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wallwriterstuff · 7 months

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A Little Blood Never Scared Me ||Kyle 'Gaz' Garrick x Female!Reader||

Warnings: Mentions of alcohol consumption/drunkenness. Descriptions of injury, blood and violence. Descriptions of the disconnect between being home and being out in the field. A few swear words and so much fluff near the end your teeth will rot.

Tags: Written (very late, sorry!) for @glitterypirateduck 's October 141 writing challenge because I currently have an unhealthy obsession with Modern Warfare. Prompts used include 2 characters (Gaz and Price), Damsel in Distress, and Taking Care of Each other.

Words: 4091

Summary: It can be difficult to readjust to civilian life without appropriate distractions. Or - the story of how Gaz can't help but play the role of knight in shining armor despite being on leave and meets the best distraction yet.

It’s never easy to come home and rejoin the real world.

Out in the middle of some war-torn territory it’s easy to forget how…mundane, it all is. When he exchanges the hard smoothness of his rifle for the hard smoothness of a whisky tumbler at the local pub it all feels very surreal. There’s nothing more foreign than the flimsy weight of a kitchen knife when your used to a combat blade. Hell, even his nose keeps twitching because the shower gel he uses at home isn’t the same as the standard issue soaps he’s used to at the barracks. He’s gone from scentless to being a human Yankee candle and it’s making his skin crawl almost as much as the clattering of pool balls, pinging in his ears like the deafening roar of a mortar strike. That being said, the burn in his throat is a welcome distraction, as is the company. Price has a way of putting it all into perspective he’s just yet to master and if Kyle has chosen him as his own personal Obi-wan, well, Price doesn’t need to know.

“You called your mum yet?” He asks him, eyes crinkling at the edges as he smirks a bit at Kyle’s obvious wince. Shaking his head, the younger man taps his fingers against the side of his tumbler before lifting it to his lips. He pauses, briefly, eyes lifting to meet piercing, amused blue.

“Will when I’m ready, you know what she’s like.” He sips, savouring the grounding burn in the back of his throat. With his glass safely back on the table he lifts his cap, running a hand over his hair. It’s grown uncomfortable long, definitely not as short as he usually has it, but maybe that’s just him being overly aware of the regulations he doesn’t need to adhere to as much on leave. Price grunts a bit in acknowledgement, watching his sergeant carefully, and Kyle hates the feeling that somehow, he’s being looked through instead of at. Price has always been good at that to, the man’s instincts borderline supernatural, at least in Kyle’s opinion.

“Worrying about her son? How dare she.” There’s not a hint of mockery in Price’s voice but the underlying message is clear to Kyle. Get your head right and call your mother, you prick.

“Think she’s more worried about my sister at this point, what with her due and all.” Kyle deflects him from the crux of the matter with practiced ease, but he knows he only gets away with it because Price lets him. He’s not really sure he wants to delve too deeply into the idea that home feels like coarse sand in his boots and the smell of gunpowder instead of the plush carpets and excessive luxury of a 60-inch TV screen in his apartment.

“Due already? Thought she’d only just got knocked up?” Price’s eyes flicker about, tracking something over his shoulder. Kyle immediately feels his hackles raise but the subtle stiffening of his muscles is something he just about manages to push away with another admittedly large sip of his drink. It’s only someone exiting the bathroom.

“Watch it, might be my Captain but that’s my sister you’re talking about.” He warns lightly. Price grins a bit. Kyle let’s his eyes slide over the pub. They’ve chosen a table off to the side, tucked out of the way of prying eyes in such a position that let’s them see the entire room – not even Price can kick that instinct. There’s a middle-aged couple that appear to be on a date in the corner booth, smiling and ignorant of the world around them. A few rowdy regulars that the bartender dotes on at the dartboard let out another cheer as someone hits something remarkably close to a bullseye. It’s a bog-standard pub all in all, from the exposed wooden beams to the threadbare carpet that reeks of long-spilled booze and something that attempted to clean the spill. Nothing here to fear.

“She ready for the little one to arrive?” Price asks the question as if he has any way of knowing the answer. The disconnect between him and his family after months away is just as surreal to him as the prospect of cooking his own meals again rather than ripping open an MRE and praying it was somewhat edible this time. Price leads the conversation with the mastery of knowing the steps to the dance. It’s an easy routine, a simple one, and it brings him more comfort than he dares say. There’s aimless chatter and there’s noise but not too much noise, a good drink, and a warm atmosphere that almost, almost, mimics the heat of whatever godforsaken dessert he’s traipsed through this time. It’s grounding and mundane and a slow ease back into the reality of what everyday life tends to be when you aren’t being shot at or hanging from helicopters. By the time their three drinks in, Kyle feels less like a rattle snake coiled to strike and a little more human again.

The group at the dartboard have only gotten rowdier, and they’ve stumbled their way back over to the bar for another round. A shared glance is all it takes for Kyle to know this will be their last drink tonight, better to leave before anything kicks off amongst the herd of drunken fools and sets them back into fight or flight mode.

“I’ll call my Mum tomorrow.” Kyle relents finally, meeting Price’s eyes for a tad longer than necessary just to show he means it.

Price gives an approving nod, “Good lad.”

He glances over at the group at the bar, the boisterous laughter turning his head as he watches a woman gingerly skirt her way around them to head for the bathrooms. His eyes narrow in distaste as a particularly loud wolf-whistle makes your head duck and your pace increase. He understands their attraction, you’re easy on the eyes, but you clearly don’t want to be bothered either and he can see the flush on your cheeks is just as much down to embarrassment as it is alcohol consumption.

“Alright, who’s paying then?” He asks, tearing his eyes from your figure once he knows your safely tucked in the ladies out of their eyesight. Price tips his head, reaching for his wallet and producing a coin.

“Call it.”

“Tails.” Kyle’s response is immediate, eyes keenly tracking the coin as Price flips it. Judging by the disapproving grunt and the mild annoyance in his eyes, Price has lost this round, and he can’t stop the smug grin twitching his lips upwards. It falls quickly as he hears the hollering from the crowd at the bar.

“Go on son!”

“Get some!”

“Don’t fumble it mate!”

From the corner of his eye he sees a tall brunette man stumbling his way from the bar, and something about the look in his eyes sets him on edge. It’s almost predatory in nature, the kind of look that you see in nature documents as predators stalk their prey, and he twists his body instinctually to face the oncoming threat before he even fully comprehends what the threat is. He’s not sure what about this drunk buffoon sets him so on edge but he learned early on in his career that trusting your gut was usually the safest option. That and the idiot does look like a bit of a dick.

“Might come up with you to the bar anyway.” He says.

“Suit yourself.” Price’s voice is calm, unbothered, but it’s as natural and easy as breathing to Kyle to put himself as one more barrier between a potential threat and a friend. Neither of them even has a chance to get up from their seats before three things seem to happen at once.

1, you emerge from the bathroom.

2, the brunette man from the bar trips over his own feet.

3, the pair of you collide and create some cosmic chain of knock-on collisions that Kyle has only half a second to decide whether or not he can stop or if he just has to embrace it.

If he doesn’t want a broken wrist, embracing it seems to be his best option.

Fate deposits you in his lap not a second later, ribs cracking painfully against the tabletop and your hand slapping into his glass, even as he tries his best to steady you. You’re both covered in beer from the brunette guy’s drink as it sloshes from the pint glass and onto your clothes, and Kyle wrinkles his nose a bit against the sudden yeasty smell. There’s a sharp cry from both fallen parties and a soft grunt from him as your arse lands not so gently on more delicate areas of his body, but despite the jolt of pain in his thigh and wrists he’s otherwise doing far better than you, though he thinks you’re a bit too shell-shocked from the fall to recognise there’s blood dripping from your hand.

“Way to go Mark!”

“Fumbled it mate!”

The rowdy bar crew irk him more than he lets on as Price hauls up the idiot, Mark. His face is red from a mixture of alcohol, embarrassment, and anger, anger he swiftly lets loose on the three people in front of him. Price holds his hands up in surrender as Mark shirks him off rather violently, almost falling again when he twists too hard and quick in his uncoordinated state.

“Ge’off! You! You made me spill my beer!” The accusing finger pointed your way seems to snap you from your stupor and you wriggle out of Kyle’s gentle grip with wide eyes.

“I didn’t – what?” Your voice is a pitched squeak of disbelief and shock. Kyle stands, grabbing a wad of napkins to press it against your wound. “Ow! Hey! What the – oh my god…” You stare wide-eyed at the rivulet of blood rolling down your arm. It’s soaking through the napkins quicker than Kyle would like.

“Keep your arm up, above your heart. You won’t have hit anything major, it’s just the alcohol thinning your blood.” He reassures you, keeping his touch light and unintrusive. You could easily push his hand away but you don’t, surprised Y/E/C eyes flickering up meet his own.

“You even listenin’ to me you little bitch? I said you owe me another drink!” Mark’s words are so slurred that another drink is clearly a terrible decision for him.

“Oi, leave the lady in peace.” Price suggests. Knowing his Captain has him handled Kyle focuses his attention on you, gently moving the bloodied napkin from your palm. It sticks a bit, and you wince as the coarse material comes free of your broken skin.

“Sorry, sorry…you’re going to need stitches.” He informs you. There’s a jagged line that won’t stop pumping red, the flesh torn open with a glint of glass inside.

“Stitches? Oh no, not needles. I – shit I feel dizzy.” You turn whiter than a sheet at the thought and Kyle’s quick to adjust his grip on you to help you sit, keeping your arm elevated while you put your head between your knees.

“Easy, deep breaths, you’re going to be alright,” he crouches beside you, hearing Price and Mark squaring off behind him, “I’m Kyle. Can you tell me your name?”

“I’m Y/N.” your voice is a little weak. “Sorry for, you know, sitting on you.” Kyle chuckles a little at that, glancing up as Price hands him a towel. Price has angled himself between you two and the drunken fool as his friends come to collect him.

“Don’t worry about it, glad you landed on me and not the table.” He focuses on wrapping the towel around your hand, apologising quietly when the pressure makes you wince.

“Oh no, I landed on that to. I landed on all the things.” You groan a bit, good hand massaging your ribs. Kyle grimaces slightly.

“Can I check nothings broken?” he offers. You look up at him, search his gaze for any ill-intent, and then you nod. He makes sure to give you a reassuring smile as his hand finds your side, fingers gently applying pressure and watching your face for any signs of discomfort. It feels more intimate than is appropriate for a first meeting but your nerves bottle before his does and you look away with pink cheeks, which is a feat in itself because Kyle had been sure you’d lost a bit too much blood to blush like that.

“But she owes me a beer!” Mark is still insistent, even as his friends try to drag him away. Kyle huffs, annoyed now as he glances back at him over his shoulder.

“She owes you about as much as any other woman on the planet. Nothing. Now piss off and sober up mate.” There’s enough warning in his voice that Mark’s more sober friends hurry to comply with the thinly veiled threat.

“You got anyone who can get you to hospital love?” Price asks, standing as still as stone until he’s sure there’s no chance of Mark making his way back to you. Kyle keeps the pressure on your hand, seeing a bit more alertness to your eyes now.

“No, no we’ve both had something to drink.” You grimace, looking at Kyle with big doe eyes he finds more endearing than he’d care to admit. “Do I really need stitches?”

“Yeah, you do, and for someone to pick the glass out the wound,” Kyle’s smile is a tad sympathetic now, “But the good news is your ribs aren’t broken. You may have landed on all the things but you’re not too bad off for it.” His light teasing brings a twitch of a smile to your lips, a smile that quickly falls as Price questions if you have friends or a partner here to go with you. Though your eyes search the pub thoroughly, they fill with frustration and regret when you see no familiar face in sight.

“No…I was on a date,” you look a bit embarrassed to admit it, “Guess he snuck out while I was in the bathroom.” Kyle tilts his head slightly, carefully helping you to stand when you attempt it.

“More fool him, look at all the fun he could be having.” He says it just to see you smile, enjoying the tinkling of your laughter in his ears.

“Oh, bucket loads right? Christ…that stings.” Your smile falls away into a wince again, and though he knows he’ll get shit for it later from Soap when Price inevitably tells him, he can’t stop the offer from tumbling out of his mouth.

“I’ll go with you then.”

You sigh, “It’s okay, really, no need to ruin your night any more than I have.”

“Who said you’d ruined my night? Come on, let’s get you seen to.” He’s already gently guiding you out of the pub with Price on your other side, knowing you’re likely to protest anyway from the look on your face. You pause only to grab a jacket from your table before the cold night air envelopes you, Kyle keeping your arm up and sticking close to ensure your warm enough – the last thing he wants is you going into shock on him.

“Are you sure?” you ask for the hundredth time. Kyle silences you with a single look that has a shudder crawling up your spine, one he can feel ripple into him since you’re standing so close, and he feels a little smug at the reaction he gets from you. He’s seen your eyes lingering once or twice to, and he’s starting to thank whatever’s watching over him the evening took this turn.

“Gaz!” Price calls his name and Kyle turns to see him standing, holding open the door of a cab not 50 yards down the road. Bundled in the back of a cab that’s probably breaking a few speeding laws to get you both to a nearby hospital, he feels those instincts tugging at the back of his mind, trying to claw him back into work mode. There’s blood, there was the threat of violence, and it’s got all of his hackles raised a bit, even though he’s trying to be soft with you. You’re clearly in pain and still a little shocked by the nights events and he doesn’t want to be too stoic or too harsh and make it worse, so he focuses on the gentle smell of your perfume and the softness of your hair tickling the side of his face. It crosses his mind then you might be uncomfortable with his proximity, and he subtly tries to shift away only to find you follow him, naturally wanting more of his warmth as the blood loss and shock make you feel cold.

“Just to be clear, I don’t usually do this.” You say softly. Kyle glances at you with a raised eyebrow, your voice and the rumbling purr of the engine is all quiet and helps soothe some of his louder thoughts right now.

“You don’t usually bleed all over strangers at the pub? A shame, I was looking for someone who shared my hobby.” He tries to joke, feeling a bit rusty and out of practice, and realises too late how goddamn creepy that probably sounded. He’s thankful to hear your quiet laughter.

“No, well, yes, I don’t do that either, but I meant hopping into cabs with strangers.” You nudge his side lightly with your elbow and he relaxes a little more.

“We exchanged names and I’m covered in your blood, not sure we can call ourselves strangers anymore, more like…strange acquaintances.” He suggests. You hum in agreement at that, and you lapse back into silence with him once more. It’s a strangely comfortable one, but then again Kyle’s never really been a man of many words. He keeps half an eye on the gentle rise and fall of your chest, the pallor of your skin. Your bathed intermittently in warm orange light from the street-lights outside, and his breath hitches a little in his chest. Maybe it’s been a little too long since he was allowed to think of anything other than what the next target is, but he’ll be damned if he doesn’t take the opportunity to admire the way your long lashes brush your cheeks, or the perfectly shaped outline of full, painted lips.

“Thank you, for coming with me.” You look up at him, your smile so sweet it makes his stomach flip. It really isn’t the best of circumstances, he knows so, but he rarely gets the chance to charm a pretty woman and, well, your night’s been a bit shit, so he feels obligated to cheer you up some.

“When a pretty woman falls into your lap, you’d be amiss to pass up the opportunity to play knight in beer-stained armour.” He chuckles. He’s taking most of the weight of your arm but he ignores the discomfort in his own. Your eyes are pinched with pain, and he can only imagine how badly your sliced palm must be throbbing, knowing from his own encounters with combat knives how deeply the sting of a cut can run.

