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xetlynn · 8 months ago

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JJK Imagines- Saturo Gojo

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⚠️Warning🔞: SMUT (My first time writing it so... sorry if it's not the best) Summary: You’re a sharp tongued woman who doesn’t put up with Gojo’s flirting…

[jjk] [main page]

Contains: afab, unprotected sex, creampie, multiple orgasms, f!recieving oral.

I make my way to meet with Principal Yaga. Gojo is supposed to be there as well but I doubt it due to him just getting back from a mission and that usually means he makes some sort of excuse to miss it.

I entered the room, I’m surprised to actually see Gojo sitting there with Principal Yaga. Both of them look up to me. “Surprised to see me? Hm~” The white haired idiot asks with a smile on his face. I rolled my eyes, sitting on the other side of the table as Yaga was in between us. “What’s the meaning of this?” I immediately questioned, avoiding the area of the teacher who was trying to get my attention.

“There’s a mission in Osaka that needs to be taken care of. Needs two sorcerers to take care of this mess.” Yaga explains, I take in a sharp breath. He knows how I feel about leaving my students. “How long will this take, do you estimate?” I furrow my brows.

“About three days, depending on how you two work together.” He answers, I glance over to my coworker who gives me a small wave. My expression drops even further than it already has. “This is going to take a week.” I stand up, slamming my hand on the table. “Oh, be excited [Name]! You get to work with the strongest! It will take two days I guarantee.” Gojo says after me as I walk away. “You leave tonight!” Yaga shouts loud enough for us to hear.

“I know how much you hate being away from our precious children.” He clasps his hands together striding behind me as I fume with anger. Being stuck with this man for longer than an hour is enough torture for me. “Our students.” I corrected him, “they’re doing amazing. I believe they will be okay without us for a week.” I turn the corner.

“You keep saying a week I think that’s the amount of time you want to spend with me.” He snickers, attempting to lean on me but I punch him in his gut. His infinity stopped me from actually touching him though. Only causing him to laugh even more. “You always try that. Always fail.” He teases me.

“You’re very irritating, Gojo.” I open the door to a lounge, going to sit on the first chair I see. “Mm, I think you secretly enjoy my presence.” He heads over to the fridge, pulling the door open. “In your dreams.” I mutter, I take my phone out to see a message from Shoko. “You do seem to have made a habitat in my mind whilst I sleep.” He picks up something from the bottom shelf of the fridge. Walking over to sit in front of me.

Later in the night Gojo and I stand in front of the school, and Ichiji pulls up, rolling his window down. “Why doesn’t Gojo use his Blue to get to Osaka?” He questions as the both of us throw our bags in the passenger seat since they were only backpacks. “Because he has to be up my ass whenever he can and I don’t like the feeling of being teleported.” I spit out, climbing into the back seat of the car. Gojo follows right behind me.

“I would love to be-”

“Don’t finish that sentence if you know what’s good for you, Gojo Saturo.” I point a finger in his face, clicking my seatbelt on and Ichiji begins to drive. “No need to get hostile, beautiful.” He compliments sweetly, also clicking his seatbelt on.

“Shut up.” I tell him, adjusting myself so I’m facing the window, leaning my head on my hand to fall asleep comfortably but also making sure I get nowhere near the man beside me.

As I keep my eyes shut I finally fall asleep after twenty minutes of being on the road.

When we got to our destination I woke up to Gojo’s hand in the middle of the seats. I glare down at it. It looks like it was expecting to be held. I then look up to him already facing me with a smile. “Was my hand tempting you, beautiful?” He lifts his hand up, wiggling his fingers. “Almost as tempting as punching you in the face.” I got out of the car not before thanking Ichiji. He hands me my bag in response with a short nod.

We were standing in front of a hotel. “I hope they only gave us one bed. How romantic would that be?” Gojo nudges me and I give him an angry expression. “You would sleep on the floor.” I pushed him away from me, surprisingly his infinity was off. We head inside, a lady sitting at the front desk with a bored look on her face.

“Reservation for Gojo and [Last Name].” I give her a polite smile. She looks up to me with the same bored expression. “Hm?” She then eyes me up and down then over to Gojo. I watch as her body language shifts. A grin now on her face, posture straighter and I immediately drop my smile. Sighing.

“What did you say your reservation name was, sir?” She motions for Gojo to answer. His face contorts at first. “I didn’t say anything.” He tells her. He kind of shocked me with his response. Normally he’d soak up any type of attention he got from a woman.

“She did though, didn’t you, beautiful?” He places a hand on my back. I scrunch my nose in disgust. “Gojo and [Last Name].” I grumble out, shimmying away from his touch. “Oh, sorry ma’am.” She types away on her computer. “Ah, room 404. Here you are.” She hands me the keycard. “Thanks.” I take it, walking away now with an attitude because of whatever that interaction was.

“Ouu fourth floor! Hopefully we have a balcony.” Gojo excitedly says, pressing the button for the elevator. “We’re only here to sleep.” I remind him. “Ah, I don’t need much sleep so it’d be nice to have the balcony while you sleep. Unless you want me in the room. I wouldn’t mind either actually. Both would have nice views!” He exclaims as we enter the elevator, he presses the button with a 4 on it.

“I hope we have a balcony.” I mumble under my breath, I hear him quietly laugh to himself. “Glad we can agree.” He says. The elevator dings and we exit. Our room was only two doors down. Not much walking.

I swipe the keycard and open the door. I smile at the sight. Two beds. “Thank you, Yaga.” I put my hands together happily. “Awe man.” Gojo throws his bag on his bed as I jump on mine. “At least you got your balcony.” I motion to the tiny balcony that could only fit two people standing up. “This sucks. I’m going down there and getting us a better room asap.” He grumbles, and I laugh.

“Oh calm down you baby, I made it look smaller than it was.” I snap my fingers and the balcony grows to its actual width. “That was not nice, beautiful.” He wiggles his finger in disapprovement. “Wasn’t meant to be.” I shrug my shoulders before digging into my backpack. “I’m going to take a shower, don't do anything stupid.” I take my pajamas out and head to the bathroom. “Don’t take too long! I’ll miss you!” He calls after me, I flip him off before entering the room.

I shut the door behind me and set my stuff down. I let out a huff, this is going to be a long mission. I can feel it. I turn the water on and stare at it, watching it until I see steam so I can then take my clothes off. I throw the dirty clothes in the corner before getting in the shower.

It was a quick shower, somehow I feel tired all over again even though I just slept five to six hours in the car.

I get dressed into a sweater and go to pick up my underwear but I don’t see it in my little pile. I glance around the bathroom hoping I dropped it in here. “Shit.” I whisper. Hopefully I left it in my bag and didn’t drop it out there. I slip my shorts on and pick up my dirty clothes to put it in a plastic bag I have in my backpack. I swung open the door and Gojo was standing there with my panties in his hand. A large grin plastered on his face.

I squeeze my eyes shut, groaning in embarrassment. “Forgot something, hm?” He dangles it in front of my face and I glare at him. “You’re not funny.” I go to snatch it but he lifts it up higher. “They seem to be brand new, never worn before?” He observes the light pink cotton panties. “Gojo, please.” I reach to grab them again but he just lifts it up once again.

“Answer my question.” He sticks his tongue in between his teeth, genuinely waiting. I give him an “are you serious?” look and he just nods his head.

“I- No, I’ve worn them a few times.” My face heats up, I push past him and put my dirty clothes on my bed. “Can I just have them, please.” I stick my hand out but he shrugs his shoulders. “How badly do you want them, beautiful?” He asks.

“Gojo, this isn’t funny.” I walk over to him attempting to jump up and grab them. “You’re going to have to try a little harderrr~” He snickers. I only brought one other pair because I figured I could use a washing machine if we needed to stay longer. And that was my one other pair.

I get on top of the bed and go to snatch it since I was higher up but it only causes him to pick me up.

As a reflex I wrap my legs around his waist still trying to grab the stupid pair of underwear. “Beautiful if you wanted me to carry you I would’ve done so.” He continues to tease me and I just roll my eyes in response. “I can’t believe I’m feeding into your fantasies you pervert.” I finally grab the pair of underwear and I hold it tight in my hand so he can’t snatch it back.

“Got them.” I grunt, unwrapping my legs and jumping down. His hand was on my back to steady me. I looked up at him and his blindfold was down to his neck now. I didn’t even realize that it fell. “That was unnecessary.” I shove him but he barely moves. “Mm, to you.” He steps closer to me. “I would love to see you in those pink little panties.” He whispers as he looks down at me.

“I’m sure you do.” I whisper back, not looking away from him.

“You’re not wearing panties at all right now are you?” He questions, his eyes traveling down to my legs. My shorts were hidden under my large sweater. “That’s none of your business.” I avoid the stupid question.

“I got my answer.” He snickers, I didn’t even realize how close he was. His nose inches from my own. I’ve never thought of Gojo this way. I mean he just played around with my own underwear from me. I should be wanting to kill him. But I can feel my own arousal…

I pressed my thighs together to get some sort of friction as Gojo Saturo, the man I hated, was staring me down. “Let me help you with your… little problem.” He hesitantly places his hand on my hip, when he sees I’m not going to stop him he gently lifts my sweater up so he can feel my skin. His fingers are squeezing at my flesh. I subtly gasp at the coldness of his fingertips.

“Are you going to stop me?” He tilted his head, his voice was sultry and smooth. A different tone from what I’m used to. I avoid eye contact, shaking my head ‘no.’

His other hand lifts up to my face, his fingers grabbing my chin, forcing me to look back up to him. “I need an answer, beautiful. With words.” He orders.

“Just fucking touch me, Gojo.” I tell him through grinding teeth, not believing that left my mouth. He licks his lips with a smile, his hands pushing me to the bed. “Saturo, don’t call me Gojo during this.” He then finally closes the distance between us by kissing my lips. He guides me further on the bed so he can kneel on the edge, not unlocking our kiss doing so.

His hands grip onto my hips, pulling me as close as possible to him.

After what felt like hours of making out he pulls away, he roughly takes his shirt off, throwing it on the ground. I then do the same thing, just wanting this to happen sooner.

“No bra either? I’m starting to think you left your panties on the ground on purpose~” He satirized me, his hands immediately found my boobs, his mouth on mine once again. “So soft.” He whines in between kisses.

He then kisses the corner of my mouth, going down to my neck. “I’m going to make you feel so good you’ll never have a mean thing to say ever again.” He promises, I let out a shaky breath feeling his lips kiss in between my breasts, trailing all the way down to my shorts. “Let’s see what’s down here.” He smiles to himself, tapping my thighs indicating that I need to lift up. I do so and he yanks my shorts off abruptly. I let out a small yelp due to the coldness hitting me down there. My legs were spread since he was in between them. Giving him an automatic view of my pussy.

“It’s prettier than I ever imagined.” He cooed, his left hand was holding onto my thigh as he got closer down. His stomach now on the bed. His face inches from my core. His other hand traced around my pussy, teasing me. My hole clenching around nothing, waiting for some sort of action. “Oh, you gotta be patient [Name]... I’ve been wanting this for a long, long time.” He bites his lips, admiring me from down there. I hide my face in my hands. “Shut up.” I pull a pillow to me to put my head on it. “Don’t be shy now.” He chuckles, before I even get myself fully situated I feel his lips connected to my clit.

My leg jerks from the sudden contact and his hand grabs my ankle to keep it still. He plants kisses on my sweet spot. “You’re soaking already.” He enthusiastically mutters, his tongue now diving in. I instinctively grab his hair in response. “Go- Saturo…” I moaned out.

He begins to suck at my clit, his little whimpers he let out vibrating causing even more pleasure for me. I hump my hips into his mouth as he practically makes out with my cunt.

