#hell in a cell 2021

[rhea-ripley]

Hell in a Cell || June 20 - 2021

#rhea ripley #demi bennett #wwe #wweedit #wwe gifs #wwe hell in a cell #wwe hell in a cell 2021 #hell in a cell #hell in a cell 2021 #my gifs

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Prison-tech is a scam - and a harbinger of your future

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/14/minnesota-nice/#shitty-technology-adoption-curve

Here's how the shitty technology adoption curve works: when you want to roll out a new, abusive technology, look for a group of vulnerable people whose complaints are roundly ignored and subject them to your bad idea. Sand the rough edges off on their bodies and lives. Normalize the technological abuse you seek to inflict.

Next: work your way up the privilege gradient. Maybe you start with prisoners, then work your way up to asylum seekers, parolees and mental patients. Then try it on kids and gig workers. Now, college students and blue collar workers. Climb that curve, bit by bit, until you've reached its apex and everyone is living with your shitty technology:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/02/24/gwb-rumsfeld-monsters/#bossware

Prisoners, asylum seekers, drug addicts and other marginalized people are the involuntary early adopters of every form of disciplinary technology. They are the leading indicators of the ways that technology will be ruining your life in the future. They are the harbingers of all our technological doom.

Which brings me to Minnesota.

Minnesota is one of the first states make prison phone-calls free. This is a big deal, because prison phone-calls are a big business. Prisoners are literally a captive audience, and the telecommunications sector is populated by sociopaths, bred and trained to spot and exploit abusive monopoly opportunities. As states across America locked up more and more people for longer and longer terms, the cost of operating prisons skyrocketed, even as states slashed taxes on the rich and turned a blind eye to tax evasion.

This presented telco predators with an unbeatable opportunity: they approached state prison operators and offered them a bargain: "Let us take over the telephone service to your carceral facility and we will levy eye-watering per-minute charges on the most desperate people in the world. Their families – struggling with one breadwinner behind bars – will find the money to pay this ransom, and we'll split the profits with you, the cash-strapped, incarceration-happy state government."

This was the opening salvo, and it turned into a fantastic little money-spinner. Prison telco companies and state prison operators were the public-private partnership from hell. Prison-tech companies openly funneled money to state coffers in the form of kickbacks, even as they secretly bribed prison officials to let them gouge their inmates and inmates' families:

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/02/mississippi-corrections-corruption-bribery-private-prison-hustle/

As digital technology got cheaper and prison-tech companies got greedier, the low end of the shitty tech adoption curve got a lot more crowded. Prison-tech companies started handing out "free" cheap Android tablets to prisoners, laying the groundwork for the next phase of the scam. Once prisoners had tablets, prisons could get rid of phones altogether and charge prisoners – and their families – even higher rates to place calls right to the prisoner's cell.

Then, prisons could end in-person visits and replace them with sub-skype, postage-stamp-sized videoconferencing, at rates even higher than the voice-call rates. Combine that with a ban on mailing letters to and from prisoners – replaced with a service that charged even higher rates to scan mail sent to prisoners, and then charged prisoners to download the scans – and prison-tech companies could claim to be at the vanguard of prison safety, ending the smuggling of dope-impregnated letters and other contraband into the prison system.

Prison-tech invented some wild shit, like the "digital stamp," a mainstay of industry giant Jpay, which requires prisoners to pay for "stamps" to send or receive a "page" of email. If you're keeping score, you've realized that this is a system where prisoners and their families have to pay for calls, "in-person" visits, handwritten letters, and email.

It goes on: prisons shuttered their libraries and replaced them with ebook stores that charged 2-4 times the prices you'd pay for books on the outside. Prisoners were sold digital music at 200-300% markups relative to, say, iTunes.

Remember, these are prisoners: locked up for years or decades, decades during which their families scraped by with a breadwinner behind bars. Prisoners can earn money, sure – as much as $0.89/hour, doing forced labor for companies that contract with prisons for their workforce:

https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2017/04/10/wages/

Of course, there's the odd chance for prisoners to make really big bucks – $2-5/day. All they have to do is "volunteer" to fight raging wildfires:

https://www.hcn.org/articles/climate-desk-wildfire-california-incarcerated-firefighters-face-dangerous-work-low-pay-and-covid19/

So those $3 digital music tracks are being bought by people earning as little as $0.10/hour. Which makes it especially galling when prisons change prison-tech suppliers, whereupon all that digital music is deleted, wiping prisoners' media collection out – forever (literally, for prisoners serving life terms):

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2018/08/captive-audience-how-floridas-prisons-and-drm-made-113m-worth-prisoners-music

Let's recap: America goes on a prison rampage, locking up ever-larger numbers of people for ever-longer sentences. Once inside, prisoners had their access to friends and family rationed, along with access to books, music, education and communities outside. This is very bad for prisoners – strong ties to people outside is closely tied to successful reentry – but it's great for state budgets, and for wardens, thanks to kickbacks:

https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2021/12/21/family_contact/

Back to Minnesota: when Minnesota became the fourth state in the USA where the state, not prisoners, would pay for prison calls, it seemed like they were finally breaking the vicious cycle in which every dollar ripped off of prisoners' family paid 40 cents to the state treasury:

https://www.kaaltv.com/news/no-cost-phone-calls-for-those-incarcerated-in-minnesota/

But – as Katya Schwenk writes for The Lever – what happened next is "a case study in how prison communication companies and their private equity owners have managed to preserve their symbiotic relationship with state corrections agencies despite reforms — at the major expense of incarcerated people and their families":

https://www.levernews.com/wall-streets-new-prison-scam/

Immediately after the state ended the ransoming of prisoners' phone calls, the private-equity backed prison-tech companies that had dug their mouth-parts into the state's prison jacked up the price of all their other digital services. For example, the price of a digital song in a Minnesota prison just jumped from $1.99 to $2.36 (for prisoners earning as little as $0.25/hour).

As Paul Wright from the Human Rights Defense Center told Schwenk, "The ideal world for the private equity owners of these companies is every prisoner has one of their tablets, and every one of those tablets is hooked up to the bank account of someone outside of prison that they can just drain."

The state's new prison-tech supplier promises to double the amount of kickbacks it pays the state each year, thanks to an aggressive expansion into games, money transfers, and other "services." The perverse incentive isn't hard to spot: the more these prison-tech companies charge, the more kickbacks they pay to the prisons.

The primary prison-tech company for Minnesota's prisons is Viapath (nee Global Tel Link), which pioneered price-gouging on in-prison phone calls. Viapath has spent the past two decades being bought and sold by different private equity firms: Goldman Sachs, Veritas Capital, and now the $46b/year American Securities.

Viapath competes with another private equity-backed prison-tech giant: Aventiv (Securus, Jpay), owned by Platinum Equity. Together, Viapath and Aventiv control 90% of the prison-tech market. These companies have a rap-sheet as long as your arm: bribing wardens, stealing from prisoners and their families, and recording prisoner-attorney calls. But these are the kinds of crimes the state punishes with fines and settlements – not by terminating its contracts with these predators.

These companies continue to flout the law. Minnesota's new free-calls system bans prison-tech companies from paying kickbacks to prisons and prison-officials for telcoms services, so the prison-tech companies have rebranded ebooks, music, and money-transfers as non-communications products, and the kickbacks are bigger than ever.

This is the bottom end of the shitty technology adoption curve. Long before Ubisoft started deleting games that you'd bought a "perpetual license" for, prisoners were having their media ganked by an uncaring corporation that knew it was untouchable:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIqyvquTEVU

Revoking your media, charging by the byte for messaging, confiscating things in the name of security and then selling them back to you – these are all tactics that were developed in the prison system, refined, normalized, and then worked up the privilege gradient. Prisoners are living in your technology future. It's just not evenly distributed – yet.

As it happens, prison-tech is at the heart of my next novel, The Bezzle, which comes out on Feb 20. This is a followup to last year's bestselling Red Team Blues, which introduced the world to Marty Hench, a two-fisted, hard-bitten, high-tech forensic accountant who's spent 40 years busting Silicon Valley finance scams:

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250865878/thebezzle

In The Bezzle, we travel with Marty back to the mid 2000s (Hench is a kind of tech-scam Zelig and every book is a standalone tale of high-tech ripoffs from a different time and place). Marty's trying to help his old pal Scott Warms, a once-high-flying founder who's fallen prey to California's three-strikes law and is now facing decades in a state pen. As bad as things are, they get worse when the prison starts handing out "free" tablet and closing down the visitation room, the library, and the payphones.

This is an entry to the thing I love most about the Hench novels: the opportunity to turn all this dry, financial skullduggery into high-intensity, high-stakes technothriller plot. For me, Marty Hench is a tool for flensing the scam economy of all its layers of respectability bullshit and exposing the rot at the core.

It's not a coincidence that I've got a book coming out in a week that's about something that's in the news right now. I didn't "predict" this current turn – I observed it. The world comes at you fast and technology news flutters past before you can register it. Luckily, I have a method for capturing this stuff as it happens:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/05/09/the-memex-method/

Writing about tech issues that are long-simmering but still in the periphery is a technique I call "predicting the present." It's the technique I used when I wrote Little Brother, about out-of-control state surveillance of the internet. When Snowden revealed the extent of NSA spying in 2013, people acted as though I'd "predicted" the Snowden revelations:

https://www.wired.com/story/his-writing-radicalized-young-hackers-now-he-wants-to-redeem-them/

But Little Brother and Snowden's own heroic decision have a common origin: the brave whistleblower Mark Klein, who walked into EFF's offices in 2006 and revealed that he'd been ordered by his boss at AT&T to install a beam-splitter into the main fiber trunk so that the NSA could illegally wiretap the entire internet:

https://www.eff.org/document/public-unredacted-klein-declaration

Mark Klein inspired me to write Little Brother – but despite national press attention, the Klein revelations didn't put a stop to NSA spying. The NSA was still conducting its lawless surveillance campaign in 2013, when Snowden, disgusted with NSA leadership for lying to Congress under oath, decided to blow the whistle again:

https://apnews.com/article/business-33a88feb083ea35515de3c73e3d854ad

The assumption that let the NSA get away with mass surveillance was that it would only be weaponized against the people at the bottom of the shitty technology adoption curve: brown people, mostly in other countries. The Snowden revelations made it clear that these were just the beginning, and sure enough, more than a decade later, we have data-brokers sucking up billions in cop kickbacks to enable warrantless surveillance, while virtually following people to abortion clinics, churches, and protests. Mass surveillance is chugging its way up the shitty tech adoption curve with no sign of stopping.

Like Little Brother, The Bezzle is intended as a kind of virtual flythrough of what life is like further down on that curve – a way for readers who have too much agency to be in the crosshairs of a company like Viapath or Avently right now to wake up before that kind of technology comes for them, and to inspire them to take up the cause of the people further down the curve who are mired in it.

The Bezzle is an intense book, but it's also a very fun story – just like Little Brother. It's a book that lays bare the internal technical workings of so many scams, from multi-level marketing to real-estate investment trusts, from music royalty theft to prison-tech, in the course of an ice-cold revenge plot that keeps twisting to the very last page.

It'll drop in six days. I hope you'll check it out:

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250865878/thebezzle

#pluralistic #the bezzle #marty hench #books #prison-tech #scams #jpay #securus #minnesota #prisones #shitty technology adoption curve #drm #enshittification #kickbacks #corruption #private equity #viapath #global tel link #bribery #aventiv #disciplinary technology #fcc #predicting the present #carceral state

[copperpipes]

The Reach are not on the planet yet you know what that means?

