#LOVE the coding bits. not taking that part for granted

[verymuchwowperson]

computer science my beloathed <- he is having fun and this class is his favourite class of the module

[ceilidho]

fear of god

prompt: There's someone outside the spacecraft. You don't remember them being part of the crew. Part 2 masterlist

-

How am I hearing you?

That should be the first question out of your mouth, but instead what comes out is a meek trembling of words. “E-excuse me?”

His smile doesn’t waver. “Asked if you could let me in, love. I’m a bit turned around.”

You pause for a moment to take stock of the situation. A programming that has served your species since the dawn of time quietly whispers something to you, its voice unintelligible but meaningful. The instinct to help kicks in with the man’s plea, but your own confusion stays its corresponding response. 

There’s a man outside the ship knocking on the window and you’ve never seen his face before. 

“Where did you—where did you even come from?” you ask. 

He waves a hand and it drifts slowly beside his helmet, encumbered by the lack of gravity. “Around. Lost contact with my crew and I’ve been trying to get some help ever since.”

His tone is too blasé for the situation. You’d expect fear or urgency, but he speaks as though reassuring you.

“Was there another ship nearby?” You don’t remember Graves mentioning any other ships in this sector of the solar system. With many funded by private corporations or individuals, the team might not be always privy to all ongoing missions, but the commander would have known if there was a ship within a lunar distance. 

“At some point,” he says, still smiling. Too friendly. 

It’s been months since you spoke to a man your age that you hadn’t seen drink their own piss via the ship’s recycled water filtration system. Not to shame anyone—you’re part of that statistic too—but you’ve realized in the past few weeks how far that knowledge has gone towards dampening any burgeoning attraction to anyone.  

But it occurs to you again—a thought burrowing into the recesses of your mind, like a phantom of itself, a loon call over a still lake—that you are hearing someone from outside the ship. Sound traveling through nothing; the very absence of sound. 

The thought is too big for your head, but it fits itself in anyway. It stretches uncomfortably because material reality usually wins in the end. What you can see and hear, you can trust. You know the world through what appears in front of you; that's always how it's been.

This time though, there's something you can't quite fit in your head.

“Wait, let me…let me get some help,” you tell him, taking a step away from the window. Your stomach clenches when he frowns, brows pulled together in concern.

“You sure, love? I can walk you through opening the doors if you need help. Same as my ship, I bet.” He chuckles nervously. “Been out here awhile now; not sure how much oxygen I’ve got left in the tank, if I’m honest.”

That almost gets you, but you remember protocol. For all your shortcomings, you’ve never not followed protocol. Opening the airlock and letting anyone in or out is a process strictly monitored by the commander, and you have no authority to grant anyone access without express permission. You know the access codes, of course, for security and safety reasons, but despite the sudden urgency in his voice, you haven’t been authorized to let him in. 

And then there’s the matter of—

Again, though his frame fills up most of the porthole, when you look out into the depths of space around him, you see nothing out there. You wonder if perhaps Graves purposefully omitted any mention of receiving a distress call from a ship with a lost crew member. 

It feels less than likely. 

“I’ll be back.” You take another step back, heart fluttering in your chest. “Just…wait. I’ll—”

The rest of your sentence never comes, tucked beneath your tongue. Your feet are already taking you away.

The metal floor clangs under your feet as you stumble away and down the hall towards the cargo hold. You can hear the man yell after you, his voice growing more and more distant the farther you run, until its echo lingers only in your head. 

Down the stairs and through the main corridor, you pass the medbay on your way to the cargo hold, the room at the far end of the spacecraft accessible only by descending below the orlop deck. You come galloping down the stairs so fast that you nearly trip over the last one. 

The doors to the hold slide open at your approach. Though the cargo hold on the ship isn’t as gargantuan as some you’ve seen before, it’s still big enough for your footsteps to echo across the room when you make your way inside. Crates holding the ship’s sampling gear and equipment are tied down to the floor by fiber-reinforced polymer straps and covered by heavy-duty nets. The smell of fuel and ozone is pungent, thick in the air. 

The temperature in the hold is a degree or two hotter than the rest of the ship, putting you instantly on edge. Irritable; uncomfortable. Heat clings to the grooves of your skin, sinking past the epidermis. You tug your collar out with a finger. 

“Hello?” you call out into the hold, voice reverberating off the walls.

No one responds. Perhaps Farah did come for her brother, as she mentioned earlier. It wouldn’t do for you to linger in the empty hold then, the man outside the ship still a pressing concern. 

The ceiling is banded by metal beams, ferrous pipes running up the walls to the rafters, gurgling and whistling as water passes through. You can see the shoddy workmanship in the exposed scaffolding, areas that should’ve long ago been covered up or hidden away behind walls. A pipe in a far corner overhead drips onto the concrete below. 

“Looking for someone?” a voice asks from directly behind you, and your heart jumps into your throat at the sudden sound. 

When you whirl around, Hadir stands in the middle of the cargo hold, shoulders slouched and hands stuffed in his pockets. He lifts an eyebrow at the look on your face. Though he shares some features in common with his sister, his build is entirely different; stockier, slightly softer. Round jaw to her sharp. The same widow’s peak though, and the same nose. 

“Yeah, hi—morning, by the way.” You gesture with your thumb towards the door. “I, just…this is going to sound wild, but I think I just…I think someone’s outside the ship.”

The easy look falls off his face in favor of a more serious expression. 

“Outside the ship?” he repeats in disbelief. 

“Yes, I know, but I swear. Can you just—” Frustration makes you curt. Partial embarrassment too because you know how it sounds. 

There shouldn’t be anyone outside the ship because you’re in the middle of nowhere with no other spaceships around for hundreds of thousands of miles. There shouldn’t be anything other than carbonaceous and silicate asteroids drifting outside the ship. Rubble as small as grains of sand.  

He frowns. “Did someone get locked out of the ship? Why didn’t you go get Graves?”

“It’s not—” Again, you can’t seem to find the words, the right one getting lost in translation. “It’s not someone from the crew.”

Something shifts across his face, a micro-expression that makes your throat tighten involuntarily, but he nods and follows you out of the hold. 

Nerves plague you on the walk back to the porthole. Since you lead the way, you can’t look back and gauge Hadir’s expression, but you can feel his eyes heavy on your back. Skepticism still thick in the air, so rich you can almost taste it. You can hardly blame him. Were it anyone else, you’d think them delusional too. 

The walk back feels twice as long somehow. At the top of the staircase, you breathe quietly out of your mouth in order to catch your breath without letting on how winded you are. Hadir’s footsteps echo yours, a beat off the entire walk back to the corridor you left just a few minutes ago. 

When the porthole finally comes into view, you freeze, causing him to nearly walk right into you. Any apology for the sudden halt doesn't get off the back of your tongue.

A dark, empty nothingness perforated by light in the far off reaches of space. Your throat goes dry at the sight. 

“There was someone outside,” you say. It comes out whispery thin. 

You almost don’t need him to walk up to the glass and look out, knowing already what he’ll see. It’s immediately evident, the porthole free of anyone or anything obscuring the hazy band of stars off in the distance.

There’s no way to see Hadir’s expression as anything other than concerned. He peers out of the porthole again, twisting his head to the right and left in order to see as far as the view extends. 

“I, uh…I don’t see anything out there,” he finally admits, a tad awkwardly. He has a hard time meeting your eyes. 

“Oh,” you reply, nonplussed.  

You step up to the window alongside him. Stars leak out of the blackness of space; eternal night. It’s a long way from anywhere out here. 

“He might’ve gone to another window.”

For a beat, Hadir doesn’t respond. You’re both thinking the same thing. It’s unlikely that if anyone were out stranded in the middle of space that they’d float aimlessly around their only means of salvation rather than just wait for help. 

“Maybe you just saw your own reflection,” Hadir suggests. "It happens. Freaks me out too sometimes."

The tone of voice he uses irks you; it’s vaguely placating, like he’s trying to reassure you as well as himself.

There’s nothing wrong with you though. You saw what you saw and heard what you heard. There was a man outside the porthole hovering in space and he spoke to you. 

“Yeah, maybe,” you say instead. 

You stare at the faint, runny outline of your own face in the window. No matter how hard you stare, you can’t imagine her suddenly opening her mouth and talking to you. 

When the two of you finally part ways, you head for the medbay on autopilot. The mug that was in your hand is long gone—probably accidentally put down when you went looking for Hadir in the cargo hold—and you regret not stopping by the galley for a refill. 

It bothers you that Hadir went the other way, towards the cockpit instead of back to the cargo hold. You wonder whether someone called him up before you found him. 

The medical unit on this ship is smaller than what you’re used to for interplanetary travel. They’ve supplied you with the equipment necessary for simple surgeries and nothing more; anything more complex is left to chance and divine intervention. The operating table in the center of the room comes equipped with a scanner capable of medical imaging and diagnosing. 

It’s an incredibly insular room on top of that, having been designed without windows. Not atypical for a medical bay. Though bigger than your personal quarters, you often find yourself on edge when spending any prolonged amount of time in your work station. 

For all of its flaws, the ship is equipped with a rudimentary form of artificial intelligence. It mainly assists with performing diagnostics, assisting with determining the best trajectory for the spacecraft, and enabling autonomous navigation, the latter function being temporarily suspended after the impact from the day before, but it has some use. You’re especially lucky that every computer on board gives you access to the AI, meaning that you can stay cooped up in the medical unit rather than venturing back to the cockpit where your inquiry might wind up drawing more attention to you than you’d like. 

You lean forward in your chair, a leg tucked into your chest as you flip a switch on the dashboard on the wall behind the computer and then a button on the keyword, the familiar blip letting you know to speak. 

“Ship, please scan the perimeter for any nearby foreign objects.”

Chewing your nails and staring at the computer, you watch it light up, words and symbols flashing across the screen, buttons flicking on and off on the dashboard behind it. The ship rumbles around you as it scans the surrounding vacuum of space for anything with mass. The foot still touching the ground taps, a restless twitch running through your leg. 

The blip of completion makes you jolt in your chair. 

No anomalous objects detected around ship's exterior

You press the button again. “That’s—that’s not possible, Ship. I saw someone out the window.”

When you let go of the button again, the computer goes quiet, running through another round of calculations, performing the same diagnostic again. Another distended moment of anticipation. You hold your breath until the computer beeps, the perimeter inspection complete. 

Scan complete

No anomalous objects detected around ship's exterior

The secondary confirmation makes your stomach sink. 

It’s difficult to articulate the feeling in your chest. Halfway between disbelief and unease. Perhaps a simple error in judgment, but you can’t simply look past the voice you heard from the astronaut outside the porthole. In your life, you’ve made plenty of mistakes and bad calls; you’ve run the gamut of mistakes, everything from going back to old flings to nearly misdiagnosing a patient. 

You have never seen things that weren’t there. 

Still, the reading on the screen doesn’t waver. You stare at it until your watering eyes force you to blink. 

You chew the nail of your middle finger until it tears. Sweat slicks the small of your back and the soft skin under your arms. 

“Okay,” you whisper to yourself. “Okay.”

[simp-ly-writes]

Boss & Bothered

Pairing: Boss!Spencer Agnew x assistant!Reader

─ · · SUMMARY: Spencer is your boss to a degree and you spent a large majority of time by his side that you begin thinking things about your boss an employee really should not be considering...

─ · · TAGS: gender-neutral pronouns, boss/employee relationship, creepy man, harassment, protective!spencer, implied offscreen- VERY suggestive themes, kissing.

─ · · MASTERLIST | TAGLIST REQUEST | WORDCOUNT: 2,708

─ · · A/N: thank you for the ask, anon! 🫶 and if you know me personally, out of all the things you read, please don't read this one, I went into a different world while writing this... hahaha erm...

─────── · ·

You had a crush on your boss. As the assistant to the Smosh Games channel you spent almost every moment by his side and there was not a single odd task you had not done; like running to the thrift store to get ten red shirts or to the corner store when the kickstarter and assorted energy drinks were out of stock in the kitchen.

You loved you job and truly loved working beside Spencer and you did not know at what point when those friendly stares and touches had become romanticized in your head. From him always opening the door for you or reminding you to take a break (or another one), he never once took all the extra work you did around the studio for granted and maybe that was a cause for the rose-tinted glasses.

Yet when he would bring your favourite coffee order in the morning even when you had said every time that that was your part of the job, he would just wave a hand in your face, assuring you before walking over to his desk- his schedule for the day already printed (and colour-coded, obvriously) so that the day would move smoothly.

Yet even when the day did not, Spencer never snapped or showed any anger towards you. Still being the caring and understanding boss you knew him to be, boss, you remind yourself. Yet you both acted past your positions, you had met his friends outside of work, went out for drinks with him at the end of a long day and even had dinner at his place one time (or maybe it was two times? three times? cant be more than four times?).

But that was just it right? You were both friendly co-workers. Or well, boss and worker but Spencer never held his position above your own, or at least not when it was important. He would pull the boss card as a joke every now and then off-camera that you feigned annoyance to much to the enjoyment of everyone else who loved his on-going joke around the office. A joke was all this is, just some lighthearted teasing when he puts a fleeting hand on my shoulder to ensure I know it is a joke.

But that all seemed to change when a developer from a gaming studio came in to demo the game alongside the cast. Spencer would be starring in this video, you sat behind camera, ready and waiting with his phone and can of kickstarter as you sorted through emails on your tablet, unknowing to the presence beside you.

"Hey, do you know where the director is? I have a tight schedule to be on since I... need... to... be..." his words slowed as the sentence progressed before falling off completely as the developer look at you. His mouth slightly agape before quickly fixing his hair and jaw. Looking up from your tablet, shutting it off quickly as to not give away company secrets, you presented a friendly smile to the individual. "Sorry, could you repeat your question please? I was a little bit tied up on these emails," you say, tapping your fingers against the metal device to exaggerate your point.

"Oh, um, haha, yeah, I was-a looking for the director. Do you know where he is, love?" you cringe automatically at the nickname, leaning slightly away in your chair as you look around the room quickly trying to find Alex Tran. You begin to cringe up your spine, contracting into yourself when the developer takes a half step closer to your chair, you can hear his breathing in your ear that has your smile twitching before you stand to present more space between the two of you.

"I don't see him here at the moment, we are also shooting another video the next studio over. I'm sure as soon as the cast is done there in..." you click on Spencers phone to see the time, "...in 10 minutes. Do you have everything you need to run the software or is there anything else I can get you in the meanwhile?" you ask politely, hands gripping your tablet as the man smiles.

"Alright, thats okay, that you for letting me know. I could really go for a coffee if its not a hassle? Maybe I could also add my number-" you take a big sigh out in relief once hearing the door to the studio open. Alex, Spencer, Courtney, Amanda and Trevor all filing in one by one. Your eyes meet Spencer's as he pauses his conversation with Trevor, eyebrow raised in question as you tip your head towards the developer that stands back by your side.

Spencer's brows furrow as he walks over to you, a smile plastering itself against his features as he steps in between the two of you, extending his hand as a physical barrier. "Hi, Tyler is it? I'm Spencer the head of this channel and Alex over there will be directing the video. Apologies for the delay, Trevor, Courtney, and Amanda were all finishing a shoot. I hope you understand?" Spencer clarifies, pointing at everyone he mentions, tone leaving no rude for argument.

"Yes, this lovely sir/miss, told me. I never got your name sweetheart-" Spencer coughs, his shoulders tense as he looks over his shoulder at you, "Could you go check in with Alex and see if he's doing alright? I can see the set up from here," Spencer pulls his boss tone at you for the first time without a joke or fault and all you can do is nod, pivot on your heel and walk towards Alex.

"Everything alright there, superstar?" Alex teases. Supserstar, that's what the Games department staff called you, seeing you run around like a shooting star while managing a thousand jobs in one with grace, simply put a superstar and you were gracious for the name as you nod at Alex. "Yeah, a lot better now, he was... very friendly." You choose your words carefully, knowing that the developers team is sponsoring todays video and fuelling your pay check.

"Mhmm," Alex hums out, carefully watching Spencer speak with the developer. The passive aggressive undertone is a surprise to everyone in the room from how friendly Spencer usually was. "Spencer really seems worked up, did something happen during the last shoot?" You ask, refusing to turn yourself back around before the cameras roll.

"No, he actually ended up successfully losing Don't Win Mario Kart but I think this is a more recent than that thing, what exactly did the guy say to you?"

"Oh, well he was... nice. Just like I said, a bit too friendly for me upon first meeting. Kept calling me pet names and stuff like that, didn't get handsy or anything, must be a cultural thing," you say before subconsciously taking a drink from the open Kickstarter can without a second thought. "Makes sense then," Alex shrugs before walking over to the filming crew as you follow behind and sit back in your chair. "What makes sense then?" you wish to clarify yet receive no answer except a presence by your side.