“Bold of you to assume I’m a damsel in distress. I sliced open my hand perfectly well without your help.” You quip back. Kyle grins. You’ve got a wicked tongue and the wit of the devil. As the cab pulls up, he tips the driver an extra £20 before helping you into the accident and emergency ward. It’s crammed wall to wall, every chair full and an excess of patients standing around, and the strong burn of disinfectant in his nose has him taking slightly shallower breaths to avoid the smell as best he can. You look even paler under the fluorescent lighting and he’s determined to get you seen to quickly, the bright red of the blood-soaked towel on your hand standing out starkly in this pristine white place.

You give your name and details, checking in with the receptionist who looks at your hand like she wishes it would disappear from her line of sight, and then your led to an over-flow waiting room where there’s a chair hurriedly snapped open for you and the promise of a nurse seeing you quickly. Kyle crouches beside you again, looking over the mess of blood and beer on the pretty dress you’d been wearing that night, and quietly wonders how your date found enough faults in you to run out. For the five minutes he’s known you Kyle’s found you to be attractive and quick-witted, a good sense of humour, so he can’t imagine the conversation was that bad.

“Do you want some water?” he offers, thumb jerking to the water cooler not too far away. You nod a bit and leaves you with your hand raised to go fetch you both a cup. He watches you sip it slowly and he does the same, eyes flickering to find all the nearest exits out of habit. You’re like a magnet though, a beacon burning brightly in the night, and he finds his gaze quickly drawn back to you. The bubble you two have created is one of quiet comfort, the kind that warm blankets on cold days provides and is found in the deep hearts of forests or the embers of dying fires.

“This really doesn’t bother you, does it?” you question, pulling him from his thoughts. He glances up at you from his spot crouched beside you, head cocking. “This. Blood, hospital trips, confrontation. You’ve been completely unphased by this from the start.” You elaborate on your thoughts and Kyle finds himself blinking in surprise, adding the word observant into the file with your name on that he’s starting to compile in his mind. He’s almost reluctant to say what he knows is the answer to your unspoken question, knowing it’s often a crossroads for all relationships waiting to form in his life. He doesn’t want to give up the soothing balm that is you just yet. There’s just enough intrigue to make him want to know more, and yet he braces himself for the rejection he’s sure is inevitable from such a sweet thing as you.

“I’m a soldier.” He almost holds his breath once the truths out. The rest of the sentence can remain unspoken, you don’t need him to tell you of the horrors and misery he’s seen, everyone knows what soldiers see even if they don’t talk about it. You surprise him once more.

“Ah, I see.” The quiet acknowledgement is just that, a statement of fact that promises he’s been heard without delivering judgement, and he feels there’s hope he might still have a chance at knowing you.

“That bother you?” he just has to be sure.

You smile a bit, “Depends, are you here because you’re duty bound to protect innocent civilians?”

His head tilts a bit; he sees that inquisitive little gleam in your eyes, a spark of interest, and he catches it quick with the intent of nurturing that spark into roaring flame. His head’s completely quiet now. He feels like he can go back to the silence at home and survive it if only your voice fills the empty space instead.

“No…here because I think that what tonight’s shown me, is your hand fits nicely in mine.” The line is absolutely terrible and he knows it, but the way you fluster and smile at the ground has his own grin widening. When the nurse calls your name, you look up to her, then back at him, biting your lip. For the first time that night, you don’t try to be brave, you let him see your apprehension and offer him your good hand, wanting him to come with you.

“Prove it.” You say.

Kyle does, and when he returns to his apartment in the early hours of the morning, he can still feel the warm imprint of your lips on his cheek. Your perfume has stale beer has cloyed in his nose and the imprint of you is behind his eyelids when he closes them to try and sleep. The echo of your laughter rings in his ears and the reminder of your smile as he’d suggested late night waffles at a dessert place nearby your apartment. The phone on his nightstand seemed to hum with anticipation of using your now saved number tomorrow.

It's never easy coming back to the real world, but the real world certainly has it's perks.

#kyle 'gaz' garrick #x female!reader #kyle gaz garrick x female reader #captain john price #cod mw #cod mw 2 #cod fandom #141challenge #tw blood #tw injury #tw drinking #call of duty #call of duty x reader #task force 141

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beesinajarbuzzzzzzz · 3 months

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Information on my DOL PCs

Decided to make a long post for my PCs. I'll be making one for my NPCs as well. Feel free to ship your PCs with them if you'd want to. Also, I use the DOL+ mod, specifically with Paril's Sideview + BEEES + hairstyles extended.

(Border from animatedglittergraphics)

Name: Hannelore Diamante/Hana The Heartless Nickname: Hana Age: 18-19 Voice Claim: Jecka from Class of '09 series

Physical Apperance (original): Long black hair, dark blue glassy eyes, pale skin that bruises and burns easily, freckles on her face. Average height, slender definition with little muscle mass (doesn't stop her from beating up everyone), and the flattest chest imaginable

Appearance: Dyed hair that damaged beyond repair, contact lenses, layers of makeup that cover her scars and freckles. Wears a padded bra. 🍰 Currently wear red and soft pink hair dye with maroon contact lenses

Aesthetic: Kangel/Ame from Needy Streamer Overdose/Overload, anything related to dolls, strawberries, colours and shades of red, pink, purple

Relationships to others Hans: Her older twin brother whom she’s incredibly overprotective of. He’s currently gone missing PCs: Feel free to customize

Reputation: The Townspeople Know Her as "Orchid" The Underworld Call You "Scrappy" School Delinquent, Barely Passing

Personality: An edgy, bitchy, boderline emo young woman who uses violence to get her way. Highly aware of how messed up her hometown is and indulges in it. Uses her body but never allows anyone to touch her. Cares for a select few, like Robin and her older twin brother, Hans.

Currently working at mansion parties once a week, typically every weekend. Also works at the Danube Spa for spare change.

Has considered stealing, but her current fame makes that impossible. Highest Exhibitionist, Medium Combat, Medium Business

Inventory: school supplies, spare bandages and various stolen medications, left over stimulants from the maths competition, opened bag of strawberry gummies, 2 canisters of pepper spray, small makeup kit, wallet, broken phone that barely work, spare underwear and bra

Handheld: School Messenger Bag in one arm, a pink customized metal bat in the other

_____

Hana’s Type

She’s a lesbian, so women only. Hans is gay tho :))

But not like any type of girl. She’s into girls who dress in really cute pastel colours. Hana’s favourite colours are purple and red so that’s a bonus

Someone who’s really good at dancing is great! She’d lead them in a couple’s dance and twirl them around a lot. Hana’s main speciality is in ballet, which she’s been trained in as a child (when her parents were still alive)

Someone who can put up with her mood swings and violent tendencies. Plus her jealousy issues (that are mild compared to Kylar's) is also something major to consider

A baker or at least someone who’s good at cooking. She’s got a big sweet tooth but also enjoys super sour foods as well.

Someone who isn’t fazed by the sight of blood. She just seems to get covered in it a lot, oopsies tee hee. She’s strong despite her seemingly weak disposition, mainly due to her baseball bat

In the same vein, someone who can take of her injuries. She bruises easily because of her pale skin

Doesn’t tolerate anyone who is even slightly mean to her older twin brother. They get the bonk

Seems to have a distaste for overly religious people, as she’s had to fight off cult members for Hans in the past. Also has trauma related to the Ivory Wraith and Blood Moon (aka I heard the Wraith could get you pregnant, had no success with it so far)

(I haven't gotten the Harpy TF yet on this save)

Name: Ansel Diamante/Hans the Hospitable Nickname: Hans Age: 18-19 Voice Claim: Freminet from Genshin Impact

Physical Appearance: Medium length curly black hair, dark blue glassy eyes, pale skin that bruises and burns easily, freckles on his face. Tall for his age, some muscle definition from all the gardening he does. Often seen wearing a cap to protect his face from the sun. Currently has the Harpy TF. Still a virgin atm

Appearance: Has a pierced ear with earrings from his sister. Doesn’t use any makeup though he has some fresh scars and bruises from recent encounters he’s been in. Has binding marks on his arms. Temporarily has an eye patch and obscured vision in one eye. Has that TraumaTM stare

Aesthetic: MedicalCore, the colours blue, gold, and black, Poppies, Farmcore to some extent,

Relationships to Others Hana: She’s his younger twin sister who is known for being violently overprotective of him. Harper: His boss who he’s infatuated with on a disturbing level. Though after his trip to the Asylum, Harper doesn’t really pay as much attention to him :(. Despite his young age, he’s smart and a fast learner. He’s just a nursing assistant for now Great Hawk: He was kidnapped by the Great Hawk while foraging in the Moor. After a few weeks, he somehow turned into a Harpy. Using his new transformation, he escaped but only to pass out and be transferred to the asylum by Harper PC: Feel free to customize

Reputation: He’s basically a nobody, but his sudden reappearance has got some rumours flying around about his absence.

Personality: He’s a meek and shy individual who normally keeps to himself. However, his personality has changed drastically upon his return. Though he’s become more happy-go-lucky and carefree, he’s still naive deep down.

While he attends school on a regular basis, they are times that he misses class to work at the Hospital. There are days where he’s not even at school or the orphanage, and has become more reliant on coffee as a result.

Anyone who even questions the change in Hans’ personality gets beat up by Hana.

Inventory: His pills from Harper, Pain Killers, Water Bottle, Gardening Gloves, Miscellaneous Plants and Seeds, a Feather from the Great Hawk, School Supplies, First Aid Kit,

Handheld: A black backpack

_____

Han’s Type:

A gay man (FTM)

He’s at the hospital most of the time, so he rarely gets to interact with others outside of that. It pays well enough to cover his and Hana’s rent, but he’s always tired as a result. Lives off of coffee and seasonal salad. Will eat flowers if delirious enough

If you can get past the traumaTM stare, then he’s pretty cute

Acts meek, is super strong and tall (moe gap?). He’s unaware of it, but he’s high on Harper Pills 24/7 and is very susceptible to acts of hypnotism. Has memory gaps because of it.

Someone who takes the time to preen his whitish-blue feathers makes his heart beat. Hana always gets them covered in blood

He’s not a germaphobe, but he’s always wearing a surgical mask and gloves

Someone who likes exploring the outdoors is someone he gets along with in general (as a friend or romantic interest)

He’s like the Great Hawk in the sense that he’ll give you gifts at the oddest times. Also like the Great Hawk, he will try to feed you Lurkers.

No sex for him! Unless you can get the golden chastity belt off of him. Good luck…

You have to be able to convince Hana that you’re not going to hurt him in any way. No incest involved between these two, Hana is overly protective, even more so, as Hans has just come back from his long absence

#DOL #degrees of lewdity #Hana Diamante #Hans Diamante #DOL PC

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schraubd · 4 months

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DeSantis' "Asylum" Offer to Jewish College Students

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has issued an emergency order waiving various requirements for prospective transfer students into Florida public universities "who are seeking to transfer to a Florida university because of a well-founded fear of antisemitic or other religious discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or violence" at their current colleges.* The "well-founded fear" language is borrowed from asylum law, so if I were a Jewish student considering this offer I'd have to be concerned that DeSantis' next step would be to traffic me right back out of the state via a one-way to a New England island. In all seriousness, I have to give DeSantis a very faint tip of the cap here, if only because a few months ago I had a similar thought about whether colleges in blue states should offer a form of "asylum" running in the opposite direction -- assisting admissions or transfers of students leaving Florida public universities in the wake of DeSantis' assault on academic freedom and the rights of sexual minorities. I've certainly noticed an at least anecdotal uptick in "red state refugees" on the faculty side of academia, and it wouldn't surprise me to learn there's similar pressure on the student side. And on the other side of things, I actually wondered back in 2022 if DeSantis might seek to expressly differentiate himself from Trump on the subject of antisemitism. He hasn't really done so -- the seemingly obvious need of a GOP challenger to challenge Trump continuing to founder on the absolute inability of any Republican of substance to say a bad word about the Supreme Leader -- but he has tried to make "antisemitism" a relatively large part of his presidential narrative. And so as DeSantis' presidential campaign continues to flounder in the most pathetic fashion, this reads like a theatrical attempt to capture some of the Stefanik-magic from last month. Of course, DeSantis isn't alone here. For whatever reason, Republicans have learned that fake performative concern about antisemitism is the easiest route for craven gutless mediocrities to become media starlets, at least for a few days. That it keeps on filling this role is maybe something that the Jewish community needs to ponder -- while on the one hand I'm not convinced it's actually Jews who are most impressed by these stunts, there does seem to be a repeated gullibility on this front that deserves closer interrogation. How has the GOP become so convinced that this play, in particular, is a winning strategy for them? * Nominally, "other religious discrimination" encompasses Muslim students as well -- an interesting prospect as various Muslim and pro-Palestinian groups have begun adopting the broad understandings of "antisemitism" vis-a-vis discourse about Israel and Zionism promoted by some Jewish groups and trying to cross-apply them to similar broad understandings of Islamophobia vis-a-vis how university actors talk about Palestine and anti-Zionism. In practice, it's hard to imagine that will amount to much -- in part because of the vagueness surrounding "well-founded fear" of persecution, and in part because the sort of person who is concerned about that sort of Islamophobia is perhaps unlikely to find Florida an attractive destination to flee to. via The Debate Link https://ift.tt/WbQVEK9

#academia #anti-semitism #discrimination #Florida #Jews #Ron DeSantis

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fandomfluffandfuck · 3 months

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Hi S,

I was scrolling through Tiktok and I saw a video of Chris Evans and president Joe Biden. And Chris was smiling and laughing. When I tell you I was shooketh! I know Chris was into politics, but damn! How did this even happen?

Also now my hate for USA politics will show, cuz why are the presidents almost always grandpas? I know it’s the system, but why? We’ll at least he isn’t shaking hands with Trump.

Do you know what happened. I think you are from the USA (I’m not sure), so maybe you got some information.

Thank you!! <3

(I also loved the post with Seb on the Syrian)

ah, yes, this video for ASP

Lmao, it's all good, you're welcome to hate on US politics here 💀💀 I may unfortunately be from the USA, but I, too, hate them.

(Putting this under the cut because I get rambly, and I understand that most people aren't here for politics)

I absolutely feel you, though. I was shocked to see Chris and Biden shaking hands. Of course, Chris was at the White House, so it's not impossible, that is where the POTUS is most of the time, and I believe Chris has been to the White House before. I could be wrong there, but, if nothing else, he's certainly been in and around Washington D.C. before with A Starting Point.

(A Starting Point being, according to Wikipedia, "A Starting Point is a website, launched in 2020, devoted to presenting videos by elected officials (current or former), presenting various points of view on issues that are of interest to the United States electorate. It was started by Chris Evans, Mark Kassen, and Joe Kiani.")

So, ASP is how, even if I didn't realize that many people used ASP, lol. I am very involved in politics outside of the fandom space--generally reading and watching and educating myself, as well as attending political events on my campus and speaking to my friends about it--but my involvement doesn't come from ASP.

But, still, the president and Chris meeting, shaking hands, smiling, and laughing feels different. It's a cross-over in a way I would, honestly, rather have not happened.