Beetle in the exosphere!

I. Hate. Nanotech. I hate when its overused and when its potential is boiled down to stuff appearing out of thin air by superhero movies (looking at you Ironman, could have stopped at the briefcase suit smh the su*cide squad 2021 got it a little better). So I'm doing my best to avoid that especially because one of the main things of the beetle is that he makes weapons out of thin air. So I made him lose the bones instead.

The beetle, no matter the host, is very, very heavy for its size. Every ounce of mass that can be compressed, is compressed, to allow the body to hold as much more building materials as possible. Fat is compressed, bone marrow now produces and holds not only red blood cells but also 'blue carbon', the scarab's major building materials. Even some muscle fiber is replaced and looks black-purplish under the skin, especially around the shoulders and general back area.

Everything deemed 'useless' will be destroyed and replaced and or made into blue carbon holding/production areas. Yellow bone marrow can stop being useless and at least Jaime wouldn't need to worry about appendix removal now 👍

Red bone marrow still produces red blood cells, and the scarab is helping with that too, but when the beetle transforms into its battle form the out layer of the bones dissolve and join the exoskeleton, and the marrow stays held in place by everything else to keep producesing blue carbon. It is then led to where it's needed by the blood stream.

Responsible for all that powers the beetle's weapons is the scarab's power source, whatever it is its probably extremely radioactive and so its incased in a layer of scales (see in the second image) which keeps the energy in and protect the host from it, also so it won't get detected.

Jaime doesn't know all that.

And side note while Jaime's size hasn't changed, his beetle form is smaller then he is :]

This is just the beetle's anatomy, i have not talked about the host's connection to the scarab and the original purpose of the scarab by the reach, hell i've just briefly mention the scarab's anatomy, there's still so much...

(I am not finished)

@wazzappp again. I know you would want to see this.

#not tmnt related #blue beetle #jaime reyes #khaji da #speculative biology #spec bio #dc blue beetle #my art

[glukheia]

Listen/purchase: Tainted Love (DJ HELL Remix 2021) by Soft Cell

#bandcamp #tainted love #djhell #dj hell #soft cell #electrohouse #goth house #ebm

[theworldofotps]

Captured Soul (Part Two)

Pairing: Bálor x Reader Word Count: 1,570 Description: Y/n recounts how she met Bálor and made the biggest mistake of her life.

Decided to write a part two for my Bálor fic (A Running Soul) I posted in 2021 for 13 nights of Halloween. I hope you enjoy this, and I hope you all have a safe happy Halloween! _________ Tag list: @omg-im-such-a-masochist​ @melissahausen​ @new-zealand-chic @writtingrose​ @99hook @sjwrites22​ @sassymox​ @mrsacklesevansmgk @xladyxfatex​ @biforrollynch @irish-newzealand-idian-dutch​ @demonqueen29​ @itsicantbelievethis666 @lilred9​ @rebellious-desires @claymorexpunisher @letsgivethisonemoreshot @ava-valerie​ @shortyiceheart @serpantscorpio8497 @thatpanpal @thatnerdwriter @wrestlersownmyheart @vebner37​ @auburnwrites​ @aews-four-pillars​ @seeingstarks​ @whenimakeitshine1234​ @legit9thlunaticwarrior @blaquekitty​ @ironshamelessyouth @unoficialy-married-to-ace-austin​ @ripleyswhore @melblacc @alliwant456 @elevennbloom @xbreezymeadowsx @mcreignsera If you wanna be added to the list lemme know. ________ Three months. 

At least I think it’s been three months since I was brought here. I’ve lost track of the days after the third week locked in this cell. 

My body aches, where my soul once rested is now nothing more than a gaping hole of pain that throbbed dully every now and again. To remind me it’s no longer there, to remind me that HE won in the end. 

You can’t escape y/n, can’t talk your way out of having to spend the rest of your eternity in this hell. 

His voice mocked me as I had fallen to the ground scraping my knees on the dirty cell floor. My arms wrapped around my shivering body as the cool damp air seemed to hit me all at once. This part of the castle was much colder then the other part I was in. 

The room where it happened.

Finn, well, Bálor as it turned out to be, shoved me in here after he ripped my soul out. The hot white pain I felt as he took it, then waved his hand to seal it off left me trembling in agony. 

And afterwards he just left me alone, I was brought two meals a day and was brought out three times a week for a shower which Bálor said wasn’t even needed considering I wasn’t seeing anyone but him or his demons. 

The only thing I was given to entertain myself was a stick which I used to draw in the dirt passing away the endless hours that I wasn’t being tortured. I couldn't believe I hadn't completely put it all together when Finn had started talking about him. I wish I hadn't run from the cabin that night. Wish I never left the company of my friends thinking I could get away. Not where he was concerned I couldn't. Bálor, or better yet the demon king as those around here referred to him, still wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with me just yet. How I despise his very existence, and yet I was the foolish one for even summoning him in the first place all those years ago. ~Ten years prior~ “Please Marcus don’t do this.”

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I watched my ex-boyfriend packing all of his belongings from our shared dorm room. Marcus simply shook his head as he continued shoving things in boxes and suitcases. 

“I’ll take what I can and in a few weeks I’ll be back to get the rest of my stuff, I’m sorry y/n.”

Watching in heartbreak as he set his bags outside the door for his friends to take down to the waiting van. I couldn’t help the defeated feeling; I knew this breakup was coming for weeks now but it still hurt. Part of me wanted to yell and scream to beg him to reconsider but I knew it was pointless. Marcus gave one last look around the room before his eyes drifted to me then left, grabbing his book bag and walking right out of the door. 

I sit in silence listening to the sound of his fading footsteps, making my way to the window. I watched as he exits the building walking down the street and out of my life. I sobbed for hours just thinking over our past memories, replaying every detail of our relationship. How did it all end up so badly, how could the person who said he loved me more than anything not love me now? Grabbing my laptop after finally drying my eyes I begin scrolling the search engines. Searching for questions that reflected to mine, answers to the questions that bounced around in my mind. 

Now I will admit, searching how to win someone back, how to regain lost love, the list goes on. Was not one of my best periods of time for me. When nothing appeared on the internet I turned to books in the library. Call me desperate or ridiculous but at the time I didn’t care. I managed to drag myself there after a small nap.

Coming across an old leather bound book with the words Ireland Mythology in faded gold letters I decided to check it out. After getting back to my dorm I sat on my bed and began flipping through it. Reading over the different myths and legends. 

Then I stumbled on a section about him. 

I devoured every word spilled out on the pages before me, and once I finally neared the end there was a paragraph. One that claimed could bring him back, I believed it to be total bullshit but it wouldn’t hurt to try. 

Turning off the lights I lit two candles that were kept for emergencies. Clearing my throat, I started reciting the spell. Seeing the flames flicker I continued talking with a clear voice not noticing the dark red mist seeping under my door. Feeling my heart start pounding as the mist slowly began to show itself and shifted into the shape of well sort of a man. 

“Oh fuck.” 

I whisper, setting the book down as he opens his eyes looking at me. I was startled to see a deep red, his skin was a combination of red, black and white. Shifting over his skin like a slithering snake his hands were more like claws, a headdress sat on his head with nothing more than a red wrap around his waist. 

“Are, are you Bálor?” 

“I am who are you to summon me?” 

Swallowing down my panic and fear I set the book to the side of me. 

“I’m y/n I want to talk to you about something and hope to possibly make a deal with you. My boyfriend broke up with me and I want him back.” 

Bálor looked around the room slowly circling it before looking at me. 

“You wish to make a deal with me, to make your ex boyfriend want you again? Am I hearing that right?”

“Yes I know that we could work things out if he would just listen to reason. And I need your help. I never thought this would actually work but now that it has.” 

Spotting the book beside me Bálor’s claw reached up and snatched it looking at the pages in silence.

“Have you read the whole book?” 

“Not just the rest of your section, will you help me or not?” 

“I’m willing to help you, however you must realize once this deal is made you can’t go back on it. I will collect my debt when the time comes.” 

“Okay that sounds good, is it money or something you need?”

I asked hesitantly as I watched him place the book on my desk, he chuckled and shook his head before looking back at me. The light from the candles flickered showing his fangs. 

“No, when we make this deal, your soul will become mine. I will try my best to make your ex come back and then when I’m ready, I will take your soul.” 

Staring at him I rubbed my clammy hands against the fabric of my pants, slowly nodding my head as my eyes met with his. I couldn’t seem to look away and finally spoke.

“Okay I’ll make that deal.” 

This had to be some crazy dream, this wasn’t real I was going to wake in the morning and it was going to be a silly dream. 

Bálor smirked and walked over holding out his claw, slowly placing my hand in it. We shook and he pulled me up into his chest. 

“I’ll see you in a few years, little one and don't try to hide because I'll always find you.”

*Present time*

When I woke up the next morning I had a couple of texts from my ex and we met up after classes. Worked things out and the next couple of months were good, until I found out he was cheating on me. I was devastated, and honestly I forgot all about Bálor for a couple years. Until he started leaving signs that it was almost time for him to collect. Then I began moving around a lot, running every chance I could. 

I thought I had evaded him this time. I hadn't seen or heard anything in months and now I was locked here in this cell.  Sighing I lifted my head when the door to the dungeon opened expecting a guard. I was surprised to see Bálor. Unlocking my door he motioned for me to follow him, slowly lifting to my feet, I came out and followed him up to the main floor.

“I figured out what I’m going to do with you, you are going to be cleaning up the room that I use to torture the darkest of souls. Without a whimper, whine or complain and if you do good you’ll no longer be required to live in the dungeons. If you refuse and fail to obey orders you’ll be returned to your cell and your punishment will be worse then anything you’ve experienced since you’ve been here. Do I make myself clear?” 

“Yes sir.”

I whispered looking at the floor and stopping when he turned towards me with a smirk on his face. 

“Don’t sound so upset, you signed yourself up for this when you opened that book. It’s time for you to pay up y/n welcome to the rest of your eternity.”

#wwe #Bálor #the demon king #finn balor #a halloween fanfiction

[overlooked-gems]

A Look At Stuff You Probably Never Heard Of: Cells at Work

I've been wanting to take a look at this one for a good long while. Alongside animals and mythology, I do have an interest in biology, but more out of curiosity rather than any intense interest. This anime is something akin to Seton Academy, being an edutainment anime that's comedic while being education. Today, we'll be taking a look at... Cells at Work!

Cells at Work is an anime series based on the manga of the same name by Akane Shimizu. The anime itself being a edutainment comedy series, as mentioned before with a focus on biology, being animated by David Productions, the same company known for the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure anime.

The anime itself aired from July 8th, 2018 to February 27th, 2021 across 2 seasons and a special.

The series takes place within the body of a human; their age, name, and gender are all unknown, as they aren't the focus. As stated previously, the series takes place within their body.

The first character introduced is Red Blood Cell, otherwise known as AE3803, working her first day as a red blood cell. Of course, her job is to delivery oxygen, nutrients, and carbon dioxide across the body. But due to it being her first day (and a problem exclusive to her), she quickly finds herself getting lost. Red Blood Cell herself is rather scatter-brained and panics very easily, not to mention she gets distracted very easily as well. Nevertheless, she remains dedicated to her task, come hell or high water, no matter how many times she gets lost.

