#arthur campbell x mc

[rhaenyratargeryn]

(insp)(template) Playlists of my mc Dakota Blue 💙 @bodycountgame The Playlist

[brightburner]

you hate the nights without me (baby, I hate 'em too)

Arthur Campbell x f!MC (Dakota Blue) | Body Count (IF) | rating: explicit (minors dni) | post-canon, established relationships, mildly-less-mean-arthur, smut, idiot in love (guess which one)

***

Overwhelming.

That was the most eloquent word Dakota could associate with the way her senses both tunneled and flared, bright and consuming when Arthur kissed her like this. Hard, fast, movements edging towards frantic. His hands tugged at her hair, her clothes—pulling and pressing as if he wanted to be everywhere all at once. The kisses were more like bites, punctuated by the running of his tongue over her own or across her lips.

Messy.

He kissed her like he was trying to tell her something— something she simply was not comprehending and in his frustration he kept telling her harder and with more urgency.

Possessive.

Like a child afraid someone was about to take away their favorite toy.

But god if it doesn’t feel good. The wanting, the desperation, the way he pressed her into the bed, hands underneath her blouse, shoving it up towards her chin and barring her skin to the cold air. He bites the center of her chest, drags his tongue over the swelling of her breast as his fingers hook at the base of her bra and pulls. She gasps when his teeth graze over one tightened nipple, licking it into his mouth while his thumb seeks out her other.

The attentions are brief, because this isn’t about her. Not really. It’s about him. Him and this silent statement, this hidden message that Arthur seems certain he can more easily fuck into her than just speak.

There is a strange vulnerability to being completely naked while he is still mostly dressed. His shirt is untucked and unbuttoned, hanging open around his pale chest, and she parts her thighs, sets them against his hips as he works open his belt.

And there it is and oh, she still has no idea what he wishes to make her understand but the way he’s telling it with every roll of his hips makes her more and more certain she doesn’t care.

He presses in as deep as he can, deep enough that she whimpers and lifts her hips in a vain attempt to give him more space. There isn’t anymore to give. He’s claimed it all, every inch of her clutching and pressing against him. If he could cum just from that, she’s certain he would, but instead he thrusts into her, shallow but hard. The ache of it blending with the good until her nerves are humming, bursting with sensation.

And instead of wanting him to slow down, instead of wanting him to look at her, to say something, to stop hiding his face into her neck and shuddering as if at any moment he might fall apart she just—holds unto him. Arms sliding up beneath his and clutching at his back, nails drawing dully across his shoulders.

She locks her legs around his waist, heels digging into the backs of his thighs and beneath him she bucks forward into him. Urges him on without a word.

Don’t stop. Don’t stop. Don’tstopdon’tstop.

She has him. All of him. And yet she still wants—

The thought breaks apart with a whimper as she feels the prickling sensation building at her center, each impact of his hips driving it on. Feeding it.

Dakota is dully aware that she is speaking—gasping out those two words, a quiet desperate litany. Arthur doesn’t say anything, but he doesn’t stop either. His breaths heavy, punctuated by a low groan when she lifts her hips again in an eager roll.

And now it is her trying to speak without words. Mouthing silently against his shoulder, biting and worrying the skin between her teeth—take it. Her body. Her soul. The very heart, beating rapid as a rabbit caught in a snare within her chest.

I’m not leaving. I’m never leaving, you idiot. You infuriating bastard. My infuriating bastard.

And somewhere in there she feels him cum, his movements less controlled as he pace faltered and then picked up. Riding out his own release inside the warm clutch of her walls while her own still teeters, not quite there yet at the beginning. She isn’t disappointed, she wouldn’t let herself be disappointed, dragging a hand between her legs and drawing her own wetness up to swirl around her clit. Arthur was slowing, but the full stretch of him is still there and is still more than enough to have her tingling, then spasming, pleasure prickling out across her thighs and up the base of her spine.

It felt good. Cumming with him still locked inside her, feeling the solid fullness of him as her walls clamped and pulled at him. It always did.

She felt hazy, heavy and sleepy. Body still thrumming with aftershocks of warmth. Arthur sat up, eyes falling to where they were still connected as a quiet, “Fuck.” fell from his lips.

“S’alright.” She mumbles, “Safe day.”

And then she smiles, “Besides, you’re good for child support, right?”

He doesn’t laugh, only gives her a withering look that has her laughing. He moves his weight off of her, collapsing on the other side of the bed with a huff. Arthur rubs his palm over his eyes, squeezes and releases, coming back into his senses as if he had just woken up. Dakota can’t repress a yawn, the heavy contented feeling in her limbs making a nap seem like a wonderful idea.

If only she could get her thoughts to quiet, still turning over the sudden intensity of the intimacy. Trying to remember how it even started. And at the end, Arthur didn’t even seem contented, a furrow still present in his brow and an almost… defeated air to his heavy sigh.

Oh. Right.

“You’ll see… by the second night I’m gone, you’re never gonna want me hogging up the covers again. I’ll be lucky you don’t make me sleep on the couch.”

Arthur hums gruffly.

That was it. The class reunion. Dakota had been going through the old photos in her things, including the one of her senior prom and of her then-boyfriend— blond, bright and earnestly grinning. With a thrice broken nose, he would have almost resembled Griffin. Dakota had “aww’d” at the image and gotten halfway through a sweet story of the evening and how she should look him up on Facebook before she noted that instead of ignoring her, Arthur seemed to be listening intently. Too intently.

She had dropped the subject, but the storm cloud whirling around his head thundered gloomily as the day of her departure to the States approached.

And that was about when things had flared up, intense and frequent. Or at least more frequent than what you’d expect from two twenty-somethings, Dakota supposed.

“Or—“ Dakota added, sidling in closer, turning unto her stomach to fold her arms over his middle and lean her chin there. She attempted to appear sufficiently irresistible.

“—you could come with me.”

“What? As your boyfriend?” Arthur said with a scoff.

“No, as my butler.” she said flatly.

She had not offered before. She had expected his answer would be a resounding negative. Spend a weekend stuck in an old high school gymnasium surrounded by strangers who would ooo and awe at his accent? Forcing polite smiles, drinking cheap booze and eating even cheaper and stranger hors d’oeuvres, brought forth like an eldritch terror from the mind of bored Californian housewives?

In short. Hell. Hell is what she was describing.

But it was a hell that included the possibility of Dakota meeting up with her high school sweetheart. Her first love and her first heartbreak.

To her surprise, Arthur seemed genuinely conflicted.

“Or," He began, "You could not go.”

“But I want to go.”

High school had been high school, but it was her middle school made friends she wanted to see most. Dakota would take whatever chance she could to see the girls from those days. Distance and schedule kept them from meeting and she was already aflutter with daydreams of their planned “sleepover” in joined hotel rooms. Movies and popcorn and nail-painting— even if they had all favored only black in school.

Arthur frowned at her reply.

“I could call off more time from work. Extend my ticket. Take a whole week even… we could have the rest of the time to ourselves. Go to the beach, hit up some vineyards. It could be fun.”

Dakota pressed a lazy kiss into his stomach, the act making him jolt and give a faint sound of protest. Ticklish baby.

“… maybe. No promises.” Arthur said, the smallest concession. The tiniest crack. Dakota hid her grin by nipping and then kissing his chest and this time instead of protesting, his fingers carded through her hair and clutched at the base of her neck. His thumb rubbed mindlessly into her nape and Dakota moaned, feeling boneless and relaxed once more.

“But I’ll miss you,” She whispers, childish and pouting. He doesn’t respond, but his fingers curl a fraction tighter.

[feymaid]

*Falls in love but only as a joke*

[griffin-wood]

bc pairing playlist (raylene gray)

(template) // (inspo)

-> x: you are my calm (GRIFFIN WOOD + RAYLENE GRAY)

-> x: we never go out of style (ARTHUR CAMPBELL + RAYLENE GRAY)

-> x: do you get deja vu? (CHARLIE NGATA + RAYLENE GRAY)

tag: @moderarato , @indorilnerevarine

[disappearinginq]

If you're still doing these: Top 5 fictional characters? Top 5 books?

