#*Smiler waves* | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

nilboxes · 3 months

Text

Light cone art so powerfully homoerotic someone (me) furiously pumped out a 6k word fic in 2 days. They're going to kill me. 🔗 : AO3

Extensive notes/ramblings below!

I have not recovered from the mental power I had to pool to write this lmao I couldn't do anything at work except figure these two out and why Aventurine looked so BESOTTED but the absence of the little white dots in his eyes in the light cone and in the leaked models made him look like there's such an edge to him (someone on twitter pointed out that he has no light in his eyes!) and it really fanned the flames like what the fuck is this GUY ON and why is it directed at Dr. Ratio LMAO (I mean why not Ratio is so pretty)

So then I thought, there is NO WAY Ratio is going to react surprised or scared for Aventurine he's going to be ANNOYED lmao. There are possibly 2 more chances in that cylinder before it's 100% in there and I was looking at the probabilities on Wikipedia and I was laughing at myself at how a gay ship was going to make me STUDY probability when I hated this type of stuff in university and I was like yeah Ratio will probably be like hey, you can't stop there, and pulls twice lmao

And I was thinking they would make eyes at each other homoerotically while doing so because wow sexual tension so potent you can taste it through the screen in the LC art and everything just went from there I really cannot get over how Aventurine seems so... sooooooo in love with Ratio and in my head Ratio is like this man is insane what is he on but he gets a taste of that and it's like wow it's actually a little good but Ratio is also cautious so he won't ride that wave too hard but Aventurine looks really down bad for a man who seems like he doesn't care

So initially I really wanted to wait until Aventurine came out before I start my hyperfixation train because we know so little about him other than key facts I have formed in my head-- -he's perpetual smiler (confirmed by a leak of the loading screen blurbs) and like, idk from his design it just suits him and even in his voice cameo with Topaz his VA sounds like they are smiling while they are talking ALLL the time idk at least I got this one right -mr gambling gambler who is very self-assured about his luck, mr smug man. when I wrote he'd win 99.9-0.1 he believes this and if he dies I think to him it would just mean his time's up for realsies anyway and whatever idk man is not very sane -there's some really weird leaks and I'm not sure if it's confirmed but he was invited to be a Masked Fool which made him ALLL the more interesting for me because as a Sampo Mr Scammer fan it doesn't mean if he joins the Masked Fools he wouldn't be able to amass money but this guy seems to really like the thrill being an IPC senior manager provides then which is like this guy is a lives fast dies young kinda guy -I HC from that neck tattoo he could have been an indentured servant (cough slave cough) or a prisoner of some kind, but eitherway it says he wasn't privileged in any sense of the word but the way his character design is so decked out in rings gold watches and even a bracelet it means he's climbed very far, so he is an ambitious man, lots of "material pleasures" as Dr Ratio puts it in my fic and he still wants more. That kinda guy makes for a very intense lover imo very "I get what I want" type, and I really wanted to balance that with his attraction to Dr Ratio and how he doesn't want to drive Dr Ratio away with his crazy but he's also very horny... Anyway I also totally underestimated his height difference with Dr Ratio I really should have pulled up that leak of them side by side but ahh being a short king dom top is so cute on him

As for Dr Ratio I really cannot see him top unless Aventurine power bottoms why but he's so "diligent" in all aspects but I see him being a pillow princess in bed

I also feel a little bad that I wasn't able to write more bickering between the two of them but I also feel like the normally talkative Dr Ratio keeps HIGH HIGH walls around Aventurine because it's hard to tell what this guy is thinking so he's thinking so hard trying to make sense of it all and he says little as not to give away anything that might be wrong

I feel like adding "all is fair in love and war" in Latin omina iusta sunt amore belloque was a little gratuitous but I also want to subtly sprinkle in that Aventurine is so obsessed with Ratio, so down bad for him, that he reads stuff about Dr Ratio a lot enough to come across a translation of the quote and I'm like no yeah way Ratio can deal with crazy-eyed Aventurine saying/declaring love while he's still computing the electric exchange they had so he's definitely like picking up on Aventurine's obsession/infatuation with him and he's like NOPE DON'T SAY IT and would rather kiss him to shut him up than hear it lmao

I honestly despaired at how I was going to start closing the scenes because it was like nighttime and I wanted to finish it already because they're killing me, so like, making Ratio fall asleep while Aventurine pours his heart out (I asked a friend who read it what he thought Aventurine said and they got it spot on so I figure it was conveyed properly on my end and I was really proud of this bit) seemed like a cute way to do it. The narration lied, Dr Ratio heard it but he got selective hearing and totally did NOT want to reply/acknowledge it. Poor Aventurine, but it's not as if he won't try again

I have waaay more ideas about them and I wonder if I can hold off until Aventurine releases or we get more crumbs idk but I want to write some kuudere Ratio (with a bit of tsun hehe)

Special mentions other than the lightcone art that fueled me: this art from Twitter that and this post that kinda made me think long and hard...

#voidmancer writes #aventio #hsr dr ratio #hsr aventurine #hsr fanfic

48 notes · View notes

oliveisme533 · 2 months

Text

My dad’s neighbor is a dilf

Chapter 3

Joel Miller x You

Summery: You had decided to spend your summer in Austin with your dad. You used to spend almost every summer there, but hadn't spent a summer there since you were a teenager. Which means you hadn't seen a certain Joel Miller in years..

It had been a week since you had accidentally hugged Joel Miller and sobbed into his chest. You had updated your dad on the phone call with your EX boyfriend, but you left out the part where Joel came to check on you and everything that followed. You were just hoping to get through the summer without anymore awkward encounters with your uncommonly hot neighbor. So when the next Friday rolled around and your dad told you that Joel had invited the two of you over for dinner... you had to think quick for an excuse to tell your dad why you would be sitting this one out. It was about 3 in the afternoon when your dad told you about this invitation, and you felt your insides turn to liquid. "Oh sounds great." You responded. It was now 5 o'clock and you decided you would go on a run and then after getting back just tell your dad you were too tired to go to Joel's tonight. It was a fool proof plan. Unfortunately you were so pleased with yourself and distracted that you didn't realize what part of the neighborhood your running path was taking you. You were coming up on Joel's house ... "fuck that's his truck he's definitely home." You kept your head down and kept jogging.

To your horror you saw Joel out of the corner of your eye. He was shirtless and mowing the lawn. He looked up from the mower, and catching sight of you he cracked a smile. You couldn't help but smiler and wave back. Gosh his smile was heavenly. "Hey girl! You better bring careful running in this heat" you slowed to a stop just a few yards from where he was standing. "I know... I grew up this heat though so I'll be alright." You said with one hand up shading the sun from your face. "I was just about to go in for some water myself can I get you some?" The southern girl in you knew better than to say no thank you. "Sure" you said. Joel motioned for you to follow him inside. Your heart was pounding. It had been years since you had been inside this house and certainly never on your own. Joel grabbed a t-shirt that was hanging off the back of his sofa. It looked like there was a pile of clean clothes on couch, waiting to be folded. "Sorry place is a little messy, I'll get it cleaned up before you and your dad come over." You didn't think it was messy. It just looked like a home that showed signs of life being lived. "Are you going to clean yourself up too?" You teased, taking the glass of water from him. Joel chuckled "definitely" you took a sip of water, feeling awkward. "Um so I just wanted to apologize about the other day" Joel waved his hand to silence you. "Hush, you ain't gotta do all that sweetheart" the nickname made your stomach do a flip. It was a good thing your cheeks were already pink from your run because you were pretty sure you were blushing pretty hard right now. Joel was kind however and changed the subject. "Figured I would pick up a desert for this evening...you got any requests'?" He was now busying himself in the kitchen putting his cup in the dishwasher. You finished your own water and placed your cup in the dishwasher. "Hmmmm Ice cream?" Joel smiled at you again "what kind you want sweetheart?" That southern drawl and those pet names were doing things to you. "Butter pecan" ...now you definitely weren't getting out of this dinner.

