#poison & wine part 30

[bwabys-scenarios]

Fixer Upper

Part 27

Perv!Kurapika x Fem!Reader

!!REBLOGS APPRECIATED!!

Part 26

Part 28

warnings: drinking, characters get high(weed), killua and Kurapika get into a fist fight, Reader is mentioned to have attempted suicide, mentions of Kurapika planning to kill himself after he finds all of the scarlet eyes

A/N: everyone thank Bug for not only the idea for this chapter, but also for helping to write several scenes!! Without her, Fixer Upper wouldn’t be possible <3

taglist: @fabitheraven @tsukilover11 @ashdownunderscorebeloved @lemonslut @homeinmydreams @superweeniehutjrsblog @bugmomwrites @heartsforseo @lixiawinter @altaircc @itszenava @fiightforlovee @mimi-sanisanidiot @monainanuttshell @wow-im-gay @whorermoviestar @lightshowerrr @mama-m1na @nenggie @wicked-binch @jamayah @themanicwriter01

If you’d like to be ADDED to the tawglist, please comment a red heart ❤️, make sure you’re able to be tagged/mentioned, and have your age in your bio(IF YOU ARE ALREADY ON THE TAGLIST, YOU DON’T NEED TO ASK TO BE ADDED AGAIN!!)

(Name) set the turkey to bake the night before the gathering, and after that, she went to sleep. She would be waking up in the early hours of the day to cook and do some last minute cleaning, so she would need her sleep.

An alarm was set for 6 am, where she would wake up to check on the turkey before getting everyone else up.

“Kurapika, it’s time to wake up.”

The blonde groaned, sitting up to see (Name) standing at his bedside, looking exhausted. She gave him a smile that didn’t quite reach her tired eyes, before gently brushing his hair out of his face. “Todays the big day. Let’s get ready, okay?”

He followed her downstairs, where everyone else was already awake and yawning. (Name) stood in front of everyone, wearing her pajamas. “Okay guys, I’m going to give everyone a task that you’ll need to complete before guests get here.”

“Um, (Name), a guest is already here.”

(Name) looked to where Gon was pointing to see Bisky sitting on the couch next to Leorio, eyeing him up. “Hey sweetheart, I decided to get here early, I hope you don’t mind.”

“Oh um, I don’t mind at all. Please excuse the mess, we’re still getting-“

(Name) watched as Bisky pulled out a wine glass and bottle of wine before pouring herself a drink. “Oh don’t worry about messes, (Name). I’m sure those boys are to blame anyways.”

Killua and Gon shrank under her gaze, the former sticking his tongue out at her. Leorio scratched the back of his head. “So what are our tasks, sunshine?”

“Oh, right.”

Killua and Gon were put on cleaning duty, Leorio and Kurapika were asked to do grocery runs and get the little fire pit ready outside, and Alluka was sat at the kitchen table to help (Name) cook. “I thought Bisky came to help with preparations, but she’s just drinking and watching hallmark movies.”

Leorio walked in, wearing a look of confusion on his face. “So is no one going to stop the 12 year old from drinking her weight in wine?”

“Are you talking about Bisky? She’s nearly 60.”

“60? Yeah and I’m 42.”

Alluka and (Name) glanced at each other then him. “You… look like you’re pushing at least 30, Leorio.”

“30!? IM 21!”

(Name) watched as he sulked out of the room, trying not to laugh. “You’re handsome though!”

The two got back to work, smiling and laughing as they cooked. “Okay Alluka, Zushi is going to be here soon so you two can go play, alright?”

A few hours passed, with (Name) finishing up most of the cooking besides a few items. Unfortunately she wasn’t able to make another cherry pie last minute, but she was able to make another batch of macaroni. She still set Kurapika’s version on the table though, even when Killua walked up and scowled. “Mom, that’s going to give someone food poisoning.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Killua, be nice. Kurapika and-“

“Oh I am being nice, that shit looks like it’s going to come alive at any moment and beg for death-“

“Does it really look that bad?”

Killua paused his rant when Gon appeared in the doorway, looking a little hurt. “I tried my best…”

“Oh, Gon…”

(Name) patted his back, letting him sniffle. Killua grabbed Gon’s sleeve and tugged him away, (Name) watching them go. Ever the curious one, she snuck around the corner to listen in on their conversation.

“Gon, I didn’t know you were the one that fixed it up. I was being too harsh b-“

“Because you thought Kurapika did it? That’s not very nice, Killua.”

She could hear Killua sigh, smiling to herself. She could almost picture his cheeks puffing out in a pout as he looked at his friend. “Well… I just don’t really like him all that much.”

“You keep saying that, but you never tell me why. What did he do to make you hate him so much? He’s never done anything to hurt any of us!”

Killua stayed quiet, (Name) holding a hand over her chest. “I just… don’t like that he can’t just tell mom how he feels. He says he wants to ask her out, but he keeps chickening out. Kurapika is selfish too, he expects her to wait for him forever…”

(Name)’s eyes widened. ‘He… he likes me? He’s been trying to ask me out on a date?’

Her face felt hot, and she stopped listening for a moment until she heard something else of interest. “Come here, Gon. Let’s get back before everyone gets suspicious.”

“Yeah. I love you, Killua.”

“I love you too.”

(Name) peeked her head around just in time to watch Killua give Gon a peck on the cheek, both of the boys blushing. She stared open mouthed for a split second before rushing back to the kitchen.

———————-

The guests started arriving soon after that, the first being Wing and Zushi. Zushi immediately left with Alluka to play outside, while Wing walked into the kitchen to greet (Name).

“Miss (Name), it’s good to see you. Thank you for watching Zushi last month, he really enjoyed it.”

(Name) smiled, shaking his hand. “Oh it was no problem, and just (Name) is fine!”

Wing left to join Leorio on the porch, Kurapika peeking into the kitchen soon after. “Angel, I got the milk and eggs.”

“Oh wow, he came back with the milk. Surprising.”

Kurapika scowled at Killua, narrowing his eyes. “Of course I did, (Name) asked me to.”

“Uh huh. It’s just a bit of a shock to see you doing anything useful around here. Usually you stand around like an idiot while (Name) does all of the work.”

Kurapika’s grip on the shopping bags tightened, (Name) rushing forward. “You two need to stop, you’re being childish. Anymore of this fighting and you’ll both be washing all of the dishes after dinner. And I mean all of them.”

Killua shuddered, looking at the various pots, pans, bowls, and plates littered across the kitchen. “… point taken.”

Kurapika set the groceries on the table, helping to unpack them as (Name) smiled. “Don’t take him too seriously, he’s trying to get under your skin. If you ignore him, he’ll stop eventually. You have to stop giving him a reaction.”

“You’re acting like he’s some kind of wild animal that can’t be tamed. He’s a kid that needs some discipline, you let him get away with everything.”

(Name) scowled. “I don’t let him get away with everything, he usually is really well behaved whne you’re not around. Have you ever thought it’s not him, but you that’s the problem?”

Kurapika paused, feeling a bit hurt. “What did I do to deserve-“

He stopped, sighing softly. They both knew what he did to upset Killua, but Kurapika had hoped he would be past that by now. But at that thought, Kurapika cringed. ‘Oh course he isn’t over it, who would be? (Name) didn’t deserve that…’

Kurapika sighed, throwing the empty shopping bags in the trash. “Is there anything else you need me to do?”

(Name) looked up, humming. She had already went back to mashing up potatoes while he sulked. “You can make sure Leorio doesn’t get high before dinner.”

“On it.”

More guests arrived, in the form of Knuckle, Shoot, and Morel. They all brought desserts, which were much appreciated since Kurapika burned the cherry pie. “Aww, these look great!”

“Thanks, we got them from the bakery down the street.”

Morel and Shoot joined Leorio on the porch while Knuckle sat at the kitchen table, watching her cook. “You’ve been working hard, (Name). You made all this?”

“Yeah, but I had some help from Alluka and Menchi-“

“I can tell you did most of the work, (Name). Don’t sell yourself short.”

She nodded, her cheeks warming at the compliment. (Name) leaned towards Knuckle to give him a kiss on the cheek just as Kurapika rounded the corner to ask if she needed any help.

The blonde stared at the two, his eyes gone scarlet. Knuckle was the first to recognize the intense bloodlust emanating from behind him, seeing Kurapika when he turned around. (Name) spotted him as well. “Oh, hey Kurapika!”

Kurapika didn’t respond, only walking over to get, grabbing her arm. “(Name), I need to speak with you for a moment.”

“B-but I have something in the ove-“

Kurapika continued to pull her away, his heart racing and his stomach churning. He couldn’t stand seeing her lips touch another man, it made him seethe with rage.

“Kurapika, what is so important that you need t-“

“Why were you kissing him??”

Kurapika grabbed her by the shoulders, meeting her (e/c) eyes with his scarlet ones. She blinked before answering. “Huh? Because he was being nice to me. It was just a kiss on the cheek, and I can kiss whoever I want.”

His grip tightened slightly, the blonde biting his lip. “(Name), I-“

A knock at the door interrupted the two. (Name) used the small distraction to duck away from Kurapika and towards the door. (Name) wiped her hands off on her apron. “Coming!”

Kurapika followed behind her, attempting to get her attention again as she opened the door. Neither of them were mentally prepared for who would be behind it.

“Hello, (Name). It’s a pleasure.”

Pariston stood behind the door, holding a box of gourmet chocolates, likely bought from the local bakery. He handed them to (Name) before pushing past her into her home.

Behind him was Cheadle and several other people (Name) assumed were zodiac members. She could almost feel Kurapika tense up behind her.

“Chairwoman Cheadle, what a-“

Cheadle sighed as Kurapika began to ask her a question. “When you mentioned the get together (Name) planned, Pariston was determined to attend. I didn’t want those two to cause too much trouble, so I and a few of the Zodiac came as well.”

“Those two? I only saw Parist-“

“Hey babe, miss me?”

(Name)’s face scrunched up in disgust when Ging walked up her driveway, giving her a sly smile. Cheadle slapped a hand over her forehead, rubbing at her temple as if she already had a headache from his presence alone. “Yes, those two.”

Ging walked in, walking over the welcome mat without wiping his feet. He ended up tracking in a lot of mud, causing (Name) to twitch. Cheadle hit Ging on the shoulder. “At least act like you have manners. Take those off on the porch!”

Kurapika seemed tense, the corner of his mouth twitching downward into a nervous frown. (Name) placed a hand on his shoulder to attempt to comfort him, but he shrugged it away. She sighed, putting on a smile for the Zodiac members.

“Well, welcome everyone. Please, take a seat. There’s drinks in the cooler outside.”

They walked in, and Kurapika noticed it was all the members that had been at the meeting the other day. Pyon, Gel, Mizaistom, and Zanzai, along with Ging, Cheadle and Pariston. ‘A bit of a handful, but if everything goes well, maybe this would be a good opportunity to prove that (Name) isn’t a bad person!’

(Name) got them all drinks, smiling sweetly and making idle chat as she did some tidying up. “I’ll be back in a little bit, please make yourselves at home!”

She wiped her hands on her apron before leaving to the kitchen, Kurapika’s eyes on her ass as she left.

“She’s got quite the figure, doesn’t she?”

Kurapika’s cheeks turned bright pink when Pariston sat beside him, following his gaze. “I can see why you like her so much, not only is her nen powerful, she seems like you could put her body to use as well.”

The blonde felt his blood boil. “Don’t you dare speak of her in that way, she’s not an object.”

Pariston laughed, patting Kurapika’s shoulder playfully. “Oh my dear friend, she’s the object of your desires, is she not? You were look at her too, you sly dog. Funny, I thought you were supposed to be the rat zodiac.”

Kurapika was visually uncomfortable, his hand gripping the fabric of his pants. No, Kurapika didn’t just see her as an object to own, he loved her. He was nothing like Pariston!

Right?

“Kurapika!”

He looked up, relaxing ever so slightly when he saw (Name) walking back in. She was carrying a bowl of peach cobbler and ice cream in her hands. “I got you a little snack! I saw you didn’t eat breakfast, so I cut into the peach cobbler a little early.”

He felt his heart melt, the blonde sighing happily as she handed the bowl to him. “(Name)…”

Like the last time it was given to him, the peach cobbler was shaped into a heart, with generous scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Pariston snickered next to him. “Wow, it’s even heart shaped. How… cute. You two… must be very close. That’s interesting, really.”

Kurapika’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t like the things Pariston was insinuating, or the sinister look in his eye. “We’re not that close.”

Kurapika said this to be cautious, but (Name) tensed behind him. “I… made it how you like it.” she said softly.

Kurapika’s grip on the bowl tightened, and Pariston decided to keep going. “That wasn’t what you were saying in the meeting. Don’t you lo-“

Pariston grinned when Kurapika covered his mouth, the Kurta’s eyes scarlet with anger. “Keep your filthy mouth shut, Pariston.”

(Name) glanced at the other Zodiacs, who all looked bored, besides Ging, who was walking towards her bathroom with a groan.

“Um… I’m going to go… finish dinner.”

She gave Kurapika a reassuring squeeze to his shoulder before leaning down to kiss his cheek. “I’ll be in the kitchen, okay Pika?”

Kurapika nodded, his eyes half lidded and face red as she left. Her touch could always calm him down, and the blonde couldn’t help but watch her leave with a yearning in his soul.

“Your face is as red as your eyes, lover boy.”

Pariston laughed at Kurapika, crossing one leg over the other. “You look like your husband just left for war. I never thought you would be the clingy type, but here we are.”

“I’m… I’m not clingy. (Name) is just important to me…”

He ate his cobbler in silence, pouting. Maybe if (Name) hadn’t made him something and kissed his cheek, he wouldn’t have been teased so much. ‘I’ll just talk to her… Leorio said communication is key.’

The blonde finished his cobbler, standing up and walking towards the kitchen. He opened the door, glancing in to see (Name) humming to herself as she chopped up celery. “Kurapika? Did you enjoy the cobbler?”

He was quiet as he set his bowl in the sink. He turned on the water, filling the bowl so it could soak to make it easier for whoever washed dishes later.

“(Name)…”

She looked up, swiping the chopped celery from the cutting board into a strainer with her knife. “Yes, Pika?”

(Name) looked awfully cute in her pink, frilly apron, making the blonde short circuit for a moment before he was able to answer. “Can… can you not embarrass me like that?”

The woman paused, giving him her full attention. With an unreadable expression, she replied. “Excuse me?”

‘Fuck.’

“W-when you kissed by cheek, it was a little embarrassing. The Zodiac are my prestigious colleagues, I don’t want them thinking lesser of me. Showing weakness in front of them isn’t very-“

Her expression was now very readable. She looked hurt and upset, the soft smile she’d been wearing before completely gone. “… think lesser of you? What do you even mean by that? Am… I embarrassing to you?”

Kurapika knew he fucked up, the blonde trying his best to backtrack. “No, no you’re not embarrassing, it’s the way you act that’s emba-“

He cursed to himself, he was just digging himself in further. (Name) stared at him in disbelief, hurt evident on her face. “Are you… being serious, Pika? You think I’m embarrassing?”

He froze, his mind racing as he tried to think of a way to explain himself, but he wasn’t able to get anything out. Kurapika stuttered, face flushing in embarrassment as he tried to justify what he said. “Well, it’s just that sometimes you can do things that e-embarrass me. I…”

He went quiet. There were tears pooling in the corners of her eyes, and her lip was quivering. “Sorry, I’ll keep that in mind, Kurapika.”

Kurapika flinched. He wanted to grab at her sleeve and apologize, try to explain himself better, but she was already giving him the cold shoulder, refusing to even look at him. He hated seeing her cry more than anything, especially when he was the cause of her tears.

“(Name), please, I… just listen to me.”

“Sorry, I’m too busy being embarrassing to hear you.”

“(Name)…”

He reached out to grab her shoulder to MAKE her listen to him, but before he could the bathroom door opened. Ging walked out, holding the bottle of Febreze and spraying it. “Yeesh, I feel 10 pounds lighter. Hey (Name)!”

He turned to them, laughing. “Ah, they you are sweetheart. Shitters full, hope ya got a good plunger.”

He patted her shoulder then walked off, leaving both of them grimacing and covering their noses.

“And I’m the embarrassing one? So much for the Zodiac being prestigious…”

Kurapika grimaced. He couldn’t really argue with that, and he didn’t want to either. There was the fact that Ging wasn’t a Zodiac member anymore, but he had been one for a while. There was no excuse, really.

“Leorio, toilets clogged!”

————————

(Name) sat in the kitchen, angrily stirring a pot of cabbage. She hadn’t spoken to Kurapika since he claimed she embarrassed him, and the blonde was currently an emotional wreck. He couldn’t even pretend to keep up appearances, Kurapika openly sulked on the couch as the other guests loitered awkwardly.

“Kurapika, you’re bumming everyone out. What’s up with you?”

The blonde groaned, his head in his hands. “I’m an idiot. The worst.”

“Oh fuck, what did you say to (Name)?”

Kurapika looked up at Leorio, his face miserable. “Why do you think this has to do with (Name)?”

“Because you’re an idiot when it comes to her.”

Leorio wasn’t wrong, Kurapika’s brain did always turn to mush when (Name) was around. “I… said she was embarrassing.”

“Just when I thought you couldn’t say anything worse than the shit you said in York New, you just… go above and beyond.”

A groan left Kurapika’s throat, causing Bisky to glance in his direction. She gave the boy a sympathetic look. “Girl troubles? (Name) told me everything. I should be angry with you but…”

She crossed her legs. “If I’ve learned anything in my old age, it’s that no one would act the way you are now unless they were in love.”

Kurapika nodded slowly, his cheeks flushing a soft pink. “I do love her, I just… I say stupid and hurtful things I don’t mean. I’ve made her cry, now I can’t say I love her. Who makes the one they love cry and think all they are is an embarrassment?”

Bisky placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, gently rubbing it. “Everyone says things they don’t mean sometimes. What’s important is fixing that mistake and making sure the person you hurt knows that you care about them. Just talk to her, tell her how you feel.”

Kurapika scowled. “That’s the problem, she isn’t talking to me now. Every time I try to talk to her, she turns up the music on her headphones or gives me the cold shoulder.”

“Yeah, that’s to be expected. Hell, if you called me embarrassing I would have broken up with you then and there.”

“… we’re not dating.”

Bisky blinked a few times. “Ah… with the way you two look at each other, I thought… never mind. Obviously you haven’t gotten lucky yet.”

The pink on Kurapika’s cheeks turned to a bright red, Leorio trying not to crack up beside him. “Th-that’s none of your business!”

Kurapika crossed his arms, looking away as Leorio stood. “You have fun sulking, I’m gonna go get the fire started.”

(Name) sighed in relief, placing the last dish on the table. The food was finally done, all she needed was to cut everything up and set out paper plates for everyone to use!

“Need some help with that, (Name)?”

Kite was leaning against the doorway, giving her a soft smile. It took (Name) a minute to process their presence, and when she did she broke out into goggles. She ran over to hug them, looking up at them with a big smile. “Kite, you made it!”

“Of course I did, wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

They helped (Name) get the turkey cut up, along with placing a serving spoon in each dish. She sighed, wiping the sweat from her forehead. “Finally…”

They ended up having to put two tables together to fit all of the food, and it looked like a feast for a king. If only Menchi could see it, but unfortunately she could only be there the day before the event to help. She had a lead on a new ingredient, and wouldn’t be able to make it.

“You did this all by yourself, (Name)?”

Kite looked over the tables, their red hair tied up into a ponytail to keep out of their face. (Name) leaned against their shoulder. “Mmm, I had some help, but most of it, yes. Thank god for Alluka and Menchi, they were both big helps.”

A soft smile took over Kite’s face. “It’s nice to see you’re allowing yourself to rely on others, (Name). It’s good progress.”

(Name)’s face heated up at Kite’s observation. Recently, she had been asking for help more often, without even realizing it. “I guess… I just have people I can rely on now.”

The two smiled at each other, before she stretched. “Well, let’s not keep the hungry people waiting.”

Kite caught her wrist before she could walk out. “(Name).”

They turned her so she was facing them. “Are you alright? You seem a bit… distracted.”

(Name) looked away from their eyes, puffing out her chubby cheeks in a pout. “I’m fine… it’s nothing.”

Kite raised an eyebrow before grabbing her cheeks in their hand and squeezing her face. “You’re fine? Why are their tear stains on your cheeks then?”

With a defeated sigh, (Name) told them what happened between her and Kurapika earlier that day. Kite nodded along, listening intently. “I see… that would be a quite upsetting situation to be in. Have you tried talking to him? From what he said, perhaps he said the wrong thing.”

(Name) huffed as she buttered the rolls. “I’ve been way too busy to deal with him. If he wants to man up, apologize, and speak to me, he can.”

Kite blinked in surprise. “(Name)…”

They smiled, patting her shoulder. “You’ve really grown, haven’t you?”

She nodded, finishing the last roll. “I… I’m not as much of a pushover as I used to be. I have friends now, friends that will back me up if I need them to. I don’t… I don’t have to put up with people mistreating me anymore.”

Kite patted her head, ruffling her hair a bit. “That’s good, name. Good girl.”

She melted at the compliment, leaning into their touch like a puppy being told how good it is. “Thank you, Kite…”

(Name) pulled away, her face a little warm. “Alright it’s really time to tell everyone it’s ready.”

The living room was occupied by the Zodiac, along with Bisky and Gon. Ging was nowhere in sight, possibly hiding from his son. “Hey guys, the food is ready, feel free to make yourself a plate!”

Cheadle stood, giving her a polite smile. “Thank you for this (Name), I know having to cook for so many people last minute wouldn’t be easy.”

“It’s fine, please, there’s plenty of food. Make yourself a plate!”

The zodiac were pleasantly surprised by how soft and sweet she was. Pariston smirked as he passed her, his hand brushing against her hip. “Thank you, princess. It smells lovely.”

She shivered, quickly retreating behind Kite, who kept their eye on the former rat zodiac. “It’s okay, (Name). He won’t bother you any further than that.”

The two made their way to the porch, where Leorio, Wing, Knuckle, Morel, Shoot, and a very awkward looking Kurapika. They all had a bottle of beer in their hands, though Kurapika had barely dipped on his.

Once the blonde spotted (Name), he looked away, seeming embarrassed and shy. Kite noticed this, glancing between the two. ‘Ah, they like each other.’

“The food’s ready, guys.”

Knuckle cheered, patting her shoulder as he walked past her. “Thanks, (Name)! Man, I’m starving!”

Morel laughed. “It smells nice, thank you for your hard work.”

He ruffled her hair, Shoot following behind him. The purple haired man gave her an appreciative smile. “Thanks, (Name). We’ve been looking forward to your cooking all year.”

She flushed over their compliments, waving her hand. “Oh, thank you… you’re all so sweet!”

Wing, who left to grab Alluka and Zushi, smiled. “Zushi always gets excited when he gets to come over. Also, I wanted to personally thank you for making the food nut free. It’s very kind of you to take Zushi’s allergies into consideration.”

