#bathhouse announcements

[yuukri]

if you enjoy my work please consider donating to my kofi this upcoming holiday season! every little helps <3

#chel delete this soon! #bathhouse announcements #i’m so broke rn and i’m takin less hours at work for mental health issues so even just 5$ can change enough cuz that’s the bus fare etc #maybe i’ll do kofi requests or smth during dec

[aerynwrites]

Baldur’s Gate 3 Masterlist

Halsin

Longing || part 2 - NSFW. Reader has been pining after Halsin for a while now but has hesitated to make a move due to her inexperience, little does she know - a certain Druid might just feel the same and is more than willing to show her.

Remember - A drunken night leads to confessions and Halsin still being a gentleman.

Not alone - Reader is feeling overwhelmed with the responsibilities of being the defacto leader. Halsin tries to show them they don’t have to bear the weight alone. (Requested)

Scars - Reader hates the scars they bare, but Halsin shows them that there is nothing to be ashamed of.

Lover’s Embrace - NSFW. An alchemical mishap puts reader in a situation she’s not expecting, and as usual, Halsin is there to help. aka - reader accidentally creates an aphrodisiac potion and Halsin helps her through the after effects.

Dance The Night Away - Tav/reader gets a chance to finally show off a dress she acquired some time ago, something Halsin greatly appreciates as they dance.

Cherished - NSFW! A/B/O fic with omega!fem!reader. Reader has been on supressants for years only to be faced with the ordeal of an unexpected and intense heat when she loses her supply. Halsin is there to help.

Loss - reader mourns the loss of a beloved pet. Halsin is there to comfort them. (Based on a request)

Losing You - You get injured in battle and Halsin finally feels a fear he hasn’t felt in quite some time, a confession he makes to you as he nurses you back to health.

Reciprocation - NSFW! Reader notices that Halsin is usually the one to give during intimacy, this time, reader decides to return the favor.

Mistaken Identity - the reader meets a bear in the woods, unbeknownst to her this bear is the same Druid she has a crush on.

Desire - based on a request for breeding kink with Halsin

Whittle Mistakes - Reader injures themself while Halsin teaches them to Whittle.

Peaceful Moments - Reader and Halsin spend a quiet moment together.

Send Me an Angel (Halsin x Fem!angle!Reader)

After witnessing an angel fall from the sky, Halsin takes it upon himself to nurse her back to health. But as the days go by, the shadow curse still prevails, and he starts to find out there’s more than meets the eye with his new Angel companion.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 |

Gale Dekarios

Late Nights - Gale has slipped away from you in the middle of the night - again - so, it’s your duty to bring him back to your side.

Unexpected, but Not Unwelcome - Reader announces she’s pregnant to Gale, he reacts in the best way possible.

Perks of The City - NSFW! Gale and Reader take part in all the city has to offer. Aka: they fuck in a bathhouse

Make it Right - Durge!Reader is struggling with finding out their past and their part in the absolute plot, their companions turning away from them. They decide to do go after Orin to make it right.

Masquerade of Liars - Gale and Reader take their son out to celebrate a traditional Waterdeep holiday (aka the forgotten realms version of Halloween!)

Worthy - reader/tav feels like they aren’t worthy of Gale. He’s quick to tell them otherwise.

Lost for Words - reader tried on the Wavemother Robe and shows off the new item to Gale who, well…he’s lost for words.

Dreams Become Reality - NSFW! reader has a rather…debauched dream and wakes Gale up. Good thing he’s curious and willing to satiate your fantasies.

Astarion x Halsin

Worries and Doubts - On a quiet afternoon in the forest, Astarion starts to have doubts about the future. Halsin is there to comfort him.

Love Lost - Halsin was unable to sway Astarion from ascending and now…Now he’s left to try and reconcile his love for the man he knew and the vampire lord before him now.

Dammon

Emeralds - You’ve been pinning after Dammon for quite some time now, little do you know the blacksmith feels the same way.

Fear of Losing You - (part 2 of emeralds) Reader stumbles upon the tiefling massacre in the shadow cursed lands and assumes the worst.

Bound by The Heart (and other things) - you stumble upon one of Dammon’s more…lewd books, and find out something he’s wanted to try. You eagerly volunteer.

Rolan

Freckles - you spend the morning admiring Rolan as he sleeps.

Headcanons

Halsin and Gale with Reader who tries pheromone perfume

Love languages with Gale and Dammon (SFW and NSFW)

Physical Touch and Gift Giving w/ Gale, Halsin and Dammon

Halsin as a New Dad

Dammon with a plus size S/O

Halsin and Reader Post Game

#bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #baldurs gate 3 halsin #halsin x reader #bg3 halsin x reader #bg3 x reader #Astarion x reader #bg3 Astarion #gale dekarios #gale bg3 #gale x reader #gale dekarios x reader

[gonesgone]

[🫀] / so close, yet so far.

— synopsis: you come to a realization about the love you have for Izogie.

— pairing: Izogie x black!fem!reader.

— author’s note: to me, the story is a bit sad but i still hope you’re able to enjoy reading it. thank you.

a slap to the face.

that’s what it had felt like when you heard Izogie utter those words to Nawi.

“love makes you weak.. i will be miganon one day. you cannot have both.”

it was on the night of the blood oath. the new trainees were sworn in with the rest of the agojie soldiers, officially merging them into one. the ceremony had ended a while ago but the line to the bathhouse was still lengthy. nevertheless, you didn’t mind waiting.

while looking for a quiet place to rest, you spotted the pair. they were tucked away in a small section of the palace. orange light from candles illuminating the space, as well as their bodies.

they hadn’t noticed you so all you could do was watch from afar.

watch as Izogie’s slender fingers were braiding Nawi’s hair swiftly but gently. sometimes, she would dip them in a small clay pot that held oil and continue. you could also hear that mocking tone of hers as Nawi talked about meeting a man in the jungle.

it all felt intimate.

almost as if you were watching a moment in time that was meant for them and only them.

suddenly, you found yourself feeling envious. once again, for the millionth time in these past couple months, you wished you were Nawi.

the girl who seemed destined to be a soldier.

sure during training days Nawi struggled a lot, but you could always see the zeal in her eyes. the eagerness in her steps and her hunger to learn. even though her determination often landed her in trouble, you could tell Izogie took a liking to her.

but you weren’t like her.

to say you didn’t have a grasp on being a soldier would be a huge understatement. the trainings seemed too rigorous for your body and you couldn’t succeed at hand to hand combat so you were never allowed to train with any weapons.

maybe that was why you could never get Izogie’s attention. at least not in a positive way.

you recalled the times you and the other trainees would run for miles around the outskirts of Dahomey. Izogie watched as you had came in last every time and she couldn’t even look you in your eyes.

her jaw clenched as you apologized and promised to do better, only for her to scold you in front of everyone and send you to wash up as the others continued to train.

it took everything in you not to cry each time. you were trying, truly. but it all seemed futile.

then, you found a friend in Fumbe. she arrived a bit earlier than Nawi but she resembled you a lot. for a while, you both struggled together and found a lot of relief in that.

but soon, even Fumbe surpassed you.

on the day of the final test to be a part of the agojie, you had failed. and you were the only one.

that day was one you would give anything to forget but it remained ingrained in your mind. it was the most humiliated you had ever been in your entire life and it happened in front of everyone.

including Izogie.

as tears streamed down your face, you could vividly remember the wide range of emotions her face displayed when King Ghezo announced you as the only person who lost.

shock, confusion, anger.

in that moment, you knew it was all over. your luck had finally run out. whoever failed to pass was sentenced to leaving the palace, never to return. you couldn’t even begin to think of where you would go.

you looked at Izogie who met your eyes for a brief moment before turning on her heel to speak with Nanisca and Amenza. all the other trainees stared at you, disbelief on their faces. meanwhile, Nawi was running over to join the three in their conversation.

by nightfall, you were getting ready to depart when Nanisca informed you that you wouldn’t be leaving.

apparently, Nawi had talked up a storm about how Dahomey couldn’t just abandon one of their sisters and since King Ghezo was in a good mood, they had a change of heart.

but since the test, Izogie refused to acknowledge you at all. you figured it was the ancestors’ way of punishing you for failing and you were willing to accept it, as long as you could still see her from afar.

as the days went by though, her treatment towards you became mentally painful. she only spoke to you when absolutely necessary and her sentences were short and curt. it also didn’t help that you all lived on the same grounds. you had to bare witness to her avoidance of you everyday.

when Izogie was with Nawi though, she called her by nicknames, teased her easily, let her touch her nails.

it hurt.

seeing all of that.

and then, tonight happened. you weren’t allowed to take the blood oath.

all you could simply do was watch.

and to add more salt to your wounds, here she was telling Nawi that she had no interest in love.

it made you feel like a fool.

you felt pathetic.

of course Izogie wasn’t focused on love. she was another soldier here destined for greatness. everyone admired her not just for her fighting skills, but also for her ability to balance strictness and care. she was well respected by many so why?

why did you ever think someone like her would be interested in someone like you?

it was all too much on your mental. the one time you decided to open up your heart to love, you chose to fall for the most unattainable person in Dahomey.

but maybe you always knew.

that it wouldn’t work out between you two.

it was a thought that would run through your head constantly but you buried it in the back of your mind because you had hope.

Izogie had a way of making everything seem like it was possible to achieve and for once, you dared to believe.

because when you thought of her, your heart pounded faster and harder than normal. desire ran through your veins like adrenaline. your eyes only wanted to meet hers. your ears only wanted to hear her, and your mind wanted nothing more than to feel her hands on your body and her lips on yours.

but her words were like a slap to the face.

a slap that reminded you to wake up to reality.

slowly but quickly, you backed away from the space, heading anywhere else but there.

Izogie was still braiding Nawi’s hair and they still talked amongst themselves.

a lump began to form in your throat as your tears fell.

the end.

