#(also if none of them are allowed to drink we can also guess that the trc has maintained japan's drinking age of 20 🙂‍↕️)

[idiotsonlyevent]

trying to determine everyone's ages has me feeling like i'm on an archeological digsite

[sushirrrry]

a harry styles x reader love island series preview.

READ PART ONE: CASA AMOR READ PART TWO: CRASH OUT READ PART THREE: TRUTH OR DARE

THIS SATURDAY NIGHT...

{IN A CONFESSIONAL – Y/N}

The camera cuts to you later that day, sitting in the confessional hut, wind-tangled hair and pink cheeks from too much sun and smiling. You knew that your cheeks were burning from the bit of a burn, but also from smiling a bit too much.

“William is honestly… such a breath of fresh air. He’s easy to talk to, so funny, and just gets it. Like, we’re on the same page—he’s open, but not pushy, and I feel like I can actually relax around him. It’s weird—like the whole villa faded for a second, and it was just us. It was really nice.”

You pause, cheeks warming again as you remembered it so fondly.

"Can I—can I pull you for a chat?”

His curls are messier than usual, like he’s been running his hands through them all day. He’s not smirking, there’s no teasing. Just him standing there with a hopefulness that starts to ooze from him, an itching like he can’t stand not being around. Like he can’t stand that he doesn’t know what happened on the date.

“How was your date?” He asks after a moment, walking next to you. You don’t want to give any details that would feel disrespectful to William so you shrug and clear your throat.

“I—I mean, it was good. We went to the beach, had a little picnic,” You raise your brows at him, noticing that he’s staring at you with a fixation that makes you squirm under his gaze, “A Manchester boy, you know. Cheeky, a bit of a laugh.”

Harry’s lips quiver into a small smile, “You like ‘em like that, huh?”

You push your sunglasses up your nose with a small smirk, “Guess that’s what the universe is trying to tell me.” You nod, unsure why your heart’s already sprinting at the way that he’s not saying everything he wants to.

He leads you around the corner of the garden to the small bench by the lemon trees—away from everyone, but not hidden, especially from the kitchen where many people are gathered. He doesn’t sit right away. You can see that he lets you pick where you want to sit before he just stands there, shifting on his feet.

He finally looks at you. Really looks at you.

You sat on the daybeds with Ella and Tiana, dressed in one of your favorite evening fits—butter yellow satin tied at the shoulders, heels already kicked off. Candles glowed in low glass holders across the garden, and soft music played from the outdoor speaker, but none of it matched the storm sitting in your chest.

You curled your legs beneath you, fingers absently picking at the hem of your skirt that laid against your thighs.

“I meant to tell him I was done…” your voice was quiet, slightly frayed. “I really did.”

Ella nudged your knee with hers. “But he got to you. That’s allowed.”

Tiana, perched beside her with a glass of Prosecco, added without missing a beat, “Doesn’t mean he gets you. Not unless he proves he’s worth it.”

“Oi,” Harry called out casually, smirking at her as she was looking as if she was going to pass him by, “Company?”

Tash glanced back, raising an eyebrow, then smiled. She knew what she was doing, and getting his attention was what she had wanted. “Always.”

His eyes followed the way that she walked from one of the side sofas and sank beside him, suddenly relaxed—too relaxed. For a moment, they just sat there, both staring out at the firepit as if they weren’t trying to be noticed.

Then Tash broke the silence, lifting her drink. “So, cheers to second chances, huh?”

Harry let out a low chuckle as he turned to look at her—that was his first mistake. The way that her eyes caught him was enough for him to force himself to look away. “Think I’m on my third at this point.”

“Third this week,” she teased him with a bite of her lip. “Maybe with me, maybe with others. You’re so naughty I lose count.”

He laughed again—shoulders actually shaking this time, head falling back with the kind of grin that used to make girls lean in closer. It was all so easy for him—too easy. And the wrong kind of loud.

“William, please stand up.”

There was a pause after you said his name; your eyes glancing over to where he sat next to Luca. Then, William stood.

His movement was measured, shoulders rolled back, jaw tight. There wasn’t an angriness about him—but there was an unreadable reaction in that calm, quietly serious way of his.

“I want to couple up with this girl,” he said finally, his voice low, steady, with something just a little heavy behind it, “because I think she deserves another shot.”

There was a shift then, a subtle one. Even the girls beside you stood straighter.

William didn’t pause for any type of drama. He didn’t look around the villa searching for effect. His words were quiet like he wasn’t trying to sell a love story—just speak something kind into the space between two people.

“She’s been through it in here. And I think sometimes when you get bruised like that, it’s easy to forget who you were before it all started, but she hasn’t. She’s still holding her head up,” He held his hands in front of him, “She’s still cool, still honest. I think we haven’t explored all of our own connection yet, and I’m looking forward to diving a bit deeper.”

[toxicrelief]

Crawling Back to You

Chapter fifteen

Synopsis: Rex doesn’t seem to mind your company much, and you don’t mind giving it, at first.

Pairing: Rex x F!Reader

Word Count: 6.6k

Chapter: 15/?

Masterlist of all Chapters

TW: None

Note: Reader is the festering final boss. I also realized I haven’t really been offering for people to join the taglist, so let me know if you want me to add you!

Rejection was starting to get easier. Maybe it was because you had real-world experience now that you didn’t have before. Or maybe it was because you had more important things to worry about than whether a patient was going to let you heal them or not.

“I did it!” You said, almost ecstatic. You panted out a few breaths, putting your hands on your knees to try to regain your loss of oxygen.

“Did you just run here?” Cecil said dryly, handing some kind of booklet to a worker standing nearby.

“Yes!” You straightened up, still not having caught your breath. “I did it!” You repeated again, giddiness overtaking your composure.

“Don’t waste my time, kid. Did what?”

You open your mouth to answer then realize it might not be the best idea to blurt this out with everyone else around. “Oh… uh… The thing-”

He blinked at you a few times before sighing and rolling his eyes. “Alright, everyone out.” Without missing a beat the different agents and workers around the room hastily made their exit. To hold that much respect, so much immediate power. You were almost jealous; you couldn’t seem to ever get anything done without everyone around you questioning you or being suspicious. “Now, what are you talking about?”

“Viltrumite blood.” Your excitement hadn’t ebbed. “I just tested it out in the room, it’s easy- like ridiculously easy-”

“Christ, have you slept at all?”

“Yes.” You tightened your brow a bit, feeling mildly offended. “Am I allowed to be excited about something we have been working on for months or-?”

He nodded quietly, taking in the information while putting a hand over his mouth in thought. “How do you know?”

“I-” You were starting to feel a little deflated. “Well, I mean I just said, I tested it out in the training room…on the blood bag?” You wrapped your arms around you in a defensive stance. “And I felt it, yesterday I saw Mark- or Invincible or whatever. We shook hands, and I felt it. It was like he was just another person, but still, I don’t know- different.”

“Different?”

You thought carefully for a moment. “I suppose you could think about it like getting water somewhere on a trip, or just in a new place in general. The water at home you are used to, it tastes like home and you’re comfortable drinking it. Then you go somewhere new, and in other places it can taste weird, or bad even, I guess. It tastes like water, you know it’s water. But you’d rather the stuff from home.”

Cecil hummed softly, still thinking. Although you doubted he ever stopped even when he was off duty. If he ever was. “Very good, Killdeer.”

“Yeah?” You felt your excitement return a little from the direct praise.

“Yes, this is good. I want you integrated back in with the Guardians.”

“Wait, what? Already?” Your grip around your arms loosened a little, this was not at all the direction you had expected this to go.

“Yes, already. We are down three Guardians.”

“Won’t there be some resistance?” You responded quietly.

“I have spoken with the Immortal and Robot. I explained that the fainting spells are from overexertion and they took it well enough. It should get them off your back, but honestly, I’m sure it’ll still be tense.” He shifts slightly as if he isn’t sure what to say next. “Donald told me about your discussion.”

You nodded, swallowing roughly at the mention of the topic you had been avoiding thinking about since your conversation with Donald. Maybe you should be angrier with Cecil, furious that he hid it from you. You had been unhappy at the idea of it, but after talking to Donald you had received almost a type of closure. Last night you hadn’t been plagued by your repetitive nightmare. It wasn’t gone, you knew you would be seeing that grotesque imagery for a long while still to come. But now, you knew what it was. Why it happened. A part of you still blamed yourself. You should have swept the perimeter, asked Cecil if there would likely be anyone else on the premises. At the end of the day though, it had happened. You didn’t have control over it, you weren’t even conscious while doing it. But it had still happened.

Cecil had done a lot for you, at least it felt that way. He found you and encouraged your abilities. He trained you, got you a specialized room in the training facility and in the hospital. You had grown fond of him. A small voice chirped in the back of your head, was it possible you were making excuses for him? Not properly holding him accountable for anything he has done?

As if you’re the one to be holding anyone accountable.

“I am glad to see you’re…shit, I don’t know, taking it well?” He was never amazing at being sentimental or comforting. He could do it, but it seemed like he only had it in limited quantities. Saving it for widows and orphans.

You gave him a tight smile. “I manage.” After a moment of loaded silence, you spoke up again. “When should I check in with the Guardians?”

“Soon. Within the next few days is preferred.”

--

“Where did you even find this?”

“Oh, don’t get started with me, I never buy this shit.” You dropped two magazines on his lap, you had seen it for free in a random kiosk while walking outside the hospital. It was about two times smaller than the magazines Eve had brought.

“You paid money for this?” He held them up, his mouth drawn together in an almost too-intentional frown. The way his lips were slightly quivering told you that he was struggling not to laugh.

“You gonna pay me back?” You asked, sitting at the end of his bed like you had the last visit.

He opens his mouth to respond with indignation, but his words are delayed slightly as he watches you. Maybe you should have just sat in the recliner rather than right against his leg. You hadn’t even considered he might not want you to. “Well…fuck, how much were these?”

“Twenty bucks.” You lied, a small smile spreading across your face as you looked down at the booklets you had given him. They were so obviously not worth that much that it tickled you.

“Twenty- what the fuck?” He itched the section of his head that was available to him outside of the helmet contraption. “You got scammed.”

“Not my problem, is it?” You held your hand out, knowing full well he most assuredly did not have his wallet anywhere nearby.

“Just add it to my tab.” He sighs, leaning back again in his bed.

You had seen him when you first arrived this morning. Tension filling your body as you peeked through the curtains. His whole demeanor had changed at the sight of you, that same shit-eating grin that you had seen the night before spreading across his face. If he was going to be nice you were not complaining. You even found him…enjoyable? Now that he wasn’t giving you that telltale look of disgust, and spitting accusations against you, you were actually getting to know him a little. So far the conversation had mostly revolved around furniture and home décor. But this morning he even talked a little about Mark. Which you listened to with bated breath.

“Are you even listening?”

You nodded a little too quickly, with a little too much enthusiasm.

“Aw shit. You’ve got some schoolgirl crush on him, don’t you?”

“Oh, brother.” You rolled your eyes. “Have you never had a favorite hero, Rex?”

“Yes, and you’re looking at him.” He had said, looking a little bitter for the rest of your visit.

Eventually, you left to go run rounds, but now you had come back. The doctor you had been working with had shooed you away after practically tripping over you for the fifth time. Why not see just how new and improved Rex seemed to be?

You pulled your phone out in an exaggerated manner, opening your notes.

Rex’s head snapped up to watch you. “You’re not.” He uttered in disbelief

“I am.” You said, your smile grew more by the second as you typed ‘Rex: $20’ and showed the screen to him.

“Ugh. More stingy than a hooker.”

“With much less of the fun.” You laughed, putting your phone away.

“Those didn’t even cost you twenty bucks, did they?” He gave you a nasty look, but it wasn’t the same as any he had given you before. This one didn’t have the load of intention behind it. He was enjoying your company, even with all your uncertainties you knew this for sure.

You simply shrugged at him, until he let it go scoffing to himself.

“Do you want me to…” You paused, knowing it was best not to get too comfortable. Against the warning buzzers going off in your head, you decided to offer it anyway. “Do you want me to help you at all?” It was vague, you knew it was. But you also knew he would understand what you were implying.

He blinked at you, his residual smile fading slightly. “Well…”

“It’s fine really, don’t feel bad for saying no. If you ever feel bad for anything-” Fuck.

“What?” He brow drew together slightly but he didn’t say anything else, waiting for you to clarify.

“Sorry, that was- really rude, actually, shit.” Yeah, you were not making this any better. “This is just a little jarring for me.” You held your hand out at him.

“Did you just gesture to all of me?”

“Yes?” You winced, a shade of embarrassment dusting your cheeks.

He sighed, but his disposition towards you didn’t close. “I guess that makes sense.”

“You guess?”

“Yeah, I guess.” He almost snapped, a semblance of the Rex you had known poking through. “Sorry.” He said without wasting a single breath, pinching the bridge of his nose.

So, it was a conscious choice. He was choosing to be nicer. The realization of this overtook any hurt your ego might have obtained from his retort. Was this his way of apologizing for being a dirtbag to you for so long? Rather than saying it directly he just intended to pretend it never happened? You weren’t sure how the prospect of this sat with you.

