#we're going to try to keep the momentum going here

[starkidmunson]

glitter & crimson

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

Realistically, Steve knows the band won’t hang around Chicago forever. He knows they’re out promoting a new album; knows they’ll have to move on and that Eddie has to go with them. It doesn’t stop him from wanting Eddie to stay; to live in the quick familiarity he’s built within Steve’s little found family.

Eddie and Robin seem to have already created their own secret language, all gestures and movement and eye contact Steve picks up on but can’t quite read. He’s already picking on the Party like he’s known them their whole lives; ruffling Dustin’s hair, elbowing Mike, throwing his arm around Will’s shoulders, and giving Lucas little shoves. 

It’s easy; so easy to get caught up in how charismatic Eddie is. Steve has a hard time keeping his eyes off him, and Eddie knows. He keeps making comments, throwing winks in Steve’s direction, seeing right through every wall he’s ever built around himself and Steve is caught between being obsessed with it and terrified. 

He stops drinking after the one beer, worried he’ll make things weird if he gets anywhere near tipsy, opting to stay as far away from the possibility as he can. If anyone notices, they don’t comment.

Lucas is chatting animatedly with Jeff, Max sitting close by, twisting braids into El’s hair. Dustin, Mike and Will appear to be grilling Gareth and Freak about dungeon and dragon campaigns Eddie used to run. Nancy has her arm looped through Robin’s, but her attention is on the phone in her hands, as Eddie and Robin talk about what touring is like.

“Where else are you going on this tour?” She asks as Steve tunes back into the conversation.

“This isn’t really a tour, we just haven’t been on the road in a while and we just stopped the album, so we lined up a few shows to get our feet wet before we hit the road for real this summer. One more show out in LA on Tuesday, then we’re done until May, for now.” Eddie explains.

“We’re in LA on Thursday!” Robin exclaims, and Steve’s stomach drops because, yeah. LA on Thursday. He trains his eyes on the glass in front of him, not willing to actually look at anyone they’re around. 

“We could totally meet up again if you guys are able to swing it?” Freak offers, and Steve forces a little smile onto his face and nods.

“We can figure it out later,” Eddie says after a few beats, and Steve is grateful for how the conversation rolls onto the next topic. When he finally looks back up, though, Eddie’s still looking his way. Steve hits him with what he hopes comes off as a reassuring smile, but it doesn’t seem to pay off the way he hopes.

Once the tab is closed and the staff is tipped well, Steve catches Eddie’s elbow on their way out the door. “I would like to meet up in LA, if you’re interested. I didn’t mean to get weird about it, it’s… I’ve been in my head a bit about that game since it was announced.”

“Oh, hey, no worries. We’re in LA the whole week, then we’re heading home. So no pressure, honest.” Eddie hooks his hand over Steve’s softly.

“Well, we should get in Wednesday, but we could totally do something after the game or even Friday?” 

Eddie smiles and nods, patting over Steve’s hand. “Text me about it.”

“I can do that. How much longer are you guys in town for, anyway?” Steve asks.

“Ah, the dreaded question comes,” Eddie’s playful, and it makes Steve’s face heat up. “We’ve got just under another 24 hours in the Windy City before hitting the road again.”

“Oh,” It pulls his chest in a way he wasn’t expecting, in a way that shouldn’t be happening for a rockstar he was adjacently aware of in high school. “Are you busy tomorrow?”

“Harrington,” Eddie’s teasing again, and it does nothing to help the blush on Steve’s face. “You can’t possibly miss me this much when I haven’t even left yet.”

“Shut up,” Steve shoves him away then, crossing his arms over his chest with a pout, only for Eddie to pull him in with an arm around the shoulder.

“We can grab brunch or something? We leave around 8 to avoid rush hour, so I’ll have to be in the bus by 6, or I’d say dinner.”

“Brunch works for me.” 

~~~~

The trip back to the hotel doesn’t go as Eddie expects; everyone is silently chatting amongst themselves, nodding and tapping along to the music and not causing a scene. He almost points it out, but elects not to bring unwarranted bullying upon himself instead. The guys had been giving him shit about Steve near constantly, so this was a nice change of pace after the last few days.

There was actually quiet as he made his way back to his room. A hot shower finally restored warmth to his bones the hockey arena had stolen, and he was drying his hair when he heard his phone vibrate with a text notification.

Steve: anything you're craving for brunch tomorrow so I can pick a place?

It’s practically too easy to flirt with Steve; he sets up lines without even seeming to realize. But Eddie still can’t get a real gauge on how Steve feels about the flirting, so he sidesteps the easy pass he could have made about Steve being enough of a meal, in favor of actually answering.

Eddie: French toast?

The next series of texts come before Eddie even moves his hands back to the towel over his hair.

Steve: sick, I’ll pick you up around 10:45

Steve: you mentioned going home, did you mean like, back to Hawkins?

Eddie twists his hair up in the towel, and lays down on the side of the bed he doesn’t sleep on before firing off an answer.

Eddie: nah, I’ve got a place in Nashville and no reason to go back to Hawkins anymore. My uncle moved to Indy, so that’s usually as close as I get.

Steve: any reason you moved to Nashville?

Eddie: are we playing 20 questions?

Steve: sorry.

Eddie bites his lip, and only hesitates for a moment before flipping over onto his belly and hitting the FaceTime button. Steve answers on the second ring, looking embarrassed, but Eddie doesn’t let him get a word in.

“My mom was born and raised in Memphis, but she always told me her favorite city was Nashville. I was there with her a few times when I was little and she’d just, like, light up. And music is so heavily engraved into every inch of the city, it’s hard to not find inspiration everywhere you turn. So. I bought a place in Nashville the minute I had enough saved up, and it’s kind of my home base now.” Eddie explains, watching as Steve’s face softens and he relaxes into his chair listening to Eddie’s answer. “Do I get to ask a question now?”

“I really wasn’t trying to be annoying, “ Steve looks ready to keep going with an apology, but Eddie cuts him off.

“Why do you play hockey?” It stops Steve dead in his tracks, and he genuinely looks confused for a moment. Eddie almost offers to drop the topic, but Steve fumbles his way into an answer.

“My, uh. My dad wanted me to play before I was even born. Because he played. Professionally for a few years when I was growing up, then he went on to coach.” Steve explains, and it sounds a little rehearsed. Eddie’s sure it’s something that comes up often if his father played and coached. “Gotta keep the Harrington legacy alive, I guess.”

There was a bite to Steve’s words that wasn’t lost on Eddie. “You don’t sound too thrilled about it.”

Eddie can see Steve working over how he wants to answer before he shrugs and sighs. “Because it’s all a show for him. The part we don’t talk about is how I got hurt and benched most of my senior season and he cut me off when I didn’t get full rides. Convinced me it was better to not go to college at all, despite the other scholarship offers, than to not get promised a spot on the ice. Convinced me to self-sabotage so I had to fight tooth and fucking nail to get into the league at all.” Steve pauses, then, and lets out a quiet laugh. “Sorry, that’s so unbelievably whiny of me. I love getting to play professionally, and I don’t take the opportunity for granted.”

“Not whiny. Dads can be the fucking worst.” Eddie offers, gently, and is grateful when Steve doesn't press on that particular bruise.

Instead, he takes his turn to ask a different question. “Why music?”

“This is lame, but the answer is once again my mom.” Eddie rolls his eyes at himself, but he smiles. “She was a musician. There were always instruments around and music was always playing and we traveled for her to perform. I knew my whole life I wanted to be a musician like her, but it wasn’t until after she died that I figured out that songwriting… telling stories and painting pictures with words and melodies and making people feel something…” Eddie trails off, lost in the thought.

“I’m sorry you lost her. It sounds like you enjoyed your childhood with her.” Steve offers, hopes it doesn’t sound like a forced nicety, but Eddie smiles and his nerves ease.

“She was a force to be reckoned with. Firing on all cylinders at once, chaos and home bundled into one.” Eddie’s soft a quiet for a moment, and Steve appreciates the silence by taking in how relaxed the other is to be talking about his feelings; it’s a refreshing break from many of his experiences with teammates or opponents who don’t know how to get emotional in a healthy way. Eventually, though, Eddie clears his throat. “Anyway. Back to 20 questions,”

“I wasn’t trying to start a game, really, I just… like talking to you,” Steve admits around a blush, tucking his chin into the collar of his shirt in an effort to hide the shade of his cheeks, but Eddie’s smile says his cover is blown.

“ANYWAY!” He announces louder, then taps at his chin. “Favorite and least favorite teams to play and why, go.”

“I’m not a dog.” Steve laughs but thinks about his answer anyway. “Favorite is probably the Flyers in Philly. Their fans are absolutely brutal, and their mascot is hilariously terrifying.”

“I have seen many a Gritty TikTok, so I completely understand,” Eddie gives him a few beats before he prompts. “Least favorite?”

“The Kings. LA. Billy Hargrove.”

“The…, what the fuck? How many guys from Hawkins are professional hockey players?” Eddie asks, because honestly, how had he not known there was more than Steve?

“He’s technically from LA, which is why he went back, thank God.” Steve mumbles, before dropping his head back against the wall behind him. “But, for whatever it’s worth, there’s me, Billy, and Tommy Hagan in the league.”

“Well isn’t that a fun bunch to surround yourself with,” Eddie muses out loud. Tommy and Billy were two of the biggest assholes Eddie had ever met, and it sounded like Steve wasn’t too fond of the other pair either.

“I actually…” Steve trails off, before trying again. “I was going to invite you guys to come to the LA game, but I’m really not sure it would be a good idea, so I’m… I’m actually going to ask you guys not to come, if that’s not too much of a dick move? I can get you tickets to literally any game you want for the rest of the season, just. I don’t think it’s worth it to get Billy started, and if he’s heard any of the press about us, I’m already going to hear it even if you’re not there.”

“Homophobe extraordinaire still, then?” Eddie guesses, and Steve chokes out a laugh, before covering his mouth and holding up a finger to ask for a moment to compose himself.

“He's… a lot of things.” Is the response Steve opts for, but Eddie can tell there’s more there. Whatever the two of them are doing, it doesn’t feel like Steve is ready to elaborate, so Eddie moves on. 

“I think it’s your turn.”

~~~~

Nothing changes after Corroded Coffin leave Chicago, though. Not in the ways Eddie had expected, at least.

Steve still texts him throughout the day, answers his Facetimes whenever he’s available. Eddie makes him the playlist he promised, and Steve gives feedback on which songs he likes and which ones he really doesn’t, after Eddie promises to not take Steve’s opinions personally. Which, to be fair, he tries really hard not to.

The concert in LA comes and goes, and Steve seems to send him every TikTok he comes across from the show. It’s a refreshing break, as every few videos in Eddie’s feed are of him cheering for Steve at the game, or Steve watching from sidestage in Chicago. 

A text from Robin eventually confirms their arrival in LA, and Steve and Eddie make plans to meet up after the game. Since Steve had expressed concern about Eddie going, he decides to just watch from the bar they agree to meet at. Televised games make it easier to track the puck, but Eddie decides he likes being there in person better.

Eddie’s sipping absently on his beer and in the time it takes him to look down at a text from Chrissy, several of the people around him react to something. Eddie looks around to make sure someone in the bar hadn’t passed out. When he looks back at the screen, absolute mayhem has broken out on the ice. The refs are trying to separate players from one another, and Eddie’s scanning through the numbers on each Blackhawks jerseys before he finally spots Steve, slightly off to the side from everyone else. The camera pans away from him, zeroing in on the fight, now between a Blackhawks defenseman and none other than Billy Hargrove. 

Billy’s helmet and gloves are off, teeth shining with blood as he grins like a psycho and starts to skate in Steve’s direction. One of the refs pulls him back, though, escorting him into the penalty box while another Kings player gathers his helmet, stick and gloves and clears them to the bench. 

The camera finally pans back to Steve, who is now sitting with his back against the boards. He’s got a gloved covering the lower half of his face, but his white jersey is covered in blood. A ref and the Blackhawks goalie are kneeling on either side of him as someone else speaks with him. The camera zooms in as the TV crews work to make out what is happening, just in time for Steve to lower his hand and shows off a gnarly gash along the side of his face. He leans forward a little and spits out blood onto the ice, and the TV jumps to the announcers in the booth. 

The volume is off, but they show a slow-motion replay of the few moments Eddie’d missed; Steve passes the puck off to another player on his team, just before Billy slams into his side. The impact sends both of them into the boards and down onto the ice. Billy swings his stick around and cracks Steve in the face with the blade heel. Steve reacts, throwing his whole arm into Billy’s face, before a sea of white Blackhawks jerseys sweep in and suddenly Billy’s a few feet away, with players from both teams piled up.

Eddie’s hand hovers over his phone; has no idea what to do in this situation. Texting Steve is useless; it would likely be hours, if not days, before he even thinks about looking at his phone. He doesn’t want to bother anyone, but he’s… well, he’s stressed. Even if Steve isn’t interested in him the way Eddie’s interested in Steve, they’ve still built a weird little friendship and that was an awful lot of blood.

So, Eddie ends up firing off a text to Robin. It’s just a simple 'let me know if there’s anything I can do,' but his phone lights up with a call immediately.

“How bad is it?”

“I’m not back with him yet, but just… meet us at the hospital, if you can?” She asks. While her voice waivers a bit, she’s calmer than Eddie expected her to be.

“I’ll be right there.” He agrees, hangs up and exits the bar before the game even returns from commercial break.

#hockeyplayer!steve harrington #steddie #rockstar!eddie munson #stranger things hockey au #glitter & crimson #sorry this took like 2 weeks #we're going to try to keep the momentum going here #steve harrington #eddie munson #robin buckley #platonic stobin #corroded coffin #steddie fanfic #starkidmunson writes #oh i almost forgot #one of the most important tags for this one #anti billy hargrove

[miguelhugger2099]

Here, Kitty Kitty

Summary: Miguel O'Hara is your world's Black Cat. A/N: me when there's no fanfic of miguel as black cat: fine, ill do it myself Art: Marbipa on twt

Miguel x Reader, No warnings, a little suggestive but that's it, Word Count: 2,535

Swinging on your webs, you hopped from building to building and made sure to to keep an eye out for any more crime during your patrol. You hoped that tonight would be a breeze but unfortunately, the life of a superhero will never rest. You landed by one of the police antennas and heard a call coming through their radios. Tilting your head, you focused on the frequencies to get a better signal. "All units be advised. We've got a call for a robbery in Lower Manhattan. Heading there now, requesting backup." You glanced up at the sky seeing the moon illuminate brightly. "I guess I could help the boys in blue." You shrug and thwip your web shooters, the silk spinning and sticking to another building before jumping off to gain momentum. You hauled yourself up after swinging, diving down between apartments and just barely slipping through a couple fire exits. You thought about who it might be this time. Maybe it was the Shocker again. Oh, he was always so easy to make fun of. No, that wasn't possible: you put him in prison. You just hoped it wasn't another one of Tombstone's men--they were always a little too cocky. Maybe just a couple of randoms trying to make extra cash the wrong way–a boring way to end the night but at least it'd be easy. You swung faster after hearing the sirens of police cars echoing throughout the night of New York. You saw a few police cars behind you and you giggled to yourself, playing a one sided game of who would get there faster. Always the competitive one you were, you stuck your webs onto two poles and pulled back so hard that they bent slightly. Your forearms burned until you let go, slingshotting yourself in the sky and allowing yourself to glide above the city. You wished to take off your mask and feel the breeze properly but you settled for the ripples flapping on your suit. "Robbery, robbery, robbery..." You murmured, swiveling your head around to see where the robbery could've been. You blinked as you spotted the familiar colors of blue and red flashing in the distance. "Robbery!" You grinned.

Zipping through the wind, you landed above what you now see is a jewelry store. You crawl into the shadows, making sure none of the policemen could see you. "Hm. I guess they win this time." You mutter to yourself about your little game. Perching on the ledge, you listened in on their conversation. "Any security footage?" One policewoman asks. "We're checking them now but so far after entering the perimeter, all cameras have been damaged." "Did you see what was stolen?" "A few rings and bracelets. But the owner is more concerned with a diamond necklace. Says it was going to be auctioned off later this weekend." You tilt your head in thought. And they got away? Definitely not some regular citizens. You began to feel a headache creep on you. You couldn't handle another big bad to fight this weekend. You stepped down from the ledge carefully and walked around the top of the building to find a vent. Once you did, you ripped it open and crawled inside, your body sticking to the ceiling. You looked around and saw various cases filled with glittering jewels, ranging in size and colors. You crawled through another room and hopped off the ceiling with a small thud. Looking behind you, you made sure no one had seen you and you began rummaging through the room to find any evidence lying around to catch the perpetrator.

