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#this was meant to be a drabble involving the karma idea i had on… i wanna say ‘the scottish play’?
m1d-45 · 1 year
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Heheehee would love to see venti post-imposter au like that one u did for zhongli...I love guilt >:)))) and thank u, u r amazing!!!!
unnamed poem, unnamed bard
a/n: wrote a whole poem for this. hope you enjoy <3
-> warnings: reader is dead. reader is a literal corpse and is described and referred to as such. major spoilers for mondstat archon quest, the most microscopic spoilers for liyue archon quest.
-> lowercase intended!
taglist: @samarill || @thenyxsky || @valeriele3 || @shizunxie
< masterlist >
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‘the creator is the highest god across every nation.’
seven sets of eyes stared at the body in front of them, at the arrow shot through it’s throat. several other wounds crossed the body, but none were as lethal as the first.
‘they have created everything, from the clouds-‘
angry gray rippled across the sky, thunder crackling in the distance. the storm had been brewing all day, and now the reason why was clear.
‘-to the air-‘
wind howled and cried, whipping through hair and pulling at clothes. one of the ties around venti’s braids had been ripped away, the hair beginning to unravel in the gale. still, even as nahida clutched at focalor’s cloak to stay standing—poor girl, she’d been trying to convince her—the clothes on the corpse were still.
‘-to the earth beneath our feet.’
blood seeped into the ground below, shimmering even in the dim light filtering through the clouds. the brick pattern below had shining blue for grout, blood tracing a spiderweb out.
‘they are only to be adored with the highest of veneration.’
thin hands shook around the handle of a bow, painted nails digging into the grip. barbatos’ eyes are wide, teal, unblinking gaze staring at the body as if it would magically come back to life. as if it would reach, pull out the arrow, as if it would sit up and chide him for behaving so rashly. it doesn’t.
‘after all…’
amber eyes search for purple, then red, black gloves tightening around the geo lord’s weapon. he was not without sin, having also participated in the chase—none were truly pure, none truly deserved any form of forgiveness except for maybe nahida.
‘it is they to which we owe our lives.’
seven chests heaved with a variety of emotions—adrenaline, contrition, horror—but an eighth was oddly regular. blank, lifeless eyes, matching the color of the ones on the corpse, curved with a smile. well done! they cheered, silent pride shining in the dim light.
‘they are stronger than steel.’
“who are you?”
the gritted voice of the pyro archon shattered the fragile silence.
“me?”
‘brighter than the sun.’
the false god put a hand to their chest, the fake shock on their face not hiding their glee. “well, i’m your god, aren’t i?”
‘with their iron-strong will,’
six hands tightened on weapons. one set let go of cloth, small stature still brimming with anger.
‘eons long work begun.’
new blood stained the dirt, red instead of divine blue. the fake’s body jerked, elemental reactions dancing across their skin as their body fell to the floor. superconduct burned out their eyes, overload locked up their lungs, quicken sped up the rate at which blood flowed from their veins. frozen pinned their still-twitching body to floor as they slowly died.
the gods almost wished that it had taken them longer to die. they certainly didn’t deserve a quick death.
‘they forged the valleys and plains.’
seven voices united by the covered body of their god, undivided by worldly squabbles. grudges and bitterness fell away, if only for now, seven heads bowed on seven sets of knees. even nahida, innocent as she was, had knelt alongside them here. seven prayers were lifted on seven tongues, some wavering, all weak. the scenery did little to distract when they knew they had slaughtered it’s maker.
‘mountains shaped, clouds retained.’
the burial was silent, only the sound of dirt against dirt breaking the solemn air. shimmering jade rose from the earth, obsidian lettering carving out their sin. seven were too weak to continue standing, seven sets of tears beginning to fall. seven asked for forgiveness.
‘as night turned to day turned to night again,’
none would receive it.
