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i saw this on a post but I can’t find it sooo
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phantom-0-writer · 9 months
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prompt 02: tim’s birthday present
Tim sat in his empty house at the empty dining table. The table was actually quite large; it had enough seats to sit at least 15 people. But there was just Tim there. 
His parents had promised and sworn up and down that they would come back in time for his birthday. He had everything planned out. He picked out the birthday cake, put on the candles, decorated, ordered his parents' favorite foods, his parents' favorite movie for movie night, popcorn the likes. But that morning, just when Tim was double checking to make sure everything was ready for the most perfect birthday ever, his parents had called to tell him that something really important had come up, and they wouldn’t be able to make it. Tim figured it was better than last year, at least they called this time. 
Tim stared down at the cake, the candles lit. He had heard online that people would make wishes on their birthday cake and blow it out. Tim thought that was a weird thing to do, but it wouldn’t hurt to try. 
What should he wish for? It would have to be something special that he doesn’t already have. Tim thought for a long moment, the candles bleeding into the frosting of the cake. 
A brother. 
Tim closed his eyes and put his hands together like he’s seen the other children to do in the cartoons. And Tim wished for a big brother. When he finally wished hard enough (whatever that meant) he opened his eyes and blew out what was left of the candles. 
Tim waited. What exactly was he supposed to do now? In the cartoons, everyone would celebrate and cheer and the birthday boy would open his presents. There wasn’t anyone to cheer for Tim, or any presents for him to open. 
Suddenly the house shook, and the loud sound of a crash sound came from the backyard. Quickly, Tim did the sensible thing and go check out what the noise was. That's what the characters always did in horror movies. 
In Tim’s backyard, there was what looked like a weird space ship that had crashed into his backyard. There wasn’t any fire or anything, but the spaceship looked pretty wrecked. Getting closer, Tim could vaguely make out that someone was inside the spaceship. Looking around, he saw what looked like maybe the handle. Tim couldn’t really tell. 
When Tim put his hand on it and tried to open it, something poked out mechanically and pricked his finger. He flinched back instinctively, caressing his finger tip.
“Recognized: Danny Fenton. System Override.” A robotic lady spoke. Who is Danny Fenton? As if to answer him, the space ship opened its hatch, and inside was an unconscious black haired teenager. “System Malfunctioning. Please Assis-” The robotic voice spoke again, before getting cut off as if the power had died. 
Suddenly, Tim remembered his wish. A big brother. 
This was Danny Fenton, and he was supposed to be Tim’s big brother
----
When Danny woke up, he found himself in a very soft plush something. Something that definitely wasn’t the Spector Speeder. Alarmed, he sat up quickly to find that he didn’t recognize where he was at all. He also didn’t recognize the weird kid that was staging at him from two feet away. 
“Hi, I’m Tim. Timothy Drake.” The boy introduced himself almost business like. 
“Uh, hi Tim.” Danny responded awkwardly. “You got any idea where I am?” Danny sat up properly, moving the blanket (?) off of him and turned to face the weird and kinda creepy kid. 
“You’re in Drake Manor. Which is where I live.” He answered again. 
“Ok…ay” Danny nodded thoughtfully. “Any idea how I got here?” Truthfully, Danny hadn’t really been expecting an answer, but he still got one. 
“Because I made a birthday wish to have a big brother.” He answered in the same way he had answered the other question, very matter-of-factly. 
“Ok- Wait. What?” Danny asked, doing a double take at Tim. 
“You’re supposed to be my big brother, right?” Tim was starting to look a little hesitant, and as weirded out as Danny felt he couldn’t help but feel bad about the whole situation. 
“Where are your parents, Tim?” 
“There not home, because they had really important things to do for work.” 
Danny nodded. “Do you know when they’ll be back?” 
Tim shook his head. “They were supposed to come back today, because it’s my birthday. But they said they couldn’t make it.” 
Well, shit. Didn’t that sound awfully like Danny’s birthdays before he had given up on his parents showing up. At least he had Jazz. This kid looked like he was alone. 
Not liking the silence, Tim started fidgeting again. “So, are you gonna be my brother, then?” 
And what was Danny supposed to say, No? Besides, if he was really causing problems being in this random universe, then Clockwork would figure it out. 
