#I'm late but I hope you like it!

[you-are-forever-special]

In A Pickle

|| I was going to do a short and silly drabble mostly, for the first day of Kloktober.

But then my idea turned into a long second chapter for 'I Am Your Mother's Keeper'

(https://www.tumblr.com/you-are-forever-special/725712642914893824/i-am-your-mothers-keeper?source=share)

I guess I'm writing this like Taiga's OG story and hopping around to different timelines repeatedly!

LOL

(Also, omg, hi, it's my first Kloktober! ☆)

As always, I'm open to any feedback!

Prompt: favorite character or OTP

I went with favorite character.

Cucumb-

I mean, Pickles!!!

It's quite a read-through, but the adventures with him eventually do ensue. --ohheythatrhymed--

I promise.

🤣

Thank you so much~!

♡ ||

------

It was now a few months since Taiga had been a new addition to Mordhaus.

Around the end of the first month, she had officially made the move into Mordhaus and entrusted her cottage back home in Minnesota to her trusted best friend, and former roommate Markus. He had never been a fan of her going off to work for anyone even associated with Dethklok, especially after learning about the incident that preceded her new position back then.

It was explained to him not long after he returned home.

But he also still never tried to control her, or dictate what Taiga did in life.

They were similar in those areas.

She understood his concern. Truly. And she appreciated it, along with all the years of care.

Taiga tried to ease his worries, saying she'd try her best to be careful and use her best judgement.

But this was just something she had to do.

Markus understood why Taiga wanted to go, despite any of her own worries.

He made sure to always try and be available regardless. By phone or otherwise. And that comforted Taiga in the back of her mind whenever she felt lonely. She did exactly the same.

It had been a big shift.

And it was all still so new, plus borderline overwhelming, yet things weren't necessarily horrible.

The room Taiga now had was not really decorated.

All she had was her luggage, her laptop out on her bed, and her daily essentials neatly placed on her dresser, as well as in the bathroom.

The only other thing that gave her room a little personality was her Vodou doll on one of the bedside tables she had, along with the stuffed folder, filled with each file given to her from Charles, that had her name on it.

As Taiga looked at them, she remembered when she got the final ones on her first day here.

And how she was basically given a briefing.

It was a lot more to take in, but it was needed.

Charles had made sure, multiple times, to drive home the point of being extremely careful about Toki's fear of bicentennial coins.

Taiga made sure to not forget that detail, but she dared not ask why he was afraid of them, or even why Charles himself seemed so fervent about this.

Despite his usual put together appearance, his piercing eyes told her that it'd be in her own best interest to keep this in mind.

'...That whole day had been such a blur...'

Taiga thought as she silently glanced around more.

It didn't really bother her how mostly barren her room was, because she didn't exactly see a need as of yet, especially since she packed relatively light, everything could easily be found.

And thankfully, she had all she needed.

The only things that she ended up needing brought in/ordered were for Aksel.

Yes, she was honored to care for him and make sure that his habitat was properly coming together. Which it thankfully was.

But it was quite the responsibility making sure the cougar cub was properly taken care of in the new space designated for him within Mordhaus until the construction was completely finished, along with trying to manage some of the apparent regular antics that happened around here.

Taiga never once outwardly complained, though.

However... Inside her mind, it was another story.

She still felt a bit unsure on how to feel around Dethklok; the band as a whole.

Taiga was wary at times, but tried to move on and not hold resentment, or be so standoffish.

She didn't want to judge Toki or anyone else unfairly for what happened the night they all met.

Adrenaline was running high.

Choices were made.

And ultimately, the consequences had to be dealt with.

She'd never excuse the bad behavior.

But still at least tried to make an effort to be open-minded and understanding of these individuals. Even if they may not ever do the same.

They didn't seem to really mind her presence overall. And were still intrigued by her appearance at most.

At least she was able to set things up to where her therapist could still meet with her online, which certainly helped.

Everyone in Mordhaus at the start were either strangers or leveled up to be acquaintances at most.

The one person she felt the most trusting of at the beginning, in a strange way, was Charles. But that was mostly because he had set up everything for her in the first place.

And she still managed to thank him wholeheartedly, even after he let her stay in this castle.

Taiga always tried to give thanks where it was due.

But she also didn't want to feel like she was being annoying and kissing ass, so she eventually stopped after a while.

Any form of gratitude sent his way continuously took Charles by surprise, even if he didn't outwardly show it.

But even if he didn't state it, it was welcomed.

It still floored her and it all felt surreal just thinking about it.

She was actually living here in Mordhaus now.

All the way out in

***INFORMATION REDACTED***

Taiga couldn't help but feel like a nuisance around here.

She was truly taken aback for what Charles was doing. Especially when he didn't even have to.

Of course...

Taiga figured Charles had only been doing all this because it either was beneficial, in this case, for basically everyone involved, cost-effective/practicality-wise...

(Like with the MNDA, and now the commuting costs being lowered.

It was why he suggested she just move here in the first place; less hassle from the back-and-forth transport. It made sense from either way Taiga looked at it.)

Or it just saved his skin in general, and he'd have one less irritable situation to fix.

Charles didn't know everything about the girl.

Yet.

But he was a good judge of character and figured this would be the best course of action for now.

But Taiga was still grateful.

The deal seemed more than fair still. She doesn't cause trouble, and make sure nothing bad happens to the men in the band while in her company, Taiga wouldn't have to deal with any fees, etc.

If Toki especially was happy in this situation, Charles didn't care.

He was the one who wanted Taiga for this in the first place, after all.

And for weeks she felt terrible even using the amenities, or like she owed Charles; needing to pay him back in some way.

But Taiga knew that she'd just have to suck it up and accept it, and didn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Besides... Why let these things, especially the wonderful food made up by Jean-Pierre each day, go to waste?

She found that so far she enjoyed the short chats that happened every now and then with said man.

Each time Taiga roamed around Mordhaus, she would try to sneak around and go mostly unseen by any new individuals.

She thought that even if everyone here was under an oath or contract themselves, Taiga felt better safe than sorry; not wanting to possibly cause any form of headache for those that brought her here and be careful.

She was used to hiding anyway.

Despite that, she wasn't quite successful; accidentally bumping into Jean-Pierre around her first days here.

But it ended up working out for the better, because she got to make what was hopefully a new friend.

He was pretty interesting, but she didn't want to distract others from their jobs.

So she got out of his hair pretty quickly more often than not.

Speaking of interesting...

The Klokateers.

Taiga would be lying if she said she wasn't curious about them all. Who they were as individuals. Where they came from. Their stories overall. But around here, they just seemed to be treated like numbers most of the time.

She could understand why. After everything she'd heard about, and the little she'd already seen, even without going to the forbidden areas in the files given to her before coming here.

Those waivers were no joke.

Curiosity would not kill this cat.

But Taiga still tried her best at her duties.

Despite any mischief the boys got into, or the distractions that arose while tending to the habitat being built/caring for the cub in general, she found a bit of a... Peaceful rhythm.

But they didn't act like she was irksome to them or anything, which she was grateful for as well.

Although, with Murderface, he decided to make it a habit to incessantly try poking fun or messing with Taiga whenever he felt the need.

Apparently, her reactions were "funny as fuck."

And sometimes he wasn't the only one.

However, Murderface seemed to know the most how to easily get under Taiga's skin.

Usually she was extremely patient, but he pushed her.

Which just egged him on, so she tried her best to act unphased about it.

But still...

She didn't want to butt in their business if it wasn't necessary especially.

They barely knew each other.

It wasn't her place.

Although... If they needed or wanted a friend, or just someone at all, she'd try and be there, but otherwise, she'd leave them be.

Taiga was a realist. But even she needed to try and be positive at times.

If not for others, for herself

'Besides, who knew what the future might hold...'

She would think to herself.

Taiga was almost impressed at the start, with how much they didn't care most of the time. Or at least, how they seemed to.

And since she had gotten more acquainted with each of them, despite everything, Taiga could see whenever the veil of the personas they've formed to stay "brutal" would slip and their true selves would show.

The rare acts of kindness, their struggles, their passions.

She may be slow at times, but Taiga wasn't stupid.

She noticed.

They all might not exactly be "friends" still.

But whatever one would call it...

Sometimes it felt...

Nice.

Toki and Pickles were definitely still the most outgoing towards her.

But she could tell that even if they all didn't act "warm" in similar ways, it didn't mean that they didn't care at all.

And it didn't appear that they disliked her.

But she couldn't read minds, after all.

Regardless, she continued to try and give the boys the benefit of the doubt, more often than not.

And even if things got chaotic, she could sometimes laugh about it when looking back; relieved that she could at least be helpful in keeping an eye out in a way.

