#you guys have no idea how long i have been thinking about this stupid pool

[bleh1bleh2]

What is up with the Altean pool

[roosterforme]

Something to Talk About | Rooster x Reader

Summary: Bradley knew the rumors were circulating. He knew his friends were talking. But he had known you for such a long time, and you were just friends. Because if something was going to happen between the two of you, it would have happened by now. Right?

Warnings: Fluff and swearing

Length: 1900 words

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Female Reader

This was written for a request. And also because mak-32 said Rumor by Lee Brice would make a good fic. Check out my masterlist for more!

"Hey, Bradshaw, where's your girl?" Jake asked with a smirk. "Haven't seen Yankee all night, and it's getting late."

Bradley shot him some side eye from his stool near the pool table. "She's not my girl. And as far as I know, she went out for dinner with some guy she met at the gym."

"At the gym on base?" Nat shook her head and laughed. "You know how those Navy guys are, Rooster. They only want one thing." 

Bradley rolled his eyes. "She can take care of herself."

"Hey, Payback," Nat called out. "Why do you go to the gym on base?"

"Pick up girls," Reuben replied without hesitation from the other side of the pool table. 

"See?" Nat said to Bradley. "And I don't believe you when you try to tell me there's nothing going on with her. She's constantly touching you, and you get a stupid looking smile around her."

"Just friends," Bradley muttered, taking a sip of his beer. He'd known you since flight school in Pensacola. He'd been stationed with you in Norfolk and Corpus Christi. Now you and he were both back at Top Gun. If something was going to happen between the two of you, it would have happened by now. "Just good friends."

"Friends don't undress each other with their eyes," Nat said, batting her eyelashes at him while the guys laughed. 

Bradley shook his head. He didn't undress you with his eyes, but it wasn't his fault that you were pretty. And you most certainly did not look at him that way. "She doesn't even date other aviators. And she once called me an adorable puppy dog of a man. Just friends."

"There she is," Jake drawled, and Bradley's head snapped around so quickly to see you heading their way. "Hey, Yankee, looking good," Jake called out. 

"Shut up, Hangman," you returned as you got close, but you were smiling at them. You always seemed to be smiling, but seeing you dressed up was a real treat. Bradley was used to you wearing flight suits and khaki uniforms every day. 

When Bradley stood, you walked right up to him and wrapped your arms around his waist. "How was your date?" he asked quietly, trying to ignore the looks the others were giving him.

"He was so stupid, Rooster. He could barely string a sentence together. Just a dumb jock," you replied looking up at him with wide eyes. Bradley held you a little tighter; so maybe his feelings for you went just the tiniest bit past platonic. 

"Aww, give the guy a chance, Yankee Doodle Dandy. Maybe he's just not used to how pretty you are. Maybe he got distracted." 

You rolled your eyes at him. "You know I hate it when you call me that." But you were still smiling. "Wanna know the funniest part? He actually asked me when you and I broke up."

Bradley's brow creased. "You and I? Us?"

"Yeah!" you laughed. "Apparently there are rumors we're together. Crazy."

"Yeah... crazy," he agreed, rubbing your back through the fabric of your dress. "Why would anyone think that?" he mused out loud as you pressed your cheek against his chest. You sighed contentedly against him, and when Bradley glanced over to the pool table, he saw his friends all scrambling to pretend they weren't watching you together. 

"I have no idea," you told him softly. 

Bradley cleared his throat. "If this guy was no good, maybe you need to reevaluate who you're going out with, Yankee Doodle. That's like five duds in a row."

You groaned. "I hate it when you're right. I'm getting a drink," you announced. "Anyone need anything?"

Bradley watched as you and Fanboy walked away to get some drinks from Penny. But you kept glancing his way while you and Mickey talked. And maybe Bradley shouldn't be surprised that people thought you and he were together. The two of you had always been comfortable around each other. 

"Could the two of you possibly stand any closer together?" Nat asked, drawing Bradley's attention away from your legs in that short little dress that you had wasted on another shitty date.

He just shook his head. "Nah. She treats Mickey the same way she treats me." But Bradley was starting to have a hard time believing that. 

You and Mickey were a few feet apart, and you were smiling as he was talking animatedly with his hands. But you seemed to reserve a different smile just for Bradley, one that would make his heart ache a little bit if he ever saw you give it to anyone else. 

Nat laughed and patted his arm. "Yeah, okay," she said sarcastically. "I'm just saying, if you want these rumors to stop, the two of you are definitely going about it the wrong way. You look like you're already in a relationship."

A relationship. Bradley would know what the press of your lips against his felt like. He would know all about the needy sounds you made in bed. He would know how it felt to hold you all night. But he knew none of those things. Did he want to?

"Here you go." You were holding another bottle of beer out to him, nudging him in the chest with it when it took him a moment to return from his hazy thoughts of spending a lazy Sunday in bed with you. 

"Thanks, Doodle Dandy," he murmured, and the soft smile that found its way to your lips had him thinking about kissing you. He cleared his throat a few times before taking a sip of the beer and sitting down on the stool. "So, was your dinner at least good? If your date was a dumb as you said, I hope you got a decent meal out of it."

And then your smile was gone as you looked into your vodka cranberry. "We got seafood, and it was delicious. And I made sure to stay and order dessert after he made a comment about my size. He said he usually doesn't date girls with big hips, but I had a cute face, so he'd make an exception."

Bradley froze, gaping at you, and when you met his eyes, you looked so vulnerable. You never looked vulnerable. You were a fast talking fighter pilot who never put up with his shit. But you were also a woman with feelings that had been hurt by some faceless asshole who Bradley would gladly pound into the ground given the opportunity. 

"He's wrong, Doodle," Bradley said, reaching for you and pulling you closer. You let one hand rest on his thigh as you stood between his knees. "Well, not about your face. But the rest of it...he's dead wrong."

You shrugged and smiled at him. "Thanks, Rooster. I'll be fine. I realized he was an idiot before he even said that stuff." You sipped your drink while Bradley leaned in closer. 

"I think I have a solution for your problem, Yankee Doodle." His nose was just a few inches from yours, and now you were leaning one of those decadent hips against the inside of his thigh. Your hand slid an inch further up his leg, and he had to stifle a moan. 

"Which problem is that, Rooster?"

"These guys. These shitty guys keep asking you out, but you deserve a good one," he whispered, and your eyes dipped down to his lips. "One who would tell you how fucking perfect you are. You're fucking perfect, Yankee."

"Oh," you gasped softly. "Rooster?"

He smiled at your surprised expression. "Everyone already thinks we're together anyway. I mean, we can shut these rumors down, if that's what you want. Or we could keep everyone talking. You could probably get me to do anything you want, really."

"How.... hmmm," you hummed, rattling the ice in your cup and avoiding his gaze. But you weren't moving away from him. If anything you were creeping a little closer. "How would we keep everyone talking?"

Bradley stroked your chin with his thumb and tilted your face gently so your eyes met his. "I could kiss you... if you want."

You licked your lips and searched his face. "If you kissed me, would you just be feeding into the rumors?"

Bradley watched the movement of his fingers as he let them drift back along your jaw and wrap around to tease the back of your neck. "No, Dandy. I'd be feeding into this crush I have on you. Which is why I've never done it before."

Your eyes drifted closed as you tilted your head a bit, and Bradley's pulse went wild. Every alarm bell in his head was going off, warning him that he'd get his heart broken if you were only going to kiss him for fun. But he couldn't stop you, because he didn't want to. 

With a soft sigh, your lips met his, and Bradley instantly knew you and he should have done this sooner. Your kiss was sweet as your lips gently explored his. He pulled you closer, his firm fingers stroking up and down the back of your neck until your palm rested on his chest. He could feel the prickle of his mustache against your skin as he nibbled gently on your bottom lip. The soft noise you made spurred him on, but now you were pulling away, meeting his eyes with that same tentative look. 

Bradley could feel the cold condensation on his jeans where your glass had come to rest, but everywhere else he was so warm. He took your glass and his beer bottle in his free hand and set them down on the table behind him. "Come here, Doodle," he whispered, now tracing your cheek with his knuckles. 

Your arms went around his neck, and you were pressing against him, tucked snug between his spread legs. "I hate it when you call me that," you whined softly, pressing your lips against his a little rougher this time. It took everything in Bradley not to climb off the stool and push you against the wall when your fingers found their way into this hair. 

"No, you don't," he whispered, breaking the kiss to taste your neck. 

"No, I don't," you agreed. When his mouth returned to yours, you parted your lips for Bradley, and he tasted you there, too. He stroked your cheek, and you peppered his lips with soft kisses before you pulled away a few inches. "I liked that."

"So did I," he agreed with a laugh. "We should do that all the time."

You nodded and kissed his cheek, and then Bradley realized all the other aviators were staring at both of you with varying looks of surprise. Except for Nat. She was smirking.

When you glanced over your shoulder to see where Bradley was looking, you waved at everyone. 

"Are the rumors true then? You two are into each other?" Nat asked, casually sipping her drink.

You turned back and looked at Bradley with hopeful eyes and a grin. "Are the rumors true, Rooster?"

He wrapped his hands around your waist and nodded at the others. "Yeah. Rumors are true." Then he stood and pulled you against him, dipping his head down for another kiss while you smiled. 

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

Thanks @mak-32 and @beyondthesefourwalls for putting up with me. And I hope @abaker74 finds a real life Rooster, because that's what you deserve!

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[apomaro-mellow]

Two in the Bush 7

Part 6

Agnes lifted her head from the computer to see two men enter the library. The words “welcome to the library” died on her lips as she took them in. One was decked out in denim, jeans and jacket. And looked like he’d be more at home bent over a pool table and not nose deep in a book. The other looked just as out of place, with his leather and long hair.

“May I help you?”

“We’d like some books on pregnancy and child-rearing please”, Eddie said.

Billy had been the one to suggest they do this, but he felt less sure as Agnes set them up with reading materials. 

“There’s this much?”, he said to the mountain before him.

Eddie whistled. “The things I don’t know about pregnancy can LITERALLY fill a book.”

An hour in and Billy felt like his brain would explode. He also felt more and more sorry for Steve.

“You okay over there dude?”

“I think Steve deserves to kick us both in the dick. At least once.”

“Yeah, I’m getting that impression too. Did you know the baby can come out backwards?”

Steve was unaware of their joint study session until the day of the shower. Eddie invited his uncle and friends from the shop. He also promised to bring some pictures to his next visit to his dad. Billy had invited Max and his stepmom and Steve appreciated that. He’d never met Billy’s father and he’d like to keep it that way.

Most of the guests were Steve’s friends and the house was filled with noise and laughter. Most were in the know about his situation with Billy and Eddie and thankfully that kept things from being too awkward.

“So how are you coming along?”, Chrissy, one of Eddie’s friends asked.

Steve smiled as he looked down at his bump. He’d grown quite a bit these past few months but still had a long way to go. “Good. Still waiting for that first flutter though.”

“It’ll come any day now though”, Eddie said. “It happens later with the first pregnancy sometimes.”

Eddie having random knowledge wasn’t new. Him having baby-specific knowledge was. That was the first odd occurrence at the shower. The second being Billy’s behavior. He was, for lack of a better word, fussing over Steve. He made sure Steve had enough to eat and drink, made sure he didn’t stand for too long. He even brought out a mini-fan when Steve started to wave his hand and cool himself slightly. It was a far cry from the normal ‘do what you want, I don’t care’ attitude Billy normally had. 

“It’s just you and Robin in this house, right?”, Lucas asked.

Robin grinned and put an arm around Steve’s shoulders. “Him, me, and the little flea in there.”

“So when are your two baby daddies gonna move in?”, Dustin asked, grinning.

“Move in?”, Steve’s eyes got wide and he looked to Billy and Eddie, who were looking back, apparently having heard the question.

“Well, I think it’s a great idea!”, Robin exclaimed, grinning.

“You do?”, the other three said, all with different inflections.

“Yeah, you guys are over here every other day anyway”, Robin reasoned. “And you always make up some stupid excuse that basically just amounts to wanting to be around Steve anyway.”

“I mean…his water could break at any second…”, Eddie said, leaning towards Steve.

“Not ANY second”, Billy said, suddenly right by Steve too. “He’s not due until-”

“Spare us, dude”, Robin rolled her eyes. “He’s got it down to the second, like it’s gonna happen that way.”

Billy crossed his arms. “I found a pretty goddamn reliable calculator for it. And I remember when I nu-”, he cleared his throat, remembering where he was. “I’m just saying I’d put money on how right I am.”

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

Moving in turned out to be a relatively simple process. Billy took the guest room and Eddie chose the nursery for himself, saying it’d get him into the headspace of the baby and thus be able to make the best kickass mural for their little tyke to look at. 

When Steve woke up and came into the kitchen to see Robin, Eddie, and Billy all awake and in the middle of cooking breakfast, it felt surreal. And every morning after that too. Billy cooking, seeing him and Eddie off as they went to work, coming back home and greeting Eddie when he returned, then seeing off Billy when he went.

Steve didn’t even realize until he was fixing his nest one day that he’d taken some of their clothing to add to it. 

“Thank you”, he whispered to Robin one evening during dinner. He hadn’t known how much he’d wanted this until he had it.

“Yeah, well enjoy it while it lasts”, she whispered back.

And there was the dump of cold water. Because this could only last as long as they didn’t know who the father was. Steve brought a hand to his bump. He wanted his pup to have the best life it could. And he knew both potential sires wanted to know too. Steve couldn’t deal with them sniffing around it all though, so he got a test in secret. Getting DNA from both of them wasn’t too hard now that they were living in his house. 

When they arrived though, Steve found he couldn’t bear to look. If it was Billy’s, then he was sure Eddie would stay around, but if it was Eddie’s…Steve hid the results away in his room without looking at them. If he didn’t know, he couldn’t be held responsible for not telling them. Until then, he could hold onto them a little longer, couldn’t he?

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

“This baby, is called a guitar.”

“I know what a guitar is Eddie”, Steve said, lounging on the couch next to him.

“Not you, I’m talking to the baby”, he nodded to Steve’s bump, then went back to talking with it. “See now, this used to be my baby. And then you came along. Now you’re my number one baby. And this here’s number two.” He strummed a light tune. He was still strumming when Billy came in.

“You’re back early”, Steve said. “Or are you heading back out again?” He checked the clock just to be certain and sure enough, this was usually when Billy went into work. 

“I switched shifts with someone”, Billy said, then turned to Eddie. “You didn’t tell him?”

“Tell me what?”

“I figured we could ask together”, Eddie smiled.

“Ask me what?” Steve didn’t know whether he should be excited or scared.

Eddie set the guitar to the side and got down on his knees, then waved Billy on over to do the same. Steve’s heart skipped a beat and he sat up. They had his full attention now.

“Stevie, baby-”

“Oh so I’m baby now?”, he rolled his eyes.

“You’ve always been baby!”, Eddie exclaimed.

“Uh-huh, number one or number two?”

“Well I can’t put you above teeny-weeny here”, Eddie patted his belly. “But you’re definitely top three!”

