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#alright then im gonna set the new standard then
kirbyddd · 8 months
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barkbarkbark Riichi Book I's writing is like screeching chalkboard to my game designer's, translator's, and writer's ears all at once
it's got great concepts buried in there but it's in like the most anti-comprehension packaging conceivable
#what the hell is wrong with you#folks like you are the BANE of game designers everywhere#and game PLAYERS for that matter#THIS is the best strategy reference the English speaking world's got?#baddabingbaddaboom ladies and gentlemen#im about to make bank writing the West's first riichi primer that actually meets the standards of the modern analogue game industry#(which to be honest is abysmal right now the industry's in an insane 'text free' fad right now where every word is replaced with a symbol)#alright then im gonna set the new standard then#imma bout to do for Riichi Mahjong what i did for Ryuutama Traversées 🫸🤛#and for all the dudes at unpub who know how to design incredible games but dont know how to write instructions#alright sorry I'll calm down#but seriously i am gonna start throwing together an actually quality-controlled guide#cause every english resource ive found so far has been like this... inconsistent and full of holes and omissions in explanations#chiba talks about the game's strategic immaturity in the west... well it's got an even bigger gap of educational immaturity#anyways.... I'll toss a bit of effort that way#we'll see how far i take it#I'll either make a few loose articles or a fully fledged book. no in between#god i dont have the energy to make another book when i dont even know if Traversées is ever gonna see the light of day#100% complete full color layout and everything. publishing limbo is real and it's every bit as stupid and unnecessary as you think.#(my case is much simpler than most though cause im only working with two small publishers rather than a big corp)#but still. damn#anyways im so tempted to throw some of my rulebook magic at riichi while it's got my interest#not like i need to write a strategy tome the game just needs a professional quality introduction#don't make me do it i absolutely will do it#i did it for ryuutama when no one wanted to give a decent publication-quality localization for the supplements#and by garriot i will do it for riichi mahjong too if no one gives me a quality guide. i aint afraid of a global high strategy game#<- manic#(im not manic im just extremely restless having not been able to do any solid design work in a while and this book is getting me riled up)#cause it's like “i could write such a more coherent rulebook and HAVE written a more coherent rulebook. so why don't i do it again?”#the Disease is why. but maybe I'll give it a shot anyways if i get a second wind (i guess im otakaze right now harharharhar)
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lowkeyrobin · 2 months
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Hello! Could I please get a cricket crew (those who are okay with x reader Ofc) with a reader who tends to spoil them to the point it’s almost concerning? :)
yes. honestly didn't know what I was doing here so I apologize I got major writers block while doing this and idk why
HANDSOME BROS ; spoiling them
includes ; tommyinnit, tubbo, ranboo & badlinu
warnings ; language
masterlist
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TOMMYINNIT
if he's sad, you're there with a blanket, a bowl of soup and his favorite movie
constantly tweeting "guys my bf is so cool he just bought me lunch" and "got a little present for mr tom simons..."
you completely spoil him and love and your money LMAO
he knows that gift giving is one of your love languages but JESUS CHRIST
like it's not even for a reason anymore, you just spoil him so much
like if he's eyeing something at the store, you might have to surprise him with it later
he feels so bad
"y/n/n, yknow I have my own money and you don't need to spoil me, right?"
you shrug and nod like yeah you know, but will you stop? nope
he appreciates it but like he's running out of space to put all the shit you get him
he genuinely has to sit you down to talk about it because he's worried it's just love bombing and you're slowly giving up on the love in the relationship and using things to replace your fallen love for him
you apologize a trillion times because that's definitely not what's happening, you just love spoiling him
but yeah new rules, you can only buy him 1 thing a week
because he's genuinely worried about your bank account
go pay your taxes
TUBBO
ever since day one he's been confused by the sheer amount of gift giving you do
like you'll cherish him with your words yeah, but the amount of things you get him is a little absurd
you constantly buy him new blankets and hoodies
even gift him most of your merch store 💀
you'll show up in the middle of stream w dinner for him
like a whole homemade dinner and he's very grateful dw
but he's kinda worried
maybe it's a trauma response or coping mechanism to make him stay in your life
but no amount of reassuring you that he's gonna leave you will stop it
he's very appreciative that you'll spend money and time on him but yeesh
it starts to make him feel really bad and it gets to the point where he lightly asks you to lighten up on it a bit
like don't you have groceries to pay for? buy some stuff for yourself if you need to burn some money man
plus he feels bad being so spoiled by you, he doesn't wanna accidentally somehow set this standard on you to always be there
plus he's not your boyfriend to financially drain you, he's your boyfriend cause he loves and cares about you
RANBOO
constantly shouting them out online like "congrats to ranboo cause u won boyfriend of the year, prize is bragging rights and me!!" and "ranboo solos"
gifting them any sort of plushie they ever show interest in
straight up doordashing them food mid stream and donating like "ran go check the door"
they love being spoiled but when it gets bad, they sit down and talk to you about it
"is it a trauma response? do you think im gonna leave if you don't spoil me enough?"
you talk about it for a while and how it's just how you show love and how people only seem to listen to you when you got them things instead of told them that you loved and cared about them
another long talk ensues
don't worry, he's never leaving
and you feel bad after so you get him a glow squid plushie!
you mightve missed the point but it's alright
FREDDIE BADLINU
at first he's like "awe, thank you darling" but it's gotten so bad that he's actually worried for the stability of your bank account
you constantly shower him in love online and stuff
always gifting him clothes he'd like, blankets, candles, etc
always tweeting shit like "Freddie badlinu pls be my husband now :D" and "@/badlinu I have kisses awaiting come recieve your gift"
he greatly appreciates that you spend money on him and think about him so often but please calm down bae
yall talk about it and you promise to ease up some
he just feels really bad that you spend so much money on him
he appreciates all the words of affirmation and stuff and how you hype him up I swear LMAO
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batterygarden · 10 months
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Hi mosie :') I'm sorry for not frequently talking, Just had a massive breakdown over My college applications, i didn't pass and I still have no school
How are you feeling? May I request some dumbahh Denji if that's okay❤️
-mystery anon
Hehe here’s Denji after losing a bet:
“It is done!”
Your voice from down the hall sounds too excited, too upbeat, Denji thinks, for the situation at hand. Because the finished product you’re referring to is not something to be celebrated like some kind of baked good or art piece, but melted wax. Meant for none other than Denji’s hairy legs :(
You watch him scrub his palms in his eyes like he’s exhausted when you walk in the room with your wax jar, or maybe like he hopes that he’s dreaming, before whining a little when a container of glossy blue liquid is set in front of him.
“That stuff looks like it doesn’t belong near the human body. D’ya know for sure it’s not radioactive or something?”
“Of course it isn’t! People do this all the time.”
Denji releases the type of sigh that sounds like it comes from his soul, before he’s rolling up his basketball shorts and letting his back thud against the floor, face in hands.
“Geez Denji. I’m certain it won’t hurt as bad as you think it will.”
He shakes his head before shooting you a look that pleads mercy—the kind you think a patient might give their surgeon before going under. You fight back a laugh.
“I don’t believe you. But the pain’s whatever--like, T’s not even the biggest problem. I’m thinking about after—my legs are gonna look all dainty and smooth for a month!”
You give him a frown and open your mouth to cut him off but then he sits up like he just thought of something.
“‘N what if someone notices that chainsaw man’s legs have no hair?! What’ll that say about him? ‘The nation’s hero succumbs to unhealthy beauty standards’ ugh could you imagine that headline?”
You can only stare at him for a bit, unsure if laughing at his thought process would be too mean. You manage to fight back your giggle with a cough before resting a gentle hand on his shoulder.
“Baby. Nobodies gonna think you’re upholding toxic beauty standards, I promise. Let’s just get this over with, you’ll be fine.”
He nods and slowly lays back down, gripping onto the carpet beneath him like a lifeline.
You smooth a popsicle stick of hot wax over his thigh before he can protest further, and he flinches but otherwise remains complaintless. You notice his face looks a bit pale when you place the wax paper.
“Alright, on three.”
He whimpers.
“One. Two—“ you tear the strip with all your might before you can get to three.
Denji yelps louder than you’ve heard him since you scared him hiding in the closet on Halloween. Then he pants like he just ran a marathon, sitting up to survey the damage.
“Fuuuuck. Wheeew. That wasn’t so bad. Oh god I’m so red though! why’m I so red?”
“Your skin’s just a little irritated! It’s fine, look!”
You show him the strip of now-hairy wax and he frowns when he sees.
“This is. What’s the word? This is barbaric.”
You giggle and start mixing up the container with a fresh popsicle stick.
BABY I missed this but AUUGH not the college apps I’m so sorry to hear they’ve been stressful and I hope you figured out a plan that works for u!! I wish the act of attaining schooling wasn’t so unnecessarily tough >:( , I prommy it’ll all work out in the end. As for me honestly I’ve been… good :O !! Idk winter was like rlly hard this year so summer has been unbelievably refreshing. I remain terminally busy balancing work and social life and family stuff etc but Im lowkey stable rn so. Anyways It was kinda cool coming back to writing some Denji stuff after so long… I STILL LOVE HIM SO BAD UGH I LOVE HIM FOREVER. My thing w him is that he like. Deserves my loyalty yk! Like no character deserves loyal fans as much as that guy imo so I’m simply never going to stop loving him even though I get new fixations..
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aerequets · 3 years
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if ur complaining about adrien not having abs: they’re talking shit about u
slight salt (???) under the cut? it’s not really salt more than me being Uncomfy  and vocalizing it just because i can ha ha ha 
(oh also slight spoilers for the new trailer)
i’ve seen comment sections under the new trailer complaining about adrien not having abs and its just like ?? 
HUH????
im simply flabbergasted 
ARE YOU GONNA COMPLAIN ABOUT A 14-16 YEAR OLD BOY NOT HAVING ABS?
there is so much wrong with that and i want to put it all eloquently but i know i wont be able to so just,
1) he is a Child. since when do children need (or even have) abs??
2) he is a Child. why do you wanna thirst over a child so bad??
3) is bodyshaming alright when its with dudes? surely complaining that he doesnt have WASHBOARD ABS should be yikes, because we can all acknowledge the ridiculous standards set in place for women but somehow ABS are not an unrealistic standard to have in the slightest? 
4) again, he’s is a C H I L D ,,,, i keep repeating this because it SHOULD be the only reason i have to list at all. he’s a kid. i just dont get it 
the sadder part is, i feel like all the people complaining are on the younger end of the spectrum (there are a lot of younger fans on instagram and tiktok, not that i have the latter). like, they’re this young and they’ve already got this idea of what is good and what’s not good engrained in their minds. it makes me sad and uncomfy, as stated before, and just generally startled to see how people are focusing on that of all things when we got a whole trailer full of other things. AUGHH
i dont usually rant like this and i dont think this was salty, just me being like 👁👁 but . well. oh well 
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thetriggeredhappy · 3 years
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in the dadspy au, what if jeremy was just going to be an assistant/cook/janitor at the base while his dad was being the mercenary (since spy didnt want him to follow the "career" but didnt want to be separated from him), but then jeremy turned out to be even better than the hired scout so they promote him to that position and spy is not happy with this at all
ok i was gonna put this in the queue to post but im impatient because im happy with this one. only thing i didnt have was spy being upset by this development
(warnings for canon-typical violence, discussion of mercenary-type things, paranoia, alcohol, and exactly one proper fight scene. consider this pg-13)
-
“Would you prefer the good news first, or the bad news?” Dad asked.
Jeremy looked up at him from where he’d snatched up the sunday comics from his dad’s newspaper and was doodling little hats on the characters while they waited for their food to arrive. “Uh,” he said, “good news first.”
“Alright. The good news is, do you remember that line I’ve been tailing? The one in New Mexico?”
“Uh, yeah,” Jeremy said, then nodded a little more confidently. “Immunity, safehouse, somethin’ like that, right?”
“...Something like that,” Dad agreed carefully, and that made him raise an eyebrow. “It went well, and I think there’s the very real possibility that I’ve all but closed the deal, all they want now is an interview.”
“...Interview, singular,” Jeremy said slowly.
“That’s where the bad news begins. Unfortunately... merde, how to phrase this?” He drew a hand down his face. “They’re fully willing to hire me on, but this is a more... corporate affair than I’m used to. They have rules, stipulations. Long story short, they will not hire you as a mercenary on the basis of your age.”
Jeremy tensed. “What?” he demanded. “That’s stupid, I’m old enough to drive and buy guns and whatever the hell else.”
“But not rent a car, at least in many places in the United States.”
“But—“ he started, and remembered they were in public, and lowered his voice to a hiss, leaning in. “We’re hired killers, thieves, criminals. Do they really think we’re above having fakes? False documentation?”
“Actually, that is one of their requirements,” Dad said dryly, taking a paper from his jacket and consulting it. “I’m not happy about it either, mon lapin, but those are their rules. Already they have slightly bent them for one individual, and already I am on thin ice. But I may have a way to manage this.”
“Yeah?” Jeremy asked, nervous now.
“I know the woman responsible for new hires and managing the team I’ve applied for. She owes me a favor—a fairly hefty one. When I go in for the interview, one of my demands will include you being hired on, not as a mercenary, but for... for custodial purposes, something like that. Cook, janitor, security guard, secretary—whatever job there is that needs doing there, and I am sure that there will be one. Something to allow you to live there. Pay will likely be her stipulation, and the play I hope to make is that really, you’re overqualified for the position and she’s lucky to have someone so competent available, and in the worst case scenario, the pay is still good enough even for just one of us that we will not cut too deeply into the savings.”
The savings. That made Scout blink, because they only ever brought up the savings when—
“You think this could be it?” he asked quietly. “Like, it it?”
A hard exhale, and he leaned his cheek on his hand. “Potentially,” he finally said. “I don’t want to get your hopes up, but the job promises a variety of things. Medical attention available, extremely low levels of danger, and most of all, confidentiality. The only people who will know any name we give them would be the woman in charge of hiring us and their singular medical professional. There is no mode of communication to or from the compound outside of emergency lines to the organization and a single secure payphone located two miles away, there is no civilization within a twenty-five minute drive minimum, and this operation has been going long enough that the local authorities have long since grown used to being paid off, and likely don’t even remember what for anymore. I cash in a few valuable favors and ask this employer to turn a blind eye, we’d have somewhere remote and secure to spend our time after our deaths are faked and once the contract is over, we can start over. No ties to the past.”
“Freedom,” Jeremy marveled.
Silence for a few seconds, broken only by the quiet chatter of the rest of the diner. “I want to warn you, this work may not be glamorous. It may not even be particularly easy. I’m giving you the option of saying no,” Dad said.
“What?! Yes, hell yes, are you joking? To get us to living like normal people? Steady work? Livin’ in one place? Count me in!” he laughed.
“What if the job is something you won’t enjoy? Long hours, boring work?” Dad asked, entirely serious.
“I’m still on board.”
“What if the other people working there are rude to you? Disrespectful?”
“Well most of the people I meet through our job now try to kill us, so really it’s an upgrade.”
“What if there’s no diner nearby?” he asked, and there was a glint of humor in his eye.
“Damn, sorry, that’s the dealbreaker,” he joked right back, and that made him snort, shake his head, greet the waitress as she came back with their coffee and soda and then informed them that their food would be out shortly.
“I’ll ask,” was what Dad said once she was gone again, and that was that, and they started driving to New Mexico two nights later.
-
“—A warm welcome to our two newest recruits. This is the Spy, and this is the Guard.”
“Guard?” asked one of the men at the table, his accent thick and distinctly Russian. It made Jeremy tense slightly, but he didn’t let it show.
“Night Guard,” Jeremy answered, voice clipped.
“He’s not technically hired on as a mercenary like you all, he won’t be joining you on missions,” the short woman apparently named Miss Pauling (Jeremy was fairly sure it was a fake name) said, hands folded in front of her neatly. “He’s here to work security. Keep an eye out during the night, filter through the camera footage, handle the archiving, things like that.”
“We’re hiring on a civvie now?” asked another man, thick Scottish accent a little harder to digest than the eyepatch and the grenade he was in the process of fiddling with the internal mechanisms of.
“He’s combat ready, and will still be armed. His job is to essentially make sure you’re all safe enough to sleep through the night,” Miss Pauling said.
“I’m not some chump,” Jeremy agreed. “I know my stuff.”
“How old is he?” another man asked, this one in a hardhat with a heavy drawl, looking concerned.
“Twenty, for your information,” Jeremy said, a little sharply, eyes narrowed.
“If you have any other questions, there’ll be time later on. For now, I do need to show our two newest recruits where they’ll be staying,” Miss Pauling cut in.
There was an audible scoff from one of the men at the table, a dramatic rolling of eyes. Jeremy glared at him. He unfolded and refolded his extremely tattoo’d tree-trunk-like arms, tugging the visor of his hat between. “Sorry,” he said, accent thick and distinctly Californian. “I just don’t have the most trust for some scrawny kid in slacks and creep in a ski mask.”
“Scout, don’t start,” Miss Pauling warned.
“Just saying,” this man, apparently called Scout, muttered under his breath regardless.
