tinasvices

[tinasvices]

David, being an early riser, takes the opportunity every morning to appreciate the sleeping bundle in his arms. On weekends, without work forcing him to get out of bed, he takes his time.

This particular morning, he woke up to find them starfished on the bed - half of their body hanging off. He chuckled. It was always interesting to see them in weird positions when he woke up. Knowing Angel was a heavy sleeper, he gently pulled them back onto the bed and gathered them in his arms again. He smiled at the way Angel let out a sigh when their head laid on his chest and the nuzzled in between his pecs, even when unconscious. He positioned their legs so they lay in between his, and wrapped his arms around their waist, knowing Angel liked the pressure on their back.

He soothed their hair that had frizzled during their sleep, taking his time to feel their soft strands and try to unknot them with his fingers.

He ran his fingers down their cheek, and he couldn’t help but melt at the way the sun shined through the curtains and onto their face perfectly - their lashes glittering, skin glowing, and hair, although a mess, now a with beautiful golden streaks. Even asleep, they were beautiful. He felt his core sing at the sight.

David buried his nose in their hair and took a deep breath. They smelled like shampoo and flowers, and he could feel his own body relax, as if just the smell of his mate was capable of giving him a full ten days of rest. He didn’t know if it was the magic of the bond, or just Angel being his Angel. Maybe both. He always thought they had magic even though they were unempowered, he could feel it in these moments.

As he kissed the crown of their head, hand still stroking up and down their back, he felt them stir in his arms. He watched as they lifted their head, looking around, disoriented like they always did every morning. He smiled and brought his hand to their cheek again, gently rubbing their cheekbone and guided their gaze towards him. It took them a minute to focus their eyes, but once they registered him, he saw how their pupils dilated and the soft gummy smile he always loved lit up their face. The sunlight shined in the perfect way that changed their brown eyes into a glowing gold, and David felt his core melting.

He didn’t know how they did it just by existing, but he couldn’t help but fall in love with them all over again.

He placed a big hand on the back of their head, and directed them to lean back down, kissing them on the lips soft and sweet and feeling their lips melt against his. They propped themself up with their hands on his chest, and giggled to feel his heart speed up slightly. David tucked a loose strand of hair behind their ear, hand lingering at their cheek to which Angel nuzzled.

Slow mornings like these were always David’s favourite.

[tinasvices]

After a day full of heated glances and smiles, David has had enough.

His patience snaps when he sees you on the bed waiting for him, that night wearing his shirt. Only his shirt.

He drags you by the legs towards him on the bed when you try to run away.

He flips you over with a sudden force, and before you wrap your head around what’s happening he hovers over you, both arms and legs caging you in place.

He lowers his head to your ear.

“You’re not sleeping tonight”

and nips your earlobe.

[tinasvices]

The day Angel heard David laughing, head thrown back and smile lines visible as he laughed from his chest, they fell in love with him all over again.

His whole face lit up, changing his intimidating demeanour, and he looked like he went back in time ten years with how youthful he looked - like he was a teenager again, laughing without a worry in the world.

They didn’t know a lot of what was behind it, but David had a lot on his shoulders, they could tell. The leader of the pack, the company, and the burden of a legacy on his shoulders. He’s been so focused on helping others he didn’t leave much time for himself, hence, he didn’t laugh as much as he should. He didn’t smile that much either, and even if he did, it rarely reached his eyes. He looked like he lived five years older than his actual age sometimes.

Angel decided it would be their mission to change that.

They wanted to see those smile lines and hear that laugh again. The kind that is genuine and involuntary, the kind that you only do out of pure happiness.

But little did they know, David had already smiled more than he ever thought he would again.

When Angel was asleep, he’d smile as he stroked their hair as they lay on his chest, still in disbelief that they loved him.

When they weren’t looking he’d smile, admiring their beauty and the way they seemed to put their heart on their sleeve all the time.

When David came back from work to find Angel on the couch, asleep, waiting for him, he’d lean down with a smile and kiss their forehead. He’d take the advantage of the quiet moment and whisper words of love to them.

Angel just hadn’t seen it.

But now they do.

The longer they dated, the more David smiled. He never intended to hide it before, but now he does it so much that Angel sees it everyday.

His smile lines are carved deeper now, and Angel traces them with their fingers when they’re sitting on his lap, waiting for him to finish work. They were beautiful.

They hear him laughing a lot more too. A deep chuckle from the chest as he shook his head, catching them eating ramen again. It didn’t take a lot to make him laugh now. Angel would sometimes revisit old habits on purpose to hear him laugh again, not that David knows.

Somewhere in the distance a little empathy demon watches, giggling before fading away.

[tinasvices]

more listeners designs!

[tinasvices]

Vincent is Lovely’s rock. He’s been there throughout all the changes in their life. Yet he’s also the cause of everything, even if indirectly.

