#time to return to the US dumpster fire ……….

[monstermonger]

~3 months traveling in my wife’s home-country -> 100 journal pages

[pokemonruby]

people trying to insist that oras is as bad as bdsp that is CRAZY

[lizzybeeee]

THE ENTIRE DRAGON AGE AMA IS A DUMPSTER FIRE

They avoided all the high-rated questions with genuine criticism (not blind hate!) and went for questions that were safer and allowed them more leeway. After that awful IGN article and that treatment of Davrin...God, just put it down. I have no faith that BioWare will be able to continue Dragon Age or Mass Effect with the respect it deserves.

Edit - They had an opportunity for genuine discussion with fans who were concerned/unhappy with the way Veilguard was -> people unhappy with the story, the marketing, the lack of 'RP' options in an RPG, etc... Instead they just doubled-down even more, avoiding those critical questions, with no real acknowledgement that fans have very reasonable problems with this game.

Some Highlights & My Initial Ramblings Below:

The Executors

"They attempt to manipulate events in the most subtle way they can manage."

So, very clear that they're not simply observers of what is happening in Thedas: they're manipulators...

"Magical Illuminati Confirmed! Lizard People Did 9:30 Dragon!!!!"

All that complexity of character -> his hatred of Orlais, his experience as a general, his relationship with Cailain, and the influence of Howe...all diminished. Any influence from a shadow cabal is too much influence - all the humanity of Loghain's choices/consequences...God, what a waste.

Not to mention what this does to other events/characters in the series -> they imply they've been intervening as far back as the magisters breaking into the golden city. I do not find this compelling! At all!

2. Solas and the Executors

Oh my god, he sounds like such a fucking Mary-Sue I'm so sick of Solas at this point -> "Actually, I know more about the Executors than anyone alive - not even the rest of the Gods know as much as me."

("I'm also, like, an Ancient Elven God, I'm responsible for the Blight and the Veil, and I kind of locked the Gods away cause they were evil - but, like, I'm really sad about it. Also the Herald of Andraste thinks I'm cute <3")

<- Previous comments: massive oversimplification, obviously

But I miss the days when not everything was about Solas. It removes so much interest and wonder in this world when the fucking egg is behind it all. I loved him as a character in DAI and now I just feel this bone deep tiredness when I see his stupid face.

Don't you dare threaten to bring Gareth David-Lloyd back -> keep him away from this mess!

3. The Fate of the Rest of the Evanuris

Yay. I'm so looking forwards to "The Return of the Elves: Electric Boogaloo 2" - it was done so well the first time!

"It was the elves all along!"

The only character with any potential to be interesting is Andruil*, but how they handled all this lore was done so shallowly and so poorly that I find it hard to give a damn anymore. Not to mention that the game literally mentions Ghilan'nain mourning Andruil - so is this a retcon/redirection/or have you confirmed that one of the most interesting members of the Evanuris' is dead?

*interesting in that she's established in lore to potentially have a tonne of really cool things attached to her (the void armour, the great weapon she has etc...). The rest of the evanuris are nowhere near as well established as she is.

4. Southern Thedas, Sociopolitical Issues, and Future Games

NOW YOU WANT TO INCORPORATE GEO-POLITCAL EXPLORATION?? You avoided any meaningful discussion like the plague in DATV but now you're acknowledging it?? OkaY. okAy.

They couldn't even give us the long-term ramifications of the mage/templar war how the hell am I supposed to believe that they will be able to pull off 'elven gods are real' etc...? For a game series that totes : your choices matter -> they have not proven that they have been able to show that in a meaningful way. They literally cleaned the slate with this game to avoid doing that.

So, what, does that mean that the Veil is never going to come down now? Or are you going to have the entirety of Thedas build themselves up again just to have the Veil fall and send things into chaos once more?

What a fatalistic, miserable outcome for Thedas -> why the fuck would anyone bother to live in Thedas if you're going to keep throwing meteorites at them? By all means, change/conflict has to happen for the series to move forwards...but this is just so miserable at this point.

(The Elder Scrolls, at least, gives people room to breathe between crisis' or sets them up in different areas of the world! Bethesda treats past installments/your decisions with greater respect than DATV does.)

Even, then, if the Veil remains up, that means that the spirits are just trapped in the Fade being miserable for the rest of existence. The entire series has been humanizing spirits, from Justice to Cole, and now they're just throwing in the towel? I guess they can stay in the fade now! Problem solved!

What do you mean the Evanuris are not a threat anymore? IN A PREVIOUS QUESTION YOU LITERALLY SAID SOME ARE STILL POTENTIALLY KICKING AROUND THE BLACK CITY?

Weakened, sure, but Solas was 'weak' in DAI. You're giving yourself an out if you decide to go back to the elves again. Please do, I'd love more content on how the elves alone fuck everything up!

5. More Southern Thedas, the Chantry, and Tevinter

Thanks for the confirmation that things in the South are so fucked up that they have to work alongside the 'Slave Capital' of the known world to rebuild!

Slavery was one of the biggest things that caused a rift between the north/south chantry system -> one of the reasons why there were exalted marches -> a uniting belief in the south is that slavery is fucked. They didn't address slavery in DATV - what hopes are there that they will do so effectively in a future game?

Don't tell me that Dorian fixes everything off screen either -> either he solves slavery off-screen or the south is being forced to work the slaver-capitol because their land is nuked and they have no ground to stand on.

I'm so thrilled.

6. Solas and the Idol / The Blight

I will never get over Solas fucking curing the Blight off-screen and no one asking questions/giving a shit. Hello?? The Hero of Ferelden would like a word with you???

So the Blight is calcified in Minrathous, at least, but everywhere further away is still fucked! Once more, the South is doomed to suffer from the long-term effects that regular blights have -> not to mention the red lyrium (which still exists according to the AMA) across the south.

I don't care; it's lame. It's a lame way to conclude the blight and I hate it. This game did not earn 'cure the blight from thedas' at all. You could have had us learn how to soothe a titan and see how that can diminish the blight but you did it this way.

Another 'magical ritual' because Solas has such a good track record with them lmao.

7. The Agents of Fen'Harel / The War with the Qun / The Crows

Turned him against the idea of being a leader???!!

Fen'harel's Call to the Elven People After the events at the Winter Palace, elves left the Inquisition under mysterious circumstances, as did elven servants across Thedas. None could say where they went, but those who believed the Inquisitor's story about Fen'Harel wondered just how large the Dread Wolf's forces were... and what the ancient elven rebel had planned. This is from the Trespasser Epilogue, Epler!

Your concept art for Joplin literally had him as a leader of a faction of elves. Just be honest that it's a retcon and you changed course - don't try to save face with this reasoning.

About the Antaam: "We needed some big mindless bad guys to fight and so we did this because we didn't want to address the Qunari War/Invasion we set up in Trespasser".

You had to canonize Sten as being alive and Arishok in order for this reasoning to work -> you didn't even come up with an alternative Arishok to take Sten's place.

Yeah, the exchange that set up the Crows we see in the game as "idealists" did not make the game. I can confirm that!

I'm sorry, "Caterina kept Illario in check?" as in, 'kept him an idealist and not the usual Crow'? The woman that beat him with a cane and starved him and his cousin to train them as Crows. Fuck off.

lmao -> tell me you're coming up with this on the spot without telling me that you're coming up with this on the spot.

8. World State Discrepancies - Isabela

Outright ignores the very real criticism about the marketing from this game and World States.

"there are absolutely places where we unintentionally suggested there was a hard canon (...that Isabela is always assumed to have joined Hawke's party.)"

Unintentional?

Excuse me, you have her talk about Merrill and the Kirkwall Crew as family - that was not unintentional in the slightest. Not to mention Sten, Blackwall, Sera, and Cole are canonized as being part of your world state no matter what.

You had a story you wanted to tell - one that only fit a few world states - and you went ahead with it and disregarded those choices. Don't try and lie about this all being a big misunderstanding.

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

Edit - They could have taken the opportunity to address the very reasonable criticisms that people had with this game but they cherry-picked questions and avoided/minimized anything remotely critical.

They could have provided us some insight into the game development time but each time they approached the topic they settled for "we're happy with what we delivered and it was well optimized."

They had an opportunity to acknowledge that people were bothered by the handling of the lore/stories (to potentially mention they could course-correct/ rethink their plans) but instead they doubled down on everything that they did and even 'justified' some decisions. They doubled down on the Executors, Solas's changing motivations, the destruction of Southern Thedas, and the elves/Solas being at the heart of everything etc...

This AMA basically confirmed that the only reason they did what they did to the south was for a reset -> It's not a compelling or fulfilling narrative to have everything we've done reset back to ground zero off-screen. BioWare games differentiate themselves from other RPG's by their import system from previous games - it was compelling and exciting! With DATV they set the expectation that BioWare can outright throw out entire games worth of choices/build up, not solely retcon them.

Justifying your choice to water down the lore/world of your story by saying you'll address it in the 'next game' does not instill me with confidence, BioWare! It doesn't explain that lack of it in this game either!

They avoided every question that, rightfully so, pointed out the misleading comments made by devs in the pre-order period of the game:

the fact that there were only 3 imported choices from previous games was leaked by a reviewer -> BioWare was vague from the start about choices

that this game was the most 'romantic' in the series

that world states/ headcanons wouldn't be disrespected

that there are 'lore' reasons for bad darkspawn design

that there are lasting, impactful choices/consequences to be made in this game

that the lore/world was not watered or toned down

that companions are deep and you can disagree with them etc...

BioWare's behavior towards their customers in the lead up period to this games release was downright scummy. I absolutely felt misled after playing the game for myself and recalling what I read in interviews put out. While EA is undoubtedly poison, you can't hold them solely accountable for this.

I feel for the individual developers who worked on this in what was undoubtedly a toxic environment from EA - but I feel that it's pretty clear that BioWare itself has a lot of problems within and in their leadership/executives. Working for EA does not give them an excuse to mislead their customers.

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

I already had a very grim outlook on the franchise from the end of DATV but this literally look my interest out the back and sent it to God. What a disaster.

[slutoru1207]

Nowhere to Run pt 2

GIF by red-rift

Mohawk Mark x Reader

The silence stretches between you and Mohawk Mark like a tense wire, but it's broken by the sound of his stomach growling loudly. It’s the kind of growl that could be heard by a mile away, echoing over the barren landscape like a dying animal’s last plea for food.

Mark winces, then shoots you a sideways glance. "Not my fault," he mutters defensively, as if you were somehow responsible for his digestive issues. "You wouldn’t believe how much energy it takes to look this good all the time."

You snort despite yourself, arms crossed tightly as you eye the horizon. "Yeah, I’m sure it takes a lot of energy to look like you just woke up in a dumpster after a bender."

"Hey," Mark says, raising an eyebrow. "I’ll have you know that I’m the pinnacle of rugged charm. These things take time. This?" He gestures to himself dramatically, "This is perfection in motion."

"Uh huh," you deadpan, scanning the wasteland for anything that could pass as a food source or even a way out of here. "If perfection means looking like you fought a rockslide and lost, then yeah. You’re totally perfect."

Mark chuckles, but the sound is short-lived as another growl erupts from his stomach, sounding almost ashamed.

"Okay, okay, you win," he says, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "But seriously, if we're gonna make it out of here, we need to find food. And I'm pretty sure you're not gonna find a McDonald's in this hellhole."