You thanked Joel for the water and walked back home. You went up stairs to take a shower and found yourself pondering what to wear. A cute summer dress perhaps? You stood in your closet with a towel wrapped around your damp body and your head cocked to one side as you eyed a particularly small dress. It was one of your favorites to wear in the Texas heat. However it was several years old at this point and you were a bit taller and your curves had filled out a bit more. You tried it on nonetheless. It still hung loose in all the right places so you resolved to wear it, even tho it was a bit short and it did show a little cleavage. "That's a pretty dress baby" your dad said as you descended the stairs. The air was still very warm but the sun was starting to set. At Joel's house your dad didn't really knock. He shouted a hello and let himself in the front door. Joel was already in the back yard manning the grill. "Heyy" he called, giving your dad a pat on the back. You found yourself wandering around Joel's back garden looking at the flowers. You were impressed with how well the beds were kept. Joel and your dad were laughing and chatting, each of the gripping a cold beer. You were so absorbed in admiring the flowers that you didn't notice the laughter had stopped, and you didn't even notice the slam of the back door as your dad retreated to the kitchen likely for more beer. "You can pick some if you want. Many as ya like" Joel's voice startled you. You were on your knees watching a bumblebee as he landed on a bud of lavender. "You scared me" you laughed. Joel smiled down at you and held out a large, tan hand. You took it and he effortlessly pulled you up from the ground. His eyes lingered on your chest for only a second. In fact you couldn't be sure if it really happened or you just dreamed it."Meant what I said... pretty girl like you should have all the pretty flowers in the world" with this he winked and walked back towards the grill. Your mind could just be playing trick on you OR the dress you wore was having the desired effect.

After dinner you decided to test your luck. You were in the kitchen helping Joel load the dishwasher and your dad had just walked out of the room with the trash. You bent down so as your short dress showed just a bit too much. Behind you Joel choked on the beer he had been nursing. You smiled to yourself, knowing Joel had seen your blue, lace panties. Playing dumb you stood up quickly "are you okay?" You asked innocently. Joel rubbed his chest "yeah yeah. Just down the wrong pipe that's all" ..."gosh it seems like forever since you've been here for the summer. Last time was when you graduated high school? Ain't that right?" You smiled, knowing he was trying to figure your age. "That's right" "how many years has that been now?" He asked nonchalantly. "You can ask how old I am... I won't be offended" you laughed. Joel held up both hands in surrender. "Who says I was asking that?" You rolled your eyes. " I'm 25, but you wouldn't know anything about that old man. What's it been 20 years since you been that young?" Joel pretended to pull a knife from his heart. Your dad had made his way back from the trash bins. "Your little girl is callin' me old" Joel complained. Your dad only shrugged. "you are old." The winds had picked up outside and the sky was now a deep gray. "Reckon she's gonna blow?" Joel asked, now sounding a bit more serious. Your dad crossed his arms over his chest and peered out the kitchen window. "Yeah... think she might. We ought to get home" it was peak tornado season and your dad wasn't one to take risks. That night you lay in bed with the howling winds and rain drops hitting your window with impressive force. There was a thought that you couldn't seem to push away. How old was Joel? Before you got too carried away with this fantasy it might be worth figuring out how significant this age gap really was. Then you remembered something. "I have his number..." you whispered to yourself in the dark. In middle school and high school you would come over and watch Sarah, naturally you had Joel's number as the person baby sitting his daughter. That was quite some time ago, what if he didn't have the same number. What's the worst that could happen? It's not like you're sending a particularly flirty text right? So he can't shoot you down if your asking an innocent question. You thumbed through your contacts in your phone and smiled to yourself as you found his name saved under Mr. Miller

You never answered my question about how old you are. I told you my age, so seems only fair...

You were impressed with how quickly your phone buzzed.

Girl what are you doin' textin me? Do you know what time it is?

Your heart was racing now. Was this his way of shutting you down?

I'm 37...now go to sleep

You smiled at your phone screen. That's not a shut down right? You decided you would go to sleep after all

#joel miller #fanfic #joel and ellie #joel tlou #smut #girl dad #joel miller fanfiction #joel miller fic #joel miller fluff #joel miller smut

31 notes · View notes

shakertwelve · 8 months

Note

ok what are annies horrors

in vinnyworld she's the dallons' only "daughter" so she gets all the usual resentment from carol plus a lot of the pressures that are usually on vicky to be new wave's child celebrity role model For Girls (especially since they're already pushing the edges of acceptability with their gay son, so annie has to be even more "normal" to make up for it); her costume is a lot more feminine (more nurse-like, with a skirt and everything) and because she just naturally has a stockier build than the rest of the family it gets spun into a whole thing where she has to do interviews and shit about body diversity all the time and put her body under scrutiny to show how #empowering new wave is. freckles are cute but her freckles are Too Much so she has to be made up all the time to only show some of them and curly hair is cute but hers is Too Much so she has stylish waves instead. carol still obviously dislikes her but she gets more conditional approval for performing correctly which just makes things worse. stepford smiler amy. she doesn't even know she's gay

#ask #altvics plus

77 notes · View notes

nogacheloveka-blog · 2 months

Text

The Bad Sanses somehow ended up in the Backrooms. №7

next 8

prev 6

This is the translation of the another post from Russian to English. I understand English, but it is very difficult for me to write in English, so I asked chat GPT to help me. I have corrected some parts, but there still may be mistakes.

I'm experimenting with shadows) I like that Nightmer now looks like a happy octopus. Contrary to tradition, he was the first one in the photo, not Killer(I like how his fur turned out). But with Cross, I can't seem to draw his mech sharper and harder. Maybe in the future, I'll be able to do something that satisfies me. I feel like I messed up the perspective a bit in the drawing, and maybe some characters seem a bit lower/higher than I tried to draw them before, but I tried to maintain proportions =)

The new level was a network of mazes with walls made of ancient brick, through the gaps of which light passed. They were so narrow that Nightmer clearly felt a wave of irritation from the Destroyer, apparently afraid of accidental touches with someone. He himself didn't like the excess of disturbing light in this place.

Their smiling pets, on the other hand, enthusiastically entered the bright tunnels, gathering in groups around lanterns and torches, gradually depleting them until they went out with a characteristic sound. Since the author of the notes did not specify the exact path of penetration to level 3 through this place, most likely they had to wander back and forth for quite a long time until they finally came somewhere, or Error did not feel the transition between levels.

They slowly walked in the dark through the corridors following the Smilers absorbing the light. The material of the walls changed more often than on level 0: they passed through caves with glowing moss, hospital corridors with long incandescent lamps, round tunnel-pipes with blinding light from grilles. The latter gave them hope that they could finally get out at least to the Antivoid, but when Killer tried to stick his head out of the window, he received a very painful burn, which made his bones blacken. Insensitive to pain, he looked more surprised than angry. Fortunately, his HP was not affected. Nevertheless, the group stopped so that Horror could treat his injury.

It seems that the light on this level was not particularly friendly. And this helped them to pay attention to the fact that there were fewer former dog monsters around them now. Continuing to watch them, it turned out that their number decreased when they attacked flashing sources of light. Apparently, the decision to follow them protected the guys from unnecessary injuries. When their pack's number approached critical, Error was hit by a flashing light. Fortunately, the flash only hit his scarf, completely destroying it, which made the enraged Destroyer unleash his fury on hostile photons, at the same time completely destroying their accompaniment.

