#and yes Smiler had a good night out | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

rose-grimm-spirit-does-dumb-shit · 2 months

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https://www.tumblr.com/rose-grimm-spirit-does-dumb-shit/715689037962280960?source=share all of them for alton towers/theme parks in general but I'm especially curious to hear 25

Oh fuck I forgot to respond for almost a year. Warning, a lot of the "god I hate the fandom" moments will mostly be directed at the wider community {e.g. this includes the old toxic nemesis fanboy 40 year old men and such}. The tumblr side of theme parks most of the time have semi-good takes. Anyways uh first on the docket 25: I fucking hate how for some god awful reason there's a consistent hate for the Dockyard Trio at thorpe, I'm talking The Walking Dead: The Ride, Ghost Train, and the late Black Mirror Labyrinth. Like come the fuck on man, give them a chance. They're great, especially if the circumstances align, what you want is a live actor tw day, a dead queue bml run {the high guest throughput is unfortunately what made her seem more shit than she is}, and to just let Ghost Train do her thing as her acting squad are honestly a lovely bunch who wanna give you the best they can.

24: I think right now it's who the world record for fastest accelerration on a rollercoaster is, it rightfully belongs to my bbygirl Stealth of course but if you try to talk about this to Americans, especially Six Flags Americans they will be inherently pissed because it's not Max Force.

23: There is none that I've come around to, but then again there is none I'm inherently against either.

22: The fact that the Marmaliser is it's own sentient being, it's creature but not crreature it's creature inn like how humanns are creature.

21: The 2019 Blair witch scaremaze at Fright Nights, because I'm sorry but it was genuinely dogshit. The finale was a shed that you can't see shit in, and there was supposed to be an actor there.

20: Do I need to bring up Blair Witch 2019, again.

19: I'm a Dead Creek Woods lover, and so many people would shit upon me for that take.

18: LYCANS V AMITY, SO MANY OF YOU ARE SLEEPING ON THAT AND BIRTHDAY BASH TO THE POINT THAT IT'S SAD. THEY'RE AMAZING, SHSUT UP.

17: Can we get Saw/Hyperia actually, they seem incredibly enemies to lovers/besties lesbian. That and general interactions between them in general, like Hyp kept cutting Saw's power over the summer I want people to expand upon that.

16: The idea of Th13teen being a child, like c'mon man just because the adverts had a child and the countdown audio iis a child doesn't mean your oc has to be a child too?

Branch out, be adventureous. Maybe your th13teen is a raceway-membeer who went missing.

15: The Smiler being a silly guy, like silly guy is fun and I admit I commiit to osilly guy too. But the thingi is, Smiler is more than that. Yes Marmal is a silly guy but she alsoo has issues and traumas and witnesses some cracked shit in the moj.

14: See above.

13: S E E A B O V E.

12: Everyone from Thorpe Carnival, especially the Junkyarders. Please they're so cool and fun and the actors who play them are legends, we drew mimes and they thought it was fucking amazing.

If they come back next year, please giive them the world.

11: I have none, tho I did learn that there was a point when we considered General Public as a slur fsr?

10: How whenever you look up Thorpe maps, you wilil be guaranteed to see someone's map mockups where it has planet snoopy and shit like that. The existence of them is annoying bc it clogs up search when you're looking for a specific map only to find 20 fan mockups instead.

9: The Asylum, I am so glad we've moved from that but god... Not the mental institution maze...

8: Holds up the Dockyard Trio, again.

7: I don't think there's anyone.

6: Whenever Stealth or Rita are in a straight ship it fucking irks me out of raw "broooo...", tho I think the only exception is RetrowaveRacer's bc that one doesn't bollock the vibes of Rita.

5: I've only been in 2 ddsicords, both were/are lovely. But I have heard so much bollocks about the others :)

4: Conocerningly, a lot of the time it's either pedophiliia, racisim, or ableism.

3: Gonna name drop this one as ironcially it's someone who was blocked because of the above. ANYONE REMEMBER MTCHIKA'S DOGSHIT THORPE TAKES ABOUT INFERNO "NOT DESERVING TO BE A NEMESIS" AND TWD BEING AND I QUOTE "boring ip boring ride".

2: I don't think about it nor do I have an opinioni on it.

1: Fuckin' Nemesis, entirerly because there are people who forget the fact that she's cannonically a woman.

Happy now?

#ask gamme #god this took ages

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waitingforwinterwinds · 1 year

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A Clash of Kings - 66 THEON VI (pages 827-839)

Theon's poor life choices (trusting 'Reek') come back to bite him.

...It's interesting that Theon keeps referring to it as Ned Stark's bed, Ned Stark's room, like even in his victory it's still not really his.

"Do you know a better way?" "Aye. I'll take my axe and stand on that drawbridge, and let them come try me. One at a time, two, three, it makes no matter. None will pass the moat while I still draw breath." He means to die, thought Theon. It's not victory he wants, it's an end worthy of a song.

The Ironborn are so dramatic.

... Sonovabitch! Don't you hurt Beth!

"O, I know," said Theon." It's a dish I tasted myself, or have you forgotten? I was ten when I was taken from my father's house, to make certain he would raise no more rebellions." "It is not the same!" Theon's face was impassive. "The noose I wore was not made of hempen rope, that's true enough, but I felt it all the same. And it chafed, Ser Rodrik. It chafed me raw." He had never quite realized that until now, but as the words came spilling out he saw the truth of them.

Yay! Why am i cheering over such a horrible confession? Oh, because Theon is finally reflecting on himself and identifying the root of some of his issues. This way lies character growth and emotional and mental healing.

... I don't know that Theon would enjoy being a brother of the Night's Watch, he's like GoT Jon, but more about the being in charge specifically, he probably wouldn't enjoy working his way up the ranks very much.

"- I had to pull him off her and shove my clothes into his hands-calfskin boots and velvet doublet, silver-chased swordbelt, even my sable cloak. Ride for the Dreadfort, I told him, bring all the help you can. Take my horse, he's swifter, and here, wear the ring my father gave me, so they'll know you came from me. -"

No one asked what you were wearing Ramsay. Why you gotta make it weird like a product placement in a CDrama? (Thanks for finally confessing your identity, assbutt!)

... A moment of silence for Cley Cerwyn. We didn't have him for very long, be he seemed nice.

Theon had given his word. This was not a time to flinch. Pay him his pound of flesh and deal with him later. ... The Bastard's backhand caught him square, and his cheekbone shattered with a sickening crunch beneath the lobstered steel. The world vanished in a red roar of pain.

This is a far more emotionally impactful betrayal than the show. D&D really undercut how out of control Theon's arc was going with their quips. "Thought he'd never shut up." "It was a good speech, didn't want to interrupt." It also undercut the loyalty (such as it is) of the Ironborn, and Theon's intelligence. Like yes it was a bad idea from the get go, but Theon was actually doing really well with the whole capture and hold of Winterfell for the most part. He was confident and in charge, not nervous and stumbling manically through a hype speech.

D&D suck at their job = 🥛

The last thing Theon Greyjoy saw was Smiler, kicking free of the burning stables with his mane ablaze, screaming, rearing...

*squints* why does that sound familiar? I think there's a house with a flame maned horse for a sigil, but I feel like I know that because I was looking for a burning/fire horse for a reason... one of the prophecies? Maybe? Meh, it'll come to me or it won't.

#a clash of kings #a song of ice and fire #theon greyjoy #a chapter a day reading #acok #asoiaf

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depressedhatakekakashi · 2 years

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A Surprise Worth Enjoying

Prompt: Senses

For: @shinobimagpie who will probably get a kick out of Yua the hopeless flirt and some Tsunade love.

@kakashiweek

Auntie Tsunade was coming for a visit. It was obvious with the way his mother moved a little quicker while organizing the house, and the fact that his father had taken out the good sake.

Only Auntie Tsunade was spoiled enough to get the good sake when she visited. His parents preferred to save that for their date nights.

Having a visitor wasn’t out of the norm. Kakashi found at least one of his parent's friends at the house five times a week. If it wasn’t a Monday or Thursday, which was dedicated to family time, there would be people trying to get him to talk to them. The weird thing was, that this would be her second visit this week. Usually, Kakashi only saw her once every two or three weeks.

For her to have time off from the hospital for a second night of drinking with his parents was almost unheard of.

Something was wrong.

“Why are you dusting?” he asked his mother as she went over the bookcase with a duster.

“Auntie Tsunade is coming for a visit,” the smile on her face was blinding. “She has something to drop off for you.”

“Something for me?” that was new. She usually only brought him things on his birthday. “Why?”

“Well…” his mother’s movements slowed, her eyes drifting towards the ceiling as she contemplated an answer. “She thinks it will be useful for you.”

The reason is simple enough, but it annoys him. There’s only one thing that she could be trying to do with a surprise gift and it was the last thing he wanted her or anyone else to try doing.

Something he had asked his parents to quit doing for weeks now.

“I don’t need cheering up,” he grumbled under his breath. “Nothing is wrong.”

Lowering her head, his mother set the duster on the bookshelf ledge and turned to him. “It’s not an attempt to cheer you up,” she assured him. “But as I keep telling you, it’s not a bad thing that someone wants to bring a little joy into your day.”

Kakashi scoffed at her words. “There’s a difference between wanting to make me smile and trying to distract me from this.” he waved a hand over his left eye to emphasize his point. The long cut through his eye had been a nuisance for him since the car crash.

Not only was he blind in his left eye now and crashing into far too many walls, but people were always pitying him. They felt like they had to try and cheer him up. As if their only purpose in life suddenly was to make him smile.

All of them seemed to have magically forgotten one crucial fact about him that would save them from wasting their time.

Kakashi wasn’t a smiler, even before the crash.

“Well, if it makes you feel better she didn’t get you this gift to cheer you up,” for some reason he found that difficult to believe. “It’s something that will help you.”

“Like the kunai set, she bought me?”

“That you will get when you turn fifteen, yes,” reaching out towards him, she extended two fingers. “Now help me organize the living room before she arrives. Her words were followed by a gentle tap of her fingers against his left temple.

Taking a step back, he rubbed the offending area. “Is there anything else I can do to help?” Cleaning didn’t sound like much of a good time to him. The last time he’d helped her he’d knocked over a book right on top of his head.

His mother gave her head a shake and pointed towards the kitchen. “Why don’t you help your father make snacks then?”

“Alright,” doing a ninety-degree turn, he made his way towards the kitchen. “Maybe today I can convince dad to let me cut the veggies.”

“Sakumo!”

“I am not going to give our eight-year-old a knife, I promise.” his father called from the kitchen.

Kakashi pouted a little. “I can make my breakfast but I’m not allowed to cut some vegetables?” he wanted to stomp his foot and whine about it, but all that would do is earn him a lecture about dangerous tools and a time out.

“You can cut vegetables, with supervision, when you go a week without running into a wall,” his mother offered. “Until then I would prefer to avoid a second visit to the hospital this year.”

That was a statement that Kakashi could agree with. A week in the hospital and constant visits to the Doctor for check-ups left him feeling more than a little sick of Doctors.

Auntie Tsunade was the only Doctor that he wanted to see for the rest of his life.

“Close your eyes,” as he was ushered out of the kitchen towards the front door, Kakashi found himself wondering what deity he had upset to earn a lifetime with the most embarrassing father in the universe. “And hold out your hands.”

“Can we just skip all of this and just get to the part where mom flirts with Auntie Tsunade?”

“I do not-”

“Yes, you do.” Kakashi and his father said in unison.

The look his mother gave them was the sharp eyes, the unimpressed glare of a person ready to commit a murder. Thankfully, she chose instead to focus her attention on the front door, freeing them from her wrath for the night.

“Close your eyes,” his father nudged him with his elbow, a smile on his face when Kakashi glanced up at him. As if he hadn’t risked his very life against a woman who was capable of murdering him. “Come on. It won’t be horrible, I promise.”

“That’s not very comforting,” still, Kakashi did as he was told and closed his eyes as he reached the front door.

Not even five seconds after he did, he heard the click of the door opening, followed shortly by a bark. “Is there a dog in the street?” he asked, excitement slipping into his voice.

He resisted the urge to open his eyes and check for himself. To just sneak a quick peak of the neighbour's beautiful Akita Ken, or the super friendly Shiba Inu from down the street.

“No,” his Auntie’s laughter filled the air. “Sorry, I’ve been hyping him up all morning. Usually, he’s so well behaved.”

“It’s understandable,” his mother’s voice sounded a little happier, as it always did when she was with Auntie Tsunade. “Kakashi, hold out your arms.”

“Why?” he asked. “And who is ‘he’?”

A hand came down on top of his head and ruffled his hair. “Just do it, pup,” his father insisted.

With a heavy sigh, Kakashi extended his arms out in front of himself and waited.

“Now, you have to be careful,” his Aunt spoke softly, using her Doctor’s voice on him instead of the boisterous tone he was used to hearing. “He’s still a little squirmy.”

“Squirmy?” A weight settled into his hands and immediately he understood what she was saying. There, sitting in his palms, was the squirmiest thing he had ever held in his life. He had picked up worms that moved less than this thing.

“I think he likes you,” his father chuckled while two little weights settled against his chest. Then Kakashi felt something cold rubbing against his skin, just under his right eye, followed by a long wet lick.

His eyes shot open. “A dog!?” excitement buzzed in his chest, a tight warm feeling squeezing the air right out of his lungs as he gazed down at his gift. The most beautiful dog he had ever laid his eyes upon.

A tiny pug with the grumpiest looking face and his tail wagging none stop behind him.

