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miloformula123fan · 2 months

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Hi hi, hope ur doing well :), I'd really love a mark webber fic with either fem tattoo artist reader or heavily tattooed fem driver reader

ahahah thank you so much :)

apologies it took so long to get out

Please keep requesting - y'all have awesome ideas we agree on a lot of stuff :) - my guidelines are here, and if you want some prompts, they are here.

also feel free to come in and start chatting to me in my asks, would love to get to know y'all better

and if you want to be added to my taglist lmk :)

mark webber x fem!tattoo artist reader

---

“Mark, you don’t have to get anything. They just require an adult over 21 to come in with me for some reason, they require a legal adult there, that doesn’t have to be a parent. I think it’s so you don’t bail halfway through, and you are the closest, and I didn’t want to drag my parents out and…” Daniel pleaded to Mark. This was not Mark’s plan of how he wanted to spend the winter break.

“Fine! Damn it Daniel, you really are a piece of work sometimes. As long as I don’t have to get a tattoo, sure.” Mark conceded.

“Thank you thank you thank you!”

“Let’s go kiddo, before you make me regret it.” Daniel wasn’t a kid, not at all if he was going to race in f1 next year and get a tattoo this year. But compared to Mark, who still felt somewhat young, Daniel was a baby. So he took him to the tattoo place.

Mark would’ve been slightly worried that he was walking into an elite escort club if it weren’t for the fact that he had read every review of this place to make sure it was safe and triple checked that they were at the right location before they entered and he had asked every staff if they were in the right place. He’d asked the 3 people so far who had checked his ID, the 2 who had searched his bags, the 2 who had chatted to Daniel about design and the 2 that had chatted to him about his design until they realised he wasn’t getting one, and they had all confirmed that he was in the right place. And then finally, they had emerged into a room that looked like a tattoo and piercing studio.

While the lighting seemed to be mostly based off of lamps, it was a relatively well lit building. The aesthetic was very dark and grungy, but the place was lit well enough that the piercers and tattoo artists could see what they were doing. The tattoo reclinable chairs were all black, Mark imagined so they didn’t have to be cleaned when patients bleed.

“Okay, hey Daniel, I’m your tattoo artist for today. There’s just a few final things I need to check on, and then we are ready to go! Hey, I’m Y/N, are you Daniel’s Dad?”

“Uhhhh, no. I’m just a friend who offered to come. I’m Mark.” Mark offered his hand and Y/N shook it politely. He took note of the bats and snakes that trailed up her right arm and was about to inspect them, before realising that this handshake had gone on for way too long and now appeared borderline creepy.

“Um…okay, are you getting a tattoo today?” Y/N asked, when Mark had finally let go of her arm

“No. Definitely not.” Mark shuddered at the thought.

“Okay, back to you then Daniel. Do you have a drink bottle, or at least some way of hydrating today?”

“Yeha, I have this water bottle.” Daniel held up a small crinkled plastic water bottle that Mark was sure was max half filled. He watched Y/N cringe at it.

“Do you have anything else? I know this is your first tattoo, so I don’t blame you for being a little underprepared but based on the tat we’re doing today, and how big it is, I think you’re gonna need more water so-” - Y/N

“I have some in my bag, just to be safe.” Mark smiled at Y/N who smiled back before turning back to Daniel. Mark pulled out the backpack he had brought and pulled out some snacks, 2 big water bottles, and a smaller one for himself.

“Eaten a big meal today? We’re gonna be here a while and have you put moisturiser on your thigh?”

“Yeah, I ate a big meal for lunch with Mark, and there’s moisturiser on my thigh, although it may need a bit more.”

“Okay, I’ve got extra, don't worry about it. Have you shown Mark your design? Maybe take off your shorts, and then while I get the moisturiser you can show him your design.”

As Y/N wandered off, Mark watched as Daniel shimmied his shorts off before lying back on the chair and pulling a piece of paper from the backpack and turning it around.

Mark had to admit, it was a very pretty tattoo. He gasped as he looked at it, and if another artist had turned round to him then and there he would’ve immediately agreed to have a tattoo done. The art was stunning and Mark agreed that while the tattoo would take a while, the concept drawing would’ve taken even longer.

It was a lighthouse and a ship, with ‘no regrets’ in a banner on top and ‘only memories’ in a banner on the bottom. The ship and lighthouse were very intricate and Mark could almost see every pen stroke that had been put on the piece of paper. As he studied it, he heard Y/N come back and pop the bottle of the moisturiser, and start murmuring to Daniel about pens and needles and colouring. Finally he heard the 2 laugh and looked up from studying the artistry.

“Sorry Mark. I do need the design to uhh tat Daniel up here and so I do need the design. Now Daniel, have you had any ibuprofen, alcohol, coffee or fish oil in the last 48 hours? These things tend to be blood thinners, and I really don’t want you bleeding out on my floor. It’s also more painful for you, as you’re going to end up with more skin irritation, which is not fun.”

“Why are you doing such a big and intricate tattoo to start with? Surely most people start with smaller tattoos.” Mark curiously asked

“Yeah but I figured if I get one big one, I’ll only ever get one so it’s fine.” Daniel said sheepishly

“Yeah, you keep telling yourself that kiddo. That’s what I thought, and now look at me. I personally like my smaller tattoos better, but it’s all personal preference.” Y/N smirked before she grabbed the needle and began the long process.

Mark tried to watch with interest, wanting to absorb everything Y/N was doing. But he ended up having to turn away as Daniel got a needle stabbed into him multiple times.

“Why’d you bring a squeamish one, Danny?” Y/N laughed from seeing Mark’s reactions

“Haha, I didn’t know. Maybe you should give him a tattoo, see how he reacts?”

“No. No tattoo.” Mark chanted as he stared up at the ceiling, hands clenched into fists on his legs.

“How about a piercing? It can just be in your ear, you won’t even see the needle, and it’ll be painless, mostly. A lot less pain than this tattoo, hey Danny?”

“Yeah, come on Mark! I did my ears when I was 13. Very painless, at least compared to this.”

“Fine. When are you gonna do it?” Mark conceded, done with their antics and persuasion.

“Probably in about an hour, when Daniel needs a break from this tat. Do you want me to do it, or would you prefer someone else to do it, like Jayden, or Alex or Leo? They’re all specialist piercers, as opposed to me, who’s technically a specialist tattoo artist. I can pierce your ear, obviously, but if you’d rather someone who’s probably a bit better, and if you just want to get it over and done with, then you can do someone else!”

“Uhhh, no, no. I’d rather you’d do it, if that’s okay?” Mark shuffled awkwardly, unsure.

“Yeah, yeah, of course, that’s fine. I may get Leo to just talk you through everything, cause I can’t multitask, and he’ll take your notes on preferences. LEO! Get over here.” - Y/N

Mark ended up getting quizzed by a man with more piercings and tattoos than Mark could care to count. He quizzed him on piercing placement, what earrings he wanted in and the care required afterwards, until finally Daniel asked for a break.

“Alright, all good by me. I’ll get Jayden to grab you some food and some drink to get you through while I…” she spun around to face Mark “pierce Mark’s ears.”

Mark gulped. He was certain that this was a bad idea.

And yet Y/N was so soft with him. She sanitised his ears, and put numbing cream on it. She talked him through everything and what she was doing, and the actual piercing of the ears was unnoticeable. Because she was talking the entire time, about motorsport and any random things she could think of. Mark was happy and content, at least until she pulled back and turned back to Daniel.

“Are you ready to resume, Daniel?” - Y/N

“What happened to you piercing my ears?” - Mark

“Mark…I have pierced your ears. You’re all done.” - Y/N

“What?” Mark put his hands up to his ears and felt the small pieces of metal stuck in his ears. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t even feel it.” - Mark

“Good, you’ll start feeling it soon, don’t worry, particularly the more weight.” - Y/N smiled before turning back to Daniel’s thigh and kept going with his tattoo.

Mark smiled and watched as her hands delicately worked on Daniel’s skin. The tattoo looked even better than it did from her sketches. He tried to not be too creepy but he loved watching the planets on her fingers crinkle while she concentrated. She brushed some hair out of her face and Mark was drawn to the bee behind her ear, looking ready to buzz away.

Way too soon Daniel's tattoo was finished and they had to leave. Mark did give Y/N his number and they started talking, as Mark begged her to come to a race. She came for Daniel’s F1 debut race down in Melbourne and kept texting Mark throughout, asking what certain terms she heard thrown around were.

---

BONUS SCENE

“Nice earrings Mark, when’d you get them?” Seb asked as they met before pre-season testing.

“Oh over the winter break you know?” Mark grinned, determined to not spoil his secret of Y/N

“Nice, you planning a tattoo next?” Seb grinned. He could always tell when Mark had a secret.

“Ha, nope. Just taking Daniel on more expeditions.” Mark said ‘i hope’ he added in his head

“More piercings then?” Seb grinned mischievously.

“Ha, maybe, maybe seb, maybe.” He smiled thinking about getting more piercings, letting Y/N touch his body with her surprisingly soft hands, maybe he’d get a piercing in a more intimate spot next time.

---

taglist: @leosxrealm, @pear-1206 @tallrock35 @janeholt3

#f1 x reader #miloformula123fan #f1 fanfic #f1 fic #f1 x female reader #mark webber x female reader #mark webber #mark webber fic #mark webber x reader #mark webber x you #mark webber x y/n

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illubean · 4 months

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Chrollo and illumi(maybe hisoka if you want!) w a Latina or Mexican reader? Like they introduces them into their culture or etc! If not it’s okay !!

Illumi and Chrollo with Latina/Mexican!reader

Characters: Illumi Zoldyck, Chrollo Lucilfer Type: Fluff, Headcanons, Gn!reader

unfortunately I do not write for Hisoka >.< also I'm not Latina so if anything is incorrect pls tell me, I don't want to be offensive!

Warnings: None

Illumi Zoldyck

he's definitely the most culturally ignorant out of the two

like as a small child only asian people existed to him 💀

as an adult he obviously knows about other ethnicities existing but that's about it

if you speak in spanish/portuguese/any other language or dialect to him hes like "??? speak english"

bro doesn't like not knowing what you're saying

in my head Illumi is trilingual (mandarin, japanese and english) but I don't think he's interested in taking the time to learn another one

so yeah, he knows that whenever you speak your language when it's just him around you're either mad or don't want him to know what you're saying

honestly he could care less but if you talk about your culture to him he'll sorta half listen 😭

he vaguely remembers the things you tell him

I think the only cultural thing he'd really pay attention to is when you celebrate dia de los muertos

considering in both chinese and japanese cultures it's important to honor the dead so he respects that you do the same, even if the rituals and whatnot are different

Chrollo Lucilfer

I headcanon Chrollo as being part Latino himself but I don't have like a specific country in mind so yeah

butttttt growing up in meteor city maybe Chrollo doesn't know his background

he has a good amount of knowledge on the cultures in Latin America

Chrollo is #woke

but anyways, most of his knowledge he's gotten from books, so he listens with an open mind when you explain things to him

he likes it when you tell him authentic stories or legends and myths and whatnot

like Illumi, he pays attention to dia de los muertos

he actually celebrates it with you, putting a picture of his dear friend Uvogin on the ofrenda, knowing that he would appreciate it

he'd be interested in learning your language, in fact he may actually learn it behind your back

so when you're yelling at him in your mother's tongue he can give a response/understand

and you're like >:0 "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU SPOKE ___"

I think Chrollo would be really good at dancing and likes to go to bailes with you

if you take him to family functions they're actually pretty impressed on how cultured he is

one thing he doesn't know about is rosca de reyes.

he ends up getting the baby and by the look you're giving him he decides to hide it in his pocket and ask you about it

after you explain it to him he's relieved that he hid it before anyone else noticed he had it, because his tamale skills are LACKING

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allycat75 · 6 months

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Other characters in this junior high drama-mystery, that is so bad, CAA would convince our Boston Dumb Fuck it was a smart vehicle for him.

Because let's be honest, the crazy fan narrative is tissue paper thin and frankly uninspired. So who else we got!

The Publicist, who couldn't sell a sweater to a naked man in Winnipeg in the dead of winter and did no vetting of possible partner's problematic behavior. Did she think the fans would be that dumb because they saved him from a dick pic embarrassment? By the way, this is way worse that any dick pic.

The agents, looking for extra revenue streams now that their human trafficking pipeline has gotten too much exposure with the biggest client rotting in prison. Also include some (streaming) studios here who have deals with said agents and need their own additional revenue streams now that they figured out their existing business models don't work anymore, but are in need of a fourth yacht and 3rd private jet.

The ingenue who has been told her value is what is on the outside and how she can make older men feel. They will give her anything she wants and she doesn't have to work hard like the racially inferior, ugly and fat ones. It's not her fault everyone else is jealous. And if she doesn't get her way she acts like a petulant child and throws a tantrum until those around her capitulate.

The clout chasing friends, and possibly family. Whether it is for free trips, social media exposure, acting roles or just plain dickishness, they love taking advantage of their little cash cow, even if he looks sick, over worked, depressed and empty. Just keep smiling in them fancy photos while your "friend" slowly fades away. But then I guess the joke is on them, because, like the destruction described at the end of "The Lorax", "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."

The lawyers who can't seem to get The Golden Boy out of a super shady contract. No morality clause? No milestone clauses where if it looks like the situation is causing either party damage they could bail? Seems to me some of the requirements reek of illegal behavior- bribery, blackmail/coersion, immigration violations, along with punative emotional damages (just read the GQ article and look at most any picture of him since last November and you can see what I mean).

And finally, we have The Golden Boy himself. The one who could do no wrong. But that was only because he "shushed" all warnings out of his head. Whether it was hubris, greed, carelessness, frivolity, gullibility, obfuscation or just plain stupidity, he got himself into this mess somehow and can't seem to get himself out of it. It has destroyed his relationship with his fans, his ability to find and choose good roles, taken the joy and sparkle out of his eyes, caused him to dissociate from his entire life and career (says it himself in the GQ article), given up to smoke pot and play video games all day like a loser, "married" someone with the exact opposite traits he claimed to desire and is now associated with the antisemitic racists he used to fight against, while displaying some nasty misogynistic behavior throughout the process. And for what?

Yeah, but it's his fans that are crazy.

#boston antisemite #boston racist #boston fatshamer #brian wilson vibes #do better #i don't like hypocrites #you are the company you keep #ai in human form #coward #I hate manipulation #don't piss on my leg and tell me it is raining #You are no feminist

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specialagentlokitty · 4 months

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Walter x reader - a little unsure

Walter O'brian x reader. Either reader is a vigilante (yes. I have a problem. an obsession with vigilante reader. shh.) or is one of his co-workers. Maybe a Tony Starkisc reader? Smart with mechanics and VERY VERY advanced things but not the best with emotions. (like the rest of the team.) their feelings for each other got so bad, even the team had to yell at them their feelings are shared. - @nyxiethesimp 💜

A/N: it’s been a while since I watched the show so sorry if it’s bad 😅

Sitting in front of your desk, you grabbed the wrench next to you and carried on working in the part of the car engine in front of you.

