#Leave a pile of junk for him to look at later and no I can't give you any money over and over is fucking scary!

[sleeperagentclone]

I am too socially inept to deal with all the weird people my dad has collected over the years

#Like no my dad is not here right now because come back when he is #The old people who seem like they did too many drugs in the 70s/80s are more annoying #But like he'll set up a precedent of buying shit from homeless guys because “maybe they'll have something good someday” #And he'll just give them money which is all well and good (if I ever donate money to anything or give change to anyone I've been scammed) #But then he expects me (5'1 teenage girl looking ass) to refuse to give them money when he cuts them off #Like he is 65+ and over 6 feet tall I AM NOT #And like telling people who are seemingly unstable that you can't give them money and that no only the owner buys things and no you can't #Leave a pile of junk for him to look at later and no I can't give you any money over and over is fucking scary! #I am for sure speaking from a place of privilege because I would probably just be dead if not for my support network #I could very easily be on the other side of this I'm not fucking stable I can't hold down a real job #But I am just not equipped to be having these interactions and honestly I shouldn't be having them anyway #He keeps pretty regular hours and answers his phone so I don't understand why people are always looking for him when I'm here #I will say the homeless guys he buys from have gotten a lot better about coming in when he's actually here #And one of them Chris is perfectly nice he's a great artist but he also smells bad and is visiblely dirty sometimes and that sets off my ocd #and also makes me feel like a really shitty person for 'judging' him when I know that he doesn't have stable access to a shower #When I'm actually just suffering from my mental illness and that can also trigger the intrusive thought side of the ocd #Where I get stuck in a loop of thinking I'm a terrible person #And also I just feel bad not giving him money #And like we sell his art in the store but people rarely buy it which is annoying because it's pretty fucking sick

[kquil]

POLY MARAUDERS | HEROES IN TATTOOS PRT.6

06 : SELFISH DESIRES

SUM : it's your chance to make amends and push aside your selfish desires - your heart will ache but they're worth it 

TAGS. : modern au ; muggle au ; tattoo artist james potter ; piercer remus lupin ; angst ; idiots in love ; unexpected turn of events ; sirius is the main character here ; jk jk ; it's you~ hehe~ ; you'll see what i mean ; wolfstar have a heated argument ; i almost cried writing it ; i hate seeing them like that ; poor james ; james needs a hug ; regulus makes an appearance! ; dramatic sirius black ; regulus is a good brother ; sirius being an instigator ; we love him for it though ; you can't just leave them again! ; no fluff here kiddos ; but kiddos stay away! ; just cover your innocent eyes! 

LENGTH : 3.7k

← PREV. : 05 | DRUNK AND CIGARETTE SMOKE

“You’re disgusting,” Sirius manages an indifferent glance over at his younger brother before resuming his miserable, unmoving position on the sofa — Regulus’ sofa. The obvious detachment Sirius has to the situation only stirs his younger brother’s bubbling anger, “It’s almost been a full month! And you’re letting yourself rot away on my sofa; get a hold of yourself!” No response. Regulus shakes his head with a drawn out sigh, “you usually don’t stay around this long whenever there’s an argument… I wonder what’s happened this time…”

Deeming his older brother completely hopeless, Regulus returns to his sparse but sleek kitchen just as the kettle whistles its readiness to be poured for tea.   

Sirius breaths an audible sigh and grimaces at the stench of his breath. The mix of excessive alcohol, countless cigarettes and mountains of junk food didn’t make for a good concoction on his tongue, definitely not for fresh breath. When was the last time he had brushed his teeth? He brings a hand up to push straggling strands of hair away from his view but grumbles when the curls had knotted up too much for him to comb his hair back uninterrupted. Stone grey eyes look down at his figure, stagnant and pale, weighed heavy from low spirits. 

What followed the night you left their flat was the worst fight they have ever had. It was mainly between him and Remus while James remained in the background, too downhearted to contribute anything to the verbal warfare happening before him. He was spoiled with love since birth. As an only child with loving parents, who never fought in front of him, whenever Sirius and Remus argued, James was left paralysed with despair. It was always shocking to him how nasty those fights became; his parents never fought like that. Sirius could see it in his sweet hazel eyes that James wanted desperately to have peace but didn’t know how to steer things in that direction. He had tried before, many times, to defuse the situation but both Sirius and Remus were too stubborn and hot-headed from the argument as well as their suddenly stark differences in opinion to back down. 

As unfortunate as it is to think about, these fights happened often, recurring in the same exact way – originating from opposing opinions, primarily between him and Remus. They would try to keep it together but it would just keep piling up until someone snaps and then there’s no dispelling their disputes. James either takes a side or none at all (usually the later) and Sirius storms out of the flat to stay with Regulus. 

He should feel guilty for being such a burden to his younger brother. He should have more pride in himself than to allow Regulus to ever see him in such a depressed and unpleasant state. Lack of hygiene, self care and self maintenance manifests into something so repulsive and unsightly, Sirius would usually be back and making amends within a week or two – encouraged by his own lack of cleanliness and his commitment to run from the disease of laziness. 

But it’s been more than that now. Nearly a month, Regulus says. Time just passes by, slow and tolerant, so unlike him, and yet, Sirius still managed to lose complete track of it. This is the longest they’ve ever had a dispute without reconciling.  

His own stubbornness is definitely a factor. He had been right all along. If only they, mostly Remus, had listened to him. James was fully on board but Remus was stubbornly defiant and managed to convince the former otherwise. 

“Do you think she’s the type of person who would embrace such an unconventional relationship with open arms?!”

“That’s not what I’m saying, Moony,” Sirius grits his teeth, his inner thoughts and reasoning ached to be heard and let out coherently. In his mind, it all made sense to do things the way he suggests, so why couldn’t his boyfriend understand him?! It doesn’t even seem like he’s trying to listen to him at this point! “She won’t understand if we don’t say anything to her! We have to be forward and bold! Do it now before something happens!”

“Nothing. Is. Going. To. Happen!”

“How can you be so sure? We need to be honest with her, it’s not fair to her and it’s, frankly, deceitful to keep her in the dark about all this!”

“We can’t be too sure that she’ll accept us. If that happens then we’ll never see her again– I don’t want that, do you?!” 

“We won’t know unless we say something, do something, anything!”

“Please just trust me, Siri,” Remus begs, his loud voice lowering to a soft plea, his beautiful brown eyes no longer fierce or piercing but kind and warm again, with a hint of fear. Sirius can sympathise with that creeping terror, an anxiety that wants to swallow you whole and keep you in a dark abyss for eternity, “I don’t want to frighten her…”

The first time, Sirius gave in, weak for his love and weak for the reasoning behind his proposal on the matter concerning you. The dark-haired tattooist couldn’t fault his lover for that but, in hindsight, he should have argued his side more, maybe then, you wouldn’t have disappeared like that…

“Hey, your phone won’t stop pinging,” Regulus alerts, appearing out of thin air and surprising Sirius enough to sit up and alert with wide eyes, “will you finally read their messages to you?” with some reluctance, Sirius reaches for his phone and proceeds to look through his messages while Regulus takes a seat opposite him, a steaming cup of tea in hand.

The younger Black brother was just about to begin reading another one of his classic novel favourites when a rush of air flew by him, ruffling the small strands of hair and whipping about the billowing steam from his mug of tea. Moments later, the sound of his shower turning on full blast echos through his flat and a smile graces his lips. 

“It’s about time…”

Lingering guilt had plagued you all night long and you barely managed to get a wink of sleep. It, however, meant that you were able to better prepare lunch for the boys the following day. While cooking, you abandon all negative feelings to focus on only the good, not wanting any harmful emotions to diffuse into the food and saturate it with bad tastes. Your eyebags weren’t a pretty sight but it was easily fixable with a touch of makeup. 

You tried to look your best for the day. Fortunately, the early summer sun inspired your motivations further. Yes, you’ve made the terrible mistake of selfishly pushing them away to nurse your own battered soul and unrequited feelings, but this was your time to make amends, to make things right… to see Sirius again. 

You never felt right after you accused him of cheating on Remus and James with each other, only to find out that he was far more loving and loyal than that. You were embarrassed and ashamed to have ever thought so negatively about him, jumping to conclusions like an immature, thoughtless child. It was wonderful seeing James and Remus again, your heart was practically soaring in your chest as it disregarded all lingering feelings of misery and dejection. But now, your chest felt incredibly tight as your heart ached to catch a simple glimpse of Sirius.  

You carefully pack away the lovingly prepared food and desserts into your largest, most durable shopping bag before getting dressed. It was only natural that you managed to make more than you usually made for the boys, seeing as you wanted to spoil them rotten after being so childish the last few weeks. Since the weather was pleasant, you opted for a cute mini dress with a light, flowy material that was comfortable and soft. Over top, you wore a cropped cardigan that had long sleeves, enough to reach past your fingertips. For jewellery, you wore a simple necklace and slipped into a strappy pair of mid-heeled platforms that weren’t too tall. Casual but cute. 

Approaching the studio doors, your grip on the strap of your bag tightens and your breath hitches. They hadn’t taken the notice down and the bold, red letters of their ‘CLOSED’ sign glared at you angrily. 

Were they inside? Should you knock? Neither Remus or James actually agreed to your sudden choice to meet for lunch the night before. Did this mean that they didn’t want you to be in their lives anymore?... But… but you wanted to make things right! You wanted to apologise! You want to be friends with them again! You’ll tell them right away – tell them how you would do anything just to remain by their side, even if it’s just as a friend, you’ll be happy for them! You won’t be selfish anymore, you won’t covet anything more than friendship with them, that’s all you want! Not that they’ve ever heard of your true desires—

“Well?” A familiar voice speaks up behind you, putting an abrupt end to your panicked inner monologue, “Aren’t you going to knock?” 

Swiftly spinning in place, you smile brightly at the biker and tattooist standing before you, dressed in all black, with heavy, lace-up boots and his signature leather jacket, “Sirius!” 

He doesn’t breathe a word to you, eyeing your hefty bag before briefly meeting your eyes and making his way over. His long strides made it so that he reached you in no time but he didn’t stop. With a light gasp, he had backed you up into the left of their studio’s double-door front entrance. You held your breath and kept your eyes shut tight, not knowing what to do as your heart pounded deafeningly against your eardrums. 

A moment passes and you feel his hand brush against yours before your portly bag of packed food is taken from you. A wave of relief washed over your aching shoulder as the weight disappeared but such a diminutive alleviation of discomfort couldn’t swamp the trepidation in your heart. Sirius was different. 

“Siri–”

“Let’s head inside,” he had opened the right hand door and easily slipped through with your bag. Alone and in the quiet, you felt like crying. You wanted to cry, desperately but you knew that it would offer little to no reassurance. So, with a heavy heart, you followed Sirius inside and closed the studio door behind you. 

The air was stale but, in it, lingered a familiar scent that you had come to love, it was a clean, almost clinical smell from the regular use of disinfectant and bleach. You love this parlour so much, it was filled with so many good memories, ones of soft affection through tender words and gentle caresses. Despite the earlier interaction, you couldn’t help but smile just from the wave of romantic sentiment washing over you. 

“You’re here,” Remus greets with a tired smile as James sits on the opposite end of the sofa with a shy grin directed towards you, his hazel eyes looking elsewhere.

“Sorry if I’m late,” you managed a weak smile, “I didn’t know if the door was open or not. Thankfully, Sirius was there to help me in,” Sirius didn’t sit down despite the many available seating spaces and chose to lean his back against a far wall, instead. James couldn’t meet your eyes and Remus was sneakily massaging his temple as he leaned his face against his large hand, “let’s eat, shall we? I hope you guys are hungry,”  

It was never this awkward. Or quiet. Especially when sharing your homemade lunch together. James would usually be giving you endless praise through large, mid-chewed mouthfuls while Sirius laughed at the ridiculous sounds and faces he’d pull trying to speak coherently through the mouthful of food, and Remus would shake his head, his amusement by the display evident in the warm glimmer of his eyes. However, James doesn’t have as big of an appetite today and Sirius stands alone with his tupperware, barely touching his food. Remus is the only one eating a substantial amount besides you. Although, you’ve gradually slowed your own chewing. 

What have you done?... 

What happened to all of you?

Your shame brought your gaze down, making your head weigh heavier than usual as you give up on communicating anything with the boys. This wasn’t how it was meant to go…what should you do now? The pain in your heart was unbearable. 

Shoulders slumped and confidence dried up, you struggled to think of what to do. You should have prepared a speech or something. It was naive of you to think that simply coming over with a homemade lunch would fix anything. Things are never going to be the same, no matter how much you hope and pray for them to be. 

You’re hopeless… completely and utterly hopeless…

This was your worst fear come to life. You had feared rejection but seeing them unloving towards each other, barely communicating and broken apart, your stomach collapsed in on itself as your heart fell to a million pieces. You didn’t utter a single word of loving them romantically aloud and yet, you still managed to get in between their relationship. This was a sentiment of how selfish of a person you are. 

How could you do this to them?! They were your friends, who saved you from the worst night of your life, and you repay them like this?! Shameful. Disgusting. You don’t think you could ever look at yourself in the mirror again.  

The skirt of your mini dress blurs on your lap and you have to bite your lip to keep from sobbing out loud. The tears, however, you couldn’t stop them. Hopefully, they’re all too distracted to see you silently weeping and you can gather yourself before turning tail and running out of there. 

Today is a complete disaster—

“Don’t cry, angel, please!” James jumps up and rushes to your side, kneeling down at your feet as he takes your hands in his and tries to meet your gaze through the puddle of tears in your eyes. His words immediately catch Remus and Sirius’ attention and they both begin to make their way over, evident worry swimming in their eyes but you refuse to acknowledge any of that as your mind drowns in all manner of negative thought.  

You shake your head, hearing the flurry of footfalls around you and wishing them away silently, “I shouldn’t have come here today…” you whisper. 

“What was that?” James patiently asks, voice soft and sweet and kind, it makes you want to fall into his arms.

“I’m sorry,” you speak clearer and stand abruptly, “enjoy the lunch,” the haste and sorrow in your shaking voice makes their heart drop and they’re brought back to that fateful night once more. You don’t meet their eyes as you turn and push past them to leave, almost running through the hallway of their studio just to reach the door and make a quick escape. 

“THIS!” Sirius’ roaring voice suddenly cuts through the studio like a knife, making you stop in your tracks and turn around slowly. The door to the lounge room was still open, before it Sirius and Remus stood in an aggressive confrontation, both taking on a defensive stance as they faced each other, all while James remained in the background, clutching at his head as he slumped forward on the sofa, “THIS IS WHAT I MEANT! IF YOU HAD JUST LISTENED TO ME–” 

“I DIDN’T SAY WHAT I SAID WITHOUT REASON SIRIUS! YOU KNOW MY EXACT THOUGHTS ABOUT ALL THIS!” Remus shouts back, the veins in his neck bulging out from his fierce anger, the blood rushing in his cheeks making him look just about ready to violently explode. 

“BUT–”

“—YOU CAN’T FAULT ME FOR THAT!” Remus continues, not allowing Sirius to speak.   

“WELL YOU CAN’T FAULT ME FOR MY REASONING EITHER!”

You’re horrified at the scene. Sirius and Remus look ready to tear each other apart as James looks on hopelessly, not knowing what to do or how to diffuse the situation, completely torn between supporting one or the other. Without thinking, you rush back and skid to a stop between the two hot-blooded men. Their fuming rage was like a turbulent inferno whose flames licked viciously at your skin, ready to burn you and spread the hostility. 

“The both of you need to calm down!” you shout, pushing them away from each other and creating a safe distance between. Your tears had already run dry, replaced by the trembling terror shaking your limbs. 

“Don’t worry about us Dove,” Remus manages to voice through gritted teeth, his glowering eyes never leaving Sirius’, “you can leave and we’ll sort this out,”

“Sort this out like usual huh?—”

“—Don’t taunt me, Sirius,”

“That won’t solve anything, you idiot!” Sirius flings his arms up and James just barely manages to pull you away from being accidentally hit. Neither of the two seem to notice and James expresses his apology in lovingly nuzzling your temple, his lips puckering to kiss your skin but refraining and stepping away abruptly. You try not to feel the heartache his actions elicit in you.

“SHUT UP!” you’ve never heard Remus sound so angry and venomous before, it makes your heart stutter in fear and worry. You can’t leave now; this disagreement can’t end well without some form of intervention and James isn’t fairing too well with that – he needs someone there for him too, just to feel, somewhat, grounded through all of this, “She doesn’t have to hear all of this!”

“We wouldn’t have to be saying ‘all of this’ if you had. Just. LISTENED. TO. ME!”

“You’re being ridiculous!”

“Ridiculous?!” Sirius growls lowly, his countenance scrunching up into a foul expression —an antithesis to his elegant features, “I’ll show you!” it was then that Sirius turns to face you and approaches with purpose in his long strides, unstopping like he did earlier when outside the studio. 

“SIRIUS—!”

Sirius backs you up into the wall behind you, “—Everything Could Have Been As Easy As Doing This!” you didn’t know what to prepare yourself for but Sirius firmly gripping your chin and pulling you into a deep kiss was not one of them. In your shock, you let out a surprised but muffled moan, slowly falling into the blissful embrace and reciprocating eagerly. 

Did you faint earlier? Was this all a dream?... 

…Dream or not, you like this very much!  

James and Remus watch at the bold display, disbelief shining clear in their eyes as Sirius has his way with you. But you don’t see them, you don’t see anyone or anything, all you know is that Sirius kisses like an experienced lover from fantasy and he wasn’t shy about loving you up. Not knowing what to do with your hands, you let Sirius guide them over your head to cuff your wrists together with his large hand, his other snaking around your waist to pull you closer and deepen the kiss. 

He tastes like spearmint gum and smokey cigarette smoke, his lips tinted in cherry lip balm for sweetness. What an addictive taste. You can’t get enough. 

But air is a necessity and just as you were beginning to run out of breath, Sirius pulls away, panting heavily. He doesn’t wait for a single second to pass before diving his head into your neck, where he peppers feathery but fervid kisses along your sensitive skin and smiles to himself when you slip out a moan. You sound beautiful. He needs to hear more. Sirius doesn’t stop, he sucks and licks and kisses and nuzzles along your neck like the tease he is, drawing out every quivering whimper and pretty moan you were desperately trying to contain. 

You keep your eyes tightly shut, too embarrassed to meet the eyes of Remus or James. Their gaze on you left behind a searing, phantom mark that developed into a displeasing itch. An itch that could only be satisfied if they kissed you too.

…So selfish. God! When will you stop?!

Ashamed of your gradually increasing volume, you seal your mouth shut in a stubborn attempt to suppress your pleasure. How did his lips and tongue feel so good on your skin? His touch made your knees weak and your legs shake, without his support, you don’t think you would stay standing for long. 

Just as you were able to swallow every embarrassing sound that tried to escape, James was beside you, his warm breath on your cheek as he silently urged Sirius to give way, “you need help staying quiet, angel?” he whispers and doesn’t wait for an answer, briefly meeting your eyes before he’s closing them to kiss you sweetly. It started off sweet. Sweet and loving like James before suddenly becoming very dominating and overwhelming. You were being devoured and the thought was undeniably arousing. They were both on you, Sirius kissing away at your neck as James savoured the taste of your lips before bullying his way into your awaiting mouth. He swallowed your moans for you as Sirius defiantly persisted, urging you with seductive lips to make more.  

