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random-thot-generator · 10 months

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Love Thy Frenemy (Frenemies/Tenderness AU)

ONE: It’s a Start

Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley x Frenemy!Reader

Summary: There’s a new customer that’s been coming into the White Dog Pub, where you tend bar. He’s stoic, gruff and difficult to engage, but you’re a bartender. You know how to get the most deadpan of customers to talk, and this aloof mountain of a man is no exception. You’ll win him over, one way or another.

Tags/Warnings: Alcohol consumption, Eventual smut- but not in this chapter. That’s really the only warning I got. I don’t even think I used profanity. Weird, right???

(Notes: Sooo... I decided to attempt my first series. *(nervous twitching)* Not gonna lie, I’m freakin’ out a little bit, y’all. Is it gonna suck?! I don’t know! I hope it doesn’t, for everyone’s sake.

Anyway...

This is set in the Frenemies/Tenderness AU, same as ‘Try a Little Tenderness’, with Simon and his frienemy ‘Doll’ (or ‘Dee’ for short), which can be found here.

We’re just establishing the relationship between Simon and Reader at this point, along with a little world building. Sorry, horn-dogs. No smut this round, but we’ll get there... eventually. Hope you enjoy.)

Word Count: 1576

‘Fate leads the willing; the unwilling it drags’ —— Seneca

🖤💀🖤

He was a quiet one. A silent giant.

He came into the pub every night, mumbled out his order in a low gravel and took the same seat at the end of the bar. He’d been doing this for more than a month, some nights staying until last orders, other nights only long enough for one drink. He never speaks, at least not to you.

He’s close with your boss, the owner of the White Dog, Ollie Turnbull. Ollie’s always pleased to see him, giving him a familiar pat on the back as he growls out, “How ya doin’, Riley?”

The two men will sit for hours, sometimes, leaning their heads together as they talk in low murmurs. You suspect Riley’s a soldier in the military, like Ollie once was. He just has that look about him. He holds himself the same way your father used to, like a coiled spring wound too tight, even when seemingly relaxed. You’re certain if anything ever went down inside the pub, he would be the first to react, Ollie a close second.

You’re curious about him. He’s an ‘odd duck’, as your nan was fond of saying. He has his little quirks, odd little idiosyncrasies that set him apart. For one thing, you’ve never seen the man without a hoodie. He wears different styles and colors, but they’re all dark in hue with a deep hood he keeps pulled up over his head at all times. He never pushes it back, always keeping his face half-hidden in shadow.

And then there’s the mask.

Sometimes it’s a fitted hood with only his eyes exposed, other times it’s a neck gaiter or a black surgical mask. When he takes a drink, he always lifts his mask from the bottom, never revealing his entire face. You’ve seen the hint of various scars around the edges of his masks, jagged lines turned silver with age, but they don’t seem severe enough to be horribly disfiguring. He’s hiding, you realize, but from what you’re not sure.

Riley’s sitting in his usual spot again tonight, every now and then his eyes shifting left or right, always on alert. He casts his gaze over you every now and then, too, lingering for a moment before looking away. You can’t help but wonder what he thinks of you.

It’s been a slow evening, just a handful of regulars showing up for a pint, but not staying long. There’s only one other customer at the bar, dear old Ned, and you’re pretty sure he fell asleep half an hour ago. You’ve already restocked and finished all your prep work for the night, so you’ve pulled out an old paperback of short stories to read, but you’d much rather be getting a head start on your cleaning. The sooner you’re done, the sooner you can leave.

Heaving a sigh, you walk down to the end of the bar, waiting for Riley to acknowledge you before you speak. When his dark eyes peer up at you, you give him a little smile. “Sorry to bother you, but do you mind if I start cleaning? I can top up your drink first.”

His gaze darts over your face before he glances down at his glass and shrugs. “’S fine wif me. ‘M good.” His voice is gruff, but not unkind.

You nod, offering him a grateful smile and lay your book face down on the bar. “Thanks,” you call over your shoulder, already heading for the supply closet.

You gather your cleaning supplies and get to work, wiping down tables and turning up chairs. Every now and then you glance up to check on your two customers. Ned, bless him, is still snoring. Riley, however, is leaning slightly forward, torso stretched so that he can look at the book you’ve left in front of him. You watch as he turns the book around to get a better look at it. It makes you smile.

Finished with the tables, you head back towards the bar, noticing how Riley stiffens and quickly turns the book back to its previous position. Pretending not to see, you grab your bottle of water, taking a sip as you lean your hips against the back counter, facing him. When he inevitably lifts his eyes, you meet them and motion to the book.

“You like to read?”

He shrugs. “Some.”

You nod and take another sip. “What genres?”

His brows knit together. “Depends.”

“On what?”

He heaves a sigh and leans back to cross his arms. “On what ’m in the mood t’read.”

“Oh. Yeah, I get that. I’m the same.” You take another sip then recap the bottle, pushing yourself off the counter. You fiddle with the ties of your serving apron as you scramble for something to say. “You, uh, need a top-up before I get back to work?”

He stares down at his glass and then slides it forward. “Yeah.” Again, he sounds gruff, but his tone has softened the tiniest bit.

He watches you pour the drink, eyeing you with an almost cautious expression. When you slide the glass back to him, his eyes flicker down to the book. “I’ve read tha’ one before. Which story’s yer fav’rite?”

You tilt your head and give him a considering look. “’Sticks’ by Robert Wagner.”

He nods, a gleam of approval in his sharp gaze. “Good choice.”

You give a slight nod at the compliment. “And yours?”

His eyes blink down at the book then back to you. “Same.”

“Good choice,” you say with a crooked smile, returning the compliment. You replace the bottle of Dewar’s on the shelf, then turn back and nod at the book. “You can borrow it, if you like. I just brought it in case I got bored. I’ve got plenty more at home.”

“’M good. No thanks.” he mutters. He leans forward again, shoulders hunched, and drops his gaze.

You deflate inside. Damn, I lost him.

Not wanting the situation to get any more awkward, you try to soothe him with a casual, friendly tone and an easy smile. “That’s okay. Offer still stands. If you change your mind, feel free to take it with you.”

His eyes slant towards you and he gives a curt nod. Good enough.

You go back to work, sweeping around the tables in silence until you see him stand and lean over the bar to slip his glass into the dish water. He snags a towel and wipes down his area, before pushing his seat back into place. It’s a thoughtful gesture, something you wouldn’t have expected from him. Picking up his overcoat, he shrugs it on, then adjusts his mask as he walks towards the entrance. When he opens the door, he pauses, and his head turns in your direction. “Left some tenners on the bar for m’tab.” Another short pause. “’Night.”

You smile and give him a little wave. “Good night, Riley. Drive safe.”

His head snaps up and his posture goes rigid at the use of his name, caught off guard by the familiarity, but he quickly recovers. Relaxing his stance, he nods and takes a step out the door, uttering just loud enough for you to hear, “You, too, doll.”

He then slips out the door into the night, leaving just you and snoring Ned in the building. You stare at the entrance a moment longer, then go back to your sweeping. Your brain slowly sifts through the conversation as you work, picking over the words he spoke, digging for any hidden nuances you might have missed. He’s a hard one to read, but you think you did okay. At least he spoke to you without being prompted. It’s a start.

Right?

When you finish cleaning, you go wake Ned and call his wife to come pick up her husband. He smiles at you, bleary-eyed, and pats your hand. “I was awake, luv. Jus’ restin’ m’eyes.” You smile and nod, but don’t really believe him until he grins and adds, “Never heard tha’ big fella speak a’fore. He must’ve taken a fancy to ya.”

A slow smile spreads across your face. “Think so, Ned?”

“Oh, aye. Never seen ‘im go out o’ his way to talk to anyone else. Well, ‘cept for Ollie, o’ course. Don’t think the lad keeps many friends. Bit of a loner, tha’ one.”

A horn beeps twice outside, so you help Ned to his feet and walk him out to his wife’s car. Waving goodbye, you head back inside the pub to turn out the lights and lock up for the night. Grabbing your coat and bag, you make a beeline for the entrance, thrilled to be leaving early, but then realize you forgot your book on the bar. Huffing out a sigh, you turn around and go back to get it, only to discover that...

It’s gone.

He took the book.

A pleased little smile lights up your face and you bite your lip.

He even told you good night... sort of.

You shrug. It’s a start.

That pleased little smile is still on your face when you lock the door and head for home.

>> Next

@stillinracooncity

@cumikering

@cutiecusp

@glitterypirateduck

#simon ghost riley s fem reader #cod ghost x fem reader #ghost x fem reader #simon riley x fem reader #simon ghost riley x frenemy reader #Frenemies/Tenderness AU

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itsjaywalkers · 2 months

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Ok I’m curious af so rank your jegulus’s from most kinky to least kinky. If you would like to include examples they are more than welcome but not necessary.

Thank you for your time,

Kink Nonnie

THIS ONE IS SOOOO FUN i'm always down to talk about kink especially if it's related to jeggy <333 and since most of my wips haven't been posted yet i don't wanna give too many examples bc . spoilers . but i can share a few things ofc!! here we go <3

boxer au jeggy. god they're always at the top this is starting to get emabrrassing but it's true !! it's my filthiest james without a doubt and reg is also quite the menace in this one. we're talking exhibitionism vouyeurism edging overstimulation dom/sub dynamics spanking slapping etc etc. james gets aggressive and possessive and reg turns into putty in his hands BUT they also switch and reg absolutely fucks the cockiness out of james until he's a crying writhing mess. but yeah they have no shame and they'd try everything under the sun. also if one of my jeggys had a pissing kink, it'd be them 100%

feeling good jeggy. new entrance!! the 2nd place used to belong to oby BUT i've been . outlining a bit more of this fic and had a few realisations. we're talking corruption kink virginity kink spit kink a bit of exhibitionism and possibly some cnc too!! this james may not be as filthy (sexually wise) as boxer au james buuuuuut he's meaner and a shittier person and he's only here to seduce regulus and steal all his money (at first) so he pulls all the stops <3 they're quite wild and this reg begins as my most "innocent" inexperienced one and ends up becoming . well . something else entirely

oby jeggy. my beloveds <3 we already know most of their kinks by heart, and even though all of my james have some level of oral fixation, oby james wins!! he can come just by eating reg out and he's happy whenever he gets him to sit on his face. they almost never do it in a bed like normal people, or even in either of their flats. the riskier the place, the better, and they're gonna end up traumatising someone at this rate. also <3 kings of the daddy kink <3 i think fucked up road trip jeggy have it too, and probably also boxer au jeggy but they're the blueprint!! especially bc it wasn't even planned in the first place

nothing happens jeggy. they used to be a bit lower but i've realised a few things about them too lately.. their dirty talking goes HARD because nh james needs urgent psychological help (reg too tbh) and he gets very cruel and degrading sometimes. they also have a severe breeding kink and . kinda a cheating kink like . it doesn't start that way but at a certain point i think they find it very hot, the fact that the other is always gonna cheat for them!! or at least reg does, bc we all know james takes a while to realise what he's been doing it's actual cheating. there's also a scene in which james forces reg to call his bf at the time while he's fucking him................... Yeah

fucked up road trip fic jeggy. they're quite kinky but since they're in a life or death situation and surrounded by quite a few ppl and getting some time alone is very difficult . they can never get as kinky as they could in different circumstances yk? they do have a daddy kink and there's quite the age gap!! also the fact that james is married and his son is only like . 5 years younger than reg . which is definitely Something . also the desperation whenever they fuck is at a whole other level bc they come close to dying a few times (and they might actually die at the end of the story.......... i'm still debating it tbh). and also they make out/have actual sex in very vulnerable moments or after someone else has been killed or tortured which is lowkey questionable so

making ghosts jeggy. again at the end </3 my poor babies they deserve better.. nah but seriously this place is mostly due to the fact that it’s my softest story and not as explicit or sex heavy as some of my other stories!! this is my most submissive james without a doubt tho and there’s a lot of begging and teasing and trying to keep quiet when they fuck behind closed door bc they keep their relationship secret for . a While . there’s this scene of sirius talking to james through his bedroom door and very confused bc james won’t let him in while reg is sucking james off on the other side.. so yeah very kinky still <3

#asks #kink nonnie #jegulus my beloveds

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player1064 · 2 months

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guess who’s back again 😂 finding out becks wasn’t gaz’s best man at his actual wedding is so crazy to me how about carraville wedding and this time becks actually makes it and does a killer best man speech

I always under-estimate how much time I'm going to spend on these things bc like. it's after 11pm and my quick little best man speech drabble is 1.2k words long (and brentford lost to west ham :(((((((((. which is unrelated but still tragic)

---

Everyone at the table groans when once again their conversations are interrupted by the clink of silverware against crystal.

David stands up, grinning at the boos and calls for him to sit back down, and he raises his glass.

“Alright, alright,” he says, “now that we’ve sat through the soppy bollocks of the grooms’ speeches, it’s time for the main event.”