You heard the door to your garage open then it closed.

“You haven’t been in for the past two days.”

You glanced up at the man who walked in then back down to what you were working on and he walked over, sitting in front of you.

“Your case isn’t all that interesting to me.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s a plain and simple car jacking, that is boring Walter, you know it’s boring too, I don’t see why you took it.”

“There’s more too it, I was actually hoping I would be able to convince you to help. I was going to send Paige since she’s more of communication person, but they told me to come.”

You set the wrench down, then you picked up something else to take apart the engine so you could get at what you needed.

While you were doing that Walter set a few papers on the table.

“There were some microchips in the car, they contain codes for missiles all over the country, they were going to be sold, we need to find them.”

“So, check all the sites, they’ll be up there somewhere.”

“Done that, nothing. Cabe was hoping you could check with some of your informants.”

You stopped what you were doing and looked at Walter, leaning back in your chair.

You held out your hand and he got up, walking around the table to sit on it in front of you, handing them over.

You flicked through them, taking one of them before handing him back the rest.

“Yeah, okay. But he owes me money.”

“I don’t understand why you don’t just work with us, you do the same thing, and you’ll get a regular pay as well.”

Folding up the paper, you set it inside your jacket pocket.

“I don’t like other people Walter, people get in the way, working as a team makes things go slowly and I have no patience for that.”

“But you like the team. Right?”

“Of course, otherwise I wouldn’t let them come here.”

Walter followed you across the room.

“You don’t let Cabe in.”

“He’s a federal agent, for both our sakes it better he doesn’t know what I do properly, what he doesn’t know can’t get him trouble, and it means I also don’t get arrested.”

“So, will you help?”

You nodded, grabbing the keys to your bike as well your helmet.

“I’ll meet you at yours.”

“Thank you.”

He left and you left a few minutes later, heading to one of the well known underground bars and you walked to the bartender.

You leant over the counter.

“Stolen microchips, what do you know?”

He looked at you.

“Nothing you need to know.”

Humming a little, you grabbed him by the collar, slammed your helmet against his forehead and you shoved him back.

The whole place fell silent.

“Look I’m in a hurry, I have a car I need to fix, a friend who’s waiting for answers, so, let’s try this again. What do you know.”

He gave you some papers and you began following the trail.

You worked fast and brutal, you did what you had to in order to get the job done, and by the end of the day you made your way back to Walter.

Walking through the doors, you made your way to Cabe.

“You owe me.”

“How much do you want?”

Pulling off your helmet you thought for a moment, making your way to Walter’s desk, sitting next to him.

“I’ve changed my mind, no money. I’ll save this for a rainy day.”

“You know there’s some things I can’t bail you out off.”

“I know.”

“So, what did you do to get this, because we couldn’t find it.” Toby said.

You waved your hand dismissively at him, leaning your head on Walter’s shoulder and he looked at you before going back to his work.

You stared at his screen in boredom.

Computers weren’t your thing, but when it came to anything else, that’s where you came in handy.

Yawning slightly, you kicked your feet up on his desk.

“(Y/N) please, that’s unsanitary, put your feet down.”

You grumbled a little but complied, putting your feet back on the floor.

Everybody shared a look at the pair of you, but neither of you noticed it, or the way that the pair of you would occasionally sneak a glance at the other.

“How long until they finally come out with it?” Toby asked.

“At this rate never. Honestly how two people so smart can be so oblivious is beyond me.” Happy said.

“Well, maybe somebody should tell them.” Sylvester suggest.

“That’s not a bad idea, but maybe we should try setting them up first.” Paige suggested.

Everybody immediately agreed with her, since she was the more compassionate of the group.

And that’s what they did, they tried to set you both up on dinners to drinks and nobody else turning up.

They tried everything and neither of you could see how the other felt.

Finally they had enough.

Walter was sat with your in your garage and they walk came bursting through the doors.

“We’ve had enough!” Happy yelled.

You looked up from where you were laid with your head in Walter’s lap.

“Of what?” You asked confused.

“You two are in love with each other! Discuss!”

They all stood there and you turned to Walter confused, and he looked just as confused.

Taking his hand, you led him to your office and closed the door and blinds for privacy.

“I.. I don’t know what they’re talking about..”

You studied him for a moment.

“Is it true?” You asked.

“I.. I don’t.. they’re not..”

He fumbled for his words, not able to get them out.

“Walter.”

He stopped, looking at you.

“Look, we both suck at the whole emotion thing, but Paige doesn’t, neither does Toby, or Cabe, and Happy and Sylverster know more than both of us combined about it.”

“Yes, I’m aware of that.”

You pointed to you, then you pointed at him.

“So, me and you. They’ve seen something, we need to figure it out.”

“Well… I.. I don’t.. you go first.”

“I like you, I get along with you and I don’t want to hit you if that counts for something.”

“You don’t want to hit me?”

“I want to hit a lot of people.”

He nodded his head.

“Well, I.. I suppose that I do enjoy your company…”

You both went quiet.

“So… would you maybe consider dinner..?” He mumbled.

You smiled a little.

“Absolutely, how about now?”

He nodded and you held out your hand, letting him unsurely take it.

Neither of you knew what you were doing, or if you were doing this right, but you decided to just roll with it and see where it went

#scorpion #scorpion x reader #scorpion x you #scorpion imagine #walter o'brien #Walter O’Brien x reader #Walter o’brien x you #Walter O’Brien imagine

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l0t4n · 3 months

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WHAT IF THEY WERE. WALTER WHITE

a/n I have many wips and I am struggling to finish any of them so you get this for now. Also keep in mind I never actually finished the show and I didn't like it anyways I just think the idea is funny. Posting as a buffer for everyone who did not follow for nsfw bc I'm posting it 2nite regardless watch out

Contains TW drugs, references to violence. What it says. Would they do the shit Walter White did in Breaking Bad? The brothers + dateables. Gn mc mentioned once

LUCIFER

-Yeah.

-He would do absolutely all of it step by step, word for word

-Maybe he would not be as mean as Walter is, but he would absolutely give that “I AM. The danger, Skylar” speech

-Just to MC instead

-And Mammon is Jesse

MAMMON

-I think in his head he would like to think he would/could

-Definitely fucking can't though

-Doesn't understand the chemistry even if someone guided him, would definitely fuck up really bad

-Would be in it for the money, would brag about how he'd make an excellent drug kingpin, is lying

-The moment he needs to shoot someone he's running away

LEVIATHAN

-Not a chance bro

-The closest he would get would be filling in the role of Gale

-Even then, that's a stretch

-It's too scary :(( what if all the drug mules think he's cringe

-Yeah sure he did all those illegal things but the police probably wouldn't care so much if he was cooler

-Absolutely not suited for the meth-making lifestyle

SATAN

-Wouldn't do it if it was his life on the line. Would only do it to get back at someone else

-Ruining Lucifer’s reputation by selling illicit substances out of the HoL

-Probably the most suitable for drug manufacturing. Not anything else though

-Would be the most likely to be despised by everyone else in the distribution chain

-It's a high-stress environment and he takes out his anger on all of them

ASMODEUS

-Personal protective equipment is ugly and the meth business is a thankless one. There is no possibility for him to gain fame and attention doing that unless he also wants to go to prison

-Probably finds it kind of gross and messy too

-There are a number of illegal activities that are far better suited for a demon like him and he knows it

BEELZEBUB

-Eats the meth

-The end

BELPHEGOR

-Perhaps unsurprisingly, would likely have both the intelligence and personality to make it work

-But the meth-making process takes forever, and there are so many points where you can accidentally die, so I think he knows better

-Would accidentally fall asleep and melt his skin off his body

-Also has virtually no reason to do it in the first place; isn't hurting for cash like Mammon and doesn't really care about his reputation like Lucifer

DIAVOLO

-Would have trouble grasping the severity of drug manufacturing and dealing

-Might only get into the scheme if coaxed by the promise of friendship

-I do not put it above him to realize that it is also illegal, however

-Albeit he has had his moments of considering himself above the law, which, if anyone is, it's him, so maybe not

-Will bail the moment someone yells at him or pulls a gun on him, whatever happens first

BARBATOS

-Gus

-His moral alignment and motivations are too vague. Either his moral compass is too strong or he would be the best drug kingpin the devildom has ever seen. Maybe both at the same time

-Would get suitably angry if anyone else got involved though

-Money laundering pro. If nothing else is true I know this is canon

SIMEON

-Oh good heavens

-Deary me

-Maybe with his skills in baking he would do well, but you'd need to lie to him about what you're making

-Shocked and appalled when he finds out

-Most everyone else is nice to him though

SOLOMON

-Probably makes illicit substances for his funny evil wizard experiments

-Since it's a form of cooking though the batches always end up terrible

-Meth that makes all your bones turn to jelly and kills you in five days

-Since he is far removed from human matters of mortality and injury, he probably thinks it's funny

-Evil ass

#obey me #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me barbatos #obey me diavolo #obey me simeon #obey me solomon #tw drugs #tw violence

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bluepotion85 · 9 months

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Expanding Bootcamp - Chapter 5 (Male Wg Story)

Summary: Will and Connor are the last men standing unchanged on base and as they try to stay separated from the rest of the team, they start to feel the repercussions of sticking to their guns. The loneliness that comes with their predicaments makes them bite more than they can chew. will they crumble to their desires in the wish of fitting in? and will they see more than they are ready for in their desire for answers?

(The following is a male weight gain fic. This is for the most part a slow burn deal)

A few days passed and I saw Carlos walking around base. I approached to try and invite him to train with us and was a bit spooked when I realized he was having a massive burger out on the way to one of his assignments.

“Hey Will, how is the day treating you? you saw the chow hall extended its serving hours and menu to cover for the demand?” - he asks before taking a massive bite of his burger.

I just watch pretending I don't see his uniform painted to him like a second skin. Some of the meat grease and ketchup lands on his shirt but he doesn't seem to notice or care.

After swallowing he continues “It was time, people are hungry at other hours, and living off of snacks is not optimal you know.”

“Oh of course” - I say trying to keep the conversation going and not to bring up the fact that one of the skinniest men I have met now is looking like Salazar a few days after landing here.

“So you wanted to tell me something?”

“Ah yeah, I wanted to check if you wanted to tag along with me and Connor for some training later today or tomorrow?”

“Thanks Will but I’m in a bulking cycle. I want to try and build some muscle and Bradley is guiding me on this new regimen. I think it's giving results already” -he says with a big smile and an air of smugness I haven't seen in a while.

“But thanks anyways, hey maybe you and Connor could tag along with us on the routine. You could do good with some mass.”

he grabs another bite of his burger and adds

“Or we could go to the recreation room, Hill has been getting better at the fighting games”

“Thanks, I will tell Connor and see what he thinks of the idea. See you soon”

During Dinner that night I told Connor about the conversation with Carlos. While I explain the situation, Carlos and Hill show up to the chow hall with some cadets and go straight to their table with the rest of the members of the Large and up team. They have completely stopped hanging out in meals with us and twins have integrated to their table as well.

Connor looks at me like he has just seen a ghost, after finishing my story he asks.

“Do you want to finish food somewhere else?”

We go out with our plates and have food in the benches by the field.

“I don't know Will, I feel like we are drifting away from the rest of the team”

A part of me feels partially responsible for this, Daniel just started hanging out with their group because I intervened, Carlos and Hill bailed out because we enabled Daniel’s conversations about the situation. I have to make sure we don't dwell into it though, at the end of the day we made our beds and we had to lay on them.

“They are happy Connor, I miss the company but I don't think either of us is looking forward to join their games”

“I know but that's also the thing, I'm not particularly comfortable with how they have changed”

“Do you mean for the eating competitions or because you are scared of ending up like them if you let go for a while?”

“You know it's not like that, I would never. . . We wouldn't get like that. It's just after all the effort we have put through to get along and to be top of our class”

he looks at me with a sad expression “Besides you, no one else seems to care enough to try and stick to the program. They all look so happy but they are also burning their work away. And it's all been so fast, I don't understand it. Is it bad of me to think this way”

“Connor, your world revolves around this. Not everyone is going to feel the same way. Carlos' parents are loaded, Bradley has a farm waiting for him at home. You know I need this for me and my family. They can enjoy their choices freely without much of a worry compared to us” - I take a pause and look directly into his blue eyes.

For Connor, who has placed his trust in the military and its people for his whole life, the idea of them plotting against us in this experiment represents destroying his world view. I know verbalizing his concerns right now is taking a lot from him. And even though I believe there is something going on now, I can't allow myself to push him deeper than he already is in his worries or fears. There will be time for that later, for now we have to stay together.

So, I add -“Regardless of what happens, we are getting to the end of this together ok?.”

“Ok Will, thanks” -he says with a smile.

We get both plates back to the chow hall where the group is now seeing who can make the loudest belch or something like that. We squirm out and go to the barracks, in the way there Connors middle grumbles. He signs and tells me his appetite has been on overdrive lately but every time he sees everyone else going to town during meals he tries to contain himself even more.

I try to console him and let him know that maybe it's because of everyone eating around us all the time, that a hearty meal tomorrow will fix him up.

A couple of days pass and Connor mentions how the food in the chow hall seems to be improving in taste, like the machine is adding more seasoning. I don't feel that much of a difference but agree with him just to keep the conversation lighthearted.

At this point Connor and I are the only ones not taking part in the team activities that have extended out of the meals for the day. Now you can see cadets eating full meals around the base while pulling their shirts down to cover their bellies. Others have food stains as the new badges of honor.

And for the biggest guys like Salazar and Bradely putting their size on display is more a power move than anything. They will belly clash as a greeting, compete on who can belch the loudest and even after getting bigger uniforms they start to go around base with open shirts to show their torsos. They go in groups shoulder to shoulder or resting their weight on others. They used to be teasy and playful but everyone seems to be more touchy nowadays.

One day while I get out of the waste disposal unit I catch Bradley and Salazar rough housing surrounded by some of their friends, after some laughs and pushes they start resting against one another. They bask in each other's size and stay like that for a while. I think I saw Salazar getting excited at the moment so I decided to move on, whatever happens I don't have to be a witness. They seem to be growing closer by the day and while Im happy to see them get along Im a bit worried they enable one another in their less stellar tendencies.

The field and gym feel like ghost towns while Connor and I train, and dust has started to gather in some places people have stopped showing up. We kept some hopes that Carlos, Hill or the twins would come back to train but as time passed the idea abandoned our heads.

To add insult to injury, a few days later I got assigned another shift in the watchtower. When I got to the top I found Carlos sleeping on the floor, his uniform was upgraded not too long ago to match his ever growing body. And yet it looked like it needed another upgrade now, his belly was resting all the way out, his shirt rolling all the way to his moobs. There were bar wrappers and other pieces of food all over the place.

Some cadets have started to ignore their tasks or do them half ass. Carlos sleeping on the floor covered in wrappers is a new mark. I helped him wake up. As soon as he is up he yawns and finishes blasting a belch on my face and asks me what time it is.