You squint at the desolate landscape, considering your options. "Well, unless you're planning to make some weird version of a rock salad, I don't think we're getting anything here. You're gonna have to survive on whatever wild survival instincts you have."

Mark gives a small sigh, muttering, "Great. Just what I need—survival training with you." But then he smirks. "I mean, I'm sure you'll be useful. You probably know how to catch a rabbit or something."

"Yeah, sure. And I'm sure you know how to make fire with your charming personality."

"I could," he counters, turning to face you fully now, his eyes gleaming with the same cocky confidence, "but I’m gonna need a good campfire companion to keep me entertained. You up for the challenge?"

"God help me," you mutter under your breath. "I’d rather deal with a mutant bear at this point."

The moment passes in a stretch of silence, and you both just stand there in the middle of nowhere. The tension between you is palpable, yet there's something oddly comfortable in the banter, as if this dysfunctional, sarcastic dynamic could be the only thing holding your sanity together in this vast, lonely wasteland.

Mark finally shakes his head and groans. "Look, we need to figure this out. And unless you’re secretly a survival expert, we’re gonna have to work together. But only because I’m feeling generous."

You snort. "Yeah, that’s definitely the reason."

"Yeah," he says, cracking his neck, "So, what’s the plan, huh? You got anything in that head of yours?"

You hesitate, narrowing your eyes at the horizon. "I don't know, you got any ideas besides annoying the hell out of me?"

His smirk returns. "Well, I was thinking we could wait for a dragon to fly by and swoop us out of here. Or... we could, y'know, just walk."

You blink at him, trying to figure out if he’s serious or just completely insane. "Oh sure, that’ll totally work."

Mark shrugs, still with that damned smirk on his face. "Hey, no harm in dreaming, right?"

You’re about to retort when your stomach rumbles, an embarrassing reminder that you haven’t eaten in hours either. You glance over at Mark, who’s still looking at you with a faintly amused expression.

"Alright, fine," you mutter. "We’ll walk. But if we end up eating dirt for dinner, I’m blaming you."

"Deal," Mark says, offering you an exaggerated bow. "Lead the way, oh wise survival expert."

You roll your eyes but can't suppress a small smile as you start walking, knowing this journey’s going to be anything but boring.

[noctxj]

hanahaki disease “… in which the victim coughs up flower petals when they suffer from one-sided love. It ends when the beloved returns their feelings, or when the victim dies…”

part i / part ii / part iii / part iv

˚. ✦.˳·˖✶ ⋆.✧̣̇˚. ˚. ✦.˳·˖✶ ⋆.✧̣̇˚. ˚. ✦.˳·˖✶ ⋆.✧̣̇˚. ˚. ✦.˳·˖✶ ⋆.✧̣̇˚.

a disgruntled poly!tf141 who don’t want to work with one of laswell’s personal contacts. and “agent” who thinks poly!tf141 are by far the most amusing bunch to work (annoy) with as of late. agent who impresses and frustrates poly!tf141 at every turn. and poly!tf141 who don’t know whether to scream or throttle (kiss) agent for their antics. 

poly!tf141 and agent who work so seamlessly well as a unit (much to laswell’s smugness). poly!tf141 and agent who spend countless hours together; the good, the bad, the boring, the exciting— the vulnerable moments. and for the first time in their life, agent feels unsteady, confused, afraid (loved). 

their reassuring words, soft gazes, the feeling of safety— 

agent who doesn’t like the steadily growing weight in their chest, or the (ever)tightening of their lungs when in close proximity. agent who doesn’t know what love feels like. doesn’t want it, has no use for it. whose only known it as a weakness; something to be ripped out of someone for valuable intel, to cause pain. a means to an end.

agent who scoffs at the thought of it (love), so juvenile. denies it; they do not feel love. least of all for a group of soldiers. men dutiful to their country, their family and friends. honourable. unlike agent— spy. assassin. a contract for their skills, bound by money (and laswell’s persuasiveness). dishonourable. the worst of humanity.

so why does it feel like agent can’t breathe? suffocating. there is something in their throat.

agent who coughs out bloody petals and sharp thorns. eyes tearing and throat burning (agony). a desperate sob, and with it another flurry of beautiful petals and mangled thorns comes up.

nononononono— 

stupidstupidstupid— 

this isn’t how its supposed to be— 

they will never feel— 

agent feels love. 

˚. ✦.˳·˖✶ ⋆.✧̣̇˚. ˚. ✦.˳·˖✶ ⋆.✧̣̇˚. ˚. ✦.˳·˖✶ ⋆.✧̣̇˚. ˚. ✦.˳·˖✶ ⋆.✧̣̇˚.

tric’s notes

i’ve had this rotting in my head for a couple months now. so enjoy this dumpster fire of words. also this is my first time deep diving into this type of writing so yehaw better late than never.

i plan to do a part ii, just dunno when it’ll be posted.

feel free to scream in the comments - would love to know your thoughts! feedback is always welcome and appreciated ♡︎

crossposted on ao3 (same username!)

[reality-detective]

It’s time for me to have another rant! 👇

Buckle up!!! ⚔️🛡️

The State of America:

I am angry. As an American, I am sick and tired of what this country has become. I do probably curse more than I should, but I am pissed off.

Our schools: Children are being indoctrinated by school teachers about sexual activity rather than things they should be learning about. You know, like civics, math, real history and science? What grown ass adult wants to discuss sexual intercourse with a minor? I’ll tell you, a social deviant fucking pervert. That’s who. I will not expose any child to that madness ever.

Our military: Our military is the weakest it has ever been. I have friends that are still in the military and they cannot wait to get out. Not because of their lack of service to this country, but the lack of leadership. The good ones are tired of getting slammed with “woke” PowerPoints on shit that doesn’t even matter to military readiness. It’s dumb. And our adversaries are laughing at us. I can’t even recommend someone to join the military until it is returned to its rightful place as the strongest military in the world.

Our southern border: The southern border is a dumpster fire. More illegal aliens and fentanyl are pouring through the border at record rates. The saddest part about this is the Democrats are wanting ILLEGALS to vote for any and all elections. Democrats only use their party for votes to continue their reign of power, while their own districts are literal shit-holes. Republicans are not safe from this and they really aren't much better. If they wanted the border shut down they would too. Always remember that Americans being murdered was never enough to shut the border down.

Joe Biden: I will never accept the thought that Joe Biden got 81 million votes. You cannot make me believe that the alleged President of the United States of America got the most votes in American history, then was kicked out from running by his own party. Give me a fucking break.

Kamala Harris: This Indian American woman locked up more black men than I have ever seen in my life. She doesn’t care about black people. Never has and never will. She just wants your vote.

Mainstream Media: These retards have been fed so much propaganda that they actually think Donald Trump will incite a civil war if he doesn’t win the 2024 election. You all have an extra chromosome if you truly believe that. There are some that are just gaslighting but a large portion of the population is too stupid to vote if they can’t decipher this.

Speaking of Donald Trump: This man has been given more bullshit to a public servant that I have ever seen in my life. For crying out loud, it has been over 2 weeks since the Deep State almost took his life and no one has been held truly accountable. They are all behind it until proven otherwise. Imagine if that was the other way around. Democrats would want to put the nation on lockdown like they did during COVID.

National debt: As of today the United States is at $35,000,000,000,000.00 in debt. How irresponsible of adults. I will never be gaslit to send money overseas anymore especially since Americans are struggling to put food on their table. How outrageously treasonous.

And to top all of this off. I am a white male that was in the military and now I'm considered a domestic terrorist by some. How unbelievable is this? The same ones that are backing the Military Industrial Complex. The same “elected leaders” that I served, don’t have our backs when we return home. The military are the ones that uphold and defend the Constitution, not them.

This is not what America should be about. This is not the country I served. Not anymore.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!! 🤔

God Bless America. 🇺🇸

[amica-aenigmata-naboo]

As You Wish

Astarion x Y/N - drabble - 1.1K WC

Masterlist

Warnings: traumatized reader, fear of touch, anxiety, general nervousness, sweet and understanding Astarion, I'm really in my feels so enjoy this fucking dumpster fire

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

It wasn’t unwelcome, it was surprising. Astarion had physical boundaries, this much is true. But you? You were skittish. Always on edge. Never letting anyone too close. Never letting anyone in. Over time, Astarion’s honeyed words softened you ever so slightly. You could stand to be around him. You flinched less. When he confessed he had feelings for you, you were silent. Astarion almost took back everything he said before you spoke the simplest words.

“Me too.” you smiled subtly. 

He moved towards you to take your hand but you immediately stepped back, eyes darting around to assess the level of threat you felt. 

And most of the time, Astarion played it off. He ignored it. He chopped it up to something small and insignificant. But the more time went on, the more he grew within himself, the more he knew it wasn’t something small. He noticed how you always had your hands behind your back. How you were always inside the safety of your tent the moment you could be. How you sharply avoided any kind of touch. He wanted to know. He needed to. He couldn't help you, couldn’t show you love the way he wanted to. 

So he did things differently. He left a small box outside your tent, inside sat a circlet he had… found. Silver with rubies scattered about it. He knocked on the wooden pole holding up the front of your tent before slinking back into the forest, waiting for your reaction. He watched you pick up the box cautiously. When you looked inside he expected a smile to sprout upon your face, yet a deep frown settled instead. You quickly shut the box, silently walked over to his tent, and set the box outside. Once you had returned to your tent, Astarion returned to his. He sat and held the circlet in his hands, thumbs smoothing over the metal and stones as he thought. He would simply have to find another way to show you he loved you. 

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

The next morning, he waited for you to leave your tent. Once he saw you he jogged up to you. You smiled but backed up from him two paces like always. He used to take offense but now this is just what he knew to expect from you. 

“Hello my sweet.” he greeted you.

You nodded at him, smiling still. 

“How is my little love?” he asked.

You sat on the edge of the log that rested next to the fire pit. He sat with you. “Good. You?” 

“Delightful now that I’m with you. My beautiful, talented, wonderful darling.” he fawned over you. 

His honeyed words felt sickly sweet, making your stomach churn. Your face fell into a flushed, worried look. You looked away before quickly moving off the log, “Excuse me.” you said before you quickly walked back to your tent, disappearing within. 

Astarion sighed. No gifts. No touches. No sweet words. Onto the next idea. 

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

This was fool proof, he was sure of it. Not only had he cleaned and sharpened your favorite daggers, he enchanted them. After a particularly difficult incantation, their aim was exact. He knew this would be perfect for showing you how he felt. You noticed the gleam on them immediately, how they cut through anything and everything like fire through ice. Your aim was immaculate, to a suspicious point. After battling and adventuring all day you couldn’t help but notice Astarion’s smirk he had. 

“What?” you asked softly.

“Do you like your daggers?” he asked. 

You looked at them before shrugging, “I suppose?” 

His face dropped a little, did you not notice? “Your aim today is impressive.” he said, winking at you.

You looked down at the daggers, a soft pink glow emitting from them. Your eyebrows drew together, “What did you do?” 

“Improved them,” he smiled, “Sharper. Cleaner. More accurate.” he waved his hand at you, waiting for your thanks. 

Instead, he heard the metal of the blades clink against the log next to him. You left them with him as you walked away. As always, back to your safe haven, your tent. 

He groaned out, falling backwards and laying in the dirt. He didn’t know what else to do, but he knew he would keep trying.

