

The storm let up after another day, which was just as well since it allowed you more time to heal. Joel didn’t want to stay long at this place, worried that the attackers had a larger group and would come looking for you. Once the snow stopped and you had replenished your backpacks with more rags, first aid, and the food from the break room, you were off at first light. You both realized quickly that you were making terrible time since the snow was knee deep and you were already struggling to stay balanced due to your injury. After a very slow mile, Joel had found a sturdy fallen branch for you that he broke down into a more manageable size, allowing you to use it like a cane in the snow. You had to admit that it made traveling a lot easier, but you were still fighting to hide the throbbing pain at your side. After another hour, Joel agreed to let you rest. He made sure you took your antibiotic and ate some more crackers. Your feet felt numb, even though you had 3 pairs of socks and thick hiking boots.

"Joel," you whined, looking up at him standing guard as he surveyed the thick forest around you. "How much longer are we going to walk? This snow is so deep, and my side is killing me."

"I gotta find us somewhere safe, then we can stay there til you're all healed up and we'll wait out the rest of winter, I promise," he said, looking down at you now and meeting your gaze, "I'm gonna take care of you."

You sighed and regretted complaining almost immediately. You could tell he was still beating himself up over how you got injured and you didn't want to keep reminding him of it. He was shouldering too many responsibilities and you could see the worry and anxiety behind his eyes.

"Alright, let's get moving, I'm good," you said, using your stick to pull yourself back up into a standing position. Joel glanced over you once more to make sure you were, in fact, 'good' like you claimed. Satisfied, he turned and led you through the woods. The trees were thick, mostly pine trees that kept all their needles in the winter. It was good to keep you hidden but it was also bad because it could keep someone else hidden, too.

After another few miles, Joel paused a moment to examine his map. He had a general idea where you were, but he didn’t exactly have a destination in mind. He just figured he would know it when he saw it, and it turned out, he was right.

His head was down examining the map in his hands as he walked through the forest and approaching a clearing. Now he wasn’t sure he knew where you were, since the location on the map still showed greenery up ahead. He was mumbling to himself about getting turned around when you gasped, and his head shot up.

You had stumbled across a small neighborhood of about ten or twelve houses, all surrounded by the lush forest you had just hiked through. He had to blink a few times, feeling like he was looking at an oasis in the desert. As you approached the neighborhood, you passed a sign that read 'Hidden Springs - lots starting at $200,000'.

"Man, they really knew what they were doing when they named this place," you joked as you walked side by side down the abandoned street. The houses were all finished except for three which were partially constructed, forever frozen in time.

"This must be a new neighborhood, that's why it ain't showing up on the map," Joel said excitedly as he spun around to make sure you were still alone. "I haven't seen any tracks or smoke or nothin', this place is off the grid," he turned to smile at you. "We can work with this."

You grinned happily, so relieved to finally have found a place where you could rest for more than a couple nights.

"Well, which house d'you want?" Joel asked, looking at all the houses up and down. They were mostly two-story houses, but there were a couple of small ranch homes interspersed. You spotted one in the middle of the neighborhood on your right-hand side and pointed to it. it was a white two-story house with blue shutters and a red door.

"I've always wanted a wraparound porch," you said. "What do you think?" He couldn't keep the smile off his face, the whole place seemed too good to be true and best of all, you would be happy and safe.

He made his way up the front porch to peer inside the windows. He didn't see any movement, and fortunately it looked like the previous owners had a chance to move in, spotting the fully furnished living room. He had insisted on making you wait outside until he could be certain the place was abandoned before letting you in. The house was beautiful and practically brand new. You drifted from room to room to get a feel for the layout: the stairs and a hallway leading to the kitchen faced you right as you walked in the front door, a living room to your right and a den to your left, and a half bath attached to the hallway. The kitchen had a small mudroom attached, which led to the backyard. Upstairs there were three bedrooms and a bathroom. The master bedroom was the only room that had windows facing the front of the house, so you chose to stay in that room, both of you slipping into the king size bed without even questioning if you should sleep apart.

Chapter Thirteen

Taglist: @chiogarza, @sparklejumpropequeen-777

#joel miller fanfiction #joel miller #joel miller smut #joel miller x reader #joel miller x you #joel miller fic #joel the last of us #tlou hbo #the last of us hbo #joel miller x f!reader #joel miller x female reader #joel miller series #joel x reader #joel x reader smut #joel miller angst #joel miller fluff #the last of us fanfiction #the last of us game #the way we were joel miller fic

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rkiveinmarvel · 9 months ago

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pasilyo. - black leg sanji (18+) des. fluff-angst-fluff. you and sanji's relationship is bound for a heavy turn. notes. pre and post-timeskip, mentions of wci and wano island, f!reader is related to zoro, heavily referenced marry my husband (kdrama) at the end. smut (if you squint--minors go away, pls). small mentions of violence. the straw hats shenanigans pt 99999, i miss sanji 24/7.

hello ppl! 'tis i. i just finished my midterms so, here you go. I heavily referenced a scene in marry my husband on this one like the moment I saw the scene i immediately went--what if we make it as sanji--then bam, here it is. the story contains smut (if you squint) and it's my first time writing one, so yeah. enjoy!

Pasilyo is a Filipino term that means corridor or passageway. -- it is also a popular song in the Philippines: PASILYO - SUNKISSED LOLA

w.c: 1.7k

You and Sanji never had anything in common. He likes to smoke, you like to drink tea–he loves to cook, you love to eat, he uses his legs and feet to fight–you use your hand. You and him never had anything in common, yet the way you called his name–send shivers on his back, the way he calls your name calms the storm in your mind—yet despite the differences and in the deep sea of all blue—you and him have something in common.

The day you met him at Baratie, it gave away that Sanji wears his heart on his sleeves–the way his eyes lingered at the table where you and Nami sat, the way his hands ghostly shadows your plate as he served the food–he was mesmerising and breath-taking. As he continues to unravel everything about him, he fits perfectly as the cook of the crew. With him being the best cook in the East Blue, it’s not doubt that the future pirate-king needs someone like him in his crew, it’s not doubt that a pirate demon hunter finds the blonde’s cooking amazing, it’s no doubt that the certain liar of the crew praises his cook, it’s no doubt that the great navigator finds his cooking remarkable—and there’s you, it’s funny, how you kept quiet when he waits for your reaction–hell, everyone’s waiting for your reaction, as you gave him a small nod and a laugh.

He wore your laugh in his mind—wishing he could make you laugh every time he cooks. As the days passed by like the straw-hats voyage in the sky, land, and sea; he would notice himself looking for your presence–yes, he falls for every woman he sees, but something about you is pulling him in, that despite him making Nami and Robin smile, he yearns for yours, he wished he can see yours.

He watched in the deck as you spar with the green haired swordsman, how he chuckles to himself that you’re making Zoro sweat and thrive hard yet a part of him was mad that you’re spending time with the marimo and not him. But a part of him is quite warm as he saw you dance in the presence of the crew, that none of them knows that in the middle of the night–you told him stories he never heard off, he made you tea you never knew existed. That side of yours–he’s thankful, he’s the only person who can see it.

So, it surprised him, when he saw your eyes fill with relief when you saw him again at the edge of Skypiea, at Enies Lobby, at Thriller bark. It baffled him, when he saw you looked like you’re about to cry as you saw him–damn, if only he knew who gave you the wound in your head, lips, and arms, he would’ve kicked everyone, including Zoro. But it washed away, when you were alone with him on those nights–as you mutter that you’re thankful he’s okay. That you both are alright.

With all the fights and wars the crew had faced–the thing that scared Sanji and you the most, was the time when the crew didn’t see each other for two years–he wondered if you have eaten yet, wondered if you sleep okay, and wondered if you would still be the same the next time he sees you; you wondered is he’s doing okay, you wondered if he ever muttered your name, and you wondered if he still remembers the way you like your tea.

–

“You’ve grown taller…” You whispered as you saw each other again after two-years, with a nosebleed, he chuckled. “I did.”

He loved that he’s back, you’re back. As the night deepens, you’re there with him again.

“How was it?”

“Hm?”

“Two years.”

“I don’t know, it’s great that I got stronger but it sucked.”

“Why does it sucked.”

“You weren’t there, Sanji.”

“Oh.” He swore to his dickhead dad, he died right there. You chuckled as his red cheeks reached his ears, as he grins deeply. But before he can say anything in your words–he felt your lips on his as you leaned on the counter as he prepared your tea.

He felt the cup become warm as he stopped pouring your tea. You’re about to pull away as you want to drink your tea–the cook leaned closer, he missed you and he had you, you smiled in his kiss. As you two pulled away for air; he chuckled loudly. “Wipe that stupid grin and nosebleed on your face, curly brows.” You teased as you took the cup and drank your tea.

That night changed everything, the crew didn’t missed the way he treats you differently the way he treats Robin and Nami, the way he would sit closer to you while enjoying the bliss of sunset in the ship–how he would not let Brook, Franky, and Usopp stare at you for too long. He hates how you still choose Zoro to spar with—

“You know we’re related, right?”

“You and marimo?!”

