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#i am so excited for these guys to be parents
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Mom and Dad are Fighting Again
Requested Here!
Pairing: Tim Bradford x fem!cop!wife!reader
Summary: You and Tim become Lucy's station parents, and you show your care for her in different ways.
Warnings: fluff, brief angst, grumpy!Tim to softie!Tim, "mom and dad are fighting again" is a Castle reference
Word Count: 2.5k+ words
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“Bradford!” Wade calls.
“Which one?” you and Tim ask together.
Wade sighs, and Angela adds, “He’s tired just thinking about the conversation. That means he needs Tim.”
“Tim,” Wade clarifies. “Let the other Bradford help Chen prep the shop. I need to talk to you about something.”
“Ooh,” Angela and Lucy taunt.
You roll your eyes, but it is a bit like being called into the principal’s office. Luckily, Tim and Wade get along well. You tap Lucy’s shoulder and wave for her to follow you. After you sign for your gear, Lucy gets hers and Tim’s. Once you’re in the garage and your bag is in your shop, Lucy turns to you with a pout.
“If a Bradford had to be my TO, why couldn’t it have been you?” she asks.
“Tim is the best there is, Luce. I know he can be grumpy and push a little too hard, but I promise learning from him is worth it,” you reply.
“At least I have you to stand up for me.”
“Ah, so that’s why you wanted to be my friend.”
“We’re cops, not friends,” Tim interjects as he walks out of the doorway behind you. “Let’s go, boot.”
“We’re not friends,” Lucy murmurs under her breath. “Says the guy who’s married to another cop.”
“What was that?” Tim asks.
“Tim,” you warn gently.
You shake your head, and he takes a deep breath before getting in the driver’s seat. As you climb into your shop beside him, Lucy rolls her window down and gestures for you to do the same.
“Dad says he loves you,” she says with a wide smile.
“Chen!” Tim yells.
“I love him too. Be safe, both of you,” you call before pulling out.
“We need to talk about boundaries, Chen,” Tim grumbles.
“Better than not talking,” she argues.
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Tim leans against the side of the shop and stares straight ahead. It’s an interesting situation, but no matter how long he looks, he can’t decide what the best approach is. Lucy has spouted numerous ideas, and he’s vetoed each one.
“We could call for a lift truck,” she suggests as she paces on the sidewalk.
“Can’t get close enough,” Tim replies.
“Then you know what we have to do.”
Tim looks at Lucy, who now has her hands on her hips and a determined look.
“We have to call smarter reinforcements. Call Bradford,” she demands.
“I’m not calling my wife because we can’t- how could she even help?”
“She’s brilliant. You of all people have to know that.”
“Sounds like you should be running her fan club,” Tim complains.
“Having a hero isn’t wrong. If you don’t call her, I will.”
“And I’ll write you up.”
Lucy sighs and turns to look at the scene again. Tim runs through a few more ideas in his mind, but they all end in a worse situation than the current one. He sighs as he pulls his phone out of his pocket.
“Hey,” he greets when you answer.
Lucy turns around quickly and claps quietly. Tim glares at her, but her excitement doesn’t diminish as he continues talking to you.
“Are you busy?” he asks.
“Just tell her we need help!” Lucy implores.
“Yeah, that’s Chen. And we do need help.”
Lucy pumps a fist over her head in victory. When Tim ends the call, though, she steps back and quiets.
A few minutes later, you park beside Tim’s shop and exit your car with a smile.
“Someone called for the cavalry?” you joke. “So, what’s so strange Tim Bradford had to call for backup?”
Tim doesn’t answer but grabs your waist and leads you to stand between him and Lucy. He points up through a gap in the trees and you follow his finger. Your responding “huh” does little to make Tim think you’ll have an easier time solving the problem.
“What am I supposed to do about it?” you ask.
Tim turns to glare at Lucy again, and she ducks behind you. You look at Tim from the corner of your eye and he accepts your silent reprimand and gives Lucy some space.
“Did you try to get up there?” you ask.
“No. There’s no good approach,” Tim answers.
“I thought we could climb onto the roof beside it for recon and find a way to reach it,” Lucy says. “Or maybe get a ladder truck in the yard.”
“Roof recon isn’t a terrible idea,” you agree. “Why didn’t you do that?”
“Because I don’t agree that it would get us any more information than we can get from the ground,” Tim explains.
“We can’t get to it from here, though,” Lucy argues. “This park is protected, and we can’t bring CSU out here to traipse all over it. That house is our best bet.”
“Chen, you are not in charge,” Tim snaps.
“Tim,” you warn softly. “Just hear her out.”
She’s my rookie. I don’t have to do anything she says.”
“I’m not saying to do exactly what she says, but you’re training her, not dictating her. Give her a chance to work this.”
Tim clenches his jaw and breathes out of his nose. The situation is stressful, you know, because every element of being a cop is. But Tim arguing with Lucy will only delay the inevitable.
“Please?” you add. “If her plan to scout from the roof doesn’t work, then I will call the park service and tell them to deal with it.”
“We don’t even know who owns that house.”
“One way to find out,” Lucy says.
You let Lucy take the lead and stand beside Tim on the porch as she talks to the owner of the home. He doesn’t seem inclined to let three police officers climb onto his roof to deal with something that he can’t see.
“I’m done talkin’ to ya,” he says before slamming the door in Lucy’s face. It opens a moment later and he adds, “One more thing.”
You can tell he’s prepared to do something stupid and pull Lucy back quickly. His fist misses her face by an inch, and you move her toward Tim before turning toward the homeowner. His second hit is luckier and lands against the side of your nose, but he’s not trained like you are. When you hit him in the same spot, he goes down hard and fast. You raise your hand to your face and immediately feel blood coming from your nose. There’s likely no real damage, just a busted blood vessel or two.
Lucy begins apologizing as Tim calls for backup and another unit to deal with the issue in the park. He returns his radio to his belt and lays his hands on your shoulders to look at you.
“We’re going back to the shop. Stay with him until backup gets here, Chen,” he commands.
“Yes, sir,” she answers quietly. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault, Lucy,” you offer.
“We’ll discuss that later,” Tim interjects. “Let’s go.”
Tim keeps a hand on you during every step of the short walk back to the shop. He presses a wad of gauze under your nose and uses his other hand to tip your head slightly forward. When the top of your head hits his chest, you feel him sigh.
“What would you have done? If Chen wasn’t here?” he asks.
“I don’t know, Tim. A huge, gaudy murder confession nailed to a tree in a park is a new one. Park department wouldn’t have been much help, so it may have been one to pass off. Or trespass.”
Tim looks away from you when Lucy returns. You cover his hand to pull the gauze from your face, and when you see there’s no fresh blood, you rip pull an antiseptic wipe from the first aid kit and clean the dried blood from your chin and Tim’s hand. Lucy waits silently, and now she looks like the one waiting to be called to see the principal.
“What were you thinking?” Tim demands when you release his hand. “You never just stand in front of someone’s door. If we hadn’t been there, or if he had opened the door with a knife, what would have happened, Chen?”
“It won’t happen again, sir.”
“You’re right it won’t! I don’t know why you refuse to listen to me or remember basic, common procedures, but it will get you killed, and I’m not going to let that happen. I will take your badge if this is the kind of police work you’ll do once you’re out on your own!”
“Tim!” you interrupt. “She messed up. We all have. Maybe let her prove that she learned something before you threaten her career.”
“No! I don’t want her on the streets alone. I don’t want to imagine what I’d hear if she was partnered with you someday.”
“Drop it,” you demand as you stand.
Your chest presses against Tim’s, and his eyes bore into yours. Lucy watches on with her hands pulled tightly behind her back and guilt in her eyes.
“Or what?” Tim asks.
“You’re making it about me. But you’re done yelling at Chen. Lucy, get in my shop, we’re all going back to the station.”
“For what?” Tim scoffs.
“To learn some human decency, apparently. And if you’re still acting like this when we get back, I’m taking Chen for the rest of the week.”
Tim watches you toss the keys to Lucy before she walks away. His brow furrows and you realize he thought you were leaving him to drive back with Lucy.
“You trust her to drive your shop?” he asks.
“What is this about?” you counter. “Because she was just in a bad place, which is the best that could have happened.”
“She doesn’t apply what she knows. Lucy is smart and she’s got instincts, but she gets excited and jumps too soon.”
“Then walk her through everything. Standing back and being a drill sergeant is only going to make her rush more.”
“When did you become an expert on being a TO?”
Tim smiles softly at you, and you pat his chest.
“Guess you’re teaching me, too.”
“Bradford,” Wade calls over the radio. “The guy you booked for assault on an officer is claiming that Chen harassed him. I need your body cams as soon as you return.”
Tim pulls the seatbelt too hard and locks it. You answer Wade that you’ll all be back with your cams shortly. After replacing the radio on the dash, you lay a hand on Tim’s arm and encourage him to take a deep breath.
“That’s not Lucy’s fault,” you remind Tim.
“It was her plan,” Tim responds.
“I agreed with it. Does that make me a terrible cop?”
“Of course it doesn’t, but this isn’t about you!”
“Then what’s it about?” you ask, your voice raising to meet his.
“I feel like I’m failing her and that’s why we keep ending up here!”
Tim huffs as he finishes, and you watch him carefully. His shoulders drop, and you want to hug him but know better than to try while he’s driving.
“You’re not failing her. But there is always room for improvement. Being a teacher doesn’t mean you can’t learn, too.”
“How do you trust her like this?”
“You said it yourself. She’s smart and has good instincts, but she needs a bit of room to learn and hone those skills without feeling pressured to be perfect.”
Tim nods, and you whisper an apology for yelling at him. He shakes his head, and you agree that he doesn’t need to apologize either.
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When you exit Wade’s office after surrendering your body cam and making your statement, you hear Angela ask Lucy where you and Tim are. Or, as you’re referred to at the station, The Bradfords.
“Oh, Mom and Dad are fighting again,” Lucy jokes.
“About you?” Angela asks, playing along but aware that Lucy isn’t completely wrong in her phrasing.
“What else?” Lucy counters.
“Chen, a word?” Tim asks as he moves around you.
You watch as he apologizes, and smile to yourself. Angela winks at you as she passes, and you join Tim and Lucy.
“Wade said I could stay with you two for the rest of shift. What are we up to?”
“We still have to deal with the murder confession in the trees,” Tim groans. “Hey, Nolan, have you dealt with a murder confession yet?”
Nolan shakes his head, and Tim looks around for Bishop. When he sees that she’s not close, Tim steps into Wade’s office and asks him to transfer the call to Nolan.
“Thanks, Officer Bradford!” Nolan replies happily.
“No problem,” Tim says.
Lucy hides her smile as she walks beside you. Every moment spent with her requires a level of parenting, and though you’re relatively close in age, you and Tim feel responsible for Lucy. As more than a cop. You show it in your own ways, but she knows how much she means to you and Tim and feels the same.
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During one of your very few days off, you want to surprise Tim with dinner. The recipe that you want has seemingly disappeared, though, and you’ll have to call Lucy to get it again. 
When her phone rings, and she answers, “Hey, Mom,” Tim shakes his head.
“No personal calls in my shop,” Tim says.
“You answer for her.”
Tim’s brows furrow until he realizes Lucy isn’t talking to her biological mom, but her station mom. He nods to let her know she can continue talking to you.
“Dad says hi,” she says, just to bother Tim.
“Dad says he needs a day off, too,” Tim grumbles.
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“Don’t you dare answer that,” Tim says against your lips. “Date night, not LAPD night.”
“It’s Luce,” you argue as you reach for your phone.
Tim catches your wrist and brings it to his lips to distract you. Your phone rings again, though, and Tim’s chimes with an incoming text. He releases your arm hesitantly and pulls you so he can lay his head against your shoulder.
“Hi, Luce,” you answer.
“Put me on speaker!” she requests happily.
“Alright. Tim and I are both here.”
“I passed my rookie exam! I know you’re both off today, but Sergeant Grey knew we couldn’t wait to hear the results. Thank you, both of you, so much!”
“Congratulations!” you and Tim say together.
“We’ll celebrate when we get back,” you add.