They’d be lying if they said they didn’t blame him at all. It’s a complicated feeling. They love him no matter what and deeply appreciate everything he’s done to help them and protect them, but it doesn’t change the facts of what happened. It’s not something they can wave a hand and say “it’s okay” to.

It’s not okay.

Lovely doesn’t resent Vincent, nor do they blame him. Their life is new and so much different than they could ever have imagined.

But it’s also so much different than they could ever have imagined.

Is new always a good thing? Is different always a bad thing?

It took them a while to come to terms with everything and accept it, although they didn’t show it or share their thoughts with Vincent. They know he feels a crushing guilt, and they feel it when he’d look at them when he thought they weren’t looking - his eyes are filled with a storm of guilt, shame, and sadness. Now that they’re linked together through the bond, Lovely feels it too.

It’s messy and complicated. Lovely’s own feelings mixed with Vincent’s.

It doesn’t change the fact that they love him.

The only thing keeping Lovely together is ironically Vincent, who’s been there with them throughout all their lives, and their habit of forgetting and moving on, running without turning back no matter how hard it is.

When they look into his love filled eyes, they know that they’ll be okay.

He’ll always be there for them.

As they will be for him.

It’ll be okay.

~~~

Lovely hummed at the feeling of Vincent’s fingers running through their hair, letting their eyes close.

“What are you thinking about?” Vincent whispered, not wanting to break the moment.

They leaned their head on his shoulder, letting him wrap an arm around them as they gazed at the stars together.

“…”

Sometimes it’s better to stay silent.

[tinasvices]

lads man i think would be the sweetest about all your plushies and pretend to have cute lil conversations with them: sylus.

lads man i think has personal beef with all your plushies and suplexes them out of jealousy when you are not around: rafayel.

[tinasvices]

nsfw !

lovely putting their hands on vincent's chest, pushing him into the car seat, straddling his lap.

lovely taking vincent's chin in between their fingers, tilting his head up at the most perfect angle, so their lips fit together seamlessly.

vincent's breathing growing ragged, his pulse picking up, his body erupting into goosebumps at just the low-lidded look lovely is giving him.

their fingers sliding past his temples, into the wild mess of his hair, holding his head firmly in place. the gleam of the whites of vincent's eyes, unable to blink for fear of missing out on the deity on his lap.

slowly, so slowly, lovely lowering their mouth to his. a chaste kiss at first, gentle, almost innocent.

and then their tongue, brushing against his like fire. electricity sizzling between their lips, locked together so hard it feels like suffocating. vincent's breaths are shaky, shuddering, as lovely tastes him like they're drinking from the deepest wine.

their hips are moving on his, sending an ecstatic shock through his body. his brain is foggy, desperation growing, his hands moving on their own and seeking more. lovely's whimpers fill vincent's mouth, and he swears he can taste them.

vincent's mind blows blank when lovely traces their tongue against his fang and pushes. no thoughts, just pure fucking desire. he has to pull away before he slams them against the car door and fucks their brains out.

"don't fucking-- holy shit--" his voice is raspy, graveled with lust, and shaking. he can't keep his hands off them, though, his immortal fingers fisting in their clothes.

he's fighting ferality, fighting the beast in his blood that screams to pin them down and devour.

lovely looks at him, dark eyes and darker desire. their voice is liquid and mesmerizing when they say, "don't hold back. i want it."

the car rattles and fills with the coppery scent of blood, the lush smells of sex, as vincent worships what is his.

[tinasvices]

Lovely stood, frozen. The remaining static from the porch light and their magic tingled in their veins, like it did a few years ago. Their eyes remain fixated on their fingers, mind still reeling with the split second spark that emanated from them.

Their magic.

They never thought to try to use their magic again after their turning, accepting that it was another part of them that had died. They were too focused on going through the whole process again - adapting as best as they could in a short time to survive, desperate to catch up with time so as to not fall behind. But the conversation with Porter opened up a door they never thought to knock on again.

They've lived and died three times now. They've accepted each part of themselves as something they could never take back. This helped them move on and cope, on one hand. But on the other, they mourned each new world they were introduced to and then ripped out of. They always looked ahead. There was no other choice.

But now... maybe they can afford to look back, even just for a moment.

The door is open. And Lovely had made the first step towards it.

~~~

Vincent froze. He felt an overwhelming sense of deja vu - a wash of familiarity that ignited his heart.

The hair on the back of his neck stood. The dull hum of something familiar rang in his ear. The lights outside turned dark.

He whipped around, changing the direction he was walking with a sudden pivot, and arrived at the front door. He saw Lovely, silent, staring at their hand - the hand that was nowhere near the switch. Yet the porch light was off.

Lovely turned around slowly, as if any sudden movement would ruin the moment, and Vincent felt his breath catch at the tears forming in their eyes.

It hit him.

They used their electro magic. They haven't lost it.

