#just like another person does and it ain’t fair man.

[bitchsister]

UHHHHMMMM YEAAAA SOOO U R NOT GONNA TELL ME LUCKYCHARMS CURT WENT THROUGH A CASUAL BY CHAPPELL ROAN PHASE WITH BUCKY AND EXPECT ME NOT TO DEMAND ANSWERS ABOUT THAT

Alright anon…. Fine

I’m totally working out of order with my requests but i promise, I’m chugging along!!

Shoutout to Crosby for being a good roommate and bestie!

This kinda hurt my heart!!!!! :)

Also Alex I know this was u that asked this. Coward

Six months — Curt felt sick with it. He’d check his phone religiously, hoping a new text would arrive from Bucky and when it wouldn’t, his mood would reflect just that.

He’d start fights at the skate park for no real reason, even swung his cue stick at an annoying forty-something who couldn’t find anything better to do than judge of game of pool between a group of drunken college kids who were only there to have fun.

He was then banned from the only bar within walking distance with a pool table.

He laid in his dorm room, staring at the bottom of Crosby’s bunk as he contemplated sending the text.

We need to talk

Delete, delete.

Can we talk?

Delete.

“Just send it.” Crosby rolled his eyes dramatically, hopping up into his bed and draping himself over the side to watch him type another text out and delete it. “You’re both adults. Dude’s acting like a fucking child.”

Curt sighed heavily, switching the cheek in which he sucked on his lollipop. “He’s a lawyer, Harry.” He rationed, though he knew it wasn’t a decent excuse for not hearing from him for six days. “He’s just busy, m’sure.”

The last time they were together, Curt spent the whole weekend and everything was so devastatingly romantic in a way he wouldn’t expect the same person that cooked him dinner, laid Curtis down and massaged his entire body, sat with him in an obnoxiously large bathtub with champagne, to go ghost for almost an entire week.

“He’s playing the field, Biddy.” Crosby stayed where he was, hanging upside down over their bunks to watch Curt type out yet another text. “Better to get this over with now rather than later.” He’d done his fair share of back and forths. “Situationship with a man ten years your senior?” He huffed. “It’ll put you in the ward — take it from me.”

He slung himself back into his own bed, yawning loudly before he continued. “Send it. Tell him what you want out of this.” He flicked the little lamp clipped to his headboard on, a book cracked open in his lap. “Or suffer in silence, ‘cause I can’t do this shit with you anymore.”

Curt nodded slowly, having no true rebuttal as he knew full well Harry was making decent points.

“Full send.” He mumbled, thumb smashing the little blue send button, his phone tossed up to Harry into his bunk. “I ain’t lookin’. Just tell me if he responds.” He hugged his folded arms over his eyes, a loud sigh deflating him.

Five minutes passed by but to Curt it had felt like an eternity.

“Damn,” Harry opened Curt’s phone, his passcode memorized from all the times he’d hijacked Curt’s Uber account to order them rides from the bars or to drain all of his credits on his TouchTunes. “Probably waiting by the phone like you were, Biddy.”

Curt peeked from behind his arms, his voice muffled. “What’d he say?”

“He said —“ Crosby turned on his side, squinting at the screen that was spiderwebbed with cracks. “I can pick you up. Question mark.”

Another groan rolled out of him as he sat up, his hands covered in the sleeves of his sweatshirt scrubbed over his face. “Say yes. Say — uh, say yes, I’d like that, or somethin’.”

He scrambled to yank his clothes off, scuttling around to find another outfit.

“Ah, no.” Crosby laughed as he shook his head, typing out a simple and to the point ‘Ok’ and hitting send. “Let’s remember who ghosted you for a week, please. Right now, you like nothing he does.” His gaze landed on Curt who stared up at him. “Okay?”

“Okay.”

Bucky pulled up outside of the south hall where Curt climbed into his car and picked at the cuts on his knuckles. “Hey.” He said simply, looking over at Bucky who looked exhausted but still just as beautiful, his hand reached over to rest over Curt’s left thigh.

“Hey.”

Their spot wasn’t far from campus - only about a two minute drive away was an overlook near the river where Bucky put his car into park, his body turning toward Curt to really look at him. “What’s up?” He asked, biting back a yawn. “Thought you’d be getting to bed by now.”

Curt shook his head slowly, his fingertips tracing the veins in Bucky’s hand. “I couldn’t sleep.” I’ve missed you for a whole week. “Thinkin’ about you.”

If it wasn’t so dark, Curt would have seen Bucky’s cheeks and how they’d been painted all rosy. “That right?” He hooked his hand around Curt’s and pulled him into his lap. “What about me?”

Curt felt Bucky’s hands slide beneath his shirt, palms pressed to the soft and warm skin there. He couldn’t speak, couldn’t lay his heart out on the line like that so instead he kissed his lips, fingers threaded through his sleepy waves that had been in bed already, his poor brain completely obliterated by the workday.

“Oh,” Bucky whispered, “missed that.”

Then why haven’t you spoken to me?

Where have you been?

Why did you go ghost for almost an entire week?

Curt bit his tongue, too high on getting what he’s daydreamed about since the last time he felt it to sour the moment by demanding answers.

It’d dawned on Bucky rather quickly that the way Curtis tasted would stay with him for ages.

Sweet, artificial cherry where in the background somewhere a joint smoked on the sidewalk as he waited for Bucky to pick him up left its mark.

Days would pass, and Bucky could still taste him.

Curtis lingered. He made an impression, slathered over the brains of anyone he crossed paths with.

Loud, little, an electric shock to the system.

Bucky licked into his mouth, sucked on his tongue, chased the taste of him into the back of his own throat. He behaved as if he wanted to devour him. Like he’d been starved just as badly as Curtis had been.

So, why hadn’t he just said something?

Why didn’t he ask to see him?

Why, why, why?

A surge of adrenaline had woken Bucky up, his hands guiding Curt to lie his belly over the center console, his ass in Bucky’s face as Curt giggled. “Said you wanted to talk,” he whispered, pulling the elastic waistband of Curt’s sweatpants below the supple curve of his ass. “Or did you just want this?”

Curt groaned softly into the leather seat he hid his face in, his thighs spread apart as Bucky got into position between them, his tongue licking big, fat stripes over Curt’s hole that missed him so desperately.

No one, absolutely no one did it for him the way Bucky did.

His hands, his lips, his hair, his mustache that Crosby said was so Dilfy. His teeth, his eyes, his voice and the way he called Curt baby once after a bottle of wine.

He held onto it.

He replayed it over and over in his mind.

Ride that cock, baby.

Baby.

Baby.

Oh, please, can I be your baby?

“I told you,” Curt whispered softly through a moan once Bucky really began to eat him up, his thighs shaking as he rut his ass into Bucky’s face. “I missed you so much.”

Barely there, hardly audible above the obscene sounds Bucky’s mouth had been making.

A loud crack of skin pierced his eardrums, his left asscheek stinging once Bucky had pulled away and spread him just to get a look and soak him all up. “You’re just perfect,” what are you doing with someone like me? “Let me take you home with me.” His voice was rough and yet so gentle when he pulled Curt back into his lap.

Face to face again.

“I got class in the morning.”

“I’ll drop you off.”

Curt cupped Bucky’s cheeks, nodding slowly as he huffed to catch his breath. “I can’t skip.” He shuffled back into the passenger seat, his sweatpants throw into the back with his underwear, his big sweater long enough to cover him if need be. “Need this final to pass.”

Bucky had thrown it into drive faster than ever, trying his best not to become too distracted by Curtis who leaned against the passenger side door and faced Bucky as he drove, his thighs lifted and his toes curled as he fucked himself with his fingers.

“Fuck.” I’m so in love with you. “You’re filthy.” You’re too good for me.

“You want me, don’t you?” Curt shivered with another moan that ripped right through him. “Want me so fucking bad. Look at you.” He extended his leg to toe over the bulge in Bucky’s own sweatpants, his favorite ones for sleeping, not for concealing a hard-on.

Bucky stayed silent, his lip between his teeth as he drove.

“Don’t you.” Curt urged, the sole of his foot pressed against Bucky’s erection.

“Mhmm.”

Not good enough.

“Then why ain’t you talked to me for a week?” Curt was stroking himself instead, saving the fucking for Bucky.

This isn’t how he expected to ask, but some sort of confidence had taken over.

“I - I was just busy.” Bucky turned to look at Curt, his brows furrowed as he wondered how they’d so quickly ended up here. “Work, Curt.”

“You couldn’t send me a single text?”

Bucky swallowed the lump in his throat, staring at the red light that taunted him. “I — it doesn’t mean I don’t wanna see you..”

“Then why haven’t you?”

“I told you. Work.”

Curt scrambled to his knees, leaned over the console but this time it was to get closer to Bucky’s face with his own. “Try again.” His sights narrowed and his lips tugged into an annoyed grimace. “Why haven’t you?”

Bucky sat silent for awhile, driving idly as they caught every red light under the sun. “Listen — I —“ he blinked a few times, trying to arrange his thoughts “What do you want out of this, Curt?”

Caught off guard, Curtis slowly backed away from Bucky and sat on his folded legs in the passenger seat, his expression morphing from everything to nothing. “What do I want out of this?”

“Yeah, I - I mean—“ Bucky stuttered. “What do you want out of this? Out of us? Do you see this going anywhere?”

Curt was unsure how to answer that, absolutely certain that what he said next could make or break everything but he didn’t quite care.

Was Bucky who he thought he was?

Why’d he bring Curt to his home, make him dinner and eat him out like he was dessert the first night they met if there wasn’t something between them?

“These things, Curt. They get easier with age, you know..”

He wanted to throw up.

In fact, he was certain he would.

He scrambled to pull his sweatpants back on, scrapping his underwear in Bucky’s backseat. “Fuck this.” He grumbled, tugging his shoes on that were thankfully already tied. “And fuck you.”

{ending this here. Curt definitely gets out and walks back to campus but Bucky follows him all the way back and begs for him to come back and talk. Curt absolutely does not}

#💌 #at least their situationship is successful eventually #the drama #curtbucky #lcau

[ohbo-ohno]

Kinktober Day 6 - Chastity

Ghost x Soap - 1.7k (on ao3)

summary: Johnny needs a little help calming down while he's locked in a cock cage as punishment. (Johnny POV)

cw: cock cage, prostate milking

note: literally all of my knowledge of prostate milking comes from fanfiction - if it's embarrassingly inaccurate, pls just laugh at my naivete and move on lmao

The little key hanging around Ghost’s neck beside his dogtags taunts Johnny. The knowledge that his cock is locked away under his pants (no underwear, not during punishments) and nobody in the room other than himself knows is enough to make him squirm, but then seeing Simon wearing the only key to the cage around his neck for everyone to see…

It makes Johnny’s cock push painfully at the bars of the cage, makes him hunch his shoulders a bit to mask his wince.

He can see Ghost’s eyes spark a little across the table, feels his boot tap the top of Johnny’s. With a scowl, Johnny corrects his posture and sits back up. It earns him a subtle nod from Ghost, which helps him feel a bit more settled in his skin.

The meeting with Laswell doesn’t last much longer after that, but Johnny misses nearly every word spoken about the 141’s future. He counts himself lucky no one asks him anything, and ducks out of the conference room as quickly as he can once they’re dismissed. 

He walks a bit too quickly to not be suspicious, but can’t find it in himself to care as his cock starts to truly ache in the cage. He’s nearly limping when he finally makes it to Ghost’s room, falls onto the bed and buries his face in his hands with a loud groan.

It takes him a while to calm down, a series of slow breathing exercises that don’t quite work when he’s as worked up as he is. Having Ghost fuck him right before the meeting, send him off sloppy and wet, then sitting right across from him with that damn key dangling on his chest for all the world to see…

Johnny whines a little, reaches down to rub the heel of his hand over his dick, the other covering his eyes. He doesn’t bother to move his hand when he hears the door open, already knows there’s only one person who’d ever come into Ghost’s room without knocking.

Simon’s laugh is low, a little cruel. “Well, ain’t this a pretty sight?”

Johnny lifts the hand from his eyes just enough to glare a little, hips working fruitlessly in the air. “Yer a right cunt, you know that?”

Ghost just snorts, moves further into the room to sit by Johnny’s hip. “Oh? That’s not what you were moaning a few days ago.”

“A few days ago I didn’t have a fucking cage around my cock!”

Ghost hums, strokes a hand across the sliver of skin revealed by Johnny’s shirt. “Well, shouldnta come without permission then, hm?”

Johnny groans, throws his head back and his hand away from his dick. “Not- not fuckin’ fair and you know it.”

Another hum, and Ghost dips his hand low enough to push at the top of Johnny’s jeans until he gets the hint and lifts his hips enough for them to be pushed down. He moans when the cold air hits his oversensitive cock, can’t help squirming in place even more.

“If you’re this needy after only a few days locked away, I can’t wait to see you in another week.”

Johnny groans loudly at that, uncaring about any soldiers happening down their hall. “C’mon, Ghost, no, you weren’t serious about the two weeks-”

A sharp slap to his inner thigh has Johnny shutting up, clenching his jaw tight at the kick in his cock, the tight restriction of the cage.

“You know I don’t go back on my promises, Johnny. The cage stays on for two weeks. Maybe next time you’ll remember to ask permission before making a mess of yourself, hm?”

Johnny rolls his head back on the pillow, does everything in his power to keep from lunging for that stupid key and unlocking himself. He can tell by the way Ghost smirks that the other man knows exactly what he’d like to do, nearly whimpers again when he leans forward a bit to let the key hang in the air tauntingly.

“You gonna be able to focus the rest of the day like this? Or you need me to empty your balls for you?”

Johnny jerks up, stares wide-eyed up at Ghost. “Wha’? You just said two weeks, what’re you on about?”

Simon only tilts his head, cocks an eyebrow. “You goin’ dumb before we even get started, Johnny? Maybe I should leave your balls full and swollen, not sure you’ll have any thoughts left if I give you anythin’ else.”

“No,” Johnny grabs Simon’s wrist desperately when he moves to pull his pants back up. “No, no, ‘m sorry, I was listening. Please, please will you let me cum?”

“No. That’s not what I offered. You aren’t coming until that cage comes off - you knew that already, quit your whinin’. But I can empty out your balls if it means you don’t wander around braindead, don’t sneak off just to hump the air all pathetic.”

Johnny whines. “Yeah, whatever, just please… whatever you want to do, just do it, yeah?”

Ghost smirks, reaches a hand up to ruffle Johnny’s mohawk. “Attaboy. Alright, on all fours for me.”