“I knew you could do it,” Tim says. “Good job, Lucy.”
“Okay, okay, I need to call my mom and tell her that she was wrong. Enjoy the rest of your time off.”
The line beeps as she ends the call, and you and Tim lock eyes.
“She called us first, didn’t she?” you ask.
“We really are turning into her parents,” Tim says with an exaggerated shudder.
“You look pretty good for a dad,” you tease. “And you care about Lucy no matter how much you pretend not to.”
Tim looks at you for a moment before asking, “You know Lucy’s real parents set the bar low, right?”
“Let me have this. She’s my daughter and she’s no longer a boot.”
Tim groans, but before you can tease him again, he pulls you down to continue kissing you. Until your phone begins buzzing nonstop with excited texts from Lucy, at least.
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justmeinadaze · 3 hours
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Children of the Night Part 9 (Steddie X You)
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Warnings: Daddy Vampire Eddie/Switch Vampire Stevie and Sub Human/Vamp Fem Reader, SMUT, dp, dirty talk, light spanking, light choking, blood drinking (obviously), slight roughness but more passionate, FLUFF, these three weirdos love each other so much <3.
ANGST, ANGST, ANGST!!
Domestic abuse and Child abuse triggers (we learn everything about the reader here including the abuse she's gone through including gaslighting and physical abuse) It's briefly touched on how the police didn't help her. Personally I felt like this added to her mistrust of authority like that mixed in with how law enforcement handled everything that happened with Eddie in Hawkins.
S4 things are touched on including Chrissy and what happened with Lucas, Erica, and Gareth. Brief conversations with readers mom, Wayne, and Mr. Harrington (the latter being an asshole of course). I think that's everything. The main thing I wanted to focus on was the abuse triggers. I know that can be triggering especially since some of the dialogue with the mother is lifted from things my own abusive parent said to me.
Love you guys! Enjoy this final piece.
Series here/ Buy Me a Coffee :)
Word Count: 7400
StokersGirl86: “Oh my god. I’m so excited. What do you think they are going to do?!”
Dannyalwayshere1: “I imagine it’s going to big after everything going on in the news right now.”
Minaismygirl: “Eddie better release Y/N so she can come find me. I can take care of her!”
StokersGirl86: “Oh please. You really think she’s innocent in all this?!”
StokersGirl86: “She was a fan just like us. No matter what her criminal mom preaches on tv.”
LivingDeadBoy24: “Like mother like daughter :P.”
Living DeadBoy24: “Maybe Eddie will sacrifice her the same way he did Chrissy Cunningham. I’ve been reading about what happened. It’s amazing.”
Justice4ChrissyCunningham: “You all should be ashamed of yourselves! An innocent girl was murdered and another may be kidnapped! They don’t need to be put up on a pedestal. They need to be behind bars!”
Dannyalwayshere1: “I see you think Steve Harrington is guilty to?”
CaliforniaPD: “This is the California police department and currently we seem to be having trouble disconnecting this stream. That being the case, we do highly recommend that everyone log off this site and do not engage.”
VampQueen91: “Yeah sure. Nice try whoever you are. I thought the police already had their location. Yet they can stream??”
Minaismygirl: “Because California PD sucks lol But who knows, maybe they just need them to stream to catch them…”
The video feed begins counting down and as soon as it ends three faces illuminate everyone’s screens. Both men were shirtless with hair frayed every which way as their black eyes starred into the camera with a small smirk painted on both their lips. 
“Hm. I see everyone’s here and already has opinions.”, you growl as you quickly take in everyone’s words that flew across the screen. “We wanted to come on today to set the record straight about a few things. First and foremost, Edward Munson and Steven Harrington are dead. YOU killed them when you placed blame for something they didn’t do.”
Justice4ChrissyCunningham: Edward Munson murdered Chrissy in his trailer in cold blood. 
“Oh, sweetheart. I can’t imagine how much you must be hurting, Andrew. You lost three friends in the span of a week to such odd circumstances. Of course, it would just be easier to blame Eddie. It’s the only thing that would make since right? Not that some other man come in and hurt her.”
Justice4ChrissyCunningham: I don’t know who you think I am but—
His picture suddenly flew up onto the screen for everyone to see. 
“Normally I’m not one to display people’s personal business this way but after everything I’ve read and the things they told me, you can go fuck yourself. I see here while Eddie was missing you and Jason Carver assaulted a young man named Gareth in his garage. Police report says you and your friends jumped them while playing hero; broke the young man’s nose.”
The long-haired vampire growled deep from his chest at the accusation. 
“It also looks like in March of 03, you tackled a middle schooler and threatened to break her arm if she didn’t tell you guys where Eddie was. That seems to be the same night Mr. Carver also beat up a young man while he was trying to protect his girlfriend. Hm. How odd that you were there for the last few deaths.”, you muse as you glance towards Steve who continues to glare forward.
“The night Steve went missing his blood was found mixed with two other jocks about your age. Friends, Andy? He tells me they were there to hurt him because he missed the man he loved. Kind of seems like violence is normal for athletes in Hawkins. Maybe that’s why Chrissy felt more comfortable with Eddie. I can’t imagine how angry that made Jason feel. Maybe angry enough…to kill?”
The count of people in the stream both drastically dropped including Andy and then suddenly increased with a new flux of people. 
California PD: “Miss Y/L/N if you are in danger we can help you. 
“I don’t need your help. I’m not a hostage with these men. If anything, I was a hostage growing up with the mother that you all so quickly rallied behind including you, Officer Williams. I spent my whole life dealing with people like you. Willing to believe any narrative that fit your agenda. I have been beaten and abused by almost everyone in my life but these men have done nothing but love and protect me! And you want to punish them for that?”
California PD: “Last chance Y/N. Tell us where you are and we can save you.”
“I told you… I’m safe right here…with Renfield and Dracula. My name… is Mina.”
With that both vampires bared their fangs and bit into either side of your neck.
##############
2 Weeks Before
Eddie didn’t say a word as he got up and angrily stomped back towards the bedroom. 
“Baby, please.”, you pleaded as you watched him pull out the suitcases from their closet and throw them on the bed. “We had to have this conversation at some point—”
“No, we don’t. The answer will always be the same. No. Fuck no. Hell no. Take your pick.”
“Why?”
“Because I fucking said so. Now, start packing your shit because we are leaving in 30.”
“No.” The vampire paused as he slowly turned to face you. “No, fuck no, hell no. Take your fucking pick.”
Stalking towards you, he stopped till his nose was hovering just above your own.
“Get you shit and get ready to leave.”, he rumbled.
“You sound like John right now. You don’t command me, Edward.”
“Yes, sweetheart, I do. That’s what you agreed to, remember? You and Steve are mine—”
“In bed.”, Steve interrupted, coming around the corner. “In bed we belong to you. She’s still her own woman and is allowed to make her peace. Let’s hear what she has to say.”
“Steven, you and I didn’t have a choice. She does—”
“So you’re going to make it for her?” The long-haired vampire’s jaw clenches as he places his hands on his hips. “You’re right, I didn’t have a choice which is why we never had to have the conversation she wants to have but I always thought about it. If I was still human, you would have remained the same and I would have grown old. We would have lost each other again…”
Eddie’s glassy eyes glance his way as he sighs and takes a seat on the bed.
“After the last time she left and we didn’t have her…I’d rather not experience that now or even 50 years from now.”
“I guess we know what your vote is.”, he sasses. 
“I think we can do this in a controlled way so what happened to us doesn’t happen to her especially since we would be doing it without her being hurt or wounded.”
“Fuck. O-Ok but I do it and we can change her after we get where we are going—”
“There’s no rush. I genuinely don’t believe they know where you are and are banking on us streaming again but we can find out. I can find out which guys are working the case and go through the digital file. I didn’t do it before because I didn’t want to put us at risk if I didn’t have to.”, you respond as you sit beside him. “I…I also think we should stream you changing me—”
“That’s a fuck no and I’m not budging on that. I don’t care what you both tell me.”
“I actually agree with him on that one, honey.”
“No, no. I mean we should do this together privately but make our fans and police believe you’re changing me. It will keep them invested to keep the revenue coming no matter where we go and show the police that we aren’t afraid of them. We now know that we can suck each other’s blood so…”
As Eddie sighs again, you wrap your arms around his shoulders and kiss his cheek. 
“I love you, Eddie. I trust you and I know I’m safe with you; both of you.”
Turning to face you, he kisses your forehead and holds you to him. 
“Do what you have to do, babe, and we’ll start getting things together.”
***
While the guys packed and ran out to grab some extra blood packs, you did some research into the people hunting for you three. You were right that they hadn’t found you yet but they were getting closer. One of the officers grabbed one of Dustin’s pings he created and traced it to the next town over. 
“Hey pretty girl.”, Steve cooed as he slumped down onto his knees beside you. “What did you find out?”
“We’re still ok. They haven’t found us yet and from what I see here they most likely need us to stream again. Now this is a new development.”
Moving the mouse, you click on the news website in the background and play the clip you stumbled on earlier that day. 
“So you say, Mrs. Y/L/N, you saw Y/N with Mr. Harrington and Mr. Munson?”
“Yes! Oh my goodness.”, your mother sobbed. “She came to visit me in the hospital because I was sick. She was always such a sweet girl. They threatened my life and then dragged her away. They are awful people.”
Feeling your anger, Eddie swished into the room as the other vampire petted your head. 
“If you could say anything to your daughter, what would it be?”
“You monsters let my baby go! I love you, Y/N! So…so much…I can’t…”
“That’s not all I found.”, you whisper, clicking another link and pressing play. 
“Mr. Munson! Mr. Munson! How do feel about the content your nephew is posting? Do you think he’ll kill Y/N like he did Chrissy?”
“Get off my property! My nephew…my nephew is dead. Haven’t you and this town sullied his memory enough!”
“Police seem to have strong evidence that this is Edward Munson.”
“Well, if he is alive…I hope he stays away. He can be happier with Steven away from these fuckers!” Eddie’s uncle pauses before entering the house the reporters were following him to. “I also want him to know that I love and miss him. I hope your happy, son.”
Steve grabs his partner’s hand as his stoic features faulter and tears begin to slowly fall that he quickly wipes away. 
“Mr. and Mrs. Harrington! Anything to say about your son?!”
“We’ve made a statement already! Go away!”
The vampire’s eyes narrow at the sound of his dad’s voice. 
“You really don’t think that’s your son in the videos?”
“I know for a fact that’s not my son. No son of mine would engage in that behavior nor be in a relationship with a freak like Edward *beep* Munson. Now leave us be so we can grieve our son in peace!”
“I’m sorry.”
“No reason to be, honey.”, he sighs shaking away the frustration. “We, um, got some more blood and we got you some more clothes. We found a house up north; I just need to—”
Eddie’s lips cut his boyfriend off as he cupped his face in his hands and pulled his body closer to his own. When he finally pulled away both boys were panting heavily. 
“I love you, Steve Harrington.”
The pretty vampire smiled softly as his fingers lightly moved some of the other man’s hair out of his face. 
“I love you to, Eddie Munson.” His mouth gently kissed him again as he began to sing making the metalhead breathily chuckle. “I’d give up forever to touch you. Cause I know that you feel me somehow.”
“You’re the closest to heaven that I’ll ever be and I don’t want to go home right now.”, he sings back. “We don’t have a song for Y/N.”
“Oh, I don’t need one. It’s ok.”
“No, no, baby. Let’s see what we got.”, Steve smiles as he pushes the button on the stereo and starts searching through stations. He and Eddie cringe as a few come through that aren’t suitable in anyway making you laugh. 
“Hey, wait. Go back.” After the vampire does what he asks, you three listen as the long-haired boy grins and bobs his head.
“And I wonder When I sing along with you
If everything could ever be this real forever If anything could ever be this good again The only thing I'll ever ask of you You've got to promise not to stop when I say when She sang…”
Taking ahold of your hand, Eddie spins you as you both smile and he sings along.
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard this one before.”, Steve muses as he watches you two dance. 
After letting you go, you grab a hold of his waist and he circles his arms around you as you sing.
“Breathe out So I can breathe you in Hold you in And now I know you've always been…”
Smiling, his lips kiss your forehead as you press your head into his chest. 