(Said ‘soppy bollocks’ had featured heart-warming lines such as “I ‘ave a lot more money than him so we all know there’s no question that he’s sticking around”, and “I only said ‘til death do us part’ ‘cause it didn’t seem as long a commitment as ‘til Manchester United next win the league’.)

“Main event were about two hours ago,” Gary mutters from a few seats down.

Next to him, Jamie bumps their shoulders together with a laugh and says “main event’s gonna be in our hotel room later tonight.”

This earns him a few cheers and wolf-whistles, which David stands patiently through, glass still aloft.

“So,” he says eventually, “Ever since Gary called me last week to tell me that he was getting hitched and that I needed to drop everything I was doing and fly back to England to come to the wedding, I’ve been trying to think about what my best man speech should be.”

There are some more boos from around the table, including from Gary, who says “Yer not my best man, you twat, I don’t ‘ave a best man. Too old for all that nonsense. ‘sides, this is a casual wedding, like.”

David gives a pointed look around the room: they’re in a posh restaurant in London that they’d had the good foresight to book out for the entire evening, partly so as not to cause a media circus and partly so that they wouldn’t have to deal with the judgemental looks that come when you’re the ‘loud table’ in the place.

“Yeah, very casual,” he says, one eyebrow raised, then turns back to the rest of the table and continues. “Obviously, Gaz was best man at my wedding a quarter of a century ago,” (some groans from everyone round the table at the reminder of how old they all are) “and he did an alright job at it. Speech was pretty funny, but we have to deduct some points from his overall score for failing to get with any of the remaining Spice Girls. Though I suppose now we know why.” He says the last part with a wink and a nod towards Jamie.

“It’s nowt to do w’him bein’ gay,” Jamie heckles back, “it’s ‘cause he was a skinny little Manc with curtains.”

Gary drops his head to the table in exasperation.

“It was the nineties, Carragher, we all had curtains,” David shoots back. “Anyway, I’m tryna think of some funny stories to throw in, or something sort of – salacious, maybe, but then I realise that’ll leave me with the shortest speech in history because Gaz was always so bloody boring. You all already know this – whenever we were away with England, or with United, there’d be the lads going out for a piss-up,” (down the table, Giggsy and Butty cheer), “and then there’d be poor old Phil and Gary, still at the hotel and in bed by nine.”

Phil looks around the table with a smile at that, like it’s something to be proud of.

“And as curious as I am about the stripper incident, I’m not Carragher’s best man,” (“yer not anyone’s best man!”) “so that one’ll have to be lost to the sands of time. Then I thought, well, Gaz may’ve been boring off the pitch but on the pitch he had quite the reputation, so I thought we could do a little poll. Show of hands, how many people in this room have been kissed – on the mouth – by Gary Neville?”

About a half the table raise their hands: most of Gary’s friends from United, and, horrifyingly, a couple of Jamie’s lot who he’d played on England side with over the years.

“You little slag,” Jamie says, looking at Gary with a shit-eating grin.

“He wasn’t always successful, I should say – I think the one time he tried to kiss Roy he almost got another broken nose for his trouble,” adds David, raising his glass towards Roy who nods in confirmation.

David chuckles, “aw, but Gaz has always had hopeless taste in men. Not that he fancied you, Roy, you weren’t tall enough. D’you know, I think he almost fainted the first time Ruud walked into the dressing room.”

“Oi! Y’can’t call that hopeless, I’ll have you know me ‘n ‘im –” he claps a hand over his own mouth, wide-eyed, when he realises that he’s just told a room full of his closest friends something he’d been managing to keep to himself for the last twenty years.

That earns him a few more hollers and wolf-whistles, and when they die down David is looking at him with his lips pressed together like he’s trying not to laugh, eyes twinkling with mirth.

“I was gonna go on to talk about when you first met Jamie, but I think we’d all much rather stay on this for a while longer.”

“Oh my God,” Gary says, resting his forehead to Jamie’s shoulder with a groan, “please just do your Jamie bit. What’s it gonna be, reminding everyone how I hate Scousers?”

“Pretty much, yeah.” David puts on his terrible Manc accent, and says “’Becks, why the fuck are they putting this Scouse kid in midfield one game and left-back the next?’ ‘Oh my god, Becks, I think Sven’s lost his mind, he’s putting me in centre-back and giving my spot to fucking Carragher,’”

“And then somehow, right,” he continues, “somehow, it becomes ‘Becks, I were his captain, d’you think I should go say somethin’ comforting,’ and ‘if e’s takin’ my place while I'm out I should talk to him, right? Is it weird if I go talk to him?’, and once, when he was very very drunk, ‘I’d let ‘im tackle me any time, d’youknowwhatImean?’”

Gary, who doesn’t remember that last bit at all, feels himself flush with embarrassment at the thought of saying something so complimentary about his new husband. Said new husband reaches up to ruffle his hair before burying his face in it, fondly muttering “you are so pathetic” as he does.

“Anyway, all that to say that it wasn’t much of a surprise to me, when a few years ago I found out that the two of you had started hooking up.”

He holds his glass up again, waits for everyone to mirror him. “Jamie,” he says, “I think Gary’s finally met his match in you, so cheers to that. And Gaz… I’m sorry I never made it to your first wedding, but I’m glad I could be here for your last.”

“Dunno about that,” Jamie heckles, wrapping an arm around Gary’s shoulders in a tight squeeze, “might trade ‘im in for a younger model when ‘is hips go in a few years.”

For his sins, Gary curls a hand at the nape of his neck and pulls him into a rough kiss.

Through the cheers and laughter, David finishes with “to the happy couple! May you spend the rest of your lives tormenting each other instead of the rest of us!”

#GOD they are so insufferable as a couple. im obsessed with them i love the way they love #carraville #drabbles

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uuchanjustice · 1 year

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Ekubo Week Day 3 - Possession

(Dimple and Tome, word count: 1.2k)

“Hey Mr. Dimple, can I ask you something?” Tome asked.

She was lounging in the cushy seat meant for clients, her feet up on the tea table. Reigen wasn’t around to lecture her about getting the table dirty, having left with Serizawa for a job earlier. He had tasked Tome and Dimple with “watching the office”, which was an obvious ploy to make Tome feel important. They weren’t likely to have any walk-in clients on a Wednesday afternoon. Reigen could have easily closed up and told Tome to go home early. But she would have complained about losing potential customers, insisting that she was enough of a professional to handle intakes.

As if she really cared about being professional, with the chip crumbs she was leaving everywhere, or the tinny music she was playing through her phone speakers.

“Calling me Mr. Dimple? Must be serious…” Dimple lifted off Reigen’s desk, where he had been dozing (it’s not slacking off if he doesn’t get paid to be here). “Let me have a chip first.”

Tome held out the bag to Dimple. He took three chips and ate them all at once. He didn’t love the shrimp flavor, but they made a satisfying crunch in his mouth. The faint touch of Tome’s emotional intent behind the offering felt curious and hungry, which was typical of Tome.

She waited for him to finish chewing, then burst out, “Can you tell me about possession?”

Dimple belched loudly to cover up the way he jolted at the question. “Hey, what kinda question is that?” he said. “There’s nothing to say about it. Spirits can possess people, end of story.”

“But how does that work?” Tome leaned towards him, her eyes glinting the way they did when she was asking Serizawa about what the internet was like in the nineties. “When you possessed me, you grabbed my teacher’s arm and broke his grip. There’s no way I could do that! Were you using your spirit powers to make me stronger?”

Dimple wanted to end this conversation. “No,” he said flatly. “I can bring out people’s potential. You could have gotten out of that guy’s hold, if you lost your physical limits. Maybe try lifting weights sometime.”

“Ugh, I’m not gonna start lifting weights all the time. I’m not Mob,” said Tome, rolling her eyes. “So you could make me do anything I’m physically capable of? Could you make me win at arm wrestling, or jump two meters into the air?”

“Or,” said Dimple in the best Evil Spirit Voice he could muster, “I could make you bite your fingers off. Did you know that your jaw is strong enough to do that?”

Tome looked unimpressed. Ugh, he must be seriously out of practice. “How about telepathy? Could you help me awaken the ability to communicate with aliens? I wanna know if there’s other species out there, besides the ones we already know-“

“Do you know what happens to humans who get possessed?” Dimple made his form larger, his voice deeper. “You’ve seen it yourself a few times now. Their bodies are weakened at best, and their minds are in shambles. The spirit eats away at your very soul. Is that what you want for yourself?”

Tome didn’t even flinch. Curse Reigen and his bizarre ability to attract the densest teenagers in the world. “Then how come you didn’t eat my soul that one time? Or Mob’s soul? He told me that you possess him sometimes.”

Did Shigeo really have to gossip to this girl about him? “Just drop it, Tome. I’m not gonna possess you for your amusement.” He flounced back onto Reigen’s desk, sending papers flying.

Tome had the grace to look slightly ashamed. “Sorry,” she muttered. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I was just wondering.” She sat up in the chair and pulled out her phone.

Dimple sighed mentally. He didn’t mean to upset Tome either, but she had such a casual attitude towards evil spirits, it freaked him out a little bit. Her random questions were harmless enough, but asking a spirit to possess her? Was she a complete idiot?

She must be getting the wrong impression by hanging around Shigeo and Reigen. They could all treat him like a harmless pest because he couldn’t really hurt them; Shigeo was too powerful, and targeting his friends would lead to him getting exorcised instantly. Tome seemed to think that because she was under the protection of various powerful espers, she was automatically safe from evil spirits.

If she had met the kinds of evil spirits Dimple had encountered, she’d be singing a different tune. But Dimple didn’t want to scare her. She didn’t deserve that kind of fear, and besides, scaring her would just make her more desperate for answers.

Reigen was like that, too. Despite having no powers of his own, he never seemed to know when to run away from a dangerous situation. Which was usually fine, because people like Shigeo or Serizawa were usually around to save his ass, but the man seemed to think he was some kind of actual spirit medium. One time, he’d tried to stop a murderous evil spirit by convincing it that haunting was against the law.

He’d even asked Dimple out for drinks before! What a stupid conman.

It was true that he possessed Shigeo sometimes. And not always in life-or-death situations. Once, Shigeo hadn’t slept well and wouldn’t wake up for school on time, so Dimple took his body to school and took notes for his first few classes. It still shocked him every time he effortlessly took control of Shigeo’s body. The kid had a super-tough psychic barrier that should make it impossible for him to be possessed, but Shigeo always dropped that barrier for him. He didn’t even need to be asked; that trust was always there, even when Shigeo wasn’t awake to give it.

When were these humans going to wise up?

Tome spoke up again. “I know what evil spirits can do,” she said. “Plenty have tried to kill me before. But I’m sick of seeing spirits attacking people. That’s why I asked you, Dimple. I guess…” she fidgeted with her phone, “I wanted to know… the good side of spirits?”

Dimple scoffed. “There aren’t good spirits. Even I’ve done bad stuff before.” “Yeah, well, you aren’t right now, though.” Tome looked right at Dimple, who was starting to feel small. “I mean, Mr. Reigen trusted you to look after me. So you can’t be that bad.” She offered him the chip bag.

God, was Shigeo’s sappiness rubbing off on everyone?

Dimple grabbed the entire bag and emptied the contents into his mouth. “Don’t be so sure,” he said with a mouth full of chip crumbs. Tome swatted at him. “You better clean up all those crumbs before Mr. Reigen and Mr. Serizawa get back, Mr. Evil Spirit,” she said.

“Hey, some of those are yours, you brat!”

#dimple #tome #mob psycho 100 #mp100 #ekuboweek #ekubo week #this one is kind of somber ... but tome is nice :)

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curatoroffiction · 2 years

Text

Ramshackle's New Student

Summary:

Yuu/The Main Character of the Twisted Wonderland series gains a new student while setting the groundwork for some major renovations on the Ramshackle Dorm. Based on a great concept written by fairytaleliving over on Tumblr. I was so inspired I had to write it. Sunny, the new student, is their concept, I just took it and ran with it.

Notes:

For @fairytaleliving

Inspired by "au where yuu gets a freshman" by fairytaleliving.

---

This was one of the first pieces I’d written in a really long time. It actually revitalized my passion for writing! This is just to explain that this is one of my older pieces, so the writing might be a little different than my usual stuff. I recently re-vamped it and am starting to add more chapters. It’ll come out a lot slower than my other stuff, because I wanna base it off of the series, and I’m an English player. As of posting this, the series has only released up to Book 4.

---

Warnings: Spoilers for Twisted Wonderland series Tags: Reader-Insert, Ungendered MC, OC Characters, Overblot, Twisted Wonderland, Ramshackle

Chapter 1 of ?: Rough First Day

"Hey, ___, You've been disappearing after classes lately. What's been up with that?" Ace asks as you and Grim come to sit down with your food at the table.

"___'s been working hard on our dorm!" Grim pipes up excitedly. This piques the interest of the lunch table.

"Working on your dorm? What does that mean?" Cater asks, curious.

