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itsgrimeytime · 3 days

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he's such a pretty liar || Rick Grimes (TWD) × gn!reader

rick grimes taglist: @golden-hoax @mgparker @zomb-1-egutzz @deadgirlrin

AVAILABLE ON AO3

Dialogue Prompts: 8 + 2

Inspiration: my boy by Billie Eilish

Summary: You and Rick had gotten along at some point, at the farm and prison. You were friends even. Until the Governor killed Hershel, which you believed to be perfectly preventable. Because of his inaction then, you'd gotten a bitter taste in your mouth at the thought of him and eventually, he started to reciprocate the behavior. But as time passes, and you experience more and more with him, is it really hate that you feel?

TWs: enemies to lovers (like fr though), yelling, mentions of death (Shane, Lori, Beth, and Hershel), mention of the Claimers scene, cursing, anger, nosebleed, bruising, love confessions, injuries, blood, and all things TWD.

[[A/N: This is based on Carl being mad at Rick after the prison. Rick do be stressed out, and he do be saying some terrible stuff, but like so are you. This gif is so 🫣💞🤭💞🤪. Anyway, enjoy :))) ]]

You weren't a bad person, and in that regard, you wouldn't say Rick was either. Honestly, you respected him as a leader -you just didn't agree with all his choices. That's where it all started, after all, isn't it?

You'd seen what a wrong choice could do, you'd watched Hershel die right in front of your eyes. You'd seen it all.

And, sure, maybe you were grieving a little but you still largely disagreed with Rick's actions on the matter. It was preventable.

It started there, and only really got worse. It was like once you identified one flaw, suddenly you were second-guessing his every move. The two of you couldn't be in a room without arguing, couldn't be put on shifts together, nothing. Daryl, for one, wouldn't let you be alone together at all. And if it wasn't him, it was someone else.

"Rick, seriously," you spoke once, almost sternly, "-that can't be your decision."

"Why?" he responded -pointed and short, "-Ya got a better idea? Go right fuckin' ahead."

You knew that since the prison, Rick had been strung thin. You knew that he had been harder on himself than you could ever be about Hershel. But, you still were angry. Sometimes, sometimes it felt like maybe he was just a target for everything that you'd been through. And you were trying to change your behavior, change your ways.

You'd known him for so long, and you were going to be stuck with him. The group, even though the two of you weren't on the best terms, was like family to you.

And then, it started getting personal.

This argument stemmed from something small, trivial, you can't even remember it now. Maybe a decision on a run? You can't-

"Ya act like ya ain't made mistakes of your own," he added, "-all high and damn mighty-"

"When did I say that?" You interrupted, more cold than anything, "-You're putting words in my mouth, Grimes."

"-Because I seem to remember ya tellin' me about your family," he continued, not even pausing to listen to you.

You stilled in place.

"Rick," you warned (voice slightly shaking), "-don't... don't go there."

Your family. At the beginning of all this, you'd froze -scared. Watched one of them get bitten, and then everyone just followed after -not willing to grieve. You regretted not being quicker, not being more aware, but you weren't used to it. You weren't-

"Ya fucked up," Rick continued, as if he wasn't bringing up what he was, "-We all do, why do you-"

"No, no," you shook your head, voice shaking, "-Rick, that is not fair. You can't bring up my family-"

You had hated yourself for that, hated yourself. Still did. You would never forgive yourself for not saving them, even though you really didn't have an idea how to then, you should have-

God, he was bringing this up? Really?

"-over a goddamn run strategy."

"Well, you pick apart every damn thing I do," he retorted, "-'Thought I'd do the same for once."

"Oh, fuck you, Rick," you seethed, tears burning the backs of your eyes, "-you want me to poke at your wounds? Talk about who you could've saved?"

He pursed his lips, and you saw something flash through his eyes (they were trailing the now shake of your hands) that looked a little like regret. Like maybe he was understanding what he said. You felt like your skin was on fire.

"Do you want me to start from the beginning?" You tsked, a fire burning in your chest, "-Shane? Or maybe Lori? Beth? Hershel-"

"Stop," he stated, quieter than before.

"-Why, Rick?" you hissed, and you felt the tears now, "-Is this not what we're talking about? Oh, do you not want me to bring that up? Over a run?"

"I get it," he spoke, softer, and something in you sharpened, "-I get it, Y/N."

"Do you?" you responded, frustrated and just... angry, "-Do you, Rick?"

"I shouldn't 'ave-"

"Can it," you interrupted -short, "-Let's just get the fucking supplies and go."

Rick frowned, blue eyes far more emotive (all you could see was regret and pity), "Y/N, I didn't-"

"You didn't what?" You countered, and your voice was cracking, "-You didn't mean to bring up the fact that I watched my family die, right in front of me? Do you think that I don't hate myself every day for not doing anything then?"

Rick didn't say a word.

"-Hate to break it to you, sheriff, but I fucking do."

"Y/N..." he trailed off, blue eyes much calmer, the rage from before dissipating out of his voice.

"No, just-" you cleared your throat, wiping mindlessly at your frustratingly red eyes, "-Let's get this shit done and leave."

From then on, it had been much deeper.

You couldn't stand him, you hadn't been alone with him since. He made your skin crawl and your mind flare up in anger, and sometimes, just sometimes, it would shake your respect for him. Because you did have some, you probably wouldn't even be here, if you didn't.

The funny thing about it all was that you were close to Carl, very close to him. At the prison, after Lori's death, you'd nearly been inseparable. It was kind of like a parent relationship, but at the same time a little like a friend. It made you want to reconcile sometimes, but all you and Rick did was clash.

So much that you started to wonder what a normal conversation was like with him.

And then, you had the run-in with the Claimers.

God, what they'd threatened to do to Carl? You personally would've snapped their spine yourself if you had the chance. But what Rick had done? You couldn't imagine it yourself.

But you knew that he did what he had to. And some part of you wanted to tell him that, despite... despite all of your problems, you knew he needed it.

It was late that night when you decided to talk to him. It was just the two of you awake. You, on purpose, and you just knew Rick would be. Doing that was probably still rattling through his skull, he probably couldn't even close his eyes without-

Your steps were slow and careful, trying not to startle him -he just seemed to be staring. Endlessly staring, and just pacing. Despite it all, you felt something in your chest swirl with worry.

"Rick?" you spoke, gently. Even still, you saw his whole body tense up.

"Please," he muttered, voice low and gravelly -blue eyes heavy on you, "-I don't need your shit right now. I kno' 'at I did somethin' bad, really damn bad. But I just can't deal wit' ya-"

"No, Rick," you interrupted, "-that's not why I'm... That's not what I want to say."

"What do ya want to say, then?"

"You made the right decision," you responded, tone sturdy and unmoving, "-you... you did what you had to."

Rick stilled, something flickering through his face -a flutter of emotions.

"I know, we aren't on the best terms, but-" you rolled your lip around your teeth, "-you're not a monster, Rick."

The silence was loud then, as his blue eyes skimmed over you -carefully. Maybe like he was seeing a new you, or maybe an old one he'd forgotten about. One you'd forgotten about.

"Trust me, I know it feels like it," you added (mind flashing with what you'd done over the years), "-but you did what you had to. You saved your son, and that's all that matters."

He didn't say anything for a moment, trying to process your words. And if you really looked, you might've seen his eyes fogging up a little and the slight drop of tension in his shoulders. A little like he was waiting for someone to tell him that.

And then, he replied, "Thank ya."

You pursed your lips a moment, fidgeting with your hands. You weren't sure what else to say. This was all so new. With a succinct nod, you moved to spin on your heel and lay down for the night.

"Wait," he called, and you turned back to him -eyes inquisitive.

There was a beat.

"-'At day, on the run," he continued, slow and regretful, "-I'm... I'm sorry. I never should 'ave said somethin' like 'at. I never should 'ave brought it up at all. 'Wasn't right of me to."

"Thanks, Rick," you responded, brief but genuine, grateful. You could tell he understood.

Before you could fully turn around though, he added -softer, with something you couldn't quite name, "Goodnight, Y/N."

There was a pleasant hum in your mind at the way he said your name, but you shoved it away. You'd locked all of that far away, a long time ago.

"Night, Grimes," you chimed back, lighter in tone.

He smiled at you then, and something in you gleamed a little from it. Not that you would ever say it out loud.

There was something different after that, a sort of trust or respect. Or maybe something else, you didn't really know. It was there, though.

When you found Alexandria, things shifted a little. Mostly because it was your group against another one, you and Rick were profoundly on the same side. That being said, you still clashed. You weren't sure if it was just the authority of it all, or what? (It might've had a little to do with a blonde wife that he was spending some time with, but you'd never say that out loud.)

"You're seriously not going to let me lead the run?"

"I got Daryl on it," he responded, eyes solely sat on you.

"He's been on all the runs lately," you continued, trying to explain your case, "-Shouldn't this shit be evenly distributed? Have you even talked to Daryl about what he wants? Or are you just assigning us like it's some dictatorship-"

"'Course I damn talked to 'im," he snapped back, and you could see something tired in his eyes, "-everybody gets a say in what 'ey're doin', ya know 'at."

"Except for me," you contradicted, "-you keep giving me the same fucking chores, when I'm useful in other places-"

And he was, he kept you in Alexandria -washing clothes, making dinner, keeping an eye on the people. He made you some kind of mediator between Deanna's people and your own. But you were useful, you shouldn't be locked inside like you couldn't handle yourself. Because you could, and you had before.

"-You know, I scavenged for months before I met you, right? I was alone, and I figured it out."

"I know 'at," he confirmed, pinching the bridge of his nose. You could nearly see the stress radiating off him, but you couldn't stop, not then.

"So, so what-" you asked, "-you don't trust me? You don't think I can do it?"

Rick sighed, big and loud -fully facing you, "It ain't 'at, Y/N. I know ya can handle yourself, I've seen it."

"Then, what is the problem, Grimes? I don't get it-"

"Just take the goddamn next run," he groaned, something in his tone broken (and something a little like guilt curled up in your stomach), "-I'll tell Daryl he's switchin'."

You stopped in place, words faltering off your lips. Your will and the fire in your gut extinguished, you suddenly felt very out of place, and a little like the bad guy. You knew you weren't though, but he just looked so tired-

"Okay," you finally responded, a little dumbfounded, "-thanks."

He nodded in your direction and didn't say a word. You took it as a motion to move along, so you did.

Apparently, he might've had a good reason to worry.

It wasn't that first run, or even the second or third, it was the fourth after that conversation that you were stupid. Well, it really wasn't your fault. You thought someone had your back, and they didn't; so, one of the walkers had clawed pretty deep into your arm.

It was bleeding a lot (maybe too much) and probably needed stitches, but you didn't worry about it. Denise could handle it, and you, as a community, were pretty good on medical supplies at this point.

What you didn't expect, was after Denise patched you up for one Rick Grimes to be on your ass.

You were still sitting in her doctor's space (you had no idea what to call it) then, silently trailing your fingers over the bandaging. You could already see some of the blood through the white of it. It made you a little nervous, you won't lie.

And then, the door swung open.

At first, you nearly grabbed for the knife you hid on you -alarmed, assuming it was someone coming to hurt you. Instead, you were met with one Rick Grimes -his face was all scrunched up in that way he always got when he was frustrated.

If there was one thing you could recognize, it was that.

"Rick?" you questioned -carefully, a little shocked by him bursting into the room. Did you do something to him recently?

"'At's why ya can't go on fuckin' runs," he grumbled out -suddenly so angry, it made your head spin.

You furrowed your eyebrows, "What?"

"You're always makin' damn bad decisions," he continued, and something in you bristled. Your defenses were up in an instant.

"What the fuck, Rick?" you countered, "-You don't even know what happened, how the hell do you know it's on me?"

"You're injured," he clarified, a little like he was talking to himself, "-ya made a stupid mistake-"

"How the hell do you know that?" you hissed, "-Do you just think everything that goes wrong has to be my fucking fault, Grimes?"

"-and you're damn hurt."

There was something there in his tone, something different. Your frustration twisted into a little bit of curiosity. What was that?

"I can’t leave ya alone for one second without ya hurting yourself, can I?" He started up again, and it was there again, angry but also... but also-

Your eyes swam over him, and you recognized it then, worry. He was worried about you, you felt something in you stall. It was so different from what you knew from him-

"I mean," you responded, a little awkwardly -unsure (since when did he care so much?), "-I’m fine so it’s okay-"

"No, it’s not okay," he suddenly shot his eyes to you, blue eyes heavy with worry (so much, it shot to your core), "-Not when I feel like I’m goin' to go batshit fuckin' crazy, thinkin' you’ve hurt yourself."

It was silent for a moment, as your mind processed the words. Skimming along his face, as he seemed to do the same -frustration dissipating along his features.

That... That was new.

"It's just some scratches," you spoke -a little lost, you weren't sure exactly what to say. He cared about you that much? Thought about you that much?

Rick's eyes darted to the bandages, which were just about as dark as before -which was just a little, the stitches seemed to stop it mostly. Something in him relaxed, you could tell in his shoulders -the drop of the tension. You couldn't believe that was because of you. When-

"Ya had to get stitches, yeah?" He spoke, suddenly and a bit awkwardly too (like he wasn't sure what to do).

"I did," you confirmed, just looking and something in you felt like you needed to tell him more, so you did, "-Uh, five in one, and three in the other."

He pursed his lips (like he was debating something), before shattering out a breath, "Can I see it?"

"It's already wrapped up," you responded, blankly -you were running a little on autopilot, "-She already-"

"Denise can rewrap it," he offered, stepping closer. Something in your stomach stirred.

You furrowed your eyebrows, "You want to waste medical supplies, just so you can see my wound?"

Rick's lips pressed into a thin line, something in him firing back up, "I'll replace the supplies my damn self, if I 'ave to, just let me see."

You couldn't really say anything, it felt like all the words had washed from your head. Like you couldn't speak if your life was on the line.

He faltered a second, sighing, and his eyes shifted to something softer (a little like pleading), "I... I need to see if ya are alright."

You felt like you were stone -frozen.

"Please."

Your heart lept into your throat (and you let your mind drift somewhere you'd never let it before), "Yeah, okay."

That started the shift.

And he started checking over you after every run, you thought it would've been annoying but... you got used to it. And something in you liked helping him calm down, although you'd never say it out loud.

Things were a little different. You clashed but it wasn't as fiery anymore. Because you knew he cared about you, and somewhere you could acknowledge you cared about him. (More than you'd ever admit.)

This time it wasn't even Rick you were arguing with. It was someone originally from Alexandria. You couldn't even remember their name, but they'd said something about you and you let it slide. But then, they kept going.

"You made a shit call," the guy remarked, sauntering up to your side.

You were a little startled, but you stayed composed, "What are you talking about?"

"We could've gotten more supplies," he continued, "-that gun store was right there, and you called the whole fucking thing off."

You soured -something steeling in your gut, "You mean the one that was swarmed? Hate to break it to you, but we were outnumbered."

"We could've done it," he added -persistent, something frustrated in his tone, "-we had the manpower."

"Are you serious?" you laughed a little incredulously, "-There were three of us, and about 30, 40 maybe, walkers. That is-"

"Maybe you couldn't have done it," he tsked, lips falling in a flat line.