Overwhelmed but so content. 

You were drowning in bliss and you never wanted to break away from it. 

“DIDN’T I SAY!” Remus shouts, stopping all activity and leaving you strung up high as the boys slowly pull away, not too far but enough for all of you to meet Remus’ unreadable stare. The boys look over their shoulder to observe their commanding lover, their large frames tense before moving their eyes down and slowly smirking, the tension evaporating off their figures as you’re left to rebuild another tower of anxiety from your lower stomach, “Didn’t. I. Say. We. Were. Going. To. Savour. Her?”

What?

Your shocked, wide-eyed stare meets Remus’ cool and, almost, unfeeling gaze. Once again, your knees buckled under you and you were caught by Sirius and James. Held in place by their hot, firm hands and the press of their toned physiques. 

What did he just say?

Unable to keep his stare, your eyes slowly fall down the tall brunette’s figure. Capturing his beautiful, full lips; taking in the delicious column on his neck; observing the wide expanse of his shoulders and chest; drifting down to gulp at his veiny arms and hands before landing on... 

Oh~

A/N : no fluff, but something better right? a little sneak peak on how i write spicy things but it's readable hehe~  

NEXT. | 07 : APOLOGISE AND COMFORT →

NAVI. | HEROES IN TATTOOS MASTERLIST

TAGLIST : @susyelectra @fangirlninja67 @pagesfalling @thepunisherfrankcastle @axeofwars @imarimon @in-love-with-4-marauders @chicken-taco-burrito @valencia-rou @feast0nmeee @lestat-whore @hvmxjjk @twilightlover2007 @diaryofabiwoman @woohoney @celestialfantasiess @willbedecided @lovelyygirl8 @iiirhiane-g @mangodamochiii @queerqueenlynn @l3xiluve @brain-has-left @bunbunbl0gs @kneelforloki @citrusiove @virtualbuni @awkward-d3rs3-dr3amer @that1nerd-20 @wolfstar4everbitches @skepvids @dearmy-diary @littledollfacebaby @mylifeisnothing @em16cor @krazyk99 @imdoingbetternow @realalpacorn @remussbitch @swiftieeras1989 @lonely-nerd-sodaholic @canthavetoomuchchaos @rckstrbee @b-i-h-i @ennycutie @kneelforloki @theteaobsessedbug @padfoot1313 @d1gital-data @venezsuwayla @melllinaa

#poly marauders x reader #marauders x reader #poly marauders x you #poly marauders #james potter x reader #remus lupin x reader #sirius black x reader #sirius x reader #remus x reader #james potter #remus lupin #sirius black #the marauders #marauders #wolfstar #heroes in tattoos series #HIT : series

[tarisilmarwen]

Rebels Rewatch: "Iron Squadron"

Unexpected Sato backstory??? And other fun things!

Oh hey, the rare Star Wars planet that is not one single biome!

My son looking cutely contemplative. :)

Hera's the first to mention that Sato has "connections" here, and my brain automatically assumed family even before the reveal.

This freighter the kids are using is a YT-2400, which apparently was kind of a big deal to Legends fans because of some dude named Dash Rendar. This is not my area of lore expertise so I won't comment on that, but I will observe that if fanbros had an expectation of seeing that guy in this episode then it makes more sense why they got pissy when it was revealed the crew was upstart plucky kids instead.

Still, adult Star Wars fans really have got to stop mindlessly hating on teen/kid characters.

"They're attacking the Empire head on!" I mean, y'all have a Corellian freighter too and you do that all the time. I guess the YT-2400 looks way more civilian grade to them, no obvious modifications.

Why is Kanan in the turret, guys? Yeah yeah I know he has the Force to help him "see" but this is just... silly.

Hera still operating under the impression that it's a civilian ship. I mean technically it is but also you're in the Rebellion Hera, we literally just had an Imperial ace talk about how y'all use whatever ship that flies a few episodes ago lol.

You know the trick with the cargo crates is actually pretty clever. The YT-2400 obviously has very little actual armament aside from the one top gun, very easy to lull your enemy into thinking you're harmless.

Lol Zeb accurately calling that Iron Squadron is "a ship-full of Ezras".

I haven't commented on it before but sometimes Ezra just sits like such a typical teenager, using the furniture in all the wrong ways.

Big fan of the slightly vulnerable note in Sato's voice here.

Lol Ezra and Sabine's faces here.

"If you like a junk pile." "Be nice." A+ adorable banter moment, love it.

There goes Chopper antagonizing other droids again.

Mart is surly and grumpy and looks like a shaggy kitten and I love him. <3

Gooti trying to diffuse the tension in the room by offering waffles. Relatable.

Mart honestly sounds just a bit like Dark Side Drunk Ezra, the undernotes of anger in his voice, insisting that they have things under control and don't need help. Honestly it was kind of an amazing and interesting idea to put Ezra alongside a bunch of (slightly) younger kids a few rungs back on the character development ladder to contrast how much more mature he's gotten.

Mart confusing different Imperial ships for a Star Destroyer is also a great running gag. Sabine gets so annoyed lol.

Lothal still looking relatively pretty.

I would really like to praise Lars Mikkelson for making me creeped out by the most innocuous of scenes with Thrawn, all the man has to do is comment on Iron Squadron being interesting and mildly insult Konstantine and my skin crawls, ggughhhh.

Thrawn setting up lesser officers for failure again.

Relating to deliberately casting Ezra as the more mature one, it even extends to how they keep posing him this episode. He's not more than a year or two older than the Iron Squadron kids and yet he feels so much older in his bearing and manner of speaking.

The shoulder nudge and the way Sabine goes, "Hmm?" makes me think they're improving this on the fly.

I've joked before about this looking like a cute family photo but it's still true.

Spaceparents be skeptical lol.

Chopper just whacking the panel with hammer. XD

"This might be just a planet to you, but it's our home!" Hoo boy, that's the heart of it isn't it? Ezra has been through this exact thing. So he understands the instinct to dig in and fight back. But like Mon Mothma would later remind him in Season Four, you can't save every planet right away. Sometimes you have to retreat and regroup, and come back stronger later.

Sometimes you have to leave home.

It doesn't mean you don't fight. It just means you don't let your fear of loss make you stupid.

Once again leaning on that message of "How we choose to fight."

This is purely in the realm of headcanon but Mart's obsession with suicidally charging a Star Destroyer makes me think that might be how his father died, or something similar to it at least.

Gooti and Jonner sharing a look like, "Uhhhhhh maybe they have a point about our ship being way too small to take on the Empire alone."

Yeah, no, I'm sticking with my idea that Mart has just a little bit of a death wish and wants to go out taking revenge against the Empire that killed his father.

Precious little rage bean. <3

Sabine reminding Ezra not to get in trouble with Hera for disobeying orders again.

It's okay Sabine, he's learned that lesson lol.

Subtle animation appreciation moment: The sheer floof to Mart's hair. I can't believe how much volume it feels like has, just from the way it shifts around his head.

"I am all the family he has left." :((((

STILL SO MAD THAT WE NEVER GOT MART'S REACTION TO SATO'S SACRIFICE AT THE BATTLE OF ATOLLON.

Right, continuing with the Mart-is-literally-Ezra-from-a-couple-seasons-prior parallels, Mart's disbelief and delight at the Ghost coming back for him.

And Konstantine makes a really stupid decision in the effort to... idk, give himself more glory? He literally has enough ships and firepower to blow both freighters to bits and he insists on this showy mine trap move.

This is why Thrawn sent you by yourself, pal, he wanted to see if you'd croak.

Lol the Ghost took a potshot at the light cruiser as it was passing.

Chopper continuing in the grand habit of bullying other droids.

Ahhhhhhh Sato came! He was too far away to be able to get there on time and he came anyway!

HIS FACE.

Yeah uh, Konstantine? You should have known the mine plan would never have worked as soon as you lost signal contact with it. Also it's really stupid to let them get the ship that close to your cruiser before you try to detonate it.

Mart's little "...Oh." expression. <3 A+ running gag payoff, no complaints.

HNNNNNGGHHHHH YOU CAN'T JUST IMPLY THAT THRAWN AND SATO HAVE SOME KIND OF CONNECTION AND THEN NOT FOLLOW UP ON THAT. At least let us get some Sato backstory out of it, c'mon.

Thrawn calling Konstantine just to rub the embarrassment in.

THIS IS WHY HE DISOBEYED YOUR ORDERS AT ATOLLON DUDE. MAYBE NEXT TIME DON'T HUMILIATE YOUR UNDERLINGS BY DELIBERATELY SENDING THEM INTO SITUATIONS YOU KNOW THEY'LL BUNGLE.

Aw frick.

Don't think about the Kanan-Ezra parallels, don't think about the Kanan-Ezra parallels, don't think about the Kanan-Ezra parallels--

They're adorable.

And we couldn't let the episode close without getting one last gag in by way of Chopper rolling up to R3 and smacking him for no damn reason lololol.

I unironically love this episode and these kids. <3 Fandom was way too mean about this episode, why do y'all hate fun?

There are a few things introduced in this episode that really should have been picked back up and followed through on and yeah, a couple moments are a smidge cringe. But the humor is overall solid and sue me Mart Mattin is precious and I love the depth his existence adds to Sato. AND I WANTED SO MUCH MORE I DON'T CARE THAT I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO LOVES THEM I NEEDED MORE IRON SQUADRON.

*ahem* I'm normal about this episode. Soooo normal.

#star wars #star wars rebels #rebels rewatch #liveblog #ezra bridger #mart mattin

[just-another-blog-of-fluff]

Consequences

Word count: 6,250

Pairing: Loki x reader (no pronouns used) - established relationship

Warnings: Ruthless Loki, though still fluffy (and a little mushy); mild swearing

This took me forever and a day but at last, here it is! I struggled hard with writers block on this... I feel like it's not my best work, but I hope you like it just the same 💚

This combined two prompts: one Prompt where reader pranks boyfriend Loki and faces the consequences, and another prompt where reader becomes invisible and pranks the team. I hope I was able to cover both prompts adequately!

"Yikes. This place is a total mess."

You gazed out the window of the ship, taking in the cluttered landscape of Sakaar's vast junkyard. Littered with broken fragments of spaceships and other various metals, it was easy to see how someone could spend hours sifting through the trash for something valuable.

"How the hell are we going to find what we're looking for here?" you asked incredulously, turning to your travel companions.

"We'll need to split up," Thor declared, rising to his feet as Bruce landed the ship in a mostly empty patch of land. "If Banner's calculations are correct, the crown should have landed within this 400-foot radius."

"Well that narrows it down..." Loki muttered under his breath as he, too, stood from his seat. He turned to face you, holding his hand out. "My lady."

"Thank you, my prince," you giggled, taking his outstretched hand and allowing him to help you to your feet. Bruce made a fake retching sound as he stepped out of the cockpit.

"Can't you two get a room or something?"

Smirking, Loki turned to look at you, sliding his arm around your waist. "Hmm... darling, do you see a room here that might be suitable?"

"Nope. Not a single one in sight." You leaned in and pressed a kiss to his lips, earning a groan from the other two men.

"Alright, I'm searching the patch furthest from the two of you," Bruce grumbled, brushing past the three of you and heading down the ramp of the ship. Thor followed close behind. With a chuckle, Loki unwound his arm from your waist and motioned for you to head down the ramp in front of him.

You and Loki had been together since shortly after you'd joined the Avengers team. It wasn't clear what drew him to you, but it was painfully obvious he'd developed a crush on you fairly early on. Fortunately for him, his feelings were reciprocated.

And now, years later, the pair of you were one of the strongest duos to work together in the field. Neither had to speak to know what the other needed. You just... knew. It was instinct. He had something of a sixth sense that told him when you were in trouble, and you just had a gut feeling when he was considering doing something reckless. You were the perfect match for one another, both on and off the field.

"I can't believe you lived here," you marveled as you stepped over half a ship engine, nearly stumbling over the hunk of unidentifiable metal hidden behind it. "This place is..."

"In all fairness, I landed in the city," Loki interjected. "While not exactly on par with the royal Palace of Valaskjalf, it did have its perks."

Together, you and Loki searched through the piles of junk and clutter for any sign of the black opal-bejeweled crown. The task began to seem more and more impossible the further out from the ship you wandered. Stacks upon stacks of useless machinery cluttered your view, potentially burying the artifact you were searching for, making it difficult to navigate through the heaps of junk.

"Remind me why we need to find this thing so badly?" you huffed, tossing aside a metal slab that appeared to have once been the door of a vintage car.

"Would you prefer to leave the crown that could control the minds of millions to be scooped up by the nearest villain?"

"You know what? If they find it in this trash palace, good for them." You sighed, wiping the sweat off your brow and pausing for a moment. "We should probably split up to cover more ground. Otherwise we'll be here forever."

Loki's face contorted into an anxious grimace as he glanced around for nearby threats. "You know I hate leaving you alone."

"And you know very well that I can handle myself." You stepped closer and laced your fingers through his, pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek. "I promise I'll be fine."

Reluctantly, he agreed to your proposition. You could feel his eyes boring into your back as you walked in the opposite direction to search a nearby pile, kneeling down and beginning to sift through the shards of metal and plastic.

After hours of searching, you were beginning to reconsider offering to join this mission. Your eyes were starting to sting from the high noon sun reflecting off the assortment of metal panels. Sweat dripped down your forehead onto your nose. If one of you didn't find this damned crown soon, you were going to-

"Wait. What's that?" you whispered to yourself as your eyes landed on something sparkly amidst a nearby pile. Shifting a couple of metal slabs, you were able to pull out the shiny object. Much to your relief, it was the exact artifact you'd been searching for. "Found it!!"

"You found the crown?" Thor's voice echoed from afar.

"Yeah! I- hey!"

The crown was suddenly snatched out of your hand. Whipping around, you caught the glint of sunlight bouncing off the gold metal as it vanished into the rucksack of a short, masked being standing behind you. It wore tattered black robes with a hood shrouding its head, and you quickly noticed it was armed with a small pistol in its belt.

"Give me that!" you growled, charging at the scrapper as you ripped your dagger out of its sheath at your hip. It shouted something in a foreign tongue, snatching its gun off its holster and aiming it toward you. You dove swiftly to the side as a laser blast exploded from the barrel of the gun, swinging your leg out to kick the legs from beneath the scrapper. Scrambling to your hands and knees, you lunged for the rucksack, fingers grazing the handles just as the bag was swiped from your reach by its owner. With a grunt of frustration, you wielded your dagger, preparing to drive it into the scrapper's leg.

A sudden green blast of light slammed into its chest, sending it sailing a few dozen feet into a junk pile. Scraps of metal tumbled down from the impact, burying the scrapper from view.

"I could have handled that myself, you know," you scoffed without glancing up at your savior, snatching up the rucksack where the scrapper had dropped it upon being struck with Loki's blast of seidr.

"Oh, I'm well aware. But it was just so satisfying," he quipped, smirking.

"Is everyone alright?" Bruce called, bounding over to the pair of you after having heard the crashing metal. Thor wasn't far behind, a concerned look on his face. You held up the rucksack, reaching in with your free hand and pulling out the crown for the others to see.

"All good! Let's get the hell off this planet."

As the four of you trapsed back to the ship, Thor engaged Loki in conversation, leaving you to bring up the rear of the group. Curiously, you reached into the rucksack and dug around to see if there was anything else of interest. A few small ship components... a battery of some sort...

Your fingers collided with the cool metal of a small object. Curiously, you scooped it up in your fist and pulled it out into the light to inspect it. The object appeared to be an amulet of some sort, endorsed with a single gem. The stone was a gorgeous, opalescent, sparkling ocean blue color. It was a perfect, polished sphere, attached by an intricate silver clasp to a delicate chain.

For a moment, you considered showing the others. Then you recalled the last time you'd found something interesting, when Bruce had snatched it out of your hands and insisted they take it to the lab for testing before you touched it. By the time he'd finished experimenting, the object had been reduced to ashes.

No - it was best you just keep this to yourself for the time being.

You'd have considered telling Loki, of course, but you didn't want to chance anyone overhearing your conversation on the ship. And maybe a small part of you wanted to inspect it for yourself. You could take care of yourself, after all. No need to have a demigod hovering over your shoulder while you investigated a simple jeweled necklace.

So, when you arrived back at the tower that evening, you declared you'd be heading straight to your room under the guise of wanting to take a shower. With a swift sleight of hand, you scooped the amulet out of the rucksack and concealed it in your fist, slipping it into your pants pocket before turning to hand off the crown to Bruce for safe keeping. Loki pressed a kiss to your lips before you broke away from the group to go to your room.

You shut the door gently behind you, unable to contain your excitement any longer as you slipped the amulet out of your pocket. It shimmered in your hand; a perfect sphere, magnifying the lines of your palm where it rested. Looping your fingers through the chain dangling from your hand, you paced over to your full length mirror and hung the amulet around your neck.

It was difficult to suppress the instinctive yelp of shock when you watched your reflection disappear.

"What the..." Turning your gaze downward, you held your hand out in front of your face to try to elucidate if it was merely your reflection, or if you had indeed become visible. The sight was disorienting - you couldn't see your hand, nor your feet where they were still planted on the floor beneath you.

Curiously, and with a nagging touch of anxiety that this could be irreversible, you slipped the amulet back over your head and held it in your hands. A sigh of relief puffed through your nose as your reflection faded back into existence as the magic of the amulet vanished. When you hung the amulet around your neck once again, you vanished the same way as before.

Perhaps dating the God of Mischief was beginning to corrupt you. The first thought that ran through your head once you'd fully processed the power held within this amulet was the vast array of pranks you could pull on your teammates under the cover of invisibility. Nobody would suspect it was you - partially because you'd be invisible, of course, but also because you never played pranks on anyone. In fact, you were often the victim of the others' tricks; particularly Loki's. Now was your chance to get harmless sweet revenge, and you'd barely need to put any thought into your pranking efforts.

You knew from the start you'd want to save Loki for last. It would be easier anyway, considering you knew his daily routine well by now. As mischievous and chaotic as he purported himself to be, Loki was a true creature of habit. Pranking the master of tricks and getting away with it would be the sweetest trick of all, and so you had to take the opportunity to get some practice on some of your teammates first.

Over the days that followed, you began to carry the amulet around in your pocket, observing the tower around you in search of opportunities to prank your unsuspecting friends. It was difficult to keep this secret from Loki. You typically shared everything with him - you wholly and completely trusted him, and so it was natural for you. But you couldn't spill this secret to him if you wanted to be afforded the sweet opportunity to play a prank on the unsuspecting God of Mischief. So, somehow, you managed to bite your tongue.

Your first opportunity to trial the amulet came a few days after its discovery.

It was an average Thursday morning, and you had been shuffling groggily down the hallway toward the kitchen to make yourself some coffee. As you passed by the common room, you heard the music and blasting sounds of Peter's game system echoing from within. He was alone this morning - you suspected he may have stayed up all night playing, based on the redness in his eyes and the rumpling of his clothes. What better time to trial a prank than now?

Glancing around, you quickly slipped into a closet and threw the amulet on around your neck. As before, your body below you disappeared from sight the moment the amulet fell to rest against your chest. You poked your head around the closet door before stepping back into the hallway, knowing it would be suspicious if someone suddenly walked into an invisible solid being.

You crept silently into the common room, undetected by the teenager engrossed in his racing game. Beside him, you noticed there was a lone controller sitting on the sofa cushions. Likely left there by Thor the evening before, you thought to yourself. As Peter suddenly leapt to his feet in a fit of protest over something that happened on the screen, you swiped the controller off the sofa and hid out of sight crouched beside the arm.