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

“Darling?” Astarion called to you from the front of your tent. Your eyes snapped up as you heard rustling. He walked into your tent, a book in his hands. You were frozen in place, nobody had ever been inside your tent. You felt like an animal caught in a snare.” 

“Why are you in my space?” you asked bluntly. 

“Can we talk?” he asked.

You nodded, noticing the tremble in your hands as you moved. He kept his distance. “I… I don’t know how to love you…” he said. His tone was heartbreaking, defeated. “Everything I’ve tried… you don’t seem to like.” 

You felt sorry for him, you wanted to comfort him. “It’s not you…” you whispered. 

“Then what is it little love?” he asked with a tinge of hope in his voice. 

You looked down, drawing your knees to your chest. “I have… never known kindness. Not a kind hand, kind word, kind gesture… I don’t know what to do with the kindness you show me.” you said honestly. The world is unkind, and it had been especially unkind to you. You feared everything. 

Astarions whole face fell with realization. You weren’t uninterested or unimpressed with him. You were unsure. 

“Do you trust me?” he asked in a tone just above a whisper.

Your eyes finally met his. Big, round, and vulnerable you couldn’t help but nod. 

He inched closer, putting his hands out “Trust me.” he said as he sat across from you. He reached out slowly. You flinched away a bit but waited to see what he was trying to accomplish. His cold fingers deftly touched your hands. Softly moving up your arms, he watched as goosebumps appeared. When he reached your face, he cradled your cheek. Instinctively, you pressed your cheek into him before cupping his hand with your own, releasing a shaky breath. 

You snuggled into his hand, “This… I like this.” you mumbled before very cautiously kissing his palm. 

He smiled at you, “Will you let me love you from now on. Show you kindness in all its forms. Show you what you deserve?” he scooted even closer, you could feel his breaths fanning over your skin.

“Please.” you almost begged, having longed for someone to love you. 

“As you wish.” he smiled before kissing you gently.

You let out a squeak in surprise before kissing him back. You didn’t know what this feeling was, but gods you never wanted it to stop.

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

Naboo's Note:

Hello :) I hope this is ok, my motivation is on the floor but I wanted to give your guys something. If it doesn't make sense or blows let me know and I'll take it down or rework it somehow. I hope everyone is doing well XOXOXOXOXOXO!!!!!!!!

[dirty-bosmer]

Wip Wednesday

Tagged by @skyrim-forever and by @orfeoarte last week (tagging you again now) <3

Passing this along to @theoneandonlysemla @unironicallytes @elavoria @thequeenofthewinter @sylvienerevarine @ladytanithia @inkysqueed @heavy-metal-dick @sulphuricgrin @rustyram035 @sheirukitriesfandom @pocket-vvardvark

Just submitted revisions on my manuscript and have not had much time to write for fun, BUT I received some very nice comments on my Lucien/Silencer dumpster fire fic, and it has reinvigorated me to get chapter 2 up this month 💪

Lucien thinks of the time before, when she was nervous and denying. Rain that didn’t want to be rain. Rain guilty for the deluge, and it saddens him, almost, to see her like this— a storm that dreams it is the sun. “I didn’t mean it,” she whispers, pulling herself closer. “Not really.” And even if he believes it, there is something wholly parasitic in her touch that makes him question how long they can last in this house, feeding on each other’s hunger, tasting of desire with no future. The fruit that rots on the tongue. The nightshade that bleeds when plucked. Half-dead, half alive or twice dead and twice revived, weaving this deadly spell that bears as much the crushing horror of defeat as it does the promise of salvation. And does he still love her? Did he ever? Does she love him too, in her way, and does the hand too miss the wrist that it’s been severed from? All he wanted was a Silencer, and in return she brought him death, but she is one of Sithis’ chosen. What else should he expect? “I’ll fix it,” Nimileth says. And even if he believes it, he knows they’ll return here. Broken though it is, this is the only home they've ever known. The two of them fighting to give themselves something to mend, some broken product of their violence that they can nurture back to health. Yes, show me how we become whole together. Tell me that this hatred too will save us. 

[jewbeloved]

How would the guys confess to you on Valentine's Day 💌

Note: This is 3 days late I know, I was on a writers block and I was having a fever and I kept throwing up in the progress while my stomach hurted and I missed a day to go to school on Wednesday to do my test because of that. And now I got a massive headache, everything is just spinning at once I can't take it anymore. 😭

Warnings: Absolutely none.

Characters used: The main boys.

Gender: Neutral

💙 Stan Marsh 💠

Man wants to confess to you on Valentine's Day, he literally be eyeing his calendar and keeping track of the days leading up to Valentine's Day.

But when the day actually comes?

Oh sh!t, he's already in a panic. He doesn't know what to give to you or how to even approach you in general to confess.

He went to Kyle for advice and even practicing his confession for you with him. He knows Valentine's Day can be a really special day for your friends and s/os.

He doesn't want to mess up or make things awkward by vomiting all over you like how he did when he was with Wendy :(

He probably might go with basic presents such as: chocolate, teddy bear, etc.

He will confess to you behind the school just in case his confession goes up in flames and he doesn't want other people to see.

"Uhm, Hi..(Name)...I know it's Valentine's Day and all....and I was just wondering if you wanted to be my valentine...". 💙💙💙💙💙💙

💚 Kyle Broflovski ☘️

Jews aren't supposed to have valentines-

Just kidding.

But seriously though every time this boy has a love interest it always ends up in a complete dumpster fire for him. (Not Cartman being the man cause for it anyways).

You and him have been good friends for a good couple of months and Valentine's Day has finally arrived.

This is his moment to shine and he won't let anyone ruin it for him, not even the fatass-.

He already got a big 4ft sized teddy bear with a heart box that has your favorite candy or sweet inside it. He also got you both matching outfits to wear if you accept his confession.

He probably might want to confess to you in the park near a big tree. (Yeah, classic romance confessions)

Please accept this boy's confession, it will literally make him the happiest jew in south park.

"Hi (Name)! I hope nobody else has confessed to you...or maybe they have. But I just wanted to ask you if you could be my valentine for this holiday".

❤️ Eric Cartman 🔥

Cartman is mysteriously preping for something and not being an ass as his usual routine?

I wonder what's on his mind.........probably you.

He obviously doesn't know what to get you for Valentine's Day and he probably doesn't care so he will just get whatever he feels you might like. He forced his mom to buy the presents though! :3

He probably wants to confess to you because you're the only person besides his mom who puts with his psychotic behavior and rude nature.

And probably because you don't make fun of him for being fat😭

The confession will be in his room because he doesn't want the guys ripping on him for having a soft spot for you.

He will confess in the mostly lazily and cheesy way in the first half before actually being honest with his confession.

"So it's Valentine's Day huh? This makes me feel like I am gay if I was doing this for the guys, but since it's just only you (Name), I don't mind it. As anyone would tell their s/o, will you be my valentine?".

🧡 Kenny Mccormick 🧸

He's poor asf how do you think he can afford even a gift for you?

He feels so sad at the times you give him something and he can't gift you anything in return due to him being the poorest kid in south park.

So instead of buying something, he tries to make a homemade gift for you with whatever he can find (He cleans the material he's using if he finds something useful out of the trash).

Definitely sneaked around alleyways and stole some spare changes from homeless guys so he can use it to at least get you a candy or snack he can afford.

Same as Kyle, he will confess to you in the park while bringing the homemade gifts and snacks he got you.

He wanted this confession to be special like the holiday itself so he took a bath in the river (without soap) and fixed up in his hair a little, not a lot though.

He decided to wear his Princess Kenny outfit afterwards.

"Mmmmm...mmmphmmmmhmmphmmmmmmmmhmmp!" (Im sorry Name...I know this isn't much since I'm poor and I can't gift the same amount you do for me and my family, but it's the least I could to repay my gratitude! Will you be my valentine?).

A new banner for my new south park Masterlist that I will be making soon.

[gaddaboutgriffon]

Omega Spider

Yep. It is actually about Peter Parker Spider-Man. He was mutated by a a spider bite one thing I noticed about every version of the spider I have seen is that it always depicted with really round abdomen and no pedipalps. In other words a female spider.

So imagine Peter from a world that is not omegaverse and the spider bite mutation turns him into an omega. He has no idea he is an omega until he is sent to another universe where the dynamics are commonplace.

So for the omegaverse instincts and things. I don’t like the ones where they loose all sense of self control in heat and it wouldn’t work for Peter anyway. I think it really shouldn’t be worse then a period with a bit of a low fever. Though with him being part spider he has a slight urge to eat a mate but is able to brush it off as an intrusive thought.

As for his age when thrown into this other universe he is Still a teen. My favorite version of him is from the 2003 cartoon series Spectacular Spider-Man. That series ended while he was still 15. Basically have him young enough to be adoption bait. The portal is a one way trip and just to be more dramatic he will be devastated that he finds out he can't return.

Teen teams don’t get enough attention. So we will have him end up with the team titans. I riled some dice and here is what dynamic each titan got. Robin is an alpha. Starfire is an alien whose species doesn’t have dynamics and will be as confused as Peter. Cyborgs was an alpha but sort of lost his dynamic when most of his body was turned mechanical. Raven is a beta, and I swear the dice were rigged cause somehow Beast Boy is an alpha too. (Funny thing to add in. Beast boy absolutely would know how female and in Peter’s case omega spiders eat their mates. We can have him make a point to never turn into a spider around Peter.) as for dynamic social aspects I think we have it so that omegas are a bit more coddled but not outright oppressed in society. That way we have an internal conflict for Peter to get frustration with cause he would arguably be the heaviest or second heaviest hitter on the team. Something the team takes a few episodes/chapters/parts to work out and move past. Then later they have all gotten used to Spidey being tough and independent but the public criticizes the team for when someone finds out and blabs on TV.

Now then for team relationships. I still am a Robin Starfire shipper, and Raven x Beast boy I don’t get but am ok with. Terra is a dumpster fire that can be addressed way later. Cyborg I think is fine just being the reliable friend but a tumblr friend liked him shipped with Jinx. Though I think he has science nerd out fun with Peter. Though cyborg is more computer and machines nerd and Peter is more chemistry and biology nerd.

What about Peter taking the role of team medic? Since biology and chemistry are his strengths. Every team needs a healer (and I get to use the exasperated medic trope I love.) goodness because of the way he was raised and close to his aunt May Peter may end up being the designated “mom” friend. Since I can see him not letting things get too messy and he would miss the home cooked meals so much he would probably teach himself to cook. And he had the most stable childhood hood and probably the most sensible advice. Also he made his suit so it is cannon he can sew very well.

Would Peter have a ship? Cause there are a couple other teen heroes or villains. …. Wait! You know the theory that Dick was Red X the first time but that suit was stolen and it isn’t said who but a lot of fans think it was Jason…. What if we make Red X more of a recurring character, but in this AU Jason didn’t get adopted by Bruce and is more of a neutral rogue as Red X.

Anyway now that the world building basics are out of the way, Let’s start the story. We shall drop Spidey in right at the start of the titans cartoon when they all kind of meet because of Starfire’s escape pod landing on earth. And I mean literally drop him in. The portal opened up like 300 feet in the air above the city.

[johnwickb1tsch]

Wick fic ideas, pretty please?

