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#but my for you page is filled to the brim with posts like the ones I've referenced and I'm so mad I feel like crying
iwanttobepersephone · 14 days
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Rant about Harry Potter and JK Rowling, stick with me here
Ok, so, I hate JK Rowling. I feel like that's a given, right? Like, she's a transphobic homophobic bigot who hides behind feminism and routinely denies massive parts of the holocaust, and I despise her in ways that I don't think words can even express. I can't stand her, but y'know what I also can't stand?
When someone implies that my mother, who is one of the most supportive people I know, and a massive part of the founding, organization, and actions of a local group made specifically to fight Moms for Liberty and school boards in our area trying to harm trans and queer people, is transphobic because she likes Harry Potter
Wanna know why my mom likes Harry Potter? Because when she discovered the series at 12 years old, she quite literally lived in a cupboard under the stairs and was in an abusive household. The magic of the wizarding world or whatever was her escape, it's the reason she's still alive, and by extension, the reason I was ever alive.
But, sometimes, not even often, when I try to express even the most minimal amount of appreciation of that, someone says to me "but isn't JK Rowling transphobic? Why would you support someone like that? Are you transphobic?"
Which pisses me off beyond belief, as one might imagine
In this situation, "separate the art from the artist" isn't exactly a good phrase to use, given the fact that the goblins or whatever run the bank are Jewish stereotypes and the house elves generally being happy to work under their masters being a straight rip from the whole happy slave myth, and those are very very important things to recognize and understand, among others
I feel like it's a lot closer to "separate the hundreds if not thousands of lives she's helped from the hundreds if not thousands of lives she's ruined", or even better, understand that the good she's indirectly done for people makes all the bad that much more horrid
My mother is the closest thing to a hero in this entire world and I will not stand to hear one more person accuse her of being transphobic purely because she thinks fondly of a book series that saved her life. I will not stand for people saying she's just as bad as a holocaust denier because she owns every book in the series. I will not stand for anyone going entirely against their point of not judging a group as if it's monolithic by saying all Harry Potter fans are bad people, including my mother. And, once again, it's not often at all that this happens, but it happens and I'm pissed about it and needed to rant
Anyways rant over JK Rowling sucks don't believe a single thing she says and don't support her unless you wanna support someone actively trying to make the existence of queer people illegal
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pxrxcxa · 2 years
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Untouchable
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✶ One shot
Pairing | Eddie x his best friends little sister
Post summary | You’ve been in love with Eddie since you can remember. When he refuses to see you as anything except for his best friends, untouchable, innocent, little sister, you work out a way to get him to look at you differently.
What to expect | Established friendship, mutual pining, jealous Eddie, lots of tension - no use of y/n
Post Warnings | Drug use, shotgunning, M oral, F masturbation, voyeurism, facial, public sex, rough sex
Word count | 5.3 K
Authors Note | I’d really like to do a part 2 | but let me know what y’all think about this one first ;)
Pt 2 | Pt 3 |
As always, any & all comments/reblogs are most appreciated - Love, P. x 🌿
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I’d always seen Eddie. Considering he’d been joined at the hip with Trevor since middle school when he’d made fun of Eddie’s buzz cut. The two were inseparable, always up to no good. If you seen one you knew the other wasn’t far. Since Trevor and I shared DNA, Eddie was around just as much as I was, taking up a segment of our life and blending in seamlessly like he belonged there.
Ten years I’d catch the bus home with Eddie and my older brother, avoiding their teasing while they spread across the entire lounge room floor as they devoured the pantry of snacks and planned out their DnD campaigns. Ten years I’d been the butt of their cruel jokes. Ten years I’d been silently in love with Eddie.
And for ten years, Eddie had ignored me like I was invisible. Eddie had never seen me.
I glanced up from my book as a piece of popcorn bounced off my chest and landed on the open page, covering the rest of the line I was currently reading.
“Do you mind?” I snapped through gritted teeth, brushing my shirt as I glared up through my lashes.
“Not at all. Get us another drink.” My brother rolled over on his back as he grinned at me, holding a crumpled piece of paper above his face that contained a list of his new ideas for DnD characters.
Eddie’s singular laugh burst onto the scene, and I reluctantly glanced up at him, dropping my stare almost instantly as a deep blush filled my cheeks. He smirked at me as he popped another piece of popcorn into his mouth, watching me as I slammed the book shut and stood up from the couch.
“Get it your damn self.” I snapped, purposely treading on my brothers arm as I stepped over him.
Eddie’s stare, hard to ignore, followed me as I made my way to the kitchen. The water churned angrily inside of the glass as I flicked the sink tap on angrily and filled it to the brim. As I spun around the drink almost slipped through my fingers, Eddie was leaning in the doorway, his arms crossed tightly across his chest as his dark eyes appraised me.
“You good kid?” My heart sunk into my ass at his words.
Kid
“I’m fine.” My misplaced frustration seeped through my tone, Eddie’s brows raised slightly at my rudeness before Trevor burst through through door, shoving him out of the way and breaking our eye contact.
“Ignore her man, she’s been in a mood ever since she started dating that freshman.” My fingers tightened around the slippery glass as my eyes shot to Eddie’s face, my own colouring in embarrassment as his features turned guarded, hiding his reaction as he picked at his cuticles.
I snatched the bag of chips off the counter that my brother reached for, glaring daggers at him, interrupting Eddie as we spoke at the same time.
“Oh yeah?”
“He’s not my boyfriend.”
I cleared my throat as they both shared a look followed by loud, teasing bouts of laughter.
“He’s not, he’s just my partner on one of our assignments. And-“ I spoke louder as Trevor wagged his brows suggestively at me and Eddie covered his smirk with his hand.
“He’s actually pretty cool, I think you’d like him, he’s into DnD.” I let my bait hang in the air as I dumped the rest of the contents of my glass down the sink, letting it clack against the sides loudly.
I turned back slowly to watch Trevor let a low, appreciative whistle through his teeth, his mind ticking over my words as I watched Eddie closely. He was far too focused on a hangnail as his jaw clenched, sucking against his teeth.
“What d’ya think bro?” Trevor’s voice was pathetically whiny, pining for Eddie’s approval without shame.
Although his slightly annoyed face betrayed his words, Eddie shrugged, dropping his arms to cross his chest as he stared me down, running his gaze slowly over me as I shuddered, chancing a quick glance at my brother to see if he noticed.
“If she says the kids alright, we can give him a go. She has incredible taste after all.”
Eddie’s lips drew out the S in the third last word, making my thighs twitch behind my loose mini skirt as he smirked at my brother, who was blissfully unaware of my dangerous thoughts as he sneakily snatched the bag of snacks from my trembling fingers.
“If he’s anything like her, he’s super fucking innocent. And I know how you love to corrupt your innocent freshman with DnD.” My brothers half hearted wink didn’t even begin to convey the truth behind his words, their possible different meaning to Eddie had my head swimming dangerously, the sea of blackness lapping at my concentration.
“I don’t agree on a lot of things with you bro, but when it comes to that type of innocence… I can’t resist absolute corruption.” Eddie’s dark eyes fixated on me as his wide smile crinkled his eyes. I was greatful for the loud crunching as Trevor tipped the bag of food back against his mouth, tilting his head back as he shook the bag, because I was sure that actual steam was blowing out of my ears and a slight dripping was falling from between my thighs.
“Come on, let’s head out.” Trevor’s spat through an open mouth full of food as he tossed the packet into the bin and walked between us, cutting off my eyeline of Eddie as he smacked his chest and swiped up his car keys. I swallowed my disgust over my brothers general lack of hygiene as he disappeared around the corner, rolling my eyes as I turned my back on both of their vulgar insults over who was driving.
The warning tingle that shot up my spine, made me spin back around as I bumped back against the sink, watching Eddie lean away from the door frame to cross the tiled kitchen floor between us in three long strides.
His eyes flickered to the darkened hallway like he was making sure that my brother was still out of sight as he stood toe to toe with me, our embarrassing height difference towered over me as his face broke into a cocky half grin.
My breathing faltered as his hand raised towards me, gently brushing against my thin sweater in the space between my breast and my collar bone. My heart squeezed painfully as his grin faded off into a small, knowing smile as I began to tremble.
“Popcorn.” His scoff contained a light airy laugh as he glanced above my head and brushed away the few crumbs that clung the static fabric of my shirt.
My chest throbbed in a painful release as Eddie stalked away, shrugging on his leather jacket as my knees struggled to keep me upright.
Asshole
I ran my tongue across my lips as I tried to keep my thoughts in check, squishing down the vain fantasy of hope that reared it’s ugly head, focusing on the ticking hands of the clock above the kitchen cabinets.
Eddie’s small touches meant nothing, his lingering stares only felt heavy and intrusive because I was imagining it. Eddie was only ever going to be an elderly brother figure to me and I needed to learn to accept that. Giving myself a reality check to save myself from further heart break.
I swallowed the rock that sat at the back of my throat as my vision came into focus again.
“Hey! Where are you going? Moms gonna be here with dinner soon.” I chased after the boys as they hesitated at the front door, staring back at me with frustration as I hindered their nightly pursuits.
“The hideout.” Trevor shook his head at me like I was stupid for even asking, widening his eyes sarcastically as he pulled the door wider.
Eddie stared at me with a blank expression, either trying very hard to control his reaction or just genuinely not having one as he rolled a loose ring across the tops of his knuckles.
“Ed’s here has a blonde hottie waiting for him.” My brother smacked his chest with his fist lightly, following up his hurtful statement with a string of obscene noises and hip movements.
I tried and failed to keep my face straight as my heart smashed into my stomach, twisting and splintering like broken glass as Eddie didn’t spare me another glance, following Trevor down the scarcely lit driveway.
His car tore off into the empty street as they sped away to whatever pleasures awaited them at the dingy bar, leaving me alone and heartbroken as I let the front door swing closed slowly.
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“I think it’s a good idea.” I let the stream of smoke billow through my nose as I flicked the ash away from the tip of my joint, leaning back against the red brick of the gym, hidden by other nosy students and prying teachers alike.
Sean, the infamous genius freshman that was taking senior classes, liked playing DnD and was my alleged boyfriend, watched me from his place beside me, his beady eyes following my every movement as he tried to mimic my stance.
I held out the joint in an offering, raising my eye brows as he hesitated and then shook his head, glancing up at me from the few inch height difference between us.
“I’ve got a test, probably be better if I was sober.” His dorky face screwed up and I turned away to hide my laughter, watching the sophomore gym class run their tenth, hellish lap around the field.
I nodded without looking as he muttered a goodbye, taking a deep drag as my eyes squinted shut. The air rushed through my teeth as a heavy ‘umph’ resounded through the air as his sharp cry echoed around us.
Sean was scrawled across the concrete, fresh tears springing to his eyes from the raw scrape marks across his palms and knees. Eddie stepped from around the corner and roughly hauled him to his feet, practically beating him into the ground as he wiped grey clouds of dirt from his shoulders.
“Better be more careful there kid.” Eddie clicked his teeth as my arm dropped, nerves fluttering in my stomach as I hid the joint against my side.
It was no use, the smell had probably drawn him out in the first place.
My eyes flickered between the vastly different boys, Eddie’s dark and hulking form, with a mean smirk plastered across his face, towered over Seans’ quivering one. A shock ran through me as I watched the unmistakable signs of fear flash across the younger man’s face, he nodded and tried not to let Eddie’s strength make his knees buckle as he continued to swipe at Sean’s arms, angrily brushing away dirt that was no longer there.
He shot me a frightened look as I couldn’t help the slight amusement spread across my face, my inhibitions locked away from the spike of weed I’d inhaled, I successfully bit back my laugh as I realised he was afraid of Eddie. Sometimes it was hard to remember what the rest of the world saw him as, because Eddie had my knees shaking and my face blushing for entirely different reasons.
Sensing no help from me, Sean tried to side step around Eddie as his eyes fell to his Hellfire shirt under his leather jacket, trembling like a mouse as Eddie blocked him.
“Not so fast, kid. Who are you?” Eddie’s menacing smile slowly dropped from his face as he cocked his head, loosing patience as Sean stuttered over his own name.
I scoffed and pushed off from the wall, turning to face him with my own smug smirk as I shook my head at Eddie’s antics.
“This is the one I told you and Trevor about. This is Sean.” His eyes squeezed shut like he was upset about me naming him, like he’d hoped he could remain unnoticed as long as he stayed silent.
Eddie had ignored me thus far, but his dark stare slid past Sean’s to meet mine over his head, something flashing in his eyes as they softened and his jaw hardened.
“Right.” He stood to the side and clapped his shoulder, making him half bow over as his face screwed up in pain. “Well, maybe I’ll see you at our club sometime, I’ll take good care of ya.” Eddie winked and slapped him on the back again, half propelling him down the footpath and almost out of my sight.
The brittle tension disappeared along with Sean as Eddie turned back to me, pulling a cigarette from his jacket pocket, placing it between his teeth as he flicked his lighter and shook his head at me over the billowing smoke.
I grinned freely as I purposely took a long hit of my dwindling joint, staring back at him boldly as I blew the cloud of haze in his direction.
We puffed in a silence for a moment before I took too deep of a hit and coughed hard, my chest spluttering as my eyes watered.
He clicked tongue as he pursed his lips, barking a sharp snap of laughter as I waved the smoke away that burst through my lungs.
“Exactly why you shouldn’t smoke.” He grinned through his hypocrisy.
“Oh please, don’t act like you’re not the one who taught me this.” I held it out between us accusingly, relishing in the easy smiles shared between us. My heart clenched unexpectedly as I wished for it to always be this easy, that our friendship didn’t have to be blackened by my unrequited feelings, obsession was probably a better word.
His own face turned serious as we both lost our grins, exhaling through his teeth as a deep sigh rushed from his chest. His eyes, practically black in the shadows, had me cowering against the wall as he glared at me.
“You should stay away from him.” His words were a fire hot, ice pick through my skin as I tried to read their meaning in his face. He kept his usual half snarky half empty mask in place, I took a distracted drag for something to do other than get lost in my thoughts of looking at him.
“Sean? He’s harmless.” I peered back at Eddie questioningly, blushing as he scoffed and sent me a derivative scowl.
“He’s a guy.”
“And?”
“And I know what guys want.” He flicked the butt of his smoke away as he spun around to face me, burying his hands in his pockets as he waited for me to catch onto his meaning.
I wasn’t sure what made me say it, or how I possibly got the words out without caving like the embarrassed coward I was.
“What do you want?”
Eddie’s face flashed with something new, he only hesitated for a minute as his eyes dropped to something beside me and he stalked across the space between us. I backed off quickly, bumping against the rough brick as he pinned me against it.
I trembled as Eddie hand snaked around my throat, his thumb pressing into my jaw so that my head was tilted back and I couldn’t avoid his dark eyes that trapped mine. I couldn’t help the gasp that slipped past my lips, Eddie’s eyes dropped to them, intrigued by the sound. My throat stuck as my thoughts ran wild, wanting to cry from the confusion and pleasure of feeling Eddie’s hand finally somehow wrapped around me.
My hands clenched around empty air as Eddie stole the joint from between my fingers, he brought it between us, turning his head to the side, but keeping his eyes on mine as he took a deep inhale. The paper burned all the way down to the roach in a blaze, ash dropping dangerously as he flicked it away and tensed his fingers around the nape of my neck.
His strong hand bowed me against him as his thumb moved up against my chin, pulling it down roughly as he forced my lips apart.
I shook like a leaf as Eddie moved his face towards mine, with slow movements like a predator. He angled his jaw to line up with me, leaving barely any space between our open mouths as he blew the smoke into mine. My eyes rolled back into my head as I caved, I could practically taste him, almost feel the softness of his lips as my knees buckled, Eddie’s tight grip became the only thing holding me up. His forehead leant forward to touch mine as he breathed the last swirl of the smoke into me, snapping his eyes shut as his jaw flexed.
“You’re Trevor’s sister.” It was a fact he grunted through clenched teeth.
“I am.” My hands traced up carefully to hold onto the arm he still had wrapped around my neck.
“Untouchable.” I didn’t agree.
“So fucking innocent.” Eddie’s practically spat the words as his eyes wrenched open in anger and he dropped his hold on me, slamming his fist down against the raw brick beside me as he spurned away, the outline of the Dio patch on his jacket growing smaller as he left me alone gasping against the side of the building.
Tears sprung to my eyes over his insult of being innocent, wanting to follow him and prove in every single way how wrong he was, hating him for even thinking it. But I was paralysed, sliding down the wall into a crouch, wondering what the fuck that was and if it actually just happened.
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Stupid
That’s what this was, pure idiocy. I fumed with anger towards Eddie’s juvenile opinion of me, and hated Trevor even more for probably being the reason behind it.
I wanted to punish them both, get back at them in a way that would at least match, if not top, the anguish and hurt I was feeling.
Trashing their beloved Hellfire room was the best thing I could think off, though that might have been taking things too far and definitely wasn’t going to help my immature image. My false confidence spurred on by misplaced frustration, faltered as I stood beside the wooden table top in the drama room, tracing my fingers along the edge as I made my way to the throne at the end of it.
I clasped the backing of it, pretending that it was his shoulders I was holding as I pictured myself standing by his side while he was in his element. Imagining how good I would look perched on his lap while he mounted his throne. He could shotgun me again, have his way with me and do whatever he wanted to me on this table.
I twisted my fingers in anger, wishing to high heaven that Eddie could see me for what I actually was, torturing myself as I fantasised about Trevor being okay with the idea of the two of us, and that he wouldn’t stand in our way.
I snorted mockingly at myself as I let my hand drop, shaking my head because all of that didn’t matter unless Eddie liked me back, and he definitely didn’t.
Whatever happened between us this afternoon didn’t wipe away the past ten years of him treating me like an extension of Trevor, just an extra sibling to pick on when he wasn’t rising to Eddie’s teasing.
I pulled my bag tighter against my shoulders as I headed for the door, but I froze as loud bangs and shouts of boyish laughter echoed down the hallway.
Shit.
They were early, and even though I’d left the room exactly as I’d found it, Trevor would dip it if he found me in here. ‘Ruining his safe space and invading his territory’ as he’d called it.
I backed off, my head swinging wildly as I glanced around for some form of escape. It was too late, their heavy footsteps thundered towards the door as I dived under the table, my skirt brushing my sneakers as I huddled on my knees to the middle off it, praying that I was hidden.  
My stomach shrunk as my name fell from my brothers lips, shaking as I waited for him to expose my position and embarrass me in front of their entire club. But it was followed by a laugh and the sound of flesh smacking flesh. A familiar pair of glasses tumbled to the floor and I had to bite back a whimper as Sean’s arm shot down to grab them, mere feet from where I was crouched.
“Yeah she’s my sister, she told us about you and I figured we needed some new players.” I could practically hear his chest puffing out as he tried to impress that he was important. Six chairs scraped against the floor as they pulled back and the knees of Eddie’s club scooted in closer to me, pressing in on all sides as I stopped breathing.
Laughter filled the small room and the the table top shivered as someone slammed their hands down on it, sending specks of dirt and dust to flutter onto my hair. Sweat built up between my thighs pressed against my calves as the panic set in, the boys were reaching into their bags, pulling out game equipment as they set up for one of their campaigns.
