#person a got the feelings first and was like nah get those flowers outta me
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my actual fav is canon divergance/aus but like I had no idea how to even doodle that so runner up! I’m pretty picky about Hanahaki tho I need these idiots to live even if it is still tragic. Shoutout to my best fic being a Hanahaki fic ✌
#art requests#happyfunballxd#im always a sucker for one person thinking their feelings aren't returned#or their feelings actually aren't returned#very quality angst and drama#but sometimes i need the angst with a happy ending ya know?#i want my little blorbo to suffer a bit but then be happy at the end#god i read this one hanahaki fic that just oh man the emotional rollercoaster i went on#person a got the feelings first and was like nah get those flowers outta me#but then person b also caught feels and wasn't willing to go through surgery about it#so was going to die ya know and person a was like NAH FUCK THAT#and went through science shit to try and save b's life#it was fuckin chef kiss loved that fic so damn much#okay enough rambling thanks for the interesting topic! :D
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5 times Geralt failed to ask Jaskier out and 1 time he somehow managed
I.
Yen calls him immediately after he’s sent her the text. “What’s going on? You said it was an emergency?” She sounds slightly worried, and Geralt realizes that ‘Need help. Emergency.’ does sound like something to be worried about.
“I wanna ask Jaskier out.”
She lets out a long-suffering sigh, and he could swear he hears a ‘fucking finally’ muttered away from the receiver. “Cool, sure. So what do you need my help for?”
“Asking him out.”
She laughs softly. “Seriously? You’re a grown-ass man, surely you can ask someone out, right? You’ve done it before.”
He keeps quiet, and blesses all his lucky stars that she isn’t here to see shame rise red to his cheeks.
“Wait-“ He hears her let out a startled laugh. “You’ve never asked someone out before?”
His silence is confirmation enough.
“How the fuck did you manage to go your entire life without asking someone out?” She doesn’t wait for an answer. “Whatever. Alright, so, here’s what you gotta do-“
---
He’s waiting outside the doors of the cinema, bouncing on his heels a bit. Jaskier’s always a bit late – fashionably late, as Jaskier himself calls it – which is fine under any other circumstances, but the movie won’t wait for them, so it sets Geralt’s nerves on fire.
Finally, Jaskier shows up. With Triss and Sabrina in tow. To what was supposed to be a date.
“Hi!” Jaskier greets him brightly. “Hope it’s alright that I brought Triss and Sabrina. A movie is just much more fun when there are more people, you know? Hope you don’t mind?”
Geralt smiles tightly, and shakes his head. Later, after the movie, he rereads the text he sent Jaskier a few days earlier, and realizes he maybe didn’t really make it clear that he intended it as a date. Great. Something to remember for next time. Though he’s not gonna ask Jaskier on a movie date again. Firstly because Jaskier apparently likes it better when it’s not just the two of them, and also because they stumbled into their seats ten minutes late, and he doesn’t think he’s gonna survive that kind of embarrassment again.
II.
Okay, so clearly Yennefer’s plan didn’t work out. Maybe he should ask someone else.
It takes a while before Eskel picks up, but Geralt immediately relaxes when he hears his brother’s voice. “Yeah?”
“I wanna ask Jaskier out. I need your advice.”
Eskel breathes out something that sounds suspiciously like ‘finally’. It’s quiet for a while, as Geralt gives his brother time to think.
“Flowers,” Eskel eventually says. “Jaskier likes flowers, right? He seems like a flower kinda guy. So give him flowers.”
“Okay, thanks,” he says.
“By the way, can I borrow your drill? I’m making a shed and mine broke.”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Okay, thanks. Bye.” Eskel hangs up, and Geralt drops his phone on his bed, thoughts mulling over how best to handle this.
---
He shuffles from one foot to another as he waits for Jaskier to open the door, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a bouquet of different types of orange flowers. It had caught his eye at the florist, because of its obnoxious colours, and he figured Jaskier would love it.
Finally, the door opens. And immediately slams shut again, Jaskier’s high-pitched shriek muffled from behind the wood. “Fucking shit!”
Geralt frowns, and knocks on the door. “Jaskier? Are you alright?”
A muffled sneeze, followed by: “No! I’m allergic to flowers.” Another three sneezes, in quick succession. “Very.”
Great. Just his fucking luck. “Uh… r-right,” he stammers. “I’ll- I’ll throw them away, then.”
He apologizes for it later, and Jaskier tells him not to worry about it, though he’s hardly able to string the sentence together through several sneezes and wet sniffles, eyes red and swollen.
III.
Okay, so no movie date, and definitely no flowers. Maybe he should call someone else. He considers calling Lambert for a second, but he knows that would probably be the worst idea of his life – Lambert would either laugh in his face and hang up, or he would suggest something ridiculous like a bungee-jumping proposal or some shit like that.
Instead, he calls his dad. He’s always been able to rely on Vesemir for advice, so he supposes this time won’t be any different.
“What’s wrong?” his dad asks as soon as he picks up the phone.
Geralt frowns. “Nothing. I’m calling for advice.”
It’s quiet for a while. Then: “Alright, but disposing of a body is a lot harder than you think it is. Just take that into consideration before you go through with it. So first you gotta-”
“What? No, I wanna ask Jaskier out.”
Silence. “Oh. Who?”
“Jaskier. You met him last Christmas. Brown hair, blue eyes.”
“That loud-mouth that kept following you at the party?”
“Yes.”
It’s quiet for a few seconds, and Geralt could swear he hears a muffled ‘thank the gods’, as if Vesemir is holding his hand over the receiver. “Try flowers.”
“Already tried that. Nearly killed him because he’s allergic.”
“Hmm. Take him to a nice restaurant.”
Geralt nods, and he realizes embarrassingly late that Vesemir can’t see him. “Alright. Thank you. But, what you said about disposing of a body, what-“ The line clicks. Vesemir’s hung up.
---
“Hey, there’s this new restaurant, a few blocks away. Di Mare, I think it’s called. Wanna go there, maybe next Saturday?”
Jaskier snorts at him, incredulous expression on his face. “That place? No thanks, way too fancy for me. What do you take me for, a rich person?”
“Jaskier, you’re literally royalty.”
“Nah,” Jaskier continues, ignoring him, “let’s just order take-out. Have a little movie night.”
Geralt nods, hope shining in his chest. “Yeah, sure.”
Jaskier grins at him, pulling his phone out. “Cool! I’ll text Yen and Triss, let them know. Been a while since we all hung out together.” Oh, fucking brilliant.
IV.
“Triss? I need your help.”
“Sure, what can I do?”
“I wanna ask Jaskier out.”
“Oh, yeah, Yen told me about that. So I figure you still haven’t managed?”
“Clearly.” He doesn’t mention the fact that so far, she’s come between his plans twice. He doesn’t want to hurt her feelings, and she’s obviously not doing it on purpose.
It’s quiet for a while. “Uh… Flowers are a big no-no, he’s allergic to those.”
“Figured that out by now.”
“The hard way?”
“The hard way.”
“Yikes. Hmm. Restaurant?”
“No.”
“Fuck, then I’m fresh outta ideas, chief. Wait, no. There’s this new coffeeshop just around the corner. Jask loves coffee, no way you can go wrong with this one.” Geralt highly doubts it, but thanks her anyways and hangs up.
---
The barista makes heart-eyes at Jaskier the entire time they’re ordering, and when they go to sit down, Jaskier turns his cup and finds the guy’s phone number written on the side. He immediately pulls out his phone and sends the barista a text. Geralt tries and fails not to sulk.
V.
“Hey.”
He blinks, then frowns at his five year-old neighbour who’s blocking the exit of the apartment building, looking up at him with a glint in her eyes that she always gets when she’s about to drop snowballs through people’s mailboxes.
“… Hi.”
“Heard you were trying to ask your boyfriend out,” Ciri says.
“He’s not my boyfriend. And how’d you know that?”
“Gran-gran says the walls are thin and you talk loud when you’re on the phone.”
“… Okay.”
It’s quiet for a while, her gaze intent on him the entire time, and he starts to feel uncomfortable, shuffling on his feet. Sure, the effect may be mollified by the fact that she’s missing her front teeth, but she’s still very unnerving.
“… Ciri, can I leave n-“
“You should ask him out.”
“That’s why I’m trying t-“
“Just ask.”
“Ciri-“
“Give him alcohol. Grown-ups like alcohol. Then ask.”
He sighs. “If I promise to do that, can you please let me pass so I can go to work?”
She holds up her hand, pinkie finger extended. “Pinkie promise.”
He hooks his little finger through hers. “Pinkie promise. Now can I please go?”
She nods solemnly, and steps to the side. He’s halfway down the stairs when she calls out to him: “Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.”
He looks back, sees her staring at him, face blank and grave, and he turns back, getting out of there as fast as he can. What the fuck?
---
Geralt’s walking to Jaskier’s door, two cups of coffee in his hands. Sure, the giving-Jaskier-alcohol part of Ciri’s plan wasn’t the greatest, but he couldn’t deny that simply asking Jaskier on a date might be effective and solid, because it’s so simple.
Except, just his luck, as he walks to Jaskier’s door, Jaskier barges out of his apartment, and smashes into Geralt, coffee spilling over both of them.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” Jaskier exclaims, throwing his hands in the arms exasperatingly. He sighs, his foul mood evident on his face. “Guys and coffee seems to be a deadly combination for me, lately.”
“I guess it didn’t work out with the barista, then?” He somehow manages to keep his hope out of his voice.
Jaskier sighs and shakes his head, fishing a paper tissue out of his backpack to wipe at the front of his shirt. “Yeah, no. Total hipster, and he couldn’t stop talking about himself. Like, yada-yada-yada, you like old music, we get it, now can we please talk about me?” He sighs, seems to give up on saving his shirt. “Guess I’ll have to go back inside to get a new one,” he mutters. “Anyways, why are you here? Is there something going on?”
Geralt swallows, shakes his head. “No, just wanted to bring you some coffee. Sorry about uh…” he waves his hand a bit “that. Gotta go.”
He rushes out of there, ignoring Jaskier’s inquiring “Geralt?” behind him.
+ I
“So you’ve finally turned to me for council,” Lambert says in lieu of greeting when he answers the phone.
Geralt sighs.
“I want to hear you say it, Ger-Ger. I’ll help you but I need to hear you say it.”
“Don’t call me Ger-Ger.”
“Say it.”
He sighs again, a headache starting to form behind his eyes. “Fine. I need your help.”
He can practically hear Lambert’s self-satisfied smirk. “Lucky for you, I’ve got just the idea…”
For some reason, Geralt doesn’t exactly feel lucky.
---
The first pebble he throws misses its target, and he cringes as it nearly hits Jaskier’s downstairs neighbor’s window. He tries again. This time it hits its mark, but there’s no sign of life from Jaskier’s apartment. He tries again. No response. And again. No response. He throws three pebbles against the window in quick succession.
Finally, a light turns on and Jaskier opens the window, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Geralt? It’s one in the morning, what-“
He looks down at his phone, frantically searching for the song that Lambert recommended- fucking Lambert. He never should’ve agreed to this, and he’s going to kill his brother once this is over. Finally, he finds the right song. It’s the same one as in that one movie Lambert told him about where this guy held a boombox over his head or some shit – ‘something Jaskier will have definitely watched’, his brother had reassured him. Finally, he finds the right song, and holds his phone over his head, volume as loud as possible, and-
“WANT A BREAK FROM THE ADS?-”
Geralt closes his eyes in horror as the ad continues playing, several lights turning on in the windows of the apartment building. Jaskier on the other hand, is- gone.
Geralt frowns, turns the ad off, and looks at Jaskier’s window, painfully empty. Suddenly, the door to the building opens, and Jaskier comes staggering out, wheezing and clutching his stomach as he makes his way towards Geralt.
“That-“ he says between giggles “that was the funniest and most adorable shit I’ve ever seen.” He hiccups, starts laughing uncontrollably again. “What…?”
“Lambert’s idea.”
Jaskier laughs again, desperately holding on to Geralt’s shoulder as to not keel over. “Of- of course it’s his idea, oh gods-“ He hiccups, finally calming down a bit. “Isn’t this from that one movie?”
“Yeah.”
“Isn’t it a romantic movie?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you trying to ask me out, Geralt?”
“… Yeah.”
Jaskier smiles softly. “I accept. But please- next time, you can just ask. There’s no need to go through all this trouble.”
Geralt resists the urge to smack his palm against his face. “Alright, I’ll remember that for next time.”
Jaskier looks back, sees multiple lights on in the windows, sees some neighbors frowning down at them angrily. “Better wrap this up or they’re gonna call the cops on us.” He leans forward, pressing a soft kiss against Geralt’s cheek. “Goodnight, Geralt.” He turns around and makes his way back to the apartment complex.
“Goodnight, Jaskier.”
#the witcher#geraskier#geralt of rivia#jaskier#drabble#5 + 1 things#fluff#crack#everyone in this is a chaotic bastard#and i regret nothing#literally no one asked for this#but i do what i want babey#feral hours#fuck you spotify ads#modern au#the thing ciri says is shakespeare btw lmao
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[[Part 6 of ???]]
Conversation in the cave
//The group came across two paths. One led into a dark, creepy cave with monsterous sounds echoing. While the other led to a sunny, field of flowers. Baozhai walks towards the entrance of the cave.//
Islay: Baozhai, why are you going that way?
Baozhai: This was is a short cut, we'll get there waaaaay faster if we go through here!
Billy: um, you sure about this..?
Baozhai: of course I am! If we took the other path, we'd get there slower duh! Sure it looks more safe but it ain't worth it! *Walks into the cave*
Billy, looks over to Islay: she's not serious is she..?
Islay: She knows where the treasure is so we gotta follow her. *follows Baozhai into the cave*
//Billy and Flint looked at each other, exchanging worried looks. They has a feeling this wasn't going to end well. Regardless, they followed them in. Islay pulled out a match a lit it. She saw a few large sticks on the ground and picked them up. She lit them and handed them out for each person.//
Islay: Be careful where you step. You might end up trigging a trap or fall through something.
//The group walked together through the cave. They made sure to stick close together. No one could risk getting lost in here.
Baozhai stayed close to Flint. A bit giddy she was close to her love interest.//
Baozhai: sooo, Flinty, you got some special in your life?? You know, like a boyfriend or girlfriend??
Flint: No.
Baozhai: Oh, that's great! Wait, I mean- oh nooooooo...
Flint, rolls his eyes: why do you care?
Baozhai: oh no reason, just trying to get to know each other.
Flint: why you you want to get to know me?
Baozhai: Because IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII... Think I'd be good to pass the time!
Flint: Okay..
Baozhai: So tell me, what type of things are you into?
Flint: um-
Baozhai, cutting him off: You like thrilling adventures? Swords? Rum? Treasure? Glory???
Flint: yeah, I like all those things-
Baozhai, cutting him off again: -killing rich people? Blowing up banks they own?? TORTURING THEM IN FRONT OF THEIR SPOUSES???
Flint: ಠ_ಠ
Flint: no...
Baozhai, nervously laughs: haha, I took it too far didn't I..?
Flint: Yeah, you did.
Baozhai: Sorry, it's just, I really don't like the nobility or monarchy. I get a "little" carried away when thinking about them.
Flint: They're not too pleasant.
Baozhai: haha, yeah, definitely! The total WORST! The only good thing about them is their riches and valuables. Makes me so happy seeing them miserable when I steal their things!
Flint, uncomfortable: uh huh..
Baozhai: but enough about my hatred of the one percent, tell me about yourself.
Flint: Well, I'm a bit new to this whole pirating thing.
Baozhai: oh really?? No way, me too! Please tell me more.. 💕
Flint: I and my friend Bones were kidnapped by Haggis. We were forced to join his crew and became his cabin boys. Captain works us till we drop. I think the only thing I enjoyed about being apart of his crew is the access to treasure and rum.
Baozhai: Wow, I'm sorry that happened to you.. I mean at least it's not all bad for you. Treasure and rum is great!
Flint: Well, I only get a small cut of the treasure. Haggis says I haven't proven myself to get more of it.
Baozhai: What an asshole! He shouldn't do that. You should take all the treasure because.. because.. you're a amazing! And do as much work as everyone in your crew! Dang it I should've said that first...
Flint, sighs: He won't listen to me but I have to deal with that. Everyday.
Baozhai: you've never thought about escaping..?
Flint: Nah, I'm pretty sure the captain would just track me down and beat me to a pulp.
Baozhai: Well, if he ever does, I'll teach him a lesson or two with my dagger!
Flint: heh, you can try but you're the size of a mouse in comparison to him.
Baozhai: oh please I still can take him on! You know what they say, size doesn't matter.
Flint: I don't think that applies to that situation.
Baozhai: it can work in any situation. If a mouse can scare an elephant than so can I! He won't even see it coming! I'll be all like "what's up Haggis I'm gonna kick your butt!" And then he'll be all like "please don't hurt me! I'll do anything!" And then I'll say "oh I'll let you walk free IF you stop treating Flint awful!"
//Flint chuckled softly finding her tangent very amusing.//
Flint: You're a brave little thing aren't you? Not even afraid of what'll happen to you?
Baozhai: Nope! He may have messed up my nose but he's gonna regret that! I'm about to unleash a world of pain on him!
Flint: I wouldn't do that if I were you. You'll get really hurt, Haggis is more capable of causing damage to more than just your face.
Baozhai: It's fine, I'll be fine! You don't need to worry for me. Aw you're such a cutie for caring 💕
Flint: I'm just making sure you won't do anything you'll regret..
Baozhai: I swear I won't regret it. Besides someone needs to stand up to that jerk.
Flint: I've already tried that. It ain't as easy as it looks.
Baozhai, sympathetically: Hey, I won't do it if you're that concerned. Besides we can always talk how horrible he is behind his back. If that makes you feel any better.
Flint: I'm not sure if I should.
Baozhai: No, no, no. You sir need to get out all that pent up rage you have with your boss! Here I'll say something awful about bonnet and then you say something awful about Haggis!
Flint: I-
Baozhai, cutting him off: Okay it's agreed! Now where should I start... *Snaps fingers* Oh yeah. Bonnet is a weak man that's too much of an idiot to be captain! Whew, been meaning to get that one outta me... Now you try :)
Flint: Um. Let's see, Haggis is a jerk.
Baozhai, groans: Come on, I know you can do better than that!
Flint: That's all I have.
Baozhai: Seriously? Coming from the man who gets treated awfully by him everyday of his life? I know there's something you want to say, you just won't let it out.
Flint:
Flint: He's an asshole that I want to throw overboard...
Baozhai: What was that? I couldn't hear you.
Flint: I said he's an asshole that I want to throw overboard.
Baozhai: What??? I still can't hear you! Why are you talking so low? Afraid that he'll hear you??
Flint, getting pissed off at this point: FOR FUCK SAKE I SAID THAT HE'S A FUCKING ASSHOLE THAT I WANT TO THROW OVERBOARD! THERE! DID YOU HEAR THAT??
Baozhai: Yes. Now, did that make you feel better? Getting all that anger out..?
Flint:
Flint: it kinda did...
Baozhai: You don't have to feel ashamed. It's a good thing to get it all out! Bubbling up anger isn't healthy.. ain't that right Islay?
Islay: Go fuck yourself.
Baozhai: Seeee?
Flint: ... You're a strange person you know that.
Baozhai: I'm strange in the way I try to help people :)
Flint: heh, I guess so.. hey, I haven't asked you, how did you join pirating?
Baozhai: Huh? Oh, I joined after leaving my home for becoming a wanted fugitive. I thought to myself that joining a pirate crew was the best thing. I mean I was already a criminal so why not embrace it? Haha!
Flint: How did you become a fugitive?
//Baozhai got flashbacks of a burning house, hearing sirens, and the screams of bloody murder. She couldn't make out the images because they were so blurry. Baozhai couldn't help but smile at the flashbacks. She found it almost nostalgic. It was a moment in her life that caused a massive change. In her path and in her mind. Flint noticed this her expression. He felt a bit alarmed seeing her smile so randomly. All he did was ask a question.//
Baozhai: Well, let's just say, I shouldn't have my back turned near high places. 🙂
Flint, creeped out: Okay..
Baozhai: Sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable. I'm a little cuckoo in the head but don't worry, I won't hurt you, promise.
Flint, scoots a little bit away from Baozhai: Sure, I can trust you on that.
Baozhai: You definitely can! I'll have your back if anyone tries to mess with you!
Flint: Nice to know I have a possible crazy woman to protect me.
Baozhai: I know right?? Isn't that such a good deal? No one will try to mess with you then!
Flint: I can't guarantee that but you can try to.
Baozhai: haha, I love you..
Flint: what-
Baozhai: I said I shove you.. In a playful way! See? *Playfully shoves Flint*
//Flint bumps into a wall. A button was trigged causing multiple torches to light up. It revealed a mural before them. Islay took a closer look at the murals. They showed depections of outsiders with armies attacking and killing the villagers.//
Islay: Looks like the paititi people didn't just disappear.
Baozhai: so you're saying they were attacked?
Islay: Pillaged seems more like it. Just like how most civilizations of today were born.
Bones: You think there's any treasure left?
Islay: By the looks of it, looks like they managed to hide most of it to where we're heading. It's a good thing too or our adventure here would've been a waste of time.
Flint: We should keep moving. I think I see the exit up ahead.
Baozhai: Lead the way Flinty!
Flint: don't call me Flinty.
Baozhai: oh okay. Flinty..
//The squad walked together, exiting the cave.//
Flint: Huh, to be honest I kinda expected to get attacked by a monster or something.
Baozhai: I know right? I really wanted to beat up a big scary monster..! *Pouts*
Flint: Maybe next time Baozhai.
Baozhai: I mean dang I choose that one on purpose to fight something but guess I choose wrong.
Flint: Yeah well- wait you CHOOSE THAT ONE ON PURPOSE?? I THOUGHT YOU SAID IT WAS A SHORTCUT?!?
Baozhai: Something you should know about me is that I'm a liar.
Flint, pins her up against a tree: YOU FUCKING IDIOT YOU COULD'VE GOTTEN US KILLED!
Baozhai: HEY HEY! I mean at least we didn't die right???
Bones: she does have a point.
Flint, slowly unpins himself: I've got my eye on you from now on..
Baozhai: okay, okay, you don't have to worry from now on... But having your eye on me won't be so bad..~
Flint, rolls his eyes: whatever..
Bones: if that one was safe then wouldn't the other one be..?
Islay: Dangerous? Possible but I don't wanna find out. *Puts out her torch*
Bones, shrugs: I guess you're right. No point in doing so now. *Puts out his own torch*
Baozhai: Alright then ladies, enough chit chat. Treasure awaits us!
//Baozhai ran forward through some bushes. The others quickly tailed behind her, not wanting to lose the only person who knows where the treasure is. As soon as they ran away, from the different path emerged Sao, Haggis, and Erik. They looked pretty distressed after having witnessing something terrible.//
Sao: Why would you think that was a good way to go??
Erik: I DON'T KNOW! It looked safer???!
Sao, grabs him by his collar: We almost got killed! Those creatures were going to mual us to death!!
Erik: Oh please next time you chose where we go! Let's see how well that works out for you!
//Suddenly a dagger was thrown in between the two. It caused them to separate. Haggis had another dagger in hand, in case one wasn't enough to quick the twos fighting.//
Captain Haggis: Would you two shut up!? We don't have time to argue! We have to keep moving..
Erik & Sao: Yes captain!
Captain Haggis, pulls out the map from an inner pocket of his coat: we move north. Don't make yourselves noticable.. I have feeling one of Bonnet's leeches are around here.. closer than we know it.
Erik: you think that echo that called you an asshole and wanted to throw you overboard was one of them?
Captain Haggis, punches him in the face: DON'T SAY THAT AGAIN!
Erik, falls over: I'm sorry captain! I was just.. retelling what they said..!
Captain Haggis: Doesn't matter, you don't disrespect me regardless.. Let's go. *Walks forward*
Sao: get up off the ground you Sissy.
Erik: I can't.. I'm.. too weak to go on... Carry me?
Sao: no.
Erik: okay fine.. at least kiss it to make it all better??
Sao: I'm gonna kick you where the sun don't shine if you don't get up.
Erik, quickly getting up: ALRIGHT THEN! Let's not leave the captain behind now..
//Sao rolls her eyes at him and shaked her head. The two quickly followed behind their captain.//
Erik: you sure know how to swing a right hook captain..
Captain Haggis: I know. Not even Bonnet, who's twice my size couldn't even beat me. If I see him again, I'll make sure he won't even get out alive.
To be continued..
((Islay and Baozhai belong to me
Haggis, Sao, and Erik belong to @chaossmith2))
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Cabaret Club Czar Training - YUKI (Part 3)
in this installment of yuki’s hostess training, she and majima have a conversation about sushi, self-help books, and stew...
highlights:
- majima getting a little too sincere and kind for yuki’s comfort
- yuki feeling concerned over majima’s unbalanced diet
- both of them getting a little more comfortable with each other! very sweet
full transcript under the cut!
---
MAJIMA: Okay, ready for some training?
YUKI: Yes, please!
M: Hey, Yuki-chan. Those battle butterflies finally gone?
Y: Well, it is just you after all, Majima-san.
M: Oh, is that some sass I detect?
M: Alright, let's do this. I'm the customer, you're the hostess. Ready?
Y: Yeah! Of course!
Y: Hello, I'm Yuki! Are you welcome here today?
M: ...We still got a long way to go.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
M: Let's see.
Y: Yes.
M: Kinda cold today, huh?
Y: Y-Yes. That's right. It is cold.
M: ......
Y: ...... (heh...heh)
M: Yuki-chan, I can tell you've been gettin' better with the customers lately, but you're still havin' trouble keepin' conversations rollin'.
Y: I-I'm sorry.
Y: I know I have to say something, but I have no idea what I should talk about.
M: You can talk about anything, even somethin' small. The weather, current events... Keep it casual.
M: Hell, you could even throw out something you've been tryin' to get off your chest.
Y: I-I see. Would that really be casual, though?
M: Anyway. So today, let's try puttin' the burden of conversation on you, Yuki-chan.
M: The best trick to startin' a conversation is to just ask a question. Think of me as a guest, and fire away. Anything.
Y; O-Okay. I understand.
Y: Uh, umm... Majima-san, wh-what kind of sushi do you like?
> I like tamago.
M: I'm all about the tamago.
Y: Haha, Majima-san, your taste in sushi is so childish. You should at least try to pick a fish!
M: Quiet, you. Sushi joints are made and broken by the eggs they serve. Tamago is the key!
Y: Oh, I hear that a lot. Is that true, though?
M: Based on my experience, pretty much, yeah.
Y: Really? I'll check next time I'm out for sushi.
M: Yeah, you do that. But check this out, Yuki-chan. Ya brought a question outta left field, but the conversation went fine, didn't it?
Y: Huh?
M: You ask a question, the other person answers. Easy, yeah?
M: If you're havin' trouble carryin' the conversation, just ask the customer a question and let 'em ramble. It'll turn into a conversation lickety split.
Y: I see... That's a pretty good conversation technique. Memo noted.
> That's too random...
M: Well, that's a little outta left field, ain't it? Customer's gonna wonder if he's in a club or a diner.
Y: Y-You're right.
M: If you feel like talkin' sushi, ya could lead with a question more like, “Have ya eaten already?” It kinda sounds unnatural otherwise, y'know?
Y: Y-Yes... You're right. Oh, I'm terrible at this.
M: (Damn, she took that one hard. Maybe I shoulda just answered the question...)
M: Anyway, all ya gotta do is pay attention to the flow of the conversation and ask questions. That way, it'll flower naturally.
Y: Okay... I'll try harder.
> I like engawa.
M: I'm an engawa guy.
Y: Wow, Majima-san! You like engawa too? What a coincidence! That's my number one favorite!
M: No kidding? You got quite the discriminatin' palate for a young lady, Yuki.
Y: When I was little, I used to eat sushi with my grandpa all the time.
M: You and yer gramps were makin' sushi runs? Is your family loaded or somethin'?
Y: Actually, I heard that a mountain behind my grandparents' house was part of their property.
M: What!? You some kinda lost mountain princess, Yuki-chan!?
Y: Not at all! Nowadays I'm living completely on my own. I can barely afford a cucumber roll.
M: Ah. See how that works? Your question was outta left field, but it kicked off a whole conversation. And I got to know ya a little better in the process.
Y: Huh?
M: You ask a question, the other person answers. Easy, right?
M: If you're havin' problems carrying on a conversation, ask your customer a question and let 'em talk. That'll turn into a conversation pronto.
Y: Oh, I see. There's a technique to conversations. That's really good to know.
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Y: Let's see... Majima-san, does your wife ever get mad at you because you're in this line of work?