----

Right now though, she wasn't finding the humor in her current situation.

'I really should bring Ibuprofen with me or something...'

Taiga sighed.

Too late now.

She was already out.

'How did I get here, again?'

Is what Taiga thought as she tried to massage her temples for what felt like the billionth time.

Ah.

Right.

The boys who made up the infamous band Dethklok had dragged her along once again to go have an adventure.

It had become a habit whenever they were bored especially, and would have Taiga try this, or drink that, etc.

//It all started when Toki invited her to come with him for one of their mini parties that took place in their lounge area.

There weren't really complaints, as they were all still pretty much getting used to Taiga's presence being a common occurrence, but she understood when they were making an attempt at gauging her reactions to everything.

At first, they tiptoed around the subject of why she looked the way she did, until Pickles eventually took it upon himself to ask.

It caught her off-guard.

But she actually preferred him asking rather than them all just standing around awkwardly.

Taiga knew they wanted to say something, but wouldn't spit it out.

It had been a long time since she had explained the sordid story to others.

She just talked about the experiments that she went through as a child and left it at that.

Taiga didn't lie, but didn't feel like being possibly teased for the other reasons why.

She wasn't ashamed of the truth, or Avis; any of that.

But she just didn't have the energy to deal with that right now.

It already took a while to tell this much.

Pickles was staring at her like everyone else, but had a more pensive expression on his face as he rested his chin on his balled fist, before it turned into a look of confusion.

"...So, how are you naht actually a cat, again?"

Taiga deadpanned.

Then Nathan pulled out his tape recorder, saying: "Anatomical Violation"

Which she now recognized as him saving song name ideas...

Before Toki started talking about how he wished that he could be tested on like that so he could have cat ears too.

And Taiga was close to banging her head off a wall after that.

Oh well.

It was pretty insensitive the more it went on, but at least they seemed to listen for a short time before they continued drinking.

Although, it was never brought up again.

Part of her wondered if they even remembered the conversation.

Sometimes she felt almost like some science experiment or circus freak that was there to cure their boredom, yet...

It did not exactly seem like it was ever intentionally malicious?

Which, she was used to from most others, however, she couldn't help but still get tired at times.

It was... Weird, but...

She'd take it if it meant some more dangerous shenanigans wouldn't take place.

The fact she would be held responsible and have to pay for anything bad that happened honestly didn't matter to her.

She just didn't want anyone to get hurt.

Taiga wasn't their babysitter or anything, but she'd feel such guilt...

A lot of the time going with them did help ease her mind, while also exasperating it.

And even if Taiga didn't always take part in the substances they consumed, it was appreciated that she never judged or scolded them.

They were grown-ups, after all.

And who would she be to try and tell them what to do?

Taiga would show concern and attempt to give friendly advice without seeming condescending, if it ever seemed to be getting out of hand, but never pushed it.

Overall, each of them were either pleasantly surprised and/or just impressed whenever she would join in.

Finding it funny but also awesome that she wasn't "stuck up" about it.

"Who woulda thought you would know how to have fun." Nathan stated more to himself rather than anyone else in particular.

As if he had already assumed that Taiga was a certain way and it actually baffled him that he was incorrect.

She honestly didn't mind parties and all...

Not that she'd really been to many in her time on this planet.

But she could respect the concept of letting loose and having a good time.

To a point.

Like whenever Taiga would be told to "Watch THIS!", her heart would almost stop from the wave of dread that would flow through her.

For example, the last time she heard that, Pickles had back-flipped off a roof while hammered before she could even try to talk him out of it.

Thankfully, he didn't get severely injured, since he landed in a dumpter that was filled with garbage bags...

But he definitely felt it in the morning.

In his head though, it was nothing more booze couldn't fix!

He'd say it was a success, because he didn't feel any more physical pain!

Another thing that added to her turmoil, was some of the pranks that were pulled on her over time as the guys got more comfortable around her.

Maybe too comfortable.

It could really get on Taiga's nerves.

From Murderface jumping out to scare her at random times during the day, or when they'd offer her Oreos that had the filling replaced with toothpaste.

Made her so fed up.

But somehow, she truly couldn't ever stay mad for long...//

---

This time, the boys wanted to barhop and see how many they could visit before puking or blacking out.

Taiga obviously tried to state how bad of an idea this was...

But they weren't having it and designated her as 'Official Counter', along as being the determiner for the winner, plus who lost first.

This city was known for its 56 bars, as she had come to find out from Pickles' recounting of some of his times in Wisconsin, and the rest of the guys immediately wanted to try it.

Taiga knew this would be a long night.

Taiga was thankful that they didn't try to get her to drink this time, even if it was just so she could be coherent enough for her new "job."

She sarcastically thought about how she should get an award for all these jobs falling into her lap.

Lucky her.

She wasn't taking this position that seriously, mostly just trying to watch out for them; ever ready to call Charles for assistance if needed.

Along with the files on her first day, Taiga was given his emergency line as well, in case anything happened.

And she had put it into her phone ASAP.

For the most part, she tried to stay off in the corners of the bars.

She had her hood up, hands in her pockets, and tail tucked away as best as possible under her large coat.

Taiga was always a bit surprised that she could still kind of hide her giant tail when needed, but it was a bit painful each time.

And the pain grew the longer it was tied up against her body.

But she tried to ignore it.

If anyone looked closely, they'd see her skin color more clearly, but she also tried not to worry about that too much.

She hung her head and looked over at the men every now and then.

They seemed to be having a blast.

Taiga was glad that it was winter, since it was easier, and less strenuous to hide her features, but it was still a struggle.

At least there was no one around, but Taiga still felt bad, because the only reason it was dead is because the guys had made the owners stay open longer.

To them it was no big deal, their reasoning being:

"We do it all the time."

And they had gotten so wasted once again that even Pickles ended up a mess.

Taiga knew this part also wasn't a first occurrence, but it was the first time she had to personally deal with it.

Eventually she lost track of how many bars they had been to at this point, but after Taiga yawned, she stopped as she realized something.

...Where was Pickles...?

The others were loudly chattering and had gone inside, but he was...

Wandering off into a cornfield.

Okay.

Taiga didn't want to get separated from the rest of the boys, but Pickles was getting further and further away by the second.

If she went inside, even for a minute, he could end up who knows where.

So she tried to act quick and just go after him for now.

Maybe he could easily be brought back.

Even if that was highly doubtful.

"Pickles!

Hey, wait a minute!!"

Taiga was glad that she wore layers under her fluffy coat, thick gloves, and insulated pants.

But still, it was almost February now in the "Malibu of the Midwest;" Sheboygan, Wisconsin.

The lake-effect did not help things, and she was a giant wimp against the cold, but she just tried to focus on continuing to move.

She tightened the straps on her coat as she ran off towards the red-head's slowly shrinking silhouette as he continued to stumble off further away into the cornfield.

For being plastered, he was fast-

WAS HE NARUTO RUNNING NOW!?!

Her trusty boots made specially for winter trudged along while she carefully went through the snow, and over the unshoveled areas across the street.

Taiga stumbled but made haste in climbing over the snowbank she approached, trying to keep up with the drummer.

She didn't fall despite her slip-ups, and soon caught up to him.

God, cornfields really were itchy.

But he seemed to be greatly enjoying the sensations past his fascination about something else entirely; frantically looking around with his iconic grin.

At least he also had some winter-ready clothes on, but that didn't ease her worries too much.

Her ears perked up more at hearing his mumbling before he belted out:

"I sworeee I saw en aaaaalien! Yeww caan't hide from me!"

Taiga noticed how much thicker the Wisconsinite's accent had gotten.

And she knew that he wasn't just drunk, but that was beside the point.

Pickles quickly tensed up and got in a fighting stance for a second when Taiga ran in front of him.

"D'OH-JYEEZUS."

Taiga was trying to catch her breath while she put her hands up to show she wasn't going to do anything; relieved to not have been decked in the face.

Her hood had fallen down while running after him and her hair was blowing a bit around her head.

The chilled air hit against her skin even more; the ghosts of their individual breaths dancing along until they took their final step into disappearance.

"Sorry, but...

You really need to come back with me, okay?"

His pupils were dilated and he looked like he was super amped up.

She tried to speak in a soft, soothing voice as an attempt to make him pay attention.

And Pickles smiled more.

She smiled back with a hope-filled expression.

Then he suddenly stepped forward and pulled over some of the hair cascading down the back of her head to cover her face like a mask instead, and he started snickering; not listening to a word Taiga had said.

This wouldn't be easy.

"...wuuoooah-hohohh~"

Pickles started laughing seeing this now.

