#dunno what that chemical shit is but GET EM

[imtotallyokandnormal]

》☆Proxy Info!☆《

Sooo because I felt like dumping all of my brainrot in one place I'm gonna talk about the personalities of some of the creeps in my au!

Sorry in advance for how long these are, I put em under the cut so you can save yourself the scrolling.

(Links to images in titles and dividers by this person!)

》☆Jeff the Killer☆《

Basic info:

Full name: Jeffrey Hodek Woods

Age: 21

Pronouns: he/him (according to him, "I dunno, the guy ones I guess?")

Gender identity: Male

Orientations: Bisexual, demiromantic (openly bi but doesn't know what being demiromantic is)

Height: 6'0"

Likes: Slipknot, spicy food, dogs (cats too but only sometimes), horror and action movies, cartoons from his childhood, being annoying on purpose, working out.

Dislikes: Being touched without asking, complete silence, people with all bark and no bite, weird smells (especially strong chemical smells).

Extra: Jeff is Italian-American, as an homage to the original Jeff Hodek :>

Personality info:

Due to a rough childhood AND generally just being pretty fucked over by life, Jeff has a habit of acting reallyyyy tough and cocky. He doesn't like to sugarcoat things often, so he sometimes comes off as overly blunt.

He carries himself as a very confident guy, someone who will usually say what's on his mind whether people like it or not. This doesn't NECESSARILY mean he's a bully about it, but it doesn't mean he's always thinking about the nicest way to phrase things. Obviously this means he'll often speak his mind when it's COMPLETELY not a good idea, and he will often be stubborn about standing his ground.

He can have strong opinions on things, just for the sake of having strong opinions. He will die on a hill just to prove himself right. The Operator kinda fucking hates him honestly dgjudgdgiohf

Despite his brazen nature, he can be fairly friendly and fun to be around once you get to know him. He's spontaneous and very passionate when he gets into the spirit of something. When he sets his mind so something he goes barreling for it at full speed.

He's also INCREDIBLY loyal, like if he's decided he likes someone it'll be hard to make him dislike them. He's got your back, no questions, no caveats. He's kinda like a guard dog when he's friends with someone, like as soon as he hears someone shit-talking them he's ready to fucking throw down.

He's also very smart, quick on his feet with things and has a very good sense of logic. He might not have a specific field he's especially focused in like EJ, but as far as pure logic goes he's one of the smarter proxies in the manor. That's why The Operator bothers to keep him around, because otherwise it'd probably dispose of him just because it finds him annoying 😭😭😭

Appearance info:

Instead of only fire-related burn scars (which he still has a lot of), Jeff also has a lot of chemical burns, and healed scars of varying sizes all over his body. His smile cuts are healed, but are the most obvious cuts on his body. His body/face aren't white, but are instead his natural skin tone (kind of a warm beige, obviously varies in his scars). He also doesn't have a fully reconstructed nose, like he has kind of a bridge but it doesn't look like his original nose.

He's got a kinda sexy biker/emo band member aesthetic going on, like band tees cut into tank tops and black cargo pants are his go-tos. He also likes to wear regular tank tops that fit him snugly because he's a little bit of a show-off and likes to flaunt his muscles. He doesn't usually accessorize way too much, he usually just has a belt and spikey/studded wrist cuffs, probably some leather fingerless gloves too. When he's not wearing a hooded jacket-flannel combo he has a beat up leather jacket on. He obviously wears converse cuz he's emo but also big chunky combat boots that add almost 2 inches to his already towering height. Definition of unnecessary intimidation. He's also got piercings! Both ear and facial ones because he's hot. Definitely some tattoos too.

He has long thick hair that he dyes black (fucking emo I'm telling you) and it has tons of choppy layers that he cuts himself. He usually either keeps it down or throws it up in a ponytail (it looks a little like a big spiky pom-pom :3). He likes to experiment with his hair, he tends to just change his hairstyle on a whim if he's bored (keep him away from the kitchen scissors for the love of god he always uses the worst tools for cutting his hair). His hair tends to just naturally be messy so he doesn't usually put product in it.

As for makeup and nails, he somehow does so little and it enhances so much. All he does is put some black eyeshadow right around his eyes, rubs it around and boom, done. His nails are also painted black usually, and almost always chipped.

》☆BEN Drowned☆《

Basic info:

Full name: Benjamin Jacob Lawman

Age: 14 (does not age past this due to being dead)

Pronouns: he/they ("they is fine too I guess" *secret gender feelings unlocked*)

Gender identity: Male (...? He'll figure it out later)

Orientations: Does not know, does not care ("if someone's hot then they're hot I dunno- can I get back to my minecraft build now?")

Height: 4'2"

Likes: Video games, especially the LoZ games (who would've guessed), anything related to internet horror, hanging out with the older proxies, junk food, EDM, animals, bugs and tardigrades.

Dislikes: Being bossed around, comments about how young he is, valley girl accents, being alone too much, baths and pools.

Extra: Ben wanted to be a limnologist when he was still alive.

Personality info:

Now Ben is a 14 year old boy, not just for a year but for all of eternity as he knows it. He's not exactly gonna be HAPPY about this fact, because he still has some leftover young teenager angst to work through. Part of that angst includes not being taken seriously by everyone else in the manor because he's wayyy younger than everyone else.

To combat this Ben tends to try and copy mannerisms he sees in the "cooler" proxies (mainly Jeff since he's closest with him), so he tends to act sarcastic and snarky when in front of adults.

He's impulsive, especially if how he's perceived by others is on the line, so he's definitely doing dumb shit with the older proxies to make them think he's cool like racing stolen shopping carts or attempting (and failing) to prank The Operator, which just gets him in trouble.

He tends to keep to himself unless he's around people he's friends with, preferring to play video games and not having to interact with people. To him, it's better to just stay inside and distract himself than go out and let people comment on how young he is constantly.

There are parts of him that still remain from when he was alive, though. These traits especially come out around Sally, who he sees as a little sister. He understands how much it sucks to be dead so young, so he doesn't want it to suck as much for her.

He's patient with her if she can't figure out certain things, and tries to explain it in ways she'd understand. He's almost like a teacher in the way he does it, like he starts broad and narrows it down little by little until she gets it. This is how he teaches her things like ecology (one of his favorite science subjects by the way).

He's also good at telling how people are feeling, how people act if they feel certain ways. He's good at recognizing those kinds of patterns, and while he doesn't always openly try to help he tends to do it in more quiet ways. If you receive an anonymous candy bar at your door with a little sticky note on it saying "get better soon, dum-dum" no you didn't.

Also he doesn't mind being made fun of for his height as much as he minds the age thing, and often likes to use it to his advantage by climbing on people if they try to be comedians about it.

Appearance info:

To nobody's surprise, Ben loves the LoZ games, so obviously if he has the ability to cosplay Link all the time every day he's gonna take it. Ghosts can kind of shapeshift in a way if they're in their incorporeal state, so he absolutely goes apeshit. He gave himself the long blonde hair and the big ol elf ears and one of the cool Link outfits, but upon realizing he'd be picked on for his appearance he later he decides to abandon the outfit and switch to "cooler clothes." He also gave himself the bleeding black and red eyes because he thought it looked badass.

Clothing style? 90s teenage dirtbag mixed with gamer bro that hasn't seen the sun in ages. Big baggy pants with a big baggy LoZ shirt and a neutral colored flannel (probably has holes in it) is his default outfit, but also regular sweats and a t-shirt works just fine. Everything he owns is in a desaturated earthy color scheme, especially green because of fucking course. If it's not a variation of green, beige or brown it's probably black because he's gotta subtly let himself cosplay Link if he can't have the full Link outfit. He usually wears converse or vans, and pairs them with the weirdest funky mismatched socks you've ever seen in your life. Usually wears a beanie to compensate for the Link hat but sometimes he feels comfortable enough wearing it around his friends.

His hair is grown out and also kinda messy, but that isn't on purpose he just genuinely doesn't bother styling it most of the time. If he does do something with it it's a half up half down kinda deal, and the ponytail part is very small because some parts of his hair aren't the same lengths (unintentional layering basically). He has bangs and two long framing pieces, always sticking up and sideways every-which-way. Only ever lets Jeff or Nina touch his hair to style it because those two are basically his siblings, plus he knows they won't fuck him up on purpose.

He does let Nina paint his nails and dress him up sometimes but he absolutely does not want ANY makeup on his face....unless Sally is doing it but NOBODY ELSE CAN DO IT.

》☆Toby Rogers☆《

Basic info:

Full name: Toby Erin Rogers

Age: 20

Pronouns: he/they (*Thinks about it for a good 20 seconds as if he's only just considered this now* "Ehhhhhh...yeah- but also no.")

Gender identity: Demigender/demiboy ("Not like a guy, but guy...adjacent, I guess?")

Orientations: Pansexual, panromantic (calls himself gay for the funnies, but also because he is very gay)

Height: 5'8"

Likes: Playing guitar (he plays acoustic guitar specifically), doing dumb shit with his friends, going on walks in the forest, anything midwest emo.

Dislikes: People assuming he's weak/stupid, sudden loud noises, chalk, alcohol, being unable to help people he cares about.

Extra: Toby can fit about two packages worth of peeps in his mouth at once.

Personality info:

Toby has been through SHIT, even before becoming one of the proxies. He's been bullied for shit he couldn't control his whole life and has been isolated from the world just to get away from being constantly ridiculed (not to mention the abuse and death of the only person he could fully trust), so I think he'd actually like being around people that'd understand him in that way.

He's a lot more open around the proxies because at least THESE people could understand feeling outcasted, right? So even though it takes a while (quite a long while, had to learn he could trust the others first), he eventually lets himself be the goofy, impulsive, free kid he never really got to be.

When you get to know him and he knows he can trust you, he's really fucking considerate. Honestly probably the MOST considerate person in The Manor, like as much as he jokes around he genuinely cares deeply about the friends he has and he can be SO sweet. He's also very loyal, a little bit of a guard dog like Jeff but he's just a TINY bit more subtle about it.

He's the FUNNIEST person in the room, like he can make a joke out of almost any situation and he incorporates his awkwardness to enhance the humor. He's definitely gotten a little better about his awkward tendencies since first starting as a proxy, but sometimes he slips up on a social cue or something and he's generally able to be lighthearted about it. He does tend to crack jokes about his tics, especially if they happen with good comedic timing.

But make no mistake, as great as he is, he is so deeply, internally so filled with ready-to-go rage. As soon as his friends are fucked with it's almost like flipping a switch. He IS one of The Operator's top proxies for a reason, and he will show you said reasons. His anger starts quiet, a glare at whoever pissed him off, a tight grip on their shoulder or wrist. From there, if he's provoked further, he's not holding shit back.

He also has deep and complicated issues with trust, to the point that at times he's scared of trusting his own friends. He doesn't like being unable to trust people he cares about, especially since most of them are pretty much his family now. But for him sometimes it's hard not to be paranoid.

When this happens, or he feels any kind of overwhelming emotion, he tends to isolate himself until it passes. His tics tend to get worse when he's feeling a ton of stress, especially his motor tics, so he prefers riding them out in private. As much as the others tend to be perfectly chill about his tics, sometimes he prefers to just be alone if he can help it.

Appearance info:

Toby's still got his cheek gash in this au, but he's also got a bunch of other knicks and bruises from various things. Due to his CIPA he tends to bump into things and not notice if they've left a bruise so after a while he just sees it and goes "??? How'd that get there?" Along with that he's got a lil bit of facial hair, not anything that forms like a beard or mustache but enough to be kinda fuzzy. And BIG dark circles, he does not sleep.

This guy literally has two modes: Literal Marietta Song As A Person, or Slut. No in between. Guy is a walking talking Weezer album, a total Joyce Manor enjoyer. And when he's not that he's all the members of Måneskin at once, for funsies.

No but seriously he does have the aesthetic of literally any image that comes up when you type Midwest Emo on Pinterest most of the time. I'm talking huge grandpa sweaters, sometimes cardigans, earthy colored flannels, t-shirts over long-sleeved shirts, beat up pair of converse (or beat up pair of boots), the works. Similar to Ben, his clothes tend to have earthy tones but definitely incorporate more brown. He also likes to mix it up with orange and dark blue, especially if he has dark blue jeans. A lot of his clothes have patches that he learned to sew on himself (Jane helped him out a little). And any accessories he has are likely things he's gotten from other people, such as a bracelet Sally made or some fingerless gloves Nina doesn't wear anymore. But what about his Slut mode you ask? Look up Damiano David. You'll understand. He has a pair of sexy red cowboy boots hiding in his closet and he's waiting for an excuse to use em.

His hair is literally the cutest grown out mullet you've ever seen in your life, literally so fluffy and it swoops out at his neck. He cut himself some bangs with help from Jeff (more like Jeff forced his help on him because he knew Toby was gonna do it WAY too short). He likes to fluff it up with some hair mousse and sometimes uses one of Nina's many curling and straightening irons to really add volume.

Toby likes having his nails painted by OTHER people rather than himself so he lets Sally or Nina or Jeff paint them for him. He likes to try out different colors, he really just lets em go crazy. For makeup he usually doesn't wear any, but occasionally he'll let Nina give him a makeover to practice new makeup looks on him. He always looks hot afterwards (thought he was hot before too).

》☆Sally Williams☆《

Basic info:

Name: Sally Maryam Williams

Age: 8 (does not age past this due to being dead)

Pronouns: she/her ("Oh! Ben and Nina taught me about this!")

Gender identity: Female

Orientations: Does not know, just loves everybody ("Uhm- well girls are really pretty- but boys are pretty too! Everyone's pretty!- oh, except for Ben." *mischievous smirk*)

Height: 3'9"

Likes: Ben and Nina, creative activities (like painting or making crafts), reading books, collecting various objects, dressing up, cats, visiting cemeteries.

Dislikes: Unfamiliar people (especially men), losing things, being alone, having her hair touched/brushed (unless Ben/Nina), yelling.

Personality info:

Despite everything that Sally has gone through, she is an incredibly joyful, optimistic kind of kid at heart. She makes her own happiness as a way to keep herself feeling safe, and her efforts spread to other people in the manor.

She's generally friendly to everyone in the manor but won't outright go talk to anyone by herself unless it's Ben or Nina. Those two are the only people she fully trusts being alone around, so she'll usually be following or pulling one of those two along. She is very extroverted and gets most of her energy from being around others, but she needs a little encouragement when spending time with people she's not familiar with.

Once she does know you and trust you enough though, expect her to chat your ear off and ask you to do things with her. Once you're her friend she'll treat you like she's known you her whole life. She's really sweet and likes to give people gifts, especially stuff she makes herself. She's also the type to get into mischief with you (as long as Ben gets to go too of course). She's very talkative and asks everyone how their day's been, because she's genuinely curious.

Adding onto that, she loves to learn things, like anything that has information will probably pique her interest. She tends to ask people questions, anything that she thinks they might know (Ben might have to pull her away once the other person's tired of answering, she's just got a lot of things to ask).

Although she's a very sweet girl and loves being around people, she can clam up very easily if she's faced with something that scares her. Not a lot of things get to her, but one big thing that immediately gets her panicked is getting lost or being left alone (specifically if she doesn't know someone's nearby, she's usually fine in her room by herself). Once she realizes she's away from someone familiar she's quick to get panicked. Depending on the circumstances she might run away or try to fight off people trying to help her. While this is rare, it does happen.

Similar to Toby, she has trouble processing big emotions. For her, anger and fear are really hard for her to control, so she tends to run away and isolate herself when she feels they're getting too strong for her to handle. Being a ghost, sometimes her handle on her physical form gets harder to maintain when she's upset, so she'll most likely be incorporeal when she's dealing with really rough things. She hates feeling these things, she doesn't like having people see her like that, which just makes her feel ashamed of herself afterwards.

Luckily, Nina is especially patient with her when this happens, so after she's calmed down enough she'll go to Nina to decompress. She's really glad to have someone help her and love her, she's so grateful she has family to fall back on.

Appearance info:

Since Sally's a ghost and can basically customize herself, she usually makes herself look like a version of herself when she was alive. The only differences would be things she wished she had when she was alive, like long hair down to her knees and eyes that change color with her emotions (because who DIDN'T want that as a kid). Depending on the day she might change little things for fun, like giving herself cat ears or a unicorn horn. She doesn't have the focus or energy for making big changes (otherwise she'd always be looking like a magical girl with a rainbow color pallette and angel wings).

She LOVES having all sorts of clothes and dressing up because it lets her express how she feels and what she likes. Her clothes are usually very girly, ranging from princess dresses to jumpers to monster high and barbie t-shirts to every kind of skirt known to man. Though sometimes she likes to sort of copy Ben's style, wearing overalls over an mlp shirt and a flannel and beanie to pull it all together. Honestly if she likes you or thinks you're cool she'll try to dress like you at least once.

The only consistency with Sally's hair is that it's almost always long, otherwise she goes nuts styling it different ways. Her and Nina are always doing cute hairdos, Nina helps her braid it or do pigtails or whatever Sally feels like. She loves doing different bang styles, she's always got those lil kids scissors with her in case she wants to chop herself some bangs (it's ok she'll get better at it). Basically it changes depending on how she's feeling, just like her clothing styles.

ACCESSORIZES TO THE MOON SHE LOVES ACCESSORIES ABD SHE INTENDS ON USING AS MANY AS POSSIBLE. Makeup and nails? Obviously! She often likes to do it with Nina in the mornings. Don't forget colorful clip in hair extentions too! Her closet is full of as many things she can get her hands on and she couldn't be happier about it.

[euclydya]

For the song asks 11, 28, and one of your your choice!

We'll also give you a favourite lyric too from each song cuz why not lmao

11: A song that you never get tired of - Hmm... Sleep by My Chemical Romance. This song's extremely important to us, and though we don't listen to it often due to a lot of shit associated with it (it's one of Those Songs ya gotta be in the right Mood for, to us) when we listen to it we'll absolutely never get tired of it. It's gotten us through a lot over the years tbh!

Favourite lyric: The hardest part's the awful things that I've seen

28: A song by an artist with a voice that you love - You'll get two answers for this one since we can't decide, so, firstly we have Alone With My Thoughts by Chonny Jash! Not the first CJ song I was gonna choose but the one I had in mind (Be Born) doesn't actually showcase his Real Voice lmao. We May Still Be Biased™ but Chonny's got a great singing voice imo. I'd say more but it is nearly 6 am and we haven't slept yet ajsjdjsksjdjsjd

Favourite lyric: This will be my final entry

I'm tired, I'm done, I'm empty

My spirit's all but left me

The end of the universe doesn't impress me

Second, we have Geek U.S.A by The Smashing Pumpkins! Sayyyyy what you will about Mr. William Corgan's Voice™ but the high pitched whininess really fits TSP's sound imo. His vocals are,, unique I think in that Whooo the fuck else sounds like that lmao. He most certainly Sounds Like A Rat In A Cage™ and it's awesome actually. Synesthesia-wise his voice can make any song sound pastel as fuck (Very Good) unless it's drowned out by some loud ass guitar, which they do sometimes FHDJSJFJ

Favourite lyric: And then I knew we'd been forsaken,

expelled from paradise

I can't believe them when they say that it's alright

3: A song that reminds you of summertime - She's A Handsome Woman by Panic! At the Disco! The whole album this is off of is a huge Summer album for us actually! But this song in particular always gave off Summer vibes a bit more than the others, I dunno why. We have a lotta good memories associated with this song; going out to parks and fishing with our family, staying outside all day on swing sets singing along to our favourite songs with our siblings... Fun times! We miss em tbh. Haven't done any of that shit in years fhdjsjdjf

Favourite lyric: Beat backbones

Grazed the poem and made it strange

I wasn't born to be a skeleton!

[sharksa-shivers]

Stuff with Nucleo and OH dump cuz i said i would the other day

So...These involve the 2 derpos in the title, just a grab bag of stuff with them (and perhaps...Both of them doing shit together as well hmmm) But i should post some seperate too especially OH cuz i haven't spoken about her as much as i should be you could say that about alot of characters tho tbfh... ---------

(Sharky having to ask OH for cash on the phone, all 3 of em are broke)

Orange Hair:(answering her phone, we see the screen split so we can see both Sharky and Orange talking, Orange working with some chemicals and Sharky leaning up against a building, him just walking around as they talk)Hello?

Sharky:(obviously having to work up a bit of nerve, we can see he's obviously kind of anxious about this)Heyyyyyy, uh…So…I'm just gonna cut to it and not waste your time and blah blah blah, uh…Look, can i have like…500 bucks? Please?

Orange:(raises an eyebrow)500? What for?

Sharky:(anxious, trying to keep it cool and together)Uh, gas money, food money, hotel money, supplies like bullets and stuff…Uhhh, very not cheap stuff that we need andddd collectively all 3 of us together have…(pulls money out of jacket pocket)…12 dollars and 67 cents…and yknowwwww, kinda got like another day of travel ahead andddddd-

Orange:(we see her think for a moment before she just…turns this shit on its head)Hmmm……….Yeah- uhhhhhh…No.

Sharky:(he sits a moment)…..What? No?

Orange:(repeats)No. Nope. Non. Nien. Nada. Natu. No. What? You didn't hear me?

Sharky:(we just see him kind of snap a small bit)I…….Orange, i…We really need money!!!!

Orange:(working with her chemicals, writing down info)Ok…….The answer is still no.

Sharky:(nerves snapping mentally continues, getting kind of pissed and frustrated)Literally why?????? You're a multi-millionaire!!!! $500 is pennies for you!!!!!!

Orange:(unphased by his frustration)Pretty simple, gotta learn to deal with problems like this sooner or later, especially when it comes to demon fighting. You have any idea how many times i've had demons steal my cash and leave me fucked? It's gonna happen sooner or later and you 3 are gonna have to know how to deal with it. Life's fucking rough, it's how it is.

Sharky:(breaking)We literally do not have money for a place to sleep or food!!!! We have 12 fuckin dollars!!!!!

Orange:(unphased still)You got a car and i'm sure you 3 can figure out some resource for food…You're all very smart, you can do this very easily, i've seen the shit Max alone can do.

Sharky:(freaking out)Do you have any idea the amount of danger this puts us in???? Like…Any idea at all????