I was going to be here for hours.
The main door swung open again, and I watched the beaten, once white, Reebok sneakers make their way towards the end of the table where I sat. The largest chair that Eddie deemed as his “throne”, scraped back louder than the others as he folded himself into it. My face blazed hot as he man spread, widening his knees until his crotch, level with my face, was agonisingly obvious like it had its own beacon.
I wanted to slap myself for the perverted thoughts that filled my mind, that made my panties dampen between my thighs and my arms shake.
Fucking Jesus
Eddie rolled his hips towards me as he readjusted himself, his ring clad hand resting lighting on his knee as his finger traced slight circles along the fabric. My brother voice shot out on my left, reminding me where I was as I learned away from someone’s outstretched leg.
“Where were you?”
“Just seshing.” If I hadn’t of known him so well, I would have missed the slight grin in his tone, like he knew a secret the rest of them didn’t. My eyes travelled over his shaking knee as his hand flexed, wondering if he was talking about me. I’d come straight here after he’d left me outside of the gym, surely he had aswell?
“Anyone hot?” Gross
“Smoking. But not your type.” Eddie’s hand splayed against his thigh, running up the length of it as my middle clenched at the sight and his words sent my mind blank.
“Looks like everyone’s loved up Eds. Even little Sean here has a thing for my sister.” I wanted to punch Trevor, maybe kick him hard under the table under the pretence of someone else, except then someone might look under the table and I couldn’t imagine a worse situation to be caught in.
Eddie’s knuckles turned white as his hand clenched into a first, he voice was loaded with so much threat I was surprised that Sean didn’t run from the room.
“We already discussed this.” He tsked, his shirt riding up his stomach a little as he leant forward over the table.
“She’s too innocent to have a boyfriend.” His voice was low and thick, and the loud bout of laughter it earned from the table made my dig my nails into my palm, hating him more than ever in that moment.
Trevors laughed lasted the longest, brushing off Eddie’s threat as over bearing brotherly love as he pulled out the set up for their game and began.
Enough was enough.
Time to show Eddie how innocent I actually was.
As the entire table erupted in a vicarious debate over their campaign, and Eddie’s voice rang out louder than any of them, I crawled across the floor, leaning forward on my hands and shuffling on my knees as I avoided the mass of sneakers and made my way between Eddie’s legs.
He was still hunched over, blocking the light from shining down on me as I flattened myself on my thighs, my middle pressing against the cold floor as I straddled nothing.
I waited for another loud stream of laughter and raucous banging on the table to press my hands against Eddie’s knees.
He jolted and shot back in his chair from my touch, his little breath of Fuck was drowned out by someone yelling out over being attacked in the game.
His eyes met mine in disbelief as his brows knotted and he gave his head a little shake, I traced my nails across his jeans, moving up his thighs as he ran his tongue across his lips, his dark eyes becoming heavily lidded as they glanced around the table.
A burning within me trickled out across my skin as I explored more of Eddie, running my hands across his lap as I watched his bulge start to strain against his tight jeans, dancing under the hem of his shirt until my fingers brushed his cool belt buckle.
“Eddie!” His eyes tore away from mine as I pulled at his belt, pulling it through the metal clasp, marvelling that he wasn’t stopping me. He was powerless under my touch now, I was going to make him pay for what he’d said, and if he snitched on me now he would be as incriminated as I was. I grinned as I slipped the leather free of his pants.
“Huh? Oh, you’re faced with a fork in the trail, to your left is a darkened path, scarcely lit with a green glow at the end. To your right lays a steep climb with a golden slight blazing at the top. Which do you choose?”
Eddie’s hands shot down to slap mine out of the way, quickly ripping his zipper down to allow me faster access, his free hand moved to twist into my hair as he glanced down with a smirk on his face, gently guiding me towards his crotch as his club cried out in misery that they’d chosen the wrong path.
His tight hold against my head sent a thrill of warm honey down my spine, tingling deep in my pussy as I leant forward, running my tongue along my lips with a smile as I pulled him free from his jeans.
His pretty cock fell over the dark fabric, filling the space between us as I reached for it eagerly. Finally, after years of obsession and fantasies, I finally had thick length red and hard in my hand, twitching as it waited for me. My mouth salivated at the thought as Eddie’s hand pushed harder against the back of my head, begging for me.
It was all the prompting I needed as I leant forward on my knees, my round eyes staring up at his jaw line though my thick lashes, his flaring stare met mine as he chanced a quick look down, his cheeks reddening as he watched me wrap my hand around his base.
He shuddered a little beneath my touch, a drop of liquid trickled from the tip of his dick, and I caught it with my finger to bring to my lips curiously, I let it drop onto the tip of my tongue, the salty taste surprising me. I smirked and looked up to find Eddies eyes trained on my face, watching me warily. A sudden urge came over me, I leant further on my knees, needing to touch more of him, my head brushed hard against the underneath of tabletop, cringing as someone banged on it again. Eddie leant forward to hide me from view as I pressed soft kisses to his v-line, next to his dick, nibbling lightly at the skin as he gasped and jolted in my grip. Looking up at him I let the wetness from my mouth dribble onto his crotch, the liquid flowing down my arm as I stroked him back and forth, never leaving his gaze I slowly brought my lips to his tip. Listening to his uneven breath I let it slide back and forth across my bottom lip before I slid his entire length down my throat.
Eddie’s first clenched above the table as he raised his voice, trying to down out the stifled gags and wet squelches his cock was fucking into my throat.
“I- uh… you’re all down to fourteen hit points, what do you do?” His voice was thick with resistance as I wrapped my lips around his base and slowly dragged up, digging my nails into his knees.
His stare sent a blazing heat through me, the half fucked out look on his face as he glanced down like he couldn’t believe it, it filled me with the surety that I could do this. Splaying my free hand across his abdomen, trailing my sharp fingers across his skin softly, I began stroking him at a constant pace, quickly wrapping my lips around his dick once more and matching the strokes, gagging every once in a while when there was a yell or laugh loud enough to cover it. I shoved my head down until I reached the base where a light brown tuft of pubic hair tickled my forehead, with each bob of my head I swirled my tongue around him, feeling the ridges of the pulsing veins of his cock. His hands knotted themselves in my hair, sending throbs of pleasure throughout my frame, a pooling wetness gathering in my panties. My free hand moved under my skirt, slipping under my thin lacy material to rub fast and rough circles over my clit, picturing it was Eddie’s ring clad fingers as I stared up at his neck, his head thrown back as I listened to the dice roll across the table top and the entire group break into winning cheers. We both took advantage over the thundering, deafening cheers of success as Eddie fucked my face and my own fingers spurned my towards my hot release, as I felt him falter and curl over the table again, I pulled him free from my mouth, replacing it with my hand as I jerked him in long, hard strokes and hung my head back, my tongue pressing against my chin as I waited.
His muted gasps and moans were overpowered by the others congratulations at each other for their defeat, he untangled his hand from my hair as he wrapped his long fingers around my throat, tilting my head back as I took the tip of him into my warm mouth, his salty cum washed over my tongue as more than I thought was possible, shot across my face, streaks of it painted my cheeks and warmed my skin as it dropped across my chin.
Heat flowed between us as his chest heaved and he wiped the corner of my mouth, pressing his thumb into it until my eyes rolled back and the taste of him was dripping down the back of my throat, he brought his hand to his face and sucked on his thumb infront of everyone above us, licking the mixture of his cum and my spit clean from it as he watched me under the table.
“You know what Sean, if you want to date Trevor’s sister, be our guest. Maybe she isn’t as innocent as I thought.”
 Eddie glanced down at me through heavy lashes as his face flushed in a fucked out expression, staring at me like he was finally seeing me for the very first time. 
Part Two
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Also readers - if anyone’s looking for a slow burn Eddie x enemies to lovers, check out my Opposite Ends series (almost completed)
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➢ Eddie tag list }
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e-nonsense · 4 months
Note
Ok so I absolutely love your batsis stories. But may I ask of you to make one where Batsis smuggles a baby capybara into the manor?
Like in the dead of night brings it home and the 1st person to figure it out is technically Ace then Damian?
If not, that's fine.
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pairing. Batfamily x batsis!reader
summary. Reader smuggles (and fails) her new pet into the manner.
warnings. swearing, jason Todd. NOT PROOFREAD
authors notes. i feel like I’m known for my batsis works and thank youuuu i genuinely enjoy writing batsis. capybara’s are lowkey kinda cute. How did I forget to post this?
wc. 0.?k
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You shrieked nearly silently as you tried to hush Ace’s barks and growls at the fuzzy small animals in your arms. You shuffle as silently as possible, as it was an hour past midnight. Ace’s growling was making hard though.
The animal in your arms was fast asleep thankfully, you ran up the stairs, skipping steps as you went up. You made it to your room quickly, shutting the door just as soon as Ace made it in as well.
Your room was neat, the back wall was a bookshelf, filled to the brim with not your books but Jason’s. As your older brother spent most of his time brooding in your room.
You dimmed the lights so it wasn’t too bright for the animal in your arms, Ace growled at it again before jumping onto your bed claiming his spot on the comfortable mattress.
A knock on your door startled you, “ukhti?” His title for you in Arabic came through the door. “Are you awake?”
Swearing under your breath you placed the baby capybara on your bed, hiding it behind a pillow. Ace growled again and you glared at him, the brave dog looked down and pretended to sleep in response.
Creaking your bedroom door open and looking down at your little brother’s tan face, “hi Dami. What can I do for you?”
“Ace was barking,” he murmured, half asleep. Tonight was one of the few nights he stayed back from patrol.
“Oh, yeah he was just..” you shrugged, huffing at the unamused look on the boys face. “No use lying to you huh,” you snorted, stepping aside for him to enter.
“But you gotta keep it a secret,” he raises a brow but nods in agreement.
“Okay.”
You moved to your bed lifting the pillow to reveal the sleeping baby capybara. You grinned sheepishly as you stroked its fur.
“We are keeping it,” Damian nodded. “No matter what Father and Pennyworth say.”
You raised a brow in amusement before agreeing.
The two of you spent the next hour and a half fighting over names for the capybara before deciding to get a second opinion when Jason stormed in swearing at Bruce.
He froze and stared at you and Damian. “What the fuck is that?” He pointed to the capybara. He didn’t like the look you and Damian shared, now he was sat on your bed, a book open in front of him.
“This is bullshit,” he huffed boredly, eyes scanning over the words on the page. The position he was sat in comfortable, you and Damian had fallen asleep on him and now he was stuck between the two of you.
A week had passed since that night and the three of you hid the capybara — “Jason Jr” you had decided much to Damian’s disappointment — hidden from Bruce. Your other siblings pitching in after they found out.
One morning you were all sitting at the dinning table, a rare occurrence considering your family. The room was quiet while Bruce eyed you and Damian.
“So. Either of you want to explain this?” He asks, pointing at Alfred, who’s carrying your capybara.
You and Damian share a glance before you offer Bruce a sheepish smile. “It’s a long story?”
“We have time,” Bruce says leaning back in his seat.
There was no story, truthfully you just saw it and thought it was cute, but that didn’t stop you from fabricating a lie.
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© hells-escapees. do no copy/steal/translate. do it and I’ll bite your toes off
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msschemmenti · 10 months
Text
The Bodyguard
Melissa Schemmenti x Reader
summary : reader hasn't mastered the art of self-care yet and melissa helps.
a/n: been sitting with this for a bit, hoping to post more now that i'm kinda getting my adult life together :) i also could not tell you what happened at the end of this...
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“Good Morning beautiful educators! Are we ready to change some lives?” Janine called, bounding into the teacher’s lounge. All eyes rolled and a collective sigh fell over the room. Despite the less than enthusiastic response, Janine’s smile remained in place as she shoved her lunch in the refrigerator and sat next to Jacob. 
“What’s got you so chipper this morning?” Melissa spoke, eyeing the younger woman over the cat-eye reading glasses she had perched on her nose.
“I just woke up well-rested. With the new schedule I’ve created for myself I’ve had loads more time to get things done. I’m worrying less and feeling my best.” Janine proudly spoke, causing the older women in the room to observe her thoughtfully. 
“That’s great Janine. You have seemed much more confident and that’s great to see.” Barbara smiled. 
“Good for you Kid. That’s often the hardest part of teaching in a school like this. It’s hard to take time for yourself.” Melissa smiles over her reading glasses, leveling the younger woman with a congratulatory nod. Janine beamed at the camera over the older woman's shoulder and turned to Jacob to listen to his spiel for the morning. As everyone went back to their own morning routines, Y/n slumped into the room heading straight for the coffee machine. The cameras followed her as she pulled a mug from her bag and filled it to the brim with the bitter liquid gold. As soon as she added the sugar and creamer she needed she gazed at her watch gauging how much time she had before school officially started. With twenty minutes to spare she trudged over to the couch and sighed as she slouched into the chair pulling out some homework she wasn’t able to finish before bed. With the young woman’s attention focused on her work and coffee, she missed the green eyes that seemed to track her as closely as the camera did. Melissa watched as the fifth grade teacher busied herself with stacks of paper and a book. It didn’t look to be the work of her students, so Melissa’s curiosity peaked. She watched as the younger woman wedged a highlighter between her teeth and flipped through pages of tiny text. Her eyes moved across the screen frantically as if trying to memorize as much of the information as possible in the next 20 minutes. She didn’t realize how long she’d been watching until she felt Barb bump her shoulder subtly. Melissa’s eyes landed on Barbara and was instantly met with a soft smirk lining her friend’s lips. 
“Don’t look at me like that.” Melissa grumbled under her breath, peeking back over to the couch to see if the younger woman had relaxed a bit but she seemed to only have tensed more.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Barbara smirked allowing her eyes to fall to the younger woman as well. “It seems someone hasn’t mastered the ‘taking care of yourself’ part of all of this.” 
“What’s she working on anyway? It doesn’t look like anything the kids would be working on. I know she’s upstairs but they’d hardly be reading anything that long.” Melissa asked, finally turning back to Barb. 
“I’m not sure, but you know she’s still in school so that could definitely be some homework of her own.” Barb shrugged. 
“She’s still in school? What do you mean?” Melissa asked.
“She’s getting her masters. Which you’d know if you weren’t always being so standoffish. She does all her classes and coursework after we get off.” 
“I am not standoffish,” Melissa huffed indignantly, “I just don’t like new people.” 
“Mmhm, I don’t think that’s the case with one though.” Barbara grinned as she watched the red-head’s cheeks heat almost instantly at being called out.
“Oh shut up.” Melissa grumbled as the bell rang for the school day to finally start. She rose from her seat pointedly ignoring Barbara’s chuckle behind her as they made their way to their classrooms. 
-
“Alright, who has an answer they’d like to share?” Y/n asked from her place in the front of the classroom. Lunch was still about 10 minutes away but she wanted to at least finish the rest of the worksheet her students had been working on before sending them off. She let her eyes roam over the classroom patiently but as she saw no hands raise she knew she’d need to entice them a bit. “I know it’s hard you guys, but if we finish the last two problems I’ll let you head to lunch earlier.” 
She waited to see if anyone would take the bait and it seemed to work when Mariah raised her hand from the middle of the room. “Alright Mariah, what ya got for me?” 
“4 over 12.” She spoke timidly. 
“Uh Huh, and what’s 4 over 12 simplified?” Y/n prompted with a smile. Mariah seemed to be working through it but seemed a bit overwhelmed so Y/n opened it up to the rest of the class. “Anyone? What number can we divide both 4 and 12 by?”
“2.” Jamal called from the back row. 
“Yep, but is there a bigger number we could also use?” Y/n asked with a smile glad the students seemed to be getting closer and closer to the right answer. 
“Oh! I know.” Jasmine’s hand shot up from the front. 
“Alright Jasmine, what number are you thinking?” 
“4.” 
“Excellent! That’s exactly right. And if we divide them by 4, 4 over 12 becomes?”
“1 over 3!” Everyone answered. 
“Very good everyone. Let’s do the last one together and then we can head off.” Y/n smiled, heading to the white board and grabbing a marker. 
Melissa really isn’t sure how she found herself in the fifth grade hall. She’d dropped her kids to recess and somehow she’d found herself peeking through the glass window in the door of Y/n’s classroom. She watched as she patiently guided the students through the fractions. She could tell the students really appreciated the atmosphere she’d created in the classroom. Even when someone wasn’t right, there was nothing but support flowing through the space and Melissa had no choice but to admire the work she’d done to capture that. Realizing if anyone saw her up there she’d have no explanation for her behavior, she quickly turned on her heels to head back toward her classroom with the hopes of not being caught. In her descent of the stairs, she missed the camera man down the hall collecting footage.
-
Melissa hurried into the teacher’s lounge hoping to grab a snack before she needed to pick her students up from their art class. She pushed forcefully on the door and headed for the vending machine, letting the door swing behind her with little care. As the door clanged against the doorframe she heard the startled gasp within the room. She turned quickly with her fist up and ready to attack whoever was in the room. She only relaxed when she saw Y/n sat on the couch with her hand over her chest and wide eyes. There was a book in her lap and highlighter poking out of her hair. Melissa figured she was doing homework again but as she looked closer, she could see the grooved pattern of the couch fabric on the younger woman’s cheek. 
“Oh Melissa,” The younger woman sighed as she leaned back into the couch as she started to calm down. 
“Sorry Hon. Did I wake ya?” Melissa said, coming to lean on the back of the chair that was closest to the couch. 
“It's probably for the best. That was a complete accident.” Y/n shook her head a bit and pushed her hands down her face in an effort to liven up a bit. 
“Must not be too interesting, if it’s putting you to sleep.” Melissa commented, nodding her head toward the book still in Y/n’s lap.
“Unfortunately it is not. It doesn’t exactly help that I’m already sleep deprived. A recipe for a great nap.” Y/n chuckled lightly before turning her eyes to her watch. “Looks like it’s time for me to pick my kids up.” As Y/n gathered her things, Melissa watched and hummed in agreement. Once Y/n was done and her eyes met Melissa’s the older woman could see the exhaustion setting back in place. “See you around Melissa.” 
Y/n moved to walk past Melissa to the door, but Melissa hand wrapped around her forearm keeping her in front of her. “Hey, make sure you get some rest hon. We can’t have you collapsing on us like Janine.” Melissa squeezed her arm in emphasis and released her arm when she saw the younger woman nod in understanding.
-
From then Melissa found herself checking in with Y/n more often. She’d shed her ‘standoffish’ behavior and had become one of the teachers Y/n talked to the most. She never spent a lot of time with anyone on the elementary level teaching staff besides Barb, but now she seemed to be running into Melissa more and more. She’d be in the teacher lounge poured over a textbook or a stack of spelling tests and Melissa would appear with a hot mug of coffee. She’d gradually started bringing the younger woman lunch everyday of the week. It had started on a day about two weeks after Y/n had been caught napping on the couch. The fifth grade teacher had waltzed into the room carrying her laptop and textbook and that seemed to be it. It only took Melissa about 5 seconds of seeing her work on homework before she cleared her throat with a raised eyebrow. She, Y/n, and Barb were the only ones in the lounge so far so Y/n was quick to turn her attention to the older women’s table. 
