#Dog Saves Little Child From Snake

[icarusallusion]

One of the main reasons I've been so fond of Otasune since I first knew it was a thing was because I think they're genuinely one of the purest forms of love in Metal Gear.

Throughout the series we see horrible relationships between horrible people trying to get by and then that relationship gets dragged through the awful scenarios they live with, be it war, internal struggles, infidelity etc. Despite this common place struggle with so many other characters, we see Otacon and Snake steadfast loyal and healthy throughout every struggle they go through.

They may not be an official couple, but they will always stay the most communicative relationship even outside of shipping. I see people joke about how Otacon kind of bosses Snake around (especially in MGS4), but I always saw it as refreshing. In the series, there is so many times where x character does something horrendous and y character just sits aside and silently sulks about it.

But this doesn't happen, like at all, with Dave and Hal. There are many times where Snake doesn't think about consequences to his actions as a general rule of soldier, however Hal has never been a soldier. So when these things happen, Otacon tells him off and it's something Snake genuinely needs to hear. It's something human, away from combat. Because Otacon is one of the very few characters that talks to Snake as a person, as a human, not as a soldier or fucked up clone baby.

Snake has gone his whole life scrapping the bottom of the barrel to stop feeling so lonely, he flirts with every woman he sees, he attaches himself very easily onto superiors, etc. Snake is a man who has spent his whole life trying to appeal to people, to get the praise he was never allowed as a child. Otacon gives him the comfort he never got. While any military superior can say Dave is the best of the best. None will look him in the face and tell him he has to live to just live.

Hal also opens a lot of doors to Snake's own discovery about himself. While this next point might sound a little cringy, stick with me. People may joke about the anime interest Snake and Otacon share, but it always came across so genuinely sweet to me. Snake's only interests up until he met Otacon have been, stop feeling lonely and war. I think even part of his musher life and interests within sledding can contribute to part of this. I mean come on, not even a regular musher keeps 50 dogs in their house and dogs are a natural remedy to loneliness. But in all seriousness, David refers to the huskies as his only family and I don't see him connecting with any other mushers he works with, it reads as him wanting to not be alone while also still being so lonely. As well as how mushing is considered a more normal interest than being an otaku, especially in the early 2000s. Mushing is a sport, and being an Otaku was pretty much unheard of or hated. Watching this guy who has been stuffed full of war propaganda scream a dorky "falcon punch" and "ninjutsu" with his best friend is so heartwarming in a way.

As well as Otacon's whole meme turned question of "do you think love can bloom on the battlefield?" Is something that I think Snake needed to be asked. It's probably been something he's been thinking about. It is also one of the most human things Snake asked throughout the game. About finding love in fear. Otacon constantly prods into Snake's heart and brings out the good in him.

Not only does Hal open up a space for Snake to have genuine unashamed interests and show true pure humanity. He also shows off their childhood. Both Hal and David never got proper childhoods. They connect that with each other through cheesy animes, talking about uncertainty in love, finding out what life is all about, navigating feelings, and through that damn cheesy handshake hug. It's all genuinely pure and wholesome love that connects what they didn't get to explore in childhood with one another. When Snake opened that piss covered locker and saved Otacon, he brought his own salvation into his life without knowing it. The very presence of Otacon saved Snake. It's why MGS4 felt so depressing for me especially, the strain between Snake and Otacon left a hole in my little heart and made Snake feel even more hopeless.

I also want to talk about how Snake benefited Otacon.

Otacon begins as cowardly and timid, he's an incredibly insecure character that struggles to connect with others, probably stemming from the issues in his younger life. When he meets Snake, he's faced with someone he could relate to that has an outward appearance that makes him seem so much more confident than he is. Snake is not this, he's as insecure as Otacon. Indirectly, Snake is the whole reason Otacon gets on his feet to take action against terrorism, takes action to become a better person. Snake shows Hal that he doesn't haven't to be strong to do the right thing. Throughout time, Snake helps Otacon come to terms with his own self worth and issues.

In MGS2, it has one of my favorite examples. The infamous bro hug scene.

Before it, this is when Otacon allows himself to open up about his childhood, not even just Infront of Snake, Infront of Raiden too. This showcased such a development in his character because he's proudly talking about it, while even through tears he doesn't hide it anymore.

Did you know that during that scene if you pan the camera to Snake, you can see that he is crying too?

When Hal has a breakdown over his sister's death, Snake is there to comfort him as well as tell him how it is in bluntness with a hand on his back that he needs to save people. It isn't cold or callous, it's letting Otacon know that he has something worth fighting for after a loss like that. Then when they face one another, they embrace each other and Snake tells Hal that he believes in him. Hal spent a lot of time as a scientist, hoping for someone to believe in him, while Snake puts all of his belief into Hal.

I can never forget the iconic "You're the only god I can pray to, Otacon" line. Snake has a deep loyalty, love, and belief in Otacon that Otacon has never been truly given before.

They both, in turn love each other till the end of their lives. Their love was one of the most heart wrenching and beautiful things in Metal Gear Solid and it's no surprise it captivated so many people. Their relationship, whether you ship them or just see them as a bromance. There is no denying the love they feel for one another as friends or lovers is one of the most iconic and sweetest bromances out theres They have impacted so much pop culture and I love them forever, as I'm sure many of you do who read all the way to the bottom.

#mgs #otasune #metal gear solid #solid snake #otacon #hal emmerich #little sappy post sorry guys i love them

[foap-enjoyer]

Ghoap headcanons

Simon 'Ghost' Riley and John 'Soap' Mactavish relationship headcanons

Soap is the most affectionate in public. He always sticks close to Ghost, (minding his personal space, as Ghost isn't one for public displays) brushing up against him. Touches his shoulders, his arms, his back. He brushes their knees together under tables. Very verbal, too. He constantly makes jokes he really, really shouldn't be making at work around Ghost. And Ghost really, really wants him to shut up sometimes.

Ghost is the most affectionate in private. He touches constantly, never lets go. Adores touching Soap- it makes him feel good. Feel human. Brushing their teeth, laying in bed, watching a movie. It doesn't matter where - Ghost has to have a hand on Soap. His knee, his arm, anywhere he can, he will.

Ghost realised he was down bad during the 'alone' mission, when Soap was shot. He was terrified Soap wouldn't get up in time, wouldn't move out the way of the oncoming bullets. He ran and left Soap because he was terrified he was dead, and he didn't want to see him like that.

<><><><>

On the way to the safehouse after the 'alone' mission, Soap went into shock due to his injury. Cue Ghost having to desperately patch him up in the back of the car as Soap is fighting him off, confused and in pain. Ghost holds him down, comforts him, and they end up sitting together, pulled over on the road, listening to the shitty little radio for a while, before continuing on.

Ghost has nightmares of not saving Soap from Hassan. Dreams that Hassan was successful in throwing Soap out the window, that his bullet hit too late. He wakes up searching for the man each time. And each time, Soap is there.

Soap has nightmares too. Nightmares about being attacked by dogs as a kid, and, again as a soldier, of them tearing at his face, mauling him. Ghost always holds him close after these, and is extra careful to make sure no dogs come near the sergeant.

<><><><>

Soap does the same for Simon, when it comes to scorpions, spiders, and snakes. In fact, he has little fear of them, and will pick them up randomly to chuck them away from a dumbfounded Ghost, who could very easily shoulder his way through everything. It still makes him smile, even if Soap can't see it.

Soap's love language is physical touch, and while Ghost also loves touch, his love language is gift-giving. He collects things from every mission. A little stuffed bear, a fridge magnet, a tub of sand. Anything he finds, he gifts to Soap. Soap has a little shelf in his room just for those trinkets.

On leave, they like to drive up to Soap's sister's house and steal his niece for the weekend. She loves coming on trips with them. They take her hiking, to the zoo, to the movies. They spoil her like she was their own child. It's healing for both Soap and Ghost. Incredibly healing.

#modern warfare ii #call of duty #mw2 #cod #john soap mactavish #modern warfare 2 #simon ghost riley #soap mactavish #soap mw2 #soapghost #ghost x soap #ghoap #soap x ghost #ghostsoap #soap cod #call of duty ghost #headcannons #headcanon

[prodshima]

love languages (two) 𖤐

warnings: signs of mental instability (?), idk but that's about it, it's all just fluff <3 tell me if i missed anything :)

characters: kuroo & hajime

notes: in honor of me turning seventeen today, here is the part two of love languages! <3 i hope im not too rusty crusty haha :D!