Oh dear. 😆 So this doc is my dumpster fire catch all. This is an outline/imagine I wrote for an Assassin!Reader x John Wick fic last december. I kind of imagine them having a sort of hostile Perkins/John vibe? Thank you @sweetwolfcupcake Sweets!! 😘😘😘😘

warnings: nsfw, violence, sex, angst 😱

You are an assassin, and you keep beating John wick to his targets. He doesn't appreciate it. You beat him two times. “No hard feelings, John.” You kiss him on the cheek, the corner of his mouth really, patting the scruff of his beard a little hard. He is like a block of wood, frozen in his self control. He doesn't lash out, like most in your profession would. 

Maybe that's why you make it your mission to poke him. You're curious if you can get him to crack. Just a little. 

The third time your paths cross you fight. It's brutal. You've already done half the work of killing the guards, you're not losing this payday if you can help it. You hit each other and throw each other around, and you are ridiculously turned on by this man. You can tell he's trying not to really hurt you, but he's not letting you have it either. 

In the end he pins you against a grate and whips his belt out of the loops. He uses it to secure your hands above your head. “Stay,” he growls, gasping for breath. It's ridiculously hot and you are soaking wet, but still you snarl, “Hey!” 

But he's gone like a shadow to finish the job. You hear fighting and gunshots, then silence. A good ten minutes go by before he returns to you. He looks at you warily, which is wise. He's clearly trying to figure out how to free you without getting hurt. In the end he sighs and decides to bite the bullet, stepping in to you and reaching for your hands. No hard feelings, he says, parroting your earlier words back at you. 

Holding on to the bars, you wrap your legs around his waist, quick as a striking snake. You pull him against you hard, winning a surprised grunt. Well John? You won. Are you going to claim your prize? His gaze involuntarily drops to your mouth, and you're 80 percent sure you have him in the bag. 

His hands travel from the belt down to your butt, helping to support your weight. You feel that his enthusiasm for this situation is growing by the second.

“Is this what you want?” he asks, pressing against you. 

“Doesn't matter what I want,” you say breathily. “I lost.”

He tilts his head, giving you a look. Some form of consent clearly matters to him. You squash the warmth you feel for him for this. There is no room for softer feelings in your world. That's how you end up dead. 

“Go on,” you urge him. “You won the night. Fuck me. You clearly want to.”

He narrows his eyes, leaning closer as you grind against his now hard erection between you. 

“Maybe I'll let you into my sweet, wet little cunt,” you goad him further. “Or maybe, I'll try to kill you while you're inside me. Hard to say. But secretly I think you like that, don't you, John? Everyone thinks you're such a sweetheart, but I think deep down, this is what you want. To take what’s yours because you fought for it and won.” 

He frowns like he wants to argue, until you squeeze him again with the strength of your legs, and you see something snap in his eyes. You have a nanosecond to savor it before his mouth crashes against yours. You kiss him with equal fury. Your teeth sink into his bottom lip, just this side of drawing blood. He growls in warning, and after a moment you release him slowly, meeting his eyes from across your noses.  

In the end, he does as he's told.

___

This competition goes on for several contracts.

Then you get a text. Want to come over?

You're confused, wondering if it's some kind of trap. What do you mean?

Ill make you dinner?

Huh. Ok.

You go. Out of curiosity more than anything. He has an apartment in manhattan. He makes you fucking spaghetti bolognese, and pours you wine, and its almost like youre normal people on a date. After dinner you watch a movie, and you make out. He picks you up, and doesn't slam you into the wall or take you on the floor. He carries you to the bedroom, where he sets you down gently on the bed, and fuck if he doesnt make love to you. It's beautiful and scintillating and you are not sure you like it, when all is said and done. 

You feel very open, and vulnerable, and warm, and fuck. No, you do not like this at all. You don't stay for breakfast, slipping out. The next time he texts you stare at it for a whole day before answering, i can't be your girlfriend, john.

A long time goes by before he answers with one word: Fine. 

You know there is a sea of emotion behind that single word. You know you've hurt him. You just know. But you are a vicious little thing, forged in the fires of the foster system and the streets. You're not ready to show your soft underbelly to anyone. Not even John Wick.

You stop poaching his contracts after that. Not because you're afraid of him, but of the way he makes you feel. In fact you don't even see him again until two years later. He's sitting outside at a bistrot with a gorgeous brunette, and it hits you like a punch to the gut. 

As though he senses you, the way predators scent other killers nearby, he turns to meet your eyes on the street. Maybe you've just been standing there staring like a crazy person, but he says something in his friend's ear, and gets up to meet you. “Hey, y/n.”

“Hi, John.” 

“How have you been?”

“Oh, you know. That your girlfriend?” He looks at you, assessing the threat level. You dont blame him. 

“Fiancé,” he finally admits.

“Wow. I’m...happy for you, John.”

You are surprised by the surge of envy in your breast. You could have had that, had him, if just maybe you weren't quite so broken.

“Are you?”

You nod, and goddammit if there's not moisture stinging your eyes. It's going to ruin your eyeliner.

“Yeah. I am. See you around, John.” You turn to go, but a pressure on your arm calls you back.

“Y/n.” 

Hes looking at you with those fucking puppy dog eyes and you know he knows you are not all right. But you put on a brave face. “Its ok, John.” You kiss him on the corner of the mouth. See you. You turn to go, and this time he lets you.

You don't see him again until five years later. When you hear his wife died you actually feel sorry for him. No really, you do. And when you hear there's a hit out on him after the Tarasov punk kills his dog and steals his car...you find yourself gravitating towards the Continental, like you just know in your bones he might need a little extra help.

[autistichalsin]

so im a bit slow when it comes to flirting and i dont quite understand what Halsin meant when he calls us "resourceful", everyone else seems to catch on on what he meant but i didnt :") could you maybe explain what Halsin meant by that? its been on the back of my mind for a literal year now

This is a case where I get it but also might be too Autistic to articulate it. Let me try my best?

Basically, Tav just said they wanted to find things to do besides talk with Halsin. (Implication: sex). Halsin very much picks up on the innuendo, but he's also in no position to enjoy that; he just got freed from captivity, got back to his Grove to find a proverbial dumpster fire, and is about to return to the cursed lands where his childhood best friend is suffering. So he acknowledges it and deflects, but because he does enjoy the advances, he also signals his interest. "I am sure there are (other things we could do). You strike me as extremely... resourceful" is nice/complementary, and continues the flirtatious tone even if he's indicating he can't at this time. He's basically saying, Tav's a person who could definitely find something to do besides talking- and he approves, and wishes he could join in.

Hope that makes sense?

[oscars-wifeyyy]

Smoking

The school day was already off to a bad start. The fire alarm went off, and everyone had their class walk to the front of the school. Lina stood with the other teachers while Janine stared at the substitute for her class with disdain and tsk’d.

“Janine, you good?” Lina asked.

“What you tsk’ing at, Tsk’in Teagues?” Gregory asked.

“I mean, look-look at this. My kids are just meandering. You know what I mean? You know, she’s not even using the buddy system. I-” Janine hummed.

“What even set off the alarm?” Jacob looked at Barbara.

“Don’t look at me,” Barbara replied as the fire captain walked out, “church and home are the only places my candles are lit,”

“What’s not lit is another call from Abbott. At least it’s not a full fire this time. Just smoke,” the captain gave Barbara a look, “it looks like someone lit a cigarette in one of the boys’ bathrooms,”

Everyone started making noises of surprise.

“Seriously, who still smokes cigarettes?” Jacob asked.

“Single dads, criminals…” Greg listed off.

“Morton. Where is he? Probably lightin’ up in a back alley behind a dumpster. Scumbag,”

“Hey. A cig after a night of drinking kind of hits differently,” Lina shrugged.

Melissa and Ava walked out with a student, “We got him. Melissa sniffed him out,”

“Oh, yeah. You got menthols; you can run, but you can’t hide,” Melissa smirked, “One whiff, and I am 14 again…” Melissa paused as she saw the cameras, “Thinking I’m gonna wait a couple of years before I try one of these,”

“That would only make you 16,” Janine looked confused.

“The smell always reminds me of my uncle,” the captain said.

“Oh, my aunt used to sit in a chair with a cig and a glass of Pinot Grig and recount ‘Moonlighting’ to me,” Melissa recalled.

“Yeah, my uncle used to do the same thing to me, except it was scotch and the Phillies game the night before,” the captain smiled.

“Childhood,” the two said in sync. The camera panned to Ava and Lina as they gave the camera a look and a smirk.

“Nah, but this is a real problem,” the captain emphasized.

“Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Where did you even get a cigarette?” Melissa asked the boy.

“The guy around the corner sold it to me for a dollar,” the boy said.

“A dollar? Inflation is crazy. But you are in big trouble because cigarettes are banned,” Ava said.

“Not on any of the signs I saw,” the boy retorted.

“What?” Lina asked as all the teachers and captain looked around the front and saw that there wasn’t a no cigarettes sign on anything.

When everyone returned to their rooms, the teachers and Janine went to the office with Ava and started looking for rules on the school district website. However, none of them could find anything.

“On the school’s website, we got ‘no skateboarding, no vaping, no loitering, no horseplay, no weapons, no open flames, no bullying, and no gambling.’ There is nothing here about cigarettes,” Ava said, “did y’all find anything?”

“Well, I saw a sign on the hallway that said ‘no,’ but whatever was under it was graffiti over it,” Janine said.

“Yeah, that was a no graffiti sign,” Barbara said.

“The e-mail from the top of the year lists everything, I mean everything, including bringing a live spider to school, is grounds for expulsion, but it definitely doesn’t list cigarettes,” Gregory said with his laptop in his hands.

“Fidget spinners, banned. Cigarettes just seem to have evaded every sign we’ve seen,” Lina shook her head.

“Wait, so many new hazards have come out that we forgot to put cigarettes on the ban list?” Janine asked.

“Gee willikers, I have nothing helpful to say, so I guess I’ll just restate the problem that we’re all aware of,” Ava mocked, “That’s you,”

“Yeah, I got it,” Ava muttered.

When the meeting ended, Lina continued her day and taught her classes. She felt her phone vibrate, so while her students began a math worksheet she had provided, she pulled her phone out to see a text from Manny.

Hey! Does this Saturday work well for a date? I've always wanted to try this Italian spot near my place.

Lina smiled and replied yes, saying she was excited about it. Then, she shoved her phone back in her pocket and checked her emails. It wasn't until lunchtime that she went to the teachers’ lounge and sat with Janine, Gregory, and Jacob when Ava entered.

“How can cigarettes not be banned?” Barbara asked.

“Yeah. Somebody really missed the mark on that one,” Melissa glanced at Ava.

“I know my fit is going off today, but don’t look at me,” Ava said, “I blame…Janine. What are y’all even doing down there at the district? Shuffling papers? Doing the Jubi slide? The children are smoking,”

“What’s that Jubi slide?” Barbara asked.

“It’s where you put your foot down and move in the opposite direction,” Jacob explained while holding himself to demonstrate.

“I do not want to live in a world where white people explain dance moves to me,” Barbara put her hands together while Jacob looked at the camera, dejected.

“You know, I just don’t get it,” Janine started, “I thought we beat cigarettes with the truth campaign. It’s just so retro,”

“Well, maybe they’re getting cool again. I mean, clogs are back. Anything’s possible,” Melissa said.

