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#so he's even more convinced of his own inhumanity
instantpansies · 3 months
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every time i see an oz mutual mention the tin woodman in passing i'm like HRGK I KNOW THAT GUY and i have to hold myself back from tacking a thousand rambling tags on their post that only tangentially has to do with the tin woodman. literally seeing the words right now i am trying to not say the same things i have already said a million times but like THATS MY GUY HES ME HES MY FAVORITE THING EVER AUGH AUGH AUGH!!!
anyways. the masculine urge to hijack every oz post that says the words 'tin woodman' for my own ulterior motives (convince everyone to make nick chopper their favorite guy ever).
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radiance1 · 5 months
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Vlad Masters has died.
Or at the very least, that is what the upper class was lead to believe. Could you blame them? His death was wildly convincing, and the thing was.
No one knew who would inherit Vladco and his fortune.
As far as they knew, Masters never had any heirs to speak of at all. Not even an illegitimate child, or a foster care. He doesn't even have relatives that the fortune and company could go to.
So, safe to say, they were quite looking forwards to what would happen to the company. Would it sink, or stay afloat?
Now, normally, Damian wouldn't have cared a single bit about what would happen. But seeing as he is forced to go to an event held at the very dead Vlad Masters' mansion, he thinks he should have the right to see what'll happen.
The company's various stockholders were all gathered together, as well as Lex Luthor and other rich upper-class individuals. He knows that Vlad and Lex didn't like each other very well, so he thinks that Lex Luthor may or may not be backing the biggest current stockholder so that he'll have a say in the man's company when they take over.
Honestly, the event was pretty boring. He thought there would be... more, happening. Considering the context of this event.
So, he leaves. He's really just exploring to stave off his boredom, but if he found Vlad Masters' secrets before his death, well. Might as well, really.
He comes upon a room filled wall to wall with merchandise that screamed Masters was a packers fan before his death. Quite the large one at that as well. He picked up one item just to take a look at it, it wasn't something he was too interested in, but it was sort of impressive.
He turned when he heard the door open behind him, and saw a girl that was probably around his age staring at him with concern.
The thing is, she wasn't dressed like a guest. Or even a maid. She was dressed like a poor person.
So obviously he thought she was breaking in to find things to steal and sell off.
"I'm telling dad you tried stealing his packers merch." And with that, the girl was off, and Damian found himself running after her.
Why?
Boredom.
But also, father? He genuinely considers who she was talking about, clearly it couldn't have been anyone participating in the event, so was he also another thief that wanted to steal from Masters?
What sort of thief reveals they have another roaming around where they're stealing from? And their blood relation at that?
He realized that they were running towards where all the guests were gathered, and Damian thought that this girl was either lost, or genuinely didn't know what she was doing.
"Dad! Some kid is trying to steal your merchandise!" Said the girl, slamming open the doors and causing the attention of everyone present to fall directly on her as she paused.
Damian couldn't see it, but he thinks she's quite stupefied in that moment, paused on her pause. It was completely, and utterly quiet for a moment as the guests stared at her, and she stared back.
However, the next moment. The very detailed coffin laying in the center of the room suddenly swung itself open with a great pillar of green fire that reached the ceiling, causing his attention to switch over to it.
He saw lines on the floor around the coffin, lines that he previously ignored as some kind of design choice.
Lines that were filled with a liquid none to dissimilar to Lazarous Water.
A hand reached out of the coffin. "WHO DARES TO TOUCH MY PRECIOUS MERCHANDISE!?" And from beyond the grave the previously dead now arisen body of Vlad Masters pulled himself out of his own coffin, with inhumane red eyes.
So. Damian came to two conclusions that night.
One, Vlad Masters may or may not have had ties with the League of Assassins in some way, leading to his now ressurection.
Two, Vlad Masters has a daughter that was extremely well hidden from basically everyone present at the gathering and, maybe even the world at large.
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eowyntheavenger · 5 months
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Palestine and the US election
I’m done with Twitter soundbite takes that voting blue = supporting genocide. I see a lot of people making an argument that goes like this: "Biden has sent arms to Israel, helping its government commit genocide against Palestine. Therefore, voting for him in the 2024 US election, if he is the Democratic nominee, is supporting genocide, and NOT voting for him helps Palestine." There's a lot wrong with this view, so let's break it down.
It's true that Biden has sent a lot of arms to Israel and bypassed Congress multiple times to do it, and it's indefensible. I'm ashamed that any US politician would help Israel wage its brutal, genocidal war against the Palestinian people. As one of Israel's closest partners, the US could actually be using its leverage right now to put pressure on Israel’s government—I’m thinking about how apartheid in South Africa fell, in part, because of international pressure. That's what should be happening, but instead the US government is literally just helping Israel kill Palestinians.
I wish there were a strong pro-Palestine candidate in the upcoming election. The best bet in that regard would probably be Bernie Sanders, since he's prominent enough, well-liked enough, and has good ideas, not just on this issue but on many things (and yeah, he's way too old, but so are the current frontrunners). But he's already ruled out another run. Unless an amazing candidate materializes and wins the Democratic nomination (please vote in the primaries where you live), it will probably be Biden running against Trump. It’s not guaranteed, but it’s likely.
Here's what people need to understand: the election will not be "genocide Joe" vs. "pro-Palestine candidate." It will most likely be a choice between these two candidates:
On the one hand, Biden, who has armed Israel, but can be pressured to change his policies because he can be pushed left; who is not a wannabe dictator; who will not destroy what's left of the country's democratic norms; who will not encourage coups, political assassinations, or jail his political opponents; who will not utterly stifle dissent.
Or on the other hand, Trump, who is beholden to a fanatical evangelical base that backs Israel no matter what, that actually wants more conflict because they are part of a death cult. Trump, who is not susceptible in any way to pressure from the left, but is susceptible to pressure from the right and the far right. Trump, who has been clear all along about his desire to be a dictator; who will destroy what's left of democratic norms; who has already encouraged a coup to overthrow a democratic election, encouraged the assassination of his own vice president, and is openly planning to jail his political opponents if he returns to the White House.
(This isn't even touching on Trump's positions on trans rights, gay rights, women's rights, the environment, policing, immigration, or his racism against every group he could be racist against, or his liability for sexual assault, or a whole bunch of other issues).
There's a very convincing argument that Netanyahu actually wants Biden to lose the US election and Trump to win. That's because Netanyahu knows that Biden has in the past responded to pressure from his own party and the public. If there are a lot of people criticizing his policies, it gives him pause. Trump doesn't operate like that. If millions of Americans criticize his policies as inhumane he just lashes out at them. In short, Biden views criticism from the left as a liability that he has to act on. Trump views criticism from the left as an incentive to be even worse.
Biden is not the candidate I want. But you need to understand that if Trump wins the election, he won't just arm Israel like Biden is doing now: he will do that and more. Not only will he help Israel escalate its war, your very freedom of speech to support Palestine will be under attack. Trump might even decide that financial support for Palestinians or charities that help Palestine = financially supporting terrorism, and use that as a pretext to arrest and jail people. You think he and his far right goons wouldn't go that far? If Trump wins this election, you shouldn't be surprised if this kind of thing happens, and much worse.
Do you want the US to accept Palestinian refugees? Because it won't accept them under a Trump presidency. A key Republican talking point in this election is "the US shouldn't take Palestinian refugees because they're probably all terrorists." This isn't just a Trump thing, it's something other Republicans are saying, but obviously you can imagine where Trump would fall on this issue given his infamous Muslim ban and conflating refugees with terrorists. These are just a few examples of how Trump would actually be even worse for Palestine than Biden—which is saying something.
In this upcoming election there is no neutral option. There is no morally pure option. There just isn't, I'm sorry. Refusing to vote will not help Palestine. Refusing to vote will only help Trump win, and will give every single person in the United States who is fighting for a better world a significantly harder battle to fight.
It goes without saying that there are things everyone should do to help Palestine besides voting in an election. But I'm writing this post that is about voting because I'm genuinely worried by how many so-called leftists want to give up their right to vote—a right that older generations had to fight tooth and nail for—because they think it won't achieve anything. If voting didn't achieve anything, Republicans wouldn't be trying so hard to suppress your vote.
I'll conclude by saying that nuance is not this site's specialty, but please try to understand what I'm actually saying here before attacking me in the notes. Finally, people being antisemitic or islamophobic on this post will be blocked. People denying that Israel is committing genocide against Palestine will be blocked. Trump supporters, tankies, and people who say that Biden and Trump are the same will be blocked. So will people who say "voting is pointless" or "but Biden did this bad thing—" Biden fucking sucks, I know that very well, so if you're going to try to make that argument to me then stop right now and read the post again.
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conelluwrites · 2 months
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the red means i love you
Reader/Doppelgänger Francis (main focus on the doppelgänger aspect) (reader goes by she/her and is described with vaginal terms)
posted on my AO3
word count: 2.6k
title from The Red Means I Love You by Madds Buckley
Contains: monster fucking (doppelgänger fucking), headcanon design for non-disguised doppels, barbed dick, breeding, and blood drinking
You let the wrong one in, but maybe it's not as bad as it seems when you invite him back to your apartment.
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“Mmm…”  The voice sounds uncanny, too similar to Francis with the slightest hint of a purr that the tired milkman would never express, “I’m rather thankful that you let me in earlier, you know?”  His uniform is clean and tidy, well put together in a way that Francis would never be able to achieve due to his early morning risings.  His hair is just barely out of place.  Things that no one would notice-- things that make her wish that she had called Francis’ apartment to see if he was home.
“W-Wha-!”  The doorman stumbles back in fear, causing her to bump her back into the chest of the doppelgänger who all too readily wraps his arms around her waist.  One of his hands trails down her rigid arm and grabs the hand of hers that is trembling its way towards the phone.  Even if he didn’t intervene, the D.D.D. would not arrive in time to prevent any damages, he was in the safety room.  His fingertips are inhuman, too sharp but not yet undisguised, as they intertwine with her own to prevent her from dialing the number she memorized so easily.
“Shhh, shhh…  There’s no reason for you to be afraid.”  He coos, brushing his nose against the exposed flesh of her neck.  “No need to scream, no need to squirm, no need to put up a fight…”  His voice is velvety but now lacks the tiredness the real Francis carries.  It’s not surprising that he’s giving up his disguise piece by piece, she assumes that it must take some level of effort to be so near-perfectly disguised and she knows at this point she’s utterly fucked.  “I could take you away from this annoying position forever if you want.  No pesky D.D.D. agents, no more anxiety from our kind, no more living in fear.  Sounds pretty nice, hm?”  His free hand goes to hold her chin, his sharp thumb slightly digging into her jawline.
“But I gotta protect my neighbors.  My job-- sitting here and looking at everyone and their documents, it might suck at times but it keeps everyone safe.”  She says, her voice trembling.  Her throat is bone dry from fear, her chest aches from the uneven breathing leaving her slightly open lips.
“Oh, my dear, that’s such a noble sentiment.”  The doppelgänger sighs dramatically before shaking his head.  He spins her around in his grasp, the hand that was holding hers goes to her waist.  His fingers trace along her jawline, making sure to keep a gentle, but firm, grip on her so she cannot try to escape.  There’s a bright grin on his face, his teeth too white to be human.  “But how many times have they let you down?  Surely they have failed you before.  People are fickle creatures; they don’t appreciate what they have until it’s gone.  I promise to protect you, sweetheart, just let me stay with you tonight, hm?”
Her mind races, so many thoughts of her own death and the death of her neighbors.  “How do I know you won’t hurt me?”  The answer is obvious-- if the doppel were going to hurt her, he already would have.  He’s stronger than her, stronger than any human and she’s still in his grasp.  If he wanted to maim her, he would have already.  “You doppelgängers just want to kill and eat us.”
“Ah, you misunderstand me, darling!  I could never harm a hair on your lovely head.”  The doppelgänger earnestly insists.  His thumb brushes gently across her cheek, trying to so lovingly convince her.  “All I want is to hear more stories about your day and listen to those sweet little fears of yours…  And yes, perhaps indulge myself in some delicious blood as well.”  He’s whispering intimately, as if they’re a pair of lovers.  The grip on her waist tightens slightly but remains mostly gentle, it’s almost comforting despite the sharp nails against her shirt.  “C’mon… please trust me.”
“But I-”  her voice dies out the longer she allows herself to fall into the illusion of mutual trust.
“It’s okay, my love,” he murmurs understandingly, “don’t overthink things, hm?”  He kisses her temple tenderly, a perfect imitation of love between humans.  His eyes flicker towards the phone, allowing even himself to dream of a different world where he could whisk her away and keep her all to himself.  “Let’s just go for now, let’s go somewhere private where no one can bother us.”
She relents easily, tearing her gaze from his face and allowing it to travel down the white uniform before making its way back up to his face.  “My apartment is on the first floor.  We… We can go there together.  We don’t have to worry about others seeing us, everyone else is in for the night.”
