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#also mildly surprised that this is being brought up again
etheries1015 · 2 months
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Hiii! I saw you write for Ikemen Prince, and I really like your writing, so I wanted to ask u a bit of self-indulgent headcanon 👉👈
I wanted to ask some headcanons for Chevalier and Silvio with a fem!s/o (or also gender neutral is fine❤️) who is insecure about having small boobies/a flat chest? If you're uncomfortable with it it's fine! And ty for reading this, have a nice day and drink plenty of water!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
This is probably my first ikemen prince request! YIPPEEEEE <3 heuheuehu.
Fem! MC who is insecure about their small breasts </3
Featuring: Chevalier and Silvio!
general warnings: Afab reader + fem pronouns, mildly suggestive, slight spoilers of Silvios route.
Chev
Chevalier could tell by the way you requested your dresses with more ruffles and outfits that hid your chest that something was amiss. It wasn't the first time he realized you had this insecurity, the way you would stare off in the distance at a group of noble women with envy and sadness glinting in your eyes as you took note of their curves, your hands absentmindedly fiddling at the ruffles the top of your dress. This went on for a week, the stares, the off-hand mindless comments about your undergarments, the mannerisms you had at night in your gowns, and the insistence of ones that accentuated the right places (he over heard you speaking to the tailor he had assigned you for.)
He thought this was normal womanly behavior, for every woman seems to find jealousy in others for reasons seemingly ridiculous in his eyes. Always being a man of action Instead of speaking words of affirmation, Chev would do things such as reject certain clothing you wanted to wear to balls and suggest something else that actually seemed to show off your flat-chested outline, or lay out outfits he had chosen rather than allowing you the freedom of that choice. He did not know that the problems were rooted deeper than that until you brought it into the bedroom.
Things were becoming heated when you insisted that you not face him during intimacy, and began covering your chest shyly as he undressed you with typical eagerness for the nights passion. finding himself becoming rather annoyed at your sudden shyness, Chev found himself grabbing your wrists and pinning them above your head, moving his eyes right above yours to tower over you.
"I thought I had made it clear," He stated in his usual monotone voice, "That you have no need to be insecure about something as frivolous as your chest." He grunted. Your eyes widened in surprise at his comment and turned your head shyly, your hands struggling to break free from his strong grasp with the automatic response to cover up what you have been trying so desperately to hide. You should have known he would have easily caught onto you.
"I can't help it, King Chevalier," You replied with sadness in your voice, "It's just something you wouldn't understand. Having breasts like this just...feels debilitating as a woman," You felt yourself choke up, Chevalier's eyes squinting ever so slightly as his lips began to lower themselves to your buds.
"You do not need to worry about such drivel," He said, planting a soft kiss against your small mounds before taking a gentle bite, smiling at your eager mewl.
"The size of your chest does not determine your worth," he said with his mouth pressed against your sensitive skin, hands snaking down to your thighs and in between, "Such silliness does not matter. As far as I am aware, one's breast size does not factor in what makes you a woman. You have many more qualities that I would see classify you as such, much more than something like your bosom." He riddled your skin with kisses and teased your breasts with love and attention, bathing you in rare verbal praise to match the marks he left upon your body. Chevalier was certain to prove to you in his actions over and over again that you were his queen, his prized possession, and the most beautiful being he ever had the pleasure of spending the rest of his life with.
Silvio
Unlike Chevalier, Silvio was a bit more clueless on things such as comparing yourself to other women. He thought he had made it clear to you that his eyes were set upon nobody else but you, for you were the shiniest treasure he ever laid eyes upon. He never actually noticed the jealousy in your eyes at passing women in the halls and simply assumed when your gaze lingered on another woman at balls it was perhaps in interest to their dresses. He didn't notice the way you would ask him to start providing your clothing with a baggier style, thinking to himself perhaps it was a trend you caught onto. Never being a fan of getting to know other women, he seemed to be rather clueless in the comparisons and habits they may make out of insecurity.
He had, however, noticed your silence and lack of enthusiasm whenever you undressed, the way your optimism as of late had dwindled, and how your smile did not seem as vibrant as before. This happened in your shared bedroom with the king, preparing for your nightly bath that became routine with your lover. He noticed the way you stared into the mirror with a look of sadness glinting in your eyes, your arms moving up to cover your chest and sighing.
He was quick to move behind you, snaking arms around your waist and moving his head to kiss you gently against your neck. You tried to give him your normal enthusiastic smile with very little success, groaning in frustration at your low energy.
"What's gotten into ya?" He asked with worry thick in his tone, "Why're ya covering up like that? Let me see you," He purred, turning your body and tilting your chin to reach his gaze. You pursed your lips and gave into your resolve of leaving him out of it, blurting out your honest thoughts to your lover.
"Aren't you...y'know... embarrassed to be with someone with not many..um.." You glanced down at your chest before looking back up at him, "Assets?" Silvio's eyes widened in shock at your sudden inquiry, grunting in annoyance as he lifted you up with great strength and sat you on the counter of the bathroom.
"Hah? What are you on about?" He sneered, furrowing his eyebrows and holding your body close to his, "Ain't nothing wrong with being a bit flat chested- if that's what you're talking about." You looked away with a blush upon your cheeks.
"So you admit that I have small boobs?" You were half teasing your lover, knowing the best way to talk to him seemed to be with playful banter. He raised his eyebrows at this accusation, although his gaze remained sweet and calm seeing through your rouse.
"Well, yeah you ain't gotta lot there. But none of that matters to me, and it shouldn't matter to you."
"I feel like it makes me less of a woman," You pouted, "There's a lot of other women who-" He cut you off with a rough kiss against your lips, pushing his tongue into your mouth and moving his hands to cup your breasts. He began to massage it gently, a hum of satisfaction deep in his throat. Silvio pulled away with an arrogant smile at your pout, trailing kisses from your jawline down to the breasts you claimed you detested.
"You better stop all that talk. You should know by now that you are more a woman than any of those plastic noble women will ever be," He placed kisses around your now sensitive mounds, "Now, next time just come out with it and tell me instead of bein' all sulky, alright? I don't care how long it takes or how many times I gotta do it, I'll convince ya time and time again how you're my queen."
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imperial-agent · 6 months
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Out of pure curiosity, what do you think is missing from Halsin's story?
after writing it all down, i realized it's not just what's missing but also what's broken, inconsistent and shallow about Halsin, hopefully that still answers your question :)
his backstory in the underdark comes out of nowhere and is never again brought up!! it is, in fact, brushed off as just some silly goofy thing that happened to him once!! hihi haha i was a sex slave for two years. im so embarrased to tell you this, tav haha anyways how about round two with the twins ??? while im standing speechless mouth agape struggling to process the story he just told me. to say it was written and handled poorly is putting it mildly
he is shown to be a shrewd person (with his francesca choice for the new archdruid back in emerald grove) so expand on that! show that he's more than just a pile of muscles! show me he's cunning and has bite! there's so much political intrigue in act 3, have him comment on it, on gortash's plan, have Halsin compare it to some other people/events that happened in the past and how they mirror what's currently happening in baldur's gate, my dude is 3 50, he's seen some shit im sure, even living in the forest the news would reach him so no excuses
he's so closely tied to act 2 i have no clue why he's locked off as a companion till you find daniel (which on my first playthrough was just before attack on moonrise, that almost made my blood boil bc not even 2 hours later orin snatched him up??? and i was like?? ok?? she took who? i barely know the guy?). i think he's too tight-lipped about what happened all those years ago with the shadowcurse and i would have loved to hear more about it (like the implication of him killing isobel and the conflict with the thorms)
I need him to be the biology/nature expert equivalent to Gale with his weave expertise. he should have more to say about the worms!! he should be studying you under the microscope the entire game!!!! literally bring back all the missing EA halsin dialogue!! i should be able to drag his ass into the underdark!!! I WANT HIS KNOWLEDGE! I WANT IT TO BRING BACK BAD MEMORIES! expand on drows and their culture in this game by using halsin as the conduit that tells you everything he learned from spending his time here!! so maybe that info dump in act 3 about him being a slave wouldn't come out of nowhere
i refuse to believe he'd have nothing to say about the elder brain after seeing it. i want him to be absolutely repulsed, terrified but also intrugied by the mindflayer colony under moonrise, i want him to cautiously study every nook and cranny there and offer his insight
absolutely baffled he won't say anything to that one dragonborn druid back in baldur's gate that is trying to keep a tree alive???? for all his distain for the cities he sure is quiet here, seeing nature failing in the middle of it while a guy is desprately trying to keep it alive. maybe make it so these two actually manage to turn this spot into something more beautiful, a lush tree in the middle of a concrete road that attracts people who come over to relax in its shade
if they bring up his hatred of the city life, why not let me turn him into a full on shadow druid (which is already hinted on during one of the conversations with him in act 3), kind of how you can keep shadowheart a shar worshipper or steer her toward selune. plant some seeds of his loathing back in act 2, how nature had to be sacrificed because people had delusions of grandure (the elder brain plot and the thorms) etc
besides wanting to cure the shadowcurse and enjoying whittling there's nothing more to this guy. after the curse is lifted all he's got are the ducks.............. once he'll mention he doesn't like the city life. okay, you've been on this earth good 350 years, my guy, you know how cities are don't act surprised
an alternative ending is missing, you should be able to go with him
personally, i think his personality is missing because he is too flat and frankly, boring. he is too agreeable even if you're a meanie to others. just as long as you don't kill innocents he's a ride or die. it's not his fault of course, he's just badly written, too surface level. which is a terrible shame bc i'm so in love with him but i'd like to fall for his personality too. once there's a fleshed out one. so it's quite hard to speculate on what's missing about a guy there's barely any information on in-game tho :'(
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Shadows Entwined: Part 4
BatmanVsTmnt!Leonardo x sidekick!reader
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Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 / Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Bonus (18+)
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Donnie and Batgirl makes an anti mutagen, you and Robin are ready to throw each other’s heads around, and Batman has a talk with Leonardo.
Warnings: Spelling.
The reader and the turtles are 19.
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The look on Alfred’s face when he saw four mutant turtles in the Batcave was priceless. But Alfred being Alfred took a calming breath, mumbling about how he should have known at this point, before asking if Master Wayne wanted dinner for his guests. Alfred offered to cook a gourmet meal, but to his surprise, all four of the turtles wanted pizza. Take out pizza to be preferred. Alfred would never show it on his face, but you knew, he was disgusted.
Alfred left the Batcave to make a phone call to the nearest pizzeria, mumbling something about teenagers.
Michelangelo - who you learned was the youngest out of the turtle brothers - took the opportunity to take a look around Wayne Manor. It didn’t ease you one bit that he took his skateboard along for that tour.
That left you, Batman, Batgirl, Robin and the three remaining turtle brothers in the Batcave. You, Robin and the angry turtle, Raphael, was looking through the computer, teaching the red turtle more about the League Of Assassins. Or at least Robin was doing that. You were too busy, standing off to the side, acting as if you had a lot in your mind. In actuality, you would every now and again throw glances towards Batman and Leonardo as they were training together. But whenever someone looked your way, you would throw your gaze somewhere random, as if you had been looking there the whole time.
That was how you noticed Batgirl and Donatello working at the chemical table, smiling with a few laughs ever once in a while. You couldn’t help but smile. Looks like you weren’t the only one that had a thing for turtle eyes.
“Impressive form”, you heard Batman’s voice, causing you to look in the direction of him and the blue turtle one more time. You had to admit, Leonardo did know how to fight. It was almost irritating how good he was at it. Because somehow he also made it look good. And just the thought of Leonardo looking good fighting was enough to get mildly frustrated at him. Why did he had to have such pretty eyes?!
“Your father taught you well”, Batman said, giving Leo a rare Batman smile. And to your surprise, Leonardo smiled back.
“Thanks”.
You wanted to scream. You did not expect Leonardo’s smile to catch you off guard like that. Especially not in the middle of the Batcave. But as much as your heart was beating inside your chest, no one could see it on your face. Sometimes you actually learned something from Batman’s stoic nature.
You listened as Robin told Raph about his grandfather, Ra’s al Ghul, the Demon’s Head, and as Batgirl told them about the mutagen, forcing your attention away from the turtle, who’s eyes had been invading your thoughts.
“Yeah, Ra’s obviously has plans for the mutagen your Shredder brought into the city”, Batgirl said out loud, still with half of her attention directed towards Donatello.
“Ooze”, the purple turtle corrected her, not moving his eyes from the glass he held in his hands. But upon Batgirl’s silence he looked up. “We call it ooze”.
“Really?” She sounded almost sad. “Argh, I do not like that word. Ooze, gross”.
“Stop whining”, you laughed. “It’s just a word”.
“It may just be a word to you, but to me it makes me want to vomit”. Upon hearing that from Batgirl, Donatello took a small step away from her.
“Right. Shredder gives Ghully the ooze, they build some kind of gizmo, and in return - let me get this straight - Shredder gets… a pit?” Raphael did not seem convinced one bit. You did not blame him. It did sound strange.
“The Lazarus Pit”, Robin said before turning back towards the computer. “It’s how Ra’a al Ghul has survived for centuries. Its magic grants immortality to any who bathe in it”.
You did not expect the look on Raphael’s face. He almost looked scared. Angry, but scared.
“An immortal Shredder?” He thought for a moment. “That would… suck”.
“As much as the words “immortal Shredder” freaks me out, I think Batgirl and I have solved one of our problems”, Donatello said, handing a cylinder of thick yellow liquid to Batgril.
“Yup! With the info Donnie - I can call you that right?”
“By all means”, Donatello said, seemingly as calm as before. You did not buy it. You bet that just like when you looked at Leonardo, his heart was pounding like crazy when Batgirl called him that.
“Cool - that Donnie had on his T-phone, I’ve whipped up a retro mutagen-”.
"Anti ooze”, Donatello said, almost teasingly.
“Not gonna call it that - that will reverse the effect of the… stuff”.
Raphael took a step back from Batgirl as she came closer with the cylinder. “You're gonna wanna get that anti mutagen away from this happily mutated turtle”.
“Don’t worry”, Donatello said, making his way over to the rest of you. “It’ll only work on someone that’s been mutated within the last twelve hours. After that the DNA changes are baked in”.
“Yeah but maybe worry a little ‘cause it’s untested. Right now there’s a - I’m gonna say 40% chance of lethal side effects”, Batgirl said with a strained smile.
“I agree with the turtle. Go stand over there”, Robin said, pointing in your direction. “She could use some anti mutagen anyway”. His annoying little grin showing on his face.
“Demon child”, you snarled. “Maybe you should drink it. With that size you could be a fully mutated bat”.
Raphael almost had to restrain Robin before he could jump on you.
While you and Robin was about to have a sibling brawl in the middle of the Batcave, none of you noticed Leonardo and Batman’s training continuing.
They jumped, punched and dodged, both showing strength and talent. Leonardo grabbed onto Batman’s arm, before rolling back, throwing Batman over him and into the ground. Batman slid across the ground, while Leonardo celebrated with a minor victory; “yes!”
Batman chuckled lightly from the ground. “Where were those moves when we fought before? If you’d focused like that you would have had a chance”.
“A chance?” Leonardo extended a hand to help Batman up. “I won just now”.
“Because you weren’t looking at her”, Batman said, staring directly down at the turtle in front of him.
Leonardo almost choked on his own spit at Batman’s words. Had he been human his face would had been red. Leo turned his gaze and saw you grinning with a small laugh at an angry Robin, who was being as far away from you as possible by Raph and Batgirl. Your laughter rang in his ears and for a second he dared to wonder, if he could get to hear your laugh one more time.
“Leonardo”. Batman’s deep voice almost shocked Leo back to reality. For a split second he had managed to forget where he was and who he was standing in front of. All because you said you liked his eyes…
“(H/N) is not just my sidekick. She is like a daughter to me, and I will not let anything harm her. She has not been trained from birth like her brother, and she is not as old as Batgirl. (H/N) is strong, but she still has a lot to learn in a fight”. Leonardo looked at you one more time, catching you as you were talking to Donnie, telling him something that made Batgirl let go of Robin, leaving Raph struggling to hold the boy still.
Batman rolled his shoulder, feeling the pain that had been there, ever since his fight with the Shredder. The fight that had happened, while you were outside of Wayne Enterprise, watching the turtles fight the Penguin. Leonardo noticed the light pain in Batman’s face, causing him a look of slight concern. “I’m still recovering from whatever Shredder did to me. I’ve never seen an attack like that”.