“Oh hi.” Y/n said, meeting Melissa’s eyes. Assuming the redhead was upset she hadn’t greeted them when she arrived, she looked back at her work. 
 “Hello but that’s not what I wanted. Where is your lunch?” Melissa asked, eyeing the younger woman intently. 
“Oh I forgot it. I’m just gonna grab a snack after work to tide me over through class tonight.” Y/n shrugged, lifting the textbook from her lap. 
“You mean after school?” Barb cut in looking at the younger woman skeptically. 
“Mmhmm. No need to worry, I’ve done it loads of times before. I forget my lunch a lot more than I care to admit.” 
“Oh sweetheart, well that’s not healthy.” Barb said, shaking her head disapprovingly. 
“I know, I know. I try not to but I think I’ve done it so often that I hardly notice anyway.”
“Well that’s not happening anymore, get over here.” Melissa said, pulling out the chair next to her. Y/n looked at the older woman in confusion, not fully understanding what was happening. She didn’t move but watched as the older woman pulled a fork from one of the drawers and wedged it into the tupperware dish she’d been eating. When her eyes landed on Y/n’s face she looked at her expectantly. When the older woman didn’t say anything, Y/n grabbed her books and moved over to the older women’s table and sat in the seat obediently. With Y/n situated, Melissa slid the food in front of her and patted Y/n’s back, “Now eat.” 
Y/n went to protest but before she could even speak there was a fork-full of pasta in her mouth. Her eyes widened in shock initially but melted shut when the food hit her taste buds. “Oh this is so good.” At the praise Melissa smirked and went back to scrolling on her phone as Barbara laughed with a smile. From then on Melissa made it a point to pack a bit more food for lunch. And if Barbara asked about it she simply shrugged citing her large portion sized cooking as the reason. As Y/n and Melissa became closer, it seemed easier for the younger woman to take care of herself. With someone checking on her as often as Melissa had taken to, it became second nature. 
One day after a particularly demanding week of homework and tests, Melissa found Y/n sprawled out on the teachers lounge’s couch once again. It was a very similar scene to the first time but unlike last time, when the door closed Y/n didn’t start awake. If anything, she burrowed further into the couch and threw her arm over her eyes. Melissa paused briefly watching the younger woman sleep and sighed. She only looked at Y/n for a few more seconds before making her mind up. She sat her things at her table and pulled her jacket off of her arms. She walked over draping it across the younger teacher and then made her way to her table. She positioned her chair toward the door and watched the door. It wasn’t long before the door swung open revealing Janine ready to talk about God knows what, but as soon as her eyes met Melissa’s she closed her mouth. The older woman sent a menacing glare her way before placing her finger up to her lips. Janine, though confused, tip-toed further into the room and took a seat at one of the other tables in the room. By the time everyone was in the room, Melissa had quietly declared that the teacher’s lounge was experiencing a quiet lunch and with her reputation no one questioned her. 
The bell rang signaling the end of lunch and that seemed to be the only thing to rouse Y/n from her sleep. By this point everyone had made their way to their own classrooms and the only two people remaining were Melissa and Y/n. The younger woman groaned as she opened one of her eyes to scan the room. She paused briefly as her senses were overwhelmed with a very familiar fragrance. She looked down seeing the familiar leather jacket draped over her shoulders and felt her cheeks heat at being caught asleep again. Before she could say anything Melissa spoke leaning against the back of the chair next to the couch. 
“Good morning hon,” She spoke, leveling Y/n with a soft look of concern. “I thought we talked about you taking care of yourself?”
“We did, I’ve just been cranking out a lot of papers this week. Had an extra late night last night trying to finish one before the weekend.” Y/n explained placing her feet on the floor and facing the older woman. 
“Well when is it due?” Melissa asked moving to sit on the arm of the chair. 
“Not until Sunday night, but I use my weekends to plan for the week here and catch up on grading.” Y/n explained. 
“And when do you take time for yourself?” Melissa prompted. 
“When I sleep it’s just me and my dreams. So I count those few hours every night as self-care.”
“Haha, very funny hon. You know that actually does not count right? You just slept through lunch. I think we need to think of some new ways to make sure you’re getting things done. Ways don’t include skipping meals and hours of sleep.” 
“I slept through lunch? I slept through Janine’s latest life update and Jacob’s flailing? I really must be tired.” Y/n said, shaking her head before moving to rise from the couch. “And I gotta go get my kids for recess.”
“Don’t worry about that right now. I told Jacob to take them with his kids. And as much as I agree that you are extremely tired, the teacher’s lounge was having a silent lunch today. But I don’t think we can do that every day so we’re gonna have to figure something else out.”
“Jacob is taking my kids to recess?” Y/n asked, looking at the redhead in disbelief. Before Melissa could confirm, Y/n seemed to pick up on something else she said. “Wait, did you just say silent lunch?”
Melissa shook her head in amusement at the fifth grade teacher, “Yes to both. And before you ask how? Think about who you’re talking to.” 
Y/n nodded with red cheeks realizing the redhead had done quite a bit for her during her slumber. “Thanks.” She finally mustered up the courage to say. 
“You’re welcome, I’m glad to help. But I’d be even happier if you’d meet me halfway with this.”
Y/n nodded in understanding, “I’m sorry, I’ve always just been like this and I overestimate how much I can actually handle. I didn’t realize anyone would care so much.”
“Well I do. Listen, how about we find sometime to get you set up with a healthier schedule? I’ll even  make you dinner and everything.” Melissa suggested hopefully. “I’d really like that. I have to be honest,  I didn’t take you for the mentor type of the group.” Y/n said with a shrug unconsciously pulling the older woman’s leather jacket closer to her chest. 
“Oh I’m not. That’s definitely more of a Barb thing, but I have my moments. And my reasons.” Melissa smiled softly at Y/n. 
“Well I appreciate it and I won’t take your help for granted.” 
“Good girl. Now come on, recess is almost over.” 
Y/n’s cheeks heated at the older woman’s words before she nodded and stood to walk out of the door with the woman. Melissa collected her things from the table and grabbed a tupperware container from the fridge and met Y/n at the door. She pushed the food into her hands as she’d been doing for the last couple of weeks and moved to head out of the door. Just as they were about to cross the threshold of the breakroom she extended the jacket toward the woman. “Oh, probably need this back. Thanks.” 
“No problem hon, don’t leave before seeing me. We can find a night sometime soon. Alright?” 
“Yes ma’am.” Y/n saluted before both women parted ways. 
-
“Knock knock. You ready to go?” Barb asked as she leaned against the door frame of Melissa’s classroom. 
“You can go on without me, I’m waiting on Y/n. We’ve gotta figure out when she’s free.” Melissa said casually turning in her desk chair to face her best friend.
“You finally ask her out?” Barb asked with a smirk causing Melissa’s cheeks to heat. 
“What? No? What are you talking about? I’m just gonna help her figure out how to take care of herself a bit better.” Melissa sputtered. 
“Right because you’re so good at that yourself.” Barb rolled her eyes. 
“Hey! I’m pretty good. And you do the same thing with Janine.” Melissa defended.
“Yes, but I don’t want to take Janine to bed. We are not the same Melissa.” 
“Oh would you get out of here before she hears you!”
“You didn’t deny it!” Barbara grinned. 
“Bye Barb.” Melissa groaned. Barbara smiled in victory before sending a wink over to her friend and leaving the building. 
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kickbutts-singsongs · 2 months
Text
I know no one asked, but I have exactly zero (0) people to talk about bkdk with irl so here you guys go
My BKDK Journey
Yes, this sounds stupid, but my god it’s been almost three years of an absolute rollercoaster of feelings and denials and tears and revelations…
and if you don’t mind, I’m gonna rant about it.
(not spoiler free)
_____
May 2021
To start off, i wasn’t always a bkdk shipper.
I shipped izu*cha at first (not saying it’s a bad ship btw; it’s actually quite cute. im just afraid people’ll be mad if I accidentally invade their tag lol), primarily because I assumed that would be the ship that became canon.
But also, my veryyyyy leasttttt favorite character… was Bakugou Katsuki.
When I tell you that I would’ve loved nothing more than to somehow spawn into the bnha universe and punch that brat in the face— AGHHHHHHHHHH
Now this wasn’t all his fault: A) I watched the dub first lol, and B) he reminded me of someone that i was not in a place to stand up to at the time, and his constant anger, yelling, and harsh treatment of Izuku—who i began to relate to—made me hateeee him.
There was a time when I literally said “if he died, I wouldn’t miss him.” <- this was later proven false lol
So, I was watching the anime dub with an absolute animosity for our resident deuteragonist, but on top of that…
I was watching it with a friend with a crunchyroll account who lived in another state that I was visiting and staying with for two weeks, so by the time i had to go back home, we’d only gotten up to the part where All Might was getting Inko’s permission to let Izuku stay at the UA dorms.
Anddddddd in my drive to consume more bnha once I got home, i somehow stumbled across an Instagram account that posted bnha sub episodes divided into parts,
but they only had season four and onwards.
Sooooo I never saw the second half of season three… more importantly,
I NEVER SAW DEKU VS KACCHAN 2!!!!!
(I will say that I had seen a couple photos/edits/etc, but I never knew what had been said, or why they fought)
_____
June 2021
At this point in time, I’d been exposed to a lot of the fandom. My fyp on both IG and Pinterest were filled to the brim with all things bnha (because this is what happens when one has a hyperfixation), so I saw a lot of stuff.
Especially fanart.
This is where I started learning about the different ships.
I saw a lot of the side character ships and thought they were adorable (kamijirou, todomomo, even kiribaku), but then I saw some with Izuku.
Izu*cha was a given for me. I didn’t think there was a single person that didn’t ship it. But then I started seeing fanart of ships like tododeku, shindeku, and bakudeku.
And my first reaction to finding out that people shipped my beautiful baby sunshine boi with the person who bullied him for years?????
HELLLLLLLLLLL NO
So with my (unknowingly) limited knowledge of their relationship, i was very much an anti (i never spoke out or anything, i just reallyyyy didn’t like the ship lol)
(And then, you know, I started to see all the bkdk hate online and kinda went “okay not touching that”)
But that began to change…
_____
August 2021
…after I saw a manga leak for the first time.
I was scrolling thru my feed and all of a sudden. BOOM!
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I was like 😧
IS THAT IZUKU?????
And i looked in the comments and yes it was.
I checked out the page and found that they had an entire account of manga leaks and was so happy.
I quickly began to read from the very bottom of that account, and it started from right about where Izuku first began his vigilante arc (i had no idea how much was in between then and where I left off on the anime, but I was willing to read it lol)
And so I waited diligently for the leaks every week (a practice I have continued to uphold lol), until one day, i came across an untranslated series of panels from the latest chapter. I looked at it and it was of Katsuki and Izuku, facing each other in the rain (you know the one). I knew the leaks would be coming a day later, but I wanted to look through them anyways, so I did.
I didn’t understand a word they said, but the pictures and imagery of them as kids then middle schoolers then where they were now seemed so touching…
And then I came across a pair of kanji that I recognized.
I was like “wait WHAT???”
I zoomed in and went “that— isn’t that—? That’s part of Midoriya’s name, right???”
And then I was like “wait a second… omg that’s Izuku, isn’t it. That’s the freaking kanji for Izuku.”
And it was!!!!!
So inside I’m having a mini freakout cuz—
Bakugou just called him IZUKU
Fast forward to the next day, and I looked at the translated version, and found out that not only did he call him Izuku,
He
Freaking
APOLOGIZED
And I was like “huhhhhhhh”
What happened between now and the most recent anime episodes for this to occur???? For Bakugou to do a complete 180 and apologize????????
Well, I finally got my answers…
_____
November 2021
…when I started reading the manga.
I started from the beginning, cuz I wanted to see Horikoshi’s art style and the extra drawings and all the other stuff…
And when I tell you that Katsuki became a whole new character to me—
First, I read everything about early-on Bakugou— without hearing him yell in his dub voice—and realized “oh wow he really is just a kid with issues and a worldview that he’s now having to change.”
Then, I finally read what happened in that space between moving into the dorms and the beginning of season four (most importantly, DvK2).
Cried.
Then, oh then, I got up to where season five ended and the rest of the manga began.
. . .
Funny thing: back when I read the leaks to ch322, I remember thinking to myself, “huh. what did Bakugou mean by Shigaraki making swiss cheese outta him?”
😦
THE WAY I GASPED
AND THEN CRIED
OH MY FREAKING GOD
That was the moment where i truly ceased to hate Katsuki cuz holy character development batman
Then, of course, we see them in recovery
And then the vigilante arc and apology scene *sobs*
And then I was caught up.
(Btw I finished the entire manga up ‘til ch334 in just over a week. I read for nine days straight. During the school year. My emotions were all over the place goodness gracious I could barely concentrate.)
So that’s how I went from being a Bakugou hater to going “you know what he’s a complex character and he’s slowly becoming a better person” and realizing that he was now one of my fav characters and therefore cursed to die but I’ll talk about that later
Was I now a bakudeku shipper?
Hah nope.
_____
December 2021
I began my dive into the true essence of any fandom: fanfiction.
Over the course of winter break, I had started off with fics that had no romantic pairing (I just wanted to see my boi Izuku), but then somehow stumbled across Mastermind: Strategist for Hire and then read the entirety of the For Want of a Nail series (shoutout to Clouds btw ❤️) cuz I was like “ok whew no bkdk fics” which was my mindset at the time.
But somehow (I can’t even remember how I found it) I came across a bkdk fic. It was called For Want of Izuku’s Toe Joint by Talavin (okay now that I think about it there’s probably a simple explanation lol).
I don’t quite know what compelled me to start reading it, but I did.
And I really liked it.
But not in the “I’ve been converted” kinda way.
It was like an “I shouldn’t be enjoying this why am I enjoying this?” kinda feeling. Like my head says no but my heart says yeah.
A really really really really guilty pleasure.
So, from that day on, whenever I came across any form of bkdk media, I would simultaneously feel discomfort and yet an odd sense of satisfaction.
A snippet of my daily life:
Me: *comes across bkdk fanart on pinterest*
Me: eww
Also me: *stares at it for like five minutes straight*
Me: who even likes this?
Also me: *saves pin to my mha board*
Me: not my ship
Also me: *scrolls down to more like this*
Bless my heart I was in such denial.
_____
July 2022
Bit of a timeskip, but nothing of note really happened in those last six months so here we go.
We’ve gotten to the point in the manga where the final arc is underway and Bakugou is about to KICK SOME BUTT
He’s revealed his Panser Strafe support item and I’m gushing about it to my friend (she kinda fell out of the fandom but still tolerated my rants bless her)
Oh, side note: it was then that I also expressed my concern for Bakugou’s “alive” status
Evidence:
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For reference, some of my favorite characters are:
Beth March (Little Women)
John Reese (Person of Interest)
Joss Carter (Person of Interest)
Leonard Snart (Arrowverse)
Logan Echolls (Veronica Mars)
Fantine (Les Mis)
Eponine (Les Mis)
Jean Valjean (Les Mis)
Simon (Lord of the Flies)
Piggy (Lord of the Flies)
Grace Stone (Manifest)
Bubaigawara Jin — Twice (BNHA)
Wanna guess which of these guys died?
Trick question! It’s all of them (:
Yeah so anyways those following chapters really made me excited and nervous cuz YEAH KICK HIS ASS BAKUGOU but also IZUKUUUUU WE NEED YOU
hah hah.
_____
August 2022
Utterly gobsmacked. Cried. Disbelief. Horrified. Confusion. Anger. Went through the five stages of grief and then some.
Sometimes I hate being right 🥲
But the good thing that came from this was that my positive view of Katsuki only grew after seeing his utter faith in Izuku (and his thoughts being on him in his final moments???? 🥺🥺🥺)
And it was at this point in time where I could admit to myself “you know what? i see it. i see the appeal. i wouldn’t mind this actually becoming canon.”
Did I think that it would actually become canon?? No.
_____
September 2022
I don’t know how I thought Izuku was gonna react to seeing Katsuki’s body on the ground, but GOOD LORD IT WASNT THAT
Even sweet little blind me realized “oh wow he like really feels intense stuff for Katsuki huh”
(But some things I missed—cuz I was still a bit wired for izu*cha—were shigarakis implications “yeah u looooove the present I got u” and the freaking HEART that blackwhip caused??? when Izuku reeled himself back in???? like how did i miss that i read that chapter like fifteen times??)
So this is all to say that I’ve missed any and all actual bkdk hints up until this point. I finally lifted my head out of the izu*cha fog when…
_____
July 2023
…Ochako and Toga had their chat about romance.
The first actual hint was when Ochako had told Toga “I’ll give you my blood for the rest of my life.”
Little blind me became a bit less blind that day, cuz I was like “um. ochako? that— that sounded kinda like a proposal. like. a marriage proposal. ochako??”
And then those chapters just kept getting better!!
Bebe Ochako’s determination???
The Spirited Away moment?????
“I’m envious of your smile”????????
“YOU REALLY THINK IM CUTE?” “THE CUTEST IN THE WHOLE WORLD” LIKE 😭😭😭😭😭
For the first time, I was looking at the manga without the assumption that izu*cha would be endgame. And it only got better after I…
_____
August 2023
…got Tumblr!!!
Everything was downhill from here folks.
In the best possible way.
I came across some analyses of what was going on with togachako, and consequently led me to some bakudeku analyses. I read them and my goodness they made so much sense.
Like not even just personality-wise!! Those metas brought in actual things Horikoshi said about wanting to go outside the norms of shounen (and about not liking the Naruto ending 💀), and compared bkdk to tropes in different works of fiction, and even discussed how bkdk made sense narratively. They properly convinced me of the ship.
And then for good measure, I reread the manga in its entirety thru a bkdk filter, and lo and behold things took on new meanings and my eyes were opened.
I totally and irrevocably shipped them! And I actually thought they had a chance at being canon!!
(And then I binged so much bkdk fanfiction omg you wouldn’t BELIEVE like I read the ones with the highest kudos first and then just picked the biggest collections I could find and read down the line
It was like being on drugs like each fic gave me more dopamine than the last I was so happy oh my god)
_____
October 2023
And then finally, the day came.
The answer to “is bakugou alive yet?” became a yes.
We screamed. We cried. We jumped for joy. We told bakugou antis to suck it. But most of all, our bkdk hearts soared to see our boys make eye contact with each other for the first time in over a year 🥹
And from that moment on, I truly began to believe that bkdk would indeed become canon.
_____
And so, this concludes my 42672288 page rant about how I came to be a bkdk shipper.
Thank you for reading, and before I go, I want to ask:
How did you guys get into bkdk?
Did you convert over from izu*cha? Or perhaps tododeku? Or maybe kiribaku? Or are you one of the few who have shipped them since the beginning??
In any case, I’m happy you’re here. And while it may have taken me a couple years, I’m happy that I’m here too :)
(and thank you @animelover32456)
109 notes · View notes
vshthestmpede · 1 year
Note
Hello friend!
Welcome to the trigun family!
Im not sure if youre taking requests or not just yet, but if you are…
Could i get some headcannons for Vash and Knives on what would make them like the reader and how they would confess or show the reader their feelings?