‘their last creation made, to their own world they ascend.’
grass and flowers were quick to grow over the unsettled dirt, risking quick uprooting for the chance to get closer. seven hearts burned. seven souls screamed.
drinks hit their tables with loud bangs. ‘who are you, bard?” a man called. ‘where have you heard such things?’
barbatos was the first to flee, unable to bear feeling their aura so long after their death. his wide wings flapped erratically, all of his usual grace lost as tears blurred his vision. the cuffs of his shirt clung to his skin, droplets of blue already staining to matter how hard he tried to scrub it out. it refused to even smudge.
he tucked his wings in and dove, barely even trying to slow his fall once he got closer to the ground, not feeling the pain in his feet. he stumbled once, twice, then collapsed at the foot of his own anemo statue.
the boy laughed, the teal on his nails matching the mirth in his eyes.
barbatos’ chest heaved, the air he commands abandoning him in his time of need. the peaceful breeze of windrise couldn’t hide the uneven beats of his heart, the cool stone behind him not soothing the burn on his face. he could see them, the golden chains of his crimes, already encircling his arms. the fingers that pulled the string stiffened with shining rings, too tight to be comfortable, his opposite palm already beginning to glow. some scrap of his consciousness mourned how it would affect his ability to play, to drink, to move, the unforgiving chains binding his actions.
the larger majority mourned his god.
‘you can call me venti.’
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federsturm · 2 years
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Wholesome Tarka headcanon:
Just imagine little Tarka who never fit in with risians or kids his age and someday stumbles into a science convention and for the first time ever he feels a vague sense of belonging.
(Somehow I ended up writing a... drabble about it... whoops)
Learning something new
Ruon was a genius. So naturally he skipped a few classes. But a ten-year-old who knew more than the other far older students? Who even knew more than some teachers? Yeah, Ruon wasn't very popular. He always got annoyed looks when he - yet again - corrected a teacher.
But annoying looks were one thing. The bullying was another. It started with insults, with words Ruon had yet to learn and understand. He didn't really know what a 'critter fucker' was but he got the sense it wasn't something positive. He told his mother about it but she just replied: "Words are just words. They can only hurt you if you let them." So he tried to ignore the bad words, the teasing, the insults, the jokes.
It didn't get any better. In fact it got worse. There was this one kid from his class - Iwenn. Iwenn was four years older as him and twice as big. He was popular. And dumb as a rock. Tarka wouldn't be surprised if Iwenn couldn't recite the alphabet. But Iwenn had friends. And those friends loved to cause a bit of trouble. Especially if this trouble involved this little kid who knew far to much for his own good. But the insults Iwenn so proudly picked up from the casino his father owned, gave no reaction.
So he started pushing him. His friends laughed. He started picking at his clothes, made him trip, stole his padds. The teachers just looked in another direction if they should stumble across them somehow. Ruon soon learned that he was alone. No one would help him. He could swear some of the teacher even smiled when they saw that Iwenn was picking at him again. "Karma" some of them said. Ruon didn't know what that meant.
After getting home he looked that word up. It was an old term from earth, meaning something like 'action'. It referd to a cycle of cause-and-effect. You get what you give. In that moment Ruon learned that something must be wrong with him. He shouldn't know so much. He shouldn't find school so easy. If he was normal, like anyone else, he wouldn't get bullied. If he didn't know so much he would've had friends. He wouldn't be alone.
He began to skip school and started dreaming about leaving Risa instead. An idea manifested in his mind. What if he built a shuttle to leave this planet behind? Find someone as clever as him? Someone who didn't make fun of him. Someone who understood him. So he started his research. Instead of learning simple equations and algebra, like the other students - Ruon learned how to build a shuttle drive.
No one seemed to mind. He still aced all his tests in school. The teachers still despised him. Iwenn and his friends still picked at him when he was there. His mother still told them to just ignore it, so it would stop eventually when the other kids get bored. They didn't. His father told him he should defend himself. Use that damn big brain of yours. You have it for a reason.
So he did. One day after school, with another 100% test in his bag Iwenn and his friends cornered him (Iwenn only got 38%). As always it started with insults. But instead of enduring it silently, Ruon talked back. It felt good. To see the surprise. The hurt when his words hit home. But what his parents didn't tell him: Iwenn didn't know that words were just words. He felt attacked. So Iwenns hurt turned into anger and aggression. Five vs One. It wasn't a fair fight and it wasn't pretty.
But for one damn time Ruon got lucky. Someone walked by that alley, a blond male with worried black eyes (probably a Betazoid his brilliant mind deduced) and a brunette Bajoran both in black und blue uniforms (clearly Starfleet). Iwenn and his friends disappeared. The Starfleet people introduced themselves as Micah and Auren. Ruon took the hand they offered.