Don't get me wrong, the purpose Chris was there for, with ASP, trying to get more young people engaged in voting is immensely important. Young people in the US are more likely than any other demographic to vote blue (democratic), and that is something that, with another Trump presidency (GOP/republican) on the possible horizon, is especially important. However, I wish he could've done it without shaking hands with the president. Yes, Biden is a figure head, he doesn't do much (generally and specifically at his age, sitting in the presidency). But, also, with the genocide of Palestinians going on and Biden's active, ongoing support to Israel... I don't enjoy seeing them together.

As far as age... yeah. It's the system. 🙃 If you ask me, the minimum age for being able to run for public office should be lowered (it's 35 at least for president, though, the youngest president was 42, the average age is around mid 50s at inauguration), and there should be a cap on how old you can be and still run as modern medicine continues to prolong life and technology and education provide young people with more resources.

I will admit, growing up in the US, I have absolutely been indoctrinated to see the president and feel something. When I first saw that video my reaction was just, what the fuck!? in a lighthearted, laughing manner. A cross-over, like I said previously, they don't feel like they exist in the same world, y'know? But once I thought about it for half a second longer... it felt different.

Chris can do what he likes. Obviously. I do wonder how it happened, though. Maybe it was something he was approached with by the team for ASP, like, hey, wanna meet the president? Maybe it was something that activated the same indoctrinated kid in him--they teach you young to idolize presidents, past and present--so he said yes, thoughtless. Maybe it was something he thought about and weighed the options of, thinking it would help the cause of getting young people to vote even if it would also, inevitably make people on the Internet mad (maybe rightfully so, too, shaking hands with someone with blood on their hands. As presidents do. Biden's blood is fresh enough it's dripping, though). You can't deny that it made news--Captain America and President Biden shake hands!!! That might give a spark to some younger Marvel fan, tuning in to see what's going on with politics when they otherwise wouldn't. Maybe it was something White House staff and the team for ASP worked on together and surprised Chris.

I don't know.

It's odd. You are correct, though--at least it wasn't Trump (1:26).

If anything, though, it reminds me of the 2016 USO tour Chris and Scarlett went on for Marvel. Like, I appreciate what they did for the individual active service members as people. I think we need to do more to support veterans alongside people who are directly impacted by war--their lives destroyed or altered. However, I am very anti-military, anti-war. So, I don't like that he agreed to do that (granted, it may have been required from Marvel, not something that he could get out of, that's unclear). And I sure as hell hate some of the things he did on that USO tour. Still. My differing opinions on Chris can coexist. I can like what I know of Chris, what he shares of himself, and dislike other parts of him or actions he does. Humans are flawed. I may run a fan blog, and may seem like a stan, but I can also disagree with things people that I am a fan of agree with.

Lmao, thanks! The out-out-place reference to Sebastian on a sybian is related to this, lightening the mood

#asks #chris evans #us politics #asp

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greentrickster · 2 years

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Okay, so I’ve mentioned Cyrus encountering Akari, and Volo as a result, so here’s how I think it starts to go down.

I was leaning heavily towards @someoddmix‘s suggestion of having it happen due to Cyrus making deliveries via Giratina, but I think I’d like to make it a bit more accidental than that, at least to start with. Because I really, really like the idea of Akari getting antsy after being so used to being so highly active and involved in things daily back in Jubilife Village. Gonna say Cyrus been back about a year and ten months, meaning it’s been three months since it was decided he wasn’t going to be charged for his actions in Diamond/Pearl/Platinum (so it’s known that he’s back by people in Sinnoh, but he’s off in Kanto so it’s not much of an issue for them), and Akari arrived home again from Hisui about one month after Cyrus got dropped on Red’s mountain, was back and dealing with the Melli and Ingo situation for the next eight months, and the rest of it has been her readapting to modern life. So that’s about a year and one month of being back in Sinnoh without anything particularly ground-breaking she needs to do, and it’s been great, she really needed this, but she’s bored now. She wants to be out doing something again, you know? (Also, I think all that works within the timeline, but I cannot be bothered to check at the moment, because this is an AU, not a formal fic, I can fudge the details a little, as a treat.)

Anyway, this is the point where Dawn mentions that Kanto’s Pokemon League season is about to start, why not get out of Sinnoh for awhile and give that a shot, now that she’s gotten so good with training? Plus, don’t her friends Emmet and Ingo go there sometimes? Why not visit some of the places they’ve been herself, that could be fun!

Things Dawn doesn’t remember at the time: Blue is still the head of Viridian’s Gym, aka the final stop for the Indigo League, and Cyrus currently works as one of Blue’s trainers (and sometimes assistant).

Things Akari flat-out doesn’t know: The same things that Dawn doesn’t know, because she wasn’t involved in the original Team Galactic shenanigans and at the time of Cyrus’s trial was busy with figuring out her life a bit more, therapy (because while she does have the usual protagonist trauma resistance package, that was still A Lot, and she needs some help processing it sometimes), and also off visiting Ingo and Emmet in Unova. Gotta visit the train fam, you know?

Thus, Akari doesn’t realize what she’s walking into until she’s halfway through the Viridian Gym and a trainer in a goldenrod baseball cap pulls out a crobat (Crobat and Gyarados are the only members of Cyrus’s team that are really native to the Kanto region, and Crobat fits inside the gym better, so Crobat tends to get used for Gym battles), and when he looks up suddenly Akari’s getting flashbacks because, um, Cyllene? What the heck?! Did you get dragged to the future by mistake too-?!???!

Cyrus: I think you’re confusing me with someone else, I’m Cyrus.

Akari: Cyrus? ...wait, not Team Galactic Boss Cyrus?!?

Cyrus: ...technically no but legally yes.

Akari: ...

Cyrus: ...

Akari: ...okay, I’m just gonna win this battle and get my Earth badge real quick, but then we’re coming back to this!

Cyrus: Why?

Akari: Because Dawn is my twin, Lucas is her friend-rival, and Barry is her friend!

Cyrus: (doesn’t fully remember who those people are, but is pretty sure she’s talking about the kids who were talked about during his trial) ...fine.

Akari: (...he’s an evil team boss who tried to pull a Volo and he has almost no facial expressions, he shouldn’t be allowed to be making me feel like I just kicked an eevee for saying we were going to talk later-!)

Also, once Akari gets to Blue, she very much gets a “Hi, nice to meet you, saw you talking to Cyrus, I know Professor Rowan personally, I know Dawn, I recognize you, if you try and mess with one of my trainers I’ll pull out my actual team instead of the one I use for gym challengers and I will Demolish You, and then I will call down Red to hide your remains for me. :D”

Blue grew up in the Team Rocket era, Blue does not play softball when it comes to people trying to cause shit in his gym, town, or region. Akari’s lucky that he knows enough that he’s aware she’s one of the few people who probably has the right to ask the questions that he thinks she’s going to, but he’s sure as heck not going to let her be a bully about it-!

And then Akari’s actual questions are more along the line of, “What the heck are you doing here, I thought you were in Distortion World? Lukas was very upset about that, and that made Dawn upset, they were worried about you! Did you tell them you’re back? You should tell them you’re back so they can stop worrying.”

Blue: (texting Red to get his rear down here and bring popcorn, things are probably about to get entertaining as heck)

#red blue and cyrus too AU #pokemon cyrus #pokemon akari #pokemon blue #arceus spoilers #bdsp spoilers #pokemon legends arceus #pokemon diamond and pearl #pokemon shining pearl #pokemon platinum #someoddmix #okay this is a start #posting this now before it gets any longer #we WILL get to Mewtwo #eventually

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daresplaining · 2 years

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Daredevil Beats Up Cap...and Everybody Else!

It's been a while, but this July 4th I'm returning to one of my favorite traditions: blogging about FIGHTS!...specifically, of course, fights between the Scarlet Swashbuckler and ol' Winghead. This year, let's turn our attention to Daredevil volume 1 #155, in which Matt encounters a whole crowd of exciting guest-stars...and punches ALL of them.

Our story starts two issues earlier, in #153, when Mr. Hyde fast-pitches DD at a wall and knocks him unconscious.

Hyde: "You may be good at whipping a sniveling coward like Cobra-- but I have you now-- and you'll not escape me again!" Matt: "Blast! Hyde recovered sooner than I'd hoped! Got to go limp-- roll with the-- unghh!" Caption: "The dull crunch of bone against granite..." Daredevil vol. 1 #153 by Roger McKenzie, Gene Colan, Mary Titus, Tony Dezuniga, and Denise Wohl

At least, that's the official diagnosis. However, here is a full plot synopsis of the two issues in question:

Anyway, whatever mysterious event might have possibly caused it, poor Matt goes into #155 with a teensy little nagging headache.

Matt: "Oh, man! Am I glad that's over! My head feels like it's going to split wide open! I don't think I could've faced another..." Becky Blake (off-panel): "Mr. Murdock? I hope I'm not too late, but..." Matt: "(Oh, no!) P-please...I'm sorry...but could you just go away?" Daredevil vol. 1 #155 by Roger McKenzie, Frank Robbins, Frank Springer, Bob Sharen, and Denise Wohl

This headache is...well...a pain. It stops Matt from shaving, breaks his concentration when he's swinging around as Daredevil, almost getting him killed, and worst of all, it nearly causes him to chase away The Becky Blake, who stops by the office in this issue to apply for the vacant assistant position. (Fortunately for all of us, The Becky Blake can't be chased away that easily.)

After a long, grouchy, miserable day at the office, Matt and his headache finally get some good news: Natasha Romanov is in town! Matt is sort of on the outs with his current girlfriend, Heather Glenn, since he was kind of indirectly responsible for her father's arrest and subsequent death, and hey, he hasn't seen Natasha since they broke up 30 issues ago. He instantly-- and I mean instantly-- ditches Becky (his new employee, who he was taking out to celebrate her new job) and Foggy (who is in the middle of announcing his engagement):

Foggy: "I didn't have a chance to tell you earlier, but we've decided to go ahead and tie the kn-- Matt?" Matt: "That's great, Foggy. It really is. But I can't talk now..." Becky: "Matt?"

I could blame it on the concussion, but let's be honest, this is just normal Matt Murdock behavior.

But where, I hear you ask, are the fights? Where is Steve Rogers and his perpetually punchable face? I promise, this post is not just about Matt being a mess. As it happens, at this very moment, Natasha is hanging out with a few of her Avengers buddies...when suddenly, the Avengers Mansion intruder alarm starts blaring. The lights go out. And somebody starts throwing kicks.

Hank: "Hey! Watch the merchandise! This blue, furry bod may not look like much-- but I call it home... unghh" Steve: "Look out! The Beast's down! But whoever that is, lurking in the shadows-- will answer to Captain America! (No! He grabbed me almost as if he knew...sensed somehow...that I was about to leap! But that's just not possible--! Nnnh)" Natasha: "You!"

That's right, it's Matt, whose little headache has taken an extreme turn for the worse. But though he may be concussed and delusional, you have to admit, he pulls this off with style, making this just about the shortest 4th of July FIGHT(TM) so far. (He spinning plates the shield! How great is that?). With one mighty, balletic heave at the nearest wall, Cap is down for the count. With Natasha's friends out of the way, Matt turns to his real target, and the only person in the room who presents a real challenge: the Black Widow herself. After a thrilling fight (a topic for another post!), Matt finally comes to his senses...and then falls into a coma.

Matt: "Y-you're going to pay, Widow! I swear you'll p-pay...for all... all...the...pain! N-no--! I-- I can't...bear it...any longer... I-- Dear god! What have I done? Forgive me... Natasha...please...forgive--!" Natasha: "M-Matt--? Matt!"

When he comes to, Cap generously agrees to help Natasha rush him to the hospital. Beast and Herc are less enthusiastic, but this is not the first time that Matt has randomly attacked Steve for no apparent reason, after all, so maybe he's getting used to it. After an intense boxing match with Death (another topic for another post!), Matt comes out of the coma feeling much better. The concussion is identified as the cause of his random violence, and his life returns to its normal state of chaos. But I have to say... if it somehow gives him the power to singlehandedly take out Captain America, Hercules, and Beast, maybe Matt should consider getting concussed more often.

#4th of July FIGHTS #Daredevil vol. 1 #Daredevil #Matt Murdock #Captain America #Steve Rogers #Foggy Nelson #Becky Blake #Black Widow #Natasha Romanov #Beast #Hercules #ID in alt text

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thequietmanno1 · 2 months

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TheLreads, Vigilantes ch 101, Replies Part 2

1) “YEAH BOY! THAT’S THE STUFF!

PLUS FUCKING ULTRA!

NOW AT LEAST REMEMBER TO BREATH, WE DON’T WANT YOU TURNING BLUE BY THE TIME YOU REACH THE HOSPITAL”- And here comes the big reveal that connects both Izuku and Koichi’s powers. All along, they’ve been limited by their users’ self-imagined beliefs and understanding of how they think they work. It’s when they let go of thinking and start using the powers on instinct, like it’s a third limb they’ve been born with, that the true potential finally shows. The centipede’s dilemma was capping off Koichi’s real strength this whole time, so when he stops thinking about what he can’t do, and focuses on something more important, like saving Pop, his power skyrockets, and his limits vanish. 2) “…Welp spoke too soon. Shame. Now with his death the fabric of reality shall begin to unravel and disintegrate.”-Only once he finishes Phelps off by shooting him with an actual bullet, “for old times’ sake”. 3) “Ah shit it was just Soga. Never mind then, keep moving koichi, there’s more important stuff to care about right now.”- Sadly, Soga is the designated “ideas man” for the vigilante group right now, which means any clever strategy they need to turn the tables on Nomura needs to be run by him first. Downsides of not having Koichi become completely independent and self-sufficient as a hero- er, Vigilante. 4) “Alright Mr. Strategist, do tell us what the counterattack will entail, since you’re apparently the brain of this whole operation.”- I will admit that for all his strengths as a protagonist, Koichi not having Izuku’s ability to think and plan on his feet, and thus being reliant on others for ideas, does majorly handicap his ability to heroically perform in action. 5) “Jokes on you Soggy, that’s been his life for the past three non-important years. You wouldn’t know, since they weren’t important and thus weren’t shown, but I’ll assure you, all that non-important stuff was building up to this exact moment right here.”- I’d say it was a joke, but it really was all leading up to this fight all along – and us being absent from the humdrum day-to-day does really make us feel the disconnect in Koichi’s journey as a hero compared to Izuku, who we’ve followed closely for an entire year of his life up to this current fight with Tomura. 6) “Also, where’s Midnight? Why isn’t she here? Her quirk could’ve put all of them to sleep, or at least she could try to do so.”- Would that even work on the drones? They have mouths, sure, but they don’t seem to have noses or such to breath with, and it’s unclear if their weird biology would even be affected by the normal cocktail of chemicals that Midnight uses to make others go to sleep.

7) “Again, how many of those fucking things did AfO gave McBee? I was under the impression that Nomus were, you know, difficult to make, even the less-powerful models, and it would probably be worse here considering that this is the early models, before the technology was properly mastered.”- Given the bomber cells have weird “growing” capacities, like we saw with how Nomura formed hands out of them in order to beat Knuckles, it’s possible that he just grew a big vat of the stuff and had it form under Nomura’s control into humanoid Drones to control with. The issue being is that this growth results in the cells being unstable and bad for long-term use, so they won’t work with a Nomu’s trademark durability down the line, but they’re useful for making a large disposable force for an assault like this- don’t even leave any traces behind with how they utterly eradicate themselves with each blast. 8) “So, the final clash is about to start for real. Even McBee himself is there to get his hands dirt, but my oh my, Koichi is right here, and as he showed he has unlocked the next level of his quirk, and if he was already fucking him over before, well, let us just say McBee doesn’t stand much of a chance right now…”- This fight is gonna be wild, let me tell you. @thelreads

#my hero academia #bnha #chapter replies #thelreads #bnha vigilantes #vigilantes 101

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crystalelemental · 10 months

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Unit Teambuilding - Blue

Blue is getting a grid expansion! You know, I was actually a bit worried about him. He took over the free pair position from Whitney a while back, and as a technically F2P unit now, I expected them to really limit his expansion, if not delay him to one of the last to get it. But he got it fairly early, so now we just have to hope it’s good.