Lovely never mentioned wanting to pursue their studies in magic again after the Inversion, and Vincent didn't want to touch on the subject unless they brought it up first. He saw the longing in their eyes as they fell silent, gazing outside at that spot in the yard where they used to practice until late at night, desperate to master their newfound powers. When he'd ask, softly, "Hey, what are you thinking about?", Lovely would shrug and laugh it off with a silly joke, knowing they couldn't lie, but the longing in their eyes would remain.

But now, they've reconnected with that part of them. The part that died with them before. And Vincent couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of relief.

And when their eyes met, he fell in love with them all over again.

That spark.

The spark that they used to have, filled with awe and excitement. The part of them Vincent loved seeing as he witnessed them grow with incredible speed.

It was back.

Lovely took a step towards him, trying to say something, but their mouth couldn't form words, and their voice stuck in their throat. But Vincent knew, and he closed the distance, reaching for their hand that they showed him. He intertwined their fingers slowly, and jumped at the familiar static that shocked him in the initial contact. Lovely's eyes widened, smile growing as their tears started spilling down their cheeks, filled with emotion.

Vincent gently pulled them into his arms, holding them. Lovely's hands clung to his shoulders, breathless with disbelief.

Vincent felt them start to sink to the ground, and he held them, slowly guiding them down with him. They held him like he was an anchor, a reminder of what's constant, as their mind reeled to comprehend the change.

In that moment, they both felt relief.

The relief Vincent feels knowing that he didn’t take away all of them after the inversion.

The relief Lovely feels knowing they have a little part of their old life back again.

[tinasvices]

⪩⪨ ── actor!Angel x actor!David headcanons ; no magic au, this is a pretty long one bear with me here, insomnia spoon-feeding me headcanon ideas and finally being helpful instead of being a son of a bitch and giving me eyebags, probably the longest post I've ever posted

☆ the couple. these two have acted together in so many films and shows and almost 90% of the time it blows up the charts. almost everyone you meet will probably know two or more movies where their star in. they're both iconic.

☆ david's really known for his villain roles in horror films, and he's basically just dwayne johnson at this point. every horror film he's ever acted in was the most suspenseful and terrifying shit you'll ever see, all because this guy is so good at playing the killer, it's actually kinda scary,,. he's also playing a guy that can turn into a wolf on a 'fantasy universe" a big company created.

☆ he's so thirsted over by so many people it's kinda insane, guarantee that your ears will be bleeding whenever he walks on red carpets cause of all the high pitched squealing.

☆ david practically grew up around cameras, and has achieved great roles as a child actor. gabe was a really well known iconic figure at the time and when he died, david definitely needed a break, and a long one. after 2 years of hiatus, he finally got active. he didn't land roles immediately, but he still got back and now he's one of the most awarded actors.

☆ angel has a big history on the comedy and drama side of the industry. their first ever successful job that can actually pay their rent was comedy, so they're pretty witty, and they're known for being witty at interviews and being pretty good at dodging some risky questions that can only be answered with risky responses.

☆ angel's digital footprint is so scattered and over the place, so there's a chance that you'll just randomly stumble upon their audition tape to be one of ariana grande's backup vocals on your youtube recommendations.

☆ angel's famous for improvising a lot throughout a film. ironically, half of their popular scenes probably have one or two improvising.

☆ the most popular film david and angel have ever acted in is the first ever film where they first met and worked with each other. it was an enemies-to-lovers romcom film, as cliche as it sounds. it got so many positive feedbacks, even twitter loved it. it was on top of the billboard. everyone was so taken aback by david and angel's chemistry with each other; every eye contact, every lingering touch, every snarky comment, every emotional scene, every kiss. it was phenomenal, these two were in their prime.

☆ during their first days of working together, david and angel had this.. playful flirting thing going in between them. angel would shamelessly flirt with david by complimenting him when a cameraman goes up to them for a behind-the-scenes like; "oh, david? I'm literally saying to you guys, that man knows how to act, if i didn't know any better i'd assume he actually means every 'i love yous' he said."

☆ days when david remembers gabe a little too much, angel would be probably the only one that's gonna notice. david's a professional actor so he knows how to suppress his actual emotions, and so is angel.

☆ lunch breaks where every other actor eats out but david and angel lingers and stays seated in front of a big flashy vanity mirror and talk about random things is what hits hard.

☆ angel knows how to distract david and turn his emotions upside down whenever he's feeling blue. david gives angel space to be more sincere and serious, angel knowing that they'll be free of judgement and expectancy to be funny and chaotic anytime that they're around david.

☆ a year and a half later of dating rumours, and fans and paparazzi spotting them coming out of hotels and mcdonalds; awooga, they both finally announced that they were dating by angel posting pictures of the both of them hugging and kissing each other in front of the same restaurant they got caught in numerous times, with a caption saying "idk guys all this acting shit makes me miss my boyfriend" (with a shrug emoji)

☆ definitely have won an mtv movie award for the best kiss

☆ if they weren't already successful in the acting industry, they definitely would've been models and are probably walking down on runways right now if they were. these two know how to serve face they just suit each other so well.

