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ghostytoad · 6 months

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* Fun n' Games *

ROTTMNT Boys x GN! Leo-esque reader who enjoys drama, making jokes, and being overall awesome

Summary: The Hamato brothers unexpectedly fall for the smug, but genuine, fun-loving reader despite their egocentric habits

Headcanons for: Leo

GN! Reader; Romantic; Fluff, Mild Angst || Words: 2.3k

Raph | Donnie | Mikey | Bonus!!

Leo:

oho, hello good lookin'~ it's nonstop flirting and banter from the minute they met and it's not going to stop anytime soon

finally! someone who has a sense of humor and can appreciate a good one-liner or two! and they can dish it out as well as they can take it? be still, my beating heart!

leo genuinely finds it to be a gift from the gods that y/n shares his brand of comedy and will not let up on it when he's around them

the romantic tension between y/n and leo is so thick that he could probably slice through it with his odachi - it makes his brothers sick to have to listen to all the schmoozing but leo ADORES the flirting praise

the boy would bend over backwards for y/n; he'd sell his prized jupiter jim collectibles for them if they asked him to (maybe… he'd probably still keep one or two tho)

there's an unspoken and ongoing (very friendly) rivalry between them; leo and y/n are constantly looking to one up each other and it's getting to ridiculous levels of competitive; they won't stop until things hit "deadly" levels and one of them almost ends up getting hurt

even little everyday tasks become a competition for the two of them, there's just no end to their games

grocery shopping? betcha i can save more money than you! pizza night? i can stuff twice as many pizza slices in my mouth than you can. hanging out in donnie's lab? hoo boy, i guarantee i can make him snap first.

it's the bane of donnie's existence, considering he's the target of most of their shenanigans; if he has to endure another one of their "who can ruin donnie's day" games, he swears it'll be the start of his villain arc

mikey's the unofficial score-keeper and peacemaker when things get too heated between the two of them; although he's more likely to stoke the flames than intervene… he just happens to enjoy watching them get carried away (not that he'd say it to their face). definitely enables the chaos to a terrible degree

"no way, you know i totally had that game last night before you went on to blow up my spot with your little tackle! next time we portal our way onto the superbowl field mid-game, i'm leaving YOU on the sidelines and scoring that touchdown solo!" (concerned raph sounds in the background)

they've absolutely plotted to portal their way into "hard to access" places like the white house or splinter's secret lounge room, but raph and donnie made them promise not to do it for very different reasons (donnie doesn't want to have to bail them out if they get stuck and raph is just being raph)

leo and y/n's carefree attitudes combined has landed them into trouble with the law a few times, both in new york and the hidden city

together, they're banned from like 10 different places and they're legally not allowed within 100 feet of any magicians; leo's only explanation for that is "we couldn't tell if it was part of the costume or if the guy actually had a barber-stache and how were we supposed to know he was blind?!". to this day, no one knows what he's talking about.

leo would absolutely hide the evidence of a crime for y/n; he ain't no snitch either and he's not going to let his bestie take the fall for something that TOTALLY wasn't their fault! more than likely, he'd blame their antics on hypno or if it's something not so bad, splinter.

senor hueso has an entire wall dedicated to leo and y/n: The Wall of Failures and Stupid Mistakes That You Will Surely Learn Nothing From

it has photos of all the times leo and y/n went on a fun little adventure and ended up being taken hostage by a villain, thrown in jail, or overall just beat up (they're mostly selfies and yes, leo is smiling and posing in all of them)

he would never let y/n get into any major trouble and he has the common sense to remember that y/n is only human, so at the very least he knows not to do anything too dangerous when they're around; he's reckless but he doesn't have a death wish

"i'm all for a good espionage mission and all, but this is big mama we're talking about! i say we sit this one out and wait for another chance to come along so we can try on these rad bellhop uniforms."

the two of them have made it a point to announce their arrival anywhere by doing the team rocket motto; occasionally mikey or april will join in as meowth. they have the costumes to match and will inexplicably be wearing them every time they do it.

they truly enable the worst in each other; raph insists on tagging along as the unofficial babysitter to every little hangout because of their chaotic nature, meanwhile donnie has protocols for every possible "doomsday" scenario they could initiate with their little stunts. zombies or accidentally reviving the shredder is at the top of that list.

matching outfits are a big must for leo; someone as UH-MAZING as y/n is absolutely worthy of leo's impeccable fashion sense and there's no way he's gonna pass up a chance to twin with y/n. if they refuse to match with him for whatever reason, he will pout about it for days.

whenever leo is sad or feeling a little down, y/n is the first person he goes to for a little cheering up. they somehow know just what to say to make the boy feel like a champion. and no, he didn't give them a script to read off of! (he totally did)

even with all the flirting and pick-up lines, leo still dreads the thought of ever admitting his feelings to y/n; he's a confident turtle, sure, but that's just the face part of being the face man. he's secretly an insecure mess when it comes to them

will become a flustered mess if y/n genuinely compliments or praises him; he'll stutter for a good minute or two before finally snapping back to his suave cool guy persona (which doesn't fool anyone, he's OBVIOUSLY crushing hard)

after an unfortunate night of misadventure, leo's forced to confess to his feelings AND his crimes

Well, some adventure this was turning out to be.

"Get in there! Y'all got the right to keep yer traps shut!"

Yep. What a real swell time.

Being hauled away in a prison ball, headed to the Hidden City Police Headquaters, all the while Big Mama's men chasing close behind.

"So much for the adventure of a lifetime." Y/N hissed bitterly as they tugged and pulled from the tangle of limbs they found themselves in, trapped inside the small bubble with Leo tightly packed alongside them.

"Well, maybe if SOMEONE weren't such a slowpoke, we'd have made it back! And I'd like to say for the record, you are the WORST lookout. Maybe next time try to keep up, will ya?" the turtle spat back with a scathing glare.

Y/N could only muster a hearty scoff as they balled their fists, unable to throw a punch from how they were positioned. Their heel found a suitable landing in the direct center of Leonardo's plastron and dug in with a stomp, eliciting a pained groan from him and a satisfied smirk from Y/N.

"If you weren't so cocky, we might've ACTUALLY pulled off your little stunt! But nooo, Leo just HAS to get in the last word!"

"OHO, pot calling the kettle black now, eh?" Leo wore his signature smug expression and attempted to jab a digit into Y/N's forehead. Given the way his arm was caught between his bent thighs, he only managed a slight graze before opting for a flick instead.

The two bickered and took shots at each other throughout the trip, much to the chagrin of the arresting officials steering nearby. It was gonna be a long night for everyone.

At the station, Leonardo and Y/N were placed into holding together, both of them choosing to sulk in silence on opposite sides of the confined room. It wasn't until Y/N was being processed that the question of what to do with the human came up for the arresting officers. With Leo's odachi confiscated, it wasn't like they could just send Y/N home on their own, but they couldn't leave Y/N in the same cell as powerful, human-loathing yokai. Leaving the pair to stew in their anger, the officers left to deliberate on Y/N's fate.

Silence followed. Neither one wanting to give in to this bitter game of chicken, Leo instead let out a loud, exaggerated sigh.

Silence.

Irked by the lack of response, he threw his head back and gave a loud, guttural groan of frustration.

"Right. So you aren't talking to me." he rolled his eyes and forced his gaze back onto Y/N, who sat indignantly across from him on a cold cement bench, their knees held close to their chest.

Not even a glance back.

"Oh, come on! You can't actually believe this is my fault! If anything, you should be mad at the guard that threw us out and called the cops! He's the one who got us in this little mess!"

Nothing.

The silence tore at Leo's chest, his heart thumping heavily against his plastron as he dejectedly sat back against the cold wall. It was unlike Y/N to ignore him like this. With every second, the stillness became unbearable. This little adventure was truly a disaster, not just for the predicament the two found themselves in but also for the lengths Leonardo had gone to ensure Y/N would have a good time. So that HE would have a good time with them. It didn't matter to him that they could be facing time in prison. That whole deal was practically child's play to the mischeivious mutant. It didn't even matter that they faced a total ban from the mystic city itself. It was the fact that he might've dashed any chance he had of winning over Y/N's affections.

'You just HAD to fuck it up, didn't you? You had to go out and be an asshole!' a booming inner voice fed into his insecurity and the crushing weight was enough to curl the red-eared slider into a fetal position, his lower lip quivering as he fought back tears.

"I…" a sniffle broke Leo from the spiraling despair he'd been wallowing in, unsure if the sound came from him.

"Am I… holding you back, Leo?"

Another sniffle and this time, he was sure the sound came from across the room. Peering over at the source of the sound, he found Y/N curled in on themselves, little hiccups causing their small form to quake and shudder. They were crying.

"Y/N?" Shifting from the bench, Leo took a few hesitant steps towards them as his hand ghosted across their shoulder before pulling away. His face wrought with guilt and worry, he debated scooping them up in his arms and holding them tightly to him right then and there. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. The thought of rejection stopped him in his tracks.

"I don't know why I do it. Why I try so hard to prove that I deserve to be around you." Y/N continued, their voice muffled as they buried their face in their knees. "I'm- I'm just a human. I'm not as strong. I'm not as quick. I can't compete with you and your mystic skills. I can't even keep lookout for you!"

"What? Y/N, no, you got it all wrong! Yeah, you're a human but I-"

"Just stop it! Stop!" Forcing back a loud hiccup, their head shot up to meet Leo's concerned gaze with a fierce, stubborn glare.

"You DON'T have to feel sorry for me and you DON'T have to keep me around! So why? Why keep me around when all I do is drag you behind?"

Their narrow eyes locked themselves with his, desperately searching his expression for any hint of pity. All Leo could do was chuckle, his concern melting into fondness.

"I don't feel sorry for you. Sure, you've looked better but I was so afraid I was the one holding YOU back."

"H-Huh? Me?"

"Y/N." The turtle sighed as he plopped himself down beside them, allowing their back to rest against his side as they unfurled from their little ball of sadness. "You ARE a human, yeah. But do you get how cool that makes you? You can do so much more than I ever could! Look, I might have my good looks, my mad skills, and my amazing charm, but you have that and more in… whew, in spades and for you, it's practically effortless."

As Leo moved to wipe a tear from Y/N's eye, he cupped his other hand on their damp cheek and with a tender tap of his thumb, he parted their lips slightly and moved in to plant his lips softly against theirs. The ghosting of his lips left enough room for Y/N to pull away if they felt uncomfortable. Instead he was nearly knocked back with the full force of Y/N's lips crashing against his, their body leaning over him and practically trapping him underneath their warmth. Leo's hands held firmly onto Y/N's sides and he eased himself back against the cold of the bench, breaking the kiss to let out a soft chuckle.

"I love y-"

"Well, well, well~ Looks like someone owes me 3 months of chores." a familiar, taunting voice hummed not too far from the two.

A jingling of keys had them both whipping their heads towards the now-open cell door, spotting the unmistakable, cocky face of Donatello leaning against the bars with crossed arms.

"D-Donnie?!"

"Yeah, yeah, you two can get back to your little makeout session. But I thought you'd like to know I paid your bail, you're welcome." He waved them off as he began down the hall. Some adventure this turned out to be.

Bonus comic: Leo definitely used his one phone call to call Señor Hueso

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bluerosegardens · 13 days

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hello! Is it okay if you write dorm leaders reaction to a heavily energetic reader please, if you don’t want to Idm ^^

of course, anon! thank you so much for requesting, i hope you like it!

dorm leaders + gn!energetic!reader

c/w: i can't write for jamil very well but i tried, leona is annoyed by you but respects you still, can you tell i can’t write for vil. malleus’s part is like 60x more romantic than the rest of the characters sorry 🤧

notes: ok so i have only completed book 3, but ive gotten plenty of spoilers about the next four books so i think i wrote for them pretty well just a heads up tho

RIDDLE ROSEHEARTS find you a little hard to keep up with. He himself has his outbursts and episodes like anybody else, but that also comes with anger, so he does his best to suppress them. But you? No, you were always this way, and in a positive manner. It almost reminded him of Kalim, except that you could handle yourself and seemed to be relatively smart, seeing that you were passing your classes as a non-magical person in a magical school.

Your excitability sometimes led to you have an evident, though not purposeful, disregard for the rules. It was irksome, yes, and it took a lot of restraint from him not to lash out at you as much as he may at Ace or Deuce—he still feels guilty from his Overblot, and besides, you’re a lot easier to stand at times than compared to those two. But, overall, he still manages, opting to instead recite the rule you broke tamely, and receiving an understanding nod from you that makes him pleased. Quietly, he’ll let out this small sigh, a symbol of his appreciation for your respect of his strict ways. It isn’t easy for him to change, and while he’s trying his best, it’s nice to know he has somebody who’s willing to comply with the rules for his sake.

LEONA KINGSCHOLAR somehow gets even sleepier in your presence. Just the sight of you having so much energy makes him lethargic. Why were you always so peppy? How were you always so peppy? It didn’t make any sense to him. You being this way wouldn’t be so much of an issue if you weren't so persistent. But here you were, shaking his shoulder in an attempt to wake him, and here he was, tired and annoyed and letting you drag him to his classes just to shut you up. It was like having a brighter, more talkative version of Cheka that actually knew what made him tick. It was irritating, but if he really hated it so much, why'd he always comply and go along with you? He'd never admit it, not in a million years, but he has this respect for you after all you've done for NRC, so he finds it best to give into your wishes, no matter how childish you seem. Because he knows that you aren't. He's seen it play out with every single Overblot. You're a lot more clever than you look, Herbivore, and he gives credit where credit is due.