"Oh yeah, I've got a system worked out with Crowley. I took over the expense reports and expenses for the Ramshackle dorms, he gives me a stipend every month to do so, and any money I can save from the month's budget will become mine. It also means I can save money for larger projects that I can't do myself, which would be a headache and a half for Crowley to oversee, which means the dorm property gets faster upgrades, so, it's a win all around."

Deuce's eyes sparkle at the idea. "So wait, you've been working on the property yourself?? How?"

"Oh, I used to do woodworking back in my own world. Re-upholstering isn't actually all that hard to learn, it's just the working with wood part that's a fancier problem. Even then, I'm pretty well trained in it."

"Can we come and see? That sounds really cool."

"Sure, but I warn you; The front yard's a bit of a warzone. I've started a personal fight with the chairs and couches of the dorm. They need some TLC. I'm gonna have to figure out a way to handle the waste from the projects, but that's a small price to pay to be able to have some pocket change in the near future." Nearby, a certain fiscal Hyena's ears perk up.

"How much is the budget anywho?" Trey asks, curious himself. The school has always typically managed these types of matters, so this is new information to him.

"Oh man, it's like 5000 Thaumarks. It's an insane budget. I figured the school was used to paying cost AND labor, but I didn't realize labor was such a high markup around here. Makes me wonder if they actually know how things cost when you take the time to take care of it yourself."

"Oh wow. How much are you saving on the budget?"

"Well, Instead of blowing the whole month's budget on replacing only a fraction of the chairs in the dorm, I've spent about... $500 Thaumarks on getting myself some necessary tools, and $500 more Thaumarks on tangible supplies for refurbishing the existing furniture. I estimate on that, I can get about half the chairs done on that alone, and the only stuff I'll really need to replenish is the wood and fabric for the next round of furniture. So, I'm using about 1/5th, maybe 1/4th of a month's budget to achieve what would have taken multiple month's budgets to achieve. I'm saving up the rest for the floors, which severely need to be replaced. It's gonna be a tall order, and I've still gotta shop around to see how much it'll take to replace the wooden floors we've already got."

Trey looks earnestly surprised. You're taking on quite a lot of responsibility for this project, but you've never looked more in your element than this moment. Everyone at the table is a little in awe of how readily you've taken to the management of the dorm's expenses. Nearby, a certain Hyena can't stop listening in on your conversation. At his table, Leona raises an eyebrow, glancing to him.

"Yo, Ruggie. I still need that drink."

"Gimme a sec, I've just tuned into a very interesting station." Leona looks around. Interesting? Well, he doesn't often butt his head into other folks' business, so he can't seem to make out what's so interesting that his drink has to wait. He watches the flicker of Ruggie's ears as he listens in on your conversation, and uses that to pinpoint that he's listening in on your conversation specifically.

"Oh wow! So you're gonna be making bank pretty soon, eh?" Ace grins widely.

"Tuna! We'll be able to buy tuna!" Grim dances in his spot at the table. You laugh, gently petting his head, lightly scritching behind his ears.

"It'll take a bit of time, but I estimate I'll be in the green sometime around... 5 months from now? After that point, it'll mostly be small-fry projects that the monthly budget will be more than enough to cover, and the bulk of the budget will just be saved up on the side for if there's an emergency. Like if a certain small monster chooses to set something ablaze. And if I spend a chunk of the budget on nicer tools, I can get even more done on the property. The externals are last, though the walkway's gonna need some serious repairs or replacement before then. I estimate I'll have to do some stonework if I really wanna make the property shine." You scratch your chin thinking on that last part. "If that ends up being the case, then I'll probably see some bigger expenditures after the bulk of the dorm is in good shape, just because landscaping isn't really one of my strongsuits either."

"Wow, where did you learn how to do all of this?"

"Eh, it's just stuff I picked up in my old world. My dad was a carpenter, so woodworkin' was easy to learn. The rest I learned to make money here and there. People would pay through the nose for the pretty kinds of things. Luxury has a cost, and I could be it's source."

Deuce grins excitedly. You've got a goal in mind and you won't settle for anything less than achieving it. It's admirable. "I'm excited to come take a look at it. Maybe today after our classes?"

"Yeah, that sounds like a good plan." The conversation shifts to talking more about school projects, and Ruggie tunes out. Leona sighs, having already laid his head on the table to nap. Ruggie stands up, grinning to himself with his newfound little nugget of info. It's never a bad thing to know who has skills, and who has money coming in on the horizon. He pockets this information and goes to grab Leona his drink.

---

"Oh wow!" Cater's eyes widen as he sees the before and after of the furniture. "This is amazing! This would be so perfect to capture for magicam. People love DIY nowadays! May I?"

You laugh. "Sure. Thank you for the compliment."

"No but seriously, this chair looks like brand new." Ace looks it up and down. "And it looked like THIS before??" He points to the one next to it. It's a dingy old piece. The cloth has been worn through, sun-bleached, and the wood has lost its luster.

"Yeah. You just yoink out the seat, re-upholster it, and then tend to the wood frame of the chair. The chair legs have been the biggest hurdle, since some of them have gotten broken. Some of the chairs have a weave in the back that's also taken a rough beating, so I have to manually re-weave the strips of wood or re-make a chair leg from scratch, which is where most of the time on this project gets eaten up. But after that, I just sand down the old stain, re-stain the whole piece and let it sit in the sun while I'm working, and take turns wiping and reapplying until I get the desired color. Let it sit for a day, and then I can go over it with a lacquer to keep it scratch-safe. Then I just plug the cushion back in, and BAM- Good as new." You're proud of your work. It's hard not to gush about everything you've been doing.

The guys don't mind though. They're earnestly infatuated with your work. "It's like the work of a master craftsman." Trey comments, touching the finished product. "Well, you have my respect. This is amazing work you're doing."

You smile warmly, grinning sheepishly as you lightly scratch the back of your head. "Ahh, you're very kind. I appreciate it."

"No seriously, this is top-tier. I couldn't do this even in my dreams." Ace grins, moving to sit in the completed chair. "It's even comfy to sit in!"

"Y'know, we've been looking to get some personalized chairs for the Heartslabyul dorm.." Trey grins.

You laugh and shake your head. "Maybe we can figure out an order once my dorm's in good shape. Who knows how long I'll be here."

---

It's been a few months since you started working on the dorm house. Most of the furniture has been repaired in all the main rooms, and you've even been able to start repairing and refurbishing the bedrooms. Even if you don't live in them, it'd be weird to leave them in the sorry state they were in before.

Tonight is the first New Student ceremony since you got here. It's hard to think it's been a year. A lot has happened in that time, even amidst your dorm repairs. You were told by Crowley that as a Dorm Prefect, you'll need to attend the ceremony, even if it's only for ceremony's sake. He even sent you some robes for the occasion. You feel strange in the robes, considering that you weren't really keen on the pomp and circumstance of it all. What if they had another 'fluke' like you? Someone ripped from their world with nowhere to go? You've never believed in flukes. If anything, you almost expect it. Something's up with that mirror. You couldn't have been the only one. Still, arriving in the Hall of Mirrors, you find yourself a little shy.

There's a spot for all of the prefects to sit in, and everyone's already seated. Well, everyone except Leona.

As you move to your seat, you hear Riddle murmur to you "Prefects should always be 15 minutes early to the start of any occasion."

You glance to the empty seat next to yours with five minutes left to the time when students are meant to be piling in.

You raise an eyebrow and Riddle sighs, his eyebrow twitching. "Leona isn't someone to model yourself after."

You laugh quietly, sitting down.

The event seemed pretty normal. Everyone was getting sorted into their dorms, it seemed pretty evenly split amongst them. No new students for your dorm, which was expected, you suppose. It's not like your dorm was a real one anyway. You didn't have one of the great seven associated with your dorm, your halls were filled with ghosts, and the only active students who lived there were a monster and a magic-less human.

That is... Until the mirror calls out the unexpected, causing the entire room to quiet down. "Ah yes... You have the spirit of Ramshackle inside of you." Everyone in the room is quiet. So quiet, your new student turns around cautiously. No one else had been added to Ramshackle. Was.. Was it dangerous? Scary? Bad? Even Crowley is surprised. It even takes the headmage a moment to compose himself.

Your new student finds himself intimidated by this.

"Please continue to your seat, so others may be sorted." Ever the face of the school, Crowley doesn't want to let the student body realize he's just been shaken. No one's been sorted into Ramshackle in about ninety years. He knows this has to be because of the work you've been doing, but you have no magic. What have you been doing?

The other prefects are looking at you, but as Crowley tries to gloss over this strange occurrence, they begin to compose themselves as well, looking back to the mirror. The bewildered look on your face was already soaked in by all of the other dorm leaders though.

A student? Are you a real prefect now?

---

As the other students pile away after their dorm leaders, people keep giving you looks. You haven't moved from your spot. You're waiting until everyone's gone. Your lone student sits in their chair, looking around at all of the other students as they pass. Once the room is cleared out, you stand up and walk over. Crowley accompanies you.

"Ah.. hello. You're the Ramshackle student, right?" You ask, looking to him. He seems almost relieved that someone actually came to retrieve him. Though, looking you over, you seem so... Ordinary. One of the other prefects had horns. He was so sure that a dorm as exclusive as this one would be something wild and scary, but you seem so... normal.

"Yes. Are you my dorm prefect...?" He looks between you and Crowley.

You look to Crowley. "Am I?"

He muses, scratching his chin lightly. "Hmm.. I suppose you are."

You look back to your new student. "I suppose I am."

"Why.. why is it only me?" He asks, looking between you two. Isn't that the headmage? What's he doing weighing in on this matter?

"Honestly? We didn't expect my dorm to get any new students." You say, scratching the side of your head.

"Huh? Why's that?"

"See, we're not really a dorm. I mean, I suppose we are on paper.. But.. ahh.. Hmm."

Crowley sets a hand on your shoulder, pausing your explanation. "Ramshackle is a unique dorm. You're the first student who has been sorted into it for about ninety years." The student's eyes widen in surprise.

He points to you. "Then.. How does it have a Prefect..?"

"Well, your amazing prefect ___ has taken up residence in the Ramshackle dorms due to reasons that the universe has yet to enlighten us on. Even the mirror didn't know where to sort them."

You grin sheepishly. "I.. ah.. I'm not a typical student. I have no magic, and I didn't really come here of my own volition. I was scooped up from my world and taken here. I've been trying to get back ever since. That's why it's a surprise to have you, a student, now living in my dorm."

No magic? The student before you's eyes widen with more than just surprise now. "Wait, you don't have magic? And you're from another world? You can't even go back..?"

Crowley weighs in. "No, the world that ___ came from appears to be missing from even the mirror's eyes, which does beg the question of how it was able to collect them in the first place... But I assure you, ___ is more than capable to handle everything this school has to throw at you. You're quite lucky to be in their hands."

The compliments surprise you, though, it's probably just fluff to make the new kid feel more comfortable. You decide to speak your mind.

"Look, I know it's.. Not the most desirable arrangement. The other dorms probably still have room if you wanted to transfer. That mirror is all kinds of wonky as far as I'm concerned. You don't have to be trapped in this if you'd like to change dorms."

Your student furrows their brow. Everything they'd known about the mirror and this school tells them that if they were sent to your dorm, then that's where they're supposed to be. Just because it's strange doesn't mean it's wrong.. "Well, the mirror chooses the dorm that would best benefit our journey in learning, yeah?"

Crowley nods. "Yes, it listens to the heart of your magic and what dorm would best be tuned to helping you to succeed."

"Then, I guess I belong to Ramshackle. I'd like to at least give it a chance before I go throwing myself into something else."

Crowley grins. "Wonderful! Yes! Ramshackle has officially flourished under your tutilage, ___. Breathe in the rewards of your labor!"

You laugh quietly, shaking your head. Yeah, okay. "Alright then, come on. Let's head on over to our dorm. I'll show you the way." Your student looks around at all of the mirrors around. Which one could be yours? You motion for him to follow you out the door of the building. "C'mon. We don't have a mirror yet."

---

"When we get there, you're gonna meet everyone else who lives there."

"I thought it was just the two of us though."

You sigh with a chuckle, shaking your head. "Far from it. Grim is a monster that is a fellow student." A monster? Wait. As a student?? "Also, there's a few ghosts that live on the premises." Ghosts?? "Don't worry about them though. Everyone's pretty chill. Grim's a handful, but he's pretty relaxed if you get him some tuna or pet his belly. The ghosts just like to play tricks, but if it ever bothers you, lemme know." Just what exactly did he just get himself into, accepting this dorm as his own..?

As you reach the gate at the foot of the hill leading up to your dorm, he peers up at the abandoned looking building. "Oh god, please tell me you're hazing me."

"I promise, it looks a lot nicer on the inside." You laugh, opening the gate leading up. He follows after you, looking around. Cobwebs, dead plants, overgrown foliage as far as the eye can see. There appears to be a.. workshop..? Set up outside?

"What's that area right there?"

"Well, when I got here, it was a decrepit old shack of a building. I've been breathing life into it by using the dorm's upkeep budget to fix it up. Made a little arrangement with Crowley to be able to control the upkeep budget. I finally got to replacing the floors this last month, so things are lookin' real nice if I do say so myself."