I like avoiding chores, so yes - definitely still answering asks: 

Top 5 Fictional Characters: 

1. Sherlock Holmes - I will admit, the more recent versions of this character with Benedict Cumberbatch and Robert Downey Jr. are probably my favorite versions of Holmes, but I will read or watch pretty much anything about this man. I have even Young Sherlock and Moriarty sitting on my shelves, and even House of Silk (when I get the time). I just...I like characters that are the smartest in the room, and while I appreciate the surprise of a humble smart character, I am much closer to Sherlock and his “you can’t really be this dumb...oh. Shit. You are.”

2. Robin Hood - again, I will read or watch pretty much anything about this character, though I will always love Kevin Costner’s Prince of Thieves - and I actually did like Taron Edgerton’s portrayal in the most recent one, even though both versions were absolutely panned by critics. Probably because I wholeheartedly subscribe to taxation is theft, but also because I like any character who rips off people who have it coming to them. 

3. Merlin - I should say the mythology of King Arthur and Knights of the Round Table and anyone associated with it. But anyone who knows me likes a bit of subtle magic and either snarky secret wizards or cantankerous old wizards, and to this day, Sword in the Stone is my favorite iteration of this storyline. 

4. Tony Stark - Probably for the same reason I like Sherlock Holmes, I like Tony Stark, especially in the MCU. It’s one of the few times that someone is shown with a relatively not pretty version of CPTSD, and how it can alter your brain chemistry to the point of making wildly poor decisions because in your mind, it seems perfectly rational. (Do I like how Steve and everyone else just compacts the problem by complaining that Tony tries to control everything but also that everything is Tony’s fault? No - but that, in a way, is also accurate). Tony is also one of the few characters that witnesses fallout to his decisions, and learns from them. Again, not always the right lesson, but his character does learn. 

5. Aliena of Shiring from Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett - I will admit, I added her after wondering why I had no women fictional characters, but I realized most of it has to do with the terrible way that women characters are written. Aliena manages to be what I would call unconquerable. The amount of crap that woman puts up with for 1000 pages and still manages to not break, keep strong, think and out maneuver life is truly awe inspiring. I love her character so much.  

Top 5 Books. 

Hmm. Well, we already said I would read anything about Sherlock, Robin and Merlin, so...let’s branch out. 

1. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. Follett primarily wrote spy and action novels, so this historical epic about cathedral building in a small town in England in the 12th century. It has epic everything. The characters are fantastic - True Good and True Evil, there’s a nun who places a curse on the bad guys and becomes a witch who lives in the woods. It has everything that is good about the church and everything that is bad about the church. It deals with the every day peoples’ dealings with the constant change between rulers (Empress Matilda and Stephen of Blois were going at it in a civil war after the death of Henry’s only legit son). It has a literally epic love story between Jack and Aliena, to whom every love story will forever pale in comparison, and Aliena legit walked across all of Christendom to find her True Love. Movie counterparts are Eddie Redmayne and Hayley Atwell. Everyone who is good gets a Happy Ending. Everyone who is evil gets their goddamn comeuppance in the most horrible of ways and they fucking deserve that shit.  

2. Okay, so on the heels of “the most epic story of all time”, I present to you a “It’s not the greatest but I love it anyway” - Rise of Renegade X, by Chelsea Campbell, which is in fact a series, and I love the second and third installment the most, but it’s about a made up city where there are superheroes and supervillains and that’s just how life goes. Heroes are marked with an H on their thumb when they turn 16, villains with a V (it’s a plot point to explain why, but it’s a genetic thing, like a finger print), and on the main character’s 16th birthday, he expects a V and instead gets an X. He eventually tracks down his super hero dad who didn’t know that he existed, and convinces the kid to come live with his family - where he has three other children, and a wife who was permanently crippled by a supervillain. As it goes along, the series deals more and more with prejudice, racism, classism, Good versus Evil compared to Right versus Wrong, and the MC, Damien is the first person narrative, so you get all of his snarky sarcasm first hand. 

3. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. 100% because of the world building, the fact that it is a fantasy version of Ocean’s Eleven, but also because I truly and deeply adore Kaz Brekker. One of the few characters with no particular power, he’s perfectly human, and absolutely terrifying. And while he has a character arc that I adore, it does not fundamentally hinge on him changing who he is. At the end, Kaz is still a fucking cold hearted, brilliant and scheming bastard, but the audience has an insight to him that maybe Kaz doesn’t even have himself. His issues don’t magically go away. He doesn’t have a Scrooge moment. He has his own set of principles and he stays by them, and what is so lovely is that the love interest accepts that. 

4. Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. Murder horses based on Irish/Scottish Mythology, and a horse race with said murder ponies. Need I say more?  

5. Book of Lost Things by John Connolly. This is going to sound weird as a recommendation, but this book is the book of fucking nightmares. I read it for a class on Ireland because we had to pick either a story about Ireland, takes place in Ireland, or was written by an Irish person. I read this in I think an afternoon and I didn’t sleep that night. Despite the main character being like 11 years old, I would never let a kid read it. It’s a dark, true-to-Grimms’-source fairy tale that is like the twisted version of the Chronicles of Narnia, and a psychological trip and a half. I loved it. It is a true fairy tale - the kid, David, mom dies in the first chapter, and David feels like he failed her because he’d developed this SEVERE OCD ritual that he believed would keep his mother alive (it obviously doesn’t), and his dad, months later, remarries and has a second child, whom David hates. The baby cries all the time, the young mother is preoccupied with a baby and no husband (he’s off fighting in WWII), and David is left to occupy himself most of the time. They move out of London because of the Blitz, to David’s mother’s family estate. It’s old, and creepy, and the garden seems like something is calling to him, that sets a dread in the pit of his stomach when he goes near it. Enter the Crooked Man, a man who offers to give David everything he wants if David tells him his brother’s name. David refuses, and that night, a German plane crashes in the garden, and it turns out, that’s the portal/wardrobe to another world, and David gets dragged into it. And it just goes from there. 

Thanks for the asks! They’re always fun! 

[adamsdoyle]

My girlfriend asked me to make her a list of works of fantasy and science fiction so should could feel keyed into references when they come up in conversation. She wanted to feel more grounded in these genres, which she likes, but hasnt made the effort to be on top of everything.

I was happy to compile the most important names, but told her it couldn’t be a short list because recognizing the works of today means honoring their origins, which goes way back into our past. 

What’s below is my best effort to include what I assess to be the most culturally relevant becoming, tempering my favorites, and trying to keep it from being totally overwhelming. I’ve left off works from the past five to ten years because it can take a span of time before we're aware the effects new ideas may have. Felt like sharing here in case you or your friends want a crash course on the bedrock of our imagined landscape. I do try to be globally aware, however this list will reflect my bias as a white, straight, male who grew up in the States. And as this is an ongoing conversation between her and myself, I wanted to be able to vouch for the contents.

-Key-

(Wiki)  Read up for cultural significance *         Personal Favorite +        Hugely influential ^        Non-Essential but worth listing

-Literature-

8,000 BC Aboriginal mythology (pre written language)

2,300 BC Egyptian & Chinese myths+

1,000 BC The Old Testament+

900 BC Greek myths, fables, and all the rest

300 BC - 1800 AD Folk and fairy tales+

1000 AD Beowulf (Wiki)

1100s Legend of King Arthur+ 1200s Norse mythology+

1300s The Inferno - Dante Alighieri+

1500s A Midsummer Night’s Dream - Shakespeare

1600s Paradise Lost*

1700s Gulliver’s Travels The Arabian Nights (Wiki)

1800s Faust Frankenstein* - Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly+ Grimm’s fairy tales+ (Wiki brothers, who collected folktales) The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde* Dracula - Bram Stoker+ Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll+ Flatland The Time Machine & War of the Worlds - HG Wells+ (godfather of SF) Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea - Jules Verne+ The Tell-Tale Heart - Edgar Allan Poe+