God, he missed that.

—

But—his heart breaks as remembers how he stood there in aisle at whole-cake island, he hated it–how your eyes breaks the moment he sees you again: how his heart breaks when he hears you sobbing in his chest when he came back–how you slapped him across his face when you found out that he let Luffy starve–how his chest tightens when you pulled him into a kiss: the deepest kiss you gave him.

As your soft breaths reach his lips–he knew you thought you almost lost him. In the room where it’s just the two of you, his clothes were on the floor and so was yours. As you mutter his name as if he was a saint sent only for you. How his hands marks and caress every part of you as you kiss every inch of him as you memorise everything in his body. You kissed him again, again, and again–how you wish you would still taste him as you close your eyes.

You looked beautiful as he stared down at you, he felt tears as he placed his hand on your cheeks yet you muttered that you love him under your breath, he blamed himself as you cried in this sacred moment, he wanted to stop and hold you but–you want him.

“Please…’Ji..” You muttered again as he moved with your body in sync, at that moment, his breath got rigged, your breaths were catching themselves, his hands were holding your hand tight, as you felt the heat of the room. He whispered a praise or somewhat a prayer to you.

“I love you too.” He chuckled as he ghostly kissed your neck as you nodded softly. You left some kisses on the crown of his head as he collapsed into you. As your hand dances in his golden hair–he continues to utter his apologies to you in which you forgive him.

—

Things turned differently after that time–after the whole-cake island–and fighting side-by-side in Wano. You felt the sunlight enter the room as your eyes fluttered, you saw Sanji’s sleeping state. With a smile on your face, you listen to his heartbeat as he sleeps, while looking at yours and his intertwined bodies inside the blanket–as the events of last night lingered when you saw your hand marks on his chest.

“Mon amour, what’s wrong?”

You placed your chin on his chest. “Nothing. We won.” He smiled sheepishly and nodded as he gave you a morning kiss. “We won.” He nodded once again. You two laid there for a while as you heard Franky cheering that Zoro and Luffy are awake–with a cheer, the entire city of Wano threw the biggest banquet there is–cheers, beers, and food are present everywhere.

A swamp of girls fell into Sanji’s arms–his eyes lingered to yours. He chuckled as you just raised your cup and gave him a flying kiss. In which, he melted into. As the night dips deeper in the moon, he notices that you and Franky are guiding back the drunk ass of Zoro and Usopp in their room, with a smile, he stole you from Franky.

When he stole you—he walked with you in the forest of Wano as lights of fireflies guided the two of you. You two enjoyed the presence of each other in silence.

“What’s with the stare?”

“Nothing. You just look pretty, my love.”

“Me? I look like a mess, Usopp was holding dearly for his life on my shoulder as we walked him and Zoro.” you rubbed your temples. In which he chuckled.

As you two sat down and found a nice view of Wano–you leaned your head into his shoulder. “I’m glad we’re fine. You and I, and the crew.” You admitted. In which, he just hummed. As he ghostly kiss, your hand.

“Zoro told me what you told him to do…” There’s a hint of disappointment in your voice. In which, he was about to speak but you cut him off. “If you still think you’re going to lose your mind—just know I’ll pull you back and please, don’t wish for death.”

In your words, he finds himself not being able to breathe. He just nodded. “I finally found my family in the sea, ‘Ji, and you’re part of them–so, don’t think you’ll get rid of me that easily…” He enjoyed you being like this, being able to take the words out of his mouth.

“I don’t plan to, darling.” He kissed your head and held your hand tightly.

“We should get married.” You responded as you turned to look at him. With a smile, you were surprised when you heard him sigh in disappointment—”What?” it left you confused, he pushed you off him.

“You’re unbelievable.” He uttered as he stood up and walked away. You were confused and on the brink of tears. “It doesn’t need to be now! I mean I want to marry you–just—did he hit his head so much?” You asked yourself, as you sigh in defeat and a pout.

You were surprised to see him walking back towards you with a small flower in his hand. “You always surprise me…” He said as gave the small flower to you.

“You can do anything to me–whatever you want.” You stood up and stared at him as he knelt down on one knee.

“Just don’t ask for marriage–that’s my queue. So, mon amour…”

You felt tears stinging yours and his eyes.

“Will you marry me?”

— FIN

i am having a hard time if i should post angsty luffy or not huhu

⚘ masterlist 1 | 2 | 3

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jtl-fics · 1 year ago

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Fluent Freshman - Part 26

Nicky can’t help but bounce his legs as they sit in the waiting room at the hospital. He’s had to leave the waiting room a couple times already because in Aaron’s effort to comfort him, and wow how far they’ve come he’s really raised Aaron to be such a thoughtful young man, the jackass has unknowingly made four more Miss Congeniality references.

This is a waiting room full of nervous families and Nicky is NOT about to be the guy who can’t stop laughing because Aaron mentioned World Peace in a snapback at Kevin.

Nicky is not going to be the one to explain FF’s jokes. He MAY already be planning a Miss Congeniality movie night. Neil, Aaron, and Kevin may not remember but ANDREW will and watching Andrew realize his friend was referencing an AMAZING movie when talking about how he took out one of the FBIs most wanted was all he wanted at the moment.

Another nurse comes in and calls out “Elias Smith?” But Wymack doesn’t get up from his seat still sipping his now lukewarm coffee. There’s been 14 different times she’s called for a ‘Smith’ family but Wymack hasn’t moved for any of them and different waiting families have gotten up to get updates and taken back to see their family members.

Maybe he wants to see Andrew’s face a little less than he wants to see FF’s right now. He has his flowers on a chair next to him and a get well soon card that he’d had Wymack also sign. He was waiting for Smith’s grandma to come to see if she wanted in on some card real estate

“Seriously, how many Smiths got stabbed yesterday?” Kevin marvels.

“At this point it’s at least 12.” Aaron remarks.

“I’m at 14 not including Smithy.” Nicky says.

“At least we’ll finally get to find out Smith’s first name.” Kevin crosses his arms and leans back heavily into the chair, “I’m hungry.” He whines.

“Yeah, at least there’s that.” Nicky agrees because not knowing FF’s name at this point made him feel like an incredibly BAD friend. Even mores than the fact that Nicky raised the man that stabbed FF last night. He turns his thoughts away from those thoughts, “You wouldn’t be hungry if you hadn’t bitched about the breakfast burritos I had us pick up.” Nicky argues.

“It was greasy! I’m already slipping on my diet after Thanksgiving and eating that pie.” Kevin argues back.

Nicky can’t help but think of Kevin as a pageant contestant in that moment.

Nicky looks heavenward for the strength not to laugh.

“Then go get something.” Aaron says from Nicky’s side, “There’s gotta be a cafeteria or something around here.” Aaron adds.

“I don’t want to go alone.” Kevin shoots back and Nicky can HEAR Aaron roll his eyes.

“Fine, whatever I need more coffee anyways. Let’s go find a cafeteria.” Aaron says getting up and Nicky looks at his cousin, “Text us if you get a room number.” He says.

“Will do.” Nicky agrees.

Then it was two.

It’s about five minutes before, “David Wymack?”

Nicky’s head shoots to Wymack and he sees the smug amusement on their coach’s face.

That motherfucker.

Nicky followed Wymack up to the doctor in question. “How’s he doing?” Wymack asks.

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about…” The doctor says and Nicky feels his stomach sink into his toes.

***

Neil has NEVER been more relieved to be out of a car and that includes the ones Lola had him in (though that might be because being out of those cars meant he was closer to his death by way of Nathan).

Granny Smith had not spoken a word unprompted since they had climbed into the car. Granny Smith had the exact same expressionless face as her grandson did but it is only now that Neil realizes that there was always some hint of emotion on FF’s face. Neil wasn’t great at knowing exactly what those emotions were but they were there.

Granny Smith’s rage was pretty hard to miss.

“I think she knows.” Andrew had said with his hands white knuckled at 10 and 2.

“How could she?” Neil questions. “Smith’s phone fell in that toilet before he got stabbed.” He says but he can feel the anger and can feel it directed towards them.

She had seemed so nice with Paul!

Though Paul didn’t have anything to do with her grandson getting stabbed. Neil could understand how that might sour any niceness.

Neil and Andrew had pulled into the parking lot and it was only then that Granny Smith leaned forward and pointed towards the entrance.

Words weren’t really necessary then.

Before Neil could even try and trudge through offering to bring her bag to her the woman was out of the back of the Maserati and through the sliding doors of the hospital.

“Maybe…maybe she’s just like that? Smith likes to sit in silence too?” Neil tries but Andrew doesn’t say anything as he turns the Maserati into the parking lot to find a space.

They walked in only to find the receptionist looking confusedly at Granny Smith as the woman spoke in rapid Polish but was getting nowhere.

Neil watched as Andrew squared his shoulders and walked up to her and tapped her on the shoulder. When she turned around she the fear and anger shown through in her expression. Neil could understand in a way. FF was her grandson and considering the fact that FF had likely gotten his interest in languages from learning Polish from her?

They’re probably close.

Neil is pretty sure that normal close family members worry like this.