My fingers massage into his scalp, taking ahold a handful of hair. Tugging on it as he gets faster. “Saturo, please.. Please keep going, keep going!” I beg, throwing my head back. I heard him mumble something but I couldn’t make it out.

Then I feel two digits enter my soaking, lonesome hole as his tongue plays with my bud. His fingers begin to scissor inside of me, going in and out whilst stretching me out. “Don’t stop, I’m almost there!” I squeal out, not able to say it any other way. My other hand found his hair. I attempt to bring him closer, grinding myself on his face.

“I’m almost there, i’m almost there!” I cry, tears actually brimming my eyes. He hums out loud as his fingers get faster. His head moved side to side, his nose adding extra satisfaction. I feel him try to lift his head but I push him back.

His laugh muffled as he does what I want him to do. My tummy tightens and I feel like I’m about to explode. “Oh I’m cu- cumming! I’m cumming!” I call out senselessly. My hips roll, riding out my orgasm. He pulls his head back but still fingering me, making it even more intense than there being nothing. “Did that feel good, beautiful?” His fingers stop their movement but don’t leave my pussy, his palm now laying on my clit as he comes up to kiss me.

“Taste yourself? Taste that?” He sloppily makes out with me. “Hm?”

“Mhm.” I tiredly respond, feeling slightly fucked out already and it was only the beginning. “I want you to taste how amazing you are.” He pulls his fingers that were once in my cunt up to my lips. “Suck them.” He demands, tracing his fingers around my lips before shoving them into my mouth. My tongue wraps around them and I begin to slurp up my own juices. My eyes never leave his.

His pupils dilated to where I could barely see the bright blinding blue. “What a sight.” He grins, taking his fingers away with a pop after exiting my mouth. “I need to be inside you.” He groans, he gets off the bed to shove his pants off impatiently. I observe him as my hands go to my boobs, my fingers toying with my nipples.

His dick springs out once his boxers go down with his pants, I notice the pre-cum already oozing out making the redness of his tip more prominent. I bite my lip as my mouth waters at the sight. “Like what you see?” Saturo winks, I roll my eyes. “I got so into eating you out I didn’t even notice my blindfold.” He laughs at himself, taking his blindfold off from it being around his neck. “It got some of your juices on it.” He pouts, throwing it on top of his pants. “What a messy girl.” He crawls back on the bed and in between my legs.

I look away embarrassed but he grips my jaw, making me look back at him. “I want you to watch me fuck your little pretty pussy.” He commands, letting my face go to smack my thighs open even more for him. “Just look at that.”

He takes his cock into his hand, smacking it on my clit. I jolt since I was still sensitive from the orgasm I just had. “I need you to watch, remember beautiful.” His hand goes to the back of my neck lifting me to get a better look at his thick mushroom tip entering my desperate hole.

“You’re taking too long.” I complain, wiggling down for him to fill me up.

“Oh yeah? Too needy for this cock huh?” His hand drops my neck and goes to my hip along with his other one. “Yes, please. Come on, idiot.” I frown. “Back to those mean names, beautiful? They really hurt my feelings, you know.” Then before I could spit back he thrusts forward, now fully sheathed into me. I yelp in response, grabbing onto his hands.

“I really have to dick you down senseless just to be nice to me?” He pulls back to where his cock is almost out of me. “I- Fuck you.” I spew out. “That’s what I’m about to do, beautiful.” He harshly thrusts back into me, now keeping a steady pace.

“Have anything to say now, meanie?” He huffs, squeezing my hips to bring them close to him as he’s already maliciously bullying my walls. His tip repeatedly hit that perfect g-spot in the back. All he gets in response is a dumb-ified set of moans that get knocked out from the rough hits.

Skin to skin loudly smacking. Almost sounding like it’s echoing in this hotel room.

I feel stupid with how I couldn’t respond to him. My hands finding their way to his sides, clawing at them from how intense everything feels.

“I- I’m clo-se! Harder!” I wrap my legs around his waist.

I close my eyes, taking in the feeling that’s in my stomach once again but before I get there I feel emptiness in my core. My eyes shoot open. “Wha- Why’d you do that?” I angrily ask him. He laughs, picking me up. “Turn around.” He does a little spin with his finger. I get onto my knees, my ass touching the heels of my feet.

“Say please.” I cross my arms, not liking the way he just talked to me. “Beautiful if you want to feel that orgasm, do as said.” He glances to the spot in the bed of where he wants me. “Say please first.” I argue with him. “Don’t make me force you now.” He pouts, but when I don’t move he sighs.

Seconds later his hands grab my waist, moving where I was to then shove my torso down leaving my ass in the air. His hand travels to my head, pushing it even further into the sheets as his dick re-enters my pussy. I let out a relieved moan.

It doesn’t last long when he begins pounding into me. His hand still pushing my face into the bed, his other grabbing my ass, playing with it like it was a fun toy.

My hand goes down to my clit, rubbing it so I can feel my orgasm. “Saturooo, faster.” I plead. “Faster? He repeats, I nod my head. “I need your words!” He sings.

“Fuck me faster!” I yell out, bringing my ass to meet his pelvis. He lets go of my head and smacks my ass, grabbing onto my hips to fuck me at an unfathomable pace. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.” I grip onto the sheet as I also rub my clit. “Almost there?”

“Mhm, keep going.” I fuck my ass back to meet him once again. He mutters out profanities, his thrusts getting sloppier. “I’m close to.” He tells me.

“Move your hand.” He swats my hand that was attached to my clit to replace it with his own getting me closer. “Fuck!” I cry out, arching my back when I feel all the little butterflies in my stomach erupt wildly. I hear my pussy squelch loudly. “Where do you want my cum?” He grunts, as his takes his fingers back from my clit. His dick still pumping in and out of me. “Inside,” I murmur, tucking my thighs together making it tighter for him. “Shit.” He whimpers.

“I’ll give it all to you.” He humps into me at a quick pace once again. I cry out, feeling another orgasm coming. “Gonna fill this pussy to the brim.”

“You want that don’t you? You want Saturo Gojo’s cum filled deep inside that cunt.” He says, never relenting. “I wa-want it, give it to mee~”

“Yeah, here, here ohmygoddd~” His hips connect to my ass, grabbing my hips to pull me as close as possible so his load travels deep inside me. I wiggle my hips to feel his cock massage around my walls. “Fuck, beautiful…” He hovers over me, grabbing my neck to pull me in for a messy kiss before slowly slipping out of me.

I feel a mixture of our cum spilling out of my cunt. He pulls away to watch it. I turn my head to see his expression. He then takes the cum and pushes it back into my hole.

I lay my legs down so he can’t see it anymore. “Awe, got shy again?” He giggles, wiping some of the cum onto my ass. “You’re so weird.” I mumble into the bed, feeling my eyes get heavy. “Let me clean you up before you go to sleep, [Name].” He gets up off of the bed. I hear him in the bathroom and the sink water turns on for a few moments and then he comes back. “Lift your hips, beautiful.” He taps my ass. I lay there for a moment wondering if I should be a smart ass or not but he beats me to it when he says “please.”

I smirk, doing as he told me to and he cleans the cum up with a wet rag before cleaning himself and throwing the cum rag on the ground. I flinch in disgust.

I tiredly sit up as he puts his boxers back on before laying down on the bed. I lay on top of him, pulling the covers over us. “Not even going to get dressed in those pink panties?” He says coyly. “Shhh.” I put my finger to his lips, I feel him kiss it as I doze off.

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ghoulfuckersincorporated · 1 year ago

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So, in addition to a preview of the Norm one-shot, I've got this look at part one of a long-form two-shot that's been sitting in my drafts since I was about halfway through my first run of the show. I have a (now quite old) ask that fit the vibe of it perfectly, and I've been whittling away at it when the inspiration strikes. I still have quite a bit of work to do on it, including edits, as I'm predicting a final length between 13k-15k words. Could end up more, as I'm really terrible at this sort of estimation, but I wanted to let everyone know I'm still hard at work in the smut mines even if posts have been light lately. Please enjoy a preview from this upcoming Cooper Howard/The Ghoul piece:

Faim Pour Deux

Pairing: Cooper Howard/The Ghoul x Female Reader

Warnings: smut (18+), angst, drug use, jealousy, mild violence, age gap, sexually rusty old men, amateurish strip teases, nipple play, fingering, dry humping, reader not-so-subtly trying to tempt Cooper to fuck her until he snaps.

"Why don't you get a little more comfortable, darlin'?" Cooper asked, his tone brighter now, a step closer to the normal, cocky timbre you'd known him to have, but still soft as the patter of the rain on the dilapidated roof as he gestured to your unzipped vault suit. "Hop up and take that off for me."

You didn't hesitate to follow his instructions, though you struggled to figure out how to back up off of his lap as your feet dangled off the floor. Cooper offered no assistance, sitting back to watch you slide yourself backwards towards his knees, your cleavage spilling out of your undershirt as you pushed yourself with your hands. Once you found your feet, cheeks already hot from your fumbling dismount, you toed out of your boots before clearing your throat, hands coming up to your navel to grab at the cool metal zipper where it hung, half-undone.

"Take a couple steps back so I can see all of you."

This command took you somewhat by surprise, but, again, you obeyed, double checking the floor behind you before taking two steps back, avoiding his eyes. Rethinking your approach, you grabbed your left sleeve by the wrist in your right hand, tugging it awkwardly to free your arm, jerking the tight material down over your sore bicep in a rather unsexy move before twisting to repeat the move on the right.

Twilight was quickly turning to night, and the few chem lamps you'd set up only provided enough light to see well a few feet in front of you. Shyly, you stole a quick glance his way, struggling to make out any details at this distance, save for the shape and slight glint of his flask as he lifted it to his mouth and took a long draw off of it. His entire upper body was almost completely shrouded in the deepening shadows, but you could see those eyes, sunken deep into that face, glittering darkly at you, trained on you.

"Slowly, now." came that rough voice once more, slightly muffled by the back of his hand passing over what remained of his lips. "Gimme a little show."

You felt your face instantly flame up twice as hot as it had been, your already fluttering heart shifting up another gear into a full-on thunder. You had no idea what he meant—undressing itself wasn't enough of a show? Were you supposed to sing and dance while you did it? Recite US Presidents?

A handful of heartbeats passed, and you realized you were hesitating, but the ghoul in the corner didn't say anything. Your focus shifted, warily, back to removing your remaining sleeve, choosing to work it down from the shoulder instead, this time, focusing on the "slowly" until you could figure out the "show" part. After a few moments, you'd worked the top half of the grimy vault suit down to your hips, letting the arms hang loose at your sides.

If Cooper objected to the way you were going about things, he kept quiet about it, which would be uncharacteristic. He sat, still staring at you, reclined back in the chair as he reached for something else on the table beside him. The familiar sound of a shaking Jet container filled the air as you grabbed the stained, barely-mended tank by the hem, peeling it over you head, leaving you in nothing but your now sad, ratty bra above the waist. The hiss of the canister buzzed down your spine as the material passed over your eyes, giving you goosebumps as you looked to him once more, feeling drawn to that gaze. Your hands moved back to your waist to push the garment the rest of the way down, brushing across your soft abdomen on the way.

The ghoul interrupted you, wordless, his mouth fixed in a sort of pucker as he held the hit of Jet deep in his lungs. He snapped quickly, sharply, his free hand raising up off of the scuffed chair arm, his sewn-on index finger pointed to the ceiling, drawing a series of tight, quick circles with it. You'd seen that gesture before, you realized, feeling that squirming feeling in your gut again. Quickly, you turned to face the door, your back now pointing at your companion.