Bonus: 
Danny sat at Tim’s dinner table, the kid looking at him radiating in excitement, each with a plate of stupid expensive pasta in front of them. “You said your name was Tim, right?” Danny started thoughtfully. Tim nodded, drinking up everything Danny said. “Well, first course of action as you, big brother. I need to give you a nickname.” 
Tim’s eyes sparkled at the prospect. “Like what?”
Danny tapped his chin exaggeratedly, “Hm… Tim, Tim.” Turing the name around while he absentmindedly twirled his fork between his fingers, Danny wondered what he should come up with. Suddenly, in a misplaced strength, Danny’s fork flew out of his hand. 
Before Danny could even say anything, “I’ll get you a new one!” Tim offered quickly. Getting up from his chair, his foot got tangled behind the leg of the chair and Tim fell quietly on the floor with an oof. 
Danny laughed at him. “You okay, Timbers?” He asked, getting up to check on the boy. 
“Yeah, I like Timbers.” Tim said, a bright smile on his face despite the blossoming bruise on his arm.
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Doctor Who + Reductress Headlines (10/?)
I am not ready for the 60th! Have some reductress headlines I made to cope.
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call-me-strega · 5 months
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Dc x Dp Prompt #7: Pavlov’s Ghost Would be so Proud
In which Jazz tries to play matchmaker and accidentally classically conditions her new friend, Jason, into liking her brother.
Basically, Jazz is a college student at Gotham U when she shares a Lit class with Jason Peterson and they bond over deeply analyzing the characters. Jazz isn’t looking for a relationship (maybe she has a partner? Maybe she wants to focus on her studies? I’m low key considering aro-spec Jazz but who knows?) but she thinks Jason would get along great with her brother Danny and decides she wants to set them up.
She bribes Jason into coming over to study or hang out with the promise of fudge and take out and incidentally observes him deeply enjoying said food. She decides that since eating food puts Jason in a good mood that’s when it would be best to talk up her brother. So the next time Jason came over she casually steered the conversation toward her brother’s recent endeavors to transfer to Gotham in order to be closer to her because he’s so sweet and protective. She then offers Jason a slice of cheesecake she had leftover from a lunch out with the some friends which he graciously accepts. Then, just as he starts eating Jazz goes “oh here let me show you a picture of Danny!” and shows off her cute younger brother to her friend.
She doesn’t do it every time she and Jason meet because she figures that’s be too obvious but every time he comes over she offers him food knowing it puts him in a good mood so she can talk up her brother. It’s just that she says his name or shows him a picture of whatever Danny’s been up to recently while he’s eating.
Jazz just genuinely believes she’s just doing her best to be a good wing woman. It’s not until Danny actually moves to Gotham and Jazz decides to introduce them that she realizes what she’s done. She invites Jason over to come meet her brother and watches her how when he sees Danny he gives him an actual genuine smile, not a polite smile you give strangers, but one with actual joy. This is followed quickly by a sense of visible confusion in Jason‘s eyes and Jazz starts to connect the dots.
She excuses herself to the kitchen to go get the snacks she was planning to serve as she looks down at the tray she realizes ‘Oh my gosh I’ve been classically conditioning Jason to associate joy with my brother’! She puts together that an unconditioned stimulus = food (specifically served in her apartment) -> unconditoned response = Jason feels happy/good and that by talking about and showing off her brother every time Jason eats she made her brother a conditioned stimulus for Jason to associate with happiness.
She mentally groans realizing what she’s done but then looks back over at Danny and Jason hitting it off and can’t bring herself to fully regret it. This kinda was her goal as a wingwoman after all. She brings that snacks over to see a flush on her brother’s face and the tips of Jason’s ears red and thinks with a big grin ‘Hey! Maybe if this goes really well it’ll be a fun story to tell at their hypothetical wedding!’
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blackkatdraws2 · 3 months
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Whenever Stanley closes his eyes, he can feel the older man's aura surrounding him. [Blank Scripts AU]
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yrsonpurpose · 4 months
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6 MONTHS OF RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE! I’m into making history.
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venator-signum · 2 years
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loidyor would be the type of couple to be like "oh no we don't dance" and then pull off some first place dance competition type shit at a gala
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marsipain · 1 year
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She feels complete, engulfed by her lover’s warm body, lips and the sea which has become a part of her.