I immediately recoil, he starts to laugh like he just told the best joke in the last year. I told him the hour and that I came to continue with the patrol.

Before he can reply, Hill comes from the elevator with his arms filled to the brim with food, and half a hot dog hanging from his mouth with a chilled face.

“Hey Will, want some grub?” -Hill barely asks between munches

They explained the shift was for Hill and Carlos just tagged along, once they ran out of food Hill went for more and Carlos fell asleep waiting.

He started to stand up and his new pants ripped in the effort, he started to laugh and slapped his gut “I guess this big boy is ready for a new upgrade haha, If you excuse me Will I need some pants and to fill the tank”

Before I can argue they are getting in the elevator down.

Not too long after that Connor showed up to accompany me. Apparently he tried to play a movie in the recreation room to ignore his stomach begging for sustenance. But he got surprised by Salazar and Bradley while setting the player.

“They told me they wanted to watch the movie along with me and sit on the couch, I didn't want to look mean so I agreed. Before I could get a stool they grabbed me by the arm and pulled me in with them on the couch.”

I wince just thinking about it .

“I couldn't tell where my body started and where their bodies ended, Will those couches are supposed to be for 4 people and I was struggling for air between the two of them. I needed a shower after that movie. They were both sweating bullets just sitting there besides me, and of course I smelled like hell afterwards”

“That sucks dude, sorry to hear that”

“Even during the movie they started to eat the food from a snack box while I was fighting not to break the diet. Their bellies gurgle and vibrate with every piece of food and then belch like I wasn't even there. By the end of it all I had bits of food everywhere”

I was shocked by the description of the situation but I was trying to be nice so I tried to focus on something good from the situation -“Well at least you all hang out! Did you end up having anything to eat?”

“Apparently someone is filling the snack boxes with more than protein bars, they had pizza, fries and such. I tried Wil really but I was so hungry, so I caved in and had some.”

“Its ok Connor you also need to eat, this is no zombie movie you wont turn by having a pizza”

“Well I hope so, the gym at least looks like a zombie town haha”

He told me they watched some Scifi movie, when the movie was over he excused himself to have some food but instead went for a shower and then here.

We spent the rest of the night talking, around midnight one of the monitors in the watchtower started to blink. Apparently someone was walking around base.

When I looked through the visors I saw a figure entering the chow hall. I told Connor and we both went there as quietly as we could in the dead of night.

Once inside the hall we saw the light of the kitchen on, what we saw was a massive figure bent down on one of the fridges eating everything on sight.

“Who do you think it is? For that size it has to be one of the biggest cadets around even Salazar himself” -whisper Connor in my ear while we watched.

the man would grunt and moan while licking his finger and taking huge bites of everything. a can of cheese falled from the fridge and rolled and when the man moved to pick it up we saw it was Commander Parish.

Connor gasped and the commander looked in our direction like a praying beast. I covered Connors mouth and duck behind the wall that divides the kitchen and the hall.

We could hear the thuds of his steps as he moved toward us, he was just in the door frame, in the dark of the hall he didn't notice us a few meters to his right. I could see the same amber colored eyes that screamed at us on the first days of the experiment now wild looking for the source of the sound. But before he could notice us his belly roared and he mumbled “Ugh It must be my imagination”

We raised out of the chow hall and back to the tower.

“Well that explains why he doesn't go out of his office”-I say trying to make sense of what just happened.

“Oh sure it will be hard to teach by example when you are the size of fort knox!” -Connor shouts and tries to compose himself.

“Jokes aside, at least we know why he hasn't intervened lately, he would be a laughing stock if he tries to put us to training in his current state” -I add while I pace around the room.

“Yes but that doesn't explain how he left himself go so badly”

“He is human Connor, stuff like that happens.” -I reply not knowing if I'm saying that to convince him or myself.

“It's still weird that everyone has gone the same way in such a short time” -he looks to the ground and he holds his stomach.

I notice his middle is starting to look fuller but I don't think it is the kind of information he needs right now.

“Still hungry?” -I ask

“Is it too obvious?”- he said, looking at me with sadness in his eyes.

“Noo” -I get cut by his stomach that roars so loud there is no way to ignore. “ok maybe just a little”

He sits down on the floor and covers his face, I know he must be stressed by this so the empty stomach won't help. I'm not sure if what I'm doing is adding fire to the flames but I open the snack box and try to give him a protein bar.

He looks at it with anger but eventually subsides and he starts to eat it with a defeated look on his face, it doesn't last long though, once food has passed his lips he looks more calm. I sit beside him and we stay quietly for a while just making each other company.

At some point we both fall asleep.

I have a nightmare where everyone in the team is a zombie and I go up to the watchtower to take refuge. when I hear Connor screaming running toward the tower followed by a horde of zombies and asking for help.

Then I woke up. Connor is sleeping beside me with his head resting on my shoulder, and I feel something wet. This idiot is drooling all over me, before I could knock him out of his sleep I notice he is talking in his sleep.

“Yes mom I can have more stuffed potatoes, It's only been a few of them.”

This man was hungry for real, he was dreaming of food for gods sake.

For a second I'm taken back by him. His black hair has grown a bit since we got here,it's a little messy brushing on my side. His muscular body now covered with a thin layer of fat, the relaxed face on top of me. Resting like this together, makes me feel like the world has stopped moving and there is nothing to worry about.

I let him sleep for a few minutes, and then I got tired of his drooling ass and shake him into the land of the living. He wakes up a bit shocked that the stuffed potatoes are gone and I can only laugh.

We decided to cut the training for the day after the long night we had, once we got down the tower we went to have breakfast. I'm feeling rather hungry as well so we both get plentiful plates and sit down.

The food today tastes divine and Connor looks so pleased to have a full plate of food after days of abstinence. Once we are out of the chow hall we get started on our assignments. Since most of the base has gone laze mode we run over all the facilities and divide cleaning for the week.

Even while we try to ignore the situation for the time being, we agree to continue our runs and weight training. I can't deny that during the runs Connor takes a few more pauses than before. He shrugs it off like nothing happens and I choose not to make too much of it. But I can't deny the shine of sweat saturating his shirt makes it stick to his body, showing how it has grown.

During our weight training he opened the snack boxes and takes protein bars here and there. I was happy to see him less stressed but I also felt like telling him about his increased intake in those wasn't a good move. But I decided to stay quiet.

During Lunch we saw the casual shenanigans of the now rest of the cadets, a full display of gluttony. People ripping through their clothes, belching like there is no tomorrow and eating everything on sight.

We got our food and sat. Connor had a rather big plate but an even bigger smile while taking forkfuls of pasta and chicken. I was a bit spooked by the idea of him also gaining weight and getting punished like everyone else when this experiment was over.

But I couldn't bear to see him scared and stressed like the last few days. So I sipped it.

Besides, the food had a great quality improvement. I don't know what they have been doing with the ingredients but it tastes way better.

The days pass and for the first time in a while I wake up first than anyone in our barracks. At this point waking up earlier than most is expected. Most of them are a happy snoring mess during the mornings. But I woke up earlier than Connor who is soundly sleeping in his bed besides mine.

It's weird to see him not being the first to run out of the barracks for training, but besides a more relaxed outlook I tried to convince myself he is still himself and nothing is going on. Then I get interrupted by my own gut gurgling for sustenance.

After waking up Connor and I go to have breakfast, we start to eat and slowly but surely the cadets start to fill the chow hall and the rowdiness of the day starts. The size difference of some of our team members is more than obvious. Open shirts, oversized pants and missing buttons are the standard of the group. Some of the cadets are having a waddle while they find their seats and others are starting to get used to their thighs rubbing together while they walk.

“Well its official we are the only two cadets not eating with Salazar and the rest of the team” -Connor point out while he drinks some orange juice.

I look towards the table again and I see everyone laughing and shouting while they eat and a part of me craves the company, my stomach grumbles and I continue to eat ignoring the inherent loneliness of the situation. Then Connor punches me in the arm and smiles

“Hey mate, cheer up. we don't need them. We have each other” -he said.

I can feel my face warm up a bit in part because he read right through, and I must have those sad puppy eyes I get at times. And secondly because he is right, I'm ok as long as I'm with him but I didn't realize how much I needed to hear it from him.

“Yes, we do. I'm still thinking about what's going on though. I've been thinking about something but I don't know if its a good idea”

“Sure tell me what's on your mind?”

“You remember when I went to see the doctor a while back? I saw he has our records, If anything weird is going on he would be writing it down there don't you think?"

“Yes it's possible, Most people here have gone to the infirmary at least once or twice. But we can't ask Dr. Donovan for everyone's records, that's kind of illegal”

“I know, but if what I'm thinking is right then I have a way to distract the doctor. One of us could get into his office with the files and see if there is anything wrong going on”

“I dont think thats the best idea Will, if we get caught it could be career ending” -he says while licking his fingers from the garlic bread he was eating.

I see the rest of the cadets rowdy eating at Salazar’s table and Connor in front of me licking his fingers like nobody's business. All I can think of is I need to find out what's going on and If there is a way to stop it before it's too long. Of course I have to downplay it as much as I can to convince Connor to help me, I can trust anybody else to join me on this.

“It's ok, the doctor is pretty chill. Even if he find us I don't think he would report us”

Connor thinks for a second about it and signs “Ok What's the plan, but if this gets out of hand you won't hear the end of it from me Will” -he says looking worried

“Come on Connor we are the best team in this base, we will do just great!”

His expression softens and the memory of our drills makes him smile again.

“You know what, you are right. Let's show whoever is behind this what we can do”

The next day we get our plan in action.

I wait outside the infirmary, the cubicles that surround the main space of the building have windows looking toward the main field. I crouch under an open window in the cubicle closest to his office.

Connor enters the building and knocks on the doctors office, he is supposed to pretend to be feeling bad and start to faint. Connor has grown a bit and the doctor would move him to the nearest cubicle. Once I'm sure the coast is clear I will move to his office and pick at the archive lock. Read the reports of Salazar or one of his group and get out.

They take longer than I expect but since Connor is bigger I Imagine the doctor is struggling to carry him to the cubicle. I can hear through the window when they manage to get there.

“Come on connor just a few steps there, Jesus you are heavier than I remember”

I know Connor won't be happy about the remark but it's not a lie.

Connor hits the bed and the doctor starts looking for equipment to evaluate what's going on. I get started and enter the building as quietly as I can. Once I'm in the corner of their cubicle I take out a mirror to see what's going on inside the room without entering.

What I see is a massive doctor, No wonder he was having issues carrying Connor. His hips have grown to great tree trunks rubbing against one another. His robe is open and his scrub underneath is busting on the sides as he checks Connors airways.

I realize he has his back facing me and I run for it. I enter the office and get to the archive.

The storage at the base has a lot of things useful for training sessions and individual skill development but the one thing I wanted was a key picking kit. I swiftly open the lock in the archive and open it slowly not to make noise.

The files of all bases are here and I start looking for Salazar. With his file at my hands I start to get ideas running in my head, what if we have a weird disease, or if they are trying to test chemicals in the protein bars or a super additive in the food. Any discovery could be recorded here.

Once I open it, It's mostly blank after our check up. Salazar came for an antacid at the first days of bootcamp and gained some weight but aside from that nothing.

I put his file back in place and looked for Bradley, he came looking for a pain killer after overexerting at the gym early on but nothing afterwards.

Connor, Carlos, Hill, Neil, the twins, and nothing. I look through my file and there's nothing I didn't know about by this point.

I'm getting angry and the weight of my stupid idea weighs on me. I'm putting my best friends and my livelihood in danger for the sake of a random sense of fear, in god knows what conspiracy theory.

I put everything back in order. I get out of the doctor's office and rest in the corner of the door to the cubicle where he is attending Connor. With the mirror in place to see inside, the first thing I see is the doctor reading his record walking directly towards the door and Connor looks at me with shock in his eyes.

I start to think where to run and Connor shouts “Wait!”

We both look at him and he starts to look for his bag “I brought some treats from the chow hall, take one as a thanks you gift”

While the doctor looks at Connor with delight I run for the chance and get out the building. As I get behind the window outside their cubicle I can hear the doctor ravenously eating the food Connor brough, not even waiting for him to leave.

“Thanks for the snack Connor, that really hit the spot” he said accentuated with a belch

“You seem to be in perfect condition, maybe you were just weak. Did you have a good lunch today? Not that you seem to be on a diet haha”

I could already imagine the barrating Connor will give me once he realizes this was for nothing. Putting him through this for empty papers is such a shame.

Once we reunite outside I Tell him what I found and instead of ripping my head off like I deserve he looks at me with a tender smile and says

“I'm happy in a sense that we found nothing Will. It means we are ok”

My chest heart sinks and goes all the way back to my neck in an instant, first I think how could I deserve so much understanding and then I realize I'm lucky to have him as a friend.

“Thanks for understanding Connor, I won't get us in a situation like that again”

We continue our day as usual and try to forget what happened.

Another week passes and most of the cadets have stopped doing their assignments, we first noticed when dust gathered in places we didn't clean ourselves during the day. After some consideration we both agreed to try and cover the most tasks per day, to make sure everything runned smoothly. But we start to get stretched thin so we decide to split up to cover the full camp each day.

At times I see Connor cleaning around in his side of camp and see him sneakily having protein bars and other snacks and throwing the evidence so nobody notices but the tightness in his pants is the biggest red flag so far. His belly has grown in the past few days and his uniform is not fitting as well. Everytime his shirt climbs up his belly he gets red as a tomato and he pulls it back down.

While I do my part of the work I have also noticed that people are being more than affective, I catch some cadets kissing or groping one another in the storage, people uniting beds during the day and cuddling, and during one of my cleaning sessions I saw a stain that made me realize I was cleaning a previous sex scene.

Bradley and Salazar are definitely doing something more romantic, while cleaning one of the hallways I see them entering the barracks while everyone is in the recreation room. I try to pick inside and see what they are doing and what I found is them eating each other's faces for dear life, discarding items of clothing as they continue. I get back into the hall and go as far away from them as I can.

When I tell Connor about it he is appalled by the notion of someone doing that in the barracks and wondering if they cleaned after they finished, but I was surprised that he didn't complain about sex in the middle of a military camp.

The days pass and Connor is eating more and more during meals with the excuse of training extra hard in our sessions. But we are slowly struggling with them; Connor keeps asking for a minute to catch his breath. He is obviously embarrassed, and I try to reassure him I'm also tired, at the start I was just trying to keep him comfortable but now I'm also struggling to keep my breath while running.

I start to notice that Connor is also becoming more physical, he puts his arm around me when we walk around base, puts his leg on top of mine when we sit around and over all gets closer to me wherever the opportunity arises. It's a bit uncharacteristic of him and whenever I ask he rubs it off as just being friendly. To be honest I won't complain of the extra attention, and if it helps him feel comfortable I won't make a big deal out of it.

Being so close to him has made obvious just how often he gets hungry. If I don't hear his belly rumbling, I will feel it when I'm under his arm walking around. He gets embarrassed by it but he continues to do it every other time.