“It must have been the Sata Oshi strike”, Leonardo said. “It’s a powerful ninja technique that dates back hundreds of years, said to be created by the founders of the Foot Clan. It focuses all the body’s energy into a single blow, and can prove as fatal to its welder as it is to its opponent. Because of that, it’s been lost to history. Only two living ninja masters know how to utilize it to its full power; my father Splinter and the Shredder”.
“Good to know”, Batman said. “Shredder may have ancient ninja moves, but I’ve still got a utility belt”. Leonardo nodded in slight confusion, turning to look at you one more time. You were laughing behind Donatello, who you were using as an unwilling shield to cover you from an agitated Robin, who looked like he was ready to attack. Raphael was shaking his wrist, slightly hurting after Robin’s escape from his grip. Batgirl was looking like she had a great time, watching you with her arms crossed.
“(H/N)! Robin!”, Batman called out, causing the two of you to hold back the attacks you were preparing. “No fighting”.
“Sorry dad”, the two of you said in unisense. Donatello managed to get out of your grip, clutching his bow staff tightly as he walked to Batgril. You and Robin poked your tongues out at each other, before Robin went to Raphael, yelling something about how he hated sisters.
At the sight of you standing alone, looking at the others, Leonardo couldn’t stop himself before he had made his way over to you.
“Hey”, Leo said with a stoic and unreadable face. You almost jumped in surprise. You hadn’t expected Leo to be this close.
“Uh… hey”.
The two of you stood in silence. Leo wondered if it was Batman’s eyes he could feel in the back of his neck, or if he was just imagining it. Leo was searching his brain for words.
“I just wanted to say that you did pretty good back there in the alley”, he finally settled on.
“Pretty good?”, you asked with a crooked smile. “I kicked your butt”.
“Yeah, not a lot of people get to do that”, Leonardo said.
You chuckled lightly at his answer. Leo felt a warm spread inside his chest and a small tug at the side of his lip. It was your turn to feel the warmth inside your chest. Leonardo was giving you a small smile. Your eyes flickered from his lip to his eyes. Those damn eyes.
“You weren’t so bad yourself”, you said, looking away to avoid eye contact.
Leonardo felt something else grow in his chest. Was it pride? Or maybe even satisfaction? Now you were complimenting his fighting skills.
Leo really wanted to answer you. Say something that would make you chuckle again. But he also really wanted to ask you. Did you mean what you said back in the alley? Did you really like his eyes, or did you just try to distract him? The more Leo thought about it, the more he hoped that you meant it.
Leo was just about to ask you when Alfred came down the stairs with a skateboard in one hand and a tight grip on Michelangelo balancing a stack of pizza boxes with the other. Leonardo felt a slight embarrassment wash over him, when he heard Alfred tell Mikey that he was keeping the skateboard, until he learned not to use it in the house. Batman’s house. Your house. But you started laughing light heartedly at the scene of Alfred and Michelangelo coming down stairs. Leonardo felt all embarrassment wash away as he watched you laugh. Leo couldn’t deny that he really liked your laugh. Just as much as you liked his eyes.
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A/N: The lack of Batman Vs TMNT gif's on the internet is giving me a headache.
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lizardperson · 1 month
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ockiss24 - day 4!
well we had the big "i love you" confession kiss, how about a little flashback to like 8 years earlier - first kiss! as usual when it comes to Mika & Gabriel, unnecessarily horny.
tfw the hot college student your wife is casually fucking suggests a threesome...
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content warning: lewd talks but no actual naughties happening (yet)
"By the way, my brother still thinks this is all just a ploy to get me into a threesome with you and your husband." "Oh, definitely not, don't worry." "I mean, not that I would mind, he IS really hot too…"
So, tonight was the night. They had dinner together, a few drinks, chatted, laughed, and once again Gabriel was surprised about how easy it all was with Mika - he, who usually needed a while to warm up to people, just joking around with her, talking about everything and nothing. A random observer would have thought they all had been friends for years. And now on to the actual purpose of the evening… Part of him still couldn't believe Kat had agreed to this. That Mika seemingly had brought up the idea did not surprise him on the other hand - that girl seemed to be very open when it came to sex, and her shameless flirting told him that she at least wasn't uninterested in him. Still, "threesome with an extremely hot college student" did sound like something out of a midlife crisis fantasy, or porn. When Kat brought it up, his first instinct was to assume this was some kind of trap, but he couldn't think of any reason she could have for that. So, naturally, he agreed, trying not to sound too enthusiastic about the whole endeavor - only mildly succeeding, she just knew him too well. But who could blame him… He had been attracted to Mika from the moment they met. She wasn't even his usual type, but there was just something about her that drew him in. Very pretty smile. Amazing curves. Of course he wanted her. And the prospect of Kat being involved also sounded very enticing. They haven't had sex in what, ten years now? Yeah, that seemed about right. Just because she realized she was lesbian didn't mean he had to stop being attracted to her. So to say he was looking forward to the rest of the evening almost was an understatement.
Somehow he and Mika had ended up alone in the kitchen, and once again he couldn't help but let his eyes wander over her body. He usually was bit more subtle when checking out women, but somehow she made it really hard to not constantly openly leer at her like some old pervert. He wondered how many other middle aged guys she had wrapped around her finger.
Leaning on the counter, she gave him that smirk again. "So I heard you want to fuck me, old man." Straight to the point, she really wasn't shy. God, he should bend that little brat right over that counter…
"I do, yes," he chuckled. "Assuming you want that too of course."
"Oh, definitely," she confirmed, licking her lips. "Why don't you start with kissing me then."
Now if that wasn't the textbook example of a great idea. He closed the last few steps between them, now standing right in front of her, looking down. He brought his hand up to her face, very lightly caressing her cheek for a moment. Being so close, he was once again reminded how young she was, and that morality voice in his head popped up again. You could almost be her father, you creep. He wondered if Kat ever had any qualms about her age.
Fuck it.
As soon as their lips touched that voice went quiet. How soft she felt. How hungrily she kissed him back. God, how much he wanted her. He buried his hand in her hair to pull her even deeper into the kiss, and when they finally separated he needed a moment to catch his breath again. She would be the death of him one day, he could tell already.
Smirking, Mika looked up to him. "If you fuck half as good as you kiss, then this is going to be a very interesting night…"
Gabriel laughed, then went for another kiss, pulling her closer and letting his hands wander over her body. He couldn't wait to get her out of her clothes.
Kat's voice interrupted them. "Starting without me, I see." She leaned in the door frame, eyebrow raised, amused by the view.
"Sorry, couldn't resist," he chuckled, being sure she understood.
"Why don't we take this upstairs then…"
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gaybananabread · 8 months
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(Hi again) Srry- can u do a lee!Nezha and Ler!Mei I got them mixed up arry, have a good day :>
Mmmm I love this show! Nezha got so much screentime recently, I can finally get a good feel for his character! It's a bit short, writer's block has come for me. (-_-) Hope this isn't too OOC, Enjoy!
Lee: Nezha
Ler: Mei
Summary: Nezha is brooding, as per usual. When he makes one too many quips towards Mei, she takes things into her own hands to cheer him up.
Warnings: none! This is a tickle fic, so if you don't like that, scroll away!
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Nezha, as per usual, was grumpy. His signature frown on his face, he stared out the window, mulling over the plan in his head. He knew Wukong was crazy, but this... They have a very real chance of dying. That, as much as he hates to admit it, scares him. He almost died in the last fight, and he had the Jade Emporer's army assisting him. Now all he has is this... rag-tag band of friendly newbie-heros and their crazy mentors.
Mei walks in on his brooding session, sighing when she sees him. This boy can never just relax, can he? She walks over, speaking loudly to get his attention.
"Hey princy, why're you brooding?" Nezha huffed when he heard her voice, closing his eyes. Goodbye, relative peace.
"Why must you always be so nosy?" She gasps dramatically, feinging offense. It was rather noisy, in his opinion. "...And loud?"
Mei crossed her arms, expecting the annoyed answer. "I don't know, maybe because I care that you're upset, and that nobody is just naturally that grumpy. I'll ask again, what's bugging you?"
His response is snarky and curt, keeping his eyes on the window. "You're 'bugging' me with your incessant yapping. I'm **fine**, dragon horse girl. I am Nezha, the third lotus prince. I need no help, especially not that of a nosy mortal."
She scoffs, sitting down beside him. "Listen, Nezha. I know too many people with issues to believe that you're fine. It's okay to have emotions, but it's not okay to bottle them up. You'll feel better if you talk about it."
Nezha rolls his eyes. The girl might have a point, but he's an immortal being. He has lived her lifespan many thousands of times over. How could she possibly help him?
"I'd feel better if you *stopped* talking about it. Actually, just stop talking all together."
"Oho, that is *it!*" Mei launched herself at the prince, being mindful of his wounds. Due to the surprise and injuries, she had him pinned in seconds.
He thrashed around, not able to move much due to the injuries. He also didn't want to hurt the girl, as much as he might vocalize it. Wukong would kill him. "What the- get off me, mortal!"
"Neh, I don't think I will. You're all crabby and broody, way more than normal. I think you need an attitude adjustment." She brought a hand to his torso, tapping her fingers on his belly. He huffed, trying not to flinch at the gentle touch.
Not this fuzzy nonsense. Wukong had shown him this crazy mortal ritual before. It was unfortunately very effective on him. He yanked at his arms, feeling a nagging pain in his side when he did so. So much for the mighty lotus prince...
Mei saw the pained expression and relaxed her hold, just enough for him to move but not escape. "I'm not gonna be mean, Nezha. You need to smile man, all this moping is getting sad. I'll go slow, okay?"
The prince scoffed, but didn't say no. He was honestly feeling pretty bad, it would be decent to laugh it off. He hoped the girl would take the hint. The feeling is mildly unpleasant, but he needs to forget about the mission for a moment.
She took his silence as a yes. With a chuckle, Mei gently skittered across his belly, carefully avoiding his injuries. Anyone with eyes could tell he needed a distraction. Lucky for him, she knew exactly how to help.
At first, Nazha bit his lip, refusing to make any noise. He agreed, but that doesn't mean he would make it easy for her. He has a reputation to protect, after all.
It doesn't phase her, she kinda expected him to be a challenge. More fun for her. Keeping her promise, Mei took things slow, moving her hand to lightly scribble at his uninjured ribs.
This broke him. Small, poorly repressed giggles slipped past his defenses. The lotus prince squirmed, knowing it wouldn't do him any good. He slowly let his guard down as more giggles bounced out of him. "Mhmehehe! Noho!"  His cheeks gained a pink tint as he "fought" the feeling.
Mei tried not to coo at the sight, keeping her teasing to a minimum. He's injured, best not to kill him. She smirked down at him, speeding up the tickling. "You're actually pretty cute when you aren't sassing me."
"Qu-quihihiet, mohortal!" Nezha started to squirm more, acting like he was against the tickles. Who he was pretending for is unknown. He doesn't mind the feeling exactly, and it was helping to keep his mind off the upcoming battle.
It was quite the sight. The ever-grumpy Nezha, squirming and giggling while pinned down by a mortal. Mei wished she had her phone on her.
As much as she was enjoying the giggling, Mei had yet to hear actual laughter. Inching her hand upwards, she slowly made her way to his armpit. Before she could get there, Nezha yelped and tried to twist away from her fingers. Bingo.
She had found his sweet spot. Right under his armpit, at the top of his ribcage. Nezha, who had been strangely unresponsive this whole time, started to babble out protests. Mei promised to he gentle, but a few seconds on the spot wouldn't kill him...
"Wahait- nononohOHOHOHO!" The prince kicked and squirmed, the sudden intense feeling more than he could ever prepare for. Loud, almost happy laughter poured from his mouth, nose scrunched up and eyes shut tight. Anyone who walked in on the scene would have melted at the sight. He looked... like he was enjoying himself, to a degree.
Mei allowed herself to coo this time, smiking down at him. "This is actually adorable. I should've done this way sooner, who knew you'd be so ticklish!" The word sent a flurry of butterflies loose in his stomach, bouncing around with the laughter and shocks to his nervous system.
Nezha's mind was practically goop. And, if he's being honest, he didn't mind it. It felt nice to just let himself go, to stop worrying about all little details of everything and just laugh. He trusted Mei, and could finally relax a bit.
This continued on for a few minutes. Mei scribbling along his ribs, drilling in on that dreaded spot every so often. Nezha just existing in the moment, enjoying the odd comfort the feeling brought. It was a nice way to unwind before the big fight.
Unbeknownst to them both, Wukong sat up in the rafters, taking plenty of pictures. He wouldn't be cruel, but a quick text to the right people would help the broody prince relax in the future. Maybe he'd even crack a smile every once in a while. Only one way to find out...
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touchoflaughter · 6 months
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The Clegane Brothers pt. 3
[GOT Tk-Fic]
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Fic below the cut ⇣
[Ticklish!Sandor⎢Ler/Gregor]
Authors note: This is the sequel to The Clegane Brothers pt.1 & pt.2 (you're invited to read them first but you don't necessarily have to). I couldn’t help but make a little drawing of the scene once again. Hehe.
sfw nsfw
Summary: Y'all remember when Sandor trapped his big brother and tickled him to oblivion for revenge? Well, let's say the most feared knight of the kings guard won't put up with that...
warnings: this is a tickle fic⎢non-con tickling⎢foul language
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Something was off. Sandor had a bad feeling for days now.
Since he made the escape out of the woods and hid a few days successfully from his vengeful brother, they first collided at the court for a training session with the other knights.
To Sandors surprise, Gregor didn't seem to seek revenge. He didn’t even talk to Sandor at first. It almost seemed as if the older one was ashamed due to the past events. The days went by and things returned to normal. Gregor acted as if nothing happened so the younger brother almost hoped the humiliation from the woods would be forgotten and never be talked about again. He'd loved to tease Gregor with the things he found out but he wasn't tired of life.
But now, about two weeks after his wicked revenge, Sandor felt like a massive storm is coming up all of a sudden. Gregs behaviour didn't change but he simply knew his brother won't just take such a humiliation. Him being so polite and unbothered was not a good but a warning sign. He probably planned something even worse, than Sandor could ever make up in his head.
What can I say? He knew his brother well. Cause he was right. Oh man, he was damn right. And then- the day came...
It was one of those warm and sunny evenings at Casterly Rock when Sandor decided to finally reach out to one of the maids, named Mable. He courted her for a long time now. He brought her flowers and wrote a few poets, even though he knew he wasn't good at it. And now, finally, he asked her to meet at one of the terraces with a great view over the sunset sea.
He had prepared a little picnic and was pretty nervous when he waited for her. Sandor wasn't used to feel such agitation. She was the most beautiful creature he ever laid his eyes on and much more important to him than all the negligible affairs before. Since he had seen Mable, he forgot about all the other girls he'd been with. Mable was not only beautiful. She was also smart and graceful with a great sense of humour. On top she wasn't panting after his highly trained knight's body like everyone else but seemed mildly unimpressed by his uncommon strength.
Of course this behaviour attracted and triggered Sandor in same measure. So he suggested to go to the training court after they finished their picnic. He planned to give her a taste of his skills and strength, hoping she'd be impressed. But things took a turn...
"Who's gonna fight me?", Sandor entered the court with Mable on his side and a lot of confidence hin his luggage.
The few men that were currently training looked at him confusedly.
"What about me?", another voice sounds from a different direction. It was -oh no-
Sandor hasn't seen his brother in the dark corner to his left, practising some shadowboxing. Even though the younger one was pretty well trained and uncommonly strong for his age, he'd never dare and challenge Gregor. The Mountain was feared among the knights, for good reasons.
But now he couldn't back down in front of the girl he desperately tried to impress. "Umm-", Sandor mumbled when Greg paused his practise and walked over to them.
"Isn't that your brother? The mountain?", Mable asked. Something in her voice had changed. She wasn't as confident anymore. It seems his presence somehow frightened her.
"That's right. But don't worry, I fought him many times before.", Sandor tried to play it cool, knowing exactly his brother always spares him. But he wasn't so sure he'd do him this favour now, after what happened.