AZUL ASHENGROTTO has to deal with Floyd on the daily, so it's not like this is anything new to him. If anything, it's better, considering your energy doesn't take the form of violence, like a certain Leech twin. At first, Azul did mistakenly assume your energy to be included with stupidity, which was a grave error on his part, when he discovered your scheme to destroy his contracts. In fact, he really thought you to be dumb enough to forget to even drink the water breathing potion before you went underwater to the museum. He was harshly incorrect, however, and so now he deals with the price of having to put up with your bounciness. You visit the Mostro Lounge quite often, helping out for an extra profit where you could and checking up on Azul, despite his protests against it. He's internally thankful, somewhere deep down, but it makes him embarrassed to admit it.

JAMIL VIPER is tired of this treatment. What did he ever do to deserve this? Is this punishment for his ill thoughts toward Kalim he's harbored for so many years? Why'd a Kalim Part Two have to come along? And hang around the Scarabia dorm so much? He was tired, over it, and so done with this crap. At the very least, you're not irredeemably dumb, and you're able to handle and care for yourself. You've made that quite evident from your life in Ramshackle to the way you've dealt with numerous overblots. He's surprised someone of your.. nature.. could be so responsible. So, as a minor thanks for not being completely stupid, he does his very best to.. avoid you. Why? Well, because even though you're tolerable, he'd prefer to not have a complete outburst of anger at you, fueled by Kalim's irresponsibility and the two of your energetic natures combined. So, consider this a favor. He's trying to be considerate, let him do what he needs to do.

VIL SCHOENHEIT is intrigued, not annoyed, but not overjoyed, either. Epel’s a handful already, so now that he’s taking on yet another project, he’d prefer it if you were a little more compliant than the purple haired first year. He understood it felt difficult to sit still for a while, but just try for him, okay? Otherwise he finds it rather endearing. He thinks it’s cute, the way you get excited to see him all the time. It’s flattering, definitely. He just wishes you'd sit still while he paints your nails, potato.

IDIA SHROUD is overwhelmed please leave him alone why are you so wild god help him. He’s already constantly afraid of Kalim and Cater jumping him, now he’s gotta worry about another secret THIRD threat? this is NOT fun he NEVER should have exited his room WHY did he let Ortho drag him around today. You kind of scare him into attending classes. Though he guesses (?) he’s appreciative of having another person who seems so enthusiastic about games like he is. But please don’t scare him like that or else he WILL be going into conniptions.

MALLEUS DRACONIA finds it interesting, adorable and very fascinating. He’d adore you regardless of what you were like, but this is just so endearing to him. It’s one thing that people seem to get iffy around him, whether that be out of respect or fear or both. But you don’t seem to be overly respectful of him, nor afraid. It might seem like a death wish to most, but in your case? You were too enthralled with the current task of running up to him excitedly every time you saw him to even give it any thought. And that is what he appreciates and desires so much out of you. It brings a smile to his lips every time you bound outside of Ramshackle at night to walk with him, or when you have this big grin on your face as you talk about something that interests you. He couldn’t ask for it any other way, really.

#twst x reader #twisted wonderland x reader #twst x mc #twst x yuu #twisted wonderland x yuu #twisted wonderland x mc #malleus x reader #azul x reader #riddle rosehearts x reader #idia shroud x reader #jamil x reader #vil schoenheit x reader #leona kingscholar x reader

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raticalshoez · 5 months

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Sorry guys. I'm ranting about Joel again because djskakaka that's my favorite guy. This post is a direct result of the tags in a post I reblogged and I just HAD TO TALK ABOUT IT MORE.

Okay, so Joel always carries himself to high regard. He has lots of confidence in himself, is generally apathetic and dry to any matter that doesn't concern him, and he overall loves to bite back at things. He's a big fan of chaos and violence, and stays generally bitter when things go badly for him. He can be ruthless and reckless and that's just natural for him because he's one of the many Life Series wolf-coded characters.

But something about Joel in Secret Life is just...kind? He's kind and caring, in his Joel Smallishbeans way. Especially in later sessions.

In Etho's little remembering the past era, he reassures him that he does still care for him. When Lizzie invites everyone to her party in a rushed frenzy, he attends because he thinks it's only fair. When Pearl was apprehensive about her task being guessed, he purposefully wastes his guess so she doesn't have to be worried around him. He trusts Jimmy to assist him with his task even while everyone else is cautious about his red name status. And when it all came down to it, Joel tells Martyn to stay back after all the reds have dropped like flies because even if all the reds were a threat to them, he still didn't want to see them all die in one episode.

In Secret Life, Joel still has everything he's always had. He's still bloodthirsty and holds silly grudges, evident with the whole Scott thing this session. He's still cheeky and likes to mess around and make sarcastic comments often, but at the end of the day he's Joel. He tends to stay loyal to his allies and I think he's more thoughtful than lots of people realize.

This may be part of the reason I love the Mounders. They were all sort of distant in the way they would wander off and do their own thing, but when it came down to it, they always stuck by each other. They remained loyal despite what seemed to be really loose ends tying them all together, and that means SO much to me! I guess it makes sense though; a team with the lonely wolf girl from Double Life and the lonely wolf boy from Last Life were enough to neutralize the whole, "Bdubs can be kinda disloyal" thing and the whole "Mumbo was apprehensive of any color lesser than he was" thing.

Anyways. Life Series Joel Smallishbeans. That's my guy bro...THAT'S MY GUYYYYYY

Also! The post that inspired this was by @simplydm! Their post about Joel's comment to Martyn reminded me how much that scene made me orbit around the moon so I thought they deserved to mentioned in this. Sorry to them if uh they didn't want to be tagged though. I will remove it if that ends up being the case!

#trafficblr #secret life smp #SORRY FOR ANOTHER RAMBLE YALL #smallishbeans #ethoslab #solidaritygaming #pearlescentmoon #ldshadowlady #inthelittlewood #bdoubleo100 #mumbo jumbo #smajor1995 #again idk if everyone needed to be tagged #but i did anyways #god......GOD.#sorry for all the rambling again #i'm sooooooo normal about the life series haha #soooooooooo so normal mhm yup #especially about joel. of the smallishbeans variety.

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lots-of-pockets · 1 year

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Everythings gonna be okay

Pairing: Scarlett x you

Words: 2078

Warnings: none that I know of

Summary: You and Scarlett had recently broken up. When you go to her house to pick up the last of your things, you see that she was nowhere to be found. Despite your better judgment, you decide to go and investigate. The sight that greets you all but breaks your heart.

You let out a near silent curse when you ring the doorbell for the third time and receive no answer. All you wanted to do was grab the rest of your things. You'd taken most of it the day you'd both decided to end things, but there were a few heavier items -such as your desktop computer- that you were unable to take with you due to the sheer size and weight.

Using your key was a last resort, something you didn't want to have to do unless it was absolutely necessary because, as much as it breaks your heart to admit, you weren't her girlfriend anymore. You couldn't just come and go as you please. That privileges was out the window the second you'd broken up.

But apparently you didn't have a choice, because the longer you stand here, the more evident it becomes that she wasn't going to answer the door. Your key slides into the lock with that same familiar ease, and your eyes take in the familiar sight of her entry way as you tentatively push open the door and step inside.

It looked the exact same, except for the light layer of dust lining each and every surface. Weird. Scarlett was, in the most polite way possible, a clean freak. She liked order and often became grumpy when things were even the slightest bit out of place.

You go to blame it on her just being busy, but the sight in the living room immediately halts you in your tracks. There were tissues everywhere, and there was that slight smell in the air of sweat and just overall sickness. You hate the fact that your stomach sinks in concern, because there was only one rational thing that could explain this.

Scarlett was sick, and had obviously been so for quite some time.

You couldn't help but freeze on the bottom of the staircase in a silent debate on whether or not you should go up. The part of you that was still very much in love with her wanted nothing more than to take care of her. But the ugly part of you, the one who was still so hateful over the ugly breakup wanted nothing more than to get the hell out of here.

She'd been the one to distance herself. She'd been the one to not make time for you, and she'd been the one who'd told you to pack your things and get the hell out of her sight. Why should you repay that with kindness? Because you loved her, that's why. And despite the fact she'd broken your heart, the last thing you wanted was to see her suffer.

It wasn't like you. It never had been, and it never would be.

With a defeated sigh, you grasp the hand rail and begin to ascend the long staircase. You make it to the top in no time, and find yourself hesitating for only a short second before making your way down the hall towards the bedroom you'd once called your own.

You stand there like an idiot for what feels like forever before you finally find the courage in you to grasp the handle, and and as you push down, that same smell that had greeted you downstairs, only a little more intensified, was quick to fill your nostrils.

Scrunching up your nose in slight disgust, you enter the room and softly close the door behind you.

The curtains were closed encasing the room in a heavy darkness, but that doesn't stop you from being able to make out Scarlett's small figure laying in the centre of the large bed. You warily make your way over, and the first things you notice were the red tinged nose and quiet snores escaping her slightly parted lips. Her skin was pale, but her cheeks were flushed, signalling she had quite the fever, and you notice her body was trembling almost violently.

Before you could stop yourself, your hand was reaching out and brushing away the sweaty strand hair that had fallen into her face. That action almost immediately rouses her, and you wince slightly as her eyes blearily flicker open.

"Hi," you murmur, tentatively perching yourself on the end of the bed. "You're sick."

Scarlett furrows her eyebrows, almost as though she couldn't quite believe you were here. Her eyes, glassy from the fever induced haze were bloodshot, pupils huge telling you that she hadn't been getting very much sleep.

Her trembling hand reaches out for you, and you only hesitate briefly before taking it, the pad of your thumb instinctively grazing over the almost too warm skin.

Then, without any warning, her eyes fill with tears, her bottom lip trembles, and she was letting out a stifled sob before attempting to sit up. You frown in concern as you scoot yourself a little closer, leaning forward and slipping an arm beneath her body before tugging her to your chest. She lets out wet, gravely sounding cough when her sobs catch in her throat, and you wince at the painful sound as you use your other hand to cup the back of her head.

"It's okay," you murmur into her hair, "you're okay. I'm here. I've got you."

Scarlett let's out a choked sob as she shakes her head, and you let out a soft, defeated sigh as you hold her as close as you could. She smelt less than pleasant, so you knew once of your tasks today would be getting her into the shower.

This was the last thing you'd expected to happen. If you were being completely honest with yourself, you'd expected her to be mad for invading her space. To tell you to go away just as she'd done no more than a week ago. A part of you still expects that to happen, because you knew this whole emotional mess was just her fever talking. She didn't actually want you here, but you couldn't just leave her to cry.

You hold her close for a few silent moments before easing her body back down onto the bed, bringing your hands up to cup her cheeks. "I'm going to get you some medicine, okay?" You gently wipe away the tears with the pads of your thumbs.

Scarlett's trembling hands reach to grasp your wrists, almost as though she was silently pleading to you to not let go.

Her touch sends shivers throughout your whole entire body, and you just about manage to refrain from pulling yourself of her her grasp as you force the corners of your lips into a small smile.

"It's okay," you reassure, "I'll be back."

Thankfully, though she visibly hesitates, Scarlett does let you go, and you try and make your breath of relief as subtle as possible as you make your way through to the bathroom. In here was just as, if not worse than her bedroom, and you make a mental note to give it a thorough clean before you leave as you grab the Tylenol and cough medicine from the cabinet.

When you make your way back through to her bedroom with your arms full, you notice that Scarlett was now sat up against the headboard of her bed. She appears to be staring into space, and your lips quirk up at the corners in slight adoration as you climb in next to her.

"Here," you murmur, pouring the correct dose of cough medicine into the small plastic cup before handing it over. Her trembling hand takes it, and she sniffles wetly as she tilts it back and swallows with only a slight grimace. You ignore the urge you have to praise her as you hand over the Tylenol and water, watching as Scarlett repeats the same steps as before.

This time, however, she must have swallowed wrong, because she begins to cough forcefully into her hands. You watch her, eyebrows furrowed in concern as you reach out to steadily pat her back.

"Take a deep breath, you're okay." You sooth, and Scarlett nods, trying her best to comply despite the fact she seems to be unable to catch her breath. Her chest heaves with each ragged exhale, and her already flushed cheeks taking on an even darker shade of red signalling not enough oxygen was getting into her lungs. You were forced to swallow the tightness in your own throat.

"Scarlett, breath." You instruct as you reach to grab the bottle of the water from the nightstand, your hand still firmly patting her back. Scarlett attempts to let out a hoarse breath, but she does no more than choke further.

By now, panicked tears were streaming down her cheeks, and you could feel your own heart beginning to pound. Hauling her body into your arms, you lay her down on her side and raise her arms above her head. You lay behind her propped up on your elbow, resting your hand against her heaving chest and rubbing firmly.

"You're okay. I'm here. You're okay." You sooth, pressing a tender kiss against the side of her head.

Scarlett let's out another wet cough before somehow managing to catch her breath, and it was only then does let out a soft sob. With tears in your own eyes, you tug her around to face you and pull her against your chest. You hold her as close as you could, your hand grazing soothing circles up and down her back. Your other hand cups the back of her head, fingers combing through her tangled tresses.

"I-I don't.. don't feel w-well." She chokes out as she desperately clutches at your shirt, and you nod as you press your lips against the top of her head.

"I know baby." You murmur, "I know."