"What the..." Peter suddenly tilted his head in confusion as you entered the game as player two. You got to work selecting your character as he glanced wildly around the room, brow furrowed in confusion. Without waiting for him to change anything on his own character, you hit start and selected a map. "Mr. Stark! I know you're in here..."

You swiftly slid the controller under the sofa as Peter rounded the side you were seated on, careful to scurry out of his way so he wouldn't trip over your invisible form. He continued on around the back of the sofa, and you grabbed the controller and selected start to begin the race.

"Woah - wait!" Peter stumbled to the sofa to scoop up his own controller as the race began. By the time he'd started, the rest of the cars were already a few corners ahead, including your own. It was easy to smoke him this round, coming in first place.

Rubbing his eyes, Peter suddenly dropped the controller back on the sofa and walked out of the room, muttering something about needing sleep and ghosts under his breath. You had to hold your breath to prevent yourself from bursting into laughter on the spot.

Loki gave you a quizzical look when you wandered into the kitchen tardy for breakfast later that morning. You, of course, had already removed the amulet and hidden it away in your pocket before entering the room, not wanting to let anyone in on the secret by accident.

"Did you oversleep this morning, darling? I've never known you to be late for your morning coffee," he queried as you wandered closer and kissed him sweetly on the cheek.

"Yeah, a little bit," you fibbed, heading straight to the coffee maker to pour yourself a cup. "I hope I didn't make you worry."

"You know I always worry for you."

"Unnecessarily, yes." You scooped a teaspoon of sugar into your mug, stirring it into the bitter liquid. "I promise you, I've taken care of myself for many years. There's no need to worry about me all the time."

"Mm, yes, but something possessed you to decide to date the God of Mischief," he teased, trying to lighten the mood as you took a seat beside him at the table. "Clearly something isn't right up here" - he tapped you on the forehead, making you giggle - "for you to have done such a thing uncoerced."

"And how do I know it was uncoerced? Maybe you've cast a spell on me," you countered, nudging him playfully with your elbow.

"No spell is powerful enough to tame someone like you, darling."

You blushed a bit at that.

After breakfast, you decided to forgo any additional prank attempts for the remainder of the day. Better to go about your usual routine to throw off any mounting suspicion in Loki's mind that something was up. It didn't stop you from plotting, however.

And so, a few days later, once you felt as though Loki had grown complacent once again, you executed your next prank.

This time, your target was Clint. This weekend, he'd brought his kids to visit the compound and practice some archery in the state-of-the-art training facility Tony had constructed. There was a whole section devoted to archery practice, complete with both physical and virtual targets within a safe and contained space to avoid accidental injury of other teammates.

"Alright, Nate - you remember how to hold the bow up, right?" he instructed, assisting his youngest son with getting into stance. You watched silently, amulet securely hung around your neck to render yourself invisible to the eye. While you knew the kids would find it amusing, you couldn't bring yourself to trick them while they were practicing their own archery skills. Best to wait until Clint was demonstrating.

Nate shot a couple of arrows and quickly grew frustrated with his inability to hit the target. Your opportunity was fast approaching, you realized, as Clint slipped one of his own arrows out of his quiver and docked it in his bow. You had to be swift.

"Watch me, kiddo - make sure your elbow is pointed straight back when you pull the- what the hell??"

Clint shouted in confusion as you snatched the arrow out of his hands and removed it from the bow, tossing it across the training arena like a dart. To him, it would have appeared as though the arrow ripped itself from his hands and hurled a few feet away of its own accord. He appeared rather frazzled, although his kids all thought it was absolutely hilarious, laughing hysterically at their father's furrowed brow.

"Alright, very funny Cooper."

"What?? It wasn't me!" the older boy insisted indignantly.

"Yeah, sure. So some ghost came in here and stole my arrow, then? You expect me to believe that?"

"Sure looked like it to me," Lila interjected with a smirk.

"Uh-huh. I'm checkin' for strings this time. No more funny business."

Before he could reach behind his shoulder for a new arrow, you swiped the lot of them from the quiver and held them in your hands. It was difficult not to laugh when you watched his hand feeling around for another arrow, coming up short.

"Cooper! I just said no funny business!" Clint scolded, albeit with a playful undertone to his voice as he turned to his older son. Cooper held his hands up innocently.

"I didn't do anything!" he insisted.

"Alright, was it you then, Lila?"

"Nope."

"Dad!" Nate suddenly shouted, pointing straight at you. Clint spun around just in time to see his arrows seemingly hovering above the floor before you dropped them all unceremoniously to the ground with a clatter. The archer stared motionlessly at the floor, blinking in disbelief as his arrows rolled around haphazardly from the momentum of the fall.

"That... was weird. Alright kids - we're gonna go get a snack. I've got a bone to pick with Stark," Clint declared, leaving the arrows on the ground and motioning for his kids to follow. You stepped out of their path so they wouldn't run into you as they exited the training arena. The boys chortled at their father for his bewilderment as they made their way down the hallway toward the elevator. Only when their voices were out of earshot did you remove the amulet, revealing yourself to the now empty room.

That went even more perfectly than expected! you thought to yourself as you slipped the amulet back into your pocket for safe keeping.

That afternoon, you grabbed a book and headed to the common room to read for a while. As you were beginning to become engrossed in the story, a familiar baritone timbre sounded from the doorway.

"I thought we were going out to lunch this afternoon."

You slammed your book shut, whipping your head up to look at Loki with wide eyes. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry! It completely slipped my mind!"

"I see." He stepped into the room, gazing down at you where you sat on the sofa. "Forgive me, but you seem to be somewhat... distracted lately. I certainly hope everything is alright."

"Yes! Everything's fine, I promise." You patted the sofa cushion beside you to invite him to sit down. "I'm sorry if I seem distracted. It's just... been a while since I went on a mission. I'm itching to see some action. You know how restless it makes me."

His face softened, almost as though he was relieved. "Yes, I'm well aware you're a reckless daredevil at heart."

"Hey! I'm not reckless!" you retorted in jest, glad he seemed to believe your white lie. "In fact, I've saved your ass on a number of occasions when you have done something reckless."

Loki scowled, reaching over and pinching your side ticklishly. "I have done no such thing."

"Uh-huh. You keep telling yourself that."

When you'd finished bantering, Loki pulled out his own novel and began to read alongside you in silence. Your eyes skimmed the pages of your book, but your mind was elsewhere. The trickster was growing suspicious that something was up with you. It appeared you were running out of time - you'd have to execute your prank on him before he managed to figure out what you were doing.

For a few days, you bided your time, brainstorming the perfect prank for your mischievous love. It had to be subtle - anything extravagant, and he'd quickly realize someone was tricking him and seek out the culprit. Repetitive, small tricks would be your best shot at really getting him back without detection.

The perfect opportunity struck the following Saturday morning.

You'd recently shown Loki how to make pancakes - the god had a sweet tooth, despite the fact he refused to admit it - and so lately he'd been making them once a week for the pair of you for breakfast. It was very sweet of him, of course - you expressed your appreciation each time you sat down to a steaming hot stack of golden brown pancakes in the morning made by the god. You almost felt badly about using this as your opportunity to prank him, but you couldn't pass it up. It was such a predictable part of his Saturday morning now. So many utensils, so many ingredients that you could secretly move around behind his back without his knowledge. It was simply perfect.

With the amulet around your neck, you crept silently into the kitchen while Loki had his back to you. As chaotic as he could be, when he was in the kitchen, he was meticulously organized - setting out all his ingredients and utensils before starting, ensuring the countertops remained clean... You loved watching him cook. But not today - today you'd be stirring up a little mischief.

He'd begun gathering the ingredients from the refrigerator already, so you snuck over to the utensil drawer and stole the dry measuring cups before he ducked his head out of the fridge to see what was happening. It was like clockwork - the moment he'd set the eggs and milk on the counter, he went straight to the drawer, looking a bit put out that the utensil he needed wasn't in there. For good measure, you placed it on the kitchen island behind him for him to find when he finally decided to turn around.

When Loki had started preparing the wet ingredients, you snuck over to stand beside him, undetectable under the cover of invisibility despite your proximity. He opened the egg carton and removed an egg, and while he had his head turned to focus on cracking it into the bowl without making a mess, you removed two eggs from the carton. In the meantime, he'd cleanly deposited the white and yolk of the first egg into his bowl, turning back to reach for another egg.

"What in the name of Freyja..." His brows knit together as he mentally clocked the fact that the carton was more empty than it had been only seconds ago. Spinning around, he glanced behind him for any sneaky bystanders who may have decided to mess with him. It was then that he noticed the measuring cup you'd placed on the kitchen island. "I didn't put you here..." he muttered under his breath, snatching it up and moving it to sit with the remainder of his cooking utensils. While his back was turned, you'd returned the two eggs to the carton, setting them in different spots than they'd been in originally.

It didn't take long for him to notice the eggs had magically returned. Scowling, he took another egg in his hand to crack it into the bowl. Clearly this was getting on his nerves, but you still hadn't gotten quite the reaction you were looking for. You had to plot something truly mischievous.

And so, when he began measuring the dry ingredients, you snatched up a spoonful of flour when he wasn't looking and turned it over on his head.

The angle of it had caused powder to tumble down into his face, causing him to yelp in surprise. You had to physically bite your tongue to keep from laughing as the white powder settled into his dark locks, despite him shaking his head. Before he could start glancing around wildly, you'd returned the spoon to the flour container where you'd found it.

"Who's there??" Loki demanded aloud to the visibly empty room, running his fingers through his hair to shake some more of the flour from his head. His eyes roamed around the perimeter of the kitchen, his gaze intense as he searched for the culprit of the flour dumping. After scanning the room for a few moments, Loki warily returned his attention to the bowl of dry ingredients in front of him. Feeling impish, you picked up an egg and prepared to crack it on the back of his head.

What happened next, you weren't expecting.

Before you could succeed in smashing the egg, Loki suddenly spun around with the bowl of flour in his hands, launching the white powder straight at you. You dropped the egg to the floor in surprise as the flour stuck to your hair, face, and shirt, revealing your invisible outline in a thin layer of white. The shock of it made you gasp, which caused you to suck flour dust into your mouth and nose. Immediately, you began to cough as the powder hit the back of your throat.

"Yohou... ack... how... ahem... how did you know?!" you exclaimed through your spluttering. "I'm invisible, aren't I?"

"Yes..." Loki reached out and grasped the amulet, lifting it up and over your head. "... but do you honestly think I haven't known about your discovery of this little artifact the whole time?"

You stared at him, blinking for a moment as heat prickled in your cheeks. "You... did?"

He smirked mischievously. "I knew you were hiding something the day we traveled to Sakaar."

"But how-"

"You were nearly silent on the walk back to the ship. I know you well enough by now to recognize when you're lost in thought." He absently spun the gemstone between his thumb and index finger. "And you've never been good at those little tricks you Midgardians call 'magic.' I saw you slip something in your pocket."

"Oh... is that right?"

"At first, I was bothered that you wanted to hide something from me - especially a potentially dangerous mystical artifact." You scratched the back of your neck sheepishly at that. "Then I witnessed the trick you pulled on Parker before I could discuss it with you. So I decided to let you have your fun." Loki's smirk broadened. "After all - I knew you'd eventually try to prank me..."

"How did you know that? I never get to pull pranks on you!"

"Come now, darling. After years together, I know everything about you." He suddenly stepped forward and wrapped his arm around your waist, hoisting you up and tossing you over his shoulder.

"Hehey!! Loki! Put me dohown!" you demanded, albeit only half-heartedly. He ignored your pleas, carrying you out of the kitchen and down the hallway as he continued on with his little monologue.

"I know you love my pancakes more than your own..." He turned and entered the common room. "I know you avoid eye contact when you're trying to lie about something..."

"But-"

"I know you've always wanted to successfully execute a prank against me, but you've never had the heart to go through with it." He turned and sat down on the sofa, shifting to dump you gently onto your back on the seat cushions beside him. "Am I wrong?"

You narrowed your eyes, folding your arms defiantly across your chest. "I refuse to gratify that with a response, you smug little-"

"Ah-ah! Would you like to know what else I know about you?" His eyes were sparkling with an impish glow, which made you somewhat uneasy. You propped yourself up on your elbows and tilted your head in confusion. He responded by grabbing hold of your ankles where your feet rested beside his leg, tugging them both into his lap and making you squeak in surprise as you slid a few inches across the sofa.

You knew where he was going with this before he said it out loud.

"I know your ultimate weakness."

"N-no, Loki, wahait!" Your eyes went wide and pleading as you attempted to tug your ankles from the crook of his elbow where he'd gathered them. He paused, the fingers of his free hand mere inches from the soles of your feet as he gazed at you expectantly. The nervous giggles were already bubbling up in your throat. "D-did I really wrohong you so badly to warrant such p-eheh-punishment??"

He grinned devilishly, tightening his arm around your ankles. "You lied to me, hid something from me, and you attempted to prank me-"

"Succeeded in pranking you."

Loki growled at your interruption. "Darling - you've only served to seal your fate."

With that, he began scratching at the soles of your feet, sending you into immediate hysterics. Your reaction only encouraged the mischievous god as he skittered his fingertips up and down the lengths of your soles.

"Honestly - you had to have seen this coming, love. You are well aware that my favorite form of revenge against you is to tickle you senseless."

"LOHOHOKI! NOHOHO, PLEHEASE!!"

"And after all these years, I know exactly how to pinpoint the spots that drive you mad with laughter," he teased, ignoring your pleading. "For example..." He grazed two fingers directly up the center of your foot, smirking as your leg jolted at his touch.

"I-HI CAHAN'T!!" Tears of mirth were already forming in your eyes. You truly didn't mind when Loki tickled you - you adored this playful side of your love. But he hadn't been exaggerating when he said he knew your 'ultimate weakness.' He knew quite well how unbearably ticklish your feet were - so much so that he usually spared them during the occasional playful wrestling and tickle fights you had. But if you happened to get too cheeky with him, he wouldn't hesitate to initiate a very precise and targeted attack.

When he shifted to scratch at the soft spot just above your heel, you jerked so hard you actually managed to break free of his hold, rolling toward the edge of the sofa in an effort to escape. He threw his arm out and caught hold of you by the waist as you rolled onto your stomach before you could reach the edge.

"Where do you think you're going?" he sneered playfully, reaching over with his other hand to knead at both sides. You screeched and giggled, swinging your legs involuntarily in protest and grasping at his hands above your hips. "Oh-ho, trying to kick me now, are you?"

"Noho, I-hi didn't mehean toho- WAHAIT NOHO LOKI PLEHEHEASE!!"

He'd snatched hold of your ankles again, swiftly shifting with them locked in his grip so he could plant his weight on top of the backs of your thighs, rendering you trapped on your stomach across the sofa. Protests laced with giggles spouted from your lips as he grasped one of your ankles and lifted it from the sofa, forcing a bend in your knee.

"Still think it was a good idea to try to escape?" he asked facetiously as he wrapped his arm around your ankle to pin it tightly to his chest. You turned your head as much as you could to flash your pleading eyes at your Asgardian lover, but he'd already made up his mind. With a sly smirk, the fingers of his free hand descended on the sole of your trapped foot, tracing along the outer edge.

"NOHO!!" You screeched before burying your face into the sofa cushion, muffling the vibrant laughter tearing from your chest. You could feel the vibration of a laugh in his chest against your leg where he'd trapped you.

"My, my... and this isn't even the worst spot," he hummed ominously. You gasped, fighting to beg him not to target the spot you knew he'd be moving to next. "Oh, but darling, I can't possibly leave the other foot neglected."

"YES YOU CAHAHAN!"

Continuing to ignore you, he ceased his attack on the trapped foot and swapped his grasp to scoop up your other ankle. Desperately, you curled your toes to try to hide as much ticklish skin as possible. He tutted at you for that, tightening his arm around your ankle to allow himself to reach your foot with that same hand, prying your toes back.

"W-WAHAIT!"

To your surprise, he paused, turning to gaze at you without releasing his hold on your foot. You began your last-ditch desperate effort to convince him.

"Loki, I'm sohorry! I swear I'll nehever hide anything frohom you again! I'm sorry I-hi lied!"

"Mm, I believe you." He moved his free hand toward the hypersensitive spot underneath your toes, and you shouted once again in protest.

"BUT WAHAIT!!"

He raised his brows, tilting his chin down expectantly. "I'm listening."

"L-Loki... dohon't you lohove me?" you squeaked, face burning hot.

A soft smile crossed his lips then. "Yes, darling. I love you. Very much."

You smiled sweetly in return. "I love you too."

For a moment, you thought you'd managed to convince him. But then, his expression hardened once again, and that devilish smirk made its way back onto his face.

"In fact, it's precisely the reason why I must ensure the message sinks in."

Without allowing you time to continue pleading, he dug his fingertips into the deathly ticklish spot beneath your toes.

One last loud shriek was all you had before dissolving into silent, shaking laughter. He knew exactly how to tickle you to make the sensation unbearable, after years of opportunity to practice. His fingers scratched and flitted against the soft skin until you began to weakly slap your hand against the sofa in surrender.

With a fond chuckle, Loki finally relented and released your ankle, rubbing a firm, soothing hand against the back of your calf to prove he was finished tormenting you. You coughed a bit as you caught your breath.

"Gehet... get ohoff me, you're heavy!" you griped teasingly. His eyes flashed dangerously.

"If I didn't think it would kill you, I'd repeat the lesson," he warned, standing for a moment to allow you to turn over and shift your legs off his seat. When he sat back down, he reached over and wrapped an arm around your shoulders, lifting your back off the couch so he could scoot you into his lap. You rested your head on his shoulder in exhaustion.

"You're damn ruthless, you know."

"Mm. I'm well aware." He winked with a grin, causing heat to rush to your cheeks. "In all seriousness, darling - I must insist you heed caution when it comes to strange magical artifacts. I would be absolutely devastated should something terrible befall you."

"I... I'm sorry," you whispered, pressing your forehead lovingly against his cheek. "I just wanted to take care of myself for a change. I know you do it because you love me, but you don't have to protect me from everything."

Loki laughed once, deep in his throat. "You are one of the strongest mortals I know, darling. I'll try to remember that on the battlefield."

"Thank you." You smiled, tilting your head back to press your lips to his. Grinning cheekily, you added, "And I promise I'll run all my magical finds by you before using them to torment our friends."

"I'd appreciate that, thank you."

You sat in silence for a moment, simply enjoying the feeling of being wrapped safely in Loki's arms. Now that you thought about it, you were surprised and flattered to learn how deeply he knew you. He had clearly been observing you closely, perceptive to your little quirks and traits. It made you feel... cared for. Loved.

You recalled, then, that the pancake ingredients were still sitting out in the kitchen. And so, as the pair of you finally stood at your suggestion to return to breakfast, you began to brainstorm how you might finally be able to pull a successful prank on your boyfriend.

But, for today, you didn't have the heart.