General Overview Blue has always been at least decent. His main benefit was, post-sync, he gets Hurricane, which is great DPS, and his focus on boosting accuracy means it’s not going to miss either. His problems were relatively slow setup, and the Karen Dilemma of having an atrocious sync that made getting to his DPS a painful experience. Both of these issues have been resolved.

Ramp Up 2 on his trainer move means that in three uses, he’s capped crit, special attack, and given himself some accuracy and speed boosts. All of this is excellent, even if it relies on MPR. His sync got Brain Power 5 and Sync Power Flux, which is up to 150% bonus sync damage. This is a much appreciated boost, that makes his first sync a lot more reliable, at the cost of no significant boost to previous DPS, very similar to Ethan’s expansion.

So in total, how good was the expansion?

Not as good as it should be. I’m going to use Ethan and Karen as comparison points.

Ethan got a comparable expansion structure to Blue, focused on compressing self-setup, sync multipliers that were desperately needed, a bit of utility, and no DPS increase. But Ethan, unlike Blue, can offload setup entirely for CS purposes. Blue needs crit, special attack, and accuracy for his DPS. Only one option in the game buffs all three, and none of it is to cap. As a result, Blue’s flaw compared to others is that he is hard required to spend three turns buffing. This cannot be avoided in the current meta. To compound matters, while Ethan’s damage is shown to be lower, Blue’s damage calcs are done by absolute value. Meaning they are factoring in 6 gauges for sync (not typical in CS), and factor in Harry 5 for DPS (wildly unrealistic to impossible) as well as max accuracy (he can only reach +5 by himself, and very few options can buff it further). As such, Blue’s theoretical maximum is very, very unlikely to be achieved.

As for the Karen comparison, both needed sync boosts to validate their mega evolutions. Karen got a full 200%, from Devastation and Sync Power Flux. Blue gets Brain Sync 5 and Sync Power Flux, a full 50% less than she received. His sync is easier to set up, since Devastation isn’t required, but Karen is able to easily pass off buffing to an ally, and spam Snarl for guaranteed results first sync. Upon mega evolving, Karen now has a much, much more valuable secondary effect on Dark Pulse. This isn’t to say she doesn’t also have flaws. Reaching her theoretical maximum for DPS is somehow more ridiculous. But Karen’s ability to pass off setup lets her accomplish more.

This is why I say Blue is okay, but not great. His expansion did him well, it gets him what he’s after. But there are factors that still hold him back. Loss of Air Slash being a big one; the flinch rate would be more valuable than the spread damage. More than that, though, it’s not being able to pass off setup. Maybe the strength of his sync makes this a non-issue. I don’t have him EX, and don’t intend to give it to him now. As a free pair, I think he definitely salvages Flying type damage well enough. It’s nice to have a reasonable EX Striker with DPS, unlike Kahili.

Team 1: Blue, V!Mallow, Lucian There is one option that buffs all his needed stats, but it’s Variety Mallow and she’s not even good at it. She covers all crit (3/5 only), +4 special attack, but only +1 accuracy, meaning he still needs two trainer moves and then only hits +5 on his multiplier. Like she’s not actually saving you time! This isn’t worth it! Lucian boosts speed and covers special defense, so there’s that.

Team 2: Blue, H!Caitlin, Anni Steven Since Blue needs trainer move to cover crit, but still wants a bit of accuracy, we can discuss dual strike comps, starting with Gaugemaster Anni Steven and his best friend, H!Caitlin. Caitlin gives Steven all his needed buffs, and is a master of helping Good Form. Most critically, her trainer move gives accuracy boosts, which gets Blue to full Hurricane support. While her own mega evolution is enticing, you can forego it for Blue’s sync first, Caitlin won’t really mind. The downside is this team is split physical/special DPS, which means points need reallocated in CS.

Team 3: Blue, SS Brendan, Lysandre/SS Ethan This team emphasizes something a bit different for Blue: supportive effects. Head Start 1 combos well with Lysandre’s trainer move for a full turn saved. SS Brendan is fast-acting buffs for both of them, and can debuff special defense for both to deal better damage through. SS Ethan is another option, provided his trainer move works.

However! I want to note something about Blue and Head Start. On paper, the idea of it is sound. Consider a flinch set with Aggravation. Your opening three actions end with Blue, who lands a flinch. You have two more actions on your allies queued up when the foe re-queues, for -5 cooldown total. You set allies to act again, then the third move is Blue’s flinch, which denies foe’s action again, at -8 cooldown. Head Start is -9, so you’re ready to sync. You did it, right? Well, no, because the cooldown happens after flinch. You won’t get to use sync before the foe’s second action is reallocated and activated. What I’m getting at is, it doesn’t save time on its own. You’ll want another -1 to make the magic happen.

Final Thoughts Blue’s main function, I think, is dual strike. Given his speed boosts and relatively gauge-free introduction as he spams trainer move, he leaves a lot for more aggressive DPS allies to take advantage of. His sync has been improved to a reasonable degree, and post-sync, the dual strike composition aims to make up for lost time buffing by quickly tearing apart foes. I think it’s just...

This is a personal thing, but there are certain impossibilities that drive me nuts. Blue’s DPS as listed in damage calculations suggest a man who is dealing really respectable damage, but it’s considered in absolute maximums that aren’t achievable by reasonable means. You can’t reasonably cap accuracy. You can’t reasonably get Harry 5 on grid, and certainly can’t keep it active. And because of this, what Blue is said to do on paper rarely seems to reflect his performance in action. I feel like this expansion is going to be similar, giving him a lot of tools that were relevant but still leave glaring flaws that make his practical application much less impressive than raw numbers would have you believe.

#unit teambuilding #blue

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bitcofun · 2 years

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Cryptocurrencies have actually had a difficult efficiency in 2022 as issues about the tightening up financial conditions continued. In overall, digital currencies have actually lost over $2 trillion in 2022 and the majority of them are trading at their most affordable levels in years. Here are some of the finest coins to purchase in the dip in 2022. Ethereum Ethereum is the second-biggest cryptocurrency on the planet with a market cap of over $157 billion. Still, like all cryptocurrencies, its cost has actually crashed by more than 60% in2022 This occurred as Fed treked its rates of interest by 300 basis points. Activity in its essential markets like decentralized financing (DeFi), non-fungible tokens (NFT), and metaverse decreased. Still, Ethereum rate will likely get better in the coming months as institutional financiers can be found in due to the current Merge. Combine assisted to shift the coin from the dirtier proof-of-work to a cleaner proof-of-stake coin. Numerous ESG-focused financiers will likely accept ETH. In addition, future upgrades like sharding will likely draw more financiers. Bitcoin Bitcoin is the most significant cryptocurrency worldwide with a market cap of over $367 billion. In 2022, Bitcoin cost crashed by more than 60%. A BTC crash typically leads to a sell-off of other digital coins like ETH and XRP. Bitcoin is a great cryptocurrency to purchase in for 2 primary factors. BTC is normally the primary driver for other cryptocurrencies. When it falls, the other coins tend to pull away and vice versa. Second, as the greatest cryptocurrency on the planet, Bitcoin is typically chosen by the leading financiers who wish to have a direct exposure to digital properties. Ravencoin Ravencoin is another cryptocurrency to purchase the dip in2022 It is a little cryptocurrency that has a market cap of about $400 million. Ravencoin's objective is to fix a few of the obstacles that Bitcoin has. Rather of a limitation of 21 million coins, Ravencoin has a supply limitation of 21 billion. It is likewise considerably faster than Bitcoin. Ravencoin cost has actually come by 58% in2022 Just recently, it has actually made a strong healing as its cost has actually leapt by more than 150% from the least expensive level this year. It has actually likewise formed an inverted head and shoulders pattern, signaling that the coin is a bargain. Ethereum Classic Ethereum Classic is a fork of the initial Ethereum. It was formed after a group of Ethereum designers felt that it was heading in the incorrect instructions. Ethereum Classic has actually ended up being the primary option to the Proof-of-Stake (PoS) Ethereum. This describes why ETC has actually outshined ETH in 2022. ETC cost has actually visited simply 20% this year and is presently about 130% above its most affordable level in2022 There is a probability that Ethereum Classic cost will continue doing well this year. Uniswap Uniswap is among the leading leaders in decentralized financing (DeFi). It is a DEX that makes it possible for individuals to trade and purchase cryptocurrencies in a decentralized way. At the very same time, its procedure makes it possible for designers to develop dApps like wallets and aggregators. A few of the leading apps in its environment are Rainbow Wallet, Brink Trade, and Nansen. UNI cost has actually visited more than 60% in2021 Still, this pattern might alter as financiers welcome DeFi blue chips. The concept is that lots of decentralized exchanges are in fact much safer than central exchanges like Coinbase and Binance. For one, while CEX business like Voyager and Celsius collapsed, no significant DEX collapsed in 2022. XRP XRP cost has actually crashed by nearly 50% this year due to the total cryptocurrency sell-off and the continuous SEC vs Ripple case in the United States. It has actually now increased by more than 50% from its most affordable level this year as the lawsuits continues. Ripple is an excellent cryptocurrency to purchase the dip in since of the prospective result of the case.

Some experts think that Ripple has a great chance to win the case. Even if it loses, there is a probability that XRP will succeed considering that the case will offer more clearness about the coin and the more comprehensive market. For one, the worst-case situation is where Ripple gets a huge fine. How to purchase Ripple eToro eToro is among the world's leading multi-asset trading platforms using a few of the most affordable commission and charge rates in the market. It's social copy trading functions make it a terrific option for those beginning. Register with eToro immediately Bitstamp Bitstamp is a leading cryptocurrency exchange which provides trading in fiat currencies or popular cryptocurrencies. Bitstamp is a completely managed business which uses users an user-friendly user interface, a high degree of security for your digital possessions, exceptional client assistance and numerous withdrawal techniques. Register with Bitstamp quickly Near Protocol Near Protocol is a leading Ethereum competitor that looks for to end up being a leading gamer in the clever agreement market. It is a proof-of-stake network that is understood for its low carbon emissions and blazingly quick speeds. The designers have actually released a huge $100 million fund to nurture brand-new jobs. Near Protocol cost has actually crashed by 55% in2022 Its essential driver will be more task launches in its network and the continuous sharding upgrade. Sweat Economy Sweat Economy is a brand-new cryptocurrency that was introduced in September of2022 It is the native token for the Sweatcoin community. Sweatcoin is a leading application that rewards individuals for strolling and doing manual activities like running and running. The majority of SWEAT tokens are produced by doing these activities while users can mine them by seeing advertisements in the network. Sweat Economy cost has actually crashed hard this year. There is a possibility that the SWEAT coin will bounce back as the designers present brand-new functions in its environment. Cosmos Cosmos cost has actually crashed by more than 40% this year. In addition to the general crash of cryptocurrencies, ATOM dropped due to the fact that of the implosion of Terra Luna, a coin that was constructed utilizing its platform, Still, there is a possibility that the ATOM cost will get better given that it is gradually ending up being an essential option to Ethereum. More designers are moving to Cosmos SDK to take benefit of its community. Binance Coin Binance Coin rate has actually likewise crashed hard in2022 One factor for this is that apps in its community are not as dynamic as they remained in2022 As an outcome, BNB Chain has actually lost its market share to Tron. Still, there are reasons BNB is a great coin to purchase the dip in. It has a strong market share in the blockchain market. It is owned by Binance, the greatest business in the market. How to purchase Binance Coin eToro eToro is among the world's leading multi-asset trading platforms providing a few of the most affordable commission and charge rates in the market. It's social copy trading functions make it a fantastic option for those starting. Buy BNB with eToro today Binance Binance is among the biggest cryptocurrency exchanges on the planet. It is much better fit to more skilled financiers and it provides a great deal of cryptocurrencies to select from, at over600 Binance is likewise understood for having low trading costs and a multiple of trading alternatives that its users can gain from, such as; peer-to-peer trading, margin trading and area trading. Buy BNB with Binance today Read More

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mariacallous · 2 years

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In recent decades, the cost of college has risen faster than overall inflation and family incomes, and states have reduced funding for public education. As a result, student loan debt has soared and now tops $1.6 trillion. Many students fear that they will not be able to repay their loans and that monthly payments will make homeownership and child-rearing unaffordable.

Not surprisingly, student loan relief has become an important political issue. Starting in 2016 with Senator Bernie Sanders’ campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, candidates and grassroots activists have pushed for loan forgiveness and other measures to ease the financial burden of college attendance.

During his 2020 campaign, Joe Biden refused to endorse the total cancellation of student loan debt urged by many advocates but promised to forgive at least $10,000 for each borrower. Last week, he signed an executive order to forgive $10,000 for borrowers who attended colleges and universities and make less than $125,000 per year—and $20,000 for recipients of Pell grants. In addition, he took steps to ease repayment terms for current and future loan recipients enrolled in a program that sets monthly payments as a share of their earnings after they leave college.

The president’s announcement generated both excitement and criticism. Some Democrats—including Senate candidates running in swing states—kept their distance from the plan, fearing that it could strengthen the perception that their party did not care about non-college blue-collar Americans. Many Republicans charged that the president had exceeded his legal authority and threatened lawsuits to overturn his plan.

Findings from recent survey research

Public opinion surveys—some conducted after the president’s announcement, others in the months that preceded it—illuminate the strengths and vulnerabilities of President Biden’s plan in the eyes of the electorate. Here are some of the principal findings.

Although most Americans have never had a student loan and fewer than one in five now have one, the issue directly touches a wide swath of the public. Among registered voters, 15 percent will have their loans reduced or completely forgiven, 25 percent have family members eligible to participate in the plan, and 18 percent have close friends in this situation.

A majority of voters believe that there were compelling reasons for the president to act. Two thirds say that student loan debt is a serious problem, and more than six in 10 say that it is preventing young people from buying homes and having children. Sixty-three percent see student loan debt relief as lightening financial burdens, especially on low-income households.

Every survey has shown majority but not overwhelming support for President Biden’s plan to reduce the burden of student loan debt. The two most recent polls, Quinnipiac and The Economist/YouGov, put support among registered voters at 51 percent and 52 percent, respectively. Support among Hispanic and Black voters was substantially stronger, as was support among voters under age 50. Among swing voters, moderate and suburban voters gave the plan majority support while Independents were about evenly divided. Women are significantly more favorable to the plan than men, and the gender gap is especially large among white Americans.

Every element of the plan enjoys majority support. In a detailed battery of questions, the Economist/YouGov poll found majorities of voters in favor of extending the payment moratorium until the end of the year, cancelling $10,000 of debt for individuals earning less than $125,000, capping monthly payments at five percent of a borrower’s monthly income, forgiving loan balances of $12,000 or less after 10 years of payments, and having the federal government cover unpaid interest for borrowers making monthly payments based on their income.