You flexed your jaw, trying to stay composed, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You're a sorry fucking excuse for a lead," he gritted through his teeth, "-You don't know shit about-"

"Next time, just go right ahead and do it yourself then," you shot back but stayed still in your space (composed, composed, composed), "-and I don't know about you, but I value life more than something we already fucking have-"

"It's ammunition," he seethed, stepping much closer to you -something sparking behind his eyes, "-Don't know if you fucking know this, but it's pretty damn important to survival-"

"No," you disagreed, voice calm and collected, "-it's not. You don't need to walk into a situation that you can't handle-"

Without warning, a fist flew at your face -right at the nose.

"Shit," you hissed, and you felt the thrum of pain under your skin and could almost immediately taste the coppery taste of blood, "-What the fuck? Why did you-"

"What the hell is goin' on 'ere?"

It was Rick, and his tone was something you'd only heard a few times -blue eyes flickering over you. They held onto your, now bleeding, nose which you were now trying to soothe, and something in his jaw tightened.

The guy was the first one to speak, mostly because you were trying to stop the bleeding. Luckily, Maggie rushed up to your side with paper towels -doing her best to help too.

"They made a mistake on the run-"

Rick didn't let him get far, "So, you punched 'em in the damn face?"

"Well," the guy fell quieter, "-we were arguing-"

Maggie snapped back, shifting her focus for a moment, "You were arguin'."

"No-"

"They were just trying to talk some sense into ya," she continued, tone cold, "-You were the one who took it personally-"

Rick put a hand on her shoulder, eyes flickering toward you -something swimming through them that you recognized from a different day, and Maggie took the notion to stop talking. She turned back to you, and gently guided you to tilt your head forward. On instinct, you pinched your nostrils shut -breathing out of your mouth.

"Even if it was a fuckin' argument," Rick tsked, something cold in his tone, "-there's no damn reason to do 'at. They weren't gettin' violent with ya-"

"How do you know that?"

"Because I kno' 'em," he retorted, "-an' if 'ey got their hands on ya, you wouldn't be standin' in front of me."

You laughed a little and could feel his eyes shoot to you for a second. It made something in your chest flutter, something you were trying desperately to ignore.

"We need to get ya some ice," Maggie spoke, mostly to herself, "-It's already bruisin' up pretty bad."

"'S leave 'is for another day," Rick seemed to exit the conversation with the man, tone unshakable, "-but if I 'ear anythin' else from ya, 'ere's gonna be a problem. Ya got 'at?"

You could almost visually see the way Rick shifted as he made his way over to you. Composure slipping into something more worried, eyebrows furrowing and eyes shining in an entirely different way. Like he couldn't help it, his hands frantically found themselves along your shoulders. It made your skin buzz a little, and made you feel a little woozy. Well, you guessed there could be more than one reason for that.

On that note, you stumbled in place a little, and Rick's hands immediately slid to your sides -stabilizing you. Your heart skipped a beat, stupid fucking handsome men with big fucking hands.

"'Ey, can ya bring a chair over 'ere, please?"

Before you could so much as blink, he was pushing you into it -gently, mind you. Ever-so-gently. And almost on instinct, he fell onto one knee in front of you, trying to hold your eye contact with your head slightly forward, you guessed. His eyes were the same as that day, but there was something else there too, something fuzzier.

"Maggie, ya go get the ice," he turned to her, "-I'll stay with 'em."

She seemed to scamper off because you could tell it was just the two of you. Maybe he'd warded off everyone else, Rick had this... aura to him when he wanted to -a dangerous one. Sometimes you thought it was to balance out his natural nature as a leader.

Quietly, you heard Rick tear off another paper towel and gently wipe at your mouth (where you imagined blood was staining at this point). It was strangely intimate, as you just skimmed over his face.

He was entirely focused on the task, so your eyes roamed along the creases along his face, the blue of his eyes, the sharp line of his nose, the little curls that peeked behind his ears-

You blinked, clearing your thoughts. He was always handsome, you knew that.

"What even is that dick's name?" you questioned, testing to see if your nose had stopped bleeding as much. It had.

Rick smiled a little, looking up at your eyes from where he was focused before (he seemed to be done), "I 'ave no fuckin' clue."

You laughed at that, and if you were honest with yourself thought you saw something shoot through his eyes. Something warm. You ignored it.

"'S hurt?" he spoke, softer.

You responded, simply, "I've had worse."

Rick smiled a little at that, but fell into something more serious, "So, yeah?"

"Like a bitch," you admitted, and he let out a low sort of chuckle.

It made something in you relax, something warm lighting up in your chest. You let yourself feel it this time, just once.

"Just so ya know," he interrupted your thought process, "-'at ain't happenin' again."

You frowned, furrowing your eyebrows -warmth dissipating, "Are you- Are you chastising me right now?"

"No," he quickly responded, but didn't explain further, "-'M just tellin' ya I ain't lettin' it happen again."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Rick paused a second, ripping another paper towel off and dabbing at your nose. It was probably still bleeding a little bit.

You just watched him, waiting for an explanation. Even though, you weren't entirely sure he was going to give you one.

"Anyone touches ya, says anythin' to ya, so much as looks at ya the wrong way-" he listed, tone deadly serious (it shook through your skull), "-ya come get me, and I’ll set 'em straight. Understand?"

Your mouth moved before you could stop it, "What?"

"I'll handle it," he repeated, pulling away the paper towel and locking eyes with yours, "-It ain't happenin' again."

"Rick," you laughed -incredulously, and maybe a little defensive, "-I don't need a fucking guard dog. I can handle myself."

"'Didn’t say 'at," he hummed, carefully, eyes skimming along your face -a little like he was in wonder (it made your head spin a second), "-'S for me, not ya."

"How does that-"

"If 'ey're fuckin' with ya, 'ey're fuckin' with me," he interrupted, eyes so solid that you couldn't really look away, "-you can handle it how ya want, but Imma 'ave some choice words of my own. So, send 'em my way too."

The words faltered in your throat, something swirling around your heart. He was just so-

The coppery taste again.

You shriveled up your nose in disgust, and Rick laughed at it (something gleaming in his eye), as you reacted -spitting the taste out into the dirt.

"Yeah, keep laughing, Grimes," you tsked, but there was no bite, not really. Not like there used to be, "-I'll beat the shit out of you."

"'Ere's no doubt in my mind," he retorted back, smiling in a way that crinkled at the eyes. You thought for a spare second it was a beautiful one, that maybe he was beautiful.

After that day, you'd say that everything was a little confusing.

These feelings towards Rick were far from new, very far. They'd always kind of been in the very back of your mind. Part of you was actually pretty sure that hating him had in some way distanced you from what you felt otherwise. Now, that is to say, you had definitely hated him at one point. That just didn't mean that it erased the... other thing.

You and Rick were off-kilter. Or at least you were. You guessed you couldn't say anything about him, he was very much a mystery to you at this point.

He just kept doing things. Like the scratch and nosebleed. And every time he'd smile at you a bit warmer, say something you couldn't really avoid. Not anymore. (And you weren't sure you wanted to avoid, honestly.)

And he'd looked at you a lot more, searched you out (when before you used to shun each other, avoid each other), and just smiled at you sometimes for no reason. The thing was you didn't mind it. You wanted him to. Because you... because it was all different.

You were confused, but you weren't going to be the one to encroach on it. It all felt so surreal, that one day something would happen and you'd just snap right back into place -just like before. To be fair, you still argued. But, it was moreso bickering now. And even if it wasn't, before you could get as heated as you used to, you compromised -easily.

You slotted together perfectly and bounced off each other with ease. Hell, he started coming to you about running Alexandria, about problems he couldn't quite get. And the two of you would talk until you worked out a solution. Because you always did.

It made no sense why you'd even clashed in the first place.

You were confused, beyond confused. And you wanted things, wanted to ask things, but they seemed dangerous. Far away-

That brought you here, on a night when you couldn't sleep. Which were more frequent nowadays, if you were completely honest. This whole situation made your mind run for a lot of different reasons, and when it wasn't that, it was nightmares. Alexandria was safe, you knew that, but it didn't necessarily stop your fight or flight -the urge to constantly be on edge, protect.

So, sometimes you sat here on the steps of your porch in the night -the chill and silence of it soothed you. It wouldn't always get you back to sleep, but it would make you feel better. Remind yourself that you're breathing. That you're alive.

You exhaled, trailing your finger along the wood of the railing beside you -absorbing the low buzz of bugs in the air and the strangely familiar groans of walkers outside the walls. It was kinda fucked up that it calmed you down, but you gave yourself a pass.

"Funny seein' ya 'ere."

Your eyes shot up and latched onto his.

The Grimes house was just a couple of houses down, diagonal to yours. So, you could see him, but not entirely clearly.

He was leaning on the porch railing, you could see the sleeves of his jacket against the starch white, and his hair seemed a little messy -your eyes trailed over a particular curl. It was hanging slightly down in front of his face. (You got the urge to fix it, comb it back into place.)

"'Could say the same to you, Grimes," you replied.

You saw him smile, dropping his head to look at the ground. It made something in your chest flutter. But, before you could say anything else, he was stepping down from his porch and making his way to you.

As he got closer you recognized that he was in pajamas with just a jacket thrown over.

He stood just at the bottom of the stairs, leaning onto the railing slightly and just looking at you. Like he always did these days. With worry and... something else.

"Nightmare?" he questioned, genuinely.

You rolled your lip around your teeth, deciding to say, "Kind of."

Rick's lips pressed into a frown, eyes glazing along your face (you didn't look back at him), "Can I sit?"

You were wordless, but moved slightly to the left (despite not really needing to) as unspoken acceptance. He stared at you for a second longer, before slowly but surely making his way to the steps. He sat closer to you than you thought he would've, but it was almost in character of him to do something that surprises you so.

"Ya cold?"

On cue, you shivered slightly, "I've had worse."

Rick let out a low sigh (he knew you well now), nudging off his jacket and hanging it squarely on your shoulders without hesitation. His eyes trailed over you wearing it for a moment, a small look in his eyes that you couldn't name. All shiny as his lips quirked up just a smidgen.

"You don't have to do that," you objected, but it was quiet and weak.

"I want to," he replied, simply.

You couldn't argue with that. Hell, you didn't think you could argue with him anymore-

Rick interrupted the thought, eyebrows furrowed in that kind of way you knew to be worried, "What do ya mean 'kinda'?"

You took a second, staring out into the night -listening to the silence.

"My mind won't stop," you clarified, "-sometimes it's... things I've done, and other times it's... things that I just can't seem to figure out."

"What's it today?"

You pursed your lips a minute, before answering, "Something I can't figure out."

He stared at you, blue eyes flickering along your face in a hazy sort of way. It made something unfurl in your chest that you'd tried to keep shoved down, "Is 'ere anythin' I can do to help?"

You ran the idea through your head a few times, and let your eyes match him a few more. You aren't entirely sure why, but talking to Rick fel a little like he'd never judge you. Even though he had before, it was... it was now. Things were very different.

"Can I ask you a question?" you spoke, then, deflecting a little.

"Shoot," he responded, almost instantly. ( A little like he'd do anything you'd ask.)

"What happened to us?"

Rick's eyebrows furrowed, and you took it as a motion to keep talking, to explain. So, you did.

"We used to-" you dropped your hands on your lap, and stared out into the Alexandrian streets, "-We used to scream at each other until our faces turned red. We couldn't stand each other, and now..."

"'At ain't a good thing?" he questioned, something in his tone a little disappointed (it made your head swirl a little), "-'At it changed, I mean."

"It is," you reassured, facing him a second, "-but I just... Isn't it confusing?"

Rick stayed silent a second, eyes smoothing along your face. Just looking, like maybe he thought you were beautiful (just like you did on that day), or maybe like he never wanted to forget what you looked like.

"No."

You pressed your lips together.

"Don't get me wrong," he clarified with a smile, "-I hated ya once, a long time ago. But 'is? Now? It makes sense."

You asked before you could think about it, "What is 'this'?"

He just stared at you a second, something flickering through his eyes, careful and considerate. Something warm. The warmth you kept seeing now, the one you tried to avoid.

"You," he answered, vaguely, "-Us."

"What does that mean?" you asked, your confusion was ever-so-clear. This was all things you didn't understand.

He didn't say anything, as you stared out into the streets -watching some of the porch lights flicker. The night sky was still dark, so you weren't really worried about the hour.

And then, you felt calloused fingers on your chin -guiding you back to his eyes. The thoughts cleared out of your head.

"Y/N, you drive me fuckin' crazy," he laughed a little, and you felt your eyebrows furrow, "-not just in a frustratin' sorta way. You... I worry about ya like crazy, I think of ya like crazy... I care 'bout ya like crazy-"

Your heart skipped a beat.

"-an' I... I love ya like crazy."

Your lips felt stitched shut, as he just smiled at you -something in his eyes that you could see now. You could identify.

"Ya poke and prod at me until I'm reelin', yeah, but-" he pressed his lips together, eyes shimmering across your face, "-I wouldn't 'ave it any other fuckin' way. An' I mean 'at. I just... I'm not me without ya annoyin' the shit out of me. Without ya callin' me out on my shit."

You laughed, something burning the backs of your eyes, "I am the only one who would do that, huh?"

"Ya are," he grinned at you, and you felt something in your chest squeeze tight.

It felt clear then, abundantly clear.

"I love you too, Grimes."

He grinned, the big kind that crinkled at the eyes, "Thought so."

You rolled your eyes, with no bite, "Oh shut up, sheriff. I could still kick your ass, and you would deserve it."

He laughed, the genuine kind -hand coming to cradle your cheek, "Still, don't doubt it, sweetheart."

You smiled, and noticed just how close the two of you were. He only seemed to be roaming closer, and it made your heartbeat pick up in your chest a little. Before you could stop it, your eyes dipped down to his lips.

He grinned again, the kind that rattle down to your core, all handsome and shiny white teeth. And then, he started moving closer, his own eyes dipping to your lips.

"Ya kno', I can think of a way to get me to shut up."

"Can you?" you teased, quiet between the two of you.

He just hummed, distracted. It made something in your stomach stir.

"I am pretty desperate for you to," you remarked -playfully.

Rick busted into laughter, a loud kind that you barely ever heard from him. It made something in your chest shimmer, proud. You kind of wanted to hear that forever. And now, maybe you could.

The thought made you grin, as you leaned forward, impatiently, and connected your lips to his. It was just a press of lips, but you did feel him lean into it. Before you could get far, he laughed even more, breaking off the kiss, and it made you laugh.

"'Course ya can't wait for one second," he chuckled -playfully, "-You've always been so damn impatient."

"Oh, fuck you, Grimes," you laughed into the night, "-You're lucky I don't-"

And this time, he shut you up.

#its griming time #rick grimes #stuff n' thangs #rick grimes x reader #rick grimes x y/n #rick grimes x you #rick grimes x y/n fanfiction #twd #twd rick grimes #rick grimes fanfiction #he's such a pretty liar

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topazy · 6 months

Text

Tomorrow's promise

Pairing: Shane Walsh × reader, Rick Grimes × sister reader

Warnings: Mentions of SA, blood, character death

Chapter: 2.10

Lori gave you a knowing look while Andrea continued to whine about issues that weren’t real issues. While Maggie and Beth argued in another room, Andrea stated she thought you should try to encourage Beth to accompany you while taking Jace for a walk around the farm, insisting the fresh air would do the three of you some good.