I'm not faring much better myself in the food department. At the start I was trying to fight my increasing hunger like Connor, by cutting on meals but it's not showing much progress either. I'm noticing my belly also expanding and it's getting in my head. The one consolation I have is that Connor and I are still the same as always, the weight is only expected with so much food around. Or I tell myself as much to keep the anxiety to a minimum.

At the end of the week I'm finishing doing some maintenance in the energy generator, when I get out of the building I catch a glimpse of some cadets walking towards the gym. They are talking and originally I didn't pay too much attention till one of them said.

“I'm sure this week will be great. Everyone’s been working for this”

I think for a moment that they are planning something that could explain what's going on and for a moment special agent William Kent is back in the case. I follow them at a safe distance till they get in the gym. I look inside and everyone is in a massive group forming a semi circle around the gym’s scale. Leaving an opening in the center where I can see what's going on.

I wait for them to take action, and suddenly the lights turn off. Some of them light candles around the circle and Salazar and Bradley show up. They get to the center of the circle and say

“Welcome everyone, we thank you for coming for our little celebration today” -Says Salazar with so much bravado in his voice

“Today we see who is the greatest of us all. I know some of you have things to do, games to play and food to eat so, let's get this party started! ”- adds Bradley

People cheer and shout as they get ready to start what I can only assume is a ritual of some sorts. My ideas of satanic rituals go out the fucking window as soon as Salazar steps in the scale and everyone gets quiet.

After a few seconds the scale beeps and it says “Error”

Everyone goes crazy shouting error error like they found el dorado. The scales in the base have a weight limit of 400 pounds, so that means Salazar managed to gain over that mark. I'm speechless with the oddness of this situation, but before I can process what's going on Bradley gets in front of the scale.

Salazar looks at him with hungry eyes and kisses him in front of everyone, the crowd howlers while they go and with a little bite on the lips Salazar tells Bradley “Try to pass that fat boy”

He slaps his gut and moves away so Bradley can enjoy the stage. He stands on the scale and waits for a few seconds and the scale beeps. What it says is “Error”

The cadets go even louder screaming Error. They all laugh and applaud Salazar and Bradley as heroes.

“Ok everyone, let's celebrate we crashed that stupid scale, and get everyone to the same weight and beyond” -Says Bradley while I run out of there.

When I find Connor and tell him what happened his face loses all color but quickly, he looks puzzle and asks.

“Ok that means they are actively encouraging one another?” -he asks.

“I guess, it doesn't explain the speed in which everyone has tag along. I can imagine some of them been into the idea but all camp?”-I reply looking lost for words.

“It begins to explain how those who have . . .grown, or at least ignore the issue. Salazar and his team just encourage them to keep going but it doesn't explain how the twins or Carlos and Hill got into it”

“I guess we could say we have a part into that right?"

"Yeah, but even so. None of them were into this mindset before Camp Celsus, so what's making them act like this?”

We ponder ideas for hours, from hypnosis to subliminal messages to chemicals in the food but nothing sounded . . . reasonable. So, we cut our losses and went back to the original plan, trying to remain strong till this was over. Just hoping we can fit through the door before that happens.

The growth at base continues and our guys are still trying to figure out what's going on? Some of the scenes in this chapter are my favorites in the story so let me know what you think of them!

Thanks again for all the support and nice comments!

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#fat #weight gain #maleweightgain #gainerstories #male gainer #male #gay #lgbtq #military #Expanding Bootcamp

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dragon-kazansky · 2 years

Text

Duck, duck, GOOSE!

Gender neutral reader

Nick 'Goose' Bradshaw x Reader

You have your sights on Goose. He cannot believe his luck.

♡♡♡

If someone had told him that the most gorgeous person in the world was looking at him and not at his best friend, he wouldn't have believed it. In fact he didn't. He also wouldn't have believed they would be looking at Maverick either, but to discover they were looking at him, well, that was a whole new level.

“I’m telling you, Goose, they’re looking at you.”

“No way,” Goose shakes his head with a grin. Maverick was telling him someone across the bar was looking at him, and had been for that past several minutes. There was just no way.

“Look, they’re still looking,” Pete grins as he look at the person across the bar.

You smile at him, eyes then sliding over to his tall friend beside him. Goose hadn’t looked up at you once. You had hope yet.

“I don’t believe you. I don’t trust you. In fact, after tonight, I’m not coming back here with you again,” Goose jokingly threatens. Pete just laughs again in response.

“They’re coming over, so now you’ll have to believe me.”

Goose straightens up. He turns his head around so quick, he almost loses his balance. His eyes find you walking around the crowd over in his direction. He turns to Mav who just smirks as he sips his beer. Pete leans back against the bar, resting his elbow on the top. He’s not going to bail Goose out of this. As his best friend, Pete was going to just... watch.

You come to a stop in front of the pair.

“Evening gentlemen,” you smile at the pair. Your gaze doesn’t linger on Maverick for long, your interest deeply hung up on his friend.

“Evening,” Pete says, smirk still on his face as he looks at Goose.

“Hello,” Goose says, not sure what else to say.

You smile.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

“Not at all,” Pete slides in before Goose can even comprehend backing out.

“Good.”

Nick gives Pete a blank stare before deciding to just play along. He knows Mav won’t let this pass, so he might as well go along with it.

“Can I get you a drink?” He asks, turning his charm on.

You smile, feeling progress take place.

“That would be great.”

You slide onto the stool next to him as he orders you something to drink. All the while you keep you eyes locked onto him with a soft smile.

Maverick smiles as turns around and faces the bar, sitting quietly. He’ll only leave if this goes somewhere. If not, then he’ll still around for Goose. Though he is convinced his dear friend is in good hands.

Your drink arrives and you settle comfortably beside him.

“So, what do they call you?” You ask, turning to face Nick.

“Goose.”

“Goose?”

“It’s my callsign, so that’s what they call me,” he smiles.

You chuckle.

“Pilots?”

“How did you guess?”

“I have a knack for finding them,” you grin. “What should I call you?”

Goose smiles softly as he admires you. You’re beautiful.

“Nick, but you can use my callsign if you prefer,” he takes a sip of his own beer.

“Nick. I like it.”

“What about you?” He asks.

You give him your name.

He smiles.

“I like it.”

That’s when the moment really hits. A connection is made and Pete knows it. He orders himself another beer, feeling about ready to leave Goose to it.

“If you need me, I’m going to terrorise Ice for a bit. See you later, buddy,” Mav grabs his beer and pats Goose on the shoulder as he leaves. Goose doesn’t say anything as he goes.

You smile softly at him again.

“I was watching you from across the bar,” you tell him.

“That’s what Mav was saying. I didn’t believe him,” he admits.

“Why not?”

“Because look at you. You’re amazingly stunning and I’m one of hundreds of people in here. Why would I of all people stand out to you?” He asks.

You smile again.

“Because you’re tall and handsome. I like what I see.”

Goose grins.

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“I like what I see too.”

You twist on the stool to face your whole body toward him. One hand remains resting on the bar with your drink.

“So I’m in with a chance then?” You ask.

“A chance?”

“To get to know you better. I can’t imagine going home tonight being content with only walking away with your name and then never seeing you again,” you confess.

“Already thinking ahead?”

“I had time to. You wouldn’t meet my eyes from across the bar, so I had to pass the time somehow. If you don’t want to know me, then I can let you get back to your friend, but if you do, well, I’m right here.”

Goose looks at you with a soft expression.

“I want to.”

“Good. How about another round and we go make ourselves comfy over there?” You ask, looking toward a booth in the corner.

“That sounds like a plan to me.”

Goose orders you each another drink and you both leave the bar to get cosy elsewhere. You sit very close to him as you settle in the booth, but he doesn’t mind.

“So, why me?” He asks, starting the conversation.

“I told you, I like what I see.”

“No, there has to be more to it than that,” he says, watching you.

You sigh softly. “You seem real.”

“Real?”

“Most of the pilots in here just want to gloat about being a navy pilot. They want to feel important and show people they are. They want to parade around like peacocks and see who takes the bait, only to wake up in the morning leaving that person behind and getting on with life. They make an impact and they leave. Now, I’m not saying you can’t gloat, feel free to do so. It’s very impressive what you do and I respect it, but you don’t seem like the kind of guy who would go around impressing someone only to leave them hanging after.”

Goose is speechless. You sound like you have a lot of experience about being around pilots.

“I’m a goose not a peacock,” is his response.

You laugh. Full on belly laugh. Goose smiles at the sound. Even your laugh is beautiful.

“See? You’re already more human than any pilot I’ve ever met. I like that.”

As the evening goes on, Goose does not leave your side. Every so often Maverick looks up at his friend and smiles. He’s having a good time with you and Pete can see that. He will catch up with everything tomorrow, he’s sure. You’re laughing and smiling for hours. Eventually it becomes too late to carry on and you tell Goose you have to go. You’re too tired to keep focused.

“Let me take you back,” he says, getting up with you.

“Oh, you don’t have to.”

“I want to.”

You smile and face him. As much as you would like to ride home with him, you decide it’s best not to. You made much progress tonight and you wanted to test the waters a little bit.

“Tell you what,” you say as you grab a napkin. It’s wet, but it will work. “I’ll give you this, and if this becomes more than one night spent in a bar, then you can take me home.” You write your number the best you can on the napkin and tuck it into Goose’s pocket.

Goose looks at you in awe.

“Promise?” He asks.

You smile.

“Promise.”

You pat him on the chest and then make your leave. Goose watches you go. When you’re out of sight, Maverick slides up beside him.

“Good night?” He asks, grinning at the door you had just left through.

“The best,” Goose replies, wishing you were still here.

“I told you they were looking at you,” Mav pats his friend on the shoulder.

“Yeah,” Goose just smiles.

His hand goes to his pocket where he can feel the napkin tucked away safely. He smiles even brighter. He was going to call you tomorrow, he would make sure of it.

Maverick just chuckles.

“Come on, let’s go.”

Goose doesn’t say a word as he follows his friend out. This had to have been the best night of his life. Probably the night his whole life changed forever.

#nick goose bradshaw #goose x reader #goose bradshaw #nick bradshaw x reader #nick bradshaw #top gun #top gun 1986

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ahlovelightaflame · 8 months

Text

Out of Hits ~ *Lee Chan*

Summary: Chan wants to prove himself as a worthy member of the gang. But when his opportunity presents itself as a dare in a dare contest, he’s not sure he can do it. But if it means proving his worth, he’ll do whatever it takes.

Pairing: Lee Chan X Fem!Reader

Genre: Fluffy Oneshot

Word Count: 2734

Warning: Swearing, fighting, drinking, dares

Mafia Masterlist

It sucks being the youngest. There, he said it. But it’s true. It absolutely sucks being the youngest! It especially sucks being the youngest out of thirteen boys.

Chan was a good subordinate. He did as he was told when he was told to do it. Of course, what he was told to do were the petty, annoying tasks no one wanted to do. He was like an unpaid intern, but at least he knew he had the ability to move up in the ranks. At least, he hoped so. If not, why was he still here?

The only upside was being able to work on his fighting in the training room. Chan was the best member on the team when it came to hand-to-hand combat. Boxing, karate, kickboxing, and even just traditional street fighting were easy for him. Training his agility and hand-eye coordination was his stress reliever when the teasing and taunting from the rest of the gang got to him.

So it’s not surprising that he was punching and kicking a punching bag in the training room. About an hour ago, he returned from a mission with Jeonghan, Vernon, and Seokmin. The mission went well, but Chan was stuck being the getaway driver, as per usual. It’s not that he wasn’t good at it, in fact he was the best out of those fours. But he didn’t want to always be the getaway driver. He knew he could do so much more if only the boss or Hoshi would give him the chance.

“Working late again?”

He didn’t pause as he continued working out. Nevertheless, he still answered, “Of course. I have to get stronger for the next mission.”

She chuckled. “Chan, you keep going at it like this and one of two things is going to happen: I’m either going to have to get a new punching bag or I’m going to have to wrap up your bloody knuckles.”

“I can take care of myself.” He shot back defensively.

“I’m sure you can, but it’ll make me feel better if I do it.”

He rolled his eyes. “Why are you here?”

She shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep. So I thought I’d come and do some work. Not only that, but my sister asked me to get her weapon schematics that she left here accidentally.”

“Not surprised.”

Laughing, she took up her place behind the punching bag, holding it in place. “Neither am I. She’s a lot like you, always working and working and working. But she also knows when to take a break, unlike someone I know.”

Chan scoffed. “I need to keep working if I want to keep up with the others.”

“Fine. But can you at least do me one favor, please?”

This time he did take a second to look at her with slight confusion. Usually, if it was anyone else, he’d instantly reject them. But she didn’t ask for favors ever. So it must be pretty important.

“What do you want, Y/n?”

“Hoshi is taking his team drinking tomorrow and he invited me to come as well. I know you’d rather not, but could you go with them for me please? My sister needs my help with some big project, so I’m staying behind. However, I need someone to make sure Hoshi isn’t talking shit about me behind my back. He gets a little crazy when he’s drunk.”

Everyone knows how crazy Hoshi gets when he gets drunk. He’s tried on multiple occasions to kiss Seokmin and Jeonghan. He’s challenged Wonwoo and Mingyu to stupid challenges that ended up with him almost dying. One time he even tried to flirt with the Big Boss to make Seungcheol jealous, which ended up with him sleeping outside in his underwear. So Y/n’s apprehension about not going in fear of the crazy shit Hoshi would say or do was warranted.

He shrugged. “Yeah, I guess.”

She sighed with relief. “Chan, you’re a lifesaver, you know? I’ll even pay you for every time you have to bail him out of trouble tomorrow.”

Chan could feel the tips of his ears warm at her compliment. However, blushing meant weakness and he wasn’t about to give in to weakness. So he started attacking the punching bag with more fervor. “Thanks, I’m going to need it. It better not be chump change either. I’m looking for the big bucks.”

Laughing, she nodded. “Of course. Nothing but the best cold hard cash for the best getaway driver in the Seventeen Mafia.”

Scowling, he landed one more solid on the bag before calling it a night. As he left the training room, he called back through gritted teeth, “Yeah, sure, whatever.”

Now, if Chan didn’t know any better, he would say Mingyu, Seokmin, and Hoshi were on a mission to get as close to drunk as possible in the shortest amount of time. And since Chan was still considered the best getaway driver, he was also considered the designated driver whenever the boys went out drinking. Despite missing out on the drunken fun, he at least was drowning in free soda that the drunk ones kept buying him and he was gathering more than enough blackmail material. All in all, it wasn’t a bad night. He could almost say he had fun.

It wasn’t until they were driving back to the base that he wished he didn’t go out with them in the first place.

“Guys, guys, guys, I have an idea, before we get home.” Hoshi explained like he had just come up with the coolest thing ever. “We should do a dare contest!”

“A dare contest?” Seokmin slurred.

He nodded excitedly. “Yeah, yeah, yeah! See, we give each other dares. And then, and then we have a week to complete them. If, if we don’t, the loser has to do something embarrassing.”

“I think the winners should decide that when they’re sober.” Mingyu muttered.

