#An Intriguing Encounter | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

Visit Blog

Explore Tumblr blogs with no restrictions, modern design and the best experience.

Fun Fact

Tumblr posted its first advertisements in May 2012 and subsequently earned $13M in revenue.

#An Intriguing Encounter

redwinterroses · 2 years

Text

Oh gosh I already have Such Thoughts around Loremaster Pix and I haven't even checked the tag to see what other people are saying yet but hang on gotta braindump--

His whole intro was about the old gods and titans dying and creating this world, their blood and bones becoming the civilizations that followed, which in turn fell and left their ruins to be the foundations of empires to follow. (Story nerd bit: so that means, I think, we are at least in the "third age" of this world: the gods and titans, then the ancients, and now the empires.)

But how does he know these things, unless he was there?

What if Pix is, as he said he wants to be, less a character and more a... a force, if you will. He is the past. He's a forgotten titan, a diminished god, a spirit of time and memory. A lorekeeper, a storyteller, a secret-holder... More and yet less than an emperor, less and yet more than a player in the tale. Maybe he doesn't remember it all -- diminishing can be hard on an immortal. But he remembers enough, enough to tell the story of the world and lead the current inhabitants to uncover the histories of their own lands.

And if I maybe headcanon that the Ancients were Empires s1, and this keeper of ancient stories could be a certain lost and forgotten desert king who vanished when his diminished immortality came sparking to hesitant life... you can't stop me.

#empires s2 #empires smp #empires spoilers #pixlriffs #current headcanon until canon contradicts me:#the Copper King was so intrigued by the concepts of death and rebirth because he was a diminished immortal who didn't remember his own past #the encounters with Xornoth and Aeor and the rest triggered lost memories and he became overwhelmed by the knowledge #fleeing into the desert he's spent the last few centuries slowly coming to grips with his own immortality and the ragged scraps of memories #and now new empires have begun to rise and he looks at them with both the distant fascination of an immortal #someone who has seen these things rise and fall before and will again #and also with the eerie sense that he's seen these SPECIFIC empires #in another time and another guise #the familiarity amongst the strange has drawn him out of his solitude and he rejoins the world of mortals #this time quietly aware that he is Not One Of Them... and yet he might be when he allows himself to pretend #a way for me to keep my copper king and make the storyline one big cohesive thread? yes. shush. you can't take this from me #well. pix can but I'm a fangirl and we thrive on jumping the hoops of Making It Work lol #the empire of the past

618 notes · View notes

sundove88 · 5 months

Text

Countdown to Christmas- Day 5- Fettuccine Cookie and Dark Cacao Cookie @sam-rexian and @localanimeidiot

Day 5 gives us Fettuccine Cookie as she walks across the Cookie Kingdom looking for people to talk to and to see new holiday traditions. Here she’s encountered Dark Cacao Cookie, who is in the middle of decorating his vacation home for the holidays.

I decided to make him appear very chonky on the outside- but believe me, there’s a mix of muscle and gut beneath that hanbok!

#countdown to christmas #my art #digital art #cookie run #cookie run Ovenbreak #crob #cookie run kingdom #crk #fettuccine cookie #dark cacao cookie #guess someone’s being intrigued by local holiday traditions!!#I wonder what else our mummy baby will encounter!

34 notes · View notes

unproduciblesmackdown · 1 year

Text

reread the rest thus far of lackadaisy and there's the both v easy & difficult task of gathering a shit ton but only a shit ton of excerpts (like every single page is a highlight i'm not exaggerating)

and every single element is superlative and the way it all only becomes More So....already mentioned the way the like smooth gradient shading made the successful evocation of 3D Shapes more noticeable, along w/the consistent geometries of character design & details in fabric folds; the way Lighting & Coloring only goes on to become more prominent elements only enhances that further. the compositions, backgrounds, pacing, angles....everything is so dynamic & expressive, such as including the expressions which you know i also Love / absorbed

going "hell yes for people to discover this superlative comic" then having to occasionally refresh past site traffic overloaded server errors like "nooo" but actually yes

whilest clapping & cheering for the fun of everyone who's been here a minute. My God the invigorating reward when again i started reading in '07 & the concept of rocky & freckle on a "proper" run had only manifested via fun official bonus art, then a literal decade later as it was actually happening in the comic like screeeeaammm i can feel it coming in the air tonight oh lord etc....i've loved following it, again, if i see another new comic page. i am going to be Enriched