Almost positive.

He may not have the best examples in his own life but he has watched enough television and enough movies to start to see what might be considered normal!

Really!

Anyways…

Andrew points towards the doors that would lead them towards the elevator that they could take up to the waiting room.

Neil watches as Granny Smith visibly struggles before nodding. Andrew holds out his hand and she stares at it before Andrew points at her bag.

She blinks, looking taken aback.

“I can carry it.” He offers.

It’s a few moments of looking between Andrew’s face and his hand before she hands over her bag.

Andrew puts it over his shoulder and the three of them silently made their way up. The elevator ride was slightly less excruciating than the car ride but only just.

They got off and saw Nicky, Wymack, and a Doctor.

“…so he may not wake up.” Neil hears and watches as Andrew’s shoulders go instantly tense and Neil feels his own heart jump into his throat.

Then Nicky laughs.

“Of course he’s sleepy!” Nicky throws his head back.

“Yes, he had a high level of cortisol, that’s the stress hormone, in his blood. He should wake up either late today or early tomorrow though.” The Doctor says.

“Oh thank GOD.” Nicky says with a relieved slump to his shoulders, “You really gotta work on how you start conversations like this Doc! I thought you were going to tell me Smithy died not that he’s just going to sleep like the dead for at least 18 more hours!” Nicky exclaims before his gaze slides off of the Doctor and onto their group. “Oh!” Nicky moves past the Doctor and stops in front of them. “You must be Smithy’s grandma!” He says and offers his hand like the sweet respectable young man that Nicky absolutely isn’t.

“Nicky, she doesn’t-“

“Ty musisz być Nicky! Jesteś taki przystojny, tak jak powiedział mój kurczaczek.” Granny Smith knocks his hand away and pinches his cheek. Nicky visibly melts at the warm tonę even if he doesn’t know what is being said to him.

“Oh!” Nicky says, “I hope I don’t butcher this, Dziękuję! Uwielbiałem Pani ciasto!” He says haltingly before pausing, “Nazywa go Pani swoim kurczakiem? Jakie to słodkie!” he says but this time his enthusiasm has the language come out more smoothly.

Granny Smith seems to light up even more. “Czyż nie?”

“Nicky, since when did you know Polish?” Andrew asks brows raised slightly in shock.

“What? You two aren’t the only ones who decided to learn a cute foreign language so you could have secret couple conversations.” Nicky huffs frowning at the two of them, “Erik’s company has an office in Poland, he thinks it might be fun to try living there for a while so we’ve been learning the last year and a half.” Nicky says, “Smithy’s been such a huge help on it too!” He adds.

Neil opens his mouth, thinks about it, and closes it.

That’s fair.

MASTERPOST FOR ALL PARTS OF FLUENT FRESHMAN AU

EDIT: 6/8/23: Thanks @shirlai for fixing my janky Polish for Nicky!

@i-have-three-feelings @blep-23 @dreamerking27 @fuckyeahjeanmoreau @belodensetdust @rainbowpineapplebottle @yarn-ace @iwouldlikesometea @lily-s-world @obscureshipsandchips @booklover242 @whataboutmyfries @sahturnos @pluto-pepsi @dreamerthinker @passinhosdetartaruga @leftunknownheart @aro-manita-muscaria @hologramsaredead @Chaoticgremlinswishtheycouldbeme @tntwme @tayspots @nick-scar @crazy-fangirl2524 @blue-jos10 @stabbyfoxandrew @splishsplashyouropinionistrash @sammichly @the-broken-pen @bitchesdoweknowu @very-small-flower @ghostlyboiii @its-a-paxycab @bisexual-genderfluid-fan @cheesecookie @theoneandonlylostsock @foxsoulcourt @blueleys @adverbialstarlight @elia-nna @can-i-just-stay-in-the-corner @nikodiangel @foxandcrow-inatrenchcoat @hallucinatedjosten @satanic-foxhole-court @vexingcosmos @chalilodimun @insectsgetcooked @angry-kid-with-no-money @queer-crows @lillyndra @themundanemudperson @readertodeath @apileofpillows @mortalsbowbeforeme @hellomynameismoo @next-level-mess @youreonlylow @interstellarfig @notprocrastinatingatalltoday @percyjacksonfan3 @queenofcrazy27 @bsmr261 @ghostlyscares @spencellio @adinthedarkroom @harpymoth @sufferingjustalilbit @anxietymoss @oddgreyhound @ohno-myhyperfixation-itsbroken @ken22789 @atiredvampire @isoldescorner @not--a--pipedream @azure-wing @bushbees @roonilwazlib-main @crumplelush @foldedaces-paperbirds @thesenseinnonsense @let-tyrants-fear @ketchupandfries @legowerewolf @deadlydodos @but-we-respect-his-craft @cariniqe @zanypersonapricotbiscuit @lesbian-blackbeard @lesbiansupernatural @silvermasquerade @thepeachfuzz @minniemariex @kazoo-the-demjin @gaypomegranate @ji-nk-ies @neilimfinejosten @omgrubelangel @itsyouitsmeorpheuseurydice @percabethotplove @cozyrosykay @foxyatlas

The requests to be added to the tag list keep being spread out across a few different areas. If I missed you please just ask again in the replies I promise I just missed you.

As stated before if you’re up here and I spelled it right but you didn’t get a notification there might be something switched around in your settings that won’t let me tag you properly?

Also if anyone fluent in Polish wants to correct me on any of the Polish wants to correct me / sends smoother Polish please do! I am just using Google Translate for GS.

Translations:

Ty musisz być Nicky! Jesteś taki przystojny, tak jak powiedział mój kurczaczek. = “You must be Nicky! You're so handsome, just like my chicken said.”

“Dziękuję! Uwielbiałem Pani ciasto!” = “Thank you! I loved your pie!”

“Nazywa go Pani swoim kurczakiem? Jakie to słodkie!” = “You call him your chicken? That’s so cute!”

“Czyż nie?” = “Isn’t it?”

#Fluent Freshman AU #Phew!#Finally got this one out #You might be wondering #Where did Aaron and Kevin go?#The answer is that Kevin saw the nutrition office #and was compelled to go ask for advice #Aaron left him there because he needs to find the cafeteria to get coffee #What happens first #Will Aaron get back to Kevin before the nutritionist runs out of patience?#Tune in to find out #Is Nicky about to experience the highs and lows of having a loving grandma?#Yes #Will Neil and Andrew get to experience those same highs and lows?#time will tell #It's me #I'm time #I will tell #I do think it's funny that I start feeling bad when I don't update this #and it's been like 4 days since the last update #which is not all that long ago #The OCD completionist that I am is taking a lot of joy just minesweeping the map in tears of the kingdom #I am one of those psychos that has to get all the korok seeds #I still have not progressed the plot #but I am free #AFTG AU #AFTG OC #AFTG #Andreil #My Fics

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 7 months ago

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If I may add my two cents about the Coral Sea thing

I think the cities that are closer to the surface and in brighter areas, like the city with the museum Yuu and co went to, are much safer and less deadly since they are tourist heavy spots and well, you don't want to scare off tourism income. They aren't perfectly safe of course, but safer. And I think those areas are also heavily influenced by human/beastman culture and preferences (*cough* also beauty standards *cough*)

And the cities that are deeper down, with little to no tourists from up above, are much less serene and a lot more dangerous. The culture of "kill or be killed" is much more prevalent, but there is still a societal structure.

[Referencing this post!]

Yeah, I think that’s a fair view that considers both perspectives while also still adhering to the general “rules” of the TWST world (ie there is a degree of real-world logic in how cultures develop).

This take would also make sense when put alongside in-game lore dropped about coastal areas and relations improving ever since the mermaid princess and human prince’s union. According yo Floyd’s Beach Wear vignettes, merpeople sometimes emerge from the sea and do trade with stores and businesses set up near them. A lot of these areas developed kind of a “touristy” culture themselves and sell food, land accessories, and souvenirs for merpeople to take home with them. (The twins’ parents even partake in this!) Land creatures like humans gain profit from this tourism and merpeople get to know more about another world. That means that not only does land culture have its ways of spreading and influencing the merpeople, but the merpeople also have ways of influencing how land culture changes too. This reciprocal, “goes both ways” relationship is indicative of how cultures irl influence one another through their interactions. It’s very interesting to think about!!

The proximity to land probably also plays a role in how the different areas of the Coral Sea are shaped. The photic zones are closer and hove more “direct” access to new ideas. Meanwhile, the benthic zones are farther away, so it’s more difficult for land influence to trickle down there since it’s a challenge to meet with and learn directly from those same land creatures. Maybe a human drops a trinket all the way to the bottom of the sea and a merperson picks it up + wonders about it, but that’s basically the full extent of the exchange. A merperson would have to be curious and actively go out of their way to learn and be a “part of that world”, as it were, such as via the land boot camp program or going up to explore the shoreline themselves.

But of course, even if the dangers in the immediate area increase (thus forcing adaptation to this harsher environment), that doesn’t make the merpeople in one area “less civilized” than those in another area, humans, beastmen, or fae. Merpeople are still people, and they have their humanity and their own social structures and civilizations, regardless of photic, benthic, or what have you.