#ticklish!reader #tickle fluff #tickle fic #loki tickle #marvel tickle #sfw tickle fluff

[the-firebird69]

We're going to do this first we're going to do it as a Harley-Davidson motor but aftermarket and we have to or the tracks too much attention. There's no company named the name that they're going to name it and they want to name it and we're working out together actually but the name is awesome and he's going to tell you if she is we also are going to make the motor fit to your transmission and it's going to be labeled as the I think it's the 1200 and this also a 1,000 roughly and in CI it's different but it's like a 94 and a 104 or something and we're going to label it like that and people will look at it and say it doesn't look the same and it's smaller but the transmission will handle it it's got more horsepower and they'll see that it's rated and stuff in the documents but they'll see that the Pistons are high performance and it's not a surprise is what they say later on we're going to change out the thing and call it the evolution 2 and after that we're going to sell it aftermarket as a different supplier with different heads on it it will increase the speed and the transmission with it and it'll look like different motor all this is going to happen fast if it works and the max wanted to these bikes are dogs and the whole country and stuff is being stifled if they think it'll help them though let It Go there is one stipulation that we want to add and he wants me to say it how we say it publicly and I want to as well

..

And no uncertain terms are you not going to pay for what you're going to say after we say this you are going to immediately notice a sudden loss and we don't mean junk motors but we are going to make this motor the evolution too 737 out of your junk motorcycle motors and when you stick it together and you melt it we had stuff to it it makes it pretty much almost super strength and they'll be unstoppable motors and we know what you guys are going to try and use them for but you're going to be precluded from doing that and Mac always warns you don't fall for this one but now he's saying you're not doing it damn thing at all and you need motivation so we're providing that motivation and we know we are on purpose but what it's going to come out of your mouth is going to be so stupid and nasty we're giving you a heads up that you're all going to get fired and he needs that and we do too and the max want that so you stop talking

This is our idea together he says we all worked on it because we did we're like a gang and we're organized and you're going to see it and he had me make one for Hera and she'll be the first one he's hoping and Thor and Freya say yes and she's going to come down to the shop today and she's taking a sweet damn old time and that's how a maul should act and that's how she acts and it's great.

Frank Castle hardcastle

A specifically like the part where he said we're going to use your scrap motors that you pile up and just leave there to rot and we have to pull them out of there before it gets so full of crud it's not worth it and we're going to do that soon and we're going to post this and you're going to demand we do it but it may sound too stringent

Frank Castle hardcastle

We wanted to take those no but nobody's using them and we see all this stuff that you have to go through to get us to do anything and it's actually quite pitiful you realize that we're just parasites and it's horrifying that's what we are and was saying you can't take those we have a use for them

Trump

We're not going to use them and we're not going to scrap them cuz it's not good enough and nobody else is going to take them they're in scrap yards and nobody's paid to let him sit there and we know who owns them I own some other people do and this has to sell the aftermarket engine to me from the scrap we take and we'll make that deal and he wants to start small I agree with that and they didn't see what it is

Bja

We're going to announce the name

Olympus

[ovxcz]

i cant write for sh1t but my head wont leave me alone

(i finally finshed it yipee)

THIS HAS V0RE.

Below the many piles of junk a borrower stood tall, the dark cool sky observing them. They we no stranger to the man standing close to them.

"Doc Ock" was all the media would talk about.

Otto Octavius, formal scientist turned villain. His 4 welded arms hung him over the floorboards as he worked on his reactor. There wasn't much around him except for scraps of metal and the uncomfortable scent of dirty water and cigars.

It hadn't been long since the accident. His guilt was slowly replaced by encouragement from the voices to finish what he'd started.

The energy reactor was nearly finished. All it needed was its power source, tritium. It stood towering over him, placed right in the middle of the building. Both parties were surprised the rotting wood hadn't collapsed under its weight.

The Doctor commanded two of the metal arms to snap one of the folded reactors claws into place, while the remainder held onto the base for support. In a heartbeat, another arm joined. Now three tentacles were gripping the claw as they rotated it into position. Octavius was pulled with them.

Stumbling along, he silently admired his build.

Xdf felt hypnotized by the man's actions. The reactor lights suddenly light up with the sound of electricity crackling. The borrower couldn't help but stare in awe. They quickly froze in fear when they noticed him turning around, almost seemingly to phase them. The robotic arms moved in what looked like sync following their host's direction.

"Just one more little chore" his voice was deep and rough.

One of the actuators leaned into his face and hissed into his ear. Otto's eyes light up while his confused expression slowly shifted into a smug one. He used the tentacles to elevate himself off the nuclear reactor's platform. The wood creaked with every step he took as the mechanical arm led the way.

The borrower was frozen like a dear in headlights. As much as they wanted to run behind a leaning metal pillar, their body wouldn't let them. The ground continued to shake underneath while they stuck glued to the ground.

Suddenly the shaking stopped. His tall figure stood right over them, while his eyes were fixed looking down at their small, frail body.

"Look at you..."

"Your so small..

it's almost like your bite sized."

One of the actuators roughly grabbed them by their shirt. Startled, they were elevated closer to Octavious's face.

Suddenly the claw let go.

They could feel a gush of wind as they headed for the floorboards. Terror flooded every crevice of their mind as they braised for impact. Something sharply pinched their skin making them wince. They opened their eyes to find their nose only a few inches off the ground.

"I can't let you die yet,

he paused

not when I have a job for you."

The claw stiffened it's grip and rose them back. A smirk was stuck right on his face. As he moved them closer to get a better look at them, they noticed a small build up of..drool in the corner of his mouth.

"These things are capable of detecting even the slightest hint of hunger"

The actuators almost seemed to stand straight up in a way to show off their pride.

The tentacle holding them slowly lowered them down from Otto's gaze and directly in front of...his midsection? Suddenly an uncanny growl emerged from it. The color on their face was drained.

The claw pressed them directly against it, letting them feel every single vibration and groan. The actuators pressure increased every time they struggled to set themselves free. Otto's hand joined and pushed them in further. The claw quickly let them go and gave Otto complete control of them as it implanted a signal to his brain, a desire.

"You hear that?"

He was almost gritting his teeth.

Some parts of their body were being mashed against the brace strapped around his waist. Intentional or not, the man held them in place. His guts were gurgling in distress.

Moments later they were roughly pulled away and back up to his face. His finger was pinching at their sides. It didn't feel any different from the claw. He studied their reactions in a nonchalant matter.

His hand got closer to his face and suddenly, he opened his mouth.

His fingers pushed their head in and let them have a good look at the rows of teeth below them. His victim was paralyzed in fear. They could only barely twitch when Ottos tongue licked them like a piece of candy. Everything around them went still. His tongue had stopped trying to taste them and he had let out a sound of disgust.

Light quickly filled the space and they felt themselves being pulled out of his jaw. The borrower shivered at the change of temperature. It went from humid, to freezing.

Otto took a quick glance at their soaked figure before he turned to the tentacles behind him.

"Yes, honestly.. I dont know what I was expecting.."

The tone of his voice had completely shifted to something that sounded like pity. His eyes darted back to their figure and he sighed. The borrow was filled with hope as the man had finally shown a hint of mercy. Their heartbeat was pumping at the thought.

The metalic arms had started hissing, and his expression of regret had dropped and it was replaced with hunger.

"Your right.. its not the taste that matters but.. rather the fuel that's gained from it.. a meals a meal nonetheless"

Terrified, they finally made an attempt to struggle out of his grasp. His grip tightened and he elevated them over his mouth. Opening his maw and dropping their fragile figure in.

The smell of cigars welcomed them in as their body squirmed at the application of his tongue right below them. Otto moved the organ around their skin, coating their flesh with saliva. As much as they struggled to crawl out of his jaws, they couldnt stop him from closing them shut. Suddenly all they could see was darkness.

The man began to tilt his head back, as his tongue rose to the roof of his mouth, they slid down the organ till they reached the back of his throat.

From the outside Octavius had his eyes closed. He inhaled thoroughly and finally gulped. One of his eyes slightly twitched as he felt their figure slowly descend. The metal claws on his back rose towards his face and they whispered into his ear.

A smile spread across his face as he obeyed the claws' orders and placed two fingers over his throat. As he continued to swallow he could feel their body descending down his gullet.

His digits followed their journey all the way till they finally disappeared below their collarbone.

He leans back and his face softens. His stomach feels heavy against the metal harness around him. He lets out a tiny burp and a satisfied hum.

To the prey's dismay, the harness constricted them to the back of Otto's stomach. They try to move their limbs around but...nothing. They end up finding themselves trying to claw and punch his stomach walls.

"mghn.."

They froze as he let out a soft groan of..pleasure.

Octavius smiled as he placed a hand over his belly. He seemed unbothered by their failed attempts to escape. The tentacles observed as he pressed his hand in deep. His stomach began to gurgle in discomfort and the figure inside tensed up.

"..I don't know why they try to crawl out either.."

"It's futile. They won't get far"

He grinned as he felt them faintly squirm against all the pressure applied to them.

The actuators felt accomplished as xe helped fuel his ego. Xe knew that the more "powerful" he became, the more things xe could talk him into doing.

He grinned as he felt them faintly squirm against all the pressure applied to them. The stomach walls pressed against them every time Otto pressed against his stomach.

The tentacles found xemselves studying and analyzing xyr hosts prey. Every gurgle and groan peeked xyr curiosity. The doctor smiled in response. The borrower was almost like a pet to all five of them, except that this one wouldnt last long.

As much as Otto wanted to taunt his prey, the tentacles reminded him of more important matters. They had a machine to activate after all.

He sighed and with the help of the tentacles, left the pier and quickly made his way towards a familiar building.

He had to practically sneak through the shadows to avoid attention. Hes be met by an occasional glance but he knew that whoever saw him wouldnt do anything.

The borrower inside could hear muffled thumps and crunches originating from the outside. The tight nature of Ottos stomach kept them stuck in place, the occasional 'thump' would sometimes move them out of place. Moments like that made them have hope. Deep down they knew that they were stuck.

Their memories and experiences didn't mean anything anymore. To him, they were there to supplement him. They were just food.

- * - *- * - *- * - *- * - * - * - *- * - *- * - *- * - *- * - *- * - *- * - *- *

#d.oc o.ck #v.ore #implied digestion

[imagine-you]

Reach Out and Touch Faith pt. 1 (Steve Harrington/Reader)

Summary: You leave Hawkins for the summer and come back to a total shitshow. The new mall burned down, Chief Hopper and Billy among the causalities, and everyone, including Steve, seems to be hiding something from you. To make matters worse, you keep hearing and seeing Billy, but that can't be possible. Billy's dead...isn't he?

Word Count: 3k

Author's Note: This is the sequel to Boys Like You. Be warned, there is some angst, but I swear this will have a happy ending.

Boys Like You / Read on AO3

"Do you really have to go?" Steve asked, his lower lip poking out in a pout as he widened his eyes.

"Oh, come on," you groaned. "That's not fair. You can't expect me to be able to leave that face," you said before leaning forward and brushing a kiss against Steve's lips.

"That's the point," Steve said, reaching out and grabbing your hand before he attempted to reel you back in. "I don't want you to leave. So, get back over here. I wasn't done with you yet."

You felt a smile tug at your lips as you let Steve pull you closer. "Steve," you murmured against his lips. "I have to pack."

Steve hummed in thought before he pulled back to offer you a hopeful grin. "Five minutes?"

You pretended to think it over for a moment before you nodded your head. "Five minutes," you agreed before leaning forward to kiss Steve again.

Ten minutes later, you were lying back on your bed, Steve's hand inching up your shirt, as you let him suck kisses into the line of your jaw.

"Ugh," you heard someone groan from the doorway of your room. "Get a room, you two. That's disgusting."

"This is my room," you pointed out as you pushed at Steve's shoulders. You sat up and settled Billy with an unimpressed look. "This couldn't have waited?"

"Nope," Billy offered with a smirk. "Got to get to the pool soon, so if you want me to take a look at that junk pile you call a car, then I'm going to need to do it now."

You reached over towards your nightstand and grabbed your car keys. You tossed them to Billy. “Thanks,” you told him with a grin.

“Just shut the door next time,” Billy said before pointedly closing your door behind him.

“He’s the worst,” Steve groaned before moving to stand up. “He totally ruined my plan to distract you from packing.”

“He’s not the worst,” you immediately defended Billy. You had scored a job shelving books at the Hawkins Library, which had helped you save up for a car. Sure, it wasn’t flashy or anything, but it was all yours. Billy had been kind enough to do minor repairs on it for you, which had saved you money you would have spent on a mechanic. He claimed he only did it so you didn’t die in some fiery crash because your car was a piece of shit, but you knew it was his unique way of showing you he cared about you. “Not to mention, while it was a very nice distraction," you said as you pushed yourself off your bed, ignoring Steve’s pleased grin, “I still would have been packed by the time I leave tomorrow morning.”

“It’s just, I won’t see you for six weeks? First Henderson tells me he’s off to some nerd camp and now my girlfriend is leaving me for half the summer. What the hell am I supposed to do?”

You thought Steve’s friendship with a kid named Dustin Henderson was downright adorable, but you didn’t want to tell Steve that.

“I don’t know,” you said as you began folding shirts and placing them in your duffel bag. “Scoop ice cream?”

Steve rolled his eyes. “Don’t remind me.”

Steve was a little self-conscious about his job at Scoops Ahoy. He already felt bad about not getting into college, but he told you taking a job at the mall was somehow even more humiliating.

“Look,” you said as you put the pair of shorts in your hands down and crossed over to stand in front of Steve. “It’s just a few weeks—”

“Six weeks,” Steve corrected with a frown.

“And then I’ll be back. I’ll be spending so much time with you when I get back that you’ll be sick of me.”

“No way,” Steve argued, placing his hands on your hips and pulling you close. “I’ll be looking forward to it.”

“Sap,” you accused with a fond smile.

“Your sap,” Steve agreed before reeling you in for a kiss.

Despite Steve’s best efforts, you managed to get packed up and ready for your trip to your dad’s house. You were hesitant to leave, but you knew you wouldn’t hear the end of it if you canceled your plans with your dad. It wasn’t like he had any problems disappointing you, but for some reason, you just couldn’t be the one to let him down.

Thankfully, your relationship with Steve had been better than you ever dreamed it would be. You realized soon into your relationship that the break-up with Nancy had really done a number on him, so when you first stared out, he seemed to be a little too concerned with being the perfect boyfriend. It had taken a little while, but you both finally came to an understanding. Steve could be himself and you weren’t going to be dishonest about your feelings for him. Even though you knew you were already half in love with Steve, you knew it might take a while for Steve to accept that you felt that way for him. You had spent a while reassuring him that you weren’t just going through the motions and pretending to be in love to spare his feelings.

So, even while things were as close to perfect as they could be, you still worried that your six week visit to your dad’s house in Kentucky would somehow disrupt your relationship and ruin everything. Steve claimed he would call every night and during his lunch breaks, but your relationship with Steve wasn’t the only one you were worried would fall by the wayside in your absence.

“Hey,” Billy whispered, tearing you out of your thoughts. “It’s late. Shouldn’t you be asleep?”

“Shouldn’t you? The pool closed hours ago.”

“Who said I was at the pool?” Billy pointed out with a smirk that told you he had either been on a date or getting lucky. Knowing Billy, it was probably both. “What are we havin’?” Billy asked as he grabbed a fork out of the dish drainer and joined you at the kitchen table.

“Leftover apple pie,” you told him, shoving your plate closer to him so he could steal a bite.

“So, what’s bothering you?”

“Who said anything was bothering me?”

Billy offered you an unimpressed look before glancing pointedly at the clock on the kitchen wall. “Well, it’s half past midnight and last I heard, you were getting up at the crack of dawn to drive to your dad’s.”

“It’s stupid,” you tried to dismiss with a shake of your head.

“Oh, come on. Just tell me,” Billy coaxed before taking another bite of pie. “You know I’m not going to let you leave until you do.”

You sighed before stealing the pie back and taking a bite. “I guess I’m just worried,” you finally admitted with a grimace.

“No shit,” Billy drawled. “We’re sitting here in the kitchen in the middle of the night because you feel perfectly fine.”

“Okay, I can do without the sarcasm,” you told him with a roll of your eyes. “I’m just worried about leaving. You know my mom and dad don’t have the best history and I just don’t want to upset her by going and seeing him for six weeks. And everything is going so well with Steve that I don’t want to disrupt that by not being here. And you know…I’ll miss my family,” you offered with a shrug of your shoulders, settling him with a pointed look to let him know you were including him. “I don’t want you guys to forget about me, because I’ll be missing all of you every moment I’m at my dad’s.”

Billy sighed before reaching out and tapping his fingers against your arm, as if making sure you were paying attention to his words. “Okay, first, your mom will be fine. She’s the one who told you to go visit your dad, because she knows you two need more bonding time or whatever. Second, I’m not going to forget about you. I’ll be waiting for you to get back so you can make more of this pie, because let’s face it, yours is the best in town,” he said before he pointedly took another bite of pie. “And finally, your boyfriend is going to be pathetic and pining every minute you’re gone, but I’ll be keeping an eye on Harrington to make sure he doesn’t take your absence as an opportunity to step out on you.”

“I trust Steve,” you quickly assured Billy. “He wouldn’t cheat on me.”

Billy shot you a skeptical look as he used his fork to scrape up some of the apple pie filling that had escaped the crust. “As much as I have my doubts, Harrington is still a guy. But don’t worry, if he so much as looks at another girl, I’ll teach him a lesson.”

You rolled your eyes before you nudged your foot against Billy’s under the table. Billy had proven to be the brother you never knew you wanted since he moved in. Once he was away from his father and shown what a parent’s love could be like thanks to your mom, he had become less of an asshole. He took a job lifeguarding for the summer, but you knew he already planned on starting up at Lucky Joe’s Auto Shop in September. He was even going to take some courses at a community college, because he claimed he wanted to see if college was really worth all the fuss.

The thing you were most proud of Billy for, though, was the fact that he had been slowly working on fixing his relationship with Max. Every month, Billy took Max for a meal at Benny’s. He let her get whatever she wanted and then they would go see a movie together. He never really told you what they talked about, but every time he came home after spending time with her, he seemed a little less tense and a bit more settled.

Max had seemed unsure of Billy at first, but now she seemed like she understood him a bit more. They weren’t close to having the kind of relationship you had with Billy, but you thought they might get there one day.

“Billy?”

“What?” Billy glanced up at you, halfway through the last bite of pie, an almost guilty expression on his face.

“Thanks,” you told him, offering him a warm smile. “For being there for me. For working on my car and helping my mom bring groceries in and holding the fort down while I’m gone. You are family. You know that, right?”

Billy rolled his eyes, but when a fond smile worked its way onto his face, you knew he was aware of how important he was to you.

“Alright,” Billy sighed before he stood up. “You should get to bed. Your car is less of a piece of shit since I looked at it, but that won’t mean anything if you’re too sleep deprived to drive.”

“Yeah, yeah,” you groaned, taking a moment to bump your shoulder against Billy’s, before placing your plate in the sink.

You managed to get a few hours of sleep before you left for your dad’s house the next morning. Steve had managed to drop by before you had to leave so he could give you a goodbye kiss.

Even though he tried his best to get you to stay a little bit longer, you reluctantly pulled away from him, and got into your car. Steve held his hand up in a wave, an adorable pout on his face as he watched you back out of the driveway. You offered him a wave in return before you drove away, doing your best not to look at Steve in the rearview mirror, since you knew it would make it even harder to leave him.

By the time you got to your dad’s house, you were exhausted. You called your mom to let her know you got there safely and spent a little time catching up with your dad before you climbed into bed and fall asleep.