Johnny doesn’t question the order, just kicks his pants off the rest of the way and rolls to get on his knees, propping himself up on his hands and glancing eagerly over at Simon as he pulls out a bottle of lube. Simon lands a few heavy slaps on his ass as he shifts to kneel between his thighs and Johnny moans a bit, rocks backwards for more. 

There’s no warning as Ghost dribbles lube over Johnny’s hole - not much need of it either, with how rough Ghost had been only a few hours before. Johnny still moans at the stretch of even one finger, more for show because he’s desperate for any relief he can get.

“Hush, Johnny,” Ghost rumbles, a hint of sternness in his tone. “Don’t want anyone interrupting us.”

He slips a second finger in quickly, finds Johnny’s prostate with unerring accuracy. Johnny bites the sheets to muffle his moan as Ghost pushes, applying direct pressure to the little bundle of nerves.

“There ya go,” Ghost murmurs as Johnny sinks lower into his arch, his ass presented more invitingly. “Alright, let’s get you drained, Johnny.”

And that’s exactly what he does. He massages Johnny’s prostate with two fingertips, almost curls them around the spot. Johnny’s eyes nearly roll back in his head at the sudden and constant pressure, hips grinding back instinctually. His cock aches where it presses against the bars of the cage, but the pleasure feels so good it’s almost enough to drown the pain out.

“Look,” Ghost grunts what feels like hours later. “Your soft little cock’s drooling, Johnny. See what a mess you’re making?”

Johnny doesn’t lift his head to look, buries his face deeper in the pillows and whines. The pleasure is rising, rising, rising, and he feels like he’s going insane when it has nowhere to go.

“I said look,” Ghost snaps, a harsh hand ripping Johnny’s head up and forcing him to look down, the top of his skull pressed into the sheets. “Look at your filthy little cock. Can’t help but come, even all locked up.”

Simon’s right - cum drips from the tip of Johnny’s cock cage like he’s having the world’s slowest orgasm, there’s even a little pool of the white liquid forming beneath him. He whines at the sight because he’s not orgasming, he feels like he’s right there on the edge but can’t quite make that final push.

“Hush,” Simon soothes, and a hand smoothes it’s way up and down Johnny’s back. “You’re almost empty. Just a little longer, keep bein’ good for me.”

Johnny can’t help but tear up a little at the praise, makes a choked off noise in his throat as he squeezes his eyes shut tight, tries to imagine falling off the cliff he’s staring past. He's right there.

It’s almost painful how badly he needs to come. The mix of the cage forcing his dick to stay soft and the endless rubbing at his prostate with no way to come his Johnny feeling like he’s lost his mind, has him digging his face deep in the sheets to try and hide from the sensations.

The pressure against his prostate leaves him gasping, Ghost's fingertips rhythmic and their dance unending. His cock feels heavy between his legs, and his heartbeat kicks up several notches like it always does right before he comes. But he doesn't - he just stays there, right on the gasping and writhing edge of coming undone.

Some indeterminable amount of time later - minutes, hours, it could be years for all Johnny knows - Simon’s fingers stop rubbing, and he pulls out. Johnny groans loudly enough to be heard in the hallway, but he can’t help himself. He’s so much worse off than he was when he left the meeting, feels like his dick might explode if he doesn't get to come. He's sure there must be bruises forming along his shaft from how hard it presses along the bars of the cage.

Ghost flips him onto the back, laughs a little at Johnny’s dazed expression and the color his cock is flushed in it's prison.

“There you go,” Simon gives a few taps to the cage, makes Johnny jerk and whine. “All emptied out for me. You did well, Johnny.”

Johnny can’t respond, only squeezes his eyes shut and digs the heels of his hands into them until little fireworks dance along his eyelids.

“Did your brain drain out along with your cum?” Simon grabs Johnny’s wrists, forces them away from his eyes and smiles meanly down at him, that damn chain hanging just over his heart. ”C’mon, Johnny, what do you say when someone gives you a compliment?”

“Th-thank you,” Johnny pants, hips humping in the air a bit even though he knows it’s pointless.

Simon smiles, lets one of his wrists go to tap his face. “Good boy.”

He stands from the bed, gives Johnny another long look before walking back to the door.

“Clean up your mess before bed tonight. I don’t want to sleep in a puddle of your cum just because your balls got a little too full. Got it?”

Johnny barely manages to hold one thumb up in the air as his arms fall to cover his face again, a loud groan echoing into the hallway as Ghost steps out.

#kinktober 2023 #ghoap #ghostsoap #ghost x soap #soap x ghost #bo writes #john soap mactavish x simon ghost riley #john mactavish x simon riley #soap mactavish x ghost riley #ghoap smut #ghostsoap smut #kinktober day 6 #kinktober

[cripple-punk-dad]

Once again feeling emotions about God, Forgive These Bastards: Songs From The Forgotten Life Of Henry Turner by The Taxpayers. I listened to the whole album not really knowing the background or the story behind the title. I just loved the music and the artist's voices. But then I found the explanation by the main vocalist on the album, Rob Taxpayer, and:

"The first time I met Henry Turner I feared for my life. I remember the exact date – February 18th, 2007 – because the day before, a close friend of mine had unsuccessfully attempted to commit suicide in his studio apartment and I’d spent the entire night at the hospital. It was one of those terrible and typical Pacific Northwest winter nights where the rain seemed relentless and the gloom was contagious, and as I waited at a sheltered bus stop on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard for the # 6 to arrive, a man approached me for a cigarette.

I shook my head and gave him a half-smile.

“Sorry. I quit a few years back.”

I stuck my head back into the newspaper I was reading, and he took a few steps closer.

“How about a buck and a quarter then? All I need is a dollar and a quarter and I’ll have enough for bus fair.”

I shrugged and fumbled around in my pocket.

“I’m using an expired bus transfer myself, but I might have a few extra dimes. It ain’t much, but if it helps, it’s yours.”

I passed him the change, and when he grabbed it, he ducked down to my level and looked me straight in the eyes.

“Look at me. Does it look like a few extra dimes would help? You think a few extra dimes would do any good to anybody? Take a look at me. I got a rotten heart and a bad shoulder and I ain’t slept a good night’s sleep in the past ten years, and you wanna know the kicker? I get fuckers like you tossing me their condescending extra dimes.”

He was tall and intimidating, with wild gray hair and deep wrinkle lines all across his face, and his eyes would occasionally roll up into his head, quiver, and then refocus. His thick, wet coat and his tangled beard had bits of crumpled leaves stuck to them, and he carried himself with the strange confidence of an angry and confused lion.

“And the best part about all of this is that I know you’re cheating me. And you know what I did to the last bastard that cheated me? “

He paused for a few silent, terrifying seconds.

“I bit his ear off.”

I almost pissed my pants. My brain was telling me, “get up and run”, but my body was frozen in fear, and I sat there shaking in excruciating silence. Sure, maybe he was harmless, but something about the look in his eyes terrified me. I could see the bus approaching from about a quarter of a mile away. I did the math. From that distance, it would be another minute or so before the bus arrived, saving me from certain death. I could try to fight back. But while he was an old man, he was an enormous old man, and anyways, you just can’t fight a crazy person. I could run. That was it. I was going to have to get up and run before he sunk his teeth into me, or pulled out a knife, or worse.

Suddenly, he burst into laughter. Not a maniacal laughter, but a booming, good-natured laughter, and his angry eyes became kind and warm. His snarl turned into a crooked smile, and he slapped me on the back like an old friend.

“Aw, I’m just fucking with you, kid. Ain’t much for laughs around here. You’ll have to forgive me.”

He held out his massive hand for me to shake.

“Henry Turner. Friends call me Hank. How ya doin'?”

I was still petrified. Was this some sort of a trick? Was he going to grab my hand and then snap it off like a tree branch? He looked me over and laughed again, reached into his coat pocket, and pulled out a bus pass.

“Here. This one ain’t expired. Go on, take it, I got a whole stack of ‘em.”

And with that, the bus pulled up to our stop in the rain, the doors opened with a loud mechanical sigh, and Henry held out both his arms, outstretched, in the direction of the doors.

“After you, kid.”

I didn’t realize it at the time, but he was a semi-celebrity around town, although most people wrote him off as just another one of the crazy folks that told rambling, drunken tales – amusing for a few minutes, but best largely avoided. It was true, he had his demons, but he also had a magical brilliant quality to him, and whenever I ran into him around town, I’d end up spending a few hours with him, if for no other reason than to listen to his unbelievable stories. It didn’t really matter whether they were true or not, it was the way he told them, with absolute clarity and confidence, no matter how crazy they sounded. Some of it even checked out. He’d often talk about his years playing baseball with Georgia Tech, and the famous play-off game where he pitched a two-hitter in 1979. When I got home, I went on the internet and looked up the Georgia Tech roster from 1979, and there he was. Henry Turner. I’ll be damned.

The years went by. I’d leave town for months at a time, but when I came home I could always expect to run into Henry for the latest news and a ridiculous tale. Businesses closed and new ones opened, houses changed ownership, new faces arrived and old ones disappeared, but he was like an ancient marble pillar – unaffected by the changes around him. Or so it seemed. In the winter of 2010, three years after we first met, I ran into Henry on one of the downtown park blocks. He was disheveled and had these crazy eyes, and when he recognized me, he touched me on the shoulder and said something to the effect of, “Gonna go away for a while. You’ll hold onto something for me, yeah?”. He reached into his coat pocket, pulled out a huge stack of unused bus passes, thrust them into my hands, and walked away. It was the last time I would see him.

Henry Turner died on March 25th, 2010, a product of years of substance abuse and tough living. If a funeral was held I wasn’t aware of it. The news of his death hit me harder than expected, and it sparked an obsession: I began compulsively writing down every outlandish and unbelievable story he’d ever told me, as a sort of tribute. My band started working on an album of songs pertaining to Henry’s life. My nights were spent researching everything I could find about the Turner family. I would rant on and on to complete strangers about the whole ordeal. Then slowly, it began to subside. Life went back to normal. Though I never quite forgot about it, my utter entrancement with the Turners faded.

What follows is an amalgamation of the stories Henry told me, as best as I can remember them. I hope I did him justice. There are some embellishments and I took quite a few liberties, but like all good narrators, Henry knew that any story worth telling should be grand, significant, and a little bit false. It’s important to note that Henry was no hero, and I’m not trying to romanticize or defend him – as you’ll find out, he was a murderer, an abusive husband, an unapologetic addict, and a crook who was haunted by his most awful moments. But he was also at times a tender, loving father, a brave adventurer, and an amazing pitcher, who was surprisingly candid and an absolute charm to listen to. No person can be summed up by their worst actions. And despite his insistence that “forgiveness ain’t an inherent human quality”, that’s what this whole thing’s been about for me: the capacity to forgive someone’s most wretched moments.

Ultimately, I think that when Henry was at his best, he was something simple: a kind, strange friend" -Rob Taxpayer, from The Taxpayer's Bandcamp page

Look at me look me in the eyes: "No person can be summed up by their worst actions" I'm broken I'm dead I'm deceased. The last track on the album is an interview with somebody who knew Henry as a child. It's about remembering someone that nobody else thinks about it's about preserving the memory of the jerks and the assholes and the addicts because everyone deserves to be remembered and to have songs sung about them and have their stories told in whatever way they can be told.

#the taxpayers #diy punk #punk music #tw suicide mention #punk community

[jaymicrosoft]

Ghosty Dance

You and Danny get closer and closer by the second.

TRIGGER WARNING: Sewerslide

“You can see me?” I asked, glancing around your house with the house phone tucked snuggly against my ear.

” ‘Course I can, doll. Blue really does wonders for you.”

His cocky tone made me scoff as I glanced down at the blood red pajamas that clung loosely to my skin.

I scoff and say "Blue? are you colorblind? Im wearing red not blue" i say sarcastically; looking around myself.

”Right, darlin’.” The person on the otherside as I shifted a little to adjust my position. Then your gaze drifted to the cordless phone cradled in my hand. Why haven’t I hung up yet? I wondered.

"Are you going to continue to be creepy? Cause rather than you scaring me your entertaining me. I kinda find you endearing…" I say in a honey sweet voice

”Oh honey, I ain’t tryin’ to scare ya.”

His voice had me tilting my head to one side, curious with the strange familiarity of it.

”Maybe you oughta tell me your name, doll.”

"You ought to tell me yours first 'Doll' " i say sarcastically

Fair enough, sugar.”

He paused, obviously weighing his options.

”You can call me Danny.”

"Danny? I like the sound of that" I say, I pause and speak again "Y/n, Y/n is my name but you can call me N/n" I say in a hesitant voice

”Y/n's a beaut’ of a name. Why’d you hesitate?”

The phone pressed against your ear became uncomfortably warm, my free hand toying with my long tresses.

”You got a boyfriend?”

"A boyfriend? I wish but no" I say in a shallow tone

”No boyfriend…hmm.”

He let my words hang in the air for a few moments before breaking the silence with a new question.

”You live alone?”

" Sadly, I could die and no one would know or care." I say in a sad tone

”Damn, darlin’…”

I noticed a hint of concern in his response, the phone growing hotter in my palm.

”Why you thinkin’ bout that?”

" Bound to happen one day: anyways ive got to go, been nice talking to you Danny" I say as I hang up the phone, I put the phone on the kitchen counter and make my way towards the hallway. I make my way upstairs to my bedroom and flop on my bed.

The line went dead with a soft click.

I felt a familiar tension in your body as your eyes traced the cracked walls of my room.

I didn’t want to be alone, but you felt an overwhelming need to just rest your eyes for a moment. I just need a quick thirty minute nap…

But just then, as if I summoned him, a warm breath washed over my face.

I open my eyes and see a shadow standing next to my bed, the shadow doesnt have a threatening Ora just a dark one.

”Hey, darlin…”

His voice seemed to echo in my mind.

I couldn’t see him clearly, but I could make out the shape of a well-built man, the dark silhouette standing beside my bed.

I speak " ya'know if you could keep quite itd be helpful seeing as i have a headache" I say in a sassy tone "And stop breathing on me"

”My bad, sugar.”

You could hear the small chuckle in his tone, and I felt his presence shift towards the foot of my bed, away from my face.

A part of me wanted to be afraid, but for some reason I found the man in the darkness comforting rather than frightening.

”Right, sorry…”

Another small chuckle drifted into the room, and I could feel him sitting at the edge of my bed.

For a few moments, there was no noise, aside from the soft breathing the man seemed to be doing.

I was just about to fall back asleep when his voice cut through the silence again.

”Can I ask you something, darlin’?”

"You already are, but fine continue afterwards do you promise to be quite?" I say

“Promise.”

There was an almost childish quality to his voice, his words sending a shiver down your spine.

”Now on to the question. You said you live alone, right?”

“Promise.”

There was an almost childish quality to his voice, his words sending a shiver down your spine.