1900s Peter Pan - JM Barry The Comet - WEB Dubois Little Nemo in Slumberland - Winsor McCay The Book of Wonder - Lord Dunsany (less known now, he was highly influential in his time for fantasy & mythos) The Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka+ (Einstein’s Theory of Relativity) The Wizard of Oz - L. Frank Baum+ John Carter of Mars - (Wiki) Call of Cthulhu or The Outsider - HP Lovecraft+ Brave New World - Aldous Huxley (Teacher of Orwell https://bit.ly/2xayA23) 1984 - George Orwell+ Amazing Stories magazine - John Campbell+ (writer & editor)

After 1950 Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien+ Chronicles of Narnia* - CS Lewis I Am Legend - Richard Matheson (The first real zombie story. Also wrote for Twilight Zone) Childhood’s End - Arthur C Clarke+ I, Robot - Isaac Asimov+ Farenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury Funes the Memorious or The Garden of Forking Paths - Borges+ Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut Wizard of Earthsea or The Lathe of Heaven - Ursula LeGuin Stranger in a Strange Land - Robert Heinlein Dune Where the Wild Things Are - Maurice Sendak The Neverending Story* ^The Man in the High Castle Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? - (inspired Bladerunner) Philip K Dick+ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy A Wrinkle in Time The Stand - Stephen King+

After 1980 Invisible Cities - Italo Calvino Xanth series* Communion - (True account of alien abduction) Neuromancer - William Gibson+ Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton+ Snow Crash - Neal Stephenson Ender’s Game* - Orson Scott Card Parable of the Sower - Octavia Butler A Song of Ice & Fire - George RR Martin ^Hunger Games Harry Potter - JK Rowling+ Who Fears Death

-Comics/Superheroes-

-DC Comics- Superman (Wiki how he came to be) Wonder Woman (Wiki how she came to be or watch Professor Marston and the Wonder Women. Very interesting) Batman (and Joker) The Sandman - Neil Gaiman Watchmen* - Alan Moore+

-Marvel Comics- Spiderman* (Wiki how he came to be) X Men* Avengers (the hugely popular films all started with decades of comics) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles* Hellboy*

-Games- Dungeons & Dragons+ Magic the Gathering Netrunner

-Artists & Illustrators-

1100-1200 Anonymous monk’s illuminated manuscript creatures - https://bit.ly/2Ynytf7

1400s Hieronomous Bosch+ Leonardo DaVinci Michelangelo+ 1500s Arcimboldo

1800s Gustav Doré+ Howard Pyle JW Waterhouse

1900s Maxfield Parish NC Wyeth+ Sir John Tenniel Windsor McCay+ Arthur Rackham - fairy tales Jack Kirby - superhero comics Margaret Brundage - Weird Tales covers Picasso - Cubism Chesley Bonestell - space travel, integral to NASA Frank Frazetta MC Escher Heinrich Kley Sun Ra - Afrofuturist musician

After 1980 Jeff Easley - D&D Jim Lee - X Men Michael Whelan  H.R. Giger - Alien films Brian Froud  Syd Mead - design of Bladerunner & other films Roger Dean - album covers Jean Giraud aka Moebius Bill Waterson - Calvin & Hobbes Leo Dillon and Diane Dillon James Gurney - Dinotopia Alan Lee - Lord of the Rings Alex Ross - superheroes Chris Van Allsburg Mike Mignola - Hellboy Mary GrandPré - Harry Potter

-Radio-

1930s -1950s Flash Gordon War of the Worlds (Wiki Orson Welles’ radio hoax) Buck Rogers The Shadow and much more in the ensuing years, including adaptations of The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and The Hitchhiker’s Guide

-TV Shows-

After 1950s Twilight Zone - Rod Serling Lost in Space Star Trek - (Wiki) Gene Roddenberry Dr Who (Wiki) The Jetsons (Wiki) Cosmos - Carl Sagan+ (Science fact)

After 1980s Transformers Quantum Leap Twin Peaks - David Lynch (not really either genre but impact has been undeniable) Buffy the Vampire Slayer* - Joss Whedon X Files* Neon Genesis Evangelion

After 2000 Firefly - Joss Whedon Lost* - JJ Abrams Battlestar Galactica Black Mirror* Game of Thrones Westworld* - reboot of Michael Crichton 1970s film

-Films-

1900s King Kong (Wiki) The Wizard of Oz+ Fantasia- Disney+ Monster movies- Dracula, The Mummy, The Wolfman, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Frankenstein (Wiki)

After 1950 Godzilla+ (Wiki) Seven Samurai or Hidden Fortress - Akira Kurosawa+ (Not SF or fantasy but influential) The 7th Voyage of Sinbad - Special effects by Ray Harryhausen (Wiki) Invasion of the Body Snatchers 2001 A Space Odyssey - Stanley Kubrick+ (Wiki) Planet of the Apes Night of the Living Dead+ (Wiki) Superman #Star Wars Trilogy - George Lucas (owing to Joseph Campbell’s monomyth)+

After 1980 Bladerunner* - Ridley Scott ^Legend Mad Max series Alien or sequel Aliens Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind - Steven Spielberg+ ET Star Trek series Back to the Future Brazil - Terry Gilliam+ Tron+ Ghostbusters* Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure* The Princess Bride* Labyrinth* The Terminator & Terminator 2* - James Cameron+ Akira The Fifth Element Robocop Beetlejuice ^Nightmare Before Xmas* Jurassic Park - Steven Spielberg+ The City of Lost Children* The Iron Giant* 12 Monkeys Groundhog Day* The Sixth Sense Ghost in the Shell (1995 anime) Gattaca* Donnie Darko* Starship Troopers (tongue in cheek adaptation of Heinlein’s classic) The Matrix*

After 2000 Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon My Neighbor Totoro or Spirited Away - Hayao Miyazaki ^Underworld Minority Report Lord of the Rings Primer ^The Incredibles Shaun of the Dead*  Pan’s Labyrinth - Guillermo del Toro Moon* Marvel Cinematic Universe ^Idiocracy Inception* &/or Interseller - Christopher Nolan+

[tumortain]

arthur later that day talking to charlie in the blackout room:

[setokaibaisgxtra]

YuGiOh Voice Actors

I was losing my mind, watching YuGiOh 5D’s, looking up voice actors like every five minutes so I compiled a semi-thorough list to find them easily. (Just for Duel Monsters, GX, and 5D’s.) Putting most of this under the cut.

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

Protagonists:

(Duel Monsters) Yugi Muto/ Yami Yugi/ Pharaoh Atem - Dan Green (Jay Snyder) - His other roles include Timaeus and Trudge in Duel Monsters, Beauregard and Guardian of the Labyrinth (along with the Yugi Muto cameo) in GX, and Tetsu Trudge and Guard Robot in 5D’s. He reprises his role as Yugi Muto in all films.

(GX) Jaden Yuki - Matthew Charles - His other roles include Bob Banter, in GX. He reprises his role as Jaden Yuki in Bonds Beyond Time.

(5D’s) Yusei Fudo - Gregory Abbey (Frank Frankson or John Campbell) - His other roles include Tristan Taylor (after episode 11) and Jean-Claude Magnum in Duel Monsters, Damon in GX, and Hermann in 5D’s. He reprises his role as Yusei Fudo in Bonds Beyond Time and Tristan Taylor in Pyramid of Light (Yugioh The Movie) and The Dark Side of Dimensions.

Main Characters - Duel Monsters:

Joey Wheeler - Wayne Grayson (Vincent Penna Jr) - His other roles include Dartz, Shadi, Hermos, and Roland (for episodes 128 to 148), in Duel Monsters. In GX, he voices Syrus Truesdale, Lyman Banner, Elemental Hero Sparkman, Skull Knight, Pharaoh, Crystal Beast Emerald Tortoise, Alien of Light, and Roland (in episode 76). In 5D’s, he voiced Bolt Tanner, Jesse Wheeler, Grady, Dr. Fudo, Bashford, Dr. LeBlanc, Malcolm, and Robert Pearson. He reprised his role as Lyman Banner and voiced Solomon Muto in Bonds Beyond Time and The Dark Side of Dimensions. He reprised his role as Joey Wheeler in Pyramid of Light (Yugioh The Movie) and The Dark Side of Dimensions. He reprised his role as Shadi in The Dark Side of Dimensions

Tea Gardner - Amy Birnbaum - Her other roles include Bonz and Sam, in Duel Monsters. She reprised her role as Tea Gardner in Pyramid of Light (Yugioh The Movie) and The Dark Side of Dimensions.