“Almost broke your cover there.” You said softly, hoping your response would be well received rather than egging him on further.

He was still pinching the bridge of his nose, his eyes closed. But his lips perked up in an unmissable smile.

You felt a little more comfortable after seeing that, so you poked his leg to get his attention. His eyes opened, his gaze landing where your hand had touched then slowly traveled up to your face.

“So, what about it?”

He didn’t answer right away. His eyes drilled into you until you felt the need to look away. That unfamiliar feeling from yesterday returned briefly.

“Fine.” He rasped out with feigned reluctance. “But you’re not going to accidentally fuse this thing to my head, are you? ‘Cause I’ve already got accelerated healing and shit; I don’t have to risk it.” He pointed up to the metal contraption with his metal-enclosed stub.

You pretend to consider the possibility, then shrug. “I actually don’t know.”

“That doesn’t make me feel better.”

“Who said I was trying to make you feel better?” You met his eyes again as you chuckled. For that moment you wondered if he was remembering the first time you had almost this exact same interaction. Back in his room after you had accidentally injured him. That felt like a lifetime ago now.

“Fine, let’s get it over with, Nurse Joy.” He sat up, shaking his hand out a few times before holding it out to you.

“Okay, what is that all about?”

“You don’t know who Nurse Joy is?” He looked genuinely surprised.

“Should I?”

“Did you even have a childhood?”

You just gave him an incredulous look.

“Ugh.” He pulled his hand back as you stood up to move to the recliner. Since it had wheels it was much easier to pull up to the bedside and comfortably sit next to him rather than pulling him towards the other end of the bed. “Pokémon?”

“Pokémon?” You repeated, he had to be joking.

“Yeah, fucking Pokémon, get over it.” He grumbled quietly.

“The kid’s show?”

“As I said, did you even have a childhood?”

You laughed, he seemed surprisingly embarrassed for having been the one to give you the nickname in the first place.

“I watched some SpongeBob.” You said intentionally, knowing it would irritate him. Whether it was true or not was another story. For you to know, not for him.

“Figures.” He gives you a sideways glance which you pointedly ignore. You hold out your hand, waiting for him to willingly give you his forearm, after a second’s hesitation he gives it to you. He feels warm, you’re almost concerned he has a fever, but from how lucid he is you doubt it. You brush your thumb lightly over his skin as your fingers grasp the underside of his forearm. You could swear you felt him jerk slightly. It was possible your hands were cold to him. If he felt this warm to you, they had to be.

“You good?” Rex hadn’t breathed in since you grabbed his arm. “I know it feels uncomfortable at first, but are you really not used to it yet?”

“Are you seriously asking me if I am used to feeling my skin stitch together on its own?” You nodded curtly. “Jesus Christ.” He sat back against his bed as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

You snickered before closing your eyes to concentrate.

--

“You’re back?” Bulletproof froze at the door of the training room just as he was about to enter.

You glanced back at him, internally sighing. “Yep. Surprise!”

He nodded before continuing into the room, taking residence at a machine next to you. “You enjoy your break?”

You tried and failed to hold back a scoff. “Break? What break?”

He lifted several plates onto the metal bar before settling his back against the bench. “About the best you’re going to get around here.”

“How was the whole mars thing?” Small talk didn’t bother you much, it was better than tense silence. And at least he was being amicable.

“Shitty. After all of that, I’m surprised Shapesmith is staying on the team, but I ain’t leading it so-”

The conversation lulled briefly. Shapesmith was not someone you harbored poor feelings for, but it would be a lie to say you weren’t at least mildly bitter that everything came so easy to the guy. Even worse, you didn’t think he even realized just how easy he was having it.

With everything that had been happening, and all of it happening so quickly you hadn’t sat and thought about how miserable you had been. Shit, it was hard to imagine that at one point you had been attending missions with the Guardians without resistance. You were been going on missions solo too, with zero failures so far. Well…one failure. They didn’t even know about that and still, you never felt welcome. Rae was lovely, Bulletproof was cordial. Shapesmith did whatever he does, and Amanda didn’t seem to mind you. But the people who disliked you made it known, more than the people who liked you or felt neutral did.

Immortal demanding your submission hadn’t only occurred the one time. Every mission you had with him felt like a humiliation ritual. He would pause briefings to call you out specifically, asking you to repeat what he had just said. Like a fucking schoolteacher. Kate would either glance at you out of the corner of her eye, or she’d snicker quietly. Rudy let you be, but even he would question you in briefings, asking you what exactly you were planning to do. It made sense at first, to them you were just a healer. They have no clue what else you were capable of. Even still, they knew you had enhanced strength and durability as much as the next person. The first few missions should have been proof enough.

You felt yourself starting to get worked up at the unpleasant memories. Black Sampson, although he never paid you much mind, had taken it upon himself to scold you after a stakeout. Cecil and Donald lied to you to your face. And Rex… God, Rex took up enough space in your subconscious to write a fucking book. And now he got to act a little nice and it was like it never even happened? You had played into it, been glad for the lack of hostility after so long with it. Now as you were letting it fully sink in though, you realized that you needed something. You need an apology. Even if you felt that you were responsible for what happened to him and Rae, it didn’t erase everything he had done.

Still stewing in your own corner of regrets and grudges a voice sounded off that drew you out of it. At least, for the time being.

“Well, I’m glad you’re back.”

You gave Bulletproof a genuine smile. “Me too.”

--

You had been avoiding his room all day. It was like there was a detector in your head that sent off sirens every time you neared it. You thought sleeping on it would make it easier to manage but you had simply just festered. Rex was getting better. Today they were removing the headgear after you had rendered it useless with one session. As much as you hate to admit it, your return to hospital work has had extreme benefits. All of the work you did on Rex hadn’t even left you with a residual twinge. In the moment it hurt a little, but the second you removed your hand, it was over.

‘You don’t deserve to be in the Guardians’ How many times had he used that stale line with you? You weren’t worth it.

When a break finally made its way into your schedule you decided to sit in Rae’s room. Picking at something you put together haphazardly at the cafeteria earlier. “He’s so annoying.” You continued a small rant you had started up; every added sentiment just fueled the fire. Rae was not conscious to hear any of your ramblings. However, once she finally woke up you were sure she would be happy for that.

You dropped your food back onto your tray. “Do I even have the right to still be mad?” You looked her over with a sigh, before pulling her blanket up a bit higher. She was no longer in the incubator. After a brief discussion with her doctor, he told you that she was healing at a quick rate, her body was just keeping her in a comma-like state until she was healed up better. For a moment, you considered it, it would be so easy to reach forward and press your fingertips to her arm, speed it up. Cecil had told you specifically not to accelerate her healing. He probably had his reasons, not that he ever told you them.

“I miss you.” You said it softly, a whisper. “I’m sorry I didn’t go with Rex. I don’t know if I could have stopped this, but I wish I had been able to try.” Her face showed no signs of change. The beeping on the monitor remains the same. What else had you expected?

“Sorry, I thought I heard your voice in here.” A nurse poked her head through the door, you had seen her a lot over the several days you’d been spending almost all your time at the hospital. Her name was…Stephanie? Or Stacy? Hannah?

“Yep, I’m here. Do you need me?”

“Oh, it’s no rush, Rex was just asking about you.”

“Oh, really?” You scoffed, looking back at Rae as if she could see the irony of the situation.

“…yep.” She thought you were quite odd.

“I’ll check on him in a bit, thank you.” You sighed the moment the nurse left, leaning further back into the recliner as if you could shrink out of existence. Eventually, you had to face him, you were just wasting time. “Don’t go anywhere, yeah?” Again, no response. “Tough crowd.” Hopefully, if she had been conscious, she would laugh at that rather than leave you in the awkward silence you had made for yourself.

The short walk to Rex’s room felt even shorter today, as you stood outside of it you wondered what you would say. Would you play nice? That is what you seemed to do best. You’d done it this far at least. Confrontation scared you. Eventually he would leave this room and the two of you would be on the same team again. Then again, the chance of things being awkward never had deterred him before. If it had, you wouldn’t be in this situation.

“Hello, Rex-” You started as you walked in, but you stopped as soon as you saw him. He was asleep. A hand still gripped around one of the pathetic magazines you had gotten for him. You had never seen him look so relaxed, almost peaceful.

God, you were becoming soft, you should wake him up and demand an apology, something. But you didn’t. You stepped past the curtain, took the magazine out of his hand, and placed it quietly on the pile. The hospital blankets always felt scratchy to you, maybe you should offer to bring his duvet from his room at the Headquarters. You straighten it out gently, your hand brushing over his in the gesture.

If the circumstances had been different, you wonder if the two of you could have ever been friends.

--

Groundhog Day. That’s a movie, right? The one where Bill Murray lives the same day over and over until he learns to fall in love or something like that. It’d been a while since you saw it, but it didn’t seem to matter. As far as you knew you were living it. Wake up, hospital, Guardians, hospital, Rae, apartment, sleep. Over and over. You had stopped by Rex’s room a few times since the last time, but it was oddly quiet, he would just read or asked you about your day. It wasn’t unpleasant, but you were positive he could sense your shift in demeanor. Maybe he was worried that if he talked too much you would remember that you were upset with him. Rae still wasn’t awake yet, but the doctor assured you it would be any day now.

“Check this shit out.” Rex flexed his left hand for you to admire.

“Oh, wow.” It was like a toddler showing you a bark chip at the park that was bigger than the rest.

“Oh, come on, you don’t think it’s at least a little cool?”

“It’s cool, Rex. But I can’t credit you for any of that, you literally had no hand in making it or installing it or-”

“Did you just make a pun?”

“Have you ever looked into getting diagnosed with ADHD or, I don’t know, literally anything that is wrong with you?”

He laughed, rubbing his new hand absentmindedly. “What’s got you so pissed off, hm?”

“Should I go grab a mirror?” You said it like it was a joke, but honestly, you weren’t sure why you were feeling so sour. You were suspicious it was probably because of the Groundhog Day thing though.

He’s quiet for a beat, looking down at his hand as if waiting for it to move on his own. “Fuck, I’m- well, you know.” He gestured at you helplessly.

“What?” You laugh, confusion clear in your inflection.

“You know.” He reiterates, his mouth opening and closing while he tries to formulate the words.

“I’m not good at riddles.” You raise an eyebrow at him, squinting slightly.

“Christ, well you know-”

“You already said that.”

“Hold on!” He would have been wringing his hands through his hair if it wasn’t about two centimeters long. “Well, I’m sorry.”

You sat for a second waiting for him to continue, but he didn’t. “Oh, that’s it? That’s all you were trying to say?”

“Baby steps, okay?” He puts his hands over his face like he’s being physically pained.

“…Okay?” Should you push him to see what exactly he was sorry for? Or just hope he meant for everything and let it go?

“I was an ass.”

“Was is a loose term-”

“Okay, first of all, can you let me get this out or are you just going to keep interjecting?”

You tilted your head to each side as if deciding, but you didn’t say anything else.

“I was an ass, and I still am.” He glanced over at you. “But I was really fucking shitty to you. And maybe it took a bullet to the head to fully see it, which is not amazing.”

You hummed in agreement, which earned you a scathing look.

“But either way, I regret it. You have always…carried your weight with the team. I just don’t like new things.” Once again you think he’s going to continue but he doesn’t.

“Oh, uh-” He’s almost wincing waiting for your response. “You don’t do this a lot do you?”

“Are you telling me I’m bad at apologizing?”

“I’d never dream of it.” You rolled your eyes, but you gave him a subtle smile. “I appreciate it.”

He nods at you, the edges of his mouth downturned trying to hide his own grin.

“Let me see.” You hold your hand out, gesturing for him to let you see his new hand.

“Hm?” He doesn’t move, holding his hand in the other direction further away from you.

“God, what do you think I’m going to do? Rip it off? Let me see. You were the one talking all high and mighty about it.”

“Be careful.” He apprehensively holds it out to you.

“Are you kidding me?” You blink a few times at him.

“I don’t know!” He says defensively. “It’s all new to me too.”

You shake your head at him, taking your nondominant hand and placing it under his wrist, then you use your dominant hand to trace lines over the faux skin. “It feels real, did they tell you what it’s made of?”

Rex didn’t respond with haste, his eyes focused on your hands. “Uh, I think they said something but I kind of wasn’t listening.”

“I don’t know what else I expected.” You sighed, placing your palm against his knuckles. You couldn’t feel…anything. Whatever this was there was no blood in it. It was entirely mechanical. “It feels so real.” You murmured softly, more to yourself than to Rex. “Lemme see the other one.” He held out his other hand without hesitation, flexing it slightly before you touched it. Now you had a hand on either of his. It was interesting, how much you could feel in his right versus his left. You were so focused on it that you got carried away for a moment, your fingers brushing lightly over his real hand.

“Does it feel the same?” Your voice came out in a hushed whisper, you were trailing your index fingers over the two separate hands. After a pause you looked up at Rex, who looked down at his hands as soon as you made eye contact.