#twisted wonderland #twst #Jade Leech #Floyd Leech #Tweels #disney twisted wonderland #disney twst #notes from the writing raven #twst theory #twst theories #twisted wonderland theories #twisted wonderland theory

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cheesecakeluvrs · 7 months ago

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Rogue and Gambit in X-men 97’

This is neither One Piece nor Sanami but I’m obsessed with X-men 97’ currently and I need to talk about this somewhere

I keep seeing people say that Rogue is cheating on Gambit in X-men 97’ but that is absolutely not the truth. This is understandable because the general knowledge is that Rogue and Gambit are together because they are in the comics and I’m sure some people who watched the original X-men animated series as a child look back and remember them being together. While they were awfully flirting with one another they never got together officially

This is also probably because Rogue and Gambit were a pretty fresh couple in the early nineties so I’m sure the writers just went with the same flirty approach that they had before they got together in the comics

While it’s clear they have feelings for each other as they kiss 2 times and almost another (although one of those kisses was not consensual) and Rogue also calls herself “Mrs. Lebeau” when she needed a name (which I’m sure there was also confusion on Rogues name due to it also being fresh) they are definitely NOT together

Gambit is literally my favorite character so it’s hard bashing him so much like this but he has no right to get jealous of Rogue. Everyone on the internet keeps saying “poor Gambit” and such and I just wish they would watch the original

Gambit in the original is just not a great guy a lot of the time to Rogue. First, one time Morph flirted with Gambit as Rogue and told him that she had been lying about not being able to touch people (LIKE HOW DO YOU FALL FOR THAT HOW DOWN BAD ARE YOU) so his reaction to that is to go up to her while she’s sleeping and kissing her resulting in his passing out. Like I get you want this woman but leave her to her sleep

Second, he makes kinda creepy comments too. Like one time he tells her “you need to lay off the fried chicken” and one time she was just out of her usual fighting clothes and he said “you should dress up for me sometime” (but she did flirt back in that situation so I’ll give him that one)

Lastly, saying Rogue cheated on him is crazy because Gambit flirts and hits on so many people (even though they’re not serious he still can’t get jealous of someone else’s relationship if he’s doing that) then has the audacity to get all angsty when Rogue and Cody go on a date or when Rogue and Archangel touch and share a sentimental moment due to Rogue absorbing some of his memories one time

Okay okay and DESPITE all this I am still Rogue and Gambits biggest shipper and cheering for them in 97’ so what is going on with Magneto. People who did a single google search keep coming up with the “well Rogue and Magneto were canon in the comics”, yeah they got married in “Age of Apocalypse” but referencing couples outside of 616 is crazy. You know who else has been together when we are counting EVERY timeline? LITERALLY EVERYONE. This is Marvel comics, this is not new, everyone has hooked up and everyone will continue to hook up. Just look up a list of all the people Wolverine alone has been with

Sure they COULD go with Rogue and Magneto for X-men 97’ and I’m just a stupid dum dum for believing otherwise but I see no reason to with all the buildup of the original and that sad face Rogue made in episode 4 was a little hm….

I think this is all for a little drama, a little development, a little spice because if Marvel hates anything it’s happy couples with no problems. I am praying that this is just to improve their relationship and at the end of this stupid love triangle they will finally be together but who knows

There is also a little theory that Magneto and Rogue actually aren’t doing something too crazy. I just find it weird that they haven’t actually shown us anything (I know they can’t show us them doing something devious but maybe at least kissing) only heavily suggesting it with the training room and Gambits nightmare thing. It’s just because a lot of times shows and movies will heavily force something like someone cheating then they later find out that they were actually just spending so much time together because they were planning their birthday party or something

I sound as desperate and delusional as Gambit but I’m doing all I can. I probably should’ve just waited for tomorrow then posted this after watching the new episode but I couldn’t wait so maybe all of my thoughts and opinions will change in a few hours

#x men 97 #xmen #x men #gambit #gambit x rogue #rogue x gambit #rogue #x men the animated series #genuinely tweaking

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tip-top-cloud-surfer · 1 year ago

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Daddy Duty - The Forgotten Nest AU

AU Series Based on The Forgotten Nest

Summary: Bradley watches Nickie by himself for the first time.

Additional Warnings: Referenced Past Teenage Pregnancy; Nickie Crying (he's a baby y'all); Baby Functions; Bradley Struggles; Maternal Concerns

Word Count: 2.1k

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Cora didn’t think that she was going to be a helicopter mom or one of those moms who would struggle with letting other people watch her baby. After all, she was raised in a predominantly ‘hands off’ household. Carole was working a lot when her and Bradley were growing up and Maverick was often away. Cora and Bradley weren't heavily supervised during their childhood, and especially not when they were teenagers.

But maybe Cora wanted to make a few changes to how she was raised with Nickie. So, yeah, maybe she was becoming a bit of a control freak mom.

Cora trusted a select group of people to watch Nickie. She trusted Ice and Sarah and Penny to watch Nickie without concern. And after some time, she trusted her dad to watch Nickie. But she wasn’t quite there with Bradley yet.

Bradley was Nickie’s father, obviously, but that didn’t change the fact that he hadn’t spent a lot of time around babies. He was still playing catch up for the months that he missed and maybe Cora wasn't fully ready for him to watch Nickie on her own yet. And she knew that made her a bad co-parent, but she thought that she had a little bit of a right to be concerned.

But it looked like she was running out of excuses these days.

“I can’t, Mara,” Cora sighed, wiping Nickie’s chin with his bib.

She was sitting in front of Nickie’s high chair while on the phone with Mara Kazansky, who was the year below her and Bradley. Cora and Mara always had a close relationship and Mara, much like her father, never shied away from telling the truth whenever she felt like Cora needed to hear it. And she definitely needed to hear this.

“I don’t have anyone to watch Nickie," Cora continued, sitting back in her chair.

“Isn’t Bradley home this weekend?”

“Well . . . yeah, but . . .”

“You don’t trust him to be alone with Nickie?” Mara guessed, causing Cora to sigh.

“That’s not what I meant,” Cora replied, holding out more food for Nickie to eat. “It’s just . . . he’s still learning and everything. And it can be a lot to watch a baby.”

“Nickie is his baby too. If Bradley can’t survive an afternoon alone with him, then he needs to get his shit together three months ago,” Mara pointed out without skipping a beat. “And it’s not like we’ll be across the country. We’ll be two hours away and my mom is still in town, so if he needs anything at all, he can call her and she’ll be there in ten minutes.”

Cora stared at Nickie for a moment. She felt incredibly guilty for even doubting Bradley’s ability to watch their son by himself, but she didn’t think it was entirely crazy either. He had spent about a grand total of two months with Nickie and for most of it, Cora was right there with him.

“Come on, Cora, you need a break. You haven’t spent more than three hours away from Nickie since he was born. And every parent needs a break. Especially you.”

“I’m turning into Ms. Mom, aren’t I?” Cora sighed quietly, holding out more food to Nickie.

“Hey, there’s a lot of worse types of moms that you could be,” Mara amended her earlier sentiments.

Mara knew how sensitive the subject motherhood was with Cora. And Mara, though she wasn't majoring in psychology, had a slight inkling that Cora's style of motherhood, the sort of helicopter and potentially excessive worry, was a direct reaction to Cora's mom's style of motherhood. Abandonment, that is.

“But you need to have fun too. And there will be times where you can't always be there for Nickie. And as much as I love my godson, I think that you can have fun away from him and it doesn’t make you a bad mom, Cora.”

“I’ll talk to Bradley about it,” Cora stated softly after a few moments, causing Mara to let out an excited noise.

Bradley returned to the Mitchell home two hours after Cora hung up with Mara. Heading inside, Bradley smiled when Nickie came toddling around the corner, dragging his blankie behind him as he moved to greet his dad. Setting down his keys and the food that he brought home for dinner, Bradley held out his arms for Nickie.

“Hey, Nickie,” he called, scooping his son up. Pressing a kiss to his chubby cheek, Bradley set Nickie on his hip. “You have fun with your mama?”

“Hey,” Cora greeted Bradley, walking around the corner. “How was your day?”

“Good,” Bradley returned, offering her a kind smile. Turning to the side, Bradley pointed at the bag of food that he picked up for Cora. “I bought dinner. Your favorite.”

“Thanks,” Cora replied, glancing into the bag. After a moment, she turned back to Bradley. “Do you have any plans on Saturday?”

“No, why?”

“Mara wanted to take me out and someone needs to watch Nickie if I wanted to go,” Cora started off with, building up to the question.

“You think that I wouldn’t watch my own kid?” Bradley asked, honestly sounding a bit offended.

“No, I just, I didn’t know if you would be comfortable with that since you’ve never watched him alone before and I didn’t want to pressure you into doing anything,” Cora listed off quickly.

“I can watch him,” Bradley stated, straightening up a bit. “He’s my son too.”

“I know,” Cora assured Bradley. “Thanks.”