She stifles another sob against you at the nickname, and you instinctively tighten your grasp around her. You hadn't meant to say it. It had just slipped out because that was all you ever used to call her. She's your baby. Or well, she was. You feel your throat tighten at the thought, and you swallow heavily to refrain from bursting into tears as you hold Scarlett close.

A comfortable silence soon falls upon you with the exception of her slightly hoarse breathing, and it wasn't long until you feel Scarlett fall limp against you signalling she'd fallen asleep.

A few hours later, you find your self sat in the bathroom with your back to the tub. Scarlett was curled up in the water, sniffling softly as the hot water clears her congestion. Not a word had been spoken since earlier, but the silence surrounding you wasn't awkward. It was almost...comforting, which was surprising considering the circumstances.

But the silence doesn't last for long.

"I'm sorry." A quiet murmur.

You turn your head slightly, seeing the bare skin of her back from your peripheral vision, "For what? Getting sick? That's not your fault."

Scarlett sniffles softly, "No, not for that. For...for what happened. A week ago." She explains, her voice trailing off into a soft, trembling murmur.

You let out a soft breath as you twist a loose thread hanging off of your jeans around your finger, "You don't have to apologise. What happened, happened. It's in the past."

Everything was silent again, but the shuddering breath that escapes from Scarlett's lips does not go amiss. It has you turning to face her, and your heart breaks when you see her crying silently. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and her bottom lip was trembling as though she was trying to hold back the onslaught of sobs.

"Scarlett..." you trail off, not knowing what to say.

Her lips quirk up into a sad smile as she wipes off her cheeks, "It's okay." She whispers.

With a soft sigh, you shift to your knees and lean forward to press a kiss to the warm skin of her forehead. As you pull away, you raise a hand to cup her cheek, the pad of your thumb grazing softly over her skin. "We'll talk. When you're better. Okay?"

"Okay." Scarlett murmurs, reaching up to cover your hand with her own.

I’m open to a part 2 if you guys want it!

#scarlett johansson x reader #scarlett johansson #reader insert #sick!scarlett Johansson x reader #sickfic #marvel #mcu #snzfic #fluff #Scarlett Johansson sickfic #black widow #natasha romanoff #natasha romanoff x reader

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taurusdaylight · 10 months

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[2.03pm] kindness

kindness came in the form of jeno lee. almost always having a smile etched on his adorable face, it was baffling to the people around jeno how he kept up with such a bright disposition all the time. it was as though he had little to zero anger coursing through his veins.

to some extent, it’s true that jeno rarely got angry. despite being a chronic overthinker, jeno’s not the type of person to let his emotions control him. instead, he’d mull over it for a bit. think about why he got upset over something, and if it was truly worth getting upset over. he would at most sulk a little, as evident by his pouty lips that would make an appearance every so often.

case in point: jeno currently getting lectured by yours truly in the corner booth of a quiet café. looking down on the ground, jeno absentmindedly stirred the straw in his cup while you talked.

you huffed, “you should stop being so nice to others.”

“i didn’t know how to reject him…” jeno replied softly, still not looking at you. “besides, it will contribute to our overall grade? it won’t take up much of my time anyway,” he quickly added, in hopes of making the situation better.

the both of you weren’t even talking about something extremely serious. you were simply nagging jeno for agreeing to help his groupmate finish his part of the project because he was apparently busy with other submissions. the first thought that came to your mind was, what about jeno? surely he had other things to do too.

the thing is, jeno was a kind person inside out. it wasn’t only about looking kind. deep down, jeno was tender-hearted and the biggest sweetheart to ever exist. as much as you believed in being kind, you were also aware of your boyfriend’s inability to say no to others whenever they approached him for help. no matter how he dismissed it as something trivial, you still didn’t like how he would go out of his way to do something that was not even supposed to be his responsibility to begin with. most important of all, you disliked how others took advantage of his kindness that came second nature to him, which rendered him to be at their disposal even if it wasn’t exactly convenient for him at times.

“we talked about this, jen.” you made a face at him, expressing your concern over this issue that repeatedly came up time and again. “i hate that other people are using you and you just let them.”

while jeno understood where your frustration was coming from, a part of him also felt wronged because he was simply trying to do something nice for others. why is it that he somehow managed to make you upset too? jeno felt like he couldn’t do anything right.

jeno finally stopped playing with his straw and looked you in the eye. “i’m sorry, okay? i won’t do it again, just please don’t be upset with me,” he said in a desperate plea.

“i’m not upset with you, so there’s no need to say sorry to me,” you assured him. one thing you learnt about jeno over the years was how his negative thoughts got to him more than he’d liked to admit. how he would willingly take the blame for something if it meant that it would keep the peace. thankfully, he simply needed a few words of affirmation for him to get out of his head.

you grabbed jeno’s hand and gently squeezed it. “i just want you to know that it’s okay to put yourself first. you don’t always have to think about others when you’ve got so much at hand. sometimes… just sometimes… it’s okay to be selfish too!”

your lips curled upwards into a bashful smile. “even i feel bad asking you for help. i don’t like to trouble you but i know you wouldn’t say no even if i did, especially not to me.” you were ashamed to admit that, but you could swear from the bottom of your heart that you only turn to jeno as a last resort because you didn’t want to be like one of those people who only went to him when they needed something.

“what?” jeno pouted even more. “but i like doing things for you. i’m your boyfriend, i’d hate it if you went to anyone else for help.”

“it’d make me feel useless,” he muttered.

you were quick to respond. “hey! don’t say that… you’re not useless at all.”

“anyway, don’t change the subject. after this project, please say no if you don’t have the capacity to help others, including me! if your worry is not knowing how to reject others, you could start with me. we are already so close, i won’t take it to heart if i asked you for help and you said no. let alone acquaintances who barely know you. baby steps, okay?” you looked at jeno expectantly.

jeno’s expression turned into one that was half a frown and half a smile, you could tell that he was feeling conflicted about it. “like you said, i could never say no to you, baby…”

you tried to bite back the small smile that made its way onto your face because of the nickname so that jeno would take you seriously. “so, you‘d do something about this?”

“only for you, yes.” jeno’s face broke into a wide smile as he tightened his grip on your hand.

“you’re supposed to say no!” you replied jokingly in order to play off the shyness that came with jeno’s affectionate gesture. “you’ve failed the first test, i thought you were better than this…”

an incomprehensible noise left jeno’s mouth. “i’m so confused right now… so do i say yes or no?”

you sighed, well aware of how this was going nowhere given jeno’s innocence that sometimes made him come off a little… naive. like the time you told him that you were going to teach him something to tell your parents in your native tongue and he obediently repeated after you, only asking what it was later on (it was a curse word, and you were glad he asked before the actual meeting with your parents).

“nevermind… the next time someone asks you for help, just tell me. i’ll make sure they’d never want to ask a favour from you ever again.”

jeno’s eyes widened in shock, “o-okay.”

“i’m just kidding. but seriously, i’d help you reject them so you don’t have to,” you said with a smile.

“thank you,” jeno said sincerely, “i know you mean well, and i appreciate you looking out for me.”

at his words, you leaned over the table to give jeno a peck on his right cheek, on the spot just slightly below his beauty mark. he laughed quietly, his smile uncontrollably becoming wider by the second.

the both of you were so immersed, it was fortunate that the café was empty enough for the moment to remain intimate. better yet, the owner was preoccupied with his tasks, not sparing a single glance at the direction of your table.

between soft giggles and shy smiles, you and jeno indulged in each other’s loving company until the sun fell, its golden rays penetrating through the glass window situated next to your table.

#jeno timestamps #jeno drabbles #jeno imagines #jeno scenarios #jeno x reader #jeno fluff #nct timestamps #nct imagines #nct scenarios #nct #nct dream #nct jeno #jeno #lee jeno

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spacexseven · 2 years

Text

mandatory obligation

NOTE: since i've been playing genshin a lot more recently i've been thinking about #HIM a lot more these days and ive been possessed by the corner of my brain that's obsessed with childe :,) so yes, it's very self indulgent. this can be read as a part 2 to broken vows but not everything aligns well since i didn't plan for it to be read like that

SUMMARY: tartaglia always puts things back on track, no matter how hard you try to derail his plans.

PAIRING: yandere! tartaglia x fem! reader

CW: yandere character, obsession, lying, deceit, manipulation, forced relationships, forced marriage, imprisonment, implied stalking, spoilers for childe's real name :>

you're starting to realize that none of the villagers are really buying your admittedly rather strange excuses. of course, they were all understandably wary to see a stranger stride down the path to your house. more so because he walked with all the confidence in the world, as though he owned the land below his feet. and perhaps they were all on edge because his visits only seemed to start a few weeks after you moved back in, after years of living in the harbor.

still, you fix a fake smile and offer them the most believable out of your quite pathetic array of excuses—"he's a visitor from the harbour. yes, related to my work. no, nothing big. he needs help sorting out documents since the ministry is strict about papers, especially when it concerns foreign businessmen." you never mention a name or any other detail. they don't pry, either, curious minds sated for now.

the lie isn't that much of a lie, considering he was officially in liyue for business matters representing the northland bank, and the ministry was a little cautious, but less because of his business and more because...of his overall existence. you've heard the rumors and even experienced parts of it for yourself, so you can confidently say that he would unsettle anyone. however, despite all the time you've known him, you can't quite tell which one of his numerous whispered-about jobs is true; banker, businessman, or just a soldier. or maybe, the answer was all of the above, with an extra title—fatuus.

despite the general unease from the village, nobody dares question the blue-eyed stranger to his face. he walks straight to your door, never stopping to acknowledge the presence of others, stays for a few hours, and leaves like clockwork, leaving no evidence for the villagers to gossip about and question the nature of your relationship. still, the little details; the boxes he carries, the way he lingers outside your door for a few more moments, the increasing frequency of his visits, they serve some fuel to the ever-growing flames of curiosity.

today, ajax walks in with his usual disarming smile, eyes visibly brightening at the sight of you standing stiffly behind the door.

"i missed you," he croons—the same as always—though you know he means it very much. as is routine, he reaches out for your hand with his gloved one and places a kiss on the back of it, maintaining eye contact with you all the while. his smile turns into a menacing smirk at the slight downturn of your lips.

"come, darling," he gestures to your table, as though you were the guest and him the host, "look at what came in today."

as you cautiously walk past him and sit down, he unravels a thick, wrapped bundle he had been holding under his arm, revealing to you a lovely coat of rich, dark color and expensive-looking details. the buttons look like real gold, and you can already tell by looking, that it was made to fit you. everything he bought you was tailored to your measurements, though you never dared to ask how he got your measurements so accurately.

he watches, closely, as you, having known what he was expecting, stand up and let him slip on the coat for you. you pretend to look mesmerized by the feeling of the warm inner lining brushing your arms and run your fingers across the soft material to put on a show of awe for the harbinger. it's very likely that he knew you were doing this out of fear rather than gratitude, but he's appeased anyway, as he places his hands on your shoulders and squeezes, his grip firm but painless.

"it's perfect," he lets go of your shoulders to interlock his gloved fingers with yours, watching your face intently, "...is it not to your liking?"

you pretend to admire the buttons and hemming, the thought of him deliberately picking this out for you more unsettling than flattering, especially when you recalled previous encounters of the same nature, wondering how to explain without upsetting him, "i just...don't need something so expensive."

you didn't need it, especially in liyue, where it never got cold enough for you to be adorning such a thick coat without sweating profusely. at least the expensive hand-embroidered clothes and jadeite earrings he bought you before were thin enough to be worn on visits to the harbor and rare outings together, and the silk underclothes you could wear to bed if you weren't constantly worried about him wondering if you were wearing those and coming to see for himself. this coat, however, was impractical and lavish, and you wondered if this is how all the rich spent their money—foolishly.

"it's not meant to be worn here, my dear," he chuckles, "it's for when we visit snezhnaya. it's far too cold there to be in your usual outfits."

before you could stop yourself, you speak the words lingering in your mind, "i don't need it."

he pauses for a few minutes, the charming smile slipping for a terrifying moment, before returning, the realization striking him immediately, "very cute, darling. although i wouldn't mind you wearing my coats, i think one tailored to your size would fit better, no? besides, i only bought one, just so you can wear it for when we have important visits in snezhnaya. otherwise, my love, you can wear any of mine that you like; in fact, i would prefer that, since everyone would see you and know at once that you're with me."

you weren't going to tell him that that wasn't what you meant, shattering the pretty picture he had painted in his mind. you couldn't risk angering him by informing him that you weren't planning on going to snezhnaya anytime now or in the future, and you didn't need a coat. you didn't want to see that side of him again, not when there were so many others at risk. so you smile, and though it's painfully stiff, he smiles back at the sight, pleased at your compliance.

you foolishly thought that everything would blow over when he walked out that night, new, expensive coat buried deep in your closet with the other gifts. he had graced you with yet another kiss and saccharine sweet greeting before leaving, and you watched from your doorway as his figure became smaller and smaller in the distance. you noticed that he lingered by a house in the village for a few minutes too long, but just as you were about to go out and see what he was up to, he was gone.

it's only the next day, when one of your neighbors stopped you that you realized what sinister plot childe had been planning.