If not thats totally fine! I didnt see a rules page so i was sure! If you dint feel comfortable writing that, totally understandable! Thank you!!
vash/knives - developing feelings + confessing
word count; 919
warnings; none!! sweet happy love all around
note; tysm for all the warm welcomes and requests i've gotten! i'm truly blown away already and i promise i'm getting to all of them, you all are so creative n i wanna do your requests justice! this was such a sweet idea, thank you so much for requesting <3 this is my first time writing for knives so any critique is greatly appreciated!!
cross-posted to ao3
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VASH
you were kind. so truly, unbelievably kind no matter the hardships you faced
of all people, he knew how hard that could be yet you did everything without a second thought and with an unwavering chivalry to it. there was no doubt in his mind that you were a rare being, looking out for everyone before yourself
when he first saw you stand between meryl and a bandit, trying to reason and avoid fighting said bandit, the feeling hit him like a sand steamer
he was so used to watching people just brute their way through things that seeing you like that opened up possibilities in his mind, things that he never thought he'd feel for anyone ever
after the aforementioned altercation, vash slowly found himself opening up to you more and more now that he felt like someone could understand him and the way he went about things
day by day, as the two of you grew closer, these feelings bubbled up in vash; the way you carried yourself, the way your laugh became a melody to his ears, the yearning to feel your hand in his and your lips on his. . .
then, one day, he burst like a balloon
"i'm in awe of you, (name)," he admitted one night while you were analyzing his prosthetic arm - brad had given you some tips on how to upkeep it in case of an emergency. "you're so. . .so kind. so sweet. and. . .and what i'm trying to say is-"
you tilted your head as he stopped sharply, turning his head to avoid looking at you as he squeezed his eyes shut.
"i think i'm in love with you!"
vash tensed as he heard you put the screwdriver down, eyes still shut until he felt your hands on his face. he allowed you to gently turn his face until you were staring into each other's eyes.
"c-can you say something?" he pleaded, his voice barely above a whisper. "please, (name), anything."
your head was filled to the brim with what you wanted to say but it all got caught in your throat so you opted to take him by surprise and lean in, pressing your lips to his. you pulled back as quickly as you did it, just a soft and sweet kiss.
turns out, that was more than enough for vash. as soon as you pulled back, he was throwing himself at you in the most joy-filled hug you've ever felt.
"v-vash, be careful! 'm not done with your arm!" you couldn't even chastise the man without giggling, enjoying the feeling of being in his arms
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KNIVES
your unwavering compassion took him by complete surprise, especially as a human
he wanted to just lump you in with the rest of humans as a whole, but there was something so different, so special about you that kept him from doing so
you always faced him with an open heart, a desire to try and understand his pain and help him and the plants
he could never begin to understand why you would do such a thing, yet it was endearing to him(though he would rather die than admit that)
you would sit in on his playing, admiring the way he moved so gracefully across the keys. often times, he would catch you watching out of the corner of his eye and a small smile would appear before he could catch himself
some nights, he would play softer pieces to lull you to sleep. other times, though it was rare, he'd invite you to sit with him and offer to teach you some of the simpler pieces he knew
one day, after another successful plant extraction, he found you admiring the vast collection of red plants. still in high spirits, he joined you and began to tell you more about said plants
the way you watched him with wide, invested eyes caused a skip in his heart; a tiny one, but not unnoticeable. then came you questioning him, wanting to delve deeper into not the plants, but him and his past
"why do you want to know so much about me?" knives asked as you two wandered and you responded with a shrug. "you know i'm dangerous, that i-"
"ah, ah." you interrupted. "you're trying to help the plants. yes, you have a slightly, um, genocidal way of thinking but i think that you've gotten a bit more. . .merciful. you're not a bad person, knives."
knives hummed, pulling his hood up as he felt a little warmth crawl onto his face. "interesting view, (name). may i ask you some things about yourself?"
"sure! what do you want to know?" you asked, shocked that he had brought up the topic.
"well, for starters." deliberately, he reaches out and brushes his hand against yours. "what would you think if i told you that i have these odd feelings towards you?"
"what kind of odd feelings are you referring to?" you bumped your hand against his, locking your pinky with his index finger. "are you saying you like me, knives?"
knives sputters but doesn't pull his hand back. "what made you think that, (name)?"
you laughed and relished in the sight of him cracking a small smile.
"you're kind of easy to read, knives." you fully grabbed his hand and pulled him down to you, planting a chaste kiss on his lips. "it's cute. and, to answer your question, i think i would be more than happy to hear you've got odd feelings for me."
422 notes · View notes
johnwickb1tsch · 1 month
Text
The Night Nurse ~ Chapter 10
A John Wick x Helen Fic
Masterlist / Chapter Map
Author's note: It's been a minute since I posted on this fic, I'm so sorry!! I lost a good chunk of this chapter to an untimely computer update (fuck you very much Windows) and I was so frustrated I just had to let it sit for a while. BUT I finally managed to re-write it, so here we are! I hope you enjoy! 💗💗💗 (Oh and the illustrations here are from the turn of the century version of Afanasyev's Russian Fairy Tales, the book John hid his marker in, in JW3...you'll see why.😉)
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Times gets tough
Oh, they get tougher
Hold on to me
I got you, darling…
-I’ll be your man, The Black Keys
X.
The walls of his library were lined with built-in bookshelves, filled to the brim with antique and vintage books. A single leather reading chair sat in the corner with a lamp and a small table. A larger table took up the center of the room with a proper book cradle. Helen breathed in, reveling in the magical smell of old books. She realized that this must be where John gets some of that intoxicating scent of his, bottom notes of leather and parchment paper. The chair in the corner looked well-worn, and she imagined him spending hours of his downtime just sitting and reading away the day.
For the umpteenth time, it squeezed her heart to the point of pain.
Throughout the course of the tour, they did not let go of each other once. John didn’t seem to mind handling books with one mitt of a hand, the fingers of his left laced tightly with Helen’s.
“Do you still have your book of Russian fairy tales?”
“Yes.” Gingerly he pulled it from a shelf, resting it in the cradle on the table. 
They perused the book together, Helen leaning against his shoulder. He was warm, and solid as a tree, and for a heady moment it was difficult to concentrate on the antique tome, no matter how beautiful. The illustrations were utterly gorgeous, and she mentally kicked herself into focusing. She thought about a young John toting this beloved book around the world with him like a Lost Boy with his teddy bear, and the thought succeeded in tying her up in inextricable knots. 
John turned to a page of an illustration of a lovely peasant woman in the woods, holding a torch made of a glowing human skull. “Oh, who’s that?” asked Helen.
“That’s Vasilisa the Beautiful,” answered John.
She hovered her finger over the first line of Cyrillic, careful not to touch the paper. “What does it say?”
John read it aloud, his voice low and all for her, and she sighed a little, not understanding a syllable. For some reason hearing him speak another language so easily, and something about the lilting cadence of the language in his deep voice, the soft shh and musical ya sounds of the Russian words inspired a curl of lust in her belly, a small thrill zipping down her spine. She shuddered lightly, and prayed he hadn’t noticed.
He absolutely noticed, his pupils blowing wide with desire. Doggedly, he kept them fixed upon the page below.  
“Is that, ‘Once upon a time’…in Russian?”
“Something like that. This is a Cinderella story about a young woman who outsmarts her wicked stepmother and the Baba Yaga with her determination and the help of her magical doll. It’s one of my favorites.”
He’d seen a bit of himself in Vasilisa as a young man, straining under the yoke of his unforgiving masters. He turned the page to reveal a witchy old woman riding in what looked like an upright log. Helen couldn’t suppress a grin. “Oh look, it’s you, Baba Yaga.”
John snorted at that. “I still don’t know what idiot started that damned nickname,” he groused.
Actually, he suspected it was Marcus, but he’d never found out for certain.
“It sounds fierce, at least.”
His lips twisted in a smirk, and he couldn’t help himself from turning to look at her, then. Their faces were torturously close. “Think I should get some flaming skull torches for out front?”
“Yes, I think the neighbors would love that,” she deadpanned, and more felt than heard John’s responding chuckle.
He turned the page to a new illustration of a strapping knight on a black horse. “Oh hello, handsome. Who’s this guy?”
John narrowly resisted the urge to ask if she had a thing for men in black, even as that telling warmth clouded his brain.
“That’s…Night.”
“The night Knight?”
“Yeah.”
“Hmm.” Her lips twisted in a cheeky smile. “Nice. I like him.”
“You would.”
“I have excellent taste, John.”
He found himself looking at her mouth again, thinking her taste would be excellent. For the umpteenth time, he managed not to kiss her by the skin of his teeth. By the way she was looking at him...maybe he didn't need to be exercising such restraint. But maybe that was the excellent wine talking
Maybe he really was an idiot.
“So...in reward for being clever Baba Yaga gives Vasilisa one of the skull torches. She takes it back to her house, and when she lights the candles her wicked step mother and awful step sisters burn up.” 
“Oooh. And she lives happily ever after?”
“Well...she marries the tsar, for what that's worth.”
Helen wrinkled up her nose, communicating her opinion on that. “Overall, I give it a nine out of ten.”
John couldn’t help it then. He actually grinned, showing teeth. “Glad you liked it.”
“Thanks for sharing with me.”
“My pleasure.”
She was still leaning on his shoulder, and was it him, or had she somehow sidled even closer, her body pressed to his side? Her eyes traveled leisurely from him to the book to the chair in the corner. It was then that she noticed that the bookmarked novel on the side table was a mass-market paperback she recognized quite well.
He’d taken her recommendation on the Codename Villanelle spy thrillers, despite teasing her about her taste in books, what felt like a lifetime ago that fateful night in the subway. The fact that he was on the second one touched her to no end, and she squeezed his arm.
“Aww, you’re reading about Eve and Villanelle,” she purred. “You like them?”
“Yes. You were right, they are fun.”
“Taking notes from Villanelle?” The Russian spy was wickedly clever at finding ways to kill her targets.
“Maybe. That poison hair stick was something. Think I could pull it off?” Helen reached up to curl a lock of his dark hair around her finger with a smile, and John couldn’t stop himself from closing his eyes, overwhelmed by the sensation of her touching his hair.
He was hopeless.
“Oh, definitely. You could so rock the man-bun.”
John rolled his eyes at that, reluctant to admit that he often did when training.
Helen looked back to the book, now with what John was learning to recognize as a sly glint in her eye. “I’m on practically the same spot in that book,” she noted. “Want to read me a chapter?”
John looked at his reading chair, the comfortable old soldier that it was. It was also the only place to sit in the room, and he went a little cross-eyed at the thought of Helen curled up in his lap in it.
There would be zero reading done, of that he was certain. He would debauch her for the first time in that chair, and maybe again on the table for good measure.
A virulent heat licked at his collar as he imagined it. Fuck him, but she was making him blush.
“Sure. Let’s take it to the living room,” he proposed, ignoring her lips pursed in a theatrical pout.
Minx. She knew exactly what she was doing to him—and he was increasingly unsure why he wasn’t just letting her have her way.
He scooped up the paperback book, her hand still firmly clasped in his other while he led them back to the recessed living room. He set the book down on the couch. “Want another glass of wine? I’m going to clear these dishes.”
He needed to clear his head, and he felt Helen look at him with some disappointment that felt a little bit like being stabbed.
“Can I help you?”
“No, this is your night off. Sit, relax. I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.” She seated herself on the couch with only the book for company.
She watched John practically flee into the kitchen, and wondered if she’d done something wrong.
Regaled by the sound of clinking dishes and the faucet running, Helen looked around at John’s shelves. They were rather bare, though she noticed he had a bit of a CD collection on display. It plucked at her nostalgia for the days before everything could be so easily accessed via the hand-held computers known as phones but so rarely used for actually talking.
Standing, she decided to be nosy and thumb through them. He seemed to favor classics, from classical music, to rock and blues. There was very little on the shelf dating from past the 90s, and that made her smile for some reason.
“See anything you like?”
She turned to find John with two freshly-filled wine glasses in tow. He set them on the coffee table, before joining her at the built-in cd tower.
“Some good stuff here,” she agreed with a Chili Peppers cd in her hand. The fiery pool with the ocean in the background on the cover tickled the nostalgia center in her brain for sure. “Who are these guys?” She pulled out a black and white album with a high contrast photo of a guy with glasses, and a bearded dude.
“Never heard of the Black Keys?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Oh, honey.”
She chuckled. “Ok, do not pull the my taste in music is better than yours card. I will leave.”
“I wouldn’t do that,” he defended with a sly close-lipped smile. “I reserve that card only for books.”
She snorted in answer, and found herself gravitating closer to him, even just standing there looking at his music. She just couldn’t help it.
That really was some good wine he served with dinner.
She watched as he popped open the jewel case, feeding the CD into the slot of his player. He hit a couple buttons, and the speakers erupted with a very bluesy distorted guitar riff. It was loud, and John laughed a little as she jumped—conveniently, into his arms.
“Sorry.” He turned down the volume slightly, his arms circling her waist almost of their own volition. It felt so easy, being with her. Maybe from the very moment they’d met, it just felt like she should be in his arms, and acting on it made something loud and uneasy always clamoring in the back of his brain to go quiet. She swayed her head and shoulders a little to the beat; it was impossible not to.
“John?” she asked from beneath his chin, brushing the soft scruff of his beard with her nose. It filled him with a tingling warmth, in the very marrow of his bones, a pleasure in this closeness that just seemed too good to be true. It was like a drug, better than cocaine or heroin or anything else he’d ever tried, and he didn’t know how he would ever let her go.
“Yeah?”
“They made you learn ballet at your…school, but do you like to dance?”
He’d spent so much time in night clubs, hunting, and acting as backup muscle for Tarasov while he closed business deals, but it wasn’t a setting he really enjoyed. He wasn’t sure he really classified the writhing and arm waving one engaged in at the club as dancing. He was familiar with other dance forms, but they didn’t come up often in his life.
 “I feel like you’re actually asking me a different question,” he teased, leaning into her to reach out to skip to a different track.
“I am?”
“You’re asking if I want to dance with you?”
The first metallic notes of Dan Auerbach’s guitar rang out, and John swayed to the beat, a hand on her svelte waist pinning her close. With a smile she moved with him, her other hand finding his.
“Do you?”
He looked down at her with a glint of mischief in those shining dark eyes, and so much warmth that a flood of heat washed through her from her hair follicles all the way to her toes. This man. She really would follow him anywhere. Maybe the wine they’d drank lubricated this thought process, but she knew that didn’t make it any less true.
John knew that his answer to any question that involved an activity with her would be a resounding yes. Groceries? Yes. The dentist? Fine. Just hold his hand. He was broken for her.   
 “Of course I do.” He lifted his arm to guide her in a turn before pulling her close again, and she simply couldn’t help it. The joy in her heart soared.
Then the vocals in the song began, and Helen couldn’t help the fuzzy warmth that spread in her chest. Need a new love? I’m ready. Want my time? I’m willing.
There wasn’t a huge amount of open space in the living room, but John was very good at making do, leading her in steps to the beat, throwing in fun checks and turns and behind-the-back maneuvers that made her giggle. She knew she sounded drunk. It was on him though, far more than the wine. He made her happier than any one had in a very long time. Maybe ever, if she was being honest with herself.
To make things even worse, the chorus of the song rang loud in her ears with the infectious guitar riff: I’ll be your man. Mmm, I’ll be your man. She didn’t know if he picked this song on purpose for the lyrics, or the intoxicating rhythm, but she felt it in her bones, and in her heart, and every cell of her being; she was so attuned to this man.
She almost tripped when he attempted to twist her up like a pretzel in a figure-eight step, but he caught her, laughing with her as he held her close.
“I’m not that good,” she apologized, clinging to him more than she really needed to. He was just…so solid, and if she was being honest all she really wanted to do was climb him like a fucking tree.  
His arm around her waist was like a warm band of iron, and he smiled gently down at her. She felt herself melting like chocolate in the sun, her knees gone weak beneath her.
“That’s ok. I’ve got you.”
She couldn’t stop the sigh that escaped from her throat. Because, she knew it was true, and not just here being silly dancing in his living room. She realized she trusted him not to drop her no matter what they were doing, or what they were facing. That kind of faith in another person, much less a man, was a rare and precious thing.
“John…” she said softly, looking up into his warm dark eyes from so very close. She wasn’t sure if she was asking a question, or if she just needed to cite his name like a prayer, invoke him like a saint in her personal pantheon. Maybe it was madness, but wrapped up in his arms like this, he felt like something to believe in.
Her eyes drifted down to his mouth, those full lips she’d coveted since the moment they’d met, if she was telling the truth.
This was the moment that John’s will to fight it broke at last. He felt it inside, not like a hard snap, but a definite release, like a boat coming unmoored, being swept down a swift stream. There was no more resisting. He was lost to her.
Pulled like a magnet, he finally leaned in that fraction of distance to press his lips to hers. His kiss was like a sunrise in her heart; warm and bursting, soft and sweet. She couldn’t stop herself from standing on tiptoe with a low moan, looping her arms around his neck as she pressed her body against his. It won her something like a deep growl that thrilled her to her toes, and greedily she wanted more.
She teased the seam of his mouth with her tongue, begging entrance he gladly granted. She felt the tremor in his arms as he held her, so tightly that he nearly lifted her from the floor. He kissed her like a starving man offered a life-giving meal, and her fingers fisted in his hair at the back of his head, holding him to her, holding on.
His heartbeat a thundering timpani in his ears, John felt like Helen’s lips on his was the answer to a question his heart had been asking his whole adult life. She was the air he breathed, the sustenance necessary to live, and the desire to drink her down, to eat her up, was a dogged, insistent demand from the darkest depths of his soul.
He never wanted to let her go.
With a ragged breath he pulled back to rest his forehead against hers, his fingers digging into her sides. She might have bruises later.
She didn’t mind.
She wanted his hands, rough or gentle.
She wanted all of him, and if he didn’t return his mouth to hers she was going to scream.
“Helen,” he panted. “I—”
The tinny electronic sound of his phone ringing in his pocket interrupted what might have been a foolish—or a life changing—confession. “Fuck,” he cursed under his breath, knowing he had to answer it. That was the deal with the devil he’d signed, when he didn’t really have any better choice. He was on call all the time.
“I’m sorry,” he apologized.
She nodded, but did not extricate herself, leaning on his shoulder while he pulled the device from his pocket. It was Viggo Tarasov, and his heart dropped like a stone. It was rare that the boss Himself called. He absolutely had to answer it, and he had a feeling he wouldn’t like what his pakhan had to say.
With a heavy heart he lifted the phone to his ear, his other arm still wrapped possessively around Helen.
“Da?”
“Good evening, John.”
John fought to keep the impatient snarl out of his tone, but feared he failed royally. “Evening, Viggo.”
“I’ve just heard some interesting things about your latest adventures about town. I think we need to talk.”
That was probably the understatement of the century.
“When?”
“Now.”
Of fucking course.
“I can be there in an hour.”
“Good.”
Viggo hung up, and John clenched the phone in his fist, fighting not to throw it across the room. He knew Helen heard every word for the way she sighed with disappointment, snuggling into the bend of his neck. The sensation of her front molded to his was heaven, and he didn’t know how to let her go.