“I’m pretty sure that you’re not supposed to thank me for me watching my own son,” Bradley pointed out, adjusting his hold on Nickie. "We'll be fine."

~~~~~

“Alright, it’s just you and me today, buddy,” Bradley told Nickie, squatting down in front of him. “Mama’s out with your Aunt Mara on a girl’s day. So, today, we’re having a dada and son day. Sound good to you?”

Nickie shot Bradley a one-tooth smile as drool dribbled down his chin before going back to gnawing on his favorite toy. He had been doing that for the last few days and anytime someone tried to take it away from him, Nickie threw a huge fit. So, for his own personal sanity, Bradley would not be touching that toy today.

“What should we do, huh?”

Bradley was a bit nervous that if he screwed up today that Cora would lose what little trust that they had built up over the last few months, and he would be back to square one. So, he was going to clean up the house, he was going to keep Nickie happy, and he was going to do everything that Cora managed in a day.

If only for his own pride.

And for the first hour, it was going well. Nickie was easily entertained and mostly kept himself busy, walking around the playroom area and playing with his toys. Bradley cleaned up the kitchen and did the dishes before starting a load of laundry. And he was feeling confident, perhaps overconfident, in his own abilities as a dad.

And then Nickie got into the baby powder.

“Fucking shit,” Bradley whispered when he spotted the mess that Nickie made in the playroom.

The entire six-foot radius around Nickie was covered in a layer of white powder, which Bradley deduced came from the probably now empty bottle of baby powder that was in Nickie’s hands. And when Nickie heard his dad come into the room, he smiled proudly at Bradley’s horrified look.

“Nickie,” Bradley sighed, walking forward.

Forced to wade into the baby powder a bit, Bradley picked Nickie up and took the bottle from his hands. Closing it and setting it aside, Bradley held Nickie at arm’s length. Nickie, of course, was covered head to toe in baby powder.

“Oh, God,” Bradley breathed out, looking at the mess.

Bradley carried Nickie into the bathroom. Running a bath, Bradley held a squirming Nickie in his arms as he tested the temperature of the water. Adding some soap and bubbles, Bradley tossed in a few rubber ducks to keep Nickie entertained and hopefully happy. Washing the baby powder out of his hair, Bradley struggled as Nickie was getting increasingly frustrated and annoyed and was starting to fight back against his dad.

“Nickie, just hold still,” Bradley stated, dumping water over Nickie’s head.

Sputtering and waving his hands around, Nickie stared up at his dad with betrayal in his big brown eyes. Pouting something fierce, Nickie whined and pulled away as Bradley poured some more water over his little head. And in a fit, Nickie smashed his hands onto the water, splashing Bradley with a whole bunch of water.

“Nickie!” Bradley scolded, staring down at his now soaked shorts. “Alright, that's it. We're done with the bath.”

Bradley started to drain the water and scooped Nickie out of the tub. Setting him on the ground, Bradley kept a firm hold on Nickie and reached for a towel, drying him off despite Nickie’s increasingly loud protests. Getting Nickie into another diaper, Bradley turned to grab Nickie’s shirt when his son decided to go AWOL.

Nickie turned and hurried as fast as he could out of the bathroom, which wasn't very fast, but he still managed to get outside of Bradley's reach. Bradley let out a growl of annoyance and got up. Moving quickly, he grabbed Nickie before he could get too far and held him to his chest. Nickie whined in frustration, kicking his little legs out.

"Nickie, stop fighting me," Bradley sighed, opening the baby gate and heading back downstairs. "If you hadn't gotten baby powder all over yourself, you would have been fine."

Bradley set Nickie down in the gated play area in the family room and hurried to wash the baby powder out of the floor before it had a chance to set in. Bradley returned a few minutes later to find Nickie gnawing aggressively on something that wasn’t his teething toy and hurried to take it away before he hurt himself.

"Don't put that in your mouth," Bradley sighed, tossing the toy away.

Nickie immediately burst out into tears, holding up his hands for the toy. Bradley winced at his loud cries and quickly turned to grab Nickie’s teething toy from where it had been earlier. Except, the teething toy wasn’t where he left it. Starting to panic a bit, Bradley looked around frantically for the toy while Nickie screamed and cried in his playpen.

“Shit,” Bradley muttered, getting to his feet.

Tearing apart the family room, Bradley ran out to the playroom to look for it there. Nickie kept crying, flopping onto the ground as his sobs echoed around the whole house. Bradley finally found it under the dresser and after quickly washing it off, Bradley rushed back to try and pacify Nickie with the toy. But when he offered the teething toy to Nickie, Nickie simply threw the toy back at him.

“Nickie, please,” Bradley begged, really starting to lose his sanity.

Pulling Nickie out of the playpen, Bradley tried to soothe Nickie with hugs and rocks, but Nickie seemed to be content to scream his heart out. It was almost like he was trying to teach his dad a lesson there. Rocking Nickie back and forth, Bradley started to pace around the room, hoping that it would get Nickie to quiet down. Offering Nickie toy after toy, Bradley just got rejected over and over again.

"Nickie, please,” Bradley pleaded after a few minutes, rocking Nickie again as he looked around for something to calm Nickie down.

Rushing into the kitchen, Bradley grabbed one of the bottles that Cora left for him and tried to offer it to Nickie. And even though Nickie rejected it at first, eventually, Nickie latched on and started suckling from the bottle. Bradley held his breath for a moment, not fully trusting his son to actually settle, before he felt Nickie relax and curl up into his chest, happily sucking on the botte.

“It’s okay,” Bradley assured Nickie as Nickie closed his eyes slowly. “You're okay." Resting his back against the wall, Bradley closed his own eyes for a second. "We're all okay."

~~~~~

Cora walked inside after her day out with Mara and nearly dropped her purse where she stood when she saw the state of the house. There was a trail of baby powder all over the floor. Toys were strewn everywhere and it looked like most of the furniture was out of place from where she left it.

“Bradley?” Cora called nervously.

Rushing into the family room, Cora nearly panicked when she didn’t see Bradley or Nickie anywhere. And Nickie’s blankie and teething toy were right there on the floor. Taking the stairs, Cora sprinted to the nursery to find neither of them there.

“Bradley!?”

Running down the hall, Cora quickly checked her room before moving onto Bradley’s room. She pushed open the door and immediately let out a breath of relief when she spotted Bradley and Nickie together, safe and sound.

Bradley was laying flat on his back in his bed, shirtless, and with Nickie on his chest. His head was kicked back and his mouth hung open with soft snores coming out. Nickie was curled up on Bradley’s chest, breathing slowly. Nickie’s mouth was hanging open as well with some drool slipping out of his mouth. Bradley's hand rested on Nickie's back, keeping him in place and close.

Cora smiled to herself at the image and slowly slipped out of the room. Returning a moment later, Cora took a few pictures of Nickie and Bradley with her camera before slipping out of the room again, knowing better than to wake a sleeping Bradshaw.

Tags: Tags: @praline357 @luv4kani @oxxolovemelikeyoudooxxo

#top gun fanfiction #top gun maverick #top gun: maverick #top gun #tgm #tgm fanfiction #bradley rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw #rooster fanfic #bradley rooster x oc #bradley rooster bradshaw x oc #rooster top gun #rooster #rooster x oc #bradley bradshaw x oc #rooster bradshaw x oc #bradley bradshaw fic

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mistkisbiggestfan · 1 year ago

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Hello! this is based on an OC, but may you write about Medic with a cloned child OC? I always thought of him as a mad scientist type, so I’m sure he would’ve figured out how to do that. He basically raises this clone as his own kid, and they’d be a late teen / young adult by the time the events of TF2 happen

The OC is a girl but honestly you can make it gender neutral if you’d like!

Sorry if it’s too specific, but TYSM!

Medic & Child, Cloned reader HC

A/n: This is one of my fav reqs of all time ngl Requests are open!!

Summary: You're Medic's cloned child, headcanons. Words: 636 Request: Yeah

I like to think you’re a clone based on him, or atleast a clone made in his image. One medic is enough to create chaos and things like that, just imagine another person who's almost a 1to1 of him, pure chaos.

Your first day being alive, he took you in his arms and was like “it’s alive!” just as Heavy and Spy walked in to ask him if he wanted to go grab a beer. They were absolutely terrified, Spy just cloaked out of there having the day Scout was born in the back of his mind.

That left only Medic, you and Heavy there. Heavy was shocked and Medic just held you up looking at him; “Isn’t she so cute!!” While you looked alarmingly similar to him with his grin on your face.

Others found out like ten minutes after that and soon everyone was just looking at you with no clue of what to do.

When Ms. Pauling found out she almost died on her spot. “There’s no way Medic is suited to even have a dog, let alone a child!”

Nobody gave af, she soon came around to like you too.

Medic is 100% your father figure (That’s rather obvious) but so was Heavy, they’re like your dads.

Sniper, Engie, Demo and Soldier are like your uncles (That doesn’t include Spy because he’s def a wine aunt, and so is Ms. Pauling). While Pyro and Scout act more like your siblings.

Medic showed you the ropes and soon you were as capable of doing batshit crazy things like him. He was so proud!!