“There are some cool clogs, though. Granted, I only wear them inside or when I want to dress bummy to go to the bodega or something,” Lina shrugged.

“I just can’t believe that children are smoking ragweed,” Barbara said.

“I know! Don’t they know that smoking kills?” Jacob said.

“Jacob, don’t you literally vape?” Lina asked.

“Ok, that’s different, and don’t you use the nicotine pouches? What are they called…zyns?” Jacob said.

“Yeah, but vaping is worse. You’re literally inhaling thousands of toxins. Zyns are also discrete and give me that nicotine push I want,” Lina said, “which reminds me that I need to stop at the bodega so I can get some more,”

“You inhaled all through ‘Saltburn,’” Ava pointed out.

“Yeah, well…Janine and Lina smoke weed every day.” Jacob tried to get the heat off of him, which caused everybody to gasp.

“We knew about Lina because she’s basically like a person in the military with her Zyns and energy drink consumption, but damn, Afroman,” Ava smirked.

“Nope. Not every day,” Janine shook her head.

“Janine,” Melissa shook her head.

“Reefer. Ganja. The Devil’s lettuce,” Barbara smacked the table.

“That’s why your feet so big,” Mr. Johnson said.

“It’s medicinal, and it’s considerate. If I didn’t smoke, I’d be an insufferable Energizer Bunny,” Janine said.

“Like you’re not already?” Lina raised an eyebrow, “if I didn’t smoke, then I would just be mean and a ball of anxiety,”

“Who would have thought? Janine is off that loud,” Ava smirked.

“Ava, you can’t talk. You’re a hookah head,” Gregory defended Janine.

“Mmhmm and microdosing. I just eyeball it and say, ‘Yeah. That’s enough,’” Ava said.

“Now, I don’t smoke, but I do enjoy a protein bar edible on the weekends,” Gregory tried to relate to Janine but failed, “You know, research actually shows-”

Ava cut him off, “Wow, this man just made drugs boring,”

“I suggest you all drop your vices and take a hit of my drug of choice - J-E-S-U-S. Street name, Christ,” Barbara put her arms out like she was on a cross.

“Uh, you’ve been known to demolish those little bottles of Chardonnay,” Melissa said.

“And you snort that liquid marijuana,” Barbara snapped back.

“You don’t snort it. It is CBD oil, and I rub it on my joints,” Melissa defended.

“It’s a gateway ointment,” Jacob peeped up.

“Your lungs are literally dust,” Lina pointed at Jacob.

“Crackheads. Speaking of joints, you ever submerge yourself in the essence of-” Mr. Johnson started, but Janine stopped him.

“Do not finish that sentence,” Janine said as she spotted a student recording their conversation.

“Franklincense and rosemary. I bathe in it while I hit a blunt,” Mr. Johnson continued as the teachers rushed out of the lounge.

However, amid the chase, Lina got a call on her phone to see it was Manny, so she stopped and took a deep breath before answering.

“Hey!” Lina smiled.

“What’s up, beautiful?” Manny’s voice spilled through her phone.

“Oh, stop it.” Lina blushed with a little giggle. How is your day going?”

“It’s good. Busy. How about yours?” Manny asked as he sat back at his desk with a smile upon hearing her voice through his phone.

“Oh, nothing super out of the ordinary. Just had a conversation in the lounge about drugs, only for a student to record it. Same, same,” 

“What? About drugs?” Manny sat up with interest, “what do you mean?”

“I’ll tell you everything tonight, but right now, I’m pretty sure everyone caught up to him, and I’m 90% sure that he posted it online because students are looking at me,” Lina sighed, “I’ll talk to you tonight?”

“I’ll do you one better. Want to hang out at my place tonight?” Manny asked, “You can even bring an overnight bag if it runs too late. I don’t want you out and about after 10 for your safety,”

“Yeah. I’d like that. Just a fair warning that I do have some homework and things to grade, so I’ll be multitasking while we hang out,”

“That’s no problem. I can even help you out,”

“Ok. Thanks, I’ll see you tonight at 8?” Lina asked.

“Sounds great. See you then, pretty girl,” Manny smiled.

Lina hung up and walked to her class when Janine approached her with a smirk.

“Who was that? I’ve never seen you with such a big smile and blushing,” Janine asked.

“It’s somebody that I’m getting to know, and he is an absolute angel of a man,” Lina smiled, “anyways, I gotta head back to my room and teach,”

The two split, and Lina went back to her class. However, she was put off by the questions her class had for her. It was towards the end of the day, and all the kids had gone home. She went to the front to see all the other teachers gathered around.

“These kids are out of control, and this needs to stop,” Lina said as she leaned on the desk.

“What do we even say to them? We can’t just have our kids undermining us,” Gregory said.

“Ok, but how do we tell them not to smoke or do drugs when, one, they know that we do them, and, two, we can’t just say anything to them except for ‘just say no’?” Jacob said.

“Ok, well, Janine, you’re at the school district. What’s our move?” Melissa asked.

“We do have one more resource at our disposal,” Janine said with a reluctant face, “I think it’s time to call in a professional,”

The teachers nodded again before dispersing into their own directions. Lina quickly went to her room and grabbed her bag and lunch box before rushing out of the school and saying bye to her fellow teachers, who looked at her in confusion. Janine looked at her rushing figure as Gregory stepped out of his class to ask Janine what Lina rushing out was about.

“She has this little fling, I guess, and I think they’re hanging out tonight,” Janine smiled.

“Oh, ok,” Gregory nodded and returned to his classroom. Janine took her phone out and texted the district group chat to see if they wanted to get a drink or two afterward. However, Manny responded, saying that he had plans tonight. Janine looked at the message and wondered if these two were talking to each other, but she shook her head and went about her day.

Lina finally got to her place and showered before putting on her undergarments. She was walking around her room as she looked at the clothes she laid out for tomorrow's workday. She settled with a pair of black slacks and a simple white long-sleeve that will be topped with a cream and brown flannel. The teacher moved onto her pajamas that she would wear at Manny’s place for the slight possibility that she was staying the night and settled with white and red plaid cotton shorts and a black crop tank top. At the last minute, she grabbed her workout stuff just in case they could sleep at a decent time so she could go to the gym before. When she figured that out, she looked at her closet and quickly settled with her black leggings, oversized Philly crewneck, and white Crocs with Jibbitz on them. Her hair was down in her natural waves, with her front pieces framing her face. Lina then gathered her toiletries and shoved them in her bag.

She gathered her ungraded assignments and schoolwork and started her way out. When she got to her car, she realized it was colder than she had thought, so she ran in and grabbed her brown Carhartt beanie. She connected her phone to her car and started her journey to Manny’s place. When she arrived, she realized there were reserved parking spaces, so she called him.

“Hey. I just got here and don’t know where to park,” Lina said.

“Oh, shit. I forgot. Come closer to where my building is, and you’ll see me stand where you should park,” Manny said. The sounds of him putting his shoes on could be heard over the phone.

“Ok, see you in a little,” Lina hung up the phone and drove deeper into the buildings to see Manny standing outside with no sweater. She quickly parked the car and got out, “What are you doing?! It’s freezing. Get back inside, and I can get my bags,”

“What kind of a gentleman would I be to let you bring in your bags yourself?” Manny smiled, opened the backseat to grab her 2 bags, and put an arm out. She wrapped an arm around his own, and he led them into his place.

When they went inside, Lina looked around to see it was clean and had a nice feel to the place. She noticed the dark green walls and the dark furniture to go with the walls. It had a nice, homey feel to it.

“This is a really nice place,” Lina said as she looked around.

“Thank you. I try to have it as clean as possible and looking as aesthetically pleasing as possible, too,” Manny said as he put her bags on the couch, “Now, what do you want for dinner? I have steaks and chicken,”

“Oh, it’s fine. I can cook for us,” Lina smiled.

“No, no. Sit down and do whatever you need to do, and I will cook us dinner.” Manny smiled. Which one do you prefer?”

“Steaks,” Lina said, “medium rare,”

“Alright. 2 medium rare steaks coming right up,” Manny winked and went into the kitchen as Lina grabbed her stuff and settled onto the dining room table that had a clear view of the kitchen, “tell me about your day,”

“Oh, it was good. Stressful, but good,” Lina said. The two had talked about both of their days while Lina graded her students’ papers and Manny was cooking their dinners. However, Lina couldn’t help but watch Manny cook and let her eyes roam. His posture was straight, and he moved with fluidity around his kitchen, but the main thing that caught her eye was the way his muscles rippled as he moved his arms or gripped the pan with the steaks cooking on it.

Manny felt her gaze and couldn’t help but smirk at the thought of her watching him, so he turned his head and gave her a wink, which caused her to blush. She forced herself not to look away. The two stared at each other until Manny looked away to check the steaks. Lina turned away and finished her grading, so she put her stuff back into her bag and sat back down at the dining room table with her body positioned towards the kitchen. Dinner was done, so Manny grabbed a couple of plates, plated the steak, and removed the potatoes from the air fryer. He took the two plates and set one in front of Lina and the other in front of the chair that was across from her.

“Would you like some red wine?” Manny asked.

“Yes, please,” Lina smiled.

Manny got up and grabbed two wine glasses and the wine from the fridge. He put one in front of Lina and poured the wine out, which drove Lina crazy as she felt his body heat behind her. Lina thanked Manny as he sat down and poured his own glass of wine. The two continued talking and eating until it turned into them talking and drinking their wine. However, it was disrupted by knocking on his door.

Manny looked confused as he opened the door, which revealed Janine, Emily, and Simon.

“What are you guys doing here?” Manny asked.

“I told them that we shouldn’t, but they kind of came here anyways,” Janine said as she saw Lina sitting at the dining room table, “Lina?”

“Heyy, Janine,” Lina awkwardly smiled.

“Oh, I’m sorry, dude. I didn’t know you had a female over tonight,” Simon rubbed the back of his neck, “We’ll see you tomorrow,”

“Yeah, see you,” Manny glared at the three of them before shutting the door and turning to Lina with a small chuckle, “Sorry about that,” 

“You’re fine,” Lina giggled, “they seem nice. I already know Janine is, but your friends are,” 

“Yeah, but they can be a bit of a handful.” Manny shook his head. " Do you Want to relax on the couch?”

“Yeah, sure,” Lina nodded and turned towards the time to see that it was 9:30, “Oh, shoot, it is kind of late. I like to go to the gym at 4 am,”

“Really? Me too! My apartment has a gym, so we can use that if you would like. I got extra towels for you to use,” Manny pointed toward the other end of the apartment.

“Really? Ok. I’m definitely down to do that,” Lina blushed, “Want to watch a movie then?”

“Yeah, what do you want to watch?” Manny asked, “I have every streaming service there is,”

“Let’s watch…” Lina tapped her chin in a thinking motion, “The Greatest Showman,”

Manny laughed, “Ok. Let’s put it on,”

The two started watching The Greatest Showman, and Lina couldn’t help but start singing along to the movie. It was by far her favorite musical movie that ever existed. Manny stared at her as she started singing and couldn’t help but smile at her antics. In a surge of confidence, Manny moved closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She smiled as she leaned her head on his shoulder and felt the fatigue hit her.

“I’m getting kind of tired, and it’s 10 at night. I can take the couch,” Lina said as she rubbed her eyes.

“No. Take the bed, and I’ll take the couch,” Manny said.