The first week at your dad’s was rough. You were so homesick that you could hardly stand it. You spent more time talking to your mom on the phone than you did when you were actually home. You could only imagine how hard it was for her to not have you around, but you were glad Billy was there for her. Your mom had gladly taken to parenting Billy once she realized he sorely needed a good parental figure in his life. Billy always huffed and rolled his eyes when she gave him a curfew or made him eat his vegetables, but you knew he secretly loved that your mom genuinely cared about him.

Billy called you a couple of times to report on the slim pickings he found at the pool. He claimed he thought being a lifeguard would mean he was constantly surrounded by babes all summer, but he said it was a lot of yelling at kids to stop running and making sure no one drowned. He also took joy in telling you how dorky Steve looked in his Scoops Ahoy uniform, which according to Billy, meant that no sane girl in town would ever want to look twice at Steve.

Steve kept his promise to call every night and you were glad to hear that his job at Scoops was going well, even though his coworker Robin seemed to hate him. You thought you remembered Robin from school and you wished you could see the two of them working together, since you were sure she gave Steve shit at every possible opportunity.

As weeks passed, you started getting used to being around your dad again. You had never quite forgiven him for leaving your mom, but he had offered to help you pay for college, and you were in no position to turn down that kind of money. It was awkward and stiff between you two at first, but you soon fell into an easier camaraderie.

You were glad you were getting to bond with your dad, but you were looking forward to the other half of your summer. You planned on spending all of your free time with Steve, Billy, and your mom, since you would start college in the fall. You had gotten into a really good school that wasn’t too far from home, so while you would still see them, you knew you wouldn’t have a lot of time to spend with them once you started classes.

As June started to give way to July, you noticed that you stopped hearing from Billy. It was a little worrying, but you assumed that Billy was just busy and would get to you when he was able to. Your mom told you he had gone out for a date one night, but she hadn’t seen him since. Hopefully, he had just fallen for some girl and was spending time at her place. You were sure he would come home at some point, so you weren’t too worried, since you knew he really respected your mom and wouldn’t want her to assume the worst.

What did worry you was when you didn’t hear from Steve. He had called you every night like he promised, and while you weren’t upset over one missed night, you were concerned when three nights passed without a word from Steve.

You called his house, but no one ever answered. It wasn’t surprising that his parents weren’t home, but you couldn’t help but fear that Steve had managed to find someone else while you were gone. Maybe Billy found out and a fight had ensued between the two. Maybe they were both avoiding you because Billy didn’t want to be the one to break the news and Steve was ashamed.

Sure, it was the worst-case scenario, but you didn’t know what else to think. Billy wasn’t home and Steve wasn’t home and your mom was just as confused as you felt. There was a twisting feeling in your gut that told you something was wrong, but you couldn’t do much about it when you weren’t even home to try to fix anything.

Was Steve avoiding you? Was Billy in trouble? You didn’t know, but all of the unknowns were starting to drive you crazy.

You were planning on driving back up to Hawkins after July 4th if you didn’t hear from either one of them by then. Your dad had seemed to understand that you were cutting your visit short, but he still insisted that you stay for his Independence Day celebration.

Even though your dad went all out with fireworks and barbecue and three different kinds of pie, the worry that had been steadily eating at you for days made it hard to enjoy.

The next morning, your car was half-packed and you were having breakfast with your dad, when the phone rang. You didn’t really think anything of it until your dad answered the phone and then handed it over to you.

“Hello?” You had expected it to be your mom telling you to just stay for the rest of your visit, but you were surprised when you heard Steve’s voice.

“Y/N?”

You knew just from the way Steve said your name that something was wrong. He sounded upset, but like he was trying to cover it. You thought maybe he was calling to break up with you or to tell you he had been fired from Scoops or that he had been in an accident. You had prepared yourself for several terrible scenarios, but you suddenly felt like you would do just about anything to delay what Steve was about to tell you.

“Y/N, I think you should come home,” he said, a waver in his voice.

“What? What’s going on, Steve? What’s wrong?”

“It’s Billy…” Steve trailed off, a nervous edge to his tone.

You thought Steve was going to tell you that Billy was in trouble or jail or the hospital. You weren’t prepared at all for the next words out of Steve’s mouth.

“He’s dead.”

Author's Note: Don't hate me! I swear this has a happy ending. If you would like to be added to the taglist, please let me know.

boys like you taglist: @mochminnie @hollandinq @artsymaddie @lolychu @daddystevee @unded-bride @chloe-skywalker @witchcraftandwit @live-at-the-rainbow @carisi-sonny @xroselights @chouetteschaussettes @alexloveskili (if you would no longer like to be on the taglist, please let me know!)

#steve harrington x reader #steve harrington #stranger things #steve harrington imagine #stranger things imagine #reader insert #steve harrington x you #billy hargrove #reader #reach out and touch faith fic #my fic

[hqprotectionsquad]

𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔, 𝒊'𝒍𝒍 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆 - 𝒃𝒐𝒌𝒖𝒕𝒐 𝒌𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖

⤷ 𝒉𝒆'𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒆𝒇𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕. ⤷ 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒋𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒚 𝒛𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒓'𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔, 𝒊'𝒍𝒍 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆 ⤷ 𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒊𝒄 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕

word count: 1541

college!reader x pro volleyball player!bokuto

“Hey, what are you doing tonight?” You aren’t a stranger to Koutarou’s unexpected phone calls. For anyone else, you’ll put them on silent, but for your best friend? He’s got his own ringtone. 

That self-indulgent weirdo set it to his own voice saying “hey, hey, hey,” as if he doesn’t hear himself yell that enough when he’s in his volleyball matches.

You shift the phone from one ear to another, as you fold clean laundry. “Nothing, why?”

“I’ll come over,” his hopeful voice resounds.

“You go to school an hour away by train. You know you’re crazy, right?” You say this, but you already know he’s on his way to the station to buy his ticket.

“Crazy for you, yeah.” No matter what, your cheeks will always flare up whenever he says some cheesy line that goes straight for the arteries. It’s like he’s trying to stop your heart or something like that.

“Shut up,” you pause to laugh. “I’ll see you later.”

You set your phone off to the side and continue folding the clothes that lie on your bed. He’s been the same since high school. His ear is attached to his phone. Had he not been training to become a professional volleyball player, you were sure that he’d love the opportunity to be a broadcaster or really anything that would suit his overflowing charisma. He uses that charisma to get the crowd on its feet at volleyball games, but outside of the court, he’s constantly calling other people. It’s weird because, in a time where people prefer digital words over voices from a distance, Koutarou is steadfast.

You don’t usually pick up your phone, and he knows that. Most of the time, you’re studying for an upcoming exam, even if it’s a week and a half in the future. Koutarou seems like he’s got too much time on his hands even though he’s taking a full course load of classes. Whenever you’re heard on the other end, he takes it as a win. You’re a train ride away, two hours of commuting in total, but you’re worth it, says Bokuto.

There’s a nagging sensation in your head, knowing he must be only talking to you because Akaashi has plans with whomever tonight, as he says he does on Fridays. (Even that seems a bit far-fetched, but you know that he is working his way to becoming a butterfly since college has begun.) He must be doing this for pity, considering your lack of response most of the time. Well, is it really your fault that you’re prioritizing your education?

You’re thankful for him though. Without him, you don’t really know who else would check up on you.

Soon enough, he’s texting you to buzz him into the building and you meet him by the door, grinning when you see that owl face on the other side of the glass.

“I told you to just buzz me in! There’s no need for you to come down!” He exclaims when you open the door for him, shifting so he can get inside.

“Kind of looks like you need help, what’s this all for?” You eye the paper and plastic bags he holds in the crook of his arms and the handles of some between his fingers. You can’t even properly give him a hug because of all of the bags. You reach for the ones in his arms and he takes a step back with a laugh.

“Just things for you, and since they are for you, there is no need for you to help me out.”

By the time you're fiddling for your keys in your pocket in front of your dorm room, Bokuto is itching to reveal what he's bright for you. He keeps fidgeting when you wiggle the key into the slot and finally, you get it.

“What are you so excited to show me, ‘Tarou?”

He dumps the contents of each bag on top of your bed with the largest smile. Piles of junk food form stiff peaks and you can't help but to laugh. “Is that ice cream?”

“Yeah, I kind of forgot about that,” he mentions as he scratches his head. “It should still be okay.” He opens the fridge as if it’s his own and stashes the two pints to freeze. “We’re having a movie night!”

“Aw, Bo,” you slip your arms around his waist to settle into a hug and look up at him, “thank you.”

Bokuto grins, but he soon covers his mouth with his hand. His cheeks are beginning to flood with color and gosh, that's embarrassing right now. “Don't thank me yet, we haven't started the movie.”

“You know, are you even allowed to eat any of these things? They've got, like, a thousand calories and preservatives.” You're undeterred when Bokuto lets go first to reach for a plastic-wrapped melon pan.

“Well, what they don't know doesn't hurt them!”

“It’ll hurt your body when you have practice,” you wonder out loud and Bokuto shushes you, with a finger perpendicular to his lips.

“No need to say anything like that.” Bokuto’s not planning to eat the whole convenience store, but he’d be lying if he wasn't going to eat part of it. Still with the melon pan in one hand, he opens one of the bags of chips, sighing with delight once he pops one of the chips into his mouth. He hardly gets the chance to indulge, but for you, he guesses he’ll have to make an exception. Just for you, of course.

He’s on your bed, shoving snacks to one side so you both can sit on the other. After digging through your closet, you throw a blanket into his face and you can hear the mumbles of his gratitude. “Sorry.” 

“Sure you were sorry.” Bokuto sticks a tongue out as he stretches the fabric across his body and waves you over. “Hurry up, (Y/N). I brought us Big Hero Six.”

“Again?” You slide in real close, just like you always do. “You know that you cry every time Tadashi dies—”

“(Y/N), you always have to spoil it!”

“We’ve watched it together at least four times. God knows how many times you’ve watched it in total.” Your eyes roll along with your statement. “Okay, start it up.”

Bokuto hits a button on the remote that begins unveiling the opening credits. It’s an incredibly small screen, and you’re sure Bokuto has a larger TV at his own house, but he loves being with you at your dorm. He says it’s something that reminds him of a separate life he could’ve had. He’s already living the Disney life that anyone wishes for — a place on a volleyball team in one of the top leagues of Japan, something he’s wanted since he was born — yet he yearns for a life everyone has. He wants a regular college experience, but to him, college will be a piece of paper declaring his knowledge on a subject. It won't mean much when he's on the court. You bet his only reason for being in college is to use the gym, even though he trains with his professional team as well.

You meld into one body, your arms hang on his torso and your head on his shoulder. His arm snakes around your shoulders and squeezes you tight to him. Is it weird that you do this with your best friend? It’s never not been like this.

“Bo, can I talk to you?”

“But Hiro’s about to go to San Fransokyo Institute of Technology with Tadashi.” He pouts when he looks down at you. He presses the pause button and turns to you, taking your hand in his. “Alright, alright. What’s wrong, (Y/N)?”

“Why do you assume something’s wrong?”

“Well, it doesn’t have to be wrong. I’m just guessing! By your tone of voice.” There’s a smile on his face that is so bright. You can’t help but to feel happy when you see him.

“Koutarou, why do you bother to hang out with me and text me, when I barely do the same thing?” You leave your hand in his grasp, wondering what would happen if you placed it back into your lap.

“You know you’re one of my best friends, right?” Bokuto chuckles. “I go through the bothering because I care too much to let you go. You’re one of my favorite people, I don’t care if you won’t speak to me on your own. I’ll keep trying for the both of us.” He plants a kiss on your forehead.

“Thank you, Bo. I’ll try harder.”

“You don’t have to, not if you don’t want to. But the idea of you trying warms my heart.” He lets go of your hand to clutch at his chest dramatically. A hand sails to his shoulder. “Hey, what did you have to hit me for?” He yelps.

“Shut up, let’s watch the movie.” And you can’t help but to grin with a happy sigh as you settle back into Bokuto’s embrace. This is a moment you’ll remember forever and you’ll keep on wishing on the stars for Bokuto. He deserves all the wishes because he shines brighter than the stars themselves.

#haikyuu #haikyuu!! #haikyuuwritersnet #haikyuu fanfiction #haikyuu writing #haikyuu one shot #haikyuu bokuto #bokuto koutarou #bokuto #bokuto one shot #bokuto x reader #fukurodani x reader #bokuto kotaro #haikyuu song fic #haikyuu writer #haikyuu oneshot #fukurodani

[kdlovehg]

From the angsty-ish prompt you just shared: Everlark “It’s all YOUR fault!” “Don’t fucking touch me.” Can't wait to read your little brain concoction, I just know it's gonna be amazing! :D xx

I’m terribly sorry for not answering this sooner, considering it was sent ages ago. I hopped on Tumblr a few days ago and noticed this lil prompt chilling in my inbox and I’m in retail now so I thought I’d put the two together. Please ignore the misspelling of the F word, I don’t swear so I just prefer to write it this way. Hopefully, anyone who sees this enjoys it, and again, I’m always open to new prompts.

///////////////////////

Katniss pov

“Don’t fcking touch me” I growl, as his body looms over me, his arm nearly whacking me in the face.

“Well maybe if you’d finished the returns yesterday we wouldn’t be in this mess”. With a click, he hangs an orange dress on the rail in front of me.

I squat down and begin rifling through baskets for any more tops.

The plastic boxes scrape as he drags them across the floor behind me.

“Quit making so much noise!”.

“It’s all your fault!”.

“What did I do?.

"Look at this mess Katniss”, he snaps. I glance over my shoulder to see him tossing cotton pads and shoes out of one of the boxes. Hats and baby socks go flying, and stained pajama trousers litter the floor.

“As if that helped” I reply snarkily.

“How complicated is it,” he says, scrubbing his hands through his blonde waves. He turns around to look at me. “This was all organized when I left. There are tags on all of this junk, how hard is it to put it in the right box”.

“That doesn’t matter”.

“To you! I’m the on putting up with Effie when she’s telling me off cause she keeps finding swimsuits in the winter department”.

“Oh please”, I roll my eyes and get back to digging. “Effie loves you”.

“Take some responsibility Katniss, I can’t bail you out all the time”.

I drag three t-shirts from beneath some damaged makeup and I attempt to brush the brown stains off of them. Do people really think we can’t tell that they’ve bought something and worn it for weeks before returning it. You’d think if they’d try to scam the system they’d at least chuck the clothes in a bucket of water. I lift the shirts to my nose and gag. They reek of sweat. I toss them over the railing, into a box at the back of the fitting room. I’ll get Gale to reduce them later, surely some fool will buy them.

Peeta starts humming behind me and I’m bumped forwards as he squeezes past me.

I jump to my feet. This space is too confined for two people let alone the six rails of returns, dozens of boxes, and four or so baskets that have been haphazardly left spilling onto the shop floor.

I throw my arm out to stop him as he tries to go past me.

“That’s meant to be folded,” I say nodding towards the dad jeans in his hands.

“No”, he reaches into a bin of hangers and retrieves one. “Jeans are supposed to be hung”.

“Give it to me”.

“No”.

I reach for the denim as he lifts his arm up, his green employee shirt stretching thin to accommodate for the movement. He’s not that much taller than me and I could easily grab the leg of the trousers but I know he enjoys these childish stunts.

“See you’re the one wasting time now”.

“A please wouldn’t hurt” he grumbles.

I go to grab the jeans and he leans backward, holding them out of reach, causing me to retreat. No way do I want to be near him. I glance at my watch. 11 am. Has it only been an hour? I have three more till my first break. This is why I don’t do double shifts, I somehow always managed to get lumbered with the goody-two-shoes who seems to take up all the space with his muscular build alone. Why couldn’t they have put me with Rue. The petite little thing who always did what was asked and scuttered around like a mouse, so she was never in your way.

“Look at the sticker,” I say gesturing to the one stuck on the right leg of the jeans.

“It’ll crease” he pouts. I hide my half-smile at proving him wrong. He’s never liked not getting his way. It’s just a shame I’ve always enjoyed it.

“Fold it”.

He drops his arm and begins doing as I ask. “I have a name y'know”.

“Not like that” I interrupt, trying to grab it, “No, you’re doing it wrong! Fold it in half”.

“I’ll fold you in half”, he grumbles shoving past me. Clearly, he’s still upset that I avoid using his name as much as I can but what does he expect. I’m not here to make friends, and the less I have to talk to a six-month retail newbie the better.

I squeeze into a small room adjacent to the fitting room and begin stacking some of the boxes so that they’re ready for being dragged back to the correct department. After a few minutes, a voice calls from the shop floor. I peak outside my room and see his head pop up from behind one of the rails.

“Do you wanna help me put some of this back?” he says quietly, gesturing to the rail that loaded with returned bras and teddies. Of course, he wants help with the women’s lingerie. Twenty-six departments and that’s the one he chooses. I ignore the warmth in my cheeks and struggle to get over to him.

“Only so I don’t have to stay late with you again”. I grab a handful of the underwear.

“Aww but we had so much fun last time” he teases sarcastically, bumping into me again. I almost snap at him to quit touching me but I know that’s what he wants. He just enjoys getting a rise out of me, since I’d been the one to start this nonsense his first week here.

“I’ll start with the…”, he starts looking through the hanged lingerie and then he glances at the one’s in my hands, “non-wired bra’s, Katniss you can start with the push-up bra’s. I’m sure we’d both appreciate that” he teases, with a wink. I avoid his gaze and bite my tongue as he swipes two items from my hands, a bunch from the rail, and sets off.

The nerve of some people.

The nerve of him.

Stupid Mellark.

As the hour goes by we trek back and forth, sorting the underwear by size and colors, everyday use and special occasions. Each time he passes me he tells a few lines from a story, something that happened to him years ago. At first, I found it annoying, not only that he talked but that he’d tease you with a few lines and then leave only to do it time and time again but as the minutes passed I began to look forward to the words that’d spill from his mouth. Sure, he could just shout it. The store isn’t that busy since its a Monday morning; the children are at school, and the men are sleeping after working most of the night, and he’s only a few rails over most of the time but I let him play his game and tell myself that it’s only so I can hear the end of the story.

By the time half twelve has rolled around, he’s finished his anecdote, and we’re on the last few items for this department. My cheeks hurt from hiding my smile and I eagerly wait for the fool to start a new story. I’m sure he’s got a ton up his sleeve and he’s just waiting for the right time to voice them. I glance around at the silence, confused as to why he’s stopped speaking.

“Well say something” I implore, searching for any hint of his head. I return to the fitting room and peak behind each of the rails before returning to the shop floor. Where did he go? There’s no mess of the floor indicating that he’s found another task to do and I would’ve seen him if he’d returned for more clothes. I stalk around, confused. Having someone leave isn’t that uncommon, considering we’re constantly understaffed but having been around Peeta for so long I’ve grown accustomed to his heavier footsteps.

I startle as a hand lands heavily on my shoulder. I whip around, flinching as my braid smacks me in the face. “Where’d you go?” I ask breathlessly. How did he sneak up on me? I need to pay more attention.

“I found a bag behind some of the nightwear. It looked like someone forgot their shopping and it had some er, adult toys from one of the other stores. I figured I’d deal with it so you didn’t have to”.

“You’re not supposed to be in nightwear”, I scowl, “You’re supposed to be with me”. It’s only after I’ve said it that I realize how that sounds. I’d meant that since we’re both on returns we should be sticking together but I know that I’ve just given him another thing to make fun of me for.

I ignore the odd warm feeling that settles in my stomach when he grins at me. “Aww you scared of losing me Katniss?”.