Suddenly Greg put his arm on his little brothers shoulder what made Sandor look small next to his gigantic shape. He bowed down so his head was right behind Sandors ear and whispered loud enough, that Mable could hear him too: "So that's your new girl, huh? I bet she's not aware of your little weakness yet?"
Sandors stomach tightened but he tried not to show: "Beat it, Gregor!"
"That's perfect.", Gregor pulled his shirt over his head and then got into his typical fighting position. "I thought about my revenge a lot. Embarrassing you in front of your girl is better than anything I would've come up with!"
Sandor looked over to Mable, who was closely monitoring, shaking her head barely noticeable. "Don't."
He looked at his older brothers massive body with every muscle bulging clearly and already knew whatever was coming, he wouldn't perform well. What was also sure by now: Gregor wouldn't be as merciful this time. But turn tail before they even started wasn't an option.
Intentionally or not- Sandor also got into his fighting position, looking up to his 6.9 ft bear of a brother who was grinning from ear to ear. The younger one swallowed hard before he quickly moved forward and threw a punch. Gregor didn't dodge the attack on purpose, let his brother strike into his stone hard obliques just to show it doesn't mean shit to him.
"Adorable.", he snickered. All of a sudden his arm shot forward and caught Sandors fist who tried to land the next punch. Their eyes met for a second when Sandor realised it was over already.
The mountain turned his wrist, forcing Sandor to the ground, placing himself right above him. With his wrist tightly secured in his hand, he had full control over his little bothers body and movements.
"That's all it takes? I thought I trained you better!", Gregor shook his head disappointedly. Sandor was deeply embarrassed. He never lose that fast before, not even against his brother. That was by far his worst performance. "Let me go!" It was hard to understand what he was saying with his head being pushed into the dusty ground.
"Good joke, little one.", Gregor chuckled again. "We're not done here."
"Greg, no!", Sandors heart started racing. He didn't knew exactly what his brother would do to him but he knew he'd ruthlessly humiliate him in some way. With Mable watching.
He looked up to her from below and saw that she had her hands in front of her mouth with wide eyes.
"What's your name, precious?", Gregor ignored his brother beneath him, turning towards the maid.
"Mable.", she tried to sound confident but everyone could hear the insecurity in her voice. Some of the other knights had come closer to watch the scene. Most of them had been defeated by Sandor before, so they desired to watch the skilled knight getting his ass handed to him.
"Beautiful name. So Mable, you probably think my little brother is a respectable warrior who's going to protect you with these strong muscles.", Gregor squeezed into Sandors defined bicep, right beneath the armpit, who immediately flinched with an involuntary grunt leaving his throat.
"Well- you're wrong.", Greg snickered. "Listen up guys!", he turned towards the other knights. "Everyone who had been beaten by him, I‘ll give you some information you can deal with however you want!“
„Gregor NO! Shut up!“, the younger brother shouted strongly. He had a bad feeling about this.
„You gotta know he may be able to defeat you if you’re attacking with fists or swords - but - have you tried fingers yet?“, without further warning Gregor scribbled his free hand all over Sandors involuntary exposed ribcage.
„GREG NOHOHOO FUHUHUCK YOUHAHAHAA!!“, Sandor started twitching from left to right uncontrollably, shouting and laughing from the top of his lungs. He couldn‘t even hold it in for at least a few seconds.
The knights exchanged some irritated but amused looks while Gregor continued tickling his brothers ribs: "What's wrong, Sandor? Are we a little ticklish?"
Sandor started screaming while laughing his ass off when Gregor stayed at his back ribs, a really bad spot indeed. "PLEHEHEASE! STOHOHOP!!" He didn't dare to look up to Mable who was probably still watching the scene. Sandor was deeply embarrassed about how the situation turned out. "NOHOHO MOHORE PLEHEASE GREHEGAHAHAA!!"
All of a sudden the tickling stopped. Between his own diminishing laughter, Sandor heard a weird noise, something like the squeak of a piglet. Greg let go of him and Sandor immediately turned towards him to dodge any further attacks. The scene before him surprised the younger brother completely: Mable had sneaked up on Gregor from behind to attack him with tickles as well! Greg, wo was caught completely off guard couldn't stifle an involuntary squeak and fell off of him.
"W-What are youhu-", Sandor stumbled, still giggling, looking at the young woman in absolute disbelieve.
Gregor turned around as quick as a viper, catching her hands in a heartbeat. with her wrists captured, he got up and increased his appearance to his full size. "What do you think you're doing?"
Mable looked up to him with a cheeky smile. Her attitude had changed. Even though she has fallen into disgrace by now, she seemed confident again. "I was tickling you:", she answered with a smirk.
Gregor looked down with a stony face. He didn't know what to counter when, out of nothing, he squeaked again!
Sandor had approached from behind and clawed into his brothers ribs! Gregs arms immediately trapped his hands but he couldn't build up enough pressure to immobilise his fingers completely so Sandor continued tickling him. Every muscle in Gregors giant body tensed while he tried not to burst out laughing. His grip around Mable‘s wrists loosened while trying to figure out what to do.
"Come on guys! Help us! That's your chance to take revenge for every time he humiliated you!", Sandor invited the knights around.
That was the moment Gregor knew he needed to act. He let go of Mable and turned around to face his brother. He didn't waste a second and pounced on him to start a rigorous tickle attack. But before Gregor could lay his hands on his brothers ticklish upper body, two tiny hands squeezed into his sides from behind. "Ehehey!!" He turned his head around, still sitting on his brothers waist, only to meet Mables bold gaze. She smirked when she continued clawing into his ribs.
"Fuhuck! Stop that NOW!", Greg captured one of her hands when very sudden his other wrist was pulled backwards. He lost his balance and fell on his back. Then he saw one of the knights, who had pulled him off his brother and now kneeled on his arm. Before he could use his free hand to grab him, another knight caught it and did the same. Gregor didn't know what hit him when he suddenly laid flat on his back, two knights kneeling on his tree trunk shaped arms and another two hurrying to hold his ankles in place. "What-?! GET OFF YOU BASTARDS!"
Well- those knights might enjoyed watching Sandor being punished but Gregor?? Gregor was the epitome of harassment to them. They’d probably give their left leg to see him suffer for once.
The mountain pulled as hard as he could and - indeed! - he managed to lift up his arms slowly but surely, with the whole bodyweight of his opponents on top! His strength was inhuman!
Just when the knights realized it was a risky idea to challenge this monster of a man, his brother rose up in front of him. His eyes had a fierce glance. "You're going to suffer SO BAD for this."
"Sandor-", Gregor shook his head in a warning manner. "You'll regret this!"
"How could I regret this?", he smirked when he kneeled down next to his brother. Then he slid one finger up and down his side, drawing little circles here and there. The muscles on Gregors upper body bulged out again. "Ahhrghh. DON'T!"
"Wan't a piece of the cake too?", Sandor grinned over to Mable who came closer with an evil smirk. She seemed proud of her actions.
"Sit down.", he winked at her and she kneeled on Gregors left.
"You thought it would be a nice revenge to humiliate me in front of my girl? Well, you underestimated her.", Sandor smirked, then made an inviting gesture. "Ladies first."
Mables smile widened when she started wiggling her fingers at Gregor, who's eyes widened. He seemed to be unable to accept what was going on here. Again, he tried his best to get out, while shaking his head. "Nonono! Don't you dare!"
"Oh I dare!", she snickered when her sharp nails started skittering all over his ribcage. Gregor immediately lost it: "EHEHEVIL BIHITCH! KNOHOCK IT OFF!"
"Wow he's indeed very ticklish!", she giggled, surprised about his intense reaction.
"Right?", Sandor snickered. "I always wanted to test how bad his armpits are." He moved is hands in his direction and watched Gregor go crazy about it.
"NOHO FUHUCK NOO! DON'T TOHOUCH ME!", he sounded pretty fed up but the involuntary giggling due to the soft tickling of Mable destroyed his fearsomeness.
"I'll be gentle, don't worry.", Sandor smirked when he slid one finger from Gregors elbow down his bicep.
"FUHUCKING PRIHICK!!", Gregor tried everything in his power to free himself but for the first time (in forever?) nothing helped. Six opponents at once that were also aware of his probably biggest weakness was simply too much. He was inferior.
When Sandor finally reached his exposed armpit, a helpless scream slipped out of Gregors throat: "AHHHAHAAA PLEHEHEASE DON'T!! SAHAHANDOR!"
"I think I never saw someone as ticklish as him! Wow!", one of the knights chuckled.
"I mean you barely touch him!", another agreed.
"Yeah but we can change that!", Sandor grinned and started clawing into both of Gregors armpits at once.
An indescribable scream, followed by hysterical laughter was Gregors involuntary response to that merciless attack. While everyone was exchanging surprised looks while smirking or chuckling because of that reaction, Mable started kneading his hips softly.
Gregor, who wasn't able to threaten anymore, shook his hip from left to right, to escape her torturous hands. But Mable wasn't easy to dismiss, so she climbed on his waist to straddle it. Unfortunately her bodyweight wasn't enough for the mountain to hold still, so Sandor climbed on his chest as well. Now he was immobilised completely.
When Sandor looked down to his screaming and laughing brother, he recognised an uncommon glance on his face: Fear.
He didn't even know the mountain was able to sense such an emotion. So the younger one decided it was time to give him a break and slowly decreased the tickling. Mable also stopped and the laughter slowly subsided.
While Gregor still was breathing heavily, Sandor bent forward so his face was only a few centimetres away from Gregs.
"Do you apologise, brother?"
A contemptuously hiss was the answer.
"You sure?", Sandor snickered, clearly enjoying the power he held in this moment. He started drawing soft, little circles with his pointing finger right beneath Gregors armpit, an even worse spot he discovered.
"You little shihit!", his big brother growled when another giggle slipped. "Youhu better apohologise!"
"Wrong answer.", Sandor chuckled, while giving everyone a sign, Gregor clearly understood. "You seem to mistake the situation. You're not the one in charge here."
"SANDOR, NO! FUCK DON'T LET THEM- PLEASE! WE'RE BROTHERS!", Gregors panic grew when he noticed the knights on his ankles were taking his shoes off.
"You know the game of thrones brother. You described it to me quite a few times. Wether you win-or?", Sandor looked down at him with an evil smirk. "Say it."
"MY ASS!", Gregor shouted.
"Say. It.", Sandor started kneading his armpits, provoking helpless laughter once again.
"-ohor youhu diehehee!", Gregor gave in, laughing desperately.
"Correct! Since you lost, it’s time to die now!", Sandor celebrated when all at once started tickling a certain spot:
The knights that were sitting on his legs spidered their fingers over his bare soles, the ones on his arms were targeting an armpit each while Mable focused on his thighs. Sandor was still kneeling on top of his hips, kneading his sides and ribs mercilessly.
That was too much for the mountain, who remained more of a molehill, at best.
“BAHAHAHA-BAHAASTAHARDS!! I’LL KIHILL Y’AHAHAALL!!”, he screamed on top of his lungs before his words drowned in a hysterical laughing fit.
“Aww poor brother, are you too sensitive to handle a little tickling?”, Sandor mocked, knowing he’d be doomed himself if he was sin Gregors shoes. “Look at the fierce Mountain, everyone! Collapsing under a few skittering fingers!”
“FUHUCK OHOFF!”, Greg groaned tortured between the high-pitched laughter.
“Hopefully our enemies won’t figure this out!”, one of the knights chuckled.
“The’d probably switch their swords to a more effective weapon. Such as feathers!”, another one laughed along.
“Shush!”, Mable acted as if she wanted to protect Gregor, only to go one better: “It must be hard for him to train his whole life and maintain the facade of a fierce warrior only to have it destroyed in seconds because of this big weakness he can do nothing about!”
Gregor, who was still laughing uncontrollably, didn’t get much of the conversation but he knew they were making fun of him. He hasn’t been humiliated like this his whole life. And he knew he couldn’t take much more. No more teasing but especially no more tickle torture.
“I’LL PEHEEEL OFF YOUR SKIHIN AHAND EHEAT IT FOHOR DIHINNER!!”, he threatened, helplessly laughing.
“What did you say? Couldn’t understand due to all that laughter bubbling out of your mouth.”, Sandor chuckled poking his abs continuously.
“LIHISTEN YOUHU FUHUCKERS!! HE’S MY BRHOHOTHER AND SHE’S AHAHA GIHIRL BUHUT YOUHU-“, Gregor turnt to the knights, that were totally absorbed in tickling him to pieces. “-I’LL TAHAHAKE YOUR LIHIVES IF YOUHU DON’T STAHAHAP RIHIGHT NOW!! I MEHEAN IT!!” Gregor almost failed to finish his sentence due to all the laughter and upcoming coughing.
Well, that threat had an impact finally. The knights exchanged knowing looks, aware of the ruthlessness the giant warrior normally shows. They knew he wasn’t joking.
“Don’t listen to him! That’s empty talk! The king would punish him endlessly if he harms any of you.”, Sandor tried to prevent them from turning their back on him.
“I’LL MAHAKE IT LOHOOK LIKE AHAN ACCIDEHENT!”, Gregor countered with all the discipline he had left. The knights had stopped the tickling when one suddenly rose up. He had secured one of his arms so Greg didn’t waste any time and grabbed the other one that still kneeled on his other forearm.
“I’m sorry! Please don’t hurt me! I’m sorry!”, he immediately pleaded, even though there were still four people securing the rest of Gregors body.
Sandor, who realised it’s only a matter of time, Gregor would free himself completely, exchanged a warning look with Mable: "Run!"
She looked from him to Gregor who slowly but surely rose up. "B-But you-"
"I'll be fine! Now leave!", Sandor demanded while giving his everything to hold his brother down.
Mable didn't seem convinced but she rose up and hurried to make a run from it. She knew she wasn't able to protect Sandor from him so she decided to at least save herself. The other knights immediately did the same, hoping they could somehow get away with what they've done.
Only seconds later, Sandor was left alone with his exhausted brother who was still boiling with rage. Without much effort the Mountain freed himself and pinned Sandor beneath him.
"Truce?", the younger one asked with intimidation.
The evil smirk on his brothers lips was answer enough.
"You know how it is, Sandor. Power is power. And you'll have a taste of mine now."
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a-crumb-of-whump · 1 year
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A New Beginning #14: Adoration
Masterlist | AO3
Content: Vamprie whumpee, recovery, multiple caretakers, human caretaker, PTSD/trauma, meltdown/panic attack, [implied] self harm (for the sake of food), blood (once again, for the sake of food), fear of being alone.
I am exhausted and haven't actually proof read this or anything, but i promised myself i'd post something before i fell asleep LOL.
-
It was only a few days after the gathering they’d had that Carlos heard from his new friend again. He hadn’t really thought much of it at first - Ryker was often getting calls from his employees and other important people that Carlos had never met, so it came as a surprise when the human called him into the living room and held out the phone to him with a polite smile. 
“Hey, man,” he greeted, already beginning to get out of his seat to make room for the vampire to sit down instead. “Charlie’s on the phone. Said he wanted to see how you were going. Would you like to sit down and talk to him while I get your breakfast ready?” 
Did he? What kind of question was that? 
“Yes please!” he chirped, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet as he took the phone from his human’s hand and sat down on the couch Ryker had just been sitting in. It was still warm, and he found himself snuggling further into the seat as he greeted the other human on the phone. “Good morning!” 
“Good morning to you, too,” Charlie spoke warmly. He still sounded a little groggy, like he hadn’t been awake for long, but Carlos could still hear the faint smile on his face regardless. “You’re sounding rather chipper. How’ve you been?” 
The vampire brought his knees to his chest and began to fiddle with the fabric of his pyjama bottoms as he talked. “I have been well, I think! I’m a little restless today, but Ryker said I just need some mental stimulation. So, he’s gonna set up some stuff for us to do later on.” Then he jumped all of a sudden, feeling as if he’d already forgotten his own manners. “Uhm- and how are you, Charlie?” 
“I’m okay, thank you for asking.” The tone in Charlie’s voice hadn’t shifted, instead remaining light and friendly, despite the fact that he clearly wasn’t all that awake just yet. “I have work today, unfortunately, hence why I’m awake so early. Though, I was actually thinking about dropping by for an hour afterwards, if that’s okay with you?”
Carlos found himself mildly confused. Why was he asking for permission from him to come and see Ryker and Adam? Were they even going to be around today? He thought he recalled the two of them informing him that they wouldn’t be around all that much this week. Had they not told Charlie?