“I love you both so much.”
“We love you to, sweetheart.”, Eddie replies as he comes behind you and holds you both tightly.
***
“What if I kill you.”
“You won’t, baby. I trust you.”, you try to comfort as you cup his cheek. 
Nodding, he tilted towards you, placing soft tender kisses on your lips and along your cheek to your neck. When you feel him hesitate, you run your fingers through his hair and whisper adoration for him as you wait. 
When his fangs bit into you, you were surprised how fast you blood left your body. Steve’s worried eyes watched as the color left your face and the sight killed him. Your eyes rolled shut and a tear left his eye as the memory of finding Eddie in the upside down flashed through his mind. 
The vampire wanted to calm him but he couldn’t. 
He had to focus on you. 
After releasing his hold on you, he hurriedly wiped your blood from his chin and bit into his wrist offering it to you.
“Come on, baby girl. Come on. We need you to drink.” Just as Steve’s had, your eyes snapped open as the sweet taste hit your lips and you began to drink from him. “Fuck…good girl, princess. Mmph…There you go.”
Abruptly, you detached from his arm and passed out against the pillow as Eddie began to dizzily fall back. 
“Whoa, honey. I got you. Are you ok?”
“B-Blood, Steve. I need… please.”
He didn’t waste any time, running to the kitchen and back as he tore the bag open for his partner to take. 
“What happens now?”
“Now, we wait.”
Neither man left your side as they kept a diligent eye on you. Eddie held your hand while Steve kept his palm on your chest to make sure you were still breathing.
“It’s weird…I can’t feel her anymore.”
“When she wakes up you will and it will be more in tune. When you woke up that feeling was incredibly strong.”
Hearing the sadness in his voice, Steve reaches over runs his fingers along his face. 
“What are you thinking about, baby?”
“Everything.” Eddie glances his way and his boyfriend’s loving gaze fills him with warmth. “I never thought about the future. I guess because I was stuck like this…it didn’t even occur to me that you two would age and I wouldn’t. When would you have asked me?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t even know how to bring it up. All I really wanted was for us to have what we always talked about. A happy, simple life away from all the bullshit in Hawkins.” Steve grins when his partner chuckles. “A nice two-bedroom home where we could settle down and have a family. Three boys and three girls you and I would spoil rotten. I would work some office job with so-so benefits and brag about my rockstar husband who was on tour but coming home soon.”
Eddie couldn’t hold it in anymore as the last couple days events hit him and he began to cry. 
“I know, honey. I know”, he cooed as he held his free hand. 
#############
The sound of something crashing to the ground startles both vampires as they sit up and jump out of bed realizing you were no longer between them. They could feel you though; fuck could they feel you.
“Jesus, Eddie…”, Steve groaned as his head lulled to the side.
“I-I know. Stay focused. We need t-to get our girl back first.”
“I don’t know if I can.”, the vampire whined as his palm began absently grazing the bulge in his pants. 
“You will because I told you to, little boy. Do you understand?”, Eddie hissed. 
“Y-Yes, Daddy.”
Slowly moving down the hall, they searched every nook and cranny before something loud in the kitchen caught their attention. They found you on the floor balancing on your heels in your bra and shorts they had laid you down in. The sound of your growling filled the room as you continued to bang on the refrigerator door with your palm. 
“Y/N.”
Jumping at the sound of Eddie’s voice, you fell on to your butt and pressed your back to the cabinets as your black eyes glared his way. 
“Sweetheart, everything’s ok. You’re alright.”
It took you moment but something in your face softened and your crawled towards him, pushing him back slightly before banging your hand on the door again. 
“Daddy. Hungry.”
“You’re hungry, baby?” Reaching in, he takes out a bag and tears it open, handing it to you. Your wide eyes watch him as if he’s figured out a riddle you had spent thousands of years trying to solve and when he offers you what you want, you take it from him without question and chug it back. “Good. Good girl.”
After three blood packs and a peaceful smile on your face, even Eddie could still feel a hunger within you.
“What do you need, pretty girl? Tell me.”
Steve couldn’t control it any longer as his eyes darkened and his own hunger took over. Grabbing his partner’s shirt, he pushed him to the side as he began to crawl towards you. In your state, you perceived the action as hostile and practically roared as you tackled his chest, pinning him to the floor.
“NO! Bad boy…hurt…Daddy!”
His wrists tried to push against your hands but you were much stronger than before. Eddie couldn’t help but be utterly fascinated as he watched you both interact. 
“Say…SORRY!” When he hesitates, your nose presses to his as you growl in a low voice that makes them both hard. “Now.”
“Sorry…Daddy…Sorry, honey.”
At the term, your eyes blink in surprise as you sit up slightly to gaze along his features. Steve’s own black irises search your face for recognition, finding it in your sudden shift of demeanor.
“Steve…”, you coo as lean down and run your nose up his bare, hairy chest to his neck. “Boy…hungry?” He nods emphatically, literally ripping your shorts from your body after pulling down his pants enough to free his cock. “Ask.”
A small whine leaves him as he turns to face Eddie whose eyes were now also black as he stroked his own length while watching you. 
“Daddy…hungry. Please?”
He growled in response, hastily coming up to take his place behind you and runs his tongue up your spine to your shoulder. You mewl as you lower yourself down onto the man beneath you, gripping his neck to pull him up so you could press his head into your chest. Clinging to your hips, the metalhead guided himself into your ass and your head fell back onto his shoulder as they both roughly thrust into you.
When their fangs pierced your skin, you clenched around them causing them both to grunt and hold you tighter. 
“Steve…Eddie…fuck.”
As your fingers tangled into his hair, you bit down on the pretty boy’s shoulder and his moan reverberated through the house as his body shook while releasing his seed inside you. The metalhead circled around to rub fast circles into your clit and you came off Steve with a heavy pant as he fell back onto the floor.
Taking ahold of his arm pressed to your chest, you brought it to your mouth as you bit into the skin. Eddie’s head flew back as your pussy quivered around him and you came hard. Yanking your hair, he shoved your face next to his boyfriend’s as he chased his high and with a few more aggressive thrusts warmed your insides. 
Heavy breathing filled the room as both boys passed out beside you. 
#################
5-year-old you pulls her knees to her chin as you hid under the kitchen table listening to your parents fight. 
“Fuck you! You want to leave me than fucking leave and take that little brat with you.”
“I can’t! Jesus, you never listen! Marnie, doesn’t want kids right now.”
“Oh, oh. The slut doesn’t want kids so I guess whatever she says goes. I didn’t want kids either yet here we are!”, your mother slurs. 
You listen to the sound of his footsteps as he stomps out the door leaving you behind. Glass shatters as the beer bottle she threw hits the wall before she falls to her knees and sobs. 
12-year-old you cries as the police officer lifts you into his arms and tries to carry you out of the foster home you were physically fighting to stay in. 
“Y/N, come on! You need to go be with your mom.”
“NO! I want to stay here! Please don’t make me go back!” You kick the officer, hitting his stomach causing him to drop you to the floor. As fast as you could you get up and run to the woman you had been calling mom for over 6 months. “Please! I’m sorry. I’ll be good. I promise!”
“Sweetheart, listen to me.”, she empathetically murmurs as she sinks to her knees. “It’s time for you to be with your mom. Who knows maybe things will be different this time.”
“It-It won’t. It never is.”
You and your boyfriend panted as you tried to catch your breath hiding under the pier. 
“Woo, that was close!”, he laughs as 15-year-old you grins up at him. “But hey, now we can eat.”
Tossing the wallet to the side, he takes out the money and reaches for your hand as he guides up the bank towards the stores above. After purchasing a burger and some fries, you both share it as he lights a cigarette and stares off into the distance.
“I love you.”
“I love you to, babe.”, you smile as you bite into a fry. 
When his fingers reach out to touch your face, you can’t help but flinch when his thumb grazes the cut on your lip from when he thought you were giving him attitude. 
“I really do. Things are going to get better, Y/N. I promise.”
She couldn’t even make it three months. The police had brought you back home and as soon as they left your mother went off about you running away and how that made her look. By the third month, you tried to leave again and she stopped you. 
“What happened to your arm, Y/N? You said you fell?”, the doctor asked as he began wrapping the cast around the limb. 
You didn’t move or say a word as you stared off into the void. What was the point? The cops knew how she was yet they kept bringing you back. Even if you told this doctor the truth it wouldn’t matter.
“Sweetheart, I can help you. I just need you to tell me what happened.” The man sighs when you remain silent before whispering under his breath. “You don’t have to say anything just nod your head, ok? Did you fall?”
Your eyes meet his for a brief moment before autopilot takes over and you shake your head. 
“Did your mother do this? Did she grab you?”
You nod.
“Ok.”
You stare at the screen in front of you as two men known as Renfield and Dracula make love to each other before biting his neck. A heavy sigh left you at the action and the human boy’s moan hit straight to your heart down to your core. 
You had been watching them for over a month now and you couldn’t explain it but something about them just pulled you in. Hearing their voices and watching how they took care of each other made you feel safe. It’s part of the reason you kept coming back even though you knew if John ever found out you were seeing this he’d probably kill you. 
That following day you were surprised when a message from the site appeared when you signed in from the creators themselves inviting you to a private session. 
When their faces illuminated your screen, a little sigh left your chest. They were both so handsome up close. Because of the technology, you weren’t able to really see their features before but now you could see them in all their glory. Dracula’s eyes fluttered slightly behind his mane of hair. 
“Hey Mina.”
Renfield glances his way in surprise as his partner spoke. Usually, he was the one that did the bulk of the talking so when he initiated, he was taken a back. 
InnocentLittleMina: Hello.
“Hey, honey. We, um, we just wanted to reach out to you because we see you pop up from time to time. You don’t talk or engage very much.”
InnocentLittleMina: Yeah. A lot of the people here are kind of rude.
“Ha. Yeah they are. We were wondering and we understand if you say no but would you want to work for us? Dracula says a moderator could really help us get some control over these people. You don’t have to tell us your name or anything. We can send money straight to your account.”
InnocentLittleMina: You’d pay me?
“Yeah, honey. Of course.”
“However much you want.”, Dracula adds again making his partner’s head quirk to the side. “You just…seem like a kind person with a good heart.”
InnocentLittleMina: You don’t know me.
“We’d like to.”
His words flow through you almost as if you can feel how genuine they are. What’s the worst that could happen?
InnocentLittleMina: “Ok. I’d love to help.”
***
Both men groan as their eyes open and take in the scene before them. After what they saw, they couldn’t care less. They just needed to find you. 
Rising to their feet, they power walk down the hall to find you closing a suitcase and quietly taking a seat on the bed. Your eyes lock with theirs as you softly smile and shrug. 
“See? I told you I had experienced real monsters.”
“Sweetheart.”, Eddie breathed as he sat beside you and pulled you to his chest. “I’m so fucking sorry you went through all that. We would never ever fucking hurt you like them.”
“Or let anyone hurt you like that.”, Steve added as he knelt in front of you. “How are you feeling?”
“Calm. Clear. It’s weird. I’ve never felt like this before. I feel like I’m…home.”
“Because you are, baby.”, the pretty boy cooed as he kissed your palms. 
“While you two were asleep, I packed up some clothes for us. I’m not sure what else we need.”
“Let me see if that relator guy called.”
After he disappeared, the metalhead cupped your face in his hands as his eyes ran along your face. You still looked like the girl they fell in love with but you seemed to have this air of confidence surrounding you that made him fall even harder. 
“I wish I could have seen your life the way I saw his and you two saw mine. I think it’s because him and I are new…”
“Oh, baby girl, trust me. You don’t want to see that. Not all in succession like that. Everything kind of sucked till I met Steve. Before him it was a blur of heartache and anger.” When he sighed, your palm circled around the back of his neck and brought his forehead down to yours eliciting a small, nervous chuckle to fall from his lips. “Fuck…are you doing that?”
“Doing what?”, you murmur. 
“Y/N, I’m a jaded asshole.”, he laughed. “It takes me a while to trust anyone and feel safe but the feeling running through me right now… God it’s so quiet. I can breathe.”