"Hey, you doing okay? I'm sorry I wasn't here earlier to help," Spencer comments, taking his phone and drink from your hands with a tight smile that does not seem to reach his eyes. "Yeah, thank you handling it. I didn't want to seem rude to him-" you begin to clarify to your boss who cuts you off. "You did nothing wrong, you did everything right. I sorted out the rest, THAT shouldn't happen again," Spencer points out strongly before taking a sip of Kickstart.

"Oh," is all you manage to get out before Alex calls the cast to their positions and you open your tablet again and move back to those emails only to find your mind drifting, cheeks warming at Spencers protective display...but any other boss would do that right? Protect their employees from clients... and what about what Alex said earlier too...

Your thoughts are a whirlwind as you mindlessly reply to email after email and fix everyones schedules before sending them out for tomorrow morning. The cameras are still rolling as you fix yourself in your chair, trying to become more comfortable for only a five minute break to be called and you are standing up in an instant to update Spencer on all the new information you received.

Spencer stands right beside you, leaning against your chair, can in between his hands and glasses slipping down his nose as he watches you intently rambling on and on about the tight schedule him and Alex had after this shoot to maintain while also taking a dinner break. Yet what caught you off guard was how comfortable you felt being so close to him, your arms touching every time you breathed, his gaze so trained onto you that it held you confused as to why you reacted to negatively to the man before. Slowly looking over to Alex who was already looking between the two of you with a knowing smile.

─────── · ·

Since then the dynamic had changed in the office, or at least between you and Spencer. You both were closer (if that was thought possible by the rest of the staff), so close in fact that you both were called into Ian, Anthonys, and HR's office that morning.

"Hey guys," Ian greeted, albeit a bt awkwardly as he looked between the two of you. Anthony offered a wave from behind the desk as well, it felt as is your parents were sitting you down for a talk, your cheeks painted pink as you looked at Spencer to only find support as he shrugged and leaned in saying, "Seems like we are the ones in trouble for once, what are we going to do superstar?"

And all you can do his shove him away playfully, refusing to look at Ian and Anthony as soon as papers came onto the table. "So... before we get started. You both have been doing amazing work, both together and a part but this is not a promotional meeting," Ian began before Anthony took over, they seemed to have rehearsed this...

"We are, as well as HR, who deemed that it might be easier to talk to us that you two are potentially seeing each other, and there is nothing wrong with that! We just need to know if you need to swap departments," Anthony says looking at you. You rapidly shake your head, laughing away the sweat that is building on your palms, rubbing them on your pant legs now refusing to look at Spencer, nervous that the crush you had been harbouring for some time now was being forced into the light.

Spencer also appeared to be refusing to look in your direction as well, stuck in a starring contest with Ian as the room laid in wait before Spencer spoke up, "We are not, formally, seeing one another, though I do enjoy spending time with them outside of work, as I hope they do too?'

"Yes, of course I do. I don't see you as my boss when we sit and eat out like that Spence," you mention to only received a raised brow that has your eyes widening at your word choice... should've just said outside of work, stupid, stupid, stupid.

Your cheeks have never burned so hard, your nails digging into your pant leg only for a hand to rest on top of them, easing you to relax. And by trailing your eye up to a tattooed arm that you would kill to colour in, you stop dead in your tracks at the hint of a smile on Spencers lips before you both are dismissed without signing a singular paper (or at least yet, you hope).

"Only at dinner, huh?" Spencer presses as soon as the door closes but you keep on walking in front of him as he jogs in front of you, causing you to pause in your steps. The cubicles are now all left empty as everyone has left for lunch, you two are the only ones in this way to large of a room, yet it does not seem large enough for the conversation you are about to unpack.

"... what do you want me to say, Spencer?" you press back, dodging the question successfully for a round as Spencer takes a step back, hands raising slightly from his sides. "I'm just curious where else I would be your boss outside of work if dinners are the only thing that counts..."

"Spencer!" you whisper shout, mind already going into the nooks and crannies you did your best to hide. You looked around but had not yet felt uncomfortable by the converssation, only the unbearable heat starting to crawl up your skin as his harm drapes itself over his forehead. His buttoned shirt sleeves are rolled up to his elbows and his signature leather boots creak as he shifts his weight. He seems as bothered as you are right now... as he cannot stand still....

"Oh... I see now," Spencer begins, his low tone has you moving closer to grasp onto his next words, your heart races, your brain a bit fuzzy but you don't feel nervousness or the least bit scared. In fact, you feel freer than ever in this moment, unloading what you desperately tried to hide for so long. "...where else do you hear my voice telling you what to do outside of work?" Spencer continues, keeping his tone even as you meet eyes catching a flickering of surface level genuine curiosity mixed with something, deeper, almost hidden...

You gasp, Spencer tilts his head, putting that little sound to memory as he waits for you to take the next step closer and you invite yourself to. You can feel the heat coming from his body, you both stand so close, you chests brushing up against one another, your breath hitching as he fixes his hair while staring at you. "Spencer..." your voice worries yet comes off as a whine, "What?" Spencer asks softly, still allowing you control that has you really questioning of going back inside that office and signing those damn papers.

"We can't do this right now, here in the office, please," you manage to get out behind your brain imagining every scenario where you press him up against a white wall and not kiss him all over to you both are breathless. "But outside?" Spencer asks once more, "Outside of dinner?" Spencer presses further as you only nod once, "yeah, outside," you confirm before taking a step back as he does the same, swallowing harshly and playing with his hair once more.

"Okay then," Spencer confirms.

"Okay then," you copy and for the remaining day in the office. You are sitting awkwardly in chairs, fingers aching to put your digital signature to the e-document as you keep sneaking glances at one another. It does not help when his phone buzzes in your lap that has you startling upright during the end of a shoot (thankfully).

The car ride back was even more tense, you both car-pooled often, living in the same building but watching him out of the corner of your eye as you changed the stick-shift, his arm, showing off his inner arm tattoos came to close to your hand, just teasing its way to your leg, you quickly parked, feeling that you were squirming in your chair, utterly restless.

─────── · ·

You both barely managed to get into the apartment and lock the door before your hands were on one another, breaths equally catching and being saved. Spencer groaned against your touch as you fell weak at the knees and fell back onto the couch where he met you and watching his cage you in, leaning in closer and closer, the documents lingered on your mind that had you presses your hands to his chest.

Spencer immediately stood up, "You doing alright, darling? Did I do something wrong?" your heart raced even more. "We, I- need to sign those papers right now before we continue..." you point between the two of you, intently looking up at his pink lips, "...this," you breathe out as Spencer sits down on the coffee table, feeling around for his phone as you both scramble to put your e-signatures on while also claiming sick leave... for you both would not be showing up tomorrow morning either once feeling his lips and the caress of his skin against your own.

─────── · ·

─ · · A/N: 😮‍💨 whew... umm... No Part 2's on this one! (sorry)

─ · · SPENCER AGNEW TAGLIST: @lisiliely @missflufffanfics @little-stitious-studios @thejourneyneverendsx @sibsteria @lizzylynch1 @babble2 @delaneyburghardt

[sporadicthingcollection]

Kiss, Marry, Kill: Part 1/2 (LA!Buggy the Clown x F!Reader)

Summary: In which Buggy overhears a private conversation and uses that knowledge against you. Pairing: LA!Buggy the Clown x F!Reader Rating: Semi-explicit. Word Count: ~3k (of 5.3k) Warnings: Clown abuse, strong language, incorrect use of a straight razor.

Never had you on my mind Now you're there all the time Never knew what I missed until I kissed ya

---

By all accounts, Buggy should be having a great time. There's food, alcohol, gambling... hell, there's even a swimming pool. Not that he can partake, but he can live vicariously.

Instead, he's got a whole school of shark eyes trained on him as he sits on a stool next to Arlong's throne. This water park sucks.

He's not chained up or anything. The threat of a couple dozen sets of teeth ripping into him is reason enough to sit perfectly still, keep his mouth shut, and try to look as small as possible. No sudden movements, no change in expression, no—

"Kiss the clown, marry the waiter, kill Pink Hair."

Buggy sits bolt upright and looks around. Who the hell said that?

Arlong doesn't even deign to look at him. "Hear something?"

Clear. Crisp. With a little bit of an accent, maybe. He's heard it somewhere recently, but where?

Certainly not here. It was a woman's voice, and Arlong Park is a bit of a sausage party at the moment. Not that he can tell on sight with fishpeople.

"Answer me, clown," Arlong rumbles.

He forgets who he's talking to for a moment. "Eavesdropping's an art," he snaps. "You can't rush art."

Big mistake. Arlong responds with a low, wet growl. "It's been three days. My patience is running thin."

Quiet chatter. The clinking of silverware. Someone chewing with their mouth open. The little pirates are at a restaurant, it seems.

He relays this to Arlong. He's less than pleased. He enunciates every word to show his teeth. "Care to be more specific?"

A shudder crawls up the back of Buggy's neck. He takes a swig of his drink to cover it. He places his fingers over his remaining ear, straining.

"You're shitting me." That voice he recognizes. The redhead. The one who ruined his show. The one Arlong's so interested in. Nadi? Nani? Noni?

The other woman speaks. "Nami, you rejected him," she says. "Girl Code only applies if you were dating."

Nami. That's her, the conniving little bitch. "No, not the waiter. I mean you'd seriously kiss the clown? He nearly killed us."

He'd recognize Rubber Boy's voice anywhere, the little shitheel. "And his nose would get in the way."

The mystery woman speaks up again. "That's nothing new. I’ve smacked noses with plenty of guys."

Okay, that narrows it down. It’s not the redhead, it can't be Rubber Boy or the bounty hunter, so that leaves...

...you. Of course it's you. How could he forget you? You're the only one who laughed at Axe-Hand Moron. Granted, it was more like a snnrrrk and you immediately clapped your hand over your mouth, eyes wide with horror, but it was a laugh all the same.

And in that moment, he knew he liked you. Bad sense of humor. Cute smile. A little bashful. He appreciates that. Sure, you helped humiliate him not an hour after the fact, but all's fair in love and piracy.

"Look, I'm not saying it’s a good idea," you continue, "but sometimes you gotta live dangerously."

The bounty hunter speaks, dry and droll. "Storms are dangerous. Bar fights are dangerous. You're just insane."

"Oh, c'mon, you're not seriously gonna hold Fu..." You pause. "Kiss Marry Kill answers against me."

So that's what's going on. "They're just chattering like they always are," he says to Arlong.

Arlong does not like that answer. He snatches Buggy up by the neck, lifting him clear off the ground with only one hand.

"Wait! Wait wait wait! They're still talking! I might have something!" He kicks and struggles, but it's no use.

You speak. "You think everything pops off? ‘Cause a gal could really— hyurk.”

Laughter all around as you’re cut off by something. Sounds like you choked.

“Thank you, Usopp,” Nami says. “I am not having that conversation.”

Arlong saunters over to the pool, carrying Buggy like a ragdoll. He has precious few seconds now. C'mon, he wills them, say something useful!

A slap, a spit, then a couple of hard coughs. “Nice shot,” you wheeze. “Use the unspicy peanut next time. I think I burned my windpipe.”

The new guy — Usopp — scoffs. “Spicy? Please. This isn’t spicy. Baratie spicy is barely a zip. Now, you want spicy, you gotta hit up the Great Pepper Isles. Their chilis are so hot, I had an out-of-body experience.”

And boom, there it is. Right as he's about to be dropped into the water, his ticket to life.

“Baratie! They're at Baratie," he chokes out. "That floating restaurant. That really nice one I got thrown out of, the pricks."

It was Cabaji's fault. Turns out whipping a unicycle out at the bar is frowned upon. Who'd've thunk.

Arlong 'smiles.' All teeth and gums and no mirth at all. "Consult our charts," he says to the nearest fishman. "I'll prepare our compass."

He grabs Buggy by the hair and yanks. In the interest of not getting his neck broken, he separates his head from his body. Unfortunately, gravity takes over and his body plunges into the pool.

Weakness swamps him like a rogue wave. He can't say a word as he's stuffed into a cloth sack and everything goes dark.

In both ears, all he can hear are the sounds of laughter.

---

Someday, Buggy will learn not to run his fat mouth. That day is not today.

Usopp barges into the galley and lobs his head through the air, a low slow toss. He only has a moment to appreciate not being overhand pitched before landing on the floor. Not on his nose, fortunately, but it still hurts.

He points at the blonde guy — Sanji? Sanji. "I can't take it anymore. He's your problem now. I'm going to bed. Goodnight."

He tramps off as Buggy flips himself upright. “What’s his problem?” he asks no one in particular. “Sheesh, you make one ‘your mom’ joke and—“

A decidedly unmanly yelp escapes him as he's popped up into the air. The world spins and turns and he braces himself to hit the ground again, only to be caught in soft hands. He's spun around...

...and comes face to face with you, regarding him with curious, contemptuous eyes.

Oh, you're even prettier up close. The redhead's a looker, but she's still a kid. Soft. Pale. Set like a mousetrap, ready to spring and break some poor chump's neck at the slightest provocation.

But you? You're a grown-ass woman. Comfortable in your sun-kissed skin. A twinkle of experience in your eye and the ease of someone who's been sailing her ship for years.

He can't help but smile. "Well, well, well. Fancy meeting you here, gorgeous," he says with a wink.

From the corner of his eye, he sees Sanji shoot him a glare. Your expression remains cool and uninterested. Shifting his head to your side, you hold him against your hip like a laundry basket. Even through your trousers, the soft swell of flesh warms his cheek.

“Weren't you just on buggysitting duty?” you ask Sanji.

Buggysitting? Really? "I'm right here, y'know," he grumbles.

He's ignored, as per usual. Sanji straightens up and huffs. “New guy always gets the shit jobs.”

“Let’s trade,” you say. “You take my watch and I’ll mind our chatty compass.”

Rude. “I’m still right here.”

Sanji shakes his head. “Go get your beauty sleep. Not that you need it, of course."

Wow, that was a bad line. Buggy makes his displeasure known with a retch.

“Sleep is for people who don’t have coffee.” You flap your hand toward the door. "Shoo.”

Sanji glances between you and Buggy, but heads for the door. "Any trouble at all, love, and I’m a shout away."

A little smile colors your voice. "If he starts gnawing my ankles, you’ll be the first to know."

Sanji returns the smile, sickeningly sweet. As he leaves, you sit at the table, placing Buggy across from you.

He wants nothing more than to plant his leg on a stool, lean in on his knee, and give you a toothy grin. But alas, he must settle for the grin. "Alone at last. Come here often?"

You don't even bother to look at him, too preoccupied with picking up a very shiny straight razor and a strip of leather. Muscle ripples under your skin as you slide the blade back and forth.

"So you're the barber," he says. You don't respond. "Can't imagine you're too busy on a ship with a bunch of babyfaces." Still nothing. "Don't suppose I could get a shave, then? Last time I used a straight razor, I ended up like this!"

"Barber surgeon," you say as you inspect the blade. Dissatisfied with some invisible blemish, you continue stropping.

He shrugs, only to remember he can’t. "Say, doc, I can't feel anything below my neck. Could you take a look?”

Irritation tints your voice. “Not a doctor,” you say. You’ve clearly had to explain this countless times before. “Doctors treat the inside. I fix up the outside.”

“Splitting hairs, Miss Sawbones.”

Shiff shiff shiff goes the razor. "If you don't stop talking, we’re gonna see if cutting off the nose really does spite the face. Might be an improvement for you.”

That’s just low. “Keep talking shit and this bark is gonna turn into bite.”

You finally look up. You level the razor at him, glaring down the blade. “You’re the only one talking, clown.”

Damn. Your eyes are pretty. Warm as the first sunbeam of a summer morning, but dark as the blotches he gets in his eyes when he looks into a spotlight by accident. Hot like one, too. Heat lurks below the dark surface, like warm charcoal about to catch fire.

Nerves ball up in his absent chest. He swallows them and summons his bravado. “Can ya blame me? I’ve got shit else to do. I’ve met parrots with more to say than you.”

"Count the cracks in the ceiling."

"One, two, three—“ He gives an exaggerated groan. “Didn't you say you were gonna make coffee? Can I get in on that?"

You scoff, but you do stand. "Last thing you need is caffeine.”

“The last thing I need is to be held hostage by a bunch of greenhorn nobodies,” he says, "and yet here I am."

“Sucks to suck,” you say. You pull a pot out of a cupboard and fill it with water. “How do you take it? Sugar? Cream?”