“It’s no problem, really. He deserves to have a nice dinner too!”

Zushi and Alluka were both filthy, their hands and clothes covered in dirt. (Name) smiled, finding their dirty faces endearing. “Leorio, you guys go eat. I’m going to get the kiddos cleaned up.”

Leorio nodded, cupping her cheek to keep her in place so he could kiss her forehead. “You’re a doll, (Name).”

She sighed happily, leaning into his calloused hand. Leorio was always a warm and safe place for her, and when he held her so tenderly, it made everything a little easier.

Kurapika watched this interaction with a dull ache in his chest. Leorio was always able to give her affection without being awkward. Maybe he should try as well!

He stood up to say something, but from the look (Name) gave him, Kurapika knew he wasn’t getting any kisses. “Th-thank you for your efforts…”

(Name) nodded, turning on her heels. Kite gave the boy a sympathetic look before following behind her, the two kids being led by (Name) to the bathroom.

“Kite, could you keep an eye on the kitchen to make sure… some people don’t mess anything up? I’ll get the kids clean then come make myself a plate.”

Kite nodded. “If you mean keep an eye on Ging and Pariston, I’ve been doing it the entire time.”

She sighed in relief, giving them a smile before taking the two kiddos upstairs. (Name) was surprised to see Killua sitting on her bed, listening to something with headphones on. He glanced up when she walked in, reaching out his hand for her. She walked forward and took his hand, gently squeezing it. “Overstimulated?”

Killua nodded, glancing behind her two see the two filthy kids behind her. “Did they roll around in dirt?”

(Name) snickered. “That’s what I’m assuming happened. I’m going to get them washed up. Do you want to go make your plate now, or do you want me to come with you?”

He ran his thumb over the back of her hand in thought. “Could you… make me a plate and ask Gon to come upstairs with me when you’re done?”

She nodded, ruffling his hair. “Of course. Just relax, getting them tidied up shouldn’t take long.”

———————

(Name) sighed as she wiped Alluka’s face with a warm, damp rag. “Girl, you’re filthy. I expected this from Zushi, but usually you don’t like getting dirty.”

Alluka leaned into (Name)’s gentle touch, nuzzling her hand. “We were playing a fun game! I don’t like getting dirty, b-but it’s okay when it’s for a fun game!”

“Ohh, I see. Well, your nice dress will need to be washed now. How about we put you in some overalls, so you can play better?”

Alluka nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, yeah! That sounds like so much fun!”

(Name) took off her dirty dress and set it in the hamper, then dressed Alluka in a pink sweater and jean overalls. She changed Alluka’s Mary Janes to a pair of sneakers and put her hair into a ponytail so she would be able to play more efficiently.

“There we go, all done. Look at how cute you are!”

Alluka twirled around, giggling. “Thanks, big sis! I’m so excited, I want to play now!”

(Name) laughed, pulling the girl in for a hug. “You have to eat first, okay?”

When the girl looked up, it was Nanika. “Mama… want to sit with you.”

She scooped her up, balancing her on her hip. “Okay, that’s fine with me, sweetheart!”

(Name) walked down the stairs, spotting Zushi making his plate. He was all clean now, wearing a pair of Killua’s play shorts and a shirt. “(Name), thank you for getting me all cleaned up!”

Nanika smiled, nuzzling her face into (Name)’s shoulder. “Love you, mama…”

She kissed the top of Nanika’s head. “Love you too, sweetheart.”

(Name) sat Nanika down at the table, making her a plate of food before she made one to bring up to Killua.

“Gon?”

The boy looked up. He and Kite had been catching up when (Name) walked over. “Hi (Name)! The food is so good, you did a great job!”

“Thank you, Gon. I just wanted to tell you Killua is upstairs, and he asked if you could come eat with him.”

Gon jumped up immediately, grinning. “Sure! Is that plate for him?”

“Yeah, it is. Would you mind taking it up to him?”

Gon took the plate, smiling. “Of course not, Kite, come talk to me before you leave, okay?”

(Name) began to make her plate, spitting a certain blonde walking into the kitchen. Kurapika paused, wondering whether he should stay and make his place, or if he should leave and give her some space.

“It… all looks really good, (Name).”

She hummed in response, placing a piece of turkey on her plate. Kurapika grabbed a sturdy paper plate as well, standing near her as they made their plates together. Even when (Name) was mad at him, she still gently took his hand and guided him to the food she thought he would like. “Try this, I think you would like it.”

(Name) seemed to have an endless amount of patience and kindness. Kurapika did as told, trusting her completely. He looked up just in time to see her placing a helping of the macaroni he made onto her plate. “(Name), you don’t have to. It’s probably not that good.”

She glanced at him, a slight softness in her eyes. “You worked hard on it. It doesn’t matter if it’s good or not, I’m not letting your effort go to waste.”

This made his heart race, his face turning red once again. She was so good, so sweet, he truly didn’t deserve her. ‘Oh, (Name)…’

He truly loved her so much, even when she was upset at him he still couldn’t help but melt in her presence. “Thank you… you’re such a sweetheart.”

(Name) paused as she was walking out the door, her face heating up. She didn’t respond, but felt her heart speed up.

She sat with Nanika in her lap as she ate, making small talk with the other guests. Most of the Zodiac members were keeping to themselves, but now they had spread out.

Kanzai seemed to be getting along well with Knuckle. Pyon and Gel sat together with Bisky, drinking wine with their meal and watching some hallmark movie. Mizaistom was chatting along with Kite, the two seemingly debating something.

‘Well, I’m glad they feel more comfortable,’ (Name) thought, feeding Nanika a bite of turkey. The girl munched happily, before burying her face in (Name)’s shoulder.

“Happy… mama, Alluka wants to go play…”

Nanika looked up at her, gently nuzzling her cheek against (Name)’s. The girl was very affectionate, which (Name) didn’t mind one but. “Okay, okay. You finished your food, go have some fun.”

When the girl looked back up, it’s was Alluka. “Yay, thanks big sis!”

She hugged (Name) before she ran off, giggling. “Be careful, and don’t get into too much trouble!”

(Name) finished her plate before she went back to the kitchen. She looked over the feast she made. There was still so much food left, even after everyone had made their plates. ‘This is going to be a pain to put in the fridge later.’

———————

Kurapika sat on the couch, mindlessly a scrolling on his phone. (Name) has introduced him to social medias a week or so ago, and he really enjoyed TikTok. The nature themed videos where Hunters showed the places they were exploring interested him greatly, along with fun history videos. He had seen a few inaccurate history facts that had him ranting to (Name), though.

‘Ah… (Name)…’

He was thinking about her again, and how he pretty much fucked up his chance to ask her out at the party. Kurapika sighed, turning off his phone and glancing around the living room. It was crowded, but there were also quite a few guests missing. He spotted Ging sneaking around. So far the deadbeat had been able to avoid Gon’s detection, and it seemed he was going back in for a second plate now.

“Wow, you really are pathetic, aren’t you.”

Kurapika looked to his left to see Killua peeking over his shoulder. The blonde scowled, his eyes narrowing. Usually he would take it in stride and just leave the room, but today his mood was sour and patience thin. “What the hell do you want, Killua?”

“Wow, touchy. Guess making a complete idiot out of yourself in front of (Name) can make you pretty grumpy, huh?”

Kurapika’s eyebrow twitched. “I’m really not in the mood for this today, Killua. Don’t you have someone else to annoy?”

Killua didn’t answer him, only moving to sit across from him. “Tell me, Kurapika. Do you plan on making mom wait forever? Do you actually think she would wait that long?”

“Excuse me?”

Killua sighed, shaking his head. “Figures. If you haven’t been able to figure it out yet, mom is very popular. Take Knuckle for example. He’s a nice guy that likes mom, but she hasn’t given him a chance because she likes someone else.”

The white haired boy stared at Kurapika. “Unfortunately for all of us, that person she likes is you. It’s a tragedy, really. I really wish my mom had better taste.”

Kurapika was both flustered and pissed off. He was just about tired of Killua belittling him every chance he got. “What the hell is your problem? At this point it feels less like you’re defending (Name), and more like you have some personal issue with me.”

Killua laughed. “Are you joking? Fuck, I knew you were selfish and an asshole, but I didn’t know you were delusional too. I can count on a single hand the amount of times you’ve done anything for the group. Though, that number is smaller if we take into account whether it was for your own benefit or not. Mom has helped others for nothing reason other than being a good, kind person. Not only do you not deserve her, she doesn’t deserve to be taken advantage of by you.”

Kurapika was shocked, his mouth agape. “Taken advantage of by me? What the hell are you talking about?”

“Her kindness, Kurapika. You take advantage of what a good person she is. Like a parasite, you’ve latched onto her because she makes you feel a little less pathetic than you are. You can’t love others, so you find people that can and attach yourself to them.”

“That’s not true, I do love (Name)!”

“Really? Does someone in love make their loved one sick with worry? Do they make their loved one so depressed after they leave them that they fall into a depression so bad that Leorio had to take an entire month off of college to make sure they are taken care of? Fuck, Kurapika, do you not understand the absolute hell you put mom through?

You’re fucking selfish, and now that you’ve been given a second chance you can’t even make her happy when you actually try. I think that’s what pisses me off the most, the fact that mom is kind enough to not even mention the shit you’ve done and just allow you to stay here, and you can’t do something as simple as ask her out. You’re a coward, a selfish, pathetic coward.”

Kurapika crushed the cup he was holding, glass shards flying as he stood. “That’s it, I’m sick of this. You don’t know anything about me or how I feel. Do you understand how hard it is to try and love someone after losing everyone important to you, how terrifying it is to realize that my love for her could get her killed? My clan-“

Killua groaned. “Your clan is gone, Kurapika. At this point I think you’re using this bullshit as an excuse to distance yourself emotionally. Your mission, your dear clan, blah blah blah. Who fucking cares? They’re gone!”

This sent Kurapika over the edge. He launched himself over the table, his eyes glowing scarlet as he grabbed Killua’s shirt. “Don’t you ever talk about my clan like that, you fucking-“

Killua ripped his hands off of him, laughing. “Oh, are you going to fight me over it? Go ahead, Kurapika, hit me.”

And Kurapika did just that, punching the white haired boy in the face.

——————

Leorio sat on the porch with Wing as Zushi and Alluka searched the garden for more creatures. He took a sip of his beer as the latter army crawled out from under the porch, tiny fists balled up and caked in dirt as she made a beeline to the little picnic table in the distance. Zushi smiled, flipping to a random page in a coloring book he packed.

“Perfect! Worm Court is open for business. Time to assemble the jury.”

And just like that, two little sets of hands tried to place the various critters in a two-by-six array on the wooden surface. None of them were staying put, wriggling around and falling off. Amidst their cries of “contempt of court!” and “Order! Order”’, Wing finally hazarded a glance over to Leorio.

“Were kids’ games always that…”

“Strange? I don’t question it anymore. They’re not hurting anyone though, so that’s good.”

As soon as Leorio turned away, Nanika reached under the bench and pulled out a rusty hammer. How long it had been there was unknown, and she plopped it unceremoniously onto the bench before Alluka returned again.

“That’s a relief. I know Zushi wanted to teach her more about nen this weekend, but I feel like it’d be too stressful at a large gathering like this.” Wing nodded in understanding, sipping his beer. “Speaking of mastering nen, a little bird told me you’ve improved by leaps and bounds in your own journey? How’s that working out for you?” Leorio lit up at the praise, trying to rein in his excitement with a cough.

“Oh! Um, yeah. Yeah, I think I’ve figured out how to use my nen effectively enough for healing”, Leorio flushed a little, clearing his throat. It wasn’t every day a nen master praised your hard work after all.

“That sounds like a great application for it, I’d love to see it in action sometime.”

Leorio smiled, happy to share all the ideas he’s come up with so far.

“It’ll really come in handy for medical sc-“

CRASH!

The screen door slammed open, the wooden frame snapping in the middle and rattling the side of the house with sheer velocity. Fists were flying in a tornado of white, gold, and blue, and the men jumped back on reflex.

“Hey, HEY! What the hell is going on h-WOAH!”

It slowed down enough for Leorio to notice the two instigators as none other than Kurapika and Killua, and when he went to pull the latter back by the collar of his shirt he ducked out of reach, paying no mind.

“You mother FUCKER-“ Killua picked up the blonde by his tabard, only for him to spit out a little blood, scarlet eyes glowing with fury and…mischief? Kurpika, bruised and bloody gave him a shit-eating grin before he finally spoke.

“I sure am, what about it?”

The words took a moment to register in Killua’s head, but as soon as they clicked into place, he saw nothing but red.

Killua tossed him backward into the fire pit (Name) had dragged out to the porch for special gatherings, but Kurapika grabbed onto the boy, sending both of them tumbling off the porch as the railing splintered beneath their collective weight. The fire pit rolled into the flower bushes, and the rose bush was engulfed in flames, burning steadily as they traveled up the plant. A few feet away, not even acknowledging the accidental arson, Killua rolled over to pin Kurapika to the ground, fists flying as he wailed on the man below him.

“YOU”- he punched Kurapika, punctuating his words with blow after blow. “LEAVE”- a hand came up, trying to shove him off but he pushed it to the ground, standing up. “MY MOTHER”- another haymaker to the temple. “OUT OF THIS!” Killua finished with a solid kick to the groin, reaching for a split wooden beam and raising it to strike. In a flash, Kurapika blindly kicked him in the leg to fall on his ass with a dull thud.

Killua looked up just in time to see Kurapika grab a shitty plastic chair by the headrest, the latter chuckling dangerously as the cheap red material quickly began to dull in comparison to the scarlet rage overtaking his irises. He waved the 2x4 menacingly, almost daring the blonde to come closer.

Wing and Leorio watched, horrified as the two of them battled it out. Not with nen, like one might see in a clean fight, or normal blades like that of a sparring match- but with scattered debris, bloodied fists and all of the finesse and gracefulness of a couple of drunken sailors. Realizing they need to put a stop to it before it got any worse, Wing stepped forward as Leorio attemptsy to stomp out the blackening shrub.

“That’s enough! This is no way for dignified hunters to act, especially a couple of nen users such as yourselves. You two ought to be ashamed!”

Kurapika, too far gone to pay attention to much else, swung the chair at Killua menacingly as the younger one parried it with the splintered 2x4. The trajectory and force were enough to knock not just the glasses off of his head and onto the lawn, but the beer right out of his hands as well. The bottle ricocheted off the chair, flying towards the large oak tree before shattering into a million pieces like some sort of horrible glass baseball.

It left a dark stain on the trunk in its wake, trickling down the bark and down into the pile of shards left behind. Despite the impact, Kurapika never faltered, either unaware of what just transpired or completely indifferent.

‘They’re not even using nen, they’re just fighting dirty…it’s like they want to revel in the destruction, to feel the blood on their hands themselves.’ Wing felt around his immediate vicinity for the frames, before Leorio spotted them a few yards away. Placing them back on the man’s face and helping him up, he patted his shoulder and shot a glare at the duo, seemingly out for blood.

“Wing, the hose is on the left of the house. Put the flowers out, and I’ll see if (name) has some frozen peas you can put on your bruise.”

He nodded sprinting across the floor porch as Leorio hurried in to see (Name) minding her own business, putting up the food. He glanced back over to the door again, little more than a pile of mesh and scrap wood. Between the stress of cooking, company, and cleaning, (Name) seemed too preoccupied to notice the damage. He silently thanked the stars above

‘They’ll sort it out themselves, the last thing she needs is more stress’, he thought to himself. If Kurapika wanted to make an ass of himself in front of the Zodiacs by decking a 14 year old, then that was his problem. Right now, he needed to find something cold for Wing to use as a compress.

She had sent mostly everyone out, claiming the kitchen tended to get chaotic, and he would have laughed at the irony if he wasn’t so worried about the fiasco going on just outside. Her hair was a mess, favorite apron is covered in various stains and spills, and plates upon plates were scattered onto various surfaces. He nearly left undetected when she sensed his aura, turning her head.

“Hey Leorio, what’s up?”

His mouth was dry, trying to figure out the best way to explain himself and possibly buy some time when she paused and frowned. Leorio tried to follow her line of sight and saw Wing by the window, followed by… a garden hose?

“Oh, did Alluka get all muddy from worm hunting under the porch again? I thought I told her not to do that until after dinner.” As soon as she said that, the oven went off, and she slips on a pair of Hello Kitty mitts, sliding the pie dish out and closing the door with her hip with a practiced ease. Placing it onto the burners to cool and slipping them off again, she offered them to Leorio. “Could you hang these up for me? “

Leorio realized what she saw just a second too late, powerless to stop her as she turned the stove off to rush past and see what was going on firsthand

“Leorio, what’s going on? And why do I smell something burning?!”

“Nothing! It’s just the kids get a little rowdy is all, and Wing needed an ice pack.”

Ging’s voice tore through the clattering of pots and pans like a warcry for deadbeat dads from the porch.

“WOOORLDSTAAAARRR!”

By the time (name) made it to the front door (what was left of it anyway), she was met with Wing frantically trying to put out the last of the fire as Leorio pulled the broken pit away from the bushes. The railing was completely destroyed on one side of the steps, and there was scorch marks all over the wood. Finally, Leorio cleared his throat.

“Thats not…what we called you out for”, (Name) followed the man’s gaze, before landing on Kurapika and Killua rolling around in the front yard in a mess of flailing limbs and screaming. This time, however, it looked as though Kurapika finally got the upper hand.

“You little bastard, have you always been this insufferable?! You just couldn’t keep your mouth shut, could you?!”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Killua sunk his teeth into Kurapika’s arm, relishing in the anguished scream that rippled from the man’s throat.

“You think I’m afraid of your goofy ass Ghost Of Christmas Past attacks!?”

She got about four steps forward before a jet stream of water shot out from behind her, soaking the boys as they froze up instantly. Wing held the hose and glared at them, and white hot shame crept up upon both of them.

“If you want to fight like animals, you’ll be treated as such.

It quickly turned to dread however as soon as Kurapika noticed (Name) marching over, brandishing a wooden spoon and a scowl that somehow manages to chill him even more than the garden hose. Leorio had given her a quick explanation, along with Bisky who had heard what happened inside.

“(Name)! I can explain”

“Mom”-

“Killua, you didn’t need to bring his family into this. You know it’s a sore subject.” The boy in question was pouting as she flicked his forehead. Kurapika snickered but it died down instantly when she redirected her ire to him.

He yelped when she smacked him over the head with the wooden spoon. “And YOU’RE not much better. Who the hell throws hands with a child, Kurapika?! You’re a grown man. Come on.”

She narrowed her eyes at the two, who couldn’t even look her in the face. “Don’t you ever think about hitting each other again, we’re friends. Act like it.”

They nodded, and (Name) sighed.

“Both of you can do the dishes. I think that’s fair. Maybe it’ll teach you to get along too.”

The two grumbled, but quieted down when she pointed to the kitchen using her wooden spoon. “Go, now. I want them done within 30 minutes, or neither of you are getting any dessert.”

——————

The two stood in the kitchen, silent as they both washed dishes. They got a system going, where Kurapika washed, and Killua rinsed and dried.

(Name) had healed their injuries to the best of her abilities before they went inside, getting all of the big wounds and gashes dealt with. Now they were covered in bruised and little scratches, but were overall okay.

Kurapika glanced out the window to see (Name) walking to Leorio, Kite, and Wing, the woman looking distressed. When she started to talk frantically, Leorio pulled her into a hug. Kurapika felt awful for causing her trouble, and when he looked to his right, he saw he wasn’t alone in that.

Killua also looked guilty, looking at (Name) with soft, concerned eyes. Though they were different, Killua and Kurapika shared one thing.

They both loved (Name).

The blonde sighed, setting down the rag for a moment. “Killua… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let my anger get the better of me, hitting you was unacceptable.”

Killua was quiet for a moment before he nodded slowly. “I… I’m sorry too. I… was just so angry when I saw (Name) upset again over you that… I snapped. You were right, I… don’t know you or how you feel, and saying that about your clan…”

Kurapika shook his head, patting the boy on the back. “It’s alright, Killua. Water under the bridge.”

The two smiled at each other. “Okay, okay… and I have to admit, you’re pretty skilled, Kurapika. That’s the most fun I’ve had during a fight in years.”

The two laughed, laughing and joking like old times.

It calmed down a little and Killua sighed, trying to be serious. “Can I ask you a question? Man to man?”

“Hm? You’re fourteen, I’d hardly call that a man. But go ahead.”

Killua glared, but elected to ignore the remark in favor of getting information out of him.

“You love (name), don’t you?”

“…”

His silence spoke volumes, but Killua already knew his answer before then. He was just looking for confirmation.

“She let you back into her life, and I know she forgives you. Not that you deserve it, but a second chance just fell into your lap. I feel like you’re still holding her at arm’s length though. And don’t think she doesn’t notice, because she does. She’s a lot more perceptive than people give her credit for.”

“I…even if I were to stay in her life, I don’t deserve to be that close to her. I’m lucky to be her friend.”

“You don’t even want to try? Like at all?”

“Killua, it’s not that simple.”

“If it’s because you think you don’t deserve her, shouldn’t that motivate you to WANT to be better? And become someone she deserves?”

“People can’t change. If I get too close, I’ll lose my rage. That’s the only thing keeping me going right now.”

“Oh noooo, I can’t be around this person because they make me less angry~!” Killua replied mockingly, putting his soapy hands up in defense when Kurapika glared at him. “That’s called being comfortable around someone. And people can too change, genius.”

“The spiders will always be cold blooded killers. There’s no room for redemption.”

“Okay, maybe not everyone”, Killua rolls his eyes, of course Kurapika had an exception up his sleeve. “But for the most part, we do. (Name) told me once that stagnation is a fate worse than death. If you aren’t evolving as a person, then what the hell are you doing?”

Kurapika blinked in surprise, putting the plate down and grabbing a cup to wash. “I…guess that makes sense? You’ve mellowed out a bit over the years Killua.” He didn’t want to outright admit that Killua had matured, or he’d risk him getting a big head.

“No shit Sherlock. She gave me a loving home and enrolled me in therapy. Being loved didn’t nerf me, if anything it made me stronger. Now I’m emotionally stable, nourished, and thriving. I stand a way better chance at kicking someone’s ass now.”

The last dish was dried and put away, and the two of them came out to the living room where everyone is huddled on the couch or near it, the TV playing some sort of holiday special. (Name) noticed them, and waved them over. He noticed she changed into something more comfortable, but when he recognized the faded pattern on the sleeves he had to do a double take.

It was the same one she had during the hunter exam, but back then it was much newer and vibrant.

“You’re just in time, we were about to start Charlie Brown!” Killua joined her, and like clockwork she removed the sleeve so he could put half of it on like an oversized blanket. “This thing is kind of old, (name). It’s cozy, but definitely seen better days.”

“I know, I mostly wear it to bed or knocking around the house, but I love it too much to get rid of it. It’s one of the comfiest things I own, even if it’s golden days are long gone”, she ruffled his hair and Kurapika joined her on the other side.