Fortunately, not far from the battle site, they still stumbled upon a hole in the wall leading to a richly decorated but empty bathroom. This was level 3.

The author of the notebook has no records about this level. He wrote a lot about how to get there, but did not describe it. Since all the levels before this one were quite empty and not heavily populated with hostile creatures, the group did not worry about the future.

Nightmer reacted quite optimistically to this place. He felt that sweet negativity was flowing in the pipes around them, which was unusual for him and deafened any presence of other creatures. It was clear that he would not be able to use his aura effectively here, for example, to search for lost ones or communicate with entities. Although the power that now overwhelmed him was good. (he is worried about the condition of others, maybe they should leave this place as soon as possible)

Error is still too vulnerable from the damage to his scarf and doesn't want to talk to anyone.

Cross saw through an open window a neighboring room where hundreds of garlands wrapped around prison bars. A mesmerizing sight. He heard a distant sound like a working generator and a faint smell of gasoline.

The rest decided to take a break from running away from the light show.

Nightmare belongs to Jokublog Killer belongs to RahafWabas Dust belongs to Ask-DustTale Horror belongs to Sour-Apple-Studios Error belongs to CrayonQueen Cross belongs to JakeiArtwork

#bad sanses #cross sans #dust sans #error sans #horror sans #killer sans #nightmare sans #the backrooms #au #undertale au #bad guys in backrooms #bad sans gang #art #underverse #undertale

51 notes · View notes

undead-merman · 3 months

Text

Summoning Leviathan to destroy a cult GN-Reader SFW

Odd Happenings

It wasn’t noticeable at first. Like most infections, it is undetectable as it incubates just under the surface. The man at the grocery store was more cheery than normal. You suspected that maybe it might have been a good day.

Then more people started smiling more and more. It felt good seeing so many people in a good mood, it raised your own spirits with how people would wave and smile at you just for walking down the street. How they’d hold open the door, tell you how good you looked that day, how genuinely nice it felt to be noticed in such a kind light. It was lowering your guard.

People seem to be out of the house more, the streets cleaner. But folks were going missing, and no one cried for them. Bringing it up was met with shrugs and giggles, optimism that was stretched far too thin. “They’ll turn up sooner or later.”, “Oh, I'm sure it's some misunderstanding.”, or even “You shouldn't worry about that. They'll be just fine.”

Sometimes at night you can hear singing. It's so faint many times you mistake it for just the wind in your tired ears. Every night it gets louder. Louder to a point where you can no longer ignore it. It sounds familiar, likes you've already heard it a million times.

Danger

Since that night you've noticed those smiles look stapled on, eyes feel too open, pupils much too dilated. Your skin crawls just from seeing them.

The nights get longer, the singing much louder. You went from relaxed to so on edge that the smallest movement has you jumping out of your skin.

Missing people come back. They come back different. Heads shaved, faces all screwed up and wrong, covered in bruises and cuts. You can't even ask them what happened since they're always next to one of those smiliers.

One night you catch some people trying to break into your house. Either catching it on the security cameras or catching them outside your window. They flee after the failed attempt but going to the police they smugly tell you there's nothing they can do. When you walk out, a dozen smilers dressed as cops and everyday people leer at you.

They keep appearing around you. Keep trying to pull you into the dark when you least expect it. It feels like vultures waiting for an injured and starving coyote to finally die.

One night they tried breaking in. it was a blur, you hit someone after they broke down the door. There was blood and fish scales all over your floor and still… Everyone overlooked it. “Are you sure about that?”, “So you went ahead and tried to kill them?”, even “You had no right to attack them like that, they probably needed help.” You won’t be getting any help.

If you even think about escape, you come out to find your vehicle trashed. Tires slashed, brakes cut, busted up by some kind of instrument and a symbol keyed into it.

The singing gets to a point where you catch yourself about to walk out the door, sometimes even grabbing your sharpest kitchen knife.

Summoning

You end up trying to find information about them. You don’t dare go to the library and worry about the lady at the counter staring down at you and maybe stabbing you in the back. You look it up on your phone.

You end up deeper than you'd ever thought possible. A cult worshiping an old ancient deity bent on eating the minds of its followers. The cult claims that it's a paradise, when it's quite actually a parasite.

You wouldn't have believed it a few weeks ago, but after seeing those poor souls… those poor folks with deformed limbs from the beatings and that singing that leave you in terrifying dizzy spells.

Someone off a forum offers you some help. A sigil to summon another being of destruction capable of destroying the cult that has nearly consumed the town.

Like it or not, it's your only option at this point, as they now watch every way out of town and have started kidnapping people passing through.

You find the perfect night. You do the necessary prep, get the correct ingredients and items. You come back out of breath and you begin.

Every word spoken feels strange… As if you’d done it a million times before. A drop of blood, and a sacrifice. From the magic circle drawn into the floor a strange light began to burn and singed the floor.

In the flames was a man dressed in a dark and neon hoodie with odd designs. He was sitting cross-legged and his hands were out like he was holding something.

He botches and whines like some teen boy grounded from his electronics. Turns out this actual demon was playing Tetris and you ruined his high score and disqualified him from the compilation. His tail lasted at the circle but the light kept him from doing any damage during his fit of rage.

He sputtered and stood with a stern and angry expression but was bound inside the summoning circle. He demanded you explain the situation.

He looks fed up but sighs saying he'll do it. His face is red as he looks at you. You allow him out and he shuffles close and takes your entire form in. He mumbles something under his breath and heads out.

It takes a while for him to get to a high place, he chooses the water tower as the smilers notice and approach. Some of them are trying to happily lead you back down. Some of them are holding weapons.

The skies darken, rain clouds form, lighting strikes and waves appear. The streets flood, and you watch in fear and awe as the town you called home is destroyed.

Even when the flood goes down and leaves absolutely nothing behind besides the water tower, you can't help but stand there. All gone. Everyone died within moments. And the demon you summoned is staring at you. You hardly pay attention to what he was saying. The scene before you… feels too familiar…

You hear his tone go up, a question. You can only nod as everything you've known is forever gone. He chirps happily and before you know it light surrounds you.

Then you stand in a moonless sky before a rundown manor. Was it really all gone? And why does this place give you déjà vu?

#obey me #obey me leviathan #tw: cults #tw: stalking #tw: gore mention #reader was reborn and levi remembers them

31 notes · View notes

lover-cook · 2 months

Text

You’ve Got A Nice Smile~

“A nice, lazy, and sunny day brings out the best in everyone, doesn’t it?”

A short one-shot taking place pre-Water 7! An interaction between Ray and Sanji, discussing Ray favorite thing about the cook: His smile! No warnings it's all fluff, and has a little over 1k word count!

The sun was shining high above the Merry, the exact weather Ray liked. It meant calm seas, an almost jolly atmosphere, and a lot less cleanup work.

A seagull cawed overhead as the Strawhats where spending their lazy afternoon doing someorother.

Zoro was napping on deck, as usual, while Robin read not far from him. Luffy was draped over the Merry’s figurehead in a weird in-between state of sleep and singing a sea shanty, not that anyone but him could hear the words since he had his hat on his face.

The only two working at all of course were Nami and Chopper, but they were doing a half-hazard job of it even at that.