When you go to open the door, your student is shocked to see how beautiful the interior is compared to the outside. "Wait... You did this? All of this? All on your own?? With no magic??" He stares at you, then back to the floors. To the furniture. If the nearby wall didn't have visible tears in the wallpaper, he'd almost not believe it. The majority of the room looks pretty brand new. The floors even sparkle from fresh oiling.

"Yeah. I mean, Grim helped a little here and there, and so did the ghosts, but they can only do so much. Their help was mostly just grabbing me tools and stuff from inside the house while I was outside because I couldn't be assed to clamber all the way inside to grab a screwdriver. I'm the one with woodworking training and the knowhow of shopping for contractors."

Your student is immediately enthralled by your handiwork, admiring the furniture. "You didn't buy this?"

"Nah. Just cleaned up and refurbished the furniture that existed here beforehand. Wanna see what they looked like before I got my hands on 'em?" You grin.

"Yeah!"

You tug out your phone, pulling up a picture of the couch that sits in the main hall. "Check it. That used to be this." Your student looks bewilderedly between your phone and the couch.

There's no way you did that.

"You're like an artificer!!"

"Hmn?"

"A craftsman of magic artifacts!"

"Oh yeah, I've heard of those. I've been looking into that kinda stuff recently, actually. Turns out, you can perform a lot of magic through crafting objects. Magestones are the magic-less person's magic craft. You just gotta charge the stones correctly and know how to build something out to allow it to best use the magestone's magic. It's a lot easier to research crafting magical objects, and I've been wondering if the path home is through crafting my own mirror to go home. I do have objects from my home that could act as a catalyst.." You get lost in your own thoughts, which your student can't really follow. But he can't argue with the results. Your work is amazing.

He's beginning to get the idea of why he was put into your dorm.

---

"This room here is mine and Grim's. All the other rooms on this floor have been cleaned out. The floors on this floor haven't been replaced yet, but we're working up to it. The ones downstairs have been replaced, but they're also pretty barren since I had to move all the furniture out. At some point this month, we'll probably have to move downstairs for a week while some guys come in and replace this floor's floors. So don't get too attached to how things are right now. Lots of changing in the works."

"Why do the floors have to be replaced?" He asks, looking around. Sure, the floors aren't new and pretty like the ones downstairs, but some TLC would probably do them some good. You kick the long hallway carpet aside to show him a massive hole in the floor where a chandlier was dropped by the ghosts when you first got here.

"We uh, don't go past this point in the hallway all that often. I'd like for new students to be able to walk anywhere in the building without worrying about their safety. The floors are pretty old anyway. I'm pretty sure they were old a few centuries ago. They're pretty overdo for replacement."

Sunny blinks. It looks like an impact. Did something happen here? Actually, now that he thinks about it, why is this dorm practically abandoned and filled with ghosts? Is there a story here they haven't told him yet..?

---

"Sunny, huh? My name's ___. It's good to have you around." You had to fill Sunny in on so much when he got here, that you've only JUST gotten to a formal introduction. He doesn't mind the informality though. You've definitely got a lot on your plate already with the renovations of the dorm. Though, it surprises him when you get up early enough to make him some breakfast the next morning. He shyly sits at the breakfast table, not really sure what to do. You give him a glance over as you start putting some food on his plate.

Setting the pan aside on a potholder, you reach over and fix up his tie. "We've only got three students who go on campus, so we've gotta try to be presentable. Let me know if you've got any problems adjusting. I know it can be pretty hard." Pretty hard is an understatement. You've probably gone through hell as a non-magical student. Sunny has been in awe of you since he saw the foyer. "Wash your dishes by hand and leave them to dry on the rack. We don't have a working dishwasher." You motion to a rack on the counter by the sink with a towel underneath it. You don't even bother to sit down, you scarf down your food while standing by the stove. Grim happily munches away at his tuna in a seat nearby Sunny as he looks around, beginning to eat his own food. It's all still pretty new to him, so you're not surprised he's taking a minute to adjust.

Still, you can't slow down much to help him. "I'm going to be solving a problem at the library today, so if you need me, I'll be there."

"Wait, what kind of problem?"

"Ahh, I think they have an infestation in one of the back rooms. Whatever the cause, Crowley was insistent that it was 'too much for him to handle' so he dropped it on my plate."

"You address the headmage so informally..?"

You laugh for a second, pausing for the first time since you got up. "Oh, yeah, dude, our dorm's unofficial name is 'Crowley's Bitches'. Every time he has a problem, he'll show up at our door and tell us to solve it. Grim, we've gotta go soon if we wanna get there in time to get to our classes afterwards."

"Our dorm acts as the Headmage's personal assistant??" Sunny's eyes widen again. That's a lot of responsibility.

"Yeah. Though, that's more of a me problem. It's because I'm staying here on his dime while I'm trapped in this world. You don't get things for free here, so, while my life incurs expenses, I pay them off by doing odd jobs. You don't have to worry about that. I mean, unless you'd like to help. I'll never say no to help."

Sunny wonders on that. With how much praise the headmage gave you upon his arrival here, being in his good graces would definitely be a positive. And, if you've got your thumb on all kinds of things in this school, he could push himself ahead by involving himself too. And no greater way to do it than to learn under someone so experienced. "Yeah, actually, I think I'd like to help out. Just consider me part of the team." He grins, flexing one arm and grabbing it with his other hand.

---

Upon arriving at the library, the librarian knows you and opens the doors, locking them shortly after you and your entourage come in. Sunny looks over the vast library in awe. It's his first time seeing it.

"Alright, so where's this.. infestation? That Crowley mentioned?" You ask, looking to the librarian getting straight to business.

"Follow me." He sighs, motioning for you three to follow him into the back. Grim glances around as you're led behind the desk. You keep your eye on him, but now you've got another person to watch. You don't know how Sunny will handle the pressure of these odd jobs, but it's nice to have someone willing to try. Did the mirror fuck up again? Or is he planning something? You catch yourself wondering on Sunny's motives, and you quietly laugh to yourself. It's funny. With how long you've lived here, you really have become accustomed to the way this world operates. Whatever the case, you're in charge, so you're sure you'll figure it out if something goes awry.

The librarian opens one of the doors in the back and you're greeted by a prompt book being jettisoned from it. You quickly dodge the projectile, seeing the dent it leaves on the wall behind you. Everyone looks to the Librarian, who stands off to the side of the room, avoiding looking in. Glancing inside, you see the disfigured face of.. A ghost. Suddenly, the headmage's request for you to get involved makes a lot more sense. The ghost screams and dives into the storage stacks of the room. You look over to Sunny to see he's frozen. Yeah, that tracks. Stepping forward, you start to walk into the room and Sunny grabs you by your sleeve. "Wait- You've got no magic-"

"Magic can only do so much anywho. C'mon. Unless... you're scared?" You give him a small, challenging grin. He's shocked. You're so relaxed. Whatever's in there is aggressive and doesn't want to be bothered, and will likely lash out at anyone that tries to get it to leave. Ghosts are one thing, but angry ghosts are another thing entirely. He's studied on them before, fascinated by the ghosts of the school. This is a bit more... exciting than he anticipated though.

You see the look in his eyes and you sigh, gently patting his shoulder. "Hey, just stay here, alright? No hard feelings if you can't go in there. Just watch." You look to Grim and he grins to you, putting on a fierce expression as you two step into the room. "Remember, no fire Grim."

"I know!!"

"I really mean it. These books are priceless."

"I'm not gonna burn anything!" The librarian watches from the doorway next to Sunny, and Sunny finds himself.. fascinated by the expression on the librarian's face. He almost looks... guilty. Books fly at you as you step into the room. Trinkets you can only presume are valuable for studying are tossed against the walls and shattered. The floor itself begins to move as the wallpaper of the room begins to tear. The ghost splatters ink against the wall that screams the word "LEAVE" in the dripping stain.

You prepare yourself for the violence, batting away books with the bat you brought as you call out to the ghost; "Look!! You're a person! So let's talk person to person, eh!?" The ghost screams audibly as it flitters through the bookshelves. One of them begins to tumble towards you off of the wall and you scoop up Grim, jumping back. "You weren't always like this, right?!" You shout amidst the chaos. "Something happened, so talk to me!"

As you speak, the librarian seems to be fiddling with something in his pocket, his eyes glued to the scene in front of him. Sunny, however, can't seem to take his eyes off of the librarian. Sunny knows when someone's hiding something, and this guy's definitely holding back some vital information. It's when the ghost begins to scream again that it clicks to Sunny's mind. Every scream is accompanied by movement in the librarian's pocket. Almost as though he's got his hand on something that's causing the ghost to lash out. Without even thinking about it, Sunny snatches at the librarian's pocket, causing the librarian to jump back.

"What do you think you're doi-" The librarian snaps, interrupted by Sunny.

"What're you doing that's pissing off the ghost?" He calls out, garnering your attention. You glance over to see the librarian yank his hand away, the glint of something shiny in his hand unmistakable.

You call out to Sunny; "Grab the artifact in his hand!" And he jumps into action without even thinking about it. "Grim, help him." Grim, glad to escape the wrath of the pissed off ghost, rushes to Sunny's side to help him. After a tussle with the librarian that takes them out of your line of sight, Sunny and Grim manage to get an artifact out of his hands, and the ghost begins to calm down. The room falls silent, telling you that Sunny's hunch was right on the nose. The question is, though.. Why? After talking it out with the ghost, you learn that the ghost is one of the ones that helps in the library sometimes, but 'help' is the key word there. He wanted to leave, and the librarian tried to tether him to the library as a permanent captive.

Out in the main area of the library, the librarian begins lashing out at Sunny and Grim. His body begins changing in a familiar way, and Sunny can't believe his eyes. You can already tell from the ghost's story where this is going.

"Holdup, I'll be right back. Please, don't cause anymore damage while I'm gone."

"I just want to go home..."

"I'll need your testimony for the headmage so that the librarian is brought to justice." The ghost is sad, but resigns to it. Maybe after this, he can finally go home. You run out to the main area of the library, where Sunny and Grim went with the librarian, and you see the librarian finish his transformation. Overblot. That certainly seems to be a reoccurring problem in this school.

You immediately begin to bark orders. "Sunny, go get help. Grim and I will keep the librarian busy. This is WAY over your head." He can't help but be amazed by how quickly you step up to the plate, unfazed by things that he was sure would haunt him in his nightmares.

The librarian begins to scream about how he has too much work on his shoulders. How it all falls to him. How he can't handle it anymore. He lashes out, sending a blast of cutting air in your direction.

Grim is about to burst into action when you grab him and hoist Sunny out of the way of the blast. "GRIM. NO FIRE."

"HE'S GONNA KILL US, ___!"

"THE BOOKS STILL MATTER, AND I'M NOT INCURRING DEBT TO THIS SCHOOL BECAUSE YOU BURNED THEM ALL." Even in the midst of this chaos, you're aware enough of your surroundings to see your effect on the world around you.

Sunny stands slowly, stepping between you and the librarian's overblotted form. "Maybe my magic is better suited for this." He says, hovering his hands outward, pen in hand. You don't even take the time to ask if that's true or not, you just switch tracks. If the kid is willing to fight, and he's not about to set the library on fire, you say let him fight.

"Change of plans then. Grim! Get help! We'll handle this as best as we can!"

"No need to tell me twice!" Grim rushes for the door. The librarian lashes out at you three with another blast of air, to which you kick over a heavy table as a barricade to give Grim a cover to escape from.

Behind your makeshift barricade, you look to Sunny. "Okay. What type of magic can you perform?" You ask, glancing over the edge of the tipped table to keep an eye on the librarian between blasts of cutting air.

"Uh.. Mm.." He raises his pen, "You're alone, and you are scared, but the banquet's all prepared- Be Our Guest!" Books and debris around you begin to dance, moving around. The table itself begins to move, surprising you. You reflexively bark orders to the table to hold its place, and it.. Salutes.. you..? But it stands firm in its position, even moving its own legs to better leverage against the blasts.

You look to Sunny in earnest surprise. This is a powerful spell.

You can't help but let a large grin spread across your lips as an "Oh hell yeah" escapes your lips. "I can work with this."

Using guerrilla tactics and dancing book ends and library ladders, you two are able to lure the overblotted librarian deeper into the stacks, catching him offgaurd from multiple angles as you take control of the field. Finally, he gets so fed up that he just begins using his personal magic to try to hurt everything that comes near him. You couldn't catch the spell, but it looked like sand is engulfing everything. Where did the sand even come from..? Is this what higher level magic looks like..?

It isn't until Grim returns with Ace, Deuce and.. Rook? That the tide of the fight shifts.

Everyone working together, you're able to wear down the librarian enough that he's burnt out his emotions before his magic has been burnt out.

He passes out and you look around at the massive mess. Ace and Deuce are high-fiving and laughing as Rook is commenting on how dastardly the beast you just hunted was, and how beautiful and impeccable your teamwork was. Sunny is exhausted. He's spent more magic in just this morning than he has in most of the exercises he's ever had before this school.