“You mean it?” his gaze darted between his parents. “He’s for me?”

“It’s your first age-appropriate gift your aunt has ever gotten you,” his father chuckled a little awkwardly. “Plus he’ll be a lot of help to you.”

“He’s not just any dog after all,” his mother continued. “He’s a certified service dog.” “A service dog?”

His aunt knelt in front of him and placed a hand on top of the dog's head. “It means he’s trained to aid someone with a disability who may need an extra hand.”

Kakashi puffed out his cheeks with annoyance. “I don’t need help.”

“How many walls did you walk into today?”

“None.”

She glanced up at his father behind him.

“Two doorways, a table and a car door,” the old man answered, earning himself the label of traitor from his son. “Oh, and a person at the store.”

“That’s a lot of bruises,” her eyes flickered back down to him. “This little guy will help you avoid those bruises in the future. Plus he’ll aid you with anything you might need a little help with.”

“I don’t need help,” he repeated himself, hugging the dog close to his chest just in case she tried to take him away. “But…thank you.”

“You’re very welcome,” leaning forward she pressed a kiss against his forehead. An act that he had come to understand as her silently saying ‘I love you’. The same as how his mother told him she loved him by pressing their foreheads together.

When she moved back, Kakashi turned his attention back to the pug, who was now sitting with two paws against his chest just staring up at him with bright brown eyes.

“What’s his name?”

“Pakkun,” his Aunt answered. “And he had the same eternally grumpy face as you.”

“Pakkun,” he ignored the last comment and the laughter that filled the room shortly after. “Hello.”

A perfect name for the perfect dog.

#Hatake Kakashi #Hatake Sakumo #Hatake Yua #OC: Hatake Yua #Tsunade Senju #Tsunade #Is Yua a hopeless flirt for Tsunade?#Yes #Leave her alone her husband thinks it's funny lol #Kakashi's Birthday Bash #Kakashi Week #Kakahsiweek2022 #Kakashi Week 2022 #Modern Au #Service Dog Pakkun

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thotsforvillainrights · 2 years

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Hello there! Are you still doing the matchups? If yes, I would love to have one, please!

I’m nonbinary (I use any pronouns but I slightly prefer they/them) and demisexual/demiromantic. I’m also bi with a preference for men and masc. people. I’m short (5’0” even though I’m an adult) and chubby, with short brown hair and dark brown eyes. My skin is rater pale and I blush and get sunburnt extremely easily. I have a few moles on my face and a bunch of freckles and beauty marks on my arms. I wear glasses because I am near-sighted.

I’m polite and kind without being a pushover. I’m smart and I have a great memory and sense of detail; I notice and remember small details that other people never noticed.I’m a pretty good listener and advice giver. However, I am an introvert and as such, need to be left alone regularly to be able to recharge. I tend to be a bit of a show-off; I love to show off all the general knowledge I have acquired! I’m a bit of a Stepford Smiler; I tend to hide ‘’negative’’ emotions like sadness and anger behind a forced smile. I also tend to overwork myself as I am disabled and tend to try to do more than what I am able to.

I am a pretty good cook; my dad is a cook and he not only taught me how to cook, but also taught me in a fun way that made me enjoy cooking. I’m a pretty big nerd and geek; I love video games, movies, tv. shows, books, etc. My favorite genres are Super-Hero, Horror, Sci-Fi and Fantasy. I love pretty much all the types of video games, but I prefer the ones with an interesting story and/or puzzle-solving elements. I love anything related to science, but especially about plants, fungi and animals. My favorite animals are felines and reptiles in general.

I am autistic. I am also a thyroid cancer survivor; I had a surgery to remove my thyroid gland and as such have a scar across my throat. Autism awareness, Cancer awareness and LGBTQ+ Rights are very important causes to me.

Well, that’s all I could think of! Thank you in advance if you answer this!

(And by the way anon, congrats on beating cancer. I hate that bitch. She took some family from me in the past so I'm always glad to hear of people that survive it. Cancer fucking sucks. Okay I'm getting off into a rant so let me start the match-up!!!)

Match-Up #6

-I match you with Kendo Rappa-

headcanon|scenario|imagine|match-up

-He actually was pretty likeable when you first met before you started to date each other. You two met on a train going wherever. He gave up his seat for you but didn't move from that spot. Although you preferred to be left to yourself, the man was the complete opposite. He struck up conversation with you and it caught your attention. He had a funny way of communicating almost as if you'd known each other for your entire life. The man wasn't all too bright, a little gruff, and very forward but you found that funny. He didn't have a filter really and didn't even stop to think before exchanging phone numbers with you. Well you decided to humor him and texted him later that night when you got home. He immediately stopped texting and called you. "Where are you?" You heard loud sounds rustling around and clinking in the background. "Huh? The gym, where else?" He answered as if it was a normal thing to be at the gym during this time of night. You laughed and kept talking with him. What started off as unlikely friends ended up as a little something more when he invited you over to his place to hang out. He admitted his feelings for you in the least romantic way possible. "Well Hell I figure I like ya, and I want you to be mine. I aint much for rejections but if you don't like me then I can still take it just fine." You shook your head and smiled at him. "Lucky you that I feel the same haha." And so that began the relationship you shared.

-He cared a great deal for you and really enjoyed learning more about you as a person the longer you dated each other. He liked how you didn't let people step all over you but you were kind at the same time. The same person (you) that was feeding stray cats behind your shared apartment was the person now chewing out the asshole at the park bench for threatening them. He also was rather fond of that pridefulness you tended to display from time to time. Rappa liked that in you. He saw it as a little spark and he was never one to ignore something like that. Even though you could hold your own, he still worried about you from time to time. You're height and cute demeanor was a red flag for weirdos all over the city. No matter what you thought of yourself, you were just too cute to him. He'd taken to pinching your tummy and ruffling your hair as you blushed and told him to stop it with a huff. Look at you...he couldn't let you go out there and possibly get mugged! Not to mention how cute he thought you looked with all those markings and those glasses. It may be a bit annoying to have him think of you this way but you'll have to put up with it for a while so hang in there!

-He needed to take care of you like how you take care of him. You were a team now. He made sure you were safe when going out, even going as far as to apply sunscreen on you so you don't get sunburned. He made sure you didn't overwork yourself since it could lead to negative effects on your body. You handled a lot of the business around the house he couldn't wrap his head around. He was forgetful and God was his credit sooooo bad on top of that. Once you stepped into his life, things got more organized real quick. They got better thanks to you. He needed you around to balance out all the areas he lacked in. Where he never seemed to shut up, you were a good listener. Where he always gave the worst advice possible, you did the complete opposite. Where he was a shit cook and survived on microwave meals, you got into the kitchen and showed out! He figured he'd really be nothing without you. Instead of telling you this like a normal partner, he just said "You better not change your mind or go anywhere to some other guy or chick or whatever..." You laughed and rolled your eyes. "Where would I go? I've got my work cut out for me here, you big lug." You wrapped your arms around his neck and kissed him.

-He'd taken to surprising you with items after getting home from work and stopping at the store. He knew you enjoyed various games, shows, books, movies, and whatnot. The only issue is that he sometimes forgot what, so he'd return with something you didn't particularly enjoy. You still accepted it with a smile but it concerned him occasionally. He knew you had a thing about hiding your true feelings from people and he didn't want this to be directed at him so sometimes he often tried to force it out of you. If you're not down for it then it might lead to an argument or two. No need to worry if he doesn't apologize immediately. He'll return to the house after work the next day with an apology stuffed animal in the form of a cat or lizard of some sort. It's one of the only things he does remember.

-Although he's not the softest (and he doesn't have a way with words), he's still all for you no matter what. He tells you he loves you in all the ways he's best at. He supports the causes you're most passionate about whether that be going to a rally or parade, trying his best to learn more about them, or even listening to you about various topics (which he's also not the best at). He thinks you're wonderful, amazing, strong. He tells you that every time his eyes lay on your throat scar. He smirks and mutters "You kicked cancer's ass" rather proudly. Most of all, he's grateful each day to call you his.

#match up

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tarosin · 3 years

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the great adventures of y/n, tommy, wilbur and phil

requested: yes/no

an: part 7 of the great adventures series - a rollercoaster of emotions

warnings: cursing, jokes about death (like the vlog) , didn’t proof read as its 6am sorry for any mistakes

it had been around a week since you last spoke to tubbo, the pair of you got into a heated argument and honestly you didn’t want to be anywhere near the boy. no one heard from you since you and tubbo blocked each other, ranboo would talk to you about how you need to forgive and forget and Tommy would do the same to tubbo eventually you unblocked each other however apart from that it was pretty much useless neither of you were willing to talk to the other person, it was just one of those things that needed time, soon enough you’d be friends again. at least you hoped that would be the case. later that day Wilbur sent you a message asking what time he should pick you up tomorrow not wanting to argue you let him know a time and went off to get ready for the night.

The car ride to Alton towers was pretty quiet the majority of the ride was spent playing random car games like eye spy or singing along to the radio as there was no traffic you got there rather quickly giving you longer in the park. you loved theme parks and Tommy knew this so he took the opportunity to invite you and get you out of the house, he also knew he would need the support. Phil began recording as you all made your way through the park the sky car was first so you could get to the other half of the park Tommy made it pretty clear he wasn’t the biggest fan of this and you and Wilbur didn’t help his cause by discussing the recent crash in Italy that killed a group of people, you pointed out all the rides you passed teasing Tommy whilst Wilbur interviewed him on why he wanted to hit 10 million subs, as soon as Tommy mentioned the girl from college your eyes widened and you sat trying not to laugh as Wilbur and Phil sat telling him to call her. Tommy looked at you trying to get back up but you responded by telling him you want to speak to her.

once off the sky car you stood with an arm around Tommy's shoulders as Wilbur spoke to the girl who you’re hoping is in on it and that they’re not calling up the poor girl unexpectedly. as soon as you were informed that her favourite ride was the smiler Tommy pulled you into a hug hiding his face in the crook of your neck

“Are you serious”

“you’ll be fine it’s the safest ride here...if you ignore the crash”

“y/nnnnn”

the four of you walked around the park looking for an easy rollercoaster as you make your way up to the smiler, the blade caught Wilbur's eye so the three of you made your way whilst Phil decided to stay back to record, you sat next to Tommy reassuring him that he’s going to be fine and how it can’t be that bad as a family with a young child got on the ride after you.

“if I pee myself will you laugh at me”

“yes..actually that’ll make it easier for me”

“Please don’t do that Wilbur”

“only for you y/n”

the ride started slowly however the speed soon picked up you sat laughing as Tommy went on to make references about technoblade and how he’s never going to die. soon enough the three of you began ‘singing’ the lyrics to road trip in an attempt to calm down a little bit. was it working? no. a few minutes later the ride came to an end as you made your way off of the ride you heard a child screaming about how fun it was

“awe”

“how is that six-year-old shouting I loved it”

“are we cowards”

“yes, yes you are”

you made it to Phil first and rambled on about how fun it was before Wilbur and Tommy made it to you both wanting to go home

on your journey to the next ride, Tommy pointed out claw machines and dragged you to them, Phil had a go first and didn’t win the dog Tommy wanted, you had a go determined to win however like Phil you didn’t win

“This is bullshit ill buy you a toy dog”

“Why are you never satisfied”

“Good question”

you walked away from the machines with the others Tommy complained that he was being forced to go on the rides, you pointed at the smiler and Wilbur announced you could all go on that now, the rest of the walk was pretty quiet after that. soon enough you were in the queue to go on duel, you were walking with Phil not realising that Wilbur was currently telling your best friend that he was going to die, the only reason you found out was because Tommy ran up to you asking if he was going to die

“Tommy, no who told you that... Wilbur stop laughing it’s not- it’s not funny”

“y/n you’re quite literally laughing”

you put your finger on your lips and walked off. you sat with Phil so you could have a break from Tommy screaming in your ear as soon as Tommy yelled there were guns the ride began, you weren’t the best at this ride you missed the target a few too many times than you’d like to admit, once the ride was over Tommy made the mistake of laughing about how low your score was you made eye contact with Tommy and placed your hand on his shoulder

“Tommy... you screamed at everything the entire way around. if that ride was any longer i’m afraid I’d lose my hearing”

“didn’t you also do shit Tommy”

“fuck off”

and with that you left the ride walking through the gift shop, you and Tommy were like little children picking up anything that was covered in bright colours, you and Tommy found a squishy monster and named it Clarence you ended up getting attached and Wilbur stayed with you as you paid for it whilst Phil and Tommy were leaving the shop

“Phil we lost y/n and Wilbur”

“sorry y/n got distracted”

you all continued walking to the next ride Tommy instantly got distracted by the dryer outside of the river rapids ride and spent a good few minutes asking to go into the dryer. at this point, you noticed another toy shop and ran off to that one whilst they argued with Tommy about the dryer a few minutes later you met up with them again as you began making your way to the next ride

“what I hate the most about Phil is his kindness”

“wasn’t kind enough to let me win on duel”

“I pray on his downfall”

Phil turned to you only to be met with you nodding as Tommy goes on to talk about hating his generosity

“Phil I've been thinking about you... it’s ruined my day”

“mine was ruined by Tommy screaming at stupid o clock in the morning”

“y/n it’s 12 pm”

“okay and I usually wake up at 3 pm this is early for me”

you stood in the queue for river rapids, as much as you wanted to make Tommy calm down you hated this ride and Wilbur saying there was a chance of drowning made you hate it even more

“y/n will we be fine”