i also really was right on the ball myself this time around like okay okay yep i have picked up on Everything, at least to the degree i can lmao. i love the mysteries. i love how Character Focused it is too ofc and there's no characters i'm uniterested in / dislike. you gotta point to one of them, truly, and i have been a [pointing at freckle] enjoyer these fifteen years but fr i am a connoisseur of everyone, i love that so many characters are a weird mysterious chaos element story driver in their own right. i considered mordecai more intently than ever, love his like ultra mystery (and that we leave off on him doing some detectiving even) and truly fun that like, the source of the more Immediate problems he keeps having in every damn interaction isn't the like [wow mordecai with the just diving into the hatchet murdering] factor so much as it's that he's generally like "i am just standing here" and is not nt in any way that matters and people insist on fucking with him on that front. the peak tragedy of him in a bonus comic getting bullied into having to dance with someone to Be Polite like i'm so sorry i wish you could be that ficus too. anyways intrigued with the marigold &/or mordecai mysteries including that it's like, how coincidental is it that he talks about marigold having a thorn in its side & the savoys' nickname for him is peekon = thorn. there is so much to consider, love that for us truly. and i'm rooting for mordecai & nicodeme's dynamic out here, is another conclusion....very enriched by comparing & contrasting that serafine nicodeme mordecai triumvirate with the rocky ivy freckle one, to be sure. im enriched

i'm also enriched by every footnote that's got like historical facts / research notes / [this is inaccurate for xyz prioritization but here's the disclaimer] explanations. i Love information. and everything else like i loooove this comic it's Soooo Fucking putting my hands to my temples and inhaling at length through my teeth

#first time i've really taken tumblr up on that new thirty image limit expansion; bit of a surprise maybe lol #put your back into autism acceptance month &/or press j; scroll fast; read through it actually; filter the following:#long post //#learning abt the overwhelming popularity of baby ruth candy bars from lackadaisy footnotes? relevant to gtm:pota aficionadoship at one pt #remember discussing what i learned from another footnote abt some christian denominations / other religions being very Anti Prohibition #every time i use the word cagey i think of lackadaisy. cagey thing... we've all been there #fantastic time revisiting and i love to be considering all these characters all the further / with reckless juxtaposition #especially the two triumvirates as mentioned. rooting for them all #rooting for mordecai to be relieved of that v realistic [ppl sensing a Mess With His he is not nt in any way that mattersness Free For All]#either let him be or start shooting at him lmfao. but i Love that the gang had that pleasant nonbrunch together & no shots exchanged yet #more brunches! and i think nicodeme could be mordecai's bestie or w/e he wants. turn out to be Supportive in any way that matters #they are more so the ivy and freckle of their group after all lol. slightly would-be Unlikely coupling there as well anyways; and yet!#i am as enriched and intrigued and appreciative and etc as ever #and reminded that in my rereading i haven't yet gone over all the bonus material lol....#also stumbled across that sungwon cho had fandubs of lackadaisy comics posted like 9 yrs back??#which means i probably saw one or two; think i remember one being shared and checking that out #like hey didn't know i'd encountered you before like; vines & oh the lamps are fucking & etc. and now there he goes voicing mordecai yaay #lackadaisy

61 notes · View notes

yuki4amano · 10 days

Text

Midnight Musings. Whimsical Ideas.

In Izuku Midoriya's cozy living room, the atmosphere was charged with a mix of determination and camaraderie as Izuku, Yuki, Shinso, and Denki gathered to solve the misunderstanding between their friends. While Izuku was busy jotting down practical solutions in his notebook, Yuki was animatedly pitching ideas that ranged from bizarre to downright absurd.

"I think we should organize a surprise romantic dinner for them!" Yuki exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she bounced in her seat.

Shinso raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Um, Yuki, I don't think that's—"

"—practical at all," Izuku finished, giving Yuki a fond smile. "But I appreciate the enthusiasm. Maybe we could consider something a bit more low-key?"

Yuki pouted playfully, crossing her arms over her chest. "Fine, be that way. But mark my words, someday someone's going to thank me for my genius romantic gestures!"

Izuku chuckled softly, his heart swelling with affection for the girl beside him. Despite her unconventional ideas, there was something undeniably endearing about Yuki's earnestness and creativity.

