#considering i picked them up from a discount store

[arithmeticanimaniac]

i got some of those colorful pimple patches and while they’ve pulled some lingering stares from older people, they have brightened up my existence considerably

[shibaraki]

HOW SWEET IT IS ┊ MIDORIYA IZUKU

tags: GN reader, strangers to possible lovers, pro hero deku, loneliness, meet cute, valentines day chocolate, fluffy fluff, DEKU I LOVE YOU

wc: 1.4k

You expected other loners and late night finishers. Maybe even the odd husband that had supposedly forgotten that it was Valentine’s Day, despite the city being drenched in pink for weeks leading up to it.

What you hadn’t expected to find by the clearance shelves was the number three hero, Deku.

Though his built frame was imposing by nature the man somehow managed to shrink into himself. He’s all wrapped up, burrowing into his collar, hidden by the fabric pulled over his eyes. You catch the wisps of green stubbornly curling out from beneath the hood, dull in the cheap fluorescent light. You can hardly recognise him. That was likely the point.

Deku is widely known and revered as a symbol of peace. Thus, you are used to the sight of his back; broad and sturdy, standing upright, never yielding under pressure. It’s unsettling to see him now, wilting and shrouded in such palpable loneliness.

The atmosphere is thick with it. Enough that people avoid him, sparing a sympathetic smile as they turn their carts to the opposite aisle. Nobody knows who he is, you realise.

It gives birth to an idea.

“White, milk, or dark?”

You’ve sidled up beside him before you can even consider the consequences. Deku stills, almost as though he were holding his breath. The shadows across his face recede and he turns to look at you, blinking dolefully, spring anew in his eyes.

Chewing the corner of his lip, he casts a cautious glance to his surroundings as if to make sure you were talking to him.

“Ah…” he starts, voice lowered enough that it brings you in closer and the proximity shakes him. “What was that?”

You favour him with a sheepish grin. Doubtful that it would measure up to the bright smile he often wore during his patrols, but you hoped it would at least set him at ease. “Sorry. I was wondering if you preferred white, milk or dark chocolate. Looks like you’ve been trying to decide for a while now”.

Colour seeps into his cheeks. He straightens with a squeak, patting his pants pocket and pulling out his phone to check the time. The bridge of his nose wrinkles. “Guess I have,” he winces.

Deku peers up and meets your gaze. Whatever he sees in your face seems to put his worries to rest. Grimace softening, he scratches at his jaw. You try not to stare at the scars twisting around his hand, or at the stiff, crooked fingers.

A quiet contemplative hum builds in his chest. You perk up as he looks back at the boxes of chocolate lining the shelves, each with a garish yellow discount sticker.

“If I had to pick… I think I prefer milk chocolate”.

“That’s a good choice. Not too sweet and not too bitter,” you push up onto your toes and reach for the highest shelf, feeling the weight of his stare as he tracks your movement.

With a victorious sound, you grab a box. Like most of them it is heart shaped and a rich shade of pink, but this one is mercifully undamaged, and there’s a cute ribbon tied into a bow across the front. Deku blinks curiously and tilts his head in question as you beckon him forward.

“Come with me,” something about the conspiratorial whisper creates a spark. You’re giddy with it, too, ushering him to the self checkout in a comedically clandestine manner.

“O—okay?”

Deku follows; quite precipitous for a hero. You’re left wondering where all that earlier caution went. His presence is at your back— magnetic in the way it draws you in, warmth seeping through his clothes, hovering over your shoulder to watch while you pay for the chocolates. You can see his face in your periphery, fumbling when his lips pout.

None of the other customers bat an eyelid to the number three hero as you exit the store together. You are confronted with the thought that to everyone else here you probably looked like a young couple. Heat gathers in your face, stinging against the cool night air, so much so that you worry steam might hiss out of your ears.

You turn on your heel abruptly. Deku startles and stops in place. The neon sign above the automatic doors blinks from blue to yellow. It deepens the bags under his eyes and reflects in his irises as a breeze nudges the hood back, strands of mossy curls spilling onto his forehead.

You’re a stranger. This situation is weird enough, and it would only make it weirder to tell him that you think he’s handsome with his hair grown out.

Deku waits despite the oddity. Regards you with kindness and patience, wringing his hands across his stomach. Your lips part, but before the name ‘Deku’ can pass, you think better of it.

You take in the slope of his shoulders, how he massages the scars on his wrist, the effort it takes to keep his eyes open. It must be tiring. It must be lonely.

“For you… Midoriya,” you murmur softly, toeing the proverbial line in the sand. Turning the box of chocolates in your palms, you hold it out to him, holding his gaze in hopes he will see your intentions.

You are endeared by the surprise that colours his features. Shock, and then realisation. Deku blushed furiously, brows knitting together as he reaches out to take the gift from you, only to pause before your fingers can brush. Curl, unfurl, he clenched his fist and wrung it out, as though shaking off his anxiety.

“Is this… I can’t accept these,” he tells you. “We don’t know each other—”

Embarrassed, you rush to clarify, “Please don’t misunderstand! I’m not confessing or anything. You don’t know me! I just…”

You smile awkwardly, weight shifting onto each foot. “You looked like you needed some cheering up. And I know Valentine’s Day can be lonely so I thought you could use a little love, maybe?”

The Deku you know best is made of marble. Broad, intimidating stature, carved by the brightest minds in the country, steeped in an air of confidence, a man with an unbreakable spirit.

The Deku before you here is brittle. Your words chip away at him to discover something tender beneath. Quivering, the corners of his mouth pull into a wobbly smile. Pink blooms deeper across his cheeks— with happiness this time, rather than surprise.

His hands are warm as they cover your own and they linger. The scars on his fingers are smoother than expected, gentle too. Your heart beats like a moth's wing when he gives a deliberate squeeze.

“Thank you,” he says, thick with emotion, bringing the box to his chest. UA alumni often joked about Deku’s crybaby tendencies in interviews but you always chalked it up to friendly teasing.

Midoriya inhales sharp and wet through his nose, making you both laugh, unable to look away from one another. He’s brighter now; that rights something in your chest— this is how it should be.

A beat of silence passes. Then, suddenly, your voices overlap.

“I guess I’ll—”

“Before you—!”

Rapping his fingertips to the box, Midoriya ducks his chin to hide his face. You bite your bottom lip and idly running your tongue over the impression of your teeth.

“You first,” you offer apologetically.

He peers up at you through his bangs. The neon sign blinkers again, a brief flash of yellow elongating the shadow of his lashes. “I was just thinking. You know, as thanks for the chocolate, maybe you could join me and we can share them, if you like?”

When you don’t immediately say yes, the hero before you dissolves into muttered ramblings. “Unless you already have plans! I shouldn’t have assumed, I’m sorry. Of course you have plans for Valentine’s Day. I mean, look at you. Wow. I should—”

“Midoriya!” you rest your hands on his shoulders and shake. It silences him, and you swallow dryly as the corded muscles under your palms shift. “I don’t have plans. I would love to sit and eat chocolate with you”.

“That’s… great,” deflating with a long exhale, Midoriya’s eyes crinkle at the corners. You nod, smoothing over his arms in what is intended to be reassurance, instead reminding you of just how big his biceps are.

The spell is broken as the automatic doors slide open and groan on their hinges. Deku turns away from the light to retreat into his hood, and you instinctively move to shield him. Unperturbed, the stranger leaves without even a glance in your direction.

“I guess we should… find somewhere to sit,” you murmur.

Deku voiced his agreement with a quiet hum. “I know a place with a good view,” he says, head tilting to meet your gaze. He grins, “Are you afraid of heights?”

[benevolentthorn]

Where I think the counselors would work off-season:

Laura: I feel like her family would own a farm in North Carolina and that she would work with the different animals on the farm. She upkeeps their enclosures, feeds them, etc and provides horseback riding lessons for kids. She gained her love for animals from helping on the family farm starting at a young age.

Max: I don’t know why but I could see Max working at a movie theater concession counter. It’s not his favorite job in the world and he complains a lot to Laura about it but he enjoys seeing different movies come out and sneaking himself snacks when no one’s looking. I could also see him being good at math and tutoring middle schoolers on the side.

Jacob: I could see Jacob working at a sports and gym center as a sports instructor; most likely for either football or soccer. Jacob really loves his job because he loves sports and working with kids! He’s really enthusiastic with the kids he teaches and is always cheering them on to do their best! He’s really funny too and makes the kids laugh and he’s good at cheering up kids if they make a mistake. The kids love him overall. Sometimes Nick and Kaitlyn stop by to work out in the gym with him.

Emma: Realistically I don’t think she would work, since she’s an influencer and she gives me “rich parents who give her a credit card with large spending limit” vibes, but for the sake of this post I will say she would probably work a few days a week at Sephora. She really enjoys all of the different makeup and skincare products and would probably use her employee discount to go shopping frequently. She loves buying new products to review on her YouTube channel. She seems unapproachable and judgy to customers, but she’s actually very sweet and loves helping customers pick out products! Would probably quit the minute she encounters a karen though 😭💀

Abi: Pre game I feel like Abi would have worked at a lush in the same mall where Emma works. She mostly enjoyed it because she loves the different scents of the soaps and bath bombs. However, rude customers would make her very anxious, especially post-game. Post-game, I feel like she would start working at a café but not just any cafe….a cat café!! Abi LOVES cats and she enjoys making all of the different types of drinks. I feel like Abi would especially love boba and would come up with different boba recipes while working there. She also doesn’t encounter any karens because who would be a karen at a cat café of all places?? She loves playing with the kitties in her free time and Emma and Nick frequently stop by to see her, get drinks and pet the cats.

Nick: Nick always was in the restaurant industry. Pre game, he worked at a small restaurant in downtown Sydney as a waiter. Diners loved him but he was very shy and kind of awkward as a waiter, which is what made him consider working in the kitchen instead. Post-game he moved to America permanently and took a line cook position at, you guessed it, an Outback Steakhouse LMAO. He mostly enjoys the job, however he complains about how inaccurate the menu is for an Australian themed restaurant 😭💀. He mostly enjoys the job but sometimes he gets stressed out and becomes the Australian Gordon Ramsey. He works near the cat café where Abi works and likes to stop by to visit her and get coffee during his lunch breaks. He stays extra longer if he’s having a stressful day and pets the cats.

Dylan: Dylan works at a music/record store both pre and post game. He loves the job because it’s not very stressful and he gets to discover different kinds of music just by stocking the shelves and looking through all of the records and CDs that come in! I feel like Dylan would have a wide range of music knowledge and taste and would especially love classic rock and older pop music. The owners love him and he is frequently named employee of the month! He is very chatty with customers and will have their ear for long periods of time nerding out about different bands and artists!

Ryan: Ryan’s first ever job was at a hot topic in the same mall where Abi and Emma worked. He mainly picked up the job to save up for animation school and to help support Sarah and his grandparents. Due to lack of hours, he moved to a Spencer’s shortly before the events of the game. It didn’t take long for him to quit though because he got annoyed with the amount of jokes he would hear about “the back” (if ykyk 💀). Post game, Ryan got even more interested in the paranormal. For this reason, he took up a job at an antique store located right next to the record shop Dylan works at and he really loves it. The owners pay him well and when he’s alone, he likes to investigate the history on all of the antiques and see if he can encounter any spirits. Since they work right next to each other, Dylan and Ryan like to visit each other frequently like the lovebirds they are 💕

Kaitlyn: Kaitlyn first worked at a dick’s sporting goods, since she enjoys sports and fitness. She somewhat enjoyed the job up until one day when she got into an argument with a karen, which resulted in her getting fired. Jacob, like the great friend he is, put in good word for her at the center he works at and helped Kaitlyn get a job as a receptionist for the gym area. She enjoys the job much better and she eventually gets promoted to a fitness instructor position, where she hosts her very own fitness classes! She also gets to bully Jacob as much as she pleases 🤭

If you enjoyed this post, please send me headcanon asks! I really would love to share all of my thoughts on the characters! 💕

[sangoqueenkoko]

ARATAKI ITTO

"not our brightest idea"

fluff

GEO MASTERLIST | DRABBLE MASTERLIST

.

Drabble prompt: page 1: #70 = “not our brightest idea.”

Warnings? Beans. Not really! Unless you’re an Oni. But seriously, there are no warnings.