The feeling of his intense stare still burned into your back, but knowing that, at least for a moment, he couldn't see your face, couldn't read every single thought and emotion off of your like he seemed to so often be able to, let you breathe slightly easier. The arousal that simmered between your thighs was rolling into a boil as you pushed your rear out, back towards him, bending forward ever-so-slightly at the waist as you slowly, slowly rolled the increasingly restricting suit down over your buttocks.

You could swear you heard him sigh in the dark.

Shimmying until the entire garment hit the floor, pooling around your ankles in a faint cloud of dust, you stepped out of it as delicately as possible, sliding it beside your bag with your foot. As you straightened back to your full height, you decided to turn and face him, making eye contact as he took another hit from the inhaler, setting it aside as he leaned back fully into the chair. He tilted his head sideways at you, studying you for a few quiet seconds.

"Let your hair down." he said, voice strained with exhalation.

It took a moment to wrestle your hair down from the old elastic that kept it out of your face, but when the tendrils tickled down your back at last, it made you shiver, your body tingling.

The old man was silent for several seconds, looking you up and down with an expression that was tough to decipher. You'd almost begun to worry that he didn't like what he was seeing before one of his hands snaked down from the arm rest into his lap, palming at his crotch visibly. The other hand extended towards you, that deadly trigger finger crooking towards you commandingly, his gaze never leaving you.

"C'mere, kiddo."

#cooper howard #the ghoul #cooper howard smut #cooper howard x reader #cooper howard x you #the ghoul smut #the ghoul x you #the ghoul x reader #fallout prime #fallout tv show #admin post

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bonefall · 1 year ago

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what are the main prey animals that Shadowclan eat in better bones? because in my rewrite, i can only find like 5 british marshland birds, the frogs like canon, and a common lizard, while the other clans have dozens of prey species. I don't think 7 prey species can feed 50 cats for the generations i need them to, yknow?

This is hard to find out because of the unfortunate reality that wetlands are an "unpopular" natural biome. It's hell out there. No one appreciates their local swamps and marshes </3

But I'M here, NUMBER 1 GOO FAN. Quickie on some of the most common species ShadowClan will be hunting, in an English wetland. 5 for your convenience.

Small intro/recap to BB!ShadowClan's food culture; For a mixture of several reasons, including early collaboration and trade with WindClan, living in an area heavily affected by seasonal changes, and cultural pride in being able to eat anything, ShadowClan has one of the most varied diets of any Clan. Mammals, fish, birds, if they can get their mouth on it, they will eat it.

(Yes. This means predators as well. Other Clans will avoid eating predators for culture and taste reasons. ShadowClan finds it offensive to just let good meat rot.)

The most important reason in that list must be stressed; winter is CRUEL to ShadowClan. The RiverClan river is a moving source of water which rarely completely ices over, most animals in ThunderClan don't hibernate, WindClan's rabbits are active in the snow. For most Clans, they will not feel the "bite" of winter until towards the end, when the prey populations crash. ShadowClan feels it immediately.

That's a problem because Prey Item Number 1 Will Surprise you. The most popular prey in ShadowClan is...

1: Ducks.

And with the most common species, mallards, at about 2 pounds on average (with males being slightly larger) you're looking at 5,442 calories each. Enough to feed 15 warriors for a day.

(Note: This estimate is low; actual value would probably be higher. This measurement is taken from this chart which measured whole carcasses and caloric value rounded from 5.9 to 6, and this particular duck was "dressed"-- so its organs, the most valuable part of the animal, were already removed.)

Ducks are SO valuable as prey it's hard to oversell them. They're huge, they're highly nutritious (thiamin, vitamin a, vitamin b, iron), and they're PACKED with fats. They also lay eggs, TONS of them, which ShadowClan will happily snatch from inattentive hens.

The problem with ducks is, they don't stick around in the winter. Mallards might stay if the weather is mild, but if the water starts freezing, they're a-leaving.

That means that right when ShadowClan needs them the most, they'll vanish. If the marsh freezes, which is VERY likely because it's stillwater, they can't access ANYTHING under the ice. So Prey Animal Number 2 ALSO becomes an issue;

2: Carp

Their size and weight varies immensely, but the european carp is a species that AVERAGES 6 - 15 pounds. Using our rough estimation numbers and only a 6 pound fish, that's 10,884 calories. That's a whole Clan fed, if it's rationed perfectly.

Many carp are larger and heavier than cats. Here is a picture of a human fisher with two 5-pound bass so you can get a feel for just how big fish are

The biggest problem with carp, aside from the fact that icy winter conditions will block access to catching them, is that their gallbladders are poisonous. Carp bile is the only dangerous type of bile Clan cats encounter (that I know about so far). When being eaten, Clan cats must take care to gut them gently and remove the organ without spilling toxic green slime everywhere.

(ShadowClan actually collects and uses this bile for other purposes. Dried and diluted, it can be used as a medicine for treating parasites, and wet and mixed into a poultice it can be used to dress wounds. If gargled, it can also dissolve and loosen stuck bones in the throat, VERY important for unknowing kittens who tried to eat cooked bird bones.)

These two are the most common animals in the highly varied ShadowClan diet. Hunt in the shallow marsh, and you're bound to bump into either a duck or a carp at some point.

But when winter rolls in, they start to rely on mammalian prey.

3: Rats

While some rats can breach 2 pounds (SHOUT OUT TO ALL MY NEW YORKERS) most of them only clock in at about half a pound-- 250 grams. That's 1,250 calories. About 3 cats fed.

(NOTE: These estimations of how MANY cats they feed assumes that these bites are being distributed evenly, such as if the animal was being put into a soup or meticulously portioned. It's more likely that a single rat is eaten alone or only shared between two warriors who then bulk up. The sensation of "fullness" is determined by weight rather than caloric value.)

Rats are highly adaptable omnivores, but most of their diet is actually plants! Humans associate them with garbage and filth, and yes, the rats from carrionplace would certainly taste awful. But most of the rats ShadowClan catches would be living in natural conditions, eating nuts, fruits, and smaller animals. So it doesn't make sense that canon sees ALL rats as dirty-- they should actually be a HUGE part of a warrior's diet!

Especially in ShadowClan, where the invasive brown rat has all but eliminated the native black rat population. Brown rats are huge, thick-tailed, excellent swimmers who stick around in the winter and find themselves right at home in a marsh or swamp.

In fact, ShadowClan thinks hunting them is a two-way blessing. A cat stays fed through the winter, and more resources are freed up for the rarer, but more delicious water vole. ThunderClan isn't the only Clan that understands population management.

And speaking of...

4: Squirrels

Significantly smaller than carp and ducks, gray squirrels are usually about 500 grams. I've heard it said that they triple in mass over the winter, but since I'm not sure if that means they triple in weight, I'll simply rule that a wintertime gray squirrel is 1000 grams. Which means about 5,000 calories, enough to feed 14 cats.

...but also. don't underestimate how big a squirrel is. You are a 200-pound bipedal ape, these are 10 pound cats. They are also eating all the organs you, a human, would usually toss.

The general term, wetland, refers to all land that is... take a guess... wet. The difference between a marsh and a swamp is that a swamp is wooded land, which means squirrels can live there!

ShadowClan often finds itself in conflict with ThunderClan over squirrels. The native, endangered red squirrel is a cultural icon to ThunderClan and they believe it's important to protect it at all costs by killing gray squirrels whenever possible. ShadowClan, meanwhile, agrees red squirrels are beautiful, but isn't willing to be aggressive with gray squirrel populations to protect them.

5: Cheating

In true ShadowClan fashion I do what I want and use number 5 to babble about several animals they turn into grub

And SPEAKING of grubs, they love to forage for larval treats. They regularly make snacks out of chafer grubs, stag beetle larvae, cutworms, and if they can manage it, baby honeybees. Chafer grubs are their absolute favorite, which is another reason why WindClan is so passionate about maintaining their moorland; when it turns into grassland, ShadowClan is energized to fight for grub foraging space.

The "problem" with the meat of predators is that it's said to be tough and taste strong and unpalatable. ShadowClan doesn't entirely mind it, but if they end up with a predator in spring and summer, they like to use the seasonal stream (called a syke) that cuts across ThunderClan to soak the meat in running water for a few days.

Not to mention that they really will just grab at any animal, in addition to those lizards and frogs they're notorious for. Hedgehogs, crayfish, waterbirds, snails. There's all sorts of spices they'll use to try to season a strange meat, between mushrooms, pellitory, juniper, rosemary, so on.

It's harder to find something they WON'T eat.

#better bones au #clan culture #Warrior Bites #BB!ShadowClan

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lenaariewrld · 1 year ago

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C.05 — the concert thing (w)

ON THE AIR — childe x reader smau

| SYNOPSIS;; Teyvat University’s popular radio personality, Y/n L/n, has only one gripe with her life. Her classmate, neighbour, and all-around nuisance in her life, Tartaglia. Their rivalry extends just past academics and, to her horror, into her work. He becomes the music director and co-host for her radio show, working alongside her most nights and forcing himself even deeper into her life. But is he really trying to just be friends, or is there an ulterior motive to his actions?

| WC: 2.6k

previous! ~ masterlist ! ~ next!

You and Ganyu stand on the sidewalk as Cyno parks his car and pays for the spot –estimating the amount of time the three of you will be there– while the both of you lean against each other casually. You had snatched one of Cyno’s jackets before leaving the house and now used it to cover you and Ganyu, your arms snaked around her shoulders and your chin on her hair. The air outside was slightly chilly with the wind, but still warm from the summer heat. At least it wasn’t balmy and humid anymore. For that, you were grateful. The pleasant moments ends when Cyno joins the two of you, looping one of his arms each with you and leading the way to the bar.

A small line was already forming when the three of you walked closer, full of excited young adults ready to have a memorable night or anxiously waiting to see Childe and his band perform. You recognize a few of the people in the line, waving to classmates or to people who greet you with an excitable call of your name. This bar was pretty popular for university students, so you aren’t surprised that people who also know about your show are here. You’re just surprised about the overlap between yours and Childe’s audience. As Cyno skirts his way to the front, you overhear a couple conversations. You don’t resist the urge to roll your eyes when you hear a couple girls whispering about him and how attractive they find him.

It was annoying, but you knew the man had charm. That you couldn’t necessarily deny.

It just didn’t work on you.

With a flash of Cyno’s student ID and the newspaper’s lanyard he wore, all three of you get accepted into the bar. Immediately, you and Ganyu beeline it to find an empty table far enough away from the stage to avoid anyone from that group recognizing your presence. Cyno goes to get drinks, meanwhile. The first thing you noticed upon setting your bag down and tucking your friend’s jacket over your legs was the atmosphere. The bar was crowded, expected for a Friday night.

The lights are dimmed enough to add a sense of intimacy between people’s conversations and to provide contrast to the bright stage lights that have been set up on the far end of the bar, directly opposite from the bar where some very worn-looking bartenders dash left and right to make a million drinks. You pity them, hoping they get tipped well enough to deal with this particular chaos.

A couple minutes pass before Cyno returns, three drinks delicately balanced in his hands. A virgin drink for Ganyu, and two colorful (and probably very boozy) cocktails for the two of you. You clink your glass with him. “So, what all do you need for this paper?” You ask, willing to help where you can since you had nothing better to do. Even if you were dragged here.

“A couple pictures of the performance, some comments from the band members, and maybe a video to replay while I’m writing later so I don’t leave out any details.” The white-haired man tells you, counting off on his fingers. You sip from the little bendy straw in your glass, humming thoughtfully. “I was hoping I could catch Thoma afterwards and get something from him since he’s the only one I know–”

“And can tolerate?” You finish with a cheeky grin. Cyno nods, a smile pulling at his lips as well. You chuckle and lean your elbows on the table. “Me and Ganyu can record the set if you want to focus on everything else,” You offer.

