#and by the end Puru was calling him friend | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

swampstew · 3 months

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1-800-GRANDLINEBLING ♥ Call Me On My Shell Phone

To celebrate 1K+ followers, I opened up phone lines to the crews! Part 3 of 3 ~ X reader with Franky, Brook, Zoro, and X2 Law for @lil-skelly-bones @starblazer124 @sunshinegat0r @strawheart-pirate @writing-yarn-goblin Part 1 | Part 2

You are now being connected to...

Purururu purururu puru—

Franky: What's cookin' good lookin'? My crew is going to be making port in a few days and I wanted to know if you want to hang out. I mean, only if you enjoy going to shows and concerts and stuff. You know me, I always bring the party. Stop playing, you know you love hanging out with me. Heh is that so? Alright, I can do that. I look forward to seeing you. We're gonna have a SUPER Great Time!

Maybe the best thing I've ever done was wait. I made an art form out of endurance. You were worth every single moment - Tyler Knott Gregson

Brook: Yo-ho-ho! Hello my dear, I deeply apologize for the lag in communications recently. The lines were dead, just like me! :D Thankfully, we'll be reaching land in a days time and I was hoping you'd have some freedom in your schedule to pencil me in! You do? Wonderful! I'll be there posthaste. I've brought you some more trinkets and oddities I think you'll enjoy, and as always, I'm the oddest! YOHOHOHO

A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you ― Elbert Hubbard

Zoro: Hey, how have you been? Good, listen um I'll be in your area and I was wondering if you wanted to hang out. I know you like going to the botanical gardens and I know there are some you've been wanting to go to, I can take you if--oh? Yeah no sure, that sounds good. Alright, I'll see you in two days. Yeah yeah I missed you too...

You weren't surprised when you got a follow up call to pick Zoro up. Allegedly, there had been an issue with his transportation and when you pulled up to the scene, you were very confused about the minivan full of yarn and wool that Zoro was resting on.

"Hey! This was my ride until it broke down. I replaced the tires but I don't know shit about engines so we called roadside assistance. As thanks for the tire replacement, these ladies will give you as many spools of fiber you want. Go nuts."

With an excited squeal, you picked a conservative number of spools before throwing your arms around the Marimo who blushed profusely. He helped carry them to your car and the two of you began your trek to the botanical gardens.

The first stop - and to Zoro's horror - an outdoor garden with a hedge maze.

After getting lost and hitting your sixth dead end, he let out a frustrated sigh, " You're supposed to be the one with directional skills."

"I wanted to see how bad with directions you really are," you teased him back.

"Heh, well now you know I'm unreliable," he gave you a sheepish smile. "Speaking of, I know you said you had some accrued vacation time. I was wondering if you'd like to come with us on our next voyage. We ship out next week. I could use really use the help to not get lost...if that's something you're into..."

You didn't waste a second, "Yes! I mean, if you really want me to come with."

Zoro gave you a surprised look, "TCH of course I want that, why do you think I asked? It sucks being away from my---," he looked at you with wide eyes, "My...my..." he trailed off.

"Your what?" you asked with big does eyes.

"From...us...you..." he finally drawled out. The seconds dragged before Zoro put on a brave face and tentatively kissed you for the first time. "So if you want to like...be with me or whatever...you should travel with me."

Law: Hey honey, I hope you've been well. Listen, I'll be coming ashore sooner than expected so don't make any plans alright? I want to take you out and spend all my shore time with you before the next trip. I'm looking forward to cuddling in bed and trying out those new restaurants you told me about. I also picked up an indie game from the last island I visited, I know you're going to love it. I'll see you soon!

There is something about falling in love with a beautiful mind that makes me crave their skin. As if gripping onto the back of his shoulders whilst my body is pressed beneath his is all I've left to save me from drowning - Cindy Cherie

Law: Buenas tardes, amorsita. Did you eat lunch already? Good, good. No, I'm not doctoring you - I'm just making sure my girl is doing well. Can't help it. Heh - you're always spicy, mami. I'll be visiting in a few days, can I take you out? Really, I can stay with you? You're so sweet. Ok, can't wait to spoil you when I see you. Vegan donuts? Say less, I'm there! See you soon.

"Here, I know it's not that cold out, but you'll need it for later," Law smirked at you as he handed you an oversized bag. Opening it, you found a magenta colored fur coat - not all the different from his own blue coat.

"Oh? What's going on later?"

"Nope, you're not allowed to ask questions. Go pack a bag and I'll set up lunch. I also got you this cute headset for when we game together," he said with a shy smirk.

You knew Law was a romantic, deep down, and it was so cute seeing himself open up like that to you, so early in your new relationship too.

"Let's just say, I'm going to sweep you off your feet tonight, and every night we spend together."

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brokutosan · 4 years

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Title. How Do You Mend When You’re Worlds Apart? (We Carry On)

Pairing. Iwaizumi Hajime x Fem!Reader

Summary. In which long distance is hard. Inspired by the song ‘Make It Better’ by Anderson Paak.

Warnings. Pure angst, also doesn’t have much dialogue. Manga spoilers up to the latest chapters and strong language included. Title is a line from the song ‘Make It Better’ by Anderson Paak.

In highschool, Iwaizumi and Y/N were inseparable. Wherever one is, chances are the other is nearby. They were the perfect model couple, proof that highschool sweethearts aren’t always doomed to be just that. Maybe it’s because both were equally mature, or maybe it’s because of the fact that the two of them kept Oikawa on a leash, but anything the world threw at them, the two felt ready for it.

So when Iwaizumi decided to purue his dreams across the ocean, she was fine with it. And so were all of their friends. If anyone could handle long distance, it would be Iwaizumi and Y/N. Because they were Iwaizumi and Y/N, and Iwaizumi and Y/N were inseparable.

Turns out putting an entire ocean between an inseparable couple could, in fact, separate them. Iwaizumi and Y/N became Iwaizumi, student at UC Irvine, and Y/N, student at Tokyo University. The distance between them grew harder to ignore over time.

It wasn’t something that happened overnight. And to be fair, they lasted a good three years making it work before going down the hell hole of late night (or morning, for one of them) arguments and distrust clouding their judgements. After a while, the two realize that the distance has taken its toll on them. Y/N thinks that it’s because they’re too used to being around each other, but now that they’re not, they’ve become more sensitive to even the tiniest matters. Iwaizumi thinks it’s all just bad communication.

Either way, anyone could tell that they’re only uselessly holding onto something that’s very clearly broken. Perhaps it’s the fact that they’ve already put in over six years into their relationship, and that giving it up now would mean giving up those six long years together. And no one wants to be the one that says, “Yeah, I wasted six long years with an idiot only for it to all go down the drain.”

Y/N first realizes this was the case after a night of drinking with her college classmates. She definitely had too much alcohol in her system that night, but she’s always been the type to be hyper aware of her surroundings. She wasn’t the type to do something she knows she would regret the morning after.