He couldn't explain it even if he tried, but the colors and shapes coming from Taiga right now were insane.

And if he didn't already know her, he would have thought she was just a hallucination, like Toki almost did at first when meeting her.

Taiga put her arms back down and slightly huffed, talking past her hair now, until most of it inevitably blew out of her face.

"I'm serious."

"Nyeeehh, what's new?

Y'know... If I had anotherr pill, I would've given it to yah!"

As Taiga fixed her hair fully, Pickles' voice consistently raised in pitch as he hit the word "to."

He unceremoniously leaned over and rested his elbow on her shoulder as he slurred out, causing her knees to almost buckle, because he was putting most of his weight on her suddenly. He usually ate it up that he was no longer the shortest in the group now.

But Taiga grit her teeth as her eyes widened, and was able to keep herself upright.

For the most part.

"Hnng!"

Taiga frowned and was about to tell him to get off, but something else had gotten his attention and he quickly moved away.

"DERE HE IS!"

Taiga immediately went after him.

"You're going to get hypothermia or something, come on...!"

Taiga shivered and hugged herself.

They both might at this point.

She decided, screw it, and decided to call Charles to let him know what was going on, sooner rather than later.

No one was hurt, yet.

And she didn't want to take that chance as she continued to follow Pickles as he was hunting this so-called alien and doing a...

Chicken call?

Taiga refocused as Charles picked up, and after he answered, she sighed before explaining.

She felt so embarrassed as she spoke and ran a hand over her face, even though she knew that it wasn't her fault.

Taiga disclosed the name of the bar she remembered and their location, not knowing still about the trackers he had on each of the boys.

There was a pause and the line was silent for a bit after she finished.

She didn't even have to see his face to know he was most likely pinching his brow.

He didn't yell or anything, although she would have absolutely understood it in this situation...

But as Charles said he'd be on his way to get them Taiga was at least glad no one else would be lost, or worse.

Especially in the states that each of them were in.

He gave a terse thank you and finally told her to just continue keeping an eye on Pickles until he arrived.

Taiga was going to return the thanks but then the line suddenly cut.

She put her phone back into her coat pocket as they emerged from the cornfield on the opposite side.

Taiga was glad someone was coming to help, but that relief dissipated as she saw what Pickles was chasing an American woodcock.

It was running instead of flying away, which was strange, but then she noticed it had a busted wing.

Taiga narrowed her eyes and sprinted like a cheetah.

She took Pickles by surprise again as she passed him, and it gave her enough time to pick up the terrified bird and gently cradle him.

"STOP."

Taiga used her rare assertive, authoritative tone and held up a hand in front of Pickles.

He actually listened this time and didn't continue trying to catch the bird.

His eyes stayed wide as he look at them.

She calmed down and lowered her arm, along with her voice; not wanting the bird to go into shock or anything similar.

"...He's scared, and hurt. Just... Please, try to remember to be careful."

Taiga pitied the little one, but he seemed to slowly be calming down after realize he wasn't being hurt further by either of them.

He seemed to relax a bit under her touch, so she decided to test very gentle petting, making sure to not bother the hurt wing.

There was good news all around, and Taiga's face slightly brightened.

It seemed like a treatable injury, and the bird didn't freak out; settling down and just letting himself be held at this point.

Pickles looked like he wanted to pet the bird too.

Taiga noticed and softly sighed, still petting him very slowly.

"Here..."

She tried to speak in that soft, soothing voice again, once her head felt clear enough.

Taiga demonstrated how to pet the bird without causing further pain for him, now that she had some more of Pickles' attention.

He stepped closer and thankfully did exactly that, and the bird still seemed relatively calm.

Pickles' mouth hung open a little as his jaw dropped.

The ridiculousness of that look, as well as this situation in itself, almost made Taiga laugh but she held it back, not wanting to disrupt the moment.

It must have felt really cool for him, putting it lightly.

The longer Pickles looked into the bird's many eyes, the more drawn in he was.

His hand felt like it had melted and become one with the bird's body; the hues of their respective bodies bleeding into each other like spilled paint.

Taiga's smile faltered a bit as he started drooled.

"Ah..."

She almost didn't know what to do but just gently used the sleeve covering her free hand to gently wipe most of it away from his face.

Pickles' only response was a slow blink and he muttered again about it being an alien in disguise.

Taiga snorted a bit.

"It's actually an American woodcock."

He started wheezing with laughter at hearing that, having come back into this plane of existence for a second.

Taiga was confused at first and raised a brow, but then soon understood and rolled her eyes a little; giggling a tiny bit herself.

"You're impossible."

"...'n' yer alright."

Taiga was taken aback by that one, but cross-faded or not, that seemed genuine coming from him, and it made the smile on her face grow some more.

Soon though, Taiga saw flashlights in the distance and Pickles dove behind her once he noticed and spotted them too; using her as a shield because he thought it was an alien abduction.

Taiga was unimpressed and the pain and ringing in her ears hurt from his yelling so close to her head, but she decided to look past it and push through because she saw Charles was here with some Klokateers surrounding him.

Soon they all were around the three, and Pickles recognized Charles features, along with the hooded figures; calming down.

Charles saw the bird in Taiga's arms, but he didn't even ask as he just had them ushered to the Dethkopter.

She was still intimidated by this thing.

But this time, it looked like she was getting inside of it.

There was a growing ball of anxiety forming within the pit of her belly and growing up to her chest; permeating throughout her whole body.

But...

She tried to be brave as they got strapped in and given blankets, after their prolonged exposure to the elements.

Helicopters were... Pretty safe, right?

New experiences like this always triggered her type of Agoraphobia and that nervous energy caused her to shake a bit more.

But she just tried to relax, protect the bird in her arms, and brace herself as best as possible.

As the Dethkopter took off, it ended up being...

Not that bad, actually.

Taiga visibly relaxed and ended up really enjoying the experience.

She had heard that riding in a helicopter in general could feel similar to a rollercoaster, but...

She had never been on one before, so she couldn't make that comparison.

Taiga kept her ears lowered on instinct from the vibrations she felt, but to her delight, the space and design of this behemoth of a luxury helicopter meant she didn't need headphones, and even her sensitive ears weren't too bothered by any of the noises produced by it.

Charles stayed standing as he held onto the hand grip near the side opening of the aircraft; his jacket blowing in the wind.

His silence almost caused the anxiety to return, but then he had suddenly simply commended Taiga for her quick thinking.

She blinked.

She sure didn't expect that.

Taiga felt weird calling him Mr. Offdensen.

But "Charles" didn't feel appropriate either.

So, she just didn't use either as she sincerely spoke.

"...Thank you for your help."

Charles heard her but kept his eyes facing forward.

He would save the scolding for these men for later.

Not that he expected them to really listen to him, as per usual.

But...

It was all part of the job.

They both seemed pleased that none of the boys were harmed at the end of it overall.

And any hint of annoyance from his end was directed towards said group of men who were mostly passed out by now.

Besides Pickles who was currently staring at one of his locs that he held in a hand, like it was alive and telling him something mind-blowing.

Taiga spaced out; shaking her head and looking back down at her new bird friend after Pickles mumbled something about a tentacle and tried to high-five his own hair.

He would probably be on a wild trip for a long time.

How many animals would she end up having to take care of around these dudes...?

Taiga then turned her head to cover her nose by the faux fur lining on her coat and sneezed; feeling a tickle in her throat.

Oh, great.

--

Pickles and Taiga both ended up getting sick after everything was said and done.

However, Taiga didn't seem too bothered, even if she sure felt like crap at first.

Because even though her bird friend was now physically gone, she was at least able to keep him comfy and taken care of as much as possible in the meantime, until she had gotten in contact with a licensed wildlife rehabilitator as soon as they returned to Mordhaus.

She had to have a Klokateer meet with them outside of the grounds (the first time she asked for something that didn't have to do with the cub she attended to), for security reasons obviously, and she also didn't want to possibly get anyone else sick.

(Taiga obviously thanked them a bunch for their help; something they all weren't used to hearing especially.

But it was unthinkable to her to not thank them for their efforts. She couldn't even imagine what it was like to do the work they did.)

The wildlife rehabilitator was able to properly help out the little guy, and thankfully, she was updated that his wing was able to heal within a week, and he was able to be relocated.

It made feeling like death all the more worth it.

And she sent out nothing but the most positive of energies for the bird, hoping he had a wonderful rest of his life.

Once Toki was recovered from his own hangover and found out that Taiga had a cold, he was understanding and kind enough to tell her she didn't have to worry about her job's responsibilities until she was better.

She had still come out that day, wearing a mask and all bundled up, but honestly...