“Black. Like my heart.”

You let out that snnnrrrrk of a suppressed laugh again. What a nice sound. “Something we got in common.”

“Black heart or black coffee?”

“Yes.”

Such a simple, easy response. Not even particularly clever. But the delivery with no hesitation, no intonation, no second guessing the punchline. He laughs. “I knew I liked you!”

You glance over your shoulder at him. “You try to kill everyone you like? No wonder you have no friends.”

He hops to the edge of the table. Not an easy feat with only a stump. “C’mon, babe. All’s fair in love and piracy.”

Calling you babe was a blindfolded over-the-shoulder shot in the dark, but it lands. You add a smile to your glance. “I’ll give you that and nothing more.”

Somewhere, miles away, his heart flutters. He lets it. “Will you still give me coffee?”

“Only if you shut up ‘til this water boils.”

In this state, he’ll take any scrap of stimulus he can get. He bites his tongue and bites it hard, willing himself not to speak.

Silence creeps in. Silence leads to stewing, and stewing leads to bad thoughts. Bad feelings. Lonely feelings. Like how long it’s been since he’s had a friendly cuppa joe with someone. Or had someone honestly laugh at his stupid jokes.

Especially not someone as quick as you. Or as pretty. Or with such a nice ass. Or who maybe-sorta-kinda-might-possibly be interested in him. Potentially. Hypothetically.

There’s no damn way, he tells himself. You’re humoring him. You’re definitely shacking up with that cook — young, charming, handsome. Or the bounty hunter, maybe — tall, dark, broody.

You wouldn’t give him a second glance. Him, a pathetic, painted, big-nosed weirdo. Who is currently a severed head. A temporary state, but still not a good first impression. Even though his actual first impression was trying to kill you and your buddies. This second first impression is just as bad.

A sharp groan escapes him before he can stop it. He eyes you, expecting you to snap at him or worse.

But you don’t. You pause in your pouring to peer over your shoulder at him, gaze soft. “Y’alright?”

There goes his heart again. Ugh. “Peachy. That coffee done yet?”

You curl your lip. “What’s got your panties in a knot?”

“Just realized I’m gonna need a straw or some shit.”

Still sneering, you set a shallow mug in front of him. “I’ll see what I can find.”

See? You definitely don’t like him. Stupid fucking jackass, letting his hopes get up. This is what he gets.

…A nice, warm cup of coffee. If you really hated him, you wouldn’t have given him coffee, right? Or be looking for a straw?

You’re just humoring him. You just want to save your friend. Catch more flies with honey and all that. He’ll be more agreeable if you’re friendly.

Across the room, you open a drawer. “Hey, bendy straws. Perfect.”

You’re breaking out bendy straws for him? There’s gotta be something there! At least a little something!

No. No way. Coincidence.

You place an oddly long straw into the mug. He realizes it’s three normal ones jammed end-to-end, creating a pipe ending just about level with his mouth.

You just pulled some engineering shit so he can drink coffee with you. There’s definitely something.

An ice cube plops into the mug and you slide back into the booth with your own cup. “Might dilute it a bit, but can’t have you burning your mouth.”

His distant heart flips again. He has to say something. Before he can convince himself otherwise. He says the first thing that comes to mind.

“So,” he says, “‘kiss the clown,’ eh?”

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. That’s the first thing he thought of? Seriously? He braces himself for boiling coffee thrown in his face.

You freeze mid-sip, brows raised. “Excuse me?”

Okay, you don’t look mad. “Don’t deny it, babe. I heard everything. Kiss Marry Kill? Nice job keeping it kid-friendly, wink wink."

You stare at him with those dark eyes. "No idea what you're on about."

"I know you know. And I know you know I know." He waggles his eyebrows, hoping for a laugh, but he gets nothing.

You watch the steam swirling up from your mug. "What do you want me to say, exactly? That I chose you to kiss?"

"I just wanna know what possesses a woman to make her want to shack up with the guy who tried to kill her and her friends." He lips the straw into his mouth and takes a test sip. Still quite hot.

"Circumstance. Process of elimination. Being put on the spot." You pick up the razor. Your fiddling with it belies your agitation.

"Don't lie to me, babe," he croons. "I can see right through you."

You stare at him. "And what is it that you see?"

What does he see? "A woman on a knife's edge of self-satisfaction and self-destruction. Once bitten, twice shy, but when he comes around the third time, you just can't help yourself."

Your fiddling becomes more insistent. You break eye contact to look at the razor. He's hitting on something. Time to push some buttons.

"You bet on the wrong horse every time. You think it'll be different this time. But it never is." He smiles bitterly. "Something else we got in common. Birds of one ugly feather."

Your gaze softens as you return your gaze to him. "So you found the problem, Doctor Headshrink. What’s the prescription?"

Shoot your shot, Buggy. "Kiss the clown and maybe we'll find out."

You're still for a few moments. Then slowly, carefully, you slide your hand across the table. You pull him closer as you lean lower in your seat to eye level with him.

He can't help the way his breath quickens. It's been so, so long since he had any kind of intimacy. Your reedy fingers trace his jaw down to his chin. Your thumb comes up to pull at his bottom lip, and he lets out a satin-soft whimper as he opens his mouth to you.

You strike like a snake, yanking his tongue out with one hand and readying your razor with the other. His choke turns into a scream as you bring it down, severing his tongue clean at the root.

It's one thing to disconnect body parts. Pop a leg off, drop an ear — he’s used to it. But it's a different story when said part is supposed to be inside of him. His tongue waggles like a fish as he tries to return it to his mouth, but you keep a firm grip.

"You can have this back in the morning," you say.

He wants to cuss you out, but what comes out is ew bihck, whadda fuhck iss won wif ew, gif ih bahck.

You laugh. And lord, what a laugh you've got. Loud, like a party gone late into the hours of the night. Clattery, like a dozen plates shattering on the floor. Full of mirth, like a drunk on payday.

And, for the briefest of moments, his rage is forgotten. He wants to make you laugh like that.

But it returns with a vengeance, replaced with a desire to see you squirm.

---

⬅⬅⬅ | To the "Curious Courtship" Masterpost | To the Mastahpost | Tip Jar | ➡➡➡

[queennai714]

Random hcs I have because I may be cringe but I'm free part 32 (Ninjago)

(Wow it feels good to be making one of these again)

Anyway, this one is going to be Movie edition! I usually have a love/hate relationship with high school AUs, but this one gets a pass.

Basically, the entire ninja team despises dress codes, and they all have their ways of subtly (or not-so-subtly) fighting the system.

Cole just doesn't care. He wears whatever he wants, whenever he wants, and he can afford to get written up for it because: a) The infractions are never usually that bad, he's just alt and might occasionally wear a few too many belts or an "offensive" graphic tee, and b) He actually has pretty amazing grades and is always super respectful of the staff, so none of them actually want him to get in trouble.

Jay, on the other hand, is absolutely terrified of ever actually getting written up, but still wants to speak up in his own way, which usually culminates in him completely tricking out all his clothes and supplies. Every inch of his backpack is covered in holographic stickers, every jacket he ever wears is so cluttered with pins that people can hear him coming from down the hall, and every outfit he puts together is as loud and colorful as possible while still staying within guidelines. He's gotten a few odd looks and rude comments, but every time he sees someone show up to school in something bold, or even just something they've never worn before, he knows it's worth it.

Kai very much does not have the same problem as Jay and is just a straight up rebel leader. He couldn't care less about being written up and is usually the first one to jump onto a protest whenever its proposed. He's the kind of guy who would organize for all of the boys to show up in skirts the day after a girl gets dress-coded for hers, or wear crop-tops for workouts. Every time a girl gets sent to the office because of her sleeves, Kai just completely ditches his red jacket (He usually wears a tank top underneath anyway) and whatever friends he has in that class will pretend to be distracted by the scandalous shoulders. Basically, he knows that being a star athlete makes him untouchable, and he takes full advantage of that power.

Nya is very similar to her brother in the sense that she actively fights the dress code, but unlike him, she doesn't have coach-granted immunity, so she has to be a bit more...sneaky about things. A skirt that's ever-so-slightly too short, carefully placed rips in her jeans, and a complete indulgence into every aspect of the dress code that isn't especially enforced. Bold jewelry, graphics that toe the line of "inappropriate", wearing tights and t-shirts under what would normally be "too short" or studded jackets over what would normally be perfectly fine, any way she can fight the rules without getting herself sent to the office. She has tried them all and rotates methods depending on the day.

Zane, as usual, is almost the exact opposite of Kai, but was also heavily inspired by the others. His inherent need to follow established rules, no matter how much he dislikes them, combined with the art of subtlety, eventually birthed a master of malicious compliance. Seeing as his usual style fits perfectly within the dress code anyway, and that he's absolutely beloved by every teacher he has, Zane's preferred method of revolution is by following the dress code to the letter, even when it inconveniences him, and occasionally pointing out other's infractions. (Never the legitimate ones, of course. No, Zane targets the teachers themselves). This also means that he's usually the one to deliver the punchline in all of the school movements, putting into words exactly why the students are revolting, or the irony of certain policies to the highest-ranking staff member he can get his hands on.

Lloyd literally could not be bothered with the dress code. Sure, he'll join Kai's movements, but everybody at school either avoids him like the plague or gets him in trouble for no reason anyway, so, like Cole, he usually just ends up wearing whatever he wants, whenever he wants. He lets the teachers decide if they want to bother with writing him up or not.

[misqnon]

Thoughts on Sanji enjoying feminine things?

short thoughts: i love it and think he should do it more often esp because i feel like he definitely does in canon and just won't actually let himself do so. i don't draw him in drag all the time for no reason

long thoughts: [breathes in]

i could write an entire essay on sanji's character in terms of femininity, queerness, and misogny BUT we don't have time for all that so let's just focus on the fact i feel like there's actual evidence he enjoys traditionally non-masculine things and oda actually puts him in situations to highlight this pretty frequently

-i am guilty of calling sanji a metrosexual . it's a stupid word but it fits him. he's the only guy on the ship that showers every day and the only other ppl on the ship who do this are the two girls. man also wears suits like mad and has a fairly...daring fashion sense outside of that (granted, most ppl in one piece do.) but he just cares about these things more than most guys! and that doesn't even seem like something that came from his upbringing at baratie bc...no one else dressed like that. he just does that himself. i also can't stop thinking about the sbs where someone suggested sanji would be a stylist in real life and oda went "yes agreed"

-the kamabakka moment...okay terribly offensive and transmisogynistic (won't get into it bc i have several times before) BUT if we can take one thing from that it's that sanji *did* dress up in makeup and a dress and like. frolic with the okama. it's framed as "against his will" but he definitely could have torn that shit off quickly and easily enough, yet oda decided to imply sanji enjoyed it for at least a time before he chickened back out and called the place hell for 2 years. yea, it was probably for oda's idea of 'comedic effect' but this is, once again, one piece. sometimes the humor is part of the plot. sometimes very real information is given through the guise of humor. going off of this u could mention that (also offensive but meant to be funny) joke with the blood donation scene from fishman island

-idk just something about the way oda writes him fighting lots of queer or non-conventionally masculine characters. i feel like it says something about sanji having his own internal struggle about his masculinity- which we know must be true bc of his whole list of virtues he never breaks a la women because of his upbringing with good ol' fashioned zeff and uh. "men should be war machines" germa over here. he fights bon clay and queen for christ sake.

-the scene where he's like happy as a clam to be in nami's body in punk hazard is another comedy gag that's also a little . interesting. I could say oda just keeps accidentally coding him but I feel like oda's very intentionally with his characterization and the subtlety of it

-overall he's just clearly so interested in masculinity since zeff raised him to be that way and he holds zeff in such high regards in combination with his background with germa, his mother and his sister, leading to a I Have To Be A Perfect Gentlemen And Also Respect Women by Putting Them On the Highest of Pedestals. and this in turn has made him reluctant to engage with femininity in any way that could be perceived as Not fitting this manly persona he's made for himself, yet he keeps getting put up against it in various small moments in the series whether comedic or not. I don't think oda frames sanji's relationship with masculinity entirely as a character flaw or weakness to be fixed, bc oda seems to respect sanji's views/they align with oda's own views. BUT I do think he knows it's partially susceptible to change and....he makes Sanji encounter these things so often for a reason. does that make sense?

in my ideal world sanji 20 years in the future is a bit more feminine even if he's still a casanova ladies man. like he accepted the okama influence in his life, he's just more quiet about it, lmao. I mean did u see his hair for oda's 40 yr old design

so yeah. he does, I think. quietly and deep down.

[joona-fandom-mars]

Ok, Guys. Hear me out right. I have a vision (headcanon) but I'm kinda crazy about it so this will take some explaining.

I have been listening to this song for the past hour picking apart every piece of it so let me just rain down all my thoughts on you because this song is actually so genius!!!

-- GGG SPOILERS BELOW SO BE WARNED --

Every key part of this song represents one of the gods!! The most obvious ones are the organ for Ms. Mitternacht, the banjo and melody for Cobigail, and the same guitars that were in Thespius's theme being for, you guessed it, Thespius. But if you listen closer you can also hear this radar sound that's similar to Click Clack's morse code in his theme!!

This one is more of a stretch but the piano in the song could represent Bauhauzzo since that's the main instrument in his song. And then for Huzzle Mug the weird, not so voice thing that plays before Cobigail's part sounds a little like the weird, not so voice things in its theme!

And then the song has a little bit of Bizzyboy (and by proxy Inspekta) in it too, once near the beginning, and then more obviously at the end!!

See all of this is so important because in the final chase with Inspekta all the gods are still supporting him, and trying to sympathize with him while he's literally ending the woooorld. Cobigail literally says they're all a family!! And Bauhauzzo calls him son!! (I'm normal about the gods having a family dynamic. Found family forever)

When you picture the various elements of this song as the different characters, then it's almost like the song itself is calling out to Hector!!!!!!! LIKE THEY'RE ALL TELLING HIM IT'S OK!! sorry i'll calm down

I feel like the importance of Cobigail's song is sooo good too, because her whole story was about community, and reconnecting with those you love!! And Hector ultimately realizes the way to be remembered is through his community!!

And then the organ being one of the first instruments you hear is sooo good because Ms. Mitternatch was the first god ever, and to me, is the one that helps new gods with the growing pains that come with immortality. She would know best how to help him, and at the end it was here question that got Inspekta to realize what he was doing. "Is this how you want to be remembered"

Idk, I can't help but image each part like a line of dialog. Like the piano at 00:20 seconds feels like its giving a warning, and then when it comes back in its joining in Cobigal's melody like its saying it along with her. Like Bauhauzzo is supporting Cobigal's statement and reassuring Inspekta that he is so loved!!

Also can we talk about how whenever the radar/morse code sound plays, Thespius's guitar is always playing too. Gay ass. /so pos

ANYWAYS. Finally the song ends with the Bizzyboy's theme, Hector's non-godly family and uuuuuhggggg. The emotions that gives mee. It's like they collectively say "Don't worry boss, we got you" GRAAh. Cries everywhere. Can you tell I love found family.

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

But yeah, that's my very detailed thoughts on this one GGG song. The whole soundtrack is phenomenal just like everything else Louie Zong makes and I will forever be insane about his music and this game. (I wasn't in the top .01% of Louie Zong listeners in 2024 for nothin) Thank you for humoring me and if you've gotten this fair I'm giving you a this silly little guy to take care of :)

Treat him with kindness and just maybe he'll grant you your heart's desire.

[sailingfireshipz]

My 13x12 download. I want to preface this by saying this was the best standalone Chicago Fire episode this entire season. Miranda Rae Mayo was exceptional, which is why the adoption aspect stings just a little bit harder. I really want them to let her shine more because not only can she do fierce badass lieutenant, but she also does raw, vulnerable trauma survivor really, really well!

1. Stellaride opening 10/10. Stella's frantic cleaning wanting everything to be perfect. Kelly quickly picking up on that anxiety. Perfection

2. That lady's indestructible. Get well soon, Trudy

3. Violet sliding down that 🪜 "oh like it's hard" haaa giving the 💡 to Capp? Girl, you knew better

4. Loved Stella's quick redirect on Ritter & Carver. Kylies back on E51 can we just make that permanent?

5. My literal flight or fight response kicking in when I heard Stella Bella. 😳

6. Was surprised to see Cruz in the episode. Carver helping Ritter more please!

8. When Cole accused Kelly of keeping Stella away, i literally was like, "Here we go, lmao. First, the Grant reference now the Tyler audacity" Unlike with those first two though this angst actually brought Stellaride closer together 🥹

8a. Kelly immediately telling Stella instead of sitting on it. Stella immediately clocking in & addressing it. Ooooh, the growth of it all

9. Pascal " as long as you weren't cutting the brakes" oook but let's talk about it

10. Accusing Stella of abandoning her "family" when none of yall picked up the phone when her life was hanging in the balance really is something.