"congratulations!" she grins at you, face beaming with happiness, "oh, i'm so happy you're having a ceremony here, too! i would hate to miss such a beautiful occasion."

you must have done a terrible job at hiding your surprise, because she rushes to explain herself, "your fiancé told us yesterday evening, and told us the formal invitation for the wedding would be out soon. was he not supposed to tell?"

you manage an awkward, choked laugh, feeling your head spin, "i told him...that we should keep it a surprise. about the wedding, i mean, i hadn't told anyone we were engaged yet because—"

"oh, yes," she's still smiling, and it's almost irritating now, "you must have been worried because he was a foreigner, right? don't worry, everyone already loves him!"

"i'm very glad to hear that," you tell her, forcing yourself to sound as genuine as possible, "and i'm really grateful for your wishes. i have to go now, though, and get some things for tonight."

although you escape her, you soon realize word had spread to everyone in the village. you were being bombarded with congratulations and well wishes, and people gushing about how considerate your fiancé was for having a little ceremony here so your community can see the two of you before you leave for snezhnaya, how thoughtful he was, for asking them what traditional ceremonial foods he should have for the occasion, how generous he was, for sponsoring your wedding.

they gushed over his charming personality and his pleasant words, demanding to see the ring he got you, the one you never wore. they playfully berated you for hiding such a big change in your life, claiming it would have been no problem if you were engaged to him even if they had no idea who he was before this. it was stressful and exhausting to smile and thank them for their words, squeezing your way out of the crowd to the safety of your home, and even then the little peace did not last long.

ajax swings the door open only to see your figure slumped over on the table, tired by the fuss. immediately, he goes to you, sitting next to you and going to stroke your head in an attempt to coax you into unleashing your troubles. despite your mental insistence to never let him get to you, you can feel yourself relaxing under his soothing touch, being starved of such gentle affection for so long.

"you alright there, pretty girl?" he coos into your ear, hands still brushing your hair.

you sigh, not wanting to talk at the moment, but he keeps going.

"i'm sorry if the announcement was too sudden, but it's been more than a month, and you haven't let anything slip. not even wearing the ring i bought for you—i was almost hurt, but i understand. now that you know they're all happy for our engagement, though," as he pauses, a hand squeezes yours, "you should start wearing it, so that they don't get the wrong idea, hmm?"

you find yourself agreeing listlessly, disheartened by the terrible turn things had taken. still, how long could you have kept up the charade? how long could you have avoided the wedding and him? you've always known that ajax was ready to do anything to get what he wanted, regardless of how it may torment you or others. you should have expected such a move from him.

"i've planned for our trip to snezhnaya about two weeks from now, so you can meet everyone back home and we can plan for our wedding," he says, not waiting for you to agree, "i haven't told anyone about the journey yet, since i'm afraid teucer will try to sneak onto a ship to come see us again," he smiles at the memory.

you can still remember it, too. it was one of the few times with ajax that you were somewhat happy, since it was hard to dislike teucer, even if the boy idolized ajax to an extent that made you worried.

that day, the news came to the both of you when you were having lunch in the harbor, a frantic underling interrupting you with a panicked explanation about a teucer and sneaking onto the boat. at the time, you were clueless about the exchange, but ajax, unusually riled up, decided the two of you had to go to the bank at once. there, you met teucer, a boy far too adorable to be related to the harbinger. you knew that ajax wrote to his family about you and some parts of his work regularly, but you hadn't expected the enthusiastic greeting teucer showed you, gasping in awe and asking you if you were really going to marry his brother.

while you had been overwhelmed by the sudden questions, ajax quickly stepped in to calm the boy down and offer to show him around the harbor, only after chiding him on his foolish and reckless decision to come all the way to liyue on his own. the rest of the day was honestly pleasant; you witnessed a new side to ajax and were endeared by the boy, who was far too unsuspecting and excited about everything. when the time came to send him home, he told you earnestly that it had been one of the best days of his life and pleaded with you to come visit soon. how could you have said no to him in that moment?

even now, ajax holds your promise over your head, using it to remind you that you couldn't break teucer's heart. either way, you'd be coming with him, as he often said, but it would be nicer for you if you'd come willingly.

"i think teucer only excited everyone more with his stories about you," the harbinger continues, a tinge of excitement in his tone, "and i already know that they would absolutely adore you."

you nod, not at all as excited as he was to visit his family. ajax stands up and goes to your room, not explaining his sudden actions. you can hear the sound of your closet door opening and drawers being pulled, and you bolt towards the room, bewildered by his unreadable expression and fluid motions.

"what are you doing?" you gape at the speed at which he was picking things out, with no consideration to your privacy, "i thought we were leaving in two weeks!"

"did i say two weeks?" he nonchalantly shrugs his shoulders, "i meant one. we have to leave for the harbour a few days before our departure," he was obviously unbothered by how upset you were, "i'm only helping you pack."

he rummages around in your room before picking something up with his slender fingers, turning to you with a grin that sent chills down your spine, "come here."

you obey his command, sensing that he was on the brink of losing his temper. he grasps your hand with a painful. bruising grip, and you were almost certain that he was crushing your fingers. in his other hand, he held a heavy ring, one that was far too familiar, with the expensive, shining stone glaring up at you. you already knew what words were inscribed into the band, despite never wearing the ring again after the first time he placed it onto your finger. as the cool metal slid onto your finger, you thought it was deceivingly beautiful; a ring doubling as a collar being locked into place, to serve a reminder of who you were tied to.

#yandere genshin impact #yandere genshin #yandere childe x reader #yandere childe #yandere genshin x reader #yandere genshin imagines #yandere tartaglia x reader #yandere tartaglia #yandere ajax #yandere childe x you #childe x reader #childe tartagalia #tartaglia 🐟#tartaglia #genshin impact #tartagalia x you #genshin 🐟#os 🐟#SOOOO NERVOUS ITS BEEN 4EVER SINCE I WROTE FOR HIM :(

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verdantmeadows · 6 months

Text

Settling the (Non-existent) Debate—Gary Prince is Taller Than Marshall Lee!

In the new Adventure Time Series, Fionna and Cake, we are introduced to many new characters that come from the original Fionna and Cake series within Adventure Time. With that, we are introduced to both Gary Prince, the human version of Prince Gumball, and Marshall Lee, who shares his name pretty much exactly with Marshall Lee the Vampire King.

However, with them, they brought a new debate.

Who's taller?

At first, most viewers assumed it to be Gary.

After all, you can see him here in episode 6, clearly above Marshall Lee in height. But wait! You might say. Marshall Lee is doing that weird little stance! It's making him shorter! Maybe he's slouching in all the times we see him close to Gary!

Perhaps you could argue that. However, we can even see Gary slouch right here.

And he's still above Marshall Lee's height! Maybe Marshall Lee's legs are giving him a LOT of height.

Although I somehow doubt that, if he is slouching here, which he was slightly before straightening his back, it's hard to imagine he'd manage to make up for the height difference between them by standing up even straighter.

Regardless, let's move onto their next episode, episode 7.

This episode makes things...confusing, as well. Marshall Lee is visibly slouching here, which seems to be putting him at the same height as Gary.

Standing up pretty straight here, they both seem to again be at the same height. But! Something important to notice. Gary's legs seem to be significantly longer than Marshall Lee's! They don't stop until much higher on his body.

Now, onto episode 9.

What...what is happening here? Marshall Lee is clearly taller than Gary in this.

Marshall Lee seems taller again here, but Gary is slouching a little...

From this positioning, Gary seems to be taller...again...

But then, towards the end of the episode, we get this!!! This shot of them gives us a LOT to go off of! Both of them are sitting at about the same position on the bed, but Gary's legs are hanging off a significant amount more. Even though Marshall Lee is shown slouching, Gary is a bit too, and, if he slouched more, he would almost definitely still be taller. This also makes it more obvious that his proportions are, overall, generally longer than Marshall Lee's. And, considering that Marshall Lee isn't wearing shoes, but Gary is, and they were out on their date earlier...we can infer that Marshall Lee being closer to Gary's height came from his shoes!

So! Who is taller?

Well, in all honestly, despite episode 6, I initially thought Marshall Lee was taller, due to their height on their date in episode 9. In fact, I believe on an earlier post about their height, I hesitantly proclaimed that Marshall Lee was taller than Gary.

Before I say more, I'd like to say that regardless of what's canon, any headcanons on their height are completely valid. Even if they conflict canon! I personally have many height-based headcanons in other series that conflict with canon. I just want this post to clear things up for their canon designs.

So far, we've had evidence for both sides of the debate, although it seems to be leaning in Gary's favor. And at the end of this post...I'd like to solidify that, with evidence that isn't shown on-screen!

Gary's concept art!

Although this is clearly not what he looks like in show, and he definitely isn't this tall in show, thanks to the "conspicuously tall" note and his conceptual height next to Fionna, we can deduce that the most likely intention is for Gary to be tall. Not just taller than Marshall Lee, but generally speaking. His various positioning next to Marshall Lee solidify this, and any discrepancies can clearly be connected to the additional height of shoes (which we then see Marshall Lee shorter without). Gary's concept art is the icing on the cake, proving that he has always been and likely is still intended to be a tall character.

So, to conclude...

Gary Prince is taller! And tall in general! (Although if your headcanons are different, that's of course valid!)

Thank you for reading!

#fionna and cake #gary prince #marshall lee abadeer #marshall lee #gumlee #garylee #I allowed myself to talk in a cringe manner while writing this. it was fun #book of kells

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ingravinoveritas · 8 months

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The people that keep saying not to ship Michael and David together in real life because of their relationships to Georgia and Anna are also the same ones who keep begging to have the two girls appear in the next season of GO as a couple because of Anna’s little joke of making out with Georgia. Seriously people saw that tweet of hers and immediately decided to ship them together and call them the “ineffable wives” but Michael and David have come out with soooo much more adorable moments of the love and joy they have for each other and everyone starts saying that it’s disrespectful to ship them when their “married” to females in real life 🤷‍♀️ I mean…. The hypocrisy is astounding and disturbing on levels I can’t even comprehend. The fact that Georgia, who is known to search her and David’s name on Twitter and answers back to anyone that tags or even mentions her didn’t even acknowledge Anna’s tweet says sooooooo much about this “best friend dynamic duo”. The fact that Anna is resorting to jokes about kissing another woman just for attention also…. WHEW. If this isn’t the biggest cry for attention I don’t know what is. And the fact that people feed into her attempts also and are petitioning for them to kiss and show up in GO!

Lord. I've seen so much talk about casting female actresses in regard to fem-presenting Aziraphale/Crowley over the past week, and while it is disappointing, I am not at all surprised. The first inkling I had was upon seeing the reactions when a behind the scenes photo of Crowley as Bildad the Shuhite was posted just before the release of GO 2:

It seems that a lot of folks were expecting/hoping for fem!Crowley, as we saw in Golgotha in season 1 (on the right), and when that turned out not to be the case, the reaction was to call Bildad!Crowley ugly, to say that he should shave, and other comments essentially making fun of this particular look. Obviously, much of this could have (and likely was) made in jest, but the overall consensus was clear: You can't be feminine with a beard.

(Which...I'd like to see someone tell that to Michael Sheen, because yes, the fuck you can...)

So from the outset, I was already bothered by what seemed like the hypocrisy of on the one hand celebrating a show where the characters are genderfluid/nonbinary by definition, and then on the other hand getting upset when one character doesn't fit into a prescribed, conventional idea of femininity.

When Neil subsequently mentioned that there had been a storyline for female-presenting Aziraphale and Crowley in the 1960s, it was dismaying (but again, not surprising) to see these same fans casting female actresses in the roles. Never mind that you already had David playing female!Crowley and Nanny Ashtoreth in season 1. Never mind that both Michael and David have played...well, "drag" doesn't seem like exactly the right word, but they've played women, and brilliantly subverted gender roles in their own ways. There is no reason to think that they couldn't do a fabulous job as fem!presenting Aziraphale and Crowley, except that (again) some fans seem to have a specific idea of femininity that they think does not or cannot apply to Michael and David.

Which then brings us to the apparent clamoring for Anna and Georgia as female Aziraphale and Crowley, which has again left me scratching my head. In all of the tweets and hubbub, I have not seen one person say why they think AL and Georgia would do a good job in said roles--like, "Oh, Georgia was so good as [insert role]" or "I loved Anna as [insert role]"--only that they would be "so amazing." This leads me to think that the only reason these fans want AL and Georgia in the roles is because they are Michael and David's partners. They are assuming that this is somehow a guarantee of the same profound understanding of the characters and their connection, despite there being no evidence of such a correlation. (I mean...I fooled around with my former grad school professor last year, but that doesn't mean I have a PhD...)

What it also seems to indicate is that these folks are not thinking of what is best for the characters, either, or indeed if playing female!Aziraphale and Crowley is something AL or Georgia would even want to do. Neil recently said that Georgia turned down a role in GO 2 supposedly because the character was older than her and she didn't feel it was appropriate. If this is the case, why would Georgia want to play the role of a middle-aged character? Because that is what Aziraphale and Crowley are--ageless celestial beings, yes, but beings who have chosen to present as middle-aged. That is a key part of who they are, so to have the female versions of them played by younger actresses makes no sense and seems downright disrespectful.

There is also what you said, about AL's cringey tweet from a little over a week ago. Georgia could have absolutely responded to or acknowledged it by now, as she has responded to several other tweets since then...but she hasn't. Not a reply, not even a 'like.' And I agree with you that that seems to speak volumes, and that it would probably be a good idea if people looked beyond the Staged-driven narrative of "Georgia and AL are BFFs" to see how Georgia actually seems to feel about her.