-> click here for: [ part one ]

kuroo tetsuro - acts of service

kuroo tetsuro is a man who never fails to reach the book men level of standard.

you think that maybe he’s not actually real and some kind of illusion, because how could be a man be so perfect?

well, apparently he is and you must’ve saved multiple planets because for whatever reason— he’s your boyfriend in this universe.

—

“baby? i brought you your favorite coffee and some pastries” the said man says as he pushes the bedroom door open

you quickly turn around to the sweet voice of your boyfriend, he’s wearing the biggest grin on his face that reciprocates yours while holding up your favorite coffee in his hand and bread on the other

just like a child when they’re given their favorite stash of candy.

“matcha latte?” you scramble away from your where you’re sat in to where he is, kicking away the scattered tissue boxes and paper bags

kuroo chuckles, pecking your forehead lightly “mhm, you got it, baby. you feeling better now?”

you nod, “uh uh, i’m doing okay now, just doing my physics assignments to catch up for tomorrow and i still have some cleaning to do… i think im gonna get sick again if i don’t”

sounds of laughter fills up the room as the both of you glance around the room, looking at each other again with a scrunch

“i’ll help you clean up and don’t overwork yourself, okay? don’t wanna see my baby getting sick again” kuroo laughs as he pinches your cheek before moving to sit on your bed, reaching into his bag

“oh and here’s your physics and maths notes, baby, i figured i could use my vacants to attend a couple of your missed classes” sounds of rustling follows as he hands you neatly highlighted papers

your mouth drops open in shock

just the thought that your boyfriend chose to spend his free time writing notes for his sick partner and listened to professors ramble for god knows how long instead of enjoying his once-in-a-lifetime rest hours

kuroo knows how much you struggle with these classes, not to mention that you’ve missed a couple days because of how sick you got.

“god, you didn’t have to do all that but thank you so much, tetsu, i love you a lot” you snake your hands around his neck to pull him down, kissing his lips

“well i got my reward, didn’t i?”

he smirks

sneaky little shit.

iwaizumi hajime - words of affirmation

it’s one of those days again.

those days where your ugly thoughts are winning over you and swallowing you whole, leaving you in a state of insecurity about yourself and your relationship with other people

it’s crazy how doubt can take over those positive thoughts you’ve tried to build over the months, only for it to be ruined by some evil monster inside your head that’s so against seeing you happy— there’s only so much you can do and you hate to think that it has succeeded.

but then iwaizumi hajime is always there to protect you.

he becomes your personal shield from all those monsters with just his words, his words that have seems to always save you from getting those thoughts into your head

-

“darling, is there something wrong?” hajime asks, his hand coming up to caress your cheek, worry evident on his face

how come he always knows even when you don’t say anything?

you wonder how, when it’s actually the silence that concerns him, he knows that you love making small talks with him just as he loves hearing your voice when you ramble about your day

it has become a part of your routine at this point, whether it's about your annoying professors, how you almost tripped over something, and even just about a cute dog you saw for two seconds on the street

and he's also powerhouse setter for god's sake, he's always perceptive and is quick when it comes to body languages and whatever happens around him

“it’s nothing, haj, i'm fine. just a little bit tired from school.” you whisper as you tiptoe to give him a kiss but instead, a gasp is forced out of you as he carries you bridal style into to the bedroom

hajime kicks through the door, still rubbing circles on your leg. he knows you're not feeling good and just don't wanna be a "hindrance", but to him, nothing and no one is more important than you

and you know this, but those ugly thoughts just disagrees and wants you to be miserable about every little thing. you hate that no matter what you do, they still manage push their way in and ruin your day

hajimes kisses your forehead and the tip of your nose lightly, "i don't wanna force you to talk about it if you're not ready just yet but remember that i'm all ears, okay? i love you so much, baby, you're perfect for me, always and whatever's bothering you is our problem, mhm?"

he must be an angel— you think, he's always patient with you and doesn't belittle you for having your moments of weaknesses that he says is a disguise of strength and that you being there with him despite everything makes you one of the bravest people out there

perhaps, he is — and you're one lucky person to be able to call him yours.

#haikyuu x reader #haikyuu scenarios #haikyuu imagines #haikyuu x you #haikyuu drabbles #haikyuu!! #haikyuu fics #iwaizumi fluff #iwaizumi imagines #iwaizumi x reader #iwaizumi scenarios #iwaizumi x you #iwaizumi x y/n #kuroo x y/n #kuroo x you #kuroo scenarios #kuroo imagines #kuroo x reader

[bestworstcase]

I’m curious about your honest thoughts on Oscar Pine and the position the narrative has set him in. [14 year old gets infected with an immortal parasite and he believes it’s going to eat him. Eat his brain, his personality, his free will. And Replace Him.] Your analysis of Salem and Oscar’s interaction in the whale was fascinating and I’m dying to know if you have further or more overarching analysis on Oscar. Kid can’t catch a break from the horrors but seems to be the turning point to reject the status quo and CHOOSE DIFFERENTLY re working with Salem against the gods. THE GAME WAS RIGGED FROM THE START, REJECT THE PREMISE

this posts about ruby as much as oscar but i here's the main screed from when the 'the little prince' allusion got confirmed. also i think a lot about the mirrored ways salem and ozma treat cinder and oscar a lot

like any of the mains it's helpful to examine his roles in the core allusions to get a sense for where rwby is going with him ->

he's the little prince (a story about a child's journey into adulthood wherein transcendence-through-death is used to symbolize the experience of growing up without losing yourself; rwby literalizes this theme as ascension in v9. ozpin is the pilot, who is spiritually dead and cynical until his relationship with the prince revitalizes him, and then he has to let the prince go)

he's jack pumpkinhead (tip's "son," who spends much of the story fretting about decay and his own mortality because his head, a pumpkin, is going to rot; notably for rwby's purposes, jack is not wrong to worry, but he's saved from this fate by canning his head to preserve it)

he (along with cinder) is symbolically if not literally one of rapunzel's twins—note the congruence here with the prince's relation to the pilot [surrogate father/son] and jack's relation to tippetarius [creator/creation]. thus his (and cinder's) role in the maiden-in-tower layer of the narrative is to bring ozlem back together, probably in vacuo if the desert/wasteland thing holds.

<- so a purely intertextual reading suggests pretty strongly that oscar is on a track to being liberated from ozma in the course of the ozlem reconciliation and probably facilitated by ruby on the grounds that she is 1. the protagonist, and 2. the snake.

also we are definitely supposed to understand the "merge" as something that really would destroy oscar if allowed to complete and the contingent of this fandom that keeps reassuring each other that it's Fine Actually are unserious and fooling themselves. the kid actively preferred to continue being tortured than risk accelerating this process by using magic to escape—it is not a coming-of-age metaphor, lmao.

moving away from the intertextual layer, and sort of in the vein of the second post i linked, on oscar's quasi-familial relationship with ozma, i think about this a lot:

esp in light of what i talked about in this post regarding when the ozlem daughters disappear from ozma's side of the story. ozma loses track of his girls as soon as he attacks salem, and the girls die—her "we finally had freedom"/"why do you keep. coming. back."—ozma tells oscar he's sorry for leaving and oscar retorts "i'm not upset that you left, i'm upset that you came back." the stuffed dog symbolizing the deaths of his daughters and the stuffed dog symbolizing the child he's erasing in service of the god for whom he sacrificed his family. there's… some interesting implications knotted around this being the imagery that accompanies ozma thinking the problem is that he left versus oscar wishing he hadn't come back.