"You looks terrible!"

Taiga just tiredly stared at him before giving a half-hearted thumbs up in response.

At first, she was about to push herself to keep on going, but...

She genuinely could barely function in this moment.

And she left her notes out for everyone to use anyway.

It would actually be fine.

Her mind didn't battle her much today.

And Taiga was truly appreciative; croaking out a soft thank you as she headed back to her chambers, her movement akin to a zombie's, to rest up more.

However, she couldn't help herself whenever she got restless over more time and was still doing research about Zoological parks on her laptop while in bed.

Later on, Toki had paid a visit to her room, and after hearing Taiga's cracked voice telling him that he could come in, he opened the door and greeted her.

He said that he made something for her to help her feel better.

Taiga perked up a bit more in curiosity. He presented the soup that he made, it resting on a tray.

And she carefully took it.

It took everything within her to smile.

...She didn't know you could burn soup...

"Thank you... Toki.

That's very nice of you."

He beamed and wished her well, saying he wished he could stay longer but had an interview to get to.

Taiga wished him well too before he bid her farewell.

Although, she was honestly relieved that he didn't stay to watch her eat.

...

She tried a tiny bit.

Yup. That was a mistake.

It was like if someone had liquefied charred bits of bacon and... Even the vegetables were burnt, and were black.

What did he even do???

You know what, she didn't even want any answers.

The smell and taste attacked each and every one of her senses.

But hey, she didn't puke, so...

There's that.

It was sweet, but Taiga knew that she may actually get worse if she ate it.

So for now, she just set it aside.

-

It had been a slow week as the two recovered, but afterwards, Pickles and Taiga got back into the flow of things.

Her moreso than him work-wise.

Since a part of him liked being sick, because he could get much more attention...

He'd ham it up at times, with the poor Klokateers assigned to him those days, when actually starting to feel better...

But who's counting?

Eventually though, he did have to get up and actually into the studio again.

But as always, he ended up getting it done, and didn't disappoint.

Taiga took a page from Toki's book, and aside from the soup, she went to go see how Pickles was doing.

...Right after she figured out where exactly she was on the map she had of Mordhaus' layout.

It only had the areas she had clearance for visiting, but it was still a big help.

Pickles didn't open the door, and Taiga wondered if he was even in there.

But as if on cue, she heard footsteps and saw him coming closer near the end of the hallway.

He had his thumbs hooked in his pockets as he aimlessly moved along, looking bored out of his mind.

Taiga called his name as she approached and that got his attention.

Pickles grinned.

"Look who it is."

Taiga gave a friendly little smile.

"I just wanted to see if you were feeling alright. I heard you got sick too."

"...Comin' tah check on little ol' me?"

Pickles asked with a growing smirk; purposefully in a teasing tone.

Taiga deadpanned and crossed her arms.

Pickles chuckled at her reaction and stopped smirking, but kept the grin of course.

He'd almost look weirder without it by this point.

"Yeaah, I'm just fi-"

His stomach suddenly grumbled very loudly.

It was almost comical.

Actually, for Pickles, it for sure was.

He laughed hard.

"Okay den, besides da monster inside my stomach I didn't know about letting out war cries, I'm-"

Pickles' stomach kept grumbling.

"Dood, I'm tryin' to talk 'ere."

Now Taiga couldn't help but giggle herself.

Her eyes changing from her natural grays, to purple.

Pickles noticed and his own eyes lit up some more.

"Yer like a livin' mood ring or sumthin'!"

Taiga wasn't the only one to surprise others.

He was the only one to have noticed so far.

Or at least, acknowledge it out loud.

She giggled a bit more before calming down.

"Heh. I guess so. I've never gotten that before...

Hey, if you want, you can have this."

Taiga offered the candy bar she had tucked away in her pocket for later.

Pickles looked over the wrapper as she held it out, and didn't seem displeased. His teasing tone returned,

"If ya keep this up, I might think ya like me~"

Taiga just blinked then moved like she was about to open the wrapper; her normal bashfulness pretty much nonexistent right now.

"Maybe I'll just change my mind."

"'Ey, 'ey, 'ey!"

Pickles snatched the bar.

"I'm just jokin', calm down... Gahhhd."

Taiga was the one grinning now as she crossed her arms once again.

Her confidence had been slowly improving the longer she stayed here, and at times she would catch the boys off-guard especially.

It was honestly satisfying to be able to do so.

"Tryin' tah steal from the starvin' now. I see how it is, Kit Kat."

Taiga tsked and lowered her arms at the sudden silly nickname he got from the bar he held, starting to laugh a little.

"Speaking of, I don't even want to imagine how badly your stomach reacted after we got back home. But I am glad you're feeling better.

You were so sloshed!"

Pickles' grin grew as he raised a brow.

"Sloshed?"

Taiga sighed softly.

"You know what I mean."

Pickles snickered, not remembering much of the events that happened, but he did remember that Taiga saw him in that state for the first time, and was imagining how she must have felt.

Her reaction was probably priceless.

He refrained from teasing her further about it, for now, as a more important question came to mind.

"That reminds me, did ya see who lost first?

I have to bring it back up with da guys so we can talk prizes... And penalties."

Pickles got a more mischievous glint in his eyes as he dramatically clapped his hands and deviously rubbed them together.

Taiga shook her head, at both his question, and other statement.

"No, but...

You were definitely the last conscious one."

It honestly didn't surprise the girl, or him for that matter, but...

It still left her in awe how quickly he could bounce back or keep truckin'.

"Hah!"

Pickles' ego grew 3 times its size that day.

"Winner, winner, chicken dinner!"

He said in a slightly goofy voice as he unwrapped the chocolate bar and took a bite right out of the side, without breaking it.

"But chocolate is fine too."

He said with his mouth full; cheesing.

Now Taiga's stomach rumbled and she blushed lightly because of it.

She thought and then spoke up again.

"...Actually, that does sound really good right now."

The pair laughed together before heading off to the dining hall.

As they walked, Taiga told him about the soup Toki brought by for her a couple days back.

Leaving about the more...

Charred details of the crispy carcasses and filmed lining of tarlike substance covering the almost porridge consistency of what was supposed to be, what she could only think was bacon vegetable soup.

Taiga just kept thinking:

'It's the thought that counts.'

Pickles made a face and stopped in his tracks, which made Taiga pause herself and look at him curiously; tilting her head to the side some.

He began to pout and stared at the floor for a bit.

He thought Toki was a terrible cook. Was he holdin' out on him all this time??

Before Taiga could say anything, Pickles spoke up once again, in almost a whisper.

At first.

"...what da hell... He never gave me any soup! TOKI!"

As he snapped his head back up and stomped off in a hurry to go looking for the man instead of going to eat, Taiga thought that maybe she should have just kept that to herself.

#metalocalypse #dethklok #mtl #pickles the drummer #toki wartooth #skwisgaar skwigelf #nathan explosion #william murderface #klokateers #kloktober #2023 #Kloktober 2023 #Kloktober2023 #prompt #Day 1 #I'm late but I hope you like it! #This took me 15 hours straight #LOL #MTL OC #OC #AU #MTL AU #Original Character #adventures with pickles #Mika “Taiga” Taira #“Taiga” #Taiga #Mika #Taira #Mika Taira

[hayakaws]

gojo satoru ♡ 五条悟

happy belated birthday Ana! @gojosattoru

#jujutsu kaisen #jjk #jjkedit #gojo satoru #satoru gojo #gojou satoru #manga #manga coloring #anime #myedits #mycolorings #for friends #i'm sorry this is late ana! :( #but i hope you like it!! #i love you <333333 #userokkottsus #tuserelena #usertorichi #hanatonin #tuserashes #usernikiforova

[lazylittledragon]

what do you mean youre technically a detransitioner cause of terf bullshit?

it's a v long story but i detransitioned for a couple of years when i was 16/17, for multiple reasons but mostly because i fell into the blaire white/kalvin garrah chamber of "you have to be This way to be trans otherwise you're not real".

i was already Deeply insecure about myself and my 'passing' and i was led to believe that i couldn't want to wear makeup or skirts, and i couldn't choose not to have bottom surgery, and i couldn't do anything but bind for 12+ hours a day to the point that my ribcage is still misshapen. basically i thought that if i wasn't suffering enough doing 'feminine' things, i couldn't really be trans, so i should just go back to being a girl and suck it up.

the terf bullshit is because i'd seen a lot of terfs/detransitioners talking about the 'dangers' of testosterone and how it would turn me into a horrible ugly evil monster and how there was nothing worse than wanting to be a man. which combined with 'you need to fully medically transition to be valid at all' creates some very dangerous and upsetting feelings to cope with.

it also came from trying really hard to put myself in a little box before i realised that my sexuality/gender are very fluid and it's FINE for me not to have a label and just do whatever i want. when i was 19 or so i went back to using they/them (and eventually he/him) and changed my name again because even though i like doing 'feminine' things, i don't want to be seen as a woman.

tldr: i was conditioned by transphobic/terf rhetorics to think that i was being trans the 'wrong' way so i couldn't be trans at all, so i believed i must actually be a girl if i still wanted to do 'feminine' things. nowadays i am a transmasc who does feminine things because i don't give two shits about what any transmed prick thinks of me anymore.