“Because that’s how I feel with you two, Daddy. You’re feeling me.”
“Fuck, Y/N.”, he groaned, his lips falling to the side of your neck. 
“Wait…Wait, Eddie. I need to show you both something first.”
####################
Present Day
“Ok, Williams, we’re right outside the door. Going in, in two.”
The officer paces around his desk as he glares at the screen watching both men continue to feed while blood drips down your neck. 
“Good. They’re still streaming in front of their computer. Be careful! They shouldn’t be armed but I’m not sure if they’ll react hostilely.”
“Entering in, 3, 2, 1. GO, BOYS!”
As soon as the door kicked in, a little box appears at the corner of your current feed showing the raiding team running through the house. Everything was still in its place including the blood staining the floor by the fridge. 
“We have all eyes on us, guys. Go slow.”
When they find the bedroom, they scream into the void for you three to get down… 
Only to find now one there.
The swat leader walked towards the computer, tearing off the note that was taped to the screen.
“I shall be glad as long as I live that even in that moment of final dissolution, there was in the face a look of peace, such as I never could have imagined might have rested there.
Our souls are knit into one, for all life and all time.
-Mina”
“FUCK!”, Officer Williams shouted as he kicked the chair in front of him. 
CaliforniaPD: You can keep running all you want but you are just making it harder on yourselves! We found you once and we can find you again!”
You whine as your head falls against Steve’s chest and your black eyes flash towards the screen with a small smile. 
“Good luck with that. I’m sorry to say, for you, we’re a lot stronger now than we’ve ever been.”, Eddie rumbled sarcastically towards the camera. 
As you pull away to lean against the metalhead’s shoulder, the other vampire growls low with needs as his head follows yours for a moment before hesitating to focus on the camera. 
“We don’t want any trouble. We just want to be left alone to be happy together but we will gladly do this dance again to keep ourselves protected and keep her safe!”
Your palm ran down his back, calming him as he tilted his head to place open mouth kisses on your shoulder as his own hand absently traveled under your shirt to run along the skin of your stomach. Eddie growled at the action as both vampires glared at each other. Grabbing his throat, the long-haired boy pulled his boyfriend’s lips to his own passionately.
“I think you all have had enough of a show…and I’m…hungry.” At the last word, your tone drops and after you wink towards the camera, you move the mouse, and shut it down.
***
“Did you guys see that? Over one million people were watching us!”, you giggle excitedly.
“Mhmm.”
Both vampires were still distracted as they detached from each other to kiss your neck again. Grinning as you bit your lip, wind messed their hair as you flash ran towards the other side of your new shared bedroom. 
“Oh, come on, boys. Now focus.”
Trying to run after you, you hastily sprinted away, your beautiful laugh filling the new house you three were going to be living in. Eddie was the one to catch you first, practically tackling you to the ground in the living room and pinning your wrists beside your head. 
“Hi, Daddy.”
As you beam up at him, he can’t help but smile down at you before bringing his lips to yours. Your hands flex in his grip but he remains steadfast as he kisses softly down your body and over your blood-stained shirt. 
 Steve crawls towards you both on his hands and knees, falling onto his tummy with his hand grabbing your cheek to turn your head so he could kiss you. Letting you go, your hands remain where they are as Eddie pulls down your panties and tosses them to the side. 
His strong palms dig into your thighs as he lifts your legs over his shoulders and you moan against the other man’s lips as Eddie presses his face into your cunt wasting no time as his mouth devours you. 
Your legs close around him and he mewls into you as your back arches off the floor. 
“Fuck, Daddy! Your mouth feels so good.”
Maneuvering behind him, Steve spreads his partners legs a bit wider and his groans vibrate through your core as the pretty boy runs his tongue between Eddie’s cheeks. You grin blissfully as you watch the sight before you and you run your fingers through the metalhead’s hair. 
“That’s it, honey. Fuck. Make our girl cum. Jesus, Y/N, I can feel how good he’s making you feel. Daddy’s so fucking amazing with that mouth isn’t he? It’s why he never shuts up.”
Eddie’s growls turn into moans when his boyfriend effortlessly slides two fingers inside him while pushing his head harder against your pussy.
“Oh, god!”
Your eyes roll back as you grind your hips against the vampire’s tongue till you tumble over the edge and cum. Releasing him from your grip around his shoulders, you pant as you try to catch your breath, shuddering at the feel of Eddie’s heavy exhales fanning your dripping core. 
You’re not sure if it was the dominance within him or just how sexy both men looked right now but something inside you bubbled forward and you rushed towards them, tackling Steve to the floor. 
“Hungry!”
Abruptly an arm wrapped around your stomach and pushed you back against the hardwood. 
“No.”, the long-haired vampire hissed as his hand clung to your throat. “You ask, little girl. The rules haven’t changed. Not yet anyway.”
“Want…boy!”
“Beg me, Y/N.”, he cooed in a sultry voice that had both you and the other man whining. “Beg Daddy, baby girl.”
“Please, Daddy. Want…” You pause as you blink, trying to clear the fog and intense need from your brain so you could focus. “I want Steve. Please, may I…have him.”
As the black irises disappear and your natural eye color returns so does his as he smiles before giving you a tender kiss. After moving out of the way, he ushers Steve between your legs and helps lift your shirt over your head. 
“I’m sorry if I hurt you. I didn’t mean to grab you like that. I just couldn’t—”
“Control yourself. I know, honey. I understand. You’re doing a lot better than I did though.” He taps his cock against your sensitive clit a couple of times making you jump and you both let out a strangled moan as he slides himself inside of you. “Shit. Always so fucking good.”
Falling on to your chest, he rolls his waist as you cling to his shoulders, leaving little pecks along his skin. When you bite into his flesh, he grunts loudly and snaps his hips hard, punching his length deep inside your heat. 
As he picks up his pace, you release him and he pushes up onto his knees, looping his arms under the back of your own so he can hold your legs open. Feeling someone near him, he opens his eyes to be met with his boyfriend’s cock in his face. Steve opened his mouth willingly and Eddie’s mouth fell open as he bobbed his head, taking him as far back as he could. 
“That’s it, sweetheart. Such a good boy. Jesus, I love watching you two together.”
Threading his fingers through his hair, the metalhead groaned as he fucked his partner’s face making you whine and clench around his own cock every time you heard him gag.
“Mmm—there you go, Steve. Make our pretty girl cum.”
Shoving Eddie’s stomach, Steve growled with need as he pushed him out of his way and wrapped his arms around your back, lifting you up till you were face to face with him. Hugging him to your chest, you used his neck as leverage as you bounced and grinded against him.
When his fangs pierced your skin, your eyes squeezed shut as you did the same, taking him in as his hands grabbed the meat of your ass, guiding your movements till you trembled and came. Steve grunted at the feeling, pushing you back down onto the floor and pounding his cock into you so deeply you swear you could feel him in your stomach, through your heart, and into your soul. 
“Fuck!”, he growled in his deep vampire tone as his movements stalled and you whined as he pumped his spend aggressively into your cunt.
You couldn’t help but breathily giggle as Steve continued to run his lips and tongue along your body. Pushing his chest, you disappeared from underneath him but Eddie anticipated your move, running ahead of you and slamming his palm against the wall as his arm shot out to stop you. Before you could run the other way, he blocked you and pinned your front side to the hallway.
His hand playfully spanked your behind and you both mewled as he guided his cock into your entrance. 
“Oh, fuck, Daddy.”
Intertwining his fingers with yours, Eddie held your hands above your head and thrust his hips roughly against yours, his humid pants in your ear turning you on even more. 
“Shit…baby. Your little pussy is…so fucking perfect. J-Just like you.”
Hastily, he pulls out, turns you around to face him, and lifts you into his strong arms as you reach down to slide his length back inside you. You cling to him as he fucks his cock deep into your core leaving you both grunting into the other face. Not being able to wait, you bite into his neck and he growls loudly before doing the same. 
After dropping one of your legs, Eddie balances his forearm on the wall next to your head as aggressively takes what’s his. Your body shakes as the coil breaks in your tummy causing the metalhead himself to fall over the ledge as he thrust his release inside you. 
As you slump over in his embrace, you feel wind move your hair as Steve runs to the bathroom to turn on the shower and Eddie lifts you again so your legs are wrapped around him as he carries you that way. You can feel it in their energies, they are just as exhausted as you, leaning against you, each other, or the wall to keep from falling over. 
You barely even feel it when they dry you and carry you over to the bed. 
#############
“What’s wrong, honey?”
“I don’t know. I think…I think something’s wrong with Mina.” Eddie sighs when Steve turns away from him and focuses on the computer in front of him. “She feels…alone. I don’t like it, Steven. It reminds me of how I felt growing up with my dad.”
“There’s nothing we can do, Ed.”
“We can—”
“No. We’re not having this discussion again.”
“Why?! Why would it be so bad to bring her here? It feels like she’d be safer with us than wherever she is now!”
“Eddie, have you taken a look around? We’re on the run, you’re a vampire, we do this internet stuff for money. It’s not exactly lavish!”
Both men glare at each other as their computer pings informing them that you were online. 
“Hey, Mina. O-Oh my god. What happened?”, Steve gasps as he and his partner take in the slowly forming ring around your eye. 
“Oh, it’s nothing. I’m so clumsy and fell. Thankfully John was here to help me.”
“Yeah…thankfully…”, Eddie growled towards Steve as his heart broke for you. 
“I’m…I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”
“Why?”, you giggle as you shrug. “You didn’t do this to me, Renfield. I did it to myself.”
***
Your glassy eyes take him in as your boyfriend huffs around the bedroom before kneeling in front of you to place an ice pack on your cheek. All you wanted him to do was leave so you could talk to Renfield and Dracula. 
You had no idea how you were going to explain this new wound to them. It was so weird having people in your life who genuinely cared about your wellbeing and you found yourself lying to them more than you ever did to keep any of your toxic partners or family calm. 
They were your friends…you didn’t want them to worry…
“This is your fault. Why do you push me like that, Y/N?”
“I just asked you when you were getting off work…”
You jump as he tosses the pack hard against the wall. 
“See? It’s that fucking attitude!”
“I’m sorry.”, you whisper, fully giving up and accepting blame so all this would end. 
Sighing, he runs his fingers along your arm as his own eyes scan you over. 
“Will you be alright?” 
He takes your nod as enough confirmation, rising to his feet and finally leaving your house. Gradually, you stand as well and head to the bathroom to wash your face.
Sitting in front of your computer, you stare at the screen as you debate on rescheduling with them but you are so desperate for a kind voice to say something…anything…to comfort you from the current hell you’re in. 
***
Your eyes slowly opened just as the sun was beginning to descend behind your black out curtains, smiling softly when they land on Steve’s gentle yet sad expression. 
“It’s ok.”, you murmur as you reach out to caress his cheek. 
Catching your hand mid-air, he brings it to his lips as he scoots closer to your frame. 
“It’s not. You could have been with us this whole time.”
“Steve, you didn’t know—”
“But I should have. Eddie saved me from my father and took me in when everything was falling apart in my house. He always told me he understood and I was always grateful for that. I should have known the first time he felt something.”
“But you’re here now.”, Eddie replied groggy from sleep as you rolled onto your back so you could see them both. “Y/N, if ever you don’t want to play rough or anything like that, you know we’d still love you. I don’t want to trigger you or—”
“No, baby, no. You’re not.”, you assure him. “With my mom and my exes… I never had any kind of control over what was happening. With you two, even last night, I know you’d stop if I asked. I can feel it.”
Eddie sighs pleasantly when you place your palm on his chest. 
“Speaking of last night, you were really sexy, Miss Computer Hacker, hiding those skills under that beautiful head of hair.” You laugh as he leans in to tenderly kiss your neck.
“You’re both safe with me to. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.”
Steve tilts down to slowly kiss your skin as well making you groan as you turn into Eddie’s chest making him chuckle as he presses you to him. The other vampire’s hairy chest grazes your back and you grin as you listen to them kiss above you. 
“What do you want to tonight, honey?”, Steve whispered as his fingers ran up your arms. 
“We seem to be drifting into unknown places and unknown ways.”, you recited making the metalhead laugh again. 
“So did you just memorize the book or?”