Her first explosive fight with Iwaizumi happens a few hours after she drunk herself under the table, at around three in the morning (or dinner time for Iwaizumi). Y/N made sure to be responsible enough to get herself home safe, under her own sheets, but Iwaizumi thought different. Y/N spent the following hours until her first class to explain to her enraged boyfriend that no, that woman in the background of Takahiro’s snapchat story sucking some douchebag’s face off isn’t me!

The months that follow that catalystic event were spent like they were walking through a minefield, any small argument setting off a bigger one that usually ended in tears. At one point Y/N was nearly tempted to throw her phone out the window and completely cut off connections with Iwaizumi, but knowing him, he’d probably catch the first flight back home just to chew her ear off.

What seems to be the worst fact of it all is that they were never like that in the beginning. But at this point there’s no more going back. It’s like they’re stuck in a burning car, but they don’t want to jump out. They’re only options are to just try and put out the flames or wait for the car to crash and burn.

Today is no different.

Y/N is invited by her old highschool friends, Matsukawa and Hanamaki, to go out for drinks. Y/N complies because no one would refuse a free dinner and drinks. But as she steps out her apartment, dressed casually enough but still putting in a little effort in her appearance, Y/N receives a facetime call from none other than Iwaizumi himself, who looks more pissed off than usual.

“What’s wrong?” Y/N asks as she notices his frown, genuinely concerned.

“Are you going somewhere?” Iwaizumi evades the question. Oh well. She expected this. Y/N has known her boyfriend long enough to know that there really is something wrong, he’s just too pissy to admit it.

“Yeah. With Takahiro and Issei.” She replies curtly, grabbing her purse and house keys from the side table and unlocking the door. Iwaizumi freezes, not saying anything. Y/N almosts hangs up thinking it’s due to poor connection, until he speaks up again.

“Oh. Nevermind then.” What the fuck? Y/N thinks to herself, though has half the mind to know not to say it out loud. Instead she says, “If there’s something bothering you, just tell me. Hiro and Issei can wait.” Her offer is met by another few seconds of silence, before Iwaizumi sighs and says, “No, it’s fine. Have fun. Stay safe.” The - once usual - ‘I love you’ is lost somewhere, probably amidst his pride and whatever the fuck was bothering him.

As he ends the call, Y/N decides to press any further. Lately she’s realized that the best way to prevent arguments with him was to just ignore the things bothering her. Destructive? Definitely. But is it effective? One hundred percent. Y/N argues that it’s the lesser of two evils, and if one of those evils is a furious Iwaizumi, then she’d rather take her chances with whatever’s the other option.

The whole commute to the izakaya she agreed to meet her friends in is filled with a mental dilemma of whether or not she should call him back. And she stays that way ‘til she gets to the place and Matsukawa, the attentive bastard, is asking her, “Why do you look like shit?”

“Damn, you really hate the thought of seeing us that much?” Hanamaki adds on, because Hanamaki and Matsukawa come in pair and when one is teasing you, then chances are the other one is too.

“Kinda regretting it now. Is it too late to turn back?” Y/N jokes, but is only ushered over by her two smirking friends. Y/N, despite her contempt, complies and sits down on one end of the booth.

“You can’t run away from us. Like you physically can’t. You love us too much.” And she hates how much she knows he’s right, but she’s not telling them that because they’ll never let her live it down.

“Disgusting. Someone kill me right now.” Y/N fake gags, smiling at the waiter as he passes by with a weird look on his face. Hanamaki and Matsukawa laugh, before Hanamaki’s face straightens into a serious look.

“Oh yeah, did Iwaizumi tell ‘ya yet?” He mentions nonchalantly. Y/N wants to say, ‘no, because talking to that moron only makes my head hurt,’ but she doesn’t, mostly because they’d probably obsessively worry over it. Instead she says, “Tell me what?”

They share a look.

“Wait, seriously? I thought you’d be the first to know.” It’s Matsukawa that speaks up first, with a bewildered look on his face. “I mean no offense but aren’t you two usually the lovey dovey jackasses that can’t keep secrets from each other?”

“Yeah. I’m still not over you telling him about my Hatsune Miku shrine.” Hanamaki adds, though it’s unappreciated by Matsukawa, who throws him a dirty look and a, “What the fuck, man. Stop bringing that shit up.” Hanamaki looks at his friend with ‘hurt’ laced in his face before firing back, “Stop disrespecting my wife, asshole!”

“Are you two done?”

The two supposed grown men halt their little ‘back-and-forth,’ and Hanamaki perks up again remembering the previous topic at hand.

“Oh yeah! So Iwaizumi really didn’t tell you?” She could only shake her head ‘no,’ taking a sip of the mediocre beer in her hands. She makes a mental note to remind herself never to let Hanamaki pick which izakaya they’re going to.

“You’re both pissing me off, what did he not tell me?” Y/N grumbles, growing impatient. It could just be because the beer is far too stale for her taste. Why is this place still open?

“Apparently Oikawa went to visit him two days ago and the two idiots had a big fight. I heard it almost got physical this time.” So that’s wny he looked so pissed off earlier. Lately the only facial features he’s shown her are anger and discontent, so maybe she thought nothing of it when he did it again just an hour ago. She feels horrible, but not too much.

“Something about Oikawa not taking his bad knee seriously enough. Honestly I think Iwaizumi got mad because he’s been studying about it for three years now.” Hanamaki adds, raising his glass to ask for another cup of beer. Y/N doesn’t care as much anymore about the shitty beer, but she still gives him a weird look for being so into it.

“Oh.” Arguments be damned, Y/N still had to save face. If anyone were proud supporters of her and Iwaizumi’s relationship, it’s these two idiots arguing over a meme on Hanamaki’s phone right across the table. She racks her brain for any plausible excuse as to why she wasn’t made aware of something this big, but her mind drew a blank.

“It is kinda weird you weren’t the first to find out. Granted we had to find out from Oikawa, but if anything I was sure Iwaizumi would’ve already went crying to you.” Hanamaki muses. Oh no. Y/N knows that tone, and when Hanamaki, of all people, uses it...then she’s thoroughly fucked.

“Is there something you’re not telling us?” Matsukawa completes. Y/N tries not to laugh at the fact that they still try to complete each other’s sentences, despite the fact that they were just arguing about which Spongebob meme is better just a few seconds ago.

“Nothing, really. I haven’t really gotten the chance to check in on Hajime, with exams and all.” Y/N lies through her teeth. They were just arguing three days ago about something Y/N can’t even remember now.

“Uh huh, sure. Let me know when you pull your head out of your ass.” Hanamaki retorts. Y/N resists the urge to reach over the table and wipe that stupid smirk off his face.

“Shut up, blondie.”

“Uh, that’s strawberry blondie to you.”

“You’re both completely going off topic. Y/N, why didn’t Iwaizumi tell you anything?” Matsukawa leans over the table, wearing that unreadable facial expression he used to wear back in highschool, during a match, going up for a block. Y/N momentarily thinks how fortunate she is for not being one of those they’ve went against in highschool.

“Shouldn’t you be asking Hajime that?”