[🫀] / so close, yet so far — extended scene.

“i will be miganon one day. you cannot have both.”

this was a painful realization that Izogie had came to a long time ago and yet, the thought of not being able to express and receive love stung her deeply.

Nawi tilts her head upwards and questions.

“will that be enough?”

Izogie’s eyes stare far off into the distance.

“it has to be.”

the younger girl furrows her eyebrows as she stares at a candlelight.

“Izogie, you cannot make me believe that you have completely closed your heart off to love.”

“and why is that?”

“i’ve seen the way you avoid her.”

the soon to be commander freezes, her shoulders immediately tense.

the one thing she had so desperately wished to keep to herself was not only known by another, it was just thrown into the wind without caution.

Izogie found herself holding her breath.

she continues braiding, eyes on Nawi’s scalp.

“i don’t know who or what you’re talking about.”

Nawi’s head shoots up, annoying her even more.

“the trainee who lost the final test. aren’t you in lov-.”

Izogie’s jaw clenches as she looks into Nawi’s eyes.

“tsetse, i want you to choose your next words very wisely.”

Nawi slowly lowers her head and they continue on her hair. They sit in silence for a while before the younger speaks again.

“why do you hide and deny your feelings for her? is it not tiring?”

Izogie straightens her posture, shoulders more wide.

“you’re buzzing around again. i have no feelings for the girl you speak of.”

“then why do you not acknowledge her? at first, i thought she had offended you but..”

“but what?”

Nawi thinks hard about what to say.

“your actions have another meaning to them.”

Izogie looks at Nawi for a while.

“explain.”

“remember when we used to run for miles as part of our training?”

“what does that have to do with anything?”

“you always punished the last five people by having them run an extra mile but you never did that with her. she always came last but you yelled at her so much about her poor performance then sent her off.”

“her performance was poor.”

“you wanted her to rest, didn’t you?”

Izogie stops braiding.

“i remember wondering why you were always so upset with her specifically but you were putting on a show, right?”

Nawi looks up at her and continues.

“yelling and kicking her out was the only way you could keep her from training without the others thinking you had a favorite.”

Izogie says nothing for a while. no witty remarks, or sarcastic comments. she only looks at Nawi.

“go on.”

“hmm?”

“what else have you noticed, tsetse?”

Nawi fully sits up in her seat, the side of her hair still unbraided but long forgotten.

“the day of the final test.”

Izogie’s tongue pokes the inside of her mouth as she scoffs.

“after the announcement was made and you were talking to Nanisca and Amenza, your face showed something i had never seen before.”

“what?”

“fear.”

the conversation was now getting too personal and Izogie wanted to put a stop to it. the feeling of vulnerability was spreading through her and it was making her sick. she wanted to tell Nawi to never speak of this to another soul. she needed a swig of whiskey, but the younger was still talking.

“i remember her coming up to me the next day, thanking me. she was beyond grateful to me and i didn’t know why. King Ghezo had called a private meeting to discuss her situation but you, Nanisca and Amenza wouldn’t allow me to enter.”

Izogie averts her gaze. suddenly, the orange hue of the palace grounds were more interesting to look at.

“you begged them to let her stay, right?”

Izogie says nothing, eyes still.

“they would’ve kicked her out without question but you must’ve advocated for her. you’re one of our best fighters and next in line to be commander. the king would’ve listened to you.”

the older still says nothing and Nawi gets worried.

“I’m sorry. i hope i have not overstepped my boundaries.”

a half-hearted smile forms on Izogie’s face as she looks back to Nawi.

“you’re really not that dumb.”

Nawi’s eyes widens. “you’re not denying it anymore. you’re in love with her, aren’t you?”

a small laugh bubbles from Izogie’s chest as she saw the excitement on her fellow sister’s face.

“you want to know why i avoid her?”

Nawi nods her head eagerly, all ears.

“she’s a reminder of what i cannot have.”

a look of confusion spread across Nawi’s face.

“what do you mean?”

Izogie stares at the dying flame from a candle.

“ever since i joined the king’s guard, becoming general has been my number one goal. every time i look at her, i lose sight of that goal and i cannot have any distractions. not after how hard i’ve worked to get here.”

Nawi sits closer.

“Izogie, she’s not a distraction. you forget about becoming commander when you look at her because love is what your heart yearns for. we fight everyday for ourselves and for our people, but we also need more than the fighting. don’t shut her out.”

Izogie sighs.

“do you think i do not want love? i want it more than anything but i cannot lead the agojie well if i still have feelings for her.”

“why not?”

“because i cannot have peace of mind when we have to step into a battlefield. i will worry about her more than the rest of you and that is not fair. when she struggles in training, i cannot have the heart to punish her or make her continue and that is not fair. when i think i may never see her again, i cannot have the strength to part ways and i—.”

Izogie pauses, her face contorting into that of pain.

Nawi is stunned, as if she herself had just came to a realization.

“you think she would be your only weakness as a leader.”

Izogie swallows hardly, blinking away the tears that pool around her eyes.

“now you understand, tsetse. i will be miganon one day. she’s the reason i cannot have both.”

#izogie #the woman king #izogie x reader #lashana lynch #izogie x black!reader #agojie #gonesgone

[mixelation]

"I wish you would write a fic where" Karin ends up in the Founders era (location up to you) and causes Problems

"I wish you would write a fic where..."

Okay, bullet point fic:

Karin is like 20-22. slightly matured from canon but still Silly, has confronted the fact that sasuke and her aren't going to happen, and looking for fun new employment opportunities but for now stuck in mom's basement oto

[insert generic jutsu accident for time travel]

karin doesn't know what the fuck is happening but she's 1000% sure there's not a chakra signature she knows and also there's no.... plumbing. is this hell? she hasn't done anything wrong in her LIFE

she goes to bother the uchiha clan because Beautiful Men. duh. also blah blah old school social rules about hospitality mean that big clans will take on unaffiliated wandering-nin. like in an old novel. what the fuck

it HAS occurred to her she could go to uzushio and claim she's a bastard or something and they'd probably take her in-- but that's far away and she'd have to dodge through multiple battle zones and like. what if she took a break and looked at pretty men? there's so many of them. *-*

hashirama and madara are both young sexy new clan leaders and the clans are at a temporary standstill while they try to negotiate an actual peace agreement and also maybe. a union? into a village? where they invite OTHER clans????

madara is experiencing Insane Feelings about hashirama 24/7 which range from "i should put his head on a pike because this is STUPID" to "if only he were a woman and then we could just unify our clans by getting married--"

anyway hashirama announces he's engaged to uzumaki mito and this triggers Extreme Jealousy in Madara except Madara will never admit this but also HE MUST MAKE HASHIRAMA JEALOUS BACK

madara and karin have had like three conversations but she dedicates a lot of time mooning over izuna because Duh. so like. madara's seen her scuttling around, fluttering her eyelashes and just HAPPENING to be there when izuna comes home or comes out of the bathhouse. he knows she's uzumaki because Hair.

anyway madara announces he is now engaged to karin in an insane LOOK I'VE GOT ONE TOO move. no he hasn't talked to anyone about it, least of all karin

(mito: uzumaki w h o m s t?)

all of the uchiha elders are like, "it's not an alliance unless we've actually TALKED TO her family??" and when pressed karin deflects by throwing a fit that she can't be engaged to izuna. it's mostly her playing up dramatics to distract from the fact that she came out of nowhere and no one can vouch for her identity, but also she's like 20% serious. izuna pretty!!!

here i also want to introduce a plot mechanism we'll revisit later, where uchiha engagement rituals involve one or both sides (non-ninja don't have to do this) going out and completing some sort of task to show off their ninja prowess. in peacetimes it's usually like grabbing an object from a difficult location or bringing home a very deadly animal. during wartimes it might be killing an enemy or stealing something from them. the more insane the thing, the more fortuitous it is for the future marriage

madara hasn't ACTUALLY done this because he doesn't ACTUALLY want to marry karin. he gives her something stupid he already has and she's like. kind of annoyed about it. hello if you're forcing her into engagement, at LEAST be romantic about it!!!!

anyway the surprise engagement doesn't phase hashirama and now madara is stuck engaged to someone he doesn't even LIKE and the uzumaki are confused but there's a bunch around for mito's wedding and so they're like "idk who this is but she's obviously one of us" and so madara has created a stupid situation where he'll offend them if he breaks off the engagement but also she's not actually important to them and therefore isn't politically useful??

also. and madara cannot stress this enough. she's horrible. she acts like a ditzy flirt on purpose but then turns around and is MEAN TO HIM and she talks back and stop looking at his brother like that

here is my vision for how they resolve the stupid situation. okay. madara is like "you have to give me a Reason to break up with you" and karin is like "okay but only if you let me marry izuna" and madara goes away and sets several things on fire and then comes back and is like. fine. if you do this, AND you can get izuna to agree, i'll let you marry him.

karin cracks her knuckles and reviews the oto playbook of how to be the most dramatic bitch in the room. it will be really hard to outshine madara, but she was trained by orochimaru himself--

here is the vision. karin, standing on the back of the kyuubi, using her chains like reigns, crashing the hashirama-mito wedding

karin: IS THIS GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOUR STUPID UCHIHA ENGAGEMENT RITUALS???

karin can't actually control the kyuubi with her chains, so all hell breaks loose immediately. madara and hashirama can both individually take the kyuubi so no one actually gets hurt, mito seal it into herself a decade early, etc. overall the senju-uzumaki guests are freaked out but hashirama laughs it off as a weird wedding gift. karin is 100% sure that if madara were like "she's a lunatic, take her back" then the uzumaki clan would accept. maybe she can hitch a ride back to uzushio. she never got izuna to fall madly in love with her but maybe madara will let her take him with her--

unfortunately now the uchiha elders are like. holy shit. you H A V E to marry her now

#ask meme answer #uuh not all of these answers are going to be this in depth lol

[trendywaifus]

2K SPECIAL EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT

wassah! as we approach 2k followers (we’re at 1,900+ rn) I’m gonna announce the special 2k event! i’m super happy that there’s so many people who love my blog! tysm for being here! now, i’m thinking about doing five fics according to each of the five weeks which involves threesomes with two of our hsr, genshin, & kny women. here’s a catch, for our hsr and genshin women, It’s gonna be a crossover.