You did want to snap back at her since Andrea was unhelpful most of the time, but you bit your tongue for the most part and started washing dishes in the kitchen. It’s not until Andrea mentions your brother and Shane being sexist since they always dealt with the more dangerous tasks, leaving the women behind to do all the housework.

“It's because they were cops! They risked their lives every day, and they know what they are doing.”

Andrea lets out an over-the-top huff, placing her hands on her hips. “Well, if they spent more time teaching us how to defend ourselves properly, then maybe we could share the load. I should be able to handle my own goddamn gun.”

“Oh yeah, because you’re so good at handling them.”

Lori shakes her head. She was trying her best to defuse the tension, but neither you nor the blonde were listening at this point.

“Excuse me?”

“Last time you fired a damn gun, you almost killed Daryl!”

—

You step out onto the porch with a fresh cup of coffee in your hand. It wasn’t the real stuff and properly tasted stale, but it was better than nothing. You sit down beside Maggie on the wooden steps and hand it to her. “I thought you could use this.”

“Thanks.”

“How is she?”

Maggie pauses before answering, “She’s alive.”

You give her a sympathetic smile. Things had gone from bad to chaotic in the last twenty-four hours. Beth had locked herself in a bathroom, broke the mirror, and then used the sharp material to cut herself; luckily, her father was able to stitch her wrist in time. Rick and Shane had taken the kid Randell somewhere far to leave him, but apparently the area was surrounded by walkers, so they brought him back to the farm, where he was now essentially a hostage.

“Since we got here, we’ve brought nothing but trouble; I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, you do,” she says, letting out a slight chuckle. “But if I’m being honest, I’m glad you folks came here. I just wish it was under better circumstances.”

You watch as Daryl comes out of the barn covered in blood, which you assumed came from Randell. You feel physically sick thinking of what could have transpired behind those wooden walls. You tell Maggie, “I’ll be back shortly.”

You walk quickly to grab a bucket of water that was half full and a cleanish cloth that was hanging up to dry, and you call out after your friend, “Daryl, wait up.”

He keeps walking towards one of the wells. “I gotta go wipe—”

“The blood off? Yeah, I got you covered.”

He lets out a snort as he begins to wash his hands. “You just assume I’d come out covered in blood?”

“I noticed the cut on your arm earlier, and I don’t want it to get infected.”

Daryl glances down at his arms before cleaning them as well. Usually he was covered in more dirt and dried blood than the rest of you; what worried you was the uncovered cut on Daryl’s arm surrounded by dirt. He says, “You're such a mom.”

—

Daryl asks how your injury from the crash is healing as you make your way towards your group, which is sitting by the tents outside. The first thing you notice is the look on Shane’s face; he’s looking pissed off as his eyes dart between you and Daryl.

"Boy, there’s got a gang, thirty men,” Daryl says. “They have heavy artillery, and they ain’t looking to make friends. They roll through here; our boys are dead. And our women... they’re going to wish they were.”

Hearing those words come from Daryl, you instantly become scared. You avoid making eye contact with Shane as you walk towards him; he hands you Jace before resting his hand against your hip. He whispers, “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Carol notices Daryl’s bleeding knuckles. “What did you do?”

“Had a little chat.”

When your brother starts to talk about ‘eliminating the threat’ you shake your head, not wanting to hear anymore, you decide to leave the conversation. “I’m going to take Jace inside.”

You didn’t doubt Randall was a bad person, and you believed you would rather wish you were dead if his gang tuned up, but you weren’t going to partake in anything to do with him.

—

“Can I ask you something?”

As soon as you hear Dale’s voice, you roll your eyes. You walked to the other side of the farm so you could be on your own with Jace. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, Dale, but I’m not going to vote.”

“So you’re just going to stand by and let your brother kill the boy?”

You lean against a tree, continuing to stoke Jace’s thin, dark hair with your fingers. “My personal opinion on this doesn’t matter, but what does is keep our people safe.”

Dale looks disappointed. “So you agree with killing him; you just don’t want to admit it.”

Learning that Randall stood by and watched as men in his group raped two teenage girls in front of their father stirred something inside—emotions that you couldn’t shift. “All due respect, it’s different from us, Dale. I understand why it’s wrong, all of us against one kid, but…” You stop talking when your mouth suddenly becomes dry, and it takes you a moment to find your voice again. “I’ve met Randall’s before, and trust me, you want to be on the opposite side of them.”

Dale gives your arm a friendly squeeze and says, “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

He licks at his lips and says, “I spoke to Shane earlier to try and convince him to change his mind.”

“I imagine that went well,” you snort.

“He was dead set on never letting a man like that near you again, and I had a theory you met men like that in the past; that’s why I’m sorry. Nobody deserves—”

“Dale,” tears fall from your eyes. “Just please, don’t go there.”

“I’m sorry if I’ve upset you. Just—they listen to you, Rick, Shane; hell, even Daryl seems to value your opinion.”

You remain standing in the same spot as the older man walks away. “Dale?” He turns back around to face you. “How long did it take you to stop trusting Shane?”

“I never did.”

—

You stand by the front doorway of Greene's farmhouse; everyone has gathered to talk about Randall’s fate. You had already made it clear you weren’t getting involved, a decision that received mixed reactions; some thought it was unfair, while those closest to you understood why you weren’t getting involved.

You hold your hand out for your nephew and say, “Carl, I need you to come help me in the RV.”

He pouts, “What with?”

“I need you to help watch Jace while I mend a bunch of torn-up clothes.”

“Now?”

“Go.”

Carl sulks as he walks by you to go outside. You didn’t really need his help in the RV, but you, Rick, and Lori wanted him out of the discussion.

“You’re really not going to share your thoughts on this?” Dale asks.

You glance around to make sure nobody else is listening in before answering. “Honestly, I don’t know what I think. I want to believe I’m a good person who votes against it, but then I remember what he’s done, and then I’m unsure. But I do admire you, Dale; it’s not easy. Always remember who you are.”

He gives you a slight nod, and then you leave the house.

—

You’re unsure of how much time has passed by when you hear a loud yell of pain. “Carl, stay here with Jace and lock the door behind me.”

You run out of the RV and in the direction of the field. Your brother calls out for T-dog to get a shotgun as he follows closely behind you.

Spotting a walker trying to bite Dale, you pull your blade out of your belt and stab it in the head before pushing it off him, but you’re too late. Dale’s stomach had already been ripped open, and he was bleeding out. “No! Rick, Rick! Help, over here!”

Daryl is the next person to arrive. He kneels down and says, “Hey, buddy, you’re going to be okay.”

Rick and Andrea both scream for Hershel to come outside as soon as they see Dale, but you knew there was nothing he could do. You hold Dale’s hand and kiss his forehead. “It’s okay; it’s going to be okay.”

Dale was so confused by the loss of blood that it was hard to know if he knew what you were saying to him. But you could tell he was in pain and choking on his own blood from the way he gurgled.

“Shane... Rick,” with glossy eyes, you look up at them, your voice breaking. “He’s suffering; please do something.”

Rick points his gun at Dale’s head, but he’s unable to pull the trigger, so Daryl takes the gun from him. You move further back as Daryl kneels down, but you still hold onto Dale’s hand, not wanting him to feel alone.

“Sorry, brother.” Daryl pulls the trigger, ending Dale’s suffering.

#the walking dead #shane walsh x reader #shane walsh/reader #shane walsh fanfiction #shane walsh fanfic #Shane Walsh #Shane Walsh/you #shane walsh x you #tomorrow’s promise #the walking dead x reader #the walking dead fanfic #the walking dead fanfiction #the walking dead fandom #twd x reader #rick grimes x sister reader

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ghouljams · 9 months

Text

Fuck I wanna keep talking about Cowboy!Ghost doing farm stuff. I feel like I neglect his farm boy activities with all the romance.

His horse Dolly is the sweetest horse around, loves him as much as a horse has ever loved anyone. Which makes sense because Goose trained her and any animal Goose trains just loves Ghost without fail. Horses and dogs though, you expect them to love their people. That's not surprising, although it is fun seeing Dolly follow Ghost around without a lead, just plodding along behind him while he pretends she isn't.

No, Ghost is an animal magnet. Every animal on the farm, save Soap's horse, fucking loves him. The pigs all come snuffling up to him as soon as he goes near their paddock and he's the only one that can pick those critters up without them squealing. Even the piglets, he scoops up like they're wiggly potatoes and they don't make a peep aside from some happy snorts. The cows come right up to him if they see him walking along the pasture fence, and he cannot stop from being overrun if he gets off his horse out in the field. Every cow butting its big head against him for a pat.

You cannot tell me that man doesn't love those animals right back. He's not one for the scaly critters, doesn't like bugs, but goddamn you put a chicken in front of him and he's gonna crouch down and offer it some seed from his pocket. He swears up and down that he isn't feeding the barn cats but they follow him around like the second coming, meowing their Ghost Gospel.

And I know he's got a line about putting down a dog in MW2 but Cowboy!Ghost doesn't stand for animal cruelty. If he thinks someone is selling an animal that's been mistreated that thing is coming home with him. He's gotta explain to Goose why they now have a cow that can barely stand, but he couldn't just leave her there! And then again he is always talking to these critters. God forbid he's gotta talk to a human, but a horse? He can talk to Dolly all day.

#ghoul speaks #simon ghost riley #cod ghost #ghost call of duty #ghost mw2 #ghost cod #cowboy!Ghost #I have no ending for this I just needed to put it into words #the way that I am so feral for this man #he would never hurt his animals not in a million years #he's so big and mean looking that people always worry #but no never

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triple-asstro · 1 year

Text

One Step At A Time

one step at a time (ao3 version)

summary: A TLOU2 AU where you and Leon live on a farm and herd sheep. Domestically.

mentions: you having a child (if that's not your thing, that's fine. go check out groceries if you want leon fluff)

pair: domestic!leon x reader

a/n: i just finished tlou2 and this idea popped in my head, so (istg im pumping these out faster than a goddamn cheetah). anyway hope you enjoy this and i have a big surprise coming up, are you ready for it?

words: 1.6k

A crack echoed from your back as you stretched from your bed. The texture of the wool blanket caressed your skin along with the silk sheets. You barely slept at all last night. The sunshine leaked through the curtains, blinding you as soon as you got up from the mattress. Dressed in your white henley shirt, Leon’s beige fur coat and sports shorts you substituted for pajamas, you wandered around in a still drowsy state, shambling through the hallway. The soft echoing noises of a baby slightly knocks you out of it, filling some energy into your brain, enough to walk to the end of the hallway and open a door.

The door opened to a wriggling baby, bundled in a yellow blanket adored with illustrations of flowers. As you creeped into the room, you approached your sleepy bundle, peering into the crib it was resting in. Your baby was slightly asleep, a moment where it was not quite asleep, but not quite awake; where sleep and awareness were two sides, slowly being pulled from one side to another.

“Hello, bubs. How’s your sleep, huh?” you cooed, softly pinching their cheek. They smiled widely at your touch, their small teeth peering through their lips. You smiled back at the oh so adorable gesture, swaddling them into your arms as their head rested on your shoulder. “Sounds like a good sleep, mind giving that to some of your dear old parent huh? Could certainly use it…”

You left the room, heading down the rickety wooden stairs and into the kitchen, where the sounds of water running and dishes clattering whacked you in a waft of confusion. You approached the kitchen doorway to see Leon, dressed in a comfortable black turtleneck and blue jeans with a polka-dotted apron tied around his neck.

It was odd to see him like this, acting so domestic. After your encounter with him involving the Los Illuminados cult and both getting infected and de-infected with Las Plagas, he had his heart set on what to do after the mission was over. Move out to the countryside herding sheep and have a family. As ludicrous as it seemed, it was another deep desire of Leon’s. After going on numerous missions, fending off infected monsters and inhumane mutations no human should ever witness, a domestic life seemed like a rarity. A routine that Leon would yearn from afar but never get to experience. Washing dishes, playing with your child as they wobble about the room, getting them dressed, hanging laundry; these tasks may seem mundane to you or me, but to Leon, they seemed like gold.

“Well, isn’t this a rare sight, birdie?” you whispered to your child. “Papa’s doing the dishes. If that’s happening, who knows what else could.”

Leon chuckled at your teasing, turning his head over his shoulder. “They aren’t going to get done unless Papa does it.”

“Augh!” you groaned, dramatically placing a hand on your chest, wobbling over to Leon. “Birdie, help me! Your papa insults me!”

You wrapped your arms around his waist, swaying back and forth. “He’s lucky I love him so much.”

“Indeed I am.” he responded, setting the dishes down and planting a kiss on your hand.

“Hey.” he said, smiling fondly. “You’re wearing my jacket.”

“Hey. Why yes I am,” you repeated, copying the same expression. “How are the dishes?”

“Hold on,” he paused, holding one to his ear. “Yep, doing good.”

You giggled at the joke, your baby mimicking your laughter. “Alright, pretty boy. Do you wanna hold ‘em?”

“Is that even a question?” he stated, accepting the baby as you handed them over. “How’s my kiddo doing?”

It gurgled towards him, a response that made you laugh even more and made his smile grow wider. This moment, though it happened multiple times even in the same day, was a moment you would willingly indent into your eyelids just so you could see it every waking second. You prayed that memory wouldn’t let this one go, while the rest slowly faded away.

“Hey, Leon. Would you perhaps, be interested in a-”

Before you could finish, a ringing echoed from the living room. Leon tried to rush for the phone, but you put your hand up, signalling him to stand still as you approached the phone, its table cluttered with tablecloths and letters from Ashley and Sherry, the latter having escaped from government custody and staying with Ashley.

“Hello, who is this?”

“Oh, it’s you.” a voice spoke. It was a voice you recognized quite well. It was Ingrid’s.

“What are you calling for?”

“The President’s got another mission for Leon, could you-”

“No.”

“Look, you can’t keep doing this. The President needs him, we need him. He’s able to handle these missions in a way no others can!”

“Fat chance, Ingrid. He’s just fine. With me and our family. He’s not just some puppet you can send wherever you want while having him suffer and then just ask him to do it again like nothing happened.”

“Fine, I’m not saying you’re wrong. Just relay the message onto him, give him the choice to stay or go. You don’t own him, remember.”

“I will. Thanks, Hunnigan.” you said, hanging up the phone. You shakily sighed, your heart practically pounding against your chest as you returned back to Leon, a smug grin plastered on his face. “It was Hunnigan. They’re…The President’s got another mission for you, if you’re up to-”

“No, I’m good.”

“That’s what I said. I thought I’d give you the chance to accept or refuse.”

Leon looked at you with a concerned expression, holding the baby closer. “You think I’d go back to that and leave this behind? You must think of me as a crazy man.”

“You have jumped across chandeliers, lest you forget, pretty boy.”

“Yeah yeah." he said, a lovesick grin plastered on his face. "Now, about your proposition, lay it on.”