“Don’t,” she said again, more firmly, and ignored the second eye roll she got for the trouble. “If you two would follow me.”
And they were shown around the base, and Jeremy in particular was shown into a room stuck behind three locked doors, where he found camera feeds and recording equipment. She gave him a basic overview and a thick packet of instructions and policies labelled ‘highly classified’ and a phone number to call if he had any further questions, and a set of hours that were apparently meant to become the new standard for him (with the quiet addendum that if he finished early that was alright, and that technically he could turn in early if two or more members of the team were already awake for the day and he was caught up on the archiving of old tapes).
Then he was left to “get used to the equipment”, which he assumed meant his dad was getting a similar rundown of his job, and it took a pretty quick glance through the packet to understand that clearly this place ran on an extremely secretive and closely monitored series of systems. In the packet, between the sections on camera maintenance and operation hours, were a few sheets detailing what were apparently the movement patterns of the various members of the team, including frequented locations and previously recorded large-scale infractions (mostly on the part of the Soldier, the Medic, the Scout, and one from the Demoman).
He wasn’t the one with the title Spy, but fuck, it seemed like he might as well have it. His entire job wasn’t even necessarily to keep the team safe overnight—he was just meant to watch all of them to make sure nobody was anywhere or doing anything out of the ordinary.
The next time he saw his dad, waiting outside the infirmary to get some sort of physical evaluation, his face was arranged carefully enough that he could tell he’d figured out something was up, too.
“Got your job assignments?” he asked quietly in French, glancing towards the door into the infirmary.
A nod, a glance. “I’m intrigued by the methods used in employee evaluation,” he deadpanned. “Especially the fact that apparently, they’re willing to assign employees for the explicit task of doing them.”
“How often?”
“Weekly.”
“Thorough,” Jeremy deadpanned, and glanced towards the hall at the distant sound of laughter, echoing from somewhere else on the base. “That’s basically mine too.”
There was a long silence, and when Jeremy looked back over, his dad was giving him an almost expectant look, waiting. All he had to offer him was a shrug, which was returned after a moment with a vague shake of the head. “I don’t believe it will be a problem,” his dad said simply. “Not for us, at the very least.”
Jeremy nodded. “Yeah. Uh, anyways, good luck with the… physical, or whatever,” he said, and received a pat on the shoulder before he walked back off down the hall, hoping to figure out what exactly he was supposed to do with an entire room all to himself. He’d almost never had one before.
-
He was used to time changes and jet lag, to needing to switch his sleep schedule on the regular, but the switch to a straight up night shift was a rough one.
His nine-to-five was actually a ten-to-six, as in 10 PM through 6 AM. This meant that, assuming he managed to get his schedule in order, he’d be able to join in on the team dinners if he woke up early and could eat breakfast with them before he went to bed.
Very quickly he realized that going to dinner and breakfast with the team was going to become a staple part of his routine, because it didn’t take long before he began to feel extremely lonely all of the time. In a dark little room, everyone else asleep, scrubbing through tapes from during the day while half keeping an eye on the live feed from around the base that never showed much of anything, it was brutal. It was suffocating.
It was easy, at least. It didn’t take long before he got efficient at it and could start zoning out, and it wasn’t like he was under much pressure. His was the only room without any cameras in it. Security risk, apparently. 
And to be honest, what small amount he and Dad interacted with mercenaries and other criminal types, Jeremy didn’t really tend to like them much. A lot of them were loud and rude and had the potential to turn around and try and kill them whenever they felt like it. He didn’t expect that he’d like the team as much as he did. He especially didn’t expect to like them so much without ever really talking to them.
But watching the camera feeds from throughout the day, seeing what they were up to, they were just... nice people. Soldier out by the dumpsters practicing rocket jumps and wrangling raccoons and apparently trying to learn how to spin a rifle, Pyro’s regular minor explosions in the kitchen while cooking and the surprised and frantic way they cleaned it up every time, the Demoman’s tendency to whistle wherever he went, watching through the feed as they all played cards and argued and jostled each other. They all seemed really nice. Really cool. Really dorky, too, but mostly just really nice and really cool.
And there were a few of them he was less sure about—he couldn’t get eyes on the Medic most of the time, what with the one camera in the Medbay being tilted down at an angle that made it hard to see much of anything but the occasional bird (probably by those same birds). The Heavy tended to just sit and read, and was pretty much silent most of the time otherwise. The Scout tended to leave the base pretty often. And the Sniper didn’t even live on base, he had a van outside that he could only occasionally see movement in when he squinted at the far edge of the camera leading outside. But even then, Heavy and Sniper mostly just seemed quiet, and Medic just seemed busy, and the Scout just seemed like a little bit of a dickhead.
But then one day when Jeremy was at breakfast the Heavy caught him leaning to try to get a look at the cover of the book he was reading, and he blurted that he was just wondering what book was so great that he’d stay up until like four in the morning reading, and then the entire team was gawking at him and asking questions and insisting that it was insane that there was someone actually watching all those cameras, and he shrugged and said there was always supposed to be someone watching the tapes back it was just usually some office worker type a hundred miles away. And they seemed almost... upset with him. And maybe that was fair, it wasn’t like he ever talked to any of them much, mostly he just spent breakfast and dinner half-asleep and listening to their chatter. And Demoman admitted that he’d honestly assumed that Jeremy slept his entire shift, he just always looked so tired at breakfast. There was almost this discomfort. This distrust.
And so, now that the jig was up, he made it a point to say some things to certain members of the team. To tell the Medic that his camera was tilted down so that he couldn’t see most of the room, and to very pointedly say that it was weird how that happened and that he didn’t know why they set it up like that in the first place, but it was really none of his business. Made it a point to warn the Engineer in the morning that the previous night, Soldier had been doing something in the fridge for a while, and to maybe check the labels before he made breakfast. Made it a point to tell the Demoman that the camera in his workshop was right in plain sight, and that if he moved one of his blackboards an inch or two to the left, it would obscure the room a pretty hefty amount. Made it a point to tell the Sniper that the camera on the rooftop seemed to be glitching out, and it’d just sort of lost the tapes of the previous two nights, and that it was really unfortunate since for all he knew there might have been someone ignoring the signs about there being no personnel allowed up there.
In return, he found that Pyro would sometimes make little sparkly notes with smiley faces on them and stick them to the door to the security room. That Sniper started tipping his hat at the camera above the door into the base from the garage. That on occasional drinking nights, the team would suddenly turn and start waving at the camera, laughing the whole way. On one night in particular he could hear through the low-quality and tinny speakers that they were trying to cajole him into leaving the security room for a while to join them for cards, and god, but he wanted to.
And he noticed more things. Soldier walking with a slight limp some days when rocket jumps had rough landings. Being able to count the doves in the infirmary and even tell them apart to some extent through blurry close-ups. The Engineer making it a point to sweep really regularly regardless of what project he was working on.
And then he noticed a weird thing.
It took him a long time to get used to the patterns of hallways, the cameras not really lined up linearly after a while, too many branching paths. He learned to follow progress, to flick from one camera to the next as someone walked around corners. And for a while he thought maybe he wasn’t very good at it.
Until he realized two things. First of all, that in a hallway where he knew there were five doors, he could only see four—apparently the door to Pyro’s room was just barely out of sight of the camera. He only figured it out because one day it swung open wide enough to almost bang against the wall.
And then, when he realized there was somehow that massive blindspot, that there was a corner with a blindspot too. One where that Scout kept disappearing.
He watched a few more times to make sure, and yep. He’d see the Engineer walking around the corner, flick to the next screen, and there he was, continuing down the hallway. And then later that same day, the Scout, walking, and flick to the next camera, and he wasn’t there.
One of the worse parts of the job was that he never got to see Dad anymore, never got to just sort of hang out the way they did all the time when he was growing up, and he knew he would miss it but he didn’t know how much. And he found it was even worse when he had something important to say, doubly so when he had something important to say but no idea if it was actually important.
He tried to bring it up casually, in the like ten minutes of time he ever got alone to talk to Dad. Dad was fighting the kettle trying to make some tea and he was trying to stay awake long enough to figure out how he was going to say this.
“Uh,” he said, and Dad looked at him. “So, uh, what’s the read you’re getting on that Scout guy?”
“Lazy,” Dad shrugged, looked back at the kettle. “Arrogant. He seems to care very little about doing his job correctly and has horrible communication on the field.”
“Right, right,” he nodded, fought a yawn down. “Uh. So like, kind of a dickhead.”
“Indeed,” Dad said, nodding vaguely.
“So uhhh... not the best.”
“Where are you going with this?” Dad asked, arching an eyebrow at him.
“I, I dunno, the guy just likes hanging out in this one blindspot in the cameras, and it’s kinda freaking me out,” Jeremy said, scratching at the back of his neck.
Dad frowned. “Strange. I wasn’t aware that there were any blindspots in the cameras.”
“There’s only a few, and only for pretty small spaces I think? But apparently he just likes hanging out in one of them.” Jeremy scuffed his shoe on the ground, glancing over as voices started echoing down the hall towards them. “Just thought it was weird.”
“I’ll look into it,” Dad muttered, voice quiet, and then raised it again slightly. “I refuse to keep up with sports.”
“C’mon,” Jeremy said, knowing this game well, changing subjects into something more normal as people entered earshot. “I’m not even asking you to keep up with sports, I’m just saying, I’d kill to go to a baseball game right about now.”
“The American Pasttime!” Soldier called from the room over.
“Exactly,” Jeremy agreed, nodding at Soldier as he also entered the kitchen, a half-asleep Demoman in tow.
“Any ghosties or ghoulies on the cameras last night, lad?” Demo had enough energy to ask, blinking blearily at the contents of the fridge.
“Oh, a billion,” Jeremy said.
“Guard!” Soldier barked, the most awake person in the room. “Should these ghost-ghouls appear again, don’t be afraid to point me in their direction! I have significant experience with them already and do not fear the likes of them!”
“Yeah sure,” Jeremy shrugged.
“You’re a champion, Guard,” Demo said with what was either a really disoriented blink or a wink, slugging him on the shoulder and wandering back out into the common room with the entire carton of milk in his other hand. Jeremy gave him a mock-salute that Soldier copied with absolute conviction. He and Dad shared a glance after the two of them left, and Jeremy was the first one to break, snickering under his breath.
“I’ll look into it,” Dad said, and also left the kitchen, and Jeremy nodded and started trying to remember what else he’d been planning on doing before bed.
-
“So,” Dad said a few days later, materializing next to Jeremy when he was in the middle of his jog and making him almost jump out of his skin, skidding to a stop.
“You’re enjoying that new watch way too much,” Jeremy panted, out of breath and still very much startled.
“Maybe,” Dad said, and he was smiling. “But as I was saying.”
“All you said was ‘so’,” Jeremy pointed out, giving him a look.
“There’s a juvenile joke here about how I’m your father and so of course I say ‘so’, but if you wouldn’t mind it, I did have something important to say, mon lapin,” Dad replied, and Jeremy rolled his eyes hard at the horrible joke and cheesy name, fighting back a smile of his own.
“Go for it,” he said, and took the opportunity to bend and tighten his shoelaces.
“So. Regarding that Scout and his habits. You mentioned he spends time in blind spots of the cameras, oui?” Dad asked.
“Yeah. Keeps, uh, I guess he keeps getting infractions for going off base too much, too. I’ve logged him leaving like three times this week already,” Jeremy nodded.
“Indeed. Well, considering how new we are to the team, I did not want to jump to conclusions, and so contacted Miss Pauling and asked on your behalf for any older records, and I found out something very... intriguing.”
Jeremy looked up at him, blinking. ‘Intriguing’, historically, had always been a very, very bad thing.
“Apparently, it has been two years since they last had a Guard situated on base. The previous one was a much older gentleman, retired from being a full member of the team due to health complications but not entirely ready to part with the company. The previous guard was somewhat strict, and the Scout—the same as we have now—very much disliked the man. He continued acquiring near-constant infractions under the man’s watch for leaving when he was not meant to, so much so that the previous Guard proposed enstating trackers on the team when they went off-base. And before this policy could take hold, the previous Guard left the base one day and did not return, and finally was found dead a state over, one month later.”
Jeremy blinked once, twice. “Holy shit,” he said, and took note of the wary look on his face. “Okay. So we’re thinkin’ the same thing, right?”
“I would assume so. And…” Dad hesitated, moved to fidget with his cufflinks. “And I would not be particularly concerned about this, as I’m confident that you wouldn’t have gotten his attention from what you’ve been up to lately, and therefore wouldn’t be in danger yet should history attempt to repeat itself, but… he’s already taken a disliking to you.”
“What?” he asked, eyebrows shooting up.
“I believe it’s something as simple as some sort of shallow jealousy. Another American on the team, also relatively young, filling the position of someone he disliked previously. He regularly complains about the fact that you don’t need to go do the same job as the rest of us.” Dad shrugged, glanced over at him. “That, combined with the fact that you have somewhat conflicting duties, well, he tends to rather tetchy. He claims that considering he’s meant to be the first line of defense, they shouldn’t also need a guard at night.”
Jeremy had a number of opinions about that, but he stuck to the most relevant ones. “I really don’t like this guy,” he said. “Might be, uh. Worth keeping an eye on.”
“Agreed.” Dad glanced back over his shoulder towards the base, then at his watch. “Enjoy the rest of your run. Don’t forget to eat.”
“Yeah yeah yeah, hit the bricks already, old man,” Jeremy scoffed, waving him off, and Dad rolled his eyes, disappearing again in a cloud of smoke. “You’re gonna be using that thing all the damn time now, aren’t you?”
“Oui,” came a voice from nowhere, and Jeremy huffed a laugh, meandering his way back into the rest of his jog.
-
Jeremy hummed along to the radio, flicking between cameras on autopilot and wondering when exactly to take his lunch break.
He didn’t face the clock or anything, so he wasn’t sure, but he thought he had a pretty solid rhythm at that point. Click, click, click, between the camera to the road, the camera to the main entrance, and the camera in the hall towards the middle of the building, for about one second each. At just about any time after 11 or 11:30, those were the only three in real time that he needed to keep an eye on, mostly for people coming back late from bar hopping or if Miss Pauling was rolling in on a delivery. All the other cameras he could see out of the corner of his eye, and any movement he’d pick up on pretty quick, even if it was usually just the doves fluttering on the camera to the Medbay. After he cycled through those (and there was almost never anything there) he’d cycle back through to the tape he had in, put it on high speed, and watch it for about two or three minutes, get through a chunk of that time. Mostly he’d just be making sure nobody had been in the base while the team was away ni o(which indeed there never was), so there wasn’t much of a reason to take it off high speed, and the second part of the night would be watching the tapes for the time the team was back on base.
Movement on a camera made him click the pause, and he glanced off to the side. One of the doves had shuffled to face the other direction. He rolled his eyes, looking back at the bigger monitor again and pressing play.
The second half of the night was a little more interesting. He just had to look at the tapes for the time the team was there, check for discrepancies that might point to Dad messing with the disguise technology off-the-clock or the enemy Spy having infiltrated. For the most part things were straightforward, but he at least got to see his teammates up to funny things sometimes. Pyro’s antics were usually entertaining. Soldier he only caught some of, on the basis of him often walking off out of range of the cameras when he went on his excursions. Demo was funny sometimes. Honestly, just seeing the Sniper anywhere but as a fuzzy distant shape was interesting.
Movement on a camera. Same dove. He ignored it. Click, click, click, all three cameras clear, back to the fast-forward of the same empty hallway as before.
He really needed to figure something out, for the Scout. Maybe he and Dad were just being paranoid. It would be insane for him to try to outright kill anyone who inconvenienced him, not to mention reckless, and stupid to boot. Acting like that in their line of work would make him a lot of enemies extremely quickly. It would make more sense for the old Guard disappearing to be unrelated, to be honest.
Yeah. Hell, he barely knew the guy, and here he was assuming he’d straight up whacked a guy for getting a little too on his case about something. Maybe they were wrong.
Movement on a camera. He glanced over and froze outright.
It took him five seconds to come to his senses enough to pause the playback on his screen.
Figures. Shapes. Not at the front entrance, in the hallway, there next to the back way, by the garage. At least three, moving carefully, hard to make out in the darkness.
Okay. Okay, don’t panic, focus.
Jeremy ran through a few things in his head. He’d already done a headcount, the only people he wasn’t sure about were the Sniper and the Medic, but he hadn’t seen the Medic in any of the hallways out of the infirmary. Three figures were two too many to be any of the team, and besides that, they didn’t look like the Medic. Too short to be the Sniper, moving differently. Different clothes.
Three people. He hopped up, rushed over to the wall, yanked open the panel he had there. Three buttons, which he needed to hit in order. The first would send an alert to Miss Pauling, the second to whoever was assigned to be on alert that night, the third would set off the alarm.
He hit the first, hit the second, and hesitated on the third.
Okay. Technically if he didn’t hit that third button, he’d be breaking protocol, which was, according to the manual, ‘grounds for termination’. He was pretty sure that meant a long swim with some concrete shoes. And it was apparently recorded every time he hit these buttons, so they could deduct from his pay on false alerts. So they’d know if he didn’t hit this third button. He needed to think fast.