WEEK ONE — archeron & ei ↳ double pleasure

they work together in giving you the most white–blinding orgasm you could ever have.

WEEK TWO — yae miko & tingyun ↳ how to tame a human

who knew two beautiful fox ladies could be so territorial over you?

WEEK THREE — jingliu & skirk ↳ double trouble

instead of a duel, why not fuck you to see who makes you scream the loudest?

WEEK FOUR — shinobu & mitsuri ↳ girl’s night out

having sex with two of your fellow hashira in a local bathhouse wasn’t what you expected.

WEEK FIVE — (hinatsuru implied) sumo & makio ↳ mine for the taking

in which your two wives are fighting for a spot on your face and between your legs.

I do not have the dates yet but I’ll release them here after we reach the goal!

#trendy #honkai star rail women x reader #genshin impact women x reader #kimetsu no yaiba women x reader #hsr smut #genshin smut #kny smut

[dangans-ur-ronpas]

Chapter 10

Byakuya does not get to go to bed :/

SEE HERE FOR GENERAL WARNINGS AND FIC SUMMARY

Some pre-chapter notes:

headcanoning Chihiro as transmasc here!

Byakuya throwing up death flags

This one was so much fun to write...Chihiro you are so everything to me...

beta read by @moonlighttogami!

Content warning tags: I don't think any apply here actually?

< previous - from start - next >

There’s someone outside his door as he approaches, however.

He feels a vein beginning to jump in his temple as he registers who it is. Fujisaki, the programmer, was apparently more persistent than he originally gave credit, and is hovering at the entrance of his room. She fidgets as she notices their approach, and hesitates a moment before speaking up. “Um…”

“Didn’t I make it clear that I’m not interested?” He says flatly. She cringes at that, but surprisingly, doesn’t run off this time. It seems that she had grown a spine since they last spoke. “Listen. I don’t care for women like you, especially not ones that are as fragile as paper.”

“I-I’m not here for anything like that!” She yelps, face pinking. “That…can we talk? Please? In secret?”

“You’re really going to ask that now?” He raises an eyebrow at her, unimpressed, and she colors further. “Are you that stupid?”

“Byakuya,” Makoto nudges him with his elbow. His voice is soft, careful. “Maybe you should hear her out, okay? I don’t think she would’ve come up to you if it wasn’t important.”

“I can’t imagine what she has to say that could be important to me.” He scoffs back. But Makoto elbows him again, and he sighs. “Fine. Let’s go to the bathhouse; I’ll hear you out there.”

Fujisaki turns between him, then to Makoto, as if about to ask something, but he turns and begins walking away, and hears her footsteps hurrying after him. Makoto is walking beside her, saying something with intention to comfort.

“He’s really not that bad,” he’s saying, in a tragically awful attempt at a hushed whisper. “He just doesn’t like hanging out with people.”

“I-it’s okay,” Fujisaki murmurs back, equally terrible at moderating her volume. “I don’t mind it, it’s actually part of why I need to talk to him…”

What the hell are they talking about, he thinks. He still isn’t wholly convinced that this isn’t Fujisaki’s attempt at a misplaced high-school romance, and frankly he’s not interested in having to deal with such a thing a second time in one night. But Makoto had urged him to consider it, at least, and now here they were.

In the bathhouse, he takes a seat on one of the benches, crossing one leg over the other and waiting imperiously, for Fujisaki to explain herself. The girl trembles, shaking like a leaf, until he snaps. “Well? Or did you just call me here to waste my time.”

“N-no! It’s, well…” She hesitates, and he clicks his tongue, annoyed. At once, he can hear sniffling. “U-um…”

“If you cry, I’m leaving.”

“I’m not! M’not, just- give me a moment.” There’s another sniffle, and she scrubs hastily at her eyes. “Okay. Um, Byakuya…I think I know your secret.”

There is a pause as he digests those words. But he frowns, eyes narrowing - how had she done that? Had she managed to see the contents of his envelope when Fukawa was peeking at it? “...Explain.”

“Your secret…it’s your eyes, r-right? You can’t see.” She says it slowly, cautiously, and he simultaneously feels himself relax and tense at the same time. “I-I noticed it before the motive announcement! Um, sorry…”

He doesn’t reply for a moment. To be honest, it was a relief - so it wasn’t the contents of the envelope that she knew about, but rather, his eyes - but it was also just as much a danger. Now, it was Makoto, Kirigiri, and Fujisaki who knew of his condition. “How did you realize it?”

As if bolstered by the confirmation, she perks up. “It was when you were reading! Um, during mealtimes, you’d usually have a book or something…but it was weird how you were reading it.” She taps a finger to her chin, remembering. “It was…I pay a lot of attention to how people’s pupils move, because I was working on a program before we came here that could allow people to enter a virtual world, and part of that involved tracking eye-movement, but we don’t have any equipment that could let me continue code development so I just found myself watching people’s eyes for research-”

“Stop blathering. What’s your point.”

“R-right! Um, the point is…your eyes weren’t moving like someone else’s would when they read. Rather than reading…it was like you were trying to pretend to read? Your pupils kept moving back and forth at different intervals.” Without thinking, he reaches up to touch his eyes, but catches himself, and instead adjusts his glasses. “Like…you were forgetting that you were reading, almost? When I talked to Kirigiri, she said that she suspected it too.”

“Is that why the both of you came to see me in the library the other day?”

“Y-yeah, I…I wanted to help.” There’s a determined edge to her voice, and she straightens up, confident. “Um, I was tinkering with the e-handbooks a little before the last trial, and I found out that there’s a function that can read out the apps and settings and stuff out loud…and, since there’s a camera on the handbooks, I’m pretty sure I can rig it to read other text out loud, too. Like a text-to-voice function.”

“Really?” He stands up, and grabs her shoulders. If that was true…it meant he could read things on his own. Have some semblance of control over his surroundings that didn’t rely on anyone else.

Granted, he did have Makoto read to him nearly the whole day today as they went through files, but it wasn’t necessarily the best experience for either of them. Makoto read too slowly at some points, or had difficulty with certain words, and after only a few hours had requested a break for the sake of his throat. The progress they made was less than optimal.

“U-um…” She wobbles on her heels. “P-please…”

He suddenly realizes that he must have been shaking her, and hastily let's go. “...My apologies. I got ahead of myself.” He fixes his glasses again, his sleeve cuffs, and tries to calm the small outburst of excitement. It was unbecoming of him, but…this was possibly the best news he’d received since coming here. “But please, elaborate. How would you do this?”

“Th-that’s okay…” Her face is blazing red. “Um, it’s…with this.”

She turns to the flat wall of green tiles behind her, and he belatedly realizes that it’s actually lockers. She unlocks one, and withdraws a laptop - the same one that Kyoko had found in the library - except now, as she opens the lid, it hums quietly with life.

“Hello, Master!”

Makoto gasps as a small, tinny voice chimes from the computer’s speakers. Byakuya can’t make out anything on screen beyond a vague, green glow. “What is this?”

“I-it’s a program…specifically, it’s an AI.” She sets it down on a bench, crouching in front of it. “Um, I’ve named it Alter Ego…Kyoko asked me to see if I could hack into the school network, b-but the firewall is really complex, and it’d take me a long time. A-and, I…I don’t know how long I’ll last here, so…I thought I’d make an AI that could learn and do it without me.”

To say that it’d be easier to create a fully-functioning AI in a course of a few days than to hack into a network was something that only an Ultimate-level computer programmer could say. ”That’s insane.” Byakuya says bluntly, but he can’t help but raise a hand to hide his grin spreading across his face. “Well done.”

“E-eh! Ah, th-thank you…”

Makoto keeps looking between him, then Fujisaki, then the computer, as if in disbelief. “Wait, but…how does this relate to the handbooks?”

“R-right!” She pulls her own handbook out of her pocket. “Um, I tested with my own already, and there hasn’t been anything bad yet…but you can put your own apps onto the handbooks. I…I can put a version of Alter Ego in your handbook that can read text out loud, or describe pictures, and stuff. It wouldn’t be nearly as robust as Alter Ego in the computer, but-”

“That’s perfect.” If he were a lesser man, he might’ve hugged Fujisaki for this. As it is, he claps a hand on her shoulder, nearly knocking her over with his enthusiasm. “Then, shall we get started?”

“W-wait a moment!”

Makoto grabs his arm as he’s pulling his handbook out of his pocket, nearly causing him to drop the thing. At once, he jerks his arm back, lips curling in annoyance. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Makoto stumbles backwards, thrown off. “Sorry-I just-” His face was pink, oddly enough, and he stammers incoherently for a moment. “Um…there was a rule added recently! Where we can’t lend handbooks out to each other, so…so we should be careful, right?”

He grits his teeth, crossing his arms and looking away. But as much as he hates to admit it, Makoto is right; in his excitement, he was forgetting to practice caution. If that was all it took to sway him now, he may as well step down from heir this instant.

“...If I stay here with the handbook, it should be fine.” He says, finally. “But, that does raise a different point. Surely, you’re not doing this for free. What do you really want?”

Whatever it is, as long as it wasn’t at the cost of his life, he was sure he could provide it, or, he could have Makoto help him. Fujisaki seemed smart, and likely wouldn’t ask for anything that was impossible. The girl squirms, rocking back and forth on her heels.

“It…has to do with my secret.” She says, haltingly. “Um, you see, I…I’m not…a girl.”