“It still serves its purpose, Killua. We don’t all need a giant wardrobe”, Kurapika teased good-naturedly, and the boy in question lifted his head to stick a tongue out at him.

“It’s one of those that gets softer the more you wash it”, (name) helpfully supplied. “It just means it’s well loved, and it loves you back. Time is irrelevant when you’re this cozy.”

Kurapika hummed, leaning a head against her other shoulder. A few minutes into the movie, his phone pinged with a message from Killua, who sighed in contentment before closing his eyes. Kurapika opened up the message and saw attachment: 1 image.

Wholly expecting another stupid meme, like that god awful Megamind “no bitches” thing he got like clockwork every time he did something bad in front of (Name), he sighed and opened it intending to leave him on read. Instead, he was greeted with a side by side comparison of what looked like a couple of plush Garfield cats. One plush looked brand new, while the other was worn down from use. The text said “to be loved is to be changed.”

He thought back to what Killua said earlier about how stagnating was a fate worse than death.

He knew his mission was dangerous, but at the same time, would it really be okay for him to get close to (name)? It was just a stupid Garfield meme, he shouldn’t be reading this much into it, but before he realized it he was tearing up. (Name) looked over and frowned.

“Kurapika, are you alright? What’s wrong?”

A gentle hand cupped his cheek, her thumb swiping away his tears. Kurapika sighed in contentment, leaning into her touch. “It’s nothing, just… thinking about things, what I want to do with my time.”

(Name) nodded, retracting her hand and allowing him to lean back against her shoulder.

She seemed a bit more relaxed, the two not knowing she was watching their little interactions just moments before. “By the way Kurapika, Leorio wanted me to tell to meet him on the porch asfter this movie.”

The blonde nodded, looking down at her. “(Name)… when I get back… we need to talk, okay?”

(Name) paused, Killua giving him a thumbs up from behind her. “Oh, um… alright.”

She sounded hesitant, but it was an improvement from her ignoring him. The three watched He gave her a sneaky kiss to her cheek before walking out to meet Leorio.

Leorio and Kite sat on the front porch. It seemed most of the guests had gone home. Knuckles, Shoot, Morel, Pyon, Gel, Kanzai, and Mizaistom were gone already.

“Kurapika, sit.”

Leorio gestured for a wicker chair sat next to the two. The blonde took it, glancing between the two. “What did you call me out for?”

“You seemed pretty… antsy earlier,” Kite explained as Leorio rummaged a small metal box.

“Antsy is an understatement, you looked insane. I really thought you were about to start growling and foaming at the mouth for a moment there.”

Kurapika flushed at Leorio’s words, feeling ashamed of his actions. “I know, I’ve already apologized to Killua.”

“Shit, he wasn’t much better. Trust me, I know Killua, he can be a real asshole, but he’s still a kid.”

Kurapika nodded, looking at his lap. Leorio was right of course, he usually was. “So, what did you want?”

Leorio smiled, finishing his task and pulling out a blunt from the metal box. “I want you to relax and smoke with us. Take a breather, chill with the boys- or well, Kite and I.”

Kite rolled their eyes. “I told you I don’t care what you call me, Leorio.”

Leorio blushed, waving his hand apologetically while Kurapika processed what the dark haired man was offering. “You want me to get high with you? Is that smart, considering I pissed off (Name) enough today? She hates when I smoke.”

“See, you need to relax. Stop worrying about (Name) for a minute. You worry so much that you stress yourself out, making you snap at others. You’ll be way better to (Name) if you learned to chill out and take care of yourself every one in a while.”

Kurapika leaned back in his chair as Leorio lit up the blunt, taking a puff before passing it to Kite.

“Come on, Kurapika. It’ll help you relax.”

Kite held out the blunt to Kurapika, smiling. The blonde stared at the two. “Am I being peer pressured right now?”

“Yes,” the two said in unison.

He groaned and took the blunt, holding it out. “Just one puff.”

———————

(Name) looked up when Kurapika stumbled into the house, a dopey smile on his red face. Once he spotted her, the blonde made a whining sound, immediately clinging to her as he rubbed his cheek against hers. “Mmm… (Name)…”

The woman squeaked, squirming in his strong grip as he pulled her closer, peppering kisses into her cheeks and neck. “K-Kurapika, what are you-“

She paused, sniffing his shirt. “Oh god damn it, are you high? Leorio did this, didn’t he?”

(Name) huffed as Kurapika nuzzled his nose agaisnt hers, clinging to her like she was his lifeline in a storm. “Just want you… lemme hold you, ‘kay?”

She didn’t protest, leading him to the living room so he could snuggle her on the couch. He seemed so attached to her, and as soon as they laid down he squished his face into her chest, nuzzling until he was comfortable.

The woman wanted to pretend she was annoyed, but honestly she found him cute when he was like this. Whenever he was inebriated, Kurapika could let go of all of his limitations and do what he really wanted. He wanted to be near her, for every part of his body to be in contact with hers. It made him so happy to lie on top of her, his face in her breasts and arms wrapped around her.

“(Name)…”

She hummed in response, running her fingers through his blonde hair. “What is it, Kurapika?”

“I…”

He looked up at her, his eyes a little red from smoking. “I’m really sorry… I know… I say stupid and hurtful things sometimes… but just know…”

He blinked at her sleepily, leaning forward to the point their lips were only an inch apart. “I care about you… a lot… so, so much…”

(Name) sighed happily when he kissed her, feeling his tongue gently lap at her lip, asking for forgiveness and acceptance. With a little nip to his lip, she allowed him in, holding his face tenderly.

Though their tongues danced and their breaths were heavy, the kiss wasn’t arousing. It felt loving, sweet, a kiss people who loved each other would share. When they pulled away, Kurapika’s eyes were soft, looking into hers with so much love (Name) felt her body would explode. “Mmm…”

He laid his head back down, his lips pressing kisses into her neck sleepily. ‘I love you…’ he thought, his hands gently caressing her sides.

The two soon fell asleep on the couch, being covered up by Leorio and hour later. Guests left, leaving Kurapika and (Name) in peace.

Leorio, Kite, and Bisky sat on the porch, talking as they drank. “It seems those two have made up.” Bisky said with a laugh, swirling her wine glass.

“Yeah, it seems so. They both looked pretty happy.” Leorio agreed, staring into the neck of his beer bottle. Kite only sighed, leaning into his chair.

“Does he still not know about the Chimera Ant situation?”

The other two went quiet at Kite’s question, not daring to look up. “He doesn’t, does he?”

“No, he doesn’t even know about the letter, or the fact she nearly killed herself after what he did in York New,” Leorio said gravely, setting down his drink. “She said it would absolutely destroy him. Sometimes I hate how she always thinks about others before herself.”

Bisky nodded. “She cares about Kurapika so much, she won’t even tell him just how badly his actions affected her in fear that it would push him over the edge. Apparently, when she would sleep next to him during the Hunter Exam, he would talk about ending his life after finding the scarlet eyes in his sleep. It really messed with her head.”

Kite cleared their throat. “Well, it has to come out eventually. Keeping all of these secrets helps no one, especially the fact that (Name) has worked with the Phantom Troupe. If he finds out on his own, he might assume she’s a traitor when she’s actually been helping him by being getting information. He gets too angry, he wouldn’t be able to comprise with them.”

Leorio sighed, the man looking much more tired than before the conversation started. “Yeah, I know. I just hope Kurapika is ready for all of that information. Hell, Gon doesn’t even know any of it, he doesn’t even know Kurapika’s the one that broke (Name)’s wrist.”

The three sat in silence, knowing that eventually, these secrets would come to light.

They were just hoping it would be of (Name)’s own free will.

#fixer upper kurapika x reader #perv!kurapika #x reader #anime x reader #headcanon #requests open #reader insert #hxh x reader #hxh imagines #smut requests #hunter x hunter x reader #kurapika x reader #kurapika x y/n #anime x chubby reader #chubby!reader #chubby reader #fem reader #female reader #anime reader insert #hunter x hunter headcanons #hunter x hunter smut #kurapika smut #kurapika hcs #fem!reader #hunter x hunter #hxh #killua hxh #hxh leorio #gon hxh

[graveyarddirt]

Hagging Out: May [🍵]

Thinking about taking part? Reply to this entry - or send me a DM - and I'll add you to the list of May Hags. 💀

too cruel? did i choose them what they are? or change them from themselves by poisonous charms? but any draught, pure water, natural wine, out of my cup, revealed them to themselves and to each other. change? there was no change; only disguise gone from them unawares -- augusta davies webster, 'circe'

WHO: To join this challenge you must 1.) identify as a hag (trans, non-binary, and dude Hags welcome!), and 2.) be 30 years or older. While not mandatory, all former participants have been some flavor of pagan or witch or Christian, so incorporating the challenge into your practice or devotional schedule isn't just tolerated, it's encouraged!

WHAT: This month we’re sticking shit in a (thoroughly sterilized!) jar, bottle, and/or teapot, then pouring something over the materia to create an infusion. Honey, water, alcohol, vinegar, fruit juice, oil, salt, and sugar are all terrific mediums to infuse using fresh or dried ingredients. Start an infusion, finish an infusion, or simply brag about a recently created infusion that you're feeling rather chuffed with.

WHERE: In the convenience of your home! Unless, of course, you want to be a bit extra. Whatever you decide to do, and wherever you decide to do it, be sure to tag your posts with #Hagging Out so fellow crones can follow along. (Over the past few years we've essentially strong-armed everyone else out of the tag and claimed it as our middle-aged Hag fort, LMFAO.)

WHEN: May 29th-May 31st! Participating Hags are encouraged to complete their challenge and write their entry when it suits their schedule, then pick one of the three "open" days - May 29th, May 30th, or May 31st - to post it.

WHY: To consolidate our strengthening crone powers and exchange tips on the best way of covering stubborn greys. And because it's occasionally nice to be social in the comfort of your own home without actually having people over.

HOW: Create something for the kitchen cupboard, start or finally finish a more serious project for workings, or even use the theme as an excuse for a tea party in the garden (or getting witch-faced next to a roaring fire). Don’t get too hung up on the idea that participation needs to be food-based - this challenge is all about appreciating the season, creating something for future use, and working with what’s available (and maybe learning some new skills along the way). Feel free to riff and push boundaries, that’s what this is all about!

💀 May Hags: @msgraveyarddirt @pagan-stitches @satsekhem @moeder-geit @wildwood-faun @woolandcoffee @rootandrock @friend-crow @thedosianexplorer @liminalblessings @furmity @prairiefirewitch @crazycatsiren @buddyblanc @inbacchaegloriam @passifloramoonlight @anotherdayforchaosfay @rose-colored-tarot

#hagging out #hagging out 2023

[tillystealeaves]

Steddie Fic- Part 1: Breakup

I don't know what to title this thing, but it's a 3 part story and this is Part 1. Hope you enjoy!!!!

Steve stood in the living room, not knowing what to do with himself. Eddie would be here soon. Eddie was working that day, at the music store in the town next to Hawkins (where people didn’t care so much about the Hawkins rumor mill), and his shift ended at 4, which meant Eddie would be getting to Steve’s house by around 4:30 because Steve had invited him over, and it was 4:15 now, so Eddie should be here any minute, and if it was a normal night Steve would probably be pulling something out of the oven but tonight-

Steve stopped himself. He took a breath. He couldn’t allow his mind to go on tangents like that or he was going to word-vomit all over Eddie.

Eddie, who would be arriving any minute.

Steve had thought for a long time about whether he wanted to have this conversation in his house. If he wanted the memories of this to be burned into his mind every time that he walked through his living room. But his house was already full of so many ghosts. Barb sat perpetually at the edge of his pool, his mother cried over a glass of wine at the kitchen counter, and his father was… everywhere. Always telling Steve how everything he did was somehow a stain on the Harrington name.

Besides, the alternative was to do this at Eddie’s house and that… he couldn’t do that. Eddie had been living for less than a year in the new double-wide trailer supplied by the government. His old home, even if it hadn’t been ripped to shreds, would have been forever filled with the ghost of Chrissy. Steve couldn’t make bad memories for Eddie in his new one. (Though he was fairly sure that Eddie wouldn’t be particularly haunted by this conversation anyway.)

And then there was the fact that over the past eight months since the Spring Break from Hell, Eddie’s new trailer had come to mean something to Steve. It felt like… home. Like the way a home should feel, in the way his own never had. It felt lived in, even though it was new. With Wayne’s mug collection and replacement posters tacked up on Eddie’s wall. With music playing or the TV on mute in the living room, coffee brewing in the kitchen because between Eddie’s and Wayne’s work schedule, it was always breakfast time for someone. Steve had felt welcomed there. Safe. Like he belonged. He refused to poison those memories for himself with what was about to happen.

“Stevie?”

Eddie’s voice pulled Steve from his thoughts. He wondered if Eddie had just let himself in or if he’d been knocking for minutes with no answer. Well, Steve figured he could always blame his damaged hearing if Eddie complained about waiting too long.

“Hey Eds.”

Eddie was smiling, warm and easy. Steve tried to freeze the moment in his mind. Sometimes memories were getting lost inside his head- the doctors said it would continue to happen, a side effect of too many head injuries. But Steve swore to himself that he would never let his brain lose this image of Eddie so happy just from arriving at Steve’s house.

Almost as soon as Steve had made a note to remember Eddie’s smile, it vanished. Suddenly, Eddie looked concerned. He approached Steve and put his hands on his shoulders. His long fingered hands, warm, with calluses that that had ghosted over Steve’s arms, his back, his hair- Steve bit the inside of his cheek and pulled himself back into the moment. “What’s up, Steve? You look… less like a ray of sunshine than usual. Something wrong? Is it a migraine?”

Steve stepped back, outside of Eddie’s grip. “No, my head’s fine. I just… can we talk for a minute?”

Eddie sank down on the couch and immediately began fiddling with his rings, his head angled so that his hair was falling in front of his face. “Yeah, of course we can. Um… did I do something wrong?”

His voice sounded so small. Gods, Steve didn’t know if he would be able to do this if Eddie was going to be sad. The whole point was to make Eddie happy- not tonight, of course. Steve knew tonight would sting. But it wouldn’t hurt Eddie. And in the long run, Eddie would be happy. He would be-

“Stevie? You’re sort of scaring me, baby. Did something bad happen? Like, Upside Down bad?”

“No,” Steve answered quickly. He rushed to the couch and sat down, putting his hand reassuringly on Eddie’s knee. (He ignored the voice in his head whispering that this might be the last moment that they touched.) “No, it’s nothing like that. I just-” He had to just do it. He had to put words to what he wanted least in the world, but what he knew was the right thing. “I think we need to stop this thing between us.”

Steve dared to glance up at Eddie, but found that he couldn’t see anything of his expression. His right hand pulled his hair across his face and into his mouth while his left hand fiddled frantically with the rips on his jeans. “Okay.” Eddie’s voice was thick. Was he going to cry? Steve didn’t think this would make him cry. “If that’s what you want, of course, ba- Steve. But is there anything I can do to fix it? I mean, could you maybe tell me what’s not working for you and I can do it better?”

“You didn’t do anything, Eds,” Steve assured him. Eddie had to know that this was absolutely not his fault. It was Steve’s fault, 100%. “It’s just… when two people want different things out of a relationship, someone’s going to end up unhappy. And I don’t want to ever make you unhappy.”

“I’m not unhappy!” Eddie protested. He looked up and even through his hair, Steve could see his eyes were red and wet. Steve looked down at the floor. “Are you unhappy? What am I doing to make you unhappy?”

Steve swallowed past the burning lump in his throat. He really hadn’t expected Eddie to put up a fight. He had expected him to agree, maybe give him a parting hug or maybe say that he was relieved that Steve hadn’t made Eddie have to do this himself. He had hoped that Eddie would say they could still be friends, or at minimum be cool with each other for the sake of the kids. But if this is what Eddie needed from him, he could spell it out.

“You’re not doing anything to make me unhappy. Look, I talked to Robin about this a lot, trying to figure out the best way to handle it. She said I couldn’t keep avoiding it by just wishing that we could stay this way forever. Sometimes, one person in a relationship just expects more out of it than what it is. And if they don’t talk about it, that person is going to get their heart broken. And the other person is going to get sick of them. I don’t want that for us. I don’t want resentment or hurt feelings or- I just think we should stop this where it is. It’s been so great, Eddie.” Steve heard his voice break at that; he hoped Eddie hadn’t noticed. “It’s been really good, but I think we should stop it here before it turns into something bad.”

With his eyes still pointed resolutely at the carpet, Steve could only feel Eddie nod. He heard Eddie take a deep, shaky breath and then felt the couch lift as Eddie stood. “Okay, yeah. Message received. I’ll get out of your hair. Um… bye, Steve.”

Steve didn’t answer. Couldn’t answer. Even with his terrible hearing, every step Eddie took towards the door reverberated through his head and his chest and his heart. He stayed motionless, barely breathing, as the front door squeaked open and clicked shut. It was only when the sound of Eddie’s rickety van faded that he fell forward onto the couch- still warm from Eddie’s body- and allowed himself to sob.

#steddie #stranger things #eddie munson #steve harrington #breakup #breakup fic #miscommunication

[weemsfreak]

Botany…Of Course, Pt 2

Summary: Peyton is the new botany teacher at Nevermore. They are a telepath. They find themselves on a trip with Principal Weems. They discover what happened the year before they came to Nevermore, amongst other things. Tw: alcohol consumption, description of Larissa's poisoning?

Note: I'm so glad you all liked the first part of this fic! I can start a tag list if anyone wishes to be on it :) @alder-saan ~3700 words

Link to Pt 1

Friday

You were in your hotel room getting ready to explore the scene. Last night when you arrived Larissa went to bed and you stayed up and watched a movie. Larissa was at her conference bright and early this morning, and she would be finished around 5pm. You put on your maxi skirt and crop top. It was warm but not too hot, you loved the weather here. You took your notebook and set out to the conservatory. The whole hotel was nothing but botanical gardens and restaurants. There were beautiful waterfalls, huge rocks, ponds with fish and lily pads, and an abundance of different trees and plants. It was gorgeous and calming. Although it felt like you were outside, everything was covered by a skylight. It smelled so good, fresh almost. You got to the coffee shop and ordered an iced chai tea latte and a soft pretzel. You walked around until you settled by a waterfall underneath a large rock. It was a bit hidden, like a cave, which you loved. As you ate, you wondered how the conference was going. You wanted to surprise Larissa with something, or plan something fun to do. You knew this was a work trip, but that didn't mean she couldn't also have fun. She deserved it. Walking around the conservatory, you figured you would go through one garden a day and scope out some interesting plants that might be good additions to Nevermore. You loved the palm trees and banana trees, some were 60 feet tall, reaching to the second level. Unfortunately, those would never fit in the conservatory at Nevermore. There were rare international blooms and southern species, many that you hadn't heard of before. You sketched a banana tree from Madagascar, a huge Bird of Paradise from South Africa, some succulents, and Physostigma venenosum from tropical Africa. For a good part of the day you sketched plants and researched them, taking notes in your book. At 2pm, you figured you would go for a walk outside. It was a beautiful day, you wished Larissa could walk with you. You found some thrift shops and headed into one. They had antique houseware, clothing, jewellery, everything you could think of. You ended up buying a ring and pants for yourself, and a vintage scarf from the 60s for Larissa. There were so many things you thought she would love, but you couldn't choose what she would like most. You set out again and ended up in a liquor store. You bought some red wine, you knew Larissa's favorite, and some rum then headed back to the hotel.

You had a few drinks and walked around the conservatory again, admiring the fountains and the lights that covered the ceiling and trees. The rooms all had balcony's overlooking the conservatories, it reminded you of a painting. You settled down at a table under a pavilion next to a large fountain. You got out your notebook and started sketching the scene in front of you. A beautiful building to your left, a pond and fountain to the right, pretty sky lights and a pathway littered with plants on both sides. Walking down the pathway was Larissa. She was adorning her matching cream colored outfit with her lip brooch and kitten heels, admiring the plants as you were admiring her. She wasn't really there of course, you were imagining her, drawing her. You looked to the time, she would be done in 30 minutes. You ran back to the room, cleaning yourself up and cracking open some wine. You had in mind some fun things you and her could do around the hotel if she was up for it, you hoped she was. You were flipping through your notebook and you felt giddy about her return. You liked being alone most of the time, but you really liked being in her presence.

She returned to the room after what felt like forever, looking pretty tired. "Long day?" you said trying not to be too obvious that you were happy to see her. She put her things down then turned to you and smiled, she looked adorable. "Yes, it was very eventful, but it was a lot" she let out a huff and plopped down on her bed across from you. You sat on the edge of your bed and looked at her. She was wearing the cream coloured outfit you had thought of earlier. You took a minute to admire her as you knew her eyes were closed. You started smiling big, ear to ear. You couldn't help yourself, you were a bit drunk. She heard you giggle and opened her eyes, catching you staring at her. She sat up and kicked at your foot with hers, "What are you giggling at?" she laughed, knowing you were admiring her. You pretended you weren't just looking at her, you turned your head and quicky said "nothing" in a joking manner. Larissa looked to her feet and huffed and you realized she wanted to rid her heels. You knelt to the floor and took them off of her feet, placing them away. This surprised and flustered Larissa, like you knew what she was thinking. She was taken back by you doing this, nobody cared for her in such small but meaningful ways before. You knelt back down by her feet, you knew this could look weird, like you were worshiping her. You didn't want her to think that's what you were trying to do, although in reality you would. You took a chance, "Do you want a foot rub? Not in a weird way" you laughed. She blushed and looked down at you, "Well, if you're offering" she said shyly. You did so, coming to learn that her toe nails were the same color as her fingernails. You got up and poured her a glass of wine, "Wine for you my dear" you said while handing it to her. She looked up at you, eyebrows raising questioningly. "Yes, I bought your favorite wine, and yes, I may have had a few drinks while you were gone" you laughed, grabbing your wine and sitting on the bed next to her. You opened your notebook "But, I also did some work. I sketched some plants, I think a couple of these would be good additions back home." She viewed all of your sketches and notes from the day as you explained what you had learned. "These are amazing Peyton, I wish I could have come with you." You looked up at her, eyes lit up. "Well, we can walk around tonight, it will probably be even more beautiful." She smiled and placed her hand on your back, it felt nice. You quickly got up, remembering the scarf that you got her. It was a cream color with some neutral brown tones and small blue flowers. You held it out to her grinning, proud of yourself for finding something you thought she would like. "I went to an antique shop across the street, they have so much stuff that I think you would love. We should go if you have time." She took it from you and admired it, "Is this for me?" "Of course, the blue matches your eyes perfectly." You were shy now, nervous that she would think that you thought of her too much, or that you were being too interested in her. "I mean, I think your eyes are blue, right?" you said while tucking your hair behind your ear in an obviously sarcastic manner. Larissa let out a loud laugh, and your heart filled with joy. "Thank you so much darling, I love it." Larissa would never let on, but her eyes were watering at the thought of you buying this for her. She didn’t get gifts often, and she cherished that you thought of her when she wasn't with you. You saw her eyes glisten, but you didn't say anything. You were happy that she appreciated it. Sitting back on your own bed, you fell down onto your back and stared at the ceiling. Larissa watched you, she knew you had something on your mind. "What are you thinking about love?" You absolutely loved when she called you cute names, you blushed and rolled away from her so she couldn't see your face. "Are you hungry? Maybe we can get dinner and go for a walk?" you said as you sat up to face her again. "Sounds like a plan."