I stay silent, embarrassed at my poor choice of wording. I’ve never been good at saying what I think.

“It’s okay”, he says gently as he steps back. I almost sigh in relief, grateful that I don’t have him so close to me. Not that I didn’t enjoy it. It’s just, distracting.

“I’m not going anywhere”.

I evade his eyes and nod in silence. What a fool I must look like.

A voice breaks out over the intercom and I recognize it as Haymitch, one of the more lackadaisical security guards. “Staff announcement”, he grumbles “Peeta to childrenswear, ya got some clothes to fold”. With a crackle, it switches off and I hear Peeta chuckle. He stretches and I avoid looking at how the material clings to him.

“Good timing hey, you get your quiet at last” he teases, as he heads towards the stairs. “Give me a call if you need anything alright Katniss”, he pauses and it’s only then that I realize he’s waiting for my response. I nod and murmur a “yeah” but he’s so far away I know he doesn’t hear me.

He stalls for a moment longer and gives me another smile before turning the corner and ascending the stairs to the second floor.

I stand still, the smile no longer on my face as I realize I got what I’d asked for. Now I’ve got a pile of work and the next six hours - including my break - likely on my own. No stories, no-one interfering with my space.

Just what I’d wanted, and yet, for some strange reason I just… I miss him. And I hate being so alone.

#my fics #prompt response #ahh i'm sorry its late #and i don't have a name for it but yknow #everlark #feel feel to request any prompts #retail!everlark

[winchester90210]

The BH 90210 Rewrite. 1x13: Slumber Party

Rewrite Masterlist

Read the previous chapter here!

Chapter Summary: Junk food is had, secrets are exposed, and flings are revealed...

Warnings: mentions of sex, swearing, one minor make out scene.

Word count: 2,900

My work is not to be reposted and/or edited without my expressed written consent. (Reblogging is fine and encouraged!!)

The flashback is in italics.

Feedback is incredibly appreciated! :)

A/N: This is one of my favorite episodes! Hope you guys enjoy it! Sorry about the scheduling issue, next week should go as planned. Feedback on this chapter would be wonderful! :)

-

"Are you sure this thing isn't a slumber party?" Kelly criticizes. You open your locker as your friends begin to bicker on both sides of you. Something akin to petty surround sound.

"I told you! It's a night of female bonding-- a chance for us to get together and talk about what's important," Brenda explains.

"But we're doing it in our PJs," Donna interjects.

"Well, that would make sense unless you prefer to sleep in your clothes," You say, "Bren, I think it's a great idea. It could be fun!"

<!-- more -->

"Can we invite some guys to come over later? I mean, after we've talked and bonded and everything?" Kelly asks.

"Kelly, I thought what we wanted was an evening to ourselves where we don't have to think about guys, talk about guys, or worry about what we look like 'cause some guy is around. Isn't that what we said?" She nods, rolling her eyes. "So what's the problem?"

"Nothing!" She leans against the lockers, "Actually... there is one thing. I kinda made plans with this other friend of mine, Amanda Pacer. You don't know her, she's a senior, but we have been friends forever."

"So bring her," you suggest, taking out your history book and shutting your locker.

"Well... I know this may sound stupid, but I don't want her to think this is a slumber party... It's not a slumber party, right?"

-

"Brenda! Kelly, Y/N, and Donna are here to bond with you!" Brandon shouts up the stairs, laden in his all-white Peach Pit uniform. He looked so cute, this "no guy" rule was pointless. Especially when the said guys looked like that. "Hey Y/N/N," he kisses you softly, pulling you closer to him.

"Hey," you mumble. He gives you a hard, dizzying, coffee-flavored kiss as he slowly backs into the front door. You hum against him happily, "I'll pay you to stay, I'm serious. Cold hard cash." He grins, slipping his warm hands under the sides of your jacket, holding onto your hips gently.

"As much as I'd like to, I promised Nat I'd pick up this shift."

"Tell him you have other business to attend to. Like getting me out of this slumber party. Nat'll understand," you plead jokingly. One more soft, sweet kiss and he lets go of you. "Brandon..." he smiles at you adoringly and turns towards the other two girls waiting in the foyer, pretending that they weren't just watching everything you two were doing.

"Have fun, ladies," he swings the front door open and leaves as quickly as possible, knowing that if he stayed any longer you'd actually end up convincing him to stay. As one Walsh exits, another enters as Brenda comes down the stairs wearing a long, plaid nightshirt. But before she's even fully down the stairs, Kelly starts to complain.

"Brenda, this is really weird."

"Kelly, we are going to have fun! Where's Amanda?"

"Oh, she's coming later," She fidgets awkwardly, "She uh, wanted to bring her own car in case..."

"Something better came along," Donna interjects.

"I think this might be a little too down-home for her."

"Kelly, we're not going on hayrides," you cut in.

-

"Okay, we have chocolate ice cream,vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, and whipped cream!" Brenda announces as you pour the doritos into a bowl. It's a scramble of hands and junk food as you all grab what you want.

"Do you have any other cookies?" Kelly asks.

"Yeah! I think they're in the cupboard," Brenda nods.

"Oh, I love cookies smushed in ice cream!" Andrea beams, "it's the best."

"You ever put popcorn in ice cream?" Donna wonders. The group groans in disgust. "Hey, it's really good!" You hop on the counter next to where Donna is and grab a chip

"Well, there's microwave popcorn in a bowl over there, knock yourself out," Brenda giggles, handing you your bowl of chocolate ice cream.

"Thanks," you smile, "Hey, Amanda, what do you want? Vanilla or chocolate?" You glance over to Kelly's friend as you help the girls put together their sundaes, and she's sitting alone at the kitchen table with her arms crossed, pouting.

"Nothing for me, thanks."

"Oh, come on, Amanda. You're gonna make us all look like pigs!" Kelly exclaims.

"You said it, I didn't," Amanda ostracizes. The room goes radio silent, but instead of bumming out the room, Brenda starts snorting like a pig at her while the rest of you laugh and pick up your junk food.

-

"Donna, that is so gross!" Kelly laughs, watching as her best friend shows vanilla ice cream and popcorn into her mouth all in one spoon. Your cheeks already hurt from laughing, but you couldn't stop smiling.

"I know, but I like it! I don't know why, but I do, okay?"

"This is something you can never do with guys," Kelly smirks, piling on the whipped cream to her sundae.

"What?" Andrea asks.

"Pig out!" The five of you giggle as Brenda turns to Amanda, who's once again decided to remove herself from the group.

"Do you eat on dates, Amanda?"

"Never. But I always order something expensive," her voice is sharp, and she's slumped back in the white chair in the far corner of the room.

"Why?"

"To let them know I'm worth it," she shrugs.

"I knew it was over for me and Steve when I started pigging out everytime we went out to eat," she scoffs.

"He never took you out to eat, Kelly," Donna giggles, and then everyone, (excluding Ms. Grump Pants, of course) bursts out in laughter.

-

"I am in... sugar shock." Brenda sighs, resting her head on your shoulder as you lean back onto the couch, smushed up against the other girls.

"I feel like I just gained ten pounds," Andrea groans.

"So, what do you guys want to do now?" Kelly ponders.

"Ooh, lets rent Pretty Woman!" Donna suggests.

"Donna, you've seen that movie 300 times," Kelly snickers.

"It's dependable. You know, sometimes I think about running away and becoming a hooker on Hollywood boulevard," she puts her fist up to her heart, fawning, "just so I can meet Richard Gere."

"There's only one problem... you're not Julia Roberts."

"Look, we're not going to rent a movie... or become prostitutes," you tease Donna, "The whole point of this was so we could talk. Andrea, go get your Ouija board."

-

You settle back down onto the couch after coming very close to crapping your pants because of what you thought was the Ouija board... which just ended up being David Silver sneaking creepy pictures of you guys through the window. You breathe deeply as your heart rate settles down. Amanda checks her watch and scoffs.

"It's after midnight."

"What, do frat boys turn into pumpkins?" Brenda bites sarcastically.

"No, they turn into drunken slobs." You sure made my night," she complains.

"Amanda, you didn't have to come!" Kelly barks.

"What? And miss all the fun? The party games?" She laughs sardonically, "I don't want to leave anymore. Everyone's ruined my night," she takes off her beige coat and throws it on the chair. "It's my turn to ruin their's. Okay everyone. I've got a game if you're up for it. Skeletons in the closet. Everyone sits in a circle, and the person in the middle has to answer all their questions as honestly as possible. The kind of question is up to you, whatever you feel like asking. Of course, the better the question, the better the game."

-

"Go ahead. Ask me anything," Andrea smiles nervously.

"Why does everybody call you 'Awwwndrea?'" Amanda starts.

"Excuse me?"

"What are you, British? I mean... Awwwwndrea?" Amanda guffaws.

"That is pretty pretentious," Kelly adds.

"Kelly," you warn her.

"It's pronounced both ways. But An-dree-uh is a little boring and common. I like to be different."

"Good answer," you smile.

"So, am I through?"

Amanda studies her carefully, "No. Not yet... have you ever slept with a guy before?" What the hell was wrong with this girl?

"That's... a little personal. But uh... no. No, I have never slept with a guy before. Yet."

"Well, if you could sleep with any guy in school, who would it be?"

Andrea chuckles anxiously, looking down at the ground. "Come on, you guys. I can't answer that..."

"Yeah, you can. You can trust us, Andrea... well," you glance at Amanda, "most of us, at least."

"Uh... I don't know. I guess... I guess uh..."

"Brandon?" Kelly cuts in.

"What?" You glare at Kelly.

"No." Andrea answers, "No. Not Brandon. No... it would have to be Hans Fleischman. He is this incredibly gorgeous lifeguard who pulled me out of the water when I was stung by a jellyfish at Zuma beach last summer." You adjust in your seat uncomfortably while the Kelly snickers in disbelief at Andrea. "Hey, what is this? Brandon is just a friend."

"Wait-- wait a second. Is this the same Brandon that's all over her everyday?" Amanda laughs out, "Sweetie... get a life. You like him. Everybody already knows." You sure didn't. "And he likes her." You don't even dare to look up from your thumbs. What the hell were you supposed to do in this situation? Sure, you encouraged her to answer it but you didn't think it would be Brandon. You would feel weird comforting her, but you still feel weird just sitting there and letting her get harrassed.

"Okay... okay. So it-- it is Brandon." Her eyes well up as she stutters through her words. The room is silent for a moment before you hop to your feet.

"Well, this has been a blast," you huff, "I'm gonna go get a soda. Anyone else have plans to seduce my boyfriend? Kelly? Donna? Hey, how about you, Amanda?"

-

After Kelly's turn, to which she described her traumatic first sexual experience, and Brenda's where she describes how she betrayed her best friend back in Minneapolis... you were really starting to hate this game.

"Come on, Donna, you've gotta have some secrets," Kelly encourages.

"I don't! I tell you guys everything!"

"If you could go out with any guy in school, who would it be?!" Brenda asks. Let me guess, Brandon?

"Greg Houseman. You know that, she never stops talking about him," Kelly sighs.

"What is the most dishonest thing you've ever done?" You ask, curling your legs up to your chest. She pauses to think for a moment.

"Nothing..."

"Didn't anybody in your family go insane or something? Anything?"

"No... we're all really normal," she shrugs. The thing was, she's right. You've been to her house. Her mother is great, her dad's really nice, her house is perfect... she was completely normal.

"You know what your problem is, Donna?" Amanda prompts, "Your life is totally boring. Anyone who can't dredge up one secret about themselves is either lying or a total zero."

"That is not true," you snap.

"Why, what are you hiding, Y/N/N?"

"Nothing, Amanda."

"Oh, really? That's not what I hear... or what I've seen."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Get in the circle," she smirks, this time deviously. Dangerously. You follow her orders, moving from the floor to the chair.

"What's your favorite movie?" Brenda asks.

"Rebel without a Cause."

"What's your favorite color?"

"Baby pink," you watch Amanda out of the corner of your eye, getting more and more frustrated at the boring questions.

"Oh, come on! You guys are such a drag!" She leans forward, smirking, "What's going on with you and Dylan McKay?" You look at her confused.

"He's dating her," you gesture towards Brenda, "Not me." Amanda shakes her head immediately, as if she knew you were going to say that.

"Do I need to dumb it down for you, sweetheart? What happened at the Bel Age a few months ago, y'know, when you jumped him?"

"What?" Brenda says quietly, her voice breaking. She looks at you as tears start to brim her eyes.

"Bren, wait a second--"

"Did you sleep with my boyfriend?" Your jaw goes agape and you laugh sourly in shock.

"You really think I'd sleep with Dylan?!" A pit of guilt was forming in your stomach as you tensed up.

"I don't know what to think, Y/N! All I know is you two spend an awful lot of time together alone and now I'm hearing that you pounced on him!" she snaps. Oh my god. You couldn't believe this was happening.

"That's not what happened, Bren!"

"Fine!" She scoffs bitterly, "what happened, then?"

"So, I was at the Bel Age a few months ago, Brandon had just gotten the job at the Peach Pit..."

-

"I don't wanna go home yet," you told him. The Porsche rumbled as Dylan warmed it up. He raised an eyebrow at you as he leaned back.

"Where do you want to go?"

"Anywhere you want to take me." Those would be words you would later come to regret. Asking a hot guy with a leather jacket and a Porsche to have his way with you? Bold move. Dumb move, too. He could've taken you anywhere. Baja, the abandoned elementary school, anywhere. But where did he take you? The Bel Age hotel.

When you walked in he popped the radio on and you sat down as a Gloria Estefan song played quietly throughout the hotel room. Dylan was over at the wet bar, pouring himself a glass of scotch. Looking back, it was the only time you'd ever seen him drink something in moderation.

"You drink?" He asked, looking back at you.

"I could start," you shrug. And that was the first of many bad decisions you'd make in that hotel room. He grabs a second pint glass, but you weren't paying much attention to him as he clanked around, trying to pour you something that wouldn't make you gag.

He hands you the concoction and sits down beside you, his legs against yours. A little closer than normal, but you didn't think anything of it. Fidgeting anxiously, you began to drink whatever it was he gave you. It was new, being alone with him like that. Sure, you could hang out with him in groups but... just you and him? You tilted the glass back, letting the smooth and surprisingly digestible liquor flow down your throat until there was nothing left in your glass. This stuff was supposed kill anxiety, right? He eyes you up. Peculiarly, but not critically.

"Thirsty?"

"Yeah, you could say that." He would continue to fill your glass, and his own, for that matter, all night. He'd put on his Road House VHS tape somewhere in the middle. And you were watching it. You really were. But as the movie went on longer, you got closer. A fairly innocent movie night (the first of many) turned into a night full of regrets.

His hand was on your leg right before the first kiss happened, thumb drawing dizzying little circles on your thigh as he watched the movie. You're sure if you showed any signs of discomfort he would've stopped-- that fact gave you peace in the moment. But the last thing you wanted him to do was stop. So he didn't. And neither did you. It wasn't until later, when his lips were trailing down your jaw, hands pushing your dress up, and his own white t-shirt was somewhere on the floor next to you. That's when it came to a crashing halt. Removing his lips from your neck, he sighed.

"What is it?" You asked. The air between you two was intense, sensitive. One move and he'd be back on top of you, starting the cycle all over again.

"What about Minnesota?" He slides you off of his lap in one swift motion, but his hand was lingering on your hip.

"What about Brandon?"

"Come on, you've seen how he is around you. I don't want to get in the way of that, mess anything up."

"You're not messing anything up. If Brandon was interested he would've made a move already."

Cut to you, current day, girlfriend of the mentioned boy, "Hah... whoops."

"But either way... this is a bad idea, isn't it?" You sheepishly picked up the shirt from the floor and handed it back to him. "So," you cleared your throat, "Friends?"

"Yeah," he chuckled, fiddling with the shirt in his hand. The energy in the room was different then, awkward. Laughable. But friendly.

"And that was it," you finish, "We're friends. Kissing him now would be no different than kissing Donna or Kelly."

"You wouldn't have kissed him if you didn't like him!"

"I do like him. As a friend," you plead, "Bren, I've been supporting you guys since day one, I would never do something to hurt you." You search her eyes for something. A little bit of waivering, forgiveness, pity. Anything at this point. Stupid Amanda and her stupid skeleton game. Brenda avoids your gaze for a moment.

"And nothing's happened since then?" She chokes out. You see her shoulders rise and fall as she takes in a shaky breath.

"Nothing's happened since then."

She lets out a deep sigh, almost out of relief, but tears are still threatening to spill from her eyes "Okay... I guess I understand." As she says that, it's like every muscle in your body lets go of the stress it had been holding for the past few weeks. You really hate secrets.

"Uh, Bren... I have a confession to make," Kelly pipes up from the side of the room, "After you started going out with Dylan I tried to get a date with him." Oh shit.

-

-

-

-

Taglist: @be-patient-be-good @mpmarypoppins @bevelyhills90210 @blueoz @harleylilo88 @princess-ghost-alien @hueycat2004 @l4life @keepcalm-and-beyou

#gif is mine #brandon walsh x reader #beverly hills 90210 #bh90210 #90210 #brandon walsh #brenda walsh #shannen doherty #dylan mckay #dylan mckay x reader #beverly hills 90210 x reader #beverly hills 90210 imagine #slumber party #fanfic #jason priestley #tori spelling #jennie garth #kelly taylor #donna martin #junk food #90s aesthetic #90s #1990

[bullseyegames]

"Jellicle OC Prompt"- Item: Glue, Color: Purple (can't wait to see what you come up with!)

Oh I’ve actually had an idea for this based off of an article I read! If thou does not enjoy angst directed at a kitten, then thou should not look further. >:3

Her name is Tootsie. She is a white Turkish Angora with small grey marks running down her back. She has pale green/grey eyes and is still very much a kitten.

She was born a stray, though some cats debate this fact. While her mother and father had no official owner, they did live in the kitchen of a local bakery with the owner’s knowledge. Tootsie wasn’t truly sure how her mother felt about the baker, but tootsie adored him as he would constantly bake small sweets for her and her 3 siblings. Tootsie quickly grew a powerful sweet tooth which was shown to all with her first name.

Her mother and father wanted their children to learn the ways of the world and would let them wander about to explore the city. On one of these journeys Tootsie met her destiny in the form of a red and black kitten pacing outside of a junkyard. When Electra met Tootsie, she quietly confided in her fellow kitten about feelings of lonliness. “Everyone in the tribe ignores me and tells me to stay out of the way whenever the ball draws near... I just wish someone would pay attention to me.”. Tootsie looked at the young queen and grabbed a few small treats she kept on her person at all times and offered them to the her with a sweet smile. Thus began the fateful friendship.

Tootsie went to see Electra as often as she could, bringing different sweets with her every time. They would happily run around outside of the yards boundaries and occasional scamper into nearby alleyways to play in the junk piled inside. Eventually Alonzo discovered the kittens, but at Electras pleading agreed not to tell her parents as long as they played inside the junkyard. So the kittens played near the fence, happily enjoying the company of someone not of their own family. Playing near the fence had advantages, there were bigger junk piles, more obstacles to climb, and easy access to the exit for Tootsie. There were some problems though: they couldn’t hang out with other kittens, Alonzo had to go off his normal route to check on them, and, something no cat considered, they could be watched from the outside. And watched they were...