Contains a mention of Kuki Shinobu, Chiori, The Arataki Gang, and Itto, of course!

825 words.

"Thank you, and have a great day!" you smiled, kindly waving as a customer walked away with their newly bought products from Sailing Breeze, a Mondstadt store. Being from Mondstadt, you were well versed with the local specialities and eager to share them with others. You came to Inazuma to trade your home nation's local specialities with the people of a different nation so they can broaden their horizons.

New and returning customers came every day.

Even if the products did contain beans, you made your own version that doesn't, after witnessing what happened at the Iridori Festival. When I say 'returning customers,' I mean Arataki Itto, the rest of the Arataki Gang, and Kuki Shinobu.

But today, Kuki and the rest of the Gang couldn't make it because the Gang got into trouble, and Kuki had to bail them out. So, instead of being with his friends and suffering her wrath, Itto came to Ritou alone to pick up some orders that Kuki had made in the prior week. With you being friends of the Arataki Gang and the leader himself, they managed to bag some discounts.

"Hey, hey, my compadre!" A familiar voice called out; before you knew it, it was Itto, sauntering over as he casually combed his hair like it was his pride and joy. "Boss says that our order is ready to go! And it was made by the amazing (Y/N) themselves!" he grinned, "So I know that it will be the best ever made!"

"Well, thank you, Itto," you smiled sweetly. "Luckily for you, I had just finished packing it up, and it was ready for pickup just before you came! However, I underestimated the size of this delivery, considering how much was ordered. And it will be too much work to make more than one trip to deliver it to its destination. So I'd say that we need to use a cargo balloon for its safe transportation. That is if you're Okay with returning it to the others yourself?"

He stood silently for a moment as he thought. Looking between you and the distance of Inazuma, pondering how long it would take.

"Alright! It should be no problem!" he said with a laugh, "but you could always come along with me to make sure that the precious cargo doesn't get damaged while I go on ahead and take care of potential threats. That sounds like a deal to me. Deal?"

"Deal."

Soon enough, you met Itto at the edge of Ritou with the Cargo 'slime' Balloon that you hired for the day. Itto, being as strong as he is and insisting he helped you pack the cargo onto the balloon before you double-checked it and set off for the Gang's camp.

The start of the journey went as smoothly as ever. Some playful things even happen because it is better to make them bearable than unbearable. When crossing over a sandy section that leads to Narukami Island, Itto found it funny to splash some seawater on you, but you didn't find it funny much, mainly because your outfit was made by the one and only Chiori, so in return, you splashed water back at him. Just some light-hearted fun.

Later on in your journey, on the same path but in the incoming direction, you both noticed some Nobushi coming your way. Itto was raring to go, as he wanted to fight them. He didn't want the cargo, or more importantly, you, to get damaged. But you insisted he not provoke them, as they could be passive and mean no harm.

But neither of you could take any chances, so you pulled him towards the cargo on the side of the path, behind some bushes, to hide. Because of its purpose, it could withstand such weight, so you pulled Itto into it. Despite his loud protests, shoving a hand over his mouth, you two stayed put and quiet to ensure you weren't found.

It felt like an eternity, but the Nobushi would come over to the stationary cargo, take a look at it, move it around, inspect it and even open the boxes to take a closer look. It took Itto everything not to burst out from inside it and defend you and the cargo, but you didn't let that happen. They were merely curious.

But they soon realised it wasn't very valuable to them, so they left it alone and carried on with their journey, their heavy footsteps eventually fading away.

Taking deep breaths with relief, and also realising how physically close you two were, you quickly jumped out and looked over the cargo. It was fine.

Looking at each other with red cheeks and a light layer of sweat on their faces from the long wait in close proximity. And your feelings for each other would slowly creep up to the surface.

He coughed and scratched the back of his head nervously.

"not our brightest idea."

But thank you to the irl bestie for helping with this idea! This one is for you, girlie, you simp!

[t1ts-4-scattorcio]

shoplifting with Lottie 😚

Shoplifting with Lottie

Lottie Matthews x Reader

It was a bad habit Lottie picked up over the years. You didn’t condone her behavior, you found it slightly ridiculous considering she could get whatever she wanted at the drop of a hat but you understood that she liked the rush of doing something illegal. She got cute clothes for free and an adrenaline kick.

—

You had been ‘shopping’ for the past hour and Lottie’s purse had started getting heavy “Aren’t you ever scared?” you whispered, silently strolling around the store. “No, I do this all the time. My dad can bail me out when I use my 5-finger discount,” she smirked reassuring you. 

Sifting through shirts on hangers she pulled a pink crop top out lifting it up to your figure. “This would look so good on you, we would match!” she beamed, You stared at her unamused turning to leave the store. 

She quickly follows you out, catching up to you. “What’s wrong?” she asked, pulling you by your hand and turning you towards her.

“I feel so guilty..” Your gaze locked on the floor, Lottie sighs. She slots her finger under your chin forcing you to meet her eyes, “I can take them if you really feel that bad about it.” Looking towards the store.

 you shake your head. “It’s fine but we should stop.” you plead, Lottie nods a smile slowly gracing her face, “we will stop.” She rubs the sides of your arms pulling you into a hug. “Lunch is on me ok.” She whispers, kissing your forehead.

Some Headcanons:

Some of the best gifts she’s ever given you were from her bad habit. 

She brought you a few times, she’d never force you to steal but would teach you if you’d like to learn. 

She would be surprised if she found out you picked up her routine, she was secretly a little proud of making you a klepto

She did think you looked hot, watching you stuff your bag with stuff especially if it was gifts from you <3

She noticed how regretful you felt over time and decided you both dropped it because you were so scared she in trouble with the law one day.

the last thing she wants to do is get upset or worry you.

[thecameronchronicles]

Favors

TW: Smut. Language. Oral sex (female receiving). Mentions of drugs and drug use 

Kook!Reader.

SUMMARY: Rafe uses his talented tongue to convince you to go to The Cut to get his drugs. 

WORD COUNT: 1200

REQUESTED

Rafe sending girlfriend!reader to buy drugs from Barry for him because he gives her a pretty girl discount but she kind of hates doing that so Rafes has to convince her to do it and he usually does that with his tongue 

Favors

"What's this?" You asked as your eyes met with the rolled bills set between Rafe's pinched fingers. Those same fingers that forced you to the habitual bite of your lower lip to what they could offer, had been rivaled by your annoyance to his motions. 

"I need more coke." He explained as if this had been some harmless request to simply venture to the corner store. But the reason for your hesitancy wasn't even the beckoning of his illegal vice, but that of him asking you to do it for him to begin with. 

"And you can't do it because…?" You inquired with frustrated agitation. 

"Because I don't have your ass…" You smirked at his vulgar compliment before angling yourself to view his backside. 

"I don't know…I think if you wear some tighter shorts, you could get the same discount I do." You picked at the edges of the manicure he paid for earlier that week as he set a hand to your cheek. 

You pulled your eyes in the preparation to roll in rejection to the soft methods he would try and win your submission. A sudden gasp of surprise set you to focus on him completely as he took an abrupt hold of your hair. He positioned you to face him, lips close enough to taste the mint from an earlier brush as your eyes fought in commitment between his new smirk and blue hues faded with lust. 

"I give you everything, don't I baby? My attention…that necklace…my patience." You scoffed. 

"I don't think you know what those words mean, Rafe…"

"I'm not patient?" He forced you to your feet, leading you to the direction of the bed with your calves at a rest to the disheveled sheets from a slothful owner. 

"So I don't let you take your time on your knees for me? When you take me all the way to the back of your throat," The backs of his fingers traced your neck as he continued, "Crying and choking for me…because you just can't get enough of how I feel inside of you?" 

"I-"

"And I'm not selfless when I'm on my knees for you? Letting you drown me because you're so fucking desperate?" He clenched his teeth, tightening his grip through your hair as his second fell to your sex. Your fingers were quick to wrap around his hand. 

"If I make you come selflessly while I exercise my patience…then you're going to take your pretty little ass to The Cut and get me my discount…" His eyes darkened further as he thought of his alternative. 

"Otherwise, you're going to be…compensation for my lack of a high. A bag's worth…" He cocked his jaw. "I'd say that would mean until morning at least-"

"Rafe…"

"It's more than a fair deal…But either way…you are gonna come for me. How, is up to you…" You considered the options before offering a single nod. This sole bob of your head offered enough consent to push you to the bed. 

"Then keep those pretty lips closed…" He pulled your thighs further apart, his fingers descending your naked skin as he took hold of your panties and carried them to your ankles. 

"But these legs…wide…" He removed his shirt, allowing you a moment to adore his physique that had been the result of peer pressure and pride , before dropping to his knees. A leg set high over each shoulder would subject your eyes to fixate on him as he licked his lips. 

"You know I'd eat you out for free, baby, yeah?" You weren't able to speak as he silenced you with a teasing strip made from his tongue. 

"Because I fucking love how desperate you are to come…whining and shit…willing to go to The Cut as long as I get you off…" He lowered completely to your sex. 

"And I will. Just like I always do." He explained as he committed to your clit. Wrapped at the tip of his tongue was your bundle of nerves, teased and sucked in a slow climb of accelerated ambition. 

"RAFE!" You belted as he lunged that vulgar tongue into you, mimicking what was to come, but not allowing you the benefit of him. 

"You taste so…desperate…" He grinned, rising from you to showcase the trophy on a drip down his chin as you rolled your eyes once he reconnected to your sex. 

"Mmm…" He moaned to the mindless rise of your hips, a natural reaction to his oral skillet, all while you were left to endure him. In the attempts made to do this very thing by the closing of your thighs against his cheeks, you were rejected as his fingers ate into your skin and forced you apart. 

"Wider." He growled as your legs shook. You need to be closed as tightly as possible to keep that immediate rush at bay. But he wanted you to spill over quickly. It no longer mattered what he would get out of it. His desire was to make you beg, squirm, and come harder than before. All for those words of cruelty made against his character. 

"Wider!" He spoke as more of a comment than a direction as he forced your legs flat. An uncomfortable stretch was quickly quelled by his tongue, all sensation kept at your core. 

"Rafe! It's too much!" He scoffed in a pitied roll of his eyes. A slow roll that made you want to view such a response between your thighs as you suffocated him with your sex on his back. 

"Fuck me! Fuck me right now!"

"I don't think so baby…that would be selfish of me…impatient…this is all…about ..you…" He spoke in breaks made of his oral pleasure as you were forced to experience his merciless motivations. 

 He groaned into you after you'd fought him long enough to break weak. One more slip of his tongue and you would be taken over that edge and allowed that release. But instead of granting that, 

he retracted. 

"What the hell, Rafe!" You whined. 

"Now who is impatient?" He teased as you were led to your knees. He savored you this way as well, building you back to that crest as you were finally allowed that release. Slowly but surely you felt those familiar waves pulling you to moan into screeches left by his tongue. Fisted fingers in the sheets beneath would be eased before a set of fingers replaced that now overstimulated sex. 

"Now since I've done my part….I'm expecting you to do yours…Only after…" He thrusted a few times into a bend to your g-slot as you began a rhythm once again. Only to retract. 

"Hurry back or I'll show you just how impatient and selfish I can really be…" He explained as a slap to your ass sent you collecting your clothes before he snatched your panties from your hands. 

"RAFE!"

"Let him know you've already been taken care of. He has a thing for you, and I want him to know all he gets to do is look-" 

"I don't know…he does give quite a deal-"

"You give him anything but my cash and-" He was suddenly angry. 

"Relax. Nobody feels like you do." He nodded. 

"And nobody will hurt you like I can either. In all the right ways…" he ghosted your lips before sending you on your way. And yet you could tell if you were more eager to remain apart to know what you would return to, or to return prompt as a reward. That was a dilemma in dating Rafe Cameron. His rewards were just as beneficial to you as his punishments…

TAGLIST: @hopebaker @iovdrew @penny4yourthoughts @magnificantmermaid @pickingviolets @lovedetlost @trikigirl271 @maybankslover @slut4starkey @slvtherinseeker @obxiskewl @bluesongbird @slut-era @ailee-celeste @camilynn @sweetestdesire @onmykneesforrafe @drews1love @phildunphyisadilf @belcalis9503

MASTERLIST

RAFE CAMERON MASTERLIST

2ND RAFE CAMERON MASTERLIST

[heartfullofleeches]

imagine you're just a funny lil imp who does your devilish deeds in a pretty small sphere, just making humans stumble and getting them to drop their coffee or something. it's all you can bring yourself to do, and it's not like you're a renowned imp (or want to become one, either).

since you're not particularly strong, you try to avoid ever getting in contact with any of the high level demons or so, they seem too scary and dangerous after all. except once you happen to meet gemi[ni], thinking them to be a normal demon considering how down to earth they are, you become little pals of sorts, telling them all about the human world and the silly pranks you do. well, once you find out their true identity, you just feel so embarrassed for treating them so casually, you just can't bring yourself to ever see them again, at least for the next one thousand years or so at that.

how would gemi[ni] react?