“Let me guess, that lineup includes your guitar?”, Billy shook his head. “We just wanted to ask you out on a date. All three of us.”

“Oh. Oh!” Steve felt just a twinge of disappointment, what with them being on their knees and all, but it was quickly replaced. He hadn’t been on a date since he’d gotten pregnant. Apparently, a bump was only attractive to the guy (or guys) who knocked you up. “I’d love to go out with you both.”

Eddie clapped his hands together. “Put on your fancy shoes and let’s paint the town red!” He grabbed Steve’s hands and pulled him to his feet.

“Careful, Munson”, Billy warned with the way Steve wobbled. He brought up the rear as they went upstairs to get ready, hands out like he expected Steve to topple over at any moment. Once he was upstairs though, Steve shooed them both away so that he could dress for a night out. 

A night out…With two alphas. He could hear Robin’s voice, trying to get him to explain how he was NOT going to end up sleeping with one of them tonight and he promptly pushed it away. It was probably just dinner and they could still be total boneheads at times. There wasn’t a chance in hell they could even come close to convincing Steve to fuck them tonight.

Part 8

[gurugirl]

A Delicate Thing* (check-in)

Summary: Y/n wants to know what's going on with her father and Harry doesn't want her to worry about it. But there's a big piece of news she wants to reveal when her worries are finally quelled.

A/n: You guys begged for more of this one and I started this check-in a bit ago but never finished it (until today!). Hope you enjoy! This is a check-in for A Delicate Thing (mafia!harry). 3.8k words.

Warning: 18+ only, smut, talk of violence and murder, anxious feelings

♤♤♤♤

It took a while for Y/n to get comfortable with the idea that she was no longer under the thumb of her father, William, and was now the Boss’s girl. She was treated with respect everywhere she went, was pampered, cared for, and doted upon by Harry.

But as the months turned into a year, she began to understand how awful her life had been before Harry. Her father kept a close watch on her. Told her not to eat too much, to wear certain clothes, to become acquainted with important topics but to act as if she didn’t understand, and worst of all was the way he enjoyed showing her off to his associates. She hated William.

“What are you thinking about,” Harry pulled her into his lap one morning as he sat at the kitchen table and drank his tea.

“I was just… it’s stupid. It’s in the past.”

“It’s not stupid. Don’t say that. Tell me what’s on your mind.”

She put her hands up to the lapel of his suit and sighed before beginning, “Thinking about William. How much I hate him. For everything he did to me. And now he’s bragging about how his daughter is the Boss’s girl… as if he had anything to do with it.”

Harry hummed and had his palm spread out over her thigh, the silk material of her nighty smooth under his hand, “Is he now? I think it’s time for me to give him a lesson once and for all. But only if you want me to. I don’t want to do anything that will have you upset.”

“What will you do?”

“Hmm…” Harry pursed his lips to the side for a moment, “What would you like? Demotion? Public reprimand?”

Shaking her head she kept her eyes on her lover, “Something worse.”

Nodding his head he spoke again, “Have someone break his arms? Cut him off from the family?”

“Maybe that. Cutting him off. I think that would be the worst for him. And I wouldn’t need to see him again.”

“Your wish is my command, my love.”

♤♤♤♤

Harry didn’t like to spend time away from his girl. Before she came along he’d take trips for work and never think a second thought about being away from some chick he might have been seeing. But with Y/n, she was his everything. So he started having her come with him if the trip wasn’t going to be too dangerous. Even if it was only for one night. He didn’t like not having her in his bed at the end of a long day.

And now he was currently away for work and had brought Y/n along with him. They traveled with his underboss, Brad, to visit an associate to come to some kind of agreement. Y/n wasn’t sure of the details, she just knew she’d be staying at the large mansion during the day with security outside while Harry, his underboss, and the associate were meeting somewhere unknown.

Harry was generally a busy man. He came home late sometimes but he always came home and he always called her when he was on his way back to her.

It was nearly 9 pm and she was freshly bathed and wrapped in a thick robe as she watched TV from the bed. Her phone rang with the tone she set for Harry and she leaned over to pluck it up, “Hi,” she smiled widely.

“Hi, baby. I’m on my way back, okay? How was your day?”

“Oh it was good,” she plopped back down into the pile of pillows behind her and sighed, “George’s chef made me a really big brunch and I swam in the pool for a while.”

“Good girl. Sounds nice. Can’t wait to see you, baby.”

Harry was the most attentive and loving man she’d ever met. There wasn’t a day that had gone by since he took her away from William, that she didn’t feel his love for her. And she loved returning that love to him just the same.

When he finally returned to George’s mansion and entered their bedroom, half expecting her to be at the front door when he pulled up, he understood why. She was lying on the bed, naked, her legs open and facing the door (on purpose he supposed). He swiftly closed the door behind him as she grinned at him, “Hi, Harry.”

Harry slid his jacket off and draped it at the foot of the bed and climbed in between her legs, hooking the underside of her knees over his shoulders, “Hi, baby,” he spoke in a whisper before he kissed the inside of her thighs and then got to work right away.

He’d woken her up much in the same way, lapping at her slowly until she was shaking and gasping as quietly as possible, not wanting to let anyone else hear what they were doing.

And just like the morning, she was quickly brought to her end with her palm covering her mouth and her other hand grasping the blankets below.

When he let go of her legs and her body melted into the bed below she lulled her head to the side to watch Harry as he pulled his pants and his briefs off and climbed over her frame. She realized what he was doing immediately so she opened her mouth wide for him, sticking her tongue out before he stuffed his cock into her mouth and pressed down into her throat, her soft lips wrapped around him and she coughed around his tip.

Harry grasped the back of her head up from the pillow underneath and rolled his hips down into her. He’d gotten her used to taking him like this. She was always eager to please him, though, so it didn’t take much work. Soon, she was a natural at opening up her throat and letting him fuck her mouth until she was drooling and gagging happily.

“Baby, fuck… Needed this all day.”

And he really had needed it. He left her in the morning without having had anything in return because he didn’t have time. She was always his priority. He always made sure she got off first, even if that meant he didn’t have time to also get off.

But now they had time. They could sleep in the next day and he could fuck her brains out, almost literally in that moment, with his cock filling her mouth and inching its way into her throat.

When she signaled she needed a breath he pulled out and brushed the hair from her face. She gasped and drew breaths into her lungs for a moment before opening her mouth up and lifting her head to find his cock again.

“Hold on, love… needy girl,” he chuckled as he moved off of her. He was ready to make love to her, feel her warm pussy, and make her come once more with him. Fill her with his come.

He preferred coming inside of her pussy lately. Harry wanted to get his girl pregnant. Wanted to knock her up and really have a claim on her. She was already his, but he dreamed of having her carrying his babies. A good handful of them. And when he brought it up to her a few months ago, she agreed she’d like that too. She wanted to give him as many babies as he wanted.

Harry laid on his back and pulled Y/n over him, “Want to see you fucking yourself on my cock and coming again.”

She loved doing this. When Harry would lie flat on the bed and she’d climb over him, his big cock reaching deep and spreading her apart, her knees down as she leaned back and put her hands over his thighs, sliding over him, giving him a good view of the way she liked to fuck herself on him. Then he’d thumb at her clit and she’d tip over the edge.

She positioned herself over him and lowered onto his dick, her hands on his pecs at first. Harry put his hands behind his head as he watched Y/n work herself down over him. Small, muted moans fell from her lips and Harry groaned at the way she felt around him.

When she’d taken him in and she was seated over him she hissed at how deep he was. It always ached so nicely, “Your tip is pushing into my womb. I can feel it. You’re going to get me pregnant, Harry,” she spoke as she leaned back, putting her palms over his well-muscled thighs and began rolling her hips, her labia parting and spread as his wide cock was stuffed into her.

Harry’s mouth dropped open at the sight and her words. She was filthy sometimes without even trying, “Fuck. You want my come deep inside your womb?” He spoke through gritted teeth, the way she was moving over him felt too good, “Gonna milk my cock of everything I have and get yourself pregnant, baby? Let’s see it. Let me see how you fuck my cock and make me come inside of you, greedy girl.”

She nodded and whined as she continued her work, slipping up and down his long prick, her arousal making a mess of him. Soon, she planted her feet flat onto the bed and began to really move over him, lifting upward and coming down with a wet smack each time.

Harry was panting and grunting, gently shifting his own hips upward out of instinct. He couldn’t help but to respond to her creamy pussy as she squeezed and moved over him.

“Oh god… Harry, please!” She gasped louder than she wanted. Her little plea was something he’d gotten used to during their year together. It meant she wanted to come but needed help.

So Harry swiftly moved his hands from behind his head and sat upward enough that he could reach to rub her clit and give it the kind of pressure she required.

“That’s it, baby. Take what you need. Use my cock, baby.” Harry’s words were tight and breathy as he spoke in between pants.

“I want your come so bad. Want to make you a daddy.”

Harry nearly burst at that moment but he groaned and closed his eyes as he sped up his fingers at her clit. She was nearly there. Just a few more minutes.

When her thighs began to shake and her moans grew louder and her words were incoherent curses and babbles of nonsense he knew she was feeling or orgasm bubble up and begin to spread.

Yes, fuck, yes! Come on baby,” he moaned as he watched her face contort as her jaw dropped and she threw her head back suddenly, a loud call of his name followed by unhindered moans as she came. Her pussy pulsed around him as she got herself off with his cock. Harry groaned and released into her, bucking his hips up to push himself into the hilt and to get as close to her deepest spots inside as possible making her tits softly bounce.

“Fuck, baby!” He growled lowly as his come filled her up, his throbbing dick being squeezed and fucked as he came.

When Harry opened his eyes she was lying over his chest, small puffs of breath coming out as she recovered. Harry rubbed his palms over her back and kissed her forehead, “Love you, sweet girl.”

♤♤♤♤

Now, one of the reasons for Harry going to his associate's home 8 hours away from where they lived was to also discuss the fate of William. Harry had told Y/n he could just cut him off. And he could. That decision was Harry’s. But cutting someone off and ex-communicating them from the family was more difficult than just killing them. There were a few reasons for that but in the end, Harry wanted to make his girl happy. So he needed some advice from his associate who happened to be well acquainted with William from work dealings.

Breakfast was served the in mansion’s large dining room with tall windows and gaudy curtains hung. Everyone was at the table. Harry and his girl, his underboss Brad, the associate George, and his wife Blanca.

And Y/n didn’t know the details of what was going on. Nor did she know the status of her father. Harry kept her in the dark from most of their dealings on purpose. So when she heard her father’s name mentioned her ears perked up and she looked at Harry, who she was sitting on at that moment. He insisted she sit in his lap, which was not out of the ordinary. Most of Harry’s work partners and friends had gotten used to seeing the girl in his lap almost all the time.

“So he’s been a problem lately?” George spoke.

“He’s been a problem for a long time. We’d like to have him cut off from the family but we don’t know if he’s involved in anything else. And since you work with him regularly I thought I’d see if you had heard of anything else he might have his hands in. Money owed, things like that.”

Brad spoke next, “I told the boss we should just make him go away for good but the girl here is William’s daughter.”

George nodded, “I see. That makes this a difficult thing to say then, because I don’t see any way to cut him off with how many people would be after him. If you push him out and send him away without the protection of the family, he’ll be killed either way. But not before probably spilling details about your organization. And mine. He’ll be tortured and he’ll talk. It could compromise a lot of our operations.”

Y/n stayed quiet as she listened to the men talk about her father. She hadn’t realized this was a possibility. That William would need to be killed. It was one thing to have him cut off and she’d never hear from or see him again. But to know that he might be killed? Dead?

“Yes. That is my concern. I’d like a list of all of the relationships and affairs he’s got going on with your organization and then we’ll put something together on our end and make a decision about this,” he squeezed Y/n’s hip to let her know he was still keeping her wishes in mind.

On the road back home, Y/n finally voiced her concern about her father, “So we can’t cut him off or send him away, because that risks everything. But if he stays on in the organization… is there any other option?”

Harry wound their fingers together and pulled her hand up to his mouth and kissed her knuckles, “You mean other than killing him? Sure. But I don’t think you’ll like any of the other options.”

“Tell me.”

“Well, he could just continue working and making money for us. I could keep him away from you but he will be around. Another thing that could work would be to frame him and send him to prison for good. He’d be protected in prison but you’d never have to see him again.”

“But won’t he talk to the police? Tell them he’d been set up?”

“Not if I make it look like a sacrifice of honor. Tell him I’ll raise his title and thus his respect in the organization. He won’t roll on us if he knows he’ll be doing it for the family and that he’ll be earning the respect of everyone.”

“But what would you frame him for? What would put him away in prison forever?”

“Murder.”

♤♤♤♤

Y/n understood that sometimes things in the organization could be violent. People died, went to jail, wound up in hospitals… But to think about her father being framed for a murder he didn’t commit? Could she come to terms with that? Who would have to die? Who would kill the person? She asked all these questions but, as usual, Harry told her not to worry.

But she was worried. And not just about William. She’d gotten news of something else that morning that shocked her. It shouldn’t have but it did. Unfortunately, the lingering questions she had about her father overshadowed everything else that was on her mind.

She hated William. That was true. But she didn’t want him dead. She also didn’t want Harry to get into trouble for anything. And when it came down to it, when she thought about all the outcomes, the worst were always the ones that had Harry in prison and away from her or dead. She actually preferred her dad dead than to have Harry go to prison.

Even though it had been weeks since Harry had met with George, she still hadn’t gotten word about what was going to become of William and she felt anxious. She hated not knowing. She trusted Harry but she needed to know what the plan was. She wanted Harry to tell her everything. It was for a reason that he kept her in the dark about things, but this was personal for her. This specific thing was about her father.

When Harry came home that evening their routine looked much like it normally did. Y/n climbed into his lap and kissed him and he held her and decompressed for a bit before he was ready to finally eat. She heated his food and poured him a glass of wine and they sat together at the dining table and she told him about her day.

But underneath what felt very normal to Harry, Y/n was getting up the nerve to insist he tell her the plan regarding William.

When she put his plate into the dishwasher and refilled her own glass of wine she joined him on the couch and curled into his side and sighed.

Looking up at him she realized there was nothing to worry about. Harry had never been mean to her or made her feel bad for asking questions. He’d either tell her or he wouldn’t. She only hoped she was able to argue her point and make him understand that this was something she deserved to know.

“What’s going on with William? Have you decided anything?”

Harry continued softly rubbing his hand over her hip and her side as he spoke, “I don’t want you to worry about it, love. Okay? Everything is going to be taken care of.”

She knew he’d answer that way. But she was prepared.

“I trust you, Harry. I really do. But this is my father. And this is personal to me. And you tell me not to worry but I do and I can’t help but to worry.”

Harry turned to look at his girl and nodded in thought. He knew it was personal to her. And normally when he told her not to worry about something she’d drop it. But the fact that she was doubling down on this made him pause. He still didn’t want her to know. He wanted to protect her from the awful truth.

“My sweet girl. I know this is personal. But what good will it do for you to know how we’ll go about this? You know our options here and none of them are very nice. I don’t want you to be upset thinking about it and dwelling on it.”