A pair of eyes followed a small white kitten as she happily tromped through a small alleyway to see her friend. In her mouth she carried a small kerchief of peanut butter cookies for her waiting companion. She passed through the alley, carefully avoiding a glue trap laid out to catch unsuspecting rats. Just as she was about to turn the corner she felt a pair of clawed paws latch onto her. Immediately she screamed and fought, clawing at her attacker as her mother had always taught her. She actually managed to knock the large dark Tom in the eye, filling her with hope of escape. Then she felt another set of paws, then another, and then a sharp pain in her cheek as someone hit her in the jaw. She mewed in pain as her chin was lifted to stare into the yellow eyes of a wild orange cat. He smiled a twisted smile at her, “to think the jellicles would allow their offspring to play with such little rats. Well... I suppose it is my duty as a staple of the community to get rid of such pests.”.

With a flick of his claw he released the small kitten and signaled his three henchcats. At first Tootsie just lay limp in stunned silence, but that silence turned to screaming as she felt three sets of paws press her left side down against the glue trap. It burned, the extremely strong glue sticking her skin and fur together, pulling and burning more as she struggled. Eventually the henchcats stepped back, grimacing at their work for but a moment before scampering off after their leader. The small queen frantically cried for help as the glue slowly filled in every crack between her fur and skin. She laid still as she felt the burning in her side slowly growing. She quietly pleaded in a voice hourse from screaming “Electra... help me.”.

Electra was growing worried. Tootsie hadn’t shown up to play yesterday and despite Alonzo’s insistence that she was probably just busy, Electra knew something was wrong. Today she sat at the gate quietly buzzing with an unknown tension as she found herself staring off at the alleyways where her and her friend once played. Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong. She felt Alonzo’s paw touch her shoulder and a reassuring remark begin to leave his lips. The moment he touched her it was like a fire was lit, suddenly Electra found herself sprinting towards an alleyway with fear burning in her mind. She could hear Alonzo frantically calling and chasing after her but she didn’t care, something was wrong. She turned the corner into the alleyway and let out a terrified cry. As Alonzo turned the corner he saw a horrific sight. The small white kitten was laying on her side, mewing in pain, her small form stuck to the firm sheet of paper below her. Blood trickled down her jaw, and a small handkerchief of peanut butter cookies lay scattered on the ground.

Alonzo reacted quickly, examining the kitten and carefully picking her up as he avoided becoming stuck himself. The small queen mewed in pain and he felt his heart sink. Electra followed after him frantically as he raced the kitten back into the he center of the yard and shrunk under the looks of horror and confusion from the other jellicles. Jenny and Jelly quickly took the small queen away as Electra hastily began to explain everything that had happened to Munkustrap with Alonzos help. Electra was shaking and found herself sandwiched in a cuddle pile of several other kittens as they tried to console the mortified kitten.

Jenny and Jelly emerged about an hour later with news. While they had managed to remove the paper, the damage done to the young queens fur and skin required treatment they couldn’t provide. Nodding quietly, Munkustrap quickly retrieved a blanket walking into the overturned bathtub nursery and walked out with the small queen in his arms. The nurse queens hadn’t been lying. Tootsies fur along her left side, or at least the fur that was still there, was matted with dried glue. The skin beneath was red and irritated, unable to be bandaged due to the sticky consistency of the fur above. Electra quietly approached and bid her best friend a quiet goodbye and gave a prayer for luck as Munk raced out of the yard.

Munk spent a small amount of time scouting out potential homes for jellicles. He also had a few emergency houses he knew he could leave an injured cat at and they would be cared for. He ran to one of those houses now, one of a young couple who had recently gotten married. He placed the young queen on the doorstep with a guilty look on his face as he yowled loudly for attention. As he heard the humans approaching the door her quickly fled, turning back once with deep remorse before fleeing home.

The young couple quickly took the young queen to a vet, allowing her to be properly treated. Tootsie was confused and afraid, but she quickly grew dependent on the warmth that came from snuggling with her new humans. The human male was an avid knitter and, in order to protect Tootsie’s damaged skin, knitted her a handful of small sweater to cover her recovering body. Tootsie grew to love these sweaters, her favorite was a lovely purple one that brought out her eyes wonderfully. Tootsie was also quickly given a lovely white collar to signify her new home.

It was a few months before she could manage to leave the home. She gathered up a small parcel of treats before beginning her march. She had visited her family a few times already, the bakery not being very far from her new home, but she had never made the full trek back to where it all began. She adjusted the neck of her purple sweater befor she paused at the mouth of the fateful alley. She felt a shiver snake up her spine before she turned and placed her eyes on the yard. She snuck through the fence, slipped passed the junk piles, and found herself standing on the edge of the clearing. Assorted jellicles were moving about, but she was only interested in the one sitting with some of the elder queens quietly. The two made eye contact and for a moment there was silence, then tears, and then the soft thump of knitting needles and a parcel of cat treats hitting the ground. They ran to each other and quietly embraced, holding each other so tightly that it hurt Tootsies’ recovering skin.

But she didn’t care about that anymore. Because after so many months, she had her friend again. Thats all that really mattered.

#cats the musical #jellicle oc #jellicle oc challenge #Tootsie #angst #ANGST ALERT #Electra #Alonzo #Munkustrap #jennyanydots #jellylorum #Im not sorry #;-; #OC

[citrinekay]

Prompt, for later: Bill and Holden are together for quite some time and keep it secret. One day Bill gets an invitation to a wedding with his +1, but he can't bring Holden so he throws it out. Holden finds it and tries to convince Bill to go alone, but Bill is adamant. Later he confesses to Wendy he wishes he could marry Holden. She describes marriage as a financial contract, BUT is secretly a romantic, so she tells him that even if marriage is impossible, he can propose and make his vows.

Ok I am taking a brief break from my long fic because I have not stopped thinking about this prompt since I got it. The gay yearning in this … i can’t 😭 Thank you, and here you go 💕: 

The invitation comes on crisp, eggshell white stationary with watercolor lilacs and gold calligraphy lettering. It’s addressed to Bill, but at the bottom in the delicate, cursive lettering, it suggests he bring a plus one when RSVPing to help the two celebrate a day of “love that’s meant to be.” 

He finds it between his water bill and a piece of junk mail, and almost immediately throws it in the garbage. It’s not that he doesn’t want to attend his old pal’s wedding. He knew the guy way back in the day when the BSU was first founded. Though they haven’t kept up over the years, Bill knows what kind of person he is - and who else will be at the wedding. A whole lot of FBI good ol’ boys, relics of the Hoover system, the principled type who would have undoubtedly thrown a fit if they knew Holden took “fellatio” and “cunnilingus” off the list of deviant terminology. Guys who would take one look at Bill bringing Holden as his plus one, and draw all kinds of conclusions - every single one of them correct. 

The invitation sails into the garbage can on top of a paper plate spattered with day old ketchup. 

Later that evening, Holden comes over with carry-out from the burger joint down the road, and a case of beer. Once they’ve gorged themselves on burgers and fries and shared two beers, Holden is snuggled up in his arms, half falling asleep while the television plays The Godfather. 

The wedding theme is following him, Bill thinks. Maybe it’s the universe trying to tell him something. 

He glances down at Holden’s flushed cheek nestled against his chest, his dark eyelashes shielding Bill from a glimpse of his pretty blue eyes. His hair is a tousled mess from Bill running his fingers through it, and the puckered swell of his lower lip has the same affect on him that always does: a deep, magnetic urge to kiss Holden senseless. 

Bill glances back at the television screen, trying to focus his attention back on the film. He’s been through love and marriage, buying a house together, having a kid, all the normal things that are expected - or rather readily accessible - to a heterosexual couple. It’s confetti, icing on a cake when the batter would have been satisfying enough. He doesn’t need all that. What they have between them, secretly is good enough even if Bill can never take Holden as his plus one to a wedding, or walk down the aisle towards him in their own celebration of love meant to be. 

He’s usually pretty good at giving himself a pep talk and moving on. This time, it doesn’t stick. He can’t bury his feelings, but he should have at least burned the invitation. 

A few days later, they’re getting ready for work in the morning. Bill is standing over the kitchen counter drinking his coffee and reading the newspaper while Holden uses the blender to mix a smoothie. As the whir of the blender dies down, Holden turns to Bill with a curious gaze. 

“Is everything okay with you?” 

“What?” Bill asks, looking up from the paper. “Yeah. Why?”

“You’ve been quiet the past few days.” 

“I have?” 

“Yes.” Holden says, pouring out his smoothie into a glass. He takes a sip, leaving a milky line on his upper. 

“You’ve got some …” Bill mutters, leaning over to kiss the smoothie off Holden’s mouth. 

Holden leans into him, sighing into the kiss. He chuckles as he pulls his mouth away. “Hey, don’t change the subject.” 

“I’m not.” 

“You are.” Holden objects, freeing himself from Bill’s embrace.

“Holden, I’m fine. Really. I’m just tired.”

Holden stares him down for a moment before spinning around, and marching over to the side table where Bill keeps his bills in order. He pulls a slip of paper from the bottom of the stack, and holds it up. 

“It doesn’t have anything to do with this?” 

Bill recognizes the ketchup-stained wedding invitation almost immediately. He sputters in disbelief for a moment before scraping together a defensive retort. “First of all, you’re going through my trash?” 

“It was sitting right on top.” Holden says, “Isn’t Jim a really old friend of yours?”

“Yes.” Bill says, tersely. 

“Then why are you throwing out his wedding invitation?”

Bill presses his fingertips to the bridge of his nose, trying to quell his frustration. “Because.” 

“Because why?” Holden presses, “Because it says plus one on here?”

Bill opens his eyes, casting Holden a narrowed gaze. Holden stares back at him with an expectant look, waiting for an explanation. 

“Look, I’m probably not going to be able to attend anyway.” Bill says, “We’re out of town half of the time, and the other half we’re way too busy to be-”

“It’s on a Saturday.” 

“I know, but it’s all the way in Newark and-”

“You could make time.” 

Bill turns back to his newspaper, swallowing down a hot drink of coffee. It burns the back of his throat where an agitated knot is beginning to form. 

“I don’t know why you fucking care.” He says, “Jim is my friend, and if I don’t want to go then that’s my business.” 

Holden sighs, sounding a little wounded. “Fine. But I wouldn’t be upset if you went alone. I understand how it would look.” 

“It isn’t that.” Bill says, sharply. “I don’t care what those people think of me.”

“Yes, you do.” Holden says, softly. “Every time you touch me you’re breaking the law.” 

Bill looks up from the mass of little, black letters printed uniformly across the newspaper. His chest stings against the raw truth of what Holden is saying. The law is against them in every way, and they’re flirting with danger every time they so much as hold hands under the table in a restaurant. And to think, Bill had indulged himself in dreaming of Holden in a white chapel, his hair combed back and gleaming in the light, his chest sprouting with wedding day flowers. 

“I’m sorry.” Holden says, “That was …”

“No, you’re right.” Bill says, “Come here.”

Holden lays the invitation down, and shuffles across the kitchen to Bill’s outstretched arm. Bill curls his arm around Holden’s neck, drawing him close to his chest. 

Pressing a kiss to Holden’s temple, he whispers, “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“I would tell the world that if I could.”

Holden nods against his chest, his voice meek and muffled, “I know.” 

After a few silent moments, they slowly break away from one another to continue getting ready for work. Conversation is stifled as they kiss as the front door, and go their separate ways to their cars. 

Bill doesn’t see much of Holden for the rest of the day. They’re slammed with requests from police precincts, both of them up to their ears in piles of crime scene photos and profiles. 

Bill thinks that it might be best to create some distance. The exchange this morning felt like some kind of argument that they don’t know how to resolve, not a fundamental issue with one another but rather with their situation. It’s not a riddle to solve or a behavior to analyze. There’s no understanding the way he feels about Holden, no moral resolution he can slot them into to convince himself that it’s okay. It just is. The way the sky is blue and the grass is green, he wants Holden in every way possible, only he can’t have it. It seems like a design flaw in the universe. They shouldn’t be mad with each other, but who else is there to be angry with for giving them this beautiful thing that’s constantly under threat of extinction? 

At the end of the day, Holden pokes his head into Bill’s office. 

“I’m about to leave for the day.” He says, “You coming?”

“I’m going to finish this up.” Bill says, motioning to the profile in front of him. 

Holden’s mouth purses in a line meant to hide his disappointment, but it shines clearly through his eyes. “Okay. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“Yeah.” 

“Okay.” Holden says, his gaze dropping towards the floor. “Bye.” 

He turns to leave, and almost runs into Wendy who is on her way into Bill’s office. They exchange muttered goodbyes before Wendy slips past him into the office. 

“I was just bringing you the application list.” She says, setting the folder on his desk. “You can look at it tomorrow.” 

“Thanks.” Bill mutters, barely looking up from his notebook where his notes are scattered in nearly illegible chicken scratch. 

Wendy pauses across the desk from him, her hands clasped in front of her. 

“Was there something else?” He asks, taking his reading glasses off to meet her gaze. 

“Is Holden okay?” She asks, her gaze reserved yet calculated. 

“As far as I know.” 

“He looked upset just now.” 

Bill leans back in his chair, and lets out a sigh. He hesitates to tell Wendy their personal business, but she’s about the only person he trusts to unload on. 

“Yeah, we um … we had a … I don’t know what you’d call it - disagreement - this morning.” 

“Ah.” Wendy says, “Do you want to talk about it?” 

Bill glances away. He instinctively reaches for his cigarettes to soothe his nerves. 

Wendy closes the door of the office, and comes back to take the chair across from him. She crosses her legs, and folds her hands patiently in her lap. 

“An old buddy of mine is getting married.” Bill says, focusing on the tip of his cigarette catching flame. “I got the invitation the other day.”

“Okay.” Wendy says, slowly. 

“I threw it away.” Bill says, taking drag of his cigarette, and tilting his head back to exhale smoke towards the ceiling. “Holden found it in the trash.”

Wendy’s head tilts to one side as she quietly analyzes this information. 

Bill sighs, and shakes his head. “I don’t know. I thought I didn’t want to go because it said on the invitation that I should bring a plus one, and I know I can’t take Holden to that kind of thing. But, then he said something to me that …”

“What’s that?” Wendy asks, softly. 

Bill stares at the singed tip of his cigarette, feeling the lump returning. He clears his throat against it, and pushes on, “Every time I touch him, I’m breaking the law.”

Wendy is quiet for a moment, absorbing the remark. “Is that how you feel?” 

Bill glances up at her, a frown knitting his brow. “What do you mean?”

“Does it feel criminal?” She asks, “When you touch him.” 

“No.” Bill whispers, “It feels … right. And, I suppose I didn’t realize it until he said it that the reason I didn’t want to go is because I don’t want to watch someone else get a second chance at marrying the love of their life when I don’t.” 

“Your friend is remarrying?”

“Yeah.” Bill says, scoffing. “A third time, actually. I know for a fact he cheated on his ex-wife. So I guess it feels a little wrong that he gets to marry whoever the fuck he feels like, and I-”

He glances away, rubbing a hand over his mouth. Saying it aloud makes the truth of it burn worse, right down into his chest like acid. 

“It is unfair.” Wendy says, “Heterosexual men and women get to abuse the constitution of marriage with impunity while you and I are left with the only thing we have - our privacy, a thing we must protect with our lives. At times, it feels like a struggle just to survive, and that very few people will ever understand what we experience every day.” 

“So, what you’re saying is I shouldn’t isolate myself from Holden?” Bill asks, scoffing past the lump in his throat. “You’re probably right. I should apologize.”

“Yes, I’m saying that. But I’m saying something else, too.” Wendy says, smiling gently. “I’m saying that homosexuality has existed for centuries. It’s older than modern religion, and it’s much, much older than our government and their laws. Marriage, in the traditional sense, is a gathering and a celebration of two people who love each other very much. It isn’t defined by a courthouse or a piece of paper.” 

Bill meets Wendy’s gaze, a smile tugging at his mouth. “I hadn’t thought of it that way.”

“I had a lot of gay friends in Boston.” Wendy says, “They had marriage ceremonies all the time. Proposals, rings, vows, all of it. Perhaps it wasn’t valid in the eyes of the law, but that isn’t what mattered. It wasn’t a legal contract to them. It was a display of commitment and loyalty to someone they loved very much.” 

“Wow.” Bill says, “That’s incredible.” 

Wendy nods, and rises to her feet. “It’s not beyond your reach. Think about it.” 

“I will. Thanks.” 

She smiles, softly. “Have a good night, Bill.” 

“You too.” 

She slips out of the office, leaving him alone with his thoughts. Her words settle in slowly, past his frustrations at the injustices of the world. The clamor dies down, his emotions boiling down to one thing, one certainty - he loves Holden, and he wants to spend the rest of his life with him. Beyond that, the rest is melting away, inconsequential details, a few obstacles but none that he can’t hurdle. 

Bill jumps up from his chair, leaving his cigarette half-smoked in the ashtray. The jewelry shop will be closing soon.

#bill x holden #mindhunter #my writing #purplebeetle

[saltandburn-ilovesamwinchester]

What Are Friends For?

Friday night had been an exhausting night. You, the boys, and your very best friend, Charlie, had been on a hunt for two days. The drive had been well over four hours away and as much as you loved Baby, her seats didn't always do the trick. As soon as Dean pulled into the bunker's garage, him and Sammy both helped you and a sleeping Charlie out of the back.

•○●

Feeling the comfort of the blankets you were snuggled into only made you sink deeper into your bed. As you opened your eyes, they wondered to the night stand to your right. The little alarm clock only read nine thirty. Smiling to yourself, you decided to turn back over to meet your best friend.

Dean, you thought, he must have been the one to carry Charlie in because there she was, a few inches from you. She was sprawled on her stomach with her gorgeous red locks falling in her face. Giggling a little, you searched for your phone in the darkness of the room. Finally finding it, you swiped it open and pulled the camera up. "She's going to kill me," you whispered to yourself.

You watched a few more seconds to make sure your sneaky actions hadn't waken her. With a little click from your phone, you smiled after the picture came back. Closing the phone, you put it beside you and moved your arm to shake her. “Wake up, sleepyhead,” you yelled as her body jerked to life. After taking control of her surroundings she leaned over and punched you in the arm.

"Ouch, so painful," you mock, causing her to stick out her tongue and laugh.

Charlie sat up and yawned dramatically. "What time is it anyway?" Sitting against your headboard, she turned to look at you.

"Nine thirty, you old woman," you sang with a smile.

The next few minutes were spent arguing about why she was so old and who saved who. Laughing it off with your last comment," Oh, and I suppose ganking the vamp with that nasty mullet that damn near ended you counts for not." You didn't realize once she got up she had her pillow in her hands. Before dodging the soft fluffy thing it hit right upside your head.

As you caught the pillow before it hit your lap, she questioned,"What should we do today? If I'm going to be awake I don't want to be bored to."

"Wanna watch a movie," you squealed and raised an eyebrow at her. "I just bought three new movies and I'm dieing to watch them.

...

*hours later*

From one movie to the next, you and your best friend piled up on the couch in the library with a lot of caffeine and junk food. It was every few minutes that even Sam would walk in and out of the room to steal portions of candy. "Well, one brother is down for the count," you laughed as Sammy yawned and walked to his room.

"Yeah, I wonder when the second one will walk in," Charlie winked at you as she threw popcorn at you.

You were never open about the whole "friends should know every secret policy," but it was Charlie. And she had to know every secret. You had a huge crush on the older Winchester, and whenever he was around you found yourself stuttering, and I'll be damned if you weren't tripping over your own two feet.