Nami was busying her hands by doing some update touches on the master map she had, adding islands and towns here and there she didn’t know existed previously, while Chopper was sat in a chair next to Robin as he quietly mixed some medicines while humming to himself, keeping in time with his mixing and grinding. (Was that the same sea shanty Luffy was singing? Ray couldn’t tell.)

That only left Usopp who was currently keeping a lazy watch from the crows-nest while he was reorganizing his bag.

This kind of thing is why Ray really loved sailing. As exciting as going from island to island was it was the being on the open water they preferred. The rhythmic splash of waves against the ship making it rock, the soft sigh of seafoam, the sea-life below and the avian animals above. It reminded them of being on the Baratie. Which wasn’t helped by Sanji being right along for the ride.

The two were stood against the railing of the Merry with two fishing poles cast. Sanji took a drag from his cigarette and watched the water lap at the boogey.

He had a contented smile on his face, an unfortunately rare look for him. That made Ray upset, it looked good on the cook.

It wasn’t to say Sanji never smiled but it was rare to see him genuinely unbothered. He was the type of fake smiler that meant he was either about to bite someone's head off and was trying to hide it or being a little over dramatic and showy.

That just made the moments when he was clearly comfortable and happy mean even more, though.

“You’ve got a good smile, you know.” Ray said, leaning against the railing.

“Huh? What do you mean?” Sanji asked, looking up.

“Your smile! It’s cute. When you’re being genuine about it, I mean. You should do that more.”

Sanji blinked for a moment. “Me? Mine? Are you sure you don’t mean Luffy or Usopp-“ he asked, pointing at himself in confusion.

“Nope! Yours! Don’t know how you got to be so… annoyingly charming though. Lord knows you didn’t get it from the Old Man.” Ray laughed.

Sanji stared for a moment, looking Ray’s face up and a down, like he was searching for some sort of answer their face would give away. Then his expression became a slightly smug smile.

“What? Am I not allowed to give you a compliment you all of a sudden??” Ray asked, their brow furrowing as they looked over the railing to the ocean below.

“Ray are you sick? Has the sun gotten to you? I can go get Chopper.” Sanji said in a joking manner, taking his hand to fan Ray.

“Don’t be a dumbass! I’m fine!” Ray laughed, batting his hand away. “And don’t get your hopes up, never in a million years will you get me spouting sweet nothings at you, lover-boy.”

“Wow you’re starting to sound more like the Old Geezer then I do with the way you’re talkin’.” Sanji snickered and took a drag from his cigarette.

“It’s the truth, though.” Ray said with a smile.

“What?” Sanji blinked.

“I wasn’t joking. You have a good smile. You should do that more.”

The silence was palpable as Sanji stared in dumbfoundment.

“You.. meant that?” He asked slowly.

“Of course! If theirs's one thing I’m not it’s a liar when complimenting someone.”

“Um…. Er…. Thank you, Ray.” Sanji said, collecting his thoughts. “Though I still don’t quite get what you mean, I smile plenty! More than that stupid mosshead does, anyway.” He added, gesturing to where the swordsman was sleeping.

“Well sure but it’s never authentic. I like your smile not Mr. Prince’s, not how you look when handling Customers, yours is the best. At least when you’re being a dramatic dork that’s not as annoying.” Ray explained, emphasizing their point with their hands.

Sanji looked at Ray and then to the ocean. He took a drag from his cigarette deep in thought. When he looked back at them he had a toothy grin on his face.

“Damn, Wildflower! You read me like a book, huh?” He said with a laugh. “Thank you though.” "What for?" Ray asked. "Being honest? That's hardly a chore." "For the compliment! A guy like me doesn't come by those frequently, despite what you'd be lead to believe." Sanji said with a look to Ray, a expression that was a mix of smug and genuine gratitude. "Seriously, thanks. Sun Rayyy~" Any honestly that had been on the cooks face melted away being replaced by a wink.

"Ohh no no you can not start calling me that I refuse." Ray said, their face going red with embarrassment. "Oh come on Sun Rayyy~! It's a compliment!" He said with a grin, resting his head on his hand prompted against the railing. "Nope. Nope I am not having some cheesy nickname like Nami and Robin do that is out of the question--" "I don't just give those to everyone you know, Sun Ray~." Sanji cut in with a snicker. "Sure you do. Hell Zoro gets called nothing but stupid nicknames." "Well maybe but not like you guys! You of all people should know I mean it with love." He said closing his eyes in a smile. "Smiling isn't going to make me like it, Romeo." Ray said with a huff, looking back to the ocean. "Well too bad cause now it's here to stay Sun Rayyy~"

#ollie musings #my art!#(I think this can go in my art tag wahaha)#💕a dish made with love🥘#🌸s.wildflower #selfship #oc x canon #🐏.home

6 notes · View notes

enbysiriusblack · 11 months

Text

Sirius Black sat in the dormitory, Peter and James next to them. The three had been sewing, cutting, painting, and glitter-ifying for the past few hours or so. And now they sat in front of the finished product of their hard work.

A pair of bell bottoms covered in red and black glitter, a cropped black vest, a leather jacket with moons and stars painted on the back and an array of badges on the front, and heeled boots with yellow and purple laces. Sirius had curled their hair, glitter scattered in the waves, a shiny black painted around their eyes, and cheekbones.

"You're gonna look great", James nodded in satisfaction with the look.

Sirius leaned their head against their arm, "I wonder what he's gonna wear."

Peter looked to James with a grin, the other boy returning it with a roll of his eyes aimed at Sirius.

Half an hour later, Sirius was ready, dressed up in their outfit. Just in time for the door knock.

They ran to open it.

"Remus", they breathed out with a smile, "you look amazing."

The boy smiler back, "So do you."

"I'll just grab James' cloak, one second."

As Sirius walked over to James' bed, the other two took the opportunity to dash to Remus in the doorway.

Peter smirked, "Nice date outfit, Moony."

"Thanks?" He questioned.

At that James folded his arms, "Sirius makes us spend hours every single time you two go on a date, just to plan and put together the perfect outfit. And here you are, every single date you go on, in the exact same outfit."

Remus looked down, sheepishly, "I'm sure it's not the exact same."

Peter pulled out the photos, holding up almost twenty polaroids.

In each photo, Sirius was dressed up in new, perfectly picked out ensembles, without a hair out of place (in the messy shag look). And Remus stood next to him, beige trousers that were a tad too short, a dark brown shirt, and a light brown knitted jumper. The only thing that changed were the amount of scars scattering his body, and the occasional ink stains on his clothes and skin.

Sirius started walking back, spotting the polaroids and grabbed them out of Peter's hands.

"Oh look! Our date photos! You look so good, Moony."

"Does he not know?" Remus mouthed.

James and Peter shook their heads.

Remus grinned, "I know what I'm wearing to our wedding."

#you cant tell me sirius wouldn't dress all out to go on dates. and remus is their in a knitted jumper smelling of weed and covered in ink #also the date they're going on is a gig in london by the damned #punk sirius btw <333 #marauders era #marauders #sirius black #remus lupin #wolfstar #my writing

32 notes · View notes

courage-doodles-blog · 2 months

Text

When Barry Meets Gloomer (Story)

[Characters/OCs: Barry, Smiler, Gloomer, Lucifer/Puppeteer of Terrors and puppet residents of Lucifer's hometown]

[Barry is introduced to the puppeteer's 2nd creation and Smiler's little brother named Gloomer. Though the difference with him is that he is always a downer and filled with gloom and misery]

[Cuts to Barry and Smiler in Lucifer's hometown together, along with his other puppets)

(Barry hears Smiler calling out to someone)

Smiler: Hey! Hey! Lil bro! Over here! (Waves)

Barry: Miss Smiler, who are you waving at?