“It’s one of my favorites.”, you beam up at him as you kiss his lips and crane your neck to do the same with the other man. “We can rewrite the ending though.”
###################
@chelebelletx @mandyjo8719 @nailbatanddungeon @corkadymu 
@lemme-slytherin-that-dick @she-collects-smut @dashingdeb16
@bexreadstoomuch
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spocks-kaathyra · 3 months
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"ur repressed" okay well have u even considered that emotions r purposeless and only serve to cause harm to those around u and I have achieved a unique transcendent state beyond them. have u considered that
#joking but like. am I wrong though#yeah no one is able to overcome the inherent human flaw of emotion and anyone who thinks they can is in fact mentally unwell#except for me I'm built different I have actually managed to transcend emotion. this is a good thing and not a problem#I saw my father's anger and my mother's discontent and my brother's self loathing and my friend's yearning.#and I saw how it only made everyone more unhappy. and I decided I would be above them all and never let my emotions rule me.#I was scared of the dark until I realized that fear wasn't useful to feel. so I stopped feeling it#this is a good thing and I am a paragon of mental health I think#mmm alternatively I was made to play mediator in a family of traumatized ppl and learned to repress my emotions to the point of dysfunction#but I prefer to think I'm enlightened and have no problems. this is fine and will not blow up in my face#anyways. just now realizing that this might stem from my childhood. oops#also realizing that I'm probably not aro and I just learned to turn off romantic attraction bc I saw how miserable it made my friend??#well. I still don't experience romantic attraction. but probably I should and I will if I ever sort out this repression thing. whoopsie#really she was ready to kill herself over some white guy and I looked at that and was like. nope. I'm never stooping to that level#mm might not help that my parents never loved each other and I never had a healthy romantic relationship modeled for me as a child#but still like really like what is the point. of having emotions. they're just not useful#oh hurr durr I'm angry at my friends for talking over a tv show. there is no way to act on this without damaging ppl and relationships#ohh I'm in love with this guy who will never love me back. THERE IS NO PRODUCTIVE WAY TO ACT ON THIS#literally emotions can only be destructive and I'm a better person for opting out of them#there are no downsides to being repressed! I can still feel positive emotions. I'm happy sometimes. sometimes I'm excited. it's fine#guy who is Unpacking Things live on ur dash. sorry#narcissus's echoes#vent
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arolesbianism · 5 months
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I recently decided to semi revive some of my crusty dusty splatoon ocs from when I was like 12, so here’s all of the goobers! Meet Cherry (she/her), Slosh (he/they), Egg (they/them), and Blast (she/they)
#keese draws#splatoon#splatoon oc#inkling#inkling oc#octoling#octoling oc#since they were from me being like 12 I. barely remember anything abt them.#I remember the most abt cherry and slosh but that basically amounts to their names and gender#the other two I only rember existing through vibes lol#anyways! I am never drawing splatoon weapons again! holy shit that fucking sucked!#on the bright side I got to mess around a bit with some hair style concepts I’ve been rotating in my head#also I’m still working on giving these guys an updated story but my basic idea is that they’re a professional tower control team that has#been facing some conflicts as of late due to them all getting old enough to start having aspirations outside of their team#cherry is from the domes but her parents left with her when she was around 10#blast went to the same school as her and the two became pretty close friends as selective mute buddies#then at some point cherry caught wind of this cool new sport called tower control and was like woahhh I wanna do that#so she just went up to the first person near the battle lobby she could find and was like hey how do I join?#and he got super excited since he has a reputation for being incapable of shutting up so someone willing coming up to him came as a shock#they showed her where to get weapons and how to join battles and the two became battle buddies real quick#this lead to blast getting super worried and anxious as she didn’t want to see her only friend get hurt or stolen from her#at which point cherry was like oh I know! why don’t you come battle with us?#and blast was like wait wait wait no what if I die and dont come back and then die again :[#they managed to come to a compromise for a while tho and eventually blast was able to just barely squish past her fear enough to start#being kind of interested in tower control as she had started watching the other two play#and while she was still anxious abt the idea eventually she sheepishly admitted she wanted to give it a try#and she ended up really liking it! so the three kept playing together#and eventually they started to feel more and more like an actual team and egg noticed#they had been scouting a team to join for a lil while now and after getting to play with the three quite a few times and getting on friendly#terms with them they were like hey what if we became like an actual team who do tournaments and stuff
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witchcraftingboop · 4 months
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I thought I was the only one who dislikes my older sister's not-yet-fiancè-boyfriend and I feel so vindicated and less crazy now that my younger sister and I had a lil moment of "👀 do you?" "👀I mean I think I do but do you??" and finally said aloud that we get the same sketchy ass hater vibes from this childish dude. I fr thought I was just a lil manhater (I am) with unjustified resentment towards this man, but I was right! Either I'm right or we're both wrong but atp I'm okay with both options
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“if you are trying to be a phd candidate in a social science field why the fuck are you studying math for fun” because i’m quirky and hot. next question.
#uriel posting#currently doing a crash course review of calc 1 and 2….. inverse trig function integrals are like a divorced lover who i still yearn for#to me.#mathblr#i guess#i think i’m mainly just pissed that i went from having the most legendary math instructors ever#to getting the 1-2 bad instructor combo and being turned off from the field for a bit#‘oh i used to be good and math and love it’ (<- he still does)#recently realized i can just. do it on my own#i was homeschooled i pretty much taught myself math from a textbook grades 6-10#(parents consist of a former math major and mechanical engineer. i wasn’t starved for resources they were there if i needed help)#(also did dual credit grades 11 and 12. goated math instructors of all time i miss them every day)#i have so much power now. i can learn anything i want to forever#<- guy about to become the most insufferable man in the universe#you mean i can just get the textbook from the library. about anything ?#not just math. i have realized i can do this for whatever. guy who is gonna learn about art history and is so excited#if i could i’d just stay in school forever and get 83 degrees#alas#this also loops around to my philosophy that anyone anywhere should be able to learn whatever they want#i will keep you updated on how this process goes 🫡 i am keeping notes incase anyone after me is interested#god. i’m gonna be That Guy (derogatory)#‘i always wished i had majored in classics. i always enjoyed it’ can i interested you in a google document with links and a drive folder
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quickhacked · 1 year
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Chapter >> 13 [x] Characters >> Cato Wu (oc), Eddie Wolfe (oc), Judy Álvarez, Mikhail Koshechkin (oc), Rogue Amendiares, Vitali Dobrynin (oc), a long list of side characters Total >> 6.6k words Warnings >> Alcohol, blood, brainwashing mention, death, descriptions of suffocation, injuries, violence
The sun had long set, the sky a deep, dark blue color yet too polluted with light and fumes to show any of the stars it held. Bright beams of advertisements between skyscrapers and Megabuildings illuminated the city and even at that hour of the night the streets were crowded and full of life.
Truly a place that never slept.
Tucked away between buildings in Watson, muffled music rose up from the underground club the Afterlife. Especially busy that day; for no particular reason, though the entrance itself was already crowded enough to signal to anyone who wanted to enter what the rest of the club’s grounds would be like.
The bright neon lights above the entrance flickered lightly when a car came to a stop on the club’s parking lot. Some curious glances in its direction- innocent, mostly, simply the gazes of those wondering who had arrived.
Though those very same gazes lingered just a little longer when three people exited the car- one of them dressed in a deep red suit with golden accents and stitched embroidery of flowers decorating the back of the jacket, and the other two in full combat gear- and slowly made their way inside.
The Afterlife was known to be the place for mercenaries and fixers to discuss business; no one would bat an eye upon seeing even the most popular of fixers- or the most infamous, for that matter- enter and make themselves right at home.
Though this was different.
Clack. Clack. Clack.
Slicked back bleached hair; recently cut, a few loose strands covering a freckled forehead. Head held high, shoulders pushed back and a black cane with the same golden details as the ones decorating the suit in a gloved left hand and two piercing blueish gray eyes staring straight ahead, ignoring the stares of the rest of the club’s clientele.
Vitali Dobrynin was not a fixer often seen at the club. Most if not all of his business took place in his own office building in Wellsprings, far away from the prying eyes of nosy mercs looking to only half-commit to a job and jump ship with their payment before the contract would end.
Though people talked about him. Many visitors of the Afterlife did not want to work for him- believed him to be a faulty fixer still knee deep into the corpo life, ignoring the fact he had managed to build everything he now had up from ground level with nothing but hard-earned eddies from his own time as a merc.
Especially now, with the Broker running around; with ties to that very same Vitali Dobrynin, mercenaries rumored to work for him wreaking havoc in Night City not too long ago- and especially after that very same Vitali Dobrynin had supposedly worked for Arasaka again, about half a year back.
Rumors, rumors, rumors.
Nobody there knew Vitali had been brainwashed by the corporation, used like a puppet by them to try and tie up the final loose end of the disaster with the Relic. Nobody there knew the mercenaries in question no longer worked for Vitali, and now worked for the Broker instead.
And nobody there knew the Broker was not Vitali himself, but no one other than his very own father.
But that was about to change.
‘Eyes on the prize, boss. Milf spotted in the back booth, left of the bar.’
‘Cato, can you please be respectful for once in your life?’
Mikhail’s voice was only barely audible to Vitali over the noises surrounding them, earpiece in his right ear and earplug in his left. His friend’s exasperated comment was merely met with laughter from Eddie- there with them in the Afterlife- and Judy- on the other side of comms, with Cato.
‘Aw, come on, Mish- Am I wrong?’ Cato playfully asked. ‘Rogue’s a hot piece of ass, everyone can see that! ‘s Not as if she can hear me from all the way over there, anyway.’
‘Usually we try to handle these kinds of operations with a bit more…elegance,’ Vitali responded as he slowly maneuvered through the crowd, a greeting nod in Claire’s direction as he passed her by. ‘But, you have a point. So I’ll allow it- this once.’
‘See? Even the boss can appreciate- Wait, what?’
Vitali reached for his earpiece, switching channels with a hint of a smile lingering on his face as he stopped at the far end of the bar, carefully lowering himself on one of the barstools. Claire had followed along and reached for a bottle to pour him the usual- but Vitali caught her gaze and signed a quick “just some water, please” before she could lift it up.
‘She’s still busy at the moment from what I can tell,’ Judy said over comms, Cato’s confused stammering still slightly audible in the background. ‘Are you sure you don’t want me to send her a quick ping? Both you and V are on her good side. Shouldn’t be an issue.’
‘Thank you, Judy, but it’s alright.’ Vitali smiled at Claire and swiftly stopped the glass of water shoved into his direction from sliding any further. ‘The Council does not need to know about my visit to her. Off the records. Surely she will understand.’
‘Your call, jefe. I’ll let you know when there’s a window.’
Mikhail and Eddie stood on either of Vitali’s sides as the minutes slowly passed by. He had not wanted to bring them along; but Vincent had not allowed him to visit the club all by himself and had even threatened to come after him were he to try it anyway.
In hindsight, it had been a good decision. It had been a long time since the last time he had walked in there; well over a year now, as a matter of fact. Vitali knew he wasn’t liked and he knew he had to watch his step in there, well aware it would not have to take much for him to end up with a bullet or two between his eyes.
Eddie leaned backwards against the bar, elbows on the counter as he slightly tilted his head toward his boss to get his attention. He gave him a playful wink the second Vitali’s gaze met his, and in return Vitali softly slapped him with the glove he had taken off, right before shoving it into his pocket.
‘What are we here for anyway, if I may ask?’ Eddie asked, a grin on their face as they bumped their hip against Vitali’s thigh. ‘Talking to Rogue. Not really your style, considering- well, you know.’
‘Things were different back then,’ Vitali answered, crossing his arms on the bar and leaning on them a little as he shifted position on his seat. ‘Through…unfortunate events, we have history now. And I- I need to talk to her about the Broker. Who they are.’
Eddie slowly nodded, their gaze trailing their surroundings as they checked if anyone was trying to listen in. Vitali finished his drink in the meantime and fiddled with it a little, the rings on his right hand softly ticking against the glass.