(And to echo another thing you said, I will never understand how it is somehow completely fine for fans to ship Georgia and Anna/want to see them make out despite neither of them showing that level of affection toward each other or having any visible chemistry, yet not okay to ship Michael and David who do have that chemistry and have been making their feelings for each other very obvious for the last several years...)

So yes, those are my thoughts on the whole female Aziraphale/Crowley fancasting situation. I just hope that if we do get them as fem!presenting in season 3, that it is Michael and David, because there is no way any other two actors could give us what we got with Aziraphale and Crowley the way Michael and David did. I guess we'll see what happens...

#phantomstars24 #reply post #good omens 2 #aziraphale #crowley #michael sheen #welsh seduction machine #david tennant #soft scottish hipster gigolo #georgia tennant #this proves that michael and david's chemistry is what made go what it was #i love how they both say a big 'fuck you' to society's expectations #how they both play with gender and have both masculine and feminine qualities #and they would be incredible as fem!presenting Aziraphale and Crowley #Michael in particular I think would relish the opportunity #the irony of people wanting to shove him and David into the same boxes they want Aziraphale and Crowley removed from #fandom woes #anna lundberg #discourse

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loaffofbred · 27 days

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Hazbin Hotel: A rambled review

disclaimer: all of this is just a ramble or list of my opinions on the show! specifically the flaws and opportunities that are missed and such, this is not to say the show is good or bad. this is not for convincing anyone to change their mind on any of their personal opinions, but to air out my general thoughts on the show!

now lets dive in >:)

Pacing

- i'm sure this is said about a thousand times already, but its not exactly a bad point. the pacing of the show is evidently rushed just basing off of the finale itself, especially the lack of fleshing out the core concept of the show which is redemption. despite the show giving big emphasis on redemption, the lack of deeper conversations, in-depth look on the character's past life, and reflection of the bad things that they've done in general whether in hell or on earth shows how much time the character needs in order to truly earn respect for themselves and enough to be considered 'redeemed'. the pacing unfortunately loses a lot of its opportunity to give further focus on the characters due to the episodes being focused on OTHER characters outside the cast itself. take for instance, the vees. in my opinion, i think the vees were pointless to be in the show on its first season, the only reason why they were introduced is for sir pentious to be a spy, even though they didn't technically have to show up in order for that to happen. the vees could've been more mysterious, intimidating, or even just ominous despite their clear cover and control over other sinners. their presence while popular, couldve been hidden by the show to excite or tease them on the next season. the season overall couldve been cut, the finale being the entrance to heaven so that the other episodes are there to truly flesh out the characters and redemption that charlie wants to happen. to be honest in my view, the redemption that charlie seems to go on about is rather vague, especially with her tactics. we never truly know HOW else does she reinforce redemption, how exactly does she make sinners reflect upon their own actions? trust falls? little activities? not any that regards vulnerability or talk of the past or even just a reflection of themselves? ill talk further about this in its own section, but overall, i think the pacing and the jampacked amount of characters being pushed into one episode, and the unnecessary introductions really makes it hard to further appreciate the show. it lacks time, and feels like the characters are racing for redemption rather than taking the time to truly know how redemption works or is applied to them. while i understand the certain rush due to the introduction of adam and him pushing the date of the extermination, that doesn't mean that redemption itself should be rushed, in regards to sir pentious.

Charlie: Concept of Redemption

- while i continue to love charlie as a character, there are clear flaws with her logic of redemption that were never challenged. such as the small activities that shes doing that are evidently not working for all of them (angel dust), and the clear lack of control she has with how she reinforces redemption based on the lucifer episode. she has no clear direction to what is considered redeemed, but she forces her way through it despite it clearly not working in her favor (ie. going to heaven). no one questions her way of trying to redeem sinners despite its clear flaws, while the collective connection of others are one component to that, that doesn't necessarily change the way the characters look at themselves. they can have relationships and connections to people, but that isn't facing their flaws, facing the mistakes that they've made. the only part i saw seeing a character truly reflect on themselves are angel dust and husk, where in charlie only was slightly the cause of, and thats being generous. charlie as a character should have been more challenged in order for her to develop a deeper understanding of redemption, so that by the time shes proving it to heaven, it doesn't feel like a losing battle or reckless choice, but a clear conviction that we, as the viewer, know is possible. it makes us the viewer, know that charlie isnt simply saying it, that charlie is willing to change on her own and for others like the virtues and values she believes in. while her naivety is one of her character traits, her staying that way only makes her to be a flat character, one that never changes as the plot moves forward. as (one of) the main character, thats even more disappointing. i honestly expected for the lucifer episode to be the reality check that charlie needed, the evidence of heaven clearly being flawed themselves, and how directionless she is with her plan to redeem sinners. but sadly, that wasn't the case. all in all, redemption itself and charlie should've been more fleshed out, it was vague, lack any deeper meaning, and felt forced in the narrative despite it being the very concept of the show.

Sir Pentious: Redeemed or Not Redeemed? (that is the question)

- before i start i just wanna say, i love sir pentious, by far one of my favorite characters from the jump. BUT, the way they handled him was sadly, exciting yet not quite satisfying. his character was interesting and fun, quite different compared to the cruelness that we see frequently in hell. his redemption felt unearned despite his sacrifice for others, this makes the question of how redemption works in the first place. if he is redeemed, does that mean that only actions in hell is the basis of going to heaven? besides the point, the redemption of sir pentious while exciting, didnt feel satisfying due to the fact that we never truly got a clear understanding of HOW was he redeemed, or how exactly did he led himself to reflect on his own actions. it felt rushed to me, is more or less my take, his lack of screen time points to that even more.

Visuals

- these are purely off of my own opinions and preferences, take this mostly with a grain of salt.

- backgrounds: too much red and black, please put tiny bit more contrast to bring out the characters more, the lack of variety makes it harder for characters and the background to be unique and stand out to someone or a viewer. theres a reason why i can barely picture any of the backgrounds in any of the scenes in the show. (or maybe its just me, idk)

- characters: purely my own opinion, character designs could've been more pushed into the animals/elements that they are, like alastor, vaggie, and nifty. (tbh i didnt knew alastor was a deer until someone told me the first time i saw him). less red, experiment with contrast, complimentary colors despite them being in the pride part of hell.

Alastor: Unnecessary or Just Right?

- i see a few people think alastor overall is pointless in the season or isn't needed in the show, but, i somewhat disagree with that. a part of alastor's character is him being in control, he yearns for control over the situation and is mostly there to pick the right moment to manipulate it all in his favor. i personally like the subtle (yet not so subtle) of displaying alastor as threatening and cunning, his whole character is about subverting or sometimes satisfying the expectations and judgements of others to his favor. his role isnt to just be a mastermind, but to be a character that shows repression, lack of empathy, lack of trust in anyone, and controlling behavior be a contrast to the very concept and ideas that charlie wants to avoid and change. hes a direct opposite and challenge to what charlie calls 'redeemable'. by that point, alastor's role isnt simply to be smart and to control, but to be a challenger to charlie's whole idea despite being in her side. while heaven somewhat plays that role, alastor challenges it far more from his general demeanor and the actions that he's rumoured to have done. this pushes a question in the future that charlie has to face, would you protect and support a co-worker that directly opposes the very idea that the hotel faces? it makes the creation of the hotel far more interesting, and makes an intriguing question of morality that charlie has to face. hes a ticking time bomb, i do hope that they also look to alastor's clear weaknesses and vulnerabilities, ones he cant avoid and have to face.

anyways, these are only the few general opinions i have of the show, if ya want more positive things of the overall show, i might just do it if i have the time :)), its 2am now bye byeeeeee

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel review #alastor #charlie morningstar #vaggie #lucifer #angel dust #husk #nifty #adam hazbin hotel #my usual rambles #lucifer morningstar #lucifer hazbin hotel #alastor hazbin hotel #sir pentious #damn im tired

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mauesartetc · 10 months

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Hi, I just want to vent: I've gotten huge amounts of backlash for posting my criticisms of Helluva Boss on reddit, especially about Stolas' and Stella's relationship-stating why I think it's a bad depiction of abuse etc. And while I've said things that were insensitive and out of line, I find it very hypocritical that many fans defend Vivziepop to high heaven and act like she's some kinda goddess of writing who can do no wrong.

It's clear to me that many fans are so passionately defensive of the writing because find Stolas and his experiences relatable, and thus they see any criticism of his character and how the abuse is written as a personal attack.

Not gonna mention any names, but I've seen certain people say things that basically dismiss all critics as "immature kids who don't get real mature art like Helluva Boss" and explain the inconsistensies and plot holes with handwaves that while plausible, ignore the rule of "show don't tell". It all feels like ass-kissing and refusing to acknowledge that your fave show has flaws to me.

I really hate the dismissal of any critics as "abuse apologists" when the show itself is terrible at handling the topic of abuse, plays abusive behavior for laughs and depicts things that are toxic as "cute".

I also want to add that some people have justified Stella's one-note personality by saying "real maturity is accepting that sometimes people are just jerks" I find that a shoddy excuse.

I don't believe that any person on the planet is a jerk for no real reason, because real people aren't political strawmen or enemies in a war-propaganda film designed to incite rage and disgust-they have reasons for their actions even if they are disagreeable. To me, the comfortable fantasy is believing that the people who hurt you are evil monsters who only exist to inflict misery, when the truth is that they are their own people with positive and sympathetic qualities like everyone else.

These are my thoughts, I would like to hear yours on what I said.

"Immature kids who don't get real mature art like Helluva Boss"

LMAO okay if that person considers Helluva Boss "mature art", I'm convinced they've never consumed any other media intended for an adult demographic, and therefore have nothing to compare it to. The only time Helluva felt like a show for adults (to me, anyway) was Moxxie and Millie's song in "Ozzie's", where they have the confidence to reaffirm for themselves that they don't need to be kinky to have a fulfilling sex life. That's a message actual adults can relate to and need to hear. But the rest of the show comes off like it was written by edgy teens who think they know how to balance comedy and drama just because they've seen BoJack Horseman. Spoilers- They don't.

You're allowed to like it, you're allowed to think it's a good show overall, but... mature? Is it really? C'mon now.

Here's the thing: When people know they have no argument, they start mischaracterizing their opponent's position so it's easier for them to take the moral high ground. Easier for them to "win". Oh, you're not a fan of this show? You must be an abuse apologist, or a homophobe. They make these claims despite having little to no evidence they're true, just so they can disregard reasonable criticism and retreat to their comfortable little bubble where no one disagrees with them.

And you see this kind of rabid defense whenever someone has developed such an unhealthy attachment to something they like that it's become a vital part of their identity. They feel, at least subconsciously, that any attack on that thing is an attack on them. Why do you think some sports fans throw a fit when their team loses?

This is partly why I feel it's important to criticize media you like in addition to media you don't, understanding that nothing made by human hands will ever be perfect. If you can get some emotional distance from it, you won't get heated every time someone expresses the tiniest beef with it. Because chances are, it might also be a criticism you've made.

But I think at this point it's best to just disengage. If someone's made their mind up on a particular topic, no amount of convincing will change it. Leaving the conversation (or not entering it in the first place) is always an option. Block that subreddit if you have to. If you think they're wrong, let them be wrong. In a few years, they might find some sense of identity outside the stuff they enjoy, or they might not. It's not really your concern. The only real winner in an internet argument is the one who has a life outside of it.

#helluva boss #helluva critical #fandom #ask #chinesegal

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bumblebeerror · 9 months

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I’ll admit my views of Dream are a lot more negative than positive.

I don’t love that he made MCC so competitive, but I get why he did. Speedrunner. Good at pvp. Etc. I still felt it was whiny and not in the spirit of a competition that aims to let the creators have fun (in that the intake form has things like “do you prefer sillies or sweaty” and each team has about an equal amount of both) but like. It wasn’t just him for that. I think MCC is much more fun without him and a few other very competitive people, and getting to see more range in creators is more enjoyable.

I think he’s a bit overhyped; but I’m not gonna cite Wilbur creating the manhunt idea or Minecraft but, it’s mostly just. I dunno, reflexes aren’t everything in this game. And someone being a builder or redstoner doesn’t mean they can’t win pvp, and I feel like he was very… derogatory, toward those types of players. The Grian twitlonger comes to mind.

I think he dropped the ball severely on his own server, and it impacted the lifetime of that story. I think rushing everyone to finish their stories and refusing to communicate is dick behavior, and I especially think that ignoring how the women and non-binaries on his server were treated by fans when a statement from him would have gone a long way is a bit of a dick move. I understand that ADHD can make you bad at communicating, but even support or information in private would have helped, or even an admission that he didn’t know.

I personally think the situation with QSMP, something Quackity was publicly working on for ages, and Dream’s spur of the moment half baked idea for something similar, was and is dumb. I think Tommy’s criticism of it was both funny and justified. Quackity wasn’t secretive about this server. Everyone knew it was coming for a while, and the only true surprise was Quackity having the language mod developed to release during the second week of the server. I think Dream’s meltdown about lack of communication is a little ridiculous all things considered. I do wish Quackity had been more able to curb his own audience away from harassment and stalking, and that Dream would take literally any responsibility for the way his own fans act as well. It’s not impossible to curb your community - if Techno could do it despite us all being notoriously feral (I.e. encouraging his community not to hate on squidkid or reminding us that roleplay is roleplay) then it’s not impossible to make a statement and calm the masses some. Dream’s relationship with his fans is very parasocial and I know he fosters that a lot. I feel it should come with some sense of responsibility. Just like Fit deserved to be called out for what he said about the one mod’s mobs, I think these criticisms are fair. (and watching the clip of Fit being told about the implications, I do think “it was a refrence” was meant to be an apology - it’s sorta just how he talks, but I get if people still dislike it. He has gotten more mindful about it moving forward and now won’t repeat a meme/joke unless he knows it’s not hateful, so he has changed behavior.)