"Yes what about it?" i say with a questioning voice

”Hmm…would you mind if I stayed the night?”

The man’s voice was filled with an unspoken need, and the heat of his breath swept over your skin.

I take a moment to think on it. "You can stay the night yes, but there is only one bed. And no you're sleeping on the floor, Ill keep the lights off since you probably want to keep your face hidden yes? if so ill throw a blanket and pillow down there for you" I say as i start throwing 2 blankets and 2 pillows down for you on the floor.

”Darlin’ that’s real sweet of you, but there’s no way I’m gettin’ comfy down there.”

There was a pause, and when he spoke again his voice was firm.

”I’m sharing the bed with you.”

I huff as i scoot towards the wall dragging my blanket along with me. "Grab the bedding from the floor, we are not sharing a blanket. I dont know where your body has been or what your into. and change out of those ragged rugs, you can keep your mask just change your clothes you stink, theres clothes in the closet that will probably fit you." I say

“You’re a real ball-buster you know that, right?”

You heard his footsteps creaking across your cracked floor as he went to the closet.

”If you’re gonna be stubborn like that then I’m sleeping naked.”

"What?!" I shriek

”Kidding.”

There was a pause as the sound of his steps died down.

”Now scoot over”

"I did, youre not that big. Im pressed up against the edge of the bed and the wall so stop complaining" I say in a annoyed tone

”Quit your bitching. I’m just tryin’ to get comfortable here.”

There was a moment of silence before you felt his breath wash over you again.

”It’s kinda hot in here…”

#dbd ghostface x reader #dbd! ghostface x reader #ghostface x y/n #ana trigger

[memestockpile]

the outsiders (1967) feel free to change as needed.

how’d you like that haircut to begin just below the chin?

quit shaking me, [name], i’m okay.

they didn’t hurt you too bad, did they?

did they pull a blade on you?

easy. they ain’t gonna hurt you no more.

you’re an okay kid.

you’re crazy. out of your mind.

nice looking bruise you got there, kid.

makes you look tough.

what were you doing, walking by your lonesome?

you’ve always got your nose in a book, but do you ever use your head for common sense?

if you did have to go by yourself, you should have carried a blade. 

i was planning on getting boozed up tomorrow night. 

you’re gonna put me to sleep. 

you cold?

got more worries than somebody your age ought to. 

you’re not dumb.

don’t be like that, kid.

take your feet off the chair.

shut your trap.

oh, my, my, you’ve got me scared to death.

get lost, hood!

that’s an original and lovely name.

what’s a nice, smart kid like you running around with trash like that for?

you’ve seen too much to be innocent.

you’re a sharp one.

skin fighting isn’t rough. ain’t nothing wrong with throwing a few punches.

it blows off steam better than anything. 

don’t talk. you’re gonna be okay. it’s okay. they’re gone now. it’s okay.

things are rough all over.

i never told anyone that.

how come you’re so mean?

you read a lot, don’t you?

i’ll bet you watch sunsets, too.

who’s acting? i’m a natural normal.

don’t get mouthy.

i bet he wishes he could stick me in a home somewhere.

that ain’t right. you got it wrong. 

shut your mouth, kid. 

you know better than to talk to [name] like that.

i’m sorry. i was just mad.

stop talking like that. we couldn’t get along without you, so you can just shut up!

it ain’t fair that we have all the rough breaks!

you call reeling and passing out in the streets ‘a little drunk’?

i can’t stand fights. 

if i see you someplace and don’t say hi, well, it’s not personal or anything. 

gonna go play a little snooker and hunt up a poker game. 

man, that was a tough car. 

glory, what time is it?

it’s two in the morning, kiddo. another hour and i would have had the police out after you.

you haven’t even got a coat on.

come on, we’re running away.

what happened? i never seen you bawl like that.

i walk in that house, and nobody says anything. i walk out, and nobody says anything. i stay away all night, and nobody notices.

it ain’t the same as having your own folks care about you.

you could use a bath.

i killed him. i killed that boy. 

i think i’m gonna be sick.

we’ll need money. and maybe a gun. and a plan. 

you’ll die of pneumonia.

get that sweatshirt off. dry off and wait here. 

you ought to know better.

wish i had me a weed. 

take care, kid. 

make like a farm boy taking a walk or something. 

for pete’s sake, run a comb through your hair and quit slouching. 

i can lie so easily that it spooks me sometimes. 

a week’s supply of bologna, two loaves of bread, a box of matches. 

how’d you know i always wanted one?

i thought you could maybe read it out loud and help kill time or something. 

the first thing the judge does is make you get a haircut. 

you can’t wash your hair in that freezing water in this weather. you’ll get a cold. 

it’s like being in a halloween costume we can’t get out of. 

there sure is a lot of blood in people. 

we ain’t gonna cry no more, are we? 

nothing gold can stay.

you know, i never noticed colors and clouds and stuff until you kept reminding me about them.

i skipped breakfast and i’m about starved. 

you look like you’ve been through the mill.

you sure can cuss. 

you don’t need to make like every mouthful’s your last.

what do they do for kicks around here, play checkers?

we’re going back and turning ourselves in. 

my old man don’t give a hang whether i’m in jail or dead in a car wreck or drunk in the gutter. 

i ain’t mad at you. i just don’t want you to get hurt. 

get back in here before i beat your head in. 

take it easy, kid. you’re in an ambulance. 

you’re the bravest kid i’ve seen in a long time. 

i think you were sent straight from heaven. 

you shouldn’t be smoking. you’re too young. 

i thought we’d lost you. 

what would you do right now if you could do anything you wanted?

getting mighty big to be carried. 

don’t slam the door. 

can’t you wait til i set the eggs down?

aw, lay off. 

hate to tell you, buddy, but you have to wear clothes to work. there’s a law or something. 

i had one of those dreams last night. the one i can’t ever remember. 

we’re gonna throw a big party and everybody can get stoned. 

where you gonna get the dough, little man?

i hate to leave you here by yourself. 

holler uncle!

you take a couple of aspirins and go easy.

you smoke more than a pack and i’ll skin you. understood?

this house ain’t messy. you oughta see my house. 

shoot, kid, if i ever did that, my mom would die of shock. 

he’s so greasy, he glides when he walks. he goes to the barber for an oil change, not a haircut. 

i’m sick of it because it doesn’t do any good.

i think i’m going to leave town. 

you get a little money and the whole world hates you. 

they treating you okay, kid?

you want to know something, [name]? i’m scared stiff. 

i don’t want to die. it ain’t long enough. [age] years ain’t long enough. 

no wonder he hates your guts. 

man, am i glad to see you!

kid, you scared the devil outta me the other day. 

you still got that fancy black-handled switch?

you feel okay? you’re awful hot. 

i got an awful feeling something’s gonna happen. 

you’re funny. we ought to send you in to the reader’s digest. 

you fight real good for a kid your size.

i thought you were in the hospital. 

sucker!

we’re all proud of you, buddy. 

stay gold, [name]. 

you little punk, that’s what you get. 

are you alright, kid? you look like you’ve been in a fight.

you’re bleeding all over my car seats.

gosh, mister, i’m sorry. 

i’m not about to dump a hurt kid out on the streets this time of night.

you look sick. sit down. 

you blasted fool.

easy, buddy, easy. there’s nothing we can do now. 

now please hush up, will you, honey? you’ve got a fever. go back to sleep.

gosh, kid, you had us scared to death. 

i don’t know, baby. i just don’t know. 

how’d you like some mushroom soup?

we stayed with you so much that the doctor told us we were going to end up in the hospital ourselves if we didn’t get some sleep. 

you look beat. i bet you ain’t had three hours sleep since saturday night. 

[full name], put out that cigarette!

you’re not like the rest of us. don’t try to be. 

you little son of a gun. 

you don’t just stop living because you lose someone. 

you don’t have to draw me a picture. 

i dropped out because i’m dumb. 

we’re all we’ve got left. we ought to be able to stick together against everything. 

#askbox meme #roleplay meme #ask meme #rp meme #meme #askbox #askbox rp #ask #rp inbox meme #inbox meme #inbox rp meme #tumblr roleplay #roleplay #rp sentence meme #sentence starters #sentence starter meme #roleplay sentence meme #sentence meme #tumblr rp #the outsiders rp #the outsiders roleplay

[memphis-menace]

Siren!Elvis Headcanons

Disclaimer: Okay so just because I drew him, doesn’t mean my headcanons are the be all end all, okay? If you write about him, feel free to make up your own stuff about him, use this stuff about him, whatever you want! That’s the beauty of fandom! This is just how I personally think of the lad when I doodle him.

Disclaimer #2: There will be mentions of animal traits and geographical/topographical shit. I do not claim to actually know anything or claim it as fact. I am making this up, not aiming for accuracy. He’s a sexy water monster, I don’t think “accuracy” applies here.

Once again, @venus-haze has some AMAZING work out regarding her interpretation of him, and hopefully there’s more coming and I can’t wait to eat it up!

Alright, onto my version.

Okay so right off the bat, my version of Siren!Elvis ain’t exactly a fish. That interview that mentioned crocodile eyes took hold of my soul so. The boy is gator based. 🐊

Lives in a swampy/marshy river type area. Look I don’t know terminology I just know what I live by.

Originally, he sang more traditional siren-y songs; mostly just very melodic, wordless tunes. But as people started building residences and moving near his territory, he heard their music - blues, country, rock n’ roll - and decided he really liked it, so his siren song adapted accordingly.

So, being more reptilian than fishy, he doesn’t have a tail. He has semi-webbed clawed hands and feet, and a gator tail to help propel him through the water. He has scales covering his skin in certain places, mostly his back and arms? I’ll try and draw a reference for what I envision one day I’m not good with description there’s a reason I doodle instead of write fanfic 😭

Now yes, he does eat people. Come on, that’s like. The whole “siren” shtick. HOWEVER, if you should catch his eye as something other than food… 👀

Under no uncertain terms, this fella is a YANDERE. Once he’s set his sights on you, it’s over. You’re his. Prepare to be sung into submission, so to speak.

That being said, he knows that realistically he can’t keep you in the swamp indefinitely - humans are not made for mostly aquatic living. So you can stay at your house, but you better visit him every day or there WILL be a tantrum and his tantrums get bloody

Also his eyes do that reflecty/glowy thing, so if he finds out where you live and you wake up in the middle of the night to see glowing blue eyes by your bed looking at you, don’t worry it’s just Elvis, checking on you.

He may try and eat your pets but if you really reiterate to him that you don’t want him to do that he’ll concede and leave them alone.

However, don’t tell him of anyone you’re getting close to that he may consider a rival. The next day you’ll hear about a nasty, mangled, half-eaten corpse found floating down the river 😬

On the flip side, probably don’t tell him about people who are upsetting you. Unless you’re cool with a pile of bones being left on your porch. Cause like, you know how cats bring you dead animals as a gift? Yeah Elvis will do that. And will get extremely huffy if you throw them away or get rid of them; they were a gift! So what if it’s a liability and if someone finds out you could get arrested on suspicion of murder? He’ll eat the cops, don’t worry!

Fair warning, he will eat you if you try to break up with him or cheat on him. So if you’re starting a relationship with him, it’s gonna be your last one. One way or another. So proceed with caution.

He can also do that scary ass hiss/growl that gators do. Because it’s cool and I say so.

Now if you wanna hear him damn near purr, gently scratch the scales along his spine when you cuddle him. He’ll practically melt.

Now, mans got some sharp teefs. And unfortunately, biting is a love language for him. He’s not being mean or trying to hurt you, he just has to mark you up so people know you’re taken 🙂

Now when it comes to sexy time, you deadass may want to get him a muzzle because hoo lord you may end up in a hospital. He can’t always control his chompers when his hormones get high. He’ll feel bad afterwards and try to help you with the bleeding 🥺

Like most gators, Elvis will eat anything, especially if it’s something you made. Because he can’t fathom that you would take time out of your day to cook something to and bring it to him, when he’s perfectly fine eating raw meat. So it’s super special to him when you bring him food you made. It could be a deep fried boot and he’d eat it happily as long as you made it for him.

Eventually he learns (via siren magic because again, this is fantasy and I can do what I want) how to mask his reptilian features and look human, so he can spend even more time with you! Ain’t that great? :) He’s watched the humans around him for quite a while, so he knows how to behave like one when he needs to. You just need to buy him some clothes. 

This will be updated, but this is what I got for now. He’s basically a big ol puppy with some less than safe eating habits and a unique way of lovin’

He is a g8er boi he said see you l8er boi

#elvis #elvis x reader #austin elvis x reader #elvis presley #elvis 2022 #siren!elvis #menace babbles #this is my boy and I love him so much #I hope y’all like him too #yandere elvis #Yandere elvis x reader

[jaegonsmoon]

Lmao baelas face when she sees jace admit to have a two bastard sons with aegon 😂😂 she ain’t exactly mad but she does think he supposed betrothed is very stupid to have knocked up the enemy not once but twice and then not have the balls to claim them as his own 😂 bruh is a holiday fair weather dad at best and she probs like I get it would cause a political disasters but another man is raising your children jace… be better haha

Baela giving Jace shit like “Who knew you’d be just like uncle Viserys.” “You know, for a man with not one but three father figures I, personally, didn’t take you for a bastard maker AND a deadbeat dad... Wow, you truly suck Jace.” And he’s always whining about being bullied by his betrothed. Baela is merciless, though, like she loves him but she IS Daemon’s daughter—“I’m not the one sticking my cock in taken holes and then not having enough balls to make my claim, my dear love.”

I love Baela, she also kicked his ass when she first found out. Like he deserved.

#I love my girl #jacegon #aegon ii targaryen #jaegon #jacaerys velaryon #aegon x jacaerys #jacaerys x baela

[f0point5]

Obviously Daniel was supposed to say that Horner is the worst person he’s ever met and deserves to be burnt alive! Plus he should’ve said that he knows more about the case then anyone and he’s outraged that nothing has been done! /s

He’s someone clinging to any ounce of job security he can and he knows it’s tied to Christian. He’s looking out for himself above everyone else, which honestly is probably what he should be doing. I think he’d have been better off by declining to comment but for some reason none of these drivers/tp/helmut/drivers families/etc ever really learned that it’s okay to just not comment on things sometimes.

For a long time Daniel was one of the most popular drivers and I think he’s finally losing his shine for people and they’re almost disappointed about it? But at the end of the day he’s also a rich, white, man who has never once claimed to be a pillar of morality or to have politically appropriate comments and people are somehow now upset/surprised by it. If it was Lewis I’d sort of get the anger bc at least he’s vocal about women in motor sports and inclusivity but Daniels always made sex jokes, talked about loving the grid girls, etc so publicly baking Horner when he maybe (bc the case was dismissed) shouldn’t isn’t a surprise IMO

What does he even know about the case lol. He reads the same crap as everyone else. I really doubt helmut Marko has been feeding him the gossip. But yeah he should obviously wade into this situation that has nothing to do with him and just have an opinion to please Twitter. The attitude that everyone should just engage in group think and also tell everyone what they think about things that don’t concern them is so healthy for society. Also very healthy for Daniel’s job security.