“Uh…Yeah pretty- I’d say pretty similar.” He swallowed roughly.

You should let go, this was going on for longer than it should, you were going to make him uncomfortable. His hands were soft though, and when you brushed your touch over his knuckles on either hand, he flexed them, as if it was a reflex. It fascinated you. But it did something else too, it brought back that feeling. The one you’d been ignoring. You liked that the smallest touch caused his body to react in some way. In any way. You would have to put that away to think about later.

“Hello!” A chipper voice forced its way through your thoughts. Causing you to immediately draw back your hands from Rex. Shit, now it looked even worse because you had jumped so hard. The heat that was quickly manifesting on your face probably was also not doing you any extra favors.

“Hey, Eve.” Rex straightened up, clenching his fists against the hospital bed. “You bring any more magazines?”

“I don’t know how often you think that they release more of those, but it is not that often.” She sits down at the end of his bed, her gaze landing on you. “Hello again.”

“Hi.” You responded. You needed out. NOW.

“We didn’t get to properly meet, my name’s Eve, or, well it’s Samantha but everyone calls me Eve.”

You say your name in return, giving a mildly awkward nod of your head. God you were making it worse.

“I thought your name was Joy?” Eve gives Rex a quizzical look, and he doesn’t return it, suddenly very interested in the seam of his shirt.  

“So, how did you and Rex meet?” You really didn’t want to open that can of worms again.

“We were on the Teen Team together. That was a lifetime ago though.” She smiled at him.

Now, you had no reason to feel at all jealous. You didn’t even like Rex. Eve seemed really nice, and you were actually interested in learning more about her. But something about the way she sat down without hesitation, and the smiles she kept giving him were making you feel mildly queasy. You should really get more sleep. “The Teen Team?”

“You never heard of the Teen Team?” Rex spoke this time, surprise clear in his voice.

“I don’t really keep up with…well anything I guess.” You shrugged, you hadn’t really cared to keep posted until the Guardians were massacred.

“They were the best team ever!” Rex exclaimed loudly.

“No, they weren’t.” Eve rolled her eyes. “We weren’t even the number one teenager-centric team.”

“In my eyes we were.” He held his hands to his chest, fingers intertwined, as if reminiscing.

“Who else was on it?” You asked, gazing jumping between the two of them.

“It was me, Rex, Kate, and Robot.” Eve answered.

“Just the four of you?”

“Hey, that’s all we needed!”

You sat for a few more minutes listening to them reminisce. After one particular story about Rex staying at her house for a year straight you realized where you had recognized her. She had been in one of the pictures on his wall in his room. You weren’t sure exactly what their history was but, you were glad he was able to keep one friend off the team. It still made you feel oddly upset, but you were determined to be mature. There was genuinely no reason for you to feel like this anyway. It was stupid.

“Well, this has been lovely, truly, but I should really-”

“You should stay.” You glanced to the side to see Rex staring at you. His brow was creased slightly, his eyes slightly unsure. You wished he wouldn’t look at you like that.

“I’m sorry-” You were interrupted by a doctor peeking into the room.

“She’s awake.” Is all he said before passing on by.

“I’m sorry, I have to go. But it was so nice learning more about you, Eve.” You stood up.

“Likewise.” She smiled back.

You turned to Rex, who was still staring at you. As you made eye contact his jaw clenched. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“I’ll be here.”

--

You wanted to hug her, but you didn’t. Instead, you walked in and stood awkwardly by the curtain as a doctor and nurse duo filled her in on what had happened. She glanced over at you a few times, but in all mostly paid attention to the two who were talking. While you waited, your mind drifted back to Rex, replaying the feel of his hand against yours. Entirely normal and definitely not indicative of anything else.  

“We’ll be in first thing tomorrow morning to run some tests, m’kay?” The doctor said to Rae, which she nodded back politely to. “She’s been in here almost every day to share lunch with you. Hell of a friend.” The doctor pointed at you. You could curl up and die.

Rae’s attention focused on you as the two of them left. “Every day, huh?”

“I think they overdramatized it a day or two.” You gave her a smile.

“Did you at least save me some chips?”

“I tried, but you never seemed to want to take them from my hand.”

Rae gave a soft chuckle, wincing after the exertion.

“Can I help?” You plopped down in the recliner, wheeling it over to the bed.

Rae laughed again, holding her hands out to stop you as you eagerly moved forward. “Hold on, let me catch my breath.”

“Sorry.” You responded quickly.

“Don’t be.” She laid back, closing her eyes for a short period before opening them again. “I appreciate the offer, but I must decline.”

You open your mouth to argue. You wanted to help her, needed to.

“It has nothing to do with you.” She says before you can interject. “I don’t want to be healed yet.”

“What? Why?” You tried not to sound like you thought she was crazy.

“I need to remember this. Remember all I have had to go through as a hero, as a Guardian. Whatever.”

You nodded even though you didn’t really understand.

“It’s exhausting, isn’t it? You win one battle, but eventually, you will lose the next. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow. But it’ll happen. There’s no other way for this all to end.”

You blinked a few times. “It is exhausting. But doesn’t it help to know you’re making a difference?”

“What difference?” Rae’s voice still came out soft even though her words carried bite. “I have been in this business a long time and I don’t think I have ever seen it.”

“The Headquarters is too high up. Too far.” You start, leaning forward on your knees. “I have been in this hospital for months on and off, and more recently I have been here all day every day. I can see the difference in every single patient who tells me about how a superhero saved them. It can feel like every day is exactly the same, but to them-” You gesture to the rest of the hospital. “It means everything.”

Rae nods, but she still looks exhausted.

“You don’t have to continue, Rae. You can quit.”

“Like you did?” She gives you a cheeky grin, obviously having been waiting to say something to this point.

“Well…” You sucked on your teeth trying to bide your time. “Quit is such a strong word, isn’t it?”

“I knew it!” She said triumphantly. “I told Rex that you’d be back.”

“Ugh, I’m so glad you both were so worried.” You rubbed your face tiredly.

“I wasn’t worried, I knew you’d be back. You wouldn’t leave me.” Her eyes shined. “Misses-spends-every-lunch-in-my-room-while-I’m-in-a-comma.”

“Is that going to become a whole thing now?”

“Only until I forget.” She pokes you. “How is Rex doing by the way?”

“Rex?” You pretended to have to think about it. “Yeah, I think I heard he’s doing okay.”

“Don’t bullshit me.”

“He’s good. I swear.” You laugh. “He seems to be trying to turn a new leaf.”

“Well, that’s good.” She smirked before opening her mouth, “Must have found someone worth being better for.”

“Oh my god, Rae are you still on about this?”

“He asked me for your number and address so he could apologize, there’s no way that means nothing!”

“It could mean nothing!” You respond with a layer of exasperation.

“Sure.” She lengthens the word as long as she can in a tease. You chuckle in response, covering your face with both hands.

“You could always stay with me you know.” You say it after she has gotten the teasing out of her system. “If you need a break from the Guardian’s. I have a spare room.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” She reaches out, placing a hand on yours. “Thank you.”

--

You stood in a breakroom area at the hospital, taking a quick break between patients. A soft click told you that someone had entered the room with you. One glance back revealed that it was Rex, freshly healed up, flexing his new hand in front of his face. He looked good, healthy. He wasn’t wearing the hospital garbs anymore, they had been replaced by street clothes. You didn’t pay much attention to them though; your eyes were drawn immediately to Rex himself. He had his hair tied up again in the trademark look you had become accustomed to.

“Wow, you healed quickly.” You titled your head at him, hoping your voice reflected that you were happy for him, rather than sounding condescending.

“I told you, accelerated healing.” He rolled his shoulders, taking a few steps forward.

“Even still.” You closed the distance, looking him over. Accelerated healing sure, but accelerated hair growth? That really did shock you. “Well, you look good.” It slipped out, instantly making you press your eyes closed. Embarrassment hot against your face.

“Do I?” He cocked his head to the side with a smug smile.

“Don’t push it, hotshot.” Hotshot? God, when did you get so overconfident?

He stepped closer, you had to crane your neck slightly to continue looking at his face. He was standing awfully close, but you didn’t back away. Why did you never back away?

“Why do you keep visiting me? Hm?” His voice comes out in a hushed tone, ghosting over you.

“It’s good for comradery, in the team.” You stammer out, your eyes drifting down to his lips as he speaks.

“Bullshit. Maybe that first visit was just for that, but you kept coming back. You could have just come the once. But you didn’t.”

You swallowed dryly, he was leaning in slightly at this, his sage eyes searching over your face. “I needed to make sure I didn’t make a mistake. I- I mended your bullet wound.” You admitted it quietly as if you were scared for him to know. “I wanted to be sure I didn’t actually cause lasting damage.”

He sighed and stepped away from you, running a hand through his hair up to the elastic before dropping his hand to his side. “I wouldn’t have even been here if you had just come with me.”

Silence enveloped both of you. You knew that he was right, but you also hadn’t expected him to voice your exact thoughts after whatever was just happening. “I…I know.” You whispered.

“But you can make up for it, can’t you?” You looked up, feeling mildly confused, just in time to see him cross the distance he had walked away back to you. “Make it up to me.” In what felt like a millisecond his mouth was on yours. His hand travels up the back of your neck into your hair. He felt greedy, his hand closing tightly over as large of a cluster as he could grasp. He deepened the kiss, his tongue swiping over your lips to gain entry-

You snapped your eyes open, quickly adjusting to the dark. Soft rays from the streetlights far below sifted in over your curtains leaving a soft yellow glow on your ceiling. Your breath was coming out in swift heaves. It felt uncomfortably hot in your room, so you threw off your duvet, still panting in an attempt to regain your lost breath. You could still feel his hands in your hair.

Shit.

Author's Note: Guys be honest am I moving too fast? Like I know were almost at 70k words but it’s finally starting to be less one sided and I feel like I’m waterboarding you guys. Also hopefully you guys have seen or heard of groundhog day or I just mischaracterized you so bad 💔

divider credit: @/ saradika

taglist: @kittymeowmrow @sketchlove @jewelwayne101 @0ut0fsweets @sugaramped request to be tagged for new parts!

[thepeaklegendoffirstgen]

Turns out, the drawer where you used to hide your secret diary? Yeah, it actually had a passage to another world. A secret one. And not just any world your favourite webtoon universe.

Lookism

But the portal only allowed one person to cross over at a time. Just one. And guess who stepped into your room?

None other than the king of aura farming himself. PTJ’s beloved golden boy. An Oni. Your cutie patootie husband—

GUN PARK

The moment he saw you, his face twisted into pure disgust, like he’d just stepped into a trash bin by accident.

“Oi. Where the hell am I?”

You practically exploded with joy. “HUH? You’re real!”

He blinked. “Huh?”

“I mean…I can touch and feel you now!” you beamed.

Gun recoiled. The corners of his mouth twitched downward. “Touch and feel?” he repeated, clearly repulsed. “Disgusting.”

But… wait. Was that an invitation to fight?

Maybe. His eyes scanned you again, taking in the way they sparkled. Why the hell were your eyes shining like that?

“You really are Gun Park?” you asked again, in awe.

“Stop saying my name again and again, bitch,” he replied flatly.

You gasped. “Don’t call me a bitch, you monster!”

And just like that, the bickering began. Eventually, he stopped wandering around your room and settled on your bed with an unimpressed grunt.

At least it was clean. Not completely pathetic. Unlike you.

“Don’t do anything nasty on my bed,” you snapped, arms crossed.

“You run your mouth a lot,” he shot back.

Ughhh. You were never going to get this opportunity again, so you decided to make the most of it. Grabbing your phone, you practically skipped over to him.

“I have something interesting to show you.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“Do you know how many glazers you have online?” you asked, pulling up Reddit. “Look at how these people behave.”

He took the phone.

First reaction: absolute disgust.

Second: a sharp click of the tongue.

Third: pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

Fourth: launched your phone across the room.

“What the fuck are these brain-dead idiots saying? Why do they act like they know me?”

“They’re your biggest fans,” you said, trying not to laugh.

“Biggest losers,” he corrected. “How do they have so much time to fight online?”

“But they love you,” you insisted.

“And what are they even doing with their lives?” he muttered, crossing his arms. “And are they really my fans, or just James and Kitae lovers in disguise ? Why are those two morons getting mentioned more than me?”

“Well, that’s called power scaling, you know.”

“…What?”

You patiently explained it to him.

And to your surprise, he actually listened. No interruptions, no insults, just pure, intense focus.

Once you were done, you leaned forward. “Okay, now be hones ... Who would win? You or James Lee?”

His eyes gleamed. Ferally.

So people really were dying to know, huh?

A slow, wicked grin spread across his face. “When I get out of jail… you’ll eventually find out. I can’t wait myself.”

That grin? Scary.

But also? Hot.

You cleared your throat. “Okay, okay. Would you like to know how many girls are absolutely feral for you?”

He didn’t hesitate. “Are any of them strong?”

"We can test that out," you said, raising an eyebrow. “But more importantly, do you wanna see how loved you are? Your fanfics are a delight.”