“Uhm…” The vampire didn’t even really know how to answer. “Y-yes?”
Thankfully for him, Charlie seemed to catch on to his confusion pretty quickly. “You sound a little unsure? What’s on your mind?”
“...I guess I don’t really understand why you’re asking for my permission to come visit Adam and Ryker?”
He blinked cluelessly at the sound of Charlie’s light laugh. He didn’t think he’d said anything funny. Did Charlie not realise he was being serious? Though his cheeks flushed red at the embarrassment of being laughed at, he chose not to say anything else.
“You sweet thing. I meant I wanted to come see you. They’re both out this afternoon anyway, aren’t they? I think Ryker said their work schedules are pretty similar this week.”
Oh. It made sense now. However… it also didn’t. 
“You- you want to see me?” the vampire tilted his head. His fingers clutched the phone a little tighter as his heartbeat picked up a bit. This was so exciting. “Really? I- I’m not very good at talking to other people. People, uhm… they scare me.” 
“They scare me, too, buddy. You’re all good. Look, we can give it a miss today if you want? I’m happy to wait until a time where you’re feeling more comfy or one of the guys is around. I totally get it.” 
Carlos could have sworn he felt his heart stop for a moment. 
“No!” he practically cried, leaning forward in his seat as if it could possibly make his point any clearer. He had a death grip on the phone pressed to his ear while his other shaking hand dug Its nails into the leather that made up the couch. “N-no, please, I’ve only ever had two friends in my life. I love them so- so much b-but I don’t wanna be alone anymore. I want friends s-so much. Please come over? Please? I can make some human food for you if you’d like! I swear, I’ll do whatever you want!”
He knew he was being downright pathetic. He knew there was a good chance he was actively scaring his potential new friend away with his intensity, and yet he would have thrown himself onto his knees and begged like that if he were in front of him in that moment. 
Having heard his frantic voice, Ryker was by his side in an instant; resting a hand on his knee while the other arm held a paper towel to the cut on his arm. He’d clearly been in the middle of draining Carlos’ morning breakfast into a cup, and that only made Carlos feel all the worse. 
What is wrong with me? Why am I like this? Those same two questions repeated in his head over and over again.
“Carlos, you’re all good, man. It was just a suggestion,” Charlie was quick to reassure him. Nonetheless, Carlos could still feel the weight of his own panic creeping up on him, threatening to slowly push him into suffocation as if something was holding him against the wall by his throat. “It’s okay. I’ll come visit you this afternoon, then, yeah? Just like I suggested before. No one’s leaving y’alone.”
“I’m so-orry,” the vampire quietly hiccupped into his sleeve. “I’m sorry… I’m…” Behaving like a fucking toddler? Yeah, you are. 
He silently scowled at the voice in his head. It was so loud and so mean. Why couldn’t it just be nice to him? Why did it have to point out all his flaws and mock him as if he didn’t already know they were there? He was trying so hard to like himself just that little bit more. It was so hard…
Ryker squeezed his leg, seemingly trying to draw his attention away from whatever was bothering him. The vampire immediately glanced down at him distractedly, still holding onto the phone so tight his hands were shaking. 
“Sir?” he quietly whimpered. “I’m… I need… need…” He didn’t know what he needed. Didn’t know how to put how he was feeling into words because he’d never had to think about it before. Feelings didn’t matter. Hell, he hardly mattered. 
He guessed it was different now, wasn’t it? 
“I- I di’nt mean t’pressure you,” the vampire whispered in between more hiccups. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry… I told you I can’t speak to people…”
He was so grateful that Charlie had stayed on the line with him all throughout his little meltdown. Hearing his voice, knowing that he was still there only caused him to cry even more. 
“No, no, you’re doing good, man. I’ve been there before, yeah? I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve struggled to find the right words or lost friends because I’ve said insensitive things without realising. Though, I’ve learnt that the more you do it, the easier it gets. So, what if we practiced together this afternoon?” 
“You- you still wanna come over?” The vampire nearly couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He glanced down at Ryker who was still kneeling by his legs, and the human gave him a comforting smile that silently assured him it was real. “You’ll be my friend?” 
There was another laugh. “Any friend of Adam and Ryker’s is a friend of mine. Look, I gotta finish my coffee and get ready for work but I’ll message Ryker with a time and you can expect to see me then, alright?” 
Carlos sheepishly wiped at his wet eyes, accidentally pricking his bottom lip with his fang as he bit it. “You mean it? You’ll really come?”
“Yeah, man. I promise. See you then?”
“O-okay.” Carlos nodded, somewhat more confidently this time. “Yeah. I will- uhm, see you then?” 
Ryker grinned the moment Carlos had hung up the phone. He took the phone from him and placed it down on the floor before taking his hand into both his own to squeeze it reassuringly. 
“You did it!” he exclaimed, the loud sound of his excited voice causing Carlos to jump a little. “I’m so proud of you for persisting!” 
“Tha-ank you?” He couldn’t tell if the human was being sarcastic or not. “I… I embarrassed myself, didn’t I, sir? I didn’t mean to…” 
Reaching up, Ryker affectionately ruffled the vampire’s growing hair with a smile. “Not at all. You’re doing well. I know Charlie very well - he’s one of my oldest friends, and there’s no one I’d trust more with someone I love than him.” 
That caused Carlos to look up from his lap. The wording was not lost on him, however clueless he usually found himself being. A small smile curved on his lips despite the wetness in his eyes, and he leaned forward to press his forehead to Ryker’s for just a moment; savouring the closeness between them before Ryker had to leave again. It was the only way he knew how to express his gratitude for him in that moment. Words were hard and he just did not have the strength to speak them anymore. 
He could only hope that Ryker understood the meaning behind his simple gesture. Otherwise, he’d be sure to find the words for it later. 
He needed Ryker to know how much he loved him, too. 
-
Carlos spent the entire day watching the clock on the wall and cleaning vigorously before his friend arrived. He’d made what Ryker had said earlier in the morning were his favourite sweets - cookies, cupcakes and a few store bought foods as well. Adam was even kind enough to do his makeup again and help him pick out an outfit for what must have been his very first visit from a friend ever. His friend, no less. Someone who was here for him, not his owners or the people around him. He wanted everything to be perfect. Wanted to prove that he could be a good friend to people, not just some dumb pet for them to take their anger out on.
He could do this. He could do this. He could do this.
When Charlie finally arrived at the designated time - right on time, might Carlos add - he had to let himself in, given the sun was looming right outside, threatening to attack the vampire if he so much as stepped an inch into the light. 
However, the second he had closed the front door, Carlos was already by Its side with his plate of cupcakes in his hand and a warm, excited smile on his face. “Thank you so much for coming,” he chirped as he held out said plate towards the human. “I made- uhm, your favourite cupcakes! Ryker gave me the recipe and helped me find all the ingredients for it. I hope you like them!” 
“He did, did he?” the human grinned as it slipped off Its shoes and placed Its bag down by the shoe rack. It leaned over to examine them before carefully taking one off the plate to bite into. “Boy knows me so well. These are excellent, Carlos.”
Carlos couldn’t help but feel amused at the way he spoke with his mouth stuffed with food. It reminded him so much of Adam. 
“Thank you! I worked very hard on them. Uhm, would you like to sit?” he asked, motioning to the living room where all the furniture was. “It’s just you and me this time, so… so you don’t have to sit on the floor. If- if you don’t want to, of course. Sir- I mean, Ryker said you might prefer the floor over the couch? I do sometimes, too.” 
The human shrugged. “The floor feels less formal, but I’m happy wherever. You’re looking wonderful today, might I add. Did Adam do your makeup for you?” 
“He did!” Carlos nodded, desperately trying to ignore the furious blush on his face as he plonked himself down on the couch and pulled his knees up to his chest for Charlie to sit down as well. As he did so, the human took another cupcake off the plate and began to eat that one, too. He likes them, Carlos realised with a giddy smile. “He purchased a practice makeup kit for me to use when he’s not around, but I’m not very good at it yet. I aim to get better, though.” 
“It’s a fun thing to learn. Can’t say I’m all that into it myself, but I see what It’s done for Adam. He loves it.”
It got Carlos wondering. “Well, what sort of things are you into, then? You said we could, uhm… pr-practice talking? So… is that a good start? You didn’t tell me all that much about yourself at the gathering…”
“Yeah, I guess I didn’t, did I?” Charlie offered him another smile as he shifted himself into the same position Carlos was in, but on the opposite side of the couch so they were facing each other. “Like I said, I suck at talking to people, too. I’m awkward and blunt and suck at reading body language and social cues. A lot of people don’t really like that. So… I tend to keep my distance. Keeps me safer, y’know?” 
Yes. Carlos knew exactly what it was talking about. 
“So… It’s not a vampire thing?” he asked quietly with a small tilt to his head. “That happens to me a lot, but I always thought I was just not smart enough to understand them, or- or that’s just how they treated vampires. Humans treat other humans that way as well?” 
He was saddened to see the human nod. “Unfortunately so.”
“That’s so sad.” 
Charlie shrugged. “I guess so. I have my little group of people who love and understand me regardless, so I don’t concern myself all that much with what the rest of the world thinks of me.” 
Carlos admired that. He cared far too much about what everyone else, particularly humans, thought of him. It was ingrained into his brain that his purpose was to please them, therefore he had to care, right? If there was one thing all the humans he’d lived with agreed on, it was that. 
“—but hey, fuck the rest of the world, right? Let’s talk about me.”
It surprised the vampire to hear himself laugh at the human’s rather vulgar language. 
“Yes!” he agreed, and the both of them eagerly leaned forward with their arms still tucked in their laps as if they were two gossiping school children. “Tell me everything there is to know.”
-
It turns out, the two had a lot more in common with each other than they thought. Charlie happened to be right into his digital art - something Carlos had no idea even existed until then - along with cooking and movies. He also mentioned that he loved the dark - that there was something calming and peaceful about it in a way that the day just couldn’t bring. He said that he often went on night walks along the beach when he couldn’t sleep, or relaxed under the stars in his backyard with a picnic blanket beneath him. 
It all sounded infatuatingly wonderful to Carlos. He didn’t feel safe enough to go outside anymore. Not without another person there to keep him company, but the idea of it made him more than a little giddy. He hoped there would come a time where he could enjoy the stars and the dark again, just like he had as a child. 
The human also came to mention that he was a collector of sorts, too. He had a collection of rocks and leaves he found fascinating sitting on his coffee table for people to admire when they came over, along with the more “common” stuff, like Pokemon cards and little figurines. He’d apparently been collecting for years - ever since he was a child, and had plenty to show for it. 
Within just a few hours, Carlos had grown to adore this human so much it hurt. It was living, breathing proof that there were other people just like Carlos. That he wasn’t alone, even if many people had tried to convince him otherwise. 
—and as the human prepared to leave again rather late in the afternoon, Carlos hugged him tighter than he ever thought he’d be able to grip someone, fingers digging into his back and his head buried against Charlie’s shoulder. He was grateful that it didn’t seem to mind, and instead held him just as tight. 
“Please come back sometime,” he whispered, squeezing his eyes shut out of sheer desperation. “Please. You’re… you’re like me. I like you so much!” 
There was, once again, a laugh as Charlie stood with him in the doorway. He could hear and feel Adam and Ryker’s presence behind him, presumably moving things around and giving the place a quick clean after their day at work, but he didn’t care. Not right now.
 “I like you so much, too! I’ll be back very soon, man. Promise.”
Carlos couldn't help the grin that spread across his face as he hid it against the human's shoulder even more.
It was official. 
After ninety years of living on this god forsaken earth, Carlos Emrick had finally made a friend outside of Ryker and Adam.
He cried out of pure joy as he told his humans about his day that evening. It was easily on his list of best days ever, right underneath the day he met Ryker and the night he finally got to move in with him.
-
@alexkolax @emcscared-whumps @espresso-depresso-system @inkkswhumpandstuff @pigeonwhumps @pumpkin-spice-whump @roblingoblin285 @sacredwrath @stabby-nunchucks @thingsthatgo-whump-inthenight @trans-writes @whump-blog @whumpsday @whumpshaped @whump-things @whumpycries @why-not-ask-me-a-better-question @thekittyburger @choppedflowermuffinchild
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moonbreezes · 1 month
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wait George Villiers was a shitty person? what did he do?
Hi! I’d like to preface my answer to this question by saying that I’m not a historian (I have a degree in linguistics and literary studies), and all of my information comes from doing a lot of research regarding George on my own, therefore there might be a lot more info on what exactly he did or did not. So if there is someone more knowledgeable about this, please correct me.
What George Villiers did, and, quite frankly, how his career had gone could be described by a line reportedly spoken by Queen Anna of Denmark to Abbot, the archbishop of Canterbury (and Pembroke), two people who worked together to install George in James’s bedchamber as a favourite “You and the rest of your friends know not what you do. I know your master better than you all, for is this young man be once brought in first person he will plague must be you that labour for him.”
As opposed to the previous favourite Somerset (Robert Carr), Gorge was deeply ambitious as he not only wished to enrich himself while in favour, but he also wanted to become an important player in the political sphere. (If I dare say so myself, I believe, that his time as a politician, would not be half as bad if he had received a proper training. Tho he was undoubtedly a shitty, to put it mildly, person) He knew that key to his success was the affection and love of the king as he could literally take everything that was given to him and make him once again the poor George that he once was. (I really do not want to talk about their relationship as it would take more than a sentence to summarise it). Thans to how rapidly he climbed the social ladder and received more titles and positions at the court which in turn allowed him to have actual sway in the country’s internal and external politics. Geore was also keenly aware that apart from the royal favour he needed connection to face his opposition (the ancient families of England). So patronage, it was something common (even now). He installed his immediate family at the court and secured them positions, (mmm nepotism), the marriage market was also fair play as George slowly but surely arranged marriages for people in his family, win-win situation.
Addressing his now growing family, his wife – Kate Manners, became one as he possibly kidnapped and raped her. (There are some rumours that he “what-a-surprise got locked” with her in one building so after that they just had to get married.) It was a marriage for the money she could bring, and the connections did not hurt either, a nice bonus, one might even say. He also made a deal with Edward Coke to marry off his daughter (her mother protected her fiercely) to his brother. It is said that she cried during the ceremony.
In lieu of the theme of nepotism, as he slowly transformed the royal bedchamber into a place of the de facto lawmaking. He packed every place possible (to an extent) with people what would back him up. For that he was notoriously selling patronages, titles, and land, especially in Ireland where law did not hold him so much. Literally whenever the parliament tried to remove him from power because of how badly (Imo he would have done much better if he had training and not just gone with the general fuck around and find out rule.) he did his job, and people were fed up with him. He started a whole 20D chess match with Richelieu which was pointless, started a few campaigns that ended with him often not paying the soldiers (I mean no one would stab him to death over such thing… right), the last one being a pointless siege that only made England loose troops and money. (He could have one that one, he was so close to it, but he had to celebrate the possibility of victory rather than making people sing papers). He enraged the protestant England by helping to offer help France with fight off Protestants. What else… oh yes, he almost sa’d Anne of Austria which just… mmm the flavour of historical silencing of women, misogyny and men who just have dick measuring contests because.
Tho what I do not believe, and what many line up with, is that he did not poison James (or at least wasn’t aware of doing so??) because I think that he would gain more from helping the king survive than just killing him.
Sources
Bellany, Alastair, and Thomas Cogswell. 2015. The Murder of King James I. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Cogswell, Thomas. 2017. James I (Penguin Monarchs). Penguin UK.
Lockyer, Roger. 2014. Buckingham. Routledge.
Stewart, Alan. 2014. The Cradle King. St. Martin’s Press.
Veerapen, Steven. 2023. The Wisest Fool. Birlinn Ltd.
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manawari · 7 months
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Bliss
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Hunters roamed around the wide hall, clad in elegant and expensive clothings. Masks were thrown into the theme. This was the first time the event had to require a specific ornament before entering the lavish area that also served as an opportunity for hunters from all around the globe to communicate beyond their mother tongues. The large chandelier glimmered above them, along with other lights to prevent a single shadow to stretch, and other decorations that brought beauty the party.
. . . Even though it was the hunters themselves who had made the entire venue extravagant because of their outfits that looked as if they were competing over one another.