“I’m so sorry,” he apologized with lips to her forehead. “I have to go.”
“I understand.” There was some consolation, in that she sounded as devastated as he was.
“You’ll be ok here? My house is your house. Help yourself to anything you want.”
She made a kittenish little sound that sent all his blood straight to his groin. “What I want is leaving,” she informed him with a pouting lip, tugging on the front of his shirt.
He couldn’t stop himself then from stealing another kiss, a deep and probing thing that left her breathless and starry-eyed.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he told her.
“Promise?”
“Yes.” John wondered what Viggo had in store. If he was in trouble, or if his boss would send him out to teach the Medvedev boys a lesson tonight. He didn’t want to go hunting that night. Everything he truly wanted in the world, he realized, was standing right in front of him, looking up at him with melted toffee eyes. He cupped her cheek, memorizing every detail of her all over again.
He realized with a startling clarity that he could never get enough of her.
The intensity of his stare sent a thrill jetting down her spine. “John…” He worried her a little, when he got like this. She wasn’t afraid of him, exactly—but some little intuition in the back of her brain sang out that something bad might happen.
“It’ll be alright,” he told her, sensing her unease. “I have to change.” He kissed her forehead again, and disappeared up the stairs to his room.
Helen plopped down on the couch with a sigh, crushed with disappointment but knowing this was how it was, and she understood more than ever now that it wasn’t his fault or his choice. She picked up the Villanelle book, No Tomorrow, stroking her thumb over the cover, but not cracking it open.
When John stalked down the stairs he was wearing one of his slim-fit all black suits again, his hair slicked back from his face. He looked beautiful, and predatory, sleek as a panther stalking in the jungle, and fierce attraction warred with dread in Helen’s breast. She had a feeling that someone might die tonight, and it was so strange to think in those terms with such a sense of acceptance.
At least she knew John’s prey would be no one innocent.  
“Don’t forget you owe me a chapter,” she said in a sing song tone as he approached, waving the book, trying to lighten the pall that had fallen upon the room.  
The smile he paid her was filled with melancholy; she felt it like a knife between the ribs. “I won’t,” he assured her, taking her hand to press his lips to her knuckles. He paused, looking down at this beautiful woman seated on his couch, with her legs that went on forever and the warmth in her eyes all for him. There was nothing he wanted more, than to stay there with her. To lay her down and kiss every inch of her perfect flesh. He probably should have told her that, but he just sighed, and let her go.
“I’m going to leave this here, just in case,” he said, all business as he showed her a blocky black automatic pistol. “There’s one in the chamber. All you have to do is pull the trigger. It has a long trigger pull but please do not touch it unless you need it, and be very careful.” He stashed the Glock in a drawer beside the couch. “I’ll leave the alarm on. If it goes off I’ll get an alert on my phone.”
With wide eyes she nodded. “Do you…think the Medvedevs will come here?”
“No, or I wouldn’t leave you here alone.” He honestly thought this was the safest place for her. “But…” One never knows.
“Okay.” He could tell that he managed to scare her a little, and he hated himself for it.
“I’m being paranoid,” he tried to assure her. He dared add, “Because you’re precious to me.” She softened then, and stood to wrap her arms around his neck once more. Embracing her was as intoxicating as kissing her, and again John warred with himself as to how he was going to leave.
“Come back to me,” she demanded softly, kissing the soft scruff of his cheek.
“Always,” he answered without allowing himself to think about it, pressing his lips to hers in a long, gentle kiss filled with all the yearning in his heart.
Reluctantly, he slipped from her grasp, and didn’t look back.
She watched him go, admiring his tall dark form even as he was leaving her.
She heard the roar of the Mustang starting in the garage, and the trail of its growl as it prowled across the driveway, disappearing down the street into the night. She couldn’t help but feel like her heart sped away with it.
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Because you ask for it, here are my StarBurst Headcanons!
Long post warning ahead. In no particular order:
Sunburst!
Sunburst’s hair is actually curly but he doesn’t know how to take care of it and doesn’t understand why it’s such a mess even though he brushes it every morning. (Btw, you’re not supposed to brush curly/kinky hair, especially when it’s dry, and of course that’s exactly what he does.)
He’s very proud of his goatee, his mother hates it and asks him to shave it every time he visits, which makes him like it even more, and is considering growing a full beard, just to piss her off.
He loves books for sure, but if you search through his private library, you won’t find a single novel, storybook, or anything resembling a fiction section. He doesn’t care for it. Since he knows so much about magic and history, when he reads a novel that embellishes some historical fact or magical effect, it takes him out of the story and immediately makes him lose interest.
Some of his most precious books were found while dumpster diving. That’s right, he dumpster dives once in a while, especially around libraries, second-hand stores, old houses, and construction sites. Libraries and second-hand stores usually throw away or give away books, since they get so many and they can’t sell them fast enough. Construction sites usually dig so deep that they bring up some interesting artifacts, and when the owners of old houses die, the family usually throws away the previous owners’ things, which includes books and other oddities.
Most of his furniture comes from antique stores, second-hand stores, and whatever Equestria’s version of the Good Will is.
Sunburst always leaves the house with an empty saddle bag and somehow manages to come back with it filled to the brim with books he picked up along the way.
After he dropped out of magic school, Sunburst’s income was very limited. He had to live with whatever his mother could send him and with the money he got from part-time jobs. This turned him into quite the penny pincher, he learned the hard way how to budget every bit he got.
His luck finally turned when he started working as a freelance editor since he could read through hundreds of pages in a matter of hours, red pen in hoof, and be done with hefty manuscripts in a day. Many writers appreciated his speed and accuracy when handling their manuscripts, and were quite saddened when he quit freelancing to work full-time for the Royal Family.
When the Crystal Empire returned, they were desperate to bring in more ponies to live full-time in the Empire, one of the ways to achieve this was to sell houses and land on the cheap, that’s how Sunburst got his house with his meager income. The alternative would’ve been to live with his mother, and Sunburst would’ve rather lived under a bridge than move back home.
Sunburst watches Flurry Heart from time to time. He’s very patient and gentle with her, and Flurry Heart adores him for it. He’s the only that can get her to eat her peas without making (too much) of a mess. He’s writing a book about his experiences in watching her, like a guidebook on how to raise infant alicorns, he hopes to publish it once she’s grown and already has her parents’ permission to do so. Cadance explicitly requested to send a signed copy to Twilight once he’s done, for all they know, she might be having alicorns of her own one day.
Starlight Glimmer!
Her family is actually one of the founding families of Sire’s Hollow, but unlike her father who’s very proud of this fact, she really couldn't care less.
Starlight left home as soon as she was legally an adult. She worked various mundane but safe jobs, studying magic in her free time and slowly building her philosophy, meeting ponies that were down on their luck and vulnerable to her suggestions (working in retail she met quite a few ponies like that). It was a slow process but before she knew it, she had a sizeable community.
I know everyone kills off Starlight's mother, but I like to think that she's alive and well somewhere. Her mother is an important wizard, who unfortunately loves her work more than she loves her family, and often travels to distant places to study magic. Her mother would send her letters and postcards from the places she was at until Starlight moved out and lost all communication with her. While Starlight admires her mother very much, she's resentful of her for being absent during her childhood.
Starlight is very artistic and can actually draw really well. Hanging out with Rarity made her practice her artistic skills, and now she can do a decent sketch of ponies and things if she puts her mind to it.
Ever since she became Twilight’s pupil, she learned how to be more organized. Before she used to be very forgetful since she never wrote down what she had to do or kept track of important things. If she’d been this organized back when she was commanding her village, she would have been an even more formidable opponent.
Starlight never dated. Growing up she was very distrustful of other ponies, but she was more guarded around stallions. Nothing sets her off like a stallion making an unwanted pass on her.
Starlight doesn’t care about fashion; her sense of style could be summed up in the phrase ‘function over fashion’. Her closet is very bare, even compared to Twilight’s who shares some of Starlight’s tastes when it comes to clothes. She dabbles in makeup though, but her knowledge is very limited in that area too.
Hanging out with Pinkie Pie has aggravated her already very sweet tooth problem. And since her job is very sedentary, her weight gain is starting to show, much to her horror. This prompted her to start exercising more. Now she wakes up early every day to run around Ponyville before she has to go to work.
Unlike Sunburst, all of Starlight’s books are fiction. She likes novels, especially dark fantasy, filled with action and violence. The gorier the better.
When she’s sad or upset, she twirls and levitates stuff around her. It was the first spell she could cast successfully, and it was the first one that Sunburst taught her.
Now for the good stuff, some StarBurst headcannons.
When Starlight can’t sleep, she asks Sunburst to read to her. His voice is very soothing and monotone when he reads out loud, and since the subjective he reads is very boring to her, she falls asleep quite easily this way.
When they were little Stellar Flare used to joke that their kids would get married someday, Firelight didn’t think that it would ever happen. Since then they have had this ongoing bet that whoever was right would get fifty bits from the loser and full bragging rights at the reception. Firelight just lost those fifty bits recently and was a little grumpy at his daughter’s wedding.
Starlight is more athletic than Sunburst, he can run a little faster than her because he's taller than her, but when it comes to endurance, she has him beat. This comes in handy when she’s annoyed with him; she runs around while he chases after her until he collapses from exhaustion, but he still gets up and begins to chase her again.
Things were awkward for them at the beginning, but after the events of the Parent Map episode, they learned to relax around each other again. They started to write letters with more frequency, talking about more mundane and personal things, it surprised the both of them how much they enjoyed their correspondence and their bond grew from there.
When they hang out, they’re like a pair of excited middle schoolers on a sugar high. They’re loud, a little disruptive, and just so gosh damn happy to be around the other. Sunburst just talks her ear off about magic, and Starlight is more than happy to demonstrate what she’s capable of. The look on his face when she does magic is worth it.
They rarely fight, but when they do, brace yourself! They’re both in a very rotten mood until the issue is resolved. Starlight is a raging bull and will explode at the slightest provocation, you’ll be blasted to smithereens if you catch her like this. Sunburst goes very quiet and shuts himself away, but will bite your head off if you happen to bother him, pulling out every insult in the dictionary until you leave crying. This has only happened twice, and they never let their arguments get that bad after the second time.
Their first fight was caused by Starlight’s jealousy, her insecurities got the better of her and made her accuse him of a bunch of things he didn’t do. The second time it was Sunburst’s fault, he was so tired and stressed one day that he lashed out at her and she took it pretty hard.
They make up first by hugging the other from behind, as a measure to keep the other still so they hear what they have to say, and apologizing for their behavior. Even when all is forgiven and the air is cleared, they still stay cuddled and close for a while. Their both very touchy-feely ponies at heart.
Out of the two of them, Sunburst is the better cook. Having been on his own for so long meant he learned how to take care of himself, however, the recipes he can do are very limited. Starlight, on the other hand, is much more willing to try new things, even if they don’t always work out, but the times that they do, they’re very good.
Sunburst likes to hear Starlight sing, especially when he’s tired and she runs a hoof through his mane. He’s in heaven when she sings soft, nonsensical songs for his ears only.
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rabbitenn · 6 months
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hi there I hope it's okay to ask for headcanons for the twins with a s/o who's fun loving but kinda shy? Like the moment they know something they like they ramble and just hide's their face with their hands smiling and stammering out apologizes realizing how long they spoke?
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ARDOR LIFE.
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Your endless talks about your passions are the hearth he’d love to sit by as shades of your vibrant smiles fill his heart.
ft. Kujo Tenn, Nanase Riku x gn! reader.
cw/genre: fluff.
hello, lovely anon ! this is such a sweet idea for the precious twins <3 I’m sorry I’m posting it late, but I still hope it’s to your liking.
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♡ KUJO TENN
— Tenn is so perceptive, he can tell right away when you’re brimming with excitement, be it because you’re going to be doing something you like soon or just because you’ve taken up a new hobby.
— You always loved to share your joys with him, rewarding him with your most unadulterated smiles, eyes sparkling, a kaleidoscope opening up your heart fully to your lover.
— You were so precious like this… Tenn’s expressions turned utterly mellow when he beheld you in these moments.
— To him, you danced beneath the rosy caress of late dawns; the way you shined, only accentuating with every word you spoke.
— And Tenn feels honored that you choose him.
— See, he’s used to the fame and being his fans’ first choice, but, for you to share your passions and favorite interests with him, just because he’s himself, with no stage or colored lights to paint his angel wings in technicolor mosaics… It warms his heart.
— Of course, though, sometimes the topic you choose to fawn over is none other than him.
— And honestly, that makes Tenn equally as happy. He loves his fans, after all, and you’re naturally his favorite.
— And, well, if what you’re talking about happens to be something he’s into as well, Tenn is so grateful to be able to share this joy with you!
— “Tenn! Tenn!” You call him, wide smile illuminating the face he so adores. “Look! Look what I found! You’re going to love it!” You call him, showing him your phone screen.
— The idol’s gaze softens the moment he sees you, practically jumping up and down in excitement.
— “It’s a new cat cafe! It’s so cute! They have so many kittens, and they even adopt strays that have nowhere to go. Look, it’s all explained on their official page.” You scroll down a bit. “Here! They give them medical treatment if they need it, and they get good food and shelter this way! Isn’t it amazing? And look at the sweets they sell! Cat shaped strawberry cream donuts! We have to go, Tenn!”
— You grab his wrist softly, tugging on his sleeve as you ramble on.
— A smile filled with tenderness draws on your boyfriend’s face, a chuckle leaving his lips.
— His fingers find yours, slotting them in between.
— ‘You’re too cute.’ Tenn thinks fondly, as he’s completely lost in your adorable features rather than paying attention to the pictures you show him.
— Don’t get him wrong. He loves what you’re sharing with him, but you are so enchanting and perfect to him… Especially when you shine so bright with excitement… He just can’t take his eyes off of you.
— “We should go indeed, my love.” He tells you, head resting against yours.
— That’s when you fluster, realizing how much you’ve rambled on.
— “Tenn… I’m sorry…” Comes your mumbled apology, face buried in your hands. “I talk too much…”
— Your boyfriend’s response comes in the form of a light chuckle.
— “Don’t hide from me, my sweet [Y/n].” He utters, delicately taking your hands in his soft ones. “I love it when you tell me about the things that make you happy.”
— And when your eyes meet his, you can tell he means it.
— His eyes are the shade of first kisses beneath a wintry sunset, pink clouds drifting away as bright rays sway in between naked branches. There’s so much gentleness and care contained in a single gaze…
— “Aren’t I… annoying? When I go on for so long?” You wonder.
— “You could never be annoying.” Tenn assures you, lips brushing over your knuckles. “Please, always keep being this bright, sunshine.” He asks you, fingertips tracing your jawline.
— Any other statement dies in your throat at his proximity, strands of silken stardust tickling you as the angel places one last tender kiss to your cheek.
— He loves you and your long talks, and he’d be damned if he didn’t let you know.
♡ NANASE RIKU
— Honestly, you’re made for each other!
— Riku is pretty excitable himself, his every emotion clear as day in the little changes of his expression.
— So when it is you who is enthusiastic about something, it’s like a full circle feedback of exhilaration between you two.
— Honestly, Riku is your biggest hypeman, whatever it is you want to ramble about, he’s more than happy to listen; he just thinks you’re so cool.
— Due to his condition, IDOLiSH7’s center grew up pretty sheltered, resulting in him still being naive in regards to a variety of aspects.
— So, you telling him about the things you love makes him feel like a window to your inner colorful world opens right before his eyes.
— On one hand, he loves discovering new things you tell him about or that you’ve gotten into recently.
— And on the other, Riku is so happy you trust him and go to him first when you have news to share! Instead of walking on eggshells and just keeping him shielded, you share your passions with him, and invite him to take part in them.
— “Riku! Rikkun! Guess what?” You excitedly greet him, jumping from his bed, as soon as he gets to the dorms.
— You wrap your arms around him, holding a magazine in between your hands.
— “Mph!” Your boyfriend has time to let out, as he embraces you, trying not to topple over to the ground with you.
— You pull away a little, enough to meet those big vibrant eyes of his, so often puppy-like.
— “Riku! They’re holding a book fair and look at this! There’s gonna be signed limited edition copies of the next book from that series we were reading! Will you go with me? I want to give you a copy! You’ve been working so hard, I’d love to get something nice as a reward for you!”
— “Really? They’re releasing the next book already?” He inspects the magazine you show him. “Aah! They are indeed! This is such a nice surprise!”
— “Right? Right?” You prompt, holding both of his hands in yours, as you swing them. “We could have a date on that day. I’ll take you to a cafe with tasty donuts and then we can have omurice for lunch too…”
— You suddenly trail off, averting your gaze as your face feels suddenly a little too hot.
— “Ah… I… I’m talking too much…” You lower your head, burying it in your boyfriend’s chest. “I’m getting carried away… Sorry, Riku…”
— He smiles, his arms instantly tightening their hold around your form.
— Carmine eyes flutter closed, as his hands gently brush through your hair.
— “You never talk too much.” He tells you, searching for your gaze, brows slightly furrowed, offering you a reassuring smile. “And…” He scratches the back of his neck. “You already know that I like it when you share news with me, [Y/n]. It makes me happy.”
— A shy smile curls your lips as you fleetingly brush them against Riku’s.
“Thank you, baby.” You whisper, combing vibrant crimson strands away from his adorable face. “You make me the happiest, Rikkun.”
— His nose brushes yours lovingly.
There is no doubt you make him the happiest too.
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Interrupting the regular Friday photoshoot posts to say
Happy birthday
to the man, the myth, the legend Benjamin Schwartz
I’m gonna curb the normal objectification for a moment and take it back to the start of his career. Before Sonic, before Jean-Ralphio and Clyde Oberholt and Carnegie and Radio City Music Hall
2006-2007
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On Letterman:
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From UPROXX
As Schwartz tells it, way back in the early aughts, he was unemployed, and he wanted to get his foot in the door by getting a job in entertainment. So, one day he puts on a suit and tie and he goes to the offices of MTV, because “in my head, MTV hires young people.” With him, Schwartz had 20 resumes in his backpack printed on “my Dad’s fancy paper.”
Schwartz said he conned his way into the building by telling the security guard that he was an intern for Viacom and that he was late for work. That lie got him up into a higher floor in the building. When he got to the other floor, he spoke Spanish to the janitor to find out what floor MTV was on. Schwartz lied and said he needed to be on that floor, so the janitor unlocked the elevator and let Schwartz go down five flights.
When Schwartz finally got onto the floor with MTV, he walked into an office and told the woman working behind the desk, “I’m here to talk about a possible internship. Someone told me to come to this floor.”
The woman said, “I think you’re on the wrong floor.”
“This is MTV, right?” Schwartz asked.
“Yes,” she said, “but this is the President’s office.”
“And I go,” Schwartz said jokingly, “well, surely he can get me a job.'”
Disarmed, the assistant sent Schwartz down to another floor, where internships were handled. Schwartz handed over his resume, and the person who took it said, “OK, we’ll give you a call,” and then opened up a huge file cabinet that was filled to the brim with resumes and threw it on top.
“They’ll never call me,” Schwartz quickly realized.