(see also, the fanon presumption that salem is furious with ozma because he left her versus salem herself expressing her rage as "why do you keep coming back"—as always rwby is not subtle AND YET)

anyway. the point being that i think the narrative is quietly interrogating ozma's role and culpability in the deaths of his daughters through oscar, who is also a quasi-child of his that he is killing—and while the curse itself is not ozma's fault, his treatment of oscar and insistent resignation to the inevitability of oscar's death is within his power to change, and of course i think ozma's apostasy is a prerequisite for him to be freed from oscar and vice versa. and the insidious combination of the merge itself and ozma's constant "our souls are becoming one" reminders is wearing oscar down. so there's a lot to chew on.

my most controversial opinion about him is that he is in far more danger than cinder is, vis a vis their relationships with their respective sides of the divorce

his stuff with ironwood in V7 also plays against penny's stuff with winter in a fascinating way because in essence he and ironwood are having the same debate that penny is having with winter and in the end ironwood and winter turn in opposite directions; winter throws herself between cinder and penny+fria rather than try to take the winter maiden for herself while ironwood shoots oscar over a ledge rather than listen to oscar's pleas to back off from using the winter maiden to open the vault.

and then in V8 penny is drawn into being a repetition of ozma's original tragedy—the noble hero brought low by a virus and killed—in juxtaposition to oscar surviving by choosing to become more like ozpin (using magic to blow up the whale) but in a context where that sacrifice was perhaps unnecessary (salem chose to let them go). the penny grief arc is already leading toward empathy for salem (see: ozlem parallels with ruby all over V9) and i think oscar's and ozma's witnessing of that will be… interesting, because one of the obstacles to the ozlem reconciliation is that ozma really does not understand how deeply salem grieved for him the first time she lost him.

hrgddhk it's difficult to talk about solely oscar because he is a load-bearing pillar in the story and that means his character is interlocked very closely with a lot of other character arcs—maybe more so than any other main character tbh.

#if you have specific scenes of his you want my Thoughts on feel free to ask #bc i think abt him a lot #if you want my unorthodox ruby/oscar Thoughts you can ask for that too #(<- indifferent but it's doing work for ozlem reconciliation so i chew on it from time to time #also the shippers are hysterical)

[allamericanb-tch]

goblet of fire thoughts !!!

(my first watch as a marauders fan. spoilers obviously.)

writing my thoughts down bc i’m a Talker during movies and my family is not watching with me

barty <3 i’m trying not to lose it rn

this is the skin of a killer bella (i’ve never seen twilight)

lucius’ hair is so luscious

morsmordre is the coolest word ever idec

oooohhh cho chang (i hate her name so much fuck jkr)

isn’t it funny that ron has a crush on fleur and then she married ron’s brother

fred and george my pookies

eeeee moody (barty)

this is an age line 🤓

krumione is so funny to me

lowk do not like ron in this movie

HARRYDIDYOUPUTYOURNAMEINTHEGOBLETOFFIRE

rita! if only this movie had quillkiller

knowing exactly what size a broom cupboard is is important for future writings

“my eyes aren’t glistening with the ghosts of my past”

sirius!!!!!

neville <3

i’m not an owl 🦉🤓😠

ron is so sirius 

i’m a draco girl im so sorry i can’t help myself he’s so fine

moody (barty) is so real i love him 

i never realized how far away the quidditch pitch is from hogwarts

trying to figure out how im gonna write this in the context of the marauders

krum is so

when dumbledore calls barty crouch sr ‘barty’ it messes with me so much

these mini dragons are so cutie

the way harry just destroyed part of the castle

brb memorizing the gryffindor common room layout

harry smiling at cho and then the pumpkin juice falls out of his mouth 😭😭😭

RON’S DRESS ROBES

love ginny

mcgonagall teaching dance lessons

fred and george are so sirius and james

i love neville so much i would happily go to the yule ball with him

ew snape boooo 🍅

harry 😭

RON 😭😭😭 “you know how i like it when they walk”

padma and pavarti’s outfits EAT

guys i know hermione’s dress in the book is blue but in the movie it HAS to be pink ok

MRS NORRIS HAS RED EYES?!

i used to have a crush on moaning myrtle

love neville

harry turning into a little half mermaid

my dad just walked in and said “that’s the dream” (turning into a half mermaid when you swim)

harry is so james for trying to save everyone

fred and george calling harry “moral fiber”

barty crouch sr and moody (barty) 😧

THE TRIAL SCENE AHHHH

“evan rosier is dead” 💔

rip frank and alice

“give me a wretched name! BARTY CROUCH…… junior”

barty is so fine ahhhhhh

the way he just flicks his tongue 😭

barty and sirius would’ve been best friends in azkaban

cassandra but it’s harry about his dreams

oh no this is the part where cedric dies

this movie reminds me of the cursed child because of That One Part

“periculum” red sparks remember that

“kill the spare” 💔

rip robert pattinson you will be missed

voldemort’s fetus body getting thrown in the cauldron 😭

why did they have to make wormtail so ugly like

tom riddle was a hottie why’d he have to turn into a snake man

brooo put your dogs away

voldy’s manicure eats lowkey

i forget how small the dark mark is on their arm

death eater outfits are so funky

lucius 😧

lily mention 💔

“i can touch you know” voldy he’s 14

ooooo duel

james ☹️ 

lily ☹️

his eyes really are glistening with the ghosts of his past

“i don’t think i said anything about a graveyard professor”

the trunk is cool

moody (barty) turning to barty We Are So Back

he’s so babygirl

the way barty just escaped azkaban and no one noticed 😭

you can tell dumbledore isn’t straight because he stands like [see picture below]

and it’s over 

#goblet of fire #marauders #harry potter #barty crouch jr

[the-hufflepuffle]

I've fallen down the pit that is Good Omens 2 and because I'm me I made "ineffable offspring".

Esther

'star'

Created after S1

Named after the queen from the Bible who risked her life for the Jewish people. I feel like Esther would have been one of Crowley and Aziraphale s favorite people that ended up in the Bible.

Very much a sarcastic, loving, older sister vibe despite being an only child

I really like the "snake eyes" theory about Crowley so I think he'd name her after the stars, and she'd be the only one he can see now.

Raised mainly by Crowley who has/had the space for a kid

Likes it when the Bentley is a little bit yellow i.e. the studs on the wheels, or the stitching on the seats

Alexei

'defending men'

Created after S1

Named for what his parents wanted him to do: defend men

More of a serious self sacrificing older brother, and is the "scary dog" in Esther and Helena's "scary dog privileges"

Grew up very similar to a divorce settlement arrangement: one week with Gabriel, next with Beez. Still getting used to being able to live with both of them at the same time

I think Gabriel and Beez would try and raise him as neutrally as possible, because neither wants him in heaven or he'll full time

He loves his younger sister and acts very much like a Neteyam to her Tuk. I don't know how to explain it for people who haven't seen The Way of Water so here's pictures for what I mean. 1 is Neteyam holding Tuk when they are learning about the sea and 2 is neteyam saving Tuk and their brother lo'ak when they get captures.

Helena

'shining light'

Created after S2

Named after disposition that she's always had. I also think that when Gabriel wad Jim he read Fire and Blood and Helaena, the princess with an affinity for prophecies and bugs, was his favorite.

Definitely more positive, which doesn't mean she doesn't get serious or sad, she just tends to be more upbeat first

Got heterochromia with both of Beez eye colors,which makes Gabriel happy.

Definitely annoys Alexei but in a fun way and if it makes him really upset makes up for it.

She also was raised neutral, but that was more of a change in parenting style where Gabe and Beez want their kids to be individuals, so the show them all sides to things.

#good omens 2 #ineffable bureaucracy #ineffable husbands

[sporesgalaxy]

(Addison and the Ouroboros atuff got me thinking about some of my favorite visual designs of similar things when I was a kid~)

This is from Little Nemo Adventures in Slumberland (1989). As you can see, this golden key is technically an ouroboros, but is still a pretty sick design of a coiled dragon, so I give it an honorary inclusion (Nemo here was given the key and told not to open the door with the same symbol on it... so, y'know, that obviously HAS to happen. Nightmares ensue~)

This is the Auryn from the Neverending Story (1984), which is very ouroboros-tastic with TWO snakes wound together! If you've never seen this movie, the Auryn is the symbol of the Childlike Empress in the magical land Fantasia (Fantastica in the original book), worn by the young warrior who is sent on a quest to find the one thing that will save her life, and by extension, the whole world; a human child that can give her a new name

Anyway, I love the complex stuff you have going on with Addison and the Ouroborus!

OOH both very cool!!! I've never heard of Little Nemo Adventures, it looks gorgeous! And at some point as a child I watched most or all of The Neverending Story, but I found something about the premise or themes profoundly existentially disturbing and blocked out my memory of it lol???? LOVED that big dog thing though. And thanks Ive had a lot of fun mashing together themes and concepts and symbolism!!!!!

#asks

[btnclmrttn]

Yo!! It's me again, can I request something again if it's fine?

If I can, may I ask for a continuation of my other requests but for Sai? Wherever leght and theme you feel like doing (for example sai asks them to change prices or some random thing, literally anything) Been craving content of him but there's barely any 😞. Staring at my phone like ☺️ with your work tbh

Yuh I gotchu I understand I've been craving content for him too. Thanks for the lightbulb! I personally like how this turned out

"Hey, ____?" Saitama inquires, rolling his shopping cart to a stop, "Have you seen any sales on these lately?"