She is gripping her lover by the waist. Is it out if love? Or out of fear for losing her to the endless sea once more?
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corallapis · 5 months
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drawnfamiliarfaces · 4 months
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INTERRUPTED (Parts I & II)
A short two-part comic (total of 20 pages + 8 extras) by me! (for me lol)
Fandoms: Ninja Showdown (Randy Cunningham 9th Grade Ninja x Xiaolin Showdown)
Ship: My Immortal Soul (First Ninja x Chase Young)
A comic where nothing really happens! But it contains a lot of half-naked men. So like, kids avert your eyes and adults don’t open it at work or whatever. ¯\_( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)_/¯
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thanks for checking it out <3
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zabreus · 1 year
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one thing i see a bit with disco elysium fan script is a conflation between a failed skill check and bad advice from a skill. one of the beautiful things about DE is the skills are not arbiters of truth; successful checks won’t always lead to the correct outcomes, and a skill level being too high can impair you. in that sense, a failed passive (“anti-passive” according to wiki) wouldn’t be a skill giving bad advice, but a skill failing to fulfill its duty.
(bad example ahead) so it wouldn’t be:
LOGIC [Trivial - Failure]: Stick a fork in the toaster.
but more like:
BREAD-TOASTER: You peek into the narrow opening at the top of the electric bread-toaster.
PERCEPTION: You find a slice of bread wedged between the filaments. Smoke wafts into your nostrils. It’s burning, and you seemingly have no way of retrieving it.
INTERFACING [Challenging - Success]: The metal fork you found in the cupboard. It should be both long and sturdy enough for the job.
You: Grab the fork.
INLAND EMPIRE [Medium - Success]: The tips of your fingers tingle. This seems like a very bad idea.
LOGIC [Easy - Failure]: You are uncertain of the outcome here.
1. Use the fork to fish out the toast.
2. “This is beneath me.”
3. [Half-Light - Godly 16] Establish dominance. Fuck the toaster.
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paimonial-rage · 4 months
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otome isekai snippets - geo boys
synopsis: in which your favorite characters get dropped into a random stereotypical isekai plot of the author's choosing characters: albedo, gorou, itto, zhongli notes: title, synopsis, then snippet
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Albedo - Protecting the Hero With Love
The hero’s journey was met with betrayal from every end, the first of which from his adoptive guardian, Duke Kreideprinz, who experimented on him endlessly as a child in an attempt to use his unique mana to defy the gods. Reborn as the hero’s sibling, there was no way you would be letting your brother go down such a harsh path! First obstacle? You would stop the duke from ever taking notice of your brother! Wait, what do you mean marriage!?
“Goodnight!” You exclaimed as you slammed your bedroom door shut.
You ignored the heat that flooded your cheeks as you fled to the comforting embrace of your bed. Your hands shook as you took your fluffiest pillow, buried your face into it…
And screamed.
Something was wrong. Something was very very wrong. Why in the world was he doing things like… that!? Dining with you every evening, placing his hand upon your waist in public, walking to your room at night and taking your hand to kiss while he looks up at you with those piercing blue–
You screamed into your pillow again. 
What in the world was going on!? He wasn’t supposed to be like this! By saving his sister from her terrible fate, you planned to prevent him from even taking interest in your brother’s mana. He was supposed to thank you with a sum of money and then send you on your way. His offer of a marriage contract as a form of protection for you and your brother came as a surprise, but when he simply stated it would be a benefit to him as well, you agreed. Since it was a mutually beneficial arrangement, he certainly had no reason to take interest in you.
So why in the world was he–
You slammed your fist into the pillow.
You knew the duke! Not only did you know him from the book, but you even heard rumors of him before you even met him in this world! He was supposed to be a loner! He was dismissive of most of his peers! He preferred the company of beakers and potions to actual people! The only person he truly cared about was his sister! So what in the world was that!? Just as his lips brushed against your fingers, he gazed up at you with those seafoam eyes and–
“So you don’t mind if I pursue you seriously then?”
You flopped forward onto your pillow and buried your face into it. Your heart couldn’t take this. Especially not when he looked at you like that. 
--
gorou, itto, and zhongli under the cut!
Gorou - I’m Not the Villainess Anymore!