“So, I’m walking back down Broadway, feeling dejected,” Schwartz continues. “I walk by Letterman’s building and they come up to me, because — as I learned when I worked there — that they need to fill seats, and if you look like you’re wearing a nice suit or something, they might want to get you in the crowd. And they were like, ‘Hey, you want to see Letterman?'” Schwartz says, “Of course.” While he’s in line, he sees the pages cheering up the crowd and doing what they do.
“This is my dream job,” he says to one of the pages. “Who can I talk to to get this job?” So, the boss comes over and tells Schwartz, “I’m sorry. I can’t help you unless you have a resume.”
And it just so happened that Schwartz did! “I took out all 20 resumes from my backpack, and he laughed, set up a meeting, and that’s how I got that job, which led to me writing jokes for Letterman’s monologue, which started the whole thing.”
For no reason at all, I’m adding this photo here for you dear reader. Thanks for scrolling this far. You are most welcome
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Happy birthday, Benjamín <3
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yamayuandadu · 6 months
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Are you or do you ever plan on taking a crack at the Lilith article? It's way too focused on the medieval folklore version Lilith as a unique figure (Adam's wife) and conflates her with the names of the classes of demons that preceded her (lilitu and lili) which makes them seem like specific figures as well. There might be grounds for splitting Lilith (figure) and her antecedents (classes of demons) into two separate pages.
Sorry to disappoint but I have at best limited interest in Lilith and I can confidently say that I'm never going to contribute to her wiki page, not least because its edit history is bound to be filled to the brim with confrontational enthusiasts of fringe theories (and Lilith is 90% fringe theories and "reinterpretations"). This is probably going to sound harsh but one has to pick their battles. My free time is limited and this this would be an enormous effort with little to gain, for the sake of a genuinely insignificant figure whose claims to fame are appearing in an enumeration of animals in the Book of Isaiah and the (severely overestimated today) role of a boogeyman in late antique and medieval Jewish folklore. To put it differently: I can write article on many more historically significant figures in less time and with less stress and need for confrontations than this would involve, I am afraid. At most I might write an ardat-lili wiki article at some point because I think it would be funny to post it with a caption like "world's first documented femcel" on here but don't hold your breath for that.
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pyralart · 6 months
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What inspired you to start drawing comics?
This one isn't so easy since it's a bit vague... but it's a great ask for me to ramble! TL:DR is that I've always kind of loved reading comics/mangas and wanted to make my own? If it's TOH specific, it's just because there are scenarios/jokes I'd wanna see drawn, so I do it lol
My brother had this huuge bookshelf filled to the brim with all kinds of mangas and I'd often spend time reading them growing up. I love stories! Even illustrations, I think, are basically telling a story with only one picture!
I had been wanting to draw comics but I didn't want to start until I was good enough for it, so I drew and studied a lot. I tried to draw comic pages in middle then high school based on my own characters and scenarios and I remember thinking it was soo hard. I had even tried drawing some Undertale comics at the time but I wasn't happy with it...
I think the best advice for motivation I can give would be to draw only for you and a few friends, even moreso at the beginning, keep it small. It's much less pressure and easier to experiment this way, plus you definitely have some friends who'll freak out if you draw their characters (if you rp, it's a really good inspiration!) For TOH specifically, I drew my first ones in a discord server because I wanted to illustrate some jokes, which I then felt were good enough to post, that's why my first toh comics are so sketchy lol. People really liked them so I thought I'd continue! Sometimes I see some written post that really inspires me, and other times my brain comes up with the stupidest jokes that I have to draw. I'm a hostage here, actually Soo... hopefully that answers your question? I have other fun TOH scenario ideas I wanna make but I defo want to go back to my own characters at some point because they're near and dear to my heart
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pub-lius · 4 months
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I just wanna say, DUDE. The majority of what I know about amrev comes from your blog. Your in-depth posts literally have me FOAMING AT THE MOUTHH I don't have much time to read longer books due to school but I wanna feed my obsession so do you have any books on the shorter side or some websites/archives I can research/read a bit quicker? If not it's totally fine.
Also off topic but I'm loving "It Began About Dusk" on AO3 <3
OH MY GOD THE FLATTERY‼️‼️‼️ you’re making me blush here anon. im so glad that you find my posts helpful!!! AND IM SO GLAD YOU LIKE MY FICS i have a chapter of it began about dusk in the drafts rn so you’ll get more content soon
now this is a tricky question because im absolutely insane and ive barely ever read short books. right now im reading His Excellency by Joseph J Ellis and i recommend it!! its only around 2-300 pages which is the shortest history book ive got VSJWBW primary sources can be really good to get in book form, things like Common Sense by Thomas Paine, Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior (Washington’s rule book), and Memoir of Lieut. Col. Tench Tilghman, Secretary and aid to Washington are all primary sources i have on my shelf that are short and sweet.
i also have Hercules Mulligan by Micheal J. Obrien which i haven’t read but is VERY small. there is also James Monroe by Gary Hart which is short but i have not finished (i dont even truly remember reading it but i annotated part of it apparently), The Drillmaster of Valley Forge by Paul Lockhart is a little longer than those others, but still isn’t chernow levels of wrong, but i also haven’t read that one. Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates by Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger isn’t the most serious history book, but it is pretty good and an easy read.
as for secondary source websites, start with encyclopedias ie Britannica, which post short articles on different historical figures and events that give you the overview. from there im gonna point you to the National Park Service. this is the best thing the US government has ever made for researchers. this is all your battlefields, winter encampments, historical reproductions, and former capitals. also check out private residences turned museums, such as Mount Vernon, Monticello, and Schuyler Mansion. these institutions have an abundance of easily accessible information on more than just the people who lived there.
now the Library of Congress was a good decision on Jefferson’s part, but it can be inaccessible if you don’t know how to use it well because their website is one of my least favorite things about being alive. so instead, i recommend using Founders Online for any primary source regarding the founding fathers or amrev figures. the Washington Papers are filled to the brim with almost everything that went out of headquarters during all 8 years of the war. founders online is the shit
all of these websites i’ve mentioned are free to access, because i do not pay money on any research tools besides books out of spite for late stage capitalism. also any primary source is 100% accessible online. that includes memoirs and court transcripts, which can be very helpful
also i really do recommend watching documentaries and informational videos on the subjects you’re interested in while doing work or other things if you’re someone who does that (ik some people don’t have background noise but im just assuming you’re as neurodivergent as i am) because you can absorb just a little of that information and it being about a subject of interest can make academics seem a little less miserable!
i hope this is helpful and if you have absolutely any further questions, feel free to ask. i know im very privileged to have the time and resources to read long ass books, which is why i very freely share the information i absorb with the public bc i believe education should never be gatekept by anyone. so if you have any questions, im happy to research them for you, or at least point you in the right direction. love ya!!
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saeishiro · 1 year
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halcyon ▪︎ itoshi rin
i swear i'll decorate my posts a bit more in the future and do up a profile page when i get back on my laptop TT for now, this is what i can offer </3
pairing: itoshi rin x reader
your first meeting!
rin likes to take the bus home after practice.
it's a short walk from his school to the nearest bus stop, and he pays the fare in exact, as usual. rin's conscientious, on the field and in daily life.
by the time he gets on the bus, the sun's setting and most people have gone home or gone to eat, so the bus is virtually empty. however, today's not one of those days — for some reason, the bus is filled to its brim, and rin barely manages to squeeze himself into the vehicle. he clings onto a handlebar and sighs.
at least the bus isn't loud. rin likes being left with his thoughts better.
maybe i can think of new plays i can make...
suddenly, the bus is thrown forward, and rin feels a shift in his surroundings. people are stumbling over each other and themselves, and everyone's in disarray. rin feels someone slam into him, and he instinctively reaches out to wrap an arm around the person's waist.
rin waits for the movement in the bus to die down before he looks beside him to talk to the person he steadied. 'hey, are you hurt?'
oh, they're good-looking.
you're flustered by the sudden eyes on you. being caught by someone so attractive wasn't exactly how you expected your bus ride to go, and you feel warmth flood your cheeks.
rin doesn't think about this much, but he's attractive and tall. with piercing teal eyes just like his brother, raven hair, and a sharp jawline, he's easily one of the most, if not the most attractive guy you've met.
'i'm fine, thanks for catching me.' you reassured rin.
rin, however, makes no move to let you go. 'this part of the bus ride is usually bumpy. i'll hold on to you so you don't fall.'
surprised, you looked to rin, who already had his eyes fixex straight ahead, but even the rose rays of dusk couldn't hide the unmistakable blush on his pale cheeks. you smiled.
'well, since we're going to be stuck together for a bit, we should exchange names. i'm _________! how about you?'
'itoshi rin.'
nice name.
you lean into him, and continue your fateful bus ride.
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needybabytrashbeans · 10 months
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Quaestor Valdemar x Bismuth (OC) - The Feeling's Mutual
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Commission by @silversnape ! Forgot to post and got sick so it's only just now getting posted but glad you enjoyed it fren! :) If anyone else wants to commission my rules are on my page and my DMS are definitely open to it!
Word count: 6,888
Genre: Innocent, fluffy, maybe a lil gorey or horror induced
Enjoy!
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There's a graveyard located deep in the forest. Of course it was best to keep it from the palace grounds, for it was a dark little reminder of the past in Versuvia that was hidden amongst overgrown foliage. Quaestor Valdemar hadn't spoken much on it, what was there to say anyway? The land was full to the brim with the dead, headstones far out of reach. Bismuth, the apprentice to the physician, had grown a curiosity for it though it wasn't surprising for her to do so with her because of her natural sense of curiosity. Even if Valdemar hadn't said anything about it themselves the woman had been reading, there weren't many stories on the ancient land but she was able to find a few things.
To start of the land was filled with the dead as stated before, those who lost their lives to the great red plague that ruled over the lands. Bismuth had heard the tales of it from various mouths, people who had lost loved ones during those times or who were descendants of such and even more from Valdemar themselves who seemed to…enjoy talking about such a dark time. That wasn't new though of course it's not like the Quaestor grew eager to talk about anything else but the death toll that occurred back then.
Even so, they could talk about the plague all day she was sure but still…they hadn't said anything on the graveyard itself.
Valdemar suddenly snaps their fingers on front of bright eyes, Bismuth blinks at the action. She had zoned out, the graveyard has been on her mind for a while now. Probably more than it should be. Natural curiosity of a cat, hopefully it wouldn't get her killed.
"Assistant? Bismuth?…Are you even listening?" They question, voice smooth but there's some firmness and a light sigh that leaves them as they eye her, hovering close to her as if examining her gaze. The hand in her face is covered in sticky blood, they lower it to grab a rag that sits beside them, freeing their other hand from the corpse in front of them laying on the table. A man who had died of some sort of liver damage…Valdemar wipes their gloves clean before turning and looking at her once more, eyebrows furrowing a little.
"I'll say it again. Did you even hear a thing I said? How are you supposed to take notes when you can't even focus on what I'm saying?" They huff lightly but it's clear that their tone with her isn't as harsh and cold as it could be, one could say that they were rather nice to her compared to many others. Usually actions like this would set them off, make them glare and tsk in annoyance but they almost seem to have an uncharacteristic…patience with her.
"Mind informing me of whatever could be on your mind at a time like this? Weren't you the one who suggested helping me tonight?" They inquired as they set the now bloody cloth back to the side before crossing their arms over their back. Bismuth looks up at them with surprise before slowly looking down at her feet, heart pumping in her chest just having them look at her. As curious as she was for the graveyard she had to avoid their gaze for a moment for she might end up flushing. She was infatuated with the other, whether they knew or not and usually a scenario where they were focus on her was like a dream but right now it seemed like she was before scolded which put a light frown on her lips.
She looks from her shoes and uniform back to the dead man on the table, his skin is pale as his torso lays wide open for all to see. There's tools on the side, a surgical knife, tweasers, a scalpel… her gaze stays on her for a moment before she looks back up at her superior who seems to still be waiting patiently for a reply, lightly lifting a brow.
"I've…been thinking about the graveyard in the forest." She finally admits slower than she usually would and Valdemar looks at her in slight suspension as she starts that sentence off just for their eyes to widen as she finishes. It's almost as if they didn't expect that answer from her, at all, and maybe they didn't but why did they almost seem spooked by her words? It's silent for a moment, unexpectedly silent, and Bismuth can't help but feel herself grow anxious. She must've said something wrong. There's a moment where she begins to regret saying anything but it's not like the woman would hold information from them if they asked because she followed them and admired them greatly. There was no way she could lie so easily to them. However, their silence makes her feel like she shouldn't have opened her mouth at all. She can feel herself begin to shake a little, the idea of them being angry getting to her for that was just not something she could handle.
She jumps when a gloved hand seems to snake its way under her chin. She twitched at the touch but Valdemar doesn't take that as a reason to pull away as they carefully cup her chin, firm but not enough to bruise or cause pain.
"Why would something like that be on your mind? How did you even find out about that place? No.." they speak, eerily persistent before shaking their head a little as if that wasn't the way they seen themselves starting their response.
"That place is not safe. Thinking about it like you are must mean you're curious in it…I don't know what that brain of yours is thinking but you don't plan to go find it for yourself do you?" They contested. They were in her face now, still holding her chin but leaned in close. Tone hard and gaze unyielding as they looked at her and made her look at them. Their hand pressed slightly harder as her eyes widened before her lip started to quiver a little, it didn't hurt it's not like they were digging their nails in or pressed harshly on her cheeks, they're hold was firm but gentle almost like leading a small animal to look and focus on them.
Bismuth could feel her eyes watering, she couldn't help but feel troubled or that she was being trouble for them. She suddenly felt a little bad within herself, over thinking. She did come to help them because that's what she loved, being under them and around them…close enough to touch them but now they were upset with her, looking at her with such a gaze even if their hand felt surprisingly warmer than they usually were on her cheeks.
Valdemar's gaze seems to soften even just a little, they make a motion of shaking her head softly from side to side. It lightens the mood even just a little, especially when they push up her cheeks and make her pout and pucker her lips. They huff softly before letting her free a second after.
"I'm not angry with you Bismuth, just don't go out there and that is a warning." They advised while turning away from her to walk over to a counter.
"I..heard about it at the market. I was just wondering and all. When we…work on things together like the bodies of the living it's only natural for me to wonder where they go when we're done with them. You…don't let me come with you when you take them away." She spoke feebly, at the time of doing so the Quaestor had picked up a body bag. It was black, easy to be ignored or confused for a shadow if spotted in the woods. She watched them and their tall lean figure as they did so and noticed when they seemed to pause at her words, calculating them in their brilliant brain.
"You…want to come with me?" They asked as if perplexed and she nodded almost as if shy.
"Yes." She confirms politely.
They seem to think about it, brows knitting together a little as if thinking of the consequences of this action if they agreed. She has been working with them for a while now, long and diligently too… She always did what she was told with no talk back and little failure, enough so that Valdemar themselves had placed a certain level of importance on her. They eventually breathe in deep through their nose and out through their mouth, collecting themselves and their various thoughts before walking over to the lifeless body and the woman.
"Fine, I feel as though I can trust you… just don't touch anything and don't venture off. Do you understand Bismuth?" They spoke carefully as they pulled open the body bag waiting for her response even though they were positive that they already knew what she would say. As they led the body into the bag and eventually zipped it up they glanced at her from the corner of their eyes to see…a sparkle could be found in those dark eyes of hers.
With eyes like hers they could be seen as nothing but plain to some though it was easy to see… that not many people held eyes like her's. Sometimes they'd twinkle when they called her name, even more so when she had earned some praise. Inky blackness seemed like a spiraling galaxy at times, at least when Valdemar was in the picture.
They looked away after a moment, moving their hands to grasp the body bag and haul the contents over their shoulder. Honestly, for how lean they were, they were quite strong…
"Y-yes!" She answered, a look of determination now forming on that cute little face of hers as she agreed to their terms.
"Well come on. Don't get lost." They emphasized before turning away and leading the way to the dungeons exit. She eagerly followed like a puppy and they found themselves chuckling softly at it, how she had gone from that pout from earlier to such a sweet smile.
It was a bit of a walk to get there but with each step they made Bismuth could feel the energy that flowed from the forest. It was like a tingle running over her skin or an unintelligible whisper in her ears. She had grown rather anxious during their little adventure together, even going far enough to be right on Valdemar's heels though they didn't seem to mind. At least she was staying by their side like they told her to.
The full moon was out, the smell of dirt and rain laced the air. From Valdemar's perspective they walked with a sternness, they knew where they were going unlike their subordinate. Their walk hadn't contained much talking at first, mostly the crunches of leaves under their feet or the screeching of crickets took up the silence. It was only when they weren't too far when Valdemar eventually spoke, breaking the silence but not without the woman walking beside them jumping as if shocked to hear of them after all this time. Valdemar grinned, a toothy grin that was just a bit wider than usual as if they found it funny to see the woman practically shaking in her boots.
"Apologies, I didn't mean to spook you." They hummed looking down at her before looking ahead again, eyes glowing bright in the darkness. In their free hand they held a lantern to help the woman beside them, just because they could see in the conditions of the night didn't mean that she could as well.
"I just wanted to say that for someone who was so curious you're shaking like a leaf. One would one I dragged you out here if you keep scrunching your eyebrows and looking around like that." They pointed out but there was a playful edge to their tone as if trying to help the woman calm down. It seemed to work as she turned her head to them quickly, cheeks brightly flushing at their teasing. When her mouth fell open as if to say something back they lifted a brow, smug smirk on their lips.
"Please don't tease me Quaestor…" she huffs softly turning her gaze away but not without them noticing the light flush on her cheeks. They chuckled but left her be for the time being.
It's a bit chilly out tonight, nothing that would stop the Quaestor themselves but Bismuth rubbed at her arms for more warmth. Valdemar led the way, their tall figure finding a trail and walking along it. The gates of the graveyard were rusted, the doors stuck in place and wide open almost as if welcoming them but Bismuth shivered just looking at it. It wasn't as if she didn't expect it to be somewhat like this but the eerie feeling in the air felt too heavy even with someone like the Quaestor being there to guide her.
Her stomach churned as her onyx gaze trailed over the land, headstones poking out for what seemed to be far far away as if there wasn't an ending. She briefly covered her eyes, mind getting jumbled for a moment as she tried to calm her nerves but then the sound of metal clinging against metal had made her jerk. Snapping out of her thoughts. Her gaze moved to Valdemar who had sat the lantern down for a moment, a shovel now in their free hand which had been leaning against the rusted gate with one other.
"Are you okay assistant?" They asked but their tone was less playful than before as they almost seemed to look at her…in worry. She flushed at the expression, that frown pulled at their lips felt homey. Bismuth nods quickly this time, waving a hand dismissely while still holding herself with the other.
"I-im fine. Just a bit cold out here tonight considering how warm it was earlier." She replied now lightly shrugging. Valdemar hummed at the reply but eventually nodded before looking down at the lantern next to their foot.
"Look, come here. The sooner we get this done the sooner we'll be able to return to the palace. The rain must've caused a cold front. Take the lantern and follow me, you'll be the light." They instructed and obediently the woman approached and carefully plucked the lantern off the ground. They nodded and from there on continued by passing through the fence.