This was a different button than the alert button. The alert was more subtle, set for just one person. The alarm was throughout the entire base, over every loudspeaker. Louder than a fire alarm. If he hit this one, these intruders would hear that there was an alarm going off. Anyone smart would book it, high tail it the hell out of there. But he still didn’t know where they came from.
There hadn’t been movement on any of the screens, and he looked at the camera feed facing the road already, a few times even. He should’ve seen them. And if they found their way in once, they could do it again.
If he didn’t hit the button, on the other hand, whoever was on alert would wake up and wonder why they’d gotten an alert but the alarm wasn’t going off. If they were clever, which they probably were if they’d lasted this long, they’d come to the security room to see what was up and they could work from there.
He closed the panel again and moved to wait.
A minute later, still no movement from the hallway where most of the rooms were. That was fine, they’d just woken up, and probably needed to get dressed and grab their guns.
Another minute later, no movement, which was fair, they just needed a second to get their bearings. The intruders, meanwhile, were just lurking, slowly making their way down the hall.
Another minute later, no movement, and he opened the panel to press the button again before he continued waiting. Maybe they didn’t hear him the first time.
Another minute later and he took to standing next to the panel, mashing the button rapidly, eyes on the screen where the intruders were passing the kitchen, starting to get pretty far into the building.
Another minute later and he stomped his way into his sneakers, grabbing his flashlight and gun and guard cap from where they were hung on the wall. “Fine, I’ll fucking do it myself,” he grumbled, and carefully shouldered open the door, taking one last glance at the camera before he shut the door behind himself.
He kept his footsteps quiet, squinting into the darkness, waiting for his eyes to finish adjusting as he crept towards where he’d last seen the figures. It was near-silent in the base at night except for the distant, quiet hum of generators and occasional shift of plumbing. It was getting more and more familiar, and he found himself able to tune it out somewhat, instead listening intently for footsteps besides his own, making sure to click the safety off his gun while he was still alone and not when he was close to whoever had decided to break in.
Okay. Dad did this all the time. He could handle this.
He slowed as he approached the corner near the kitchen, peering around as carefully as he could, tugging down the brim of his cap to try and hide any potential shine from his eyes. He caught sight of a vague shape standing near the doorway, hesitating before it crept inside, into the common area.
Not ideal, on the basis of that being their goddamn kitchen, but at least there would be cover.
By the time he managed to sneak up to the doorway, he could make out the sound of vague whispering. It was far enough that it gave him the boldness to peer into the room, and just slightly lit by the glow of the clock on the oven he could see two shapes there in the kitchen, the third lingering nearer to him, there by the table.
Jeremy was only just starting to make a plan, relieved to have the jump on them, when there was the distant sound of a generator humming to life, and all the figures stopped, paused for a moment.
“Fucking spooky here,” one whispered, barely audible.
“Calm down,” another whispered. “What, scared of ghosts?”
Jeremy inhaled, exhaled, shifted onto the balls of his feet and started creeping a little further into the room. If he could just get all three of them to one side, so he wouldn’t need to pivot so much…
“You don’t know, maybe there’s ghosts here,” the first protested, and swore quietly at what sounded like their winging their elbow against the corner of the tale, and Jeremy tried to stick near the wall, managed to creep half-behind one of the chairs, trying to keep his silhouette indistinct. “These guys kill people.”
“So do we,” the third mumbled, moving out of sight in the kitchen, and Jeremy bit down on a swear, starting to inch behind the couch. “Don’t be a coward. And stop making so much noise.”
“You can’t shoot a ghost,” the first pointed out, moving a bit closer to the kitchen, giving the table a wide berth now. “Or punch it.”
“I can try,” the second said, and stopped at the sound of a rustle.
Jeremy held his breath, weight half-balanced against where he’d tried to step, newspaper trapped beneath his foot.
“That one wasn’t me,” the first whispered. There was another, more significant rustle throughout the room, and Jeremy could see a glint as the intruders drew their weapons.
Jeremy inhaled, exhaled, and just barely managed not to swear out loud.
The first one was the closest by, lingering beside the arm of the couch Jeremy was crouched in the shadow of. “Do they have a cat here?” they asked, voice quiet.
The second was approaching into the main room more carefully. From the sound of the footsteps, trying to keep a shoulder closer to the wall, clearly paying more attention to the door. “Are you stupid or something?” was the reply, voice also quiet.
The third didn’t speak, but huffed out a laugh, which was enough to tell Jeremy that he was out of the kitchen.
Jeremy inhaled shakily, exhaled shakily, shifted his grip on his handgun and flashlight, and took a split second to think. Inhaled one more time.
He leapt to his feet, swinging his flashlight like a billy club and clobbering the first figure across the side of the head, sending them tumbling to the ground. From the sound of the impact, a dislocated jaw at the very least. One down.
A shout from the other side of the room, arms moving to try to aim, clearly struggling to see him, but that third figure was in the doorway, silhouetted against the faint light from the oven’s clock, and that was enough to figure out where the head and chest were. He aimed, fired, got what he was pretty sure was the neck considering the brief spray of blood that splattered against the oven, darkening the room completely.
A swear from the second figure, and Jeremy wanted to swear too, because he’d hoped that second figure would be stupid and try and charge him, but now he was ten steps away and didn’t have time to fiddle with and cock the gun again, other hand full with a flashlight and no way to—
Oh, duh.
“Stay where you are,” the second figure ordered, but Jeremy’s eyes were a little better adjusted and besides that, he wasn’t the one talking. He lifted his flashlight and clicked it on.
The second figure cried out, recoiling at the sudden blindingly bright light in what had been near-darkness, and Jeremy had time to finagle his thumb up to cock his gun again, now able to aim with absolute accuracy, this shot connecting with the figure’s head.
He exhaled.
It took Jeremy two minutes to remember to fire a bullet into the chest of the unconscious guy, and another minute for the other mercenaries to start showing up, half-dressed and armed. Dad, presumably to prove a point, showed up pretty close to the middle of the pack almost fully dressed. Jeremy wasn’t entirely sure how long it took before Miss Pauling showed up, but he wasn’t even halfway through their questions by that time.
“Guard, headcount?” she asked before she even bothered saying hello, still wearing her motorcycle helmet and looking more than a little bit miffed.
“Uh,” he said, eyes drawn away from where Medic was assessing the bodies on the kitchen table, “seven present and accounted for. Sniper’s probably out at his van, don’t know about the Scout.”
“Alright. Pyro,” she said, and Pyro stood at attention, bunny slippers squeaking at the movement. “go wake up Sniper and get him in here.”
Pyro nodded, handing their weird unicorn plushie thing to Jeremy as they passed by, giving him a solemn nod before hurrying away.
“Okay. Guard, hit me with a rundown, then,” she said, and shot a glance around the room. “No peanut gallery needed. And Medic, please don’t take them apart too much. I gotta get rid of those later.”
“Uh. Spotted these guys on the cameras, hit the first and second alerts,” Jeremy said.
“And not the third?” she asked pointedly.
“They were, like, right next to the door, and—here’s the thing, Miss P, is I dunno how the hell they got in here,” he said, and there was a general balk from the room. “No, seriously. They didn’t come in on the main road, they were in one of the back hallways by the garage. There’s gotta be a hole in the cameras or something, because I seriously don’t know where they came from. And if they booked it, they’d take whatever vehicle they used to get here, too, and we might not figure it out. Thought I’d just wait for whoever the hell was supposed to be on alert so we could… I dunno, at least see which way they went.”
“Guard,” she admonished, and he shrank a little bit. “That was incredibly reckless. What if nobody had shown up to help you?”
“Uh,” he said, blinked, “but… nobody did show up.”
A pause. She blinked. “What? You’re the one who did that?” she asked, entirely shocked, pointing towards the three bodies on the table.
“Uh, yeah? Isn’t that my job?” he asked carefully, shifting the stuffed animal under his arm.
“No, you’re—you’re just supposed to be the Guard, you’re supposed to watch cameras, not—“ She paused, taking a second to push up her glasses and rub at the bridge of her nose, inhaling, exhaling. “Okay. Points for… going above and beyond, here, but Guard, don’t do that again.”
“Sure thing, Miss P,” he mumbled, tugging on the brim of his guard cap, and sighed to himself as Miss Pauling moved away to try and stop Medic from attempting to covertly steal a few organs from the corpses. Dad clapped him on the shoulder supportively, and that did make him feel a little better. He wasn’t expecting a clap to the other shoulder, and looked up, surprised to see Heavy there, looking just slightly less grim than usual.
“Little Guard man is credit to team,” he said simply, solemnly.
Jeremy straightened up slightly. “Oh. Hey, thanks,” he said. Heavy nodded at him.
“It’s true,” Demo called, and he looked over, got another approving nod. “Really saved the lot of us, lad.”
“I, I mean, hey, it’s… what I’m here for. Or, uh. I thought that was it, anyways,” he shrugged, glancing away. “I mean, yeah, I’m pretty cool, though.”
Dad bumped his arm for the last part, and he snickered. “My question,” Dad continued, doing his best to ignore him, “is primarily regarding who, precisely, was supposed to be present to help Guard with this. Who is meant to be on alert?”
“It’s meant to be Scout, ain’t it?” the Engineer asked from nearby, frowning. A general murmur of agreement. “Could he have slept through it?”
“Heavy doubts this,” Heavy grumbled, looking troubled.
“Why’re we awake?” asked Sniper from the doorway, and various teammates called out a greeting. Sniper seemed half-gone, and completely grumpy, but not as grumpy as Pyro, and not nearly as gone as the man leaning heavily against Pyro’s shoulder.
“Hey,” the Scout managed, grinning, speech garbled, visibly sloppy and unbalanced. “What’s up, guys?”
Groans from parts of the room. “Drinkin’ again, Scout?” the Engineer drawled, visibly irritated.
“That’s my trademark, lad, go on,” Demo laughed, but the enthusiasm wasn’t entirely there.
“Scout,” Miss Pauling said, voice firm in a way that made Jeremy almost flinch in sympathy. “Are you aware that we’ve had a situation here while you’ve been sleeping?”
“Weren’t sleeping,” Sniper murmured, and eyes turned to him. He scratched at the back of his neck. “Came stumbling in ‘round when I was heading in. He was out for the night. Bar, looks like.”

“What?” Jeremy demanded. “Why the fuck didn’t I see him leave on the cameras?”
“Alright,” Miss Pauling said, and Jeremy looked at her. Her expression was hard to read. “It’s possible he went through the back tunnel.”
“Back tunnel?” Jeremy asked, and glanced around. Apparently he wasn’t the only one who hadn’t heard of it.
“For emergencies only. Scout’s the only one who I’ve given a key card to. I have one too. It’s supposed to be used for transporting especially sensitive information, most of the team isn’t supposed to even know it exists. If there’s a gap in the cameras around the back of the building, he might have been using it to… sneak out to go to town, even though he knows he’s already in hot water for leaving the base so much,” Miss Pauling said, glaring at Scout, who was looking increasingly annoyed.
“Whatever, it’s not a big deal,” he protested, scoffing.
“That tunnel is for emergencies only,” Miss Pauling stressed. “I trusted you with the privilege of knowing about it account of having worked here for so long, and you’re using that privilege and key card to mess around?”
“He was coming back from around the front of the building, at least,” Sniper chimed in, and Pyro nodded. “Not that I’d understand the point of sneaking out if he’s going to just walk back in the front door.”
“Key card?” Medic repeated from near the table, eyebrows furrowed.
“Yeah, it’s, it’s a magnetized card, that can be read by a card reader, used like a key,” Miss Pauling explained, deflating a little bit.
His eyebrows furrowed further. “Would it happen to look anything like this?” he asked, picking up a lanyard from the table and holding it up, showing the room the card clipped onto the end of it.
Two beats of silence. “Spy, would you mind?” Miss Pauling asked politely, nodding towards the Scout, who had gone pale.
“Not at all,” Dad said just as politely, and walked over towards the Scout and Pyro, then circled around behind them, and sank a blade into the Scout’s spine. He promptly crumbled to the floor, dead.
“Well. At least that’s that mystery solved,” Miss Pauling sighed, and rubbed at the bridge of her nose again. “Now I’ve gotta block off time tomorrow to get rid of three bodies, and then hopefully that’s the last we’re gonna hear of this or else the Administrator is gonna kill me.”
“What about the Scout?” Heavy rumbled.
“…Scratch that. Four bodies,” she mumbled, face dropping into her hands. “And then I need to find his replacement. Ugh.”
“Can’t imagine you’d need to go far,” Demo said, and Jeremy looked up, and Demo was very obviously tilting a thumb in his direction.
“He’s proven himself to be better at this job,” Dad agreed, shrugging. “And I would say on a bad day he’s still a better runner than the previous Scout on a good one.”
“He can clearly handle a firearm well,” the Engineer noted, looking over one of the bodies.
“And a blunt object,” Medic chimed, just a bit too pleased. “This jaw is almost completely shattered!”
“Okay, okay, fine, sure,” Miss Pauling waved off, one hand still pressed to her face, clearly overwhelmed and tired. “We’ll get his paperwork in tomorrow. Congratulations, you’re the new Scout, any questions? Can the questions wait until morning? Great, thank you. Good night, everyone. Medic, have the bodies in bags for me at least, okay?”
A distracted thumbs up from Medic, and Miss Pauling was groaning, wandering back out of the room, and most of the team followed, yawning amongst themselves. Sniper half-attempted to ask again why the hell any of them were awake, but gave up halfway through. Pyro, for one, made sure to at least retrieve the plushie from Scout’s arms before wandering off, giving him an appreciative pat on the shoulder.
“So,” Dad said, and when he looked over, he was smiling. “A promotion, mon lapin. Congratulations, new Scout.”
“Do I gotta wear that stupid outfit he always wears?” Jeremy asked, entirely serious. His reply was a laugh and a pat on the shoulder before he disappeared in a puff of smoke. “Pops, I’m serious. Do I? Dad!?”
-
“—So that’s why I figured, y’know, might as well tell you guys,” Jeremy finished rambling, hands in his pockets, continuing down the hallway. “Because… I dunno. I could tell Miss P, but it’s nice having secret stuff, y’know?”
“You think this is how they actually got in?” Demo asked, looking dubious. “Little blind spot in the cameras?”
“Only a couple feet wide, you said?” Sniper grumbled.
“Sounds possible,” Heavy said hesitantly.
“I dunno. Maybe. But if I tell Miss P about it, they’re gonna fix it,” Jeremy shrugged, turning the corner and stopping. “There. I knew it.”
They stopped with him, following his line of sight. “You’re takin’ the piss, mate,” Sniper deadpanned. “You want to tell me he’d been climbing out a window like a teenager?”
Jeremy shrugged, moving to open the window in question. It swung open easily, just large enough to push through with only a little bit of a problem, barely needing to turn his shoulders. “He’s not much bigger than me, and what the hell else would he be doing here?” he pointed out.
“Heavy cannot fit through that window,” Heavy deadpanned.
“Yeah. Sorry, big guy,” Jeremy apologized, leaning back inside and closing it again. “But hey, mystery solved, right?”
“Well, if I ever need windows to climb out of, now I know just the lad for the job,” Demo said, nudging him. “Thanks, Guard. Or, er, Scout. Och, now that’s going to take getting used to, aye? Might just stick to calling you ‘laddie’, laddie.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” he laughed, nudging him right back. And as much as they ribbed him for it, he did see a kind of appreciation there. Just like he’d figured, they seemed to take note of him taking their side and not just Miss Pauling’s.
Now he just needed to switch back over to the day shift.
161 notes · View notes
disastrouslyyours · 2 years
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Might be a BIT similar to a previous request you've written... but what about SNEO wants a his new canvas-like wings to stand out from the crowd (more than they already do) and it's Reader's job to paint those bad boys! A true artist has to work very, very carefully, don't need any messy lines on this masterpiece!
Friend youre so patient im so sorry. bUT thank you for giving me another reason to write a fave!! I will write this trope into the ground and I’m not even sorry about it heheee.
I was about to say "oh a nice short and sweet one for my short and sweet friend"...but this is secretly 1k words. aka the standard for my drabbles now i guess??
“So, what colors are you thinking, Big Guy?”
“WHAT COLORS DO YOU HAVE [In Stock Now]?”
You glance over at your sea of buckets of paint, thinking it would be easier to list the colors you don’t have. Then again, mixing up a new color was half the fun, so there technically wasn’t a color you couldn’t make in a matter of minutes.
“Uh, literally all of them?” You sigh as you look back up at your oversized friend, rubbing the back of your neck. “Can you at least give me a couple to choose from?”
“I WANT THEM TO REALLY [Stand Out], REALLY [Wow] THE CROWD, REALLY [Knock Their Socks Off]!” Spamton flaps his wings for emphasis.
“Okay, okay. Let me see what I can do.” You crack your knuckles and look down at your sketchbook. You had a couple ideas you wanted to try, but one in particular stood out to you. One wing would be painted to look like a raging thunderstorm, complete with dark clouds and vibrant streaks of lightning, while the other would be painted to reflect a beautiful sunny day. You decided to start with the thunderstorm wing, as it was the more detailed of the two. After selecting your colors and brushes, you ask your friend to lie down so you can better reach him. He shuffles and settles himself with a clunk, stretching his wings out as far as they’ll go.