It was the classic tale told many times past of a beautiful, yet pitiful woman that was saved by a handsome man. Together they overcame jealous villainesses, corrupt politicians, and jealous older siblings to live happily ever after. But that was not your story. You, as the jealous ultimate villainess, were exiled to a lonely monastery at the edge of the kingdom. But you know what? It was about time! Finally, you can live your life unfettered by the chains of the novel! But if that was the case, why does the head knight keep bothering you!? Your job as the villainess is done! It’s about time he left you alone!
You bit your lip as you scrubbed that light spot in the corridor for the fiftieth time. Who would have thought that after months of getting General Gorou to leave, the moment your wish came true you wanted nothing more than to keep him here with you. You knew his strengths and accomplishments. You knew he wouldn’t be taken down easily. But the thought that he’d be going up against the Shogunate…
You gritted your teeth and pressed your scrubber even harder into the spot. 
Who cared? Regardless of what happened, Sangonomiya Kingdom had nothing to do with you. Your job there was done. And once General Gorou left, you’d finally be free. You’d finally be able to live your life the way you wanted to. You would be able to leave the monastery behind, jump on a ship to a land far away, and restart your life there. And–
You froze when you heard the sound of hooves accompanied with a familiar voice. 
“Woah there! Jeez, I know you’re happy to go running again, but this won’t be for fun, boy.”
General Gorou? Was he leaving already?
Your heart caught in your throat as you tossed everything to the side and dashed toward the front doors. Throwing them open, you froze upon seeing the general securing the last of his luggage to his trusted steed. And when his eyes fell upon you, he froze in return. Was he at a loss of what to say just like you? But by the steely expression that soon overtook his face, it seemed he found his words first.
“I’ll return safely to you, I promise.”
You wanted to laugh in response. He’ll return safely? How could he promise such a thing so easily? The Shogun’s army was mighty and the Sangonomiya Kingdom was so small. Sure, he was a mighty warrior. Sure, he proved himself in battle many times over, but that didn’t mean–
He took your hands and squeezed them tightly.
“I’ll come back to you safely. I promise. So…” He then cupped your cheek and smiled that adorable smile of his. “Don’t worry too much, okay? Make sure to eat your vegetables. And don’t get into fights with the priest. Oh! And the children adore you, so I’ll check to see you set a good example for them when I return.”
Disbelief exploded from your chest in the form of a bark of laughter. 
“Don’t scold me right before you march to your death! Don’t worry about me! Just…” You turned away as tears filled your eyes. “Just come back alive.”
--
Itto - My Seventh Round of Life
You lived six lives before this one, each ending in failure. Murder, sickness, betrayal—the list goes on. You did everything right. You fulfilled all the duties of each life, and still each time ended in your early demise. So when you woke up for the seventh time, you decided you had enough. You’ll give life one last chance. This time you’ll make your own decisions! Although… getting caught by a gang of bandits certainly was not one of them!!!
“You can’t just… do this!!! They’re not going to allow it!” You exclaimed as you tried to pull the big burly oni back. 
You had no clue what in the world made him think it was okay to simply set up a stage in the middle of such an illustrious city, but here was this big dope doing so! Didn’t he know what could happen? What if permits were needed? What if everybody was arrested for the fifth time this month!? But much to your dismay, Itto erupted in a big belly laughter at your despair.
“C’mon, First! Why are you getting your obi all tied in a knot? It’s not a big deal. We've done this maaaany times and it always turned out fine. Just trust me! It’s gonna be a riot!”
You wanted to scream. Of course, he wouldn’t see anything wrong with this. Didn’t this guy have any sense of self-preservation? But when you turned to Shinobu for assistance, there she was supervising the setup of the stage. Was literally everyone in this accursed gang insane?
Upon noticing your distressed expression, Itto let out a sigh. Soon you were wincing as a huge hand ruffled your carefully styled hair. 
“Don’t worry, I get it! You’re standing here brought to tears over worrying about your great boss. It’ll be fine!” But when your expression didn’t change, his turned stern. “Look, if you spend all your time racking your brain over hows-its and whats-its, you’ll get all old and pruney before you know it. You only live once. Might as well make it worth it, right?”