The instruments hummed in a soft harmony, a subtle pace to fit the aura. Servants strolled around, carrying trays to offer the guests some wine, appetizers, or small desserts to entertain their stomachs with as they chattered with others.
The Korean Hunters Association chairman's right-hand man, Woo Jin-chul, stood amongst the crowd. He was clad in a burgundy suit over a blue dress shirt and a red kaleidoscope necktie, his brown mask sat on his shoulder with a clasp to keep it intact. He was also part of the surveillance team, but the chairman told him to not focus on his duty and allow himself to let loose even for just the night.
Even as an A-Rank, it didn't feel like he was out of place, being in a event that was mostly composed of S-Ranks in every country. If anything, it was the contrast of what he had thought.
Ladies approached him. American, South Korean, Chinese, Russian, any nationalities. In order to maintain a good impression, Jin-chul paid attention to them kindly and put up his best English accent to communicate with them. It was evident that they were fawning over him and when he revealed his rank, they were mildly surprised — a gorgeous man as he was could be mistaken as an S-Rank.
He'd laugh and say that he was flattered by the compliments. But in the inside, he was just waiting for the right exit to excuse himself.
The other South Korean hunters were at the other side of the hall, so to get to them meant he had to encounter the other hunters. Women would invite him for a dance and men would invite him for a conversation he had no cup of tea for. It was the struggles of Woo Jin-chul, though he just bore in mind that this might be the only chance that these hunters would find joy instead of focusing on risking their lives all the time.
Even for him.
He was a hard worker, devoted to his job, prioritized hunters over his own self, and did everything he can to maintain peace from the gates. Jin-chul couldn't remember when was the last time he had actually let loose, even when he was not awakened, and didn't think he had a decent sleep sometimes.
"Are you all by yourself?"
A voice reached out to him. Jin-chul looked over and found a man walking toward him. He spoke in English. "Me?"
"Who else am I looking at?"
Jin-chul restrained a reaction to the response. He shook his head and spoke nothing as he continued to look across the place where some pairs of hunters had begun to dance with each other.
"You know, a man like you should not just be standing here doing nothing."
He glanced at the stranger again. The hunter wore a red outfit with golden markings engraved on the fabric, a brown strap on the waistline kept it together, and underneath it was a black shirt with a plunging neckline which gave a tiny peak of a tattoo. A silver dragon mask shielded his face, only stopping at the top of his mouth and had presented his sharp jawline.
"What do you want?" Jin-chul asked.
"Nothing, actually," said the hunter. A grin plastered on his face. "However. . . I can tell you wish to get out of this place."
"Just because I'm silent doesn't mean I hate being here," Jin-woo rolled his eyes.
"Hm, but judging the way you look for an escape from every conversation with the hunters and avoid large crowds say otherwise."
"Are you spying on me?"
"It's hard to look away from someone so gorgeous as you."
Luckily, Jin-chul was quick to recover from the unfathomable feeling in his chest at the remarm. He cleared his throat. "Sorry, but I cannot leave this place."
The hunter chuckled. "I am not inviting you to get out of here. I was referring to the balcony over there." He turned over his shoulder and the back to him. "Seems like a nice way to feel some fresh air, do you not think?"
" . . . Fine," sighed Jin-chul.
The hunter's grin grew wider.
So, he followed the masked hunter across the hall and squeezed through the crowd, along with glancing briefly at some guests who were calling for his attention. On the other hand, the hunter wasn't batting the others an eye or even got fawned at. It made Jin-chul wonder.
He noticed that the hunter had a long ponytail. It was quite unusual to see a male hunter with such length of hair, besides Thomas Andre, who believed that his wild hair made his appearance more preeminent. But this hunter seemed to be the type who was laid-back. Had Jin-chul seen him before?
The balcony wasn't as crowded as in the inside. Why didn't he go here beforehand? The moon was full and bright, specked with hundreds of stars to glimmer across the dark sky, rivaling the field of lights from the city. At last, Jin-chul felt he can breathe freely and no longer feel the strangling sensation in his throat just to put up a nice impression.
"Care for a drink?"
He found a glass offered to him. The servant had just walked away after the hunter had taken two glasses of champagne from the tray.
"Thank you," said Jin-chul and took the glass. Their fingertips brushed.
The A-Rank hunter leaned over the fence and took a sip on his champagne. The liquid was yellowish, which explained the lemon flavor, and it didn't seem his throat liked it, but he had to take what he could get. After all, he hadn't drank anything ever since he came.
"The evening is beautiful, is it not?" The hunter said.
Jin-chul had partially forgotten that he was there. He responded. "It is. But most importantly, who are you?"
"Cutting the chase, I see? I like it." The hunter grinned. "However, I prefer not to tell you."
"Such a lousy reason," Jin-chul rolled his eyes. He took another sip. "What is holding you back from telling me? You came to me so simply."
"Why? Are you supposed to be someone who is. . . Unapproachable?"
"I'm just asking. A stranger came out of the blue and invited me to the balcony. I have you know that I don't know every single hunter in the world, especially when they are concealing their faces with masks." Jin-chul said.
The hunter chuckled. "I'll give you one fact about me — I like thrill. Who knows you might've encountered me before or I had just seen you somewhere? Besides, didn't you accept my invitation?"
"I just accepted it because I need a way to get a fresh air," said Jin-chul.
"Or you can simply say that you liked my company."
He huffed and rolled his eyes. "Please. . . Is there a reason why I must like your company?"
"Well, I am a powerful hunter, a formidable fighter, and one of the people who had taken down Kamish." said the hunter. "I assume you know that beast?"
Of course, he knew that beast. Jin-chul had his attention glued to the news and kept a close eye on the reports from the countries involved in that battle. It was a battle that made a strong mark in the history of hunters.
So this hunter had participated in annihilating Kamish? He wondered. There were quite a handful of hunters he knew, yet he was not able to determine which one of those hunters was the one in front of him.
The hunter clicked his glass against his. "Don't pressure yourself into remembering every single name. Focus on the present. Who knows you might as well figure out who I am?"
"I do not know that you like to play guessing games," Jin-chul huffed and brought his glass to his lips to savor his champagne again.
"Guessing games exercise my mind. It keeps me concentrated and easy for me to study those around me." The hunter's gaze was staring intently at him.
"You are indeed a peculiar being."
"It's my specialty." The hunter twitched his head a little which somehow insinuated that he was winking.
Jin-chul suddenly found himself being entertained by this mysterious man. It was not often that he had interacted with someone charismatic, although it left him annoyed in the end, this one was surprisingly not bothersome. Even in his blunt demeanor, he was quite glad to be conversing with someone who was not draining his energy.
"Where are you from?" Jin-chul piped up with a question.
"Why should I tell you?"
His face scrunched into a glare. "So knowing one's nationality is not allowed too?"
"You might get the hint already if I tell you."
"You really like putting this game, huh?" Jin-chul sipped on his champagne. "That's fine by me, I guess. Sometimes, I wish to be somewhere where I'm not recognized or be around with someone I don't know."
The hunter hummed. "The desire to be in the background is hard for people like us. We protect the world, we lost the ability to stay under the radar in return."
"Likewise." Jin-chul agreed. "Despite how much I like my job."
"What is your job? Besides being a hunter."
"I am a leader of KHA's surveillance team. However, I do go inside of dungeons for inspections."
"Do you fight?"
He flashed him an odd look. "Of course, I can."
The hunter smirked and placed his glass on the rough surface, stepping closer to the A-Rank. "I'd like to see how hard can you fight."
"Are you offering me for a spar?"
"If you'd like. Perhaps the next time we'll see each other, we shall set up a schedule."
Jin-chul huffed, unaware of their current proximity. "How can I even tell when I don't know what you look like?"
"But I can see yours. I doubt I'd be able to forget that." The hunter raised his hand and slightly twirled the single streak of Jin-chul's hair. His fingertip soon traced down his face and lingered in his jawline, allowing the Korean hunter to suck in his breath. "You intrigue me. You are as if a book nobody had read with comprehension, and I'd like to be that person."
Their faces inched closer. The hunter's breath hovered over Jin-chul's mouth, thus making him aware that he was staring at his lips. However, he did not take a step back. The aura surrounding the hunter was so strong that there was an invincible barrier behind him to stop him from moving backward.
Then. . . Jin-chul noticed something glowing within the dragon mask.
It was the eyes, shining in bright yellow, filled with an unfathomable emotion — whether it was passion or the deep sense of claiming him.
His mind had gone blank.
But just as he was about to feel the pair of warm lips on his own, a voice suddenly broke the tension.
"Mr. Woo! The representatives are seeking for your presence."
They quickly separated from each other. Jin-chul lowered his head, as if for a brief mortification, then cleared his throat as he turned to one of his crew.
"Ah, yes! I will be there right away."
His subordinate nodded and walked back inside. Jin-chul walked after him, but not without looking over his shoulder at the hunter whose name he had never learned. The masked hunter just smirked and raised his hand as if in farewell and watched him head into the hall.
It was an almost kiss. A kiss that might've been driven him to a ceaseless pit.
An almost kiss from a stranger.
Jin-chul could not understand what made him so allured by it. And nobody had made his knees frozen before. Not monsters, not the frightening scenes unfolding in front of him, but a mere hunter whose background was yet to uncover.
Have I gone insane?
Left alone by a man who had his duties above everything else, Liu Zhigang remained in the balcony, gradually spinning the glass in his hand, watching the liquid oscillate around the cylinder. His smirk had turned into a grin. Even though his chances had crumbled, the expression on the A-Rank hunter's face was enough to satisfy him.
He liked that he could make people lost in words, but it seemed he had picked his favorite.
Now, he could only wait patiently for their paths to cross again. But this time, he was going to use everything he had in him to swept that hunter from his feet.
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transpunkhell · 2 years
Text
fuck it just posting my jargyle fic here
i dont have Ao3 so bear with me okay :,) also didnt realize how long this ended up sorry
fluff, confessions, little bit of a j*ncy breakup scene, being gay, LOTS of bong rips and endless weed ;)
--
Jonathan sat on the side of his bed. The moonlight cast a blue hue into his room, lighting his bedside in a melancholy manner. His face rested in his hands, slightly clammy from overthinking and the anxieties that followed. He should have been relieved, he thought to himself, but all he could do was repeat the scene over and over again in his head.
He had wanted to break up with Nancy. College was something he wanted to pursue, and he began to realize after the move to California that a long-distance relationship wouldn't work anymore. He just wasn't expecting Nancy to dump him first. 
Except, he wasn't really being dumped, Jonathan rationalized to himself.
"It's not you, Jonathan, it's...girls. I think I'm more into girls. I'm sorry."
Those words looped endlessly in his mind.
It's not like he was disappointed. Again, he was sort of relieved that he didn't have to be the one to do it. It's just that the more he thought about why he fell out of love with Nancy, the more he struggled to understand exactly what his feelings were.
Jonathan dragged his hands down his face and groaned. He really didn't know how to sort his thoughts on this, and it fucking sucked. He didn't need this right now. He needed something else. He needed-
A familiar honking could be heard from outside.  Immediately Jonathan perked up, donned his overshirt, and ran outside. He probably should've been quieter, considering it was almost 2 in the morning, but the persistent honks had probably woken up the entire street at that point.
Argyle continued to smash the horn even as Jonathan was sprinting towards the ever-so-familiar vehicle. He only stopped once his friend had hopped in and shut the door.
"Why do you have the van dude? Aren't you off right now?" Jonathan asked, a little out of breath from that sprint. It was somewhat normal for Argyle to show up at the house at night, but it wasn't normal at all for him to be so rowdy about it when everyone else was asleep. He was a bit of a klutz, sure, but he didn't usually go out of his way to be annoying. Maybe it was urgent, Jonathan mused to himself, though he sort of wished this could've waited until the morning. 
"I forgot to turn in the keys," Argyle replied, playing with the keychains dangling from the ignition. "Plus, since you're kind of going through some shit right now, I brought you a surprise..."
Argyle reached toward the middle seats, but he seemed to struggle a little. Miffed, he cursed to himself under his breath, unbuckled his seatbelt, then twisted over to reach deeper toward the floor of the van to pull out a brand-new bong and grinder.
Jonathan was too surprised to speak, but Argyle continued. "So uh, I was gonna save this for your birthday, but I think you kinda need it now, so I'm driving us to my favorite place so we can take rips 'till the sun comes up. That cool?"
Jonathan put his hand to his forehead and smiled. "You're my best friend, man," he said. "The best."
--
Jonathan choked on milky-white smoke, struggling to breathe normally after taking such a big rip. He handed the bong to Argyle, who took it like he was impatient for it. He reached over to grab the lighter from Jonathan as well, and went to town. The brief moments of the lighter in action remained their only immediate light source, allowing them to see the smoke rise up the bong's neck for mere milliseconds. He held the hit in for a bit, then let it all out in a chaotic coughing fit. Trying to recover still even after passing the bong back to Jonathan, he laid down to look at the stars.
They both rested on top of the van. Argyle had parked on the shoulder of a cliffside road overlooking all of Lenora Hills. The houses, all nestled in the valley, were scarcely lit to vaguely match the starlit sky above them. It was a mildly-pretty sight as is, but it was a gorgeous scene for a couple of stoners. 
Unfortunately for Jonathan, his mind could only race. The quiet gave him too much room to think about what had happened earlier, and the high only seemed to make the thoughts more intense.
Nancy coming out to him changed something, something in the way he thought about himself. The conversation repeated itself in his mind. 
"How did you know?"
"...Know that I'm into girls?" 
"Y-yeah."
It was insightful, learning how Nancy found out about herself. During the conversation, Jonathan focused mainly on Nancy's feelings and what she had to say. Even if they weren't together, he still loved her as a close friend and confidante. Understanding her and being there for her was important to him, more important than anything else in that moment. 
But it was the way she described it, falling in love while queer. It was hard to recognize it at first, she said, but once she did, she knew she couldn't deny it. Wanting to spend all of your time with that one person, feeling butterflies when they touch you or hang a little too close for "just friends," thinking about what it would be like to tell them that you like them, and wondering the odds on them liking you back-
"Dude, are you even listening?"
Jonathan snapped out of it and looked at his friend, who was sitting back upright. "Sorry," he mumbled. "I was a little lost in thought." 
"Spill it, man," Argyle punched him playfully. "Whatcha got?"
Jonathan put his hand through his hair and moved it down to nervously push on the back of his neck. He couldn't even figure out his feelings while sober, so now his words came out scrambled and disorganized.
"I think, uh, Nancy breaking up with me was good for me and all," he started. "I mean, um, I don't know. It was a good reason. Not that there really needs to be a, uh, reason, especially since I was gonna break up with her anyways. I don't know."
Jonathan lost his train of thought, but it's not like it mattered; he wasn't really saying much of anything, and he probably lost Argyle's attention way before. He took a few seconds to compose his thoughts.
"I think I've got a lot of new feelings to sort out," he sighed.
Argyle got that. He pat Jonathan on the back, causing his heart to flutter. His hand felt familiar, in a way that comforted him like a hug. 
"Like...what?" Argyle asked, his stoner drawl more obvious than usual. His presence brought Jonathan's entire anxious being to a gradual rest. He knew he was safe to speak his mind here, so he took a breath and went on. 
"I've been kind of looking into how I feel about other people. Romantically." 
He paused to check if Argyle was still listening, maybe hoping that he wasn't. He was. In fact, their eyes met in a way that convinced Jonathan that he was getting Argyle's full attention. The bong rips were catching up to him—to both of them, really. Both of their tolerances had gone up from smoking pretty much every day, but the hits from the bong had permeated their bloodstreams in a way that the joints they shared in the past just couldn't compare to. It made Jonathan's next choice of words feel a little more emotionally weighted than he had wanted.
"I'm realizing I might not be so, uh, straight, either." Jonathan sighed and twiddled his thumbs. It should have felt good to confide in his best friend like this; he already knew Argyle was supportive of everything, especially being queer, but his anxiety sunk its fangs into him.
Worry physically manifested in his stomach, shooting toward his body's extremities and forcing the palms of his hands to sweat. His skin itched in anticipation of what Argyle would say next. He worried he was admitting this too openly, that he might've accidentally implied something bad, or even-
"Brooooo." Argyle interrupted his racing thoughts. A sweet smile appeared on his face as he continued. "I was literally thinking the exact same thing."