M: Nah, no wife to get mad at me in the first place. I live alone, as a free man.
Y: Really...? I can't imagine how a single guy lives by himself. Majima-san, do you cook at all?
M: Do I look like a chef? I just do whatever.
Y: But, if you're always eating out or eating junk food, you won't have a balanced diet. Would you like me to make you some meat and potatoes stew or something?
> I can make that.
M: You sayin' you cook, Yuki-chan? I don't know, I bet I could do a better job myself...
Y: H-How dare you! I've been practicing really hard to make meat and potatoes stew! That's the only thing I cook!
M: Wait, why do ya only have one dish in yer arsenal?
Y: Because it was in a how-too book for relationships! It said, “The way to a man's heart is through his stomach with meat and potatoes stew!”
M: You actually read books like that, Yuki-chan?
Y: Oooh! Please don't say a word to anyone that I'm reading a self-help book!
M: My lips are sealed.
> That'd be great.
M: Yeah, that sounds tasty. Lookin' forward to it.
Y: O-Okay! Wow, I guess it was true. Men really do have a weakness for meat and potatoes!
M: Say what? You read that in a book or somethin'?
Y: Yes! A relationships how-too book. It said, “Win your man's heart via his stomach with meat and potatoes!”
M: Wait, you actually read books like that, Yuki-chan?
Y: Ahhh! Please don't say a word to anyone that I'm reading a self-help book!
M: My lips are sealed.
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M: I can tell you're gettin' better at this talking thing. You're makin' good progress, Yuki-chan.
Y: Y-You really think so? But, I think it's only because you're you, Majima-san...
M: Whaddaya mean?
Y: Well, it's different when I talk to someone I'm familiar with versus meeting a customer I don't really know.
M: I guess that's true.
> I'll request you then.
M: Then I'll request you as a customer, Yuki-chan.
Y: Huh? What do you mean?
M: Ya carry a conversation just fine when it's me, right? Alls I gotta do then is come in here and request you over and over.
Y: No, I understand that part... But it still doesn't make any sense.
Y: Let me get this straight. Majima-san, you spend your money at this club and then the profits go back to you. Erm... That would be pointless... right?*
M: Hey, I was bein' sarcastic! Ya gotta learn to tell when someone's jokin'.
Y: Oh, you were joking. O-Of course! I'm sorry.
Y: But if you really were my customer all the time, Majima-san, I think I'd enjoy that. Make sure to order a lot of expensive drinks, okay?
M: Heh. Now we're talking. That sounded like a hostess who knows her jam.
> Give it some time.
M: You'll get it down sooner or later. Ya just need a little more experience.
Y: You think so? Experience... I've been longer than any of the other hostesses, though...
M: Oh... Well, everyone gains experience at different speeds! You're just more turtle than hare, is all.
Y: Majima-san... You're not helping me feel better here.
> Imagine they're me.
M: Just think of all the customers as me.
Y: All my customers as you, Majima-san? Hehehe... Hahaha!
M: What's so funny?
Y: I-I'm sorry, I imagined that all of our seats were filled with you, Majima-san. I couldn't help it. Hahaha.
M: You know what I meant! It wasn't a literal suggestion.
Y: Oh, I know. But, thank you. If I try that, I think I will have an easier time handling the customers.
M: That right? Good, good.
Y: A room full of Majima-san customers... Hehehe, I bet that would be a pain!
M: Eh? You say somethin'?
Y: O-Oh, no. Nothing!
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M: Hey, look at the time.
M: Any last questions ya wanna ask me? Forget about the training for a sec. Anything goes.
Y: Hm, let's see. Um, well... Majima-san, what do you think about me?
M: Huh? Whaddya mean?
Y: As an employee of the club... Well, what do you think of me?
> You're cute.
M: Well, I think you're cute.
Y: What? Oh, no, no, that's what I mean. What I meant to ask is, do you think I'm a good employee?
M: Oooh, right, right! Yeah, sure, I can tell that you're really workin' hard.
Y: What kind of response was that? Are you being serious?
M: Uh, 'course I am. I just had to gather my thoughts there.
Y: Huh? You're weird, Majima-san.
> You're workin' hard.
M: You're workin' hard.
Y: You think so? We've gotten some new girls here lately, and I feel like they're working a lot harder than me.
M: Comparin' yourself to others is a losin' proposition. What's important is how hard yer tryin' to be better.
M: Besides, ya ain't great at talking to guys, yet here you are, toughin' it out to overcome your weakness. That's somethin' to be proud of, if ya ask me.
Y: Majima-san... Th-Thank you.
Y: But, Majima-san, it feels really weird when you get all serious and sincere like that. Like, almost creepy.
M: Whaddya mean, creepy!?
Y: Ahaha. But, I'm happy. Really. I'll work much, much harder!
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M: Okay, I think that'll do it.
Y: Th-Thank you for the lesson.
M: Sure thing. Good job.
*Note: Despite localization as “erm,” Yuki actually says “hmm?” and at the end of her sentence says, “hmmm?” Thought it was a cute detail that was worth noting.
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Static (Spideypool)
(Based on THIS PROMPT)
THERE’S MORE SPIDEYPOOL ON MY MASTERLIST
****************
Peter...Peter heard everything.
Well, heard wasn't exactly the right word.
Peter felt....
...everything.
Sometimes it was a physical feeling, like bugs on his skin if someone around him was uncomfortable. Sometimes it was hard to swallow, hard to breathe if he was at a crime scene and the people were terrified.
Sometimes it was the feeling of being stared at even if no one was looking, the feeling of eyes watching, and eventually Peter realized that was the feeling of anxiety, of nervous.
Before the spider, it hadn't been as bad. Peter would get the buggy feeling when May would clear her throat and try to have one of Those Talks, or he'd walk through the halls at school and brush past someone and suddenly he felt like everyone was looking.
After the spider, the feeling amplified, magnified, until Peter couldn't deny something was off, something was wrong, he was feeling too much.
Empath was the word the internet gave him. Empath, he felt what other people felt. But empath didn't seem like a big enough word, not even close.
The first time Peter pulled a little girl from a house fire, she wasn't even crying, wasn't even screaming, she was just terrified and still and Peter's muscles locked up, his legs giving out with heart stopping, core deep fear.
The day he webbed a gun out of someone's hands to stop a mugging and the baddie turned to him and shouted, Peter felt the wall of rage as if he'd ran right into it.
It was too much and empath was not a big enough word for what was happening.
Peter learned to tune most of it out. He altered his suit so he couldn't really feel anything physical in case someone touched him, wore headphones that played white noise so he wouldn't have to hear the fear in people's voices, meditated so when he got bowled over by the mental noise of someone's scattered mind, he could pull himself out of the spiral.
It was exhausting.
Peter's friends assumed he stopped hanging around because he was busy with school and work, the Avengers assumed he never came by because he wanted to do the whole lone gun slinger act, and Aunt May assumed he kept his distance because he was busy being Spider-man.
They didn't know that Peter couldn't handle Harry's anxiety or MJ's insecurity or the way Gwen worried and worried and worried. He couldn't stomach the sting of Iron Man's blase attitude because it covered so much anger, and he couldn't handle the sadness in Aunt May that had always been there before Uncle Ben passed, but after Uncle Ben, the sadness was strangling and Peter--
--god, he just couldn't handle it.
So Peter retreated away behind his mask, there and gone when he had to save someone, avoiding friends and family, lonely in his tiny apartment but unwilling to step outside and risk being overwhelmed by everything everyone in the entire goddamn world was putting out in the universe.
Lonely.
Empath wasn't a big enough word to cover the loneliness of feeling what everyone else felt.
******
Deadpool was loud and proud and obnoxious on about eight thousand different levels. He laughed and he talked and he teased and poked and prodded and got on every single on of Peter's last nerves and then managed to turn around and be sweet to kids or stop to rescue animals or to beat the hell outta someone who messed with the nice lady that owned the flower shop.
Deadpool was all over the place, talking to Peter, talking to himself, talking to the voices in his head that never seemed to let him rest. And Peter felt bad about it, but he had to wear his white noise headphones around Wade, had to tune out alot of what the Merc said, had to wear his gloves all the time to dull any accidental touches.
Peter knew Wade was just as lonely, just as touch starved as he was, but he couldn't risk the strain on his mind and emotions to open up to Deadpool. He wouldn't survive feeling the pain that skittered beneath Wade's skin every day, or the awful headaches that Wade tried to laugh off, or the way the Merc swung between manic and depressed and back again for a stop along every marker on that spectrum.
Peter knew he couldn't handle it, so even though he ached to take some of the stress from Wade, ached to share some of the burden the Merc handled every single day--
Peter kept his distance. He had to preserve his sanity, his mental health, his emotional health--
Peter kept his distance.
Wade understood, or at least he said he understood, but that didn't make it any easier to stay away when their conversations turned serious and when the night fell into morning and Peter wanted nothing more than to slide over and rest his head on Wade's shoulder. Wade must have reached for Peter's hand a hundred different times, stopping himself just short of touching and one night when they were eating, Wade reached over and wiped the crumbs from Peter's face and then froze--
"Shit, baby boy, I'm sorry. I know you can't handle being touched."
"It's fine." Peter shook his head quickly, the brush of Wade's fingers too quick to even have registered. "It's fine, don't worry about it."
"Yeah?" Wade swallowed. "My skin doesn't bother you?"
"No, it's not that." Peter took another bite of his burger. "You know, it's the empath thing. I want to be able to touch you but I--"
"I get it." Wade assured him. "Normal people set off everything in your head, someone like me would probably make your brain explode. It's alright."
"Well, I mean." Peter shrugged self consciously. "It's not. Sorta sucks that I can spend every day with you but can't get closer than this. That I wear my white noise headphones to block out everything when really I just want to--"
"You're not wearing your headphones, Pete."
"...what?" Peter felt around his head, then widened his eyes. "Oh my god, I'm not wearing my headphones."
"Nah, you dropped them when you took off your backpack." Wade motioned behind them vaguely. "I figured you decided not to wear them today. The noise isn't bothering you?"
"I um--" Peter cocked his head and frowned. "I don't hear anything. My heads just sort of... sort of staticky."
"Sounds awful."
"No." Peter put his food down and closed his eyes to listen. "No, it's wonderful. Wade, you don't understand. Usually I hear everything, or feel everything and it hurts my head but I don't hear anything right now. It's-- this is-- it's so nice."
"That's great, sweet cheeks." Wade blew the web slinger a kiss and sauntered over towards the far end of the roof to get his bag. "By the way, I bought you something at a souvenir shop yesterday. Full disclosure, it's terrible, but I thought it would make you laugh so--"
Noise rushed in and Peter cried out loud, clapping his hands over his ears. "Oh my god! Oh my--"
Rage, from someone in the apartment below, fear from the other person in the room. Laughter, eyes staring, someone watching, too close too close, someone was touching, anxiety, nervous, giddy, fear--
Peter curled over into himself and shouted, "Wade! My headphones! Please!"
"Come here, baby." Wade was suddenly back at Peter's side, wrapping both arms around him and hauling him close. "Okay I know you don't want to hear what's in my head but it should be loud enough to drown out everything else, come here."
Wade yanked Peter's gloves off and shoved his own shirt up so Peter could touch skin, then flattened his palms over Peter's ears as if it would drown out the noise.
And Peter went still immediately.
He went still immediately and Wade waited with bated breath for the disgust, for the recoil, for Peter to look up with those beautifully wide eyes and wonder what the fuck was wrong with him.
"Oh my god, you feel good."
Okay well Wade hadn't been expecting that, nor was he expecting Peter to moan quietly and to press even closer, his fingers digging into Wade's side to clutch him tight.
"I-- I what? I what? Why are you the one talking crazy right now?”
"You feel good." Peter hooked a foot behind Wade's knee and took him down to the roof with no effort at all, and even though Wade oophed when he hit the rooftop, he didn't have time to care much as Peter crawled up his body and straddled his chest, tucking that adorable nose right into Wade's neck.
"...Pete? What um-- what are you doing?”
"The static is you." Peter laughed quietly and wriggled closer. "I thought I was wearing my headphones cos I couldn't hear anything, but the second you walked away, all the noise came back. The static is you."
"You're telling me I'm so damn crazy that it just translates to static when you hear it?" Wade teased and Peter pulled away to stare down at him.
"I'm telling you that you're the only person I've ever met that doesn't hurt me to be around. Whatever your mutation is, whatever you have going on-- it scrambles my senses and mutes everything else."
"Pete--"
"All I can feel is you." Peter breathed, and he looked almost close to tears. "All I feel is you babe. Do you know how amazing that is?"
Wade ran his hands up Peter's back to tangle in the thick hair and drag him down for a much a-waited, much longed for kiss.
"Yeah, baby boy." he said hoarsely. "I sure do."
****************
@ships-galore @ceealaina @izziebladez @cwar1864 @hausoffro @lookuplaughing @tonystarkisanangel @multishippinglife @girlnic @iam93percentstardust @water-colouredmemories @paranormalmoonlight5 @igotloki @moosette05 @wayward-student-philosopher @kaz-brekkers-gloves @atomicfandombomb @desitonystark @1fuckingshitup69 @agentlokii
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Survey #324
“i'll sharpen my knife upon the stone made from the ruin of a dead god's throne / listen to these words as my seeds are sown: it's time to amputate the infected zone”
What is the last game you played on your phone? Pokemon GO.
Do you give people personalized ringtones? No.
Does your phone screen have any cracks? No.
What makeup products are you wearing, if any? None.
How would you describe your skin tone? Very pale.
Do you have your full birth name on Facebook? Yes.
What is your least favorite fruit? Probably cherries.
How often do you walk around barefoot? Whenever I'm in my house or another person's who prefers shoes off inside.
Would you need to sleep with someone before considering marrying them? Nah.
Do you think people look up to you? No.
How often do you have trouble sleeping at night? Every night.
Do you ever rehearse conversations before you have them? YEP. In my head, at least.
Can you name five current world leaders? No, haha...
When taking a cab, do you talk to the driver? Cabs aren't really a thing here. I've never been in one.
Do you always read the book before you see a movie based on a book? No.
What is your favorite urban legend? The Jersey Devil. Mothman is dope and super creepy, too. I love cryptids, period.
Are you an elitist (even a little bit) when it comes to anything? What? No, because I hate people like that so much.
What type of fabric is most comfortable for clothing? I dunno, I don't pay attention to this.
If you wear one – bras with or without a wire? With, so long as they're not poking out and stabbing you...
If you wear one – are you able to find cute bras in your size? Definitely not.
What length do you like your shorts to be? You'd have to pay me some big bucks to see me in shorts, period.
Have you ever cut off jeans or other pants and made them into shorts? No.
Have you cut the sleeves out of T-shirts to make tank tops? I don't think so, no.
What was the last disappointing movie you saw? *shrug*
What was the last disappointing book you read? Even bigger *shrug*.
Do you ever watch compilation videos? Of what? Rarely, but if I do, they're generally old Vines and stuff.
What was the last thing you rolled your eyes about? Probably something stupid on Facebook.
Do you like Hellboy? If so, do you prefer the old movies or the new one? I have no thoughts on this.
Favorite Disney character who isn’t royalty? Dory!
Do you have a lot of people whom you don’t talk to all the time or see all the time, but still consider to be your friends? Yeah, like friends from high school and online childhood ones.
Do you typically do your make up the same each time? Or do you like to change it up often? It's just about always the same.
Do you enjoy making surveys as well as taking them or do you just prefer to copy, paste, fill out, post? The latter. I don't make surveys.
Have you got a significant other? How are things between the two of you? If not, what was your most meaningful/long term relationship and how did that come to an end? I don't. My longest and deepest relationship was with Jason, and he ended it when my depression became too much for him to handle.
Have you spent much time in a vehicle lately? What for and where have you gone most this past month? No. I've barely left the house lately for obvious reasons.
Has it rained yet this year where you live? How about hailed? It's been raining like crazy lately. A few mornings ago, it also hailed very heavily for a few minutes.
What is your favorite thing about Mac computers? I like the sleek, clean look of them.
What is your favorite thing about PCs? They have more power for playing games.
What are some errands you need to run soon? None. Well, we have a Wal-Mart order to pick up I think tomorrow, and I'll probably ride with Mom.
What color was your high school graduation gown? Red. It was between that and navy, and I was really hoping for the latter, but it lost the vote. The red was so obnoxious.
How many graduation gowns have you worn? One.
Are your parents’ dreams for your life different than your own? I don't think they have their own specific "dreams" for my life. They both want me to create my own future that makes me happy.
Have your dreams for your life changed? Definitely, over all the years.
Would you ever want to learn sign language? Not especially, but it'd be cool I suppose.
What’s the last thing you had for dinner? Chicken tenders, I think? Or was that the night before?
Have you ever performed a solo dance in front of a crowd? No, but I almost did. At my old dance studio, the high school seniors had the option to a solo, and I was working on one to "Coma White" by Marilyn Manson, because it was and still is a song I really feel in regards to my mental health and many medications I "have" to be on. I was doing fine, but I stopped when I realized I just really was too nervous as a dance competition approached.
Have you ever sung a solo? No.
What was the last job you had? Deli worker. For two hours.
What was your first job? Sales associate at GameStop.
Who was/were your favorite coworker(s)? I never really had one.
At what age did you start experiencing sexual attraction, if any? I don't know. Probably my freshman year of high school is when my levels of attraction to people reached a sexual and not just romantic level.
Have you ever split open a rock with a hammer, to see a geode inside? UGH no, but I so wanna find one of those one day.
What states have you lived in? Only North Carolina. S.O.S., get me outta here.
What is your favorite thing about the month in which it is now? You start to see some flowers blooming.
Who were your best friends in high school? I had a decent group of close friends, but I was closest to Hannia. I wish I still had contact with her.
^Are they still your best friends now? No. She deleted me off Facebook at some point.
Do you live near the mountains? No; they're on the western end of the state, and I live on the opposite side.
Do you live near a beach? It's about two hours away.
What is your favorite beach that you’ve been to? I don't have a fave.
Do you collect seashells? Nah, but I like picking them up and looking at them. My sisters and I used to collect them, though. We have a plastic container of them somewhere.
If you were to start a new collection, what would it be? I desperately want a cornucopia of Markiplier merch, sobs.
Is there a certain place or store you especially hate going to? I don't like going to most stores, really. I'm an online shopper.
When was the last time you made plans with someone? October of last year.
How long do leftovers usually sit in your fridge? Depends on the food. They tend to stay in there a bit too long, though.
What is something you do for other people that shows you care for them? Offer to listen to them and always be a source of support and love.
What was the last animal/pet that you met? Kinda recently, someone in our neighborhood was walking their German shepherd, and Mom chatted with the lady for a bit while I listened.
Is there anyone in your life with whom your opinion changes on frequently? No.
Have you ever kept a journal? Do you currently keep one? Yes, on-and-off during multiple periods of my life. These surveys are like my journals now.
Is there a certain song or band who remind you of specific people? Yep. Motionless In White and Black Veil Brides, Jason. Pink Floyd and Evanescence, Sara. Metallica, Mom. Van Halen, Dad. Etc., etc.
How often do you style your hair differently from how you normally style it? Never.
Have you ever found out that you have been sleep walking? No, I never have.
What’s the last thing you promised yourself? I don't know about promised. I take those so seriously, even to myself, that I hesitate to make them.
Have you ever tried making something from one of those short cooking videos? How did it turn out? No, but my friend once tried making that "muffin in a cup" thing and it was absolutely horrid. Very eggy.
When was the last time you had to wait in line for longer than a few minutes? Good question. Going into places is so rare nowadays, so it's hard to encounter this issue. Well wait, maybe at a fast food place? Idr.
Have you ever written a review for a product you bought online? No, but I should do that once I actually use my own money to buy from small businesses in particular... if I had something good to say, anyway. I'd feel bad trash-talking a product.
Do you ever interact with any brands/companies online? No.
Is there anything you seem especially sensitive to, such as sounds, smells, etc? Smells, yes.
What was the last thing you had the urge to do? Read, even though I didn't do it. .-.
Is there anyone you feel that takes you for granted? No.
Do you ever read the comments on social media posts? Sometimes, particularly if I have strong feelings about something.
What was the last “good” thing to happen to you? My PHP therapist felt confident enough in my progress to step me down to three sessions a week versus every weekday.
Last awkward situation you were in? Thankfully it was a one-on-one session, but the same aforementioned therapist was asking me questions that really stumped me, so I kept going very quiet as I thought and felt awkward and dumb. He's brilliant at his job.
Think of the last time you were sick – what were you sick with? I think the last issue I had that qualifies as "sick" was a double ear infection from Hell itself. That was like two years ago.
How do you think your life would change without social media? I'd be incredibly bored, but I, among I think most others, would be more positive and have a more realistic outlook on life. Social media highlights the best times in our life, and I do feel that that has had a negative effect on pretty much everyone. I don't at all believe social media is bad in essence, though. It's a wonderful way to stay connected.
What was the last thing you wanted to buy, but couldn’t afford? I can't afford a new terrarium for Venus for probably a while, being without a job and all...
How do you get your news? Facebook, haha.
How often do you drive? Never, right now. My permit is long expired, and my vision isn't up to par to renew it.
If you had to go (back) to school and completely change your career path, what would you choose to study/pursue? I guess biology?
Are there any TV shows you constantly quote or know almost every line to? No.
What do you think about lizards? I adore lizards; they're all so cute, big or small, and truly little dinosaurs. They're beautiful and so vast in appearances and behavior.
Is there anything that people assume about you that isn’t true, and that you find very irritating? Not that I find irritating, no.
How would you rate your “detective” skills? Uh, what am I "detecting?" I'm pretty good at digging online if I'm really hunting something down, I guess.
Have you ever done consumer testing (testing products before they come out on the market)? If not, would you ever want to? No; I wouldn't be opposed, depending on the product.
Have you ever received anesthesia or morphine? Both. The one time (I'm aware of) where I had morphine oddly enough did jack-all, though.
If you had to choose which video game to be in, which would it be? Hmmm. Maybe like, Shadow of the Colossus, living in the beautiful garden on the top of the shrine? With the deer, the birds, fruit, just its general beauty... That would be awesome, especially with one other person, especially an s/o. Just the two of us in a gorgeous land.
Between the two, would you rather live in a place where it’s only night or where it’s only day? Only day, I suppose. Vitamin D is very important, for one thing, and it always being dark would definitely affect my depression. And what about the flowers blooming and being able to take pictures? :( Sleep would still be possible by just closing your shades and stuff.
Is there anyone that makes your skin crawl? Maggots, bot flies, parasites, patterns of small holes, etc.
Do you like it when people are affectionate with you? Yes. If we're at least friends, anyway. I'm a very affectionate person.
Have the past few days been bad, good, or neutral? They've been pretty all right.
If you had to be an actor/actress in a movie, what genre of the movie would you be best at? Probably as an insane villain in a superhero movie or something.
Are people more likely to tell you to tone it down or to speak up? Speak up. I'm a mumbler. I can be too loud sometimes too, though, particularly when I'm excited.
What’s the last thing that you procrastinated? Now. Emerson's birthday was last month and I still haven't touched her pictures...
Out of fire, earth, water, wind, light, and dark, which element appeals the most to you? Dark.
What’s your favorite color on a vehicle? Burnt orange, pink.
The last pain that you experienced, was it physical or emotional? Physical.
What was one of your favorite songs as kid? I liked lots of pop songs.
When’s the last time you tried to get revenge, if ever? Never. It's not something I chase after.
Do you like Taylor Swift? No.
What’s your favorite Disney Channel movie? The Haunted Mansion, I think. That's a Disney movie, isn't it?
If you met your favorite celebrity, would you be calm or star struck? I'd be a deer in headlights, stuttering and stammering over ways to thank him and crying like a bitch. I'd be super embarrassed, but I absolutely hope I get to meet him one day.
Do you ever have to do yard work? No.
Is your school close to your house? I'm no longer in school.
Do you have any live versions of songs in your music software? Yes.
Did/do you listen to Britney Spears songs? Yeah, I like her.
What shorthand do you use the most? Probably "lmao."
What album is the current song you’re listening to off of? METAWAR.
In your opinion, what song is the most overplayed right now? I wouldn't know; I don't listen to the radio.
Are you in a band? No. When I started high school though, I wished I could be a guitarist in one. That's one reason I started taking lessons, haha.
Does your favorite band have a male or female lead singer? Male.
Have you ever been to a Broadway show? No.
Do you prefer group or individual work? Individual, by a long shot. I work much better alone.
Could you ever complete a 500-piece puzzle? I think I have before. I used to love puzzles.
When was the last time you rode in a limo? Damn son, never; what could possibly give you the idea I could afford to ever do THAT?????
Do you take naps daily? Almost every day, yes.
Do you still make Christmas lists? Yeah, because I'm asked to.
Do you watch the show Dexter? Never seen it, no.
Are you currently using a blanket? Yes. My feet are cold.
How long is the song you’re listening to? 4:06.
Is your mom or dad the older parent? Mom, but only by a year.
Did you ever listen to Avril Lavigne when you were younger? Who didn't? I still listen to a couple songs.
When was the last time you changed a light bulb? Not all that long ago when Venus' lamp bulb died.
How often do you clean your car out? I don't have my own car.
Did you ever buy NOW ("Now That’s What I Call Music") CDs? My older sister did, yes.
What color (mainly) is your computer? It's black.
What is in the back seat of your car right now? In Mom's car, idk. But there's usually some stuff back there.
What is your favorite episode of F.R.I.E.N.D.S.? Never watched it.
Last person’s house you were in? Besides my own, my older sister's.
Who is the last person you sent a message to on Facebook? My friend Chelsea. We were catching up.
Were you an honor roll student in school? Yes.
Do you have a tan? HA.
Are you someone’s best friend? Yes. <3
What do you think of when you think of Australia? Huntsmen spiders. *shudders*
Favorite gemstone? Of the basic ones, rubies. If we're talking of all of them, even the obscure, then dragon's breath opal. I'd LOVE to have a ring of one of those.
Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru? Almost always the drive-thru.
What color is your mom’s hair? It's all gray now.
Does your first memory involve your dad? No.
Biggest annoyance in your life right this minute? My social anxiety.
Do you like watching a bonfire? Yeah. Fire is mesmerizing.
Do you ever get flu shots? No, but I really should. Once the Covid vaccine is accessible to all though, I'm getting it for the protection of my immunocompromised mother.
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5 and 11 from the October prompt list! 🙃
“I might just kiss you.” / “It’s not always like this.”
+ anon prompt: Alright I know you probably have a bunch of these but I have a prompt for Playing House. Prompt: Rio has a really tough day at work(like real shitty) and Beth senses it even though he tries to put on a brave face for her and the kids. She does/plans something to make him feel special and loved.
(This was actually originally just based on your prompt, @lilliloves, but anon prompted this today and it fit wonderfully, so I hope you both don’t mind sharing!)
Set in The Centre and Circumference / Domestic Fic universe
(Early-ish. Probably three or four months after I Could Be Your Welcome + See You in the Light)
-
There’s blood at his knuckles.
Ain’t the first time, and he’s sure it won’t be the last, but still – he finds his gaze fixed briefly on it anyway, flexing his hand, feeling the ache in it already. His skin ain’t split though, which means the blood belongs to the guy in front of him, this wiry fuck who’s already spat out two of his teeth on the floor between them, drool oozin’ out of his mouth, so thick with blood it’s almost black, and ain’t that a picture, Rio thinks, resting back into his heels.
His gaze flicks to Demon, and it’s all it takes for him to start rolling the silencer onto his gun.
“No, please,” Vinny moans, squirming back against the chair, hiccupping, feet leavin’ smears of dirt against the concrete floor of the warehouse. “I’ve got a family, I’ve got kids.”
And sure, Rio thinks, rolling his head back towards Vinny, keepin’ his face carefully blank. There’s a chill in the air, but Rio ain’t feelin’ it, not in here, not with the heat of the fight still thunderin’ through his veins, not with the righteous fury still boilin’ in his gut because shit, none of them should even be here, none of them would if it wasn’t for Vinny. Rio raises an eyebrow, pulling his expression into a look of faux care.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, yes, they - - I have - - my eldest is barely six years old. You know Emily. She’s just started school, she - -”
“You think about her when you stole my product?” Rio asks, voice lowly drawlin’. “You think about that little girl when you took out the connect?”
At least that’s enough to shut the fucker up, leave him splutterin’ on his own blood like he’s bein’ waterboarded, and Rio just watches him. Watches the lines of his throat twitch, his blackened eye swelling shut. He remembers getting shawarma with the guy. Remembers beers at Cisco’s. Thinks he might even remember the guy’s daughter for real – blonde, dimpled, all puppy fat cute like one of his sister’s old Cabbage Patch Dolls.