“no this is horrifying I remember the incident where someone was dragged under a ride like this”

“Y/N”

“what are you two thinking about then”

“I’m thinking about the beyond”

“I’m thinking about the sweet release of death”

“you might be going there”

“no, we won’t”

you and Tommy began to panic as you got closer to the ride, Tommy announced the floor was moving which tricked your brain into believing that the floor was moving, Wilbur was still talking about you all dying in a few minutes whilst laughing at Phil trying to make him stop despite the fact he was clearly laughing. Tommy got on first as you were making your way to a seat Tommy pulled you over to him so you were sat together. a worker came over and told you all to keep your seat during the ride

“can I get off”

as soon as you finished your sentence the ride began to move making the others laugh

“ill take that as a no”

a few minutes later you forgot you were scared as you were too busy laughing about the fact that so far out of the four of you the only person getting drenched in water was Phil. this newfound confidence didn't last long the ride began going faster and you and Tommy got drenched in water

“We made it through the second most dangerous part”

“heh...”

you looked at Phil tilting your head waiting for him to confirm that Wilbur was just trying to scare you again. your thoughts were interrupted by Wilbur beginning to speak to the camera

“Alton towers is a very safe and risk-free theme park fun for all the family”

he flipped the camera so the three of you could be seen Phil was laughing Tommy had his head in his hands and you were sat with your hood over your head hiding your face so you couldn’t see what was going to happen. Phil told you to hold on but he was interrupted by Wilbur using the camera to record the four of you together again it was clear you and Tommy were not having the most fun on the ride compared to the others. the ride crashed into the small wall next to the ride causing it to jerk forward making the four of you hit your leg

“my fucking thigh”

“y/n there are children nearby”

“y/n, Tommy you two are lucky to be alive”

you and Tommy turned to face each other then looked back at Wilbur who was continuing to chant that you’re lucky to be alive clearly ignoring Phil who was telling him to stop. eventually, the ride came to an end and you all got off, Phil helped you walk around for a minute as your legs felt extremely weak after that ride

“you okay now y/n”

“yeah yeah thank you, Phil. I'm never going on that ride again”

you all made your way to the centre of the park Wilbur disappeared as you and Tommy stood begging Phil for cotton candy, your only argument being that you really wanted it

“please Phil”

“We can have a little”

“we’re growing Phil we need more than a little”

“it’s diabetes in a box”

“it’s pure joy”

“yeah it’s fun in a box let us get some”

“stop being a dick”

Wilbur came running out of a shop carrying as much cotton candy as he could shouting for you and Tommy to take some and run which you gladly did. the pair of you sat on the grass eating as much cotton candy as you could

“ITS BLUEBERRY”

“that is so sugary”

you and Tommy both grabbed a fistful of cotton candy waving it at the two adults in front of you both, resulting in Phil calling you both goblins, they both walked away leaving you two to enjoy each other’s company for a little while whilst they had a break from the pair of you screaming.

“that’s..that's Tommy and y/n”

it was almost time to face the smiler but before that, you had to conquer oblivion again this was another ride that terrified you but Tommy's reaction to the ride made you laugh for a good few minutes until you realised you were in the queue

“oh fuck. we are going to die”

“you’ll impress the girl and y/n you’ll impress tubbo”

“ill buy her flowers”

“This is a death trap” you went on first and sat a few seats away from the middle Tommy not far behind you

“if we die ill never forgive you”

“you’ll be fine”

“will we though”

“I mean”

“Tommy she was hesitant to answer that get me off this ride”

just like last time the ride started just as you finished trying to get off the ride

“y/n you really need to stop asking to get off the rides it makes them start earlier”

the way to the top of the ride was mainly just you and Tommy yelling curse words trying to stay calm

“Phil do we have to”

“Why could I not stay with Wilbur”

“awe look at the view”

“can we just stay up here- oh shit don’t look down”

“any last words”

“lovely knowing you all”

just before the ride was about to go down the drop Tommy grabbed your hand only letting go for a minute whilst you got off of the ride, as soon as you were making your way to Wilbur so you could all go on the spinball wizard ride he held your hand again keeping you close. your way to the ride was a range of Wilbur telling you all about the smiler or Tommy telling you all he was worried he was going to piss

“what the fuck is yours and Wilburs obsession with announcing you might piss on the ride”

you sat with Wilbur for this ride as he was the only person you hadn’t sat with yet and Tommy sat behind you both, you and Wilbur spent the ride screaming, yelling song lyrics or saying your goodbyes

“for lmanburg”

“Should I be worried.. you did you know create an explosion”

you spent the rest of the ride laughing before it came to an end. you all made your way to the smiler making jokes about how it’s all the girl from college wants to see him on.

“you ready Tommy”

“let’s go home”

“no”

“y/n you’re supposed to be on my team”

the four of you made your way through the gates ignoring Tommy who was yelling about it being a prison simulator, you sat at the end next to Tommy

“so this is safe”

“apart from the crashes yeah”

“y/n? is it safe?”

“it’s safe Tommy I can see you’re genuinely scared I wouldn’t lie in a time like this..maybe”

you and Wilbur agreed to become his wingmen and a few seconds later the ride began, you spent the ride laughing quietly as Tommy began confessing his love

“POGCHAMP”

“I WISH I SAT SOMEWHERE ELSE”

as soon as the ride ended you stood as a group again and called the girl from college, Wilbur practically yelled about how Tommy went on the smiler only for the girl to ask who Tommy was and how she wasn’t friends with him

“it’s okay mate”

“you okay Tommy”

you and Wilbur pulled Tommy into a hug.

a few minutes later you all made your way back to the car park as it was getting late. once in the car you handed Tommy the squishy monster you both named Clarence, Tommy screamed whilst pulling you into a hug before asking you how and when you were able to buy it. when you were halfway home you began to get a migraine Tommy pulled you into a side hug so you could rest your head on his shoulder and have a nap for the rest of the journey back home.

a few days late you received a message

tubbo: I miss you

y/n: I suppose I miss you too

tubbo: that’s good because I’m outside please let me inside

y/n: on it!!

taglist:

@l0ver0fj0y @etheriaaly @xx-smiley-xx @hawarun @c1loudee

506 notes · View notes

mrsbrekkers · 3 years

Note

How bout a kaz brekker x blind!reader? 💓

okay so i have never written blind!reader before but but but BUTTT a good idea came to me involving reader being a grisha ( healer ) who had the gift to see someone and what they truly look like if they are physically allowed to be let in? it’s hard to explain, but y a

in this, reader and kaz have known one another for a good three in a half years, they work on heists together, and reader is usually partnered with kaz, as he wants to keep her safe. i S U C K at summaries. also, i was hella distracted while writing this, but it came out somewhat okay? f u c k.

pairings! kax x blind!reader

reader in this is female, but i will adjust accordingly if you’d like me too! just let me know! :)

warnings! really distracted writing, jordie, ptsd, blood, the typical soc stuff, kaz almost having a panic attack, but also him realizing he’s safe there with reader ye.

i could so make this a series? like going through all the times blind!reader has made kaz come to trust her more and more. haha ha unless...

word count! 2847

ONE SHOT UNDER CUT

GLOVED INTERACTIONS

There were many descriptions given to Y/N about what Kaz Brekker looked like. What color his eyes were. What color his hair was. What his build was like. She could give you an accurate description of Jesper, Inej, Nina, Matthias, even Wylan was easy. But when it came to someone she couldn’t physically map out? She became a bit lost.

Being born without her sight, Y/N had to learn other ways to understand the world. Especially in a place like Ketterdam. Maybe that was why Kaz was quick to take Y/N under his wing. To keep her safe, just as he had with Wylan. But, Y/N wasn’t useless. Being a Healer, she was valuable to the Dregs. Nina was a powerful heartrender, but could only do so much when someone was inevitably hurt during jobs. That’s where Y/N was useful.

In a sense she had her sight, but it relied on physically being able to touch someone. A side-effect of being a Grisha, with abilities that no one has seen before. Her sight may have been gone, but being able to see one in her mind, whether it be blurry or clear, gave her an idea on what one looked like.

That meant Kaz was the most mysterious person to Y/N.

Y/N could describe most of the crows relatively well. Jesper had been the first to let Y/N use her ‘gift’ as Nina called it, with him. Her hands rested on his arms, slowly moving up to his shoulders, the other crows sitting around them to watch.

“You’re Zemeni, but I knew that already. Inej described you as long limbed, she wasn’t wrong.” Inej laughed a bit, shaking her head. “Lean, no surprise, I could make that out. Your eyes are a dark grey, but beautiful. I must say Jesper, you’re rather handsome. Being a handsome decoy seems like it should be a Jesper talent.”

Jesper smiled, looking down at Y/N. “Right on, almost to the dot,” he said, giving his best friend a chuckle.

“Your smile lights up a room. But I also knew that already,” Y/N added, tilting her head as she let her hands drop from Jesper’s shoulders. The crows around them were in awe, and then Nina was moving Jesper out of the way.

“Move handsome decoy, my turn,” She said, humming a bit as she sat in front of Y/N, making the Healer laugh. As she had with Jesper, Y/N ran her hands up Nina’s arms, stopping at her shoulders.

“Hmm, long curly brown hair, your heart beats a bit differently than the rest of our friends. Courtesy of being Grisha, and a Heartrender. You’re also a bit curvier than our friends, but as am I.” Nina smiled, glancing at their friends, who all seemed confused on how Y/N managed to do this.

“Green eyes, piercing almost. As always, like the rest of our friends, your smile lights up the room. But instead of Jesper’s toothy smile, you’re a closed mouth smiler, unless talking to Matthias of course,” Y/N smirked a bit, feeling Nina’s body heat up told her that the Heartrender was indeed, blushing.

Then slowly, all of the crows sat in front of Y/N. Except for Kaz, which Y/N understood. She didn’t pry, but she did begin to wonder what he truly looked like. There were so many conflicting descriptions. Obviously the ones given from people who didn’t like him weren’t taken into account, because most of them consisted of calling Kaz ‘The Grinch’. And while this was probably a good term for his lovely personality, it didn’t seem like it’d match his looks. Kaz wasn’t green after all.

But after a particularly rough job, one that ended with almost everyone scuffed up in some way, shape, or form, Y/N was working herself to the bone. Inej had the worst of it, so Y/N worked on her first at the Slat, and upon finishing, she had Nina sit next to the sleeping Wraith. She stood, huffing as she climbed the stairs to Kaz’s room. He was always the least willing to be healed. He always claimed he was the least beat up, or he could handle it himself.

This time, Y/N knew he wasn’t the least beat up. She’d heard about the gash running up his arm, and the scratches lining his face, which were less than pretty. Entering the room, she crossed her arms.

“I’m fine,” Kaz spoke first, earning a scoff from Y/N.

“I’ve heard plenty from Jesper about how nasty the gash on your arm is, and how your leg has been worse than usual. I can’t heal a bone that’s healed incorrectly, but I can ease the pain,” Y/N stated, moving to stand in front of the desk. Why was Kaz so damned stubborn about things like this? It concerned the Healer. Did he find himself so unlovable that he believed he deserved the pain when he was hurt?

“How are you going to count your Kruge if your arm is cut wide open?” Y/N asked, tilting her head. That made Kaz sigh. She wasn’t wrong about that. It also meant problems during other aspects of his job.

“Fine,” Kaz said reluctantly. He watched Y/N round the table, his eyes mainly on her fingers that softly glided the desk, letting her know when to turn. He’d always found it fascinating how she managed so much without her sight. Mainly how she found her ways around. The way her fingers would move so smoothly across surfaces. Or how graceful she seemed. It was hard to fascinate Kaz Brekker, but she did it effortlessly.

“I won’t touch you, but I’m going to need to be guided to where the gash is,” Y/N spoke, now standing in front of Kaz, who gulped with a shaky nod. He trusted her. He trusted all of his Crows, but her the most. She’d been there when the Crows were down bad. She brought smiles to the team without fail. Kaz could remember the first time they’d met, when his fascianation had started.

The night had been cold, dark. As Ketterdam usually was. After a few months of Kaz having Inej watch over the Healer that lived near the university district, Inej had come to Kaz with news that the Healer, Y/N, had noticed her. It had rendered the Bastard of the Barrel speechless. Someone had noticed Inej Ghafa?

“How did she notice you? Nobody notices you. Even I didn't for the first time, and I notice everyone,” Kaz stated, his tone confused.

“I believe our Healer is blind. It would make sense then, all of her other senses would be on high alert, especially her hearing. Even the most silent aren’t silent to the blind. They notice everything, Kaz. I’m surprised she didn’t notice me earlier,” Inej said, her arms crossed as she leaned in the doorway between the bedroom and the small office.

Kaz stalled for a moment, humming in consideration. It would explain how Inej had been found out. What that didn’t answer was whether Y/N knew who they were. He doubted it, but you could never be sure in Ketterdam.

“Did she know who you were?”

“I’m not sure, I left before things escalated. She said she knew I was there and to reveal who I was and who I worked for. So she knows I’m not some random in Ketterdam. I’m sure she could figure out enough if I’d appeared before her,” Inej said before looking back at the window. She knew she wasn’t followed, she always checked for such. But with the revelation that someone, for once, had noticed her, it wasn’t unlikely that maybe she’d been followed.

Kaz huffed, realizing he’d have to now go and explain to this Healer about how he’d been watching over her for the past few months. He wasn’t even sure why he’d been doing so. Well, he did, she’d be a good asset to have later if he ever decided to actually let it be known that he’d been keeping her safe. It was time that’d present a new reason.