You glance over to the grocery item he is referring to, taking a second to think before answering, "Huh. Now that you mention it I haven't seen any in a while...."

"Man...they just keep getting more and more expensive. I'd hate to give them up but these prices are getting rediculous!"

"Gonna start rationing?"

"Geez, I might have to," he sighs, "Hope they have a sale soon."

"I'm sure lots of people dream of the same."

His eyes grow wide with an expression that shows an idea. A pair of strong hands then take you by the shoulders and pull you closer to Saitama's face.

"Hey! I forgot you change realities! Can you make this on sale a reality?!"

"Oh, Sai...," you say with hesitation to his puppy dog eyes. You forgot too, honestly.

"What's the worst that could happen? Economic fallout? It won't hurt anything!"

Not far from the truth if you aren't careful. For his own good you'd rather not, for the sake of a seriously disproportionate chain reaction.

"Well I don't know. There's always something that happens! There's a consequence to every shift-"

"Babe, please? I'll do anything!"

"I don't know Saitama..."

"I can make you're favorite dinner tonight! I don't care how much that would cost!"

You're taken aback by his statement, "Did you hit your head???"

"If I'm saving on this and spending it on you instead it really isn't loss! Pleeaase!"

Hardly is he ever this desperate. He already has some money struggles. Likely he could be saying that as last resort, because he knows you won't run his pockets dry. You're as cheap as he is sometimes. Smart move.

You attempt to tear your eyes away from your boyfriend's sweet pleading face. His big brown eyes don't look away, dragging you back into the gaze little by little.

It would be impossible to say no. You'd have to be a crazy person.

You throw your head back and groan, caving in to his begging, "Fine!"

He smiles wide while picking you up into a strong embrace, "Yeah! Thanks, ____!"

You make a strained sound of agreement as the air in your lungs is bear hugged out of you. He sets you to your feet, then looks at you with expectancy.

"Okay, so-"

"You gotta say abracadabra or something?" Saitama cuts off.

"Ah...sure. YOU say abracadabra."

"Okay...uh...Abracadab-"

Saitama is cut off mid sentence by someone squeezing through with a half-assed "excuse me" to the stand. Your eyes follow the man to the stand that is now surrounded by a barbaric-like crowd scavenging for the product Saitama sought for.

Saitama's face quickly scrunches to an irritation with the widened eyes saying else wise: panic.

"H-Hey! Save some for the rest of us!" He cries as he shoves his way through the crowd.

"Oh boy," you mumble to yourself as you sneak around the crowd. You make your way around behind a shorter woman and are able to reach over her enough to grab just one. It's enough for your personal satisfaction. You snake away from the people far back and pull the shopping basket aside.

Despite the chrome dome he has, Saitama has become awfully hard to spot. One by one the people are stepping aside, and fewer are coming to the stand. Still no Saitama. When the crowd eventually clears, you can now see him bent over the stand. It makes him look small, child like.

Dragging the cart over, you get close enough to put an arm over your dramatic boyfriend, "You alright there?"

He shamefully lifts up the contents of his hands, "I only got two..."

"I got one. Now you got three."

Saitama stands up straight to better look at you, bringing a smile to his face as usual, "Lucky me."

"Three for the price of one. That's a steal, yeah?"

He leans in closer to give you a little peck on the cheek, "I think you're quite the steal. Thanks for doing this for me."

A heat rushes to your face as a smile overtakese by itself, "But you only got three. That's enough?"

"Yeah, it's enough," he says as he sets the goods in the basket "Now, a deals a deal. What did you want for dinner?"

"Hmm... I think I would have a better idea if I got to ride in the basket."

Without a second of hesitation, Saitama lifts you with one arm and sets you in the basket. You put some grocery items in your lap to make better room and scoot around to face him.

"Alright. That better?"

"Much better. Let's go pick up some of your cabbage first," you instruct.

"Eh, I got a little left a home," he says taking the cart in his hands again.

"Might as well get it before it's gone. It's on sale!"

"What? No, that was last-"

He looks down at you with supreme suspicion in his eyes. You can't help your slight excitement overcoming you as Saitama takes out the ad from his pocket to double check it.

"You didn't." He gasps, mouth agape, "I've never seen them this cheap!"

"Abracadabra."

"What about your "consequences" you warned me about?"

"Well, I guess if there is economic fallout I'll be in history books over some cabbage."

"Have I told you you're my favorite person ever lately?" He chirps as he heads towards the vegetables, pushing you along.

"Hah...don't let Genos hear that..."

#one punch man #opm #saitama #opm x reader #saitama x reader #genos #garou #anime #saitama x y/n #saitama hcs #saitama headcanons

[per-oceanum]

How would you describe your favorite OC?

How dare you ask me the MOST DIFFICULT ONE- /j

This is genuinely difficult for me bc I love all of my OCs, but I'll keep it to one of the ones I have for OP for this.

This is Suma. She's 21. She likes the color pink. She doesn't like skirts because she can't move the way she wants without the fear of accidentally flashing someone. She's also a Gunner / Explosives Expert for the Straw Hats! She had a pet snake when she was little named Bubble. She's hard-headed, can be difficult at times, and doesn't trust easy. But God, she would do anything for the crew she's come to love, despite keeping them all at an arm's length for so long.

[ art by: spitfiregobrr on x. ]

And here is where I'm gonna drop this under a cut because we have some trigger warnings:

-Attempting to kill your child

-Child abuse

-Patricide / Matricide

-Attempting to kill your sibling ( Cain & Abel Complex )

-Loss of loved ones.

Suma goes from "I am not your pet. I never liked you, I don't care about you, I won't wait for you. I bite." to "I'm not a violent dog. I don't know why I bite."

She comes from Janoshima, an island in the East Blue, where her family is the ruling royalty there. Technically, she's a princess, but don't call her that. When she was born, her mother [ Daiyū ] already had four other children. Two of which she tried to kill. She almost succeeded with Suma.

So. Her aunt, Ayame, took Suma in as her daughter. For seven years, Suma lived in Janoshima. She was raised alongside Ayame's children, was treated like she was her child. Until Daisuke & Daiyu returned- and took Suma back. From there, her life went from living like a Princess ( literally ) to a living hell.

I'll spare the details, but Suma's tongue was split ( against her will ) at 13, and she has a branded 'P' on her wrist from her mother.

When she was fourteen, Mizuki- one of her older sisters- killed their parents while they were all out at sea, and Kiyomi, the eldest child, took control of the Sapphire Serpent. Suma remained on the ship until she was nineteen, when she and Kiyomi got into an argument and Kiyomi, in retaliation, chummed the water and shoved Suma in.

Suma made it to port, and spent the next year in the Grand Line, island hopping- until running into the Straw Hats in Alabasta and, in a failed attempt to pickpocket Sanji ( getting caught by Zoro ), unintentionally joins the Straw Hats.

She's with them until the events of Sabaody, where she learns that Ayame had returned to the sea- AND been captured & thrown into Impel, with a looming execution date over her head. Pair that with Kuma McBapping everyone into the ether, well.

Suma had it rough.

And it got worse when she learned, weeks later, that her aunt sacrificed herself to save Ace at Marineford. ( we love donuts here. )

Suma was stuck on an island called Gravedigger Island for the two years of the timeskip; there, she meets Marigold and Drew Kiciloff who essentially adopt her into their family. They teach her how to actually fight in hand to hand combat, then with a sword, and finally return her guns to her to begin using it all in combination with one another. Marigold is the one she calls Father, now. Drew is her sister.

Literal weeks before she reunites with the Straw Hats- Mizuki finds her on pure accident. And they fight. It's not good. Suma blows up the beach. Mizuki tries to, literally, rip out Suma's guts. Mizuki gets some fun injuries of her own, and escapes. Suma- at the point of returning to the Straw Hats:

-Has beefed tf up. Went from the soft, sweet chubbiness of a princess who lived a good life to having the ability to break open a watermelon with her thighs, and throw punches like a MMA fighter.

-Is no longer holding everyone at arm's length but rather HUGS everyone the first time she sees them and immediately starts checking them over to make sure THEY'RE okay

-Is still healing from the rib to hip, cross stomach gashes from her own sister.

-Finally healed from her trauma.

( of course that's not the end of shit for her but. That's where her story is so far. )

This became so much longer than I anticipated I hope you enjoy reading BYE.