Mostly though he remembers this fuckin’ trip. Remembers sending this guy, days ago, out to pick up pills from Marta in Canada only to hear that the pills were gone and Marta was dead, and this fuck was nowhere to be found, and shit.
Marta had kids too.
“Rio, man, please. I fucked up, I know that, I - -”
Rio gives Demon the nod.
*
Demon offers him a cigarette, but Rio shakes his head, pulling his keys out of the back pocket of his jeans as he watches Diego hurl his guts up onto the concrete a few steps away. Kid’s pretty new – can’t be much older than 21, but both Dags and Bullet had vouched for him. Said he was loyal, quiet, got the job done. They’d worked with him on one of their smaller side hustles, and Rio figured what the hell. New blood could be good for the operation. This sorta trial was always good for the new intake too – let them see what waited for ‘em if they got in their egos, if they thought they could pull one over.
And Rio had been impressed enough. The kid hadn’t complained, had helped get Vinny here, even thrown a few good punches and helped Demon clean the body of any prints or DNA before gettin’ rid of it. The vomitin’ was a good sign too, for a kid this green. Death should matter. Should scare you. It means you treat it serious. Means you ain’t cappin’ people without cause.
It’s what keeps you kickin’.
“A drink then. Fuck, I need one,” Demon says, and Rio flicks his gaze back to him. “Back to the hotel?”
And he probably should. Their rooms are already booked, paid for. They’ve been stayin’ there for a few nights – had crossed the border and holed up as soon as Rio had gotten word of Marta, knowin’ just how quick they had to move to pull Vinny out before he could burrow too deep. Knew how quickly this situation needed handlin’.
Elizabeth hadn’t liked it.
Had done that thing where she’d tried to come with him – goin’ so far this time as to pack a bag and put it in the trunk of his car, plant herself in the passenger seat, and he’d practically had to drag her outta the thing. It hadn’t been until he’d told her she needed to stay to look after the dealership, the drops, keep business runnin’ that she’d agreed (although she’d still been prickly at that).
Truth was, it hadn’t just been business – although he couldn’t exactly deny it’d been good not to have to worry about it, to trust her enough to keep it runnin’ smoothly. Hadn’t even just been about the house neither, although it had been about that too. The kids were still gettin’ used to the new house and the new routine after all, especially hers, and he’s learnt fast how quick those seeds of guilt plant in her when it comes to them, knows how easily they grow, how ripe their fruits are, had known how twisted up she’d get herself if anythin’ happened while they were in Canada and the kids were in Detroit with her sister or her friend or - - worse - - that dumbass ex of hers.
Nah, it wasn’t just that.
What it was was he didn’t like her on these jobs.
Didn’t like her reckless ass ignorin’ plans or mouthin’ off, didn’t like her stormin’ into situations like that face and that body was some sort of armor, and, hell, didn’t like none of these guys lookin’ at that face and that body. Didn’t like them seein’ her, didn’t like them standin’ so close to her, didn’t like the fact that he dreamt of it sometimes. That clenched jaw of hers, somebody else’s gun underneath it, somebody who didn’t have anythin’ stoppin’ them from pullin’ the trigger, and just - -
Shit.
Rio rubs at his head.
He does want a drink.
More than that, he wants a fuck. Wants to release this livewire of tension in him, wants to lose himself in a body underneath him, but the only body he wants is Elizabeth’s, and he could drive home tonight, but that would mean talkin’ to her. Would mean gussyin’ up to her Bambi-eyed interrogation.
She’d be in her ugly ass pyjamas, he thinks, and the picture of it comes too quickly.
Probably the ones he hates the most. The cream satin ones with those little orange flowers. Sittin’ up in their bed, nipples hard, pokin’ up through her shirt, those pale cheeks of hers flushed pink, her eyes a little wet, her hair a mess, waitin’, breathless, for him, and - -
He snorts.
Who’s he kidding?
More likely angrily scrubbin’ dishes at 2am and ready to ask him a million questions he don’t wanna answer.
Shit.
Marta and Vinny.
“You know Vinny’s family?” Rio asks, turning back towards Demon, who nods. “Send ‘em the usual?”
“50g? You wanna send it cash or wire transfer?”
Rio tilts his head from side-to-side, considering.
“Cash,” he decides. “Send a hundred to Marta’s. Deliver it in person. We’re gonna need a new connect for the pills.”
Demon just hums in affirmation, flicking ash off the end of his cigarette, before he says: “I’ll stick around a few days. Get it sorted. Take it this means it’s a no for the drink?”
Rio blinks, surprised, hadn’t even quite realised that that was what he was doing, but as soon as Demon’s said it, he knows he’s right.
Thing is, it ain’t even like Elizabeth’s the first woman he’s wanted to lose himself in after bad days, just it’s barely even about fucking her at this point. Just - - he wants to bury himself in her until she’s all he can smell, until the taste of her skin is hot on his tongue, until he’s close enough to her he can count her eyelashes, and shit, that ain’t a thought he’s used to. Ain’t even one he’s particularly comfortable with.
Just - - he thinks of another cold night in the hotel alone and tense, and then thinks about bein’ home instead, thinks of her asleep, thinks of not wakin’ her to postpone her questions and the inevitable argument, thinks of crawlin’ into bed beside her, layin’ his head on her breast, the softness of her beneath him remindin’ him of all the ways he ain’t, her heartbeat fluttering beneath his ear, the way, only half awake, she runs her nails down his scalp, the way she smooths her too-smooth fingers at the base of his neck, and it’s urgent suddenly. The need in him.
He could be there in two hours.
“Call me tomorrow, yeah? Let me know how you go? Keep Diego with you. Show ‘im the ropes.”
Demon makes an acknowledging gesture with his hand, and Rio heads out into the night.
*
The house is dark when he pulls up, the only light comin’ from the back porch because Elizabeth swears it makes her feel safe (like the half a million dollar security system he bought doesn’t), and it means she’s not expecting him. Means she might actually be asleep. Means maybe she took him seriously for a change when he told her to stop waitin’, stop callin’, that he’d back when it was over.
He slips into the house, disarming the security system and beelining for the laundry. He kicks his shoes off, washes his face, his bruised hands in the sink, before filling it to soak his bloodied clothes in, adding the disinfectant from the cupboard, and stripping off to his boxer briefs there and then. It had been at Elizabeth’s insistence the first time he’d done this that they add the lock to the laundry room door, just to keep the kids out, and he’s glad for it now, for the ability to leave his shirt there, reddening the water, without worry.
Running a hand over his face, he grabs a pair of sweats and a t-shirt from the pile of clean laundry in the basket, steps out, fixes himself a drink at the bar cart in the living room, finishes it there alone, trying to steady his hands, his breath, to calm his frayed nerves before he allows himself the comfort of bein’ beside her. Tries to wrestle out of the maw of the last few days, of Vinny’s slack jaw and Marta in a body bag, scrubbing briefly at his face and finishing the last of his drink before starting up the stairs towards bed.
There’s somethin’ to be said there about the moonlight through the window, the too soft glow of the night outside of here, softening everything in its path, and Elizabeth is right there in the middle of it, curled up on her side in their bed, her hair fanned out against their pillows, bags beneath her eyes like she hasn’t slept well in days, which - - fuck, somethin’ in him twists at the thought, but then – right there, nestled into her chest, is Marcus.
It’s enough to make Rio stop in the doorway, dig his arm into the doorframe, enough it might leave a mark, enough it pinches. He should leave him, he thinks, slide into bed beside ‘em and leave it be, but then - -
Vinny’s blood is thick on his hands tonight, the weight of him heavy on his back, and he needs Marcus just - - away from it. Away from him, at least until the mornin’ comes, at least until he’s had the time to put this night behind him, to wash the stench of it off, and shit, he thinks, almost crawling out of his skin, leg jittery with tension beneath him. This ain’t somethin’ to be shared, not with him.
He strides quietly over to the bed, gently tugging his son out of Elizabeth’s arms, relieved more than anything when Marcus comes easily. He lifts him up, carrying him quietly down the hall and flipping on the light to his bedroom. It’s neat at least, which makes it easy to take him down, to flip over the sheets of his bed and lower his son into them. His head’s barely hit the pillow when suddenly big, dark eyes are bein’ turned on him, the kid’s little mouth fallin’ open like a spell.
“Daddy?”
“Go to sleep, pop,” Rio hums, and when Marcus tries to sit up, he gently pushes him back down.
“You’re home!”
“Nuh, but I will be tomorrow. You’re dreamin’ right now, yeah?” he keeps his voice low, dulcet, brushes his hands through Marcus’ hair, tucking him back down beneath the covers. “Faster you fall asleep, faster you’ll wake up, faster I’ll be home.”
And he doesn’t think the kid really believes it, but still, Marcus hums sleepily, happily, back at him, his eyes driftin’ shut again and Rio just - - watches him. Watches the rise and fall of his chest and the flutter of his eyelashes and he thinks how easily he could never see it again, like Marta won’t, like Vinny, and just - - shit.
He rubs a hand hard over the back of his head.
Not worth thinkin’ about now, he tells himself, slipping back out of his bedroom and heading back towards his own. It’s only then that the exhaustion really catches up with him – hits him square between the shoulders like somethin’ out of a cartoon, and he swipes at his forehead as he heads back towards their bed, gaze only flicking up to see Elizabeth sleepin’ soundly, the soft curve of her body like an invitation, and his eyes travel too easily down her, from her peaceful face to the arc of her shoulder and the dip of her waist, the long trail of her legs and - - he just - -
Stops.
There’s a lump at the foot of their bed, tangled up in the sheets, and Rio steps slowly towards it, eyeing off the mound of it when the lump squirms back suddenly, and shit, Rio thinks. He rolls his eyes, reaches for the blankets, lifting it just in time to see Jane peer back up at him, dubby in her fist, her little face scrunched up, half hidden in a bunny rabbit onesie and it must be a hand-me-down from Emma, because she’s swimmin’ in it.
“’ey,” he hums, and Jane blinks up at him, bright eyed, before she pants like a dog, wiggles her butt, goes to bark, but Rio frowns, pushes a finger to his lips and jerks his head to where Elizabeth is sleeping.
“Don’t wake your mama up. C’mon.”
He holds his hands out for her to leap into, only she pulls her face into a little scowl, shaking her head.
“No,” Jane growls, and Rio rolls his eyes again, frustration sparking in his belly.
“I ain’t playin’, darlin’, c’mon. It’s way past bedtime.”
And Jane just - - shit, she sticks out her tongue, and Rio exhales sharply, feels the stress of the day and the exhaustion of tonight press hard at his temples, but he smooths out his expression as best he can, reachin’ over to her, only she’s trying to tangle herself up in her mother’s legs, and Jesus, Elizabeth must be real tired if this don’t even wake her. Before Jane can get herself too wrapped up, Rio moves closer, pluckin’ her out of bed by the back of her onesie and pulling her unceremoniously away from Elizabeth.
He intends to lift her straight up into his arms and walk her to bed like he’d just done Marcus, but Jane starts thrashin’ the second she’s in the air, and shit, Rio grunts and then he’s gotta loosen his grip or he might accidentally hurt her, but loosenin’ his grip only serves to make Jane spring off the bed and sprint down the hallway in a flurry of pink fleece and animal ears. Behind him, Elizabeth stirs, and Rio’s head whips around, waiting for her to resettle before he moves quietly to the doorway. Jane’s standing at the top of the stairs, her little face peering out from beneath her bunny rabbit hood, and Rio frowns at her, gesturing his head to her bedroom.
Jane shakes her own head furiously in reply, and Rio exhales sharply, stepping out into the hallway, unsurprised when Jane retaliates by clutching at the railing and starting down the stairs, and shit, he thinks, picking up his step. The booties on her pyjamas are so big she’s gonna trip herself up, tumble head-first over them. He moves quickly enough to grab her underneath the arms and when she starts to yelp and thrash again, he spins her quickly in his arms, until they’re practically nose-to-nose.
“What’d you want?” he asks her, staring her down, because shit, his nerves ain’t here for tantrums tonight, and Jane just looks back at him, long and hard, little jaw rockin’, and this kid really is somethin’ else, and as much as he hates to admit it, if he were in a better mood, he might be amused.
“Special drink,” Jane settles on, and Rio arches an eyebrow at her, about to tell her it ain’t the time, but then - - shit, Elizabeth’s concoction of milk heated on the stove, honey, cloves and cinnamon really does seem to knock ‘em out. Maybe he can ground in a Nyquil to help.
“Then you go to your bed?”
Jane nods, and Rio does too, resignedly pushing her onto his hip and taking the stairs two at a time until he hits the bottom. He thinks about just depositing Jane on the couch, lettin’ her watch somethin’ bland and g-rated on the TV, but then he doesn’t really trust her not to sneak up the stairs, back beneath Elizabeth’s arm, and if she gets there again, Rio’s knows he’s gonna be subjectin’ himself to the couch.
So he deposits her on a stool at the kitchen island instead, glancing around the kitchen only to stop when he spots the pot on the stove and the spice packets already on the bench. He walks over, grabbing the pot and looking at the thin rim of milk build-up cooked into the sides of it.
“Looks like your mama already made special drink,” he says, rinsing out the pot and Jane just shakes her head.
“She made it for Marcus, not me,” Jane tells him. “She always makes it, so it’s not special anymore. It’s just regular drink.”
Rio arches an eyebrow, glancing back at her.
“That right?” he asks. “But it’s special drink when I make it?”
“Yup.”
And shit, she might be right. He ain’t ever made it before, and at least the fact that Elizabeth’s already made it for Marcus tonight means the ingredients are there for him. He racks his head for the steps, for the muscle memory of havin’ watched her make this thing a million times before, and - - right, milk on the stove. He grabs a jug from the fridge.
“Your hand looks funny.”
Rio glances over at Jane as he moves to flick the stove on, that damn blanket of hers half shoved in her mouth, the floppy rabbit ears of her hood hangin’ down past her shoulder. He looks at his hand and the bruises really are bad – a dark, bloomin’ purple that he knows will only stiffen over the next few days. Will swell and throb and he resists the urge to shake it out.
“Yeah?” he asks, and Jane rocks her head from side-to-side, considering.
“It’s like when I felled over. Did you felled over?”
“Fall,” he corrects, and when he looks over at her, Jane’s blinking at him in confusion, her blue eyes wide, her lips parted. He clarifies: “Did you fall over? Not felled, darlin’.”
“Did you fall over?” Jane echoes, and Rio turns back to the milk on the stove, reaching for the cinnamon. He looks at his knuckles as he shakes in the spice, and wonders if he should’ve worn gloves, somethin’ that might’ve covered them from view.
“Somethin’ like that,” he replies, capping the spice cannister, and it takes Jane a minute to reply, like she’s processin’ it, workin’ out what she want to say, and Rio lets her, his gaze fixed down on the way the cinnamon turns the colour of the milk, brownin’ it up. He blinks and sees the cinnamon, he blinks and he sees the blood on Vinny’s pale cheek.
He grabs the packet of cloves.
“Is that why you went away?”
Shit, how much of this stuff does Elizabeth usually put in? He shoves a finger into the packet of cloves, nudging them around, and finally scoops out a handful, watchin’ them bob around in the milk.
“What’d your mama say?”
“That you had to work.”
“Your mama ever lied to you?”
“No.”
“So I was workin’,” he tells her easily, glancing back around to look at her, and it ain’t exactly sudden, seein’ Emily in Jane’s place, propped up at the kitchen island, but it still takes him by surprise, makes him rock his jaw, jerk his head away, try to focus on the simmer of the milk and the sound of Jane’s feet, thumpin’ against the chair.
Jane ain’t Emily, she ain’t gonna lose a parent to this. She -
“When my daddy goes away for work, he brings us presents home,” Jane says, and Rio snorts.
Okay, maybe she’ll lose one parent to this. Rio can’t exactly say he’s keepin’ Dean off any lists. Shit, might be addin’ him to a few. (Not really, although - - he ain’t rulin’ it out). Still, he shifts his weight back, grabbing a spoon to scoop in some honey.
“Yeah? Like what?”
“Like candy or dollies.”
The honey oozes off the spoon into the milk, like Vinny’s bloodied drool to the concrete floor, and Rio’s voice is duller than he means when he says:
“Huh. Why you think he do that?”
Jane pauses, and the question must surprise her, her little mouth hangin’ open for a moment, until she shoves the dubby in it instead. Rio has to resist the urge to tug it out, had made that mistake only a few weeks after movin’, had had to endure Jane’s hysterics and Beth’s frustration (“She only started doing it after Dean moved out, it comforts her, just - - leave it, please.”)
“I don’t know,” Jane replies now around a mouthful of blanket, and Rio hums, grabbing her sippy cup off the strainer and pouring in the milk, making sure it’s not too hot in the process. He puts the top on, and glances at her, considering. He could just give it to her here, but in the end he holds up his hands, and Jane moves easily into them this time, lets him carry her to the couch, lets him hold her as he flops down on it, her body sideways in his lap, cradled in his arms like he’d do when Marcus was a toddler, like he still does sometimes, when he’s sick or needy.
And it’s funny, coz Jane fits like Marcus used to. Kid had a growth spurt recently after all, overtakin’ even Emma, and it all serves to make Jane all the tinier. Like her aunt, Rio thinks, briefly amused, then – more so, huffing out a laugh – like her mama when she finally pulls her pumps off at the end of the night.
(How big are Marta’s kids? Does he even know?)
“Order’s up,” he tells Jane, passing her the cup and letting her wriggle up until she’s practically using his arm as a hammock, her legs sprawled out across his own. She takes a generous drink only to reel slightly up.
“Yuck,” she says, spluttering, and Rio groans looking down at her, grabbing the cup and taking a sip, only to cough because shit - - it’s bad. Way too much cinnamon, enough it tastes almost like ash in his mouth, and maybe he’ll just leave it out entirely this time. Can’t fuck up just milk and honey, can he? He moves to get up, to make another, when Jane suddenly snatches at the cup again, clutching the sippy to her chest before shoving the nozzle back into her mouth. “No, I like it.”
And figures, Rio thinks, arching an eyebrow down at her as she wriggles back against his chest, sucking on the sippy cup, her eyes already half-lidded. He feels his own lids drop too, like they’re playin’ some game of Simon Says (go to sleep), and he could almost doze himself when Jane reaches the hand not holdin’ the cup out to his. She pushes out a tiny pointer finger and taps him on each of his bruised knuckles and he just - - watches her do it. Watches this scrap of Elizabeth play the hand he broke Vinny’s jaw with like a piano.
“Marcus and mommy are upset at you,” she says suddenly, half muffled around the sippy cup, and Rio’s gaze shifts from their hands to her face, but she ain’t lookin’ at him. She’s lookin’ at their hands, and after a minute, he sighs.
“I know,” he tells her. “They don’t like it when I gotta go away like that. I don’t like it neither, but sometimes I just gotta.”
Jane sucks the nozzle back into her mouth, staring up at him now, her eyes unblinkin’, and he always thinks it’s her sister that looks most like Elizabeth, but this one doesn’t go without, not with the steadiness of her gaze and the set to her jaw.
“It’s three,” she tells him, and Rio blinks down at her.
“What’s three?”
“Three times you gone away.”
Whatever he was expecting, it wasn’t that, and Rio stares at her, unblinking now, as Jane holds up her hand.
“Just after we moved here,” she ticks it off on her fingers. “Then the other time, now this time. That’s three.”
And shit, she ain’t wrong. He mostly thought Jane barely noticed. Not like anyone would ever mistake her for the most perceptive of Elizabeth’s kids (not that any of ‘em really are), but Jane’s all energy and distraction and shit. He’s been busy. He’s always busy, and Marcus has never liked it. Never liked the fact that sometimes he just gotta move, gotta bring things back, gotta handle things, but - -
“It’s not always like this,” he says, and Jane looks up at him, and there are too many expressions that pass over her round little face – disbelief and childish frustration until it finally settles on somethin’ else, somethin’ softer, less certain, somethin’ he ain’t seen on her face, at least not somethin’ he’s seen directed at him.
“You didn’t say bye,” she says finally, her voice small, and Rio exhales, annoyed.
“I did, darlin’,” because he did. Shit, got to fight about it with Elizabeth and leave Marcus red faced and weepy, made sure of that, but then - -
He looks at Jane and any self-righteousness dies on his tongue.
“Not to you though, huh?” he says softly, and Jane shuffles back into his arm, presses her forehead into his chest, out of sight, the nozzle of the sippy cup sucked into her mouth like a bottle, keeps herself looking away from him, and Rio exhales. He looks down at his bruised hands, then at her feet, where the booties of her onesie hang limply down the side of the couch, her feet lost somewhere in the legs of the thing, the hood of it hangin’ so far down her face it almost covers her eyes, and he reaches up to tug it back, just enough he can see her.
“’m sorry. Think maybe I’m still gettin’ used to this,” he says, because he hadn’t said goodbye to any of Elizabeth’s kids. Had trusted her to do it for him, had treated them like they were just a part of her, but - -
They ain’t.
They’re - -
Well.
Fuck.
Jane looks up at him, her eyes a little glassy and just - - he ain’t sure what that is, the feelin’ in his gut, hollowing itself out. “Can you be the first one I say hey to instead?”
She makes a show of turnin’ it over, her squirming against his chest and drinkin’ that goddamn awful drink he’s made her, but then she nods, and Rio tugs on one of her rabbit ears.
“’ey, Jane,” he says quietly. “You been good for your mama while I been gone?”
And she grins a little at that, shakes her head into his chest again, giggling before she can stop herself, and Rio smiles too, but rolls his eyes.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
He almost reaches out to her, but before he gets the chance to, Jane wriggles up his body, curls her arms around his neck, and Rio leans down, scooping her up closer, feeling her collapse sleepily into his chest, still slurping at that drink, and hell if that ain’t commitment. He exhales a laugh, dropping a hand to her back, and it practically takes up the width of it, and he can’t say what he feels, feelin’ the rise and fall of her chest against his, her snufflin’ breaths against his shoulder.
And it’s hard enough, but then he exhales and he hears Vinny’s last one, and his hand tightens on her back, and he just - -
Needs to put her to bed.
Needs her safe and happy and dreamin’ of her mama and Paw Patrol and out of his nightmares, and when he stands up this time, starts up the stairs, when he finally does put her to bed, she don’t make a sound.
And then just, tuckin’ her in - - all his energy’s gone, sapped out of him, and any jittery tension he’d needed to lose has gone cold in his chest, left him pulled thin and stretched out, and shit, he thinks, rubbing furiously at his forehead, it’s just - -
Just is, he reminds himself.
There wasn’t a way around it. Not a way that’d keep him and his safe.
And he can do this for his ma, he can do it for his sisters, he can do it for his son.
Can do it for Elizabeth and her kids too.
Can - - he exhales, leavin’ the thought alone, pulling his hand away from his face, grabbin’ the sippy cup from Jane’s iron grip instead and droppin’ it to her bedside table so it don’t soak through her sheets, flickin’ on her nightlight before slipping out of her room.
And it figures, that Elizabeth would be awake now, when he finally gets back to their (freshly) childfree bedroom, her blue eyes blinkin’ sleepily back at him, from her - -
Nah, he realises, his pillow.
“You put the kids to bed?” she whispers, pushing herself up onto her elbow, and Rio nods stripping off his t-shirt, arching his back, hearing it crack.
“You’re home earlier than I thought you’d be,” she adds, and Rio nods, padding over to the bed. He should leave his sweats on, knows he should, but for whatever reason, he can’t quite make himself. Just wants to be rid of them, rid of his underwear, rid of all of it. Wants to shower, but doesn’t have the energy to, so instead he just strips everythin’ off, sliding into bed beside Elizabeth.
She doesn’t complain for a change, doesn’t squawk or pout or nag him to put his clothes back on. She just watches him, her blue eyes too clear, her features drawn.
“Is it done?” she asks, and Rio sighs.
“Would I be home if it weren’t?”
It’s sharper than he means it to be and she looks a little wounded, and Rio exhales, because shit, he’s the one who don’t want this fight. Just looks at her for a moment, and it ain’t fair, that she can look this sweet, that her eyes and her body can sing like a siren in the night, callin’ for him across borders, across countries, callin’ him home, and he reaches a hand to touch her face because he wants to - - needs to feel her, but shit, it was the wrong move, because she’s gaspin’, grabbin’ his hand instead, a high-pitched sound escaping her throat when she sees how bruised it is.
“Let me see it.”
He yanks his hand out of her grip, curling it around her waist instead, pulling her beneath him, entangling their legs, hidin’ his hand half up her pyjama shirt.
“Are you hurt?” she asks, and he can tell she wants to squirm out of his grip, to try and flip ‘em over so she can look at him properly, find somethin’ to nurse, but she ain’t got a clue how hurt he actually is, so won’t do it, and for once, he don’t want to correct her.
“Keep askin’ questions and I might just have to kiss you,” he drawls, the to shut you up implied as he nestles his face into her chest, nosing between the buttons on her pyjama shirt so forcefully that the tip of it brushes the inner curve of her breast, inhaling deeply the faint smell of sweat and peach bodywash and that smell beneath it all that’s just her.
“You say that like it’s a threat,” she replies, the words light, jokin’, but her tone ain’t real, and he knows she’d let him, but he also knows she don’t want him to. That she’d give him sex tonight like a gift, and that’s not how he wants this, not with her, not now. He just - -
Shit, he just wants to hold her, but he don’t know how the fuck to say that.
She inhales above him, a little wet, a little damp, like she might be cryin’ a bit, and she says, “Rio, what – ”
He sucks in a breath, clenches his eyes shut, hand tightening on her waist.
“Not tonight, darlin’,” he says, his voice hoarse, cutting her off, and then - - because how can he say the rest of it? He just says: “Please.”
The word hangs between them, and then it’s those too-soft fingers of hers, pressin’ tentatively to the back of his neck, and he exhales, harsh and wet against her breast, sinking his head heavily down against her chest, his mouth open as her fingers firm there and he knows she’ll be back on this shit tomorrow, that he’ll have to tell her somethin’, that he’ll have to make sure that money gets to Marta’s kids and to Vinny’s, that the compensation will be nothin’ but he lets Elizabeth massage the guilt out of his neck for now and finally he lets his eyelids flutter shut.
#beth x rio#prompt fills#the center and circumference#domesticity#beth boland#rio#marcus#jane boland#my fic
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SLIGHTLY NEW ALBUMS I LIKED (Little Simz - GREY Area; Monsune - Tradition; Backxwash - God Has Nothing to Do With This Leave Him Out of It)
More loose reviews that I write and instantly want to get out of my Word document and into Tumblr without much of an overlaying theme between the albums or any planning as to which ones I’ll be releasing at which point, but it is what it is. This time I’ll be compiling some recent-ish albums I’ve enjoyed, two of which I’ve come to know from TheNeedleDrop (I try not to watch reviews before writing down my opinion btw), and one EP from an artist I like. Here it is.
Little Simz – GREY Area
Little Simz, the 26-year-old British rapper, is an artist I’ve loved the first time I heard her, when I listened to Selfish for the first time and saw her cover of Feel Good Inc. in triple-j’s Like A Version. Today, May 30th, I was planning on listening to White Chalk by PJ Harvey, but from what I read, it’s a pretty depressing album, and I’m not in the mood for that right now, so I picked GREY Area from my future listening list.
It’s really nice to hear a rap album like this once in a while. The instrumentation is organic and well thought out, her flow is amazing, and her lyrics have so much substance and personality to them, ranging from the happier, more reminiscent tone in 101 FM to the much more aggressive tracks Offence, Boss, Venom and Pressure, she’s always giving her take on life, telling the experience of what it’s like being a black person with big dreams in England, seeing friends die while she tries to go somewhere in life through music.
The main tone she picks for her self-narrative is an unapologetic view of the world around her; she tells the listener: “’til now I ain’t ever been the selfish type, ‘till now I ain’t ever told nobody no, don’t get it twisted. This shit ain’t happen overnight” in the biggest song off here, Selfish, featuring the most calming and lavish pianos and violins in this album, and an amazing feature by Cleo Sol on the hook. Pressure features an amazing batch of verses all about. Same thing with the intro, Offence, with its bold, empowering chorus; although the track comes off more playful with its cartoonish sound effects nearing the end than the raw message of the track mentioned previously. A great, high-spirited track to start off the album.
What isn’t as high-spirited is the next track, Boss, or, to be fair, almost all the other tracks in the album. Boss is a big fuck you to anyone you might dedicate the song to: the hook has Simz’s most aggressive delivery in the whole record, and the entire message is about getting over those who hurt you and coming up. The second verse is something else.