Y/n turned herself to face Harry squarely, “I’m already dwelling on it. I need to know. I deserve to know. I wouldn’t ask you and insist on something that doesn’t somehow involve me. But this does. I need to know.”

Harry smiled and took a deep breath, bringing his hands up to her face, and gently drew her in for a small kiss before he sat back into the couch and cleared his throat, “One of George’s men was involved in something that got him brutally killed. Right now we’ve made it look like William was the murderer. It’s only a matter of time before the police investigate him and find him guilty. And as you may know, your father has been arrested for battery and assault multiple times in the past and so a murder charge wouldn’t surprise anyone looking to find the perpetrator. He will go to prison for a very long time because the murder was quite savage. If the police think William did that, they won’t want him released.”

Y/n nodded and bit her lip before speaking up, “And like you said at George’s, he’ll think he’s doing a favor to the family? He won’t talk?”

“Exactly. We’ll make sure of it. We’ll supply him with plenty of my money on his account for commissary, and bartering. And he’ll have a nice cell by himself. He’ll be treated well but we’ll never have to worry about him again.”

She let out a breath of relief. It was ideal if it worked, “And you’re sure this will work out?”

Harry let out a small laugh and pulled at her, bringing her to his lap, his favorite way of sitting with her, “Baby, it’ll work. If you don’t think we have a cop on our payroll to make sure of it then you must not realize the kind of power I have.”

Y/n smiled and put her arms over his shoulders, “I know how powerful you are. And I am so happy I’m here with you,” she brought her arms down and took Harry’s hands in hers, moving his palms to cover her low tummy, “So happy for everything that’s to come.”

Harry stitched his brows together as he took in her words and her gesture, looking from where she placed his hands to her face, “Are you… is this?”

She nodded quickly, “We’re gonna have a baby.”

He was stunned into silence. He hadn’t expected it. Sure they’d been a little loose with him coming in her during her fertile days, and he knew they were both in their prime and fully fertile so it shouldn’t have been such a surprise. This was what they had wanted.

“You… when did you find out?” Harry cupped her tummy with more intention now, his eyes wide.

“This morning.”

He let out a small breath and grinned from ear to ear, his dimples carving into his cheeks, and pushed Y/n off of his lap and down to the couch as he lifted her dress upward so he could look at her tummy, placing small kisses all around her skin and over her belly button. Y/n squeaked in laughter at the way his curls brushed her soft flesh as he drew his lips over her tummy slowly. She put her hands into his hair and sighed, “I love you, Harry.”

Harry nodded and continued dragging his mouth downward until he lowered her panties and looked up at her from between her legs, “I love you too, baby. Now let’s celebrate.”

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[mooshkat]

anyways i refuse to accept that that's the final end of them so. here.

Two hours later, Buck finds himself on Tommy's doorsteps. There's still a pit in the bottom of his stomach, it hasn't left since the words "I guess I did." left Tommy's mouth, but now he's moved on to upset. He's angry and he's not going to let one of the best things that happened to him go without a fight.

He knocks on the door, harsher than he normally would, and doesn't have to wait long before his–before Tommy answers it.

"What–Evan!" Tommy says, startled as Buck pushes past him and barges into his house. Buck glances at him and finds him with puffy, red eyes and tear tracks on his cheeks. It makes him just a little bit more hopeful that Tommy isn't as over them as he initially thought.

"I heard what you said and I get you're scared, Tommy, but no. No, you don't get to end things like that. Not after going through the last six months acting like it was meant to mean something because it did. To me."

Buck stands in the middle of the living room, arms crossed tight over his chest. He becomes hyperaware of just how much their lives have intertwined over the last six months; bits of him are scattered all over Tommy's house, in the clothes he's left behind and the pictures pinned to the fridge that holds his keto snacks. The same kind of pieces that Tommy has at his loft as well.

"Okay, so what if you're my first boyfriend? That doesn't make how I feel about you mean any less. I don't–I don't need to go out there and find another guy I like until he's 'the one'. I like you and I don't need to explore my options, or whatever. It kind of makes it feel like you think I'm just experimenting with being bisexual, and that's not what this is. I'm not using you as some exciting new thing."

Tommy sighs and scrubs a hand down his face, his shoulders drooping. "No, Evan, I'm sorry. That's not what I meant."

"Good. Good." Buck nods, deflating a little bit. "I'm sorry you've had shitty experiences in the past, Tommy, but I'm not those people. I-I asked you to move in with me tonight because I could see a life with you, Tommy. I want you in my life."

He takes a deep breath, "You talk about being scared of having your heart broken by me? You broke mine tonight. I've been afraid to say it because I always–always–get in too deep faster than my partners, but I...I love you. I love you, Thomas Kinard, and I want a life with you. Please don't let your fear stop you from having that."

Tommy doesn't say anything. He stares at Buck, eyes wide, and doesn't open his mouth.

The pit in his stomach gets worse. The hope he had is fracturing apart and splintering into raw embarrassment instead, and maybe this was a stupid idea, wasn't it? It was a bad idea to refuse Tommy's boundaries and come barging into his home to yell at him.

"Oh. Yeah, okay. Sorry, this was stupid." He was stupid thinking someone would actually want to stay for once. "Sorry. Forget I ever came over, and I'll–I'll leave your stuff at Harbor later."

He ducks his head and tries to squeeze past Tommy so he can leave before he gets sick.

A hand wraps around his wrist and stops him. He doesn't want to risk it and see it in Tommy's eyes that they are truly done for, but he stops and glances up at Tommy anyway.

"I'm sorry," Tommy says, and fresh tears pool in his eyes. "I'm sorry I let old habits kick up and let fear run my life. I'm not really the best at talking about things, am I? If–If you'll stay, I want to tell you about it. I shouldn't have left the way I did, but I want you to understand why."

Buck pulls his wrist free from Tommy's grasp and for a split second, he sees the fear and hurt in his eyes, before Buck grabs his hand and squeezes it. "Okay. Let's talk. And...please don't ever call me Buck again."

[ask-sister-solaris]

Heyyyyy lovely I have an idea!

I was wondering if you could do an Egon x Reader x Ray during the scene where Ray and Egon show the others the slime (yknow the one where they make the toaster dance but like the whole scene 😉). Maybe the reader has been away for a long while, and the guys thought they needed to do this for 'research'. I'd love to know how you think they'd try and hide their embarrassment, let alone the fact that they even thought about it from reader

Ooooonnyessssssssss

“You hound”

Ray x Egon x reader

Warnings: none

You and Winston were stood at egons desk as Ray, Egon and Peter were gathered at the microwave. “We have been experimenting with the plasma we found in the subway” Ray spoke as Egon brought the Tupperware container over. Peter looked at him confused and made a comment “Should I get spoons?” You rolled your eyes at his stupidity and looked at Ray and Egon. Egon warned everyone not to bother the slime and to watch, which naturally being curious you did. He nodded at Ray “Go ahead Ray” you rose a brow confused until Ray started yelling at the slime, making you jump back in surprise as it began to bubble. Egon joined in on the yelling and it bubbled more. When it reached the top, Egon stopped Ray half yell and you looked impressed, Venkman in the other hand not so much “This is what you do with your spare time?”

Ray looked wounded “Peter this is an incredible breakthrough, I mean what a discovery a psycho reactive substance. Whatever this stuff is, it response to human emotional states.” You smiled gently at him and his geekiness. This is why you loved Ray and Egon. They were so…them. They didn’t listen to the teasing. Of course Venkman brought the whole thing down by simply calling it “Mood Slime” before leaning in and acting all stupidly flirty. You gagged at him and laughed when the slime bubbled at him. You rested a hand on Egons shoulder as you pulled out your cigarettes and lit one up. Winston chimed in “You mean this stuff actually feeds on bad vibes?” Ray nodded his head “like a cop in a donut factory” you chuckled as you took a drag of your cigarette and breathed out the Vapor.

Egon looked at the three of you then Ray “We have been running tests to see if we can get an equally strong positive reaction.” Peter looked at Egon with a raised brow and asked about what tests they were running. Ray sighed “Well we sing to it, and uh we talk to it and well, we say supportive nurturing things to it” a smirk grew on Venkmans face as he looked at the slime and then to Ray “your not sleeping with it are you Ray?” You looked at Peter gone out, as if Ray would- but the silence that came afterwords spoke for itself. You looked between Ray and Egon, both refusing to make eye contact. The slime bubbled and Peters, Winston’s and your eyes widened looking between the two. Peter looked at Egon and groaned, wincing at the thought “oh you…” Winston chuckled and shook his head “it’s always the quiet ones”

You couldn’t believe they would do that but the slime itself had confirmed by reading the emotions in the room. Peter laughed and looked between the two “You hound” Egon cleared his throat and tried to divert from the subject, asking Ray directly about a kinetic test. There was no urging or prompting needing from Egon to get Ray from his embarrassment. Egon placed a toaster on the desk as Ray scooped up some of the plasm on a spoon and put it into the toaster. Egon carried it over to the pool table as Ray told them it responds not music, strange but you were a ghostbuster. You’d seen stranger. Egon put the tape in and instantly you knew it was yours, your Jackie Wilson tape. You grinned as egon looked over “Loves Jackie Wilson”

“Do you guys do this at night when I’m not here” Peter huffed sceptical about what the slime would do. He mocked them “oh I get it it sings, sounds just like Jackie, that’s fantastic” egon rolled his eyes as you stood beside him still smoking your cigarette , you knew that Egon loved any music you listened to so that explained where your Jackie Wilson tape had gone. “Just watch” Egon snapped back as the toaster began jumping around the pool table. You all watched in awe, you yourself impressed theyd found this out. “Oh it dances to” Peter exclaimed and you chuckled and watched it. Toast popped out as egon caught them and put them to the side. You chuckled as egon stopped the music and Venkman hugged the toaster “oh baby, oh your my number one Christmas boutique gift item” you rolled your eyes at his stupidity “yeah and the moment someone gets angry that toaster could eat their hand” you answered back he shook his head in disbelief and turned it around looking all over “no no well put a sticker on it freeing us from any liability” just as he said that he screamed and put his fingers in the bread holes. He laughed as the others panicked and snorted “how did you ever fall for the old hand in the haunted toaster trick.” You all groaned and tackled him dragging him off to the ECTO 1 laughing.

Later you were sat in the lab with egon and Ray reading a book on the occult. You looked up and tilted your head “Boys? You didn’t actually sleep with the ectoplasm did you? I mean..please say you didn’t” both Ray and Egon looked at each other than back out you guilt all over their faces. You groaned and slammed your head into your book. You looked up bright red and shook your head “You absolutely hounds, you could have just come to me”

[pandenewie]

RULE FOUR: Don't Fall In Love

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Y/n and Niki kissed.

They kissed. On the mouth. And Niki has no one to talk to about it.

According to him and his stupid lie, he had his first kiss a month ago, with Y/n, watching the sunset. If he suddenly starts freaking out about his first kiss now, his friends will all know that he made the first one up and the whole lie will be revealed.

Niki momentarily considers confiding in Eunchae but the idea is short-lived after the quick realisation that she will rip him to shreds. In a dilemma, the boy turns to the only other person he would be even slightly vulnerable with - Kim Jongseob.

“I'm not giving you any more money, Riki. I told you, the school vending machines are overpriced and the Kit-Kats aren't even that good.” Jongseob sighs, trying to quicken his pace and out-walk Niki. Unfortunately, due to Niki's long legs, he catches up almost immediately.

“What? No, this isn't about that.” Niki shakes his head, grabbing Jongseob's arm and leading him in the opposite direction. “Dude? I've got flute practice!” Jongseob exclaims, only earning an eye roll from Niki. “Fuck your flute teacher, this is more important.”

As the rest of the students clear out and go home for the day, Niki pulls Jongseob to the side of one of the now empty corridors. “I need advice about Y/n.” He states plainly, causing Jongseob to look at him with a deadpan expression. “That’s what you wanted to talk about?” There’s an irritated tone to Jongseob’s question. “Can’t you ask Sunghoon or something? He’s literally in a relationship.” Niki scoffs at this suggestion. “Sunghoon gives the worst relationship advice known to man. Besides, he can’t know about this, so I figured I’d ask the next best person.” 

“I’ve never had a girlfriend?” Jongseob looks at Niki, puzzled. “That doesn’t matter, we’re talking about me, here.” Niki waves off, only adding to his friend’s confusion. “Okay… what did you need advice on?” 

Niki’s face heats up at the thought of what he’s about to admit to Jongseob. It’s not the fact that he hasn’t had his first kiss yet (or hadn’t until yesterday). But the fact that he is about to admit that his relationship is fake causes embarrassment to pool in the pit of his stomach. Still - he needs to talk to someone about this before his thoughts and feelings eat him alive.

“I kissed Y/n.” Niki blurts out, not sure how else to bring up the topic. Jongseob raises an eyebrow simply at Niki, “Okay? You guys are dating.” He states as if Niki had forgotten the fact. “Well… that’s the thing… we’re kinda not actually dating.”

Jongseob has never been more confused in his life. “My friends have been giving me shit for being single and I kinda snapped and told them that Y/n and I were together.” Niki admits. “Why the hell would you do that?” Jongseob asks, laughing slightly at his friend's stupidity. “I don’t know! You should know by now that I say shit without thinking.” Niki frowns, earning a sigh from Jongseob.

“Okay - so let me guess, you're freaking out because you're starting to catch feelings?” Jongseob reads Niki like a book, sighing when he sees Niki's sheepish smile. “You're insane.” He adds. “I don't need you to belittle me! I need you to tell me what to do.” Niki whines, stomping his foot like a child. “Just tell them! The worst that can happen is they don’t like you back and break up with you - well, fake break up. And that would have to happen eventually anyway since you can’t just pretend to date for the rest of your lives so, really, you have nothing to lose.” Jongseob attempts to reason.

It falls silent between the two as Niki takes in Jongseob’s words. “Don’t tell me you were considering fake dating Y/n for the rest of your life?” Jongseob asks, his eyes widening slightly. “I’d be lying if I said the thought hadn’t crossed my mind…” Niki mumbles, Jongseob releasing yet another sigh in response. “You’re hopeless, dude.”

To say Niki was surprised to see Y/n waiting outside his classroom before lunch would be an understatement. “Uh… hey Y/n, what are you doing here?” Niki asks, cringing at his awkwardness. Y/n’s eyebrows furrow at his question. “Aren’t we going to have lunch together?” They ask.

Lunch? Niki had completely forgotten about lunch. He assumed Y/n wouldn't even be talking to him today - let alone spending time with him like everything is completely normal.

“Oh.. haha, yeah. Slipped my mind for a second. Let me just grab my bag.” Niki laughs. “It's on your back.” Y/n points out, holding back their laughter as Niki's eyes widen. “Oh yeah… tricked ya!” He says, ruffling Y/n's hair before striding off down the hall.

Y/n quickly runs after him, slipping their hand into his once they've caught up. The action causes Niki's heartbeat to quicken - a simple touch sending his brain into overdrive. This is going to be a long lunch.

It's silent between the two when they finally sit down on the bleachers - their usual lunch spot. Without a word, Y/n pulls their hand from Niki's and begins eating their lunch. Sighing at the lost contact, Niki does the same.