Francis’ grin grows even more, his canines growing sharper than any humans can be naturally, “That sounds perfect.”  He sounds appreciative, leading him gently to the door to exit the safety room.  The walk to the apartment is short.  As the apartment door closes, the intensity changes slightly; he is watching her carefully while also taking the new space.  “Nice place.  So cozy…”
“Thank you….” She murmurs. “I figured it’s safer for you to be here than anywhere else in the complex.”
Francis’ doppelgänger hums thoughtfully before nodding in agreement.  After the brief exchange, he takes the opportunity to explore the small apartment, touching things lightly as if trying to understand their purpose and history though touch alone.  Every movement exudes confidence in his decision-making process, evaluating the potential of each object.  “You’re so brave, you know.  C’mere.”
She walks over to him hesitantly and stands there.  The doppelgänger is taller than her.  Despite it all, since he’s imitating one of her neighbors that she’s rather fond of, she feels herself relaxing.  He wraps an arm around her waist casually, pulling her close while leaning down until their hands nearly touch.  He inhales deeply, enjoying the warmth that a human being brings.  He drawings circles on his back with his free hand.  He continues to lean down slowly -- closer and closer to her neck.  Her breath hitches as his nose finally meets her neck.  Her hands meet his waist and tighten slightly, crinkling his shirt.  Adrenaline is racing through her body, making her tremble slightly but she refuses to pull away.  The way the doppelgänger rubes and nuzzles his nose into the crook of her neck is the sweetest thing she’s experienced recently.
The doppelgänger lets out a satisfied rumble, savoring the sensation of her trembling beneath his touch.  If anyone saw them now, they’d assume it was two lovers locked in passion.  His lips brush against the skin he finds lightly before he stops abruptly.  “Promise me something -- promise that you won’t run away.”
“...”  She considers his words carefully.  Every primal instinct in her is begging her to run, to get away as fast as she can.  But she hasn't and, to be honest to herself, she doesn’t want to.  She’s rather content staying like this, being in his arms with his face buried in her neck.  She know he could bite her, sink sharp teeth in her neck and finish her life in less than a second, but she finds herself trusting that he won’t.  “ I promise.”
“Good girl.”  He praises softly, finally giving into temptation and pressing his teeth gently against her neck.  Not hard enough to yet draw blood, just merely teasing her.  His arm tightens around her as the gravity of her promise fully settles between the pair.  The danger she’s in never fully dissipates but mixes well with the affection he’s showing her.  “You deserve a reward for trusting me.”
“Oh?  Like what?” She asks, her grip on him loosening as her body adapts to the unfamiliar situation.
Francis’ doppelgänger chuckles, the vibrations tickling her neck.  “Don’t fret, just something that will make us both happy.”  With a groan, he allows his disguise to slip further and further, his teeth sharpening.  They puncture her skin ever so slightly, blood trickles immediately out of the small wounds.  With a satisfied hum, he pulls away and licks his lips, allowing blood to pool.  “Just relax, enjoy this moment.”  She struggles out a broken moan; it’s not necessarily painful but it reminds her of how weak and vulnerable she is in the moment, a feeling that is intoxicating.  “Relax.” he murmurs against her skin soothingly.  There was no aggression or hunger driving him, it was just to provide nutrients for him to continue his time with her.  Slowly yet deliberately, he licks up the collected droplets while sucking lightly on the wound.  He alternates between suckling and licking the wounds, moaning.
“Y’gonna leave a hickey on me.” She sighs out, her body relaxing even further.
“Only for me to look at later.”  He promises, his breath hot on her dampened flesh.  The rhythm slows down until it stops altogether and he pulls away.  Slowly and carefully, he raises his gaze to meet hers.  “Now tell me more about those annoying D.D.D. agents.”
“I don’t know much about them, to be honest.  They don’t hang around after the cleaning procedure and they don’t talk to me aside from congratulating me on living another way.”  She says, swiping a bit of her own blood from his lips with his thumb.
“You should know more than that.”  He growls. “We could use your help some day.”
“We?  You want me to help the doppelgängers?”
“Of course.  Someone like you, someone so skilled at calling us out…  You could be helpful in our cause.”
“I don’t believe that’s such a worthy cause…” She murmurs, resting her head against his chest.  His heartbeat is inhuman, too slow to be human, but it’s relaxing.  “Though…”
“Though?  You would be safe -- you’d be part of our family.  Perhaps one day I could introduce you to some of the ones I’m closest to.”
“Mm.”  She weighs his words carefully.  In a disturbing, unacceptable way, it’s almost sweet.  “I suppose that, as long as I’m protected by you, I’d be honored to meet them.  Does that make us mates?”
“Indeed.”  Silence stretches between them for a moment.  “In our world, we share souls upon consummation.”  He stares into her eyes after the statement, gauging her reaction based on his customs.
“Ah, like marriages for humans then?  Do you want to consummate our bond?”
The doppelgänger stiffens slightly at first before relaxing.  “Yes.  But we must proceed cautiously.”
“Why’s that, my love?  Is your genitalia that different?”  She asks, leaning up to nuzzle her nose against his for a moment before pulling away and going to stroke his cheek softly.  The skin is rubbery and like ice against her fingers.
“Hm…  No, not quite.”  There’s a beat of uncomfortable silence, he allows her mind to wander with possibilities.  “Our release is also quite different, I believe.  Is that okay?”
She’s quiet for a moment, allowing herself time to fully comprehend the possibilities ahead of her. “Yes.  I want to be your mate, so please…  mate with me the way doppelgängers do.”  Francis’ doppelgänger feels a surge of triumph.  The transformation starts gradually as he allows himself to rip through his disguise.  The clothes rip and tatter, falling to the ground around him as she lets him go, allowing him to fully transform.  Glistening black scales peek through skin like moonlight reflecting off ocean waves, his fingers grow out to sharp daggers, his arms and legs elongate as his muscles tense.  His teeth barely fit in his mouth, the sharp points poking slightly over his lips.  His cock is impossibly thick and long, tiny barbs lining the sides as it oozes black pre-cum.  He lifts her effortlessly, his hands on her ass as he carries her to her bedroom and places her gently on the bed.
“Lie back.”  He commands quietly, watching every breath he takes with anticipation and hunger.  She lays back, obediently as he hovers over her patiently.  There’s no shame or hesitation in his gaze as his hand travels up her shirt to lift it over her head.  She tugs off her pants, leaving her in her bra and panties.  His gaze is full of pride.  “You’re mine now, my soulmate.”
“You’re perfect.”  She says softly, cupping his face and kissing his monstrous face lovingly.  Her lips meet his rough lips and pointed teeth.  She winces preemptively as his sharp claws make easy work of her panties, tugging on the fabric until it tears away and reveals her glistening sex.  The thick, black sludge lubricates his cock, making it ease into her cunt slowly and easily despite its grand size.  She feels the tiny barbs grow slightly, just enough to dig into her walls to prevent her from squirming away or resisting.
He hisses appreciatively at the compliment and the feeling of her heat enveloping her slowly.  “You’re tight.”  He grunts out raggedly, thrusting deep.  The sensation matches beast-like intensity, every movement echoing throughout the small bedroom.
“Hah, you’re bigger than I expected.  So fuckin’ thick.” She pants out, her cunt swallowing his cock with little resistance.  “I was scared about the bars, but shit…  your cock is so perfect for me.”  The doppelgänger lets out an animalistic moan at her declaration, his thrusts becoming more aggressive and intense.
“That’s it!  Take everything I got!”  He exclaims hoarsely, nails digging into her hips.  “Answer me, would you want children?”  He gasps urgently.  Despite the heaviness of the question he posed, he keeps pushing relentlessly -- seeking assured release.
“I-I-!  Yes!  I want to swell with your young.”  She says lovingly, moaning.
He roars at his words, bowing low to catch her lips.  The kiss is filled with dominance and ownership.  “Perfect.”  He growls into her mouth, shifting positions easily so she’s on top of him.  “Ride me until we’re done.”
She straddles him easing, wincing as the shift in positioning digs his barbs deep into her cunt.  “Fuck, baby…”  She breathes out, her hands on his chest.  Her hips raise up and down rapidly despite her legs trembling greatly.
“Let me see those pretty eyes looking into mine.”  He orders hoarsely.  He hisses as her cunt adjusts.  The pain she felt was only temporary, but served its purpose well: reminding her whose body she was riding, a dangerous creature holding immense power over her.  His own gaze burned with need and desperation, pleading silently for satisfaction.  
She looks into his eyes obediently, so full of adoration for the monster.  “I-I-...”  Her breath hitches, she can’t finish her sentence.  She’s too embarrassed to admit her love for him.  Instead, she leans down to kiss him.  Her soft lips meeting his rough, uneven ones.
“Say it.  Tell me how much we mean to each other.”  He demands huskily.  His barbs grow slightly more, haling her movements for a single second.  It’s a sign of his nearing climax that’s mirrored by her frantic movements once she adjusts to the growth.
“I love you, fuck, I love you!”  She moans loudly.  Her cunt begins to quiver and massage his cock.  “Cum in me, cum in me, cum in me.”  She whimpers as his barbs dig in even more as her tight walls convulse around him.  Suddenly she can feel a torrent of his dark, murky cum release deep into her cunt.  His cock swells greatly, making her gasp and cum around him.  Her slick dribbles down his cock and coats him.  Her body slowly relaxes as his barbs retract but he remains swollen.  She lays limp against him, breathing heavily.
He roars hoarsely, pumping several times harder with his thickened cock.  He remains still, breathing heavily with his arms tight around her as he lays on his side, holding her tight to his chest.  It’ll take several minutes for his cock to decrease in size, but it’s unlikely that either of the two will be awake.  “Our bond is sealed.”  He rasps against her ear, nuzzling gently against sensitive skin.
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oepionie · 1 year
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INTERRUPTED MAKE-OUT SESSION.octatrio
Synopsis: The octotrio don't really take kindly to having their alone time with you interrupted.
Characters: Azul Ashengrotto, Jade Leech , Floyd Leech x GN! Reader
Tags: Suggestive because oh wow that's a lot of kissing, Azul forms a Crowley hate club, Crewel being an overprotective dad in Jade's part, Floyd annoys you (lovingly)
Word Count: 2k+ | 💌Masterlist
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A.A | AZUL ASHENGROTTO:
Azul seldom had days off; he was usually dedicated to his office, checking work and finalizing deeds he'd made over the week. Like now, he's busier than ever, especially with the holiday season approaching. You usually would've helped him out if it weren't for Crowley…
The headmaster, ever so generous and kind, was making you run errands for him more than usual. Both of you were so swamped with work that you hadn't seen one other in weeks.
Deciding to take things into their own hands, Jade and Floyd approached you, trying to garner your pity by telling you how 'pathetic' and 'antsy' their boss had gotten during your absence. Floyd amped up the theatrical performance by throwing himself over your shoulder and sobbing crocodile tears over the 'inhumane work conditions' he's been put through. (Azul made him work 10 minutes longer).
To the eel's delight, their terrible acting actually worked and it convinced you to check up on your poor unfortunate little octopus.
You entered Azul's office, carrying a platter of pastries and tea. He was slouched against his chair, reading paperwork in a position that was bound to strain his neck and back.
"Oh, Angelfish?" As you set the tray on a coffee table, Azul stands to greet you. You don't miss how his face lights up when you walk towards him.
"How are you?" You ask, wrapping your arms around his waist while his hands reach up to cup your cheeks. The leather of gloves felt cool against your skin and you sighed happily, closing your eyes.
"Busy, as usual…" Azul muttered and let you guide him to one of the couches in his office. He plopped down onto the chair and groaned in exhaustion, sinking into the velvet plush cushions. "If I have to read another one of those pathetic deals from these Savanaclaw students, I think I'm gonna have a stroke."
Azul's eyes bore into yours, his lips curling into a bitter frown. "It's been nearly a month since we last saw each other…"
"I know. Crowley's been making me work my ass off these days." You smiled apologetically, moving in to press a fleeting kiss against his temple. Azul grumbled, his eyes briefly glancing over the pile of deals atop his desk. There was a mischievous gleam in his eyes as he looked up at you.
"Angelfish. You know I can easily fix that problem for you, no?" Azul spoke lowly, adjusting his gloves with a dark look on his face. Immediately, you shook your head. "No making deals with Crowley."
"Alright, no deals…but say the word and I'll gladly take care of it." Azul muttered, crossing his arms and pushing his glasses up. You chuckled and bent forward to peck his lips in thanks.
However, it seems that Azul missed you more than you thought. You should've known that someone as greedy as Azul wasn't going to be satiated by a small kiss like that. Before you could back away his hand clasped over your waist, pulling you back in. Gasping, you slid into his lap and he immediately fused his lips against yours.
"Stay." He mouths against your lips as both his hands move to grip your waist. Azul kisses you again and again, only giving you a few seconds to recover. Feeling lightheaded, you pulled away trying to catch your breath.
"Azu-" Before you could even get a word out, he kisses you again, this time with more passion. The ferocity of it all causes your head to spin as your hands become entangled in his white hair. It was almost as if he hadn't kissed you in ages, as if it was his first time seeing you in years. His tongue darts across your bottom lip, prompting you to part your lips.