‘I am hoping to clear my own name,’ he continued, ‘call in the Council. Not sure if it is even possible in these times, but- I need to speak to them. Situation might escalate again soon and I would like to have things sorted out before that happens.’
‘Understandable.’ Eddie made brief eye contact with Mikhail and gave him a solid nod and Vitali briefly glanced over his shoulder, just in time to see his friend wander off into the crowd. ‘You think she’ll help?’
‘I sure hope so. Though with my track record of “getting help” these days I feel like it’s not going to lead to anything. But at least I’ll have tried.’
Even the act of visiting the Afterlife was already a big risk Vitali was taking and he knew it; yet nobody had been able to talk the idea out of his head. Another dumb mistake, possibly- but who would he be if he would not even give it a try?
‘Boss? Trouble.’
Vitali instantly perked up, first glancing at Eddie and then quickly turning around on his seat to assess the situation.
Mikhail had started making his way back to the two of them but had been stopped by- someone Vitali did not recognize, from that distance at least. A tall, muscular enough man with blond hair, wearing DIY combat gear over a jumpsuit; almost as if he was an NPC that had somehow wandered its way straight out of a video game.
Vitali tightened his jaw and hopped from his seat, grabbing his cane before slowly making his way over to the two men. A small crowd had formed around them, for some reason; friends, possibly, or just random bystanders waiting for a show.
‘Gentlemen,’ Vitali said, raising his voice slightly to make himself audible over the partially incoherent yelling of the man. He stopped, turning his head to look at Vitali- who used the split second of silence to his advantage and gently tugged Mikhail on his sleeve, positioning himself between his friend and the man despite the fact Mikhail was suited up for exactly these kinds of situations and he himself very much was not.
‘Can I help you?’ Vitali asked, and watched as a wide grin spread on the man’s face. He pointed at Vitali and turned to look at some others- they all looked like mercs of some sort on closer inspection. A gang, perhaps? Though Vitali had never seen them before in his life.
‘Been lookin’ for you,’ the man said, wagging his finger around in Vitali’s face before moving it over to Mikhail behind him. ‘That motherfucker screwed me over. You’re the big man in charge, right? I want my eddies back.’
It only took Vitali a fraction of a second to realize what he meant- A job done in the time he had been in Arizona with Vincent, when Mikhail had temporarily taken on the role as fixer to keep business going.
‘I’m sorry- screwed you over?’ Mikhail repeated and scoffed. ‘You provided us with shady, unreliable information, your informants didn’t show up and you nearly got several of our mercs killed. You should be glad I decided to let you walk away from the situation alive, you fucking-’
‘Alright, alright,’ Vitali gently interrupted him and raised his hand, ignoring the whispering and laughing of the crowd surrounding them. ‘Any of that true, sir?’
‘Well, I- uh-’ The man paused, visibly clenching his jaw as he straightened his back, towering high over Vitali; a weak attempt at intimidation, perhaps, though it did him very little and he merely patiently waited for his answer.
He knew his absence had not been easy for Mikhail and he knew not every job had gone as smoothly as they had usually gone, before his sudden departure. Did not blame him for it either, if anyone had to take the blame it would be Vitali himself and he had made sure Mikhail knew he had done everything he could and any trouble they would get because of it would not be his problem to deal with.
Hence why Vitali stood there now, positioned between Mikhail and the man- who was visibly starting to become more frustrated and took a few jumpy steps back as he ran his hand over his face and shook his head.
‘Listen,’ he said, once again pointing his finger in Vitali’s direction. ‘I’ma give you to the count of five, and if I don’t have my eddies back by then- all three thousand of ‘em- that dark red suit o’ yours is gonna be red for vastly different reasons.’
‘Really now?’ Vitali asked, raising his eyebrow and slightly tilting his head, a smile taking shape on his face as he let his eyes trail the crowd; people were starting to get rowdy, starting to cheer. A rush of adrenaline was already soaring through his system, reminding him of the street fights he used to participate in-
Sure, he was there for business now. But he could have a little bit of fun.
‘One!’ the guy yelled, his voice barely audible above the buzz of the club, the music suddenly a lot louder than before; though it could just be Vitali’s imagination, straightening his back and redistributing his weight to his left leg while grabbing his cane halfway down the shaft.
‘Two!’
‘You sure you’re going to do this, jefe?’ Judy asked. ‘Viktor’s gonna kill you.’
‘Only if I get hurt,’ Vitali replied, rolling back his neck as the man yelled out a loud three, dragging it out a little bit longer as if he was trying to give Vitali time to reconsider.
Another day, another client turning against him. Far from the first time and far from the last; though usually Vitali dealt with these sorts of things with a bit more finesse than he was about to do.
‘Four!’
He did not care. His reputation preceded him; the bruising of his knuckles as dark as the rims underneath his eyes, everyone knew Vitali Dobrynin was a fighter first and a fixer second. All to protect, all out of love- but no one cared about that. They only ever saw what was on show.
‘FIVE!’
The man wasted no time and went for a swing- and Vitali intercepted his arm with his cane with ease, hitting it from the side and causing the elbow to bend the wrong way. He swiftly stepped aside, allowing the man to stumble past him and he used the momentum to kick him down to the ground.
Accidentally used his right leg for it. It hurt a lot more than he had anticipated.
Vitali noticed people reaching for their weapons and glanced at Mikhail and Eddie who immediately drew their guns, keeping the crowd under control. The man was on the floor now- squirming, cursing and coughing his lungs out as he clutched his broken arm close to his body.
‘You have some nerve, I’ll give you that,’ Vitali said, tossing his cane aside and taking off his jacket. ‘Endangering the lives of my mercenaries with faulty information and then crawling back on your knees to beg for your fucking eddies. I should stuff them up your ass. Deliver your body in a box to your parents.’
‘Every job comes with risks, man!’ the guy cried out, trying to scramble to his feet as Vitali rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and walked closer. ‘Look- Sure, maybe I could’a been a bit more careful with some things, provide more detes, but-’
Vitali set his foot down on the man’s hand before he could finish his sentence and a strangled cry left his throat. He leaned forward and reached for his collar- but before he could get close enough, two pairs of strong hands grabbed him by his arms and violently dragged him back.
The world spun around him as a fist collided with his jaw and only a split second later he was face down on the floor, people screaming and cheering around him. Oh, and it felt good- the stinging pain burning through his muscles and the taste of blood in his mouth and he pushed himself back up on feet with a grin decorating his face.
A man and woman had joined the fray- both twice his size with biceps about as big as his head- and Vitali steadied himself and with a single blink of his eyes he was suddenly looking directly at Jackie and Viktor instead, a bright and warm sunday morning in the ring.
‘Watch your footing, Vito,’ Viktor said. ‘Can’t have you gettin’ swept off your feet before you can even land a hit.’
Vitali spat some blood on the floor and dodged another incoming swing, balling his fist and ramming it between the woman’s ribs before running straight into the man and shoving him violently into the wall. His hair was grabbed and yanked back- but it did nothing as he turned his head and sank his teeth as deep into the man’s wrist as he possibly could, until he let him go.
‘Dirty fighter, huh, V?’ Jackie grinned up at him as Vitali pinned him to the ground. ‘And right you are- Night City don’t play by the rules, either.’
The woman kicked him hard on his leg- his right leg once again, causing him to wince in pain and nearly sink through his knees. She wrapped her arm around his neck and lifted him from the floor, squeezing as hard as she could and he could feel his windpipe getting crushed.
Tears sprung in his eyes as he dragged his nails over the woman’s arm, cutting into skin and flesh and drawing blood but not nearly enough to cause her to let him go. He swung his leg back and managed to kick her in the crotch- with barely any effect- but she slightly loosened her grip giving him just enough space to push his arm between the two of them and elbow her hard in the chest.
He was dropped to the floor and landed painfully on his knees, coughing and wheezing as he tried to catch his breath. The man had regained himself in the meantime and walked forward- and without warning went for a kick, hitting Vitali in his ribs.
He grabbed the man’s foot and rolled to the side, dragging him along and causing him to fall backwards and hit his head hard on the concrete floor. The woman tried to stomp on him- but Vitali was a lot faster and dodged her foot, then reached for his belt, flicked out a knife and stabbed it through her shoe as hard as he could.
He was back on his feet within seconds, the world only slightly spinning as he swayed from side to side and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. The woman had yanked the knife out of her foot, cursing loudly at him as she swung it around and then hurled it through the air-
‘You need to be quicker.’ Viktor smiled gently as he extended his hand, and Vitali begrudgingly took it and allowed the man to pull him back to his feet. ‘Reflexes are key, Vito. You’re agile, you’re perceptive; use that to your advantage.’
Vitali caught it.
He licked his lips as he carefully twirled the knife between his fingers, watching the blood drain from the woman’s face right before she quickly raised her hands in defense and took a few steps back until she was once again part of the crowd.
People were a little bit quieter, now. The man on the floor hadn’t moved yet.
Vitali absently wiped the knife on his pants as he redirected his attention to the man who had started it all; still sitting on the floor, holding his arm tightly and looking even more pathetic than he had done a few minutes ago. The second he realized Vitali was looking at him, he made another attempt at scrambling to his feet- but slipped on the little pool of blood that had taken shape underneath the head of the man lying dead at his feet and he fell down on his ass again.
‘If I can’t even beat the two of you, I’ll never make it out there.’ Vitali tilted his head up and allowed Jackie to pinch the bridge of his nose for him, while holding a tissue up against it.
‘Just give it time, mano,’ Jackie simply answered, and playfully kicked his foot against the side of his friend’s leg. ‘You tackled me to the floor just now like I weighed nothing- you couldn’t do that a month ago.’
Vitali walked over to the man and grabbed his collar- then seemingly without effort dragged him on his feet and tossed him on one of the benches to his right, only to then ram him violently into the wall and climb on top of him.
‘It’s funny,’ he sneered, leaning in until his forehead nearly touched that of the other man. ‘You even admit that you were in the wrong. Do you truly think that will save you?’
‘You’re fucking insane!’ the man yelled back at him, struggling in his grip- but his broken arm prevented him from doing anything, and with Vitali straddling his lap there was nowhere for him to flee.
‘Piece of- corpo trash! Fucking- Get off of me!’
‘Shh,’ Vitali gently shushed him, letting the back of his fingers run over the man’s cheek- leaving behind a trail of dark red blood. He wasn’t even sure if it was his own or someone else’s.
‘Just let me go, man! I won’t bother you again, I swear!’
‘I know, I know.’ Vitali paused, and he felt the eyes from nearly everyone in the club on his back. Could almost hear their thoughts, could feel their judgment like acid burning through his skin-
‘But you almost got my mercenaries killed. And I can’t let that go unpunished.’
And he balled his fist, and let his knuckles collide with the man’s jaw.
One hit.
Two hit.
Three hit.
He grabbed his collar again, ignoring the blood dripping out of the man’s mouth and his eyes rolling back in their sockets. Wanted to speak- but then noticed the man reaching for his knife and grabbed his hand before he could get to it, twisting it around and pinning it against the wall.
‘Alright, enough!’
A sudden silence washed over the crowd and Vitali slowly turned his head. People had stepped aside- to make room for no one other than Rogue Amendiares, her arms crossed in front of her chest as she slowly let her gaze move over the scene playing out in front of her.
‘Show’s over, everyone get back to your fucking business,’ she said. ‘Vitali, get off the man. You got your point across.’
Vitali clenched his jaw and turned back to his victim, who was only barely conscious anymore. He slowly let go of the man’s wrist and instead firmly gripped a handful of his hair, to yank his head up and look him in the eyes.
‘Did I?’ he asked, slightly tilting his head again- adrenaline still coursing through his veins yet his heartbeat as stable as ever.
The man weakly nodded in response.
Vitali slowly got up and stepped back, exhaustion instantly washing over him the second his body realized the conflict was over. Mikhail carefully walked closer to him- and after brief eye contact as confirmation handed him his cane again, his jacket held tightly underneath his arm.
Breathe in, breathe out.
‘I’m surprised to see you here,’ Rogue said, turning back around and making her way back to her booth, gesturing for Vitali to follow her. ‘Thought this place was- how did you word it? “Not your style”?’