Ganyu reaches over and gently takes the strawberry set on the rim of your glass. “We have a pretty good spot to watch, so if we record it, you definitely won’t miss anything,” She adds, matter-of-factly before eating the red fruit. You nod along, sliding the toothpick of fruits from Cyno’s drink her way as well.

“Thanks, guys,” He smiles, appreciative of your combined efforts to make this night go as quickly as possible. He turns his head as the lights on stage brighten. “They’re starting. I’m gonna go find a good vantage spot,” With that, your friend dismisses himself and disappears in the crowd as Childe and his bandmates shuffle onto stage. They’re loud and over the top, but they draw everyone in as they find their spots and introduce themselves. Admittedly, they even draw your attention in.

“Thank you all for coming to see us! And for those who didn’t, but may be interested; we are Vapriize,” Childe says into the mic, his hands adjusting his grip on the bass in his hands. The lead singer, a short little blue-haired guy named Scara, clears his throat and begins speaking next but you stopped paying attention by that point. Soon enough, they start to play and the music fills the bar.

You listen as Ganyu sets up her phone and begins recording, making sure to hold it high enough to see the entire stage of people’s heads. Oddly enough, as you listen, you find yourself enjoying the songs as the set progresses. It’s not the typical kind of grungy “I fuck girls and I know I’m hot” kind of music you expected.

Though it is a pop-rock type of instrumental, the lyrics imply a heavy heartbreak, with the lead singer passionately pleading whoever the song is about to give any crumb of attention, even if its just listening to the song, rather than leaving point blank. It was a raw desperation you knew well, something that resonated in your chest. The next couple songs are similar, lamenting how though the past relationship is over, the lead singer still finds pieces of her in every aspect of his life. Or about how apparent he’s made her effect on him and now without her absence it’s like he’s transparent. It sits uncomfortably in your gut, the way you relate to the songs, making your stomach sink further to your feet.

You down your drink and dismiss yourself to get another one, tapping Ganyu’s shoulder to alert her you’ll be right back. More music plays. You find yourself humming along once you sit down again, your well-manicured nails tapping on your cocktail glass, your chin propped on your hand, and your body swaying slightly to the music. At some point, Ganyu finds your hand and laces your fingers together, keeping the both of you grounded through the haze of the bar. During a quiet moment, she leans over to check on you.

“Are you enjoying this even a little bit?” She asks, raising her brows just slightly, a tiny wrinkle in between them. You smile and reach out to smooth it away.

“Maybe a little bit, but it’s hard not to be with you guys around,” You admit with a shrug. Cyno briefly shows up to your table once the set ends nearly an hour later, dropping off his camera and notepad.

“Gotta piss,” Is his only explanation before he darts off to the bathrooms. You laugh. Reaching over, you slide his possessions closer to you, taking care not to spill anything on the paper of your friend’s notepad. You glance over what he’s written so far, but you’re stumped by the chaos of his notes and the jumbled lines on the paper. It looks like nonsense, but you know Cyno’s process is one that works. You’ve read his completed works in the newspaper everytime a new issue comes out.

You tense as an all-too-familiar voice greets you. “Well, I didn’t expect to see you here… and dressed so pretty.” Childe slides into the third unoccupied seat at the little table, his chin propping onto his hand in a mirror of your position. You frown, crossing your arms instead. “Is it for me?” He continues, cocking his head to the side and raises his brow, his eyes darting over you. You make a gagging noise and dramatically turn away to cover your mouth.

“No it’s not. It’s for myself,” Your voice is cold as you speak to him, your glare biting. You refuse to break eye contact or back down. You were never one to be intimidated, and much less one to be so easily swooned by cheap words and bad pick-up lines. It helped when you also despised the person they came from. And you hate Childe. You hate his stupid smug face, and his perfectly tousled hair with the little blonde streak in the front. You hate the mischievous glint in his deep blue eyes, or the creases at the corners when he smiles. And you hate the way his voice purrs your name, slipping from his tongue like honey while he sidles ever so closer to your body.

“Mm, why are you here, Y/n?” He asks, watching the way you chug your second drink of the night, avoiding any chance to continue the conversation. “I thought you wanted nothing to do with me?” His voice is teasing, irritatingly so, but it’s also… softer. You notice his eyes darting around your face, some look in his eyes that for once isn’t mischief or malice. But one you definitely can’t place. You also notice he’s not looking over the rest of your body anymore, caring less about the revealing cut of your dress than the way your expression morphs.

He noticed you frowned less deeply when you were tipsy, your cheeks flushed all pink and your eyes blinking slowly. You looked more like an angry cat than anything. You looked… cute.

When you clear your throat, you notice Childe seem to break out of whatever trance he was in, his shoulders squaring a little more. “My friend needs to be here for his newspaper and I’m offering moral support.”

“Newspaper? Are they writing something about us?~” He hums.

“It’s not like it’s by choice. Your band is about as interesting to see as a flea circus,” You retort, chuckling into your cocktail as you take another dangerous gulp. The liquor burns your throat but it soothes the urge to gag whenever Tartaglia so much as opens his mouth.

“We’re plenty interesting,” Childe pretends to pout dramatically, tilting his head to the side like a wounded puppy. You’d find it charming how easily he could switch if it weren’t for the fact he used this ability to get on every single one of your nerves. “I saw you enjoying yourself for a few of our songs, even you little boytoy was bopping around,” He casts a glance around the bar.

“He’s not my boytoy,” You scoff, “Just because I have a friend who’s a guy doesn’t mean either of us wants to sleep together. Some of us are capable of viewing women as people, unlike you,” You spit the words as you turn your head away, hoping and praying Cyno finds you again so you can shoo Childe off for good.

“I can see plenty of women as people. Just not demons like you,” He laughs as if sharing a funny joke.

“Shut up, you ass,” You huff, moving to get up. Your cocktail no longer does the trick of helping you forget who you’re talking to or why it was so irritating to be around him. Childe moves to grab your wrist.

“Hey, hey, I’m not trying to hurt your feelings–”

“You have no effect on my feelings, Tartaglia,” You spit, teeth bared. “Let me go. I’m tired of talking to an un-empathetic loser,”

“You don’t have to be a bitch, you were the one who made the first joke,” Childe retorts, but he does as you say and lets go of your wrist, but now you were getting annoyed, your hands on your hips as you scoff yet again. His audacity was really something to behold.

“You’re the asshole who tried to force a conversation with me, don’t act like a saint,”

“I’m being friendly, Y/n,” He defends. You throw your hands up, exasperated at the excuse he doesn’t entirely seem to believe either. He’s stood up just like you are at this point, the both of you sizing each other up despite the fact that he easily clears you in height and strength.

“You’re being a fuckboy,” You seethe through gritted teeth, your eyes narrowed. Ganyu grabs bother bag and Cyno’s stuff from the chairs, urging you to evacuate the situation though you don’t entirely hear her, too focused on the annoying ginger right in front of you.

“Fuck you, Y/n,”

“Fuck you, too,” You declare, snatching your things off the table and taking Ganyu’s hand. “Let’s go,” You tell her and storm off without another word to the man. You’re still fuming as every second passes, carving your way through the crowd of people and towards the exit. You can find Cyno later, or even send him a text about where you are. For now, you just needed to get out of there.

You hated that you were worked up. But even worse, you hated that you felt a pang of disappointment in your chest, the conversation between you and Tartaglia having felt pretty naturally before you both exploded. God, that fact alone only made you more angry.

As soon as the fresh night air hits your face, you slow down and turn to Ganyu. “I’m sorry for… that,” You tell her, guilt evident on your face. She squeezes your hand.

“It’s not your fault, he came out of nowhere,” She assures, the both of you walking down the sidewalk to a less populated spot right outside the bar. You lean against the gritty brick and dig around in your purse for your lighter and pack, handing Ganyu your phone so she can text Cyno about where the two of you are.

After retrieving and lighting your cigarette, you place everything neatly back in your bag, inhaling deeply through the stick of nicotine. You manage to get a few drags in before the door to the bar bursts open, Cyno emerging with a tall, relaxed blonde following behind him. You recognize Thoma from the couple of time you had visited the newspaper staff a couple years ago, back when you had been trying out different things for your major. He looked better now. Well-built, more sure of himself. He waves to you and Ganyu as the two men approach, forming a loose group circle.

“How are you? What happened?” Cyno asked, eyeing the cigarette between your pointer and middle finger. You hold it out for him to take, letting him take a drag while you explained how Childe had come up to you and Ganyu and the conversation that had happened. “Dick,” Cyno mutters around the cig, blowing the smoke away from any of your faces before handing it back to you. “Sorry, I know he’s sorta your friend,” He then apologises to Thoma.

“Oh, I know he can be an ass, though,” Thoma waves his hand dismissively, chuckling as he shoves his hands in his pockets. You chuckle, giving him a nod of respect.

You, Cyno, and Ganyu all catch up with Thoma as you relax again and finish your little vice. The conversation remains light-hearted and easy, none of you daring to breach any uncomfortable topics while the night was so nice and peaceful. The buzzing of bugs in your ears and the fuzzy feeling of the nicotine and liquor in your system helping to calm you down. By the time you all call it a night, you feel less shitty.

“Goodnight, take care of yourself,” You say as you hug Thoma, squeezing him tight. He hugs you back, echoing a similar sentiment before you both part. The others give their own goodbyes and your two groups split off. Cyno leads you and Ganyu back to his car, taking back his things from the blue-haired woman with a grateful hum before climbing in and driving you all home.

You’re not sure what to make of this night but one thing is certain. You definitely, certainly, without a doubt, hate Childe. And co-hosting with him was going to be hell.

———

A/Ns: we getting into it!! i looooove writing banter (and getting to see the enemies are maybe-not-so-enemy's)!! as always, likes/reblogs/comments are appreciated in any form, and don't forget to get rest and take care of yourself <33

TAGLIST: @popiizpops

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butts-bouncing-on-the-beltway · 1 year ago

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I realized that if I'm disappointed in the transmission of real information about Sudan and the Congo, I can just make the posts myself!

I am not surprised that people haven't been provided a strong understanding of the violence in the global south, but I *am* mad about it.

So let's talk about Sudan and the Congo

Since 2003 or so, an estimated 450,000 Sudanese refugees have fled to Chad, looking for safety from routine waves of ethnic cleansing committed by the Rapid Support Forces and their state/civilian allies.

While the Massalit make up the majority of those attacked, many other ethnicities are included amongst victims. It is NOT a religiously motivated cleansing, as most of those being victimized as well as most of those doing the victimizing are Muslim, and communicate the foundations of the violence as being the result of ethnic-cultural divides in the region current social system. Many of those speaking against the ethnic cleansing occurring agree, and also add that economic interactions appear to be major driving factors in who is targetted and when.

The Congo, meanwhile, has been going through it's own ethnic cleansing. One that has been more or less ongoing since 1996. An approximated 6mil people have been killed since.

Due to this relationship between economic motives and targets, ongoing desertification has been exacerbating violence in the region for years by making resources scarcer, more precious, and less stable to access.

The primary factors being credited with responsibility for this desertification and resultant resource volatility?

Climate change and human impact on the environment (via societal features such as urbanization, agriculture, waste management services, social welfare services, deforestation and bush removal, etc)

From FairPlanet ^

Funny how the global north causes lethal climate change but the global south is forced to die from it.

Funny how the global north forces the environmental recovery conversation to avoid study of environmental imperialism and remain solely focused on "incremental changes that can protect future generations". Whose future generations? What about the people dying NOW because of environmentally toxic industries??