“READY WHEN YOU ARE, LIGHT nER.” He flashes you a wide smile and gives you a quick thumbs up. You set out your supplies and ready yourself to get started on this massive project. You decide to start with painting the dark clouds themselves, selecting your biggest brush to cover as much space as possible. Painting the wings would be an absolutely daunting task, but you were easily convinced by how excited Spamton was. He was so thrilled when he approached you with this request, how could you say no?
“Do you want to know what the design is, or do you want to be surprised?”
“OOH, I LOVE [Surprise, Surprise]!” He chirps happily and claps his hands together a couple times.
“Alright, surprise it is. I’m gonna start with your left wing, cool?”
Spamton hums affirmatively and you take a deep breath before starting on your masterpiece. You paint a broad stroke over the expanse of his wing, making a basic outline for your first cloud. You start to fill in the outline when Spamton suddenly twitches his wing. You lift your brush and look over at him quizzically.
“Is everything alright?” You ask in a soft tone.
“YES, [Dearest Customer]. [100% Satisfaction Rate Guaranteed].” He flashes you a quick smile, so you shrug and continue. You’re about to start the second cloud when he twitches again, this time jerking the paintbrush in an unfavorable way. Once again, you’re more concerned for his comfort than anything else, so you ask if everything is still alright. He responds again with an enthusiastic yes, so you edit the mistake and keep working. You move forward to paint the lightning streaks, but as you drag your brush down the length of his wing Spamton squirms and lets out a strangled sound. You immediately turn your head to check in on the 30 foot tall heap of scrap metal twisting away from you. He motions for you to continue working, much to your surprise. You’re confused for a moment until you repeat the motion and Spamton starts giggling, his laughter sprinkled with soft chirps and metallic whirs.
“Spamton, are your wings ticklish?” You drop your paintbrush in order to lightly scratch your fingers along his wing, earning a very cute snort from your robot friend.
“IT S-SEEMS [Say It Ain’t So].” He snickers, trying to hold in his laughter as you dig your fingers into a particularly soft spot on his wing.
“That’s adorable, but you’re gonna have to stay still if you want me to finish painting.” You pick your brush up again and pause before continuing. “Do you still want me to paint them?”
“YES, [Yes], I DO.” He shuffles a little before completely calming his body, allowing you to go back to work. He giggles a little as you continue to paint, but jerks his wing out from under you when you focus your brush on the direct center of the wing.
“Spamton, you have to hold still so I can paint neatly.” You cross your arms at him in mock frustration.
“I’M [So Sorry We Missed Your Call], BUT IT TICKLES!”
“And that sounds like a you problem!” You return to your painting and Spamton dissolves into a fit of glitchy giggles. You abandon your original plan and decide that the wings are going to be a bit of an abstract piece. You place the brush on the center of his wing and watch him squirm underneath it, unintentionally making funky little swirls on his own.
“PLEASE, [#1 Customer], IT’S [Too Much]!” He laughs with a shudder as the brush runs along a particularly sensitive spot towards the inner corner of his wing.
“I hate to break it to you, but you are literally doing this to yourself.”
“YOU’RE [Liar Liar].” It’s cute, listening to him deny it as you hold the paintbrush as still as possible and watch him wiggle underneath it. He snorts and asks you to stop again, so you toss the brush aside. He did ask nicely, and besides, the left wing looked really cool as it was. You’d hate to ruin the masterpiece you both worked so hard to create.
“This wasn’t what I had in mind, but I’m really digging the flow of these shapes.” You tilt your head and study the canvas in front of you, Spamton blushing a wonderful shade of red beside you.
“REALLY? YOU [Like and Subscribe] IT?”
“Yeah, it’s super cool. Very funky, chic, and original.” You turn to face him and place a hand on his chest, running your fingers along the outline of the massive triangle on his chest. “Kinda like someone I know.”
“YOU’RE TOO [Sweet] TO ME.” He purrs, a deep metallic rumbling reverberating from his chest.
“You know what’s gonna make this look really cool though?”
His eyes light up and he raises an eyebrow curiously.
“When we get the right wing painted to match.”
Spamton throws his head back with a groan. He can’t complain, after all, he did ask for this.
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morizoras-cave · 4 years
Text
Purple Patches
Benedict Cumberbatch x Teen!Co-Star!Reader, Tom Holland x Teen!Co-star!Reader
Genre: Angst, fluffy ending
Description: Filming the newest Dr. Strange movie (in which Tom would also appear), you grow quite close with the two leads, Tom and Benedict. But you’re hiding something alarming from them. Four months in the entire crew get a week off to see their families for Christmas, and when you return Tom and Benedict can’t help but feel troubled, as your body is rippled with purple patches.
Warnings: CHILD ABUSE, physical abuse, broken family, alcoholism, depression, anxiety??
A/N: I had another imagine written but im ngl its kind of.. weird? its unconventional for sure. and its definitely bad. so, maybe ill rewrite someday or something? ALSO SORRY IF YOU DONT CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS, JUST IMAGINE YOU HAVE SOME SORT OF EVIL CHRISTIAN STEP DAD WHO FORCES IT INTO YOUR FAMILY
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The taxi you sat in drove slowly in the New York traffic, as snow fell outside, coating the entire city in blinding white. You couldn’t enjoy it however. Your entire body hurt, and yet you still couldn’t find even a moment to worry about your health. All you could think about was them.
Tom and Benedict. Your sweetest coworkers, and at this point your closest.. anything. Family, friends? Who cares, you had no one else. You’d gone back for the holidays like everyone else, even though you wished you could have just stayed at in your trailer. Your dad, like any other time you saw him, had used this time to pour his anger and alcoholism out on you. Your body which had finally begun to heal, was now back to square one, covered in cuts and bruises. 
You knew what would happen if anyone found out. You’d be taken from your family. But in truth, although you hated being around him, you wanted to wait for your dad. You wanted to wait for him to get over his alcoholism, you wanted him to get better, and then he’d treat you better. 
But they would find out. You were covered in bruises and purple patches. Your face was fine, except for your neck, but the rest of your body was ruined. Ugly. You could hide most of it, but it hurt. Even just sitting there, in the soft and plush taxi seat, you body was aching and wailing like a police siren. 
And what if they noticed you foundation-covered hands? Or the movie required you to wear something more revealing? 
“You okay?” the deep voice of your taxi driver ripped you from your thoughts. A single tear had slid down your face. You cleared your throat and nodded, wiping the tear from your cheek. 
You arrived at the set, and an impossible knot had been tied in your stomach. Nervousness tingled in your heart and your legs, but you got up anyway, trying to calm your breath. The moment you stood up, you winced and stopped. 
You managed to roll your luggage to your trailer, biting your lip continuously in order to keep yourself from screaming. You threw it on the floor of your trailer, whimpering and doubling over in pain. 
“Y/n!” a rapid knock on your door, interrupted you. It was Tom’s voice. You took a shaky breath, closing your eyes, and then opening the door. Tom stood there in your doorway like a smiling idiot. Your lips widened into a smile just from seeing him.
“Y/n!” he repeated stepping inside and wrapping his arms around you in a hug. You bit your lip again, hiding your pain-wrenched face in his chest, before hugging him back. He placed his head on yours sweetly. “I missed you!” he gushed. 
You hit his chest playfully, “I missed you too,” you frowned for a moment and looked away. Tom’s eyebrows furrowed.
“Are you okay?” You simply nodded. Tom stared at you for a moment and then shook his head. “Anyway, um, Benedict asked me to tell you that he’s invited both of us youngsters out for dinner tonight. Just as one last ‘fuck you!’ to work, before officially start back up tomorrow.”
“That does sound like something he would do,” you agreed and Tom laughed, punching your shoulder playfully. You yelped loudly, retreating quickly from him. 
“Woah,” he exclaimed, holding his hands up, “Are you okay? What happened to your shoulder?” 
“I fell,” you said. Nervousness jabbed at your ribs. You’d barely talked to Tom for a minute and he’d already asked if you were okay twice. He seemed to buy your explanation, and apologized for accidentally hitting your sore shoulder, to which you nodded absently. 
Tom was silent for a couple of heartbeats. He studied you. You were not usually like this. Or maybe you had been a little like this those four months ago, when you first started filming. He didn’t understand what caused you to be that way, so distant and unhappy. 
“Hey, anyway, I’m gonna go, I’m trying to actually read the script this time,” he joked, and you laughed because you knew it was a hopeless task. 
“Have fun,” you mumbled, and as soon he left, you body slid down against the wall, and your facade crumbled, tears leaving your eyes.
___________________________
Before the dinner, you took three pain killers. Then, you waited restlessly, hoping that the pills might kick in. They did but your body felt strange and buzzy. You ignored it, a blossoming hope forming in your chest that you might be able to conceal your pain in the pills and the clothing. 
Benedict came knocking on your door around 7, a smile on his face. “Y/n!” he said, and you both hugged. A small smile had formed on your lips, when you actually managed to deal with the ache, now much weaker than previously.
You both then walked to Tom’s trailer, and then the three of you walked to a restaurant, not too far from your filming location.
“So, what have you two been up to in our little break?” Benedict asked once you all sat down, having ordered already. You glanced at Tom, hoping that he’d start. 
“Me and my brothers went back home to our mum and dad. Had a pretty regular Christmas. I gave the best gifts. I got some pretty cool socks,” Tom joked around. You and Benedict stifled a laugh. Then both Ben and Tom looked at you, and you realized it was your turn to tell them about what you’d been up to. 
“Oh, well, I.. I spent Christmas with my parents. My grandparents and cousins also came,” you were lying through your teeth. You avoided their eyes, sipping your soda. 
“Got any presents?” Benedict asked and you cursed at yourself internally for forgetting such a simple part of Christmas. And for making things awkward. 
“I got some clothes, some books. Pretty standard stuff,” you forced a smile, “What about you, Benadryl?”
Benedict rolled his eyes at your comment, making you and Tom fist-bump one another, giggling quietly as he told you about his own Christmas. The night was going alright, except for that rough start. Mostly you avoided any talk of your family, and you could feel yourself getting better, the further the conversation got from your family. Until-
“Y/n, what’s that on your hand?” 
Instinctively, you pulled your hand to your lap, straightening yourself up and gulping. You looked down, pretending to inspect it and then looked up. 
“It’s, uh, it’s dirt. Wow, I should really go wash my hands, haha-” Tom grabbed your hand from under the table, pulling it towards him. Your foundation was wearing off, a large purple patch stemming from your wrist and snaking up your hand revealing itself. 
You couldn’t breathe. Both Tom and Ben just stared at it. You tried to pull back but Tom was much stronger than you. Tears blurred your vision. 
“Y/n, what is this?” Tom whispered, and you felt his fingers rubbing the bruise gently. The tears finally fell, and now both men were looking at you. Benedict looked serious. It was an expression you’d never really seen on his features before, at least not outside of your acting. 
“I-I fell..” you mumbled, but you knew it was useless. 
“Y/n.. Who did this?” Benedict’s voice was low, gently setting a hand on your shoulder. You flinched. 
“I don’t know.. I don’t..” 
“Y/n!” Tom’s voice was raised. You immediately jumped away from them both, putting your arms in front of you in fear. Several people turned to look at you three. Shaking, you lowered your hands, and saw Tom and Ben staring at you worriedly. Tom had tears in his eyes. 
“Let’s talk about this back at the studio, okay?” Benedict, now afraid to touch you, spoke slowly and comfortingly. You nodded and then two men got up, standing on either side of you, grabbing one of your hands each. 
“Was it your dad?” Tom growled as you walked in the night, moon rising in the sky. 
“Yes..” you whispered, so low you wondered if they heard it, but they did. They both exchanged glances. Tom was furious. Benedict was too, but he was collected. Tom itched to ask you more and help you, console you right there on the street, but Benedict sent him a warning look not to. 
You walked back to the studio in silence. The three of you entered your trailer and you quietly wished you had predicted something like this would happen, because the bottle of strong pain killers was still out and open on your kitchen table. 
Benedict spotted them immediately and grabbed them. His eyes narrowed as he read the bottle description. Then he looked at you and then it again. Tom watched helplessly, holding your shoulders gently. 
“How many more are there? Bruises.” Ben was clearly angry. He was losing his cool, hands shaking as he grabbed your hand to pull up your sleeve. You tried to move his hand away, but he slid the sleeve up to your elbow and just stared at the blue, yellow and purple that littered your arm. Tom was frozen beside you. 
Ben slid up your other sleeve, breathing speeding up as he saw more, and then he tugged at the collar of your turtleneck, exposing the jarring and ugly sight of a red handprint. He pulled away suddenly, walking away from you. 
“Fuck!” he yelled, hitting the wall of the trailer. He hung his head low. You jumped and turned around, but Tom simply embraced you, and then sat you both down on the floor. You hid your face in his neck, sobbing again. Tom’s hands slowly rubbed your back. 
“Okay..” said Benedict after a while. You could hear that he’d calmed down. Ben angrily wiped a few tears from his face, turning to you and Tom on the floor. Tom was simply frowning now. He never wanted to let you go. He never wanted any harm to come to you. 
“I’m gonna call the police and get your dad arrested,” he said, and you heard his footsteps, as he wondered what to do next. 
“No!” you exclaimed, scrambling to your feet away from Tom. Both men looked at you in confusion. “No! You can’t do that, he’s- he’s just trying to get better. If I wait a little longer, he’s going to get better.” 
“Y/n..” Benedict whispered sadly and you ran to him hoping to stop him. “You can’t wait for him. You’re putting yourself in danger..” you shook your head, but Ben grabbed your shoulders and looked into your eyes, “he’s a grown man, Y/n. He doesn’t deserve pity or patience. Not after doing this. Nothing excuses this. Nothing.” 
You swallowed the lump in your throat, lip quivering, but still you nodded. 
“Can your mother take care of you?” Ben asked, piercing blue eyes still staring into your soul. There was no point in lying anymore, you knew. 
“No.” 
“Alright, then you’ll stay with me.” Ben declared, “You’ll stay with me until we can find someone from your family who can take care of you.” You looked up at him with shining eyes. Despite the uncomfortable situation you found yourself in, a genuine smile broke out on your face. 
You hugged him, thanking him breathlessly. Ben and Tom made eye contact, and smiled gently at each other. Tom had cried silently at your interaction. The thought that someone would hurt someone he loved so dearly shattered his heart completely. 
“Now,” Benedict said finally, “we need to drive you to the hospital.” 
You agreed and while Tom drove, Ben was in the backseat on the phone with the police department. You just watched the beautiful neon lights shining in the pitch black night, snow illuminating the ground. People still littered the streets. 
You knew it now. Your father didn’t deserve your waiting, and though it would take very long to finally live with and truly understand, it was worth it to start the fight. You truly owed it to the two jerks you worked with. What would you even do with out them?
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thewritingstar · 3 years
Text
Ignite
SoMa Week 2021 Day One: Burn 
Pairing: SoMa (Soul x Maka)
Fandom: Soul Eater 
Note: This is my first time participating in SoXa week! Also its my finals week so im stressed about tests and my second vaccine dose is kicking my butt but I thought instead of studying, lets write a fic. I’ve been really into soul eater recently and started the manga, so you’ll see some new fics for it here and there. Anyways, enjoy! 
@soulxmakaweek
---
Her view of love had burnt out a long time ago. She was hopeful at times to think someone could be loyal and love her for eternity but that fear of being left behind and abandoned again would destroy any hope of that. 
She had thought it was written in stone. From a young age she didn’t think about marriage, didn’t care about relationships because she wasn’t willing to risk the burn marks on her heart for just a sliver of satisfaction. There was nothing anyone could say to her to change her mind, she knew that, more importantly, he knew that. 
But slowly that mindset started to challenge her heart. The moment she asked Soul to be her partner when they were teenagers, she felt a spark. It was small and only lasted a fraction of a second when he said yes and gave her a smirk she dared not say she liked. For a moment she had forgotten about her pact, never fall in love, but it came back quickly as it left. 
She repeated those words more frequently than not. The mirror had begun to memorize the movement of her lips as she looked at herself and scolded anything that remotely resembled a romantic interest. 
Every so often a brave boy would come up to her with a card and some flowers and try his hand at Maka’s heart. She would be as kind as possible to turn them down but she never missed the way Soul’s lips turned up into a smirk. Soon she was seen as untouchable, no one could woo her or they would be too threatened by Soul to even try. 
It was a relief to Soul to see boys not trying to win over Maka but a part of him wondered if she would ever let herself fall for anyone. 
--
“Do we really have to go to this dance?” Soul grumbled as he fixed his tie for the tenth time. 
Maka sighed from the bathroom. “Yes Soul. Its our duty as successful students to make an appearance. Plus I heard that there is going to be good food.” 
Soul rolled his eyes as he plopped onto the couch. “Its been five years since we graduated, do people even care about us?” He smirked as he heard her scoff from the hallway. 