"Knock Knock." Floyd's voice echoed through the closed door, and Azul jolted. He pulled away from you, his gaze moving to the tweels who were most likely standing behind the door.
"Oi Azul, there's some guy out there lookin' for ya. He's calling you 'Mr Ashengrotto'. What a weirdo."
"Floyd. Doesn't saying 'knock knock' defeat the purpose of knocking?" Jade's muffled voice spoke.
"Didn't ask. Don't care."
You watch Azul glare at the door, cursing under his breath, clearly irritated that his private time with you had been disturbed. He considered just directing the client to return another day. However, it seems that you've decided to make that decision for him.
"You heard them." Pulling him up, you fixed the collar to his uniform and combed his hair back into place. Teasingly, you ran your thumb over his lips.
"Don't keep them waiting, Mr Ashengrotto."
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J.L | JADE LEECH:
Wiping the table down, you made sure to get every small spec of dust off of the metal surface. It was late at night and you were helping Jade close the lounge up for his shift.
You were concentrated and hard at work, determined to finish the job properly. Jade, on the other hand, found himself marvelling at the unusual sight of you in his dorm's uniform.
Azul had given you an Octavinelle dorm uniform that was tailored and custom-made specifically for you.But of course, nothing ever came for free when it involved the capitalist octopus.
It was intended to be used for promotional purposes. You were Ramshackle's prefect and the magicless human trapped in a mage school, it's no question that you had a lot of attention thrown your way. It was only natural that his boss would exploit such popularity.
Such a stark difference from your normal outfit. You were usually seen wearing the school uniform issued specially for your shabby dorm, paired with the expensive high-end designer fur coat Crewel gifted you.
To put it short, you appeared much more lovely than usual.
So, was it really his fault when he drew you behind the bar and began kissing you silly? Oh darling pearl, of course not.
"Jade-" You gasp against his lips when his weight starts to push on you. Your back collides with one of the stools, leaving you with little choice but to settle down atop the bar counter.
He swiftly hoists you up over the table, allowing you to sit snugly as you wrap your legs around his hips; he does all this without ever pulling his lips away.
“J-Jade we have a job to finish." You panted but Jade had no intention to stop. He steps back to assess your reaction, a sadistic grin spread across his face.
The eel was gentle when he manoeuvred you to lay down against the table, but the look and gleam in his eyes said otherwise.
"Oya, I fear something much more interesting has taken my attention." He nips at your lips, recapturing them with hardly a second to breathe between each one, his hands sliding up your hips to hold you in place.
"How could I not indulge myself when the most exquisite shining pearl is within my grasp?" Jade whispers.
The merman starts pulling his gloves off and loosening his tie. He returned for another open-mouthed kiss. It seemed as though he just couldn't get enough of you. Every breathy kiss he drew from you felt like waves pulling him under, luring him to continue and drown himself in your love again and again.
Sadly, all wonderful things must come to an end.
"Leech. Hands off my pup." You nearly slipped off the counter when you heard a familiar stern voice call out for you. You spun around, gasping, to discover Crewel standing by the door. His face distorted into an unsightly sneer as he peered at Jade.
"Pup. I believe you forgot but we have a shopping appointment today." Embarrassed, you quickly bowed your head and kept your head down. Why. Why on earth couldn't the ground just swallow you whole right now?
All suave and smooth, Jade took a step back and picked you up. Yelping, you held onto his biceps, head spinning from the sudden movement. Jade merely chuckled and lowered you back down onto the ground.
Crewel storms up to you, your fur coat in hand. He drapes the coat over your torso, fussing over your unkempt appearance. The man turns to throw Jade another scathing look, silently cursing the eel under his breath.
Despite your embarrassed and mortified state, Jade crouches down and whispers to you. "I'll get back to you later, my pearl."
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F.L | FLOYD LEECH:
Huffing, you stormed out of the classroom with a towering eel hot on your trail. Before you could even round the corner, Floyd threw his arms over your shoulders and leaned his entire body against yours.
"Floyd! Get off! I'm still upset at you after that stunt you performed earlier!" You grumbled, your knees wobbling from trying to withstand his weight.
Floyd doesn't say anything and just slithers his arm around your waist, his teeth affectionately nibbling the exposed flesh of your neck. His annoyingly handsome face was plastered with a smug smile. He knew he was a menace, and he was proud of it.
Professor Trein's lectures were absurdly long, and you can imagine how bored the eel gets during his classes. The issue is that he's decided to turn you into his new source of entertainment. He kept poking you with a pencil, handing you tiny messages on crumpled notebook paper, and kicking you with his foot. The eel had even sneakily placed his hand on your thigh at one point, drawing patterns and words with his fingertips while pretending to listen to the lecture.
You squirmed and tried to shake your way out of his grasp. Your lover snorted at your pitiful escape attempts and tightened his grip on you.
"Neh~ Shrimpy, this hallway isn't my vibe at all. Let's go somewhere else!" Floyd pulls you into an empty classroom, kicking the door shut. He pushed you against a desk, slamming his hands on either side of you.
All of a sudden, his mood changes. The eel leans down to murmur into your ear, his breathy voice sending shivers up and down your spine.
“That class was so boringg. I can't help it that shrimpy's squirming is much more entertaining~” Floyd laughs, nudging his head against your cheek.
That little nudge was all that it took to get you to lower your guard, allowing him to strike and press his lips on yours.
Floyd's hands raked themselves up your back, his thumb rubbing circles onto the nape of your neck. He gave you one final kiss while grinning before stepping back to give you some room to breathe.
“Hm~? I thought you were still mad at me.” Floyd says as you lean in to chase his lips. You clicked your tongue and grabbed his collar, pulling him close to your face. This time, you take the lead and Floyd eagerly follows suit with a giddy smile on his face.
The loving moment between you two lasts for a few minutes before the door to the classroom slams open.
"Floyd! I've been calling your phone for the last hour!" Both Azul and Jade appeared. Azul looked as if he just ran a marathon, his flushed skin having a faint red tint to it. Jade was as composed as ever and stood behind the octoboss, sending you and his brother a knowing look.
“So what?” Floyd blinks, indifferent to Azul's anger. He just truly doesn’t find anything wrong about skipping his job and showering you with some love and affection.
"What do you mean 'so what'!? You promised me you would take the morning shift! We agreed on this!" Azul scolded, banging his fist against the door. But with his face twisted up like he'd just swallowed a lemon, it was hard to take him seriously.
"I don't want to gooo…" Floyd wailed as he sat down with you on the floor. He collapsed on the ground and drew you into his arms, ignoring Azul's shouts. You cuddled against him, sighing, for there was no way out.
This was your fate.
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Likes and Reblogs are greatly appreciated and really motivating on my end!
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erwinsvow · 3 months
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“I want them to like you,” you say, tugging on Rafe’s arm to drag him away from his truck and towards the beach. “I want them to love you.” He’s standing still, feet planted firmly on the pavement. 
You’ve wanted Rafe to meet your friends for the longest time, so much so that it’s the only thing you’ve been thinking about recently. It’s not exactly accurate—he has met them before, many times, actually, but they’ve never been good encounters. You recall a bruise on Pope’s back and JJ’s busted lip, back before they knew Rafe was your boyfriend and he was just public enemy number one.
But things are better now—really, they are. You try to convince yourself all of those incidents are in the past, that everyone’s over it now. You want your friends to like your boyfriend. You want your boyfriend to like your friends. You want it so bad you’re willing to drag Rafe to the beach yourself, if that’s what it takes.
“They can’t stand me,” Rafe replies, scanning the surroundings. He doesn’t like them, but he doesn’t want to hurt your feelings either, if they overhear the two of you right now. “Can’t stand them, either, y’know.”
“But you like me, don’t you?” you ask, smiling wide, all cheery and bright. Like he has to tell you again. He rolls his eyes, making you laugh.
“Not at all. What gave y’that stupid idea?” You roll your own pretty eyes in a matching response.
“C’mon, Rafe, look, they’re already here-” you whine, pointing at the giant, junky thing your Pogue friends call a car. He doesn’t let you anywhere near the thing anymore if he can help it—drops you off and picks you up because that thing is a death trap, even more so with one of the stoned idiots driving it. “I don’t wanna be late, so move-” you start pushing at his chest, but he doesn’t give you an inch. 
You huff, hot sun beating down on you, muscles tired from trying to move your entirely too strong boyfriend. 
“Fine,” you finally let out, giving up. “I’ll just go by myself.”
“Good girl. I’ll swing by to get you in a couple hours and then we can go for dinner-”
“Sounds good,” you interrupt, causing Rafe to look at you with an eyebrow raised—you never interrupt him. “I’ll just have Pope put the sunscreen on my back for me. Since you won’t be there.”
“Wait a minute-”
“And JJ’s been dying to teach me how to surf. Y’know, last time I tried though, my top fell off. But I guess it’s no big deal. I bet John B can put it back on for me.”
Rafe thinks he’s mastered the look of not caring sometimes, face blank, eyes showing nothing but mild disturbance. This is not one of those times. You smile, because you can’t help it, watching your boyfriend’s ears turn bright pink, the muscles in his jaw clench, his fist tighten around your pink beach bag.
You put your hand over his, gently, trying to take the bag so you can walk away with it. You’re not sure if your plan worked until he snatches the bag back, hand holding your wrist tightly. 
“Come on, kid,” he mutters, heading in the direction of the beach. “Pain in my ass,” you hear him say quietly, but you feel giddy that he agreed to join you after all. 
Your friends are set up by the water, towels haphazardly thrown on the sand, a case of beer resting in the shade under the umbrella. JJ is waxing his board, Pope is standing next to him, critiquing his method. John has just crushed a beer can down, and chucks it at Kie, who ducks and starts yelling about how inhumane littering is. 
“Hey!” you hear Pope beam, a smile lighting up your face. “Look who’s here-” and Kie joins in with an excited yell, tossing the empty can back at John B and hitting the back of his head. 
“Thought you’d never come back to us now that you’re a fancy Kook girl. Where’s that-” JJ goes silent, watching Rafe walking behind you, staring blankly, looking pissed. “-asshole boyfriend. Nevermind, I found him.”
“I brought Rafe,” you say, a big smile taking over again. You look expectantly at everyone, and then stare until they give you the reaction you want. They mumble hi and hey, Kook, and you turn back to Rafe, taking your bag and figuring out where to put your towels—pink, like the bag, like your bikini. Rafe’s shorts are white, with little pink stripes to match you. 
You both sit down on the sand before you finally offer him the bottle of sunscreen and lay flat on your stomach so he can put it on. He squirts some onto his hands, rubbing them together to spread it out and then first slaps your ass, leaving a sandy, white handprint on the skin. Your body jerks, whining against the towel.
“Had to. Practically asking for it. M’not apologizing,” he says, quiet enough that only the two of you can hear. His hands rub the sunscreen onto your back and arms, but then you decide everything he does is too erotic for public, so you turn back, insisting that’s enough sun protection. You just got here and you don’t want to leave because you can’t resist your boyfriend just yet.
You turn your head, noticing Kie walking towards you with a can of hard seltzer, the fruity kind she knows you prefer. The boys are by the other umbrella, tossing beers at each other. You tug on Rafe’s arm again.
“Why don’t you go get a beer with them. You can talk. It’ll be nice!” 
There’s nothing he’d rather do less. 
“Came here to hang with you, not them,” he says curtly, head resting back on the towel.
“Rafe!” The things he does for you. “Please?” He shouldn’t have looked at you—that was his mistake. Five seconds of your pout and your sincere eyes is enough to make him do whatever you want.
“Five minutes, then I’m coming back. That’s it.”
“Thank you,” you sing sweetly. Kiara comes and settles down next to you. “Is it strawberry? My favorite!” he hears you say, followed by the hiss of you opening the can, as he gets up and stalks towards your friends.
Their conversation dies when Rafe steps up—something he doesn’t like. He could care less about these idiots, but he really doesn’t want you to get caught in the middle of this shit. He can see it already—your pretty face covered in tears, crying because you care too much about him, care too much about your friends.
Rafe knows you’d pick him over them, he just doesn’t want to force you to make that choice.
“What’re you drinking?” he questions. Three pairs of eyes stare at him blankly. A retort bubbles inside him angrily—Stupid and deaf? You losers can’t catch a break, huh? He turns to look at you, hoping you’re in conversation with Kie and sipping your sugary drink. You’re not. You’re staring at the four of them with a hopeful smile.
He swallows the comment and turns with a forced, hard smile. “Beer? That’s great. Toss me one.” Pope does as he says, and then goes back to drinking his own. 
“S’like weird, to see you smile. Didn’t know you could do that,” JJ comments, crushing his own beer can up now that it was empty. Rafe wishes you were here, listening, because-
“What the hell am I supposed to say to that?” John B lets out a laugh at that, Pope joins in. Rafe cracks another smile, they’re pretty goofy, just like you had said. “Nah, I’m just saying, like, didn’t think you could be nice. Must be, if she likes you.”