"Actually, he should be coming in any minute, and you better not say a word," you mocked as you readjusted your sitting position.

"Okay, Y/N," Charlie sighed dramatically, "Since I can't have any fun, what's next on the movie menu?"

The words were on the tip of your tongue and you heard the door handle jingle. "Looks like your man's here," Charlie squealed.

"Hello ladies," Dean called to the two of you on the couch. "An' just what do we have going on here today," he gestured to you and Charlie who had your feet propped on the coffee table and blankets strung off the couch arms.

"Well," Charlie chimed in,"Y/N, here was just about to pop in another movie. Would you like to join us?"

From the look on Dean's face, you couldn’t tell what he was about to say, so his next line and complement was a shock to you. "Hmmm.. two lovely ladies, movies, and food. I think I should stick around," he teased.

"So, Y/N, what will it be? Tombstone? Halloween? Dirty Dancing," Charlie questioned. "Oh you still have not put on those you mentioned this morning."

Laughing at the eager redhead on the couch, you turned to the TV, "We shall see, Charles. We shall see."

When the tv flashed through all of the commercials for other movies, the main menu floated on the screen. "Fifty Shades? Really, Y/N," Dean and Charlie questioned in unison, but with very different tones. Charlie looked utterly DISGUSTED, and Dean however looked oddly... impressed?

"Put it in sweetheart," Dean's voice dripping like honey. "But I'll have you know it's nothing. I can make your precious Christian look like a blushing virgin," he told you staring directly into your eyes, tauntingly.

"But it's about a guy AND a girl," Charlie protested. This actually got a laugh out of you and it wasn't pushed. With your secrets, you knew one of Charlies, which she didn't try to hide.

"Just picture Christian as you hon, you'll be fine. I know you have and awesome imagination, miss larping queen," you told her. She gave you a mild bitch face but didn't object further.

"And Dean," you slowly turned to look at him, "Don't think for one second I won't take you up on that offer," you winked at him.

"I'm pressing play now," you called over your shoulder. Running back to the couch you sat between Dean and Charlie. Leaning back, you were careful not to be too close to Dean when he wrapped his arm around your shoulders. You sent a nervous smile in his direction and he answered to your nervous look, "See, I don't bite. Unless you want me to."

...

It wasn't fifteen minutes into the movie and Charlie announced she was leaving for home. Walking her to the door you whispered, "What the hell are you doing? I can't stay up with him," You nodded towards the couch. "Don't make me do this alone," you whined.

"Oh, you'll be fine. This is your chance. Bye, Y/N, and with a wink and sly smile she was out the door.

Turning from the empty door frame your breath caught when a smiling Dean was in your way. "Exactly what did Charlie mean, this is your chance, Y/N," he asked batting his lashes at you.

"Oh, you heard that?" You laughed and played with your hands, not looking at him.

"Come on, Y/N. I know you like me! Just say it already," he licked his lips. Pulling you from your daze, he lifted your chin with the tip of his finger.

His eyes you thought. No, don't screw this up now, you scolded yourself. Tell him! Shit! He's leaning in!

♤♡◇♧

Well, guys! It's been too long, and here you go! I've had this thing sitting in my Drafts for so long and now... This fic honestly wouldn't have been made without @imperiusimpala !! Babe you have the perfect brain! We hope yall enjoy!! 😙❤💋

@waywardbaby @leatherandapplepies @ain-t-bovvered @idreamofplaid @plaid-lover-bay25 @oldfreakything @maddiepants @sammyimpala-67 @the-magic-rabbit-99 @waywardnerd67 @tumbler-tidbits

[echoes-of-the-clockwork]

Falcon of Detroit (DBH Connor Fanfiction) Chapter Ten

~Phoebe's POV~

Connor turned his full attention to me and I awaited to see what all he knew about me. "You graduated two years ahead of your class in college due to excellent performance and grades at Penn State. After graduation, you moved to Detroit. At the age of twenty-two, you became the youngest detective in all of Michigan. A few months after your instatement with the DPD, you solved your first case and placed one of Detroit's most dangerous serial killers in jail—Benjamin Atkins, or well-known as the Woodward Corridor Killer."

(Benjamin Atkins is a real serial killer from Detroit. He died in 1997, but let's just say he's alive and in jail in 2038.)

After the arrest, you and the Lieutenant became partners and you both have worked together since."

"You sound like a walking Wikipedia," I commented out of the blue.

"I did my research before CyberLife assigned me to be your partner and the Lieutenant's," Connor confesses. His neutral expression suddenly changed serious. "I'm... sorry about your parents, Phoebe."

"Don't be. They were killed when I was in high school."

"What happened?" Hank asked.

"Well, my parents were coming home and crossing one of the bridges in Pittsburgh. A drunk driver hit them and their car went over the side of the bridge. They didn't make it out of the car and drowned."

"Now I know why you never told me..." Hank sorrowfully sighs. "I'm sorry for asking.”

"Don't worry about it. That was twelve years ago."

Suddenly, Connor's LED changes to yellow. "I just got a report of a suspected deviant or rogue. It's a few blocks away. We should go have a look."

"You better eat faster, Hank, or we're leaving you behind," I tease.

"Just give me a few minutes and then we'll go," Hank said, taking a huge bite out of his hamburger and then another.

"Don't choke yourself!" I scolded.

He waved me off, taking another bite and washing it down with a swig of soda. I shook my head in disbelief and followed Connor to the car.

-A Few Minutes Later-

Just as Hank promised, he finished his burger in record time and drove us to an apartment building that appeared to be in poor condition. We rode the elevator to our destination and stepped off. When Connor wasn't following us, Hank and I exchanged confused glances. "Hey, Connor!" The man bellows, his eyes falling back on him. The android opened his eyes, meeting our muddled expressions. "You ran outta batteries or what?"

"I was making a report to CyberLife."

"Uh, well, do you plan on staying in the elevator?"

"No! I'm coming."

The android exited the elevator and walked beside me as we meandered down the dusty, dirty hallway. Hank led the way, questioning who our target was. "What do we know about this guy?"

"Not much. Just that a neighbor reported that he heard strange noises coming from this floor."

"Who the hell would live in this dump?" I scoffed, staring at the junk that littered the hallway.

"Nobody's supposed to be living here, but the neighbor said he saw a man hiding a LED under his cap," Connor answered.

Hank groaned. "Oh, Christ. If we have to investigate every time someone hears a strange noise, we're gonna need more cops."

I nodded in agreement. "Preach."

We reached the door at the end of the hallway and Hank leaned against the wall beside it. "Hey, were you really makin' a report back there in the elevator? Just by closing your eyes?”

"Correct," the android responds, positioning himself in front of the door.

"Shit. Wish I could do that."

"I'm more of a 'write-down-everything' kinda girl," I commented.

"What about essays?" Hank inquired.

"Hell yeah! I'm more creative with a pencil in my hand than typing on a keyboard."

"So that's why you still write your reports by hand."

Connor knocked on the door, ending our conversation. "Anybody home?" The machine knocked louder and harder. "Open up! Detroit Police!"

Hank laid a hand against his concealed pistol as we heard the sound of scuffling from the other side of the door. "You both stay behind me."

"Got it," Connor and I answered in unison.

The Lieutenant drew his pistol and kicked the door in. It flew open, the strong stench of fecal matter slapping us in the face. I winced at the horrid stench as the three of us entered the apartment. Hank holstered his pistol with a growl. "What the fuck is this?!" The entire apartment, minus the small rooms, were swarmed with pigeons. The birds were pecking at the floorboards and I assumed it was food they were eating. "Jesus, this place stinks..."

"Thanks for the info, Captain Obvious," I playfully saluted the man.

The three of us searched the apartment. Connor and Hank checked the living room and kitchen while I searched the small bedroom. With no clues, I wandered to the living room and heard Hank complaining. "Uh, looks like we came for nothin'. Our man's gone."

"Not possible. The only exit is the front door. The windows are either partially boarded up or entirely blocked off. Our man is hiding and I bet he can hear us," I stated.

Connor suddenly tore a poster off the wall and revealed a notebook. He flipped through the pages before closing the leather-bounded object. Hank peered at the android when he saw the item in his hand. "Found something?"

"I don't know. It looks like a notebook, but it's... indecipherable."

"May I see it?" I ask. Connor hands the notebook over and I flip through the pages. The symbols inside seemed to resemble large mazes with no signs of an entrance or exit. It was the same image I saw painted in the bedroom. Turning the page, I found a symbol that seemed familiar.

It resembled a key and I remembered where I had seen it before. I pulled out my phone, catching Hank and Connor's curiosity. "Phee, what are you looking up?"

"The newspaper from a few months ago when the first rogue appeared. This symbol..." I showed them the page while my eyes were scanning my search results. "I saw it in the picture that went with the article." I finally found what I was searching for and showed them. "The rogue used the blood from his victim to create it. Then, it was killed by police just after it finished drawing this symbol."

"It's possible the symbol is linked to Amadeus," Connor concludes.

"That's exactly what I was thinking, but... the symbol has only appeared in the first rogue case. The number of corrupted androids has increased since this incident, but this symbol has only appeared once."

"Is it possible we're dealing with a rogue?" Hank inquired.

I shook my head. "No. If we were, the android wouldn't be hiding right now. Rogues love confrontation and bloodshed. Deviants, on the other hand, are the complete opposite."

"I will check the bathroom," Connor announces, walking into said room.

Hank and I remained in the pigeon infested living room/kitchen area, both of us spotting the box of bird seed on the counter. I picked up the empty box and saw the logo of the store from where the android had purchased the feed. "Definitely a deviant. Rogues wouldn't go through the trouble of buying anything. And no human would welcome this many pigeons in a small apartment."

"Not surprised it was an android. No human could live with all these fuckin' pigeons," Hank stated.

Connor returned from the bathroom and told us he found a LED on the sink and the same maze-like drawings on the wall along with ra9 written over two thousand times.

"We found nothing new out here, except for a small pile of books on the shelves beside the closet. Sadly, none of them hold crucial information," I informed the android.

"Real books... I thought Phee and I were the last people in Detroit to keep some. Electronic books, you can't... smell the paper, see the pages turning yellow." Hank fell silent when Connor didn't react to his words. The man found his voice again and sighed. "You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?"

"Hardly doubt Connor would have an idea. He's only been in working condition for a few months and hasn't really explored the old ways. The only reason I still have physical copies is because I love the feel of turning each page. You can't get that same satisfaction with all this digital shit. And, you don't have to worry about charging a book or it not working."

"Ain't that the truth," Hank smiled.

Connor's eyes suddenly narrowed as he approached a hole in the ceiling. There was no light, making it difficult to see inside the cranny. As he was directly under the hole, the android we've been searching for tackles Connor and makes a quick escape, stirring up the pigeons as he dashed out of the apartment. "Connor, go after him! We'll be fine!" I shouted over the obnoxious sound of wings flapping.

The machine nodded and snappily took chase. Hank and I exited the apartment after the horde of pigeons had settled. I glanced down the hall, eyes glued to the decrepit wall. "I know what you're thinking, Phee," Hank said.

"We'll try to cut the deviant off and help Connor catch him."

"How're we supposed to know where the hell those two are?"

"Random selection. Let's go!"

"Hey! Don't push yourself! You've already torn your stitches once!"

"I'll be fine! We've got a deviant to catch!"

The two of us ran through the streets. We caught small glimpses of Connor and the deviant as they ran across the rooftops. Hank and I decided to ascend one building and saw the deviant coming straight towards us. The man quickly pushed me aside as the machine grabbed him and pushed Hank over the ledge of the building. The Lieutenant grabbed the ledge before he could fall to the ground below. "Hank!"

Just then, Connor arrived and assisted Hank before I could react. As I saw the deviant getting away, I quickly chased after him. A few seconds later, I heard the Lieutenant shout at the RK800. "Connor, stop Phoebe before she hurts herself again!"

I didn't stop running even after hearing Connor and Hank shout for me to stop. Ignoring their worried calls completely, I chase the deviant across more rooftops. When we reached a giant gap between two buildings, the machine jumped and reached the other building perfectly. Seeing as I wasn't as agile or tough as normal androids, I took a deep breath and backed up to get a better running start. I didn't make it far before I was tackled to the ground, arms wrapped around my body protectively.

Desperate to free myself and catch up to the deviant, I tried to pry the person off of me. I recognized the tie, but I still squirmed in Connor's grasp. "Connor, let me go! He's getting away!"

"That deviant isn't more important than your life, Phoebe!" His LED flashed yellow as his hold tightened on me.

"He knew about the key symbol! We could've had another lead on Amadeus!" I shouted, grasping his jacket tightly. The fabric crinkled under my death grip as my eyes were glued in the direction the android had disappeared.

Connor's body loomed over mine as he unwrapped his arms from my waist. His hands gripped mine tightly and I knew he wouldn't let go until I had calmed down. "We will find and apprehend Amadeus. I promise, Phoebe."

I inhaled deeply to calm myself down and turned my gaze to Connor. His brown eyes met my blue ones and I saw emotions I've never seen him express. Concern and joy were mixed in his eyes, showing the worry he had for me and the happiness of learning I was alright. I sigh heavily, closing my eyes for a few seconds before opening them again. "I'm sorry, Connor. I shouldn't have chased after him. I was just so... desperate to know what he knew about that key symbol."

"You do not need to apologize. I understand you wish to capture Amadeus as soon as possible, but you cannot risk your life."

I smiled. "Thank you, Connor."

#detroit become human #dbh #dbh connor #connor x oc #hank anderson #dbh spoilers

[pirinzaraza]

A story I went to a temple in Kyoto to experience Zen training, which was affected by alcohol poisoning

That was around June of the age of 21, so it was about four and a half years ago.

I wonder why I want to write this now because the situation is a bit similar.

I was bonny in the room.

I didn't have much interest in colleges where the retirement was decided because the credits for the second semester were not enough in the previous year, and I didn't particularly want to do any work I could do after leaving college.

I still can't explain to myself what I used to go to school until I borrowed scholarships, worked part-time, and paid for living. The use of more than 2.5 million debts was not what I wanted, but was violently devoted to the forms that parents wanted for presentation.

How many hours should I spend less than 1,000 yen per hour to earn 2.5 million yen?

There was only an enormous amount of time in front of me, and the emotional and emotional areas in my brain had died due to daily accumulation since childhood.

I think it's no longer human beings who have lived for years in a world of cognition where everything turns gray.

But I'm not a human, I just want to know the happiness of the world that humans feel. He piled up something he couldn't do.

The criteria for choosing a job were `` how can I avoid being hurt by others '', so the conditions for tilting the needle in the negative direction but leaning in the positive direction were very limited .

I was struggling to live without such a fun thing, and as a result, it seemed to me that there was little that I could do to make my creature look like a person.

Lack of self-confidence weights the air and keeps me from getting up.

No matter what I did, it wasn't really fun. I drank a lot more alcohol than I did now, but it wasn't even fun. By drowning in the alcohol in front of him, he seemed to be drinking just for the moment. I was grateful for the memories that were flying. I wanted to die after drinking alcohol or losing myself in my sleep dream.

Everyday life should have been stimulating, but it was a kind of episode-like stimulus that wouldn't be hard to write, and it wouldn't make sense if I didn't find it fun.

In those days, I started to visit the spiritual sites that were exploding at the time. Looking at a simple spiritual site called "I wish it would come true," I was trying to be reassured.

However, in a situation where he was having trouble with his life, he only wanted to turn around his favorite person in the first place. Apparently my essence was really just wanting others to affirm.

I felt fuzzy and stupid in the list of narcissistic sentences that never became a line.

For example, is there anything more than a moment of pleasure when you wish to "mote" and is it really happy and satisfying if you could go to amusement parks and aquariums with your favorite look? Even if I am forcibly affirmed, there is a person who affirms myself now, and I can only find myself there again, but I do not like myself or the other person.

Then I thought it would be better than a fundamental solution, imitating the ancestors ... I decided to go to Shujiji Shugyo.

When I looked into it, I found that there was a temple that could go with a sense of conscientiousness and travel as a reasonably close distance of 4 days and 3 nights with 10,000 yen meal, and the schedule of the day of temple training on the homepage Looking at it, I thought, "It may be a trigger to correct this corrupted life rhythm."

Even so, if you look a bit further, it's Kyoto in 20 minutes by train.

The trip was hot anyway. I remember astonishing that it was such a different thing just by moving a little, as it was a green scenery that would appear in Totoro when I left the city with a go board by train.

I got off at a station with a rural feeling like a private house, and suddenly came up on a light mountain road while drinking something like a smoothie to see why my aesthetic sense worked before training.

There were four other people who trained on the same schedule, and I basically wanted them to act together.

I thought that the temple shrine was only a stagnant person who was stuck in life, so the twin tailed flashy woman beside me said, "I can not eat bouillon in my meal ..." He said, "I can't do zazen because my legs will hurt. Can you prepare a chair?" I was shocked.

Well, the old lady was quite a stranger, so she would have been shocked

I was led to the room with my luggage, but there were some Western-style cottages in the back of the temple, and there were two bunk beds and a mirror stand in the cottage, like a camping study Was.

I was sharing a room with a Canadian girl who came the day before.

Even though I say Tera Shugyo, there was plenty of free time in the afternoon, and it was good to have a cottage for books, fill up the sleep for getting up early, chat with fellow practitioners, and use it as I like.

Eventually, zazen began around the evening. With your legs crossed, it was about 15 minutes x 3 sets in a familiar pose, raised your sutra in a dark room and just concentrated on breathing.

The smell of incense, the voice of someone reading aloud the sutras, and the dimness of the room were comfortable, and I felt about 1000 times more secure than a sticker on a bag that flows on a belt conveyor at a factory.

But as a mass of anguish, I was thinking only about the people I liked at the time, and I couldn't concentrate on breathing if I couldn't lose a millimeter.

I just thought of my favorite person while feeling comfortable.

But it was fun after a long time.

I talked to two young boys who came to the temple on the same day during the break time between zazen and meals, and found that the posture of zazen was close to the rabbit and that Masaki Sugata was in front of him He said that he was very embarrassed because he started eating while rolling over his feet during zazen.

Is there a more unusual person than a dull one gathering at Tera Shugyo?

Both of them were refreshing older brothers who seemed to be in the izakaya nearby than the temple.

Dinner was a fairly authentic Zen practice.

Line up with three bowls and chopsticks that you will use for four days, and get to your seat in order.

Divide the flowing side dishes into large, medium and small bowls as much as you can eat.

After chanting the sutra before meals, everyone must eat at a very fast speed, paying close attention to the sound of chopsticks and tableware hitting. No one will wait. He is always sitting and speaking during a meal.

I heard that you shouldn't ask for taste of vegetarian dishes, but all the vegetarian dishes I ate at this temple were exceptionally delicious. Even though I love junk food and eat only famichiki, I was impressed with how delicious it was to eat vegetables.

The most delicious one was the porridge to eat in the morning.

It was exquisite to eat it with sweet simmered pumpkin garnished with white sesame.

Later I remember hearing that the porridge was a homemade porridge in which Mr. Wakasawa got up earlier than anyone else to make up for everyone.

It was fun to leave only one Sawa-an in a small bowl like Zen practice, pour a little white water and wash the three bowls with Sawa-an, and finally put the hot water and Sawa-an in the stomach.

But the trial was in the seat right in front of me

#temple #buddhism #zen #recovering alcoholic #experience #japan #kyototemple