There’s a quiet pause as the words hang in the air. Byakuya takes a moment to process them, but for the first time in recent memory, he finds himself at a loss for words. “...Okay?”

Apparently, that wasn’t the expected reaction. “I-I’m being serious! I’m really a boy, even though I look like this-” Fujisaki tries to stand too suddenly, and slips, crashing into the ground. “Ow!”

“Makoto, help h - Fujisaki, up.” He pulls his glasses off to rub at the bridge of his nose, suddenly exhausted. “Just…explain yourself.”

It’s a story told with stutters and the occasional sniffle, but it’s not an extraordinary one in Byakuya’s opinion. It’s pitiable, certainly, and to some degree he can understand the need to conceal one’s self for the sake of personal safety and peace. But when the story is over, he can’t help the exasperated sigh that leaves him. “So is that all?”

Fujisaki nods jerkily. During his recounting, he had come close to tears no less than three times by Byakuya’s estimate, but his fists are clenched tightly at his sides. “I don’t care if you tell the others,” He says, with about as much resolution behind his teeth as a man being threatened with torture. “I was planning to tell everyone anyway. But I’m sick of how-how weak I am, and I want to change that!”

It’s an honorable reason, he supposes. He glances at Makoto, who seems dumbfounded by the whole thing, leaning against the wall of lockers. For someone who lived an average, middle-class life without such concerns, this sort of thing must be way over his head.

“Your identity is your business.” Byakuya sighs. “I still fail to see what this has to do with your offer to me.”

“Because…because you’re so strong compared to me.” Fujisaki says this in a hushed voice, face blazing again. “You never really back down to anyone, and you’re always standing up for yourself, even in front of really scary people, and- and even though you’re blind, you don’t let it get to you at all, and it’s just- it’s so- so cool.” He shakes his head, and stands up straight, turning to Byakuya. “I…I want to be strong like you.”

For a moment Byakuya wonders if this really was just a long-winded, complex confession. He’s not sure if he’s relieved or even more bemused by the reality of it. “So, in return for putting Alter Ego on my handbook, you want me to teach you to be strong?” 

Fujisaki nods eagerly.

That’s impossible, is his automatic response. He just barely keeps it locked behind his teeth. But strength - or whatever Fujisaki was mistaking for strength from him - wasn’t something that he could teach.

If he really was strong, things would be different. He wouldn’t need to follow the whims and rules established by people below him. He wouldn’t need to have Makoto follow him around, reading for him like a child. He wouldn’t lose himself to panic, freezing up in dark hallways, or grow desperate enough to try using his own body as a bargaining chip. He was not strong, not right now; he was flawed, desperate, and terribly, constantly afraid.

“...I can’t help you.” He says at last. “What you are describing as ‘strength’ isn’t something that can be taught. I only became this way because I had to, or else everything that I was would have become meaningless.” The inheritance game for his family had been an ugly one, and one that needed him to cast away meaningless sentiments. It had been painful, but the results were clear; he was victorious, while some of his siblings had suffered fates worse than death. 

Fujisaki visibly deflates, but then perks up as he continues. “You’re already strong enough, from what I can tell. You’re smart enough to recognize someone’s fallacies and prepare an appropriate set of negotiations, and you have the willpower and resolve to confess your secret to others. Those things aren’t exactly commonplace, and can be considered strengths in and of themselves.” He pauses, considering. “The only thing you’re really lacking is confidence…and for that, I can advise you, I suppose.” 

At these words, Fujisaki makes as if to say something, before Byakuya cuts him off. “However, it will come at a price.”

“A…price?”

In lieu of a response, he lifts his handbook with a smile. “Put Alter Ego on this, first, and then we’ll talk.”

__

An hour later, he’s sitting on the bench with his handbook open on his lap, a cord running between the little device and Fujisaki’s laptop.

In the end, this was the easiest workaround they could find around Monokuma’s rule on handbook possession. Fujisaki is crouched on the gorund beside him, fingers flying over the keyboard. His eyes are wide with focus, and pressed so close to the screen that his face was tinged green.

Makoto was gone. Byakuya had sent him away, despite his protests. He doubted Fujisaki’s physical capabilities in staging a murder anyways, and the prize was worth the risk. And also because the few attempts at conversation that Makoto had made were quickly shut down by the programmer, who sternly and politely requested that any outside distractions be shut out. Now, the room was almost completely quiet, the silence broken only by the soft gurgling of pipes or the whirring of the computer’s fans.

It leaves him with time to think. To mull over the events of the day. From the reveal of the second motive, to Fukawa’s actions, and Fujisaki’s offer; overall, he had lost one thing, but gained another. All things considered, it was an acceptable outcome.

There was an issue still, however. His secret - he still did not know what it was that Monokuma enclosed in that envelope, still crumpled and tucked in his inner pocket, poking at his chest. He could use Alter Ego’s text-to-speech function, but that would mean allowing that information to become data, something that the AI itself had explained when introducing itself to Byakuya earlier, at the start of the download.

“The more you use me, the more I learn, and it’ll let me do more than just hack the firewall.” The program had Fujisaki’s voice, albeit brighter and steadier, as it explained its own terms of usage. “But if you want, I can opt out of using certain information. For anything you don’t want me to remember, please let me know beforehand.”

Alter Ego had chirped this with an oddly human tone of confidence, but he found it hard to believe its words - in an enclosed space where information sources were scarce, what was stopping it from doing so anyways?

…Maybe I’m being too paranoid. He covers his eyes with a hand. Here he was, isolated in a room with no cameras, allowing Fujisaki to tinker with his handbook. Wasn't he getting too worried about the wrong thing?

“Done!”

He jerks his head up. Fujisaki has his arms raised in triumph. “I did it! Take a look at your handbook now.”

He looks down, and it still looks the same. The brightness is turned down, so he can make out individual shapes easier, but the words were still otherwise illegible to him. He taps at one of the navigation buttons several times in quick succession -

“School Regulations. Student Profile. Settings.” A robotic voice chirrups from the speaker, and he nearly drops it in surprise. “Applications. Date and time.”

“You can use the navigation buttons to swap between the tabs…and it’ll say out loud what tab you’re on.” Fujisaki explains, as he gathers up the cord. “You can also change the volume output with those buttons on the side. If you select a tab, it’ll read out what’s in it…um, it might be easier to figure it out by working with it yourself, though.”

“Show me how to use the text-to-speech first.”

He tests the function with a poster on the wall. After a moment of held-breath silence - 

“‘Rules of the bathhouse.’”  Alter Ego’s voice, more human-like than the automatic one of the handbook, is even and monotone through the tiny speakers. “‘Do not run or horseplay. Clean up after yourselves. And most importantly, practice safety and respect!’“

Byakuya barely manages to contain the palpable elation that threatens to break his composure. As it is, he humors Fujisaki’s giddy, tentative offer of a high-five, a grin threatening to split his face.

“I don’t offer praise freely, you know.” He says, closing the handbook and tucking it, safely, preciously, into his breast pocket. “But if you happen to be in the market for a job once we’re out of here, feel free to keep me in mind.”

As if that would ever happen. Based on what he’s seen, his work was unparalleled, and there were probably countless companies falling over themselves waiting for him to graduate. But Fujisaki laughs, and nods.

“Sure, I’ll put you on the list.” He replies with a smile, and the cheekiness of his words is not lost on Byakuya. To go from timid and trembling to this in the span of evening…

It seemed that he was going to be just fine.

< previous - from start - next >

#thpff chapters #thpff #byakuya togami #danganronpa fanfiction #chihiro fujisaki #is he byakuya. is he going to be 'just fine'.

[yuukri]

hi hi! chellywrites -> yuukri :D

#i changed on ao3 a while ago but forgor to do that here ! yuukri = japanese for ‘slowly’ which pace of my writing/vibe of my writing :D #i am also making a kofi ! for tips :D #bathhouse announcements

[blueiskewl]

Archaeologists Discover 'Exceptional' 2,000-Year-Old Female Marble Statue

An "exceptional" marble statue from the Roman era has been discovered in Italy, researchers have announced.

The statue dates to around 2,000 years ago—somewhere between the middle of the 1st century B.C. and the mid-1st century A.D.

Researchers from the Spanish School of History and Archaeology of Rome (EEHAR)—part the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)—located the statue, which depicts a female figure, during excavations at the archaeological site of Tusculum.

The ancient city is located in an area known as the Alban Hills, which lies on the outskirts of Rome. In ancient times, this area—known for its luxurious villas and country houses—was often used by the rich as an escape from the capital.

The life-sized statue is in excellent condition and of high quality, although it is missing the head and parts of the arms, according to the researchers. It probably once belonged to an ancient bathhouse in the city.

"This is an exceptional discovery. At the time of discovery, only part of the statue's back was visible and it was lying on a thin layer of painted stucco, so it would be part of the ornamental program of the thermal baths," EEHAR director Antonio Pizzo said in a press release.

Some characteristics of the statue have led researchers to conclude that it may have been linked to the cult of the god Dionysus. For example, the statue features a depiction of a fawn skin that the followers of the god's cult wore.

Dionysus, also known as Bacchus, was a Greco-Roman god of wine, fruit, vegetation, fertility, ritual madness and ecstasy, among other traits.

By ARISTOS GEORGIOU.

#Archaeologists Discover 'Exceptional' 2000-Year-Old Female Marble Statue #Tusculum #Alban Hills #the god Dionysus #marble #marble statue #roman marble statue #ancient artifacts #archeology #archeolgst #history #history news #ancient history #ancient culture #ancient civilizations #roman history #roman empire #roman art

[hunnythebee]

Hi there, I like your one shots of Tech and Hunter. Would you mind writing something romantic Wrecker? Maybe he gets injured and reader takes care of him? Up to you! Thanks. : )

Oh you have no idea how badly I've been wanting to write something with him, and now you've given me the perfect excuse. This fic is pure fluff and romance. I hope you like it ♥️

Touches

After an encounter with Wrecker at the bath house in upper Pabu, you're realizing that the feelings you have for him may not be purely platonic, and he feels it too.