Arriving at the small apartment that the Healer lived in, Kaz knocked Inej behind him, and when the door opened, his dark eyes landed on Y/N.

“I was waiting for you guys to show up,” Y/N said, turning and allowing the two inside.

“You knew we’d come?” Inej asked, entering the small apartment and sitting where Y/N offered, taking the small cup of tea she was handed. For being stalked for the past few months, the Healer was being rather kind.

“I suspected it was The Wraith watching over me for some time. I have learned to feel different presence’ around me. Yours, while I didn’t notice it at first, I began to when one of my papers went missing and was replaced with a forged one,” Y/N said, sitting next to Inej.

“How did you know it was forged?” Kaz asked, raising an eyebrow. Not that Y/N could see that, but his tone, his voice did the accenting for him.

“Kaz Brekker I presume. The handwriting wasn’t my own. I don’t have terrible handwriting, I’ve practiced for years after all, but my handwriting is not that nice. And the paper wasn’t the kind of paper I used. It was a close second, yes, but the letters weren’t able to be felt. That’s when I realized it was forged. It was a good forgery, but I’ve lived in Ketterdam long enough.” That’s when Kaz’s fascination started.

Or maybe it was when Inej had announced someone had noticed her. Nonetheless, that was the day he decided to recruit Y/N officially. It wasn’t hard either, considering she was rather willing too as long as she wasn’t indentured to the Dregs.

“I won’t go with if I’m going to be paying you back for the rest of my life,” Y/N stated, sipping her tea. Oh, and she had to bring her cat. Jesper now called the cat the Crows mascot. Which, the other’s had found weird. It was a cat, not a Crow, but they had changed the name of the cat to Crow. Which made the rest of the gang agree on it. Even Kaz found the cat enjoyable.

That was three years ago.

Since then, Y/N hadn’t let Kaz down once. He’d grown to trust her as he did Inej, even more so as she became his shadow. The person in his corner, his partner. He trusted his shadow.

Sighing, Kaz shook his head, looking over at Y/N and glancing down to her hands. “Left arm, right above my elbow,” he said, watching her fingers flex before moving to hover over the gash that covered a good part of Kaz’s upper arm.

“You know, I still don’t know what you look like,�� Y/N said as she healed to gash slowly, making sure the work was intricate and done correctly.

“Brooding, dark, nothing else really to me,” Kaz said, but Y/N shook her head, finishing the gash and humming a bit. She moved her hand slowly up to Kaz’s face, doing a quick brush over to heal the small gashes there. Kaz felt them heal, his labored breath steadying as she moved her hand away from his face.

“I don’t believe that. If there was nothing more to you, I wouldn’t be staying around, Kaz,” Y/N said, bending down, but she felt a gloved hand grip her wrist, surprising her and causing her to jump a bit.

“I can handle that pain, I have for years,” Kaz stated, watching Y/N nod, and while she couldn’t see his hand, her eyes were still on the wrist that was enclosed by Kaz’s gloved hand.

“I may have an idea. A way for me to know what you truly look like,” Y/N said, a smile rising to her lips.

Kaz was almost frightened to ask. No, he was frightened. He knew what that would entail. But he knew what she looked like and she had so many conflicting ideas about what he looked like. He also knew that Y/N wouldn’t cross his boundaries unless he gave explicit permission. He could say no to this and she’d agree and leave with a smile, some words of encouragement to sleep and rest, and later have Inej or Jesper bring up food for him. But sucking in a deep breath, he looked up at Y/N, determining that he trusted her enough for this. She’d never hurt you.

“Okay, tell me the idea,” Kaz said slowly, his words wavering.

“You can back out at any time, Kaz. If you don’t want to do this, you let me know immediately,” Y/N stated, and Kaz let out a small cough.

He closed his eyes, nodding to himself before giving an audible, “I know.”

“Your gloves, their the barrier that helps ensure you don’t come into contact with skin. What if I wear a pair, they don’t have to be yours, but a pair of gloves and use them to learn what you look like?”

Kaz tilted his head. It wasn’t a terrible idea. It actually made a lot of sense. He used the gloves as a barrier, as Y/N had said. If she did the same, it would be the same as he had just done with her wrist. He wouldn’t feel Jordie. He wouldn’t feel Reaper’s Barge. At least, that’s what he hoped for. But he’d be willing to try for Y/N. He’d try for her.

“We . . . can try that, but use my gloves. I’m used to the feeling of them. I have another pair in the nightstand by my bed,” Kaz said, watching Y/N smile a bit before moving to grab the gloves in the nightstand. He watched her slide them onto her fingers, seeing they were just a bit big on her, he chuckled quietly.

Y/N let her fingers glide against the desk once more, pulling the chair from the other side of the desk right in front of Kaz. She could hear his uneven breathing as she sat too. “You guide me, just like before,” Y/N said, letting Kaz have control of the situation.

Slowly, Kaz lifted his hand, taking Y/N’s gloved one into his own. Stalling for a moment he shut his eyes tightly, and for a moment the flashes came to him, but he sucked in a deep breath, opening his eyes and seeing Y/N in front of him, alive, breathing.

He lifted her hands to rest on his shoulders, watching her hum as the vision of him began to form within her mind. He watched a smile come to her lips. She would never know how beautiful that smile was. How beautiful it was to him. How he hoped it wasn’t washed away like his was because of the Barrel.

“Hmm, Dark hair, trimmed at the edges. Inej teased you for it one day, I remember that. You have a sharper face than most of our friends, and a lean build, but more muscular than Jesper is.” Y/N tilted her head, the image in her head finally fully forming.

“Dark eyes, like bitter coffee. Two tattoos. I didn’t know that. I must say, but don’t Jesper this, you’re far more handsome than he is. Maybe you should start being the handsome decoy.” Kaz chuckled at that, and for a few moments he wasn’t shaking. He wasn’t fearful. He wasn’t breathing heavily. He was happy, even if just for those few moments. Happy because of her.

Y/N dropped her hands, pulling off the leather gloves and placing them on the desk. “Certainly not the grinch as some put it,” she added, standing.

“Pretty close to that,” Kaz said, watching her stand.

“Maybe personality wise, but certainly not look wise.”

“Who calls me the Grinch?”

“Jesper,” Y/N laughed. She remembered hearing Jesper reference Kaz as the grinch at one point. It was where the nickname had probably originated from for others to call the Bastard of the Barrel, and slowly it became known. The room became quiet for some time, and Y/N was the first to break it.

“Thank you . . . for letting me do that, I know it wasn’t easy. The tattoos, what are they of?” Y/N asked then, tilting her head. Kaz took a deep breath in, looking over at the window across by his bed. The one he rarely ever used.

“The Dregs Crow, and an R,” he didn’t elaborate, leaving Y/N to know that was as much as he’d say. She knew what the Crow was for, but she had a feeling she shouldn’t ask much more than that.

“Well, do get some rest. I can’t heal sleep exhaustion, sadly,” Y/N said, laughing a bit. She didn’t see it, but a smile spread on Kaz’s lips.

430 notes · View notes

istumpysk · 3 years

Text

Operation Stumpy Re-Read

ACOK: Theon II (Chapter 24)

"And how would you know what I'm like?"

"My eyes can see your face. My ears can hear your laughter. And my cock's gone hard as a mast for you."

You know what I don’t need in life? Theon and Samwell parallels.

+.+

He'd decided that he liked this wench, whoever she was; her sharp wit was a welcome respite from the damp gloom of Pyke. "Shall I name my longship after you, and play you the high harp, and keep you in a tower room in my castle with only jewels to wear, like a princess in a song?"

Every Rhaegar reference should come with a warning. Some of us might be eating dinner.

+.+

"Would you make me your captain for the night, my lord prince?" She had the wickedest smile he'd ever seen on a woman.

"I might. If I knew you'd steer me safe into port."

"Well, I know which end of the oar goes in the sea, and there's no one better with ropes and knots."

Please get me out of this chapter.

+.+

Esgred is yours, sweet prince. Take me to your castle. Let me see your proud towers rising from the sea.

Then the towers by the sea, crumbling as the dark tide came sweeping over them, rising from the depths. Shadows in the shape of skulls, skulls that turned to mist, bodies locked together in lust, writhing and rolling and clawing. Through curtains of fire great winged shadows wheeled against a hard blue sky. - Melisandre I, ADWD 🤩

+.+

Ironmen did not bend their knees often nor easily, but Theon noted that oarsmen and townfolk alike grew quiet as they passed, and acknowledged him with respectful bows of the head. They have finally learned who I am, he thought. And past time too.

+.+

Theon muttered the words with them. "You seem well known," he said to the woman when the men had passed on.

+.+

When Wex saw Esgred, his eyes went round. You'd think he'd never seen a woman before, Theon thought.

+.+

Most of the islanders were indifferent riders at best, more comfortable on the deck of a longship than in the saddle.

So what you’re saying is that the ironborn are more comfortable at sea than on a saddle? That’s interesting, because the exact opposite could be said of the Dothraki. It’s almost like if you merged them together, they’d make the perfect army.

And by perfect I mean a shitshow.

+.+

Lord Botley's misjudgment was his good fortune: a stallion with a temper as black as his hide, larger than a courser if not quite so big as most destriers. As Theon was not quite so big as most knights, that suited him admirably. The animal had fire in his eyes. When he'd met his new owner, he'd pulled back his lips and tried to bite off his face.

Having fire in his eyes is likely a good omen for this horse.

+.+

"Does he have a name?" Esgred asked Theon as he mounted.

"Smiler." He gave her a hand, and pulled her up in front of him, where he could put his arms around her as they rode. "I knew a man once who told me that I smiled at the wrong things."

Ned. 100% Ned.

+.+

"I knew a man once who told me that I smiled at the wrong things."

(...)

"Are you smiling now, my lord prince?"

"Oh, yes."

+.+

"My brothers are long dead, and my sister . . . well, they say Asha's favorite gown is a chainmail hauberk that hangs down past her knees, with boiled leather smallclothes beneath. Men's garb won't make her a man, though. I'll make a good marriage alliance with her once we've won the war, if I can find a man to take her. As I recall, she had a nose like a vulture's beak, a ripe crop of pimples, and no more chest than a boy."

Her nose was too big and too sharp for her thin face, but her smile made up for it. - Theon II, ACOK

When he reached the part about coming that close to the Kingslayer himself, he slid his hand back up to where it had been. Her breasts were small, but he liked the firmness of them. - Theon II, ACOK

+.+

In the islands it was scarce unheard of for a strong, ambitious uncle to dispossess a weak nephew of his rights, and usually murder him in the bargain.

You know what I love about this? Not only do I find Daenerys hiding in another Greyjoy chapter, I just realized Euron and Daenerys will share another parallel in the future. 🦑🖤🐉

+.+

My uncles pose no threat to me," he declared. "Aeron is drunk on seawater and sanctity.

And shade of the evening.

+.+

"Euron Croweye has no lack of cunning, though. I've heard men say terrible things of that one."

Theon shifted his seat. "My uncle Euron has not been seen in the islands for close on two years. He may be dead." If so, it might be for the best. Lord Balon's eldest brother had never given up the Old Way, even for a day. His Silence, with its black sails and dark red hull, was infamous in every port from Ibben to Asshai, it was said.

Daddy, come home!

+.+

"He may be dead," Esgred agreed, "and if he lives, why, he has spent so long at sea, he'd be half a stranger here. The ironborn would never seat a stranger in the Seastone Chair."

"I suppose not," Theon replied, before it occurred to him that some would call him a stranger as well.

Nice dig at your brother, but I’ve got some bad news regarding ironborn seating strangers, Asha.

+.+

"The cold winds have worn her away, I hear. Will you not go see her? Harlaw is only a day's sail, and surely Lady Greyjoy yearns for a last sight of her son."

"Would that I could. I am kept too busy here. My father relies on me, now that I am returned. Come peace, perhaps . . ."

"Your coming might bring her peace."

I must confess, I have no idea where this Alannys Harlaw subplot is going. It seems somewhat important?

+.+

Somehow that thought excited him. "So you say, but your body shows no signs of it. How shall it be proven? Before I believe you, I shall need to see your breasts grow ripe, and taste your mother's milk."

Okay fine, here it is.

As much as I’d love to make fun of George for any weird fetish he might have, this is a joke! Theon has already tasted her mother’s milk! He’s making a funny!

+.+

Some of the things he said astonished him. She is easy to talk to, gods praise her, he reflected. I feel as though I've known her for years.

+.+

All he could do was stand and gape at her. Asha. No. She cannot be Asha.

(...)

She unlaced my breeches, he thought, outraged, and she said . . . oh, gods, and I said . . . He groaned. He could not possibly have made a more appalling fool of himself.

You’ll notice here that Theon is appalled by the idea of bedding his sister.

Who would think Theon Greyjoy could ever have the moral high ground over Jon Snow? Lmao

As a side note, I’m enjoying all this brother and sister incest coming after a Jon chapter. Oho!

+.+

Theon chose plain boots and plainer clothes, somber shades of black and grey to fit his mood. No ornament; he had nothing bought with iron. I might have taken something off that wildling I killed to save Bran Stark, but he had nothing worth the taking. That's my cursed luck, I kill the poor.

I constantly have to remind myself that Theon’s fate in the books is not a good thing. Constantly.

+.+

"Eight?" His face reddened. "What can I hope to accomplish with only eight longships?"

(...)

Theon felt as if he'd been slapped. He was being sent to do reaver's work, burning fishermen out of their hovels and raping their ugly daughters, and yet it seemed Lord Balon did not trust him sufficiently to do even that much.