Rafe turns to look back at you again, quickly. You’re talking to Kie now, head thrown back, laughing. You look prettiest like this, when you’re happy. 
“Yeah, for her.” Then he takes another long chug of the beer, looking back at them. “You idiots don’t make it easy.”
“It’s not easy for us, either,” Pope interjects. “I mean, you did hit me with a golf club.” Rafe runs a hand through his hair, unsure what to say, because he did do that. 
“Yeah, I, uh-” he trails off. “Sorry, sorry about that.”
“It’s okay,” JJ says.
“All in the past,” John B tacks on. 
It must be several beers later, because you hear the boys laughing and… getting along? You decide to walk over, just to make sure your eyes and ears aren’t deceiving you. The box they had just bought earlier today was filled with the empties, the unmistakable sound of your boyfriend’s laugh filling your ears, your friends all engaged in conversations. You decide to turn back rather than interrupt, giddiness filling your heart that everything worked out. You don’t catch the end of their conversation, already back to your towel and opening another drink with Kie.
“And then I went there,” JJ starts, “-and I was like should I leave, because then her parents might wake up, because I forgot the condom-”
JJ stops to take another sip of the beer, and Rafe cuts him off.
“Wait, you guys use condoms?” 
Three pairs of eyes turn on him.
When you two walk back to his truck a little later, he swings his arm around you and presses a kiss to your forehead.
“What was that for?” you ask, happy and tired.
“Yeah, I don’t think they like me much.”
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titanic-angel · 1 year
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мιgυel o'нara х F!reader
◥︎ 『 coғғee ︎pт.1 』︎ ◣
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ѕυммary ➞︎ yoυ вrιng мιgυel coғғee тo нelp нιм тнroυgн a long worĸ nιgнт
warnιngѕ ➞︎ none
noтeѕ ➞︎ part 2 is up ❤︎
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The evening air was so dry in the summer, and the silence that invited itself into the coffee room buried deep in your skin. The tiles felt cold under your slippers, the setting sun stealing the heat and light from every inch of the room.
You let out a harsh breath, pouring the deep brown liquid into the two cups, staining the white glass with caffeine and steam.
You, Jess, and Peter B had made an agreement since your involvement in the Spider Society had started.
Miguel’s workaholism caused long periods of time, sometimes days, where he wouldn’t even leave his lair, chest deep in his own mind and perfectionism. You all initially believed that his inhumane attributes gave him the stamina to last weeks without rest, but after catching him in deep sleep on his own computer, you realized the goliath wasn’t, in fact, invincible.
So, like any good friends (although Miguel never really used those terms), you took shifts bringing him coffee. With the mugs, Peter and Mayday brought him laughter (all of which was their own, but there wasn’t an indication he didn’t appreciate it), Jess brought him a tough love and a listening ear that fueled his work and you…
Well you weren’t sure what you offered.
You never left without a conversation- and maybe a little coffee yourself. Sometimes he would explain whatever anomaly had taken his attention for the hour, or he would stay silent, listening to you talk about your own day, slightly less exhausting but much more exciting.
Most times, however, you’d give him his coffee, and without saying much, he would look at you.
You are convinced more and more each time that, years ago, his eyes were more brown than they were red. Deep bronze like the color of the coffee in his cup. Younger than they are now. Maybe it was his exhaustion seeping through his irises, but something in the way he looked at you…it felt softer.
Kinder.
You shook off the image as your slippers padded against the hallway marble, the once lively hub now hushed to an empty whisper.
Jess had gone to her universe, undoubtedly resting her weary body, and Peter B eagerly ran home to his beloved red-heads. Homes filled, endlessly, with reunions, warm meals and kisses doused in exhaustion and a love unique to them.
You were happy for them, but you would be lying if you told yourself that you weren’t envious.
Quietly, secretly, you much preferred the hub over your own home, it’s thrum of life filling the emptiness of your crammed apartment. It was depressing to go home to silence after a day of action, which meant many nights you slept in your office, feigning the stress of work and battles to avoid questions from your peers.
You stepped over stray wires and scraps of metal, amongst other abandoned equipment you were sure meant something, once. The dark room was illuminated in neon, flashing lights pulsing across the floor and ceiling.
His gigantic platform came into view, hovering over the pitch floor. The familiar sight of him, surrounded by yellow holograms, greeted your eyes with a brightness that made you squint, vision adjusting to the light.
You caught the butt-end of a conversation, Lyla glitching around his head with attitude. You kept your mouth shut, a little curious to hear their idle chat.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Miguel said, flatly.
“Don’t play stupid, I’m an incredibly intelligent A.I. I know fondness when I see it.”
“She brings me coffee- that’s all.”
You paused, muscles tense and the suggestion that they were talking about you.
“I don’t know Miguel~. Peter B and Jess do the same and you aren’t as soft with them.”
“I am not soft!”
“Sure, sure.”
Lyla’s hologram stuttered, and she suddenly focused you. Even from far below, you recognized her mischievous grin.
“Well, I’m feeling awfully tiered. It’s very late y’know! I’ll just let you do your thing!”
“But you don’t-“ Miguel followed her line of sight. He looked down at you with surprise, and you sent him an awkward wave through the cup handle.
“Bye!” Lyla’s drawn out y’s echoed even as she disappeared, Miguel’s hand swiping at the air before she vanished.
He let out a harsh sigh, and you slung up to his platform, handing him a cup. He looked at you again, that faint brown sparkling clearer tonight.
Strange.
“Thank you.”
You nodded, leaning against his table.
“Long night again?” You asked, thumb tracing the smooth glass of the handle.
Miguel nodded, letting another exhausted sigh escape his chest. “Yes.”
You waited for more, but it never came, Miguel shifting near awkwardly as he clicked on the screens with his free hand.
You nodded slowly, taking a sip of your cup. You shuddered, unfamiliar with the pure caffeine. You looked down at your cup, dark brown looking back.
Oh shit.
You watched in short-lived anticipation as he took a sip of your cup. He’s face scrunched in surprise, as if the sweetness of sugar and cream was completely foreign to him.
He looked at you, the red in his eyes more prominent now. Your cheeks strained, but soon the ballon of laughter burst from your chest.
It bounced off the dark walls, echoing around the both of you. You closed your eyes, squeezing out tears as you gripped his desk, laughter shaking your core.
When you regained yourself, you slowly sat up, wiping your wet cheeks and grinning ear to ear. You sighed, small laughs residing with your quickened breath.
“Oh, Miguel you should’ve see your-“
You stopped.
Miguel was smiling.
Well, in the generous sense of the word. Although it wasn’t bright like Peter B’s or gentle like Jess, it was genuine. His eyes crinkled, his lips drawn into a gentle upturn, highlighting his dimples.
Your shocked face must have startled it, because it quickly disappeared, now taught in a hardened, neutral line.
You smiled at him empathetically, slightly guilty you had embarrassed him. You reached out your hand, beckoning your drink.
“Here…let’s switch.”
You fingers brushed at the exchange, and you blushed, the warmth of his skin penetrating your own. If he noticed, he didn’t let it show, taking a quiet sip of his flavorless, bitter coffee.
An awkward silence fell over the two of you, agonizingly different from the laughter just seconds before.
You were beginning to think that he really only was fond of you because you brought him coffee. Sure, you had polite conversation but it never really passed surface level. Not to mention you always initiated it. Maybe Miguel was just playing along, desperately waiting for you to leave him to his work and study.
You sighed, your tone possibly letting on to more than you would’ve liked. You stood, flexing your legs and taking a sip from your cooling coffee, ready to breathe air that wasn’t so endlessly stiff.
“Why- why do you drink coffee with so much sweetness in it?”
You paused, looking at Miguel with surprise. He’d never asked you a question like that. A question about you.
“I uh- well,” you laughed a little bit, still a little startled at the sudden interjection, “black coffee is too bitter for me. The sugar and cream lets me enjoy it.”
“But coffee is meant to energize you, you aren’t supposed to enjoy it.”
You lifted a skeptical brow. “That’s a pretty serious take, don’t you think?”
Miguel paused, lips pressed together in thought before he replied, “I’m a serious guy.”
You laughed, a little quieter now, leaning back onto the table. But this time, closer to him. If you were paying attention, the way his eyes looked at your new position might of told you he noticed.
“I gathered.”
Silence fell over the two of you like a weighted blanket. But now, you had hope that he might want this conversation to continue. That he liked it- you.
“How about this Mr. Serious,” you leaned in, “I’ll give your black coffee another shot if you do the same for my sugar and cream.”
He scoffed, but when the corners of his mouth quirked up you knew the proposition interested him- if only a little bit.
“Absolutely not. I already did try it.”
“First impressions aren’t always accurate, y’know.” You shook your mug, the light brown liquid creating a small whirlpool.
“Try it? For me?”
He glanced at you, and although you thought yourself educated on his eyes and their looks, you were stumped by this one. It was entirely alien to you- there was something in it that you couldn’t place.
You liked it.
He let out a sigh, and held his hand out. You grinned, taking his mug and swapping it for your own.
You both took a sip, and you forced yourself not to wrinkle your nose.
His coffee was extremely bitter- as close as coffee could get to the bean. If his scowl and general demeanor was grown and grind into a beverage, his drink of choice is what it would taste like.
However, it was extremely warm. Somehow it hadn’t cooled off in the fifteen minutes since you had poured it. It’s bitter bliss seeped down your throat and made home in your chest. It was almost calming.
You opened your eyes, surprised to be as content as you were with the drink.
You glanced at Miguel, whose lips were pulled into a tight line. His brows were drawn in thought, eyes glimmering in the hologram light.
“Well?” You asked, rocking on your heels.
“You first.”
You paused, running your tongue over you teeth to remember. “It was a bit gross. But honestly? No bad.”
He nodded, and sighed. “Yours wasn’t….bad either.”
You gasped, a wide smile spreading across your face in stunned victory. “So you liked it.”
“I never said that.” He said, narrowing his brows.
You raised yours. “Didn’t have too.”
He shook his head, handing you the coffee mug. You looked at him as if to ask are you sure? To which he rolled his eyes and pushed it closer to your chest.
You sighed, taking his cup and swapping mugs for the last time. When you looked up at him, sending him a gentle smile, you noticed a thin line of cream that lined his dark lips. You stifled your laughter, stepping forward to a clueless and confused Miguel.
“What are you-“
“Stay put, you have a little-“
You brought your hand up to his face, cradling is course skin under your palm. Your movement stuttered, just for a moment, savoring the feeling of his rough jaw.
You lifted a gentle thumb, your touch but a whisper on his skin as wiped the sweetness from his upper lip. Contrary to his jaw, his lips were soft under your print, molding to your movement with ease.
You imagine they’d taste like coffee.
You paused, your eyes drifting from his lips to his eyes. When they met yours, they were the softest brown you’d ever remember seeing them. It could be how close you were, feeling his slow breath on your nose. It could be how small, short the moment was, catching his facade in a moment of weakness.
But you think, hopefully, foolishly, that it might be how good it felt- to be this close.
You drew your hand away, still staring at the warmth. You settled yourself on the floor, holding your cup with both hands, the once steaming glass now a cold comparison to his face.
“You…you had some cream left on your face.” You laughed weakly, your gaze looking to the side. “I didn’t want Lyla to make fun of you.”
You paused, uncomfortable with the silence your created.
“Sorry.”
Miguel stared at you for a moment, with that same glimmer you couldn’t quite place. He cleared is throat, eyes flitting between your eyes and your lips.
“It’s- okay…I-“ He paused, eyes finding your again, “thank you.”
He had whispered, speaking as though if he has said it any louder he would’ve scared you away. It was so- gentle compared to the gruffness of his voice. Warm.
The silence that followed was completely novel from the past dips in conversation. It was full of tension, thick and suffocating. It felt as if you had swallowed cement, every breath trapped in your collarbone and buried in your throat.
You stepped back, your vision so deep in his own- their intensity making it feel as though there wasn’t anything else to look at. Even in their softer colors, they were so deeply overwhelming it felt like they had woken something visceral in you. It wasn’t fear, or terror-
It was fondness.
“Well- I think I need to get my own rest,” you tore your gaze from his, setting your coffee down on the table next to him, “I won’t be needing this- I don’t want caffeine dreams. You’re welcome to finish it- now that you like it. A little.”
You smiled up at him, the thrum of your heart and the heat of your breath tickling your skin.
“Goodnight, Miguel.”
His chest rumbled, preparing to speak, before he sighed quietly and quickly, another genuine smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
“Goodnight.”
You took one last look at the brown- intimate and tailored to yours. One look at the coffee cups, different in every sense but comforting none the less.
One look at the man who may have just given you the home you’d been envious of.
As you slung off into the the void, you smiled at it all, welcoming the shudders of warmth that pooled in your stomach at the revelation.
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The next morning, you woke up in your office yet again, the early morning chill crawling up your spine and beckoning you to wake.
The first thing your eyes were met with was your mug, matte in the morning light.
It was empty, a yellow note rested under it.
I didn’t want it to go to waste.