10a. Miranda Rae Mayo, in this scene! Why am i crying!?? Bravo

11. Stella Kidd backstory reveal 🥹 wdym she took care of her aunt, & two cousins, one of which was a baby all at a young age & after dealing with losing both parents at the same time. Poor girl has been taking care of other people more than she's been taken care of 🫂

11a. Side note: I'm pretty sure we just witnessed Kelly fall even more in love with Stella if that's possible. Same Kelly same.

12. Ritter & Dwayne nooooo 🫣 can't lie Ritter can't catch a break right now can he?

13. Second Stellaride loft scene, ooooh, we're being spoiled! This scene was hilarious, Novak, Kelly & these damn tongs, his little smirk, Stella too stunned to speak. Definitely early season Severide coded 😂

14. A punch in the gut & a point in the right direction. Look at Carver doing the work. Was not expecting him to be in AA, but after the trip, Tori took him on, makes sense. 👏🏼

15. Violet,Ritter & Novak, the trio we deserve

16. Hermann bringing that hose into that event iktr!

17. ANOTHER STELLARIDE LOFT SCENE. We are not worthy 🥹😭 but like also keep them coming?

17a. Did anyone notice Stella's hand on her stomach as she walked towards the kitchen? Oh, I'm going to be sick, yall 🤧

18. Stella talking about Aunt Lavernes PPD. The slight reveal that that's part of the reason she put off having kids. This is REAL & it translates as such a vulnerable & brave conversation to have. Again, Miranda Rae Mayo ladies & gents. 🥹

19. "I am not sure that I want to get pregnant, but I am sure that I want a family with you, Kelly." The suspense the silence her putting her hand on her chest as she waited for his response. Why am I holding my breath, waiting for his response. The face hold the kisses, and how is it that they just keep getting betttttter with time. If S4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11, hell 12, Stellaride could see them nooooow. This is insane!

20. Ok, so I'm not about to drain this because I've already done my adoption storyline spiral. What I'll say is it's already been done multiple times across the platforms. I'm just a little deflated in the implications that in the year 2025, we still are not seeing authentic storytelling when it comes to female main character leads having a planned pregnancy, carried to term & addressing the realities of how it impacts your life, career, marriage outlook on life etc.

20a. There's so many stories to tell & Stella, being a black female lieutenant, what better vessel to use to showcase them? 🤔 Maternal mortality rates in WOC, navigating PPD, and exploring different career opportunities while off active duty take us into another world of the job & life of first responders. Show me the politics show me the bureaucracy of being a female in a male dominated industry & how she challenges the status quo. Show me advocating for a lactation room at every facility or on-site childcare at HQ locations. Show me her starting or being a part of a support group for working/pregnant mothers. She me how they cope, how their marriages or relationships are impacted. Show me the sacrifices they make in comparison to their male counterparts. Don't show the 3rd adoption storyline in 2 years because you don't want to sideline Stella when, in reality, she's been sidelined the majority of the season so far. Get in the writers' room, conduct some research, do some interviews, and show me something DIFFERENT that hasn't been done 10x over.

Ok, off the soap box. I do have a question, though. Do we think they'll be met with some opposition during the adoption process because they're both first responders? Both running into the same fires? Just curious 🤔 We still have 10 more episodes to go, so let's buckle up for the rode ahead. 🤞🏼

[blue-rose-soul]

Love ur au!!! You have so many interesting thoughts I just adore reading everything you’ve posted!

You’ve already established that Alastor would have exactly zero interest in any sort of bond with his dearly detested sperm donor but I was curious as to what you thought on whether Lucifer would want a relationship with Alastor? How would he approach that?

Hey, much appreciated! Honestly, with the first post I expected it to be a weird niche AU no one besides me would enjoy. I'm really glad you and others are enjoying it and I'm enjoying you guys' questions!

I do think Lucifer would want to try forming a relationship with his long lost son (that feels so weird to type, imagine how weird it would be for Lucifer to say the phrase aloud, lol). From what we've seen of him, he seems like a loving and sweet man who adores his family, even if he's not always the best at expressing that love. I think if he found out he had a kid out there, no matter who that kid was, he'd want to form some kind of relationship with them. Of course, Alastor being Alastor complicates things quite a bit.

They didn't exactly make a great first impression on one another, on top of which Lucifer harbors a lot of guilt for leaving Nicaise to raise a child alone, and Alastor to grow up without a father. Especially when he learns what happened to Nicaise later. Lucifer thinks it's his fault Alastor is the way he is, which... kinda sorta fair? Alastor definitely had an unstable childhood which certainly played a part in Alastor growing to become an unstable adult. That being said, ultimately there were a lot of outside factors contributing to that instability, and at the end of the day, Alastor's choices were his own.

I go with the 'Dexter-like moral code' interpretation of Alastor's murder targets. But I also think there was a fair amount of disproportionate retribution. A man who beats his wife definitely deserves to get beat back and then divorced, but not butchered like an animal. Granted, the culture being what it was at the time, it's doubtful Alastor's targets would have faced any other kind of retribution than what he gave them.

All this to say that Alastor feels perfectly justified in the horrible things he's done, and Lucifer blames himself for Alastor becoming this warped, vengeful person.

Lucifer's attempts to get close to Alastor are horribly, painfully awkward. Remember how he answered Charlie's phone call with, "Heeeeeeeey, bitch!"

Yeah.

He tries, he really does, but a lot of the times Alastor just shuts him down before he can even open his mouth. So he tries going to Charlie for help.

"Ooooof, see, here's the thing, dad... I want to help, I really do! But I'm trying to do this thing where I'm more respectful of other people's boundaries. I mean, I'd love to see you and Alastor getting along! But if he doesn't want to talk with you, I'm not going to force it? As long as you guys aren't fighting? I'm sorry."

And that's as far as Lucifer gets with Charlie. So he tries talking to Niffty and Husk, the two people in the hotel who know Alastor best. Niffty is... sweet, but not entirely helpful. Husk gives what advice he can, but he's got his own chip on his shoulder regarding Alastor, understandably.

"Look, Alastor's a mean son of a bitch who lives to make my life more of a hell than it already is. He's fucked in the head. Always has been. You might as well cut your losses."

That's disheartening to say the least.

I do want there to be a happy-ish end where reconciliation happens. But it would take a loooooooot of time and patience on Lucifer's part. Especially with Alastor making an active effort not to get close with anyone at the hotel.

[frankenjoly]

HAII. verlaine special

rimlaine + "hold me?"

fyolaine + "how does that taste?"

koulaine + "this ought to be put on your record"

rimlaine + “hold me?”

“Hold me?” He asked, in barely a whisper. And, just as quickly, Arthur Rimbaud got his wish granted in the form of his partner wrapping himself around him in a tight hug.

Tight and warm, exactly what he was looking for.

“Thanks, dear.” He answered, his voice muffled as he promptly buried his face in the crook of Verlaine’s neck, hugging him back with intensity. Blankets were nice, but that… that was special in the best of ways. Because nothing was better than sharing body heat with someone else, especially him, and because… oh, to hold each other so tenderly, them who also were capable of so much violence.

“No need to thank me, I do it gladly.” Was the response he got, as Rimbaud felt Verlaine’s head moving to rest on top of him.

Silence then fell for a while, since there was no need for words; both were more than happy to stay just like that. And an ‘I love you’ made its way into his throat, too, but it didn’t exit it.

Instead, the words were released in the form of Morse code softly tapped against Verlaine’s back.

fyolaine + “how does that taste?”

“How does that taste?”

“Honestly? Terrible.” Verlaine quickly replied, once he had swallowed. “But at least it’s not poison, so I give you that.”

“You seem pretty sure that it’s not poison.” Fyodor countered with a catty smile.

“I am, yes. Perks of the job.” Was all he offered in return in the realm of the current topic. Dostoyevsky wasn’t there to have a conversation about food, that was for sure, and he wouldn’t entertain small talk with someone like him. “Anyway, what do you want?”

“Can’t I greet one of the Port Mafia’s executives just because I feel like it?”

“Because you feel like it? You?” If there was something Verlaine was more than well aware of how the person in front of him, it was how he never stitched without a thread, and underestimating even the smallest word could be fatal. Ace had made that mistake, the dumbass, and he wouldn’t be following his footsteps. Especially when there was more intel on Dostoyevsky now, even if still scarce.

Unravelling the mystery that Fyodor was could only be a task for geniuses or fools, and despite his own smarts and boldness, Verlaine wouldn’t count himself as neither.

No matter how tempting it may be.

koulaine + “this ought to be put on your record”

“This ought to be on your record.” Kôyô said, only half serious, and despite that Verlaine quickly offered him a scowl.

“This was your fault now, so don’t try to pin it all on me.”

Being completely honest with herself, albeit only mentally, Kôyô had to admit it tended to be both their faults more often than not. But, of course, she wouldn’t say that to Verlaine’s face so easily.

“I’m by no means the one that is still under surveillance, just in case.” Was her response instead, scoffing. And, instead of escalating the conversation even further and into a full-fledged argument, what those words got from him as a reaction was laughter… which, to her surprise, sounded rather nice.

“Oh? So you’re going to take advantage of that, perhaps?” 

Verlaine’s words were filled with sarcasm, accompanied with a bit of venom but bigger amounts of amusement. And those only became more noticeable when she pushed him back into the seat both had been occupying before getting… interrupted, then ‘climbed’ to his lap, with him offering no actual resistance.

“Last time I checked we were both executives.” Kôyô said, simply and plainly. After all and at that point, all that talk was only part of an inside charade.

(Also on ao3.)

[spacemagictea]

Race against Time

Stories of Kaylessa the Drifter and Amir Beckett, part 2. This was a bit of a struggle to finish.

Working title of the series/pairing: Eye of the Storm.

Awkward dorks are too afraid to admit to each other they're in love. Will the next story be a breakthrough? (yes)

Also a little gift of Apollo in the worst way.

CW: Major character hurt, violence (not too graphic but still violence)

I will post the fics on AO3 when I get to make an account there.

wtb more colors for color coding

Race against Time

April 3rd, 1999

In recent days, Scaldra has been attacking civilian areas with an increased intensity and brutality, seemingly hoping to lure the Hex out into the open as they went out to help. It was a busy time and every member often went out on multiple missions per day. And whatever time was free was spent on training as Kaylessa was helping each member get accustomed to their abilities granted by their partial Warframe bodies. The shop leading to the backroom was turned into a training room, the unused mannequins from the entire mall proving effective training dummies after some tweaking and reinforcement.

But the Hex weren’t the only ones training. The Drifter used her little spare alone time to practice her own combat skills, trying to make sure whatever she learned in Duviri stayed with her in case she could not use her Warframe. It helped her wind down, too - seeing the suffering of the innocents took a toll on her mental state to the point her rage dulled everything else. And she hated feeling nothing but rage. Right now, she wielded her bladed spear, Edun, vaulting around, stabbing and slashing at the practice targets. Focused on the practice, she didn’t notice when Amir came into the former store.

He didn’t expect the sight of her training with a melee weapon, watching her swift and purposeful moves with awe. He also couldn’t help but study her toned body clothed in athletic wear. As Kay usually dressed up in loose, comfy clothes, the muscle she clearly had was often hidden. And he found her form beautiful, even if he would be too shy to admit it to her face. The sight reminded him of his favourite heroines, but even better. Kaylessa was real. Right in front of his eyes. Evoking a faster heartbeat and a flutter in his stomach. And a tint of red appeared on his face with a quiet -wow- he couldn’t hold back.

Kay didn’t hear it, but it seems she decided these dummies had enough for now as she stopped and took a step back and exhaled, letting her tension completely free. As she turned to stash her weapon to the side, the corner of her eye caught sight of Amir and now they both looked like deer caught in headlights, both blooming red in the face as they looked at each other in surprise. Edun slipped from her hand and hit the ground with a loud clang and only then they broke off from the shocked state.

-SorryKayIdidn’tmeantointerruptyouralonetime- Amir blurted out, looking as if he wanted to run away and hide in embarrassment. 'ButdamnIneverthoughtyouhadmoveslikethat.'

-Oh no, it’s fine, Amir, I really, really don’t mind. I hope you haven’t been waiting long- Kay chuckled awkwardly, picking up the spear and now finally putting it away before approaching Amir. -Gotta keep my skills sharp in case of emergency. It also helps me better with controlling the Warframes, especially in melee… and it does help me let out some steam. Take my mind off all the shit that’s going on- she briefly closed her eyes and let out a dejected sigh as she suddenly felt how much things weighed on her. The reactor explosion was prevented but the fight was still very far from over.

‘Why does all of it feel so much heavier here compared to the Origin System in my time where worse shit happens all the time? Is it because I have time to stop and think about it? Is it because of a more personal stake? Is it because we don’t interact much with the civilian population in the future so we don’t put them at risk unless we absolutely have to?’

She looked back at Amir as she broke this line of thought and it felt like a soothing balm to her heart. He gave her a soft, awkward smile as she smiled at him and she could swear it’s the most adorable thing she’s ever seen.

-If I didn’t know better I’d swear I just saw Warrior Queen Zasta in the flesh- he chuckled, trying to lighten up the mood some more.

-Hah, if you want me to improve the impression, then I can improve it with my battle armor.- Kay couldn’t help but tease him with an amused grin and it paid off, seeing the blush on his face deepen and his eyes widen.

-UhmumyeahIwouldkindaliketoseethatsometime- he stammered, scratching the back of his head. -Probablyanothertimethough…

-I will keep it in mind then. So, what brings you here?- Kay tilted her head to the side, looking into Amir’s grey eyes. And her thoughts immediately drifted, causing a fresh wave of heat to hit her face. ‘I’d love to wake up seeing these eyes looking at me again like when he came to comfort me after my nightmares… or to watch him wake up and look at me with those sweet eyes… uhm, I’m distracting myself’

-I’m going on a mission to help some civvies with tech maintenance and set up some interception and comms beacons- he took an unusually long pause to continue -andwonderedifyou’dliketotagalongunlessyouhavesomethingelsetodo.

-Sorry, Amir, I’d love to but I already got asked by Arthur to help Aoi and Lettie with an evacuation. But show me where you’re going and I’ll come help you out when I know they have the situation under control? - Kay’s smile dropped and she hated that she had to decline, but she had all the intention of keeping her word. She didn’t know why, but there was a terrible gut feeling brewing in her.

-Aw, okay. Let me put in the coordinates.- Amir was noticeably disappointed, but brought up the navigation device Kay used on her Atomicycle and put a waypoint on the location of his mission. -It seems to not be too far from where you’ll be working so maybe if I’m done earlier, I’ll catch up with you instead.

-Sounds good. And, Amir?- she looked at him intently -if you feel like there’s any danger to you or the civilians, call me immediately. I am absolutely certain Scaldra will be trying some awfully bold things.

-I will, promise.- Amir gave her a warm smile, which soothed her anxiety a little, but she couldn’t resist stopping him for a little more with a gesture as she transferred into the frame she would use for today’s mission, Protea Prime, which stood idle to the side of the weapon rack until now. She took out a handful of little ball shaped devices from a pocket on the harness she put on the frame to blend in better with the Hex and handed them to Amir.

-They’ll be weaker since I won’t be around to empower them, but here’s a few shield satellite grenades if you happen to need them. There’s a button to activate them. Even the civilians can use them, if needed.- she explained, taking out one more ball from the pocket and demonstrating the workings of the grenade, which opened up to circle around her, enveloping her in an energy shield.

-Woahthat’ssocool. I hope I won’t have to use them, but thanks- Amir excitedly took the devices and put them into a pocket of his harness, keeping his hand on the pocket for a while longer afterward as if making a mental note of it. -See you soon, then!

She transferred back out of the frame and put her hand on his chest for a moment, her face expressing a wordless 'Please be safe'. Amir gave her a nod in response and put his hand on hers, giving it a gentle squeeze before heading out. As Kay looked at him leave, she only hoped the dread her intuition was giving her would turn out to be false. But there was no point in dwelling as she transferred into Protea and walked to the backroom to prepare to head out herself, a somber regret on her utter inability to express the full extent of her feelings to him squeezing her heart painfully.

—

The evacuation was going smoothly. Suspiciously so. Kay, Aoi and Lettie didn’t intend to drop their guard however, watching carefully for any troops.

While on the way to the evacuated block they only encountered a hive of Techrot blocking their intended pathway, but utilizing Protea’s turret device, which shot hot plasma the cleanse was swift, comparable to cauterizing a wound.