You look to his pen and can see the cloudiness in it, and you rest a hand on his shoulder. "Stand down, Sunny. You did great. Relax and rest. I'll handle the rest." He watches you in awe as.. even though you've already spent so much energy running around in warfare amidst the bookshelves, you stand tall to thank the help that came along. Deuce and Ace both grin and demand you buy them lunch and you happily agree. Rook on the other hand is now more interested than ever in your prowess in the field, and keeps suggesting you'd make a great hunt. Sunny isn't sure what that means, but it doesn't seem to be a favor you're keen on giving him.

Grim cries out that he worked hard and deserves tuna, and you agree as you start moving tables back to where they belong. Sunny is exhausted, but he knows his spell would help a lot with the cleanup. Still.. he finds himself drifting off to sleep before he can swing his pen in any way to help.

---

Sunny eventually wakes up, this time in the infirmary. You're sitting next to him. Crowley is standing nearby as well. He can tell you both were talking about something before he stirred awake. Crowley cries out in joyous lament from the state of Sunny's awakening, saddened that such a student fell so exhausted and was put in such danger under his watch. You figure he's putting on a show to try to make Sunny feel responsible for getting involved in one of your little 'odd jobs'.

"How're you doing, Kid?" You ask him, nudging his shoulder.

Sunny tiredly looks to you, then to Crowley, rubbing his eye. "Nngh.. I'm beat.."

"It was really kind of you to help out with that odd job, but, the headmage here says it'd probably be best if you didn't help on those in the future." You grin sheepishly, but are startled as Sunny shoots up, gripping your forearm.

"But, I wanted to help!"

This surprises Crowley too. He figured you had pressured Sunny into it, but it seems he was a bit more boisterous than you BOTH expected. "I.. I liked being able to be useful. I learned a lot, and, and.." Sunny tries to explain himself and Crowley smiles. From your story, this kid is the primary reason that the school even still HAS a library. Maybe the mirror seems to know what it's doing afterall.

"Alright. Okay. I involved myself because I was worried that your first day was a little TOO rough, but it sounds like you're more tenacious than I expected. Your teachers have been made aware of the situation, so please, Sunny, take the rest of the day off." Crowley's less concerned about the backlash of the kid's parents, and more concerned about the darkness clouding his magestone. He doesn't really know how to hold himself back. He's a little too eager, and that concerns him. "Your magestone is quite clouded, so you need to rest more than anything."

You immediately step up to the plate, giving Crowley a silent confirmation that you'll help your student recover from this incident; "I'll go by all your classes to get the classwork for you, so, just consider today your day off. We'll start again tomorrow, fresh as a daisy." You grin, patting Sunny's shoulder. He tiredly nods, resting back in the bed. You get up. "If you feel ready, let the nurse know, and I'll come return to walk you back to the dorm. Alright?"

Today it was just exhaustion, but, you make a note in your mind that Sunny doesn't really know how to stop himself from pushing himself too hard. You'll have to keep an eye on that.

---

"What ever happened with the librarian?" It's been a few days, and the library's been inaccessible due to repairs. Sunny asks the question over breakfast.

"Ah.. yeah, Crowley was not psyched to find out what he'd been doing to the ghost that was helping in the stacks, but he also felt responsible for all of the problems that'd fallen on the librarian's shoulders. Still, given the level of damage he did, and the fact that he endangered multiple students, it's not likely we'll see that librarian again for a while, if ever. They're probably gonna get a new one, and give them more help than they did the last one. Can't have a teacher who overblots like that instead of communicating to the headmage about their struggles."

"You seemed.. so used to it. Like nothing about any of that surprised you. Is that.. Is it common for you to deal with that kind of stuff?" Sunny's voice is slow, almost not sure how to phrase the question.

You laugh. "Yeah, you could say that. A lot of people have overblotted at the school, and I keep landing in the center of those fights. It's never my fault, it just seems that a good chunk of the things Crowley doesn't have time for are things that need the most tending to."

Sunny blinks. "The more I learn about this headmage, the more I'm surprised he's allowed to run a school. He seems incredibly irresponsible."

"Hey now, Crowley bankrolls that breakfast you're eating, so you gotta play nice. But.. I getcha. It's exhausting. I figure he's doing the best he can, but it is awfully suspicious that he is always conveniently gone when overblotting starts happening. I've had my thoughts on the matter, but, eh, I've got enough to worry about. 'Sides, it's in the job description."

"Job description?"

You grin. "Y'know. Crowley's Bitches." Sunny laughs. He gets it now. ——– Chapter End. ——– You can read the rest of this series, and other works, here!:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/37540159/chapters/93698119

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businesscasualart · 21 days

Note

What's your favourite evil literary trope and favourite good literary trope, and if they battled which would win?

YOOOO. Yo. Yo. I’m already so excited to answer this, this is such a good question, even though I’m not …100% sure what this means. If I misconstrue what you’re saying or something I mention doesn’t qualify or you wanna hear about…idk, second favorites, you can totally ask again. I love talking about. Media. oughhh…hmmmm…oh, I’m gonna go on a while aren’t I? Sorry in advance.

Okay, like, any trope that occurs in books? Most of my favorite tropes are the same across any medium. Does like, a character trope work? Like an archetype? Bc I do have a lot of favorite archetypes if they count. They’re usually my favorite kinds of tropes and easier to label as good or evil.

My favorite type of evil character is probably the good ol’ mad scientist. I’m SUCH a sucker for them. Anyone who knows me will tell you.

As for good, heroic character…hm…is strong woman a trope? Like lady knights, buff ladies, the one woman in the military squad that does not get Love Interest-Ed and probably dies….I think it’s kinda a trope, a rarer one, but it’s there.

In a fight, it’s probably easier to guess who’ll win since they’re characters but it still depends to me. If we’re allowed weapons, prep time, etc. etc…mad scientist is probably winning. They tends to have more plot armor too, while strong ladies Usually aren’t the protagonists but more dispensable side characters. Sudden fist fight tho? Idk if it matters what kind of strong warrior lady we go with, mad scientists are so regularly portrayed as having the constitution of a paper bag. I love both tropes sm tho, when a mad scientist is good, when a buff lady is evil, when they meet, when they don’t, when they’re enemies, when they’re friends, when they working for each other, when they’re kissinWho said that

Now, if we mean ANYTHING BUT character tropes uhh. Well thankfully I’ve been watching a lot of Overly Sarcastic Productions, I got some fresh in my mind.

okay…so like…a good plot trope and a evil plot trope? Mmm that’s harder, uh.

Ooo can I say when the bad guy gets a redemption? Power of friendship style? It’s probably a good trope. I love it sm, idc how cheesy it can get. As long as it’s slapdash and not just so the hero can make out sloppy style with the villain in good conscious, I always get incredibly soft about it. If its the hero winning them over with friendship, if they’re just genuinely working for good now to suit their own selfish means, if it’s just the villain realizing “oh…I have Not been as good as I thought.”, if they just get bound by some dare or curse to work for good now, etc. it’s always so fun to me.

As far as evil? It’s harder for me to think of an evil plot trope. I’m tempted say like, the plot twist where a main character was the evil one all along? But I specifically love the ones where THAT CHARACTER did not know it until the twist, due to amnesia or brainwashing or they were a sleeper agent. It IS evil but is it a trope? And also it’s like, a gateway into “redemption of a bad character” but AGAIN. How about “the horrors were manmade all along”? You see some scary monster or some eldtrich god or kaiju or malfunctioning robot overlord and wonder how this happened, and it’s eventually revealed that like “oh. Some scientist had a lot of hubris. Some military group wanted a better weapon. Just some rich guy was curious. Behind the monster was a Frankenstein.”. Pretty good stuff imo. And I think it qualifies as evil. The horror is usually malicious and the creator is usually evil or at least misguided in some definition. Man I’m a sucker for a hubristic downfall…probably why I love mad scientists sm. Or vise versa.

Now, in a fight? I think “the horrors were manmade, humanity destroyed itself, the downfall of your hubris” is absolutely Destroying “bad guy become good guy [brought to you by friendship <3]”. The horrors May be able to be converted but like. Fat chance.

Thank you for coming to my TEDtalk, IM SORRY I WENT ON SO LONG

I kept getting caught between ‘fanfic tag’ tropes (e.g. hurt/comfort, slow burn, fixit, only one bed, major character death, sickfic, etc.) and ‘that’s just whole genre of story’ tropes (e.g. noir detective, military group realizes they’ve been deceived and fighting for evil all along, uprising against big evil corporation, mundane boring guy doing mundane boring job is also an assassin, etc.) so I tried to keep it firmly in the middle, trying to think of normal book tropes. I’m hoping that’s what you meant? But if not, you can ask me again! I want to answer properly and I’ll happily go on again!…actually kinda hoping I got it wrong bc I disqualified so many tropes I adore while writing this, I’d love to rant about them XD maybe keep it more concise on any “next time”s though.

Thank you SM for such a good question! And if you or anyone else has their own they’d like to share, I’d be happy to listen :3c|

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overdevelopedglasses · 7 months

Text

Tojoctober Day 10 - Boss

(Raise hell and turn it up)

Alt title is from “Don’t Threaten Me with A Good Time” by Panic! at the Disco

Retelling of one of the best scenes in the series: the bomb cutscene from Kiwami 2. This time, from Nishida’s perspective!

(no spoilers, though the cutscene takes place in Chapter 15 of K2, if that matters to you)

—----------------

Timer ticks fill the air around us. My boss, Goro Majima, is in a squat in front of the bomb, while I'm laying on my back on the right side of the bomb.

Yeah, you heard me, a bomb.

When Majima-san ran up to me with a wild look and wire cutters, shouting about defusing a bomb and saving the fate of the city, I partially didn't believe him. But no, here I am.

Risking my life.

Again.

Wires of multiple colors all protrude from the bomb. Red, white, yellow, blue, black, but nothing that says “cut me, I’ll defuse the bomb!” We've already tried multiple times, and no action has produced a result.

I see Majima-san focus, tapping the bridge of his nose, right at his eyeline.

“The red one!” he shouts, pointing towards the bomb.

“Yes, sir.” I replied. This is the 7th time Majima-san’s said this, but whatever the boss wants, the boss gets.

Nervously, with my shaking hands, I cut the wire that Majima-san pointed out.

Nothing.

Again.

Damn it.

Well, I didn't blow up, so I let myself relax a little bit.

“Neeext… Let’s go blue!”

“Y-yes sir.”

My hands shake again, and I almost miss, but I snip the blue wire.

Nothing again.

I take a sharp breath of relief. Maybe I’ll survive the day after all…

“What’s up? Ya got gas or somethin’?” Majima-san asks, making me focus on him.

“N-no sir.” I replied. “I was just thinking about my mother, back in the country.”

“What’s yer momma got to do with this bomb!?” he retorts, gesturing towards the ticking timer. I mean, he has a point… do I really have to explain myself?

“No, it’s just… She lives by herself, so if something were to happen to me…” I state, awaiting a knife to the shoulder.

“That’s why we’re stoppin’ it, numbnuts!” Majima-san answers.

“B-but boss..” I start, moving my hand up towards my head. “Does doing this really tell you how the wiring works?” I ask, tapping my own finger to the bridge of my nose, mimicking him. I wasn't even sure what it was for, but if anything, I was curious.

“You for real!?” The boss yells, seemingly offended, but then he continues his outburst, “How the fuck should I know how this tangly-ass rainbow shit works!?” Majima-san gestures wildly towards the bomb once again, all of the cut wires protruding off of it like a mess of hair.

“But we gotta handle it, so I’m here, puttin’ my instincts to work.” he taps the bridge of his nose again, more forcibly this time.

Everything clicks in my head.

You've got to be fucking kidding me.

“Instincts!?” I said in disbelief. “This is all instinct!?”

“What’s that? Ya don’t trust my instincts?” the boss asks, his voice dripping with venom.

Oh dear. Anything but that.

“N-no… It’s not that, sir!” I quickly said, backtracking a bit. Anything in order to not get violently attacked while there's a bomb we need to worry about.

Thankfully, what I said did the trick. Majima-san’s attitude reverts just as quickly as it changed. “Then let’s get back to work!”

“Yes, sir!” I replied, a bit of relief creeping into my voice. I look at the bomb, and…

Oh no.

Nonononono.

Is our luck really this shitty?

“Um, boss… There’s only two left.”

“Yeah?” the boss replies. He goes to work at his “instinct” again, which makes me really worried. But then, his frustration wins out.

“Aww, fuck this!” Majima-san shouts, throwing his hand away from his face. He’s then struck with a great idea. He starts bobbing his finger between the two wires that remain.

What the hell.

“Eenie-meenie-miney-mo, oh-god-which-one-isn’t-gonna-blow?”

He sings with a bit of a strain, his finger stopping on the left side of the bomb.

Majima-san. Why?

“This one.” he says, shifting back to his serious tone. “Gimme red!”