You went to a restaurant in the middle of the hotel. It was surrounded by a pond with fish, lily pads and a waterfall, and trees of course. It did look more beautiful in the night, it was all lit up and you could see the stars through the skylight. Larissa started, wanting to get to know you better. You seemed to know a few things about her, but she felt like she didn't know you. "So Peyton, I saw you with a handsome man the other day at the Weathervane. Boyfriend perhaps?" You looked at Larissa, mouth full of pasta, and almost started laughing. Keep it together Peyton, don't spit your food out. The only man you could remember being with was…OH Cal, your cousin. For some reason you decided to mess with her, "Oh Cal? Yea me and him were together, but he cheated on me with a man, so we broke up." Larissa's eyes went wide, her hand covering her mouth in total shock. Her expression made you laugh, you could only be serious for so long. "LARISSA I'm joking! He's my cousin, he's having trouble with his boyfriend, we were just talking." She let out a breath you saw her holding in, and hung her head in relief. "Oh my god, you had me for a minute there." You both laughed, you were so geeky sometimes. "Yea, I don't have a boyfriend. I like-" you stopped yourself, you didn't really know if you wanted to tell her that you liked women. "You like what?" "Nothing, um, so do you have a boyfriend?" you said looking down and picking at your pasta. She looked down at her food as well, "No, I'm not really interested in that sort of thing." That sort of thing? Like a relationship? "I get it, relationships can be hard, and tiring" you tried to be reassuring. "Very true, the most serious I've gotten was with this girl once, but that was so long ago." Sorry, did she just say girl? Larissa Weems, the Larissa Weems likes girls? A huge smile crept on to your face, and you looked up at her, she was still looking at her food, thank god. "Did you say a girl?" you stuttered by accident, voice low and raspy. She looked to you, worry now written on her face. "Yes, I- I did" she said in an unsure tone. You didn't mean to sound like that was a bad thing, you were just really surprised. Maybe that joke about Cal wasn't the best idea, you weren't trying to make fun. "Well Larissa, maybe we should find a new girl for you" you said with a smile looking at her pretty face. She smiled back, and nodded slightly. You wanted to scream, you weren't the only one at Nevermore who liked girls! You still didn't want to tell her though, not right now. Changing the subject, she started, "What do you like to do for fun?" "Well, lately I like to mess with my powers honestly. I keep finding out I can do things that I didn't know about." Larissa was intrigued, but you didn't know why you told her this. You had hobbies and liked to do things, but you found them rather embarrassing. "Oh, like what?" she prodded. You knew she wouldn't let this go now, so you told her. "Um, well I can give someone a piece of knowledge, or I can erase knowledge or a memory from someone's brain. I can see other peoples memories if they have strong emotion, but only if they allow me to. I also recently obtained the ability to know if someone is lying, but it just comes on at random." She was in awe of your abilities, these things could be a lot of responsibility. "So, if I allow you, you can see my memories?" "Yep, if it's very joyous, traumatizing, or emotionally strong enough." She thought for a second, "Can I see it too? When you look at it?" This was the upside, you thought, to seeing peoples memories. They didn't know what you were seeing, just that they allowed you to see it. "No, you can't see it in time that I do. I don’t do it a lot though, there's no point." She looked like she wanted to say something, had something on her mind. There was silence for a minute, then she just looked away. "Do you want to show me the plants now?" she said excitedly.

As you walked around the conservatory, you showed her every plant that you knew something about, and jokingly told her that she was as tall as one of the trees. Larissa smiled at how cute you were when so caught up in something you loved. She used to love hearing Marilyn talk about the conservatory plants, but unfortunately, who she thought was a real friend turned out to be an enemy. She didn't know if she would ever get over that. "This one is Alsophila latebrosa from Singapore, and this one is Physostigma venenosum from tropical Africa. It has Physostigmine, which is a highly toxic parasympathomimetic alkaloid, it can cure deadly nightshade if taken in the correct dose. I thought that might be good to have in the conservatory.." you cut yourself off as you looked up at Larissa. She was staring into space, not listening to you anymore. "Larissa, are you okay?" you said, really worried about her blank expression and even more pale than usual skin. A minute later she snapped out of it, looking down at you, who was holding her hand staring up at her. "Oh, sorry love. What were you saying?" You were confused, but you continued. "I was saying that I think we should have this in the conservatory at school. It’s the antidote to deadly nightshade." "We don't need it, we don't have Atropa belladonna anymore" she quipped quickly and seriously. This made you more confused, "Yes we do, it's just a small plant. I found it in a locked cabinet behind the desk." Larissa's mouth dropped open, they must have missed it when they searched through the conservatory last year. "Oh, um, Peyton, can you do me a favour?" "Sure Larissa" you were worried about what the favour was going to be. "When we get back to Nevermore, can you bring that plant to me, and if you ever find more in the conservatory, get rid of it immediately." Her tone was strict and demanding, you felt like a student who did something wrong. "Oh, sure Larissa, I can do that" you said quietly but sure. She then realized that you were new to the school and had no clue what this was about, or why you couldn't have this plant. She drug you back to your room, not saying a word.

You were sitting on your bed. Larissa had instructed you to sit and stay as she went to the bathroom. You were wondering if she was mad at you, or if you did something wrong. Searching in your notebook for Physostigma venenosum, you thought of something. She said to get rid of the deadly nightshade, like we weren’t allowed to have it anymore. Something must have happened when Marilyn, or Laurel, went crazy. Why would it be locked up otherwise? Larissa came out of the bathroom in her satin pajamas and sat on her bed. She just sat there, looking down at her lap. When you noticed her staring at nothing again, you sat up to face her. "Peyton, I want you to consider doing me a favour." "Sure Larissa, I'll do you a favour" you said with a hopeful smile. She looked at you, sadness written on her face. "Will you consider erasing a memory for me?" You went wide eyed, you had only done that once before. "I, um, I've only done it once before Larissa, I don't know if it's a good idea" you said in a nervous and sad tone, you felt sorry for her. If she wanted you to erase a memory, it must have been a bad one. "If you consider erasing it, I'll show it to you first, if you want." You pondered for a minute, was it the memory you think it was? "Larissa, is the memory from last year? You know, Marilyn?" Her eyes met yours and she nodded her head. You got up and sat beside her, taking her hands in yours. "I'll see it if you want me to Larissa, but maybe it's better that we don't dig it out any further." In reality she wanted you to see it, she wanted someone else to see it, to feel it. She wanted Marilyn to feel what it was like. She wanted someone, you, to tell her she wasn't crazy for being scared. "I want you to see it" she said in the lowest whisper you had ever heard. You moved closer to her and with an "Okay," you were in her mind. This was the only memory available for you to see, she really did want you to see it.

*The Nevermore Conservatory, last year*

You were in the conservatory, a red head a couple feet in front of you and Wednesday by the desk. You looked down at yourself, you weren't Larissa. You looked like a, boy? "I never made it to the station, heard enough?" Wednesday said, eyes switching from the read head to you. The read head, who you suspected to be Marilyn, turned around to look at you as well. Her face dropped as you felt yourself getting taller. You looked down at your body, jacket and jeans turning to a matching dress and coat set. You were, shifting? You weren't a boy anymore, now you were sure you were Larissa. "Your slave is probably still at the station" Wednesday chirped. "Please don't make this more difficult than it already is, Marilyn" your voice, well Larissa's, sounded with regret. You felt sad, betrayed, like you just lost a friend. Like you failed at bringing the outcasts and normies together, you were stupid for letting a normie in the school, an idiot for not seeing the danger. "My name is LAUREL" the red head belted before bringing a needle to your neck. You had no time to run, you felt a sting, and then you couldn't move. You fell to the floor, you couldn't breathe very good all of the sudden. You could feel your heart beat fast, vision going blurry, and you were gasping for air. Your mouth started foaming, and the last thing you saw was Wednesday over you, calling your name. When you looked up at Wednesday, all you could think about was her mother. How you two had drifted apart, how you two fought, how you loved. You spent most of your life with no partner, no friends, just taking care of the school, and recently taking care of Wednesday. You didn’t regret it, of course, but you still had so much more to do. You were scared, then everything went black.

You opened your eyes gasping for air, heart pounding. You realized you were in your hotel room, Larissa was beside you holding your shoulders steady, staring at you in concern. She didn't want you to be burdened by her memory, she just wanted to get rid of it. The thing about taking memories or knowledge from a person is that by taking it from them, you got it. The memory  had to go somewhere, right? Of course, they aren't your memories, so it wasn't as traumatizing for you to see them. You looked at her, your eyes watering, you tried to blink the tears away. You didn’t believe she lived through that. Marilyn had stabbed her in the neck with nightshade?! What the hell! You were glad she was dead, you would've killed her yourself. Larissa noticed you were crying and pulled you into her arms. You cried into her shoulder for a minute, then took her face in your hands when you cooled off. You were so shaken that you spoke unevenly, you couldn't even talk loud. "I'm so sorry Larissa, I didn't know. I'll consider erasing it for you." She pulled you against her again as a tear fell down her face. "I'm sorry too little one, I didn't know how much that would hurt you." In truth, it hurt you so much because you cared about Larissa. Some peoples memories weren't that bad because you knew they weren't yours, but hers, hers felt real. You connected with her so easily, and you wanted to help her. You pulled away, "Wait, you're a shapeshifter?" She let out a quiet breathy laugh. "Yes, I suppose you learned two things about me tonight, please don't say anything though, not many people know." You nodded, you wouldn't tell her secret. "Can we lay together?" you muttered, praying that she would say yes. "Of course love." You both laid in her bed, you felt way better being in her arms. You were so glad that she didn't die, but how did she survive? You wanted to ask her more questions and say that you were glad she was alive, but you didn't. "That's so cool" you mumbled, turning to face her. "What is?" she questioned, eyes meeting yours. "Being a shapeshifter. What can you shift into? People? Animals? Does it feel like anything when you really do it?" She smiled, stroking your hair, "I can shift into people. And no, it doesn't feel like much." You looked in her eyes, she was still adorning her makeup, and her lips were still painted red. Her eyes were so bright and daunting, her lips looked so soft, her skin so smooth, the little creases in her mouth and eyebrows were so cute. Uh oh, you thought. Turning back over, you took her hand and put it to your chest, then you closed your eyes. You felt her pull you closer, a soft "Goodnight Peyton" was the last thing you heard.

Link to Pt 3

#larissa weems fanfic #principal larissa weems #larissa x reader #larissa weems #larissa weems x reader #larissa x oc #principal weems #gwendolineuniverse #lesbian #im so gay

[sweetmariihs2]

How AURORA's album "The Gods We Can Touch" fits perfectly The Hunchback Of Notre Dame religious oppression theme —————— ⊹₊ ⋆. ♱ ₊˚ .⊹

I am NOT active in this fandom, but I have some things to say about it that might interest you guys. After this post I will go back to posting about my current fandom as always.

Basically, I watched The Hunchback of Notre Dame for the first time in my life last month because I'm hyperfocused on Disney films, specifically the classic 2D films.

It's a masterpiece, really, I wouldn't add anything to the story, everything it's just *chef's kiss*

BUT I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION THAT, ONE OF MY FAVORITE SINGERS, AURORA, HAS A WHOLE ALBUM ABOUT RELIGIOUS ABUSE AND NEGLIGENCE, PREJUDICE, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT and I just can't be normal about it

This album is called The Gods We Can Touch.

Yeah the title is pretty clear, while it's still open to interpretation. A huge part of this album is about religion, but also there is a huge part about respect, love and humanity, and she's not only inspired by christianity but also greek mythology. (Aurora says she loves the idea of imperfect gods, because this makes them closer to us, and maybe that's what the title is about. But she also says she sees God in the world around her, the love, the nature, the people, and maybe that's what she can touch. I don't know :/ let's go back to the Hunchback of Notre Dame stuff)

I won't go into detail about this right now, but we all know that there are many (many) people who use faith as an excuse to commit atrocities like Frollo, and this album is about that, I'm not really good at explaining so showing works better for me, some of Aurora's takes are:

The way people use religion to often demonize human behaviors, such as sexuality;

We need to choose between what's right or wrong, there's no in between, which is... questionable;

(Some) People use religion to opress, disrespect and blame anyone who's just living a free life;

And Aurora doesn't like to explain her lyrics, she leaves them up for interpretation. Although their meanings are really clear, I personally see these songs as an ironic criticism of these oppressions, not so much about God himself, but about the people who use his name to oppress. (She's an atheist, so I HIGHLY believe that she's talking about God himself, her lyrics seem to be talking to those people while disguising them as talking to God, and the message is very clear.)

This theme is extremely addressed in the movie, BUT this fandom doesn't know these songs yet. AND THEY NEED TO. IT'S A PITY THEY DON'T KNOW THEM.

Something I HATE is having to watch 'long' videos that I'm not interested in, so if you want to give it a chance but the length of the songs makes you discouraged, just listen to the first 30/40 seconds and decide if you want to watch the rest or not. I know how you feel. I will add videos with lyrics for the songs for people who understand English more easily if they can read the words (like me)

The four songs she really focus on this topic are: Heathens, You Keep Me Crawling, Blood In The Wine and The Devil Is Human.

These songs talk about the same topic but with intensities, explicitness and harshness at different levels. The first song is soft and proposes questioning, the second song talks in a desperate tone about how something that should bring her comfort is just abuse in disguise, the third song portrays revolt and sings the lyrics in a more explicit way, and the last song is harsher, which speaks in a more bold and direct way, like poison.

The song Heathens is soft and makes us question, in a slightly interpretative but still direct way, about what is said to be a sin but is just oppression. How people condemn "sinners" as heathens when everything we come into contact with is considered sin. These lyrics are a little confusing and require interpretation, but it is possible to understand what she meant with them.

You Keep Me Crawling has a double meaning. Both match Frollo really well (lmao). The first is clearer because she says how small and humiliated she feels, begging "on her knees", and this just hurts her — it's not a love relationship, but oppression, "Giving into love should never hurt for me, giving into love should set me free..." But there is also another interpretation, which is that of an abusive relationship, as I said I'm not very good at explanations so it's better for you to read the lyrics (or listen to the song which is a better option). These lyrics really remind me both of Quasimodo and Esmeralda, each one of them with their own situations.

The third song is about the pride of being a "sinner", if being a 'sinner' means being free and loving others. As I said, those lyrics are more explicit and they don't require so many interpretation like the last one. "I was given a name (I'm a human) before I was given blood (before violence), like you were given your faith before there was made a God (you're like this, but not because of your religion, you're evil because that's what you are)" it's pretty clear for me, her word choice and the way she sings these it's simply breathtaking. It's perfect for Esmeralda btw

And finally the song that motivated me to make the post, The Devil Is Human. Again, the title has to do with human beings always being condemned to sin and called pagans, on a level that humanity is so demonized by people, that this title means "our humanity is so hated that we are compared to the devil himself ". "The worst sin we can commit is to give in to what human beings were made to do: love." And again this is where the phrase "proud to be a sinner" comes from, as it is not about true sin, but accepting the judgments placed upon you just because you are... free. (You will be called a sinner if you are part of the LGBTQI+ community for example, even though loving should not be considered a sin. But that's not all, there are more reasons why she says this, such as cultural diversity on the planet and women's independence often result in violence, like the burning of witches, persecution, and more. You know what I'm talking about.)

In this song she sings in a more defiant way, and it seems like she is referring to God, but in fact she is referring to the people who contribute to the culture of hate and intolerance (at least in my interpretation). She's not afraid to be outrageous, bold, tough with her words, and doesn't regret anything she says. Reminds me of Esmeralda's actions and words towards Frollo! She has the same attitude!

This song was previously exclusive to vinyl and later became a single/deluxe. I believe it's because it would be too controversial to be placed on the main album. It would cause revolt and misinterpretations! And she didn't even made an official lyric video to it. That's fanmade.

So basically that's it! I was looking at some reviews of Hunchback Of Notre Dame and this came to my mind, and I hate the fact that people in this fabdom don't know about this wonderful album, as it fits perfectly with some themes in the film.

#the hunchback of notre dame #claude frollo #frollo #esmeralda #quasimodo #the gods we can touch #aurora aksnes #Youtube #judge claude frollo

[vassia-sparta]

Daemon Targaryen x OC Soulmate AU - Part 2

So, I received a request after I posted my last fic, and this one was created. In this, the bond between Daemon and his wife is explored a little bit more.

Trigger warnings: mentions of violence, child abuse

Part one here

Daemon was never known for his calm demeanor, that much was true. Most of those at court knew not to rile him up, lest they wake the dragon. Much like his Red Wyrm, once angered, Daemon could not be tamed or reasoned with. Yet there was always someone who tried his very best to drive him to his very limits, maybe even over them.

There was no love lost between Daemon and Otto Hightower, the King’s Hand. From the very first moment those two met, you could feel the hostility, the anger gathering in the room like a poisonous smoke. Otto always did everything he could to bring up the volatile and rogue nature of the Targaryen Prince, advising the King to remove him from court, for the good of the realm. Daemon, on the other hand, never lost the chance to tease and taunt his adversary, either through his weak spots, or simply ignoring everything the other man said and doing as he thought best. And in the middle of it all the King and the rest of the small council, trying to keep things from going out of hand.

Today was just one such day, only the scene was unfolding in front of the entire court. The two men were arguing about another bout of harsh punishments Daemon had delivered throughout the city. From what the rumors spoke of, he had maimed or killed at least 30 people, delivering each punishment himself, personally.

“Your Grace, this unchecked behavior of the prince cannot go any further. Reports show that him and his gold-cloaked thugs made a festival of the slaughter, teasing those about to be punished with sneers and jests. There were even some who claimed that one of the soldiers dismembered a man down at the docks, while the prince watched and drank wine with his friends.”

Everyone in the room stood aghast of such a revelation, and you tried your very best not to stumble when the wave of absolute fury hit you like a wall.

Lord Otto ignored the whispers coming from the crowd gathered to hear today’s proceedings, and turned towards the King sitting on the Iron Throne.

“Are we really supposed to let a wild animal like him roam free through the city, doing what he wants to the innocent people of King’s Landing without getting punished for it? Already there are several merchants and tradesmen complaining about the damages done to their shops during the raid. If we let this go on, we will have a riot in our hands.”

Several courtiers agreed with the Hand, while you kept your eyes on your husband. He looked absolutely murderous, his hand twitching on the handle of his Valyrian sword. You knew that, if this went on any further, Daemon would draw his sword, and things would go downhill from then on.

You stood near the front of the crowd, your mind reeling, trying to find a way to ease the tension. It seemed impossible, Daemon was one word away from turning his enemy into pieces before the entire court, and the smug expression on lord Otto’s face didn’t help with the matter.

Then you remembered something you had read in that book from Old Valyria about the magic of the soulmate bond. It was observed among soulmates that, when one of them were in some sort of distress, the other could have a calming effect on them if they could focus on it. You had read about a young dragonlord who had managed to calm down his wife during her labor. The child was descending feet first, causing so much pain to its mother that she had seized the healer’s knife and tried to cut through her belly to get the baby out. The young lord had managed to stop her and held her in her arms, whispering soothing words to her as the midwife tried her best to turn the baby around and deliver it safely. He had been successful, and both the mother and her child had made it through the ordeal.

You knew that you couldn’t just go and hug your husband in order to do the same, but you could at least try to use the bond to somehow ease his anger. You took a few deep breaths, letting everything else around you fade and focus on your connection. The fiery waves of anger still came through, one stronger than the other. You closed your eyes, bringing to mind one of the most treasured memories you shared with your husband.

A few months into your marriage, Daemon had taken you for your first flight on his dragon. Caraxes had taken quite a liking to you, and the two of you had flown on his back all over Blackwater Bay, before landing on a small island within sight of Dragonstone. Daemon told you that he used to come here as a kid after his parents died, to escape the tediousness of court life and the many women who wanted him for their husband.

“It’s my resting place, the one place I can be myself, without anyone judging me or glaring at me,” your husband had whispered as you both lay on the grass staring at the clouds passing over you. It really was a small paradise, with a small patch of trees to the south, some rocky hills with caves under them, and a small beach with white sand and small seashells spread all over it. You really could see yourself living here for the rest of your life, just you, Daemon and all the children you would have. No courtiers, no fights with devious men who sought to hurt your husband, only peace, clear skies and the endless sea surrounding your home.

You felt the anger slowly fading away, a sense of calmness and peace replacing it. It was as if a gentle sea wave washed over you, putting out the fire, leaving you cool and refreshed. You opened your eyes and looked at your husband. He looked calm, but also surprised. He glanced at you, and you gave him an encouraging smile. His eyes shined with joy, a small smile gracing his face.

Then he turned to his adversary, but there was no anger this time. Instead, the sense of calm was reinforced somehow, stabilizing it.

“I think you are missing a few key pieces of information my lord Hand, allow me to enlighten you,” Daemon simply stated, his voice steady.

Otto Hightower looked at him with distrust, but said nothing.

“The raid I conducted last night was not like the one I led some years ago. That time I had punished all the criminals I could find, yes, but last night has specific targets.”

“And what targets were those?” the lord Hand questioned.

“Ever since I returned from the Stepstones, I have been trying to restore the Watch back to the standards I set when I was in charge. Though most of the men are honorable, dedicated to their duty, there are some among them who have been corrupted by bribes, paid to look the other way so criminals can continue conducting their business without interruption. One such criminal is a man named Timeon Black, so nicknamed for his rotten heart. He was one of the last men I arrested last night, and the only one I left for the King to decide his fate.”

“And what has that man done to deserve punishment?” the King asked his brother.

“He is the leader of a pack of thugs who have been trying to rule over most of Flea Bottom, one way or another. Some are paid by the traders to make sure their shops are not damaged, others kidnap people to enslave, including girls to be sold to the Street of Silk, as well as orphans from the motherhouses, to be trained and used as fighters in fighting pits, either against animals or each other.”

“Gods be good,” the King gasped, as did several of those amongst the crowd.

“After I made sure the goldcloaks in league with that monster were detained and locked up in the Black Cells, me and ser Harwin took 100 of our best men and hunted down each and every one of Black’s men, delivering to each of them the punishment they deserved for their crimes. Yes, if you don’t know what those men did, the punishments I delivered sound harsh. What do you think now that you know the entire story?”

Lord Otto stood speechless, his lips pressed together tightly.