As she's trying to figure out where to go, the body gets attacked by a group of Pneumococcus bacteria, bacteria capable of causing pneumonia. Just as Red Blood Cell is about to be attacked, White Blood Cell (specifically a Neutrophil), otherwise known as U-1146 comes in and saves her, quickly dispatching the bacteria. White Blood Cells quickly finds himself accompanying Red Blood Cell on her route, both to help her find her way and because he keeps detecting a Pneumococcus bacteria, but can't tell where it is. White Blood Cell, despite his stoic demeanor, is a friendly individual who cares for all the other cells within the body, doing everything he can to protect them. But still kills bacteria with extreme prejudice.

There are also characters such as Killer T Cell, who is also a part of the Immune System, but targets infected/unhealthy/harmful cells alongside foreign entities; Macrophage/Monocytes, who are the strongest of the immune system, but also take the role of nurturing monocytes (juvenile red blood cells); and Platelets, cells specifically meant to patch up holes so more bacteria can't enter the body.

Being an edutainment series, Cells at Work balances comedy with information, such as the above image referring to the process of "Phagocytosis", in which immune cells can consume and absorb foreign entities, neutralizing them as a result.

And so, here's my Final Recommendation: Never Let Go Of It||Get It||Hold Onto It||Try It||Consider It||Stay Away From It

I've already compared the series to the likes of Seton Academy, both mixing education with entertainment. However, Cells at Work has pretty much no fanservice, unlike Seton Academy.

I also want to mention that many character design elements are taken from their real-world equivalents. For example, Neutrophil. When people think of "White Blood Cell", odds are they're specifically thinking of the Neutrophil, being the first line of defense against invaders, and the most common among the White Blood Cells. Also, Macrophage's frilly dress references how real-life Macrophages look when viewed from a microscope. And NK Cell gets a power boost from laughing, just like how real-life Natural Killer Cells are empowered when you laugh. Similar to Killer T Cells, their job is to kill infected cells; cells infected by viruses or cancer cells.

I also want to give special mention to the platelets. In real-life, platelets only live for 7 to 10 days. So to references their incredibly short life-span, the platelets show are children, complete with childish mannerisms.

Speaking of life spans, the series doesn't abide by those rules. As stated, platelets only live for 7 to 10 days. Similarly, neutrophils only live for about 20 days at maximum, though most are expected to die fighting foreign invaders. So yeah, you can see why that wasn't included.

The show also doesn't just do bacteria, though they are typically a significant threat and pop up as a result of whatever happens to the body, ranging from an injury to heat stroke, or even Hemorrhagic Shock (a serious blow that results in a massive loss of blood in the area).

The series does also explain things that not many people know, as as transmigration, the ability immune system cells have that allow them to travel pretty much anywhere (IRL, they can go pretty much anywhere to track down bacteria). It also explains how allergies work (basically, the immune system overreacts with a particular object, thinking it to be a threat when it isn't. This applies to common seasonal allergies, as well as food allergies.

And before I end this, I also want to say that the series does have a few spin-offs. Cells at Work: BLACK focuses on Cells living in the body of someone who doesn't take care of themselves (the host is also directly stated to be male), Cells at Work: Bacteria focuses on friendly bacteria that live in the body, and Cells at Work: Baby focuses on cells within a newborn infant trying to figure things out. Of course, there are many others.

Now, before I go, I would like to share the intro. The dubbed intro! Remember that? We don't see those too often anymore. And yes, that's Billy Kametz. He's the dubbed voice of White Blood Cell.

#A Look At Stuff You Probably Never Heard Of #Cells at Work #Youtube

[rhea-bloody-ripley]

Hell in a cell 2021

#mami rhea #rhea ripley #wwe rhea ripley #rhea bloody ripley #rhea ripley edit #rhea ripley fanart #rhea ripley x reader #rhea ripley x you #mami is always on top #rhea ripley fanfic #rhea ripley is mami #rhea ripley fan #rhea ripley smut #thank you mami #hell in a cell

[vermin-disciple]

Written for the @trektober-challenge Day 6 prompt, “BDSM Themes.” Actually, I originally started writing this for the Trektober 2021 prompt, “Restraints” - only took me two years to finally get around to finishing it!

Julian Bashir (secret agent) was currently chained to a wall in a dungeon ominously decorated with the skeletons of former guests of the maniacal Baron Rockoff. He wasn’t overly perturbed by this; things usually started to look bleak by the end of Act II of these programs, and since there weren’t any obvious means of escape (the chains felt quite solid, and Mona had not equipped today’s ensemble with a handy lockpick), he assumed that one of the Baron’s beautiful assistants (well-endowed in the chest department, either with pert breasts or rippling muscles) would be around any minute now to betray their boss by facilitating his escape. Right on cue, part of the stone wall slid back, revealing a hitherto camouflaged passageway. And out of that stepped… “Garak!” Julian blinked, but the dim lighting was not deceiving him. Garak strolled into his cell, wearing a lab coat and a smug smile. “That’s Dr. Stroker to you, Mr. Bashir,” said Garak. “Dr. William Stroker. Though I believe the game’s dossier listed the given name by an unfortunate diminutive.” “What the hell are you doing here? Again.” “Ah, I was recruited by Mr. Falcon to assist the good Baron with his little biological weapons project. His plan is quite ingenious, if a little short-sighted. Rather too many unwieldy variables and potential for unintended consequences. However, I am but a lowly lab assistant, and he has not sought my opinion on the matter.” “Mr. Falcon?” repeated Julian, honing in on the most pertinent piece in the monologue. “You mean Miles invited you?!” “Evidently, he’s grown tired of always playing on the losing side. He thought that my presence on the side of villainy might improve his chances.” Continue on AO3...

Not sure what it says about me that not only do I let my mother read my smutty fanfic (old news around here lol), but last night, I also sat and watched her read a draft of this and whenever she laughed audibly, I interrogated her about what line she’d just read.

#this may be my worst title yet and I will not apologize for it #trektober 2023 #trektober #my fanfic #garashir #star trek #ds9 #fanfic #vermin rites #verminmom #my family and other rodents

[lionfloss]

I made this list a while back w the help of my ig followers when I asked the scariest movies they’ve seen ! Hope it helps. Alone with you (2021) Antichrist (2009) As above, so below (2014) Audition (1992) Baskin (2015) Blue ruin (2013) Butterfly kisses (2018) Cache (2005) Clinical (2017) Coherence (2013) Drag me to hell (2009) Eden Lake (2008) Event horizon (1997) Funny games (2007) Haute tension (2003) Hellhouse llc (2015) Hostel ii (2007) House (1977) Incantation (2022) Invasion of the bodysnatchers Jacobs ladder (1990) Ju-on: White ghost (2009) Lake mungo(2008) Last house on the left (2009) Lights out (2016) Malignant (2021) Mama (2013) Mara (2018) Martyrs (2008) Men (2022) Moloch (2022) Mother (2017) Nocturnal animals (2016) Noroi: the curse (2005) Possessor (2020) Possum (2018) Prisoners (2013) Pulse, Rec (2007) Suspiria (2018) Tale of two sisters (2003) The cell (2000) The collector (2009) The descent (2005) The forest (2016) The good son (1993) The langoliers The last exorcism (2010) The mist (2007) The ritual (2017) The road (2009) The sadness (2021) The taking of Deborah Logan (2014) The visit (2015) The void (2016) The wailing (2016) Threads (1984) p.s. my personal favs are my heart can’t beat unless you tell it to (not super scary but GOOD) and the night house

Omg this is so amazing and I love you 😭😭 also the taking of Deborah Logan was so fucking scary and I feel like it’s underrated for how scary it is!!

#answered x #movies #movie recommendation #scary movies #horror #thriller

[dr3amofagame]

can I have a refresher on the plot of the just him and me au? I got super brainrotty over it when y'all first made it but then i forgot my tumblr password for like ages

hello hello again anon! don't worry talking about jmah is like my bread and butter i can do it literally all day every day it's SO bad this AU changed my brain chemistry forever i stg 😭

here's a link to my tag on the AU, and if you go to @theminecraftbox kat also has her tag linked for you to look through a lot of JMAH rambling XD. For a general outline on the concept and timeline, JMAH (or just me and him AU) is a concept that starts with c!Sam, freshly killed at the end of the Daedalus arc, getting tp-ed back into his old body right as c!Tommy is about to enter for his first prison visit on January 21st, 2021. He comes to terms with what's going on pretty fast and decides that this time around, he's going to take things more seriously. This time, he's going to do it right.

That leads into the JMAH prison arc, which--true to the name of the AU--consists of just j!Sam and j!Dream for as long as j!Sam can manage it. Here's a quick rundown of major events:

January 21st, 2021 - j!Sam first gets tp-ed into the prison again. He prevents Tommy from actually ever visiting Dream, marching him out of the prison and immediately banning visitors to Pandora's Vault entirely. He goes back to the cell, freaks out at a very confused j!Dream, confiscating most of the items in the cell (taking the clock, blowing up the chest and lectern and cauldron to collect them), j!Dream's potatoes, and his mask. j!Dream fights when j!Sam tries to take his mask--it doesn't go very well. He gets pretty badly beaten and j!Sam himself doesn't come out unscathed either.

January 22nd, 2021 - j!Sam modifies the cell entirely--adds a lot more dispensers along the back, adding the crying obsidian, and most importantly adding a row of glass with a piston door to keep j!Dream locked in the back of the cell with only about two or three blocks of space from the glass to the back wall. A return system very similar to the one in c!Ponk's cell is installed. j!Dream is reeling and injured and kinda in shock about what the hell is going on with Sam, what - and as j!Sam starts putting harming potions in the dispensers above his head, he starts to realize that. Oh. He might be a little bit fucked.

January 24th, 2021 - j!Quackity tries propositioning j!Sam for Las Nevadas. j!Sam emphatically refuses, makes some weird implications about j!Quackity wanting to torture j!Dream (??? what ??? like not that the thought didn't cross his mind but what the FUCK??) and is ultimately pretty cagey and aggressive in ways that pretty thoroughly sour j!Quackity to the guy, especially when he learns about the weirdness that happened with j!Tommy's prison visit. The two of them start hanging out more, and in the process start theorizing that maybe j!Sam is in with the enemy--maybe j!Dream has played them all. (Around this time, j!Sam also seals up the Egg Room. Okay, problem boxed fixed, not his problem now!)

~March, 2021 - Lacking any updates from inside the prison, j!Ranboo sets off the TNT in a last ditch attempt to try and communicate with the man inside. j!Dream is heartened by the reminder that he's not been forgotten, but also faces Consequences for this. He's slowly coming to terms with j!Sam's deal and trying to figure out what the hell he's going to have to do to survive it and get out of here. On the other hand, the TNT freaks out j!Sam badly--even now, even after everything he's done, j!Dream is still hiding things from him. Still getting things past him. It's a pretty rough day for them both.

~ May 2021 - j!Quackity and j!Tommy's efforts to break into the prison to figure out what the hell is going on finally bears fruit in a convoluted, definitely-should-not-work-in-the-slightest-by-any-stretch-of-the-imagination kind of plan that. Miraculously. Somehow. Does manage to work, through a combination of j!Sam being a little too careless and distracted and hey like after you try different things like a hundred different times maybe you'll come up with something a little less bound to fail on step one and sheer, plain, dumb luck - they manage to break in while dragging Ghostbur with them, wanting information on what's going on (and j!Quackity, of course, looking for information on the revive book.) Once they get to the cell, all hell breaks loose - in the chaos, as j!Sam makes harming rain down from the dispensers to try and gain control, j!Dream ends up reviving j!Wilbur before j!Sam arrives in the cell. j!Sam maims and kills j!Quackity, taking two fingers and a life, and then once again throws j!Tommy out of the prison. IT's the first major deviance from the old timeline, and it is. a Huge blow to j!Sam, who has otherwise been convincing himself that everything has been running smoothly thus far. It's a awful cocktail of some of the moments from the old timeline where he felt the most out of control (taking Ponk's arm, watching Tommy die, being unable to stop Dream from reviving Wilbur, Quackity's visits) and it shakes him up badly. His relationships have been slowly burning as this timeline has proceeded - despite managing to not torture and maim j!Ponk this time around (woo great job for that one j!Sam) they had a very messy + very public breakup, j!Tommy's complaining hasn't really done his reputations any favors, cutting off the rest of the Badlands and not keeping j!Bad and j!Ant as guards hasn't helped their relationships at all, and he's also just . Been holing himself in the prison. This incident gets pretty publicized and only ends up making his reputation worse - and j!Sam ends up spending even more time within the prison.