There was a heavy fog in the graveyard, the heads of tombs only became harder and harder to recognize as the two of them went deeper and the crickets who chirped so loudly before had suddenly fallen silent. Valdemar walked with ease and poise, they've been across these lands many times before that at first they didn't realize Bismuth had fallen a bit behind. For her, these lands almost seemed like anything could jump out and grab her at any given moment. She trembled now but not because of the cool weather this time.
"Bismuth?" Their voice rang out through the still air. She quickly turned, they were probably about ten or so paces in front of her now, standing out in the field of fog and gravestones. Their magenta eyes looked at her, a slight bit of confusion could be found in their features.
"Are you sure something isn't the matter?" They called out. Just hearing their voice calmed her, surprisingly like a guide through the dark. She came to the conclusion that she didn't like it here as much as she previously thought she would, previously her curiosity of the place had come from the lack of general knowledge on it. Granted graveyards…weren't her favorite though so it should have been expected. Originally she planned to come in the early hours of the day, where the sun could keep her peace of mind safe but the Quaestor had caught her so quickly. So then, when they allowed her to come she practically leapt at the chance to spend more time with them. She hardly thought about her decision at first but once they entered the forest it felt like her heart constricted in her chest and that something…was watching.
She shook her head though even as her heart was racing in her chest and her stomach was churning a bit.
"N-no, just thought I heard something…" she says softly, running her free hand through her long raven hair as she caught up for them and they waited up until she was standing beside them again.
"Something…like what?" They persisted lightly but she didn't mind as they turned forward again and continued walking. From this distance and with this pace of step Bismuth could notice a few things about her superior. She tended to do so often, just a few days ago she noticed they had freckles. A few could be spotted on the space of their neck that didn't get wrapped but most were over their cheeks. She'd grown to like them, quite a bit actually. Right now she was picking up on their scent, a blush coming to her cheeks as her gaze fell to her walking feet.
They smelled of something sweet and gentle like lavender and then something more earthy and homey like sandalwood and it was hard not to notice, it was some of her favorite smells.
"It feels like we're being watched..so, I didn't necessarily hear anything." She spilled without them having to push too hard. They hummed at the response, a little frown seemed to dust their lips for a moment but then they grinned widely, sharp teeth glistening in the moonlight. It was as if they were proud of something.
"Well yes, that would only make sense. We are at a graveyard after all. I feel them as well but they know not to approach me so as long as you keep up you won't be snatched into the void between life and death." They informed, their words chilling.
This graveyard hosted the bodies of those that passed away during the plague, their spirits watched from a distance but with hunger in their eyes just being near a walking, breathing, person. Her flesh reminded them or theirs before they plague tore it off them or melted it away. Now they looked like ghouls, the energy that they carried was heavy. Heavier than anything else Bismuth had ever felt before and to be honest, their phrasing did nothing to ease her this time.
Her face didn't match theirs, she didn't have a wide grin on her lips like they had in theirs. She nodded though, surely they didn't mean too much harm by saying that right?
"I wouldn't let anything happen to you." They spoke lastly as they moved off the pavement to venture into the grass into an open plot. There was already a headstone in the dirt but nothing was on it as Valdemar knelt down to slide the body bag from their shoulder to the ground to rest in the grass. Bismuth had fallen silent, the churning in her stomach had turned back into a wild fluttering.
"Right…" she manages to say softly as she pets her warm cheeks with her free hand. They don't respond immediately this time, taking the shovel in their hands now. She hovers close but they wave her back a little.
"Hold the light." The ordered calmly and she nodded. As they started digging she couldn't help but look around the graveyard again, surveying the area. She couldn't see any faces, not any ghoul like creatures but she could…feel them. A heavy shiver ran up her spine for a split moment. She still felt sick even with them being near, felt as if at any time she'd feel someone breathing down her neck tickling the strands of hair there. She shifted on her feet as the Quaestor kept digging, they were a little over a foot deep now, eyes focused on the goal. She watched as they went further and by the time that they dug enough for just their headdress to be seeable Bismuth was shivering again.
Her dark eyes glanced around again, first time quickly, darting from corner to corner now, checking her surroundings continuously but being sloppy with the task as well since she feared that she'd actually see something this time. It was when her eyes looked at the body bag next to the large hole that she froze. For the splittest of moments it seemed like it had moved and she squeaked and jumped at the very thought. She was spooked, the longer she stood here with this light the more she felt like she was drawing moths in. They circled her, the sound of fluttering wings in her ears loud and overstimulating.
"What is it now Bismuth?" Valdemar called out again, this time peeking their head up from the hole to look at the woman. If it wasn't the fact that the woman was practically scared shitless she probably would have found their position a little humorous for it distantly reminded her of a gopher sticking its head out of the dirt. No, she trembled and upon seeing her Valdemar lifted a brow. Surely it was her own fear at this point, nothing had come for her all night and yet she was this frightened.
"I..uh…" she stuttered and they sighed. If they could guarantee that she was strong enough they'd suggest switching spots. No way that could happen, she'd take too long in that state and it's not like they wanted to give her that much work anyway.
"It won't be too long now if that helps ease you. With how scared you seem I can count on the fact that you'll never come here alone right?" They chuckled while going back to work looking back to the hole as they dug the shovel in again but the woman let out a much smaller laugh, rubbing her arm with her free hand again. This was probably why Valdemar didn't bring her along with them to begin with until today, this seemed like only a place they could thrive in. They didn't seem fearful or nervous at all to be here, they almost seemed to blend right in and that made the woman feel a little embarrassed… She was an adult and yet she shook like a young child right now who was scared the Boogeyman would get her. Maybe she was just overreacting…even if she felt sick to her stomach.
"Yes, I don't think I could be caught dead here." She replied without much thought and for a moment complete silence settled between them before Valdemar snorted, then they let out a roar of laughter. They cackled as if she meant to tell that joke, as if they'd slap their knee at any given time. They curled in on themselves, using the handle of the shovel for support as their wicked laughter filled the air.
Usually people would be unnerved by this but Valdemar had a nice tone of laughter, Bismuth noticed even if she had jerked upon it first coming out. It felt like they hadn't laughed like that in a long time and even if Bismuth was a little confused she felt warm hearing it. Knowing that she was the source of such made her cheeks flush and for a moment she felt a soft smile beginning to form on her lips as they let it all out.
That was until a hand, cold and clammy, slapped over her mouth with harsh pressure. It held an iron grip on her as shock surged through her entire being from the top of her head to the soles of her feet. Suddenly that warmth she felt shattered into an icy feeling of wriggling worms in her gut as the lantern fell from her hand, knocking the lit flame out and enveloping the area in the darkness once more.
When Valdemar eventually calmed themselves they hummed in content.
"Bismuth I didn't know you were a comedian-" they began to praise the little woman but froze when they realized how dark it had gotten so suddenly. Immediately they clambered out of the hole, it was deep enough now anyway. All that was needed was to toss it in and bury it but now something else was on Quaestor Valdemar's mind which seemed far more important than the corpse.
"Bismuth?" They stated louder, firmer, this time before snapping their head in the direction of the lantern that now lay abandoned in the grass. They sneered at the object like it was offensive to their very being…they let their guard down for the slightest of moments and that was apparently just enough. They didn't need to be a rocket scientist to know what had happened.
Their hands were freezing cold as they held her tightly, hands gripping and grasping at her like they'd tear the skin right off her body at any time. Bismuth was in a frenzy, kicking wildly even if none of them seemed to make any actual contact as if she was kicking nothing but air, as if no one was really there but they had to be…their hold was starting to get awfully painful. Tears were leaking from Bismuth's eyes as she looked up at the various faces. The spirits, which she could now see even if she wished she couldn't, had black eyes but nothing like hers which were laced in anguish, their eyes were soulless, empty, and devoid of any purpose or care for her. They wrestled her on the ground as if trying to drag her down to Hell with them.
'Flesh.'
One of their voices stated, eery and chilling to the ear. Raspy and hungry as a hand slid down her warm cheeks, wiping at Bismuth's tears even if more took their place. She snapped her head away, turning it to try and avoid the touch but another, different hand roughly grabbed her chin and turned her back.
'Such…warm skin.'
Another voice echoed, it was hard to tell who it came from but the spirits faces which had previously been devoid of emotions turned into slow, knowing grins. Their teeth were wicked and the lines on their faces seemed abnormal, inhumane, and Bismuth gagged on puke which had built in her. They didn't seem to care, if she choked on her own bile then surely they could take her flesh a lot sooner after she died and proceed to drag her soul into the afterlife with them. They seemed to collectively communicate this between themselves as their grins grew even wider. There were quite a number of them, fifteen or so and counting as spirits seem to curiously leave their graves to see what the ruckus was all about.
It wasn't often that a human like her, or a human of any case, came through this graveyard and being victims of the plague only gave the spirits reasons to have a vendetta. Quaestor Valdemar had been their deaths and for many long years their spirits have been contained in this area where magic of the Quaestor held them in place. However, when the Quaestor approached today and with a cute little human with them at their hip, the spirits decided the best case of repayment for their internal suffering was to take from the lead physician themselves. Which is why when their guard was at its lowest they took her and dragged Bismuth further into the graveyard like a human rag doll.
Bismuth continued to squirm and wrestle them, her clothes getting dirty as she kicked up grass and dirt in her fight. Her clothes were wet with mud. Eventually a cold hand clasped around her ankle making her gasp as one of her last attempts to get away from these people, these creatures,…was taken from her. Hands already held down her wrist against the freezing ground as a spirit sat on her chest, a lady with long inky black hair…much too similar to Bismuth's.
'Lets take her…'
'Drag her back to hell with us…'
'Feed off her flesh and bones…'
'Savor her warm blood…'
The voices spoke as if they were circling and this time Bismuth was permitted to hear the conversation and when she did her eyes widened in absolute fear. They wanted to feed off her, consume her as if she was…prey.
The ghostly woman above Bismuth leaned down, long sharp nails digging deep into Bismuth's wrist, hard enough to make them bleed. Bismuth cried in pain under the hold but the woman continued, leaning close until she slid her tongue out. It was long, gray in color, Bismuth looked at her in wary and when the woman slowly trailed that cold tongue over Bismuth's tear stained cheek the living woman croaked under the hand over her mouth. More tears fell, the woman was tasting her and as much as she wanted to fight and run Bismuth couldn't do anything but stay glued to the ground under their surprising strength. She couldn't even move her hands to perform any form of magic that could save her.
Her thoughts went to Valdemar. She wondered where they were, if they were still laughing at the gravesite even. Her heart twisted in her chest, she was sure they would have never found themselves in this situation. They were strong, something that she didn't see herself as at times and this was definitely one of those times. What if they…were embarrassed by her? If they could see her now, fighting uselessly against a bunch of ghosts with no luck would they laugh at her like they laughed at her joke? A cruel, chilling laugh as if they saw no use in her? This is probably why they didn't trust her enough to bring with them to this place before, this whole time she had been useless and nothing but a nuisance. Surely if she had never come they wouldn't have had to deal with her and could have finished a lot quicker.
And now, she was going to die. At the hands of Quaestor Valdemar's own victims who saught revenge.
Bismuth sobbed, she was scared. Her stomach hurt like it had never down before and when the ghostly woman above her bared her teeth as if to bite Bismuth squeezed her eyes tightly shut.
…Then, the sound of swishing wind filled the air like a whip. It took a moment for Bismuth to realize what happened until screeching cries filled the air and a firm hand grabbed her by the back of her shirt and pulled her back with a heave. She bounced a little at being pulled back, blinked heavily as those tears fell and she tried to make sense of what occurred. It was when she looked up, lifting her head from the ground, that her eyes widened in awe, heart leaping in her throat.
In front of her stood…the Quaestor. Their back was to her, tall and broad as they stood in front of her as if they were…protecting her. In their hand was a weapon, one she's never seen them with before now and her eyes sparkled just seeing it, just being in its presence. It was a scythe, a long beautiful scythe with an ancient looking skull holding the blade together to the staff. They twirled it in their hands with a form of grace she's never seen before with any else and the head of the blade twinkled in the moonlight.
"Bismuth…" Valdemar stated in a calm tone though their voice was also firm. She immediately jumped just hearing it.
That was all though from them as they twisting their right wrist, scythe practically glowing. She clutched her shirt with shaking hands, the screeching had dialed down into growling and snarling except for one spirit, the woman who sat on Bismuth, her head had been severed from her body, lying limp on the ground and slowly turning to dark ash. A few spirits had been cut down, bodies turning into ash, melting away in the wind. Bismuth's heart was racing in her ribcage far too much for her to even say anything without her voice shaking. It was fine though for Valdemar still wasn't done dealing with the rest of the now infuriated ghosts.
"I'll only say it once. Get back in your graves, now, and I won't have to destroy all of you." The Quaestor stated with an eerily smooth tone. A few spirits backed off and hesitated just hearing them, faltering at the weight that those words carried. They sounded a little…angry.
Were they angry for her?
'Tch! As if!' A spirit roared, a man with dark crunchy hair. He and a few others decided to try again and as they bomb rushed the Quaestor Valdemar who narrowed their gaze, sharp fuschia eyes zoned in on their opponents as they rushed forward, and with a reeled back swing they slashed at the incoming borage. The wind produced by the scythe time was enough to slash at the trees even beyond the graveyard. It was seeable too, the slash that is. It was bright, their magic being a vibrant emerald color with specks of lighter greens and onyx's. The trees that were slash fell to the ground with loud, destructive thuds and with them came more screeching as spirits who didn't listen to the Quaestor's words lost their heads much like those before them. The slash had even sliced through rows of graves, shattering them with the impact.
As their bodies crumbled and collapsed the few spirits who had a sense of mind trembled in fear, looking at the Quaestor who stood unyieldingly in front of the woman behind them, before scurrying like a bunch of roaches and rodents back into their graves.
Quaestor Valdemar stood in silence for a moment as Bismuth tried to get on her feet before turning to her. They could be heard taking in a long deep breath through their nose before slowly releasing it from their smooth lips before turning to the woman, scythe dissolving from their hands into inky black, gas like tendrils before disappearing altogether. Their gaze on her seemed unreadable, not like they were easy to read begin but over the time of working by their side even Bismuth had gotten to know some of their expressions. This one however…
She scramble to her feet, wincing at the feeling of the scratches that had come from being dragged and the forming bruises on her skin. Even so she stood, holding one of her arms now. She still had tears in her eyes and almost as if ashamed she slowly lowered her gaze, bangs sweeping over her eyes.
"Doctor…I'm…I'm…" she sniffled. She shouldn't have come with them. She had been nothing but a nuisance after all. She wanted to apologize and is her mouth quivered she opened her mouth to officially get it out but the feeling of arms enclosing her made her jump and jerk into silence. Her mouth lightly fell open and her eyes had blown wide open as the moon shined down on them.
They were hugging her.
Shock rushed through her body.
"Don't." They started, arms hugging her even closer. She's never touched them before, sure they hovered over her at times and lingered closely but never once have they ever…held her. Never once had she even been this close to them, close enough to take in that sweet scent, enough to touch their pristine clothing, or enough to feel the light warmth that radiated from them. Her fingers twitched, carefully moving up to wrap around them too. A part of her feared reciprocating but surely this meant it was allowed though right? Surely she could have this from them.
"I'm glad you weren't hurt too badly. I let my guard down and just like that you were taken from me. Taken from my side. I must still have work to do when it comes to keeping you safe." They hummed against her, breath lightly tickling her neck making her shiver softly, a blush coloring her cheeks as she bit her lip. Her heart hurt, the tone in their voice sounded hopeless, grateful but analytical. It sounded like they were blaming themself for everything that had happened.
Before Bismuth had noticed she had started to shed tears, for some reason she felt lighter and Valdemar's scent and the hand rubbing soothing circles in her back didn't help calm her sobbing. She felt many things suddenly; relief, sadness, confusion and something much more fluffy.
Admiration.
She couldn't immediately understand what they were doing or why but she didn't mind. She would never mind something like this and from someone like them specifically. She almost tightened her hold when she felt them slowly pulling away but she restrained herself. They moved their hands to her shoulders and gave them a little squeeze.
"Let's get back to the palace, I'll check over you and look over your wounds." They hummed, right hand moving to caress her cheek, wiping at a few tears before lightly cupping her cheeks and tilting it to look a little closer at her. They seemed rather occupied for someone who said they'd check it later, were they actually worried? Even with her blushing hot cheeks she stayed still as they hovered close to her face. She squeezed her eyes shut, hands on their biceps. A chuckle eventually left their lips, filling the night air. Next thing Bismuth knew there was a soft pair of lips against her cheek. She blinked in confusion before her face exploded in a bright crimson color.
"At least they didn't scruff up this little face of yours too badly. Come on, let's go." They spoke, tone going from lightly joyous to a more professional one once more but even so Bismuth could have sworn their face had also grown a bit dark in hue. She slapped her hand over her cheek and sputtered, officially at a loss for words.
"You! Huh?! Oh God…" She concluded in defeat. Her face was so flushed as she followed them. It was like she immediately had forgotten what had previously occurred to her. They had…kissed her! Her heart was practically running laps in her chest so fast that she had to reach a hand up and grip her shirt. She had never thought they'd do such a thing, did that mean they felt something for her like she had for them for so long now? Is that why she caught them staring at her at times or seemingly overprotective with her, even a bit clingy at times? She didn't mind those times with them was this proof?
She sure hoped it was.
She opened her mouth to say something about it after a while of walking with them. They had made their way back to the grave, the body was gone now in the dirt, buried beneath the earth and next to the gravestone was the lantern. Valdemar grabbed it before they continued the walk, leading Bismuth back to the fence.
"Um…Quaestor?" She started softly as they walked the trail.
"Valdemar is fine." They replied with no issue. Bismuth nodded.
"Alright but…I'm just…a little confused. I don't want to assume but…back there you…" she squeezed out, Valdemar could probably see her tapping for pointer fingers together like a shy child. They lifted a brow, glancing down at her at their side before laughing a little, now looking at her fully again as they made their way back to the palace.
"Can't even wait for us to get back to safety before you ask those things?" They inquired, tone lightly teasing as they looked away once more. "It's been a long time since I've felt for someone as I do with you. That's what you were going to ask right? Well, I thought it'd be the best way to show you how I felt, maybe I got caught up in the moment as well." They explained and Bismuth fell into silence, eyes wide, and heart stunned. Were they really just confessing to her?
"Was I wrong to do so? I read that maybe people liked to use cheek kisses for those they like, would you prefer a different one?" They hummed, a grin on their lips but yes their cheeks were bright as well, a little blush of their own. They had read up on something like that just for her? She needed to know more but even then it felt like her heart would explode out her chest at any moment. How long have they felt this way for her? What books had they read? What ideas did they have for different kisses?
Bismuth was a mess, if she could tuck her face into her shirt for a moment she probably would.
"I've liked you for so long…" she whispers and Valdemar hums.
"And the feeling is mutual, so let's talk about it when we get back. We can discuss whatever you'd like and I'll answer with honesty to each one. " They promised and from there Bismuth nodded, butterflies practically bubbling up her throat as they eventually exited the woods.
"Okay." She agreed softly.