“We should, but he’s not here right now. You are. I mean you two were always like two halves of one whole, right?” Hanamaki presses on, forgetting all about their previous argument. She lets his words settle in. Two halves of one whole, huh? Suddenly Y/N is brought back to one of their most recent arguments. About their future together. Or lack of one.

Y/N looks down at her stale mug of beer, feeling hypnotized by the amber color that’s reflecting her face with a look of concern. Though she has no reason to be. Ever since getting into a relationship with Hajime, and faling into the same crowd, most conversations around her usually revolved around the topic of their relationship. It never bothered her before, so why is it bothering her now?

And it hits her. Not as a life changing revelation, but rather something she’s always known deep, deep, deep down.

That just like how she’s been needlessly obsessing over the horrible tasting beer, she’s been needlessly clinging onto something that’s not there anymore. Just like how despite this izakaya being their usual meeting place whenever they found the time to hang out, the beer tasted different today, of all days. Just like how now, Y/N finally snaps herself awake and completely understand that her and Iwaizumi, just aren’t in love anymore.

They tried, the past few months filled with arguments being a testament to how they fought tooth and nail to salvage what’s left of a bygone feeling.

Right. The argument. Three weeks ago, Iwaizumi had called her a few hours past midnight in Tokyo, excited to reveal that “Yes! I’m going to start my internship with Takashi Utsui right after graduation!” And instead of being excited for him too, Y/N picked a fight. That one was totally her fault, she admits. She pressed him on the importance of their relationship, on the importance of distance, and how the one between them is slowly eating them alive. Iwaizumi cut off communication with her for a week, before Y/N finally apologized only for them to be amidst another argument now, just two weeks later.

Y/N realizes she’s been quiet for too long, when the noise of the izakaya draws back in and she’s rudely brought back to her senses by an annoyed Matsukawa snapping his fingers in front of her face. “Are you okay?”

The question lets loose an abundance of emotions, some she can’t quite put a finger on, but she knows is bothering her. It’s been too long since someone checked in on her like that, so genuinely. So concerned. Oh god. Was she turning into a touch starved idiot like Oikawa?

“Uh, I - I don’t know.” Is her pathetic response. The two men in front of her share another look, before Hanamaki simply sighs, “We’ll drop it, sorry. You can talk when you’re ready.”

And as if a switch has been flipped, they fall into a smoother conversation, one about school and their social lives. How Hanamaki heard that Yahaba and Kyoutani went to New York together for God knows why, and how Kindaichi’s finally starting for his Division 2 team. Y/N, on the other hand, can’t seem to focus. Perhaps it’s the thing she was thinking about earlier. Okay. It’s definitely that.

Eagerly, Y/N shoots up and slings her bag over her shoulders, muttering, “Sorry, I have to go.”

“Pay for your drinks, cheapass!” Hanamaki half-jokingly calls out, also standing up. Matsukawa grabs his wrist, seemingly understanding something and leaving the strawberry blonde out of the loop.

“Don’t. I think this might just be serious.”

Upon stepping back into the comfort of her room, Y/N turns on her phone, fingers hovering just above the call button. She was so sure of it before, at the izakaya, but now that she’s had time to think, she doesn’t know what to say.

Wait - no, she’s breaking up with him. That’s for sure. She’s not exactly confident she could take another second being in ticking time bomb of a relationship, but how does she even begin the conversation? Iwaizumi was her first everything, and that might just include first break up. How do people even do this? She feels like she’s about to rip the guy’s heart out of his chest, and that’s not something she could live with.

Fuck it, Y/N thinks to herself as she presses the call button. Iwaizumi picks up after three rings, voice grumpy as ever. “Yeah?” Now Y/N feels like a bitch for doing this over a phone call. But it’s not like she could book a flight to California with the money she doesn’t exactly have, just to break up with her boyfriend of six years. So she improvises.

“Can you get on Skype?”

She hears rustling on the other end of the call, and the telltale sound of a zipper being unzipped. “Sure.”

A few moments later, she’s connected to the call, and now that she’s looking directly at Iwaizumi’s face through her laptop screen, does Y/N finally realize what she’s about to do. Before the guilt could even start to settle in, Iwaizumi opens his mouth and starts the conversation.

“I thought you were going out.” He states, face still scrunched up into that nasty scowl from earlier. Knowing the reason behind it, a fight with his best friend, Y/N isn’t as bothered by it. Okay maybe it’s bothering her. Dumping him while he’s down? She didn’t even know she was capable of something so heinous.

“I was out. I just got back home though.”

“Oh.” He looks like he wants to press further, but something’s holding him back. The same something that’s been causing him to lash out for the past few months. Y/N doesn’t miss the conflicted look on his face, nor does she miss the sigh that he lets out. Good. He’s just as exhausted as she is. Might make this a whole lot easier.

“Is there a reason why you wanted to call?” He offers an olive branch first, and Y/N happily accepts it. “Yeah, actually, there is.” She gulps, probably hard enough for him to hear, but her nerves are starting to get the best of her.

He stares at the camera, probably waiting for her to go on, then. Well, jokes on him. Y/N’s waiting too. Waiting for her to gather enough figurative balls to say what needs to be said.

“Um - okay, so,” Y/N starts, very lamely, “it’s about us.” Iwaizumi looks like he’s about to say something, but Y/N is quick to interject, “Wait! Let me just let it all out. Before I go completely crazy. And then you can talk. Yell. Curse, whatever you feel like doing after I say what I’m about to say.”

“I’m not gonna do any of that.”

“Okay. Good. Because I might cry if you do. And if I cry then I definitely won’t get to say what needs to be said.” Y/N is speaking out of her ass, that much she could tell. She could also tell he’s losing his patience, which she doesn’t totally blame him for.

“I think I know where this is going. You can say it.” Iwaizumi sounds a lot calmer, which is good, because Y/N doesn’t really know how she’d take it if he wasn’t. And then she looks down, fiddling with her fingers on her lap and the ring on her pinky finger that Iwaizumi gave to her before leaving for college.

And then Y/N decides to rip the bandage off, “I think we should break up.”

A sigh.

Not exactly her first choice of a reaction, but she’d take a sigh over a full blown confrontation any day. In fact, she’s probably a little too relieved that that was his first reaction. Means he’s thought about it too, and that she’s not the only one feeling guilty about all this.

“I’m sorry.” Y/N finds herself saying, still not daring to look up into the computer screen. She realizes how ironic it is that the calmest conversation they’ve had in months is when they’re about to break up.

“Don’t be. It’s both our faults.” He reassures her. And she finally looks up, catching her reflection on the webcam and how her eyes are slightly red and watery. (But so are his).

“Trust me I know,” Y/N finds the strength to force out a bitter laugh, and adds, “but I just...am. I’m sorry we couldn’t make it work. I really wanted it to work.”

“So did I.” Iwaizumi offers a bittersweet smile, reminding her that this probably hurts for him just as much as it did for her. “But we couldn’t. And that’s on both of us. Don’t feel the need to take all the blame.”

“God, Oikawa’s gonna fucking lose it. He rooted for us so hard.” Y/N lets out a genuine laugh, remembering her chocolate haired friend that’s probably going to cry harder than they do combined. And then silence engulfs them. Conversation that used to flow so smoothly between them long gone, and the connection they had as lovers severed.