~ November, 2021 - Tired of j!Sam's bullshit, j!Quackity's planning goes from 'trying to figure out what's going on' to full on Butcher Army, time to plan a coup. Enlisting j!Techno for the cause (hey, they've got to have a shared grudge against j!Sam, right?) he starts planning a takeover of the prison. He's going to take out j!Sam, trap him, j!Dream, and j!Techno inside the prison, and get the keycards for himself. Time for him to be top dog, whatever. His plan goes off pretty well...except for how j!Techno had a stasis pearl and manages to leave before he gets to him. Whoops. Still, he's got j!Dream and j!Sam and an axe he's been grinding for months--time to get the keycard and get the Revive Book and get his fucking revenge for good.

~ end of November, 2021 - j!Techno returns not too long after gathering some supplies necessary to break in and break out of the prison again, the weak points being. Much, much more shoddily patched together, given that they were fixed by j!Quackity. At this point, j!Quackity has been visiting the cell daily for about two weeks, mostly focusing on j!Sam because he's really fucking angry about the whole "oh yeah i maimed and killed you lol" thing and because...honestly j!Dream isn't even as fun or as satisfying, mans has a pretty high pain tolerance and isn't nearly as scared of him as he is of disappointing his Warden >:/. j!Techno arrives, j!Quackity books it the hell out of there, and he's left with j!Sam and j!Dream in the prison. He's here to break j!Dream out, obviously...but what to do with Sam? Dream tells him he'll handle it.

about a week later - j!Dream returns. j!Sam had told Quackity about the time travel, j!Dream wants the keycards (and with the threat of j!Quackity coming back, j!Sam is definitely pretty willing to give them over, relatively speaking) and...j!Dream wants answers. JMAH Daedalus goes on for a stretch of time that I don't think we firmly decided on before j!Dream kills j!Sam with an axe to the heart, and...j!Sam is left back at where he started. One life down and wondering how it all went so wrong.

Of course, these are just most of the main ~events~ in the timeline and honestly, these don't really touch on how things develop within the prison at all. That's covered more in other posts about JMAH--which, definitely check em out if you're interested :D Or ask more questions, of course. I'm always down to brainrot about themb.

#just me and him AU #time traveler sam AU #my asks !! #tw torture #tw abuse #long post #yeahahaha thinking about themb

[rhea-ripley]

Hell in a Cell || June 20 - 2021

#rhea ripley #demi bennett #wwe #wweedit #wwe gifs #wwe hell in a cell #wwe hell in a cell 2021 #hell in a cell #hell in a cell 2021 #my gifs

[delicatebluebirdruins]

Ethan's Diary

February 6th, 2021 Mia and I had another fight. I accidentally mentioned what happened there three years ago and she blew up at me. We finally settled down in our new life in Europe and can bring Rose up properly. But... I still feel like a part of me is trapped in that hell hole back in Louisiana.

I know Mia doesn't like to talk about it, but can we really just forget everything and pretend it didn't happen? Shouldn't we face what happened there so we can live our lives with Rose without it hanging over our heads? We owe her that much at least... I know Mia knows this too. She wouldn't have exploded like that at the hospital if she didn't care.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

emphasis mine: Mia feels a tremendous level of guilt for a) joining the connections b) starting with Evie at what ever point she did c) letting Evie get away whilst getting Alan away from when the incident took place d) trying to keep Ethan away but failing i have already said why the message wouldn't have fucking gone through and that is because storm and evie made her lose a door idk what to tell you e) Ethan gets hurt by her first of all under the influence of Evie

Mia in the bakers incident report (obligitory it should have been part of basic game and it should have had a moment of BSAA confirming they got all information about the connections she could give them) says she wants "to forget everything"

its normal to shy away from something painful, she spent 3 years in padded cell thinking of everything (when not in Evie La La Land). there is also a element of how her mold infection affected her after being treated by the BSAA. I got asked by @mushroomwithsomeink some time ago if Mia has abanonment issues and to an extent she does (the answer was not very good). Mia was part of a hive mind for years she knew where Jack was and was probably aware of everything else happening around her (all because of her not being able to convince Evie to stop or have the guts to break out the murder kit). The thought that the BSAA apparently let them live but without setting them up with therapists? (though the BSAA are the same people who let Chris still recovering from amnesia and binge drinking into the field- also plugging the fanfic catch me floating circles in fish bowl)

random thing as I was tying "forget everything" I had a thought about Riley Flynn from Midnight Mass (and ended up looking for quotes from the show and interesting ones will be under the read more- give them a look and see why i thought of Mia when i reread these)

Both Mia and Ethan have CPTSD I have no real thoughts what i shared is honestly explanation enough

from the NHS website

Complex PTSD - Post-traumatic stress disorder

You may have complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) if you have some of the symptoms of PTSD, and also have problems with managing your emotions and having relationships.

Symptoms of complex PTSD

The symptoms of complex PTSD are similar to symptoms of PTSD, but may also include:

feelings of worthlessness, shame and guilt

problems controlling your emotions

finding it hard to feel connected with other people

relationship problems, like having trouble keeping friends and partners

Causes of complex PTSD

Complex PTSD may be caused by experiencing recurring or long-term traumatic events, for example:

childhood abuse or neglect; domestic violence; sexual abuse

torture, sex trafficking, or slavery; war

You may also be more likely to develop complex PTSD if:

you experienced trauma at a young age

you were harmed by someone close to you who you trusted

you were unable to escape the trauma

treatment for PTSD and CPTSD is hard and when the other person your primary support is also dealing with it? that is even worse honestly there is a thing called secondary trauma

from mind: 'Secondary' means that although the original (primary) trauma happened to someone else, the impact it's having in your life is traumatic for you. It doesn't mean it's any less significant than any other kind of PTSD, or any easier to deal with. Our page for friends and family has some tips on looking after yourself.

both Mia and Ethan are dealing with the primary trauma from the baker estates and secondary trauma from each other

from PTSD UK

"Anyone who cares for a person living with PTSD can reduce the impact secondary trauma has on them if they carefully approach the situation. The first step is to learn the signs of secondary trauma:

– Emotional exhaustion – Increasingly negative perception of self – Depression – Anxiety – Difficulty eating or sleeping – Feelings of hopelessness"

ETA1 Speaking about it would be a way to make it all real again to acknowledge this horrible shit that Mia is partially responsible for (i know its not part of RE universe but the fic bruise won't heal the stain stays put from the numbers show is pretty much the thought i had with this addition for sure)

Riley: I don't know. That's kind of the whole thing. I don't know. I have no idea. I mean, in prison, it was easy. I had things to do, you know? Count the days. Count down the sentence. Eat, sleep, read. It's all pretty spelled out for you. Regimented. But here? Here I have nothing. What, am I going to get a job? Go to school? I have no money, no prospects. I just exist now. That's it. I have absolutely no purpose at all. I'm just sitting in my parents' house, breathing, and serving no purpose to anyone whatsoever. I'm just living. [long pause] And that's the worst part. Because I shouldn't be alive, Erin. So I don't know. What do I do here? I eat. Sleep. Shit. I don't know. Walk home now, eat dinner, wait out this fucking storm.

-i think the debrief and everything directly after might have been anywhere between six months and a year for Ethan and Mia

Riley: No, alcohol isn't good or bad. But the version of me that would come out when I had enough to drink, he was bad. He was selfish and careless and he ruined my life. There is a saboteur inside of me, and I always thought, you know, we'd work it out. We'd learn to live with each other, because he wouldn't really hurt me. Not me. I fed him, so he wouldn't hurt me. And then one morning I woke up and found out he killed someone. I had killed someone. So who's to blame there? I am to blame there. And God? He just kind of let it happen, didn't he? See, that's the part I cannot square. Because you're right, there is so much suffering in the world. So much. And then there's this higher power. This higher power who could erase all that pain, just wave his hand and make it all go away, but doesn't? No. No thank you. The worst part is that it lets all the rest of us off the hook. We can watch so many people just slip into these bottomless pits of awful and we can stand it. We can tolerate it because we say things like, "God works in mysterious ways." Like there's a plan? Like something good's going to come out of it? Nothing good came out of my drinking. Nothing good came out of me killing that poor girl. Nothing good came out of Joe Collie's drinking. And not a single good thing comes out of Leeza never being able to walk again. Nothing good came out of a metric ton of crude oil filling up the bay. And the only thing, the only fucking things that lets people stand by, watching all this suffering, doing nothing, doing fucking nothing, is the idea that suffering can be a gift from God. What a monstrous idea, Father.

"No Pain. No Memory, No Awareness That I Ever Was. That I Ever Hurt Someone."

eta 1 I mentioned their fics in this post so it makes sense in my head to plug them @screechthemighty @talistheintrovert

#mia winters #ethan winters #resident evil #resident evil village #eta 2 please read the reblogs #still don't like talking about it without playing it myself #shit coping methods bouncing off each other like pin balls #am i repeating myself? yes when do i not? #the hilarity of being able to include Mike Flanagans show Midnight Mass and the shit coping methods came from a video essay about Hill Hous #i want mother miranda to be played by samantha sloyan so bad #do i make sense #idk random thoughts jumping around in my head #midnight mass quotes #screech talis if you don't want me tagging you just tell me and I will remove the tags kay? #mithan

[smoshgoshbefosh]

for your smosh spreadsheet birthday thingy: march 25!

(also that’s cool as hell that you made that spreadsheet!)

Thank you! It is very long lmao

What Smosh Videos were Posted on Your Birthday?

2011:

I Killed the Tooth Fairy!- Smosh Main

2012:

No videos March 25

2013:

Photoshoppin' More Youtubers- Smosh Pit

Looking Over Your Shoulder (Why We're Single)- Smosh Games

Racing Zombies (Super Mari Fun Time)- Smosh Games

2014:

Dark Souls 2 Kills Us Lots (Backseat Gaming) Smosh Games

2015:

Are We Smarter than Google? (Gametime w/Smosh Games)- Smosh Games

2016:

Hippie Grass Car- Smosh Main

Pokken Tournament Showdown (Game Bang)- Smosh Games

2017:

Gross Mystery Meat w/ Keith Leak Jr- Smosh Pit

Human Pokemon Duel (Cell Outs)- Smosh Games

2018:

The Final Secret Hitler? (Board AF)- Smosh Games

2019:

Every Domino's Ever- Smosh Main

2020:

No videos March 25

2021:

Proposal or Prank Video? (Clip Bait)- Smosh Pit

2022:

When Your Inner BTS Stan Takes Over... (Shorts)- Smosh Main

Turning our Friends into Cursed Memes (Who Meme'd It #6)- Smosh Games

2023:

Our Biggest Flirting Flops- Smosh Pit

What Is The Largest Cell in the Human Body? (Shorts)- Smosh Pit

How It Feels to Win Any Game (Shorts)- Smosh Games

#smosh #smosh games #smosh pit #smosh birthdays

[cxyotl]

I want to hear more about how you came up with the idea for your apocalypse au! Did you have any inspirations behind it? Did it come in pieces or all at once?