Smiler: My lil bro hun. I want him to come over here to meet you

Barry: Your lil bro? I didn't even knew that

Smiler: Yeah I know hun. But I gotta tell that you are gonna love him and be the best of pals ever!

Barry: Uhh ok-

Smiler: (gasps as she sees her brother walking to her) There he is! Awww, hey there lil bro (runs up to him and hugs him, chuckling) how you been gloomy face?

???: Fine... and still my usual self all the frickin' time sis

Smiler: Aww, come on lil bro. Cuz' I know what will turn that silly lil frown upside down.

???: Hmm? Like what?

Smiler: Introducing yourself to a new friend I just made (pats Barry head)

Smiler: Barry hun. Meet Gloomer, my lil teary bro

Barry: (silent a bit) Uhhh hi, Gloomer (waves at him)

Gloomer: (stares at Barry with a confused look, then at Smiler) Sis. Wha-what the- What is he doing at me?

Smiler: He's waving at you silly. Go on bro, wave at him ^v^

Gloomer: (sighs) Ok ok sis (Waves at Barry with a disappointed look on his face)

(Smiler squeals in excitement)

(Lucifer levitates by Smiler and watches the boys wave at eachother)

Lucifer: Ahh Smiler my girl, seems that your gloomy brother is meeting our little friend

Smiler: Mmhmm ^^ (grins in excitement)

Smiler: (To Gloomer) That's the spirit! You boys are gonna be the bestest of friends ever!

Gloomer: Ok. Can I leave now please?

Lucifer: Ah ah ah- I'm afraid not gloomy. For you see, I got a lot of stuff planned for my puppets here

Gloomer: (sighs) goddammit

Lucifer: You'll get used to it. From now, run yourselves over to me kids (flies over to the left)

(Gloomer sighs as he walks over to Lucifer)

Smiler: Welp, we gotta get going now hun. Don't wanna keep Master waitin' of course

(Barry nods)

(Smiler and Barry run off together to Lucifer)

(Then the two sprint off by the passing puppets wearing the same tuxedo suits, their leader wears)

(It then cuts to Lucifer helping Gloomer by telling him some knock knock jokes)

Lucifer: Knock knock

Gloomer: (sighs) who's there?

Lucifer: Boo

Gloomer: Boo who?

Lucifer: Don't cry buddy, it's just a joke (laughs maniacally)

Gloomer: (sighs, buries his face in his hands)

(Smiler and Barry arrive at Lucifer's lair)

Smiler: We're here master!

Lucifer: Ah good, your just in time for the plans I got out for you fellas. There in this contract right here

(The puppeteer holds the contract out, it shows what are today's plans he wrote)

(Smiler, Gloomer and Barry reads it all through)

Smiler: Oooh this will be fun boys! (Claps her hands)

Barry: (reads it through again) I don't know, is it easy to do?

Lucifer: Mmhmm yes

Barry: Ok, I'll do that

Lucifer: ^v^

(Smiler squeals in joy by Barry's acceptance)

Gloomer: (sighs) I don't really feel like doing that anyway

[It finally cuts to short cuts of the moments by the puppets, Lucifer, Smiler, Gloomer and Barry doing their plans with each other]

THE END

#courage the cowardly dog #ctcd #ctcd oc #ctcd ocs #ocs #my ocs #oc #my oc stuff #my oc character #ctcd oc barry #ctcd oc smiler #ctcd oc gloomer #ctcd oc lucifer the puppeteer of terrors #ctcd oc lucifer #ctcd oc puppeteer of terrors #cat oc #puppet oc #puppet ocs

4 notes · View notes

hoodiehydra · 1 year

Note

Hello there, can you write a Tabi x reader please? Thank you so much.

Of course!

Y’know, this was such a huge coincidence since my sister just asked me how many xreaders I have written on this site (not a lot, honestly) and then immediately after, she started singing “Bones”. She’s adorable, but incredibly annoying I can’t fathom it.

Sorry, on with the story.

Tabi x gn!reader

Romantic fluff

Warnings: the occasional swearing, you know the drill.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sweet holidays

“Hey Tabi!” You waved to your lover in the cold air, and the corner of his mouth twitched up slightly, showing his happiness to your presence. Your heart fluttered at that, he was undeniably adorable. Tabi was definitely a grouchy one, and definitely not a smiler. You were the only one who could even make him smile the slightest bit.

You gave him a small, quick side hug, since he wasn’t one for physical affection. To be fair, he wasn’t really romantic. Tabi didn’t return the hug, well, he did, just simply patted your back. A little awkward, but you loved him a lot, these small gestures were precious to you, his way of being sweet and romantic. It wasn’t much, nothing like those bold gestures that others do, but fuck that. You would rather Tabi’s small gestures than those huge ones that were embarrassing, too.

He held your hand, and you gladly pulled him along the street you two were on. Yes, you were in public, another reason why you wouldn’t like bold gestures too much. Neither of you were huge fans of PDA.

You two were walking in comfortable silence, with you leading. Happily walking past the somewhat empty street, with a few people you recognised from previous encounters, Whitty and Agoti, mainly. When I say encounters, I mean Tabi rap battling them. However, it’s a happy ending, since you all became friends in the end.

The both of you were seemingly unaffected by the cold, crisp air, and the pure, white snow that gently landed on the top of your heads. You turned to Tabi, who had a layer of snow on his little hat. He did well in the cold, in the sense that he was a somewhat goat, which did very well in snowy mountains. In the end, he usually just wore his signature hoodie on the outside, with a thicker layer of pants and he was good to go. You? Not a huge fan of winter, but you didn’t need that many layers either.

Summer was an issue, though. You don’t know how many ice cubes you consumed in a day, but you would both die in the heat. (hc from @taterswithranch and it’s so accurate)

You started to pant from the long walk, your breath fogging up. The holidays were upon the both of you, but you both would rather stay at home and chill in the warmth of your house. Have some time together, since Tabi didn’t have any family and your family would be away, you had nothing else to do.

Who knows? Maybe Agoti and Whitty could join in on the “holiday chill”.

And by chill, I mean chaos.

You sighed at the heartwarming thought, excited for what the chilling few weeks would bring.

The first ever holiday spent with him, and you couldn’t be happier.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sorry, this is a little late but I wasn’t sure exactly how to write it out well.

Anyways, happy holidays!

#happy holidays #fnf tabi #fnf tabi x reader #x reader #hydrawriter #glassbreaker’s treasure trove

39 notes · View notes

hellsbroadcaster · 27 days

Text

.　　. 　 ˚　. ╳ ⊹ ― 𝐈𝐓'𝐒 𝐀𝐍 𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐘 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋, the sinners barely wake up to a brand new broadcast from the lovely 𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐎 𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐍 himself. It was a haunting voice that came over through the radio waves. The ON AIR sign glowed brightly as Alastor's voice rippled through Pentagram city.

❛ ♪ So let the sun shine in . . . Face it with a grin . . . Smilers never lose . . . && frowners never win. . . . . ❜

#i realized the song from this movie is very alastor #and equally creepy #and its stuck in my head so here #⌜on the air⌟ . // in character

4 notes · View notes

the12thnightproject · 8 months

Text

Chapter 14: Midnight Confidences: The middle of the night is the time to exchange stories...are Mitsuhide and Katsu becoming... friends?

Mitsuhide x OC; Hideyoshi x MC (Mai)

Previous Chapter

Logline - With Mai, Hideyoshi, and Aki missing, Mitsuhide and Katsuko reluctantly team up. Disguised as a merchant and his concubine, can they outsmart the man known as the God of Deceit?