#ooc: [ off shore ] #;; munday #fujihara suma;; character [ oc ] #[ i have a carrd im almost done with that explains the fujihara family in detail. ] #[ suma is genuinely my favorite out of that family. ]

[tacticalhimbo]

[ TEMPLATE BY MARISSOURCES. ]

I forgot I saved this template (and I also got the motivation to edit it), what better day to fill it out than today! Anyway, here's my medic boy and his commanding officer <3

A bit of info on how Butch got involved with Snake's crew:

Born during World War 2, Butch spent much of his early childhood alongside his mother whilst his father served various tours overseas. When the war ended, and Butch's father was discharged due to his mental health, the young child had a fairly average upbringing. Pensions from the military service, and his mother's work in Nashville, were enough to provide the family a comfortable life, and encouraged Butch to pursue his passions as he grew into his teen years. He graduated as the valedictorian of his high school, and briefly went on to begin higher education. - It was during this time that Butch came to realize his gender identity, which would inevitably be his downfall when he began to return to the States.  Rising tensions between nations would lead to a rise of anti-queer sentiments, barring many from finding jobs and community. Having begun the process of medical transition and socially transitioning, Butch found it nearly impossible to do anything with the degree and medical experience he had gotten. This was when he heard rumors of a private mercenary group recruiting experienced individuals for their cause. Forging paperwork for himself, Butch joined Diamond Dogs in 1977, two years after the Ground Zeroes Incident, under the employment of Ocelot. As the organization was established, Butch was transferred to the organization's new, primary base, and would serve permanently as their chief medical officer and on-call combat medic. - Butch's role throughout the rise of Diamond Dogs remained fairly straightforward. Patch up those who needed it, train others who showed promise within the field, and make sure requisitions were distributed fairly.  - At some point out in the field, Butch would be captured by enemy forces and interrogated for information. He refused to speak, and his "blind loyalty" would lead to the loss of his eye, the engraving on his face, and the loss of his arm. He would escape custody, and would become a wandering soldier for an indeterminate period of time until Snake found him in Afghanistan and retrieved him. Forced to recover from the events, Butch was questioned by the figureheads of Diamond Dogs about the event. Swearing his loyalty, and that no intel was leaked through the event, he was placed under direct supervision as to ensure no double-crossing occurred. Once cleared, work resumed as normal.

And a drabble [ LINK ] I wrote about Butch patching Venom up / the two having a little mutual pining session.

* Fun Fact: I used a calculator for the percentage, shoutout to some shady website for affirming my queer little fantasies JFKLDASJLFAJS

#txt #pic #my ocs #otp: dancing with tears in my eyes #metal gear #mgsv

[highliqhts]

🎬  just  announced,  rowan delaney has  been  cast  as rikki chadwick  in  the  upcoming  h2o: just add water  reboot.  the  twenty3  year  old  is  trending  as  people  are  debating  if  the  scouring the local thrift stores for the cutest knitted tops, giving their manager serious heart palpitations by going on instagram live rants about how big corporations are ruining the planet at 2am, being weirdly good at tiktok dance challenges, trying to cook for people despite being terrible at it and being completely unable to keep a phone screen protected without cracks   that  they  are  known  for  is  enough  to  make  them  as  good  as  original.  a  quick  google  search  shows  that  their  fans  call  them  free-spirited,  but  internet  trolls  think  they’re  more  brash.  i  guess  their  newest  interview  for  variety  where  they  talk  about  how they almost had an accident trying to swim with a mermaid’s tail as a child  will  let  people  to  know  them  better. 

hii, besties !! <33 i am daisy and genuinely so excited to be here ?? fair warning that it's been ... probably about a year since i last tumblr group rped, so i might be a bit rusty but this one brought me back from my retirement. this is rowan, who is a brand new muse of mine aka they're definitely still a work in progress but i'd absolutely love to plot with everyone and figure out all the missing pieces !! anyway, hope u enjoy, mwuah !

basics.

name:  rowan delaney.

nicknames:  ro.

gender:  demi woman

pronouns:  she/they.

age:  23.

date of birth:  january 23rd 2001.

astrological sign:  aquarius.

place of birth: brisbane, australia.

nationality: australian.

ethnicity: mauritian, italian.

occupation:  actress.

sexual & romantic orientation:  pansexual, panromantic.

character.

positive traits:  free-spirited, accepting, spontaneous, passionate, independent, loyal.

negative traits:  brash, aloof, stubborn, fickle.

likes:  the beach, having conversations about things that actually matter, finding that piece while thrifting, traveling, chai latte, pistacchios, surfing.

dislikes:  small talk, people who don't care about the environment / animals, authority figures, rules that don't make sense to her, fake niceties.

biography.

if there ever were two people who absolutely should be parents it's rowan's moms. their lovestory is one for the ages, as they had met in the australian wilderness, ciara an italian backpacking tourist and lauren the australian who saved her from some kind of poisonous snake ( or if you believe lauren a totally non-threatening, non-poisonous snake but she would only contest it if ciara isn't around ). what followed is neatly documented in the photo albums rowan grew up looking through, their mothers on their travels through the entire country, lauren having joined ciara for ' protection purposes '. one thing led to another and the two of them fell in love, something that was completely unthinkable, both with the distance and with ciara’s very catholic and conservative family back in italy. there were simply too many obstacles, it couldn’t work out, right ? with heavy hearts they said goodbye after almost an entire year spent constantly by each other’s sides. that is until, due to a sudden storm, ciara’s flight didn’t take off, leading them to have yet another conversation … after all, wasn’t this fate telling them not to part ? in the end ciara never left australia to go back to living in italy, instead taking the leap and staying in australia with the woman she excitedly calls the ‘ love of her life ‘ even to this day. 

rowan was the last puzzle piece to their perfect little family, in addition to the two dogs, one cat and the stray duck all living with them as well. nobody really knows how the duck ended up there. they do know how rowan did though, after years of careful consideration she was about the most wished for child you could possibly imagine. and so she grew up, surrounded by love and support. that being said, for a while it wasn’t easy for rowan to cope with the harsher realities of life outside their little house. while at the delaney’s family home it was alright to express yourself and your feelings however you wanted, the outside world was less accepting of that. therefore school wasn't easy for her during the first years. rowan was a bit of an outsider during those years, spending most of their free time at home with the pets and their mothers. it wasn’t until she grew up some more that she found friends who would accept her as she was. 

once those years came around however, her life was better than ever before. alongside their friends they spent a lot of time exploring the beaches and city around them. their mothers, being the free-spirited and encouraging women they were, mostly encouraged them in this, paying for their first surfing lessons right alongside the first acting classes. initially they had only signed up for those because a friend of theirs had. surprisingly enough though, rowan soon figured out that acting was something they were not only rather good at but also loved to do. though ciara would later say she never thought it to be all that surprising, with how much rowan had always loved listening to and sharing stories. especially during those younger, more lonely days, where it was mostly books keeping her company. the last years of high school were spent acting in local theater productions, having bonfires at the beach and surfing with their friends. 

life was good for rowan during those times as she started considering what to do after school. it was at the beginning of her last year in high school when she saw an open audition for neighbors and decided to simply shoot her shot. never in a million years did they think this would actually lead them anywhere,that was until they got callback after callback, eventually sitting down to do chemistry reads. they were seventeen, a month into their final year when they got the official offer. sitting down with their parents, they debated. how would she finish school, when filming would take place in melbourne ?  was it even feasible ? could she move there on her own ? in the end they found a solution that had her living with a friend of the family in melbourne during filming, studying with a tutor when she was there and still attending school whenever she was in brisbane. it was a stressful year and it’s safe to say their final grades were not much to be proud of but they did it, they graduated. afterwards she was lucky enough for her minor role to stay permanent, gaining some importance in the show’s plotline, leading to her being able to continue to stay on the crew and work in melbourne. 

they kept their very first television role on neigbors for about 3-4 years, before finally saying their goodbye to the australian soap. due to the relative prominence of the show in australian television, they had earned a decent level of exposure through it. in australia, this would have definitely lent itself to quickly gaining further job opportunities and she definitely debated this with her moms for quite some time. in the end it was them that pushed her to aim higher, to try her luck in the us and move to los angeles at 21. the move was probably the hardest thing ro has done to this day, leaving was tearful not only because they’d miss their family but also because they’d miss their home and they were fully aware they might just be leaving for nothing. for the past two years ro has mostly been getting very small appearances for an episode or three in multiple tv projects ( imagine patient on grey’s or a lost plotline in riverdale or smth, i’ll have to figure the exact projects out ). only recently did she get her first real breakthrough when she was cast as rikki in the reboot of h20: just add water, an australian classic ! they’re about to start filming season 1 and it’s safe to say that ro couldn’t be more excited, having been an avid viewer of the show as a kid.