Again, Hoshi nodded. “Cool, cool, right. Okay, so like Chan, come up with a date for Mingyu.”

This would be too easy. “Mingyu, I dare you to trash your hotel and blame it on ghosts.”

Mingyu gave him a wonky glare. It wasn’t as intimidating as it usually was considering how drunk he was. “I hate you. Okay, DK, I dare you to make a joke about your sex life in your next set at Jeonghan’s casino, in front of your girlfriend.”

Seokmin flushed redder than before. “You’re cruel! I’m going to get in so much trouble! Okay, but Hoshi, you have to take engagement photos of the Boss and Seungcheol without either of them knowing.”

“Easy, no problem.” Hoshi turned to Chan, grinning viciously. “Chan, I dare you to ask out the combat trainer on a fancy, romantic date.”

Chan almost slammed into the mailbox.

“WHAT?!”

The three boys burst out laughing. “Oh come on! It’s so obvious you have a thing for her!” Hoshi teased. “I mean, you weren’t even going to come out tonight if she didn’t convince you to spy on us for her.”

“She did not!”

“Yes she did!” Mingyu rolled his eyes. “C’mon, we know her. She hates being left out of the gossip. And you wouldn’t have come if she didn’t suggest it. Which is another reason why Hoshi dared you to ask her out. You SO love her.”

“I DO NOT!” Chan responded a little too loud. He could feel his cheeks warm as he refused to look at his friends.

Hoshi groaned. “Are you going to do it or not?”

With a huff, he snapped, “Fine. I’ll do it. But only to prove I’m not weak.”

“No one said you were.”

Chan shouldn’t have agreed to the dare.

It has been almost a whole week since Hoshi dared him to ask Y/n out and he still hasn’t approached her. Sure, Mingyu still had to do his dare, but Hoshi was doing his right now and DK did his three days ago. His girlfriend gave him an earful and even threatened to break up with him. But he managed to smooth things over by promising her a week of non-stop romance.

So Chan needed to grow some balls and just talk to her. It shouldn’t be that hard. He had asked out girls before and even though most of them ended in crushing failure, it never bothered him THAT much. So why was he so nervous this time around?

He saw her everyday. They sparred together all the time. They laughed, joked, and spent time with each other as often as they could. So why did everything feel different and scary now that they were labeling it as dating?

But if he didn’t go through with this, he would not only be forced to endure whatever punishment the other’s conjured up, but he would be seen as weak for the rest of his life. He couldn’t have that. He would show them. Chan was strong and manly and he could do anything.

“Hey Y/n.”

The trainer looked up and smiled brightly at him. “Oh, hey, Chan! Ready to train again? I have some new moves I can show you if you’re interested.”

“I think I have some better moves to show you instead.” Not his smoothest line, but it was out there, so he needed to work with it.

She furrowed her brows. “Oh yeah? What kind of moves?”

Chan’s hand found the wall beside her head, effectively trapping her against the wall. As soon as he did it, he felt his face go solid red. Could he get any cringier?

With a small smirk, she replied, “Oh, those kinds of moves?”

“Y-yeah.”

Chuckling, she shook her head. “Oh, Chan, you’re adorable, really. But let’s not bite off more than we can chew now, alright? I don’t think you could handle me, even if you think you can.”

“I know I can!” He shot back defiantly. Where that small burst of courage came from, he had no idea. “I have lots of great moves! And I can show you all of them if you go out with me this weekend.”

One of her eyebrows raised as she folded her arms over her chest. “Is that so? Well, then let me make a friendly wager with you. Sounds fair?”

He removed his arm from beside her head and took a small step back. Not because he was scared! No, he wasn’t scared! He just needed to look serious when he heard her challenge. With a nod of his head, he encouraged her to continue.

Holding up three fingers, she said, “Three matches. I challenge you to three boxing matches, with the best of three being the winner. If you win, I’ll go out with you. If I win, you don’t ask me out and you don’t try again. Alright?”

Chan felt his stomach churn at her stipulations of the wager. Now, he likes Y/n. He may not have seriously thought about asking her out, but he always knew deep down it was a possibility. The idea of never asking her out if he lost made him feel bad. What if he did lose and wanted to ask her out again in the future? Was he willing to jeopardize a potentially beautiful relationship over three little matches?

Apparently.

With a defiant nod, he held his hand out, which she shook. “Alright. Let’s do this.”

Following her into the boxing ring, he taped up his hands and tried to psych himself up. He must really be stupid to agree to this. But he made his bed. Now he had to go lie in it.

Turning to face her, she nodded and got into the proper stance. “Alright, on my count. One, two, three, go!”

The first match was over before it began. All it took was a quick swipe of her leg and her even faster reflexes to pin him. Tapping out, Chan huffed and trudged to his corner again. This was not the victory he wanted. He was too in his head about this and he knew it. He needed to clear his mind, take a deep breath, and treat this like an actual training match. There was nothing on the line, there was nothing in his way. Just him and her, sparring in the ring, just like always.

He could do this.

In the second match, he was better. He was quick and dodged her preliminary attack. As she recovered, he got a couple hits in and kept her on her toes. Watching her openings, he made sure to strike fast and strike hard. He was doing really well.

Until she landed a particularly good hit on his shoulder. As he tried to recover, she landed blow after blow after blow, hitting him with a flurry of punches and kicks. Before too long, he was pinned on the floor again, tapping out.

Panting hard, he wiped the sweat off of his face. She stood up and held out her hand to him, which he took. Now on his feet, he shook the hand he was still holding onto.

“You always were a phenomenal fighter, Y/n.” Chan told her. “And I hope now that all of this is over, we can still fight with each other. You’re my favorite partner.”

“We can still be partners.”

He nodded and smiled, though his heart wasn’t in it. “Well, I’m going to shower. I’m sure Hoshi is going to want to go over that big mission coming up soon. They’re going to need their getaway driver to be ready, you know.”

As he turned, he paused as she called out. “You don’t have to go. We still have one more fight.”

Chan furrowed his eyebrows. “Y/n, I lost. You won, best two out of three. The wager is over.”

With a cheeky smile, she shook her head. “No, it’s not over yet. Besides, I really wanna see how this last fight will play out.”

“You’ll beat me.” His answer slipped out before he could stop himself.

“Perhaps,” She shrugged before beckoning him towards her, “Unless I even the playing field. Come here, I know something that we’re both good at.”

Dropping to the floor, she held her arm out. He snorted. “Arm wrestling? Really?”

“What?” She challenged him. “Afraid you’ll lose?”

Shaking his head, he got on the ground as well. Clasping hands, he gave her another determined nod. Either he was going to go out in a blaze of glory or burn in shame for years to come. But it didn’t matter all that much. He was having fun and that’s what mattered to him.

When she nodded as well, she counted off and the challenge began. She was strong. She always has been. But Chan had been working out a lot more lately, especially his upper body and arms. So even though she put up a good fight, he beat her.

Laughing, she stood up, dusted off her hand, and held it out to him. “Congratulations, Chan.”

He shook her hand. “I may have one but that doesn’t-”

Before he could finish his response, she pressed her lips to his. At first he was caught off guard, but he managed to reciprocate before she pulled away. He was about to ask her what that was all about when she spoke first.

“Look, just because I said you couldn’t ask me out doesn’t mean I can’t ask you out.” She explained. “So, Chan, do you want to go out with me this weekend?”

He blinked before smiling dumbly. “Yeah. I’d like that. I’d like that a lot.”

Oh, and as for the rest of the dare war, Hoshi didn’t get found until DK let it slip accidentally a day later. Seungcheol almost beat him to death, while the Big Boss locked herself in her office and didn’t come out for twenty four hours. Mingyu never completed his dare and his punishment was that everyone was allowed to use his hotel for one event for free. Jeonghan swears on his life that he plans on using his event to host Seungcheol’s wedding, which also got him beaten up by Seungcheol as well.

And Chan escaped without any punishment. However, both Y/n and him agreed to adjust the details to save the poor boy's reputation. But now that he’s with you, reputation doesn’t matter quite as much as it used to.

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miracleandplagueau · 10 months

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What are your thoughts on the season 5 finale?

INHALE (S5 finale spoilers, duh)

Before I start, disclaimer, I didn't watch most of the season 5 episodes in full. I mosty watched the important lore things and completely gave up on filler. That being said I didn't need to apparently, so let's just get on with it.

✦ PART I. What the actual fuck just happened.

The entire episode felt like some kind of fever dream, like it was written by a 10 year old just starting their journey with original characters, power systems and stories on general and had little idea how to tie the plots together in a satisfying way. Unless we count the mass reunion of everyone from the past whereas I hoped that the NYC and Shanghai specials were just ""fun episodes"" in the vaccum.

The whole plot of both episodes is basically Marinette is badass for 1.5 episode, but fails at recognizing that Gabriel (cough cough THE Monarch) is way beyond redemption and fucks up the entire world (not really, will be explained later)

I'll say it right now, I hate how miraculous went from a magic-focused story to ending on so many science involving plotlines. I mean, come on. He suddenly got himself a laser to turn the miraculouses to rings, created brand new jewelry with floating displays. It sucks, I hate it all over.

✦ PART II. Gabriel and his shenanigans

Personally, I hate the one-wish quota. No matter what happens, I've always seen it boil down to two outcomes - either the villain is stopped from making the wish and he has to be dealt with in a regular way or he succeeds in making the wish and faces no consequences in the end because the world has changed so much

It's the latter with Gabriel, but at the same time not exactly. He succeeded in making the wish, bailed on everyone and get this - he not only got what he wanted, he also got away with it scot free. No, I don't care If he was trying to do the "good" thing by bringing back his dead wife because he loved her. He did horrible, horrible things to get to that. I'll tackle the lack of consequences a bit later on.

✦ PART III. After-wish consequences

HA what the fuck am I saying, CONSEQUENCES? IN MIRACULOUS LADYBUG? That's fucking hilarious. Apparently, not only Marinette doesn't have to worry about being called out, because Gabriel put n the earrings and suddenly he's the most lucky bastard in the universe. Spoiler alert: that's not how it works.

During the scenes that showcased how Emily and Nathalie are alive, how his house is no longer grim and is instead filled with life and roses and bushes. It was nice, It really was.... visually. It's one to look at it and think "yeah, that's a nice finale" and other to look at it while knowing the context.

Oh and by the way, Emilie. So happy we got to see her.... for 5 seconds without counting the video. SHE'S SUPPOSED TO BE THE MOTIVATION FOR GABRIEL TO REWRITE REALITY?!? I'll forever be salty about that.

Going back to the wish for a second and the outcome of making the wish,,, are you fucking serious. I thought the world was supposed to be rewritten when the wish is made, not fixed? What kind of wish did the fucker make, because clearly he brought back TWO people and nothing else seems to have changed. And do not get me with the "Oh but he sacrificed his life for the wish!!--" BULLSHIT. HE WAS AN HOUR AWAY FROM TURNING INTO DUST SMARTASS, THAT IS NOT A WORTHY SACRIFICE OF BRINGING SOMEONE FROM THE DEAD AND HEALING SOMEONE.

I'd at least enjoy it a little If he vanished. Like went poof, gone, no more Gabriel, because then the sacrifice would hold some weight. He gave up his existence so that Adrien is happy, but nooo motherfucker got a STATUE IN HIS HONOR.

Nobody took the blame for the Hawk Moth/Monarch situation either. To people of Paris he just appeared, caused chaos and destruction before fading away after GABRIEL AGRESTE SUDDENLY HAD THE POWER TO GIVE CIVILIANS WITH HIS NEW RINGS POWERS OF A HERO. Nobody found it weird? No? Just me? Okay.

✦ PART IV. Marinette more like Marynette Sue

Marinette was especially unbearable this finale. The fact that she was the only one who fought Monarch, that she's the only one that knows his identity, that she just casually got two most powerful miraculouses all for herself. It just. hurt me physically.

She thought she can be steven universe fr

✦ PART V. Can Adrien stop being a plot device FOR TWO EPISODES

I'm sorry, is this too much to ask for? Is it too much to ask for Adrien to have a part in anything here. During my watch, I can confidently say that I forgot that Adrien existed and yes I know that he's closed off in a padded room, because Gabriel wants to "keep him safe", but come ON at least give us a take away back to him seeing Gabriel on the screen, struggling with the nightmare or considering taking the whole Miraculer deal. It shouldn't be like that in the first place where the secondary main character, the second hero is left to rot while the strong female lead do everything seamlessly.

In the end, the only thing he did is kiss Marinette and take Gabriel's rings. He didn't even find out about his father being the literal Monarch, It felt so cheaped out I dunno. It could've worked If he had a bit more part in the actual fight.

✦ PART VI. Oh yeah, and about Lila's cliffhanger (and season 6 and 7)

WHO THOUGHT OF THIS BRIGHT IDEA?! (I know damn well who did)

I hate the fact that Miraculous will actually continue with Lila as the new butterfly holder. I hate the fact that she got what she wanted and that she will continue to BE there. I do not give a single fuck about Lila and I will not be watching beyond season 5 because for me, the show of Miraculous: Adventures of Ladybug and Chat Noir has ended and it has ended horrendously at that.

✦ PART VII. The little positives the finale had

I liked Bug Noir's design. VISUAL DESIGN. and the animation in Agreste's garden.

I also actually really enjoyed Tikki and Plagg's true forms and Gimmi's fun attitude. They really gave them that great look where you go "Oh yeah, these guys aren't JUST bugs and are actually something greater than a human being" and I like that a whole lot..

PART IX. Finally, final thoughts

There are so many things I still have to say about the finale like the Adrienette, other characters like Luka, Nathalie, Kagami's mother also getting away scot free (for now) and blah blah blah but I am TIRED. I'll likely talk about it in the future or just hopefully forget that it exists.

This one is rough as fuck I know but I'm just writing it as I go

In short, man, am I glad this is over. Am I glad this is over.

Thomas, get your fucking shit together, because middle schoolers write better and more consistent stories. Bringing in all your half-assly written characters to just fight a distraction of sort and having your main character face the villain all alone because she's a strong female lead is not good writing thank you for coming to my ted talk

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous lb #miraculous fanworks #miraculous #miraculous ladybug au #answered #miraculous season 5 #miraculous s5 spoilers #mlb s5 spoilers #ml season 5 finale #mlb recreation #miraculous spoilers #ml recreation spoilers #ml salt #ml writers salt #miraculous salt #thomas astruc salt

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androidcharles · 9 months

Text

Learning the Truth Chapter 2

AKA Rupert fucking loses it? Maybe?

Either way, with Rupert missing, he's wandering the streets of West Mesa, and Charles and Henry have to look for him. Will they be able to find him? And more importantly, will Rupert finally understand himself a little more?

Nothing serious in the TW department. A mention of alcoholism, but that's about it

Rupert woke with a start, finding himself on a park bench near a playground. Had he been asleep all night? He grazed his shoulder as he felt the heavy weight of the blanket on him and felt a bit happy that someone had at least taken pity on him and given him something to keep warm. Not that it mattered much in this heat. He shook off the blanket to give to the next person and stood up, looking over the playground and trying to think about the fond memories he had here.