Orange:(stares blankly)Uhhh, yes? Very much so. Yes. Mmhmmm…If it gets too deadly or whatever, i'll bail you guys out butttttt since it's not there yet, seems like perfect survival experience time here to me…

Sharky:(he just kinda sits there in disbelief)………

Orange:(annoyed)You done yet? Can i get back to my work now?

Sharky:(he just kind of falters and accepts the answer, knowing he can't fight her)…….Yeah, guess i'm done…

Orange:(picking up her phone)Excellent, excellent…You 3 stay safe out there, don't come home dead please.

Sharky:(annoyed as fuck, freaking out)Yeah, sure, i'll try…

Orange:(finger on the button)Alrighty then, goodbye…

(We see her cut the line and Sharky's just there staring at his phone…We see him mutter "Shit!" Under his breath and then we cut back to Max and Kristy chilling in the car…)

Kristy:(boredly messing with her hair)…You think maybe like…I dunno, i could go for a different style by now or?

Max:(on his phone, rapidly typing)Uhhhh, maybe!!! That's kinda up to you, i don't really know much about human hairstyles and whatnot…

Kristy:(looking at herself in the visor mirror)Like…I like this being shoulder length and sometimes i wanna cut it but if i don't like it, then i have to wait like…a few months for it to grow out again so like… (Sharky opens his door and flops into the drivers seat, frustrated)

Sharky:(stressed as fuck)God…FUCKIN damnit…Fuck…

Kristy:(concerned)Wait, what happened?

Max:(looking up, texting)Is OH gonna be making this a pain in the ass again?

Sharky:(nods)YEP, SHE SURE IS!!!! She said she isn't gonna give us anything, she wants US to survive on our own, fucking…Fuck!!!!

Kristy:(eyes widen)What???

Max:(just kinda stares, he seems kind of unphased but he wasn't expecting this exactly)…Welp…

Kristy:(confused)Literally how and why???? Wait, what???? She has so much cash, she literally wouldn't even miss it!!!!!

Sharky:(Leans back, mentally tired)She pushed it basically as "this is part of the job!" Kinda shit, i tried going at it from that angle, didn't do shit.

Max:(annoyed, texting, looks up)Gonna just ask, does uhhhh, does Orange know that when people say "eat the rich" that DOES INCLUDE her or? Cuz uhhhh, i'm just saying, she's making that sound quite tempting and uhhhhh…I wouldn't hesitate…

Kristy:(just looks back at Max, gives him a weird look)……What?

Max:(smirks)You heard me.

Sharky:(frustrated)Look, doesn't matter, she's not gonna fucking help, we have to figure out something else to do…

Kristy:(thinking, she perks up)Wait, we could ask Nucleo!!!

Max:(typing on his phone)I got him on speed dial, hold up…

Sharky:(just gazes over)No, God, don't be bothering Nucleo okay???

Max:(confused)Why not? He helped us last time.

Kristy:(remembering)He did but…Wait, Orange also got onto him for that, uhhh…I…Don't wanna get him in trouble again…

Max:(amused)Nucleo legit daydreams about Orange punching and kicking him in the face, it'd be fine. It's his like…Kink or whatever…

Sharky:(getting more annoyed)No!!! It's not fine!!! Just!!!! (Trying to calm down, let's out a big breath)Let's just…Try and figure out a way to deal with this that doesn't involve dragging other people into this okay????

Max:(on his shit)Capitalism literally cannot exist without you dragging othe-

Sharky:(snapping again)I KNOW ABOUT CAPITALISM BEING SHIT MAX, HOLY FUCK, CAN YOU BOTH JUST STOP FOR 5 SECONDS???? LOVE OF POSEIDON!!!!!!! ------------------------ The Captain: I don't understand how the fuck you can put up with her…

Nucleo: ………………Yknow you're right actually, FUCK Orange Hair, she can fuckin deal with shit herself, fuck her…

The Captain: ………..Wait, you're serious? (just stares at a stonefaced Nucleo)………Oh fuck, you…You are serious, holy shit…Goddamn, ok then… ------------------------

(We see Nucleo walking into the lab only to see OH has fallen asleep at her desk, papers strewn about everywhere while she snores…Nucleo decides to try and help, knowing that's probably not the best place for her to sleep…)

Nucleo:(trying to be cheerful, shakes her shoulders a bit, amused)Hey sleepy, wanna maybe sleep in your bed instead of the table?

OH:(Orange jolts up, her eyes purple from not sleeping for a while, shaking her head to wake up before quickly shoving Nucleo off)Thanks for waking me up, need to get back to work now though, i have to figure out this-

Nucleo:(he's very quick and as she reaches out for some of her papers, he quickly makes a radiation shield around them, making them unaccessible to her, hand on her shoulder)I kinda think it'd be better if you took a break…When was the last time you slept?

OH:(annoyed, tries to think)…….Last week? I don't know, lost track of the days…

Nucleo:(questioning)You even eat recently? Shower? You do anything not work related for even an hour lately or?

OH:(her eyes shifting more and more as Nucleo goes down the list, annoyed, getting up)Ok, ok, ok, fuck, fine…I'll go waste time and…"self care" i guess…

Nucleo:(crossing his arms, following her to make sure she goes)Not really a waste if you're gonna fall into needing these things at some point anyway. All this work crap will be waiting after you take a break, you need it. You can't save the world from demons if you're falling asleep at the wheel…

OH:(annoyed as she goes downstairs to her basement bedroom)You sound like those damn kids bickering at each other…

Nucleo:(smirking)Good, they got good points and they look out for each other. Good qualities to have.

OH:(annoyed, closing her bedroom door)Yeah yeah, welp. Night i guess… ------------------------ (OH getting out and giving Max a full ass flamethrower)

OH:(glaring him in the eyes before giving it to him)You be fucking careful and responsible with this or it'll be my fire you'll be worrying about, understand me?

Max:(nods)Yes ma'am, got it.

OH:(nods back, handing it over)Good.

Max:(holding it as Orange gets other weapons down, looking at the flamethrower in sheer awe and admiration)…….I don't think i have ever felt more allo then i do holding this gun, oh my god, i think i'm actually in love…

OH:(just responding as she's busy)Yes, it is quite a beautiful gun isn't it? Will certainly be useful for the upcoming mission i have planned out for you 3… -------------------------- (We see Nucleo waiting at the bottom of the stairs in the main cabin with a coffee he bought, him talking with Amber as he waits on Max and Kristy to come down. Nucleo is in charge atm of taking the 2 Trio derps somewhere (probs for a mission or whatever) )

Nucleo:(talking with Amber, trying to understand a bit)So what's up again exactly? Like…Why do i have to do this on my day off? Like, i guess i don't understand why Sharky can't do this…

Amber:(explaining a bit as she's busy on the couch, folding laundry)I told Orange Sharky wasn't really in the best state to be driving in, he told me earlier he went to Pink Fin and got some meds, he woke up very sick and was throwing up so…Yeah, doing a mission is the last thing he needs to be doing right now…So he's probably asleep right now, resting up.

Nucleo:(understanding but still questioning)Ok, got that. So…Why can't this all just be pushed back altogether? Like why does this all need to be done TODAY then?

Amber:(busily folding)You're probably gonna have to take that one up with Orange…(hears a timer go off in the kitchen, quickly gets up) Oh! There's my bread timer, hold that thought!! (Runs into the kitchen to deal with that)

Nucleo:(sighs, annoyed before calling out to the derps)……HEY, YOU KIDS ALMOST READY OR WHAT?????

Max:(from the upstairs bathroom)YEAH, JUST NEEDA FINISH SHAVING, HOLD UP!!!!! I NEED THE TIME TO LOOK GOOD!!!!

Kristy:(quickly, heading downstairs in a rush)Yep!!!! I'm fully ready-!!!!!

(As Kristy goes downstairs she ends up tripping and hitting Nucleo, his coffee flying out of his hands however Nucleo is very quick and is able to catch the cup, lid and liquid in levitation magic, stopping it all from hitting the ground)

Kristy:(standing up again, in awe that Nucleo was able to do that, watching him guide the liquid back into the cup and then put the lid back on)…….Wowwwww, holy shit… Nucleo:(smirking)Yeah, you're lucky i have the skills to do that, paid like 6 bucks, for this…(calling out again)MAX, CMON!!!!

Max:(yelling back)I'M TRYING TO HURRY, GODDAMNIT!!!!!! ---------------------- (OH and Kristy are driving somewhere. OH is smoking and she has the windows up so Kristy's just coughing on the fumes)

Kristy:(glares over)Do you have to be smoking in the car like this???

OH:(looks over)I mean, you can leave…

Kristy:(stares in confusion)Leave? Orange, we're on a highway!!! In a damn thunderstorm!!!!! Where am i supposed to go?????

OH:(smoking, lets smoke out of her mouth, shrugs)I dunno but you can leave. Not like i'm holding you hostage or anything…

Kristy:(pissed)YOU LITERALLY KIDNAPPED ME, YOU DID THAT, WHAT THE FUCK?????? ------------------------- (We see a very tired as fuck Orange Hair come downstairs, her apparently just waking up. We see Amber cleaning up things after breakfast as OH comes down and opens the fridge to get a drink. Orange's hair was obviously down beforehand and now is in a big ass tangled ratsnest knot…)

Amber:(as OH closes the fridge door, pulling out a sports drink(like a gatorade or something)a bit startled by the state of her hair, questioning)Uhhhh, Orange, your hair…Ummmm…

OH:(she tiredly blows a bang out of her face before her hair ignites in a firey orange glow, OH whipping it back out straight and back into its usual form, that hurricane esc style. Stares at Amber)That better?

Amber:(nods, trying to be very nice)Yeah! That looks great!

OH:(opening up her drink, tired)Good. I never worry about that shit, i'm a living hair straighter with my magic…And hair curler if i wanted to i guess…Point is, i've got heat built in, easy fixes. I don't care. ------------------------ (OH and Kristy in a fight over some shit)

Orange:(pissed)That is an ORDER Kristy, i expect you to FOLLOW IT!!!!!

Kristy:(at her snapping point, pissed as fuck and enraged)Maybe you should follow THIS!!!!!!!!!! (Within a quick snap, Kristy makes a very big and powerful green colored ray ball of energy and shoots it directly at OH, hitting her dead on without any warning and nailing THE FUCK out of her, actually sending Orange back into a wall and crashing cracks into it with the force of Orange hitting it………and the entire room goes silent as Kristy's eyes narrow at what she just did along with Orange seeming like that did do some sort of pain/damage to her as she peels herself off the wall, leaving an imprint…)

Max:(just leaning towards Kristy, his eyes narrowed and locked on OH)……Pretty sure she's gonna kill you for that…

Kristy:(scrambling for words, scared)I, Orange, i'm sooooooo sorry, you're right, i should just be following orders from you, you're right, you-

Orange:(recovering, brushing walldust off her jacket, her gaze steady but calmer)……Actually, yknow what? ……..I'm proud of you for that one, you put some force into that, took me off guard and actually did some damage…Good work Kristy, i expect more of that from you…

Kristy:(just staring)…….I'm sorry, what?

Orange:(annoyed)Just take the damn compliment kid, sheesh… --------------------------

(thinkin bout that ep where Max is a depressive wreck and Nucleo's taking him to a Sunrises concert to try and help him feel better which uhhhh yeahhhhh, not…Not gonna be as easy as that…)

Max:(coming downstairs to see Nucleo in his punk get-up while Max is in his Sunrises hoodie, Max stares at Nucleo very confused and his depression is still veryyyyy much there in his tone)…What are you wearing?

Nucleo:(cheerful and excited for the concert)This is my punk get-up!! I dunno bout you but i'm ready to rock!!

Max:(staring very confused, tired)……..Nucleo, this isn't a rock show we're going to…

Nucleo:(stops, staring at Max, confused)…Wait, what? I thought it was? Sunrises isn't a punk band?

Max:(staring still, shakes his head)No…Sunrises is one enby peep that makes dubstep music from their basement…This is more like…a rave concert i guess you'd call it or…Something…

Nucleo:(taking that in)………Oh…….Welp uhhhh, hold on a second, i guess i'll take some of this off then so i'll fit in better with ya…I'm leaving the make up though hehe… ---------------------------- (Nucleo's fighting this rando cult shadowdemon and is thoroughly pissed the fuck off after all the shit that's been going on…)

Shadowcult member:(smirking with a murderous intent, says the thing that pushes Nucleo over the edge)That's alot of talk for a pretty little plant mer like yourself…

Nucleo:(he's had e-fucking-nough so he proceeds to do some dark shit, he grabs the shadowdemons face and blasts pure radiation magic in their face, enough to cause major major damage, skin and hair falling off as the shadowdemon screams in agony…Nucleo lets go and the shadowdemon falls, screaming and flailing around as their skin melts, Nucleo just glares, tired and pissed off, his veins glowing green)…Maybe that'll help you remember i'm a radiation mer actually…Tell your friends i got more for em if they try that stupidass shit again… --------------------------- (We see Nucleo mad dash running into the garage area, stopping whenever he sees Sharketa who's busy looking for something in the clutter…)

Nucleo:(upset, seeing Sharky's car is gone)Shit!!!! Fuck!!!! I'm too late, fuck!!!! (notices Sharketa)Sharketa!!! Quick, did Sharky or Kristy or Max say where they were going or?????

Sharketa:(worried by his discomposure)Uhhhh, no? I…Or…I thought i heard Kristy say something about downtown? I think? Why?

Nucleo:(frantic)Ughhh!!!! Long story but OH doing shit again!!! I think there's a chance she might have slipped some explosives in some of their supplies!!!!

Sharketa:(immediately alarmed)WAIT, WHAT????? DID SHE DO THAT ON PURPOSE???????? WHAT THE FUCK?????

Nucleo:(frantic, scared, anxious)Fuck, again, long story!!!! I can explain later, i just need to fucking get to them and fast, fuck!!!!!(eyes light up at one of the motorcycles in the garage, rushing over to it, pulling it out of clutter, grabbing some keys with his magic and a helmet, putting the helmet on, ripping off his labcoat, speaking quickly)If anybody asks, i'm going after them, i don't have alot of time, i need to get to them ASAP!!!

Sharketa:(anxious, worried as fuck now)Do you even know how to ride a motorcycle????

Nucleo:(getting on and turning it on, anxious as fuck)Nope!!! I guess i'm learning today!!!! I've ridden a bike before though so uhhhh, i assume they're at least similar enough!!!! Can't think about that now, i gotta go!!!! The fucking things i do for you damn kids!!!!!

(Before Sharketa can respond again to that, we see Nucleo rev up the engine and speed off, him skidding some as he's obviously not fucking used to it, oof…) ------------------------ (Ok...I like this one but i am...Trying to decide if it's physically possible for Nucleo TO get drunk...Cuz like...Posion immunities, disease immunitys, idk, what do you think? Can he get drunk or no? lmaoooo)

(Late at night, idfk what context is butttt i imagine Nucleo brought some alcohol over and got a little tipsy (i can see him doing that whenever stress gets to be too much or he just wants to relax a bit but i can't see Nucleo really getting flatout shitfaced often, probs more just tipsy/light drunk sometimes.))

Nucleo:(amused, slightly drunk so he's kinda out of it)So what you're saying is that short men DO have rights? So what you're saying in general is that there's a chance?

OH:(Just staring, trying to work still)………You have been talking to yourself for like an hour and half straight, please just go home…

Nucleo:(smirking, drunk)Probably not a good idea cuz immmmmmm kinda drunk hehehehehe…

OH:(working)Which is why i'd get Sharky to take you home or something, just…Please, i'm trying to work…

Nucleo:(annoyed, snarky)You're always fuckin working…You never do fuckin anything else… --------------------- Nucleo:(questioning)……..Are you actually jealous of me or…?

Orange Hair:(She sits a moment before she actually says something pretty out there for herself)……….You know……Yeah………Maybe i am a bit……….

Nucleo:(taken aback but he tries to hold it together for her sake)……..How? You're so much higher up on the society ladder then i am, you're literally a living legend at this point, a multi millionaire, what could i have that you don't???

Orange Hair:(sits a moment, looks him dead in the eyes)……..Happiness……..You actually see a point in life, you can see the beauty in it, the value of your own life……..And……….I can't do that…………I don't ever say it but…….There's not a day that goes by that i don't think i'd be better off dead……..So…………

Nucleo:(sits there, taking that in…And they both sit in silence, him not knowing what to say to that…) ------------------- ...One last one for the road maybe lol --- (We see The Captain looking around the hotel room for Nucleo and being unable to find him until a thought crosses his mind. We cut shots to him sliding open their hotel door. We can see that they actually have a bit of a backyard with this hotel room and as such of having a bit of room, we see a pool and a jacuzzi. The jacuzzi is one of the ones you have to cover and uncover and we see it uncovered, we also see it's a decently deep jacuzzi and that the bubbles going and the water glowing…But we don't see anyone above water…Until Nucleo rises to the surface, leaning back and relaxing…shirtless and in his merform, his tailfin tips sticking out of the water, obviously having a nice time by himself…Which is when The Captain approaches and Nucleo notices him there.)

Nucleo:(his face falling, annoyed)Oh Neptune damnit, what did Orange do now???

The Captain:(stares)Uh, nothing i was aware of, wasn't here to talk about her…

Nucleo:(a bit annoyed but his face softens a bit, relieved)Well guess there's that then…Did you need something then? Do i have to get out? Cuz i haven't been in my merform in a really long while and i just wanna relax, enjoy my lemonade here and the water…

The Captain:(shrugs as he stands there)Eh, just kinda bored. Wanted some company i guess…

Nucleo:(thinks for a moment, just accepting The Captain being here now)That's fine then i suppose as long as you don't expect me to move or get out…Kind of a long process so…(drinks some of his lemonade before putting it down again and sinking some into the water) The Captain:(we see him staring at Nucleo's tail)Y'know…I could see mertails every day i don't think i'd ever get used to it. It just always feels like my minds playing tricks on me or something…

Nucleo:(flicking his tail in the water, obviously happy to be using it)Can't relate since i was born with it. If anything, legs are more of a mindfuck to me. Took me a while to get good at using mine. Like, i'm used to it now but like ehhhh… ------------------------ Wowie!! Angst and stuff with The Captain too tho...(Who i am in the process of redesigning again cuz fuckin yeah, old design is...Not as good as it could be, don't worry, he's still gon be like 57 cuz yeah ofc.) Also the face-melting thing... 1. Radiation is not a good thing to mess with and 2. Nucleo can be an absolute beast if he wanted to be. Just cuz he's weak powered strength-wise does not mean he cannot do damage cuz he absolutely can and does in the series. We're going up against a murder cult of demons, they kinda have it coming tbh lmao... In closing:

[iholli]

working through the ROTTMNT movie today and y'all I am. not ready to cry but I know I'm going to

spoilers in the tags bc I'm processing rn so far it's. a lot. my heart

[moonlit-imagines]

Next of Kin (Part 2)

Birds of Prey x Sionis-Zsasz!reader

warnings:

a/n: HDTVTVRBEHS IM SO SORRY I COMPLETELY ABANDONED THAT STORY OH MY GOD im gonna be honest with you guys. its not good. i forgot the original ending i wanted.

prompt:

prologue part 1

“Boss?” You heard a henchman wake you from your slumber in your own room. Opening your eyes to complete darkness, you tried not to lose your temper.

“What the hell do you want?” You asked with a huff.

“Right, uh, you told us to tell you when we had a location on those ‘Birds of Prey�� or whatever...we do.” You ripped your sleeping mask off of your eyes and bolted out from under the satin covers.

“You do?! Where? Tell me now!” You shouted while scrambling across the room to get yourself ready for this spur of the moment fight. The blue robe you wore dropped to the ground just before you pulled on a pair of pants and continued. You had to look good for this special occasion.

“A old factory, I guess. ACE or some shit.” He shrugged, looking away respectfully as you got your clothes on.

“ACE Chemicals?” You pulled the shoulder holster over your arms and covered it with a jacket, waiting for the oaf to confirm.

“Uh, I think so.” He was basically useless, an alarm clock at best. You swiped your weapons from your nightstand and pushed past him, ready to end a few lives. It was an eye for two eyes kind of situation.

“Should I call for backup?” He followed behind you as weapons were shoved into all sorts of pockets on your person, so you did what any reasonable person would do and shot him in the foot, the sweet sound of a yelp calmed your shaky nerves.

“Did I say we should call for backup? No, so don’t ask.” He dropped to the floor as he clutched onto his injured appendage, but you just kept on walking. This was personal, you were the only one who could avenge Dad and Papa Vic.

Now you were jogging to the car and stepping on the gas the moment you sat in the driver’s seat. There was no time to lose, no time at all. It was a bit relaxing to hear Britney Spears on the radio as you cut off traffic over and over again. There was a moment of contemplation when someone honked their horn at you, and I mean contemplation of murder. You were going to murder the person honking at you.

But you didn’t have time to stop. Who knows how long those little Birds would be at the factory and how long it’d be until you caught them again. So upon arrival, you ran to the trunk and pulled out the Thompson, your lovely little submachine gun.

With that rested over your shoulder, you left the car running and walked straight into the factory. There was no telling what they were doing here, but damn all the dangers of walking into a severely damaged chemical plant. You wanted your revenge, even if you didn’t make it out of here alive. Ideally, yes, you’d live the rest of your days sleeping peacefully knowing that you put your parent’s killers down, but as long as they were gone, you’d be fine with whatever may happen.

“This is officially the final step to my breakup! This is where I became ‘Harley Quinn.’” You heard a familiar annoying voice echo through the abandoned building.

“This place is starting to creep me out...” Another voice muttered, the voice of a singer. Someone who you and your family trusted until she stabbed you each in the back. God, your blood was boiling just thinking about having relations to these cruel women. But luckily for you, you were about to return a favor.

There’s one little detail I left out, you have been carrying a single hand grenade on your person since you learned about your Dad’s cause of death. It was the perfect revenge. In your head, at least. You yanked the ring with your teeth, you just had to give it a try! But grenades don’t work like that, that’s just a trope in media to made it look badass, as if a giant explosion isn’t badass enough. So you pulled the ring with all your might, this time with your fingers, and popped the pin out. The girls had yet to notice your presence, but that was about to change.

Timing was everything here: you had to give yourself time to escape, but you couldn’t give them time to escape. Maybe ypu should have thought this through before pulling the pin.