I’m with you, Theon. Why would they not give you a proper role?

"It has been a few years since I sailed a ship." And I've never captained one, if truth be told. - Theon II, ACOK

+.+

"Victarion," Lord Balon said to his brother, "the main thrust shall fall to you. When my sons have struck their blows, Winterfell must respond.

Cersei would have done well with Balon as a father.

Final thoughts:

I’m starting to remember why people don’t enjoy ACOK. Long chapters, with very little happening.

Still better than AGOT.

-> return to menu <-

#operation stumpy re-read #acok #theon ii

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painless-innit-colourful · 2 years

Text

Hi everyone, it's Crim, back again with our Eurovision commentary for the night. Coming at you from: one Eurovision superfan, one dance teacher, one former professional dancer, and the dog we scared every time we screamed. Here we go!

Czech Republic: She's really changing it up, huh.

Romania: We spent two and a half minutes talking about sexualsation in dance and that man's ruffled shirt.

Portugal: That was very beautiful.

Finland: The musical equivalent of The Smiler ride at Alton Towers. Director of Cinematography really said "YES WE CAN DO THAT FOR YOU."

Switzerland: We thought that resembled a charity advert song. Also, why are all the costumes too big.

France: And we are summoning something in this Eurovision tonight. My aunt just let out an unholy scream. I'm slightly scared for her.

Norway: That felt like a fever dream. We're all reeling from the lyrical genius of "Before that wolf eats your grandma, someone give that wolf a banana."

Armenia: Graham Norton made a remark about this one being the reason the UK had no toilet paper early in the pandemic, and it killed us for the whole song. Can we vote for the tech team to win.

Italy: Good *heavens* that was awful. We will discuss it no further. Was nice to hear the crowd singing though.

Spain: Well that was phenomenal. What a singer, what a dancer, she rocked it! Best choreography and staging of the night so far.

Netherlands: Is it just me or are pop songs getting more predictable.

Ukraine: A true Eurovision banger. None of those people looked like they were dancing to the same song, but man did they dance dance. I expect pink woolen bucket hats to be the trend by Monday. (We also really want to know what they're singing about.)

Germany: No wonder they had to go to the presenters for that change-over: they had to get the carpets on. The German Eminem.

Lithuania: As my aunt said, "Jessica Rabbit meets Liza Minelli. [...] She should audition for the [candlestick] in Beauty and the Beast. [...] Bit of Twiggy as well." This woman has turned both my aunt and my mom gay. She is my favourite so far. Who is she. I am very gay.

Azerbaijan: That wasn't a dance, that was pilates/a battle between a man and his rogue, evil doppelganger. Nice voice.

Belgium: Ehhhhhhh (I was out getting brownies. Why are they putting all the ballads together.) Why does no one's shoes match the rest of their outfits tonight. Why is there always a Bond Theme-ish one.

Greece: Goodness that was beautiful. The staging was cool, but just the song on it's own. A memorable ballad, and that's not something I'd say often.

Iceland: Thank goodness the ballads are over.

Moldova: Beastie Boys with 80% more acordian. Moldova is 30 years behind the rest of Europe and I ran out of words to describe that one mid-performance.

Sweden: No shoes this time. Costume department is having an evening. My aunt made a comment about how hard you would have to slam your head on the floor to change the lights and I lost it.

Special Mention to the Presenter Moment Where One of the Norweigan Wolves Attempted to Kidnap Mika.

Australia: Eh. It's no ice queen on an oscillating stick.

UK: WE MIGHT ACTUALLY STAND A CHANCE HOLY SH!!!!! THAT WAS REALLY GOOD I FORGOT I WAS WATCHING THE UK ENTRY!! That was such a jam - rock, ballad, good staging, great costume, great singing!!

Special Mention to Mika Getting Lost, Saying Romania was Spain and Misreading His Autocue, Announcing Holland to be Next.

Poland: Current theory on the couch is that the costume department this year only has five pairs of shoes and keeps needing to run them between acts. While are they all so big. Why was that so wet.

Serbia: That was. A lot of things. It felt like a cross between a bad GCSE Drama devised piece, a dystopian hygiene advert, and whatever they meant by "God has abandoned us" or whatever it was.

Estonia: A fun bop to conclude. Funky little hop down across the stage.

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victorluvsalice · 11 months

Text

With my lust for Valicer pictures satisfied for the moment, it was back to the reception to wrap things up with the guests. The last of the food was eaten, the last few stories shared, I THINK Lilith Pleasant may have peed herself by accident but I didn't see for sure, and the wedding wrapped up with pretty much everyone having had a good time and Victor and Smiler getting gold on the party! :D Granted, they didn't in any way NEED the free appliances in this instance, but still -- always nice to get the best party reward!

But that wasn't the end of the day for the trio just yet -- you see, as it turned out, Summer Friday was also a pop-up holiday: "Night On The Town!" The one where all drinks and food at community lots that serve them are free. I didn't want the OT3 to miss out on celebrating that, so what better way to celebrate the renewing of old vows and the committing of new ones than to head to Planet Honeypop! in San Myshuno for free juice and karaoke! Victor and Smiler hit the bar first, Victor getting a "Silent Film" (whatever that is in drink form) and Smiler their usual Plasma Jane -- Alice joined them after hunting down another poster in the world (turned out to be a duplicate of one they already had, though), picking up a Fizzy Fruity drink to enjoy. And then, once everybody had enjoyed their freebies (and emptied their bladders as necessary), it was time for karaoke! Smiler and Victor started things off with a pop duet, and then Smiler and Alice followed up with a country one (while Victor snuck some more wedding cake out of his inventory XD). Smiler was definitely carrying those performances, let me tell you -- though Victor DID get Singing level 6 in the process! So that's something, right?

And with that, it was finally time to head home, so Victor and Smiler could consummate their wedding night in Victor and Alice's nice bed (and their new CC underwear, thank you nucrest's Essential Underwear Set v1). And so I could start going through pictures and hanging up important things -- like both Victor and Alice's and Victor and Smiler's new wedding certificates! Yeah, while I'd ordered one for Victor and Alice a few days back (you could see it above their desk at the beginning of the update), they actually got a new one as a result of their vow renewal -- and the new one looked a lot better than the old one, so that's the one I kept. :) I also moved the photos that were originally on the dresser so I could replace them with some wedding snaps...

But, uh, me going through the fifty million photos I ended up taking of this event feels like something we should get into another day. XD So yeah, next update, you see how many wedding photos are now scattered around the house -- and of course, when you have a wedding, you also have to have a honeymoon... See you then!

#sims 4 #the lazy save #victor van dort #alice liddell #smiler always #valicer #sims valicer wedding #yeah Lilith seemed embarrassed by SOMETHING when I returned to the party #but I'm not sure if it was she had an accident or what #she didn't look particularly stinky?#*shrug* Sorry if you did have an accident Lilith!#but the bathrooms were right downstairs...#and I was actually initially a little nervous when I saw that Night On The Town was also on Friday #but I guess that's a simple enough holiday that the game doesn't stop you from holding goaled events on the same day #not that Victor and Smiler NEEDED their wedding to be goaled but #it was NICE to officially earn gold on it!#and it was also nice to send them out for karaoke afterward XD #good times :p #and yes you will see the full extent of my wedding pictures nonsense next week #for now just enjoy that nice shot of the wedding certificates :)#ignore the just-woohooed Victor in the corner there XD #queued

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whatdoesshedotothem · 2 years

Text

Saturday 22 December 1838

7 ¼

hazy damp rather drizzly this time of year morning F37 ½° at 9 ¼ am – with A- about ¼ hour till 8 25 – then reading last nights’ paper – breakfast at 9 ½ to 10 20 when A- had Mr. George Robinson – to take the Lane-ends tan-house – came upstairs at 10 20 – ¼ hour looking at last nights’ paper – Had Richard Woodhead with his bill signed by Mr. Washington said it must be signed by Mr. Booth and then I would pay it – explained that Mr. W- had no business to employ anyone in that way over Mallinsons’ head who had even measured for the job with Booth more than once – did not blame Richard at all – but blamed SW. very much – he had meddled with things with which he had no business – A- had Bancroft while I had Richard W- who now wished for 3 cows – and A- lent him £30 to be repaid by instalments without interest – then with A- till 11 55 when SW. came – I would not see him, and came upstairs – GR. told A- £25 per annum which she asked for the tan house was far too much – offered £15 at which he said it had been let – yes! said A- but it was not by Mr. Washington and only for a few months – GR. says it is all on the old plan – and wants money laying out – he would rather build a place and make pits for himself than give £25 per annum but there seems some chance of his being answerable for the farm too, the whole at the present rent of £50 per annum – A- to consider of it – A- told me at breakfast she thought she would give notice to pay Mr. Grey and would sell navigation stock to the amount that is for eight thousand - had just written the above at 12 – Looking over bills left by SW. in the large cash book – had Mr. Pollett – gave him check for £30 being in full of all accounts (for the boiler at Northgate £18.9.9 and all) – then had Holt – shewed him teh damages paid at midsummer to John Oates and Person after the rate of £6 per DW. – H- said he would not pay such damages – shewed me damages just laid by Matthew Naylor for him (H-) to pay – after the rate of 40/. per DW. for land as good as mine – told him to bring Matthew N- on Monday if he could and value for me before the rent day – shewed H- the plan of colliery tower – the passage adjoining shade will not need covering in – spoke to him also about sawpit at the low corner of Charles Howarths’ field against Listerwick – the reservoir let – told him to let Robert also the walling – to do nothing by day – they are doing the engine-job very well – hopes it will turn out better than expected – told him to inquire into the extras – he will be here again on Monday afternoon – then wrote note and sent it by John Booth at 2 ½ to ‘Mr. Mackean York District Bank H-x’ for eighty pounds –then had A- she had written note to Miss Wilkinson and Mrs. Fenton to thank the latter for a hare received last Sunday at Cliff hill – Had just written the above at 2 40 and went out at 2 ¾ - A- just gone to Cliff hill on her pony as usual – went out at 3 to Listerwick pit – talking to Robert Mann, and to Taylors’ wife who rents the £3 a year cottage – nice respectable woman – walked back with Robert – saw the 2 bays – to be called Smiler and Captain – good looking horses – not having settled the Manns’ accounts gave each £20 in a/c – they are on Xmas day [after] to settle – dressed – dinner at 6 – coffee about 8 – read the London morning Herald and H-x Guardian newspaper till came upstairs at 10 50 – soft damp thick day – F34° at midnight outside study window and quite wet – with A- till 12 50

came n with the Manns at 5 ½

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dammit-stark · 4 years

Note

any stevetony regency fic: *chefs kiss*

okay this drabble was inspired by that scene in pride and prejudice where elizabeth walked three miles through the mud to get to her sick sister at netherfield and when she gets there they all just stare at her and make fun of her manners you know the one if you know you know - anyway this turned out way longer than I anticipated pls enjoy I absolutely adored writing this

DROP YOUR FAVORITE AU IN MY ASKBOX, OR ANY IDEA YOU LIKE :) ...

“I- I don’t have the money to repay you for this,” Steve pants, “But I promise, I’ll get it to you.”

The doctor keeps walking at his fervent, clipped pace through the long-haired English countryside. He shakes his head, but otherwise doesn’t say anything.

Steve had burst in on his breakfast at the Stark manor, man servants racing to get ahead of him as he threw open the doors of the breakfast parkour with his own two outstretched hands, out of breath. Everyone in attendance stood at the sight of him, priceless chair legs scraping against beautiful wood floors.

“Please,” Steve had begged, not an ounce of pridefulness, just hope and desperation, “It’s my mother. Can you help?”

Doctor Banner was moving instantly, nodding, “Let me get my bag.”

So Steve waited there as Doctor Banner hurried out of the room, brushing past the harried servants and muttering incessantly about his gear. Mr Stark and Miss Potts were still standing as if waiting for Steve’s manners to suddenly grow out of his ass. But Steve wasn’t very concerned about manners, couldn’t think if he was supposed to bow or if smiling was ill-mannered when his mom was sick again. She’d woken up coughing, moaning about a whole body ache, and Steve had immediately run down to the Stark manner to find Doctor Banner, knowing he dined late with the elusive bachelor most morning. Steve wrings his hands together anxiously and avoids Stark’s itchy, watchful gaze.

When Doctor Banner returns, he’s lugging a heavy-looking leather bag and his eyes are wide, “Take me to her,” He says, and Steve sweeps out of the room without another word.

Steve doesn’t see it, having already rushed out of the room with the thought of his mother at the front of his mind, but Pepper gives Tony a meaningfully smug look before they sit back down again, the hem of her midnight blue skirts pooling daintily against the rug as they return to their midmorning meal.

Steve says the same thing again later as he’s profusely thanking Doctor Banner, wringing out the other man’s big hands with his gratitude, “I promise I’ll gather the funds somehow, doctor. I’ll repay you, but… I might have to repay you gradually, if that’s alright.”

Doctor Banner shakes his head, just as he had before, “No, no. You should know, Mr Stark offered to cover any fees required of you.”

Steve’s so shocked that he drops Doctor Banner’s hands from his, “No, I can’t let him do that.”

The doctor cuts him off with a kind hand, “Please, Mr Rogers. Let him.”

And Steve, well- he looks over at his mother, laying sickly in her bed, and- they need the money, they really do. The crops have been declining steadily with every passing year, and Steve’s sure that if his mother were to have another episode, he wouldn’t be able to afford the medical fees. Slowly, he nods. “Okay,” He agrees, voice quiet, “That’s very generous of him.” Steve doesn’t miss the shy, maybe even sly, smile that appears on Doctor Banner’s lips, “Yes,” He agrees, tone serious as he holds onto the strap of his bag with two hands, “It was very generous of him.”