Tristan Taylor - (episodes 1-10) Sam Riegel - He also voiced Para, Rex Raptor (until episode 145), and Arkana in Duel Monsters. He voices Radley in 5D’s. (episode 11-224) see Yusei Fudo

Seto Kaiba - Eric Stuart - His other roles include Priest Seto, Kemo, Sid, and Critias, in Duel Monsters. In GX, he voices Bastion Misawa, Titan, Para, Dox, Elemental Hero Avian, Ojama Black, and Kaibaman (along with some Seto Kaiba cameos). In 5D’s, his voices Sir Gil de Randsborg, Lug, Mr. Pitts, Sid Barlow, Sergio, Boss, and Ellsworth. He reprised his role as Seto Kaiba in Pyramid of Light (Yugioh The Movie) and The Dark Side of Dimensions.

Main Characters - GX:

Syrus Truesdale - see Joey Wheeler

Alexis Rhodes - (episodes 1-26) Priscilla Everett - Her other roles include Echo, in GX. (episodes 27-155) Anna Marrow (Emlyn Elizabeth Morinelli) - no notable other roles.

Chazz Princeton - (episodes 1-89) Anthony Salerno - His other roles include Rex Raptor (episode 188 to end) in Duel Monsters, Lorenzo in GX, and Lenny, Aero, and Haley in 5D’s. (episodes 90 to end) Marc Thompson - His other roles include Duke Devlin, Valen, Rafael, Gansley, Zigfried von Schroeder father, and Aknamkanon, in Duel Monsters. In GX, he voiced Sartyr, Burgundy, Dimitri, Prince Ojin, Franz, Orlando, Frost, young Kagemaru, Mr. Huffington, Skilled White magician, Mr. Stein, human Yubel, and The D. In 5D’s, he voices Z-one, Hunter Pace, Tenzen Yanagi, Sayer, Hideo, Roman Goodwin, Dr. Schmidt, Officer Kaz, Nicolas, Hanson, Don Piero, and Broder. He reprised his role as Duke Devlin in The Dark Side of Dimensions.

Main Characters - 5D’s:

Jack Atlas - Ted Lewis - His other roles include Ryou Bakura, Yami Bakura, Thief King Bakura, Bandit Keith, Alister, Croquet, young Odion, Richard Goat, and Gozaburo Kaiba (season 5), in Duel Monsters. In GX, he voiced Chumley Huffington, Admiral, Howard X Miller, and Neo-Spacian Grand Mole. In 5D’s, he voices Mitch, young Rex Goodwin, and fake Jack Atlas. He reprised his role as Jack Atlas in Bonds Beyond Time and Ryou Bakura in The Dark Side of Dimensions.

Akiza Izinski - Bella Hudson (Erica Schroeder) - Her other roles include Mai Valentine (season 4), Mana, and Dark Magician Girl, in Duel Monsters. In GX, she voices Camula, Sarina, Fonda Fontaine (until episode 60), Tania (after episode 148), and Dark Magician Girl. In 5D’s, she voices Rally Dawson, John, and Zora. She reprised her role as Akiza Izinski and Dark Magician Girl in Bonds Beyond Time.

Crow Hogan -  (episodes 30-93) Clay Adams (Christopher Adams) - His other roles include Reginald Van Howell III and Jesse Anderson, in GX. (episodes 94-136) Tom Wayland - His other roles include JIm Crocodile Cook in GX, and Breo, Lester, Syd, and young Aporia in 5D’s.

Leo & Luna - (episodes 9-64) Cassandra Morris - Her other roles include Alice and Yubel in GX. (episodes 65 to 136) Eileen Stevens - Her other roles include Sherry LeBlanc in 5D’s and Yubel in Bonds Beyond Time. She reprised her roles as Leo & Luna in Bonds Beyond Time.

Other Characters - Duel Monsters:

Solomon Muto - Maddie Blaustein (formerly [Dead Name]) - Her other roles include Shimon Muran and Zygor, in Duel Monsters. In GX, she voiced Sartorius, Taiyou Torimaki, and Kozaky. In 5D’s, she voiced Larry and Rex Goodwin. (in Bonds Beyond Time and The Dark Side of Dimensions) see Joey Wheeler

Mokuba Kaiba - (episodes 1-184) Tara Sands - She reprised the role as Mokuba Kaiba in The Dark Side of Dimensions. (episodes 185 - 224) Carrie Keranen - Her other roles include Kisara, in Duel Monsters, and Mina Simington and Misty Tredwell, in 5D’s.

Serenity Wheeler - Lisa Ortiz - Her other roles include Cinderella and Injection Fairy Lily, in Duel Monsters, and Toon Gemini Elf, in The Pyramid of Light (Yugioh The Movie). In GX, she voiced Mindy, Yasmin, Linda, Elemental Hero Burstinatrix, Claret, Ms. Dorothy, and Maiden in Love. In 5D’s, she voiced Barbara, Patty, and Claire.

Mai Valentine - (episodes 1-144) Megan Hollingshead - no notable other roles. (episodes 145-224) see Akiza Izinski

Ryou Bakura/Yami Bakura/Thief King Bakura - see Jack Atlas

Shadi - see Joey Wheeler

Rebecca Hawkins - Kerry Williams - Her other roles include Sadie, in GX.

Arthur Hawkins - Mike Pollock - His other roles include Jean Louis Bonaparte, in GX.

Duke Devlin - see Chazz Princeton

Ishizu Ishtar - Karen Neil - no notable other roles.

Marik Ishtar/Yami Marik - Jonathan Todd Ross - His other roles include Strings, in Duel Monsters, and Slade Princeton and Jagger Princeton, in GX.

Odion - Michael Alston Baley (J. David Brimmer) - His other roles include Shada, in Duel Monsters.

Maximillion Pegasus - Darren Dunstan - His other roles include Witty Phantom and Funny Bunny, in Duel Monsters. In GX, he voices Adrian Gecko, Abidos the Third, and Don Zaloog (along with the several Pegasus cameo appearances). In 5D’s, he voices Andre. He reprises his role as Maximillion Pegasus in Bonds Beyond Time.

Weevil Underwood - Jimmy Zoppi (James Carter Cathcart) - His other roles include Dr. Grossfield and Hobson, in Duel Monsters.

Rex Raptor - (episodes 1-144) see Tristan Taylor. (episodes 145-187) Sebastian Arcelus - His other roles include Espa Roba in Duel Monsters, and Marcel Bonaparte in GX.  (episodes 188-224) see Chazz Princeton

Mako Tsunami - Andrew Rannells - His other roles include Noah Kaiba and Leon von Schroeder, in Duel Monsters. In GX, he voiced young Zane Truesdale, Wheeler, and Belowski. He voices Toby Tredwell, in 5D’s.

Bandit Keith - see Jack Atlas

Bonz - see Tea Gardner

Gozaburo Kaiba - David Wills - His other roles include Nesbitt, Seeker, Mr. Ishtar, and Roland (other than episodes 128-148), in Duel Monsters. In GX, he voiced Tyranno Hassleberry, Chancellor Sheppard, Kagemaru, and Lucien Grimley. In 5D’s, he voiced Tank, Mr. Armstrong, Lawton, and Dragan. (season 5) see Jack Atlas

Dartz - see Joey Wheeler

Rafael - see Chazz Princeton

Valon - see Chazz Princeton

Alister - see Jack Atlas

Zigfried von Schroeder - Oliver Wyman (Pete Zarustica) - His other roles include Dr. Alex Brisbane, Alexander the Great, Aknadin, and Akhenaden, Duel Monsters. In GX, he voiced Aster Phoenix, Brier, Neo-Spacian Aqua Dolphin, and Guardian of the Labyrinth's Shield. In 5D’s, he voiced Alex.