They asked him if he was okay. A nod. Did he know those guy? A nod. Would he like them to take him home? He shook his head. Ruon didn't want to go home. His mother would only hug him before she would complain about his torn and diry shirt. His father would just look disappointed. You're so clever. Why can't you for the love of the Givers defend yourself?!
Auren and Micah exchanged a look. Somhow they seemed to be able to communicate with each other without any words. Although Bajorans weren't telepaths. Huh. He was about to ask them, when the communicator on their uniform beeped.
Apparently they were late for a lecture of some kind but totally got lost. Ruon offered his help. The starfleet people gladly accepted it.
The building they looked for wasn't easy to find. It was a small house right next to the casino of Iwenns father. Not exactly a common place for convention place of some kind.
But since the Burn not many people went to Risa anymore. Although the Federation freed Risa from the occupation of the Emerald Chain two years ago. Auren told him this was the first lecture in a long time. He and Micah were the only two Starfleet representatives. It would be exciting to meet other people outside of Starfleet or maybe even the Federation and talk to them about new propulsion technologies.
Ruons ears pricked up at that. Curiously he asked them about it. He was met with astonishment. What does a ten year old know about propulsion technologies? Proudly Ruon told them about the things he read and learned. He even told them about his plan of building a shuttle.
And for the first time ever he wasn't met with confusion, unease or because a ten year old knew more than oneself. Instead he was met with wonder.
But then he saw Iwenn. Iwenn, who was in the middle of talking to his father about something. He pointed at them. Micah seemed to sense that something was up. Again this strange silent communication between him and Auren occured. He knew that Betzoids could read the mind of other people. But were Bajorans able to answer? Apparently. He would have to look that up later.
"You know what, Ruon? Why won't you come with us?" Micah asked. His black eyes seemed sincere although a little concerned. "You seem like a clever guy. And I don't think it would bore you. Later we can accompany you home." Eagerly Ruon said yes. Two birds with one stone. He didn't have to face Iwenn alone and he could learn more about propulsion technologies. So he went with Micah and Auren.
At first he was a little bit shy because all the other adults were far older than him and looked at him curiously. But once the lecture began no one payed him any attention anymore. And for the first time ever, a lecture was a challenge for Ruon. For the first time ever, he didn't understand everything. For the first time ever, a lecture was fun again.
It felt good. It felt good that no one looked at him funny when he asked a question. It felt good to learn something and not feel bad about it because others would tease him. It felt good to feel normal for once. Here, everyone seemed to understand him somehow. Here in that room, Ruon wasn't that nosy little brat who knew more then everybody else. Here, he was just a curious boy learning something new.
He makes a plan that day. Someday he will join Starfleet and become a scientist.
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spidercakes · 4 years
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SpiderCakes Masterlist
People have asked about masterlists before and I’m usually too lazy to make them but I decided I’d organize today so here goes! I’ve made the list according to the themes/ tropes of the fics I’ve written. Starker unless labeled otherwise. A lot of these are ABO and also something else but they’re labelled accordingly. Appropriate warnings are attached to each story.
The list is below the cut because its very long.
ABO
Confessions of a Slutty Omega- ABO AU in which Peter is a YouTuber and Tony watches his channel. More of a synopsis than an actual story.
Best Friend’s Kid: fic preview in which Tony is fucking his best friend’s kid.
Random ABO AU- based off this prompt: the first time Tony really holds Peter down with his entire weight as they fuck. Peter absolutely loves the loss of control.
Traditionalist Peter: older alpha Tony and young traditionst Peter in which Peter.
Another Random ABO AU: high school AU, based off this prompt: An Abo in which omegas when severally distressed emit an high pitched call that alerts their alpha.
Prep School AU: Big ‘ol pile of smut tbh.
Young Peter: based off this prompt- 16 yro omega!peter massaging tony's knot with his hands.
Bitchy Tony: fem!Omega!Tony and alpha!Peter where Tony is well known for being a real bitch to anyone who tries to court him.
Angst AU: based off this prompt: Tony is an alpha but Peter is a beta. They can’t be together as laws prevent alphas from mating with betas so they pine in silence.
Cheerleader!Peter Punk!Tony: HS AU cheerleader Peter and punk Tony, smut.
High School AU: what’s on the tin, including a little pining.
Slutty Peter AU: Peter is used to being in charge, but Tony takes over.
High School AU: fem!omega!Tony and alpha Peter.