Chapter Excerpt

He poured himself another drink, thus finishing that second bottle. “Hideyoshi is Nobunaga’s right hand man. He’s a good man… idealistic… devoted… passionate… honest. An all around pain in the ass.”

The abrupt change in description caught me off guard and I laughed.

Mitsuhide looked up at the sound. “You don’t smile very often.”

Oh God. Please don’t tell me I have resting bitch face. “Um… what? Should I?”

He waved the comment away. “Dear me, no. Not if you don’t feel like it. It wasn’t meant as a criticism. For what is needed, your face is completely appropriate.”

Oh well, yes. Every girl’s dream is to be described as completely appropriate. Not that I care if that is how Mitsuhide sees me. Still. Completely appropriate. I felt like sulking for no good reason. “I don’t trust smilers. The man who tried to kill me was like that.” I pictured Iekane with that ever-present smile and couldn’t hold back a shiver at how badly he had fooled me.

Mitsuhide must have misinterpreted that shiver, for he took off his outer robe and handed it to me. Yeesh. If we stayed up much later, he would be naked.

Link to full chapter here

Full chapter posts on tumblr tomorrow

@arrthurpendragon

#10things #10 things I hate about mitsuhide #ikemen sengoku #fanfic #ikesen fanfic #ikesen mitsuhide #ao3 link #ocfairygodmother #ikemen sengoku fanfic #ocappreciation #oc katsuko

6 notes · View notes

datastate · 4 months

Note

mishima motorcycle headcanons? c:

YES i'm surprised you remember that one!!! :D ah, let's see, let's see...

kazumi's father first bought a used motorcycle off of one of his friends from work! mr. mishima works with automobiles and specializes in car detail - something that kazumi briefly helped out with when he was younger. when they got on the topic of kazumi learning how to drive, they figured they should send this over to encourage him to drive sooner x']

honestly, kazumi didn't get too much use out of it until after he graduated, but he's most familiar with it over anything else! he always enjoyed getting to customize it in small ways (usually minimalistic, but nonetheless valuable to him).

however... he eventually sold it off. when kazumi was struggling to get into his favored universities, one of the "spokesmen" (asunaro) approached him to sign an agreement, a 'wish' to enter one of the universities he gave up on, pursuing the medical field he applied for. unfortunately, he wasn't prepared for the rigorous work & ended up dropping out. doing so, and failing to fulfill his end of the agreement (working for asunaro), resulted in him shouldering the full weight of the loans taken out in his name. in order to pay this off, he went through some... shady means... due to his reluctance to have his parents also be burdened with his individual mistake. and selling this was one of the prices to pay, despite its nostalgia.

but...! when kazumi began teaching, he was eventually able to put money aside to work up to buying a motorcycle again :D he could go for a larger one now, and still gets to put small designs on it... usually decals that he's custom-made!! usually natural patterns rather than the typical 'fire' he used to drift toward when he was younger...

it's always funny though when students see him before he takes his helmet off. they pass the teacher's parking lot and point and the biker removes his helmet + waves and it's just the most mild-mannered smiler. he's so niceys kindness and yet he's badass. how is this possible...?!

(also, i think in a ytts/no-death game au it'd be fun to have reko & mishima talk abt motorcycles... i think reko really wants a motorcycle but gets a bit freaked about being in vehicles like these alone. she only could when ursheen offered :'] fond memories...)

#hope this suffices! ft. allusion to mishima's asunaro vow :]#there's more to it ofc but i felt i was digressing too far :P #ask #anonymous #yttdposting #yttd hcs

3 notes · View notes

oatmilk-vampire · 4 months

Text

Tomorrow's Loss: Chapter 1

Book Summary: All Tom wanted to do was study with his friend, but then his crush of four years shows up unannounced and urges them to evacuate for an unknown reason. After they are on the road, they learn they are escaping a dangerous bloodborne pathogen that is turning those infected violent and cannibalistic, all with a disturbing smile on their face. Tom soon finds himself on the way to play a tragic game of house with his best friend, his crush, a married couple and their dog. Tom hopes the CDC is right when they say they willl get it all under control soon. However, as days pass with no sign of respite, they become painfully aware that help will not be on the way after all. When Tom's group begins to lose members to the virus and gains one additional, they are all stuck trying to adapt and survive in this new world. After nearly a year, the group is forced to venture out further for food and other supplies, finding other survivors who only want to harm them more than the Smilers do. But when Tom is saved by one stranger, it opens his world to the possibility of community and actually living instead of just surviving.

A/n: I can only share 10% of my novel, so here's the first 5%.:) Read end note for links and coupons.

I dance to the speakers pumping music in my dorm. Sound waves of instruments I have no interest in ever learning how to play echo and bounce off of the thin walls. I know my neighbors would complain if they ever actually spent any time at home. The opening verse to Modern Baseball’s “Re-Do” rings out as I pull clothes from my closet. I’m getting ready to meet with my best friend Tim so we can hold each other accountable for actually getting work done instead of getting trapped into an endless scroll on Instagram, Facebook or God forbid TikTok. As I make the ultimate decision between two shirts, I hear something that doesn’t quite sound like it’s part of the song.

I hesitate, waiting to see if Tim will unlock the door and come in but when he doesn’t I resume the task of throwing on my red heather. As I pop my head through the neckhole, I hear someone calling my name. Weird. It kind of sounds like… I freeze my movements.

Could it really be him? It’s been since my birthday in March that he last visited. Any doubt in my mind is quickly extinguished when, by some miracle, I clearly hear the pounding on my door over Brendan Lukens’ voice.

I jump and yank my pants up over my hips before scrambling to the source of the noise. I give myself a once-over in the mirror before unlocking the door and swinging it open.

There Mark stands, a fist still raised ready to assault my poor door again. He lowers it and barks out something I never expected to hear from his mouth.

“Grab your shit let’s go.”

“Mark!” I almost fall backwards, definitely not expecting to actually see him. But there he is, the biggest crush I’ve ever had – standing right before me. “What are you doing here?”

“Grab. Your. Shit. Let’s go!” Taking charge, he pushes past me and begins pulling out all of my dresser drawers, shoveling socks, shirts and pairs of underwear into the backpack that he just carelessly dumped my very important schoolwork out of.

“Hey!” I shout, surprise quickly getting replaced by frustration. “Mark, what the hell? Stop! My papers are getting all over the place. I did a lot of research on those!” I drop to my knees to try to gather them into their respective stacks before they get too disorganized.

“You always do research!” He retorts as if it justifies his actions. He moves to the closet and starts pulling out my jeans. I notice he’s pointedly ignoring the dressier clothes, instead opting for my more practical wear such as jackets and sweaters instead. He turns to me once he seems satisfied with his haul.

“Where’s Tim?”

I’m taken aback. Why would he be asking about him? What’s he doing here destroying our room anyway?

“At the library. I was just about to meet him there. Why? Mark, what’s going on? You’re acting like someone accidentally killed John Wick’s dog.” I try a smile and a reference to the first movie we watched together to snap him out of whatever has a hold on him. I know we have plans to see number four when it finally hits theaters, but to my great disappointment he completely ignores my efforts.

“Jake and Tash are meetin’ us at the cabin. I’ll explain later. Is there anythin’ else you need?” He pauses. “Your prescriptions!”

He turns to rummage through my bedside table where he knows I keep my pills, but he also happens to find some other things that I really wish he hadn’t.

Mark slows his movements just long enough to toss the condoms and lube into the bag too. “Gotta still be safe, I guess. Safety first. That’s a priority.”