Jonathan straightened up. The haze in his brain made it hard for him to comprehend it entirely, but the butterflies he felt nearly made him vomit now. 
"Like uh, being gay and stuff," Argyle continued. "Maybe not gay, but like...bisexual or something. I think I definitely like dudes and dudettes all the same, man...but maybe I like dudes just a li'l more."
Jonathan's mind tried to pull back instances where Argyle seemed interested in other guys. He couldn't come up with anything. Not that he needed to, of course, as Argyle's feelings were often an enigma to him, but he couldn't help but try and look for the hints. Any moments of potential yearning, specific discussions, whatever, were being sorted in his mind at light speed.
"How did you find out?" Jonathan asked without thinking. Immediate regret.
"Trust me man, you don't wanna know," Argyle coughed, having just taken another hit.
"Not true," Jonathan countered. "You're my best friend, dude. I'm really grateful for everything you do for me. I'll do the same for you."
Argyle ran his fingers through his long hair, trying to get his words together. In a moment that felt almost out of character to Jonathan, he saw worry on his best friend's face. He reassured Argyle by wrapping his arm around him. Argyle leaned in, resting his head on Jonathan's shoulder. 
The physical contact felt exciting. That moment felt like it could have lasted forever. Argyle was warm, a nice contrast to the nighttime chill, and it only made him want to hold him closer. For a while, even. Jonathan mused ideas of them holding each other in ways they hadn't before, and he found himself yearning for it all.
Fuck, he thought to himself.
The realization hit Jonathan like a truck. His conversation with Nancy popped up in his mind again, as if the thought itself was hammering the nails in the coffin of his heterosexuality. He had a crush on his best friend, and he was crushing hard. Putting those words to his feelings brought a wave of dread over him.
Jonathan tried to reach back in his memories to when this crush started. Maybe it was the time they spent on the road, with the endless stretches of brown and gray in the landscape giving way to loneliness. He reached earlier to when they started smoking together, or when he first met Argyle at Surfer Boy Pizza. He remembered the beating of his heart, the shakiness of his breath, the thoughts that flooded his mind every single time they were together.
He recognized how obvious it was the whole time now, and cursed himself for the new Byers pattern of falling in love with your best friend. He ran through feelings of guilt over whether he was crushing while he and Nancy were still a thing. Was it even rational to feel guilty over this, even after they broke up? Jonathan's anxiety fell into a catastrophic spiral, enhanced by the circular thinking of a heady high.
Argyle cut through Jonathan's thoughts again, but this time it stopped him in his tracks entirely.
"It was kind of you, man."
Three seconds of silence passed as Jonathan tried to pull himself together.
"Wh-what?" he uttered, absolutely dumbfounded. His grip on Argyle tightened a little. 
"Yeah man, I think you're really neat. More than neat, even. Magical." Argyle held the bong close, almost like a stuffed animal. "Like, when we smoke, I want to feel that kinda vibe forever, man."
Jonathan forgot about his breathing. He thought, Did Argyle just say he likes me? Did he just call me...magical? 
He chuckled awkwardly. He instinctually dropped his head to hide his blushing cheeks, but it wasn't like Argyle could really see it in the dark.
Argyle moved away from Jonathan. He anchored his hand in his hair, body language stiffening with visible anxiety. "That's probably, totally a weird thing to say, I know. Sorry dude."
Jonathan's head shot back up, and he responded immediately. "It's not, man. I swear. I mean..."
The high clouded his better judgement, and all he could focus on was the realization that he liked his best friend. He really liked Argyle. He didn't know what he wanted, or what was appropriate to do, but it didn't seem to matter. His impulses decided to take the plunge.
"I think you're kind of..." Jonathan hesitated. "...magical, too."
Argyle's eyes widened. Jonathan could really see his face light up this time, even in the dark, and it made his heart swell with joyful affection.
"You mean that?" Argyle asked.
"I really do."
Jonathan placed a hand on Argyle's thigh. A jolt of excitement—and maybe a little bit of panic—shot through his body. He was a little bolder now than what he was used to, but he didn't care anymore.
"Are we, like, gay for each other?" Argyle blurted. 
They both laughed it off. To Jonathan, it felt like a dream with how easy this was actually going. He thought he was being so awkward right now, but it was with his best friend, so none of that mattered. All that he needed right now was to keep Argyle close.
Argyle placed the bong down and rested his head on Jonathan's lap. The extended physical contact was thrilling now. He brought his hands down to gently comb through Argyle's long hair.
"Hold my hands, man," Argyle mumbled. "I just gotta see if it feels right."
"Okay, man!" Jonathan giggled and intertwined his fingers with Argyle's. His hands were big and cozy, warming up Jonathan's cold palms immediately.
Argyle chuckled to himself, and spoke up again. "Yeaaaahhh," he squeezed Jonathan's hands. "This totally feels right."
Jonathan couldn't get his grin off his face, even if he tried. As they remained close, he took in the ambience of Lenora Hills early in the morning. The first birdsong of the day echoed through the trees. Gentle winds moved past the couple and pushed their hair over their faces. A few more houses in the valley had begun to flick their lights on. The sound of his own breathing, almost in sync with Argyle's, brought a slow rhythm to the moment. 
Finally, at the cliffside, with his newfound love, his mind was at peace. 
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dimorphodon-x · 2 years
Text
Bonus
A little kinda sweet addition to the last part. I actually had this started before I had started 'Empty' lol. I also already have yet another short story for @cuppajj's LL au (not shattered glass this time and also just a one-shot I hope) in the works💀
“I TOLD YOU TO REPAIR HIM, YOU BLASTED MEDIC!” Starhawk’s voice glitched as he shrieked at Slingarm, “NOT DISASSEMBLE HIM!”
“Calm your jets, Starhawk,” the medic was unphased by the sparkeater’s shrill screaming, “I had to take him apart, there was almost nothing that could be salvaged.”
Hawk hissed through his teeth and glanced at what remained of his prime. He had been reduced to his last original parts, consisting of his head and spark alone.
“Honestly Starhawk,” Slingarm actually looked disappointed as he shook his head, “using the dead to replace his parts? That’s usually only a temporary fix, especially if not done by experienced professionals like myself.”
“I didn’t replace his parts. It was the Lost Light.”
“Ah, that explains it. He would’ve been long dead if you had tried any of this.”
He couldn’t deny that. The lost light wasn’t a licensed doctor, far from it, but the fact that they managed to replace virtually everything in Rodimus was impressive.
Of course Hawk was still more disgusted than impressed.
“So what will you do?” he looked back at the green mech again, “turn him into a sparkeater too?”
“Hah! No,” Slingarm shook his head, “no I don’t have all the resources to make a sparkeater right now. Plus the procedure is honestly a hit or miss in keeping the subject’s consciousness intact. It’s never a guarantee.”
“Oh,” Starhawk blinked. 
“I’ll be honest with you, Starhawk,” Slingarm hummed, for once looking and acting like a proper professional, “this is not going to be an easy fix. It will take a bit of time, and I had to call in small a team to help, because I cannot do this by myself.”
“You… are asking for help?” Hawk again blinked.
“Yes, I’ve contacted some old colleagues of mine. Rodimus is going to need to have a new frame built for him. It must be perfect, functional, and comfortable. He will need to have his brain and spark monitored under the careful eyes of a specialist before, during and after installing him into a new body. It’s a whole process,” Slingarm tapped his chin. Starhawk only nodded quietly, “until they get here, Rodimus will remain in stasis and hooked up to life support. In the meantime that means I can now fix you up.”
“Me?”
“Have you looked at yourself? You’re a mess,” Slingarm grabbed the sparkeater’s arm and pulled him away from the resting remains of Rodimus, “and maybe I can resuscitate you!”
Starhawk stared at him, “is that… possible?”
“Only one way to find out!” Slingarm’s signature mad doctor grin returned, “but given your color and the fact that you’re still fully sentient and in control of your instincts, I have a good feeling about it!”
Starhawk had to admit, he missed his good looks.
He had been admiring his freshly repaired form for roughly the last hour, and Slingarm was able to bring his spark back online. It was minuscule, and likely wouldn’t ever return to full size, but it being back at all brought a sense of relief.
He was running his fingers over one of his finials, checking for fissures or creases, when he heard voices. Slingarm’s peers must’ve just arrived.
After one last look over, he went to see who the doctor had invited. 
Slingarm was greeting two other mechs. The blue and white one, an Autobot, looked like a skittish individual. He seemed to have a hard time looking directly at his peers, his red eyes constantly flickering down to look at the floor.
Starhawk’s lip curled as he spotted the Decepticon symbol on the second mech. He stood taller than the nervous Autobot, his head held high and wings down. He didn’t look like he was happy to be here either.
“What is a Decepticon doing here?” Hawk made his presence known. Slingarm looked mildly surprised as he turned to face the tall white jet.
“Oh, don’t worry! Quickfix may be a Decepticon, but he is a doctor first and foremost, isn’t that right old friend?”
“Indeed,” Quickfix spoke through his teeth. Starhawk was surprised when the medic returned his glare with twice the aggression, “as much as I despise Rodimus Prime, my job is to save lives. Not end them.”
“Hmm,” one of his secondary wings flicked and he glanced at the second medic, who flinched under his gaze.
Slingarm took that as his cue to introduce him as well, “and that is Kentro. He may not impress you, but he is an expert on the brain module and spark. Rodimus is in very good hands, Starhawk,” he gave the young flier a strong pat on the shoulder.
“I was expecting more,” Hawk admitted. He was not impressed by what he was looking at.
“Please,” Slingarm scoffed, “two extra sets of hands will be more than enough. Now, how about you go feed Gigus while we get started. He’s napping in my quarters.”
He tossed a small container of green liquid to the flier and led the two medics away. Starhawk sighed and shook his head before he went to find the stupid old cat.
“So? How do you feel?”
Rodimus looked up from his new hands, “I… better, I think?”
Kentro hummed, “can you elaborate? We need to make sure you are comfortable in this new frame.”
“I don’t… feel any pain,” he frowned and flexed his hands, wiggling his fingers and curling them into fists, “it’s weird being able to move again.”
“Yes, I imagine there will be an adjustment period. From what I’ve heard, you have been through a lot.”
The prime simply nodded. Kentro smiled and gave his shoulder a pat, “I’ll leave you be now. Keep your frame moving, but do not exert yourself.”
He nodded again, and the medic left the room. With a long sigh, Rodimus flopped onto his back and raised his arms, continuing to examine his hands, wrists, forearms and so on. The medics did an excellent job replicating his old frame. He had his signature spoiler again and everything.
It was pretty surreal.
He turned his attention when his door slid open and Starhawk stepped in.
“Figured I’d pay a visit now that the old guys are leaving you alone. You’re looking better,” he commented. Rodimus sat up and pretended to not notice the excited wiggle of his secondaries.
“I could say the same for you,” he snorted, “so you’re a sparkeater?”
“Mhm. Crazy, isn’t it?”
“Definitely.”
The two sat in odd silence for a minute.
“It’s funny that you had to threaten my life in order to save me.”
Starhawk laughed, “well it worked, a lot better than I expected.”
“Yeah, and now I get to live with nightmares about you trying to kiss me with half a face,” Rodimus thumped his fist against the flier’s chest with a humorous grin.
“Hey, I never did that!”
“No, but you did bite me, so close enough.”
Hawk shrugged, “just wanted to make sure of something is all.”
“Weirdo,” Rodimus stuck his tongue out, “my merciless killer’s got a soft spot for me!”
He raised his wings, at first in embarrassment, but he grinned and lowered his head to look the smaller mech in the eye, “what can I say? I don’t like giving up what belongs to me.”
“Oh? And what says that you don’t belong to me?” Rodimus mirrored his grin and raised a hand under the jet’s chin, scratching along his jaw.
Starhawk’s smile was replaced by a snarl, but he didn’t pull away. Seemed like he still didn’t like to show how much he enjoyed that, despite the many years they hadn’t been able to show much affection to each other.
Rodimus couldn’t help but laugh.
“What?”
“You’ve hardly changed, have you?” he continued to giggle. Starhawk frowned and lifted his head away from his hand.
“After everything that happened? Of course I have. I died. In some ways, I think you did too.”
Now it was Roddy’s turn to frown, “can we not talk about this? I was just enjoying the moment.”
Starhawk sighed and was about to say more when the door opened again. He looked over his shoulder and spotted Slingarm.
“Starhawk, he’s supposed to be resting,” the old mech raised a brow, “I know you missed him, but the last thing he needs is-”
“I know, I know,” he held his hands up, “I just wanted to check on him. I’ll be going now.”
His lip twitched when one of his wings was grabbed and he looked down at Rodimus.
“I… don’t really want to be alone right now.”
Slingarm narrowed his eyes as he looked between the two. He soon shrugged and raised his hands, “fine, I won’t stop you two lovebirds. But I am serious about the-”
“-We understand, Slingarm,” Starhawk pinched the bridge of his nose, “we’re not stupid.”
The medic backed off, not saying more as the door closed. Though he could be heard snickering as he walked away.
“Annoying old man,” Hawk muttered. His attention went back to the prime when he felt his grip tighten on his wing, “you’re gonna leave dents.”
“Right,” he let go and set his hands over his lap, “sorry.”
Starhawk raised a brow. Rodimus wasn��t really the type to just say ‘sorry’, especially over something minor like grabbing his wing too tightly. Of course that was years ago.
After a moment Rodimus spoke again, “is this real?”
“Pardon?”
“Is this real?” He repeated, gesturing to himself and the room, “it feels like I’m dreaming. I… what if I wake up and I’m back on that chair?”
Starhawk didn’t like the way his chest felt tight, “this is very much real, Rodimus. We really did get away.”
“What if they search for us?” Rodimus’ eyes were growing wide, “do you think they’re looking to get us back?”
That was a question he couldn’t answer with certainty. With a sigh, he sat down next to the worrying prime, “I’d rather die than see you back on that seat. It’s not going to happen, I promise.”
“But-”
“It’s not going to happen!” Hawk snapped. Rodimus flinched and looked down. Ouch. Ouch ouch ouch.
“I’m sorry, Rodimus,” he internally grimaced, “but I am serious when I say you won’t ever be seeing that ship again.”
Rodimus just nodded and slowly leaned against him. By Primus and Unicron, he really had gotten soft.
“If it helps, you now know that your boyfriend is a super dangerous sparkeater,” Hawk cleared his throat and placed his arm around the prime, who let out a short laugh.
“Yeah.”
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dr-jem-nutcase · 1 year
Text
MvA: The M Files, take-a-peek pt. 3
For starters, thanks to all the likes, shares, & comments. I hope you've been enjoying this
Chapter 3
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fake foods from Counterfeit Chemicals: a lot of fast food joints & every other generic food product in America. At least it tastes good...a lot of times. Like, Taco Bell is in no way authentic Mexican food but I LUV it 🌮
This place was Old Man Carl's in the movie and the same company that later brought BOB that ill-fated hotdog stand in San Francisco
That chart lol
Root beer flavored spinach. Sounds gross. I'd also be deathly afraid to try it. Reminds me of the late 1990s/early 2000s when Heinz made purple ketchup, which was NOT a success. But nowadays, different flavored snacks & desserts (particularly ice cream) can be hits every now and then. fake foods (or Old Man Carl's) could've been on the brink of creating a new trend! Okay, moving on
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In case anyone has a hard time reading some of the text in the second panel, it says, "it doesn't taste any different from a real tomato". Sorry for the kerfuffle
Designed or created?
Btw, there IS actually a limited edition ranch flavored ice cream
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Ranch-flavored tomato. Sounds great with a salad or some types of pizzas
Red 7 lol
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This would be. mildly. terrifying. Wth was even in either one of those foods?
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Runs away & claims BOB is homicidal. So judgmental & assuming! *fake shocked face*
How'd he grow an eye out of all this?
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BOB's quite eloquent for being a "newborn"
Ooh! Monger's a sergeant now!
Eating the building isn't too different from both Blob movies but a much lighter tone than eating people alive. I never saw the newer one but I watched the OG one years ago. A guy walks into a doctor's office agonizing in pain and fear because his arm's covered in this goo that's eating up his arm and in a few minutes the guy is gone before the doctor could amputate the arm. Very G rated
Welp, so much for eating a police car (movie) or a city block (video game)
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The third soldier's mouth is missing
Evidently they eat lead. Sorry, wrong story!