OUGGG ok i made the original zombie au in 2021, then it shifted the more in biology i got ^^

so if you dont know, im an ecology major and have done a few jobs with the department of wildland resources. i took inspo from two things: amoebas (slime mold) and prions (CWD)

chronic wasting disease, or the zombie deer virus, is a prion disease that affects north american deer populations. prions are incredibly interesting (and kinda scary) and i really wanted to tie them to my zombie hyperfix. for two reasons actually: first, because theres no cure for prion disease. its just proteins folding wrong and drilling holes in your brain. SECONDLY because you could be infected for years and not know. how scary is it to know that anyone around you could be infected with a zombie virus, and you wouldnt know until they went down the deep end and died from it? thats freaky as hell. plus, prions hold onto the dead body and spread to consumers, so not even a dead zombie is a safe zombie. freaky. you can also be infected by prions just by touch- you wouldnt need to be bitten to be killed. i wanted to explore that.

i really like amoebas, and felt like the egg arc in dsmp matched the description of such an intelligent single celled organism like slime mold. so imagine big ass slime mold tracing the bodies of zombies, and then imagine that that slime mold naturally carried a prion.

#thanks for this ask!!! #cxyotl prions au

[golbrocklovely]

I'm confused, what exactly did Stas do?

i made a whole post about this a while ago, but i'll rehash it as quickly as i can here lol

some of this is hearsay and some of this is actual stuff that happened, just fyi.

stas, at one point or another between 2021-22, had been in gcs with fans talking about colby. i had an anon on here years ago claim that she admitted to a group of fans that she was in love with colby. idk how true that was, so i deleted that asks. but that was at the very beginning of her coming around in the fandom. i've also had ppl claim that she was talking about snc/colby way back in 2019, which was the first time she came around but only briefly.

so you have the gcs, liking ship edits, posting content of her and colby behind a paywall (bc she knew ppl would sign up for it if there was extra content of him and her), answering questions about colby when fans would asks questions about him, ect. that was some of the initial stuff she did.

what became a problem was, especially in 2022 when the core four was a thing, she actively made it more and more apparent that she and colby were "a thing". problem is, he wasn't dating her. he was literally hooking up and hanging out with someone else for the past year and half, someone i've dubbed on here six flags girl. hell, there was even another girl in the mix, pumpkin girl. but she was only here for like a week or so.

he had been on and off with six flags girl throughout 21-22. he literally took SFG on a date WITH sam, kat, abbey, and stas. but stas was doing her damnest to make it seem as if her and him were having something going on. when they all went to europe, she posted a vid from his room, essentially making it seem like him and her were sharing a room (when they weren't bc her shit wasn't even in the room). and also, and this is something alleged that idk if it actually happened but it seems possible, that she was sharing where they were all going to fans on her subscription service which is why certain fans were able to find them easily while in europe. on top of that, her mom was also sharing stuff to fans on facebook (and insta i think) so fans were also able to use the pics she was posting to find them. and all of this is a huge safety risk, which is why i hold it as a main issue i had with her at one point.

the catalyst to what i think caused a rift between stas and colby to occur was malishkagate lol

during tomorrowland, a festival they were all at, colby posted a video of stas dancing and at the bottom it said "malishka" which means baby or babygirl in russian. thing to note about stas is she speaks russian. however, colby doesn't. so it's very obvious that she wrote out malishka on his snap and posted it. and when that got posted (on top of a pic that was on his insta story of her face zoomed in which clearly was taken by her) all of sudden a bunch of fans believed that they were now dating. mind you, they all have terrible cell service at tomorrowland, so most likely colby didn't even see how fans were reacting to anything until basically the next day.

and fans were LOSING IT on twitter. i'm talking ppl were congratulating them on "finally" admitting to dating. stas even liked tweets talking about the malishka thing. some fans were claiming that they "knew all along that they were dating and it was nice to finally see them admit it". and a good chunk of these fans were fans OF stas/were close to her.

mind you… none of that happened. colby never came out and said they were dating, but stas made it seem like that's what was happening, just in her own vague way. and also none of the fans that congratulated them ever took back what they said when it became extremely apparent that they weren't dating.

the almost last time colby and stas hung out was right before snc and kat moved to vegas and had just gotten back from europe. stas posted on her subscription service that she was getting ready for a date, and then later that night posted something with colby, or he posted something with her. however, they didn't go on a date. there was a whole big group of them that hung out (without kat and sam) so clearly… she lied, again, trying to make it seem like her and colby had something going on.

after that, it seemed like everyone kept their distance from stas. kat ignored questions about her, colby started removing comments about her (and shea) from his tiktoks, and stas started tweeting out vague things and saying she felt abandoned and also started up her poetry insta where she wrote about (most likely) colby. she hung out with colby and all of his friends on new years of 2022, and then a couple days later when it was their bday, since her and colby have the same bday, he went and hung out with shea while everyone else celebrated with stas. so….. clearly things were still muddy even then.

things seem fine now. they all seemed to be on good terms with one another. but yeah… she pushed too hard to make it seem like her and colby were dating or had something going on. my thing is, is it possible that something happened between them? sure. but it was also very obvious that whatever it was never got off the ground like she made it seem like it was. so it annoys me to this day how many of her fans and just fans in general take her side just bc she's the one that had feelings for him. he would have been an asshole to reciprocate feelings he didn't have. idk why ppl can't understand that lol

#ask #personal #tc4 #cb ll

[vampyrsutton]

SakuAtsu~Anal Play

Summary:

Atsumu desperately wants to hang out with the unfairly pretty wing spiker, but he won't let anyone get close. When he finally convinces the other to let him come over will a few drinks ruin it all?

Ao3 Tags:

Anal Play, Anal Sex, Anal Fingering, Kinktober, Kinktober 2021, Light Angst, Love Confessions, Getting Together, Miscommunication, Drinking, Alcohol, Drunken Confessions, Drunken Flirting, Miya Atsumu Needs a Hug, Miya Atsumu is a Tease, Miya Atsumu is a Mess, Sakusa Kiyoomi is Bad at Feelings, Post-Time Skip

"Omi-Omi~!" The dyed blonde grins from where he's boxing the spiker into his own locker. "Ya comin' with us tonight?" 

Sakusa blinks at the setter slowly before continuing to pack his bag to head home. "Joining the three loudest people on Earth at a germ-filled club surrounded by sweaty strangers? Pass." 

"But Omiiii! Come on! It'll be good for team bonding!" Atsumu pouts. 

"Hmm, I remember Hinata and Bokuto mentioning their significant others are in town so I highly doubt anyteam bonding will be accomplished." He zips his bag.

Atsumu's eyebrows shoot up in minor shock. "So ya do listen to us, huh Omi-Omi? Yer right though." His pout returns as he crosses his arms so Sakusa can stand. "I just didn't wanna be a fifth wheel." 

It's Sakusa's turn to raise an eyebrow now albeit an unimpressed one. "With how much you overshare about your hookups, I doubt you'd be fifth wheeling long. You're all going to a club. Literally just grab a drink, dance a bit, and I'm sure I'll be getting the hungover details in the morning whether I want them or not." 

An embarrassed flush dust Atsumu's cheeks but he just laughs. "I mean you're not wrong, but that's not the point. Listen, apparently an old friend of Hinata's has connections at this higher-end club and got us in for the night. That means private booth ya can hide at while still bondin' or whatever. Come on, Omi-Omiii!" 

'Why the hell does he want me to go so bad?' "No. Private booth or not, just based on the number of drunk texts you send me and that the lot of you send the group chat, you're probably clingy drunks, and I don't want your germs on me when I undoubtedly end up having to play babysitter." Sakusa glares as he closes his locker and makes his way to the locker room door. 

"But Omi!" Atsumu whines, scrambling to grab his stuff so he can follow after the germaphobe. "Oi! Slow down! Ugh! I'll play babysitter! Just please come with us?" 

Sakusa pauses long enough for black eyes to meet pouting gold as Atsumu attempts to manipulate him with puppy dog eyes. His eyes narrow. "...Why do you want me to go so bad? You're annoyance at having to stay sober enough to get everyone to their Ubers shows you'd have way more fun without me so why?" 

Pink graces the tips of the setter's ears as he mumbles something at the floor. 

The two moles on Omi's face rise with his brow. "What?" 

"...It's not important. Come on, Omi. We've been on the same team for months now and none of us know hardly anything about ya beyond yer hatred of germs and crowds and that ya have freakishly flexible wrists. ...As ya said the other two will probably be busy with their boyfriends... I thought maybe we could at least try gettin' to know each other?" 

Sakusa studies the setter for a moment before pinching the bridge of his nose with a groan. "I'm going to regret this. How about this? You want one on one time?" Atsumu nods enthusiastically. "I'm sure Akaashi is more than capable of being the group brain cell. I'll text you my address that way I can be in a space I know is clean, and you can sate your sudden curiosity. Sound acceptable?" 

Atsumu stares at the other in shock for a moment before breaking into a grin. "Should I bring anything?" 

Sakusa continues walking towards the exit. "I don't mind drinking in my own home, though, all I have is wine so I guess whatever you'll want. I planned to watch the last Adlers game so I'll just put that on while you ask your questions. Do you drive?" 

"Nah. Was just gonna take the train depending on how far ya live" Atsumu shrugs as he keeps pace. 

Sakusa's eyebrows furrow and Atsumu knows he's making a face. "You're taking a shower before you go anywhere near my couch, but at least I don't have to confiscate keys." He mutters, tapping at his phone as they leave the building. Atsumu's phone chimes a moment later. "I'll see you around seven then." 

The blonde reads over the address triumphantly, trying to figure out where it is. "Yeah, see ya then. And don't worry Omi-kun, I won't make ya regret it." He promises with one of his lazy smiles. 