#ramble #ok to reblog btw i'm fine with this being shared #this was meant to be a short version but this is just the whole story whoops #sorry i realised the way i phrased it sounded like i'm the detrans you see in the news #i'm Technically a detransitioner because a lot of detrans stats are people who go on to RETRANSITION #because detransition is often because of social stigma and not because you realised you weren't trans #so anyway. terfs are cancer and if you don't think their bs is harming children you're wrong #i know it's easy to say 'you should've used your brain and realised those people were wrong' #but like. when you're 16 you're SO impressionable. even if you think you aren't #especially when you're watching people who have been transitioning longer than you and you assume they know everything #i was in my mid-late teens when 'transtrender' videos were MASSIVE and i believed it!!! and i was Not nice about those people #all they made me believe was that being trans couldn't be colourful and comfy and fun. it just had to be Pain #i hope everyone who contributed to the 'you need to be this way to be trans' mindset knows how much hurt they've caused #nowadays i don't care. go and be stargender. we have actual problems to deal with not debates about neopronouns #anyway this was long. that's the story

[themisterhip]

The sillys 🧛😝✨

#spiderman #spiderman across the spiderverse #spiderman 2099 #miguel o'hara #atsv miguel #lyla #lyla across the spiderverse #art #i don't know why but i've been feeling down lately #i think i'm having a crisis cause my bitrhday is soon and the comissions as well #and add to that my school just gave us final exams when i thoight they were over so #surviving of the fittest :D #shljsks anyway sorry for venting #hope you all like the drawing #i'll be going back to comissions and all #lots of love for you all!! #thanks and bye #<3 #barbie #barbie movie #meme

[kasterarts]

Moving Forward. (Spoilers for YTTD up through 3-1b)

#your turn to die #yttd #yttd fanart #sara chidouin #joe tazuna #happy birthday sara #post-death game au #set in the Kanna/Alice lives route because that's personally my favorite #there are so many little hcs in this #sara will forever have freckles in my art #alice dyed his hair to match reko #also he's trying to get back into music for her #whether that's healthy or unhealthy is yet to be determined #Keiji is not doing so hot #angst #your turn to die fanart #ryoko isn't being mean i promise she just doesn't know how to help #yes sara is wearing joe's jacket #joesara >>> #I'm like 20 minutes late but I hope you enjoy regardless #god this took so long #I ran out of time to shade it I'm sorry </33 #I hope you enjoy anyways!! #or don't #sorry for the angst on your birthday sara you deserve so much better

[tamelee]

Belated Bday gift for @drschwartz19 🥰 inspired by Chapter 9 from Kizuna Hikari 🫶 (First is a cropped version.. see full on twt or pixiv)

#my art #naruto x sasuke #sns #sasunaru #narusasu #sns fanart #fanfic fanart #drschwartz19 #hope you like them 🥺💕 #sidenote I left out the rinnegan bc I'm an idiot #I have no other excuse and now its too late

[raplinenthusiasts]

BTS x Major Arcana

for @dearedwardteach 🖤 {cr. namuspromised / psd / cards}

#HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BEST PERSON ON THIS ENTIRE SITE <3 #i'm late and i'm so so sorry #i had entirely different thing planned but it was awful and then i found this template and it made me think of you immediately! #i hope you like it #bts #btsgif #dailybts #dailybangtan #userbangtan #btsedit #*mine #ot7 #sabri i have no words to describe how lucky i am to get to know you #you wished on my birthday to go to concert together and now look at us! we have two booked! #i cannot wait march to see you <3 #i hope you will have great year full of happiness and kind people and so much love! #ily fr <3 #disclaimer: i know nothing about tarot cards or anything like that #i went with general descriptions #so please let me know what you think about my choices! it's actually very interesting! #if there are any typos or anything please don't tell me or i'll cry

[kyouka-supremacy]

« Do you know when it's alright to chicken out and go home? There is no such time. »

Nakahara Chuuya ✧ For @nnakahara                                     Happy late Birthday, Nyusa!! ＼(≧▽≦)／

#Sorry I'm late ｡:ﾟ(;´∩`;)ﾟ:｡ I started fighting with the gifs I'm literally covered in blood right now #Literally any other time I would have prepared it in advance but you know what the last days have been... #But I hope you like it (ㅅ´ ˘ )♡ The colors where after the ones I usually see on your theme eheh #Again happiest birthday you're amazing!!!!! #chūya nakahara #bsd #bungou stray dogs #bsd graphic #my edit #mine

[kakuriyo]

CAPTAIN TRIO for @gizaoyas

#one piece #opgraphics #monkey d luffy #trafalgar law #eustass kid #gif #animangasecretsanta #HO HO HELLO I'M YOUR SECRET SANTA #AGAIN I AM SO SORRY IT'S LATE 😭 #I HOPE YOU LIKE IT #I ENJOYED TALKING ABOUT OP WITH YOU #MERRY CHRISTMAS (AND HAPPY NEW YEAR ASKLDHFJB) #tried something different for the manga caps #but alas i am still just a gif maker so no fancy gifs hfgbjhdsbf #maybe next time

[viperwhispered]

Rest

Guess what? I've got more Jamil x reader for y'all. You can also find this on ao3. No warnings, just 866 words of kinda fluffy(?) caretaking stuff with gender-neutral reader.

At this point, you know Jamil’s schedule almost as well as he does. So, when you have the chance, you head to Scarabia’s kitchen, hoping to spend some time with Jamil while he and the other students prepare dinner. 

However, when you enter, it takes you but a moment to notice Jamil’s uncharacteristic fumbling and the tired look in his eyes. The way Jamil’s chopping the vegetables has you worried about him cutting himself with that knife he’s usually so adept with, and it seems it’s only force of habit that’s keeping him on track.

You frown, and when your eyes meet Jamil’s, you can already see him put his guard up.

So he knows what state he is in, huh? And still, here he is.

It seems Jamil is reading your thoughts, all of him telling you drop it before any words are even said.

At least he still lets you lean in and give a quick kiss to his cheek in greeting.

“Hello love. Do you still have a lot on your agenda for today?” you ask, keeping your tone low for at least some semblance of privacy in the busy kitchen.

“Nothing I can’t handle,” is the response you get.

Of course.

It takes a little more pestering before Jamil actually answers your question. Your lips purse. That list is far too long to your liking.

You take a moment to think, juggling your own plans and to-do list against the urgency of the things Jamil mentioned.

“Will Kalim be eating from that?” you ask, pointing at the food Jamil is preparing.

“Yes.”

“Alright, I won’t be touching that one, then. I’ve gotta do a few things but I’ll be back when you’re done here.”

“Don’t,” Jamil says with a glare, clearly aware of what you’re thinking.

Yet even his disapproving look doesn’t have the usual weight behind it.

“Yes. I will,” you say firmly, even as your heart curls inwards with another bout of concern.

Really, when did he get so tired?

And how did you not notice it earlier?

You leave the kitchen before Jamil can protest further, hurrying through the dorm corridors to find Kalim.

Soon you have an enthusiastic – and concerned – supporter for your plans. You have Kalim point out a few reliable Scarabia students to help with a few of the most urgent matters Jamil mentioned – cleaning up the common areas, delivering some paperwork to Crowley, preparing some dorm-wide notices – while you see to Kalim getting his school supplies in order for the following day. You even recruit a couple of third years to help Kalim with his homework.

You’ll see to the rest tomorrow – after all, you do also have a boyfriend to look after.

Your conversation over dinner can hardly be called anything else than an argument – despite Kalim’s best attempts at acting as a moderating force between you two. It is very tempting to ask Kalim to tell Jamil to take the rest of the day off – it’s not like Jamil would be willing to openly disobey a direct order. Still, you really don’t need to remind Jamil of his position on top of everything else that you’re already doing more or less against his wishes.

Eventually, however, Jamil’s had a square meal, the most urgent things on his to-do list are being taken care of, and you’ve managed to drag him to his bed.