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So BOB's eye is just part of his anatomy? Not some specially made artificial eyeball?
Like Link's chapter, this is a total jump away from the origin story in the movie. It's a good explanation for the genetically altered tomato & chemically altered dessert topping but a slightly censored telling of BOB's origin. That explosion on the two scientists was a bit satisfying. Again, kids' book *sigh*
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Monger's hands are black
So...BOB named himself?
Big lips Monger isn't real. Big lips Monger can't scare you
"Lots of people don't have brains...a politician..." DW, is that supposed to be a burn? Hot dang! Let's get out some aloe vera, cold water, and maybe a trip to the burn unit at the nearest hospital
Some day, son. Some day, you will contribute to society. Just not today
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I'm kinda surprised that this building hasn't toppled on top of anyone. Istg, Monger isn't afraid of anything
Now where's BOB gonna go? Also, is Link still on dry ice? Will BOB be on dry ice too? At the end of the OG Blob movie, the blob is frozen/encapsulated in ice and dropped off in the artic/antarctic. Did Monger go in this direction? Capture a monster and then freeze it like Han Solo? Hopefully that monster prison will be in the making soon. Like, REALLY soon. You can only freeze and store so many monsters! Btw, can you imagine trying to freeze the Invisible Man?
Again, this piece of work isn't mine. It all belongs to you know who. See you soon!
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childotkw · 1 year
Note
Though I’m loving the lucemond turn your tumblr has taken (ruination is a masterpiece even though it only has one (1) chapter), can we talk more about that albus x Harry x Gellert AU? Any new headcanons or snippets on that front?
Sorry about the delay! I don't know about masterpiece but it definitely fun to write and share - everyone's been so nice about it so far :D
It's been a while since I've thought about Stepped Off The Beaten Path, but I'm sure I can scrounge up some words for you 💕
--- -- --- -- ---
"Where on earth have you brought me?" Gellert muttered, shaking his boot to try and clear some of the thick mud clinging to it. Not that it would do much good, given that it had rained last night and the road they appeared on was made of the stuff.
Harry watched, mildly amused, but didn't answer him. Instead, he looked over the fields and farmland around them until the crops eventually gave way to the rough structures and houses that made up Godric's Hollow.
Home, in all the ways that didn't count. If life had been kinder, in his time, Harry might have grown up knowing every stone and brick and tree of this place. Now though, he was as much a stranger to it as Gellert was.
"Come on," he ordered, setting off down the muddy track that would bring them to town.
"You are being awfully mysterious," Gellert remarked, trotting obediently behind. It had surprised Harry when they had first met, how easily the man took directions. Considering just who Gellert ended up becoming, Harry had expected more protest, more pushback...anything but this mellow compliance and willingness to follow Harry across the country without question.
Then again, Gellert was also operating under the assumption that Harry was some kind of death god or reaper or whatever, so that probably played a role.
"It's part of my charm," Harry murmured, his attention hardly on their conversation now that they had reached the edge of the town. He was tempted to just cut to the chase and cast a spell - but that would be suspicious.
He sighed, tipping his head back and staring at the dull grey sky.
No. If he wanted Gellert and Albus to meet, it would have to be natural. Casual. Dragging one right to the other's doorstep would just put them both on the defensive.
Harry groaned loudly, his headache compounding as he shoved his previous, poorly-constructed plan to the side and started on the next, hopefully more successful, one.
"Do you want to see if there's a hotel here, or do you want to just stay in our tent outside of town?" he asked, turning to Gellert.
The blond wizard paused, frowning as his sharp little mind started to run. Harry was content to let Gellert think, but right at that second he registered the presence right behind him.
He stiffened, then twisted on his heels and came face-to-face with a very familiar, though painfully young, man.
Oh shit, Harry thought, his eyes widening.
"Good morning," Albus Dumbledore, sixteen and bright-eyed, greeted. He smiled kindly at Harry, brushing some of his auburn hair out of his face. "I couldn't help but overhear - did you need directions to the inn?"
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courtesan skywarp au
so like I might of become mildly obsessed with this idea and I need to hear more. Are starscream and thundercracker still in shock from having just been saved from an assassin by a courtesan (an outlier no less!) or are they trying to find him? Or is it someone else’s idea to try and find skywarp?
1. Eeeee I'm so glad you like it so much!! 🥰
2. So, widely, yes. The two of them are very surprised and for good reason. The entirety of Vos's high society was there and now the everyone knows about Skywarp. The party disperses quickly and Thundercracker is swept off by his overprotective grandcarrier to make sure he wasn't hurt. Permafrost also arranges for someone to escort the rest of the courtesans home safely, and word spreads like wildfire that there's an S-class outlier somewhere in the city.
Skywarp is taken in for emergency surgery due to having his mainline slit. He wakes up to an enormous mess waiting for him: his face is all over the evening news, his family is waiting at the hospital, and he's got no less than 20 proposals in his personal inbox from the varying noble houses, offering exorbitant amounts of money and privilege for his hand.
He's terrified, honestly. He feels like s cornered grounding up against the wall with nowhere to run. He took up sex work both because it was a job he could get without an aerie, and because he figured the noble houses wouldn't want him without his purity and chastity in tact, even if his secret was ever discovered. Evidently not. He's the only living mech with a warpdrive and his being a high class prostitute isn't even enough to make him undesirable. There's nowhere in the city he could hide, no other courtesan house he could go to where they wouldn't find him. He could get a total reformat, change his face and body and paint and even his voice, but how long until the surgeon is bribed and rats him out? He could run out of Vos as a last resort, but the ground is no place for a lone seeker. He'd probably be kidnapped and sold onto the black market. Someone might even try to steal his warpdrive to sell. And the other sky cities are out of the question: he wouldn't be welcome in Helex, and Kalis... they'd find him there easily.
There's nowhere he can go. There's nothing he can do. The staff is nice and doesn't let anyone into his room without his permission, and the first person he sees is the house mother. She looks extremely troubled. Of course, she had turned down every offer to buy out his contract in the last, not just because he's so profitable, but because he doesn't want to leave the brothel. She loves having him around, adores all of her employees and treats them with love. This isn't the first time a noble mech has petitioned to take one of her workers and it certainly won't be the last, but this. This is an extremely unique situation, because for the first time, there's multiple noble houses actually fighting over one of her workers. There's a full-scale bidding war going on, and she's got Skywarp's family demanding she relinquish him too.
He stresses to her once again that he has no aerie. They have no right to make decisions about his future now, it falls only to him and the manager. She says that she's turned down every offer so far and will continue to do so, as long as it's what he wants, but... there's one family she can't refuse. That no one can refuse. The royal family, naturally.
She apologizes and says that there's someone he needs to speak to, immediately. Prince Starscream and his fiance, Lord Thundercracker, are here to see him.
TC brought snacks, a few fine energon sweets swiped from the gourmet kitchen in his aerie. He thanks Skywarp for saving them, and is deeply apologetic that he was hurt in the process. Sky waves off the concerns, saying it was just the right thing to do. He couldn't just stand there, right? Starscream is a bit sour and broody at first, suspicious that it was an elaborate ploy to curry favor, but Skywarp truly has no interest in marrying into nobility, or in marrying at all. He wants to go back to work and pretend this never happened, but that's not really possible, is it? This is going to follow him forever, and the upper echelons of Vos's society can be crafty. Eventually, someone is going to make him an offer he can't refuse, and whether that's through honest means or not, no one can say. Winglord Hurricane and his two mates have naturally set their sights on him as well: an heir born with such a rare and powerful gift would be the ultimate jewel in their crown. The royal family is naturally pressuring for Starscream to be engaged to him asap.
Starscream and Thundercracker have no interest in dragging this poor mech into their ever-revolving circus of misery or forcing him to trine to them as complete strangers. It's clear as day he wants no part of it, teary eyed and flinching every time a new message pops up. They make him an offer, to buy them all some time: to come work in the palace as Starscream's personal attendant and head of security. After all, he just saved both of their lives. His ability to teleport immediately puts him leagues above any other royal guard. And there's not a noble house in existence that would dare petition the prince's firsthand mech-in-waiting. The royal trine will back off, seeing an engagement as "an eventuality". It's not a perfect solution but it will gain them all some sorely needed breathing room. They'll pay him very well and he very strictly won't be expected to perform any bedroom activities. No sex, no spark sharing, nothing. Just an extra precaution for security, because clearly that assassin was hired by someone.
Again, it's not a perfect solution. Skywarp asks if there's any way he'd still be able to perform his courtesan work, and Starscream regretfully tells him no, probably not. But it will stop the harassment cold, and he won't be forced into anything he doesn't want to do. They'll figure something out, somehow, a way to get him freed from the clawing hands that want to pin him down so badly. Consider it proper repayment for saving them, helping him wrest his freedom back.
Skywarp sullenly agrees when it comes out that, officially, legally, on paper? He's still technically listed as part of his family's aerie. He changed his name when he became a courtesan, but he never officially went to the hall of records to have himself removed. Which means, technically, the patriarchal trine of his family could sign off on a marriage contract without his consent or input if he's in a vulnerable state. Such as being hospitalized. They haven't done so, yet, because they themselves haven't realized the loophole. This is the only out he has. The announcement that he's been elected as the Crown Prince's personal attendant sparks shock and outrage, but there's nothing anyone could do. While it's not technically law anymore that direct employees of nobility need their master's permission to marry, it's still an intense faux pas to ask. It would be incredibly shameful and embarrassing, to be so desperate they'd go behind royalty's back.
It's only meant to be a temporary arrangement. Starscream tells Skywarp to take all the time he needs to recover from his operation, and when he's ready they'll send a transport to retrieve him from the Heaven House. Skywarp says goodbye to his coworkers and house mother with a heavy spark, thoroughly dreading moving into the palace.
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Hi it’s me again ❤️ your work gives me so much dopamine!!! I keep getting random burst of ideas. DG/James Lee with an average reader? Like everything about them just screams average? Any oneshots or headcanons? Thank you ❤️ hahah you make me wanna write again ���
more than that (james lee x reader)
details: fluffy oneshot but mildly angsty (reader pov; has insecurities about being average), gender neutral reader but written in 2nd pov, general canon au, you and james are friends
warning: repeating; reader is written to have insecurities about being average!! please dont read this if things like that can trigger u T_T
summary: james gives you reassurance about how you're more than how "average" you appear.
a/n: hehe hello again, thanks for another request ^_^ decided to write a oneshot since i wrote headcanons for ur last request 💪 (also i know reader having insecurities wasnt part of the request but i hope its ok that i added it;;!)
and im so glad my writing inspires u !! ;_; i'd love to read the stuff you write if ur okay with sharing it but if not thats fine! as long as u write something u like <33
×
Was it pure coincidence, or some greater force acting that caused the two of you to meet? Either way, James was grateful to have met you.
You made him realize a loneliness he didn't even know he had. The little gaps you filled, he wanted more and more and it felt like he could never have enough. It didn't take long for him to conclude what he felt for you had been romantic for some time.
He didn't care if the people around him gave him weird looks. They wouldn't understand if they refused to look past your appearance--which, honestly, was something he never even thought about much. Sure, the first time he looked at you, he thought you seemed like an average person, but who was he to judge? He'd seen all sorts of people in his days, and there were plenty of surprises.
Hell, even that kind of wimpy kid that's been running around was full of surprises. Daniel, was it?
Anyways, he didn't care about how average you were. You still shined in your own special way.
Like when you sang karaoke with him, he didn't pay attention to your singing skills. You looked like you were having fun and that was enough for him. The way you laughed afterwards out of embarrassment was beyond adorable, stumbling over yourself as you apologized for not being the best at singing.
Or when the two of you decided to make lunch together and you burned a few things, he didn't pay attention to that, either. Instead, his focus was on how earnest you had been in the conversation taking place during the cooking. He learned a lot about who you were as a person that afternoon.
And the food you made for him was as average as you said it would be, but again, it didn't bother him. The effort was there, and he could appreciate that.
The point was, you were kind and genuine, and he was madly in love. How were you not taken yet?
Ah, whatever, it gave James a chance. Hell would freeze over before he missed it.
~
"Sorry--"
"You're fine," James reassured, eyes squishing into pretty moons as he smiled at you.
You just chuckled nervously, looking away from his handsome face while he finished up applying the bandaid on your finger.
"There we go." He hummed as he let your hand go and you brought it closer to your face to examine it for no reason in particular.
"Thanks."
"No problem." As you rested your hands in your lap, James turned back to the cloth on the table. He picked it back up alongside his needle and began right where he left off before attending to your minor injury.
You shifted a bit in your seat next to him, frowning a bit. Your eyes glanced back and forth at the progress of your embroidery compared to his.
Earlier he had suggested you both try embroidery to experience something new and you agreed. Almost anything done with him was fun or at least peaceful, and this time it wasn't any different. The thing was your feelings of being average were beginning to claw away at you again.
Feeling inferior to James wasn't it--you wouldn't even dare seriously compare yourself to this man of talents--you just... felt bad about yourself. Though you were mostly fine accepting and knowing you were average nowadays, you still had the longing hope that maybe, just maybe you'd find something you excelled at. But you never did.
Average as always.
"Sorry." The word came out before you could stop yourself.
"Hm?" James paused to look at you.
"I... uh." You scrambled to avoid putting the pity party you were having in words and randomly grabbed the needle you accidentally poked yourself with earlier. "Nothing. It's nothing." You picked up your piece of cloth next and flashed him an awkward smile.
"...Alright. No pressure." His soft tone had you almost confess what was running through your mind but you decided not to. He went back to continue his embroidery, and you continued yours.
After a while, you got a little lost and ended up asking him for help. He kindly responded, and despite that easing you a bit, your insecurities still clawed away. This time, you couldn't stop yourself as an apology spilled from your lips.
"Apologizing again?" He had a teasing tone, which made you smile slightly.
You let out a quiet laugh. "I know. It's just..." You gulped. "I feel bad asking for help so much. And for accidentally stabbing myself with the needle earlier. And having you patch it up. And being really, really average. At everything. I wish I--"
"Hey." James sternly cut you off, setting down the cloth and needle in his hands. "You don't have to be sorry for any of that. And I wanted to patch up your hand. Don't feel bad for that, either."
"Thanks," you murmured. "I mean, I really do appreciate your words, James, but... nevermind, I don't know where I'm going with this." You nibbled on your lip in silence, beginning to grow embarrassed. It caused you to break eye contact with James.
He placed a hand on your shoulder. "You know, I don't care about how average you are."
You jerked your head to look back at him, eyes widening at his bluntness.
There was a gentle smile on his face. "It wouldn't even matter to me if you were terrible at everything you did, either. I just like that you're you, having fun, and spending time with me."
"Really...?"
"Really. There's so much more to you than what you're good at, you know. Or how you look, if you're worried about how you may appear 'average' on the beauty scale. So, don't worry, there'll always be plenty of things to like about you." He gestured to himself with his free hand. "There's certainly plenty of things that I like you for. Your personality and cute looks are just the tip of the iceberg."
Butterflies fluttered in your stomach at his words.
"Don't let your average-ness define you, okay?"
"Yeah, you're right." You nodded stiffly. Asking him to clarify himself was on the tip of your tongue but you held it back in case you were misinterpreting his words. It wasn't the first time he had sounded mildly flirty with you, but--wait.
"Good. So no more of that, you hear? I want you to be nice to yourself. If you can't, I'll make you start doing that cheesy '3 things I like about myself' exercise everyday."
His joke lightened the mood but did little to distract you from your sudden realization. Flustered, you still managed to joke back with, "Bet," and he quipped, "Looking forward to tomorrow, then."
Conversation picked up from there.
For the rest of the night, you pondered about just how much of his feelings were platonic towards you.
~
Another day.
Confessing to someone after they vent wouldn't be appropriate, after all.
For now, James would indulge himself in teasing you with hints.
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Text
The enemy of my enemy is ALSO my enemy, Part 4
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Jason did not know how to feel about standing in the middle of a teen girl’s room.
Of course, he technically could go back ‘home’ to Lazarus Holdings, but he wasn’t particularly eager to. Bucky and Melisande would not be pleased with him when he came back. Which was understandable, considering he had left them to do his paperwork… but, consider: he does not like consequences.