Sakusa just waves him off as they part ways. "We'll see about that."

~~~

'Holy shit! Is Omi-kun loaded?!' Atsumu gapes at the upscale apartments that loom before him; complete with a number pad at the front door and what appears to be an underground parking garage. 

Loud "Blonde":[Im here How do I get in]

Omi-Omi:[I'll buzz you up.]

'Yep. Rich.' Atsumu mentally confirms as he approaches the door and rings the buzzer with the familiar kanji before another buzz informs him he can open the door. 

The blonde nods to the person sitting behind the desk with what looks like an expensive gaming laptop who grins and waves in response before returning their attention to the screen. He assumes this means he's fine to go up as he presses the elevator button before stepping in and pressing the button for Sakusa's floor. 

'At least it's not the top floor or somethin'. I'dhave to tease him then.' Atsumu chuckles to himself as he gets out on the third floor. 

The fact that there seem to be only four doors per floor though is not helping the matter as Atsumu walks to the last one on the left side and knocks.

Dark eyes scrutinize him from the other side of the entryway moments later. Whatever Omi is checking for, Atsumu apparently passes as the dark-haired man nods and steps aside. "You can use the white slippers. Bathroom is on the right...Welcome, I guess."

The setter gives one of his easy smirks as he slips past the spiker, careful not to touch him. "Thanks for lettin' me come over, Omi-omi." 

"You would've kept badgering me otherwise." Sakusa sighs as he closes the door behind the blonde. "Just go clean up. Do you want tea or anything, or do you plan to jump right to drinking?"

"Such a good host, Omi-omi." The blonde teases as he takes off his shoes and slips on the offered slippers. "But sure. Thanks, Omi-kun." 

Sakusa just shrugs as he makes his way to where Atsumu assumes the kitchen is. "Shower. Now." 

Atsumu doesn't bother teasing, not wanting to risk getting kicked out now that he's made it this far. "On it." He says instead, making his way to what he finds to be a rather impressive bathroom. 

The setter lets out a low whistle as he closes the door behind him and starts taking off his 'dirty' clothes before shoving them in the backpack he brought with him, taking out the fresh clothes before he does. He was not riskinganything right now. 

'Come on, Atsumu.' He thought to himself as he started to wash himself up. 'Ya've been crushin' on this guy since training camp in high school, and finally, have a chance to get to know him. Ya've got this. Don't fuck it up...not like last time.'

Atsumu shuddered as he remembered his stupid high school self who managed to make Sakusa laugh at training camp and short-circuited at the sound. He could've laughed it off, but nOooo. Upon Sakusa snapping him back to reality, all that left his mouth was a gasped, "Fuck me." 

Sakusa had just blinked at him in confusion and instead of turning it into a joke or the start of a compliment orsomething , Atsumu had flushed, panicked, and fled.

He didn't see the spiker again until he was introduced to the team, and Atsumu hopes he was right in assuming the other had forgotten about it by now. 

Atsumu shakes himself out of the past and continues trying to hype himself up as he rinses off. 'There's no way he remembers yer gay panic. This is yer chance to actually get to know him and maybe one day get somewhere.'

He dries off before getting into his clean clothes. 'Go time.' He nods to himself in the mirror.

As Atsumu exits the bathroom, he's met with the slight scent of tea he had been expecting, but also...is that stir-fry? 

"Omi-omi! Are ya cooking?" Atsumu asks, peeking over Sakusa's shoulder. 

"I hadn't had dinner yet so I thought I'd make something real quick. There should be enough for both if you want some otherwise I'll just have leftovers for tomorrow."  Sakusa answers without even glancing at the blonde. 

"It smells amazin'. I ate a bit since drinks were mentioned, but I definitely wanna try some if yer okay sharin’." Atsumu hums, thrilled that Omi's even offering. 

"Probably wouldn't have made this much if I wasn't. Figured I might as well be a halfway decent host." Sakusa shrugs, inclining his head to a cabinet behind him. "Mind getting the plates? ...If you don't make a mess, I guess we can eat while we watch the game." 

"Gotcha! I won't let a crumb escape!" The setter grins as he gets the plates and brings them over. 

"I'll hold you to that." Sakusa huffs, amusement crinkling his eyes. 

"Did Omi-kun just banter?" Atsumu smirks. 

Omi just shrugs as he loads his plate with food before walking around the setter to let him get his own. "I don't know how hungry you are so help yourself. I'll get the game set up." 

"Thanks, Omi-Omi!" The blonde grins before serving himself and grabbing the remaining cup to follow. 

The apartment was a mostly open floor plan so really all he had to do was walk around the counter to be in the living room, but he hovers by the couch for a moment, waiting for Sakusa to sit first so he doesn't accidentally take his spot. 

Sakusa apparently notices as he sighs. "I usually sit on the left so sit wherever else with that information." He brushes off with an overly flexible flick of his wrist, seemingly looking for new batteries for the remote.

"Thanks, Omi-kun." Atsumu smiles with a flush before sitting on the right, barely catching himself when he almost threw his feet up on the table out of habit. He doesn't and even manages to play it off as a dramatic flopping on the couch before he sets his cup on one of the coasters. "I would figure ya'd have yer entertainment and stuff all meticulously organized, Omi-kun?"

Sakusa tsks in annoyance. "I usually do but my sister visited the weekend,  and she loves fucking up my system in some small way every time. Guess this time it was my batteries." He scowls, checking another drawer.

Atsumu can't help laughing a little as he pictures a faceless woman laughing evilly as she hides the spiker's batteries or tilts frames or something. "Sounds like something Samu and I would do to each other. I didn't know ya had a sister though, Omi-omi?" 

The black-haired male shrugs. "It never really came up. Kimiko and I are close I guess in that she comes to annoy the shit out of me every month or so." Atsumu had apparently got him talking as he continues. "Mom will visit at least twice a year when she's not in Hong Kong with dad, but otherwise we're not that close. My brother is eight years older than my sister and ten years older than me so neither of us was ever close with him, and dad is the stereotypical cold or maybe a more awkwardly distant businessman. He makes sure we're comfortable though and doesn't discourage us from pursuing our dreams so long as we have a concrete plan and backup so I guess that's his way of showing he cares. Really?! She taped them to the back of the T.V.?!"

Atsumu blinks, stunned. "I think that's the most ya've ever said to me, Omi-Omi."

He watches a Sakusa's ears turn pink from where his back is still to the setter. "...You said you wanted to learn about me…?"

Atsumu grins. "I do, Omi! I just thought it'd take more work. Sounds like ya and yer sister are polar opposites." 

Sakusa seems to relax. "Well, every family has their nut. Mom swears Kimiko's the reason she has grey hairs, and I don't doubt it." He's smirking when he faces Atsumu again as he turns to sit on the couch. "After all, what normal person tapes batteries to the back of the T.V.?" 

Atsumu laughs at that. "An absolute madwoman. Sounds like you two get along pretty well though. What's she like?" He asks as Sakusa starts the recording of the last Adlers game. 

"Chaotic, loud, energetic, but also fierce and determined. Once she sets her mind on something it's as good as hers." Sakusa actually chuckles. "She has an entire culinary degree with a focus in pastry, but she couldn't decide if she wanted to do that or continue her cosplay career so she now owns a five-star restaurant known for their desserts and a wedding business because obviously, the  logical middle ground for knowledge of cake and sewing is weddings. She's still a famous cosplayer, too. No clue how she hasn't lost her mind." He glances at Atsumu with a smirk, making Atsumu finally realize he had taken off his mask. "You two would probably get along."

Atsumu couldn't help grinning at the relaxed Sakusa next to him, and the thought of maybe one day being introduced. 'Don't get ahead of yourself.' "She sounds amazing, Omi-kun."

Sakusa smiles slightly. "You'd have to be to pull that off. She made the family proud that's for sure."

"I bet! Ya mentioned yer mom, too. What about her?" Atsumu asks next since family seems to be a safe topic.

The conversation continues like this for a while as they trade questions and stories back and forth while they eat; Adler's game long forgotten. By the time drinks actually make an appearance you'd think they'd been friends before all this rather than just teammates. 

After a few drinks in Atsumu has started asking more truth or dare-type questions as he laughs through his sentences. At least Sakusa looks amused rather than annoyed.

"When- hahaha- When was- snort- When was your first kiss, Omi-Omi?" Atsumu laughs.

"No wonder you're always completely gone whenever you spam me. You're a complete lightweight, Miya." Sakusa smirks at the giggling blonde.

"Omiiii!" Atsumu whines. "Am not! And call me Atsumu! Not Miya!"

Sakusa chuckles, taking another sip of the mixer the blonde had brought with him and managed to talk him into trying. It's fruity, but he can't say he hates it. "You definitely are…'Tsumu." 

Atsumu freezes, staring at Sakusa in awe. 

The spiker cocks a brow. "What?" 

"Omi-Omi just gave me a nickname." The blonde gasps, face almost resembling Bokuto's when he's about to cry.

Sakusa rolls his eyes. "Dramatic. At least you didn't ask me to fuck you this time I guess." He shrugs, taking another drink.

Atsumu turns scarlet as he hides in the throw pillow that had found its way into his lap. "Oh my god, you remember that?!" 

The black-haired male hums into his drink before answering. "Yep. You do know you could've played it off as a joke right?"

Atsumu groans into his pillow shield. "I panicked! I had just managed to make the extremely talented, distant, and pretty spiker laugh at my shitty joke and he sounded like an angel! What was I supposed to do?!" 

Sakusa chokes a little. "You-... You think I'm pretty?" 

The spiker can almost swear there's steam coming out of the setter, but he still answers. "Yer gorgeous, Omi-kun...way out of my league." 

Sakusa is honestly shocked as he stares at the hiding blonde. "I- What? Mi-...'Tsumu, should I cut you off? You must be drunk if you think that." 

"It's true, Omi-kun." Atsumu looks up, pouting. "Yer so pretty. Yer hair is all effortlessly wavy and looks really soft. Yer skin is flawless, and yer little moles are adorable. Yer eyes are so pretty, and I can never make eye contact with ya 'cause I get trapped. Yer body is god tier like please crush me with yer thighs-why did I just say that-anyway, and yer so talented. Ya come off as scary at first, but yer beautiful inside and out. Yer laugh sounds like an angel, and ya know what?" Atsumu was sitting up proud now like he will fight Sakusa on this. "I stand by what I said! I could die happy if I ever so much as got to hug ya let alone if...that happened." 

Sakusa is almost as red as Atsumu now as he stares at the setter in shock. "I- all that spam...those weren't just drunk snaps? ...Is that why you only use Snapchat when you drink?" 

The blonde almost hides again, but nods. "I didn't want to get my hopes up that ya'd feel the same so I wanted to give us both an easy out. Easier to pretend it didn't happen if there's no evidence."

The spiker just stares at the other, blinking. 'That's actually pretty smart.' "I just thought you were a massive flirt. You talk about your escapades all the time in the locker room, I didn't think you were serious." 

Atsumu does hide again, mumbling something into the pillow. 

"What?" 

He huffs before peeking back up. "I looked up fanfiction and asked Sho and Bo-kun to go along with it. Only two were actually real, and they were the ones that didn't go any further than a quick handjob in the bathroom and the one girl that sucked me off under the table. Rest were stories." 

"Why?"

Atsumu shrugs. "I don't know honestly. I think a part of me was hoping ya'd get jealous, but otherwise, it was just locker room talk because yer not the only one with that image of me. " 

Sakusa stays quiet for a minute, processing what he's just heard. 

The minute is apparently too long as Atsumu moves to stand, swaying a little. "I've probably made ya uncomfortable. I'm sorry, Omi-Omi. Ya probably hate me now. I'll just go. "He checks his phone as he picks it up. "I can still catch the train. I'm really sorry again, Om- Sakusa. I'll see ya at practice. Ya can pretend this never happened if ya want. I'm sorry." Atsumu rambles as he grabs his jacket and bag and stumbles his way to the door, fighting on his shoes.

Sakusa blinks, flinching when Atsumu uses his real name instead of Omi. "'Tsumu, wait." 

"No, I'll just get out of yer hair. I'm sorry for annoying ya into hangin' out with me. Ya can keep the mixer." He rambles, giving up on getting the shoes on normally and just slipping into them before going out the door. "Bye!"

Sakusa finally gets his bearings as he stands up to go after him. "'Tsumu, wait! Hold on!" 

The door closes, and Sakusa curses as he looks around for a mask before grabbing the one off the counter and running out just in time to see the elevator doors close. 

"Dammit!" He growls, running back inside for his keys before dashing to the stairs, hoping he can beat the elevator. 

He makes it in time to see the front door closing, the frazzled person at the front desk trying to ask what's wrong. 

Sakusa doesn’t answer, patting down his pockets and realizing he forgot his phone upstairs. It was already 11:30 on a weekend. With the last train usually being around midnight, the bar crowd would be flooding the streets meaning Sakusa had no chance of finding the setter on foot. 

He rushes back upstairs to his phone and immediately calls the blonde. 

"Pick up, you idiot," Sakusa grumbles as the phone continues to ring, cursing when it goes to voicemail. 

He tries several more times to the same result, before sending off a couple of texts. 

'Who can I call? The rest of the team is at the bar, so will be useless.' He thinks, completely forgetting only Hinata and Bokuto had been mentioned. 'I don’t have his brother's number, and the shop would be closed so not like I can call that...Isn't that Suna guy always online?" 

The spiker quickly switches to Instagram and finds the most recent post is from 3 minutes ago. "Perfect."

sakusa.kiyoomi: [Hello. This is one of Miya Atsumu's teammates. He just ran out of my building after admitting some things, but we've been drinking. You're dating his brother, right? Can you ask him to check on him? I don't have his brother's number and Miya won't answer his phone.]

Seen 11:41

sunarin: [typing ]

sunarin: 

sunarin: [did he finally confess? do we finally get to stop hearin about how amazin "omi-omi" is?]

sakusa.kiyoomi: [...He talks about me?]

sunarin: [*sigh* another pining idiot. ya really need to private yer accounts because yeah he never shuts up. we're headin to atsumus place rn btw. samu wants to talk to ya.]

sunarin: [Ya better not have hurt him or we're gonna test just how flexible those wrists r when I break yer damn arm!]

sakusa.kiyoomi: [He ran out before I could respond. He's stuck with me at practice so I'll talk to him then. Can you please just let me know he made it back okay and is safe? I may come off as an ass, but he's still my setter.]

sunarin: [Yeah yeah, we're in his house now we'll let ya know when he gets here. Suna's usin' my phone to talk to him rn so he's alive and made it on the train] 

sakusa.kiyoomi: [Thank you.]

Sakusa goes about cleaning up while he waits for one of them to text again. Sakusa had honestly thought Atsumu was just a fuck boy and a flirt, but he was just as much of a mess as Sakusa. 

He manages to get everything cleaned up including vacuuming and putting dishes away when his phone finally buzzes again.

sunarin: [he's back. samu is gettin him water and to bed. he won't stop whinin and blubberin about how "omi-omi" probably hates him now so ya should probably figure out what ya plan to say before next practice. also samu's number]

sunarin shared a contact

sakusa.kiyoomi: [Thank you. I'll be ready when I see him next. Good night]

sunarin: [np]

Sakusa sighs in relief as he saves the younger twin's contact, and gets ready for bed. He has some thinking to do. 