“Look Y/n… I think we need to talk about-”

“I'm so sorry!”

Y/n cuts off Niki's sentence with their sudden outburst, causing the boy to turn to them, confused. Y/n's head is practically hung in shame as they look at Niki, a small frown on their lips. “We agreed to just kiss on the cheek and that's what you were doing but I turned at the last minute and practically stole your first kiss. I'm so sorry, Riki.”

Niki looks at Y/n, puzzled. “Uh… I'm not mad, Y/n. It was an accident.” Niki’s words do little to ease Y/n’s feelings. “Well, yeah, but it was your first kiss. And I just took it from you like it meant absolutely nothing. You were probably wanting to have it with someone really special.” Y/n mumbles. Niki finds it adorable how much meaning Y/n seems to put into a first kiss. He didn’t care nearly as much as they were making him out to. And besides, to him, he technically did have it with someone special - they just didn’t happen to know.

“Well… if we’re going by that logic, then I stole your first kiss as well. So we’re both to blame.” Niki shrugs. Trying to ease the atmosphere, Niki gently nudges Y/n with his shoulder. “Cheer up, it was an accident, Y/nnie.” Y/n laughs dryly, looking up at Niki for the first time throughout the entire conversation. “You’re right… we can just forget it happened.” They smile.

Wait. That’s not what Niki wanted.

“Haha. Yeah, right.”

“Okay… what happened?”

Y/n doesn’t know whether to be grateful or displeased with how easily Danielle knows them. She can pick up on any change in emotion - no matter how small. It’s great for when Y/n needs someone to talk to but not so much when there’s something on their mind that they don’t want to talk about.

Sighing, Y/n looks up at their friend. They know that the frustration is evident on their face, based on the way Danielle’s lips turn downwards into a slight pout. “Talk to me, Y/nnie.” She whispers, careful not to be caught talking by Mr Yoon.

“It’s complicated.” Y/n whispers back. Just as Danielle is about to ask further questions, the sound of someone clearing their throat snaps the two out of their bubble. They turn to see Mr Yoon standing next to their desk, a slightly disappointed look on his face as he looks down at them with a quirked brow.

“Y/n, you can tell Danielle all about your boyfriend later.” Mr Yoon jokes, causing Y/n’s face to burn bright red. “Now, unless you want me to join in on this little gossip session, I suggest you get back to work.” He adds, tapping the desk with his finger before walking back towards the front of the classroom.

The last 15 minutes of class feel like they drag on forever as Danielle continues to try and get information out of Y/n. However, scared of getting caught again by Mr Yoon, Y/n ignores her pleas.

Finally, the bell rings for the end of class and Danielle practically drags Y/n out of the room. “CODE RED, CHAE!” Danielle calls to their third friend as the two walk towards their usual table. Danielle pushes Y/n to sit next to Eunchae before sitting on their other side, successfully trapping Y/n between the two of them.

“I think it’s about N-I-K-I.” Danielle spells out. “You can say his name, Dani. He’s not a curse.” Y/n rolls their eyes, causing Danielle to shrug. “I’m just being careful; maybe you’re sensitive.”

“I’m confused.” Eunchae says, earning a sigh from Y/n. “You and me both.” It’s silent between the friends for a moment before Y/n finally relents, sharing everything that’s gone down with Niki.

“We kissed. It was an accident but it still happened. And now everything is weird.”

Well… that certainly wasn't what the girls were expecting. “Weird… how?” Danielle asks. “Like, not how we used to be. It’s like neither of us know how to act anymore.” Y/n sighs, earning a stifled laugh from Eunchae. “Oh my god, you guys are so hopeless, it's adorable.”

Y/n furrows their brows at their friends' words, their heads tilted in confusion. “What do you mean?” They ask. “You guys are acting weird because you like each other.” Eunchae points out, her words causing Y/n's face to immediately flush a bright red tint. “What? No, we don't-”

“Oh my God, you're right! The only thing separating the fake relationship from a real one was the kissing. Now that you guys have crossed that boundary, you found out that it's not really fake anymore and neither of you know what to do.” Danielle exclaims, clapping her hands as if she's just solved one of the world's greatest mysteries. “Uh.. I think the thing separating a fake and real relationship is the feelings.” Y/n replies, only to be waved off by their friends. “Don't play dumb, Y/n. Those are obviously there.”

“Think about it. What are either of you getting out of this? It's basically just a relationship trial run. Eunchae points out. “Okay, even if I did have a crush on Niki - there's no way he'd feel the same.” Y/n sighs. “Oh babe, you're blind.” Danielle laughs. “Do you think he just runs around, playing boyfriend for everyone?” 

“You can find out for yourself if you don't believe us.” Eunchae shrugs, causing Y/n to look at her confused. “Pay attention to how he acts around, what he says and does. Then you'll see.”

Y/n assumed Eunchae's words were a load of rubbish. Sure, Niki is sweet and all but there's no special treatment or obvious signs that point to him liking Y/n anymore than a friend.

That’s until Y/n sees him waiting outside their classroom, his school bag slung over one shoulder and another mysterious bag in his hand. Niki looks up with shining eyes as he hears y/n approaching.

“Are you ready to go to the library? I already grabbed all your art stuff.” Niki smiles, the action causing Y/n's heart to swell. “You grabbed all of it?” They ask in awe. Niki nods simply. “I might've forgotten something, though. You can check if you want.” He says, going to open the bag before Y/n stops him. “I'm sure I can use whatever you got. Thank you, Riki.” He smiles proudly at Y/n's words, readjusting the bag in his grip before the two start walking to the library.

Now that Eunchae has mentioned it, Y/n can’t help but pay attention to all the little things Niki does for them. The way he absolutely refuses to let them carry their own bag. How he makes them walk on the side of the path furthest from the road. Things they wouldn’t have even batted an eye at previously now cause their heart to flutter. Even the way he sits there, tapping away on his phone, Y/n can’t help but watch him in admiration.

“Y/n?”

The sudden call of their name snaps Y/n out of their thoughts. They look up to see Niki looking down at them, his head tilted slightly with confusion. “You were spacing out.” He speaks, gently poking the space between their eyebrows - his touch easing out the tension Y/n hadn’t even noticed was there.

Come on, Y/n. Get your act together!

Just one day ago, everything was perfectly fine between the two of them. Now, one kiss and some newly discovered feelings later, it’s as if Y/n has no idea how to speak to Niki. “Yeah… I’m fine. Just a little distracted is all.” Y/n mumbles. “You can’t think of what to draw?” Niki asks, his question causing Y/n to shake their head with a small pout. 

“Do you wanna watch me play Minecraft?” It’s an odd question - Y/n’s not entirely sure how it’s supposed to help. They find themself agreeing nonetheless, pulling their chair up next to Niki’s. “I’ll give you a tour of my world - maybe it’ll spark some creativity.” Niki says. Even the way he talks about Minecraft somehow gets them blushing.

As Niki begins to play, Y/n can’t help the way their body naturally gravitates towards his warmth. Is it cold in the library? Or is it just the already close proximity increasing Y/n’s need for physical contact? Either way, Y/n finds themself leaning closer to Niki, their head moving to gently lean on Niki’s shoulder as their eyes focus on the phone screen. Niki adjusts slightly in his seat, the movement causing Y/n to immediately pull away. Just as they’re about to mumble an apology, Niki’s hand moves up to gently cup the side of their head. Without looking away from his phone, Niki gently guides Y/n’s head to lay back on his shoulder, stroking their hair a few times before moving his hand to its original position.

Y/n has to stop themself from screaming out loud. They push themself further into Niki’s body, squishing their cheek against his shoulder to stop any noise from coming out. It also does wonders in hiding their blushing face, something they’re grateful Niki is not paying attention to at the moment. The two sit in silence, the only sound coming from Niki’s phone as he kills spiders or whatever the hell he’s doing. Y/n’s not paying much attention anymore - their mind overwhelmed with thoughts. However, through the hazy mess of feelings in their brain, there is one clear idea that keeps replaying over and over again.

Y/n likes Niki.

Y/n really likes Niki.

TAG LIST: @j-wyoung @thesassy-mia @luvistqrzzz @yourmyst4r @heerinnie @odisdad @wzy3ka @mrchweeee @rizzkisworld @beomsbeanie @ablackbtsstan @sweet-kisses-and-bloody-screams @kang-yeosangs-initials @wildflowermooon @k1ttylvr @pinapplefntacupss @luva1y @microwvdstrawb3rri3s @en-happiness @haechansbbg @ashiitex @nuttyenthusiastdaze @coolwitu @schniti-is-in-the-house @wrosie-writes @beomgyusonlywife @jesssssmaybankk

[charlie-pippin-faraday]

my danganronpa v3 chapter 3 investigation and trial running commentary:

would it be too obvious to predict that kiyo killed angie? because it seems like there was a ritual involved, and he's the ritual guy. and he wouldn't shut up about the resurrection ritual angie wanted to do being like an offense to proper rituals or whatever

you know people have been saying "yeah they're definitely dead, positive, i watched them die" so many times i'm starting to get suspicious

the instant kiyo was like "the spirit medium should be a girl" i knew it was gonna be tenko, and i had the immediate thought of "she's about to die, isn't she?" which only grew stronger as she was saying all that uplifting stuff to himiko

"alright himiko i'll see you later!" i have the sinking feeling you won't

"i'll see you all after the seance!" no you won't, tenko

this singing strongly reminds me of being in church lol. no tune, rhythm, or pitch, everyone's singing terribly, it's barely more than a chant lol

there was a huge obvious thunk in the middle of our song and we just kept singing?? lol okay

kiyo looking at tenko surrounded by a pool of her own blood: "something is amiss." yeah ya think???

tbh i expected there to be a double murder at some point. there was one in each of the previous two games (both in chapter 3, if i recall correctly), so this isn't a surprise

even though i 100% saw it coming, i'm a little bummed it was tenko. i fucking HATED her at the start but she was really growing on me

however, i DID predict that all of the girlies would end up dead, and they took out 2 of the 3 of them in one fell swoop

lmao maki you can call kaito stupid as much as you want, but i see through your ruse. i too was once an angry, brash teenage girl. i know that "he's so stupid i can't stand him" is teenage girl code for "i want him so bad i don't know how to handle it." and like, someone treating her kindly, including her in the group constantly, and believing in her on blind faith alone has got to be out of the norm for her, i get why he gets her so bent out of shape lol

she really did punch him super hard in the mouth tho lol

i miss having kaito around, my buddy my partner in crime. was really missing him the latter half of this chapter

but he's with me at all times in spirit, now that i have the kaito monopad theme! it's like i stuck up a picture of him in my locker, that's what that feels like. he's always there, cheering me on, inspiring me. a constant reminder...of Him

now, as for this case, i do not have nearly as clear of an idea of what happened or who's guilty. i'm definitely more confused than last time. last time i knew basically how the murder happened. this one i'm stumped, on both murders. there's so much that doesn't make sense, idk how it happened. OR who did it. my only hunch is that i think it could be kiyo? but that feels like too simple an answer just because of all the occult stuff and i have no clue why he would do that

"i believe that inner voice will lead me to hope as long as i listen to it" keebo you don't happen to hear the voice of makoto naegi in your head, do you?

LMAOOOO @ kokichi and miu going back and forth about "cum dumpster" and gonta just being like ".......anyway what should we talk about now?"

the taxi game should just be called "reckless driving: the minigame"

"soul bro"????????? kazuichi soda is that you?????

"as a self-proclaimed expert of stepping through floorboards" i'm glad kokichi can make fun of himself as well as others

i mean once they said the loose floorboard was inside the magic circle, the magic circle that kiyo drew and that kiyo told us not to step on, in order to perform the seance that kiyo put together and convinced us to perform........the answer there felt kind of obvious

kiyo was acting very sus the whole trial, trying very hard to pin the blame on himiko

the very unhinged nervous laughter gave it away tbh

is miu saying that she makes keebo look at her shit everyday? also, why go through all that? wouldn't a camera be easier?

why is everyone bullying keebo PLEASE stop

i would just like to say, sincerely, from the bottom of my heart: what the FUCK, kiyo

i didn't expect this game to include an incestuous serial killer, yet here we are

"i nearly went mad" you know what my dude i think you can cut out the word "nearly"

"all the girls here are worthy except maki and miu" hey shut the fuck up, those are my two favorite girls!!!!

"i have finished my explanation to you, friends" we're not friends

"i'll watch over you as a ghost! as your friend, i'll watch over you!" please don't. and once again we're not friends

now i know why i couldn't figure out what happened in these murders or why they occurred - it's because kiyo is INSANE and just did murders for funsies

"i'll put in the effort until everyone trusts me" i see that kaito finally got through to maki

she's still annoying but i'm glad to see that himiko finally grew a bit of a backbone and fought back. and it's heartening to see tenko inspire her, maybe she'll be more interesting as the rest of this game progresses

i do feel bad for her tho, they cruelly took out both prongs of her love triangle at once. she wailed about being alone now, which is sad, but i sure hope she doesn't come to ME for comfort or friendship; despite these developments i'm still not interested in hanging out with her

i thought he was gonna end up annoying me endlessly, but kokichi has become very fascinating. what's your motive, my dude? why do you do the things you do? what's your endgame? i don't understand you and i'm never hanging out with you, but i'm curious

gonta carrying himiko on his back is actually the sweetest thing

bro holdup is kaito dying??????? no no no!!!!!! i need more information IMMEDIATELY!

oh great, i get kiyo's mask as a present, exactly what i wanted

on to chapter 4!

[justacanofcorn]

SAVIOUR COMPLEX (PT. 6)

(Pt. 5)

Rated: M

TAGS: language/past abuse/Mark Hoffman being a c*p/reader is normal and wants a normal life/Mark is protective bc it's his job but he's also problematic/because he's a c*p/Detective Gibson

**NOTE: Hey guys. Thank you so much for interaction with this fic, and I’m seeing a lot of new followers. I love that!! But I really need to stress right now how I do not support/endorse C*stas M*ndylor as a person or his opinions. He’s racist and I enjoy and only enjoy Mark Hoffman’s character. If you are a C*stas Stan, I highly encourage you to maybe cease interacting with this fic. **

Legs bouncing under the table. Hot coffee between your hands. Your makeup is smeared and not for any of the reasons you had hoped.

Ted is dead. The rhyme would be hilarious if you weren’t shitting bricks. You’ve been sitting in this interrogation room for 45 something minutes without a single word. Maybe they’re sweating you out. Can’t imagine why. You couldn’t talk if you wanted to without your nerves shooting up from your stomach.

You have no idea where Mark is. He had taken you back to the station with him but by the time you got there, someone was pulling you in for questioning. You couldn’t help but wonder if Mark’s in the same spot as you one room over.

Finally, finally, the door opens. A plain looking detective enters with a folder, sleeves rolled to his elbows, and takes a seat across from you.

“What time is it?” You ask weakly. He pauses like he wasn’t expecting you to talk first. He checks his watch.

“Uh, 2:37.”

You nod mutely and stare at the mirror over his shoulder.