At one point when he was two years old…

“It’s not that scary is it?” Terrence glanced at Rupert, who looked at him with a bit of uncertainty as he whimpered softly, making soft babbling noises as Reginald smiled.

“Rupert, if you want, I’ll go down with you. I don’t mind,” Reginald said. Rupert stared at Reginald blankly before shaking his head, climbing up the slides steps before looking down at the ramp below. Terrence followed closely behind, being ready to grab Rupert if he started to cry. Which he would, usually, but this time, he felt particularly brave.

Every time he’d ever done this, he had been with his mom. She would always tell him that he can do it and how strong of a boy he was and oh goodness this looks a lot steeper then he thought, maybe he should bail-

“Hey Rupert…” He heard Terrence say. He glanced over at him, the sparkling flecks of gold in his hazel eyes somewhat shimmering.

“It’s OK if you can’t do it you know. There’s no shame in admitting that you can’t slide down,” Terrence said, “Otherwise I can give you a push.”

“Terry!” Reginald shouted, “That’s not the answer and you know it!”

“No!” Rupert shouted. It was probably his favorite word when he was this age. Rupert glanced down at the slope, feeling determined before sliding down. He fell forward and his face hit the soft dirt below as Reginald shouted, running towards him.

“RUPERT! Rupert are you alright?” Reginald said.

“Reg, stop worrying, you’re gonna scare him!” Terrence said, “Well little dude, was that so bad?” Rupert thought about it for a second. It did feel kinda scary at first, but it also felt kinda good.

“No,” Rupert said, smiling at them. Reginald let out a sigh of relief as Terrence gave him a flashy grin.

Rupert didn’t really understand the memory, nor why it had come to him, but what was it supposed to prove? Sure, Terrence was a bit of trouble for the government forces from what he had heard and he couldn’t even begin to describe the fight he had to even pin Reginald down when he was arrested (he was bitten at least a couple of times), but remembering this made him feel like he was seeing a different side to them.

Why did he hate this feeling so much? He was so conflicted it wasn’t even funny anymore. And remembering all this wasn’t helping. Feeling overwhelmed, he headed out of the park and out into the streets, hoping to look for something else to distract him.

But he kept remembering it.

Big strong arms, a soft smile underneath a perfectly coiffed mustache and goatee, one red and one blue eye looking at him with such pride and love…

He leaned against the wall before sitting down, feeling a burning in his chest.

No… you’re the bad guy… I can’t miss you…

- - - - -

GlitterToppatGirl: Rupert’s missing?!

xXBold_Action_ManXx: Yeah, pretty much. He basically ran away after I had an awful fight with him. I should have worked things before going to bed, but he called me a FUCKING MACHINE.

GlitterToppatGirl: Oh well you have every right to be angry then. Look, no need to message the rest of the Toppats, I’ll let my dad know and we’ll try to get as much ground covered as we can. You said you were in West Mesa, right?

xXBold_Action_ManXx: Yeah

GlitterToppatGirl: Alright, I’ll try to get dad to help out. If Rupert is important to Miss Price, then I wanna make sure he’s safe too. Even if he is the enemy.

xXBold_Action_ManXx: Thank you so much for this Amelia. I really do appreciate it. And I know I’m basically signing my soul away, but I basically owe you one.

GlitterToppatGirl: I can take payments of your soul in installments 🤭

xXBold_Action_ManXx: Now’s not the time to joke but I appreciate the gesture…

Charles suddenly heard a ping in another message box as he wished Amelia farewell and opened it up.

N00BSLAYER2006: I’m coming out there to help you.

xXBold_Action_ManXx: You don’t have to

N00BSLAYER2006: I need to.

xXBold_Action_ManXx: You just wanna rub this in his face next time you see him don’t you?

N00BSLAYER2006: No, I wanna make sure he’s alright, because I know what it’s like to feel like you’re losing bits and pieces of yourself.

xXBold_Action_ManXx: Uh? Where did you get that?

N00BSLAYER2006: Never mind I’ll be there in an hour. Meet me at the train station.

Before Charles could object any further, Henry logged off, leaving him a bit dazed as he looked up to see Minerva at the door.

“I asked everyone in the neighborhood I knew. They said they haven’t seen him at all…” Minerva put her head in her hands as she sat on the bed, shaking a bit as Charles pat her back in reassurance. He couldn’t leave her behind, but at the same time, he couldn’t miss Henry. Henry was offline right now and he couldn’t let him know that they should meet at Minerva’s house.

“You need to go,” Minerva said softly, “I’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

“Alcohol?” Minerva glanced at Charles warily for a second before shaking her head.

“Threw it all out don’t worry. I don’t think I even have it in me to grab anything to drink anyway,” Minerva said softly. Charles was conflicted. He had to meet Henry at the train station, but he didn’t want to leave Minerva all by herself, where she could potentially inflict harm upon herself if given the chance. Suddenly he heard another ping in his messenger.

ToppatKingReg: Charles, I heard about what happened with Amelia. I’m going to send out a couple of Toppats to look around the West Mesa area so they can find him. If there’s anything else you need, let me know.

xXBold_Action_ManXx: Uh, actually, do you think you could send someone to look after Minerva? She’s kind of in a state and I have meet with Henry soon. I don’t want to leave her alone.

ToppatKingReg: I understand. I’ll send someone right away.

Charles breathed a sigh of relief as he headed downstairs, looking to see Minerva sitting on the couch in silence before sitting next to her, leaning on her as she put her arm around his shoulder.

“You don’t have to stick around. And you don’t have to get anybody to come look after me. I’m not a child,” Minerva said.

“I’m still worried about you. I want you to be safe, just as much as I want your son to be safe. I love both you so much and I would hate for anything to happen to you two,” Charles said. Minerva sniffled as she nuzzled his forehead.

“Thank you, Charlie. I really appreciate it. I guess if you two do end up tying the knot, then I’ll be more then happy to give my blessing,” Minerva said.

“Blessing? For playing with rope?” Charles asked as Minerva chuckled.

“I’ll tell you about it later,” Minerva said.

After about twenty minutes of waiting, they heard a knock on the door as Charles went to answer it. He opened it and saw Burt standing there, twirling his cane a bit. Charles almost thought he looked a bit awkward without his usual top hat/headphone combo, which he had replaced with a beanie of sorts. A bit strange, considering how hot it was outside.

“Hey Chuck,” Burt said, “Who am I looking after?”

“I keep telling you not to call me that. Follow me,” Charles said. Burt chuckled.

“Whatever you say, Chuck,” Burt teased as he followed Charles into the house and Burt looked to see Minerva sitting on the couch.

“Hello. You’re a Toppat, aren’t ya?” Minerva said.

“I’m not wearing my top hat today, but I am indeed a Toppat. You’ve never met me, but I’m Burt Curtis,” Burt said, introducing himself.

“Well, Burt, tell Reg I’m glad he’s concerned about me, but he has no need to send someone to look after me,” Minerva said.

“Wow, I wish I could leave! But I’m afraid you’re stuck with me. I’m under direct orders,” Burt said.

“Ah, I see…” Minerva said softly.

“Thank you, Bertram, I’ll be on my way then,” Charles said as he headed out the door.

“Hey, don’t call me that!” Burt said.

“Don’t call me Chuck.”

“Hm… nah.” Charles rolled his eyes as he exited the house and glanced at his internal clock. He could make it if he ran. So he ran with all his might.

After about thirty minutes, he finally reached the train station, looking around as he tried to spot Henry.

Maybe he’s on the platform.

He headed over towards the train platform, glancing around as he gazed over the platform and saw Henry, gazing at him with his deep blue eyes. Just as he was about to call to him, a train suddenly passed by, coming to stop just a few feet away. He waited for the train to pass before seeing that Henry was no longer there.

“Henry?” Charles said softly.

“Charles.”

Charles jumped as he saw Henry standing not too far from him, his eyes filled with determination as Charles breathed a sigh of relief.

“Henry… geez, I can’t believe that you’re here. I don’t know what-”

DON’T WORRY ABOUT THAT RIGHT NOW, Henry signed before he motioned for Charles to follow him. Charles’ eyes widened as he headed behind him, Henry taking out his scooter as he beckoned for Charles to hop on. Charles obeyed, hanging onto Henry tightly as they headed back into town.

“Where to first?” Charles shouted as Henry revved up his engine.

“Park,” Henry said as he sped down the road.

- - - - -

Rupert felt a bit dizzy. He hadn’t really eaten since last night and even then it wasn’t much. He sighed as he entered a restaurant and ordered something, sitting down at one of the tables to think. Come to think of it, as he ate, this kind of reminded him of something…

“RooRoo…” Jaques said softly as Rupert stared at the plate in front of him.

“NO!” Rupert shouted, slamming his tiny hands on the table.

“Rupert, if you wanna be big and strong like your uncle, you’d better eat your broccoli,” Minerva scolded. Rupert shook his head. He must have been three at the time, still not a big talker. But he still liked saying “No” a lot.

“Rupert, you shouldn’t be so picky. If you don’t eat your broccoli, you’ll be so tiny that you’ll have to use a step stool every time you want to use the sink!” Jaques said. Rupert still shook his head, which made Minerva glance at Jaques worriedly.

“Hmmm, I recall your mother talking about ordering an ice cream if all the vegetables on your plate were gone. But, she didn’t say who it would go to, so I guess since you don’t want wanna eat them, I’ll eat them for you,” Jaques said.

“OK!” Rupert said, pushing his plate towards his uncle.

“And then I get to have your ice cream too!” Jaques said mischievously, already spearing one of the little pieces.

“NO! NO WAIT!” Rupert shouted, pulling the plate back towards him. Jaques smiled humorously as he saw Rupert debating his options at this point, trying to figure out if it was worth it. Finally he took his fork and carefully speared one of the pieces of broccoli before putting it in his mouth, making a face as he chewed. This continued for a few minutes before he looked up at his mom hopefully, before she shook her head with a soft smile.

“Alright, alright, you’ve made your point. Jaques has to pay for the ice cream though,” Minerva said.

“Huh? Really?” Jaques said.

“Oh please, quit acting like you’re not made of money from that ‘job’ you brag about so much. It’s not like ice cream is that expensive,” Minerva told him. Jaques chuckled as he glanced at the menu once again.

“Alright, fine. I’ll order for everyone. What flavor do you want, RooRoo?”

Rupert’s eyes lit up as he smiled really big.

“CHOCOLATE!” he shouted. Jaques beamed back at him, a warm sweet smile.

Rupert snapped out of it as he felt tears springing in his eyes. No… Jaques was the bad guy right? But why did every memory he think of feel so warm?

He had to push this out of his mind. Maybe he should blow off steam somewhere. A place he used to go when he was very young. He finished his lunch and headed out the door.

“EXCUSE ME YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT!” someone shouted. Rupert pursed his lips before he bolted, realizing he had left his wallet at home.

“STOP! THIEF! Someone stop him!” the waiter shouted as Rupert ran down the street as fast as he could, his blood turning cold as ice as he hid in an alleyway. He breathed out a sigh of relief, trying not to concentrate on the fact that he just did a dine and dash.

It was only one time. You’re not a bad person. You’re not a bad person.

- - - - -

Charles paced around the park as he looked around with his various visions. He found that Rupert had been there recently as Henry eyed the playground nearby.

“Rupert has been here…” Charles said, “I think we missed him though.” Henry only shrugged as Charles gave him a hard look. However, he couldn’t exactly criticize Henry’s apathy towards the situation. Rupert had always given him a hard time due to his past, so it was only fair that Henry wasn’t too keen on finding him that easily.

“So are we going on a wild goose chase for nothing. I don’t want Rupert to get hurt,” Charles said.

WHO KNOWS, Henry said, MAYBE WE’LL FIND A CLUE HERE, MAYBE WE WON’T. ALL I KNOW IS THAT RUPERT ISN’T GOING TO BE HIMSELF FOR MUCH LONGER. Charles felt himself turn a little cold as he turned towards Henry.

“What do you mean? Is he… is he going to-”

HE’S NOT GOING TO HURT HIMSELF. LET’S JUST SAY IF WE KEEP GOING DOWN THE PATH WE’RE GOING RIGHT NOW… Henry hesitated for a second before shaking his head.

NEVER MIND. WE’D BETTER KEEP GOING. LET’S LOOK AROUND THE PARK SOME MORE. MAYBE SOMEONE HAS SEEN HIM.

“Hello again, Stickmin.”

Charles and Henry turned to see Johnny Panzer himself, a sort of determined look on his face as he glanced at Charles.

“And if it isn’t the oh so important government pilot,” Johnny said.

“Former government pilot. I got kicked out,” Charles said.

“How’d you manage that?” Johnny laughed.

“Does it really matter to you?” Charles hissed at him as Johnny backed off.

“Take it easy! Actually, you guys tend to hang around him more; have you guys seen Rupert?”

“Funny thing, we’re actually looking for him ourselves. I thought Minerva would have told you he ran off after last night,” Charles said.

“What? I’m not here because of Ms. Price. I’m trying to arrest him.”

“WHAT?!” Even Henry shouted with Charles as both their eyes went wide as Johnny shrugged.

“It’s the strangest thing! Apparently he was involved in a dine and dash just a few minutes ago. I don’t know what came over him. He was always a bit of a troublemaker and he often liked to bend the rules, but breaking the rules? That doesn’t seem like him…” Johnny shook his head.

“Rupert committed a crime?” Charles whispered.

IT’S NOT THAT IMPRESSIVE. HE’D HAVE TO DO SOMETHING REALLY RECKLESS TO IMPRESS ME, Henry said.

“Well, that’s all the more reason to find him! I’m not saying that he’s becoming a bad person, I’m one to talk, but he can’t lose himself like that! C’mon Henry we have to go!” Charles shouted as Henry ran off towards his locked scooter.

“Just be careful! And let me know if you do see him!” Johnny shouted.

Charles gripped onto Henry tightly as he revved up his scooter and began to speed off.

“Where else could he have gone?” Charles said, “No one in the park has seen him…” Charles began to wrack his brain as he suddenly got an idea. He opened up his messenger and started to text Minerva.

xXBold_Action_ManXx: Minerva?

MinniePrice3: Yes, what’s wrong?

xXBold_Action_ManXx: You said that Rupert would often sneak out to hang out with friends when he was younger. Do you know where he might have gone?

MinniePrice3: Oh dear, he could have gone anywhere. Most of his old haunts are pretty much buildings now. There was old abandoned building he used to run around when he was younger. It’s only Hatcher Street, but I wouldn’t be shocked if he made his way out there. The question is if it’s still there.

xXBold_Action_ManXx: Well either way it helps. Thank you.

“Henry, do you know where Hatcher Street is?”

“Duh. I used to live here,” Henry responded.

“Minerva said that Rupert might be out there. Let’s see if we can’t corner him!” Charles said.

“That’s halfway across town. I don’t know if we’ll make it on this thing.”

“We have to try!” Henry let out a small sigh before nodding his head, speeding along the streets. Maybe he could catch him. He did know a shortcut.