Besides, who knows, maybe they’ll have patched up the way out and he wouldn’t be able to get back. As much as he hated his current predicament, he hated the idea of allowing Hawkmoth to make more paperwork for him even more.
So, stand in the middle of a teen girl’s room he did.
Or not. He looked around awkwardly before taking a seat on the wood floor as best he could when he was literally intangible. He was really just floating in midair. Star Wars’ users of The Force be warned, he’s coming for your meditation shtick.
Marinette sighed and leaned back in her desk chair, rubbing her eyes. Now that she was no longer transformed, he could see the absolute exhaustion that clung to her like a curse. The bags under her eyes were the size of tote bags, and the raccoon look did not suit such a young face.
“He’s gotta be in the rich district,” she mumbled, more to herself than anything. “Being Hawkmoth requires him to spend all day waiting for people to have strong negative emotions. Can’t do that if you have a real job.”
“Gasp. A rich guy is an asshole. How surprising,” deadpanned Jason.
Adrien sent him a glare. “My dad’s rich and he’s fine.”
“Nono. He has a point,” Marinette said. “Fuck that guy.”
Adrien gave her a mildly offended glance. Marinette hardly paid him any mind. Mostly because she had leaned back too far in her chair and was now in a heap on the ground. She seemed less than happy about this development, but apparently wasn’t bothered enough to do anything about it.
It was quiet for a moment.
Jason cut his gaze between Marinette, who was stretching out on her rug, and Adrien, who was spinning in his chair. “Do you guys seriously not do anything while you’re waiting for akumas?”
Adrien cracked a grin that could only be seen for half a second before he was facing the other way again. “We do our schoolwork.”
“And our day jobs,” Marinette added.
He squinted at them. “You have school? And jobs?”
“Legally required to go to school,” said Marinette, who seemed about as annoyed with this fact as every other person that was forced to go to school. “And yeah, we both work for his dad. He’s a model, I won a design contest a while back and now I have the pleasure of working under his label.”
Neither of them seemed thrilled about this fact.
Jason didn’t particularly like the implications of that. It could be that they just hated their jobs, like the majority of people, but he couldn’t imagine that these kids needed to have jobs – Adrien was, apparently, rich, and from the room they were in Jason figured it was safe to bet that Marinette wasn’t struggling either. So, if they disliked it, why not quit?
But… then again… from the way Marinette had instantly dismissed the idea of Adrien’s father being a good person… and the way Adrien had opted to be here despite not having anything to do… well, it wasn’t looking good.
He sighed and brought a hand up to rub the space between his brows, trying to physically get rid of the tension. “So… you don’t do anything for fun?” He asked, deciding to shelve that for a later date because he had another, different concerning thing he wanted to concentrate on.
“Gotta always be ready,” Marinette shrugged unconcernedly.
Adrien ran a hand through his hair, shaking a couple of strands free of their gel prison. “It sucks when you have to stop in the middle of something fun.”
Damn. These kids are messed up.
He leaned back on his hands, his lips pursing in a frown. “Alright, well, you can always go back to it after, can’t you?”
“Too tired at that point,” Adrien sighed.
Jason mulled this over for all of three seconds before shaking his head. “Well, that’s a terrible thing to do to yourself. Just because your lives are hectic doesn’t mean that you have to ruin your little free time.”
“After we’re done we should be fine,” Adrien waved him off.
Jason gave a wry smile. “I’m proof of the fact that a ‘later’ is not guaranteed.”
It was quiet for a few moments as the other two processed this.
And then, surprisingly, it was Marinette that clapped her hands together and pushed herself to her feet. “Alright, what’re we doing?”
Jason really hadn’t thought that he’d get this far.
But… well, a quick glance around the room gave him an idea.
~
Marinette sent him a dirty look. “Y’know, it’s convenient for you to choose a pillow fort when you can’t even touch things.”
Jason spread his hands in a ‘what can you do’ gesture.
A pillow sailed through his head.
~
Eventually, they managed to make a fort out of blankets and pillows (and also a couple of chairs and the bed and a broom for structure), and the three crawled inside.
Marinette smiled and flicked on a set of fairy lights, casting their little safe haven in a pale pink glow.
“That’s definitely a fire hazard,” Adrien said, eyeing them with a hint of nervousness, but then he seemed to brush off the idea like it was nothing. “Alright. Now what?”
“Now,” a high-pitched, unfamiliar voice chimed, and Jason was lucky that he wasn’t corporeal because if he was he would have sent their fort toppling over in his haste to get away from the thing that had surprised him. And he meant thing. His head whipped over to where two tiny beings were floating in the entrance to the fort. Between them, they carried a large platter of… “You can’t do a pillow fort without sweets!”
Neither of the miraculous holders looked perturbed by the sudden appearance of the two beings. In fact, Marinette cracked a half smile.
“Did you guys steal those cookies from downstairs?”
“They were a bad batch!” The black one defended himself, puffing his cheeks out in a strange kind of pout.
Marinette grinned. “I hope you know that you’re not making me want to eat those more, Plagg.”
“Good. More for us, then!” ‘Plagg’ said.
This earned a tiny eyeroll from the other two.
Jason fought the urge to rub a hand over his eyes. That was showing just a little too much emotion for him. He did, however, gesture to them with his hands in a kind of ‘what the fuck?!’ way.
Marinette snorted. “What, did you think we just randomly ended up with powers?”
“... I want you to look at me for a couple seconds,” Jason said. “And wonder why I might think that.”
There was a beat.
Marinette had the decency to blush a little, tugging her hair in front of her face in an attempt to hide her shame.
Jason sighed and looked back at the pair of floating beings – who weren’t floating anymore, in the few moments he had taken to speak to Marinette they had set the tray on the pillow and then taken a seat on the rim of the plate – which seemed to be scrutinizing him over their baked goods.
After a couple of seconds the tiny red one smiled at him and offered a cookie.
He gave a polite little smile in return and shook his head. “Can’t eat.” He stuck his arm through the nearby blanket to prove his point.
And then, to his surprise, the black one huffed and nodded. “Oh, I remember that. Torture that was.”
His eyebrows knit together.
“What? Did you think that us all-powerful beings just wanted to put ourselves at the mercy of any human that got our miraculous? I mean, all the stuff with Hawkmoth just shows how terrible of an idea it is.”
Jason blinked dumbly. His eyes flicked to the ‘magical earrings and ring’ that Marinette and Adrien sported, and then back down at the two kwamis who were eating oh-so-cheerfully.
“So… you basically gave up what could have been all of your free will in return for being tangible.”
The pair of beings nodded in unison, not even an ounce of hesitation nor regret hiding within their expressions.
He considered this. He had only been intangible for a few hours, and already he could tell that he would likely go insane if things stayed this way. After years of sitting around doing mind-numbing paperwork, wasn’t it understandable that all he wanted was to feel the grass beneath his feet again? To be able to eat a pastry? To want to curl up under a blanket? To touch another human being?
He bit his lip. “Do you think…?” He began awkwardly, unsure of how to broach the subject.
Luckily or unluckily, recognition sparkled in the pair of beings’ eyes. They looked at each other.
The red one looked back at him. “I don’t know...”
“Tikki,” Plagg hissed.
‘Tikki’ made a face. “He’s not a god like us, it might not even work.”
“We should try at least! He’s a kid, for fucks sake!”
“Exactly. He’s a kid. He shouldn’t be making decisions like this when he doesn’t even have a fully developed frontal lobe!”
“Well, that’s never going to happen!” Plagg pointed out. “So, if he wants it, he wants it!”
“We are not letting a kid give up his free will.”
“He’s a human, still, or at least partially, right? Something about being kinda dead or whatever? Maybe he can wield it himself!”
“Maybe he can’t!”
Plagg scoffed. “Then we can give him to one of the kids.”
“That’s –!”
Marinette raised a hand hesitantly. “Would he still be able to find Hawkmoth for us if he does this?”
Jason’s mouth dropped open in offense. He hadn’t expected one of the other humans to be against it, especially not for a reason like that, but perhaps it made sense that they might not be on his side. After all, how could they ever understand what it was like to watch everyone else around you enjoy the simple pleasures of life while knowing you could never do the same?
She gritted her teeth. “I’m not saying never, I’m saying that – if it might limit you – maybe it should come after you help us.”
I don’t trust you to not bail immediately, and we still need you, he translated. He suddenly remembered that he very much despised pretty much everyone in this room. Why do they always have to make his death so damn awful? Wasn’t death supposed to be peaceful? Because, if so, he’d been cheated.
And, yes, he understood her reasoning. He was a bat, of course he could understand caution. He would probably do the same in her case. But… it hurt a little being on the other side of it.
At least he had someone on his side, because Plagg was quick to shake his head and come to Jason’s defense:
“Tikki and I still have our powers. He should be fine.”
“Oh,” Marinette said, looking away thoughtfully. She didn’t seem to know what to say now.
Adrien shrugged his shoulders. “I think that, if it’s what he wants to do, we should let him.”
It was silent as the two women considered it. For a moment, Tikki and Marinette seemed to have a conversation with just a couple of vague facial expressions and hand gestures.
And then they both sighed.
Marinette even groaned a little.
Plagg grinned victoriously and turned to him. “What kind of jewelry piece did you want it to be?”
Jason thought it over for a few moments. He didn’t want it to be easy to steal…
“A tongue piercing,” he decided. Not only would it be difficult for someone to wrench his mouth open to even get to it, they would then have to find a way to tear it out as well.
Also, he liked the aesthetic. Sue him.
Tikki nodded once and a flash of black flickered through the air in front of his face. He tried to catch it on instinct, but it sailed through him, and he grimaced a little at the feeling of metal literally slipping through his hand.
Adrien managed to catch it and grinned victoriously as he held up a small, black stud.
Marinette’s mouth dropped open.
“Why does the stuff you make not have the weird ladybug design on it?” She asked, distracted from her mild annoyance by this clear injustice.
“Because you would use your abilities for evil if I let you,” Tikki sighed. “The only thing stopping you is the fact that you care about your aesthetics too much.”
Marinette crossed her arms over her chest in a huff and looked away, glaring at a nearby plush cat as if it had personally offended her.
Jason noted, idly, that she didn’t actually argue to the contrary. At least she’s aware of it.
Plagg jabbed its little paw at Marinette, giving Adrien an almost accusatory look. “Look! Why can’t you be evil like her?!”
Adrien rolled his eyes.
Jason cracked a grin, snickering behind his hand. He could already tell that the group of four seemed to balance each other perfectly. The two girls were more hesitant and calculated, while the boys were more impulsive. The older pair had a kind of wisdom that could only come with existing for centuries, while the two humans brought in new perspectives by virtue of being mortal. Plagg and Marinette were more distinctly chaotic, Tikki and Adrien worked to keep them in line in their own ways. And they all had the kind of familiarity with each other that only came after spending a lot of time together.
He couldn’t help but wonder if there was somewhere he could fit into that.
He grimaced to himself. That was the kind of mindset that had gotten him killed. He didn’t need to fit in somewhere – he wasn’t supposed to, he was just a kid no one wanted. If nothing else, he should at least try and learn the lesson he had literally died to learn.
Jason cleared his throat awkwardly. “So, how do we do this thing?”
Tikki smiled, but it was one tinged with nerves. She pointed at the stud in Adrien’s hand. “You’ll need to transfer a piece of yourself into the jewelry.”
“... how the fuck –?”
There was a knocking sound and the group of five jumped. Everyone except for Jason looked to the trapdoor instantly, and he followed their gaze to find it just barely rattling.
Tikki and Plagg darted out of sight.
Jason cursed and looked around, thinking.
And then he looked down at himself. He hadn’t changed his outfit since he had started working, had opted for a simple business suit because he didn’t want to stay in the clothes he had died in (and, besides, a suit just fit for someone that did paperwork as much as he did). But a suit didn’t make sense for someone that looked his age, and even then the suit was made more strange by the fact that it was in tatters from his climb to the overworld.
He took a deep breath before forcing his clothes to shift into pajamas.
Great. One problem solved. Now for his wings.
He leaned back against the wall of the blanket fort, forcing his wings to phase through, and fought back a grimace.
Awesome. This was working. He looked normal now. He was not suffering. This did not feel strange. If you keep telling yourself things they come true.
Both of the humans were looking at him with wide eyes.
But they quickly brought themselves back to neutral expressions as the trapdoor swung open, revealing someone that looked quite like Marinette, if much older. She wore an apron and a kind smile.
Her eyes widened just slightly when she saw Jason. “Who’s this?” she asked.
“Jason,” he said, giving a small, polite incline of his head.
He ignored the pair of humans jerking just slightly at the mention of his actual name. Clearly, they hadn’t expected that. Robin was technically a name, but he didn’t want to use it in case the woman managed to recognize it somehow. Which left him to come up with a different name, and he had never been good at that. At least he could tell them it was a fake name he came up with on the spot. After all, did he really look like a Jason? Surely, that was too generic a name to find on someone who had two wings sprouting from his back.
For a second, he swore the woman’s soul narrowed her eyes at him. That it glanced around, looking for something. But then the expression was gone, leaving her with the exact same cheerfulness that was on her real face.
“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Jason,” she said lightly. “If you want anything to eat, tell me, m’kay?”
Jason nodded once in understanding. “Nice to meet you, too, Miss. I’ll do that.”
Her smile stretched a little wider. And then she turned her attention away, resting her hands on her hips and giving the two other kids a mildly scolding look. “So it was you that took that batch. Honestly, how you even get your hands on them without me noticing…”
Marinette grinned. “Hey, at least we only take the scuffed batches.”
The woman shook her head with a fond smile and then reached out to pinch Adrien’s cheek. “Fine. As long as he gets some, I don’t mind.”
Adrien smiled nervously. “It’s not a cheat day, ma’am, I can’t –.”
“You’re too thin. Eat just one, okay?” The woman said.
Adrien’s shoulders slumped and he nodded, picking up a cookie with a hint of reluctance and taking a tiny bite.
The woman seemed sated, at least, giving him a gentle pat on the cheek.
She looked back at Jason and, for a moment, her smile stretched a little wider. “I’m assuming you’re the one that suggested the pillow fort?”
He nodded carefully. “I’ll make sure it gets cleaned up –.”
“Nono, keep it as long as you three want. It’s nice to see them doing ‘younger’ stuff,” she said lightly.
Marinette and Adrien both blushed.
Jason was definitely going to tease them later.
But, for now, he smiled a much more real smile and mumbled a quiet “Gotcha.”
Unlike with Adrien, she didn’t try and touch him. She just gave a lighthearted little laugh and started heading down. Thank god. He wasn’t sure how he would have explained away the fact that her hand would move right through him.
It was silent for a minute. If anyone asked, they would just blame it on making sure she didn’t come back.
And then the silence was broken by a phone ringing.
Adrien groaned. “Akuma.”
“Oh come the fuck on,” Jason said.
“Tell me about it,” Marinette sighed.
And then the pair transformed, and Jason brought back his tattered suit, and the three of them all headed out.
~
The akuma was, apparently, an easy one. Mr. Pigeon. The 69th one, according to a very amused Adrien.
And now Jason understood why they had thought he was one of those ‘akuma’ things at first. If all of them looked like that, then he too would assume anything that was not strictly normal would be an akuma.
Besides that, the only thing of any real note was that Hawkmoth didn’t show up. Which really wasn’t of note, seeing as he apparently only did that once in a blue moon. But it was still disappointing.
So, defeated (in that their plan didn’t work, the akuma was dealt with within the hour), they all headed home, exhaustion making their shoulders slump and their steps heavy.
At least, if this went right, Jason could lean back in the comfortable pillows and fall asleep for the first time in years.
He placed his hands over the tiny, unassuming stud on the ground.
“You need to imagine giving yourself up,” Plagg said, hovering by his shoulder. “A lot of magic is about intent.”
If Jason were human, he would have swallowed thickly, but instead he just gave a sharp nod and started concentrating.
“It should come to you…” Tikki said, her tone more careful, as if he were something fragile that could break if this went wrong.
It was very quiet.
He imagined giving up a part of himself. Allowing himself to become tangible at the cost of some of his free will. Limiting himself for freedom.
Nothing happened. He was still floating. The world beneath him still shied away from his touch, his molecules missing everything else despite his best attempts.
He tried not to be too disappointed. They had mentioned it might not work, it was the first thing Tikki had said. He wasn’t like them, he was something other.
He still found himself fighting back tears.
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