“As for the man we dismembered, he was the gatekeeper of the fighting pits, in charge of keeping the children fighters locked in their cages, like wild animals. When we burst into the building, he had been beating a 10 year-old girl with a walking stick for losing him a lot of money. When he saw us he just smiled, kicking her back in her cage before he tried to attack my men. I ask you, what would you have done, give him a slap on the wrist?”

The Hand had absolutely nothing to say. You could feel the glee enveloping your mate, bright and sparkling.

“You have performed your duties with excellence,” the King glanced at his brother, his gaze full of pride. “I do recognize that such acts of violence may sound cruel, but against such heinous criminals, it was exactly what should have been done. Continue to perform your duties as you see fit, and I will see to it personally that the men that assisted you to this raid are given rewards for their actions. My lord Hand,” he turned to the other man, “perhaps you should make sure you have all the information before you start making accusations. Your relentless campaign to sully my opinion of my brother is becoming tiresome.”

Daemon bowed to his brother, then turned to leave, not even glancing at Otto Hightower. The Hand bowed to the King as well, then disappeared through a back door, ignoring the whispers of everyone around him.

Your husband approached you, his eyes shining. You could feel the happiness filling him, and that in turn made you happy.

“May we take a walk in the gardens my lady?” he enquired, offering his arm.

“Of course my dear husband,” you nodded, taking his arm and letting him walk you out of the throne room.

He led you to a secluded spot in the gardens, away from prying eyes and ears.

“What did you do to me?” he asked when you both sat on a stone bench near a rose bush.

“I tried to calm you down,” you shrugged, smiling softly at him.

“But how?”

“You were about to attack that bitter excuse of a man, and I was not going to let him take advantage of your temper. You might be a monster to him, but to me you are my hero, my dragon knight. I simply used our bond to ease your anger and help you think more clearly.”

Your mate took your face in his hands and kissed you softly, filling you with warmth and joy.

“What have I done to deserve you?” he whispered, his violet eyes staring into your very soul.

“You are an honorable man with a good heart my love, and don’t you forget it. Now, let us put the events of this day behind us. How about we go take Caraxes for a flight, maybe visit Driftmark?”

“That sounds lovely,” Daemon smiled.

-----

Hope you enjoyed it!

Taglist: @alexandra-001, @the-mechanical-angel

#daemon targaryen #daemon targaryen imagine #hotd fanfic #daemon targaryen x reader #prince daemon targaryen #house of the dragon

[aguamarinee]

➪ 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: Nicholas × reader

➪ 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: action, slightly suggestive

➪ 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬: reader is running down the streets because she's being chased. She goes into a club to avoid suspicion but quickly ends up in close connection with a mysterious resident. And later on, that makes her parting a bit harder... and longer. But at least no one is chasing her anymore by that time.

➪ 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭: ,,I might hate myself tomorrow but I'm on my way tonight, at the bottom of a bottle you're the poison in the wine."

➪ 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬: 4,4k

Damn. My shoes are killing me.

When will they lose chase?

I've been running nonstop for these past 20 minutes between crowded areas and dark alleys— I even ran through a short tunnel, but they're still hot on my heels! Literally!

I'm a good runner but in pumps, my chances of fleeing from two male police officers are significantly lowered.

Although it could be because my shoes keep clacking whenever I take a step... I can't help but make noises even if I don't want to.

It's either me lacking speed if I run carefully, or they hear my every step and know exactly where am I, even in some livelier areas.

Be chased or be caught I guess, no other way.

I'm also at disadvantage since I'm not familiar with this part of the district.

I didn't plan on letting them chase me into a nearly foreign area, but I lost track of every familiar surrounding miserably.

But I'm not panicking just yet, my situation is not crucial, I just need a distraction. Quickly.

They weren't particularly close to me, there was always a left or right turn where I tried to confuse them, but this part of the district is a long passage now... Packed with countless nightclubs, bars, and cafés, and a couple of restaurants at one corner.

This was never on my map, that's why it's unknown to me.

The said area wasn't strictly part of my destination, but it still seemed okay going in that way for a while— I mean if it makes the cops get off my tail...

However, by the time I realized this, I'd almost completely deviated from the original route.

I felt it the second I took the unexpected turn into that short tunnel, that's where I lost my lead.

Since then my phone was buzzing nonstop in the small back pocket of my short dress, which luckily my coat covered up well.

...It would surely alert the cops behind me more if they could see it, and I don't want to give them another reason to chase me eagerly.

But it could also alert the others as well, back at the base.

That would serve me even worse.

I would be lying if I'd say it wasn't getting on my nerves every 30 seconds when it buzzed, but it made me be on guard about my surroundings and I could keep track of my movements continuously.

Between my train of thought I was starting to get a bit cold since my coat was open in the front.

I should close it, but there's no way I can stop here, I need to find a quick hide-out to rearrange myself.

Its buttons were quietly clicking against each other, in the same rushed rhythm as my steps and it felt like these tiny things are trying to tell me... or more like they want to signal me about something.

Time was ticking like crazy; my fast steps were equal to a second, but it rather felt like a whole minute every time I moved my legs.

And this incredibly small amount of time that was given to me for this mission, as little as a grain of dust, there is only a very little left by now.

So little I can't even begin to try and think how long will it last.

Because... maybe by the time the thought is born in my head, it already passes on.

In a hurry I was swinging my head from left to right and right to left every second to seek an escape route; an alley, a corner, another passage — anything, just not this long street!

...Or I could dash into a club.

Actually, wait, I'm going to do that!

It might not be an open area, so I have limited room to flee completely, but at the same time it's easier for me to lose the cops and make them go away. Far away.

With the loud music, the dancing people, and the flickering lights I can blend in so they don't notice me, then get away safely!

I just need to find a simple nightclub where I can get in instantly without a security guard stopping me.

I sharpened my eyesight to seek out a smaller place and a couple of beats later I found the perfect club.

The Howling Club, looks lively and full, and it closes at 5 am, so I have plenty of time.

Wonderful.

Flickering and flimsy lights were poking my eyes, even if I closed them for short seconds.

Yet I still sensed the rainbow-colored refulgence behind my eyelids.

I tried blinking it out, so the glowing is less and my irises don't go crazy, getting drunk on the superflexing of luminosity, but I had to move fast at the same time.

The first couple of blinks were even slightly painful but I pushed through.

I'm going to need my eyes for a long time, so I'd rather not have them give up on me because of some club lighting.

The second I dashed into the building my hearing got messed up as well, and the outside world no longer existed.

Nonetheless, I'm sure that the two cops saw me get in here.

I had little to no idea how deep was the place, but I needed to go to the back — maybe there I'll have a chance to rest and wait for the events to unfold themselves.

I kept on pushing sweaty bodies away from me but the place was so packed that the second I moved one out of my way, another collided with my backside.

And this went back-to-back, literally.

It was definitely guiding me forward in a way but I was tottering and swaying beyond my own control.

...Wait, I'm starting to see the DJ counter!

Usually behind or beside the DJ area there are separate booths or VIP compartments, which should be useful for me later, to hide there.

Although, let's hope I'll be able to sneak in.

I still have a long way to go.

Far after the huge platform the DJ was standing on, there was an enormous, monumental ice sculpture of a wolf, ready to howl.

It was majestic, its pose and size were so mighty.

I started appreciating some of the rainbow lights which danced across the icy statue, reflecting on it in so many ways and forms it was truly magical and a sight for my sore eyes.

I was surprised I only noticed it now because this thing is surely visible from every corner of the spacious club.

It had to be, it was so beautiful.

Hypnotized by its sublime presence, now walking felt more like a harsh guiding or a way of attraction, as if I had found the hidden treasure that strongly magnetized my movements.

"—Woah, watch it."

Suddenly my hypnosis bubble burst and the colors weren't as vivid around me anymore as they were a second ago.

And the sculpture seemed even further away from me, compared to when I first laid my eyes on it, if that's possible.

But the bar counter was sure close; so close that I carelessly walked into it and now half of my hip was aching because of the sudden friction with the fine wood.

On the other hand, the opposite side of my hip was part of a rather soft encounter.

I looked up in a daze, at first I targeted the high ceiling where the lights were hanging from — maybe if I look into them harshly then I'll be finally free from this pishogue that clouded my mind for a good few minutes —, but before my sore irises could travel up until those mighty highnesses I spotted a more reachable, earth-bound source.

Him.

No doubt that his tall and lanky figure towered over me, casting my curious face in a shadow — momentarily blocking any light sources from me but they still peeked through his dark locks on the sides — and it was a pleasing sight for my tired eyes, almost as if I just looked upon the lunar eclipse.

His hair was dark, ebony, almost as the empty space itself, but his skin was light and shiny like the early night sky bathing in subtle silver moonglow.

Eyes piercing like the fresh Sun, and even if they tell you to look away for them, you can't, and you won't.

He caught me — not just his beauty and impeccable features... But he was the one who stopped me from walking into the bar counter or more like tried to.

One of his long, slender arms tucked into a simple black shirt with rolled-up sleeves was behind me, exposing a strong forearm and his large palm was facing the counter's smooth surface, but close to holding my back so that I don't crash into it and hurt myself even more.

His other hand was lightly holding my upper arm, or rather my coat that I put over my dress and exposed shoulders in the cool night air, but I was unable to miss the sudden burning of my skin.

He didn't even touch me directly but the surface felt like it was already breaking into flames and tiny cinders, embers were bouncing off of it swiftly under the plush-like material.

Who are you, child of Helios? The Guardian of the Sun?

Or a subordinate of Satan, perhaps the Devil?

...Why is it so hot in here suddenly?

"Are you okay, miss?"

Now he changed to formal, which immediately snapped me out of my staring.

"Yeah, just the crowd."

I kept my answer short, not knowing what else to do or say.

I will stay neutral, not that I shamelessly mapped out his whole face and build a minute ago.

A couple of seconds after my words he let go of my hand, but I was still somewhat up in his personal space, just as he was in mine, considering our hips were touching in a weird way and I was still in contact with the bar counter.

My other side still hurt but less by now, and I'm not ready to admit that it's mostly because of his tender gaze.

"Are you sure? They didn't drug you, did they?"

So much for the nice atmosphere...

My pulse immediately quickened and I started shaking my head vigorously.

I don't want him to think anything like that, it would be really embarrassing!

"Of course not! I'm just not that used to nightclubs, that's all." At the end of my sentence, I proceeded to give him a small smile, hoping it would reassure him enough.

Oh yeah, and if you didn't know, actually I've been running from the police for 20 minutes, so that's why I look like I'm out of it.

Okay, I'm not going to tell him that... Surely it would make the situation even worse.

Tears were glistening in my eyes because of how limp and tired I felt suddenly as I gazed at him endlessly... Also, the colorful lights made my vision run wild once again.

But right now only one thing circled in my head like a broken record, an imaginary feeling getting it's strong — almost choking — hold on me, captivating me, making my thoughts drunk on wanting it.

Those hands. I want them. On my waist. Now.

"—Hands up! This is the police!"

Oh, they did not just ruin this for me——

In a moment everything came to a stop and the packed place all of a sudden became so quiet it was almost suffocating.

Not just for my ears, but for my heart too.

Blood started pumping in my veins rapidly and I was taking quicker and shorter breaths.

Even the lights above me seemed like they were caught doing something bad and weren't shining now as much.

My knees became weak too, but it was good because it alerted me that I have to leave as soon as possible, before they spot me. Again.

I was at the back, close to an exit if my peripheral vision wasn't deceiving me earlier, and I was also short compared to the big crowd so it wasn't impossible.

But if I want to escape, then I have to get going right now.

"Hey, does that exit at the back work? Is it open?" I whispered sharply to the God-sculpted guy beside me — I noticed him already crouching too —, my words barely audible to my own hearing, just a smidge above minimal background noise.

If there's one thing I learned throughout my career is that whispering is an art in itself.

...And there are many things that you can cover or reveal with just a whisper.

"It's not open at the moment, but I have the key since—" Now it was me who shut him up mercilessly, pressing two of my fingers quite harshly to his plump, sinfully curved lips.

After a moment of hard glare that I made sure to pierce through his endless black irises, I swiftly turned around, almost crouching completely and carefully — so I don't put weight on the end of my heels — sprinted across the mass of statue-like people until I reached the desirable destination, the key to my freedom for tonight.

I hoped that the mysterious and handsome stranger will catch my drift and is willing to help me with opening the door.

I mean it's not like he has any excuse why he shouldn't, right?

It's not written on my forehead that I was running from these guys 10 minutes ago so I hope he comes after me...

I turned my head back at the crowd and I caught a glimpse of one of the officers sneaking through, giving unsatisfied looks to the clueless people around him.

With one hand he was also holding onto his belt, which further down was equipped with a pistol and even a taser.

The other one was slower and he requested an ID card from a couple of people he came across, to make it seem like they got a complaint or an alert, rather than freezing the whole facility just because of one suspicious person.

And that would be me, but they didn't see me yet.

And they shouldn't.

But where's this guy? I thought he followed me..?

Then I felt a small tap on my shoulder and I saw him still crouching, now beside me.

I immediately felt at ease seeing his dark locks and chiseled face.

I eagerly nodded my head at the door with a worried expression, and he finally realized my intentions when I saw him nodding back.

He gave me small smile and stood up, went to the door and quietly unlocked it, then opened it just a crack so I could slip outside.

My heart picked up the pace again because I knew that after this I'll have to resume my way of running through the night, but before I could do that, without thinking I put my palm on his hand that was clutching the key in it and took the taller with me outside the building.

The door closed behind us smoothly, with no loud impact luckily so it hopefully doesn't alert the cops, or anyone else.

"...Wow, you just snuck me out of my job." He laughed quietly after a moment of silence and when I looked at him he ran his hand through his silky, ebony hair.

He looked at me expectantly with his fingers still in his locks and I had to gather my thoughts for a second to give a proper answer.

"I work there, you know? I'm supposed to be one of the bartenders tonight." He insisted on and gestured to the fancy place behind him with mischief shining on his features.

"Well, do you want to get caught by the police?"

I stepped closer to him, raising one of my eyebrows and putting on a sly smile.

I got caught up in the small banter and my voice came out slightly louder than just a whisper.

Both of us silently acknowledged this and he stepped closer too, so we don't have to raise our voices.

I still have to be on guard about my surroundings and actions, I can't get caught now of all times.

"How do you know I would get caught?"

He narrowed his eyes with a cat-like grin and bowed a little bit in my direction so his head was exactly above mine in an intimidating way.

My brain didn't register his last words, only the sweet murmur of his deep voice, the sound pleasing to my ears like the silent waves of the ocean on the side of the shore.

I fell into a daze again, into his daze, and at this point, it felt like he was doing this exclusively for me... Or was he this pretty and breathtaking for everyone else too?

I both loved and hated the idea that I stare at him ever so often, when I just met him.

But he was watching me too like a hawk, constantly blinking as if his eyes needed to get used to some strong light or flash... Was he just as enticed as I was?

Sadly our moment was interrupted once again.

A quiet rattling sound alerted my ears and I quickly looked to the metal backdoor not far from us, where we made our discreet escape from the risky situation.

The doorknob moved, indicating that someone definitely pressed down on it, and like a switch; all the alarms went red inside my head, and before I could register some possible upcoming events I acted on raw instinct, reckless and impulsive.

I barely saw the door opening but I was already halfway in the arms of the gorgeous guy standing before me — I pulled him to the alleyway wall, my back hitting it quite harshly but I didn't care at the moment.

My hands found their way to his chest at first, I wanted to feel him up intentionally before I dive into his soft raven hair.

The first two buttons on his silky coal-black shirt were undone, allowing me a small peek at his exposed skin; his collarbones, the upper part of his chest that I was so keen to explore, and his slender but strong, spotless neck.

Shortly my hands ended up in the crook of his neck, feeling it up as well, and only after that I stretched my arms to hug around his shoulders.

Eventually, my palms rested on the back of his neck, fiddling with the few longer strands of his hair, enjoying the moment.

I barely saw his face as the hollow street lights were way behind his broad back, hardly giving his form any contour at this hour.

But this fact perhaps just made him even more mysterious and handsome... Made me want to spend more time with him, in close contact.

And to my surprise, he was the one who closed the distance between our lonely lips rather quickly.

Those strong hands that I was pining for held onto my waist like the last strands of precious breath, pushing me further to the wall.

He was holding me so eagerly I almost felt my feet dangling above the ground, I considered jumping and wrapping my legs around his torso so I can reach his height more.

But as quickly as the thought burned my head, I had to forget about it.

"Was she here? She could've escaped through that door..!" I heard sharp whispers the second I pulled the mysterious guy to me and I was sure that the cops caught on quickly about my situation.

They were not wrong about the backdoor, and they moved way faster than I anticipated.

I mostly acted by my gut when I harshly pulled him into me, but I needed a quick distraction so they don't see my face.

Although I was genuinely surprised that he initiated the passionate kiss we were sharing in this heated moment.

When he heard the two officers whisper, he held my waist even tighter and pulled me into him — my back became free from the wall and now my curves molded into his hard, straight torso.

Almost as if he's... trying to cover me?

...Maybe he realized that they're looking for me?

The feeling of our bodies colliding like this was so euphoric; I felt my pulse quicken yet again, my face and body were getting hotter and hotter and it was starting to get a bit too humid between us.

Our kiss was full of passion but the sweetness was present as well, and by now I'd completely hugged around his neck, trying to move even closer — which was impossible, but I tried anyway.

I couldn't get enough of him.

His lips on mine felt heavenly and refreshing, like ice cream on a hot summer day.

Except his effect was the exact opposite from the icy dessert; he was the one making me feel incredibly hot rather than the weather, but this time I did not mind the hotness.

Were the officers still here?

I had no idea, but I might as well enjoy the moment a little bit more... Maybe they didn't leave yet.

I hope they didn't leave yet.

...But if they walk off, then I will have to be careful about where to go next.

The nightclub is surely not an option anymore, especially now that this guy knows about me being chased.

I guess the cops could go back to the club once more for a safety check, but I don't see it happening.

Even though it would be fine for me — because I could escape for good —, they don't have any duty there to begin with, so it would be pointless and a waste of time.

But I'm getting real tired of their chase so I genuinely hope it ends here.

I got so lost in my thoughts that I completely stopped kissing back the handsome stranger who was still holding me with so much passion.

His hands woke me up from my daydream when they slid down to my hips, lightly squeezing them.

I unintentionally let out a small sound of surprise reacting to his actions, and he stopped kissing me.

His lips were millimeters away from mine, hovering close to my mouth and jaw, then he lowered his head a bit, and now his mouth was hovering above my neck.

I was breathless, I barely dared to breathe in and out, his slightly musty and spicy cologne sneaking up into my nostrils, intoxicating my thoughts.

"Are the cops gone?" He asked in a barely audible sweet, sensual whisper and moved his face closer to the crook of my neck.

After his question I immediately heard the backdoor close, signaling that the cops left; they went back into the club's building.

This is my chance!

"Yeah, they're gone. For good." I whispered back with a small smile, although I couldn't see his expression because his face was hiding in my neck.

He hummed in a low hushed tone acknowledging my answer, and nuzzled his nose into my neck and collarbones, sending a comfortable shiver down my spine.

Both of us relaxed against the wall, his tall frame weighing on mine in a comfortable silence.

"Why were they... looking for you?" He slowly raised his head and stared into my eyes with seriousness.

"Were you worried?" I asked back in a cheeky tone, my smile growing wider.

Now I felt safe — for the first time in this whole night — and knew that I succeeded in shaking them off, so I allowed myself a little teasing.

I have to get going soon anyway, so at least my goodbye will be memorable.

"I still work in this nightclub you know. I can't afford to lose my job." He stared at me sternly but there was a hint of mischief in his dark orbs. "Although, I must admit... This was my first time fending off cops and I highly enjoyed it." He gave me a subtle wink. "Is it always like this?"

"You wish." I retorted, bathing in his playful and challenging stare. "This is the first and last time." I showed him a grin and noticed how his hands sneaked back onto my waist.

"...Then I wish to meet you again for the first time. A million more times." He laughed silently at the end at his silly wording but his eyes told me he was very serious though.

I chuckled, shaking my head a little bit as if I was dissatisfied or unimpressed by his hidden confession.

But actually I was quite flattered by his smoldering words.

My hands slid down to his shoulders and with a stronger force, I pushed him away dramatically.

"I better go. Before they start chasing again." I walked away from him, out of the shadow of the wall and the club behind us, the streetlights coming into my vision and illuminating half of my figure.

My back was facing him but I turned my head back, to look at him once more... To try to memorize his spotless features.

He looked stunned; his lips somewhat open in a surprised expression, eyes curious and eyebrows raised in a vaguely worried manner.

His hair was a bit messy as well, probably because of me, but he pulled it off flawlessly — perhaps it just made him even more attractive in my eyes.

And as my eyes wandered to his neck in the dim blaze coming from my other side, the yellow streetlights highlighted his marked light-toned skin beautifully.

Lipgloss is a captivating look on him, I have to admit. Especially if it's my lipgloss.

His shirt seemed crumpled a bit, but the fine ebony silk managed to hide that fact. But it still filled me with pride.

As I gave him a last piercing and long look, I was planning on turning away and starting to jog down the streets to try to get back onto my original route and pick up contact with my mates.

But he suddenly caught my hand in his — just like the first time I bumped into him — and faintly dragged me backward.

"Wait— I didn't catch your name!" His words were rather desperate but his tone was low and steady, a bit demanding even.

His action caught me off-guard again, but I was pleased.

For the first time since I came in close contact with him, I could finally read his nameplate that was secured onto his fine shirt on the left side of his chest, thanks to the streetlights.

"Well then, Nicholas." I made sure to say his name slowly, savoring it carefully as if it were some kind of exquisite dessert; the sweetest and most delicious of them all. "Next time, when we meet again... I'll make sure to tell you, for the first time." Then it was my turn to wink.

After that I swiftly pulled out my hand from the grasp of his stronger ones, walking off at a fast pace, not sparing him another striking glance.

➪ 𝐀/𝐍.: Just me, simping and gushing over Nicholas (sometimes) in a poetic way basically lol.

➪ 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 【𝐌 𝐀 𝐒 𝐓 𝐄 𝐑 𝐋 𝐈 𝐒 𝐓】 !

#&team imagines #andteam #&team scenarios #&team x reader #&team #&team nicholas #wang yixiang #andteam nicholas #nicholas x reader #Spotify #&team oneshot #nicholas

[cravencereal]

NSFW BELOW THE CUT

Just a little something I did for my own amusement because let’s be honest, Cait pre-benign intervention is most likely a horny, angry, depressed woman that doesn’t know how to deal with emotions other than sex, booze, and physco. I made Sole a bit of a bottom but as gender neutral as possible, so anyone can read it! It doesn’t get all the way to smut, but damn does it get close. If you want a continuation that goes into a little more detail per-se, just lmk ;)

Also this is my first real attempt at nsfw so like… don’t burn me at the stake if it’s bad. <3

GN!Sole x Cait (pre-Benign Intervention)

Cait and Sole were sitting on the floor of an abandoned warehouse. They had cleared the place out and decided to rest for a bit. The smell of dust and blood was stinging Sole’s nostrils, Super Mutants have such a strong smell of death it’s ridiculous, they thought as they pulled out their gun and inspected it. Sole looked up at Cait, watching her open a beer before looking back down at their gun. “We’re not gonna go anywhere else tonight, so you might as well get comfy.” Sole spoke into the air.