-It’s odd that Viktor didn’t put too much effort into stopping us from the evacuation- Kaylessa pondered loudly, itching a bit to move along and join Amir in his task. She and Aoi patrolled the area, moving every now and then between streets on their Atomicycles while Lettie led the three families they were evacuating through the alleyways alongside a few allied civilian operatives. 

-Indeed. Feels like he’s plotting something and that involves him letting us get these civilians to the safe district, in exchange for a victory elsewhere- Aoi narrowed her eyes with suspicion, the mere mention of Viktor seemingly sprouting anger. And her words reminded the Drifter of the terrible feeling she had brewing in her stomach, bringing dreadful anxiety. As she nodded in agreement, Aoi felt the worry of her friend. -You don’t think he might strike where Amir is, do you?

-Hard to tell. Plenty of collaborators and they might also purge another civilian area instead…- Kay looked around nervously, trying to deflect the question a little. -But yes, I do think I should go check on him soon. Won’t leave you unprepared in case anything happens, though.

She had a bigger bag of Protea’s devices prepared for them in case they had to get separated. Kay showed Aoi each device and explained their workings before handing her the bag.

-I think we should be able to handle this between me and Lettie, especially with the help of your training and these doohickeys.- Aoi gave the Drifter a reassuring smile. -Thank you for your help, Kay.

-I’ll call to check on his progress. He did mention he’ll come our way if he’s done.

—

Amir was finishing the setup of the computer that would store the data the beacons gathered and later send it to the Hex headquarters. The small flat on the top floor of this building located within the Historic Quarter belonged to one of the civilian operatives, who volunteered to have this room turned into one of the recon spots. Other inhabitants of the building asked Amir to help them afterwards with maintaining their electronics and checking if they were infected with the Techrot, which Amir got quite adept at finding out. As he opened the window to put out the antenna that would receive info from the beacons, he could swear he heard loudspeakers down below. Carefully looking out, his heart started beating anxiously fast. A big Scaldra squad was here. And the soldiers were calling for civilians to come out of the building. Seems someone ratted his location for whatever short term benefit they could get. But that was not the worst part - the civilians would certainly be executed for cooperating with the Hex. Shutting the window quickly, Amir called Mike, the operative living in the flat and informed him of the situation.

-Is there any other way out?- Amir asked, initially trying to not betray his anxiety. -If yes, gatherasmanyfolksasyoucanandgetout. I’ll cover the main entrance.

-You sure, Jitter? You’ll be alone against the entire squad!- Mike protested as he prepared his gun and ammo.

-I’ll call in backup. Top priority, get the civvies out. Take these.- Amir took the pack of shield grenades and handed them to the operative, but not before showing him how to activate them. -These will give you a covering shield. Now gogogogo!

-Thanks, bud. I hope the backup makes it in time.- The operative saluted, realizing that there was no other way and rushed to get people out. Amir took a deep breath and collected his weapons. He saw already that the squad brought in was large - he didn’t really stand a chance by himself, he’s going to get killed - or worse, captured. He could only hope that Kay could make it in time as he reached for the radiophone.

—

Just as Kaylessa took her RT to call Amir, the comms blared immediately.

-KaycomequicktheScaldraishere- Amir’s panicked voice confirmed her worst fears. -IgotMiketoevacuatethecivviesbutIneedtodistractthetroopspleasecomeASAP!

-Fuck. I’m on my way.- Kay tried her best to not let her fear come through as she revved up the engine and brought up the navigation.

-Oh no. We should’ve expected this. We’ll handle the civilians, get going!- Aoi’s face turned pale with horror as she prepared herself to move to let Lettie know of the situation.

A nod was the only response as the Drifter rushed out, tires screeching on the asphalt.

—

Amir rushed down the building, asking whoever he passed to go join Mike at the other exit route, hoping that everyone would be able to get their families out. As he approached the main entrance to the building, he heard the loudspeaker demand clearly - if the civilians inhabiting this building won’t give them the Hex, they would be put to death for treason. At this point, he knew better - they would be killed regardless. And he would make his stand and fight to make sure they got out, even if he had to pay the price. He thought of Kay, he knew she was on the way but… would she make it? He almost hoped she wouldn’t risk herself but he knew her better than that. Yet, if she didn’t make it on time… the thought of never being able to tell her what he felt made his eyes sting with tears. His thoughts and heart raced but there was no turning back now. And no other way to proceed. Scaldra troops were already ramming into the door and it would give out at any moment. While he didn’t have the grenades anymore, he still had the ability to conjure a shield of electricity, which could block bullets, but also empowered whatever he shot through it.

-COME AND GET ME!- he yelled out, firmly gripping his automatic Vekesk pistol and charging himself up. The door broke and he unleashed from himself a powerful, crackling wave of electricity that surged towards the troops looking in with weapons ready. He noticed that the soldiers did not appear to show intent to come inside, instead, someone from the back managed to toss in a few smoking grenades before the wave hit. Amir recognized what was going on immediately. They did not want to kill him. They wanted to capture him alive. They would wait out until he was knocked out properly and once the smoke settled enough, take him away before he’d be made an example by Viktor and used to bait the other Hex. ‘At least you won’t go without casualties’ he thought bitterly as the discharge started quickly spreading between the soldiers, electrocuting and paralyzing them. He blasted rounds from his pistol, hoping that he’d put enough resistance before he got knocked out. The shield unfortunately could not stop the gas that quickly started saturating the air, causing Amir coughing fits. He sent electric shocks and shot blindly, but time was running out quickly. Consciousness was starting to slip as the smoky gas filled his lungs. And as he fell, the last thoughts before his mind blacked out were of the emerald-eyed Drifter.

—

Even though she was going at maximum possible speed and taking every shortcut to this fairly close block, Kaylessa still felt like she was going too slow. Each second felt like eternity. But finally, she saw the excessively large squad sent in, their leader smugly looking towards the entrance with a loudspeaker on the rear. “Sol and Lua, am I too late?” raced through her mind. Sorrow and rage filled her heart entirely. She jumped off the Atomicycle with a furious battlecry, immediately drawing her sidearm, the Pyrana Prime, an automatic shotgun pistol. The squad leader clearly didn’t expect reinforcements as the roar got his attention, he looked in shock at the new combatant but quickly started barking orders to attack her. Exactly what the Drifter wanted. Buckshot rounds started ripping through the soldiers the moment she landed on her feet and with lightning speed she started deploying shrapnel and shield grenades alike in addition to turrets of blazing, fiery death.

The Scaldra used to be able to fight the Hex since they didn’t have a full grasp on their powers in the past, but fighting an unknown Warframe that clearly had full control? That quickly turned into a one-sided slaughter. Surviving soldiers had scattered and the captain tried to frantically reach higher command for reinforcements via radio but failed as he too got ripped apart by the onslaught. She could give chase to survivors, but there were more important things now - finding Amir.

An eerie silence fell over the block and Kaylessa looked around, scanning for the building where Amir was supposed to be. She noticed a broken door to one of the buildings - and dead troops that definitely were not caused by her powers or weapons. Dense smoke slowly suffused out of the building, but not a fire type of smoke. Something else. A poison gas?

Heart racing, she moved over, praying to whatever powers she hoped might listen that she was not too late. As Kay entered, she immediately noted the gas fortunately didn’t affect her Warframe and how it must have been there for a while. She took one of the grenades laying on the ground and stashed it in a pocket for further study back in the mall and that’s when she saw Amir slumped against a wall, pale and motionless.

-NO!- she immediately leaped over to him, expecting the worst. -No, no no no… Amir…

How long has he been here? What was in that gas? A slight tinge of relief came through when she checked for breath and pulse and noticed he was still alive, though his breaths were shallow. Kay crouched down, carefully picking his limp body up and taking him out of the building. Anything was better than inhaling more poison gas, even if it potentially got the smell of scorched corpses.

Once she got outside, she laid Amir down gently before she sat down in a kneeling position and repositioned him so that he could lean on Protea. Once she was sure that the position was secure, she transferred out of the frame and opened her hood, violent sobs shaking her body as she knelt next to him in a release of emotions she could not hold back anymore. She cupped his face and kissed his forehead, tears falling from her cheeks on his face.

-Amir… I’m so sorry… I should’ve gone on this mission with you… or at least come here earlier…- she whispered softly as she leaned her forehead on his, gently caressing his cheeks with her thumbs, as if hoping the gesture could wake him up. 

‘I failed him. I failed him just like I failed Aurelia.’ Guilt was rending Kaylessa’s heart as she pulled away to look around. The area was safe for now, but she had to get him back to the mall before the Scaldra got any new ideas. The main concern was making sure she could transport him safely via the Atomicycle. Closing her mask, she recalled she had extra harness belts in the vehicle seat storage. The bike fell to the side not far away once when she leaped off, but besides some scratches and dents it scored as a result of the discarding it was more than good enough to ride. She went to retrieve it, not letting her eyes off Amir, as if he was going to disappear if she looked away. Once she brought it nearby, she got the belts out. Figuring it’d be best to put Amir in front, she transferred back into Protea so she could pull him up into a position where she could get him secured. When pulled up, Amir started coughing violently and Kay got slightly startled, but held him to prevent him from falling down. Once the coughing fit stopped, she noted with relief his breathing got deeper and more stable, even if no further reaction was present. She shifted out of the frame again and began weaving the belts through both the harnesses, first adding some extra security she wouldn’t be able to add later between his back and Protea’s front with a few short belts, then crossing two longest belts on his chest and putting one around his waist, looping them around Protea’s back. Once Kay was certain Amir wouldn’t fall off, she took up the radiophone and informed Aoi, then Arthur, trying her best to not let her emotions surface. Then, she returned to her Warframe, got both herself and Amir on the bike and as fast as she reasonably could, she raced back to the mall.

—

The events back at the mall felt like a blur. All the Hex were waiting for her at the garage, Arthur and Quincy (who, as Kay noted with a surprise, for all his usual swagger looked absolutely mortified to see Amir in his state) helping the Drifter with getting Amir out of the makeshift harness and then carried him on a stretcher into the mall. Before allowing Lettie to go with them, she explained to the medic what was the situation once she got there and how she found Amir and showed the grenade collected on site.

-Gracias. I already have a suspicion what it might be and if it is what I think it is, then he’ll recover- Lettie took the grenade and packed it into a bag to avoid excessive contact before following the men, but not without giving the Drifter a soft look. -You did well, amiga.

Aoi parked the Atomicycle for her before joining with Eleanor to get the Drifter to Eleanor’s room to not allow her to be by herself with her emotions. Once there, Kay transferred out of Protea, opening her mask and feeling the weight of exhaustion, guilt, despair and rage settle in, sat down with her friends, allowing herself to weep, comforted with both mind and physical embraces.

After a few hours, which felt like an eternity, Lettie came to Eleanor’s place from the makeshift hospital room setup for Amir. Her expression was reassuring.

-He’ll indeed be fine, amiga. I don’t know how long it will take for him to recover, but they’d need much more of this gas to kill any of us. You can go visit him when you want to.

-Thank you, Lettie. I’ll head there soon. And thank you, Ellie and you, Aoi... It means a lot that you didn’t let me be alone with… all of this. I think I’d do something reckless if I was left alone- Kay sighed with relief, the emotions still present but not threatening to control her.

-Something like raiding the Scaldra HQ?- Aoi only half-joked with this question, having seen how fierce the Drifter is in battle.

-Yeah. I would still consider it, but that will have to wait. Viktor better watch those tattoos of his. For now I’ll make sure no purge squad makes it back or gets to complete their task- Kay’s eyes narrowed with a vengeful spark, but she shook the feeling off. There were more important things for now. 

‘Brave knightess avenging someone she cares about and leaving no stone standing, story for the ages.’ Eleanor’s telepathic joke got a chuckle from all four women. She stood up and left for the makeshift hospital room with Lettie. 

-She’s so madly in love with him. And she doesn’t even realize it’s mutual- Aoi kept a quiet voice, even though she knew Drifter couldn’t hear her. -I’ve seen how he looks at her as she passes by or when she leaves his arcade.

‘He doesn’t realize that she loves him either. Leave it to the two smart, awkward nerds to be the most oblivious in these matters. We can only slowly encourage them to take the step they’re so afraid to take.’ Eleanor’s response brought a smile to Aoi.

-Well, I guess once Amir recovers we can start trying.

—

Kaylessa and Lettie arrived at the room where Amir was placed. He laid on a freshly prepared bed, his gear put away on the side. If the Drifter didn’t know better, she’d swear he’s sleeping.

-Amir doesn’t need my immediate attention, so I’ll let you be with him. But try to get some rest when you can, okay?- Lettie’s gentle approach surprised Kay but she appreciated it, giving her a nod and moving a chair near Amir’s bed. Her heart stung painfully again as she sat down and put her hand on his, giving it a gentle squeeze.

-I’m here, Amir. I’m here now.- she wasn’t sure if Amir could even hear her, but she could swear the corners of his lips raised up as she spoke. She might have not made it in time to prevent harm coming to him overall, but she made it in time to save him. And that’s what in the end was more important. Sitting there, she watched his chest rise and fall in steady breaths for a while, as if assuring herself he was indeed alive before moving her eyes up, lovingly studying his features - the edges of Techrot creeping up on his neck like lightning scars, his thick, messy, soft looking raven hair, his sleek face shape… then her eyes lingered on his scars and she reflected on things they’ve been sharing recently. 

He was opening up to her about his past and the nightmares he’s been suffering since he became a protoframe. He wasn’t a soldier and the nightmares of fighting the Scaldra plagued him endlessly and yet… He stayed behind to protect the civilians who escaped the block. He was willing to give his life for them. He was a hero, even if he’d never admit it to himself. Beyond this silly, joking, hyperactive front was a true and honest heart of gold and an incredibly smart brain that suffered from self consciousness and constant feeling like he’s broken. She didn’t think of him as broken. He was similar to her in many aspects. And she fell for all of him. Yet, why was she unable to admit it to his face? Was it fear of rejection? Fear of committing? Fear of how she might have to return to the future with no way back and break both their hearts as a result? It couldn’t be fear of being vulnerable with someone since they both shared so many raw and vulnerable moments already.

Exhaustion truly set in, but she didn’t want to leave. Quickly considering her options, Kay took off her armored gloves and vambraces and put them under her chair, then leaned forward and took his hand again, using her forearms as pillows on the side of his bed and kept looking at him as she let herself drift into dreamless sleep.

—

April 4th, 1999

The Drifter woke up and immediately felt a twinge of back pain from her uncomfortable position. Having noticed she held Amir’s hand the entire time she was asleep, she let it go for a moment to stretch. Frankly, this was worth a little pain.

-Good morning, Drifter.- Arthur walked into the room as if right on schedule, carrying a plate with him. -You should eat, so here. It’s a square omelette. It’s a dish made out of beaten eggs so I think it shouldn’t be as bad as… well. The spaghetti.

-Thanks, Arthur.- Kaylessa, still groggy, happily accepted the plate. She hasn’t eaten since before leaving for the mission yesterday and it now hit her that she was straight up ravenous. She quite enjoyed egg dishes, so she immediately dug in. And she immediately had to restrain herself from devouring the meal like a Kubrodon devouring a Pobber in Orb Vallis -Yeah, that’s good. Different from Kubrow eggs, but I really like it.

-The dog-like animals of your time lay eggs?- Arthur’s one-eyed gaze turned wide in shock.

-Uh. Yeah. The Orokin were a bit wild with their experiments- Kay let out a chuckle upon realizing the shock she gave to Arthur. -Any news?

-The group of civilians from the block Amir worked at made it safely to the district you, Aoi and Lettie were escorting civilians to yesterday. I do feel like I made a mistake in sending him alone, but I’m glad you managed to recover him. Thank you- the protoframe’s expression was tinged with regret as he looked at Amir, who has not regained consciousness as of yet. -I’ve learned from Mike, our operative from that block, that someone ratted them out.

-I did what was necessary, though I regret not going earlier. But… I don’t think either of us could predict they wouldn’t go for our escort- her eyes narrowed a little at the mention of someone collaborating with Scaldra. -But it makes sense now, that we know someone decided to work with Scaldra. Too bad they probably didn’t get any benefit from it since the squad failed to capture Amir. I can’t imagine… if they did succeed…- her words brought a sharp sting to her heart as she swallowed loudly, trying to push away the image from her mind.

-They’d use him as bait for us and make an example out of him. That I’m sure of. But thanks to you, that scenario is not a reality- Arthur sighed, putting a hand on the Drifter’s shoulder in a surprising, but reassuring gesture. -No need for regrets if in the end he’s safe with us here and will recover.