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Part 2
2K notes · View notes
stormgardenscurse · 8 months
Text
made for you - puppet au
Summary: In a steampunk-esque setting, your guardian-slash-mentor left you with one thing after their passing—a self-autonomous puppet that was designed to blend in with humans, who would protect and accompany you in your mentor’s absence.
Characters: Floyd, Ace, Cater, Lilia
Warnings: mentions of blood in Lilia's!
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Floyd
Outsiders might complain about Floyd’s flippant change in moods, saying that you seemed to be the only person he doesn’t get annoyed with.
In two ways this judgment was flawed: they didn’t know he was a puppet (and so thought he was merely a scary traveling partner of yours), and he does get mad at you sometimes. Namely when you do things for others that he thinks are unnecessary, because why do you have to be the nice one and try to maintain relations with people you weren’t even close with? 
Floyd never got why you stress yourself out with things like that—and if you told him to help you with such tasks? Expect him to either turn to a game of cat and mouse (behind your back, he’s the cat and some other person is the mouse) or fulfill it with a dangerous gleam in his eyes when a stranger sees him, saying ‘don’t approach me, I’m really not in the mood’.
He rarely directs his frustration at you, though. Call it part of his design or whatever, but for the most part he’s more lax around you, slinging his arm over your shoulder or asking if you wanted to do (insert unhinged scheme) with a casual tone.
You worry about the people that he does get into fights with. Floyd doesn’t pay much attention to his inhuman strength and things can get awkward when people question it—leaving you to stand there, contemplating if you should reveal the truth.
But… while Floyd doesn’t really care for the distinction between being human and not (as long as you treat him as equals), he finds it fun when people think he’s just an unpredictable human. The looks on their faces and struggle when he tests their limits are always a sight to behold. 
Humans really are quite amusing—but of course, you’re his favorite one.
Ace
Ace has an inner conflict, one could say.
As charismatic as he can be (and by god was he a convincing actor), Ace would always, at the back of his mind, be conscious of the fact that he wasn’t human.
Nevermind the fact he’s probably more humane than some people out there, but he always has the feeling that it wasn’t enough. There’s a type of jealousy that crops up whenever he sees you interacting with people—he’s not sure if he’s jealous of the way you are, with your quirks and emotions that he idealizes despite how he claims otherwise, or if he’s jealous of the others around you.
He’d never fall sick or actually feel physical pain. He could be repaired so long as his core was salvageable, and so Ace could never be your friend in the way he might want to be. He wonders, sometimes, that in an alternate world—if he was human, would you look towards him the same way you do now? Would you still pick him within an ocean of so many, if he wasn’t a puppet crafted by your mentor?
Instead of expressing this, Ace of course directs these feelings into a personality that’s a little bratty. He’d challenge your requests at times, asking if it was an ‘order’ and only complying if you pushed back.
You’ll hear a lilt in his voice when he calls you ‘Master’ mockingly. For the most part Ace’s mean streak isn’t that bad though—he does show concern for you and is essentially a best friend that keeps you grounded. Sometimes you wonder if he actually liked being bossed around, thinking of it as a way to acknowledge the odd relationship you had. 
You don’t see him as a servant or object, but perhaps he finds some comfort in the idea that he was made for you. That way, your attachments to one-another was completely normal—you’d always pick him, right?
Cater
Cater is a puppet that lets you know his world revolves around you, if only to see the adorable expressions you make in response.
He doesn’t care for his own maintenance that much, nor about hurting himself in your defense or while doing tasks. Cater’s good at masking such things too, with long-sleeved or layered clothing to hide his mechanical injuries away. He says it’s unsightly and he’ll just fix it himself later, but you always recognise when he’s lying about how it’s ‘not that bad’. 
It makes an odd feeling ache in his chest whenever you do that, making him sit down in the privacy of your inn room so you could patch him up. There’s an unreadable look in his gaze at times like those, asking you if you saw him as someone that could actually get hurt. You said yes. Cater makes sure to remember that. 
He’s flirty most of the time, acting good-natured with others but obviously trying to charm you in particular. People tend to think you’re a couple because of that, and is it so bad if Cater kind of likes the sound of it?
He enjoys how genuine of a person you are—sure, everyone has their own thoughts and darker side that they keep to themselves, but he’s never detected falsehoods in your emotions towards him. Maybe it helps that you know he’s a puppet—why would you feel the need to guard yourself from him the same way as others? 
He likes this exclusivity he has to the different sides of you, especially since he’s a key link to your past. It’s also easier to focus his time and energy on someone else than the gloom that sometimes spreads in his system, which was surely just another mechanical flaw.
"I'm just supposed to make sure you're happy, Master~ So don’t worry about it!"
Lilia
No one would suspect that your cute companion would have a rather… uncompromising side, with it came to getting rid of nuisances that threatened your safety.
In his defense, he was kind of built to be a deadly weapon—the world is a dangerous place after all, and Lilia doesn’t mind being the one that protects you from those that may do you harm. Your mentor dabbled in areas that garnered them enemies, thus the association and knowledge you possessed was a dangerous light to greedy moths.
You never actually witness how he is in combat, though. Lilia always returns from his missions quietly, wiping the scratches and blood off of his synthetic skin. He greets you with a smile if you’re still awake at that point in the night, and you’re none-the-wiser about the expressions he can make when he gets serious on the field.
It’s night and day, the difference between how he is there versus how he is when mingling with people or with you. Lilia likes how you rely on him during your travels. He has a backlog of historical knowledge that he collected shortly after he was crafted, but nothing compares to actually being in different nations and seeing things with your own two eyes. 
He enjoys calling your name in a familiar tone and hearing you do the same. Lilia hopes to be a presence that reminds you of home, so it’s only natural that he cherishes the lighthearted and heart-to-heart conversations you have. 
Leave the bodyguard work to him; there’s a reason your mentor made a puppet for this purpose, after all. And honestly, Lilia’s quite happy with the way his life was right now. It was much richer than the endless clockwork of a workshop, and pretty things that did nothing compared to your warm words and sparkle in your eyes that was so undeniably human.
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tcfactory · 5 months
Text
Dumb SVSSS thought of the day is Xuan Su being one breakthrough away from cultivating a human form and making its (his?) newfound ability to speak aloud to other people everybody's problem.
Unity of the Sword cultivators give more of themselves to their bonded blades than people cultivating other paths, because they have to cultivate together with the sword, as partners. It's both a blessing and a curse, making their swords more... aware. It's not unusual for Unity swords to ascend with their masters or to cultivate humanoid forms to become something like a platonic life partner.
Xuan Su is an old blade. A powerful one, expertly if eccentrically crafted (what kind of cultivator would choose a zhanmadao when a jian is so much more ethereal and versatile?) and wielded by dozens of prodigiously talented cultivators before.
Each one of them set it aside, finding it too heavy and unwieldy for their ambitions. Each and every one of them died for it. It could feel through the bond as they each fell, the lighter, sleeker blades they replaced it with crumbling like paper under the weight of the destinies they all bore.
If it stopped calling out to young prodigies after its history of losses things would have been... much the same, probably, because Yue Qi has heard about the power of Xuan Su before he stepped foot in the sword hall, but there might have been a chance that he might have heard the call of a sword more suited to his level of cultivation, one that could have grown organically along with him.
The problem is, Xuan Su keeps calling out to new wielders and no amount of warning from Wan Jian's masters could convince the ambitious prodigies to give up on the chance to be the one who carried the famed Xuan Su to ascension.
After losing too many of its people, however, Xuan Su no longer knows how to bond normally. It clings too hard, hooks its metaphorical claws into its cultivator's soul, crawls through their meridians until there's no boundary left between them.
The last three people who tried to take it up didn't live long enough to unsheathe it.
For good or ill, Yue Qingyuan will be the last one to ever wield Xuan Su. It will either ascend with him, die with him or Wei Qingwei will throw it in the Wan Jian forge where the cursed thing deserves to be if it manages to outlive zhangmen-shixiong.
The thing is, however, that an old sword doesn't necessarily mean a mature one. Xuan Su wasn't wielded enough for its spirit to have matured fully. The only cultivator who even entertained it past the first few months of realizing that fighting with a zhanmadao is an unwieldy affair, that they could never become the picture of divine grace hauling around a blade that gave some polearms a run for their money, has been Yue Qingyuan, so most of Xuan Su's personality comes from him.
A thousand years worth of guilt and abandonment issues mixed with whatever traits it borrowed from semi-feral ex-slave teenager Yue Qi when they bonded does not make for a pleasant personality. It would remind Yue Qingyuan of a young Xiao-Jiu, expect Xuan Su has a brand of unashamed bloodthirstiness that can't be replicated by anything that's not made of 5 feet of sharp-edged murder.
It's not all bad. Xuan Su mourned with him when they though Shen Jiu was dead and rejoiced when they found him again. It has been trying its best to help Yue Qingyuan fight his heart demons so he could confess to Shen Qingqiu, even when it has heart demons of its own. They are beyond compatible in the physical and spiritual sense, granting Yue Qi the almost inhuman strength he became famous for. The mental component of their cultivation stagnates, however, because they are trying to split their attention between dealing with Yue Qingyuan's guilt and Xuan Su's abandonment issues and they are getting nowhere.
It's Shang Qinghua who accidentally gives them the push to pick one or the other. ("All right, enough!" Shang Qinghua claps his hands and freezes the dozen frantic An Ding disciples almost coming to blows about which one of their three separate crises should get the most resources. "You," he points at a kid with a missing front tooth. "All resources to your problem. And when that's done, then to his,-" Points at another child. "- and then hers. This way all of them will get solved on time and they will get solved better because you don't spread yourself thin trying to do three different things requiring full focus at once.") They decide to address Xuan Su's bottleneck because it's easier: Yue Qingyuan has already proved that he would not abandon it. They will ascend or die together.
They don't expect the backlash from its breakthrough to knock Yue Qingyuan out for several weeks (it's the bond stabilizing, finally, but his body and core need time to grow accustomed to only having his qi and his life force, all contained neatly within him as it should have been all these years). Weeks while Xuan Su is left alone on the peaks, unsupervised and without anybody knowing that it currently wears the form of a fourteen-year-old boy.
So of course the first thing it (he?) does is slip away before anyone could identify him and goes to Shen Qingqiu. The plan is simple: chew the man out for making Yue Qi sad all these years and then tell him what went down in the caves so he forgives Xuan Su's human and they can all be a happy family together! (A lot of its previous wielders sought fame to be allowed to wed various people they would not be able to marry otherwise, so Xuan Su might have acquired a passing interest in romance. Xuan Su approves of Yue Qi's choice, Shen Qingqiu is a sharp, very sword-like human and Xiu Ya is a very nice, well-balanced sword, but they really keep dragging things out way too long.)
Except Shen Qingqiu doesn't believe that the suddenly appearing feral teenager on his peak is actually a sword spirit. Swords cultivating human form are the stuff of legends and Yue Qi is far too down-to-earth for any of that nonsense. So clearly this Xiao-Su is an orphan his idiot Qi-ge has adopted; he's certainly feral enough to be one. No idea where Yue Qingquan has hidden this child before, but he's not quite presentable enough to be among the Qiong Ding disciples, despite the wonderfully elaborate clothes he's wearing. He enjoys food like he's tasting decent cooking for the first time, so he must not have been here long. Shen Qingqiu remembers being much the same when he first got to eat regularly, but hiding it much better, thank you very much.
Shen Qingqiu decides that he's going to keep an eye on his shixiong's charge until the man wakes up, because it's obvious that the kid can't be allowed to wander the peaks unsupervised. This decision has obviously nothing to do with Xiao-Su's instant hatred towards the little beast. Nope. Nothing at all.
Xuan Su eventually does manage to tell Shen Qingqiu that Qi-ge came back for him. Yue Qingyuan wakes up and confirms that yes, that bratty rascal is the great and powerful Xuan Su. They eventually learn about Binghe's demonic heritage and go investigating how the hell that has happened. But not before a few weeks of shenanigans and Luo Binghe accidentally winning Xuan Su (and by proxy Shen Qingqiu, much to the man's annoyance) over by the wonders of his godly cooking skills.
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adaptacy · 9 months
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could you do a pt. 2 to the johnny getting the reader pregnant? i wanna see what the family says when they find out— do they still want her dead or are they all about having more family members? 🥺👉🏻👈🏻
hi~!! i was lowkey gonna make a part 2 anyways cause the brainrot started flowin so ofc!
tw: developing stockholm, implied noncon, forced preg, threats of cannibalism/death, etc
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"Let's get you out of those clothes, hm?" Johnny offered, reaching down for the bottom of the shirt that hung loosely over your frame, practically engulfing it. He didn't have any clothes your size, and sure as hell didn't have the money to get any, so he'd simply given you his own shirts and had miraculously managed to convince Nancy to hand over two of her pairs of underwear. That made three including the underwear you'd been wearing when he captured you so long ago.
Yeah, you were hardly living lavishly.