Wounds, featuring Jamaican singer Chronixx, deals mostly with the gun/crime problem ever-so-present in marginalized communities all around the world, and she tells the story from the perspective of both herself and as a companion of the “gun man”, repeatedly mentioned in the song (“When a gun man only knows self-hate, them bullets show no love”). I’m not super crazy for Chronixx’s hook, or the much slower tempo of the track, but it fits well with the groovy instrumental. Venom, on the other hand, is a super exciting, menacing song. She goes all out over the violins playing in the background, but unfortunately, the track burns twice as bright to last half as long.
To lighten the mood a bit, 101 FM brings the most electronic instrumental, with cheerful, banging 808s and synths, and lyrics about her come up as a rapper, probably the verses where her British accent and slang dominate the most, giving them a more personal feel somewhat. Pressure doesn’t feature the most compelling instrumental or hooks in here – the Little Dragon refrain is mixed very poorly and the vocalist just doesn’t do a great job -, but the verses compensate for that, especially the first one, probably one of the most heartfelt and important ones in this album. Therapy talks about Simz’s struggles with finding comfort in therapy. The instrumental is average for the project, but still slaps, so that’s nice.
Sherbet Sunset is an ode to a broken relationship, and a theme that could be handled so poorly by other artists is handled masterfully by Little Simz. In three verses, she displays so many sides to what I assume is one relationship, so many emotions and thoughts that she shares, it really feels like she’s transcribing something of a focused, bright mind rush over the track, and it amazes me how she can reveal her feelings so well on a track like this, progressing from the regret of not seeing how it’d go wrong, to the anxiety that comes from spending all that time for seemingly nothing, to coming to terms with it in the last verse (although not quite). It’s a stunning song now that I listen to it again.
To close it all off, we have Flowers, mainly a tribute to various artists from the 27 club, with mentions of Jimi Hendrix and Amy Winehouse in the verses, trying to relate to their struggles with drug addiction and quick fame. It’s incredibly powerful and a great finisher.
I don’t dislike one track in GREY Area. It’s well conceived, a great statement, it really feels like she gives her all to make every track memorable, and even though her delivery is mostly monotone throughout the whole album, that also works to her favor, as she has a very unique and recognizable voice. So the lyrics are extremely well written, and the only reason I don’t give more examples of that is because I got a whole lot of school shit to do, the instrumental work is clean and precise, and I don’t have a whole lot to complain about. Check this shit out if you haven’t.
FAVORITE TRACKS: 101 FM, Venom, Selfish, Offence, Boss, Pressure
LEAST FAVORITE TRACK: lol nah
8.7/10
“Why you wanna all dress lies as truth? Have you ever seen what silence do? I don’t wanna see no violent troops putting out fires that haven’t been started”
Monsune – Tradition
Damn I did not expect to like this as much as I did.
Monsune is a Chinese-Canadian singer who has recently been gaining some popularity from his amazing song OUTTA MY MIND, which features a funky bassline and high-pitched guitar playing that some have compared to Childish Gambino, specifically his album “Awaken, My Love!”. I decided to check out this short EP by him to see if he had anything more to offer, and it’s safe to say, he does.
The first track off Tradition already shows what this guy can do with his production. It starts off with the same vibe off of his previously mentioned biggest track, but on steroids: a prominent bassline, pitch-altered backing vocals, sunny guitars, and drowned out drums. His voice is also reaching higher notes in this song than in OUTTA MY MIND, but then in the middle of the song it all slows down for a very welcome beat change that shifts the song from this summer anthem to a very chill R&B tune. It’s amazing stuff, although I don’t understand why he chose to put some very noticeable autotune in this part.
CLOUD is my least favorite from the EP, but it’s still a very solid song, it’s just not amazing. The bass is still very strong, and the bridge later on in the song is addictive as shit. After that track comes OUTTA MY MIND, and then his style completely switches in MOUNTAIN, which starts off with some solo guitar and his low, beautiful singing. It’s actually really moving for some reason lol. It then picks up in the hook, the drums kick in along with what I assume is a keyboard, and his voice reaches the top of his range for the backing vocals, it’s a very well-made song.
JADE finishes Tradition off extremely beautifully, with a smooth acoustic guitar intro over a nice-ass bass, some ethereal, trippy scenes of Monsune floating over the ocean and appearing out of thin air in front of you (probably not you, the listener). And then all of a sudden this madman screams off the top of his lungs in the middle of the track and I fucking love it.
The flaws this EP has are mostly related to the mixing, which I think can be a little too harsh in some sections such as the big breakdowns in JADE and MOUNTAIN. Plus, I know lyrics aren’t a focus on a project like this, but it would be nice to get something more than love songs in the future perhaps. Still, loving this EP, so glad I checked Monsune out. You should too.
WORST TO BEST: CLOUDS, 1998, JADE, OUTTA MY MIND, MOUNTAIN
8/10
“Don’t you wanna come down? Cause I’m so bored of walking on the same old sky”
Backxwash – God Has Nothing to Do With This Leave Him Out of It
God Has Nothing to Do With This Leave Him Out of It is an album by American rapper Backxwash, who received a new wave of attention after Anthony Fantano reviewed this album in his channel and gave it a decent 8. I haven’t watched the review yet, but I was interested in checking it out because of the high score, and especially since when I looked it up on Spotify, the songs only had around 8000 views.
Dark subject themes and the whole dark trap aesthetic are the core of this album. I, personally, have always been a fan of aggressive, heavy rap music, from more underground names like gizmo and Fukkit, to the more mainstream variant of these sounds, like XXXTENTACION. This album, however, operates in somewhat of a separate lane.
Many of the dark, edgy rap I used to listen to religiously back in the day was borderline mindless. Shit about ripping someone open, hollow flexing, except separated from mainstream rap only because the rapper in question is screaming their brains out when talking about designer clothes, instead of mumbling like your average Lil Baby, and, of course, personal problems, depression, being mad about whatever it was. Unlike its other contemporaries, however, it seems Backxwash has much more thought and elaboration into what she wants to yell about. Instead of hiding behind bass-boosted rather formulaic instrumentals, she takes the more scenic route, with still very dark, but more intricate gothic beats, sampling various religious speeches and implementing them into songs about black magic and overall unhappiness. The Black Sabbath sample that opens up this album should be enough for any listener to immediately understand what they’re about to get into, as the title track brings heavy percussion and some of the most graphic lyrics in the album, which it already doesn’t lack. Lines about downing pills and vodka, contemplating suicide, and blank vocalizations of anger (“I want war with these bitches, I want corpses and weapons”).
The track that resembles an average edgy Soundcloud rap song the most is Black Magic right after, with its own interpretation of the “ay” flow, shouted with a tone reminiscent of someone like Craig Xen. The big difference comes with the much grander production, especially the growling guitars that get introduced halfway, reminding the listener of Backxwash’s skill as a producer. From what I could tell, she was responsible for the production of the tracks in here, and considering there are no vocal guests except for Malldate’s quick appearance in Into The Void, I’m assuming the features listed in the tracklist are all producer credits as well, the feature in this track being Ada Rook, providing the amazing guitar work for this song.
Spells is mixed for me. I don’t enjoy the attempted singing in the chorus, and it falls completely flat to my ears; the beat is hard as ever, but the lyrics feel slightly disconnected with each other. At one point, she’s talking about going to Hell to her mom, at the other she mentions doors opening and closing in an office and how there’s no one in some corridor, and it doesn’t go anywhere from that, with lines such as “heart is so dead with tissue” not exactly evoking any sort of emotion or imagery.
Black Sheep is the most effective song out of the first four; it seems to filter all the positive aspects of the other tracks and package them into one quick serving. The beat is chaotic and in a constant state of unrest, the lyrics are centered and aimed at various of Backxwash’s problems in life, such as her father, people who want to bring her down and put her “in line on the X and O’s”, and overall venting. After that comes a brief interlude, the first of two that don’t have much use in the album except as pallet cleansers. It’s followed by Into The Void, a track that mentions her paranoia of being harassed and possibly killed when walking around in the streets and the deli. It’s haunting, and definitely the best song in here; it is laser-focused in the exact way I wished the previous tracks would be. Her vocal delivery is extremely expressive, and she tells the story in a way that gives the listener a brief, but at the same time immense glimpse of the reality that trans people face and have to go through, in a morbid fashion.
Adolescence is very short and eases the pace a bit after the intense emotions of the last. It’s a message to her younger brother that quickly descents into a confession of her inner struggle, mentioning possible overdoses and being too old for the 27 Club and fearing going to therapy. What’s great about this song is the fact that, even in such a short amount of time and with a less explosive instrumental, Backxwash manages to evoke her emotions so well; this is definitely what she does best in this record, and it overcomes the times where her delivery is flawed and her words are slurred and hard to understand. After this comes Amen, and holy fuck is this an angry song. Criticizing the hell out of the church, Backxwash comes at greedy pastors and their irresponsible spending when the churchgoers who support him are in need. My big problem with this song is the fact that the hook, as impassionate as it is, doesn’t do much for the subject, and the verse is way too short to have any impact with its theme. Lines like “these politicians politicking” don’t help much either.
The very distorted second interlude, Heaven’s Interlude, takes us to the last track, Redemption, the least intense song in here, which is appropriate as a sendoff. She expresses her frustrations towards her dad’s frustrations towards her being trans, and while the entire sentiment of the song is great and well formulated, I can’t find a way around the lines “Fuck these fucking boomers, fuck these fucking losers. Fuck theses motherfucking fuckers in their fucking two truck. Fuck these fuck(sic)abusers, and fuck these fucking rumors.”, they just emanate Limp Bizkit energy.
God Has Nothing to Do With This Leave Him Out of It is a very passionate, real, well produced and well-conceived album; it bears themes that are immensely important to be brought to the music scene, and by mixing that message with its explosive and polished production, it amplifies it a ton. However, as powerful as her deliveries are, I believe Backxwash can go much further with her songwriting and song structuring in the future, as well as her intonation, because that was really all that was keeping this album from being legendary. If she can do more of this in songs that are longer and super focused around whichever topic she decides, she can make something legendary. And thank God she got reviewed by Fantano, I hope she can take this opportunity and make something huge out of this.
FAVORITE TRACKS: Into The Void, Black Sheep, God Has Nothing to Do With This Leave Him Out of It, Adolescence, Black Magic
LEAST FAVORITE TRACK: Spells
7.7/10
“Chosen one, sad bitch, lowest scum. Coldest, huh, black sheep talk to ‘em. If the situation changed I would have said the same shit, exactly the same.”
#little simz#grey area#monsune#tradition#backxwash#god has nothing to do with this leave him out of it#album#review#albume review#ep#ep review#rap#uk rap#dark rap#indie pop
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AU That Should Never Happen Pt. 3
:-)))
(pre-warning for some horny scenes, but that’s just par for the course in this AU)
[Part 1] [Part 2]
“And who might this be?”
The Grand Warlock was strewn lazily across his gilded stone throne, one leg hanging off the side and kicking back and forth idly as he eyed his surprise guests.
General Catfeetz grinned wide, his sharp white teeth shining from behind dark lips.
“I’ll tell ya who it is,” he said, pride obvious in his voice. “This here’s the Steelknuckle boy.”
“Oh?” Gremix’s brows rose and he flipped himself upright, landing softly on his feet and striding down the steps to take a closer look at the prize.
This “Steelknuckle boy” was, at best, pathetic. The son of a trade princess? No way. Short but beefy, one would think the guy tough; but there he stood, sobbing loudly, hardly coming off as an adult with tears and snot streaming down his face. Gremix grabbed the collar of his shirt and tugged it down to reveal the characteristic Steelknuckle family flower tattoo emblazoned on his chest. Yep, he was the real deal. Somehow.
“How did you get him?” Gremix asked in fascination.
“Scouts caught him tryin’ to steal a boat, probably meanin’ t’ escape th’ harbor.” Catfeetz snickered. “Easy catch, too. This guy’s a joke. Didn’t even fight back.”
“Hm,” Gremix muttered, scooping the prisoner’s chin with his fingertips to lean his face up to his own. “Identify yourself.”
With a loud, disgusting sniffle, the crybaby choked out “Zubert, sir.”
Gremix smiled ever so slightly. Not often they came in pre-respectful.
“He should be a good bargaining chip for taking down Zippa. If I remember anything about that bitch, it’s that she only has one family member, and it’s this bozo.”
“Seriously?” Catfeetz scoffed. “She should’a had another after this loser popped outta her cooch. Li’l “Zubert” here ain’t fit to lead a cartel; can’t even escape from an island in the dead ‘a night, shit.”
“Please,” Zubert muttered, giving another sniff and peering with frightened, watery eyes between the two overlords, “I don’t have any money, Ma cut me off. There’s no point to keepin’ me.”
“Money?” Gremix barked a laugh, Catfeetz in turn grinning his nefarious grin. “Please; I melted down all the gold I owned to gild my palace.” He raised his arms, gesturing to the room around them, where not only his throne but all the pillars and even the stairs had intricate golden designs decorating the stone. “Money means nothing to us anymore.”
“Who needs money when ya rule th’ world, eh?” Catfeetz said with a chuckle. “Nah, we don’t want yer momma’s dough, kid, we want her dead.”
“Wh-what?!” Zubert’s eyes widened. “Don’t kill my mom! There’s gotta be—I mean, can’t ya jus’ negotiate, or, or…” He swallowed hard, the tears welling up again in an instant.
Gremix rolled his eyes. “What’re we doin’ with him for now?” Gremix asked.
Catfeetz tugged the ropes that bound Zubert’s hands in front of him, leading him closer to the warlock. “Don’t ask me, Boss figured I should give ‘im to you. You got a much less, uh,” Catfeetz squinted one lichlight eye in thought, “open floorplan at your base.”
“I see.” Gremix considered Zubert for a moment. What was he supposed to do with the bawling young man? There was plenty of dungeon space, of course, but if he wanted to use Zubert to negotiate with Madame Steelknuckle, he’d need to stay in decent condition—at first, at least. More could come if she refused to cooperate; but for now…
“Drixzy,” Gremix said flatly. “Come to me.”
The fel-infused rogue was nowhere to be seen in the throne room, but within moments the fast clicking of boots echoed from one of the stone halls and she entered.
“Yes, Master,” Drixzy said, stopping at Gremix’s side and kneeling into a bow. He patted her gently on the blonde head and Catfeetz gave a sharp whistle.
“Well how’d you train her t’ do that? You psychic now too?”
“Hardly,” Gremix laughed, motioning for Drixzy to stand, which she immediately obeyed. Gremix took her hand in one of his own, lifting it to display the golden cuffs that decorated her wrists. “I’ve been working on some fun toys, however.”
Catfeetz gave a vaguely impressed nod. “You’re weird as fuck, brother,” he said. “But whatever floats yer boat. Now take this idiot so I can get back t’ important stuff.”
Gremix turned his head ever so slightly, peering at his faithful servant. “I have a pet for you, my Drixzy.”
Drixzy’s light brows could be seen rising just above the cloth tied over her fel-glow eyes. “For me?” she asked.
“Yup,” Gremix said, Catfeetz handing the confused woman the rope that bound Zubert. She rolled the rope around in her hands, face tilting as she looked at the young man through the unnatural sight granted by her Master. He seemed pretty cute for a guy that had all sorts of gross fluids running down his face.
Gremix raised a hand, placing it gently on one of Zubert’s cheeks—Zubert flinched, but stayed in place, squeezing his eyes shut in fear of whatever the hell was going on. But to his surprise, the hand was warm and inviting… perhaps almost supernaturally so. His body relaxed, his mind emptying of all those worries that had plagued it merely moments before, a warm bliss expanding through his body from his cheek. The longer it stayed there the more unfocused he became, until he felt almost as entranced as he would during a really good fuck. There was a snap in the back of his mind and his focus returned, Zubert finding suddenly that he had been so lost in pleasure he’d almost forgotten where he was. Gremix’s hand had lowered, which he determined to be the cause of the abrupt end to that bizarrely wonderful feeling.
“Wh… what?” he asked, blinking slowly. He wasn’t sure what was going on anymore; but at the same time, he did. The faces around his blurred and came back into focus repeatedly until finally settling into normalcy and he focused on something concrete—Drixzy. She was staring straight at him, Gremix having already left to return to his throne and the general already out the great stone doors. Or, he thought she might have been staring, but surely she couldn’t see him from under that blindfold.
“Take good care of Zubert, child,” Gremix said. A sly smirk sneaked onto his lips as fel-tinged magenta eyes watched the silent exchange. “He’s yours; do as you wish with him in your idle hours. But keep him in okay condition for me, alright?”
“Yes, Master,” Drixzy said, giving a curt nod. “I am ever grateful for your gifts.”
Zubert could do nothing more than blink in puzzlement, his mind still trying to reconnect the dots that all fell apart the moment Gremix touched him. The rope around his wrists tugged him forward and still in a minor daze, he plodded along behind Drixzy as she led him away.
Gremix watched them leave, then casually flipped himself around to lay upon his lavish throne once again. Maybe this will be good for Drixzy, he thought. She’d gotten so moody since his own little “pet” had shown up, after all. Maybe having a little boytoy of her own would keep her quiet, considering how little interest he found in “playing with” her these days. Oh, forget the smooth curves and soft skin—all he could think about was the dark path of tummy hair leading down to the unmentionables of the ex-rebel Rusco; who since leaving, permanently collared, had not shown hide nor hair around the palace. But Gremix knew he’d be back. He bobbed his foot up and down once more, humming a tune to himself as he stared up at high ceilings, lost in pleasantly distracted thought.
Drixzy had brought Zubert to her quarters, but she puzzled over what exactly to do with him. Gremix had never left her a charge, after all. Zubert quietly peered around the room. It had stone walls like the rest of the palace, lit by torches that displayed floating, glowing green crystals instead of fire, a soft blue carpet on the marble floor and an impressively large, luxurious looking bed draped over with sheer canopy… but very little sign of character. There were no wall decorations, no furniture aside from the bed and a dark wooden wardrobe, no knick-knacks, nothing. Was she just a really boring person? Oh, no, it was probably because she was blind, right? Zubert shrugged, turning his attention to his captor.
“Uh, Miss…. Miss Drixzy?” he asked quietly.
Drixzy glanced at him, frowning.
“What?” she snapped.
Zubert flinched at the cold, careless tone of her voice, swallowing.
“Uh, I won’t…. I promise I won’t try nothin’, I swear; so could you untie me?” He raised his bound hands in front of him to emphasize. “My shoulders are crampin’ somethin’ awful an’ I’d love t’ get a good stretch in.”
Drixzy considered him with distrust. “I’m not an idiot,” she hissed. “Now be silent. I need t’ think.”
Zubert wilted a little. “But I—okay…” he muttered. He looked around again but finding no furniture had magically appeared since last time, he just flopped down onto the ground, folding his legs and staring down at his lap miserably.
Drixzy paced the room, her demonic hoof-design heels not issuing their characteristic clicking steps in the downy carpet of the room, leaving the two in an eerie silence as she thought.
What was Gremix expecting her to do? Was this some sort of test? Or was he really just letting her have a person? But why? She was naught but a servant herself, surely she didn’t deserve such a thing. There had to be something else…
A sniffle interrupted her thoughts, Zubert still suffering mild sinus drainage from his earlier cry. She sighed in annoyance.
“Alright,” she said, conceding and striding over to him as she pulled a large dagger from her hip. Zubert perked instantly, holding up his hands with grateful eagerness so she could saw through the rope. As the bindings fell to the ground, he stretched his arms out to his sides with a huge sigh of relief.
“Thanks, Miss Drixzy!” Zubert said with a big smile, continuing to sit. She watched him, but he just… sat there, smiling like a doofus.
“If you so much as raise a hand to me—” she started, but she was cut off quickly by a startled “goodness, no!”
She cocked her head questioningly.
“I’m sorry, that was rude a’ me t’ interrupt, but I swear I wouldn’t ever hurt you, miss. I mean, I know I’m like, a prisoner a’ war or whatever right now, an’ most people would try an’ get away, but, uh…” He chewed his lip a little bit before continuing. “Ma kicked me out, so I wasn’t livin’ nowhere anyways. I don’t got anywhere to run away to, so I think I oughta jus’ comply an’ make it easier for both of us. You don’t gotta worry about me pullin’ nothin’, I’ll jus’ do whatever you tell me to, an’ get to sleep under a roof again.”
Drixzy’s face screwed up in befuddlement. “What? You’re just… acceptin’ your capture?”
“Yup, pretty much,” Zubert said. “If I try ‘an run for it, I’ll definitely get attacked an’ maybe even killed, but if I listen t’ you, I don’t, right? I’m not the best thinker, but even I can see what my best option here is.”
Drixzy nodded slowly, re-sheathing her knife. “Yes. But I don’t trust you, nevertheless.”
“Fair,” Zubert said almost understandingly. “You jus’ met me, after all. But I’ll show you, I’ll be a real good, uh…” he squinted. “D-did that warlock guy say pet?”
Drixzy pursed her lips. “That warlock guy is my master—and by extension, yours as well—The Grand Warlock Gremix Rivensoul, and you will address him with proper respect.”
Zubert hunkered down a little in shame. “Oh, sorry. But th’ question remains… what exactly am I?”
Drixzy let the question bump around in her head for a while. What was he, indeed?
“We’ll see what you prove yourself to be,” Drixzy decided. “It’ll be up to yourself to determine how you are treated, so act mindfully.”
Zubert nodded enthusiastically. “I’ll do my very best!” he said with a big, stupid smile. Why did he keep smiling? It was almost annoying Drixzy; yet at the same time, there was something about the dopey face and big kind eyes that she couldn’t help but find kind of cute.
“Can I ask you some stuff?” Zubert inquired. “T’ get used t’ the way things are here an’ whatever.”
Drixzy sighed. She had nothing to do right now anyways; the family was between ambushes and waiting on something she wasn’t told of (upper management info only, after all). “Fine,” she said, crawling onto her bed until she could plop backwards into the lush pillows. “Ask what you will.”
“Cool!” Zubert chimed. “So firs’ thing’s firs’… uh, can you…. see?”
“Yes, and no,” Drixzy said. “I can see normally, but blindfolded I hold a special form of sight much more intricate than what your own eyes will show you; yet it also conceals some things from me that you can see.” She shrugged slightly. “It’s hard to explain, but for all intents and purposes, just keep in mind I am watchin’ you.”
“Oh!” Zubert exclaimed. “That’s pretty cool. So what do I look like under there?”
Drixzy scoffed. “If you aren’t gonna ask relevant questions, then just keep yer mouth shut.”
Zubert wilted a little again. “I’m sorry, I was jus’ curious.” He pondered a moment. “So what was, uh—” he squinted, trying to find the right words—"what th’ heck happened t’ me out there? Th’ Grand Warlock guy touched my face an’ I got real dizzy an’ weird feelin’.”
“That was a gift,” Drixzy said, her voice softening as though the words were a happy sigh. “The Master’s Blessing is the promise of sheer bliss as reward for obedience. All who follow him melt at his tender touch.” Drixzy’s voice wandered off dreamily, the goblin seeming to zone out for a second. Coming back to herself, she continued, “when you do good, he rewards you with more. If you do poorly…” Drixzy frowned. “Well, just don’t anger the Grand Warlock and you’ll never need to find out the rest of that sentence.”
Zubert gave a curt nod. “Noted,” he said. He thought for another moment, then posed his next question. “Who’s that guy that brought me here?”
“General Catfeetz leads the military side of the family,” Drixzy said, crossing her legs comfortably. It was strange, but she was finding herself enjoying talking to Zubert—she couldn’t remember the last time she just had a conversation with someone that wasn’t instructions, commands or other work issues.
Zubert stifled a laugh but a pfffft escaped his lips anyways. “C-catfeetz? That’s the dude’s name? Really?”
Drixzy scowled. “He’s no laughing matter.” Her face dropped once more into a stern serious look. “General Catfeetz is powerful, ruthless, and cruel. He leads through fear—his soldiers know that dyin’ in battle is a merciful end compared to what he’ll do to them if they fail or betray him.”
“Yikes,” Zubert muttered. “Okay. He was pretty buff so I didn’t wanna mess with him anyways, but that’s probably good to know.”
Drixzy breathed a laugh, then tilting her head back such that she would be looking at him down her nose, she said “come up here,” patting the bed beside her with one leisurely hand.
Zubert’s ears flicked upwards, the tips noticeably reddening along with his cheeks. “Oh! Uh. Are you sure? I mean, that’s your bed and—”
“NOW.”
“Yes, ma’am!” Zubert leapt to his feet, almost falling over in his haste before scrambling over and onto the bed. Crawling over, he warily laid beside her–not because he was scared, but rather, uncertain of her boundaries.
“Do you have any more questions?” she asked him.
“Lots!” he said with another dumb smile. And those… cute dumb… biceps. A thought crept into the back of her mind. Did Gremix hand over this tiny beefcake to preoccupy her? She wasn’t sure if she should be hurt or happy for the gesture if that were so; sure, maybe he was trying to make her feel better about his own lack of attention, but shoving another man at her to do it for him? She rolled onto her side, leaning her head into a hand to look at the guy as he went on with another question about the palace. There was something so nice about just talking, though—she would worry about that all later.
To Drixzy’s surprise, the young Steelknuckle heir did in fact stick to his word. She left him untied in her bedroom for hours at a time and when she would return, he was sitting there waiting patiently for her. Sure, she’d left a guard at the door just in case, but it became clear in short time there was no need. For some reason, Zubert was genuinely just going along with it all. She was baffled, having seen so much resistance against Gremix’s rule from those who were brought in since the uprising. But here was this guy, brought in against his will, just cheerily doing as she said without batting an eyelash over it.
Oh, and she told him to do things. Before long, he was following her around the palace to do her bidding at a whim—lift this, move that, and for the love of the Light, please take off your shirt first. Over time she chose to decorate him: clasping a sparkling gemmed leather collar tight around his throat, combing his hair up however she liked, painting his nails, and dressing him in tight pants and minimal other clothing. Slowly but surely, she became accustomed to the idea… he was hers. Her pet. Her toy. Hers to do with whatever she pleased. And she wanted to do some things, admittedly. But a thought nagged at her.
She was Gremix’s.
And so it came, an awkward conversation she was about two convincing words away from not going through with:
“May I have sex with him?”
Gremix stared blankly at the blindfolded blonde from behind the war table, where maps and notes and other miscellaneous papers were spread out and pinned with meticulous planning.
“What?” Gremix asked. “What do you think I gave him to ya for?”
Drixzy’s shoulders rose in embarrassment, her ears pinning. “O-oh!” she said quietly. “It’s just that, Master, my body is yours, an’…”
Gremix strode around the table, approaching her and laying his hands on her cheeks, drawing her face close to his own, his touch enough to make her hitch a breath.
“You are, and always will be mine,” he agreed in a low voice. “And since you are mine, you are mine to treat; and the Steelknuckle boy is your treat. I care not what you do with him. Sleep with him or hang him upside-down from the ceiling with a burning candle shoved in his ass for 12 hours, it don’t matter to me.”
Drixzy swallowed, giving a tiny nod.
“After it all, you will still be mine,” Gremix said, dropping his hands to her waist and moving his face in closer until their cheeks brushed together and he could speak directly into her ear in a near-whisper that sent a shiver down her spine, “because I do it better.”
Drixzy gave a nervous laugh—the closeness had her heating up in an almost pavlovian response to his physical attention. Oh, why Zubert? Why Zubert when her master was here, so warm, so gentle, so full of that delicious power that seeped in through her skin and made her sigh in pleasure and press her body into his. Gentle kisses on her neck were enough to drive her crazy normally, but oh, when he put his Fel into it… She simply wanted to dissolve into him where they stood.
“Master,” she said breathily, “please…”
A quiet chuckle in her ear denied her request, and Gremix backed away, to her massive disappointment. She felt so hot and her heart was pounding, and she wanted him so badly—but he shook his head.
“I’m very busy, silly girl. You’re hot an’ bothered now, ain’tcha? Go use it on your little pet. I bet he’ll appreciate it.” He gave her a smile that almost seemed kind, and in that moment, she thought of the doofusy grin of the foolish loyal man set away in her boudoir, no doubt cheerily awaiting her return. She gave a quick nod.
“Thank you, Master,” she said quietly, and left him to his planning.
Probably needless to say, Zubert had no complaint when the woman returned, her calm steps devolving into a near sprint when she had the door closed behind her, then becoming a leap that resulted in her tackling him onto the mattress. He only blinked up at her and gave one of those stupid, cute smiles of his. Damn that smile! She would be rid of it, by pressing her mouth to his.
And oh, what a kiss—at least, for Zubert. There was that feeling again. That dizzy, almost orgasmic fuzziness that Gremix’s touch had caused. There was no need to convince the more-than-willing young man, but had he been resistant before, he surely would have caved in to her desires as the wave of pure, unadulterated, unnatural bliss came over him.