Shit- How could you make such a careless mistake?

Your friendship began due to a single, faithful accident. One event that could've easily been avoided - had it not been for a mischievous little imp who had yet to get their daily fix of humanly woes.

For a while, you had taken up shop in a shopping center somewhere out in a decently sized city. A wide, open space with plenty of stores and alleys for you to reck havoc in. On that day, your shop of choice happened to be a little comic store huttled in the corner of the mall. You had been the cause of multiple people quitting and the ban of general displays after you knocked them over one to many times, but today you had your eyes on the customers - one in particular to be more precise.

"What do you mean you don't have it?'

You snitch from behind the cash register as the patron in question slams their fist on the table. The cashier flinches in response as they lean in, teeth bared in a snarl.

"I preorder that figure the day it was announced- and you sold it to someone else?!"

You cover your hands over your mouth to prevent yourself from bursting out in laughter, despite the fact that no one could hear you. You thought nothing of this specific person at first. If you got to them, you got to them, but upon hearing them shouting in rage at the cashier you couldn't pass up the opportunity to suck up their misfortune. You weren't even sure what was going on for the most part other than something they wanted was out of stock. It would be such a shame if what they had got happened to get mixed up with another patron's items.

"I'm really sorry about this-" The cashier replies. "we can give you a discount for what you've picked out today."

The customer sighs. "Fine. You're a bunch of incompetent bastards, but I'll take what I can get."

While they pay, you reach into the bag on the counter, and swap its contents with the one to their left. Snickering to yourself, you slip out the front door onto the next location. Sometimes the idea of the reaction was better than seeing the real thing, and the you didn't know how long it would take so it was best not to waste your time when you could pull off more hits.

"Hey!"

You don't even turn when your hear a shout. It wasn't like humans could see you, so you were the most unlikely suspect.

A rock hits the ground by your feet.

"I'm talking to you, shrimp."

Fearing the worse, you glance back; locking eyes with the ill-tempered customer. No further conformation needed, you book it; speeding off down the street before they take their first step. You dart into the nearest all, knocking into a few trash cans as you come to a halt. You peak around the corner. With the crowded streets and how fast you were going, they should be far behind and soon a thing of the-

"Nice try."

Spinning on your heels, the previously bumped into cans go flying to the ground as you jump ten feet in the air. The customer stands behind you, tapping their heel against the dirt as they check their nails.

"Took you long enough. I was starting to get bored." They grab you by your shirt collar. "Normally, I'd have squished a bug like you by now, but..."

You squirm under the sharpness of their finger as it drags across your face. It's been so long since you've met another demon that you had completely forgotten your own kinds' scent. You thought they were a little off, but never in a million years did you think they were like you. Given their stature, they had to have some power, but the weakness of their scent led you to believe they weren't that much higher on the class scale than you.

"...this isn't a normal situation." They flick you in the forehead before letting you go as they smirk. "Your little prank let to me getting what I really wanted and seeing the joy you got from it sparked some interest. My other half always tells me I need to interact more with this world, along with people in general- and I believe you'll be the perfect one to help by out."

You swallow your breath. "Do I have a choice?"

They laugh. "You're a class act already. "

-

And thus began your budding relationship. At first it was just retailing your greatest pranks over desserts, but soon they joined you on your ventures as well. Nothing too crazy, but the occasion push or shove. To make things far, they told you about the hobbies they fancied as well. From video games to comics, they had a vast knowledge on human media, but not so much their people. You would soon find out your new companion's name was Gemi. It rings some bells, but not loud enough for you to recall where you heard the name before.

As much fun as you were having, you started to notice something off from time to time. At random intervals, their brass, and bold persona would be switched for a more timid, antsy one. They also refused to take your hand, despite literally carrying you from danger in the space. Regardless of the personality, they began to grow more hostile to those around when you both took humanly forms. It was unlike anything you had seen with the demon before, but since they were still your loyal friend you had no complaints.

That was- until the day you found out their true face.

-

You were at a cafe they enjoyed, having just ordered your treats, when you come to find that yours came with a phone number on the bag. Finding it humorous/an opportunity for a new target, you show it off to Gemi with a laugh.

"Hey Jimmy, check it out. I think that cashier wrote his number on here. Funny, right?"

Instead of a finding it funny, Gemi goes quiet. They stay as such the whole time, taking occasional glances at the counter. As someone walks from the back, they excuse themselves while you finish your snack. With them still gone by the time you finished, you get up to look for them. Entering the unlocked bathroom, you find them standing in front of one of the mirrows - and a body in their arms.

"Are you sure about this, my lord?"

Instead of their reflection, the mirror shows a portal to a room with white walls. A shadowy figure stands patiently before them, arms outstretched despite their query. Gemi scowls as they shove the limp human in their arms.

"Yes, but if you really need the both of us to answer- Gemini is the one who suggested this." Their eyes soften as they continue. "I did not! All I said was maybe he needed to take a short- long-term vacation until we had more time to win them over. Ceres will be on our wings if she finds out about this."

"Be quiet- it's my turn today, so you can't speak unless I give you the say so."

The recollection their name comes crashing back to you. The twin Devils, Gemi and Gemini. Combined souls and a third of the fallen ruler of the underworld. Fear creeps up your chest as you realize you've been buddy buddy with one of the most powerful beings in your realm. What did they want with an imp like you? Did they truly value or friendship, or were they only looking to past the time until something better came along? Would they get rid of you after that like the mortal? Maybe you were the one they were win or- and they wanted you to be their pet. You didn't know what was going to be the outcome and you didn't want to find out.

-

Slipping away beneath the veil of the crowd, you avoided the pair from that day forth. They attempted to contact on the phone you stole a week back, but you chucked it in the streets at the first call. You saw them from time to time in the plaza, but fled before they could spot you. You heard people speaking of a stranger who would demand information on someone with your general appearance, who'd suddenly burst into tears along way through. There was a spot in your heart that missed them, but you valued your safety more.

After a month long hiatus, you were getting back into the groove of pulling your devious tricks. You moved across town to a much smaller, but decently populated area. While going after your next victim, tearing a hole in the plastic bag they caring, you feel the urge to follow them until they noticed. Your venture leads you to an empty street, and you only notice something is off whem the lights start to flicker. The human turns to you. You recognize him.

"I'm sorry.."

As he runs off, a large figure descends from its perch atop a light fixture. They're in their true form, standing over you at over three meters tall. They snatch your arm with the talons of their winged limb; their dozens of eyes full of rage - and grief.

"Where have you been." Gemi hisses. "We both you got hurt. We thought you were dead."

"Please don't kill me!"

Their grimace falls. "Hurt you? Why would we do that?"

"Because I ran. I know I shouldn't have, but I.. I don't want to be your servant!"

Gemi starts at you deadpanned. Their lips slowly curl into a shaky smile as they break out into a full belly laugh. They left you go as they wipe a tear from their eye; face shifting at their other half takes control. You feel the urge to run now that you're free, but something tells you, you shouldn't."

"Oh, Y/...I-.. We'd never see you as below us." Gemi takes the wheel once more. "We love you, you adorable fool. Give our.. condition, we don't agree on much, but we are certain that you are our destined partner. I do tend to have a temper... and steer away from romance so we had trouble pursuing you.

Gemi grabs you with their second pair of limbs, each face taking their turn to kiss your cheeks as they wrap their wings around your smaller frame.

"You are ours, and as ours- you are our equal. We hate to do this, but due to you running away we cannot let you out of our sight again. We promise your punishment will be most pleasurable, before we get started on the wedding plans the following eve."

[screamingatanemptyroom]

I am so happy that you are back, but I must ask... What happens if the robot shop end up in the one place not corrupted by captalism...

Thanks @thantos1991 as always, I love my little robot friends and it was fun to write about them again.

Previous parts - 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Here we go!

____________________________

The store was quiet.

Dx5G7 leaned on the counter and let out a mechanical sigh. It had never experienced disappointment before, it was not programmed to do so, but could find no other name for the current emotion than that.

It heard a solemn ticking noise next to him. A paper spewed out and with the ease of long practice, Dx5G7 picked it up and read it.

“Business is slow?”

Dx5G7 nodded to the question written. “Yes, ever since the magical item emporium opened up next door, we’ve seen a steady decline in our customer base.” It looked out at the window to the enormous building immediately next to them with a glowing neon sign reading “BIG DISCOUNT MAGIC.”

Another paper printed out. Dx5G7 read it. “Should we consider moving our shop?” Cox’s spun around jerkily, its normal ticking sped up to a distressed tone.

“I don’t know, Cox. This discount store opened up next to both our locations… if I didn’t know better…” It paused. “We need a new customer base, maybe get into a whole different type of inventory all together. There's only so much you can do with magical items. But we can't close down." Dx5G7 set down the document in its hand.  “If it was just the two of us, we could probably find work somewhere else and be okay. The problem is…” Both robots looked up as they were interrupted by the sound of thundering steps.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.

Grag and Abot ran into the room, their combined weight shaking the whole store. Skidding to a stop, two pairs of innocent eyes glowing blue and green stared at them.

“NEW FRIENDS?” Grag looked around, his rocky grin fading as he failed to see any customers. “WHERE?” In its rocky hands were clutched large amounts of balloons.

“Where is everyone?” Abot chimed in, its shiny black exterior currently decorated with brightly covered streamers. “We brought decorations!”

“…” Dx5G7 and Cox looked at each other, and then back at the two. “They are taking a nap.”

“Aww. Hope wake up soon!” The pair gave hugs all around, and then ran to the back again.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.

Cox spun faster, its gears jerking with the movement as another paper spat out. “You’re going to have to tell them eventually.”

“No need to worry them until we have a plan.” Dx5G7 replied.

Another paper. “Isn't it about time for… him… to show up?”

“After all the times we embarrassed him?” Dx5G7 shook its head. “Don’t be silly…”

CRASH!

The Wizard smashed through the doors, falling to the ground as they opened without resistance, and fell to the ground. Standing up quickly, he brushed the dust off his clothes, which included a khaki pants and a red collared shirt with the “BIG DISCOUNT MAGIC” logo on it.

“Tremble in fear! I have returned! This time I have harnessed the mighty magic of CAPITALISM to destroy you!” He pointed out the window at the overshadowing business outside. “TREMBLE BEFORE MY MIGHTY FRANCHISE OF DISCOUNT GOODS!”

“You started ‘Big Discount Magic’?” Dx5G7 asked.

“Yes, you failed minion!" He grinned evilly. "Are you terrified yet?”

Cox let out a series of happy clicks and spat out a paper. Dx5G7 read it out loud. “So glad to see you! You always bring good things whenever you stop by!”

“NO, I DON’T! I BRING TERROR, I BRING PAIN… I BRING…. uh oh... NOOOOO...!”

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.

Grag and Abot ran back, screaming in delight. “BOOOOSSSSS!”

“NOOOO!” He tried to run, but was hugged between the two. He quickly cast magic, preventing him from being crushed into powder by the power of their affection.

“WE MISSED YOU!”

“We brought you balloons!” Abot moved at a speed undetectable by human eyesight, and tied a bright red balloon to the wizards wrist. “It matches your shirt!”

“NO! I have destroyed your silly little shop! You will all be out on the streets!”

“Together?” Grag asked, his eyes lighting up. “We ALL go out on vacation now?”

“Vacation?” The wizard spluttered with rage. “NO! I am talking of your destruction!”

“VACATION!” The two hugged the wizard again in excitement. But before any further nonsense could occur, a bright green ray shown down on the group. Dx5G7 felt the pull of a tractor beam, and sighed.

“I guess we ARE going on vacation.”

They were teleported to a space ship. In front of them, on a large golden throne, sat a large alien wearing a crown and a disdainful expression.