2.6k words - first person - gender neutral

Tags & Warnings; Wrecker x Reader, Wrecker x gn!Reader, fluff, mildly suggestive themes (nothing explicit), friends to lovers, massage, bathhouse, competitive Wrecker, competitive Reader, naps, cuddling, Wrecker is king of consent, one bed (bath in this case) trope, Pabu

Being on Pabu was like living in a dream. Even after the devastation left in the wake of the tidal wave, it was pure serenity after being on the run for so long. When Hunter had announced that we were staying, even if for a short time, I felt a weight fall from my shoulders. The next day we all started to help with cleaning up around the village. Hunter was working with the Mayor to find people places to shelter while rebuilding. Tech and Phee were helping to assess what materials would be needed to rebuild. Omega was somewhere on the island with Shep’s daughter, which made me feel so happy that she had a friend her own age. As for me, I was on clean up with my favorite person and best friend. Wrecker. He could make any situation fun. In this case, we were competing for largest pile of seaweed. The houses were covered in it, and filling cart after cart had gone from tedious to exhilarating. Announcing over the comms what number we each were at every hour, kept us going all the way till sunset. After the day was done, we were invited to utilize the bathhouses that were located in upper Pabu. Actually it was more like we were begged to use the bathhouses because in truth we stank so bad after handling seaweed and sweating all day.

As I poured water over my self and washed out all the grime from my hair, I tried to remember the last time I had bathed like this. It couldn’t have been less than a month since I had scrubbed clean with unlimited water. It was a revelation. Once my skin felt clean and the water from my hair ran clear I made my way to the baths. Well actually it was more like… bath. I slid the door open and locked eyes on a stark naked Wrecker stepping into the hot water. My eyes widened and I averted my gaze. “Oh! Oh my! I’m so sorry!” I shouted, pulling my towel tight around me and startling him. I heard a loud splash and chance a peek. Wrecker was fully submerged in the water except for his head. He looked ridiculous and I couldn’t help but laugh. His expression was just as bewildered as mine.

“I thought that they meant… private baths. I didn’t– I didn’t think we would be… erm… sharing,” his face was cherry red. I bit back another laugh.

“Well it would appear it’s just the one… I can always come back when you’re done if that would make you more comf-” my sentence was interrupted abruptly by Wrecker.

“No!” He stood up and his chest was in full view. I had never seen him so… bare. I had always imagined him being very visibly muscular, but I was mistaken. He had prominent pectorals and a soft belly. Across his chest and down his stomach were dark hairs, they tapered down towards… I averted my gaze again. This time I was the one turning cherry red. Wrecker noticed and immediately spun around.

“I have an idea…” I announced.

He cleared his throat, “I’m… uh… listening.”

“The only problem is that we don’t want to see the other, right?” I posed the question.

There was a long pause. “Right,” he finally said.

“Well, if you promise not to look. Then I promise not to look. Deal?” I offered.

“Deal.” I could hear the grin he was wearing. He waded in further as I approached the steps leading in. I dropped my towel and sank into the warm water. I sighed as my muscles relaxed. I dipped down into the water to my neck, copying him.

“Okay… it’s safe.” I announced. He turned around and faced me, but still avoiding looking at me. The first minutes were… uncomfortable. I decided to try to break the tension.

“I hope you know I’m going to beat you tomorrow.” I proclaimed, knowing that his competitive side was his weakness. He let out a hearty laugh.

“In your dreams!” He declared.

I glared at him playfully, despite him not meeting my gaze. “Hey! I almost beat you today!”

“Ha! You wish!” He laughed again, finally looking at me. Once we passed that hurdle the rest of the bath was actually really relaxing. I sighed as the warm water soothed my aching muscles. I brought a hand up and started rubbing at a stubborn knot in my neck. Wrecker took notice and nodded at me, “You okay?”

I hissed in pain, “Yeah… it’s just this stupid knot. It’s been killing me for weeks.” Nothing I was doing was relieving it. I had my eyes screwed shut as I was trying to work it out in the hot water and I had been so focused I hadn’t heard him move toward me. When I opened my eyes he was standing right in front of me. His chest in full view again.

“Turn around,” he ordered. 

“What for?” I asked.

He folded his arms across his chest, had he always been this large, and asked me in return “Do you trust me?”

“Well… yeah of course.” I responded.

“Then…” he made a circle gesture with his index finger. This time I didn’t protest.

“Can you stand up a little more please?” He requested. “I promise I won’t look.” I stood up out of the water until I felt a hand on my shoulder. “There’s good. Thanks.” Then the hand on my shoulder started to knead and my tense muscles.

“Oh… Oh that’s nice…” I let my eyes roll back and I melted into the action. “I didn’t know you knew how to do this.” I stated.

“I’m full of surprises,” teased Wrecker. He worked his hands along my aching shoulders and neck until he found the knot. The moment he pressed into it a moan escaped my lips and we both froze. I felt a heat cross my cheeks and felt embarrassment bloom in my chest. I buried my face in my hands and began apologizing profusely.

“N-no need. It’s a normal response. But just… do you want me to help you with this knot or would you like me to stop?” He was being so kind and sincere about all of this, and I felt such security with him.

“I want to keep going… please.” My voice was small but he still heard me.

He still didn’t move his hands quite yet, and he spoke, “You make whatever sounds you need to then.”

I nodded and breathed out deeply as he began to work the knot in my neck. Despite what he said I still tried to hold back the noises, but then he hit a particular tender spot and I whimpered. From that point all the noises were free, grunts, moans, whines, all of it. But not once did he laugh or say anything about it. Eventually the knot was completely gone, and I hadn’t felt this good in weeks.

Wrecker patted me on the shoulders and said tauntingly, “See? Aren’t you glad you trust me?”

Without thinking a tipped my head back against his chest and said “I’ll always trust you…” It took me a moment to realize what I had just done. Sheer embarrassment flood my veins and I rushed out of the bath, thanking him hurriedly and covering myself in the towel. I dressed quickly so he wouldn’t be able to catch up to me. What was going on? Why was I thinking like this? I never used to get like this with him… these thoughts kept me up all night.

Wrecker and I met as usual that morning, acting like nothing happened last night. But I still couldn’t get him out of my head. I lost to him again purely because I was distracted by watching him moved bundles of wood in the sun. He ended up finishing long before me.

“Come find me when you’re finally done.” He had teased before heading back to the peak. After such a long day it felt good to fall back into the shade of the tree at the summit. Wrecker leaned up against the trunk with his armor in a heap nearby. He had his arms comfortably tucked behind his head and his eyes shut. My eyes lingered on his biceps, tracing over the prominent veins and sculpted muscle. Had his arms always looked this good? His head tipped to the side slightly and he spoke softly.

“How was your day?” Wrecker asked. He had always taken a genuine curiosity in what I had going on in my life, but I was only now starting to recognize it. Talking with him always gave me a warm feeling, and he always left me smiling. More things I hadn’t noticed until recently.

“It was good,” I offered him a sweet smile. “Long and a bit exhausting but good.” 

Wrecker returned my smile with a large grin of his own. He patted the patch of grass beside him, inviting me to come sit beside him. I crawled toward him on all fours, which he seemed to watch with a mixture of amusement and… something else I couldn’t quite place. I took my place next to him against the tree.

“It’s much more comfortable against the tree, don’t you think?” He teased, putting his hands back behind his head. I took a deep breath and smelled something wonderful. A heavy scent of chopped wood, sunlight, and an indescribable sweet musk. I turned my head toward the man beside me and took another whiff. This time he heard and lowered his arms.

“Oh, sorry. I probably stink,” he laughed.

I shook my head and replied, “Not at all. Actually, you smell kinda… good.”

He raised an inquisitive eyebrow at me, as if what I said was something in a different language. “What?” I asked, feeling a little defensive.

He suppressed an amused smile and shook his head as he returned to his prior position, “Nothin’. Just… no one’s ever said I smelled good before.”

I bit my lip and felt a blush bloom across my cheeks. Why was I feeling this way around him now? I hadn’t recognized it till last night but Wrecker makes me feel a flutter in my stomach when he looks at me or touches me in any way. That didn’t used to happen before. Or… or maybe it has been happening all along and I just never had the chance to notice because there was always something else. Now I was relaxed, and he’s right there. I shifted and my thigh brushed against his and I felt my heart leap in my chest. I decided to just stay still and close my eyes. 

This is Wrecker, I reminded myself. I have nothing to be nervous about. This is still the same man who has given me lessons in explosives and shared mantell mix with. Nothing has changed. He’s still my closest friend and… and… my thoughts went blank as his arm fell onto my shoulders.

My head was spinning and my heart was racing. Wrecker must have noticed me tense up or my breathing quicken because he shifted next to me and spoke my name softly into my ear. Chills erupted all over my skin and I turned my head to look at him.

“Yeah?” My voice was trembling.

“Is this okay?” He asked, “Because if you don’t like it I can-” he had started to remove his arm, but I had moved without thinking and had grabbed his hand to keep him in place.

I chewed my lip nervously, my eyes still fixed on him. He took his free hand from behind his head and used his large thumb to pull my lower lip from between my teeth. I took a shaky breath as he did so.

“Relax… it’s just me. You don’t have to be nervous,” he ran his thumb across my lower lip once and removed his hand. I melted under the touch. With that reminder and a deep breath I was able to relax into him. My head fell against his chest and I was shocked to hear that, despite his composure, his heart was racing even faster than mine. I smiled to myself, happy with the fact that he was feeling the same way.

He’s feeling the. Same. Way.

“Wrecker,” I attempted to move, so I could ask him my burning question. However his large arm curled around me and held me tighter to his chest.