Somehow, somehow you convinced him to read fanfics about himself.

The first few, he simply sighed through. The next, he smirked. Then came the real ones. The ones that made him blink and mutter, “Wait, what?”

He began questioning reality.

Do people really see him like this?

Maybe he is like that?

No, no way. Right?

You giggled through the whole thing, and when you showed him his edits especially the phonk ones you used to go feral over he stared at your phone.

Correction: he stared at you.

More than the screen, it was you he was watching.

How much time did you spend on this phone? Were you obsessed with him? Did you even drink water today? Got any sunlight in the past few hours?

Are you stupid?

Without a word, he took your phone.

You smiled. Maybe he liked something?

Then...

SMASH.

He threw it out the window.

You stared in horror.

“WHAT THE HELL, YOU ASSHOLE!”

You lunged at him, fists swinging. But alas, this man was HIM.

“Oh? I see you’ve got some vigour,” he smirked darkly. “Let’s test it out.”

And just like that—

He ripped his shirt off.

Not to seduce you.

But to fight.

Not in the desired way.

No candlelight or petals.

Just bare-knuckle and fists in the middle of your local park.

And you?

You ran for your life.

[blorbocedes]

Lando is on top of the world, lounging on AirMax, heading into summer break as the championship leader.

The team had hoped he'd be leading the championship by a clear margin by now, allowing them to institute a 1-2 and bring home both the championships. But Oscar was still close enough that that made it insulting, to play second driver when you're one DNF away from leading the championship yourself. Lando was fine challenging Oscar on merit, and he'd done so far, innit?

Although the way the media spun it... let's just say he's glad the focus is on Max potentially leaving RedBull now, after he was spotted speaking with Toto in Mercedes hospitality.

The RedBull's kind of been a shit show. Max has been clawing at that distant P3 but only barely, and the behind the scenes internal drama, the struggling second seat -- he does not envy Max getting grilled about that every weekend.

"So, is it true?" Lando asks, raising an eyebrow. "You and Toto sitting on a tree?"

Max sips on his gin&tonic, with an air of 'you know I can't say that.'

"Come onnnn," Lando persists. Max hands him his drink and he takes a huge gulp, washing out the champagne flavour from his mouth.

Max turns to him, completely serious. He picks his words carefully. "Sometimes you can spend your whole life with a team, right? And the partnership is good. But if they do something that makes it intolerable, it's better to walk out. If they break your trust."

Lando nods quickly, taken aback by Max's seriousness. Things internally at RedBull must be worse than reported. "Course. You can be loyal to a team but you're also a driver at the end of the day, you have weigh your options and your future." Max is father now, after all, which is still surreal to think about. His lockscreen is the baby girl.

Max softens. "First one's always the best. Enjoy it, Lando. I know I did."

"It's not over til it's over." Lando says, but crosses his fingers.

What hurt the most is that it really was out of the blue for him. He'd never ever ever expect it.

Zak pulling him aside, telling him they're willing to pay out his whole contract and then more. That he'll always be a part of the papaya family. Their first world champion after Lewis in 08.

It was an out of body experience, like wading through water, the words washing over him. He kept repeating, "I don't understand."

"Kid, it was out of my hands. Once it was official Verstappen showed interest, I had to report it to the board -- and Bahrain." Zak tried to soften the blow, hiding that he had been the one aggressively courting Max. Showing him confidential information of their projections of the new car.

None of it made sense. Lando's entire world was coming to a crash. The 2026 car was a gamble, they and Mercedes were neck and neck, they were powered by them after all, but '27 was supposed to return to form for McLaren with the new regulations.

"Believe me, you and Oscar were the dream pairing." Zak always emphasized the R in Oscar in his harsh American accent.

"Oscar." Lando said faintly. Oscar who came second to him, who he beat all 3 years they've been teammates. Why? Why him? Hadn't he proven himself, hadn't he won the title, hadn't he been with the team through fucking everything when the car barely worked? Andrea's comment vaguely echoes in his head, Lando is our present, Oscar is our future.

"You don't put two big dogs in the same team. You're a big dog now, Lan." Zak had his hand on Lando's shoulder like that was supposed to make it better. Lando is McLaren's World Champion and they still chose Max Verstappen.

"Why?" Why kicking him out and not Oscar — it's an unfair thought but he was better. There's a searing, heavy, visceral pain in his chest making it heart to breathe.

"Their reasoning was --" Zak hesitates, "It would've been a McLaren driver winning this year either way. But we don't know how 26 is gonna pan out just yet. And, I guess they were really impressed with how Max won it in '24 when that wasn't the best car, so when he came knocking..."

Zak said more words after that but it all got tuned out. After that his lawyers handled the rest. When the news dropped of Verstappen and McLaren after the season ended, Lando turned his phone off, packed his bags, and headed to Finland with Max Fewtrell.

The 'no thanks' to RedBull was easy. He had no interest in going to Milton Keynes and seeing Max's face, his trophies, his legacy everywhere.

He didn't even ask who he was replacing when the offer from Ferrari came. It's racing, after all.

[jesswritesthat]

Dating Rody Soul Headcanons

Fandom: BNHA // MHA — [ Masterlist ]

Summary: fluff, headcanons

Warnings: None

Requested: Yes

>>>>——————————>

• Trust has to be earned with Rody and if you’re dating then you’ve defiantly gained his and hopefully vice versa. Even if him telling you about his quirk was an embarrassing one for him.

“So… you can’t lie because Pino will…”

“Pretty much yeah.”

“That’s a cool quirk Rody. Pino is amazing and like a companion. You’re lucky to have her.”

“You really think so?”

• Even though you’re together, he is still unfairly charming toward you! Flirting comes easy to him when it’s with you (sentimental feelings are more difficult to express) and you’ll receive winks or cute smirks from across the room etc.

• Rody will always play it cool but if you flirt back Pino will betray his nonchalance by the flustered blushing mess she becomes much to his embarrassment. Then comes the denial and stuttering.

“Aha well you— I— ahem, whatever, you’re cool I guess.”

“Rody, you’re not the only smooth talker you know but don’t worry you’re definitely prettier~”

“That’s not true (Y/n)! Have you seen how beautiful you are? No? Then I’ll show ya!”

• You’ve realised how agile and street smart he is on various outings, and sometimes you arrive early to date meeting points just to catch a glimpse of him gliding from building to building using an array of impressive parkour.

(He has no idea, nor do you intend to tell him).

• If you ask he will teach you a couple of things of course and he’ll be a brilliant teacher, guiding you through things and challenging your level to improve. If you trip he is 100% there to catch you equipped with a flirting / teasing remark and smile.

• Rody will also show an interest in your talents / hobbies and if you’ll allow, participate or learn them with you. If you’re helping him study to be a pilot then he’ll return the love to whatever it is you’re passionate about.

• His siblings are very important and based on Pino, his heart practically melts whenever you include them in your life.

Wanna go to the sea? Let’s bring Roro and Lala for a picnic.

Dinner? Sure we could all cook something together.

The boy is putty in your hands oh my. He would give you the world if he could, but for now you’ll have settle for the little moments he can give you.

• When visiting Rody at work your favourite drink is immediately prepared and waiting for you courtesy of a proud boyfriend - even if Stanleyk teases him for it.

• If you're around long enough, he becomes as protective over you as he is his siblings, in a more loving partner way of course. Just like them, he’ll do whatever he can support you.

• If he's ever stressed or upset Rody tries to hide Pino for you as she always makes a beeline the second you are in sight. He just wants to be strong for you - even if he secretly wants a hug.

• If you offhandedly mentioned liking something, you bet he's going to save up to get it for you. He loves you so much just because of who you are and this is how he can think to show it.

• Sometimes you'll end up buying it yourself first and he'll be really happy for you, only to overhear him moping to his siblings how he missed out on a chance to make you happy.

"I was so close!"

"Uh... can't you just buy (Y/n) something else?" Roro the voice of logic in moments like these.

"It's not the same Roro!"

• You often cook together, sharing different recipes and tricks. There's a small competition going with Roro and Lala, but they favour your joint efforts rather than solo attempts.

In fact they just enjoy your company and seeing how happy you make their big brother. Since he’s always looking out for them, they’re glad he found someone who will look out for him too.

• If you're ever in trouble Pino is shouting in front of you squawking at your offenders, not a second later Rody is there to defend / back you up.

• One of your more interesting dates involved a rusty pick-up that he’d ‘acquired’ and he drove you to a local rural area for stargazing. It was a beautiful night and you’d spoke for hours about anything and everything.

“The stars are so beautiful tonight, thanks Rody.”

“They’re not the only thing that’s beautiful…”

“Oh?”

“Uh-uh this truck, look at it! Peak of engineering.” Yeah Rody, let’s just ignore the admiring doe eyes Pino is currently making at you.

• Worry not though, despite finding hard to express his feelings sometimes he will compliment you genuinely and confidently when he can. Usually they just slip out as easily as breathing when he hasn’t overthought it.

• Overall dating Rody is like having a second family full of warmth and welcoming. Even if things can be a struggle sometimes, you know that as long as Rody have each other, you’ll find a way to overcome anything.

<——————————<<<<

[ Masterlist ]

[dakotalun]

What Now? | Eddie Munson

pairing: Eddie Munson X Fem Reader

summary: PART 2-- Eddie helps you deal with your break up.

warnings: none

word count: 1.1k

a/n: please comment if you want to be added to the taglist!

*******NOT MY GIF, CREDIT TO OWNERS*******

"Uh, I guess you're wondering why I'm walking to your place at 10pm in the pouring rain," I tried to make a joke but it came out soft and broken.

"A little bit but I'm not gonna push you. You can tell me when you’re ready," The softness and sincerity in his voice makes me wanna start crying all over again. God why does he have to be so perfect all the time?

"Jamie um,” I pause, the wound still too fresh to speak of, “Broke up with me."

"What?! Why??" I can picture the expression in his face without even looking, mouth open and brows furrowed. Almost like an angry dad scolding their child, I would laugh at the thought if I wasn’t so damn sad right now.

"They said they had shit to work on and that having a partner would hold them back and they'd feel like they were lying to me if we kept going."

"Bullshit,” I wasn’t expecting this reaction out of him, “I don’t believe that for a second.”

"It's whatever, I just couldn't stay there and I can’t go home because Robin has Vickie over for the weekend, Chrissy is at Jason’s this weekend and apparently Nancy has an impromptu date with Johnathan, I was supposed to stay at Jamie's this weekend, but clearly…”

"You're staying here. No question. Do you need anything? Water? Tea?" He stands up and walks over to his small kitchen, rummaging through the fridge for something for me to drink.

"Honestly I just wanna get out of these clothes," And cry. But I don’t say that because he’s seen me cry enough already.

"You can cry if you need to, you know. I won’t judge, it’s a perfectly understandable situation.” Can this man read my mind or something? I sure as shit hope not. I just nod and look down at my shaking hands, from either the cold, or sadness I can’t quite tell.

“I'll put on some water for tea then start the shower for you," He pulls out his kettle from above his fridge, filling it with water and turning it on. Then he disappears into his room and returns a minute later with a t-shirt, crew neck and a pair of his boxers.

"I wasn't sure if you had stuff to wear so here are some options, towels are in the bathroom. I'll be out here if you need anything."

I grab the pile of clothes from him, "Thank you."

"It's nothing. Anything for you," His smile is infectious and a small one spreads to my face as well.

His words mean so much more to me than he can ever imagine. I get up off the couch and head to the bathroom to shower off the mixture of rain water and tears. As the water hits me, my brain keeps thinking of all the things Jamie and I did together; buying Gregory, going to Lolla, spending weekends watching Criminal Minds and eating ice cream. Before I know it I'm crying and I can't stop the tears. I don’t know how much time has passed since I got in but I snap out of my crying fit when I hear a soft knock on the bathroom door.

I wipe my tears, as if it makes a difference with water pouring down on me, and clear my throat before speaking, “Uh yeah?”

“Sorry to interrupt but I was wondering if you’d eaten yet?” His voice is slightly muffled from the door and the sound of the water doesn’t help either.

“I uh,” I pause before answering, I know that I haven’t eaten since Jamie and I were gonna cook something at their place but I also know that Eddie will want to pay for the food and him allowing me to stay here is already too much, “Yeah, I ate before I went over to Jamie’s”

“Hmm,” I hope he can’t tell I’m lying, “Okay.”

I let out a breath and go back to cleaning myself off, I need to get rid of their smell.

After my shower I put on his boxers and the crewneck he offered me. A genuine smile crosses my face when I notice it’s the same one he let me borrow in early August when we went to his lake house. But the happiness of the memory gets overshadowed by the thought of the fact that not only 4 hours before that I was in Chicago with Jamie, leaving Lollapalooza.

I shake my head and get rid of those thoughts before heading out to the living room with my dirty clothes in my hand. I see Eddie standing by his balcony door, hands in his pockets just staring out into the night sky. I watch him for a second and think about how someone like him can be so friendly and happy around me. It’s confused me since the day we met.