“I imagine you are curious as to why I brought you here.” The alien gave out a grim laugh. “It’s simple, really. I am a powerful alien king, and I’m looking for a weak and lowly minion. I need someone who can help me with my important tasks, such as data sorting and abduction schedules.”

The wizard turned red with rage. “I AM NO MINION! I AM A MIGHTY WIZARD!”

“Quiet, minion!”

Grag and Abot looked at each other in confusion. “New Boss?”

Dx5G7 felt his processors struggle to handle all of the new information. Finally, with a shake of its head, it took an artifact strapped to its side and called out. “Traveler!”

A large red portal formed behind the alien king. Dx5G7 turned to the pair beside him. “Grag! Abot! Group hug with the two bosses!”

“GROUP HUG?! YAAAAAAY!” The two rushed forward, and held the screaming pair between them in a pure hug of friendship.

“Now put them in the portal, it’s time for their nap.” Dx5G7 instructed.

“OKAY!” Without protest they moved towards the portal.

“You can’t do this to me! I’m a great alien king!”

“No! You can’t do this to ME! NOT AGAIN!”

The two were dumped into the portal. “Have good nap!” Grag smiled and waved. Abot put some balloons and streamers in after them with a smile that was supposed to be happy but only looked terrifying.

The portal closed and all was silent.

Dx5G7 looked around their new area. The throne room was filled to the brim with treasure and technological wonders.

“What is going on here?” A small group of grey aliens stepped in through the large doors, looking confused.

Dx5G7 glanced at Cox, who pushed a paper out. “Looks like we found our new customers.”

Dx5G7 smiled and greeted the newcomers.

“Welcome, to the Robot Space Treasure Shop!”

[racfoam]

Okay, poll time regarding an important purchase in my day-to-day life.

In short, I am ready to upgrade from my (glances to the Acer laptop that's been dead for a year) laptop...

I now have a very big budget (it's considered big in my country) that I got over the summer to finally spend it on an upgrade.

I need a poll because now I got an idea to buy a PC, which is dangerous territory for me for numerous reasons. Some background: I haven't had a PC since I was 14, I got my laptop (which is dead now) right as I entered high school, and it was a cheap one, it couldn't even run Minecraft without lagging which at the time pissed off my gamer childhood self.

But, as a functioning, employed adult, I finally did it. I finally saved up enough money to buy a new device.

The accesibility & portability of laptops is def what I need overall for my professional life. They're not a MUST at my work place at all, but it would be NICE to be able to access my documents on laptop & edit them there or during the way home rather than go to the office again for the PC.

Here’s the thing. The laptop I can afford is not better by performance against the gaming PC I can afford.

Why a gaming PC?

Because I am a whimsical little shit. I see a program and I want to master it for hobby's sake, or just cus I'm that curious. What if I one day want to pick up Blender or 3D sculpting or some shit just to try it?! It's happened before, and it continues happening. I jump from hyperfixation to hyperfixation like a ping pong ball. A laptop at the price range I want to buy won't be able to run complex games or Blender.

The childhood me, in my soul, wants that freaking PC. But my basic normal thought process is also aware if I get a gaming PC it may distract me from my work bcs... Well the PC will be able to do EVERYTHING. At least I'm self-aware enough of that.

Another thing is...

Durability & longer-life & upgradability

I can always upgrade the PC, I know my way around PC hardware. The PC will last me longer than the laptop probably will, and I can't upgrade the laptop.

But then I have no portability & always-accessibility the laptop offers, and if I get the laptop it will be for work, Photoshop & fic writing if I get used to it (I won't, I hate writing on laptops). Which is perfect, I'll be able to do my work even on the go, I can carry it with me, etc etc and I WON'T BE DISTRACTED.

So! I guess, vote bcs at this point I'll toss a goddamn coin! And before anyone asks, no I won't put the Macbook on the list, I like having my liver, thank you.

My biggest fear is that I've grown so used to the laptop interface if I buy a PC I'll just take time re-configuring my brain to use it, so what if I hate it? I have so many fears, and I don't want to waste my money and then go like "ugh, I'm disappointed". I'm used to reading on the laptop, typing on the laptop, working on the laptop, etc. I have all PC peripherals except a monitor but the IT stores are having huge discounts & sales now I can grab one from anywhere at this point so that doesn't concern me a lot.

This is a purchase I'll treat myself with for my birthday. I've spoken to friends, some say laptop, some say PC. Anyway, here is the poll. I'll put it for today.

I just love both but I have to pick, but I can't. Laptop is more familiar to me now than a PC 🤣 a PC would be dangerous cus I will def get the urge to play games instead of WORKING, but on the off hours it'd be a party 🤣

For info, the

PC would be

Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 5600

GPU: RX 6600

RAM: 16GB

That is the overall idea and I even found a custom pc builder in my country, too, if the prebuilt ones are too expensive, haha.

Laptop Models:

Lenovo Ideapad 3 with Ryzen 5, 16Gb RAM, Integrated Intel GPU

Lenovo V15 G5, also Ryzen 5, 16gb ram, integrated Intel GPU

[hillbillyoracle]

Curiosity Box

So a few years ago, I helped tutor some homeschoolers in history and it forever launched me down the rabbit hole of homeschooling content. One thing I think a lot of homeschooling families do really well is making learning fun and communal and that is something applicable to any age.

I've been seeing video after video about people's Morning Baskets and it inspired me to make an adult version. The goal was to give my partner and I an alternative option for hanging out together without screens that was easy to pick up and put back down so it didn't feel like a whole thing. We don't have to use it - it's simply another option.

These were all from our bookshelves - though I do have a reader of Buddhist sutras for recitation coming as well as I wanted a spiritual component. What works well are readings that have sections. Everything here is either a collection of stand alone pieces or written with natural breaks in the prose.

You can select whatever you like, we just happen to have a lot of classics around but there's nothing superior about them or anything. I think poetry is always a solid addition though. Very easy to read one or two of.

More than a few of these came from discount books stores and other budget book options. But if you don't have any money at all, I'd suggest hitting up your local Little Free Library or simply putting in some library books that you don't pressure yourself to read all of.

I also included a Question Jar I made on our first Valentine's Day. It's just a jar with a bunch questions I printed off, cut out, and rolled up like fortunes in a cookie. We keep the old ones so we can use them again and see if our answers change. Basically free to make if you've got printer access. It's sparked so many good discussions over the years and I recommend it.

Currently, we're reading Kafka's Metamorphosis and we're surprised by how darkly funny it is. Much better than we remembered.

I'm considering adding some quick games we can play and some fidgets. I also thought having a feelings wheel and a check in prompt all lamenated up might be helpful since we both struggle with alexithymia.

Live alone? I still recommend this. I grab the Uncle John's Toilet Reader all the time solo. I used to use question prompts for getting to know myself when I lived solo. Throw your tarot cards or a journal in. It's still nice to have your screen alternatives all in one visible spot.

[2baddiesfanfics]

From Liyue With Love

Pairing: Beidou x Ningguang

Tags: Birthday, Valentine's Day, Birthday Sex, Presents, Scissoring, Oral Sex, Vaginal Fingering

Summary:

Beidou has always been more partial to Valentine's Day than the other event that happens to fall on the same date. Ningguang wants to change that. In the end, they discover they've both got the best gifts either of them could hope for.

Read on Ao3

The chain of the gold necklace shimmered as Beidou held it up to the light of the mid-day Liyue sun. She’d stopped at Mingxing Jewelry to pick up the Valentine’s Day gift she had special ordered for the Tianquan who held her heart. Over the years she had imported many ores and gems one could only find from the furthest reaches of Sumeru to the deepest seas of Fontaine just for Xingxi’s store.

“Is it to your liking, captain? I admit, I took a few liberties with the instructions you left me,” Xingxi stated hesitantly.

Beidou ran her thumb across the small heart-shaped pendant, the cold stones chilling her skin. The two halves glistened in their respective signature colors - amethyst for her electro, citrine for Ningguang’s geo.

“It’s perfect,” she whispered. “Thanks, Xingxi! Knew I could count on you.”

The shopkeeper smiled gently. “I’m so happy to hear it.”

Beidou plopped a sizable sack of mora on the counter but was taken aback when Xingxi pushed it toward her.

“Captain, I appreciate that you think so highly of my handiwork, but I fear this is far too much. Half of that is more than enough. Consider it a birthday discount,” she replied with a wink.

She blinked, unsure of how to respond. If she didn’t have Ningguang in her life, today would be like any other. Commemorating Valentine’s Day was fun for many reasons. Beidou relished any chance she could get to show the Tianquan what she meant to her. The other yearly occurrence that happened to be on the same day…she had never seen a reason to celebrate.

Beidou swallowed back the dark emotions that threatened to burst forth. “Gee… thanks, Xingxi. Wait a second…how did you know it was my-“

The shopkeeper let out a chuckle. “Captain…how could I not? It’s all Lady Ningguang has been talking about for days.”

With a blush spreading across her face, Beidou nodded her head in gratitude and started the lengthy trek to the Jade Chamber.

“Captain Beidou! It’s so nice to see you here,” Baishi said suspiciously loud. She had greeted her right before the doors to Ningguang’s office, which Beidou found unusual.

“Uh, yeah, you too, Baishi. Is the Tianquan in?”

The secretary looked nervously over her shoulder. “Um…she’s a little-“ A loud crash came from the other side of the door, and Beidou looked ready to rush in.

“Ning? Are you okay in there?”

A swirl of platinum blonde hair appeared in the doorway. “Yes, captain, everything is quite alright. If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some…business to wrap up. It’ll only be a few minutes.”

Beidou cocked an eyebrow. “You sure you’re good?”

Ningguang stared daggers at her. “Do you mean to insinuate I don’t know what I’m doing, captain?”

She held up her hands in defense. “Not at all. Continue,” she said with a smug smirk.

After passing the time chatting with Baishi, Beidou was relieved to hear Ningguang’s voice echo through the double doors once more.

“You may enter now. Baishi, please let Baiwen and Baixiao know you are all free to go home for the evening.” After a quick “goodnight,” the woman left to find her coworkers.

Beidou swiftly entered the room and was caught completely off guard by the sight before her. Ningguang had donned a dark blue strapless dress that sparkled like moonlight on the ocean’s surface.

A quiet “wow” was the most she could manage. Her attention was quickly directed to the table behind her, however. It had been set for dinner, complete with a tall glass of Beidou’s favorite lager imported from Inazuma. The scent of flash-fried filet, her favorite dish, wafted through the room, making her stomach growl.

“Baobei…did you…did you cook all this?”

Ningguang glided over to her side. “I may have asked Chef Mao’s girl to walk me through some things, but yes,” she answered as she took Beidou’s hand in hers. “Happy birthday, my love.”

Beidou felt the room spin around her. The weight of such careful planning hit her in full force.

“What’s wrong? Is it not to your liking?”

She hadn’t realized tears had started to drip down her cheeks.

“No! Archons…no. I love it. It’s just…I’m not used to this. I’ve always associated my birthday with wishing I hadn’t been born.”

Ningguang’s grip on her hand tightened. “How could you say that, Beidou?”

The captain wiped her face with the back of her hand. “I mean…Valentine’s Day is much more important, don’t ya think? I’d rather celebrate love than a curse like me.”

A look of intense sorrow came over Ningguang. She leaned her forehead on Beidou’s, forcing her to make eye contact. “You are not a curse, dear heart. Those villagers were ignoramuses who believed in mumbo-jumbo bullshit. Please. Let’s celebrate you tonight, hmm? I can think of no one more deserving,” she said as she took her by the hand and led her to the table.

“Well, one thing’s for sure. I’m not about to let this go to waste. Thank you so much, baobei.”

Ningguang smiled at the return of her signature sense of humor. The women sat down and thoroughly enjoyed every last bite as they chatted about their respective weeks.

“Whew. I couldn’t eat another bite! My compliments to the chef. You sure you don’t want to join my crew and cook for all of us?”

Slightly buzzed on her own glass or three of wine, Ningguang let out a hearty laugh. “Oh please. It was one dish! But I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

Chugging the rest of her beer, Beidou let out a satisfied sigh. “Shame there’s no dessert, though. Could really go for something sweet after this.” She shifted her hooded gaze to lock eyes with the Tianquan. Ningguang had been with her long enough to recognize this was a different kind of hunger.