‘Times change, Rogue, you know that,’ Vitali coldly responded, wincing a little as he set his right foot down and he leaned heavily on his cane while following her down the steps.
‘Just fuckin’ with you, kid. Here.’
Rogue turned around, snatching a tissue from a box on the table and she grabbed his chin to keep his head still- and he allowed her to wipe the blood off his face.
Last time Vitali had been to the Afterlife, he had asked Rogue for help- had needed information on the Relic and had thought she would be willing to provide that in exchange for eddies, or resources, whatever she desired; one fixer to another.
But given his history with Arasaka she had not been willing to even sit down for a conversation with him. Which he had understood, mostly- but in all his desperation to find a way to save Vincent’s life, he had not handled the rejection very well. And that was putting it lightly.
‘What brings you here?’ Rogue asked, tapping Vitali’s chin the moment she finished and sitting down on the couch of the booth, gesturing for him to follow her lead. ‘Doubt you showed up just to put on a nice show for the regulars.’
‘Needed to see you.’ Vitali sat down and briefly glanced into the rest of the club, watching Eddie and Mikhail take their positions at the opening of the booth, turned sideways to both keep an eye on their surroundings as well as Vitali himself.
‘That’s one way to get my attention. Could’ve called.’
‘Would like the Council to not know about my visit here.’
‘My lips are sealed. Let’s hope the dead don’t learn how to talk in the meantime.’
Vitali clenched his jaw, eyes once again momentarily pulled to the outside of the booth as the body of the man who had attacked him was carried outside. He hadn’t meant for that to happen, of course; but it also did not do him much. He had other, more pressing matters to worry about.
‘How are you doing?’ he asked, biting the inside of his cheek as he turned back to Rogue.
‘Oh, cut the bullshit, Vito-’ She leaned forward and shook her head. ‘To the point. What do you want?’
‘The Broker is my father.’
Silence washed over the booth and something about Rogue’s expression changed- softened, almost, before she clenched her jaw and a frown slowly took shape on her face.
‘Matvey Dobrynin,’ Vitali quietly continued. ‘He’s doing all of this.’
The last thing he wanted was for the Council to find out about that. But he needed Rogue to know; he knew she was the only one who would believe him when he would tell her he had nothing to do with it, and with her on his side he could finally have a chance at clearing his name.
‘Shit,’ Rogue said, dropping her head briefly and sighing. ‘Must’a been quite a shock.’
‘I’ve found peace with it,’ Vitali replied, crossing his legs and sinking back into the cushions of the couch. ‘Complicated family.’
He clicked his tongue and Mikhail walked closer, handing Vitali his jacket. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a datashard; and after a brief moment of hesitation he handed it to Rogue, who slowly brought it to the slot behind her ear.
‘Evidence,’ Vitali simply said, watching the rings around her pupils light up bright blue. ‘The attack, those mercs- ex-mercenaries of mine. They no longer work for me. Left my network during my absence and my father used this to his advantage to win them over, turn them against me.’
‘He’s behind it all and tryin’ to frame you for it,’ Rogue slowly said. ‘Clever.’
‘The Council cannot know it’s my father, but- I need them to know that it is not me.’ Vitali paused, sucking in a shallow breath as he watched Rogue pull the shard out again. ‘I don’t need their help- I can handle this myself- I just don’t want them as my enemies, either.’
‘I understand.’ Rogue gently placed the shard on the table, visibly thinking, her leg lightly bouncing up and down. ‘Have you heard anything new? Any developments?’
‘Nothing new as of right now,’ Judy said in Vitali’s ear. ‘Only what we picked up earlier.’
‘There’s been chatter, the past few days,’ Vitali said. ‘Matvey is preparing another attack- I don’t know when, or where, but something is happening again. We’re monitoring the situation as best as we can but whatever it is he’s planning, he is going to try and put the blame on me.’
They had not picked up much yet; too vague bits and pieces of conversations, encrypted messages, snippets of plans. Piecing together what Matvey was working on would require a lot more information and Vitali knew that very well- but knowing things were being set in motion again at the earliest notice at least helped him prepare himself and his mercs alike.
But he was not there to talk about what his father had planned out for him.
‘I want to defend my case, to the Council,’ Vitali slowly said, swallowing heavily and gesturing at the datashard on the table. ‘That is why I came to see you. I was hoping you could- I don’t know, arrange a meeting. Call them together. Just- an hour of everyone’s time, and-’
‘I can’t do that.’
Rogue’s voice was strict, as always- though surprisingly gentle at that, and she couldn’t look Vitali in his eyes as she shook her head.
‘Too dangerous,’ she continued, and slowly leaned forward to move a little closer to him. ‘One thing we know is that the Broker is targeting fixers. You specifically now- and I’m startin’ to see why- but the Council isn’t paying attention to that. Say we get everyone together, what if he attacks? Half the Council dead. Your point proven, but at what cost?’
Vitali leaned forward too and lowered his gaze, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to keep his breathing stable as what he had already feared for became reality right in front of him.
‘A lot of ‘em are trying to lay low until the situation’s over,’ Rogue quietly explained. ‘They’re scared, Vito. Won’t ever admit it, but I know they are. I can present the evidence you put on that shard, put in a good word for you, but- that’s all I can do right now. We gotta wait for the situation to settle down, first.’
Vitali understood.
Of course he did; deep down he was scared too and if he could disappear and wait for his father to just give up and leave him alone, then he would do that in a heartbeat.
But how many more people would get injured or lose their lives were he to do that? How much more of Night City would end up in rubble, how many more attacks would take place? How far was Matvey willing to go, just to get his revenge?
‘Just don’t mention that it’s my father,’ Vitali quietly said, as he slowly looked up again. ‘I can’t have them know.’
‘I know. Secret’s safe with me.’
Silence fell over the booth once more and Rogue reached out for the bottle of liquor on the table, to fill up her own glass. She grabbed a second one, put it close to Vitali and gave him a questioning look- he merely shook his head in response, fingernails digging deep into the palm of his hand on his lap.
‘What’s your plan?’ she asked, picking up her own glass and taking a swig.
‘Not sure yet,’ Vitali honestly answered and slowly sank back into the couch again. ‘Cards are finally on the table now, that’s a start. I know what- who- I am up against. I just need to get closer again. One last time.’
‘Good luck with that.’ Rogue paused, slightly twirling her glass around and causing the ice cubes in it to softly clink against the sides. ‘Whatever you do, though, do it quickly. It’s been going on for long enough. People are getting restless.’
‘I know. Eager to blame me for it?’
‘Some of them are. That Dinovic especially- the cunt’s got beef with you, from what I could gather. What’d you do?’
‘Threatened him at his stupid fucking bar after he dared to withhold V his payment following a gig gone wrong because of his own fucked up intel.’
‘Yeah, that’ll do it.’
About a year had passed since that unfortunate incident, but Vitali knew Dino could hold a serious grudge. Not that he cared at all- the man meant very little to him and were he to ever try something like he had again, Vitali could not guarantee he would leave the fixer alive.
He stared at the shard on the table in front of him for a while as Rogue slowly finished her drink, and listened to the noises of the rest of the club. He mostly just heard the music again- even within the booth he’d had a hard time hearing Rogue speak on occasion, but at that point he could read lips well enough to manage.
He knew there was not much else left to say. Rogue made good points- a Council gathering could very easily end in disaster with Matvey still out for blood and although it would at least prove Vitali was not the Broker himself, it would still point fingers in his direction as a possible collaborator.
And if they were to find out the Broker was his father, it would only make things even worse for him.
‘Well, if that was all,’ Rogue suddenly said and set her empty glass back down on the table. Vitali felt his heart drop, but kept his mouth shut as he inhaled deeply and watched her slowly get up-
‘Ask her about the Arasaka thing, boss,’ Cato suddenly quietly said through his earpiece. ‘Thought you wanted to mention that too.’
That was very true. He had almost forgotten about it.
‘Rogue,’ Vitali quickly said, and she stopped mid-movement to look at him again. He shifted position on the couch, moving a little closer to her- and she slowly sat down again, leaning in to make sure no one else would hear them speak.
‘Do they still think I willingly went back to Arasaka?’ he quietly asked.
He was almost scared to get an answer to his question.
He knew that on a surface level it had looked exactly like that. He had vanished- had gotten shot and Arasaka had taken him in, patched him up and had put him through their latest brainwashing program in secret, and when Vitali had finally shown his face to the outside world again he had been entirely in their control-
But to everyone else it had simply looked like he had decided to switch sides.
‘Some do, yeah,’ Rogue finally answered, a frown on her face telling Vitali she did not find it easy to say. ‘They don’t know about what went down there.’
‘But you were there, too.’
‘Only Wakako knows about that.’
Vitali clenched his jaw and lowered his gaze, an exhale leaving his chest a little sharper than he had meant for. Deep down he had already known about all of it; but to hear it come out of Rogue’s mouth like that made it even more real to him and he clenched his fists again, a desperate attempt to keep himself under control.
‘Hey.’
Rogue reached out and placed a hand on the side of his upper arm, giving it a reassuring squeeze before pulling back again.
‘I’ll present them the evidence,’ she said, ‘as my own, not yours. You were never here, they’ll hear it from me, it’ll ease their minds. For now. You deal with your old man in the meantime, and this will all be over before you know it. Alright?’
‘Thank you,’ Vitali quietly said and she shook her head, waving her hand vaguely in the air.
‘Don’t mention it. Now get outta here, kid. This place isn’t your style.’
With a light smile on his face, Vitali carefully stood up and left the booth, leaning a little heavier on his cane again as he walked. The fight had been fun- but it had not done him any good and Judy’s words from earlier began bouncing around in his brain again.
Viktor really is going to kill me, huh.
‘Ladies, we are leaving the club as we speak,’ Eddie dramatically said, slowly following Vitali with Mikhail by his side. ‘Thank you for tuning in and we will see you back at the office.’
‘Not me, I’m going home,’ Judy replied. ‘Well done though, boys. Hope you’re okay, Vito. You did great.’
Vitali was not listening to their conversation anymore.
Eyes focused straight ahead, trying to ignore the stares of everyone around him as he slowly made his way through the club back to the entrance. Some people actually stepped out of his way as he passed them by- as if he would hurt them were they to get too close.
Vitali would never do such a thing unprompted.
But they did not know that. No one cared about that.
They only ever saw what was on show.
The cool midnight air of Night City was a welcoming breath of fresh air- as fresh as it could be, at least. A pleasant change from the heavy air inside and Vitali could not complain, briefly slowing his pace as he closed his eyes and breathed in deep a couple of times.
He was exhausted now. Partially regretted the fight; his ribs were sore and his leg was screaming at him to sit down, and he quickly made his way back to the car they had arrived in.
‘Small victory, yes?’ Mikhail asked, sitting down in the driver’s seat as Vitali himself took place in the backseat of the car, right in the middle.
‘Small victory,’ he repeated and buckled his seatbelt. ‘I’ll take what I can get.’
Of course he had hoped for more, but to have Rogue in his corner was a relief; if she could turn the heads of the Council away from him, even if it was just for a little while, it would be a big weight off his shoulders and he would be able to focus on dealing with Matvey in peace.
Vitali said nothing as they slowly began making their way back to Wellsprings, eyes glued to the scenery of the city outside- flashy, neon advertisements and bright car lights alike blinding him until he inevitably lowered his gaze.
He wondered what his father was doing at that very moment. A curious thought- but one that refused to leave his head, that single question repeating itself over and over again like a broken record.
What was he planning? When would he make his next move?
Vitali looked down at his hands. He hadn’t bothered to clean them yet; the blood on them had dried, and the bruising on his knuckles had darkened.
Another sharp exhale as he quickly averted his gaze. It was fine; they’d had it coming. None of them good people- and neither was he, and he knew that, and it was far too late for him to come back from that now.
‘Let’s stop by a diner or something, I’m starving,’ Eddie suddenly said, breaking the silence as they pointed at a building nearby. ‘I’ll just hop in and out real quick- Misha, the usual? Anything I can get you, boss?’
‘No, thank you,’ Vitali politely declined, shooting them a small smile as Mikhail turned to the side of the road and parked the car, allowing Eddie to jump out and hurry their way over to the diner.