You wanted to laugh. If only he knew this was your seventh life. You got killed for less. But… unlike your previous lives, it wasn’t as if the Arataki Gang was involved in anything illegal. Their antics only incurred, not the threat of bows and spears, but the rolling of eyes. You left your old life away too. They didn’t want you anymore. So… perhaps… Perhaps it couldn’t be that bad?
Your shoulders dropped.
“Fine.”
So when he jumped in front of the crowd with fireflies strapped to his horns and the rest of the gang jumping and dancing around him, the audience hooted and hollered with glee. With the music twanging high in the air and the children of the city rushing around you, somewhere along the line you found yourself laughing along too. It felt odd. Weird. Like there was a lightness in your chest you never felt before. 
Was this what it felt like to live?
--
Zhongli - I Didn’t Mean to Sleep With the Celestial Emperor
Every century, the celestial emperor came down to the Kingdom of Liyue to grace his people with the divine knowledge needed to flourish until his return. After enjoying the week-long festival in the harbor to your heart’s content, you were excited for the main event. But as the celestial emperor descended from the heavens, what filled your chest was not awe, but confusion. Wasn’t he the guy you slept with last night?
“It has been said that while the Harbor represents the will of Liyue, Qingce Village represents its heart. It is a joy to see that it has remained just as I remembered.” 
“O-Oh, is that so?” You asked as the corner of your smile twitched slightly.
You didn’t know how it came to this, bringing the celestial emperor around Liyue, that is. When you first saw his face, you nervously assumed you were mistaken. You clearly saw him descend from the heavens, after all. The man you spent a passionate evening with the night before certainly could not be him. But when he locked eyes with you from the parapet, dread filled your stomach. 
You tried. You really did. The moment the procession was over, you upped and headed straight to the inn to pack your belongings to leave and leave to anywhere out of Liyue Harbor. But that would’ve been too easy. No, the moment you rushed downstairs and paid your bill, you turned to run straight into a young adeptus and was therefore whisked over to the man himself. 
Though it would have been weird, you would have been fine if he simply wished to thank you for the evening, but things were never that simple, were they? No, when you were brought before him, he said that you promised to show him the delights of Liyue. You said he could take it as a verbal contract between you both and he wished to cash in on it.
Now, let it be said that you didn’t mean it. After having had a few drinks last night, you were in the mood to flirt and really, could you be held accountable for what came out of your mouth? You didn’t think he’d hold you to it! But at the same time, how could you refuse!? Only a fool would invalidate a contract made with the very being of contracts! 
So here you were bringing the celestial emperor around as if he were some random normal traveler from a foreign land trying to hide from the common folk the divinity that oozed off of him in waves. It certainly did not help that he was handsome to boot and could steal hearts with a simple smile. And when he directed all that at you…?
“To be able to share this view with you…” His amber eyes glowed with warmth. “Your presence makes this trip even more of a delight.”
You couldn’t think straight.
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i think dazai would in the moment tell kunikida they should get married adn then immediately backtrack saying he was kidding but too late kunikida's already pulled out his notebook and working it out
dazai: i was just joking haha
kunikida: okay, before we get married we have to look at our finances
dazai: kunikida-kun, i was kidding
kunikida: sure, but for when we're serious. It'll be easier if we plan it out now
dazai, a little strangled: wut if we're not together by then
kunikida: don't be ridiculous. anyway, we should also have a good idea on who we'd invite... hm let's see we should have a detailed list of things that we need to get done before we get married. like a minimum amount of money in both of our saving accounts. maybe moving in together. though we should wait to buy a house closer to our wedding date.
dazai:
dazai: can we have a spring wedding
kunikida: outdoors or indoors
dazai: outdoors please
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lovesickinbed · 6 months
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SAY DON'T GO.
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✧.* "Why'd you have to make me want you? Why'd you have to give me nothin' back? Why'd you have to make me love you? I said, "I love you", you say nothin' back."
pairing. ellie williams x f!reader summary. ellie confesses her feelings for her best friend. it doesn't go as hoped. based on say don't go by taylor swift. warning. angst!! with plans for a happy ending depending on if you guys want a part 2. w.c. 2400.
It's cold in Jackson.
You tug the sleeves of your sweater starchly over your fingertips, fighting to ignore the chill that whips at your cheeks as you cross your arms beneath your chest.