As they continued to brainstorm, Izuku couldn't help but be reminded of the time he had hidden under Yuki's bed, listening to her act out her daydreams with a fictional character named Mikaela. It was a memory that still made his cheeks flush with embarrassment, but also filled him with a sense of warmth and nostalgia.

Lost in his thoughts, Izuku found himself stealing glances at Yuki, marveling at the way her eyes lit up with passion and excitement as she pitched her outlandish ideas. She was unlike anyone he had ever met, a whirlwind of contradictions and quirks that never failed to keep him on his toes.

As they worked together to find a solution to their friends' problem, Izuku couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude wash over him. For in Yuki, he had found not only a friend but a kindred spirit, someone who accepted him for who he was and challenged him to be the best version of himself.

With a smile, Izuku turned his attention back to the task at hand, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead with Yuki by his side. For as long as they were together, he knew that anything was possible.

7 notes · View notes

johnnyryall · 1 year

Text

thinking about how my aunt met mike d in the early 90s and just had absolutely no idea who he was. she asked him what he did for work and when he was like “i’m in the beastie boys” she said “oh, you guys have a few good songs.”

#beastie boys #beastieposting #fumbled #micheal diamond #mike d #la is crazy #😵‍💫#a FEW good songs…#i’m sure i have some sort of other connection to them somehow #edit my friends english teacher was high school best friends with kathleen hanna apparently???#also my aunt has like a million stories about her celebrity encounters that are so intriguing

16 notes · View notes

yuki4amano · 10 days

Text

Midnight Musings. Confessions in the Night: The Vigilante's Dilemma

The night was thick with tension as Izuku Midoriya, known to the world as the vigilante Phoenix, stood on the balcony of Yuki Amano's apartment, his heart pounding in his chest. He had come here with a purpose, a mission to finally confess his feelings to the girl who had captured his heart with her kindness and resilience.

But as he peered through the glass door, Izuku's determination wavered, replaced by a sudden rush of uncertainty. What if Yuki rejected him? What if she didn't feel the same way? These thoughts swirled in his mind, threatening to consume him whole.

With a deep breath, Izuku pushed aside his doubts and resolved to face his fears head-on. He would do whatever it took to win Yuki's heart, even if it meant risking rejection. Steeling himself, he reached for the door handle, only to freeze as a realization struck him like a bolt of lightning.

He was still wearing his vigilante outfit.

Cursing his forgetfulness, Izuku glanced down at the green and black costume that clung to his frame, the symbol of Phoenix emblazoned proudly across his chest. He couldn't confess his feelings to Yuki while dressed as a vigilante; it would only complicate things further.

With a resigned sigh, Izuku turned to leave, intent on returning home to change into something more suitable for a heartfelt confession. But before he could make his escape, the sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway, followed by the soft click of the bedroom door opening.

Panic surged through Izuku's veins as he realized he was trapped, caught between the desire to reveal his true feelings and the need to maintain his secret identity. In a split-second decision, he dove beneath Yuki's bed, praying that she wouldn't notice his presence.

As Yuki entered the room, Izuku held his breath, his heart pounding in his ears as he listened to her movements. To his relief, she seemed oblivious to his presence, lost in her world as she began to act out a scene from one of her daydreams.

Izuku's cheeks burned crimson as he listened to Yuki's fantasies, her voice filled with longing and passion as she spoke of dating a fictional character named Mikaela. It was both endearing and agonizing to hear, knowing that he could never compete with the image of her perfect fantasy.

But as he lay there in silence, Izuku couldn't help but feel a surge of affection for Yuki, her vulnerability tugging at his heartstrings in ways he never thought possible. She was so much more than he had ever imagined, a complex and multifaceted person with hopes and dreams of her own.

And at that moment, as he lay hidden beneath her bed, Izuku made a silent vow to himself. He would do whatever it took to win Yuki's heart, even if it meant revealing his true identity as Phoenix. For she was worth more to him than anything in this world, and he would stop at nothing to make her his own.

7 notes · View notes

monthofsick · 1 year

Text

Under the Surface

Nov(emeto)ber 2022, Day 9: The first time ___ has seen ___ sick

OCs: Natalia, Ketan, Cassandra, Calvin, Zena, Ezra

Is it just me or are some characters begging to eventually have a total meltdown? (This sounds so bad, I swear I'm not a horrible person in real life, I even save fruit flies from drowning.) Not gonna lie, this one hit me harder in the feels than I had expected.