“How about we herd the sheep together? Whoever herds the most sheep wins.”

“Wins what?”

“The pint of icecream in the fridge. Entire thing.”

Before you could finish your sentence, Leon was already heading out of the door, rushing towards the field before you could even breathe. You followed after him, hopping over the gate you had keeping the sheep from fleeing too far. When you got to your first sheep, you already saw him herd three.

“That’s three.”

“Oh, no fair! You practically ran out here. Where did you put Birdie?”

Leon sighed, turning his shoudler to reveal the baby strapped to his back, waving its tiny hand towards you.

“Okay, that’s adorable. And you’re on, Kennedy.”

With that, you rushed over towards three sheep, directing them into the barn. You looked back, seeing Leon attempting to herd one sheep to no avail, leaving a disappointed expression on his face.

“Not that easy, is it, pretty boy?” you teased, herding two more sheep into the barn. You, 3. Leon, 3. It was tied and as the sheep narrowed in number, the competitiveness only increased. Soon, there was one sheep left. You, 6. Leon, 6. Both of you rushed towards it, attempting to get its attention to follow you back into the barn. You tried to aim for the sheep’s chin, planning to grab it and calmly lead it to the barn. You saw Leon dart his hand towards it, only for you to grab it and swiftly lead it away and into the barn, a mini-fanfare echoed in your mind.

As you led the sheep into the barn, petting it on the head, it rushed towards a mud puddle, splashing some water on your hand. But as you looked at your hand, the water morphed into blood. Blood that was leaking out of your mouth. Something struck you still, freezing your limbs and numbing your brain. You felt blood dripping from your nose and onto your hand, the reflection of the blood vessels in your eyes swelling appeared in the mud puddle. You couldn’t hear anything, not even Leon’s confused calls.

“Hello?” you called. You felt a prick in your mind, a scratching sensation echoed all over your body. Groaning in pain, you fell limp, only being able to writhe in the ground. You couldn’t breathe, as if you did, it’d felt like breathing in razor blades. Your heart kept straining, your breathing became panthing, desperately trying to get any air in your lungs. Then, your breaths turned into screaming. Screaming for any end to this seemingly never ending pain.

Leon rushed to your side, resting his hands on your shoulders as your screams died down. He slowly breathed in and out, motioning you to do the same. Eventually, your breathing went back to normal, but the thoughts didn’t.

“They’re coming more often, aren’t they?” he asked. You nodded, remembering a similar incident last night where a broken radio and some blood triggered memories you locked behind a vault. Thankfully, your screams weren’t loud enough to awake your baby that seemingly sleeps like a rock.

“Hey, don’t feel ashamed. You can’t control when these things happen. No one said it was going to be easy, but we can get through it. Together.”

“I’m sorry…” you sighed out, tears already beginning to form your eyes. “I wish I could just put it behind me. It’s probably not easier for you, but I can’t handle it.”

“No one can. What we both went through is something no one could handle. But, we made it. Of course, just because we made it doesn’t mean we made it in one piece. We’re still alive, but we weren’t living. That’s why we moved here, and had this kiddo. I’ll handle every incident, every panic, everything, if it means I get to embrace you for just one more day.”

You sighed, letting a few tears out. “Okay, pretty boy. Thank you. Oh, and you can have the ice cream.”

“No, you won. Fair and square, you can have it.”

“Oh, please you need it more than me.”

“Share it?”

“Share it.”

#leon kennedy x reader #leon kennedy #leon kennedy fanfic #resident evil #resident evil 4 #resident evil fanfiction

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scifrey · 4 months

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NINE-TENTHS

Twenty-four is one year too young for a quarter-life crisis, but hey, Colin's always been an overachiever. He's got a degree in Sustainable Tourism, which his family says he's wasting as a barista, an annoying anxiety disorder, and no freaking idea what to do with his life.

The only thing going his way is the cute coffee shop regular, a homo draconis named Dav (who, in his humanshape, is a total hottie.) Still, it'd be easier if Dav didn't have a habit of accidentally setting things on fire when he's startled. Like the café kitchen.

When Dav breaks draconic taboo and volunteers as a replacement bean-roaster to apologize for the inferno meet-ugly, sparks really fly. Everything's finally happening for Colin, until he learns that hooking up with Dav means that under dragon law, Colin is absorbed into Dav's hoard.

Possession may be nine-tenths of the law, but becoming his boyfriend's property does not make this whole identity crisis thing easier. Especially now that Colin must navigate politics, paparazzi, and legal questions about his personhood. Colin's still angling for his Happily Ever After, but the growing scrutiny on his relationship with Dav threatens their budding romance.

And if he's not careful, Colin's fight for agency may just destroy symbiotic human/dragon relationships worldwide.

🐉☕❤️

A sassy, queer, alternate universe romance from Publishers Weekly's Best Books of 2011 author J.M. Frey. Wrapped in discussions of autonomy and colonialism, Nine-Tenths meets in the middle between Red, White & Royal Blue and the Temeraire series.

🐉☕❤️

Part One

There's this thing in stories called the "inciting incident".

And mine? It's a goddamn doozy.

It’s the part of the book, right at the start, where the lovers have their meet-cute, the farm boy leaves for the wider world, the Chosen One is attacked by her first evil monster, blah, blah, blah. You know what I mean. It's the place where everything opens up and you have no idea what you're in for—only that it'll be exciting.

I know all about Inciting Incidents because I was going to be a writer.

No, I thought I was going to be a writer. Historical romance, that’s my jam. Dukes, rakes, windblown-gowns, dropped handkerchiefs, cliffside confessions—I am a slut for that stuff. Forget real history (totally flunked ‘We’re-Feeding-You-Colonialist-Narratives-Disguised-As-Education’ 101). Give me made-up kingdoms and far-flung pirates. Give me the fantasy of a happily ever after that lasts beyond ‘the end’. Give coffee and stories, and I am a content boy.

But right before he got sick, in the summer between my first and second year of university, my Dad and I had a serious talk about writing. How much work it is. How long it takes to start paying off. Backup plans.

And then… after, I thought, well, he wasn’t wrong. If life was going to be pointlessly, stupidly, cruelly short, then I should spend my time trying to do something good, right? I switched majors. Science makes sense. Science is logical. Science creates vaccines and saves lives. Science can bring species back from the brink of extinction. Science doesn’t break your heart.

All of this is to say that I can—with complete and utter certainty—point to the exact moment when my life became a trash fire. It was my twenty-fourth birthday, and my big sister Gemma gave me the dumbest, but totally plot-inciting gift: a sunrise alarm clock.

The Incident starts like this, in Mum’s pokey poppies-and-roosters kitchen, with Gemma leaning on the back of my chair:

"I have a perfectly good alarm clock." I hold up my phone, then let it slap back down onto the plastic tablecloth. "Goes ding when there's stuff."

My sister heaves the kind of sigh only eldest-born siblings make, indulgent and frustrated at the same time. I love making her make that noise. It's hilarious.

"It wakes you up gently," Gem says. "So you’re not cranky."

"I’m not cranky in the mornings."

Everyone laughs. I may have snapped at Stuart this morning when he shook my foot through my childhood bed sheets like an aggressive chihuahua. Okay. So I'm cranky in the mornings.

"I don't see how it's supposed to work." Stu grabs the clock. "How can you see the light if your eyes are closed?"

As the younger brother of twin siblings, I am used to having the toys I’m playing with pulled out of my hands. Instead of trying to snatch it back, I fiddle with the iridescent green bow that was on my present, then stick it to my ear. Mum smirks at my accessory, but otherwise her prim little 'all my babies are home to roost' face stays in place.

I'm the only one of us who went away to school, and stayed away. Gem came back to live with Mum straight after she finished her undergrad, so Mum wouldn't be alone in the house. Stuart never left the city, though he's got his own place now. But that's why I stayed away after I graduated last year. Mum and Gem don't need me, and if I came back, Stu would try to get me to join his crew.

I go weak in the knees for the kind of person jacked enough to pick me up and consensually throw me around. Standing on a roof next to a whole crew of pretty roughs trying to help them replace shingles? That's gonna lead to me swooning and dying of a broken neck. Stu doesn’t want that on his conscience.

Because she's a bossy know-it-all, Gem takes my present from Stu and opens it to show me how it works. She huffs. "You can see sunlight through your eyelids. It just works, okay?"

Stu helps himself to another piece of my birthday cake, licking the icing off his fingers and the serving knife. Mum slaps the hand holding the knife, and Stu flushes up and sets it down. He descends on his third piece like a wolf, but at least now he's watching his manners.

"There's an instruction manual," I point out as Gem tosses the booklet on the table.

"The day you read the instructions," Mum says, "is the day I'll know for sure the fairies really swapped you."

It's an old joke, being the Changeling child. I'm the only one of them with dark hair. The rest of my family are blond as heck.

Mum’s grinning into that little curl in the side of her mouth that holds secrets. Dad always called it Mum's 'Peter Pan Kiss’. He'd wrap his arms around her waist and kiss that corner, and Mum would swat at him for ruining her lipstick.

Thinking about Dad reminds me he's dead.

I hate the swoop-and-stab sensation in my chest that comes with remembering. Especially when there's a moment you want to share, and you turn your head to his chair and start composing the sentence in your head: "Hey, Mum's doing that—" and then you stop.

You stop composing. Stop turning. Stop thinking about sharing. Stop breathing.

Because that chair is empty.

Dad's dead.

And you'll never get the chance to point out the Peter Pan kiss again. Or watch Mum swat him. Or listen to him tease us for falling for Mum's Old World fairy stories. Or hear his stupid har-har-har donkey laugh, thick with his French accent.

It's my birthday.

He's not here.

I'll have another birthday, next year, and he won't be there for that one either.

I try to control my breathing, but Mum hears it hitching. I'm already staring at Dad's terrible empty chair, so it's not like I can hide what I'm thinking about. Mum curls her fingers over my knuckles.

"I wish he was here too, mo leanbh," she says softly.

Stu and Gem go quiet.

"Sucks," I cough out, deciding to give no one the pleasure of watching me actually cry. I'll save it for later, when I'm back in my own apartment. Not because of any kind of 'real men don't' toxic masculinity bullshit, but because I hate the fuss. They take the shit my therapist tells them about being my support network too much to heart.

"More tea, Mummers?" I ask instead.

"Time for something stronger, don't you think?"

Next Part | Read on Wattpad

Trailer Music: "A Thousand Years" by The Piano Guys Cover Art: @seancefemme

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lavena · 6 months

Text

Tmnt headcannons and a psa for those like 3 toxic ppl

- Raph can get the highest flips pit of all his brothers

-Leo found out how to make the brushes used for Kanji n such for fun and will sometimes make wallpaper with his favorite quotes

-donnie breaks the fabric of the universe at least once a week and no one is surprised

- mikeys accent is fake, he actually has a Bronx accent, he just liked the sufer persona so much he decided to commit

90s

-Leo got the go ninja go song stuck in his head for years

-Raph is the best break dancer and will go to clubs with his brother sometimes

-Donnie will sometimes escape to scap yards for hours on end just tearing appliances apart

-mikey has anger issues, as seen by him beating the shit out of a punching bag in the deleted scene (April's drawing of mikey)

2003

-leo will get "the batman" voice whenever he is stressed

- mikey has night terrors

-Raph knits

-dons guilty pleasure is Celtic sings (tir na nog, teir abhaile riu)

2007 (dint mind me leading this tf up)

- raph learned Spanish because one of the kids he met on the street as Nightwatcher spoke it and raph wanted to be able to talk to the kid and make sure he ls alright

Leo get vivid nightmares after the Winters debacle

-mikey after working as cowabunga carl has nightmares

- Raph got shot when he first started being a vigilante

-don and mike are twins

- Dons tech support leaves him more sarcastic than ever, which is really funny for his brothers, but leo gets whiplash for the first bit after he gets home

-don holds a grudge against raph and leo, and sometimes their father but never enough for it to affect their family

- Leo got really good at hiding in the shadows to the point he scares the shit out of raph in the mornings

-raph started watching tellanovellas with their father after his nightwatcher thing

-mike will bake custom cakes for his cowabunga carl gigs for an extra price, at first it wasn't very successful but then word spread that they were the best goddamn cakes around and people started to ask for cakes even if they didn't have a kids birthday. Let's just say having a turtle at your quinces or receptions became an inside joke.

-don and mike are up at the crack of dawn, mike cause he likes to bake the cakes the day of so they don't dry out and the frosting doesn't get the weird hard bits after refrigerating and don because he needs to inject coffee and acetometaphin into his veins to deal with these stupid fcuking people

-leo had to use an automatic rifle once in the jungle and he vows to never again

-raph and Casey spent one too many times out till the break of dawn, Casey almost got fired, but raph and him made up a story, put on voices and treachcoats all that jazz. Now Caseys boss thinks he has ties with the mafia... it gets really runny when April finds out and chases them down

-don and mike spend mornings listening to lowkey but hyping songs to get ready in the morning " a boy named pluto" mainly because don can't handel anything loud and mike will cry if the song doesn't have some kind of sway to it

- Raph became the nightwatcher after witnessing the og guys death, poor guys traumatized

2012

- mikey is the best at disappearing, but only after don invested the egg shell smoke bombs

- Leo voice box was permenatly damaged when he was attacked b4 the farm house arc, it gets really bad when he is stressed

- Raph after the whole brainworm thing (is that cannon or fannon, im like 70% sure it's cannon but idk) gets really spooked around insects and worms, especially if he can hear them moving

- Donnie got a chem set for Christmas from his brother, but he knows they really just stole stuff from nycu, he loves it

2018

- Raph gets sad sometimes that he isn't smaller cause he wants to be help, his brother make sure to give him a really big group hug, doesn't solve anything but he knows he is loved

- Mikey spray paints, it started with the sewer walls, but now he does abandon buildings too

- Donnie built himself the best noise canceling headphones, and then built all his brothers pairs because they kept asking to borrow them

- Leo ugly laughts at the fnaf sb freddy memes, all of them, it makes everyone who hears it wheeze

2023

- Leo is so goddamn anxiety ridden, this poor boy

- Finally a raph that does violent right, yeah it might (read deffo will in hs) end up bad, but never for his brother, cause he protects them with that violence and anger

- Don definitely learned how to speak Korean so he could watch k-pop interviews as they aired

- Mikey is a natural at martial arts

That's all I got for now, but quick psa

There has been a bit of toxicity regarding raph fans, like 3 of them. Everyone else is great, so for anyone experiencing hate from those people like @theunicorncomic-blog and @incorrect-2003-tmnt-quotes ( like people are being toxic to them not that they are toxic) along with anyone else experiencing toxicity from the 3 Raph fans

I am so sorry, I know it can be stressful and they seem to like to target things that are personal. So just remember it doesn't matter who your favorite is, it doesn’t matter if you hate a character, we are tmnt. We are TMNT and we love our ninja boys, and we always will. Embrace the new iterations, learn of the old, no matter what it will bring you joy to see our boys out n about getting love.

Spread love and affection, and ignore those who are violent without reason.