“Shhh… it’s okay. I want to enjoy this for now. We can talk later…” he soothed and assured me. I nodded against his chest in agreement, but I wasn’t going to just drop this. After sitting together like that a little longer it began to feel…normal. Natural even. His breathing had turned to snoring, and those snores lulled me to sleep.

I didn’t wake up until it was late into the night. Wrecker had shifted in his sleep, and in the process lifted me from my spot, as I was now curled up in his lap as he cradled me in his arms. I sat up slowly, not wanting to wake him up. However, he was already up. “Did you sleep well?” His voice was still gritty with sleep, and it was like music in my ears.

I sat up and blinked at him. I still had sleep in my eyes, but I could make out his face perfectly. His tan skin was illuminated by the light of the moon that was high in the sky. 

It took me a moment to wake up enough to form words, but it finally happened, “Y-yeah. I did actually.”

“Good,” he pulled me in to a warm hug and softly admitted, “Me too… best sleep ever.”

I buried my face in his neck and took a deep breath. 

I spoke without thinking, “I want to live in this hug. This is home.”

He held me tighter into him, “This is home.” He repeated back in agreement.

“Wrecker, I-” I pulled back from the hug to look into his eyes, but lost all words when I saw the way he was looking at me. He had the warmest smile and his eyes were flicking between mine and my lips. Both his hands came up to cup my face and we simultaneously leaned into each other Our lips crashed into each other in a soft but needy kiss. Like all of the years of compassion for each other was being expressed in this singular kiss. His tongue grazed against my bottom lip. A silent question, that I happily answered ‘yes’ to by allowing him entry. He tasted divine. I hummed happily into the kiss and sank into him. His hands glide down from my face to my waist. I wrapped my arms around the back of his neck and we remained in this embrace for an eternity, or at least till we ran out of breath. Finally we broke apart, breathlessly.

He chuckled contently, and brought his hand back up to brush through my hair, “I have been wanting to do that since our second night here…” he confessed.

“Why…didn’t you?” I breathed out with my nose tucked against his.

“I wasn’t sure you felt the same way… I needed to make sure you wouldn’t hate me if I did…” he sounded so sincere.

I pulled him into another kiss, softer and shorter than the last one. Then I responded, with my mouth still against his, “I could never hate you.”

He smiled against my mouth and kissed me again. This time he shifted me in his arms, and with breaking away, he stood up and set me down on the ground. The moment our lips parted he pulled me into a tight hug and lifted me off the ground, spinning me in circles.

“I’m so happy. You make me so happy," Wrecker stated. He pressed his lips to mine once more, and I was in pure bliss.

Masterlist

#the bad batch fanfiction #the bad batch fanfic #the bad batch #tbb #tbb fanfiction #tbb fanfic #bad batch fanfiction #bad batch fanfic #bad batch #wrecker x reader #reader x wrecker #you x wrecker #wrecker x you #fluff #pure fluff #romance #friends to lovers #request

[hesawifebeaterdanusethegun]

The Scientific Method

Part 1 Part 2

Part 3 Part 4

Part 5 Part 6

Part 7 Part 8

Part 9

She went back to her hiding spot and waited for the door to appear again. She prayed that it would, and that Daniel would come walking out of it.

John was strapped to a round apparatus in the center of the lair of the Strangers when Daniel appeared, walking slowly, his body encased in a medievalesque torture device, an iron cage wrapped around him with limited space to move his head and legs. He was unable to take more than one tiny step at a time.

 “It is time for our experiment to move into a final phase. We no longer need the other subjects. The time for study is over. It is time to be one with John Murdoch,” Mister Book announced to the crowd of Strangers surrounding the center of the room. “The time has come, Doctor. Imprint,” he commanded. He handed Daniel a syringe filled with black ichor.

Daniel slowly approached John, the syringe in hand. He had a plan, one last chance to save the City, to save Kat. He strapped John’s head to the “table” with a rubber strap to keep him still.

“What are you doing?” asked John.

“They want to imprint you with their own collective memories. They want to make you one of them, so they can share your soul.” As Daniel spoke, his free hand snaked into the breast pocket of John’s jacket, removing the syringe he had stored there at the bathhouse.

“I’m sorry, John. The pain will only last a moment.”

“No.” John croaked.

Daniel drove the needle into the center of John’s forehead, penetrating the skull and injecting the syringe’s contents directly into his frontal lobe. Memories flooded John’s mind, but they’d been tampered with, altered somehow. Daniel’s visage appeared in many of them, giving him a lifetime of memories in which he harnessed his power, understood it, and understood his task: to destroy the Strangers. He finally knew everything that Daniel had been trying so desperately to make him understand. John had the power to make anything happen in this place, and was the only one who could take on the Strangers.

“Remember, John. Remember,” whispered Daniel, watching as John’s eyes rolled back into his head, as he absorbed a lifetime of knowledge from a single syringe. John’s eyes opened, flashing silver as he harnessed his power to free himself, the machine he was strapped to melting into the metal of the floor. Daniel was freed as well, falling to the floor as his restraints suffered the same fate.

John and Mister Book were pitted against each other and destruction ensued. Daniel ran, he had to get to Kat, had to get out of this place. He rushed over the catwalks installed throughout the cavernous room to get to the surface. The roof was caving in and he concentrated on avoiding getting crushed by debris as he was thrown upward by the extreme force of John’s psychic ability. He landed on a crushed car, rolling into a pile of broken stone and brick.

As the two titans clashed he rushed through the alley, frantically searching for Kat. He knew she’d followed them to the Strangers’ lair, she was too stubborn not to. He found her in a corner, curled into a ball and shielding her head with her arms. He pulled her to her feet and dragged her behind him to a safer location, one further away from the destruction. He pushed her behind him, her body pressed against his back, her back to the corner of two buildings. She continued to shield her head as Daniel watched the altercation between the two psychic powerhouses.

The destruction was phenomenal, akin to a natural disaster. Buildings toppled and crushed cars, thick dust choked the air, and the mayhem resulted in the destruction of a large water tower, flooding the area.

The water soaked Mister Book along with an entire city block, destroying the corpse driving creature, and flooding the remnants of the lair of the Strangers, eradicating any that hadn’t yet expired due to the severing of their psychic link with their leader.

Daniel watched it all in awe, Kats hand clutched tightly in his own as they watched the jellyfish-like creature emerge from the head of Mr. Book, dissolving into an ash-like substance and being washed away.

He turned to Kat, frantically checking for injuries now that the danger had passed and the last of the debris had fallen.

“Kat, are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“I’m okay, Daniel. Are you okay? What happened in there?”

“I’ll be fine. I guess their fear of water was justified,” muttered Daniel with a small snicker. “I’ll explain everything later.”

She pulled him into a tight embrace.

“I was so scared I’d lose you,” she said.

“Me too, I don’t know what I would have done if anything had happened to you,” he told her. “Kat, I… I didn’t tell you before because I was scared of what you might say, but…” he paused, forming his words carefully. “Earlier I told John that the only place home existed was in his head. That might be true for him, but my home is standing right in front of me. I might have a weak heart, Kat, but it’s been yours since you walked through that door of my office.”

She smiled, grabbing his collar and pulling him into a deep kiss.

“I love you, too, Daniel. So much,” she told him.

They watched together as John lowered himself, landing safely on the ground. They turned to look at him. He held Kat close as he spoke.

“I knew you could do it, John. You have their power now. You control their machines. What are you going to do now, John?” asked Daniel.

“You told me I had the power. I can make these machines do anything I want. Make this world anything I want it to be, as long as I concentrate hard enough.” He turned from Daniel and Kat, his eyes flashing silver. They heard the sound of vast amounts of water gushing from the machines below, the roar not sounding as if it would stop anytime soon. They could smell the saltwater as it spread below them, surrounding the City, forming an ocean. He really could control their machines. John turned to leave.

“Where are you going?” Daniel asked him.

“Shell Beach,” he responded without turning around. As he walked away, the City seemed to repair itself, the buildings and cars returned to their previous states as he passed them.

As the sun rose on the City for the first time, Kat and Daniel turned to each other, their hands entwined.

“Let’s go home,” she said.

He kissed her again and smiled.

A HUGE thanks to my friends @stinkyhorsebitch and @blue-eyes-broken-heart for reading over my work and giving me advice and some ideas! <3 you guys!

And thank you to anyone who read this far, I appreciate it so so much!

#sci fi #my writing #doctor daniel schreber #the scientific method #dark city #kiefer sutherland #kieferposting

[maddymoreau]

I LOVE that we ended up having the same favorite companion, Raul is the best!!

YESSSSSSS 🤝!!!!! RAUL REALLY IS THE BEST!!!!!! I LOVE HIM AND HIS STORY SO MUCH!!!!!!!!

His line before the Second Battle of Hoover Dam made me AN EMOTIONAL MESS ( ᵒ̴̶̷̥́ _ᵒ̴̶̷̣̥̀ )!!!!!!

I’M HIJACKING THIS ASK TO RAMBLE ABOUT MY HEADCANONS INVOLVING RAUL!!!

• He’s AroAce

• When upgrading the Presidential Suite in the Lucky 38, Madison (Courier Six) gets the Sunset Sarsaparilla Vending Machine just for Raul. While it comes out of her pay Mr. House restocks it regularly.

• Raul and her both LOVE and bond over sweets. In the beginning Raul would play the 😔 “At my age this might be my last chance to enjoy something sweet” card. It worked every-time on her.

• When Raul gets bubble gum he gives her the temporary tattoo it comes with. Madison hands them out to kids she encounters on her travels (Freeside, The Boomers ETC.)

• She indulges Raul’s sweet tooth to the point he has to go see Dr. Usanagi to get a bad cavity fixed and a few teeth implants.

• Raul teaches her about basic weapon repair. However not enough that she doesn’t need him.