You found yourself in front of the glowing case in the middle. You circled around it, the eyes of your mask squinting at the empty sloth that would've fit a giant diamond necklace inside. The glass was perfectly intact instead of ruthlessly shattered. This was no common thief. No fingerprints, everything was spotless and clean. You took a closer look. "Looking for this, arañita?" You hear a smooth voice behind you. You spin around, shooting your webs to trap the wrist of the stranger behind you to the wall. The familiar tall man you've had a complicated relationship with, Miguel O'Hara a.k.a. Black Cat. His skin tight black suit hugged his built body, white fur fluffed at his forearms and around his shoulders. His suit was opened at his chest, a long slit that gave everyone a nice view of his tanned skin littered with little black and graying hairs. His dark brown eyes were decorated with a thin diamond shaped mask that did little to hide his ‘secret identity’. His dark brown hair was in its usual slick back, gray strands curling in his locks and a pretty black collar around his neck. He tilted his head at you and lifted his other hand to cut your webs off him with an extracted claw. “Eso es como se trata un amigo? I thought your whole thing was being friendly, arañita.” Miguel says light-heartedly, unphased at the way your mask narrowed at him. You noticed that the hand you had webbed up was holding onto a pouch. Miguel slips open the pouch by its strings, lifting out the diamond necklace. He clips it around his neck and it shines in the moonlight that seeps through the ceiling window. He admires his reflection in the cases, his gloved hand caresses the jewels, his nail being gentle with grazing over it. “Isn’t she just a beauty? She’s not my style, personally, but I can appreciate her.” His eyes meet yours and he grins. “I think you would make it look even more beautiful.” You ignore his blatant flirting, your hands itching at your sides, wanting to snatch the pouch from him and return it to the police so the owner could have a good night’s rest–so you could have a good night’s rest. Now knowing the one behind this was Black Cat, your headache had gotten worse and you knew it’d be a long night. Miguel stalks up to you after taking the necklace off and placing it back in his pouch.

“What’s wrong, arañita? Cat got your tongue?” He smirked, his claw grazing under your chin and making you look up at him. You bit down on your tongue. This cat always had a way of pissing you off. “I thought we agreed you’d put this behind you. You’re rich. What more could you possibly want?” You grab his wrist and take his hand off from your chin. “Would you believe me if I said I just wanted your attention?” His lips curl up, showing off his fangs. “No.” “Ouch. I’m hurt. I thought we had something.” His smile doesn't falter. “Give back the jewels, Miguel.” ‘Hmm. No. These could go for a lot of money. Way more than whatever that auction it is they’re doing.”

“Miguel, you promised me you would be good.”

His eyes soften for a split second. The memory of your last encounter months ago where you two had spent the night together in the city up on the Empire State building. Your relationship was a confusing one. There had been nights where you were on opposite sides and other nights where he answered your call for help.

Miguel began to trust you. Despite his tendencies to slip between your fingers, you always spoke to him kindly when he wasn’t pushing your buttons–even then he knew you never harbored any actual hatred for him. So after a long night, he confided in you that this was his new life and it wouldn’t change–he’d always come back to a life of crime, it’s who he was. You believed he was better than that.

That night before he disappeared for months, he pulled up your mask just enough to see your lips and he kissed you, leaving with a promise to do better. But cats were known to do whatever they wanted. “You know I’m not good like you, arañita.” His smile turns melancholy. “But you could be.” You insisted. “Give me the pouch.” “I can’t do that, amor.” 

You huffed through your nose, jaw clenching, and you tried to snatch the bag from his hand as quickly as you could. Miguel was faster, his clawed hand grabbing you and forcing you to bend over the glass display of jewelry with your arm behind your back.

You grunted when your cheek met the hard glass and attempted to worm your way out of his hold. You feel Miguel lean over your body, his warm breath whispering next to your ear.

“I've thought about you like this. Maybe with a little less clothing.” He teases and chuckles when you stiffen. 

“Miguel.” You warn lowly. 

“It's been nice seeing you again, arañita, but I've got to run.” You hear a dull clanking sound along with a small whizz.

You felt rope like strings wrap around your body and arms and suction themselves to the glass he slammed you on, trapping you.

Shit.

You crane your head as much as you could to see Miguel take a step back away from you. Just for shits and giggles, he plucks a pair of earrings from a stand and places it inside his bag before raising his hand up at the ceiling window. 

Miguel gives you a wink and a charming smile and his grappling hook zips out from his wrist, denting itself in the wall. It pulls him up and he pops the window open, successfully escaping without leaving a trace.

You groan and knock your forehead on the cold glass. With your strength, you pop the rope off you, stretching your arm and wrist out.

Police began to enter inside the building, their commotion and their comms going off and getting closer to you.

Collecting the ropes, you webbed yourself out through the same window Miguel used and closed it behind you. You tossed the ropes away and began swinging around, trying to sense any trace of Miguel.

“Dammit, kitty.” You mutter under your breath. You ignored the way your heart pounded as you scanned every nearby corner. The sight of him after so long sent flutters in your stomach. You ignored the lingering hot touch of his fingers around you, the weight of his body towering over yours. His hips that gently bucked up against–

You tumbled on the roof of a brick building. This was not how you wanted your night to go. You let out deep breaths, your arms and legs spread out as you lay on your back. 

After a couple of minutes, you sat up. You ripped your mask off and rubbed the sleep out of your eyes. You felt a turmoil of emotions. 

When Miguel had kissed you that night, it broke your heart. He felt so sure of himself to give you affection but at the cost of his disappearance right after. It hurt but you thought if he could turn his life around for the better, it'd be worth all the heartbreak and what ifs.

You stood up and placed your mask back on your head, your arm raising up to shoot a web when your spider senses alerted you of someone. 

You turn around to see Miguel, half of his body in the shadows.

“I don't have the pouch so don't shoot.” He raises his hands in a mock surrender.

“Didn't you say you needed to run?” Your voice spits and Miguel nods.

“I also said it was nice to see you again.” He walks up to you, his hands gently placing themselves on your hips. You stand tall, not wanting him to know his effect on you. “So forgive me, I'm a little selfish. I wanted to see you one more time.”

“Why are you back?” You mumble. Why are you back in New York?

“I'm sorry, corazón. You know me. It's what I do.”

“So you lied to me.”

Miguel winces. “No. No, I didn't. I tried, believe me.” His hands squeeze your hips. “I tried for you but…it's not for me. This,” He gestures to himself, clad in black spandex and white fur. “This is who I am now. It's how I have to live.”

He cups your cheek, his thumb caressing your mask-covered face. He wonders what you looked like underneath. Were you as beautiful as your body? Your heart? He dreamed so. He knew so.

“I still don't believe that.” You whisper, leaning into his touch, hands slowly going around the back of his neck and he takes it as an invite to bring you closer.

“You're still so naive.” He murmurs.

“You said you liked that about me.” You quipped. Miguel chuckles.

“I did say that.” 

You feel a smile creep up on your face, your heart feeling lighter at the sound of his laugh.

“Hopefully we'll cross paths more often now that I'm back in New York.” Miguel grins. “Te extrañe.”

“I missed you too.” You whisper. With your chest pressed up against his, you could faintly feel the rumble of him purring. Miguel's claws run under your throat, flicking up the fabric of your mask to expose just a bit of your neck as if wanting to lift it off. “But you know I have to turn you in for robbing.” You add.

“Hm. A shame.” He mumbles dismissively. He continues to ride up your mask and you let him. He stops at your nose and leaves it there, eyes focused on the way your lips parted. “Kiss for good luck?” He asks. His eyes glint when you licks your lips subconsciously.

“You’re pushing it, kitty.” You mumble back but your arms tighten around him. Miguel purrs at the pet name.

“Just one kiss.” He insists, leaning down to brush his lips against your mask where your forehead was. You tilt his head further down with your hand at the back of his head and he follows. With your guidance, his lips find yours and your heart skips a beat. Miguel tugs you closer by the waist, pressing your chest and hips together. His hands crawl up your spine while he tilts his head to deepen the kiss. You match his pace with your eyes closed while you feel his soft lump lips caressing yours. You didn’t know how long the kiss lasted–not when his hands roamed your body, squeezing you and devouring as much of your tiny moans as he could. Your hands curled up at the base of his neck while he swiped his tongue across your bottom lip. Gasping, you allowed him access but he pulled away. “I’ll see you next time, arañita.” Miguel whispers against your lips,the fangs of his teeth gently nibble on your top lip before he pulls away. He squeezes your waist, his touch lingering and aching to keep you near but he lets go. He takes a step back from you and jumps back into the night, the sound of his grappling hook zipping through the air faintly. You sigh, trying to slow down your heartbeat with a hand over your chest when suddenly you pause. “Dammit…” You huff and kick a pebble away from you.

a/n: black cat miguel o'hara if you can hear me, please save me, save me black cat miguel o'hara

#miguel o'hara x reader #miguel o'hara x y/n #miguel x reader #miguel o'hara x you #atsv miguel #miguel o'hara #miguel spiderman #miguel spiderverse #miguel ohara #spiderman 2099 #miguel x you #spiderman 2099 x reader #miguel o'hara imagine

[novlr]

Welcome to Day 1 of NaNoWriMo! 

Whether you’re a plotter or a pantser, today is about getting words on the (literal and/or metaphorical) page. Don’t overthink it - put down those first words, set the scene, introduce your characters, and dive into your story! Take advantage of that first day’s energy to get as much on the page as possible.

When you’ve hit a pause, consider setting a daily word count goal. If you’re writing every day, 1,667 words per day would get you over the finish line, but not every day will be as productive, and most of us will have more and less ideal writing days.

To counteract this, budget some higher word-count days to account for days when you’ll be less productive, and make sure you're taking at least a few minutes each day to engage with your novel so you can keep the momentum going, even if you’re only writing outline or backstory. 

Here’s a few assorted examples of schedules:

15 writing sessions (every other day-ish), 3,333 words/session

25 writing sessions, 2,000 words/session

25 writing sessions, 10 sessions of 500 words/session, and 15 sessions of 3,000/session.

60 writing sessions (twice per day), 833 words/session

Mix it up and try imagining how it would play out in your next few days. Having realistic expectations will help you with feeling like you’re staying on track, instead of feeling disappointed by your word count on a specific, predictable low-productivity day. 

Lastly, remember that the manuscript you’re exiting NaNoWriMo with is a first draft, not a finalized manuscript - avoid perfectionism, and focus on establishing a good writing routine.

Good luck, we're rooting for you!

#writeblr #nanowrimo 2023 #writing inspo #writing #writing advice #writers of tumblr #national novel writing month

[gentlebeardsbarngrill]

02/06/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; New Events calendar; A Safe Space Ship Event; Watch Parties; Reminders; Cast & Crew Sightings; Clowning; OLD SPICE!; Stats!; Market Research?; Articles; Personal Update; Love Notes; Daily Darby / Tonight's Taika

== New Events Calendar from SaveOFMDCrew! ==

More events happening throughout the week! Tumblr Post

Tomorrow is Cosplay Day! Show off your cosplay and OFMD-Inspired outfits with the hashtags: #WearFineThingsWell!

= New Upcoming Event: A Safe Space Ship! =

Sunday, February 11th - Star of India in San Diego, CA! Museum Hrs: 10 am - 5 PM 1/2 Price Tickets!

== Watch Parties ==

Today's WWDITS watch party went great!

Lots of people had fun pointing out our lovely characters from the show (Mads, Taika, Rhys)

It actually went so well the SaveOFMDCrew twitter got banned! It's back though! If you can, please be sure to follow their backup account in case it happens again.

== Reminders! ==

Muppet Treasure Island - Feb 7th 2024 4PM EST, 1PM PST, 9 PM GMT

Watch Party Hashtags:

#MuppetPirates

#AdoptOurCrew

#SaveOFMD

== Cast & Crew Sightings ==

This was technically the 5th, but I don't think the excitement happened mostly today so I'm gonna throw it in! So Chaos Dad popped his head out yesterday just long enough to like Samba's BTS post on twitter and then also Samba and Rhys' little exchange.

And of course that triggered clowning since anytime Chaos Dad pops in we don our clown shoes. Thank you to @merryfinches for catching some of the discourse!

== Old Spice! ==

Well well well, we're back to polite menacing brands until they respond to us!

Looks like another Astroglide is starting up, the Crew is out there matching deodorants to characters. Thanks to @brainfugk for calling it out!

== Stats! Stats! Stats! ==

So close fam! Let's keep pushing that UK viewership if you have the time/spoons!

= Market Research Campaign about OFMD Potentially Going On? =

There's some speculation around the market research company YouGov potentially conducting research on OFMD. There's a big thread. Why is this important? Well this company works with streamers to measure viewership data, and if OFMD is in there...and someone's interested, that could be a good sign.

Some folks signed up, and if you're interested in doing so too, you can here.

== Articles ==

Some fun articles tonight, including Hard Drive again!

Joke Article: HBO Max Unveils Ominous New “Don’t Get Too Attached” Category

Our Flag Means Death and 9 Other Best TV Shows and Movies About Pirates

Our Flags Means Death fans get TV licence just to watch pirate show

== Personal Update ==

Some of you have heard, I got the COVID so I may be in and out over the next several days, I'm still trying to make sure I get to recaps though so don't worry! I'll let you know if I can't. Remember to mask up if you can and stay hydrated out there luvs!

== Love Notes ==

Alright lovelies. We've run out of Rhys videos for a few days so you're back to me being irritatingly loving at you! I saw this today on The Latest Kate's instagram and it reminded me of a few things I wanted to say. My brain is a bit covid-fogged so apologies if it's a bit wibbly wobbly.

We all struggle with so many little and big things in our lives. Whether it's mental health, self esteem, a physical ailment, love, lonliness, self-identity, family, friends, world conflicts, or anything, I could go on and on.

I know sometimes it feels like you are pushing so hard and you start making so much progress-- and then something, big or little stalls everything and you feel like you're having to start from scratch again.

I just want to send you a gentle reminder that progress isn't always linear. Just because you have lost momentum doesn't mean you've lost your progress. Every single situation is a learning opportunity and every time you run into a new hurdle, you learn from the last one.

You are wonderfully intelligent, kind, precious, complex people and no matter what you're dealing with, no matter how small or how big, you are moving forward and making headway bits at a time. Remember to be kind to yourself and don't beat yourself up for bad days.

We are so proud of you lovelies, remember that.

== Daily Darby / Tonight's Taika ==

Tonight's gifs are courtesy of the glorious, brilliant, talented, ever-enabling @celluloidbroomcloset from her post over here.

Ok, Good Afternoon, Good Evening and Goodnight all! <3

#daily ofmd recap #ofmd daily recap #ofmd daily recaps #daily ofmd recaps #rhys darby #david jenkins #taika waititi #our flag means death #ofmd #save ofmd #save our flag means death #save ofmd crew #adopt our crew

[giselle-clarke]

booze cruise 🚢

closed starter: @limalatina & @wmu-giselle date: march 23rd, 2024

Giselle hadn't woken up with plans for her final full day in paradise, but she knew she'd wanted to explore a little bit more, maybe snap a few more pictures, and at least try to be sober for half of the day at most. She'd barely ventured too far from the bungalows when she bumped right into her ex, and although slightly awkward at first, they'd agreed that the chance encounter was the perfect time for them to go and thank Mariana for the painting. By the grace of lesbian Jesus, they managed to put all of their drama aside for the time being and the trip to visit Mariana turned out to be enjoyable. All of Mariana's paintings were beautiful, and she'd even ended up purchasing two more to go along with the one Santana had gotten her. She'd found herself attempting to decipher what Santana and Mariana were saying as they spoke, picking up on a few words here and there but not quite piecing together what exactly they were talking about. Giselle made a mental note to ask Santana about it later, though she was positive the Latina wasn't going to tell her or would make something up, but she'd try it anyways.

The rest of the day went just as smoothly, for some odd reason. Since they hadn't spent any time together the entire trip, they had mutually agreed to keep up the momentum. It was a plus for her since Santana could translate everything, so she let the brunette lead the way as they did some sightseeing on Isla Holbox, grabbed lunch, and even did some more shopping before they'd headed back to the hut. Soon after arriving back, Giselle had been instructed to get appropriately dressed for dinner and to grab a sweater, and while she had an abundance of questions, she decided not to fight it as she quickly freshened up and changed into the thin strapped, low cut, little black dress that she'd packed in case of a certain emergency, and this fit the bill. She'd made time to touch up her make up and her hair before she was slipping on a pair of red heels and following Santana out. As usual, she asked a plethora of questions as she was led to whatever her ex had planned, and her jaw dropped once they arrived at a boat, which was apparently where they'd be having dinner for the night.

"After what you said the other day, I wouldn't have expected you to do all this just for me." Giselle stated once they were settled on the boat. After their little run in days ago, she'd spent the time since processing all of her feelings, attempting to get her head and her heart on the same page, and although she felt like she was there, it didn't settle her nerves much. But she couldn't keep putting it off, that much she was aware of, so she figured they should at least try to get...further than they were now. "Before I start drinking, I do want you to know that I did actually listen to everything you said then too. I have been pushing you away, but not because I don't love you or want to be with you. While you were in therapy working on yourself, I spent the past three years detaching from everything about us, and you, because it hurt less that way. Reopening that door scares the hell out of me, and I've been fighting it since I got back to Lima, but I know that's not fair to you. I also know that we're not going to fix all of our issues in one night, but we can start tonight, if you want to."