Mana/Dark Magician Girl - see Akiza Izinski

Mahad/Dark Magician - Michael Sinterniklaas - His other roles include Jakob and Torunka in 5D’s. He reprised his role as Dark Magician in Bonds Beyond Time.

Akhenaden - see Zigfried von Schroeder

Karim - Marc Diraison - His other roles include Sergei Ivanoff and young Solomon Muto in Duel Monsters, Chancellor Foster in GX, and Commander Koda and Kalin Kessler in 5D’s.

Kisara - see Mokuba Kaiba

Other Characters - GX:

Bastion Misawa - see Seto Kaiba

Zane Truesdale - Scottie Ray (Scott Rayow) - His other roles include Devack, in 5D’s.

Dr. Vellian Crowler - Sean Schemmel - His other roles include Bobasa in Duel Monsters. In GX, he voiced Ojama Yellow, Elemental Hero Neos, Neo-Spacian Dark Panther, Mr. Phoenix, Mathematica, Mad Dog, Doctor Collector, Thelonious Viper, Crystal Beast Cobalt Eagle, Trapper, Elroy Prescot, Sky Scout, Guardian Baou, and Chaos Sorcerer. In 5D’s, he voiced Geiger, the MC, ZigZix, Rudolph Heitmann, and Hans. He voiced Paradox in Bonds Beyond Time.

Blair Flannigan - Lisa Jacqueline - no other notable roles

Professor Lyman Banner - see Joey Wheeler

Chancellor Sheppard - see Gozaburo Kaiba

Chumley Huffington - (episodes 1-50) see Zigfried von Schroeder. (episode 85) see Crow Hogan

Ms. Dorothy - see Serenity Wheeler

Atticus Rhodes/Nightshroud - Jason Griffith (Adam Caroleson) - His other roles include Osamu and Harrington Rosewood, in GX. In 5D’s, he voiced Bruno/Vizor, Primo, Aporia, Taka, Shira, and Ghost.

Jean-Louis Bonaparte - see Arthur Hawkins

Aster Phoenix - see Zigfried von Schroeder

Tyranno Hassleberry - see Gozaburo Kaiba

Adrian Gecko - see Maximillion Pegasus

Echo - see Alexis Rhodes

Jesse Anderson - see Crow Hogan

Axel Brodie - Duane Cooper - no other notable roles

Jim Crocodile Cook - see Crow Hogan

Sartorius - see Solomon Muto

Sarina - see Akiza Izinski

Yubel - see Leo & Luna

Thelonious Viper - see Dr. Vellian Crowler

Other Characters - 5D’s:

Mina Simington - see Mokuba Kaiba

Tetsu Trudge - see Yugi Muto

Carly Carmine - Veronica Taylor - Her other voice roles include Kenta and Chris, in Duel Monsters. In GX, she voices Crystal Beast Amethyst Cat, Dark Scorpion - Meanae the Thorn, Princess Rose, and Fonda Fontaine (episodes 53-155). In 5D’s, she voices Ancient Fairy Dragon and Haluna.

Misty Tredwell - see Mokuba Kaiba

Rex Goodwin - see Solomon Muto

Lazar - Gary Mack - no other notable roles

Rally Dawson - see Akiza Izinski

Sayer - see Chazz Princeton

Greiger - see Dr. Vellian Crowler

Sherry LeBlanc - see Leo & Luna

Kalin Kessler - see Karim

Roman Goodwin - see Chazz Princeton

Devack - see Zane Truesdale

Dr. Fudo - see Joey Wheeler

Aporia - see Atticus Rhodes

Jakob - see Mahad

Lester - see Crow Hogan

Primo - see Atticus Rhodes

Bruno/Vizor - see Atticus Rhodes

[rhaenyratargeryn]

Salt air, and the rust on your door I never needed anything more Whispers of "Are you sure?" "Never have I ever before"

Dakota Blue's Insta from @bodycountgame

[brightburner]

happy returns

body count - Arthur Campbell x MC | rating: T for tender thirsty | summary: A glass of wine, a cigarette and silence was the cure for any Campbell family gathering—until Arthur discovered something better | notes: I’m feeling holiday stress already and so I wanted to write a fluffy piece with just a bit of spice for my favorite posh grumpy man.

***

There was moment after the suitcases dropped to the foyer floor, coats still on and the chill of the wind still clinging to their skin where Arthur would just take in a breath and stand still— silent. Greeting the quiet of their empty flat with the tenderness that one reserved for a dear friend.

Coats and shoes were kicked off in a forgotten pile at the door— now was not the time for unpacking, but for rest. The kind of rest holidays were meant to be about, but rarely ever will until the door clicked behind you, the rabble of family a distancing memory.

You weren’t offended when Arthur simply crossed the space toward the living room and unceremoniously collapsed into the sofa. Slouching, legs spread, head lulled against the back of the sofa as he took in another breath and let it go, leaving behind only silence.

You had learned a long time ago to let him have this moment to himself— to even enjoy it yourself. That time to reacclimatize to your “home” self, looser and calmer and comfortable. He would join you later upstairs, his breath smelling faintly of wine and cigarettes before he curled up next to you and slept.

The best thing you could do was fade off into the kitchen, uncork a bottle of wine and pour a glass. No decanter. No ceremony. You came around to him and offered the glass, his eyes half-lidded and his expression unreadable as he reached up and took it.

You turned to go, but this time something happened that had not happened before.

“Stay.” Arthur breathed, lifting the word just barely to make it appear a question when it was certainly not conceived as such. He handed off his glass to his other hand, resting his arm across the back of the sofa, palm upturned towards you.

You sat next to him, tucked your legs beneath you and curled against his side. Arthur’s arm came around you then, loose and gentle, the back of his knuckles running up and down your spine. He smelled good—just quintessentially him. That unique smell from clothes worn all day—sweat and washing powder and the crisp, familiar scent of his cologne.

You couldn’t help but feel warmed, not just from the heat of him but from being asked for. Being a part of this moment that he spent so often alone. Arthur rubbed his chin against your forehead and took in another deep breath, chest rising beneath your palm. You sought out the open V where he had undone a few buttons already, wiggling free another and another until you could slide your hand in and across the bare skin of his chest.

“That’s highly distracting…” he said, voice a low rumble.

“That isn’t a ‘stop’.” You teased, enjoying the feel of a small smile against your temple. He took in another breath and sat up. You drew your hand back, concern flashing just for a moment over your face until Arthur sat his still full glass on the coffee table and leaned back again.

The back of your neck fit against his palm, directing you to turn your face upward and to the side as he pressed a kiss, slow and indulgent, to your lips. You parted them, a quiet moan muffled into his mouth as he licked at your tongue, coaxing you to respond in kind. It wasn’t long before he was dropping kisses across your jaw, his breath hot on your skin, his voice husky against your ear.

“Put your hand back in my shirt.”

[rhaenyratargeryn]

( Arthur Campbell x Dakota Blue aesthetic

from @bodycountgame ) Oh, we're dancin' in my livin' room, and up come my fists And I say I'm only playing, but the truth is this That I've never seen a mouth that I would kill to kiss And I'm terrified, but I can't resist

[rhaenyratargeryn]

title: the rise and fall of the house of soup

rating: T for terrible puns

fandom: Body Count (IF)

pairing: Arthur x f!mc

summary: an idea I got of how I imagine a meeting with Arthur’s parents might go based on this ask! And also incorporating my own headcanon silliness from discord 😂

notes: don’t ask me how to write this man, I simply am borrowing him and thus his reactions are probably totally wrong hdhebsbsa

—

Your motivation had been simple.

Should the dinner go well and should Arthur’s parents approve of you, they would be less likely to toss his “association” with “that young woman” in his face. You knew well enough you were a topic of contention that had yet to fully be brought to the forefront, Arthur sidestepping the conversation through strategic avoidance.

You’d been together nearly three years and had never met his parents. There were plenty of excuses especially with your work. There had been the writing of the book and then the publishing of the book and now there were tours and signings and last week HBO had even reached out to discuss possibly buying series rights.

It was a wonder what some experience could do for a thriller-horror writer and you considered this dinner just another furthering of your knowledge in that regard.