You shifted, awkward and nervous as he pulled his shirt off of you, letting it fall to the ground. Even though the kisses he scattered over your neck were soft, even if the hands on your chest were gentle, he wasn't either of those things. He was rough, and inhuman, and despicable.
But he'd saved you, hadn't he?
You weren't sure what you preferred more; death or purgatory.
Johnny's hands slid down your waist and peeled off your underwear, letting it fall to your ankles as you hesitantly stepped out of it. His hands, thankfully, were removed from your skin and he stepped past you, running a bath as you slinked against a wall, your eyes on the floor.
After a few minutes, Johnny was lowering you into the tub, and although he began cupping water and pouring it onto your hair, he paused when he heard the front door open.
"I'll be back," he alerted, and you gave a small nod, continuing what he started as you washed yourself. Johnny left the room, and after a minute or two, you could hear Nancy's voice alongside his own.
"How much longer?" She asked, already sounding upset, and it didn't take you long to realize that she was referencing you.
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Remember how I was tellin' you about-"
"Boy, don't play games. I'm tired'a you beatin' around this same damn bush all the time. You ain't been huntin', you ain't been stickin' round for dinner, yer always with that damn girl. It's past time," she demanded, and you winced, sinking further into the bathtub.
"Ma- Nancy, please, just listen'ta me for a sec. I know what you've been sayin', I- I know I was taking a long time, but-"
"You killin 'er or am I?"
"What?"
"Are you killin' her, or am I."
"Nancy, can't we just talk about this for a sec? I- I have somethin' I wanna tell you, it's 'bout the girl. I promise I ain't just stallin' fer time, it's just-"
"I'm done with it, Johnny. She's been distractin' you long enough," Nancy snapped, and you heard a heavy sigh from Johnny, and then footsteps. Approaching footsteps.
"Wait, wait, you don't- Let me talk to you, please!" Johnny strained, and you didn't think you'd ever heard so much emotion in his voice. He sounded like a kid trying to get himself out of trouble. Desperate, even.
"Johnny, I warned you's. I told you that so long as you was stayin' our hunter, it wouldn't be a problem. But she made it a problem. And it's her fault. Yer losin' sight o'yer goals," Nancy replied, her voice nearing you.
"No, I know what you mean, just- Nancy!" Johnny called out, and you could hear them enter the bedroom. You crossed your arms over your chest, and Nancy stomped closer and closer to the room. "Please, Nancy, she's pregnant!"
Just as he called after her, she stepped into the bathroom, her eyes landing on the store-bought test laying on the bathroom counter. Johnny stumbled in after her, standing next to her as he glanced between the test and the woman. "What the hell did you do, boy?"
Dinner was tense. Awkward. Uncomfortable.
Prying eyes from every direction. You just stared at your plate. You weren't hungry. You didn't even want to imagine what the meat was.
"Darlin', eat up. It's pork. Gotta keep healthy. Y'know. For them," Johnny encouraged, taking a seat next to you and gently nudging your plate towards you. You stared at it for a few more seconds, and you heard Johnny sigh, preparing to say something more, but you reached for your fork before he did.
You picked up a small slice of pork with the utensil, taking a small bite out of it. Tasted like pork. Felt like pork. You prayed it was.
"I think she's cute. Y'all will have cute babies," a girl giggled, and Johnny replied with a small smile.
"I- I never seen a stranger's baby 'fore. N-never seen a pregnant... victim 'fore, either..." A shaky male spoke, and Johnny's smile turned into a frown.
"She's not a victim," Johnny sighed, taking a bite out of his food.
"The hell have you gotten us into, boy?" Another male asked, this one sounding much older, but you didn't bother picking your head up to look at them.
"Can y'all just eat dinner?" Johnny growled, and you nearly flinched, the tone being scarily reminiscent of his demands while he was inside of you. You shifted at the thought, wondering if your situation meant that the sexual aspects of his.. interest in you would come to an end.
Something told you it wasn't going to be that easy.
"Does this mean I'll finally get a sister?" The girl said again, her grin apparent in her voice. "Oh, Johnny, yer such a sweetie. Gettin' me a girl I can talk.. girl stuff with," she giggled.
"She ain't yours. Not your sister or your friend."
"S-so... why ain't we eatin' her? What.. what makes her special?" The nervous one asked.
"Because Johnny needs to learn to deal with the goddamn consequences of his actions," Nancy sighed.
"So, he can keep 'er?" A still-giggling voice asked, and it earned a familiar sigh from Nancy.
"If he keeps huntin'. If not, she's our dinner. Babe or not," the woman answered, and even Johnny seemed a bit uncomfortable at the threat.
"I'll keep hunting. She ain't gonna be eaten."
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justcallmesakira · 4 months
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hihihihi AUGH i love ur work sm?!! omg if u can fyodor with a younger sister (she has the same level of intelligence of him and works in the doa and his organaization) who is dating dazai? :) I know there are some but i need crack and suggestive!!1
ty and er bye good luck take ur time!
"Fyodor with a sister dating Dazai''
Sypnosis: Your rat brother is anything but happy about the fact that you are dating his only enemy on earth! Good luck on surviving!!!
Genre: crack, suggestive at the end
Warnings: bombing, terrorizz, , mentions of maniupulative behaviour, mentions of verlaine, roblox radgoll, loads of simping words, me being down bad, making out (lol), your mom
A/N: my reqs are currently closed but ehhhh who cares lol also THIS WAS SO HARD TO WRITE HONESTLY- pls enjoy and reblog i tried my best--- *dies of mental ilness*
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How bro-
JUST HOW DID U DO THAT W/O HIM BLASTING DAZAIS INTERNAL ORGANS? 🤯🤯🤯
No bcs fyodor did not even plan to let u meet dazai but ofcourse bcs of the dead apple tower and stuff and since then he had completly fallen inlove with you whether you are dostoevskys sister or not
He prob asked u to do a waltz with him in the mukokukokurokito or whatver the phuck that towers name was when you entered the castle with your brother
Fyodor WAS NOT happy because he saw the flirty glint in dazais eyes when u came
If looks cold kill-.. (KILL ME, RUSSIAN ZADD😍😍---)
And all you went was giggles and flirting back
Fyodor is prob gonna get his own medicine bcs they two are so like each other??? but he still couldnt believe how you with such high intelligence could fall for him???
(fyodor take your anemic medication first)
Dazai obv had some skeptics after you but like the manwhore he is and prob slept with the entierty of yokohama! ofc hes gonna court you as if you might not just use him!!!
Very (not) normal behaviour indeed!!
HELP YOU KNOW THAT ONE INDIAN RIZZLER VS. UWU CAT??? HES LITERLY THAT BUT
Dazai: "I fucked your sister she be screaming high pitch😈" fyodor: "What did you say, you little child i will crush your skull 😡😡😡should have known when i smile, I also play cello, i can be anything Уву"
that was UWU in russian btw-
But in all serious he will try maniupultaing you or gaslighting you into leaving dazai, he cant leave his only family to a man he does not trust! fyodor doesnt even trust himself-
fyodors gonna act a bit more colder then usual bcs of the fact HIS sister is dating someone and that someone is his enemy
Honeslty you go up to say chuuya whos like "why do i get deja vu-" *flashback to verlaine* you: "First time?"
But ofc since you are also extremely smart you somehow convinced him (after playing roblox radgoll with him for 8 hours) to let you atleast join date with dazai
I bet you rizzed up dazai by "He said his favourite colour was blue, so i blew him up😍💣"
*insert proud brother noises*
He speaks in russian or any slavic language whenever you three are in a gathering to mostly embarress dazai
I have seen some hcs on dazai being a collarbone biter so if you were off shoulder shirts and fyodor sees them by chance hes going to glare at you as if you are covered in mud :33
"Sister,,,what. is. that." *nasty side eye to the love bite on your neck*
Dazai 100% one time randomly pulled you into the alley and started aggresively making out with you with his hands literly sprawling all over your body like hes daddy long legs or sth-
Bcs HE KNEW that fyodor had cctv set in that part of the city and fyodor would be raging at the fact that the sluttiest man is touching his precious sister like that
bros gonna forgot abt human rights- oh wait hes russian
IF HE EVER CATCHES YOU TWO THO--
Like making out on some bed or sth hes actually no LIKE ACTUALLY GOING TO throw a whole ass cabinet at dazai with a face full of nothing but malice-
"How dare, an inhuman animal like you touch my very sister" "BRO CHILL I AM YOUR BROTHER-IN-LAW--"
And your just trying to stop your brother from commiting murder even though that his hobby ^^
fyodor finally forgot he had anemia bcs now all his focus was to give dazai the most painful death know to the medieval period\
Good luck on stoping your brother from poking a fork in your lovers eye in family dinners!!
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A/N: guys ik i am doing the valentines req pls be patient i am trying my best!! i have a relly bad mental health rn so yeahhh-
Divider crds!: @cafekitsune
tags! @silverbladexyz @biscuits-lovely-corner @riiwrites @heartsfourdazai @tojifile @atsquie @atlasnessie @chuuyasboner @yosanosboner @ruanais @darling--angst
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starry-bi-sky · 5 months
Note
for clone Danny, Clone Damian
I give you
Edit Clone Talia as somehow Girlfriend of Danny, just think of the comedy
nah brO BECAUSE LITERALLY I HAVE THOUGHT BOUT THAT. Literally since the conception of Clone Danny, I have thought about it. If only for, as you said, the COMEDY of it all. Plus I love writing romance.
Literally my motto for my aus is: A) is it plausible, B) is it FUNNY (and a secret third option C) is it ANGSTY)
Clone Talia would be an offshoot au of Clone^2 because idk how she'd fit into the original timeline, bUT, she'd exist. And to avoid confusion I'll call her Nasra - I thought about Tameka (which means twin) but I like Nasra better. "Talia and Nasra" just flows so nicely doesn't it?
Idk WHY there's a clone of Talia running around -- maybe the LoA made her, maybe n unknown organization who hates Batman and knows he has romantic ties to Talia, and started making a clone of her to fuck with him and then she got nabbed by a portal when she was still Danny's age and in the middle of training. She might be like Connor (??) and have memories and thus her training is more proficient than baby Dames.
Either way, regardless of how she was made, I think it's hilarious if she, much like baby Dames, immediately attacks Danny on sight. She falls into his city and Danny only has a moment to go "goddammit not agaIN" before he's fending off a very confused, very violent Nasra. Fortunately he's able to actually try and talk to her and be at least somewhat successful -- Nasra knows english. although even if she didn't, Danny would still be somewhat successful since he knows Arabic.
Also Bruce and Danny are the battinson bat because i think that is also hilarious and 'wet rat' is STILL the perfect energy for Danny as Phantom - especially in the early days when he's running around in all but jeans and a hoodie. (and god watch me go on a rant in a separate post about his outfit and reasonings for being Phantom when he has no powers later on because it makes me go FERAL. and his active choice to look as inhuman and ghost-like through his behavior as phantom and the decision to wear such a creepy mask as possible)
(like seriously, imagine walking home late at night while danny was still in his early vigilante days (and even now when he's got damian and a better suit) and seeing a skinny figure in the shadows with sunken in black-and-glowing-green eyes, and a bone white, skull-like face, crouched on all fours like a wild animal about to pounce. THAT is the level of creepiness I was going for for clone danny)
In my head, Sam offers to house Nasra and Nasra stays with her. SAm is able to convince her parents to let her stay, or she pulls a Danny and just straight up smuggles her in and her parents are none the wiser. I also think it's funny if they have unspoken BEEF with each other. Only to later become like sisters. Nasra teaches Sam the martial arts she knows, and also Danny joins in too with Damian because goddamn he needs it even IF he's learning stuff from his mom (as per the most recent snippet post I made).
OH AND DAMIAN AND NASRA. I think it's equally as funny if they ALSO have beef with each other. Nasra is a clone of his mother (of whom he might have complicated views on due to being a clone but still is his mother) and Damian is a clone of Nasra's "son". This beef largely starts from Damian's own refusal to want to share his Danny with another clone, especially with a clone of his MOTHER.
Danny and Nasra don't become lovers for a good, long while I think. They're besties first before they even consider the idea of dating -- not only just because of the whole "uhhh our counterparts dated so it'd feel kinda weird and forced if we dated" and also because Nasra, with her newfound freedom, is busy trying to figure out herself.
A big theme here in clone^2: discovering your identity and who you are as a person when the only thing you own that's unique is your name (which isn't even the case for Damian), and figuring out if your choices are your own or because you're a clone and its something your original would have done. Nature vs Nurture and the illusion of choice and whether it really is one or not.
Also Nasra also becomes a vigilante. Danny appreciates the help but is also tearing out his hair because what the fuck is up with these assassins and becoming vigilantes?! Nasra goes by "Nesha". She's similar to Red Huntress at first where she kinda does her own thing, but is lowkey forced to team up with Danny about it because she doesn't have any proper ghost hunting equipment with her.
And then a duo becomes a trio, and Danny is spending more time with her. And they steadily become friends. Very snarky friends who are very bratty to each other, but friends. Damian still doesn't like her so Danny spends extra time during patrol keeping the two of them from making insults at each other.