Kay nodded with appreciation, her gaze lingering on Amir. Indeed. She made sure he’s back home. His home… and hers too. She finished the meal and handed the plate back to Arthur.

-If you’d like to stay here and keep an eye on him, then you’re free to do so, especially after yesterday. Though make sure to take care of yourself- As the swordsman turned around, Kay stood up, cracking her knuckles.

-If you got any purge squad leads then I could go deal with these. Some extra payback is in order.

—

Arthur had leads, indeed. Kaylessa spent most of the day dealing with purge squads, making sure to leave a message of fear, especially when she could hijack comms and send a clear message to the Scaldra high command: they would be hunted down like beasts of old for their crimes.

She returned to the mall and after a brief detour to eat, her steps immediately took her to the hospital room. Near Amir’s bed, there was Quincy who placed a card on the bedside table.

-Never thought of you as a sentimental kind of person, Quincy.- Drifter’s perplexed words had the sniper turn around and let out a soft chuckle.

-It’s from the kids. Civvies that Amir saved, all grateful. Made him a “get well soon” card.- Quincy gave the Drifter a respectful nod as he headed out, deeming his “task” complete. -Eyes open, fam, I’ll leave you two be.

-Thanks. Stay safe.- While she wasn’t happy with the way he treated Amir when she met the Hex, some talks seem to have pushed the relationship in the right direction and she appreciated that Amir could feel like he’s got another person in his corner. He didn’t show it often but he cared. That was good enough in her books, even if she’d always think of him as a bit of an asshole.

Sitting on the chair, she exhaled, as if letting the weight of the day be swept away to not disturb her vigil over Amir. She once again placed her hand on his, looking at him.

A few hours have passed, sometimes interrupted by one of the Hex checking in on them.

Kay considered going to sleep when suddenly, Amir stirred. Eyelids fluttered and she was greeted with his beautiful, speckled warm grey eyes opening and looking at her in surprise once he awakened enough to notice her.

-Kay?- his voice sounded slightly hoarse and still weak but there was an undeniable warmth to it and he let out a sigh of relief -So good to see you.

-Amir…- happy tears glistened in her eyes as she moved to sit on the edge of his bed and leaned in to embrace him -Oh, Amir…

He happily returned the hug and while his embrace was weaker, it was no less honest.

-Never expected that a warrior queen in the flesh would save me but here you are, a heroine warrior queen- Amir’s smile as he looked at her made her heart warm and the compliment caused her cheeks to burn as she let out a laugh.

-A warrior queen saving a hero of the people, no less- She pointed at the card, her emerald eyes sparkling with joy. And that in turn made Amir blush and laugh as well. The commotion caused the Hex members to come in one by one to check what’s going on.

And the rest of the night was a celebration for the whole team.

[puer-aurea]

Divine Intervention

Part 2 | Part 3 (You are here) | Part 4

Begin

Arabella gave the Tulpar's crew a brief tour after taking her suit off and getting their captain situated in the med-bay. There wasn't too much to show off despite its size, it was still a work in progress. The downstairs was off limits to non-crew members, simply being storage rooms and wires.

"Well, I hope you enjoy your stay on the S.S Inara!" Arabella claps her hands together.

"You named your ship after yourself?" Swansea criticizes.

"Ah, NBSAR requires it. Legally, it's only named 'Inara', but it feels cooler to add that bit."

"Are you the only crew member?" Daisuke asks.

"Yes. Normally, NBSAR sends me small rescues, like overconfident rich people on leisure trips or express deliveries. Despite large mainstream deliveries going automated, they still have single person crews for those small express deliveries." She explains.

"But your ship is so big!" He gestures around for emphasis.

"This was my dream ship! As long as both the ship and captain meet certain requirements, NBSAR let's you use your own ship. They just give you some decals to slap on the outside and an excessive amount of paperwork."

Daisuke seems overly eager to hear about the ship and being a search and rescue worker and while Arabella would love to indulge him, the ship is still docked.

"If you have more questions later, don't hesitate to ask. I have to go re-route and let the landing crew know now." She turns to head towards the cockpit, throwing a small wave at them.

Once inside the cockpit, she closes the door. It feels odd for her to be closed in, she usually leaves the door open even during rescues because of her modded upgraded auto-pilot. She sets her bag on a small table in the corner, opening it and taking a laptop out.

It was covered in a layer of dust but the Pony Express logo could still be made out. Arabella expected it to be in much worse condition and was fairly surprised when she pulled it out of the hidden compartment to find it unharmed. She plugged it into the cord hers would normally be on and booted it up.

The lack of a code on it added to her surprise but she clicked around a bit and found it to work fine. It had all of the camera footage from the Tulpar on it and she figured it could be good evidence if Curly really did crash the ship on purpose like they said. She didn't bother to watch any of it, instead plugging in a spare USB to back everything up on and putting it in the drawer of the table. It wasn't hidden but it was well enough out of sight that it shouldn't matter.

She sat back at the control panel and turned the auto pilot off. The Tulpar's original destination, Earth, was still nearly seven months away, lining up with what the crew said about having crashed five months ago. She re-routed to the nearest planet, which would only take around 76 days to get to.

Arabella turned the auto-pilot back on and tried to make contact with the landing crew.

"Weyland Landing, please state your and your ship's name and purpose." A masculine voice came through.

"Arabella Inara on the No Boundaries Search and Rescue ship Inara. I've got a rescued crew with me."

She can hear clicking on the other end before they speak up again.

"Who are you rescuing and from what business?"

"The last crew from Pony Express under Captain Grant Curly."

"Co-captain Jimmy James?"

"Yes."

Arabella looked around the monitors in her cockpit while the landing crew worker clicked away again.

"State of the crew?"

"Only one injured. The rest of the crew sustained no external injuries, though I'm certain they're dealing with hunger."

"Who is the injured, and how bad is it?"

"Captain Grant Curly is... a nugget." Arabella snorted.

"Captain Inara, please take this seriously." The landing worker chuckled slightly before reverting back to a serious tone.

"The captain is covered in burns and each of his limbs has been dismembered. He cannot move nor speak much at all."

A longer moment of clicking than the first two.

"Alright, how long until you will be landing?"

"Approximately 76 days."

"Okay, thank you for your hard work, Captain Inara. Please give us weekly updates and- whatever, I'm sure you know the drill." The landing crew worker seems to be tired of having to say the same things over and over.

Arabella can't help but laugh.

"Of course. Thanks for the help."

The connection is terminated and she lets out a sigh. Next step, let her patients know the estimated arrival. Then, she'll try to get the old captain to cooperate long enough for his old bandages to be replaced with fresh ones.

76 Days Until Landing

[strangersunghoon]

MASTERLIST PART 3

—————————————————

EWAN MITCHELL (actor)

-> in need of a heir by @thought—bubble

-> a cursed place by @sapphire-writes 💀

-> devotion by @babyblue711

-> glass cuts deepest by @flowerandblood 🌧️

-> the softest whisper by @flowerandblood 🌧️

-> Behind the scenes by @neptuneiris 🌧️❤️‍🔥🤰⭐️

-> it’s the things we love most that destroy us by @valeskafics (hunger games au) 🌧️❤️‍🔥💀

-> articulate by @ valeskafics (hunger games au) ❤️‍🔥

-> reunion by @fioiswriting 💓🌧️❤️‍🔥🤰

-> the Great War by @cvspians 🌧️

-> the last of the dragons by @undertheorangetree ❤️‍🔥🤰🌧️💓⭐️

-> how long can we be a sad song by @namelesslosers 🤰🌧️

-> little wolf by @ valeskafics ❤️‍🔥

-> twisted love by @ e1e4n0r5 ❤️‍🔥

-> napoleonville by @ inthedayswhenlandswerefew ❤️‍🔥🌧️💓🤰

-> sapphire hearted by @endless-ineffabilities 🌧️

-> you were my man and I your girl by @ scarlet-star-witch

-> learn to love you by @ justmymindandstuff 💓

-> together by @ ethernalbuckley ❤️‍🔥

-> my heart is yours by @ galaxy-siren 💓

-> cruel summer by @ neptuneiris

-> mother of dragons by @ vhagarys 🤰🌧️💓

-> in the wake of silence by @ targaryenrealnessdarling 🤰🌧️

-> favourite by @ silverdragonfly

-> lust & love by @ goddessofvalyria ❤️‍🔥

-> the other side of the door by @ endless-ineffabilities 🌧️

-> I found love (where it wasn’t supposed to be) by @ written-by-clouds 🌧️❤️‍🔥⭐️

-> the price of pride by @ flowerandblood

-> the ballad of green snakes and honey badgers by @lady-pug

-> pomegranate seed by @silverdragonfly ❤️‍🔥

———————————————————————

HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN (ACTOR)

-> not my code by @erinkeifer ❤️‍🔥🌧️💓

-> parts of the truth by @anakinsgirlfriendreal 🤰❤️‍🔥🌧️

-> as fate would have it by @luminoustarlight ❤️‍🔥

-> ask nicely by @little-miss-vader ❤️‍🔥

———————————————————————

CHARLIE HEATON (Actor)

-> What happens in the dark room… by @byersbootyshorts ❤️‍🔥

———————————————————————

AZRIEL SHADOWSINGER (Acotar)

-> princess by @azrielslightintheshadows 🌧️

-> I fell for you by @ azrielslightintheshadows 🌧️

-> practice on my by @acourtofwhatthefuck ❤️‍🔥🌧️

-> What’s life without a challenge by @writingcroissant ❤️‍🔥

-> as a trophy by @ writing croissant 🌧️❤️‍🔥💓

-> no going back by @serpentandlily 🌧️ ⭐️

-> taken by @imaginesmai 🤰

-> don’t act like you care now by @jswizzlewrites 🌧️

-> can’t bring myself to hate you by @tadpolesonalgae ❤️‍🔥🌧️

-> his world by @reverie-verse 🤰🌧️💓⭐️

-> just a little bit of your heart by @fieldofdaisiies 🤰⭐️

-> closure by @jeannineee 🌧️💓

-> betrayal by @clairebear08 🌧️⭐️

-> don’t let my down by @courtly-chronicles 🌧️

-> get out by @sarahs-library ⭐️

-> you’re losing me by @starsxblazing 🌧️⭐️

-> untouchable by @serpentandlily 🌧️

-> last solstice by @ serpentandlily 🌧️💓⭐️

-> ringing in the new year by @amchapel 💓🌧️🤰

-> trust by @redheadspark 🤰💓

-> midnight muse by @azsazz ⭐️

-> pushed to the edge by @stormhearty 🌧️

-> never been good enough by @lure-of-writing 🌧️

-> come back by @ azsazz 💓

-> just hold on by @ azsazz 🌧️💓🤰

-> of nightmares & Memories by @shadowandlightt 🌧️

-> before I say goodbye by @lanitalay

-> here without you by @readychilledwine 🌧️🤰

-> fighter by @parkerslatte 🌧️💓🤰

-> 400 years by @safetypinxtales ❤️‍🔥

-> love lost by @hellcat8908 🤰🌧️

-> forced revelations by @ leafsandstarlight 💓🌧️

-> more than this by @ lidiasloca 🌧️

-> starlight by @ arrantsnowdrop 💓🌧️

-> two sides by @ xreaderbooks ❤️‍🔥💓

-> forgotten by @ sarahs-library 🤰🌧️

-> heavy weather by @ assassinsblade 💓

-> the shadowsinger and the inkbird by @ florencemtrash 🌧️💓

-> arrows & Ashes by @ assassinsblade 🌧️

-> untouchable by @ serpentandlily 🌧️

-> up the junction by @ tadpolesonalgae 🌧️🤰

-> falling Star by @ feyreswaterybowels 🌧️

-> scarlet-tipped secrets by @ angelshadowsinger 🌧️

-> shattered by @ azrielwingspan 🌧️

-> maddening by @ ellievickstar 🌧️

-> small world by @ readychilledwine

-> time you take for granted by @ imaginesmai 🤰🌧️

-> rainy season by @ thisblogisaboutabook 🌧️ ERIS MAINLY

-> how did it end by @daydreaming-nerd 🌧️⭐️

———————————————————————

ERIS VANSERRA (Acotar)

-> betrayal by @clairebear08 🌧️❤️‍🔥⭐️

-> leaves in a sky full of stars by @artethyst 🌧️🤰

———————————————————————

KANG YEOSANG (ATEEZ)

-> richboy by @ateezmakemeweep 🤰❤️‍🔥

—————————————————————————

ANEURIN BARNARD

-> kicks by @platinumshawnn 🤰

—————————————————————————

SWEET PEA (RIVERDALE)

-> the shift in reality by @ghxst-heart 🤰🌧️

-> heathers by @dream-a-little-bigger-x

[litgarchive]

It's at least December 12 everywhere in the world. Now what?

An LITG Archive Update

To preface, the original seasons are still playable at the moment if your auto-update is turned off. (I can confirm; I can still play on my Android phone.) I've heard (but have not tried) it's possible to play using older mods as well. Overall, this is good news!

However, no one is sure how long this would be viable, given that you do still need to connect to the Internet to play them. And, how long would Fusebox allow that from their end?

Well, I'm not putting this project on hold. And the fact that the seasons are still playable? A good time to collect more records. (IIRC, I don't have a Season 3 playthrough with Seb as the best friend yet. Please hook your girl up with any link whatsoever.)

What I'm doing and what are the goalposts moving forward, all under the cut!

Originally, I was going to do Season 3 first (as you might have seen from the demo), but I did realize that we'd likely lose more content from Season 2, given it's the longest and has most extensive branching compared to the other two seasons.

So, what am I doing now?

I've mapped out all the choices for Season 2 Day 1 Part 1. I will start transcription. If there are any missing choices, I will create a separate post requesting assistance (like I did before).

Season 3 transcription of a recorded Harry route is being continued by lovely people on their free time. They are currently doing Day 4 Part 1.

Any particular timeline when you'll be able to release a playable Season 2 (or any other season)?

What I can say is it won't be up for a while unless there will be more volunteers helping me transcribe seasons using a particular formatting and process. This is the most time-consuming part.

For a general idea, it took me almost 6 hours to transcribe the part for the demo using 2 recorded playthroughs by @queen-of-boops and by @mrsbsmooth. I broke up the scenes and added in some code/notes as I transcribed. Then I had a few more hours tweaking the transcript into ink, breaking it up a bit more so it won't flood the screen as much UI-wise, installing the UI framework, and testing it.

Granted, since I have brushed up on ink and have done base stuff for the demo, it shouldn't take me too long to code the full game once I've done all the non-coding related tasks.

Why not release it in chapters?

Honestly because I'm not a programmer, I have massive technical debt, and I could do that, but honestly I'm not very comfortable with doing that unless I at least map out all the choices first. I want to avoid missing variables which may, in turn, break everything else.

You might be surprised with the scenes we're still discovering as we repeat the playthroughs. We've got aliens, Islanders checking Bobby's reaction to Rocco possibly stealing you away from him, Ciaran being turned on by a belch, and Kassam actually considering you as a dateable prospect despite not being interested in you in the first place, etc. Honestly wild.

So, now what?

I will be posting an update once a week until all three seasons are completed. I'll post recording requests when needed. (Thank you to everyone who has shared their records so far, I could kiss you all. It's so lovely seeing our community band together like this.)

We can only hope Fusebox publishes the remastered versions soon (if at all) so people (like me) can play their comfort routes or just play some of the best seasons they had put out into the world.

So, yeah.

Much love before it's December 13 from my side of the world.

💕 Pine

[canonmisogynyvictimstournament]

PROPAGANDA

KALLEN KOUZUKI (CODE GEASS) (CW Mind Control Mention)

1.) Kallen is constantly subjected to objectification. Most of the times she pilots her mech (giant robot), she's in this gratuitous shot of where she's bent over and it shows her ass or her boobs, and none of the men are subjected to this position or shot when they pilot. When she finds out that Zero (the leader of the resistance who she loves, respects, and follows) and Lelouch (a Britannian (the people occupying her country) who's her classmate and who she doesn't particularly like) are the same person and also that he has one-time-use-per-person mind control powers, instead of being conflicted about both her feelings and Lelouch being Zero in the first place and, y'know, THE MIND CONTROL, the next time we see her after she learns this (granted, after a time skip of a few months) she's just still in love with him and has no reservations about following him or, y'know, HIS MIND CONTROL POWERS. If she had any reservations or trust issues or mixed feelings, she dealt with them off screen during the time skip between season 1 and season 2. Because she has to be part of the show's harem nonsense, you see, god forbid her screen time and feelings about Zero/Lelouch once she knows he's Zero be mainly about HER or EVER stray from positive and romantic. And her character's focus/screen time at this point shifts from being about Japan (her home country) to being so much (albeit not entirely) about Lelouch and her feelings for him, and she's still a great character and one of the best pilots on the show but COME ON. And then so much of the official and gacha game art has her with this blushing waifu face that isn't reflective of the core of her character at all, and it's just like. why. why would you do this to her when it just makes your story worse. Like, Kallen's treatment takes the show's ranking down from A to A- all by itself.