Gossip Girl AU: Peter is surprised to find himself on a gossip blog he’s never heard of.
CNC Young Peter: 16 year old omega Peter and alpha mob boss Tony.
Married Tony: omega Tony is married unhappily to Justin Hammer and cheats with younger alpha Peter.
50′s AU: fem omega Tony and alpha Peter.
Heat Fic: Peter helps Tony through a heat.
Beauty Queen AU: beauty pageant AU with omega!Peter and alpha!Tony.
Playmate: omega Tony teaches omega Peter how to please an alpha. Intended as multichap but I have yet to write more.
Young!Peter: Tony needs to be married by 21 or he doesn’t inherit Stark Industries.
Tease Peter: best friend’s kid trope featuring Peter the tease.
High School AU: coy Peter makes Tony work for his attentions.
Intern: Tony takes an interest in his new omega intern.
Omega Run: Peter tries to outsmart the alphas only to get outsmarted by Tony.
Just The Tip
50′s AU- ABO also, based off this prompt: how about tony letting peter put just the tip in him as a reward, and they both like it so much they go all the way.
Young Peter- based off this prompt: Mmmm how about horny 16 yo Peter using the “just the tip” argument to convince guilty!Tony.
Late Bloomer Peter- based off this prompt: Omega!Peter is a very late bloomer. Neither he nor Tony realize Peter’s going into heat until it’s too late.
Just the Tip: ABO AU, dubcon, the one that started my fascination with this trope.
Teacher Student: This fit into like four categories on here but I put it here. Just the top with teacher Tony and student Peter.
Bratty Peter: ABO AU, based off this prompt:  maybe Peter is being a brat and says he wants to ride Tony but Peter teases him by only putting the tip in.
Half Asleep Peter: ABO AU, based off this prompt: Peter is half-asleep and Tony comes home late from work, Peter tells him he’s tired. Smut ensues.
Fic Ideas (feel free to adopt any of these!)
ABO fic Idea- Meant to be long form, may never get to.
Whatever this is- WinterIronSpider, mentions of incest.
Prep School Idea- definitely starker, more than likely would have included a lot of smut and drug use lol.
Bodyguard AU: half crack half serious.
WinterIronSpider: ABO WinterIronSpider idea.
Urban Fantasy AU: vampire!Peter and incubus!Tony.
Funky BDSM YouTube AU: Tony and Peter do BDSM demonstrations and occasionally themed episodes where they try to use holiday objects as like BDSM equipment.
Royal AU: Tony loves Peter, shouldn’t because blacksmiths can’t love princes.
Naive Peter: young very naive omega Peter who gets fucked by older alpha Tony.
Mob AU: Peter gets involved with Tony after he gets in over his head with Quentin.
Random AU: Peter has had a crush on Tony ever since May started working for the Starks.
Actor AU
Karma Got is Kiss for Me
Age Difference: fic snippet in which Peter, looking for a little adventure, runs into Tony.
Mob AU
Angelic Peter: ABO, based off this prompt: angelic little omega peter who mob boss or biker tony takes a liking to.
More Bratty Peter: based off this prompt: You can’t lose your temper like this every time you get a bit upset.
Kidnapping AU:  Tony deliberately kidnaps Peter because he has no patience for domestic violence and is basically offended that Beck sucks.
Smol Omega Peter: ABO AU featuring jailbait Peter.
Prequel to Smol Omega Peter: How they met in the above fic.
Shifter AU: based off this prompt: shifter au where everyone has a designated animal as well as abo.
Heir to The Mob: high school ABO AU featuring Tony as heir to the mob boss throne.
Barely Legal!Peter: ABO featuring mob boss Tony with barely legal! Peter.
Kidnapped!Peter: Peter gets kidnapped, Tony does something about it.
Mob Boss Peter: ABO Peter sleeps with Tony to intentionally fuck with mob boss Steve, whom Tony is married to.
Kept!Peter: Tony finds Peter in trouble and saves him, then chooses to pamper the hell out of him.
Stripper!Peter: mob boss Tony favors Peter when he visits the club.
Bratty Peter: Tony has to leave to take care of some things, Peter doesn’t care for that and reacts badly.
Mob Boss Peter: mob boss Peter featuring subby Tony who adores him.
Baker!Peter: Tony stark is a well known mob boss and he meets and falls in love with Baker! Peter.