‘You okay?’ Mikhail asked after a brief silence, slightly turning in his seat to look at Vitali. ‘You look sad.’
‘Just tired,’ Vitali answered, the smile on his face turning a little weary. ‘Didn’t go entirely as expected.’
‘You could have let me handle it. I’m your bodyguard, remember?’
‘This was more fun. I gave them a good show, no?’
‘Hm, you always do. Showoff.’
‘Asshole.’
Vitali closed his eyes and smiled as Mikhail reached out for him and ruffled his hair before leaning in and planting a soft kiss on his cheek. He turned back on his seat, a few soft clicks and coughs leaving his lips as he tapped on the steering wheel and waited for Eddie to return.
Vitali leaned back again, relaxing in the backseat and once more allowing his eyes to wander outside- from his position, he could see the pier in the distance, overlooking the dark and empty ocean.
He could see a storm rolling in.
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seddair · 2 months
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transgender-catboy · 6 months
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I love my friends
#i think im just going to talk in the tags for a moment. got a lot on my mind#for starters. the fnaf movie comes out soon. really looking forward to that. think its gonna be awesome and amazing and I'm super excited!!!#secondly. waiting on funds so i can buy that mask i saw the other day and some Halloween candy from Walmart#i . want to do little goodie bags for the kids in my building. but im too scared to go up to their parents and ask candy preference and#allergy concerns. so. idk. maybe I'll just save it. I think it's a cute concept but it makes me feel like my mother.#she loved to do little gift things for people. but it was always people that didn't like her. i don't want to be that way#i know my value. i know my time and energy means something. i don't want to waste it on people who don't give a shit. ya know?#not saying the kids are those kinds of people. not what i mean. but just as an overall thing. i don't like being like her.#...yeah. i dunno. you get raised by one person your whole life. you pick up some of their characteristics#i can't sob without sounding like her. safe to say i am a little emotionally constipated. so i seek other means to relieve that feeling.#like yesterday when i threw up. i played it off like that was a blunder on my body. but i know what i did.#hey. at least it's not the other method. right?. .. yeah. okay. i know. not great either#but it hurts. and I'm so fucking sick and tired of crying over her. genuinely. it's exhausting crying all the time#but that's the only way I can get those emotions out#I've tried to do the counseling thing. but other things made that impossible. then i moved.#and i tried the grief thing but instead i just got a talking buddy? he helps me get out of the house yeah.#but we dont talk about her#... i dunno. I'm just here.#guess i waited long enough. now you get a mini secret. every time i make an i love my friends post. I'm reminding myself why I'm still going#I'm usually sitting around somewhere in my apartment (desk couch bed) crying. alone. thinking about you guys.#so uh. thank you.#i love you guys so much. and i don't know where I'd be without you#probably dead.#💖#vent
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chennnington · 9 months
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Me like two weeks ago: nobody in real life will ever know I’m trans. I couldn’t bear to inconvenience people by coming out and asking them to use different pronouns and a new name. I shall remain in the closet forever.
Me now: …and then I’ll ask my bosses for a talk and come out to them and maybe to three coworkers, and then I’ll come out to everyone else at the office Christmas party, here’s the things I’m gonna say in my speech during dinner, and before all that I’ll tell my parents and I’ll start the conversation by referencing this certain thing, and I’ll tell my best friend the next time she visits me over the weekend and start by reminding her of this and this in elementary school and I’ll come out to the folks in my dojo and dojang little by little and we figure out the changing room situation together and-
#seriously what’s happening?#I figured out I’d start considering at some point in the distant future in case the pressure ever got too much#and now boom the day is here after not even a month#it’s wild. that’s not how I usually am. I don’t trust it just yet#wait what about my relatives#heh#I guess my parents would tell my dad’s brother and his wife immediately cause they’re close#and then I’d get a sudden WhatsApp message from my uncle a few days later#probably congrats or something#I can imagine my aunt getting excited#tbh she’d probably be the most excited#my parents are usually reserved#dad wouldn’t say much and mom would be confused and ask questions#on the other hand she has rejected things that mattered to me before#whatever. I’ll make sure to met them know they did nothing wrong while raising me#I have no idea how much they know about LGBTQIA+ stuff#they didn’t react negatively to the trans woman on tv though#and she transitioned super late and has short hair and a deep voice#so I’m sure there are people who’d say stupid shit like ‘lol guy in a dress’#and she was very outgoing. she was carrying a stuffed unicorn around in public#so I guess at least mom could think that trans people are just childish and silly#oh whoops I’m writing a novel in the tags again haha#ew now I had to think of the external asshole at work and he’d definitely have questions#he’d turn it into an interview. that’s his job after all. oh damn. ew.#and one of the other externals would definitely ask inappropriate questions cause she always does that when interviewing people#I know who is come out to first at the dojo#tbh the dojo is the least scary part cause respect is so important and only my sensei is above my rank haha#but mainly the respect thing#at the dojang it’d be a bit harder even though they even have a trans boy there#oh no I reached 30 tags. that’s the maximum amount it seems. if you’re still reading send me a meow on anon or off
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safyresky · 9 months
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😤😮‍💨
I am once again venting below the cut, please enjoy this Jacqueline in the meantime:
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GOOD LORD!! CIRCULAR CONVERSATIONS ARE GENUINELY SOOO FRUSTRATING. I've had my new car for a WEEK and for a WEEK it's been the SAME SHIT between the hubbers and the MIL:
He mentions the car bc he's excited about it
She goes on an emotionally charged RANT about how concerned she is that we went and bought this car and how she's worried about all the debt we have and that we won't be able to "just vibe"
He assures her we went over everything (which we did) and that it's affordable for us (it being the bi-weekly payment)
It stops there. He laments to me. I reassure. I boost him the FUCK UP LIKE HE DESERVES TO BE! 😤
He brings up the car again with her in the hopes she'll be like I'm also excited about this for you!!
She instead once more lectures us on debt
He once again reassures her
He comes to me lamenting once more
I am stuck watching this circle and smacking my head against the wall
I love this man so much, and he does NOT deserve the shit his mother is giving him and I VERY MUCH DISLIKE that he is STILL SEEKING HER APPROVAL. ESPECIALLY BECAUSE WE DIDN'T BUY THE CAR FOR HIM!! WE BOUGHT IT FOR M E AND HE CO-SIGNED BC THE PAYMENT IS CHEAPER AND HE IS VERY EXCITED THAT WE HAVE A NEW, RELIABLE VEHICLE THAT IS SAFE FOR ME! HE'S HAPPY I'M SAFE!
And he's NOT explaining this bit to his Mom, and keeps being like w/e her opinion doesn't matter
BUT THEN THEY HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AGAIN
AHHHHHH
I hate circular arguments y'all. They make me want to explodE. My entire morning/afternoon has been reassuring the hubbers and trying to point out how the convo is circular bc he's looking for her approval and excitement but she is looking for Something Else BC she's worried about our finances. Guys, imma be real with you. This is an affordable payment for us. It's literally only coming out of MY PAYCHECK since it's MY CAR and they BOTH seem to be forgetting that and it's causing this stupid discussion that won't end until either:
He tells her he's heard her concerns and asks her what she's looking for (since despite his reassurances and walking her thru the process we went thru last weekend and showing her the numbers and how it all works out fine she STILL keeps voicing her concerns, to the point where I haven't even talked with her about it but am dying to yell WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE US TO DO MARGE, GET RID OF THE CAR??? Because really, what WOULD you like us to do and it's presumptuous of you to assume we can't handle it and will need your help)
He tells her he's heard her concerns and asks her to just listen to his and please show some excitement because he's excited about it, so why can't you be
They let it die and never talk about it again the end OR
He understands that this is another one of those Margie being Margie scenarios and he's not gonna get her approval or excitement, and accepts that all he needs in this scenario is his OWN acceptance and excitement, and find a way to be OKAY with that
And I don't know how LIKELY any of these are going to be in the near future (and dw, I texted him that blurb already so hopefully it's on his mind and he makes good choices, good choices being either 1 or 4 bc this isn't gonna get resolved any time soon with my MIL's old fashioned REPRESS UR EMOTIONS ass 😤) so I am instead FUMING about situations OUTSIDE OF MY CONTROL bc as an outsider Incan see how it's going and after 4 years of therapy I can see what needs to be done bc I'VE BEEN THERE TOO
This situation has me so down it's making me wanna call and vent to my Mommy and that's how you KNOW it's yucky tbh
#dani speaks#dani vents#i don't often call my mom to vent these days bc she can be very similar to Richard's mom re: ur childs feelings#BUT MY GOD. I AM AT A LIMIT#anyway if u read the vent ty for reading I appreciate it 🩷#we'll be okay! i know Richard will read those options and see what's going on and choose what works best for the time being#BUT MY GOD WATCHING THE CROSSFIRE?? IS STRESSFUL#I'M LIKE#THIS IS SO STUPID GUYS PLZ#anyway if anyone wonders why I wrote blinter the way I did#THIS IS WHY. I THINK PARENTS SHOULD MAKE UP WITH THEIR ADULT CHILDREN AND UNDERSTAND THE TRAUMAS AND THINGS#AND BE SUPER SUPPORTIVE#I THINK PARENTS NEED TO STOP THE AGE OLD HANDING OVER OF TRAUMA TO THE KIDS#GENERATIONAL TRAUMA IS AO FRUSTRATING AND SO EASILY AVOIDABLE BUT IT DOES ENOUGH DAMAGE THAT IT KEEPS GOING!#FUCK THE CYCLE ALL MY HOMIES HATE THE CYCLE#and if anyone is wondering. i am VERY excited about the new car#being able to drive again without breakdown anxiety and in a car that isn't crumbling to dust around me#is STELLAR! I WANT TO CRY HAPPY TEARS! I HAVE MY FREEDOM BACK! THE MONEY WE'LL SAVE ON SUDDEN REPAIRS#IS GONNA BE SO NICE#I'm 😭😭😭#it's just so reliving and I feel so annoyed that MIL doesn't see it like that and is focusing on 'startung ur marriage out in debt'#sweetie. I've been paying student loans for 5 years. We were ALREADY starting with debt and our payment plan is FINE#WE HAVE JOB SECURITY#OTHERWISE I WOULDN'T HAVE DONE IT#AND IF WE SUDDENLY DON'T#WE SELL ONE OF THE CARS#Boom. done.#ANYWAY. IMMA GO GROCERY SHOPPING NOW#BC I CAN BC MY CAR IS RELIABLE!! AH!#out of context jacquelines
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megansplants · 2 years
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So a few weeks ago I was whining about not being able to get some glass IKEA cabinets for my plants in the new house because it was too expensive to get them shipped.
But then
My parents told me that they’re driving to Salt Lake City in early November.
In my mom’s big GMC Denali.
Which means…..
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THEY’RE GOING TO PICK UP A CABINET FOR ME AND DRIVE IT BACK TO MONTANA!!!!!!! 💚💚💚💚
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And bless Bridger’s heart. Even though we’re trying to be really careful with our money for the next few months bc we’re about to empty out ALL of our cash to close on this house and need to replenish our emergency fund, he is being very supportive of me dropping a decent chunk of change on this cabinet because he knows how important my plants are to me. I’m not sure he would spend that much money on himself right now.
Which is good since the reason why I NEED some kind of storage for my plants is because his cat (that I got him….) is such a jerk when it comes to anything in his territory and I need some kind of barrier between him and my plants. He’s such a terror, he would definitely shred right through my good ol’ vinyl indoor greenhouse.
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skrunksthatwunk · 1 year
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why'd they give the IT help desk guy at [university] the same mics they use at drive thrus 💀💀💀
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doggytail-duck · 1 year
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So the new Willow tv series damn near made me cry out of sheer nostalgic joy
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transboykirito · 2 years
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i’ll post more pictures later because they’re on two different phones (and i didn’t get that many because i forgot djdbdjd) but thank you all for following my con blogging stuff <3
i can say with assurance that part of the reason (a big part of the reason) that i love sao so much is because of all of you, so thank you for letting me love this series and these characters and thank you for letting me be excited about it <3
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nomaishuttle · 1 year
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RAN OUT OF TAGS
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