“Who said I didn’t have something prepared for your sweet tooth?” She replied seductively as she got up to get closer to her. “Did you honestly think this was all I got you?” Ningguang hiked her dress up as she positioned herself to straddle her lover’s lap. Beidou’s eyes drifted to the garter straps peeking out from under the fabric and had to control herself from ripping them off with her teeth.

“You mean there’s a feast after the feast?” She asked, lips already wandering across her chest and up her neck.

“Hmmm…it’s prepared. You just have to devour it,” Ningguang half-moaned.

“Then don’t mind if I do,” Beidou said as she grabbed the back of her thighs and lifted her effortlessly. Their mouths locked as the Tianquan wrapped her arms around her neck for support. The captain knew the way to the private sleeping quarters of Ningguang’s office like the back of her hand and carefully navigated around the stacks of scrolls that always seemed to inevitably accumulate.

Once she made it to the bed, she set her down and crawled on top of her, continuing to show her gratitude by attending to every inch of her body. Her dress was far too beautiful to remove, so she worked around whatever skin was left uncovered.

She was delectable in so many ways, and Beidou couldn’t help but repay her kindness in the only way she knew would come close. As she situated herself between her thighs, she shifted the fabric of her dress up to her hips to provide her with enough access.

Ningguang could only let out contented sighs and groans as the captain took her time savoring and teasing her. Beidou kissed her inner thigh, causing her to spread herself wider in anticipation. Whether this was a gift for Beidou or Ningguang, neither of them cared. They were lost in each other. Finally, the captain moved the crotch of the Tianquan’s panties to the side and tasted the unique but familiar flavor of her arousal.

“Archons…Beidou, your tongue feels so good…”

“Louder for me, baby. Let me hear how good I make you feel,” she commanded before swiveling it inside of her. The buck of Ningguang’s hips drove her deeper and caused her to moan. She held them down as she continued the practiced movements she knew would make her come undone. Desperate for connection, the Tianquan covered Beidou’s hands with her own.

“Fuck…Beidou…yessssss…” Between the captain’s muffled grunts and her own mewls of pleasure, Ningguang came with a shudder.

Beidou plopped onto her side next to where Ningguang lay on the bed dizzy on alcohol and her orgasm. The Tianquan rolled to face her and softly stroked the captain’s face with her well-manicured fingers.

“Well, that was just lovely. But I do believe I need to exchange a gift of my own. For without you being born today, I would not have a love worth celebrating. The archons gave me my heart on the most romantic day of the year.” Ningguang leaned in and kissed her with a passion unmatched.

The Tianquan tasted the salty tang of Beidou’s tears. To this day the captain still wasn’t used to this poetic tenderness. Sure, she and Ningguang had been together for a while, but she wasn’t usually this romantic. Beidou placed her hands on her waist and pulled her closer.

Their tongues clashed as hands roamed, divesting one another of any remaining clothing until their body heat was the only thing keeping them warm. Ningguang grabbed Beidou’s leg and placed it on her hip as she moved her hand between the two of them to her drenched core.

“What you lack in words your body certainly makes up for,” she teased as she ran her thumb across Beidou’s clit. The captain jolted in response to the stimulation.

“Ning…” She quietly breathed into her ear sending goosebumps down the Tianquan’s spine.

Collecting her arousal, she easily inserted two fingers into her. Moving them in and out, she slowly stroked her thumb across her sensitive bud in time with her movements. She continued her ministrations as she kissed down Beidou’s neck and across her chest. The captain’s flushed face and high-pitched moaning of her name alerted her she was close. Ningguang sped up her thrusts and crashed her mouth against her lover’s as she spasmed around her.

The two women held each other tightly reveling in the happiness and love they shared.

“Oh! Before I forget…” Beidou quickly hopped off the bed to fish around in the pocket of the bag she had brought with her. Producing a small wooden box, she placed it in Ningguang’s outstretched hand. “Happy Valentine’s Day, baobei. A treasure for my treasure.”

Ningguang rolled her eyes endearingly at the terrible pun. Turning her gaze back toward what she now held in her palm, she pried it open and gasped when she saw the contents.

“B-Beidou…this…this is gorgeous!” She gasped. Instinctively she turned around and pulled her hair back so the captain could do the honors. The necklace was surprisingly light considering the weight of the emotion it held. “I love it and will cherish it forever,” she exclaimed as she took her face in her hands. “Just like you.”

Beidou beamed at her girlfriend’s excitement. “I’m glad. I only brought Xingxi the materials. She was the one who worked her magic.”

Ningguang whipped around to her side table and immediately pulled out her own gift. Beidou couldn’t help but giggle at the ornate packaging that was so very…Ningguang.

“Now, you’ll have to let me know if this isn’t to your tastes. It’s nowhere near as ornate as what you’ve gifted me, but I hope you’ll still enjoy it,” she warned as Beidou began to carefully pull the paper away. Soon, it was revealed to be a beautiful photo album. Pictures of memorable moments decorated each page.

Beidou standing by the Alcor, newly purchased with help from Ningguang. Their first lantern rite together. The time Beidou took Ningguang on a trip to Inazuma to meet the sly fox of a light novel publisher she knew she’d want to do business with. A snapshot of the both of them deep in thought pondering over a chessboard. The rest of the photos started to blur through eyes glistening once again with unshed tears.

“I had that lovely little photographer from The Steambird help me restore some of the old photographs I had lying around. I figured it might help if you had something to look at when you were away on longer voyages.”

“Ning…I don’t have words. This is…this is incredible. And perfect. Just like you.”

The Tianquan smiled mischievously. “And…you haven’t gotten to the end yet. Go ahead and turn a few more pages,” she teased. Beidou did as she was told and was greeted by insanely risqué shots of Ningguang in barely-there lingerie…as well as some with her in nothing at all. She snapped the album shut quickly, her face turning red.

“Holy shit. I’m going to need to go another round after that.”

Beidou crawled on her hands and knees toward Ningguang, grabbing her hips and pulling her closer. She wrapped her legs around Beidou’s waist, their mouths clashing once again.

Their cores aligned, they were both reduced to a moaning mess as their bodies shook with need for one another.

“Baobei,” Beidou groaned between kisses, “You’re the…best gift…I could ever hope to…receive.”

The Tianquan wrapped her arms around her, yanking her closer for added pressure. Beidou moved her hips in time with Ningguang’s, their now over-stimulated buds sliding against one another ferociously.

The sound of ragged breathing, sighs of pleasure, and the gentle rattle of a necklace chain swirled in a symphony throughout the room. The captain slid a hand between them, adding additional sensation to Ningguang’s clit.

“Come with me, love,” Beidou whispered as she held her tightly. The two women once again found release, their movements slowing as their orgasms came to a dull throb.

Ningguang clasped the pendant she now wore around her neck. “Beidou, you’ll have to tell me - what does it feel like to be the richest woman in Teyvat?”

Beidou propped herself up on her elbow as she cocked a curious eyebrow at the woman she loved. “Why, Lady Tianquan…whatever do you mean?”

“Mora is easy to come by. But you own something truly priceless - my heart.”

“Now that,” Beidou said as she placed a kiss on her forehead, “is the best birthday gift I will ever receive.”

[satansapostle6]

The Man Who Sold The World | Luke Castellan

Spotify Playlist Link

Katherine. She was the one who started it all for Luke Castellan, the reason he did what he did.

Warnings: Mature themes/language. Violence. Sexual content.

Chapter Two

Chapter Three: Living Like Kerouac

“I’m gonna fill up on gas,” Katherine Montalvo announced as she got out of the driver’s seat of the car. “Why don’t you go get us some food to ration.”

“Alright,” Luke agreed as he got out. “Regular, or sour cream and onion?” he asked enthusiastically.

“As someone who’s gonna spend the duration of the trip sitting next to you, regular,” she insisted. “Your breath was hot this morning.”

Luke just rolled his eyes as he walked off toward the gas station, exhausted. It had been almost a full day since he and Katherine had fled from Oklahoma. The two of them had been taking turns driving all the way back to New York, only stopping for gas. Unlike Katherine, Luke was unable to take full advantage of his driving breaks, and had only gotten about three total hours of sleep that night.

Luke was having difficulty relaxing in general, and not just because he didn’t quite trust Katherine yet. He’d spent most of his time awake contemplating how he would justify his leaving the camp to go chasing Kronos in the Underworld with Katherine.

He knew he needed a lie, or multiple, that would explain his absence at least during the trip to the Underworld. Anxiously looking back at Katherine to ensure she wouldn’t abandon him at the strange gas station in Ohio, Luke considered his options as he made sure to get coffees for the two of them in order to keep them awake.

“Man, your girlfriend’s a real beauty,” the gas station cashier, a man most likely in his early forties, said as he rang up his stuff.

Luke’s brows furrowed in disgust, as he elected not to dignify the comment with a response. Leaving the store with a plastic bag full of rations for their road trip, he discreetly dipped his hand into the boxes of candy by the register on the way out.

Katherine had been waiting in the car with the door open for the gas to be done pumping. Luke climbed into the passenger’s seat, setting the bag on his lap.

“Are you more of a chocolate person, or a sour candy person?” he asked her.

She just looked at him for a moment, eventually smiling softly at the thought of candy. “Sour candy.”

“Here,” he offered, handing her a pack of sour straws. “Five finger discount.”

“And you say you’re not used to living on the road,” she smirked, popping a piece of candy into her mouth before getting out to pay for the gas.

“You need the cash?” Luke asked her, holding up the wad of money she kept in the car.

“Nope.”

He frowned as he waited for her to come back, not sure what she had up her sleeve. He hungrily scarfed down a sandwich he’d gotten, relieved to finally be able to eat something that didn’t come in a sealed bag. Katherine eventually returned, starting the car as they drove off.

“How’d you pay for the gas?” Luke asked curiously.

“I played ‘hello titty’ with the cashier,” she said absentmindedly as she steered back onto the road.

“People are disgusting,” he thought, appalled.

“Hey, if it gets me gas, I’m not complaining.”

“Fair enough,” Luke admitted. “You seem to have picked up all sorts of survival tactics.”

“Yeah, that’s the reason I’m still alive,” Katherine pointed out.

He knew this was true, as yesterday after they left, he watched her pull into an empty parking lot to switch the license plate on the car so that it couldn’t be traced as stolen. However risky and innovative they were, Katherine had her own survival techniques that she didn’t stray from anymore.

“Yesterday, when the cops drove past while we were stealing the car… Why was kissing me the first thing that popped into your head?” Luke wondered in amusement.

“Nobody questions people who are making out,” she responded evenly, “No one focused on doing anything stops to make out.”

“But, the cops weren’t looking for us,” he stated.

“What, I can’t be safe?” she smirked, locking eyes with him for a moment before turning her attention back to driving.

Luke just chuckled softly, seeing that she did, in fact, have a sense of humor. Katherine did have a certain way about her, even when she was being frustratingly vague about herself, or her plan. But however frustrating it could be, Luke didn’t resent her for her secretiveness; he respected that it was strategic, and a habit formed by trauma.

Luke had decided to trust Katherine Montalvo solely because he trusted the intelligent glimmer in her nearly black eyes. Something about her dared him to fall into her, like a fly into a web.

“You know, I never asked your full name,” Katherine said out loud as she sipped on the coffee Luke had gotten her.

“Castellan,” he informed her. “I’m Luke Castellan.”

“Alright, we’re even now,” she nodded. “You know. I haven’t given out my real name to anyone in months.”

“Yeah, I kinda figured,” he remarked. “You keep multiple driver’s licenses in your glove compartment. How’d you even get those?”

“I have a guy who does favors for me,” Katherine replied.

“In exchange for what?” he asked, not too sure he wanted the answer.

“I saved his life,” she provided.

“Oh. Yeah, that’ll do it,” Luke nodded.

The conversation reached a natural pause as the two of them were focused on different things, the radio playing Creedence Clearwater Revival quietly in the background.

“You know, I can tell you don’t hate me,” Luke said aloud, watching her for micro expressions of emotion. “Why don’t you just talk to me, and this’ll go by a lot faster?” he suggested.

“I am talking to you,” she said impatiently.

“No, you’re not,” he argued.

“We’re having a conversation right now.”

“A conversation about not having a conversation isn’t a conversation,” Luke pointed out.

“Are you always this difficult?”