Fuck it, toss! The Birds were standing on the grates of the second floor, so there was an alerting clink when the bomb landed.

“Oh, shit!” Harley screamed and bolted. “Run for it!” As they scattered in all different directions, you spectated in excitement. The one that killed Papa Vic, the Crossbow Killer, hopped off the platform and landed on the concrete rubble below, then the sudden force of the explosion pushed them every which way. You, too, actually.

“What the hell? Who’s here?!” Canary cried as she checked her face for cuts, finding blood on her hands. Each of you was covered in dirt and grime, blood and bruises.

“Everyone okay?” The cop asked her company and heard a bundle of groans from the pack, could be worse?

Oh, it could be worse...especially once you revealed yourself to the little ragtags.

“Hi there!” You introduced. “A few of you remember me, huh? Hey, Harley, Miss Lance.” You waved with a pistol in your hand and Papa Vic’s sharp gift in the other.

“‘Course you’re here for revenge.” Harley blew a raspberry as she crossed her arms, but the rest of the group just stared at you. “You’re dads started it.”

“Wait, they were together?” Cass asked the wrong question at the wrong time.

“Shut up, kid. Love you.” Harley pushed the child out of the way and stepped forward. “So ya wanna get back at us, huh? Got it all planned out? Ya don’t have the discipline, sweetie. That’s what did your dads in.”

“Quiet!” You shouted with a haunting similarity to Roman. “Listen, I don’t need to kill all of you. I’d really love to, but I won’t.” You explained as you paced around shifting bricks. “Harley and the crossbow girl are who I really want. I thought about offing the songbird for being a narc, but if she flies away now, maybe I’ll let her go.”

“My name is Huntress.” The girl in distasteful purple makeup growled, you just had to laugh.

“I don’t give a shit what your name is, I just care how you die.” You held the blade out for her to see. “Stab my Papa through the neck, I do the same. It’s only fitting I use the knife he gave me to do it. Poetic, huh?”

“I wasn’t even the one that killed him! Technically it was the kid, tell ‘em!” Said the Joker’s ex-lady.

“Wow, thanks for throwing me under the bus!” Cassandra threw her hands up and you pointed your bedazzled gun at Harley’s chest. “Shit, look out!”

“It might not be a grenade, but it still goes ‘boom.’” You slowly tightened your finger around the trigger, but ducked and missed when a brick came flying towards you, courtesy of Little Miss Trouble.

“Fuck’s sake!” You screamed and came running towards the other target, who flipped you over her back, causing you to land on yours. I can’t even describe the noise you made.

“I had been planning to kill Victor Zsasz for years, alright? I had every right to do so.” She went off for the team to witness. “He murdered my entire family in front of me when I was a child! Do you know what it’s like to be an orphan?!” Huntress’s voice was sharp and rough, there was a slim chance that she’d be taking any more shit today.

“Yes, you idiot.” You glared up at her while she planted a foot on either side of your torso, aiming an arrow at your head. “I was adopted by Roman and Vic after they found me on the street.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that they took everything from me.” The others simply watched the show, how could they not? Helena’s stone-cold voice was chilling.

“And what do you think you did to me?” You asked with and unsteady tone. “I’m a goddamn orphan again!” You caught the back of her knee and escaped her reach for just a moment as you leveled the field by drawing your weapon once more. “I had it good before you came in and ruined it all.”

“Your fathers were the scum of the Earth, the world’s better without them.” It was a wonder how none of her team had hopped in yet, but it worked out for you. “If you thought they deserved to live, you would’ve shot me by now.”

“She’s got a point, y/n/n.” Harley chimed in, throwing you right off your rhythm. Leaving it to the psychiatrist to evaluate you during something like this. “Remember our nights at the club? I saw how controlling Romy was over ya. An’ how Vicky kept secrets. An’ how they put ya into some really uncomfortable situations an’ whatnot. I dunno what when on behind closed doors, but...admit it, y/n, it wasn’t as perfect as ya make it out ta be.”

“They did their best.” You watched each face turn to pity you, it broke you all over again. “Fuck! Fuck you guys!” You dropped your guard and pouted at how easily manipulated you could be.

“That’s more like it.” Renee chuckled as Dinah walked past her. Dinah had seen just as much as Harley, that’s why she went right up to you and took you in her arms.

“You should stick with us for a while. I promise we aren’t that bad.”

taglist: @locke-writes // @captainshazamerica // @ravenmoore14 // @thisetaernallove //

[writingrei]

beating around the bush

Ichigo leaned back on the wall underneath the bridge, covering his face with a limp arm. His gritted teeth sucked harsh breaths between them before he unclenched his jaw to take in lighter breaths.

“Are you alright, Ichigo?” Chad asked from afar.

Ichigo raised his arm from above his eyes, taking a glance at Chad, who was brushing off his clothes of dust. The redhead covered his eyes again and huffed, sighing, “Yeah, I’m fine. I should probably ask you that. Dude hit you in the head with a bat.”

“Hmm. I’m alive,” Chad said, staggering over to Ichigo.

Ichigo’s eyebrows creased, concern growing ever more in his face. Getting closer to Ichigo, Chad failed to raise his leg high enough off the ground, the concrete catching the tip of his shoe, making him lose his footing. Ichigo gasped through his teeth, while Chad only let out a slight waver in his voice in surprise.

Ichigo impulsively reached out to catch his friend, pulling back when two firm hands slammed on the wall behind him to catch the large teen’s fall. Startled, Ichigo looking between the two arms that were held next to both sides of his head. With his eyes darting around, his eyes awkwardly made its way to Chad’s one visible eye.

He was just as shocked as Ichigo, if not more so as he was utterly frozen in place. He knew that this position was awkward, though he didn't know how to move to make this less awkward. It didn’t help that blood was running down his face, and that he looked like the scene of a murder.

Lowering his head slightly, which covered his eye with his hair again, Chad said, “Oops…” which snapped himself out of his stupor. But he didn’t move.

What is going ooooooon?! Ichigo thought. Ah, shit. There’s no one around anymore.

Chad groaned, dropping his right arm and bending his left, getting him closer to the wall. He slumped down a bit, but it didn’t help him from continuing to tower over Ichigo. It sure did help him get closer to his face though.

The redhead gulped, looking up at Chad who practically hung over his head. “You uh… you doin’ okay, buddy?”

“Ichigo...” Chad said, his voice significantly more lax than prior.

Ichigo immediately turned as red as a tomato, his face burning enough to spew steam from his ears.

Then Chad dropped like a rock, Ichigo trying to catch him but in turn got dragged down with him. Ichigo yelped, one of his hands being caught between the ground and Chad’s back, his knuckles and elbow slamming into the concrete with it. He was too busy absorbed in the minor pain and shock that he didn’t realize he landed partially on top of Chad’s chest.

His eyes rolled into the back of the skull as he was too flustered to make this awkward situation less so.

“Ow,” Chad groaned. “I think I need an ice pack.”

Ichigo unrolled his eyes and subtly snorted at the nonchalant comment. Any longer that his eyes stayed rolled, he might’ve started foaming from the mouth.

“I think you need a bit more than an ice pack. I’ll take you back to my place and my dad can check you out,” Ichigo said, sitting up and smirking.

Then he looked down to see what he pressed down on, and saw his hand on Chad’s chest.

It’s like a huge cushion, was the only thought that went through Ichigo’s head. AH FUCK WAIT MY HAND IS ON CHAD’S FUCKING CHEST!

His hand snapped up and off of his chest, then he awkwardly put it away next to him on the ground, trying to not make it seem like he was disgusted to have been touching Chad.

“Hmm.”

“C’mon, dude. Get up.”

Ichigo hopped to his feet, signaling for Chad to do the same. He slowly got up to his feet, looking down at Ichigo who smirked at him. The smaller boy extended his arm to welcome him to lean on him for support. Chad put his arm around Ichigo’s shoulder and Ichigo put his around Chad’s back. Together, they began limping off to the Kurosaki Clinic.

———

“ICHIGOOOOOOO!” A boisterous voice yelled, followed by a tough elbow jamming right into the side of Ichigo’s temple. The momentum of the hit sent him spinning and flung him face first onto the sidewalk in front of their part home part clinic.

“Um,” Chad said, a few beads of sweat trickling down his face.

“DAD, WHAT THE HELL? AREN’T YOU ON THE JOB? WHAT WOULD YOUR PATIENTS THINK IF THEY SAW YOU HITTING ME LIKE THAT!” Ichigo snapped up, rubbing his head.

“Luckily, it’s no busy day, and the two patients we have right now are faaaaast asleep,” Isshin said, stretching his arms.

“You almost make it sound like you killed ‘em…”

“HOW INSULTING! However, it’s more insulting to see you coming home covered in bruises again!” he glanced at Chad, who watched the squabble, then back at Ichigo. “And you dragged one of your friends into it too!”

“I didn’t drag him— well… maybe I did drag him into it… Huh…”

“See!”

“That’s besides the point—!”

“Ichigo!” A new voice interjected.

Ichigo’s youngest sister peeked out from behind her father, rushing outside.

“Oh no, you got into another fight again! Come inside! You too, Chad!” Yuzu cried, grabbing Ichigo by the wrist and practically dragging him inside. Isshin moved out of the way, letting Chad inside their clinic first before closing the door behind them.

“Oh, Ichigo, you’re still a trouble magnet as always, it seems,” Karin said, reading a magazine off in the corner of the room.

“Wasn’t my fault!” Ichigo hissed as Yuzu placed him down on a patient bed. “They had it coming.”

“You say that everytime,” Karin sighed, not looking up from the magazine.

“Karin, Yuzu, you look after Ichigo’s friend, I’ll deal with Mr. Delinquent himself!” Isshin demanded.

“Hey!”

Isshin grabbed Ichigo by the ear, twisting it violently and making him scream. “You are going to tarnish the name of this clinic if people find out that my only son is a backwards kid who’s only looking for fights!” “I wasn’t looking for it, they asked for it!”

“Mmmmhmmm,” Isshin hummed, full of doubt.

He pulled out some antiseptic and cotton balls from nearby and got to work on cleaning up Ichigo’s wounds. His son hissed from the pain of the chemicals getting into his wounds, wincing in pain when one dab of the antiseptic would burn more. 

Ichigo just silently took the pain, glancing over at Karin and Yuzu who were tending to Chad every so often. 

“Dad,” Ichigo whispered, yanking on his father’s ear and bringing it close to his mouth. “Can I, uh, deal with Chad’s injuries myself?”

“Hmm?”

“I kinda want to talk to him. Alone,” Ichigo looked behind him to the two unconcious patients. “Well, as alone as it gets.”

Isshin gasped silently, his hands raising to his bearded cheeks. He knew exactly what Ichigo was going after. “My boy is becoming a man…!”

Ichigo hissed as his dad, his face flushing red.

“Yuzu, Karin! Let’s go back into the house and get some snacks. You’ve both been working hard. Let Ichigo take care of Chad, alright?” Isshin said, standing up as he tried to pry his daughters away from their patient.

Karin glared at Ichigo, but the gaze was oddly smug. Ichigo gritted his teeth at her.

He waited until his family was definitely gone before he shuffled over and sat on the edge of Chad’s cot.

“Yo,” Chad said.

“Hey,” Ichigo replied, picking up the materials his sisters left behind and leaned over his friend. “Chad, I-- sorry for getting you into one of these messes again,” Ichigo sighed, continuing the work of cleaning up the bruises on Chad’s cheek.

“It’s no problem,” Chad said. “We promised that we’d have each others backs. I don’t mind taking a couple of hits for you.”

Ichigo brushed back Chad’s hair off of his forehead, allowing him to finally see both of his friend’s eyes at once. It was fun not being able to see either of them, interesting when he could see just either one, but it was different seeing both at the same time. Chad had such a soft gaze, in contrast to Ichigo’s sharp and nearly always judgemental one.

The way Chad looked at him almost made him want to loosen up. 

“Ichigo?” “Oops, sorry,” he said. He got up to get a towel and wet it as much as he could to wipe off all the blood off of Chad’s face. Plopping down back onto Chad’s mattress he grazed his forehead. The brown skinned boy winced and closed his eyes. Taking this opportunity of Chad not being able to see him, Ichigo mouthed “Oh my GOD,” to himself as his cheeks got splotched with red. 

“Ichigo, you didn’t get your family out of here for no reason, did you?” Chad asked, eyes still closed.

“Huh? Well, yeah you’re right. I just— uh. You know I just wanted to thank you for stickin’ with me. It means a lot.”

“Mm.”

That couldn’t only be what he wanted to say.

“Also! Uh. I never really expected someone like you to hang out with me. At least not for so long. You kind of hit… different compared to other people I know,” he said, starting to slow down on Chad’s face.

Chad opened an eye which made Ichigo flinch and reminded him to get back to working on his wounds.

The redhead looked away for brief moments, trying not to meet Chad in the eyes as his face was so obviously pink.

“I’ve known Tatsuki for like, ever, but I dunno, I don’t think I’m as close to her as I am with you.”

“Really?”

Ichigo sputtered, “Gah! W-w-well yeah! I don’t see her staying with me to beat up losers asses like you! This is more intimate!”

He could see Chad raise an eyebrow from the corner of his eye.

“GAH! Not like intimate-intimate— It’s just an us thing! I don’t think I’d be able to have something like this with anyone else! Not with Keigo, or Mizuiro, or Tatsuki! Just you.”

Chad stared up at Ichigo with no response as the boy started to fumble with some nearby bandages in a container. He gently began to slap some bandaids on Chad’s smaller open wounds.

Silence rung between them and that wrung Ichigo’s heart.

“You actually meant intimate-intimate, didn’t you?” Chad asked flatly.

Ichigo was silent for a bit.

“Yeah…”

Chad chuckled quietly, making Ichigo dig his chin into his chest.

“It’s okay. I like you too, Ichigo. You don’t need to say it.” And you probably never will anyway…

“Gah!”

His flustered response made Chad chuckle again.

“Are we dating now?” Ichigo blurted out, the impulsive question making his eyes roll into the back of his skull harder than before.

“If you want,” Chad shrugged.

“Do you wanna…” Ichigo choked, “seal the deal?” 

“Huh?”

“Like we…” he choked out of embarrassment more, really starting to feel the foam gurgle in his throat as he clenched his fists. “Kuh- kuh- kuh- ki- ki…”

It was starting to get painful watching Ichigo like this, so Chad just cut him off before he gave himself a stroke.

“Yes, if you want.”

Ichigo snapped out of his embarrassment stupor and looked down at Chad.

“For real?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re really chill with all of this.”

“I already said I liked you.”

Ichigo whined, his eyebrows wrinkling. “O...kay…”

Ichigo clenched his eyes shut, drawing wrinkles on his forehead from the strain of it as he slowly began to lower himself down. Chad kind of just watched him struggle above him, not sure whether to be confused or to chuckle.

“It's okay, Ichigo. It’s just me.”

The stress in Ichigo’s face let up slightly, but he still kept his eyes screwed shut. He kept slowly leaning down towards Chad’s face, at least where he thought it was. He realized he was aiming off when a hand rested itself on his cheek and slightly angled his head properly. 

Extremely embarrassed, he kept leaning until he was startled by the press of his lips against another. Ichigo screamed so loud on the inside of his head that stifled screams could be heard from the depths of his chest. He tensed up when he felt the same hand on his cheek trail up to the nape of his neck, feeling a finger slowly trace where his hair ended.

Shiiiiit! I can’t really be this awkward, can I?

Taking the tiniest leap of faith, he rested his hands on Chad’s cheeks and tilted his own head to the side to lock their lips together a bit better. Ichigo sighed into the kiss as he started to relax into it. He didn't know how to feel, but this experience sure was happening. He thought he was enjoying it, because he sure didn't stop, until—

"Hey, Ichigo, we're back! Are you two—" Yuzu asked, getting cut off by the loudest shriek she'd ever heard come from her brother. It was loud enough to wake up the other two patients in the room.

Ichigo’s hair seemingly spiked up like the fur on a cat’s back as his face turned beet red. He jolted up, nearly flying off of Chad's bed and onto his feet. 

"Ichigo, were you just—? " Karin started, grinning.

"NO!"

"Are you sure, because it looked like you were ki—" 

"I WASN'T! Just. Cleaning his wounds..."

After his abrupt outburst, he groaned, putting his hand on his head as he began to stumble with his vision beginning to fade. “Shit,” he whined, plummeting to the floor face first.

“ICHIGO!” his family cried, Yuzu shrieking the loudest out of all of them.

“Ichigo?” Chad asked, peering over the side of his cot.

His family crowded around him in a panic, while Chad just watched with concern. He reminisced on how red Ichigo’s face had gotten when his family rushed in. “I guess the blood really went to his head…”

[stripesthesupervillain]

You know what I’ve always wanted to make? An ask blog of? The henchmen of Gotham’s rogues.

I know, weird and not that popular, but I always sort of liked the idea. They’re usually around the rogues and get to see sides that most normally don’t get to see, like daily routines and moments where they’re out of their element or at their weakest. They know the shit that makes them tick and what gets them to calm down because they usually recieve the brunt of whatever dangerous emotions they have.

It’d also be cool because most of them would live pretty normal lives during the day, so to have ‘em go from “Taking care of my family” to “alright I got my shotgun and my gas mask; let’s get this bread.” Plus it’d be a way to experiment with how the rogues treat their henchmen. Like, yeah, sure, you get paid the most if you work for Joker, but that’s also the highest mortality rate, so pick your options wisely.

Plus I’ve always liked the idea of some of the different henchmen coming together for drinks after a long night. You got Scarecrow’s henchman covered in soot from a chemical explosion and the others are like “Same shit as always?” and he’s like “yyyyup”.

I dunno, just something I’d always wanted to do, honestly. I know some people liked Rocky from Mad Hatter’s Guide to Happiness, who is like my only real OC, so it’s just something I’ve always had in the back of my head.

[huntsman-ash]

RWBY LiveThoughts: V8E7

Since I finally have time for it today, lets make sure Im all caught up for the hiatus. 

Before we get fully started, an idea; Its not a war crime if they’re Grimm. Then its just self defense. So break out the napalm, the cluster bombs, the chemical weapons, the fun stuff. Make em regret it, yeah?

And we start off...on a farm. Looks like my moms old farm in South Dakota. Even on Remnant, hay is best used in bales.

Waiiiit. Thats the place the Whale set down isnt it. I see a Sayber running. Ah, and the Atlas military! Surely, the vanguard of a massive force to hold the line! Also Im glad to see a close up of the helmet for once, I want to make my own. Also, the gloves, and the rifle itself. Not sure why it doesnt have a stock, seems kind of silly...

And airships too, so they got some fire support...whats that wall behind them though?

Also it TOOK US 8 FUCKING SEASONS to get a close up of these FUCKING Weapons. 8. FUCKING. SEASONS. Okay maybe more like 5 cause they didnt first appear till 3 or so but come on. Im so picking this shit apart later. 

Pfft, bros got some nerves going on. Come on man, its just some Grimm, you’ll be FINE.

Atlas field harvesters resemble Halo’s JOTUN Farming equipment. As wel as our own. No surprise there.

Alright, bunch of Saybers, not seeing much of a threat here.

Hey, Paladins! Damn, they...look way different than I remember them to be. 

I wont lie, I dont like the Paladin design. Way to much visual noise, I cant tell where anything IS. 

Also that is the most 2D grass I have sever seen in my fucking life. What the hell are they growing here...

Huh, the whale has two sets of teeth. Wait, its just there? And its wpewing out Grimm. So...why isnt the air force firing on it? 

Yeah its not moving, its just raising its head and slamming down and vomiting out more Grimm. Im not sure what the issue is here, just...seal the mouth. 

Oh, huh. Apathys. Let me guess, RTs gonna try and tell us depression is going to kill most of Atlas. Oh for fuck sake. IM NOT IMPRESSED RT. IM REALLY NOT. IM MORE FUCKING ANNOYED THAN ANYTHING

Okay so...I see what this is. Its farm land outside of atlas proper and there’s an additional wall behind them, plus the power lines I guess? Seems like a viable place to make a stand. 

...thats it. Please tell me this is just a single detachment of the Atlas military because there is less firepower here than a NATIONAL GUARD UNIT ASSIGNED TO ONE CITY

Im fairly certain there are more people assigned to ONE UNIT attached to JBLM then I amm seeing here. 

Not to mention this is an OPEN FIELD the Grimm have to run through. This is a literall fucking TURKEY SHOOT. Running across an open field anywhere is a ticket to DYING.

Just ask the poor fucks on D-day.

Also uh...why is everyone in line formation? What is this, fuckin’ 18009s combat Napoleon style?

And did the distance suddenly change, I feel like the whale suddenly got a hell of a lot closer.

Just...I dont get this. This makes no sense. Did Ironwood learn how to deploy forces from a fairy tale book? This is legitimately some fuckin Lord of the Rings shit here.

RIP that one specific trooper hit by that Behemoth though. Dont worry friend, the thing walked next to a Paladin. Its getting its eye blasted out

And cut back to Ironwood. Doing...fuck if I know what.

Staring angrily it seems.

“Dammit, my tactical deployment by line formation and parade ground tactics isnt holding back the Grimm, curses!”

Well MAYBE IF YOUD THOUGHT TO INVEST IN SOME FUCKING AIR SUPPORT...Seriously.

I know people have told me why this is. I understand myself why this is. But it really just...does...not...jibe with me. At all. 

Okay so more details; first, apparently Atlas has a subway. Makes sense, its a big island. Inter-system transits probably a given. Second; Was that Mantis Squad Omega? Some kind of unit maybe...interesting.

 Also I love how this guy just questions Ironwood. Like, bro, if the General says do it, do it.

Hold the fuck up, why is everyone outside? It looks like fuckin’ Cali during our lockdowns...what ever happened to martial law huh?

Also “underground subway stations”. Yes, thats...kind of what a subway IS. I guess maybe they have overhead ones like New York does. Mass transit be weird like that.

I mean HELL the signs on it are almost identical to the ones in NYC too! Even with the colored circles and train cnumbers. 

According to the sign here they’re at Pickens Square Station. 

Oh boy. Ironwood just fed these poor bastards into a meat grinder. Anyone here ever played the Metro game series, or read the books?