I find him to be generally up his own ass, in other words. Which is whatever - it’s not a sin. I don’t like his stans and they are regularly a more intense type of toxic, but I also think most stans of any creator are insufferable. I mostly just dislike that Dream seems to encourage their behaviour much more. He’s young, and so is his audience.

I think his work with Technodad has been overall helpful especially when it comes to donations to the sarcoma foundation. I understand those who feel uncomfortable about it, and I hope you won’t lash out against Technodad for it. Mans has barely learned Reddit, let him be.

I don’t know what to say about the allegations. On one hand, it’s an awful thing to do and I feel for the victims, especially with having to deal with the stans harassing them for bringing evidence to light. I think the victims deserved far better treatment. I think Dream’s reputation would have been far more favorable if he had at least addressed the situation respectfully, and either owned up to the clear evidence or provided evidence of his own. On the other, I get that again, he’s young and people make mistakes. This does not mean I think his victims shouldn’t have come forward or that what he did was okay - only that I don’t think I was smart enough at 20 to handle sudden and intense fame either. In this case (unless I’ve missed it) it doesn’t seem like his messages actually went anywhere, which is a slight relief. I would feel better about it if he had handled it more seriously, because I’m unsure if he’s really learned anything from that situation besides that he can get away with about anything if he ignores it. As is, it feels unfinished on his end and I wish he would own up.

All that being said, I don’t claim to know much about the guy.

I’ve watched maybe two manhunts and seen a scattered few videos with him involved. I don’t enjoy his style much, it just feels kinda fake to me, idk.

Im not sure what my point really was, I mostly just wanted my thoughts in order.

#dream situation #fitmc #loyal maybe don’t look #I’m basically just restating a lot of things you’ve said and you’ve got enough goin on

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doctorbunny · 9 months

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So I don't remember who said it, if it was here or in a discord or something but I remember someone musing about the limits of the milgram MV machine like "what if a prisoner went through it and it looked like there was a ton of murder but that didn't actually happen and they just had OCD and the machine couldn't filter out intrusive thoughts?"

Anyway, I make this post to bring up that before the second trial, this was sort of a theory for Haruka I saw get thrown about a little. Not so much OCD specifically, but Weakness has a lot of dream and waking up imagery. So the theory went the first two 'murders' were things he felt guilty about but didn't cause directly. The dog leaving bloody paw prints before he found it possibly implying something like a car or a wild animal killing it before Haruka found it and him blaming himself for the dog getting out of the house in the first place (LOL in hindsight) As for the girl there was less evidence, but also less information overall on her (we still thought she was literally the same age as Haruka and thus her scene was a childhood memory) So it was speculated maybe there was an accident or she slipped and was injured/killed and once again Haruka viewed himself as responsible despite not actually having taken her life Haruka talked a lot about being a selfish killer but he also said he caused misfortune to those near him, as if he magically gave off bad luck or had been unfortunate enough to be surrounded by accidents like Torch from the novels

The theory went that Haruka's only victim was the third one, who he doesn't wake up from afterwards and strangles on screen like in undercover This part varied, some people thought it could represent suicide (killing his younger self), killing someone who meant a lot to him when he was young (the girl, his mother) or even a younger brother

Now obviously with AKAA, the first 'two' murders seem a lot more real

but I just remembered this time and thought it'd be fun to share it...

#haruka sakurai #milgram #ミルグラム #milgram theory

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best-titan-7274 · 9 months

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They're adorable, I said what I said

No matter how many times BT is completely fine, watching the techs go over him is always nerve-wracking. They were wrong about BT being gone once, after all – what if they mess something else up? What if he gets hurt?

The techs have taken to calling him Mama Cooper, and he valiantly ignores it. (Briggs hasn’t, she even got him a t-shirt with it, but he has yet to wear it… except that one time he forgot about laundry and had to wear it to lunch. He knows there’s still pictures around somewhere.)

Every time the techs start winding up their cables and rolling their monitors, he starts inching closer. He’s been strictly forbidden from getting too close to BT while the diagnostics are running, like all other Pilots. If something goes wrong with the diagnostics, nobody wants a Titan to accidentally splatter their human buddy across the concrete.

He’s technically not supposed to get so close so fast, but he trusts BT more than anyone else in the SRS. Even Briggs, and he would’ve said that before the t-shirt before.

“All right, BT, you good?” Jack asks.

The tech coughs out something that sounds suspiciously like Mama Cooper, and holds out the tablet with the diagnostics report on it. He doesn’t even glance at it, even if he can see it out of the corner of his eye.

BT will tell him everything he needs to know.

“All systems accounted for and functioning at one hundred percent,” BT reports after a moment.

Good. It’s not that Jack doesn’t trust the techs, he does, he just – wants to be careful. Or paranoid, according to some people and even on occasion BT himself, but Jack accepts the half-teasing remarks because part of him knows they’re right.

It’s just hard not to be, when he lost BT twice.

Despite how sickened he was to not be there to give BT some kind of reassurance at the very last moment on Typhon, part of him will forever be grateful that he didn’t have to see it twice.

“So we’re good,” he says, relieved. Most of the cable ports are just under BT’s eye, near the groove marking the bulk of the SERE kit. The techs – and now Jack – get up there with a telescoping lift.

It puts them at eye level with BT, as much as it can be called that, so he acts on impulse and pats BT on the head. Kind of. Despite the overall humanoid shape of the Titans, the comparison starts to break down when he gets to the head.

“What was that?” BT asks.

“Head pat,” Jack says, suddenly acutely aware that the tech is snickering quietly. “Congratulations for a job well done.

BT is quiet for a few seconds, evidently thinking this over.

“This is acceptable,” he says eventually, and Jack gives him a crooked grin.

It becomes a routine after that. Hover while the techs work, ask BT how everything went, get the confirmation from the techs, and then the head pat.

The techs find it adorable. Sometimes Jack huffs and grumbles about the way they coo over him and BT, but it’s a small price to pay. And it seems to make BT a little more popular, somehow, as if he didn’t save the entire world by himself.

Okay, not by himself, technically. He always corrects Jack when Jack says that, but honestly, it is mostly true. Jack did a few things, like finding Anderson’s helmet, but the rest wouldn’t have been possible without BT.

Honestly, Jack never expected BT to like them.

Not entirely true. He never would have done something if he thought BT would dislike it even a little, but who could have expected the giant war machine to want to be petted?

Jack can’t tell him no, though, no matter what. So if BT wants headpats, or anything else, he’s going to get them.

He wonders, sometimes, if he’s not supposed to have a little more control over his partner, but the thought never lasts long. Neither of them want to control the other. And though everyone knows that BT has the physical strength in their relationship, apparently Lastimosa once called Jack a ‘headstrong little gremlin’ in one of his reports, so Jack wouldn’t count himself out in a contest of wills.

“Jack,” BT says, and his attention is drawn to the present.

“Yeah, buddy, what’s up?”

“Pat.”

Somehow, Jack’s life has come to a point where his Titan insists on affection.

He doesn’t mind at all.

The mission was harder than it should have been. Either their intel was shit, or the IMC is moving troops around a lot faster than it used to – whatever the case, he’d really prefer to not be surprised by three enemy Titans in the future, thanks very much.

With one of their own Titans shattered by a well-placed missile, the Pilots are all meeting on the ground for their post-mission briefing. They were lucky the Pilot in the exploded Titan survived, and the fact that she’s holding a SERE kit instead of having completely lost her Titan is a miracle.

The briefing is quick, because none of them really want to stand around longer than they need to. The enemy Titans are scrapped, their Pilots killed, so they pose no threat – but reinforcements could come and surprise them, too, if they’re not careful.

“That’s all, team,” the mission lead says, shutting down the hologram map protruding from her wrist. “Let’s embark and wait for the transport ship to land. You first, Cooper.”

He points to himself, an eyebrow raised, and shrugs when she nods. Not ours to question why, as the saying went, not that anyone ever jokingly quoted the second half.

“Ready to embark, BT?” he asks, not really paying attention because he can’t imagine the answer will be anything but ‘yes’.

“Pats.”

“What?”

There’s a scattered handful of snickers behind him, and he realises, suddenly, why he was told to go first. Rotten bastards.

BT kneels down and hunches his shoulders over, trying to get even shorter, it would seem. His head is in reach from there, even with how much shorter Jack is.

And Jack, because he always does what BT wants, stands up one his tip-toes to give BT the head pats he so politely requested.

“Good job, Mama Cooper,” someone calls. “You guys are adorable.”

Jack decides to ignore them. He and BT are adorable, though, if he says so himself – so he can’t resist giving the Titan just one more pat before BT lets him up to embark.

#got this one when i started this and posting it over here!#titanfall 2 #bt 7274 #jack cooper #request

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happybird16 · 11 months

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•Chapter Five•

Naga!Levi Ackerman/Fem!Reader

Summary: Growing up, the forest's edge always darkened the far corner of your small village. The giant, twisted branches overhead rendered the forest floor a terrifying, pitch black. You shouldn't be here. There's creatures here, dangerous ones.

Overall warnings: Past references to child abuse, blood, scars, gore, mystery, eventual sex, inhuman genitalia (Levi is a snake man), horror vibes.

Chapter warnings: Horror vibes, myster, blood, gore, references to past child abuse.

Chapter length: 6.2k

Ao3 Link

The most special of shoutouts to my beloved friend and beta @theferricfox!!!! Also, credit to @the-milk-anon for the snake banner!!

Note: Very excited to see your reactions to this!!!

Previous chapter | Next chapter

It's morning, you know that for a fact, but the forest is nearly pitch black. In the few short feet between the mountainside and the trees, the soft morning light had sparkled brightly off the snow. It had been nearly blinding.

But now nothing but darkness surrounds you. Luckily, the blizzard has stopped, at least for a bit judging by the forbidding clouds looming in the distance. However, the cold is unforgiving, and the biting wind cuts through your body with a sharp chill. Every breath feels like icy needles in your lungs. The leather of your gloves creaks in protest every time you wring your shivering hands for warmth.

You think it might be too cold to snow.

As you press forward against the powerful intermittent breeze, it threatens to knock you off balance with its force. Every step becomes a slow and arduous battle against the wind. Despite the unsettling conditions, you find yourself oddly grateful for the giant's repetitive visits. Its lumbering footsteps have inadvertently created a path through the snow, a winding trail that bears the imprint of its clumsy movements.

In your earlier years, prior to the birth of your brother, you had been taught how to hunt. Your father had always wanted a son, he'd told you as much repeatedly, and he'd put that pressure onto you. Under his relentless and often cruel gaze, you’d spent a significant portion of your youth in the safer woods on the opposite side of town, learning the skills of tracking, killing, and skinning. Nothing you did was ever good enough for him, as he constantly pushed you to meet his high expectations.

However, everything changed when your brother Gerard was born. Suddenly, your father's attention shifted entirely to him, and you were left to find your place and learn the tasks assigned to women alongside your mother. This abrupt abandonment brought both a sense of relief and a deep-seated ache within you.

Those memories are distant now. Long gone, fuzzy and buried somewhere in the depths of your mind. Trudging determinedly through the knee high snow, you struggle to recall even the littlest scene.

“I’m too weak,” you mumble morosely to yourself, tracing the tidy line of stitches along your sleeve. A heavy sigh escapes your lips as you come to a realization. You simply can’t bring yourself to do it. The Naga may be a bit rough around the edges and more than a little bit curt, but he's kind. In his own way, he's kind. As terrible a person as you are, you can't hurt someone like that, not even for your own gain.

You don't know what you're going to do. Uncertainty hangs over your future. Without those scales, going back home is impossible. As long as the storm rages on, everything remains up in the air. In the midst of this uncertainty, you have made a decision to focus on the present moment and what you can do right now.

The loaf of bread you had brought won't last much longer, no matter how much you ration it, and it certainly won't work for your companion. You need something else. He's a predator, you should've realized that in the first place. His teeth and claws are clear enough evidence towards his diet. You need protein. You need meat.

In the low light, you strain your eyes to spot any signs of small creatures scuttling about, searching for loose patches of fur or even a trail of little footprints. A rabbit would be a welcome find, even if just for a short while. You find yourself hoping that Levi, the Naga, was telling the truth when he mentioned not eating much in the winter. While his human half may be roughly human-sized, albeit on the smaller side, his overall size is immense. Lithe and brimming with muscle, you can only imagine the amount of food he requires.

During your journey here, countless chipmunks and rabbits had been darting about in the underbrush. There had even been a handful of birds, mostly crows and ravens, staring down at you from the branches overhead. But now, there's nothing. The entire forest seems to have come to a standstill under the grip of the bitter cold.

Every step forward resounds as a loud crunch, your foot breaking through a thick layer of ice atop the snow. Surrounded by towering trees, you can’t help but feel small and isolated. It’s clear you can’t remain out here for long. The biting cold is already seeping through your thick coat, penetrating your skin. Hopefully, your scaly companion is still peacefully dozing when you return.