☆ angel is that celebrity that either has a really goofy picture of them as their profile, or just a picture of them posing as if they're auditioning to be one of the models on the next victoria's secret show. they change profile pictures like twice a month, different profile pics for each social media account.

☆ angel reposts edits of them and david

☆ david has an official tiktok account with millions of followers but he only has like 7 videos and is following only one account (angel's)

☆ these two are just so addicted to looking at each other with the most love and adoration anybody has looked at anyone with the most love and adoration ever at interviews. the way angel tilts their head ever so slightly, and the way david gives out the most inconspicuous smile. ugh we love to see it

☆ you don't need to know anything about the two of them to know that they are the most devoted and loyal people each other will have in both of their lives.

[tinasvices]

SOMETHING IN THE WATER | 7 | SHOUTO x READER

SUMMARY: As a future marine biologist, you’ve scored big on your final internship: a summer in the tropics, researching the waters off the coast of a lush, sunny island. But what you thought would be all beach days and piña coladas turns out to be the revelation of a lifetime when you haul in a handsome merprince, and discover not everything in these waters is quite as it seems. TAGS/WARNINGS: mermaid au, interspecies relationships, mating rituals/courting behavior, (sort of) case fic, aged up characters, eventual smut, fem pronouns/afab reader LENGTH: 4.2k of est. 31k, 7th of 8 chapters NOTES: For @honehonn3honey, for reminding me how much I love this AU and inspiring me to hurry up and finish this chapter.

Shouto’s mouth was warm and soft, and he tasted like salt.

He was many other things too—many lovely, wonderful, absolutely delicious other things—but you hardly had the brain power to think them, too focused on the way his lips moved over yours, the way his tongue teased along yours.

You heard yourself let out a muffled noise of pleasure, shifting nearer. His chest was so warm and firm under your hand, and you felt clawed fingers gently tangle in your hair. Shouto carefully cupped the back of your head to pull you closer, and you could feel the restrained strength in the movement. It made you shiver and curl into him tighter.

Shouto groaned into your mouth, and then his hands were on your waist, tugging you insistently over him until you were perched in his lap. His scales brushed against the inside of your thigh, strangely smooth and shockingly warm. It made your brain fog to feel him against you like this, the firmness and heat of him.

There was also the utter strangeness of him, too. You had never kissed someone with such sharp teeth, or claws, or a strength you were beginning to suspect was terribly beyond human. But Shouto was gentle, attentive. His thumb smoothed along your jaw, carefully angling his claws away, his other hand pressing you down onto him.

He made every one of your thoughts slur and slide together, and you were so distracted you barely heard the series of taps on your door.

A cold spike of panic stabbed through you when the noise resolved itself into the sound of someone knocking. You shot up, nearly bashing Shouto in the mouth, and scrambled off of him.

“Uh—! Coming!” you yelled to your visitor, hurriedly yanking the comforter out of its nearly tucked corners, and rucking it up over as much of Shouto as you could. Shouto looked a little dazed, his mouth flushed from your kisses. It took him a minute to realize what you were doing, pulling it on over his tail. He looked equal parts mystified, ruffled, and concerned, and it was actually so cute you could have kissed him again—but now was not the time.

You gestured at him to stay in bed and stay quiet, then hurried to the door.

Yu stood on the other side of it, raising a pert blonde brow when you only cracked it a tiny bit to peer out.

“Am I interrupting something?” she asked, trying to look past you. You wedged yourself more bodily into the opening, trying to block her view.

“What—uh. What would you be interrupting?” you said quickly. “Did you, um, need something?”

Yu looked at you for a long minute, her hair ruffling softly in the sea breeze. “I came to see if you were feeling any better. And Death Arms says we’re leaving at eight thirty for Sunfish.”

Your brain was so muddled from the combination of Shouto’s kisses and your sheer panic that it took you a long moment to remember what Sunfish even was.

“Oh!” you said stupidly, nodding quickly. “Yeah, Sunfish. I will be ready then. And I’m definitely feeling better, thank you for checking on me.”

Yu’s eyes again darted past you into your room. A sly smile pulled at her mouth. “I bet you are.”

You stood up ramrod straight in your panic. There was no way she could know.

You garbled out a strangled-sounding goodbye, waving her off and ushering her quickly off your porch. You lingered in the doorway, not daring to move an inch until she disappeared into her own bungalow, then turned back to Shouto.

He looked so handsome spread out in your sheets, mouth swollen from your kisses, but you knew you were running too much of a risk to climb back over him and make good on the promises that had underlaid his kiss. Not now that Yu had come calling.

You sighed, scrubbing a hand along your face. “I’ve got to get you back down to the beach before she remembers something else. And we’ll need to talk about what…this just was more after Sunfish.” You valiantly fought down the flush that threatened to rise to your cheeks.

Shouto’s beautiful mouth turned down, but he nodded, blinking long and slow. “I will answer anything you wish to ask.”