“Um, I’ll catch up with you soon. Take it easy okay?” Iwaizumi finally speaks up, probably sick of the silence. “Yeah, sure. Talk to you soon.” Except she doesn’t. In fact, the next time Y/N hears from Iwaizumi is at his welcome home party, two years later. And by then they’ve both probably moved on (she can’t really speak for Iwaizumi), to bigger and better things, and hopefully to other people.

“And it’s easier to walk away, than to look for what would make you stay.” - Anderson Paak.

A/N. Reposted because I wanted to edit it a bit. An izakaya is basically a traditional Japanese bar! Ending is a bit rushed, but I kinda just wanted to finish it on a slightly bittersweet note?? Thank you for reading tho, I’m gonna go cry now :) - chuu

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miriossunshine · 4 years

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Could i get a match up for my oc? Her name is puru akira, shes 5'6, 17 and bisexual! She has deep purple hair with a yellow cowlick and a thin yellow streak in it with light lilac eyes. Her bangs are side swept and the rest is in a spiral side pony tail. Her quirk is called moon! She can teleport with a black whisp and control pressure. She was a super young pro hero with a partner akin to the sun but her partner/gf died in battle and she faked her death to get out of hero work. ( part 1/2)

yeah :)!! ur oc sounds so precious omg ><

continued: 2/2 puru anon!) Nighteye sent lemillion and deku to convince her back to hero hood and shes now attending ua! Shes blunt and alittle perverted but only if she knows your comfortable with it. She likes to be a guide and guardian but shes been out of hero hood for awhile so shes rusty. Shes high energy and abit snarky with an ego to work on but otherwise very kind and motherly. Her hobbies are singing and training lol (please dont match her with togata! Thats already her main ship i put her in XD)

i ship her with denki kaminari!

they’d physically look so good together, especially with the matching yellow in their hair \(//∇//)\

denki definitely flirted with her upon first meeting her, and this sparked a friendship because she most likely replied with a snarky remark which made him fall even harder for her hehe

they’d get along well especially bc of their perverted senses of humor -3- as well as their high energies! which makes denki feel really comfortable around her and they’d end up really close friends!

when denki learns about her backstory, he’s amazed by her bravery. he also thinks it’s cute how rusty she is, and uses this as an excuse to flirt with her during training and say he’s just trying to “show her the ropes” sbxnsmnsnd -v-

he’s such a sap for when she acts motherly towards others ｡ﾟ(ﾟ´ω`ﾟ)ﾟ｡ sero notices and pokes denki’s red face to tease him hehe

he’d most likely confess to her after he heard her singing, and in the moment just let “be my girlfriend” slip out in a state of awe ( ´∀｀) she’d likely have a snarky response to boost her ego, then end it with a soft “of course”, making denki excitedly pick her up and spin her around while they both get all giggly ><

denki would probably be jealous of her relationship with mirio, but pout rather than be outwardly rude about his jealousy. i can see puru teasing him about it, then comforting him by reminding him she’s dating him for a reason, and then cuddles ensue (о´∀`о)

#denki kaminari matchup #mha matchup #bnha matchup #mod honey

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incognitowetrust · 5 years

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WIP stuff I’m still doing,

but I’m throwing down what I got so far because I’m lazy.

Because... you know... world building, I always make a surplus of background characters. Captain Pop is fond of his crew, so I don’t want it to be a whole bunch of faceless nobodies, there needs to be a handful of people who are actual named people with designs and characteristics that set them apart from one another.

Originally I was gonna make a post after I got more of the crewmates designed and drawn, but it was taking a really long time and I was kinda dragging myself down, so you’ll just have to see more of the crew another time.

But at least I got a few of them done. I tried to make a “size reference” to try and think about the exact scale each character is to one another, idk, I guess this looks about right.

I may or may not give Tamper some color alterations in the future, like, I could have given her a skin texture, or spots or something, but I didn’t have the attention span for it at the moment.

Tamper- She’s someone who’s known Pop longer than most, in fact, she usually calls him “Poppy”, and she kinda has an unspoken authority over newbies. She has a tall, slim build, and her fighting style is kinda like... a dancey jabby thing.

She’s not scared of much, and generally has a sassy, playful tone. She might tease people a lot, but never anything that would be mean-spirited.

Originally, she was a mercenary long ago.

Tbh one of her defining traits is a mixture of two things, the Croagunk that would poison-jab Brock and knock him out as a running joke, and that one gal from The Last Airbender who could temporarily paralyze people. Yeah, just kinda stole that for Tamper, she jabs people with her weird hands and feet and wherever she hits, that part of the person’s body will go numb and limp.

She much prefers to sucker-punch and dart off than to brawl purely based on brawn. She’s very quick, and can be a tricky opponent if she’s able to move around a lot, but if she’s cornered and in a small space she might be in trouble.

Tamper has been around long enough to have witnessed Soft grow up. She’s kinda like his... sassy lesbian aunty.

Kumara- I wanted to make a character that looked like he could be the same race as Dodoria, because Dodoria is lorge and friend-shaped. And it’s good to put love and affection into characters that aren’t always stereotypically cute.

Another long-time crew mate. He works as a cook, and due to being around so long he’s also someone who has a certain level of authority. Due to the amount of people who call The Patched Chimera (the name of Pop and Starlight’s big ol’ ship) home, he’s not the only cook on board.

He’s got quite a temper, and it’s best not to do stupid shit in “his” kitchen that might get someone hurt, or waste food. His temper might give a first impression that he’s mean and scary, but he’s really not. Soft grew up talking to Kumara about his feelings when he wasn’t always comfortable sharing them with Pop, and Soft became a good cook because he enjoyed helping Kumara out in the kitchen and learning from him.

Puru- She started out in life as a bit of a rough-and-tumble delinquent and drifter.

In the past, she once snuck onto a spaceship without paying to be there in order to stowaway and pretty much get easy-travel, but she was found out, and since she couldn’t pay to be there “properly”, she was put to work as a janitor. Puru was paired up with an elderly janitor named Umqua, so someone could oversee her work and keep an eye on her while Puru was on the ship. Umqua was a pretty no-judgey sort of person who was actually pretty used to young people who got into trouble, and even though they didn’t end up knowing each other for long, she finally had a reason to warm up to someone.

However, the ship had a nasty encounter with pirates, ones that were either from Veal’s crew, or from the crew that would become Veal’s crew (time-wise I’m not 100% sure on when the event would line up to when Veal killed the original Captain and was like “I’m the Captain now” and everyone just went with it) ransacked the ship and attacked people. Umqua managed to hide Puru before the pirates got to them, fearing what might happen to her if she were found. The pirates had figured out Umqua was hiding someone, but he did not give her away, and wound up killed for it.

Naturally, Puru has a grudge against Captain Veal’s men. At some point, she joined Pop’s crew.

She doesn’t particularly like to be outwardly affectionate towards others, but she’s come to really care about people. Puru has a habit of latching onto people and fussing over them, and may give the impression of being annoying and bossy, but really she’s just very protective, and has made it a personal goal of hers to not be “weak”, and guard the well being of people she likes.