"Nesha please stop fighting with a nine year old. Wraith, quit insulting Nesha."
Nasra also uses like, weaponry as Nesha which exasperates Danny a little because why are you using swords??? They're already dead its not gonna kill them,,,, If you cut off their heads its just gonna piss em off, its re-attachable. Let him ghost-proof it first too. But well, its still gonna HURT he supposes. He's still a little exasperated.
And MMM i'm sorry lmao im so focused on Nasra becoming her own person than the actual romance aspect of it all. Nasra cuts her hair short for the same/similar reasons that Danny keeps his long - to try and gain a semblance of autonomy and identity that's away from their original. Danny has his alternative rock-kinda geeky look and Nasra's got, from influence from Sam, a more alternative fashion style. Although she still leans into being feminine, which is a good challenge to Sam's belief that feminity = bad, and gets her to unlearn those bad habits since her new adoptive sister is feminine while still being an unapologetic badass.
And ykw I think Nasra gets into rollerblading and loves it. She rollerblades constantly. Damian is furious because skating is his thing (even if what he gets later on is a skateboard - skater boy damian ftw. i can see him wearing flannels and graphic tees as a teenager. very grungy/skater aesthetic. He also has a much more relaxed and teen-y speech pattern compared to DW's more formal way of talking. He also spray paints as his form of artistic medium.) and he refuses to have Nasra be a copy of him.
They will sort out their differences eventually. LMao.
Anyways they eventually do get together, but not before Danny finally has his run in with Mister Wayne. Which, they only meet because Danny starts destabilizing, and thus needs Bruce Wayne's DNA to help stabilize himself. Which that meeting in and of itself is pretty chaotic on its own, but then add clone Damian and Nasra? Bruce needs coffee.. or alcohol.
Because picture this: its late at night, you're on patrol with the rest of your family. It's like, two in the morning. You suddenly get a call in from your butler, Alfred, informing you that not one, not two, but THREE children -- two of them in their late teens and the other one not even ten yet -- showed up on your doorstep. One of them is unconscious. They are all clones.
The girl and the boy are twins - and are clones of YOU - and the girl isn't even technically YOUR clone she's a clone of your clone - and also this clone of you is your college friends' kid. And then the youngest boy is a clone of your youngest SON. Bruce is running across rooftops when he gets this call and does a literal 180 degree turn and touches the ground because he basically did a figure skating turn, and sprints back towards the manor because what the fuck? He needs to check this out.
And then half a day later a clone of your fucking ex shows up on your doorstep demanding to see the clone of you - the boy that is, not the girl - and then immediately gets into a verbal lashing with the clone of your son. Like what a fucking DAY. Your kids are equally as baffled but also laughing their asses off -- except your bio son, who is very unhappy about this turn of events and keeps getting the stink eye from his clone.
Like??? I'd quit right then and there.
While Danny recovers he's staying in Wayne manor and Damian is very reportedly not leaving his side. Ellie has to leave to help take care of Amity Park with RH, and then Nasra is also very determinedly not leaving his side either. This is her friend dammit. The first thing she does when he becomes lucid is insult him, and he insults her back - they're bantering. It's how they flirt later on. None of the Bats know how to deal with this situation.
#dpxdc#dp x dc#dp x dc crossover#dpxdc crossover#dpdc#dpdc crossover#dpdc au#dp dc#dp dc crossover#clone^2#danny fenton is a clone#danny fenton is not the ghost king#sorry this got so long and i barely even got into them falling in love with one another#satoshy you should totally reblog this so we can talk about this more i'd love to bounce ideas with you or anyone else about it 👀#this is so funny to me personally because like. im imagining nasra doesnt show up unti danny's like at least 18-19#which is a wild set of 3 years for danny because he finds out he's a clone when he's 15#acquires Damian at 16 and then meets nasra at 18#like he got one grace period where it was just him and his new little brother and then BAm another clone#damian showed up by accident but i promise you nasra was specifically clockwork's doing because its hilarious to me personally#CW loves danny but also he's a little shit. i was originally gonna call Nasra's vigilante name 'revenant' but thought it was too basic#also danny not meeting bruce until he's almost 20 is very funny to me. especially since baby dames was with the league for 6 years#beforehand#like what do you mean my clone has been living unnoticed for 18 years. he's had damian for HOW LONG? THREE YEARS?#morally gray danny has my heart ever since my post where he murdered three guys for nearly killing his brother.#nasra attacks danny and yay! he doesn't hurt his hands this time around! he's grown since he met damian. that was also a large part why dee#didn't like nasra right off the bat. she could've hurt him and made his hands even worse.
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Cinderella - Nikolai Lantsov x Reader
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SUMMARY: Nikolai is a party person, you're not. But he's also a fool in love, so when you quietly disappear, he wastes no time finding you.
WORDCOUNT: ~ 1.5k
>>Grishaverse-inspired playlist<<
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Nikolai didn’t notice your sudden disappearance right away. He can’t exactly be blamed for that - he wasn’t given a chance to. With the mob of aristocrats and silk stockings flocking to him without mercy or patience, Nikolai’s attention could only take so much. They all wanted to shake the king’s hand, tell him a witty remark or confess how much they were enjoying the evening. He was, however, disillusioned by their pompous words - throughout years he’s learned to quickly catch on to the kernel of truth covered with layers of exaggerated epithets and sophisticated lexicon.
Only when the nobility and magnates spread out through the castle, taking advantage of the rare goods imported just for the ball, did Nikolai feel like he was forgetting something. He looked around the lavish ballroom in search of you, even just a glimpse of your dress or your hair. Alas, he saw none. Logically, he knew you were not in any kind of danger but lovers rarely are reasonable. There’s this strange itchiness in the back of his head that made his fingertips and feet tingle. In a room full of people, he felt uncomfortably lonely without you next to him; the world felt strangely wrong when you were not around.
He walked through the crowded halls asking about you - Grisha, guests, guards, no one seemed to have seen you recently. Despite the audible uneasiness in his voice, he dismissed any questions regarding your assumed well-being. Truthfully, the inquiries were only slightly misguided. You were probably perfectly fine and it was he who was sick with yearning because of your absence. Not sure what to do or where to continue his search, Nikolai simply marched forward, hoping to miraculously bump into you at some point. After all, what kind of miserable night is it going to be for him if he can’t dance even one time with his beloved queen?
Then, a gust of cold wind tugs at his clothes. His eyes look towards the direction of the night breeze only to discover one of the balcony doors being cracked open. Could it be…?
Nikolai approaches the windowed door with hopeful vigour. His heart stops for a moment, only to resume beating at a feverish pace:
As if unbothered by the grand ball, you’re leaning against the guardrail of the balcony, watching the starry sky. Moonlight washes over your silhouette, painting you more of a creature of dreams rather than reality. Cold wind tugs and waves the hem of your lavender gown but you don’t seem to mind it. To Nikolai, you appear almost inhuman like he just stumbled upon a dryad that got too caught up in looking at the moon and forgot to hide from the human gaze. It must be by the Saints’ mercy that he’s the one to not only admire the nymph but hold her heart as his own.
“You come here often, красивая девица?”
Startled, you turn around to look at the unexpected guest. Upon seeing Nikolai’s face, you sigh and let your shoulders relax - you can discard all of your facades around him without ever hearing a word of criticism. Without thinking about it, your lips curve into a smile.
“Only when I need a moment to breathe,” you answer before turning back to look at the sky again.
Nikolai leans on his arm against the guardrail. His watchful gaze studies the side of your face, his thoughts slipping away to gush about your beauty, while he’s trying to keep his focus on the more important matter that is checking up on you. The longer his eyes trail your features, the more he grows convinced that you are, in fact, a dryad and have put some kind of spell on him that has bound his thoughts to you.
“You worried me, love,” he speaks softly, as though he’s afraid his words might further spoil your mood, “disappearing so suddenly.”
With an apologetic look on your face, you meet his gaze. “I’m sorry. I just…” You look away for a moment, gathering thoughts. “It all became a little too much: the people, the noise. I didn’t mean to worry you.”
Nikolai brings your hand to his lips and places a soft kiss on your wedding ring. “I will always worry for you.” The gold jewellery glistens in the pale, silvery moonlight.
 Part of you still finds it hard to believe that a man of his sort is doting on you. Funnily enough, he’s thinking the same - what unimaginable machinations of the universe blessed him with you taking his name?
A comfortable silence falls between the two of you. The noise of people enjoying the evening is distant and muffled like it’s coming from another reality, somewhere far from the microcosm of the balcony. As mentioned before, lovers tend to belong to another species. Nikolai and you are just staring at each other with complete devotion in your eyes, silently exchanging confessions and oaths even death can’t quite break.
The sound of someone walking past the balcony door pulls you back to reality. Although the awakening is not welcome, you find it necessary. “Shouldn’t you be getting back to your guests, мой царь? They came from far away to meet their king.”
“Oh, please, they didn’t come here for me. Why else attend a ball if not to admire the queen?”
“That’s your reason for attending.” Nikolai doesn’t find it in himself to lie and deny the accusation. “Most people just want to dance, talk and have a bit of caviar.”
Jokingly, he puts a hand on his chest. “Are you calling me special?”
You only shake your head and bite your lower lip but it’s not enough to stop the wide smile from spreading across your face. “I never said that.”
Nikolai frowns at your denial but the playful glint in his blue eyes rids his expression of all seriousness. “No, I’m pretty sure I just heard you say ‘Nikolai, you’re the most amazing man I have ever met’. Why, thank you. I must agree.”
His half-serious cockiness makes you laugh out loud. If he didn’t look pathetic before, he surely does now: the king of Ravka, staring at you with a soft smile and a dreamy gloss in his eyes. For a moment, he’s not noble in any way, shape or form. Nikolai is just a man - a man who gladly traded deference for love. Your laughter rings in his ears, his yearning mind hoarding the beautiful sound as though it desperately needs it for survival. Even the efforts of the talented orchestra are drowned out by your happiness as there is no other music he wishes to listen to.
Only when you’ve stopped laughing does he continue the conversation, never daring to interrupt something he adores so much: “Are you feeling better, милая?”
“I will soon.”
The orchestra finished one of the more upbeat pieces and in a true show of their expertise, they smoothly transition to a slow, sombre tune. Because of the distance between the balcony and the grand ballroom, the music is muffled as though the artists are performing their song in a nearly-forgotten dream; as if the soft tune belongs to another realm.
“In the meantime,” he says as he offers you his hand, “may I have this dance?”
You only giggle as you put your palm on top of his. Soon, you’re slowly swaying to the distant melody with his arm protectively wrapped around your waist. It’s not an actual ballroom dance, so you feel no embarrassment in comfortably placing your face against his shoulder. Out there, among lords and magnates, maybe this would be considered too casual but on the balcony, it’s the only way one should dance. The time seems to stop as you and Nikolai rock to the rhythm of the sombre tune. 
After what feels like both seconds and hours, you lift your head off his shoulder. Nikolai’s dreamy stare is following your small movements, never missing as much as a twitch of a muscle. If he could, he’d engrave your face on his eyelids, so he doesn’t have to go more than a few seconds without seeing you.
“As much as I appreciate your concern,” you begin quietly, as though raising your voice might burst this little bubble of careless romance, “you don’t have to run after me anytime I need to get away for a moment.”
Nikolai answers in an equally low voice: “I also don’t have to kiss your beautiful face but I just can’t help myself, you know?”
You’re still giggling when you feel his lips against yours. It’s sweet and tender and absolutely consuming. There’s a certain intensity to this kiss - the passion known only to those obsessed with something, whose intrinsic instincts can’t just casually enjoy the object of their desire. His warm lips feel perfectly moulded for yours as he’s silently pouring the contents of his heart for the world to see.
____
красивая девица [kra-see-va-ya de-vi-tza] -> beautiful girl
мой царь [moy tzar] -> my tsar/king
милая [me-la-ya] -> 1. darling, sweetheart 2. cute
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devildomwriter · 2 months
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“…Excuse me? You don’t know TSL? And you call yourself a human?! Just how clueless ARE you?! How could you not know?! Just the fact that you don’t know TSL alone is proof that you’ve been wasting your life! So, I’m going to do you a favor and teach you about TSL. Make sure you pay attention! The Tale of the Seven Lords, otherwise known as TSL, is a series of fantasy novels written by Christopher Peugeot. It’s a heroic epic spanning 138 volumes, and it’s the most widely-read fantasy series in the world. There are even theatrical versions, an animated series, and feature films, too. And it’s been translated into a total of 182 different languages. The 1990s theatrical version was an utter disaster, owing to the fact that they added several characters that were NOT present in the original manuscript. At the time I was like, “this producer totally needs to crawl into a hole and die!” But then the 2015 version came out, and it was AMAZING! Better than amazing! If you ask me, it showed that needlessly cramming a female lead in there alongside Henry was a bad idea. That’s not what he needs. What he NEEDS is a friend who really understands him, and the 2015 version proved that.