“No, Im sure no one cares about the current death weapon or the amazing person who not only made said weapon but is also one of the best teachers at the academy.” 
“Relax Maka, I’m just teasing. Now hurry up or we are gonna be late and I am not about to be scolded by Kid for that.” 
“Alright.” She huffed and finished her makeup with a swipe of lip gloss. “I’m coming. How do I look?” She asked. 
It was a simple question, one he was used to answering often with a “fine. good. who cares, lets go.” But lately he's been trying to hold in his actual thoughts. 
Maka stared at him, those olive green eyes that he became more attracted to lately. There was an untacked about chemistry that had been hovering around them for the past few years and slowly, he was loosing the battle on keeping it in place. 
Her dress was black with off the shoulder sleeves and cut off mid-thigh. Something classy and elegant but still fun to twirl in. Her heels boosted her to his eye level and her hair was up in an updo with some blonde framing her face.
“Soul?” She asked him and he cleared his throat before grabbing his keys. 
“Uh, you look perfect. We should really be going.” Way to be cool about it, he scolded himself.  
Maka grabbed her purse and followed him out the door. Deep down she could feel a small spark of desire flare but quickly, she pushed it down and got into the car. 
--
The dance was nothing less than perfection. Every dish, napkin, balloon and streamer was in a proper place with symmetry as its main function. Kid apparently had spent a week decorating the place himself just to insure that it was nothing less than his standards. 
“He really out did himself, huh?” Soul commented as he looked around the room. 
“He sure did.” Maka said. 
There were a mix of students and faculty on the dance floor already. Kid was standing towards the back with Black Star while Tsubaki, Patty and Liz were chatting near them. 
“It brings me back to when you forced me to these thing when we were kids.” Soul said as they made their way across the room. 
Maka laughed. “Guess things haven’t changed much.” 
They parted ways, Soul going towards the guys and Maka joining the girls. 
“Oh Maka you look so cute!” Patty complimented her. 
Maka smiled. “You all look so good too.” 
Liz finished her drink before looking towards the boys. “I bet Soul likes this number on you.” She winked and Maka took a glass on a near by tray and gulped it down. 
“Aww don’t tease the clueless love birds.” Tsubaki giggled. 
“There nothing to tell.” Maka tried to reason but none of the girls believed her for a moment. “I’m not even his type.” She rushed out and Liz almost started to choke on her drink. 
“Are you kidding? The smartest girl in the school, no the city and she's dumb as a rock when it comes to the love sick scythe.” 
Maka swatted Liz’s arm and rolled her eyes. Behind her she heard someone clear their throat. 
“Maka?” 
She turned to see Peter, a fellow teacher who specialized in weapon training of the lower grade levels. 
“Oh hi Peter, how are you?” Maka greeted and the rest of the girls waved politely. 
“Good. I was wondering if you wanted to dance maybe?” He asked.
She expected to hear the girls snickering and giggling but instead she was met with silence and a smug cough from Liz.
“Oh, uh.” She started. 
“Come on, it will be fun.” He said and took her hand, pulling her to the dance floor without giving her a chance. 
A small squeak escaped her lips as she almost crashed into his chest. His hands found their way to her hips as he swayed to the music. Although she had always found their conversations nice and refreshing, he wasn’t the type of man that was, well, her type. 
“You know Maka, I’ve always admired you.” He said. 
She looked up at him and offered a polite smile. “Oh really?” 
“So brave and smart, makes sense that the top teacher was also the top student.” 
She laughed slightly. “Well I couldn’t have done it without my partner.” 
Peter quickly caught his frown. “Yeah, Soul. Nice dude.” 
“He likes to consider himself a ride or die.” She smiled to herself. 
Peter grunted something she couldn’t make out and spun her around. She saw Soul walking towards the balcony doors just as she came back to Peter’s front. 
“Anyways, I was wondering if you wanted to have dinner with me, you know, like a date?” 
Maka stopped in her tracks. Date. No. She didn’t want that. She gave up on that a long time ago. 
“Look Peter, you’re a nice guy and I have a great time working with you, but I’m just not looking for anything.” 
“Oh. I just thought you and I we're getting to be good friends.” 
“Well I like chatting with you and grading stuff but I really am not into dating right now. Sorry.” 
“I get it, Soul would be jealous.” He scoffed and stepped back. “ I should have listened.” 
“Listened to what?” She demanded.
He had the audacity to smile at her. “Oh please. Ever since school, everyone knew that it was you and Soul. I just thought that since nothing has happened yet, you would be on the market.” 
That rubbed her the wrong way and her face turned sour. 
“Well sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not some slab of meat. See you on Monday.” She scoffed and walked away from him. Instead of going back to her friends, she stormed towards the balcony and greeted the cool air to help calm her down. 
“That was quick.” Soul teased and he held out his hand to help her up, making sure her dress didn’t get caught. 
“Quick enough for a dance just to ask me out and get mad when I said no.”  
Soul turned towards her. “Oh? Another ego bruised?” 
“He said he had been waiting for me to be on the market.” She spat. “Disgusting behavior.” 
Soul let out a laugh and threw his arm over her shoulder. “Men are stupid, you’re smart to not go near them.” 
“You’re not stupid, most of the time.” She mumbled. 
“The difference between me and those guys is I’ve had my ass handed to me by you. I know not to mess with the bull. Plus, I actually have respect for you and women, like a cool person should.” 
“Yeah. He then said that you would be jealous.” 
They watched the sun begin to set slowly. Sometimes Maka wondered what it would feel like to be the sun. Eternal warmth. Being a constant in peoples lives. She looked to Soul who seemed a little lost in thought. That spark coming to the surface and she wondered why she didn’t allow herself to what she wanted.
For years she had made sure that their partnership never faltered from that.  She couldn’t risk anything happening to them because she wasn’t sure if she would be able to trust another weapon the way she did with him. She also didn’t want to partner with anyone else. 
She enjoyed his company. Enjoyed the way that he could make her smile and feel comfortable. Most importantly, he stuck to his word. She never once felt like he would leave and when he said he was going to be there, she believed him. 
Sometimes she wished she could just scream at him and tell him that she had been in love with him for years. That her talks about marriage and love never once applied to him and if he asked, she would be his forever. 
“I think he's right.” Soul started. “Its always been you and me. I probably wouldn’t like the attention taken. Stupid, I know.” 
“Its not, because I think I know why no one else sparks my interest.” She took a breath and stared at him. Those crimson eyes that held a sense of comfort and form of love that was now crystal clear. “I don’t think anyone else comes close to how I see you. The stolen glances and walking on the eggshells of feelings I pushed down long ago. I get it now Soul. You never asked because you waited for me.” 
He let out a laugh from his chest and jumped down before offering his hand. “The moment I met you Maka? I knew we were end game, I was just hoping you saw it too.” 
When she looked at Soul, she could sense the last little flames igniting. She could have crushed them, put them out with the bottom of her shoe and never let them rise again. She could of finally removed all the pain her parents marriage caused her and not let anything happen to her heart. 
And when she thought that her idea of love was burnt to a crisp, she didn’t realize that those tiny embers had slowly grown into a burning fire. Only one person fanned the flames of her heart and she wonders why she couldn’t see it all those years ago. 
But instead she looked into his eyes and saw nothing but trust. His smile was genuine and there was a faint blush on his cheeks as he waited for her answer. Deep down the embers sparked as she took his hand and she felt the fire take over. 
She took his hand and he gently pulled her close until their noses touch and he placed a kiss on her knuckles. She could barely hear the music playing inside but it felt like a symphony was surrounding them. He began to hum a tune and stepped to lead her in their dance. 
She giggled as he twirled her. It felt freeing, it felt right, it was perfect. He brought her back to his chest and with a big smile, he looked down at her. 
“Maka?”
“Hmm?”
“Can I kiss you?” 
“Yes.” 
He pulled her close, taking her lips and kissing her just like he wanted to for as long as he could remember. Her lips were soft and he could feel the curl of her lips as she smiled against him. 
The fire within her erupted brighter than before. The sense of longing for another began to be fulfilled and any doubts she had began to shrink. Any doubts she had with Soul had been long gone. He was her constant, the person who was always there no matter what. She never had to ask or even say a word for him to be by her side. 
Her idea of love had been crushed when she had been a girl. She had thought that no one could change that. Perhaps she would spend her life not knowing what life could have been with a full heart. 
But as she held Soul close to her, it became clear that he was the one to hold the match to those embers. He was a reminder that love could exist and be devoted to another. 
He was the fire that burned in her heart and she gladly excepted the warmth. 
“Hey Soul?” She whispered against his lips. 
“Yeah?” 
“I love you.” 
She didn’t think his smile could get any bigger as he told her the same and kissed her again. 
----
I hope you enjoyed :) 
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planetsolaris · 2 years
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hello yes can i get Ghibli Movie Recommendations? I have only seen spirited away (and ponyo when i was three but all i remember is getting scared by the Big Water Milf) and i feel like i should fix this asap
you have NO idea how happy i am that you asked me this. spirited away is the best animated movie ever and im not kidding but here are some other ghibli films i like + short reviews and ratings. i watch a new one every friday ok im a nerd. also all these must be watched in japanese or you're doing it wrong
• Whisper of The Heart - oh my god this movie. listen. Listen. the rest on this list are optional. this is a must watch. i need everyone to watch this movie right now. pause whatever you're doing and go watch it if you haven't. This is one of the classic "little to no plot" ghibli movies but it's also absolutely wonderful. This girl Shizuku loves reading and finds out all the books she reads from the library have been taken out by the same person before her. I can't really go further into the movie because watching it knowing nothing about it is an Experience. But i CAN say that Shizuku is one of my favorite ghibli protagonists ever she is funny she is quirky and mean and i just adore her. the main boy set my standards for a romantic partner way too high. 10/10 a must watch if you're a writer or artist in general
• From Up On Poppy Hill - it's wonderful and the soundtrack is an absolute banger. its a slice of life ghibli film with jazz what more could you want. its about highschool kids restoring an old clubhouse and literally all the best scenes are when they're cleaning up or doing boring things in the clubhouse this isn't a joke. the middle part is kinda dubious tho they solve it pretty quickly. you'll know what i mean when you watch it trust me. 9/10
• Ocean Waves - I ??? really don't know how to describe the plot of this one??? because ??? IT DOESN'T REALLY HAVE ONE??? it follows three highschool kids and. that's kind of it. so much and so little happens and i loved every second of it. Idk what to tell you there are a lot of ghibli movies about Life but this one is about that the most. the main couple is alright but the guy was in love with his best friend and im dying on that hill. 8/10
• Porco Rosso - it's a man who got turned into a pig who flies a plane. 8/10 the ending is dubious but its left to interpretation so i guess that part depends on you
• Kiki's Delivery Service - I mean this one's a classic there's not a lot to say other than i watch it Everytime i get art blocked or burnt out and it makes me feel better about it. Watch the english dub its wonderful. 9/10
• Howl's moving castle - to this day i still don't understand the ending. 10/10
• The Wind Rises - warning: it'll wreck your soul. in a good or bad way? up to you. 8/10 id give it a 10 but its very long and i watched it late at night and got a little bored
and im gonna have to cut it off here or i'll go off forever. in case you couldn't tell i adore ghibli
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Innocent hug
Dylan O’Brien x reader
Warnings: mentions of rape, sexual assault, cussing, mentions of smut, Dylan being sweet (this can be possibly triggering!!!!!!) angst
Promt: when Dylan finds you crying after an uncomfortable interview, the two of you find your selves admitting things you never thought you would say again (y’all i just, I don’t even know, I can’t write freaking descriptions hahaha)
Word count: 2712
Disclaimer: so basically the interview is for maze runner, just pretend that you play another character in the movie that was like Thomas’ best friend and newts love interest (also y’all pls send some requests)
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Not my gif! Credits to @dyobrien! <3
“Hi I’m Dylan O’Brien!” Started Dylan trying to control himself from his laughter, before the cameras had begun rolling Dylan had cracked a joke that he was still trying to recover from.
“I’m Y/N Y/L/N” you said smiling
“I’m Thomas brodie sangster” Thomas said giving the camera a small wave
“And we’re the cast of maze runner” you said still smiling, also trying to control your laughter
“Or at least some of it” Dylan added on making everyone lose it again. Dylan practically fell out of his chair, Thomas giggled and you just kept laughing. Dylan had a habit of making you laugh, it was one of the many things you loved about him. You and Dylan had been best friends since you met on the set of teen wolf. You were a guest star who was quickly killed off. You and Dylan hit it off immediately, you two just got each other. You had the same sense of humor, same interests, and generally you two just felt normal around each other. The two of you stayed connected even after you left the show. Then you were lucky enough to land another part with Dylan in maze runner. Dylan played Thomas, and you played Y/C/N, Thomas’ best friend and Newts love interest. You had become extremely close with the cast, they were like your family. Since the release of the scorch trials you and Dylan had become quite the hit. Though you weren’t together in the movie, everyone shipped it. Two years after scorch trials, you and Dylan were in another movie together! American assassin, Dylan played Mitch Rapp and you of course played Y/C/N, Mitch’s love interest. Everyone wanted you two together, and it was not secret, the two of you were constantly teased on set for “flirting”.
You were doing this interview for the release of your latest movie, Maze Runner: The Death Cure. You were very sad that this series was coming to an end, you were definitely gonna miss it, everyone was.
“So my first question is for all of you actually, out of the three of you, who is the funniest?” The interview met asked
“Dylan and Y/N are both quite hilarious, especially when they are together, they are always cracking jokes and laughing” Thomas said looking at you and Dylan
“We do have fun” you agreed “honestly though I think we are all pretty funny, but Dylan I would say wins this one” you said looking to your right at Dylan
“What can I say? I’m a true born comedian” said Dylan
The questions continued, Dylan and Thomas were asked a lot about work and their new projects, whereas you seemed to be getting the clothes questions, the personal life questions. Things like, “where do you recommend buying clothes?” “How was your trip to Italy” “what are you wearing today”. Sadly that was fairly normal.
“Alright Y/N your up again, now the buzzing question everywhere right now is, are you single?” The interviewer asked
“Yes I am single” you smiled even though you were generally annoyed inside “Im that girl at the family reunions who gets introduced to the 3rd cousins, and who always gets told by the grandmas, “see honey this is why you are still single”” you said
Next to you Dylan weesed and began laughing hysterically. Thomas again just giggled his sweet laugh.
“Well do they know the men you work with? I mean your standards must be pretty high huh?” The interviewer pushed
“Yes yes I guess they are” you said, Dylan laughed next to you
“Why aren’t you with any of them Y/N?” He asked
Your eyebrows knitted together at this question, was he really asking this?
“Well blondie over here” you said gesturing to Thomas “is taken as you know, and taken by one of the nicest people I know, so”
“Well what about you Dylan, I mean the media definitely wants you two together, you two are like Tom hanks and Meg Ryan, and hey if I were you I would totally hit that” he said to Dylan
You froze at this, wtf was this guy doing? Dylan’s eyebrows shot up and his jaw clenched, and Thomas glared at the interviewer.
“Really man?” Dylan asked, you adjusted yourself in your seat, moving your arms to cover your body, you suddenly felt exposed and uncomfortable.
“I was just kidding with you guys” the interviewer said laughing it off
“Wasn't very funny” Dylan said
“Sorry man, didn’t mean any harm” he said putting his hands up in defense
You were shaking, you had a past. A past no one knew about, a past that would be easily triggered by a comment like that.
“Maybe think before you speak next time” Thomas added
“Ya, not cool man” Dylan said
The tension in the room was deadly. But still the interview continued on with only two questions left.
After the interview everyone was checking to make sure you were ok, Dylan kept saying that he’d beat his ass and Thomas just repeated that he is a dick. On the way back to the hotel you were all staying at, the consern eventually died down. Thomas and Dylan were planning on meeting up with ki Hong and kaya at a bar somewhere. They asked if you wanted to join but you kindly refused saying that you needed some me time. They were hesitant at first but then gave in and left you in your hotel room. Once the door closed you ran to the bathroom, looking at yourself in the gold rimmed mirror. Then suddenly you were crying.
“No!” You yelled at yourself “don’t cry, stop it Y/N!” You told yourself, but the tears just kept flowing and they wouldn’t stop.
Dylan’s POV
I swear I was gonna murder that man, who the fuck makes comments like that? I knew Y/N, I knew how this was going to go. I could talk she was shaken up and uncomfortable, but she would never admit that. She never let people in, she claimed she didn’t want to bother anyone with her personal problems. Leaving her alone in her hotel room felt wrong, I knew she wasn’t okay. I could see it in her face. As we walked away from her door, down to the lobby I felt the sudden urge to go back. To run back to her and take her in my arms, stroke her hair and tell her it was ok. Then I decided that that was exactly what I was going to do.
“Hey man I think imma go back, you know how she is, I don’t think she should be alone” I told Thomas, he looked back at me with understanding eyes
“Ofcourse mate” he said nodding, “I think that is a brilliant idea”
“Tell kaya and ki Hong I’m sorry I missed them” I said already waking back to Y/Ns room
“Will do!” He responded
Then I burst out into a run, running back down the hall and to the elevator. I clicked the 6th floor and the second the doors opened I was out, running to Y/Ns door.