“Are you always this cold?” he stared at her expectantly.

“Sorry,” Katherine muttered, “I don’t like small talk.”

“Me neither,” he said pointedly. “Who said we have to make small talk?”

“What, you’re trying to talk to me about the fabric of the universe right now?” she questioned.

“No, not necessarily,” he answered. “Just about… real things.”

“Okay, and what are these ‘real things’ that seem to be consuming your every thought?” she asked finally.

“What’s your relationship with your mom like?” Luke pondered.

There was a heavy pause before he got a response.

“Nope. Too deep. Pick something else,” Katherine refused adamantly.

“Oh, so you don’t wanna make small talk, but you don’t like to talk about anything ‘deep’,” he concluded.

“Yeah.”

“So what do you talk about?” he demanded incredulously.

“Usually,” she said impatiently, “I don’t.”

“I get it,” Luke’s demeanor softened, “I really do. Most of the people I talk to in a day, their responses to my deepest, darkest demons aren’t much better than their small talk.”

“I don’t talk to a lot of people. I haven’t for a long time,” Katherine admitted. “The only people I bother really talking to are other demigods I meet, and there aren’t many.”

“You really hunt alone?”

“Yeah, I always have,” she nodded firmly. “That’s how I learned.”

“You know, we went different paths, but our lives haven’t been that different,” he told her.

“Yeah. Anyone with a god for a parent’s guaranteed to have it pretty rough,” Katherine agreed.

“I take it Nemesis definitely isn’t a better parent than Hermes?”

As she stopped for a moment, he wondered if she’d actually answer the question.

“My dad… he never cared about claiming me. Not really,” Luke shared. “I… I spent years, devising schemes, and acting out, trying to get his attention.”

“Did it work?” Katherine asked subsequently.

“What do you think?” he raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah. Right,” she nodded in understanding.

“You know, I’m head counselor of the Hermes cabin. It’s for children of Hermes, and minor gods, and the unclaimed. The stories I’ve heard, and the things that I’ve seen…” he trailed off quietly. “You’d think there were no gods.”

“Well. When it comes to them, knowing they exist doesn’t really do us any good,” she muttered.

“No. It doesn’t,” she scoffed. “My mother… the only thing she ever did for me was tell me to leave my dad. No shit, Mom.”

“That’s when you heard her voice?” Luke asked.

“Yeah. You know, my whole life, the only way I knew she was my mother was when the people I got mad at, the people I really hated, got theirs,” she remembered.

“Being a demigod is just years of waiting for people to get their karma,” he remarked bitterly.

“Listen,” she offered, “My mother is the goddess of balance, and retribution. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in this world, it’s that sometimes, you have to be the karma.”

Luke studied her for a moment, watching the way her long, dark hair cast a shadow over her face. He felt what he knew she was feeling, the years of hatred and resentment after all the things he’d seen outside of the safety of the camp.

“You think so too?” he asked her.

Katherine nodded with certainty. “You know how many people have told me to just ‘wait’ for my father to change? People don’t just get what’s coming to them because it happens out of nowhere, people get what’s coming to them because someone wakes up and decides it’s so.”

She had a passion in her he’d never seen in another person before.

“I want to find Kronos,” she told him. “Not because I think he’ll somehow magically be a parent. I don’t need a parent anymore; I need retribution. We all do. That’s why I’m doing this.”

Luke thought about what she said, realizing that he really did believe in the same things she did. He didn’t just believe in the search for Kronos, he believed in Katherine. Katherine was a true warrior. Seeing the way she’d saved his life on multiple occasions now, Luke saw that Katherine was a soldier who had what it took to win whatever war she was fighting in.

Hours passed, and Luke still didn’t find himself having any doubts at all about their journey.

“Katherine. I’m starving,” he complained as he drove.

“Want me to see if we still have some jerky left?” she offered.

“Yeah, as appealing as that sounds, don’t you think we could stop for a real meal?” he hoped. “There’s a diner just after this exit.”

“Alright, fine,” she sighed. “I could use a chicken fried steak.”

“Me too,” Luke groaned, anxiously continuing down the highway.

The two headed into the restaurant, as Katherine made it a point to leave her hunting utility belt in the car along with most of its contents. They sat down in a booth as far from everyone else in the restaurant as they could get, smiling softly as a woman brought them menus.

“God, I’m glad to have some real food,” Luke sighed with relief.

“Is that broken dagger seriously all you have?” Katherine piped up.

“Well, I lost my sword on my quest to find this old artifact for Chiron,” he explained.

“Well, I meant to give you this, so no one catches us off guard,” she told him, handing him what looked like a bronze Zippo lighter. “It clicks into a sword.”

“Oh. Nice,” he nodded, “Hey. What’s your weapon? Besides the gun, I mean.”

“I have this,” she replied, fishing something out of her pocket.

Luke watched as she pulled something out of her pocket. He saw that she had a weapon of some sort which appeared like a golden tube of lipstick until twisted.

“That’s cool,” he remarked, genuinely impressed as she pocketed the weapon. “Is it a sword?”

“Double-edged spear,” she corrected. “Fought some demigod in Missouri for it.”

“Well, thanks for the sword,” Luke smiled, feeling an affinity for her as a fellow demigod. “I would've been fine with my dagger, though.”

“Daggers are useful, but not a good weapon to be stuck with,” Katherine shook her head.

“Yeah. But you have to be pretty skilled to defend yourself with just a dagger,” he reasoned.

“Yeah, but you should never let anyone close enough to be able to stab them with a dagger,” she reasoned.

What she said sunk in deeply for Luke, as the pair ordered their food. Both of them ate practically in silence, enjoying the simple food as if it were their last meal.

“Finally, a decent coffee,” Katherine huffed.

“I’m not a huge fan of coffee,” Luke confessed, “Apart from days where I need to stay awake, I don’t really drink it.”

“I love coffee. Just the right amount of cream, and it’s the best thing ever.”

Luke took the calming sight of her in as she sipped on her mug of coffee, appreciating the way she actually looked serene as she drank it. He observed that coffee, to Katherine, was the closest thing to heaven.

“We should be in New York soon,” Luke informed her over dinner.

“Just a couple more hours, right?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, looking around the room as he noticed a strange man lurking in a lone booth. “Hey, Katherine?”

“Yeah,” she looked up.

“Is it just me, or… has that guy over there not turned a page in his book in the past twenty minutes?” he asked, turning around.

Katherine slowly looked up above his tall head, scanning the possibly suspicious stranger.

“We need to leave,” she announced under her breath, quickly leaving cash on the table. “Let’s go.”

“Is he a monster?” Luke whispered.

“Yes. Now act normal,” she shoved him forward.

“Duck!”

Katherine followed Luke’s lead, the both of them springing into action as a giant stinger nearly hit them. The other patrons in the restaurant all ran around screaming, as Katherine and Luke both drew their weapons.

Katherine ducked behind a table as Luke slashed at the monsters with his sword.

“They’re Manticores! Two of them!” Luke warned her as he slashed at the lunging creature. “They found us!”

Katherine fished in her pocket, pulling out what looked like a tiny grenade. Luke looked back to see her pull the pin, tossing it out as an invisible mist filled the room.

“What the hell are you doing?!” he yelled over the slashing of his sword.

“It’s a Mist Grenade! Cleans up and alters memories,” Katherine told him, spear swinging as she charged at the Manticores.

Luke held his own as she expertly whipped the spear over her head, slicing off the head of a Manticore as Luke evaded the lion-like creature’s claws, plunging his new sword into its chest. He watched as the creature dropped, slicing off its head. He panted hard, turning Katherine as she sheathed her spear back into a tube of lipstick.

“Are you alright?” Luke’s eyes widened, his fingers brushing over a long, bleeding scratch that trailed from her jaw down to her neck.

He looked down at the blood dripping down his fingers as he examined it.

“I’m fine,” she pushed his hand away, running for the door as everyone in the room began to slowly forget everything that happened.

“What about the body?!”

“The spell takes care of it, now move!”

Luke Castellan chased after her out the door, praying his face wouldn’t be shown on the news later. He jumped into the car with Katherine, tires pealing off as they disappeared as quickly as possible. He breathed slowly as he turned to face her as soon as they were far enough away. Luckily, no police had been called.

“That little grenade you had,” he said, “What was it?”

“A daughter of Hecate taught me how to make them. Set them off, everything magical in a room gets erased for mortals,” Katherine explained.

“You gotta teach me how to make those,” he sighed.

“It’s really complicated. Almost impossible without a child of Hephaestus,” she thought.

“What’s the plan once we get to the camp?” Luke asked.

“I’ll take the car before we get near any guards. That way no one sees me,” she volunteered.

“Okay, that’ll work,” he thought. “You’re sure you don’t wanna come to the camp with me? They won’t question you. They’ll take you in without a second thought.”

“It’s fine. We don’t need to complicate things,” Katherine told him. “I have a few people in the area. We can both stock up. Then, we’ll find a way out of the Underworld.”

“How long should I spend at camp?” Luke asked.

“I don’t know,” she sighed, “A few weeks?”

“Weeks?” Luke questioned, “I was thinking days.”

“You seriously think you could come up with a believable reason to leave after a few days?” she asked him.

“Yeah, that makes sense,” Luke nodded unenthusiastically as he got them to New York, concentrating on lying his way through camp to make it back out to Katherine and the search for Kronos.

-

Chapter Four

[growing-yet-into-magic]

Hi do you have any recs from where to buy affordable tools, like essential oils , crystals and other necessary stuff (for witchcraft ofc)

Ah, cheapery. My third favorite hobby, beside spending money on things.

Firstly:

Essential oils are NOT necessary for witchcraft. They are medicine, have the potential to damage you severely (both immediately and in long-term damage), and are NOT better and more effective than just using the herbs they are manufactured from. You shouldn't be thinking about essential oils or considering them for your toolkit without herbalism education from a reputable school or licensed herbalist and paper research about each herb you use under your belt.

Moving on.

No physical item in witchcraft is essential. You could go into your kitchen cabinet and begin bespelling your home without paying anything. People like owning things, because sparklies are fun and we're all magpies at heart, but neither crystals nor tools are necessary to the craft- and some argue that they're not even backed by research into historic traditions and what ancient practitioners might have used. A lot of the tools people think are "essential" are specific to Wicca or introduced via the new age movement, which was only...what, 70 years ago now? There are certain paths which require certain tools, and religions and folk religions that require certain things to function, but unless you are in one and getting instructions from your teacher/mentor/godparent, you're not required to buy anything. We're Anti-capital here. Money is the enemy and dirt is our friend.

So, that being said, a few recommendations:

The thrift shop. Want an athame? Bell? Candle stand? Spoon? Find a pretty silver thing and consecrate it. Nothing in life has to be new when it gets to you, as long as you cleanse it well.

Your local kids museum will have cheap crystals at discount prices. The natural history museum told me then genuinely sell them by weight. You can't guarantee their ethical background that way (a lot of cheap rocks are mined with enslaved labor), but you can get your rocks.

If you can get to a rock and crystal show, rarer and harder to find crystals go cheap in there, but you do have to pay a flat fee to enter so it's kind of a financial wash in the end. It's fun though. They sell empanadas at my closest one.

Your local supermarket. Unless you're using bulk herbs by the bucket, which seems wasteful, you can usually get herbs and pre-packed larger quantities of herbs from the spice section in your supermarket. And this way they're guaranteed to be food grade and safe to consume or bathe with, which is never a guarantee when you pick something up from the metaphysical shop.

eBay and other secondhand sites. People leave the craft all the time, and hawk their stuff for cheap. A little Dr. Bronner's, a little sacred perfume or incense, and she's good as new.

Indian and other Asian grocery stores. When I'm down and in some trouble, I know they have my back. Thank you for carrying incense on the shelf when I needed you the most. And having bulk rice.

Local swap. Networking is everything! Sometimes local covens will host events where people get together to sell off old things or swap stuff. Good times to find a pre-loved tarot deck or altar cloth.

Your hands! *grabby hand gesture* Some stuff you can make. I have an old sewing machine, and I love her to death; I make storage pockets and altar cloths with her. I crochet altar cloths. Some people make their own candles. I know someone who learned glass-making to make their own altar pieces. Some hobbies are more expensive than others, but a crochet hook is like $3 and yarn can be like $4. Bam. Altar mat.