-----

Okay, y’all, I’ll have to come back with more crew mates next time. I’ll rush the descriptions for now, but here are crew mates that have a name and that I plan on drawing sometime... sometime... don’t rush me, I’m a snail.

Clicker- A guy who barely talks, and doesn’t really have much interest to socialize with people, but Pop likes him. When he joined, he took his “dogs” with him, and so the ship has big ol’ good bois.

Snick- Clicker’s waifu. Smol round stout lady. Heals wounds and likes to help plants grow. Talks a little more than Clicker, but is still pretty quiet.

Anesco- A young man who grew up on The Patched Chimera, under the care of his mother, Imoya, and without being able to communicate with his father (Nesco) much, on account of the father being on The Frieza Force, and Imoya also having mixed feelings about that. Anesco sees Pop as a fatherly figure, and is always trying to prove himself to him. Anesco is about the same age as Gelato, and can be considered his non-icejin cousin.

Chaiv- A young child who was taken in, because otherwise might have ended up pretty bad off. Being so young, they have difficulty knowing how to use their ki responsibly, as well as needing to simply get used to it, and their power is already pretty decent. They probably won’t grow up to be OP, just, you know, kiddo had a head start. Chaiv is too young to be left alone unattended in case they accidentally hurt themselves or others, or get into other trouble due to the young age.

#my ocs #pop #gelato #pop's crew #work in progress #references #info dump #at least I did something today

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ernmark · 6 years

Note

Remember that series you did where Juno and Peter met when Juno was still a cop? I would love if you did another installment in that. There's just so many ways it could go from where it left off.

Fun fact– I vaguely remembered getting another ask about this before my little hiatus, and when I looked, I realized that one of them was from you!

I got super stuck with the story and couldn’t figure out how to move it forward. As it turns out, what I needed was Pilot Pereyra and a better understanding of the corruption in the HCPD. Now I’ve got a much stronger idea of where I’m going. So thank you so much for your patience~

It’s been a little more than a day since he left me at that spaceport, but the thief holds onto me like he hasn’t seen me in years. And sure, maybe that’s got something to do with a species-ending bomb and a deranged anthropologist, but I’ll take what I can get.

“What made you change your mind?

He looks about as tired as I feel, but he’s got my head on his shoulder and his hands carding through my hair. A lady could get used to being handled like that.

“I looked up the Egg in the research. I was going to ask about it on the ship, but then you didn’t come with me.” And yeah, that was probably the whole point of letting me think he was coming– so I couldn’t ask awkward questions.

His fingers pause on my scalp. “I never printed out any information on the Egg. It was all on my comms. How could you–”

I sit up enough to prop myself up on my elbow and look him in the eyes. “Listen, I know, and I’m sorry. I’m not the kind of guy who goes looking through people’s comms, I swear. But I’ve been a cop long enough to know that when somebody changes all their plans right after one phone call, it’s just a matter of time before someone finds a body. I wasn’t going to let it be yours.”

I expect him to be pissed with me, or disgusted, or hurt, or… honestly, a whole lot of other things that I might just deserve. I’m a little less prepared for him to look amused and… and charmed.

“I imagine so,” he says patiently. “But I’m more curious as to how you managed it. The encryptions on my comms are top of the line, Juno. You can barely use your own comms to make calls.”

Oh.

That.

“I… may have called a friend to walk me through it,” I admit.

“She walked you through hacking an encrypted comms? Who is this person?”

“An old work buddy of mine.” I don’t miss the look of barely-contained alarm. “She’s not in their digital security department, if that’s what you’re wondering. She’s a secretary, mostly does a lot of filing. Jailbreaking comms is more of a personal hobby for her.”

“That’s quite a hobby.” He looks impressed– and not just at Rita. He’s impressed with me. And maybe it’s because I’m tired, but I start rambling.

“She’s the one who found out that the Egg of Purus was on the Utgard Express, and I had her look up who would have access to the vault. It’s a limited number– the conductors and engineers and security team live there full-time, and apparently having no family or personal connections is a prerequisite for the job. One of the only people who supposedly knew how to get on the train at all was Brock Engstrom, and according to his personal calendar, he just so happened to be scheduled for a card game with one Duke Rose.”

The thief’s smile is soft, almost bashful. “I hope you’ll forgive me a moment of sentimentality, Juno.”

In my coat pocket is the passport the thief made me, and on that passport is a name: Dahlia Rose. In the fantasy of that constructed identity, the two of us aren’t just the two of us. We’re a couple. We’re married, ‘till death do us part and all.

A moment of sentimentality. Sure. Let’s call it that.

“By the way,” I say, before I give into the urge to kiss him again. “If we’re going to be working with Engstrom tomorrow, what do you want me to call you? Still Rose? Or do you prefer Rex?”

“Rose around Engstrom, if it’s all the same to you. The fewer names he has to call me, the better.”

I lay down, settling on one of the overstuffed hotel pillows instead of his shoulder. There’ll be plenty of time to talk later, and we’ve got an early morning ahead of us; I should settle back down and let him sleep. But our midnight conversations make me a little too comfortable for my own good. “He was pretty interested in your name.”

“Yes. But you aren’t,” he murmurs. “I think that was the first time you’ve asked me for any kind of name. Why is that?”

It’s not that I’m not interested. I want to know everything about this man-- where he’s from, how he grew up, the whole convoluted path that led him from there to right here, lying in a hotel bed beside a washed-up detective.

I just know better than to ask.

“Someone like you has a lot of reasons to keep secrets from someone like me. No point in pushing it.”

This time he’s the one who sits up. “Really, Juno? You think I don’t trust you?”

Of course not. If he trusted me, he wouldn’t have sent me away the way he did. But I flash what I think passes for a smile. “Nobody in Hyperion City trusts a cop.”

A ridiculous part of me still wishes he could trust me-- that he could want me in his life as badly as I want him in mine. But that’s not how this works. That’s not the deal I made, and that’s not something I get to have.

I’m okay with that. I’m okay. I’m okay.

And then he leans over me, so close that I can feel his heartbeat against my chest. His voice is soft, almost inaudible. “Oh, Juno. You only had to ask.”

I wonder if he can feel my heartbeat, too, because my pulse is racing. He wouldn’t really give that to me, would he? Not me. This is all just a game, isn’t it? Some fantasy that we’re playing at until he dumps me off in the Tau Ceti system and he never has to see me again. I’m the idiot who’s taking this too seriously. I’m the one in over my head.

Not him. It can’t be him. Because if he actually cares half as much as I do-- if he actually means half the things he’s saying--

His lips part, and I cover his mouth with my hand like I can trap the words inside. “No. Wait.”

And he looks confused, almost hurt, almost like he really meant it-- which he can’t-- he can’t--

“Not here,” I whisper, because my mind is imploding and the one thing I can still do is bluff. “If Engstrom’s that interested, he might have bugged the room.”

The look he gives me is so tender that it can’t be real, it can’t, because people don’t look at me that way unless they’ve got a knife in their hand or their finger on a trigger.