Remember the Dark Ones? The Nosallias? Yeah. Tight corridors and monsters only work out well for angry vodka fueled Russians.

Didnt see it very well but I THINK those Mantas had some kind of wing gun. Either thats new, a separate armament setting, or RT forgot what ind of weapons they gave their ships AGAIN.

Cant get the shields back up, yeah, no shit, they DETACHED ONE OF THE FUCKING PILOTS YOU IDIOTS.

Also hah, they arrested Yang, Ren and Jaune. Not surprised.

Beta squads apperently been hitting the whale. ‘Bombs, missiles, we cant make a dent, sir.” ...while Im not surprised by this, I also hear shades of the opening of Halo 2s level Metropolis. “Where’s the rest of your platoon?” “Wasted, sarge. Blew right through us. Rockets, fifty cals, didnt do nothing.”

Honestly they could have SHOWED THAT too. Them just saying it feels like a cop out to me. Take that as you will. But if you want us to see the things hard to kill, show it. 

Not that I figure Atlas’s rockets are much more than Dust in a propellent tank. Not exactly a Hellfire or TOW.

Nice to see proper military talk for...a moment anyway.

Or what I figure RT figures is proper.

Oh so now the whales moving. Okay...huh.

Jaunes commentary is the same as mine. Though I guess the size seems to shift depending.

Ohhh. Its MANTA. As in the gunships. Alright, sure that works. And this guys making a good call. If you cant hit the big one go after the smaller. Of which there seems to be a HELL of a lot. Actually holy fuck that Grimm spew is across like...ahlf the fucking island right now. Time to fuckin torch and burn people.

Ahhhhhh and they get to the proper idea.  If you cant punch it from the outside, hit it from the inside.

I knew a crew...three madmen, names of Keegan, Lahni and Mac. The Hivebusters. Something tells me a Venom bomb would do the trick...if it can rip apart Swarm creatures as big as a Snatcher or a Swarmak and reduce them to green slime, I think it’ll work on Grimm. 

Something tells me RT isnt gonna give em a bomb though. Too obvious.

NEVER MIND. “Science team is putting together a bomb.”

Also I LOVE how Winter’s pupils expand and retract in fear as she realizes what Ironwoods asking her to do.

Awww now shes getting the shakes too.

Salem directing this shit like shes some kind of orchestra leader. I mean it FITS but...I dunno.

Ah so the command deck is directly behind the whale’s glowing nose. Basically inside where the spermacetiy organ would be in a real sperm whale.

What the fuck is Emerald doing there?

Sneaking I guess. Huh. Why’s she sneaking around the whale. Also, huh. guess seeers can get fooled by Emeralds semblance.  Is HE STILL BEATING UP ON OSCAR? Jeez dude. Take a breather.

Honestly if this was TRUE I would be okay with it. Replace the Huntsman with, I dont know, a massively overequipped military for each Kingdom, let them run rampant...stomp the Grimm out or push them back to nonexistence...everyone lives happily ever after

Lets be real here, the idea of the academies? Really really fucking dumb. Its cute. Fairy tale like.

But if theres one thing this show has taught me its that fairy tales SUCK. Reality...tends to be worse.

Ah theres one of those torture hooks they mentioned a few episodes back. Nice of the whale to have a specific interrigation room.

And at last we get some information on how Salem works. Alright so...what happens if you seperate the parts then? Sink one in the ocean, launch one into space.

Sounds like Oz/Oscars telling the fans what we’ve been saying forever, Companion Book be damned; Salem wants to die.

These mind games bore me. Its cute, but I dont like it cause I cant follow that shit. Give me a straight up fight any day, fuck this sublty backroom fuckery

No lies from them both here honestly.

Medical supplies in Atlas seem almost the same as here on earth interestngly. Also, soup. Or...coffee, tea?

Blake with the obvious here. But I mean thats not really saying much cause...well. Not hard to outfight the Atlas military it seems like.  (Long suffering sigh)

Im gonna make a seperate post about my frustrations with that and leave it there. But dont expect me to stop fully complaining about it because everyones gotta have something to bitch about with this show, and I’ll be DAMNED if I start joining the BB whiners.

Good question, Ruby. Might be that YOUR NOT LIVING IN A FAIRY TALE

I’d like to see these people dying in Mantle. I refuse to believe that there isnt SOMEONE in the nation that once brought Remnant to its heel that wont stand and fight. Unless Im wrong about that too...

May backstory? May backstory. Yeah.  Not amazingly complicated but it works. Cant tell if shes Henry though...or was. 

Dramatic lightning flash

Cute you think that Ruby. Theres sides. Always are.

Further proof honestly.

Hazels look of though is amusing. Cant tell if he doesnt believe Oscar, or if his tiny peabrain is runing full bore to think this through.

Coordination between farm boy and professor.

Oh. OHHHH. Plants the seed of doubt in Hazels tiny mind, he uses the last question for himself, sees the truth... Clever, Oscar. Clever.

Hazel peabrain go THUNK

Ah so Mercs going off to Vacuo. Guess that means everyone else is going there next too. Eat that, random Discord person, I called it.

Course, CFVYs there so...maybe we get to see Yats beat up on him.

Oh hi Tyrian. Do you just...randomly roam the halls of the whale waiting to DRAMATICALLY REVEAL YOURSELF and give violent expositon? Im very much okay with that.

Also I love how he just...accepts this. Totally fucking bonkers, totally down with it. 

Oh shit, Tyrian and Mercury going to Vacuo? Damn thats gonna be INTERESTING. I guess Tyrian’ll fit in well enough honestly.

Flying Beringal literally out of the roof. 

I remember back when this season first started and I said those weird bone platforms looked like VTOL launch bays. Guess what? They are.

Merc and Em emotion blah blah DONT CAAARRREEE

Jaune thinking tactically for ONCE IN HIS FUCKING LIFE. An I mean military tactical of course.

Also I like how the Aces say they dont let emotions cloud their shit WHEN THEYVE BEEN DOING THAT THE WHOLE FUCKING TIME.

This ENTIRE PLANET is emotionally run. Thats why the Grimm are such an issue! Makes small note to make Remnant Adeptus Mechanicus cult

Seriously though...

I wont lie though, Hare isnt wrong. Wonder what happened to that Tortuga guy. Tyrian, is my guess. Love how Ren interrupts the moment they almost mention Clovers name.

Expendable, yes. Replacable, no. You should have a talk with squadron leader Grey from Star Wars Squadrons Ren

ANNNNDDD SEMBLANCE EVOLUTION. Or the edibles just kicked in.

This is cool and all but its really fucking dumb and hamfisted. Explain all you want. Mention emotions all you want.

The Aces are fucking huntsmen. HUNTSMEN. FUCKING. SUCK. They always have. Its a dumb idea. Yes, lets stop the hordes of monsters invading this world BY SENDING IN SINGLE OPERATIVES WITH FUCKING MELEE WEAPONS

I’ll make this clear to you, Ren, right here and now. If you faced a REAL elites, you wouldnt have stood a chance. Nor would RWBY. Their bodies would have been three-shot from 20 meters out with a breach and clear and stacked against the wall like cords of wood, one final shot to the dome to make dead sure they were down. None of this stupid flipping and acrobatic crap, none of this clashing weapons and Dust and semblances...no. 

You’d be dead before you knew they were there and they would move on. You’d just be another body to the pile, one more faceless corpse to add to their kill count. A meatgrinder in human form. 

Professionals. Dont. Lose. AND THE ACES ARE NOT PROFESSIONALS!

Because thats not what RWBYs about, never has been.  And that is what annoys me slightly. That and the fact I cant distangle what I know of other universes and our own from RWBY’s. Its hard to hold a universe on its own when everything they make points towards it being like ours, but they change it when they see fit. 

I feel like thats bad writing.

Hehehe. Winter touched Elms boob.

Glad to know that Winters got her priorities right. Course, that bomb probably aint gonna do shit cause its Dust based.

...again, hoping its a chemical weapon...

Wait, the Atlas forces from earlier are STILL FIGHTING? Damn, these Grimm must suck if they couldnt wipe them out in that little time...

Also I cant tell if its getting dark cause of the storm or if its the dawn of the next day.  Or did...they shift time around? I lost track. I SWORE the sun was setting the last time we saw everything.

Also return of the shitty 3D grass...

Marrows gonna defect.

Awww poor Winters got emotions. HEY MAYBE DONT SEND A MENSTRATING WOMAN OUT ON A FIELD OP, ATLAS!

So according to May there’s still front lines. Cool. 

AYYY ITS KLIEN! HES BACK

Oh, I guess hes a doctor too. Oh he MAD.

Ayyy Whitleys being USEFUL for fucking once in his shitty life.

Shes gonna hug him isnt she.

CALLED IT. For fuck sake...whatever. Cute. But whatever.

Oh annnnddd now Grimmquake?

No. It stopped...Bolide?

No. PENNY.

Annnnddd shes leaking coolant. And sparking. And dead.

RIP Penny.

The concept art of the beached whale looks so fucking silly. Seriously, just...detach the whole section there. Drop the fucking thing. 

Oh well.

And thats it for almost two months! Be prepared for me to BULLSHIT MY WAY THROUGH ALL OF IT and continue on with my military fanwank because THATS HOW IM SURVIVING 2020!

[destination-despairing]

The One Where They Get Locked in a Room and Talk About Their Feelings

“I’m not seeing any gloves, are you?”

Hajime turned the tight corner around another shelf of medical equipment, continuing to search the hospital supply room. 

Fuyuhiko wasn’t too far away, peering at a row of boxes. “Nah, I’m not seeing it. We sure they’re actually in here or what?”

“Beats me, but this is where Mikan told us to look so… ah!” Hajime reached up to a shelf just a bit over his head to grab a box of blue hospital gloves. “Got ‘em.”

“Great, let’s get out of here now, it smells like chemicals.”

“It smells like chemicals in every room here,” Hajime pointed out, joining Fuyuhiko at the door. He took the knob and turned.

There was a rattling sound, and the doorknob remained firmly in place.

“Huh?” Hajime wiggled the doorknob again as Fuyuhiko tried in vain to peer over Hajime’s much taller shoulder.

“Is there a problem?” He asked, sounding impatient.

“I think the door is jammed.” Hajime gave the door a push, and for good measure tried to pull instead. The door remained, unyielding.

“Lemme see.” Fuyuhiko tried the door as well, eventually swearing in frustration and giving it a kick. “Well great! Guess we’re stuck in here now!”

“Mikan will probably come find us when we don’t come back,” Hajime said.

“I dunno, she seemed to have her hands full with Nagito, Akane, and Ibuki.” Fuyuhiko shook his head. “She might not even notice.”

“She’ll figure it out eventually.”

“Yeah, but before or after Monokuma shreds us for breaking the no nighttime hospital guests rule?” Fuyuhiko, seeming pretty calm for someone who just mentioned death by bear, leaned back against the nearby wall before sliding down to sit on the floor. “Guess all we can do is wait.”

Hajime set the box of gloves aside and stood awkwardly for a bit before finding a box to sit on. He fidgeted slightly with his fingers, realizing he hadn’t actually spent this much time with Fuyuhiko before. Up until his recovery he hadn’t really been interested in making friends or working together, and now Hajime saw him everyday. 

“…” Fuyuhiko seemed irritated, head lowering and arms folding over his chest. “… hey, don’t sit on that. You’ll dent it or something.”

“What?” Hajime examined the box he was on, and then looked back at Fuyuhiko. That was when he realized he was sitting in the yakuza’s recently acquired blind spot. “Oh, yeah. You’re right." 

He moved over to sit in front of Fuyuhiko, noticing how the tension left him once Hajime came into view. 

After that they sat in silence for a bit, until Fuyuhiko spoke again.

"What the hell are you doing anyway?” He gestured to Hajime, who realized he’d been curling and uncurling some IV tubing around his hand with nervous energy.

“S-sorry,” he apologized, dropping the tubing. “I just… don’t like hospitals.”

“Yeah, me neither,” Fuyuhiko agreed in a huff. “You ever spend time in one?”

“No.” Hajime’s hands brushed against a phantom itch on his forehead. “It’s silly, I don’t know why they bother me so much.”

“That sterile smell can get annoying,” Fuyuhiko said. “And so does lying in bed. Plus the nurses here are so timid.”

Hajime laughed a little, feeling a bit bad for Mikan that they were joking at her expense. “How is that healing up anyway?”

“Why do you wanna know, huh?” Fuyuhiko snapped, making Hajime jump a bit.

“I was just hoping it wasn’t troubling you too much!" 

"Of course it doesn’t trouble me, what kind of yakuza would I be if I let something like this affect me?” Fuyuhiko sighed, sharp edges softening as he seemed to accept Hajime meant no harm. “It’s fine…”

“It’s okay if it hurts,” Hajime said. “No one’s around to know, and this place is full of painkillers.”

“Man, you can be kinda stupid sometimes…" 

Fuyuhiko shut his eye, and Hajime took that as a sign that the conversation was over. He hadn’t meant to pry, it was just that the way Fuyuhiko was breathing… it looked controlled and slow like every breath ached. Hajime wished he could find a way to get Fuyuhiko to set aside his pride and accept some help, but it had taken so much already to get him where he already was. He didn’t want to keep pushing him somewhere he wasn’t comfortable.

”… I can’t just not feel it.“

Hajime’s head snapped up, and he saw Fuyuhiko looking away from him as he spoke softly.

"I got her into that mess, and she protected me,” Fuyuhiko said. “And I’ll live for her now, but I won’t disrespect her by not feeling the pain.”

“… you really think Peko would want you to be in pain?” Hajime asked.

“Nah, but that’s not about to stop me.”

“Man, and you think I’m stupid!”

Fuyuhiko laughed, sounding a little shocked. Hajime’s concerned and irritated frown melted at the laugh, so he just rolled his eyes instead and started perusing the shelves. There wasn’t much medicine stocked in here, that sort of thing seemed reserved for the pharmacy, but he was able to find a bottle of painkillers that looked strong enough for a sword slash but gentle enough for a guy who weighed 90lbs soaking wet.

“Here.” He tossed them to Fuyuhiko. “When we get out of here you can get some water and take some.”

“You’re bossy,” Fuyuhiko said, though he seemed happy. 

An hour passed by, then half an hour more. Hajime was pacing, starting to worry that maybe Mikan was too distracted to remember them. 

“You’re making me dizzy,” Fuyuhiko complained, reaching out to catch Hajime’s wrist as he passed by. “Sit down, that’s not helping anything.”

Hajime groaned and sat down, leaning back against the wall next to Fuyuhiko. “I’m so bored!”

“Why don’t you play with that damn pet on the handbook?” Fuyuhiko suggested.

“I guess…” Hajime sighed, pulling out his handbook. “There’s not a lot I can do without walking though…”

“If you start pacing again I’ll trip you.”

“Well looks like I paced enough for it to come out of its cocoon.” Hajime watched as the cocoon shoke, and suddenly spat out his evolved pet.

“What is that?” Fuyuhiko laughed. “A rabbit gorilla? That’s stupid.”

“Hey, at least it’s not Shitimi!”

“Shit what?”

“You know, when you don’t take care of it and it evolves into-”

Fuyuhiko was already taking out his handbook and opening up the pet game. Hajime leaned closer so he could see, and sure enough there was a Shitimi dancing about on the screen.

“Dude,” Hajime tsked. “You barely even tried huh?”

“Shut up! Who has time to play games with all the murder going on!” Fuyuhiko elbowed him. “Who’s the real idiot here, the guy focused on the real world or the guy with the rabbit gorilla?”

“Pffft.” Hajime laughed, and before he realized what he was doing he was leaning against Fuyuhiko, resting their heads against each other. He tapped the screen.

“At least clean up now that you have it open,” he said.

He became aware of how he’d closed the distance between them at the same time he became aware of how Fuyuhiko was blushing and staring down at the handbook pretending to care.

“Oh jeez, sorry!” He pulled away quickly. 

“What?” Fuyuhiko said just a bit too loud. “Don’t be stupid! It’s fine!”

“It’s fine?” Hajime stammered.

“It won’t be fine if you keep gawking and running your mouth.” Fuyuhiko huffed, before yanking Hajime closer again, this time resting his head on Hajime’s shoulder and pulling the handbook up to his face to hide the blush as he tapped away at the screen.

Hajime felt his own face warm up, and a wave of butterflies spread throughout his body as he smelled Fuyuhiko’s cologne and felt his slight weight against him. He definitely hadn’t been expecting this but… it was kind of nice.

“Jeez, I can’t just throw gifts at this thing to make it better?” Fuyuhiko said. “Just take the bribe you shitty rabbit.”

Hajime lit up with laughter, and Fuyuhiko turned to him looking halfway between annoyed and pleased like he wasn’t sure how he felt about that laugh yet. Their faces were inches apart, and Hajime found himself leaning in.

“AH!”

Fuyuhiko and Hajime jumped as Mikan all but fell through the door. 

“I’m so sorry I’m so sorry!” She cried. “I hope you weren’t stuck too long, it’s all my fault!”

“Really, it’s okay,” Hajime reassured her.

“You can use me as your punching bag as an apology,” she whimpered, distressing Hajime further.

“No need for that, can you just get me some water so I can take these?” Fuyuhiko said, shaking the painkiller bottle. Hajime felt the same butterflies he’d felt earlier seeing that Fuyuhiko was going to accept his help.

“Of course!” Mikan said, a bit cheered up. She led Fuyuhiko away, leaving Hajime to grab the gloves and run a thoughtful finger over his bottom lip.

[faecurious]

pages | graham&quintin

Summary: Quintin falls asleep at a library while studying and working, and figures out that his notes are once again infested with Bookwryms. Upset, tired, and pouting, Graham endures the lure of such a sight, and the two share deep insight into science, taboo, and moral issues in q’s area of study while separating the pages. @grahamstoker

Quintin had fallen asleep at a random book store, his nose plopped in a book and one arm stretched out. He needed just a little more information on a chemical compound to react with salt involving dissolving things, and he had worn himself out. Quintin was in trouble often for getting himself to the point of sheer exhaustion, but he couldn’t help it. When an idea got in his head he grinded until some answer presented. Losing track of time, meals, and water. He knew it wasn’t the best, but he was lucky to be a warden. Snoring lightly, the book clerk was staying open late anyway, so they cleaned up and let the young looking college kid snooze for a few moments. 

College kids weren’t the only people out and about; Graham also had a brief conversation with the clerk regarding books as he entered some odd minutes before the store closed and the clerk agreed to stay open just a little longer for him to pick up what he was looking for… except that he wasn’t looking for anything in particular. He wandered through the store - fortunately, it wasn’t that big - and he found himself in the central area where a few tables and chairs were gathered for students, bored geriatrics, etc. His strong gaze fell upon the sleeping figure of a boy, probably no more than… he wanted to say early 20s and he walked over to the kid, placing a hand on his shoulder to stir him. “Hey kid,” He said clearly but not aggressively. “You’d be comfier in bed, I think.” He wasn’t sure why he cared but the store WAS closing and he WAS getting his condensation on the book’s pages and that thought weirded him out.

Quintin stirred away groggily, and blinked a few times trying to figure out where he was. “What?” He looked around the room and stretched his limbs forward almost like a cat. “Darn, I should go. Thanks--” Finally he looked up and felt embarrassed it wasn’t the clerk who stirred him from his slumber but likely another customer. “Oh, sorry-- heh, I get a bit caught up with reading sometimes,” Quintin started closing all the scientific books featuring various charts, graphs, and a few long essarys he was excited to dive into the theory of. “It’s late--” he started shoving everything into his backpack quite messily. “Did you find anything worthwhile?” he asked with a kind edge, curious even. “I love this store, always little gems here. Sometimes old things.”  “It happens, man,” Graham replied, removing his hand from the latter’s shoulder as he looked the younger man over, then the amount of materials he had splayed all over the table. Plentiful amount of information…. Just shoved into a backpack. What a waste. How disorganized. He kept from curling his lip and put his hands in his pockets after checking his familiar gold watch - it could be later but at least the sun wasn’t out anymore. “Uh, nnnno. No, not really.” He shrugged. “I only got here a few minutes before they technically closed though, so I didn’t spend a whole lotta time searching. I’m guessing you did, though,” He quirked an eyebrow at the book the younger man had fallen asleep on. The kid seemed like the studious type. Probably really smart at the expense of doing… normal human things.

“Really? Are you one of those types that likes to make the employee’s be nice to you when they want to close the store?” He grinned, teasing and far from being overly serious. Quintin grabbed the rest of his stuff, the books weighed in his hands comfortably. “Yes-- yes, I actually managed to find everything I needed. Luckily I can read a book once and remember most of it. It’s very helpful when writing a dissertation. It’s a bit of a chaotic mess, but it’s all very understandable.” Q paused, “Quintin by the way,” he offered, a sleepiness still in his eyes, and his body seemed almost squishy and round in the cheeks from just waking up. “Are you headed out now?” He waved to the clerk, having already paid for everything and started making his way out. “Oh, you know it,” Graham replied dryly with a half-smile of his own. “At least you found what you were looking for,” He noted more of the books. “An eidetic memory is a useful thing, indeed.” He nodded; that explained some of the kid’s general… -ness. And the ‘chaotic mess’ part. He gave the boy named ‘Quintin’ one more look over, pausing perhaps a little longer than he should’ve at the red cheek the boy was sleeping on and feeling his nostrils flare for just a fraction of a moment before he recovered and he nodded again in lieu of doing anything else, something different. “Graham,” He returned the name. “And… yeah. Since the store’s closing and all.” He paused in his dialogue for a moment, following behind the boy. “What are you writing a dissertation on?” He asked, finding himself curious.

“Hmmm, it’s pretty out there. But I’m working on something people sorta frowned on,” Q did not seem put off even with his mumbling. He pressed the books closer to his chest, walking with the other. “Do you have any opinions on building body parts in test tubes? Or utilizing tissue in ways to heal other people? Or developing a way for the body to accept foreign cells as their own through--” Quintin paused, wishing for once he could just say- by using monster parts when he explained his research. “Careful study.” He lamely finished, but masked it pretty well with a yawn hidden behind the books which only made his eyes more watery. “The frowned upon part is that I’m researching a way for a body to be brought back to what the scientific community labels as life. Whether it’s anything more than a few reawakened cells at the end of it-- well. We’ll see.” As they walked and as Quintin fell into a pseudo-ramble - well, maybe not so much as… morally-curious questions-- WELL, not even that. Graham didn’t think what he was asking was morally-curious until he suddenly stopped at his last question-- aaaaand he’s talking reanimation. Hmm… he realized this conversation would’ve bothered him a lot more before he himself turned into a reanimated corpse. He looked sideways at the younger man and offered a genuine, if clever, smile. “That’s on them. People oftentimes try to put ethics ahead of scientific progress.” He offered is own perspective. “If that’s a passion you have then it’s important to pursue that goal. I’m sure this town’s seen weirder shit than a reanimated something-or-other.” He decided to be vague on that front. “How long’ve you been in town?” He asked.