I can feel my face turning beet red and I’m ready to just close in on myself.

Then Mark is right back in front of me snapping his fingers in my face.

“Hey, look. I know you weren’t expectin’ to see me, and I know it definitely wasn’t the reunion you wanted. Hell, it’s not the reunion I wanted either, but we really need to go. We need to find Tim and you need to decide if there is anythin’ else you want or need.”

But I just can’t comprehend what’s going on here, and how could I? Mark is giving me virtually zero information to go on.

“How long are we going to be gone? Can I turn in my papers first? I’m kind of at my deadline. I might need to ask for a leave of absence if it’s going to be long.”

“They’ll understand about the papers, and if not, I’ll make them understand. I don’t know how long.”

“Is someone in trouble? Are we going on the lam?” I look around the room in all its small and crowded glory. My eyes fall to my plush canid collection beside my bed.

“Can I take them?”

Mark follows where I’m pointing and sees the many plushies that he’s personally gifted me over the years.

“Yeah, yeah. If it’ll make you feel better and get your ass movin’, grab ‘em.”

After I safely pack them away with the rest of my deemed essentials, Mark takes hold of the bags and moves them closer to the door.

“Call Tim. Tell him to meet us somewhere close. We need to go. I’ll get his shit for him too.”

In a matter of minutes the two of us are sitting safely in Mark’s backseat but I still don’t feel ready to let out the breath it feels like I’ve been holding. Not until we get to where we’re going and I learn what we’re running from.

“You two lovebirds start callin’ your friends and loved ones and tell ‘em to get to safety.” Mark looks in his rearview mirror at us. “We don’t have any room for ‘em to ride with us, but we can at least give a heads up since the government is failin’ us yet again.”

“Lorelei is in Florida. Will she be okay?” Tim questions, and I wonder if he feels guilty over not insisting on spending their mini-break together. In his defense, she did say she would be happier just going alone. Girl time, she called it.

“Uhh… Yeah, yeah. That’s far enough. Still get in touch to be sure. Let her know not to come back for now.” He instructs, but I don’t know if I really believe him. His eyes are all shifty and I don’t miss the way Mark’s hands clench around the wheel. It’s way worse than what he’s letting on. Mark doesn’t get this freaked out over just anything.

“Okay… Can we please know what’s going on now?” I finally speak up, daring Mark to dodge any more of my questions.

He spares me another glance in the rearview mirror.

“There’s a virus.”

A groan. “Oh, great! Just what we needed. How serious is it? Like covid?” Tim complains as he rubs his forehead.

“I still wear masks, it’s not all that bad. I’ll also get the vaccine when it’s out. Whatever it takes to keep the world going.” I easily concede, not at all ready to go through another pandemic, especially when this one isn’t really over.

“It’s not like covid.” Mark shakes his head. “It’s not in the lungs.”

“Then how is it transmitted?” I look at Tim just in time to see him narrow his eyes, definitely not liking the sound of this. Neither do I.

“Blood. They’re sayin’ it’s a bloodborne pathogen.”

“So what, like hepatitis or HIV? A glorified STD?” I inquire, holding my African wild dog plush close for comfort. “As long as we don’t come in contact with bodily fluids we’re fine right? Why do we need to leave?”

I know I’ll be fine, at least. Although, I’m not too sure about the other two men in the SUV. The perks of being sexually inactive, I guess.

“It’s not that simple.” Mark sighs, and I notice his hands tighten on the steering wheel once more; he must have loosened them at some point.

Maybe we should discuss this later, I don’t want us to get in a wreck and end up needing a blood transfusion on top of everything else…

Wait…

“Can we try blood transfusions? Could that make a difference? Would it purify it?” I glance at the pre-med student beside me for his input.

“Possibly. But at this time it’s still new and unlikely and would take studying and human trials and–”

“Alright, enough!” Mark startles the both of us with his booming voice, commanding us into silence. “It has somethin’ to do with blood under the nails. Think about that. Quietly please.”

“Subungual hematomas?” Tim exchanges looks with me, likely making sure he heard correctly.

“Quietly please.” Mark reiterates.

For the next half hour, the drive is mostly in silence, save for the occasional cough or sneeze and “bless you” that follows.

I take the liberty of counting out just how many pills I have when –oh no– I should have picked up my prescriptions yesterday. I only have about a five-day supply here, give or take – and that’s only because I haven’t taken today’s doses yet since I usually like to just choke them all down at once before going to sleep. This is bad.

It shouldn’t be too long, right? I should be able to make it on a solid four-day ration… Right?

Don’t be stupid, Tom.

I glance at Tim, my roommate and friend of three years. I’ve never had a friendship last that long, other than Mark if you consider him a friend. Then that relationship would be four years.

Next I hazard a glance back at the driver, seeing him in deep concentration. How would Mark know about this? I haven’t even heard about it on the news. Then again, I don’t really watch a lot of news anyway. It’s not good for my mental health. But being in college, kids talk. A lot. No one has mentioned this.

I feel my anxiety budding, and I squeeze my plush even tighter even though it makes me feel childish. I wonder if I should just pop the anxiety pill right now.

When I look out of my window nothing seems out of order or unusual. Everyone seems completely fine. Happy even. No one even looks irritated, they’re all smiling. I offer my own smile to the world.

Maybe it isn’t all that bad.

I even catch sight of an officer pushing a shopping cart, a baby strapped into a carrier on his chest. A smile plastered on his face too. It strikes me as a bit odd, wouldn’t a cop usually change out of uniform before running personal errands? Keep work life and home life separate, and all that.

I can’t imagine what he could have been exposed to on the job, and what he was now exposing his child to.

I shouldn’t think too hard about it.

Once we get about forty-five minutes away from our college, Mark pulls off into a gas station. He gets out, leaving his window down and begins pumping. I catch him looking back and forth towards the store.

“Mark? What’s wrong?”

“Kinda wanna stock up on some smokes. Just in case it’s a good time to pick up a bad habit.” He admits with a careless shrug, but I can tell it’s just a front.

“Want me to go get them?” I offer with a hand already on the door handle.

“No.” A firm shake of his head. “Safer out here.”

“Want me to pump and you go get them?”

No answer.

I waste no time exiting and walking around the trunk to take the pump from his hand, “I got this. Go ahead.”

“Can you and Tim fill up the cans in the back after you’re done with the car?”

“Sure.” I easily agree, ready to get back on the road to supposed safety as soon as possible.

“Hey, Tim! Get your ass out the car, if I’m leavin’ one of you out here defenseless you’re both gonna be out here. Protect each other. I’ll be right back.” Mark stalks off when he sees him nod and unbuckle his seatbelt.

“Well, this has been weird.” Tim gets himself situated standing beside me, prompting me to take the perfect opportunity to start my rambling.

“We still don’t know what this virus is doing, if it kills people, if they’re working on a cure, just how sick we’ll get, how many of us are infected, what we’re going to do in the meantime, why cigarettes and condoms are so important–”

“Hey, hey, hey. Calm down. It’s okay. I know this is stressful but everything is going to be fine. We trust Mark and Jake, right? The thing I’m most concerned about is the condoms you mentioned.” He smirks, knowing it would throw me off.

“And lube.” I would have covered my face in embarrassment if my hands weren’t currently occupied and covered in only God knows how many germs. What if I have any open wounds on my hands? Maybe we should have grabbed disposable gloves too. I study the box of disposable gloves next to the pump that nearly no one uses.

“Oh, God, why? Did Mark say who it’s for?”