Arthur had reluctantly helped pick out an outfit that would garner his parents’ approval. Had coached you on topics to stay away from, topics to simply nod and agree and other pointers. Some of them already had you clenching your teeth in silent indignation, but you did your best to keep your spirits up.

The night of, your designer (but not too mainstream designer) outfit was pristine and ready. You stepped out on soft, stocking feet into the kitchen just in time to hear the ending of a terse, quite conversation. Arthur was flipping his phone around and around between his fingers, no doubt wishing to replace it with a cigarette. Talking to his parents always brought out the otherwise non-existent craving.

“Was that French onion?” You asked neutrally. It was perhaps low-hanging fruit to have named each and every Campbell a type of soup based on how much you disliked them, but— well. There it was.

“My father.” Arthur said, his nose wrinkled as he pressed his thumb and index finger against the bridge of his nose.

Ugh. Cream of Celery.

“Reminding us of when ‘dinner will be served’ again?” You said, mocking the posh lit of his father’s accent very poorly.

Arthur’s scowl was answer enough, “… is it too late for one of us to suddenly become dreadfully ill?”

“Probably.” You replied, coming around to slide your arms around his middle from behind, cheek pressed against his back, “I could always pretend to get a call. No one understands what happens with publishing anyway.”

“No, I—. It will be fine.” Arthur said, his voice clipped. Despite your touch, he was still tense, muscles coiled and taunt as if he were prepared to flee.

“Well, if someone pulls out a puzzle box full of cards, I’m drawing the line.”

Your attempt to lighten the mood by comparing his family to a satanic cult earned you one half-hearted scoff. Regardless, his hand came up to settle over the one you had pressed against his chest and he drew it up to press a kiss to the back.

“Shall we?” He said with all the eagerness of a man being led to the gallows.

—

Of course they were the sort to have “drinks” before dinner. Arriving at the Campbell home you did your best not to seem too impressed by the lavishly decorated foyer and halls. It looked like it would have some sort of name from a BBC drama— like Downton Abbey or Thornfield Hall. You kept such observations to yourself as someone took your coat and led the two of you to a back room where Arthur’s parents were waiting.

Arthur was wrapped up in his usual defenses, but his palm on your lower back as he guided you through the hall was both reassuring and seeking of reassurance. Mr. and Ms. Campbell had pleasant, tight smiles on their faces as he introduced you, smiles tightening only further at the mere sound of your own accent.

You were ushered to sit on a small sofa with Ms. Campbell (French onion), passing one last soft touch over Arthur’s arm before you left his side.

“Something to drink?” Cream of Cel—Mr. Campbell said, the overt way he pronounced each syllable of your name making it sound not much like your name at all and more like a veiled criticism against your parents for picking it.

“Yes, sherry please.” You replied, eyes catching Arthur’s for a moment and noting the subtle approving dip of his head. Even what drink you should request for the aperitif was a planned performance. Mr. Campbell made a vague sound of affirmation as Ms. Campbell requested the same.

“What a lovely dress, is it Chanel?” Ms. Campbell began, the chess piece touched, the first opening move made.

“No.” You countered with a small smile.

“Don’t tell me, I’ll get it— Prada—no. Givenchy?”

You shook your head, smiling as Mr. Campbell handed you a glass of sherry and you sipped at it demurely before answering, “Cavalli.”

“Ah. I might have known.” Ms. Campbell said and you noted there was perhaps even a genuine sparkle of interest now in her eyes where before there had been plainly veiled disdain.

“Your lady knows her brands, Arthur. Which is good that one of you knows how to dress properly. Arthur will just toss on any old off-season shirt and be done with it.”

Mr. Campbell made a chortling sound of agreement, which you assumed was some kind of laugh. Arthur said nothing and sipped thinly at his own drink.

“Perhaps you can whip him into shape?”

“Funny, it was Arthur who picked out this dress for me.” You said, smile not reaching your eyes as you slid your hand over the soft fabric. Having her compliment redirected to her son had the small sparkle snapping out of Ms. Campbell’s eyes faster than you could say Chunky Hearty Cheeseburger Soup.

French onion, sweetie, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry I ever compared you to this woman.

Was the one thought that had your smiling into your sherry. Maybe you’d been a bit too hasty in your soup designations. The conversation travels between topics that Arthur had already prepared your answers for. All you needed to do was say them with firm, opinionated certainty that they were right and correct and wait for the Campbell’s to hum their increasing approval.

All in all, things were going well. They had even begun to thaw somewhat, though not to an amount you would have called anything but barely congenial.

“Ah—I remember now.” Ms. Campbell said, her eyes turning over your appearance, “This dress is from the winter collection from last year.”

You could tell by the tone of her voice points were being deducted, but it somehow didn’t seem to be you she was scoring. You didn’t even know if this dress was from last year—you didn’t really care. Arthur however gave one small squirm that had you thinking her observation must have been true.

“Would have been more appropriate to pick something a bit more closer to this season, wouldn’t it? He always is glossing over the finer details. Next time you need a dress for dinner I will give you my girl’s number. She is a godsend and would have never let you walk out of the house with those heels and those accessories. How blithely he’s matched them…”

Mr. Campbell made that same strange mirthless laugh, “You would think after that expense of your education you would be inclined towards thinking of the whole picture.”

Arthur simply took every small barb in stride, his features cool and indifferent. It had been like this all night.

“Though I’m sure by now you’ve dealt long enough with his heedlessness.” Mr. Campbell said, throwing the ball into your court to serve an insult of your own if you wished.

“I must confess to being deficient when it comes to women’s fashion.” Arthur said simply, tilting his glass back and forth and watching the contents swirl side to side.

“Only in women’s fashion?” His father added, his tone edged and yet another chuckle slid in to mask the obvious insult as a jest.

Death by a thousand cuts. That is what this was. Instead of serving to be his shield, you felt you were being asked to join in— encouraged to belittle Arthur. To bemoan him as careless, indifferent and thoughtless. To confirm the poor opinion these two cans of chunky hearty cheeseburger bullshit carried as the final test of your worthiness in their eyes.

But he wasn’t any of those things. He wasn’t.

Your fingers curled around the stem of your glass and you willed forward your resolve to tip it up to your lips and drain the contents in one quick gulp. The glass clicked as you set it on the immaculate, unused coffee table which you suspected was purely ornamental.

“He does certainly spend more time taking me out of clothes then putting me in them.” You said glibly, turning to flash Ms. Campbell a winning smile. The woman blanched, your words, hardly even scratching the surface of the crudeness you were capable of taking her off guard.

You stood and waltzed around to the drink cart, digging around in the contents until you found a bottle of champagne.

“Dom Perignon?” You said, a protest forming and dying on his father’s lips as you carelessly popped the top, “Dom mind if I do.”

You poured yourself a generous glass, topping off to the very tip of the sherry cup. Arthur was half poised, half out of his seat, staring at you with what could only be described as—horror? Confusion? Or simply incredulous delight?

You came to sit back on the sofa with an undignified plop, bottle still in hand and ready to top of your glass the moment it became a tiny bit empty.

“Now I don’t know about you two—“ you said, smacking your lips, “But I for one, think Brexit is possibly the dumbest fucking thing I’ve ever heard of.”

—

You did not make it to dinner.

You did not make it passed drinks.

One bottle of Dom Perignon and a near shouting match that had Cream of Celery half way towards “Tomato” and an hour or so later you were being carefully, tenderly ushered back into the flat you shared with Arthur.

You giggled and leaned heavily into Arthur’s arms, taking in the expensive, citrusy scent of his cologne, “I’m going to have three-hundred dollar wee.”

“…is that a declaration or a warning?”

“You’resofunny,” You slurred, voice still somehow a coo as you rolled back unto your feet, heels long since abandoned in the front seat of Arthur’s car, “You smell so good and you didn’t let me fall over that last step and—and—“

Your eyes stung as your turned your face up to meet his own bewildered expression.

“And I like you so much. So much. You’re fuckin’ perfect.”

It was around then that you burst into tears right there in the doorway. Hot angry tears that would have, if you were more sober, mortified you for Arthur to witness. He hadn’t spoken much at all since you left his parents and you found you couldn’t tell if he was angry or ashamed or embarrassed by your behavior—but despite that, the arms around you were gentle and firm, if a bit hesitant and stiff.