“Can I ask a question?”

“Sure.”

“Why do you guys still do the one way mirror thing?” You nod to over his shoulder. “Everybody knows what it is because of the movies. So why bother?”

The detective just stares at you. You wonder if he’s stupid.

“You gonna tell me your name?”

He blinks, flips open the folder.

“I’m Detective Gibson. Sorry you had to wait so long.”

“Did you have more people to hassle?”

“That’s not fair. None of them were his ex.”

“But I still wasn’t top of the list?”

He digests your comment before chucking. “Alright, you got me. So we wanted you to sit for a little while.”

“A waste of your time and mine,” you mutter.

“Yeah, seems that you had a hot date with Detective Hoffman, is that right?”

“You gonna book me for conflict of interest?”

“Booking? Getting a little ahead of ourselves. I haven’t even had a chance to tell you what’s in the folder.”

“Nothing of substance.”

“No?”

“No, because there’s nothing there. Let’s just get this first bit out of the way. You don’t intimidate me. Am I here because you think I killed Ted? Is that it? You have a stack of 8 by 10 glossy photos of me with a black eye? How about a broken arm? And yet he never got booked for it.”

“Sounds like a motive.”

You chuckle humorlessly and bury your face in your hands.

“Uh-fucking-believable. Where’s Mark? You shaking him down, too?”

Gibson is quiet again, then shuffles the papers.

“Do you know where you were on July 9th?”

“Last Monday? Depends on the time. Probably work. If not work, home. Hey, you know who you could ask? The person you guys have had tracking my every move for two fucking weeks!”

He’s not smiling but you can tell the fucker is satisfied with your outburst.

“Admissible in court?” You scoff. “I don’t get it. That’s where I was. You don’t have a case. Let me go home so I can mourn and take off my makeup.”

He cocks his head. “Mourn?”

“He was a piece of shit but he was a human being, and I used to love him. I don’t care. No one deserves to die in one of those fucking monstrosities.”

“You draw a pretty clear line, morally.”

“Yes, it’s all a part of my master plan. Can I please go home?”

“Just a few more questions.” He pulls a specific photo. “Take a look at this for me.”

You look, and then grimace at the image. It’s Ted, his arms separated from his body, laying face down in a pool of blood and viscera.

“Jesus,” you groan. Tears start to pool at the corners of your eyes as you force your head over your shoulder.

“You barely looked.”

“I saw enough. Stop fucking with me. I told you all I know. I cut ties with him after his last stint. I don’t do anything. I’m a waitress. I don’t have friends, I don’t leave my apartment. I don’t do anything.” You realize halfway through your memorized spiel that you’re crying. “I don’t know why this shit is following me around but I don’t want it. Any of it. Please just let me go home.”

There’s silence as you shake and let the tears fall from your eyes.

You feel a hand come to yours and you jerk it away like it burned you, suddenly turning back to Gibson with a fury.

“Get the fuck away from me!” You hiss, backing up in your chair. Gibson raises his hands.

“Woah, okay, easy. Alright. I see no reason to keep you any longer. Come on.”

He replaces the papers in his folder and you both stand. You keep your distance but as he holds the door open you realize he’s going to make you pass him. You tense as you do so, feeling his scrutinous eyes on your back. You hate him, he’s an asshole, but you can’t get a read on him. Whatever. You’re exhausted. All you want to do is go home and sleep.

You stumble out of the interrogation room and into the main room of the station, heels in hand. The few people present are watching you. You only have eyes for the door at the end of the hall.

But then a hand is between your shoulder blades and you feel Mark’s heat next to you, smell his cologne. But he doesn’t follow you.

“What the fuck is your problem, Gibson!?”

You turn and Mark has Gibson's collar in a vice grip. Gibson shoves Mark’s hands from him and pushes his chest.

“I’m doing my job, Hoffman. Don’t forget, you’re a suspect too, and in danger of ‘reassignment’. Right?”

“You better keep your nose outta things before something happens to it.”

“Is that a threat?”

You grip Mark’s forearm and spin him around, digging your heels to peel him down the hall.

“Mark, come on, please. Please, let’s just go home. Please.”

Mark’s eyes land on you and they soften. You can’t even imagine what you must look like but you don’t care. You squeeze Mark’s arm.

He turns back to Gibson, straightens out his jacket, runs a hand through his hair, and then he’s walking you out of the station with his hand having returned to your back, content to let it remain there.

The trip back to your place is silent. You don’t even remember the last time you had your shoes on. You go straight for the bathroom and shut the door behind you, locking it. Take off your makeup. Brush out your hair. Stare at yourself in the mirror until your reflection becomes blurry and your knuckles are white as you grip grooves into the sink.

You pee, peel off your panty hose, strip down to your underwear.

Hoffman is leaning against the wall outside the door and he does a very good job hiding his reaction at your bare skin. You sigh anyway.

“Sorry- I wasn’t even thinking…”

“No, don’t worry about it. Come on. You need water?”

You nod and drag your feet to your bedroom. Distantly you can make out the sound of your sink in the kitchen. You manage to take off your bra- some scanty thing you’d picked out for Mark, and slip on a band tee. Mark returns to your side. He’s removed his jacket, rolled up his sleeves. He has a guiding hand taking you to your bed and you run your hands along his thick forearms.

“Alright, come on,” Mark half warns/half suggests you under your covers. If you were any more cognizant, you’d hate the way he’s walking you around like a child. But child or not, you need comfort.

He tries to turn away but you grab his wrist.

“Please, don’t leave. I don’t want to be alone.”

Mark sighs. “I don’t think…”

“No, not that. Just lay down with me, please. Or sit. Just please don’t leave me.”

Mark leaves your vision and you don’t turn your attention from the window that scared you shitless last week. Then you feel the bed dip at your back. Feel Mark’s strong arms slip across your stomach and rubbing circles into your shoulder.

You turn in to face his chest. Fiddle with the buttons on his shirt. Inhale the smell of him. You run your fingers along his jaw and press your nose to his. He doesn't move; in fact, his breathing has all but stopped.

You press wet lips to his but he doesn’t return. Just presses his lips together until you pull away.

“Not right now, sweetheart. Trust me, you’ll thank me in the morning.”

But he does kiss you on the forehead and you settle for curling into him and let his presence send you into sleep.

[horror-dot-png]

Mangroves

CASE # 019010008-004

SUBJECT: PYRRHA E. REYES

CONTENTS: SUSPECTED MURDER/DEATH OF CLAIRE P. LEWIS

THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXCERPT OF THE INTERROGATION OF MS. REYES.

DONATED BY AN ANONYMOUS MARIETTA DETECTIVE TO THE RICHMOND UNIVERSITY OF THE ABNORMAL.

TRANSCRIPT IS AS FOLLOWS:

She’s gone, right? I’m so stupid, this is all my fault. It should’ve been me. I should’ve been the one to – fuck. It’s so unfair. I never wanted it to come to this and now I’m… alone. I’m sorry, let me start from the beginning. My name is Pyrrha, I’m a librarian in Marietta, Georgia. I met Claire, my fiancée – ex-fiancee now I suppose – in college. We first met in our American history class, and I wanna say we hit it off pretty well then. We would talk for hours on end about history, sharing facts and talking about our political interpretations of certain events. Do you ever stop to think how weird Manifest Destiny was as a concept? Like, sure, expansion was inevitable, but saying it was your God-given right as a white guy to steal land from natives? Of course it went much deeper than that now, and we grew as people from these conversations. Eventually, we grew for each other. She asked me out, and lucky for her I was a lesbian. The next few years of college came and went, and at our graduation I popped the question – though we weren’t to be married for a few years as we eventually settled down and devoted our daily life to work and research. It was amazing. Spending every last moment you have with the woman you love. The nights cuddled on the couch watching TV, the rainy days spent reading, the more-than-daily walks with our Saint Bernard – cleverly named Saint. 

After another three years – wow, it really has been three – we began to grow a little bored. We were both still madly in love, don’t get me wrong, but there was something missing. Like looking into the same room over and over and over, expecting to see something remotely different. It could’ve been a bird at the window, or maybe Claire moved the coffee table away from the sofa a little. Regardless, we needed something new. Not a vacation necessarily as we had been on plenty since moving in together – though with Saint we did ease up on how frequent they were. We decided to find a mutual hobby to keep the closeness knit. Claire didn’t think we were growing apart, but I insisted it might be healthy for the long-term. She agreed and we got to looking. We went through a few options. Rock climbing was not an option since she was desperately afraid of heights. Can’t do gardening because of how high our third floor apartment was – and, yes, it didn’t help the fear of heights at times. Then we figured it out. What about diving? Claire was so thrilled with the idea, having been formerly on our college’s swim team. As for me? I’m glad we could’ve decided on something – I really wish we hadn’t. 

It was settled, and we found a few days to go train and get certified. It was so relaxing. The water against our skin – or what wasn’t covered by our suits. Oddly, I found having to swap from our snorkel to our oxygen regulator the most thrilling. Exposing ourselves to the elements for even a slight moment, knowing the sheer amount of water that could fill our mouth and throat and lungs if we just chose to let it be that way. Of course, I hid these intrusive thoughts from Claire. After a few days of learning and practice, we were certified and immediately booked a plane to Cancún, Mexico, and reserved ourselves some spots for a personal diving trip out off the coast. It was beautiful. I won’t see it as such any more. To be honest, anything deeper than a kiddie pool irks me – pathetic, I know. 

We arrived and toured for a bit. Went around, ate some local cuisine. Claire found a fondness for cooked cacti, and I took a liking to Piña Coladas. Saw some shows, and had a genuinely good time. It was like an early honeymoon. It didn’t stay this way for long. We had decided earlier on we wanted to dive by some mangroves off the coast. And so our day started early. We were given the clear to dive and got a ride out to one of the less popular dive spots. We were excited, but a little hungover honestly, yet we refused to let that get in the way of our newfound passion. It was during the ride over that I had the chance to reflect on my relationship with Claire. It was almost as though my mind was forcing me to ruminate. It had known something I didn’t. Of course, I hadn’t realized it at the moment but perhaps it was an omen. I mean, it just sounds too coincidental, right? Makes me think of all the skipped classes, all the dinner and movie dates, all the small mundane fights we resolved within a matter of minutes because we realized how stupid they were. I thought of us getting Saint as a pup and how happy Claire was to finally have a pet after a childhood without one. I remembered meeting her parents, and how much I thought they hated me at first, only to realize they were the kindest people in my life – aside from Claire that is.

We arrived. It was hot. Really hot. So we took no time changing into our gear with the anticipation of dipping in as soon as possible. And so we did. We held hands and slipped into that cool, familiar feel of water. No. No. No, that’s not right. It wasn’t that at all, it felt more like wading through a sludge, like we had just dunked ourselves into a tank of syrup. It didn’t feel right at all. Claire didn’t seem to notice it but I did. I should’ve brought her to the surface to say something, but that look in her eyes. The beautiful green eyes that spoke with determination. So I let her be happy. I brushed off the feeling, but then I looked down. It went further and further, deeper and deeper. This wasn’t right. We were just off the coast, right? It shouldn’t have been possible – why was the water so… green? Were there supposed to be fish or anything else alive here? I could see the shoreline just fine and the mangroves up ahead. Was this right? Was I imagining things? Are… are those bodies? I think I chalked it up to pareidolia at the moment, but now I’m not too sure. My breathing picked up but I knew this was not the time nor place for a panic attack. I looked back up at Claire and remembered the times she helped me control my breathing. So I did. Deep breath in. Hold. Deep breath out. The breathing helped, but I still felt dizzy. Everything was telling me to go back up. To grab my future wife and call it a day. We’ve seen enough right? I wouldn’t have to explain myself. I wanted to vomit. I hate myself for not trusting that feeling. 

We got closer to the mangroves. I wanted to say it was beautiful, but it was so unsettling. How they wrapped and contorted made them seem like bodies trapped underneath the water, doomed to an eternity of drowning and staring either down into an endless abyss, or up onto a surface they could never reach. It was only then I realized what lay ahead of these… corpses. There was more ocean. More of that murky green sludge that held my life partner and I trapped. How had Claire not noticed? Or perhaps she did, and being the most curious person I knew, she was intrigued. I was not. I wanted to get the hell out, but I wasn’t sure how. I had made my decision. I was gonna grab her and leave, but then I looked up. The surface was much, much further away than it should have been. We were only going to be a few feet from the surface right? Why was it so far away? I could begin to feel the pressure of deep water popping my ears, clenching my body. My heart pounded as though it was gripped by the unknown force of the sea. My lungs were being crushed by the weight of… the weight of what? Water? It all seemed so ridiculous to me, but it was no time to question the laws of something that was actively breaking them. I looked at Claire. She had gotten closer to the mangroves, at which point I – we, I’m certain of – heard what sounded like screams. No, that wasn’t right. It was gurgling, and it felt as though it was coming from all around us. I heard the screams of these drowning people trapped beneath the water like Claire and me. I wanted to join them. I wanted to scream and let the water – sludge, whatever – force its way into my body so that I could become one with it. I felt like I was going to die, I wish I did. I went to empty the water from my mask as we learned to in training, and as I put them back on, Claire had become entangled, no, embedded within the mangrove. She was becoming one of them, a corpse, a drowned. I swam to her, panicked and as quickly as my body could whilst being crushed by the progressively increasing pressure of the deep. I swam and I swam and I swam and I swam, but the corpses carried her further away. No, it wasn’t the corpses, it was the ocean that took her. I screamed, the water began filling my lungs, and Claire. I watched her. The abyss swallowed her whole. I don’t think she reached back out to me. She accepted the cold dark as much as she accepted the ring on her finger. 

I was found a day later, washed up ashore miles away from where I thought the mangrove was. Claire was reported missing, and for a while I was suspected for murder. Fortunately, the charges were dropped due to lack of evidence. I wish they had taken me though. I wish I could suffer for letting her die. I mean, she is dead right? Her parents offered their support, but I knew they knew. I knew they knew I killed their daughter. I haven’t talked to them since her funeral. Of course no body was found. I didn’t bother trying to explain what happened. Told authorities that we were inexperienced, amateur divers, and that seemed to be enough for them. I hated having to lie, but what was I to do? Now that I think of it, it’s so fucking useless of me. I let her die and now I lied about it? I’m a pathetic mess of a human being. Claire would… she would’ve handled this so much better were it me that drowned and not her. I wish I drowned. I wish I was the one to die. I wish Claire was still alive and I wish that it was I who was eaten by the deep. I still have Saint, though he got along better with Claire. And, after all this time, I didn’t realize how empty a bed could be. 