Once I got there I took the liberty of unlocking it with the extra key she had given me. She said it was only for emergencies, but I thought I could make an exception. I walked quietly into the hotel room, I opened my mouth to yell for her but then shut it again. I heard muffled cry’s coming from the bedroom. Shit, I hope she’s watching some random soap opera, I hope that’s not her crying.
“Hey Y/N?” I said opening the door to the bedroom
Your POV
When you heard Dylan say your name you quickly sprang into action. Because you were still in the bathroom he wouldn’t be able to see u for at least a few more seconds. You wiped your eyes and tired to put yourself together before walking out to greet him.
“Hey Dylan” you said smiling, keeping up your act
Dylan studied you, he saw your smile, but he also saw your red rimmed eyes and your fidgeting hands, he heard the slight crack in your voice and the tiredness in it as well.
“Are you alright?” He asked stepping slowly toward you
“Ya ya I’m fine! What are you doing here?” You said, way to quickly
Dylan looked at you with sad eyes, it broke him to know that you were hiding from him. “I was worried, I wanted to make sure you were ok”
“We’ll hate to break it to ya, but um you came back for nothing, I am totally fine, faaaaaantastic!” you said smiling at him even more
“You can talk to me” he said stepping closer to you again
“There is nothing to talk about” you said
“Y/N, I know you, I know what you are doing, your not ok, and your hiding it, your shutting me out again”
“Dylan you need to calm down! I. Am. Fine!” You said, he was right though, and you both knew it “you should really go have fun!”
“Y/N-“ he started before being cut off again
“I insist Dylan, please, don’t worry about me, ok?” You said smiling sweetly
“That’s a lot easier said than done” he said looking down, then an idea came to him, it was horrible and he knew you would hate him, but he needed you to let him in “but if that’s what you want, then I’ll leave” he said
“Yes! Go have a good time!” You’d aid practically pushing him out of the bedroom
“See ya later!” You said closing the bedroom door behind him
Dylan walking over to the front door, opened it, and then closed it, still standing in your hotel room. Meanwhile you were listening to hear him leave, and when the door shut you began crying again. Then suddenly strong arms were tapped around your body, pulling you in close. You jumped.
“Hey hey, it’s just me” Dylan said stroking your hair
“But-but you left” you said looking up at him confused
“I didn’t, I’m sorry angel but I needed you to be honest with me” he said looking at you in your eyes. His heart breaking into a million pieces, he hated seeing you like this.
“I-I’m so sorry” you said beginning to cry even harder
“Don’t be sorry angel, it’s ok I’m here” he said hushing you and continuing to stroke you hair. He held you in his arms and never let you go. He held you as you cried, though he was also breaking inside.
After what seemed like forever, your tears ran out and you began to calm down. Dylan still holding you close.
“You wanna talk about it?” He asked sweetly
“Not really” you said sniffling
“You know I will go back and kill That guy if you want me too right?” He said pulling away from you so he could see your face
You didn’t look at him in the eyes, though his tried to find yours
“No it’s ok, really. That guy was a Douche bag, it’s not his fault I have shit” because you had just been crying and weren’t thinking strait, those words just slipped through your mouth. Dylan’s eyes widened and he moved your chin to that you had to face him.
“What kind of shit?” He asked
“Nothing” you said
He widened his eyes saying “really?”
You nodded in response to his action.
“Come on Y/N I’m here, please just talk to me” he pleaded
You stood up and out of Dylan’s grasp. “Listen Dylan, there is a lot you don’t know about me, and it’s all for good reason, ok? I recommend leaving it alone” you said
“I have left it alone for long enough Y/N!” He said standing up as well
“Whatever Dylan” you said waving away his statement
“No! Do not shut me out!” He said walking over to you again grabbing you hands, you could tell he was getting mad, but when he grabbed you it scared you
“No stop! Please! I’m sorry!” You pleaded, Dylan let go of your hands. His heart broke. He looked at you with concerned eyes.
“I’m sorry” he said, he noticed you were shaking, he was so confused, your reaction wasn’t normal. “Please just talk to me, please?”
You sighed and sat down on the bed, putting your face in your hands. Dylan sighed, giving up he began walking away when suddenly you began talking.
“I was 20, it was the first week of my sophomore year of college, my best friend at the time was bugging me about going to some frat party for back to school, the guys she liked had asked her to come and bring a friend. I told her I had to study but she didn’t believe me because it was the first week of school. I wasn’t a party person but I gave in. We got there, and she was drunkenly talking to the guy. I only had one drink, that the guy, his name was Brandon gave me. I started to feel sick and I went to go lie down. I was not thinking strait and when Brandon offered to help me I accepted, he carried me to the bedroom and put me down on the bed. By that time I was confused but barely conscious. He um…” you hesitated, Dylan stared at u in disbelief “he rapped me, he fucking rapped me. I tried to tell my friend but she just accused me of being jealous and not happy for her, saying Brandon would never do that. She never spoke to me again. Then a year later my boyfriend, who I had only been dating for a month or so wanted to ya know do it and I told him I wasn’t ready, I lied telling him I was a virgin. He was fine with it and he said he would wait. He asked again a month later and I still said no, this time he was more angry. We fought and I told him what happened and he called me a slut. We didn’t technically break up but we didn’t really speak. I felt bad so one time I decided to surprise him in his dorm. He was there with another girl. He cheated on me. I never told anyone else about what Brandon did to me. Not my parents, not my friends, not the police.” You finished in tears again
Dylan’s heart was in a million pieces, his best friend was raped and he didn’t know about it. Ofc it was a few years before you met him but he still kicked himself for not protecting you. He loved you! He loved you so damn much. He walked and he wrapped you up in his arms.
“It’s okay angel” he spoke softly so he would scare you. He let his emotions take hold of him, he no longer had control of what he said, “I love you so much and I will never ever leave you or hurt you, I will always protect you.” He told you
You looked up, he just said that he loved you, “what?” You asked
Dylan then realized what he had said “oh um ha” he said scratching the back of his head, screw it he thought. “Ya I love you Y/N, I have loved you for a long time, and and I feel bad telling you now, I don’t wanna take advantage of you but I do. I love you and-“ he was cut off by your lips on his. They were soft, moved as if they were meant for each other.
“I love you too” you said as you smiled
Dylan let out a breath of relief and kissed you again. When Dylan met you, you were nervous about your new job next to big actors, Dylan hugged you trying to comfort you. You never forgot that hug.
You layed in his arms, and for once in a long time you felt light, happy, and safe. And it was all because of one innocent hug.
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magniloquent-raven · 3 years
Note
I love your trans-billy! I need more <3
AW OMG IM SO FLATTERED!! it was just a little vent fic tbh, but i have been wanting to write more trans billy because the fandom needs more of it, so here is a part two!
(read part one here)
(i do get into billy’s childhood a little bit in this part, so cw: child abuse mentions)
--
seems like billy's whole damn life is just a series of stupid choices and him dealing with the consequences of his own impulsiveness.
started young and never stopped. when he was six he chopped off all his hair in the school bathroom right before class photos. didn't even consider what would happen when he walked out of that room, he just felt wrong and wanted to fix it.
he had to walk around for months with a patchy hack-job because neil refused to pay to get it fixed. his mom said she'd try to make it better but billy wouldn't let her touch it. he was afraid she'd try to make him pretty again. undo all his hard work.
after that it was easier to sneak into groups of boys unnoticed, like the kids three streets down who were always playing basketball in the empty parking lot. they'd turned him away before, took one look at him and sneered that a girl couldn't keep up.
but after he put on a pair of too-big cargo shorts he stole off the neighbours clothes' line, and a t-shirt he'd hacked the sleeves off of, with his newly shorn hair all they did was make fun of him for looking poor. but they let him play.
months later, they hadn't caught on, even though his hair was growing out, and he wore the same clothes every time he saw them. he was starting to get nervous about being discovered.
what he didn't expect was neil discovering him first.
it was the first time his dad really hit him. more than just grabbing his arm, or shoving him a little. the first time he left scars.
he said if billy wanted to act like a boy, he'd get taught like one.
and life was a constant battle after that. even when he had his mother in his corner, it was usually a losing one. after she left there was barely any point in fighting at all, but he could never seem to stop entirely.
not when this was, according to his father's standards, what it takes to be a man.
but in trying to prove himself, he ended up in some fucked up places.
on the floor in his bedroom, his back torn open and the sharp crack of a belt ringing in his ears, still refusing to admit that tearing up the dress his nana made him wasn't an accident.
under the bleachers, blowing a guy who called him a dyke one too many times. then leaving him with his pants down and a broken nose 'cause he wouldn't stop trying for more than that.
waking up in a hospital bed, eighteen years old and wondering why he's still alive. being told it's a miracle. being told he was heroic. saved some little girl. got his name in the paper.
four months later taking a bus to chicago, picking out a new name on the way and never looking back.
and he might be living a whole new life here, but that doesn't mean he left all his stupid back in california.
it's been a week since he spent an afternoon half-conscious in steve's arms, and things have been disturbingly normal between them. steve hasn't asked any weird questions, or commented on billy being pathetic and needy, or acted like things have changed.
they haven't talked about any of it, and it's making billy nervous.
he's not sure what he thought would happen when he asked steve to hold him, to stay, he wasn't thinking at all, really, so now he's gotta deal with that.
problem is, he hasn't been dealing well. he's been dodging steve's calls. he's been jumpy, freezing up when steve comes anywhere near him.
which, he's come to notice, he does a lot. always sitting next to billy when they hang out in groups, always brushing past a little closer than necessary when he slips by him to leave the room.
and now. steve's insinuated himself into billy's evening, showing up unannounced with beer and a blindingly cheerful grin, sitting next thigh-to-thigh on the lumpy love-seat. and. billy's grinding his teeth. pretending to pay attention to the tv and not steve's warm leg pressed to his knee.
touching steve has always been a special kind of glorious agony, but now. now it's all that and week-old memories of soft lips brushing his forehead, remembering what it was like to wake up in his arms, feeling dizzy with warmth and want and...
steve's knee shifts, presses firmer against his, and billy can't take it anymore.
"alright, that's it!" he's on his feet, fists balled at his side, steve blinking up at him with his big dumb precious doe-eyes, and he trembles like an indignant cat. "the hell is up with you, harrington?" he snaps, pointing an accusing finger.
steve stares at him, mouth agape. "...um. nothing?" his cheeks are pink, and billy wants so badly to kiss him 'til he blushes everywhere.
he swallows hard, and crosses his arms. "c'mon, man, don't lie to me. it's been a week—" his voice falters, but he sets his jaw, tilts his chin like a challenge.
when he woke up that night, steve drooling on his shoulder, arm securely around his waist, he panicked. he shoved steve off of him, and they spent the next twenty minutes in tense, awkward silence while billy cleaned up and ignored steve. steve, who stayed, ordered a pizza, payed for it, and then left without eating a single slice.
and then.
nothing.
for a goddamn week. hanging out like nothing happened.
"i—" steve chokes on air, breaking eye-contact. "i mean. i didn't think you—" he's sinking in on himself, retreating into the couch, his gaze wandering the room listlessly. billy would feel bad if he wasn't so amped up on nervous energy, thrumming with adrenaline, waiting for the other shoe to drop. "i'm sorry."
billy blinks. "you're sorry."
"yeah?" steve glances at him, but only for a second before he ducks his head. he picks at his nails, frowning at his own hands in his lap. "i...i can go, i...sorry if i made things weird."
"if you...made things...weird," billy repeats, slowly. like it'll make any more sense coming from his own mouth.
it doesn't.
he deflates a little. steve looks up at him, expression pinched, bemused.
"are you just gonna repeat everything i say, or...?"
"harrington, i swear to god," billy grits out, "start making sense, or fuck off."
at least billy understands what's happening when guys sneer and leave after they find out the only dick they'll ever get from him is made of silicone. this clusterfuck is just...hurting his brain.
steve opens and closes his mouth soundlessly. "um..." he runs a restless hand through his hair. "i thought...you know...i got a little too, um. affectionate. last week. and you seemed so freaked out when you woke up, i...figured we could just, like, move on. act like nothing happened. 'cause it'd be easier?"
"what."
"but clearly that wasn't it—" he cuts himself off, and sags, groaning, head falling into his hands. "shit, i'm an idiot. billy, i'm so dumb, i'm so sorry. you were worried about how i'd react to. um." he pauses. gestures towards billy's crotch. "right?"
billy flushes. "i wasn't—can you stop pointing at it, jesus christ. i wasn't worried. i was just..." he trails off and bites his lip. shifts his weight around awkwardly. he's usually so much better at thinking on his feet, but fucking hell is he so off-balance right now. too thrown off to even come up with a little white lie.  
steve drops his hand, looking sheepish. "look, i...you never said anything, so i didn't mention it either. i'm not...it isn't any of my business if you don't want it to be."
"...do you want it to be?" billy's heart is in his mouth as he says it, pulse stuttering, tripping over itself.
"i—" steve's eyes widen. they stare at each other for a beat. the moment stretches, the drone of the tv in the background the only noise in the apartment. "are you asking what i think you're asking? because i don't want to assume and—" he trails off with a strangled noise when billy steps forward and climbs into his lap.
he's barely touching him, knees brushing his hips, sitting mid-thigh, keeping his hands to himself. but it still feels...intimate. steve's gaze heavy on him, inches away. knowing that if he put his hand on steve's chest he'd feel his heart racing.
"i'm asking," billy says quietly.
he sees this kiss coming and yet he still doesn't expect it. doesn't expect to be touched so softly, his face cradled like something precious. doesn't expect the way his stomach swoops, heart clenching, tense for a second before something warm blooms in his chest.
when he curls his fingers into the front of steve's shirt he does, in fact, feel his heart racing.
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sugar-petals · 4 years
Text
Cuddling With SuperM
↳ ❤︎ CARO’S NOTE: their concept is all about badassery i know but we’re dealing with seven angels so let’s talk about that shall we
warnings ⚠️ some light teasing, innuendo
length: 1.5k
taeyong
am i really telling you something ground-breaking with this:
so this guy’s truly adorable
turns into a baby what else is new
draws his knees to his chest and just enjoys the ride with his eyes closed
you can do whatever the hell you want
back rubs, head pats, foot massages, caressing the neck or underneath the chin which is particularly sweet
and a whole lot of tickling he’s kinda obsessed with this
excellent chef he is, taeyong enjoys preparing snacks for a set cuddling time or movie night
so what if this turns into feeding each other basically are you ready for that
this guy’s impossible face up close is hard to bear for the faint-hearted just mentioning that in passing here
because… he has that one yearning expression and his eye contact is very steady
bit of a duality here huh
but worry not because taeyong’s tiger inside is more of a cat actually, tyongkitty behavior guaranteed right there
he does do friendly head buts and yeah the eye contact is also a cat thing now that i think about it… it all makes sense now
ten, baekhyun, lucas and taemin are pretty cocky types of cuddlers, taeyong leads the more subdued fraction in super m
it’s the kind of cuddling that needs rainy weather and a cup of tea
ten
quality time right here
banter is always included ofc
or at least a lot of talk because with ten, conversation and cuddles go together
likes pets joining, three’s a party, a cat can always make a snuggly contribution
add a ball of wool to play around
like. a-you, a-me, and a cat right in between ya see
music is always playing in the background, always
ten’s body is very sensual… you can tell he’s a dancer by the way he’s adapting, how he’s feeling it, how he moves in general
the reflexes are just so different he has great feeling for what you wanna do next it’s his bodily intuition and he just goes along with it
what you gotta tell him though is to keep it lowkey with keeping his jazzy outfits on
a hoodie cuddles better than high fashion and spiked jackets
plus he looks adorably small in it so two birds with one stone
never forget ten is really tiny that sure makes a difference
reluctant little spoon, he keeps it face-to-face or sleeps on his back
ten is glad to be approached with hugs he’s not always doing the initiative
shy thailand angel ikr
but don’t complain if he farts because he absolutely will
goddammit chittaphon
kai
if it’s without a plushie something’s going wrong it always needs one
his favorite teddy’s gotta participate y’know he’s a social creature
in this home we don’t discriminate against plush bears
and yeah, his bear ear hoodie likewise he is sure to put it on
jongin tends to be rather taciturn because he wants to enjoy the body-to-body sensations
meaning, don’t interpret his frequent silence as awkwardness he’s just observing
is not above teasing… if his outfit is showing some skin he’ll invite you to touch the area
also enjoys you putting your hands under his sweater
he’s laughing like crazy and kicking his legs all giggly if you put your head underneath it and let it roam oh la la
yeah nini likes some wit to it for sure, and some steaminess in the mix it’s just a natural byproduct if we’re honest
dim the lights down low for this one…
but also light the candles alright
cuddling is more of a soft and steady thing there’s not much position changes going on
this is the couch not the dancefloor your honor
while we’re talking about that: jongin is a buff biatch my god
prep a water bottle to chug when you’re cuddling this guy is effortlessly hot
also know that kai will almost definitely snap a picture of you huddled together for the memory of it
baekhyun
unlike his memes, baekhyun’s cuddling behaviour is entirely predictable
will snuggle against your shoulder by default pretty much that’s his favorite area
stays glued there for two hours if you’re not busy
im not kidding
needless to say he needs a partner who can handle this level of clinginess
baekhyun can’t keep his hands to himself in general
neither can you
it’s groping x cuddling these two are a dead sure combination
keen to snuggle casually while he’s gaming, cross-legged on the ground with you massaging his back
likes to lay his head into your lap, too.