He pressed a kiss into the top of your head.

“I don’t want them to ever like me. I want them to shudder at the very thought of my being on the same island as them!” You declared, “I’m going to make their lives so miserable they won’t have time to even think about you. I’m gonna make those high tory fucks hate my guts!”

It was around then you realized Arthur was shaking, his shoulders jerking up and down as he did his best to repress—laughter?

“I’m serious!”

And he laughed aloud. Bursting free of all that tension he had been carrying for days. The dark cloud finally pouring out its rain. He shook his head, stared at you as if you were some beautiful, otherworldly and foreign thing. Arthur took your face into his hands and held you still as he kissed you—senselessly, endlessly… until the champagne in your blood stream wasn’t the only thing making you dizzy and warm.

“I believe you.” He murmured against your lips, his thumb brushing across your cheek, “You positively mad, unbelievable, insufferable—“

And then he sealed off his own words by kissing you again.

“I thought the plan was to simply smile and nod your way through dinner…” Arthur said, clearly confused underneath his amusement at the night’s events, “You were doing well enough.”

“They kept pecking you. Peck, peck—like little cocks.” You murmured, nestling back into the circle of his arms and happy to find yourself warmly received. A rarity.

“It wasn’t even that bad.”

“… I’m callin’ them. I’m callin’ um right now and startin’ in on Boris.”

Arthur laughed again and you wondered how long it had been since his parents’ had ever heard this laugh. Relaxed and open and unrestrained.

It didn’t matter. They didn’t deserve to.

“You need to eat something and get some sleep.”

You mumbled your agreements and then after a moment added, “…s’weird that I kinda want soup?”

Arthur smiled—the soft one, the one reserved for private moments like this where only your eyes could see the gentleness in his own.

“I suppose I could bring you up some soup.”

“Chicken noodle.” You said with a resolute nod, openly taking advantage of his generous mood. He tucked a strand of your hair out of your face and behind your ear, gently taking the edge of it between his fingers and rubbing until you made a pleased sound.

“I’ll see if we have any.”

“That’s you. Chicken noodle. Classic, cozy, warm—delicious.” You added suggestively if only to hide the tenderness of your words before, spoken soft and low between you.

Arthur didn’t say anything but his brows furrowed together and for a moment you worried you’d offended him by gracing him with his own soupy nickname, but instead he kissed you again half so sweetly you couldn’t help but moan into his parted lips.

Maybe you would never earn his parent’s approval, but you were fairly certain neither one of you cared. Because all that mattered was you, him— us. No others required.

[brightburner]

honest feelings & bad timing

body count - arthur campbell x f!mc (dakota blue) | rating: T | summary: nothing says drama like honesty and bad-timing | notes: aka, arthur and mc are apart after a fight and mc is the first to let their walls break down. | tropes: established relationships, post-canon, making-up, hurt/comfort, confessions

*** Her bed felt too big, too wide. A vast plain of sheets and pillows— a place she could so easily get lost.

Three days.

No text. No call. No words between them since the bitter ones that still rang, cruel and sharp in her thoughts.

It was like that sometimes. He would snap, she would snap and before long they were circling each other like wolves, eyeing for weaknesses— defending their own. That was what happened when two people who had learned too young of a love that was only pain—love that was biting, family tearing off bits of yourself, mouthful by mouthful.

It was easy to think of every soft word as a deception. Every gentle confession a lie meant to lower your defenses and make you slip, make you believe.

Maybe this time I won’t get hurt. Maybe this time I’ll belong.

Maybe this time they’ll love me without teeth.

She sat up in bed, eyes red-rimmed and the breath she used to clear her throat soggy. She fished her phone out from under the covers, flipped through the sad woe-is-me playlists and the comfort videos of cats and opened the phone app.

Arthur 🍲💕

She stared at his name and felt in that moment as if she were standing on the percipience of the end or the beginning of something. If she set down her phone, if she didn’t take this chance, then that night might well become another night of regrets, lost ‘what ifs’—another she pushed away because she was afraid to put herself out there.

He might reject her. He might ignore her. But in the end, the only thing she could control was what she did and what she wanted.

And what she wanted, was not to regret one second of him.

She cleared her throat one more time, took a deep breath and dialed. It was the middle of the afternoon on a week day so she wasn’t surprised when the line rang and rang… eventually depositing her into his voicemail.

Maybe it was cowardly, but it made it easier, speaking into the silence. She could pretend for a minute that the words she spoke were to no one at all.

“It’s me,” she began, already reaching a pause…and then she just— let go. Stepped off the edge.

“… I turned out liking you a lot more than I planned.” She laughed, soft and quiet, “Spent a lot of time alone after the last fiasco. You know the one. Lots of… pointless flings and just endless dead ends cause you’re— you’re just always looking for what… what you give, yeah? That’s the hardest part. Finding someone who matches that. And we’ve done alright. ‘Cracking on’ and…and just keeping it…”

Fuck she was going to cry. Her voice was breaking, wavering on the words she could never imagine saying to his face. Could never imagine letting him see, open and vulnerable, always afraid of a scoff or a dismissal. A roll of his eyes.

“…we have a problem. Cause you see, I want to sleep in your stupid shirts and I want to hold your stupid hand. And it turns out I can say ‘good fuckin’ riddance’ to everyone, I’ve done it a hundred times— but not you. Not you.”

And there it was.

“…talk about ‘honest feelings and bad-timing’, yeah? But I was thinking maybe just this once more. Once more. You and me. One last jump. So here it goes.”

She exhaled.

“I like you so much. And… and it scares me. It scares me because it’s just always gonna be there. You could do anything and it wouldn’t fuckin’ matter. I’d still love you.” She pushed on, words coming faster, “I was scared you’d see it. Use it against me. Fuck, even if you did, I don’t think I’d care as long as I got to be with you.”

She swallowed thickly, “So now you know.”

And there was more she wanted to say, more her thoughts were flickering, spiraling through her mind but then the robotic voice of the messaging system politely asked if she was satisfied with her message— Press one to save. Press two to rerecord.

…There was no way in hell she was saving that message. It was nauseatingly sentimental and excessively romantic and how the hell was she ever going to be able to look him in the eyes again when they had avoided practically every “feelings” conversation possible?

She groaned and tapped the screen of her phone against her forehead.

Beep.

She froze. Heart hammering, blood rushing in her ears as she drew the phone back just in time to watch the app close and fall back to her screen.

Oh no.

Oh no.

Oh nonononono no.

—

She felt like she was going to be sick the rest of the day. Half wanting to keep her phone on out of anticipation for the inevitable reply and half wanting to shove the thing down the fuckin’ toilet and flush until some magic happened and the day simply reset.

But she needed her phone still for important things, like ordering takeout for when she sat herself in front of the tube and binge watched Audrey Hepburn movies and told herself she was crying because Cat was lost in the rain or because Gregory Peck couldn’t be with the princess and not because she had literally just poured her ever loving soul out to a man who had never even told her he liked her out loud.

Fucking hell.

She ordered an Uber Eats to stop and get her a pint of ice cream, willing to shell out the driver fee and tip so she could live in her pity cave for the foreseeable future. When the door buzzed, she wiped her eyes furiously (it was the goodbye scene in Roman Holiday playing in the background, a fitting enough excuse) and grabbed a wad of cash to tip.

“I’m coming!” She chirped in false pep, popping open the lock and swinging the door open as she counted out a few bills for the man who stood in the hall with a shopping bag in his hand.

She stopped before she even counted past “one”, eyes drawing up to a pair as wary and familiar as her own.

Arthur lifted up the bag, her ice cream plainly inside.

“Caught him in the lobby.” He said neutrally, “Told him I was headed up already.”

“… thank you?”

Arthur nodded, dropping his arm back to his side. And now there was nothing— nothing but the sound of the rising music of the film in the background and the deep furrow in his brow as Arthur just—stared at her. As if he were searching for something. As if he could divine an answer from her face alone.

He did this too often. Trying to talk without speaking. So did she.