The Tipsy Bison looms ahead of you, an amber glow pouring from the windows and into the empty, snow-ridden street.
Rocking on the balls of your feet, you deliberate whether or not you should run back to your place and change. It's a bit of a walk, and the thin layer of snow piling at your feet makes it less than ideal, but it beats catching frostbite.
Who wears a skirt in December?
You're about to make a break for it when — before you can even register her presence — a slender pair of hands drapes a jacket across your shoulders.
"You look pretty," the owner of the hands says. "Nice skirt."
A familiar warmth spreads to your cheeks as Ellie steps into your line of sight. Unlike you, she's dressed for the weather in a casual grey hoodie and winter boots, her signature green parka now hanging from your shoulders.
Warm breath hits your face as Ellie leans forward and pulls the jacket tighter across your figure.
Her hair's pulled back into a low bun, and something twists in your chest as your eyes take in her freckled features, latching onto where they're dusted pink from the cold.
You tug a lip between your teeth, choosing to ignore the fuzzy feeling that's become intrinsically linked with Ellie's presence.
Cute, you think.
"It's Dina's," you say, eyebrows scrunching together. "I'm cold as shit, though. I feel stupid."
A wolf-whistle resounds from Ellie's lips.
"Well thank you, Dina," she sing-songs, her voice low. You grow hot under her gaze, belly swirling as those green eyes take you in. "It'll be warmer inside. Keep the jacket, though."
"Are you sure? I feel bad."
"Angel, don't," Ellie says conclusively, waving a hand. "It looks better on you than it does me anyway."
Her mouth quirks to the side, a smirk playing at her lips as she tucks loose hair behind your ear.
You open your mouth to protest, but she's already reaching for your hand and dragging you inside.
In the midst of an apocalypse, the Tipsy Bison is alive and well.
It thrums with life, the citizens of Jackson all gathering in what Maria has called "a celebration of years of peaceful occupation".
Or, as Jesse liked to call it, a "Hey, we're still not dead!" party.
"You made it!" Dina exclaims, eyes bright as you join her and Jesse at the bar. Jesse greets the both of you with a simple salute as Dina moves to hug Ellie first, then you, firm hands settling on your cloaked shoulders. "And you look amazing."
She eyes the skirt, and you feel a little self-conscious as the group's attention falls on your outfit. "Right, Ellie?"
Her tone is conspiratorially light as she looks pointedly at the auburn-haired girl, something unspoken transpiring between the two of them. Ellie looks away, scratches at her neck.
You stare at the floor, hoping that if you look hard enough it'll swallow you whole and save you the embarrassment of whatever they're currently thinking about you.
Jesse raises his brows at his girlfriend, who gives him the kind of look that says "What?" and rolls her eyes, turning to face you instead.
"So," Dina says, leaning against the bar. "What's new? How's everything going with the garden?"
You almost sigh, grateful for the chance to speak about something other than your choice of attire. You launch into a discussion about Jackson's community garden, a project you'd been overseeing for the last month or so.
Sometime between discussing the tomato shortage and unearthing the details of the temporary caterpillar problem, Ellie pulls you against her, pressing your back to her front.
She casually rests her hands on either side of your waist, thumbs rubbing hypnotic circles against your hips.
It's around this time that you forget how to talk.
You know, consciously, that you're still speaking. And you know those words must be making some kind of sense, because Dina is nodding and Jesse's making quips, but none of it registers over the roar of blood rushing to your ears.
There's this other thing, too. The thing you shove down as you squeeze your thighs shut, trying to dull an ache you don't fully understand. Not yet, anyway.
"So, yeah," you cough, bringing the story to halt. "That's about it."
After another couple minutes of mindless chatter, Dina and Jesse take to the dancefloor, and you're left alone with Ellie.
Her voice is a low murmur against the shell of your ear.
"You okay, angel?"
Angel.
"Uh, yeah," you say, pulling out of her grip. "Just hot, I think. Is it just me or is it, like, really warm in here?"
It's almost comical how quickly you strip out of her jacket, flinging it across one of the stools. You turn to face her, hoping the heat in your cheeks doesn't flare as much as it burns.
The corner of Ellie's lip quirks downward at the loss of contact, eyebrows cinching together. She reaches to bring you back to her, but you're already moving backward.