You thought you’d probably need a little more time and space to come up with a coherent list of questions, your head swimming with the memory of his lips on yours. You vaguely remembered something about mating rituals, and you did not have the brainpower to think through all that right now.

“I’ll come meet you tomorrow?” you asked instead.

Shouto nodded, eyes pinned on you intently. You resisted the impulse to lean back down to him.

You grabbed a handle of the wheelbarrow instead and pushed it closer to the bed for him to climb back into, studiously ignoring the sinuous flex of his muscles as he slithered back in. You shoved the tarp back over him too, then poked your head out the door to make sure Yu wasn’t skulking about again before wheeling Shouto carefully back out the front door.

Shouto was unusually quiet on the journey back to the beach, and you couldn’t think of anything to say either that wouldn’t reveal just how much you wanted to turn around and wheel him back into your bungalow.

You slowly guided him down to the water instead, pushing him in until the waves gently lapped at your thighs, sloshing up over the sides of the wheelbarrow.

It was then that Shouto turned back to you, surprising you as he reached out a clawed hand. His fingers brushed ever so gently over your mouth, igniting another hot wave of something under your skin.

“Good night,” he murmured, his voice strangely deep. His eyes seemed glued to your mouth, and you could feel even the tips of your ears getting hot.

You nodded, cringing when your own “goodnight” came out far too breathy.

But that seemed to satisfy Shouto, the corner of his mouth flicking up. His thumb brushed over your bottom lip once more, with a little bit more intention than before. Your skin tingled, and you held yourself very still under his touch, willing your knees not to give out on you.

Slowly, Shouto drew his hand back to himself, and nodded, looking gratified. “I will see you tomorrow,” he promised, in his soft tone.

You nodded, not trusting yourself to speak.

And with that, Shouto slid out of the wheelbarrow into the water and disappeared into the dark sea.

Morning found you on the step to Yu’s bungalow, the early morning wind raising goose bumps along your skin. Fat clouds drifted lazily across the sky, and the palms rustled sleepily in the breeze.

When Yu poked her head out, you could tell she was not at all pleased to see you, blinking sleepily with her hair still mussed on one side.

“I’m sorry—did I wake you?” you asked. The crew was set to leave at eight thirty for Sunfish, as she’d informed you the night before, and you’d thought she’d be up already, getting ready.

She waved a hand at you to gesture you in, yawning. “I was up, just regretting my choice of career over a cup of coffee.”

You laughed nervously, following her into the room and shutting the door behind you. Her room looked like a tropical hurricane had torn through it, an explosion of clothes draped over every surface and her luggage laying open, as if ransacked, in convenient tripping locations.

“I had something I needed to show you, before we go to Sunfish,” you said, trying to not let your eyes linger too long on the mess.

Yu grunted, grabbing a brush off the bedside table and yanking it through her blonde mess of hair. She was still in sleep shorts and a pink button-up pajama top. There was no way she’d actually been up before you knocked.

“What is it, kid?” she asked absently, moving over to one of the open suitcases.

Your hand slipped into the pocket of your windbreaker, closing in on the vial you’d filled with the samples of coral from the lagoon.

“It’s—I’ve found something. While exploring the island,” you started slowly, watching her dig through her things with her foot while she finished off her hair with her hands.

She gave a sidelong glance as if gesturing for you to continue.

“There’s this lagoon, towards the northern side of the island,” you said.

Yu’s brows scrunched. “I don’t remember setting up at any lagoon.”

You shook your head. “It’s not accessible by boat. There is—or, was, a small underwater channel to get inside, under one of the cliffs. But it’s been dammed off.”

Yu finally stopped looking through her things, turning to you to give you her full attention. “Dammed off?”

You nodded. “A huge strip of metal plating. It looks recent and it’s definitely intentional—it’s drilled right into the rock. And um, the lagoon is not doing too well.” You pulled your hand from your pocket, laying out the samples of coral on her sitting table.

“The coral there is entirely bleached, and I’ve found traces of industrial processing chemicals after testing in the lab, most concerningly what looks like formalin. There’s a pipeline that looks new as well, dumping everything out into the lagoon. I didn’t trace it back as it’s too small to climb into, and it disappears underground a little ways away from the lagoon. But I think it’s most definitely Sunfish.”

Yu’s eyebrows nearly shot into her hairline. “Well well. You’ve been a busy girl.”

Your stomach churned. You couldn’t tell if she was pleased you’d taken the initiative, or annoyed you were only now looping her in.

“I’m sorry for not telling you first,” you said.

Yu watched you for a long moment, before a devious sort of smile touched her mouth. “Your beach boy help you find it?”

Your stomach lurched then, a motion like it was trying to throw itself right through the wall of your skin. “My—what?” you gasped, catching her sitting chair for balance.

There was no way she’d seen Shouto in your room last night, despite her obvious suspicions. You’d made sure you’d blocked up the entire doorway.

Yu looked smug. “Next time you answer the door after rolling around with someone, you might wanna take a look at your mouth and hair first.”