“Later, then,” he murmurs, and goddammit, he must be good at this, because he sounds like he actually means it.

“After this mess is over,” I add. It’s vague enough to mean anything. What is this mess even? The heist with Engstrom? The thing with his omnicidal boss? The deal he made with me? Or maybe it’s just me-- Saint Juno Steel, the detective who thought he was above all the bullshit before he turned criminal, and god only knows the thief doesn’t need this in his life.

He seems to like that answer, because he smiles and he leans in to kiss me.

That’s when the sirens go off.

“What the hell?”Instantly we’re both rolling out of the bed and grabbing our clothes. “Is there a fire or something?”

We both know the answer before I finish asking the question. I’m reaching for my blaster and he’s going for his knife. Random fires don’t happen at a resort like the Oasis.

The sounds of early crisis bleed in through the door. First a dozen doors in the same hall opening one after another, confused voices calling to each other and asking what’s going on.

While the thief grabs his coat, I put my eye to the little peephole in the door. I get a good view of people creeping out of their rooms, wide-eyed and hesitant and on the verge of panic.

And then, at the far end of the hall, the elevator doors open. The angle’s all wrong that I can’t see inside, but out steps a little old woman, her expression impatient, like she’s late for a meeting, but otherwise she looks calm-- unnaturally calm, considering the spray of blood staining her blouse.

“The hell?”

“What is it?” The thief’s hand is tight on my shoulder, ready to yank me away from the door at a moment’s notice.

I squint to get a better look as the woman turns her head to peer down one end of the hall and then the other. “It’s just just a little old lady--”

“Miasma.” The word falls out of the thief’s mouth almost involuntary. In the same instant, the woman’s eyes meet mine through the door. “We need to get out of here.”

“What?”

“The window. Now.” He’s already across the room, yanking the window open. And I’m about to tell him that that’s crazy, that we’re like a hundred floors up and I don’t do heights and this lady looks like she’d break in half if I pushed her too hard, but then I get a look at the thief’s face. All the warmth and color has drained out of him. He’s pale, his eyes wide. He’s terrified.

And then come the screams.

#briwhosaysni #the penumbra podcast #writing prompt #fanfiction

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womenofcolor15 · 4 years

Text

Actress Naya Rivera Reportedly Presumed Dead After She Went Missing In Lake Piru, Her 4-Year-Old Son Found Sleeping Alone On A Boat

Shocking news broke overnight that actress Naya Rivera was officially named a missing person after she and her 4-year-old son rented a boat on Lake Piru in California. The latest, and the horrific news authorities are now giving, inside.

Late yesterday evening, Ventura County police reported that a woman had been reported missing around Lake Piru, and search and rescue crews had been fully launched to find her. Shortly after, the Sheriff confirmed the missing woman is "Glee" star Naya Rivera, and her 4-year-old son, Josey, was found alone on a boat in the middle of the lake.

The missing person at Lake Puru has been identified as Naya Rivera, 33, of Los Angeles. SAR operation will continue at first light. @VCAirUnit @fillmoresheriff @Cal_OES pic.twitter.com/bC3qaZS3Ra

— Ventura Co. Sheriff (@VENTURASHERIFF) July 9, 2020

There are still so many questions, but the possibility of finding Naya alive at this point, is grim, according to authorities. The sheriff's department has now changed the investigation into a search and recovery effort, and she has been presumed dead and is suspected to have drowned.

CBS L.A. reported the timeline of the occurrence, and it is still unclear how little Josey got back to the boat:

According to the sheriff’s office, Rivera rented a pontoon boat at about 1 p.m. Wednesday for herself and her 4-year-old son to take out onto Lake Piru, which is located about 50 miles north of downtown Los Angeles.

About three hours later, another boater found her child sleeping in the boat by himself. The boater notified officials, who immediately began a search for Rivera with the use of helicopters, drones and dive teams.

The child was said to be unharmed and told investigators that he and his mother were swimming, but his mother never got back into the boat.

It was not immediately clear how the child got back into the boat.

The Sheriff's department also released an image of what the boat looks like:

#NayaRivera: “This is considered to be a horrible accident” @VENTURASHERIFF tells @NBCLA. This pontoon boat is similar to the one @NayaRivera rented with her four year old son. He was found asleep on the boat, wearing a life-vest. An adult life-vest was also found on board. pic.twitter.com/12lV5U6ryD

— Robert Kovacik (@RobertNBCLA) July 9, 2020

It's unclear if anyone else was on this boat, as it does seem quote large for only a mother and her toddler son.

It's also known that that the waters in Lake Piru could sometimes be dangerous.

Incredibly sad and frightening.

This morning, the rescue (and now recovery) crews stated they were still actively searching for Naya:

The search for Naya Rivera will continue this morning at Lake Piru. The lake will be closed to the public while search operations continue. Dive teams from throughout the region will be assisting us through mutual aid. @VCAirUnit @Cal_OES @fillmoresheriff pic.twitter.com/q6LsHd8xaT

— Ventura Co. Sheriff (@VENTURASHERIFF) July 9, 2020

Multiple teams of professional search & rescue personnel are actively searching Lake Piru for clues to the location of Naya Rivera. With over 80 people involved in the search right now, we are using helicopters, boats, ATV vehicles, and ground personnel to try and locate her. pic.twitter.com/o2bN5sQFms

— Ventura Co. Sheriff (@VENTURASHERIFF) July 9, 2020

We have mutual aid for specialized dive teams en route from Los Angeles County, San Luis Obispo County, and Tulare County. We will keep you posted with any updates as we learn them. Our hearts and prayers go out the all of the family and friends of the Rivera family. #sheriffvc pic.twitter.com/ukmr48HXow

— Ventura Co. Sheriff (@VENTURASHERIFF) July 9, 2020

Fans, celebrities and Naya's former castmates are pouring our their prayers and love for her on social media, still hoping for a more positive outcome.

Heather Morris prays for Naya Rivera’s safe return after she goes missing:

"We need all the prayers we can get to bring our Naya back home to us. We need your love and light” pic.twitter.com/fgGNHuwtaH

— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) July 9, 2020

Oh God... mercy... please... Actress Naya Rivera, known for 'Glee' missing and may have drowned after going boating on Lake Piru | https://t.co/QBOBaBJwPi https://t.co/NlBldzyQVv

— iqbal theba (@iqbaltheba) July 9, 2020

Praying.

— Harry Shum Jr (@HarryShumJr) July 9, 2020

The last picture she posted on her Instagram, as well as a few other recent posts, are haunting:

View this post on Instagram

just the two of us

A post shared by Naya Rivera (@nayarivera) on Jul 7, 2020 at 3:15pm PDT

View this post on Instagram

at this point we just vibin y'all

A post shared by Naya Rivera (@nayarivera) on Jul 5, 2020 at 2:18pm PDT

View this post on Instagram

no matter the year, circumstance, or strifes everyday you're alive is a blessing. make the most of today and every day you are given. tomorrow is not promised

A post shared by Naya Rivera (@nayarivera) on Jul 2, 2020 at 3:59pm PDT

Naya was slated to appear in the upcoming season of "Step Up" on Starz:

View this post on Instagram

I can not wait to start filming the new season of Step Up! We're going to bring it like never before! Happy to be a part of the @starz family! @lionsgatetv

A post shared by Naya Rivera (@nayarivera) on May 28, 2020 at 12:40pm PDT

After starring on several episodes of The Bernie Mac Show from 2002-2006, she became a Hollywood darling with her role on the cult favortie show "Glee", starring in ever season as "Santana Lopez" from 2009-2015. Naya has starred on Starz' "Step Up" since 2018.