"I think I'm gonna go dance," you say before she can get a word in edgewise.
You make for the dancefloor, desperate to quieten the roaring in your ears.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
Older music blares from the overhead speakers, a song you recognise pouring into the venue. You let the beat carry your movements and join the pulse of bodies moving in time with the music.
"Mind if I join you?" a voice asks from behind you.
You turn, immediately faced with a boy about your age.
"Max!" you exclaim, drawing him into a hug. You recognise him instantly as the person you'd been partnered with for stables duties last spring, right before he'd switched assignments. "Hey, how are you?"
Max flashes you a toothy grin. "I'm great. Not as great as you, though. You look... wow."
He raises a hand, gesturing to your outfit.
"It's just a skirt," you say dismissively. "And this is probably the last time I'll wear one of these, anyway. Too much attention."
"I'm sure."
You blink at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I mean that you've got to know how beautiful you are. It makes sense you're getting a little attention."
"That's sweet but..." you laugh, awkwardly. "I don't really get much attention from anyone, really. I was referring to my friends."
Max quirks a brow. "Well you've got to know why that is."
You tilt your head, not quite getting it.
"Come on," Max says, shaking his head. "It's obvious."
His gaze shifts, and you follow his line of sight to where Ellie is standing at the bar. She's staring at you, hard. Something unreadable flickers in her eyes, her jaw set as she looks straight ahead.
You look away quickly.
Shaking your head, you ask: "Ellie? What does she have to do with anything?"
"Wow. Don't tell me you're that oblivious."
"Oblivious to..."
"Everyone thinks the two of you are together."
You pause. "What? No, we're just friends."
Max laughs, almost meanly. "You sure about that? The girl's attached to you like an extra limb."
"I'm her best friend," you reiterate.
Max didn't get it — Ellie had lost a lot of people she really cared about.
She didn't like to talk about life pre-Jackson that much, but it made sense to you that she'd be a little clingy after going through something like that.
"Sorry, sorry," Max says, raising his hands in defense. "I don't mean to pry. I'm just saying that's probably why everyone steers clear. I mean, she can be pretty scary."
"Ellie's harmless," you say, your words unconvincing to your own ears.
You recall her eyes burning holes into the two of you.
She can be pretty scary.
"So, a couple of us are heading out," Max says, changing the subject. "A buddy of mine found an abandoned park a little way's out. Might shoot up some infected and hang out for a while. Interested?"
You nod. It sounds exactly like the type of thing you're very much not interested in, to be honest.
You glance over to the bar, catching Ellie's intense gaze, and feel a pit of anxiety form in your stomach.
"Yeah," you say, slowly. "I'll be there. Just let me say bye to my friends."
He grins as you excuse yourself and walk over to where Ellie is standing.
"I'm heading out," you say as you approach her. "Max invited me to go with him and some others outside of town for a little while."
Ellie's brows scrunch together. "What?"
"Yeah, we're thinking of, uhm, shooting up some infected and hanging out at the park—"
"Not happening."
You frown. "Excuse me?"
Ellie rolls her eyes, scoffing. "Not fucking happening."
"I don't remember asking your permission?"
"Are you stupid?" She asks, tone harsh. "You think Maria would sign off on something like this?"
"Since when do you care about what Maria signs off on? She's distracted with the party, anyway."
"I care that you're putting yourself in danger," Ellie huffs. "You call me to come take care of it when there's a spider in your room. You can't handle infected."
"I'll be with Max and his friends," you say firmly. "They're all on patrol."
Ellie's laugh is forced. "Yeah, because Max and his dickhead friends are going to protect you. First sign of a bloater and they're running to save their own asses."
You open your mouth to protest, but she's quick to cut you off.
"I'm coming with you," she says. "Let me get my gun."
Max's voice rings in your ears.
The girl's attached to you like an extra limb.
"I don't think that's a good idea," you say, quietly.
Something flashes in Ellie's eyes. Confusion, at first. Then hurt.
You suddenly feel like an asshole.
You want to reach out and smooth the crease in her brows, tell her you're sorry — even if you aren't quite sure what for.
Ellie's gaze flickers between you and the crowd. "So this is about him, then."
Him. She says it like it burns.
You don't know what game you're playing anymore. You don't care about Max, you never have.