It was the first day of freshman orientation and we were all in a small classroom waiting for our group mentor to show up and tell us about what we’d be doing this week. I chose to sit in the middle of the room but in a seat next to the wall so I could rest my back against it and watch the entire room.

As I sat there scanning the room my eyes landed on a handful of interesting people, some that I’ve recognized from orientation day, others who just had interesting clothes or hair, and then there was Eddie. There was just something about him, his long curly hair, his dark clothes, the chains hanging around his neck and off his plants, and those rings.

I couldn’t help but stare, from what I could see he was clearly attractive and dressed very differently from what I’ve noticed most men wear. As I admired him from afar, our mentor came rushing in apologizing for being late. They had to make sure they had the right group since some people had to switch at the last minute.

We all turned our attention to the two mentors standing in the front as they talked about what the next few days were going to look like for us. I tried my best to retain the information but then they had us do a “get to know you” game and my heart dropped. I’ve always hated talking about myself and what I enjoy and it seemed kind of redundant to say I like art seeing as though this is an art school. But the curiosity to find out more about the mysterious man across the room was too strong.

Taglist: @ali-r3n @dixontardis @witchwolflea @micheledawn1975 @daydreaming-mood @idfwfeelings @adaydreamaway08 @preciousbumplingbee @rustboxstarr @plk-18 @teary-eyed-egg @needylilgal022 @exploding-bonbon @gagasbee @eddiemunsonsguitarpic @aol19 @thatwitchyoucouldntburn @meanlilbean @sonnyahngel @corrodedcass @pigwidgeonxo @marsmunson86 @lottie-90 @figmentofquinn @sareim123122 @eddies-puppet @gvf23 @kennedy-brooke @rocklees-wife @emma77645 @cherris-n-peaches @breehumbles @joequinn-love @anyoddthoughts @aysheashea @eddiesskittle @uncxmfxrtablex @cherrymedicine13 @mrsjellymunson @shotgunhallelujah @bambipowerblueaddition @hexqueensupreme @josephquinnsfreckles @harrysgothicbitch @paleidiot @smurfflynn @lilyungpeanut @selena-rocker27

[strwbabydoll]

word count: 1.1k

summary: harry’s angry at the world, himself included and he makes it everyone’s problem but there might be a light coming in the middle of his storm

notes: this is part two of this fic so it is still considered a dark fic. it contains mentions of drinking to cope with his grief, violence inflicted onto others and a brief scene of it as well.

masterlist

- - - -

To say that Harry’s been miserable lately would be a huge understatement. He’s been absolutely insufferable in the past two weeks. He spends all day drinking and holed up inside his office, he’s grumpy and snappy with everybody and he’s even more mean whenever he has to take care of someone. It’s his release in a way, the one safe space he can let out his anger at the world, at the Gallegos for taking away his love, at himself for not doing more.

“Goddamn! Fuck!” He screams in the confines of his office. He down a shot of whiskey and quickly pours himself another one, the burn going down his throat is welcoming — encouraged is the better word for it. His chest rises and falls harshly as he stares at the picture of her. One he had taken a couple of months into knowing each other, a bright smile on her lips and her hair and dress flowing in the wind behind her as they walked through a park. She had wanted a picnic and he was a sucker for her smile, so of course he’d do it for her. It was all worth it in the end, to see the smile plastered on her face and the excitement in her eyes

He misses her terribly, the past week has been the hardest week ever and he doesn’t know if it’ll get any better. He allows the tears to fall freely, to stain his cheeks and the mahogany oak of his desk. It seems as if his tears are never ending, just becoming a permanent addition to his appearance. He can’t bring himself to care, too busy wallowing in his guilt and pain. He guesses he deserves it in a way, none of this would’ve happened if he’d been paying more attention, if they would’ve stayed home or better yet if he’d never given her his number.

He huffs sadly as he wipes his tears away the best he can, he can’t do anything about the stains left on his cheeks. He takes another shot of whiskey and heads towards his office door, he figures now is as good of a time as any, and really he just can’t wait to let out some tension. He walks out the room and down the hall, ignoring the eyes of the few employees gathered around the desk before rolling his eyes as they start whispering.

“Don’t you all have a fucking job to do? This isn’t Barbie’s show where we all sit around and look pretty.” He huffs before mumbling under his breath, watching them with crossed arms as they scramble to find something to do.

He continues walking then, taking deep breaths to try to hold back the tears threatening to fall. He can’t look weak in front of them. He walks past the framed pictures on the wall, past the rooms where clicking and the occasional scream filters through the closed doors until he gets to the last door in the hall. The dark wooden door detailed with swirls and large black handles is heavy as he pushes it open, but he enjoys the pain. His own form of punishment he guesses.

The room is filled with different tools and weapons, lights scattered all over the ceiling but still keeps the room dark enough. He prefers this environment to feel more like a horror movie than just a simple killing room, and wants it to feel eerie and depressing. He wants the room to inflict absolute sheer terror and feet into anyone who just so happens to end up strapped to the chair. His dress shoes click against the concrete floor, echoing around the room and he watches happily as the man strapped to the chair begins to squirm and try to break free. It’s no use though, he’s mastered the best knot to tie around the body and the chair tightly to keep them from moving but also to inflict pain when they try to escape.

“Well, well, well. Not happy to see me?” He asks in a sickly sweet voice, too sweet to be used in such a setting. The man shakes his head violently as he tries rocking the chair side to side, his screams are muffled behind the tape. Harry simply chuckles, he’s always amused at their useless attempts.

“Now, I just have a couple of questions for you. I just need some information and I believe you should be able to help with this.” He says as he leans down so his face is right in front of the man with tears filling his eyes. The man shakes his head and Harry grabs a handful of his hair, firmly holding him in place.

“So you don’t want to leave? I was gonna let you leave if you answer… but since you don’t think that’s fair.. you’ll be stuck here.” He says and he watches as more tears fall from the man’s eyes and Harry just laughs, everyone wants to be all big and bad until they have to confront their behaviors. They think that no one will be able to catch them, they always underestimate his dedication. He’ll search every corner of the internet and the world just to find someone, and he’s been doing that lately. Searching for hours and hours on the internet to find someone.

He pulls himself back as he smiles, he’s gonna enjoy himself through all this. He starts off small, a few punches and rough tugs of the hair, and he relishes in the muffled cries of the man in front. He rips off the tape and the man screams.

“Who wanted my girl dead and why?” He asks and the man shakes his head.

“I don’t know man!” He says through his tears and shakes his head as if he’s disappointed.

“Such a shame.” He says as he walks to a table full of various weapons and tools of all sizes, he grabs a pair of pliers and walks back to the man, hitting the pliers against his palm.

“Maybe this will ring some answers for you, for every question you don’t answer and I’m not satisfied with the answer I’ll pull one of your teeth out. How does that sound?” The man cries and shakes his head.

“Please man, I’m serious! I don’t know anything!” He cries out and Harry sighs.

“Already onto a bad start, my friend.” He says as he yanks the man’s jaw open as he decides which teeth to pull. As soon as he picks one, the door opens and EJ’s voice rings out.

“Hey boss, sorry to bother you but you have a phone call, it’s important.” Harry shakes his head. He should know better than to interrupt him. He’d hate to have to fire him.

“Uh, I’m busy. Tell them I’ll call back later.” Harry replies back, sarcasm and annoyance dripping from his voiceand the door still stays open.

“It’s the hospital, Y/N. She’s alive.”

[dreadknightcassandra]

Awakened Darkspawn Rook in the Lighthouse [Part 1]

Davrin: "Listen, if you expect me to work with you, you need to answer some questions."

Rook: "Understandable.... And the others are here because....."

Taash: "Backup"

Emmerich: "Curiosity"

Bellara: "I fell asleep on the couch, but I'm staying for the curiosity part." Davrin: "Let's start with what exactly you are."

Rook: "I am a darkspawn. Specifically what the Wardens call a Hurlock. I underwent the Severing and was awoken, which is why can do things like talk and act independently."

Davrin: "The Severing. Guessing that's some sick joke in regard to the Joining?"

Rook: "It is neither jovial not ill. The wardens of Amaranthine that aided Father spoke of the Joining, about how it uses Darkspawn blood to connect you to the song so you can hear the choir without it consuming your body. Given the..... parallels of our awakening and its purpose, the name seemed appropriate."

Harding: "Wait, back up a bit. Did you say 'Father'? Do darkspawn have parents.?

Davrin: "Last I knew, Darkspawn all came from broodmothers. Of course, that was also before Ghil'anain changed the blight on us."

Rook: "The stale song does still write from the broodmothers, before the choirmaster was freed. Father is the one who learned to free us all. We don't know his name, and the wardens we spoke to did not know either. They used other names, like Architect or Magister Sid... Sid... something."

Neve: "Magister Sidereal?"

Rook: "I believe so, yes."

Lucanis: "I take it this was some kind of super magister?"

Neve: "The Magisters Sidereal were the seven magisters who breached the Golden City and caused the first blight. If this 'Father' was one of them, he could absolutely be considered a father of all darkspawn."

Bellara: "Wait, I thought we didn't know if the magisters were real."

Harding: "Except we did. Corypheus was one of those seven magisters. Dorian and the Inquisitor even managed to track down a name, Sethius Amladaris. He was a high priest of Dumat apparently."

Neve: "That explains House Amladaris' sudden heel turn in support for the Inquisition. Guessing they were blackmailed."

Emmrich: "If this Father was one of the seven magisters and was called "architect", he might have been-"

Davrin: "Can we save the history lesson until we're done interrogating the talking darkspawn we're expected to follow?"

Rook: "I know nothing about what you're discussing anyway."

Emmrich: "Fair enough. What is this severing you spoke of?"

Rook: "It was something Father discovered, a way to quiet the song and allow a solo to be performed. Where the joining uses the blood of darkspawn, the severing requires drinking the blood of wardens."

Davrin: "WHAT?!?"

Assan: *Angry squawking*

Emmrich: "Davrin, I know you're upset, but please put your sword away and give Rook a chance to explain before you and Taash do something extreme!"

Davrin: ".......Fine. Talk."

Rook: "I cannot give full answers. I've never met Father, I was awoken long after the civil war at Amaranthine. It was an elf who was filled with song and sorrow that brought us the ritual. She used her own blood and chose those of us of her accord to sever. She was the one to teach us to read Father's notes. She stayed to ensure our warren had a leader who truly knew the new teachings. After she departed, our leaders would find wardens who could no longer hear past the song. Their blood freed us."

Davrin: "And I'm guessing none of that blood was taking willingly."

Rook: "I don't know. I did not seek these wardens. I sought out and dealt with the ones driven mad by silence."

Taash: "What, like literal silence? Do darkspawn like to make noise?"

Rook: "No... or, yes? The song.... the taint was it's name in his notes, it filled our minds. it was all we knew, it guided us, it was us. When the music leaves, it leave a vacancy in us for a... soul I think? I do not know how it works. But to lose that guidance while also being able to be afraid for the first time...... it is a difficult thing. Some demanded the song return. Some did more than demand."

Harding: "So that group you saved me and Varric from, was that why they were acting strange... or, stranger than you...no offence."

Rook: "They thought they could bring the music back by adding more to their choir. I did not want that to happen.

[scribeforchrist-blog]

He Cares for Us 

MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK

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+ 1 Corinthians 10:12 So the one who thinks he is standing firm should be careful not to fall

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VERSE OF THE DAY 

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+ 2 Peter 1:3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 

=======================

SUBJECT: He Cares for Us 

======================

** SAY THIS BEFORE YOU READ; HERE’S SOME CHRISTIAN TRUTHS **

I AM CARED FOR BY GOD 

I AM RIGHTEOUS 

I AM FREE 

I AM LOVING 

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READ TIME: 8 Minutes & 23 Seconds

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THOUGHTS:

======================

  Reflecting on my time in school, I am grateful for my parents who always made sure I was fully prepared for my day. Every morning, they would pack my lunch with a delicious juice, nutritious food, and a sweet dessert. They also made sure I had all the necessary supplies for school, including a sturdy backpack. Before sending me off, they would make sure I was well-fed, dressed in clean clothes, and had a clean face with my hair neatly done. With their love and care, I had no reason to worry about anything other than doing my schoolwork and behaving. Even when I got home, my parents continued to take care of me by making sure I was fed and had access to the entertainment I enjoyed. Looking back, I can confidently say that my parents gave me a great life – one where I never had to want for anything and was always happy.

  The Christian Walk is a journey that God has equipped us for with everything we need. We don't have to second-guess or doubt ourselves because God has provided us with the tools and guidance to navigate this path. When we come across things we don't understand, we can always turn to the Word of God. God has made sure that we have spiritual resources to lean on, even when we may be lacking in specific physical necessities. It's natural to have questions or concerns, but we can always turn to God and His Word for clarity and understanding. Sometimes the Word may seem overwhelming, but I always encourage people to first pray and ask the Holy Spirit for help, and then try re-reading it. Additionally, referring to different versions of the Bible can also provide a deeper understanding. I personally teach from various versions to ensure that everyone can grasp the message of God's Word. 