2.) Wants liberty for her nation is a talented mecha pilot yet the ungodly sexualisation doesn’t do her justice at all. Also gets swept under Main Character’a Harem

3.) Do you know how hard it is to find a non sexual image of her??

CHI-CHI (DRAGON BALL)

1.) okay so to start at the beginning, she was introduced as a young kid but they put her in a super revealing bikini styled outfit. pretty sure it was supposed to be armor too, so besides just being a disgusting design choice even in-universe it's impractical. but besides that she was pretty charming as a kid, she was cute and funny and pretty tough, and had a cool gimmick in her blade/ laser helmet. even when she reappeared in late Dragon Ball, she was a bit abrasive but was overall rational and kind. she was strong enough to make it into the World Martial Arts Tournament, one of only 16 to qualify.

but come Dragon Ball Z and on, she's reduced to just a shrill, nagging, aggressive wife and mother. all she gets to do is cook, worry, and berate her husband and sons. her physical strength is only used so she can comically hit Goku. sure its played for laughs, but he's shown to be afraid of her. I only recall her leaving her house once or twice in DBZ. just the worst mother character stereotype, with nothing left to make her likeable. she's portrayed as irrational but despite her aggressiveness, half the time her wants are completely reasonable. can't blame a woman for not wanting her husband to die every other day!! her writing us ass but I still love her and she deserves better!!!

2.) So in Dragon Ball she wasn't the BEST character to start out with. Toriyama hasn't ever been the best at writing women or not making stupid fucking sex jokes about them. So she had to deal with that. The outfit she wore as a kid was… NOT GREAT. Let's say that! Then in late Dragon Ball her entire character revolves around Goku and trying to marry him, which she gets by tricking Goku and getting beaten by Goku in a tournament in one hit. Not off to a great start. Then Z started and Toriyama just… gave her an ENTIRELY NEW new personality, and that new personality was just a stereotype of a tiger mom. Regardless of how correct she might've been about letting Gohan fight (and she WAS completely correct, he was 5-6 for a HUGE chunk of Z) the narrative frames her as a hysterical and unreasonable woman nagging at the menfolk and not letting them do things. So naturally people hate her without even considering why she's upset because the story itself frames her as in-the-wrong. The whole franchise also just forgets that she's a martial artist and never has her DO ANYTHING.

This is only scratching the surface, there's a LOT more because the franchise is like 40 years old and we'd be here all day.

3.) GODDDD okay so full disclosure i guess shonen is such an easy pick but like. out of every shonen wife she was and is THE most hated by the narrative and creator (maybe tied with sakura omfg). shes always made out to be a beast, got her fighting skills shafted after she got married, was always played like she was hysterical for worrying about her kid dying in battle, and not to mention the creator actively HATES her. like toriyama just straight up hates writing her. its bad. its really bad. shes just "bitch wife" but for no reason :(

[twisted-art-wounders]

YGO AU: Breaking the Seal 15

Chapter 15 Traverse

After freeing Yugi from mind control the group meet up with Kaiba and discover more about Doma, but it looks like Raphael has decided to make a move that will push Yami into a trap.

Mai managed to make it to the security office only to be met with a complex computer system she had no idea of how to operate. Luckily at that point Duke had shown up to offer his help and after some tinkering he managed to get the doors to unlock just as Raphael and Valon had left. With the gates open Rex and Weevil managed to make it into the building as well. Joey had made his way back down to the center of the lobby looking defeated and exhausted, he didn't want to look up at anyone especially Yugi.

Yami Yugi had gone up to him and offered a hand only for Joey to turn away again in shame.

“Joey...” Yami said.

“I failed. They got away! I let you down Yugi...” Joey clenched his fists in anger. “I swear...I'll make them pay.”

Joey then felt a hand touch his own, he looked down to see the normal Yugi was in charge again a small and meek smile across his lips. His eyes were a muted purple even more so then before, Yugi just embraced Joey and held him tightly. Joey returned the embrace bending down a bit to fully hold onto him trying to fight back some tears in the corners of his eyes.

Just then Duke and Mai appeared in the lobby together; Mai was impressed with Duke's coding skills, he attributed it to his love of incorporating technology into his games. Thus why he was working with Pegasus on a new project, but he needed to keep it secret for now. As they made their way back to the group Mai was happy to see Yugi and Joey in an embrace and assumed only something good had to have happened, since both of them seemed to have kept their souls but once she approached she did feel an awkwardness in the air, so she asked.

“Guys, what happened?”

Yugi was about to speak but as his lips parted to speak nothing came out form his mouth, it was like he was muted. He quickly covered his mouth and held his throat in shock and fear, he looked up at Joey again trying to speak but nothing came out. Everyone looked down at him surprised by his silence it was like he was a mime.

“Yugi? What's wrong? Why arrant you saying anything?” Tea asked only for Yugi look down and hold his throat.

Joey's eyes widened as he realized it first “Y-You can't talk anymore...can you?” he said bending down a bit and took Yugi's shoulders looking at him sorrowfully.

Yugi could only nod as the bright light from his puzzle glowed again and he swapped places with the other Yugi. He looked up at Joey with a mournful expression on his face he bit his lower lip before speaking.

“It's getting worse...” was all he could say before Kaiba and Mokuba entered the building drawing everyone's attention away to their presence.

After everyone explained about why they were all present at Industrial Illusions to each other; Kaiba wanting to find the real Pegasus after he duelled an an imposter on behalf of DOMA, while Yugi and gang were invited by Pegasus only for him to have gotten his soul captured before their arrival by DOMA. Leaving out the part of it being Yugi himself who'd done so, a thought that made Yugi's stomach turn in shame. Yami Yugi figured Pegasus would have made some kind of arrangement for them if he already knew there was a chance he'd be captured, Duke then remembered there was one door that didn't unlock for him even after he unlocked every door in the building.

Duke had lead the way and the whole grouped followed, Rex and Weevil were upset by the fact they went unnoticed by them. But decided to take advantage of that fact in order to sneak in and hunt for rare cards that may be hidden in that room, so they quietly followed behind them. Using the special key card Yugi was given by Pegasus granted them access to his private room; it was filled with statues modelled after all of his Toon monsters something Kaiba despised greatly.

Soon they were greeted by a talking hologram of Pegasus a visual message of sorts left behind in his absence. The hologram went on to explain that his company had been taken over by an organization called DOMA, a secret society that has worked in the shadows for thousands of years pulling the strings and leading humanity. From an empire's ride and fall, the rise of the arts in the Renaissance, funding the Age of Discovery, to leading revolutions and pushing the Industrial Revolution forward, they had their hands in everything. Anyone who knows the truth about them has always vanished without a trace much like himself now.

Once again DOMA is making a move to meddle in history using Duel Monsters to do so but this time it was far more evil then before. Yugi listened intently from deep within his soul he remembered what the man Gurimo had said that night they duelled, about sacrificing souls to awaken the God of the Orichalcos this must be what their up to! The hologram then told Yami Yugi he had made a special card for him and hid it somewhere in this room, he wanted to give it to him in person but with his capture it would be impossible. Looking around the room Yami noticed Pot of Greed and deduced it had nothing to do with 'Toon World' so it must be in there. Tristan had picked it up and pulled out the card only to find it was blank.

Kaiba dismissed the card as useless but Yami knew here was more to the card then meets the eye; with one final plea from the hologram begging Yami to save the duel monsters and only he could complete this task as the chosen one. The hologram then vanished leaving Joey confused about why a secret society was after Yugi's soul while Kaiba mulled it over in his head for a while he finally remembered something his step father had taught him about DOMA and that was never to mess with them. Kaiba told Yami Yugi to just stay out of it since there was nothing he could do to stop them, but Yami was insistent that they couldn't just sit there and do nothing and that they did have the power to stop them but only if they work together.

He then pulled out his Timeaus card and presented it to Kaiba who shockingly did the same with his card Critas, finally Joey joined them showing off his Hermos card. With all three Legendary Dragon cards together they started to glow intensely. They could all feel the power coursing through their cards embedded with the power that could stop DOMA. Mai watched as she saw all three of the powerful cards in their hands and couldn't help but feel a bit jealous of their “chosen” status as duelists once more, the doubt in her own powers started to resurface in her heart again but she kept it to herself.

“We may be able to defeat Doma if we work together. That is what the cards are telling us! It's our destiny to defeat them!”

Kaiba merely hissed under his breath “Again with this 'Destiny' bull shit. I make my own path Yugi!”

Yami growled “You're still denying this Kaiba? Why can't you see we need your help!”

Kaiba glared down at Yugi putting the card back in his deck “I don't take orders form you! I'll take DOMA down on my own! You can keep playing your little occult games if you want but I live in the <i>real</i> world!”

Kaiba turned and headed for the exit but not before calling back to his brother “Come on, Mokuba. We're done here.”

Mokuba followed after his brother leaving everyone else in the room to watch them exit. No one was all that surprised by his reaction it was typical Kaiba fashion after all. Joey commented on how they didn't need his help and thanks to Hermos he'd have all the power he needed o help him save Yugi. Everyone was happy to see Joey was starting to get his spirit back, but now they had a new problem, they had no idea what to do now.

They needed to find DOMA so they could get Yugi's soul back but without any leads they were stuck. That's when Yami remembered Professor Hawkin's was doing research and he didn't live too far away form here so he would be their best bet. Just then they heard Kaiba's jet power up and fly off before any of them could flag him down and ask for a ride. But Mai reminded them she still had means of transport so she would take them to him which they all agreed to but it might be tight since now they had Duke as well.

But he explained he too had his own car and carry any extra luggage with him. Rex and Weevil both chimed in about being left behind which got Tristan to ask them exactly why they were here in the first place, to which they had no answer for.

“I thought they were with you...that's what they told me.” Duke shot a glare at the two who jumped in surprise.

“Yeah, they're not riding with me, you brought them here they're <i>your</i> responsibility.” Mai flipped her hair before heading out of the room.

Joey and other's followed after her leaving Duke to roll his eyes and wave the two other duelists to follow him. Both Rex and Weevil weren't too happy with the fact that everyone saw their presence as an inconvenience and grumbled to each other about 'getting no respect around here' before leaving with everyone else.

As the group made it back to the lobby Joey stopped dig into his deck pulling out a card before turning to Yugi and presenting it to him, it was Dark Magician.

“Here Yug, this belongs to you.” Joey smiled “He really pulled my iron outta the fire!”

Yami smiled and took the card form him looking at it with a proud smile before looking back up to Joey.

“Yes. This card is an incredible partner in battle and I'm glad it was able to help you, Joey.”

Everyone had stopped and watched the exchange happen, which brought up the question of just how it happened in the first place. Yami Yugi never explained it to them back during the duel after all and it was just a huge coincidence Joey drew it at all.

“That reminds me...how on earth did it end up in your deck in the first place Joey?” Tea looked back asking.

Joey blinked since he did think about during the duel and had his theory but really it all boiled down to one thing. “Pure luck on my part.” he shrugged.

“Wow should take you to Vegas one day.” Mai grinned.

“You may end up broke if you do that.” Tristan joked making Joey fume a bit.

“I don't think it was luck Joey...it was fate that guided this card to you. And you drew it just when you needed it, you welded it quite well I'd say.” Yami smiled up to Joey before placing the card back in his deck.

Joey chuckled and winked “Only cause I've seen you use it a million times! But magic is more you're thing Yug, I'll stick to warriors thanks!”

Once they were outside they sorted out a few things to make it easier for them all to fit into Mai's Jeep; she insisted Yugi ride in the front but he explained Tea would be a much better navigator and he felt fine sitting in the back. She shrugged her shoulders and allowed him to do so, not that she minded having Tea's company at all but she just wanted to make sure he was alright.

That's when Tristan finally decided to ask about what she had hidden under the tarp in the trailer she was towing. She grinned and pulled it up a little to reveal a hot red sporty motorcycle, everyone was a agst to see it especially Joey who proclaimed

“You can ride a motorcycle!?”

Mai chuckled and put the tarp back down securing it “I told you I'm a woman of many talents and skills. Maybe if you're good I let you watch me ride it.”

Joey pouted a bit as Tristan and Yami entered the Jeep; Tristan commenting on it's make and model and how much he enjoyed these kinds of motorcycles, Mai was impressed with his knowledge about motorcycles. He told her he'd been trying to teach all his friends how to ride bikes like him but only Tea was really good; Joey had trouble keeping straight while Yugi had a hard time trying to keep balance since his height was very limiting to what he could ride and Tristan didn't have a bike small enough for him to practice on properly.

Mai chuckled a bit at that, she knew Yugi was small and it was awkward for him to do many things but something was just too funny thinking about him trying to ride a bike much too big for him that made her giggle. Tea was enjoying her time in the front seat again but her thoughts still fell onto Yugi and how he was feeling. She looked back in the car's mirror and saw Yami Yugi looking out of the window his mind was not there at all.

Inside Yugi's mind Yami decided to check in on his partner and see how he was feeling;

//Yugi? Are you feeling alright?//

Yugi looked down but answered //I'm...fine.//

Yami knew it was a lie //Partner, it's just us...tell me what's wrong.//

Yugi paused for a moment before lamenting //I'm scared other me...I took Pegasus's soul! I thought I was having a dream but then it turns out it was real! I did that to him! I hurt him!//

Yugi's hands were shaking as he continued //They made me duel Joey! I- I thought I was dueling the evil Marik! And I almost took his soul too!//

Yugi started to tear up and looked at Yami. //I almost killed my best friend...//

//It wasn't your fault Yugi, they tricked you! You had no idea what they were doing to you. Don't blame yourself.//

//What happens next time huh? If they use my soul like this again? What happens if next time I can't tell the difference!? What if they make me fight someone else!// Yugi's tears welled up more as he looked down at his hands before looking away from Yami.

//What if they make us fight each other? What if <i>we</i> have to fight?//

Yami paused watching Yugi; his eyes were wavering he didn't like to- no he didn't <i>want</i> to think about that scenario, having to fight his partner? How could he even imagine that...he sighed and gave Yugi a light smile taking his chin between his fingers and lifting his head up so they could look each other in the eyes...Yugi's muted purple-nearly grey eyes...lacking the life they once held.

He finally answered. //You don't need to worry about that because I will get your soul back to you before they can do such a thing. //

His words danced in Yugi's mind now; he knew the other Yugi had this special charm about him, this charisma that naturally made people gravitate towards him. This is what made Yugi trust him, why he felt he <i>should</i> trust him no matter what. But inside he still felt the weight doubt pressing down on his heart... he could feel it in his voice somehow he knew Yami was hiding his true feelings from him...just like he was.

Yugi gave the other Yugi a smile now and nodded.

//Yup! I know I can always count on you, Other Me.//

--

Meanwhile in Duke's car he held onto the extra luggage in the back seat, while Rex and Weevil sat in the trunk angerly. But they both commented on how that strange card had made Yugi much stronger and if they followed them maybe they could find away to get their hands on this same card to become unstoppable.

As they all made their way down the road, way up top on a mountain of rocks in the dessert Valon and Raphael stood with their bikes beside them. Raph had just finished bandaging Valon's arm, it was going to be hard for him to ride his bike in his condition so they called for an air lift from Alister and we're awaiting his arrival.

Valon was furious; he didn't want to leave like that turning tail form Wheeler and the Pharaoh but thanks to his injury it was for the best.

“I don't get it the brat had that duel won why'd he back out?”

“We underestimated his connection to Wheeler...Yugi's friends are an asset to him and something we didn't calculate for.”

Valon got up slowly trying to keep himself stable, the fall still hurt and while trying to walk he felt a bit unbalanced, luckily Raphael was there to lend a hand in keeping him stable which was always appreciated.

“Not to mention they got another dragon free...”

“All three dragons have now been released by their chosen duellist...” Raphael looked out over the horizon line while Valon clenched his fists in anger.

“I'll take Wheeler down next time! No more excuses he's dead!” Valon hissed.

“Take it easy we should focus on the Pharaoh, once we have him the rest wont matter anyway.”

Raphael looked down at Valon who looked back to him and asked.

“You want to go after him so soon? How do we draw him out?”