Your face flamed. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”

Yu just gave you a knowing look. “Red and white hair? Biceps like a Greek god? That ring any bells for you? If I hadn’t seen you out in the water with him the other night I would have almost believed you. But you were so obvious last night too.”

Your heart rate picked up, launching into a sprint. She’d seen Shouto! And she’d seen what he’d done to you!

You were simultaneously horrified and gratified—at least he wasn’t an insanely handsome figment of your overactive imagination. But you thought you’d been so careful! Had she seen any more than she should have?

Yu waved you off, laughing at the look of horror you knew was dawning on your face. “Relax, it’s not illegal to get friendly with the locals.”

You swallowed down a lump in your throat. “It’s not—I wasn’t—”

She padded over her sitting table, picking up the vial of coral samples. “You mind if I check this and log it before we head out?”

You fumbled, unnerved by the sudden change in conversational direction. “I—of course.”

Yu tossed her hair over her shoulder, then went back to her suitcase, digging through it with greater purpose. “If what you’re saying is true, we’ll want a paper trail showing we had this sample before setting foot on Sunfish property. Then we can get one there and see if it matches. That will be enough for local government to issue a search warrant and we can see if your pipeline really does link back.”

A shocked little thrill went through you. If that was true, you were close to closing this case out. The thought of leaving Shouto behind made you feel a little sick, but you quickly pushed it down.

You would talk to him later, once Sunfish was dealt with. And it wasn’t like you could delay. Sunfish was a danger to the local environment, and that included Shouto as well.

You’d rather have him alive and alone than sick and saddled with you.

“Take these to the lab and set everything up for me. I’ll be there when I’m done getting dressed,” Yu told you, flapping her hand at your coral samples again.

You nodded, grabbing them off the table. “Should I tell the rest of the team too?”

“Mmm,” she grunted. “They don’t know we know, but it will be good to have Death Arms cover for us in case we need to sample something they might not like. Make sure he, Kamui, and Masaki are up to speed.”

You dutifully went to the door, wrenching it open to step back out into the tropical sun.

Yu’s voice stopped you on the threshold, sounding warmer than she had before. “And kid?” she asked.

You looked back at her curiously. “Yeah?”

She smiled up at you from where she was still bent over her suitcase. “Good work. The team is gonna be proud of you.”

You felt your face flame again, building on the flush that her observations on Shouto had already left. Your first big job out of school, and your supervisor actually thought you were doing good. You tried not to feel too pleased with yourself, and with the way your relationship with Shouto had seemed to have brought you nothing but good things.

“Thanks,” you mumbled. Then you ducked out of the doorway, and darted into the sun, feeling ridiculous and shy.

Sunfish was a dominating presence on the northern edge of the island, clearly visible along the northern access road.

You’d seen it along the coast as you boated around, setting up the testing stations, but it looked even more comedically villainous up close—a corroding grey warehouse above which multiple vents and smoke stacks rose like castle turrets.

Izuku steered the jeep into the small parking lot, and you watched in the rearview as his normally kind face pinched. You hadn’t had a chance yet to catch him alone and ask exactly how long had he been hiding the fact that he knew fucking merpeople and what the hell was up with their mating rituals. And you wouldn’t dare to now, surrounded as you were by your science crew.

But you thought you caught a curious flash of those emerald eyes as you piled out behind your coworkers.

Death Arms thanked him for the ride, setting up a time for pickup, and then shepherded the rest of you towards the cannery. You wrinkled your nose as you approached, the smell of fish and low tide assaulting your nostrils.

There was a man in a suit waiting for you at the entrance, long-limbed and dark haired, with small, watery eyes. He introduced himself as Ikeda, the cannery manager, and walked you through the list of stops he planned to bring your group on your tour. He held a clipboard at his side, a pen clipped fastidiously to his jacket pocket, and his entire demeanor suggested he was eager to get you in and out as fast as possible, despite the welcoming smile he bestowed on you.

Death Arms nodded along as Ikeda spoke, then pointedly asked in an overly-friendly tone, “Sounds good. So, how long have you been the manager here?”

Ikeda blinked. “About seven years now.”

You couldn’t tell if it was your instant dislike of him, but you thought his tone was rather oily. The cannery manager for seven years—that meant there was no way this guy didn’t know what was going on in this plant. There was no way he’d missed out on a pipeline being installed for waste water disposal. No way he was missing what you were sure were thousands of gallons of waste material being pumped out and away from the facility.

Your mind flashed back to Shouto again, a surge of anger overcoming you. This guy had helped dam off a place of cultural significance to Shouto’s people, and Shouto had had to drag himself over easily a kilometer of forested land, only to then submerge himself into literal poisoned water to get you your coral.

If given enough time, more of Shouto’s people would probably have to undertake the same ritual, endangering more and more of his pod.

Your hand flew up to your neck, pressing over the coral chips that sat just underneath the collar of your shirt. You tried to suppress the wave of virulent dislike that overcame you, and hid yourself behind Yu to cover as much of your expression as you could as Ikeda gestured for your group to follow him.