“I really wish you wouldn’t push yourself so hard,” you murmur, your arms wrapped tightly around Jamil. You’re telling yourself you really do just want to cuddle, to offer some respite to Jamil. Still, there might also be a part of you worried that if you were to let go, he’d just jump up and get back to working himself to the bone.

Yet, for all his protestations, just the fact that you’ve gotten Jamil to lay down with you speaks volumes of his current exhaustion.

“I can’t just leave my duties, albi. You know this.”

“Making yourself too indispensable, is what you’re doing,” you protest.

Oh, you know it’s not so simple. Not with his background, not with all the expectations and assumptions.

But sometimes you really wish it would be.

Jamil merely scoffs in response to your words.

Still, it is undeniable that he is slowly beginning to relax in your arms, slowly bringing his head closer to yours. His eyes are starting to flutter, too.

“I will still need to help Kalim with his homework, at the very least.”

You wonder who he is trying to convince more, you or himself.

“Amin and Khalil are helping him. They’re basically top of their classes, aren’t they? I’m sure they’ve got it.”

Still, Jamil frowns.

You sigh. He really is not letting go, is he?

“Do you want me to go supervise?” you ask.

And leave you, unsaid yet hanging there right after your words.

“Don’t,” Jamil eventually says, the word barely more than a breath.

It seems he has accepted his fate.

You softly caress Jamil’s hair, listening to his softening breathing.

And when you wake up, wholly unaware of having been lulled to sleep in the first place, it’s to the lightest of touches from Jamil’s fingers.

Tagging @diodellet @twstgo @crystallizsch @jamilvapologist @jamilsimpno69 as per request If you'd like to be tagged for any future works, let me know!

#twisted wonderland #jamil viper #twisted wonderland x reader #jamil viper x reader #woop it sure has been quite the burst of creative energy lately #especially since this has apparently been sitting in my drafts since last august #but now you have it #I certainly can’t promise to keep up with this rate of writing (in fact I can promise I won't) but hey let's enjoy it while it lasts #and yes I’m hopping on the “jamil using arabic terms of endearment” train #I’ve read so many fics doing that that at this point it feels more natural than english ngl #even if english would probably be more canonical #also is it a *good* way to go about it to just pretty much just force someone to rest like this? probably not #is it sometimes the only way to get stubborn people to stop for a bit? perhaps #and is it something I might do? #...possibly #also oh boy can you tell that I'm avoiding jamil's dialogue like the plague lately? #I really need to reread so much of his stuff to get a hang of his voice again #(also if you notice typos pls tell me because they always bug me) #(or other wonkiness because I'm not a native speaker and sometimes things just go silly) #anyways hope y'all enjoy!

[hansama]

I hope I see you in my dreams

Happy New year everyone!

#undertale #sans #undertale sans #I LOVE YOU SAANSSS #I LOVE #I #sobibg #I'm a week late to posting something regarding the new year but i did something at least xDDDD #i was supposed to draw rain but it turned to #rain somehow LMAO #he's drinking tomato juice #but i didn't feel like designing the carton properly #anyway!! i hope you have a really nice year ♥

[canisalbus]

As a longtime (2015ish) follower of yours, its been fun watching you become... more tender? toward Machete. back in the day it was angst angst angst, and i loved it! but you cant know darkness without light and vice verse. Youve been a massive inspiration the whole time btw. Its nice to see not-anthro!Machete again too

.

#I just put the guy in a glue trap so tender is perhaps a questionable choice of words #but I get what you mean #I like to think I'm expanding his personality not overwriting it #so angst and edginess are still applicable #but lately it's been so fun exploring the side of him that isn't quite as soaked in hatred and despair #I've always known or at least hoped that he has a bit more range than the endless negativity he's been drowning into for so many years #even if I largely failed to convey that in any meaningful way #Vasco's presence has really helped to bring out the humanity in him and I think that's kinda neat and unexpected #answered #anonymous

[coquelicoq]

justice of toren collecting songs and one esk/breq constantly humming/singing them is such a good detail and ann leckie does so much with it. an incomplete list:

justice of toren's eager collection of songs is part and parcel of its violent destruction of cultures: these songs are cultural artifacts that it only learns because of its presence on those worlds during their conquest, and in many cases breq is the only one to remember them because their people have died out due to that violence. JoT preserves cultural artifacts for its own use at the same time it directly contributes to the need for that preservation in the first place.

the matter-of-fact way in which this is narrated to us gives us information about JoT's stance on respect and imperialism - that is, contrasted with other characters who look down on the conquered cultures, JoT does actually seem to appreciate their value. and yet it communicates to us no sense of remorse over its role in their genocide.

singing can be a communal activity. this allows us to feel the difference between one esk's multiple bodies singing together in harmony/in a round vs. breq singing alone. this has emotional weight, is an evocative image, and illustrates quite nicely some of the logistic considerations of having one vs. multiple bodies.

the constant humming/singing is extremely notable and idiosyncratic according to other characters, which is a dangerous combination for someone who's supposed to be undercover, so it adds a lil bit of fun suspense for us.

the fact that no one ever figures out breq's identity despite this giveaway tells us something about the other characters' attitudes towards artificial intelligences (though see below about seivarden).

the fact that it's so idiosyncratic also tells us something about the ability of individual AIs to have personalities that distinguish them from other AIs, and the fact that one esk sings constantly but two esk doesn't tells us something about the ability of different ancillary decades that are all part of the same AI to have distinguishing characteristics. this is very relevant to, and illustrative of, the series' thematic throughlines around identity, personality, continuity, etc.

the fact that breq personally has a bad voice also serves multiple purposes. because breq and seivarden both believe that the medic could have chosen a body with a good voice if she had wanted to, we can infer something about how ancillary bodies work, how much the AI (and, by extension, its medics) knows about the individual capabilities of those bodies while they're in suspension, and what kinds of things the AI can and can't control once it has unfrozen and taken over a body.

we can also draw conclusions about the medic that chose that body and about intracrew relations on that ship.

breq's bad voice creates moments of humor and irony in the narrative, such as when breq's constant singing - aka the most obvious clue that she is one esk - is precisely what makes seivarden so sure that breq can't be one esk, because no esk medic would use a body with a bad voice for an ancillary.

constant singing/humming imposes itself on the shared soundscape, meaning other people can't easily avoid it and it has the potential to annoy them, especially if the voice itself has annoying qualities. the reactions of other characters to the frequency and/or quality of this verbal tic tells us something about the level of affection those characters have for one esk or breq.

because singing involves words, the meaning of the lyrics being sung can be used to advance the plot, communicate things about specific characters, create irony in juxtaposition with what's happening on the page, etc.

i especially like what's done with the lyric "it all goes around". it's woven throughout the story in such a way as to manifest its own meaning (the repetition of "it all goes around" is, itself, an example of something going around). by repeating the lyric, breq is the one making it true, and i would argue that her repetition of this particular lyric about things orbiting other things contributes to, and/or is a sign of, her growing understanding of the necessity/reality of interdependence and her place in that framework/her role in constructing it, or in other words, the extent of her own agency and the rights and obligations it confers upon her.

because the singing/humming is a constant, background, automatic action, it only ceases when breq is experiencing a strong emotion. from this we are able to infer things about the emotional state of our famously-omits-details-about-her-emotional-state narrator based on other characters' comments about whether or not she is currently doing this thing.

we also aren't even aware that breq is doing it constantly until another character says so. on a narrative level, this serves the dual purpose of making sure we know about how much she hums AND of reminding us that she's not telling us everything.

the humming is not mentioned constantly even though it is happening constantly - this helps us forget in between mentions that it's going on while also simultaneously reinforcing just how constant it must be, so constant that to mention it every time it happens would be like narrating every time she breathes in or out. whenever someone brings it up, we are reminded anew that something has been happening all along that we forgot about. this means that ann leckie is able, by leaving information out, to hammer home to us how much we are not being told.

through this one character trait, ann leckie efficiently and elegantly communicates not just aspects of character but also of setting, plot, tone, theme, and narrative. there's no extraneous exposition just to tell us about the song collection or singing; everything that tells us about it is serving other functions in the narrative as well. the ways in which she manifests this one character trait in the universe and in the narrative contribute to and exemplify both the story itself and the method of its telling.

#and the singing/humming is only one example of how leckie is doing this! #the ubiquitous she/her usage that is actually radchaai-specific is another #imperial radch #storytelling #my posts #i have been writing sooo many drafts lately and it's stressing me out that i just keep making more without posting the old ones #so i'm posting this!!! probably i'll reread this tomorrow and be like girl have you heard of editing? #but i have to get something out the door or i will drive myself crazy #i hope this is at least somewhat coherent lol #f

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

I think for all the discussions we have of "everyone hears the jokes and the piano; after that, they stop listening" surrounding Louis, we tend to still simplify his connection to the piano.