#wmusb #threads. #f2f: santana #cw: alcohol #sb 24.

[thephdpensieve]

PhD Tips

Finding Motivation in Small Steps✨

8/100 days of productivity • 01-11-23, Wednesday

I wanted to share with you a realization that dawned upon me after weeks (6, to be exact) of being stuck and wallowing in the land of motivation. Let's talk about that rollercoaster ride called "PhD Motivation".

✨ Motivation: The Spark We all know that feeling when inspiration strikes, and we're fueled by an intense burst of motivation. It's like a spark, igniting the fire within us, and we're ready to conquer the academic world. But, here's the thing: that spark is fleeting, and it's not always around when you need it.

✨ Momentum: The Sustainer That's where momentum comes into play. Think of it as the gentle breeze that keeps your fire burning. It's that sense of progress, accomplishment, and consistency that pulls you through even on the toughest days. Momentum is what keeps you going long after the initial motivation has faded.

✨ The Secret Sauce: Small Tasks So, how do you harness this momentum magic? It's simple: start with small tasks. When the mountain of research, writing, and analysis seems overwhelming, break it down into manageable chunks. It's like eating an elephant—one bite at a time! Tell yourself to finish just one tiny task (like writing just 100 words in a manuscript or debug just one block of code), and then most certainly you'll continue the task.

✨ ✨ ✨ ✨

About today

Write first thing in the morning

Mail the draft to PM before 10 am

Meeting with Manish @ 3:30pm - went well. excited about new opportunities!

Continue the forecasting code

Try different system as RC: explore options - Found a new system

Laundry evening - did two batches

Call with Sesh about the GTR course

Clean room, at least one corner - managed to clean a lot

Mindfulness course homework with study buddy

Felt grateful for my advisor - he's sooo supportive

#dark academia #chaotic academia #gradblr #gradschool aesthetic #phd aesthetic #phd life #phdjourney #accountability #accountability partner #100 days of productivity #100dop #studyblr #study motivation #studyspo #phd buddy #nanowrimo

[alexiavettel]

chapter four

"The world was whole then, the sun and the moon together as one"

pairing: charles leclerc x fem¡stroll!reader

word count: 2.3k+

warnings: explicit language, mentions of sex, a bit of car stuff cause i have any self control, asshole!charles, almost panic attack and sensible leclerc.

disclaimer: any photo used is not supposed to represent the reader, all all Pinterest pics that matches the context

<<< previous part

February 23th, 2022

Spain, Barcelona- pre-season testing

“Are you excited for the press conference? At least you’re with Lewis, George and Seb” Liv asked grinning.

“For the only questions be about if I’m fucking Leclerc or not?”

“Well, are you?”

“LIV??? Have you gone mad? What the fuck girl?”

“Sorry darling but maybe a hate fuck would help with all the endless bickering-"

“I would never!”

“Gotta quote the biggest singer of all time ‘never say never’” she didn’t really sang this in the middle of the paddock, right?

“Have you just- Justin Bieber really?”

“Why not?”

“But why?”

•

“This question is for all of you, after having experienced the new car how do you think it will perform this season? Best or worse than the W12 and AMR21? Respectively” an older woman asks us

“If you say it’s better than the W12 I give up my seat” I cracked a joke before Lewis could speak and the room erupted in a chorus of laughter

“Well, like our dear Y/n mentioned it would be hard to overcome the W12 so in some aspects the W13 is a bit worse but all of us are putting plenty of effort into it”

“Yes, and that maybe means not a so good start of season for us but we are going to give our best and try to set the car in the way we need and want” just by hearing George speaking the British in me threatens to take place.

“But we sure will find a- not easy- but fast way to the top! Overall is a good car after analysing the data, we are glad of the recent results but we are looking forward to new updates during the year indeed”

“Thank you, boys. And what about the AMR22?”

“The green is great!” and that ladies and gentlemen was Sebastian Vettel

“Seb!” I laughed because my brother said EXACTLY the same thing after the car launch

“But it’s impossible to predict where we will be, at this stage. But surely, we're on the climb, so we want to be better than last year. Last year, we had our difficulties and I think for many reasons we should be better off this year.”

“Someone here got along better with the car than this old man but certainly the excitement is very high, and the potential as well that the team is gathering, the momentum to pick up during the season and improve the car throughout the season, I think, our potential is just rising. I can't wait to get on track, see where we are, and get going.”

“We are very optimistic but at the same time, there are so many new things, with new tyres, completely new cars, lots of new challenges. I hope the field will be closer together, that will give us more chances to race and race more at the front than we did last year. But realistically, the answer at the moment is we don't know and we have to be a little bit more patient to give you a proper good answer”

“We indeed have big potential to be championship contenders in the future, as our team has already mentioned in the car launch we are in year two of our five-year plan to grow more. If we are talking about data we got better results but we don’t know compared to the rest of the field. All we can do is hope and keep pushing.”

“Oi, that’s my line!” Lewis scolded me

“Now about the bachelors of this press, or should I say only one bachelor now? There are rumours about you Stroll, being in a relationship with Leclerc can you confirm?” I knew this question was about to come but I still can feel an uncomfortable amount of eyes burning me, including my fellow drivers.

“The internet is assuming this only because of a jet ski ride? Well the only thing I can confirm at the moment is that we are close friends who were enjoying our last free days together with other friends”

“In the moment? Sus for me”

“Shut up George or did you forget I can steal your girl?” this bitch “Love you, Carmen!” I searched the camera crew and said with an enamoured smile.

“Will you ever let this die?”

“Never” me and the two older drivers said together laughing at Russell’s disappointed face.

All this fuss about me and Carmen was because of a game of fuck, marry or kill in 2020

“Okay now what about Yn, Alonso and Albon” Danny asked in the middle of the group formed by me, Seb, Lewis, George and Carmen, Daniel, Alex and Lily, Lando and Lance.

“Ow can I fuck and marry Yn?” Carmen spilled out without thinking twice, as some of us die in laughter and the others were too stunned to speak (George was clearly the latter)

“I’m flattered girl, it’s about time” I joked while she seated in my lap laughing (drunk Carmen is something else)

“Can I join?” Lily asked fake pouting while Alex and George went whining.

“Babe I’m literally in the game?” Alex almost cried.

“I’m not even able to say anything”

“The boy just got flabbergasted” Lewis chimed in making fun of his new teammate.

“Oh god give the poor boy a minute” Seb said struggling to keep his laugh.

So if one of us dares to tell this to the public we might get killed by a 1.85 brit who tends to persuade people with powerpoints.

“But no I’m not in a relationship at the moment and not with the Ferrari’s golden boy” I tried to say in a sweet tone but Seb noticed the hidden bitterness.

•

Charles Leclerc POV:

“So Charles please tell us, rumours had surfaced about you being in a relationship with your former teammate, Y/n Stroll. What do you have to say about it?”

“No comments” for real? That’s the first question I get?

“Well, given your last relationship these rumours are alarming right?” He's trying to piss me off? “Especially considering Stroll is a driver as well and has an enviable reputation so that could cause problems on the track, right?”

“I think that you could just stop snooping around my private life and focus on track” I couldn't hold myself, when I looked over to Mia Djacic (best known as my dear press officer) I felt her piercing eyes burning me. Yep Charles, prepare yourself for the lecture.

•

“You know that in Bahrain you will be in a serious relationship with Stroll right?! You can’t pull things like that, oh my God Charles you just give me problems!-” Mia started her lecture the moment she closed the door of my driver’s room.

“Then quit- Sorry I didn't mean that” why do you keep doing that?

“Oh, you meant it. Otherwise, you wouldn't have said. I've been with you since Alfa Romeo, don’t bullshit me now Charles! You need to learn how to control yourself, man!”

“But you saw what he said, I am tired of these people thinking they know everything about me!”

“Stop screaming, Charl” it’s so infuriating that I keep losing control over this shit, I just don’t know what to do is natural.

“I’m sorry… They just make me so fucking mad, that it’s impossible to hold myself. And you can believe I gained 300K new followers on Instagram after that pic of me and Y/n? They speak about her like she’s some type of angel! Like she’s perfect and better than me but look who is in Ferrari? She doesn’t even has a fucking win yet!”

“Are you mad because the questions were about your private life or because they put in a way like Y/n is better than you?”

“I don’t know? I just hate all this and-”

“The FIA’s director spoke with Binotto about you.”

“WHAT?”

“About your ‘unjustifiable and rude attitudes’ lately, they threatened to give you a penalty”

“Grid penalties? That isn’t fair! I-”

“Not grid penalties but to all the team, because apparently Ferrari can’t control a driver” I can’t believe what I’m hearing…

“They can actually do this?...” I asked and the blonde in front of me just shrugged with a lopsided smile in answer “I’m sorry Mia, but can you leave now? I need some time alone”

“Sure, Charl. But remember what I told you in Monaco last year, being a driver is not just about driving. And Y/n will be waiting for you in 25 minutes in the parking lot by the way”

Oh awesome!

•

“Are your eyes red?” that’s not possible, I checked myself in the mirror before going out.

“Are you worried about me, darling?” I tried to joke but she touched my arm making me turn to her.

“Don’t play with me, Leclerc. What happened? Are your family okay?”

“I ain’t playing. And yeah, everyone is fine”

“So what is it? Why were you crying?” She holds me tighter.

“It’s nothing, for God’s sake Y/n” I managed to make her let go of my arm. I don’t know why she is doing this…

“Charles, can't you grow up? You are clearly fucked up and I wanna know why so I can maybe help you”

“Are you high? You trying to help me?”

“If you try and think a bit more than your little brain normally can, you gonna figure out that if we are actually doing this dating thing we have to act like adults and try to be better for each other”

“Okay I get it, but it’s nothing really” can’t believe but she’s kinda right

“It’s about the press, isn’t it?” she got to hold my arm again.

“Why do you think this?”

“Because you probably got scolded by every pr soul in your team? Or because you have a mouth bigger than your control?”

“Ow shut up!”

“So I got it, huh? What type of trouble did you get yourself into this time? Please tell me I won’t have to kiss you in front of everyone to get your bare reputation back!”

“Ew, but yeah the shit hit the fan and if I continue with mine ‘unjustifiable and rude attitudes’ the entire team are going to get in trouble with FIA. Oh God, I don’t even know why I am telling you that!”

“Oh I got you”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re bringing a bad image not only for Ferrari but to all Formula One. This happened to me once, they threatened to give a strike”

“Why? Aren’t you their little miss perfect?”

“Because I tried to set a stand in Saudi Arabia last year for women who were banned from driving until 2018 and for women's rights in general”

“But Hamilton and-”

“Yep FIA allowed me to make the stand only after the boys proposed, Lew and Seb supported me since F2 so when I told them about it cause I was scared and they threatened FIA back saying they would quit” she said laughing.

“Not surprising coming from FIA…”

“Exactly but don’t get me wrong boy, you really need to work on your reputation. You might even lose your seat, and we both know how hard you fought for it. Don’t waste it by being hot-headed, come on man you’re in Ferrari! You want to be a driver for Ferrari since, what? Since you were 7? You can’t waste it!”

When I started shaking she noticed mid-sentence and hugged me tight, she said exactly what my dad say in that letter…

“I don’t know what’s happening right now, Y/n. Sometimes looks like everything is going down! Somehow I’m always in the middle of something, and people say like I am the one to blame. I know I am wrong for being so fucking easy to be pissed off but they don’t know shit about me and they keep painting me as a villain” I pulled away from her to look into her eyes “I hate to lose control, Y/n! And I don’t know what to do, I never do!”

“We might not like each other, Leclerc. But we fought too much, too many fucking years tolerating shit from everyone to finally make it to F1. And look where we fucking are now! If you don’t know what to do for you, do it for your younger self, who always dreamed about beating me in F1! You just need to wait a little more until I get a real competitive car so I can properly beat your ass. So start thinking more before speaking or acting, hold your anger to the track. Just try to not break my arm again in the process…”

Her eyes are different while she is talking to me like this. A different kind of glint, a gentle way (which is extremely weird since I am never the receiving end of this type of glances). She smiles like she knows everything but not in an annoying way, but like she knows what is happening and is sure everything is going to be alright, it’s kinda comfortable. I ask myself if that is what the public see, only this part of her. Have to admit, it’s kinda mesmerising.

“And I know this is not the best moment to say this but tomorrow we have to come together in the paddock” she said in one breath with a cheshire grin “in my car by the way”

“S-Sure”

“Sure? Oh god you must’ve been really fucked up to agree with me this easy. I got to go, okay? Drive safe, bye Charles” she enters her dark green car and away she goes without one more word.

If I am being honest, I don’t have any fucking idea what just happened. It's like I was talking with a complete different person, a caring and thoughtful old friend. But she’s her. End of it. I don’t know how she knows that I wanted to be a Ferrari driver since I was 7, or what words she could use to actually push me through this shit and not get me anymore mad. But she knew.

@laura-naruto-fan1998 hope you enjoyed <3

my taglist!!

#charles leclerc x reader #charles leclerc x you #charles leclerc imagine #charles leclerc fanfic #formula 1 imagine #formula one fanfiction #formula uno #f1 fanfic #f1 #aston martin f1 #ferrari f1 #f1 fandom #formula one #f1 x reader #f1 x you #f1 x y/n #charles leclerc x female reader

[ozdicaff]

Solo Nova [no y/n] drabble because I keep thinking about him, he plagues my every thought and ill keep thinking about this scene until it wrangles itself out of my brain, KIIIND of written with Nova being the narrator!

As always, Ghost in the machine belongs to @venomous-qwille !!! PLEASE GO READ IT THEIR WRITING IS SO GOOD!!

Word count: 785

Being agile was something Nova loved to show off, his modded legs allowed him to make laps around his opponent to humiliate them right before landing the killing blow: jumping high and using the accumulating momentum to crush whoever dared to face him while scorching them with his flamethrower.

The thunderous applause that emits from the crowd, blended with loud music right after could make a man deaf.

A part of him reminisces, and another part slaps himself across the face so he can focus on running from the cops.

The blaring noises of two cop cars tailing him are piercing in this witching hour, closing in after another brawl bot club got busted. Right in the middle of another fight, too, for fuckin’ shame. Brawling is his favorite activity when it’s raining. And when it's sunny. And when it's cloudy-

As he maneuvers around obstacles with heavy, stomping screeches, he’s grateful to the mods that allow him to leap far enough that the cops can’t quite keep up. Claw-like toes allowing him to clutch the ground far better than his former feet would. Sirens continue to boom behind him, red and blue lights alternating and backlighting Nova, highlighting his serrated rays.

Running into the outskirts of town, he takes a glance at the drivers and drinks in the frustration on their faces. He taunts and blows a raspberry. Despite his situation, he can’t seem to take anything seriously, but that goes for any kind of authority. Why should he listen to a damn thing someone says if they can’t take ‘em in the ring?

Speakin’ of... here comes his favorite part of any chase: The dead end and whatever random bullshit he’ll pull off to escape. Always his best stories to brag about!

When the long, winding dirt road stops, he seems to be in a deserted small village. Raindrops fall upon stone, coating the long-abandoned bricks after years of being covered in dust, creating a unique smell. Seems like a good spot.

He skids to a sudden stop. His mechanisms scream from the abrupt change in speed and make a horrid shriek. “ALRIGHT, Alright! Give it a rest already! I give up!”

The tires of the vehicles follow suit in the grinding halt, drifting lightly. A rather young-looking officer has a look of disbelief, while the other, older one, eyes Nova up with suspicion. Maybe his façade would’ve been more convincing if he was at a legitimate dead end, but his impatience got the better of him, like it usually does. Oops!

The young policeman withdraws from his car excitedly—although he’s trying not to make it obvious—with cuffs in hand. "We're confiscating you for participating in unlawful robot battling.". The cranky one yells something with his gun drawn that Nova doesn’t hear, nor does he care to. Like that gun can do anything. Chasing him in the rain was a dumb move, their tasers are useless in this storm. He’s already got the rabbit in his trap.

Nova puts his wrists together as much as he can with his flamethrower arm and lets the fumbling man cuff him. As they begin to walk back to the car, Nova’s grin widens. A gun’s barrel follows him. Nova’s eyes narrow at him with a sinister smile. Stupid, stupid…

When he’s near enough to the car’s front, he pounces.

Turning up his spinning ‘rays’ to full tilt, his head resembling a saw blade more than a sun with all of his mods. He couldn’t help but start snickering. The surrounding men barely have a moment to think and realize what he’s doing. The younger of the two tries to tase him fruitlessly, Nova grasps the offending limb and tosses him aside into the dirt.

With one unnecessary jump, Nova lands directly onto the car's hood and begins to saw the steel. Sparks fly as metal tears into metal. Nova can hardly hear the bullets that reflect off of his body. He grips the slash he’s just made and rips it open, breaking the windshield in the process. He's gone from snickering to raucous, delirious laughter as he readies his flamethrower and fires it straight at the exposed engine.

Getting away from the flaming car before it explodes is risky, but he’s never been one to play it safe. Nova glances at the senior whose finger is squeezing the trigger.

This will make ignition all the easier!