“How about both of us just sleep on the bed,” Lina shrugged, “we’re adults,”

Manny cleared his throat. " OK, we can do that. " He stood up and put a hand out for Lina to take. He held her hand as he guided her to his room, holding the bag of her clothes and toiletries in his other hand. He set the bag on the bed, let go of her hand, and went to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

Lina opened her bag and grabbed her pajamas, night and day skincare routine, toothbrush, toothpaste, and mouthwash. When she entered the bathroom, Manny had just spit out his toothpaste and returned his toothbrush to the holder. He softly smiled at her and walked out, closing the door to give her privacy as she changed. She quickly changed into her pajamas and neatly folded the clothes she wore before brushing her teeth and opening the door again in case Manny had to use the bathroom while doing her nighttime routine. Manny turned his head at the sound of the door opening to see her in her pajamas, and he couldn’t help but stare at her voluptuous behind, which was thanks to her consistency in working out and wanting to be a muscle mommy.

She was unaware of the staring as she finished brushing her teeth and skincare routine. When she walked out of the bathroom, Manny successfully made it seem like he wasn’t looking at her. The two lay in bed silently until Lina turned to look at Manny.

“Good night, Manny,”

“Good night, Lina,” Manny said as he turned on his side to look at Lina too.

The two drifted off to the best sleep of their lives. Hours of slumber passed until 4 a.m. when both of their alarms went off. The two slammed their hands on their respective phones in an attempt to turn them off. Groggily, they opened their eyes to see that they were spooning, so they quickly got up and apologized to each other simultaneously.

“I’m so sorry!” Lina blushed.

“No, I should be sorry,” Manny blushed as well, “should we just get ready for the gym?”

“Yes, please,” Lina chuckled. The two went to the bathroom and performed their morning routines. They were done at the same time and were out the door.

Lina wore spandex shorts with a pair of oversized sweats over them and an oversized shirt tucked into the back of her sports bra. When they entered the gym, Lina looked around to see if they had the machines and weights she needed, so she nodded and stretched her legs out. The two were stretching together when Lina asked what he was working out. Manny was working out his arms while she was doing legs.

The two separated and did their own workouts, but both were distracted by the other whenever they did an exercise. Lina was finally feeling a pump in her glutes and legs, so she took off her sweats, continued her workouts, and blushed whenever she felt Manny’s gaze on her as she worked out. When they were done, they went back to the apartment and to the room.

Manny took off his sweaty shirt which didn’t go unnoticed by Lina who spared a glance at him. He turned to her, “you can take the first shower. I’ll make us some protein shakes. Is strawberry banana protein shake sound good?”

”Yeah, I’m good with that. Thank you,” Lina smiled and went into the bathroom, closing the door.

After her shower and freshly washed hair, she took out her hair dryer that she packed with a diffuser attachment as she dried her hair and made her curls pop more. When her hair was done, she put it in a half up, half down hairstyle with the front pieces to frame her face. Her clothes that she packed before were on her body and she walked out to see Manny walk into the room with 2 glasses of protein smoothie shakes.

“Hey! I’m sorry I took so long. I’m done here and I’ll hang out in the living room,” Lina said with a smile, “thank you for the shake by the way,” Lina grabbed a glass and took a sip, “this is really good!”

“Thank you. I tend to want good tasting protein shakes,” Manny chuckled. Lina chuckled along with him and nodded before grabbing her overnight bag and heading to the living room.

She spent that time on her phone, scrolling though TikTok while hearing the shower start up again. 15 minutes had passed when the shower had stopped and she determined that Manny was done with his shower. She went to the sink and put her dirty glass in before starting to clean the dishes. In the midst of her washing the dishes, Manny walked out dressed in a plain black shirt, black pants, and a brown cardigan over with his work shoes.

“Hey, you didn’t have to do the dishes. I can do them when I’m back from work,” Manny said.

“What kind of guest would I be if I didn’t do something to help you out as a thanks to letting me stay the night,” Lina blushed, “besides, I can hear my mom yelling at me in my head about not helping the host out,”

“Ok. Thank you, pretty girl,” Manny smiled, “Are you ready to leave?”

“Yeah, let me grab my bags and we’ll go,” Lina dried her hands on the towel that hung on the cabinets below the sinks.

“No need,” Manny held up her bags, “I got them,”

The two left the apartment and Manny walked her to her car. They hugged and bid each other a see you later since they had a date that weekend. When she got to school, she saw the FADE organization there so she went inside and gathered her class to go to the assembly. When she got there, she saw Gregory and Janine talking so she put the kids in their seats and sat at the back with the rest of the faculty.

When the assembly was over, Lina had to look through her students’ bags to see if they snuck any contraband on school property. She felt bad as she looked through each bag so she went to the lounge when lunch came around and walked in a few minutes after Ava came in.

“When you bring a substance in, you get suspended,” Barbara said.

“This seems like overkill to do all this,” Janine said, “without even having an honest conversation with Curtis or any of our students,”

“Well, that’s the system for ya,” Melissa said, “we’re not allowed to say anything except ‘drugs are bad,’”

“It just all seems ridiculous. Curtis is a good kid,” Gregory said.

“He’s an ‘A’ student. He doesn’t bother anyone. It’s kind of uncharacteristic that he smokes,” Jacob said.

“Smokes or smoked?” Lina asked, “Do we even know if he’s done this before?”

Everyone was looking at each other in thought as none of them knew whether he did it before or if it was only a one time thing.

“We let this thing get so out of control,” Barbara said, “We forgot to ask the boy what happened,”

“So, I guess I got to suspend him,” Ava said.

“Hold on. Let me talk to him. He’s been spending a lot of time in my classroom and I think he’s comfortable with me,” Gregory gathered his stuff.

“I’ll go with you. As a former child smoker. I can probable cough up some advice,” Melissa stood up and started walking before coughing, “See, it’s not funny,”

“Yeah, let’s see what else you cough up,” Lina muttered with a chuckle.

The day continued, and it was towards the end of the day, and all the teachers, Ava and Mr. Johnson stood at the front desk. Everyone encouraged Jacob to let go of his vape, which he stared at in front of his face. Everyone was cheering when he dropped it in the trash, and Melissa recorded the monumental moment when Jacob dove right into the trashcan to get it back. Everyone started trying to stop him in disbelief as he resubmerged with his vape. Mr. Johnson and Gregory wrestled it out of his hands and threw it back into the trash as Gregory kept ahold of Jacob. Lina couldn’t help but laugh at that before gathering her things again, walking out to her car, and driving out of the school.

[freckled-words]

Animal Transformation

This took way too long, but that tends to happen when you don't have a really strong idea for the plot. I'm also super rusty, but I think I got my swing back towards the end.

Hope you enjoy the read, and let me know if you spot any spelling mistakes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Turns out even frost giants have allergies, and it has the funniest effects on a certain trickster’s shapeshifting control.

Or

Darcy watches as Loki loses control of his shapeshifting magic, and she just can't resist a furry face.

“Community service” was the polite term used to describe Loki’s return to Earth.

“Doing whatever the Hell we say” is the more accurate description, as coined by Director Fury during the initial meeting.

Thanks to a curse/spell from Odin, Loki’s magic and strength was moderated by whichever task Loki was assigned to at the time.

When he was sent out to clean up trash in Central Park (disguised and under Natasha’s supervision) he was as strong as an average citizen.

If he went out with the Avengers to deal with a threat, he was allowed just enough magic and strength as was needed to defend himself.

In-between his assignments, and back in the Tower, he was set to about mid-level Godly might (just in case a Hulk suddenly appeared or an accidental arrow went flying his way.) 

The combination of ‘cursed weakness’ and menial labor, unsurprisingly, lead to a consistently pissy Loki. The closest thing Darcy had seen to a smile on him was the trademark smirk, right before he said something snarky.

Even though Darcy hated Loki’s guts for all the death and destruction he’d brought to New York, she also couldn’t stop herself from adding him onto her ‘Take Care List.’ Much to most everyone’s surprise (Jane had long since accepted that Darcy couldn’t help herself.)

She didn’t go out of her way to kneel and curtsey around him or anything, but she did make sure he got a mug of tea or coffee when she was doing the rounds in the morning. As well as a decent portion of food like the other bottomless pits that had to be fed (with Thor back on Earth, the grocery bills knocked up another couple hundred.)

Anytime Loki bothered to acknowledge Darcy, it was never in a polite fashion, and Darcy made sure to give just as good as she got.

“I see Midgardian cuisine is just as lacking as the people.”

“I see your manners didn’t make the trip from Asgard.”

“If you’re going to offer me food, at least make certain it's cooked.”

“Gee why didn’t I think of that? Oh right, dumpster fires don’t get a say in what they get.”

It became something of a routine for them to exchange barbs at least once or twice a day, and by Loki’s second month in residence, the other members in the Tower stopped bracing for Loki to lash out at Darcy.

Darcy just came to accept this as part of her new normal, and rolled with whatever weirdness that came along with it.

Right up until the weirdness took a detour into ‘omg wtf’ territory.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**********~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“...Avengers were seen fighting against what was described as a hoard of mutated bi-pedal flowers.”

Anytime the Avengers were called out for a mission Darcy kept the TV on in the background so she could get updates on what kind of mess she might be helping to clean up later. JARVIS was great for giving her updates on everyone’s physical well being, but he couldn’t necessarily predict how the team’s mood was going to be once they got home.(When there was a HYDRA mission, it was home-made pizza night. Apparently slamming around a massive ball of dough was very therapeutic for Bucky.)

The news being a bit slower than actual events, Darcy wasn’t surprised when JARVIS announced the team was returning in the next 10 minutes, along with a cryptic note of, “No major injuries to report, however Dr.Banner does advise no immediate physical contact.”

The last time JARVIS passed on this kind of note, the Avengers had gone up against a T-Rex made of enchanted septic waste (sometimes D&D nerds manage to get their hands on blackmarket magic, and it never ends well for anyone.)

Having (barely) survived Death-By-Foul-Poo-Stank, Darcy figured her nose could handle some overly strong floral perfume coming from the team’s gear. With Jane’s blessing, she was ready and waiting for them in the kitchen 20 minutes later. She’d brought out multiple boxes of kleenex, a handful of neti pots, and every brand of allergy medication in existence.

The first waft of thick flowery perfume drifted in with Steve, and nearly had her choking as her eyes watered, “Cripes Steve, how is this almost worse than the Fecal-Rex?!” Grabbing a handful of kleenex she blew her nose and dabbed at her eyes.

“Just be lucky you’re getting this, and not the full bouquet. There was every kind of flower there, and everyone but me, Bucky, and Bruce nearly dropped from an immediate allergic reaction.” Steve grabbed one of the neti pots and looked over the instruction card that came with it.

Darcy could just imagine Tony having to flip up his face visor to keep from coating it with his sneezes, while Clint cursed trying to zero in on his target with his eyes burning and watering.

“Wait so even Thor -”

What had to be the loudest sneeze in existence went off, followed by the lights flickering erratically throughout the room.

Thor entered a moment later blowing his nose into a wad of paper towels. The skin around his nose and eyes were bright red, evidence that he’d been rubbing at them for a while already.

“I didn’t think anything on Earth would be able to infect your whole Godly-Alien-Race?” She asked while pushing a box of lotioned kleenex towards him. 