tl;dr: basically she's born to two very loving lesbians whom i gave an unneccessarily sweet backstory. she grew up in australia, loves the oceans and animals and always had the loving support of her family. she started acting at 17 and moved to the us to further follow that career at 21. h2o is her first lead role.

headcanons.

rowan sometimes refers to the pets that were in the house while they grew up as if they were their siblings, which can be confusing to some people 

ro’s style is very much sort of boho inspired, she loves cute knitted pieces and wide flowy pants and dresses or jeans shorts as well as sporting the most pieced together yet somehow strangely working assortment of jewelry 

she has a decently active social media presence, which is mostly used for an unpredictable mixture of silly on set tiktok challenges or passionate calls for action, mostly for environmental protection 

they’re very much a beach and oceans enthusiast and they WILL shut you down for leaving any kind of trash on the beach but also for supporting environmentally damaging companies 

ro has a decent amount of houseplants at home and tries to keep them alive so desperately ?  but honestly, they’re really not a natural at it. 

she loves doing her nails herself, including cute and intricate nail designs 

when they were 19 and at a party they got a tiny tattoo of an octopus done on the left side of her hip

#↪ 𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒂𝒏 𝒅𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒚 ━ about. #2000s.intro #this got longer than expected ??? sry to anyone reading rip #but pls still love my bby !!

[thesoggiestboyintown]

RTC incorrect quotes but it’s just my shit texts

noel gruber:

“guess who set their shoe on fire”

“theater kids are the reason global warming exists”

“i feel like a couple who’s always on the brink of divorce but pretends to be in a happy marriage “

“in my on the verge of divorce era”

“have we as a community considered kissing my ass”

“lord strike me down and give me an std”

mischa bachinski:

“sometimes i think and then i cry”

“i’m so bored i’m going to rob the school cafeteria just for shits and giggles”

“cute date idea ! rob a bank and makeout in the employee room of a Walmart <3”

“i want to punt a toad “

“update i’m planning someone’s funeral”

“give head pls”

“about to rob an ikea what do u want”

“i hope she explodes”

“i want to meet a smurf and then drown it”

“i’m going to steal a kid off the street just to feel something”

“time to take out the shot glass”

ricky potts:

“how to become zolarian cat”

“what if i just throw a dog into a freezer”

“how do i turn into a rubix cube”

“i’m such a deceitful snake”

“why is luigi so submissive and breedable”

“my personality is a sad star with a little hat that says ass licker”

“my emotional support teacher isn’t here yet i’m going to swallow a cat whole”

“what if i just grabbed a cat and never gave it back”

“what if i swallow a bell”

constance blackwood:

“is breast milk diary free”

“how do i turn into a rubix cube”

“i sometimes forget that you’re an only child”

“she’s like obsessed with me (she has a crush on a boy)”

“if there’s a screen, ao3 will be seen. [insert picture of ao3 home screen on a Nintendo switch]”

“when ur so stupid you get shocked when your manipulative ex manipulates u again when u give her another chance”

“someone nut tapped superman”

“Is it safe to drink bleach”

“How to get rid of hickies”

“Yes actually, when I was gender fluid I grew a penis when I felt masc”

“Lord give me strength”

“NO I KEEP FIGHTING THOSE DEMONS”

jane doe:

“the lives of erasers and rubber have come to me, begging for mercy. for a chance at life and peace. to experience the beautiful presence of true joy. but they forget mercy is earned through patience and worship. so they instead left with bruises of pure agony and despair. stories to keep their children and their childrens children cautious of who they bow to.”

“sad pyromaniac at its best tbh”

“i just disassociated while setting fire to my shoe”

“Oh ye I go by they/them now because fuck gender :]”

“i he!r t.H3 scrm,,s o’’f @lL m”y vctms b..egg!ng fr me t stp :3”

“!! i c,,Vt of d0!!$ h3aD ..!!”

“!! į w!lł t3!! th,, v0ics t0 nøt hVrt ÿ0ū >~<“

“i’m gonna eat someone’s eyeballs for a snack”

“stfu therapist i’m literally just being dramatic”

“about to suck someone’s soul wish me luck”

“what’s stopping me from eating babies”

“i’m in ur floor boards”

“i’ve been stuck with theater kids for like 3 hours save me”

“insanely hot (take away “ly hot”)”

“i don't eat food, i consume personalities snacks? no. souls.”

“I WANNA EAT PLAY DOUGH SO BADLT I FORGOT HOE TO SPEL PLAYFOOUGH”

“i say i'm fine but i'm reality i feel like a black hole is eating my stomach”

“ya know sometimes my brain sounds like velcro

kdithigigifixgxggc”

“wdym i cant commit crimes who's gonna stop me”

“was told i could drink bleach so if i start internally bleeding tonight don't ask questions”

#mischa ride the cyclone #ride the cyclone #ride the cyclone noel #saint cassian choir rtc #constance rtc #jane doe #ricky potts #non binary jane doe #trans ricky potts #help me i can’t stop thinking of them #this is a cry for help #help help help #they’re all so hot #they’re so me #i’m so normal about them

[halforc-mercenary]

What is my muse afraid of? Template by @astrronomemes

COMMON FEARS & PHOBIAS: The dark l Small spaces l Suffocation l Water l Thunderstorms l Dogs l Snakes l Spiders l Insects l Clowns l Blood l Dentists l Hospitals l Needles l Germs l Heights l Fire l Public speaking l Large crowds l Meeting new people l Being alone l Being touched l Failure l Imperfection l Societal rejection l Physical intimacy l Emotional intimacy l Being abandoned l Being forgotten

What other fears do they have? In a general sense, Mar is afraid of not being good enough. Not being strong enough to protect her loved ones, not being able to do what needs to be done, not beeing able to work etc. This is very much caused by the strict military philosophy she grew up under. She knows how her life should go and what rules to follow to reach that goal she is after (in her case a piece of land and the right to officially marry, join a village community where shes seen as equal with a voice in the Ting, beeing a part of a community and not beeing a outsider, maybe even adopt children and have with her piece of land enough money to give them a childhood without worries),so she is terrified by the possibility that one mistake could make her nolonger live up to the rules she has to follow and with that never be able to reach her goal. Mar puts herself to a very strict standart, because anything else means failure and failure means no chance at the future she so much hopes to have.Following the rules and fitting the standart is her chance to have that future and she is not risking that.

Why do they have these fears? Are these fears innate, trauma-based, or generational? Mars fears are definitive trauma based: Her expierence with the mad dog aside, Mar had grown up hearing the muttered sentences "should have been drowned in the vikken at birth" at every little mistake she made. What was a throw away line or a loose threat to make a child obdient by the older mercenarys around her turned into Mars curse, because she started to fear it as an actual punishment if she ever misstepped. She is an adult now and a muttered line over a young child misbehaving (or juast asking questions or just beeing a tired child) is something she had seen through as just that: a sentences. She is still not able to swimm and will do her very best to avoid deep waters, because with her not beeing able to swimm drowning has turned into a possibility that can become actually a truth for her.

Have they ever tried to work through or confront these fears? How did it go? Mar would rather get her spear and run it through herself wholly from her backsid and out of her mouth, before she would ever even think of confronting that fear of dogs. She can be around dogs without panicking, that is enough for her. Even if she would never feel comfortable around dogs or wolfs, let alone ever feel save. It is the same for any other of her fears, she can go through her day and function and that is enough. To confront a fear, one first has to think about it and Mar does not want to think about any of her fears, because it makes her feel useless that she has those fears and beeing useless means that she has no right to be there in the first place and if she has noright to be there in the first palce she ´should have been drowned in the vikken at birth'. If Mar would confront her fears and with that admit that she has them, she would give into her greatest fear of beeing useless and with that not the warrior she is meant to be, which is in the strict military philosophy she grew up and lives under , very much a death sentences.

Tagged By: The Void ! Tagging: @elkenbulwark @deepseawarlock @sparklymanacakes @wildname @thaneirstaer @lighthouseborn @bruinescence @bluescalearchivist @illithidtouched ...and you!