Speaking of candles, I forgot to mention the dollar tree and other discount stores have cheap candles: some even have the tall glass pillars you need if you're in one of the ATR diasporic traditions.

Quite frankly, my best investment in witchcraft tools I ever made was watching my mother buy an antique silver serving spoon, which I occasionally filch from her drawer and return after it's done it's job. Borrowing things from your family costs nothing.

I'm sure this wasn't what you had in mind, but (and not to be a weird adult who has a poor relationship with the internet here), sometimes you have to go out there and physically touch things before you find what's right for you. Find a thrift store. A secondhand shop. A goodwill. Browse. What could you use this in? What spells can you piggyback off of this thing you found? What use does this have in your craft? Try not to build your craft off of your tools; build your toolkit to support what you want to do with your craft. That way you won't have wasted time and money on a fun thing people said was essential to have! ...but now you never use this selenite wand you spent $30 on because you found out wands don't have a place in your practice. Blech.

Best of luck hunting! 💜✨

[paranormalsaga]

Nebulous (Chapter Two)

Nagode was off to an early start in the morning, so early he turned off his alarm before it was set to ring. Cleaning up his bedroom took much longer than he’d expected, but three hours later he had things mostly in order. At least as much as they could be. Last night had left his gaming console in ruins, along with his monitor. Thankfully, his laptop survived unscathed. He cooked oatmeal for breakfast, then used his employee discount to order a new bed frame and monitor from Atlas, they would arrive in twelve hours. Though he knew Allmart had an “All Time Low” deal going on that made it cheaper to get the gaming console from them.

This is why you’re broke, he thought to himself. 

Unfortunately, he needed to pick up the console in person. He took the train and basked in the warmth of a summer morning in Neptune City. With no money to pay for an autonomous taxi, he had to walk the rest of the way to the store from a train stop. The streets were filled with pedestrians. Their expressions looked more absurd, almost as if he was hallucinating. He felt an urge to get away as he walked among them. This feeling had always been bad, but it was as if last night’s events had exacerbated things today. Something was different.

He walked into the gigantic, crowded store as stoically as possible and headed straight for the electronics department. A clerk would need to unlock the console from its glass case.

“Excuse me,” Nagode said to a clerk with their back turned to him. The employee appeared to be a young, balding man in his late twenties.

“Fuck off,” a man’s voice said.

Nagode looked around, bewildered. Where had that voice come from? He’d heard it as clearly as he would have if the person who spoke were standing right beside him.

“How can I help you sir?” The clerk asked as he turned around from what he’d been doing. It was the same voice, only now it matched the man’s distance.

Nagode took a second to collect himself, too confused to speak.

“I need you to unlock an item for me,” he said after an awkward silence. He guided the clerk to the console and waited for him to unlock it. Then they walked over to the cash register. While the clerk was ringing up the item, Nagode heard the same ominous voice from a few moments earlier.

“Is this guy dumb or something? Why does he look like that?” The clerk thought, and Nagode could hear it. He heard his voice even though his lips weren’t moving.

“You can pay now,” the clerk said aloud.

He tapped his phone for the mobile payment. As the clerk handed him his bag and receipt, Nagode became curious. He wondered…

“I can hear you.”

“What the fuck?” The clerk exclaimed as he jumped back in alarm, bumping into an open drawer. “How did you just do that?”

Nagode ignored him, he was already on his way out of the store, he’d learned what he needed to know.

…

“I’m serious dude, this isn’t bullshit.”

Jonah took a hit from his bong.

“So you’re like a Jedi or something?”

Nagode put his head in his hands.

“I’m serious,” he repeated. “Ever since last night, things have been weird. Remember when you came up to check on me? You know I’m not lying.”

“I know you think you’re not lying,” Jonah said as he put down the bong. “But what I heard last night doesn’t prove anything.”

Nagode realized what he needed to do.

“If you want me to believe you, use your ‘powers’ on me,” Jonah said, making air quotes.

The truth was that Nagode had been using his powers on Josh since he arrived back at the apartment. He used them to learn that Jonah was a lot more stressed about his grad program than he let on and that he was planning to have sex with their mutual friend, Emma, later tonight. However, as soon as Nagode told Jonah about this power, the voice switched off. Nagode couldn’t hear any of Jonah’s thoughts anymore.

“You’re going to Emma’s soon.” 

“It doesn’t take a mindreader to know that much,” Jonah said with a cocky grin. 

Nagode rolled his eyes. He considered bringing up grad school for a second but then decided against it. He would need to communicate his thoughts to Jonah to prove it instead.

“Don’t,” a voice bellowed inside Nagode’s mind, making him jump. He recognized that it belonged to the dark figure from last night.

“Dude, are you okay?” Jonah asked.

Nagode looked around himself frantically, and a concerned expression grew on Jonah’s face.

“Look, I think it might be time to seriously consider quitting your Atlas gig,” Jonah began. “I know you need the money, and earning it that way sounds nice in theory, but your schedule with the Nullifier is insane. Why do you think they use it in prisons? Why do you think people are fighting so hard to abolish it?”

“This isn’t about that,” Nagode said.

“Isn’t it? You say you’re hearing voices. Couldn’t it be possible that the implant is having damaging effects on you? You know, psychologically. I don’t trust that shit. I think you should quit.”

“I’m telling you the truth. I’m not crazy, I’m not hearing voices… Okay, well I am hearing voices, but that doesn’t make me crazy. There’s something strange going on here.”

“Look bro, I’ll be here for you when you get a grip, but I’m not indulging this.” Jonah picked up his house keys. “I’m gonna go do some errands, try to feel better, okay?”

“Is ‘some errands’ Emma?”

“‘Some errands’ is Emma,” Jonah responded without missing a beat. They both laughed. 

…

It was hardly late by the time Nagode decided to go to bed, but he was too tired to care.

Then it happened again. As soon as he fell asleep, he was staring at his body as if he were a third-party observer, but everything in his room stood still this time. Even the hands on his clock were immobile.

The dark figure from the night before had returned. They raised their hand and ripped open the fabric of space itself. Nagode had trouble comprehending what exactly he was seeing. A large hole stood in his room where nothing but emptiness had been a moment before. There was endless blackness on the other side of it. The figure pulled him into the hole without even touching him.

When he passed through the other side of the portal, he noticed a cluster of black rocks floating beneath his feet. It was the only thing in the endless vacuum of space spread out in all directions. The figure hovered several feet away from him, cross-legged.

“Who are you?” Nagode asked.

“I am Annihilation,” the figure responded. It was the longest sentence they’d spoken thus far. “But you already know who I am. You’ve felt my presence all your life.”

“What do you mean? What’s going on? Why am I hearing all of these voices in my head? Where am I right now? What am I right now? Why did you bust my monitor-”

Annihilation raised their hand with enough authority to compel him to stop talking. Now that Nagode was getting a closer look at them, he could distinguish their features much more clearly. They wore simple white robes. He still couldn’t discern whether they were a man or a woman. Their bald head, tall stature, and broad shoulders hinted at masculinity, but their voice and beauty were so ethereal that he felt both possibilities were equally plausible. Their liquid black complexion and glowing eyes were so inhuman that it was too difficult to identify them with anything he’d ever seen.

“You are in the Psychic Realm, a dimension that exists beyond the boundaries of time and space. This is your home, our home, and now you’re ready to reclaim it,” they began as Nagode drew closer, stopping a few feet in front of them.

“You’ve already projected your psychic form into this dimension a few times before while you slept, but your mind was too weak back then.

"The voices you hear are not voices at all, but the psychic expressions of others. Every individual produces psychic expressions through mental events, even lower life forms, to some extent. However, human psychic expressions are infinitely more powerful due to their unique abilities. The concept of self and abstract thought distinguish human sentience from all others. Humanity’s communication of ideas is one of the most powerful forms of psychic expression in the cosmos. You are endowed with the gift of reading those psychic expressions. 

“And that is not your only gift. I did not move any objects last night. You did. You possess the power to bring true peace to the universe.”

“What do you mean?”

“You understand what must be done, that we must relieve the universe from the burden of our existence, and you have the means to do it. I know you want to die painlessly, thinking about your loved ones, memories, and dreams. I know you want to be done with all of this. I know you because I am you. We are psychically connected. We are Annihilation.”

“Why me? Why do I have these powers?”

They paused, staring at him. He suddenly realized how faint he felt. 

“Your mind cannot handle much more of this, you must return to your world.”

Another portal leading back to Nagode’s bedroom appeared to their right. Before he could say anything else, his psychic form was pulled through it and back into his body. He woke up covered in sweat. When he checked the time on his phone, he did a double-take. It was the same time it had been when Annihilation arrived.

…

“Got him.” Gadget said.

Battalion perked up. 

“I spotted a mild flare-up near Ujamaatown earlier in the day, nothing too unusual, but then an hour ago there was another massive spike back in the same location as last night. Only this time I pinpointed where it was specifically coming from. Lord Properties, fifth floor, room 509,” Gadget said.

They were back in the research center, looking at live footage of the apartment building projected on one of Gadget’s screens. 

“I accessed their records and identified the residents. Two roommates: Jonah Igwe and Nagode Tyjani, but I’ve confirmed that the source is Nagode. My drones recorded Jonah exiting the apartment building a little after 9 p.m., but the most recent psychic spike didn’t occur until an hour later when Nagode was the only person in the room.”

Battalion grinned as he looked at Nagode’s file displayed on another one of Gadget’s monitors. They had finally located another Paranormal Entity. Battalion knew that handling this would impress the Director.

Within an hour, Battalion stood in twelve locations surrounding Lord Properties, primed for a fight. One of those locations was outside a building next to the apartment complex. He looked up at it, then turned to Masquerade standing beside him. She was dressed in a dark stealth suit and armed to the teeth. Her golden eyes looked back at him.

She cocked her head slightly to the side.

“He’s awake, but he’s not doing much,” she reported. “He doesn’t know we’re here.”

“Okay, follow me in and stay hidden in case he tries anything.”

Masquerade nodded, and then she turned invisible.

They made their way toward Nagode’s apartment.

[daxite]

dude

i've been struggling on how to write this, but on saturday i lost one of my closest companions

i didn't post too often about dude on here just because i usually don't post things about my life on social media that much in general, it's something i tend to keep in friend circles on discord lol, but he was my rabbit who i had for about 8 years, since i was around 16/17, and i had an extremely close bond with him

dude was originally owned by my friend's family, he was brought from a small family-owned pet store and was the last of his siblings left, he didn't have any fur patterns so nobody wanted him despite him being such a beautiful and loving rabbit, he was there until he was 6 months old and put on a discount lol

for the first couple of years of his life dude didn't really get much attention, it wasn't until my friend and i took him into our own hands where he finally got the love, space and attention he deserved

i remember the day when he first moved into our room and how happy and excited he was, zooming around and binkying up in the air everywhere, i remember just spending pretty much that entire week sitting on the floor with him, playing with him and getting to know him

over the next few years dude bonded with both of us extremely quickly and closely, he'd spend most of his time cuddling with us and playing around the room when i moved back in with my family he was even more excited since now he basically had an entire house to run around which he absolutely loved, i really can't exaggerate just how happy and playful he was during the years he spent here especially

we didn't know his exact age, but dude was around 11 years old, he would've been 12 in november, which is already very old for a rabbit, but considering that he was a mixed giant breed (half-flemish giant, half-silver fox), he was insanely old and did incredibly well for his age, most giants and giant mixes don't live longer than 8 or 9 years due to their size

over the past year or so i had noticed he'd been slowing down a bit, not really running around as much, couldn't really jump up or down off the bed anymore, developing a bit of catarax, so i knew his age was catching up to him, especially over the past few months, he'd been struggling to groom himself and wasn't eating as much

on thursday we took him to the vet, he was given some painkillers and fibre supplements, but there wasn't really much else they could do as they weren't sure what was up with him other than he was just getting old

i won't go into too much details about what specifically happened when he passed because it was very upsetting, but i noticed he wasn't doing well at all around 5am, i stayed up with him until around 8am checking on him and just sitting with him tried to get some sleep but kept waking up at basically 30 minute intervals because i was too stressed out about him, he managed to hop right next to the bed besides me and sleep a little, which had always been one of his favourite spots to sleep in since we got him

i woke up again at around 11am, checking on him and stroking him, it was then where he made a little squeak and i picked him up out of concern, and unfortunately he passed there in my arms