Thor accepted the softer tissues and yanked out ten to hold in his hand, ready for the next sneeze, his voice was congested when he answered, “Nor did we. Banner believes their mutated state amplified their pollen’s properties.” He blew his nose again, and Darcy winced at the sound of his tortured sinuses.

“What about Loki? He’s not human or Asgardian, how is he faring?” Thor had explained his brother’s origins to everyone over drinks the night before Loki had been brought to the tower. A couple members of the team concluded that Loki’s destructive behavior must have been a kind of psychotic break, what with his whole life being flipped upside down and dipped in ice water.

Thor and Steve exchanged a look, one that nearly had them both coughing back a round of laughter.

Squinting Darcy pressed, “What happened to Frosty the Snow Giant? It was something good wasn’t it? Give me the deets ~” She crept closer to Thor, wiggling her fingers towards the box of kleenex as though she were going to snatch it back.

Thor grabbed the box and turned away, his smile spreading, “During the fray, Loki was met with the misfortune of having his entire head swallowed by one of the flowers.”

Steve’s smile curled towards ‘I enjoy trouble’ and added on, “Turns out getting a nose of the stuff is worse than just breathing it in.”

“So Loki is…?” She prompted already knowing the answer had to be good.

“Hiding in his room.” Natasha supplied, slipping around Thor to grab a box of lotioned kleenex herself. Unlike Steve and Thor, she’d gone straight to her room to shower and change into clean clothes.

Images of Loki with a purple rash all over his face, or icicle snot hanging out of his nose popped into Darcy’s mind. 

“Well if he’s feeling that rough, then I’m sure he’d appreciate some tissues and allergy meds. I’m just gonna…” Darcy grabbed the extra strength Benadryl, the last box of lotioned Kleenex and one of the Neti pots.

Her arms full she made a beeline for the elevator, and chose to ignore Steve’s question of, “Is she still safe?”

One quick elevator ride, and a hop-skip down the hallway had Darcy standing in front of Loki’s door. 

Since her hands were full, Darcy called out,“Loki, you in and decent? I’ve got a sniffles care package for you.”

“Go away, Serf.” 

Darcy rolled her eyes. ‘Serf’ was Loki’s default nickname when he couldn’t be bothered to think of a better insulting name. 

Even through the door she could hear the rapid fire sneezes that followed, as well as a muffled cough. 

“You can either let me in, and choose what state of dress you’re in, or JARVIS opens the door and I get to see just how much of a rash you have on your ass right now.” It was a shallow bluff at best, but she couldn’t just walk away without trying first.

The annoyed noise that traveled through the door sounded an awful lot like a growl, more so than the usual one she was able to get out of him when she pushed his buttons.

A second later the door opened.

Biting down on her lips to try and not smile too smugly Darcy marched in, “Good choice Frosty. You’ll thank me later when you’re not missing three layers of ski…nnnnyah?” 

With all the apartments in the tower having the same layout Darcy had gone straight for Loki’s small living room to place her bundle on the coffee table. 

She’d glimpsed Loki from the corner of her eye as she’d breezed into the room, and hadn’t spotted any bright red or pink on him. When she straightened and faced him properly, her brain and mouth had a disconnect. 

Loki still stood by the door, which he was still holding open, his battle gear was gone and his hair was damp from his shower. Like Thor the skin around his nose was chaffed from blowing, and his eyes slightly puffy, and for reasons that Darcy’s brain couldn’t fathom there were two black, white tipped fuzzy ears on his head and a twitching, fluffy, black, white tipped fox tail peeking out from his back. 

“Uhhhhhh….” 

“Make your jokes, then leave.” Even congested Loki’s tone was clear in his frustration.

Darcy held her hands up, “Hey there’s no shaming here, just confusion. Last time I checked, allergies didn’t turn people into furries.”

“I am not…” He broke into a fit of sneezes, “Whatever nonsense term that is. I’ve simply…” More sneezing, “Been struggling with my Seidr.”

Darcy hummed and nodded, not really understanding but didn’t think it smart to push him into a more in-depth explanation. His sneezes were so close together and harsh, she was getting worried about the amount of air he was getting into his lungs.

“Regardless, maybe some meds will help. I suggest taking like, 4 of the Benadryl. If it works it’ll knock you on your ass, but it’ll also stop the sneezing and congestion.” She was making her way towards the door as she spoke and stopped just by the opening, “Any chance I can-” She reached towards his twitching tail.

“Leave.”