And for those like 3 toxic raph fans, I get that you are upset about people disliking raph or feeling like his personality is costing other characters, but something to remeber is that, we love raph, he is a great character, what we are upset about is that the writers make him "angry, strong, rule breaker" and nothing else, they don't let him grow, they don't let him experience, for example the other characters start out as this. " Mr. Rules, Ninja, Leader by name only" and then let him grow to " leader through experience, kind, and willing to risk it all for his family" another " know it all, annoyed, non confrontational" and let him grow to " empathetic, strong willed, smart" they allow the other characters to grow, while sticking with their base. So the Raph we want to see at the end of a series is " willing to do anything to protect, strength through family, and angry at injustice" we can see it be set up in 07 and 03, but the others leave him as an angry, violent jerk who is funny mind due, but non the less we are left wanting more from someone who tends to be one of the more focused on characters.

TLDR, we are upset that Raph suffers as a character from lack of mobility, in a main position he has the options to, but the writers don't give it to him, and by doing so it costs the other characters. So stop being toxic and giving your character a bad rap by using slurs against the people who have different views from you. Just remember there is way more good than there is bad, don't let these 3 ruin things for everyone else or warp your view of others

#all the tmnts #tmnt #tmnt 90s #tmnt 2012 #tmnt 2003 #tmnt 2007 mikey and donnie #tmnt raphael #rottmnt #tmnt 2023 #tmnt mm #stop being fucking toxic and grow up #also maybe dont use slurs?? like you are not defending anything by spreading hate #raph fans are great just not these 3 #just remember there is way more good out here than bad

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katsu28 · 1 year

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christmas tree miracle

pairing: JJ Maybank x reader

summary: when running horribly late on finding a christmas tree actually turns out to be one of the best decisions of your life

warnings: light swearing

a/n: taking a tiny break from writing 1k celebration things for some holiday fluff, but i'll be back on it soon!! come join kait's sweetest celebration if you'd like! <3

navigation + taglist

(gif found on pinterest)

Things were not going well. With the hectic nature of the holiday season taking over your whole life this time of year, you’d forgotten that you were in charge of securing a Christmas tree for your family.

It was now t-minus five days until Christmas, and you had yet to find a fir tree anywhere in the Outer Banks, which is how you ended up at at a smaller, more mom and pop farm called Woodards over on the south side of the island, praying for a goddamn Christmas miracle that would somehow get you the perfect tree.

But much to your dismay so far, no luck. The tiny lot was near void of trees, save for a few pathetic wilted ones over by the metal fence that definitely wouldn’t bode well if you brought any of them home.

You sighed heavily, shoulders slumping as you dragged a heavy hand down your face at the disaster you’d created for yourself. Christmas was your family’s favorite time of year, and you’d fucked everything up before the day had even come.

How were you supposed to go home and tell them that their favorite holiday tradition wasn’t happening this year, all because you’d gotten a little busier than normal?

“Hey,” A voice called from a little ways away, drawing your attention to the owner of said voice, a boy around your age, broad shoulders in a thick, worn looking grey jacket and blond curls poking out from under a red baseball cap that he tugged down tighter on his head as he peered over at you curiously. “You okay?”

You straightened up instantly, and you sniffed, trying to gain back your composure so you wouldn’t make a fool out of yourself in front of this stranger. This very cute stranger.

“Yeah, I’m okay, I’m just, erm—trying to find a Christmas tree,” You sighed, gesticulating vaguely.

“Well, this is a Christmas tree farm, so you’ve definitely come to the right place.” He replied, lips quirking up into an amused smile. “Though you’re comin’ in a little late in the game, I’d say. You can probably see that we don’t have much of…anything, really.”

“‘S on me, I totally forgot I was supposed to get it this year.”

“Busy holidays?”

“That’s putting it simply. Feels like it’s coming a lot faster than usual.” You chuckled humorlessly, dragging a tired hand down your face. The boy nodded knowingly, rocking on the balls of his feet. “Any chance you’ve magically got any good trees somewhere around here?”

“I think I might be able to help you out.” He hummed, making a dramatic show of scanning his surroundings before crooking a finger at you to follow him. You fell into step with him as he navigated his way across the farm deftly, your steps a little less sure. What did your parents always tell you about going to a secondary location with a stranger?

The boy could definitely tell you were on edge, because he snorted, an amused smile stretching his lips. “Relax, I’m not gonna do whatever you’re thinkin’. We keep some trees over behind the main tent—the not quite perfect but still pretty good ones, just for poor old saps like you.”

“Oh, he’s funny too!” You rolled your eyes playfully, which made him smile even bigger.

“I try my best. I’m JJ, by the way. Christmas tree extraordinaire.”

“Y/N. Poor old sap.” That drew a laugh from him, and you felt a little bit proud of it. “So what made you wanna work on a Christmas tree farm?”

“Want? Nothing really, but I’ve known the Woodards since I was a kid so they usually hook me up with seasonal jobs. Lawn mowing in the spring, pool cleaning in the summer, that kinda stuff.” He explained, a fond smile creeping over his face. “Plus, Mrs. Woodard makes the best snickerdoodles ‘round this time of year. I swear I could never eat anything other than those cookies for the rest of my life and die happy.”

“They seem really nice.”

“They’re good people. Some of the nicest you’ll ever meet.”

“And they’ve got good taste in employees too. Are all your coworkers this charming?”

“Oh, stop it,” JJ brushed you off unconvincingly, holding a hand over his heart. “You’re making me blush!”

“It’s true! If all Christmas tree salesmen were as good as you, we’d have an even bigger tree shortage!” You laughed. It was weird how you could feel this at ease with someone you’d met not even twenty minutes ago, but here you were, flirting up a storm with JJ. It didn’t feel uncomfortable or awkward at all, it felt…natural. Easy. Like you’d known each other for a lot longer.

“You’re just gunning for my cookies, aren’t you?” He teased, nudging your arm with a pointy elbow. You feigned surprise, shrugging innocently. “There might be some on the counter by the cash register later, you can probably snag a few if I’m feeling generous.”

“How kind of you!” Your conversation with JJ was cut short by your arrival at wherever he’d taken you, the sizable amount of pretty decent looking fir trees standing propped up against the fence proving a worthy distraction. “Oh wow, these are beautiful!”

“Feel free to look a little closer if you want, I’ll, uh, start getting some rope ready for you.” JJ set off almost instantly, leaving you studying the trees intently for the perfect one.

You’d only just found one when he reappeared, this time with a bundle of thin rope over his shoulder and some plastic netting, tossing the two on the ground next to the tree you were eyeballing once he was close enough.

“Oh, this one’s a nice one,” He noted, running a hand along the bristly branches. “You’ve got good taste.” You just grinned at him, happy that you were actually getting a tree after all. “I’ll get it tied up and ready to go then!”

JJ made quick work of packing up the giant tree, maneuvering it easily like he’d done it a thousand times before—which, judging by the lack of trees around, he probably had. Within no time, he’d looped the rope around the stump, slinging the whole thing over his shoulder and setting off towards the main tent with you in tow, without so much as breaking a sweat. It was probably one of the hottest things you’d ever seen.

“I can’t thank you enough for this, JJ, seriously,” You breathed, digging in your bag for your wallet. JJ leaned the tree against the fence next to the tent, brushing his hands off on his jeans as he made his way behind the counter.

He punched a few buttons on the ancient looking register, shrugging casually. “‘S what I’m here for. Glad I could help.”

“You’re literally the best. What do I owe you?”

“Normally, I’d hike up the price on this beaut for such a last minute score, but luckily for you, there’s a discount today,” He said proudly, grinning a wide, troublemaker smile. “I like to call it my ‘saving a pretty girl from more holiday distress’ discount.”

Your brows flew up at the boldness in his words, but you found yourself smiling. JJ the cute Christmas tree boy had game. “Oh? So how much do I owe you now?”

“Eh, sixty bucks.” JJ replied. Your brows furrowed at the low price. For a tree like this, which was actually pretty nice, you would’ve thought it would cost you an arm and a leg. “And a date.” He added hastily, shoving his hands into his pockets.

“A date.” You echoed, tilting your head thoughtfully, like you were pondering it. Truth be told, you weren’t actually thinking about turning him down at all. In fact, you had also been grappling with asking him out in the duration that you’d gotten to know him.

“Yeah. Coffee, movie, walk around town—I don’t mind. I just…I’d really like to see you again, Y/N.” JJ looked almost nervous now, lips pressing together into a sheepish grin.

“I’d really like to see you again too, JJ.” You meant it. There was just something about him that made you want to know more. You passed him the money you owed him for the tree, which he secured in the register drawer before nodding curtly.

“Here, lemme walk you to your car,” He insisted, shouldering the tree once again with minimal effort. The walk to your car was shorter than you would’ve liked, but alas, here you were. JJ stared up at the roof of your car, propping his hands on his hips with a furrowed brow. “I can get this up there in no time. Light work.” He flipped his hat backwards over his blond locks, pulling a pair of work gloves out of his jacket pocket and sliding them on.

He’d shucked his layers off until he was just in a t-shirt that gave you full view of his biceps, and you’d be lying if you said you weren’t enjoying the sight of him and those biceps hefting the large tree on top of your car. And he was right, he really did get the tree secured to the top of your car in no time, and soon enough he’d opened your door for you, helping you climb in.

Shutting your door carefully, JJ leaned into your open window, braced elbows and open palm holding up his chin as he watched you throw your bag onto the passenger seat. “I’ll see you around?” He asked, cheeks flushing pink in boyish hope. “Soon, maybe?”

“How’s next Friday sound? Lunch at noon?” You offered, tilting your head at him.

JJ beamed at you happily. “Sounds perfect. Text me when you get home, yeah? Gotta make sure that tree survives the journey.”

Your cheeks warmed at the care in his words, even though he tried to disguise it with teasing. “I will.”

“Good.” He murmured, looking like he wanted to say something, but deciding against it. “I’ll see you Friday.”

“See you Friday,” You echoed, smiling warmly at him. “And thank you again, JJ. I mean it. You’ve literally just saved my Christmas.”

“Saving poor old saps is my favorite part of the holiday season.” He teased, winking at you.

“Poor old saps like me?”

“No…nothing like you. You’re way better.”

Feeling emboldened by the wistful look on his face, you leaned out, fingers angling his jaw to the side and pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Bye, JJ.”

“Bye.” He sighed, pushing off from the window with his cheeks now a pleased pink. “Drive safe.” You waved at him once more before starting your car, watching him get smaller and smaller in your rearview mirror as you drove away.

Staying true to your word, you texted him the minute after you pulled into your driveway.

Y/N: miracle tree has officially made it home.

A reply came in almost immediately—a selfie of JJ, mid-munch on a cookie, squinting happily at the camera.

JJ: glad to see it. u just missed a fresh batch of snickerdoodles. sucks to suck, doesn’t it 😉

Y/N: you better bring some on friday then

JJ: of course i will. but i gotta tell u now, they come at a price

Y/N: and what would that be?

JJ: one tin of cookies for another date

You hadn’t even gone on your first date, and here he was bartering for a second. He was bold, and you liked it.

Y/N: deal <3

taglist!

@milkiane @moralina @scenesofobx @tenaciousperfectionunknown @strawberryforks @vesperluvsbillie @like-gabriel-and-castiel @fearthewalkingbitch @eichenhouseproperty @dpaccione @directioner5life @liltimmyst @lilygreennn @sunkissedsteve @mrstealuregirl @izzymaybank @bubsonnobx @laylasbunbunny @cityofidek

#yes i'm still obsessed with this beautiful blond himbo #jj maybank x reader #jj maybank #jj maybank x you #jj maybank x y/n #jj maybank fluff #jj maybank one shot #jj maybank imagine #jj maybank fic #outer banks #outer banks netflix #obx #obx netflix #outer banks imagine #obx one shot #rudy pankow

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ahedderick · 4 months

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Endless tutor

My kids have always needed help with homework, due to being a) kids and b) neurospicy in various ways. And I always did what needed to be done. Around the time my son entered high school, he got a serious tickborne illness (not lyme) that made him sicker and sicker. I had to navigate the school system's rules for absences, help him get caught up on homework after sick days, get him a (fairly worthless) 504 disability plan, etc. It got to be, if not a full time job, at least a part-time job.

His third yr of hs we had to homeschool, because his immune system was toast. We finally got a specialist to treat him who knew what she was doing (and boy was THAT a long and frustrating process), but he was VERY sick by that point, and the treatment stage took forever. Homeschooling had its good points, but his illness took a big toll on the family. On him - and me.

After that came two deeply frustrating years at the local community college (plus COVID hit), and both kids needed substantial help navigating the online schooling. At one point I was up to 25 hours per week JUST on helping them get through their classes. On top of the farming and eldercare for my increasingly frail father. I have to emphasize, here, that at no point were the kids being lazy, they truly needed the extra help and learning support. They had some classes where the teachers were good and they learned without tutoring.

I read aloud. Discussed history and literature. Relearned math and chemistry concepts so I could tutor them. It has been. a LOT.

Anyhow. This morning I have been sitting trying to figure out my daughter's (college) precalculus assignment so I can re-teach the concepts to her. The teacher is a) angry and b) heavily accented and hard to understand. And I am so. goddamned tired. of taking up the slack for poor teachers. and an educational system that seems broken beyond salvaging.

#parentblr #college #uni #student #studyblr #teaching #learning #teachers #education

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sapphire-weapon · 9 months

Note

Do you have an headcanons on the direct aftermath of RE4R? I imagine there would be a lot of activity once they're both back on American soil, but I also feel like there's probably time for them to kill between getting off the jet ski and getting back home.

So an idea I've really been enjoying is that Leon takes the jet ski back to the village, takes the police cruiser that dropped him off (because this one doesn't go off of a bridge and fucking catch on fire like the one in OG lmao it's still just waiting there near the farm house), and retreads the road he took coming in in order to get back to the town he started in and, specifically, to the police station that was initially helping him out.

Because my thing is, like. They end up literally in the middle of fucking nowhere. I can't even tell what type of body of water that's supposed to be -- and, if it is actually the ocean, how the hell would Leon be able to get his bearings out there? Hunnigan's transmissions still aren't coming through, and it's not like he's able to connect to some sort of satellite navigation system. The only thing that makes sense to me is for them to not go very far at all and just sort of stay in terrain that's still familiar.

Of course, that then runs into the issue of the white American guy who's caked in mud and blood and literal shit and has like 20 guns strapped to him stepping out of a stolen police cruiser with the daughter of the US President. They would have to get hidden from public view as quickly as goddamn possible, and they'd have to get in touch with US military officers or other officials who have been looped in on this whole thing.

So, that's a whole thing that's like "this is the only thing that makes sense to me in terms of the logistics of how they get out of there and get back to civilization."

And now I'm going to tell you my purely self-indulgent headcanons of what happens after that, all of which have no basis in reality at all and fuck you I do what I want.

Once they get back to actual human society again and US authorities are notified of their safety and their location, the next thing to deal with is the fact that Leon has not slept or eaten in over 24 hours (well... proper slept; the 3-hour nap he took after the Del Lago fight is the only real rest he's had in this time), and Ashley isn't faring much better. Not only that, but they both had fucking radiation surgery just a few short hours ago, and Leon just basically fought an entire goddamn war all on his own.