“Well, not really. He was in my drawer getting my meds and…”

“Oh, no! Your condoms and lube? That’s so embarrassing!” He emphasizes certain words to get a rise out of me. He knows he succeeded when my face burns a deeper shade of red than it previously was.

“Stop! Shut up! God, I hate you.” I look down in an attempt to hide my smile, but quickly look back towards the store. What is taking so long?

Just then a stumbling woman approaches us.

“Hi, any chance you can spare a hand sanitizer?”

We exchange wary looks.

I don’t think hand sanitizer will benefit us too much, and she seems really polite with a big toothy grin.

“Sure, I don’t see why not.” I easily agree but stop short when I notice the gas cans still surrounding me. “Uhh…”

“Don’t worry, Tommy. I got it.” Tim offers, leaving me to the task at hand.

I smile at him, “Thanks.”

Tim leaves me alone with the strange woman, but thankfully he’s only gone for a moment. He quickly pulls himself back out of the car with his own personal travel bottle just in enough time to see how engrossed she is with staring me down.

“Here you go, ma’am.” He reaches out to her, but she snatches his hand in a death grip, digging her pinkie nail into him with alarming pressure before taking the hand sanitizer and walking away without another word.

It all happens so fast neither one of us can react, but the shock must still be evident on our faces when Mark makes it back to the car.

He looks at the machine and hums at the price, not seeming at all bothered that the cost is in triple digits. I know he doesn’t have money like that. None of us do.

He eyes the both of us, taking note of whatever our expressions show. Does he notice Tim cradling his wrist?

“Y’all okay? Look like you’ve seen a ghost or somethin’.”

“Or something.” Tim frowns, highly unusual for his usually chipper self. “Can we just get back on the road now?”

“Yeah, y’all hungry? I got a ton of snacks while I was waitin’ in line.”

“No thanks.” We answer simultaneously.

“Alright, more for later then. I am gonna say choose what you want, though. First pick.”

“Fine.” Tim opens the door, getting back into the car.

“Jeez, what’s his problem? Trouble in paradise?”

I just look at him.

After we’re all seated and buckled up, Mark tries again.

“Is it something I said?” He puts the vehicle in reverse and pulls out.

“More like what you didn’t say. What exactly is going on here? You can’t just say there’s a BBP causing subungual hematomas and leave it at that. That makes no sense.” Tim forces through clenched teeth.

I observe my best friend press his wrist down against his leg.

A deep breath.

“Okay, look. It is bloodborne. So you can get it pretty much anyway you can get any other virus like that, I’m assumin’. But for some reason the easiest way to catch it is through the nails.”

“Somethin’ happens, a blood clot forms under the fingernails which wouldn’t be such a big deal except for some reason the infected nails are really brittle, so a simple scratch can be way more devastatin’ than usual and pass the infection faster than a class of kindergartners in flu season.”

Tim furrows his brows. “So, like an iron deficiency?”

“What do you mean?” Mark asks cluelessly.

“Iron deficiencies make your nails dry and brittle. Break easy. If it’s being transmitted through the blood, maybe that has something to do with it.”

Mark seems to think carefully for a moment. “If it’s really severe could it cause extreme cravin’s?” He actually takes his eyes off of the road for this one

“Well, it can. I’ve read before that whatever your body is craving is a sign of what your body is missing. But, iron deficiency or anemia causes pica. Pica makes you have weird cravings like ice, clay, dirt, paper, chalk, etcetera.” Tim clarifies. “Stuff that isn’t really food or good for you.”

“How the hell do two kids know this and not the WHO?” He pitches his voice low in an attempt to say it under his breath, but we hear him anyway.

“Excuse me? The WHO? It’s worldwide? Just what are we dealing with exactly?” Tim narrows his eyes once more, fully suspicious that Mark was indeed hiding the worst of it; I know because I feel the same way.

Uncomfortable with the sudden tension, I look out of my window to spot more people than I’m used to seeing out and about, all smiling. Except, there’s something about these smiles that don’t sit right with me anymore.

“Look, I told y’all everythin’ I know. Tell that girl Lori she–” He gets cut off.

“It’s Lorelei.” Tim corrects with anger in his voice.

“Tell Lorelei she needs to stay where she is and take shelter. Stay safe.”

“Why? What is so bad about this? Are we going to die?” Tim demands, his raised voice making me flinch.

“I dunno! Fuck! It’s bad, alright? The ones infected are turning on the uninfected. Turning on their Goddamn loved ones for chrissake! All with that stupid fuckin’ smile on their faces.”

He gulps a breath before continuing his explanation.

“You can’t trust any of them. They won’t remember you. It takes over. They have bad blood runnin’ through those brains now. They’re violent. They get vicious cravin’s.”

“What cravings?” I speak up for the first time since this conversation began.

A beat of silence as Mark considers his next words. My heart feels like it’s slamming into my ribcage, its rapid beating the only noise I can hear.

“You’ve told us this much.” I invoke. “Might as well keep on.”

Mark meets my eyes in the mirror.

“Meat, blood, life. I dunno what it is they’re after. As long as it’s human.”

It’s at this point that my entire world stops.

Then it rapidly slams back into movement.

Tim is freaking out. Lorelei isn’t picking up the phone, so he’s desperately trying to explain it all to her in texts. I just sit here, glued to my seat. Hands frozen. I can’t call anyone even if I had others to call.

“How long?” Tim’s strained voice snaps my attention to him.

“How long what?” Mark’s vision remains locked on the road.

We’re an hour and a half away from college now; from the life I don’t know if I’ll ever have again.

Tim carries on, “How long until you become one of them after being exposed?”

“I dunno. Like an hour or two? Depends on your size I guess. Why?”

“Does anyone know of a cure yet?”

“No, half the world doesn’t even know it’s goin’ on, and the other half doesn’t know what’s goin’ on.”

Tim is directly behind Mark, so he misses when Tim reveals his wound to me. What should have been a tiny scratch was now a gaping hole, spreading and branching out over his entire wrist. His blood is flowing at an alarming rate. I see bits of what I can only assume is remnants of the woman’s nail stuck inside of my friend’s skin.

He meets my eyes.

I feel like I’m going to be sick.

We both know it. This is goodbye – something Tim never liked to say even on spring breaks and holidays away. Goodbye implies there wouldn’t be another hello. It was the end.

I force myself to swallow the lump in my throat, fighting past the feeling that I can’t breathe. I imagine Tim feels much worse.

“Mark?” My voice wavers, the distraught immediately catching his attention.

“What’s wrong, Tomorrow?”

I wince at the nickname, one I always secretly loved just feels all sorts of wrong now. It isn’t fair.

“Did you bring oven mitts or something?

“Oven mitts– What?”

“Or something to cover hands with? Please?”

The desperation in my voice makes looking back completely unnecessary for Mark. He already knows the answer.

When he sees the dark crimson mess spilling onto Tim’s clothes and the blank look on his face, he snaps into action. He pulls off of the road and presses on the hazards. He wastes no time jumping out of his seat and yanking the door open to get my infected friend out.

Tim follows him out without a single complaint, just uses his good hand to toss his phone to me, who decides also exiting the vehicle is definitely a good idea and not at all a bad one.

I will never forget how Tim’s eyes appear distorted and out of focus, until a single tear slips down his face as he fades away.

Now he isn’t Tim anymore. Any trace of his consciousness long gone.

He is one of them.

He smiles.

~~~

Interested in getting the full book? Check your library or check out my (incomplete) universal book link for some of your options.

I have a 50% off coupon on Smashwords exclusively for my TumblrFam. The code is VN67N

Still not sure? Stay tuned for chapter 2.

Thanks for reading!

2 notes · View notes