In one motion, a quiet ‘pop!’ sound is heard, and the car's hood is engulfed in flames as Nova backflips away, dodging a bullet. A bullet that hits the car.

The officer's head hits the ground as the car explodes into flames, his mouth agape.

As Nova walks away from the explosion, leaving the two suckers, one unconscious and one in shock, he feels... badass.

#ghost in the machine nova #mywriting #the daycare attendant #gitm nova #gitm #ghost in the machine #ghost in the machine au #i feel so cringe for writing this btw #if its not obvious im new to writing just in gen #i feel like i shouldve added more dialogue but i couldnt find a way to add it without it feeling cramped #like #unnecessary #but alas we all start somewhere nd if i wanna be a writer i gotta actually publish my writing #big thanks to kandidandi and cacaocheri for encouragement i give you both a hug that breaks ur bones (it meant a lot to me GGTGRG) #might draw smth for this later too hehe

[catt-leya]

Not sure if you’re into that…

What about a request for Rick being f!Reader’s daddy in bed. He’s out for a couple of days on a run and they have a rule; no touching when he’s not around. Reader is extra horny for him and wants him as soon as he steps through the front door but Rick stops her.

Instead he shows her the new sexy underwear he brought for her and even cleaned for her and he asks her to put it on. Obviously she does because why not, it’s a nice pair and it surprises Rick how good it looks. They end up having hard needy sex and Reader keeps on calling him ‘Daddy’ and he gets so turned on and he kinda takes her how he wants to - with her agreeing (everything happens with consent).

Smutty May 22.05.

Undressed (18+) || Rick Grimes

To be honest, I don't even know exactly what to say about the fic, except that you should all suffer with me 👀💗

Trigger: daddy kink, breath play, bit degrading (?), bondage, praising, dirty talk, age gap

Like the afternoons before, I go early to the room I share with my boyfriend Rick and stare at the made bed.

Rick has been on a run for days and I have no idea when I can expect him to return. It never ceases to amaze me how much you can get used to a person, especially since this is the first time we've been apart for so long.

Slowly, I walk toward the bed and sink down onto the coverlet before brushing my hair out of my face. My eyes close on their own and my hand slides to my breasts as if by itself.

I hardly get enough of him and for his somewhat older age he also does everything and sometimes even tops me as far as fantasies are concerned.

It was also him who made the rule that I am not allowed to touch and satisfy myself unless he is there and allows me to. While I assume that he wouldn't even really notice if I did, out of some primitive instinct, I comply with everything he asks of me sexually.

Desperate, I drop onto my back and squeeze my legs together, which technically isn't touching, trying to get my mind off Rick because the thought of his sinful body only tempts me more to touch my now already wet pussy.

I can't stand being alone in bed any longer and shuffle back to the kitchen to clean up what I've accumulated today.

The sexual withdrawal from Rick is so frustrating that after I put the last jar away, I bury my face in my hands and just try to breathe evenly and not think about the fact that he could be gone for days.

I have no idea exactly how long I remain like that when I hear the front door open and Rick call out, "I'm back, Princess."

As if I've been burned, I tear myself away from the kitchen and run into my boyfriend's arms before he can pull the bag off his shoulder.

With full momentum, I throw myself into his arms and he stumbles back two steps with me before catching himself and murmuring into my hair, "Heyyyy, I'm here. Did something happen? Are you okay?"

I can finally feel him under my hands again and can touch him, not to mention how good he feels against my heated body.

His scent envelops me and I let my hands slide down his chest between us as I reply, "I missed you."

I don't care how pathetic I act, but I reach for his belt and go to undo it when he quickly grabs my wrists. I look up at him and can see him grinning as he pulls my hands off of him.

This forces me to take a step back and I whimper miserably, which only makes him grin wider before he teases me, "I'm going to assume you followed the rules, Princess. Otherwise, you wouldn't be so needy to let me fuck you right here against the door. But no, you can't touch me."

He lets go of my hands and I let them fall limply beside me before pushing my bottom lip forward and asking, "Do you want me to beg? I'll do anything you want, but please take me."

I can see in his eyes that he likes how submissive I am.

Normally we're partners on equal footing and I'm more than capable of holding my own against him, but both he and I are into it when he dominates me in bed and I do what he asks of me.

But this time I could swear he'd give in, but he shakes his head and walks past me into the kitchen and leans against the counter before pointing his chin at the bag he dropped next to me, "Put it on and then I'll think about whether you deserve it."

I frown because I have absolutely no idea what I'm about to pull out of the bag, but when he finally fucks me, I'd put on a plastic bag too.

My gaze is lazily on me as I reach into the bag and somewhat hesitantly pull out a bra that shows more than it hides and with my other hand pull out a pair of panties that can hardly be called panties.

The "fabric" is almost completely transparent and embroidered with little daisies. In short, Rick has brought me sexy lingerie that is completely impractical for everyday wear and is only there to please him in it.

I feel his eyes boring into me and I look at him with my lips parted.

Rick has his arms crossed and his cheeks are slightly red.

The mere fact that I'm holding the underwear in my hand turns him on, I can't imagine what would happen if he saw me in that puff of nothingness.

I straighten up with the clothes in my hand, "I..." My voice breaks and I clear my throat, "I'll go up with it."

For a brief moment we just look at each other and I briefly toy with the idea of just undressing here and testing out how far Rick's self-control goes.

The shirt he wears tenses with every breath and the longer I look at him, the more I desire him.

His piercing blue eyes stay on me as he says harshly, "Go."

His voice snaps me back into the here and now and I nod quickly before all but running up the stairs.

I frantically peel on my sweatpants and the shirt I stole from Rick and pick up the sexy lingerie again.

Now that I can look at them on my own, I notice that they smell like Rick. He must have used the soap for it that he always uses for himself.

Briefly, my eyes dart to the stairs and I know Rick will be waiting at the bottom for me to present myself to him.

So, I get into the panties first and then fasten the bra on my back before turning to the small mirror and looking at myself.

I never really thought of myself as a beautiful woman, but the underwear perfectly highlights my assets.

I slowly spin around on my own axis and my heart beats faster and faster the longer I think about Rick waiting for me to see me like this.

I don't even know why I'm so excited, since my boyfriend has seen me in skimpy clothes a lot, but I really want to please him.

I straighten up and head for the stairs.

For a brief moment I stop on the landing before running down the stairs. The second I turn the corner and Rick sees me in the underwear he picked out is the most intense experience I've had in a long time.

He has only taken off his shoes and is otherwise still fully dressed and I in comparison am wearing practically nothing.

I stand rooted to the spot and feel like a deer in headlights as he approaches me and stops very close to me. The heat that emanates from him passes over to me and I notice how my panties get wet again.

I can't bring myself to say a word as he lifts his hand and gently traces the contours of my bra cups and whispers, "Fuck, you're so beautiful."

I take a deep breath and he slowly walks around me, sliding his hand over my skin. Immediately goosebumps cover me and my breathing gets heavier and heavier. The dim light from outside intensifies the feeling of doing something really dirty.

Rick stops behind me and his hand slides over my barely covered bottom as he purrs, "How bad do you want me, Princess?"

I don't dare turn to face him, so I just look over my shoulder at him and breathlessly whisper, "Very."

Rick puts his big hands on my shoulders and presses himself against me from behind so I can feel his hard cock against my butt. Grazing my neck with his lips, he whispers, "Were you a good girl and didn't touch yourself while I was gone?"

My head falls back against his shoulder and I reply, "I wanted to so badly, but didn't. Just like you demanded I do, Rick."

As a warning, he bites the back of my neck lightly and I gasp, "I mean Daddy."

His hands move down my arms and he murmurs, "That's it."

Still, I can't turn to face him and he slowly pushes me in front of him toward the stairs.

Without questioning what he's up to because he could fuck me here too, I walk in front of him up the stairs, making sure to swivel my butt back and forth so he has something to see.

On the last landing I turn to Rick and catch him actually staring at my butt and then slowly let his eyes wander over my body, "I'd let you walk around in just that underwear if it meant I didn't have to kill everyone who saw you like that."

I smile lightly at him and tug at my panties, "You can take them off for me too."

He raises an eyebrow and bites my lower lip as his hand comes to rest on my hip, "Not so cocky, Princess."

Rick takes the last flight of stairs and then towers over me again. His hand slides a little under the waistband of my panties before he turns me around again and navigates me into our bedroom.

I don't know what he's up to, but he pushes me in front of the mirror where I've looked at myself before without him in the background. But instead of looking at me, my eyes are glued to his figure.

Because he was outside so long, some sweaty strands hang in his forehead and his beard has also become a little messier than the day he left. But I don't mind the look at all and I have the urge to stroke his hair, but I can stop myself because I know it wouldn't get me any closer to getting fucked by him.

Our eyes meet in the mirror and he growls, "Look at yourself and not at me."

Immediately I fix my gaze on his hand as it slowly strokes my belly.

Ever so gently, he lets his hand wander to my begging middle and as he slides his fingers under my waistband, I wince, gasping. I have nowhere else to look but at his hand between my legs.

His strong arm on my soft belly is a contrast I can only stare at and when he also rests his head on my shoulder and kisses my pounding pulse, that I can no longer suppress a moan.

We've been together so long that he knows exactly how to touch me so that my legs start to shake and he puts his other arm around me to support me.

All my concentration is on his hands, so when he pulls the cup off one of my breasts and reaches freely for it, I moan, "Oh shit."

Rick's beard scratches across my neck as he kisses me behind my ear and murmurs, "See you? How you'll let anything happen to you just to get me to fuck you."

Even though he's forbidden me to look at him, I lift my eyes and my heart lurches at the sight before me.

Rick still fully dressed, shifting the sexy lingerie as it suits him at the moment, and me, hanging weakly in his arms with red cheeks.

My gaze falls on his beautiful eyes and instead of correcting me to look back down, he slides a finger inside me and hisses, "I want to fuck you so hard you won't be able to walk after."

I can't answer him and my mouth just flaps open as I'm so close to climaxing I couldn't hold myself up without his strong arms.

But just before he gives me what I've been dreaming about for days, he pulls his hand away from me and I tear open my eyes in a panic, "What?! Rick, please. You can't do this."

He lifts his head and I quickly correct myself, "Daddy, oh God, you can't do that."

Briefly, he kisses me on the bare shoulder and then says almost indifferently, "I can do whatever I want, Princess."

I turn to face him and carefully take a step toward him to slip my fingers through his belt loops and murmur, "Please?"

Innocently, I look up at him and am about to point out that I do see how much he likes me and just want to grab his pants, but he nods to the bed, "On your back."

I don't care how ridiculous I look doing this as I quickly move to the bed and drop onto my back to finally feel his weight on my body.

I'm at his disposal no matter what he wants to do to me and greedily look to him as he comes to a stop just before the edge of the bed.

The first three buttons of his shirt are already open and I catch a glimpse of what I hope I'm about to have. I love how possessive and demanding Rick can be when it comes to sex. Of course, he knows my limits and I can always stop, but I never have.

My mouth is completely dry as I sigh, "I want you inside me, Daddy."

I realize he's totally turned on by me begging him and calling him daddy while I'm at it, so I'm not surprised when he moans softly and then slowly unbuttons his shirt, pulling it off his shoulders.

Rick's pants sit so low on his hips that I seriously wonder how he can walk around like that without just losing them along the way, and of course I see the bulge that is impossible to miss in his pants.

I'm sure he knows exactly where I'm looking, but he says nothing and settles down on the mattress to be on all fours over me.

Surprisingly gently, he slides his hips between my legs and I whimper softly at the contact.

My fingers claw into the coverlet beneath me as he lowers his handsome face a bit and his lips graze mine ever so lightly, "I love it when you beg to have my cock inside you and I love it when you squirm under me and try to pull yourself together so I don't stop."

The first kiss we share today is short and soft before he whispers against my mouth, "And I love you."

I want so badly to reply that he can't even imagine how much I love him, but that's when he presses his mouth hard against mine and I moan into his mouth.

My head goes blank as everything in my stomach tightens again and I try to push against him.

The kiss gets hotter and hotter and I dig my fingers into his shoulder blades, which move under my hands with every move he makes.

With one hand he pulls the second cup from my chest and then disengages from my lips to cup a nipple.

I feel his tongue on me and my back presses against him, making him smile against my chest. He realizes that I am like putty in his hands and how I react to the slightest touch from him.

Determined, he places his hand on my stomach and pushes me back onto the mattress, breaking away from me to look at me, "You trust me?"

I maintain eye contact and nod. I trust him unconditionally.

Slowly he drops back down on his heels and reaches for my completely wet panties.

I lift my bottom and he pulls them off me. But instead of letting it fall to the floor, his gaze bores into my eyes and he whispers harshly, "Open your mouth."

A gasp slips from my lips and I stare at him. Surely he wouldn't...?

When I don't respond, he leans over and puts his thumb on my lower lip and as he applies some pressure, I open my mouth for him and sure enough, he takes my panties and pushes them between my lips.

His gaze is dark and I don't think I've ever seen him as horny as he is right now as he growls, "So that not all Alexandria hear how much you've missed me, Princess."

My whole body gives out and I roll my eyes as he straddles me again with only his pants between his cock and my wet pussy.

With one hand, he takes my arms from his shoulders and pushes them over my head, pinning my wrists with his big hand.

I'm so sure I'm finally going to get what I've wanted for days, when with his free hand he finally undoes his belt and pulls his pants down just enough to press his cock against my entrance.

He's not even inside me and I'm already moaning against the gag he's given me.

As horny as I am, however, I still notice how irregularly his breathing goes as well and that he has to hold himself back as well in order to pull off the little game that he is playing as he probably imagines it.

I desperately want to touch him and resist his grip a bit, but he doesn't let go of me and lowers his lips to my ear, "Ready?"

I nod frantically and thrust my hips toward him as best I can in my position.

His moans are muffled at my neck as he fully penetrates me in one fluid motion and I gasp against the gag that further takes my breath away.

A few seconds pass in which he gives me time to get used to his big one inside me, before he pulls out of me almost completely and pushes hard into me again.

He mumbles something against my neck that I don't understand and I whimper against the fabric in my mouth as I feel him deep inside me.

I feel him all the way into my stomach as he thrusts into me again and again and the bed bounces hard against the wall.

I'm incredibly glad we're alone in the house, because while I can't moan out loud, the bed would certainly have given us away.

At his next thrust, I turn my head to him and press my cheek into his thick hair because Rick is still sucking on my neck and I'm sure I'll get a mark or two tomorrow.

His hair smells so incredibly good and I've missed him so much even though it's only been a few days.

I know he's actually expecting me to pull myself together and come with him, but I've been so in withdrawal that I can't help but tense my pelvic muscles and receive him inside me before he hits just the right spot and I squirm violently against him.

Immediately he detaches himself from my neck and when he looks at me with that look that says something like: Shit, do you really need it that much?

I virtually dissolve in his arms.

I wince as hard as I ever have and am incredibly grateful to him for letting go of my wrist and reaching hard for his shoulders to pull him to me so that his forehead is pressed against mine.

He doesn't take his eyes off me as my heart threatens to explode in my chest and whispers, "That's right, Princess. Show me how much you missed me."

He keeps fucking me and I feel like my climax would never end, which also makes him thrust into me more and more erratically and I run my hands over his back. I feel every muscle moving in his back as he sinks into me one last time and then comes jerking inside me while I'm still a little out of it myself.

His chest presses heavily against mine as he tries to catch his breath and gently pulls the gag out of my mouth with his fingers. Greedily, I take a breath and then close my eyes to calm myself down a bit.

I let him pull back on me and feel him roll over next to me before he pushes a few strands of hair out of my face, causing me to look at him.

His features are much softer because he's so relaxed and he kisses me gently on the cheek before asking, "Are you okay?"

Of course, he asks me if he's not being too hard, but I smile lovingly at him: "Yes, Rick. That was amazing."

In fact, I don't think I've ever come as strong as I did today, and I can tell we'd love to do it again.

Still I don't budge, but Rick slides his hand under my back and unclasps my bra, which is irrelevant now anyway, and takes it off. I look at him questioningly and he shrugs, "It's uncomfortable if you keep it on."

He is so incredibly caring and I can't express how much I love him and always will.

I slide my hand down his neck and pull him to me to kiss him on the mouth and I'm sure the evening is far from over.

@positive-squid @hail-yourselves @mrsxreeves

#smutty may #rick grimes #rick grimes smut #rick grimes x reader #rick grimes imagine #twd #twd x reader #the walking dead #request

[firecoloredwater]

Ask meme: 6, 7, 22, 30

...I had the answers 99% done and then my computer froze and I had to restart and lost all of them. So OKAY, TRYING AGAIN

6. Are there any fics from others you reread all the time?

Not really! I wish I did. I am apparently very weird in that a fic (or anything I read) needs to be a certain amount of unfamiliar, or my brain won't engage enough for me to enjoy it. If I've reread something too much then my brain will go 'oh I know what's happening, I don't need to pay attention' and wander off and get distracted. Making myself focus deliberately just means being bored and annoyed. I am also really good at remembering stories (and like nothing else) so I can read a fic twice, maybe three times if it's especially long/complex, before I have to put it down for anywhere from some months to a few years to let myself forget enough details to make it new enough to read again. (For related reasons, I basically never read my own fics for enjoyment. I'll reread to refresh my memory before writing more, or while rereading comments, but I know my own fics too well to really ever approach them as a reader. I might get enjoyment from 'oh I actually pulled that alliteration/foreshadowing/etc off well' but not just from reading the story.)