But when you're around Ellie, everything's too much — too hot, too fucking intense, too saturated — and you don't know what it means, or how to turn it off.
I'm her best friend.
It makes you feel like shit.
So, you nod.
"Yeah," you say, against your better judgement. "I was thinking it'd be nice to get to know him a little. One on one."
"Right."
Silence.
"Is that okay?"
Music bleats from the speakers. For a second, Ellie doesn't say anything.
And then: "Don't."
You look up, dragging your eyes away from their fixation on the hardwood floor.
"Don't go. Please."
She says the words like they're hard to get out. Painful, even.
"Ellie," you say, softly. "I'll be safe."
"It's not that. Not just that, I mean."
You stare at her, but she isn't looking back, too busy picking dutifully at the peeling skin on her fingers.
You resist the urge to reach forward and close your hands around her own to get her to stop.
"Then what is it?"
Ellie's inhale is shaky. "I didn't want to... at least not like this... fuck, this is awkward."
The song on the speakers changes to an 80s number you recognise from Joel's CD collection. It draws Ellie from her thoughts, makes her huff with frustration.
You take her hand, dragging her outside and onto the porch. It's quieter here, but you'd forgotten how cold it was, wincing as it immediately bites at your cheeks.
You cross your arms over your chest and look at Ellie, who lets out a strained: "Look... angel, you've gotta know how I feel about you."
Not what you'd been expecting.
"How you... feel about me?"
"Yeah." Ellie walks over to the wooden banister, her green eyes reluctantly meeting yours as you come up beside her.
"I don't get it," you say, puzzled.
Ellie's voice is barely above a whisper. "You're really gonna make me say it, huh?"
She braces herself, rests both hands against the banister. Another shaky breath.
"I... fucking hell." She runs a hand across her face. "I love you."
"I love you too? What does that—"
"No," Ellie says, cutting you off. Her hand hangs in the air between you. "Not just... not just as a friend."
Oh. Oh.
Her confession settles between you like fallen snow. Heavy, thick.
Cold.
Ellie leans forward, green eyes searching yours. "Wait, you seriously didn't know?"
I love you. Not just as a friend.
You shake your head. None of this makes any sense.
"You never...there was no indication—"
"No indication? Angel, I gave you my jacket."
"Okay, but that doesn't necessarily mean—"
"Whenever you come over, I let you sleep in my bed—"
"I thought you were just cold—"
"I call you angel, for fuck's sake—"
"I thought you called everyone angel."
Ellie looks at you, incredulous. "Have you ever heard me call Dina 'angel'?"
"No, but—"
"What about Jesse? Have you ever seen me cuddling Jesse?"
"We're best friends!" you exclaim. "That's what best friends do!"
It's like a tap has been opened, the words flooding out of you in a rush. This was all too much, too soon.
Ellie didn't love you.
She couldn't.
Silence.
"Is that... what we are to you?" Ellie asks, the crack in her voice betraying her.
Your words are soft, tentative.
"I don't know how to be anything else."
At that moment, the doors to the Tipsy Bison swing open. Max walks out of the bar, his friends flanking him from both sides. He sidles up to you, swings a hefty arm across your shoulders.
"You ready to go?" He asks, a wide smile plastered across his red face. The smell of nicotine washes over you as he talks.
I love you. Not just as a friend.
You nod, and Ellie's face falls.
"Great!" Max exclaims. "See you around, Ellie."
And then he leads you by the shoulders, pulling you away from the one real thing you've ever known, a crestfallen Ellie watching from the porch.
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a-dreamworld-fool · 6 months
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part 01 - part 02
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part 01 - part 02
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scrawlingskribbles · 6 months
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[ *peeks ever-so-cautiously out from the rock I've been living under & wordlessly chucks This out at your feet before scuttling back into the darkness once more* ]
...man isn't it just absolutely wild when a rogue art demon suddenly possesses your body out of the blue one day and decides to necromance the ancient bones of a couple of multiple-years-old askbox requests & synthesize them into a fully actualized Something™ that they never would have even come close to being all those years before? Yeah? You know what I mean? ...........................No? x'3c well,,, anyways—
(they're secret-dating at the time of this scene so that's why they're sneaking around in the woods like this, in case anyone was wondering lol)
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