Doctor Banner presses a bottle of pills into Steve’s hand and nods one last time, “Make sure she takes one of these twice a day with meals. Have a good day, Mr Rogers.”

And Steve is left in his family home, wondering what he ever did to deserve this sort of generosity, and already mentally planning how to pay Mr Stark back for such magnanimity.

Steve returns to Stark Manor the next day, armed with the freshest eggs his estate had to offer. When he knocks on the door, he reacts to the servant gentlemen with a much kinder smiler and much slower attitude than he had the day before. The leader among them looks down at Steve at the bottom of the stoop from the top of his long nose.

“Your business?” The dutiful servant, choked off at the neck by his strict cravate.

Steve indicates his basket, “I’ve come to thank Mr Stark for his generosity.”

The servant appears dubious of Steve’s attentions, watching him for a moment longer than he would ever dare if Steve was closer to Mr Stark’s sect, or even if he had the education of Doctor Banner, but after a moment he nods and steps aside, “Very well. I shall bring you to him.”

Steve is as courteous as possible- to the doormen, the lined-up butlers, the milk maids scurrying in the background. He tries to effuse his gratitude in every way possible.

“JARVIS? I thought I told you not to-“

“Sir, you have a visitor. Mr Rogers.”

“Oh.”

Steve hears a quill being set down, a faint fluttering of parchment, some sort of frantic movement, then- “Very well. Send him in.”

When JARVIS steps back into the hallway, his expression has changed into something more fond and knowing, and he nods at Steve and opens the opulent door the rest of the way so Steve can enter Mr Stark’s office.

“Mr Rogers,” Mr Stark says. He’s leaning against the edge of his desk, “Welcome. What can I do for you?”

Steve carefully sets down the basket, “I wanted to thank you. Doctor Banner told me you offered to cover the charges for my mother’s medical bills. With her ill health- your generous aid helped tremendously. Thank you, sir.”

Mr Stark’s smile appears strained, like he’s holding something back or in or barring unwanton thoughts from entry. He taps idly at the wooden desktop with the tip of his quill.

Steve himself is struck within the silence by the opulence of the room, but also by Mr Stark’s expression, the careful lilt of his eyes, the soft, pink curves of his lips. Tony Stark exudes wealth and grace, and Steve can’t seem to look away. He knows Mr Stark sees it when he gulps.

“There’s not much I can offer in return,” Steve admits sheepishly, “But if there’s anything I can ever do to thank you, Mr Stark, I’ll be happy to do it.”

Steve can physically feel Stark’s appraising gaze, the wellbred man leaning back wolfishly in his chair, a knowing grin meeting his lips. He passed the feathered quill from one hand to the other.

“Dine with me,” He says eventually, his voice flooded with the command of a man used to getting his way, “That’s all I want in return.”

Steve’s shock is no doubt evident on his face, especially if the laugh that sprouts from Mr Stark’s lips is any indication.

“Is that really all you ask for?”

Mr Stark looks like he wants to ask for a million things more, a man accustomed to opulence and luxury. He has the whole wide world at his fingertips, and all he wants is for Steve to dine with him one evening. He nods affirmatively.

“Just one evening, that’s all I ask.”

Slowly, Steve nods, “Very well. I am at your discretion. Whenever you ask in the future, I’ll dine with you, sir.”

Mr Stark smiles, and Steve is struck by how elegant it is, the manner of it different from any other smile he’s ever seen. Steve finds himself eager to dine with this man.

“I look forward to it, Mr Rogers,” Stark returns, placing a pair of bifocals over the bridge of his nose, “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”

If an evening dining with Mr Stark is all Steve is owed, he is happy to pay it. He’d be happy to dine with Mr Stark every night for a year, two years, if that was what was asked of him. But one night? Steve eagerly awaits it and hopes it stretches on forever.

#regency au #drabble #stevetony #srsly yall drop aus in my inbox ill smash em

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lovelikedestiny · 3 years

Text

3. Copley: And our kingdom is gone

White glowing skin, touched by stars,

kissed by silver moonlight.

When Joe gets up and leaves the room with one last stroke of Nicky's head, just as Copley has entered the living room, Copley asks himself when the immortals started to trust him.

Andy and Nile are exercising in his backyard and Copley, hoping they don't destroy his amateur herb patch or his dahlias, has tried very hard to give them privacy. By that he means that he is not standing on the porch like a stalker and watching the two women attack each other without mercy and with deadly skill, faster than he has ever seen.

Astonished, he stops and stares at the door Joe has disappeared through before he realizes that he is not alone in the living room. Nicky nods slightly to him, one corner of his mouth curved into something like a half smile and Copley only realizes that because he has spent the last few days closely observing the immortal warriors and analyzing their behavior.

Copley has always considered himself to be a passable, if not a good judge of people - this skill was very helpful in his job and served him well. But Nicky's micro-expressions are on a completely different level. He seems perfectly at rest within himself and nothing in his face indicates what is going on inside him. Admittedly, Copley finds this just as intimidating as Andy's sharp presence, Joe's death look and Nile's powerful charisma. Nicky must be really good at playing poker, Copley thinks, and inwardly shakes his head because it's like wondering what Joe likes to do in his free time besides the obvious drawing, or what kind of ice cream Andy prefers to eat. And Copley isn't sure that the relationship between him and the ancient warriors can be considered as that familiar.

He fully understands their vigilant, suspicious attitude towards him and is determined to help them with their current problem, because he is complicit in the events that have happened and hopes to gain their forgiveness. Guilt and shame are still present in his heart for being blinded by the prospect of helping people with illnesses like the one that plagued his wife, even though all the signs of Merrick's sadistic play were right under his nose.

All the more, the fact that Joe left him alone with Nicky in a room, presumably to use the bathroom, feels like a minor victory, and Copley tries not to seem too baffled by it.

The minimal change in the bright mountain lakes that make up Nicky's eyes shows that he's not doing as good a job as he has hoped. In Nicky's eyes and the features around his mouth, the most emotions can be read, Copley noted, even if it will take him a lot of practice to see as much in Nicky's face as Joe. He will probably never reach this level, because he certainly does not have 900 years for a character study.

Nicky's minimal facial movements also make it harder for Copley to tell if he's in pain or to recognize the warning signs that precede any vomiting of blood - which is now occurring with terrible regularity.

Since he has found a tough nut to crack in Nicky, Copley has started to pay attention to Joe after Nicky's first blood break, in order to learn more about Nicky's behavior. With this tactic, Copley adds daily to his mental list of Nicky's signs of certain sensations, and to his chagrin, the signs of physical pain seem to be increasing in frequency.

Copley, one of those people who whine hard when they stub their little toe, admires the stoicism with which Nicky endures his rapidly deteriorating condition. Only his slow, sluggish movements and a barely noticeable frown are frequent indications of Nicky's discomfort, as well as a slight lowering of the corners of the mouth and the twitching of his jaw pointed out for Copley by Nile.

And of course the tremors from the chills going through Nicky's body at that moment. In addition to the thick hoodies, they pulled out all the stops with various blankets, socks, hot-water bottles and tea and Joe gives Nicky his body heat anyway, just like Andy and even Nile.

This deep, family bond between Andy, Joe and Nicky is met with great fascination by Copley and although Nile has only been an immortal for a few weeks, even Copley can see how easily the young woman has integrated into the team like a matching piece of a puzzle. It also shows him how much the emptiness of his house oppressed him after the death of his wife and that he finds himself wishing to be a part of this unusual family of extraordinary individuals.

With a quiet clearing of his throat, Copley de-freezes himself from where he has been standing for an alarmingly long number of seconds and turns the heat up. With the onset of autumn it is not a problem to heat so strongly because the nights are gradually getting colder. And Copley finds that he's already used to the high temperatures in the constantly heated living room. Sweating a little to keep Nicky from freezing as little as possible is probably the least Copley can do.

"Thank you, Mr. Copley," Nicky says, returning his attention to the open book in his lap, which Copley cannot identify as one of his. While he grimaces inwardly - whether that's because Nicky is the only one who continues to call him Mr. Copley, or because of how rough and strained his voice sounds, Copley can't tell - he sits down in the place where he is working. At least when he's not in his study. Actually, the professional atmosphere of his office always helps him to be more productive, but since Andy and her team moved in with him, Copley has gotten used to finding the presence of the others very pleasant.

When Joe returns, Copley is back to work retracing Meta Kozak's footsteps. She is currently moving from the western US towards New Mexico, but Copley doesn't know what her destination is or where she is keeping any evidence from Merrick's lab and that makes him angry at himself. He tracked Andromache the Scythian and her group of immortal warriors down so he shouldn't have any problems pinning Kozak down too. On the other hand, he had time to track down the immortals, and in this case it seems to be running like sand through his fingers.

Neither of the others is pushing him to hurry up or do better work, which Copley appreciates, but they all see Nicky's crumbling form every day.

Five minutes pass with no sound coming from the sofa, except for the occasional rustle of paper when Nicky turns a page or the sound of Joe's pen in his sketchbook, and Copley longs for a fifth cup of coffee.

"Copley?"

"Yes?" Even if Copley suspects what Joe wants from him, he takes his eyes off the irritatingly bright screen of his laptop to look at him.

Joe's dark, serious eyes are in such a strong contrast to the soft, warm expression of affection that they always take on when they come to rest on Nicky. "Is there-" Joe pauses to reconsider his choice of words, but Copley realizes in it the unrest that comes with Copley's own uneasiness. "- any news?"

To be honest, Copley prefers an angry, menacing Joe to the version whose tiny spark of hope Copley has to stifle over and over again, and he hates it. Still, he keeps his calm and shakes his head. "No, I'm sorry. I was able to locate her on the recordings of a hotel in Phoenix, Arizona, where she stayed for three nights. But I can't tell where she's going next. My guess is New Mexico, but she has changed direction several times in the past two days.” He sighs and shakes his head again. "She is very careful, which means that she expects you to search for her."

The pale, blurred face and cold, lifeless-looking eyes on his laptop cause a disgusted, hate-like feeling in his stomach. Copley wonders how he could ever expect from such an immoral doctor who sliced people up for the Nobel Prize and took samples without letting herself be disturbed by their screams of pain to do something good for humanity.

Joe nods slowly and turns to his drawing with furrowed eyebrows, chewing on his lower lip and Copley looks at Nicky, only to notice that Nicky's focus has long been on his love. Copley thinks he sees something like concern in Nicky's eyes and then he reaches out his hand and squeezes Joe's, saying something in a lowered tone in that strange language and Joe snorts and grins slightly.

Copley has seen moments like this quite often lately. It's no secret that Nicky's condition weighs as heavily on Joe as a block of cement, and while Joe is definitely a smiler, there's nothing like it to be seen. Dry comments from Andy or deliberately silly jokes from Nile make him smile and, at best, even laugh a little. But only Nicky manages to ignite the humorous spark in his eyes and he does that as often as possible.

In the same language, Joe replies something, causing a low snort from Nicky about that Joe looks so happy, as if he had won the jackpot, before he seeks Copley's eye contact again. "Thank you, Copley."

Copley high fives himself in his head for the further progress he's made with the immortals and smiles. "Of course, I will keep you informed about further results."

"We really appreciate that," Nicky says, putting his book aside. He coughs heavily and Joe is immediately on alert, ready to jump up and grab the bucket they've positioned next to the sofa since the accumulating blood-vomiting, but Nicky pulls himself together. "Have you eaten anything today, Mr. Copley?" He asks hoarsely.

"I beg your pardon?" Copley blinks.

Up to this point he hasn't even given a thought to food and is amazed to realize that he has actually not eaten anything since last night because he was too busy following Kozak's trail. As if on command, his stomach growls softly and Copley is stunned that Nicky pays remarkable attention to who is eating what and when.

"Oh," Copley says, staring at his keyboard and then at Nicky, who is patiently waiting. "I'm afraid not, no."

He didn't even finish his sentence when Nicky gets up from the sofa - so slowly that it's painful to watch - and heads for the kitchen. "Do you like French omelettes?"

"Nicky-" Joe is hot on Nicky's heels, which is no wonder given Nicky's slow pace, every step taken so carefully, as if every move would hurt him. Because Nicky is supposed to take it easy and rest, Andy and Nile have thrown him out of the kitchen a few times because standing at the stove had exhausted him. And even if Copley doesn't know all the habits of the team by a long way, he can see how much Nicky loves to look after his family and that cooking and baking gives him great joy. This makes it all the more difficult for him not even be able to do that.

And the way Joe looks, he is more than aware of it. But instead of putting Nicky back on the sofa and advising him not to use the kitchen to make Copley a French omelette because it could harm his condition, Joe just says gently, "May I help you?"

It is not a statement that has been disguised in a question to avoid contradiction. It's a real question that Joe means wholeheartedly and leaves Nicky to decide whether he wants to work alone in the kitchen or to be helped. Joe didn't ask if he could cook, but asked Nicky's permission to help him cook and leave the main work to Nicky. And that Joe pays such careful attention to Nicky's feelings and wants to do something about it that he feels useless, moves Copley more than he would have expected.

Copley only catches a glimpse of the smile Nicky only saves for Joe. "Of course, hayati." Copley can't miss the underlying gratitude.