The president’s plan seems to have found a “sweet spot” in public opinion. Voters are divided almost equally among those who think $10,000 in loan forgiveness is too much, too little, and about right, and public support declines when the amount is increased above this level.

Despite broad support for student loan relief, Americans have a range of qualms about President Biden’s plan. They are evenly divided on the threshold question of whether the president has the legal authority to cancel student loan debt, an issue that is certain to be contested in court. More than half of the electorate believes that debt cancellation will cause inflation to increase. More than half believes that it is unfair to Americans who did not attend college—and to Americans who have already paid off their student loans. Many worry that the plan does nothing to reduce the cost of attending college and could actually worsen the price spiral.

The politics of student loan relief

These doubts could expose the president’s plan to potent political attacks during the midterm election campaign. Still, its beneficiaries are likely to care more about the issue than do its critics, and it is relatively popular among key groups of swing voters, such as Independents, moderates, suburbanites, and Hispanics. And although many economists believe that the student loan program itself is in part responsible for the soaring cost of higher education, voters are much more likely to blame colleges and universities, along with banks and other lending institutions, for this unwelcome trend. If critics attack the plan too aggressively, they could be portrayed as heartless and out of touch with the needs of more than 40 million Americans. If it motivates previously disengaged younger voters to participate in the midterm elections, it will boost Democrats’ prospects, especially in contested races where turnout will be key.

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ash-rigby · 3 years

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Blushing Denial (Android) [M/M]

Featured Characters: Male human and a male android. Both are adults.

Description: Nico has ordered a vial of Blushing Denial, an anorgasmic drug which stops a person from cumming during sex for an extended period. He is eager to try it out with Fox, his android husband with nearly endless sexual stamina, and match even a fraction of machine-like endurance.

Contains: Sex Drug Usage, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Orgasm Denial.

Completion Date: July 26th, 2021

Word Count: 3648

It was such an unassuming thing. At least, this was Nico’s opinion of the vial he was holding. The bottle was small, minimally labeled via a black sticker with golden letters, and full of a liquid that looked not unlike a shimmery pink liqueur. From far away on a shelf it may have looked just like that—if only a sample size. But that little vial held so much more power.

Aptly named Blushing Denial, the liquid inside was an anorgasmic drug. It supposedly had the ability to stop a person from cumming during sex for a prolonged period. They could be pleasured almost to the edge, but then the drug would keep them there. That was until it wore off and allowed them to cum; which usually wouldn’t happen for least an hour. A full hour of being tortuously held at that near-peak, release so close but physically impossible no matter how much the user was stroked or fucked.

Reviews raved about the mind-blowing orgasms that people had experienced through its use and Nico was more than a little intrigued. His husband had lightly teased him in the past over his wariness in bringing odder things into their sex life. So the android was rightly surprised when he jumped so readily at the idea of such an intense experience.

The truth of the matter was quite simple. Nico wasn’t the kind of man who could cum more than once; not that it made him a special case, but it did impose a bit of a cap on his husband. Fox, being an android, didn’t have to worry about such limits. His body could maintain an erection for as long as desired so he could theoretically go for several hours straight without losing an inch of vigor.

Nico had talked to Fox about this before, worried that his performance was comparatively dull. He was lovingly assured that the android had no issue going by his human limitations. Fox happened to take great satisfaction in building his husband up to that single release, drawing out his pleasure for as long as possible so that he trembled with it every time. It was beautiful to watch, he told Nico; much more exquisite and meaningful than hours of recurrent orgasms could ever be.

The adoring, erotically charged sentiment had eased Nico’s concern and ignited that particular night’s passion. However, he still wanted to try matching even a fraction of Fox’s endurance. The drug he was holding was going to make that happen. He slowly turned the vial in his hand, watching the shimmering swirls stirred up by the movement.

“Are you still certain about this?” Fox asked, pulling Nico’s attention to him.

They were laying naked together in their bed, facing one another and mere inches apart. The two had stripped each other moments earlier. They almost forgot about the drug entirely in the heated press of their bare bodies. Fox was smooth as always under Nico’s hands; dark purple and magenta plasteel panels, black connectors, various LED points glowing a vibrant amber.

The android was also currently wearing one of Nico’s favourite attachments. It was a slightly larger than average cock (by android standards as they tended to be taller than the average human) in a simple black. The underside of the shaft was lined with prominent ridges and the tip was a rounded point. A single, small, blue point of light shone at the tip where the slit was.

Nico looked up at his husband’s face. Golden eyes stared back from a rounded and otherwise dark screen, regarding him with sincerity. In answer to Fox’s question, Nico uncorked the vial and downed the contents in one go. He barely restrained making a face. The drug had a medicinal bite to it mixed with a sort of chalky strawberry flavoring that attempted and failed to cover it up.

Fox chuckled. “No reservations then.”

“Nope,” Nico said. He licked his teeth, trying to dispel the unpleasant taste.

“Very well,” Fox said. He reached over the small space between them with a gentle hand to run his fingers over the hair behind Nico’s ear. “But you will tell me if it is too overwhelming, correct? I do not wish to harm you in any way.”

“You’d never hurt me. We both know that.”

“But you will tell me?”

Nico smiled at the imploring but soft tone. “Yeah.”

Fox’s hands went to Nico’s hips, urging him forward until their bodies were flush.

“I only ask because I may lose myself,” he said, desire oozing into his tone like hot magma. He caressed Nico’s side, raising goosebumps over the human’s skin. “I admit that what this drug promises excites me greatly.”

Fox didn’t have to treat it as an admission; Nico knew how he felt. He was already hungering for it. The build-up to that sweet prolonged denial, feeling the near-ecstatic pleasure pulsing through him until he couldn’t stand it anymore. Until he would give anything just to cum. Begging, breathless, needy. Nico fidgeted, his thighs rubbing together.

“Me too,” he said. He lowered his voice then, his hand straying towards Fox’s already erect cock. The android’s self-lubricating response kicked in as his fingers traced the sides of the ridges. Warm, slick fluid flowed from the tip and Nico grinned at how easy it was to trigger that reaction. “I trust you, Fox. I’m ready. It…it’s everything I want from you right now.”

Fox trembled lightly under Nico’s touch. “On your back, then. Let me look after you.”

Nico did as asked and rolled over. After a moment, he felt Fox’s arm slide under his back as the android was quick to ensure that they weren’t apart for long. His husband’s much taller bulk was, as always, a comfortingly sturdy presence. He released a slow breath, relaxing into the hold.

Fox had a bottle of lube in his hand and he popped it open. The liquid was cool as he dribbled a liberal amount onto Nico’s half-hard cock, which he took into his large hand moments later. Slow and meticulous, he stroked the slick flesh, thumbing the head.

A quiet gasp escaped Nico. Heat pooled towards his groin as the first stirrings of pleasure swiftly arose in his body. His heartbeat quickened and he felt himself growing harder, his shaft stiffening under Fox’s attentive touch.

“Ever the responsive one,” Fox marveled lowly. “I love how hard you become after a few simple strokes.”

Warmth crawled up Nico’s chest to his cheeks. He was already rock-solid in Fox’s grip. There was no helping it; he had always been quite sensitive and the secondary pleasure-heightening effect of the drug made him feel more so. If it weren’t coursing through him, then he might have grown concerned about cumming too soon.

“F-feels good,” he said, unable to think of anything better in response. Arousal had a way of turning his tongue simple. He moaned on a particularly good stroke, feeling fluid seeping out the tip of his cock.

Fox gave a short, amused hum. “I should hope so. Or else you have some very opposite reactions to what you like.”

Nico chuckled, cut off by a stuttering breath as Fox started to pump a little faster. He gave in to the instinct to rock his hips gently upwards to meet the android’s fist with its every downward caress. The large hand engulfing his shaft was a warm, tight space. Perfect to thrust into. His throat worked around his increasing noises of pleasure. Fox teased his leaking slit before all too suddenly stopping altogether.

Breathing hard, Nico watched Fox reach for the lube bottle once more. It was held out to him and he took it knowingly. He squeezed some out into his husband’s hand before adding more to the slick coating his cock. His flushed arousal strained where it lay on his stomach and he was quick to take up Fox’s job. He was hot against his palm; an incessant, excited pulse beating along his length.

As Nico stroked himself, he felt one of Fox’s fingers at his hole. It circled the ring of muscle, trailing lube and making it twitch.

“May I?” Fox asked.

“Please,” Nico breathed.

A single but thick digit slowly pushed its way inside Nico. He squeezed involuntarily around it and whimpered, pausing in his stroking. Fox stilled as well. The android’s other hand, continuing to hold him from behind, caressed his side soothingly.

“It’s all right. Relax,” Fox said, his tone quiet and exceedingly gentle. “Take a moment.”

Nico breathed, focusing on letting his body adjust. Sweat glistened over his chest and ran down his jaw from his hairline. The finger inside him didn’t move as he slowly loosened up around it.

“I’m okay,” he said finally, need quickly rising in him at the feeling of being penetrated.

Fox traced another line over Nico’s ribs. “Do you want to keep going?”

“Mhm,” Nico hummed with a slight nod of his head.

Carefully, Fox inserted the rest of his finger. He started a slow thrust as Nico took him without further issue. It wasn’t long before he focused his attention on his husband’s prostate, rubbing the sensitive spot with machine precision and skill. Nico all but jolted at the first touch against it. He cried out and gripped his cock once more.

Nico fought the urge to stroke himself faster. He wanted to be sure that it was Fox’s dick that brought him to the edge. So that the android would be fucking him from when the drug’s effect took hold to the moment it ended. But that was getting more difficult the longer Fox spent masterfully probing his ass. A second finger joined in and he moaned at the pleasurable stretch.

Fox worked him open tirelessly, murmuring praises as his fingers flexed, twisted, and pushed inside a fluttering heat. Though the android seemed composed, Nico could see his cock pulsing, leaking lubricant from the head and between the soft panels that made up the shaft’s pliant, ridged segments. It was the only clear sign of how worked up this was making him.

The sight of it added fuel to Nico’s already overflowing desire. Panting and moaning, he teased his sensitive head. Precum oozed from him and dripped in a shimmering line down to his stomach. He felt hot, pleasure throbbing through every inch of his cock and deep inside of him with every dig against his prostate.

“Th-three,” he choked out.

“Hm?”

“Three fingers…put in the third,” Nico begged. More. He wanted more.

Fox nodded and obeyed silently. The slow addition of his third finger sent a rush to Nico’s head. He felt the arm beneath him shift, the forearm hooking up at his side. Fox’s hand found his chest and lightly squeezed before the deft fingers began teasing his nipple.

Nico shuddered a gasp as his husband pumped into him faster. His head lolled to the side and he found golden lights boring into him as he caught and held Fox’s gaze.

“Do you know how beautiful you are like this?” the android inquired lowly, his eyes glowing bright with excitement. “You belong under my hands.”

“Fox,” Nico gasped, adoration and embarrassment warring briefly in his mind before being lost in the heated swirl of ecstasy.

“You belong in my arms…trembling as I touch you,” Fox continued. “Until you cannot bear to not have me inside you a second longer.”

Nico moaned, quivering around Fox’s fingers. His hips and legs shook with every plunge and pull. He had to stop stroking himself. It was too much too soon. After one last pump, he reluctantly took his hand off of his cock, leaving it to jolt and drool on his stomach. He laid there in Fox’s hold, all but writhing as his ass was relentlessly teased.

A loud, desperate keen finally broke free from him almost against his will. It was wordless, but the android understood its meaning instantly. The deeply probing fingers left Nico’s twitching hole. He slumped in their absence, shivering as pleasure continued to hum through his body. Fox gently guided him onto his side and positioned himself behind him.

“Perhaps you are ready for something bigger?” he purred. His hard dick was pressing into Nico’s backside and he started grinding against pliant, slick flesh. “Is that what such a pretty noise was for? Begging for this?”

Fox knew that. He damn well knew it, but he wanted to hear it. Nico swallowed hard and took a breath.

“Yeah,” he said, his voice much steadier than he felt. “That’s it. Fox…Fox, please fuck me.”

Not keen on teasing any further, the android gripped his cock and lined up with Nico’s hole. They both groaned as he slowly sheathed himself in a loosened but gripping warmth. He paused, pulsing in the confines of Nico’s walls for only a few moments. His hand hooked under one of his husband’s knees, lifting his leg and beginning to thrust.

The stretch of his dick was heavenly; an almost dizzying thickness. Nico could practically feel his prostate throbbing with each pass of the ridged attachment. Lubricant leaked from the shaft and quickly slicked up his passage. He moaned as pleasure began to claim him once more, spreading its heat to his every inch.

With Fox inside him, Nico had no reason to try and stave off that coveted peak. His cock twitched, needy for the attention it had been denied. He started jerking it once more. A gasp was punched from him at the first touch of his hand and he couldn’t hold back from stroking at a quick, desperate pace. His hole squeezed and fluttered, drawing a moan from Fox who ground into him that much harder.

“Nico,” Fox said, his low tone sending a pleasurable shiver up Nico’s back. “You always feel so marvelous around me.”

Nico whimpered, his body being rocked with Fox’s thrusts. His ass hugged the android’s cock in a hopelessly aroused clutch. All parts of him went wild for the full feeling of its bulk. It pounded and leaked inside of him, the stuttering press of its ridges sending pulses of ecstasy right to the tip of his dick.

He thought that it couldn’t get any better. That was until Fox let out a barely perceptible, devious chuckle before activating the attachment’s vibration feature. Nico saw stars, his mouth opening on what could have been a wail if the shock of pleasure had not momentarily left him dumbstruck. His hand started flying over his cock. A shaky moan which turned into near-constant cries shook itself from his numbed throat.

Fox started to thrust faster and that was it; Nico was close. So close that he thought the drug wasn’t working. Maybe he had misread something. What felt like a rapidly impending orgasm was boiling in his groin. He clenched on Fox’s cock, practically choked his own, and held on for dear life. It was happening. He was going to cum. He was…stuck.

Nico felt like his body had reached a limit but had forgotten how to release the surging build-up entirely. Panting, he registered the pure bliss of this feeling. It was that glorious second right before cumming; ignited nerves, pulsing flesh, a racing heart. But the sensation didn’t subside, not letting up even a little. A full-body shake took him as he groaned and rode the relentless waves.

It wasn’t long after the drug took effect that Fox was cumming. He stilled deep inside Nico, moaning as a flood of hot lubricant pumped out of him. His frame trembled and his hips resumed a slow thrust as he came down, eager to keep going. But he paused as he caught the frenzied state of his partner.

“Nico, are you all right?”

“I c-can’t cum,” Nico whined, still furiously stroking his cock. “I really can’t cum.”

Fox stopped the vibration and pulled out a little. “Do you need to stop? You look over—.”

“No! Please. It’s so good.” Nico shuddered, his eyes rolling. “Ah! Shit! Just cum all you want, Fox. I want it. I need it!”

Fox made a strange sound that could have been a circuit blowing, but he said nothing more as he resumed his fucking. Time became a blur of pleasure as Nico was pliantly positioned; always with gentle handling contrary to the desperate way Fox chased multiple orgasms.

The android’s hips were tireless. “I’ve never…I’ve never had this many—ah!” Abundant, slick fluid claimed Nico’s passage a sixth time. “My body feels alight. It is…it is…ahh.”