Archimedes loves you, always resting on your shoulder doing simple things like staying with you and Medic during operations on other Mercs.

When you were a less capable child everyone basically coparented, of course Heavy and Medic were like your parents the most but everyone wanted to take care of you so they followed a schedule of who has to babysit you and when.

Once you grew up to actually be independent, mercenaries were terrified to realize how similar you are to Medic, you were the same person, with slightly different looks, you even wore the same glasses he did.

When the events of the TF2 mercs splitting happened (Referencing the comics rn if someone didn’t know) you went with Medic, the change impacted you way more than it did him, you really missed everyone, they were like your family.

Once he started to work with those blue guys you were cool with it, they underestimated you but you showed them that you’re just like your fellow dad, insane.

Medic showed you all the modifications he made and you showed the modifications you did before you both laughed it off like the silliest thing one can do.

When everyone got back together you were way older than you used to be, but fortunately you remembered everything.

When Medic told you about the fact that you were a clone you were very interested and didn’t care, like at all. I mean you’re basically him, so it was more interesting than scary or sad.

He helped you in acquiring 9 souls from some suckers just like he did! (Can’t believe all mercs gave him their souls lmao)

Sometimes you operate on the Mercs when he’s somewhere else, at first they were very unwilling but soon it showed that you were just like him in this profession (which isn’t the ideal tbh)

Everyone showed you something, so you were really multiclass, leaning heavily into being another medic (shocking, I know)

Overall a 10/10 father, sure he has some loose screws but isn’t that normal? You two are the most chaotic beings even the devil can’t contain.

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leidensygdom · 7 months ago

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A bit of a random tangent, but since I had someone bring up recently in replies something on how I draw bellies, I just wanted to get a bit of a personal thought here

I think one thing people really don't get about anatomy (probably because of over-exposure to media that just refuses to acknowledge bellies existing at all on rail-thin ladies) is that people have bellies. Most people do. It's not even a sign of fatness. It's just a part of a lot of people's anatomy. Like, sure: You can get flat stomachs every now and then. Some people may naturally be more prone to them, and some people do specific training routines just to get that look, but the grand majority of people don't.

I've been underweight most of my life (I'm in a much healthier point now!), but I sat under 90lbs (I'm 5'4'') (40kg/162cm for the metric squad) most of my life. And I had a belly. Like- I don't feel comfortable sharing pictures of myself, but at that weight, I really stood out as unhealthily thin in photos. I would get told that by friends, constantly. People would worry I had some eating disorder. I didn't- I'm just the kind of person who doesn't eat much when anxious, but it was never a self image thing or anything, but it was still a huge deal.

But I had a belly. You could easily see the ribs on my torso, bones poking from pretty much everywhere, and while- Sure, I could easily suck it in or cover it with clothes, I still naturally had a belly. Because that's what happens, because there's organs there, because you get plump when you're on your period (for those who do), or literally just because it's there.

When I decide to give a character a belly it isn't even just about "I like to draw bigger bodytypes", because a lot of these people are fairly average in weight. It's a matter of "hey, this is a part of someone's anatomy". I remember having someone cause a fuss on a reddit post on how I drew someone's belly- He insisted that bellies Only Look Like That if you're "either been pregnant or heavily overweight but lost a lot of fat", and I was losing my mind because no, that was referenced on how my belly looked when I wasn't even average weight. But when you start expecting the average woman to look like whatever is going on at league of legends, well.

Anyhow, yeah. This isn't much of a post other than a reminder about how bellies exist, and they do even on underweight people. there's insane expectations on how the body looks (specially for women), and people end up forgetting what does a real body look like.

#fatphobia #i dont think that's exactly the word given how this is about my experiences from back when i was underweight #but the fact people refuse to acknowledge that bellies are a thing does def stem from fatphobia #and it sucks

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bestworstcase · 8 months ago

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Okay- Salem throwing in during the Great War especially with Grimm would belatedly justify that card game from Volume 2 because of how it was over control of Remnant besides as an in show ad. Especially with the whole bit of the Nevermore card.

Salem as supporter of revolutionaries fighting for their freedom... One that fits extremely well. Two it puts additional layers to Cinder approaching the White Fang and also just ... Cinder being taken in.

I also would find such a reveal in show to likely be extremely hilarious as the implications hit the audience and cast.

my god i wrote that entire fucking post without remembering the great war Board Game existed

you’re right though, it would be a sly piece of foreshadowing if that’s the intention, esp bc the nevermore bit is between ruby (playing atlas) and yang (playing mistral) and a dice roll which of their forces it attacks.

in terms of the worldbuilding that game has always kind of interested me for what it says about how grimm are viewed in military contexts by the general public; qrow in WOR suggests that grimm on the battlefield was an automatic ceasefire until they were driven off again, but also that “grimm came in droves” while ozma laid waste to his enemies with the sword. and then there’s this grimm card in a war game where the mechanic is “flip a coin to see whose soldiers get mauled”—implying that opportunistic “let the grimm attack your enemies” tactics are not unheard of.

and… then. there’s arrowfell. the grimm lures the antagonists use were developed by the atlesian military, and… the only practical use case for a device that summons swarms of grimm is to weaponize grimm against human targets, ideally a safe distance away from your own forces. like, they’re grimm bombs. and these were developed post-war! in a time of peace! the great powers during the tense period before the great war must have been thinking about how to point the grimm at their enemies, too.

but unless you’re salem, or have salem on your side, weaponizing the grimm will always be a double-edged sword—as yang says, that’s just a risk you have to be willing to take.

anyway yeah if i’m right, the reveal would be so punchy. and i do for sure think were due for some sort of revelation about the great war—it’s been set up and referenced over and over, and they made a deliberate choice to convey this information through a heavily biased perspective, and the great war ended in vacuo, and everything the narrative is building up to the last stand in vacuo. something about history coming due, and the truth coming out.

it’s also be a neat counterpoint to the Team Oz narrative, which is very black-and-white (mantle and mistral were the bad guys, vale and vacuo were the good guys, don’t ask too many questions about valean expansion into the likeliest origin point for those desperate crazy founders of mantle or vale’s involvement in the complete destruction of its next-door neighbor centuries ago or the part where ozma magic nuked everyone so hard that allies and enemies alike bent the knee.) whereas the truth seems to be more complicated with vale also having imperial ambitions prior to ozma assuming the throne, and then at best prioritizing the status quo.

an interesting possibility that i think about sometimes is that ozma may have been the one to withdraw vale from vacuo; less out of anti-imperialist principle than because the vacuan people were increasingly unhappy with valean rule and he recognized that the only way to avoid a war for independence in the long term would be to give vacuo independence first. and then mistral swooped in like a vulture because ozma neglected to do anything but formally recognize vacuan sovereignty, rather than make reparations and provide support needed to allow vacuo to emerge from centuries of valean occupation as a functional country—the same conflict-avoidant, shortsighted approach on display in his choice to “share the land” with mistrali colonists in eastern vale.

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cantsomeoneelsedoit · 6 months ago

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Ch 61: Interest

Shen's desperate to bring down Feng even if he has to sacrifice himself to do it. Since Feng only responds to strength (and certainly not logic!) there's only one way to keep him in check!

And what's up with that bag at Shen's feet? Are those senzu beans? Shen is going to need a powerup if he's gonna defeat Feng!

Feng doesn't have a scratch on him after Andy's attack! He's gonna be trouble for our team of fighters. They'll either have to collaborate to chip away at him and wear him down or take him out in one catastrophic attack, because fighting him in a traditional sense is going to be a mistake.

Before I get too far into the chapter, I want to look at what I *believe* are *some* of the influences for the character of Feng. I certainly don't know Tozuka's mind, and I'm not trying to say that these are 100% intentional, but these are some other characters who remind me of Feng in interesting ways.

1. Tao Pai Pai

Tao Pai Pai (Mercenary Tao) debuted in Dragon Ball chapter 85 as a notorious assassin hired by the Red Ribbon Army to take out Goku. He's ruthless, greedy, arrogant, selfish, uses his braid as a weapon, and even kills someone with his tongue. He's also 291 years old, despite his middle-aged appearance. I don't think there's ever an explanation for how he lived so long. He's just a sage that way, I guess.

There's an anime filler scene where Tao Pai Pai even gets a black cloud like Feng's, though it doesn't last very long.

Tao Pai Pai was visually based on the villain from the Jackie Chan kung-fu movie Snake in the Eagle's Shadow. Take off the mustache, and you'd have someone who looks a bit like Feng (though Feng smiles a lot more than this guy).

But in the end, Tao Pai Pai proves to be a coward and doesn't have anywhere close to the grit, determination, and near-invincibility of Feng. He fights dirty, pretends to surrender, and generally acts like an arrogant dingus. Our Feng would run circles around this scrub. Still, there are parallels between them that I'll point out during his scenes.

2. Feng from The Iceman Cometh

The Iceman Cometh is a 1989 Hong Kong film that's kind of an isekai of its day. It has a villain named Feng who uses a time-travel device. The hero and the villain travel through time to 1989 Kowloon, where the bulk of the film takes place. Spoiler: Kowloon is Feng's last name in UU.