Idk if as part of their media duties they can’t just say “no comment” lol. Because saying “I’m not paying attention to it I’m just here to drive” is basically saying no comment in a less aggressive way. They all did that and it still wasn’t good enough for people so.

Daniel has been starting to annoy people of late. I’m me. I’m people. I rooted for him so hard to come back last season but he’s just annoying me now. His PR personality has really just become a bit of an ick. He’s like the Cole sprouse of the F1 paddock…smarmy and kinda slimy with a healthy dose of faux intellectual.

But “rich”, and “white” is kind of out of pocket. If you grabbed an Asian man who worked in the audit department of a large company and asked him what he thought about someone in another department of the office having a harassment claim against their boss which had already been dismissed…would he give you a different answer? Or would be say, uh idk it ain’t got shit to do with me? Because it…doesn’t.

Agree, Lewis the self styled activist can’t really choose now to be quiet. Well, he could, but he definitely wasn’t going to. And fair play, because his causes are kind of his schtick now.

But yeah, Daniel supporting Christian should come as no surprise. But also he’s not obligated to ever comment on stuff that doesn’t concern him. That’s a weird expectation to have of anyone, regardless of him being rich or white

[onlycosmere]

The Lost Metal

Brandon Sanderson:

So what are we gonna read? Well, I have draft number two of Wax & Wayne 4, The Lost Metal.

And as I warned you, if anyone came in late, the prologue is available on my YouTube channel with me reading it, or we sent it out as a newsletter. If you're not on the newsletter ask one of your friends, or go hang out in the 17th Shard and ask them. I give permission that they can send it to you so you can read it if you want to. It might be posted, as far as I know, on there as well. I expect when I read these things that they're gonna get around. So we're going to read chapter 1 of The Lost Metal. And I'm just going to kind of read until we hit to 7:30.

Chapter 1

Marasi had never been in a sewer before, but the experience was exactly as awful as she'd imagined. The stench, of course, was incredible. But worse was the way her booted feet would occasionally slip for a heart-stopping moment, threatening to plunge her down into the "mud" underneath.

It would be bad, but manageable, if the place was slippery in a consistent way. Inconsistent slippage was far worse. At least she'd had the foresight to wear a uniform with trousers today, along with knee high leather work boots. That didn't protect from the scent, the feel, or, unfortunately, the sound. When she stepped, map in one hand, rifle in the other, her boots would pull free with a squelch of mythical proportions. It would have been the worst sound ever if it hadn't been overmatched by Wayne’s complaining.

"Wax never brought me to a rustin’ sewer," he muttered by her side.

"Are there sewers in the Roughs?"

"Well, no," he admitted. "Pastures smell almost as bad, and he did make me march through those. But Marasi, they didn't have spiders."

"They probably did," she said, holding the map toward his lantern to read it. "You just couldn't see them."

"S’pose," he grumbled, "but it's worse when you can see the webs. Also, there's, you know, the literal sewage."

Marasi nodded to a tunnel to the side, and they started that direction. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"What?" he demanded.

"Your mood."

"Nothing's wrong with my rustin’ mood," he said. "It's exactly the kind of mood you're supposed to have when your partner forces you to stick your front side into a bunch of stuff that comes out the back side."

"And last week," she said, "when we were investigating a perfume shop?"

"Rustin’ perfumers," Wayne said, eyes narrowing. "Never can tell what they’re hiding with those fancy smells. You can't trust a man that doesn't smell like a man should."

"Sweat and booze?"

"Sweat and cheap booze."

"Wayne, how can you complain about someone putting on airs? You put on a different personality every time you change hats."

"Does my smell change?"

"I suppose not."

"Argument won. There are literally no holes in it whatsoever, conversation over." They shared a look. "I should get me some perfumes, eh?" Wayne said. "Someone might be able to spot my disguises if I always smell like sweat and cheap booze."

"You're hopeless."

"What's hopeless," he said, "is my poor shoes."

"Could have worn boots, like I suggested."

"Ain’t got no boots," he said. "Wax stole ‘em."

"Wax stole your boots. Really?"

"Well, they're in his closet," Wayne said, "instead of three pairs of his poshest shoes, which somehow ended up in my closet, completely by happenstance." He glanced at her. "It was a fair trade, I liked those boots."

She just barely kept her balance at another slip. Rusting hell, if she fell, he would never stop talking about it. But this did seem the best way. Construction on citywide underground train tunnels, or just the Tunnels, was ongoing, and two days ago, a demolition man had filed a report warning that he didn't want to blast the next section. 

Apparently, seismic readings had indicated they were near to a cavern of some sort. This area underneath Elendel was peppered with aging caverns, and the seismograph readings the demolition man had found indicated an unknown one was somewhere in this region. The same region where a group of local gang enforcers kept vanishing and reappearing, almost as if they had a hidden exit to an unmarked, unseen lair.

She consulted the map again marked with construction notes and a nearby oddity that the sewer builders had noted years ago which had never been investigated.

"I think MeLaan is going to break up with me," Wayne said softly. "That's why maybe I've been uncharacteristically downbeat in my general disposition as of late."

"What makes you think that?"

"On account of her telling me, 'Wayne, I'm probably going to have to break up with you in a few weeks.'"

"Well, that's polite of her."

"I think she got a new job from the big guy or something," Wayne said, "but it ain't right, how slow it's going. Not the proper way to break up with a fellow at all."

"And what is the proper way?"

"Throw something at his head," Wayne said, "sell his stuff, tell his mates he's a knob."

"You’ve had some interesting relationships."

"Nah, mostly just bad ones," he said. "I asked <Jamie Walls> what she thought I should do. You know her, she's at the tavern most nights."

"I... know her," Marasi said. "She's... a woman of ill repute."

"What?" Wayne said. "Who's been saying that nonsense? <Jamie> has a great reputation! Of all the whores on the block, she gives the best—"

"I do not need to hear that next part, thank you."

"Ill repute," he said, chuckling. "I'm gonna tell <Jamie> what you said about her, Marasi. She worked hard for her reputation. Gets to charge four times what anyone else does! Ill repute indeed."

"And what did she say?"

"Well, she said MeLaan just wanted me to try harder in the relationship," Wayne said, "but I think in this case, Jamie was wrong, because MeLaan doesn't play games. When she says things, she means them. So it's, you know."

"I'm sorry, Wayne," Marasi said, taking him by the arm.

"I knew it couldn't last," he said, "rustin’ knew it, you know? She's like, what, a thousand years old?"

"Roughly half that," Marasi said.

"And I'm not even 40!" Wayne said. "Probably more like 16, if you take count of my spry, youthful physique."

"Or your sense of humor."

"Damn right!" he said, then sighed. "Things have just been rough lately, with Wax being all fancy these last few years, MeLaan being gone for months at a time. Feel like nobody wants me around. Maybe I belong in a sewer, you know?"

"You don't," she said. "You're the best partner I've ever had."

"Only partner."

"Only?" she said. "<Gorglan> doesn't count?"

"Nope, he's not human. I gots papers what prove he's a giraffe in disguise." Regardless, he smiled. "But thanks for asking, thanks for caring." 

She nodded then led the way onward. 

When she'd imagined her life as a top detective and lawwoman, she hadn’t envisioned this part. But at least the smell was getting better, or she was getting used to it. Or maybe the insides of her nose were just dying off. Still, it was extremely gratifying to find, at the exact place marked on the map, an old metal door set in the wall of the sewer. 

She had Wayne hold up the lantern, and one didn't need a keen detective's eye to see the door had been used lately. Silvery scrape marks from the sides of the frame, handle clean from the pervasive filth and cobwebs.

"Nice," Wayne said, leaning in beside her. "Some first rate detectivin', Marasi. Sewer portion notwithstandin'. How many old surveys and building reports did you have to read to find this?"

"Too many," she said. "If I'd known how much of my job would involve searching the documents library..."

"They leave that part out of the stories when they write about us," Wayne said. "All the research."

"You did this sort of thing back in the Roughs?"

"Well, it was the Roughs variety," Wayne said. "Usually involved holding some bloke face down in a trough until he 'remembered' whose old prospecting claim he'd been filching. But it's the same principle really, just with more swearing."

She handed him her rifle and investigated the door. He didn't like her to make a big deal out of him being able to hold guns these days without his hands shaking. She'd never seen him fire one, but he said he could if needed to. He really was getting better.

They'd been working almost six years now, since Wax's retirement following the incident surrounding the Bands of Mourning. Wayne was an official constable, not some strange, barely-inside-the-law deputized citizen. Even wore a uniform once in a while.

Now, this door. It was shut tight, of course, and had no lock on this side. But it seemed the people she was hunting had found it closed too, as there were a bunch of marks on the metal on one side. Looking close, she found that there was just enough room to slip something through the door and frame. "I need something sharp to get through this," she said.

"You can use my razor sharp wit."

"Alas," she said, "you aren't the type of tool that I need at the moment, Wayne."

"Ha!" he said. "I like that one."

He handed her a knife from the backpack, where they kept supplies like rope, along with their metals, just in case they faced an Allomancer. These kinds of gang enforcers shouldn't have access to that sort of thing. They were just your basic "shake down shopkeepers for protection money" types. Yet, she had reports that made her wary. She was increasingly certain this group was funded by the Set, and if she caught them they might finally lead to answers she'd been hunting for years.

With the knife, she managed to undo the bar holding the door closed from the other side. It swung free with a soft clang, and she eased the door open to look at a rough hewn tunnel leading downward. One of the many that dotted this region, dating back to the ancient days before the Catacendre, to the time of myths and heroes, ashfalls and tyrants. Together, she and Wayne slipped inside, then did up the door to leave it as they found it. They dimmed their lantern as a precaution, then started down into the depths.

Brandon Sanderson

Chapter 2

"Cravat?" Steris asked, reading from the list.

"Tied and pinned," Wax said, pulling it tight.

"Shoes?"

"Polished."

"Proof one?"

Wax flipped a silver medallion up in the air, then caught it.

"Proof two?" Steris asked, making a check mark on her list.

He pulled a small folded stack of papers from his pocket. "Right here."

"Proof three?"

Wax reached into his other pocket, then paused looking around the small office, his senator's chamber in the house of proceedings, he'd left that...

"On the desk back home!" he said, smacking his head.

"I brought an extra," Steris said, digging in her bag.

Wax grinned. "Of course you did."

"Two copies, actually," Steris said, handing over another sheet of paper, which he tucked into his other coat pocket. Then she consulted her list again.

Little Maxillium stepped up beside his mother, looking very serious as he scanned his own list, which was mostly just scribbles. At five years old, he knew his letters, but preferred to make up his own.

"Dog picture," Max said, as if reading from his list.

"I could use one of those," Wax said. "Very useful."

Max solemnly presented it, then said, "Cat picture,"

"Need one of those too."

"I'm bad at cats," Max said, handing him another sheet, "so it looks like a squirrel."

Wax hugged his son, then tucked the sheets away reverently with the others. The boy's sister, Tindwyl—as Steris liked traditional names—babbled in the corner, where <Kath>, the governess, was watching her.

Finally, Steris handed him his pistols one at a time. Long-barrelled and nasty looking, they had been designed by Ranette to look menacing, but had two safeties and were actually unloaded. It had been a while since he'd had to shoot anyone, but he continued to make good use of his reputation as the lawman senator of the Roughs. Cityfolk, particularly politicians, tended to be intimidated by small arms. They preferred to kill people with more modern weapons, like poverty and despair. 

"Is a kiss from my wife on that list?" Wax asked.

"Actually, no," she said, surprised.

"A rare oversight," he said, then kissed her, lingering before pulling back. "You should be the one going out there today, Steris. You did more of the work preparing them than I did."

"You're the house lord."

"I could appoint you as a representative to speak for us."

"Please, no," she said. "You know how I am with people."

"You're very good with the right people."

"And are politicians ever right about anything?"

"I hope so," he said, straightening his suit coat and turning toward the door. "Because I am one now."

He pushed out of his chambers and walked the short walk to the Senate floor. Steris would watch from her seat in the observatory balcony. By now, everyone knew how particular she was about getting the same one. Wax instead stepped into the vast chamber, which buzzed with activity as senators returned from their short recess.

He didn't go to his seat. For the last few days, different senators had been given a chance to debate the current bill, and his was the last speech in line. He had positioned it right after the planned break, as he hoped it would set his argument off, give him a final chance to avert a terrible decision.

It had taken a great deal of trading and promising to get this spot in the debate; and not a few of his political enemies were upset that he'd managed it.

He stood at the side of the speaking platform near the center, waiting for the others to sit, hand on his holster, looming. You learned to get a good loom on in the Roughs when interrogating prisoners, and it still shocked him how many of those skills worked here.

Governor <Varlance> didn't look at him. The man instead adjusted his cravat, then checked his face powder. Ghostly, pale skin was fashionable these days, for some arcane reason. Then he set out his badges on the desk, one at a time, as he always did, making everyone wait.

Rusts, I miss Aradel, Wax thought. It had been novel to have a competent governor for once. Like eating hotel food and finding it wasn't awful. Or spending time with Wayne and discovering you still had your pocket watch.

But the governor's job was the type that chewed up the good ones, the ones who tried to swim deep. It was the same type of job that let the bad ones float blissfully along the surface. Aradel had stepped down two years back, and it did make some kind of sense that the next governor chosen had been a military man, considering the tensions with the Malwish right now. Though Wax did question where <Varlance> had gotten all of those medals. So far as he knew, the army hadn't seen any actual engagements. Were they for, perhaps, excellence in shining your shoes?

<Varlance> finally nodded to his vice governor, a Terriswoman, of course. She had curly, dark hair and a traditional robe. Wax thought he'd known her in the village, but it could have been her sister, and he'd never thought of a good way to ask. Regardless, it always looked good to have a Terris on the staff. Most governors chose one. Made you look respectable. Almost like the Terris were another medal to be shown off.

<Adathwyn> stood up and belted to the room. "The governor recognizes the senator from House Ladrian."

Though he'd been waiting for this, looming and whatnot, Wax now took his time sauntering up onto the podium, which was lit from above by a massive electric spotlight. Funny, how ordinary he thought that all was now. If he walked into a room and there wasn't a light switch on the wall, he'd search for it for an embarrassingly long time before remembering there were some buildings that just weren't wired yet.