TW: Vomit, alcohol, mental breakdown, unsolicited kiss

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Natalia and Cassandra had never argued in front of their friends. Apart from some benign bickering, they were usually one heart and soul. Even when Natalia got on everyone‘s nerves with her capricious airs, Cassandra was the one to jump to her defense and take the wind out of the prima donna’s sails. That’s why the entire group was completely blindsided when the two BFFs clashed violently.

The night had started like countless others – the six friends filmed a vlog about them going out. Of course, they opened with a montage of their struggles to find the right outfit or nail hair and make up for a certain relatability factor. Them meeting and hugging, then coaxing Natalia into trying cheap junk food. Zena’s local secret bar advice and the usual quarrel about today’s club of choice. The difficult agreement was ultimately contrasted by scenes inside their prefered location with all of them dancing and sipping on colorful cocktails. A glimpse at their life that made their followers feel like they were part of the circle.

It all went downhill as their casual chatter shifted to vacation planning.

„We should totally travel together again!“ Ketan was in his usual state of euphoric enthusiasm. „Our voyage vids are still our most successful.“

„I don’t know about that.“ Ezra instinctively placed a hand on his stomach. „Our trip was, quite literally, a shitshow. What if we’re cursed and it happens again?“

„Oh, please!“ Natalia rolled her eyes. „How hard can it be to stay away from the seafood? Spoiler alert: If you don’t eat stuff that’s notorious for giving you food poisoning, you will most likely not get food poisoning.“

„Fish poisoning is pretty common as well and we still took the risk“, Zena pointed out with a shrug. „We were just lucky we got away.“

„Uhm, can we stick to the fact that we’re obviously not cursed?“ Ketan glared at Ezra scoldingly. „Do you really think there is some kind of higher power with total control over us that intentionally throws us into random situations just to make us sick?“

„I wasn’t talking about an emetophile eldritch entity.“ It was impossible to tell if Ezra was offended by Ketan’s allegation or if he felt caught. „But it’s easy for you not to worry. You weren’t the one puking up your guts at least twenty times per day.“

„Uhm… guys?“ Calvin cleared his throat. There was a tense nervosity about his demeanor. „I’ve been invited to my aunt’s house, so… I wouldn’t be able to join in on the fun.“

„Wait, you’re spending your holidays without us?“, Ketan sulked. „Why didn’t you tell us earlier?“

„Yeah, about that…“ Cassandra took a deep breath. „He won’t be, like, completely without us because… I’m gonna join him.“

„What. The. Actual. Fuck?“ For a moment, Ketan’s eyes went big like two dark saucers. Then he broke into a radiant smile and clapped, barely able to contain his excitement. „I’m living for it! Who’s ready for some couple content?“

„Stop it!“ Cassandra placed a finger on Ketan’s lips. „We’re not even officially dating yet.“

„…but you are dating unofficially?“, Ketan grinned in spite of Cassandra‘s efforts to shush him. It earned him a kick against the shin with Calvin’s leather shoes.

„Aaaaw, you guys were my OTP all along!“ Zena looked like she had just seen a fluffy puppy flying by.

„Are you for real?“ Unlike her friends, Natalia wasn‘t overjoyed or smitten. Her lips were tightened and raised into a one-sided smile while her eyes remained cold and narrowed. „No shade, but… is this a prank or one of Ketan’s idiot PR moves?“

„You did not just say that.“ Cassandra’s jaw dropped. „What the hell is that even supposed to mean?“

„Well, just because the guy’s been simping for you since basically forever, it doesn’t make him your match.“ Natalia let out an exasperated scoff. „And, by the way, I thought you wanted to join me for spa week?“

„Don’t ever call Calvin a simp again.“ Cassandra was infamous for her deadpan snark, but she usually wasn’t one to openly flaunt her emotions. The unmistakable expression of raw anger seemed weirdly out of place on her features. „Also, pro tip: If you want me to join you for anything, it would really help if you just asked.“

„Yeah, because he didn’t spend our entire vacation drooling over your micro bikini.“ Natalia took a sip from her cocktail, trying hard to display a superior attitude. „Jeez, sorry for assuming that was obvious when I raved about it for a week or so. It’s not like we’ve always travelled together before, except we totally did.“