Intoxicating, Nico’s mind supplied. He cried out and took every thrust. The drug had him caught, denying him for longer and longer. It made his whole body extremely sensitive. Fox’s hands gripping just about anywhere felt as good as a stroke of his cock. Even every beat of his heart brought him pleasure. He listened to its berserk thumping as he was briefly placed face-down, his head turned to the side so that he could breathe and praise with unabashed moans.

Eventually, Fox laid Nico out on top of him, back-to-chest with his hands under his husband’s knees to bend his legs towards his torso. He fucked up into him, bouncing them both intensely. The vibration of the attachment returned then, alternating on and off at Fox’s will. There wasn’t a fraction less power behind those thrusts. Every single one continued to hit deep and hard, each plunge accompanied by the android’s beautiful pleasured noises.

Nico was acutely aware of every heavy, aching throb of his dick. He was awash in heat, a turbulent and thrilling pressure building inside him. It was like he was stoppered in a way; the drug acting like a sadistic, powerful cork keeping his release from slipping free. But the bottle, his body, was shaking against the force. He wanted to burst. To shatter completely.

He heard a familiar sound then; the one which usually occurred when Fox scanned something.

“The drug will wear off soon,” the android reported, his voice unsteady and adorably glitching here and there in his pleasure. “I know it down to the second.”

“C-count,” was all Nico could say before dissolving into further moans. He thought that maybe Fox didn’t understand what he meant until about a minute later when he started counting him down.

“Five.”

Nico gasped. He could feel the drug wearing off. Less like a gentle fade and more like a floodgate deep inside of him beginning to crumble from an unbearable strain.

“Four.”

His hand went to his cock once more and it was like an electrical shock. The fevered, straining flesh frantically pulsed under his touch. Anticipation for release hummed through every inch as the tip began to weep more profusely. He moaned loudly, his stroking erratic but perfect.

“Three.”

Precum was flowing out of Nico in rivulets, pooling on his stomach and running down his sides. Fox’s copious lubricant spurted and dripped out around the android’s wildly thrusting cock. The sound was filthy. Everything was so fucking wet.

“Two.”

Nico’s balls shot up, quivering against his shaft. The raging heat devouring his dick peaked. Even the final second felt tortuously stretched. If it had been any longer, he might have been tempted to die just to cum. He nearly cried as he felt thick seed boiling up through him.

“One.”

It was an all-consuming carnal symphony. An explosive ecstasy that nearly made Nico black out. Tears blurred his vision as he wailed and arched. Cum shot from his jolting cock, painting streaks across his heaving chest. Even after he spent himself, his orgasm held firm. Every pleasure center of his body felt like it was throbbing. His hole tightened and loosened in rapid succession around Fox’s cock. Through the haze, he felt the android cum inside him for the last time—a thirteenth time—while burying the attachment deep.

The two of them were speechless for a long moment when it all ended. Nico tried to catch his evasive breath while Fox possibly fought off an emergency reboot. He turned over as his legs were released, laying his head on his husband’s chest and feeling strong arms wrapping around him.

Nico felt oddly fragile as if his seams had been loosened, but Fox was pulling them together again with his loving touch. A gentle hand ran up and down his spine as his body stopped shivering and the last traces of his ecstatic tears abated. Fully calmed, he melted into the embrace.

“Are you with me, Nico?” Fox asked, breaking the silence.

“Almost,” Nico said, a blanket of exhaustion descending onto him to try and cover the post-orgasmic buzz lingering in his flesh.

“Did you like that? Or was it too much?”

“So when can we order a whole case of that stuff?”

Fox chuckled. “Well, there is my answer.”

“You bet,” Nico said. He minutely grimaced, hyper-aware of the mess clinging to his skin and leaking out of him. “I do feel a little gross though.”

“Perhaps a bit of clean-up is in order,” Fox said.

“Mhm,” Nico hummed, definitely making no move to get up.

“Nico?”

“Hm?”

“I will remind you that I do not have a hose attachment.”

“Bathroom. Right…in a second. Probably couldn’t walk yet anyway.”

“No need,” Fox said. “You were very good for me, so I will not dare to let you lift a finger tonight. I will carry you and treat you to a warm bath.” His hand slid down to Nico’s ass as his voice took on a sultry tease. “Make sure everywhere is cleaned.”

Nico groaned, his spent cock twitching. “Keep talking like that and we’re gonna have problems…wouldn’t want to make me have to call into work tomorrow on account of weak knees.”

“Oh, I would not dream of it, love.”

End

Masterlist

#ash originals #terato writing #spicy #terato #exophilia #robophilia #monster love #monster lover #monster boyfriend #monster husband #robot boyfriend #robot husband #oc:fox #oc:nico

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astonmartinii · 3 years

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lemonade and star-crossed lovers, p1 (JJ Maybank)

Warnings: none yet, swearing? all core characters are aged up to 18, Rafe is 21.

JJ Maybank x kook!reader (super super slow burn) (this will hopefully be a series)

WC: 4.0k

Growing up, Y/N always heard jokes about how the eldest daughter was just the mum in a different font. She never used to believe it, but that was when she had present and dedicated parents. Now, it just seemed that with every addition to the Miller family, the less interested Kevin and Julie Miller became.

So here Y/N was, practically a mother to her three younger siblings.

Dylan is only a year younger than Y/N but is no less of a hassle, especially when his useless friends decide to crash at their place. But considering they had the most hectic house of Dylan’s friendship group, the Miller household was usually the last option.

Then there’s Anderson, he’s in his rebellious phase currently, getting to that point where he’s figured out that acting out could maybe get the attention of his parents. Though Y/N wasn’t sure how well his plans were working out.

Peach is the youngest and practically attached to Y/N’s hip. To an untrained eye, Y/N often looked like a teen mum as she took Peach with her to the grocery shopping. In fact, Y/N was sure that if the kooks in Figure Eight didn’t know her family, they’d sneer at her with the same ignorance that clouded their entire lives.

Y/N woke up glad - it’s the last day of school. Summer break looms. The idea of boneyard keggers and hot (but equally clueless) tourons, excited the girl. But she knew her summer reality would be looking after Peach, bailing Anderson out of jail and swatting away the affections of Dylan’s stupid friends.

—————————————

Dylan is already awake when Y/N comes knocking, taking extra close care to his hair.

“Oh, you’re up,” Y/N said, moving to ruffle his hair and grab the empty plate on his bedside cabinet.

“Jesus, fuck Y/N, was that really necessary?”

“Hey maybe if you spent more time on assignments than your hair you wouldn’t have to take so many summer classes - oh yeah, mum might not remember, but I do, and you will be going.”

“But it’s summer, surely it’s a violation to my human rights to go to school.”

“I’m sure you’ll survive, and maybe when you finally pass this year, you’ll thank me. Breakfast in 10.”

Dylan just flips his sister off, going back to admiring himself in the mirror.

Y/N next goes to Peach’s room to find her awake and rummaging through her draws.

“Hey, princess, what are you thinking for the last day? Third grade finished already, you’ll be my age soon, wheeling me into the retirement home.”

Peach erupts into giggles, pulling out a little pink summer dress and grabbing her pink sandals to complete the ensemble.

“All pink, we love. Breakfast in 10, alright, don’t want you to be late for the last day.”

Anderson’s room is last, Y/N doesn’t bother knocking on her parent’s door. Kevin is probably already down on Judy - his beloved boat. The room is typical of a 14 year old boy, it stunk, his weed paraphernalia was badly hidden and there was a lump of pillows under the cover instead of a boy.

Shrugging, Y/N picked up the dirty mugs in his room and moved downstairs. She’d been awake nearly an hour now but was still unsure of what to make for breakfast. Opening the fridge gave her the only possible answer, leftover pizza from the previous night and maybe a porridge pot, though considering there were only two siblings to account for, it would do.

Dylan and Peach joined her in the kitchen shortly after, each taking a slice or two of pizza.

“No Anderson and pizza for breakfast? Watch out, we'll be calling CPS as soon as we’re outside.“

“You don’t know where the bug is? Why does that boy insist on giving me early onset cardiac issues?”

“Don’t take it too to heart, I’m sure he’ll turn up by the second period.”

“Okay, go to school now. Dylan, are you okay to drop Peach off, I’ll pick her up.”

Dylan nods and ushers the youngest out of the door and to his car. Y/N lets out a sigh when she sees them leave the driveway and makes her way to the back door. Through the sliding door she can see her dad, Kevin on Judy instructing John B, the kid who worked on the boat, what to do. Y/N puts two slices of pizza on a plate and grabs an apple and ventures out to the dock.

“Morning Y/N.”

“Morning, John B, can I interest you in an apple? It’s all we have I’m afraid.”

“No worries, any breakfast is breakfast when you’re a pogue.”

“Oh John B, you know I don’t believe in all that sub-par class warfare bullshit.”

“Of course you don’t, but that’s very easy to say when you’re on the other side.”

“Touche.”

Y/N doesn’t say anymore, but moves to give her dad his breakfast. She liked John B and hoped he didn’t see her like the other kooks. Sure Rafe Cameron frequented her house, but she’s nothing like him.

“Thanks, squirt.”

Despite the nickname, Kevin was absent as ever, not moving to look at her.

“You’re children are off to school, don’t worry.”

Silence.

“Oh thank you Y/N, I really don’t know what we’d do without you! You’re such a gem, you’re really unappreciated and we don’t deserve you! Thanks dad, I really needed to hear that. Are you coming later?”

“Where?” Kevin grunted, with pizza in his mouth.

“My graduation? Did you forget that was today?”

The awkward silence was enough of an answer for Y/N.

“Sorry squirt, I promised to go to the mainland to pick something up for your mother.”

With that, Y/N stormed off Judy, towards the house and into her room. When she sat down on her bed she could think about what just happened. She knew her parents didn’t care about her, but missing their first child’s graduation for a small errand to the mainland?

Now that the house was quiet again, she could get ready - she was graduating today and as valedictorian she wants to look her best. Julie, her mum, is in Washington on some mysterious job venture, Y/N wasn’t told until she came down in the morning a few days ago and saw Julie with her suitcases. She guessed that one positive of her parents’ absenteeism is her ability to steal Julie’s expensive jewelry to wear.

Y/N looked in the mirror, she did clean up nice when she wanted to. Her lengthy hair is in a half-up, half-down style, with minimal makeup and a red knee-length dress. The dress hugged her figure and complemented her graduation gown perfectly. Too bad none of her family would be there to see it. She knew deep down that Peach and Dylan would’ve attended if possible, and Anderson would maybe even make an appearance, especially if there was food involved.

Y/N put her matching red heels on and grabbed her cap from her closet. After one final look in the mirror and putting her printed speech into her bag, the young girl made her way down the stairs.

To her surprise, none other than John B sat in her kitchen drinking a glass of water.

“You clean up nice kook,” said John B, a smug smirk on his face.

“Thank you, John. Don’t you have graduation today?”

“Eh, yeah. I’m just going for the food though, school isn’t really my thing…” John B looked closer at her cap. “I’m practically the opposite to you Miss Valedictorian”.

“Hmm, well at least someone in this house noticed, thank you John B. I’m going now, I didn’t notice your van out front, you need a lift to yours?”

“Is that really on your way, wouldn’t want Miss Valedictorian to be late to her own event, you got a speech ready?”

“I do as a matter of fact, but I want to be just on time, minimise the time people have to ask about the whereabouts of my parents. So, do you want a lift or not?”

“Sure thing, Miss Valedictorian.”

Y/N doesn’t acknowledge the nickname, but secretly loved it, it was a joke, but at least someone was appreciating her achievements. Peach would, she knows, but she’s not really at the point of understanding what it means and the others really are wildcards.

She led John B out to her small car, a baby blue Beetle. The boy smiled at her choice in car,

“I’m sure that a kook like you could afford better than this.”

“Don’t insult Shelby in her presence, weren’t you ever taught manners? Now get it and give me directions.”

The drive was fun, not that John B would tell Y/N that. He enjoyed her music choice, Mac Miller blasting from her speakers and the windows were fully rolled down, damned be her hair.

Y/N neared the chateau and came to a stop. There were a few people sitting on the porch, looking over in confusion.

“Yo, what’s with the kook-mobile, John B?” The blonde yelled from his seat on the beaten-up couch.

When John B only turned to Y/N to say thank you, the interest peaked on the porch. The little gang of pogues moved towards the car.

“John B, I didn’t realise your job came with a taxi service, why did I have to drop you off this morning?” The blonde, once again.

“Lay off JJ, this is Y/N Miller, she’s the daughter of Kevin, the guy whose boat I work on. She’s on her way to her graduation and offered me a lift.”

“Since when are kook graduations on the Cut?” The other boy interjected.

Y/N decided to speak up, “if I knew an act of kindness would cause so much strife, I’ll just let you walk home next time. Now, I do have somewhere to be, so it was nice to see you, John B. I'm sure I’ll see you again this week.”

“Bye Miss Valedictorian, good luck with your speech,” John B said, getting out of Shelby.

“You’re the valedictorian?” Kiara finally spoke, face shocked.

“Yeah, surprising what happens when you show up for school right?” Y/N snapped, angrier than she intended.

“Oh yeah, sorry. I guess I thought that maybe Sarah would get it, especially if Ward has anything to do with it.” Kiara grimaced, she didn’t mean to offend the Miller girl.

“You can’t buy the valedictorian title, well I’m sure you could, but not to flex, but my grades were miles better. If we’re being really ironic though, Ward technically does pay for the valedictorian,” Y/N said with a smile, not meaning to brandish her academic success in their faces.

A chorus of “huhs?” from the pogues surrounding her car told Y/N that they weren’t catching her drift.

“I’m Ward Cameron’s assistant. Sorry, I didn’t make that very clear.”

“You have a job, but you’re a kook?” the blonde, JJ, said.

“Yes, blondie, some of us do have to look out for ourselves, didn’t your parents tell you not to judge a book by its cover. I’ll see you around. Bye John B.”

Y/N backed out of the road, heading back to Figure Eight, with her graduation starting in 10 minutes, she had massively overstayed her welcome at John B’s. If she weren’t so busy, Y/N always thought she’d like to be friends with John B and his crew, they had an unmistakable family bond that Y/N craved. She loves her siblings but they are still grappling with the idea of give and take, mainly fixating on the taking aspect.

Y/N pulled up to school, and took out her phone, dropping a text to Anderson pleading with him to at least make it to two classes today. Even with her phone safely away in her bag, Y/N couldn’t quite bring herself to get out of the car. Happy families surrounded her everywhere she looked, she couldn’t handle the stares when she walks in alone. Well, it’s now or never she says to herself.

Walking isn’t as bad as she suspects, Mr Morgan, her English teacher, meets her at the door and takes her to her seat, explaining the mechanisms of the ceremony and when she’ll make her speech.

The hall, however, is the reminder that Y/N was dreading. The two seats she had booked for her parents sat empty, standing out like a sore thumb in the packed hall. She made her way to the student section with her head down. However, before Y/N could sit she was apprehended by an excitable Sarah Cameron.

“Y/N! Hi! I heard you’re valedictorian, well done! I don’t know how you managed, with all the work and your siblings, you really are amazing.”

“Thanks, Sarah.”

The words sting, despite their pure intentions. She’s a kook, she shouldn’t have to work, and she should have parents who care for her and her siblings, but some things just aren’t meant to be, clearly. Y/N sat in her assigned seat and willed the ceremony to go fast, though she wasn’t looking too forward to her speech. The diversion to the chateau meant that Y/N had no time to look over it again.