  Even when Jesus was here, he made sure his disciples were taken care of and understood, he even made sure they had enough food to eat, and paid their taxes 

* Matthew 17:27 However, we don’t want to offend them, so go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us

* Luke 11:1 One day, Jesus was praying in a particular place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

* Luke 21:12 Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.

  We must understand that God's love for us goes beyond just our spiritual well-being, but also extends to our physical needs. Many of us may overlook this aspect because we are too caught up in focusing on what God may not be doing for us. However, if we open our hearts and allow God to care for us, we will see that He is able to do it all. Just as He provided for and took care of the Israelites in the wilderness, God continues to do the same for us. He fed them and ensured they had water to drink, and even took care of their physical appearance. This shows us that God's love for us is not limited to just one aspect, but it encompasses every aspect of our lives. We must trust in His provision and allow Him to care for us deeply.

  Deuteronomy 29:5 Yet the Lord says, “During the forty years that I led you through the wilderness, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet.

  God's unconditional love and care for us never wavers, even in our darkest moments. We see this through the story of Elijah, a prophet who was exhausted and ready to give up on life. Despite his struggles and depression, God never left his side and continued to provide for him. This is a powerful reminder that no matter how we may feel, God is always looking out for us and wants us to lean on Him for support. He understands the challenges we face and wants to take care of us, no matter what state we may be in. His love and care for us are unwavering, and that is something we can always hold onto, even in the toughest of times.

  1 Kings 17:2 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: 3 “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. 4 You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.”

   It is essential for us to not only surrender ourselves to God, but also our mental state. Oftentimes, we are not even aware of the impact that events and circumstances have on our minds. The enemy takes advantage of this vulnerability and attacks our mental well-being, hoping to make us lose hope and turn away from God. However, we must remember that God loves us, and He shows His love through the challenges we face daily. It is in these moments that we must rely on Him and trust that He will see us through. Let us not allow the enemy to sway us from God's path, but instead, give our mental state over to Him and experience His love and strength in our lives.

 *** Today, our discussion focused on how God's love and care for us go beyond just our spiritual needs, but also extend to our physical and mental well-being. We need to understand that when the enemy tries to deceive us and make us doubt God's love, we should not believe those lies. God cares for us in every aspect of our lives, and we must surrender ourselves to Him constantly. I can relate to feeling unloved and hopeless, but once I surrendered my mind to Christ, He showed me that everything will be alright. He revealed His loving arms that will always hold and protect me, allowing me to let go of my fears. This is the reassurance that we can all find in God, and it's a reminder to always trust in His love and care for us.

  Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest

  This is what the lord wants us to do: he wants us to cast our cares on him because he’ll see us through, he’ll give us rest through our heartache, through our disappointment, through our pain, but we must rely on him, and that’s what we must do.  Jesus' call is universal and all-encompassing, reaching out to every person who feels overwhelmed by life's challenges. Whether our burdens be in the form of sins, worries, or the pressures of daily life, Jesus invites us to come to Him and lay them down. By recognizing and acknowledging our burdens, we take the first step towards receiving the rest that Jesus offers us. In a world filled with chaos and struggle, Jesus' call reminds us that we are never alone and that there is always a place of refuge and peace in Him.  ©Seer~ Prophetess Lee

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PRAYER

=====================

Heavenly Father, thank you for taking care of us and making sure we have. We give you glory; we ask you to give us more of you. We surrender our mind and our heart to you. Lord, we ask you to come to us, Father, and change us. We give you everything, and we ask you to change us and make us pure hearted in Jesus' Name, Amen 

======================

REFERENCES 

======================

+ Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

 

+ Matthew 6:30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

 

+ Psalm 8:4 What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him

======================

FURTHER READINGS 

======================

 Proverbs 30

Psalm 23

Leviticus 26

Deuteronomy 34

1 Samuel 14

======================

[huskynotwolf]

Convexian Hitman AU

Part 1 I guess

AU by @tibbycaps/ @tibby-art

Written by @thecrazyhusky

(I mixed in dsmp, it’s more fun with those swearing idiots :D )

Mission: Find and destroy target’s weapon supply (target’s name is Tubbo and Jack Manifold)

Cub’s PoV

“I want you to destroy his weapons.” Doc looked at us, dead serious.

We (me and Scar) were in the NHO’s conference room, listening to Bdubs rant about this new case we had to deal with. Scar had already yawned at least two times and I had grabbed every single one of their cans of carbonated drinks or whatever at the table and shook them so hard they looked like ticking bombs. Etho was also eyeing us with much suspicion, and I suspected he was up to something.

“All of them?” I asked.

“All of them.” The goat-creeper confirmed. “He was some sort of former president of a country. He’s got some ass-load of explosives. Specifically, bombs. Lots of those.”

“Ah.” Scar smiled. “Big boom.”

“Really?” I looked at him.

“And here are the conditions, since you three are definitely gonna loophole out of this.” Doc growled.

“You have to get this done by this week, which is three days. No eating anyone, and I mean anyone. You find those explosives, disable them, then leave. Nothing else. I don’t want those Snowchester people come fighting with nukes.”

I raised an eyebrow. “They got nukes?”

Scar sniggered. I kicked him.

Doc glared at my fellow Vex. “And bring Grian. He’ll be of use.”

“Grian? You sure?” I asked.

“Yes.” Doc grunted. “And you better get the job done. Go. Now.” He said.

I nodded, grabbed Scar’s wrist and dragged him out of the conference room, heading down to Grian’s “office”, while hearing Bdubs and Beef screech loudly along to the sounds of soda exploding. I allowed myself a slight smile.

“Dang it. Should’ve rigged ‘em better.” I said.

Scar gave me a look. “Don’t tell me you shook all of them.”

“I did. But I could’ve just fitted them with grenades instead.” I replied, taking a left turn down the hallway.

We found her studying a file about Tubbo.

“Hey.” She greeted us, not looking up.

“Hiya. You ready?” I asked.

Since Grian has her Watcher powers, she could technically see us coming, so I assumed she was already prepared.

“Let’s just go. Tango yelled at me earlier. I want to get out of here as soon as possible.” She stood up, then walked towards us.

“Tango? Why?” Scar asked.

“None of your concern.” She shrugged.

We headed out the door, taking the lift down, then exiting the building. As soon as we stepped out, Grian winced.

“You okay?” I asked her.

“Y-yeah,” she replied. “It’s just…overwhelming.”

“Hmm.” I shot a glance at Scar. “Scar, you got the map? Coords, at least?”

“Ask the all-seeing.” He pointed at Grian. Grian made a low growling sound.

“Wow, I though you prepped.” She muttered under her breath.

“Yes, I have the map. It’s in my head.” She raised her voice.

“Great!” Scar smiled. “Let’s go, then.”

I leaned closer to Grian. “You okay, dude?”

She nodded. “Yeah. I’m fine. It’s fine. Everything’s…” she exhaled. “Alright.”

“Good.” I said, then secretly kicked Scar. The man glared at me but I didn’t reply.

“Let’s go.”

***

“We gonna take a subway. Then a cross-country train. Then another high-speed railroad.” I said, laying down a drawn map.

“Snowchester’s all the way out there, so we probably need to either stop to eat on the way, or we have to bring food.” I rolled up the map and shoved it in my pack.

Scar rolled his eyes. “You’re concerned about eating?”

“Grian needs to eat as well.” I hissed.

I had shoved the three of us into a Seven Eleven’s, where my reason was, “we need substance.”

Grian nudged Scar. “Here’s the thing, bud. We don’t have money. How-“

I waved a five dollar bill I snatched from someone. “Steal.”

“Did you get his whole wallet?” Scar asked, his eyes glinting mischievously.

I gave a low chuckle. “Duh I did.” I held out the stolen wallet. Scar sniggered. “This guy’s got a hundred and fifty.”

Grian gave us a look of annoyance and frustration. “You know it’s illegal to steal, right?”

Scar materialised behind her, making her jump. “Nah. It’s fine.”

Grian narrowed his eyes at him but didn’t snap back a comment.

I handed Scar about thirty dollars worth of bills. “Grian, you can go with Scar to buy food.” She shot me a dirty look, got up and disappeared behind the aisles with the Vex.

I took out twenty and nabbed a sandwich and two bottles of water, in which to avoid getting yelled at by Grian, I payed for it instead of stealing it.

Though I will admit I stole a can of Sprite.

Yeah. Maybe.

Grian bought coffee and milk tea (where did she find that?) and Scar bought a bun and bottled Cola, though I could tell he didn’t intend to drink it, he’s just gonna prank me with it.

As we left that store, I searched for enough money to get us to the subway station. Six dollars to get in, then they needed eighteen. I decided not to give them the coins and bills yet, as Scar had a tendency to lose things.

Very, very often.

We headed to the subway station, while Grian kept cautiously looking around for signs of danger. However, despite this, Scar seemed extremely carefree.

“G, man, there’s nothing to worry ‘bout. It’s not like someone would just suddenly drop down and try and kill us, right?” He said to no one in particular.

“Don’t jinx it.” She huffed. “I see something. Though I can’t pinpoint where it is.”

I approached the subway tunnel, with the two nitwits trailing behind. “Yeah, something’s definitely wrong. I can feel it.”

I stepped down the stair, then halted when something whizzed past me and embedded itself into the wall with a thunk.

“Honestly, Foolish, how bad can your aim be!” I heard a yell. The three of us swivelled our heads towards the noise, and standing on the side of the street, armed with crossbows, were two deranged-looking people. At least that’s what the first word that came to my head when I saw them.

The one who shot the projectile, Foolish, looked suspiciously like a totem of undying, and it made me question whenever he’s an actual totem or not. His friend was a girl who wore dark sunglasses and had long streaks of hair running down both sides of her head. What she wore screamed pirate in every way.

Grian sighed. “Scar, you jinxed it.”

Scar glared at her. “No I didn’t!”

I slapped Scar before he could argue any further and hissed, “don’t make the situation worse, dumbass!” and marched towards the pair with crossbows. Scar gave me an offended look but I knew he was playing around for fun.

“What do you want?” I demanded.

Foolish looked at me. “You don’t have the authority to order me around.” He said.

“You just tried to kill me. Are you hitmen?” I snapped.

His friend glared at me. “You were trying to destroy our military.”

Grian and Scar came up from behind. “What do you know about that?” Grian challenged.

“I know for a fact that you were sent to destroy our nukes. We’re from Snowchester, mind you.” The girl growled.

Grian suddenly looked like he was lost in thought. Scar stared at her, then shook her to try snap her out of her trance, but did nothing except from earning a well-deserved smack in the face by her.

“Well, we don’t really care about who sent you. This is about our country’s safety. You back off, or we’ll make you.” Sunglasses Girl said, raising her crossbow.

I processed her words, then turned to Scar. “Wait, if we die, is our contract technically broken?”

He paused. “Wait…you know what? You’re right! We can just let ‘em kill us!”

“But do we like, reincarnate or something? What do you think we’d be-“

Sunglasses Girl facepalmed. “No-that’s not what I meant! I don’t want anyone dead!”

Foolish nudged her. “Whatever, Puffy. They’re not part of our nation.”

Grian shook her head. “You have your own problems. Deal with whoever the fuck Dream is first, then come back and kill us. Besides, Tubbo is a literal threat to society.” She said. “You shouldn’t be listening to that menace.”

Puffy, aka Sunglasses Girl, looked promptly taken aback by Grian’s comment. “How do you know about Dream?”

“Can we take this conversation somewhere else? We’re attracting quite a lot of unwanted attention.” Grian interrupted. “One dude who passed by thought you were a terrorist.”

Foolish and Puffy took a while to discuss, and as soon as they took their eyes off the us and Grian, I took out the stolen can of Sprite, shook it hard, opened it (but barely) then yeeted it at Foolish. It landed on the ground and the entire can burst like a grenade, spewing soda everywhere.

We bolted for it, making a beeline for the subway station, with Scar mainly being dragged all the way. By the time the pair from Snowchester realised what’s happening, we were already down the subway and had managed to get into the train already.

“Ok, that was…awkward.” Grian panted, slightly out of breath.

I grunted. “Whatever. You shouldn’t have told them about your powers.”

She shook her head. “I…sorry.” She muttered.

“Eh. We could go back and kill them both.” I shrugged.

Scar nodded. “Actually, yeah. I would love to do that.”

Grian paled. “No you don’t!” She cried. “Why must you always kill people left and right?”

Both of us Vexes turned their piercing gaze at her. She immediately shut up and sank into the seat.

“Can I kill Tubbo?” Scar asked.

“No,” Grian and I said almost simultaneously. I gave her a look but she said nothing.

“Aww.” He huffed. “I’m bored.”

“You won’t be when we reach the border.” Grian said.

“What?” I asked. “Are you talking about…the border between the city and Greater Dream SMP or whatever that place is called?”

She nodded. “You know we don’t have our IDs or passports. It’s gonna be a wild chase with the border guards there.”

“Ooo, what do they do?” Scat asked.