“They do,” Quintin agreed, “I’ve received a lot of backlash at UCLA over it. They were very conflicted, but I’m a progeny, one of the youngest to graduate. They wanted me to stay under their school so they could benefit from my work and so I didn’t go elsewhere.” Bitterness made his nose wrinkle as he walked up to his big pick up truck that made him appear like a little baby in comparison and leaned against it. “That’s why I’m here though. White Crest lets me think clearly. Reanimation is a fascinating area of study, people are just scared of what it means. All those people in cryo right now could honestly be reawakened in the future. They let them pay for a cold bed, but won’t let scientists work on the questions they are scared of.” He fished for his keys in his bag, realizing he was stupid and put them in there. “About three years, I travel a lot back to LA. Where are they--” he plopped on the ground, and started pulling everything back out of his bag. Setting the items carefully on the asphalt with much more care and organization, but a few of the papers floated away on him. “Crap! Can you grab those?” Very proud of his work and accomplishments. And humble, to boot. Talks a lot. Ahhh Graham remembered when he was like that. Graham found his hands in his pockets as the younger man talked, pausing next to the large truck and wondered what sort of compensating the kid was doing. Probably a lack of friends, if he had to guess. He looked from the truck to Quintin as the latter seemed to have been looking for something to the point of sitting on the ground to search the contents of his bag. When some of his papers started to float away, Graham simply watched them leave until Quintin asked him to retrieve them, to which he smacked his lips and rose his eyebrows. “Sure thing,” Graham said before adding “This might not’ve been a problem if you packed ‘em up right the first time, buddy.” He was lightly poking, of course, but he did feel like he was right. The papers were easy enough for him to get, putting them altogether neatly but as he examined them like the nosy guy he was, he felt his brow furrow. “Uhhh…” He said aloud as he walked back over to the younger man. “I got your papers but I don’t know why they’re such a big deal to you… don’t important papers usually have, I dunno, writing on them?”

“You are very right,” Quintin sighed, he had been embarrassed at the state he was in and hadn’t put thought into it. Finally, his fingers looped around the keys and pulled them out in victory. “Thank you--what?” Q’s voice faltered, and he scrambled up to meet Graham halfway, pulling the page into his hands. “No, no no no,” he frantically started flipping through all his stuff, noticing bits and pieces also faded. “Stupid bookstore--” Q knew what he needed to do, but he also didn’t want to ruin all his doctorate notes. This would put him behind having to rewrite everything from memory, not that it would be difficult to recall, just time consuming. This was what he got for bringing his stuff out of the lab. “Ouch!” he dropped the paper, and gritted his teeth. “Dammit! Stupid worms! Stupid!” He actually stomped his foot then plopped on the ground with his shoulders slumped and tried not to full on cry. His voice had a warble to it. “Sorry-- just,” he didn’t know how to explain this to anyone without sounding crazy, but he didn’t care right now. “I can’t leave yet, I have to sort my infested notes with the ones that aren’t.” Suddenly Graham had much less of an idea of what was going on than before as he watched the car crash in slow motion called ‘Quintin’ go from frustration to pain to looking like he was about to burst into tears like a child told they couldn’t get on the ferris wheel. Spectrum? That’d explain the ‘genius’ bit and the ‘unintentional know-it-all’ part. He put a hand back in his pocket and actively avoided looking at Quintin now, as if that would spare him some embarrassment. “Uh…” He paused for a second, not entirely knowing what to do but feeling like something mocking would be funny for him but not really appropriate. “So… there’s worms on your papers?” He decided to ask. “What, were they in your bag?”

“Worms that eat notes, words, knowledge. I thought I had them contained back at the lab, but-- guess I didn’t,” the dejected tone was full of self loathing to this particular failure. Quintin started separating each piece of paper in a stack that was at least eight inches high. Hoping everything wasn’t ruined. “They must have gotten really excited in that book store, and spread--” it wasn’t lost on Quintin that the other man was content with playing with his absurdity. People thought he was a mad scientist anyway, not that he liked when people thought that. Not when he worked so hard for their sake. He sighed. “You don’t have to wait around for me, this is awkward enough and will probably take me some time. They-- these worms are easy to detect, but very difficult to get rid of. Clearly. Since I am still suffering from their presence.” He glanced up, the softest of pouts on his lips. “I appreciated your company though.” You know what they say about playing stupid games; Quintin didn’t seem like the most organized of individuals so it really didn’t surprise Graham that a bunch of knowledge-eating worms escaped containment.. Graham looked back down at the lanky kid, catching his pout like this somehow caught him off-guard. He glanced off to the side and gave a soft sigh before dropping fluidly to a crouch next to the boy and motioned with his hand. “Here, gimme some,” He said, wondering what he was doing with his life at this point. Damn his soft spot for children up to the age of… Hmm. “It’ll be quicker with two people. Do you want to save any words and just get rid of the ones that are completely blank?” He asked for a general direction as he held an arm that rested on one of his knees out to take some papers.

Quintin yawned again, pressing a hand to his mouth, clear he probably could lay down right here and pass out if he could. “Wait, huh?” He glanced across from him, surprise written easily on his tired features that the person wasn’t thinking he was crazy and also willing to help him. His instincts hummed a little, wondering if they had an ulterior motive or if he lucked out and actually ran into someone nice. “I’ll remember most of them if I make a note of the page number,” he explained, writing down the numbers in the corner in a small notepad. “Ill burn them, or find another way. Yes we can just pile those there. You don’t seem put off with this. Which isn’t that surprisingly I suppose, everyone on campus is always going on about stuff weird and supernatural. But you seem, particularly calm about my ramblings. Is it often you run into people exclaiming note infestations and reanimation?” He sleepily teased. Jeez, the more Quintin yawned, the more Graham could feel how hungry he was; the sleeping were such available targets for a quick snack BUT… damn his soft spot for children AND his foresight to know better than to just go around biting strangers. Part of him wished he had no idea what he did, pulling an ‘oh sorry I didn’t know’ schtick but he DID know better and ugh. What a pain. Speaking of vampires though-- “I’ll admit, I’ve never heard of word-eating worms before,” He responded first as he shuffled the papers into the piles the boy wanted. “But I’ve never been one to turn away the pursuit of science and medicine,” He added with a half-shrug. “Granted, not all of them like to talk as much as you do but I think I have enough of a bead on the type of kid you are and talking’s just… something you do.” He rolled his eyes under their eyelids. “Plus, it’s not like reanimation’s a thing I’m unfamiliar with.” He added under his breath. 

“They are quite annoying, I have tried various ways to get rid of them, but if I miss even one little worm, they re-infest everything again,” Quintin hated these things, maybe if he got his hands on a pixie they could munch away at them and then when he knows for sure they are gone, he’d have something else to play with. “You like science then, ouch! Stop it,” Quintin squished the few centimetre long worm with his thumb after it bit his finger, and knew he'd forget something because of these little bites. “Hey, I don’t talk a lot, I’m just not usually bothered or spoken to at all, so it’s been nice talking to you,” Q admitted, “I’m really not a kid, I know I dress like one...” Quintin grumbled. If he wasn’t so sleepy he’d have gotten up and left, people always picked fun at him, and never quite got used to it. “Oh yeah? Why’s that? People always shy away from talking about it. Super taboo for whatever reason.” “You dress like one, you talk like one, you pout like one...” Graham replied casually, hearing Quintin responding verbally to the bites now and then and part of him wanted to get bitten, too if only out of curiosity if he would feel it - fortunately, he was aware of his non-breathing so if these things drew blood, though he was curious about whatever mark they left on the kid, he had to actively work not to notice. He kept his bright eyes on the papers, quirking an eyebrow. Oh so he was bothering Quintin by waking him up? He was fairly sure that that wasn’t what he meant but he remembered not actually starting any conversation-- wait wait wait, he kinda did when he asked about the dissertation. That being said, if he recalled how many words he said compared to Quintin, the scales would be tilted considerably in the latter’s favour. Mmf, get out of his thoughts. “Life’s too short to be afraid of conversation, at the very least,” He dodged the question and kept filing through the papers. “So if it’s something you like talking about, you should be able to bounce ideas or whatever’s floating through your head at someone.”

“You would be really surprised how often I’m told to leave someone alone,” he shrugged. “I even got excited online the other night with someone who liked the band Warhorse, and I never find anyone who does, and they kept signing offline mid conversation for hours at a time. So, yeah-- it’s a little weird you want to chat with me.” Q guessed he was being a little bit like a baby right now, but he was tired from staying up for three days dissecting an arm, off a faerie he had captured, at the shoulder socket and attempted to fuse it to something else for hours upon hours. “Do you believe that a soul is required for a body to be labeled alive?” he asked, still moving pages over, finding a lot of them not infested which he was grateful for. “I’ve heard of creatures not requiring one, though life isn’t exactly the right word.” His eyes twinkled a little, “one of these days I’ll be able to wake someone up stored in cryo. I really wonder if their soul is hibernating in there, or if something else will show up.” The vampire elected to keep his comments about how he didn’t find the aspect of Quintin being told to leave someone alone surprising at all to himself and set aside a stack of papers. “I guess I’ll take your word for it,” Graham opted to respond to the first comment and shifted to furrowing his brow in mild contemplation as Q seemed to jump right back into his subject of interest again. “I used to,” He replied casually though he could feel walls starting to erect in his head and he found himself frustrated at their sudden structure. “I think maybe ‘soul’ isn’t the right word,” He shuffled more papers, finally seeing one of the worms and crushing it between his fingers before it had a chance to bite into him. “I don’t believe plants have souls, but they’re alive and have bodies.I’m ASSUMING that you’re referring to the difference between treating a body as an empty husk that’s inhabitable by ‘life’ and assuming that one human body belongs to one ‘soul’, which is bound to that body indefinitely and if that’s the case, if the soul moves on once it perceives its assigned body as ‘dead’.” He thought it was too late to be thinking this existentially. “And in that case, you need to talk to a philosopher. No hard science will be able to answer that for you.”

Quintin laughed. “True. True.” This was why science and biology was exciting. It tethered to so many other areas of study so easily. Stirred the mind to ponder and could contain no answers to the questions one wanted sometimes. “Belief fills the gaps of science. It’s very fun to see what opinions people have over things that are taboo or uncomfortable that contain no scientific backup. Life is special. Consciousness is too. But you know—“ some that are here and alive really don’t belong. He grinned in victory at the last page lifting it up to double check its words were still there and set it in the right pile. “Yay, I promised myself I’d take a break this month and not— doing that. Do you want to hang out again? You like to sing? We could do karaoke or eat bad food somewhere.” Quintin tried to ask without sounding desperate. Long-ass paper. That’s what Graham concluded by the time the duo seemed to reach the bottom of the seemingly-endless stack and he gave an artificial exhale as a sort of pat on the back for all his contribution. He placed his elbows on his knees, leaning back against his feet in his crouch and content to listen to Quintin go off on another tangent if that’s what he wanted but to his actual surprise, the latter made offers to go do stuff. Kill time? It was his turn to laugh, genuine and surprisingly warm. “You’re a weeeeird kid.” He remarked once he tapered his laughter. “Do YOU like to sing?” Karaoke bars usually weren’t someone’s first choice of ‘hanging out’ and even then, he was sure he thought Quintin would’ve been too quiet for that kind of activity. Maybe he DID hold surprises, after all. He extended an arm, fist balled and he lightly nudged Quintin’s shoulder with it. “...Yeah, alright. Karaoke. You pick the time and the place.” He smiled.

“Heyyyy, come on. We talked. You helped me. I can’t help but hope for a better background to keep chatting,” Quintin carefully this time, put the notes back in his bag and held the infested ones to his chest. “And I can sing— I love music.” He felt another tired pout almost plump his lips. Why was he so bad at being casual with people? He’s always awkward. Even the other hunters shy away from him. He tossed his bag on his shoulder, and rose up to unlock his big pick up truck. “Okay—“ he threw the bag in and set the papers down before writing his phone and online profile for him. “Here, you don’t have to.” He shrugged. “But it was kinda nice you could keep up with my gibberish. Maybe see you around.” He pulled himself into the truck. Graham straightened up when Quinton did and he kept his blue eyes on the gawky young man, chuckling and crossing his arms; the mental filter wasn’t too strong on this one. He must’ve been lonely. “Alright, Quintin,” He replied with a scoff. “I’ll see you next time. You better be able to deliver on that karaoke,” He finished the conversation with a call as Q climbed into the big truck that seemed to swallow him. The vampire gave one last look at the student before letting his head fall with another scoff at himself this time; why did he only seem to make friends with weird teenagers? He shook his head and texted his new roommate that he’d be home later than usual - something about Quintin, his face and how he carried himself reminded Graham that he was starving.

[frostskader]

A Prideful Kiss {Dodger & Peri)

In which after a kiss in front of a bonfire a new couple just talks. Just a continuation of a Pride Opening Event.

@streetsavoir-faire

PERI

There was no point to PERI staying at the bonfire anymore. People had seen the mess she had made and she was a mess. Her shoes squished, her makeup ran and mud streaked the edge of her dress and her legs. She couldn't even transform into to a fairy her wings would be too wet to fly. So a walk of shame it was. Making eye contact with Dodger, Peri blushed and wanted to run. "Oh hey. How are you?"

DODGER

Dodger had been going to Swynlake's Pride ever since he'd moved here. It... well, it reminded him of home when at the time he'd not had much of a home to remember. Though in reality it was nothing close to the parade they used to have back home there was still something a little more... intimate and authentic with the month's activities that were planned around celebrating pride. He'd been stepping away from the bonfire a bit to get some air, a smoke hanging from his lips and lighter halfway to it when his gaze lifted in time to spot the blonde walking towards him looking... - well, beautiful, of course but... Also a tad less put together than usual, he guessed. Letting the lighter slip back to his side, Dodger tilted his head with a little huff of a laugh, pulling the cigarette back to hold it between his fingers as he raised a brow. '...m'alright, Blondie. Bit better with all the festivities ain't... I uh... - Are yous alright?'

PERI

PERI grinned pushing the wet hair back behind her ears grinning up at Dodger. She was sure she looked like a wet fairy and wet fairies usually weren't very happy. She didn't want to look miserable at something like Pride though. "I'd say great but I think it's obvious I look like a mess." Peri mused with a shrug. "I might have well fell into the lake."

DODGER 

'A hot mess though.' Dodger teased with a smile, glancing over the woman and wincing slightly at the fact that... yeah she just about looked like she fell into a lake. '...You know this is a bonfire right? Yous supposed t'be making s'mores not swimmin'...' The man continued lightly, his smile turning up a touch more as he tried not to laugh. '...I mean I know yous like t'be a trend setter n'stuff but..'

PERI

Peri rolled her eyes shaking her head at Dodger. It was appreciated though. "A frosty mess in fairy standards." Peri quipped rubbing at the make up under her eyes a little. "There's a late night swim at the end of this too. So I'm just ahead of the curve." Peri stated shoving her hands into her dress.

DODGER

Dodger couldn't help but glance at her with an amused little smile, his head shaking slightly before he tucked the cigarette he'd never gotten the chance to start behind his ear. '...Yous right. Who am I kiddin' always knew yous was a trend setter.' In one way or another at least. 'Listen uh -...' He started, glancing down at her. '...Do yous want somethin' to clean up a little?' Dodger asked with a raise of his brow, tugging lightly at his shirt. 'Promise i won't miss this... and - well shit, it's Pride so a shirtless guy ain't gonna offend nobody.'

PERI

PERI's eyes widened going to refuse the shirt. She couldn't just take it from him. "I couldn't- Are you sure?" It would stop her from having to actually go home now. "It might get a little muddy by the end of the night."

DODGER

'Eh - I'm used t'it.' Dodger waved off with a little shrug of his shoulders, easily pulling the shirt off (black, of course but... it had a faded rainbow on it at least?) and offering it towards her. He didn't mind if he got dirty, he was practically always in some state of disarray anyways.

'It wouldn't be a problem. Seriously - go ahead.'

PERI

PERI took the shirt and slipped it over her head and she tried to ring out the water so she didn't soak his shirt too much either. "I hope you know you're not excused from wearing fun colours at Pixies at the end of Pride event. I will glitter canon you too." Peri warned with a smile glancing down at Dodger's chest and some of the tattoos before you know making eye contact again.

DODGER

'Think I can live with that.' Dodger said with a smile, hands slipping idly into his pockets before he glanced down at himself (dark jeans, converse, a now missing black shirt). Perhaps she was right - considering just about the only color on him came from his tattoos. He could've taken the pansexual pride flag he had on his wall and worn it. Or he could have stolen the flag he got for Fagin and Stein too but... He'd just come as he was instead. 'Maybe I'll try a little harder by then... But I'd still expect to be pickin' glitter outta my hair for the next five years by the end of it so... yous better not leave me disappointed.'

PERI

"I don't think anyone was disappointed by the end of it last year. O'Malley complained for weeks he was finding it everywhere." PERI mused with a grin trying very VERY hard to just focus on his face. "You better try harder though. If anything you can just go shirtless again and I'll throw paint on you."

DODGER

'Oh good.' Dodger spoke with a laugh, shaking his head. 'Would it really be a good Pride if yous wasn't finding glitter in every crevice of your body for years t'come?' Hair, neck, corner of the eyes... ass probably. Glitter gets fucking everywhere it's incredible.

'That's an option too though.. But that option kinda just sounds like yous want me t'be shirtless. Which - is totally fine but yous can just say that.' Dodger teased with a wink, slipping his cigarette from behind his ear and gesturing towards her. '...d'yous smoke?'

PERI

PERI laughed and nodded, see the glitter canon was a great idea and Peri was proud of it. She loved it and she wanted to keep it going. If anything it just added to the fun. "I had glitter everywhere in Pixies too. But I loved it. I really did." Blushing Peri covered her cheeks. "I mean I've seen you shirtless how many times. I think it's more you that wants me to see you shirtless." Peri teased shaking her head. "Those things mess with us a lot more than you guys. Usually it's better to avoid human made drugs and cigarettes and what not."

DODGER

Dodger might've blushed a bit himself if he wasn't used to such comments or situations - though a chuckle still slipped from his lips as he shrugged his shoulders idly. 'I mean - I think everyone deserves t'have a nice sight, ain't? If I can help with that why not.' He certainly wasn't embarrassed by his physique, anyways. In fact, if there was one thing he wasn't self-conscious about it was his chest. The tattoos seemed to frame his body nicely, after all. 'Ah - right shit. Got it.' The man said, innocently putting his hands up. 'I came over here t'smoke originally but..' He trailed off, pulling out the pack and tucking the lone stick back inside before slipping it back into his front pocket. '...did I uh - where were yous headed before yous stopped?'

PERI

PERI couldn't help the laughter that spilled from her lips. "It is a nice site. Especially that New York piece." Peri grinned still laughing, she loved how light hearted it was. How sweet Dodger, How confident he was. "It's fine if you want to, as long as I'm not smoking it, I mean it also smells mechanical. I will ever get how people smoke them to be honest." Peri shrugged.

DODGER

'...Yeah? S'the best one I think.' Dodger agreed, glancing down and tapping against the little skyline against his chest and smiling. It meant a lot to him - both because of the person he shared it with, the meaning behind it and the person who inked it. All in all, it was one of his favorite tattoos. When he glanced up however he shrugged again with a bit of a grimace. 'I mean... I guess when yous start chain-smokin' 'em when yous like fourteen yous get used to it. I can't really see the appeal in 'em either but... it's also just a habit by now. If it ain't that it's the other y'know?' Dodger hinted with a little knowing look and a nod. Because honestly he switched between the two like it was nothing. 'But nah... I can hold out. S'probably better that way, ain't?'

PERI

"Oh yeah you asked where I was going too didn't you? I guess I got distracted by the site." PERI teased. "I was going home but you came to my rescue and I think smores are the next course of action. If you want to join?" "Really you were that young? What made you start?" Peri questioned carefully. "See all our stuff is all natural. I'd turn you onto that but I don't know if it would have the same effect."

DODGER

Dodger felt himself nod at her offer, tilting his head back towards the bonfire before he gestured her forward '...Sure - lead the way, blondie.' The man started, slipping beside her as they began walking back towards the bonfire (where hopefully she'd also be able to dry off a bit). '..Yeah I think I was. Got my first tattoo when I was fourteen and I was already smokin' and dabbling with drugs a bit by then.' The musician admitted with a little shrug of his shoulders. He wasn't exactly proud of it but... it was a part of him (and still was to this day). '...I dunno why I started. Tito - yous know Tito, right? He and I got int'a it and... we's were shit heads and trouble makers.' That was probably the only reason. 'But yeah I dunno. Maybe not. I mean... weed ain't exactly unnatural right?'

PERI

"What if I dye my hair what then hm?" PERI grinned running her hand through the damp locks. "Yeah, well no weed is pretty natural. Better than the one chemically made." Peri shrugged. "I just like to think you're not killing yourself with it."

DODGER

'Once a blondie always a blondie. I'll just get weirder looks for callin' yous it - but... I can deal with that.' Dodger reasoned with a smirk, gently resting an arm across the woman's shoulders and gently tugging her close. 'But if yous want t'dye your hair, yous should go right ahead. Maybe somethin' fun like blue?' Tito would probably be a good person to talk about that with given the fact the man was always dyeing his hair. '...well - not as quickly I guess. Still smokin' it. Probably not the best for yous either but... I'm sure there's ways I'm riskin' my life more or doin' it quicker.' Like...all the other drugs. Or...jumping across buildings. Or instigating violence with DeSoto and Roscoe.