baekhug i mean back hug enthusiast. something inside his face has an inbuilt magnet that sucks him into the space between your collar bones
especially when you’re at the stove cooking
caution: love bites. lots of them. does this count as cuddles? probably. it’s not like he’s eating you or is he. oop—
what am i saying all he does is nibble alright
and oh yeah bring on the sweater weather. he can’t stay still in bed it’s gonna be a pillowfort building session though
you gotta exhaust him until he naps off lmao!
energizer bunny bf
mark
enjoys being fed watermelon during the process how else could it be
wait until this guy hears what harry styles’ watermelon sugar is all about his world will never be the same again
anyway
he’ll look so cute in his striped shirt and his round glasses awh
cuddling is his favorite way to show his trust and affection before all else
his favorite time to cuddle is before going to sleep
he usually hugs pillows so you can tell how clingy he winds up as
mark really sleeps and dreams better if you do that it has an astounding effect. cuddles are his perfect recharging if you will it’s just that he’s actually calming down through it whereas he can be nervous throughout the day so he needs that downtime
spooning is a given
what he enjoys the most about it is the warmth
markie easily gets cold sometimes he just needs that tune-up with you he’s like blink blink there goes my dose of daily heat beep beep
what the fuck
anyway again
talk about tune
just like ten he’s very talkative all the way verbal stimulation and mark lee just go together
if you compare him to taeyong there’s not much of a transformation going on mark lee on two legs is the same mark lee during cuddles it’s all copy paste
all in all a delectable experience, extremely cute and heart-melting, super m truly has a super mark
taemin
much like xuxi he has that permanent smile on his lips that tries to make you laugh
in fact taemin is hard to stop with his puns and his humor
ffs he is a true brat
taems can’t help but try to escalate this into a playfight every time
not that he doesn’t enjoy the calmer types of cuddling but he needs some action in the sack
enjoys praise along the way who are we kidding
the clothes you both cuddle in are very important alright, the fabric in particular
taemin keeps it expensive here it’s just the way he rolls
satin my dear
it’s just so satisfying to the touch
but also beware of his most lethal clothing choice which brings out his innate maknae charm the most
THE FLUFFY TURTLENECK
gyeahh
which he will use during special occasions to turn you into a cuddle monster ready to pounce him
give it up for shinee my loves they taught him well and sent him out to fluff up the world
what else is there okay we also gotta mention that cuddling consists of many little kisses here and there
taemin wants to get absolutely peppered
he is and stays a prince
lucas
ideal body type for cuddling except that it needs the right place, not the environment but the spot i mean, you can imagine
lucas can explode any smol-size couch or bed
don’t even think about trying to cuddle on regular chairs my god why would you live so dangerously
king size por favor
there is a lot to cuddle against it’s really a whole wonderland
those big ole thighs are practical cushions for anything really.
and his face is just so amicable it has to be kithed
his hands… his hands! you will feel maximum protection with those giant baby fingers around your hips i’m telling you
admittedly yukhei is hard to properly hug around the shoulders obviously that’s a drawback but hey his waist is lithe and tiny so hello there, very inviting
oh, that infectious smile.
serious cuddling: 0 — funny cuddles: over 9,000
and tasty cuddles because foodcas brings some fried rice every time oh yum
hates to go to work he really prioritizes you and cuddles go on for long long hours especially when you watch your favorite series
xuxi goes the extra mile, he will touch your hair a lot, just gently combing through it
and he doesn’t mind it when you do the same, he’s got the most angelic blonde locks after all
lu calls you beautiful all the time the cheesy mf is really pulling the standard compliment alright
cue jonas brothers sucker for you
ugh, boyfriend
mlist
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the-mu-chronicles · 2 years
Text
okay rants from my notes app lets go 😼
this one is about hans's relationship with his dad bc this one is on my mind pretty much all the time also this one is the most elaborate so far
✩✩✩✩✩
so before the coming out hans's relationship was very tense and often felt forced and insincere, as in, his father viewed him as someone who has to become the pride of their family only, sorta shoving aside all aspects of his identity. hans also seemed distant from his own self; he repressed his emotions and he sticked to the standards set by his father for him. his father was a demanding person and saw hans as someone who had to catter to all his expectations in order to become a successful man
note: hans's father was a hardcore homophobe and hans figured out when he was gay when he was like 17 or so so all his comments about gay people 😡😡 started irking him and making him upset
during one of the family meetings hans finally decided he's had enough so when his father asked for his approval after he said something bigoted he went "you said you don't talk to f*ggots, why are you asking one for an opinion then?" and BOY did it start drama
at first his father was super speechless but after they went home shit went down & they began arguing, long story short hans got a slap across his face and stormed out of the house in rage and said he never ever wants to see his father ever again
and hans actually committed to his promise and went as far as not speaking to his father for a solid year or so
meanwhile his father gets a redemption arc bc ferro decided he's gonna come out as trans bc fuck you father and,,, it goes surprisingly well?? like he also goes silent at the beginning but instead of screaming at him he asks some questions and then he's like "right, i'll try to sort his head out then i'll come back" and he actually made effort to use ferro's name and pronouns??? omg???
like as if something clicked in him, maybe lgbt people aren't so bad after all, especially since both his kids seem to be lgbt,,,,
and he started educating himself with the help of ferro and thought it'd be nice to contact his older son as well bc they split up exactly because he was a shitbag about gay people
hans doesn't want to speak to him though and either doesn't answer his calls/messages or hangs up immediately
and he decides to finally give him a chance after he's on a videochat with ferro and he shows him his new binder and when hans asks him where he got it from he's like "oh father bought it for me, he knows im trans and he supports me. hey actually he wanted to talk with you and apologise for being a dick so if you want to, you can do it. no pressure tho" and hans is like yeah alright but ill beat his ass up if he does anything shitty to you
so yeah they (hans & his dad) start talking and they both explain their points of views to each other, hans also talks about how after the fight he started experiencing WAY much more emotions than he did before in his life and it's super confusing to him and often leads to hans experiencing the extremes
also turns out my man had adhd all along, what a surprise /s
and when hans finally comes back home he notices a pride flag hanging on the balcony & he's like "who did this?" and hisfather replies "oh, i hung it up, i thought it'd look welcoming" "but aren't you afraid of what the neighbors are gonna say?" "nah, fuck them and their opinions honestly, i love you the way you are and if they can't accept that they can go fuck themselves" and 😭😭😭
also some time later hans's father can be observed totally consumed in conversations with leo and adam aka hans's boyfriends and hans is laughing in the background bc damn this man literally used to say he's gonna off himself when his son comes out as gay, this is what growth is
and hans's father goes absolutely bonkers to hear about all the silly cultural aspects of the dimensions adam and leo come from bc damn that's literally so cool
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, LITERALLY WHO LOOKS AT NICK FUCKING RUSSEL AND GOES “mm yes, take my autism”
THIS IS AN ISSUE
WHY AM I LIKE THIS
whatever its too late now! you get to hear me talk about it to avoid writing it!!
So, i’ll be explaining the show for you newbs who dont watch power rangers like a smart person (as in the not watching it is smart). 
Power Rangers Mystic Force is, obviously, power rangers. It’s got the standard team of five with superpowers and weird biker-looking uniforms. 
If im honest, PRMF is literally just power rangers but with like fantasy magic.
It follows Nick Russell, the new guy in town. He’s a biker and he’s got this tragic bs backstory about how his parents abandoned him (update: they work overseas, they adopted him and like do not vibe with him)  and he travels, living with  family members and how he never sticks around long enough to make friends. We know he’s staying with his sister, and about nothing else. ~ Nick Russell is actually really important, of course, he is the Red Ranger and if we didn’t have the leader be angsty what kind of Power Rangers would we be, am I right? (i dunno i havent watched other power rangers in like ten years) ~
But we’ll come back to that. ~
There’s also Charlie “Chip” Thorn, a hyperactive hyperimaginative redhead with a love for fantasy and superheroes. He’s eager to join the team and loves the idea of quests and fighting villains and shit. He’s the Yellow Ranger, with Lightning Powers. ~
Vida Rocca, the ‘bad girl’. She has this one strip of her short hair that she dyes and may I just say when I finished the show a third time I couldnt not think ‘yO HER HAIR CHANGES TO SHOW HOW SHE FEELS ABOUT THE RANGERS’ but lets be honest thats probably bs lol. Anyways, she’s a DJ and she loves music, she’s the Pink Ranger (who hates pink for most of the show) with Wind Powers. ~
Madison Rocca, the ‘good girl’. She’s Vida’s sister, and she like following the rules and she enjoys recording her friends to make little videos for them to look back on when theyre older. She’s hesitant and cautious, but will do a lot to make sure her sister is safe. She’s the Blue Ranger, with the power of Water. ~
Xander Bly, he’s cocky and thinks hes all that, and flirts with women like every chance he gets. He thinks he’s super handsome and amazing and probably has a superiority complex for one reason or another. He’s the green ranger, with Nature Powers. ~
Not rangers include: ~
Koragg, one of the big bads who (SPOILERS) later turns out to be Nick’s father and Udonna’s long lost husband. Early on in the show he can telepathically communicate with Nick, which gives Nick these really really bad headaches, great for angst, it’s used as a bit of a plot device through a lot of the show and ngl I love it cause angst. ~
Uhh forgot her name but there’s the Vampire Queen who has bat wings on her hips and is in a full leather body suit. She’s kinda boring. ~
I forgot her name as well but the Vampire Queens daughter, who later goes on to save her mother because she realizes that the Rangers are the good guys and she’s on the wrong team.  ~
Udonna, the kinda ex White Ranger and a very powerful sorceress, as well as the Ranger’s trainer and Claire’s aunt. ~
Claire, (SPOILERS) who turns out to be the Daughter of Udonna’s sister, who was more powerful than her and sacrificed her life to seal the gate to what is essentially hell. She’s comedically bad at magic early in the show, and acts a lot like a comedic relief. ~
The Master, aka The Big Bad that the evil guys are trying to let free. Koragg before he became Koragg was trying to kill him and succeeded in trapping him further than all the others. He’s some weird tentical creepy muscles-showing no skinned weird i dunno i think i repressed this cause i forgot what he looks like lol.
Alright, so those are the characters. Now let me explain the plot.
Nick rides into town on his bike and is usually found set up outside the record shop that the rest of the Rangers (yet to be) work at. Btw, theyre all teenagers, but I think this takes place in summer cause we never see them go to school. 
Anyways, this old man calls for somebody to help him, and says that his brother and him were walking through the woods and somebody grabbed him, and he needed somebody to go looking for his brother. Nick, not being apart of the town to know they have rumours about dying in the forest, offers to help.
Xander tells him the woods are haunted, he ignores the man saying the man needs help so who gives a shit about some rumours, and then Vida is like “i’ll help too,” and Chip joins in cause he thinks its gonna be some awesome quest. They make it out to the forest, and Maddie and Xander join them, (”Xander I told you if you ever took my car I’d rearrange your limbs!” -Vida, episode one).
The man is like super ominous and her vanishes once they get into the forest, this creepy witch lady saves them from some bad guys attempting to attack them, and then throws brooms at them that they fly off on. 
Time skip not actually in the show but im losing steam so we’re moving on. Eventually, they make it to RootCore, aka the base of operations, and meet Udonna and Claire. Udonna is this super powerful sorceress and the White Ranger, and she trains them. Claire is her apprentice who is comedically bad at magic.
She hands out wands to them, they go to leave, get into a fight, all of them but Nick believe in and use magic, Nick leaves the forest, Udonna fights Koragg and loses her staff aka her White Ranger magic, and the Rangers are left in charge of saving everybody. In the end, Nick goes to leave and ends up showing up anyways to save the rangers from Koragg and embraces the magic, becoming the Red Ranger.
That’s the gist of the first episode, and the rest is kinda just “fight the bad guys, discover random secrets that make a surprising amount of sense for a show like this, fail a couple times, do some weird shit then end on a happy note”
WHICH BTW THE ENDING? FUCKIN WEIRD
The fantasy creatures integrate with Humans, Vida dyes all her hair bright pink, Nick fucking leaves town and this is the weird part. Because for one, Nick wanted to stay with his friends it was obvious, but for two; the way he left was w e i r d . He, Udonna and not-evil-Koragg who I forgot the name of, leave together.
The end scene is Nick riding up to the edge of the rode on his Motorcycle, then it slowly pans out to show Udonna and Nek (im just calling him Nek as in not evil koragg now) on bikes as well?? one of them asks if hes ready to go and they ~ride off into the sunset~
For one: THESE ARE AGE OLD SORCERERS WHO HAVE VERY LITTLE IDEA ABOUT HUMAN TECH?? HOW DO THEY KNOW HOW TO RIDE??
For two: dID THEY JUST HAVE THESE BIKES RIDING AROUND?? AND THE HELMETS?? DID THEY SHELL OUT A BUNCH OF MONEY FOR THIS?? LITERALLY WHAT???
anyways, great show! youve gotta watch it on some.. less than legal sites but shh its okay shhhh. It used to be on Netflix but like yaknow, its gone now. Either way, it’s a great show in my opinion! Like I mean it’s bad cause Power Rangers, so to most who are looking to critique there’s probably shit acting, and there’s a lot of not needed grunting in battle, the effects are shitty and the costumes are kinda depressing, but it’s still enjoyable! 
Random Facts-- ~
Vida hates Pink, despite being the pink ranger. ~
Chip, Vida, and Maddie have been friends since either kindergarten or elementary school, i dunno about Xander. ~
They all work at a Record Shop/Music Shop together, and their boss is an idiot but kinda entertaining. ~
Vida turns into a vampire for about two episodes, and Chip is the one to figure it out. ~
Maddie gets turned to stone because Nick essentially calls her useless and shy, and so she went out to prove otherwise, and got caught up in an attack. ~
Chip opens a weird black bottle he found after a battle and some weird thing comes out and attacks him, he spends the B Plot of that episode quite literally dying with his soul being eaten and climbing a mountain to get the cure. ~
Koragg has a really dumb moral code about how he only fights with Honor and refuses to kill the rangers most of the time because its “not honorable” for some reason or another. ~
There’s an episode where Xander gets this really really ugly and big zit right on the tip of his nose, and he uses this perfection potion Claire made for plants. He proceeds to turn into a literal tree and be depressed. ~
There’s a Troblin, the child of a Troll and a Goblin, named Phineas who’s very entertaining and I like this. By the end of the show, he ends up dating the daughter of the Vampire Queen which when you think too hard about makes no sense. ~
Nick turns into Koragg at one point late in the series. I completely fucking forgot how, but he does lol.
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Rating: G
Summary: XY tries to steal Luka's non-existent gym badges.  Instead, they both end up making a new friend.  (For @luxyweek day 3: Pokemon)
Word Count: 2071
XXX
Luka woke up to a stranger rummaging in his bag.
He should’ve known better than to fall asleep in the Pokémon Center, especially in a city as big as Lumiose.  Exhaustion after a late concert was no excuse to be careless.  Even if crime was rarer after the takedown of Team Flare, there were still unorganized thieves around.
Like this idiot who thought Luka was an easy target.
“C’mon, he’s gotta have at least one…” The idiot was mumbling.
Without opening his eyes, Luka slowly moved his hand to his pocket.  He pulled out the one pokéball he had on him.
“Who the heck carries so many metronome items…?” 
While the thief was distracted, Luka pressed the button on his pokéball.  One click, and his Loudred burst free.
“GWAHHHH!!!”  She boomed, and the thief jumped back with a shriek.
“Wh-h-hey!” he stammered.  Luka finally got a good look at him.  Tall blonde hair, tacky outfit—was this some remixed Team Flare grunt after all?  He was wearing purple rather than red, though.
“That’s an, uh, nice dude you got there.”  He eyed Luka’s Loudred dubiously.
“Symphony is a girl.”  He scratched her behind the ear, and she made a low rumble.
“Uh.  Nice babe then.”
Luka snorted.  Why had this thief bothered to stick around?  He thought he’d have run off by now.  Luka really hoped he wasn’t going to have to battle.  Symphony had worked hard enough tonight.
“Why were you looking through my bag?”
“Pshaw, I wasn’t doing that.  Besides, you don’t have anything useful.”
Wow.  This guy really was an idiot.  The Team Flare grunts were never too smart, either.  Just a bunch of kids who got mixed up with the wrong crowd.
Well, Luka was no trainer like the ones who’d busted them up last year.  But maybe he could keep one kid from following down that road.
“What do you count as useful?”  Luka asked.  “Money?  Items?  Pokémon?”
“Maybe Pokémon would be useful, if they’d stop being haters and listen to me.”  The guy crossed his arms and pouted.