#halforc-mercenary: headcanon #halforc-mercenary #tw: abuse

[brotherjoeysstuff]

I own a pet snake, a big ball python that is. Her name is Gaia, or at least that’s what I call her. Or him. I don’t even know her gender since I found her in an abandoned home. But that doesn’t matter I think. What does matter though, is the fact that I saved her from certain death and that she is visibly thankful for that. That’s what I like to believe at least. I feed her well, I built her a big tank with all sorts of sticks and stones to hide under and don’t get me started on the heating lamp that provides a perfect climate to be warm in this small world of hers.

Gaia likes to hide in the same spot. Sometimes she doesn’t move at all for hours, or even days. I often get worried and poke her a little to see if she is still alive. She doesn’t like that at all but I‘m happy when she hisses at me.

Every now and then I try to take her out of her tank so I can pet her for a bit before I go and get ready for bed. Ever so gently I put her back so she can slither around her familiar home and hide again. I think that this is a nice evening ritual for the both of us. I like her company and she enjoys mine. That’s what I like to believe at least.

Sometimes I forget to change her water bowl in the morning but that’s alright, I’ll just do that in the evening, she’s been through worse. After all, it was I who saved her life so she has no right to complain. And so Gaia doesn’t complain most of the time, only a little hiss when she’s not in the mood for our nightly routine. I still take her out of her home though, I mean, isn’t that my right? I like to believe it is, at the end of the day she is my pet.

Just like cats and dogs and other pets, snakes need to exercise aswell. So every time I take Gaia away from her home I place her on my bed so she can move freely. I watch her tangled body unwind, scanning her environment like a periscope on a submarine (It really looks like that, look it up). I find this hilarious. With a smile on my face I sit beside her while she moves around my bedsheets. Sometimes she even tries to climb down onto the hardwood floor where I can‘t see her anymore. Quickly I lift her up and place her back to where I can see her. This seems to often irritate her. Her movements accelerate, a clear sign of distress. But I get distressed too when I can‘t see her anymore so she better behave. I am her owner after all, I get to have control over the situation, not her. At least that‘s what i like to believe.

I love Gaia with all my heart. I think owning a snake sounds so much cooler than to tell someone boring stories about your oh so wonderful golden retriever puppy. It makes me feel a bit more special. Have I ever thought about a snake’s nature? Do I not feel bad that a wild animal has to stay in such a small cage you ask? Not at all, don‘t forget that I saved her life and that she doesn‘t know any different anyways. Or at least that‘s what I like to believe.

I think every pet-owner would agree when I say that owning an animal is the greatest thing ever. It‘s like having a child without the screaming and the high costs that come with it. You get to play with your pet at any time, they can‘t really tell you no. That‘s all there is to say, or at least that‘s what I like to believe.

I really love my pet snake Gaia. I like the feeling of playing God, I love being in control of a living thing. I know what‘s good for her so I give her all that she needs to lead a happy life. It is so simple to satisfy someone‘s needs when they can‘t say what they need. It would make it a lot harder if they could. Or at least that‘s what I like to believe.

God, why does my brain know how to speak?

#short story #snake #ball python #pets

[viruslearnt]

I hope you die, I hope we both die → Kaz and Snake

Kaz first meets Snake in 1972, in the middle of a battle in Colombia, where he led and trained a group of revolutionaries. Despite his position, he is inexperienced in actual combat, which leads to his entire group being killed and him being captured when they run into Snake, who accepted to work for the government to put down the rebellion. Kaz, when told to surrender, asks Snake to assist in his ritual suicide so he can "die with honour" and Snake agrees, only for Kaz to try and blow them both up with a grenade hidden behind his back. Snake is quick enough to disarm him and choke him out but surprisingly, spares his life.

When Kaz wakes up in a medical tent, Snake is waiting for him, informing him he spared him because he saw something in him and wants him to join his unit. Kaz, feeling trapped and humiliated and offended at the thought of being forced into being Snake's lapdog, declines to which Snake informs him he actually has no choice in the matter. Its joining him or dying, and painfully so. While trying and failing to escape once more in the following week, Kaz learns Snake is ruthless and far too happy to enjoy his misery while Snake learns that Kaz refuses to give up and knows how to strike a dirty deal in his favour. With Kaz forced to accept Snake’s offer to join him, this knowledge of each other becomes a core part of the foundation of their relationship.

The beginning is rough, Kaz is far too aware of the fact his life is in Snake’s hands at all times. He only lives because the man allows it. The only saving grace at first is the fact Snake lets him do his work mostly in peace. He sees Kaz is good at bringing in business, at building up relations and bringing in money and work and Snake genuinely appreciates his hard work. It allows Kaz to relax a little over time, get comfortable being Snake’s second in command. But with that relaxation comes something dangerous as well.

He gets used to working with Snake, gets used to discussing plans with him, building MSF up together. Maybe he is a fool, getting lost in the honest conversations he and Snake have from time to time, in the feeling of building a home, creating a family with Snake. But hey, they turn enemy soldiers into comrades every other day, it isn’t that crazy that his closest friend started out as an enemy once, right? He lets lose more and more over time, starts opening up about his family, his background … they still fight, he still catches himself wondering if Snake is going to kill him one day for disagreeing with him but he also starts seeking Snake out voluntarily, starts striking up conversations that aren’t related to work, starts looking at the man with more than just fear and respect. He tries to ignore the very real feelings that creep up on him after the first year together, drowns himself in work and meaningless sex to ignore them, without much success. It irritates him because Snake hasn't changed much. He is still the same man who forced him into this, who still never pulls his punches when they fight and who still goes from praising him for his work to beating him for misbehaviour as if he were an unruly child, or worse, a disobedient dog.

He hates Snake but he also loves him. He’s his obedient lap dog and his loudest critic. He fights back and lets himself be forced into submission. MSF is his family. It is the worst and best part of his life. In the confusion, in the battle to try and regain control, Kaz is contacted by Cipher. It is a dangerous offer, a generous one he knows is too good to simply decline but one he is fully aware will ruin whatever trust he and Snake have build up over the last two years if he is discovered. He decides the risk is worth it because it is in the best interest of what he and Snake have build up, even if Snake would disagree. He also makes the decision for himself, to gain back something that is just his even if it is only a dirty little secret that could easily cost him his life. Things go well for a while, he and Snake are closer than ever and he has to admit he enjoys it, enjoys Snake’s praise, spending time with him. He even enjoys the fights. Embarrassingly, the fear he felt at having Snake’s hands wrapped around his throat, knowing that the man could kill him any moment if he chose to do so, has turned into excitement. He is playing with fire and he knows it but he can’t help it. He has no other choice anyway, might as well be daring, go out with a spark. For the next year and a half, the repercussions never come. He pushes, and Snake pushes back but there is a balance to their power struggle, one where Snake still comes out slightly on top but Kaz matches him close enough that it feels like equality, like true balance.

It doesn’t come crashing down on him when he confesses he was in contact with Cipher. The expected punishment doesn’t come ( for now ) and Kaz allows himself to believe that maybe, just maybe, Snake has fully accepted him as an equal, a friend, maybe more than a friend.

The newfound peace doesn't last long and it all comes crashing down in early 1975. Kaz finds himself suddenly robbed of his home and family, of the one man he grew to love. With Snake in a coma and after being approached by Ocelot, Kaz finds himself once again chained to something bigger only this time he doesn’t hesitate to do everything he can to rebuild what he feels he has been robbed of. He doesn’t even consider trying to escape Snake anymore. He even accepts working alongside Ocelot, a man who seems to be to Snake what Kaz tried so hard to be for the last couple of years, all to try and prepare everything for Snake’s eventual return.

The reunion is bittersweet. Kaz, having gone nine long years without him, beaten and tortured for days. He can barely believe it when he hears Snake’s voice. A lot has happened since then. His eye sight has gotten worse, he can barely see him but he trusts that it is truly him. Of course Snake would come to rescue him. They’re partners aren’t they? Equals.

Things aren’t the same anymore though, Kaz is consumed by his need for vengeance, hatred and anger burning so hot in his heart he misses the signs that something is off about Snake, nine long years with nothing but his memories, skewed by time, ensured that he doesn’t notice that Snake is awfully gentle with him all of the sudden, that he no longer has to bite and claw and act out to get noticed. He almost lets himself believe things are good, that after the trials of the last years, he finally won. Ocelot of course, is all too happy to destroy that illusion for him.