Meanwhile, Rupert was getting kicked out of a cab after admitting that he didn’t have a wallet, being called a lowlife as the cab sped away. It wasn’t too far of a walk to Hatcher Street, but he desperately need money and he needed it badly. Suddenly, he saw something. There were two Toppats, talking to each other… and pointing at a bank.

Man, that made his blood boil, just seeing two criminals out in the open and of course, no one was going to catch them or do anything about them. They would just steal and steal and never do anything good or-

“HEY!” One of the Toppats shouted at him. Rupert jumped a bit as he glared at the Toppats, who approached him.

“Yeah, I think this is him…” he said.

“Who?” Rupert said softly, backing away.

“Hey, we don’t want any trouble. We were asked to look for you, but we got a bit sidetracked.” The Toppat knelt his head towards the bank as Rupert glared at him.

“Look, I don’t care what you guys do in your spare time, stealing is wrong and you know that!” Rupert shouted.

“Whatever floats your boat, goody-two-shoes,” the Toppat said, “C’mon, you need to come with us.”

“No, I don’t want to go anywhere with you!” Rupert shouted.

“Look your mom is super worried about you,” the other Toppat claimed, “I don’t think Reg will take too kindly to you running off.”

“And we weren’t exactly asked to be gentle…” the Toppat said.

“WAIT!” Rupert shouted. He suddenly had an idea. A very morally bankrupt one, but it was better then nothing, “Is robbing a bank… really that fun?” The two of them exchanged glances before one of them shot him a grin.

“We could show you if you like,” the grinning Toppat said.

“But you have to stick with us the entire time, even if you get caught,” the other said, “Do you promise that?” Rupert gulped. He hoped this was enough of a distraction.

“Sure, why not?” Rupert said softly. The Toppats motioned for Rupert to follow them as he tried desperately not to be seen. He looked and saw one of them pull out a phone and start typing while the other asked him to follow him.

“Rash is getting the map of this bank right now. It’s very important. Now you should go in just as normal customer. There shouldn’t be too big of a line, but if you just sit at one of those couches and read a magazine, you should be fine. You’ll serve as a look out. Once you get a good idea of the security, message me-” he pulled out his own phone, “-And I’ll cause a distraction. Then you slip away and follow Rash’s instructions, OK?” Rupert gulped as he nodded his head.

So he went through with the plan. He entered the bank, trying to act as nonchalant as possible as he sat on the couch and grabbed one of the financial magazines, thumbing through it as he looked around, trying to see if anything was off. There was a security guard that was stationed at the door, a few security cameras here and there, but nothing more really. Guess they don’t usually expect too many robberies.

He pulled out his phone, positioning it just behind his magazine and messaged the Toppat outside that there was no one else in the bank besides one security guard.

Crasher9000: PERFECT! I’ll be in in just a second!

Rupert felt his mouth go dry as Crash ran inside with a weapon, shouting as the teller started to shout, locking up their windows as the security guard rushed him. Luckily, Crash was able to incapacitate him long enough for Rupert to escape and head around the building as Rash smiled.

“This is the good part. Follow me.” Rash led Rupert to another door on the other side as he picked the lock, opening the door and gesturing for Rupert to follow him inside. As they passed through the small hallway, they heard the teller crying out as Rupert felt sick to his stomach. But now was his chance. Maybe if he could slip away…

“Where do you think you’re going?” Rash said, grabbing Rupert’s arm, “I need your help carrying this!” Rupert felt a bit nauseated as he was passed a couple of bags of cash.

“Take these and meet me outside. And let Crash know we’ve got the loot while you’re at it.” Rupert nodded his head as he ran outside with four big bags of money, heading out the door and dropping them on the ground before messaging Crash. Suddenly he heard sirens. Oh no…

Rupert tried to flee, but Rash managed to grab him before then.

“C’mon newbie, you’re fleeing with us whether you like it or not!” Rash shouted.

“NO!” Rupert shouted, kicking him in the leg. Not enough to hurt him, but at least enough to keep him from grabbing him again as he ran right out of the alleyway into another police car.

Part of him wanted to give away the location of his robber “buddies” as the officers sat in the car, their mouths agape, but Rupert winced as he ran the other way as fast as he could, running farther and faster then he had ever run before.

He finally stopped and looked around, realizing he was far off from Hatcher Street then he thought.

He found an old abandoned building and lay low in it, trying to breathe as he found it more difficult to do so. His vision was turning pink again…

Why? Why did this have to happen and now?!

Rupert felt the room spinning around him as he tried to keep his feelings under control, try to find some ground, but he felt himself floating in the air as he clenched his fists.

“FREEZE!” Rupert turned and in his faint vision he could see a police officer had his gun pointed at him.

“Price… I’m sorry to say this but you’re under arrest!” the officer said. Rupert squinted his eyes at him.

“No…”

Suddenly a blast of energy caused the officer to be launched backwards. He wasn’t too hurt, but he felt like the wind was knocked out of him as Rupert began to walk away, feeling sick to his stomach.

I really am the bad guy now…

- - - - -

Charles and Henry must have searched the entirety of Hatcher Street for at least an hour and a half. The two of them finally met up, letting out a small sigh as Henry shrugged.

“Henry, what if we never find him? I never got a chance to apologize to him. I… I was hurt by what he said, but honestly, I love him so much, I’d forgive if he was right in front of me right now…” Charles said, choking up a bit as tear drops displayed on his eyes. Henry patted his shoulder as he tried to reassure him before they were suddenly approached by an officer.

“Excuse me, sirs. We’re looking for a suspect in a bank robbery. Two Toppats were assisted by a civilian in robbing the bank over on Shatter Road not too far from here,” the officer said, “We were wondering if you knew anything?” Henry and Charles exchanged worried glances as Henry signed at the officer:

WHAT DID THE SUSPECT LOOK LIKE?

“Well, that’s the funny part. A lot of people are saying that it was Price! I can’t believe it. I thought he went into the government forces, not into crime!” Charles felt a strange feeling his stomach as he smiled.

“Ah, well, I hate to say it, but we haven’t seen him at all,” Charles told him.

“That’s funny. Panzer said that you guys were looking for him earlier,” the officer said, a sort of cold look in his eyes.

“Well that’s because we were looking for him because he ran away! Not because he was committing crimes!” Charles said, “I didn’t think he had it in him…”

ME NEITHER, Henry signed, clearly impressed. Suddenly the officer’s radio went off as he listened closely before nodding his head.

“On it. Sorry, but I have to take this. Apparently, they found those two Toppats over on the other side of Hatcher Street. Maybe Price is there as well. Maybe we can talk some sense into him.” The officer ran off before Henry turned towards Charles.

“What are we going to do? I feel like we’ve explored this entire street and there’s still no sign of him…” Charles said.

THE BEST THING WE CAN DO NOW IS HOPE WE CAN FIND HIM HERE, Henry signed, glancing around the street a bit

“I don’t know if he’d stick around if he knew he was in trouble,” Charles said, “Let’s start by going down Hatcher Street and seeing what lies beyond. Maybe we can see where he went from there…”

Henry nodded his head in agreement as they both got on the scooter and started heading down the road once again, their minds racing.

Rupert was in an abandoned factory on Juniper Street, not too far from Hatcher Street as he tried to keep himself calm. Things were really starting to fall apart. It was almost as if it felt natural, breaking into a bank, dine and dashing, resisting arrest, and assaulting an officer… he was in pretty deep now. Even if he could come back from all this…

Nothing could compare to the fact that he finally understood why the government forces had kept him under such a tight microscope. Not to put pressure on him now that he seemed qualified for the position, but to make sure he didn’t slip up, he didn’t regress.

He didn’t become a Toppat…

But then again, what was so bad about being a Toppat? He thought about what Charles had said last night. That despite how bad they were, they were also very strong. Maybe, just maybe...

No he couldn’t be! He couldn’t seriously be thinking about becoming a Toppat. He thought about today’s events and considered it. Coming back from all that was going to take a lot of hard work. He wouldn’t be surprised if he was demoted or worse: kicked out.

Just like Charles.

Maybe that wasn’t so bad. He reflected on his childhood, finding places like this and hanging out with his friends until he got kicked out, usually by police officers. Why was he such a trouble maker back then? It wasn’t like he had a troubled childhood. Maybe it was because he wanted to blow off some steam.

He had two fathers, one who had helped conceive him but ran away and one who was jackass from when his mom married him to when they finally moved out here. What the heck was she thinking? What the heck were any of them thinking?

Maybe he should try again. A long time ago, his friend had convinced him to steal a couple of things from a convenience store. While the rush of stealing something felt good, he couldn’t help but feel bad about the paycheck cuts the store clerk might have suffered. Still it was just a few bags of chips and a soda. So whatever.

Maybe he should go bigger…

As he walked further down the street, he spotted a jewelry store, obviously the most modern building on the street. He strolled past it, eyeing the jewels inside and feeling a strange rush go over him. What was going on? Why did he feel like this now? He never felt like this before…

He felt a surge of energy rush through him. If only this dumb glass window wasn’t in the way… if only he could reach inside and just grab what he wanted…

Another flash of pink in his vision and suddenly the window shattered, causing an alarm to go off. He gasped as he glanced around, wondering if anyone saw him before he jumped into the store, grabbing an expensive looking bracelet before running in the other direction as fast as he could, trying to keep his face hidden as he felt his heart pounding in his throat.

Eventually, he ducked back into the abandoned factory as he inspected his new prize. It was a beautiful bracelet, a small thin gold chain with a beautiful turquoise gemstone embedded within it. He wanted to feel bad, he really did. But some reason, he couldn’t find it in himself to feel bad anymore. A wicked smile crossed his face as he began to laugh, feeling invigorated for the first time in a while.

He had already committed so many crimes.

What was one more?

#the henry stickmin collection #rupert price #charles calvin #henry stickmin #the narrators stories #fan fic #fanfiction

23 notes · View notes

inlocusmads · 23 days

Note

Hii 🥰

I saw these picture prompts and I thought I’d send them your way. You can create anything you’d like. Moodboards, edits or even write a story, whatever makes you happy.

The most important thing is that you have fun (and don’t worry you can answer the ask whenever you have time or feel inspired) 🥰

Thanks for the prompt Peonie!

Empty Wallets, Terrible People & Other Signs of Spring: rowan stone & stevie sun (murder at homecoming)

wc: 502, teen and up for strong language

a/n: this takes place before the events of murder at homecoming - i.e when they're sophomores

____

“Stevie, what the fuck.”

Rowan threw her hands up in exasperation. She examined one of the peaches to find some rotten mold stuck to their skin. It wasn't Stevie’s fault, clearly - given it was the contractor to blame but Rowan was a bit bummed nonetheless. She was now answerable to the Spring Fair committee, which involved dealing with a bunch of crappy seniors who took great pleasure in bullying the fuck out of a bunch of worker-bee sophomores. It wasn't like they could call Gabriela to fix the problem, as per usual. The amount of times Rowan would need her to bail them both out was too many to count on a few fingers.

Stevie had just finished up drawing a sign and balanced it on a crate.

“Don't worry about the ones that look dead, I'll have some guy get it thrown out.”

“Good sign.” Rowan pointed out.

“Right?”

“Can you squeeze peaches?”

“Dude.” Stevie rolled her eyes, exasperated.

“I'm kidding.” Rowan burst into laughter. “No, this will piss off like - uh, seven people.”

Don't squeeze me until I'm yours. The sign read.

“Piss off all the right people, you mean.” Stevie delivered a light punch at Rowan’s shoulder. “Guess who's in charge of exhibits?”

“That guy? Fuck.”

Rowan knew Stevie had been having some problems with Brett Morris, but the nature of it was unknown. Rowan didn't want to press on the subject either. It wasn't like she was close enough with Stevie to warrant a reason, much less get comfortable enough to laugh at her jokes.

“Well, if he's giving you problems -”

“Nah, he's -- he's --” Stevie struggled to get through her sentence. “Y'know what, it's his problem. Fuck Brett.”

“Yeah, erm- fuck him.”

“As a matter of fact I should - like draw some stuff on the cardboard- make his job answering to a bunch of kids a lot more difficult.”

Rowan noticed a little bit of discomfort at the mention of Brett but as quickly as she let herself express it, Stevie had let it pass by.

A pause.

“You want to go grab some churros?”

“Aren't we supposed to take care of the peaches?”

“They're just peaches, right?” Rowan shrugged nonchalantly. “Pretty sure nobody even -- eats fruits anymore. Let's go get some churros, c'mon.”

Stevie gave her an amused smile. “This is the most pathetic way I've ever been asked out.”

“No - what the - no, no, this is - dude, it's food. We're grabbing food.”

“Yeah, you give someone else those wet cat sad eyes and they'll toss a diamond carat ring at your forehead.” Stevie laughed. “I'm kidding. Come on. God, you're like - so uptight and everything. Also I'm broke, so you're paying, sorry about that.”

“I've got like five bucks. In this economy we can't even afford half a churro in this overpriced fundraiser.”

“Quarter of a churro it is, then.” Stevie settled. “You can afford a quarter churro, right?”

“I mean- you can get nothing and everything for five bucks.”

“Pretty sure the economy doesn’t work like that, Rowan.”

____

A/N: this was just a really quick drabble I thought of ahaha. Also yes, this takes place a year after Brett Morris almost sexually assaults Stevie. I'd like to think at this point, Rowan and Stevie aren't exactly the best of friends, but sort of like 'hallway friends' - you know the kind where you meet at hallways and say hi, so it takes a lot longer for both of them to kind of start talking to each other - between Stevie's own reluctance to put her trust in a good place and Rowan to actually open up.

So they're kind of dancing on the "hey I want you to be my friend but -- uh, I don't know how to talk to you" line.

I'm still trying to figure out a nice cohesive relationship timeline for them, so prompts like these really help out. Thank you so much!

Tagging: perma: @quixoticdreamer16 @tessa-liam @stars-are-within-me @thosehallowedhalls

(since I don't have an MAH-exclusive tag-list yet, I'll just tag some perma people who might be interested)

#askboxed #peonierose #stevie x rowan #murder at homecoming #w:inlocusmads #my drabbles

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sobredunia · 5 months

Note

Hey u should tell me oc lore ok? ok we can exchange oc lore like uh. uhm. like. we can exchange. like telling stories around a campfire yeah thats it. yeah. yay

okay so i started writing this and then i had to go to sleep and now that I wake up in the morning tumblr has eaten the entire fucking ask. thankfully i decided to copypaste it on a drive folder but fucking christ i did a lot of text and tumblr eated it all and didnt even care :(

This started out remotely normal and I ended up writing it like fanfiction lmao

(TW: cannibalism (?), death, mentions of alcohol consumption)

Okay so there's this guy named Charcoal, he's a fox that can turn into a human :D. He's been alive for a very long time, causing mischief be it through good actions or bad actions just to see what would happen. Although he can easily blend in with the humans, he changes his aspect to show more fox-like features just to see how they'd react. Most of the towns he's been in either consider him a small god to pray and make offers to or a threat that needs to be eliminated (but he's always faster, always smarter. he knows humans all too well)

The years pass and pass, and he's decided that he's gonna enter this one city looking like a starved and sad teenage boy, trying to see if these humans are foolish enough that they'll treat him kindly

They don't

He begs for money on the streets and no one gives him anything. He begs for food in restaurants that are about to take out the trash and no one gives him anything. He begs other homeless people to make space for one more in their makeshift huts and no one does

The bigger the city, the ruder the people, he's noticed

Eventually, he just pickpockets someone and goes to a random bar to get at least a bit happy before sleeping somewhere as a fox. He'll go to a different city tomorrow

"Are you sure you're old enough for a drink?"