And Nasreldin Atiya Rahamtalla via the International Journal of Social Sciences and Conflict Management says the following:

Hmm, I wonder why local power and social welfare infrastructure in Sudan and especially in Darfur might be diminished from previous governance:

It's almost like the British had a habit of pitting different regional communities against each other along enforced ethnic lines while pillaging some and sparing others, then blowing the whole governance network in a temper tantrum on their way out the door during decolonization, a method of inflicting one last violemt devastation and sabotage peaceful futures most often epitomized by Rwanda and the Belgian Empire:

It's almost like the imperialist businesses that feed off African continental resources and were installed during colonization as a form of economic imperialism were often THE ONLY PARTS of the social system left largely functional after withdrawal and "decolonization". It's almost like imperialism and colonization never actually stopped!!! It just??? Changed shape ☆->¤ still a fuckin crime against humanity my guy!!! Especially when child slaves are dying in your mines!!!

Sudan's economic imperialism comes in the form of Blood Diamonds! You know. The reason that none of us are buying earth mined diamonds anymore when lab made are literally the same goddamn thing RIGHT????????

Oh! They also have oil. The thing we're using to fuel our climate change machine. The climate change machine that's KILLING THEM.

And unfortunately for those of us with Nickel allergies, gold and silver have the same problem. If you haven't already switched to surgical steel, you might wanna. Of course, then we're right back to climate change since steel production allegedly creates a whopping 7% of global emissions due to relying on coke (coal) as a fuel source. So. I dunno really. I like my jewelry as much as anyone. But do I like it enough to know people are dying so I can have it?????

Not really. I'd rather save that risk addition for surgical steel being used in ACTUAL surgeries like the plates, pins, and screws that reattached my foot, or the replacement knee joint that my mom got. At least until we have a body-safe material for these things that ISN'T a source of devastation in the global south.

My point is, basically, that historically militerized conflict almost always stems, at least, in part, from efforts to control resources. It's the most timeless reason to go to war. To make sure you and the people you care about can guarantee themselves access to survival need-meeting. As consumerist and capitalist societies, it is DEEPLY important that we understand the price we ask other people to pay for our luxuries. For our right not to be made uncomfortable by too much radical change too quickly. We need to make that causal link A LOT more visibly explicit and unavoidable, because as it stands, allowing the hierarchy to go unspoken is going to kill billions.

I don't want that on my hands.

I highly recommend learning what civil disobedience and mutual aid infrastructures of care look like. How can we hold corporations (and the individual people who work there) accountable for the countless deaths directly attributable to their profit margins? How can we maximize our local resource distribution to ensure everyone has what they genuinely need to survive, even if that means we take a little less from the community resources for ourselves, or we have to give up things that can't be fully replaced by regionally sustainable alternatives.

I promise that we will adapt.

The dead can't.

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tempo-tales · 9 months ago

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"Tell me it's you, young lady."

"Yes, it's me, Ali...no, the possible Alicia in your timeline.

Dominic, despite Alicia's new look, could recognize her perfectly, specifically, Alicia's sweet, soft gaze, being now, Tempo.

"Tell me it's you, young lady."

"Yes, it's me, Ali...no, the possible Alicia in your timeline.

"So... I traveled to the future?"

"No dear. This place exists neither past, present nor future of anyone. But it's also not impossible for you to compare it as something like that."

Yejun, who was so confused, that the rabbit-faced woman was so attractive and moreover, she would be the sensitive young girl he met a while ago.

"I don't understand. Is she Alicia? I don't think so, that irritating personality of that big woman? Is this a joke?"

"Refrain from your words, young man. The theft you performed much trouble you have caused."

As the two watchmakers argued with Tempo, Lance just stared, wistfully, especially at Tempo and Dominic.

"You know them, Lance?" asks Balan as he sees Lance's face.

"Back in my day when Balan(ce) was, Mr. Clockmaker was in my charge. He was the closest person Alicia ever had in WonderWorld. That watch that Tempo has, that was the gift the mister gave her."

"Wow, you know a lot."

"Just Alicia told me about it. And I won't forget that smile she had...and I could never give."

King Negati ducks his head, not taking his mind off his failure to sway Alicia's heart.

As the two humans argue with the lady, Dominic notices two tall, thin men.

"And you are maestros too?"-Dominic asks, stepping closer as he sees the two.

"I see you don't recognize me, my estimable Mr. Dominic Leggero."

Balan, Tempo and Yejun are impressed by the surname of the man already revealed.

Yejun approaches the watchmaker with astonishment. His admiration grew even more.

"It's you! You really are the genius of mechanics! Your contribution has served a lot to....mrfh!

"You talk a lot" Lance covers Yejun's mouth, he wants to avoid revealing more than unnecessary to the watchmaker, coming from a more delayed era.

"Lance...I guess Mr. Dominic... "Balan mutters in surprise.

Lance nods his head as he directs his gaze to the rabbit lady.

"Yes, he is the direct ancestor of Christopher Leggero, your best friend."

"Chris..." Upon hearing the name of her best friend and beloved man, a small smile tugs at the lady's lips.

"If he's my descendant, then he must have this funny index finger inward, or not?"

Tempo looks at Dominic's right hand, and remembers that both Chris and Guido, have that disfigured shape on the finger indicated by the watchmaker.

"Wow, they're definitely related."-Tempo smiles slyly.

"And he's not missing Yejun."

"ª?"

The watchmaker stares at the man.

"This boy also has that malformation. I suspected it when I first met him."

"Sir, but how are you so sure of that?"-Yenjun asks with a distrustful expression, as he felt that because of his origin, he finds it impossible his connection.

"Young man, I am sure, my intuition has never failed me." Dominic expresses very proudly.

"Emmm..." Tempo, upon hearing that word, approaches Dominic with doubts she wishes to clarify. And a slight smile leaves her lips.

"And... your intuition is also... inheritable?"

Dominic is surprised and thinks for a few seconds.

"Ummm, if my great-grandfather and aunt have it...it may be so. But she tells me that relatives who don't inherit that gift can pass it on to their descendants."

"Hehe, I understand."

"?"

"Chris has that gift too. If it wasn't for his intuition, I would have been in trouble when I was a child" A small smile appears as she remembers those moments she spent with her beloved. Her expression changes to one of sorrow and melancholy.

"Do you miss your friend, young lady?"

"Very much."

"I would love to do something for you, tell me what you need."

The maestro didn't hesitate to use that favor, so she looks at the two maestros with a determined expression.

"Balan, Lance, I ask you to please leave this place."

#tales at wonderworld #balan wonderworld oc #tempo #dominic leggero #sun yejun #story scene

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rjzimmerman · 1 month ago

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Excerpt from this story from Anthropocene Magazine:

U.S. states can decarbonize on their own for about the same price as a federal-led effort to reduce emissions by the same amount, according to a new study. The findings underline that a “coalition of the willing” could not bring the country to net-zero emissions on its own. But they also represent a hopeful vision of how climate action in the U.S. could continue despite Trump Administration rollbacks.

The Biden Administration pursued ambitious decarbonization policies via the Inflation Reduction Act and other initiatives, while the Trump Administration has taken a very different approach to climate policy. The situation highlights the volatility of national-level climate action in the United States, even as the American public broadly supports developing alternative energy sources, and urgent action is needed to avoid locking in fossil fuels with new infrastructure.

Enter “climate federalism,” a concept that casts U.S. states as laboratories not just of democracy but of climate action. In theory, this bottom-up approach might be more effective and durable than top-down action. In the new study, researchers sketch out what it might look like in practice.

“Ultimately the most important takeaway here is that state-led action can achieve substantial emission reductions, even without federal support, but that the world looks very different from one where there is federal coordination,” says study team member Jeremiah Johnson, an environmental engineer at North Carolina State University. “This has some important implications, not just for those states that choose to participate, but also for those who don’t.”

Johnson and his colleagues identified 23 U.S. states that are most likely to pursue net-zero emissions by 2050, based on the number of climate policies currently on the books as well as their overall political leanings. They fed publicly available energy system data into a computer model to estimate the cost of decarbonization and predict the green technologies that the states would likely turn to in their efforts.

Action by this group of states could reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by about 46% by 2050, the researchers report in the journal Nature Communications. The researchers then used the same model to explore what federally coordinated action to reduce national emissions by the same amount would look like.

Federal led climate action would be about 0.7% cheaper than state action, the researchers found. “We were surprised [the state-led] emissions reductions would be achieved at costs comparable to federal actions,” Johnson says. Since only about half of U.S. states were expected to pursue net-zero emissions, “we expected to see this considerably push up the costs of achieving deep decarbonization.”

However, the mix of green technologies that would be used in a state-led decarbonization effort would be different from the federally coordinated one. The state-led effort would lean heavily on green manufacturing technologies to decarbonize industry, while the federal approach would rely more on clean energy such as solar and wind power.

The net-zero states would likely rely on electrification to reduce emissions from transportation and industry, as well as direct air capture to neutralize residual emissions. They might also purchase more electricity from neighboring states, leading to the potential for “emissions leakage.” In the state-led scenario, “we observed substantial new electricity exports from the Great Plains states into the Upper Midwest while those exporting states increased fossil fuel-based use,” Johnson says. “This would undercut the efforts of net-zero states unless their policies are designed to address this.”

The state-led scenario also leaves some cost-effective mitigation opportunities on the table, such as bioenergy with carbon capture and storage in the Southeastern United States, where states are unlikely to pursue decarbonization without federal action. Still, if state-led action is the only option, this can lead to substantial progress on climate, the study shows.

#climate action #federal programs #state programs #climate federalism

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sailtomarina · 9 months ago

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[Kinktober 2024] Oral fixation

Written for Day 24 of Hogwarts’ Kinktober - Oral fixation Theo/Hermione | Rating: M | WC 1081

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

She always had something in her mouth.

The ends of those Muggle writing tools she preferred. Sugar quills she’d start on at the beginning of class and finish before they were half way through. The straw of her light blue water bottle she carried around everywhere.

Theo sneered at first. How beggarly of her to stick whatever she had on hand into her mouth. Was she like the Weasleys, always hungry? Never satiated? How painful that must have been. Attending Hogwarts must be even more of a dream with all the food readily on hand.

He couldn’t stop looking. He’d stare at her in Charms, or in Ancient Runes, or any other of the plethora of classes they shared. They overlapped a lot now that he was paying attention. He’d watch those pretty pink lips pucker and drop open to suck in her chosen instrument.

Soon enough, the sight of her darting tongue and hollowed cheeks started to make him twitch. Not in that irritated way he had a habit of doing at the beginning of their interactions and still did with others. This discomfort had him shifting in his seat. Widening his legs.

As ill luck would have it, the one day he’d walked into Arithmancy late was the same day the only available seat was Granger’s clear up at the front of the room.

He’d slid in as carelessly as possible, affecting his usual detachment. So what if they almost never spoke? It wasn’t like he couldn’t bear her close proximity now and then, and he’d never outright bullied her the way Draco or his other housemates had.

Then came the professor’s announcement. Partners. For the entirety of the term.

She turned to him, brow cocked and expression unreadable. “Nott.”

“Granger.”

Her eyes narrowed. He was already hyper aware of her swotty mouth and couldn’t help noting the way they pursed along with her estimation of him. Up close like this, he thought they looked fuller somehow. Well hydrated, probably thanks to all the water she drank everyday. Perfect for sucking on–

“My eyes are up here.”

He snapped his attention up, expecting hostility but finding none. He couldn’t help the surprised huff that escaped him.

She tilted her head as they maintained eye contact. “Find something amusing?”

He could give her a glib answer, avoidance being second nature by this point. He wasn’t used to direct confrontation, especially with her. Doing so now would maintain the status quo. Keep them on their sides of the line, so to speak.

Nothing sounded more boring. He needed change.