She pulled her face away only barely, and without bothering to catch her breath as his eyes dazedly cracked open, she panted out a simple command:
“Fuck me.”
“H’okay.”
Didn’t need to tell him twice.
And so things continued; Drixzy freely indulging herself for satisfaction from the frustration that Gremix’s continued general absence caused, with whom she decided to call her “attendant”. After all, he did attend to her every need, there seemed no better term. Zubert liked it better than “slave”, anyways.
But it wasn’t just his servitude, sexual or otherwise, that kept her interest. For some reason, he liked to just talk. And it continued to seem so strange to her, just talking, about anything. Zubert talked to her about ships, about Steelknuckle isles in their heyday, about the ocean and fish and food he liked and something funny his friend said once… She herself kept quieter, content to just listen to him and interject when he asked her something. She would openly answer most things about the family but wouldn’t speak of her past. He’d only brought it up once, but her sharp, instant demand that he never inquire again ended that line of curiosity right quick.
Months passed by as such. Zubert became a palace-wide spectacle: guards would snicker at his slutty outfits as he passed by, plodding along behind Drixzy as she went about her daily business. Others whispered rumors of who he might be or where he came from—perhaps simply a hapless commoner Drixzy found attractive? A relative of one of the generals? One such rumor that wasn’t held by many as true said he was in fact the heir to an entire cartel. Nobody asked, however. After all, nobody dared talk to Drixzy about anything besides work.
“New batch of prisoners, here!”
Catfeetz’s lieutenant arrived with a posse of guards to the castle, a string of captured rebels in tow to be offered up to Gremix’s forces. As per the usual routine, they were brought to a dungeon and stripped to their underthings, chains around their necks hooked to the stone floor ahead of them, keeping them kneeling uncomfortably as a pair of shackles attached to their wrist from another short chain behind them kept them forced upright. It was a pretty typical bunch of rebels, some jeering and spitting when their gags and blindfolds were removed, the others solemn and quiet. One by one, Gremix offered his “Blessing”, and they either accepted it or were killed. Drixzy stood by—and as she did, so did Zubert—much to his horror, as he watched those who rejected the Grand Warlock quickly offed by a skilled slice of Drixzy’s poisoned blades across their throats. Luckily, it seemed the more common answer to “do you want to die or live in heavenly bliss serving me” tended to lean to the latter, but the blood oozing over the stone floors from the first who’d denied the gift was enough to make him feel ill.
The Grand Warlock was halfway through the set of rebels when the next one he approached was a rather tall, fluffy-white-haired goblin who was sobbing hopelessly into his gag, hiccupping and rocking himself back and forth the little amount the chains would allow. Gremix rolled his eyes, and removing the gag and blindfold from this one, was met with what was probably the most terrified face he’d ever encountered during a conversion.
The goblin didn’t jeer or spit; in fact, he said nothing, only making a tiny throat squeak as he tried uselessly to liquify into the floor and away from the green glow that pulsed within the warlock’s pupils.
“Don’t be afraid,” Gremix started, gently, as usual, but he didn’t get very far before the captive broke into full bawling again. He gave an agitated sigh, standing and patting dust off the robe at his knees.
“This one’s defective,” he said, waving a hand at the crying mess to signal Drixzy to end him as he stepped over to the next goblin.
Drixzy drew her blade and started towards the young man, who was all but balled up now. But she only made it one loud-clicking step before she felt a tug—a hand on her arm. She looked back to see Zubert with a panicked expression. He didn’t know what he wanted to say, and even if he did he didn’t think he could get words out without puking at the moment anyways, so he just shook his head over and over, beseeching her with pleading eyes.
Gremix, noticing the uncharacteristic hesitation, looked back at the two with a scowl. “What’s keepin’ ya? Get to it, Drixzy." Drixzy glanced at Gremix briefly before inspecting Zubert’s desperate head-shaking once more.
“Yes, Master,” she said, brushing Zubert’s hand from her arm, the musclebound servant wilting in hopelessness as she left his side to do the deed.
The crying captive lifted his head only slightly to see his oncoming killer, and for just a moment, his eyes met what would have been Drixzy’s, were they uncovered—but the moment was the same regardless. The tearstains streaking his cheeks, face and eyes red and puffy, afraid… Drixzy suddenly understood why Zubert wanted to stop her. He was just another Zubert.
“Master,” Drixzy said, tentatively. “I’m sorry if I am oversteppin’, but…”
Gremix’s eyes narrowed as he eyed her with suspicion.
“May I have this one?”
The suspicious look fell to make way for one of surprise instead.
“What?” Gremix peered down at the chained goblin, who was still apparently attempting to burrow into his own being, head once more tucked down into his chest. Gremix made a disgusted face at the wretch before letting his gaze return to Drixzy. “You… want that pathetic thing?”
Drixzy fidgeted with her dagger. “Do you… remember when your Rusco was here?”
Gremix remained silent, so she continued; “He was defiant, but you didn’t have me kill him, because you looked at him and saw something you liked, right?”
The sobbing continued, but tear and terror-filled eyes were once again barely peering up at the people openly discussing his fate. His gaze wandered the room, where it then met that of a person the bound goblin hadn’t noticed before—Zubert stood back in the shadows, wringing his hands anxiously and giving the guy a forced hopeful smile before he burrowed into himself again.
“So you’re saying you see somethin’ in this trash heap that you like?”
Drixzy’s mind buzzed as she flipped through every explanation she could think of, trying to find the one that was truest.
“I have a thing for beta males,” she decided on, pointing behind herself with a thumb directed at Zubert—the comment said so flatly that Gremix couldn’t help but bark a laugh in return.
“Fine, fine.” Gremix said, shaking his head in bemusement. “You’re not getting another until one of these ones die, though, got it?”
“Yes, Master,” Drixzy said, glancing back at Zubert who had perked up significantly, and was now eagerly bouncing in wait for her word.
“Take him to my room,” she said to Zubert. “Chain him and return to me here.”
Zubert stood up straight, puffing out his chest and giving a firm salute. “Yes, ma’am!” he said, then hopping over to the person whose life he had just saved to unlock the chains.
“Wh-what?!” came the first words from the mouth of the crying but otherwise until now silent prisoner.
“Gag him,” Gremix said with an apathetic wave of his hand, and Zubert paused, picking up the cloth that had been dropped to the floor and re-tying it around the head of a now somewhat struggling goblin.
It took some doing, but he got it on, trying to reassure the frightened goblin that he would be safe and shouldn’t worry… but panic set in, and the captive was having none of it anymore, now desperately pulling against the chains he had no chance of escaping from. Zubert held the chain key tightly, giving an uncertain glance to the others.
“Oh, for the love a’…” Gremix sighed. “Hold him still.”
Zubert nodded, obediently moving behind and holding firmly the shoulders of the soon-to-be “blessed” man. Wide eyes watched in abject horror as hands rose to his face—he tried to jerk his head away but a strong grip from behind turned it back to the Grand Warlock and his warm hands cupped sharp cheeks.
The prisoner choked some sort of noise from behind the gag as green flames burst from the hands on his face, squeezing his eyes shut just to reopen them in confusion a moment later when he felt no burning.
Zubert watched in fascination—he’d never seen the Blessing from a third-party perspective, only having experienced it himself. The flickering flames looked terrifying, but no sound of pain came from the unwitting convert; of course not. After all, it didn’t hurt when it happened to him, either.
“It’s alright, see?” Zubert said quietly, a slight flick of ear the only indication he had been heard.
The flames seemed to be sucked into the held skull, a bright green erupting from behind tear-filled eyes as the convert stiffened—muscles in his shoulders and back twitched feverishly, but it was as though he could not move. The flames gone, Gremix lowered his hands, and the guy slumped forward into himself once again; but this time from sudden wooziness. Heavy, deep breaths came from him like convulsions and with one last horrified glance up, the Fel glow faded from his eyes. A calm seemed to come over him, the shaky anxiety and fear all but nullified.
“I don’t like blessing unwillin’ parties,” Gremix said, rising once more. “You will repay me for havin’ t’ do that later.”
“Yes, Master,” Drixzy said. “Anything, any time. I thank you for allowin’ me this gift.” Her attention turned to Zubert.
“Take him now. And be back quickly,” she said, “you will need to remove the bodies of these insolent rebels when Master finishes the conversion.”
Zubert swallowed hard, not entirely enthusiastic about that specific task, but ever faithful, he unlocked the chains and led the dazed and confused stumbling beanpole of a goblin out of the chamber.
It was quite a while before Zubert returned to Drixzy's room again. When he did, however, he came with a tall glass of water in one hand and a crumbly buttered biscuit in the other.
“Hey!” he chimed as he closed the door behind him with one stubby leg's foot.
Chained to the stone wall in the corner of the room, pressing himself as far into the joint of two walls as he possibly could, the goblin Drixzy had spared eyed him warily.
“Don’t worry,” Zubert said, approaching slowly such as not to startle him. “I’m not gonna hurt you or take you away anywhere. This is where you’ll be staying now.”
The bound goblin shook his head indignantly. Zubert shrugged.
“I mean, you don’t have much choice, y’know? If ya just behave an' listen to Drixzy and the Grand Warlock's every command, you’ll be perfectly fine, like me! Drixzy might even unchain you if you prove you won’t pull any tricks.”
The other man did not look convinced, but Zubert, a few feet away, placed the water and biscuit onto the soft carpet and raised his hands slowly in front of himself.
“Look, don’t kick me or nothin', okay? I’m gonna ungag you, Drixzy said I could. I also snuck you some water an' food, an' it’s the cold water I’m not supposed t' take, too. Figured it might be nice after havin' that thing in your mouth so long.”
A wary nod signaled that Zubert could come closer, though there was still a untrustful stiffening of his shoulders in preparation for some sort of trick… but the cloth loosened and Zubert pulled it away like he said he would, then backed up a few steps and gave him a goofy smile.
Zubert looked him over—the guy was scrawny, and not entirely impressive sitting there in threadbare boxers, but Zubert had to admit he had a thing for tall, lithe people. But more importantly, this dude clearly couldn’t feed himself, arms bound behind his body, so Zubert concluded he had to assist. Well, that was his job, according to Drixzy, right? Helper.
It was a clumsy event, Zubert tilting the glass to a very dry, desperate and eager mouth, such that between the two of their efforts a notable amount of water ran down his chin and onto the carpet; but with a relieved sigh and smacking of finally moistened lips, it was obvious that he’d had enough to satisfy, at least.
Zubert sat beside him, taking the biscuit and breaking off a piece to offer up. The captive sighed, but opened his mouth such that the crumbly bread could be popped into it.
“I’m Zubert, by the way,” Zubert said. “Zubert Steelknuckle.”
Swallowing, his companion simply said “Stix.”
“Nice t' meetcha, Stix!” Zubert said, breaking off another bite-size piece of biscuit. “We’re roommates now, so I hope you’ll stop lookin' so scared of me soon.”
“I don’t wanna stay here,” muttered Stix. “I don’t know where I am, I don’t know what’s going on, I don’t know who any of these people are n' I wanna get outta here!”
He looked the muscley and… tightly panted goblin over pleadingly.
“Y’ have the key, don't'cher? Let me outta here, c’mon.”
Zubert frowned. “No, Drixzy has it. And even if I did, I’m not allowed t' let you leave. If you try to run, I’m just gonna have to escort you back.”
Stix made an agitated sound, opening his mouth for another bite of biscuit, which he chewed in thought for a silent moment.
“Sho then, yer jusht one of ‘em, choo,” he decided, food still in mouth.
“No,” Zubert said with a chuckle. “I’m being held for ransom!” He paused, the cheeky smile on his face slowly dropping until he sort of just looked distressed. “Y’know, t' get my ma out of hidin', so they can kill her.”
Stix balked. “Why do they wanna kill yer mum? And who are they?” He really did seem genuinely confused about everything going on.
Zubert scrutinized the tone of Stix's voice, brows lowering in concern. “You mean, you have no idea about th' Gutshot Takeover?”
“Th’ what? No!” Stix looked appalled.
“Where the heck have you been?”
Stix nodded upwards. “Zeppelin. In fact, I was riding one jus' yesterday for a delivery, and then…” He scowled. “We we’re just passing by th' harbor when a ton of flyin' machines showed up outta nowhere and shot us down!” The goblin's ears lowered slowly. “I… I don’t even know if anyone else…”
Zubert perked; oh no, was Stix about to cry again?
“Hey, hey! Don’t worry. They uh, they like taking prisoners more than jus' killin' folks, cuz they make them join the troops, an' then there’s more of 'em.”
Stix looked horrified. “That doesn’t make me feel any better,” he groaned.
“Oh. Sorry.”
Silence befell them for a few minutes as Zubert fed Stix the rest of the biscuit. As he finished the last bite, licking crumbs from his lips, Stix decided to speak again.
“So, er… explain this whole takeover thing?”
“Oh, sure,” Zubert said, sitting and leaning back against the wall nearby Stix. “I don’t know all the details from their side, but, uh… I guess there was this mafia my ma was makin' deals with, an' they got a little weird an' started talkin' about takin' over Bilgewater's whole thing. Ma cut ties with 'em cuz she thought they were bonkers! But she was a big financial investor, so I think they got mad at her.” He scratched at the side of his face with a ponderous look. “Guess they were serious about takin' over, cuz the Grand Warlock and General Catfeetz are somehow ridiculously powerful, an' all the Bilgewater guys started following 'em because they were toutin' that they would slay Gallywix an' make things better for goblins everywhere. But then it just twisted more 'til they straight up decided they were jus' gonna take over th' whole world, an' now everything’s a big, scary mess. They’ve taken basically all of Azshara, killed Gallywix, an’ I’ve heard some of the followers say there’s a big plan coming to fruition soon.”
Stix looked as though the blood had completely drained from his face. “What the fuck?” he said under his breath.
Zubert shrugged. “I dunno, man, but I didn’t get too bum a deal outta it, so I’m jus' mindin' my own business here, y’know?”
Stix looked pensive for a moment, squinting down at the soft blue carpeting beneath him. “So… if I stay here, I’ll be safe?”
“Yeah!” Zubert said. “Miss Drixzy’s real good to me, an' I know she’ll treat you just as nice. Just you wait.”
Stix nodded, then gave a sigh and sunk into the corner.
“My shoulders hurt,” he grumbled.
Zubert tilted his head, peering at Stix. “Want me t' give 'em a rub?”
“No.” The reply was instant, and Zubert got the feeling Stix wanted minimal contact, so he shrugged it off.
“When's she get in?”
“Miss Drixzy?” Zubert pursed his lips in thought. “Heck, I don’t know. I haven’t seen a clock in so long, I don’t even know what month it is anymore. She don’t have a regular schedule though anyways. Jus’ kinda shows up when she shows up.”
“Oh.”
Silence fell once more, and Stix zoned out, staring at nothing on the ground, probably lost in thought. Zubert figured so, anyways. He certainly didn’t seem to want to talk though, so Zubert just sat there with him quietly.
“You. Up.”
Zubert snapped awake suddenly, blearily blinking and looking around as he lifted a head that had drooped to one side as he unintentionally dozed off. As he came to, he realized the speaker had been Drixzy, and he scrambled to his feet.
“Yes, ma’a—”
He didn’t get to finish his word, as warm lips pressed into his own. He didn’t mind, though, his eyes closing as he happily reciprocated the surprise. Drixzy pulled away and, as though only now remembering the guy, turned her head to Stix, who was staring wide-eyed at the two in what could only be described as pure confusion.
Zubert gestured to Stix with one hand, stepping back to introduce the two.
“Miss Drixzy, this is Stix. He’s a’right.”
“Stix.” Drixzy stared quietly for several moments before Stix leaned closer to Zubert and whispered, “Can she see us?”
“Oh, yeah,” Zubert said.
“How?!”
“Um… magic?”
Stix scowled at the unsatisfactory explanation, peering nervously back at the demonic woman. He couldn’t see half her face, but the tight, thin purple leather of the odd but sexy leotard she wore accentuated all the right things. Maybe this wouldn’t be all that bad.
Drixzy, seeming to have satisfied her staring, once more faced Zubert.
“Unbind his arms.”
“Yes ma’am!” Zubert said, approaching Stix, who cautiously scooched around to face his back to Zubert. The knot took a moment, but soon enough Stix’s sore arms were released, and he pulled them around to his front to rub the ache from his shoulders.
“Th’nks” he muttered, backing into the corner again and glowering his distrust.
“I expect Zubert has caught you up with your current situation?”
Stix glanced to Zubert, who only smiled. Looking back at Drixzy, he gave a single nod.
“Good. Now, I ask if you plan t’ be compliant. You will live well cared-for, and The Master’s blessing will bring you joy. If you choose not to comply, then I will revoke my decision to spare you.”
Stix frowned, giving no answer for several moments.
“Stix,” Zubert said in a gentle, hushed voice, “please answer Miss Drixzy.”
A dirty look was tossed his way, but with a deep breath, Stix finally answered.
“I guess so.”
Drixzy’s stern face gave way to just the faintest hint of a smile. “Prove so and I will let you roam the room freely as Zubert does.”
Stix sighed, leaning his head back to stare at the ceiling, where eerie shadows were cast by the fel-light gems that lit the room. He watched with fascination as one of the shadows seemed to flicker and shift a little despite the still nature of the light. His brows creased, and he decided not to look there anymore.
Drixzy, in a contradictory motion, elegantly flopped onto her soft bed, giving a gentle sigh as she sank into it. Zubert glanced between her and Stix, unsure who he should be near at the time. That was answered for him soon enough, as one of Drixzy’s arms rose and gave a come-hither finger wave.
Zubert shuffled over, crawling up into the bed with her, where she rolled onto her belly and said into the blankets “massage.” Like a good doggie, Zubert obeyed, shifting over to straddle her lower back to get a good angle to start working her shoulders with firm, strong hands.
There wasn’t much else to do but watch, so that’s what Stix did. Watched. Watched as Zubert kneaded at the back of a sexy woman, the cut muscles in his bulky arms flexing noticeably with each movement. Stix was pretty sure this was how one of the smut books he’d read started.
Zubert scooted back a little on top of Drixzy as he moved down to work on her upper back, then eventually moved a little further to work on the mid-back… By then he was straddling her butt, and Stix squinted as he noticed Zubert’s crotch moved against it as he rubbed her. Now he wasn’t “pretty” sure; Stix was 100% sure he’d read this one.
Pleased little “mmm”s escaped Drixzy here and there as Zubert worked, and she squirmed beneath him ever so slightly—Zubert flinched, trying to choke a gasp as a soft, barely-clad behind pressed against his accidental excitement. The woman’s head turned away from the face-smothering position she’d been resting in, and a sly smile could be seen on her lips.
“Pleasure me.”
Stix balked; these two were seriously about to do it in front of him? He glanced around frantically. Was this weird? Should he look away and pretend nothing was happening? Should he watch?
Zubert gave a nervous chuckle. “Uh, y-yes ma’am, but, it’s just…”
Drixzy’s brows furrowed. “What?”
Zubert glanced behind to Stix, who looked startled at the sudden attention.
“I mean, someone’s here.”
Drixzy scoffed. “Then pull around the curtains, you baby.”
“That’s not…” Zubert took a deep breath. “Yeah, alright.”
Stix cleared his throat, mumbling a half-hearted “I mean, it’s, uhm, it’s fine.”
Zubert’s ears perked, one brow lowering in consternation. The gears in his head took a moment, but finally he barked a single laugh, turning back to Drixzy.
“Never mind,” Zubert said, fingers trailing up her back to the small zipper tag at the top of the neck of her leotard.
Stix swallowed. Yup. Zubert was just gonna let him watch. He wasn’t sure if he was excited or mortified, but all things considered, it was hardly torture to watch two very attractive people have sex. Just like the books; except instead of words, it was—he choked on a bit of spit as Zubert tugged down his pants. But… he supposed now the tiny goblin had to have something going on to compensate in some way for his unimpressive stature, and that was it.
The act was certainly something. Drixzy, despite being “bottom”, stayed entirely in control, guiding Zubert’s every action. He was fast to catch on any time she changed what she wanted; Stix, trying to ignore other feelings, thought about how strangely in-tune they were with each other. Did they just have good sexual chemistry?
By the time it was over, Stix was hugging his legs as tightly to himself as possible; his hot, red face nestled into his own knees.
Breathing heavily, the very much naked Drixzy—well, naked but for the blindfold and the golden cuffs on her wrists which glowed faintly with fel runes—sat up and turned her attention to the man in the corner, who swallowed hard, his eyes very much unable to meet her unseen gaze, as they were lost on so many other things.
She ran a hand down the front of her body, tilting her head to the side, curtains of long blonde hair cascading down off her shoulders.
Stix couldn’t say a damn thing. A pathetic sort of squeaking whimper was all he managed, burrowing his head further into his knees, though he simply couldn’t tear his eyes away from her.
Zubert, who had flopped down and not moved even a little bit since they finished up, finally shifted around, pushing himself up onto his elbows to peer over at Stix as well.
“Good show, buddy?” Zubert gave a cheeky grin.
Stix’s hands finally rose to cover his burning face and he curled into himself like a dead shrimp.
“If you behave yourself,” Drixzy said, leaning back into her pillows with her arms folded behind her head, “perhaps I will let you have some fun as well someday.”
A hopeless breathed laugh came from the center of the Stix-ball. “A’right,” his muffled voice could be heard saying. “A’right, a’right. This can’t be real. This is a weird wet dream. Wake up. Wake up.”
Zubert pouted. “You ain’t dreamin’, Stix. Well…” He glanced to Drixzy with a sideward smirk, “…not yet.”
A slight smile crept onto Drixzy’s lips. “Oh, you little ham,” she muttered.
Zubert winked at her, and Stix pulled his head out from the depths of his body to give them both a disbelieving look.
“This is ridiculous.”
“You’ll get used to it,” Zubert said with a content sigh.
Something told Stix that wasn’t true.
Well, he had sort of been wrong. Not entirely, but he became more relaxed over time, though internally terrified still; something about Zubert’s ever-present smiling mug perhaps? Or maybe he was just coming to terms and accepting his fate. Drixzy began to dress him about as strangely as Zubert, and was slowly but surely chipping away at his defensive shell with coos of adoration and compliments. He wasn’t comfortable around her, but she was always a looming figure in this caged life he couldn’t avoid.
He stayed silent, mostly. Zubert would press him for conversation, but more often than not was harshly denied. Sure, he may have been settling in, but he wasn’t gonna be happy about it. He would barely let either Zubert or Drixzy touch him willingly, either—Drixzy would lay a farewell kiss on his angular cheek every time she left for an extended period of time, which required a gentle but firm Zubert to hold him still as he tried to squirm away from it. There was always something about those kisses. They were so, so warm. And for several moments after she pulled away, he would think, maybe this isn’t all so bad. And that thought horrified him more than anything.
The chains stayed. He was too twitchy—Drixzy was hesitant to trust him. Not because she was worried he’d get away, obviously; they’d find him before he even escaped the palace, and that would only be a death sentence. But as he had at least complied as much as to not attempt to claw Zubert’s eyes out when he approached with food and drink, Drixzy decided to offer him a modicum of freedom, via a classic combination of ankle shackle, chain, and an immensely heavy metal ball that couldn’t have been anything as simple as iron or steel. Zubert, shocking nobody, was able to lift the ball without too much struggle, but much as he tugged, Stix couldn’t make it so much as budge, only managing to cut up his ankle trying to pull away from it when the others weren’t around.
This new form of bondage was at least better than before—he was now allowed to be led around the palace by Zubert, who would tote the ball so they could sit in the gardens for fresh air, or to the mess hall where they’d try to haggle the actual good food away from Gremix’s followers, who generally just regarded the two with befuddlement before ignoring them.
One garden trip resulted in, to Zubert’s surprise, the lanky goblin whipping out a half-empty pack of cigarettes and a lighter, which he seemed very excited about.
“Where’d ya get that?” Zubert asked.
Stix wiggled his fingers as he said “cafeteria,” his other hand already popping a cig between his lips.
“You stole it?”
“Duh.”
Zubert looked displeased, but he said nothing more, deciding he would keep quiet about the contraband to Drixzy. At the very least, Stix seemed more relaxed as he smoked than Zubert had seen him in all the time he’d been there.
How long was that now? Weeks? Months?
Zubert’s eyes rose to the sky above the towering garden walls: grey and smoggy as the harbor always was. He had no idea what the date or time was, every day blurring into the next and becoming one conglomerate concept. With a twinge of concern, he realized that he had almost forgotten he hadn’t always been there, there were times before the palace; the memories of which were faint and fading. Steelknuckle Casino, the isles, his mom… Large ears lowered, and his brows knit. Zubert wasn’t often very critical of his current living situation, but sometimes, a creeping realization like that would sneak up and…
“You, uh, ready t’ go back in, ‘r what?”
Zubert seemed to snap out of a daze, blinking over at the floofy-haired thief, who was snubbing the last nub of his cigarette out against the delicate marble seat of the bench they sat on.
“Huh? Oh, yeah.” Zubert hesitated for a second, squinting one eye. What… what had he just been thinking about, again?
Zubert slipped off the bench, and grabbing the chain just above the ball, hefted it up and they headed back inside.
How much time had it been?
Stix stared at the bottom of the bed’s canopy in the dark. He didn’t like it, but what choice did he have when Drixzy wanted him to sleep in the bed? Zubert would haul his ball onto it, the short chain not giving way for escape to the floor.
How much time had it been?
Drixzy rolled over in her sleep, a soft arm coming down atop Stix’s chest and he hitched a breath—but it was nothing, as usual. His eyes dropped to her arm. Slowly, carefully, he pulled one of his own from under the blankets, hovering it just over her green skin in a hesitant moment before gently laying his fingertips upon it. She didn’t react, so he let his palm slide down onto her arm as well; yellow eyes watched her through the dark to be sure she didn’t wake. But then, he stopped.
He had meant to carefully lift and move her arm away, but as his hand rested there, a warming calm came over him and he opted to just leave it resting there. What an odd feeling. What a nice feeling.
His eyelids began to droop, sleep overtaking him.
How much time had it been?
Who cared?
“So what color are your eyes, Miss Drixzy?”
Zubert lay on his belly, his feet kicking back and forth behind him, face perched in two hands as he leaned onto his elbows.
Stix was there, too, his ball and chain keeping him stuck on the bed with them. But he was starting to think he didn’t mind it so much anymore. He’d started talking a bit more, and though he was still uncomfortable with touch, he was much more willing to be within a handful of inches of both Drixzy and Zubert.
“Green,” Stix said. “You can see it through her mask, can’t’cha?”
Drixzy chuckled softly, petting a hand through Zubert’s hair as she relaxed. “You’re right, they are green, now.”
Zubert pursed his lips.
“What color were they before?”
Drixzy frowned. “Before what?”
“You said “now”, didn’t you?”
Drixzy was silent for a few rough moments.
“I don’t… recall.”
“Bet’cha they’re still that color, but just glowy, right?” Stix offered. “Like th’ Grand Dickhead’s, his’re pink but th’ green shit comes from inside, yeah?”
“Oh yeah!” exclaimed Zubert. “We could jus’ look an’ tell you!”
Stix sat up in interest. He had no idea how long he’d been there anymore, but in all that time, he’d always wondered what was beneath the blindfold—and Zubert did too.
“You can’t,” Drixzy said, defensively. “I mustn’t show my eyes to anyone but The Master.”
Stix scoffed. “How’s he gonna know?”
“Yeah, jus’ for a second! It can’t hurt, right?”
Drixzy’s hand paused its petting motion. Admittedly, she had been desperately curious to see what the two boys looked like in the real world; what she saw through the blindfold was vague, forms and shadows of depth, the concept of facial expressions, but not true to life. She chewed her bottom lip for a second.
“Fine, but just for a moment,” she said quietly, sitting up and raising her hands to the back of her head.
Zubert and Stix leaned in, eagerly awaiting the answer to their burning question.
Untied, the strip of dark cloth fell to Drixzy’s lap, and long-lashed eyes slowly opened.
“Holy fuck,” Stix yelped, backing away quickly.
“What?” Drixzy asked, glancing between the two of them. Her eyes were adjusting to the light she so rarely saw, but they tried to take in her people-pets’ forms anyways.
“Your eyes,” Zubert said, his tone low and serious, “they’re so bright with the Fel that I can’t tell.”
Drixzy rubbed at her eyes, blinking away the stars. “Really?” Finally, her eyes focused and landed on Zubert. Oh. He had such a cute baby face… but then from the neck down, was hot. She had not seen that disconnect before. Charming. Her gaze turned to Stix, who swallowed and leaned away as much as he could without falling over. Stix, unlike Zubert, was skinny, tall, and seemed, in a way, slightly worn out; like an old letter from a friend, or a well-loved paperback.