Cait hummed in acknowledgement, taking a swig of her beer. She offered a drink to Sole but they turn it down, a hit to the head they had taken earlier in the day finally catching up to them making their head spin. “Y’sure? Might make that headache of yours better.” Sole declines once again and Cait shrugs her shoulders, taking another drink.

Sole could hear the beer slosh in the bottle as Cait pulled it away from her lips, the sound of glass meeting concrete echoed as she put the bottle down. It was quiet for a moment before Cait shuffled across the floor, the utility belt Sole had got for her in Bunker Hill scraping against the floor. Sole pulled their attention from cleaning their gun to whatever Cait was doing, but when they looked up their eyes met, barely even a foot apart from each other. Cait’s eyelids were hooded and a smirk Sole knew all too well spread across her face.

“No.”

Cait’s smirk dropped into a frown and her eyebrows furrowed, making Sole blow a sharp breath of air out their nose in amusement. Sole returns her attention back to cleaning their gun and Cait sulks back to her backpack, placing her head on the back part of it. She sharply turned to her side and groaned, letting out a bratty, childlike grumble, “Fuck you.”

“I’m sure you want to.”

The Next Day, Diamond City

While Cait was getting checked over at Dr. Sun’s, Sole lay on the couch at Home Plate. It’d been ages since they had stayed here, most of their time in Diamond City either being spent at the Wright’s or in the Valentine Agency. They had promised Piper they’d stop by for a drink some time this afternoon when they passed by, so they decided to spend what little downtime they had to get comfortable and get some shut eye.

SLAM!

“Wake yer ass up Sole, I’m not drinkin’ alone.”

“You’re grown Cait, you can drink alone,” Sole grumbled, keeping their eyes closed. Cait flipped the switch on the wall and turned on the bright fluorescent lights above them. Sole’s eyebrows furrowed and they threw their forearm over their eyes, “-Just let me be for 30 minutes please.”

A sly smile came across Cait’s face, “Have a drink wit’ me, an’ I might consider it.”

Sole is quiet for a beat before groaning and falling into her bribery. They push themself off the couch and make their way over to a shelf of ‘collectibles’ they’d made over the past year. Brands of whiskey, wine, and tequila donned the wooden shelves. Almost every bottle was full and in mint condition, the exception being the whiskey bottles which they heavily favored in their pick of poison.

“And you call yerself a drinker,” Cait chuckles, slapping her hand hard on Sole’s back, kind of like a divorced dad in his late forties would. “Nothin’ compared to what I’d have polished if I were you.”

“These are far and few between Cait, and those Bobrov’s are overcharging for their drinks, so I found a happy medium.” Sole shrugs and grabs glasses off the top shelf. Cait lets out a ‘humph’ and grabs a bottle of whiskey with the faded label reading ‘Crown Royale’ before mumbling, “How you’ve managed to make drinkin’ nerdy, I’ll never know.”

They sit down on the couch, the heavy glass bottle of Crown in Cait’s hand and two glasses in Sole’s. Sole places the glasses on the table and grabs the cigar box from the lower shelf on the table. “I dunno how you smoke those things. Gives me a headache.” Sole shrugs at Cait’s comment and lights the cigar, taking a long drag from it and blowing out a cloud of smoke. “And I don’t know how you drink 24 hours if the day and still function; but hey, we all have our niches, don’t we doll?” Cait lets out a grunt at Sole’s snarky remark and pours their drinks, filling her cup only slightly more than her counterpart, which is to be expected at this point.

Cait wraps her hand around her drink, already starting to take it to the head. “Sip on it, Cait, we’ve still got errands to run.” She ignores Sole’s warning, flipping them off as she finishes her glass, letting out a sigh of relief once she’s swallowed the liquor. She puts down the glass with a hefty sounding ‘thunk’ of the wood meeting the thick glass.

“Lucky for you, I’m a functioning drunk.”

Sole scoffs and rolls their eyes, “Functioning my ass! I’ve carried you out of the Dugout every time we’ve been there.” Sole’s eyes locked onto Cait’s when she started to move closer. Cait’s breath hitting their face; it was warm and smelled of the whiskey she’d just downed.

“If you didn’t like my sweet arse, you woulda left me there to rot by now.” Closer, closer, closer. By this point, Sole could tell you the pattern of the specks of brown in her green eyes and pat connect the dots with the freckles that covered her face.

“No, I’d just have to pay for a room if I left you there. Dugout policy.” They shot back quickly. Cait snickered at Sole’s hasty response and continued to move closer.

She was playing a game Sole always lost: ‘How Far Can I Push My Flirtation Before You Pounce Me?’ She especially played this game whenever either of them were drinking. Cait knew how to push Sole’s buttons in a way that always put one of them pressed against a wall and moaning each other’s name.

“I suggest you move back before something happens.” Sole takes a drag from their cigar before turning back to face Cait. She cocked her left eyebrow, the same sly, fox-like smirk as before painted across her face.

“Oh really? Is this 'somethin’' similar to what happened in Goodneighbor? Or is it closer to the police station? Either way I’m willing to try me luck.” She touched her nose to Sole’s, her eyelids hooded yet still maintaining heated eye contact with them.

“And I’d be willin’ to bet you’d want it too.”

Sole leaned in and parted their lips, their fingers moving to lightly grip Cait’s chin and pull her face closer to theirs. Their left hand slid over the curve that separated her hips from her ribs, eliciting a soft sigh from Cait. Sole could feel her body push further into theirs, her own hands starting to slide against and up their outer thigh, gripping the waistband of Sole’s pants once she got to it. Their lips brushed against each other, but before Cait’s lips could lock with her lover’s, Sole let out the puff of smoke they had been holding in, the grayish smoke covering Cait’s face and flooding into her mouth.

Barely able to get out her words over her coughing she growled, “You’re- cough -such a bastard!” Sole falls back onto the arm of the couch and starts to crack up. They dropped their cigar onto the ashtray on the end table, saving it for later. They continued to laugh after Cait’s coughing fit was over, but she stayed uncharacteristically quiet. They expected at least a snarky remark at my laughing; but there was nothing.

Starting to sit back up, they stop their laughter and start an apology, “Cait, I didn’t mean to make you upset. I was just messin’ with you-”

Cait turned to face Sole; and before they knew what was happening, Cait’s hands, body, and lips were all over Sole. Their eyes went wide, completely taken aback from what was happening. Cait had pushed Sole’s shoulders back onto the arm of the couch roughly. It was like she couldn’t wait to be close to Sole.

Cait’s left hand made its way up Sole’s shirt and against their stomach, her calloused palm causing goosebumps to form on their skin. Her right hand was unbuckling their belt, pulling harshly on the leather before getting it off and starting on Sole’s jeans button and zipper.

Her lips were locked onto Sole’s jawline, sucking harshly on the skin, occasionally tugging at it with her front teeth; just enough to hear Sole’s breath hitch and feel their body melt further into the couch. Their head was trying to catch up with what was happening. Cait and Sole had definitely done this before, they (mostly Cait) were constantly making passes at each other, most of the time leading to quick and hot sex in semi-safe places. Didn’t matter where or when, if Cait wanted Sole, she got them. Sole didn’t mind, really; it was a nice release and Cait was a very attractive woman, but usually there was at least some type of foreplay, or hell even a warning.

Cait’s lips left their neck and met Sole’s lips, cutting them off from saying anything. She had finally got their pants unbuttoned and was feverishly pulling them down. She pulled away for a moment, Sole’s hand moving on its own and tangling in her messy, red hair in a faint attempt to pull her back down to their kiss. She let their hand pull her back in, but instead leaned down to their ear, kissing the top of it. Her warm ragged breath hitting the cold cartilage made Sole’s face heat up more than it already had. The sound of her breathing was hard and desperate; it tickled Sole’s ear, goosebumps forming on their neck.

Cait moved her legs to wrap around Sole’s waist, grinding against their hips. They could feel how hot her sex was, and it was only turning them on more than they already were. She made her way agonizingly slow up and down their neck, kissing and biting on the skin. Sole’s hand tangled in her hair and gave it a firm tug, making her moan into their skin, sending shivers down their back. Sole let their other hand find her hip, encouraging her hips to rock against their waist, loving the white hot flares of pleasure it was sending down their stomach.

Sole let a lazy smile grow on their lips and let out a soft mumble, “Guess this means you forgive me then?” Cait just let out a low chuckle that vibrated against her lips that abused Sole’s neck and continued her work. Sole shuddered before somewhat coming back to their senses. Their eyes roamed down Cait’s body, watching her hips ride back and forth in a needy, erratic motion. Her moans were getting louder the longer they went on, and when Sole started to rock in sync with her, Cait’s voice broke into a high pitched mewl that drove Sole crazy. Their voice hoarse and quiet, a needy request fell past their lips.

“Fuck, I need you, Cait.”

Sole unbuckled Cait’s pants, pulling them down to her knees and letting her kick them to the floor. Barely even spending a moment apart, they were back together, lips moving fast and hard against each other. Their tongues met and danced with one another, their saliva mixing along with the moans they traded into the others mouth. Cait had started grinding her hips down on Sole again, this time pulling up their shirt to put her thinly covered sex against their skin. Sole could feel Cait all over her. Sole could feel how those lovely lips below her waist glided across their stomach; the way they slightly parted when Cait’s hips moved forward and how their wet skin got cold from the air that hit it when Cait wasn’t atop it. Sole needed Cait, and Cait needed Sole. Bad.

Their moans and the slight squeaking of the couch was what filled the room; Cait picking up in volume as she rocked harder and faster into Sole’s hips. Sole pulled harder on Cait’s hair, which in-turn made Cait suck hard on Sole’s tongue. She would occasionally pull back while biting their lip, letting it pop back into place before diving back into the taste she yearned for. The pair’s lips were swollen and sore from the biting and tugging the other would do to entice the other.

Making her way from her lover’s neck and to their ear, her left hand found the soft skin of their neck and rested it there, her thumb rubbing back and forth on the purple-ish marks she had made. Once Cait made it back to her original position on Sole’s ear, she bit down hard and let the tip of her tongue dance on the tip of it. Her left hand started playing with the band of their underwear; her fingers dipping just low enough to glide against the crevice of their hip bone. Cait’s tongue, making sure to let her ragged, breathy moans sound in her ear. Sole was barely keeping it together at this point; the wet, lewd sounds entering their ear drums at an alarming rate, those fingers moving tantalizingly slow down their hips were causing them to short circuit, and dear god that moan of hers; everything about Cait made Sole go insane in the best way possible.

Cait gave a hard squeeze against Sole’s neck, making their breath hitch in their throat, a submissive whimper following. A wicked smile paints on Cait’s face, lustful eyes meeting Sole’s needy orbs. Another flare lit up in Sole’s stomach, this time shooting down to their legs.

Cait wanted Sole to know what she had been waiting for since last night, but was going to tease her just as she did before. “You shouldn’t have done that, lover,” she murmured, before placing a soft, almost unnoticeable kiss on the tragus of their ear, pulling down their underwear and placing wet, slow kisses on her way down their body. Cait stopped right above their navel, kissing it and making Sole’s hips arch in selfish need, “Cuz’ yer in for a long ride.”

Sole’ll just stop by Piper’s tomorrow.

Bonus:

One foot in front of the other, Sole walked to Piper’s door and raised their hand to knock on the metal, nervous smile on their face. The handle turned and the door flew open, an angry Piper standing behind it.

“I waited all afternoon for you to show up and you just-“ Piper cut herself off, her eyes widening when she saw Sole’s neck.

“Did a Yao Gaui chew on your neck last night?”

#Cait #fallout 4 #piper wright #fallout fanfic #cait fallout 4 #cait fo4 #piper fo4 #piper fallout 4 #sole survivor #x reader #fallout x reader #caitxreader #male reader #fem reader #female reader #gender neutral reader

[katarh-mest]

alcohol PSA for writers

If your characters are drinking alcohol, but you yourself have never had any alcohol, it can be very VERY obvious if you have them get drunk within the first few sips of a strong drink.

Continue below if you want some education from a professional lush.

Alcohol actually takes some time to absorb in the bloodstream and start impacting behavior. It's why it is such a dangerous drug, and SO easy to abuse.

At a minimum, most people take at least 10 minutes before they start to get it circulating through the blood stream. That's on an empty stomach. You might have other effects besides the ethanol poisoning - strong liquor can make someone cough if they're not expecting it - but the euphoria and lowered inhibitions don't kick in for quite a while if you are drinking lower ABV stuff.

Most liquor is not drunk straight. Exceptions are things like whiskey and fortified wines like cognac. Mix the drinks with something non alcoholic, usually cut with sugar. Your characters are not going to down straight vodka (unless it's Mao Mao... then she totally would.)

Beer, wine, and ciders range in ABV from 3% (weaker beers) to 15% (stronger wines) compared to liquors which start at 20% ABV for the most part. The whiskey I drink straight is 35% ABV... and I drink it very slowly, very carefully, about 10 drams at a time (roughly 1.5 oz or so.) That is, one "standard" drink.

Other standard drinks: One 5% beer (12 oz can or bottle), one 5 oz pour of 15% wine, and 1.5-2 oz of a liquor that is 35%-40% (80 proof), vs a 0.75-1 oz pour of a 150 proof liquor. Proof maxes out at 190 and that's Everclear, aka 95% pure ethanol. 100 proof is 50% alcohol and you'll find that in things like vodka, gin, and tequila. These DO have flavors! But the flavors are buried underneath the ethanol, and need to be thinned out to be tasted, so they're almost always cut with something else to make the alcohol not be unpalatable.

If I'm drinking, here's about the levels of alcohol and how they affect me (I'm a 44 year old woman that has fairly high tolerance. Use this guide as a metric for your characters who can handle their liquor. Move everyone down a level if they are "lightweights" or have never had alcohol at all.)

1 standard drink makes me happy and pleasant, fun and giggly. I can still think, I can still drive as long as I've had something to eat and waited 30-45 minutes, and I get some of my best house cleaning done in this state

2 standard drinks make me slightly buzzed and approaching unsafe to drive (I hand over my keys at this point to the DD). Still fun and giggly, but also starting to lose my inhibitions. More likely to break something while cleaning.

3 standard drinks start to impair my ability to speak with my normal levels of clarity and articulation. I am not yet slurring my words, but my brain's CPU is now overheating.

4 standard drinks takes me out of the happy space and starts to make me sick. Its no longer fun. I cannot stand up straight. This is binge drinking.

5 standard drinks is going to have me vomiting if I drunk them too fast. I've got high tolerance so if I ate food I'll be okay, but if I don't drink enough water, I'll be hung over the next day.

If I'm beyond this, I'm probably passed out someplace. All but once that 1 time has been at home (that time I woke up on the couch of the fraternity whose party I was at. I was okay. I was lucky. Thank you, Alpha Kappa Psi bros, for putting me on the couch and giving me a glass of water. You were the MVPs.)

Alcohol is a poison. It is a poison. It's a delicious poison, and humans have the ability to process it, but it's still something that will make you very sick or kill you if you go too fast.

BONUS: High tolerance, low tolerance, and a tendency to alcoholism are all somewhat genetic. Our bodies need two enzymes to process alcohol, and if one processes fast and the other processes slow, the result is that some people "handle their liquor" naturally well, and others are going to be "lightweights" no matter how much they practice. Some folks actually get 0 of the happy euphoria from alcohol and go straight into the poison symptoms (this is known as "Asian Flush Syndrome" but it can impact people from any part of the world.) These folks will get sick from a single "standard" drink - but they are unlikely to ever get drunk, because they'll get sick long before they drink enough alcohol to reach that point. They make some of the best DDs out there, though, so if you know someone who experiences it, make them your best friend, offer to buy their coca colas and bar snacks, and hand them the keys after you have had drink #2.

#alcohol #writing #psa #alcohol PSA #tips for writers #I stop at 1 unless I'm at home or have a designated driver #I wrote this while I was drunk and came back and edited it 3 hours later btw #anyway stop writing your light weights as getting pass out drunk after a single taste of 15% wine #that's not how this works

[e-m-p-error]

Valentino's Clubs' Signature Drinks Part One

Two signature drinks at all of Valentino's establishments are the True Love's Diss and True Love's Kiss. True Love's Diss is gin, sweet vermouth, rose extract, and Campari. It is garnished with rose petals. True Love's Kiss is also garnished with a rose petal and heart-shaped edible glitter. It is a sweet sparkling wine drink with strawberry juice mixed into it. Both drinks have a dash of Love Potion in them.

Bloodsport - Sports Bar; Full bar, 30 Big-Screen TVs + All Sports Packages Available, Full Kitchen

Bloodsport Signature Drinks

Poison Apple - Hard apple cider with a splash of orange liquer

Dark Side - Black cherry martini with a (dyed) black cherry for garnish

Brite Lite - Strip Club; Exclusively Insect Sinners Work Here; Full Bar, VIP Rooms, Drug Vending Machines, Bar Snacks Only

Brite Lite Signature Drinks

Orchid Mantis - Kiwi liqueur, prickly pear vodka, orchid elixir syrup; Velvette Inspired

Lightning Bug - Rum, pineapple/mango/mangosteen/papaya vodka, cognac

Club Hell 666 - Strip Club; Full Bar, VIP Rooms, Drug Vending Machines, Sports Bar-Esque Kitchen

Club Hell 666 Signature Drinks

Angel's Web: Peach mint julep with a hint of strawberry syrup at the top; Angel Dust Inspired

Secret Admirer: Rosé wine, strawberry syrup, rose petals, club soda, and a splash of maraschino cherry juice with a hint of lemon and lemon peel for garnish; Angel Dust Inspired

Dick Heaven - Gay Bar; Only men work here; Full Bar, VIP Rooms, Drug Vending Machines, Free Use Sex Rooms, Attendants Paid Via Tips In Glory Hole Stalls, Traditional Bar Food Only

Dick Heaven Signature Drinks

Valentino Loves A Good Peach - Peach schnapps, mint leaves, strawberry syrup, lime juice

Tender Kisses - Spiked cherry lemonade with a dash of rose extract

Glory Hole - High-End Sex Club; Full bar, Dancefloor, Bathrooms + Glory Hole Stalls, Drug Vending Machines, Pay-To-Play sex rooms/toys/gear/lube available in each room, VIP Brothel Upstairs, Showers, Full Kitchen

Glory Hole Signature Drinks

Teal-quila Sunrise - Raspberry syrup, tequila, blue curaçao, lime juice, orange cognac

Glory Hole Garden - Lavender syrup, coconut rum, blueberry sparkling wine, garnished with a green cherry soaked in lavender syrup, has a dash of Love Potion in it

Heartbeats - Karaoke Bar; Full Bar, Full Kitchen

Heartbeats Signature Drinks

Throat Tamer - Piña colada with a lemony twist

Gold Standard - Classic Bronx cocktail with a dash of tangerine schnapps

Horns - Imp City Strip Club; Full bar, Dancefloor, Bathrooms + Glory Hole Stalls, Drug Vending Machines, Meager Kitchen

Horns Signature Drinks

Bubbly Black Widow - Black vodka, cranberry juice, coconut creme, and brown sugar boba

Love & Sex & Magic - Cherry vodka, kiwi syrup, blue curaçao, maraschino cherry juice, garnish with kiwi slice

Number Of The 63457 - Strip Club; Exclusively Hellborn Work Here; Full Bar, VIP Rooms, Drug Vending Machines, Traditional Bar Food Only

Number Of The 63457 Signature Drinks

Bitter Envy - Blue Curaçao, Midori, Raspberry Syrup, Melon Whip With A Hint Of Chocolate; Leviathan Inspired

Bittersweet Lust - Mangosteen Vodka, blue raspberry syrup, burnt martini; Asmodeus Inspired

NYMPH-O-MANIAC - BDSM Club; Older than Spark Plugs; Full bar, planned scenes for show, rooms/floor space available for scenes among patrons, pay-to-play toys/gear/lube available, bring-your-own-gear encouraged only for dress

NYMPH-O-MANIAC Signature Drinks

Skanque - Apple vodka, apple juice, orange juice, blue curaçao, red wine, rosemary and apples

Lot Lizard - Cherry/vanilla vodka, vanilla cream, garnished with a rose petal and a cherry

Pussy Paraíso - Lesbian Bar; Only women work here; Full Bar, VIP Rooms, Drug Vending Machines, Free Use Sex Rooms, Brunch and Bar Food Only

Pussy Paraiso Signature Drinks

Check Out My Melons - Cantaloupe puree, simple syrup, white rum, maraschino cherry juice, lime juice, seltzer, food coloring

Eelectric Pink - Vodka, chilled green tea, simple syrup, lime juice, mint, grenadine

R3D - Imp City Nightclub; Full bar, Dancefloor, Drug Vending Machines, Meager Kitchen

R3D Signature Drinks

Royale Flush - Black currant liqueur, sparkling red wine, berries

Black Mage - Black vodka, lime juice, maraschino cherry juice

Redlight - Sex Club; Full bar, Dancefloor, Bathrooms + Glory Hole Stalls, Drug Vending Machines, Free Use Sex Rooms, Pay-To-Play toys/gear/lube available in each room, Showers, Full Kitchen

Redlight Signature Drinks

Chica Cherry Limeade - A cherry limeade with amaretto vodka

Chum The Water - Grenadine, pomegranate vodka, blue sugar crystals

Shymmer - Strip Club; Attached to Shyne via a corridor; Full Bar, VIP Rooms, Higher-End Kitchen

Shymmer Signature Drinks

Day Drinking Special: Shymmer's Chocolate Mojito

Night Life Special: Shymmidori Martini - Melon Martini

Shyne - Nightclub; Attached to Shymmer via a corridor; Full bar, Dancefloor, Bathrooms + Glory Hole Stalls, Drug Vending Machines, Sports Bar-Esque Kitchen

Shyne Signature Drinks

Fruit Popper - Grape/green apple vodka, cream, whipped cream, berries, cherries, and apples to garnish, mint; One of those berries also has a surprise pill in it.

Candyland - Cotton candy vodka, birthday cake vodka, Nerds; Beelzebub Inspired

Part Two Here

#HEADCANONS ➽➽➽ #And If You Get In My Face Then You’ll Get A Taste Even God Would Run Son (ναℓєитιиσ) #cw alcohol

[elizaviento]

Green on the Vine — Strawberry Wine (Part 4 of ?)

(Stardew Valley — Shane/Female Farmer/OC) Note: My working draft for this fic is called "Stardew Trash" in Google docs. Just thought y'all would like to know. Lmao.

This chapter is rated SFW — 3096 words.

(FYI: Additional chapters of Green on the Vine — Strawberry Wine can be found in the Stardew Valley Fic Masterpost link in my blog description.  Or, you can click the #green on the vine strawberry wine tag in this post, within my blog, to access all additional chapters.)