 PERI

PERI grinned but she had no problem moving closer to Dodger. He was warm and she was cold. "Sorry I'm usually chilly. It comes with the territory." Peri admitted glancing at her hands even though it wasn't like she hadn't touch him while tattooing him. "My sister's back in town and she changes her hair all the time. So I might do it, Oh a rainbow for Pride would be fun." "You jump across buildings?" Peri questioned looking up at Dodger with a raised eyebrow and a shake of her head.

DODGER

'... S' okay, m'used to it. Besides I usually run warm.' Dodger dismissed, pulling the woman a little closer at her words as if she had just admitted that perhaps she was cold. Gently, his fingers ran up and down her arm in a friendly attempt to warm her.' I didn't know yous had a sister.' He commented idly with a raise of his brow before he shrugged. 'uh -.... Yeah for the most part. It's uh...it's what I do.’

 PERI

PERI really didn't mind being this close to Dodger. One it was Dodger. Two. She really liked being warm. Which yes she knew was weird for a frost fairy. She couldn't tan or she would get headaches but she liked the warmth. "Half sister. She's the reason I run Pixies. She created it and she left for this big adventure awhile ago and now she's back." It worried Peri admittedly. She wanted her sister to be okay and happy and she thought she had been with Sophie. "Yes. but why? Do you carry pixie dust when you go?"

DODGER

Brow raised slowly at Peri's words but he could only nod with a quiet 'right...' at the comment about the sister. Or... Half sister. He wondered what their relationship was like - or if she was back to take over again (less important, if maybe he'd lose his job). 'I see. Guess I'll have t' meet her some day.' He continued casually, before he scoffed lightly. ' Pixie dust? No. Course not. I do it for the fun. The thrill yknow? The rush'a adrenaline?...'

 PERI

"It's not a bad thing!" Peri was quick to correct leaning her head into his shoulder. "I love her dearly. I just worry about her. She's the only family I have left that I get along with." Peri never actually reconciled with her Father nor did she plan to. "I'm throwing a big party at Pixies for her Birthday. I could introduce you two then?" "But you don't have wings so if you fall you go splat."

DODGER

'...well s' what we do about family right...? We's worry about em. ' Which was true no matter what kind of family it was. Dodger's family wasn't blood at all but he worried about all of them - worried one day they'd get hurt or... Leave him or worse... Hate him. 'That sounds good though - can definitely do that.' He agreed - though a moment later he turned his head slightly to try and look at Peri, a soft chuckle slipping from his lips.

'If I fall.... Yeah I guess I would but... I ain't gonna fall. Been doing it for years and -....well I've fallen a few times but... Nothin major'

 PERI

PERI nodded thinking more about her sister with a frown. She had been happy here so far. And that's all that mattered to Peri. She would have to make sure to be there if Tink needed her. For whatever. "Just remember to like me more okay?" Peri teased glancing up at Dodger with a grin. "Do you want some Pixie dust just in case?"

DODGER

'...always.' Dodger responded easily, smiling back at Peri for a few moments before he shook his head and glanced away. '...what - don't have faith in my abilities?' He teased lightly, knowing she.... Would probably be smart not to even though he was as good at free running as he was at playing music.

PERI

PERI smiled pursing her lips when she looked away and back to the fire. The warmth it gave both of them. "Well I've never seen you do it so how can I have faith in it?" Peri teased back. "Still I'd give you some just in case. You just have to promise not to give it to a sorcerer. It's for you and only you."

DODGER

'...Well - I don't know any sorcerers so... I think I'd be able to handle that.' Dodger agreed, watching the flame of the bonfire dance before he gently squeezed the woman's arm. 'But.. I mean I'd offer t'let yous watch me n'everything but... Swynlake ain't really a good scene for that y'know?.. Not enough building's and skyscrapers. Ain't like the city.'

PERI

"Good. Pixie Dust can be very powerful in the wrong hands." But PERI trusted Dodger and she wanted him to be safe if he was running over a bunch of buildings. And she hadn't gone into the Hollow for awhile so she wasn't even using it herself. "Do you miss it?"

DODGER

'I promise to be responsible with this one thing.' Dodger spoke truthfully since... he really wasn't all that responsible with anything but.. for her? He could promise to be careful with this one. '...New York?... Yeah.. 'course. I uh... I'm always waitin' for the day wes can go back.'

PERI

That was all PERI needed. There were a few things that needed to be serious. Pixie Dust was one of them. Her heart broke just a little though at the thought of him leaving one day. Everyone did. "That would be exciting. Going back home."

DODGER

'Yeah... God knows when we's can but... I always think about it. Think about if shit woulda changed much since we's been gone, or... if maybe they finally condemned the rickety ass shack of a home we's was living in.' Dodger spoke softly, frowning slightly as he stared at the fire before he just shook his head. 'Probably still got a lifetime t'spend here though. And... I dunno. I've gotten used t'it over the years. It ain't home but... it's... a home away from home I guess.'

PERI

Peri's hand slipped around Dodger's waist giving him a small half hug. "I hope you'll get to go back one day. One day sooner than you think it might happen." Peri grinned. She would love to be given the opportunity to return home too.

 DODGER

'...Yeah, maybe.' Dodger agreed quietly, bringing the woman closer and giving her arm a soft squeeze. Though he wasn't so sure it would be any sooner than he'd think, since... it all depending on Bill Sykes and - ... well the idiot brothers couldn't even take care of their own father, who was to say that anyone could. 'I hope so too though.' He finished, turning his head to look at Peri with a soft smile, watching her carefully before he cleared his throat. '...Do you uh - ... d'yous want to make some s'mores?'

PERI

"Yes S'Mores!" PERI grinned. "Wait here one second." Peri stated running off before Dodger could say anything coming back only when she had everything that they needed and plopping right back down as close to Dodger as she could. "Are you someone who uses more than one marshmallow? I heard that was a thing."

DODGER

Dodger's brows shot up as quickly as Peri did - watching the woman run off with an amused chuckle as he settled onto the ground near the fire to wait for her return. When she did, he simply leaned a bit to make room as he picked up one of the sticks with a little shrug. '...Is there a debate on the right number t'use?' He teased with a furrow of his brows, glancing towards the blonde. 'I thought we's was gonna have to debate on how toasty it gets, not the amount'

PERI

"Wait there's a debate on how toasty to make it?" PERI questioned. "Wait do you burn them? You're not one of those guys are you?" Peri continued to questioned taking a marshmallow waving it at Dodger's face.

DODGER

Dodger felt his smile turn immediately a little guilty at her accusation, a laugh slipping from his lips before he could stop it - playfully batting at the marshmallow she was so enthusiastically swinging. 'So what if I am - There's somethin' different about a completely burnt crust and the perfect melt on the inside. Plus - weirdly enough it don't melt the chocolate as much that way and... I like a little crunch t'the chocolate still. Makes the whole thing better.'

PERI

PERI laughed, and she couldn't believe she was actually right about that. "Does it not fall into the fire more often than not with that goal?" Peri questioned just taking a bite of the Marshmallow. "Is the cookie not crunchy enough for you?"

DODGER

'Naw, c'mon yous just gotta get it perfect.' Dodger explained, stealing a marshmallow and stabbing it onto the end of the holder before he held directly in the flame. 'Yous let it burn - blow it out, let it burn, blow it out. If yous leave it sit in the flame - yeah it'll fall off but not if yous do it carefully.' A controlled burn, so to speak... at least that's what Dodger called it. 'And the cookie's fine - but... I dunno I like the chocolate too. S'a... a different crunch. I dunno.'

 PERI

PERI popped the rest of the marshmallow in her mouth before sitting another on the stick following Dodger's lead. "You're doing something carefully? What happened to the Dodger I know. All reckless, act first think later?" Peri teased.

DODGER

'I can't be reckless with a delicious dessert.' Dodger pointed out with a glance towards the tattoo-artist, pulling his marshmallow out of the flame and blowing it out as if to prove his point. 'This? This is an art and if there's one thing I do diligently? It's master the arts.'

PERI

PERI Grinned raising an eyebrow at him but she pulled hers out but instead of blowing it out she held up one hand so a little frost coated the flames putting them out and not getting any on the marshmallow. "What now then?" 

DODGER

'...now yous just showing off.' Dodger teased as he watched Peri 'ice' her marshmallow out, a laugh slipping from his lips as he stuck his back into the flame. 'Rinse and repeat, babe. I think the last time I made s'mores I thought the magic number -... pun...not intended - was about three or four.' He continued, using his free hand to grab the graham crackers and lay them out on his thigh before grabbing some chocolate. 'And I get this shit ready in the meantime - so when it's done, I slide it right on and bam.' A pause to make a sarcastic chef's kiss gesture. 'Perfection.'

PERI

"I can cool yours off too if you want." PERI grinned moving her fingers so the frost touched Dodger's nose and then she put hers back into the fire. "This requires so much patience. I might just go for it after the second burn."

DODGER

Dodger wrinkled his nose a bit as the cold nipped at him, another laugh slipping from his lips as he shook his head and wiped his face against his shoulder (might've been more affective with a shirt but alas) out of habit. '..Naw s'fine - I can handle it. And I mean yous can but... Patience'll pay off. Probably.' A pause to blow his out again. '...or yous can just go after two n'then steal a bite of mine when it's done to compare. Probably the best scenario, ain't?'

PERI

PERI sighed dramatically frosting her marshmallow before letting it go back into the fire. "I think that would be the best option. I win both ways." Peri pulled up her knees setting everything out that she needed to make her smore.

DODGER

'Exactly.' Dodger said, watching Peri with a small smile upon his features, returning the sweet back to the flame for another round. It was funny honestly, how pretty a person could be even after taking a premature dip in a lake and sporting an old t-shirt. How bright someone's smile could be. Peri was a good person - and yanno, maybe it wouldn't be so bad if he didn't get to go home for a while... because at least he'd be able to spend time with her.... Fuck his marshmallow was still on fire. Glancing away, Dodger quickly blew it out, chuckling quietly to himself as he glanced back to the side. '...just uh - remember t'be unbiased in the tastin'. Gonna have to be a fair assessment.'

PERI

"You know what then we should experiment. Mine will be done at 3 turns, you do yours at 4 and we can see if that fourth really makes a difference." With her's out of the fire Peri cooled it off and started to put it all together. "You can get the first bite so you get the chocolate while it still has a little crunch." Peri offered the treat to Dodger after squishing it all together.

 DODGER

'Sounds fine with me.' Dodger spoke with a smile, letting his return to the fire one last time as his gaze turned back to Peri. For a moment he glanced at the treat with a little huff of a laugh, eyes meeting her own for a second before he took it to take a tentative bite, offering it back to her as he kept an eye on his marshmallow and made quite the big deal out of pretending to analyze every bit of it. '... well - The chocolate definitely still had a crunch. The marshmallow also didn't burn me terribly like usual but... might've had something t'do with the cooling technique.' He teased, glancing to Peri before he nodded. 'Overall - definitely a solid contender.'

PERI

PERI couldn't stop grinning. She wanted to, but she couldn't. A day that had started off so utterly awkward and would have ended early turned into one of the best nights she had out in awhile. And she knew that was all because of the person she was with. Taking the treat back Peri took a bite nodding her head. "Nice and gooey. Doesn't taste burnt or anything. I bet better than only two times in the fire. That's for sure."

DODGER

Dodger nodded thoughtfully with her words, bringing his marshmallow back in and blowing it out for the final time. 'Well - that's a good thing - means there's an improvement, but.. also might mean three is the perfect number and four's overkill.' He commented with a little faux wince, glancing at his marshmallow before he placed it on the chocolate covered graham cracker and pulled the stick out. Assembling the s'more, Dodger glanced at it with a little content smile before he offered it to Peri. 'Care t'do the honors?'

PERI

PERI took the s'more and took a bite glancing up at Dodger when she handed it back. "You know what its warmer and just a touch meltier I'm starting to think you're onto something." Of course Peri didnt really taste much of a difference but that smile on his face made it all worth it.

DODGER

Dodger couldn't help but light up almost immediately at her words - a soft laugh slipping from him as he took the treat back. 'So maybe it is four then.' He spoke, trying it for himself as he placed the stick down on the ground beside him. '...Definitely better than just letting it burn completely or just doing it once n'done though... That's for sure.' Since... there really was no difference between three and four, except maybe there was an added melt to the marshmallow. Almost like the 'fluff' people seemed to love putting on bread.

PERI

When people smiled. Truly smiled. It lit up their face and Peri couldnt help but return the smile on Dodger's face before taking a bite of her own lesser at only 3 s'more. I can agree with that I think I can see the poor remains of marshmallows where people just let them fall to the fire." Peri explained glancing into said fire. "Its a good thing you found me then."

DODGER

Dodger followed her gaze to the bonfire, snorting slightly at the sight of so many marshmallows gone to perish to people who let them catch fire and burn right off of their sticks. A tragic - but rookie mistake, he'd say. Still,... his gaze turned back to Peri at her words, his smile turning a touch softer. 'Yeah... yeah it is.' He agreed easily, watching her for a moment and honestly very glad he'd chosen to need a smoke at the moment he did. Something....he didn't even need any more. '....hey Peri...?'

PERI

PERI focused on the fire if only because she could feel Dodger's eyes on her and for someone who didnt get embarrassed she felt like if she did look up she would be. At her name she did turn to look up at him. "Hm?"

DODGER

Dodger hesitated slightly when she turned to him, knowing it was exactly why he'd called her name in the first place but... He almost felt a little frozen as his gaze stayed on hers for a few moments - a small sigh slipping from him instead of any words. Still, despite the little unnatural flutter of nerves tickling his chest, Dodger leaned forward easily, finally stealing Peri's lips in a gentle kiss as he let his s'more go forgotten for the moment upon the grass, just hoping he wasn't grossly overstepping.

PERI

Peri tried to figure out what Dodger was trying to say. Her eyes traveled between his. The smile slipping off her lips in her confusion as she admired and waited- And oh he was kissing her. And Peri's heart fluttered and twisted all in one motion. Her own s'more joining the ground forgotten. And she returned the kiss. Reaching out to set her hand gently against his cheek. She was kissing Dodger.

DODGER

For a minute - Dodger felt the fear that maybe he shouldn't have done that. That...he'd misread the entire situation and that... well Peri didn't have an interest in him at all. Which was fine! Would be totally fine but... christ he was kissing her and that would be awkward. Thankfully before he could dream up any nightmare situation though, he felt her press back against him and the soft (and slightly chilly) weight against his cheek. He smiled easily against her lips, slipping a hand up to cup the back of her neck as he pressed a little closer, saving the moment between them.

PERI

PERI could feel his smile and it only made her smile more. It was easy to kiss Dodger. Easy to smile with him. Easy to joke with him. Peri liked those things to be easy. Because those things meant she was happy. This wasnt a kiss asking for more. This was a kiss that was everything it needed to be and Peri didnt realize how much she had craved that. How much Dodger fit into all these little things she was craving and she hadnt quite put it all together. Eventually she had to pull away and Peri looked up at him against scanning his face. "This doesnt get you out of the glitter canon I hope you know."

DODGER

Dodger was... more than happy with this response. Sure - he'd kissed a lot of people pretty often but... it was different when it was something you felt a... well a certain kind of way for. Different when it was someone you had a connection with and could call yourself a friend to. 

And even though he needed the breather too, Dodger couldn't help but trail after Peri's lips as she pulled away, his thumb brushing the back of her neck gently as a small laugh followed her words. Of course it came back to that glitter cannon. '...That's... That's okay. Like I said... I uh.. I mean I'm lookin' forward t'that...'

PERI

Peri let out a laugh shaking her head of course she had to say something silly like that. She doubted for a moment everything she had just felt. Perhaps this was just Pride. It was just them having fun. It wouldn’t have any lasting impact on them.

But she was melting at the little touch on her neck.

She was fluttering at the very memory. She could almost feel where her wings would have been fluttering at the way her heart raced,

Peri’s eyes scanning Dodger’s face looking for something. She was scared. Terrified.

“I’m scared, Dodger. I’m scared of messing whatever this is up.” Peri didn’t make it easy to care for her.

DODGER

Dodger could feel his brows furrow lightly at the change in the woman’s expression - the flutter of nerves behind her gaze before she spoke. When she did it did nothing to help his concern or his confusion and for a moment his thumb stilled against her skin. ‘...scared?’ The man repeated gently, his lips turning up in a gentle smile as a small breath of a laugh escaped him. It was hard not to, even if he swore he wasn’t laughing at her, but.. Perhaps just the fact it seemed like her messing anything up was… well, just kind of humorous?

‘...Yous...yous ain’t gotta be scared.’ The musician continued softly, his hand moving to brush through damp hair before it settled against her neck once more - Dodger leaning forward to kiss her forehead gently. ‘...Yous ain’t gonna mess this up. Whatever it is…’ Because he wasn’t sure what it was either - and Dodger Jones wasn’t good with putting labels on things - especially not when it came to his thoughts and feelings. ‘Yous won’t mess it up.’ I will went unsaid...because if there was anyone here who would mess things up? It was him.

PERI

The thing was Peri was terrified. She didn’t want to be. She wanted to fall head first into something and not look back. She wanted to love and be loved back.

Peri moved her hand from Dodger’s cheek moving to set it on his neck if only hoping it wouldn’t shake as much there then it would on his cheek. “I’m not easy to care about. I’m not-” Peri was a mess. She was the one people gave up on. She was the one that was self destructive and didn’t take the time needed for others. Maybe not the same way a relationship would.

Maybe he didn’t want a relationship and she was getting ahead of herself.

“I don’t have a good track record with these types of things.”

DODGER

Dodger again, wasn’t too sure what ‘these types of things’ were. Was it people she kissed? People she hooked up with - or relationships in general? Because… well Dodger had a list over miles long of the latter but didn’t have a single actual relationship on his resume. Unless one counted the skeevy drug dealer he fooled around with for a while. They might’ve been something close to a relationship… or at least the closest Dodger ever had.

‘...I dunno. I think you’re pretty easy to care about, ain’t?’ He teased lightly, trying not to make light of her obvious fears but… trying to lighten the mood nevertheless. ‘I mean… I feel like I’ve cared about yous ever since we’ve met. It’s… actually rather easy t’care ‘bout yous when I think about it.’ But… that probably wasn’t what that meant. He wasn’t sure what part she was referring to or - how she could have a bad record anyways. He didn’t know what Lou’s fucking deal was, after all. He never got the full story but… christ the guy was stupid for not keeping a girl like her, wasn’t he?

‘I...This uh - I mean it… it ain’t...gotta mean anything if… that’s what yous worried about or… It..it can mean whatever yous want it t’ y’know…?’

PERI

The words were sweet. Reassuring. Gentle and Kind. She hadn’t had the worry prior to Lou but maybe that’s why people kept leaving. That’s why her boyfriend’s kissed other people while they had her.

It could only happen so many times before it had to do something with her. It couldn’t just be the people she chose.

She was just bad at relationships.

Her nerves were settling slowly. “I don’t like to share the people I kiss when I actually like them.” Was this rushing something? She had only been single a few months. “And I actually like you.”

DODGER

Dodger felt his smile tug a little bit larger at her words - amusement clear on his features as he nodded lightly. ‘...I auh - I mean I ain’t sure. I … I don’t know nothin’ about anything but… I have a feeling I ain’t really gonna like to share the people I kiss when I actually like ‘em either.’ He continued softly, knowing that despite the fact he’d never actually had a solid thing he could call a relationship it… didn’t mean he still didn’t experience the ping of jealousy before.

The way sometimes he’d feel his heart clench when he saw Rita with Roscoe - or when Tito would go off with his ‘friends’. He’d felt that emotion before - and it never felt good.

He was almost positive he might’ve felt it with Peri when she was with Lou for the brief time he knew of it. ‘...And I uh… I definitely like yous too. I-... Look I uhm. I’m really not good at all this? You know words and shit or… you know.’ Relationships is what he wanted to say. ‘But I uh - ... I do really like yous, Peri. I know that for sure..’

PERI

Peri’s smile grew slowly, for someone who seemed to know their way around people it was just nice to see that Peri wasn’t the only one that was nervous. The only one that didn’t really know what they were doing.

Her heart settled into a steady flutter.

It was okay if they didn’t know what they were doing, as long as they figured it out together. Peri could handle that. She just needed to be able to trust him.

And knowing he liked her. Peri blushed looking away for a second before looking up at him again.

Leaning up Peri moved her hand back to his cheek. “Then no more kissing anyone else but me.” Peri whispered before she moved to kiss him this time. Placing her lips gently against his.

DODGER

He could feel his smile growing (albeit a much softer version than his usual cocky grin) on his expression, thumb brushing gently over her skin as he nodded. It was an easy request to agree to, after all. The people he’d been kissing before didn’t really matter anyways. They were just...  warm bodies to make him feel less lonely after a night out partying. ‘Adoring’ fans that wanted to hook up after a quick performance.

But they weren’t friends. They weren’t people he felt a connection with and they certainly weren’t people he needed to keep in touch with. Peri? Peri was different. She was someone he felt was a close friend despite only really knowing each other a short time. Someone he often found himself thinking of, or growing concerned over.

Someone he’d keep looking at during a show or at an event. He always found himself gravitating towards her.

So it was easily to lean back into her touch, pressing his lips against hers and slipping his hand back up into her hair to tangle his fingers into damp locks. A silent, but… much more telling agreement than any words he could ever say in return.

PERI

Peri grinned brightly, it was a funny sight to look so happy when it looked like she had been crying. (Could you really tell if make up ran due to falling in a lake vs crying). But she was happy, scared and nervous and concerned but she was happy too.

It was a weird thought now that when Peri found her eyes meeting his during his shows that maybe he was just looking for her. (And trust her she liked enjoyed watching him during his shows.) That they would and could be seeking out each other while they enjoyed their night. It didn’t matter if Peri worked a late night because he would be right there.

Kissing someone who you knew you would be kissing again and again just made Peri happy. He was just making her happy.

“Do you want to come to Prom with me?”

DODGER

The question brought a soft chuckle from him, the musician pulling back slightly to look Peri over with an amused little shake of his head. Not that he was saying no, of course, but the question had just come in such a way that he couldn’t help but laugh at. Gently, Dodger ran his fingers through the woman’s hair, pulling away only after he teasingly pinched at her chin.