After ending an "It Couple" status relationship with ex-fiancé Big Sean in 2014, she married actor Ryan Dorsey that same year. They welcomed little Josey Dorsey a couple of years later, and divorced in 2018. In her memoir released in 2016, “Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes, and Growing Up,” she called their baby boy "her greatest success" and said, “I will never do any better than him.”

Our hearts and prayers go out to Naya's family and all of her loved ones during this impossible time.

Photos: GIO_LE/DFree for Shutterstock.com

[Read More ...] source http://theybf.com/2020/07/09/actress-naya-rivera-reportedly-presumed-dead-after-she-went-missing-in-lake-piru-her-4-ye

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iwastoldthisisgoodforme · 5 years

Text

3.8.19

Acting class. Last class for the term. Did my scenes with Sally and Taylar. Sally and I got into a heated moment in rep and when I ended up saying my line as, “I’d like to slap you in the fucking mouth” which made everyone laugh. I felt so nervous beforehand so I ended up releasing all that energy that way. Lorraine was late to class. She sat next to me since she wanted to hear my uni dorm stories. She was a little touchy this class, looking at my watch and playing with me for elbow room. After class, she told me she was going to Pete’s farewell party. We went to the train station together and she told me how she spoke Cantonese but her parents lived in Vietnam although they were from China.

I headed to Newtown afterwards. Han Bin had sent a text asking if anyone wanted to get a drink so Hye Jin wanted to join him. Ayumi was planning to go to karaoke with friends but Mina had to go shopping for a friend’s birthday party. I ended up joining Hye Jin since I didn’t want to open at Kintaro. We met him at Beerhaus where I ordered a radler. The place had free snacks as well. Han Bin told us that his girlfriend had broken up with him earlier that day which is why he asked if we wanted to get drinks. All his ex said to him was, “Don’t text me anymore. Don’t call me anymore.” We said how harsh that was but we also tried to encourage him and I told him that now he could fully enjoy Sydney. I left early to go to work.

Work was fairly standard. Yuri asked if I was drunk and apparently I was a bit red when she asked. I told her I wasn’t although I actually felt a little tipsy. Towards the end of the night, three Japanese customers came in and two of them were pretty cute. They picked up that I could speak Japanese when I confirmed their order and said puru puru umeshu. When I returned, they asked if I could speak Japanese and I told them a little bit. They asked if the chili miso pork is spicy but I told them it wasn’t spicy so they ordered it but said they wanted it mild. They also ordered some edamame. I confirmed with Masa that it wasn’t too spicy and the spiciness only came from the kimchi they put in there. When they asked for more food including tataki and wakame salad, I told them the deal and they said to just put a little bit. They asked why I knew Japanese and I told them studying it was fun. They asked where I was from and I said I’m from America although I was born in the Philippines but grew up in the US. I gave them some bowls for the chili miso pork but they asked for plates too (sara). I asked where they were from and the girl on the right said she was from Osaka. The girl on the left with the puru puru umeshu, who I thought to be the prettiest, was from a lake near Kyoto. i asked her if the city was beautiful but she said no. The third girl was from Kyushu, near Fukuoka. Yuri actually told me I could finish early but I wanted to stay more and talk to those girls (I even thought about getting their number). I told them I was leaving for the night (the prettiest one looked a little sad) and they asked where I live and when I said Willoughby they said it was close. They asked what visa I have and I said working holiday and they asked when I was going home and if I was going to do the farm work and when I said November they said that was soon. I asked what visas they had and they said they were students. They asked if I would work at Kintaro until November and I said maybe. I greeted them goodnight as I left. Maybe I should’ve tried to get their numbers but I felt it was too forward for Japanese girls and I was trying to remain somewhat professional.

Met with Lorraine at Hungry Jacks then we went to Star Hotel and I told her my life story. I felt a little weird hanging out with her outside of class actually and she was very feisty. As soon as we sat down for drinks she asked and I told her about my ex’s. She seemed very curious and her eyes were darting all over the place when I was telling her. She also told me about her ex’s. Her first ex seemed very similar to my relationship with Rachel since their relationship was mostly online and they didn’t see each other much in person. Her second relationship was with her best friend but she said she had only met him in person a few times since they also again, only talked online. She said he was in China and said that he wished he asked her out before or something and she said he wasn’t too late and they ended up dating after he came back but he was being quite needy and wanting attention when she didn’t really care to give it to him. I asked her if her boyfriend now was her best friend and she said he wasn’t and she didn’t really have one since now her life seemed so segmented that she didn’t have one person she could really talk to. Around this time we started walking down toward the karaoke and another person from the Pulse was trying to catch up with us. Lorraine asked who would be my best man if it wasn’t my brother and I said my cousin since he would actually be the best man over my brother since we got along well. I found out later the person who kept calling was Dana. We went into the room after much waiting and going thru security. The tall ranga was there and Vanessa and Carinne and Sally. I spoke with Zac and Tigran for a little while and Frank. Sally and I tried to sing “Killing in the Name” but were cut off. Jazzmyn also showed up later on with a little bit of zettai ryoukai going on. I left early since my bus was leaving. Someone was calling Lorraine when I was leaving so I didn’t really say bye to her but I said bye to other people.

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ernmark · 7 years

Note

I would love a continuation of the au where juno thought peter was dead and then joined him in the brahma resistance!

A lot is going on in the world right now, and I sincerely don’t know what will and won’t be upsetting to read. Just because I think what I’ve written is fairly mild doesn’t mean anyone else will think so, so I advise you to proceed with caution.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 3.5 (Peter’s POV) | Part 4

The station on Ketaki is a small one. It was only ever meant to house a few dozen scientists and their research equipment; now it’s full to bursting with a couple hundred rebels and refugees who have to maintain elaborate schedules just to be able to fit everyone into the tiny mess hall. The original science teams bunked in three large personnel chambers– those spaces are now crammed with beds and sleeping bags, the ceiling strung with hammocks, and still there’s people squeezing into the halls.

In short, it’s not a good place to go looking for privacy. But after all this time, Juno and Nureyev have an inconvenient amount of emotional baggage to unpack, and neither of them intends to do so in front of an audience.

Fortunately, Nureyev’s already memorized the layout of the station, and he’s got a knack for disappearing.

It’s a skill set they put to use often, carving out moments away from the crushing crowd and the pressure of the looming future.

“What was it you told me in that relay?” he says with a grin that lights up the cramped little storage locker. “Say the word and you’re on your knees?”