They're both also probably coughing and hacking up bug parts at random intervals, but that's like a whole thing on its own.

There's an urgency to get them back States-side, sure -- but, considering the condition that they're both in, it's probably unsafe to actually put either of them in a plane right now. So, that means that they remain in the custody of/the responsibility of the poor, unfortunate, unlucky local Spanish chief of police that got tasked with being wrapped up in this bullshit in the first place.

So there's not much he can really do other than take both of them home with him.

His wife is thrilled (not). Thankfully, there's a spare bedroom in the house, because their kids are already adults and have long since moved out.

This gives Leon and Ashley both a chance to shower and eat something and sleep in an actual bed in an actual house. They're both also gifted a change of clothes, which makes Ashley break down and cry briefly with relief and gratitude -- and the sight of her doing that makes Leon choke up a little bit, too, but he maintains his composure.

And if you really didn't think I was going to "there's only one bed" this shit, like... what the fuck are we even doing here, man.

Leon tries to be like "I'll just sleep on the floor" at first because he's a dumb idiot boy, but Ashley's basically just like "if you don't lie down on this fucking bed I swear to god I'm going to start screaming and I don't know when or if I'm going to stop." because her nerves are shot and she's had her fill of Leon being the self-sacrificing hero and she just wants him to be comfortable and sleep on a fucking mattress that's dressed in clean sheets.

And despite how physically exhausted they both are, neither of them can seem to stay asleep more than an hour or two at a time. Every little bump and noise jolts them awake and puts them both on hyper alert, and they both have to remind themselves where they are and that they're safe and that they're jumping at shadows. And when they do finally drift back off again, it's not Ashley who has nightmares -- it's Leon. She, at one point, needs to wake him up from one particularly bad one that had him twitching and tossing and talking in his sleep. When he wakes, it's the first and only time Ashley can recall having ever seen him look truly afraid -- of anything.

They spend this time in between stretches of sleep having quiet conversations in hushed tones, and those conversations get deep and personal and vulnerable and intimate -- because they both feel like they're in a liminal space and none of this is really real, and when the new day comes and they're on their way back home, neither of them will remember what was said between them.

Of course, that's not true. But that's how it goes.

The best sleep they get is when they finally let go of the pretense between them and cling to each other for warmth and comfort. Leon holds her in his arms, and Ashley nuzzles the bridge of her nose into the nape of his neck, and their legs are tangled up between them. If we're feeling spicy, we can also add some slow, sensual makeouts and light-to-heavy petting also as well.

In fact, that's probably the best sleep Leon's had in years, period.

But the new day eventually breaks, and then it's off to rendezvous with some high-ranking military personnel and finally, really and truly, start the journey back home.

And that, officially, is where their fairy tale ends and reality comes back in.

#resident evil 4 #leon kennedy #ashley graham #eagleone

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marmorafarms · 1 year

Text

Kent x Cis Female Reader

Hey everyone! I'm back with a new smutty fic inspired by the amazing @sdvnpc who has a bunch of amazing works that you should go read.

18+ ONLY

Summary: Kent pays the local farmer a visit, intending just to introduce himself to the woman his son has feelings for. But when he realizes he and his son have similar tastes, Kent decides to think with his other head. And it's just his luck that the farmer is more than willing to have some fun.

Warnings/content: cheating, affair, safe sex, age gap, cis female reader, sassy reader

Word count: 2,358 words

Enjoy!

"Bye Sammy!" You giggle, waggling your fingers at the flustered blonde standing in front of you. Sam had insisted on helping you with the farm work that day, claiming that you seemed stressed and probably needed a hand.

You knew better.

This boy had it bad for you, and it was confirmed when you suggested he shower at your place when the farm work was finished. His face had bypassed pink and went straight to fire engine red when you told him that hot and sweaty was a great look on him, but he should probably get cleaned up.

"Haley got me some fancy soaps and hair products," you said. "You can use anything in there. You'll smell so good after."

Sam had made a slight choking sound, and you gave him a wicked grin as he looked away.

"I um…a shower sounds good," he said. "But my dad is coming home tonight and I gotta help my mom fix dinner."

You blinked, flirtatious banter suddenly shoved to the side. "Wait really?" you said, shocked. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I've been so nervous about it," Sam said honestly. "Talking about it just makes my anxiety worse. I'm worried that things will be different. Bad different."

"Hey," you said softly. "It's going to be fine. No matter what happens, it's going to be fine. You have Sebastian, Abigail, and me all looking out for you, okay?"

Sam smiled shyly and nodded. In a moment of boldness, you swooped down and kissed his cheek before bidding him farewell. Hopefully things would go well. And hopefully Sam would be up for taking a shower at your place later.

The next morning, you found yourself waking up to not only your alarm, but to someone knocking on your door. Your alarm was ringing so it was 6 am. Who the hell was wanting to visit you this early?

You climbed out of bed and padded over to the door, still in your pajamas. Typically you didn't let anyone see you in just a tank top and ass shorts, but whoever was there would just have to deal with it.

There was another knock. "I'm coming!" You shouted, annoyed. You flung open the door, ready to interrogate whoever had interrupted your morning routine, but stopped short. There was a man standing on your doorstep. A man you had never seen before in your life.

He looked kind of familiar, but you couldn't place why. The stranger had an intense gaze, steely gray eyes looking you over. Really looking you over.

Wait, was he checking you out?

He looked old enough to be your dad, but was still kind of hot. Scratch that, he was super hot. Chisled jaw, broad shoulders and a barrel chest. He could beat the shit out of you and you'd say thank you.

The silence that hung in the air was awkward, and this weirdo hadn't introduced himself or even attempted to say why he had knocked on your door at the crack of dawn.

"...Can I help you?" You asked cautiously.

"Holy hell, no wonder Sam wants a piece of you," the man said in a gravelly voice. "You're the hottest woman I've ever seen!"

"I…um…excuse me, what?" You stuttered out, mind going blank. If you hadn't just woken up, you definitely would've had some choice words to toss his way before slamming the door in his face.

"Oh god," he said, face paling. "I am so goddamn sorry. I uh, my name is Kent. I'm Jodi's husband? Sam and Vince's dad. My wife had mentioned you last night. Said something about Sam being into you, and I wanted to meet you."

"At six in the morning?" You said incredulously.

"Oh uh. Sorry," Kent said, rubbing the back of his neck. It was a gesture that reminded you forcibly of Sam.

"It's fine," you said with a sigh. "I usually get up around this time anyway." You fixed him with another look, and noticed that his eyes were wandering.

"I didn't realize a plain black tank top could be so interesting," you said, raising your eyebrows. Kent's face turned a dusty pink, and he looked away.

"Sorry," he said again. "You're just…wow."

"You're not too bad yourself," you said, crossing your arms and leaning against the doorway. Instant regret washed over you. You had just flirted with a married man, the father of the guy you're interested in. You needed to go back into your farm house and put yourself in time out.

Kent smirked at you, and took a step closer. "Oh yeah?" he said in a dark voice, each word dripping with honey.

You should tell him to go. You should put an end to this. You should–

"Wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it," you said, allowing him further into your space.

"I haven't had my coffee today," he murmured. "Would you mind making me a cup?"

You wanted to make fun of his line, but unfortunately said line was working on you. You opted for rolling your eyes and walking back in, swaying your hips a little more than necessary.

"This isn't a drive through coffee shop," you said, noticing he hadn't come in. "I'm not bringing your cup over. If you want coffee, you better come in."

Kent didn't need to be told twice. He kicked off his boots and slammed the door shut. It wasn't long before you were both in the kitchen, Kent watching you measure out the coffee grounds.

"I've got an hour," Kent said bluntly. "I'll be missed if I'm gone longer than that."

You paused, and set the container of water you were about to pour into the machine to the side. You turned to face him, leaning back against the stove.

"Well I guess coffee will have to wait," you said with a small smile. "We wouldn't want you to get in trouble." You walked over to him, and boldly put your hands on his chest. He found your hips easily, large hands settling nicely on them.

"You fuck married men often?" he asked. "You don't seem bothered by this."

"You cheat on your wife often?" you fired back. "Because you don't seem bothered by this either."

Kent's eyes went wide, and your lips curled into a devilish smile. "You mind your business, I'll mind mine." He nodded dumbly, and allowed himself to be led to your bedroom.

You began to strip, slowly raising the hem of your shirt, taking your time before it was tossed to the floor. Kent gazed at you hungrily as each piece fell away, and soon you were naked before him. Gracefully falling onto your bed, you turned to face him. You let your legs fall open, and gently spread your pussy with your fingers. His eyes zeroed in on your actions, and his tongue darted out to wet his lips.

Slowly, you began to rub your clit, moaning softly as you did so. Kent was frozen to the spot, and you chuckled lightly.

"You just gonna watch me put on a show? You can't fuck me while you're over there with all your clothes on."

Kent sprung into action, practically tearing his clothes off as he made his way over. You helped yourself to a view of the goods, and bit your lower lip as you drank him in.

His cock was fairly average in length, but holy fuck was it thick. You could feel your pussy getting wetter as you imagined how it would probably sting slightly as his girth stretched you open.

Boot camp had clearly done its job, giving him defined abs and pecs that you just wanted to squeeze. If you had more time you would've shoved him onto his back and worshipped his gorgeous form. But time was of the essence, and you didn't have time to pepper his body with kisses or drag your tongue over his abs like you so desperately wanted to.

You made a move to get on the bed properly, back against the headboard instead of sitting near the edge of your bed. But Kent was faster. Quicker than you thought humanly possible, he was down on his knees, strong arms hooked around your thighs and pulling you closer.

With Sam being his son, you expected Kent to be more of a talker. Sam had never shut up a day in his life, but it seemed his dad was more reserved. Even more so than Sebastian, which was a shock. He didn't say a single word before latching onto your thighs, biting and sucking dark marks into your flesh. He kissed the marks he left, ignoring your pleas for him to lick you, touch you, do something to bring you close. He seemed perfectly content teasing you.

And damn that was doing it for you.

You sighed out in a mixture of pleasure and relief when his tongue finally licked a stripe from your entrance to your clit. He lapped at your clit, sliding a finger inside of you. Kent began to add fingers as you squirmed. Vaguely, you realized he was stretching you so his cock would fit inside. Looking down, you let out a pornographic moan. His face was absolutely coated in your slick. Good head was always messy, and you were glad he wasn't afraid to shy away.

You were nearing your edge, so close so close so–

And then it stopped. You made a sound of protest, watching Kent get on the bed. He manhandled you into position before rubbing his tip at your entrance.

"Wait!" You said in a strangled voice, getting a look of confusion in response.

"Condom," you said simply, fumbling with your bedside drawer to pull one out.

"I'm clean," Kent said, sounding defensive. "Are you not?"

"I am," you said, throwing a bottle of lube and a condom his way. "But my body can still make babies, and I'm assuming you aren't sterile."

Kent grunted in reply, as though the thought hadn't occurred to him. In all honesty, it probably hadn't. He rolled on the condom as fast as he could, and lubed up. Your slick would probably be more than enough, but you were glad to see he was prioritizing your comfort.

Kent lined up once more, and slowly began to press in. And shit, you had been right on the money with your assumption that he would stretch you wide. At this rate he was going to split you in half! Not that you were complaining.

Kent finally bottomed out, and gave you a moment to adjust. His eyes were closed, breathing heavy. He was clearly restraining himself from pounding into you right away. And that was certainly thoughtful of him, but you needed him to cut that shit out now.

"Move," you whined. "Come on, give it to me!"

Kent nodded, and started thrusting, setting a steady pace. But it wasn't enough.

"Stop holding back!" You said, frustrated. "You can do better than that! Come on!"

Something snapped in Kent's brain, and suddenly he was ruthlessly slamming into you, hauling your hips up with a grip so tight you knew it would leave bruises.

"Fuck! Yes! Just like that!" You wailed. He was silent as ever, but let out small groans, letting you know he was enjoying himself.

"Amazing," he finally panted out. "You feel so good around me…like you were made just for my cock."

You nodded frantically. "Made…made for your cock," you moaned out, not really caring what you were saying. You were close again, and you needed to cum.

"K-Kent, I'm…I'm…"

"Cum for me," Kent said, hips snapping against you, the sound of skin on skin filling the air. "Come on girl, you can do it, cum for me!"

Your back arched as you reached your peak, cumming around his thick cock. It was a good thing you didn't have neighbors because they would've definitely heard the scream ripped from your throat.

That sent Kent over the edge, slamming into you roughly one last time as he spilled into the condom. His eyes were closed, and sweat coated his body. Kent pulled out, tied off the condom and tossed it out before pulling his clothes on.

"Enjoy yourself?" he finally asked as you were pulling your shorts back on.

"8 out of 10," you said simply, and giggled at the annoyed look on his face.

"You screamed," he grumbled. "I think I was more than an 8."

"Oh you would've been a perfect 10," you said, leading him to the front door. "But you lost points for not letting me finish before sticking it in. A true gentleman makes sure his lady is 100% taken care of before chasing his own pleasure."

"Well maybe I'm not a gentleman," Kent said, putting his boots back on.

"Hmmm…true. But I bet Sam is," you said, pleased with how Kent's entire body froze up at these words. "I bet he would make sure that I came before putting his dick in me. He's so sweet and attentive to me…he'd probably give me more than one orgasm too. Maybe what just happened should be a one and done type of thing. I'll get with Sam and let him treat me right. Since he's a perfect gentleman."

Kent turned the doorknob, but stopped before exiting. "Or maybe I can come back another day and I can show you just how much of a gentleman I can be."

"I'll hold you to that," you said as he made his way down the steps. "See you later."

He nodded, a small smile on his face as he walked down the path leading to town. You went back into your house to get cleaned up and ready for the day. You were going to have to go into town today. Pierre finally had a new backpack in stock, and you desperately needed a new one. Jodi would be in the town square talking to Caroline, and you knew you'd have to smile and wave as though you hadn't been fucked into next week by her husband.

But honestly? You didn't care.

#stardew valley #stardew valley smut #sdv smut #stardew fanfic #stardew kent #tw cheating #my writing

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ltwharfy · 4 months

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"Bob's Burgers" Season 3 Episode Ranking Rewatch (long post)

So, I've been rewatching "Bob's Burgers" from the beginning and ranking the episodes using the spreadsheet that @babsvibes created! If you want to know why I'm doing this or how I view the 1-5 rating scale, you can check out my Season 1 post!

Now on to Season 3:

Average (Mean) Score: 4.43

Mode (Most Common Ranking): 5

Ranking breakdown: 12 5s; 9 4s; 2 3s

Season as a whole thoughts:

Season 3 is a goddamn delight! My season 2 as a whole review was positive and Season 3 just builds on everything I enjoyed in season 2. More wonderful recurring characters are added to the mix- Mr. Branca, Mr. Ambrose, Courtney, Henry, and a certain Regular Sized boy I relate to way too much- among others! The world of the show expanded with our first visit to Kingshead Island. And the show continued to grow creatively- hitting new highs in music with "Lindapendent Woman" and "Topsy". Plus, we finally got a full length season meaning we get our very first holiday episodes, including my all-time favorite Christmas episode! I also feel like the show had mostly conquered the tone/characterization issues that popped up in the first two seasons. Bob's occasionally still a bit more of a dick than in later seasons, but he gets called on it now ("The Unnatural")!