He turned around in a slow rotation, inspecting the circular chamber. The spotlight was low enough that he could still make out the faces around him. One side held the elected seats, senators who were voted into office to represent a guild, profession, or historical group. The other held the lords, senators who held their position by benefit of birth. The guild system left many people without a representative. As many as twenty percent of the population worked jobs without a senator's seat, by Marasi's estimate. The lords were supposed to make up for that, representing everyone who lived in their assigned region of the city. But when had a group of nobles ever cared about beggars? Maybe in the Last Emperor's time and just after, but people just weren't like that anymore. They were petty and short-sighted.

"This bill," Wax announced to the room, loud and firm, his voice echoing, "is a fantastically stupid idea."

Once, earlier in his political career, talking so bluntly had earned him ire at best. Now, he caught multiple members of the senate smiling. They expected this from him. Many of them seemed to enjoy it, as if they knew how many problems there were in the city and were glad that one man was willing to call them out, ignoring propriety and political necessities.

"Tensions with the Malwish are at an all time high," Wax said. "This is a time for the entire Basin to unite, not a time to drive wedges between ourselves and those who should be our strongest allies."

"This is about uniting," a voice called to him. The dock worker senator, <Maelstrom>. He was mostly a puppet for Hasting and Erikell nobles, who had been consistently a painful spike in Wax's side. "We need a leader for the whole Basin officially."

"Agreed," Wax said. "But how is elevating the Elendel governor, a position nobody outside the city can vote on, going to unite people, <Maelstrom>?"

"It will give them someone to look toward, a strong capable leader!"

And that, Wax thought, glancing at <Varlance>, is a capable leader? We're lucky he pays attention to these meetings, rather than spending the time going over his appearance schedule, <Varlance> had, so far in his one year tenure, rededicated seventeen parks in the city. He liked the flowers.

Wax didn't say anything to this effect. Steris had warned him not to antagonize the governor. There was bluntness, and then there was stupidity. He had to walk a fine line between them. Instead, he kept to the plan, getting out his medallion and flipping it in the air. 

"Six years ago," Wax said, "I had a little adventure. You all know about it. Finding a wrecked Malwish airship, intervening in a plot by the outer cities to find its secrets and use them against us in Elendel. I stopped that. I brought the Bands of Mourning back to be stored safely."

"And almost started a war!" someone muttered in the reaches of the room.

"You'd rather I let the plot go forward?" Wax called back. When no response came, he flipped the medallion up and caught it again. "I dare anyone in this room to disparage my loyalty to Elendel. We can have a nice little duel. I'll even let you shoot first."

Silence. That was one thing he'd earned. A lot of the people in this room didn't like him, but they did seem to respect him, and they knew he wasn't an agent for the outer cities. He flipped the medallion and Pushed it higher, all the way up to the top of the ceiling high above. He caught it again when it came streaking down, glimmering in the light. As he did, he made certain to cast a glance toward Admiral <Jons>, current ambassador from the Malwish nation. She sat in a special place on the floor of the senate, among where mayors from the other cities were given seats when they visited. None had come to this proceeding, a visible sign they considered even a vote on this topic to be ridiculous.

"I know," Wax said, turning the medallion over in his fingers, "better than anyone the position we're in. You want to make a show of force to the outer cities, prove that they have to have to follow our rules. So you introduce this bill, elevating our governor to a presidential position of the entire Basin.  This ignores the reason everyone outside Elendel is so mad at us. The bad faith actors who are leading some of the outer cities wouldn't have gotten so far without support of their people, if the average person living outside Elendel weren't so damned mad at us for our trade policies and general arrogance. This bill isn't going to placate them. This isn't a show of force. It's a maneuver designed to specifically outrage them. We pass this law, and we're demanding war between ourselves and the outer cities."

He let that sink in. They knew it.

They tried to ignore it.

They wanted so badly to appear strong, and if left unchecked, they'd strong-arm themselves right into a war, never realizing this was precisely what their enemies wanted. An excuse to rebel, a justification for war.

Wax pulled out the stack of papers in his left pocket. He held it up and turned around.

"I have 60 letters here from politicians in the outer cities. These are reasonable people, willing, even eager to work with Elendel on policy, but they are frightened, worried about what their people will do if we continue to impose tyrannical, imperial policies upon them. They're worried about war. It is my proposal that we vote down this silly bill, then work on something better. Something that can actually promote peace and unity. A kind of national assembly with representation for each outer city, and and elected supreme official from that body." 

He'd expected boos, and got a few. But most of the chamber fell silent, watching him hold the letters aloft. They were afraid of what he was proposing. Afraid of letting power leave the capital. Afraid that the political ways of the outer cities would change the entire dynamic. They were cowards in that regard, and they were also playing to the hands of the Set, a shadowy organization which included his sister and his late uncle as high-ranking members, who had been pulling the strings for years.

They were still active somewhere. They might even have agents among the senators. They wanted war most of all, though he didn't know exactly why, even still. A way to gain power, certainly, but there was something else. Orders from someone, or something, known as Trell.

Unfortunately, he couldn't pin his arguments on an organization that most people still didn't believe existed. He turned around slowly, still holding up the letters, and felt a little spike of alarm as he turned back to <Maelstrom>. He's going to shoot, Wax's instinct said.

"With all due respect," Senator <Maelstrom said>, "you are a new parent and obviously don't know the proper way of raising a child. You don't give into childish demands. You hold firm, knowing that your decisions are best for them, and they will eventually see reason. As a father is to his son, Elendel is to the outer cities."

Right in the back, Wax thought, turning around. Amusing how those instincts worked here. He didn't respond immediately. You waited to aim well for return fire like this. Thing was, he'd made these arguments before, mostly in private, to many of the senators in this room. He was making headway, but he didn't have enough time. Now that he had these letters—now that they'd all seen them—he needed a chance to go back to each senator, the ones on the fence, and share these words, the ideas, and persuade. His gut said that if the vote happened today, the bill would pass. So he hadn't come here just to make the same arguments again. He'd come with a bullet loaded in the chamber, ready to fire.

He carefully folded up the letters and tucked them snugly into his pocket. Then he took the smaller stack, two sheets from his other pocket. The ones that Steris had made copies of in case he forgot. Actually, she probably made copies of the other ones too. And seven other things she knew he wouldn't actually need, but would make her feel better to have her bag, just in case.

Rusts, that woman was delightful.

Wax held up the sheets and made a good show of getting in just the right light to read it.

"Dear <Maelstrom>," he read out loud. "We're pleased by your willingness to see reason and continue to enforce Elendel trade superiority in the Basin. You will make us all wealthy, and we promise you half a percentage of our shipping revenues for the next three years, in exchange for your vocal support of this bill and eventual vote in favor. From, Houses Hasting and Erikell."

The room erupted into chaos, of course. Wax settled in, hooking his finger around his holster, standing and waiting for the cries of outrage to run their course. He met <Maelstrom>'s eyes as the man sank down in his seat. He had hopefully just learned an important lesson: Don't leave a paper trail detailing your corruption when your political opponent is a trained detective.

Rusting idiot.

Footnote: Brandon initially stated that he would be reading chapter 1, but continued reading until some point in chapter 2.

#mistborn #the lost metal #long post #cosmere #brandon sanderson #cfsbf #root #wob

[onecantsimply]

Any words for the people who threw trash at Jack after he won? 🎤

Honestly this Gon makes me sound cringe but here we go-

Watch my reputation go into the gutter for this-

Castor I’m about to kill your ass.

-

Alright, starting off with Arthur Conan Doyle-

Get yo bitch ass out of here with those big ass SHOES- Ronald McDonald shoe size ong. Get them out of the manga page before I tear it out- And don’t try to sit there looking tough- I see you looking anxious whenever Jack does something good- That bitch as CURL IN YOUR HAIR- I could insult the entire fit B U T I just don’t need to- I have others to get to- Speaking of others-

CASTOR YOUR BOWL CUT HAVING BITCH ASS IS UP. Ong you look kinda nice but THAT AIN’T THE POINT-

I know I can’t exactly insult you because you were poor and had to do shit just to heal your mom and all- I wish her the best but she probably died from the start. She ain’t coming back bro so put that damn cow down- You got the Sariel look, with that faint look of a bowl cut- Listen it ain’t worse than Will Byers but dayum there’s still a resemblance- Just get yo weak ass out of here, throwing your rock at the floor- Life ain’t fair and that’s how it is- I DON’T SEE SHIT ON THE GROUND, SO PICK YA HEAD UP, BECAUSE THERE’S NO AIR DOWN THERE. AND I’M ABOUR TO DROP YOU IN FRONT OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT BULLIED YOU.

… Mhm.

Imagine getting so mad at Jack to the point you gotta throw rocks at him. I mean, I understand since he killed Heracles. I love the man. But please, LIFE ISN’T FAIR AND RAGNAROK IS A FULL TOURNEY THAT IS DEDICATED TO KILLING BOTH GODS AND HUMANS. YOU SHOULD HAVE FULLY ANTICIPATED THAT ANY RESULT COULD HAVE HAPPENED. These kids looking like a kid who couldn’t handle not getting a toy and are throwing a fit. And there’s another bowl cut having kid. CASTOR GET YOUR KID- Please, the one on the left looking real funny- All these kids and Gods can’t take the loss of another God- Stop crying, it’s not cute- If ya wanna cry, visit the man’s Shrine because your one and only Brunhilde made it- All of you can cry there, but DON’T THROW ROCKS AT MY FAVORITE MAN-

Of course his previous actions were inexcusable but in Ragnarok, he had to do what he had to do. Heracles was fully aware that he would have died in the tourney as well. Of course the death of a well-liked God would pierce the hearts of many, but at least be glad Humanity won twice- Saying that you wish Jack had died instead doesn’t save anything- He came into Ragnarok as a killer, and left as a man with his Humanity restored- He’s completely different because of Heracles, even if it meant killing him. The only God and person who loved him, and Jack had to kill him- The mans was hurt about it too, so don’t think he didn’t feel shit about it-

#record of ragnarok

[alaffy]

The Sandman, Ep.4 – A Hope in Hell (Spoilers)

*Reads the title.* Cute.

This episode will be harder to recap as it is more about the journey instead of the destination.  In other words, it’s easy to explain what happens in the episode; but harder to explain the conversations.  At least, in a way that would give them proper justification.  I hope that anyone reading this has already seen the show.  If not, I strongly encourage it as I will not do this episode justice.

So, John has left the place where he is imprisoned and is almost immediately hit by a car.  The person driving the car, Rosemary, immediately comes to his aid and offers to give him a ride in her car.  And ma’am, I don’t care if you have a Rottweiler in your car; this is a man who’s wondering around the streets in his pajamas and is clearly out of sorts, you don’t give him a ride.  If you want to help, call for medical assistance.  But she just happens to be going his way soo….and this is where a recap fails as their conversation is one that needs to be experienced in order to understand how powerful it is.  And this conversation is several scenes.  But the main takeaway is the fact that John believes people lie because they’re inherently selfish and Rosemary believes it’s because they are afraid.  As this conversation continues, Rosemary realizes that she is in the company of a very dangerous man.  She tries to get away at a gas station, but that ends with the death of the clerk.  

Meanwhile, Morpheus has arrived in Hell.  Now, he can’t just go into the kingdom of Hell.  One ruler cannot go into another ruler’s kingdom without an invitation.  However, he is granted permission and is lead to the palace. Still, as they travel, Morpheus realizes that Lucifer is waiting for him.  And how does he know?  Well, we are introduced, briefly, to a woman called Nada.  According to legend, Nada was the ruler of the First Men (or the first city of Man).  Nada fell in love with Morpheus…well, no she fell in love with Dream.  To her, he appeared as Lord Kai’ckul (one of Dream’s many forms). And Dream fell in love with her. But she defied him somehow (not explained in the episode) and he cast her to Hell.  I don’t think we’re going to agree with the reasons why he did this.

So, Morpheus meets with Lucifer who is actually…honestly, for the Ruler of Hell she seem quite lovely. I mean, it’s pretty much hinted this is all a trap in order to make Morpheus a slave of hell (apparently, Lucifer wanted the two realms to join because what could be worse then Hell and Nightmares together?  Morpheus turned her down).  

Anyway, Morpheus wants his helm back.  Lucifer asks what demon has the helm and, when Morpheus admits he doesn’t know exactly who, she calls all the Demons to the palace.  Which is what Morpheus wants.  Using his sand, he is able to pluck the demon with the helm out of the group. But the demon refuses to give up the helm, as he obtained it in fair trade.  So, there must be a contest; Morpheus will represent himself and the Demon’s champion will be Lucifer.  

Honestly, I think Lucifer overplayed her hand in this.  The contest is based in imagination and what are dreams but imagination?  Long story short, Morpheus wins.  It seems like, though, for a moment Lucifer won’t let Morpheus go; but does after promising to destroy him some day.  Morpheus leaves the kingdom and puts on his helm; which allows him to find his ruby.  But there is a problem.  John has, indeed, changed something about the ruby.  So, when Morpheus touches it, it throws him across the room and he is knocked unconscious.

At that moment, Rosemary and John arrive at the place the ruby is kept.  John retrieves the ruby and returns to the car, wondering why Rosemary is still there (he ain’t the only one).  And it seems, for a moment, that he’s going to kill Rosemary.  In the end, however, he gives her the protection stone.  See, he realizes that Rosemary is right about people lying because they are afraid, at least in her case.  She is a good person and truly wanted to help John.  She only lied when she thought her life was in danger.  So, he gives her the stone to wear so that she will always be safe and will never have to lie again.  He doesn’t need the protection stone.  He has the ruby and, with it, will reshape the world.  

#the sandman #morpheus #john Dee #lucifer morningstar #mathew the raven

[the-diary-of-a-random-teen]

this is the story of a teen struggling through love as a diary and day by day

Moving on is hard but moving on smth that never was a thing is even harder cuz man it hurtss so bad seeing that person everyday but they never knew how u really feeling bout them cuz u kept to urself or another possibility and which is more fucked for me is that they know how u feel but they enjoy hurting u and playing with ur feelings cuz it’s attention and u are kept pending no matter what u do or say or think. It hurts so bad thinking they like smn else and they like them back ik i keep those feelings to myself but man I can’t all of her acts say that I ain’t good enough for her which I think I am cuz i try my best to be the best version of me around her and i try to make her happy at all costs but all i get is cold treatment ignoring and the worst thing pretending cuz all she wants is attention and she is used to the attention from me so am a useless peace of shit that she uses to talk to about her feelings for other guys knowing damn well it hurts me like a morherfucker i even told her that but she wants attention she wants to be seeen she tries and when she feels that am fucked she simply throws a cold ass ily just cuz she knows it’d touch me and I’ll come back to her again man i am so tired my life been so good without her i was happy now i just sit every night and have the urge to cry my eyes out cuz i am hopeless helpless and my dignity has been fucked. Man she even said in public how she ignores me on purpose while I answer within 5 sec is that fair ? Everytime i try to make a convo with her it makes it abt her so she can get more attention sometimes i even open up but she changes the subject like who does that to a friend.  idk if it’s love but i hope it will fade with time cuz man i am badly wounded and if shit stays like that I won’t end well there’s so much pressure on me and she’s acting like she doesn’t realize or she doesn’t caree man i fuckn love her to hate. I love her so much that she made me hate her. I be the kindest to her but she just ignores it and go around who fuck her emotions up. I am confused and tired and cold and ashamed and regretful and hateful but i still love her and do anything for her. 

come back tomorrow for part 2

#diary #relationship #stories

[neathnights]

The End of the Road!