„Oh my God, I just can’t with you right now.“ There was something bubbling under Cassandra’s surface. The tension in the air had been palpable all along, but at this very moment, the argument entered minefield territory. „Are you actually salty that I didn’t catch your non-existing invitation or is it because I might care about anyone else but you?“

„Do you really want to go there?“ After an instant’s hesitation, Natalia decided to ignore the warning sign – yet the brief pause made it perfectly clear that she had undoubtedly noticed it. „Funny how little miss basic nerdy bitch clung on to me when it came in handy. A hunk like him wouldn’t even have noticed you before you met me. But sure, I’m the jealous one when you ditch me last minute because you’re thirsty or because your parents are pestering your ovaries to finally pop out some babies!“

„Leave my parents out of this!“ Cassandra was screaming. Whatever had been building up inside of her was now released in a massive explosion. „And don’t you dare to call me a leech! You wanted to be friends with me because I was the only one who wasn’t just after your money and fame! I was stupid enough to believe you’re more than an arrogant, entitled bitch, but you know what? I’m starting to think that everyone else was right about you.“

Cassandra sprung from her seat and stormed off. Calvin hurried after her, equally bewildered and worried. The remaining friends needed a moment to overcome their state of shock.

„That… was wild“, Zena muttered after an uncomfortable period of silence. „I mean, don’t you think you should follow her and apologize? You said some pretty fucked up things, you know.“

„Yeah, she’s the victim, I’m the villain, I get it.“ Natalia emptied her glass in one go. „Now would you kindly get off my back?“

With a frosty expression, Natalia waved at a waitress and ordered another drink.

Natalia got hammered and it was highly uncomfortable to watch. She did it quickly and on purpose, going from slightly tipsy to completely plastered in a timelapse. When she made efforts to attract the attention of a waiter again, Ezra brought himself to grab her arm.

„Pretty sure you had enough for the night.“

„Lemme go!“ Natalia knocked his hand out of the way. „Zena, tell Kurt Cobain you ordered on Wish to mind his own business!“

„No, sweetie.“ Zena turned Natalia’s face towards herself. „You can barely see straight, it’s about time you go home.“

Ketan chewed on his lower lip while he fought an internal struggle. Calvin was his best friend and he was mad at Natalia for trashtalking him. On the other hand, it was obvious they couldn’t leave their dead drunk princess alone. His own appartment was closest to Natalia’s, so it made sense that they would share a ride. The crisis talk had to wait until her alcohol level had dropped significantly.

„Let’s call an Uber for both of us“, Ketan sighed, resigning to his fate.

„Hello? Did I agree to that going home bullshit?“ Natalia crossed her arms in front of her chest. „Stop treatin‘ me like a baby!“

„Then stop acting like a baby.“ Ezra was clearly done with her antics. „You know what? I’ll pick up the check, you guys pay me back later. Just get her out into the fresh air.“

„Thanks, I’ll keep you guys posted!“ Ketan put his arm around Natalia’s small waste and pulled her up. „Come on, it’ll do you good. You don’t want to make a scene, do you?“

Natalia huffed, then almost stumbled over her own feet. Five inch heels weren’t necessarily made for a drunken stagger. It was quite the challenge to get her out of the club safely. Even a simple thing as standing in place required constant readjustment because Natalia threatened to topple over in every possible direction. So at first, it was a huge relief when their Uber finally arrived.

„Girlfriend had a good time, eh?“, the driver asked with a grin, but there was an element of caution to his words. Ketan put on an innocent smile.

„She’s fine“, he declared with the utmost conviction.

„Does he look like ma‘ boyfrien‘ to you?“, Natalia slurred and sank back into her seat. Ketan’s grin froze in place. He was more than ready to leave the disaster site, crawl into his bed and pretend it had all been a nightmare. The last thing he wanted was to be kicked out of the car again.

„Puke fee’s 200,00 $. Still willing to take the ride?“

„Ah, yeah, sure.“ Ketan‘s cheeks glowed with embarrassment and anxiety. This was uncharted territory for him. Ketan had never seen Natalia drunk, let alone sick. She could hold her liquor remarkably well and she didn‘t pass the line of losing control. The external expression was everything to her. Ketan wouldn’t have believed anyone who told him that the elegant diva would ever crash and burn like that.