Figure Skater Peter: mob boss Tony takes a liking to figure skater Peter, marriage to Quentin Beck be damned.
Harassed!Peter: mob boss Tony sees Peter being harassed and steps in.
Soulmates: mob boss Tony didn’t think he had a soulmate.
Superior Iron Man
Merperson Peter: based off this prompt: Tony takes down a rival corporation and discovers a hidden aquarium where they have captive merman!Peter. 
Manipulative!Peter: based off this prompt:  SIM being manipulated by an evil and/or mischievous Peter?
SIM AU: SIM!Tony manipulates MCU!Peter into coming home to his dimension with him.
Kidnapped Peter: based off this prompt: SIM had kidnapped Peter from the MCU dimension to replace his Peter that was murdered- SIM uses Extremis to wipe Peter’s memories.
WinterIronSpider
Pre WIS AU- based off this prompt: Peter and Tony love each other but Peter is worried about his super strength when they fuck so Bucky steps in.
High!Peter AU: WinterIronSpider high!Peter and soft Dom Tony AU feat. Bucky, the Added Element.
CNC Fic Preview: badboy type Tony and cheerleader! Peter with a splash of Bucky in there too. Incomplete.
Taboo
Stepbrothers AU: ABO featuring jealous Tony and a dash of winterspider.
Sequel to Stepbrothers AU: more jealous Tony and a dash of spidershield.
Another Stepbrother AU: WinterIronSpider- Alpha Tony shares his omega step brother Peter with alpha Bucky. 
Age Difference: based off this prompt- Peter at a picnic with Tony, Peter in little daisy dukes or something similar and summery while eating watermelon.
Non-Con Politician AU: based off this prompt- Tony comes across something shameful the young, up and coming, idealistic politician peter parker has done in the past, and holds it over his head.
Teacher/Student
Tease!Peter: based off this prompt:  Peter’s flirting not so subtly and tony ignores it until peter shows up in a short skirt and he can’t take it anymore.
Established Relationship: Peter and Tony discuss the future. D/s elements, smut.
Bathroom Fun: pure smut.
BDSM
Across The Stars: WIP, Peter takes a job as Tony’s sub to pay Ben’s medical bills after he's shot and falls into a coma. I’m only tagging this one as it links to all the other chapters.
Dom!Peter: 5 part series in which omega Peter learns he has a thing for domination and alpha Tony learns he has a thing for submission. Incomplete.
Teacher/Student AU: based off this prompt: Teacher/student (maybe an established relationship) with a whole lot of teasing. Dom Peter.
Dom!Peter: based off this prompt: Tony’s had a really long and horrible week at work and just wants to be good?
Sub!Tony: Peter accidentally becomes Tony’s Dom.
Edging: Tony edges Peter within an inch of his life.
Dom!Peter: Tony meets Peter in a club.
Drabble: Dom Peter and subby Tony.
Met Online: wherein Peter and Tony met online and decided to recreate a fantasy or two.
Miscellaneous
Trans!Tony AU- exactly what it says on the tin, smut.
High School AU: Exactly what’s on the tin, with smut/ fem Peter.
Serial Killer AU: exactly what’s on the tin.
Exhibitionist!Peter: Tony isn’t looking forward to his trip home because he knows he’s just going to be compared to his brother Steve the whole time. Peter helps.
So Sorry, Mr. Stark: Rumor has it Tony hates being called ‘Mr. Stark’ but that’s not the real reason he doesn’t want anyone calling him that.
5+1 honeymoon AU- based on this prompt: 5+1 honeymoon in which they stop their honeymoon five times to save the world and one time that they do not.
Acolyte Peter: Tony needs a replacement for Pepper and she suggests Peter.
Sensitive!Peter: based off this prompt: Peter trying to top but he's too sensitive so he either has to stop or ends up finishing too fast. 
Rock Star Tony AU: exactly what's on the tin with a moodboard.
Wedding Fluff: exactly what it says on the tin.
Crack AU: Peter and Tony have been in an on again off again relationship since high school and they both happen to be in town for the same event.
Rabbi’s Nephew Peter: literally exactly what’s on the tin, preslash.
Spoiled Peter: exactly what’s on the tin.
WingFic: based off this prompt: a wing fic/soulmate AU where when you meet your mate, your wing colours combine so that you get your mates colours on your secondary feathers.
Zoom AU: Peter introduces his class to all his pets with funky names.