He nodded “He's vulnerable at the moment since he must be worried about his vessel. Besides I know where they're going and I've made arrangements for them...” Raphael grinned looking into the sky as a black helicopter made it's way towards them Alister at the wheel of course, the taller man waving him down to their location.

--

At the same time Professor Hawkin's was in his laboratory going over his research on what he discovered recently in the Atlantic Ocean. Rebecca had gone to the store to gather groceries for their diner that night. As she rode up on her horse Billy she saw a black helicopter descend and land in front of her grandfather's home, a few people wearing helmets dressed in all black ran into the house and took Professor Hawkins into the helicopter before taking off to the sky. Rebecca attempted to chance after them on horse back only for the house to explode behind her sending her and Billy flying into the ground. As she watched the helicopter take off a single card floated down and landed in front of her she read the words on the back before crying out for her grandfather while behind her everything burnt to the ground.

It was a few hours later and night had come when Mai and Duke had pulled up the smouldering ashes of what once was Professor Hawkin's home; Yami got out of the truck and looked around at the mess before him he called out for the Professor and his granddaughter. Everyone else exited the the vehicles as well looking around at the devastation as well. Suddenly Rebecca appeared once she confirmed these visitors were friends.

“Yu-Yugi?” she said timidly

Yami looked over to her and called out her name again “Rebecca! Are you alright?”

Rebecca could only start to cry as she ran over and hugged Yugi tightly “My Grandpa! Yugi they took him! They took my Grandpa!” she wailed in sorrow.

Everyone watched as the two hugged each other, Yami bought her close and returned her hug trying to comfort her while still feeling slightly awkward for it.

“It's going to be okay Rebecca, whoever took him we'll get him back...”

Later they all gathered in the small RV owned by the Professor for long road trips to dig sites; Tea had just turned off the kettle that had began to whisile she was pouring out a cup of tea to give Rebecca. They had all listened to her story about the helicopter that came down and took her grandfather away before their home was blown up, all his research and work gone up in flames in a matter of moments. The question as to why the Professor was targeted came up and the only explanation they agreed upon was it was the work of DOMA. As Pegasus's hologram had stated earlier that day anyone who tried to investigate DOMA always ended up missing...

With no real ideas coming to mind they all decided it was best to just eat, and hopefully come up with plan by the morning after some rest. Duke volunteered to help with the cooking along with Tristan and Tea, Mai told the group since she drove she was excused form cooking so she let herself out to off load her bike and hopefully into a change clothes.

“Uh Rebecca right?” Mai addressed the younger blonde girl who nodded at her before she continued “By any chance you wouldn't happen to have a shower in this RV do you?” Mai asked as polightly as she could.

“Oh yes! It's over there” she pointed now the back of the RV “help yourself- Miss...” Rebecca tried to to be just as polight to the new stranger.

“Mai, You can call me Mai” She gave a wink with a gentle smile.

Rebecca smiled back and nodded to her.

--

Back at DOMA's HQ the Swordsmen had arrived and made there way down to Dartz's office to give him an update on their mission and to drop Valon off for treatment. Dartz had just left the temple and entered the office building using his mirror portal, he left the office and confronted his three employees in the hallway. Hands behind his back he approached them with an unamused expression on his face, all three stopped and half bowed to him.

“Master Dartz, We've returned.” Raphael spoke up first.

“I can see that. So I take it your missions didn't go as well as I'd hoped?” Dartz's words cut through each of them making them all look in any direction except straight ahead, making eye contact with Dartz when he held that tone was difficult to say the least.

“We all ran into slight problems, sir...” Alister spoke next trying to keep the shame from building up in his chest, he really hated to admit his failure.

“Yes, all three dragons have been released and are in the hands of your targets...this will make gathering their souls rather difficult for you.” Dartz kept his tone low but his disappointment was ever present.

“Well boss ya see we was gonna get the souls! it's just-”

Valon had to bite his tongue to keep himself form arguing with Dartz about what happened at Industrial Illusions earlier, he could see form his expression he wasn't in the mood to hear a word form them.

So Raphael needed to step in.

“I have a plan, Master. We only returned to drop Valon off first he obtained an injury and needs treatment. But Alister and I will be on our way to confront the Nameless Pharaoh and I will return with his soul, Master. ”

Dartz eyed Raphael with a cold glare that seemed to pierce right into his heart, like a snake starting down it's prey keeping it still until it would strike. Finally Dartz closed his eyes and gently smiled walking over to Alister he held out his hand and gestured for him to 'give him' something.

At first Alister wasn't sure what he wanted but then it hit him, the stone he had form the night before, he quickly pulled it out and handed it back to Dartz who placed his hand back behind his back and turned from them.

“Very well...be on your way then.” He dismissed the other two with a wave of his free hand; the blonde and red headed man bowed again before turning and walking down the hall together entering the elevator to gain access o the roof.

While inside the tight elevator they could feel the sense of relief wash over both of them, escaping Dartz's presence when he was in that kind of mood always felt like rain after a hot muggy day. Good to cool down from the heat but you still have the lingering presence of something uncomfortable in the air.

“I hope you know what you're doing, Dartz's is already in a mood.” Alister spoke to the blonde man beside him. “You can't fail.”

Raphael nodded “Trust me what I have planned will guarantee a victory for DOMA.”

Alister knew Raphael was a man of his word and knew he would succeed no matter what, so to finally to break the tension in the small space he asked

“So... how did he actually hurt himself?” He was talking about Valon.

“Filtering with a blonde.” Raphael answered quickly making Alister roll his eyes in annoyance.

“Figures.”

This left Valon alone with Dartz; Valon was already uncomfortable with the thought of being alone with this man. From his demonstration earlier he knew not to mess around with Dartz, like he felt before something ancient and powerful seemed to sleep inside this man. And while Valon did love a good fight one thing he kept to heart was never to mess with anyone crazier then himself, and Dartz had an aura of crazy he didn't vibe with in the slightest.

Dartz approached Valon with a gingerly smile and held out his hand to him now.

“I'll need that stone back.”

Valon nodded quickly and dug into his pocket feeling around for a moment before pulling out the stone and handing it back to Dartz.

“Sorry boss but uhhh field test didn't go as well as we hoped...” Valon looked up then down then back to Dartz who examined the stone before placing it back into his front breast pocket next the one he retrieved form Alister earlier.

“Well that is the very definition of a field test Valon. It helps us to find and test variables we may have missed. And how to better improve our tactics...”

Dartz placed a hand on Valon's non injured shoulder. It sent a chill up Valon's spine with just how unworldly Dartz's aura always felt. His hand was cold to the touch, which was odd you'd think since he was inside his hands would be warmer. Val was sweating a bit as he could feel his predator like glare rip into the back of his head, judging him like a price of meat. It was like Dartz wasn't really human at all...

After what felt to Valon like an eternity Dartz smiled and released his hold with a small pat on the shoulder.

“Head to medial office and have that arm looked at, I don't want you out of commission long you know. We have work to do...”

Valon grinned nervously and nodded quickly “Y-You got it sir!”

He gave a quick salute then headed down the hallway happy to get some distance form his boss, happy to be away from that encounter with his soul still intact. Now his mind drifted to the medical bay and the cute nurse who always helped patch him up after his rougher missions. He couldn't help but blush at the thought of her taking care of him again.

Once he was out of sight Dartz's expression changed back to a bit of a scowl before he re-entered his office shutting the door behind him. He walked back to the head of the long table and sat at the front chair turning around to face the wall.

Closing his eyes he thought to himself “So...his 'friendship' his bonds are that strong...but it can still be broken. Just like any bond there are 'weak links' And right now I need to sever one very annoying link... ”

Dartz pulled the stones out from his pocket and they began to glow, he grinned and he watched them hmm with energy.

“There is still doubt in his heart about the Pharaoh...Time to let it manifest.”

--

Mai sat in the back of her Jeep's flatbed after a much needed shower and a change of clothes; a pair of shorts and a oversized t-shirt along with keeping her hair tied up in a pony tail. She sat bare foot looking over at the RV were everyone else was inside serving their meal, it's not like she didn't want to join them it's just sometimes she felt the need to be on her own. And after today's events she really needed a bit of down time, but still she could hear them all inside talking eating and arguing and some part of her wanted to be a part of it...but something was holding her back.

She laid back and looked up at the sky, there wasn't a cloud for miles just endless blue with the faint twinkles of stars far away. Mai closed her eyes and couldn't help but think about what Valon had said to her, about being afraid to lose... deep down she knew it was true. She was afraid to lose again, afraid to go back to that horrible place...She clenched her fists a bit as the memory played back in her mind, she bit her lip trying not to scream.

“Yo! Mai!” a voice shouted

She yelped sitting up quickly looking around for the source of the voice only to see Joey standing in front of her with 2 plates of food in his hand and under his arm two cans of soda.

“Wheeler express delivery service! Please give me a positive review on-” He grinned widely before he finally noticed her reaction and tilted his head. “Uhh... you okay?”

Mai sighed in relief before changing her expression into and annoyed one “Don't scare me like that you doofus!”

“Hey I was just bringing ya some dinner! Chill out will ya!” Joey huffed presenting the plate to her.

“Oh right...” she shyly accepted the meal form him along with the soda can, she crossed her legs now and placed the plate in her lap before resting her drink by her side.

Joey watched her get comfortable before he asked “So...you want some company or -”

“It's a free country, but if you chew while you talk you're outta here.” Mai winked taking the fork into her hand.

“I assure you I'm a fine eater!”Joey grinned before sitting down next to her, he pulled out his own fork and started to eat.

As they ate and watched the RV they started to talk.

“So you work food delivery? I thought you were still in high school how can you-” Mai asked before Joey cut in.

“I get special permission from the school to work so I can pay my school fees and other things...my old man isn't the most reliable care giver you know.”

Mai didn't know that, but she knew how it felt to have to look after yourself like that it wasn't easy...especially at a young age.

“I get it, gotta look out for yourself somehow. I was working on cruise ships after I got out of school, made pretty good money but just not fulfilling you know?”

“That's when you turned to Duel Monsters right?”

She nodded “Gave me some form of power in my life...felt like for once I finally had some control...” Mai looked down at her half eaten plate of food, she pushed some of the noodles around now. “but now...I feel like I barely have it anymore.”

Joey took a sip off his soda before her looked at her and asked “Whatdda mean?”

Mai paused for a bit; she was so used to keeping things inside never showing her true emotions, it's so easy for people to take advantage of you when you do. But around Joey...after everything they'd gone through...might be time to finally let something out.

“That goggle headed guy asked me to join DOMA...and I considered it.”

Joey nearly choked on his drink as he yelled out “Mai! Why would you wanna join these world ending monsters!?”

Mai glowed and glared at him “I said I <i>considered</i>it I wasn't planing on joining them! God clean out your ears!” She huffed before looking down at her food again.

“He promised me that card...the Seal of Orichalcos would make me powerful...powerful enough to control even God cards...It made me think back to Battle City when I duelled the evil Marik....and how I could have won if I had just be able to play Ra!” Mai gripped her fork and grit her teeth a bit.

Joey watched her, he did feel empathy towards her if he'd been able to stay conscious long enough during his duel with Yami Marik he would have saved Mai sooner and won Ra away from Yami Marik in the process... He bit his lip feeling a tinge of gilt at his own actions.

“Now all I can think about is being sent to that horrible nightmare world if I ever lose again! I just...I'm just so scared to lose now!” Mai had tears forming in her eyes she scrubbed them away quickly and tried to force a smile.

“Look at me...I can't believe I've become so weak...” she sniffled out.

“You're not weak, Mai. We're all afraid to lose.” Joey told her bluntly making her chuckle half heatedly and throw her head back leaning further back in the flat bed.

“Thanks for trying to make me feel better but-” She was cut off now as Joey looked at her with a serious expression.

“You don't think I'm scared of losing? Hell I was <i>just</i> in a duel were I could have lost my soul! Every time you duel you face the fact you could fail and trust me I've failed more times then I could count! But that cannot be your only reason to duel Mai.”

She was confused by his words... so she asked “What is the point in playing this game if it isn't to win? We put so much of ourselves into dueling. So when you duel you're putting your own life- your own reputation- your pride on the line!” Mai glared at him and crossed her arms waiting for an answer.

“Yeah you do and what do you have if you lose all that huh? Duelists are always so up in their own ass about their 'pride' this and their 'pride' that But all it does is make you blind to what really matters in life! ”

Mai rolled her eyes since she knew what was coming next “God don't tell me the 'friendship' thing again...”

“Mai I was gonna lose to Yugi in that duel!” Joey said bluntly making Mai stop and stare at him in disbelief.

“The only reason we both survived that duel and one during Battle City was because of our friendship! Our connection to each other! It was strong enough to over come whatever evil was controlling him.”

“...Mai dueling can be about pride and if that's what you duel for then that's up to you, but I don't duel just to win. I do it to test myself and see how far I can go! If I lose then I lose but at the end of the day I'm still Joey Wheeler; Student at Domino High, Older brother of Serenity, Best Friend to Yugi. And as long as I have those things with me I'm gonna keep dueling because it's fun! Once it stops being fun then I'm done.” Joey smiled at her making Mai blink and blush.

She never really thought about it before; outside of money and power what else was she dueling for? What could she honestly say would be worth fighting for in her life? She paused for a moment before turning to Joey and smiling.

“You just got it all figured out huh?”

Joey shrugged “Eh for the most part.”

His answer made her chuckle again and she could feel the heaviness in her heart start to lighten a bit as they both looked up at they stars together. //I wish I had the answer...// she wondered before she heard the sound of the RV door open and for Yami Yugi and Rebecca to exit the camper and walk off together.

Joey and Mai both watched then looked at each other wondering where the two were off to...

--

While Rex and Weevil sifted through the endless ruins of the burnt laboratory hoping to find some rare cards the Professor may have had hidden in his home. They quickly hid once they heard Yami and Rebecca stop in front of the burnt shell of the Professor's home. Rebecca had asked Yami to come with her outside after they'd finished eating dinner. Yami's heart was heavy as he looked at the chard remains behind them, he turned his attention to Rebecca now and asked

“What did you wish to talk about?”

“Uhmm Pharaoh-Yugi? Can I speak to my Yugi please?” Rebecca blushed looking up at Yami pleading.

Yami blinked then looked away a bit “Rebecca...Yugi can't speak to you right now...but if you wish I can transcribe what he says to you-”

“No!” Rebecca said bluntly making Yami jump a bit before she corrected her volume and manner to be calmer and softer.

“No, I mean I know he can't physically talk to me right now...” She rubbed her hands a bit looking down but then lifted her head up again.

“But I just...I just need his presence right now...” She finished with a small sigh in her voice.

Yami looked down at her with a soft smile, he gave a quick nod with a wink and with a flash of light Yami and Yugi traded places again. As Yugi took over his grey eyes fell on Rebecca, he had a weak smile on his face just before he lost power in his legs and started to fall down. Rebecca quickly caught him and helped him to stand up again.

“Yugi!” she yelled.

Yugi mouthed a 'thank you' to her his eyes half lidded and his skin looking more grey then before, this shocked Rebecca since just moments ago he looked healthy... then again that was the Pharaoh not Yugi.

“Oh Yugi...you look awful! What's happening to you?”

Yugi wanted to speak but he knew no words would come out if he did then he got an idea, he dug into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He typed away at it before showing her the message on his screen.

<i>-It's a long story, but I'll be fine. I'm more worried about you! I'm so sorry for what happened to your home and grandpa! I promise I'll get him back for you!-</i>

Rebecca read then shook her head with a small smile “It's not you're fault Yugi...and I know you'll get my Grandpa back...I believe in you.” She smiled wider to him.

Yugi smiled too but then he noticed she looked down again and dug into her own pocket now pulling out a card and presenting it to him.

“Yugi, the guys who took my grandpa left this behind...I didn't say anything earlier because I wasn't sure what to do...”

Yugi read the card;

<i> //Nameless Pharaoh, Meet me at Death Valley at sunrise alone, if you want the Professor to be set free. -Raphael of DOMA.// </i>

Yugi gripped the card a bit before he typed at his phone again.

<i>-Where is Death Valley?-</i>

Rebecca pointed over the horizon “Death Valley? It's over that way, about an hour away form here if you drive.”

<i>-Rebecca, I'm going to go face him on my own, please don't tell the other's okay?-</i>

Yugi gave her a strong but firm look, at first she wanted to argue but she gave in quickly saying

“Okay...just please be careful...”

Yugi nodded to her and both looked towards the horizon together, unnoticed by them Rex and Weevil had eavesdropped on just enough of their conversion to know Yugi was going to face DOMA and it would be the chance they needed to gain the power they wanted. They both chuckled silently thinking about how they would follow him into the den of death only to come out on top over him.