The car took off and Ketan kept his fingers crossed that Natalia’s stomach would survive the trip unscathed. She leaned against the head rest, eyes closed like she was about to doze off. For at least ten minutes, Natalia barely moved a muscle. Just when Ketan dared to gather some hope, the inebriated blonde began to shift in her seat. Her glossy pink lips curled into a frown and she hugged herself with a pained groan.

„Hang in there, Nat, it’s not far now.“ Ketan awkwardly stroked Natalia’s shoulder. It felt peculiar, almost illegal. Under normal circumstances, she would have never allowed him to even think about comforting her. On the other hand, it seemed wrong to just watch her suffer – and he wasn’t keen on paying the vomit fine.

„Where is Cas?“, Natalia whined. Her gestures were uncoordinated, an odd staccato of rubbing her belly, clutching the shiny fabric of her dress, covering her lips, turning her head. Every now and then, her face contorted into a silent retch.

„You’ll see her again soon.“ Ketan tried to come up with some kind of appeasement that, strictly speaking, wasn’t a lie. „Now try to breathe and relax, will you? I mean, I’m here, that’s at least… something.“

„I want Cas.“ The expression on Natalia’s face could have been both intense pain or nausea. She waved her hands like she was trying to fan herself, then curled up again. Her pursed lips formed an O and she let out a hybrid of gag and moan.

„Remember, puke fee is…“

„…200,00 $, I know.“ Ketan wearily cut off the driver and put his hand on Natalia’s back. Thanks to a generous cut-out, he could feel her clammy skin under his palm, shivering with every twitch of her muscles. „Nat, listen, are you going to be sick? Do we need to pull over?“

Natalia shook her head vehemently, then squinted and scrunched up her nose. Her fingers pushed against her lips. Ketan’s tension grew, but then again, they were barely five minutes away from his apartment building.

„Try to hold it in, we’re almost there!“

A violent jolt rocked Natalia’s body. She raised her head with a sudden jerk and her eyes flew open. Frantically, her unsteady hands grabbed the skirt of her dress. She spread her legs, bent over and vomited on the champagne colored fabric.

Ketan covered his face with a hand while rubbing Natalia’s convulsing back with the other one.

„Hell no!“, the driver grunted. „I knew it was a mistake to give you a lift.

„She – she caught it“, Ketan stammered apologetically, just to be drowned out by a full-throated retch. It was not a sound he had ever expected to come out of the ever so graceful Natalia – let alone the following gush of puke that splattered on the velvety material. The pond of watery sick sloshed back and forth in her impromptu barf bag. „Can you pull over really, really gently?“

Another stream of multicolored liquid poured out of Natalia’s heart shaped mouth. Ketan held his breathe – not because of the stench, but in tense anticipation if her skirt would be able to contain the flood. What the blonde expelled had the acrid odor of alcohol with only the slightest hint of vomit, which was a good thing. The lustrious synthetic fiber seemed to be waterproof, at least nothing had seeped through so far. If only the barf lake wouldn’t spill over…

Finally, the car stopped at the curb. The regurgitated drinks swashed dangerously between Natalia’s legs, but she held up her skirt with the courage of despair.

„Don’t move, I’ll come over and lend you a hand.“ Ketan jumped out of the car and rushed to Natalia’s side. He pulled the door open, then deliberately paused to change the pace. Slowly and very, very carefully, he helped Natalia turn towards him so she could gently slide over the seat and out into the open. It was not until they had moved away at least five baby steps from the vehicle that Ketan let go of the satin. He leapt backwards as Natalia released the collected sick all over the sidewalk.

The driver had already left the cab to thoroughly check for stains in the backseat area. Ketan’s heart was pounding like a jackhammer. Finally, the driver turned around, shrugged his shoulders and gave Ketan a crooked grin.

„Looks like your girl can aim“, he sneered. „Dodget the bullet. If you ask me, the lady is a keeper.“

„Yeah… thanks.“ With a sheepish smile, Ketan took out his wallet and expressed his gratitude with a generous tip. There was a flutter of relief when the driver finally left. Then Ketan remembered that he still had to drag a wasted and puke-soaked Natalia into his apartment.

This was going to be a long night.

Surprisingly, Natalia didn’t put up a fight when Ketan lead her into his humble abode. Maybe she was too wasted to care that this wasn’t her own place. Even though Ketan felt like a creep, he knew he had to get the girl out of her spoilt dress. There was no way Natalia could stand up long enough to remove her clothes, so he sat her down on his couch.