“Boss!” I said with understandably great concern, “This is a life-or-death decision here! Can we take it a little more seriously!?”

“Shut it, nimwit! I said gimme red!” Majima-san shouts back. He squat-walks towards me, which would be funny if the man couldn’t snap me like a twig. “Gimme those!” he commands, swiping the wire cutters from my hands. Majima-san sets the cutter to the wire he selected, and me, being terrified for my life… Well, I shriek and cower away from the bomb.

I hear the snip of a wire.

Nothing.

The timer ticking… stops.

Holy shit.

I let out a shaky breath of relief.

"See! Just like that! Wasn't so hard, was it?"

For once, I hold my tongue. If only he knew…

"You're incredible, boss. Good job."

#tojoctober #yakuza #ryu ga gotoku #yakuza kiwami 2 #majima goro #nishida #writing first person wasn't something i expected to do #but felt right for this #this is one of my favorite cutscenes in the series #i always show it to people bc it's fantastic #it doesn't spoil anything either which is the best part #“How the fuck should I know how this tangly-ass rainbow shit works!?” is a 10/10 line

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lizzy-calaxio · 1 year

Text

The Lizard and the Gambler

This is a collaboration between me and @the-littlest-kojin with a new character! It'll be a little longer than what I normally post so it'll be under the read more

Watching the dice bounce along the table, Saldlona holds her breath. If this last roll comes up as a nine or higher, she will win - fifty thousand MGP in her pocket. Her gaze flicks up to the Miqo’te, arms folded, across from her, and she grins, winking at him. His fur bristles as he blushes and averts her gaze, and the Roegadyn giggles to herself as she turns her gaze back down as the small painted cubes finally come to a stop.

She leans forward in tandem with her friend, both peering at the small pieces of wood-

“Eleven!” announces the Hyur running the table. Clapping her hands with glee, Sald grins and dances in her seat, watching the pile of MGP tokens in front of her grow. Reaching across the table, she holds out a hand for her opponent- and friend - to shake.

“No hard feelings, Alha. Play again tomorrow?” Grumbling good-naturedly, the dark-skinned feline takes her hand, shaking it, his tail lashing and ears flat. “Tomorrow, indeed. You’re off to the card tables now, yes?” Patting the pocket where she keeps her Triple Triad cards, the Roegadyn grins, scooping up the pile of MGP. “Yep! I’m on a hot streak. Maybe I’ll end today with a win, for once.” As he slings his bag over his shoulder, her gambling buddy shakes his head. “You could end your day now, and then you would end with a win.” Snorting, Saldlona shakes her head, dark curls bouncing. “You know that isn’t how I roll, Alha. I play the same games every day.”

Striding away from the dice tables, a bounce in her step, the Roegadyn casts her eyes over the crowd. At one of the tables, the sight of a thick tail, swaying back and forth, catches her eye, and she nearly trips over her own feet - it is rare to see an auri woman with a tail of such a scale. Walking closer, curious about the tail’s owner, she is suddenly caught off guard when the tail lashes as the Raen cheers - and smacks her in the face, hard enough to send her sprawling on the carpeted floor.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lizzy exchanges gil for some MGP, and shyly makes her way over to the triple triad area, as it’s the only thing she’s vaguely familiar with. She’s collected a couple cards during her adventures, and wants to try it out.

Her linkpearl rings, “Hello?”

Shio’s voice meets her horn, “Hey...are...where are you? It’s loud.”

“Sorry dear, I visited the Gold Saucer, I’m gonna try to relax, what’s up?”

A brief silence is followed by, “Are you sure that’s a good idea? You aren’t exactly great with gil already.”

Lizzy assures Shio, “No no, I’m ok. I set a hard limit for myself on spending, I’m gonna try out some games, and see if I even have fun. I might just come home slightly more broke and kinda bored.”

“Hm. If you say so, I suppose I’ll leave you to it then.”

“Wait, what did you want to call me about?”

“It can wait for you to get home, no worries. Nothing pressing. Have fun!”

Lizzy grumbles slightly but makes her way to the tables regardless.

She asks the table dealer how to play, which is explained, with even a little demonstration! How nice! Lizzy tries to grasp the rules, and makes an effort for one game. Not fully understanding the rules, she opts to watch a couple games.

Then a couple more.

She begins getting more confused than figuring things out, sometimes she thinks a person wins, and it’s announced they lose, sometimes she thinks a person tied, and they won. She seems more lost but she is enjoying herself.

“Maybe I should just stick to watching and cheering, I don’t think I’m cut out for gambling.”

She begins watching a triad tournament, and the games get more serious and intense, people betting a lot more money on them. One set ties for 4 games straight and then finally, the person Lizzy wanted to win, won.

“YES!!!” she exclaims. Feeling a thud on her tail.

“oh no.” she lets out and swiftly turns around, “I’m so so sorry, I try to keep in mind where my tail is, but sometimes it gets away from me!” she kneels on the ground next to a particularly pretty roe, “I’m sorry, are you ok???”

The roe lays there, slightly dazed, and mumbles, “...tail.”

“Ah, yea, my tail is really large, it bothers a lot of people I’m so sorr-”

“Good.”

Lizzy’s train of thought gets derailed, “I’m….sorry?”

“Tail, yours, very good.” the roe gives a thumbs up.

“Uh….” Lizzy attempts to get back on track, she offers the roe a hand to get up, “Are you ok? Did I hit you too hard? I’m really sorry, I often underestimate my strength…”

“I’m...ok.”

“What’s your name? You can have the MGP I have, I wasn’t doing wellanywayandImostlyjustlikewatchingandohmygoshI’msosorry.” Lizzy’s words start blending together as the word salad spills out her mouth.

“My name is Saldlona, what’s yours?”

“Liz-Elizabeth Fr-Dotharl. Lizzy Dotharl.” still stumbling over her words.

“Lizzy, then?”

Lizzy nods, still holding her hands out with the MGP she obtained earlier.

“Your tail…”

“I’m sor-” “Would you like to be my good luck charm?” Sald interrupts lizzy.

“...Sure…?”

#ffxiv #Saldlona Sathsatzwyn #Lizzy Dotharl

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whyareyouhere66 · 2 years

Text

Duncan x Male Reader // Part 2

Duncan x Male Reader

Total Drama Island

Hanahaki Disease AU

Part 2 of 2

Hurt/Comfort

TW: mentions of blood, throwing up, cursing, hanahaki

Previously...

I hesitantly nodded, before taking a deep breathe.

"...Duncan."

****

DJ and Bridget's eyes widened, and I grew nervous. 'Will they accept me...?'

But to my surprise, Bridget pulled me into a tight hug, DJ joining soon after. "I'm glad you told us...." She said, voice slightly muffled by my shirt. "W-wait, so you're not mad?"

"Why would we be? We support you no matter what, y/n." DJ said, and a large smile spread on my face. "I love you guys..." I smiled, hugging them back tightly. they smiled back, returning the hug aswell. "Love you too.."

****

It's been about a week since that point. DJ and Bridget were the only ones aware of my Hanahaki, and it was quite a relief to have all the support they've given me. However the disease itself has only been getting worse.

Duncan and Courtney keep flirting with each-other more and more, and the petals have become bigger and seemingly multiplied. It's becoming easier to see aswell. My eye bags are more visible, as I've been sleeping much less. It's been harder to eat, which combined with lack of sleep and constantly throwing up blood was hurting me, both physically and mentally.

My mental state has gotten excessively worse. I've tried to stay positive, but it's almost useless. I knew this disease may as well be the death of me. There are only 2 known cures to Hanahaki disease:

1. The other person returning your feelings, which by the looks of it isn't gonna happen anytime soon, or

2. Getting the flowers growing in my lungs surgically removed, also removing any sort of human emotions.

Now I know neither of these are possible. First of all Duncan is straight and obviously likes Courtney. And then for the surgery, even if I was willing to go through with it I don't have the money. The only way to get money is to win it in the challenge- but if I get even close to the finale seeing Duncan and Courney together would've killed me already.

So I'm going with the 3rd unlisted option, "ignore it and await until my inevitable death."

As much as I wish Duncan would return the feelings, he seems really happy with Courtney and I don't want to ruin that. I mean, as long as he's happy it'll be worth it, right? As much as I don't want to die yet, I also don't want to be a burden.

We were now currently sitting in the cabins. We only just finished dinner, and all went back to settle down for the night. DJ, Geoff and Duncan were all chatting to themselves as Harold snored loudly. I sat on my bunk, reading a graphic novel I brought from home.

It was a very interesting book. The main characters were two teenage boys, who lived in a world where technology became super advanced. They fell in love, we're too afraid to come out so they never said anything. One day one of the boys's father discovered a UFO on one of their cameras, and the boys became curious and went to look for it.

It was quite entertaining, and I was very focused on the book in front of me. That's probably why I jumped slightly when I heard a familiar voice, as well as the mattress dipping slightly from another persons weight. I looked up and saw the familiar bright blue eyes I foolishly had learned to love.

"Hey." Said Duncan. "Um, hey." I replied simply. He leaned back on the post of my bunk, getting comfortable. He pulled his hands behind his head, showing off his bare arms. I blushed slightly, looking away to close my book (just to clarify Duncan sleeps shirtless that's why-) "do you need anything?" I asked, turning back to him. He looked at me for a moment, remaining silent

Butterflies jumped around in my stomach as I blushed slightly under his gaze, and I only hoped he couldn't see it. "Have you been avoiding me?" I was slightly taken aback from the question, and I began fidgeting with my fingers slightly. "H-huh?"

"Oh don't give me that shit Y/n, ever since that stupid paintball challenge you've been avoiding me." He said angrily. In all honesty, I had been avoiding him. I knew it would only make the disease worse, so I thought staying away would make it easier. It didn't, and the guilt built up in my chest as I swallowed nervously. "No, I haven't. Just been busy with challenges, just like you."

He narrowed his eyes, hands leaving the back off his head and instead he crossed his arms in front of him. "Really, cause you've barely talked to me."

"I could say the same to you."

"Don't turn this on me"

"I'm not turning it on anyone,"

He scoffed and looked away, visibly frustrated. I sighed again, turning my head to think of an excuse, before turning back to him. "Fine, you wanna talk? Then let's talk." I said, and he finally looked back at me and raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?" I shrugged. "You're the one who wanted to talk. So what do you wanna talk about?"

He looked at me for a moment, and scoffed again. "Better then nothing I guess..."

The conversation started out slow, but overtime it became more and more natural, and the tension decreased. We chatted for a while, until the unfortunate topic I had been hoping to avoid came up.

"Aw man and then Courtney! She's-" he paused, seemingly searching for the words. His voice wasn't angry, so I knew we weren't gonna be laughing about the ridiculousness of the challenges anymore. Instead he seemed to grin. "She's really something man."

'Oh she's something alright...'

My expression darkened, and I looked down. Even if he didn't say it directly, I could tell by his voice. It was obvious. It was the same way when he was being teased relentlessly by the others, he enjoyed talking about her. The back of my throat tingled, and I knew what was coming.

He was grinning to himself, staring off into space. But I was much more down to earth. All the feelings from earlier came crashing back down on me, and I had to bite my lip and hold my breathe to keep the cough in. The cough that I know would've brought blood with it.

I cleared my throat, hoping it wouldn't be as hoarse as it normally was in these situations. Duncan finally snapped back to reality and looked at me expectantly. "I've gotta go to the bathroom real quick..." I said, my emotions seeping through slightly,

His face fell, and his eyebrows furrowed. "Huh?" I got up anxiously, heading for the door. "I just need to step outside for a minute" I said, before rushing out of the cabin. DJ watched me leave with a sympathetic look on his face, as he too knew what was coming.

I rushed out into the cold air of the night, hoping to get atleast to the edge of the woods before the flowers could appear. Unfortunately for me, they came sooner then I could prepare for.

I only got as far as the side of the cabin, almost behind it, before I doubled over and began to couch harshly.

A mess of red and purple fell with the coughs, and my throat felt as though it was on fire. But this time, instead of just petals, full flowers came out. It was much harder to breathe, and this was much worse then any of the other times. I coughed violently as the flowers continued to spill, clutching my throat in pain as the other hand held me up. 'Fuck...'

"Oh of course. You avoid me for a week, and when I finally get you to talk to me you run away. What's your problem- ...."

Duncan's voice startled me, and I looked up from my couching fit and saw the green headed boy looking at me wide eyed. His words had been cut off, presumably when he saw me. "Y-y/n,.?"

I just stared at him, a tear rolling down my cheek. He advanced towards me cautiously. "W-what the fuck happened..." his normally rough voice was a lot softer now, and filled with worry. I did nothing but watch him, not trusting my voice. He knelt down next to me and loomed at the pile of red and purple flowers.

The tension in the air hung thick, and neither of us spoke a word. A tear rolled down Duncan's face as he attempted to put together his scattered thoughts.