Until now.

“Do you wanna come in?”

A single nod.

So she moved aside and let him in.

“…look, I—” she started, already feeling like she took up too much space, like she was too— open. Vulnerable. Arthur had stopped, was staring at her again, breath coming suddenly a bit sharper. Was she sorry? Sorry she called? Sorry she said what she did? She didn’t mean it? She was just sad and lonely and didn’t want to lose the convenience of him?

And suddenly it is like she hears it. Hears every single thing Arthur has never said. Has never asked. She’d asked him to take this last jump with her. She’d asked him to collapse with her, all but promising, promising— it would be the last time either of them had to fall.

“—I meant every word.”

He flinched, words tumbling out in a hoarse whisper.

“You did?”

“I do.”

“…Oh.”

He didn’t return the words she said over the phone then and weirdly— she didn’t mind.

“You eat yet?’ She said with a nod towards where the take-out boxes are strewn over her coffee table. He made a face, just slightly.

“It’s pretty good. I mean, I’m definitely not gonna twist your arm. More for me and all.”

“… alright.”

Sorry, what? Did Arthur Campbell just? Accept a recommendation on food from her? Not wanting to risk upsetting the equilibrium of the universe further by arguing, she turned and gathered up the boxes and moved to the small dining table. Arthur was already grabbing plates, reminding her again of how accustomed he was to her place.

And now they were sitting. Spooning out portions of what was arguably, the best Middle Eastern food she had had on this island and just— having dinner. Having dinner like nothing had changed.

And then, slowly, tentatively, Arthur rest his arm on the table, palm up. An offering.

I want to hold your stupid hand.

She took it, felt her heart pang, sharp and painful when his fingers curled snuggly over hers. He dragged his thumb over the tops of her knuckles in a slow, soothing path.

“… I like you.” He said, words pressed out as if his jaw were fighting against him, working to keep them gritted inside, “I like you too.”

He’s flushed pink from his cheeks up to his ears, keeping his eyes locked on their hands and only risking one tiny flicker of a glance up to her face.

“Me too.” she confirmed again, and he nodded his understanding. She nodded back.

“I’m sorry for the other night.” she said and felt his hand squeeze her own gently just once.

“Me too.” His voice is quiet, strained. And she knows—knows it is all difficult and strange and frightening because she feels it too.

His eyes wander over to her small TV, his eyes lighting with recognition.

“Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” he said, and you noted the next queued up film had started, Audrey Hepburn drinking her coffee outside the famous shop window.

“Yep.”

A beat.

“You wanna watch it with me?”

He doesn’t make the ‘face’, only gives a small shrug.

“I could stay for a bit.”

They move to the sofa, sitting side by side, but only touching where they have to, confined by the size of the small loveseat. It isn’t until Arthur drew his arm along the back of the sofa that she curled her legs up and nestled next to him. Lets her eyes droop as she takes in a deep breath and just-- feels how warm he is. How comfortable. Familiar in a way that no one else could be given everything they had gone through. Everything that had happened.

The movie plays on and quietly, Arthur said, “I… I had planned to break up with you.”

She knew that. She knew it, even if they both were playing pretend, acting like they didn’t already know the truth.

They’d gotten together so fast. Everything had happened so fast. Before they had even had a chance to even really know each other. There was attraction to start-- physical and emotional. And then there came this intense camaraderie that only two people who went through the same trauma could feel. Take that away and what did they really know about each other? What did they really feel?

“And now?” she asked, knowing the answer already. Regretting it. Hating it just as much as she knows he must, but also accepting it.

Arthur doesn’t answer. His arm curled tighter around her and his chest shudders on a breath. She does him the favor of not looking at his face.

“... stay until the credits. Just… sit with me until the end. Then you can go.” she said, a lifeline tossed out for him. Hell, for herself.

Arthur doesn’t say yes— but he doesn’t move to leave either.

---

She woke up slowly and then all at once, groggy and disoriented and a crick in her neck from resting against Arthur’s side. It takes her a moment to recognize the movie has changed, the costumes suddenly befitting a period drama and the sets gilded and gorgeous.

I want to discover why men go to war, and what they really say deep in their hearts when they pray.

The man in the movie insists,

I want to discover what men and women feel when they say they love.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s was long over.

The movie was over and Arthur was still there.

She lifted herself up, turned to look at him, to see if he had simply fallen asleep and instead was greeted with the sight of him— staring right back at her. His throat bobbed as he swallowed, his expression fierce… hiding a hesitance. An uncertainty.

And then, silently, she lay back down against him— shut her eyes when his fingers soothed through her hair. She rubbed her cheek into his chest, nestled in hard and then relaxed once more.

[brightburner]

sharing

body count - Arthur Campbell x f!mc (Dakota Blue) | rating: T for "That's my sweater." | prompt: “Is that my shirt?” “You mean our shirt?” & “You’re an idiot.” “But you love me.”| post canon, established relationships, fluff with a lil spice

*** “Is that my sweater?”

And there it was. The delicious indignation and muted outrage at seeing what was, admittedly, a very expensive Loro Piana sweater tied around Dakota’s waist… paired nicely with a t-shirt and jean shorts that had probably come from the GAP at best. ASDA at worst. She’d been waiting for him to notice since she strode into the living room.

“You mean our sweater.”

“You are stretching the arms out.” Arthur took no time to address her claim, chin lifted slightly, nose in the air. Dakota could make faces too, which she does, rolling her eyes and untying the arms only to begin rolling up the sweater to tug over her head.

“Do take it off, please.” Arthur says, but the ‘please’ comes out more or less like a ‘right now’ than an actual please.

“I wanna wear it! It’s honestly your fault for always smelling so damn good. Makes me snuggly.” she says, face obscured and her voice muffled by the fabric.

When she pops her head out at last she notes the highpoint of Arthur’s cheeks are pinker, his expression— startled? Flattered? She can’t be sure.

“You’re an idiot.” Arthur says, with all the gruff fondness of a man who has grown used to her antics. He means it more than he should, but less than he used to. So still, progress. And it is enough to make her smile, bright and open and far too cheery.

“But you love me.” Dakota bites back, only pausing after the words are already said. Floating there in-between them, a sentiment previously unsaid and thus unconfirmed by either party. If ever there was a time she could eat her words, Dakota wishes she could now, watching the way Arthur arches a brow at them. His lips part faintly and after a moment his only answer is to click his tongue against the roof of his mouth and look at some point over her shoulder.

“… just try not to dribble on it.”

It isn’t a denial.

“I’m not a child.” She pouts, but then smiles at her victory, tugging the collar of the sweater up over her nose, blue eyes peering at him as the rest of her face was tucked behind the soft fabric.

“You’re acting like one.” He says, but there is no fight in the words, only resignation. Dakota swears she sees just the barest flicker of a smile that he desperately tries to put out.

“Nuh uh.”

The retort is meant to both prove his statement and defy it, a contradiction that Dakota knows will have him giving her another one of his “looks”. Because he knows that she knows that he knows what she is trying to do— and on and on the stalemate goes.

Maybe you should incentivize good behavior, she said to him once. A statement that still holds weight now— and by the way his expression changes, his reluctant smile turning into a triumphant one as he crossed the room towards her, Dakota knows he remembers.

And he knows she knows.

A tiny imperceptible shiver runs up her spine as his hands go to her waist, drawing up beneath the hem of his sweater and her t-shirt in tandem to trace his fingertips just barely across her bare skin. The touch is so light, so fleeting and yet it burns her like a brand. Searing.

She feels it arc up her neck straight to her cheeks.

“…I suppose I could take it off.” She muses, running her hands up his forearms, “...If I had a good reason.”

“No.” Arthur says after a moment and when she looks up at him with a confused furrow in-between her brows he gives her one of his rarer “looks”. The one he wears when he knows he has won and it is only a matter of time before she does to.

“Leave it on.”

Dakota tilts her head.

“Only it.”

Oh.

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breakup!: the playlist songs for a post-break up Arthurmancer because I like pain. (template)

[rhaenyratargeryn]

Dakota made a valiant effort to get some D and was D-NIED instead.