Vacation AU: Peter, Ned, and Liz all vacation in Italy before going off to college.
Bratty Peter: based on this prompt: bratty!Peter possibly with an over accommodating Tony?- in which Peter mostly only pretends to be a spoiled brat.
Diety!Peter: Tony is chosen as that years sacrifice to his village’s god by priest!Howard.
Urban Fantasy AU: urban fantasy starker AU featuring vampire!Tony.
Possessed!Peter: crack AU- Tony possessed Peter, Peter forces him to deal with the consequences. 
Sex Slave AU: Headcanons around what this would look like.
Witch!Tony Familiar!Peter: Exactly what’s on the tin.
Sequel to Witch!Tony Familiar!Peter: Tony want to propose.
Camping!AU: Tony fucks Peter against a tree.
Prompt!Fic: Peter teases Tony.
Umbrella Sharing: exactly what’s on the tin. Fluff.
Possessive!Tony: Peter teases possessive Tony and it goes in his favor.
Snowball Fight: Peter hits Tony with a snowball by accident and that’s how they meet.
Pop Star!Peter Rock Legend!Tony: exactly what it says on the tin.
Media: media outlets have a heyday with Tony’s new relationship with 22 year old Peter.
Dumped!Peter: Tony comforts Peter after he gets dumped.
Cat Burglar Peter: based off prompt: Peter is a famous cat burglar and Tony is a police officer trying to catch him.
College AU: fluff mostly.
High School AU: 3 part series in which punk Tony gets with seemingly innocent Peter. The last part is linked, but all three parts are attached to the third.
Sleepy Starker: fluff piece that’s exactly what’s on the tin.
Soulmates: you don’t see in color until you meet your soulmate.
Random AU: Peter is upset that Tony never seems to mention him on social media.
Non Powered AU: Peter’s friends are really confused on what his new job is.
Moodboards
Serial Killer!Peter Detective!Tony
A Star Is Born
Kept!Peter Mob Boss!Tony
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animegenork · 3 years
Text
Sorry to interrupt regularly scheduled ignoring my random, but I wanted to put these somewhere, so I figured I’d put him here on my blog!
Basically, I wrote these short drabbles for each LI from @andromeda-six some number of months ago (I have no idea what time is anymore, but I think this was in July), around the time when Episode 4 was still blowing my mind. I did it as a sort of comfort thing and to do something nice for some friends, but I actually kinda liked them? So I figured I’d share, if that’s okay... If not you can just unfollow me like a bunch of people have been doing LMAO
All below the cut! :D
For my fellow Damon stans
If Calderon Hadn’t Cockblocked in the DLC 
"Yeah..." he says. "Stunning." 
 I realize he's not talking about the fireflies anymore as I turn my head to see him staring at me. My body starts to hum with the attention he's giving me; of course, he's looked at me before, but something about this is... different. 
 "Traveler," he murmurs, his voice quieter than I've ever heard it. He's not one to be quiet, I realize. It's either silence or full volume with this one. 
 My breath stops in my throat as his hand lightly touches my chin, as he has many times before. As he leans closer, I feel the logical part of my brain trying to push me away. He's bad news, it says. You shouldn't get involved. 
Screw logic. 
 His lips touch mine, and I feel something inside me melt. It's like he's some sort of poison, tearing me apart from the inside out. But somehow, that's good in this case. I decide I like poisons named Damon. 
Briefly, he pulls away, searching my eyes for any signs of protest, though I can't imagine ANYONE'S ever protested a kiss from him. Except maybe Calderon. 
"Was that stunning?" I nearly choke out, and the smirk that creeps up his face makes the stupid joke worth it. 
 "In a way," he replies, leaning in to kiss me again. 
I should volunteer to do the laundry more often.
------
For the Bash-ers (wait no that sounded wrong WHAT I MEANT WAS--)
Stars
Bash is waiting for me outside my room. He's in the process of hanging up one of his outrageous doodles, but he smiles despite being caught in action. "Sleep well?" 
"Ehhh," I reply, though my nonchalance is definitely offset by the dark circles under my eyes. It's hard to sleep when you have the weight of a galaxy resting on your shoulders. 
He studies my face for a moment before grinning. "Alright, come on." 