“Your hair is white,” Drixzy stated.
“Y-yeah,” Stix said.
“I could never tell,” she said softly. “I can’t figure out colors very well with this—”
A loud bang interrupted her, and she froze in terror. She was facing the opposite direction, but she was more than aware that that sound was the door being slammed open. Two guards with sharp polearms entered, followed by none other than the Grand Warlock, who walked in calmly, hands folded behind his back.
She had never felt so afraid in her life. The dread was almost tangible; her breath seemed caught in her chest, as though she were choking on the very air. Zubert and Stix could feel it too.
They done fucked up.
“What, exactly, do you think you’re doing, my dear Drixzy?” came Gremix’s voice from behind her back.
Zubert looked frantically between the glowing-eyed woman and the eerily collected warlock, interjecting; “W-I mean, I convinced her t’ take it off! Please don’t be mad at her, it’s my fault.”
“What’re y’ doing, idiot?” Stix hissed under his breath. “You’re gonna get yerself killed!”
“Silence, both of you.”
Zubert’s ears drooped; the command had come from Drixzy.
“Come here,” Gremix said flatly.
Drixzy, swallowing a lump in her throat formed of sheer fear, obliged. Gradually, she backed up to the edge of the bed closer to the door, only turning to face her master as her feet found the floor.
She’d only met his gaze for a split second when she gasped in sudden, sharp pain, stumbling back a step and shooting a hand to her cheek—which was now red and stinging from an unexpected backhand.
“Hey!” Zubert shouted, making a move as though meaning to go defend Drixzy, but Stix grabbed his shoulder and tugged him back.
Tears welled in Drixzy’s eyes and she regarded Gremix fearfully. Despite literally having just slapped her, the warlock seemed just as cool as the moment before, his stern expressionless gaze locked on her.
“I’m sorry, Master,” she said quietly, her voice barely a squeak.
“You certainly are.” Gremix looked over his shoulder, nodding a head to one of the guards. “Take the slaves.”
Drixzy’s ears whipped upwards. “What? Why—they didn’t do anythin’, Master, please!” Despite her objections, the guards headed deeper into the room, seizing Zubert and Stix; the latter trying to make some sort of resistant effort, but Zubert, as ever, allowing himself to be directed without a fight.
“You will put that blindfold back on immediately and wait here for my decision about what happens next,” Gremix said, glancing aside to the guards as they escorted the two young men away. “You will not leave this room; d’you understand me?”
Drixzy wrung the cloth in her hands for a second, but gave a slight nod, and lifted it to her face to tie on once again.
“Do make sure to actually obey my instructions this time,” Gremix concluded with a note of venom as he turned on his heel and strode out after the guards.
Drixzy watched as more guards outside saluted him, then closing her door and, assumedly, guarding it.
Her knees seemed to give out, and she sat on the edge of her bed, trembling.
What had she done?
They stood still, eyes lowered. They didn’t look but they could tell he was staring them down. The warlock’s gaze felt like needles on their skin; Stix, for the first time in quite a while, had begun to shiver.
“It’ll be okay,” Zubert said. “We’ll be okay, don’t worry.”
“Is that what you think?” Gremix asked from where he lounged upon his throne. The guards held the two goblins before him at the bottom of the lordly steps for his consideration, and he’d been picking his brain for the best way to go about his intentions.
Zubert swallowed, not responding. A shaky breath shuddered from beside him. Every instinct told Zubert to pat Stix’s shoulder, or hug him, or anything… but Stix probably wouldn’t have wanted it, anyways.
Gremix observed the two for a few moments, deep in thought. Then, fel-tinged magenta eyes flicked to Zubert.
“Steelknuckle.”
Zubert flinched, but raised his eyes to meet the warlock’s gaze.
“Punch him.”
Both Zubert and Stix looked taken aback.
“Stix? W-why?”
“Jus’ do it. Hard as you can. Straight in the face.”
Stix whimpered, a fearful look tossed Zubert’s way. Zubert shook his head incredulously.
“I can’t punch him… he didn’t do nothin’ to me.”
“Are you defying me?” Gremix asked, one brow raised.
“Uh…” A chill ran down Zubert’s back. “No, no of course not, but, it’s jus’…”
Gremix gave a disappointed click of his tongue.
“And here I thought Drixzy would have done a better job on you.” He slumped back in his throne, stroking his jawline in thought.
“Ah!” Gremix sat up straight suddenly, snapping his fingers before pointing at the guard holding Stix’s ball. “I’ve got jus’ the thing. Why don’t we playtest that lovely new whip I was given last week?”
“Excellent choice, master,” the guard said.
“I will retrieve it for you, Master,” piped up a follower who was coincidentally walking down a hall to the side of the throne room.
“Thank you, child,” Gremix said with a head nod towards the follower, who saluted and jogged off in the direction from which they had originally came.
Stix looked like he might faint.
Zubert raised his eyes, giving Gremix a pleading look. “D-don’t hurt him…! Please.”
Gremix simply stared at him, blinking slowly.
Zubert’s eyes welled with tears. “Please! I—I told him he’d be safe! I told him he’d be okay if he stayed here!” Zubert swallowed back a desperate sob. “Please, he didn’t do anything.”
Stix peered aside at the pleading goblin.
“Don’t… don’t make me a liar.” The tears, having no room left to well, began running down the soft curves of Zubert’s cheeks.
“How odd,” Gremix said. “His face is leaking.” His gaze drifted to the guard holding Zubert. “He should see the doctor to get that looked at, I think.”
“I couldn’t agree more, Master,” said the guard. “I will deliver him.”
Zubert’s brows knit in confusion. “Huh? Doctor?” He got no explanation, however, and was tugged away down a hallway, glancing back at Stix as he turned the corner—their eyes met for just a moment, and Zubert could only feel his stomach sink to his feet. He looked… betrayed.
“No, please,” Zubert sobbed one last time, but the guard jerked him forward and he disappeared from sight.
“Here it is, Master,” said the follower from before, now toting what could only be described as several strands of rusty barbed wire braided together on one end to form a crude steel whip.
“Ah, lovely,” Gremix said with a pleased smile. “Guard, will you do the honors, please?”
“Of course, Master,” the guard behind Stix said. He placed down the heavy ball, stepping away to take the “whip” from the other follower, who then giddily approached Gremix, bowed, and received a gentle brush of his hand on their cheek; a blissful sigh was the last thing from them before they returned to whatever business they had been tending to before.
There was no forewarning, and no words for the feeling, Stix yelping loudly as the steel wires lashed across his back unexpectedly. Fabric and flesh tore, and his eyes overflowed with tears of pain as he tried to gasp his breath back. Suddenly dizzy from the shock, he fell forward to his hands and knees, shaking and huddling into himself. Hateful eyes rose to see the Grand Warlock lounging upon his seat, looking nothing more than bored.
“Why?!” Stix whined. “What’d I do t’ deserve this!?”
“Oh, silly boy: nothing, I’m sure. I’m punishing you…” Gremix said, leaning his cheek into a hand, elbow propped onto the arm of his golden chair, “…but the punishment is not for you.”
Stix’s ears pinned, but he had no time to parse that as the wires struck his back once more, cutting and gouging at already tender, bleeding flesh and causing him to cry out in pain.
Gremix smirked. “Let’s do twenty, shall we?”
“Yes, Master.”
Somewhere deep within the mazes of stone hallways that led underground, Zubert trudged along with his guard. It was creepy enough in the dank, empty halls, but even worse, he kept hearing an eerie screeching sound echoing from somewhere distantly behind.
It seemed they’d walked forever. There was no way Zubert was going to remember the route back… though a nagging voice in the back of his head said that might not be a concern soon. Finally, the guard stopped him, creaking open a heavy metal door plastered with warning and hazard signs, revealing a large room full of whirring medical equipment, steel tables with long sheets of tissue paper spread over them, and…
“Oh, a doctor. I got it.” Zubert said.
“Well, they don’t call me that much anymore,” came a smooth voice from the corner. “No respect, these lot.”
Zubert whipped his head around to identify the speaker. Behind a cluttered desk sat a goblin man with long, fiery red hair pulled back into a ponytail. He was chewing on something and leaning back in his chair with his feet on the desk, clearly comfortable in this odd, chemical-smelling, machine-riddled room.
“What’s this, then?” asked the supposed doctor.
“Test subject.”
The doctor’s brows rose, and his eyes shone excitedly. He kicked off from his desk, chair rolling back enough for him to hop to his feet.
“Can I—?!”
“Non-fatal only.”
The doctor’s cheery face dropped into a disappointed scowl.
“Fine… but I’m never gonna get anywhere on Serum K if you guys don’t give me some expendables!”
“Yeah, yeah,” groaned the guard, shoving Zubert forward into the room. “I’ll let the Master know your concerns.”
The doctor crinkled his nose. “Yeah, sure ya will.”
The guard gave a final wave and a sarcastic “have fun!” as he left, sealing the door behind him.
The doctor turned and gave the tied-up Zubert a strange smile.
“How d’you feel about needles, little man?”
Drixzy hadn’t moved an inch from where she sat. Hours had passed, but she felt frozen. What was going to happen to her? She had spent so long following Gremix faithfully, catering to his every demand for years, and in one foolish moment had thrown that all away. What was she thinking? Why would she do something so stupid?! She rubbed at her temples, mind racing. It was Zubert and Stix—something about them. She was becoming weak for them, forgetting her place… and theirs.
Drixzy gasped, startled from her thoughts as her bedroom door opened once again. A guard’s head popped in.
“The Master calls you. He wishes you to clean up an unsightly mess in the throne room.”
Drixzy, puzzled, stood from her bed to follow the guard out. A mess? Was he making her do chores as punishment?
As soon as she crossed into sight of the throne room, she found herself wishing that true.
She cried out in despair, running into the room with loud, fast CLICK CLICK CLICKs of her boots on the stone. Reaching the center below the throneward stairs, she fell to her knees, hands shaky and unsure of what to do to what she found there… an unsightly mess, indeed. Stix was unconscious, his shirt shred to pieces and his back all but mutilated and losing him significant amounts of blood. She turned her head to the throne to see Gremix seated there, staring down at her, expressionless and cold.
“Master--!”
He raised a hand, flicking his wrist to toss something down at her. Drixzy caught it skillfully, whatever it was, and she brought it close to herself to see it. Small, green, and lightly glowing, it appeared to be a minor healthstone.
“Embed that into his back, an’ clean him up; you might have a chance to keep him alive yet, my pet.”
Drixzy swallowed back tears, brushing one hand’s fingers through bloodstained hair—hair she now knew was white. And this is what he got for her knowing.
“Oh, Stix, I’m so sorry,” she muttered into his ear as she stooped down to lift his limp body. Plenty of guards and other followers were around, and they watched her quietly, some whispering to one another, but not a one offering to help as she hurriedly part-carried, part-dragged the significantly taller, bloodied goblin away.
His eyes didn’t open right away when his consciousness returned to him. Stix pondered in the darkness of his mind if he was dead. Was he in the afterlife? The afterlife felt like a very comfy bed. But slowly his senses returned to him, and he could make out quiet noises. Little subtle sounds that signaled that another person was around. Well, he certainly couldn’t be dead, then; his happiest afterlife, he thought, would be free from dealing with other people ever again. He was already not keen on most people, and recent events were really only setting the roots of that feeling even deeper.
Recent events?
His eyes finally cracked open, just to see nothing but darkness. Wait, was he dead? He lifted his head—no, he just had his face in a pillow, after all. Damn.
He regretted the movement instantly.
“Nnngh--!!” Stix groaned as he winced, plummeting his face back into soft feathery pillows.
“Don’t move!” came a concerned voice from somewhere nearby. Drixzy’s voice.
He only groaned again.
“You’re injured, just lay still and rest,” she said. Her voice was soft, delicate… sad.
He didn’t want to feel bad for her—he was the one who suffered for her! And yet, the tone of her voice seemed to tug at his heart. What annoying, confusing, conflicting feelings he’d had since entering this palace.
“Stix,” Drixzy said, walking over to the side of the bed where he laid, “do you know where Zubert is?”
Stix thought about it. His memories of what happened before he passed out were fuzzy… what was that word again? It had seemed such an odd thing that Gremix said. Oh--
“Doc’r,” came his pillow-muffled response.
Drixzy stumbled backwards as though she had been shoved by the invisible force of his voice.
“D-doctor?!”
“M’hmm.”
“Stay here!” Drixzy said, turning to make a dash out her door, but she paused. “I mean, you probably can’t go anywhere right now if you’d wanted to, but…” Oh, what was she saying? She was in a rush!
The clacking of her boots as she sprinted down halls and around corners echoed throughout the lower chambers. One might have thought that cacophonous sound would be enough for people to keep an eye open, but Drixzy still nearly mowed someone over in her rush. She didn’t stop to apologize. Did she ever stop to apologize? She didn’t remember being polite to followers ever. Why wasn’t she polite to them?
The warning-adorned door smashed open with a loud BANG!, Drixzy immediately yelling, “BAZLEE! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM!?”
The doctor, this Bazlee, blinked at her, apparently having been in the middle of an experiment; syringe in hand, surgical mask over nose and mouth, and someone green and struggling bound to the metal table before him. Her heart sank. It wasn’t Zubert.
“Hello to you too, Drixzy. Why yes, I’ve been lovely, thanks for asking!”
“Where is he?”
Bazlee looked puzzled. “Whom?”
“Zubert!” Drixzy shouted, fear straining her voice. “He’s—he’s short, an’ has black hair, an’ tattoos, an’ really sexy arms!”
From somewhere deeper in the room came a weak chuckle. Her ears perked and she dashed towards the sound.
She went around a large, humming machine of some sort to find Zubert sprawled out on a stained bedroll on the floor.
“You really think my arms are sexy?” he asked. His voice was but a scratchy wisp of strained breath, his face pale and eyelids drooping.
Drixzy knelt beside him, placing a hand on his cheek. He was cold as ice. She swallowed hard, ears pinning.
“Are you in pain? Can you move?” she asked.
Zubert took a bit to respond, seeming to have to gather the energy to over time.
“Badly. Can’t move.” He gave a weak smile. “I’m sorry, Miss Drixzy. I failed you.”
“No, no, of course you didn’t, don’t say that,” she murmured, cupping his cheeks in her hands.
“He ain’t gonna die, you can chill. Probably, at least. …Maybe.”
Drixzy turned, scrutinizing Bazlee, who had snuck up behind her at some point.
“How do I help him?”
The doctor pursed his lips to one side, giving an exaggerated “hmmmmmmmm…”
“Bazlee! This is no time for your crap!” Drixzy snapped.
He snickered and shrugged.
“I dunno, honestly. Warm him up? I design the poisons, not the antidotes.”
Drixzy huffed. She scooped her arms under Zubert’s back and tried to lift, but with a groan of strained effort, she realized that while the bottom half of Zubert was within her limits, his upper body bulk was far too heavy for her to heft all the way back to her bedroom.
Zubert gave another weak chuckle. “Sorry…”
“Stop apologizing,” Drixzy said, rubbing her hands down her face. What was she going to do?
She scanned her surroundings, seeking anything that could give her an idea—and her eyes landed on Bazlee, who was no longer paying attention to her, instead pulling bloodied rubber gloves from his hands to dispose of.
“Bazlee,” Drixzy started, her voice softer than it had been any time she’d addressed him before, “please, will you help me?”
The doctor eyed her.
“Please—we used to be friends!”
This puzzled the red-haired man, whose brows lowered in concern. “What? When?”
Drixzy paused. When? She could have sworn… her head pounded as she tried to dig up where that thought had come from.
“I… I don’t know.”
Bazlee gave her an incredulous look, but shrugged it off.
“I guess. That useless idiot they just gave me died before I could get anythin’ done, so I could take a break…”
Stix had dozed off, pain wearing him down into sleep again and again, but a clattering awoke him. The sound of the door opening, and what sounded like squeaky wheels…
“Thank you,” Drixzy said, taking one of Bazlee’s hands in her own with a grateful squeeze after they had moved Zubert from the wheeled stretcher they transported him with to the bed.
“Yeah, well,” Bazlee mumbled, pulling his hand away from hers and shaking it off like she’d gotten water or cooties on it. “Next time one of your dudes ends up in my lab, I’m not doin’ this again. Jus’ for the record.”
“You will never see them in there again.”
Bazlee laughed, and taking the stretcher, wheeled it out of the room. A few moments after he closed the door, fast wheel-squeaking could be heard from the halls, along with a “YEEEEAHHHHH!”—then very soon a “WAIT, NO—” and a crashing sound.
Drixzy pursed her lips—she had no time to go attend to the doofus doctor who she could only assume just tried to ride his stretcher down the halls.
“J’fnd’m?” came a muffled voice from pillowed face.
“Yeah,” Drixzy said. “I found him.” She placed a hand tenderly on Zubert’s chest. His breathing was slow and weak.
She tried piling blankets upon blankets upon blankets over him, but nothing she did seemed to warm him, and it seemed the color was completely draining from his body—she’d never seen a green so white. She searched her mind desperately, staring down at her hands. Useless hands! They couldn’t even save her… pets? No, they weren’t pets to her. An ache in her chest denied that term, and she longed for something else. Her eyes drifted from palms to the golden cuffs around her wrists. The fel runes on them flickered and glowed, seeming to move and shift around the surface. She hadn’t quite figured out what these were, but she knew that Gremix had created them, and somehow had been summoning her through them—not by sound, but a strange feeling that emanated from them and crept into her mind when he called her name. Perhaps there was more to the shackles than that. Maybe it was a two-way thing.
“Master,” she whispered. “Please… let me save them.” Zubert watched her, pretty sure he was dying and thus slipping away from reality because Drixzy was definitely talking to her own hands.
Nothing happened—until something did. The runes’ glows shone brighter in a burst of sudden green energy, then faded, the color turning into a vapor that dissipated in the air. What did that mean? What kind of help was that?
But then she felt it. A tug in the back of her mind—like when Gremix called for her, but ever so slightly different. This feeling was not saying “come here.” Instead, it simply said “kiss”.
She was too desperate to question, so she leaned in, and laid a kiss upon Zubert's cold, pallid lips. It was then she understood.
A warmth came from her hands, rising up her arms and into her body. It was the touch of her Master—but not being given to her. It was siphoning through her, and as it rose to her head, she heard a gentle inhale from the near-frozen goblin.
Stix, curious of the quiet shuffling, turned his head just enough that he could peek over with one yellow eye. What he saw, he couldn’t quite explain. Well, he could explain the part that was Drixzy smooching Zubert like she tended to, but the fel glow overflowing from beneath her blindfold and bursting in waves from her wristbands was another thing. The lights seemed to materialize into a green fog, which then drifted around Zubert, where it seemed to then be sucked into him. Miraculously, color was rapidly reappearing in his skin, starting with a golden red in the cheeks and ears signifying not just life but that he was quite enjoying what slowly but surely became a much deeper kiss. Regaining his ability to move, Zubert sat up—hands met faces, silent pleased noises escaped them, and the fel clouds continued until finally Drixzy pulled away. Zubert, half lidded eyes making him seem entranced, tried to lean to follow her, but Drixzy put her hand on his face and for a few seconds they just sat like that. With a twitch of an ear, Zubert seemed to find himself again, though looking confused, and Drixzy lowered her hand.
“Are you alright?” she asked.
Zubert looked down at his hands, turning them around, then moved his arms around a bit. “Yeah! I’m kinda achey, but way better now!” He gave her a perplexed look. “What did you do?”
“I d'no, but I don’t like it,” came a muffled voice to the side.
Drixzy frowned. “Stix, let me heal you too.”
“Hell no!” Stix said, wincing as the slight chest movement only served to reopen barely-scabbed gashes, gushing hot blood into the bandages wrapped over practically his entire torso. “Keep that demon stuff away from me.”
“You’re bleeding profusely and in so much pain, though,” Drixzy said, voice low and concerned.
“Don’t care.”
Drixzy sighed. “I’m sorry. This is all my fault, I failed to take proper care of you both but just ended up hurting you.”
“That’s not true!” argued Zubert.
“Yeah,” Stix agreed, brows lowering into a look of disgust. “You didn’t hurt us, that monster out there on his shiny chair did!”
“Do not speak that way of The Master,” Drixzy said disapprovingly.
“Seriously? How c’n yer stand up for that guy?! Don’t y’ see he’s terrible?” Stix asked indignantly.
“He isn’t,” Drixzy disagreed, slipping off the bed and walking around it to Stix's side. “You don’t know him like I do. You don’t know how he is when we’re alone.”
Stix blinked in disbelief. “Are you even hearin' yerself?”
“Stix,” chided Zubert. “Jus’ stop.”
“No! This is insane, this—nnh!”
He had started to try to push himself up, forgetting until too late that every single movement stung like a razor down his back.
He felt hands on his face, which gently turned his head in the opposite direction, towards Drixzy.
“Don’t,” Stix said. “C-c’mon…”
“It really works, Stix, I feel way better now,” Zubert said, trying to offer some reassurance.
“I’m only helping,” Drixzy insisted.
“I don’t want yer help.”
Drixzy scowled.
“Well, I don’t care what you want. You’re mine, and I’ll do as I will.”
Stix couldn’t exactly back away or fight her off, so he just squeezed his eyes shut as she leaned in, twisting to meet his pillow bound face, and pressed her soft lips onto his.
She hadn’t kissed his lips even once; Stix figured she just had Zubert for that kind of stuff. He certainly didn’t think she’d kiss him, and he certainly didn’t think he would have enjoyed it so much. There was a strange warmth that seemed to seep from her lips, tapping into his own body. His mind became vague; were they using tongue? It was as though his consciousness had left his body to float in a liminal space. It was a painless place, an anxiety-free place. So nice. So heavenly.
He blinked, suddenly finding himself once more in his broken body, strewn across Drixzy’s bed. He felt dazed, yet renewed. Shakily, he pushed himself up to sitting, and Zubert gave an excited applause.
Stix still looked worse for the wear, having lost significant amounts of blood, but as shown by Zubert carefully peeling bloody bandages off the skinny goblin, the horrendous mutilated flesh had closed up quite a bit, thick scabbing holding the cuts closed as though it’d had several days to heal already. Stix shuddered as the cold hit his now-bare torso, then hissed sharply through his teeth—“fuck, it still hurts.”
“Still as much?” Zubert asked concernedly.
Stix considered himself carefully before answering.
“Nah. Less, but it still hurts.”
Drixzy peered down at her bracers, but the runes had died down to their usual faint flickering glow. “I don’t think I can do any more. I’m sorry.”
Stix grumbled, but Zubert, much more enthusiastic about not feeling like he was freezing to death, chimed in with a “you’ve done plenty! More than we could have asked for.”
Drixzy gave him a weak smile, and the door creaked open behind her. She glanced over to see a guard simply holding it open. For a moment she was puzzled, but then she realized why he was there as the back of her mind prickled: come here.
She peered at her boys, both better but tired.
“I’m being called for. Try to get more rest, you two.”
Zubert nodded, Stix giving no acknowledgement of her even having spoken.
Drixzy turned and strode out the door. The call wasn’t coming from the throne room this time. She could sense his power even from afar. He was in his chambers.
With a deep breath, she started down the halls.
She entered slowly, warily. The dim, fel-lit room was same as it always was: cold, slightly spooky, and containing the one thing she was truly afraid of…
Gremix.
“You called for me, Master?”
“Yes,” he answered from where he lay, casually leaned against the strikingly carved and engraved headboard of his luxurious bed, arms crossed behind his head. As usual, he wore a delicate, fancy robe, which spread from his crossed legs like a fish tail.
“Join me.” He pulled his arms from behind to pat the mattress beside him. “You’ll be sleeping with me tonight.”
Her heart skipped a beat—it’d been so long since Gremix had let her sleep with him. She wanted to be excited, but a pit in her stomach warned her that Gremix was probably still very displeased with her. Cautiously, she came forth, hefting herself into the soft bedding and crawling over to lay beside her master. An uncertain hand lifted towards his chest, but she hesitated to touch him.
“It’s fine, dear,” he said with a smile that didn’t look quite genuine.
She laid her hand softly on his chest, scooting in close to him and nuzzling into his shoulder.
“I’m so sorry, Master,” she nearly whispered. “I don’t know what came over me.”
“Bygones, bygones,” Gremix said, combing clawed fingers through her nearly-white blonde locks. “What’s up with you lately, huh? Of everyone, I never would have thought you would disobey my direct command.”
She burrowed further into his shoulder in shame.
“I’ve been feelin’ so strange,” Drixzy said. “I keep getting confused. I told Bazlee we used to be friends”—Gremix’s brows furrowed immediately—”but that can’t be true… I don’t remember that, nor did he. I don’t know why I said it.”
“I see,” Gremix said, no note of concern in his tone despite the betrayal of a distressed face. “That’s very silly of you. You never met Bazlee until the Palace.”
“I know… but for a moment, I was so sure.” She frowned and shifted back to look entreatingly at the warlock. “What’s wrong with me, Master? I feel like I’m losing grip on myself.”
Gremix pursed his lips, scrutinizing the woman’s face a moment. Reaching up slowly, he lifted her blindfold up and off her head. She opened her eyes, and as usual, they glowed with unholy intensity.
“Don’t worry, my dear,” Gremix said, a soft tone to his voice that Drixzy hadn’t heard in so long. “I am going to fix you.”
“Thank you, Boss.”
Gremix froze, and the abrupt stiffening of his muscles indicated to Drixzy that something she said was wrong. Her eyes widened, and her hand shot to her mouth, covering it in confused horror.
“Wh… why did I…”
Gremix's ears pinned, slight movements in his jaw a sign of clenched teeth.
“Never. Call me that. Again,” he said, some sort of powerfully serious frustration seeming to bubble inside of him.
“I-I'm sorry, Master—oh!”
Drixzy found herself suddenly flipped onto her back, the warlock hovering above her on his hands and knees. She couldn’t remember the last time Gremix had looked so upset. Or had he ever looked upset?
“Master,” Drixzy started softly, swallowing a lump in her throat, “how… long have we been here?”
The Grand Warlock’s hand slid up the front of her body and he leaned in to her ear, his warm breath giving her goosebumps.
“Always.”
Zubert and Stix had waited a while for her, but Drixzy did not return that night, and they fell asleep sprawled out in the spaciousness of the bed. When they awoke, she still had not returned. It wasn’t until a while after the door guard brought them dinner that the blindfolded young woman came back.
There was something about the way she was walking—hips swaying, each heeled bootstep like a step down the catwalk. Her lips were tight and straight, her posture immaculate. Expressionless.
“Welcome back, Mi—” started Zubert, practically a dog wagging its tail at its owner’s return.
“Silence.”
Zubert paused. Her voice was flat, cold. He glanced aside at Stix, who returned his troubled look.
“On the floor, pets. Where you belong.”
Both guys seemed to wilt a little, scooching themselves off the comfy linens in disappointment. What happened? Drixzy seemed to have completely changed overnight. Zubert thought it felt familiar… Like how she was when he first arrived.
“Drixzy—”
“I said silence.” Drixzy sneered at them, her voice carrying a malice that chilled them to their cores. “I have failed my Master by being too soft on you both. You will learn your places, or else be destroyed.”
Stix paled. Killed, sure; but “destroyed” sounded—somehow—worse.
“Do you understand me?”
Stix and Zubert both nodded fervently.
A smile crept onto her lips, but not the soft, tender smiles from before. It seemed, in a way, sinister. As though merely watching them fear her was a pleasant joke. A horrible realization crept up on both of the guys.
She was smiling just like him.
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Detroit: Become Human Ralph x Reader [4]
The scenario for this one shot is:
How did Ralph become damaged?
⚠️MENTIONS OF ABUSE⚠️
Most of this chapter will be Ralph talking in first person. I hope you all enjoy! Love you all!!!
••••••••••••••••
~(Y/n)'s POV~
"Maybe we should try going on a trip for our second anniversary," I suggest as my boyfriend, Gabe, and I sat at the kitchen table.
The man shook his head with a scrunched up face. "Nah, not a fan of traveling."
"You've got to be kidding me..." I mutter under my breath.
Our conversation was interrupted as Ralph, our WR600 android, entered the kitchen with a bundle of chrysanthemums in his hands from the garden on the veranda.
Gabe rolled his eyes in annoyance and crossed his arms. "Get outta here, ya shitty android."
I smacked him on the arm. "Don't talk to him like that, Gabe." Then, I directed a smile at Ralph. "Those are lovely, Ralph. Your hard work has definitely paid off."
"I'm glad you like them, (Y/n)," the machine answered, his programmed smile appearing. "I'll put them in a vase and place them on the coffee table to brighten up the living room."