The ceremony started and the hall quietened down. Principal Stoney started her opening speech, basking in the spotlight when the hall door bursts open and interrupts. In the doorway stands Anderson. His hair is disheveled and the clothes are torn, probably from the nightly activities with the skateboard he held in his hand. The boy scanned the hall, eyes falling on the empty seats with the name Miller and then Y/N herself. He gives her a small wave and pushes past the Figure Eights families to the seats.

Principal Stoney just restarts, a slight bewildered look on her face.

When it was time for her speech, Y/N didn’t even feel real, like she floated to the stage and was possessed. Her speech went well from what she could gather, Mr Morgan gave her a thumbs up and Anderson hollered, much to the dismay of the families around him. But he was even worse when she received her diploma.

As families spilled onto the field for fancy food and photo opportunities, Y/N wrangled Anderson to the side before he could raid the food stalls.

“Anderson, what the fuck? First you didn't come home last night and then crash my graduation?”

“Hey, I’m sorry about last night, me and the boys got carried away skating and I crashed on Oscar’s couch. I’m sorry, I should’ve called. And as for now, you think I’m going to let my smart-ass VALEDICTORIAN sister graduate without anyone being here to holler? You’re dead wrong.”

The sentiment fills Y/N’s heart with joy and tears threaten to spill. Anderson’s never been good with feelings, it was nice to know that he did care.

“Mum and dad can go fuck themselves, if they don’t see how great you are then they’re blind.”

“Thanks, bug. It means a lot. Now don’t eat too much, people are probably already annoyed that you’re here.”

Anderson shrugs, he couldn’t care less what they thought, he was here to eat and show off his sister.

“Congratulations Y/N!”

The voice of Y/N’s boss, Ward Cameron, was easily identifiable. Y/N puts on her confident face and turns to see the whole Cameron brigade, minus Wheezie.

“Thank you, Mr Cameron.”

“You know, I just don’t know how you get it done, working for us and dealing with your siblings…” Rose says, the last part fading out as she watches Anderson walk back to his sister with his arms piled high with fancy horderves.

“It’s tough, yeah, but what wouldn’t you do for your family?”

“Of course, of course, sorry for any implications, where is the old man, I know Julie is off on business, but Kevin has to be proud, I didn’t see him in the hall?” Ward’s voice feigned sincerity, but the Miller siblings saw right through it. Before Anderson could respond, Y/N replied.

“Dad is also doing business on the mainland, at the last minute. He’s devastated, really,” it's not convincing, even to her. Y/N can tell she hasn’t convinced the Camerons either. Sarah gives her a sad look, Rose attempts to mirror her step-daughter but fails, Ward looks slightly smug, like he’s trying to hide it but Rafe doesn’t even try to hide it like his dad, a massive smirk on his face.

“What are your plans for the summer Miller?” Y/N is surprised when it’s Rafe who asks the question.

“Well, I’ll be working for your dad, if he’ll have me, I still have my volleyball coaching in the tourist season and there’s never a dull moment with these around,” Y/N puts her arm around Anderson.

Looking for a quick exit, she looks at her watch.

“Oh, if we go now, you can still catch your last two periods. Kids, am I right?” She gestures at Rose and Ward, “we’ll be off now, I’ll see you next week?”

The Camerons nod as Y/N pulls Anderson away and towards the car park. But before they can fully escape, they’re stopped by Mr Morgan.

“You think you can leave without a photo and a proper goodbye, I didn’t think you were that kind of girl, Miller.”

“Of course not, Mr Morgan, here,” she hands Anderson her phone, “take a picture please.”

Anderson does so, taking about 50 at once.

“Okay, okay, let's get one of you two, you can’t not have a proper graduation picture, especially not when you’re valedictorian.”

Mr Morgan takes the phone and smiles at the siblings. When the impromptu photoshoot ends, Y/N is glad, despite it pushing back her escape.

“Y/N, on a serious note, you are always welcome in my classroom, you’ve been a pleasure, and don’t tell anyone, but you were my favourite. And you, I hope you’ll be just as good next year sir,” he says turning to Anderson, “although considering you’re here and not in class doesn’t bode well.”

“Thank you, sir, really. But you are completely right, and that’s why we’re bouncing now, so he can get two at least two periods.”

Mr Morgan smiles at the two when they start to run to the car. He’s always felt sad for the eldest Miller, and her parents absence did not go unnoticed.

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

“I’ll see you later, I know you guys will probably crash a kegger, but at least come home before you go?”

“Yeah, yeah, okay, who knows maybe I’ll see you there?”

Anderson laughs and gets out of the car, he knows his sister won’t especially when Peach will be home. Y/N watches him go into the building and stays a couple minutes to make sure he doesn’t sneak back out when he thinks she’s gone.

But Y/N barely gets time to breathe, as she’s down to the elementary school to pick up Peach. The girl in all pink is waiting with a gaggle of friends and shrieks when she sees the blue car.

“Y/N! Y/N! I got the “most improved” in drama!”

Y/N opens the door and picks up Peach, spinning her round and congratulating her.

“Well done, bubs. This calls for a celebration, it’s the first day of summer and the boys won’t be out for another couple of hours - what do you want to do?”

Peach doesn’t even need a second to think.

“Lemonade stand!”

Huh? Y/N was prepared for an answer closer to maybe a princess party or surfing lessons, but a lemonade stand?

“Are you sure?”

“You said we could do whatever I want!”

“Okay, okay, let’s go then we’ve got a lot to do.”

Satisfied with getting her way, Peach got in the car and demanded that the next stop was the craft store.

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

The next 90 minutes were gruelling. Peach spared no expense, Y/N was lucky that she still had the credit card Julie gave her. But she knew it would all be worth it. And it was.

Peach chose a spot right in the middle of the beach and the stall was already making a profit. Y/N knew kooks just couldn’t resist the temptation to look good and what was better than giving a generous tip to a child’s lemonade stand?

But with a successful kook-trap came the kook assholes. Namely Rafe, Topper and Kelce.

“Three lemonades please. Apricot, right?” Rafe said with a smirk.

“You know it’s Peach asshole.”

“That’s a bad word, Y/N,” Peach mumbled, clearly upset about being called apricot of all things.

“Yeah that’s a bad word, Miller, you should listen to Apricot a little more.”

“Maybe, you should listen to your college professors, oh wait, you dropped out, my bad, must be a bit of an open wound judging by the look on your face. I bet daddy wasn’t impressed.”

“Excuse me, you bitch, how dare you talk to me like that.”

“Run along, lap dog, we don’t need your money.”

Rafe goes to say something but Topper and Kelce hold him back.

“Bro, don’t get it shit with your pops over a fucking lemonade,” Topper warned.

With a final “fuck off”, Rafe Cameron stalked away to his car, his gang of cowards following, but not without Topper placing a crisp $20 bill in the tip jar. Peach mumbled and thank you and Y/N just nodded to Topper, too tired to say anything more.

And if her afternoon couldn’t get any worse, the prickly blonde from this morning strolled over to the stand.

“I’ll have four lemonades please.”

Peach gasped and accepted his money right away, getting to work on the drinks.

“I’ve seen many a kook-trap in my time, Miller, but not many operated by Kooks themselves. Impressive ingenuity.”

“Thanks - JJ, was it? Peach here won “most improved” in her drama class and this is what she wanted to do in celebration”

“Cute, Miller, didn’t take you as a softy earlier.”

Peach announces that she’s finished with the pogue’s drinks, he puts another $5 in the tip jar and grabs the drinks.

“Miller, there’s a kegger at the boneyard tonight, wanna come? I’m sure at least one of your brothers will crash.”

“Sorry JJ, someone’s gotta look after the little one, maybe another time, if you can stand being around a kook for that long.”

“I think I can make an exception, especially if they look like you Miller,” he winks, “boneyard tonight, if you change your mind.”

Y/N blushed, but she knew she couldn’t, she couldn’t leave a nine year old at home, even if Kevin was there, there was no guarantee that Peach would be fed and given adequate attention.

“He’s pretty, you should go.”

“Peach, honey, you know I can’t, I can’t leave you at home.”

“But I could go to Jenny’s, she’s having a sleepover tonight, I forgot to ask earlier, I got too excited about the lemonade stand.”

“Okay, you can go to Jenny’s, but promise not too much candy?”

“Only if you promise to go with him tonight.”

Peach was proving to be just as mischievous as her brothers.

“Okay fine.”

“Go tell him then.”

“Huh?”

“I won’t believe you unless you go tell him now that you'll be there!”

Y/N groans, but gets up to follow the blonde. As she nears, she shouts,

“Hey JJ! I’ll be there tonight, at the boneyard, I’ll be there.”

“Didn’t take too long for you to change your mind then, am I just that irresistible?”

“No? What? Of course not! It’s just Peach - she’s a master manipulator, and she’s only nine!”

“Sure, Miller, if that’s what you want me to believe, I’ll see you later, sweetheart.”

Y/N turned, she should cringe, but she finds herself blushing as she walks back to Peach.

“Don’t say anything, missy, you’ve done enough, let’s pack up and get you ready for Jenny’s. You young ones are such troublemakers, damn.”

A/N: I am not American, so I hope that the graduation stuff makes sense, from someone who has no real clue what happens there lol

#obx #outer banks #jj maybank #jj maybank imagine #obx imagine #outerbanks imagine #john b routledge #kiara carrera #pope heyward #rafe cameron #sarah cameron #ward cameron #jj maybank x y/n #jj maybank x kook!reader #jj maybank x reader

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bestworstcase · 3 years

Note

I find your thoughts on how the Captain raised Cassandra interesting. I don’t think he’s a bad parent, but he did pass on some traits to Cassandra that are unhealthy. One particular trait being her low opinion on criminals “It’s hard to make decisions when your only friends are convicts and losers.” This black and white mindset is definitely from Cap. Yet Rapunzel isn’t guiltless. She lacks the mindset to truly understand criminals. As shown by her failures to empathize with Varian and Eugene.

oh tbh i don't agree that cass has any particular aversion to crime or people who commit crimes, as a matter of principle, like, the only instances we get of her being disparaging about crime are:

1) dunking on eugene at the beginning of fitzherbert pi, wherein she does call him a "two-bit hood" but taken in context what she's implying is—well the whole exchange goes like this:

CASS: Listen, Raps, if you're trying to find your defining activity, don't listen to this dud, whose whole work history is being a two-bit hood— EUGENE: Oho! 'Two-bit hood?!' Hold the pastry—I'll have you know, Cassandra, Flynn Rider was a legend. CASS: Heh. Key word being 'was.' And... what is it you do now?

the actual sting here is "and what is it you do now?"—i.e. this is cassandra mocking eugene for being lazy, and in constructing THAT insult she actually compares eugene unfavorably to his flynn rider persona. cass obv isn't impressed by the flynn rider legacy, but she's even less impressed by eugene's current laziness and lack of direction. that's what really makes him a "dud" in her eyes.

[see also: cassandra vs eugene, wherein even when cass is fuming at him she rants about his present behavior—his selfishness, arrogance, inconsiderate nature, and laziness—and doesn't so much as mention his criminal past.]

2) suspecting that lance has ulterior motives in return of strongbow, but... lance is:

a) an unrepentant, boastful thief, who b) just got out of prison and c) blatantly tries to pocket valuables right in front of cass, after d) showing up out of the blue to "reconnect" with his old partner-in-crime.

so yeah, cass doesn't trust lance as far as she can throw him, under those circumstances. neither does eugene. &—similar to how cass focuses on eugene's present attitude rather than his past reputation—her suspicion of lance is grounded in her observations of how lance is acting right now.

but once lance decides to turn over a new leaf and stick around? there's zero tension between him and cass. she doesn't continue holding onto these suspicions after lance changes how he acts.

and

3) the "It's hard making decisions when the only friends and advisors you have left are ex-convicts and losers" line which... i think does need to be taken into context as something cass says in the same episode where she kidnaps varian and calls him a loser because he failed to murder her two years prior? cassandra in CR is deeply entrenched in a mindset that rapunzel and corona both suck and varian is a pathetic coward for reconciling with her and anyone willing to align themselves with coronan law is her enemy—so her sneering about ex-convicts mere hours before she starts attacking and kidnapping and drugging and attempting to murder people really seems like it's the EX part that she's disgusted by, in her current frame of mind.

& on the flip side, well, consider the following:

1. cassandra herself is a criminal. like, she commits treason. in before ever after. sneaking rapunzel outside the city in the middle of the night and almost getting the princess killed, when the king gave specific orders that rapunzel was to stay within the walls? treason. that's why cass is so terrified of the secret getting out!!

2. cass never once expresses reservations about the pub thugs, who according to the film are specifically violent criminals. nor does she have any issue consorting with the, at the very least morally somewhat grimy types the challenge of the brave attracts.

3. speaking of the pub thugs, cass takes it for granted that attila is guilty of the crimes he's been accused of but readily supports rapunzel's quest to clear his name regardless. also just... look at how gleeful she is about the damage done to monty's shop:

"yeah! our friend sure did wreck this place! :D" jkghsdkf

3. the one time we see her do investigative work on her own, she does head for the snuggly duckling to ask questions—which is logical, bc the pub thugs are literal bandits with whom she has some personal rapport, and in a weird missing people situation with zero real leads, talking to friendly acquaintances who are basically decent but have spotty legal histories and bad reputations is a good first step; criminals gossip too, and one of them might well have heard rumors about kidnappings—but the instant she hears that one of their own is also missing she immediately includes the missing bandit as one of the victims she's trying to find.

what she doesn't do is shrug of ulf's disappearance as unimportant (bc he's just some criminal who cares) or probably irrelevant (bc banditry gets people killed all the time) or anything similarly dismissive the way someone who had a genuine bias in this regard might. like, just compare the way cass interacts with the pub thugs in PB to the way cap interacts with them in ruthless ruth, how at ease she is around them vs how uncomfortable and disparaging he is.

4. she's horrified when she learns that her dad has been acting as frederic's secret police, demands that he answer rapunzel's questions, and later tells him that he disappointed her—which is absolutely not indicative of the kind of law-above-all mindset you need to believe that criminals are intrinsically bad people or worth less than law-abiding folk.

5. in goodbye and goodwill, cass incites a street brawl for fun and then boasts to the sheriff that she injured twenty-three people. her idea of a good time includes things like a piranha dunk tank and a human piñata!

gkjhsl all of which is to say that—despite cassandra's aspirations of joining the guard—she's not particularly lawful, nor does she seem to harbor any serious prejudices against people who break the law; she herself enjoys violence, revels in destruction, and glibly flouts direct orders from the king when she thinks she can get away with it; and that's all BEFORE her villain arc. and, sure, she nominally cares about upholding the law—while people are watching, when her dad in particular is watching, or when she's actively performing duties for the royal guard—but... that's not the same as being prejudiced against people with criminal pasts or even just people she perceives as criminals. and like it bears repeating that cassandra's establishing character moment involves her committing treason, lmao.

[rapunzel is interesting in this regard bc she is far more trusting than cassandra—in that she uncritically trusts anyone who seems vaguely nice—but i think she also has a far more black and white perspective on morality than cassandra does. she's invested in Redeeming Criminals because they're Doing Wrong and Helping Them Is The Right Thing To Do but then we also see with like, lady caine and the separatists and even the baron that she isn't particularly interested in really engaging with the factors that cause people to break the law and her approach to redemption amounts mostly to 'offer second chance, then lock them up if they seem unrepentant or unwilling to immediately and completely reform'; even with her much more determined effort to get through to cass the most rapunzel ever did was say 'stop doing these bad things' until it finally worked.]