"How did this happen...." He mumbled. I stayed silent for another moment, more tears falling from my eyes before I finally spoke. "I-I'm sorry..." I stuttered, squeezing my eyes shut attempting to stop more tears. My words wore raspy and dry as I spoke. He looked at me confused. "Why are you sorry!? Y-you're gonna die man I-" he cut himself off as he too began to cry.

He then grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him. "Who did this to you...?"

I looked at him with tear filled eyes, almost sympathetically. When I Didn't answer he asked Bain more sternly, "who did this to you?!" He said, moving his hand to my shoulder. "....y-you..."

His eyes widened, and I felt his hand slowly slip off my arm. "W-what.." he muttered, not being able to comprehend it. I felt something snap inside of me, and I began to ramble to him as everything I had been hiding began to spill out of me. "I'm sorry I didn't mean for you to find out like this! I-I don't understand it either I just- when I saw you you were just so attractive and when we became friends it just sorta happened. A-and then with Courtney and stuff I thought you-"

Duncan stopped my rambling, grabbing my face and slamming his lips against mine. My eyes widened for a moment, before I gratefully returned the gesture. I felt like a weight was being lifted off my chest, or in my chest for that matter. I could feel the flowers slowly shrinking inside my lungs, much to my relief.

After about a minute, we both pulled away breathlessly. "...I love you too dumbass..." he muttered, resting his forehead against mine.

I smiled despite the salty tears that stained my cheeks, and put my hands over his. "I love you too...."

#tdi #tdi duncan #male reader #mlm #hanahaki disease #hanahaki

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daddycephalopod · 4 months

Text

Stars Fading

Cody x Oc

Summary: A war erupts between the Jedi and Separatists, but you already know that story. This is the story of love blooming in a time of chaos, pain, and disorder.  What will become of our heroes? Who will win? Who will survive?

Ao3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/49394683/chapters/124650316

Due to trigger warnings related to PTSD, blood, war, and the inclusion of other mature themes as well, I will be posting all of my Clone War Auxiliary fics under the cut as I move them over. I’m moving this one over first because I really hope @starstofillmydream can read it easier this way 💚 she’s been very helpful in the characterization of our beloved Commander. Each fic has a song or lyric for the title, this one is a cover of Dream a Little Dream of Me by Kina Grannis.

Chapter 1: Sunshine

There was a reverent beauty in the setting sun and all that it touched, the skies bursting with pinks and oranges. The peachy color illuminated the part of the hanger where Kyra usually worked on broken or damaged fighter ships. She usually had her black hair pulled back, splotches of ink or oil on her face and the GAR issued mechanic suit.

Always disheveled, always covered in a dark liquid to some varying degree, and yet a certain Commander always found his heart beating a little more loudly as he watched her work. She had no idea he was there, talking to another one of the techs. She was looking up, focused on a wing that took damage. Her googles were on, hair in a messy bun today.

He recognized the other tech to actually be the weapons expert, Isla. She smiled slightly at him, now trying to discreetly get Kyra’s attention but failing.

“I’m just glad it was Kenobi instead of Skywalker. Anakin treats my ships like they’re bantha fodder, made for explosion only. I’ve asked Rory to have a chat with him, I don’t think she does or he doesn’t care when she does.” She said, scanning the wing with the data pad to fully assess damages.

Isla opened her mouth but shut it when Kyra kept going. Cody looked a little amused now.

“I’m tired of these Jedi thinking our resources are expendable, easy to come by. The senate pays the bill for it, sure, but what of it when they don’t or won’t anymore?”

“Do you have something against the Jedi? I might be able to launch a more formal complaint.” Cody said

Kyra almost hit her head, pulling away from the wing now.

“Hello commander.”

Kyra was just a hair shorter than him, able to basically look him in the eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest. She rested the googles around her neck now, beautiful brown eyes on him.

“I apologize if it sounds that way, about the Jedi. I’m fond of the generals, just frustrated. My people have a very intricate and annoying relationship with them too, it doesn’t help their case.” Kyra admitted with a sigh

“Where are you from?” Cody asked, genuinely curious.

“Mandalore.”

The answer was short and didn’t offer too much personal information but he had several follow up questions. Maybe this would be a good time to ask her to dinner, which is something he’s been wanting to do for a while. Before he could, Isla witnessed the darkening of his expression. It was like a storm passed through the man at seeing Kenobi approach and Kyra’s expression brighten.

“You’re officially my favorite general, you barely scratch up my work.” She said with a smile.

“I don’t particularly try to be mindful of that in the heat of battle but happy it works out that way. Is Cody bothering you?” He asked

“No, he could never. The man is like sunshine is plastoid.” Kyra said, not able to look at Cody as she said it.

Isla winked at Cody, “I’m gonna head back to work on some stuff and see Jesse. Are you going to 79s later?”

“Yeah, I’ll see you there.” Kyra said before beginning to work on the wing again.

“I’m inclined to agree, Cody is a wonderful asset to our team. As are you, you work very hard to keep us in the air.”

“Did Skywalker crash another one?” She asked, pulling some wires out of the wing as she spoke.

Those probably weren’t supposed to come out so easily.

“Yes. But I mean it, you’re a great asset to this team.”

Kyra blushed and waved him off, “thank you but really. Please. Yell at Skywalker.”

Kenobi smiled at that, “I’ll do my best.”

He left at that, it was just Cody and Kyra now. Did she have feelings for his general? Why did that sit funny with him?

“Will I find you among the other commanders and captains tonight, Cody?” She asked

“Maybe.” He answered, genuinely unsure.

He had so much to do in terms of paperwork and preparing for tomorrows meeting, but those beautiful brown eyes seemed to shine in the sunlight when they looked at him. They were an amber brown.

“I’ll look for you.” She said

That made his heart flutter but he chose to ignore it. She probably did like Kenobi, who wouldn’t? He had developed a slight crush on the man but it seemed to go away with time. Cody was pulled from his thoughts by Waxer, who was showing him a data pad to sign off on shinies.

Kyra had gone home after her work was done to wash up and change, going to 79s after. Isla was the only one there and she was preoccupied by Jesse so Kyra sat at the bar by herself. She was two whiskeys in when Cody approached her, sitting next to her at the bar now.

“Not going to go fight off potential bed warmers at the high command table?” She asked, probably a little too bold from the liquor.

Maybe Cody had misread what she meant when she said she would be looking for him but he wasn’t going to back down now, especially as Wolffe and Gregor gave him a thumbs up from their table. Kyra smiled a bit at that, maybe she should go easy on him.

“I’m only kidding, I know most of you have partners and aren’t like that. Although, sex is actually a great stress reliever.”

Too forward, too much. Someone kill her now. Kyra downed the rest of her whiskey and ordered two more.

“I think you’d like this stuff. If you don’t, hey. It’s a free drink.”

Cody took a sip of it, taking in the bitter somewhat smokey flavor of the liquor.

“It’s nice, thank you.” He said

“I’m not good with people. You put me in front of a broken ship or even building one, I’m spectacular but I can’t uh…I’m not the talker. I don’t talk to people well.” She admitted

“You don’t say.” Cody said, sarcasm laced heavily in his words.

Kyra blushed a bit at that, she wasn’t doing well with this at all. She opted for silence after and Cody hoped he didn’t offend her.

“I’m not much of a talker either.” He admitted.

“No?” She asked

He shook his head, “too much going on in my head. Sometimes I switch between Mando’a and basic without meaning to and one time, I accidentally insulted master Yoda. He was a Jedi about it but I still felt bad.” Cody sighed

“I insulted the Chancellor at a dinner once.” Kyra said, “to his face. It was an accident too. Kenobi really saved me from being arrested. Not that Thorn would have, not without me actually doing something illegal.”

“Have you ever been arrested?” He asked her.

Kyra faced him a little more now and he did the same to her, their knees bumping together going ignored by the two of them.

“I was held by the Corries for 1 night once. I accidentally stole a necklace but what happened was I was still kind of magnetic from an incident with one of the ships. Senators are dramatic and a necklace flew off of one of them onto me. Really, holding me was just a formality. I didn’t even go into a cell, I sat in Thorn’s office and played with Grizzer.”

“How did Fox let that slide?” He asked, taking another sip of whiskey.

“I’m friends with Kavra, she helped him take mercy on me. They should just shut up and date already. The world would be a happier place if people let go and let their feelings win sometimes.” She shrugged.

She was about to order another one, but Cody stopped her.

“Let’s get you some water and food first, okay? I know that hangovers during briefings are no fun.”

“Ah fuck, I have to sit in on that tomorrow?” She frowned

“Sorry.” He chuckled.

He ordered her water and something small to eat, Kyra watching him as he did so. He was in a black T-shirt and pants, no doubt the blacks from under their armor. He had various scars down his arms, but she noticed how toned his arms were and how long his fingers were. She shifted in her seat, clamping her thighs together.

“What?” He asked, noticing her watching.

She had to keep herself in check because it wasn’t polite to tell your sort of new friend you wanted them to choke you while railing you into next month. Kyra opted for a random fact that popped up in her mind, knowing it would divert the confused looking man from her semi-strange behavior.

“Some call you Commander Sunshine.” She said, smiling at him with teeth.

She had a small gap between her two front teeth and it lit up her whole face to smile. He felt his heart flip flop at that and couldn’t help his own smile.

“Why is that? I’ve been told I can be harsh on my men at times.”

Kyra vaguely gestured at him, as if that was answer enough and he laughed.

“Thank you for not clearing that up.” He said

“You’re welcome.” She smiled again.

After they both ate, continuing to talk, Kyra decided it was time to close her tab instead of keep drinking. The food seemed to sober her up a little bit and she knew a walk back in the cool air would help too. Cody insisted on walking her back to her apartment, it wasn’t far from here but he wasn’t going to take no for an answer on this. She was tipsy, he wasn’t going to leave her alone.

They walked in silence, enjoying the sounds around them as the cool air seemed to do the trick. It was a comfortable silence between the two of them and Kyra made a decision as they stopped outside of her apartment building.

“Did you want to come up for a cup of caf?”

Cody was a little startled by the question but said, “sure.” He followed her up, silently looking around the apartment while she went into the small kitchen. It was a little cluttered, lived in. Boots by the door, a jacket and scarf on a hook by the door. There was a couch with blankets draped in various spots and a data pad charging at a desk pressed against the wall in the corner. There was a small kitchen with barstools at an island instead of a table.

The counter top island had various jars and half drank cups of old caf on them. She had an easel set up too, tarp under it. A half painted bowl of fruit was on it, making him smile a bit. There was a small table in the middle of the room and another next to the couch, an end table. There was a helmet, beskar, but it seemed old. Worn, but not worn. The color of it a grey-blue mixture. Cody noticed there was a picture of a man with her by one of the lamps.

“I had a husband.” She said as she handed him the warm mug.

She was so quiet, he almost jumped out of his skin when she spoke. To sneak up on him was a feat many didn’t possess but he knew Kyra wasn’t going to harm him. Maybe.

“Had?” He asked

“He died. We had only been married for two years but it’s okay. It was an arrangement to bring our clans together, we were friends. Nothing more.”

“I’m still sorry.” He said

She nodded, “most people are.”

They both sipped their caf in silence. She sat on the couch and patted the spot next to her. Their legs touched again, silently enjoying the closeness but not admitting it.

“We should do this more.” She said suddenly.

“What?” He asked

“Hang out. Talk. Whatever this is.” She said, still not entirely sober but not entirely drunk either.

Cody brushed a strand of hair out of her face, the touch seeming to startle her. There was something slightly odd about the woman, anybody who spent more than 20 minutes with her could see it or sort of sense it. She seemed warm and kind, though, generally. The silences with her were comfortable, never tense or awkward. Eventually, Cody had fallen asleep on one side of the couch, Kyra falling asleep on the other. When she woke up, Cody was gone and it made her frown. She rather enjoyed his presence, she found, and it was sort of cold without him. She couldn’t explain it beyond that. There was a note taped to the fridge, the caf pot still warm to indicate he hadn’t left that long ago.

“Sorry if the caf is cold when you wake up, I didn’t want to bother you. See you at the meeting.”

Kriff. The meeting. She checked what time it was and saw she had an hour left to get ready and head over there. The caf would end up in a to-go mug after being microwaved due to waiting until after her shower. Her hair was down, air drying and she had on leggings and a tank top for now. She brought her data pad, just in case. She slid in next to Isla, maybe only 5 minutes late, and immediately felt a gaze on her.

Commander Cody, through his visor, staring right at her. She heard he hated tardiness and informalities, he was a proper commander after all. She smiled sheepishly at him before pulling up notes on her data pad. She paid very close attention, not noticing after a while that Cody seemed more interested in her than the meeting. You couldn’t really tell beyond the visor because it hid his face but Kenobi certainly noticed.

It was concern enough for the Jedi to pull Cody aside after the meeting, telling him he wished to speak to him in private. After everybody had filed out and it was only the two of them, Kenobi’s expression turned from friendly to very serious.

“I don’t know what your true relationship is with Kyra and it is not my business to pry in such matters, but you need to consider the relationship very carefully.” Kenobi said

Who was she that Obi-wan was warning him?