we were considering taking him to the vet in the morning, but there wasn't anything that they could have done other than likely put him down, ultimately i'm very glad that we didn't and he was able to pass on his own terms, as peacefully as he could have given the circumstances, in one of his favourite places as i comforted him

i've always loved rabbits since i was a kid, but i never realised just how incredibly close, loyal and loving they can be until dude, it does break my heart to see people discount them so much because they write them off as less intelligent or that they won't love you like something like a dog can, despite them being extremely clever and being able to bond ridiculously closely with their owners, dude was the peak example of that

not only was dude an incredibly loving, sweet and friendly rabbit, he completely loved everybody who he met, but he was also an absolute freak lol, always lying down and squeezing himself into the most ridiculous places because he found them comfortable

precariously wedging himself against and under movable chairs was one of his favourites and it was terrifying every time lmao

because of his breed, dude also had a very weird coat, since he was a silver fox mix, his fur was layered very differently to other rabbit breeds, he was incredibly beautiful but an absolute pain with molting lol

you can see in this photo with how weirdly his fur was layered, since he was black it was pretty hard to see most of the time

dude was generally an extremely healthy rabbit, never had any issues whatsoever, the biggest scare he had was when he pulled out one of his claws by accident a few years ago, he was perfectly fine and we were able to just treat him with some anti-septic powder for a few days at home i still have that claw, i'm probably going to use it in a mini terrarium in memory for him

given he was so affectionate, dude really loved licking people, especially my friend and i, before him i actually had no idea that rabbits lick people out of affection like dogs do, it was incredibly sweet though for some reason he loved licking toes above all things like the freak he was lmfao

this is only scratching the surface about dude and how much we all loved him and the kinds of things he'd get up to, i really cannot truly put into words how special of a rabbit he was, i've never had a bond that strong with an animal before and i don't think i'll ever have something quite like that again, he was genuinely one of the best things that has ever happened in my life and i'll always hold him incredibly close in my heart and be forever greatful for being able to spend that time with him and how wonderful he was, rest in peace little man

[sugdenlovesdingle]

This was supposed to be a short little thing for @tarlosweeklyprompts word of the day Apology... but then it suddenly became more than 2000 words. Oops?

Clark Kent (AO3)

Carlos in those glasses in 4x09 was giving me major Clark Kent vibes, but they were different from the ones he wore last season. This is why. (And if the show ever says something else - no they don't)

---

“How about these?” TK took a pair of glasses from the display and put them on Carlos’ face. “They suit you.”

Carlos looked in the mirror and frowned at his reflection.

“I don’t know…”

He put the frames back on the display.

“I think I’ll just see if they can fix the ones I’ve got.”

“Why? It’s the perfect opportunity for an upgrade. You’ve had these for as long as I’ve known you. And knowing you, you’ve had them even longer.”

“Yeah, well… They do what they’re supposed to!” Carlos protested, not wanting to admit defeat.

TK rolled his eyes at him and turned his attention back to the display.

“How about these? They’re fun!”

Carlos looked at the brightly coloured monstrosity TK had picked out and put his hand up to stop him from putting them on his face.

“No. Just no. Do I look like Elton John to you?”

“No… but I have to look at you wearing them. And I think something fun like this would suit you.”

“Do you think bad taste in eyewear would be considered irreconcilable differences as grounds for divorce?”

“Funny.” TK muttered under his breath as he followed Carlos to the counter.

“Good afternoon, can I help you?” the store clerk greeted them.

Carlos took his glasses case out of his pocket and opened it.

“I was hoping you’d be able to fix these?”

The woman winced when she saw the state of Carlos’ glasses.

“What happened?”

“Occupational hazard.” Carlos said, keeping it vague.

Next to him TK had to bite his lip so he wouldn’t say anything, or worse, laugh.

“What do you do?”

“I’m a cop.”

“Oh. Did they break when you were chasing a bad guy? Or had to fight someone?”

“Yeah… something like that.”

The woman nodded and carefully lifted up Carlos’ glasses.

“Well I can send them to our specialists and see what they can do… I’m afraid the damage is too severe for me to try and fix in store.”

“Ok. How long would that take?”

“Hard to say. We’re short staffed at the moment so everything takes longer than we’d like.”

“How about an estimate?”

“A few weeks probably. Maybe longer.” The woman replied and put the glasses back in the case. “I’m sorry. Do you have a spare pair?”

“Uh yeah… old ones. The prescription has changed since I got those…”

“When was the last time you got your prescription checked? It’s recommended you get your eyes tested at least every two years.”

“I can see fine.” Carlos said, sensing where the conversation would be going and shutting it down right away. “If you send these to the specialists today, do you think they’ll be ready by the 15th?”

“I can ask them to try… but I can’t make any promises.”

Carlos sighed.

“Alright.”

“If you would order a whole new pair they’d be ready in a week and if you get an eye test here, I can offer you a 20% discount.”

“That’s a good deal isn’t it, babe?” TK tried. “You could have a look around for an upgrade. We could even put it on my insurance. It covers spouses too.”

Carlos narrowed his eyes at him.

“Is that what you were doing on the computer this morning? Checking your policy?”

“Maybe…”

“APD insurance covers it too. And the department knows you don’t need glasses.”

“If you want to look around, we have the most popular men’s frames in the display over there, and the whole left side is our men’s department.” The woman told them. “But of course you’re welcome to look around on the women’s side too.” She added quickly. “If you need any help or advice, just let me know.”

“Right. Thank you.” Carlos said and wearily eyed the wall of frames. “Maybe we should just go home. I can wear my old ones while I wait for these to be done.” He told TK.

“Come on, we came all the way out here on our day off. Let’s just have a look around. Maybe you’ll find some you like.” TK said and dragged a reluctant Carlos over to the ‘most popular’ display.

“I just want something simple. I’ll mostly just wear them at home anyway.”

“Ok. Simple. Got it.”

“Do you? I remember what your father came up with when we wanted simple for the wedding…”

“And that turned out fine in the end, didn’t it?” TK picked a pair of frames from the display. The lenses were bigger than Carlos’ current glasses and the frame was a dark blue colour. He put them on Carlos’ face. “This would go nicely with your uniform. It’s almost the same colour.”

“I don’t need anything to go with my uniform because I won’t be wearing them at work.” Carlos argued. He looked in the mirror and had to admit they didn’t look too bad. “I don’t know about these. They’re kind of big.” He put them back and looked around for something smaller.

“These are about the same size as your old ones.” TK held up a pair of thin silver frames that made the lenses seem like they were floating.

Carlos put them on. He liked them, they were similar to the ones he currently wore and he supposed he looked good in them.

“They look kind of fragile though.” He said and he and TK shared a look before putting them back.

“Yeah… you need something more sturdy.” TK agreed and picked another pair from the display.

“No.” Carlos said right away. “Aviators? Really?”

“Just try them on! I just want to see how they look on you.” TK pleaded. “They’re Armani.”

“They’re ugly.” Carlos argued but put them on to humour his husband.

TK bit his lip to stop himself from laughing.

“Yeah… no. This… isn’t it.”

Carlos looked in the mirror and groaned before taking them off.

“They make me look like a serial killer.”

TK laughed.

“Maybe a little.”

They kept browsing the store and TK made Carlos try on just about every pair in the collection, and even trying on some himself.

“Yes. These are perfect.” He said as he put what Carlos had insisted would be the last pair on his husband’s face. “You look amazing in these baby.”

“You’re my husband, you’re supposed to say that.”

TK took his phone out of his pocket and snapped a quick picture.

“Let’s ask the gang then. Or your mom.”

“No, don’t do that.” Carlos groaned and grabbed TK’s phone from his hands. “They’ll see it eventually. Maybe.”

“Ok then we’ll ask the expert.” TK decided and walked back over to the counter. “Excuse me, could we get your professional opinion on these? I think he looks great in them, but my husband seems to think I’m biased.”

The woman gave them a friendly smile and took a good look at Carlos.

“I think they look very nice. May I?” she asked, raising her hands towards Carlos’ face. He nodded and she carefully checked the way the temples fit his face and the bridge and nose pads fit his nose. “If you want these, we’d only have to make minimal adjustments to the fit.”

“See babe? They’re made for you.” TK reasoned.

Carlos took them off and turned them over in his hands.

“I suppose I do like them…” he looked at the price tag. “And they fit my insurance budget…”

“So… you’ll take them?”

“Yeah… Yes, I’ll take them.”

“Excellent choice.” The store clerk said and took them frames from him. “I’ll go set everything up for your eye test, I’ll come get you when I’m done.” She said and left them alone.

“You really do look great in them baby. You could even wear them all the time, instead of just at home.”

“Maybe.” Carlos replied. He didn’t like wearing his glasses outside of their home, and definitely not at work. He preferred the freedom of his contact lenses.

TK smiled and stepped closer to him, slipping his arms around his waist.

“I know you don’t like wearing them around people that aren’t me… but you have absolutely nothing to feel self-conscious about.” He leaned in and pressed a kiss to Carlos’ lips. “You look hot in them. You’re my Clark Kent.”

Carlos smiled.

“Don’t even go there. The superman references is what got us here in the first place.”

~ 14 hours earlier ~

“Alone at last.” TK said, sliding the loft door shut behind his dad. “I’m really going to have to teach my dad to call before coming over from now on.”

“Yeah.” Carlos agreed. “Dinner with your dad talking about police codes really wasn’t what I had in mind for tonight.”

“Same here.” TK pushed himself off the wall next to the door. “How am I supposed to focus on conversation when you’re sitting there, looking like that.” He motioned at Carlos’ outfit.

Carlos smirked.

“I wasn’t planning on you focusing on other things when I put it on.”

“Well… mission accomplished.” TK ran his hands up Carlos’ arms to his shoulders and down his chest. “You look so hot in this shirt… I’ve wanted to take it off you all night.”

“I’m not stopping you.”

TK bit his lip as he slowly undid the buttons on Carlos’ shirt and pulled it free from his jeans.

“You’re wearing too many layers.” He mumbled.

“For you. You love unwrapping presents.”

“Hmm… true.” TK pushed Carlos’ shirt off his shoulders and crowded him against the kitchen island.

Carlos’ own hands had started wandering and slipped under TK’s sweater, pushing it up and yanking it over his head, dropping it on the floor somewhere near his own shirt.

“That sweater is way too nice for dinner with your dad.”

“It was for dinner with my husband. And dessert.” TK said and let Carlos take control and turn them around so his back was against the counter instead.

Carlos hands came up to his neck and he pulled him close and finally kissed him, the way he’d wanted to ever since he’d gotten out of the shower after his shift.

“We should take this to the bedroom.” Carlos suggested when they broke the kiss but TK shook his head and made quick work of Carlos’ t-shirt before pulling him back in for another kiss.

Their kisses soon heated up and TK hooked one leg around Carlos’ to pull him even closer.

“Babe…” Carlos panted between kisses. “Bed.”

TK groaned but let Carlos hoist him up and he wrapped his legs around his waist.

“I love how strong you are. You’re like superman.” He babbled.

“If I’m superman, you’re my kryptonite.” Carlos mumbled, not really paying attention but focused on getting TK to their bed.

Only halfway there he decided the sofa was good enough and put TK down and joined him on there.

“You know kryptonite can kill superman, right?” TK said and Carlos had to resist rolling his eyes at his husband.

“You’re going to be the death of me if you don’t kiss me right now.” He said and TK was more than happy to comply.

He shifted so he was sitting sideways on the sofa and pulled Carlos down on top of him between his open legs.

Carlos kissed his way up TK’s chest to his lips and let TK pull him with him when he lay back against the armrest.

Suddenly they heard a crunching noise from underneath TK’s back and they both froze.

“What was that?” Carlos mumbled and TK reached underneath himself.

“Oh no…”

“What?”

“I am so sorry baby. I forgot that was here.”

Carlos sat back on his heels as TK sat up but kept his hand behind his back.

“Babe… what is it?”

“I’m really sorry. I should have checked. I should have gone to the bedroom with you when you asked. I’m sorry.”

“TK. Tyler. What’s in your hand?” Carlos said, using TK’s full name as a way to snap him out of his spiral.

“I’m so sorry…” he said again and slowly removed his hand from behind his back and showed Carlos exactly what had gotten crushed underneath him.

“My glasses.”