Also, the most vital element of the story is that each of the Seven lords is so unique. They’re all so interesting in their own peculiar way. That’s what makes TSL so great! The lords are all brothers…the oldest is called the Lord of Corruption. He doesn’t come across as being so bad at first, but he’s always plotting and planning in secret. The second oldest is the Lord of Fools, a scumbag who’ll do anything for money. The third oldest is called the Lord of Shadow, a brooding recluse. The fourth oldest is known as the Lord of Masks. He masquerades as a high-status, upstanding member of society, but underneath it all, he’s an inhumane monster. The fifth oldest, the Lord of Lechery, only ever thinks of sex. The sixth oldest is the Lord of Flies, and he only ever thinks of food. The seventh oldest, called the lord of Emptiness. He’s weird…you never know what’s running through his head! It seems most people like the oldest lord, the lord of corruption, the best. Everyone always talks about how great he is. But not me. I like the third Lord way more. Of course, I like Henry too. He’s the protagonist. He’s almost as great as the third lord. The second Lord is total scum, a hopeless degenerate that leads a life of extravagance and indulgence. He’s always causing trouble for the third lord. He’s got these magical pigs that can give birth to solid gold piglets, and he treasures them above all else. So Henry goes and talks to the pigs, and using his wit and powers of persuasion, he convinces them to leave with him. Then, he leads every last one of them away, and presents them to the third lord as a gift! Wow…I mean, they’re SUCH GOOD FRIENDS you can almost feel it! It’s enough to make you cry! Oh, and then there’s that one really awesome moment when the two of them realize they both like and respect each other, and they high-five! I just LOVE that part, you know? I wish I could have a moment like that. …I wish I could be like the third lord. I may be a recluse like him, but we’re totally different, because he’s got an amazing friend like Henry. Check it out. See that goldfish in the fish tank there? He’s actually named Henry. I love TSL so much that I couldn’t help naming him after the main character. But I cant really high-five a goldfish, can I?
The original author of TSL, Christopher Peugeot, he’s actually a human, you know? That’s why I’m so jealous of you guys. Humans are so lucky, you’ve got subscription services that let you watch your favorite anime anytime, you can go to Akihabara whenever you want… Why do only you guys get to experience all the good stuff? I mean, humans’ whole concept of pleasure originally came from us demons, you know? We gave it to you. So, why can’t we have a little bit of it back now, huh? I mean, I want to be able to go to a Japanese maid café, too. I want to hear the maids welcome me as if I’m the master of the house, and have them draw ketchup hearts on my fried rice omelette, to experience the magic of it all. I want to cosplay as Henry, and then go stand in the center of Akihabara, or maybe that one building in Tokyo that’s shaped like upside-down triangles. And once I’m there, I want to perform Henry’s super-powerful signature finishing move for all to see and say the incantation that goes with it. I want to shout it at the top of my lungs!...Actually you know what? I want to BE Henry.”
— Leviathan’s longest TSL rant (Chapter 1-13)
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adickaboutspoons · 8 months
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When a Steard is not a Beard
I want to talk about the significance of Stede's beard in the opening dream sequence of s2e1, and how we know from Lucius in the first season that "not every beard is a beard". Of course SOME beards are just beards - most of the Revenge and QA crew sport face fuzz of some sort or another, and it's just How They Look. But, narratively speaking, when attention is called to facial hair in this show, it's all about deception and hiding one's true self.
We have Blackbeard, who has built his brand around his eponymous facial fur, but feels stifled by the way the success of said brand has left him bored out of his skull, and frustrated by the way his reputation has been co-opted and twisted into something inhuman. (And by poor Taika's accounts, the beard itself was literally stifling; unbearably hot to wear, and how he could hardly move the bottom half of his face lest the glue start peeling off). It's only when Ed shaves it off at the academy that he's able to start really approaching the question of what it means to be Just Ed. And, of course, we have the way he smeared kohl across his mouth and jaw in a frightful simulacrum of a beard as part of his Kraken transformation at the end of season 1.
We have Jim, who uses a fake beard to conceal their identity while on the run after having killed Alfeo de la Vaca. Only once that beard is discarded are they able to really think about who they are and how that doesn't fit in the narrow parameters of a gender binary. We see them go back into the beard when they re-commit themself to the vengeance quest, posing as a bearded priest in order to capture Geraldo, but, again divested of the beard, Jim is able to consider whether completing the vengeance quest and allowing their life to be consumed with a family that is dead and gone is something they want, or if they might be happier committing themself to a different path, and finding a family that will give them the love and support their own no longer can. And then, of course, the way Jim paints on a simulacrum beard when they are forced into a life of violence as part of Kraken!Ed’s crew.
We have Heartbroken Voyeur Stede’s comment about how Calico Jack had nice hair, but “his moustache is weird.” Shortly after, we learn that CJ has been a duplicitous, manipulative asshole the entire time, his only goal to lure Ed away from the Revenge before the British came to kill Stede.
So what does it say that Stede is dreaming about himself with a full beard? To have Dream!Ed specifically comment on it? Because they’re calling attention to it, so, hey, hi, how are you? You have my attention!
I think it’s not JUST that Stede is casting himself in the role of the dashing hero with all the trappings thereof, indulging in a fantasy about a joyous, romantic reunion with his beloved. Because this fantasy has some MUCH darker connotations than the sun-drenched beach would suggest. This Dashing Hero™ persona isn’t Stede’s idealized self. It’s the culmination of all his insecurities about not being the kind of person who is worthy of the attention and love of someone as impossibly cool as Blackbeard.
(Incidentally, I think it significant that Ed, in the dream, ALSO has his full beard. This more than anything is what clues me into the fact that Stede is still trying to measure up to the Legendary Pirate Blackbeard - not Just Ed with his soft, beautiful clean-shaven face, nor even a more realistic version with a beard that’s coming in quite nicely, but isn’t anywhere near the epic proportions that it once was, as we see with the scenes of real Kraken!Ed)
We learn later in the episode that Stede has been dragging his feet about setting out to reunite with Ed in spite of the all the money he and the crew have managed to scrape together working for Jackie, and the true reason behind his reticence is that he is still genuinely convinced that Ed is better off and happier without him. Even when reunited with Lucius in episode 2 and Lucius suggests that Ed’s time with Stede was “as good as it’s going to get for [Ed]”, Stede’s response is that he’s “not ready to believe that.” Stede really just is incapable of conceptualizing a reality in which Just Stede could ever be enough.
(And don’t get me started on Lucius’ beard! Lucius who was the emotional intelligence of the crew in the first season, and is now a guarded, brittle, traumatized shell of who he was. He’s 100% for sure not hiding behind a façade of butched-up toughness. Nope. Not. At. All.)
So in Stede's dreams, he’s the epitome of the kind of guy that WOULD be good enough. The kind of guy who has a beard and wears leather pants (hello queer urge to become the person that you sexually desire, how are you?). The kind of guy with neat, tidy, barely even wavy hair instead of perfectly coifed cherub curls. The kind of guy who, if he wears a fine fabric at all, it’s wrapped around his waist where it can be mostly concealed by a thick, macho belt, and trailing in front of his crotch like a fabric phallus (and, say, if Ed feels like touching it, maybe there’s something else in the vicinity that he might also be interested in touching?). The kind of guy who is tough and competent and can kill without remorse or pity.
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whiskygoldwings · 2 months
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Anecdotes of a Guard Life: Bribery
Inspired by this post!
Another this-just-took-hold-of-me-and-wouldn't-let-go-until-I-wrote-it inspired by someone else bit of fanfic! At least it's only around 1000 words this time... No CWs! This is all just fluff!
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Stone ate his mildly disgusting breakfast mush lacklusterly. The packaging had promised melioorun flavour porridge, but if this slop had even seen anything resembling a melioorun, he’d eat the whole kriffing box. Adding some of the sugar they’d “requistioned” from the most recent Senate Gala had helped far less than he expected.
The door to the small commander’s mess opened, and Stone blearily looked up, grateful for the distraction.
Fox walked in, fully kitted up in armour and helmet, and Stone raised an eyebrow. The Marshall Commander stuck to protocol rigidly, but barracks areas were helmet-by-choice areas, and Fox typically chose to go without. If he wasn’t coming off a 24 hour shift in the Senate, he’d probably be better able to figure out a reason behind it, but as it was, he just stared as Fox moved over towards the cupboards.
He watched as Fox opened the first cupboard, stared into it for several moments, pushed aside a few bits, then shut it and moved on to the next one. This process repeated itself several times before Stone finally mustered together the curiosity to ask.
“What’re you looking for, Fox?”
There’s a low grumbling, completely inaudible through the vocoder, and Stone blinks. “Sorry?”
Fox sighs heavily and turns to face him. “Caf.”
Stone stares. “Don’t you normally have several boxes in the first cupboard?”
“Yes.”
Silence.
“So... Where’s it all gone?” Stone ventures cautiously. Surely the Marshall Commander wouldn’t forget to add caf to the requisition forms he fills out?
There’s a sound that Stone is convinced in a growl, then one word. “Thorn.”
Stone’s spoon is held forgotten suspended above his bowl, as he squints at Fox, confused.
“...Thorn?”
“You called?” Thorn suddenly pops his head in through the open door and Stone has to frantically catch his spoon before it flips onto the floor as he jumps.
“Kriff, Thorn!”
“Only on weekends!” Thorn chants, voice entirely too chipper for this hour of the morning. He slides into the room, also fully kitted up, but that’s much more normal for the early-bird Commander. “I heard my name being taken in vain?”
“Where’s the caf?”
Thorn pauses and turns to face the source of the last growled question. Fox is laser-focused on him and even through the visor Stone’s pretty sure the glower on his face is fierce.
Thorn doesn’t answer for a moment, before his helmet tilts slightly to the side and he places his hands on his hips. “You know what you need to do.”
Stone watches, eyes flipping between the two of them as they stand off against each other. He’s got absolutely no idea what’s going on, but whatever it is, it’s fascinating.
Fox’s shoulders rise tensely, and his fists clench, before all of a sudden he slumps with a sigh. He raises his arms slightly and Thorn makes an... inhuman squealing sound before rushing forwards, slipping his arms around him and lifting him from the ground in a...
Hug...
Thorn is hugging Fox, arms wrapped around his middle, Fox’s boots dangling a foot above the ground and helmet tilted exasperatedly to the side. Stone could swear Thorn’s visor has taken on a gleeful tint as he squeezes Fox, who lets out a little “Ooft” of protest, but otherwise does nothing to prevent it from happening.
Stone’s pretty sure his mouth has dropped wide open, but he just can’t seem to stop staring. He never thought he’d see the day. Marhsall Commander Fox. Accepting a hug. And not separating the perpetrator’s head from their shoulders.
He wishes he’d been wearing his own helmet. What he wouldn’t give for a holo... No one will believe him.
Thorn keeps squeezing for what must be a whole minute before finally easing a floppy Fox back to the ground and letting go. Fox stands awkwardly for a moment, head canted back, before sighing again. “Caf?” He asks shortly, though Stone could swear his voice is soft and fond behind the abruptness.
“Bones has it!” Thorn chirps.
Fox nods, before edging carefully around Thorn, never turning his back to him, as if in fear of another hug attack, before leaving the room.
Stone sits in silence while Thorn watches after him for a moment, then has to ask “What the kriff was all that about?”
Thorn turns to him, pulling off his helmet with a grin. “I hide his caf until he lets me give him a hug!”
Stone stares. “You know he’s just going to kill you one day right?”
Thorn laughs. “You’d think but, here’s a little secret.” He strides over and throws himself into the chair opposite Stone, groaning gratefully at being off his feet. “Fox has a secret caf stash squirreled away in his weapons locker.”
Stone blinks, confused. He has not had enough sleep for this. “So... Why’s he looking for the stuff you hid?”
“Exactly,” and here Thorn smiles again, but it’s soft and slightly sad this time. “He has his own right? So. If he’s searching for the stuff I hid rather than using his secret stash, that’s how I know he really needs a hug.”
“Why doesn’t he just ask?” Stone frowns.
“Marshall Commander Fox ask for a hug? The calm, never-shaken, strong, Shiny-idol Fox? That one?” Thorn raises an eyebrow, and Stone thinks.
Yeah... It wouldn’t exactly fit the image he’s made for himself.
“Fair enough,” Stone shrugs, digging his spoon back into his slop and grimacing at the congealed texture.
“Want to know another secret?” Thorn asks, and Stone probably shouldn’t, but he’s weak for gossip and Thorn, the master manipulator, is well aware of it.
“Go on then.”
Thorn pulls something out of his pocket. “I carry caf rations with me at all times.” He holds up a little tub of what is clearly instant caf granules and shakes it at Stone.
“In case of emergency hug needs?”
Thorn grins. “Partially, but also. If I really, really want something and Fox is in a bad mood, bringing him a caf and asking while he’s in the middle of his second sip is almost guaranteed to get me what I want.”
Stone bursts into laughter. The Guard may follow it’s Marshall Commander with adoration and respect.
But secretly, he’s pretty sure Thorn is the real leader of the Guard.
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