You trailed along after your teammates as Ikeda led you into the building. The interior was freezing cold, a maze of industrial metals and cold fluorescence. It was a shock to your senses after the lush, humid tropicality outside, and the shiver that overtook you slid into the marrow of your bones, mixing with your sick dislike.

Ikeda led you to the processing lines first, a complex series of conveyor belts and machinery, dotted by workers in hairnets, gloves, and bright yellow aprons. He explained how the fish was sorted according to their type, then cleaned and prepared. He led you to each station as he spoke, walking you through how the fish was then packed into cans and vacuum-sealed, then heat treated to sterilize them, or treated with other preservatives if not canned.

He occasionally paused to let Masaki take samples, a strange stillness overcoming his face as Masaki did so. It made you even more sure of your dislike of him, and you couldn’t help but bring yourself to ask probing questions as Ikeda explained some of the chemicals used to preserve shelf life—salt, citric acid, potassium sorbate. All normal preservatives, and all chemicals you’d found in your samples of the coral from the lagoon—but not the most damning.

“Is that a comprehensive list, or does Sunfish use any other preservatives?” you asked, willing your voice to sound casual. Yu gave you a carefully neutral glance over her shoulder.

Ikeda paused, his eyes seeming to grow even smaller as he looked at you. You didn’t like the sharpness that lurked there, even as he smiled pleasantly. “Sunfish uses a variety of preservative ingredients, as I mentioned. The three I’ve mentioned are just a small subset.”

The statement was so carefully crafted, technically answering while saying absolutely nothing at all.

You realized you would not get an answer out of him unless you asked very directly—and doing so might alert Ikeda to the fact that you had more than just suspicions. You nodded vaguely instead, grateful when Death Arms asked another question, pulling Ikeda’s attention off of you.

Yu’s fingers delicately touched your wrist, and she leaned in, speaking quietly. “The samples Masaki got should match most of the chemical blends you found, and taking pictures of the lagoon will be enough for a warrant,” she said, then paused, lowering her lashes and cutting her magenta eyes to yours. “Although if we can confirm the formalin you mentioned, we can get production shut down immediately.”

You nodded.

Formalin—a solution containing varying amounts of formaldehyde—was a controversial method of preserving fish. Two commercially available formalin products were generally accepted by most food and health administrations, but its usage and storage was highly regulated. If the concentration of formaldehyde was high enough, drainage disposal would not be a legal option. Releasing it into a lagoon, where it would be subject to sunlight and high temperatures and was most definitely dangerous enough to get the entire operation cancelled.

Masaki politely insisted on getting a sample of all of the preservative solutions, and you helped him collect them, frowning over the neatly labeled name of each when you came across them—citric acid, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate—but no formalin solution.

Yu’s frown was more pronounced as you were led into the administrative offices to meet some of the other executives, and to conduct what Ikeda pronounced a “quality sampling!”, smiling.

You could tell she was getting mildly annoyed, terrible at hiding her emotions, but she took a deep breath before grabbing your wrist.

“Ikeda-san, I’m afraid our newbie is feeling a little queasy after seeing everything. Become a marine biologist because she’s a sweet little animal lover. Could you point us towards the ladies’ room? I’ll take care of her.”

Ikeda blinked, turning his gaze to her, before his eyes darted to you. You had no idea what Yu was trying to do here, but you knew better than to disagree. You quickly hunched in on yourself a little, trying your best to look pale and peaky and pathetic.

“I—of course,” Ikeda said, pointing back out into the hall towards the main production line. “If you turn left out of here and follow the hallway further, they should be around the corner on your right.”

“Thank you,” Yu purred, then put her arm around you in an affectation of matronly concern you were sure she’d never actually felt once in her life. “Come on, sweetheart.”

You let her usher you out into the hall, turning to stare at her when the door closed behind you.

She rolled her eyes at your questioning expression, pulling you back down the hall towards the production line. “Come on, we only have a couple minutes. Formalin needs to be stored in a well ventilated area and it obviously isn’t in the main production area. We have to be quick if we’re gonna snoop—you take the left and I’ll take the right.”

You blinked. “You want to sneak around? Won’t they just say we planted evidence since we went off on our own?”

Yu’s mouth pulled up in a grin. “You got your phone on you? It’ll need to be stored labeled and with a spill kit. Hard for you to sneak an entire industrial spill kit in here, wouldn’t you agree? Just take a quick video of you sampling it and the conditions it’s stored in and that will be more than enough.”

You could feel a giddy sense of incredulity overtake you. She was serious. She wanted to go haring off without supervision, ostensibly breaking into parts of Sunfish without permission.

“Hurry up, time’s ticking,” she said, then tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder, disappearing down the hall almost as enigmatically as Shouto had disappeared into the dark water last night.

The thought of Shouto brought you back to yourself, a sense of urgency snapping over you.