“...So you’re not a trainer?”  Luka glanced around the Pokémon Center.  Everyone else was very determined to mind their own business.  Not that Luka needed their help to deal with a guy who couldn’t even use his own Pokémon, but still.  Someone could’ve tried.
“I’m going to be a trainer.  Just as soon as I steal a badge and get this Zorro dude to listen to me.”
Luka raised an eyebrow.  “Zorro dude?”
“Yeah.  Dark type?  Sick red ponytail?  Likes to copy me and make me look stupid?”
He sat up straighter.  “You have a Zoroark?”
That Pokémon was rare enough to border on legendary.  They didn’t even live in the Kalos region.
“Yeah, that’s what I said.”  The guy looked at Luka like he was stupid.
“How did you catch a Zoroark if it won’t even listen to you?”
“Dad gave ‘im to me.  He wants me to get famous here, but it’s harder to fake battles than I thought.”  He sighed dramatically and sunk to the seat next to Luka.
Clearly the ‘get famous’ plan wasn’t working.  Luka had no idea who he was.  At least he was pretty sure he wasn’t a Team Flare grunt, though.
“And you’re telling me this… after trying to rob me… why…?”
“Cause you asked.”
Luka blinked.  “Touché.”
He gave Symphony one last pat, then returned her to her pokéball.
“Traded Pokémon won’t listen to you without badges,” he told the would-be thief.  “And I don’t have any of those, if that’s what you were looking for.”
“Really?  But you look—”  The guy gestured to all of him.  “Y’know.  Cool.  Tough.”
“Thanks? I guess?  I’m just a musician, though.”  He patted his guitar next to him.  It was pretty telling that this guy hadn’t tried to steal that.  “I only battle if I have to.”
“Huh.  Well that’s pretty cool too, I guess.”  The guy shrugged.  “I did Pokémon Contests in Hoenn for a while.  Before I got banned for using holograms.”
Luka raised an eyebrow.  “Any other international crimes you want to confess to?”
“Crashed my boat into a herd of Luvdisc in Alola.  But that was an accident.  How was I supposed to know they were endangered?”
“I was being sarcastic, man.”  Luka shook his head.  “Nevermind.  Come on.”
He stood and hoisted his guitar over his shoulder.
“Huh?  Where are we going?”  The guy trotted after him.
“To catch you a Pokémon.  Before you get yourself kicked out of another country.”
XXX
The stranger’s name was XY.  It stood for Xavier-Yves.  It didn’t sound like an Unovan name, but that was still the least weird thing about the guy.  Maybe that was just a pseudonym.  He probably needed one after all of his criminal acts, accidental or not.
“Alright, XY.”  Luka stood knee-deep in the grass of Route 4.  “You’re going to be borrowing Symphony for this.  Borrowing.  If you run off with her, she’ll suplex you into the ground.”
XY eyed the Loudred next to him.  Sweat beaded on his forehead.
“Got it, Mr. Couffaine.”
“Just Luka is fine.”  He sighed.  This was such a weird way to be spending the night after a concert, but it was still better than going home.
“Got it, Mr. Luka.”
Close enough.
“Alright, now follow me into the grass.”
“I can’t do that!  That’s where the Pokémon are!”
Luka rolled his eyes.  “That’s the point.  You’re going to catch one.”
“I thought you were going to catch me one.  Because you’re cool and sexy like that.”
“Flattery’s not getting you out of this.”  Luka grabbed his wrist and tugged him into the grass, Symphony following behind them.
XY squealed again.  “But what if they eat me!”
“We’re on Route 4, dude.  The biggest Pokémon out here is a Skitty.”
“...Those things eat meat, right?”
“No.”  Even if they did, they would probably know better than to eat XY.  They didn’t know where he’d been.
“If I die, you’re paying for my funeral,” XY grumbled, even though he’d already gone off on four tangents about how rich his dad was.  Luka didn’t even bother responding.
Suddenly XY screamed again.  A few Fletching flew out of the red flower patch.  At this rate, they’d never catch anything.
“What is it this ti—oh.”  Luka blinked down at the tiny Pokémon clinging to XY’s ankle.  “It’s just a Flabébé.”
The little girl seemed to have mistaken XY’s socks for a flower.  She was shuddering, cowering against the fabric even as XY tried to shake her off.
“Dude, cut it out.”  Luka gripped him by the shoulders.  “This is perfect.  She already likes you.”
“Y-you think so?”  XY set his foot back on the ground.  The Flabébé tentatively looked up.
“You might not even need Symphony to weaken her.  Here.”  Luka took out a pokéball, but hesitated to hand it over.  “Are you going to take good care of her if I give you this?”
“What gives, man?”  XY snatched the ball.  “You were gonna teach me about catching Pokémon, not about, like, parenting stuff.”
Luka hadn’t thought this through enough before seeing the little Flabébé.  He couldn’t in good conscience condemn her to a life with XY without knowing that he would treat her right.
“Are you staying in Lumiose?  I live at the edge of the city.  I could come check on her.  Just to make sure she’s not giving you too much trouble.”
“I didn’t know you were gonna want joint custody.”  XY smirked.  “But sure, whatever.  Can’t complain if you want to do half my work for me.”
He knelt down and tapped the Flabébé on her head.
“You are just a little thing, aren’t you?”  He let out a nasal laugh.  “How do you feel about me being your new dad?”
“Please don’t say it like that.”  Luka groaned.
The Flabébé fluttered into XY’s palm and nudged the pokéball.  Wow.  She must really have no standards.
“Sorry.  Me and Lu are gonna be your new dads.”  XY grinned.
“Aaaand that’s even worse.”
The Flabébé looked at Luka.  He looked at her.  She looked at him.  He looked at her.
“...I’m not being your other dad.”
Symphony blasted out a honk of laughter.  He glared at her.
“Don’t make me put you back in the pokéball.”
She just smiled innocently.
“Okay, okay.  Shut up.  We’re doing this.”  XY took a deep breath and pressed the button on the pokéball with his thumb.  It split open, sucking the Flabébé into its light.
The ball glowed red while rocking back and forth.  Once.  Twice.  Three times.
Then it went still.
“I—I did it?”  XY stared at the ball in his palm.  Luka swore there was wonder in his eyes.
Hopefully this hadn’t been such a bad idea after all.
“You did it.”  Luka clapped him on the shoulder.  “Why don’t you let her out now?  She should get used to you before you take her home.”
After fumbling for a moment, XY popped the ball open.  The Flabébé flashed back out and hovered in the air.  She quickly zipped down and plucked a red flower, hugging it close.
“Aww, our first date and she’s already giving me flowers.”  XY laughed.
“It’s not for you.  Flabébé has to keep one close for protection.”
“Ah. Like a comfort blanket.”  XY nodded sagely.  “That’s okay!  I’ll pick my own flower.  Then we can match!”
He snatched up another red bloom, then tucked it behind his ear.
Luka was surprised to find himself smiling.  Who would’ve thought XY could actually be cute?  When he wasn’t trying to steal Luka’s non-existent gym badges, anyway.
“Are you going to name her?”  He asked to keep his thoughts away from that tangent.
“Huh?  Oh.  Uh… hmm.”  XY’s brow furrowed.  He stared at the Flabébé, who had fluttered back into his palm.  “You can’t tell me your name, can you?”
She let out a tiny squeak.  
“Hmm.  Yeah.  I feel that.”  He nodded.  “How about Cheeto?”
“Cheeto?”  Luka burst before he could think better of it.  Who named their Pokémon Cheeto?  
“Yeah, ‘cause she’s got that yellow dust all over her.”  XY rubbed a tiny bit of it off with his fingertip.  Flabébé almost seemed to purr.
“You mean… pollen?”
XY raised an eyebrow.  “Ew, gross.  What kind of name is Pollen?  Sounds like Pole-men.  And she’s a girl.”
Luka wanted to smack his forehead.  Symphony gave him a sympathetic pat.
“Well.  Have fun with Cheeto, I guess.”  He sighed.  “I’m going to go get some sleep.  You’ve got my Holo Caster number.”
“Wait!”  XY jogged after him, cradling Cheeto close to his chest.  “I didn’t get to say—thanks, man.”
Luka looked back over his shoulder, surprised.  “No problem.  This is better than stealing gym badges, right?”
“A lot better.”  He looked down at his new Pokémon fondly.  “Uh, sorry about that, by the way.  I—I’m gonna make it up to you.”
“Yeah?”  He raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah!  I’m gonna—take you to the hotel I’m staying at!  So you don’t look homeless!”  XY grabbed him by the arm and started dragging him back towards the city.
“I literally told you I live in town…?”
“Then why were you sleeping in the Pokémon Center like a hobo?”  XY smirked.  Symphony laughed where she was lumbering after them.
You’ve turned my own Pokémon against me.  Luka scowled.
“Didn’t feel like dealing with my mom,” he said under his breath.  
It was stupid, running away just because he’d finally found out about his dad.  His whole band was here. Including his sister.  Lumiose was a big city, but he couldn’t play guitar for Kitty Section and dodge his parents at the same time.
“Perfect!  There’s no moms allowed in my hotel room!”  XY beamed.
If staying out was stupid, then even considering XY’s offer was downright moronic.  XY had tried to rob him just hours ago.
But the dude was rich.  Luka didn’t have anything else he could want.  And whatever hotel room they ended up in was bound to have a more comfortable couch than the Pokémon Center’s.
“...Alright,” he finally agreed.
XY’s holler of joy could probably be heard in the next route over.
“Sweet!  Bro co-parenting slumber party, here we come!”
Luka let Symphony laugh at him.  He deserved it for ending up in such a ridiculous situation.
But somehow, he felt better anyway.
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how did you guys start learning how to use the code for cog? I’ve been trying for like two years but keep giving up because i can’t understand how it works LOL im more of a writer and don’t know a single thing about code -a (just gonna mark my asks LOL)
Well, Faye learned it first, then taught me! It's not that hard, it just takes some getting used to; I recommend using smth like Notepad++ to write in and color code different bits of code. I'll give a guide here for anyone who wants to try it or in case smth here helps you get it! I'll leave yall like pictures of examples of things after I word it all out.
Some main things to remember:
You have two files that HAVE to have specific names. Startup, where all your created permanent variables go (+ some more things, I'll get into those later, plus any additional content you want), has to be named startup.txt always. The files that holds your stat "pages" also has a specific name; choicescript_stats.txt has to always be its name.
In your startup file, you have multiple things: variables you created that will be used multiple times over multiple files; your scene list, where you put all your scenes and list them in sequential order; your name as the author; your game title; yhe copyright wording; and, during your time using dashingdon, the code string to make saves work. You can also have more in it of course, but those are the main things.
You will be indenting a LOT. A single indent is either 4 spaces with ur spacebar or your tab key. You can ONLY choose one or the other, do NOT EVER mix spaces and tabs, it'll break things. Choose one n stick with it.
Coding in CS is pretty simple once you learn it. There isn't a whole lot of commands due to it being more simplified to be more beginner friendly, so lets get into those.
Creating a variable. In your startup file, all you have to do to make a variable you want to use is *create variablename, plus whether it's a numerical, has a string of text, or is true/false. examples: Numerical would be *create variable 0; string would be *create variable ""; and true/false *create variable false (or replace false w true if you want it to be true up till smth turns it false).
Using the variable. There's a LOT of ways to use a variable. Like, a shit ton. Let's start w smth like the name variable a lot of people use! So, let's say you've written a choice up to set player name (I'll show you how to format a choice in a bit). Under your choice options, you can then use *set name "name" and to use it in text, you simply do ${name}! If you let someone choose their name (which I'll also show you how to do), you can do *set name "$!{name}" to make sure it's always capitalized! (Only need to do this when players pick their own names, when you use *set name "name" you can capitalize it inside the "").
Using the variable #2. For doing *if statements (commands that let you dictate different things, like say a scene will only play if a certain variable is true or false, a choice is only avaliable if the player meets a certain criteria, etc), it's pretty simple. You just for true/false: *if (variable) for if it's true (you need the parenthesis for this one) and *if (not(variable)) for false. For a string, *if (variable = "whatever you've got it set to") or *if (variable != "whatever you've put") <this one is for if the variable doesnt equal that. For numerical: *if (variable = 0) (or whatever number u got), *if (variable <= 0) (for if the variable is equal to or less than the number), *if (variable >= 0) (if variable is more or equal to number), *if (variable > 0) (variable more than 0), and *if (variable < 0) (variable less than number). Outside of using the *if statement to open or close off a choice, you always indent under it once until the content only available for it is done.
Using the variable #3: Setting variables. Okay so, what you set your variables to and how you do will effect how you can set up stats eventually, which we'll get into. Your variables you created as numerical values can be set two ways: with just adding/minusing numbers (which you HAVE to be careful with and keep track of; cs does NOT work with negative numbers) or percentages (like in the stats you see as Cautious or Careful). Basically: *set variable +3 (for normal numbers), or *set variable %+3 (for percentages). Percentages are safest when you plan on having a stat be able to be negated a lot, but it also makes it harder to figure out how it's going to increase/decrease. I personally prefer the regular numbers for like counting how many options someone can use before they're kicked out of a choice branch, or when you use a counter for relationship points.
Making a choice. Alright, so, choices. The bread and butter of interactive fiction. There are two types of choices inside of CS: *choice choices and *fake_choice choices. You will mostly use *fake_choice choices as *choice ones are reserved ONLY for when you're jumping the player to a different scene/path/etc. *fake_choice choices can also do this, but they also can be used for literally anything: setting variables like appearance, name, etc; dialogue; stat changes (like in TWC when you chose which stat to build); etc etc. To set up a choice you go to a fresh line in your coding word processor, then for a fake choice: *fake_choice (on the first line). Hit enter, indent once, and now you can make your choices! all you do is #(choice stuff here) (with no ()). Then, under your choice if it has content, you indent twice before starting. You also have to indent twice each time you start a new paragraph in the content. Each time you make a new choice, you simply indent once and use # before the choice's stuff. Once you're done with the choices, go to a new line under the choices section and dont indent to continue.
Making a choice #2: *choice choices. Okay, so *choice choices are made the same, EXCEPT you only use them to send the player elsewhere. So, follow the same setup as a *fake_choice (except with *choice instead, ofc), but the "content" will be generally a *goto_scene scenename (you port the player to a completely new file, called a "scene) or a *goto labelname (keeps the player in the current file, but allows you to show different versions of a scene or of a section of your chapter to the player, plus you can make them all eventually meet up again). I generally say use a standard *goto versus a *goto_scene unless you want to change so much you NEED to use different files.
*goto labelname and labels. Basically, labels are your friends. They're really nice and make it to where you can make different scenes with choices without making you have huge indented craziness under a choice. Also, it lets you make a choice where the player can select MULTIPLE options. All you need to do is *goto labelname , then somewhere down the file put *label labelname and all the content you want under it. After you're done and you have a spot you want everything to meet up at, you can do another *goto labelname , go down the file, and do *label labelname again! Sounds WAY more complicated than it is, trust me.
Ending a scene. So, you've come to the end of your chapter. You're ready to move players to the next one, but how do you do that? *finish is all you need! At the end of your file, all you gotta do *finish (and you can put some words as a transition following it, like when you move to the next page)! That's it, the game will move to the next available scene! If there isn't one, your player will get that scene that asks if you want to play again.
Next Page. In case you aren't aware, all you need to "change" a page is *page_break (any words you want in transition without these ().)
Stat Page Shenanigans. Now, I hate stat pages. With a fuckin passion. It's the thing I leave last and pretend it doesn't exist until I absolutely have to make it. Making "pages" in your stats page isnt too bad; all you do is a *choice with choices that lead to labels where each thing falls. Remember, each label needs it's own *choice too so the player can navigate to other "pages". To make stat bars and stuff isn't too bad ig... I just hate doing it. all you gotta do is *stat_chart, then indent each stat bar/counter under it. it'll put them all next to each other, too. There's multiple stat types: opposed_pair variable (and you can indent under it and put the words you want an opposed pair to show); for a numerical counter, you need a numerical variable, then *stat_chart and indented under it is text variable Variableword(s); and for a percentage bar, you need a variable that you've been setting with %s, then under a *stat_chart you put percent variable variablenameorword.
This is a lot of just the basics; if y'all want me to go into like... more SPECIFIC things that you don't get or more complicated manuevers lemme know in the ask box, I'll be glad to help u! Now, photos:
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Startup page shenanigans. You have the copyright wording (which I broke into *comment s mainly bc it kept bugging otherwise), the *title which sets your title, *author which sets the author, and *scene_list plus subsequent "scenes" or files that hold new chapters/portions of the game.
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Different types of variables created. Ones like sarcasm and mercy are set at 50 to start because I use them as opposed pairs like Sarcastic/Genuine and Merciful/Wrathful. You can also name a variable anything you want.
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Here we go, a screenshot with a LOT going on. Firstly, a *fake_choice choice. A *page_break. And a *choice choice + one of the labels it jumped to.
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Two examples of *if statements and choices, plus how they work together.
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Some stat charts.
Some of this was taken from WCA, hope you don't mind! It's the one open in my word processor so I used it for some things while others I typed up myself. I hope this helps you some and anyone else!!
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