END TRANSCRIPT

[beesmygod]

JJBA PART 5, VENTO AUREO IS THE UNDERBAKED MESS I CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT FIXING...PART 2

FIX 2: WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A PROBLEM LIKE GIORNO?

thats the homo photo of my dad

answer: i dont know.

the unfortunate and honest to god truth of the matter is that the protagonist of JJBA part 5, giorno giovanna, fucking sucks.

what if that little shithead from the twilight zone episode "it's a good life" was gay and watched "goodfellas". you might think "wow that sounds great" but, well, somehow it's not.

it is months later and i have been struggling with writing this for a bazillion reasons: i got sick, real life events occurred, i had to work on comic, i died, etc. but the most strenuous reason of all in the end was facing the impenetrable, tangled, and deeply complicated gordian knot that is the little ladybug loving bitch named giorno and not knowing where the fuck to even begin.

i had to think long and hard about how to approach the problem of "giorno giovanna". he is like a diamond of sucking ass: multi-faceted and beautiful in his perfection but is, ultimately, just a stupid fucking rock from the dirt. he completely lacks the innate charisma and personality inherent in previous jojo protagonists AND antagonists; despite having both the joestar AND brando gene pools to pull from, he manages to snag a net total of 0 personality traits. this problem is multiplied 100 fold once he starts actually doing things to move the plot along and the universe repeatedly bends itself like a pretzel in order to gift him undeserved and unrewarding (to us, the audience) win after win after win.

his theme goes hard as hell tho

if you were to ask me what is wrong with giorno, i would have no problem making a long and detailed list of why i want to slap the little cinnamon rolls of his head. i have no idea how to organize that list into a more coherent form of criticism that points at the overarching structural weakness of part 5. part 5 really, really wants you to like and root for giorno. it hinges on it. his victories are explicitly supposed to be emotionally and morally gratifying. they are instead trite and annoying.

for years, YEARS, my only experience with the entirety of part 5 outside of infamous panels and the most basic information about the story, was this incredible, evergreen and laser targeted tweet:

i thought this was a funny shit post. all i knew giorno had some kind of "life creation" power. what i didnt know was:

giorno says this exact line and then turns cars into frogs so that they (the bad guys) cant catch them (they do catch them)

giorno's power IS fucking stupid

i fucking hate him

he should stop using it

abbacchio was right. he was right about everything

how DO you talk about giorno? giorno's blandness permeates any situation he has the misfortune of attending and the parts of the narrative where he's missing for one reason or another are significantly improved by his absence. in comparison with the deuteragonists (bruno bucciarati) and tritagonists (the members of bruno's squad in the mafia family passione), he has all the flavor of a communion wafer. his character arc is non-existent. emotionally, he might as well have just gone to the store and back by the end of the story.

and, look, araki likes to play fast and loose with how powerful a stand is or what its abilities are. im not here to measure power levels or fucking whatever stupid shit people get up to. the more wild and insane he gets with his incredibly "unique" ""understanding"" of science and geometry, i'm 99% on board for. but giorno's stand, gold experience, is whatever the narrative needs it to be at any given time with no consistency. it's OP as hell long before he gets the 11th hour power boost; his stand has the extra trans-dimensional ability to remove any tension from a fight scene. through this, gold requiem can destroy the psyche of the audience, truly making it the most powerful stand of all time.

people used to love to bitch about not understanding how the villain's stand works in this part, but if anyone tells you they understand what the fuck THIS means they're lying to you.

anyway, there is only one solution i can think of when it comes to how to approach this: assess the major story beats in order. i think jumping around in the progression of events to highlight individual flaws in the character will not adequately impart the suffering one feels as an audience member while the narrative yo-yos between being rollicking good fun and being at the mercy of the little 15 year old twink with god mode on.

and so, having made it past koichi's tiny ass role (and his tiny ass) in the story and addressing how we can proceed, we can cover bruno (a genuinely wonderful character), polpo, and the wasted character building opportunity of the piss drinking scene, which vexes and infuriates me to this day. [thinking about the piss scene and getting mad again] ooooh!!!!

[twothpaste]

fic snippet featuring lucas & porky & the profound disillusionment of realizing you're never gonna get through to a motherfucker 😔

It laid, back then, a hundred n' fifty some-odd feet from the shoreline. No walkways of wood nor metal carved the path. If an audience with the king was what you sought, you'd have to rough it to his throne. Through the soggy stench of rotting cardboard. Drenched facades melting, squelching, and pooling at your heels. Traverse his skyscraper's serpentine spine. Either atop its precarious columns, or beneath its ribcage archways. Today, the big stupid spikes with which he'd adorned the sides've since been weathered away to moundish stumps. In 2 ADD, though? They'd formed a sharklike jaw line in the treacherous muck. Dentition to rival the Dragon's own.

She soared high. Black streak on a gray blanket. Wouldda blotted out the sun with her wings, if it'd been up there to begin with. Even back then, New Pork's desolation had a notorious propensity for overcast weather. Lucas had to wonder whether that was her doing, too.

Lord of the Rings wouldn't make it into his repertoire for a long while. Leder's library had yet to scavenge any copies. The Hobbit, however, was a White Ship stowaway. The old judge kept it in a secret stash, with the rest of the survivors' forsaken tomes. Lucas'd been the first to read it, once the locks were finally broken. He couldn't help but think of it. Here of all places. Stony imagery of a lost mountain kingdom. A darker dragon, hoarding ill-gotten gains. How small he felt. How bitterly humble. To traverse these halls.

The Absolutely Safe Capsule didn't sit atop a gilded pile. Just purple-gray rubble. N' acid rain puddles. N' concrete.

A broad, hungry, window-bound smile greeted him. Upon his arrival.

Lucas didn't humor it with any of his usual salutations. Not even a glance. Just trudged right past the pane, and seated himself upon a closely-nestled boulder. He remembers his chewed nails clawing against the harsh, clammy surface.

"Y'know, Lucas," Porky purred. With no particular forward. Whether the king thought his visitor's silence haughty, amusing - or perhaps even infuriating - he didn't bother to say so. "I've been thinking," he simply announced. Craning his miserable neck, right up to the glass, as if tryin' to catch whatever delightful pout or scowl might grace the hero's dumb, pimply face.

"I bet," said Lucas. Flat as a burnt flapjack. That made Porky grin, too.

"It's sort of funny. Hilarious, even. That your so-called new society's here, to salvage my city."

This came about as outta left field to Lucas as it probably does to you. Which is to say, hardly. Weren't never really conversations, to be had with Porky. Whatever happened to be on his mind, he'd barf it right onto your sneakers. Then glance at you, expectantly, almost innocently. Like he was awfully eager to watch you clean it up.

"My city," he repeated. With a cough. "Which, as you know, I modeled oh-so-painstakingly after our old world."

Lucas turned those slatey eyes of his toward the Capsule. But held his tongue. Again - you can call it patience.

"It's almost as if nothing starts from the ground up. You're always recycling something rotten. Always on the shoulders of man-eating giants. Even if you try to pretend otherwise."

"Yep," Lucas contended. Gray as the rock he perched on. "That's the idea. We're learnin' from the past. Y'couldda stood to do the same."

Porky's prison emitted a raucous cackle. If Lucas were still looking, he'd've seen a curled lip. A snarling smirk.

"Oh. I learned plenty, my friend."

To sigh would be to appease him. Spoiling a bad dog.

"I don't really get why you won't apologize," Lucas mused, instead. "Why y'won't even fake it. There's folks who'd fall for it."

(He prob'ly would've. He thought. Up until three days prior. He'd decline to add that, though. Let Porky guess it for himself.)

"Heh. What can I say? I'm an honest guy. Much more honest than you cheating, stealing, hypocritical hicks give me credit for. Besides -- Agh..! Haahhck…!"

Porky's bone-popping shrug was cut short by a trademark wheezing fit. Lucas waited. Nails grating.

"Ah.. Hagh… Besides.. Little ol' Porky Minch's got nothing to apologize for, anyways. All I've done is reveal the cold, hard truth. Taught you sorry lot a thing'r two 'bout human nature." His royal highness dipped into a mockery of the peasants' lowly drawl. Before extending one hand, to count his points on his wretched fingers. "Uncertainty, control, anger. Frailty. Self-destruction. That's always been the long n' short of it. N' always will be."

"Agree to disagree," Lucas maintained. His low, crackly, teenaged timbre shifting an inch closer to a growling grumble. Porky ate it up. When you've been stuck in an oversized baseball for two years, you tend to develop a ravenous craving for the smallest of crumbs.

"Fine by me. Your descendants'll realize I was right all along. Even if you're too proud to accept it."

"My mom always used to say somethin' 'bout pots n' kettles."

"Ha. So, you admit you're the kettle."

"I'm more of a skillet, I reckon."

"Well, ain't that goddamn charmin'? My mom bashed me over the head with one of those, once. I ever tell ya that story?"

"Y'didn't. M'sorry to hear that."

A snort.

"No you're not."

In lieu of an answer, Lucas could only stare. Impasse was a recent addition to his vocabulary. He'd read it in one of Leder's books. He traced its edges, in his mind's eye. Chewed it, silently, between his tongue and teeth.

[iheart-nana]

xxxiii. the ticking clock

☾⋆｡𖦹 °✩⋆｡° ✮

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE ─ the ticking clock.

❛ watch your breeze take over me just like we used to be ❜

Narrator's Perspective

Sunjae waited outside the swimming pool, fidgeting with his hands rather impatiently. The events that had taken place just a few moments prior played in his head over and over again. His entire body was soaking wet, and his shirt stuck to his body. Normally, he would have been freezing, dying to get home and change. He felt a breeze, but the thought of Eunyoung seemed to keep him warm. 

He remembered how much he once hated the rain. How his clothes stuck to his body like a really annoying magnet. How the rain irritated him after a long day at the pool. But one fine day, all of that changed. A beautiful girl with smiling lips and intoxicating laughter had run through the moonlit alleyways with him, holding his hand and dragging him along.

She completely mesmerized him. Not only was she the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on, but he never felt a connection with anyone like he did with Eunyoung. He might have been overreacting, but it almost felt as if he had found his other half. They fit together like pieces of a puzzle. It was just right. She always seemed to know the right words to speak at the right time. How could such a perfect person be real?

Just then, Eunyoung emerged through the swimming pool door wearing his blazer, and even then, she looked as pretty as ever. The oversized piece of clothing hid her hands in the sleeves and the jacket looked evidently too big for her. She still looked cute in it, though. 

"Thanks for letting me borrow this," she thanked him with a sweet smile, "Are you sure you're alright? The wind is going crazy today."

"No, it's alright," he assured her, returning a smile, "You can keep it."

They began walking to the bus stop. Eunyoung's eyes kept wandering everywhere, scanning the road she had taken every day of her teenage life. If she was completely honest with herself, she was freaking out inside. She was wearing Ryu Sunjae's clothes. The fact seemed so surreal to her and in that moment, for a while, she felt like a stereotypical teenage girl with a crush on a popular guy.

As they reached the bus stop, all she could think of was Sunjae sitting near the pool and sobbing his heart out. The pictures of news articles flashed in front of her eyes. "Ryu Sunjae's cause of death: Suicide?" "Ryu Sunjae proved to be taking anti-depressants prior to his death" She looked up at Sunjae. He had no idea what fate had in store for him, and she wanted to protect him more than anything.

💿

As they sat on the bus, side by side, Eunyoung found herself reaching for Sunjae's ice cold hand. The action startled Sunjae as he jumped a bit, a bright red blush appearing on his face. "Are you feeling alright?" she asked, her voice laced with worry and her eyebrows furrowed.

"I'm fine, really," he said, turning away to hide his flushed face, "I don't feel that cold, really."

"Your hands are literally freezing," countered Eunyoung, "But that's not what I was asking about. Earlier, at the pool... what happened?"

"Oh," he muttered, "I- it's stupid."

"No, it's not. Tell me, Sunjae."

The way she said his name just made him melt, "I got a bad grade... and I realized that without swimming, I don't even know what I'm doing with my life, and it really stressed me out."

"It's alright," she whispered, squeezing his hand gently, "It's okay to feel lost. One bad grade isn't the end of the world, trust me. It doesn't matter nearly as much as you think it does."

"It was a really bad grade, Eunyoung."

"Really?" she challenged. The determination in her eyes, and her grip on his hand both seemed to be hypnotizing him. She asked him, "How much did you get?"

"Ten out of forty. In math."

Her grip loosened for a moment as she stared at him, trying to process the information.

"See, it is bad," he slowly pulled away his hand because if he stayed that way any longer, he might have exploded right there.

"No," she tried to comfort him, but the insincerity was evident in her tone, "Look you need practice, that's all."

"It's no use, I'm stupid," he insisted, "I don't understand anything, and I'm always dozing off in class."

"I'll teach you," warmth crept up Eunyoung's face as she realized what she just said. There was no going back now. The thought of spending so much time with him made her feel giddy. Sunjae's eyes widened as he tried to process what she just said.

"You want to tutor me?" he confirmed, to which she nodded, "Are you sure you can handle it?"

"Sunjae, listen," she turned in her seat to face him, "You had to give up your dream. It's going to be hard to get on track with something else. You're really brave, you know. Not everyone can do what you're doing right now. I want to help you."

"Okay," he breathed.

Then they exchanged smiles, and their eyes communicated feelings that words could have never described.

💿

"Oh dear, look at you," Yumi gasped as she watched Eunyoung, drenched from head to toe, enter their house, with a grin plastered on her face and Sunjae's jacket draped over her shoulders, "Was there a thunderstorm I didn't hear of?"

"It's a long story."

"I have time," countered Yumi with determination, "And that idiotic smile on your face tells me it has something to do with a certain someone."

"You're right," Eunyoung said, still smiling, her face glowing pink, "So I was going to visit Sunjae-"

"Of course you were."

"Let me speak, for god's sake," Eunyoung insisted, the smile never leaving her face, "And I met Inhyuk, who told me he went to the swimming pool 'cause he forgot something. So, I went there, and he was sitting by the pool and sobbing. I tried to comfort him, and it worked- I think. Then, we heard a really loud crashing sound outside and we fell into the pool. It was the scariest thing ever, honestly."

"That's so cute, it's like you guys are in a rom-com," Yumi said with a slight bitterness in her voice.

"Then why does your face look like someone squeezed a lemon in your mouth?" questioned Eunyoung, "Did something happen?"

"I went to the music club today-"

"Of course you did."

Yumi sighed, "Let me finish? So I went, and I waited outside for about a thousand years. I swear it felt like I was growing old standing there. By the time I had lost all sensation in my legs, I saw Taesung petting that kitten- you know which one, and I don't know... the moment I saw him, my mind went blank, and I couldn't speak properly. He looked so miserable... and I wanted to apologize but the words just wouldn't come out."

"I would hug you but then you would be drenched too," said Eunyoung, her smile turning into one of sympathy, "It means you like him. Things will be okay, Yumi. Maybe not now, but eventually."

I don't want to wait, Yumi silently thought to herself.

☾⋆｡𖦹 °✩⋆｡° ✮

nana's notes: i really love the headers where the characters are looking at each other <3

delphi's notes: patience? who's she? yumi doesn't know her...

next chapter: saturday (out now) list of chapters here!

[magician-kitty]

Beach Episode

It was a hot day today at Megapolis, and when I mean hot. I mean very, very hot. Like it's so hot that you could probably cook some eggs on the sidewalk.