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snowy-squids · 3 months
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Squidbeak Masterpost
Summary: “Callie always liked to revisit her past- it was a simpler time, and reminded her of times were she wasn’t busy 24/7 between her job making music alongside her cousin, and working with the Squidbeak as Agent 1. One night, she chooses to revisit them once more, in Octo Canyon- a place she hasn’t been to in a long time.”
This is my first time posting writing to Tumblr, so I hope the tagging and formatting is fine. Also, for peace of mind- any romance oriented scenes between Callie and 3/Violet is when both are over 18, and both characters are the same age.
Callie always liked the quiet of the Squidbeak's outpost located in Octo Canyon. Sure, it wasn't the most recent one established, but it was in better condition than the one in Octo Valley. Additionally, it wasn’t in a desert that was as hostile to inkfish as possible, like Splastivlle’s.
It had been what, 5 years since 4 had finally brought her back to the surface she missed so much? Though she doesn’t have many memories of that time. Even with Marie and 4’s (Abigail? That’s what her name was, right?) help, everything was foggy.
She picks up an old scrapbook in the outpost's cabin. She’s been working on it for a while. It’s filled to the brim with photos, alongside glitter glue, stickers, and paper cutouts.
As she flips through the pages, she thinks about the days long gone. The memories she’s held onto over the years.
—————
Callie and Marie were 10 when they entered Calamari County's Folk Singing Contest. Quite young to be entering, but both were prodigies. Or perhaps early bloomers, being able to reliably switch forms at a younger age than most inkfish.
Callie flips through a book of sheet music, singing to herself as her cousin sits on a chair, fidgeting. This is their last practice session before the big day, something the reef squid was worried about but didn't say so. Marie was the more vocal one when it came to complaints, after all.
“Do you think we can even win? I know we've been practicing for months, but they always have hundreds of entries. And a lot of people aren’t even from Inkadia.” Marie says, her voice barely a whisper.
Callie grins. “I know we can do it! Gramps says we've got the best singing voices he's ever heard!”
“He hasn't heard anyone sing outside of us for years.”
The two young squids didn't know at the time that they would win. Nor that they would get a standing ovation. It was the most exciting day of their childhood. Proof that they had talent that could be honed into something amazing.
—————
It was 5 years later when the agent approached them. If there was one thing that was common knowledge, it was that most idols started off young. Sure, exceptions existed, but most got their first deal before they were even 18.
“You just need to sign the contract.” the Inkling says. She had introduced herself as Shy-Ho-Shy, and had taken an interest in the two recently. “I assume you've talked with your parents about this, yes?”
Callie nods firmly, while Marie gives a quiet thumbs-up. Callie bounces from foot to foot, but Marie shows no expression.
“Good. Now, here's a pen. Please know that this is binding and...”
Callie has signed the paper before Shy-Ho-Shy has even finished her legal jargon. Marie follows soon after, a bit apprehensive.
The idea of being recognized was something that Callie somewhat yearned for. She despised her job at Walleye Warehouse. After all, inkfish were not known for their physical strength, and the job paid only a few thousand G above minimum wage. It was hard labor that she only did since it paid the bills.
Perhaps now things could take a turn for the better. At least- that’s what Callie hoped for.
—————
The first day of hosting the news was a nerve-wracking one. Callie had performed for an audience before, it was a constant for what, 2 years now? Time was something that was hard for her to get a grasp on. But this was something that was a big deal- the two would go live to all of Inkadia.
The back of Callie's outfit is laced up, and she fidgets with one of her head-tentacles. She had been growing them out for a while, and perhaps one pro was that she had something to grab onto when she was nervous. She flashes a thumbs-up to Marie, who is finishing her makeup.
“You two will be on air in 10 minutes.” a lobster says as the two walk to the recording studio. Callie holds her head up in faux confidence, hoping that maybe, just maybe, her fear can be cloaked. She is so excited for this, but there’s so much that could go wrong.
The two go to their places, having memorized the script given to them over many days and rehearsals. The dynamic they two were marketed with was the bubbly airhead and the snide straightwoman.
Luckily, Callie could play her role well.
“Action!”
Callie is the first to speak.
“Hold onto your tentacles!”
Marie follows up after.
“It's time for Inkopolis News!”
—————
Callie and Marie had been hosting the news for the year when Shy-Ho-Shy approached them with a proposal.
“We were thinking, since your contract for the news is ending soon, that perhaps we may host a more special Splatfest.” she says. “An idol showdown, where Inklings fight to see who comes out on top- Callie, or Marie. It also dovetails well with your endeavors in solo performances.
”Are you sure?“ Marie asks. ”If I were you, I'd do a double take.”
Marie wasn't wrong, all things considered. Splatfests were a heated debate, often ending in drama and discourse. Many times Callie got death threats as well, usually when her team won. Something like this could easily tear the internet to shreds.
“It's more a publicity thing.” Shy insists. “I'm sure this would get plenty of coverage.“
”I'm aware. But, well. This is a disaster waiting to happen-“ Callie starts.
By then, it's too late. The papers have been signed, and the theme of the final Splatfest has been set in stone.
—————
The publicity stunt worked. Perhaps too well. The Squid Sisters were one of the most popular bands in Inkadia, yes. But the fallout of the Splatfest had been nuclear. Even weeks later, Callie got heavy amounts of drama in her Squidder feed. Sure, it was a small amount compared to the praise. But it refused to go away, no matter how many users and tags Callie blocked.
Perhaps that's why she found herself drawing in hedonistic pleasures and vices. Using it to suppress her feelings.
Perhaps that's why she found herself in Octo Valley. It had been a few months since her grandfather established his ”Squidbeak“, one she found both herself and Marie dragged into unwillingly. An attempt to settle old grudges, but covered her hands with blood instead,
Perhaps that's why she talked with Octavio. She felt alone, alienated. Drowning in drama she could never escape. Wanting something more in life.
Perhaps that's why she picked up a crowbar on the ground, and struck it down on Octavio's prison. Even if her mind told her not to.
Perhaps that's why she blacked out shortly after hearing the glass shatter and crash to the ground.
—————
The view from Callie's room is beautiful. It's located high above Dome 1, the richest of the various underground bunkers retrofitted into living space for the Octarian Empire. Every night, she can see light shining from the city, bathing the apartment in a pale glow.
She reaches a hand to her fin, where a pair of glasses sit. Octavio gave them to her when she woke up, in a recovery unit underground. Callie was also told to never take them off. Ever.
She didn't. Cuttlefish told her many stories of what Octavio was like a long time ago, and the Octarian leader was one that rarely abandoned his old ways. And at the same time, she didn’t want to take them off. They looked fresh, after all.
Callie got used to it eventually. The music softly playing through the shades, soothing her and making her be more willing to do what Octavio told her. The strict routine she was held to. The way she would sometimes wake up somewhere without knowing where she was, or how she got there.
She hears the door open, and then the footsteps of an Octoling woman around her age. Callie had seen her many times before, and the two even talked. Her name was Crystal, and she was the granddaughter of Octavio.
”Oh, hello, Crystal.“ Callie says. The way the words sound to her are foreign. Not of inkling origin. But she’s gotten used to her voice sounding off. It’s been like that since she woke up in recovery.
Crystal nods her head. ”Hello, Callie. My grandfather wanted me to tell you the latest news.“
”About the new Agent?“
Crystal nods. ”That's the case. She's been draining our power supply. She seems to be quite clever. She can evade our forces, and take out most she can’t outrun.“
”That's how every Agent is, Crys. I was just as cunning as her before I arrived here.“
”I'm aware, but well. She was able to shut down one of Octavio's superweapons. The Octo Oven. Even with all of his failsafes, it got destroyed.”
Callie presses her hand to the bridge of the shades. ”You're joking.“
”I'm not. I’m worried, in all honesty. The other weapons seem to be fine, including the General’s mech, but who knows how long it’ll be until they’ve been destroyed? Or our power supply runs out?”
Crystal sighs.
“I’m scared. I really am.”
“I know how you feel, Crys. To have everything taken from you.”
Crystal smiles, before looking at Callie, as if she remembered something.
“By the way, Octavio wants you to go down to the studio tonight for a recording session. I have no idea what for, but well. I’m sure whatever it is for is going to be special.”
Crystal then turns around, getting ready to leave the room before Callie holds out a hand.
”Wait.“
Crystal turns around. ”What is it?“
”I was just hoping for some company. It gets lonely up here.“
”I understand. I'd love to stay, but well. My grandfather is waiting. He’s an impatient man.”
Crystal closes the door, leaving Callie alone once again. It's like she can never escape the alienation.
She can hear the music again. It melts her feelings away, and soon, she is getting ready to go to the studio. Callie knows that the people here love her.
Perhaps soon, she will feel like she belongs even more.
—————
”My name is Abigail Torres. It's nice to finally meet you formally.“
It's been a day since Callie was freed from the underground. Her left eye hurts, from the piercing shot of Marie's Hero Charger. Her head hurts, from the aftershocks of being snapped out of mind control. In fact? Every part of her hurts. Even with painkillers.
She's still groggy when the new girl introduces herself. Callie slowly lifts her head, and smiles- but it’s hard to do so.
“It’s nice to meet you, Abigail. I. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for what I did. I, I didn’t think he’d keep me under his control. That I was his pawn.” Callie chokes out, each word having force behind it.
Abigail puts a hand on Callie’s shoulder, and looks the squid in the eyes.
“Don’t worry about it- I forgive you. Callie, you were played for a fool. So was I. It sucks so much. I don’t know how I feel.”
“That’s what being an Agent is like.” Callie responds, long pauses between the words. “It’s tough. Emotional. You get used to it.”
An awkward thumbs up accompanies her statement.
“I see…”
But Callie is lying. She has never gotten used to it. Even after 2 years of service, Callie feels great regret in her Agent work. And she knows it’s the same for Marie.
But that’s too much for her brain to process; she falls asleep once again.
—————
Callie never liked going to hospitals. The smell of antiseptic, chemicals, and sickness always was revolting to her. But 3, or no, Violet, was here, and Callie had yet to visit the inkling. She had taken a shine to the Agent since the two first properly met. Callie still remembered xir coming out of the domes, crying and saying over and over that xe was a monster.
But that was years ago.
Callie knocks on a door, labeled with “Toyama, Violet”.
“Come in.”
Callie pushes the door open, in the middle sits Violet. Bandages cover her right eye and left arm. An IV drips painkillers into the Inkling's body. Under Violet’s eyes are dark circles, from little sleep.
“Violet, you're okay.”
“Okay. That's one way to put it, considering I've been here for a week, and still am going to be here for another all things considered. It’s been hard to sleep. Hard to move. Hard to not think about the Metro.”
“But you're alive, isn't that what matters.”
“Sure.”
Callie walks closer to Violet, lightly holding the Inkling's left hand. Violet weakly smiles.
“I heard about what happened from Abigail.” Violet weakly says. “I. I know what it feels like. To be controlled by an outside force, to be commanded to kill, despite every little part of you trying to hold it back. To hurt somebody you care for, and pay the price.”
Callie feels a burning on her side. Where her stylists in the underground tattooed an octopus onto her body. It never came off, no matter how hard she scrubbed and tried to wash it away. An ever-present sign of what had happened to her that refused to go away.
“I don't like to think about it.”
“I know.”
Violet rubs her finger on Callie's hand.
“I missed you. I wish I was there. I wish I could've stopped it before it was too late.”
“You couldn't. By the time it happened, you and Gramps were gone.”
“A woman can dream.”
Violet lightly presses her other hand on a button to her right, releasing painkillers.
“I'm glad to be back.” is the last thing Violet says before xe falls asleep, and Callie leaves the room.
—————
Cuttlefish rarely calls meetings for the Squidbeak. His mind and body have been withering away, causing him to forget things constantly. After all, most inkfish don’t live for over 130 years- even with medical advancements.
“Well, girls, it's been an honor.”
Callie, Marie, Violet, Abigail, and Samantha all sit together in the outpost cabin, squeezed in tight. Cuttlefish stands at the door, leaning on his cane, hand shaking.
“But I'm getting too old for this. I'm not as spry as I used to be.”
He laughs, but that laugh evolves into coughing.
“Because of that, 3, I think it's about time I pass the role of captain onto you. Out of the lot, you have gone through the most, and been a shining example of what the Squidbeak is all about.”
Violet looks at Cuttlefish, eyes glassy. Like an angelfish caught in headlights.
”Me? Why me?“ Xe says. ”I don't deserve it. All I did was be Tartar's pawn, go through the Octarian underground and leave a trail of blood behind, and just. Be a monster! I don't deserve it, I think Marie does more, she was the one who helped with the Callie situation.“
The Inkling chokes back a sob. Marie squeezes her hand.
”Well, Mx, you can't make crab cakes without breaking eggs...“
”That's easy for you to fucking say-“ Violet yells through a gritted beak. She leans forwards, wanting to tackle the old man, but Callie holds her back.
”He's already old and senile enough.“ the reef squid whispers. “A strong wind could knock him down.”
But with all their pleading, Violet's claims land on deaf ears. They are given the Captain's hat, and a box with their new uniform.
The first thing Callie sees as soon as xe receives it is xem pushing the box under a bench and swapping the hat out with xir military beret.
—————
It's a clear night when Callie and Violet meet for the first time in weeks. Both had been very busy, life beginning to take over. It was a given, as Callie was starting to record new music alongside her cousin, while Violet checked out the new inksports scene.
The two squids sit on the rooftop of Callie and Marie's apartment, located in Inkopolis' central district.
“It's a nice night, isn't it?” Callie asks.
“Yeah.” Violet responds. “But why did you ask to meet here, of all places?”
“Because I wanted to talk. In person.” Callie responds, fidgeting with a tentacle. “I thought this would be a nice place to do it.”
“There's more to it.” Violet responds, curious. They were the type who knew how to read Callie- albeit not as well as Marie.
“There is.” Callie responds, her face covered in a bright pink blush. “Violet. For the longest time, I've taken a shine to you. You've been one of my best friends through this whole Squidbeak thing, and well. One of the few people I really could relate to.”
Violet looks at her with confusion.
“I think it's because. I love you.”
Violet is startled. Her jaw drops open.
“You're lying, right?”
Callie shakes her head, and Violet begins speaking.
“Because. I've loved you too. I thought it was just a silly celebrity crush. But now we are in the same boat. That we've gone through so much. It's obvious it was more than that.”
Violet smiles.
“I love you, Callie. I really do. It isn’t a lie or something I’ve repressed for years.”
Callie pulls Violet in for a hug, and Violet gently wraps her head-tentacles around the idol’s. Kissing, of course, isn't exactly practical when you have a beak that can tear flesh and a tongue lined with hundreds of small teeth meant to tear up food.
And that night, under the stars. Callie feels accomplished. That there is nowhere for life to go but up.
—————
Callie can see a look of both fear and pity cross Violet’s face when an Octoling in his early 20s comes knocking on the door of the organization's outpost in the Splatsville Desert. He holds a notepad in his hands, and a bandage is wrapped around his left eye.
“Who are you? Usually we don't get visitors!“ Callie says, grinning.
”Probably a straggler. Thought Octavio's rule was all but demolished, however.“ Marie flatly responds.
The Octoling gives the two idols an annoyed glance, and he begins to write on his notepad. As he does, a Smallfry jumps out of his bag, and starts sniffing around the area.
He then holds it up, revealing that it has writing in messy, but readable, Oceanic.
”Cuttlefish sent me after some Octoling shot me in the head. Fishfry found him, he told me to find you guys after patching me up.“
Callie hears Violet cursing under her breath.
Callie cocks her head, curious. ”Cuttlefish sent you? I thought he was retired!“
”Old man didn't tell me he was. Crazy guy, called me a slur on accident. But that's not important. My name is Mike.“
Callie shakes her head. She knew about how Cuttlefish got heated around Octolings. It was something he could never fully shake off.
”If you cross paths with that idiot, tell him to go jump in a pond.“ Violet says through a gritted beak. ”Did he tell you anything about a Squidbeak? Or ask you if you wanted to be an Agent?“
”Yes. He called me Neo 3, I declined but he insisted that I join this operation, and come to see you guys.“
Violet unleashes a string of every swear word she knows. Half of them aren't even in Oceanic or Inkling.
”Gramps is a crazy old man these days. Don’t take anything he says at face value, hell, he isn’t allowed to recruit people.“ Callie tries to reassure, holding out a hand. Mike looks at her with a look of familiarity on his face.
”I think I know you. In the underground. I lived there, I was a courier for the military. You. You're Callie, right? And the other woman. Marie?“
Callie is confused, while Marie nods.
”Ah, yes. You gain a reputation when you've become a scourge upon the domes.“ Marie responds. ”But that's not important, is it?“
Violet takes a breath, and feeling more calm, xe speaks.
”Anyways. I guess you may or may not be one of us. Don't worry- these days, all we do is sometimes deal with small investigations. No fighting or anything. There’s nobody really to fight, in all honesty.”
Mike then tears a page off of his pad of paper.
”Huh. Though, I think that might change. Cuttlefish sent me here after I explained how I ended up in this mess. Was carrying a package to GrizzCo HQ, then an Octoling, Inkling, and Ray tied me up, and stole my things. The Octoling shot me in the head, to make sure I wouldn’t go after it.“
A look of concern crosses Violet's face, and Callie puts a hand on the Inkling's shoulder.
“Okay, but what makes the package important?”
“I don’t know. But I was getting paid a ton to deliver it, and it seems to be that it’s of high importance. 1,000,000 G is a very high sum.”
“Okay.” the inkling says. “Well, I’ll take your offer. Not like there’s much to do these days.”
The Octoling nods, and tears off the paper, writing on the new sheet and showing it to the group.
“Thank you.”
—————
”We're thinking about renewing your contract after the stunt you, Marie, and those other inkfish pulled at the Castaway's Dream. It's obvious the Squid Sisters are relevant again, and a full album would most likely sell well. Additionally, we're thinking about a proper reunion tour and-”
By now, Callie has tuned out. They have a new agent, as Shy-Ho-Shy had retired years back. Now it's a jellyfish, whose name she didn't ask for.
“So, what do you think?” the agent asks the two inklings. Callie puts on the fake smile she has become so used to wearing, while Marie is more apathetic than anything. Though Callie knows that there's more to it. Unlike her, Marie was more upfront with hiding her feelings.
Callie looks at Marie. Marie looks back at Callie. There's tension in the air, that there isn't much of an option but to take the contract.
”We'll sign off on it.“ Marie states. Her voice is strained, she was forced to say it, wasn't she?
Both women sign the contract. The next few days are a blur, talking about songs, a possible collab with Deep Cut, and a trial reunion concert to see if the various denizens of the area would be interested in the duo performing again.
Callie feels happy, she'll be able to do something. But inside, she feels hollow. That this will go over well.
Yet the reef squid will dislike each moment of it.
—————
Callie closes the scrapbook. Her life has been one of ups and downs. More of the latter, than the former. But she's been able to push through, hasn't she? Violet mentioned that she had a strong spirit.
That's something she knew was true, the fact that she had gone through so much and endured was proof.
She quietly sings to herself as she puts the book away. A moment of calm in an ever-churning storm of emotion. Callie knows there is a bright future ahead of her. All that’s left is to create it.
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