7. How many ideas for fics do you have right now?

Uhhhhh somewhere in the range of infinite. Depends on how you define ideas for fics? If you mean fics I'm actively working on/hoping to write in the near future, that would be... about 6-8, probably? But if you mean fics I'd like to write even if I don't actually expect to have the chance, that gets up into several dozen immediately. If you include ideas that I haven't specifically thought about how I'd write them, then we're probably into the hundreds. I am an endless font of ideas and it does not turn off.

22. Do you know how your fic will end before you start writing?

Usually vaguely! But it ranges from 'and then everything is good the end' to like, a two-sentence bullet point of the ending scene(s). I don't plan ahead in much detail, because I do a lot of discovering and adding things as I write, and what I throw in that way will affect later scenes. So if I had a lot of detail planned for the end, I'd just have to replan/rewrite anyway when I got there, and probably be annoyed about losing lines I liked. So it works out better for me and the fic if I keep my plans minimal. There is an exception for very short fics. If I'm writing a fic that's basically just one or two scenes, and the entire momentum of the fic is writing toward the end, then I can know exactly what the end is. But that's fairly rare, partly because I also need to be able to write it all in one shot, and I rarely have that much time.

29. Share a bit from a fic you’ll never post OR from a scene that was cut from an already posted fic. (If you don’t have either, just share a random fic idea you have that you don’t plan on getting to.)

.......................well I was going to dump a scene from one of the self insert AUs here, but it turns out two years is enough for me to no longer love the writing in that. So uhhhhhh guess I'll just. Write a new thing real quick!

(@executeness and @denialcity, enjoy)

Every clan has their own way of finding soulmates. Some are more reliable than others, and most are closely guarded. That's never mattered to Takami: the Uchiha's tradition is reliable, so any uncertainty that other clans live with isn't his problem.

He is fifteen and it is the first dawn after the winter solstice. The fire in the center of the Uchiha compound has burned all night, built steadily larger until it roars, and the flames dance as high as his chin.

Takami is not the only fifteen year old with a sharingan, but he is the clan heir, so he goes first. The entire clan sings as the first rays of dawn break through the horizon, and Takamii steps forward, sharingan burning as he shapes chakra and breathes a thin, precise stream of his own fire into the core of the flames.

He's thought before about how it would look, whether he would see his soulmate's form made of ashes and embers swirled within the flame, or if the flames themselves would twist into the right shape for only his eyes, or....

It's clearer than he imagined. As if he's looking through a window, tinted gold and shifting in the breeze, but otherwise the overlapping images are perfectly clear, as if he were looking at reality directly. But there are so many people--the fire shows the watcher's soulmate, but also everything around them, and there are so many overlapping forms. Takami prowls around the fire in a circle, watching the shifts within it, tracking which faces stay in focus.

He can hear. The longer he watches, the more sound grows. It's still thin and distant, but seems to come from deep within his own ears, so even the whole clan singing together can't quite drown out what his soulmates hear. A song, of course, and orders....

There is one flaw in the Uchiha method of identifying soulmates, Taka realizes: it's public.

He finishes a last circle of the fire. The song hasn't faltered despite the time he took, and it continues as he stops, and turns to face his father.

His whole family: Father and mother and four younger brothers, even Kunimi, who drank enough tea to keep anyone else awake for a week and is standing in his proper place with his face screwed up in determination. But Tajima is the clan head, so Takami faces him first.

Tajima's voice is pitched to carry over the song. "Have you seen what you are looking for?"

"I have," Takami says, steady as if this were any ordinary year. "There were a lot of faces, I had to move to be sure which one is mine. We should make people dance, next year."

"Then your soulmate is within the clan?"

Takami grins. "Hako's mine," he announces.

Several voices falter then, and people in the crowd shift, and surprise makes it through even Hako's near-perfect composure.

Takami is the heir, but Hako is beloved, the most beautiful and the most perfect and the most wanted. No one in the clan had even bothered to pretend they were more interested in learning Takami's soulmate now than Hako's next year.

They're not wrong, all those people chasing after Hako's every glance: Hako is the best and they should all be honored to have his sight fall on them. But he's Takami's brother first, and now no one can ever try to interfere.

In the firelight, so subtle than only the sharingan could catch it, Hako relaxes. Beside him, Madara sneaks a thumbs up, and his grin distorts his singing for a few lines.

It's not this easy, Takami knows. They're soulmates, so they won't be separated now, or expected to put anyone else first. But they'll still be expected to have friends and get married, and the whole clan and half their allies will chase Hako for both of those. Some of them will remember that some people have multiple soulmates, and keep hoping for another year that Hako will claim them even though Taka hasn't.

At the same time, it is this simple. Takami and Hako belong together, and no one will ever question it again.

Takami steps away from the fire, and goes to stand beside Hako instead of in his proper place. He takes up the song as the others look for their soulmates: one outside the clan, and one within it.

There are more traditions, more celebration, and Takami goes through them gladly with Hako at his side. Even so, Hako can read him like no one else.

It's late morning before they get even a few seconds out of everyone's sight, but the instant it's possible, Hako has Takami out of sight and hearing.

Out of sight like this, Hako isn't perfect either: his forehead is creased and worry bites in at the corners of his eyes. "Nii-sama, tell me you didn't lie."

"I didn't."

Hako frowns, his forehead creasing more, but it's true. They're soulmates. Takami didn't lie.

"Then," Hako says slowly, "why are you bothered?"

"I saw you." The images are still in Takami's eyes, hovering with sharingan clarity. The whole clan singing around the fire, centered on Hako, posed and perfect. And overlapping, a training field, four boys and a man with a voice Takami knows, barking harsh orders. "I also saw a Senju. Butsuma's son. One we haven't seen on the field yet."

"He has enough sons," Hako says harshly, then catches himself. "What did you think?"

Takami didn't think. He just watched, and knew better than to reveal anything like that. And Hako was right there to smooth things over, as always. "It doesn't matter. He'll probably just die anyway."

"You don't need him anyway," Hako says. "You have me."

"Yeah." Takami grins. "Always."

"Always," Hako promises, even though there's no need to, and then he moves on to batting a wrinkle out of Takami's clothes and herding him back out to the celebrations.

The next year, Hako looks into the fire and sees Takami alone.

Six months after that, Senju Kawarama arrives on the battlefield. He's grown, but Takami still knows that face.

He puts a scar on it.

#answers #fanfic

[bijoumikhawal]

Bite the Hand That Starves You: Chapter Eight

Fic as of the chapter contains: discussion of abortion, references to drug use, intersex and trans characters, torture/graphic violence, colonialism and its aftermath, implied sexual violence, disassociation, kidnapping, explicit sexual content

Kardasi: -ijje: an affectionate Kardasi suffix. One adds it to a shortened version of a name. It is inappropriate to use this for a person you aren't very close to.

Whoo, final chapter! The sex scene here is the section that starts with "Garak had wanted to be alone, Julian guessed."

---

“We're within range to transport.” Garak rolled his shoulders, sitting up. “Alright. Do you have any questions about the sensor scrambler, or anything else I'm leaving with you?”

“I don't know if you should be going alone.”

“That's a no, then, I take it. I can't explain your presence if I don't. At best, Lokar will deny any knowledge of Dr. Bashir.” Garak began patching in a comms signal. “Besides, if I know Lokar- and I do- he'll try to sabotage the ship. Someone needs to keep an eye on it. And you have 15 seconds before they start getting video of this room.”

Sisko narrowed his eyes, but left quickly. Garak suspected there'd be… an interesting debriefing, after this.

Sisko had no qualms about strong arming others for a good cause, but he rarely appreciated it himself.

Garak was put through to a secretary he'd never seen before first, standing over the shoulder of a traffic controller. “Ship 5371-B, state your purpose. You are not scheduled to be here, and without good reason and authorization, you will be subject to detention until trial.”

Garak smiled. “Of course. Tell Barkan Lokar that Elim Garak has come to pay him a visit.”

She gave no sign of recognition. “What nonsense is that? Elim Garak is not on our list of those with authorized access.”

“-if you tell him that,” Garak said, cutting off her next sentence, “I think you'll find I have an appointment. And do tell him it was very rude to schedule one without asking me about it first.”

She bent and pressed some keys on the console, sighing. Garak felt the shift in gravity and momentum as a tractor beam took hold. “I hope detention is worth your little prank, sir.” The video switched off. Presumably, she was double checking his statement.

Typically a secretary would not be immediately available to traffic control. Barkan had not mentioned him by name, but clearlh he'd told his staff to expect someone. This was going well, so far.

Garak got himself a glass of rokassa juice.

The video came back on, though the tractor beam didn't turn off. Garak expected as much- odds were they'd set up a stasis lock, or potentially tow it into dock. The secretary was good. Her face betrayed no sense of shame or embarrassment. “Get on the transporter pad and you'll be beamed in.”

Garak bowed his head to her with a smile. “Thank you.”

Barkan and a helmeted guard were waiting for him. Garak gave the latter a curious look. “Updating the uniform, are we?”

Occasionally Cardassian units used helmets, but they didn't look like this, with a full face cover- giving no indication of who was underneath. “Something like that. Why don't you sit, Elim? It's been so long since we talked.”

Garak did take the offered seat. “Has it.”

“Within the bounds of the Union, I mean.” Barkan amended his statement. “There's something freeing about being here instead of on enemy territory, isn't there?”

“I don’t know. The line designating “the Union” and “enemy territory” simply passed over me one night- I didn't find much difference in how I spoke in the evening or the morning that bookended it.”

“How about the evening and the morning that bookended the last time we spent a night together?”

Garak let himself tense. Better to make Barkan think he really had the advantage, to let him revel in it. "I was interrogated after, you know. I imagine you find that funny."

Barkan laughed. "You make me so cruel in your imagination, Elijje. Sometimes I worry I won't meet your expectations, and leave you disappointed."

"I find you meet them effortlessly."

Barkan sat, resting his head in his hand. "You're wanting your Terran doctor back, I take it. Have you ever noticed how similar they look to Bajorans? It's uncanny."

Garak rolled his thumb over the transmitter in his pocket. "They also look much like Vulcans. I wouldn't have come for anything else, Barkan."

"So we're back to first name basis, then." Barkan smiled. "Perhaps you'll be amenable to my suggestion, then."

Garak didn't bother to respond.

Barkan's mouth twisted. "Obviously, I don't want your doctor. He means less than nothing to me. Palandine has… gone missing, while I've been away. And as I've made clear, I do not consider our partnership annulled."

Garak had long suspected such was the case with Palandine. His few contacts didn't run in her circles, but they had heard nothing of her- and no news had remarked on Kel's emergence party. A girl of her standing would have a public one, and to not have it would normally make the news as well. The confirmation made his stomach drop all the same. It dropped further knowing their disappearance had not, as he had assumed, been at the military's direction.

"My brother died in the war with the Federaji, as you know. I am the last Lokar."

Garak flexed his hand in his pocket. It was a quiet admission regarding Kel, but a quiet admission was still terrifying. "It always comes back to this with you."

"I can end your exile."

Garak’s tongue stuck.

Barkan smiled. "Yes, even considering that incident on Bajor."

Garak centered himself in his mind. The cost of ending his exile this way was being alone with Barkan. Without the Order behind him. And if he struggled to conceive… Lokar would not examine himself. Besides, he surely wanted revenge.

But, to be on Cardassia again… and he still had contacts outside the Order… he could even find Palandine, he was smarter than whoever Central Command had assigned to look for her.

If it was Tain before him, he knows he wouldn't bother weighing the options. No matter what he'd asked, Garak would do.

He will still have to earn Tain’s forgiveness if he accepts. Until then, he will still treat Garak as a traitor and enemy. And Garak knows- Tain prides himself on outliving his enemies.

“You seem overwhelmed.” Barkan stepped behind Garak, squeezing his shoulder ridges- not in a way appropriate to do in one's office. “I'll let you sleep on it, hm?”

“In a cell?”

“Hardly.” Barkan’s grip eased, hands sliding down Garak’s shoulders. “Second. Show Elim to our guest quarters.” The helmeted guard nodded.

It was a cell. A comfortable cell (not silk quilt comfortable), the one you got when you fucked the warden, but a cell nonetheless. He couldn't leave, after all.

But if he was smarter than Barkan, he could get out. And if he could get out, he could trust himself to take the deal and come out on top.

---

Julian laid on the floor of his cell, pressing his swollen cheek to the cold tiles.

After Lokar was satisfied with himself, the helmeted guard took him back here. According to his internal clock, it was well into the night.

He turned, giving his the other side of his face a chance with the tile. Left-down, left-up, right-up...

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of feet.

Earlier, a medic had come to see him, and promptly left upon being satisfied that Julian's injuries wouldn't kill him. He'd expected to be left alone for some time after that- it had only been three hours.

Julian kept still, closing his eyes most of the way.

The security field's hum ceased abruptly. Whoever it was walked in, stopping by his hip- Julian could just make out the toe of a uniform boot. Not the medic again, then, or anyone else interesting.

"Preparing for death." The helmeted guard muttered to himself. Julian heard him sling his rifle onto his back, out of immediate reach.

Nothing for it.

Julian braced his arm against the floor and swung his legs up and forward, catching him below the knee.

It wasn't his best, but it worked- knocking the guard off balance and having him flail a bit, hands away from his gun.

Julian got up, grabbing the rifle and strap. It wasn't that hard to tear the two apart- there was decent give, and the snapshot unfastened easily.

The guard spun on his heel. Julian hit his side with the rifle, between his ribs. Unfazed, the guard grabbed Julian by his shirt and hauled him forward. Julian hit him on the side of the head with the rifle, then jabbed him in the front of his neck with his elbow.

The helmet was more about secrecy than armour. The guard grunted in pain. Julian hit him again, then threw the rifle, skittering, across the room.

The helmeted guard slammed him against the wall. Julian grabbed for his throat, shaking off the dizziness.

At first the guard ignored it, slamming him again. Julian's grip did not break.

It was a common misconception that you couldn't strangle a Cardassian, because of the shape of their cervical vertebrae. It was certainly near impossible to break a Cardassian's neck- the force required would decapitate most. But strangulation simply required one to know where to put pressure- just below the corners of the jaw.

Two more slams, a little more panicked, then the guard grabbed his wrists, trying to break his grip.

This wasn't the time to worry about being found out.

Julian threw the guard to the floor once he slumped against him and began stripping his uniform off.

If nothing else, he could get word back to Deep Space Nine about where exactly he was- though Barkan wasn't too unlikely of a who, narrowing things down still would take time, and wouldn't help them much. It wasn’t exactly easy to get prisoners out of the Union even during scheduled exchanges.

The fit wasn't terrible. Fortunately, most Cardassians were Julian’s height, or a bit taller.

Now he just had to hope Second was the one monitoring his cell.

He pulled Second under his cot, so it wouldn't be too obvious who was laying on the floor looking in from outside. Pressing a fob hidden in Second's pocket rematerialized the security field.

Julian took a second to breathe, and turned. Would he be able to send a message from Barkan's office? That was where he knew to go- if nothing else, it'd be safer than wandering around.

Julian adjusted the strap of the rifle, and began heading for the first locked door. Before he even got there, he ran into trouble- not for himself, thankfully.

The first tell was that the lights were darkened- someone had cut the power here. Julian steeled himself, pressing onwards.

Garak was a welcome sight, even when fighting a guard by himself. Neither paid him attention- Garak was focused on winning, and the guard had his back to Julian.

Julian had never seen Garak get physical while in his right mind before. During his withdrawal- well. It hadn't come down to it, but Julian had been afraid of hurting him precisely because Garak was too strong to easily subdue.

The guard lost.

Garak faced him, and stood, approximating a stance. "Well, Second. I didn't expect a friend of Barkan’s to be so chivalrous as to wait his turn."

Julian took off the helmet and allowed Garak’s genuine surprise to warm him.

"Doctor." Garak stared a moment longer. "I was coming to get you- but it seems you only needed some help, hm?"

Julian touched the bruises on his cheek. "These are from earlier, actually."

Garak raised his brow ridges. "What a busy week you've had."

---

Julian had let Garak take the lead on their detour, though he wasn't entirely happy about it. He said nothing, but it showed in his posture.

Garak had never been to this particular prison before, but he was familiar with the particulars of their construction. Seperate maintainence corridors with manual locks were necessary- not too unlike the station's, though with more vertical space.

"May I see that?" Garak held out a hand beside him, eyeing the lock. Julian handed him the rifle.

Breaking it was a little louder than Garak would have liked, but there was nothing to be done about it.

Garak had Julian slip inside before him, and urged him to walk a few meters before leaning against the wall to rest.