The bar is run by an old man that looks like he should've retired more than a decade ago

This was the most compassion Charcoal had been shown in the entire city, so he decided he'd try to play his role just a bit more

"Psh- of course!" He says in a tone that makes it seem like he's lying, and then slides the coins he stole over to him

The old man frowns, before going under the bar and pouring the drink he had asked for, and then retrieving the coins

He takes a sip, and notices that it's a non alcoholic drink. Still, he technically gave him what he asked for, so he can't complain. He can appreciate a fellow trickster

The two engage in conversation, Charcoal coming up with a sob story about how he's an orphan that escaped a cruel orphanage and is now looking for refuge in an unknown part of the city. He also sees how the old man engages with the other clients, remembering their names and preferred drinks and how much they had all drank, knowing when to stop pouring them glasses. Despite some rude and some annoying customers, the old man dealt with them with patience and appropriate responses, and he always gave a listening ear to any who needed them. Charcoal was definitely impressed

Once everyone had had their fill, the old man shooed them out, all but Charcoal

He offered him a job and a place to stay, living in his house that was over the bar and working as a barista or when he wasn't able to work due to age

"Isn't it illegal to work while you're this old?"

"As long as none of the clients snitch, it doesn't matter. And it's not like you're living a very lawful life yourself"

He cackled. "You got me there"

When Charcoal went to sleep, he decided he'd keep up the bit for just a few more days, just to see what it's like to be a bartender, and maybe snatch all the money in the register once he bails out and goes someplace else

He did not, in fact, stay there for "just a few more days"

He hated to admit it, but he'd actually grown attached to that old man and the barista lifestyle. It was fun listening to stories and breaking or starting fights. He also began to gradually change his appearance, to simulate the concept of growing up. When the old man began to teach him how to pour and mix drinks and what the regulars' preferences were, it genuinely felt like an honor, and his days of aimless wandering and pranks and thievery were long behind him

And then tragedy struck

The old man had a heart attack

He had actually written a will. A will where he left everything he had to Charcoal, the closest thing he'd ever had to family

It actually hurt

He actually wanted to cry

He had been alive for years and years, and this was the one time he had cared so much about someone. Not as a human, but as a person

He decided he'd continue running the bar, to honor him

He wasn't so sure why he did that so determined. But he did

But it wasn't the same without him there

He started to lose regulars and newcomers alike, leaving the bar nearly empty most nights

On a rather populated night, though, he met a certain someone

Someone like him

An animal that could turn into a human

A hare. Chalk was his name

He looked like any other person, although he was rather insistent on keeping his hat on

They didn't recognise eachother for what they were. Not right away, anyway. It was only when he saw a bit of a hare ear poking out from under the hat that he realised

They hit it off right away after that, happy to not be the only ones. Charcoal offered a job as a bartender, like the old man had done all those years ago. He took it, because why not

He was far far younger than him, in his 20s. He still had that bit of respect for human rules and didn't view them as distanced from him as Charcoal did. It was probably a thing that came with age. There were still plenty of humans older than him, after all, and he had next to no life experience

Money wasn't exactly an issue. If they wanted, they could just steal some, but Charcoal knew that's not what the old man would have wanted. He wanted to try living clean. For at least a while. But the bar just kept on losing clients

And then, the straw that broke the camel's back

Charcoal was out in the back, about to throw a trash bag into the larger container, when he noticed something in it

A corpse

A young woman's corpse

He panicked. Someone must've dumped her there after killing her

He couldn't let the body be discovered here. If it did, it would be the final nail in the coffin for the bar, and they would have to close it for good. No one wants to go drink in a place where they murdered a young lady

So, in a panic, he retrieved the corpse and put it inside the bar, locking the door

Chalk panicked when he entered the kitchen and saw the scene

"What the fuck did you do!?"

Charcoal hurriedly explained the scene and the consequences this would have for the establishment if she was found here

"S-so, you want to move her someplace else?"

"No, we can't risk it getting traced to here. Then we'll get in even bigger trouble for having moved it"

"Then what do you suggest we do!?"

"..."

Charcoal took a cleaver and chopped up the body, before turning his mouth into that of a fox, and eating desperately

Charcoal could only watch in horror as his friend ate a human like a rabid beast, turning his hands into claws to rip apart the flesh better

Eventually, he finally stopped being locked in place and left to fill up as a bartender for the two clients they had. Luckily, both of them were too drunk to notice anything. Chalk shooed them out before going back to the kitchen. It was a mess. So was Charcoal. He was too busy licking the bones clean to notice him coming back. Or even leaving in the first place

They cut up the bones even more, before keeping them in a plastic bag to turn into stew later. Things like the skull or the hips were grinded up beyond recognition and thrown out through drains, sinks and toilets, and the two silently agreed to never speak about this again

Besides, they just had to wait around 30 years until the case went cold. What's that to someone who's lived for far longer than that?

At least Charcoal could say that. Chalk was still very disturbed by the whole ordeal. He couldn't really blame him

They pretended not to care when they started seeing the missing person posters

#ask #zecri #oc lore ???#chalk #charcoal

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nancys4gf · 2 years

Text

first choice | steve harrington

summary: all the best things in life are impossible to predict.

pairing: steve harrington x gender neutral reader

warnings: none

note: okay i know steve had already finished school when he and robin became friends but.. that's what fanfiction is about right?!?!!? also his 'no sequel could ever be better than the first movie' theory is not valid because he hasn't seen high school musical 2. anyways i hope you enjoy :D i really liked this one!

̟ ̇.˚︵‿୨♡୧‿︵˚.✩

“that’s a fancy way to say you don’t want to work with me, robin.”

“no, no!” she exclaimed, waving her hands frantically. “i do! i just think we should broaden our horizons. miss each other for a while, so we can come back stronger.”

steve rolled his eyes. “just say you want to pair up with someone who gets better grades.”

“no! well…” she gave a defeated sigh.

“i get it,” he raised his hands. “i’m not good enough for you.”

“you’re insufferable.” robin groaned, covering her face with her hands. “i promise we’ll do the next group project together.”

“yeah, yeah.” steve waved her off, and robin stood up, decided to find a new partner.

steve saw her as she approached vickie, taking a deep breath before tapping on her shoulder. he scoffed, shaking his head. sure. better grades.

he looked around, wondering who he could work with. ever since he had grown apart from his old crowd and started hanging out with robin, he didn’t really talk with lots of people at school.

besides, english wasn’t a subject he was exactly good at, so he needed someone who would balance it out. unfortunately, all the smart people had already paired up with other smart people, obviously.

he scanned the room again. this time, he saw you, immersed in a book with your headphones on. you immediately caught his interest. you were alone and didn’t look like you had a partner. plus, you were reading. surely you had to be smart.

he walked towards your desk, and cleared his throat. you slowly lifted your gaze, taking the headphones off your ears.

“hey, i’m steve,” he extended his hand awkwardly. you shook it, a confused expression on your face. “uh, would you like to be my partner?”

you looked around, wondering if he had mistaken you for someone else. but his insistent eyes gazed into yours, the question swimming in his brown irises. and before you knew it, you heard yourself accepting his offer.

— ❀ —

it was a warm, lovely spring afternoon. an afternoon you were spending at steve harrington’s house, sitting on the floor in his room.

you had to write an analysis on ‘the picture of dorian gray’, and you were currently outlining the essay while steve looked for the main themes in the book.

steve had put on some music you wouldn’t normally listen to, but you would take anything over the awkward, heavy silence.

“i’m confused.” you said suddenly, setting your book down.

steve looked up, his eyes wide and his hair messy from having run his hands through it.

“if you’re confused, then we might as well give up now.”

“not about this,” you gestured to the pile of books and papers lying on the floor. “about why you asked me to be your project partner.”

“oh,” he nodded. “well, my friend robin, do you know her? she’s in band–”

“i know who robin is.”

“right.” he paused. “basically, robin bailed on me. and you didn’t have a partner either, so i figured...”

“so i’m your second choice.” you stated.

“no!” he shook his head, even though you both knew it was true. you wouldn’t even be talking to each other if it wasn’t for this project. “i mean, kind of? but i did choose you.”

“it’s alright, harrington.” you chuckled, directing your attention towards the homework again. “you weren’t exactly my first choice, either.”

you weren’t looking at him anymore, and it was clear that the conversation had ended as soon as it had started. but steve kept his gaze fixed on you.

he noticed you were wearing mismatched socks, and that you used a purple pen, leaving your fingers stained with ink. you were moving your head and tapping your foot to the beat of the music. you hadn’t noticed this, of course. but steve had.

— ❀ —

“we got an a!” steve cried out, shoving the paper in your face.

“of course we did,” you grinned. “no one knows more about oscar wilde than us.”

“i think this calls for a celebration.” he declared. “what do you think?”

you crossed your arms over your chest. “what did you have in mind?”

“you know that diner near my house? we could go there. they make a sick strawberry milkshake.”

you narrowed your eyes at him, playing with the folded edges of your book.

“you know this was just a regular midterm project.” you said. “it’s not a big deal.”

“you’ve got to celebrate the small victories, right?” he insisted. “come on.”

and so, next saturday, you wondered how you had ended up here: standing outside a crowded diner, waiting for steve harrington of all people.

but before you could even consider the possibility of leaving, you saw him walking up to you, a huge grin on his face.

“you came.” he said, standing in front of you.

“well, when you agree to hang out with someone, you’re kind of supposed to show up.”

he laughed and motioned to open the diner door, making a gesture for you to go first.

you sat across from each other in a booth steve chose, and opened the menus.

“strawberry milkshake, you said?” you spoke, staring at the menu.

“yes. you have to get one. they use real strawberries. none of that artificial shit.”

“but what if i want to try the chocolate one?” you teased.

“then,” he gave you a sly smile. “we’ll share.”

“the milkshake move.” you smirked, closing the menu and placing your arms on the table. “classic.”

“no, no.” steve laughed. “this isn’t a date. if this was a date, i would have picked you up. i would be sitting next to you–”

“so you could put your arm around me.” you interrupted.

“exactly.” a smile crept across his face. “i would have gushed all about how pretty you look, and charmed you with my incomparable sense of humor. and then we’d end the night driving around and looking at the stars, or something.”

“the harrington date guide.” you stated entertainingly. steve only raised an eyebrow in response, a smirk dancing on his lips.

after you had ordered and gotten your food, steve leaned in, staring at you.

“tell me something about you.” he said, throwing a fry into his mouth.

“what do you want to know?”

“anything.”

you pondered for a moment, trying to find something about you that would be interesting enough to catch steve harrington’s interest.

“you read a lot, don’t you?”

you furrowed your eyebrows. “how do you know that?”

“you’re always reading at school.” he said obviously.

“right. yeah, i guess i do.”

“so, what are you reading right now?”

“a mystery murder book. you have to solve the murder along with the main character, a detective.” you immediately perked up, your excitement growing as you spoke. “but the thing is, since it’s narrated in third person, you know some things that the detective doesn't. and you can only hope that he makes the right choice. it’s amazing.”

steve was staring at you. suddenly feeling embarrassed, you shook your head. “sorry, you probably don't want to hear about this.”

“no, no, i do.” he urged, nodding his head, his hair moving up and down.

“yeah?”

he was grinning at you. a genuine, warm smile that made you feel as if your mystery books were the most interesting thing in the world. your shoulders relaxed, as you took a sip of the strawberry milkshake.

“so, do you know who the killer is?”

you chuckled. “i think i do, yeah.”

“do tell.”

— ❀ —

when you walked out of the dinner, the stars and the moon were already in the sky.

“wow,” steve observed. “i didn’t notice how late it was.”

“me neither.” you said, gaze fixed on the night sky.

the diner’s parking lot was almost deserted. if it hadn’t been because the waitress told you they were closing up, you and steve probably wouldn’t have left.

you put your hands in the pockets of your jean jacket, waiting for him to say something.

“so, uh, i had fun.” he said awkwardly, glancing at you.

“me too.”

he nodded his head, distractedly kicking a small rock.

“steve?”

he had turned towards you before his name was even fully out of your mouth. “yeah?”

“i don’t really…” you started. “want to go yet.”

steve’s entire face lightened up, shining even brighter than the stars.

“i was hoping you’d say something.”

“what should we do?” you said giddily, not being able to hide the way you were feeling. not wanting to, either.

“follow me.” he said, taking his car keys out of the back pocket of his jeans.

and you did exactly that, walking together with him towards his car. but when you got there, you stopped on your tracks and pressed your eyes shut.

“shit.”

“what?”

“my car. i can’t just leave it here.”

steve put his hands on the sides of his waist, looking deep in thought.

“we have two options.” he concluded. “we come back for it later, or we leave separately. depends on how much time you actually want to spend with me.”

you acted as if you had to think about it, your heart fluttering against your chest. finally, you broke into a smile, opening the passenger's seat door.

“let’s go.”

“i’m not saying the second movie is better, i’m just saying it’s better written.”

“no second movie is better than the first. ever.”

“oh, is that an actual hypothesis? you’ve got enough proof to back it up?”

“i just know i’m right.” steve shrugged and glanced at you, lying by his side. “when the third movie comes out, we should go see it.”

“none of your friends would want to go with you?” you joked, and steve stared at you.

“no,” he spoke softly. “you’d be my first choice.”

your heart skipped a beat, and you gazed at him. he was wearing a green sweater which made him almost disappear into the grass he was lying on. he had covered your legs with his jacket, claiming you’d be cold otherwise. you really weren't. but you let him do it anyway.

it was incredible, how you had been strangers only a few weeks ago. steve was so easy to talk to, and he complemented you so well that you almost felt as if you had known him for much longer.

“did i tell you how pretty you look?”

you snorted, and steve burst into laughter. his laugh broke through the quietness of the night, and even though the entirety of hawkins existed underneath the hill, in that moment, all that mattered was just you and him.

“i mean it!”

as warmth rose to your cheeks, you turned, staring up at the sky.

“stargazing.” you stated.

“stargazing.” he repeated, a smile creeping up on his face.

you didn’t notice, but he was staring at you with the same captivation you were looking at the stars with.

like all the best things in life, you never saw him coming.

#steve harrington #steve harrington au #steve harrington imagines #steve harrington fluff #steve harrington x reader #stranger things #stranger things imagines #stranger things au #stranger things x reader #stranger things fluff #joe keery #steve harrington imagine #stranger things imagine #steve harrington x gender neutral reader #stranger things x gender neutral reader #robin buckley

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