“I’ll come check on ya in a couple hours!” As badly as Darcy wanted to touch the fluffy tail, she was not ready to die for the attempt.

~~~~ THREE HOURS LATER ~~~~~~~~

Darcy juggled the three tupperware containers of food in one arm while she did her best to knock with the other, “Loki you good? I’ve got food.”

She didn’t hear any approaching footsteps, and was startled when the door was opened.

Darcy barely got clear of the door before Loki shut it. Turning to face him, she just about dropped the food.

“I can’t tell if this means the Benadryl helped or not.” She offered as an opening for him to explain.

Loki still had the ears and tail, but now there was fur around the edges of his face, covering his hands and feet, his nails had blackened into claws, and there were definitely whiskers growing out of his cheeks.

Loki blinked down at her, his nose twitched (was he about to sneeze or was he testing her scent?) and she saw something shift in his mind as his pupils widened then shrank, he blinked and his usual scowl returned to his face, “How did you get in here?”

Darcy cocked her head to the side, “You let me in, just now, and almost hit me with the door. Did fur grow inside your brain too? Do I need to call Bruce?”

Her concern crossed from surface level to genuine as she watched Loki look down at his hands and wiggle his clawed fingers, his expression was hard to read with his eyebrows blending into his new furry hairline but she was certain he was looking confused himself. “Damn.” The word was uttered so quietly Darcy might have missed it if she weren’t standing so close.

“Loki, you’re seriously worrying me dude.” Again his ears twitched in her direction.

“I’m touched.” Darcy took the dry sarcasm as a good sign, “The only thing you should be concerned about is keeping your blithering trap shut. It was bad enough when it was just the ears and tail. If The Oaf hears of this, there will be no end to his ridicule.”

The more Loki said, the more Darcy relaxed. It was a sad reflection on her life when she was happy to have the mass murdering alien give her a hard time.

Opting to ignore his bluff (she’d long since realized that he could bark all he wanted, if he ever hurt her he’d immediately be kicked back to Asgard) Darcy went to his kitchen and put down the tupperware containers, “Don’t worry your fuzzy little head, I won’t tell anyone…” Faster than Loki could anticipate, she whipped up her phone and snapped a picture, “I will show everyone though, unless you let me touch your ears or tail.” She shoved her phone down the front of her shirt and between her boobs, uncaring of the extra cleavage she was flashing him in the process.

Loki’s upper lip drew back revealing some rather pointy canines, “Impudent wench.”

Darcy smirked as she rocked on her heels, “Oh come on Fuzz Butt, you can’t tell me no one’s ever wanted to see what your transformed fur feels like.”

“None have ever been so brazen or foolish to try.” Loki bit back. He was becoming so agitated his tail was swishing, and his ears had flattened on his head.

‘Dammit, now he’s just looking cute.’ 

He was also looking a little unsteady. With each swish of his tail, Loki wobbled the slightest bit, and his eyelids seemed to be struggling to stay open.

“How many of those Benadryl did you end up taking?” She hadn’t heard him sneeze once since she came in, and the skin around his nose and eyes had returned to normal.

“The four you recommended had no effect, so I added another five. The sneezing stopped just before…” Loki caught himself before he could finish outing himself. Shaking his head he staggered off towards the couch, “Leave Serf. I require rest.”

She really, really wanted to push her luck and remind him about the whole Fuzzy Picture threat, but it wasn’t as much fun if the other member of the party was spiraling towards a crash. Cause damn, NINE?! If one Benadryl was enough to turn a regular human into a zombie, then nine must be bordering on a coma.

“Fine, but don’t think this isn’t over. I’ll come back in an hour and make sure you’re still breathing.” 

She saw a feeble, black fuzzy hand lift up to acknowledge he’d heard her.

Darcy left but made sure to leave the door unlocked. Quietly she called out, “JARVIS keep an eye on his vitals and let Bruce or Thor know if his heart stops or something.”

“Of course Ms.Lewis…Shall I let you know when it’s been an hour?” 

Unsurprised that JARVIS had been listening in on the conversation in Loki’s room, Darcy gave a thumbs up to the nearest camera she could see, “That’d be great J.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 45 MINS LATER ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Ms.Lewis, I thought I should inform you that there has been a change in Prince Loki’s condition.” Darcy tried not to cringe too much from having JARVIS say this directly into her bluetooth headphones (a welcoming gift from Tony.)

Glancing over to where she could see Bruce working at his station she figured this wasn’t a life threatening change to Loki’s condition. Not many realized just how much intelligence Tony’s AI had, but Darcy was no fool. She grew up worshiping the internet, and treating ‘The Matrix’ and ‘The Terminator’ like prophecies. 

If JARVIS thought this was something only she needed to know about then she’d take it as the gift that it was.

A quick elevator ride later and she was back at his door.

She knocked lightly and let herself in, “Loki? JARVIS says you might need help.”

There came a slight whimper (or was that a whine?) from the living room.

This late in the afternoon the sunlight had moved away from Loki’s windows, and none of the lights had been turned on. Everything was cast in shadows and patches of darkness, making it hard to see anything.

“Loki?” 

Darcy hit the switch for the kitchen light so she didn’t accidentally blind/enrage the half-transformed frost giant.

Able to see Darcy watched as what she had initially thought to be a deep pocket of shadows uncurled from the bottom of the coffee table. 

A black fox the size of a St.Bernard stretched out like a cat as unfocused green eyes blinked in her direction.

“Oh my Gods.” 

She wanted to take all the pictures, but she also wanted to try touching him. When he was still humanoid the fur had looked silky, as a full fox it looked absolutely luxurious and Darcy just had to get her fingers into it.

She had never interacted with foxes before though, and didn’t know how unhinged Loki’s brain was going to be with all that Benadryl in his system.

Finished stretching he ventured a couple steps closer, his nose to the air to scent the new presence in his home. Some of Loki’s consciousness must have been working, cause the fox’ ears went down and it spun around to hop onto the couch.

‘I’ve just been brushed off by a fox.’ Loki could brush her off a million times and she wouldn’t bat an eye, but Fox-Loki showing her such little interest just felt like a bitch slap.

“Rude.” 

Going over to the couch she watched as Loki laid down with his head resting between his two front paws. His eyes closed and a rather un-fox like sigh came out through his nose. 

Darcy crouched down to eye level and told him, “You know you make a very pretty fox.” Other than his ear twitching Loki didn’t acknowledge her.

“May I please pet you, your Foxiness?” Murderous Asshole or not, Darcy wasn’t going to touch without consent. 

His eye cracked open, regarding her for a moment then closed and another long sigh was released. Darcy took it as one of resignation and beamed. Finally she could get this out of her system!

As gently as she could she placed her hand on his head; he didn’t move away or twist around to snap at her, confirming that he had given in. 

She stroked down along his spine, marveling at the feel of his thick, silky fur. Bringing her hand back to his head she lightly scratched around the base of his ears, the fur there was much softer and she had to bite her lip to keep from gushing out more praises to him. 

Her petting was kept strictly to his back and the top of his head, areas that most animals considered to be safe zones. As much as she wanted to touch his tail she didn’t know how sensitive it was and didn’t want to push it. 

Darcy cut herself off after about five minutes, plus her legs were screaming in protest from holding that crouched position so long. 

A woman of her word Darcy dug out her phone and deleted the picture of Loki the Were-Fox. Satisfied she whispered to Loki, “There now no one but me and JARVIS knows what a half fox, half Frost Giant looks like. I also won’t tell anyone that you totally lost control due to overdosing on allergy medicine. You’ll be back to your entitled asshole self by tomorrow morning.”

This got her a small indignant huff. 

Darcy let herself out and made sure the door locked behind her. 

It was only after the door’s lock had clicked that Loki released his animal shape. It took a bit slower than usual, but he wasn’t quite back in focus just yet. 

Back in his usual form he resettled on the couch. With not a single piece of clothing on his body, the material didn’t feel quite as comfortable as it had in his fox shape. 

The Midgardian medicine had thrown his control off balance, just not as much as he’d let Lewis believe. He could have reverted back to his proper state a half hour ago, and gone back to his bed for a proper rest. 

Instead he couldn’t resist seeing what the woman would do when faced with the full transformation. He’d been somewhat hoping she would startle or scream and flee, calling for Thor’s protection. Instead she’d looked at him like he was the most beautiful animal in existence. It was a delicious boost to his ego.

Loki chuckled to himself, picturing her face when she might learn that her ‘petting’ along his fur had translated to the feeling of a lover’s touch on his skin. 

There would be sputtering, possibly some shrieking and all the threats and profanities. 

The image was so entertaining he drifted off to sleep with a smile on his face. 

[galaxyshine24-7]

Azul- Dear bartender, why don't you sell your bar to me- Blue asking the same question for the 765838th time a week

Yuu- Who knows when I leave the NRC

Azul- Absolutely perfect dear, so why.... - you just understood what Yuu said- Leave the NRC? As?

The moment Yuu says he's going to leave one day I can see Leona choking on her drink and Malleus almost swallowing the straw of his milkshake, before everyone bombarded the bartender with questions and Trying to make Yuu stay

I think so much about the say Yuu finally tells them their future plans. It was a day like any other. After a few overblots and bonding between the bartender and the leaders, Yuu would finally reveal their plans for the next steps.

Leader's Reactions to Yuu Leaving NRC

It was a quiet day in NRC as the sun set over the horizon. Yuu carefully cleans a glass listening to Azul go on and on for the hundredth time about a deal between the Mostro Lounge and the Silver Bullet. As always it's just business as usual however Yuu's mind was else where.

"And so, I believe if you just hand over the rights of the bar and work under me, dear bartender. I promise your life will be smooth sailing with riches beyond your wildest dreams." Azul hums swirling his drink.

Yuu's eyes flutter over to him from the window giving Azul a blank stare.

"If you want the bar so much you can have it when I leave."

"As I thought, you would refuse my offer so I prepared- wait what?" Azul looks at Yuu flabbergasted.

"When I leave you can have the bar," Yuu states slowly. "I don't plan to stay in NRC forever.

Riddle spits out his tea, and Vil stops filing his nails. The crash of a glass sends the room in complete silence as Malleus stares down at his spilled drink.

Oh no, Yuu forgot the rest of them were here for a moment. They know they're in trouble when the other leaders turn their gaze toward the bartender.

The leader of Heartslaybul has heard many outrageous things over the years, but nothing so unbelievable as someone leaving NRC. Why what could possibly be the problem. Azul asked the same question as Yuu leans against the counter.

"Well NRC is not safe, I wouldn't want to raise a family here."

Riddle blushes at that statement before composing himself.

"It's plenty safe here, I make sure my district upholds NRC's rules to a tee." Riddle crosses his legs giving Yuu a hard stare.

"Sorry, but a 9:30 pm curfew doesn't sound all that pleasing." Yuu rolls their eyes.

"I make exceptions for holidays." Riddle retorts.

"Yeah no thanks." Yuu shakes their head.

"What do you mean to raise a family? Do you have children Yuu?" Vil turns to the bartender analyzing their reactions.

"A secret love child oh magnifique!" Rook exclaims clapping happily.

The other leaders look to Yuu for the answer.

"Oh no I don't have children, but eventually I would like some." Yuu waves off the question.

"What about NRC do you find so inadequate prefect?" Vil opens his fan to hide his frown.

"Well it's overrun with gangs, children can't even play in their own neighborhoods, the people here live in constant fear, and the list goes on. Plus I want to see more of the world." Yuu sits up counting the issues on their fingers.

"So it's our fault?" Idia exclaims feeling his blood start to boil. "NRC would have been a total dumpster fire without us. It would be a free-for-all in the sector."

"No it's not your fault, this place had issues way before you all came along." Yuu pinches the bridge of their nose. "This is why I didn't say anything." Everyone freaks out whenever someone talks about leaving NRC it's like a taboo. Yuu was so deep in thought it kind of just came out. Plus they were tired from Azul's constant pestering. "It shouldn't surprise you that someone would want to leave." Yuu shakes their head.

"What makes you think you can leave?" Leona leans in from his seat staring Yuu down.

"Leona-" Kalim tries to relieve the tension.

"Because I said so." Yuu places their hands on their hips returning his stare. "No one owns me I'm just a bartender, and I will come and go as I please. It seems some of you need a reminder of that fact" It is a threat, and Yuu would use their teachers if any of the leaders truly crossed a line.

"I think what everyone means to say it would be a bit sad if you left Yuu." Kalim speaks up.

"Just because I move doesn't mean I won't come back. I'll make sure to visit." Yuu smiles, as Kalim sighs in relief.

"Put I don't want you to leave shrimpy you should stay." Floyd whines.

"Yes, Yuu it would not be as fun without you." Jade adds.

"I'm not leaving tomorrow or the next, it's just a plan of mine for the future. No use worrying about it now." Yuu goes to wipe off the counter done with the conversation.

The others mutter to themselves as Malleus looks over at his friend who's gaze shifts back to the window.

Outside is a mother, father, and their child. The child holds both of their parent's hands splashing in the puddles from the fresh rain. The sound of glass breaking and cars going off causes the family to panic soon rushing down the street.

All Yuu wants is someplace warm with fields and trees maybe then they can finally remember something about their past. For Yuu only knows that they came from someplace warm and green, the very opposite of NRC.

[serickswrites]

Lonely Place of Longing XIII

Master list here (includes chapter links, summary, and character bio)

Warnings: captivity, restraints, extortion, mention of death, self sacrifice

Dylan didn’t think the team was ready to face Owen. He wasn’t going to be able to keep a team so weak alive against an enemy so strong. Why now? Why throw all these lives away? What does it accomplish? We are walking into certain death. This is a waste of time.

He couldn’t keep doing this. There had to be an end. This wasn’t the way to end it. He didn’t care if his life ended, but he couldn’t let his team, let Halle, die. He just wanted to be free. Just free for an hour, one more time before he faced Owen. Maybe that’s the point. They know I was out last week. They know I’ve had my taste of freedom and they have to put an end to me.

No. They will never let me go. I am too perfect a tool to destroy. I am doomed to this existence. But I am alive. And I felt alive when I was with Halle.

Halle can’t come on this mission. I can’t keep everyone safe, especially Halle, and fight Owen. I won’t win. I can’t lose Halle. Even though she hates me. I have to get her to freedom. To safety. As he slowly made his way back to his quarters accompanied by three teammates that were not exactly overjoyed to be ordered to do so, Dylan realized that there was no way this mission would be successful. I will get out of this. But the rest of them? This is a fool’s errand. I will not lead them like lambs to the slaughter.

Dylan turned on his heel.

“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?” August asked angrily as they started after Dylan.

To the one person who may listen to me. Or condemn us all. “I have another meeting to get to.”

“Like fuck you do.”

But Dylan didn’t stop. He hurried through Tectus until he was just outside the office door of the one person who may be able to put a stop to all of this. He knocked.

“Enter,” Samuel’s stern voice came.

Dylan opened the door and stepped inside, shutting it softly behind him. “Samuel,” he said as he inclined his head before sitting down across from Samuel.

“You have some nerve coming here,” Samuel’s voice was quiet. He only got that way when he was angry. Or wanted something.

“This is a suicide mission, Samuel, I think you know that.” I want out of this dumpster fire of a mission. Of a life. Put a stop to this.

“What of it? You are more than capable of killing Owen.” Samuel’s cold grey eyes watched Dylan. Watched for any reaction.

“I’ve been capable of killing him for many years. Why go after him now?” Why do any of this now? What do you want?

Samuel smiled, though the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “You always were a clever one, weren’t you, Dylan Merrick.”

“That’s not my name anymore. It hasn’t been since I came here. It’s just Dylan now.”

“Is it, though? How do I know you aren’t trying to stop this mission just so that Owen can escape back to your home. To rally what survivors remain of your long forgotten home and rescue you.”

Ah. That’s what you want. You want me to profess my loyalty to Patricanus. To Scutus. To you. “There is nothing to return to. And I have no love for Owen just as he has no love for me.” No, I had to let go of that long ago. Let go of the person I grew up with swimming in the sea. Eating fresh caught fish on the dock. Watching the stars stretch in an endless sky. Owen is no longer my countryman just as I am no longer his.

Samuel smirked. “Of course there’s nothing left. Your land was destroyed and you were brought here. Who knows, perhaps you and Owen are all that is left of your Godforsaken land.”

It would appear so. What does it matter? I can’t return. “I want something for this mission. If you give it me, I will make sure that every single team member returns in one piece.”

Samuel smiled wide, all his yellow-stained teeth showing. “There’s the Dylan I remember from all those years ago. What do you want?”

“Free me.”

Samuel’s smile faltered. “What?”

“Free me. Make this my last mission. Free me of these cuffs.” Dylan shook his wrists so the silver cuffs glinted in the lamplight. “Let me go and I will ensure this is a success and you won’t lose any team members.” Let me go. After Owen is captured, returned back, cuffed and muzzled, you will have the weapon you need. One you can keep on a leash. And you won’t need me.

“Alpha Team will have a change in structure. They may lose their quarters without you.”

“Convert my space into a full med bay. They’re big enough to need two as it is.”

“And what of Halle?”

“What of her?” Please do the one thing I really want you to do. Fire her. Send her as far away from here as possible. She will be safe. She will be free. She will remain soft, tender. She will forever hate me, but she will be safe. I love her. Free her.

“The only reason we hired her was specifically to care for you. If you are no longer here, we have no need of her.”

Exactly. That is exactly what I wanted to hear. “Then reassign her. Better yet, fire her. You let her go into the field, but she doesn’t do anything except wait. Free me and you don’t need her. Send her home.”

Samuel considered a moment. “I will free you.” Dylan breathed a sigh of relief. He knew his face did not betray any of the feelings he had. “I will free you if, and only if, you bring me Owen’s head on a silver platter.”

Of course. Doing so will break me completely. I am a monster you created. You want to be sure I remain monstrous. I am a miserable, wretched creature who does evil things. One last evil act. One more black mark on my already jet black soul. But Halle will be free. Halle will be safe. Anything for her. “I would expect no less.”

“Then we have a deal.”

I will walk into the fire for you, Halle. I will walk through fire to get you out of the fire. You hate me. You will always hate me. But you will be alive. You will be safe. I love you. I love you. I love you.

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