"We don't need anymore flowers, ya daft hunk of wires," Gabe scoffs.
I sent a harsh glare in his direction. "Stop belittling his work!"
Gabe slammed his hands on the table, his own glare much sharper than mine. "Don't dare yell at me, (Y/n)!" I flinched at Gabe's bellowing voice. I didn't meet his heated gaze and turned my head in Ralph's direction. From here, I saw his LED was red.
Before I could speak up, pain erupted in my right cheek and I fell out of the chair. The only sound that I heard was when my body collided with the frigid tiles of the kitchen floor. In complete shock, I kept my wide (e/c) eyes glued to the floor. "You care more about this damn android than your own boyfriend!"
I remained silent as Ralph came to my side and placed a gentle and caring hand on my back. The sound of the wooden chair scraping against the tile was all I heard as a sign Gabe had left the kitchen. Completely frozen at the slap, Ralph took it upon himself to get me a bag of ice for my swollen cheek.
I wasn't sure how long I had been on the floor until Ralph returned and helped me back into my seat. He pulled out the chair next to me and pressed the bag of ice against my red cheek. "Why, (Y/n)?"
I met his gaze, never having heard him question anything. "What is it, Ralph?"
"Why do you still take this abuse?"
"I... I don't know. I want to believe deep down that I love Gabe, but I think my love for him has run dry."
Ralph fell silent, applying the ice with more pressure. My gaze fell to the floor, not being able to look at the android any longer.
After a few minutes, I meekly thanked Ralph and took the bag of ice before wandering around the apartment to find Gabe. I found him sitting on the bed in our bedroom with his head resting in his hands. When he heard me enter, his head shot up and I saw the tears building up in the corner of his eyes. "I'm so sorry, (Y/n). I-I didn't—"
"Gabe, do you love me?"
"Why would you ask me such a stupid question? Of course I love you!"
"Every time this happens, you always apologize and I just feel like you aren't sincere. You always end up slapping me again and it's the same process over and over again. My forgiveness is running out."
Gabe sighed, tearing his eyes away from me. "I understand if you want to leave and I won't stop you, (Y/n)."
"I'm not leaving, Gabe. It's just... very tempting because of these fallouts we keep having."
"Then, you'll stay?"
"For now. But, if this happens again, I can't make any promises."
He nods with a smile. "I understand." I nod in silence and leave the bedroom.
Wandering into the living room, I watched as Ralph placed the beautiful flowers in a glass vase and sat them in the center of the coffee table. "Y'know, winter's coming and we haven't picked up any new flowers. What do you think about getting a few hellebores?"
"They'll grow well during the winter," Ralph smiles.
"Then, it's settled! We'll pick up new flowers tomorrow and you're coming with me."
"But, (Y/n)—"
"No 'buts', Ralph. You're coming with me so you can pick out your favorite, too. You are the one who takes care of the garden, after all. The least I could do is let you pick your favorite flowers."
For some odd reason, his LED flashed yellow before returning to normal. Dismissing it, I smile at Ralph and place my hand over his. The android smiled, wrapping his fingers around mine. "I'd like that."
-Next Morning-
"Alright, ready to go, Ralph?" I ask, putting on my heavy jacket that I knew would counter the bone-chilling breeze of the winter that was slowly creeping up on Detroit.
He nods with a smile. "Yes, (Y/n)."
Just then, Gabe emerged from the bedroom door. He raised a brow when he saw the two of us were standing at the front door. "Where are you two heading?"
"To Aurora's Nursery to buy flowers for the winter," I stated stoically.
"Do you really have to take that thing with you?" He scoffed, glaring at Ralph.
"Ralph is coming with me because he is the gardener. Unlike you, he actually does something around here. Now, if you'll excuse us, we'll be back soon."
"Hey, (Y/n)—!"
"Bye, Gabe." I open the door and pull Ralph out of the apartment before slamming it shut behind us.
-Aurora's Nursery-
Ralph wandered around the enormous nursery, examining flowers left and right. I had a couple of hellebores in my hand and watched him with a huge smile plastered to my face. This was the first time I've ever seen him have so much fun. I recognized the emotion as happiness, which confused me to some extent. Ever since Gabe had snapped at me the previous night, Ralph had been expressing different emotions I've never seen an android express. I wanted to ask him if he had broken protocol and had become deviant without me knowing, but I would save that question for later.
Ralph returned with snowdrops in his hands. The beautiful white petals that created a snowy bell-like image as the flower was drooping was a beautiful sight, indeed, and would look breathtaking in the garden. Though the apartment was small, the veranda was roomy and provided enough space for Ralph and his garden.
"Ready to go?" I ask.
He nods and I pay for the hellebores and snowdrops. With the flowers in our grasps, we walk back to the apartment with smiles etched across our faces.
Ralph held the door for me and I thanked him. I noticed the fireplace was lit and the wood crackled as we walked through the living room. We took the flowers to the veranda and sat them down in the small garden area Ralph had made himself from simple materials I had bought him years ago.
Then, Gabe wandered out the sliding glass door, a scowl present on his face. "Do we honestly need a garden?"
"Yes, we do. I enjoy flowers and it's not this is your apartment. I'm the one who pays the bills, not you," I snap.
"Hey, you know I've been trying to find a job!"
"No, you haven't! You've been sitting on your ass and lazing around here!"
"Well, unlike you, I didn't get a CEO position handed to me from my father!"
"Oh, please! I worked my ass off to get that position! My dad may be the president of the company, but that doesn't mean shit when he treats me like a normal employee! I worked my way to becoming a CEO without my father's influence, you asshole!"
After my final lashing, we both fell silent. Ralph stood next to me, completely shocked at the sudden outburst between me and Gabe. Something inside me suddenly snapped and my glare grew even more heated as my eyes never left my boyfriend. "I'm so done with you, Gabe. Pack your shit and leave. I'm done with all of this abuse."
His jaw fell to the floor, surprised at my sudden proclamation. "You can't—!"
"Yes, I can. You're a deadbeat and nothing but an asshole. Grab your shit and get out."
Gabe cursed me under his breath as he left the veranda and headed back inside. I placed a hand on my head as I sat down in a chair beside the garden. Ralph kneeled in front of me, his worried gaze trained on me. "(Y/n)..."
"I'm fine. I just... need a few minutes to calm down."
After I took a few deep breaths, Gabe returned with a fire iron in his hand and a malicious glint in his eyes. "Gabe, what the hell are you doing?"
"Getting rid of the problem," he said, eyes glued on Ralph.
I quickly stood up and placed myself in front of the android. "He's not the problem. The only problem here is you! Get out before I call the cops!"
Gabe didn't acknowledge my shouting as he raised the poker and pushed me aside. Before I could recover, the man swung the hot, sharp piece of iron at Ralph. The android was struck directly on the cheek, sending him to the ground. I tackled Gabe before he could strike again and punched him in the jaw, knocking him out cold. I scrambled to get my phone out of my pocket and called the police. Moving off of my now ex's body, I went to Ralph's aid and saw he wasn't waking up. "Ralph?"
Staring into his wide, lifeless eyes, I bit my lip in fear and dialed the nearest CyberLife store. The manager told me to bring in Ralph as soon as possible to assess the damage after I told her what happened and hung up.
The police finally arrived ten minutes later and arrested Gabe. Once they dealt with the unconscious man, I dragged Ralph's body to the car and placed him in the back seat. Not heeding the speed limit, I speed to the store and hand the android over to the manager. She takes him to the back and another employee told me it would take a few hours to repair Ralph. I decided to wait in the store, watching as people bought androids left and right.
-Three Hours Later-
"Miss (L/n)?" I snapped my gaze upwards, spotting the manager. She smiled softly at me as she pointed to the repair room behind the counter. "Your WR600 model has been repaired, but..."
"What is it?" I ask.
"The burn damage to the plastic is untreatable and a fraction of its software is fried beyond repair. Besides that, it's in working condition and should be able to perform its normal duties."
"That's good to hear. How much do I owe for repairs?"
"Two hundred." I hand her my credit card from my jacket pocket. She swipes the card using her tablet and hands it back to me. "Alright. We'll send your android out at once."
"Thank you."
The door to the repair room flew open and revealed Ralph. He frantically searched the store until his eyes landed on me and he rushed to my side. Wrapping his arms around me, Ralph held me tightly. "Is (Y/n) injured?"
"No. I'm alright, Ralph." I placed my hands gently on his back, hugging him back.
"Ralph is happy to know (Y/n) isn't hurt."
I pull away, my eyes falling onto his damaged cheek. "Let's go home."
-Apartment-
The moment we set foot in the living room, Ralph dashed to the veranda and began planting the flowers we had bought earlier today. I smiled as he grabbed his tools and worked in silence with a huge smile on his face. Parched from all the yelling that only happened a few hours ago, I head into the kitchen and get a glass of water. The wine that rested on the counter caught my eye, but I decided not to drink myself into a stupor over an asshole like Gabe.
As I downed the water, Ralph entered the kitchen as I filled the cup once more. There was dirt on his undamaged cheek and I giggled with a smile. "Sit down, Ralph, and let me clean the dirt off your cheek." He nods and sits down at the table, shaking his knees up and down. I wetted a paper towel and wiped the dirt off his face. "There. Now you're clean."
Suddenly, the android spoke and said words I never expected to hear. "Ralph loves (Y/n). Will... Will (Y/n) stay with Ralph?"
I placed the cup of water and paper towel down. "I'd never leave you." The android leaned forward and wrapped his arms around my waist. His head rested on my stomach as he remained sitting in the chair when he hugged me. I placed my hands gently on his back, hugging him gently. I looked down to see Ralph had a peaceful smile carved on his face. I leaned down, placing a kiss on top of his head. "I love you, too, Ralph."
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model!irene
i haven’t updated in so long, i’m so sorry!
when she first became a model, people were like… that face can't be real. it's photoshop or smth, it's so perfect
BUT NOPE
irene is literally just that beautiful
models for cosmetics, not really clothes too much
but when she does model for clothing lines, whatever she wore sold out in under five minutes
no one believes she’s a day over 20 when they first see her, they're always like…. ur either drinking straight outta the fountain of youth or ur really just that young
but they stop saying that when they see her with newbie model!yeri, because….. she's a whole mom
babies the hell outta yeri, and even though yeri is like… irene, pls…. i’m an adult
she still eats the crust-free, dinosaur shaped sandwhiches irene brings her with the biggest smile on her face
and that smile is the reason irene babies her so much
irene lives to make other people happy, and it's this trait that makes you fall super hard for her
ur an employ at the company irene is signed with, and it's not like ur in her immediate team or anything like that
u just recieve requests from people that want to work with the agency’s models, and it's ur job to sort out the request and either assign them a model if they haven't specified, or make sure the requests reach the desk of the specific model’s team
and it's a really good job! u like it, especially since an organized environment is what you love most in the world, and that's basically what ur doing for a living
but sometimes it gets stressful
bc the agency is so huge, it requires everyone to be on their a game at all times, and since it's basically just you doing the sorting, it can be…. overwhelming
and especially in the few months or so before spring is when it gets real hectic
because everyone wants models for photoshoots with blooming flowers and falling cherry blossoms
which you’ve handled before, it should be no big deal, and this year should be no different
but for some reason
when you go to work one day
you just….. can't
it's not like you sit at your desk and do nothing, but it's more like you're trying to do things, but keep making mistakes you’ve never made before
when it's an hour before your lunch break, you send out two stacks of requests, one for irene’s team, and one for seulgi’s team, because those two usually are more opinionated on which jobs they take on, and they'll probably need more time than yeri, joy, and wendy combined to decide
and ur like ‘cool, the requests are on their way, i need to stop stressing and chill a little, i got this.’
but right as you say this, an intern walks into ur office and looks kinda…. concerned?
and u know it's the intern from seulgi’s team, so ur like…. what happened with the requests, is something wrong?
and the intern kinda mumbles at first cause they don't want you to be upset, but eventually you make out that they're trying to tell you that…. irene and seulgi’s request still haven't been recieved
wat
“what do you mean they weren't recieved?”
“like… we got the message that we’d be recieving them today at 11:00 am, but….. we never got it.”
and you just snap because
oh my god
this is a major mistake, and you're going to be the one to take the blame
you tell the intern that you're going to fix it, and to go tell both seulgi’s and irene’s teams that it’ll be there soon
they nod and leave, and you begin to scavenge through all the scrunched up and tossed away notes to try and decipher which brand wanted who and what day and time and the benefits they offer with each job
and it's literal hell, because all your notes are so vague, because you immediately wrote them down on the official request forms for irene and seulgi so you wouldn't have to rewrite it later and waste time
without even realizing, lunch is long gone and it's nearing time for you to get off work
but there are at least ¼ of the requests missing from each girls’ pile and you're full on sobbing bc….. this sucks
and you're so stressed that you don't even realize someone entered your office until they timidly knock on the surface of your desk
you're somewhere between shocked and scared when you see it's irene, because a) you didn't even know she knew where your office was? and b) was she there to yell at you or fire you? because you will cry even harder if that's the case
but nah
before you can do anything, irene sets down a plastic container on your desk and pulls out a fork and a bottle of water from her purse and puts those in front of you as well
and that's when she really gets on ur fucking uwus, because she opens the container to reveal some crust-less, dinosaur shaped sandwiches with a fruit cup in the shape of stars on the side
“you didn't come out of your office all day, and the delivery guy didn't have your usual order when he stopped by the office earlier, so i….”
she kinda motions to the food, and looks down sheepishly, and ur all sorts of “wat” on the inside bc????
is irene a literal angel? probably
you thank her profusely and tell her she didn't have to do this, but she just gives you the softest smile and goes:
“i heard about what happened today. it's not your fault, but you're probably kicking yourself like it is. i just wanted to make sure you're not beating yourself up over this, because it makes me sad when you're stressed like that.”
irene has to leave shortly after that because she has a night shoot for this brand that came out with a new line of evening gown’s and irene was begged to model for it
but she makes sure to leave her number on your desk and tells you to text her if you're ever stressed and need someone to talk to
or if you wanna go on a taco date with her, but she says that part in her head bc she's like…. it's too soon for me to be this forward with them
sure enough, you do text irene a few days later, but it's not cause you're stressed
you actually ask her out to dinner to repay her for her kindness earlier
irene, in a meeting with her team, recieving ur text asking her out on saturday
manager: “what about this quick photoshoot for armani on saturday bc they're a top brand, and we really shouldn't say no to that??”
irene, feeling her heart ready to burst out of her chest: “no, i’m going to be living my dreams on saturday, k, bye :)”
you let irene pick the restaurant, and you thought it was gonna be fancy and expensive, bc, hello, super famous model??
but instead she goes “i know this taco truck”
if you weren't already in love with her at that point, YOU SURE AS HELL ARE NOW
so, you guys are sitting on this park bench at 11 pm
with four plates of tacos between the two of you
and you guys are telling stories and cracking jokes, and it’s honestly the best date either of you have ever been on
and at the end, irene just kinda lays her head on your shoulder and sighs so happily
“thank you for this, it’s been awhile since i’ve had this much fun.”
“maybe we could do this again sometime, then?”
irene suddenly snaps her head up to look at you with wide eyes, and is like “SERIOUSLY? OMG, CAUSE I HAD SUCH A GREAT TIME BUT I DIDN’T KNOW IF YOU HAD FUN TOO!”
“irene.... ur literally the human embodiment of happiness, i can’t be anything but in a good mood when i’m around u.”
something in irene just melts, and she’s like so happy that she pulls you in this giant hug and just starts to ramble about how happy she is and
and then she’s just like “i’m so happy you had fun, because i really like you, like a lot, and i would’ve been real sad if you didn’t have fun”
you just giggle and go “i like you too, okay? you can stop being so nervous now.”
and she relaxes and smiles, grabs your hand, entwine it with hers, and the two of you continue to talk and get to know each other even more
and that’s how you two start dating
y’all are the mom couple, y’all already knew this was coming
cutting fun shapes into yeri’s food so she thinks it's more exciting to ear her fruits and vegetables? check.
making sure joy doesn't break that vvv expensive vase while y’all are visiting locations for potential photoshoot’s? check.
helping wendy translate her thoughts properly when she’s too flustered to do so? check.
putting bandaids onto seulgi’s scrapes when she attempts to do some sport and takes it a little too seriously? check.
you two are just the resident angels, and everyone looks up to you two?? aspiring to be as great as you and irene are?
you two are really making the world a better place, bless
and you two take really good care of each other too! always making sure the other is eating properly and if the other is stressed that they have a shoulder to cry on or a person to love them unconditionally
it's gr8, and the rv members are so happy that irene has found someone with just as much love in their heart as she does, and isn't afraid to tell irene she's the love of their life every day
concept: irene has now taken a habit to eating lunch in your office. occasionally, the other rv members join too, but irene comes every day at noon with two sets of food and the biggest smile on her face. she always says that you're the best part about coming to work now.
#red velvet#irene#bae joohyun#kpop#kpop girls#kpop scenarios#kpop imagine#red velvet scenarios#red velvet imagines#red velvet fanfic#irene scenarios#irene fanfic#kpop au#kpop girl groups
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Hell On A Angel- Happy Lowman
Song- Hell On A Angel By Brantley Gilbert.
They said I was baptized in dirty water
By the hands of the devil himself
Between the banks of a Whiskey River
Beside the Highway to Hell
I got scars on my heart and knuckles
I got debts that I can't pay
Yeah but I got a blessing sent down from heaven
Baby you're my saving grace
Pacing the room, waiting for time to go by faster. This day was going to be the best day of your life, you were finally marrying the love of your life. She was amazing, she didnt care about your job or how you made your money. The only thing she cared about was that you came home alive and that you were loyal. You fell deeply in love with her the first time you saw her three years ago. She was like a drug that the high was so great that you kept taking it and over dosed.
Your mind and heart racing, you didnt notice Kozik coming in the room. "Hap..Happy".
"Huh". You chewed on your fingers.
"Its time brother, you're getting hitched". He gave you a bear hug.
"I cant wait, I'm so fucking nervous". You looked at your hands shaking.
"Dont be, she loves you and you love her, thats all that matters". He smiled, slapping your back.
"Lets get this party started and get you a wife".
"Here we go".
Kozik and you walked outside to the tent that was set up for the wedding and reception. Feeling the wind blow, the sun shining on your face, you new Y/N picked a great day for your wedding. She worked so hard to get everything she wanted and you wanted to be in the wedding. It was a classic biker wedding but with alittle hippy style to it.
"You look good Brother". Said Chibs as he gave you a hug.
"You nervous, you look like your sweating". Jax grined.
"Nah, I'm good". "Cant wait till shes finally mine". You played with your kute.
"She looks real pretty, we just came from her room". Tig smiled wide.
"Guys, I think I'm gonna throw up, to be honest".
"Dont do that, then Y/N will have to find someone else to kiss". "I so volunteer". Tig laughed.
Happy shook his head. Chibs smacked Tig on the back of the head.
Girl you got an outlaw
Ready to lay down all my guns
A dirty old hound dog
Learning new tricks like cuddlin' up
You've got a hellcat purrin' like a kitten
You've got a sinner down on his knees
It had to be hell on an angel
Lovin' the devil outta me
Smiling at Gemma, you couldnt stand still. It was taking to long to get ready.
"Y/N hold still or I'm going to be sick". She laughed.
"Can I just run out there and just get this over with". "I hate waiting".
"I think your having trouble waiting for is the honeymoon". Lyla giggled.
You smirked. "Is it that obvious".
"Yeah it is, its like your in heat or something". "Your not right". Gemma laughed.
"No Gem I'm not". "I just cant wait for husband and wife sex". "Is it different"?
"Not really". Lyla said. "Its alittle more exciting tho".
You blow out the breathe you were holding in. "Can we start"?
"Yes, I'll tell them your ready". Gemma got up, walking to the door. "SHE'S READY, LETS START THIS WEDDING". She yelled .
"I could have done that". You laughed.
Hearing the music, you picked up your flowers and grabbed Juices arm.
"Lets get you married".
You'd tell me how did I get under
This leather skin I wear
Beneath the callouses and tattoos
Around the walls I've built down there
To this heart I've broke and guarded
All alone out on the street flyin'
Yea it takes an angel to fly with a free bird
Baby we've got the sky
You heard the cabin door slam, it was finally happening.
She was stunningly beautiful. Her dress fit her to a tee and showed of her amazing curves. Looking from head to toe she was so..you lost words.
Walking down she was passed to Tig, then to Chibs and last to Kozik to give you away. It was her way to get everyone in the wedding.
"Hey Handsome".
"Hey Gorgeous ". Happy smiled from ear to ear.
"We are gathered here to day to bring Happy Lowman and Y/N Y/L/N together for eternity and beyond.
"They have prepared their own vows, Happy would you like to go first"?
Happy nodded. "Y/N, your are the most amazing person I've met". "You make me smile, when things are going bad". "You make me a better person, the way I live and the things I do, you still love me. "I love that your a spit fire and you can hold a drink". He laughed. "You're not like other girls I've been with". "You take such good care of me and I love you for that". "Mom loved you, I feel her with us today". "She always told me that you and I would get married but I didnt believe her". "And I wish she was her to see this and our kids grow up". "You were there when she was in the hospital, nursing home and when she died". When I was broken you were strong". I cant tell you how much that meant to me". I love you and nothing with change that". "You are my one and only".
"I love you Mrs. Lowman".
You, the club and Happy wiped away tears. "Wow Hap". Tig said.
"Its your turn".
"Happy, when I first met you, you tried to be this big bad biker but I guess I wore you down". "You turn out to be a soft, warm, caring, loving person". "I couldnt ask for a better husband and father for our kids". You sniffled. "You make this spontaneous person come out of me, you get these amazing ideas and your so creative". "Our children are very lucky to have a dad like you". "You will teach them to defend their selfs, love their selfs and mostly be loyal to one another". "Family comes first and I love that about you". I wish when our child is born, your mom could have been there, but I know she will be in spirit". She raised such a wonderful human being". "I hope that I could be just like her". "I love you Mr. Lowman".
"If anyone objects then do so at this time".
"Umm, Hap you for got something". Kozik piped in.
Happy rolled his eyes. "I promise to treat you as good as my leather and ride you as much as my harley" Happy and the guys chanted.
You laughed.
"You may now kiss your bride".
Happy pulled you close, gentle grabbing your face and kissed you deeply.
All you heard was clapping and whoos. Your mind was blank at the passion that came from his kiss.
"I would like to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Happy Lowman".
Girl you got an outlaw
Ready to lay down all my guns
A dirty old hound dog
Learning new tricks like cuddlin' up
You've got a hellcat purrin' like a kitten
You've got a sinner down on his knees
It had to be hell on an angel
Lovin' the devil outta me
The reception went off with a bang. Drinks, food and music was flowing.
You sat at the table and looked around at your family. You couldnt be happier.
"Hey Wifey". "Did I tell you how stunning you look today".
"Hey, Hubby". You laughed. "I think maybe four or five times but whos counting".
"I really hate those names". Happy said as he took a sip from his beer.
"I do too, let just go back to our old names".
"Alright Little Girl". Happy smirked.
"Yes, Daddy". You giggled.
Can we get the bride and groom on the dance floor.
Happy grabbed your hand and lead you to the dance floor.
Swaying back and forth, with Happys hands on your lower back. You were in heaven. Never wanting to leave this moment.
"Y/N"?
"Yes, my Love".
"I was wondering, in your vows you kept saying our kids".
"Yeah so".
"Are you trying to tell me something or what".
A smile cam across your face". "That I am".
"You are going to be a dad in eight months".
Happy danced speechless. You new he was excited, his grip on your lower back pulled you closer.
"I cant wait".
"Your going to be a great dad". You laid your head on his chest.
"Your going to be a great mom". "Mom would be proud of us".
Tears rolled down your cheeks. "Yes she would, we came so far and our lifes are just getting better".
"I love you". You both said at the same time.