Continue reading on AO3 ;)

#the old guard #fanfiction #tears on marble face #chapter three #Copley #Nicky #Joe #Andy #Nile

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eschercaine · 4 years

Text

My (2) fav ASOIAF OTPs:

Jonsa (Jon Snow/Sansa Stark)

His half sisters escorted the royal princes. Arya was paired with plump young Tommen, whose white-blond hair was longer than hers. Sansa, two years older, drew the crown prince, Joffrey Baratheon. He was twelve, younger than Jon or Robb, but taller than either, to Jon's vast dismay. Prince Joffrey had his sister's hair and his mother's deep green eyes. A thick tangle of blond curls dripped down past his golden choker and high velvet collar. Sansa looked radiant as she walked beside him, but Jon did not like Joffrey's pouty lips or the bored, disdainful way he looked at Winterfell's Great Hall.

- Jon I, A Game of Thrones

All of you did not seem to include Lady Melisandre. The king's red shadow. Stannis called to Devan for more lemon water. When his cup was filled the king drank, and said, “Horpe and Massey aspire to your father's seat. Massey wants the wildling princess too. He once served my brother Robert as squire and acquired his appetite for female flesh. Horpe will take Val to wife if I command it, but it is battle he lusts for. As a squire he dreamed of a white cloak, but Cersei Lannister spoke against him and Robert passed him over. Perhaps rightly. Ser Richard is too fond of killing. Which would you have as Lord of Winterfell, Snow? The smiler or the slayer?”

Jon said, “Winterfell belongs to my sister Sansa.”

- Jon IV, A Dance with Dragons

Myranda gave her a shrewd little smile. “Yes, she was the very soul of wisdom, that good lady.” She shifted her seat. “Why must mules be so bony and ill-tempered? Mya does not feed them enough. A nice fat mule would be more comfortable to ride. There's a new High Septon, did you know? Oh, and the Night's Watch has a boy commander, some bastard son of Eddard Stark's.”

“Jon Snow?” she blurted out, surprised.

“Snow? Yes, it would be Snow, I suppose.”

She had not thought of Jon in ages. He was only her half brother, but still . . . with Robb and Bran and Rickon dead, Jon Snow was the only brother that remained to her. I am a bastard too now, just like him. Oh, it would be so sweet, to see him once again. But of course that could never be. Alayne Stone had no brothers, baseborn or otherwise.

- Alayne II, A Feast for Crows

Robbaery (Robb Stark/Margaery Tyrell)

If you had to fall into a woman’s arms, my son, why couldn’t they have been Margaery Tyrell’s? The wealth and power of Highgarden could have made all the difference in the fighting yet to come. And perhaps Grey Wind would have liked the smell of her as well.

- Catelyn II, A Storm of Swords

Forget Robb Stark/Jeyne Westerling (Talisa Maegyr)! This one rumination from Catelyn’s POV creates a more reasonable ship and changed the lives of the whole fandom forever.

I just realized that Catelyn Stark is the true captain of this ship.

#jonsa #jon x sansa #robbaery #robb x margaery #jon snow #sansa stark #robb stark #margaery tyrell #asoiaf #asos #agot #affc #adwd

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agentrouka-blog · 4 years

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Hey! Wat your opinion on Jon not giving a thought on Sansa supposed marriage to Tyrion but actually dwell on how he trusted Tyrion n can't accept him killing his father. While Sansa comes to know about Jon being LC she thought how it would be sweet but Jon not once thinking about her marriage n supposed allegation about kinslaying. Yes she is far from him then but he could actually give a thought about how is she. Even Arya thought it'd stupid for Sansa to marry n kill the king.

The way he thinks of Tyrion is actually a pretty interesting thing.

I get longwinded.

After Tyrion departs the Wall, Jon thinks well of him:

He could think here, and he found himself thinking of Samwell Tarly … and, oddly, of Tyrion Lannister. He wondered what Tyrion would have made of the fat boy. Most men would rather deny a hard truth than face it, the dwarf had told him, grinning. The world was full of cravens who pretended to be heroes; it took a queer sort of courage to admit to cowardice as Samwell Tarly had. (AGOT, Jon IV)

He actively remembers him, even considers his advice, like he is a mentor to him.

"Lady Stark is not my mother," Jon reminded him sharply. Tyrion Lannister had been a friend to him. If Lord Eddard was killed, she would be as much to blame as the queen. "My lord, what of my sisters? Arya and Sansa, they were with my father, do you know—" (AGOT, Jon VII)

He finds it easy to take his side over Catelyn’s, no questions asked. (Boy, dude, I get why, but that’s some serious bias there, Jon. Calm the hell down.) But here, Tyrion is a “friend to him”.

Still, from that point on it’s crickets chirping with regard to Tyrion. Likely, the fact that the Lannisters are waging war on his family does have some effect on Jon’s fondness for Tyrion.

"Who was your mother?"

"Some woman. Most of them are." Someone had said that to him once. He did not remember who. (ACOK, Jon VI)

It had been Tyrion. Pretty telling when you consider how eager he was to contemplate his advice earlier. He doesn’t remember, i.e. probably has blocked out who said it.

"I don't even know who my mother was," Jon said.

"Some woman, no doubt. Most of them are." He favored Jon with a rueful grin. "Remember this, boy. All dwarfs may be bastards, yet not all bastards need be dwarfs." And with that he turned and sauntered back into the feast, whistling a tune. When he opened the door, the light from within threw his shadow clear across the yard, and for just a moment Tyrion Lannister stood tall as a king. (AGOT, Jon I)

So, a brief flicker of memory and then it’s silence on the subject for two entire books.

This is the first and only time Jon thinks of Tyrion again:

"It is not my intent to choose any side," said Jon, "but I am not as certain of the outcome of this war as you seem to be, my lord. Not with Lord Tywin dead." If the tales coming up the kingsroad could be believed, the King's Hand had been murdered by his dwarf son whilst sitting on a privy. Jon had known Tyrion Lannister, briefly. He took my hand and named me friend. It was hard to believe the little man had it in him to murder his own sire, but the fact of Lord Tywin's demise seemed to be beyond doubt. "The lion in King's Landing is a cub, and the Iron Throne has been known to cut grown men to ribbons." (ADWD, Jon III)

“He named me friend.” That’s a marked difference to “he had been a friend to him”. He “had known him briefly”. That’s quite distancing. The friendship, the entire relationship is regarded with a cool, retrospective distance. Jon is much more mature and he certainly has reason to think of Tyrion as an object of extreme ambivalence. So he most certainly does not dwell on the fact that he trusts Tyrion.

Still, you are right. Jon never actively thinks about the fact that this dude is theoretically his brother-in-law. Married to his sister.

What does Jon think about Sansa’s suffering and marriage and disappearance? We don’t have a clue.

He doesn’t directly think about Sansa’s plight in KL at all beyond one brief flicker in the very beginning:

That flicker and Jon’s general attitude toward Sansa, though, tells us that he most certainly cares. He simply avoids the thought.

From that point on, Jon mentions Sansa exactly 8 times in the span of four books.

Once in contemplation of breathtaking natural beauty:

So there is magic beyond the Wall after all. He found himself thinking of his sisters, perhaps because he'd dreamed of them last night. Sansa would call this an enchantment, and tears would fill her eyes at the wonder of it, but Arya would run out laughing and shouting, wanting to touch it all. (ACOK, Jon III)

Once in the context of courtly treatment of ladies:

"That's pretty." He remembered Sansa telling him once that he should say that whenever a lady told him her name. (ACOK, Jon III)

Once enumerated with the rest of his family to Mance Rayder in stark contrast to his own bastard status (ASOS, Jon I):

“Then you saw us all. Prince Joffrey and Prince Tommen, Princess Myrcella, my brothers Robb and Bran and Rickon, my sisters Arya and Sansa. You saw them walk the center aisle with every eye upon them and take their seats at the table just below the dais where the king and queen were seated.” “I remember.” “And did you see where I was seated, Mance?” He leaned forward. “Did you see where they put the bastard?” (ASOS, Jon I)

Once in terms of her claim to Winterfell, guilt and devastating loss:

Winterfell would go to Robb and then his sons, or to Bran or Rickon should Robb die childless. And after them came Sansa and Arya. Even to dream otherwise seemed disloyal, as if he were betraying them in his heart, wishing for their deaths. I never wanted this, he thought as he stood before the blue-eyed king and the red woman. I loved Robb, loved all of them . . . I never wanted any harm to come to any of them, but it did. And now there's only me. (ASOS, Jon XI)

One unnamed, indirect mention, that again implies he considers her to be dead.

“Gods, wolf, where have you been?” Jon said when Ghost stopped worrying at his forearm. “I thought you’d died on me, like Robb and Ygritte and all the rest. I’ve had no sense of you, not since I climbed the Wall, not even in dreams.” (ASOS, Jon XII)

So let it sink in that Jon refuses to take Sansa’s birthright even when he thinks she may well be dead.

He mentions her again in terms of her claim to Winterfell, where he blatantly doesn’t react to the fact that she was married to Tyrion, but it is implied this was something he has discussed with Stannis, or would have things to say about.

“By right Winterfell should go to my sister Sansa.” “Lady Lannister, you mean? Are you so eager to see the Imp perched on your father’s seat? I promise you, that will not happen whilst I live, Lord Snow.” Jon knew better than to press the point. (ADWD, Jon I)

Jon knows better because this is something they do more than once. More than we are shown. GRRM is intentionally hiding the details of Jon’s thoughts.

“(...) Which would you have as Lord of Winterfell, Snow? The smiler or the slayer?"

Jon said, "Winterfell belongs to my sister Sansa."

"I have heard all I need to hear of Lady Lannister and her claim." The king set the cup aside. “You could bring the north to me. Your father’s bannermen would rally to the son of Eddard Stark. Even Lord Too-Fat-to-Sit-a-Horse. White Harbor would give me a ready source of supply and a secure base to which I could retreat at need. It is not too late to amend your folly, Snow. Take a knee and swear that bastard sword to me, and rise as Jon Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North.” How many times will he make me say it? “My sword is sworn to the Night’s Watch.” Stannis looked disgusted. “Your father was a stubborn man as well. Honor, he called it. Well, honor has its costs, as Lord Eddard learned to his sorrow. If it gives you any solace, Horpe and Massey are doomed to disappointment. I am more inclined to bestow Winterfell upon Arnolf Karstark. A good northman.” “A northman.” Better a Karstark than a Bolton or a Greyjoy, Jon told himself, but the thought gave him little solace. (ADWD, Jon IV)

So, seriously, Jon does think Sansa is dead or thoroughly lost because he doesn’t categorically refute Stannis’ attempt to bestow the seat on someone else. He doesn’t recommend that Stannis try and find Sansa. She is completely beyond reach. We are given no reason to believe he considers her to be alive. He merely refuses to place himself anywhere in the succession, emphasizes her claim and his lack of it. Jon and Stannis have done this multiple times before, it is implied. So Jon has thought about this in depth, we are simply not made privy to his thoughts.

It is simply not true that Jon doesn’t think about this.

He thinks and talks about this and, given how Stannis emphasizes “Lady Lannister” and Tyrion’s connection to Sansa’s claim, and Jon just doesn’t even react, we can infer that Jon internally thoroughly rejects that marriage, its validity and its implications for Winterfell. Jon is not on board with Tyrion as Sansa’s husband. He probably has a very clear understanding of how Sansa was forced into it, and the only thing he may be ambivalent about is Tyrion’s complicity in this act, and how villainous he may have been toward Sansa. But there was never anything Jon could do about any of it.

I think, the simple answer, APART from the fact that GRRM is clearly withholding Jon’s actual thoughts and conversations on the subject of her marriage, is that Jon avoids thinking about Sansa’s pain because it is painful to him, and there is a special helplessness attached to it, because he doesn’t have a plethora of shared interactions to weigh against that.

He can think of Robb and Arya in terms of pain and strength and guilt and cheer because he shared those things with them.

Sansa? Is a completely different animal. Sansa is an unanswered question, a figure out of reach, known through sparse interaction, distant observation. Admiration, yes, but mostly experienced from afar or through the grumpy filter of his beloved little bundle of envy and frustration: baby sister Arya. Arya talks to Jon about Sansa, Arya talks to Sansa about Jon. He knows her, but they are not familiar. She’s something soft and romantic in his head, what does he know of how she deals with pain and abuse?

The final time Jon thinks of Sansa is in the context of home, childhood, Winterfell, love.

While it is often put into context with Jon’s death, these are not the final, peaceful imaginings of a dying man, this is Jon spurred to action by the thought of his siblings, the thought of his pack, the people he loves the very most in the world. Ned’s not there, Ygritte is no more than a fleeting mentor-quote on the level of Maester Aemon, Samwell is not there. Only his pack. One of them is alive, within his reach, dependent on his action. He has the means, he has the pretext to break out of the letter of his vows. Not to take their claim but to save one of them:

"I won't say you're wrong. What do you mean to do, crow?"

Jon flexed the fingers of his sword hand. The Night's Watch takes no part. He closed his fist and opened it again. What you propose is nothing less than treason. He thought of Robb, with snowflakes melting in his hair. Kill the boy and let the man be born. He thought of Bran, clambering up a tower wall, agile as a monkey. Of Rickon's breathless laughter. Of Sansa, brushing out Lady's coat and singing to herself. You know nothing, Jon Snow. He thought of Arya, her hair as tangled as a bird's nest. I made him a warm cloak from the skins of the six whores who came with him to Winterfell … I want my bride back … I want my bride back … I want my bride back …

"I think we had best change the plan," Jon Snow said.