You only had a few minutes to find and prove Sunfish’s guilt, and Shouto was dependent on the results. The faster you shut off the flow of chemical waste water to the lagoon, the safer Shouto would be.

You all but threw yourself down the hall, following it past the women’s room you’d ostensibly been on your way to, peeking into any unlocked room or storage closet on the way. The passage seemed to span the side of the building, letting onto various rooms laden with cleaning supplies, overflow product, and marketing materials.

Time seemed to fly past at sickening speeds, every minute on the clock like a millisecond. You checked the time your phone anxiously, over and over again, urging yourself to move faster, while not wanting to move so quick that you missed what was most important.

It was only as you neared what seemed like the end of the hall, that you came across a room labeled Preservative Storage, papered with various seals of certification and governmental health requirements. Your heartbeat hammered in your chest as you tried the door, finding it open.

The room itself was unassuming, a tidy, cool space with drainage set into the floor and wide vents that spanned the ceiling. A variety of personal protective equipments hung just inside the door, some sealed tightly in plastic, laminated and color-coded charts hanging beside them. A variety of industrial refrigerators dotted the room in intervals, drums of other solutions in between them, everything looking carefully stored and well-maintained.

It was thanks to this orderliness that you had almost no trouble finding exactly what you were looking for.

You followed the line of labeled containers down the room, picking over each one with eagle-eyed focus. And there, in the far corner of the room, next to a variety of spill-cleaning equipment, lay a dark container with a white label, printed clearly with blue ink. You took your phone out with a shaking hand, snapping the picture you knew would close the trap on Sunfish once and for all.

The picture was clear, despite the shakiness of your hands, the label plainly announcing the the drum’s contents:

FORMACIDE-B.

[tinasvices]

David throwing Angel onto the bed, climbing on top of them, and spreading their legs so he’s in the middle.

He gently grabs one leg and lifts it up, placing kisses along it from the ankle to the thigh and going higher and higher, until he stops and rests their leg on his shoulder, giving them that knowing smirk.

One palm drags up their leg, fingers crawling under their oversized shirt that sat on their upper thigh. He stops just before he reaches their underwear, and drags the hand back down. Angel huffs in protest, eliciting a chuckle from the man.

He shifts so he’s hovering over them, arms on either side of their head. He lowers his face so close to theirs, foreheads touching, but lips just millimetres apart. He stays there, eyes never leaving Angel’s. Angel, growing impatient, angles their head slightly to try and close the gap. But David just smirks and moves away, keeping that frustrating barrier between them. His hand holds their waist, thumb rubbing against the line of their underwear, and he ghosts his lips over theirs with the slightest touch, before jumping up and walking away with a wink.

Angel stays there flabbergasted and heart pounding, trying to process what just happened.

[tinasvices]

WAIT BARISTA!ANGEL AND CUSTOMER!DAVID AU???

~~~

“Hello and welcome, what can I make for you today.” Angel, distracted with finalising the previous order on the machine, asked the next customer.

“Black coffee. Please.” A gruff, deep voice answered.

“Ok tough guy, can I get a name for the order?”

Angel looked up. Their eyes widened and they felt a blush spread across their face. Oh god. He was so handsome. So tall he towered over them. Exactly their type.

And they just called him tough guy. Way to make a first impression.

The customer wasn’t fazed, and let out a breath akin to a chuckle. He smirked at Angel’s expression.

“David.”

Angel blinked. Their mind went blank. Even his voice was hot. How is that even possible!??

They stood there in silence, just looking at each other before Angel finally snapped out of it.

“D-David! Okay, thank you.”

Angel took a deep breath. It’s now or never. They wrote their number on his cup before calling his name to collect his coffee.

David walked over, jacket in hand and sleeves rolled up. Angel’s knees were weak. Veins. Ugh. How does this man keep getting hotter.

He eyed his cup and noticed the number. His face melted into a smile - Angel blushed at the way his smile changed his entire demeanour. He looked gruff and serious before, but his smile showed his inner kindness, like they could feel the warmth of his heart.

David winked at them before leaving the store, leaving Angel sinking to the floor, ears burning red.

[tinasvices]

Microfic Fest Prompt Fill for Pennkquest!

Thank you so much for the request, @pennkquest! I’m sorry to say I seem to have lost your ask, but fear not, I have fulfilled your request! Hope you enjoy!

Rating: G; WC: ~300; Prompts: Damien/Huxley, candle

Read this oneshot on AO3!

[tinasvices]

solaire clan designs

[tinasvices]

I WAS SO STARVED FOR A VINCENT AUDIO 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[tinasvices]

GOD LOOK AT HIM HIS PERFECT

that's why they call him mr fahrenheit

all i could think of while listening to the newest audio was vincent singing in the kitchen,,, or dancing,,, or both,,, i love him so much [nothing new]

[tinasvices]

that's why they call him mr fahrenheit

all i could think of while listening to the newest audio was vincent singing in the kitchen,,, or dancing,,, or both,,, i love him so much [nothing new]