~~~

They're on the same fucking team! How can the blonde manage to go an entire practice without so much as speaking to him? He had appeared out of nowhere at the last damn minute at the start, avoided him completely during stretching, not spoken at all during actual practice, then up and vanished before Sakusa could so much as spot him after the coach let them go. Even his gym bag had vanished by the time the spiker made it to the locker room. 

"What the fuck?!" Sakusa curses into his locker as he gets ready, already throwing his bag over his shoulder. 'Should I harass his brother for his address?' 

"Hey, Sakusa!" Hinata grins, suddenly appearing next to him. "I know you'll probably say no, but 'Tsumu seemed really out of it at practice so Bokuto and I were going to stop by and try to cheer him up. Do you wanna come?" 

Sakusa looks up at the ceiling for a moment. 'So you do listen, huh?' "Sure."

"Oh, come on! Please? I know you- wait what?!" Hinata gapes at the spiker.

The taller man just shrugs. "I said sure. Where does he live? We can take my car."

Hinata stares at him like he grew another head. "Uhhh, he's actually in walking distance, but I guess you probably don't want to deal with crowds. Wait, you're letting us in your car, too?!" 

Sakusa raises a brow at the orange-haired man. 'Any other day you couldn't pay me enough, but I need to talk to the dumbass.' "Yes? Are we going or not? I don't have his address." 

Hinata just blinks before nodding slowly. "Yeah, uh, let me grab Bokuto." 

Sakusa almost smirks when Hinata about jumps out of his skin from Bokuto suddenly appearing behind him and clapping him on the back. "No need! So did you manage to convince him or are we seeing TsumTsum solo?" 

"Not only that but we even get to ride in his car!" Hinata grins like he actually did any convincing. 

Large, owl-like eyes turn to him in shock before Bokuto releases his own grin. Sakusa almost worries he might go blind. "Really, Omi?! That's awesome! I promise not to make a mess!"

"If you manage to make a mess in the short distance Hinata claims it is, I would be shocked, but would also be calling your boyfriend on you so I don't strangle you." Sakusa deadpans as he closes his locker.

Bokuto's hair deflates as he whines. "Omiiii! Please don't call Akasi! I'll be good! I'm sorry!" 

The spiker's eyes widen as he realizes he triggered Bokuto's Emo-Mode. "Fine, I won't! Just put that away! I don't want snot in my car. Now come on." 

Sakusa makes his way to the door as both teammates scramble to get their bags and follow. They've caught up by the time he makes it outside, and follow him to his rather expensive-looking sports car with wide eyes. 

"That's so cool!" Hinata grins, running around the car in awe. 

"Just get in and tell me where to go. Whoever can give directions better can have shotgun, just don't unnecessarily touch things." Sakusa sighs, slipping into the driver's seat. 

"Right!" Both men salute before Hinata uses his superior speed to jump in the passenger's seat. Both ignore the now pouting Bokuto. 

"Alright! Go left after you leave the parking lot." Hinata instructs.

Hinata's not wrong that they could have walked, but seeing all the people out makes Sakusa glad they didn't as they pull into the parking lot minutes later and he sees a child wiping their nose on their arm. "Disgusting." 

"What was that?" Hinata asks, already out of the car. 

"Nothing." Sakusa sighs, grabbing his hand sanitizer before getting out as well. "Lead the way." 

The short orangette is more than happy to as he leads the way up the outdoor stairs and makes his way to the third floor. 

When Hinata knocks on the door they hear a faint "Coming!" before the door opens to a grinning Atsumu. Upon seeing Sakusa, however, panic covers his face and he slams the door.

'Great.' Sakusa sighs as a confused Hinata begins pounding on the door and causing a ruckus.

"'Tsumu! Open up! We came to cheer you up you ass so let us in! Come on! Even Sakusa came!" The orangette yells through the wood.

"Nope! Sorry! I gotta, uhhh, water my fish! Try again later!" Is the failure of a response they get in return. 

"What does that even mean?!" Hinata yells as Sakusa sighs again.

"Let me try. Can you two wait by the car? I'll call you up when it's sorted." Sakusa orders rather than actually ask.

The more energetic of the three look at each other in confusion before looking at Sakusa uneasily. 

"Don't kill him, please?" Hinata finally speaks.

Sakusa raises a confused eyebrow, but nods. "Didn't plan to?" 

"Then see you in a bit." Hinata nods in return before grinning and pulling Bokuto along. "Come on, I'm pretty sure there's an ice cream place near here!" 

Sakusa waits until the two are out of sight before sighing for the millionth time since the incident and turning to the door, knocking firmly.

There's silence on the other side before the door cracks open and gold eyes peek out. This time Sakusa has his foot ready in the gap before it can close again. "You have a bad habit of not letting people talk don't you, 'Tsumu?"

Sakusa can see the blonde melt a little at the nickname before he shakes his head and pouts. "I told ya to forget it, Om-Sakusa. I don't need to hear yer rejection. We have practice tomorrow still, and I've re-lived my teenage angst quite enough thank you so if ya could just move yer foot tha-"

"First, stop calling me that. I have never hated hearing my own name so much. Second, who the hell said I was going to reject you?" The spiker glares, forcing a bit more of his leg into the setter's apartment. 

Atsumu blinks in apparent confusion. "I thought you hated that name? And why wouldn't ya?"

"What kind of? Whywould I?" Sakusa rolls his eyes at both questions, cutting Atsumu off when the blonde looks like he might actually answer that. "Shut up. If you had let me finish my own gay panic the other day, I would have admitted that I also find you attractive and wouldn't say no to a date. I haven’t known you long enough to properly like you back, but I did enjoy spending time with you…" Sakusa flushed. "And I think you're pretty, too."

Atsumu had definitely short-circuited again as he stares at the spiker, face a similar color to a Nekoma jersey. "I-...I-...What?"

Sakusa rolls his eyes, but there's a smile behind his mask. "Go on a date with me 'Tsumu." 

Suddenly the door is thrown open and Sakusa would have stumbled forward if he didn't almost fall back due to the sudden armful of happy setter. 

Atsumu jumps away almost immediately, seemingly remembering who it was he was suddenly touching. "Oh my god, Omi-kun! I'm so sorry! I just got really exci-" 

Sakusa holds up a hand, effectively cutting the setter off as he processes. He still felt some unease at suddenly being touched, but it wasn't the normal revulsion and panic, it was more of just discomfort that Sakusa couldn't quite place the source of. "...I don't have the urge to throw you over the railing and scrub my skin raw so I think we're okay, but maybe just a fist bump or a high five for now?" Sakusa explains, offering his hand before flushing slightly. "...and also is that a yes to the date?" 

Atsumu's nervous expression turns to a beaming grin as he bumps the offered hand. "Yes! Absolutely yes!"

Sakusa sighs in relief this time before nodding. "Good. Now the two idiots are down by my car waiting to see you so we should probably deal with that. We'll discuss details later?" 