Grabbing my hand, he drags me through the hallway to the loading bay, until I can see the stars out the window, like I did the first day I woke up on the Six. A smile lifts the corners of my lips. The stars, as always, bring some sense of comfort to me. Looking at them, it's like there's nothing that could bother me.
I smile up at Bash. "Thanks, Bash."
"Oh, come on." I look up at him quizzically, and he wraps his arms around me, lifts me off the ground, and spins me around. "SMILE WIDER!" he practically screams, and I laugh at how weird he's being about something as simple as a smile. But that's Bash, I suppose. That's just the way he is.
He stops spinning me and looks up at me with his gleaming green eye and glinting yellow one. This time, my smile is more genuine. "Thank you." 
Setting me down gently, he kisses me on the forehead, which surprises me and delights me all at once. "Anytime, Traveler."
It takes all my willpower not to melt to the floor in a puddle as I blush myself silly.
------
Now Juuuuuuune (baby boy)
Hold My Hand
At first, I was just determined to meet June's lizard. Then, I find him in one of the storage closets, frowning at the wall as if it had just insulted him. "June?"
He doesn't answer, not at first. Then, slowly, he turns, and from the haunted look in his eye, I can tell he was just in a dark place. That wasn't this closet, that is.
"Traveler," he says hoarsely. He steps out of the closet and closes the door behind him, leaning heavily against it. "What's up?"
I can't possibly ask him about his lizard right now. "I, uh... just wanted to say hi."
June manages a weak grin. "Hi."
"Hi." We're silent then, and I see that something is still weighing on him. So I do something a bit drastic.
I hold out my hand. "Hold my hand, June."
"What?" He shoots me a questioning look, but, seeing the look on my face, he obliges and gives me his hand. Unsurprisingly, it's a bit calloused and rough, and a part of me just wants to hold it there and pretend time isn't passing around us.
But no, this isn't about me. This is about June. He's hurting, and I want him to feel better. It's not right for such a sweet man to be hurting this much.
I lift his hand to my lips and kiss his palm gently. Then, I close his fingers over his own hand and look up at him. "If you need someone to talk to, I'm here, June."
A light blush is spreading across his cheeks, but his weak smile softens as he murmurs, "Thanks, Traveler."
He wraps his arms around me in a hug, and I embrace him back. Sometimes, we all need to remember that we're not alone in this fucked-up universe.
------
For Cal-ers? (Was that funny? No? Okay I thought so)
Lynch the Cal-y Cat
Pushing Calderon's buttons shouldn't have been as amusing as it was, and yet, it continued to amuse me. Perhaps Damon and Aya were rubbing off on me too much, or perhaps a part of me had always been this mischievous.
I wasn't quite sure what possessed me to do it, but I acquired a pair of cat ears, yellow, like his hair, and I was trying to sneak them onto his head without his noticing. As I tiptoe up behind him, I realize with a sudden clarity that there is no one else around, and so, he is that much more likely to hear me coming. Dammit.
And indeed, he turns around before I succeed, a scowl upon his face. I have a split second lead on him, so I slip the cat ears on his head before he can protest. 
"What the hell?" he grumbles, rolling his eyes up, as if he can see the top of his head by doing so.
I start laughing uncontrollably, doubling over and practically not breathing anymore. He watches me enjoy his annoyance with a dark expression on his face. Even if he's pissed, the sight of him with kitty ears is priceless.
After a few moments, his face softens into a more neutral expression. I glance up at him, still shaking with the force of my laughter, and ask, "Cat got your tongue?" I bite my lip before I start rolling on the floor.
"You're smiling."
What? "Huh?"
Calderon looks away, as if saying something like this was a nuisance. "You're not moping around anymore. It's good to see you out and about."
Had he been WORRIED about me? Well, that was all sorts of embarrassing. "Uh, yeah, um, thanks, I guess...?"
He gives me a curt nod and continues down the hallway. "Oh, and Traveler?" I turn and raise my eyebrows at him. There's mischief gleaming in his eyes, and I'm not sure what to think about it.
"Be prepared for my payback." And then he leaves.
Oh, man. Why does that make me smile wider than I was about the cat ears?
------
Now for Aya <3
So About That Pole...
It's weird to consistently think of a sorta-sexy pole dance a friend of yours did just for fun, right? Right.
But I was undoubtedly thinking about that pole dance all the time, and I knew I wouldn't be able to look Aya in the eye until I'd had some semblance of a normal conversation with her again.