Grian groaned. “They would chase you down on horses and they never stop. Literally, they could hunt you continuously for days without stopping.”

“Sounds fun,” Scar said.

Grian bit her lip to prevent herself from snapping back at him.

I looked at her. “Listen, if you know about the border guards, do you think we can get past them?”

She nodded. “You can get past them, but it’s gonna be hard.”

I gave both of them a wide smile. “Alright. We have two hitmen on our trail, we don’t have IDs of any sort and we’re about to be chased down by a few border guards. What’s the worse that could happen?”

To be continued

(I did it on another platform and then tried to paste it on Tumblr but ended up with so much lag I can’t even type properly lol)

[taatsums]

Kafka Oguro SSR - The Morning After The Rain: A Rainy Day Schedule For The Two of Us

Part 1

📍HAMA Tours, Office Floor

Kafka: Chief-chan, good work today.

Kaede: Kafka, you’re still here? Good work today! 

Kafka: Thanks for supporting Yachiyo today as always.

Kaede: No need to thank me. I’m sure Yachiyo-kun is still having a hard time adjusting, and I’m also doing my best along with him.

Kafka: You’re so reliable. It’s thanks to you that everyone’s getting a chance to grow. I look forward to seeing what’s next for HAMA Tours.

Kaede: You’re overestimating me…!

Kafka: Alright, enough with the formalities. Do you remember what’s happening tomorrow, Chief-chan?

Kaede: Of course. We’re going to the zoo, right?

Kafka: Yup. I’m so excited about our zoo date that I can barely sit still.

Kaede: I don’t know about calling it a date… But I guess that’s what it is when two people go out together.

Kaede: What are you looking forward to seeing the most at the zoo, Kafka?

Kafka: Hmmm, I’d say the okapi. Apparently you can only see them at HAMA’s zoo.

Kaede: Sounds nice! Let’s go see the okapi first, then!

Kafka: Yeah! By the way, it seems like they’ve got a limited-time flamingo drink available right now.

Kaede: Even the name is cute! I wanna try it when we get there.

Kafka: Just leave it to me, Chief-chan. I’ve come up with the perfect itinerary for tomorrow’s zoo tour.

Kaede: Ahaha, I’ll leave it to you. I’m looking forward to it.

Kaede: Oh. Right, I didn’t check the weather forecast…

Kafka: I have, of course. It’s going to be sunny with a 0% chance of rain.

Kaede: You really have it all planned out…!

Kafka: It’s for our date, after all.

Kafka: Alright, let’s wrap things up and go home. No staying up late, or working overtime allowed today.

📍 HAMA House, Living Room

Kafka: It’s raining…

Kaede: The weather forecast was way off…

Kaede: (I know there’s nothing that can be done, but it really is unfortunate. We haven’t had the chance to go out together in so long…)

Kafka: …

Kaede: (Kafka’s so obviously depressed…!)

Option 1: Encourage him

Kaede: I’m sure the rain will pass by this afternoon!

Kafka: The forecast just now said there’s a 90% of rain…

Kaede: (Oh man, he’s seriously depressed…)

Option 2: Join him in his sadness

Kafka: I really hadn’t accounted for this…

Kafka: No matter how advanced our civilization becomes, we can’t control changes in the weather.

Kaede: (He’s so depressed that he’s gone into enlightenment mode…!)

Kafka: …

Kaede: Kafka, you okay…?

Kafka: Alright! Today’s plan will be changed to a rainy day schedule presented by none other than yours truly!

Kaede: Huh?

Kafka: We can’t do anything about the weather, so let’s just go to the zoo another day. I’ll just come up with even more things you can look forward to.

Kafka: Just leave the details to me.

Kaede: (He’s not depressed at all! If anything, he’s having fun…!?)

Kafka: Okay, we don’t have all day. Let’s go, Chief-chan…!

Kaede: (Go where, exactly…!?)

Part 2

📍 HAMA House, Living Room

Kaede: So, what’s that rainy day schedule thing about?

Kafka: Ta-daaah. I’ve prepared all sorts of indoor activities for us to enjoy~!

Kaede: Cat’s cradle, paper clay, board games, even origami…! These bring back memories! This sure is a rainy day full course!

Kafka: How about we start with a round of Game of Life?

Kaede: Sounds good! It’s been a long time since I last played a paper board game. Wait, is that… the same one from back then?

Kafka: Bullseye! I’ve prepared items from back then ♪

Kaede: You took good care of everything, didn’t you? Thanks!

Kafka: We played a lot together back in that hospital room.

Kaede: We sure did! We’d play Game of Life and talk about our dreams for the future. Who’d have thought we’d be here now?

Kafka: You never know what hand life will deal you.

-

Kafka: And my assets total to 1.5billion, and I’ve got 3 cars.

Kaede: I lost… Nothing’s changed. I still don’t think I can win against you.

Kafka: It’s all a matter of luck ♪ Guess I was just extra lucky today.

Kaede: Okay, next… we’re having a paper clay showdown!

Kafka: Fine by me. What should we make?

Kaede: How about Shumai?

Kafka: Sounds good! We can show it to Renga later and have him decide the winner.

-

Kafka & Kaede: And, done!

Kafka: The fur was a little hard to replicate, but don’t you think his face turned out great?

Kaede: Ahaha, yeah! That’s what Shumai looks like when he wakes up.

Kafka: Uhhh, this isn’t supposed to be when he wakes up. It’s Shumai right before he digs in on a snack.

Kafka: But why does the Shumai you made look like he’s going to melt?

Kaede: The antenna on his head looked like it was about to fall apart, so I made him look like he’s sleeping!

Kafka: Haha, so he’s sleeping! I thought he was melting from the heat.

Kafka: We can’t show either of these to Renga.

Kaede: You’re right… I don’t think he’ll even be able to tell these are Shumai.

-

Kaede: It’s been a while since I last did cat’s cradle, paper clay and origami, but they’re still all fun, even now!

Kaede: (And our paper clay skills haven’t changed since/from back then, either.)

Kafka: Right. Anything is fun with you, Chief-chan– But this makes it feel like we’ve gone back in time.

Kafka: The number of Ward Mayors here will increase, so this place will keep getting more and more lively.

Kafka: We’ve got plenty of rooms, and I’d like to think we’ve got lots of things to do on rainy days, too.

Kafka: Let’s say, for example… The theater room would be nice. How about we watch a movie and eat popcorn together?

Kaede: The theater room sounds good!

Kaede: (Kafka looks like he’s having fun… I’m glad. That makes me happy, too.)

Kafka: Oh, the rain’s letting up.

Kaede: Oh, you’re right. I didn’t even notice.

Kafka: How about we go for a little walk outside? Let’s look for a rainbow.

Kaede: That sounds nice. We did that together back then, too.

Kafka: Alright then, let’s go!

Kaede: (... I hope I can find more fun things to do with Kafka, both in HAMA Tours and in HAMA House!)

[afterhourwriting]

Warning - none, really I don’t think. All good here, partner 👍🏽]

[Additional warnings - Kyle is a little oblivious in this one, is not proofread to the full degree]

All posts like these are alphabetical order:

Call of Duty Characters reacting to you proposing to THEM.

Alejandro Vargas

Saw it coming a mile away, honestly

You both went out to a secluded hill that gave you a beautiful view of Las Almas, and although Alejandro had a ring of his own, he was both shocked but also predicted you would pull something like this.

When you got on your knees, so did he as you both proposed to each other.

He swears he proposed first to everyone but you recall the entire story to everyone and anyone

◇──◇────◇────◇────◇────◇

Alex Keller

Literally couldn’t comprehend what the fuck was happening

He was happy, don’t get him wrong, but he was planning to propose

Get off your knees! He already has a ring, you stole his moment!

He’d joke about it for second but would eventually cave and allow you to put the ring on his finger

Still his favorite story to tell people

◇──◇────◇────◇────◇────◇

John Price

Had it all planned out, then you went and did it yourself

John was obviously shocked as he hadn’t prepared for something like this

It was actually kind of endearing though

He was afraid he might fumble on his words since he had a whole speech planned about how you were his everything, but I guess it can wait until your wedding day

◇──◇────◇────◇────◇────◇

Johnny 'Soap' Mactavish

Wouldn’t stop making terrible jokes throughout your date so you decided to pull that on him

He immediately shut up when you got down on one knee, pulled out a ring and said “Johnny, shut the fuck up and marry me”

The silence was deadly after that before a smirk curled on his lips

Oh god.

“Didnae ken my jokes were so good ye were gonnae ask me to marry you!”

Never mind, Johnny, forget I even said anything.

◇──◇────◇────◇────◇────◇

Kyle 'Gaz' Garrick

Say what now?

Probably oblivious for the first half of your proposal

Thought you were just tying your shoe when you got on your knee so he didn’t think much of it.

Then you called his name, pulled out a ring and asked him to marry you

Literally choked on whatever he was eating or drinking out of shock because it was so out of the blue. He just assumed it was a regular date you were taking him on.

Once he calmed down and caught his breath he immediately tackled you to the floor with a kiss and said, “I was afraid you didn’t know how to ask!”

◇──◇────◇────◇────◇────◇

König

You guys weren’t married already?

Seriously thought that after 2 years of being together, moving in and adopting a cat(or any animal of your choice), you guys were already at least engaged

But then you officially asked, and a look of confusion appeared on his face

“We aren’t married?”

His confusion made you laugh, and his face was red with embarrassment as he thought back to all your moments together and trying to determine when that mindset came to him

◇──◇────◇────◇────◇────◇

Mace

It’s funny you’re trying to propose

The second you get on your knee and pull out a ring he stands you back up, takes the ring from you and gets on his knee himself

You would have laughed if you weren't so confused, but Mace wanted to do this proper, he wanted to be the one to propose

Once he explained you did eventually allow yourself to let out a giggle before letting out a “Yes, I will marry you!” And allowing you to place the ring on him like you wanted

◇──◇────◇────◇────◇────◇

Simon 'Ghost' Riley

“What.. are you doing?”

Is very perplexed by the situation

He gives you a look that almost seems like he didn’t want to wed, but when you got up and apologized he stopped you and brought you back down.

“No. I want to get married, I just.. was planning on doin’ this myself.”

He slipped his left glove off and handed his hand to you, saying nothing but giving you a silent yes as you slipped the ring on him.

Either never wore that glove again, wore the ring over the glove, or put the ring on a necklace so you were close to his heart

◇──◇────◇────◇────◇────◇

A/N: So proud of myself for learning how to make gradient text.

[felixcloud6288]

Dungeon Meshi Adventurer's Bible Monsters Part 2

Mammalia (Part 2), Aves, Avespoda, Pisces, Amphibia, and Reptilia

Kelpie

Kelpies are between .73 and .86 Laios's tall.

Since it's classified as a mammal, that means this is a horse that adapted to aquatic life and it is not a fish that looks like a horse. Along with the obvious adaptation of growing a tail that can be used to swim, the loss of its mane and its carnivorous diet might also be adaptations. A mane would probably cause a lot of drag in the water. Waterweed grows in its place, but that is likely less of an issue since waterweed is already adapted to living in water currents. The waterweed might also attract prey. Meanwhile, switching to a carnivorous diet would allow a kelpie to expand its habitat beyond just locations with vegetation.

The bible states they aren't fast swimmers. And considering their tactic of luring land-prey into the water for an easy kill, I propose that the kelpie evolved to fill the ecological niche normally filled by crocodilians. It waits near the edge of large bodies of water for a land animal to approach and then drags them into the water. It might forcibly drag prey into the water if it thinks it can do so without issue, but for adventurers, it's easier to lure them in instead.

Bicorn

Bicorns are between .86 and 1.03 Laios's tall.

I'm sticking with my idea that its preference to depravity and infidelity is false and it came from people associating its ability to neutralize unicorn horns with cultural connotations of moral and sexual impurity.

The only reason I can think of for why a bicorn would have the power to neutralize a unicorn's power is it was a competitive adaptation. I'm going to assume bicorns can tolerate drinking dirty water but unicorns cannot. If a unicorn is in the area, it can purify a water source with its horn before drinking it. But if a bicorn can neutralize the unicorn's power, the unicorn will be forced to move somewhere with cleaner water.

If the above is true, this would probably mean bicorns prefer swamplands.

Unicorn

Unicorns are between .81 and .92 Laios's tall.

We didn't see unicorns in their natural habitats or displaying their natural personalities during the story. The bible says they have savage personalities but get attached to pure young women. I want to note that we never saw a unicorn eating so there is the possibility that it is also carnivorous.

Flying Pig

Flying pigs are .32 Laios's tall.

This entry was added in the Complete edition. There's a typo in the English name. It's called "flyng pig".

The bible says it was made by Marcille's vague knowledge. In other words, it's not a naturally occurring monster; it's something Marcille created. If that's true, then that could potentially apply to other monsters as well. Maybe monsters didn't evolve naturally but were the created by the demons from the dungeon lords' imaginations and they continue to exist because they remain in the human conscious through mythology, stories, and idioms.