He let his eyes drift down again, blatantly staring at the plump flesh that parted the longer he looked. “If by amusing you mean surprised, then sure.”

She frowned, obviously confused. “Surprised? About what?”

“About the fact that you don't have anything in your mouth right now.”

Her cheeks flushed a deep red, nostrils flaring and jaw dropping.

“See what I mean? Empty.” His cheeks hurt from how widely he was grinning.

Her teeth clicked shut. He could tell from the way she inhaled that she was about to rip him a new one any second now.

Without turning his eyes away, he rummaged in his pack until his fingers grabbed onto a distinctive edge. He’d purchased them a couple of weekends ago for reasons he hadn’t wanted to examine until now.

“Here.”

She looked down instinctively at the box he thrust towards her, eyebrows shooting high on her forehead. “You bought me sugar quills?”

“I didn’t get them for you,” he was quick to correct her.

“They’re my favourite flavour.” Which he knew to be cinnamon sugar.

“It’s a coincidence.”

He could tell she didn’t believe him, not that he’d really expected her to. Granger made no move to take the box from him. Maybe she thought they were poisoned. His hands worked deftly to open the top and pull out a single quill, which he presented to her for inspection. She still didn’t take it.

Theo heaved a sigh and popped the end into his own mouth. He sucked for a few seconds, enjoying the spiced sweetness coating his tongue. They really were quite tasty; he might indulge more often. As he continued to suck, Granger’s eyes flickered.

He’d always assumed them to be dark brown, but now could pick out flecks of gold all around the edges. Combined with her pouty lips, sun-kissed skin, and cascading curls so unlike the prim and proper updos of the girls he’d grown up with, the entire effect was stunning. She was stunning.

“Well?”

Her question jolted him out of his reverie. “Well, what?”

“Are you still offering to share?”

He snorted, then shoved the box towards her yet again. “Go ahead.”

Her lips tilted upward at the corners. She reached towards his face, and he flinched back in surprise. What was she–

One second, he had a sugar quill in his mouth. The next second, she had a sugar quill in her mouth. His sugar quill.

She laughed, the sound a delightful cascade of bells, as he gaped at her. She’d snatched the candy straight from her lips and wrapped her own tongue around where he’d sucked only seconds prior. A pulse ran straight down and between his legs.

He couldn’t get the sight out of his mind. Her. Him. On her knees and sliding her tongue along a very different sort of sweet.

“Thanks, Nott.” She beamed, all innocent like she had no idea what her actions had done to him.

“A-anytime,” he stammered. Dammit.

Over the course of the class, she continued to lick and nibble, finishing one, then two, and eventually three by the end. He’d taken the entirety of the time working on the last one. She almost looked disappointed as she looked at the empty box while they gathered their belongings.

“Merlin, Granger, we just finished an entire box and you still want more?”

He almost burst out laughing at the way she perked up. “You have more?” Then she caught herself, returning to a more subdued version of herself. He much preferred playful, eager Granger.

“I’ll tell you what: everytime we’re partners, I’ll be your supplier.” With the added benefit of getting to watch you up close, he thought.

His stomach flipped over at the wicked grin that emerged on her face. It was almost like he was the one getting baited into a trap.

“You better not take that back.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

Thanks to @knot-your-mothers-mods for organizing the event! Make sure to check out the AO3 collection for many more works.

Cross-posting on Tumblr, AO3, and Instagram.

#harry potter fanfiction #hp fanfiction #hp fest #hogwarts kinktober #kinktober 2024 #kinktober #theomione #hermione granger #theodore nott #hermione x theo

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yayamemes · 3 months ago

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TO QUOTE SHADOWHEART . . .

∗ collected dialogue from baldur's gate 3

don’t stop now, not just as things are getting interesting.

no more secrets. understand?

you’re lucky i’m helping.

regard this spontaneous flatulator!

you’re not going to let this go, are you?

you seem a little grasping. needy, even. like you’re used to following and now you want to look to me for answers.

nothing worthwhile should be rushed, anyway.

don’t be ridiculous, i never knew my parents.

my estimations started at a low point, as far as you’re concerned.

nothing in life is free, i suppose.

oi, ugly!

spit it out. i won’t wait around here forever.

you’re lucky i’m feeling kind.

of course things could have been different, but nothing says they would have been better.

the worst place to end up is anywhere that doesn’t let you be at my side.

there might be something useful in there. seized goods and the like.

the big hero hiding a wagon-full of insecurities, looking to me to distract you from them for a moment.

i’ll look forward to the next last kiss, and the one after that.

i promise any future murderous intentions will be thoroughly justified.

this is all like some terrible dream, but it’s real, isn’t it?

seems like we’re the lucky ones, judging by all the corpses strewn about.

i told you already, it’s none of your concern.

this whole place reeks of necromancy.

back to the anus that spat you out!

in truth, i don’t think i’d want to be your spare lover. i’d always want more of you than you’d have to spare.

hardly a conversation i’ll relish.

blind honesty is always a bad idea. we should keep quiet in future.

i know you mean well, but this isn’t something for you to fix.

i both understand what you mean, and i’m horrified you phrased it like that.

i love a nice secret hideaway, don’t you?

wait! charging off by yourself sounds like a fine way to get killed.

please, don’t make me do this. not after all we’ve been through.

whatever happens, i shall stand by you.

i have vanquished your foes.

i’ll kill you if necessary, but explaining your corpse would be a chore.

you need a pick-me-up.

maybe i shouldn’t be entirely shocked, i did fall for you, after all.

no need to fight fair.

well, i don’t find you entertaining in the least.

i really shouldn’t be surprised by anything at this stage.

i’ll never be able to fill the place by my side where you should be standing.

enchanted? nice.

don’t waste your time coveting what you can never truly have.

don’t give me that look! i don’t know what just happened any more than you do.

understand, i’ll cut you loose the moment i have to.

sharpen up, or we’re done.

i’m glad you changed your mind.

of course i’ll help.

you know me, i’m not usually one to elaborate if i can avoid it.

i’ve told you all i’m going to tell you. now, please don’t pry any further, or you might force me to become less polite.

get away from me, you rabid freak!

see how long you last without me.

i won’t pretend the thought hasn’t crossed my mind once or twice. or… more than that.

not someone i’d rush to speak with.

i… meant to do that.

you’re no burden, you’re my strength!

quite clever. and cruel, of course, but creatively so.

if we’re going to keep helping each other, i might as well tell you…

it seems to be the perfect night to spend some time together, just you and i.

you had a habit of saying all the right things. either you very glib, or we’re kindred spirits.

my, some bard could right a stirring love poem about you two. or a lewd tavern ballad, perhaps.

everyone’s frightened of something! my fear’s hardly irrational when you see the fangs on those things.

it’s not that simple, not anymore.

an interesting tale for the grandchildren, if you survive to have any, that is.

if that was an attempt at flirting, i should let you know i prefer the strong, silent type.

mind your footing, the bones of the careless are probably littered down there.

i gave you chances, more than i should have, and you threw them in my face.

nobody’s talking to you, flat face.

an illusion? there must be something worth being kept secret through there.

thank you! you’re a constant source of comfort.

#rp meme #roleplay meme #rp starters #rp resources #rp prompts #bg3 #*

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leaderpinhead · 9 months ago

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Lilia - Painted Double

Prompt: Ancient And, of course, the known fact that Lilia's pictured in at least one textbook.

Lilia hummed and tilted his head. “Is there something wrong, prefect?”

Yuu squinted. Lilia smiled. She glanced at the open book in front of her. Her eyes narrowed even more. Lilia was convinced she was actually blinking in slow motion. “Lilia?”

“That is my name, yes.”

"Explain this to me.”

Yuu turned the book around for him to see the page. Lilia blinked before dramatically gasping. “Oh, you poor dear! Has your amnesia progressed to forgetting what a book is?”

Yuu lowered the book just to glower at him. “Don’t be coy with me. You know what I’m talking about.”

“Ah! You’ve forgotten how to read.” Lilia held out his hand to accept the book. “It’s been a few years since I’ve read a bedtime story, so I may be a little rusty.”

Yuu avoided Lilia’s grasping hands. “You and Jade have the same personalities: gremlin. I’m talking about the painting in the book.”

Lilia hummed and pretended to look closer at the painting photocopied onto the page. He recognized the work of the painter: a young man who lived in the northern part of the Shaftlands. He had asked Lilia to pose for the painting because he had never seen a fae. Lilia had agreed, mainly because the young man had chased him down after spying Lilia from the window of his home. They had spent the afternoon together while the painter worked, and Lilia remembered it fondly even now since it was one of his first positive experiences with humans. He still had the original painting in his cottage, enchanted to prevent the paint from naturally fading from time and exposure.

He was a bit surprised to see it pictured in the book Yuu held. The poor young man hadn’t even been given credit for his work, the caption under the picture reading Traveling Fae by Unknown. It wasn’t as detailed as the original, like the painter had replicated it from memory years later. The field he stared out into was covered in vibrant flowers where Lilia knew it had actually been covered by several inches of snow. His hair was shorter than it should be, and his traveling cape replaced by a simple farmer's jacket. His facial features were still strong and distinct though, which he surmised was how Yuu had identified him.

Lilia was in a playful mood, so he embraced his “gremlin personality” to the absolute fullest. “What a handsome fellow! I wish they had credited the artist. I would have loved to find more work by them.”

The long sigh Yuu emitted made Lilia grin ear-to-ear. Using one hand to mark the page, she flipped to the front of the book and pointed at the year of the publication. “This is the date the book was published.”

“I’m always impressed by the level of care the campus library dedicates to their collection.”

“It’s nearly seventy years old,” Yuu said. Her tone made it very clear he would not distract her. “And it has a painting of you pictured in it.”

Lilia hummed and nodded. “Is it me? Or is it an extremely cute doppelgänger?”

“That’s you.” Yuu flipped back to the page with the painting. She jabbed her finger at the painting. “He has your nose.”

“A very cute gremlin nose.”

“These are your ears.”

“Some say Malleus has my ears. Does that make Malleus me too?”

“You’re not gaslighting me, you deranged bat.” Yuu closed the book with a loud clap. She pointed at him with her narrowed-slow-blinking eyes. “I’m onto you. And I’m going to find more evidence.”

“More evidence of my universal cuteness?” Lilia struck a playful pose, forming a heart with his hands. “I’d love to see an army of my lookalikes.”

“I bet you would...” Yuu muttered.

She tucked the book under her arm and left to the sound of Lilia’s snickers. Lilia shook his head and returned to the paper fortune teller he had been making before her arrival. If she had outright asked him, he would have told her his estimated age.

She was having so much fun being a little sleuth though, and he didn’t want to spoil her fun.

#twisted wonderland #twstober #twstober 2024 #twst yuu #lilia vanrouge

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traintrainingmontage · 11 months ago

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Crackship writing exercise from the discord today. An Edward & Diesel 10 (or pre-slash Edward/Diesel 10) fic for @ikoarts and @shikariiin !!

When Diesel 10 first arrived on the railway, the experience was about what he'd expected. The whispers had begun following him like gnats, buzzing about Pinchy, his size, his paintwork, and, of course, his resting bitch face. The steam engines especially looked at him like he was some particularly disgusting bug that had crawled onto their line, their gazes judgemental even as their fear prevented them from being loud about it.

Diesel 10 had expected a warmer reception from the diesels, but oddly enough, they appeared to be a mixed bag. Some of them seemed friendly, but several of them seemed to genuinely fear his presence. Others simply avoided him, as if not wanting to associate. It was something of a lonely first day, to be sure, but Diesel 10 didn't care. He wasn't here to make friends. He never had been. He was here to do jobs nobody else could do, and if they didn't want to be around him, so be--

His train of thought was derailed by a friendly "peep peep" coming in his direction--the whistle of a steam engine. Surprised, Diesel 10 looked up to see what looked like an honest-to-awfulness K2 making their way towards him, a smile on their face.