“You don't seem surprised to see me.”

Julian looked up, having chosen to sit on the floor. “Should I be?”

“We fought the last time we talked.”

Julian managed not to laugh, but couldn't help a smile. “Garak, anyone could tell that fight wasn't about me.”

Garak narrowed his eyes in slight annoyance. Yes, it hadn't been his best showing.

Julian looked down. "Besides, practically speaking, there's not many people who would get here so quickly. The rest of the senior staff, you, Odo... you're about it."

And it hadn't been so long that a quick rescue was utterly improbable to him, compared to drawn out negotiations, or no rescue at all.

"I presume I make that list because of my connection to Barkan. After all, compared to the rest, my qualifications are lacking." Lying was always easy for Garak, even silly, obvious lies.

Julian looked up again, this time serious. "Barkan isn't going to leave it at this. He knows where you are." He stood.

“I know.”

“So we can't just escape.” The hall was narrow, and Julian’s expression was made all the more intense this close up.

“What else can we do?” Garak raised his eye ridges. “I got caught trying to get to you. You only haven't gotten caught yet because you got lucky with the uniform and you have decent aim. Do you think assassinating a warden is a spur of the moment decision?”

“What's your plan, then?” Julian didn't hide his frustration.

“To get out of here alive, just like it was when I beamed down. We are in his territory, doctor. He has the advantage. That's why you were brought here. I am far safer on the station than just about anywhere else in the quadrant.”

Julian covered his eyes with his hands, frustrated. Garak, being the one who lived this careful balance, had a point. Even if Julian didn't like it.

Garak took his transmitter out of his pocket and began adjusting the dials on it.

Julian looked up again, probably in response to the clicking Garak himself only barely heard. “What's that?”

“A transmitter. We'll have ten minutes to talk when it's activated.”

Julian stared at him. “To who?”

“Commander Sisko took your disappearance personally.”

“Ah.” Julian paused, clearly reasoning through it. “By himself?”

“He didn't want anyone else in trouble if things went poorly. I only barely convinced him to stay on the shuttle.” Garak stopped for a moment. “The only things of use on you are that uniform and rifle, correct?”

“More or less.”

Garak nodded to himself and hit the last button. “Commander, can you hear me?”

There was a slight crackle on the other end. “I can hear you. Do you have Dr. Bashir?”

It'd ended up more the other way around- “I'm here.”

“I take it Lokar isn't simply handing you over.”

“No. We're going to need to break out.”

A moment of silence. “Alright. What are we working with?”

“I've got a uniform with a helmet and a rifle. And I stole some gloves from the medic who they had look at me earlier.” Julian shifted to rest against the wall.

“I have everything I beamed down with: this transmitter, a spare knife, nothing else interesting.”

“Did you find an angle with Lokar?”

“No.”

Julian looked at him with a tinge of suspicion. It almost made Garak feel better. “Nothing?”

“He wants revenge. Unfortunately, I can't give that to him- and if I did, I don't think he'd let you go anyways.”

Julian accepted that, but his brow remained slightly furrowed.

“I don’t think your suspicion of possible sabotage is wrong, Garak, but so far nothing has happened up here. They did weaken the strength of the tractor beam, but that’s all. And judging from what I saw of the engine earlier, it won’t be able to break the hold on it’s own.”

“That won’t be a problem. Remember what I told you about the triangular device?"

“The one you clearly soldered together on the way over? Yes.”

“In…” Garak checked the time on the transmitter. “Half an hour, attach it to the spot I told you about. You won't need to worry about the tractor beam once its active.”

“That's me taken care of. How are you two getting out of there? You don't know where the transporter room is.”

“No need.” Garak said quickly. “We just need to get to Barkan’s office. They beamed me directly down there. Many in administrative positions have the transporter block stripped from their offices for convenience. It seems he picked up the habit.”

“Do you know how to get there?”

“Of course,” overlapped with Julian’s “Yes.”

“He had me brought in a few times to harass me.” Julian gave as explanation.

“That explains your face,” Garak said to himself, then spoke louder, “Once we're in, I can signal you on the other transmitter. The transporter controls aren't too different on the shuttle compared to what you're used to. There shouldn't be any other life signs to be confused by once the signal goes up.”

“And if you don't get there?”

“It's still what we agreed to on the station.”

“Alright. I'll be waiting for both of you.”

Garak ended the transmission, looking down the corridor as he put away the transmitter.

“What did you agree to?”

Garak looked at him, managing not to startle at Julian speaking so close to his ear that he could feel his breath across it. “My dear doctor. What do you think?”

---

They couldn't get to Lokar's office from the maintenance corridor, unfortunately, but it did let them bypass most of the locked doors.

Garak peered out in the hallway first. "Clear, so far."

Julian put the helmet back on before stepping out after him. There was another door, a few meters away, not locked, and then they'd be at Barkan’s office.

Foot steps sounded. Quickly, they turned to each other- Julian grabbing Garak roughly, and Garak putting up a theatrical struggle.

It was one of the normal guards. He laughed, amused. “I heard the warden had a guest. Did he not like his accommodations?”

“Not at all.” Garak snarled. “One is hardly a guest in a prison."

Julian jerked on his arms, pulling him down the hall.

“I am not going back in there!” Garak was testing the limits of of the strength Julian normally allowed himself to use, but not too badly. “Central Command will be hearing about this!”

Julian raised his eyebrows. Banking on the guard not knowing how nonsensical that statement was wouldn't have been his first choice. He kept pulling on Garak, they were almost to the door, and-

“Second, since when do you wear gloves?”

Julian kept pulling on Garak. He'd hardly premeditated all this- he wouldn't be able to imitate Second’s voice on his first try.

The guard raised his rifle. “Second.”

Julian stopped. They did not have time to get to the door before the guard fired his gun.

Unfortunately, the very act gave him away.

“Well, at least he won't be such a smug bastard after this.” The guard advanced.

Garak was clearly thinking too much to admonish him for the potentially fatal error.

“Take off the helmet or I'll shoot the other one.”

Slowly, Julian did so.

“Ah. That's why you're a special interest prisoner.” He laughed.

Julian hadn't turned around yet, but it sounded like he'd walked until he was just out of arms reach.

“You do know he was planning to go back to the warden, don't you?”

An odd look entered Garak’s eye, then- he yanked the helmet out of Julian’s hand and lunged forward, pushing Julian aside. He swung down first, nearly knocking the rifle from the guards hands, then at his head.

There was a loud crunch.

Julian grabbed his own rifle from its holstered position and aimed. His parents had gotten their money's worth. Sometimes he was even glad of it.

Garak stalked back to him, pulling the helmet down over his head.

“You aren't taking his…”

“We can't shoot our way out, doctor. We have to keep up the charade successfully if we run into someone else.”

Julian felt a hot rush of shame, but Garak seemed content to leave it at that. He pushed past Julian and through the door.

---

The hall to Barkan’s office had not been busy before, so Garak didn't expect to see anyone. At the same time, the absence of others had him on the knife's edge of aware and nervous.

"You didn't happen to get Second's access fob, did you?" Garak asked.

"Actually..." Julian stuck his hand in his pocket. "I might have." He handed something over.

Garak looked at the polymer in his hand.

There was such a thing as too easy.

There was, also, no other good path out of here. He'd failed the parameters of his own test- he couldn't stay, take his chances with Barkan, and leave Julian in custody. Especially not after Julian had attacked Second.

Garak pressed the fob up against the door's scanner.

The door opened to a dark room. The power hadn't been cut- if it had, the door wouldn't have opened, and there would have been emergency lights. Garak shut the door behind them and pressed the button on his transmitter, letting Sisko know they'd reached their goal.

Julian stood in place, shifting his weight. "Something isn't right."

Garak didn't reply. Hopefully, this part would be fast, and the rest would catch up with them after they were on the runabout-

The door creaked behind them.

Garak kept still as light cut across the floor.

"Second? Did our guest get antsy in his quarters?"

Barkan’s tone was easy. He assumed he was still in control.

Garak saw Julian’s fingers tighten on the rifle. Don't, he thought, wishing it could be heard. You won't be able to commit. The fallout will spin out of control immediately. Don't.

Luckily, Second was a somewhat quiet man, and Barkan had interpreted the finger tightening as a "yes, something like that". He circled around them, sitting at my desk. "Am I lucky, Elijje? Have you reached a conclusion about my proposal?"

A good Cardassian doesn't believe in fickle luck, Garak thought. "Perhaps."

Barkan’s smile broadened. Naturally, he assumed his offer had been too tempting for Garak to refuse him. "Are you always shy at times like these?"

Garak almost laughed at him. He'd been acting both times- was Barkan not suspicious of the first?

He replied easily, "Perhaps not all of me has outgrown being Ten Lubak."

There was no way to signal to Sisko that they'd been interrupted. He would know soon enough, in any case. Julian remained tense beside him.

Barkan let out a soft laugh. "Ten Lubak could be rather shy, couldn't he? Back then, that was... alluring."

At what point, Garak wondered. Their first two meetings had been marked by scorn.

The trouble with transporters was, without a badge, the operator had to select individuals manually, going off life signs- species, age, height, and weight. Barkan was taller, but otherwise, he and Garak had similar readings.

Barkan's desk terminal beeped, indicating an incoming call. Barkan pressed the button to answer it.

"Warden, that Federaji prisoner you were interested in has escaped. We just found Second on the ground in his cell."

Barkan and Garak both reacted quickly. Barkan lunged for Julian, and Garak lunged at Barkan, throwing him back into the wall.

Garak’s stomach lurched, and he had enough time to be grateful Sisko had chosen correctly even with unfamiliar controls before the sight of Barkan’s office faded.

He and Julian had been of the same mind, it seemed, as each had a hand on the other, keeping them supported as they rematerialized on the runabout.

Sisko turned his chair to face them. “Next time I'm bringing the Defiant.”

Julian took off the helmet and looked at Sisko. “What do you mean next time?”

"It's good to be prepared, doctor." Garak let go of him. "Thank you for all your help- I'll take over here for awhile, commander." He leaned over the console. "You and Dr. Bashir should get some rest."

---

Garak had wanted to be alone, Julian guessed. And he was- for as long as it took Julian to take a nap.

He woke up to the sound of Sisko getting out of his bunk. "Commander?"

"Ah, I'm sorry, Julian. I didn't mean to wake you up."

"It's fine. I expect you're probably going to order me away from work when we get back anyway." Julian sat up. "Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine. However, I expect Garak didn't sleep during the time he beamed down, and I know he didn't sleep beforehand. I'm going to relieve him in a bit."

"In a bit?"

"I'm going to shower first."

Julian got out of bed. "Don't use the water setting. I'll go tell him."

Garak leaned over the console, carefully going over every readout he could get displayed, it seemed.

"Sisko's in the shower. He wants to take over once he's..." Julian trailed off.

Garak had turned to look at him. Very... particularly. Julian’s hand had come to rest on the back of the pilot's chair. Garak’s own hand crept up to cover it. "Yes, doctor?"

"Uhm. He'll be out in a little. I warned him off using the water setting. I know the temperature can be difficult." Julian backed up a bit, his mouth dry and face growing warm. "He had the top bunk, but we can swap if you want."

Garak kept staring a moment. "I'll decide after I get a look at them."

Julian nodded, and retreated to the sleeping cabin.

He laid back down on the bottom bunk, facing the wall. His heartbeat was fast and his cheeks stayed flushed with heat, even as he heard Sisko pass behind him into the cockpit, the door opening, closing, and opening. And closing.

He was able to feel that stare again.

The mattress dipped behind him as Garak slipped under the covers. Things were quiet for a moment.

“You said you didn't want anything else, that night. Have you never wanted anything else of me, doctor?”

“Garak,” Julian started, then cut himself off with a gasp as Garak's hands slipped under his shirt, pulling him close.

“Yes?” Garak

"I- we-"

"Surely, you know why Barkan focused his attention on you, doctor. The conclusions he jumped to the second he saw you."

Julian closed his eyes. "Yes, I suppose it's rather ridiculous." A faint dissuasion.

Garak was quiet for a moment. "To be condemned for something you haven't done yet, yes, I suppose it is."

Julian opened his mouth, then closed it. He turned in Garak’s arms to face him.

Garak shifted back slightly. “Just once. We don’t have to think on it ever again.”

Even Julian could appreciate that it was a pretty lie, even if it wasn't a happy one. It was his move- Julian leaned forward, tilting his head to kiss Garak.

"I'm still not safe." Julian reminded him as he broke away.

"How convenient. So am I." Garak nudged Julian onto his back, rising up over him. "It's nice to be on the same page." He pulled Julian’s pajama bottoms down to his knees.

Garak’s gaze had dimmed in intensity somewhat, but Julian still felt pinned. It wasn't exactly a bad feeling. One only had to look down to confirm that. He kicked his trousers the rest of the way off and began pulling at Garak’s tunic- fair was fair.

Garak let him, but pulled his own trousers down. He leaned down, blanketing Julian and pressing him onto the mattress. Garak kissed him as he shifted into what Julian guessed was a more comfortable position.

Julian’s cock slipped between Garak's thighs, and groaned into the other man's mouth as he jerked upwards against him. Noticing, Garak pressed his thighs together. Julian let out a choked moan. Apparently Garak had been anticipating this for some time, as the soft flesh between his legs was slick.

Garak grabbed Julian’s knee and pulled it to the side, spreading his legs apart.

Julian broke the kiss. "Garak-? Oh!" His head fell back as Garak- it was, what he could best describe as a thrust, with Julian's cock trapped between his thighs. Julian grabbed his hips, letting out a string of breathy moans as he tried to meet Garak, thrust for thrust.

He'd certainly never tried intercrural like this.

Garak’s teeth grazed his earlobe, making Julian flinch away.

Garak pulled back, and Julian stroked his shoulder, trying to soothe him.

"It's alright, you just- startled me." Cardassian front teeth were sharper than many other species, despite not looking so obvious.

Julian’s hand tightened as Garak's teeth met his skin again, this time the soft flesh neat the hinge of his jaw.

No longer occupied by kissing, Julian looked down at the shoulder in his grasp, watching the deepening blue color spread over the ridge, and the shift of muscle under the skin as Garak kept thrusting against him.

Garak's teeth traveled down his neck- never biting down fully, as Julian half expected. Only grazing, nipping- almost like a tease.

Julian’s cock slipped out from between Garak's thighs as Garak groaned into his collarbone. A rush of warm wetness spilled forth, and Julian felt something new sliding out of Garak, prodding against his stomach.

Garak’s breaths changed as he ground his cock against Julian’s. Julian could feel ridges, though instead of the scales he was used to, they were of soft flesh that reminded him of the inside of a body. It also felt teasing- brushing against his cock, but more forcefully against his stomach, leaving wet trails.

Julian slid a hand down between their bodies, wrapping his hand around both of them.

Garak shuddered above him, halting for a moment before fucking into Julian’s hand, against his cock, with renewed vigor.

---

Garak would die before saying so, but having had his cycle hit its peak after the removal of the wire violently confronted him with the fact that while he certainly felt arousal, orgasm carried shockingly limited pleasure for him now. Perhaps it was temporary.

Pleasure hadn't really been the point, of course. And the rest of it had still been nice enough.

They had had to part to clean up- tired as they both still were, neither had really wanted to go to sleep like that. Julian was in his arms now facing the wall of the bunk in a mirror of before.

Garak had known the vagueries of the human body, but of all the aliens he'd met, he'd never seen one naked before. Some parts were unremarkably similar to other species- the same body hair he could expect from dozens of others, the nipples, the navel indention.

What had stuck him was, though the muscle of Julian's body was lean and hard, his skin was delicate. That the graze of his teeth had caused such a reaction, on unbruised flesh... and of course, the sight of darker bruising on Julian’s face and chest. 

He could see the marks he'd left with his teeth now, a few above the collar of Julian’s sleeping clothes. They were superficial enough to hopefully fade over the next few days. Enough not to come up when Julian would surely be physically examined and debriefed regarding Barkan.

Barkan...

“You were thinking about going back to him. Weren't you.” Julian spoke, evidently not asleep. It was almost like the thought had drawn his attention.

A snarled feeling rose in Garak. “Who?”

“Lokar. He offered you something, didn't he?”

There was that infuriating pity again. “It doesn't matter.”

It was quiet for a moment. "Alright."

If Barkan persisted, Garak would refuse. He couldn't rely on himself to deal with the man- he'd proven that twice now. There were other ways back to Cardassia, and this wasn't the first time an opportunity was simply untenable.

He just had to be clever in the future.