„Sorry, don’t mean to be a perv, but we have to get you into something clean and dry.“

The last out of all possible reactions Ketan had expected was the very drunk version of a seductive smile, but that was exactly what Natalia gave him. With maximum discomfort, he pulled the dress over her head, doing his best not to soil her ombre hair. He tossed the saving piece of textile straight into the adjacent bathroom – a daily routine he was well-versed in when it came to his own clothes. Avoiding any closer look at Natalia in her underwear, he tried to wrap her in his blanket when she suddenly pulled him into a kiss.

To say that Ketan was flabbergasted would have been a gross understatement. His brain couldn’t even make sense of Natalia’s arms around his neck and her soft lips pressing against his own. She tasted like vomit and hard liquor, but that wasn’t the actual issue. Natalia’s ability to make rational decisions had clearly been drowned in a flood of alcohol. Gently but firmly, Ketan pushed her away and put the blanket around her shoulders.

Natalia stared at him in bewilderment.

„How dare you?“ Her voice quavered. „I’m way outta your league, you should have been grateful!“

„Nat… you don’t want to do this.“ Ketan tried to reach out for her, but Natalia slapped back his hand.

„You’re insane to turn down a woman like me!“, Natalia huffed. Then she hunched over and puked on Ketan’s lap. He cringed as the flaky mash splashed on his pants. This was definitely more than pure alcohol – maybe remains of the chicken nuggets they had forced on her earlier. Natalia sobbed, which immediately turned into a heave that brought up a second helping of soupy gruel. The spurt became thicker towards the end until the last lumps of sludge plopped heavily on Ketan’s thighs.

Natalia lifted her head. Trails of mascara ran down her flushed cheeks and mixed with the vomit stains around her mouth.

„Nobody needs me“, she wept, seemingly unaware of the fact that she had just thrown up on her friend. Ketan was overwhelmed by helplessness and compassion. Hesitantly, he put his hands on Natalia‘s shoulders.

„That is BS.“ Ketan softly wiped away Natalia’s tears, trying to ignore the puddle of sick that already began to cool down on his lap. Some bigger chunks of meat and soggy batter lazily slipped down the sides of his legs. „You are our friend. Of course we need you!“

„But Zena and Ezra are basically siblings and Calvin’s your best mate and now he’s Cassandra’s bae and I’m all alone.“

„What are you even talking about?“ Ketan put on an encouraging smile. „You’re still part of the squad. You fucked up pretty badly today, but I’m sure Cass will forgive you if you apologize.“

„I miss her“, Natalia cried and threw herself at Ketan again. She didn’t notice that she soiled herself (and the blanket) by crawling into her own congealed vomit. Ketan pushed his instinctive disgust aside and put his arms around Natalia’s body that was still wrecked with sobs.

„I know“, he soothed the trembling blonde. „You just have to be honest with her. Tell her that you were acting like an arrogant prick because you are terrified of losing her. I promise it won’t hurt you to be a little soft and vulnerable sometimes.“

„But what if she hates me?“ Natalia pressed her wet face against Ketan’s chest. It was incredible how she had turned from an overconfident queen into this shivering bundle of insecurities.

„No way!“ Ketan stroked back Natalia’s long hair. The light blond tips had not been spared by her vomiting fit. „If you open up, I’m sure she will understand. And even if she needs some time to get over your fight, you’re still not alone in this. I’m here for you, and I’m sure the others will be as well. Especially if you show them for once that you care about them.“

Ketan pulled Natalia closer and caressed her neck until she relaxed in his arms. As her body began to feel heavier, he carefully straightened her up.

„Don’t snooze off yet. We still have to clean ourselves up. You made quite the mess, my dear.“

„I dunno where that came from“, Natalia pouted.

„Well, I’m pretty sure I know.“ Ketan wrapped his arms around the intoxicated girl and led her into his bathroom. Physically and mentally exhausted, she was already half asleep under the warm shower and snuggled into the towel as Ketan dried her off. Against his better judgment, Ketan decided to postpone the puke cleaning session of his couch for the next day. He apologized in advance to future Ketan, then put his coziest pajamas on Natalia and himself before cuddling up with her in bed.

Ketan completely forgot about placing a bucket next to her bedside, but he was granted several hours of peaceful sleep before he came to regret this unfortunate oversight.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Archive of our own: Up all night to get Bucky

tumblr: birdnamedenza