Hell on an angel, on an angel
Girl you got an outlaw
Ready to lay down all my guns
A dirty old hound dog
Learning new tricks like cuddlin' up
You've got a hellcat purrin' like a kitten
You've got a sinner down on his knees
It had to be hell on an angel
Lovin' the devil outta me
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Rio & Buster
Rio: I miss you so much Buster: I miss you too Buster: More than I knew I would Rio: Won't take that too personally, babe 😜 Rio: but seriously, before it was like, this was normal and you being here was the novelty but then I got used to being together everyday Buster: We spoiled ourselves, babe. I wasn't mad about it at the time but like Rio: I know Rio: 😔 Buster: I've been in such a mood since you left, it's a good thing my dad is barely here Rio: Baby Rio: has he spoke to you about any of it yet Buster: Yeah but you can guess how it went without me having to tell you, I'm sure Buster: In essence he's glad to have his house back Buster: Used to only having girls of mine around for the night, like Rio: Yeah, I mean Rio: can't blame him Rio: even if I'd rather be there still but Buster: I reckon Indie was a bit much for him, me and Nance weren't ever like that Buster: No offense to the kid meant Rio: Such 👼s Buster: You know Buster: Golden boy for a reason, babe Buster: Do all my sinning out of doors Rio: Ain't nobody been indoors to tell her init Buster: I told him the score Buster: There won't be any drama if she comes back again Rio: It's alright Rio: She needs to get back to normal here now Rio: Same, I guess Buster: How is it over there? Tell me Rio: Honestly I've just been trying to hide in my room Rio: 'cos once one of them knows they all will Rio: such a bombardment Buster: Yeah Buster: Gotta do it while you can 'cause once the birthdays and shit start there'll be no chance Buster: Is Indie staying with you or what? Rio: Ugh Rio: don't remind me Rio: and the baby, she's late so vague hysteria setting in Rio: Yeah, thank fuck Buster: I don't envy you at all Buster: Anything I can do to distract you, you know I will Rio: You better Rio: putting that in the vows 😉 Buster: Yeah? What else you gonna say? Rio: Spoilers Rio: You know you cutest when you blush Buster: You're cutest when you just wake up and I'm mad I don't get to see that now Rio: I'll send you all the #iwokeuplikedis selfies you want Buster: Don't tease me, babe Buster: Don't say it if you're playing Rio: 'Course I'm not Rio: even if I'm gonna work my angles and lighting to my advantage still Rio: my prerogative, can't have you getting 😬 Buster: Shut up Rio: Wish you could make me Buster: Christ, me too Buster: I already wanna come see you Rio: When is your next break? Buster: Not soon enough Rio: I can always come back Rio: for a weekend or something Rio: I'll get a hotel, like, don't worry Unc Buster: We'll figure it out Buster: I do have a reading week coming up soon so as long as I study too Rio: Yeah, I don't wanna distract you further Rio: I mean I do but also Buster: Gotta meet the fam's newest addition, there's my excuse Rio: Take pics for me Rio: you know I ain't being allowed in with flowers Buster: That's what my sister's for Buster: I'll bring you flowers instead Rio: Stop being cute Buster: I know that ain't what you want Rio: But it makes me miss you more Buster: I need you to miss me Buster: 'Cause I gotta miss you Rio: Trust me, I do Buster: How did we do this for so long before? Buster: Seriously Rio: I don't know Rio: Shouldn't have put a 💍 on it Buster: Shhh Rio: Maybe I wait to drop the bomb when this baby finally gets here Rio: distraction is our best friend Buster: Good luck, babe Buster: Unless she's born tomorrow I reckon its unlikely Buster: Unless you're gonna take the ring off Rio: Get Drew back 'round to fuck it outta her Buster: Not a mental image I need, cheers babe Rio: Alright, curry it is then Buster: I reckon my aunt fucking Drew again is more likely Buster: But you know Rio: Damn Rio: Too real Buster: Fuck thinking about either of them Buster: How's the job hunt going? Rio: Not gone out yet Rio: I know, I know Rio: I'm moping Buster: Baby Rio: I will Rio: but Buster: What can I do to motivate you? Tell me Rio: 😏 Buster: Come on Buster: Use your words Rio: Ugh Rio: I love it when you talk to me like that Buster: I mean it Buster: No more moping Rio: I promise Rio: I'm gonna make you proud of me Buster: I know you will Buster: I already am but shhh 'cause I'm doing tough love right now Rio: 🤤 Buster: I dread to think how much privacy you don't have Buster: It's not even hot it's just annoying Rio: Idk, being a moody cow since I got back has kept everyone keeping distance Rio: not saying you were right or anything Buster: You can say it Rio: It definitely has its perks Buster: Yeah Rio: but cuddling with you right now in this bed would definitely be appreciated Buster: You in mine would be even better 'cause I know we'd be alone for hours yet Rio: The things we could achieve in that time Rio: No slacking there, that would motivate me Buster: It'd distract me shamelessly but I wouldn't be mad about it Rio: I could crack the whip too Rio: it's not like you've actually fallen behind, right? Buster: Nah 'cause not 😇 Buster: course* Rio: Bit hypocritical coming from us but like, calm down then? Getting mad n stressed about things that haven't even happened Buster: 😂 Rio: We've got shit handled, right baby? Buster: Always Rio: Good Rio: Getting my 'fuck everyone else' mentality set for when the inevitable Buster: If you need any tips, like Buster: Borrow my 👑 Rio: 😏 I know, my baby invented that shit Buster: Probably my parents but we don't need to tell anyone that Buster: Least of all them Rio: I mean, obviously gonna need the reminder that they should be our biggest fans but Rio: I don't wanna be the messenger on that one 💀 Buster: I'll do it Buster: Not giving a fuck, remember Rio: I'll remember you always, babe Buster: Don't Buster: You're so cute Rio: I love you, you know Rio: no matter what any of 'em want to say, can't be changed Buster: I love you so fucking much Buster: And I'm gonna marry you one day even if nobody else turns up to the ceremony and its just us Rio: Good Rio: Me too, I actually don't care Rio: I do but if anyone's trying to make it a choice then I'm choosing you over keeping them happy because you matter more Buster: Exactly Rio: I wonder if Edie will turn up when the baby's here Buster: I doubt she'll bring gifts and claim she was guided by a star, like Rio: Alright Rio: true but don't kill my hope out the gate like that Rio: I'm hoping morbid curiosity gets the better of her if nothing else Buster: Sorry, babe Rio: One person I would've liked to see when I walked in the door Rio: soz everyone else Buster: They can't fault you for that even if they might want to for some other shit Rio: Even if she's probably gonna swing on sight, like Buster: I reckon that's a given Buster: But I also know you can handle it Rio: Not like I have a choice, if she hates me she does but it's preferrable to this Buster: You can't still believe she actually hates you Rio: Of course she does Rio: I tried to bone her Da, in her eyes Rio: she had a fucked enough head re. all things him and I made it worse Buster: She loves you, that's why it hurts her Buster: If she hated you she'd be here fronting it out Rio: If only it were that simple, babe Buster: Come on Buster: I ain't saying that's all it is but it's part of it Buster: And its what's gonna let you fix it Rio: Whatever it is Rio: I just wish she'd come back for the others Buster: She ain't gonna stay away for ever Rio: Good luck Buster: Watch her roll in when we all least expect it Rio: I get why she pisses Indie off so much Rio: like, I also get why she does what she does but fucking hell Buster: Yeah Rio: Distract me Rio: I don't wanna think about this anymore either Buster: Think about me Buster: [sends gym selfies] Rio: Thanks baby Rio: the amount that actually helps is telling 😂 Buster: Course it does Buster: I did a heavy work out like Rio: I can tell Rio: Jesus, you're hot Buster: I had to distract myself too Buster: I had so many dreams about you I didn't even wanna move Rio: Gotta take those frustrations out somewhere, right? Rio: Where I'm going wrong, I'm still laying here so frustrated Buster: Well you could work out Buster: Or Buster: Work it out another way Rio: Will you show me how Rio: I need your help Buster: Poor baby Buster: 'Course I will Rio: Seriously Rio: I'm in such a state without you daddy Buster: I bet you are Rio: [Video] See? Rio: I can't do this without you Buster: You really have gotten yourself into a mess haven't you, angel Buster: What are we gonna do with you? Rio: I don't know, what are you gonna do to me, daddy? Buster: I'm about the hands on approach so we're gonna have to get yours out of the way first of all Buster: Need you to focus on me and what I'm trying to teach you Rio: [Pic to show she's done it] Rio: I'm so ready to listen and learn Buster: Good Buster: No half measures, yeah? Rio: No half measures Buster: You're so well behaved Rio: Does that make you happy, daddy? Am I doing a good job? Buster: See me after class for that extra credit Buster: Earning that A* easily Rio: You're such a good teacher Buster: What you gonna have waiting on my desk for me to say thanks? Rio: If I say me will you get mad, sir? Rio: I just wanna show you how much I appreciate all that you've taught me in person Buster: Do you think I should be mad at you? Buster: It sounds like you are just trying to be good Rio: Really good Buster: Okay then start slow, you've gotta be patient, babe I know it's hard Rio: Take me time, I remember Rio: but it feels so good, I want more Buster: I know you do but trust me Rio: I do Rio: you know what's best for me, you always make me feel better Buster: And if I was there I'd be worshiping every inch of you, wouldn't I? That's what you need to do Rio: If you could convince me to get up from off my knees Rio: You want me to make all the noises I would if you were here, baby? Buster: We both know I have in it in me to be that persuasive Buster: Slow but intense, yeah? Buster: Give it everything you've got, vocals included Rio: Okay Rio: Fuck Buster: One finger is all you're allowed first, don't be rushing through this Rio: but daddy Buster: You can add more when you I say you can Buster: You're here to learn, right? Rio: Yes, sir Rio: Sorry, sir Rio: Please can I spank myself, just once, because I deserve it Buster: Okay, you are being good enough Rio: I won't leave any marks Rio: because it's yours and only you're allowed to do that Buster: Well remembered Rio: How could I forget Rio: I can still feel that lesson Buster: I wish we could go over it again anyway Buster: Soon though Rio: You promise? Buster: I swear, baby Buster: You know I need you Rio: Does it hurt for you too, daddy? Buster: So badly Rio: Me too Rio: it's the kinda hurt only you can make better Buster: I'm right here, baby Buster: I know what you need Buster: You can do it, no more teasing, I promise Rio: Yeah? Rio: Please can you make yourself cum with me so I can imagine you're doing it inside me Rio: that's what I need Buster: Together, yeah? Buster: I want that too Rio: You've got me so close Buster: [sends pics] Buster: Look how you've got me Rio: 😻 Rio: Why aren't you inside of me right now Buster: Close your eyes and I am Rio: Are you using the toy I got you? Buster: You know it, babe Rio: Good Rio: Fuck I'm making so much noise Buster: Me too Buster: I can't stop Rio: Don't stop Rio: Lose control for me Buster: Jesus Rio: Tell me how good it feels Buster: It's so fucking Buster: My god Rio: So soft and tight 'round your thick cock yeah? Rio: Almost like the real thing Buster: Nothing makes me feel as good as you but Rio: 'Course not Rio: it's like we were made for each other you feel so right Buster: We were baby Buster: That's why I don't want anyone else however long I have to wait for you Rio: Keep talking like that Rio: I'm gonna cum for you Buster: I love you and I'll always love you Rio: Oh my God Rio: Buster Buster: Just me and you forever, Rio Buster: That's all we need Rio: For fucking ever Rio: I'm going to marry you Buster: Fuck Rio: I love you so fucking much Buster: I can't stop thinking about that ring on your finger while you're fucking yourself for me Rio: Baby Rio: You like seeing that I'm yours? Buster: I love it Buster: I love you Rio: You're so good you're so good Buster: It's you babe, all of it Rio: You're mine, aren't you? Buster: I'm yours, Rio Rio: Shit Rio: It feels so strong, I'm scared to let this out Rio: I won't have any control Buster: Lose control for me too, baby Rio: For you Buster: Just for me Rio: No one else exists for me Rio: it's always been you, Buster Buster: Tell me again Rio: You're the only one I've ever wanted Buster: Oh fuck Rio: I'd always think about you, anyone else I'd been with Rio: even if I tried to stop myself, I couldn't help it, my brain always went there, back to you Buster: I know Buster: I felt it too you know that, yeah? Rio: Yeah Rio: you wanted me so bad Buster: The only girl I did want Rio: It drove me insane thinking I would never get to have you Rio: more than that kiss Buster: I'd get to have you every night but not like this Buster: Not real enough Rio: That's so fucking hot Rio: I wanna make every fantasy you had about me whilst you were fucking yourself real Buster: Only if I can for you too Buster: I'll never forget what it was like to first touch you or taste you Buster: I thought I'd die Buster: I'd have been happy to Buster: 'Cause that's what heaven is. You are Rio: You're literally perfection, a dream come to life Rio: I feel so lucky I get to spend my life with you Buster: Baby Rio: Yes? Buster: I just Buster: I don't have any words left Rio: Then stop talking and cum for me Rio: I know you need to, moan for me Buster: I have to Buster: It's so loud but I don't care Rio: Let them know who you belong to baby, who got you like this Buster: I'll get over being able to say your name like this Buster: As much as I need to Buster: never* (thats hilarious me just changing the meaning with my typos like) Rio: You don't need to, it's my favourite sound Rio: I intend to make you make it every day Buster: Promise? Rio: Promise Rio: You're so beautiful, Buster, you know that Buster: You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen Buster: Not just girl, anything Rio: I know you mean that Rio: and I love you Buster: I really fucking love you Rio: I can't wait to be your wife Buster: Soon, baby Rio: Yeah? Tell me about it Buster: I'm gonna make you happier than you ever reckoned you could feel Buster: Give you everything Rio: Yes baby Buster: And I'll wear a ring too and everyone will know that I belong as much to you as you do to me Buster: We won't have to be apart again ever Rio: You're making me cum, oh fuck please I feel like I'm gonna pass out this is so fucking good, don't stop Buster: I'm gonna make you cum every day, as many times as I can Buster: I won't ever stop Rio: I'm begging you fuck every hole I have they all belong to you every inch of me is yours forever Buster: Jesus fucking Christ Buster: Please Rio: Oh God Daddy I'm sucking on my fingers because I taste so sweet Rio: I wish they were yours and I wish you could taste me too Buster: If I don't stop moaning soon my voice is gonna go I want you to know that Buster: and God, I just want you Rio: I'm sorry daddy I'm just such a dirty little whore for you Buster: Cum for me now Buster: Cum with me Rio: I've never been this loud Buster: You're so fucking hot Rio: It really is all for you Buster: Tell me Rio: Everything I do is to turn you on Rio: to make you want me Rio: so you'll fuck me so good like you do and make me cum over and over and over Buster: Babe you're so Buster: I can't Rio: Good can't? Buster: The best Rio: That's alright then Buster: Never stop Rio: I promise babe Buster: You're so perfect Buster: Fuck me Rio: Soon Buster: I can't wait to be with you all the time Buster: I'm gonna buy us a house and fuck you in every square inch Rio: That's all I want Buster: All our neighbours are gonna know us Buster: If you think you're being loud right now, you aren't Buster: Not compared to how its gonna be Rio: Fuck, baby Rio: I might die Rio: every time I think you can't make me cum any more than you have you prove me wrong Buster: I know that's how you wanna go Buster: We can go together Buster: Starting right here Rio: As far as death pacts go, pretty fucking sexy Rio: suck it, Romeo and Juliet Buster: The only way my competitive streak will have it Rio: Works for me Rio: not up for living without you really, if we're taking it to this morbid place Buster: You don't have to Buster: I'm not going anywhere Buster: Not without you Rio: Keep this on the downlow though, babe, the engagement is enough for 'em to handle Buster: If what's mine is yours then that includes my life Buster: Technically Rio: Interesting, like to see you argue it in court for some black widow Rio: not just 'cos you'd be hot and I gotta keep my eye on her Buster: I know you would Rio: Just very interested in the judicial system, thanks Buster: Okay, babe Rio: 😒 Buster: When I get to uni I'll take you to library Buster: You'll love it Buster: Once I get started reading from those law books then you'll properly understand what horny feels like, right? Rio: Mmm Rio: Shut up 😣 Buster: You're so cute Rio: I can't help it Rio: I like seeing you get passionate about things Rio: and you're very persuasive, as you mentioned Buster: I really am gonna fuck you all over that campus Rio: 🤤 Rio: Better than joining a wanky society Buster: Better than anything they could offer me, honestly Buster: You know how you make me feel Rio: Leave that off the personal statement though Rio: Probably be into it, love some self-confidence for a chance Buster: It's gotten me this far, like Rio: Can't say better than that, I reckon Buster: Exactly Rio: Who else can say they're fucking me? Buster: Cunts can try and say it but I'd call bullshit Buster: You're mine Rio: Yep Rio: Totally yours Buster: I know a lot of things are shit right now and I probably shouldn't say this but I'm really happy Rio: I feel it too Rio: usually feeling happy just feels stupid like bitch wait and see but even though I know some things are bad now and there's potentially more to come Rio: it still feels right Buster: Yeah Buster: Like whatever happens I don't have to handle it on my own so it won't be that bad anyway Rio: You don't have to, ever again Rio: that's a serious vow Buster: I'll make the same one to you Buster: Right fucking now Buster: Whatever you need babe, whenever Rio: I know Rio: it feels good, doesn't it Buster: Literally the best Buster: I've always told myself I can do anything, like you've met my parents, kind of a given, but I properly believe it when I'm with you Rio: Good Rio: 'cos you can Buster: You too, angel Rio: I feel it Rio: I'm not saying I've got everything worked out magically but Rio: I actually do believe you Buster: Good, 'cause I said I'd motivate you Buster: I'm not trying to fail at it Rio: I reckon you're good 😏 Rio: add another win to the tally, like Buster: Will do Buster: But if we're keeping score don't forget to add your own points Rio: Oh yeah? How'd I do in the end? Buster: I've never cum so hard or so much without you actually being here before Rio: I'll take it Rio: 'til we're back together, like Buster: It makes missing you a little bit easier Buster: For today at least Rio: Yeah Rio: you know I'm always here Rio: we'll get through it Buster: Yeah Buster: I know you are and we will Rio: You'll be done before you know it Rio: we should go away, in the summer Buster: Great idea Buster: Especially now we can acknowledge we're in the same place together, like Rio: 😂 Rio: I worry how none of them could piece that shit together Buster: They didn't wanna Buster: Simple as Rio: Can't relate Rio: too nosy for that Buster: You're the only one who can get away with telling me what to do though Buster: If any of the rest of the fam tried it they know what'd happen so Buster: Even when it ain't something as important as this Rio: Yeah Rio: I promise to only use my power for good Rio: mostly Buster: I was gonna say Buster: Please be bad sometimes, like Rio: Good for us Rio: same thing Buster: Yeah Buster: Do I need to use my powers of sending a fancy fruit basket to your fam for what they just heard from your room? Rio: 😳 Rio: Send me one too for sustenance because I can never leave this room again now Buster: Poor baby Buster: I'll send you everything you could possibly need Buster: and add some earplugs for the rest of them Rio: So thoughtful Buster: Who's actually home? Like how much damage control are we talking about? Rio: Can't say I checked before starting Rio: idek, hopefully they were all very busy somewhere else Buster: I'll cross my fingers for you, babe Rio: Whatever Rio: it was too good to feel too bad about Buster: No argument there Buster: Someone could have literally walked in and I wouldn't have been able to stop Rio: Shh don't say that Rio: Gonna turn me on all over again Buster: Sorry but its true Rio: Not that sorry Rio: Add it to the fantasies list Buster: Noted Buster: I should shower, the state of me Rio: I should join you Rio: Video chat? Buster: You're full of good ideas, aren't you? Rio: It's been said
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KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR PT.1
Michael POV
"Man I didn't even really wanna go to prom, it was just a bunch of overly horny niggas and bitches that spent hundreds if not thousands of dollars on one night that would be over before it began" I said as me and my bestfriend Metri sat at the food court in the mall. "Bitch shut the fuck up you know you wanna go, you just mad cause you don't have a date yet, and you extra salty cause Darrien ain't ask you yet" he laughed as he took a bite of his chick-fil-a sandwhich. He was right though I actually did wanna go but I only wanted to go with one person and that was him, waiting on him to ask me to prom was like waiting in line for new Jordan's to drop it takes forever. "Yeah whatever Bitch, he ain't gonna ask me so Im just over it, it's only a week an a half left till prom and I don't have a tux or limo shit I'm mad as hell I brought that $100 ticket" I said actually becoming mad a little. " Calm down Mike, you'll get asked and if you don't you can come with me and Travis" he replied trying to cherler me up. "GREAT!!, so I can be a third wheel, na I'll pass" I retorted honestly. We finished our meal and did a little more shopping as we were leaving I seen darrien and some other boy walking on I quickly grabbed metri and duck behind this big ass flower pot outside the mall. "BITCH, I'll smack the shit outta you bout to give me whip flash better be glad me and Jesus ace boon coons in this new year don't do that shit no more" he said but I ignored everything he said and said " Look, there go Darrien and some other boy going in the mall, do you know him?" I asked because my Bitch been around the block and up the street a few times. " Yeah that's Evan he got a big dick, Mmm.. A really big-". " Michael?" Someone asked from behind me and from the voice I knew exactly who it was. " He-hey Darrien funny running into you here haha" I say nervously beings I was just caught hiding behind a flower pot at 3 in the afternoon. " What you doing behind this flower pot, hey Metri" he said as he hugged us both. "Well I was-we were- he needed" I couldn't speak at all so like a true bestfriend my bitch quickly said " We were here looking at tuxs for prom, how about you guys and hey Evan!" He said as he gave Evan that look that make ya mom uncomfortable cause she no her son getting dicked down right. "Wassup Metri, still looking sexy as ever, you a stranger thou shawty, I see ya new nigga got you in lock huh?" Evan replied licking his lips and I'll admit I got alil turned on. "please don't get him started on niggas" I said as I pulled darriens so we could talk away from those two knuckle heads.
Darrien POV
I'll admit it Michael was looking so fine right now he had his hair I'm braids that led to a man bun and his ass was sitting right, I spotted him and Metri walking out the mall as soon as we got close to the steps o seen him duck down behind that flower pot and all that. "So why was you hiding again?" I asked him because I wanted a answer. " ok truth is I seen you and Evan and I didn't know him so I thought-" before he could finish I said " I was cheating, Oh okay, nah shawty I'm not going no where". " So if that's true why haven't you asked me to prom yet Darrien we only have a week basically to get his shit together, is cause I'm a boy and your parents don't know" he said and I could see the hurt in his eyes. " Come on man! Don't start with that, look I love you and I always will but I'm just not ready for my parents to know yet" I honestly said.
Me and Michael been messing around since sophomore year and we are now seniors, I came out at school for him cause I really do love him I just haven't told my parents yet.
"Don't do what! D, explain to the guy I love that I wanna be with him whole heartily I fucking love ya bigheaded ass and I just wanna spend this night with you" he said as tears rolled down his face. Before I could reply he grabbed Metri and left me standing there. "damn, bro you fucked up this time huh?" Evan said walking over as we watched them leave. " Man shut up nigga, I didn't do shit, he wanna go to prom with me but I haven't told my parents about us yet, don't get me wrong I love his ass a lot but I'm not ready yet man, what you think?" I asked him cause he was my boy and he keep it 100 with me. " I think that you should take his ass to prom, tell ya parents and move on if that accept you great if they don't go to college with ya man and start a new life my nigga, for to long we love for others because what they might think or feel bit what about us?" He said as we entered Zumiez " Since when did you become Mr. Knowitall" I said mushing his head. " Since I came out 2 months ago and my mom accept me but you know pops ain't wit it but he cool" he replied which made me think about my next move and how I was gonna tell my parents that there only child was gay and wanted to go to prom with a boy!! Damn.
If you like this first little snippet of my new tumble story "Knight in shining armor" please please please #reblog and comment lemme know wassup I'll beposting updates every Wednesday and the chapters will be much longer this is just a tease!!
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Fatesona Challenge! Day 10: C-S-Support - Joe/Scarlet
Write one support conversation with (canon fates units or other fatesonas) that would end in marriage with that character (i.e. S-Supports).
A/N Because I'm self-indulgent trash. Also it seems like I'm slightly sadist (technically a little masochistic too) since I like destroying my poor fatesona's heart huehue I’m not 100% happy with this, but I need to move on from this day orz
Support: Joe/Scarlet
C-Support
Joe: Alright, you can do this, Joe. Just go up and ask her your questions. Just smile nice n' polite and be real *gulp* polite and nevermind the fact that she's built like an Amazonian warrior princess and could probably snap you in half like a twig... Okay, you know what? Let's, uh, maybe wait on this for a day... or two... or twenty-four...
Scarlet: Hmm? Hey, you there! What's with the loitering? See something ya like?
Joe: GRRK!
Scarlet: Whoa, you okay?
Joe: Y-YEAH! I mean, um, yeah! I'm totally fine, just handy-dandy! Never better!... Uh... Hi! I'm Joe!
Scarlet: Name's Scarlet. Are ya sure you're okay? Ya kinda look a little shaky.
Joe: Oh, I'm fine! I just, uh, um... *sigh* Hey, do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions? I've been burning with curiosity about a few things, and I'd really appreciate it if you could help me.
Scarlet: Sure! I don't mind! Fire away!
Joe: O-Okay! Um, I've noticed that your weapons are really... what's the word? Decorated? Yeah, decorated. Do you do that yourself, or do you buy your weapons like that? Or, do you hire someone else to do them?
Scarlet: Nah, I make 'em shiny all by myself! The gal who taught me the technique called it mosaic, and it's one of my favorite things to do.
Joe: Mosaic? That's so cool! How do you create them?
Scarlet: Well, first, I...
B-Support
Joe: Hello, Scarlet!
Scarlet: Yo, Joe! More questions, I take it?
Joe: Yup! But, uh, before I ask this one, I just wanna let you know that you can not answer anytime you want, and it definitely won't offend me at all!
Scarlet: Hmm? Now you're making me a bit nervous. You askin' after my love life or somethin'?
Joe: N-No way! I'd never just jump right into your personal life like that, I swear! No, I j-just wanted to let you know is all!
Scarlet: I'm just playing! Haha, so what's your question?
Joe: I'd like to know more about the knights of Cheve, if it's okay? We heard about y'all all the way in Izumo, and I'm just curious about what your company is exactly.
Scarlet: First, the knights of Cheve and my company aren't the same thing, though my company is made up of Chevois knights. Second, what you've probably heard about is the resistance, which was started and is comprised of mostly my company, but is bigger than just my men.
Joe: Ahh... okay! Well, then, what prompted you to be the, um, what's the word... driving force...? Yeah, driving force of the resistance then?
Scarlet: I couldn't stand what King Garon was doing to his people, and I couldn't trust the Nohrian nobility to do right by the common folk, either. So, I took matters into my own hands to protect the citizens of Nohr. And citizens everywhere, really! I just can't stand by and let someone innocent get hurt, ya know?
Joe: ...Wow... You really are like some awe-inspiring warrior princess, fighting for the good of her people!
Scarlet: Hah! Warrior princess? I like the sound of that!
Joe: Well, it's true! You're always so regal-looking, not to mention you're really a force of nature on the battlefield! You're seriously like a fairy tale hero!
Scarlet: Haha, keep talking and I'll have to start asking after your intentions!
Joe: *blush* ... *passes out*
Scarlet: H-Hey!
A-Support
Scarlet: Yo, Joe! Back at it again with some more questions?
Joe: You know it! I don't know if I've said it yet, but thanks so much for being so patient with all of my questions. I normally would've read up on the info myself, but... it's kinda hard to read a book about something recent like the resistance that hasn't been written down yet, y'know?
Scarlet: Don't mention it! I like talkin' about home, especially with someone as eager to listen as you! Makes the missing not as strong.
Joe: You miss home?
Scarlet: Oh, all the time! Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to be here and all, fighting the good fight, but I do miss my fellas back home. It's taken some getting used to not waking up to the sounds and smells of Cheve.
Joe: ...Do you mind telling me more about Cheve, then? I know it's a small country south of Nohr, and I know that it's famous for its knights. What are some of the customs and such there?
Scarlet: Hmm, customs? Well, in Cheve, we believe that those who die turn into stars. Stargazing's really popular among the Chevois because of it.
Joe: That sounds so... hmm... not melancholy... more like beautiful, I guess? It's such a... pretty way to think of death. Also kind of comforting, I guess.
Scarlet: Isn't it, though? To think that my mom and pop are still watching over me wherever I go... Shining as brightly in death as they did in life... I think it's amazing.
Joe: I like that idea, I think... Yeah, I like that a lot...
*DING DING*
Scarlet: Aw, damn, sounds like it's time for training. Sorry I got carried away! Ya didn't even get to hear that much about Cheve!
Joe: Oh, no! It's totally fine! I'm so happy that I got to know you better! I really enjoyed hearing about such an awe-inspiring belief, so please don't worry about it!
Scarlet: Hey, why don't we go stargazing sometime, and I'll tell ya more about Cheve?
Joe: That'd be great! I look forward to it!
S-Support
Scarlet: Joe! Over here!
Joe: Hey, Scarlet! Sorry I took so long! I... sorta got involved in an incident in town.
Scarlet: Seriously? You? What happened?
Joe: Er, well, there was this guy yelling at this other guy who owned a ore-cart... thing, and he just kept talking down to the poor guy, and, of course, the guy who owned the cart couldn't say anything because the guy who was yelling had these big ol' bodyguards, and I just... lost it, I guess? I walked up to the cart and kinda pushed the other guy away, and I started politely conversing with the owner until the other guy tried to move me, and then I sorta kinda threatenedtokickhisbuttwithmytome...
Scarlet: Woah, woah! Really?
Joe: Yeah! The guy who owned the cart ended up giving me a huge discount n' stuff, too, even though I said I didn't need anything for it. I wasn't planning on buying any, but then I remembered your mosaics that you make, so, um... here ya go.
Scarlet: Oh wow, there's so many! You shouldn't have, you crazy-generous sweetheart! I'll have to give one of your festals the razzle-dazzle treatment for this! And since when did you get so upfront? You're usually more timid! I would've thought you'd've called the town guard or something!
Joe: Normally I would have, but... I guess I've taken your words to heart, ya know? I don't want to just be a bystander anymore. I want to actually take an active role in helping people. I want to... be more like you.
Scarlet: Nah, you don't need to be like me. You're perfect the way you are!
Joe: Haha, not really. I'm working on it though! I mean, like I said, I'm trying to be more like you, and who's more perfect than you are? Haha!
Scarlet: ...Ya really think I'm perfect?
Joe: Hmm...? *pause* Oh my sweet gods, did I really say that out loud?!
Scarlet: That you did!
Joe: I-I-I, UM, UH-
Scarlet: Calm down now! Your face looks like it's hot enough to fry a fish on, haha! There's nothing wrong with saying ya think I'm great! I think you're pretty great as well!
Joe: U-Um, wow, uh, s-so, um, Cheve! W-We were gonna talk about Cheve, yeah?!
Scarlet: Haha, yeah we were! But, before I answer another question for you, mind answering a question for me?
Joe: N-Not at all.
Scarlet: What do you plan to do after all this is over?
Joe: Hmm? W-well, originally, I figured I'd go back home and keep studying and working, but now... I'm not so sure. I think I'll just go wherever someone like me's needed. Wherever I can be most of help, ya know? I AM trying to become a better person, after all.
Scarlet: Well, if that's the case, ya could always come back to Cheve, with me.
Joe: W-With you?
Scarlet: Yeah! I'd love to show you Cheve first hand, and I know you could help us with any loose ends that'll come after all this. Not to mention, I'd really hate to be away from the girl I love!
Joe: That sounds so- wait, girl you what now?!
Scarlet: You heard me! I think you're the greatest gal ever! You're sweet n' bright like starlight, and I always feel so darn happy whenever ya come to talk to me! Not to mention, the way you focus on me and only me when I'm talking makes me feel like the only person in the world to you!
Joe: Sw-sweet mother of all things good and holy, Scarlet... I... I don't know what to say. Not even in my wildest dreams did I ever think you'd also...
Scarlet: Also? Aw, do you like me, too?
Joe: N-No!... I... ugh, gimmee a second... I thought I'd have longer to figure this all out... I-I don't like you... I love you. I, um, darn it all, I had a whole speech and everything planned out in case this ever happened- not that I ever thought it would but- Gods, how do those people in the stories always manage to be so smooth?!
Scarlet: Haha, Earth to Joe! Still with me?
Joe: O-Oh, yeah! I just... *sigh* Scarlet, you're so much better than me at this... You've flustered the heck outta me! But, um... If I'm starlight, then you're the sun. You shine brighter than anyone I've ever met, and I, well, I've been drawn to you like a butterfly to a flower since I first met you! At first, you were just this amazing and awe-inspiring knight right out of my books. B-But then you just kept getting better and better the more I got to know you... I-I really do love you, Scarlet, a-and I'd be honored if you let me accompany you when you return to Cheve.
Scarlet: ...And you said I flustered ya? Gods, Joe, ya know just what to say to a gal! Let's you and me help end this war! Together!
Joe: Y-Yes! Together!
#fatesona 30 day challenge#fatesona#fatesona 30 day writing challenge#Fire Emblem Fates#scarlet#scarlet fe14#the s-support is soo long orz#i think the worst part about this is when you realize what routes they're both in#like Joe can't be recruited in birthright and Scarlet can't be recruited in conquest
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