Though both the Feng in the movie and our Feng are excellent fighters, hate-sink villains and snarkers, the "Iceman" Feng is a much, MUCH, more evil character than the UU Feng, and that's saying a lot. You can see how bad he is because of his evil mustache.

3. Feng Wei from Tekken

I haven't played a fighting game in...decades, but I hear that Feng Wei is a hot-tempered Blood Knight who's obsessed with becoming the greatest fighter in the world. He fights in a different style than Feng's Bajiquan, though. As much as Tozuka loves referencing fighting games, I wouldn't be surprised if Feng Wei was an influence.

Honorable mentions:

Akuma/Gouki from Street Fighter, who's obsessed with fighting Ryu at his peak

Younger Toguro from YYH, who would go to great lengths to preserve his strength and youth

Anyway, the character of Feng is heavily based in the Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy who's always looking for a Worthy Opponent, and if he can't find one, he'll create one. He's neglected almost every other aspect of life in pursuit of power and satisfaction, and it seems he'll never be satisfied until he's killed by someone he deems worthy.

Shen and Feng are two different sides to the same coin-- a life dedicated to martial arts can take a dark or light path depending on the motivations of the user, which is a common theme in works about martial arts.

OK, with all that out of the way, let's continue the chapter!

Yeah, you can't just introduce a character like Feng and then not have Andy fight him! Slow down, Fuuko! We've gotta see Feng slug it out with Andy!

Well, that's certainly a strategy!

Feng's staff can transform into nunchucks to adapt to different kinds of fighting situations, just like a good martial artist. It's a versatile weapon that's well-suited to a quick-thinking fighter like Feng.

Being adaptable and able to shift styles and weapons is a major theme in a lot of Bruce Lee flicks, so it's no surprise to see Feng strike Lee's famous taunting pose on the next page.

Andy accepts the invitation so quickly that he steps out of his panel! He attacks with supercharged punches while Fuuko holds on for dear life! But Feng is still just standing there barely moving...

Despite the frenzy of his attack, Andy's thinking strategically about how to bring Feng down. He's not interested in prolonging the battle the way Feng is.

Feng fights with his hands behind his back the way Tao Pai Pai does.

His foot stomp is so powerful that it cracks the UMA's body, like the Earthquake Foot in Kengan Ashura or this scene from Kung Fu Hustle:

Andy is incapacitated by it, too! Shen is way too powerful!

Pretty rich for Feng to be calling someone else arrogant!

Ouch! Poor Andy! Using his wrist and elbow, Feng dislocates both of Andy's shoulders at once.

Feng's figured out Andy's rules before Andy had a chance to test Feng. Andy's strategy was to "keep dying" until he discovered the rules, but if Feng is only going to incapacitate him, then Andy won't be fighting at his full strength.

But but but it could cause osteoarthritis? Or ligament damage? And that could be deadly because... bone spurs? IDK, I'm grasping at straws here. I don't WANT Andy's power to have a loophole! But I suppose if someone has to discover a loophole, it should be Feng. I wonder if Juiz knows about this detail...

Andy attacks again, but Feng blocks with his forearm. Why can't Andy damage him???

Feng attacks with a double-palm strike:

Oh damn, Feng isn't depending on an ability! Everything we've seen has just been his natural fighting power! He looks genuinely surprised that Andy's still standing. Perhaps Andy is a worthy opponent?

Finally, we learn the name of Feng's style! By the way, if you're wondering about the Japanese names of Feng's moves, the UU English translator David Evelyn explained them here!

I would also like to mention Andy's sad shoulders. Utterly heartbreaking. I don't think we've ever seen him slouch like that before! He really looks incapacitated that way, and from Fuuko's expression, it's concerning her, too!

This page, though! I love this simple layout and how much it shows about the battle. Feng's lost his smile, but Andy's grinning now!

Andy's disinterest in being the strongest is curious. If he DID have that ambition, I'd imagine we'd see a lot more conflict between him and Victor. To Feng though, anyone who lacks that ambition is a coward.

Feng punches clean through Andy, likely attempting to take out Fuuko since he knows Andy can heal from something that catastrophic.

Feng taunts Andy for caring about something more than just his own strength and threatens to kill Fuuko in order to make Andy power up. Jeeze, this guy really has only one strategy to motivate people...

WHAT IF I KILL YOUR LOVED ONES?!? THEN WILL YOU BE STRONG?! THEN WILL I BE STRONGER THAN STRONG YOU?!

Best zombie.

"While I've got you here, let me tell you something..."

Feng, of course, has ignored the advantages of working in a team and fighting altruistically.

Shen's been missing for a minute! He comes back in style to stab Feng through Andy, much to Andy's surprise. Feng is delighted to see that Shen's emotion-powered attack was so strong! He's willing to do anything to fuel their rage. Can the Union work together to beat him without losing their cool?

Masterpost

#undead unluck #overreading undead unluck #been wanting to write this one for a while now!#almost hit the image limit

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callsign-phoenix · 1 year ago

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I wrote this as a part of my falltober fics, I hope you like it!

It is a Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw x gn!reader imagine.

Thank you @famfan-1034 for proofreading!

Day 20: Scream

Warnings: a tiny scare

“What’s your favorite scary movie?” A contorted voice asked over the phone, and you chuckled loudly.

“Very funny, Bradley, I know it’s you,” you replied as you continued to busy yourself in the kitchen, holding your phone between your shoulder and ear as you cut onions for your meal tonight.

You loved scary movies and Scream was one of your favorites, which was why you were sure Bradley was referencing it.

The spooky season was approaching and you just loved watching horror movies with him, which was why he knew of your love for that particular slasher.

The person on the other end of the line was breathing heavily before they continued to talk.

“Do you also know I’m watching you?” They asked with a sinister grin underlining their statement.

You were quite sure it was Bradley but still the statement sent a thrill down your spine, but you chuckled to shake it off.

“I mean, I love to see that ass in those sweatpants, and to think you could come home to that sight every day…” they trailed off, and you stopped in your tracks.

You were wearing your favorite sweatpants but no one could know you were wearing them, except for if they were watching you.

You took in a breath and you turned around, hearing your caller chuckle before they ended the call.

There was a silence laying over your house that in any other situation would have been usual, but it felt more eerie than ever at this moment.

When a door somewhere in the house was thrown shut you jumped, your heart beating just the slightest bit faster.

You didn’t dare breathe loudly even though your breath was faster.

After a few seconds you decided to investigate.

You barely made it to the entrance of the kitchen when someone big and clad in a black hood rushed towards you, startling you and making you take a few steps back.

Your hand stretched out for the knife on the counter but you hesitated, watching the figure closer.

They were wearing the telltale ghostface mask and they wrapped their arms around your waist, making an intelligible noise as they pulled you closer.

You were so surprised that you let out a small scream, until the figure in front of you started laughing.

A mixture of emotions ran through you as they pulled the mask up to lean down and press a kiss to your forehead, Bradley’s strong arms wrapping around your waist.

You weren’t sure if you were offended or amused or just a mix of both, but Bradley’s wide and goofy smile made up for it.

“Just wanted to keep you in the Halloween spirit,” he said softly as he pulled the mask entirely off his face, his smile turning more mischievous in the process.

“I was literally about to pull the kitchen knife on you!” You exclaimed, but Bradley’s amusement didn’t falter.

“Yeah, but you didn’t,” he said, finally letting go of you.

“Also, having been stabbed by my spouse is kinda a sexy thought to me,” he added, and you rolled your eyes.

“You’re weird,” you commented, only to receive one of Bradley’s signature chuckles.

“Yeah. And you love me for it”.

tagging: @starkleila @mayhem24-7forever @green-socks @letsfvckingdance @shadeds-library @jewels98 @yespolkadotkitty @whateverbagman @neptunes-curse @sweetheartlizzie07 @top-gun-rooster @iloveprettyboysblog @ateliefloresdaprimavera @imjess-themess @littlebadariell @angstyjellybean @marchingicenotes7 @midget713 @supernaturaldawning @gspenc @adorephina @gigisimsonmars @tipsykeen @bespinnn @airedale17 @malindacath @aerangi @kassieesworld @kwanimations @18crazybutcutealsopsycho @marvelandotherfandomimagines @kmsryles343 @mavericksicybabe @kendra-rose @desert-fern @mavrellover91 @allivingstone01 @rhettabbotts @withakindheartx @trikigirl271 @cherrycola27 @abaker74 @bonitanightmxres @ratcatcher2world @glowingtree @wingmanvenus @roosterforme @oliviah-25 @natasharomanoffisbaebby

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coulsons-fullmetal-cellist · 6 months ago

Text

As the Petals Fall

(Dieter x horror loving female)

Words: 1,773

Summary: since I referenced the fake film in this fic, I decided to expand on that a bit more! My twisted brain that’s watched too many crime shows poses the question: what if a serial killer was into floriography?

Warnings: slightly saucy suggestions, references to events that could happen in murder mysteries, a skewed interpretation of floriography, Dieter being Dieter!