‘...Yous want to go to Prom?... With me?’ He asked with another little laugh and a raise of his brow. Prom was… - well it wasn’t something he avoided by any means, but.. He’d never had real proms so… Swynlake’s prom was a weird experience for him - especially when it tended to get a little.. Wild, so to speak.

But to share a Prom with Peri?

Well… that wasn’t too terrible of an idea to him. ‘..I mean… I uh.. I’m gonna have to find myself a tux or something. Pretend I know how t’be even… remotely presentable but... ‘ A pause to trail off before he shrugged his shoulders lightly and reached out to gently intertwine their fingers with a soft squeeze. ‘...Yeah. I uh… I would. I..I think we’s should.’

PERI

Peri scrunched up her nose booping Dodger’s nose when he pinched at her chin. Two could play at this game and she was in the perfect position to offer pokes and boops.

“Yeah I want to go to prom with you.” Peri grinned raising an eyebrow right back as if to her it was perfectly obvious that that’s what she would want. It was normally a good party as long as nothing went wrong. Which it was Swynlake so there was a good chance that something could go wrong.

A really good chance. But still Peri was planning on going.

“Just be yourself that’s all I care about.” Peri glanced down at their hands and gave it a small squeeze. Never would she imagine this was how today was going to go. “Good you might get to dance with a Prom Queen.” Peri wasn’t actually holding her breath about it though.

DODGER

You know - a week over he would have considered going to Prom just for the party. Maybe to go with Tito, dabble in a few party favors and ditch before the night was even young to go find a party more their speed. Never would he have thought about the idea to actually go with someone - to have a date.

A date. 

That concept alone was weird, but.. Glancing back up at Peri it only made him smile. Every day was about to be a date, wasn’t it? ‘...I mean...I think I can take at least one step up from myself.’ He suggested, knowing that himself was just about as he was now. While there might not have been a rule about showing up to Prom in ripped jeans and a t-shirt (though again, something he lacked now - and shit, maybe there was) he was sure that Peri was going to look absolutely fuckin’ stunning and he’d be damned if he didn’t try at least a little to look good for her too.

‘I’ll figure something out. Especially if there’s a chance I’m dancing with royalty. Though… I’m pretty sure a little plastic crown don’t mean much. I want to dance with… yous regardless.’

PERI

“Are you going to get fancy and get a tie.” Peri teased moving to set her head against Dodger’s shoulder. Maybe it was a good thing Greg had rejected her offer even if this was the furthest thing from her mind. She was planning on going for the party. Convincing Minnie to come out. Maybe even ask Lottie to join them.

“You’ll get to dance with me all you want. Other than Minnie I’m all yours for the night. Even if I’m royalty with a plastic crown. I might even give it to you for a moment. I’m sure you’d look spiffy.”

DODGER

Dodger couldn’t help but groan slightly at the mere suggestion of a tie. How very… formal and restrictive. At the same time though… that was kind of the point of Prom, wasn’t it? To wear dumb restrictive and fancy ass clothing? Still, it brought him back to the point that he didn’t exactly own a single item that would be considered formal in the slightest but…. Maybe Fagin or Einstein could help. Better yet - Frankie. He was a… classy individual. He’d know what the hell he was supposed to wear.

‘...I guess if the occasion calls for it, I’d have to, wouldn’t I?’ Dodger relented with a little sigh, resting his head gently against her own and slipping an arm around her waist to softly hold her close. ‘That’s fair enough though… S’better than havin’ to box all of your admirers out the whole night. I think I can deal with sharing yous with Minnie for the night…. And… I’d sure as shit look spiffy in a little crown. Probably match m’eyes and everything.’

PERI

Peri rolled her eyes. “Do not wear a tie if you don’t want to. I’m teasing.” She would have pulled away and fixed him with a look that said something along the lines of I like you not your clothes. But she was way too comfy cuddling into his side. Wrapping her arm around his waist.

“I think it would.” (What was with Peri putting crowns on her boyfriends really??) “Now I just want to win to see that happen. I’m not sure how I even ended up on the ballot two years in a row.”

DODGER:

‘Look...if I can find a tie… I’ll try to wear one. My uncle Frankie - he’ll set me up. I doubt he’d let me walk outta the house lookin’ like absolute garbage once he finds out I got myself a pretty date so.. You’ll have to thank him.’ Dodger clarified with a smile, squeezing the woman softly before he ran his fingers against the soft skin of her arm once more.

It was nice, just having Peri tucked against him, sat nicely before the fire. Though their s’mores were long since abandoned, Dodger knew there were far more important things that mattered now compared to how many burns was the perfect amount.

‘But I mean...I wouldn’t be that surprised if yous did. Yous nice and beautiful. People would vote for yous. I mean clearly they do if yous been on the ballot before. You probably leave a good impression on people.’

PERI

“I’ll make him cupcakes then, with little ties on it as thanks. I don’t promise the ties will look like ties but that will be the intention.” Peri grinned each small touch making her want to curl into him more.

“Depends on how others feel about the others on the ballot. Last year I lost to Belle. Which is cool. She’s a really cool person.” Peri was actually happy she got to know her more thanks to dating Lou. Which might be a weird takeaway. And yes she was aware of that too.

DODGER

Dodger couldn't help the laugh that fell from his lips at the woman's comment of making Frankie cupcakes. Proper little cupcakes at that. More so - it was the thought of her even meeting Francis that amused him. The thought of any of his little rag tag family meeting her - which…. Was very well what was going to happen sooner or later.

They were 'dating', after all.

Still a completely foreign concept to someone like Dodge but… With Peri? He was willing to try. 'Well - I felt the answer was obvious. And m' sure plenty of other people did too. I mean hell - what's not to like. Again, I can't really picture anyone hatin' yous around here so. Yous got it in the bag, blondie. It's a bet I'd put money on.'

[keelywolfe]

FIC: Blow By Blow ch.1 (baon)

Summary: Set the day after ‘With Brotherly LV’. Jeff is having his first day working at the Embassy, Stretch is having a bad anxiety day, Red is having a bad text day, and Edge is just having a day.

Tags: Spicyhoney, Established Relationship, Prejudice Against Monsters, Angst, Injury Recovery, Hurt/Comfort, LV Issues, Brother issues

Notes: My timeline is getting a little wonky due to a few drabble sets and shorts. So this chapter directly follows With Brotherly LV

Part of the ‘by any other name’ series.

~~*~~

Read it on AO3

or

Read it here!

~~*~~

For once, Edge was not surprised that Stretch got up with him on a weekday morning. After last night, he likely wanted to keep Edge close as long as he could, had crept into his arms the moment Edge returned to their bed, heedless of the drying sweat still on his bones.

They'd slept restlessly in each others arms and in a rare indulgence, Edge used the snooze function on his alarm, skipping his morning run to stay buried in the blankets, and Stretch’s arms, for a little longer.

But the morning eventually needed to be faced. He’d left Stretch sleeping while he showered only to find the bed empty when he came back. When he went downstairs after dressing, Stretch was in the kitchen, sagged down on the counter in front of the brewing coffee pot with his head resting on his folded arms. Even the ducks on his bathrobe seemed somewhat wilted, the fabric drooping from the haphazardly tied belt. “It would be more comfortable for you to sleep our bed,” Edge pointed out. “mmph.” Edge couldn’t tell if that was agreement or a general statement about the day. He patted the back of Stretch’s skull then reached past it for the coffee carafe, pouring out two mugs. In the one cheerfully painted with the chemical formula for caffeine, he added enough creamer and sugar to bring it to a muddy consistency, leaving it on the counter and taking his own black coffee back to the table. There was enough time to skim the newspaper before he needed to leave. He took a sip of coffee, relying on the Beanery’s special roast to enhance the morning, because stars knew what he said next wasn’t about to. “Would you rather I come pick you up after work tomorrow to see Alphys or do you want to take the bus and meet me at the Embassy?” “i dunno.” It was muffled into Stretch’s arms to the point of being almost indecipherable and Stretch turned his head to the side to add, “the bus, i guess. no point in you coming home just to go right back.” Except for the fact that Stretch was very nervous about the upcoming appointment and sitting alone for the long bus ride was not likely to help. Saying that wouldn’t end well, though, and Edge only said, mildly, “I don’t mind. If you want to think about it, let me know what you decide tonight. "sounds good." Stretch's tone made it clear that he thought it was anything but good. He finally straightened with a groan and reached for the still steaming cup. His contended sigh at that first mouthful of coffee broke off as he turned and Edge frowned as Stretch did an actual spit take, coughing the sip he'd taken back into his cup. "Are you all right?" Edge asked, rising from his chair in concern. Skeletons didn't really have a gag reflex, he knew it personally and not simply because he was one. Stretch was staring at him, his mouth open and finally he recovered enough to say, "um, you've got something…?" He gestured vaguely at his face. Edge plucked a napkin from the holder and wiped at his mouth. "Better?" "um, no, uh...babe, what the fuck?" His voice rose shrilly as he stumbled forward with one hand reaching out, hesitating before it touched. "The problem isn’t on your face, it is your face! did red hit you last night?" Orange was starting to bleed into his pale eye lights, a visible sign of his anger rising. Edge could only stare at him in bewildered surprise. "Of course not, my brother wouldn't hit me." Not with his hands, at any rate. "yeah, okay." Stretch scrabbled his phone out of his robe pocket. A couple quick taps and he handed it over in selfie mode. What it showed made Stretch’s reaction seem far more reasonable. Edge traced a gloved fingertip down the side of his face with resigned dismay. There was an ugly bruise around his right socket, leaving a crow's wing of swelling darkness down the side of his face all the way to his jawline. Ah. One of those attacks must have caught him hard enough to bruise. He hadn't even noticed. Edge shook his head and handed the phone back. “I was using one of the private exercise rooms, I didn’t even notice I’d done this.” Not quite a lie. From the thinly veiled skepticism in Stretch’s look, he believed exactly none of that, “how the fuck do you not notice getting half your face smacked off?” He blew out a sharp breath, letting it go. “okay, okay. have a seat, babe, i'll heal it a little for you." Edge resisted the pressure of the hand on his shoulder urging him towards a chair. "I'm already running late, you can do it tonight." Stretch only looked at him in disbelief. "uh, yeah, no, you are not going in to work like that. are you fucking kidding me? my phone will be blowing up in two seconds and i don't have time to explain to the whole town we don't flirt that way.” He pointed firmly at a chair. “sit!” Edge sat. The electric surge in the air as Stretch called up his magic so close to him prickled along Edge’s bones. In the past, that would have been a warning, a threat, but his soul knew that magic, the touch of it even sweeter than the scent. Cool fingertips rested against his cheekbone, soothing the bruise even as they warmed. Edge closed his sockets against the rising green glow, sighing as that gentle warmth grew, spreading across his skull. He hadn't even noticed it hurting until the pain leached away, dulling to a barely noticeable throb. When he opened his sockets again Stretch was looking down at him, dissatisfied. "welp, that's the best i can do for right now. would have been better if i’d caught it right after. It's harder to heal shit once it settles in.” “I appreciate the effort.” Edge caught his withdrawing hand, pressing a kiss to his knuckles. But Stretch was not to be cajoled out of his irritation. He tugged his hand free, flopping down to sit in the opposite chair. “wasn’t only for you but yeah. i’ll try a little more when you get home, but i don’t want to overdo it or it’ll only make it worse. put some ice on it at work, might help.” "I will." Edge said with infinite patience. It was nerves, and Stretch was going to be jittery and snappish until he heard what Alphys had to say about his tests. “I do need to get going.” “uh huh,” Stretch emptied his desecrated coffee into the sink and poured another cup, doctoring it with obscene amounts of cream and sugar. Normally, his moans of appreciation would follow his first sip, but this time he leaned against the counter and said, “anyone asks, tell ‘em the other guy looks worse.” “Thank you for the advice,” Edge said dryly, “but no one is going to ask.” His allowances for Stretch’s anxiety did not mean he was willing to leave without a kiss. Edge stood, prowling over to Stretch and braced his hands against the counter on either side of his husband, caging him in. Stretch only smirked, taking an exasperatingly long sip of his coffee, and saying nearly into the cup. “you need something?” “I do.” Edge let his voice drop to a teasing growl, watched the faint shiver that came from it. “And you can either give it to me or I’m going to take it.” That lazy smirk widened. “ooh, threats. think you’ve already been playing a little too rough, babe.” But he set his coffee aside, his cup-warmed hands gentle on Edge’s healing bruises as he ducked his head and offered a kiss. Edge lingered too-long on that coffee-sweetened mouth, sighing as he drew away. He looked into that beloved face and said sternly, “Behave yourself today.” That earned him an agreeable enough hum, until he started out the door and Stretch called after him, “i will if you do.” That was either a promise or a threat, and Edge could only hope the universe didn’t attempt to make good on it either way.

~~*~~]

His first stop of the day was only a short drive from their house. Edge pulled into the driveway, absently noticing the well-manicured flower beds and making a note to ask what the orange-tipped blossoms were. He knocked briskly on the door and instead of Blue, Jeff answered, already dressed in a shirt and tie that Edge knew were probably fresh from the iron. Jeff wouldn’t know it, but he’d personally pushed through an advance on Jeff’s salary to allow for him to buy some new clothes, and if they were more off the rack than Edge preferred for himself, he well understood how difficult it was to break free from years of frugality. “Hey, what’s up? I was going to ride in with Blue— holy shit, are you okay?” Jeff’s amicable greeting screeched to a halt, blue eyes widening as he caught sight of his Edge’s face. "I'm fine,” Edge waved away his second dose of concern this morning. “Stretch healed the worst of it." “It looked worse?" Jeff asked doubtfully at the same time Blue wandered into the living room and began, “Oh, hello, Edge, I—what in the world happened!” Edge sighed. This had the makings of a very long day. He waited patiently as Blue ran out, the kitchen door rocking on its hinges, barely slowing by the time Blue bustled back through it with a disposable ice pack. He twisted it briskly to activate it, gesturing for Edge to kneel down. Arguing would probably take longer than simply accepting the fussing and with some bemusement, Edge crouched. Suddenly, Stretch’s tendency to grudgingly accept his brother’s coddling made more sense. He hissed at the cold against his skull, pressed gently to the bruising. “This is a several hours old, why didn’t you call me?” Blue fussed, his eye lights stark with disapproval. “I didn’t notice it,” Edge sighed, tipping his skull obediently to allow Blue to inspected it. “Your brother healed some of it this morning.” “I can tell, I can still feel his magic signature. There’s no point in me trying more, he did the best that could be done.” There was a certain warm pride in his voice and Edge wished Stretch was here to hear it. He never believed he was as skilled a healer as Blue. “Keep the ice on it and if Papy isn’t up to trying again tonight, I can,” Blue added. “Now, can I assume you’ve come to steal my roommate away?” “I have,” Edge agreed, glancing at Jeff who was standing awkwardly, trying to both watch and not. “There are a few things we needed to go over this morning and my drive in is all the time I can spare.” Blue only nodded. He understood very well how important Edge’s work was. He took Edge’s hand, settling it pointedly over the ice pack to hold it against his skull and bustled back to the kitchen. The lunch bag he returned with was sleek and professional, and Edge watched with amusement as he handed it to Jeff, rambling about the contents; food and medicine, reminders for Jeff to call if he felt ill or needed any help. That Jeff accepted it all patiently, even happily, was only another indicator of what Edge already knew. That beneath the cheap tie and crisply ironed shirt lay the soft green of a compassionate soul. Edge allowed Blue to fuss a moment longer, then broke in, “We do need to be going.” “Yes, yes,” Blue agreed absently. “But if you need anything—” “I’ll call,” Jeff said with a hint of amusement. “It’s only for half a day.” “I’ll look out for him,” Edge threw in. He supposed he deserved the look Blue gave him, his starry eye lights lingering pointedly on the ice pack. It took another minute to detangle Blue’s apron strings enough to get back to the car and Edge nearly sighed in relief as he closed his door, tossing the ice pack on the center console. Jeff was close behind, already buckling his seatbelt. He fidgeted as Edge started the car, for a moment almost absurdly reminiscent of Stretch as he toyed with his tie. “Do I look okay for my first day?” “You look fine.” His nervousness was almost endearing, though Edge did take a hand off the wheel long enough to stop him from wrinkling the tie any further. “Jeff, forgive me for overstepping, but if you ever wanted to wear a skirt, no one at the Embassy would think anything of it.” That stopped his fidgeting completely, but discomfort was not the hoped-for replacement. “How did you…never mind. Of course you do. Um, thank you? Sometimes I just…like it…but…I don’t think I could.” Edge only nodded understandingly. “I’m aware that the Human community can be strange about these things if it isn’t for, say, a thrift store competition. I simply wanted you to know that tasteful clothes are acceptable whether you feel the day is one for trousers or a skirt. Monsters aren’t going to question your choices, your gender, or your sexuality.” The discomfort didn’t ease and Edge let it go at that. He’d said his piece and Jeff’s choices after were his own. But making Jeff uncomfortable when he was already nervous had not been his intention and he regretted not waiting to bring it up. Thus far, his entire morning had been less than a success story. A subject change was in order. “How has it been living with Blue?” That seemed to be the right approach. Jeff brightened visibly. “Great, actually. Blue is really nice and he’s a really good cook…not that you aren’t a good cook!” Jeff added hurriedly, as though Edge would be offended if Jeff admitted to liking anyone else’s cuisine. “I’m very familiar with Blue’s skills and I agree, he is a good cook.” His preferences were for more homey meals, filling recipes of soups and pot pies whereas Edge preferred something with spice. Stretch never complained about either of their offerings, but then, it wasn’t a competition. At least it wasn’t to Edge. Jeff seemed relieved that he hadn’t taken offense, but his expression was still clouded. “Stretch was a little…odd, when I said I was moving in. He’s not mad, is he?” “Not at all.” Concerned was a more appropriate term. The day they’d learned about Jeff and Blue’s plan, Stretch had been near-manic in his worry, pacing the living room for hours broken only by occasional outbursts. “you know how blue is!” Stretch said during one of them. “babe, if you’re a mama bear, blue is a general waging war with soup and pillows! i’d ask him to see a therapist except first he’d have to admit something was wrong.” He’d flopped down on the sofa then, curling up against Edge’s side in a silent plea for an embrace that Edge was glad to offer. “at least i always admitted i was fucked up.” His attempts at comforting Stretch had been flawed by his own worries. It would either be good for them both or the worst idea possible, but they were both adults who could make their own choices. Only time would tell. Today was definitely not the time to admit his concerns and Edge only said, “I’m glad to hear it’s working out. I did want to tell you that your car will be delivered tonight. “My…car?” Most of Edge’s attention was on the road, but he spared a glance at Jeff because nothing was going to make him miss the conflicting emotions that clouded his face. It was better even than when Edge gave him the Ipad. Humans were sometimes difficult for him to read, but Jeff was as clear as the windshield in front of him. Confusion, outrage, shame, and beneath it all was what Edge wanted to see in him; one quiet spot of hope. “Transportation is part of your employment package.” Luckily Jeff wasn’t as adept at catching him in a lie as Stretch. “It won’t be a car like mine, I’m afraid, luxuries need to be purchased with your own salary, but—“ He trailed off as Jeff’s breath hitched, directing his gaze back to the road to give him time to get himself under control. The music from the radio was a counterpoint to those little sniffles, but soon enough Jeff managed, roughly, “Any car would be fine.” “Dependable rather than flashy is probably best, anyway. I’m sure Stretch will coax you into chauffeuring from time to time.” Possibly. Stretch could be very prickly about asking for rides. And Edge trusted Jeff, hard-earned over the course of the last year, but he couldn’t keep from saying, “Be careful with him in the car. Make sure he does up his seatbelt. Please. If you think the ability to teleport would help in case of an accident, you’d be wrong, their shortcuts don’t defer momentum and—“ and in bad accident, it would do little more than delay death. True, yes, but the words refused to come. Jeff didn’t tease or mock, only offered a lopsided smile, crossed his finger over his heart the same way Stretch did. “Promise.” Edge nodded, accepting that. The rest of the ride was quiet and it was only as he parked that Edge’s phone chimed with a text message. He took the time to walk inside, Jeff at his side with his lunch bag in hand, before he opened it, frowning at the message from his brother. hey, boss, why the fuck am i getting poison pen pal texts from your liability? Well, it seemed Stretch hadn't been so willing to let it go, after all. He texted back, I’ll talk to him. sure but answer the question Edge ignored that for the moment as they walked up to the security desk, already reaching for his badge. The guard began greeting them automatically, “Good morning…oh!” He sat up straight as he caught sight of Edge’s face, eyes going wide as he scrambled for his radio, “Did the protestors get through the barrier again?!” “No,” Edge sighed. Jeff was digging for his own badge with far more than the required amount of attention. “I’m fine.” “But—“ “It wasn’t the protestors!” Edge snapped, swiping his badge with unnecessary force. He stepped quickly into the elevator and held it until Jeff joined him. “Public relations is on the second floor, all the way to the right.” Jeff nodded and his earlier nervousness was still there, but mostly quelled beneath determination. “Got it.” The door opened and as Jeff stepped out, Edge said, softly, “You’ll do fine.” That wide, hopeful smile disappeared behind the closing elevator door. Edge got off on his own floor a moment later, walking towards his office with unseemly haste. No one was in the hallways, but Janice was at her desk, looking up from her computer with a cheery, “Good…gracious! What happened!?” Edge sighed.

~~*~~

TBC

[sharksa-shivers]

idk if i posted this one before but whatever lol, if i did, you get it again

(alas, my memory shit, i am sorry...Anyway lol) ---------------

(Sharky having to ask OH for cash on the phone, all 3 of em are broke)

Orange Hair:(answering her phone, we see the screen split so we can see both Sharky and Orange talking, Orange working with some chemicals and Sharky leaning up against a building, him just walking around as they talk)Hello?

Sharky:(obviously having to work up a bit of nerve, we can see he's obviously kind of anxious about this)Heyyyyyy, uh…So…I'm just gonna cut to it and not waste your time and blah blah blah, uh…Look, can i have like…500 bucks? Please?

Orange:(raises an eyebrow)500? What for?

Sharky:(anxious, trying to keep it cool and together)Uh, gas money, food money, hotel money, supplies like bullets and stuff…Uhhh, very not cheap stuff that we need andddd collectively all 3 of us together have…(pulls money out of jacket pocket)…12 dollars and 67 cents…and yknowwwww, kinda got like another day of travel ahead andddddd-

Orange:(we see her think for a moment before she just…turns this shit on its head)Hmmm……….Yeah- uhhhhhh…No.