#cassandra said 'be gay do crimes' in the frickin' pilot episode #she's not some *javert* she's a scrappy feral gremlin who's #barely restrained by the fact that her dad is a cop

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novantinuum · 4 years

Text

Is the “villain card” really a VILLAIN card- or something else?

So, I’ve been thinking a lot today about @faelapis‘s recent post (link in reblogs so this can go in tags) discussing the corrupted Steven theory, and specifically how he pointed out how in the intro... that the camera “zooms inside Steven’s heart” when transitioning to the shot that features Big Looming Pink Fella.

And I know the fandom generally refers to threatening spreads such as these as “villain cards,” since- at the time of the intro’s release in October, all of these characters were heavily implied to be antagonistic to our main characters in some way. But after seeing the first ten episodes of SUF in full, I feel we should pause and ask ourselves-

Are any of these characters really villains?

And if not, then what IS their role in the greater story of this epilogue, and more importantly- their role featured prominently in the show’s intro?

Let’s take a quick look at the characters we’ve seen already.

Jasper

Thus far, Jasper has played the least antagonistic part she ever has in the entire history of Steven Universe. I’d even go so far as to consider her a shaky acquaintance of Steven’s, at this point.

But as far as her purpose in the show goes so far, Jasper is important because she is the very first person to mash it up with Pink Mode Steven. The very first person who catches a glimpse of this new ability of his to begin with. When Steven first shifted into this state, it was because she pushed him into a situation that was both emotionally and physically compromising. Jasper is every bit as stubborn as Steven. She knows exactly how to push his buttons. It’s for this reason that I don’t think he would’ve discovered his pink state without her, without her egging him on to fight.

Steven tries his best to be very patient with everyone, and yet his frustrations with Jasper’s inability to move forward (hypocrite, much?) elicited a rather jarring rush of directed anger that- before- he generally seemed to keep bottled inward.

I get the strong sense that he didn’t allow himself to freely and openly express these sorts of “negative” emotions at all before this encounter.

Furthermore, Jasper slapped him in the face with the biggest call-out of his mental state ever.

Jasper: “I don’t need your help. You’re the one that needs help. You think you’ve beaten me, but you’ve never beaten me on your own. You’ve always been a fusion. You’ve always had your friends because you’re nothing without them. You think everyone needs help.”

Steven: “I – I just…”

Jasper: “But it’s only you. No one is as pitiful as you.”

Every other episode of the show so far has only gone to further showcase that this is what Steven believes about himself right now. (See: Little Graduation, especially.)

And what happened with Jasper that day... was just the beginning of his slow decline.

Bluebird Azurite

This character... also isn’t big villain material. She’s barely even a threat.

Rather, Bluebird serves as a stark reminder for Steven that there are people out there that hate him for being him. Not only that, but those who would fuse for just that reason.

To hate him together.

(I must admit, I still find the notion of Steven potentially falling apart because of a lack of self-love interesting, as much as it is heartbreaking. But I already wrote that post, so moving on-)

But she also is a reflection of how Steven is resistant to change right now.

Greg: “I mean, everyone can change, but not everyone wants to.”

Steven: “Yeah...”

He used to believe in the idea of positive change wholeheartedly, and yet... I think the passing years have led him to a place where he himself is scared of it, of the unknown, of moving on from what’s comfortable, of all the nebulous what-ifs. Which is why when Bluebird shows up, he projects his own resistance on this scenario. He doubts Bluebird’s ability to change for the better because he now doubts that for himself.

Instead, I think he fears he may be changing for the worse.

I strongly believe we’re going to see Bluebird again. I just get the sense that there’s more she can bring to the table.

“Mean” Lapis and “Nice” Lapis

Also not villains. Just obstacles.

Similarly to Bluebird, they seem to push that “resistance to change” theme further for Steven. Some people just... are stuck in their ways. (Thankfully though, not all of them. Thanks, Freckles. Love ya lots!)

Since Why So Blue is focused squarely on capping Lapis’ character arc, there’s not as much Steven-related meta threads I can glean from their first appearance, truth be told.

I think we’re likely to see more from these two, as well. If they do serve a greater role in the overarching story of SUF, it isn’t complete yet. Fingers crossed!

Cactus Steven

Dear goodness, this creature is completely innocent. Poor baby. XD

This poor fella plays the role of being a physical embodiment of- at the time of Prickly Pair- Steven’s mental state, and pushing the lad to repress his turbulent emotions even further.

Throughout SUF so far, Steven has become consumed by negative self-talk, (”I used to be helpful, but the Gems don't need me anymore”), a stark reluctance to let anyone see the evidence of his mental instability, and explosive anger he cannot gain a handle on.

And as his mirror, Cactus Steven:

Repeats things Steven says, spilling all of that negative self-talk and the reasons why he doesn’t want to approach the Gems about his issues.

Is shoved away under a box, representing Steven’s emotional repression.

Warps into a monstrous form, explosive anger brimming at the surface.

Notably, Cactus Steven only fights in direct response to what others lay on him. He is not overtly antagonistic until Steven himself makes the first strike. Later, while the Gems are attempting to fight him back, he desperately tries pushing them away... much like Steven has been all season.

Cactus Steven: “Just... get... OUT!”

Furthermore, Steven creates him. He creates this monster. He’s the reason he becomes so messed up in the first place. That has to feel pretty awful, especially when he’s doubting his ability to be helpful nowadays. He tried to nurture this creature, and look where that got him? This furthers the narrative idea mentioned earlier, of Steven perhaps fearing that he’s now changing for the worse.

Finally, by by the end of this episode, it seems worryingly as if Steven’s reluctance to open up about his problems has solidified.

Pearl: “Is there anything you need to talk about...?”

Steven: “...I think I’ve said enough.”

To wrap...

We don’t yet know what role White Diamond will play, but it’s probable that it’ll be something that strongly impacts Steven in a personal way. And at this point in the show, I’m doubtful she’ll suddenly heel-turn back into villainy.

With all this in mind, my current theory is that...

These characters are not on this title sequence card as ‘villains’ at all, but rather, each serve as important ‘road markers’ on the path towards the eventual climax of SUF.

Meaning, Steven’s encounters with each of them will influence his way of thinking in a way that leads him further down the road towards eventual corruption. Or whatever else is waiting for him at the end.

And the camera specifically “zooms into Steven’s heart” because these characters, standing in front of that monster, represent the moments that lead him into that state.

What we’re seeing here is a visual record of the burden he carries inside him.

#su #su future #steven universe #su meta #corrupted steven theory #my post stuff #long post #the mighty 500 #1K #2K #3K

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dershloop · 3 years

Text

i wrote this while sick nd did edit it while slightly less sick so excuse and weird discrepancies LMAO

Title: Get Well Soon, Gumball

Words: 1698

Warnings: a bit of swearing, some self-esteem/body issues mentioned

Relationships: Glacier, background Plasma

“Are you sure you should be training today Cole? You don’t look so good,” Jay said hesitantly, looking over at his friend concerned for his health.

“Yeah dude, you look rough. I’m surprised Zane even let you get out of bed,” Kai chimed in, narrowly avoiding a hard blow to the head from the automated training dummy.

“Don’t say my name too loud guys, he didn’t,” Cole croaked, “I just can’t afford to take a day off.”

“What?” Kai exclaimed, purposefully being as loud as he could to try to draw Zane’s attention from inside the monastery. This time, however, he wasn’t as lucky in regards to dodging the dummy while also attempting to look after his best friend, letting it land a well-placed blow to his ribs. “Fucking hell, ow,” He groaned from his new position on the dusty ground, splaying out his arms in legs, letting out loud, long, laboured breaths as he attempted to lessen the pain.

“Oh my God, firefly are you ok?” Jay said, abandoning his kendo helmet and Shinai on the ground as he rushed over to his boyfriend to help him up. Cole walked over too, though with a lot less urgency, not even taking off his helmet or dropping his own Shinai.

“Ok you definitely need to get back in bed,” Kai said through laboured breaths to Cole, taking Jay’s hand and hoisting himself up with a wince as his side stabbed with pain “You didn’t even drop your Shinai. I’ve known you for years and even if you’re feeling rough you’re always one of the first to help us if one of us falls. You’re not well.”

“I heard shouting, is everything ok?” Zane called, walking out into the yard to the sight of Jay fussing over Kai and Cole stood, fully geared out and standing shakily, looking as if he wasn’t 100% sure where he was.

“You’re boyfriends being a little shit,” Jay said, looking over at Zane as he practically dragged Kai away from the yard and towards Nya and Pixal’s workshop to get some kind of medical help for his extremely bruised and possibly broken ribs.

“Yeah Z, he is not ok. You need to sort him out and get him in bed,” Kai wheezed, hobbling slightly.

“Kai shut up before you do yourself anymore damage. This dumbass probably just broke a few ribs and he still has the nerve to lecture Cole about being out of bed. I hope he feels better soon, I’ll come and see him after I’ve dumped him on Nya and Pix,” Jay said, beginning to attempt to drag Kai away.

“You know you love me really,” Kai coyly remarked, stilling wheezing slightly. Jay didn’t respond, but Zane could tell he rolled his eyes.

Zane panned his eyes over to his own sick boyfriend, who was still standing, fully kitted out in his Kendo training gear. Even his shinai was hanging loosely from his large hands. He looked genuinely awful, worse than he had that morning in fact.

“Before you say anything, I feel fine,” Cole croaked, letting out a long sniff afterwards.

“Cole Hence Brookstone I told you to stay in bed,” Zane said sternly, looking over at the quivering mess of a boyfriend who was currently stood in front of him.

“I know but-”

“No buts, you’re coming with me right now.”

Cole knew better than to continue to protest; in situations like this, Zane usually got his way. Whether or not it was rightly so was down to interpretation. He shuffled through the blurred hallways, not 100% sure where he was going. He knew a bed of some kind would be involved but the question of whose bed was a largely unanswered one considering his brain was 300% more concentrated on keeping him upright and at least semi-conscious. The room he was led into was dark; too dark to be Zane’s and it wouldn’t be Kai, Jay, Lloyd or Nya’s because that’d be weird. Even he was conscious enough to know it was his room.

“Here, I’ll sort out your gear and stuff just try to relax,” Zane spoke softly, taking the kendo helmet off and placing it to the side, doing the same with the rest of his gear and gi. He then began sifting through Cole’s wardrobe, pulling out a hoodie and sweatpants to change into. Only then did he let him back into bed. Cole frowned and looked up at Zane from his place in bed.

“Get in with me. I need my teddy bear,” Cole groaned, his voice gravelly and even deeper than usual. Zane smiled.

“Ok, just give me a second to change. I doubt I’ll be leaving here for a while so there’s no point in being in my gi,” He said, walking over to Cole’s wardrobe again and pulling out a t-shirt and shorts, quickly changing and climbing into bed with him, any thought of training for at least that day discarded. Cole quickly readjusted himself, scooching over onto Zane, wrapping his arms and legs around him, resting his head on his chest for warmth.

“Why’d you get out of bed? I told you I’d be back with tea soon.” Zane said softly, running Cole’s hair through his fingers, twirling strands around and watching as the light reflected off it, showing at least another 10 hues shining through. The deep blues, browns and midnight blacks mingled and danced with the golden light streaming in through the curtains. It was beautiful. He was beautiful. Even if he didn’t always think so. Zane would always be there to remind him that he was.

“I can’t afford a day off,” Cole said hoarsely, “I’m already not as thin as you guys, the more days I take off the worse it’ll get.” Zane furrowed his brow and thought for a moment, trying to fully process what Cole had just said.

“Are you… saying what I think you’re saying? Because if you are, I’m going to have to take evasive measures,” Zane said matter of factly. If Cole really did think him being bigger was a bad thing, there would have to be action taken.

“What? You know it’s true. If I stop working out I’ll just get fatter, I can’t take a day off,” He croaked sadly, biting his lip. His head was spinning but he couldn’t just lay in bed all day; he had to do something. He had to at least get a few reps in.

“Hmmm,” Zane hummed, “It’s worse than I thought. Cole, it seems you are suffering from a serious case of negative body image. There’s only one known cure,” Cole laughed a little and played along.

“What is it, doc?”

“500 kisses and a whole day in bed of cuddles,” Zane replied stoically.

“Oh well then, someone who spent 2 hours downloading every episode of greys anatomy must know what they’re talking about,” Cole replied sarcastically, a goofy smile playing on his lips.

“Exactly, and I know you’re being sarcastic so I see I’m going to have to crank it up to 700 kisses.”

“Oh no! How terrible!” Cole gasped, still being sarcastic, however, it backfired as he began to cough aggressively.

“That’s what you get for being an asshole, I’m also cranking your prescription up to 1000 kisses but seeing as this might go on for a while, I’m capping it at that,” Zane said with a chuckled, rubbing his hand up and down Cole’s back slowly, just waiting for Cole to say the word so he could administer the treatment.

“You know me too well,” Cole laughed weakly, propping himself up on his chin which admittedly was uncomfortable but he was willing to endure so he could look at Zane’s beautiful face, “So doc, when’s the treatment starting?”

“How… about… now!” Zane exclaimed, beginning to pepper kisses all over Cole’s head and face, making Cole laugh hoarsely.

Zane pushed Cole off of him, pinning his arms down and kissing all up his arms and onto his hands and fingers, before moving to his torso and making sure every square inch was covered in his love. Eventually, he made his way back up to Cole’s face, making sure every little bit of his neck was covered as well, in some places even leaving small red marks behind. Whether or not they were unintentional, Zane would never tell. The final kiss was placed on Cole’s lips, making sure to press extra hard to accentuate his point.

“Wow, Z, you’re meticulous I’ll give you that,” Cole said through laughs shaking his head at the nindroid currently sat on his lap. His hands sat on his waist comfortably, a true testament to how much they really were meant to be. It was almost as if the sweet tin can sat on top of him was made for him.

“Why thank you. Are you cured?”

“If I say no, do I get more kisses?” Cole said coyly with a smirk, massaging circles into Zane’s waist with his thumbs.

“Depends. If you’re good and get in bed properly and don’t leave until your better, then most assuredly,” Zane said matter of factly, his own hands idly drifting over Cole’s torso. If he could see inside his mind for just a moment, Zane was sure he’d see himself the way he saw him. He was the perfect size for hugs and cuddles, and his larger stature just meant all the more Cole to hold and love. It also meant he could pick him up which, in their 2 years of dating, Zane was sure he’d never find it the most amazing and adorable thing ever.

“Oh well then, it’s settled,” Cole said quickly, moving Zane off of him and getting under the covers, quickly snuggling back into his chest. He could hear all the mechanical parts inside him buzzing and whirring, turning and pumping, keeping Zane alive. There was something comforting about the soft noises that emitted from his boyfriend that just radiated comfort. The mechanical buzz was a grounding constant. Always there, always around, always keeping him sane.

Zane smiled and wrapped his arm around Cole, holding him close.

“Get well soon, gumball.”

#glacier #glaciershipping #ninjago #lego ninjago #ninjago kai #ninjago kai smith #ninjago zane #ninjago zane julien #ninjago cole #ninjago cole brookstone #ninjago fanfiction #ninjago glacier #ninjago zane/cole

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