• Together they collect the Star Sunset Sarsaparilla Caps. While not surprised they're both disappointed by the reward. Raul keeps the Pew Pew gun while Madison gives the toy deputy badges to kids.

Afterwards they continue to collect the Star Sunset Sarsaparilla Caps. Inside the Lucky 38 there’s a jar filled with them.

• Out of all the human companions, Raul is the one Madison trusts the most. She will privately discuss Mr. House's plans and what he wants her to do. Madison loves all her companions but knows not everyone would support the actions Mr. House deems necessary. Madison believes once they see the results, they’ll understand. Which obviously isn't the case.

Other companions are uncertain, but Raul is completely aware how loyal Madison is to Mr. House.

Arcade is the best example saying, “I have to say I don't understand where you're going with Mr. House. The man's been manipulating the locals for as long as anyone can remember. If you help him kick the NCR and Legion out, he's going to keep right on doing it. The people in Freeside will be just as bad off as they ever were. If you can find a way to push Mr. House out of the picture as well, I think everyone will be better off."

• Before Raul leaves for his own journey post game, Madison gives him a custom medal. She designed it but commissioned Michael Angelo to make it. It’s something Raul always wears.

• Although Raul becomes the Ghost-Vaquero who hunts down those who prey on the weak. Raul still makes it a point to visit her from time to time. He knows she’d miss his beautiful face.

• While unintentional when Raul visits they ALWAYS end up taking a nap together. They’ll be sitting on one of the couches talking then BOOM knocked out. Old habits die hard.

• Since Madison’s medicine skill is really high she’ll massage Raul and try to help him with his pain.

• Speaking of which after the Second Battle of Hoover Dam Madison’s first luxury purchase is renting out the ENTIRE Ultra-Luxe Casino’s bathhouse.

I imagine they don't typically allow Ghouls in there so she uses this chance to try and help Raul.

Since soaking in salt water has a lot of benefits for your health like easing muscle cramps, relieving stiffness in joints, back pain ETC. She wants to show Raul her appreciation for everything he’s done for her. Also they’re both extremely sore after that huge battle.

I’m not sure if the saltwater used in the Ultra-Luxe Casino is sterile but if it is it’d also be good for any open wounds Raul might have as a Ghoul.

• Madison offers to cover the entire cost for Raul to be put in a chamber similar to Mr. House’s. However he rejects her offer. When Raul eventually dies she broadcasts a recording of a mariachi band through every radio. She doesn't announce his death wanting the legend of the Ghost-Vaquero to live on forever.

This exchange perfectly describes their bond:

Madison: "Come, Raul, adventure awaits!"

Raul: "Sorry boss, but as much as I'd like to risk getting killed by your side, you seem to already have some help." or "Words cannot contain my excitement at the chance to throw myself headlong into danger with you again, boss."

#To clarify Raul doesn't die young or anything. Raul could live another 200+ years. #Madison will just always outlive him because she did get put into a chamber similar to Robert's. #ALSO THIS LINE OF HIS KILLS ME -> #If we run we might still catch Benny! Well you might. I'll just be wheezing along behind you. #Fallout New Vegas #MaddyMoreauPost #Raul Tejada #Long Text #Long Post

[k-dokja]

You know the drill... 407

Another sigh heaves out of you. Not only Samuel had been moody all day, you somehow forgot your charger when packing to travel. Even your portable battery had gone dry, all because you didn't charge your phone beforehand. It's pretty annoying to run out and buy a new one, but you really have no choice.

You'd better die than go blind from your information network for more than five minutes.

Because of that, the moment you dressed up and left the bathhouse, you were quick to leave the group in order to remedy this situation. Even if it's dangerous to go out alone this late at night alone, you don't think any of the Suwon would catch you... yet. Can never be too careful, but acting too suspicious would warrant unnecessary attention. Either way, you only plan to leave for a little while, there really shouldn't be any problem in the span of fifteen minutes.

Except for finding an open mobile phone retail store turns out to be a bit of a trial.

After thirty minutes of running around and searching, your mind goes into a haywire with the future separation anxiety you'll have with your phone. The battery stands at 35% at this moment, but it won't be enough to last for the remainder of your trip. Honestly, if you have the time, you would've gone to Coupang and gotten this over with.

However, as all hope is thought to be lost, you spot an Apple store around the corner. The burst of joy you experience the moment your eyes set upon it can only be called pure giddiness.

Your legs deliver you there before you can think otherwise.

"Ah!"

Though, really, why did you think your life can be that easy?

Ten meters from your destination, you're suddenly blocked by a large body. Your reflex helps you sidestep them, but then another one shows up and stops you again. Again, you dodge out of the way.

All until you realize that you're surrounded by a circle of large men. From the look of it, Suwon no doubt.

"Crap, seriously?" You mutter, running your hand through your hair in frustration. It's late in the evening, you only bathe a few odd minutes ago. Well, half an hour ago. You really don't want to break another sweat. Although... from your search alone, you probably need another shower when you're back anyway.

"Ha, boss! Are we really dealing with this puny—"

The knee you collide with his face effectively stops the goon from finishing the sentence.

Really, can't they see you are in a hurry? "Stop with the chit-chat," you sigh when your foot connects with the face of the one next to him, "you sound like s—" you almost say Samuel "—some two-bit villains."

It's a bit of a mess afterwards. Trying to stay clean while the blood splatters is a trial, but you guess you manage. At least, until the seventh and the final one you put your hands on. His blood vessels collapse underneath the force of your elbow. You step back to avoid his choked-out blood, but it fails to stop the damage from spreading.

You now have blood on your shorts. "Ugh, not the shorts."

Before you can lament the cost of your laundry, an unseen force comes up from behind you. "Stop messing aro—"

Unfortunately for the attacker, announcing their presence before attacking bodes pretty poorly on their side. You turn before the impact is made and find their leg sailing past you. Well, at least before you grab it and sweep the ground with them.

It is only when you throw him down on the concrete that you recognize that man. Unlike any of the others you had beaten the moment prior, his suit puts him on the higher-ups of Suwon. If only you can pull your phone out and check, you wouldn't be this annoyed.

However, from what intel you remember, this is neither Ji Changyong nor Lee Dosoo.

"Well... whatever."

Another sigh slips past your lips. The man has a meagre second to recover before you strike again. Letting go of his leg, you drop a kick on his stomach before he can get up. Another to the face. Then another. And another. One more to the stomach. Another.

You hop down from the body when he no longer responds with his grunts of pain. After nudging his body to check for consciousness, you stand up and dust your hands. For a moment, you almost pat yourself on the back for the quick clean-up. Only a moment, however, since you immediately remember what you're there for.

"Ah, crap, the charger!"

You hurry inside, ignoring the stunned looks of the store employees. Whether they have witnessed the fight or not, you cannot care less. You're there on one mission only and that is to find a new charger.

Normally, an employee would've come up to assist you. However, after what happened five minutes ago in front of their store, you don't think anyone is keen on annoying at that moment. Fortunately for you, your search is easy as it comes thanks to the sparse interior design of the store. Nothing says impersonal like an Apple store.

Pushing the thought aside, you put the charger at the checkout. However, before you can pull out your credit card, another hand slips a familiar card down on the counter.

"If you want to buy anything else, go and grab it," Samuel shows up dressing in casual clothes. Blue hoodie with complementary white shorts. If you don't know any better, you would've thought he was born in suits, but this proves otherwise.

You stare up at him, hiding your surprise as quick as it comes. "How did you find me?"

"...There's a trail of bodies outside the store," he says easily, "and we have our locations shared."

"Ah," yes, that. "Wait..." You lean closer to him, taking a sniff in the air. No doubt about it, you are never wrong when it comes to this scent. It annoys Samuel before, he has alluded you to a shark... a tiny pet shark, but a shark nonetheless. "You smell of blood, too."

His face twitches imperceptibly, "I ran into a bit of trouble with Suwon... they're pretty disappointing, though."

"Really, who did you get?"

He shrugs, "Ji Changyong, for all of that flair, he can't even swim." The answer makes you gape a little, only because of how disappointingly weak the number one of Suwon turns out to be. No—Maybe that's because Samuel is too strong for his level. Either way, that's not your problem at the moment. Indeed, your problem is another matter entirely.

You turn to the store employee, and a smile too sweet takes precedent on your face. "Can you get me the Macbook Pro—"

Samuel says your name in warning. Even if he didn't, the stare he hands you is one you cannot miss. "What? You said to grab anything else I want to buy."

"You don't need a Mac, you don't even use Mac." He deadpans. "Stop trying to spend money indiscriminately."

You humph at him in answer, "I don't need it, but I want it and you say to grab what I want."

"I'm retracting my credit card."

Immediately, you change your tune. "Dearest Samuel, don't be like that~" You hug his arm and give him soothing pats. "I will just grab a new pair of AirPods, okay? Please be benevolent."

He humphs back in return. You almost want to kick him has it not been him who's paying. Really... you're no beggar, but if free money ought to be offered, you're not going to turn it down.

#samuel seo #samuel seo x reader #lookism #lookism x reader #fics

[anordinaryarchitect]

13.09.2023 - 31/100 Productive Day

I would like to announce that I am officially starting work!! I will work in the field of conservation and restoration. We will prepare the survey, restoration and restitution projects of mansions and a bathhouse damaged in the earthquake. Today, officials from out of town came to measure the mansions. We worked with them.

#architecture studyblr #architect #study motivation #studyblr #architecture #study blog #studyspo #architecture student #productivity challenge #100 days of productivity

[vincess-princess]

in darkness shall you be reborn

Chapter 12.