#cipher talk #Fic: bite the hand that starves you #ds9 #garashir

[gentlebeardsbarngrill]

01/30/2024 OFMD Crew Recap

TLDR; RenewAsACrew Farewell; Notes on the Farewell; Cast & Crew Sightings; Rhys Darby; Kristian Nairn; Lindsay Cantrell BTS; Samba BTS; Upcoming Events; Watch Parties: #OurFlagMeansDeadloch; LubeAsACrew; StewAsACrew; #WhatWeDoInTheShadows; RelaxImFromTheFuture; Cast Appreciation Events: Damien Gerard; Samba Schutte; Articles; Videos; TV/Radio Times; Love Notes; Daily Darby/Tonight's Taika

==RenewAsACrew Farewell==

Tumblr / Twitter / IG

Alright lovelies, we're gonna have a little chat for a moment here. Please take a moment to read this part. I know a lot of you are feeling ansy and uncomfortable right now. It feels like something that we were hanging on to for a long time for support has suddenly fallen out from under us. That's a valid feeling. Feel it. It's good to feel it. We got this far with #RenewAsACrew, and it's scary to think that support isn't there anymore. I want to point out though, the most important part of that sentence, and that is "WE". #RenewAsACrew was a leadership team that steered us in a direction so that WE could hone our creativity, tenacity, love, support, and unhinged-ness towards our common goal, and you know what? We FUCKING DID IT. WE DID. ALL OF US. This campaign is not just #RenewAsACrew it really is ALL OF YOU. Every single one of you has stepped up and done something to support this campaign, stepped out of your comfort zones, supported each other, and you have accomplished SO MUCH in so little time. We can appreciate #RenewAsACrew, and all they did to help steer us, but we can and we WILL keep going. I know a lot of you have already heard and have even joined the #SaveOFMDCrew that is now stepping up as our navigator. I joined their discord last night, and I have to say, their organisation, passion, communication, problem-solving, is all top notch. They listen to us, the crew, they help provide support, and I have every confidence that they're going to keep us headed in the right direction. So please remember, this is not an end. Take some time tonight, vent your frustrations and fears, and feel them, and then come back tomorrow knowing we're all still here. I'll say it again-- we are not losing ground, we are not losing speed, or momentum, we are pivoting. We are changing course so that we can keep doing what we do best, and that is kicking ass, supporting one another, and fighting for our show and for queer and diverse representation in media. We will get our joy back in some form or another, even if that form is just this amazing found family we've all stumbled into. We got this. Now. Onto the fun stuff.

==Cast & Crew Sightings==

So I just have to say.. it could be the whole end of the social media strike thing, or just new week new stuff, but the cast and crew SURE does seem to be a lot more active today. Take that as you will, but I'm using it to fuel the "good stuffs happening" vibe many of us have been feeling. They really are watching what we're doing if Lindsey's comments are any indication

=Rhys Darby with Another Picture Trying to Murder The Internet=

Rhys decided to grace us with a lovely story on his Tiktok with a quote from Dazed & Confused, "You just gotta keep livin man, L I V I N"

=Kristian Nairn updating us on Wee John Wednesdays=

Couple pieces of news, looks like Wee John Wednesdays will now be Mondays! Still staying tuned for more information. You can follow him on his Twitter if you have that platform to keep up to date.

He also has a podcast and new track out on IG, here's a link to his podcast on mixcloud per @yronnia's request as well as Apple Podcasts

=Lindsey Cantrell with more BTS on Instagram!=

This woman is amazing. She SEES us trying and decided to give us a little treat, check out these IG Stories she posted.

= Samba Schutte also graced us with BTS! =

There were lots of videos too so please visit Samba's IG to see more

== Upcoming Events! ==

==Twitter Watch Parties!==

Holy hell there are a lot of watch parties going on. First day of #OurFlagMeansDeadloch went well! Please tune in tomorrow for Episodes 3 and 4!

Watch Party Hashtags:

#OurFlagMeansDeadloch

#SaveOFMD

#AdoptOurCrew

= Reminder! LubeAsACrew =

#LubeAsACrew is back on 1/31/24 at 4PM PT, 1PM ET. Next up are S1 Episodes 5, 6, 7.

== Stew As A Crew! / Rewatch Party==

February 4th is National Soup Day! Share soup pics, jokes, recipes, etc while rewatching Season 1 of OFMD!

Watch Party Hashtags:

#StewAsACrew

#AdoptOurCrew

#SaveOFMD

== What We Do In The Shadows Watch Party! ==

Tuesday February 6th, 9PM GMT, 1 PM PST, 4PM EST

Watch Party Hashtags:

#VamPirates

#SaveOFMD

#AdoptOurCrew

== Relax I'm From the Future Watch Party! ==

Sunday February 11th, 1 PM PT. 4 PM ET, 9PM GMT

Watch Party Hashtags:

#PiratesFromTheFuture

#SaveOFMD

#AdoptOurCrew

== Appreciation Events ==

Day of Damien! A day to shower Damien Gerard (Father Teach) with support and kindness for all he's done for our fandom! He has been hitting #SaveOFMD events pretty hard trying to support us! When to start: Saturday February 3rd, 6 AM CST, 7 AM ET, 4 AM PT, 12 PM GMT Hashtags: #DayOfDamien

== Smiles for Samba ==

Samba's birthday is February 1! Thank you to @shaney4prez for the info!

There's a thank you scrapbook they're putting together along with a gofundme for Los Angelos LGBT Center.

== Status Updates! ==

Petition got over 83K!

=Our Flag Makes A Difference=

The new fundraiser is almost at 20% in less than 24 hrs!

==Articles==

7 TV Shows Are Canceled in 2024 (So Far), Including 4 From HBO!

Not specifically about the show but PR wise interesting and something we can quote: Apple TV+ Is the New HBO

Wells Fargo Downgrades Warner Bros. Discovery Stock on Lower Earnings Outlook, ‘Less Favorable’ M&A

== Radio Times / TV Times! ==

Uk Folks, OFMD is showing up in Radio Times and TV Times!

Thanks @lamentus1 for the deets!: "While the Radio Times might seem negative it’s been pointed out a few times that just having a write up is a big deal. It’s been picked as the one new thing on that day that should have a bit more written about it. Which is a big deal. He’d have been very limited by word count to, so we should cut him some slack for consolidating what he had to say. "

==Videos==

Thank you to @fruityedge05 for their post on this video by MsMojo! "MsMojo posted a video about OFMD, and started the video by saying "Today we're looking at the most chuckle-worthy scenes in this outlandish pirate comedy that was cruelly canceled before it's time." Please check out their post and the video below!

== Side Notes ==

I'm in the process of compiling as many resources as possible into a documentation repository I use. It'll take a couple days to catch up with them so I'll be a bit scarce while that's happening because it's a lot of information! Also, FYI: I am taking Saturday the 4th off -- it'll be my first day off in 5 years and I'm going to the hotsprings nearby with some friends, and that night we're going to drink and watch OFMD and GO! So there won't be a recap for Saturday from me at least (pending if I get sick again), you're all welcome obviously to put one up if you'd like!

== Love Notes ==

It's been a very long day lovelies. You did an amazing job. Just know whatever you did today, we are proud of you, and you could never disappoint us here on the crew. You're exceptional, and we see the ever wonderful you! Bonus: A little love note I found on IG I thought you might like:

== Daily Darby / Tonight's Taika ==

This video edit courtesy of @vigschainsaw on @Tiktok

#ofmd daily recap #ofmd daily recaps #saveourflag #ofmd #our flag means death #gentlebeard #stede bonnet #renew as a crew #edward teach #save ofmd #rhys darby #blackbonnet #save our flag means death #our flag makes a difference #Youtube

[aita-blorbos]

AITA for knocking out a dozen waiters?

So, I (20sM) am a gangster from Las Vegas. Recently, our boss ordered my team to get one-up on a rival group in the same crime syndicate as us. And in their basement, we ended up discovering a magic drug that gives you superpowers.

Y'see, here's the problem. The syndicate's higher-ups found out about the theft, and now they're sending superpowered assassins after us to try and get back the briefcase full of drugs. It's not ideal.

Our plan is to deliver the briefcase to their planned buyer, and then we'll have enough money to keep them off our backs for good. But if we don't deliver it in 72 hours, I'm gonna die because of magic contract bullshit. (How that happened's not really relevant to this story, just know we're on a time limit).

Our last fight went...not so great. I almost got turned into a fridge, one of my friends almost got buried alive, and another got exploded. We're stranded out in the middle of nowhere near Albuquerque, trying to walk to civilization (or at least to where we can find a new car).

Enter a new problem: a mother fucking roadrunner.

Now, I knew this was gonna be some magic horseshit. We all suddenly started craving chicken just before it appeared, so clearly it was using its own psychic powers to bait us into some kind of cartoon hijinks that would end in our hilarious demise. I even saw some cartoon subtitles come out of the thing.

So instead of going to capture and eat the awful bird like all of my friends — I'm not used to being the voice of reason — I went back to this ominous hotel that we passed on the way. Unfortunately, it was incredibly dusty, and full of skeletons. But one thing I did find: an anvil, a pulley, and some rope.

What I did is have one of my friends use them to catapult me off into the middle distance towards Albequerque so I could go get us a car. I thought that if the road runner has cartoon powers, then maybe it'd rub off on us and prevent my horrible demise, right?

Using my power (a magic pinball I can chuck really hard and ricochet off of things), I managed to kill my momentum and land in someone's pool. So all I had to do then was procure a car for the others. Easy, right?

Not easy. The first twelve dozen times I tried to steal a car were a total bust. I went door to-door trying to stick people up for their car keys, but most of them just screamed and slammed the door on me.

So, realizing I needed a change of plan, I headed over to a fancy restaurant with valet parking, and I made a ton of noise in the parking lot. When a waiter headed out and asked me what I was doing, I beaned him in the head with my pinball to steal his keys.

This caused another waiter to hear the noise and come out looking for answers, and I ended up panicking and also knocking them out. Then another came out. A dozen restaurant staff later, I managed to get a new car and drive back to where my friends were with a now-dead bird.

...It's not exactly new for our fights to have collateral damage, but even I can recognize that it got a bit out of hand. AITA?

#aita #am i the asshole #unreality

[annamcdonalds67]

𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐈 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫- 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐛𝐲 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐤

"What's up guys, it's Colby Brock here and I'm here today with my girlfriend, Alyssa who you all love and adore." Colby said, starting the video as you sat beside him.

"And today we are going to do... What are we doing today Lyss?" Colby asked as you furrowed your brows before answering, "I don't know, you didn't tell me." You said before Colby spoke up.

"Yes I didn't, so today we are going to b eplaying, Never Have I Ever." He said, as you widened your eyes in shock.

"Oh lord, the last time I played Never Have I Ever things did not turn out good." You said, reminiscing over some bad memories before Colby spoke up.

"Oh well, get ready because I'm pretty sure the questions in here are mostly going to be sexual and spicy." He said as you let out a nervous laugh.

Colby grinned mischievously, sensing your nervousness. "Don't worry, Lyss, we're in for a wild ride today. Let's kick things off with a classic one. Never have I ever... stolen something!" Colby exclaimed, looking at you with a playful glint in his eyes.

You chuckled nervously, raising your hand while Colby did the same. "Alright, starting off easy, I see," you teased. "Okay, Never have I ever... lied to get out of trouble," you said, smirking as you both exchanged guilty glances and raised your hands.

Colby laughed, "Guilty as charged! Now, let's turn up the heat a bit. Never have I ever... kissed someone in public." He smirked, raising his hand confidently. You followed suit, both sharing some amusing anecdotes about spontaneous public displays of affection.

As the game continued, the questions got progressively more daring. Colby's sly smile remained, and you found yourself both blushing and laughing at the revelations. "Alright, let's dive into the spicy territory," Colby declared. "Never have I ever... used a cheesy pickup line to hit on someone."

You burst into laughter, raising your hand with a guilty grin. "Okay, guilty as charged, but it worked!" you defended yourself, earning a playful eyeroll from Colby. The questions continued, ranging from embarrassing moments to more intimate experiences.

Colby leaned in, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "Alright, here's a good one. Never have I ever... had a crush on a YouTuber." He shot you a sly glance, fully aware of the potential implications.

You hesitated for a moment, trying to gauge his reaction before slowly raising your hand, causing Colby to burst into laughter. "Oh, spill the tea, Lyss! Who's the secret crush?" he teased, nudging you playfully.

As the game progressed, the atmosphere between you two became more relaxed and fun. The questions got wilder, and the laughter echoed through the room.

Colby grinned, thoroughly enjoying the game's playful vibe. "Alright, Lyss, let's keep the momentum going. Never have I ever... sent a text to the wrong person, revealing something I shouldn't have." Colby raised his hand, looking at you with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

You chuckled, shaking your head. "Oh, that's a classic move. Guilty," you admitted, causing Colby to burst into laughter. "Alright, let's step it up. Never have I ever... gone skinny dipping," you challenged, raising an eyebrow.

Colby smirked, raising his hand confidently. "Well, that's a story for another time," he teased. You both exchanged stories and shared a few laughs, making the game even more entertaining.

The questions became increasingly daring, touching on topics that had you both blushing and laughing at the same time. Colby decided to take it up a notch. "Never have I ever... had a crush on someone in this room," he declared with a sly grin.

Your eyes widened in surprise, and you couldn't help but blush. Colby raised an eyebrow, waiting for your response. After a brief moment of hesitation, you sheepishly raised your hand. Colby chuckled, "Well, well, well, looks like we've got some interesting dynamics here."

The game continued, with the questions becoming more personal and revealing. Colby, sensing the audience's anticipation, decided to drop a bombshell. "Never have I ever... thought about taking our relationship to the next level," he said, looking at you with a playful yet sincere expression.

The room fell silent for a moment before you both burst into laughter, breaking the tension. "Well, that escalated quickly," you quipped, trying to regain composure. Colby winked at the camera, "Looks like we've got some things to discuss after this game."

As the questions continued, the game evolved into a mix of lighthearted banter and deeper conversations. The chemistry between you and Colby shone through, making the video a captivating blend of humor and genuine connection. The audience couldn't help but be drawn into the unfolding dynamics, eagerly awaiting each revelation and enjoying the genuine camaraderie between you two.

Colby chuckled, appreciating the unpredictable turn the game had taken. "Alright, let's not shy away from the real talk. Never have I ever... imagined our future together," he declared, a playful yet genuine glint in his eyes.

The room fell silent for a moment as you exchanged surprised looks. Slowly, Colby raised his hand, locking eyes with you. After a beat, you followed suit, a bashful smile playing on your lips. The unexpected turn of events brought a mix of laughter and heartfelt moments, creating a unique and memorable atmosphere.

Colby leaned in, his tone softening. "Well, looks like we're on the same page there," he said, eliciting a warm smile from you. The game had turned into a delightful journey, revealing not just funny anecdotes but also deeper layers of your connection.

Deciding to lighten the mood, Colby switched gears. "Never have I ever... regretted a haircut," he teased, running a hand through his hair for emphasis. You both burst into laughter, sharing stories of questionable hair choices and fashion mishaps.

As the questions continued, the atmosphere remained light and playful, with occasional moments of sincerity and vulnerability. The game had become a rollercoaster of emotions, keeping the audience engaged and eager for the next revelation.

Colby glanced at the camera, addressing the audience with a grin. "Well, folks, we've laughed, blushed, and maybe even shed a tear or two. If you enjoyed this wild ride, don't forget to hit that like button and subscribe for more candid moments with us."

The video wrapped up with both of you expressing gratitude for the viewers and teasing about future adventures. The comment section filled with a mix of excitement, ship names, and requests for more candid games. The playful dynamic between you and Colby had turned a simple game into an unexpected journey that resonated with your audience, leaving them eagerly anticipating the next chapter of your online escapades.

After the cameras turned off, the room remained filled with a comfortable energy, a mix of laughter and the lingering warmth from the revelations shared during the game. Colby grinned, glancing at you with a twinkle in his eyes. "Well, that was quite the adventure, wasn't it?"

You chuckled, nodding in agreement. "Definitely unexpected, but I guess that's what makes our content interesting, right?" The atmosphere between you two was relaxed, and the genuine connection that had come through during the game lingered.

Colby leaned back, his playful demeanor transitioning into a more contemplative one. "You know, it's funny how these games bring out things we might not have said otherwise. But hey, it's all part of the journey, right?" he mused, his gaze softening as he looked at you.

"Yeah," you replied, smiling. "It's like peeling back the layers and discovering new things about each other, even after all this time."

The conversation between you two flowed effortlessly, moving from the game's revelations to more personal topics. It wasn't just about the entertaining moments for the camera; it was about understanding each other on a deeper level. Colby opened up about his aspirations and fears, and you shared your dreams and challenges.

As the night wore on, you found yourselves wrapped in genuine conversation, forgetting the presence of the cameras that had captured the earlier banter. The laughter continued, interspersed with moments of vulnerability that strengthened the bond between you.

Colby grinned, breaking a moment of silence. "You know, we should do more of these spontaneous games. It's a fun way to keep things real."

You nodded in agreement. "Absolutely. It's like a snapshot of who we are in the moment, unscripted and unfiltered."

The night continued with shared stories, laughter, and the comfort of knowing that the genuine connection between you two extended beyond the confines of the camera lens. The unplanned game had become a catalyst for deeper conversations, creating memories that would resonate with both of you and your audience.

As the clock ticked away, the camaraderie between you and Colby remained, turning an ordinary night of filming into an extraordinary journey of self-discovery and connection.