Just as his rage seems to have disappeared, it stirs again, hotter and more furious than ever before. A phantom. The bastard left him with a phantom and then didn’t even have the decency to reveal the truth to him himself. The last nine years, what he had done for MSF, Diamond Dogs, all of it wasted on a man who now didn’t even feel the need to let him know he was okay, who no longer included his own right hand man in his plans. It leaves him feeling betrayed, tossed aside but most of all it makes him feel ashamed and foolish for ever believing he meant anything to Snake. He vows to get his revenge, to bring down everything he and Snake build up together but he has to admit that will take time and careful planning. So for now, he sits back down and works with the phantom. It is painful at first, seeing him in the phantom and knowing it is a lie. He is tempted to allow himself to fall for it, for the illusion, to ignore the fact the phantom handles him more gently than he ever did and pretend it is real. He wants it to be real but over time he simply can’t stand it anymore. He has to leave and only hopes the phantom remembers its Snake’s fault, that he was the bastard who put both of them on the chopping block like this.

He doesn’t get much distance to it all before he is drawn back in, both by the promise he made to Ocelot and the magnetic pull that Snake, no, Big Boss, still has over him. It is a dangerous combination. Hatred and love continue to burn inside Kaz side by side as they have for years, decades, at this point. They’ve circled back to the start, haven’t they? He hates Big Boss for taking his freedom away from him, for taking so much of his life and never giving anything in return while also being unable to deny he still feels something for him, something he tries and fails again and again to bury deep down. Only this time he really is the fool who has no one else to blame. He knows better than to fall for Big Boss’ charm, knows better than to allow the man to lure him in again and yet, when they reunite, after Kaz gets the first initial wave of anger out of his system … he still waits for the man’s orders, still longs to be allowed back at his side again. He can take the disapproval, the violence, anything but indifference. Maybe he seeks out fights, maybe he is asking for Big Boss to reconsider having him work for foxhound because at least then the man has to acknowledge him again.

It only gets more complicated when he manages to get his hands on the man’s clone son. David. David is young, mouldable and if Ocelot has shared the promise Kaz gave him years ago with Snake, the man doesn’t seem to care. Kaz is free to teach David as he wishes and, finding himself unable to strike against Big Boss directly, takes the chance to mould David into the perfect weapon to finally end Big Boss once and for all.

The phantom falls first and it is a warning for the emptiness that threatens to consume Kaz, an emptiness that has been eating away at him for years now. He got used to the burn of anger, the fire of passion but indifference, emptiness, those are things that still hold the power to kill him and when Big Boss seemingly finally falls, destroyed by his own son, taught by Kaz for this very purpose, Kaz finds himself unable to escape the emptiness that follows when the lust for revenge finally dies down and leaves him a hollow shell with nothing to hold onto anymore. He used David the same way Big Boss used Venom, the same way he used Kaz. Even in death, that bastard still wins, still leaves Kaz with nothing on his own. Kaz has been dead for a while. He isn’t sure if he died in Colombia back in 1972 when they first met or in that damn helicopter crash in 1975. All he knows is that the only right thing would have been for them both to die together. But he couldn’t even be granted that mercy.

#lets goooo #—* META #abuse tw #<- oh theres so much going on here idk what else to tag

[petrikaira]

The Maid

Demon City, pg 4 (Previous)(First)

Rating: G for General Audiences

“I was going to take you there,” Butler said, trailing after her, now. She felt triumph springing in her chest with him. “I promised I would be taking you.”

“I know, but-” She turned to look at him. “You said you weren’t from here, I was doing us both a service.”

“It’s- I know the way, I know this city-” Butler snapped, his jaws clicking with all of his teeth. “And I promised Zillah and Agni I would take you.”

“A man of promises are you?” 

“Without promises a man is nothing,” Butler said shortly.

The sound of his footsteps stopped. She turned to look at him. His ears were pointed back, and his arms crossed tight across her chest. She felt a stab of upset that she had annoyed him so. Promises. She would have never thought that was his modus operandi.

“I like that about you,” she said. “A good honest sort of man, then.”

Butler scoffed. “A liar can keep promises just as well as an honest one.”

Nele turned, walking again to see if he would follow. When Butler did, the sounds of his leather boots hitting cobblestone again, she felt a little of the jumpiness in her heart die down. “Isn’t a liar just as likely to break his promises? What’s a promise to someone who can lie his way out of it?”

“A liar doesn’t have to break a promise to be a liar,” Butler replied flatly.

“Are you calling yourself a liar?”

Silence. Their footsteps clicked. The sound of carriage wheels rolling came from a distance, and somewhere Nele could smell fried bread lingering on the air and something that smelled like sulfur and irony like blood. The air was cool and dry, but not all together cold. At the back of her mind she realized she would never truly need a coat again. 

“I’m just saying it’s possible,” Butler said with finality. “Now come, and no more dawdling.”

Sharp. Annoyed. His voice wrinkled Nele’s spirit, but she wasn’t going to let him get to her. They resumed walking. Butler hurried just a bit to put himself once more in the lead, and Nele rolled her eyes. Fine, she supposed. For now. She wasn’t about to fight him when he was already annoyed, it was best to just follow along right behind him if he was so intent on being the strong wolfman leading her to the blanket shops. 

Just as Gerald had said, they passed the theater- a big, circular building with bent frames of glass that glittered in the light. Nele had never seen anything like it. It was advertising a play called Julius Caesar, which the playhouse had written “Come see the great play by Shakespeare from the surface world!” on. Nele had never heard of it. She wanted to stop and linger, but Butler was not waiting anymore so she hurried on.

Maybe someday, when she had saved up enough, she would get tickets to the theater and go. That seemed like something she might be able to do by herself- but, maybe she should invite someone. She wondered if Zillah would go with her. Maybe she could even do it as a thank you for Zillah teaching her the ropes and agreeing to take her on, when she had never been a maid before and was a human. 

Nele had never seen a play before, save for the children’s play her island had put on every year. She had been in it once, dressed as a lamb for the manger. It hadn’t been acting on much of the children’s parts, more standing around while the town preacher had told the story from the bible out loud. Watching it wasn’t much different. 

As they turned a corner, past a row of low lying shops- one was advertising for “fresh blood bread” and she swore that was where the irony smell in the air was coming from- she saw a group of demons lingering by another shop. They were young, she thought. Children. There were girls in pink and purple smocks, boys in little green outfits, and a whole group of children in black and whites- and some demon children she would never be certain if they were one or the other. There were snakes, dogs, a child who looked like someone had melted a pile of knives together and put it in a smock. They all clustered around a shop where the smell of fry bread was coming from mixed with the smell of something sickeningly sweet. It wasn’t until a moment later when a being covered in red feathers, with large curved horns stepped out carrying a basket of gleaming colorful drops, and the kids started clamoring and raising little coins in their hands did Nele know what it was.

A candy shop. The demon kids were out getting candy. She slowed for a moment to watch. 

“You know, this place is a lot less scary than I expected it to be,” Nele said. She hadn’t thought about it too much, but it really felt like any big human city, except the people looked a little strange.

Butler looked back, his eyes narrowing at her. “On purpose,” he said. “Are you coming or not? I’m about to leave you to find your own way.”

“Yes, yes I know, but what do you mean by on purpose?” Nele said as she turned to hurry once more after him.

“I mean, the Canis family wanted a city where their people could live in comfort,” Butler said. “That is why they have said their people chose them.”

On purpose. The Canis had chosen something gentle on purpose. That was warm. But, it was strange. Nele furrowed her brow. She looked Butler up and down. “Why exactly do you know so much about this place if you’re not from here?”

“I studied. Why do you think they would choose a replacement for their butler with me, an outsider, instead of one of the footmen?”

Nele hadn’t really thought about it. She also hadn’t had much time to know the footmen, either. She shrugged. 

Butler scoffed. He strode off, making like he was about to leave her. 

“I mean,” She said again, hurrying after. “Why would you choose here?”

“Why did you?” Butler snapped. 

“...The good pay, and benefits?” Nele said. It was more than that though. It was the choice to become herself. She wasn’t about to tell Butler that, though.

“Yes,” Butler said flatly and turned. They headed down the cobbles once more. “The good pay and the benefits were why I chose it as well.”

She wondered if there was a secret, other thing for him as well, but just as she wouldn’t tell him hers, she wasn’t going to ask his. He wouldn’t even give her his name. Though- she supposed now his name was Butler, he couldn’t. 

#the maid #fantasy #writing #writeblr #slice of life