If so, then you can throw away everything I have speculated about these monsters because none of it is bound to anything in reality. That's a disappointing scenario to consider.

Werewolf

Werewolves are 1.24 Laios's tall. They're also 60 cm taller than Lycion.

Another entry added to the Complete Edition.

I decided to compare some kanji just because the translation says it's a type of beast-man. Izutsumi and Lycion's beastman race is denoted as "獣人" which translates roughly to "beast person". I found that in the same sentence of the werewolf description so I guess werewolves do count as natural beast-men.

Beast-men are one of those things we learn so little of in the story. It's another effect of Dungeon Meshi focusing itself to just the island dungeon and whatever is directly relevant to what is happening. We only know beast-men exist because one of the main characters is an artificial beast-man, but we don't know anything about natural beast-men because it's not necessary to the plot.

Jackalope

Jackalopes are .22 Laios's tall.

Another entry added to the Complete Edition.

The jackalope's description doesn't say anything about it coming from Marcille's imagination. Namari was the one who identified it in MMT12, so they probably come from the eastern continent.

Phoenix

Phoenixes are between .49 and .59 Laios's tall.

The phoenix's habitat is blank. The dungeon rabbits had a habitat so it's not because Thistle's house is outside the dungeon boundaries. Maybe instead of being a dungeon resident, it was specifically summoned to protect Thistle's house from intruders. Mithrun's dungeon also had phoenixes.

Depending on how its resurrection power works, the phoenix might not need food. It can just immolate itself and resurrect from the ashes.

Harpy

Harpies are between .65 and .76 Laios's tall.

The MMT entry on harpies stressed that the human-like features are entirely coincidental. There's a bit of detail about harpies having strong maternal instincts, but I'd like to know if there are male harpies and if they're involved in raising young. Harpies are nesting birds and seem similar in behaviour to other birds that typically form monogamous mating pairs. And it's not like the face and breasts are supposed to denote them as female. The breasts are actually a bald patch to hold their eggs and chicks. If male harpies share nest-sitting duties, they could also have that patch.

Hippogriff

Hippogriffs are between .86 and 1.14 Laios's tall.

The bible explicitly says hippogriffs are related to horses and take interest in them as mates. Does mean the hippogriff origin story about them being a cross-breed between griffins and horses is true in this world?

It attacked the party by jumping into the middle of their group and then grabbed Senshi when he ran away. It's a common tactic used by predators. However, it did this when it was turned into a griffin and we've seen from Kobold Izutsumi that being transformed can alter an animal's instincts.

Assuming the hippogriff isn't strictly carnivorous, it may have attacked the party (possibly because Kabru and Mithrun raided its nest the day before), but then grabbed Senshi because of griffin instinct and then had no idea what to do with him when it got to its nest.

The one that attacked Gillan's team might indicate that hippogriffs are naturally territorial, but it could also just have been because it became aggressive when it tried to approach their horse.

I also want to point out that the hippogriff that attacked the first floor targeted Namari, so maybe hippogriffs just don't like dwarfs.

Griffin

Griffins are between .97 and 1.19 Laios's tall.

The party doesn't encounter an actual griffin, and Marcille said she'd never heard of griffin sightings in the dungeon.

Its biography implies that griffins exist outside of dungeons as well since it will attack human settlements to steal horses. I wonder if they also eat unicorns, bicorns, and kelpies. The bird half is based on an eagle and eagles will dive into the water to catch fish, so maybe it does the same to kelpies.

The English translation has an error in it. It classifies griffins as mammalia rather than avespoda.

Fish-man

Fish-men are between .70 and .86 Laios's tall.

Fun fact: The kanji for mermaid is 人魚 (Person, fish). Meanwhile the kanji for fishman is 魚人 (fish, person).

I would assume the fishmen put waterweed in their hair to better protect their eggs that they put on the waterweeds. It might also help camouflage them.

The fishmen who ambushed Kabru's party all wielded finely crafted and identical tridents so most explanations I could come up with other than they built the tridents themselves fall apart. Granted, there's probably some plant or animal they use to craft them because I don't think it's possible to forge the trident heads underwater. Or maybe there's just some magically respawning weapon stockpile under the water. The fourth floor is a flooded sector of the castle afterall.

Giant Frog

Giant frogs are between .70 and .86 Laios's tall.

Its color pattern is the same as a clownfish. Maybe it shares a similar mutualistic relation with tentacles. The frog gets protection and feeds on the tentacles' food scraps. Meanwhile the tentacles feed on their droppings and the frog protects the tentacles from parasites and predators.

This was the first monster that demonstrated an adaptive intelligence in battle. Each time someone in the party used a weapon, the frogs noted what they did and purposely removed those weapons.

We didn't see whether the frog suits were still useful several days later so we don't know how long their protection against tentacles would last. It would be worthwhile to study their mucus to make a skin cream to protect adventurers against tentacle stings.

Sea Serpent

Sea serpents are between 10.81 and 16.21 Laios's long.

Sea snakes are a real thing, and they are highly venomous. I can't find anything saying they also constrict prey too. Sea serpents are way bigger than krakens and they also hunt whales. They probably also hunt krakens as well.

I've mentioned that part of the issue Kabru's party had was the dungeon was responding to their strong desire to conquer it. Laios's party faced off against a kraken which was powerful, but Kabru's team encountered something bigger, deadlier, and that could eat and perma-kill them.

I wonder if there are scavenger fish in the fourth floor. Because something has to clean up a dead sea serpent's corpse. I'd like to see what a sea serpent fall looks like.

Coatl

The coatl is 1621.62 Laios's long.

The Japanese uses the full name quetzacoatl. Quetzacoatl is an Aztec diety whose domain is light, life, wisdom, and wind. He had a human form but could also turn into a feathered serpent.

As we can see from the image, a natural coatl doesn't have floral patterns. In fact, the flowers on the coatl were probably caused by giant flowers being embedded under its skin.

There are a lot of ways Laios and Marcille are parallels to each other and the coatl acts like Marcille's response to Laios's ultimate monster. It's a bigger, more powerful version of her sky fish familiar. Like Laios's ultimate monster, the coatl is based on Marcille's design for an ideal monster, but she prioritized sleekness and beauty. It's still one of the most dangerous monsters in the story and the party was fortunate that it was never aggressive to them.

I know it's for the best, but I'm still bummed out that it got killed.

back

[gabrielsbubblegumbitch]

Adding to the “Velvette is the glue of the Vees” convo (and possible slightly out of character interpretation)

I feel like Vox and Valentino definitely need somebody to confide in other than a fuck-buddy y’know?

Like just a (somewhat) stable friend or business partner no sex involved

…Who they’ll sometimes cuddle on the couch with and bitch about their day to each other

I hc Velvette in all her independent girlboss glory can grow clingy towards those she’s attached herself to - that being Vox and Valentino

Say Vox and Val have an argument Velvette wasn’t around for, so they’re both pissed at each other - Velvette comes to their little shared common space, completely drained from work and drapes herself over whoever is there

Valentino; will immediately start bitching to her but also scoop her up and plop on the couch, maybe get some snacks and drinks as they both recharge

Vox; stays quiet - doesn’t like talking after an argument but will do something similar, maybe go into his office instead to stalk someone while having Velvette in his lap. Velvette is just there doom scrolling on her phone or taking a nap while Vox rubs her back

Whoever Velvette runs into first - she can sense the argument happened. So once she’s recharged and taken care of herself - she’ll text them something stupid like “Can’t sleep. Come here. Now.” without telling Vox or Valentino that the other one will be there - both of them go in her room and are - pissed lol

(Think of that Spongebob episode where Squidward tries to make Patrick and SpongeBob be friends again 💀)

But yeah uhmmm Velvette’s gonna 1. Address the issue directly 2. Force both Vox and Valentino to sleep with her bc she’s too tired to deal with them but will force them into the awkward situation cause she wants the entertainment

If scenario 2 happens Velvette is obviously sandwiched in between Vox and Valentino while they stare at each other angrily. Whoever speaks way too loud first gets punched by Velvette (happens multiple times) so they’re forced to quietly “discuss their issues” while Velvette is playing dumb and pretending to sleep - eventually things do work out and they all fall asleep

I don’t even know where I was going with this it’s incredibly disorganized I just like ranting about the Vees help - love silly Velvette headcanons where she’s the one who’s in control I guess lol

I totally agree with like half of what you've written - with the part taht Vox and Valentino both need someone to confide with. None of them has a lot of opportunities to be just comfortable with another person. Sure they have each other but romantic relatisohips are often more "loaded" than frienships and while they can grant deeper connection, they also generate greater tension. That's why lifelong frienships are way more common than lifelong romances.

But I don't find the idea of Velvette's infantilization appealing, sorry. She strikes me as a person who craves to be feared and respected, to the level that it feels almost like overcompesating for her young age (compared to other Overlords) and non-threatening form. I don't see why would she allow anyone, even her friends to treat her like a plushie. Especially when those friends are power hungry maniacs who nutoriously prey on people they see as weaker.

That doesn't mean I think your headcanon is wrong or bad. It just doesn't allign with my own interpretation. Which is perfectly fine, they can't even be compared in their accuracy in relation to canon because we barely have any canon. So please, don't take it personally - I love you have fun with your ideas, that's the most important part of fandom <3

[e1i-neverrests]

A Rowdy Raven And A Daring Dog

A silly lighthearted drabble for Vesuvia Weekly prompt “Date With Disaster” featuring Lys, Julian, and a little bit of Asra! Takes place post-main game. Alternatively titled “Two idiots walk into a bar”

A/N: The date itself was platonic, because who doesn't like taking your friends out for a few drinks? (I wouldn't know, I'm not allowed to drink yet)

May get a drawing, we’ll have to see

“What in the world happened to you two?” Asra asks in utter bafflement at the state of his friend and lover, the latter being unceremoniously dropped from the former’s arms and onto the doorstep. One is covered in dirt, the other sustaining a few bruises, and both entirely too drunk.

“Nothing the palace can prove!” Julian pipes up just a bit too loud, his usual roguish grin more askew than it ought to be. The sober magician just stares incredulously. “Is that meant to be reassuring..?”

“No no no, here, if you really want to know, it all starts,,, okay, just- just listen- it all…” The other magician interjecting from his spot on the floor, trailing off as he tries to support himself against the doorframe and hauling himself upright.

Julian interjects Lys’ interjection with his own less slurred speech, jumping into his explanation. “What he means to say is it all started earlier this very eve!”

[OooOoo flashback SFX]

Lys and Julian enter the Rowdy Raven, a sea of unfamiliar and unfriendly faces swivel towards them. Immediately, a pair of dastardly ne'er do wells come up and-

“That’s not what happened, don't listen to him!” Lys sways on his feet, now holding onto the Doctor instead of the door. He pats his hand on the taller man's cheek. “This… This malpracticing fiend embellishes far too much. Here, let- lemme tell you instead!” “Hey, I do not commit malpractice!”

[oOoooO more flashback SFX]

The two walk into the Rowdy Raven, a few of the regulars immediately recognising Julian. They beckon the pair over, immediately posing a challenge. “20 coins says the short one drinks you under the table!” “I'll bet 5 on the magician!” “No way, Devorak will win for sure! 50 coins!”

Never one to back down from a friendly competition, Lys is happy to take the bet. Julian, confident in his own abilities, is also on-board. Soon the whole tavern is circled around the bar, bets placed and breaths held. The count-down begins, and they're off!

“None other than yours truly came out victorious.” Julian beams, as though this were an achievement to be proud of. “Uh huh, but at what cost?” Lys cuts in, snickering. “People were upset I lost —apparently a lot of them bet on me?— so a fight broke out.”

“Those fiends attacked me for winning! The scoundrels! Dare I say… The audacity!” The doctor brings a hand to his chest, turning his head away as if he couldn't bear the memory of it.“That part is true, mhm. Buut, dear Devorak here forgot the most important part where-”

“Where a dashing magician swooped to my rescue!” Julian interrupts, his eye somehow sparkling at the heroic memory. The magician in question just rolls his eyes. “I… Well, I guess, technically yes. But after that, I was having trouble walking and fell, but we… we’re- were being chased, so he picked me up, and, well, uh, here we are!”

Asra cannot believe what they've heard. Actually, no, they entirely believe it, they just wish they didn't. But it sounds like they had fun, and that's what matters most. “So long as you're both okay now. Just… Remind me to never let you two go unsupervised for too long.”

Faust pokes her head out from Asra's collar, leveling herself with Julian. Squeeze? She tilts her head in request. Except, as soon as he sees her purple snake self, he's backing away from the door and out of Lys' reach. Which does cause the shorter man to stumble with his main support being yanked away

“I believe that's my cue! Farewell, friends!” The drunken doctor bows dramatically as he walks backwards away from the shop, nearly tripping over himself in the process. He slips off into the night with as much grace as he can muster. The two magicians and one familiar watch him go with amusement.

“Bye bye Julian!!” Lys waves him off, then turns to his white haired companion, currently holding him upright. “And… Hello you.”

“Hello to you too, sweetheart. Let's get you cleaned up, yeah?”