[previously on]

You've completed your promenade through the streets of London. What now?

Examine your loot Turn out your pockets... including the hidden ones you prepared in case of difficult encounters with Constables and other troubles.

The curious treasures of the streets What did they have in their pocketses?

→ Dispose of seventy Trophies You seem to have gathered a great deal of 'light reading material.'

→ Dispose of sixty Trophies Pickpockets love many things, but none so much as hard, cold, coinage.

An assortment Rubles, piastres, echos... and a single coin stamped with a cedar.

→ Dispose of fifty Trophies via the Acquisitive Relicquarian Among a disappointing haul of junk, you find a code-tablet fragment wrapped in an undistinguished handkerchief! You know a man who'll pay well for this.

Sold! "Speak these phrases if you ever find yourself challenged by the Prester's sentries. You might be surprised how far they get you... if you pronounce them right."

→ Dispose of forty Trophies Handkerchiefs are among the chiefest loot of the pickpocket's trade... but they're too identifiable. The Marred Mercer will render them anonymous, and pay you in fine cloths.

A fair exchange "Fine fogles, these. I don't have ready cash, but let me give you these in trade... they'll be easier to sell at the Bazaar. Fewer initials, ain't it?"

→ Dispose of thirty trophies Someone was walking the streets with a pocket full of very personal correspondence. You'll hang on to these!

A fertile imagination Perhaps it’s best that these letters never arrived at their intended destination. Their addressee might not be as broad-minded as you; and the invitations herein are terribly specific. What an imagination the man must have.

→ Dispose of twenty Trophies Jewels! Sort through the paste and glass and find the real treasures.

A handful of treasures It's a brave woman who wears a venom-ruby on a ring. Or a woman confident she'll never suck her finger in a moment's inattention. Or a woman for whom life has lost its savour. Or a woman whose admirer is dropping strong hints. Or... never mind. It's yours now.

→ Dispose of ten Trophies A miscellany of little treasures. Let's tot 'em up.

Scraps and secrets Is jade truly fossilized souls? And why does rostygold smell like that? Perhaps the answer is in these secrets... no, it's not. But the secret about the clock and the raven is curious indeed.

→ Dispose of five Trophies These handkerchiefs are only Neath-silk, but they're plain and unadorned and easy to fence.

Resale or repurpose? "Sell them," a contact suggests, "to the local rats. I believe them to be assembling an armada, to war upon the rats of the southern riverbank: they find themselves in need of sailcloth." Good, good. Perhaps you'll just go to the Bazaar.

→ Dispose of one Trophy A sticky mass of amber. Fresh-plucked from a Rubbery Man?

A distasteful process Extricating it from your pocket is unpleasantly like confiscating a boiled sweet from the mouth of a greedy child. But you'll be a few pennies richer.

→ Promenade again Perhaps another turn. You must dispose of your current trophies before beginning again.

→ Finished! This will discard any remaining Pickpocket's Trophies, and take you back to Spite.

Safe and sound A profitable venture! Perhaps you should try it again?

#an evening's dipping

[killuaisaprincess]

Ki is delicate 👏👏👏👏

#personal #are you gonna deny me you cannot! Bisky said so herself although I don’t agree with her on everything CANON PROOF #So I’ll never get everyone who writes or treats Ki like some macho cook character I still don’t know what show they watched but whatever #I’ll just block and grumble in my own corner about how the lack of GK makes no sense when there’s canon proof all over the place #99 ain’t canon and just cuz Ki saves Gon doesn’t make him some macho man ect ect #okay okay to be fair there’s a bunch of translations blah blah blah but still doesn’t change the fact that I still only see GK #call me biased but then we can go to kid me who saw GK before she knew the termsso 😤 #*cool though I think I would hate kg a lot less if it was macho cook just cuz it’d be so dumb and funny but as it is now it just squicks me #out and annoys me doesn’t help that so many people who shipped it where assholesto me or tried to force me to read their fic ect #I don’t mind if they like it hate GK ect ect but don’t take it to me! Sheesh #if you can do G in a dress why can’t I do Ki in one 😤😤😤😤 and I will and I’ll make him as feminine as I want 😤 which is it’s own #set of issues when they get mad for more than one reason #I’m a tomboy and I’m making Ki the polar opposite and idc he’s a tom girl and it’s cute! 👏👏👏👏👏👏😤 #I STILL LOOK AT THE LAST ARC I DONT GET IT #MAYBE IM BLIND BUT KI IS VERY SOFT AND GENTLE AND YES HE HAS TO FIGHTSOMETIMES BUT HES #SO SOFT AT HEART IDK KG JUST KINDA SEEMS LIKE FAM VER OF KI THAT AINT HIM TO ME #ANOTHER REASON I DONT LIKE IT HATE IT #LET KI BE OPEN AND CRY AND HE DESERVES BETTER 👏 #MY CAPS IS STILL ON IDC I LOVE HIM I LOVE KI 😭😭😭😭😭😭 very sick of this fandom ignoring his trauma and treating him like his fam does! #Ki not being cool and slowly being able to let his guard down and be him and not something his fam wants cuz they never liked that he was #emotional is good he’s a delicate kid who deserves love 😭 #very much so don’t get the jokes about Ki drinking poison or sticking a fork in a socket cuz I can only see his trauma and ptsd! #okay! Like yes Ki will say I’m resistant but sides from the first arc where maybe it’s applicable I don’t seee it #even comparing Ki telling Tonpa to Ki telling bug lady is dif and I wish there was just more manga exploring that Ki has trauma for fucks #sake ahhhhhhhhhhh not enough for me #99 ain’t canon and the hunter exam is one arc #and even then 99 is GK tall people don’t gotta be top that’s boring #yes I know I’m short Ki supremacy but that’s cuz I hate his fam hate the main fandomand hate the takes he’d be tall! So I have to sacrifice #one and Ki’s fucked up childhood that would I feel stunt his growth is priority!

[rainydaymiddleearthimagines]

What a relationship is like with the Lord of the Rings men:

 Aragorn:

He’s adorable in a relationship, honestly. 

Very affectionate when it’s just you and him, or if you initiate some sort of form of affection first

He’s protective but not over protective

You wanna go out and fight too? Great, he’ll give you a sword and fight next to you

His pet names for you are “Darling” and “Love”

If you join the fellowship he’s definitely nervous about it

He’s worried the whole time about you being in danger, which to be fair you constantly were

But any time there was a battle, he was next to you, fighting side by side, ensuring you were safe

When he finally accepts his claim to Gondor, he will call you “ My Queen/King”

On nights you can’t sleep (unless your elven because from what I’ve read they don’t necessarily need sleep) he will sing to you or tell you stories of all the places he had been too or heard about.

He definitely will make you flustered when your with him on purpose.

He’ll flirt with you and you’ll just stand there with this red face and he’ll act like nothing happened. 

He is not a jealous man by any means, he trusts you with his whole being

His go to means of affection is kissing your knuckles or forehead.

I get the vibes that he adores fiercely independent people so he can sit back and watch you kick ass and be like “Look at what my baby can do” 

When he becomes king, you bet your ass you’re ruling next to him

He loves you to the ends of the earth

Legolas:

He absolutely adores you

VERY affectionate

Will call you pet names in elvish, whispering sweet little things in your ear

his go to means of affection is hugs from behind and holding your hands

You bet your ass that if you’re a human, hobbit or any non immortal race, he will give up his immortality.

He will teach you elvish if you don’t know it

His go to pet names are “Dear” and “My love”

He is very gentle, very loving

He’s extremely protective but that mainly stems from the fact that he has SEEN SHIT MAN.

If you want to fight, he will agree to it but he definitely will not like it

He’s not a jealous man at all, in fact other men’s advances kind of go over his head.

If you can’t sleep he will tell you stories that he’s lived through

Course, some of them are so exciting it defeats the purpose of sending you to sleep

He actually likes it when you go on adventures with him

He loves having you with him 

You definitely tease him for being thousands of years old. 

you love making him laugh

And he does that all the time because he gets to see that gorgeous smile.

Frodo:

The purest relationship. Ever.

He is very affectionate

EXTREMELY protective

He loves hearing stories of outside the shire and he loves sharing his experiences too

He loves hugs and my gods he is GREAT at giving them

He loves it when you play with his hair.

He is like Legolas in the sense that he definitely won’t be happy if you want to go into battle but he won’t stop you

He would prefer you to stay behind out of danger but again, he will not stop you if you want to go

his pet names are “Honey” and “Darling” 

He’s honestly so pure it hurts

There is a BIG difference in personality if you meet him before the events of Lord of the Rings

For one, he’s a lot more bubbly before 

When he comes back he clearly has seen some shit

Sad thing: When there’s a party he can’t hear screaming without thinking its a ring wraith so he has to leave early most times

You love him though and he DEFINITELY loves you.

Samwise: 

LOYAL. AS. HELL.

Has the sweetest personality

brings you flowers every other day

He is very adamant though about you staying behind on adventures, he will get frustrated if you end up going any way but he will not be able to remain upset with you

He also really doesn’t enjoy having to watch you run into battle

Danger in general, ESPECIALLY if it’s around you, terrifies him

You love hearing his stories, him telling you all about some of the crazy things he’s experienced

If you meet him before the events of Lord of the Rings, he will mainly tell you wacky adventures he got himself into with Frodo or Merry and/or Pippin

Hell, he does that even if you meet him after.

He actually refrains from telling you about life outside the Shire because it kind of gave him trauma.

His favorite forms of affection is kissing your knuckles

He will be that guy who works his ass off for you to be able to live comfortably

He loves you and will make sure you know that fact.

Calls you “my dear” or “Darling” 

Merry:

He’s a goofball.

Expect the unexpected. 

He will definitely do really crazy things to make you laugh

little bit of a prankster

By a little bit I mean: He’s a chaotic little shit

He loves you so much though and knows where to draw a line

He LOVES it when you want to go off and do shit

You wanna fight? Great, he’s charging with you

Wanna randomly dance in the woods? He’s dancing with you

He loves spending time with you 

He is SO loyal, always by your side

Watch someone try to separate you, he will kick their ass

He loves dancing with you

His favorite form of affection is holding your hand

Something about it is just so nice

He loves you so much, honestly he could spend HOURS gushing about you

Pippin and Frodo are always over for dinner, along with Sam

They love being around you two, watching their friend be so happy 

He calls you “Love” and “Dear”

He loves cooking for you, mY GODS HE LOVES IT

Pippin:

Like Merry, massive goofball

little more of a crackhead though

He is less of a prankster, more of a cracking jokes kind of guy

He’s totally a goofball and will do all sorts of  things to make you laugh

you genuinely love him and he adores you to pieces

if you meet him after the events of Lord of the Rings, he’s definitely more serious but not by too much

He’ll have a few moments where he’ll space out and you’ll have to tap him to get his attention

He clearly suffered so much trauma while on that trip

He definitely becomes more serious after everything

Yeah, he’ll crack a joke here and there but he’s definitely changed

He doesn’t mind if you want to go off and fight, but you bet your ass he will charge with you like Merry

He loves watching you be a badass

You love hearing the hysterical adventures that he’s gone on with Merry

He loves watching you sing and dance

he will sing to you on nights that you can’t sleep

His voice is hella soothing

He loves playing with your hair

He actually has a talent for making flower crowns

Boromir:

He absolutely adores you

piggyback rides while on adventures are definitely a thing

he loves making you laugh in slightly tense situations

Giant Spider pops out? His ass looks at it and then you “Why can’t we ever encounter giant butterflies?” and then charge like he said something inspirational that motivated him into battle

He doesn’t mind if you want to fight, he’ll just guard you the entire time

He’s fiercely protective over you

He loves being affectionate

Very attentive

Cold?

His cloak will be wrapped around you

Tired?

He’ll carry you

Sick?

He’ll take care of you

He loves you so much

He is kind of jealous. 

It’s not that he doesn’t trust you, he doesn’t trust other people. 

He loves calling you “Princess/Prince” or “Sweetheart”

You love hearing about his life in Gondor

When he dies... oh gods

It breaks you

If you went with the Fellowship you were inconsolable 

His family gives you the horn of Gondor because they all are aware of him loving you

You two sadly have a bit of a tragic love story

Faramir:

Affectionate as fuck

Loves hugs, always has his hand on you in some sweet way

He loves you so much

He was always kind of the overlooked son so when he presented you as “Hey this is the woman/man I love” no one except Boromir notices

Boromir always looked as you as a sister/brother after that, loving the way his brother looked at you with so much adoration

He does not mind you wanting adventure one bit, so long as he’s charging next to you

He does not give a shit about a claim to the throne either

royal life does not suit this man as much as the adventure’s life does

He loves you so much

He is sort of reckless in battle and that worries you

it gets worse after Boromir dies

When you thought he died you were hysterical

Then Pippin made the observation that he was still alive

His father wasn’t hearing either of you

Then he turned out to be alive and you were so happy

Scolded the crap out of him for worrying you

You two love each other till the end

Gimli:

loves a woman/man who can hold their liquor

Oh he’s a complete crackhead

loves telling you stories of dwarven life

you love his wild stories

You keep his mind open

If your an elf he will refuse to be in love with you for a while

Oh you definitely have a kill count thing going on with him

He gets flustered when he sees you being a badass

He ain’t stopping you from doing SHIT

Wanna run into battle? Great, he’s supplying the swords and charging too

Wanna join the fellowship? He’ll complain about having to save another woman’s/man’s ass 

And then later get saved by you

He definitely enjoys watching you in battle

He loves hearing stories of your homeland

sure maybe your life isn’t as exciting but he loves hearing about your life

He’s not big on affection but if he’s excited, hugs. 