"What do you want?" Diesel 10 growled, brandishing Pinchy threateningly. He didn't believe in the kindness of that smile for a second; if this engine was here to pick a fight, that was fine by him. Maybe it would help him get rid of some stress.

"Hello!" the other engine greeted warmly, once again catching Diesel 10 completely by surprise. "That's a rather remarkable claw you have there. My name is Edward, and I'm here to formally welcome you to Sodor. Might I know your name?"

Diesel 10 blinked, utterly at a loss. This way-outdated steam engine didn't seem intimidated by Pinchy; if anything, he looked rather impressed. And his expression didn't hold any of the judgement that the others had, diesel or otherwise--as far as Diesel 10 could tell, he was just trying to give a genuine greeting. The diesel was so dumbfounded by this whole exchange that instead of a retort like "piss off" or anything else he'd felt like saying to all those judgey steam engines, he instead found himself replying with: "Uh, the name's Diesel 10. And my claw here is Pinchy."

"Diesel 10 and Pinchy, is it?" There was a beat of silence, and the diesel wanted to brace himself for the inevitable teasing, but there was none to be had. Edward's grin seemed to shine even brighter, somehow. "Wonderful! Thank you very much. Oh, and I'm so sorry for the way that the others treated you on your way in. I'll have a talk with them later. But for now, please accept my sincere apologies."

At this point, Diesel 10's estimation of reality felt like it had been tilted sideways. A steamie? Actually apologizing to him? And not just in a lip-service kind of way either; the diesel could tell that Edward was being quite genuine. Once again, having lost all of his bluster, he managed to stammer out: "Oh, uh, it's fine. I'm used to this kind of thing."

Edward's expression suddenly turned stern. How strange it was to see another get angry on his behalf instead of at him. "Well, you shouldn't have to put up with it here on Sodor. Please let me know if anyone's bothering you."

Then, just as quickly as his ire had clouded his face, it vanished, leaving behind only that sunny smile. "I'll come visit you again soon, Diesel 10. You seem like a good sort, and I look forward to working with you!" With that, Edward pulled away, giving another "peep peep!" of his whistle in farewell as he left. Diesel 10 couldn't help but let out an answering honk of his horn.

Only once the steam engine was out of sight did Diesel 10 feel like he could finally think straight. Over and over again, his conversation with Edward seemed to loop around in his head, always lingering on that gorgeous smile.

"Oh, Pinchy," the towering diesel whispered. "Now I'm really not sure what to do."

#ttte #te writes trains #ttte edward #ttte diesel 10 #ttte shipping #ttte Ed10

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angeliteeyes · 5 months ago

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Noire x Neptune - Modern!AU

- Noire visits Neptune when she's sick -

-------------------------------------------

Noire's eyes darted from one side of the room to the other, quietly estimating how long it would take her to clean up even a fraction of the mess Neptune had left. With how much Neptune relied on junk food for sustenance, there wasn't anything that could be spoiled, but there was a concerning amount of vibrant-colored stains around. The wrappers and other trash would be a good start, she guessed.

Behind her, Neptune picked at her clothes, both wanting to comfort herself and avoid making Noire turn around. She knew her cleaning skills weren't great, but she really did plan to tidy up! Just maybe later that night. Or maybe tomorrow. Or maybe the weekend. She hadn't expected Noire to show up out of nowhere in the middle of the week to visit her! Speaking of, she wasn't exactly sure why Noire had shown up in the first place — she did already tell her she was sick after all, and Noire rarely came by willingly even when she wasn't. At first, she thought it was Compa at the door and went for a dive hug. Yeah, that was pretty embarassing... Neptune cleared her throat.

"H-hey Noire, I'm happy you came to visit me and all that, but maybe we shouldn't be in my room. I can go and grab you a snack if you want? Oh, but the pudding's mine! I'm almost out of the stuff Compa made so... haha..."

Noire remained silent.

"Um, Noire? Are you okay? If you really want some pudding, I guess I can share a bite with you... Would that work?"

Noire clicked her tongue, then spun around to face Neptune, somehow towering over her more than normal. She stared down harshly at her for several seconds, eyes darting to and from various points of Neptune's face before settling on her eyes. With a sharp inhale and a shift of her arm—it now rested on her hip—she finally opened her mouth.

"You're sick. Your room's a total mess. You clearly haven't changed out of those clothes recently, and you've just been eating a bunch of crappy junk food."

Noire bent down until her and Neptune's eyes were locked together. Neptune's heart, which was already beating a bit fast, began to go into overdrive, feeling Noire's obvious frustration at her. She started to shrink herself down more, but Noire leaned closer each time she moved away. It wasn't abnormal for Noire to get annoyed at her at all—if anything, it would be weirder if she didn't—but this felt different somehow. Noire was still speaking to her harshly and criticizing her, yes, but her voice was quieter than she was used to and their bodies were closer than they ever had been. Something was definitely off, but she couldn't tell what or why. Was this what Noire is like when she's really angry?!

Neptune's internal rambling came to a halt when Noire suddenly backed away. Neptune looked up, and her eyes widened in surprised, as instead of seeing a cold glare like normal, she instead saw a cute pout and tender-looking eyes. Noire moved to the nearest trash pile and started grabbing wrappers like a claw machine.

"It's no wonder you're sick if this is how poorly you take care of yourself. You know how worried Compa is about you, right? She didn't even pay attention at all our last tutoring session. If she saw what a mess your room is, she would totally freak out. So, just... go and take a shower. I'll get started on cleaning."

Neptune blinked for a few seconds, stuck in place. It's not that she couldn't imagine Noire being nice to someone or anything, but to this extent? Towards her of all people? Her heart pounded in her chest at the newfound affection being aimed at her. A part of her wanted to tease her, call her a tsundere and all that, but her poor health and tiredness made her bite her tongue for once. At last, she scurried over to the bathroom for a much needed shower.

About ten minutes later, a certain purple-haired head poked out of the bathroom door, steam rushing out with it. Noire hadn't noticed yet, too busy tidying up as best she could. Neptune cleared her throat.

"Hey, Noire?"

"What?" The other turned her head to the side. It wasn't long before her annoyed expression morphed into one of total panic and embarassment, her face rapidly flushing various shades of pink.

"Can you grab me some clothes?"

#hyperdimension neptunia #noire x neptune #neptune x noire #nepnowa #wlw #lgbtq #fanfic #creative writing #wlw writing #pls dont mind any spelling or grammar mistakes I havent slept

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getvalentined · 1 year ago

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Hey, long time lurker with a brand new account here! i was just reading an earlier ask you answered about why Vincent didn’t stop Hojo and Lucrecia and (of course) Sephiroth, but there’s also something that bugs me that I’m not sure has been addressed in canon or fanon. I like Vin and Veld as work besties in the 1970s and they’re also a ship of mine. Yet I’m not quite sure how to factor in how Vincent gets shot during his time at the Nibelheim Manor, is presumed dead, and Veld doesn’t even go to investigate until Before Crisis, when he finds Vincent in the coffin and tells him he’ll come back another time. I guess an answer I could come up with for myself was that someone higher up than Veld forbade him from looking into Nibelheim for all those years but I’m curious what your thoughts would be? :)

My take on this is actually very specific and headcanon heavy, since there isn't a lot of information on that whole time period—much less information specific to Veld—but I'll give as comprehensive a breakdown as I can!

Things we know specific to Vincent and Veld's situation:

Veld was Vincent's partner in the Turks

Veld did not know Vincent was dead

Detailed explanations on the certainty of both of these are under the cut, but they go into linguistics and translation disputes and context cues that will absolutely get us both lost in the weeds if I go into them here.

Other things that are moderately relevant to this explanation:

All victims of the Kalm fire were taken to Nibelheim for processing by R&D, including both Veld and Felicia (source: BC chapter 13)

In spite of being processed in the same location and even being utilized in the same experiment as Felicia, Veld didn't know that she survived, so it's very possible to hide people in there (source: BC chapter 13)

Veld did not know that Hojo had anything to do with Vincent's disappearance (source: BC chapter 19)

At the time that Vincent disappeared, Gast was still in control of R&D (source: OG FF7)

The Turks know absolutely nothing about the contents of the room in which Vincent is sealed (source: BC chapter 19)

Veld has multiple lines in BC that make it clear he's intimately familiar with the Manor, talking about how it still has a dark atmosphere and how unpleasant the place is. He also seems genuinely concerned when the Player Turk reveals that they were in there getting rid of old research materials on Tseng's order, although I think that's more because he didn't want his newer Turks finding out about what had happened to him if at all avoidable. (It was not avoidable.)

That familiarity with the facility, on its face, makes it really weird that Veld didn't know anything about what happened to Vincent. The only obvious way to reconcile this with him never finding Vincent (aside from the cop-out of "it's just bad writing") is that Veld chose not to look for him, he chose not to question his disappearance, he chose to forget him and let him fade into obscurity. This sounds really bad!

My take actually plays into this concept, and it while it could still be slightly damning for Veld, it's really just as much of a tragedy as anything else in that whole situation: Veld did look, but he started looking way too late.

In my headcanon universe, Vincent and Veld were together prior to the mission in Nibelheim. They broke up not long before Vincent left (the assignment itself is partially to blame for this, but that's long headcanon rambling I will save for another time), and the assignment was long-term enough that Vincent's reports were expected weekly for the first month, then monthly for the proceeding three months, and then quarterly after that. The assignment was slated to last roughly a year and a half, but could have gone up to three years according to Gast's estimations based on his previous efforts and the term of Project G.

But Veld had literally broken up with Vincent right before he left for this assignment, so he wasn't surprised when Vincent only sent two weekly reports, one monthly report, and then dropped into quarterlies from there. The reports themselves were still comprehensive, although Veld got the distinct feeling that Vincent was getting a little emotionally involved in the assignment—not that Veld could blame him, Vincent was requested for this assignment because Gast knew Grimoire, so Vincent was probably having a rough time being in close quarters with people who were so fond of his dead father. Still, the distance would be good for him. Let him get his head on straight.

In mid-1977, Vincent's report schedule faltered again. Veld had received one in April, a bit late—because Lucrecia was pregnant and she broke up with Vincent and married Hojo and he didn't know what to do, he didn't have anyone to talk to, but he didn't want Veld to know. One in September, at the very end of the month—because things were getting so bad, Lucrecia was so sick, Hojo was so aggressive, Gast literally didn't care—and in this report, Vincent said that there may be complications with the project that would require company attention, but he would let Veld know in his next report.

That report never arrived, because Hojo shot Vincent on October 24th, 1977.

Veld waited, because there was a schedule, and Vincent had been a bit lax anyway. No big deal.

At the end of December he received a missive from Gast stating that he would require escorted transport back to Midgar for himself and an infant, by no later than the end of January. Nothing from Vincent, but Gast didn't mention anything, so Veld thought nothing of it.

In mid-January, two Turks arrived in Nibelheim to help transport Gast and his team back to Midgar, and Vincent wasn't there. To hear anyone tell it, he hadn't been there for months. While phone lines were shaky so far out, they eventually made it through to Veld, notifying him that Vincent was missing.

They questioned the rest of the team, but their search of the facility was limited without clearance from higher-ups with that kind of sway. Veld could do a full search, he had the security clearance for it, but two lower-ranking Turks could not.

Lucrecia said that she didn't want to talk about it—she felt bad enough already. Hojo said the last time he'd seen Vincent was mid-October, and he'd just thought the boy finally ran off back to his kennel.