"Sizzle, Sizzle, Megapolis City. It's hot out there! But don't fret it or sweat it. To beat the heat, you just gotta hydrate and refrigerate. Get yourself a nice frosty ice cream cone. Stay out of the Sun, or you'll end up well-done. Find some shade, or better yet, go on and get wet, wet, wet! Talking about a fishing hole or a swimming pool, fool! Stroll down to your friendly neighborhood river, lake, or stream, and leave the cool tubes to me."

"Ugh it's so hot..." MK groaned as she was fanning herself, sweating a lot.

"You said it, MK. Today is very hot." Mei replied as she was sweating too, her jacket wrapped around her waist and slouching over her chair.

"Hey, why not go to the Weather Station?" Mei suggested, MK shook her head. "Can't, it's still being repaired after Red Son took over it."

MK groaned in frustration, the one day she couldn't be more mad at the fire demon.

"Pigsy, Tang? You guys, okay??" MK asked, she glanced down and sees them sprawled down on the floor. "Stupid hot weather." Pigsy groaned, wiping sweat from his face.

"I think...this is the end for me." Tang groaned as well, his glasses halfway off his face. "I always knew we'd go out together, my sweet."

"Aw that's swell Tang."

Mei was about complain until she came up with the perfect solution. "Ooh, I know! We should all go to the beach!!" Mei said as MK, Pigsy, Tang liked the idea.

It's been such a long time since they all went to the beach--probably because everyone just goes to the Weather Station instead.

"Ooh! That's sounds like a great idea, I can buy me that swimsuit I saw the other day!" She grinned excitedly, scrolling through her phone for swimsuits.

"It better not be inappropriate, young lady!"

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

"Yeah, I think I could get used to this," Tang sighed in relief at the cool shade that was the umbrella he laid under, swirling an icy drink in his hand, he glanced over to the grumbling pig at his side. "C'mon, cheer up hon, Enjoy yourself."

"How can I, I told the kid not to pick that damn swimsuit." Pigsy murmured irritatedly, eyes darting around the crowded coast. A hand grasped his, comforting thumbs that traced over his knuckles.

"As much as you don't like it she Is growing up, and you're going to have to accept that."

The chef demon just grumbled, "Hey c'mon, take a break and relax. Please, My big strong noodle maker?~" Tang cooed, scratching Pigsy under his chin, making him squeal in delight.

A soft smile growing on his face, before turning to the sea with uncertainty. "Okay, Okay, hon. Whatever you--Aaugh!!" His face was caked with sand as a volleyball hits him in the face.

"My bad, Pigsy!" Mei called out.

"Me as well!" Sandy called out.

Pigsy growled and was about to yell at the river demon and dragon girl, until they all heard screaming, they looked to see everyone running away. "What the heck is going on?" He questioned.

"Oh no..." Tang sighed, having a clue to what's happening.

"Peasants!!" A familiar voice shouted, The group sighed in irritation.

The bull prince, Red Son stands before the group with millions of his Bull Clones behind him. He wears a white visor, a pair of sunglasses with an indigo rim, a black tank top, a pair of indigo swim trunks with a white stripe running down each side, and brown flip flops.

"What do you want, Red Boy?" Mei demanded, tapping her foot on the sand. "We don't really feel like fighting you today."

He scoffed, taking off his shades. "Please, As if I wish to fight you peasants today, I'm here to enjoy myself, As like the rest of you."

"That's reassuring." The pig demon grumbled, sitting back into the shade. Red Son looked around, as if someone was missing. "What? Noodle girl isn't here to save you all today?" He cackled.

"For your information MK's here, she's on the other side of the beach enjoying herself." The dragon girl pointed to the other side of the beach, towards the water.

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

"Whoo!"

She let out a loud cheer as she jumped into the water, riding the waves wearing a black two-piece swimsuit with flower prints.

The brunette screams as she looses her footing off the board and into the ocean. MK's head shot up from the water as she laughed, feeling her body relaxed from the intense heat. "Whoo! Now this is more like it." She then started swimming as she got out and dryed herself with a towel.

She lie down on her beach towel and starts reading a Monkey King comic book. She started reading but five minutes later, she was just starting to doze off when two shadows appearing over her startled her awake.

"Huh? What the?" She murmured, sitting up to stretch, She looked up and saw two demons that were gawking and grinning at her.

"Oh no, not this..."

"Excuse me pretty lady, but me and my friend couldn't help but admire you from afar~" one of them said seductively, waggling his eyebrows.

He had dark green eyes, a pig-like nose, buck-tooth grin, and short, messy red hair.

"Yeah, smokin' hot in that bikini!" The other agreed. He had slicked back black hair, black and white horns, lavender skin and a little stubble on his pointy jaw. His brown eyes glinted with mischief.

MK rolled her eyes at their crude remarks. "Wow, that's very sweet of you to say," she said sarcastically before going back to her comic book. "But please go away, Thank you."

"Aw, no need to be so cold darlin' I'm Stone, this is my friend, Wayne." He introduced himself and his friend.

"Say, wait a minute," Wayne suddenly said, eyes widening in recognition. "You're that Monkie Kid chick!"

"Really?" Stone leaned in towards MK, getting far too close in personal to her face, peering at her with narrowed eyes. "Hey! You're right, She is!"

"Yeah, what of it?" She crossed her arms, clearly not in the mood to be bothered by these guys.

"Aw, no need to be so cold darlin' We're really huge fans of yours you know." Wayne nudged his friend in the arm, grinning.

"Hmph! Yeah, I'm sure you are."

"Oh, no, it's true, we are! Ain't that right, Stone?" He nodded quickly.

"Definitely! So whatcha doin' here all by yourself?" Stone asked.

"That's None of your business, jerk." MK replied hotly. "Look, leave me alone, okay?" MK shoved past them, heading back towards the water where she hoped she could cool down, not only from the heat of the sun, but from having to put up with these perverts.

"Aw Cmon darlin' don't leave," Stone growled as he and Wayne chased her down and gripped her both arms tightly. "Not without an autograph at least~" He cooed, wiggling his eyebrows.

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

"No fair, you cheated!"

"I did no such thing. I won your little game fair and square!"

"You didn't have to hit the volleyball that hard, you little punk!" Pigsy scowled the fire demon while tending to his unconscious husband, who has a shiner on his head.

As they continued bickering, a loud, panicked scream pierced through the white sandy beaches, Sandy's ears perked, his large amber eyes went out towards the area, scanning it. He gasped. "Oh no, no look!" He points to a spot further out into the deeper section of the water.

Red Son followed his gaze, squinting to find what the gentle giant was referring too. Once he saw it, his eyes widened then narrowed in anger.

He growled.

"Hey, what are you?"

Before Mei could question him, Red Son was shoving past the group, zooming towards the water, shoving past anyone in his path.

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

"Alright, I'm warning you pricks to buzz off, Or else I'll show you what happens to those who mess with The Monkie Kid!" MK hissed, towering over the boys hoping they'd buy her bluff and leave her alone.

Unfortunately, these two were smarter than she anticipated. "Oooh, sounds like fun! Can wanna see~!"

MK shrieked as she suddenly felt her bikini top loosen, the strings falling across her shoulders. "GET OFF ME!" MK screamed, She cried out when she found herself tackled from behind.

Oh, that's it she swore she would handle this and not pull out her staff but that's it!!

Unfortunately, someone has already beaten her to the punch, literally. An incoming fist landed on Stone's face, sending the jerk flying inches away from MK.

Both MK and Wayne froze when they heard the deep growling and the smell of smoke. MK glanced over Wayne's shoulder and saw the familiar red headed demon, His normal green eyes were glowing with a red burning rage, his hair blazing fire, smoke snorting from his nose and his mouth was drawn back in a menacing snarl, revealing his very sharp and deadly-looking teeth.

"I believe she told you both to 'Go away'," Red Son rumbled. "Or are the both of you hard of hearing."

"Woah, c-calm down pal. W-we were just playing around with her! Just having a little fun is all!" Wayne insisted, but immediately fell silent with the icy stare that was sent his way.

Red Son quickly glanced over to MK, who had her back turned to them, attempting to retie her top--surely to have come undone by those guys, The mere sight of her trembling state made his heart ache inside.

And he did like it. One. Bit!!

Red Son grabbed the two creeps by the back of their necks, holding him up in the air. The two yelped and struggled, but the fire user's grip was too strong.

"You hideous second rate demons have the audacity to harass an innocent young woman just because she said no!? It's filthy peasants like you who make it hard for women today to enjoy the beach comfortably."

"Wow, who knew Red Son was such a feminist."

"You can't help but try to get your grubby little hands on them and then assault them when they don't want to have anything to do with you. Well, let me just warn you..." He shoved them to the hot sand, hovering over them, a wicked grin plastered on his face.

"If I ever catch you fuckers pestering her or anywhere near her again, I will personally show you what happens to those messes with me, Understand"

Y-y-yes s-s-s-sir!" The demons stammered, giving him a shaky salute. "W-w-we promise! J-j-just spare us!"

Red's mouth turned up into an impish smirk. "Don't worry, I wouldn't dream of touching the likes of you, however..." he let his sentence hang there.

Wayne and Stone nervously turned around and his Bull Clones surrounded them, General Ironclad pounding on his robotic fists.

Extremely satisfied, The Bull prince left them to the beatdown they were receiving. He goes over to MK's side, who had finished fixing herself up. "Honestly, Noodle Girl, surely you could have put up a better fight than--" He was cut off when MK launched herself towards him, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug, making him freeze up.

"Thank you..." She whimpered, burying her face into his chest.

"I-I-I..." Red Son stood there flustered, his entire face pink, his heart pounding, he could swear he saw little hearts floating over him. "Y-You're...Your Welcome?" He finally managed to say.

"MK, are you alright?" Mei asked frantically as the prince wrapped his towel around her shaking frame, eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"Yeah I'm fine, I'm okay," MK fixed her best friend with a tired smile. "Just a little worn out is all."

"Thanks for helping me, Red," the Monkie kid eventually spoke, smiling. The fire demon looked away uncomfortably, still trying to keep his composure. "I mean, I-I, Uhh..." He stammered, trying not to blush.

"Wow, never took you for the gentlemen type, Red Boi.." Mei said, crossing her arms.

"It's Red Son! And How dare you," Red Son screeched, looking rather offended. "I may be a villain but I was taught to respect a woman!"

MK gaped in awe as she could feel her heart race, 'A woman? Wow that doesn't sound half bad' Her face as red as a tomato at him referring to her as a woman rather than girl.

MK took a glance at the viewers watching, or reading.

"I think he's starting to grow on us, don't you think?"

"Uh, MK who are you talking to?" Sandy asked her.

"Uhh..."

[welikeclownsinthishouse]

Entry number 22 for @ailesswhumptober

Day 22: punishment/nerve damage

Hughie immediately knew something was wrong, knew it the second he stepped into his apartment. He wasn't sure why he suddenly felt scared, it was just something in the air telling him to leave, to get out but Hughie didn't listen. He was just paranoid, having been on the run for months would do that to someone after all.

So he shrugged and walked further into his apartment, closing the door behind him before he removed his jacket, throwing it over his couch as he made his way into the kitchen to get himself a glass of water.

Right as he started filling his glass, the water the only sound echoing through the silent apartment, he heard something else. He heard steps, coming toward him slowly but with purpose.

Hughie's stomach churned as he turned around but he didn't see anything, he didn't hear the steps either. He shut the water off quickly as he scanned his apartment, trying to see if anything had changed.

There was nothing amiss, the only thing that caught Hughie's eye was the window that was still standing wide open. Did he leave it open this morning? Did Annie? He shook his head before he walked over quickly and closed it, pulling the curtains closed right after.

He turned back around then only to jump out of his skin when he saw a dark figure standing at his front door. Hughie could feel his heartbeat speed up as he tried to make out some features, hoping to be able to identify the person who had broken into his apartment.

As the figure crept closer however, Hughie swallowed and his mouth turned dry; he would recognize that stupid suit anywhere.

"Now why did it take you so long to realize I was here? You really aren't perceptive at all are you?" Homelander said, breaking the silence with his mocking voice. Hughie didn't respond, he didn't know what to say; the supe was right, it did take him way too long to realize he wasn't alone.

"What do you want?" Hughie said after a while, his eyes never leaving the supe that started walking around his apartment, touching everything he could get his hands on.

"Did you really think I would just let your little display of power go? Can't let you think you have any, can I?" Homelander answered and Hughie frowned, he had no idea what the supe was talking about.

Homelander seemed to realize that as well, his plastered-on smile faltering just a tad before he stopped, a framed picture of Hughie and his dad in his hand.

Hughie moved away from the window as Homelander stood there, trying to reach the counter where he had placed his phone earlier but Homelander was faster. The supe grabbed Hughie's phone and threw it away while his other hand pressed Hughie against the counter. Hughie could hear a distant thid as he stared at Homelander who was now right in front of him.

Hughie could feel his heart in his throat, he could feel beads of sweat running down his temple and the way his body started to shake as Homelander stared at him. He should have left, maybe went to a bar or something.

"I thought about this you know? About a punishment that wouldn't leave you dead because I did tell little Starlight I wouldn't kill you." Homelander said quietly, almost too quiet for Hughie to understand. The words caused a weird mix of relief and terror to manifest inside Hughie's brain.

"She never said anything about maiming though." He continued with a sick smile on his face before his eyes roamed over Hughie.

Hughie felt sick to his stomach as soon as the words registered and he tried to move out of Homelander's grasp but it was useless, the supe just tightened his grip on Hughie's arm.

"Don't-" Hughie started but the fierce glare he got in response made him shut his mouth real quick. Not even a minute later Hughie could see an excited smile forming on Homelander's face and the dread that pooled in his stomach at the sight almost overwhelmed him.

"You know you have a really pretty face for a guy. How about we change that?" Homelander said, the excitement in his voice matching the smile still on his face. Hughie didn't even get time to process the words before he saw Homelander's eyes light up, the bright red hue illuminating the otherwise dark apartment.

Without thinking Hughie moved his arm, effectively slapping it over Homelander's eyes and preventing the lasers from reaching his face. The pain was instantly excruciating and Hughie started screaming the second it registered in his brain.

Homelander didn't react though, he kept the lasers going until the smell of burning flesh wafted through the whole apartment, making Hughie feel even sicker than he had before.

The supe let go of Hughie right after his eyes stopped glowing and Hughie immediately sank to the floor, cradling his burned arm to his chest in a futile attempt to regulate the pain.

"I should punish you for that too Hughie but you're lucky that I'm in a good mood today." Homelander said before he left, leaving Hughie sobbing on the kitchen floor with his arm burned so badly Hughie was surprised it was still recognizable.

He felt like throwing up as he looked at his arm, the flesh charred and oozing blood. He could see the places were his suit had melted into his skin and he thought about pulling it out for a second before he changed his mind. He wouldn't touch his arm, not while he was still trembling like a leaf.

Hughie stayed on the kitchen floor, his body shaking and his arm throbbing in pain, until he heard his phone ring. He jumped at the noise and his eyes snapped in the direction it was coming from before he slowly forced himself to get up.

His legs wobbled as he made his way toward the noise and he had to take a few deep breaths to be able to keep going. He finally spotted his phone at the other end of the room, a large crack going right through the middle of the screen.