As the night deepened, you both decided to take a break from the intense conversations and opted for a change of scenery. Colby suggested grabbing some late-night snacks, and you found yourselves at a nearby diner, continuing your banter and laughter over milkshakes and fries.

The dim glow of the diner's neon lights reflected in Colby's eyes as he leaned in, a mischievous grin on his face. "You know, we should do a Q&A session next time. Let the fans really get to know us."

You raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that? I mean, after the revelations today, who knows what they'll ask?"

Colby laughed, taking a sip of his milkshake. "Exactly! It's all part of the fun. Besides, our audience loves the real, unfiltered us."

The conversation flowed effortlessly, seamlessly transitioning from lighthearted banter to more profound topics. Colby opened up about the challenges he faced in the online world, the pressure to constantly create content, and the impact on his personal life. In turn, you shared your own experiences, the highs and lows of being in the public eye.

As the night turned into early morning, you found yourselves strolling back to Colby's place, the city's lights still twinkling in the distance. The bond between you two had deepened, and the spontaneous game had left a lasting impact on your connection.

Back at the apartment, you both settled on the couch, surrounded by the remnants of snacks and a comfortable silence. Colby turned to you with a genuine smile. "You know, Alyssa, I appreciate these moments. The unscripted ones, where we can just be ourselves."

You returned the smile, feeling a sense of gratitude for the authenticity that defined your relationship. "Me too, Colby. It's moments like these that make everything worthwhile."

The night concluded with plans for more spontaneous content, deeper conversations, and shared laughter. As you bid each other goodnight, the genuine connection forged during the game lingered, promising more adventures and memories in the days to come. The cameras might capture the highlights, but it was the unscripted, off-camera moments that truly defined the unique bond between you and Colby.

In the days that followed, the spontaneous and unfiltered content continued to resonate with your audience. The Q&A session you and Colby had teased became a reality, bringing forth an avalanche of questions from your dedicated fans. The topics ranged from the amusing to the profound, allowing the viewers to glimpse even further into your lives.

As you and Colby sat down to tackle the questions, the genuine camaraderie that had developed during the Never Have I Ever game carried over. You navigated through the inquiries with a mix of laughter, thoughtful responses, and occasional teasing. The comments section exploded with emojis, ship names, and expressions of affection from fans who appreciated the unscripted connection they witnessed.

In between filming sessions, you and Colby found time for more candid moments. Whether it was exploring a new place, trying out a quirky food joint, or simply relaxing at home, the spontaneity became a trademark of your content. The unfiltered approach resonated not only with your audience but also with both of you, creating a sense of authenticity that permeated your online presence.

Colby continued to surprise you with impromptu ideas for videos, each one revealing a different facet of your relationship. From goofy challenges to heartfelt discussions, the content became a dynamic tapestry of your journey together.

One day, as you sat in the editing room, reviewing footage for an upcoming video, Colby walked in with a mischievous smile. "What if we did a 'Reacting to Old Photos' video? Think about the nostalgia and the embarrassing fashion choices we can laugh about."

You chuckled, appreciating the spontaneity of the idea. "Alright, but only if we promise not to hold back. Old photos can be ruthless."

The resulting video became a hit, filled with laughter, cringe-worthy moments, and shared memories that spanned the timeline of your relationship. The comments poured in, expressing how much the audience enjoyed the genuine and unfiltered nature of your content.

As the months went by, your channel grew, and so did the bond between you and Colby. The off-camera moments continued to be as important as the on-camera ones, creating a foundation of trust, understanding, and shared experiences. The spontaneity that began with a simple game evolved into a signature style, making your content not just entertaining but also relatable for the audience that had become a part of your journey.

The success of your content brought new opportunities, collaborations, and adventures. Fans eagerly awaited each upload, knowing they were in for a mix of laughter, heartwarming moments, and unfiltered authenticity. You and Colby embraced the evolution of your channel, finding joy in creating content that not only entertained but also connected with your audience on a deeper level.

One day, as you scrolled through comments and messages from your viewers, you stumbled upon a recurring theme – the desire for a behind-the-scenes look at your daily lives. Colby, always up for a new challenge, suggested the idea of a vlog series.

"We can take them through a typical day in our lives, show them what happens off-camera, and share the real stuff," Colby proposed, excitement evident in his voice.

The vlog series quickly became a hit, offering glimpses into your routines, shared hobbies, and the everyday moments that defined your relationship. From lazy Sunday mornings to impromptu road trips, your audience appreciated the authenticity and relatability of your day-to-day experiences.

As the channel continued to grow, you and Colby found yourselves attending events, meeting other creators, and collaborating with influencers from various corners of the internet. The spontaneity that initially defined your dynamic became a bridge to new friendships and partnerships.

One particularly memorable collaboration was with a fellow YouTuber known for their comedy sketches. The video showcased the comedic chemistry between you and Colby, merging your signature spontaneity with their scripted hilarity. It became a fan favorite, demonstrating your versatility as creators while maintaining the genuine connection that had become your trademark.

Beyond the online world, the bond between you two deepened. Shared dreams and aspirations turned into collaborative projects, and the support you provided each other during challenges strengthened your partnership. Your relationship had grown from a series of spontaneous moments to a foundation of trust, understanding, and shared ambitions.

One evening, as you and Colby sat down to reflect on the journey so far, he looked at you with a genuine smile. "Who would've thought that a simple game of Never Have I Ever would lead us to all of this?"

You smiled back, appreciating the journey that unfolded from that one spontaneous idea. "It's been an incredible ride, Colby. And the best part is that we've stayed true to ourselves and our audience."

As the sun set outside, casting a warm glow across the room, you raised a toast to the spontaneity that brought you together, the unfiltered moments that defined your content, and the genuine connection that made it all possible. The journey continued, promising even more adventures, laughter, and shared experiences that would become cherished memories for both you and your dedicated audience.

A/N

I'm so sorry for the long wait but I really hope you like this chapter just as much as I do also requests are open so if you want to request anything feel free and please vote and comment they truly make my day

Bye-Bye

But before I go gimme a little kiss

#colby brock #trap house #never have i ever

[rocketturtle4]

The Eclipse Episode 11

I'm just straight out reacting to this one folks (it ended up super long like this whoops)

@grapejuicegay @wen-kexing-apologist @plantsarepeopletoo @thegalwhorants

oh god is this the cliff?

TEACHER CHADOK WHY IS HE HERE, were they actually together??

Wait did HE WITNESS IT?

Ayan is unpacking the brainwashing

"If I just disappear from this world..." DOESN'T AYAN HAVE ENOUGH TRAUMA

and CRYING

I gotta be honest Ayans silent tears get me even more than Akks vocal quivers

Oh if only it were that easy

Oh they in bed again: Cuteness ensues

I love it when characters have nicknames for each other, shortstop and Big foot are my beloveds

Oh if only

He's going in wearing Ayan's blazer this feels important.

So he's definitely getting the award? oof it feels worthless, boy's faith has been shattered

call back to the pin "It's my school pin that I pinned for you" GOD HES GOING IN WEARING AYAN AS ARMOUR

Maybe Thua wanted the award??? (I'm still trying to figure him out sorry Thua you don't make sense)

And we see the person the principal is answering too

Is no-one going to speak???

Oh Thua saw that

They're speaking, oh he got the award

SO CLOSE TO GETTING OUT OF THERE WIthOUT THE PROteStORS

AH NO THEY DON'T, HAVE YOU NOT BEEN PAYING ATTENTION?

oh no Ayan looks riled

FUCK

oh and Thua TOO

NO!! CHAOS

IT SHOULDN'T BE AKKS PROBLEM KHAN

Okay that teacher seems legit scared

OH GOD THUA

OKAY I DIDN"T SAY THIS AT THE TIME BUT I LITERALLY THOUGHT: THAT POOL IS CLEAR BOYS

Fuck he outed them

oh Thua is just laying it ALL OUT

AKK ADMITED IT, BOY IS BREAKING (Thua you got a point but I'm on Ayan's side here soz)

Wat is trying to HELP, Khan is helping too

and the situation is diffused

Oh Wat seems hurt

CRYYYYYYYING

Oh he finally said he's not okay (non-verbally but I'll take it)

(is he though? Who is he then?)

OH KHAN IS PISSED ABOUT THE LYING (Fair he totally believed in the curse)

"You guys must be dissapointed in me right" MY FEEEELINGS

Yeah Wat is pissed about the lying too

I'm still SCARED OF THUA

The last boss LMFAO

OH WOW AKK is letting it out!!

OH THEY WERE TOGETHER I KNEEEEEWWWW ITTTTTT

And now feckin Chadok is crying

But THEN WHY THE LYING????

Fricken pride flag phone case

THey were getting MARRIED???

Feckin Principal is a homophobe

So he WAS TRANSFERRED??

CHAIN OF YELLING FOR THE GODDAMN

OH MY GOD IT'S HAPPENING

I WAS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING

HOLY CRAP

HE WANTED TO KEEP THE MOMENTUM

Dudes got a point but also Akk was breaking so that was the priority here

Oh poor Khan is so confused right now

Thua just wanted all the truth out oh boy this was not the way

Oh he went in prepared for the quencies

and doesn't want Kan to protect him because then he'd be a hypocrite (also more silent crying ouch)

He had genuinely thought it all through and decided it was worth it Oh Thua.

We're back at the pool I'm going to get emotional whiplash

is Namo just chill now? OH LOL KHAN THOUGHT THE SAME boy is pure worship I'm sorry Namo

ARE THEY ACTUALLY GOING TO DO THE FILM (YO I didn't expect to predict this much stuff am I dreaming now)

Oh we're being referential now (thailands soft power)

Back to the pool and now our other boys

GO KHAN GO (but maybe check with Thua first) oH Thua's on board

Dudes they're filming LMFAO

Of course Akk said it for the first time like that lol

OKAY gotta be honest everything came out in a neat little bow almost exactly the way I thought it would. And that was amazing but also less terrifying than I thought it would be. THe show didn't lie and it was well foreshadowed, I thought something would twist on me but it didn't (Except that Chadok was in deeper than I thought with the uncle) and I love that because the answers all made sense. I don't think we're done though, quencies gotta happen right?

Episode 12 come to me

#The Eclipse #the eclipse the series #rturts is wondering #roc reacts to the eclipse

[mrshamada-dorian]

self-righteous; tadashi hamada // gn! fuckboy! reader pt.1

the title and story is based off the song self-righteous by bryson tiller. well the story is loosely based on it but it's not a songfic. ngl im kinda proud of this one. i like writing shitty people sometimes because you don't really see it too often in the fanfiction space.

part 2

cw; alcohol, drunk driving, mentions of sex but nothing explicit, toxic behavior, fuckboy is used but its used as a gender neutral term

oh, i got something to say, yeah…

you made a mistake.

it's not often that you'd admit something like that. as if anyone would want to do something like that willingly. but this time, you'll recognize… you made a mistake.

you're not someone easy to tie down. when this all first started, you would try. you would try to be the perfect partner anyone would ask for. yet it never seemed to keep them loyal to you. and eventually, you'd be the one with the broken heart while they'd move on as if nothing happened.

you grew tired and wondered what the point was. what's the point of keeping up a relationship when no one wants to do the work? why should you care? the questions grew and grew until you concluded that you shouldn't. you shouldn't be the one who cares. you should be the one that hurts others before they can hurt you.

at least you'll be protected.

it wasn't easy at first. you'd feel bad about hurting anyone, especially since they didn't deserve it. but you didn't know that. you didn't know that all your past lovers would leave you for someone else. but they did. so you did.

it grew easier the more you did it, and by surrounding yourself with yesmen, you soon earned your title of "fuckboy".

you were kinda proud of the title you held. it lets anyone know that you're not the one to be serious with. you're here to have your fun and leave. and anyone who had the unfortunate problem of not knowing who you were would have to find out themselves.

you were no longer the innocent, naive angel you once were. you were going down a dark path with no plans of stopping any time soon.

well, until you met him.

tadashi hamada had, unfortunately, become your next target when he made the unfortunate decision to walk by your group one day. your yesmen we're the ones that challenged you. saying there was no way you could bag him. he's too nice and too sweet. he'd never go for something like that. oh, how wrong you were ready to prove them.

before that incident, you had maybe shared one or two words with the guy. a quick little apology after being in each other's way, and that's it. nothing more. yet, your "friends" knew all about him. one friend, in particular, is the closest you'll get to your own little informant. they dug up all of the dirt on tadashi they could. which isn't much because he was squeaky clean. all he really did was stay in his lab and hang out with his friends.

otherwise a good boy.

so begins the most demanding challenge, getting to know him. it's the part you could do without, but it's necessary to win this challenge. your friends did help you a bit by introducing tadashi to you under the guise that you'd be great friends. it was a lie, of course, but anything to get in his pants, right?

you started with the general nice and friendly act the first few times you met up. it was enough to get him comfortable with you to the point that he'd say hi to you in the halls and introduce you to his friends. they seemed cool, but they were definitely not the crowd you would hang out with. too caring for your taste.

besides that, you tried your best to be around him as much as possible. doing things like meeting him in his lab and going out with him to lunch. going the extra mile while keeping up your persona while adding a touch of flirtiness when you felt that he would reciprocate. and luckily for you (and unluckily for him), he did.

although the momentum was good, it wasn't good enough. at this rate, you'll be getting nowhere fast. so what's the quickest way to get to know someone? force them into a room with extra loud music and even sweatier people.

convincing your friends to throw a party was probably the easiest thing you had to do in a while. they were the definition of party monsters if you ever had to describe them. you were okay with a party every once in a while, but never to the extent they were.

you don't know how but somehow, one of your friends managed to convince tadashi to come to the party. you could've sworn that he was not the type. but seeing him walk through the doors of the cramped house you were about to spend your night in begged to differ.

the first hour or two, all you did was watch him from afar, sipping on your shot of casamigos as your entourage coaxed him into drinking something himself. that's when you found out he was a lightweight. not a problem; everyone was there before. but it was probably not suitable for a party where you barely knew anyone.

it's your time to shine.

you walked up to him, interrupting whatever unimportant conversation he was having. his smile grew so big the moment his eyes met yours. almost like a puppy whose owner just came home. it was cute.

you were getting a bit tired from the party, so you dragged tadashi outside with you for some fresh air and a walk. the night streets were empty save for the ugly yellow lights causing light pollution. it's not like you could do anything about it though.

maybe it was the liquid courage, but the conversion flowed between you. you talked about any and everything under the night sky. he had such an animated way of talking when intoxicated that made you swoon a little. he was such a cutie.

too bad you choose to break him.

soon the conversion turned a bit sensual thanks to your flirty words and fleeting touches. and thanks to the alcohol, tadashi was much more reciprocal than usual. one thing soon led to another, and suddenly you were in the back seat of your car, messing around. he had the prettiest pink blush on his face. whether it was from the alcohol or from your kisses, you didn't know. but you also didn't care.

you could've taken him in your car right then in there. you wanted to. but you've always been someone who had standards regardless of what you choose to do with your extracurricular activities. so you agreed to go back to your place since your place was closer, and technically, you were not in the condition to be driving far.

next thing you knew, you were waking up in your bed.

you looked around in confusion as you saw clothes skewed all over the floor that definitely wasn't there before. there was also an unmistakable smell that someone like you knew all too well. the answers to your question were soon revealed as you felt a warm body shift behind you.

looking back, you saw none other than tadashi hamada, and everything that happened reappeared in your memory. it took everything in you to not slap your forehead in frustration. you were particularly wishing that you had a little more self-control when you were tipsy. because this didn’t count toward your bet. especially when both parties aren’t fully conscious to make the decision together. plus he might not even remember what happened.

that was something you’d have to worry about later as you really needed a shower.

once you were done, you come out of your bathroom to be hit with a wonderful smell that made your stomach growl as you hadn’t eaten since last night. you walked out of your bathroom to be greeted with the sight of the man that was once in your bed, cooking in your kitchen.

he looked up at you, looking bashful the moment your eyes met. “i wasn’t sure if you wanted anything to eat so i made breakfast. i hope you don’t mind.”

you didn’t mind in fact. but you couldn’t say you weren’t a bit confused.

you were used to having an empty house after you had your fun. and even if someone decided to stay, they didn't stay for too long as you either kicked them out or they just left early on their own accord. no one has ever stayed and made you breakfast.

it was nice. too nice.

eating breakfast with him was… awkward at best. neither of you talked to each other. part of you wanted to talk about last night to see if he truly remembered everything that happened. but he beat you to it.

tadashi seemed kinda shy asking about last night. he asked the normal questions like did you remember and how was it… or he to be more precise. you could answer those easily which no hesitation.

but then he asked you what this made you.

you had half the mind to tell him how it was. that you didn't really care for him. that this was just a funny dare between friends and he, unfortunately, got caught in the middle of it. yet, something told you not to. told you to string him along a bit farther to see what would happen. so you went along with it. you made up a little lie and told him that you just wanted to see where this goes. he didn't seem excited about that answer, but he accepted it.

#repost because it didn't show up in the tags #tadashi hamada #tadashi #bh6 #big hero 6 #tadashi hamada x reader #tadashi x reader #bh6 tadashi x reader #writings