He also isn’t big on nicknames but he typically calls you “Lass”

He loves hearing you laugh

He says it’s like music

#gimli son of gloin #gimli x reader #lotr gimli #gimli #legolas #legolas x reader #legolas x you #aragorn #aragorn imagine #aragorn x reader #frodo baggins #lotr frodo #faramir #boromir #merry and pippin #merry #pippin #samwise the brave #samwise gamgee

[gliphyartfan]

@stars-for-thought @imprisioned-in-the-hole @linked-heroes @ice-cream-writes-stuff

This...wrecked me.

BUT it was a long time coming! Had to cut half of it out cause it grew too long (nearly 6k is still long right?). But I did it! I honestly hope I did it justice!

If not for @yandere-linked-universe, I would have lost all motivation a week ago!

But I was successful!

Still though...heroes and their need to argue...

It wasn't something they've done in a long while.

Gathering around one another.

Not willingly at the least.

Eight of them sitting a fair distance away from the houses, the camp fire being the only source of light for them at this time of night.

Hyrule the last one to arrive, having checked up on (y/n) before arriving at the designated place, so the eight simply sat around the camp fire in silence, stewing in their own thoughts.

When he arrives, informing them of y/n's stable condition, it was then Legend claps his hands and brings their attention to him.

'I think I speak for all of us when I say we need to air out some things.' He would give them all a stern look. 'And let me be clear on the fact that we can't hide anything right now.'

None of them look at each other.

Hyrule nervously agrees but expresses concern over being heard by the nearby houses, more worried at disturbing (y/n) than he was about disturbing the neighbors.

Wind assures him that they wouldn't be heard.

'Mesa doesn't sleep at night cause of the monsters that used to pop up, plus he hates being alone nowadays so he stays with Miss Sue-Belle and her grandpa at night.' Wind explained with a shrug.

'Even if he was there, he's a really heavy sleeper, we could scream at the very top of our lungs all we want and no one would hear us from over here. I've tested it.'

'How convenient.' Wars remarked with a snort but wouldn't make a comment after getting a look from Time.

Before things could become awkward, Legend does not hesitate to be blunt about it.

'We need to stop.' He would say, resting his elbows on his knees.

'Stop what?' Wild mutters.

'All of 'this'.' He's wave his hand towards the group, a scowl on his face.

Wars rolls his eyes.

'Legend, my dear hoarder, you need to be more specif-'

' When was the last time we talked to one another without taking note of eachothers weaknesses?'

Warriors closed his mouth, the group looked at each other, none speaking up with an answer.

'When was the last time we actually shared a space without tension? Covered each other in battle because we were worried instead out of obligation, or just leaving each other to fend for themselves? Or shared our potions willingly?' A sharp smile on his face. 'Or better yet, when was the last time we trusted one another?'

...

No one had anything to say to that.

Legend shook his head, a scowl appearing. 'I'm not dumb, I can see what's in front of me. Whatever trust we forged during our journey is at risk of fading to almost nothing. It's a fucking miracle y/n hasn't noticed us going for each other's throat.

'Okay, that's a bit harsh.' Sky interjected nervously, 'I agree that it's possible things have been...rather tense lately, but I wouldn't say it's that bad.'

Legend leveled a look at him.

'Four, Wild, and Twilight have all scared off at least 12 different people for looking at her recently.'

'It was necessary!' Four exclaimed in defense, Twilight placing a hand on his shoulder keep him from jumping up from his seat, Wild staying in his seat, though his hands tightened into fists. ' We saw the intentions in their eyes! The way they stared at her! They were looking at her like she was food!'

Legend turned the leveled look at the blacksmith.

'All 12? All of them? In the same town? In the same day? He asked with a scoffed, 'Same hour? Half of them women? Oh yes, very dangerous. And it's rather convenient when the Cook joins in and helps you scare them away.'

Four had a sneer on his face but the silent rancher's hand on his shoulder kept him from doing anything else.

Legend watched them for another moment before turning back to Sky.

'Warriors and Hyrule have been awfully careful with keeping any of us from encroaching upon her personal space, either by being the ones to guard her while she's bathing or when she's hurt.'

'What, so that makes us suspicious?' The captain crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at him, Hyrule nervously ducking his head. 'She deserves some space away from you clingy lot! We're just making sure she has it!'

'Funny how you say that when you've been taken advantage of your position to have some alone time with her.' Legend doesn't even look away from the skyloftian as he answers back. 'You know, you're quite charming when you think no one is paying attention. And don't think I haven't noticed how our resident healer has been hoarding potions for some time.'

Warriors and Hyrule tensed at being found out, keeping their eyes from settling on anyone else's as they were looked at.

'The old man has been very careful in sending one of us ahead when there's danger. That honestly took me a bit to figure out, since he rotates who goes. Yet he never seems to volunteer himself.' The vet looked over at Time, who's featured remained impassive.

'Wild has been more aggressive with strangers than Four, which is saying something considering how violent the blacksmith has been. The sailor has been growling at every kid that's been as close as 5 feet of her and clings to her when he thinks we're too busy, and don't think I haven't noticed the way you've been nudging the tension between everyone while going through her things Sky.'

He raised an eyebrow as he looked back at the pale faced skyloftian.

'And you're telling me it's not that bad?'

There wasn't anything the group could say to those (accurate) accusations, Four looked to be visibly restraining himself from hitting him.

...

'...Maybe it's because you all force your presence on her...'

'...What was that?' Four growled out, solid blue eyes snapping up to glare at the speaker.

Wind lifted his head, glaring back at the blacksmith.

'You heard me Blacksmith, or is your attention span as short as your height?' He sneered. 'You all force your presence on her when she wants to be left alone! At least she feels comfortable with me!'

Four sneered back at Wind. 'The way you hog her attention is the very comforting.'

'Hey, I at least GIVE her space! I saw how you yelled at that shopkeeper when he asked if she needed anything-'

'I had to! Didn't you see the way that disgusting bastard-'

...

Legend watched as the group slowly dissolved into chaos. Each hero soon shouting at one another.

This is what he had been worried about for so long, and here was proof that the trust they had between one another is dangerously close to collapsing.

He watched as Twilight was talking coldly to Time, who didn't even have the decency to look ashamed of his choices.

Four and Wind were at each other's throats and Warriors was basically growling at Wild, who was screaming about how he always knew Warriors was keeping y/n away from everyone else.

Sky and Hyrule, who were shouting at each other over what they've been doing.

He needed to get them back on track, so with a deep breath, he whistled as loudly as he could.

He began speaking the moment they all looked at him.

'Well ain't this a beautiful example of shit I've ever seen!'

'Enough Veteran!' Time ordered, speaking up for what seemed the first time since this conversation began.

'You've been doing a good job keeping quiet old man, better get back to being a good boy and let the big people talk.' Legend didn't need to look at Time to know his expression was thunderous.

'All of you acting like little BRATS, ready to play 'it's not my fault, it's YOURS.' A humorless laugh escaping him.

'News flash bastards, IT'S ALL YOUR FAULTS.' His grin was more bearing teeth than a grin.

'None of you are innocent.'

He expected Wild to shout at him, maybe Wind or Sky. Hell, the good captain looked ready to tackle him.

Yet it was Four who jumped to his feet, growling at the Veteran.

The smaller boy slipped away from the hands restraining him, rushing forward and grabbed the taller boy's collar, slamming their foreheads together and hissing, 'Just who the hell do you think you are?!?'

'That's a funny question.' He remarked mockingly, making sure not to show that the head bashing hurt. 'Considering how you seem to think you're in the right.'

Four wasn't pleased by his comment. 'I'll take out anyone that lays a malicious hand on her. How dare you even insinuate that I would let such a thing happen!'

'For someone who sounds so sincere, you have a funny way of showing it.' Legend retorted with gritted teeth, never taking his eyes off the shorter man's.

'Acting like you care but when it matters, you're as blind as the rest of us. That's why she got hurt.'

The others surged forward,

'How dare you-"

'That's not true-'

'Damnit Vet, you can't just-'

'SHE NEARLY DIED DAMNIT!!' He shoved Four back, basically throwing him to the floor, having enough of everyone's nonsense.

Everyone stills at his words.

'SHE'S STILL UNRESPONSIVE!! SHE'S ALMOST DIED BECAUSE OF OUR FUCKING RIVALRY!!!' He blazed with impotent rage.

'She's laying in that house, because she got LUCKY. Do you hear me?' He emphasized his point by gesturing in the direction of Wind's house.

'Because had we not gotten our shit together? Had we argued just a moment more? We would have been standing before her GRAVE.'

His face was dark with fury.

'And you have the fucking nerve to tell me I'm in the wrong?' He hissed through clenched teeth.

...

...It is quiet.

The veteran stared right into the blacksmith's eyes, vaguely noticing how it shifted colors rapidly. The way his face twitched, as if physically restraining himself from saying something he would regret.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the others frozen in different positions of action.

Some halfway out of their seats, others reaching for the two of them as if to pull them away from each other.

He focused back on Four, noticing his jaw was tightly clenched.

'WE. NEED. HER. ' he said in a firm voice.

This seemed to make him flinch, but Legend wasn't finished. He took a deep breath and lowered his voice a few notches though he was still partly yelling.

'Not the other way around. SHE doesn't need us.' he slowly shook his head as he looked at every one of them.

'She NEVER needed us.'

Four looked away at that.

'We need her more than we need air in our lungs. Need her more strongly than water or food. ' He focused back on Four and pointed at him.

'And you...you think I'm going to let you, let any of you, let MYSELF, lose her because we couldn't control ourselves?' His chuckle was icy, his smile was unpleasant and full of teeth.

'Oh you don't know me as well as I thought. '

'Because allow me to be as clear as possible when I say, I would slaughter anyone that laid a filthy hand on her' Legend leaned forward, smiling coldly. 'Push me enough, and you'll be on the list.'

'Isn't that extreme..?!' Hyrule exclaimed worriedly, looking at Legend with an uncertain expression.

'Oh...so you wouldn't hurt them if they laid a hand on her? You would actually hesitate to tear off limbs if they forced her to go with them. If they dared to speak her like some cheap whore-'

'How could you even say that-!!!'

'That is uncalled for!'

Legend spread his arms out. 'Well you all might as well be saying you would!!'

'Hold your tongue or I'll cut it!' Wild suddenly snarled, Twilight, visibly tense from Legend' words, was forced to put both hands on Wild.

'I bet you would just stand there while they tried, hm? Stand there while she cries for your help?' He kept pushing, because he needed to. 'Just stand there, watching her shed her tears? Stand there and let. them. touch her? Is that what you would do? Answer me.'

'Don't you DARE say such a thing.' Wild growled, his lips drew back in a snarl.

'You all seem so eager in proving me right, I see nothing wrong with saying this if this is how you really feel.' He masked a scowl with a smirk even as the others began to raise their voices again.

'WHAT THE HELL!'

'You miserable pile of-!!'

'JUST TELL ME YOU'RE READY TO ABANDON HER SO I CAN KEEP HER AWAY FROM YOU ALL!!'

'HOW DARE YOU!!' Warriors roared, suddenly on his feet and in Legend's face.

'You think you can accuse us like this, act like you have the high ground, and expect us to sit here and take it?!' Legend didn't even hesitate shoving him away.

'I can accuse you all I want! Whatever friendship we may still have be damned, BECAUSE YOU'RE AS GUILTY AS I AM!!!' Legend shouted, even as the captain grabbed the front of his tunic and pulled him up to his face again.

'WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE.'

'I'M ONE WHO'S ACTUALLY TRYING TO FIX THIS MESS!! UNLIKE YOU WHO'S READY TO LET HER END UP AS A CORPSE BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T NOTICE YOU THE WAY YOU WANT HER TO!!'

'You miserable, disrespectful, arrogant-

'STOP ACTING LIKE YOU'RE NOT PART OF THE FUCKING PROBLEM YOU STUPID SOLDIER!!'

'SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!'

'NO! WAKE UP FROM YOUR FUCKING FANTASIES!'

'What gives you the FUCKING RIGHT-'

'BECAUSE I LOVE HER YOU BASTARD!!'

The admittance silenced them swiftly.

But he didn't care at the moment.

He was breathing deeply after saying those words. Face flushed with anger. Fists clenched so tightly, they were bone white.

'I. Love. her.' He hissed to a frozen Warriors.

'I. Need. her.' He grabbed the wrist attached to the had gripping his tunic.

'I. Can't. Lose. Her.' He bared his teeth, slowly shaking his head.

'I won't hesitate.' He voice was a whisper at this point. But it didn't matter. The crackling fire was the only other sound at moment.

'I won't hesitate to kill anyone that takes her away from me.'

...

And that's what he needed them to understand. Needed them to understand that as much as he cared for this group, as much as he's willing to put the effort to fix things...

If they didn't work together?

There would be corpses.

And he wouldn't be one of them.

He wanted to keep screaming at them. Wanted they to hang their heads in shame as he pointed out every flawed thing they've done as of late.

But he..sighed.

'I want..so much.. ' He began, looking straight into Warriors' eyes, a numb sense of calm filling him. 'I want so many impossible things.'

'I want to fall asleep to her peaceful face, and wake up to the sight of her kind smile. I want her to lean against me as she draws, to watch her eyes light up when I show her something new. To see her laugh, hear her hum a tune, to know I'm the reason she glows with happiness.'

He could feel the pale faced captain tremble beneath his grip.

'I want the exact same thing you bastards want...' he took a deep breath, to settle his heart.

'I just want her by my side every single day.'

His voice almost quiet.

'I don't want to lose her.'

Silent stillness enveloped them after Legend had finished speaking, only the sound of the crinkling fire all that was audible at the moment.

Warriors stared at him, swallowing. visibly shaken by the veteran's honesty.

After a beat, Legend slowly pulls the captain's hand off of him.

He was met with no resistance.

He looks at them all. Tired, drained, a headache slowly making itself known.

'So...' he raised an eyebrow, tone dull, 'How about the cook whip us up something.'

Wild blinked, startled by being acknowledged.

'Wha-'

'And while he's at it, our resident healer can check up on our mutual darling.'

Hyrule jolted at the sudden acknowledgment.

'We have a lot to talk about and we can't do it on empty stomachs and worry in our minds.' He grinned sardonically, slowly clapping his hands twice.

'Chop chop people. The night is still young.'

--

--

It took a while for them to speak up after that, because what could one say after such an outburst?

It soothed their hearts when Hyrule returned, saying she was healing nicely. That information helped them calm down while using the time Wild spent cooking to gather their thoughts.

It was difficult to come up with something after the explosive event of earlier.

They were silent when their food was served.

Silent as they ate.

But slowly, very slowly, they did.

Legend pulling the words out of them.

Each grievance, thought and feeling.

It was a snail's pace, but as the Veteran calmly pushed them into speaking, the atmosphere surround the group slowly calmed, the words flowing just a bit easier than before.