Word count: 1938 Warnings: nothing out of the ordinary for this fic A/N: nobody could see this coming, especially not me. this one is small but i'm done with exams (and i entered the masters program i wanted!) so i hope you'll see more of this fic soonish

Vince woke up to the sound of waves crushing against the hull of the ship. They were in the sea – again, after only a day on solid land. The day they came to Port Royal Vince could still see his ship in the fog behind the Shout – but when he and Nikki returned at night, it was already gone as if it never existed. The captives too, and Shout soaked in their fear like it did with hundreds of others, and nothing now reminded of their existence anymore. Nothing except Vince. He was the last remaining link between the pirates and his ship and crew.

Vince wondered why Nikki was so keen on leaving Port Royal so quickly, giving his tired crew only a day on firm land – was he afraid of being tracked? did he have problems with Port Royal authorities? - but by this time Mick noticed he wasn’t sleeping anymore.

“Mornin’, blondie,” he promptly handed Vince a pile of plates to fill with porridge, ignoring him wincing at another stupid nickname. “Now that I can see that, at least. How the hell did you manage to persuade Sixx to stop by a bathhouse? He ain’t a big fan of grooming.”

“Talked a slaver into a good deal.” Vince shrugged and carefully placed the pile onto the counter. Too many plates had already suffered a poor fate from his clumsy hands.

“You?” Mick snorted. “You ain’t got a hint of diplomatic talent in you. You speak before you think. You can just tell the slaver liked your looks. It’s fine.”

“You think I’m lying?” Vince flared up. “I may be not the smoothest talker – that’s true – but I’m not just a trophy, even if Nikki thinks otherwise. The man paid me no mind until I spoke. He liked my attitude.”

“Well, you certainly have enough of that,” Mick sighed. “Too much for your own good, really. And how the hell did you stain the shirt again – just a day later? Don’t even hope to wring another out of me, I have no more spare ones.”

“I wasn’t going to,” Vince huffed and turned away, grimacing in disappointment when Mick wasn’t looking. Damn it. That was exactly what he wanted to do.

They carried the pot with porridge and the tray with the plates to the deck. Despite it being early morning, the air had already begun to warm up. Mick raised his eyebrows when they saw almost all of the crew already up – that was probably not the norm after a day off – but then Vince spotted a familiar mane of black hair, or, rather, two of them. Both the captain and the first mate were on deck, sitting with the crewmates, talking quietly to each other while Nikki was polishing a sword positioned between his legs. Vince recognized it instantly – simple but deadly, next to his rapier like a knight in full armor next to an agile archer. It didn’t mean, of course, that the former always outperformed the latter; it were surroundings and skill that determined the outcome of a fight, after all. A sharp ache pierced through the injured shoulder. Vince winced.

“Breakfast, lads!” Mick announced, plopping the pit with porridge onto the deck. “Oh, good morning, captain. Nice to see you’ve decided to come down to us mortals.”

Nikki dragged the grindstone down the blade of his sword with an ear-grating sound. Whether that was intentional or not, Vince could imagine Nikki wasn’t exactly thrilled with such an audacity. However, for some reason Mick always got away with it unscathed.

“You’ve seen the captain’s cabin on the brig. Can you blame me for indulging myself a bit? It’s all gone now anyway. I’m back to my cave.”

Right. With Vince’s ship sunk in the warm waters of the Atlantic ocean, Sixx had to return to the cabin on the Shout. He didn’t appear too enthusiastic about it, so it was probably way less comfortable. Still, it was more than whatever anyone on the ship had, and probably much better than anything the galley had to offer.

“I’m not blaming you, captain,” Mick laughed. “I’d do the same if I was you. Porridge?”

“Yes, please.” Nikki sheathed the sword and accepted a plate from Vince’s hands, not-so-coincidentally brushing his fingers against his hands and winking to him. Vince forced himself to twist the corners of his mouth into a smile. He was just pretending to submit, he reminded himself. Pretending.

Tommy yanked a plate out of Vince’s hands when his turn came and began gobbling it down. Yesterday’s night out treated neither him nor Nikki kindly, but the captain seemed somewhat more cheerful, more so than the rest of the crew. Vince imagined he himself didn’t look too chipper, but the bathhouse visit did freshen him up quite a bit. Either that, or way more looks coming his way were because of the collar. Vince preferred to think it was the former, though that made him a bit uneasy at the thought.

He was the last to get a plate, as usual, and the porridge on the bottom was always the clumpiest and burnt in places. Vince stared at it dolefully, trying to convince himself to get some of it inside him. Really, one could think that once they stocked up on supplies the food would get better… But shitty food only made one nauseous until it was in their stomach. Hunger, though, was relentless once it arose, and Vince could never predict when the next fuck-up that would leave him without dinner was going to happen.

Vince was just about to settle down on the deck with his plate when Nikki caught his gaze and beckoned him with a sly smile. Vince reluctantly approached him. The bench was too short to fit him. Was Nikki again going to force him onto his lap? How would he eat then?

“Sit here,” Nikki pointed at the deck before his feet. Vince suddenly realized that maybe he wasn’t that hungry – Nikki’s smug face just begged for his porridge to be smudged all over it.

“I’ve got to be by the pot in case anyone wants a second,” he came up with an excuse hastily. It didn’t convince Nikki one bit, though.

“Mick’s there for a reason. And if he gets overwhelmed, it’s not a long way from here.”

“It will still be better if I-“

“Sit. Here.” Nikki interrupted him, narrowing his eyes. “I didn’t ask for a slave’s opinion.”

Vince inhaled sharply, the collar tightening around his neck. Oh God, how good would porridge look on this face. But a few seconds of satisfaction were not worth the consequences. They would throw his plans out the window – in his case, overboard – and they were the only thing holding him together. It wasn’t worth it. It wasn’t. It wasn’t. It wasn’t…

“Fine,” he said coarsely, walked to Nikki and slowly lowered himself onto the deck at his feet. Was that a suppression tactics or was he specifically getting off on Vince’s humiliation? Or maybe both?

Vince stared down his plate - all his appetite was gone, but he didn’t want to know how many sneers he would get this time. At least Nikki didn’t grope him in public again. He didn’t have to now, though – the collar conveyed the message just as well.

When Nikki’s palm patted his shoulder, Vince flinched.

“See?” Nikki said quietly. “Not that hard. No need to cause a fuss every time.”

“You have no idea,” Vince whispered back.

“Of what?”

“How close I was to smearing that porridge all over your face.”

Nikki raised an eyebrow. “Oh, I know. You’re real bad at controlling your facial expressions.” His fingers caressed Vince’s cheek, tugged gently at the collar. “Good thing you didn’t do it, though. You wouldn’t like what’d come next. Eat your porridge now, breakfast is almost over.”

“I’ll pass. Still toying with that idea.”

Nikki snickered. “If you wish. I ain’t gonna force-feed you. Not porridge, at least.”

One look at Nikki’s sleazy grin made it clear what he would force-feed him. Vince grimaced, turned away and put his plate aside. He had already lost all his appetite, but now he was outright nauseous.

“You sure, man? It’s a long day,” Tommy asked him, finishing off a plate. He was devouring his portion the way one would a meat pie. Vince recalled his dumpster stories. Well, he probably saw little difference between those then.

“Yes,” Vince said listlessly. “Not hungry.”

“Alright then. Can I take your serving?” Tommy finished off his portion by licking the plate clean. His appetite really didn’t match his slender build. 

“Yes.”

“Great, thanks!” Tommy scooped up his plate from the deck and finished it in the same hungry fashion. Vince watched him upend the plate above his head and deftly catch all the drops with his tongue. His shirt hiked up to his chest, exposing the outlines of ribs under the skin – the guy was all muscle and bone. Where did it all even go?

“Don’t overeat, T-bone,” Nikki said. “You don’t want to be all sluggish come training.”

“It’ll go through fast,” Tommy waved his hand. “And I’m gonna need energy.”

“What training?” Vince couldn’t help but ask. The two pirates simultaneously turned their heads towards him. The synchronicity of their movements rubbed Vince the wrong way now more than ever. Only people who have spent years in each other’s company behave like that. Siblings, for example.

“None that concerns you, doll,” Nikki cut him down, no cheek in his voice anymore. “The only training you need you will get in my cabin. God knows you need it.”

“C’mon, Sixx. Don’t debase him like that. You like his greenness and you know it.” Tommy prodded him with an elbow.

“Maybe, for now,” Nikki slapped his arm away. “But it gets old quickly. He has to be ready for that. Hey, where do you think you’re going, brat?”

Vince couldn’t hold back a yelp as he was caught, dragged back and forced onto the floor again. This time Nikki’s hand stayed on his shoulder, fingers digging into his skin, making him wince. Thankfully, it also killed the conversation.

He didn’t have to suffer much longer – Mick once again came to his rescue, sending him to the galley with a pile of plates. They swayed ominously, but Vince didn’t have to stop and balance them this time. Nikki could say all he wanted, but at least Mick’s training was surely paying off.

He diligently washed the dishes as he was told, but the clean pile grew and Mick was nowhere in sight, which meant no further instructions. When Vince was done, he still hadn’t shown up, and Vince used the opportunity to plop down onto his blanket and relax. Mick’s bunk, so soft, so clean, beckoned, but Vince knew he wouldn’t have enough time to dart back to his place without arousing suspicion. And were Mick to catch him there, he would surely get walloped.

Vince didn’t sleep well last night, awoken regularly with a racing heart and a sweaty brow, so he jumped at the rare chance of catching a break during the day and curled up in his place, closing his eyes with a pleased sigh. He didn’t get to enjoy his rest, though: soon strange stomping and clatter from above pulled him out of his doze, and even covering his ears didn’t help: he was still feeling the vibrations. That was probably the training Nikki didn’t want him to know about. Too bad for him: Vince had nothing else to do anyway.

#motley crue #motley crue fanfiction #nikki sixx #vince neil #tommy lee #vinikki #mick mars #in darkness shall you be reborn #my writing #i also got an internship! #it's in a publishing house like i always wanted. and im liking it so far. i really wanna work there after the internship ends