*****

Occupying himself with the hens was the best decision Shane could have made that day. Their soft clucks, the silken slide of their feathers through his fingers, the graceful bobs of their heads as they pecked the dirt at his feet provided the perfect distraction from the thirst that nudged the back of his throat. Cravings were always a bitch to deal with, even under the best of circumstances, but the heightened stress level encapsulating the farm like a dome amped his desire to sink into the familiar sense-numbing void tenfold.

Distant mumblings from the doctor and the farmer caught Shane’s attention as he fetched hay from the nearby silo. More than once, he wished he could eavesdrop, but they were far enough away that the soft rustling of maple leaves muffled their words until they resembled a mere hum among the ambient babble of nature. Instead, he went about his work, attempting to drown out the intrusive thoughts of what they could be discussing in his absence. Not that it mattered. The farmer was well-liked among nearly everyone in Pelican Town. Her world didn’t revolve around Shane and his fragile notions that she would wake up one day and realize she’d wasted her time befriending him. The town doctor came to her house to tend to her wounds. He fixed what was broken in a way Shane could never compete with. Patching a hole in a weathered fence and laying down some hay seemed incredibly trite in comparison.

“Fuck, I need a drink,” he grumbled while gently nudging a round hen that had decided to roost on his foot. Calculations filtered through his mind, as they did when he tried to justify cutting into the time he spent with Jas, taking shortcuts on the ranch chores, or ducking out early from his shift on the days Morris left early.

Can I get away with it? Can I spend another 50 bucks on beer this week? Can I sleep 30 more minutes to nurse this hangover? Can I avoid talking to anyone until my head stops pounding?

Granted, these calculations had become less and less arduous and frequent since the last black-out drunken stupor had forced him to look himself in the eye and decide, once and for all, if he would allow it to consume him entirely. He had been close. So close , so many times. But once the farmer had found him face down on the Cindersap lake dock at 2 am, vomiting over the side, a sensation of shame gripped him so tightly that he felt he might be crushed by the weight of it. She’d dragged him home – God only knew how – and sat by his bedside with a pitcher of water and a waste basket until he groaned back to life the following morning. The looks of pity and disappointment from Marnie he could handle. Shane had grown used to them and learned to shrug them off with ease. But the fear that swam in Kristen’s eyes and the subsequent relief when she realized he hadn’t straight up died of alcohol poisoning stabbed him like a molten hot poker between the ribs. Shame. Utter, absolute, disgusting shame.

Had he cut back on drinking for her ? Had he agreed to professional intervention to never witness that fear contorting her freckled face and suffer that suffocating shame ever again? Shane tried to pretend the answer to those questions was no. Sometimes he almost believed it.

His cargo pocket began to sing for the dozenth time that morning. The number on the screen wasn’t in his contacts, but he knew exactly who it was by now, having received 3 voicemail messages from the town’s Mayor.

“Shane, it’s Lewis. How’s Krissy? Did you and Harvey get there alright? Call me back.”

“Shane, it’s Lewis again. I texted Harvey, but he hasn’t replied.”

“Shane – Lewis. I know I’m not your favorite person in the world, but I think we can both agree that we care about Krissy. Just tell me if she’s okay.”

Finally fed up, Shane canceled the call and tapped out a text, his fingers jabbing at the screen aggressively – She’s fine, Lewis. Stop calling me . – before he powered down the device altogether and made a mental note to talk to Marnie about not sharing his cell phone number with anyone else in town. Shane would never understand what Marnie saw in that man, but he also knew that Kriss regarded Lewis like a second grandfather, having spent most of her childhood summers on this farm. She had history in Pelican Town, albeit a bit ancient, but enough that dormant roots sprouted instantly and bloomed the moment the old timers recognized her shining face as that of Homer Wynand’s rambunctious granddaughter. It had taken less time than he’d wagered for her to forge multiple friendships among the younger town’s people, but he could tell right away that she wouldn’t have trouble fitting in, much to his annoyance.

Would he ever admit out loud to secretly hoping for another outcast? Absolutely not. Would he have shunned her, regardless? Of course. But, it was made so much easier to treat her like shit in the beginning, believing she was just like every other slack jaw in this podunk town who would shun him right back. He was glad when she eventually proved him wrong.

After he’d wasted as much time as he could cleaning up the coop, he found the farmer sitting cross-legged in front of a makeshift grave near the pond. He hadn’t expected to find her there, but he wasn’t surprised. She reminded him of Marnie in how she was attached to her animals. Maybe even of himself…

Shane had made up his mind about helping Kristen around the farm before she emerged from the bathroom, smelling of sweet mint. The humidity trailing after her only amplified the aroma of her shampoo or soap; he wasn’t sure which. All he did know was that it filled him with an odd sense of comfort. It was familiar . It was her.

He’d been prepared for her to protest, which was precisely why he didn’t give her the opportunity. The ridiculously large bandage wrapped around her right hand and the noises of frustration as she struggled through the simple tasks of cleaning herself up and getting dressed were enough to ignite his slumbering sense of duty. The odd fluttering he felt in his chest when he recalled the myriad of ways she’d helped him over the past 2 years intensified, especially when his thoughts lingered on the obvious distractions she provided for him when the urge to drink himself to death reared its ugly head.

“Hey, let’s play that new first-person shooter you got. Loser orders a pizza!”

“Wanna take a walk on the beach? I bet Jas would like to go for a swim.”

“I have a fresh batch of hatchlings! Come over and see. They’re so fucking cute!”

Yes, obvious distractions. But effective. Without realizing, the farmer had helped the deadbeat, alcoholic stock boy more than anyone ever had. And now, he owed her.

❦❧🍓❦❧

Shane cursed and cracked one bloodshot eye when the alarm screeched in his ear, pulling him from a dream. Even before he stumbled out of bed to slam his hand on the snooze button, it had melted from his memory like one of Jas’ favorite ice cream bars on a sunny summer day. But the feeling lingered. Though sleep deprived — having arrived home from Joja at just past midnight — he felt oddly at peace, even at 4:30 am.

Four-fucking-thirty, Christ… he thought, switching on his bedside lamp. He couldn’t remember a time he’d willingly gotten up this early. Going to bed this late? Sure. But that was a completely different circumstance.

He dressed quickly in his usual attire, shoving his uniform in a backpack and slinging it over one shoulder as he stepped from his bedroom and entered the darkened kitchen.

“Shhh…I’m in here. Don’t wake Jas,” Marnie said from somewhere in the blackness. His eyes hadn’t fully adjusted, and Shane nearly jumped out of his knock-off Crocs, startled.

“Jesus, Marnie!” he whispered aggressively, flipping on the overhead light. Marnie sat in her bathrobe at the kitchen table, cradling a mug of something steamy. “Why are you up so early?”

“Lewis told me you’d be going to Krissy’s farm this morning, so I thought I’d make you some coffee. It’s fresh in the pot. I can cook something, too, if you’re hungry.”

Lewis. Fucking Lewis…

“How the hell —” he began before cutting himself short. He should have known this would happen. Hot gossip traveled fast in tiny towns. “Kriss told him and he told you?”

“Yes,” she confirmed, rising from her chair to fetch another mug from the cupboard. “Is that a problem?”

“No.”

And it really wasn’t. It wasn’t like Shane was doing something scandalous that needed to be kept hidden. If gossip was going to spread, he supposed it was better than the usual trash people thought about him. Still, the sense of privacy he tried to preserve from most of the inhabitants of Pelican Town bristled at the idea that everyone probably knew what he’d be up to, innocent or otherwise.

“It’s a kind thing you’re doing, Shane. I’m sure she’ll appreciate it.”

Marnie’s tone softened as it did when she was proud of him, which was rare. His cheeks prickled with heat, and he averted his eyes, suddenly interested in a hairline crack in one of the porcelain tiles near his feet.

“I’m not hungry,” he replied, changing the subject as he took the mug from her outstretched hand. The aroma cut through the remaining fog lingering in his brain, and he took a large sip, unconcerned with the resulting scald to his tongue.

“Good. I’m going back to bed,” Marnie joked. “Turn off the light when you leave.”

For the first time, probably ever, the chirping of birds before dawn didn’t agitate him. In fact, they were a welcome soundtrack for his hike toward the farm, granting him a reprieve from some of the more intrusive thoughts that always seemed to plague him. Booze still remained the most effective dampener, which frustrated him, but he’d take what he could get. The air also hadn’t become oppressively hot just yet, and he felt surprisingly light on his feet.

The trek from the ranch to Kristen’s farmhouse took approximately 15 minutes. He’d walked the trail so many times that he had it committed to memory and was on her front porch at 5 am on the dot.

“What are you doing here?” the farmer groaned when she finally answered the door. He knocked loudly and insistently, knowing she’d still be dead to the world. “I don’t get up until 6, ya know?”

“Hey, that’s fucking great for you —,” he answered, plopping his backpack on the rocking chair next to the front door, “— but I gotta be at work at 8, and it takes 45 minutes to walk there from here.”

Kristen scrubbed at her eyes with her good hand, the other hanging limply at her side. Shane idly wondered if she was in much pain before his thoughts pivoted to how cute she looked with her curly hair so wild and unkempt from sleep. He quickly shut that one up, however, by making fun of her instead.

“You look like you stuck your finger in a light socket.”

She laughed hoarsely, lightly kicking his green foam shoe.

“Says the only person left on the planet who wears Crocs,” she retorted, opening the door wider to let him inside. “You want coffee? I need to take painkillers now, or I might start weeping like a baby soon.”

“Nah.” So, she was in pain. That knowledge distressed him, but there was nothing he could do other than what he was here for. “I’m gonna get started now. I’ll be in the coop.”

He worked in silence, as usual. At Joja, his co-worker Sam always wore headphones, the music blasting from them so loud that Shane wondered how he hadn’t gone completely deaf. It wasn’t that he preferred the silence. Rather, all of his favorite songs were tied to memories that were too tender to prod at just yet. Finding new music seemed just as daunting, and Shane realized he was probably getting old.

35 isn’t old, is it?

It is for you, Shaney boy. It’s old as fuck. You’re out of shape, an addict, stuck in a dead-end job, and a shitty god-father. You may as well be 60.

It wasn’t Shane’s voice that answered in his head, echoing between his ears like a specter. It was familiar, teasing, heart-achingly distant. And Shane refused to entertain it. The owner of that voice wouldn’t have spoken to Shane in such a spiteful manner had it been right in front of him. The owner of that voice wouldn’t speak at all. Death tends to render a person speechless, after all.

Time slipped away as he continued to work, spending a significant amount of it stroking each hen that crossed his path. He found that even though he’d opened the coop door for them to graze, several remained inside, squabbling for attention.

“Kriss spoils you, huh?” he asked as he scratched the short feathers on their tiny heads. “She better.”

Checking his watch, Shane sighed. Rolling out of bed before the sun wasn’t exactly his favorite thing, but he’d gladly do it every day if it meant this was his actual job. Instead, he’d make the long walk to town and clock in at the soul-sucking pit of hell that spit out his meager bi-weekly paychecks from a talking Pez dispenser that called itself Morris.

Not for the first time, Shane found himself wondering how Kristen survived the corporate lake of fire. She’d spoken about it a handful of times but preferred not to linger, changing the subject at every available opportunity. Shane never pressed. He knew how frustrating it was when people couldn’t mind their own business, even if curiosity gnawed at the base of his brain. He knew she’d been an attorney on Joja’s payroll, but the specifics were vague. Shane wasn’t sure he’d understand them anyway if he were honest, so he let it be. Picturing the farmer as anything but kind of boggled his mind anyway. Her earthy essence seemed ingrained into every fabric of her being, utterly content with the life she’d built far away from exhaust fumes, blaring horns, and tiny, overpriced apartments. She seemed happy.

“Hey, are you hungry?”

Her voice sliced through the silence so suddenly that Shane flinched, whipping his head around to find Kristen leaning against the coop door, a bucket of strawberries gripped in her good hand.

“What the hell are you doing?” he asked, motioning toward the bucket filled to the brim with ripe red fruit.

“Don’t try to father me, Shane. I still have one good hand, and the strawberries in the greenhouse were past harvest. If they weren’t picked today, they’d rot.”

“I’m telling Harvey,” he lied, striding toward her to snatch the bucket. It was heavy .

“You do that, and I’ll tell Marnie you let Jas watch the Blair Witch Project.”

“You watched it with us!” he protested. A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, giving him away. Nevertheless, his brow pinched, imagining Kristen picking strawberries off hundreds of vines with only one hand. “I would have harvested the strawberries.”

“You have to leave soon.”

“I can always come back, Kriss,” he said, scrubbing his free hand at the back of his neck. His opposite arm was beginning to ache with the weight of the bucket, and he wondered how she seemed to handle it so effortlessly. “I was planning to do that anyway. After my shift. Just… don’t fuck yourself up more than you already have.”

“Okay…” Her eyes darted around the coop, avoiding Shane’s entirely, and her stance became rigid as she crossed her arms, shifting from foot to foot. He recognized these mannerisms — stubbornness waging war with logic.

He followed her back to the farmhouse in silence, unsure of what else to say. He knew deep down that she would continue to try and complete her chores, incapacitation be damned, but he would be there to haunt her every step of the way.

Once inside, Shane emptied the bucket into her kitchen sink and washed the berries as best he could while she tossed something into the microwave. Several minutes later, he was finished and she shoved a soggy sausage sandwich warped in a paper towel toward his face.

“I’m… bad at this,” she said, providing no further context until Shane blinked at her, confused. “I don’t like asking for help. It makes me feel weak, and feeling weak makes me feel inadequate.” Shane already knew this. The pair had more in common than he sometimes liked to admit. “But, I appreciate it. I really do. Thank you.”

Again, she avoided eye contact with him, nervously fidgeting with a strand of curly hair. It was so endearing that Shane had to take a step back, nibbling on the sandwich until his brain could come up with an adequate response. A response that wouldn’t make him sound like a doe-eyed sap.

“It’s nothing. I owe you anyway.”

He braced himself for another protest. The farmer had told him countless times before that her friendship wasn’t transactional. No strings. No expectations. Nothing was owed because nothing was due. Instead, she smiled and did something that transferred her anxious energy straight from her body into his. She hugged him.

Shane’s brain seized up like a wrench had been thrown into the cogs, screeching everything to an abrupt halt. It wasn’t the first time he’d been hugged by the farmer, but his reaction was always the same. His arms hung limply at his sides, and he held his breath, unable to move and reciprocate. Damn it, why couldn’t he just —

She released him a couple of seconds later, the smile finally reaching her eyes. She never seemed phased that Shane couldn’t bring himself to hug her back, and he was glad she never acknowledged it. She truly expected nothing from him other than what he was willing to give freely.

“I get off at 5 so I’ll be back at around 6,” he said, moving toward the door. Once outside, he retrieved his backpack, deciding he’d get changed in the Joja Mart employee locker room instead. For now, he needed to clear his head.

#stardew valley #stardew valley shane #sdv shane #sdv shane x farmer #fanfiction #green on the vine strawberry wine

[joylinda-hawks]

Your Highness. My house was destroyed. You have no reason to keep me or this sword here. WOH, episode 30, part 2. ZZS stands in front of the prince and after a long silence begins to speak. He greets the prince and states that his house has been destroyed and the prince has no basis to stop ZZS and his sword. In response, the prince cuts Bai Yi's ZZS bonds. ZZS is a little surprised, and the prince admires Bai Yi. The prince claims that the sword is sharp and should be returned to its owner. Then he tells ZZS to follow him because he has good wine. ZZS looks at the writing on the ceiling and thinks it's a mockery. After a while, he follows the prince. The prince places his sword on the table and turns to see if ZZS is coming. The prince taps wine on a clay jug. As he walks, ZZS continues to stare at the inscription. The prince quietly opens the jug and pours wine into goblets. He explains that the wine is from the Qing Luan vineyard and smiles at ZZS. ZZS continues to stand in silence, perhaps thinking about his old friends. The prince claims that the guilt has decreased over the years. The prince offers a glass of wine. When ZZS doesn't accept it, the prince says that they once promised each other something. That in 10 years they will meet in the same group, in the same garden. And then they will open the wine and drink it. ZZS smiles sadly and asks, not expecting an answer, if he is in the same group. He adds that no one remained of it. ZZS explains that Yun Xing went to the border, Qing Luan committed suicide, Prince Qi was poisoned by Prince Jin, and Jiu Xiao died at the Battle of Lucheng. When ZZS says this, he turns to the prince and looks him straight in the eyes. The prince looks down. ZZS adds that of all those who were in this garden, they were the only ones left. Moral purity. This inscription in the prince's chamber is pure hypocrisy. The prince has not an ounce of morality in him and his conduct is not pure. ZZH knows this and thinks this inscription is one big joke. ZZS thought that he would never have to see this sign and meet the prince again. ZZS understands that his life has come full circle. He left this place a few months ago and now he has returned against his will. The prince is still a hypocritical tyrant who believes that he is the chosen one and will soon sit on the imperial throne. ZZS is only a means that was intended to help the prince achieve his goal. ZZS, speaking about his deceased friends, wanted to make the prince reflect. But the prince did not want to understand this. ZZS decided to take up the game started by the prince, but intended to end it on his own terms. ZZH is majestically beautiful here. No one can deprive him of his dignity and principles. He does not create a grotesque figure of ZZS, but gently plays with feelings. His ZZS is excellent.

#zhang zhehan #zhou zishu #word of honor #wenzhou #wen kexing #gong jun

[pennywaltzy]

For your 25th -- Sherlolly, black, 22

This was a long prompt that got picked (“I think you need to taste this for me,” Queen Molly said. She shoved the exquisite cake in her guard’s direction. Sherlock blinked. “Um.” “What, you’d rather your queen be poisoned?” "Of course not." He hesitantly took a mouthful, only to practically melt in satisfaction. “Oh my god.” It was amazing. He caught himself. “I - er - I think it’s fine.” “You should try a sip of the wine too,” Molly said. “Just to be safe. Sit, sit.” It took him slightly too long to realize it was a date.) that I used parts of verbatim. I also used a 30 Day Writing Challenge prompt (Use the words: crown, dance, smile) for this, even though I changed "dance" to "dancing."

The Royal Taste-Tester - Queen Molly has a task for Sir Sherlock.

READ @ AO3

“I think you need to taste this for me,” Queen Molly said. She was holding up a plate of cake. Not a huge slice, but enough that two people could get a decent amount out of the slice. Of course, Sir Sherlock had little experience with being the Queen’s personal guard, so he assumed it was simply a demand of hers, one of her whims that he was told about.

Sherlock blinked. “Um.” He wasn’t sure how to deal with the lovely queen. She put him off his senses. Not only was she lovely, she was smart as a whip and able to keep most of the kingdom happy. When he was guarding her he couldn’t help but stare at her in some sort of awe. And when he had to speak to her, he always tried his best not to foul it up.

As was just evidenced, he wasn’t always successful.

“What, you’d rather your queen be poisoned?” she asked him, a small smile crossing her lips. If he didn’t know better, he’d say it was a teasing smile, to go with the slightly teasing tone of the question.

"Of course not." She took up a fork and took a generous helping of the cake onto the fork, waving it in his direction, her eyes looking as though they were dancing in the dim light of her private chambers. He took a bite off the fork and nearly moaned. It was an amazing cake, light and fluffy with a blackberry filling and some hint of vanilla in both the cake and the frosting. “Oh my god. That was amazing.”

“It’s truly good?” Queen Molly asked, her smile growing and the glint in her eye matching the glint of light off her crown.

“I - er - I think it’s fine.” He was already making a fool of himself; no need to make it worse by waxing poetic about cake.

“You should try a sip of the wine too,” Molly said. “Just to be safe. After all, who knows who would want me dead?” It was just the two of them, and she patted the place to her left. “Sit, sit.”

“Isn’t that the place your consort would sit?” he asked. She gave him a Look with a capital L, and he sat. She was the queen, after all. Wouldn’t do to upset her.

---

When Queen Molly and formerly Sir Sherlock, now Prince Consort Sherlock, got married, he had a bit of the cake before pressing it into her face as she did the same, Laughingly, they took bits of blackberry filling and vanilla icing and smeared them on each other. It was the second best cake he’d ever had; the best had been the cake on their first date. A date it had taken him until the second course to realize it was, in fact, a date.

His wise, lovely Queen had gotten her way once again.

#sherlock #sherlolly #mollock #sherlock x molly #fanfic #fanfiction #my stuff #sherlock holmes #molly hooper #afteriwake's 25th Anniversary Prompt-A-Thon #30 day writing challenge

[jennathearcher]

the sparks of the friendly fire: a playlist in four parts for my house of the dragon inspired original character, jacaera targaryen, daughter of rhaenyra, twin sister of jacaerys, and intended betrothed to aemond targaryen 

chapter i: in flames i sleep soundly

1. king and lionheart - of monsters and men 2. bad blood - bastille 3. the last of the real ones - fall out boy 4. light of the seven - ramin djawadi 5. fate of the kingdoms - ramin djawadi 6. scars - i prevail 7. lament - ramin djawadi 8. feast of starlight - howard shore 9. throne - bring me the horizon 10. wedding song - yeah yeah yeahs 

chapter ii: i’ll keep your brittle heart warm

11. peace - taylor swift 12. it’s always summer under the sea - karliene 13. blood // water - grandson 14. the politics & the life - daniel pemberton & gareth williams 15. dark doo wop - ms mr 16. princesses don’t cry - carys 17. blind - placebo 18. woman king - iron & wine 19. mother’s daughter - miley cyrus 20. i see fire - ed sheeran 

chapter iii: a woman is a changeling

21. what could have been - sting ft. ray chen 22. the prince that was promised - ramin djawadi 23. aemond rides vhagar - ramin djawadi 24. iko iko - the dixie cups 25. impossible - exit eden 26. mama - my chemical romance 27. run on - jamie bower ft. king sugar 28. king - florence + the machine 29. the crown of jaehaerys - ramin djawadi 30. nothing else matters - ramin djawadi 

chapter iv: this is how we’ll dance 

31. the poison - the all-american rejects 32. princess of china - coldplay & rihanna 33. dinner & diatribes - hozier 34. leave out all the rest - linkin park 35. the chain - evanescence 36. if i burn - emilie autumn 37. let the flames begin - paramore 38. dance of dragons - ramin djawadi 39. you should see me in a crown - billie eilish 40. army of me - the great discord 41. empire - beth crowley 42. battle cry - imagine dragons 43. the royal we - silversun pickups 44. dragonstone - ramin djawadi 45. dracarys - ramin djawadi

[listen]

#playlist #fanmix #original character #oc x canon #house of the dragon #game of thrones #aemond targaryen #rhaenyra targaryen #jacaerys velaryon #lucerys velaryon #jacaera targaryen #jacaera velaryon #alicent hightower #aegon ii targaryen #helaena targaryen #hotd spoilers #long post #fire cw

[kurocatsstuff]

PITTERxPATTER_music club!