Veld questioned Gast when he arrived back in Midgar, finding that he was the most forthcoming and the least useful. Gast stated that he was under the impression that Vincent had returned to Midgar in early November; he'd been out of town for the last two weeks of October for a board meeting back in Midgar, discussing assignments for Project 0, and Vincent was gone when he returned.

All of them were lying.

By the time Veld made it out to Nibelheim to search himself, it was mid-February, and Hojo had moved Vincent into cold storage for the time being. Things were being shuffled around with the onset of Project 0 anyway, samples and subjects and materials being moved in and out, Lucrecia finally being sent back to Midgar for a much-needed postpartum recovery period, Hojo being given temporary control over the facility.

At this point in time, the Turks only had so much power. R&D was swiftly making itself the most indispensable department in the company, and Veld's search of the premises was always one step behind Hojo's relocation of materials. There was almost certainly one point where Vincent was held in a steel containment tank being relocated from the lower lab to the upper or vice-versa, and wheeled right past Veld without him knowing.

Veld, who knew how emotional Vincent could be and had now gotten the whole story of the regrettable whirlwind love affair from Hojo and Lucrecia, came to the conclusion that Vincent had gone AWOL. Could Veld blame him? He had been treating Vincent like crap since their own breakup—he hadn't been communicating, and even though he'd been able to tell that something was wrong, he never even tried to call and ask him about it. He'd been pissed off too, and left Vincent to his own devices...for over a year. On a separate continent. Of course he tried it with Lucrecia. Of course he left when that relationship fell through.

And Vincent was a good Turk, the best in the entire department, so he'd definitely know how to disappear. How to cover his tracks. Specifically how to hide from the current head of the department, who just happened to be his partner.

If Vincent chose to disappear, Veld would never be able to find him; since he never found any evidence of what transpired to lead to his disappearance, Veld could only assume that was what happened.

Almost thirty years later, he was horrified to finally get into that sealed room—the one Hojo said they used to store old furniture and facility staffers' more valuable personal belongings, way back in 1978—and discover that he'd been completely, utterly, devastatingly wrong.

But, once again, Veld had just waited too long to do anything about it.

—

Game content and dialogue sources:

Grimoire Valentine's BC playthrough

Flash PINK's BC script

Evidence that Veld and Vincent were partners:

The Grimoire Valentine BC playthrough translates Veld's line when explaining Vincent's identity as "We were partners a long time ago." I've seen this translation disputed, because the actual word Veld uses is 同僚 (dōryō), which is best translated as "colleague."

To my knowledge (based on obsessive linguistics research because I have a problem, I do not speak Japanese but I will spend hours researching exactly what specific terms mean within the context of a given culture), this implies equal standing within the company in question. Of course, this is in real-world situations, so we can't assume it applies 100% to FF7 canon—luckily, this word is used at one other point in the game, giving us important context on its usage within the department: in chapter 14, when Tseng thinks the Player Turk has been killed in Wutai, Yuffie asks how they know each other and Tseng replies "They're a [colleague]."

Tseng is vice director, meaning they're definitely not equals, so this could imply that this word is used more loosely among the Turks, thereby disproving the partnership between Vincent and Veld. However, since Veld uses the word 部下 (buka, "subordinate") to describe the other Turks in this same chapter, I personally feel that Tseng uses this term very intentionally at this point, and it's meant as an indication of his character. When Tseng thinks the Player Turk is dead, he refers to them as an equal. This is further implied by the fact that in the proceeding scene, when the Player Turk is proven to have survived, they continue to refer to him as Tseng-san, using the standard honorific, while Tseng doesn't use one in return to refer to them. Veld likewise doesn't use an honorific when referring to Tseng, but the other Turks do.

Back to Vincent and Veld's little reunion, though, I feel like Vincent's dialogue completely clarifies the intent: Vincent doesn't use an honorific or a title when referring to Veld. Every other Turk in the game refers to Veld as 主任 (shunin), with or without his name, which translates to "director." Meanwhile, Vincent refers to Veld by his name and his name only, and Veld doesn't refer to Vincent with an honorific either.

In their department, it's clear this isn't something you would do with someone who wasn't on your level. Subordinates get no honorific, sure, but anyone even remotely superior gets one—a practice that holds true well after Veld is gone, as Elena refers to Reno and Rude as "senpai" from her recruitment in 0007 all the way up to her appearance in Advent Children.

If either Vincent or Veld were ranked differently to the other, the lower-ranking one would use an honorific—but they don't. Names only. Add in the fact that they instantly recognized each other after almost thirty years, and the level of familiarity is undeniable.

Those men were partners, a long time ago.

Evidence that Veld didn't know Vincent was dead:

Upon finding Vincent in 2006, he isn't shocked to find him alive—instead, he refers to Vincent having "disappeared," specifically using the phrase 姿を消し (sugata o keshi), to describe what he knows to have happened. To my knowledge, this is an entirely neutral phrase with no implication of death or malfeasance, particularly within the context of Veld's dialogue, which makes it explicitly clear that whatever happened to Vincent, Veld did not believe it killed him.

His next line is something along the lines of "Did Hojo do this to you?" which I find equally important; he very quickly adjusts his assumptions based on the situation and what Vincent looks like, moving immediately away from the concept of a mysterious disappearance to something much more sinister, but he doesn't seem to have thought of that possibility prior to this point.

#long post #headcanon warning #fandom ramble #vincent valentine #veld of the turks #vinveld #professor gast #professor hojo #lucrecia crescent #the nibelheim doom triangle #before crisis #ff7bc #bcff7

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23fallencomets · 1 year ago

Text

Change The Prophecy (Let it once be me)

[basically a written manifestation for q3 logan and alex, finished 5 minutes before quali]

“It’s like the City of Angels is the closest you’ll get to Heaven, Las Vegas is where you’ll most likely meet the Seven Deadly Sins, Louisiana where you’ll find the ancient witchcraft and the Appalachian where gods go to die,” Dalton says as if this is something Logan should have known. He’s still staring at Logan, the annoyance only an older sibling can have shining through near-crystal blue eyes.

Logan tilts his head, “So you’re saying Florida has that? Like, causal magic?”

Dalton groans, running his hands over his face, “No, dumbass, it’s real, true magic and you fit the criteria to use it.”

Logan is still confused, “There’s criteria?”

“Yes! Pure of heart, intentions and will. You let them put Alex in your car in Australia and weren’t even that upset about it.”

Logan frowns, “Yes I was?”

Dalton rolls his eyes, this was so not the point, “And when Kmag crashed into you in Miami, you guys talked it out! Others would’ve brought down hell with them.”

Okay, so he’s still lost, but to avoid the risk of his brother pushing him off the boat, he nods. He’s not sure what the fuck Dalton is on and he really doesn’t want to know either.

The waters are shallow when Dalton pushes Logan in, following after him. The water is strangely warm despite it being one in the morning. Logan trusts that his brother isn’t planning to leave him here like that one time when he was five.

They end up at a half-circle rock formation. There’s a pool of water in it, almost like the one from H2O except it has an opening to the rest of the sea.

Dalton looks at him, motioning for Logan to jump in. Logan, being the younger brother and constantly fighting the urge to both get away from his brother and wanting to stick close to him, jumps in.

The water is icy, almost as cold as the ice baths in Singapore. It washes over him, submerging himself completely into the water. He remembers to calm himself when his chest tightens, his limbs loosening.

He opens his eyes, trying not to be surprised at the fact that his eyes don’t burn despite the saltwater. He tilts his head up, looking at the moon through the ripples of the water.

He decides to throw caution into the wind, closing his eyes.

Help me become the greatest, he thinks, his chest tightening again and the pressure in his head expanding, help me prove them wrong.

Above him the waxing crescent moon shines a bit brighter.

***

Dalton calls him dumb for staying under there for so long. Logan didn’t even know how long he had been under, it felt like seconds more than anything.

Logan doesn’t have time to argue and before he knows it, his back at the factory. It had been roughly a week since then and they were currently preparing for Canada.

He knew something was up when James sought him out, his usual calm composure roughed up as he spots Logan. He visibly brightens up and Logan gets a nervous feeling in his stomach.

“Logan! Good news, the new parts just came in.” He says, “The mechanics have been working all night to put them together.”

Logan blinks. The parts were estimated to come through towards the mid-season, something that Logan has been silently hating on since he found out.

“That’s-that’s great!” He says, his voice cracking. James continues to talk, something about the weight and new specs and half-sincere apologies for making him drive in the car he has.

Logan smiles stiffly, patting James on the back when his team principal pulls him into a bone-crushing hug.

He finds Alex a few minutes later, the elder lying on one of the couches with papers in his hands. Logan thumps his legs as he passes by, startling him slightly.

“Hey! I heard about the car,” Alex says sitting up and tossing the papers onto the table, “How are you feeling?”

Logan shrugs. He doesn’t really know. He’s been fighting with the car since the start of the season. He sees the way the other drivers become one with their cars, being able to steer it the way it should be while he’s praying he doesn’t crash into the barriers at every turn.

“Just hoping everything works out.” He says, “Is Jenson in?”

Alex shrugs, “I think so, he’s coming with us to Canada.”

Logan nods, “I’m gonna go see if I can find him.”

Alex waves him off and Logan continues down the building until he reaches Jenson’s office. The driver is there, slouched over his desk, glasses sitting in the bridge of his nose, the glare of his computer nearly blinding.

“You’re gonna go blind.” Logan says, switching the lights on. Jenson smiles, taking off his glasses and switching off his computer.

“Hey kid.” Jenson says as Logan collapses onto his couch. It’s stupidly comfortable and Logan has taken naps on there.

“Heard about the car,” There’s some shuffling before a chair being pushed back before Jenson’s voice sounds closer, “How’s that going?”

“I dunno know.” Logan mumbles, “Haven’t tried it yet.”

Jenson stares at him, and then a little bit more because he can hear the anxiety in his voice, the fear that maybe he is problem and not the car. Jenson hasn’t known Logan that long, but the need to reassure him that he’ll be great is so sharp it startles him. Fernando, Nico and Mark have always said he gets to invested, to caught up with something to see the bigger picture, but what if for Jenson, Logan is the bigger picture.

“You’ll do great.” Jenson says, voice steady but heavy with enough conviction and confidence that Logan feels it settle his frayed nerves.

——

The reassurances seemed to have worked, along with the basically new car. Canada was wet and cold, but Logan feels himself get comfortable as he goes through the motions to prepare for qualifying.

He looks up, at the barest strip of blue sky and closes his eyes.

Please, please, please, he begs before he’s ushered to his car. Practice had been great, placing the highest for himself so far.

He watches the lights, watching them flicker from red to green before they take off.

It feels like he’s watching from the outside, seeing the car glide easily around the corners. He doesn’t look anywhere but ahead, keeping his eyes out for the next car.

He listens to Gaetan, boxes when he needs to, overtakes when it’s safe and does his best to stay within track limits. He defends Alex, stays behind him until they agree to let him through.

They both make it to Q2.

It’s the same from there: overtake, defend, play offense. It’s nerve wrecking when he sees two cars swing into the barriers and the safety car comes out. Once they’re cleared, Alex and him continue, fighting and defending into Gaetan is telling him their in Q3.

Logan doesn’t focus on who’s out, keeping his head steady as they’re off again. He’s nervous, but he’s made it to Q3, and from here, his position is settled.

The two fight for positions, Logan isn’t sure which ones but before he knows it, they’re done.

P8.

[To Be Continued.]

#logan sargeant #williams racing #f1 #f1 rpf fic #ls2 #williams racing when i get my hands on you #alex albon #manifesting anything above p15 #for the race #praying for at least q2 #manifesting q3 #logan pls pls pls #williams pls #don’t sabotage him #he’s doing so well

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