Yes, it's very cute that he sings Clementine a little song when they first meet, and it's very cute that he plays a little prank on her while "tuning" the piano. It's super cute that they carve their initials into the piano and Clementine carves a heart around them. It's mega cute that he names his song he wrote after her when she confesses her feelings. Louis playing Don't Be Afraid at the party is, in my opinion, one of the best moments in all of TFS.

But here's the thing: That piano is Louis' heart.

I don't mean to go all metaphorical on you, but I'm dead serious—the piano is Louis' heart, and when you think about his arc and his romance route with that in mind...?

That piano is his one comfort in a world where the dead walk. It's been with him from the beginning of the outbreak. We know from his backstory that Louis wanted to take singing lessons so he could be a real musician, and his father denying him of that was what set him off to be a "vindictive fuckhead." Louis never got those singing lessons, and it's a very real possibility that Louis taught himself how to play.

Sure, others could've taught him; we know Minerva was musically talented, perhaps she showed him a thing or two. But learning piano, or any instrument, is brutal even with professional guidance. It takes hours of practice until numbness wears fingertips raw; dedication to memorize every key and finger placement to make music pleasing to the ear; self-discipline to keep going through every fumble, every failure, every single cruel thought of self-doubt; intelligence and a creative ear to write his own songs.

And yet, it's severely under-appreciated by everyone. It's annoying. It's distracting. It's unimportant. It's an excuse for Louis to mess around and not do any real work. He doesn't have any actual talent. The music and the piano are brushed off, unheard.

Yet, Louis keeps playing. He keeps singing. He keeps making jokes.

Creating music, the one thing he wanted so badly as a kid that he destroyed his parents marriage, was possibly the greatest comfort he had... a welcome distraction to disassociate from the horror and death happening around him.

It's bittersweet, like a purpling bruise that you can't stop pressing on; it hurts, but there's something else below the pain. The piano is out of tune and it's something that brings him joy... but will always act as a constant reminder of who he was and what he did, why he's at Ericson to begin with.

We first meet him while he's playing; Louis' heart is exposed, but is it really? Is he playing to his true potential? Louis hides behind the mask of a charming, charismatic goof. It's what is expected of him, so he plays a silly song intended to poke and prod at Clementine, to gauge a reaction. That's something we see him do at multiple points in episode one. In fact, we can consider a majority of episode one to be like the song he's playing when we meet him; it's mostly cheery or fast-paced.

Louis is able to soothe AJ with his "alluring" music after the kid bit Ruby is an indication that the two of them will share a bond. Louis is a natural at communicating and bonding with the younger kids [another talent that's overlooked] so it's interesting that he praises AJ for being a natural at piano, as well.

But the song stutters just a bit when Louis and Clementine are in the woods together, though; "There's only one guarantee: this moment. That's the only you got, only thing any of us got. Might as well enjoy it." ...Only for Louis to compose himself and send her away.

It's only when Clementine has a gun in her face, held by Marlon, that the music isn't fun anymore; it's rainfall and thunder and the words "I thought you were more than that" sung through the wind in a melody only Louis can hear.

Then Marlon's dead. The song is over, and reality has arrived.

I've talked at length about Louis in ep2 and his vote in the past. It's one of the most compelling things about Louis' arc and romantic route. It's a tragic mistake driven by trauma and guilt. It's people simultaneously telling him to shut up and telling him to be angrier than he is. Telling him to stop burying his head in the sand when he's never been more aware of everything happening. It's AJ peering up at him with pleading eyes that Louis can't stand to look at. It's Clementine wrapping his heartstrings around her fingers and tugging just enough to hurt, but not break.

Louis missed Clementine. He says as much when Clementine admits she missed him first. I don't even know where to begin with that! I can think of no other way to describe it other than they are half agony, half hope over this... and if you get that reference, you get a gold star. I just- the ache, the tension, the conflicting feelings of finally having a quiet moment to talk but Louis not being ready yet.

Y'know how someone carved "you suck at playing" in the side of the piano? It's something you might not initially notice while playing the game, just as Louis' insecurities aren't apparent at first.. but they're carved in him; never fully healed, still scabbed and bleeding... Until Clementine offers him a bandage.

She won't clean the wound for him, but she'll be there. She'll help him figure out how to do it himself so he can heal. She'll listen to him, not belittle his feelings or pain. She'll make an effort to know his keys and notes and practice playing his song until she understands.

When Clementine chooses him to spend time with him, it's a mirror of their first time meeting... but this time, Louis plays something real: a song he wrote, one that I believe he crafted during the two week time skip... a song he wrote with Clementine on his mind, for better or worse.

If the piano is Louis' heart, he literally asks her to sit there and try to tune it, which ends up being a joke but I say she's already tuned your heart, my guy. It's there before them, changed in the warm candlelight. He plays for her and opens up about how no one actually listens, but Clementine did.

And remember, this is the night of the raid. They don't know it's coming, but they know it'll be soon. Louis understands that he could very well die, so what does he do? He carves his initial into the one thing he's always had, and he asks Clementine to do the same.

I'm sorry, how are we NOT more feral about this? Prior to this scene, the only thing we see carved into the piano, into Louis' heart, is an insult. This thing that Louis cares so deeply about, this instrument that's become so intertwined with who he is... he wants to leave his mark on it just in case he dies. A reminder that it was his and he belonged to it just as much. Something so important, and he asks Clementine to carve herself into his heart where no matter what, they will be immortalized together in this moment.

And when Clementine carves a heart around their initials? Yes, his reaction is very cute and that's great... but she's not ashamed of him, or her feelings for him. She wants everyone who looks upon his heart to know that. She tells him how she feels and Louis is so giddy, and warm, and he names the song after her and I am going to start biting anything that moves, I can't-

Oh, and let's discuss the party scene in episode three, shall we? Y'know, where the heart covered initials are on full display? Where Louis tells the story of why he was sent to Ericson to everyone?

Louis is so... vulnerable. Sincere. Ashamed of what he did. This is the exposed nerve, the one he was so afraid of showing Clementine but there it is... and she doesn't reject him. Sure, she can say it's fucked up if you choose to, but she doesn't break up with him over it.

Also the fact that everyone sitting around him finally listens when he's at his most unshielded only for Tenn to ask him to play Don't Be Afraid for them after...? How do you not see the connection? Are you trying to make me cry? In that moment, Louis' heart was heard and appreciated and beautiful and strong and-

Listen. I am fine. I'm so normal about this. And fine. I'm fine.

But I also have to add that during the walk in episode four, if you let Louis choose what to add to the imaginary house, he picks a brand new piano because he wants a new heart to reflect the confidence and growth Clementine helped him achieve and because he loves her and AJ so much that wants the new heart to not just be his but also theirs and I am so fine with this, okay.

#twdg #twdg clouis #twdg clementine #twdg louis #clouis #long post #happy valentine's day y'all i got you a totally normal louis/clouis analysis #i initially got you flowers but then i ate them sorry #real talk though I started out normal and slowly descended into unhinged waters while writing this... I don't know how it happened #years later and clouis still pierces my soul i am half agony half hope tell me not that i am too late- #I'm fine okay it's only louis asking clementine to carve herself into his soul it's fine #i can already hear 'it's not that deep bro' like i dunno try getting out of the shallow end and learn to swim you coward #2024 is the year cj goes full gremlin. no self-control. writes whatever bullshit her very normal mind comes up with. #apologies in advance for my bullshit skskskss

[raplinenthusiasts]

hyung line - mic ver.

for @rjshope 🫶 cr. namuspromised, dwellingsouls

#HAPPY BIRHTDAY DASHA <3 #i hope you will have amazing day full of love and laughter #you make my days with your presence on my dash and in my notifs and i'm so glad i met you! #hope you like this silly little thing #i just hope i'm on right time and it's not too early and not too late! #you truly are highlight of my existence here and I’m so so so glad I met you 🫶 #min yoongi #kim seokjin #jung hoseok #kim namjoon #bts #btsgif #dailybts #dailybangtan #userbangtan #cyphernet #*mine #hyung line supremacy #me and comps will never be friends #coloring is all over the place 🫣

[osamusriceballs]

Kinktober Day 29 <3

Suna x public sex

Warnings: NSFW, fem reader

Words: ~ 1,8 k

Kinktober Masterlist II -> Last day

"You can't-"

Your legs press together, his cock now tightly squeezed between your thighs. You see yourself in the mirror, clad only in the lingerie that he chose for you. A black and white compilation of lace, one that reminds you of his old high school uniform that he often gives you to sleep in.