'I just don't want her to leave.' Hyrule admitted quietly, looking down at his hands, almost ashamed to admit such a thing.

Warriors sighed. 'I think I speak for all of us when I say the feeling is mutual.'

Murmurs of agreement met his words.

' I don't disagree. It's obvious why, she's...just so kind.' Sky shyly put out, a small blush on his face.

'I mean, when was the last time she even demanded something from any of us?'

Warriors couldn't help but snort. 'I think you mean to say 'when has she ever demanded anything from us?'

'I believe I can answer that.' Time said, speaking up after staying silent for most of the evening.

Four raised an eyebrow. 'Oh, and when was this?'

'When she and I got separated, I injured my leg fighting the Lynel? Back in Legend's era I believe it was.'

'I remember that!' Wind piped in, snapping his fingers and pointing at Time. 'In the lost woods! She was tugging your ear when I reached you guys!'

Time nodded with a chuckle, resting his chin on his hand.

'Got quite the lecture too. She can be...quite stern when pushed enough.'

' That was the first time she saw one of us fight a Lynel wasn't it...' Twilight realized, blinking in comprehension. 'I can't believe I forgot that. She must have been terrified witnessing such a thing.

'Ah, but that was the thing. She was calm when she saw me kill it.'

'So she has thicker skin than an average civilian.' Legend sighed. 'Impressive but not that surprising.'

'Don't get me wrong Vet, she was quite unnerved when she saw the battle but once it was over and she saw my injury, I was the main focus.' He looked down, almost unaware that he was touching the place where the injury once was.

'She could have gone to get one of you guys, I knew she heard you calling out to us, we both did, but she stayed.' He smirked then, 'Pulled out a couple of red potions from her bag too.'

He had the group looking at him in surprise.

'Wait, potions?'

'Who gave her a potion?'

'Wars, was it you?'

'I would remember that!'

'Well well, isn't she well prepared.'

'Looks like she's paying attention to the Vet's paranoia!'

'Ha ha, such flattery.'

'Did she buy a few in town before we swapped eras?'

'Actually she has a stash of them in the event of one of us becoming injured and she's the only one around.' Time interjected, one of his amused grins on his face.

That brought another round of questions.

'She knows how to make potions?!'

'No Wind, we would have seen her.'

'It's not something that could be hidden either.'

'And where did she get the money to buy enough potions?'

'When'd she have the time to even get potions??'

'My question is, how did we not see her get the potions?'

' Did she tell you?' Time snorted softly as the last question was directed at him.

'Matter of fact, yes. Clever answer too, know all those 'silly bets' she got us to agree to?'

He waited for them to nod. ' Well, she's been stashing every rupee she's won from us specifically to buy 'emergency potions'. He answered with a breathy chuckle. 'As for when? She's been buying them from Beedle when we were at stables. And since we also give her money to buy herself stuff...'

'None of us would be the wiser.' Legend finished for him.

'You're serious aren't you...' Warriors couldn't help but say.

'Absolutely.' Time nodded, not able to suppress a grin when he realised the captain's tone was admiring.

'She looked so embarrassed, thought I would be upset with her for ' sneaking behind our backs'. Tried to justify it by saying it 'felt stupid to be the only one in the group who wasn't prepared for some type of emergency.'' A round of chuckles emerged from the group as they all imagined the expression on her face.

'When she saw my injury, she immediately pulled out the potions from her pouch, didn't even pause in shoving a few into my hands and asking me how much pain I was in.' He smiled at the memory. 'That's when I made the foolish mistake of telling her to leave me there and go find one of you.'

' And you lived to tell the tale?' Warriors asked, smirking widely.

'Barely, the glare I receive was quite fierce.' Time didn't even bother to hold the laughter down, still remembering how startled he had been, having such a glare directed at him.

'Like a raging Goddess, she demanded I take better care of myself, or face mothering the likes of which I never saw before.' He looked exasperated, yet his voice was the definition of amused.

' She then proceeded to baby talk me until I agreed.'

Time was not ashamed as the group roared with laughter.

'Are you serious?'

'Poor man!' Warriors reached over and clapped a hand on the older man's shoulder.

'Oh, THAT must have been uncomfortable!' Sky commented between breaths.

' I barely lasted a few sentences before I was pleading for mercy.' He rolled his eyes and huffed through his nose.

'So THAT'S why you were so careful in battle the weeks after.' Hyrule realized, grinning as Time shrugged.

'When I'm threatened with something like THAT? How can I do anything else but obey?'

Wars held his hands up in a shrug, smirk on his face. 'Ah but who are we to question Her divine command?'

'Who are we indeed..' Time murmured with a breathy laugh.

Wild smirked, eyes glinting with glee. 'Speaking of her doing things we don't expect, Vet! Remember when she met Wolfie?'

Legend smirked, even as Twilight send a glare at the cook. 'Rather brave of her, despite never being near an actual wolf before. '

Sky frowned. 'But didn't she look nervous?' Twilight sighed as Legend and Wild let out a laugh.

' You would think! But she apparently didn't want to break any unspoken rules about touching him.' Wild couldn't resist the sharp grin as he eyed the embarrassed rancher. 'You should have seen her when she was given the okay. I'm surprised the mutt was able to escape her constant pets and kisses.'

Twilight wasn't able to keep the blush down when Wind grumbled a very clear 'Lucky bastard.' To the amusement of everyone else, especially those who knew his secret.

They fell into a comfortable silence after that, the sound of the waves a song that filled their ears, the wind playing with their hair as they got lost in thought.

'...Go and bring peace to Hyrule.'

They looked at Wild, he was looking at the sea. 'Every time I went to one of those statues, that's what Hylia would tell me.'

He dug his boot into the sand. 'She would heal me up when I had enough spirit orbs, fill me with vitality, but every time she finished, she would always say those same words.' He grimaced

'And every time, I would think, 'is she healing me because cares, or because I'm just a means to an end?''

Wild shooked his head, never taking his eyes off the sea.

'Even though I've fought evil for her sake. For Zelda's sake. I always felt like she wanted more.' He grimaced.

“I don’t even know what more I could have given…” He admitted, “Always thinking that I’ll one day wake up and realize that I was fated to sacrifice more.'

Then a small smile pulled at his lips, 'But when I'm with (y/n)...I don't feel that weight of responsibility...the weight of those thoughts.' His words were barely above a whisper by the end.

'With her...I feel free.'

For several moments, there was stillness. Watch of them could feel the bite of the ocean breeze on their skin, the heat of the campfire barely able to hold off the chill and darkness surrounding them.

"She said she was proud of me..' Wild whispered, "Said that every breath I took, every moment I opened my eyes to greet the day, was rebellion against what destiny, what Ganon, had wanted.'

'She saw me, a failure of a hero, and said she was proud of me,' He whispered, unable to trust himself with anything louder. 'How could I possibly love another when she says such things with so much honesty?'

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

'How could I go on, following Hylia's command blindly, when (y/n) comes to me with those kind eyes and says She just wants me to be happy?'

'Hylia does not want champions.' Time shook his head, smirking bitterly. 'She merely wants toy soldiers.'

Sky's eyes flew up to the look at eldest of the group.

'Surely that's a bit much, Hylia..has done what she could for us.'

'Who is Hylia? A being who seeks soldiers to clean up her mess? A being who only expects us to obey?' Time interjected.

Sky swallowed. 'But..she's assisted us-'

Time shook his head. 'No, she simply made sure we survived long enough to eliminate her enemies.'

Wild frowned, rubbing the back of his neck. 'When you think about it, he's right. We have never worshiped Hylia because we wanted to. But because we were obligated to. Because most of us were raised to believe it was an honor.'

He looked at Sky. 'But...isn't a goddess of benevolence supposed to be someone who is kinder than a mortal could comprehend? Someone who cares for her servants for no other reason than because we love her as much as she loved us?'

Twilight smiled bitterly. 'A goddess like that is someone I wouldn't mind serving. '

'Isn't that why we love Her so?' Legend said softly.

Warriors looked at him oddly. '(y/n) isn't a goddess Legend.'

Legend looked at him with carefully impassive expression. 'But we want her to be.'

They all looked anywhere but at him.

'You've all already admitted it. Even if you don't want to say it.' Legend smirked.

'Vet-'

''Who are we to question Her divine command?'' He repeated, smirking when the captain's mouth snapped shut.

'We all want her to be.' Legend repeated, catching Hyrule's eye and staring him down.

-Admit it.- His eyes said. Hyrule flinching at being seen through. Wanting to deny the silent accusation.

...But his heart wouldn't let him deny such a thing either.

'...(y/n) would make a better goddess than hylia.' He admitted, looking down.

Sky snap his attention to the traveler, his eyes slightly wide.

'Hyrule-' Legend cut Sky off, looking right at the skyloftian.

'Can you deny that she's already better than hylia?' Sky seemed to struggle with an answer, but Legend didn't wait for an answer.

'Is She not kinder, sweeter, more beautiful than anyone else? She never asks for anything other than our safety and happiness. Becomes upset when we try to do more than we can handle and tries to actually help us whenever she can. '

Twilight sighed, but nodded in agreement. 'Her presence is like a soothing warmth that never falters. I don't think I've ever had someone who's presence relieved me the way Hers does.'

He grimaced. 'Not even Hylia herself can claim such a thing.'

A glance at Sky, causing him to grimace and look away.

'Someone with a beautiful soul like Hers...' Hyrule whispered, folding his hands in front of his chest, almost like he was praying.

'I..I could worship someone like Her everyday without regret.' He looked away, as if shameful of his admittance.

'..What's wrong with that?' Hyrule looked at who spoke.

'Wars?'

Warriors did not look at him, staring at the ground. But his face had shifted into an expression of thoughtfulness. 'What's wrong with wanting to worship her? '

Hyrule's face flushed red. '..it...it seems a bit inappropriate to-'

'Because we're supposed to worship Hylia?' He looked up at him. 'Farore? Nayru? Din?'

'...I-'

Wind frowned, looking around. ' Why can't we worship who we desire? Worship someone we CAN trust?'

Twilight bit his lip, shaking his head. 'That's too much of a dream to even CONSIDER-'

Legend barked a laugh.

'Dreams are only dreams until we make them a reality.'

'...!' He chuckled at the shocked looks he received from most of them.

'You said it better than I ever could Hyrule. Someone with as beautiful of a soul as Her's is someone we could worship everyday of our lives without regret.'

'But we can't-'

'Why? Because we're Hylia's 'Champions'? I don't know if you remember this, but we've done our duties, defeated Ganon and the only reason I'll not complaining about THIS journey anymore is because it brought us Her.'

'Legend-'

'And don't we in a way worship her already?'

Wild tilted his head. 'What do you mean?'

He raised a finger, 'Don't we find joy in caring for her? Providing for her? Is that not paying tribute?' A second finger, 'Don't we defend her when danger is near? Cutting down every enemy that come near her? Is that not raising our swords in her name?'

He leaned forward, A manic glint flashing in his eyes. A third finger was raised. 'Do we not find joy when she whispers our name, do we not find peace when we whisper Hers? Is that not devotion? Tell me otherwise and I'll concede.'

But no one said anything.

No one wanted to.

Because they agreed with his words so much.

'She deserves someone to protect her...' Hyrule whispered, as if to himself, as if to convince himself to listen to the words being spoken to him.

'She deserves US to protect Her.' Legend corrected, his smile was all teeth, but it wasn't malicious.

'We've defeated literal evil. We're the best people to protect Her.' Wind added, his eyes matching the Veteran's. Soon matching the eyes of all of them.

'And doesn't She deserve the very best, after everything She's done for us?' Legend spread his arms out, smirk on his face. Sky smiled, looking at his hands, laughing softly, shaking his head.

'I...suppose you're right...' he slowly admitted, his shoulder releasing tension, almost relieved.

'I..can't see anyone else providing for her the way we can.'

'We have the resources...' Four slowly added, a note of mania woven through the blacksmith's words, 'We have much sway in our eras and what we don't have, I'm reasonably sure we know someone who can provide it for us.'

'We've faced more than enough adversaries to be able to counter any situation.' Warriors smirked, sitting back, arms crossed.

'The safest place is with us.' Time said, a sense of finality in his words.

And for the first time in so long, they all were united with such a decision.

It didn't matter if there wasn't a drop of divinity in her.

It didn't matter if she wasn't able to use magic or blessed by any spirit.

She was not a goddess in the way they knew. But only a fool would deny the beautiful divinity that radiated from Her heart.

She was Divine to them.

A presence that was not unlike an ocean of warmth that wanted to drown them in love and safety.  Eager to drive them mad, to drive them to protect Her happiness.

And they would drown in that ocean willingly.

She didn't even realize what she was doing to them.

She didn't realize that the very person She was was causing them to crave Her gentle touch, Her beautiful smiles, Her arms wrapped around them.

She didn't realize any of this.

Because it was as natural as breathing to Her.

How many times was Her kindness going to steal the breath from their lungs?

How many times was Her gentle voice going to soothe them when they wake from their nightmares, Her hands wiping the tears from their face?

How many times will they crave the chance to kiss away Her tears but only be able to brush them aside.

But it was alright.

They loved Her so much.

A Goddess of their own making.

One that they would worship freely, not like how obligation and duty forced their hand with Hylia.

Hylia demanded their loyalty.

(y/n) merely asked for their continued happiness.

Hylia commanded they fight in her name.

(y/n) requested they remained safe and healthy.

Hylia wanted heroes.

(y/n) wanted only them.

She wanted them.

She trusted them.

She cared for them.

She was the one they wanted to serve.

They fulfilled their duties to Hylia.

They no longer were obligated to serve her.

But (y/n)...She was so fragile compared to the rest of them. Having lived in a world with no monsters, no calamities or destiny.

She needed to be protected.

She needed them to protect Her.

They were the only ones who could protect Her.

They needed to unite. To stand side by side, as a shield against the monsters, against anyone that would dare take Her from them.

They couldn't fight amongst themselves anymore.

They couldn't allow Her to come to harm ever again.

All this time wasted fighting when they could have been protecting Her. Making her happy. Keeping her safe. How foolish of them.

But no longer.

To protect their Reason for breathing, there could be no room for trickery or lies between each other. Only for those that stood between them and Her.

The sun was rising, washing away the rivalries and dissonance of the past night, and the rays of dawn shining upon renewed unity and brotherhood.

She is their's; a Gift that pure chance had bestowed upon them.'

They would protect Her. Together.

They would protect their Goddess.

No one will ever take Her away from them.

No One.

#timeline two au #linked universe #linkeduniverse #yandere linked universe #lu #lu hyrule #lu time #lu wild #lu sky #lu twilight #lu warriors #lu legend #lu wind #lu four