Atsumu beams at him, nodding. "Okay, Omi-Omi." 

~~~ Several Months Later ~~~

"'Tsumu! I swear to whatever god got me to your house that day, just because I've adjusted enough to make out with and grope you on the couch without drowning in the shower, doesn't mean you can leave your dirty fucking underwear on my bathroom fl-!" 

Sakusa chokes on his tongue and the rest of his rage as he enters his room to find avery naked Atsumu standing in front of the drawer he's taken, bending down with his towel at his feet. His hair and body are still damp and Sakusa wets his lips at the thought of following the droplet rolling down the blonde's neck. 

"'Tsumu?" His voice doesnot crack.

"Yeah, Omi-babe?" Atsumu smiles innocently over his shoulder, not moving from his position. 

"What are you doing?" 

"Looking for some clothes." He answers as though he did not just wiggle his butt teasingly.

'Minx.' "And you had to drop your towel for that because…?"

'Tsumu shrugs, stretching his back muscles delightfully. "It fell." 

"Mhm. Sure. Well, I'm going to either need consent to fuck you on that towel or I'm going to need it to go freeze myself in the shower." Sakusa hums, leaning against the door frame casually. 

Despite the first option obviously being his intention, Atsumu still flushes before perking his ass up anyway. "Would really prefer the bed?" 

"That can be arranged," Sakusa smirks, coming over and delighting in the squeak he gets from lifting Atsumu up and dumping him in the requested location. 

Atsumu scrambles into a more comfortable position as he watches Sakusa slowly undo the buttons on his shirt. He shivers at the hunger in the darker eyes and reaches forward to help with Omi's pants. 

He whines when his hand gets shooed away and a chuckle leaves Sakusa's mouth. 

"Nope. You were being a tease so now you get a taste of your own medicine." Sakusa smirks.

"But Omiiii!" The blonde whines.

Sakusa smiles fondly at the blonde's pout. "Fine. How about you crawl up to the nightstand and find the lube and condoms, okay?" 

Atsumu nods, happy to be given something to do instead of just watch and not be able to touch...though maybe under different circumstances-no. One step at a time and right now that was trying to get Omi inside him. 

He finds both items easily enough and when he turns around, he almost moans from the sight alone. Down at the end of the bed, Sakusa is watching him with a cocky smirk, his chest and arms exposed. Atsumu silently thanked whatever force allowed Omi to be that perfectly sculpted as his eyes followed the line in his abs right to his happy trail that disappeared into his boxers. How did he get his pants off that quick?

"Take a picture, it'll last longer." Sakusa jokes.

"Can I?" Atsumu asks before he can think about it.

Sakusa's eyebrows shoot up. "I don't even have my briefs off yet...and maybe some other time." 

It was time for Atsumu's eyebrows to shoot up now at the prospect of Sakusa actually letting him take a picture sometime before he looked to the ceiling and acted as though he was thanking a higher power. 

"Dramatic as always. Get your ass down here." Sakusa laughs, curls bouncing as he shakes his head. 

The spiker catches Tsumu's chin once he's close enough to kiss him deeply. "Guess high school you finally gets to have his wish fulfilled." 

Atsumu blushes, hiding his face in Sakusa's chest. "Omiiii!" He whines. "...he'd probably faint, to be honest." 

"Glad it took a while then. That might've killed the mood a bit." Sakusa hums, before pushing lightly at Atsumu's shoulder to ease him onto his back. "Now lay back, 'Tsumu." 

Atsumu obeys easily, handing over the lube and condoms when prompted before his mouth is being devoured again. 

The blonde moans into the kiss as Sakusa nips at his lower lip before trailing kisses down to his neck. He gasps when he feels a bite at his neck before Sakusa's making a mark that the setter will definitely be teased for in the locker room. "Omiii~" He moans.

Sakusa smirks against the other's neck, kissing the new mark before making another underneath it. 

"Ah! Omi! Ya know, for someOne so non-touch, ya certainly like shoOowing yer toucheverywhEre ." Atsumu tries to tease between sounds. 

"My sister literally stole my damn mug last month!" Sakusa huffs, marking his way down to Atsumu's collarbone. "Learned to mark what's mine." He punctuates his statement with a dark mark right between the blonde's collarbones making a pretty collar of his own. 

Atsumu flushes clear down to the new mark. "We found the mug in with yer towels." He squeaks.

"And I found you not in yours." The spiker smirks, moving down more. "Mine." He punctuates this one with a hard suck to the setter's left nipple, making the blonde try to arch off the bed and grab at black locks.

"Omiiii~! Ah! N-no! It's sEnsitive!" Atsumu moans, not knowing himself if he's trying to push the other off or pull him closer. 

"Yup." He pops the 'p' as a hand starts playing with the other nipple and creating more pretty sounds. 

Sakusa can feel the blonde's length hardening against his abs and hums at the sound Atsumu makes when he shifts enough to create friction.

"AhH! Don't move! Omiii~! Yer Abs! Ahh!" Atsumu squirms, subconsciously chasing the friction. 

Sakusa just smirks as he sits back to unwrap a condom and the setter whines at the loss of contact. "Shhh, 'Tsumu. Don't worry, I just need to get the condom and lube and you'll feel even better." Sakusa shushes as he leans forward to kiss the other's forehead before sitting back once more and slipping the condom on a finger, letting the lube warm in his palm.

Soon enough, he's lubing the condom and teasing at the blonde's hole. He can't help the sadistic smirk that forms at watching him squirm. 

"Ooomiii~!" Atsumu whines, shooting puppy eyes at the spiker. "Come on! Please!" 

"Hmm, didn't think it'd be this easy to make you beg, 'Tsumu," Sakusa smirks, snickering at the moan that cuts off the setter's impending argument when he sinks his finger in. 

"Shit. Move, please, Omi?" Atsumu groans, trying to fuck himself on the spiker's finger.

Sakusa complied, but at his own pace, taking his sweet time to open the other up and watch him fall apart.

By the time he felt the blonde was ready, said blonde was a babbling mess, clutching the sheets as he begged Omi to fuck him already. 

"Omi! Pleaz! 'M ready! Yer cock! Please!" 

"Shh shh shh. I've got you, baby boy. Just let me get the condom on." Sakusa cooed as he pulled back, reveling in the whine that escapes the other at the loss.

"Hurryyy~" Atsumu groans, subconsciously rutting against nothing.

Sakusa, groans at the sight, snatching a tissue to wrap the used condom in until he can throw it away. He bats at Atsumu's hand when he tries to touch himself before slipping the other condom down his length.

Meanwhile, Atsumu whines at being denied his relief, pouting at the other. "Omi~!"

Sakusa leans forward to silence Atumu with a kiss, sliding in slowly and taking advantage of the blonde's moan to slip his tongue into the kiss. 

He enters slowly, groaning into the kiss himself until he bottoms out. "Fuck, 'Tsumu. You're so tight."

"Move, Omi. Please." Atsumu moans, squirming to try and fuck himself.

The spiker groans at the movement, nipping at the other's lip in retaliation. "Patience. I don't want to hurt you."

This earns him a soft smile as the blonde hooks his arms over his shoulder. "Why do ya think I waited 'til we didn't have practice? I've been waitin' since high school." He pulls the paler down to moan into his ear. "Ruin me, Omi." 

Something in Sakusa snaps at those words as he grips tanned hips and pulls almost all the way out before slamming back in, delighting in the surprised moan it causes before he starts a brutal pace. 

"Ooooomiiii~!" Atsumu screams as he claws at Sakusa back for some kind of hold as the spiker abuses his hole.

Sakusa hisses a bit through his teeth but makes no move to stop the blonde's actions. If anything it almost seems to spur him on as he goes faster.

"Ahhhh~! Yes, fuck please OmMi~ Ah! There! Shit, Omi-kun, there!" The blonde rambles, back arching when Sakusa finds his prostate. 

Sakusa smirks down at Atsumu before groaning when the setter suddenly gets tighter. "Fuck, 'Tsumu…" He then makes it his mission to try and abuse the other's prostate now, hitting it as often as he can manage without slowing down. 

"OmiiIiii!" Atsumu cries out, pulling black curls down so the other's face is in his shoulder. "Harder, please. Bite me more. Mark me. Fuck! Omi! AhHhh!" His voice hitches when Sakusa starts slamming into him harder. "Shit. Please, Omi! I don't care if the guys give us shit, wanna show I'm yers!" 

Sakusa groans into the blonde's ear, nipping at the lobe. "Fuck, 'Tsumu, you're gonna be the death of me." 

Atsumu just pulls him closer, trying to use the spiker's abs for some sort of release to his neglected cock. "Please, Omi~" 

Sakusa reaches between them to offer Atsumu some relief. "Needy." He teases, smirking when Atsumu's offended noise is cut off by the delightful sound he makes at Sakusa pumping his cock in his hand. 

"Ru-AHhhh! Shit, Omi! Nngh! Close, Omi! I'm close!" Atsumu chokes out as he pulls at Sakusa's hair. 

Sakusa smirks as he whispers in the blonde's ear. "Then come for me, 'Tsumu. Maybe I won't even make you clean your own mess." It was a bluff, 'Tsumu was getting spoiled after but he also knew the blonde loved when Sakusa treated him as a lesser. 

As suspected, a few pumps later and Atsumu is arching off the bed and painting their chests white, clenching around Sakusa as he screams. 

The added pressure from Atsumu's release made Sakusa's not too far behind as he bites the blonde's shoulder to hide his own groan and fill his earlier request.  

A few more measly spurts came of Sakusa's action as he filled the condom, and it didn't take long for Atsumu to whine in sensitivity. 

"Omi..." Atsumu grumbles, pushing lightly at Sakusa's chest. "Too much." 

Sakusa gives one last gentle squeeze and smirks at the whine it caused before he lets go, and slowly pulls out. 

Atsumu whines once more, but sighs happily, making grabby hands at the setter. 

Sakusa smiles fondly but pulls back. "Let me get a washcloth to clean us, then we can cud-" 

Atsumu pouts and locks his legs around Sakusa's back before wiggling down and licking at a stripe of white on the other's chest. He smirks at the surprised sound Omi makes despite his own ears turning red. "No. Cuddles now."

Dark eyes blink in shock as his dick twitches in interest despite knowing it's not reviving soon. "I- I was joking about you cleaning it up you know? It's dirty, you don't  hAve to- 'Tsumu!" 

The blonde smirks up at him playfully as he gives little kitten licks across the spiker's chest and stomach. "Yes, Omi-babe."

Omi groans when that tongue flicks a nipple. "Always the sly fox aren't you? If I carry you to the bathroom to get us cleaned then come back and cuddle will you stop your games?" 

Gold eyes gaze up at him innocently as the blonde nods, releasing the other's hips.

"Spoiled brat." Sakusa huffs, grabbing a tissue so they're not just smearing it more before lifting the other up in the world’s most awkward bridal style given they were both over 6 feet. 

He couldn't help but snicker once more when the blonde yelped yet again. "I told you I would pick you up."

"Honestly expected ya to make a break for it and get the washcloth without me." Atsumu pouts, clinging to Sakusa's neck.

"So you thought I was going to trick you? I'm hurt." Sakusa deadpans as he shuffles sideways to get them through the bathroom door. 

"Look me in the eye and tell me ya wouldn't." The blonde huffs as he's set on the counter, yelping when he's almost dropped. "OMI!"

"Sorry," Sakusa mumbles, placing a kiss on the blonde's pouting mouth before smirking. "And you're right. I definitely would." 

Atsumu smiles into the kiss before pouting once more at the dark-haired man's admission. "Yer lucky yer pretty, Omi-omi."

"Hmm. Am I?" Sakusa hums as he wets a washcloth. "I distinctly remember a certain blonde having a full shut down over a laugh, and legitimately trying to lick his own cum off my chest for cuddles. But guess I'm just lucky."

Atsumu's face flames as Sakusa cleans his own chest before moving on to Atsumu's. "Omiii! We agreed to never speak of that again!" 

"But you're so cute when you blush," Omi smirks, kissing pouting lips again as he runs the cloth over the blonde's stomach.

"I'm not cute." The setter huffs. 

"Right, my mistake." The smirk grows. "I believe 'pretty' was the word I used to ask you out." 

The blush spreads down to the blonde's new hickeys. "OMIII!" 

Sakusa just laughs as he helps Atsumu stand so they can clean up the lube around his hole before helping the dopey smiling blonde back to the bed. 

"What are you all smiley about, Baby?" Sakusa asks once they're comfortable. 

Atsumu's smile just grows at the pet name as he nuzzles the spiker's chest where his head is laying. "Just that I love yer laugh, and wish ya'd do it more. 

It was Sakusa's turn to flush a little now as he kissed dyed hair. "Hey, I laughed when Bokuto got himself stuck in the net after missing a spike." 

A laugh escaped Atsumu now. "At something other than our friends' suffering." 

"Friends? What are those? I only have my adorable boyfriend." 

Atsumu lifts his head to fake pout but the amused smile is obvious. "How can ya be such an ass and a sap at the same time." 

"Picked it up from my boyfriend who's a little shit. Does things like stand naked in the bedroom after his shower to coerce his boyfriend into sex only to later degrade himself in his need for cuddles? Maybe you know him?" Omi snickers.

Atsumu huffs, laying back down and making no attempt to deny it. "Well, it worked!" 

Sakusa hums, nodding. "That it did." He starts running his fingers through dyed hair which is much softer than he had first expected. 

Atsumu makes a sound like a pleased cat before whispering a shy, "Love you, Omi."

Sakusa smiles fondly. "Love you too, 'Tsumu." 

They stay there cuddling until they eventually fall asleep, holding each other close. If Sakusa now has a sleeping 'Tsumu as his wallpaper, well, it'll be a while before the blonde finds out.

#haikyuu sakuatsu #sakuatsu #sakusa kiyoomi #haikyuu!! #haikyuu!! smut #kinktober #kinktober 2021 #sakusa x atsumu #miya atsumu