So when she surprises me at my room, I think perhaps karma or something is out to get me.
"Traveler! So Bash and I are planning this latest prank-" she begins, and then she sees that a blush is spreading over my face. "Are you sick? Should I take you to Ryona?" She puts her hand on my forehead, and I can't believe I haven't completely lost my shit yet.
That pole dance is on fucking repeat.
"You were saying?" I grit out, ignoring my clammy hands.
Aya cocks an eyebrow. "Oh no, you're not getting out that easily." She leans forward and rests her forehead against mine, and I stare, wide-eyed, into her eyes. Such proximity is really not good for my heart, considering how much I've been thinking about her.
Finally, she narrows her eyes. "Wait. What are you thinking about?" I don't answer, and she starts to grin. "Don't tell me after that dance, you've fallen for me?"
I blush.
She laughs, lacing her fingers with mine. "I'm flattered, Traveler. I'm sorry I didn't prepare you for that." With a kind smile, she winks at me. "But hey, lemme know if you want a repeat show."
Of course, my language skills return at that moment. "I just like that you were having so much fun."
Aya's eyes glitter with some emotion I can't read, and she leans in and whispers: 
"Good. Because I have fun when I'm with you." 
It's a miracle I don't drop dead on the spot.
------
Ryona, darling heart
Kiss to Make It Better?
I walk around the infirmary, marveling at all the plants Ryona has placed around the room. They really do give the room a homey touch, much better than I assume most infirmaries must look. At least, my perception of them has been anything but this.
Behind me, the door opens, and I turn to find Ryona, eyebrows raised. "Traveler? What's wrong?"
Now was my chance. I hold up my finger. "I got a bad cut."
Silence.
Ryona starts to chuckle, and I grin awkwardly as she comes over and inspects the cut. "How did this happen?"
"I was practicing with the knife Damon gave me--"
"Say no more."
Okay, good, cuz there was no way I'd admit to Ryona that I kinda-sorta did it on purpose.
But of course, she somehow knew anyway. "You didn't do this to yourself on purpose, did you?" She looks up from the cut to my face, raising a stern eyebrow and pursing her lips. I swallow. How is she so good at that?
So I tell the truth. "I wanted to see you." Wait, shit, I didn't mean to be so blunt about it--
Her chuckle returns as she begins wrapping a bandage around the cut. I watch her nimble fingers work, fascinated by how efficient they are when I can barely do any similar activity without messing up at least once. Which is why I thought it would be believable that I hadn't done this on purpose.
When she's done, Ryona smiles at me. "Need anything else?"
It's childish, but surely she won't mind...? "Maybe a kiss will make it better?"
Ryona's blue skin flickers a bit as a reddish tinge spreads across her cheeks. Nevertheless, she lightly kisses my bandaged finger, and I grin triumphantly. "Does it feel better now?" she asks tightly, as if she's trying not to melt in a puddle like my heart already has.
"Yes. Thanks, Ry," I whisper, leaning forward and resting my forehead against hers. We smile at each other. At my side, my finger tingles.
------
And now we have reached Vexx-point! (Was... was that a pun? I don’t know...)
Don’t Worry, I’ll Save You
It's hard to watch someone you love suffer, even if that someone broke your heart not too long ago.
Maybe it was pointless for me to keep my hopes up when it came to Vexx, but I knew, from the moment he told me he hadn't cared, that something was up. Even if it had been all an act, I knew that what we had was something, and it certainly wasn't nothing.
So as I sit here, watching him sleep fitfully in the room where we're keeping him prisoner, I can't help but wonder what that manic look in his eye is all about. What did Zovack do to him? How can I fix it?
Suddenly, Vexx's face crumples into a forlorn expression, and I can't just sit by him anymore. I scoot over to him and put his head in my lap, stroking his red hair. Then, a thought occurs to me, and I take out my music box and open it, letting its lullaby soothe Vexx, even in the midst of his nightmares.
I can't help myself; I lean down and gently kiss his forehead, knowing he won't remember it when he wakes up. "Don't worry, Vexx. I'll save you. I promise."
Though he can't hear me, his lips turn up slightly in a smile, and I have a feeling his bad dreams have shifted to something better.
It's up to me to make that a reality for him.
-------
Wow I forgot how short that last one was, I’m a bit embarrassed ;w;
But anyway, if you read these, thank you for the taking the time! <3
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