“We’re just friends, general. Nothing more.” Cody replied

“Even being her friend could lead to precarious situations. Her life is not as simple as it looks.”

How did Kenobi know all of that? Who or what was Kyra? The question seemed to entice him towards her more, sliding down to where she was working later in the day. She was with Aurora.

“So when is the wedding?” Kyra joked lightly.

“Shut up.” Aurora blushed

“Apologies, on interrupting.” Cody said as he approached.

“None needed, what brings you all the way down here?” Kyra asked

Ask her to dinner, for a drink. Kriff, she looked so beautiful in those leggings and tank top, her hair pulled up in a bun again out of her face. She had freckles across her nose and a few scars here and there down her arms and back.

“Cody?” She asked, tilting her head to the side slightly now.

He cleared his throat, “I need to speak with the General. I came looking for her.”

Why couldn’t he just ask this woman on a proper date? Cody was smooth, he could usually sweet talk his way into anybody’s bed but with Kyra he always found himself falling short.

“Well, I am done with her for now so I suppose you can borrow her. Only for a little while, commander.” She said, giving him that bright smile again.

“You should come to 79’s tonight.” He blurted out.

Yup. Smooth.

“Why is that?” She asked, looking amused still.

“You made a comment about the commanders and captains turning away bed warmers and I wanted to turn that jab into a bet.” He said

Something unreadable flashed through Kyra’s expression, there and gone in a second.

“Deal. I’ll be joining your table tonight then, warn the others.” She said

“Don’t you mean inform the others?” Aurora asked

“I didn’t stutter.” Kyra said before going back to working on repairs.

Maker, what had Cody gotten him and his vod into?

#star wars fanfiction #tcw fanfic #the clone auxiliary #mycomantic fics #ao3 writer #ao3 to tumblr

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nimue-hidden-lake · 6 months

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Leaves, sweets, spider webs, and full moon!

-@all4theluvoflizzy

Romantic F/O Take-Over ~ Halloween Themed Ask-Game

Woha, I did not expect it at all! Thank you for the ask again! I will try my best to answer and not fumble here… Especially since this is a takeover. I had too much fun writing these.

(Other ask here)

Ask Game Here

F/O: Rinne Amagi (I hope that is ok since the f/o was not specified)

Note: Rinne uses ‘she/her’ on the s/i and uses female gendered terms. While one may refer to my Ensemble Stars s/i however preferred (they are fine with any pronouns), please do not gender me unless close. I want to point it out in case it is causing confusion to someone.

“Kyahaha! Hm? Questions for me ya say? Like an interview? Heh, easy peasy, bring it! … ‘Don’t embarrass yourself’ ya say? Aww, c’mon. I’d never. Loosen up a little! … I’m embarrassing you already? And we didn’t even start yet? Oh yeesh, someone’s in a bad mood~ Anyway, ‘nough talking. Bring it!”

Leaves – In general, what’s your favorite fall activity to do with S/I?

“Putting me already on the spot, don’t ya? I like that. Favorite fall activity… Y’know, dragging Ann out’s a hassle sometimes. Anyways, ya ever heard of sumo wrestling? Sure sure, it’s technically held all year and crap but the last big one’s a big deal y’know. Sumo kyushu Basho, was it? Kyahaha, gotta place your bets right and it’s always so damn satisfying seeing your picked sumo wrestler win! … Well, lady luck ain’t favoring me, that’s for sure… I ain’t winning much compared to Ann…

Hm? An activity which is more autumn specific? Alright alright fine. Let’s see… Y’know, nothin’ too fancy but it’s fun to just walk around and gaze at some autumn leaves here and there. We’ve got some good spots around to look at them. Besides, one of us is always busy taking pictures with their phone of the view and it sure as hell ain’t me. But it’s fun y’know.”

Sweets – Are you the type to want to rush Halloween & start Christmas/Winter activities early? What about S/I?

“Pff, what’s the rush with any of that? ‘sides, not like I ain’t busy myself with events during the month. There’s no rush! Enjoy the month while it lasts, aye? Even got a costume ready and I’m more than ready to drag the guys out once we finished our work for the day, whether they like it or not!

Ann though… Yeesh, where do I even begin? She’s got no spirit for Halloween whatsoever. She sometimes forgets what month it even is y’know. Then again, she herself said that she ain’t a halloween gal and enjoys Christmas more. Like, no harm in that, but when I asked her if she ever tried it out I just got a ‘not really’. I’ll drag her out in a costume and force her to party, heh. Some fun never hurts~!”

Spider webs – Tell us exactly what about S/I captivates you!

“Huuh, we’re getting pretty personal here. Someone’s curious. But I gotta answer, don’t I? … I never really thought ‘bout, at least not actively y’know. Hmm… She can surprise someone when she wants to. Never expected her to be as lively as she’s now. ‘cuz when first meeting Ann she was a stuttering mess. Oh, not just that, but also seemed to not know how to have fun. Sure, old habits die hard, but it’s adorable to just see her havin’ fun and bein’ dragged around for a change. Well, there’s more to it than that but I’m just tryin’ to get my point across. It’s hard to put into words. Ya get me, right?”

Full Moon – Imagine you and S/I were going on a nice, peaceful, walk together during the night. During this walk, you decide it'd be a nice surprise to lead them somewhere sentimental/fun, without outright telling them where you two were going. You know them well enough to know they'd enjoy the location though, of course, so where would you take them?

“A casino. … Hey, don’t glare at me like that! I’m kidding! Even I know that’d kill the mood~ How about a b— Haha, ok, you win. I’m not gonna finish that one!

Let’s put the jokes aside for now. Ain’t great with the sentimental stuff so somewhere fun it is! Hmm… … You know, I am seriously starting to consider the casino. Or a pachinko parlor. Actually, that’s a good idea! Best if it’s the one we met in! Kyahaha! Can’t get any better than that, can it!?”

“That’s it? Pff, told ya it’d be easy peasy~ … Ey, Ann… Why’re you glaring at me like that? I was being honest. ‘sides, as if you hate it. You didn’t run yet, did you? … Heh, knew you’d agree.

Heh, sure as hell had a blast though… More than expected~”

#Waves #Nimue's Beloved #NImue's Lake #self ship community #selfship community #f/o community #fictional other community #self shipping community #selfshipping community #yumejoshi #yumeship #yumeposting #enstars yume #self ship #selfship #romantic f/o #safe ship #safeship

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v4mpyrebat · 1 year

Text

Love From The Other Side - Chapter 2

good afternoon taleblr i have brought some more food for you. i hope you guys love spencer because hes my silly

once again you can read on AO3 or below the cut! and if you’re so inclined a reblow or comment would be loved!

“Huh?” Johnny Ghost pushed himself up off the back of the dead-tripods head, his entire demeanor different now. He absentmindedly wiped the blood off his face (at least any of the blood that hadn’t already soaked into his handkerchief mask, that is) as he focused his attention on the man in front of him.

“What could you possibly have of mine?” He asked, making the safe assumption that Spencer was simply bluffing.

Through the years this war had been dragging on, Ghost had lost, gained, and observed countless people. But it was strangest to see how the people he used to know had changed in such drastic ways. Spencer, the seventeen-year-old who used to live in the basement of the Acachalla house, who once would spend countless hours playing various computer games and always had some sort of sarcastic remark to make – was now a grown man threatening him with a gun.

The absence of light in Spencer’s eyes told a story, as well as the large scar that decorated the left side of his face. Johnny couldn’t help but be curious as to how he got that. As well as how much it must’ve hurt.

Spencer finally slipped the item out of his pocket and weighed it in his palm, displaying it out to Ghost.

Johnny skeptically looked forward at Spencer’s hand, eyebrows narrowing in confusion as he looked upon the item, before ultimately snatching it from him to examine himself.

It was an exact copy of the knife he currently had — the same one he had used to defeat the tripod just a few minutes ago. Now, this normally wouldn’t be such a big deal, y’know, mass-produced knives were a thing. Though that concept was more so a thing of the past and finding duplicates of items in this environment could be like winning the lottery twice in a row. It just didn’t make sense.

But as Ghost pulled out his knife in order to compare the two and it was evident that this other knife was exactly like his. It had the same scratch marks in all the right spots, and both of them had that crudely crossed-out P.I.E symbol that he had carved years beforehand.

It was as if someone had cloned his knife or something, which was impossible since absolutely no one was to put hands on it other than him.

“Where the hell did you get this?” Ghost refocused his attention on Spencer, looking back up at him with an accusatory glare. “What…what is this?”

“A knife. Your knife to be exact,” Spencer said smugly as Ghost gave him an unamused look.

“I know that, dipshit.” Ghost grumbled through his teeth, before stepping forward to Spencer in a threatening way, gripping both knives in his hand and shaking them with emphasis. “Answer my question. How and where did you get this?”

Spencer remained still, unbothered by Ghost’s sporadic movement. “Simple. I got it from you.” He spoke without emotion, and yet it only confused and frustrated Johnny more.

The knives once in Ghost’s palms clattered to the ground as he advanced and grabbed Spencer by the sides of his jacket, grasping the fabric tightly in his hands as he roughly pulled the man forward.

The two now face to face, Spencer was able to get a good look at Johnny. He had only one eye, and as Spencer could previously remember a distinct brownish-hazel to his eyes, what now remained was more of a reddish hue, which piqued his curiosity. The missing eye was covered by a makeshift eye patch, and peaking out from under the fabric was a slanted scar that was assumed to be the cause of removal.

“If you don’t quit with your bullshit and give me a straight fucking answer, I’m gonna find a way to get it out of you myself.” Ghost’s breath was heavy, and from the sound of it, Spencer could assume there was a smile on his face.

This was strange for Ghost — not necessarily the threatening aspect but the fact that him being overly aggressive was something he was finding joy in. Though he found it odd, there were plenty of other things Spencer could care more about, and that did not concern him as of right now.

“I was getting to that part,” Spencer shoved Ghost off, and upon doing so successfully he re-adjusted his jacket and remained his composed self. “To make a long story short, you are not the only you currently in this universe.”

Upon being shoved off, Ghost picked the knives up from the ground, and quietly hesitated when looking for whichever one was his, before ultimately just shoving one in his pocket and hoping it was right. He let out a half-amused scoff in return. “Is that all…? So you came all this way just to point a gun at me and waste my time?” “Do your ears only work 50% of the time or are you just choosing not to listen?” Spencer himself grew irritated, yet his body language remained calm. “There is another you in this universe. Do you not understand the possible repercussions of that?” He stressed, squeezing the pistol in his hand as he stepped closer to Ghost. “No, no, I heard you,” Johnny scowled, “I just don’t care. What do you say I do about it? The world is burning, half the members of the P.I.E. army are dead, aliens have taken over the planet and there’s no hope for humanity and everything is just a ticking time bomb till everyone is dead.”

His eyebrows tightly knitted together as he exasperated his point, the rest of his face curling into sarcastic amusement as he tilted his head to Spencer. “Everything is for nothing, Spencer, so what matters if there's another me running around?”

Spencer paused, half astonished at how Johnny was acting. He was used to the typically melancholic sarcasm that was par for the course when it came to Ghost, but he supposed that he had miscalculated truly how difficult the task at hand would be. Somehow he had gotten so used to everything that he neglected to remember that some people just didn’t have that push for survival anymore. But to be quite frank, this wasn’t living, and it didn’t take a genius to point that out.

It made Spencer question – just for a moment – why the hell he was doing this. Why he was spending the possible last years of his life fighting for a cause that seems so frankly impossible? To have someone verbalize that unspoken, deep-rooted fear that he had in the back of his mind all this time of isolation was such a slap in the face it brought him to silence. If everything is for nothing, then what matters?

His cause was so much bigger than Ghost. It was bigger than himself, as well. But he didn’t have time to dwell on things that didn’t help his cause. If he did, he’d just be wasting time. Though, that didn't eliminate the anxious thoughts from occupying his brain.

After a pause, Spencer sighed and lowered his gun, a dejected look in his eyes and a sour taste in his mouth. “Things don’t have to be this way, you know that.” “Listen,” Ghost dropped his expression in trade for one of accepted hopelessness, one that Spencer saw in survivors so commonly. “I don’t care for what ‘could be’, alright? Things are this way. They’ve been this way. They’ll stay this way. That’s just how life is.”

“But-” Spencer opened his mouth, just to be interrupted. “Shut up,” Ghost barked, the tension getting to him. “Toast has spent all these years to no avail trying to pull the same shit you are. It’s gotten him nowhere. As smart as you think you are, whatever universe or time bull-shit you’re trying to get yourself into is gonna be all for nothing.”

Johnny moved forward to leave, looking towards Spencer as he got his final words in. “Don’t waste the only time you have left.” He finally then pushed him aside, heading past him and leaving Spencer to just watch him walk away.

#taleblr #venturiantale #vt #vtpie #fanfic #johnny ghost #spencer acachalla #vt fanfic #mod issac #theyre my sillies #billion year war #ao3 #venturiantale pie #johnny toast

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