He took a shuddering breath and tried to stop the tears from flowing as he watched his phone ring, seeing a picture of Annie illuminated on the screen. He didn't want to pick up, didn't want Annie to worry, especially considering she shouldn't just leave the tower and she would certainly try if Hughie told her what had happened.

So with spots forming at the edges of his vision, he waited for the call to go to voicemail before he called an ambulance, intending to call Annie back as soon as he knew how bad the injury on his arm was.

Annie wasn't happy with his decision and she let him know as soon as she saw him, reprimanding him for being an idiot as she pulled him into a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry Hughie." She whispered into his chest after she called him an idiot for the thrid time. Hughie just hugged her back as tightly as he could, reveling in the comfort the embrace brought him.

They stayed like that for a while, just taking comfort in each others presence, until the doctor came in to tell him how bad his arm was doing; the injury was very bad as it turned out and Hughie was lucky he was able to keep his arm at all.

The burns had apparently fried the nerve endings in his arm severely and even now, three weeks later, his arm was numb. Sometimes at least, most of the time he could feel a tingling that would interchange with a burning sensation every now and then.

He still hoped it would get better, that he would be able to use his arm again after a while but he knew the chances that were almost zero. At least it wasn't his right arm that got fried though, he wouldn't have wanted to learn how to write again.

[verhalenbrianna]

in another lifetime - short story

Six years ago

We sat across from each other in my room, drowning in silence and heartache.

We’d just made love and now sat in silence.

“I’m tired.” I declared. 

“I’m tired, too.”

“Why can’t we just be happy?”

“We’ve tried everything.”

“I know.”

We’d just made love and now it was ending.

He stared down at his hands clasped tightly together.

I looked at him and for once since what felt like ages, really looked at him. His dark brown hair, his skin the perfect shade of olive- he was nothing shy of perfect to me.

“We’ve tried everything but being… apart.” I choked on the last word, staring at the beautiful boy sitting across from me with tears in my eyes.

“But…” He trailed off. “This is my bed.” He placed his hands on the comforter slowly, feeling every curvature and pattern. “This is my room.” He looked around and I noticed, too, tears falling down his cheeks. “This is all ours.”

We spent the evening in each other’s arms, never knowing it would be the last time.

“I’m going to miss you so much.” I said as I clung to him. The feeling of his shirt wet from my tears. I looked back into his eyes, the most beautiful shade of brown I’d ever known.

“I can’t do this.” He pleaded.

“Please don’t forget about me.” I begged, running my hands through his hair, holding the sides of his cheeks.

“I don’t want you to forget about me.” He replied, holding the sides of my hands that rested upon his face.

I kissed him. Not just a simple kiss, but with every fiber of my being exuded into that kiss.

“You’re my best friend. Nothing is going to be the same. And I’m going to miss you so, so much.”

----

“Why did you keep this to yourself, why suffer in silence for six years?” She asked. We’d been friends for years and I never expressed how much my heart ached for him to this day.

“I don’t know.” I answered honestly.

“I had no idea you still thought of him like this. I thought you had moved on. With, uh, what’s his name, John?” She quizzed me. I couldn’t blame her though, I didn’t mention a word of this to anyone for years.

“John is a really great guy, but he doesn’t want any kind of relationship. Besides… he doesn’t hold my heart the way Phoenix does.”

“Does?

“Very much so.” I pursed my lips and held my hands tightly together on my lap. We should have been working, but this took priority.

Sarah, my dear, dear friend, had nothing to say. I could see the lines on her forehead elude as she tried to think of something to say that would suffice. I didn’t know what to say either.

“He’s engaged.”

“I know.”

“How do you know that?”

“I asked him how he was, and he replied with he was engaged. I didn’t mention I had seen him out shopping for rings. I saw him, and we passed right by each other, as if mere strangers.”

 “Wait, wait, you actually talked to him?” She sat upright, turning her body toward me.

“Briefly. It had been so long, I wasn’t even sure he’d respond, but he did. He seemed happy. Asked me how I was, which I replied, and then he just… liked my message. No reply back, nothing.”

“Not a word?” The lines in her forehead prominent now. She was obviously bothered.

“No.” I felt my stomach concave.

“I think this is your sign that it’s time to move on, Sloane. He’s getting married. You know how much that means to him. He’d never done it if he didn’t mean it.”

The tears started to pool in the corner of my eyes. “I know.”

“Is he… happy?” I hesitantly asked.

She thought for a moment, unsure of how to respond. “Yes.”

I took a long breath and smiled weakly. “I thought, this whole time, he was out there making stupid mistakes and being a normal twenty-something year old who sleeps around and does stupid stuff with their friends. That, one day, fate would bring us back together again. We could finally be happy…instead, he was getting better for someone else.”

For a brief moment, Sarah lit up, as if she had the best idea that ever occurred to her.

“There is this place in Charlotte…Fenders or something, I’m not one hundred percent sure, but I think they could help you.”

“What do you mean they could help me? What, like some sort of therapy?”

“No. They help to erase unwanted memories. Maybe it would be a good idea for you. Help you get over… him.” She hesitated.

“No.” I fired back. I was slightly offended she’d even offer such a suggestion. Her hands went up in surrender.

“Your choice, Sloane. I really think you should consider it. Here-“ She grabbed a piece of paper and a pen, writing down the name again for me. Cautiously, she handed it to me. I thanked her for it and proceeded to place it in my purse. But, once she was out of sight, I crumpled the paper up and threw it in the trash can beside me.

I spent the whole evening replaying our conversation, bouncing back and forth between genuine curiosity and offense.

Why would I want to forget him? I love him. I kept repeating it over and over. I love him. I love him. I love him.

I don’t want to hurt anymore, I’d retort in response.

---

I sat down at the kitchen counter with my head in my hands. I felt the goosebumps evade my skin as the AC kicked on. Suddenly, my phone pinged next to me.

I took a deep breath and looked at it before the screen had a chance to black out again.

                        From: John

                        Hey, you up?

I sighed and placed my phone screen down back onto the counter. I was so tired of these kinds of texts. 

I instinctively picked the phone back up and checked social media, aimlessly scrolling through random posts and videos.

I glanced over to the search icon for a few moments. I bit my lip anxiously as I went to search for his name in the top right, knowing I shouldn’t… that no good would come from it.

I did it anyway.

P..hoen..i..x

His profile suddenly appeared. My thumb hovered over his photo for a few seconds before I gathered the courage to press down.

In an instant, my face was illuminated with photos of his life since that day six years ago.

I scrolled down and made my way back up. He was smiling more than I ever saw. Photos with friends, family… even some photos still exist of gifts I had given him.

I didn’t notice I was crying until a single teardrop hit the screen. I was half startled and immediately clicked out of the app, slamming the phone down on the counter.

My breath heaved before the tears became endless. It was so hard to breathe, so hard to think straight knowing how happy he looked in all his pictures, pictures without me.

Was he… happier? Did he mean what he said to me that day? Did he forget me? 

I made my way to my room in silence, the only sound echoing through the halls was the muffled sounds of my cries.

My heart shattered at the idea that I was no longer a part of his existence. He woke up, every day, no longer thinking of me. He woke up, every day, and lived a life in which I was no longer involved in.

I cried for what felt like hours.          

---

I awoke in the middle of the night to a nightmare in which I could not remember. I looked over at the clock that read 3:33am. I searched around my sheets for my phone, but I remembered I left it downstairs in the kitchen. I sighed heavily and rested my head back down on the pillow. I laid awake for minutes before I realized sleep would evade me for quite some time. I went back downstairs and sat by my computer, checking emails and work-related nonsense.

Leaning my leg over the chair, I accidentally knocked over my small, white trashcan I kept at the base of the desk. I rolled my eyes and began retrieving the loose items all over the floor when I remembered what Sarah had given me earlier in the day.

I sat there for a moment, pondering what the name of the site was she had written down. I opened up Google and began searching for similar names until I found the right site- Fender.

After hours of reading different testimonies and side effects, I understood how experimental it was.

Could I live in a world where I didn’t know him? Could I throw away all the years, the love?

The nagging pit in my stomach spoke up again.

He’s marrying another girl. It’s over.

I wiped a single tear from my eye and leaned my cursor over the “Make Your Appointment Today” button.

I hesitated for a few seconds before I pressed down.

---

I sat in the office chair, quietly- eerily quiet. I looked around me to see the faces of strangers, all who looked like me. Normal, but so wary, so tired.

No one spoke. We all sat in mutual silence until our names were called. It was antagonizing, I wanted to race to the door, while another part of me made me want to stay. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been curious. For all I knew, this could be a fluke. Did I hope it would be?

I looked down at the paperwork in front of me, aimlessly clicking my pen. I wrote down the basics- my name, address, phone number, primary care physician… then noticed the list of medications, mental health history, family health history… pretty intrusive questionnaire, I thought.

Was I going to cause myself real damage with this process?

I fumbled with my necklace, one of the last cherished things I had left he’d given me. The old rings had rusted away from years of use, so I kept those safe in a box in my closet.

“Ethers.”

I jumped up, startled before I could think twice. I had sat here for so long, so quietly, the sound of my name made my stomach drop.

“Yes.” I weakly responded.

“He’ll see you now.” The nice gentleman at the desk called out. I nodded toward him and began making my way through the double doors on the other side of the room.

“Good luck.” His mouth tilted upwards as I passed by, hands full with my sweater and clipboard.  

“Thank you.” I said. Did I mean that? Was that an appropriate response to this? I wasn’t sure, I wasn’t sure about any of this.

I was greeted by a beautiful blonde-haired woman, who claimed to be my nurse. She guided me into an auspiciously white room, where she sat me down and asked me endless questions to test my psychological status. Then the physical exam, which only lasted a few minutes. She was very thorough about the paperwork I filled out, which I appreciated for such an experimental treatment. The hours of research I did a few nights before only appealed to my curiosity.

Then asked me to talk about him.

“What would you like to remove, hun?” She asked me, her slight country accent coming through. She could tell how nervous I was and placed a hand on my knee.

“We do cases like these every day, sweetheart. Think of it as a new beginning- a do over. You don’t have to be haunted by your memories anymore.” She smiled.

“I want to forget I’d ever met him.” I swallowed the large lump that sat at the base of my throat. Lie.

We went through all the memories, all of the tears and the laughter, the love making and the arguments. The little looks from across the room, and the sleepless nights up talking. I shared everything.

“Okay.” She took a deep breath. “I think I have enough. The doctor should have more than enough to take care of you.”

“Will it hurt?” I asked her.

She paused for a quick moment, contemplating how she’d respond. She turned slightly toward me and replied, “It won’t hurt anymore.”

I understood what she meant.

The doctor had a large personality, which he over exaggerated to try and make me less nervous. It didn’t work, but I appreciated the effort.

I sat in a comfortable pleather chair, leaning back slightly. The nurse began the IV through the top of my hand. I winced slightly at the prick of pain. All I felt was cold running through me once she started the saline. I guess my couple years of medical training didn’t leave me completely useless, I thought to myself.

The doctor, Dr. Anoia, walked me through the procedure twice to ensure I knew this was what I wanted. I hesitated the first time he asked me, but not the second time. 

I leaned my head back as they placed the electrodes against the sides of my forehead. I slowly breathed in through my nose and out of my mouth, like all the anxiety websites said would work.

“We are ready to begin now, hun. Take a deep breath.” The nurse placed a hand upon my cheek and returned to the doctors side, dimming the lights down.

It was then I heard a few clicks of a machine nearby.

Suddenly, it was as if my brain was on fire. Not in a painful kind of way, but an electrified, static electricity throughout my body kind of way.

Thousands of memories spearing through my conscious- childhood, adolescence, early adult hood- you name it, I saw it. Even things I had forgotten about.

“We’re almost there, Sloane, please remain still.” I heard the doctor say. I was honestly, for the most part, enjoying most of the memories. I could easily surpass the negative ones.

Then his face appeared.

“I didn’t know if you would spend the day with me.” He smiled.

“Do you ever think about what our future would look like?”

“I’m so sorry, I swear, I will never do that again-“

“You are everything to-“

“Our daughter will have your ey-“

“I love you, so much.-“

The memories became too much, like a bombardment of hundreds of pictures and videos. I started to panic.

“Wait, please, can I keep this one memory, please?” I begged through tears, clenching my necklace.

“Honey, it’s for the best, this is what you wanted. Stay still.” The blonde-haired nurse spoke softly. She was so oddly comforting. Her hands warm, not the sweaty kind of warmth you’d expect, but warm.

“I can’t do this, I can’t forget him, I love hi-“

Another brain wave pulsed through me.

“Please calm her down.” Dr. Anoia urged from behind me.

“I-“ The images were slowly being removed from my memory.

“Phoenix.” I spoke one last time as the tears came to a sudden halt.

“Sloane…” I heard the nurses voice echo through the room. Things went black, for how long, I wasn’t sure. I could remember the feeling of someone taking my hand, but for all I know that could’ve just been a dream.

“Sloane, hun, are you feeling okay? It’s over now.” She cooed. I slowly started to come to.

“Sloane, this is Dr. Anoia, do you know where you are?”

I looked over to him, slightly startled.

“Fenders.” I whispered. I looked down at my hand wrapped in a death grip around my necklace. My brows furrowed as I slowly released it back upon my chest.

“Sloane I have to ask you a couple of questions, okay?”

I nodded my head.

“Sloane, what is your last name?”

“Ethers.”

“Good.” He continued on. “Where do you go to school?”

“Arizona State.”

He leaned over to check my chart and nodded.

“Good job.” The nurse encouraged me.

“Sloane, I have one more question. Who is Phoenix to you?”

It was silent for a few moments as I tried to rack my brain.

“I don’t know a Phoenix.” I said blankly, slightly confused. No emotion to it.

“I think we’re done here.” The doctor said as he handed back the controls to the nurse.

“You did wonderful, Sloane.” The nurse chimed in before I sat all the way up, slowly, and removed my IV.

I was helped down from the chair and guided back towards the hallway.

I walked back to the waiting room in a daze. The nurse handed me some papers of what to expect after the procedure. She explained I was here to erase some unwanted memories, but of what, I couldn’t recall. I guess it worked then.

The lobby was less full than I remembered it being. I wasn’t sure how long I was back there for.

A young man’s named was called as I walked back through the double doors. Our paths crossed for a moment.

“Excuse me.” I said politely as I moved around him toward the door. For a brief moment, I looked up at him. He was breathtakingly beautiful. He had dark brown hair and brown eyes to compliment his olive-toned skin. Skin that was just sun kissed enough, as if he spent a lot of his time in the sun. He even had a name tag like mine, although the name my brain seemed to skip over.

He looked down at me and resembled a look of confusion, almost as if he knew me from somewhere. Shortly after, he simply nodded with a small smile, letting me pass. I made it all the way to the door and paused with my hand on the handle. I looked up and sat there for a moment, sitting in a puddle of confusion and wonder.

I smiled and shook my head ever so slightly, as I opened the door and let it click back behind me.

Maybe I’ll see him again, I wouldn’t mind. I thought, then presumed. I have so much to do.

Maybe in another lifetime.