You yearn desperately for a bow or even your knife -wherever that disappeared to, you haven't seen it since Levi had threatened you with it. You vaguely recall how to set up traps, but that requires time and patience—luxuries you can’t afford. The longer you stay exposed out here, the more treacherous it becomes.

This is stupid, you know that, but what else is there to do. Levi.. Levi only seems to be getting weaker by the day. He's getting slower and slower, spending more and more time curled up in the corner asleep. It's too cold and only getting colder by the day. You don't know how long this storm is going to last but maybe.. maybe helping him will buy you more time. You can only hope.

Suddenly, a forceful gust of wind confronts you head-on, almost knocking you off balance. As you struggle to readjust your hood and cover your ears, something catches your attention. There, in the snow, is a trail of tiny footprints. They wander aimlessly before vanishing beneath the dense, leafless tangle of a thorn bush.

As you approach, the sound of your footsteps crunching against the snow, a sudden commotion breaks out nearby. Startled, a large, plump bunny with pristine white fur darts away with astonishing speed, vanishing into the shelter of a dense thicket. You identify it as a cranberry bush, its dark green leaves contrasting against the vibrant red berries still adorning its branches. A mischievous grin spreads across your face as you realize that must be the bunny's chosen food source. It's a perfect opportunity.

Knowing that time is of the essence, you decide to set up a trap, hopeful that you can return later to check on it. Kneeling onto the cold snow, you swiftly assemble a small snare, ensuring it is discreet and strategically placed.

While you concentrate on your task, a loud crash resonates from a distance behind you. The noise echoes through the wintry landscape, accompanied by the distinct sound of branches snapping and snow crunching under pressure.

And then, just as suddenly, it happens again—an even louder cacophony that interrupts the serene surroundings and captures your attention.

As your shoulders tense up, a sense of unease washes over you, causing a prickling sensation to crawl along the back of your neck. Desperately hoping it's just the wind playing tricks on your senses, you can't shake the nagging feeling that something is amiss. Deep within the recesses of your mind, an instinctual alarm blares, urging you with every fiber of your being to resist the urge to turn around.

In the distance, a strange and dissonant sound reverberates, a peculiar blend between a whisper and a low growl. Above the howling wind, it carries a haunting quality, almost as if it's calling your name. The sensation of horror intensifies, sending shivers down your spine and causing goosebumps to rise on your skin.

With a mixture of dread and curiosity, against your better judgment, you finally gather the courage to look behind you. The sight that greets you is enough to freeze your blood. A row of yellowed teeth, large and uneven, looms before you, jutting out from a hidden presence that sends a jolt of terror through your entire being.

The entity before you is massive, towering on all fours at a height more than triple your own. It looms menacingly, contorted and deformed into a grotesque parody of a bear. Its appearance is a nightmarish amalgamation, with fur interrupted by patches of rough scales, and the gaps between them exuding a sickening black ooze that bubbles and festers.

A piercing scream tears from your throat as pure terror propels you forward, scrambling on your hands and knees. Panic consumes your every thought as you flee, driven by an instinct to escape at all costs. Snow flies in a flurry behind you as you sprint frantically through the forest, the thundering sounds of your own frantic footsteps drowned out by the horrifying growls that echo through the air. The creature pursues you relentlessly, its presence casting a twisted, elongated shadow that seems to warp and twist even in the darkness of the surrounding forest.

In a desperate attempt to save yourself, you propel your body forward, but before you can get far, the creature's hand clamps around your waist, its razor-sharp claws piercing your skin. Your voice cracks as you scream out, calling for Levi, hoping against hope for rescue.

The creature growls with a low, rumbling sound, a mockery of your terror. Lifting you effortlessly, it brings you to eye level, its distorted features contorting into a twisted smile. Its head is adorned with an unsettling abundance of eyes, reminiscent of an insect's multifaceted gaze. A warbling sound escapes its distorted mouth, and as its jaws open wide, row upon row of sharp teeth are revealed. It mimics your voice in a chilling echo, taunting you with the word, "Weeaak."

How long had it been following you?

The realization of the creature's prolonged pursuit sends a wave of horror coursing through your veins. The intensity of your fear fuels a surge of adrenaline, propelling you to lash out in a desperate attempt to defend yourself. With a guttural scream, your fingers claw into the uneven hide of its finger, digging in with all your might. In a moment of desperation, you manage to deliver a rough kick that grazes its snout, eliciting a snort of annoyance as it violently shakes its head, flinging you aside like a ragdoll.

The impact with the ground is jarring, leaving you dazed and disoriented. Half-buried in a large snow bank, you struggle to regain your bearings. With great effort, you manage to crawl a few feet forward, but your respite is short-lived as the creature's claws close around your left leg with a bone-chilling grip. A searing pain courses through your body as a sickening crack resonates from your foot, followed by the agonizing sensation of dagger-like talons, each one larger than your head, slicing mercilessly into your thigh. The sheer intensity of the pain is so overwhelming that the scream that escapes your throat is deafening, leaving you hoarse and breathless.

As darkness encroaches and your vision fades into a spotty abyss, a sense of suffocation washes over you, making it difficult to draw in a breath. The grip of the creature's strange, scaly and furry hand constricts around you with an unimaginable strength, causing your chest to strain and creak under its relentless pressure. Desperation sets in as your hands scramble and push against its enormous fingers, but your feeble attempts to fight back prove futile. Weakly, you manage to utter a profanity-laden plea through wheezing breaths, desperately denying the horrifying reality unfolding before you. “F-fuck,” you wheeze, “N-no. No!”

The creature's massive maw opens wide, unleashing a gust of warm, putrid breath saturated with the stench of decaying flesh. The revolting odor nearly overwhelms your senses, threatening to make you gag. With tears streaming down your face, you tightly squeeze your eyes shut, allowing sobs of despair to escape your trembling lips. In the depths of your heart, you know that this is the end. This is how you meet your demise.

In the midst of your despair and self-blame, the piercing cry of the creature breaks through the air. Its agonizing yowl reverberates in your ears, causing the world to spin and your senses to falter. With a jolt, the creature hurls you aside once more, and you find yourself landing face down in the cold, unforgiving snow bank.

Disoriented and shaken, you struggle to lift yourself up, your thoughts a whirlwind of confusion and fear. The abrupt turn of events leaves you wondering what could have caused the creature’s sudden distress. As the pain courses through your body, the burning sensation intensifies, leaving you writhing in agony. The echoes of the creature’s torment still reverberate in your ears, and amidst the chaos, you notice the sound of its whimpering retreat. Confusion fills your mind as you try to make sense of the sudden turn of events. Why did the creature leave? What just happened?

Struggling to regain your composure, you lift yourself up from the snow, wincing at the sharp pains that shoot through your limbs.

Fingers grip your shoulders from behind and you jolt, letting out a hoarse cry. It's back it's back it's back. The fingers dig in, softly urging you onto your back. Levi fills your vision. His mouth is moving, but you can't hear.

“Levi,” you breath, shoulders easing. Sinking heavily into the snow, your teeth begin to chatter. With your hazy vision, you manage to make out the shape his lips are forming. Your name, he's calling your name.

He's never done that before.

“You- you saved me,” you whimper, eyes fluttering heavily. Shivering, the cold has settled through your clothes, sticking wetly to your skin. “Levi I-”

“-could hear you screaming from the den. What the fuck are you doing out here?” Levi pauses, nose flaring and tongue flicking out. Suddenly sharp, his eyes drag along your half-buried form, “Is that blood I smell? Are you injured?”

“Rabbit,” you try to speak, mouth heavy. You point uselessly in what you think is the direction of your snare. “Wanted to get you food.”

His eyes widen and he shakes his head in disbelief. “You’re a fucking idiot,” he snarks dryly. “Of course you managed to run into a Shifter.”

Shifter? Before you can ask what he means by that, a sudden and horrifying turn of events unfolds before your eyes. Claws, belonging to the bear-like creature, come into view, encircling Levi’s small waist with a vice-like grip. Your heart sinks as you witness the viciousness of the attack.

The claws dig deep into his flesh, rending his flesh and leaving trails of blood in their wake. With a violent throw, Levi is hurled forcefully into the distance, his body colliding with a tree. The sickening sound of impact echoes through the air as he falls to the ground, motionless, leaving behind a streak of red on the tree’s bark.

“Levi!” Desperation and anguish well up within you as you scream hoarsely, calling out to him. The bear-thing is back, dragging its way over you with one of its legs dangling limply behind. A chilling dark black trail follows in its wake, turning the pure white snow into a disgusting sludgy mess. Blood. Its blood is black.

The air hangs heavy with fear as the creature looms over you, its presence suffocating. Paralyzed with terror, you can only tremble uncontrollably. Its massive paws sink into the snow on either side of you, a chilling reminder of your helplessness.

Its face, devoid of thought or reason, contorts in a grotesque and shifting manner, causing a wave of discomfort to wash over you. The sight is almost unbearable, making your eyes ache and your skin crawl. Saliva drips from its open maw, splattering warm and sticky against your trembling form. The repulsive sensation sends shivers down your spine as the creature's tongue extends, yearning for a taste of its prey.

Feeling overwhelmed and cornered, you close your eyes tightly, seeking refuge from the horror before you. This is it. This is it. Dread fills your every fiber as you resign yourself to this terrifying fate. The weight of guilt presses upon you, knowing that your actions may have condemned Levi to his demise as well.

But then, a voice cuts through the darkness, shattering the suffocating silence. "Hey, ugly fuck." The creature's attention is swiftly diverted, and you instinctively turn your gaze towards the source of the voice. Levi rises, despite his injuries, rolling his shoulders with a determined air. His arm hangs limply at his side, evidence of the harsh impact with the tree. The sight of the deep gashes on his waist, painting his side with a rapidly spreading pool of crimson, fills you with both concern and awe.

Blood trickles from his forehead, obscuring his eye. With a casual wipe of his forehead, he inspects the bloody mess on his fingertips, emitting a low tsk of disapproval. "Is that all you got?" he taunts, his voice laced with defiance and a touch of dark humor.

The wounds on Levi’s side emit an otherworldly steam, the flesh bubbling and reforming right before your eyes. As he rolls his mangled shoulder, a grimace of discomfort crosses his face before it audibly cracks back into place. The memory of the older girl’s words resurfaces in your mind, her whisper echoing vividly: “Nagas heal fast.”

Forgetting about you, the creature surges toward him with an uneven gait, roaring loudly. With lightning speed, he lunges forward to meet it, coiling his serpentine body tightly around the WildOne. His tail loops up and over the creature’s shoulders, securing its waist in a vise-like grip. Emitting a snarl that resonates with primal fury, he tightens his muscular coils, squeezing the life out of the beast. The rows upon rows of his sinewy muscles lock firmly, constricting and compressing the creature’s chest. With each wheeze and shudder of its failing breath, it stumbles on unsteady feet, weakened under the overwhelming force of Levi’s constriction.

Within the constricting grip of Levi's tail, the monstrous creature undergoes a grotesque transformation. Its flesh bubbles and swells, morphing into a hideous form as an unexpected limb sprouts from its shoulder. A wing emerges, black and sludgy, taking shape with feathers unfurling before your bewildered eyes. The wing flutters in a frantic and unnatural manner, its emergence accompanied by the audible cracking of the creature's ribs.

Levi's earlier words about Shifters now make perfect sense. This abomination is a shape-shifter, capable of assuming different forms. The creature writhes helplessly within the vice-like hold of Levi's coils, its bones audibly snapping and breaking with each agonizing twist. And then, with a sickening wet gurgle, it collapses, crashing onto the snow-covered ground, causing the earth beneath to tremble. The once formidable beast is now defeated.

“Why-” you wheeze as Levi quickly slithers to your side. “Why did you-” Why did you save me?

“Shut up,” he shushes you, tone soft despite the wording. Fingers digging into your shoulder blades, he urges you up. “We need to go. I don't have much longer out here and we don't want that things mother to discover us.”

“Coat-” you start with a wince, “you're not wearing your coat.”

“I was in too much of a hurry to grab it,” he explains distractedly. He's already shivering, lips tinting visibly blue. His tail curls behind you, helping to urge you upward, “Come on, up up up!”

“The-” you struggle, managing to your feet before your vision spots with black. “The shifter -why was it like that?”

“It was just a baby,” he explains, pressing to your side and wrapping an arm across your shoulder. He's warm. You shiver into his heat. “Shifters can only turn into the things they've consumed and it was still sloppy at even that.”

“A baby,” you repeat deliriously. Your leg is hot, for some reason. Everything else is ice cold, but your leg feels like it's on fire. Glancing down, your vision only finds pure, bright red. Blood. “I'm bleeding,” you mutter dumbly, staring down at the torn mess of your left thigh.

Three deep slashes mar your upper leg, starting from the inner thigh and gradually becoming more shallow towards the knee. The entire area is drenched in sticky, warm blood, saturating your leg and even seeping into your socks. Overwhelmed by the gruesome scene, a nauseating sensation engulfs you, threatening to make you sick. “I think I'm going to throw up.”

Levi’s expression turns grave, his jaw tightening. “Try not to look at it. We have to hurry,” Levi urges, pressing against your back. “Come on, walk with me. Stay with me, focus on staying conscious-”

Levi's urgent voice echoes in your fading awareness, urging you to keep moving despite the excruciating pain. With his support, you manage to take a step forward, but the intensity of the agony overwhelms you. Your vision blurs, and the edges darken as your body gives in to the strain.