————————————————————————

“Ugh…. Maybe I stayed up too late.” You looked up at your computer screen, Toilet Bound Hanako-Kun still playing. You turn off your computer as you clumsily stepped to your bed, your eyes glance at your alarm clock. “Damn, 1:03? And I have to wake up at 5:30.. fuck.” Your eyes return to the ceiling above you..

Your alarm clock goes off. “Mm..? “ you lazily turn “6:45?!” You bolt out of bed and ran to go get ready you even had to skip breakfast but oh well… you ran to your bike already out of breath.. fortunately you made it to the first class… “Woah [name]! You look like you’ve haven’t slept in ages!” A painfully familiar voice called out, your short childhood friend. Venti, Venti was kinda your only friend in a way.. but he was very annoying!.. “Shut up Venti..” you responded softly as class begun…

A few classes pass by..

“[name]! [name]! Wake up!! You’re gonna miss lunch!” You slowly woke up, a bit drowsy.. “I don’t really care..” “YEAH! But you’re going to!” Venti called out, he stomped his foot. “Ok.. fine… geez, plus. I didn’t even bring some lunch anyways so you just woke me up for nothing! And I’m broke..” you yawn “ok then, you can share with me!” he was really confident. “Who made it?” You sit up. “Uhm… me?” Your face turns into a scowl “your cooking is trash, Venti.” “come on!! Oh, I was thinking of joining the baking club! Or…food club..?” You deadpan. “Oh my god… and, are you trying to poison the school?” Venti frowns. “At least I socialize~ ehe. Have you even tried to join a club yet?” “Uh? No. Is it a requirement? No? Oh. Ok.” The boy puffs up his face. “Hey you didn’t even let me talk! And, I don’t wanna be friends with a weeb! Like you..”

“Excuse me?” You pinch his cheek “don’t call me a weeb. And also, didn’t you already join a club? If so then are you even still allowed to join another club?” “Uhhh…uhhh… UHHHHH-“ you flick his forehead. “Ow! What was that for?” “For being annoying-. Oh.. lunch is over.” Your reaction was blank while Venti was absolutely horrified. “WHAT?! Awww… [name]! I’m putting my wine on your name!” Your eyes widen “wha-“ Venti ran away giggling.. “Oh god.-“

After that conversation ended you knew your wallet was going to be on life support by the end of school.. fortunately. Venti returned after the bell rang. “Heyyyyyy…. You know what I said earlier… forget it-“ “what’s with this?” You eyed him suspiciously.. “look.. I really want you to join my club as a pianist since you’re so good at typing fast!!” He bowed. “Uhh.. you don’t have to be so formal about it. And I’m pretty sure that’s not how it works.” You say as warm colors start to fill the sky, to the classroom. “Oh c’mon! Here, I’ll introduce you to our members!” He grabbed your arm and dragged you out of the classroom as you stumbled along as you try to keep up with venti.

“H-hey! Where are you even taking me?!” Venti’s sly grin over took his face. Cluttered sounds of shoes filled the empty hallway. “To the music room of course!~”

#genshin x reader #anemo boys #genshin anemo #genshin impact #genshin wanderer #genshin scaramouche #genshin venti #genshin kazuha #genshin xiao

[crossoverworldtree]

The Atlas Empire

Why, When, What:  The Atlas Foundation was properly formed by a Dragon who once advised Genghis Khan, and now seeks to do the same with his descendants.  He chose the name after being tricked by a Genie he fought in the Atlas Mountains which left him trapped for 500 years, but granted him enhanced mystical powers and a vast library of lost knowledge.  Every so often, he has to seek a replacement heir for the Foundation from the many descendants of Khan (literally, about 0.5% of the world's population - 16 Million People) and uses the current ruler to find the next.  The Rulers change, but the Dragon remains constant.  He is not a duplicitous advisory, but molds himself to fit the needs of each new heir.   He just takes a very long view of things.

The Foundation Itself is sustained through many front organizations all under the "Atlas" logo.  This ranges from Atlas Farms to Atlas Semiconductors.  Some of these are fronts for superweapon development, while others are legitimate business enterprises.  Examples include, but are not limited to:

Atlas Nursery: Which raised Triffids

Atlas Mortuary: which was building a Zombie Army.

Atlas Bio-Tech: This was expanding on In-Gen's research to re-create extinct fauna from their modern descendants.

Atlas Orphanage: This was raising a new generation of Psychic hive-mind children for world domination, in the vein of the Midwitch Incident colloquially known as the "Village of the Damned". 

Atlas Records: About what you'd expect - mind control via pop music. 

Atlas Vineyards: Truth Serum Wine. Actually, rather tasty.

Atlas Munitions: Weapons Development.

Atlas Farms: Actually, wasn't a front and was just a regular Dairy farm. 

Atlas Comics: Seems legit, but operative Ken Hale insists it’s a front.  In his words: "They only had superhero books, and all those had crossover stories, so you had to buy the whole line to get one story! Gotta be a racket."

Atlas Novelties: You ever wonder where costumed criminals get a lot of their gag-themed weaponry?  Not all of them have the knack for inventing it themselves.  Between this operation, and foreign powers funding effectively "Domestic Terrorists", it explains a lot of weirdness.

Atlas Academy of Martial Arts: Was training the finest in evil henchmen available outside the league of assassins.

Atlas Famous Cookies: Super Addictive cookies.

Atlas Auto: Auto Parts chop-Shops and weapons smugglers.

Atlas Mining: Guess where all those mind-controlled by Atlas Records go?  Yup, mine workers.

The new heads of the Foundation under Jimmy Woo shut down most of these operations or converted them to more non-lethal or terrorist fighting purposes. It's not as easy as it sounds.

They as signatories of the Unseelie Accords.

Clout: Criminal (4), Financial (5), Governmental (5), Supernatural (4) (36) Quarters: Huge (5), Multiple Locations (10), Physical Security (4), Supernatural Security (2) Gear: Computers (5), Lab/Research (5), Medical Facilities (5), Workshop (5), Occult Archives (5), Training Facilities (3), Vehicles (Military/Exotic) (5), Weapons (Full Metal Jacket, Getting Medieval) (6) (11) Cost: 47 Points (60-18 from Clout)

Mr. Lao Date of Birth: Ancient Times Motivation: Give Advice, Steer Humanity Critter Type: Dragon (lung) Attributes: Str 20, Dex 10, Con 8, Int 5, Per 4, Will 4 Ability Scores: Muscle 36, Combat 18, Brains 20 Life Points: 165 Drama Points: 0-5 Special Abilities: Notice +4, Armor Value 30, Natural Weapons, Flight (Advanced), Increased Speed (Flight Only) +30mph, Hard to Kill 1, Increased Life Points +40, Supernatural Attack (Fire), Tail Stinger (Poison 6), Nerves of Steel, Size 1 , Attractiveness -6, Contacts (Supernatural 5, Governmental 5, Criminal 5, Financial 5), Magic 5, Age (Ancient) Name - Score - Damage - Notes Bite - 15 - 57 - Slash/Stab Claw - 16 - 49 - Slash/Stab Pounce - 18 - 50 - Slash/Stab Fire - 16 - 54 - Fire Tail - 15 - 18 - AP 2, Slash/stab + Poison Magic – 25 – Varies – By Spell Deflect – 25 – Varies – By Spell Mr. Lao is the Dragon mentioned previously.  He is the Grand Vizier of sorts for the Atlas Empire.  He remains while the leaders change.  The deal being he gives them advice and extended life spans, so they expand the empire's interests as they see fit.  At the end of the deal, once they find a proper replacement, he devours them.

He thinks Kublai Khan tasted the best.

Jimmy Woo a.k.a. Woo Yen Jet, Emperor of the Atlas Empire Date of Birth: 1930 Motivation: Do Good, even if it’s with Evil Critter Type: Human Attributes: Str 4, Dex 4, Con 4, Int 4, Per 4, Will 4 Ability Scores: Muscle 14, Combat 16, Brains 16 Life Points: 57 Drama Points: 10 Special Abilities: Ex-FBI Agent, Daredevil, Attractiveness +3, Love (Tragic), Hard to Kill 5, Contact (Supernatural 3/5, Governmental 3/ 4, Criminal 3/4), Status (Heir/Master of the Atlas Empire), Resources (Middle Class/Rich), Honorable (Serious), Mild Cruelty, Tradition-Bound, Anachronistic (1950's mentality) Name - Score - Damage – Notes Pistol – 16 – 16 – Bullet Punch – 16 – 12 – Bash Kick – 15 – 14 – Bash Agent Jimmy Woo has had a long career in the services of UNIT.  He's fought many bizarre adversaries.  He worked under Nick Fury during his prime spy days and as he became the top agent within UNIT.  Jimmy ran operations against Giant Monsters like Gorgo, and in one of his oddest cases, formed a super hero team in the 1950s.  It was more a special agent task force than super hero team and only operated for about half a year, but it was the first one seen since McCarthy's trials ran most underground or forced them to disband.  That it was under Hoover's FBI (even though Hoover hated it and used any excuse to take it down--and did so successfully) made it easier to swallow.  That it operated in secret made it more so. 

Afterwards, he was relegated to largely desk work from the 1970s through the new millennium, eventually reaching the rank of Sub-Director when he got a whiff of his oldest enemy, the Yellow Claw, being back in operation.  He assembled a team in secret and went to tackle it solo. 

And nearly died along with the rest of his team, left comatose without higher brain function and badly burned by the attempt.  That's when the wheels began to turn and Jimmy was restored to health as if he had physically and mentally been plucked from 1958.  Made the case difficult to break down for certain, but he managed to piece it together with the help of his old team.  He discovered that he was the heir to the Atlas Empire, and chose to run it rather than let it splinter like a hydra.  As the new Khan, "Woo Yen Jet" reigns as the fair-handed leader of a once evil organization with occult powers and a benign public face. 

Sounds vaguely familiar…

Ken Hale a.k.a. Gorilla Man Date of Birth: 1914 Motivation: Action and Adventure Critter Type: Cursed Human Attributes: Str 9, Dex 4, Con 6, Int 3, Per 5, Will 4 Ability Scores: Muscle 24, Combat 18, Brains 12 Life Points: 100 Drama Points: 10 Special Abilities: Curse of the “Gorilla” Man, Ambidextrous, Honorable (Minimal), Age 1, Occultism +2, Acute Senses (Smell), Enhanced Senses, +4 Survival, Hard to Kill 10, Adversary (Several)

Name - Score - Damage - Notes Punch – 18 – 24 – Bash Big Ass Pistol – 18 – 24 - Bullet Assault Rifle – 18 – 21 – Bullet, Rapid Fire Hand Held Machine Gun – 18 – 17 – Bullet, rapid fire

Ken Hale was a big game hunter in the 1950s who wrestled a Gorilla-monster bare handed and killed it.  He then inherited the "Gorilla-Man" curse from the poor sod he killed.  He fought it for a chance at immortality, and he got it.  As a Gorilla. 

It's been 50+ years since then and he adjusted quite well to it.  Being roped into Jimmy Woo's team of "G-Men" helped break him out of his funk, and operating with unit since the 1960s as a field agent has let him travel around the world and continue to enjoy people freaking out on seeing a talking Gorilla who can quad-wield automatic weaponry if you pick him up.  When Jimmy went after the Yellow Claw again, he jumped at the chance.  He was the first person to make him feel human since the curse was brought upon him. 

Oh, and if you do manage to kill Ken, you'll turn into the next Gorilla Man.  People try every now and again, but he either talks them out of it by warning them of the truth in the curse, or he gets a new trophy for his collection.  He IS still a hunter after all.

M-11 The Human Robot Date of Birth: 1954 Motivation: Follow Orders, Programing, explore free will Critter Type: Killer Robot Attributes: Str 7, Dex 4, Con 10, Int 5, Per 4, Will 5 Ability Scores: Muscle 20, Combat 18, Brains 14 Life Points: 198 Drama Points: 10 Special Abilities: Robot, Ambidextrous, Natural Weapons(Extendo-Arms, 100ft range), Supernatural Attack (Taser Hands, Death Ray), Armor Value 10, Regeneration (con per turn), Increased Lie Points +120, Iron Mind, Shield (AV 20, DC 40)

Name - Score - Damage – Notes Metal Fist – 18/17 – 23 – Bash Taser Burst – 18 – 10 – As Initiative Taser, SL Targets per hand Lighting Blast – 18 – 35 – Eletrical, SL targets per hand Death Ray – 18 – 55 – Plasma , SL targets per blast if they are close together Raise Shield – 18 – None – Energy field covers 1 yard per SL, AV 20, DC 40 The Menacer type 11 robot is an intentional experiment in making a human robot.  Most robots like it from the 1950s were elaborate traps to catch data life forms.  This one, however, was built to ensnare and hold a human soul, giving it true "Life".  The Robot is rather inscrutable in its motives and is extremely intelligent, just not very vocal about it.  Since the 1950s, it's been rebuilt with Yuggothian technology and is truly a menace to the modern world if it so chooses. 

Aquaria Nautica Neptunia a.k.a. Namora Date of Birth: 1914 Motivation: Protect Undersea Kingdoms. Worship Dagon and Cthulhu. Critter Type: Deep One Attributes: Str 10/14, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 4, Per 5, Will 5 Ability Scores: Muscle 26/34, Combat 20, Brains 18, Life Points: 110/136 Drama Points: 10 Special Abilities: Resources/Status (Atlantean Royalty, Sovereign of the Deep Ones), Telepathy 5 (Deep Ones and Cetaceans are the only ones worthy of contact), Vril Belt, Armor Value 5, Natural Toughness, Hard to Kill 10, Lecherous (-1), Adversary (Various), Supernatural Form (Definitely not Human), Charisma +5, Acute Senses (Touch), Combat Visions, Regeneration (Con per Hour), Honorable (Minimal), Contacts (Supernatural 5 – The Atlas Foundation) Name - Score - Damage - Notes Punch – 20 – 25/33 – Bash Kick – 19 – 27/35 – Bash Grapple – 22 – None – Impairments vary Break Neck – 22/30 – 46/64 – Survival Test needed

Namora is the cousin of Namor, the Submarriner, and king of the Deep Ones.  She is a powerful warrior in her own right and along with her cousin, lead the Deep Ones against the Axis powers during the war.  Afterwards, she kept mostly to herself, occasionally joining up with other adventurers like Nick Fury to hunt Nazis, but otherwise keeping to the regular business of being a Deep One. 

She and her cousin raise an interesting question to the point of all of the Deep Ones being horrific monsters, worshiping Dagon and Cthulhu, waiting for humanity to die off and so on.  They are honorable and reasonable people--though extremely passionate and known for fits of terrifying violence.  Another interpretation of Deep One behavior can be likened to less jerky Elves.  They have all the positive traits normally associated with the Elven races (advanced art and sciences, more in tune with the natural world and how it works and have an isolationist streak), but see the benefits of interacting with and interbreeding with humans.  Namora herself is half human.  Namora herself was slain by a political rival in the early 1970s, but revived by the actions of Jimmy Woo's Yithian associates in 2005. 

Namorita Date of Birth: 1958 Motivation: Protect Undersea Kingdoms. Worship Dagon and Cthulhu. Critter Type: Deep One Attributes: Str 10, Dex 8, Con 8, Int 4, Per 5, Will 5 Ability Scores: Muscle 26, Combat 18, Brains 18, Life Points: 97 Drama Points: 10 Special Abilities: Resources/Status (Princess of Atlantis), Telepathy 5 (Deep Ones and Ceteceans are the only ones worthy of contact), Vril Belt (+4 Strength, Armor Value 20, x3 Leaping/Running/swimming speed), Armor Value 5, Natural Toughness, Claws, Teeth, Hard to Kill 5, Lecherous (-2), Adversary (Various), Supernatural Form (Definitely not Human), Charisma +5, Acute Senses (Touch), Combat Visions, Regeneration (Con per Hour)

Name - Score - Damage - Notes Punch – 18 – 25 – Bash Kick – 17 – 27 – Bash Grapple – 20 – None – Impairments vary Break Neck – 20 – 46 – Survival Test needed

Namorita is Namora's daughter, a kind girl who idolized her uncle and mother for their wartime heroics on the surface and trained herself to be like them in that regard.  When she reached her mature age, she went to the surface to try her hand at adventuring.  Things were not as easy as they were in Namor's time, she did some solo work and teamed up with other heroic individuals to fight the more nebulous menaces of the wars on drugs and terror.  She even found herself roped into a reality TV about "Superheroes" for a half-season before it folded. After that, she finally got to reunite with her mother after over 30 years. 

Venus Date of Birth: Lost to Time Motivation: Spread Love and Joy Critter Type: Siren/Demigod Attributes: Str 8, Dex 8, Con 10, Int 3, Per 4, Will 7 Ability Scores: Muscle 22, Combat 16, Brains 16, Life Points: 400 Drama Points: 10 Special Abilities: Young God, Increased Life Points +30, Hard to Kill 10, Mild Obsession (Spreading Love and Peace), Attractiveness +5, Supernatural Form (Unearthly Air: Mesmerize (Meet My Gaze), +5 Attractiveness, Dual Form), Mesmerize: Hear My Voice, Emotional Influence (Love & Peace), Pacifist (2 point version), Artist, Fear of Rejection, Regeneration (Con per Round),Armor Value 10, Empathy, Ancient, Amphibious, Increased Swim Speed +20, Shape Shifting (Minor), Increased Life Points +300, Magic 7, Hard to Kill 6, Innate Magic, The Seeming, Contacts (Olympus Group) 5 Name - Score - Damage – Notes Dodge – 16 – None – Defensive Action Mesmerize (Meet My Gaze) – 26 – None – Line of Command, Crowds Mesmerize (Hear My Voice) – 26 – None – Line of Command, Crowds Feel the Power of Love – 26 – None -  Magic – 26 – Varies – By Spell Punch – 16 – 20 – Bash

Venus is a Siren, cursed to feel guilt for the pain she caused, it took her hundreds of years, but she eventually found the joy of life again and spent her remaining time spreading it, albeit partly as recompense. So many people mistook her for a goddess, she eventually took the name of one.  She's wandered the world spreading love where ever she goes with her voice and cheerful demeanor.  Nice, bubbly, and a little silly.  She embodies not just Eros, but all aspects of love.  Even providing comfort for the loss of it.    Venus has done a lot of different jobs over the years, from production designer, to magazine head to teacher.  In the 1980s, Ken told her about the troubles he saw in the African lands he was cursed in.  She took it upon herself to end the warfare and strife in at least that part of the country.  And she did.  Supremely.  Jimmy called her out of this role to join the team once again.  Her eagerness to "find a bad guy" was intense, so she hopped along.  After joining the Atlas Foundation, she was also drawn into the Olympus Group as a true inheritor of the role of Aphrodite.  She is defined by love above all things.  She loves purely and intensely.  It's really something to experience. 

Robert Grayson a.k.a. Marvel Boy, The Uranian Date of Birth: 1930 Motivation: Keep things calm Critter Type: Uranian Experiment Attributes: Str 4, Dex 3, Con 3, Int 6, Per 5, Will 5 Ability Scores: Muscle 14, Combat 14, Brains 18 Life Points: 53 Drama Points: 10 Special Abilities: Super Science Devices (Telepathy Band (level 4)/Mind Control Device for Flying Saucer; Flying Saucer), Hard to Kill 5, Misfit, Space Suit (Armor Value 5, Vacuum Sealed), Misfit, Alien Atmosphere Adaptation (suffocates in earth's atmosphere) Name - Score - Damage – Notes Telepathy – 18 – None – Reads Mind Crush – 18 – None – Forces Knockout Mesmerize: Meet My Gaze - 20 – None – Holds Still Mesmerize: What do you See? – 18 – None – Creates Illusion

Bob's life is rather complicated, mired in inter-stellar treaties between a remnant colony of Ancients, the native L'gy'hx, and Mi-Go. Being raised with the ancients, enhanced by the Mi-Go, and accepted by the L'gy'hx, Bob presses on to help his friends in the Atlas Foundation, as they are the only family he has left. the L'gy'hx told him that he would not be accepted back should he return.  He first appeared on earth as a hero dubbed "Marvel Boy" in the 50s but returned to space due to the interspecies intrigues and his neutral status as a native earthling being important in the dealings.  Things went out of control, and he ended up with the L'gy'hx for years before Gorilla Man contacted him again to help Jimmy.  That was the last he saw of his second home.  It weighs on him sometimes, but he is glad to help his friends.

Derek Khanata Date of Birth: 1973 Motivation: Give Advice, steer humanity Critter Type: Dragon Attributes: Str 4, Dex 4, Con 4, Int 3, Per 4, Will 4 Ability Scores: Muscle 14, Combat 16, Brains 14 Life Points: 64 Drama Points: 10 Special Abilities: Minority (Wakandan Native), Obligation (To Atlas, and to the King of Wakanda), Ex-CIA Agent, EX-UNIT Agent, Resources (Middle Class), Contact (Supernatural 3, Governmental 3, Criminal 2), Hard to Kill 4 Name - Score - Damage – Notes Punch – 16 – 12 – Bash Kick – 15 – 14 – Bash Big Pistol – 16 – 19 – Bullet Derek was an agent of UNIT when he was put on the Atlas case, and ended up joining Jimmy Woo's organization not long after a new administration released him from duty.  He acts as a voice of modernity and reason in the group of aliens, robots, demons and beings out of time.  Sometimes he feels in over his head, but then he looks at his paycheck and benefits his family receive and is somewhat allayed. He was dropped from UNIT for not reporting the full details of the Atlas Foundation to them (but he did report them to his King). 

Delroy Garrett Jr. a.k.a. Triathalon, The 3-D Man (II) Date of Birth: 1978 Motivation: Heroics Critter Type: Dimensionally Altered Human Attributes: Str 8, Dex 8, Con 8, Int 3, Per 8, Will 4 Ability Scores: Muscle 20, Combat 18, Brains 12 Life Points: 98 Drama Points: 10 Special Abilities: 3-D Sight, Iron Mind, Minority (African American), Contacts (Governmental 3), Hard to Kill 8, Regeneration (Con per Hour), Increased Speed +20, Natural Armor 4, Acute Senses (All), Enhanced Senses, Hatred (Skrulls), Honorable (minimal), Athlete Name - Score - Damage – Notes Jab - 20 - 19 - Bash Punch – 18 – 21 – Bash Haymaker - 15 - 28 - Bash, goes last Sweep Kick - 17 - 12 - Bash, can trip Kick – 17 – 23 – Bash Spin Kick - 16 - 24 – Bash

Delroy is a man split between dimensions.  This gave him attributes three times greater than that of an average human. He originally was an Olympic star, but as his dimensional nature began to manifest, he tested positive for drugs and had his medals stripped. He found himself drawn into a cult which amplified his dimensional nature, but eventually fell out with them after learning their true goals.  The Atlas Foundation eventually contacted him and helped stabilize his dimensional nature, and bring peace to one demon realm with their help. 

#Organization #Marvel #Agents of Atlas