In my season 1 review I mentioned watching that season as it aired and thinking it had potential. In my season 2 post, I mentioned that at that point it had gotten good enough that I would've been upset at the time if it was cancelled. By season 3, it had become one of my favorite shows- one that I would encourage friends and family to check out. If people weren't watching the comic glory of "O.T." and "Topsy" they were missing out big time!

Some thoughts on particular episodes:

(Since these seasons are longer I will be writing about a smaller percentage of the episodes- feel free to let me know if you want my thoughts on an episode I don't discuss)

"Bob Fires the Kids": One of my favorite things about this rewatch is discovering what I think of as the "sleeper hits"- episodes I remember being fine but, upon rewatch, turn out to be even better than I remember. This episode was the sleeper hit for Season 3. The kids are exceptionally hilarious in this one- especially being upset about Bob firing them and their attempts at summer fun before they work on the farm. And everything Mickey does is hilarious- the calypso song he sings, his description of "Big", not knowing how to put his hands up, pretty much all his dialogue with Bob ("B.B. King has that disease" "shut up, Mickey"- that exchange always makes me laugh.) Also, "I knew you so briefly, you dead soap dog" is an all-time great eulogy title.

"Mutiny on the Windbreaker"- Probably one the show's zaniest episodes and I love it! Gene falling in love with a a manatee puppet, Louise getting the manicurist to make her claws, all the Bob and Duval interaction- it never fails to make me laugh!

"The Deepening"- "Our toaster is confused, too. It doesn't know why we put bagels in it." This episode could get a 5 for that line alone. Also, I love Mort's standup comedy attempts in here, and the Bob, Teddy, and Mort vs. the shark finale. I wish they revisited the idea of Bob as Block Captain and Hugo as Quadrant Captain in future episodes- stupid neighborhood power struggles make great comedy, and it could've been a great way to get Hugo in the show without threatening to shut down the restaurant.

"Tinarannosaurus Wrecks"- One of this season's two 3s; in an ask game I once said this was my least favorite episode of the show. I empathize with Tina waaaaaaay too much in it to find it particularly entertaining. The first time my mom tried to teach me to drive in an empty parking lot, I basically had a panic attack. I didn't hit anybody's car, but my mom gave up on teaching me and my dad was out of the picture, so I ended up not learning to drive until I was in my 20s. It's hard not to think of that when watching this episode. That said, Tina's Hell fantasy is funny, I enjoy the Mort as the Belchers' chauffeur subplot, and Bob Odenkirk is always good. But it's still my least favorite episode of this season.

"God Rest Ye Merry Gentle-Mannequins"- My favorite Christmas episode! "Mannequin comes to life" is one of those tropes/plots that always amuses me for some reason, and this episode has some hilarious fun with it. "He said he's not a murder mannequin" is an all-time classic line in my book. Also, the ending with Chet saying he has a loft in Manhattan and Bob's "What?!" is one of the best last lines of an episode. Always leaves me with a laugh.

"Broadcast Wagstaff School News"- If I do a top 25 episodes list at the end of this rewatch, this episode will almost certainly be on it. Both the main plot and the Gene-as-little-Bob subplot are hilarious! "Back to you, Andy!" "Back to you, Ollie!" is the ultimate Pesto Twins moment to me. We get some character development for Zeke (his family moves around a lot), Mr. Branca makes his debut, Tammy and Jocelyn team up for the first time- this is pretty significant episode in the development of the support players at Wagstaff- in addition to just being really freaking funny.

"O.T.: The Outside Toilet"- A hilarious episode with a great "Belcher kids and their friends have an adventure" bit (I live for those), and an emotionally resonant plot for Gene. And drunk Linda repeatedly changing her terms for taxi ("snacky", "snatchy") always cracks me up! One time, I was creating a dating profile on Bumble and I had recently rewatched this episode on Cartoon Netowrk, and in the "About Me" section of the profile I wrote "I will never get tired of that episode of Bob's Burgers where Jon Hamm plays a talking toilet". I'm still single (but that profile did actually lead to me meeting one of the more interesting people I've met through a dating app, so...)

"Topsy"- Pretty much generally acknowledged as a classic, so I'll just specifically mention how much I love Teddy in this one. The whole backstory he comes up for "Dr. Glen Wellness" and the line "What's it like out there? Are people still the same, with their funny ways?" is sooooooo good. Like, I need to think of an occasion to say that in real life.

"It Snakes A Village"- Meh. If you want me to care about a story, don't make it about Gloria and Al. Especially don't make it about their sex life.

"The Kids Run the Restaurant"- I don't watch this one a ton because I can kind of empathize with Bob's squeamishness re: blood, but it is pretty hilarious. I especially loved Gene's idea of reformatting the restaurant to serving chicken. This week, I managed to turn his line "Chicken on a treadmill, last offer" into a running joke with a coworker whose never seen the show, so that was fun.

"Boyz 4 Now"- One of the strongest candidates for the title of my favorite "Bob's Burgers" episode. After rewatching it, I really think it might be the episode I would use if I only had one episode to try to convince someone to watch the show. It's unfailingly hilarious yet also has a relatable emotional core. I'm a 42 year old man, and I still feel like Louise every time I have a crush. Louise and Tina stories and "Louise in denial of her feelings" stories are two of my favorite types of stories and this is both. Plus, the tablescaping subplot really shows the Belchers at their best- all getting really enthusiastic about something pretty weird that one of them is doing! Also, Boyz 4 Now and their songs are hilarious and a perfect parody of pop music. My ranking scale for this project only goes up to 5, but in reality this an A++++, 15 out of 10, no notes.

"Carpe Museum"- Another all-time classic. Putting aside it introducing my favorite recurring character for the moment it also has: some of the show's definitive Bob-Louise bonding moments; the introduction of Henry Haber; Linda joining a picket line and coming up with obscene chants; Frond and the museum lady flirting; Teddy's speech encouraging Linda to go to the museum...so much good stuff! But yeah, there's also the introduction of Regular Sized Rudy, the most "me as a kid" character in TV history. Oh, and that last scene with Bob, Louise, and Rudy cuddling on the school bus? Basically the cutest thing ever in my book. If I ever seem a bit too excited to talk about Roudise on here, please keep in mind that I've basically been shipping them since May 5, 2013, with relatively few people to talk about it with until I joined this silly website last year.

Random Thoughts (stuff that doesn't affect the ratings):

-It is so nice for the show to have the normal version of the theme song and opening credits! Yes, the changes are small, but they matter to me. The opening music and credits in the first two seasons are just not as fun and lively as the version from three onward- and it makes the show as a whole feel a bit more fun now.

-Gene in "Broadcast Wagstaff School News": "Quick! Comb me over! Trump me!" It's so weird when pre-2016 TV shows make jokes about that guy in the genre of "businessman"/TV personality with bad hair knowing now that he is a wannabe fascist dictator.

-"Things that are different in their first appearance" department: Regular Sized Rudy's voice is noticeably different in "Carpe Museum" (it was funny to hear that interview where Brian Huskey said he was told "do what you did at the table read" and didn't really remember what he did at the table read). Also, Mr. Branca's pants are a different color in his first appearance than they normally are- I'm assuming that his normal pants were damaged in an unfortunate incident with his work crowbar.

Well, much like the Deuce of Diamonds and Toad the Wet Sprocket, I gave you my magic and now I am going to disappear. (Not really, I'm just ending this post. I'll still be here. I just couldn't resist making another reference to that line)

#bob's burgers #bob's burgers season 3 #bob's burgers episode ranking rewatch #long post

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ecoamerica · 1 month

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youtube

Watch the 2024 American Climate Leadership Awards for High School Students now: https://youtu.be/5C-bb9PoRLc

The recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by student climate leaders! Join Aishah-Nyeta Brown & Jerome Foster II and be inspired by student climate leaders as we recognize the High School Student finalists. Watch now to find out which student received the $25,000 grand prize and top recognition!

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skribz202 · 4 months

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FIC TIME!!!!!

AU: Lost Hope

TW- None

Four years.

It didn't seem that long to Stanley Marsh. In fact, he didn't even realize that years were going by. It lust felt like he was waiting for something. But the question was, what?

Well actually, he knew exactly what he was waiting for. He was waiting for Wendy, Kyle, and to a lesser degree, Butters to all be found and to return home safely. Wendy was Stan's girlfriend, of course he would care if she went missing. The same applied for Kyle, as he was his boyfriend. The person he was least worried about was Butters. That kid had always said that he was going to 'run away someday'. Guess that day finally came.

His thoughts in his head filled the silence in the front room of Stan's house on the farm. He couldn't even remember why he was here. He looked over towards the kitchen. Oh yeah, he had invited Kenny round to hang out around his house because he wanted to take his mind off of the 4 year anniversary of Kyle and Wendy's disappearance and the 3 year anniversary of Butters'. Who know how long they were sitting in silence, but it felt comfortable for some reason.

The blonde took notice of the raven-ette's staring. He knew he had to say something to break the ice, but what? Kenny noticed Stan's Nintendo plugged into the TV and got an idea.

"Dude, you up for a round of Mario Kart?"

The question snapped Stanley out of his episode and made him think for a second. The thing that Kenny had asked him was so off topic, yet might actually have the power to cheer him up. He shrugged as a response and got up to turn on the console, then went to turn on the huge flat-screen TV that his dad had brought recently. He hated his dad's character, but the stuff he brought was always somewhat cool. The TV's logo flashed up for a second and then the switch logo came up. Stan took the joy-cons out from the console and gave one to Kenny while he kept the other one for himself. He selected the game and started to playfully chat with Kenny.

"You're gonna lose, poor-boy."

Kenny looked at Stan in a pretend offended way before sprouting "Oh yeah? Bring it on, emo." He smirked playfully.

Stan smiled at Kenny's comments. Sure, he missed Kyle and Wendy, but right now, he had Kenny. And having one friend was better than having none. After a few rounds, it became painfully obvious who was better at the game. Kenny had won nine times, while Stan had only won once. He couldn't tell if he was going easy on the blonde or not.

"Goddamn Marsh... you are shit at this game..." Kenny looked at Stan and chuckled lightly.

Stan then got an idea. He kicked Kenny in the stomach playfully, which cause him to loosen his grip on the controller. Kenny then attempted to hit Stan but he kept moving away from the blonde's attacks. The score was now Kenny 9, Stan 2.

"You dirty cheater!!! I was gonna win and you stopped me!!!"

"No I didn't! You're just a sore loser..." Stan nudged Kenny.

Kenny giggled slightly. "Says the one who kicked me."

The two boys looked at each other for a moment and then proceeded to erupt into laughter. They laughed for what felt like hours until they had started to come down from the high they were just on. The moment ended with Stan laying on Kenny's chest while gazing at a picture on the wall of him, Kenny, Kyle and Cartman.

"Hey Stan..." Kenny looked down at Stan's head, resting on his chest while his deep blue eyes tilted up to meet Kenny's unusually purple ones.

Kenny smiled at Stan and said with an understanding tone. "I'll always be here for you. If you ever need to talk, or anything. You know where to find me."

Stan smiled back softly. "I know dude. I know."

That day, Kenny and Stan grew closer to each other than they were before. They were no longer just friends, they were best friends.

#south park #south park au #stan marsh #kenny mccormick #video games #friends

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teecupangel · 11 months

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Hello my dearest writer. I just wanted you to know I am amused by your creative brain.

So I wanted to ask a senario that ezio (modern au) was kidnapped in his childhood by abstergo and became a templar instead of an assassin. And then desmond, altair and connor(in one team) wanted to bring him back because he is the prophet and an old friend from childhood.

(Sorry for my english friend)

I’m glad you’re enjoying the ideas I’m throwing out in the wilds but, let’s be clear, these ideas come into existence because of wonderful asks and submissions like yours so you guys are the ones feeding my plot bunny who… isn’t even my pet, they just appear in my backyard one day.

Okay, so for the three to count Ezio as their old friend from childhood, that would mean they would have met Ezio a few times. In this case, I propose we give Ezio a very similar childhood to his canon self where he was raised without knowing of his Assassin lineage.

Altaïr, Ratonhnhaké:ton and Desmond are of similar ages (although I kinda like the idea that Altaïr is the oldest by 1 year, Desmond and Ezio are the same age and Ratonhnhaké:ton is a year or two younger) but they were raised as Assassin. They know the whole Assassin vs Templar thing, but they’ve been told to not tell Ezio anything. As far as Ezio knows, he’s just visiting an out-of-the-way place where he can play with three boys near his age (we can add that Federico is there for a monthly sparring or so with the older kids and Ezio thought it was just like a club competition or something?)

Anyway, my initial thought was Ezio getting kidnapped during the Great Purge but, if he’s the same age as Desmond, he’d be 13 by then, and I think we should push for Ezio’s ‘indoctrination’ at an earlier age.

So let’s use Haytham’s age of 10 instead and Abstergo learned of the Auditores’ Assassin lineage by luck (and tenacity). They abduct Ezio while he was in school then made the poor child believe that his family left him when they showed him an empty house as the rest of the Auditores have fled to keep their other children safe. There were actually Assassins stationed near the house, just in case Ezio comes back or if Abstergo comes knocking, but they were killed by Abstergo before bringing Ezio there.

So, in this case, Ezio grows up believing he was abandoned. He would miss his family but also, either believes he hates or pretends to hate them for abandoning him. He would be indoctrinated into thinking the Assassins are killer deluding themselves into thinking they’re saving the world without understanding how their actions have only brought misery and destruction to the world.

Unorganized Notes:

Desmond doesn’t run away because Altaïr and Ratonhnhaké:ton are on the Farm as well. (Although, Altaïr did say that if Desmond was running away, he was running away with him, and they’ll drag Ratonhnhaké:ton with them who just goes “you don’t need to drag me, I’ll come with you guys.”)

Ezio’s kidnapping is the cold water that made Desmond realize that Templars are real, and the three actually spent years believing that Ezio is already dead.

Umar is alive in this one (yey!). He’s Bill’s best friend and is one of the best Assassin in the fields, maybe there are even talks of him becoming the mentor’s successor. Because he’s usually being sent for dangerous missions, he left Altaïr on the Farm and Altaïr is Desmond’s childhood friend who may or may not be Bill’s ward. Of course, when the Great Purge hits, Umar dies (aww) for maximum angst!

Ratonhnhaké:ton’s mother is an Assassin, but he’s staying with his grandfather on the Farm as his mother goes to the field a lot. Maybe partner Kaniehtí:io with Desmond’s mother for field missions to give us a reason why Ratonhnhaké:ton and Desmond got close in the first place? Or, if you’d like, Edward is the cousin of William Miles’ grandfather, so they’re ‘distantly’ related. (Haytham either being an Assassin, dead ala Tyranny of King Washington, or still a goddamn Templar in this one is up to you)

They learn Ezio is alive because he starts appearing on cameras and public after he officially became a Templar. He was raised by Vidic and goes by Ezio Vidic instead.