It’s so good to see him smile.

Maybe melodrama is contagious, because Juno swears Rita’s movie nights are starting to rub off on him.

“I thought I lost you,” he blurts out in a moment of passion. “God, Nureyev. It felt like– it felt like a black hole opened up in my chest and–” That’s as far as he gets before he realizes how idiotic he sounds. He can only be humiliated by his own outburst for so long before Nureyev kisses him again and almost wipes it from his mind. He holds out hope that Nureyev forgets the little confession, too, at least until the kisses start moving lower.

Almost every time they’re intimate, Nureyev takes a moment to suck a mark onto Juno’s chest– just a little reminder that Nureyev is here and the gaping emptiness isn’t.

Juno does what he can to help the refugees track down friends and family back on the surface. The work isn’t easy, and more often than not all he can offer is conclusive evidence that the missing person is already dead. He prefers helping out in the kitchens– at least he can put to use a lifetime of producing solid meals out of an empty pantry.

Some days Alessandra pulls him in to the makeshift barracks; Nureyev’s been pulling strings to arm the rebels, but weapons don’t mean much if they don’t know how to use them. Juno can’t teach the refined combat maneuvers that Alessandra and the other veterans are using, but he can still teach the fighters how to shoot straight.

Rita is doing what Rita does best: tinkering with the security systems on Brahma, finding the cracks in their code and inserting bits and pieces of her own into the empty spaces. By the time the government of New Kinshasa starts catching up to her, she’s in too deep to get locked out. There’s something immensely satisfying about Rita’s cackle when they try.

The rebels are hijacking New Kinshasa’s broadcasts now, replacing the propaganda with footage of government abuses, interspersed with video of Nureyev. Now that Juno’s safe, there’s no more reason for him to hide in the shadows.

To the people of Brahma, he sends a message: You aren’t forgotten. Freedom is coming. Hold on, we’re almost there.

His message to New Kinshasa is far more direct.

It begins with a screaming wind and a blinding red flash of light.

The people in the square dive for cover. Parents cover their children. Musicians hug their instruments, everyone shrieking and shouting to be heard over the gale.

The light dims and the wind dies down as abruptly as they arrived, and the people look up for a few moments of stunned silence.

In the wake of what could only have been a flash of hellfire stands the Fallen Angel himself.

A constable runs at him. He doesn’t get far before he’s gunned down by a single precise blast of laser fire– only instead of the sky, the stunning strike comes from a shadowy man in a long coat, standing just a few paces behind Nureyev.

Half a dozen cameras turn their attention to the scene.

Nureyev, ever the performer, takes the stage.

“Arch Chancellor Rossignol,” he declares. She’s nowhere to be seen, but nobody in that square doubts she’ll receive this message. “The last time we met, I thought I made myself clear. It seems I was mistaken. I didn’t want to do this, but your actions have left me with no alternative.”

He raises a box– the last artifact brought over in Juno’s crates from the Martian tomb.

“As I know you are aware, I recently spent some time on Mars. I’m sure that you’re already well on your way to contacting the government of Olympus Mons about what this is and what it does. Let’s make it a little faster, shall we?”

Another pair of constables run at them. They’re stunned before they can go three steps. Unperturbed, Nureyev opens the box and retrieves the thing inside it.

“It’s called the Egg of Purus– the final weapon forged by the Ancient Martians. Living under your rule is nothing short of a life sentence, Arch Chancellor, and this is the punctuation mark that ends it.”

That’s when the screams begin in earnest. The crowd erupts into panic, the civilians running for their lives while the constables try to rush the scene. They’re fast. Juno’s faster.

When the constables fail, soldiers are scrambled to the defense– but when they arrive on the scene, the Fallen Angel and his companion are long gone, leaving behind that demonic wind and the Martian bomb.

Fear catches and spreads. The public address system blares, directing the populace to evacuate the city while bomb technicians advance on the Egg. The bomb technicians have done their research: in short order they determine that it’s real– a complete match to the one stolen from the Utgard Express. It’s a confirmed planet killer, and they have no idea how to stop it.

They can’t, of course– and not just because it was built without an off switch. Without an Ancient Martian hand to activate it, the Egg is completely inert. And without Ancient Martians for it to annihilate, it’s harmless.

But that’s a rare bit of information, known to less than a dozen living people in all the galaxy. Rita and the highest ranking members of the resistance are orchestrating the rebellion from the safety of Ketaki, well outside Brahma’s atmosphere.

Of the remaining three, one is on the surface, emerging from howling winds and blood-red light into a government office. Before the wind has a chance to fade, the cowering governor finds himself staring up the barrel of a blaster and into the face of Alessandra Strong. The same scenario is repeated in offices around the planet.

The last two materialize in the heart of New Kinshasa, the brilliant red of the teleporter fading into the demonic glow of the reactor.

Their feet barely touch the ground before Juno’s at the door, frying the panel and sealing it shut.

Nureyev doesn’t watch him work. His eyes drift to a patch of empty floor across the room. It’s innocuous, completely indistinguishable from the rest of the space, but his gaze is haunted.

“You going to be alright?” Juno asks, testing the door one last time.

Nureyev nods shakily. “There was considerably more blood the last time I was here.”

“I know,” Juno says. “I know. But there’s gonna be a whole lot less this time around. I promise.”

Even now, New Kinshasa’s citizens are fleeing the city, packing into military and rebel ships that will ferry them to safety.

People will still die– they knew that going into this. There will be someone who stays behind, someone who’s lost among the wreckage, someone who calls the bluff for what it is.

But the city has to come down. Nobody on Brahma is safe so long as New Kinshasa is in the air.

In the heart of the city, illuminated by the reactor, Juno slides down the wall beside Nureyev. His hand twines with the thief’s, and they watch the reactor core spin on its axis.

Overhead, the rebels are sweeping the city, searching for anyone who might have been left behind.

Higher still, on Ketaki, there’s talk of constitutions and finding a working system of government.

Down here, though, it’s just the two of them. After all those weeks in too cramped quarters, the space seems disconcertingly vast.

But for Nureyev, the whole universe suddenly feels much too small. His anonymity is gone. There will be no escaping this.

“Will you go back to Mars,” he asks quietly. “When all this is over?”

Juno looks down at their joined hands, short callused fingers laced with nimble long ones. “Will you?”

The question goes unanswered as the comms comes to life.

“This is Moon Goddess to Fallen Angel,” Rita says, because no coup is complete without code names. “Come in, Fallen Angel.”

“We’re here, Rita,” Juno sighs.

“The city’s empty,” she says. “Rossignol and the constables are in custody, the city is in position over the Cambric Sea, and the last ship is in position to pick you up. Go do your stuff.”

“Thanks.” Juno turns off the comms and climbs to his feet, reaching out a hand. “You ready, Peter?”

Peter lets himself be pulled upright and crosses the chamber to the core. The reactor comes out easily in his hands. An electronic voice booms what they already know: New Kinshasa will finally fall.

All those years. All those names. All that time spent running alone.

It’s finally over.

#Anonymous #the penumbra podcast #writing prompt #fanfiction

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