Check out masterlist here

The night is dark and stormy, the lights of the city are flickered with the rain. The calm pattering is interrupted by a phone call, the tones piercing. A hand reaches out to blindly find it. The man finally manages to find it to stop the rude interruption of his slumber.

His voice is still laced with sleep, and he barely croaks out “Yeah?”

“Rockford,” the voice on the other end. “There’s been another one.”

“What kind?”

“But-“

“What kind?”

“A red fuschia.”

“What are you watching?”

You almost jumped from the noise that came form behind you. Pulling back the hood from your face, you looked to see that your boyfriend Dieter. You hadn’t heard the door open, being too absorbed in your viewing of the film.

“I’m watching As the Petals Fall.”

“That’s the one I’m in, isn’t it?” you nodded. “Why do you want to watch that?”

“Because it’s good! I sort of easily guessed who did but that’s just the good writing. And the references to all the flower language stuff is genius!”

“Wait, how many times have you watched it?”

“Uh,” you put a dumpling in your mouth and took your time chewing it. “This is my third viewing.”

“Third?!”

Dieter had been busy the past week with filming leaving you alone during the day. Normally, you’d find some way to work on the same film or another project, but you wanted some time off. And the timing could not have been more perfect. Currently on your third day of your period, all you felt like doing was lounge about on the couch in your oversized Carrie hoodie with something heavily garlicked and watch scary films. However, you were missing your boyfriend, and an idea came to you. This was the perfect time to watch one of his films. Most of them were romantic in their blurbs but one caught your eye. You remembered him mentioning that As the Petals Fall has a dead body, and reading the summary, you discovered it was actually a murder mystery so obviously you clicked on it.

Dieter sat on the couch next to you. “Be honest, it’s bad, isn’t it?”

“No,” you shuffled yourself up from your supine position, careful not to spill your plate of dumplings. “I really like it.”

“Really?”

“Really really. It’s kind of Manhunter meets Seven.”

“Seven? Isn’t that the one with the head in the box and the spiky dildo?”

You nodded and Dieter shuddered. “Oh, that brings back memories.”

You stared at him in curiosity. “There was this one chick…” he shifted awkwardly as his sphincter reminded him of those less than pleasant times. He quickly got up as if something poked him in the posterior. “I’m going to have a shower.”

You give his butt a playful slap as he passes by you. He gives a soft yelp, and he goes off.

Rockford enters the interrogation room. A woman who has seen years is sitting on the other side of the table. She’s possibly played by an actress who is wanting to make a career comeback.

“Do you mind if I smoke?”

Tim shakes his head and takes out a lighter, “You said you have some information?”

She takes a long drag on her cigarette, slowly blows out a long trail of smoke.

“So I teach flower arranging. I throw in some floriography for fun.”

“I’m sorry, what is-?”

“Floriography? It’s the language of flowers. The Victorians were all about sending secret messages through flowers. Anyways,” she takes another drag of her cigarette. “Call me sexist, but flower arranging is a woman’s hobby. Which is why he stood out. First man to ever come into my workshop and boy did he stand out. His flower arranging was terrible, but he took such an interest in the floriography, obsessed almost. No, he was outright obsessed. He’d stay by after class, ask me question after question. I didn’t mind so much; it was once he started stalking me that I drew the line.”

She tries to take another drag of her cigarette but realises it’s out. Rockford lights another one for her. “You didn’t report him?”

“And what would you do? It was harmless until I told him to fuck right off.”

Rockford pushes a file to the middle of the table and opens it up. Her hands are shaking now as she takes a drag of her cigarette.

“Going by your medical report,” says Tim. “You got off lightly.”

“Didn’t feel like it at the time. Felt like my head was split open. And he was pissed I crushed the flower.”

“He didn’t leave it there afterwards?”

“No, he gave me a flower first, then hit me. The bastard.”

“What flower did he give you?”

“A poppy. It means I am free.”

Dieter, freshly showered in his I’m Kenough hoodie makes his way towards you, placing a kiss to your forehead.

“There’s plenty of leftovers if you’re hungry.”

“Do you want anything while I’m up?”

You shake your head, “My tummy is very happy at the moment.”

“I feel like something sweet,” he kisses you tenderly. “I’ll also have some ice cream.”

The coroner moves the sheet to uncover the corpses leg which has a sizable piece of flesh missing. “And here we have bite marks.”

“Bite marks? From an animal?”

“No, the marks are human.”

“Human? You mean he-?” Rockford puts a clenched fist to his mouth to hold back his disgust. “Fuck, and did he have them with fava beans and a nice chianti?”

“Hey, I get the reference now!”

Dieter sits back on the couch with a bowl full of ice cream. You reach for the remote, but he stops you. “You can keep watching it if you want.”

“You sure?” he nods so you go back to watching.

“The suspect started off with assault, that was in inciting incident. It set him free so,” he puts up a picture of a poppy. “Then he escalated to his first murder. He was sending a message,” and puts up a picture of an iris flower. “Then he escalated again to torture: pleasure and pain. But no body parts missing until,” he points at the yellow pansy “It means thinking of you and the brain was removed.” He points at the red carnation. “My heart aches for you and the heart gets taken. Now the latest confirms the act of cannibalism,” he puts up a picture of a red fuchsia. “I like your taste; the sick fucker took that literally.”

The tension was broken by Dieter’s snort of laughter. He looked over at you with that amused look in his eye. “I like your taste, honey cakes!”

You joined his laughter, “I know you do,” you playfully nudged him with your foot. “You must have corpsed a few times with that line.”

“If I did, I don’t remember.”

“’Cause you’re so professional.”

“We got him Tim, we got him!”

Rockford walks towards the interrogation room. The image he has of this killer is someone who cannot be wrapped up in such a psychotic bundle, they would be verged on the monstrous. He opens the door and pauses. The man sitting there, hands and feet chained is the most mundane forgettable man to ever exist. He looks up at Rockford with pale eyes.

“Did you get my flowers?”

“I remember that guy,” Dieter pointed out. “He was really nice.”

You were happily full of dumplings and possibly painkillers, so you were stuck looking at the profile of your boyfriend. Sometimes you just couldn’t believe that this insanely handsome man called you his love.

“Shouldn’t you be watching the film?”

“I basically have it memorised now. Well, the important bits.”

“The important bits?”

“You in that unbelievably sexy detective outfit.”

“That’s just a regular suit.”

“Yeah,” you put down your empty plate and crawled over to Dieter. “But you make it work with those broad shoulders.”

Running your hands over said broad shoulders, your hands wandered over his equally broad chest and down to his soft stomach. Dieter reciprocates by pulling your hips so you could straddle him, his hands run up your back, drawing you closer.

You pull back a little so you could see what was happening on screen.

Rockford sits on his desk with a mug of coffee in his hands. He realises that the drink in his mug has gone cold, so he puts it down and walks towards the wall with his crime board. He stands in front of his board and slowly takes down every picture; every crime scene photo paired with their illustration of its matching flower.

The sigh you gave out was soft but guttural. It was loud enough for Dieter to hear.

“Wait, you’re lusting over the version of me that’s on screen!” you looked away sheepishly. “You most definitely are!”

“You look really good.”

“That’s the lighting.”

“No, you look really good. Really good,” you let out another husky sigh. “Do you have the shoulder holster?”

“Costume would have taken it back,” you pouted. “Should I get one?”

“Oh, we should definitely get one. I want you wearing that and nothing else.”

You didn’t care that your breath could repel all vampires within a kilometre radius and neither did Dieter. The ice cream he just ate mixed with you and created a salty sweet combination in your mouths.

You moved from his lips to nibble at his earlobe which set Dieter off on an incoherent babble of lusty nonsense. He was like a kettle set to boil with his high-pitched whining, but he stopped before he fully boiled.”

“Honey cakes,” he pushed you back slightly. “Aren’t you still on your period?”

“I’m past the heavy bleeding stage.”

“And now it’s the weird horny stage?” he asked, and you nodded. “I guess I better help you take care of that.”

“If only we had some handcuffs.”

“I can improvise something.”

“You can?”

“Call me the MacGyver of sexy times.”

And he carries you off to the bedroom.

Rockford stands alone in a cemetery, in front of a gravestone, smoking. He finishes off his cigarette, tossing it aside. He looks at the bouquet of flowers in his hand and then looks at the gravestone.

“Hope you enjoy these, sweetheart.”

He gently places the flowers on top of the gravestone, he puts his fingers to his lips and touches the stone, giving it all his love.

He pulls his jacket closer, not from the cold, but it gave him something to do with his hands. He turns and walks away.

The gravestone reveals it epitaph.

“Sarah Rockford: beloved daughter.”

Lovingly tagging @morallyinept @boliv-jenta @simpingcowboy @ellenmunn @o-sacra-virgo-laudes-tibi @chaithetics @myloveistoolittle @cevans-is-classic @glshmbl @cupcakehp @gswizzsstuff

#jettsflora&faunachallenge #pedro pascal #jose pedro balmaceda pascal #dieter x honey cakes #love of horror fanfic #love of horror universe #love of horror #dieter bravo #dieter x reader #the bubble netflix #the bubble

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