"But I'm doing it right now, aren't I, doll?" His hands wander from your hips to your sides, rubbing the exposed skin until you feel warm all over.

"We're in public-" you weakly protest, already succumbing into the way he's touching you so gently. Suna knows how to push your buttons; he knows how to get you all worked up for him.

"You just need to keep quiet. Can you do that for me? Keep those pretty little noises inside?" His lips touch the back of your neck, and you see his eyes attentively watching you in the mirror, gauging every single one of your reactions. He can read you like a book, not needing any encouragement, but knowing exactly what you want just from analyzing your body language. "Can you?" He repeats when you don't respond, and you softly nod as an answer, not trusting your voice to come out steadily. "Good. Such a good doll for me. You look so sexy in that lingerie." His hand comes to the flimsy pair of panties that barely hide your pussy, his fingers tugging playfully on the material until you feel it stretching over your clit. "Rin, no- it's gonna rip-" you lowly protest, laying your hand over his to stop him from pulling harder, even though you want nothing more but to feel more of that friction. Or at least feel something that will help to ease the ache between your legs.

"It's not worth buying then," he dryly comments, but stops tugging and you let out a low shriek when the material snaps back on your skin. His cock rubs between your legs when he lazily thrusts his hips, your thighs pressing together even harder at the sudden friction on your clit.

"Rin-" you while, your hands pressing harder against the mirror when you push your ass against him. "Shh. I though you can stay quiet for me." He raises an eyebrow in a teasing manner- and under other circumstances you would have swatted his hands away and pouted until he kisses you to make up for it.

"It's kind of hard to stay quiet when your cock is between my legs." His hips thrust once again, a deep, strained breath leaving his lips at your words. You know that he loves it when you're vocal like this. "Oh, doll, that's not even close to what I will do to you. You should know better." His hand comes up to your chest, his fingers tracing the lacey pattern of the bra while his gaze roams over your body, no hurry in his movements and actions. You know that he doesn't really care about the fact that there could be other people in the shop, hell, there even could be people in the dressing room next to you and he wouldn't care. An assistant could come up to you any second, banning you from ever entering the shop again, if she knew what you're both doing on there, but you know that Suna won't stop until you're both satisfied, no matter what happens.

"Pull them down for me. Slowly." He whispers in your ear, pulling his hips back until his cock no longer pushes between you legs and his chin rests on your shoulder. Your heartbeat speeds up and you hesitantly reach for the dark material, being fully convinced that there is a stain on it already. You hook your thumbs into the hem of the panties, keeping eye-contact with Suna through the mirror while you slowly pull them down your thighs and let them fall down to the ground. You know that you're wet already, eager for him to touch you more, but he keeps one hand on your side while the other plays with your tit, his gaze fixated on your exposed cunt. "Hm, look at you. Even prettier without them on." He compliments while his thumb firmly rubs your nipple, eliciting a small moan out of you.

You arch your back into him, your eyes half-closed while you watch his hand caressing your body and softly holding you. "Can you- Rin, please, fuck me," you whisper, doing your best to keep your voice down, and he smiles at your attempt to lower your voice. "Can't deny my pretty doll face anything when she begs for my cock like that." He softly kisses your cheek before his hand moves to his cock, pumping himself slowly and spreading his precum all along his length. "Can't wait to feel you around me." He groans, two of his fingers pinching your nipples at his words, and you let out a moan- so loud that you wearily glance towards the curtain on your back, but much to your relief, no one comes to kick you out.

"You want me to prep you, doll?" His cock halts at your entrance, the tip barely dipping into your wetness, and you know your knees would give up if he wasn't pressing you so hardly against the mirror. "Just put it in. Rin, please fuck me," you beg, still trying to keep your voice as low as you can, and he groans and slowly pushes his tip inside. "So wet for me. Wet from having my cock rubbing between your legs. Such a dirty slut for me." His voice right next to your ear does something for you, and you let out another low whimper, just a tad bit louder this time. He tenses at the sound, pausing his movements when his cock is only half inside. "Gimme a hand here." He suddenly grabs your hand from the mirror, and you yelp when your face is pressed against the cool glass, your breaths making it foggy and harder for you to see his pretty face. You feel his tongue around your fingers though, licking a long stripe along two of them before he presses the digits against your lips.

"I want you to suck on these fingers while I fuck you. Pretend it's my cock. Make them nice and wet for me, doll." He rasps against your ear, and you desperately pant and clench around the tip of his cock when you slowly bring the fingers inside your mouth. You taste his saliva on your tongue, making sure to make a show of how you swirl your tongue around them before you put them into your mouth and he lets out a low groan when he sees how you suck eagerly on your fingers. You feel his chest heave against your back, his hand on your hip tightening his grip for a second before he abruptly pushes further inside of you until he's fully sheathed inside. Your walls flutter around him, you feel so warm and wet and welcome around him, and he finds himself pausing for a moment, enjoying how you clench and writhe in front of him while you suck on your fingers. Such a lewd sight- only for him.

He doesn't waste any time before he pulls his hips back and quickly pushes them forward again, making sure to hold your body steady to go deeper. Your breath is erratic, just like your heartbeat, your pussy throbbing for him, aching to have him fuck you, to have him touch you more-

"Don't worry, doll, I'll fuck you how you like it. I know what my little cumbucket needs," he hisses through gritted teeth and then he finally starts fucking you. His thrusts are slower than usual, for no doubt his measly attempt to keep quiet, even though you know for sure that the sound of skin slapping against skin can be heard in the next cabins. They are more powerful and harder than usual, his grayish eyes carefully observing your reactions until he sees how your face contorts in bliss. That's when he keeps angling his hips in the same way, knowing that he found your sensitive spot, and he will make sure to reach it every single time that he thrusts inside of you. You feel the heat coiling in your stomach when he fucks you just right, just how you need it. You're being used like a sex toy- and you love every single second of it.

You stiffen in front of him, feeling the warm glass against your cheek when he hits the same spot again and again, and you know that it will not take much more to make you cum. You whine against your fingers, slightly biting down to muffle your moans, and you feel how your legs tense even more when you're close, so close to reach your high-

"C'mon, doll face. Cum for me, and then I will fill you up. You like that, don't ya? Being full of my cum, walking home with my cum dripping down your legs." There is a need in his voice that makes you go feral, and you meet his thrusts with your hips, knowing fully well that you can't hold back much longer. His hands grab your hips tighter, and you gasp for air when you feel him so deep inside you-

Your thighs clench together when you suddenly reach your high, a particularly strong thrust sending you over the edge easily. You whine around the fingers, trying to stay as quiet as you can, but you can barely focus on staying quiet when you feel him tense too, his arms grabbing you almost painfully hard at this point when he cums, the hot liquid filling you up and painting your walls white. Your eyes roll back at the feeling, of being so deliciously full of him while you both remain motionless, just your ragged breaths escaping you while he holds your limp body up.

You know that he would usually praise you and massage your stiff limbs- he doesn't seem like it, but Suna is definitely a master at aftercare- but now he simply kisses your bare shoulder, only a few quiet words reaching your ears, like "love" and "pretty". You shiver in his arms, your mind slowly getting clearer, and you notice that you have drooled quite a lot around your fingers- much to your embarrassment, but a mischievous glint in Suna's eyes tells you that he definitely enjoys seeing you like this. You hesitantly pull your fingers out of your mouth, your jaw slightly aching from being kept so widely opened for so long.

Suna slowly pulls his softened cock out, not caring much about the thick droplet of cum that drips down your thighs and onto the new panties, much to your horror. His lips curl into a smile when he sees your reaction, and he leans down to reach for them and he soon holds them up with a triumphant huff.

"C'mon, doll. Get dressed while I buy the set..."

He suddenly slaps your bare ass, and you shriek as the sound echoes through- probably through the whole shop. "Rin!"

"...and then we can go home. I want to rip it off for real this time."

#haikyuu fanfiction #haikyuu smut #haikyuu x reader #suna #suna smut #suna x reader #I'm so late sorry sorry T.T #I'll make sure to post the final part on Thursday #I definitely didn't plan on making this so long #I thought it would be 1 k max #and now #almost 2 k :o #ANYWAYS! #I hope you enjoyed it! <3 #I headcanon that Suna is actually very vocal in bed #like whispering dirty things in your ear #and he has the prettiest moans #when he feels like moaning #go down on him though #and he is a mess #HOPE YOU'LL HAVE A GREAT WEEK! <3 #the fall out boy concert is on wednesday #I'm really excited #might post some pictures and stuff here #since it's my first bigger trip alone