Collapsing heavily against Levi's side, consciousness slips away, engulfed by the encompassing darkness. Time becomes elusive, and you drift in and out of awareness, caught between fleeting moments of consciousness and the depths of unconsciousness. Sensations pierce through the haze intermittently—aching pain, bone-chilling cold, and the unmistakable crunch of snow underfoot.

Through the fog, you catch fragments of Levi's voice, his curses ringing close to your ear. His hands apply pressure to your injured body, their sharp nails grazing your skin. You sense the shifting motion, the dragging sensation that signifies you are being moved, but your mind struggles to grasp the details.

In this liminal state between consciousness and oblivion, you cling to the thread of awareness, relying on Levi's strength and determination to guide you through the treacherous darkness.

As your consciousness returns, you find yourself within the familiar confines of Levi's nest, the comforting surroundings offering a momentary respite from the harrowing ordeal. Moaning in pain, you become acutely aware of the throbbing sensation radiating from your injured leg.

“You’re awake,” Levi's voice rumbles from where the fire is roaring behind you. His deep voice breaks through the haze, his presence assuring you of some semblance of safety. You turn towards the sound, catching sight of him feeding a log into the roaring fire. The flames dance and crackle, casting a warm and flickering glow throughout the cave. It's a larger fire than you've ever seen before, its intensity seemingly reflecting the urgency of your return.

“Hurts-” you manage with a soft whine. It's the worst pain you've ever felt in your life. You're too afraid to move and make it worse. “‘s bad.”

“You're soaked to the bone from the snow,” Levi clicks his tongue. “Need to get you out of those clothes so I can check your wounds.” It feels like he's mostly talking to himself, which might be for the best since you don't have the strength to talk.

Pressing to your side, he quickly pulls your top over your head. Your bra follows and he immediately buries your upper half beneath several pelts. Your boots come off next, first your right then your left. The latter is blindingly painful, your foot swollen and purplish. You hiss loudly, moaning in pain.

Sharp nails tear carefully into your trousers, separating the material from your wounded skin. The cloth has to be carefully peeled away from your upper thigh. Every bit of cloth pulled away is unbearably painful. “Shit,” his eyes widen as he stares in horror at the mess of your thigh, “That's not good.”

“‘s not?” you ask. God, you're dizzy even laying down. Raising your head, you strain to look. You only catch a glimpse of it, flesh torn open wide. Bloody and raw, portions of your thigh are dangling free in scraggly bits. Dazed, you watch blood leak lazily down your thigh in a thick rivulet before Levi urges your head back down. “-ow much blood have I lost?”

“Don't look,” he urges, pressing your shoulders down. The next thing you know, something wet is lapping softly at the wounds. Urgent and meticulous, it swipes warm against the edges of your open wound.

You look down and scream. Levi is lapping at your wound, licking up the blood.

He's eating you. He's eating you. He's eating you.

You panic, whimpering weakly and frantically trying to push him away. Kicking at him with your good leg, a solid and terrifyingly strong grip locks tight around your calf. Your mouth runs, but you can't hear yourself in your panic.

“Relax. I'm not eating you,” Levi tells you calmly. The tight grip on your calf remains, pressing the limb down into the bedding. His mouth is shiny and red with your blood. It practically drips from his chin. As he speaks, you see nothing but the dark red smeared along his teeth. “Naga saliva heals.”

Oh. It's a struggle to process what he means, the pain making your vision swim and your mind slow. The slide of his tongue against your broken skin hurts. It burns red hot, like being jabbed with a red hot iron.

It hurts. It hurts, it hurts, it hurts. You scream, mind sinking into darkness yet again.

“Hey, hey. Look at me,” fingers press urgently to your face, swiping the soft skin beneath your eyes. Your name. Levi calls you your name again. “Open your eyes. Come on.”

Warm. You feel unusually warm. Delirious, you can't remember where you are. A forehead presses to your own, followed by a soft curse.

“Not again. This can't be happening again,” Levi mutters frantically above you. Something presses urgently to your lips. Warm and soft, they press into you, urging you to open up. Lips. They're lips. A palm cups the back of your head, oddly sticky, angling your neck to deepen the lip lock. A tongue presses through, sliding warm against your own. Fingers wrap around your neck, the thumb working circles into the column of your throat. “Swallow,” Levi urges you, voice desperate. “Come on, swallow.” His lips press to yours again.

“Mhmm,” you moan softly into the lip lock, eyes fluttering open. At his urging, the soft press of his thumb, you swallow thick. Iron. It tastes of iron. Your blood.

Darkness greets you yet again.

When you blink awake next, his chest is planted flat to your own. Hovering above you as if to shield you from the world, Levi starts the moment your eyes flutter open by calling your name softly, ”How are you feeling?”

Something shifts beneath you and you realize that you're resting tucked within the coils of his tail. The dark black scales are surprisingly soft, warm with almost a silk-like texture. “I-” you shift before yelping in pain. Pinching your eyes tight, you fight to keep the world from spinning yet again. You suck air between your teeth in a sharp hiss, “It hurts.”

“Don't move too much,” Levi frowns, chastising you softly. “I only just managed to seal the cuts.”

Seal them? If you had the energy, your eyebrows would raise incredulously. The deepest parts had probably grazed bone. “Why- why are you-”

Why are you helping me?

Other than the sharp ache in your leg, every part of you feels heavy and numb. It's as if your limbs suddenly weigh a thousand pounds, and a distant and fuzzy sensation envelops you. The tight cocoon of Levi's tail provides a cozy and comforting embrace, and the rhythm of his chest against yours is soothingly warm. Your eyelids grow heavy, inviting sleep.

"Shh," Levi urges softly, his sharp nails scraping gently along your shoulders. "Sleep if you want. I'll keep an eye on your wounds."

As you drift, you catch sight of your left foot, carefully protruding from Levi's protective coil. The sight evokes a quivering lip and a sob rising in your throat. It's a deep, ominous shade of purple, swollen and puffy. Your attempts to move your toes yield limited results. "My foot," you mournfully sob.

Levi shifts, shielding the sight with his shoulders. "It already looks better than before," he reassures you earnestly.

"Can't walk like this," you express your worry with a heavy swallow. "The storm is going to end, and I... I..."

"Don't worry about that," Levi interjects, his eyes widening.

"I have to go. Y-you said-"

"You can stay!" He interrupts again, his nails gently grazing your shoulders. "You can stay here as long as you need to heal. I'm only going to be here until spring, but my scent should stick to the cave and keep you safe enough."

Your lip wobbles as you express your concerns, "H-how am I supposed to get around like this? My mission... I-"

"Fuck that old man's rash. Once you're better, I'll escort you back home," Levi offers hastily. "I saw you get tossed, do you have any more injuries?"

His fingers press into your shoulders as his tail carefully flips you over. The realization hits you that you're naked. Underneath the layers of muscle and scales, there's nothing but bare skin. "No, no, no," you mutter repeatedly, fast and delirious. Fear surges through you, worrying that he'll see, he'll see.

Scars. Your back is covered in scars. You can tell the moment he sees them. Levi's breath hitches as his gaze falls upon the scars covering your back. A mix of shock, rage, and dread taints his voice as he asks, "Who did this to you?"

Your face remains buried in the soft deer pelt as your lips brush against the hide. Speaking slowly and with effort, your words carry the weight of the past, "Deserved it... was bad."

His fingers trace along your shoulder and down your spine, following the silvery lines etched by old wounds. "Some of these are really old," he observes, his voice filled with concern. "You were whipped. Did your parents do this?"

You nod in a daze, your mind clouded and thoughts scattered. "Can't go back," you repeat, your words slurring.

"They hurt you?" Levi's voice carries a mix of anger and concern. "Did you run away?"

You repeat your statement, emphasizing your inability to return home. The weight of your circumstances hangs heavy in the air.

Levi's fingers continue their gentle exploration along your spine as he responds, his voice filled with care and hesitation, "You don't have to... I-"

Not even registering his words, you continue to mumble, "Scales. Need the scales."

Time seems to stand still as the weight of your words sinks in. "What?" Levi's voice slices through the air, filled with shock and urgency. He spins you around to face him, disregarding any discomfort it causes you. His voice drops to a chilling whisper, colder than the harsh winter winds outside. His tail quivers around you, his gaze piercing and intense. "What did you just say?"

Your head hangs limply to the side, barely able to muster a response. The words escape your lips in a feeble, desperate tone, "Need the scales... Need luck."

Levi surges forward, looming in your face with a solid hiss. The enormous length of his tail rises, coiling terrifyingly behind his head. You get the sense that if he had a rattle, it's sound would be filling the air in an outright threat. “I fucking knew it,” he spits, eyes flaring red. “You're just like them.”

Levi's sudden aggression and the menacing display of his tail leave you paralyzed with fear. His face looms inches away from yours, his words dripping with venom. The scales around you tighten, constricting painfully as they exert their immense strength. You wince, feeling your ribs protest with a sickening creak. Trying to defend yourself, you stammer, "N-no, I-"

Levi straightens up, his imposing figure casting a dark shadow over you. The black scales writhe around him, intensifying the air of menace. His voice cuts through the silence, filled with disdain, "You're just like all the other humans. Greedy, horrid pigs who only want to take and exploit."

The weight of his accusations crushes down on you, and you struggle to find words amidst the fear and confusion. The pain intensifies, jolting you into a state of heightened awareness. Panic grips you as you realize the gravity of your accidental confession. Desperate to make Levi understand, you plead, "Please, listen-"

But before you can finish your sentence, Levi forcefully propels you towards the cave entrance. His voice is filled with anger and frustration as he shouts, "Go! Get out of here. I don't want to see you again."

Tears well up in your eyes as you whimper, "I can't... I can't move." Your broken and heavy limbs render you completely immobile, trapped in your own helpless state.

His lips thin and his jaw clenches with anger, the tension in the air palpable. He forcefully slides you forward until your back meets the cold stone of the entrance. "Then I'll throw you out in the snow! The giant will finally get his midnight snack."

With your hands pinned to your sides, you struggle against his grip, desperately trying to free yourself. "Please, let me explain!" you plead, your voice filled with urgency.

"Why?" he hisses, his fangs bared and gleaming in the flickering firelight. "Why should I? So you can continue to lie to me? To deceive and manipulate me?"

You feel a pang of guilt and frustration, realizing the depth of his mistrust. “No, it’s not like that,” you insist, your voice quivering. The pain in your thigh intensifies, reminding you of your desperate situation. “Please, no,” you plead, your voice filled with desperation. “Levi, don’t do this!”

“I trusted you!” he shouts, his voice laced with anger and betrayal. “I thought you were kind! Cute, even.” His nostrils flare as he catches the scent of your fresh blood, and his tongue darts out to taste it. “You humans are so blinded by greed that you forget how weak you really are.”

Tears well up in your eyes as you struggle to find the right words. “I’m not like them,” you gasp, your voice choked with emotion. You try to shout, but the words end up more of a hoarse wheeze, “If I go back empty-handed, they’ll kill me!”

He pauses, tail loosening slightly. His head cocks to the side in silent askance, his eyes softening with a mix of curiosity and concern.

Rushing to explain, your words come out quiet and fast, “People kept dying around me! They called me a witch! A monster! I was declared bad luck and exiled. I can only go back if I bring Naga scales.”

He blinks slowly and double lidded, teeth bared, “And I was just -what- a convenient find?”

Chest heaving against the muscles binding you, you yell with the last of your strength, “I don't want your scales! I don't want to go back! There's nothing to go back to! I don't even remember what the color of your scales mean. I spent how many hours in your presence and I never even tried anything!”

Levi’s snarl intensifies, his face contorting with anger. His muscles ripple with tension as he forcefully guides you towards the mouth of the cave. He growls, his voice laced with accusation, “I caught you watching me, staring at me-”

Feeling defeated and powerless, you lie there, a heavy and lifeless weight, allowing him to push you across the frigid stone. The cold snow seeps into the back of your head, amplifying the bleakness of the situation. Your lip trembles as you summon the courage to speak, “It was a death sentence. I knew that from the moment they threw me in a cage. They never expected me to come back anyway.” Admitting the harsh truth out loud for the first time feels both liberating and terrifying.

The atmosphere is heavy with silence as Levi processes your words. His snarl gradually subsides, replaced by a mixture of surprise and contemplation. The tension in his muscles eases slightly, though his grip remains firm. His gaze softens with a hint of understanding, and a glimmer of empathy shines through his eyes.

Levi's voice trembles as he speaks, his eyes still closed, his face etched with a mix of sorrow and empathy. "Cage?" he whispers, barely audible, as if the weight of those words crushes him. His back muscles twitch and convulse, visibly displaying the pain and anger building within him.

His eyes reopen, filled with profound sadness. His voice sounds small and distant. "They kept you in a cage?"

For several moments, his eyes look distant, dark, and lost. All of his anger fades like a flick of a switch, his shoulders sagging. With a loud huff, you're pulled back into the cave and onto the bedding. "Fine." Levi slides back to you, pressing his chest against yours. "I trust you."

Teeth chattering and heart still throbbing, you rush to apologize, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry for lying! I'm sorry for-"

"Go to sleep," he urges you softly, his tail wrapping comfortably tight around you once more. "You apologize too much." Feeling chilly, you bury your nose into his chest, seeking warmth.

You must have muttered that out loud because he responds, "That's because your skin is still like ice." Your body aches, and darkness begins to creep into your vision once again. His soft rumble is the last thing you hear, "By the way, black means strength."

#levi ackerman #levi x reader #levi/reader #fem!reader #naga!Levi

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