They talked for the best part of two hours. (ADWD, Jon XIII)

This is Jon considering the essence of his most beloved people. His final moments with them. His heaviest association with them.

With Sansa, it’s another moment of romantic tranquility, observed from afar.

Even if in passing, that is an active choice on Jon’s part, to observe Sansa from afar, to such a degree that he knows how she would react to certain things. It implies an attachment, a desire to know her, a certain fascination.

I think much of their relationship entails the things we see Jon think about Sansa: a romantic attachment to natural beauty, a thorough awareness of status differences, an observation of chivalry and courtesies, an unquestioned place in the context of his pack, and a staunch willingness to defend her even beyond hope. A love at a distance, a love without familiarity, but a genuine love.

So this was a long and rambling way of saying that I think it’s mostly GRRM trying to hide their relationship from view, that it’s Jon suppressing painful thoughts he has no way of processing, that he is no longer fond of Tyrion and that the sum total of his few thoughts of Sansa are actually immensely positive and promising in a Jonsa context.

#asoiaf #jon snow #Sansa Stark #tyrion lannister #jonsa

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drawbauchery · 4 years

Text

The Inherent Eroticism of Clowning

fic by cartoons-tothemoon

At some point, Rico realized that Kowalski wasn’t a smiler.

He wouldn’t call the guy happy or well-adjusted, but, then again, could he even call himself that? And he smiled all the time!

But Kowalski…

It wasn’t like he was an especially angsty guy, he was just…moody. Emotional. Maybe even more so than Private. Private had two modes that he volleyed through, and otherwise remained at a middle point of the emotional equilibrium where he was just…fine. Skipper’s emotional state also seemed to be apathetic unless under great stress. But Kowalski? Kowalski bounced back and forth between that spectrum, it might as well been like watching a tennis game.

It fascinated him on some level that their resident nerd seemed to share many of the same instabilities as he did, and on some level, he was able to find a kinship in that.

Of course, Kowalski was never receptive of such a friendship, and why would he be? It would mean, on some level, admitting to being some sort of freak. An overly-emotional basket case with some unexamined problems here and there.

Sure, it was fine to BE like that, but admitting to it meant some form of culpability. The only reason Rico usually didn’t have to deal with consequences like that was because Skipper didn’t usually bother over-examining the issues that laid before him or the little discipline he gave him was harsh and swift enough to be a simple slap of the cuffs for five minutes before Rico could go on with his life.

Kowalski wasn’t the type to receive a slap on the wrist. He was, for lack of a better word, good. Not morally good, but, good by the standards of the team. He could be building his third edition of a death ray, but as long as he stayed out of Skipper’s way in the morning he might as well be a saint.

Come to think of it, Kowalski stayed out of everybody’s way, pretty much. Sure, they ate meals together and watched movies, but unless Skipper called them together or he had something to show off, he mostly kept to himself. He was usually in his lab or in Private’s greenhouse…

These were the facts as Rico knew them. Kowalski was a paradoxically over-emotional logical man of science, who gave off the vibes of being a gifted student in grade school, and kept to himself.

And he wasn’t a smiler. Over-emotional, yes, overly positive emotions? Not quite.

Rico figured it was his job to change that.

———

Over breakfast that morning, Private and Skipper went through their strange morning charade of being simultaneously open and loving and incredibly repressed, which, made for good entertainment on slow days.

However, this was not going to be one of those slow days. He had the lofty goal of trying to make Kowalski not only smile, but laugh. Laughter was easier to gain without just simply asking than smiling. It was sudden and explosive, while smiling was quiet and demure. Not his style, but he was looking for something of the same effect.

And besides, to get a genuine smile out of him in the first place, what was he really going to do? Complimenting him would feel weird, and anything else felt like uncharted waters for a reason. He might be known as the impulsive and weird one, willing to dive into anything, but, that came to violence and action. Those things made sense to him. Social things, even benign ones like these with people who he has known for years, had their own rolling tides associate with them. He didn’t know if these seas would treat him unfavorably, but he would never truly know until he took the plunge.

As plates were set down on the table of some weird sort of Russian pancake that Private had found on the internet and had wanted to test out in the kitchen, a thing that seemed to make him rather proud, enthusiastic to try something new, Rico dropped a line in Kowalski’s direction he had found on the internet.

A spoon was dropped.

Private looked scandalized, his palms practically super-glueing themselves to his face in shock. Skipper looked a little horrified, eyes briefly flittering to Private to read his reaction. Yeah, he saw that. Kowalski seemed to share in this same look of horror, jaw agape, blinking once or twice to get a read on the situation before letting out something of a confused scoff? - He was guessing that was what it was - before he wrapped a hand around his mouth too and turned to the side to cough.

He couldn’t guess what his own face looked like, but he guessed it was a little vacant, at the least. didn’t see anything wrong with what he said, but he probably should’ve guessed he’d be wrong about that given his track record.

And that was how Rico once again found himself forever trapped in the ‘too horny on main’ corner that seemed to exist only because of him, with cold blintzes and an empty kitchen to return to.

He was forced to acknowledge it. In the event of being given the choice to sink or swim, he sunk. And everyone knew he did.

———

Upon reflection, Rico was starting to think that Kowalski might have been a happier person than he thought he was. He knows that whenever Private tells him a lame pun or joke, he gives a small laugh or two to keep him from getting discouraged. Not to mention, whenever Skipper praises an invention, be it an actual “good work, Kowalski!” or a back-handed “I like that it hasn’t killed us yet” seems to make him rather excited, though that could just be the pure enthusiasm he has when it comes to his work carrying him through a demonstration.

Come to think of it, Kowalski doesn’t smile a lot around him. He might if they’re in a group, when they’re all celebrating something with this big mob mentality thing going for them, but, otherwise. Nah.

Maybe this is because they don’t hang out a lot? He WAS banned from the lab. There was a sign and everything.

Maybe he just didn’t like him all that much? It’s not like he ever SAID anything really, but who could be for certain?

These were the things he had to think about while he braided Julien’s hair. Well, tried to, anyhow. He didn’t exactly understand how it worked, and no matter how many times Julien explained it to him, even that day, he didn’t think he was ever going to get it. However, on some level, it was their “thing” to do together, on days where they didn’t feel like doing anything but lounging around, but still wanted to do something more than watch TV. So, that seemed to be their afternoon, trying to figure out a French braid while he contemplated the emotional state of another man. It would sound almost scandalous if Julien didn’t know.

“You are like, the funniest guy on the planet,” Julien stated. “The idea that he can’t even shine a smile at you is a thing that is preposterous.”

Rico hummed at that, giving him a small head scratch that had Julien reaching for his hand to keep at the motion, but his mind was still somewhat elsewhere.

Julien probably only thought such a thing because he already liked Rico, and this love of his had made him dumb. Just yesterday he read online that he should microwave a metal spoon before having ice cream, so it’s easier to scoop out of the tin, and Kowalski had to save what he referred to as his “souped-up electromagnetic baby” from such an act as soon as the sparking had drawn his attention.

Yes, truly it was love that had made him dumb. Nothing else, be it circumstances nor his general careless nature, could be the cause of such a thing.

At least the microwave thing had made Julien laugh. Watching Kowalski scramble from his seat at the kitchen table to wrestle a uranium-powered microwave off the counter, forgetting in his panic that he could’ve simply unplugged the thing. Such an act toppled him over, almost crushing him underneath the device. Julien found the erratic movement funny enough to laugh, even if it turned Kowalski three shades of a flustered red in the face afterwards.

Rico was also there. He knew what was going to happen when Julien had suggested it, and wanted to watch the sparks fly with him. He should’ve expected Kowalski to prevent them from absolutely destroying his creation, but he didn’t expect that.

Perhaps Kowalski was full of surprises like that. Multi-faceted. A puzzle.

That almost frustrated Rico more. He HATED puzzles. He liked things direct. To the point. Muddling through ambiguity was just such a weird and fussy thing to him. There was a reason he was the only one in the group with a functional romantic relationship that was able to stand more than three months of time, but it wasn’t that easy.

For one, Julien had asked first.

For second…what was he even supposed to say? “Have you secretly hated me this entire time or are my jokes just simply that terrible that you can’t even smile in my presence out of principle?” That was too direct. That got to the heart of this weird insecurity that had only popped up in the last week, and Kowalski seemed like the type to be frightened by that kind of thing.

And besides, the last thing Rico wanted was to look insecure. The second last thing Rico wanted, though, was to BE insecure, so those two conflicting thoughts sort of kept him from taking action. Or, at the very least, taking action at this point in time.

He was considered sort of an absolutist in his own right. An all-or-nothing sort of guy. However, that didn’t mean he was incapable of walking the thin line of gray that lined the black and white.

He just wasn’t capable of doing that right now.

After all, he was trying to learn how to braid a French braid.

———

Rico decided to lay relatively low for the rest of the day. Nothing during lunch, no weird comments during dinner. Nothing.

Sure, he still talked, but, it was a casual sort of thing. All very shallow stuff like “hey, how was your day?” Or “hey, dinner was pretty good tonight.” You know, normal things that sounded so utterly strange out of him. He might as well have been flying a kite at night, that’s how unsavory he guessed it came off given the ire that Skipper gave him during dinner, though Private seemed to welcome it.

It was a movie night tonight, though, and it was Rico’s turn to pick, so he figured he’d take advantage of the situation he was in. Especially since Private and Skipper were busy making up the popcorn (why there needed to be two of them when they weren’t even using it as an excuse to make out, he’d never know) and Julien and Maurice were chilling in the other corner of the room, reading or looking at their phones or something of the sort.

He had to seize the opportunity that he had so carelessly squandered earlier.

Rico flickered through a bunch of action movies, a few catching his eye for later viewings, but none of them really appealing to him at the moment.

He turned to Kowalski and shrugged.

“Y-You got any n-nature docu-documentaries you’re lo-looking to watch?”

“Are you feeling alright?”

“O-Only if they’re, if they’re cool.”

Kowalski seemed a little surprised at this. He shrugged. “There’s one about anacondas I’ve been looking to watch.”

“A-Are you s-sure that isn’t m-meant f-for pri-private viewing?”

Kowalski had to take a second to think about it before returning slightly scandalized, though more mad than anything else really. “It’s the REPTILE. That’s a dated joke even by your standards.”

Rico laughed a little to himself before sobering up. “I g-guess I ha-have been acting, acting weird t-today.”

Kowalski regarded this at first dryly, but then with a touch more compassion than Rico thought he was capable of showing towards him. “Oh, uh,” he began elegantly.

Rico sighed. “There’s-there’s a lot of el-elements t-to how I’m f-feeling, ya know?”

It looked as if Kowalski was about to put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder, but he seemed to hesitate for a reason Rico didn’t understand that well, but also didn’t want explained.

“Yeah. L-lots of el-elements. H-hydrogen, Ox-oxygen, RadoN, Yttri-yttrium…The lot.” He sighed once more, trying to keep the smirk from sliding onto his face.

The hesitant hand that was at first drawn to Rico’s shoulder found a place under his chin as Kowalski slowly thought about what he said and how he compiled it together. When Kowalski realized, his eyes widened and Rico received a punch in the arm as Kowalski laughed, genuinely LAUGHED at such a stupid, corny science joke! He could’ve sworn Kowalski would’ve called him a son of a bitch as he did if he was that type of a guy. Seeing him laugh made Rico laugh too, with a sense of camaraderie that came with it, which kept Kowalski laughing as well in a sort of self-perpetuating cycle.

Rico let out a heavy breath as he had finally gotten it out of his system, and out of the corner of his eye, saw something he had never really picked up on before.

When Kowalski laughed, perhaps for too long, or maybe a little too much, or he just didn’t want anyone to pick up on it, he went to cover his mouth with his hand. It helped to mask the emotion somewhat, and it wasn’t the first time Rico picked up on the motion as a way to maintain a pokerface, but he saw it in a somewhat new light, so to speak.

He just had to be casual about it.

“Y-you do that every time?”

“What? Oh.” Kowalski said, hiding a smile behind his fist, though to call it hiding was generous in its own right, if not inaccurate. It was more of a self-soothing gesture. A comforting gesture, more than anything else. “Well, we can’t let you get too egotistical, huh.”

Then it took Rico a moment to think, and Kowalski used the time to grab the remote and select the documentary. When Kowalski pressed play, that’s when he realized it, “you mean this morning you-!?”

“Shh! It’s starting.”

———

“They didn’t even wait for the popcorn.” Private pouted, his arms wrapped around the largest bowl they could find in the kitchen.

“Did you hear how they were dancing around each other? Get a clue, am I right?” Skipper muttered as he grabbed a handful of popcorn from the bowl.

Despite their misgivings and their grumblings, they too soon could be found in front of the television for a movie night, even for a movie like this.

(I didn’t want to genuinely write out some sort of ass-clapping joke, but that’s probably the kind of joke Rico told. I know it in my heart, but with the ambiguity there you can kill the author who killed the previous author, so to speak and say what kind of joke he made. I capitalized the parts of the elements that spell out the secret message. You learn something new every day, but nobody ever said you learned something useful every day. You just happened to today. )

#cartoons-tothemoon #fics #submission #pom #yells into the void #KOWALSKI AND RICO ARE SO SMITTEN WITH EACH OTHER #and they are the ONLY ones in the house that are smitten no one else #jsdflsd i love the insight as to how rico #is the only one who's capable of maintaining a romantic relationship #he may be insane but he doesn't bullshit around #also i got so giddy at the twist in the end there #rico you need to wake up and realize just how 'in' with kowalski you actually are #the only thing left to do is make out

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