Ezio and Cross don’t really see eye to eye. Ezio thinks Cross is too reckless and should get more medical aid and tests before being cleared for duty. Cross thinks Ezio acts too ‘nice’ and Cross is the only one who calls Ezio out and tells him straight that he knows Ezio still haven’t let go of his past.

Berg joins the Order for the same reason as the canon but, instead of being Cross’ equal/sorta-lackey, he becomes Ezio’s second-in-command. He is secretly ordered to kill Ezio if Ezio ever shows any hints of returning to the Assassins.

I think in this scenario, we should not add the Animus because that would complicate things too much (also, Ezio would be a descendant of Renaissance!Ezio and putting him into the Animus would mean that Abstergo would have access to the Apple sooner)

In this scenario, let’s make the ‘Prophet’ a title which means that Ezio alone can open a specific door that houses the most powerful Isu artifact (your call if that’s true, or it’s actually the final door to the Grand Temple, and we’re gonna kill Desmond again XD).

Abstergo doesn’t have the location, but they have the Prophet. The Assassins have the location but not the Prophet, so both sides want Ezio.

His three childhood friends just want their friend back.

(What about the other Auditores? I think it would really push the plot if Ezio actually shoots Federico, whether he doesn’t know it was Federico or he deliberately did it to show where his loyalty stands, Federico survives because Ezio miss his vital organs. Whether on purpose or not, they can’t be sure)

I have to admit, this scenario reminds me of an idea I have (which I was thinking of writing for Halloween… if time permits… probably won’t, idk) of a Canon Divergence AU where Ezio was raised by Berg and joined the Order and became part of Sigma Team. He knows he’s adopted, but he doesn’t know who his birth parents are, all he knows is that Berg adopted him when he was born.

Anyway, Sigma Team gets called in for an urgent mission because a secret Abstergo facility in Fairport, New York (which was pretending to be just a plastic surgery clinic) lost all communication and the entire place went dark.

The last camera footage they saw was two men entering the facility, they wore hoods but facial recognition from cameras providing other angles confirmed they are two known terrorists code-named ‘Altair’ and ‘Connor’.

And Abstergo knows what they’re there to get…

In the deepest part of the facility sleeps ‘Sample 17’.

(So the main idea is: Ezio is trying to take down Altaïr and Ratonhnhaké:ton while the two are trying to find ‘Sample 17’. And… uuhhh… it’s meant to be of more on the body horror side… kinda like… Dead Space type of body horror because ‘things are not as they seem’)

(Your English is fine, dear friend :))

#templar!ezio #yum yum #modern day childhood friends au #ask and answer #assassin's creed #ezio auditore #desmond miles #altaïr ibn la'ahad #ratonhnhaké:ton #connor kenway #teecup writes/has a plot #fic idea: assassin's creed #daniel cross #juhani otso berg

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ashton-slashton · 9 months

Text

My manager gave me an edible that laid me tf out so just gonna ramble a second before bed...

Lily, in my head anyway, is like... this very dainty elegant sensitive guy who was raised on a sheep farm who wanted to make something of himself even though he didn't need to, and got put in a job where he had to be an absolute hardass, because even though he didn't like it, he was good at it. He has to be mean sometimes, has to yell, has to bark orders to a bunch of boys barely out of their teens because goddamn it, he's the captain! But behind closed doors? Oh. Oh, he's so soft. He's such a tender man who is deeply lonely and can't understand why he doesn't feel fulfilled even though he worked his way up to captain through sheer determination alone. He reads romance novels. He's probably wept reading poetry. He thinks Frankenstein is heartbreaking.

Anyway... something something... he could have been a sensitive, big-hearted shepherd with a nice farm and a nice little cottage, and had a kitten and a warm fireplace and books and other such creature comforts... but instead he's got to freeze his ass off in the arctic and get his face torn off by a giant spirit bear.

Bit sad, innit?

#oc stuff #ae: lily mcneil #the terror #terrorposting #the terror oc #amc the terror

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weepingmilkshakedreamer · 3 months

Text

AS1 dial0gue but it'z my au [Act 2]

thiz iz a part 2 0f thiz p0zt that i did z0 uhh yeah. l0l

Bleed: "Bleed and Probe, Back alley MDs" - got a nice ring to it, eh doc?

Alan: Never mind that bleed. someone is coming - this could be trouble!

Brutality: All right! Who's the graffiti artist 'round here? Speak up, maggots!

Bleed: Uhhh, I'm Ignacious Bleed, I'm a surgeon, and this is...

Brutality: Surgeons eh? Well! You boys are gonna help me!

Bleed: Uhm... ok what's-

Brutality: No questions! Get Fixin'!

After surgery

Brutality: Hoo! That's better. Don't know why i did that. People i arrested kept suggesting it. Guess i got curious.

Bleed: Well, as long as your happy, Mr. officer sir!

Brutality: Some whack-job round here has started attacking criminals and messin' them up real bad... So carry on, and keep an eye out!

Brutality: ...also you can keep the handcuffs.

Bleed: Ewwww... Bleh!

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Valerie: Hey! You guys are the surgeons right? Well listen i just got attacked!

Valerie: I was just minding my own business, siphoning off some petrol from a car, when someone snuck up behind me!

Valerie: BAAAAAARP!

Bleed: Oh cool! Well then, let's take a look!

After surgery

Valerie: Whew. Thanks guys - that was ace.

Bleed: No problem missy! Spread the word!

*Valerie leaves*

Alan: Bleed I've been thinking... your current outfit isn't really suitable anymore, so I grabbed this as we left the warehouse.

*Bleed puts on the bloody overalls*

Bleed: Woohoo look at me! I'm a super-hot surgeon!

Bleed: Thanks doc! All the guys are gonna be saying, "Help me doctor! I have ahuge ick!" and I'll be like, "Hmm! I'd best take a look!" and...

Alan: Bleed! Could we focus, please for gods sake! I think we have another patient!

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Vince: Hey! Four-eyes! Yeah, you in the overalls hanging out with the tramp!

Bleed: Jeez and I thought Alan was the only bi- Er uh- I mean... What seems to be the problem, miss?

Vince: MISS?! You little...!

Bleed: wait wha... OH WAIT! I'm so sorry! I thought you were a woman dressed as a cheap male prostitute. Sorry!

Vince: I guess I asked for that. But listen, i suffer from multiple personalities, which is bad for business...

Vince: Could you... You know, fix me?

After surgery

Vince: I feel... Good!

Bleed: (Urgh, well you don't look so good!)

Bleed: So long, pretty boy!

*Vince leaves*

Bleed: ...

Bleed: God... That reminds me of my experience with lobotomies...

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Shame-rock: Ah, now I'll know what you'll say, guys!

Shame-rock: You'll say, "Ah, but that guy looks like he's been through the wars!", so you will!

Bleed: Uhh ok?... Have you been through wars then?

Alan: That's not what he meant Bleed you goddamn idiot... But my guess is some kind of farm equipment, or whatever the fuck...

Shame-rock: Ha! But that's all part of being an elite cage-fighter, so it is!

Shame-rock: And besides, you should have seen the other guy!

Alan: Worse off, wasn't he?

Shame-rock: I literally broke me foot off in his a-

Alan: Ah! Ok ok! Don't need to go into detail here! Bleed you take it from here, before he makes me uncomfortable!

Bleed: Right! Well! Let's get cracking on, shall w-

Alan: Bleed, Shut up!

Bleed: Ok...

After surgery

Shame-rock: Well, I feel great!

Shame-rock: But is all the bandages exactly necessary?

Alan: Well, you know how sometimes you have to put a cone on a injured dog to stop it hurting itself again because they have the brain of this dumbass right here?

Bleed: Hey...

Shame-rock: Ah! I see! This is to stop me from destroyin' me opponents too early on?

Alan: Yeah whatever! Let's go with that explanation!

*Shame-rock leaves*

Alan: ....

Alan: You're still a dumbass you know that right?

Bleed: Yeah...

Alan: Ok good.

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Distress: So... I HEAR you boys are pretty "extreme"... But you LOOK a bit "old and past it" to me!

Bleed: Hey! I'll have you know I once saved the world from a evil giant flying pizza and his minions using only my bare wits and a shotgun!

Bleed: Er- no, wait... That might have not been me...

Alan: Definitely not.

Distress: Ugh! Whatever! Well, I want you to take it to the next level!

Distress: I want to be your surgical CANVAS OF AGONY! Paint me with pain!

Gimp: Yrrrrrgh! Shrr rrrrrrrryy rrrks prrrrrn!

Bleed: Ewwww! Bleh!

After surgery

Distress: Ahh! That was amazing!

Bleed: I aim to please!

Bleed: Or at least not hit any vital organs!

Grimp: Wrrrrl yrrr strrrrple mrrr brrrrrt-chrrrrks trrrrgrrrtrrr?

Bleed: ...

Alan: ...

Bleed: Uh- sorry i couldn't understand a word you just said! But anyways have you heard of anything about criminals getting attacked miss?

Distress: Ugh! Yeah i heard. Word is, problems started around the same time some creepy French woman started hanging around...

Bleed: French? Hmm... Alright! Anyways be seeing you!

Alan: (Jesus Christ I sure hope not...)

Bleed: (Yeah same here doc...)

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Ted: Uh... Hey guys? Will you help me?

Bleed: Uhh yeah I think we should be able to... Whew! Oh man! What did you do, eat a bunch of garbage and then sleep in a dumpster?

Ted: Yeah... I guess, pretty much. Sorry. Listen - it's Joe... he needs to move out.

Bleed: Uhhh what...?

Ted: Uh, Joe's my tapeworm.

Bleed: Oh! Alright i see now! let's take a look then!

After surgery

Ted: Oh man... Joe! What have I done? Oh man...

Bleed: Hey! He was a giant weird, gross parasite who was slowly killing you! What are you upset about!

Ted: Yeah. But... He was my only friend.

Bleed: Huh. Well uh, I guess they say it's those closes to our hearts that can hurt us the most...

Alan: I don't think they meant it in a strictly anatomical sense, Bleed you fuckin idiot...

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Caruthers: ...

Bleed: Uhh... What? Sorry i don't speak sign language.

Alan: I'll translate for you bleed! Now what seems to be the problem again sir?

Caruthers: ...

Alan: (I see...) He says that, "He needs our help! And that he's been poisoned".

Bleed: Poisoned? I knew it! Did someone attack you? OH SWEET MOTHER OF- WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?!

Caruthers: ...

Alan: He says that, "It's his pet komodo dragon and good friend Bugeater Peter"

Bleed: Ohhh... Ok anything else?

Caruthers: ...

Alan: He says that, "Today peter wouldn't eat his caviar, so he had to eat some to show em it's delicious, but apparently someone had swapped it out with spider eggs and now he's gonna die... of spiders."

Bleed: Alr well let's see if i can control my phobias long enough to do this, so I'll do the best i can without freaking out!

After surgery

Caruthers: ...

Alan: He says that, "it was very scary but he's grateful for the operation."

Bleed: Ah yes, you're very welcome Mr. Caruthers.

*Caruthers then leaves*

Bleed: You know doc, I've seen something similar to that before!

Alan: Really?

Bleed: Yeah! Back at the warehouse a girl came in full of bugs! She almost seemed to like it! I fixed her up, but...

Alan: You performed surgery without me? Bleed! that was madness!

Bleed: Oh no, it's fine! I did great but... Oh never mind.

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Dwayne: Hey guys! Les copains! You gotta help me, see? I was at customs, ok? Customs! Je reviens de la capitale mondiale du café oh man you should have seen all the coffees they had!

Dwayne: But I had too much they said! TOO MUCH! I said I'll tell YOU when I've had enough!

Dwayne: So i had to hide it! I had to! Je dois avoir that sweet, sweet caffeine kick!

Dwayne: slurp-slurp-slurp

Dwayne: Oh baby! Oh boy that's good! But anyway! Fermez-la! I'm talking! Le café - I hid it! Now I need it back!

Dwayne: You gotta get it back for me! Do your surgery thing! Do it do it! Make with the ol' slice and dice, the old snip-snip chop-chop!

Bleed: Ohhh-kay! And breathe!

After surgery

Dwayne: Oh wowee, oh yowza! You got it! Oh I could kiss you my dear Bleed! I could kiss the coffee, that sweet, sweet mocha temptress...

Dwayne: slurp-slurp-slurp

Alan: Wait... What?!-

Bleed: Ugh... Yeah your welcome! I guess, but you need to get over it Dwayne...

Dwayne: Yeah i know! But can you at least help me off the dumpster?

Bleed: (Sigh...) Fine!

*thud*

Dwayne: My... what cold hands you have my dear!

Bleed: That's it! Get out!

Dwayne: Awwww... Not even one little kiss before i go?

Bleed: OUT!

*Dwayne leaves*

Alan: Why Didn't you tell me you had an ex?

Bleed: Well i didn't tell you because it was very personal information you know, And cuz i didn't wanna let you know about the fact i used to date that asshole.

Alan: Oh... Why did you break up with him?

Bleed: I accidentally slept with one of his twin bro-

Alan: AH! Ok ok! That's all the information i need to know why!

Bleed: Oh uhh alright then... Anyways back to work!

Alan: Wow you got over that quick.

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Ernest: AH! DOKTORS! HELP! I AM SICK! I HAS ATE SOMEZING ZAT DSIAGREED WITH ME!

Bleed: Uhm ok... Was it fast food?

Ernest: NOT ESPECIALLY! I HAS CAUGHT HIM WHILE I HAS SRAIGHTJACKET AFTER ALL! HA HA HA!

Bleed: (Let's just get on the table and get em the heck out of here! Though I kinda like this guy, he seems cool!)

Alan: (I don't agree with you on the second half! But i agree with you on the first half Bleed.)

After surgery

Ernest: I recognize you, doktor Alan.

Alan: I... Me? How the fuck do you know who i am...?!

Ernest: I saw you. Saw you in ze Old Medicine Building. All zose people died...

Bleed: Uhh doc am i missing something? What is he talking about?

Ernest: YOU WERE ZE DEADPAN FAIRY!

Ernest: DANCE, FAIRY! DANCE YOUR PIXIE DANCE FOR ME AGAIN! HA HA HA! WOOOO! HA HA!

Bleed: (The Old Hospital? Is it true... Or is he just crazy?)

Bleed: Doc... What that guy said. Did you work at the Old Hospital? I heard about that. It shut down because a bunch of people died. And then it burned down...

Alan: Bleed...

Bleed: I want to know what happened doc! But it'll have to wait. We've got a patient!

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Bleed: Hey! You're... Jimmy?!

Jimmy: Doc... Help me! They... Someone sent a exterminator on me! I...

Bleed: He's in a bad way! We need to get going here!

After surgery

Bleed: He'll pull through. But that was a attempted murder!

Bleed: who's doing this?! And what happened at The Old Hospital?! What happened with YOU?!

Alan: I... I will explain what i can, Bleed. But for now... It looks like we have another patient.

Bleed: Ahhhhhh! Doc, you cant just leave me hanging like this! I want to know right now!

#amateur surgeon #fan au #role swap au #dialogue only #character dialogue #bit of a long post #long post #adult swim #creative writing #part 2 of 3 #plot twist: Alan is still a asshole lol #google translate was used for Dwayne lol

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