Sharky:(he sits a moment)…..What? No?

Orange:(repeats)No. Nope. Non. Nien. Nada. Natu. No. What? You didn't hear me?

Sharky:(we just see him kind of snap a small bit)I…….Orange, i…We really need money!!!!

Orange:(working with her chemicals, writing down info)Ok…….The answer is still no.

Sharky:(nerves snapping mentally continues, getting kind of pissed and frustrated)Literally why?????? You're a multi-millionaire!!!! $500 is pennies for you!!!!!!

Orange:(unphased by his frustration)Pretty simple, gotta learn to deal with problems like this sooner or later, especially when it comes to demon fighting. You have any idea how many times i've had demons steal my cash and leave me fucked? It's gonna happen sooner or later and you 3 are gonna have to know how to deal with it. Life's fucking rough, it's how it is.

Sharky:(breaking)We literally do not have money for a place to sleep or food!!!! We have 12 fuckin dollars!!!!!

Orange:(unphased still)You got a car and i'm sure you 3 can figure out some resource for food…You're all very smart, you can do this very easily, i've seen the shit Max alone can do.

Sharky:(freaking out)Do you have any idea the amount of danger this puts us in???? Like…Any idea at all????

Orange:(stares blankly)Uhhh, yes? Very much so. Yes. Mmhmmm…If it gets too deadly or whatever, i'll bail you guys out butttttt since it's not there yet, seems like perfect survival experience time here to me…

Sharky:(he just kinda sits there in disbelief)………

Orange:(annoyed)You done yet? Can i get back to my work now?

Sharky:(he just kind of falters and accepts the answer, knowing he can't fight her)…….Yeah, guess i'm done…

Orange:(picking up her phone)Excellent, excellent…You 3 stay safe out there, don't come home dead please.

Sharky:(annoyed as fuck, freaking out)Yeah, sure, i'll try…

Orange:(finger on the button)Alrighty then, goodbye…

(We see her cut the line and Sharky's just there staring at his phone…We see him mutter "Shit!" Under his breath and then we cut back to Max and Kristy chilling in the car…) Kristy:(boredly messing with her hair)…You think maybe like…I dunno, i could go for a different style by now or?

Max:(on his phone, rapidly typing)Uhhhh, maybe!!! That's kinda up to you, i don't really know much about human hairstyles and whatnot…

Kristy:(looking at herself in the visor mirror)Like…I like this being shoulder length and sometimes i wanna cut it but if i don't like it, then i have to wait like…a few months for it to grow out again so like…

(Sharky opens his door and flops into the drivers seat, frustrated)

Sharky:(stressed as fuck)God…FUCKIN damnit…Fuck…

Kristy:(concerned)Wait, what happened?

Max:(looking up, texting)Is OH gonna be making this a pain in the ass again?

Sharky:(nods)YEP, SHE SURE IS!!!! She said she isn't gonna give us anything, she wants US to survive on our own, fucking…Fuck!!!!

Kristy:(eyes widen)What???

Max:(just kinda stares, he seems kind of unphased but he wasn't expecting this exactly)…Welp…

Kristy:(confused)Literally how and why???? Wait, what???? She has so much cash, she literally wouldn't even miss it!!!!!

Sharky:(Leans back, mentally tired)She pushed it basically as "this is part of the job!" Kinda shit, i tried going at it from that angle, didn't do shit.

Max:(annoyed, texting, looks up)Gonna just ask, does uhhhh, does Orange know that when people say "eat the rich" that DOES INCLUDE her or? Cuz uhhhh, i'm just saying, she's making that sound quite tempting and uhhhhh…I wouldn't hesitate…

Kristy:(just looks back at Max, gives him a weird look)……What?

Max:(smirks)You heard me.

Sharky:(frustrated)Look, doesn't matter, she's not gonna fucking help, we have to figure out something else to do…

Kristy:(thinking, she perks up)Wait, we could ask Nucleo!!!

Max:(typing on his phone)I got him on speed dial, hold up…

Sharky:(just gazes over)No, God, don't be bothering Nucleo okay???

Max:(confused)Why not? He helped us last time.

Kristy:(remembering)He did but…Wait, Orange also got onto him for that, uhhh…I…Don't wanna get him in trouble again…

Max:(amused)Nucleo legit daydreams about Orange punching and kicking him in the face, it'd be fine. It's his like…Kink or whatever…

Sharky:(getting more annoyed)No!!! It's not fine!!! Just!!!! (Trying to calm down, let's out a big breath)Let's just…Try and figure out a way to deal with this that doesn't involve dragging other people into this okay????

Max:(on his shit)Capitalism literally cannot exist without you dragging othe-

Sharky:(snapping again)I KNOW ABOUT CAPITALISM BEING SHIT MAX, HOLY FUCK, CAN YOU BOTH JUST STOP FOR 5 SECONDS???? LOVE OF POSEIDON!!!!!!!

[turtle-steverogers]

the chocolate war

aka race is hella dramatic and spot wants death

ship: sprace

warnings: none, cept for milk choc being stanned

editing: i skimmed it

word count: 1195

-

From Race: we need to talk when you get home.

Spot frowned down at the text, anxiety pooling inadvertently in his gut.  He rifled through his mind, trying to recall anything he might have done to anger Race, but nothing came to mind.  Sure, he’d forgotten to do the dishes last night, but he had been really tired.  Besides, Race knew he had a big case meeting today, so he’d figured he’d be sympathetic towards his reasoning.

To Race: if it’s ab the dishes, im sorry.  ill do them the next two times

He bit his lip as the text bubble appeared and disappeared a few times.  Whatever was bothering Race was clearly eating at him.

From Race: it’s not ab the dishes.  we’ll discuss later.

A nervous lump formed in Spot’s throat and he typed out a response with trembling hands.  This exchange was every bit as vague and scary as a breakup conversation.  Did Race want to break up?  What had he done?

To Race: okay

He waited for another minute to see if Race would follow up, but he’d left him on read.  Taking a breath to compose himself, Spot pocketed his phone and turned back to his desk.  No matter what was happening with Race, he needed to get work done.  Especially if he’d inevitably have to move out after breaking up.

XXX

By the time he got back to the apartment, Spot’s heart was hammering painfully in his chest.  He hesitated with his key in the lock.  Part of him didn’t want to go in.  He was too afraid of what he may face.  Throughout the day, he’d utterly convinced himself that he’d done something major to fuck things up and the end of their relationship seemed imminent at this point.  But that didn’t mean he’d come to terms with it.  He wasn’t ready for things to end.

Before he could chicken out, he unlocked the door, reminding himself to breathe as he entered.  Race was sitting on the couch, staring at the blank TV screen.  His arms were crossed and vague disgust was written across his face.  He looked up at Spot, scowl growing as he walked over.

“Explain that,” He pointed to the coffee table and Spot followed his finger to where a package of Hershey’s dark chocolate lay, perfectly unopened on top of a magazine.

He blinked, dumbfounded, “Race, what-”

“Lemme set the scene,” Race spat, cutting him off, “There I was, craving something sweet on this fine Tuesday morning, but I didn’t want to go out of the house to get anything.  So, I went to our lovely pantry and was delighted to find that we had chocolate!  It seemed too good to be true,” he paused, closing his eyes in anguish, “And it was.  Because, you see, as I was about to unwrap the glorious treat, my eye caught something on the label!” He held a hand over his heart and fixed Spot with a betrayed look, “It was dark chocolate,” he finished, his voice dangerously low.

Spot stared at him for a moment, confusion and relief spreading through his chest, “So...you’re not breaking up with me?”

Race grimaced, “I might have to unless you tell me that you weren’t the one who bought the dark chocolate.”

Spot scoffed, leaning down to pick up the chocolate bar, “What’s wrong with dark chocolate? It’s better than that milk chocolate shit.”

Race let out an offended squawk, “better than milk- Sean Conlon what kind of bullshit are you on?”

Spot shrugged, unwrapping the bar and popping a piece in his mouth, “Milk is too sweet.  Dark is pleasant.”

“Dark tastes like dirt and sadness!” Race yelped, wrinkling his nose and backing away when Spot held out the chocolate bar in a silent offer, “No, get that shit away from me.”

Spot rolled his eyes, sitting next to Race on the couch and biting off another piece of chocolate, “What’s your deal, anyway?  I’m not forcing you to eat the damn chocolate or anything.  More for me if you don’t like it.”

“My deal is,” Race hissed, poking Spot in the side with his foot, “I’m dating a dark chocolate stan and that goes against every single one of my morals.”

“Dark chocolate is good, though!” Spot countered.

“No, it’s not!” Race sat up, waving his hands wildly, “Dark is shit! You’re eating literal dirt!”

Spot eyed him, mildly amused, “God, you’re dramatic.”

Race huffed, standing, “Sleep on the couch tonight, stronzo.”

XXX

“Spot likes what!?”

Spot resisted the urge to slam his head against the wall behind him as Jack’s loud voice carried across the table.  Their group was gathered at Jacobi’s, having decided to meet there during their various lunch breaks, but Spot was regretting coming now.  He should have known Race was still hung up on his affinity for dark chocolate.

“It’s true,” Race said solemnly, “He actually likes dark chocolate.”

Jack gawked at Spot, “I feel like I don’t know you anymore,” he muttered, “my own brother.”

“God does milk chocolate have like some drama queen chemical in it?” Spot asked, picking up his glass and taking a long sip from his Coke, not once shifting his gaze from Jack’s exaggeratedly offended one, “I mean, it would make sense since you and Race both like it so much.”

Race shook his head, “Ah, it all makes sense now.”

Jack looked over at him, cocking his head, “What does?”

“Spot likes dark chocolate ‘cause it’s bitter,” Race stated, matter-of-factly.

When he was still met with blank stares, he sighed, “Spot is bitter and dark chocolate is bitter.  They’re one in the same!”

“I’m going to break up with you,” Spot deadpanned.

“Not if I do it first,” Race retorted.

“I dunno,” Davey piped up from where he sat next to Katherine, “Dark chocolate is pretty good and it has a lot of health benefits.”

“Yeah, agreed,” Katherine added, “It’s really good for your heart- I wrote a whole blog article on it.”

Race’s eyes travelled around the table, completely bewildered, “I can’t believe this.”

“Yeah, I have to agree with Race and Jack,” Crutchie said, “Milk chocolate is infinitely superior to dark chocolate.”

“Untrue, dark chocolate’s better,” Spot said, firmly.

“Nope, milk chocolate,” Jack shot back.

“Yeah,” Race lifted his chin defiantly, “Milk chocolate for the win.”

“Dark!” Davey exclaimed, “Dark is better.”

“Milk!” Crutchie said, leaning across the table and flicking Davey on the ear, “You’re supposed to be the smart one.”

“No, Davey’s right and I’m going to go down with this fight.”

“Thank you, Spot.”

“You know,” All their heads turned when Albert spoke, “White chocolate is pretty bomb.”

No one spoke a word for a moment, then Race stood up slowly and walked to Albert’s chair.  He waited for a moment, maintaining murderous eye contact with Albert before rearing his fist back and punching him square in the nose.  Albert let out a pained shout, the force of the punch sending his chair backwards and he fell to the ground, sprawling out unceremoniously.

“Asshole!” He yelled, gingerly holding his nose, “What was that for!?”

Race shrugged, “White chocolate is invalid.”

-

dark choc is good

fight me

this fic is directly made out to @ispeekfluentshowtunes also thnx for some opinions on the fic dude

thanks for reading, chiefs

hmu to be added to my tag 

TAG LIST: @bencookisagod @we-dont-sell-papes @suddenly-im-respecsable

@aw-jus-let-em-try @well-the-kids-do-too @spot-conlon-king-of-brooklyn @felix-loves-albert-and-ralbert @axolotlwhizzy

@andthewoildwillknow @the-newsies-justice-for-zas-blog @sunshine-e-cigarettes @have-we-got-news-for-you @musical-shitposts @thebroadwayaesthetic

@thomasbeingthomas

@irondad-spiderson-duo

@snakesarenonexistent

@i-got-no-clue-what-im-doing

@kpop-kk

@mentallytiredgoat

@yxseminx

@be-more-chill-evan-hansen

@stopthe-presses

@elmers-half-a-cup

@and-i-lostmy-shoe

@spot-me50-papes

@honeynutpoptarts

@newsies-ensemble

@bennie-badeend

@auspicioustarantula

@faithmil

@hopefully-not-the-ghostbusters

@bxnesof92

@backgroundnewsies

@sure-as-a-star

@skybert-daherty

@eveningpaper

@malex-13

@albert-eats-cookie-cake

@heart-a-n-o-n

@bitching-newsboys

@orollyitsracetrackhiggins

@joshuaburrageenthusiast

@random-superhero-stuff

@awkwardstranger98

@falling-out-trees-101

@modern-race-owns-airpods

[papa-rhys]

Hang Em High (Javier X Reader)

Note: Some angry Javier being protective over his reader. It’s based very very loosely on “Hang Em High” by My Chemical Romance. Enjoy!

Category: fluff (?)

Warnings: mention of blood and violence

Word count: 1150

You trudge up the stairs of the Shady Belle mansion, heading for the main bedroom where – as Karen has just informed you through slurred words and the odd hiccup – Javier is resting alone. Spirits in the camp have been dim lately, to say the least, and most of the gang can usually be found hiding from the others somewhere in or around this ugly, run-down house. So it’s no surprise to you that Javier is doing just that.

You wipe your nose on the back of your hand and pull your hand away to find it covered in blood. This wasn’t an uncommon occurrence – you getting your ass handed to you in fights – but in your defence, this fight was not your fault in the slightest. In fact, it was barely even a fight; more so a warning from Colm O’Driscoll, aimed at Dutch. You’d been on the way out of a shitty saloon on the dirtier side of Saint Denis when the three O’Driscoll boys had dragged you into the alleyway by the scruff of your neck. The beating that ensued was nothing short of merciless. It was almost personal and admittedly, you had tried to recall during the repeated kicks to your stomach, whether or not you owed these gentlemen a large sum of money. It was only when the taller of the three spoke in an unmistakable Irish accent that you realised this beating wasn’t really for you, but for the man you’ve been working for as of late.

You reach the top of the stairs and pause to get your breath back – the tight pressure of your cracked ribs making it all the more difficult to do so. You hold onto the railing for support as you wheeze for a few moments and then you carry on, gently pushing open the bedroom door and finding Javier laying on the bed, looking over his knife in the peace and quiet.

He drags his gaze away from the glimmering blade and his eyes widen as you give him a weak “oops, I got beaten up again” smile. He springs upright, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed and rushing over to you.

“Ay, what happened?” he asks, gently putting his hand to your bloodied face and looking you over for any more fatal looking injuries; his eyes gliding over your torn, bloodstained clothes and black and blue arms.

“I dunno, I must’ve tripped,” you shrug sarcastically. Javier gives you a look at you let out a sigh, rolling your eyes at the idea of all the heated threats that’ll surely roll from his tongue once he hears of what happened. “Ran into some O’Driscoll boys,” you sigh. “Lovely fellas, real hospitable. Say, did you know how many times you can crack the same rib? Because lemme tell you; it’s a lot. I don’t think there’s a single rib left in my body that ain’t shattered.”

“Los mataré,” Javier mutters, clenching his jaw and moving you aside before storming out of the room.

You follow him, trying your best to pull him back but ultimately being too weak to stop him. The two of you run into Charles on the landing, who’s almost mowed down as he’s caught in the whirlwind of commotion. “What’s goin’ on?” Charles asks, picking up on the not-so-subtle rage that leaks from Javier’s pores.

“You up for righting a few wrongs, amigo?” Javier asks him, stopping for just a few moments and shrugging you off as you tug at his hand. “Get your gun and meet me by the door.”

Charles looks between the two of you and nods and with that, Javier is off again, flitting down the staircase with you in tow.

“Javier, please,” you beg, reaching the bottom of the staircase and rounding the corner into the hallway after Javier. “I’ll be fine, it’s… it’s not a big deal.” You struggle to catch your breath and the rattling wheezing sound is back again.

“Ay, look at you, mi amor,” he spits. “You’re not fine and those fuckers are gonna pay.”

“Stop,” you tell him, getting in front of him and putting your hand on his chest, trying to push him back away from the makeshift gun rack by the front door. He pushes you aside and reaches for a rifle as Charles approaches the two of you with his sawed off in one hand and a double-barrel in the other.

“We good to go?” Charles asks, loading his sawed off and holstering it.

“Javier,” you sigh.

“You won’t stop me,” he says.

“ – put it down – “

“¡Basta!” he says, looking you dead in the eye. His voice is low and almost sounds like a growl and you consider yourself thoroughly warned.

With no hope of getting through to Javier directly, you turn your attention to Charles. “Charles, tell him! They’re not worth it!”

“He’s right,” Charles shrugs. “Looking at the state of you, someone has to make sure they don’t do this again.”

You let out a sigh of frustration that morphs into a scream and you hold onto your side as the sharp pain in your ribs pulsates. “Fine, but I’m coming with you both.”

“No, you’re not,” they both say in unison, shaking their heads from side to side.

“Yes, I –“

“No,” Javier tells you, placing his hand on your shoulder and moving the two of you aside so that Charles can leave the house and ready the horses. “You’re too weak right now. If you go out there, I’ll be too busy watching over you and we could all end up dead.”

You tilt your head and give a sigh of defeat, breaking eye contact with him to watch Charles through the window. Javier raises his hand to your chin, turning your head back to face him. “If I don’t come back,” he starts, prompting you to shake your head. “If I don’t come back, then I want you to move on, okay? Don’t stop and don’t look back. I don’t want you wasting your life for me, mi amor. If I die, then I die. But I want you to carry on, okay?”

You nod your head quickly and he brushes his thumb over the skin of your cheek before he turns for the door, pulling it open. He’s almost got one foot out of the door before he mumbles something and does a double take, turning back around and kissing you. “I love you,” he tells you with a smile.

“You’re an idiot,” you respond, shaking your head in disapproval. “But I love you too.”

“I have to do this,” he tells you, looking at you apologetically. 

“I know,” you nod.

He steps through the doorway again and you stand within the frame, watching him as he trudges across the muddy path and joins Charles by the horses.

“If either of you die out there, I’ll smear pig shit on your graves every day until the day I die!” you call after them, triggering another episode of strained, rattled breathing.

You prop yourself up in the doorway as the two men disappear down the driveway, clutching your ribs with one hand and holding onto the door frame with the other as Tilly comes to your assistance.

[the-trash-elf]

Visitation

[Mentions: @live-in-grey​]

“..yo you got fucked, girl.. Like.. bad messed..”

Lissmac’s voice carried over the room. A cell. A stone cold box under the mountains to contain her from her vices. Her cravings. And the things she would do - things she had done - to obtain them. And now that voice felt surreal. Hours prior selling her the chemicals that had released and imprisoned her all at once.

Allisae remained curled in a sobbing ball. Her ears had not yet ceased their dull ringing, coupled with the pain set to the front of her skull. The air hung thick with the stench of vomit and alcohol. A prison of mind to match the one containing her body at this time.

“Ye know it never gets much betta. Can guarantee that. You just chase the high but.. never gets better.” Lissmac noted, her words echoed in the cell even if her voice remained soft. Allie cracked her eyes open, staring to the Gnome with a blank expression.

“Ya know I dosed.. still do. Numbs it, dig? Makes it.. fade. And that's fuckin great.. betta than anythin..” The Gnome passed off a humorless chuckle. “But.. Next thing ya know.. yer not escapin.. yer..” She gestured to the cell. “Trapped.. in yaself. And ya watchin tha world go by. Bars on ya eyes.”

Lissmac leaned aside a bit to rest her back to the wall, just beyond the bars of the partition. “Ya know it wasn't always this way fo ya..”

Allisae blinked at the Gnome, silent. She could hear her words rattling in her head, fusing with her own thoughts and melting into her.

“Lemme guess... 'not fair' right? Given a shit draw.. fuck em.. fuck everyone.. Only reason ye listening to me right now? Ya think I'm gunna give ya some more Haze.” She lifted a hand to rest on the closest bar, gripping it. “But.. I know there's more in there.”

The Gnome leaned in, peering to the elf staring back at her. “You hate this, don't ya?”

Allie blinked again, but another tear dripped down her face to meet it’s end on the stone floor below.

“Hate every fuckin minute..” Lissmac resumed. “Me too, ya know.. me too. S'what no one understands. What it be like ta hate every fuckin minute, fo days, fo months, fo years.. ya forget what it feels like ta feel good. Ya think I gave ya that drug cuz I wanted ya ta get high? Hooked? I gave it cuz ya gotta live or die.. cuz ya can't be told ta live, eitha..”

Allie remained entirely silent, only staring at her. These words were the loudest thing she had heard in days, in spite of them being spoken in such a soft tone.

“I know that shit..from myself, yo.. Ya gotta be allowed ta die, and choose ta live.. s'tha only way.. Ya know I had a lass.. not too long ago. I loved her.. I thought.. ya know.. got betta. I even kicked tha drugs, ya know.. which sucks when you is a runna.. lemme tell ya. Surrounded by tha product..  But she made me happy. She made me think 'yo maybe.. it's gunna be aight now'..”

Allie finally lifted her voice, cracked at first from her dry throat hoarse from the screaming not long prior. “....she leave?”

“Course, Allie. Cuz m'broken. Like you.” Lissmac replied with no hesitation, her tone sincere yet still gentle. “And tha world? Don't give a fuck bout broken people. So.. ya gotta give a fuck bout yoself. We're dyin, you an I. Dead fuckin women walkin. Every day we wake up is a fuckin defiance and I ain't.. done defyin yet.”

Liss moved her hand from the bars down to her pack, patting the hood of the satchel to draw the elf’s attentions toward it. “So I'll give ya a fuckin choice.. and no judgement. I ain't gunna put no pressure, I ain't high enough ta be yo keeper.. I'll walk in there right now, hook you up with Haze, let you smoke and dope and numb out.. Or...” She lifted her hand up to rest in her lap. “Ye can tell me what happened that made you this. Ya can tell me what stings, ta this day..”

Allie closed her eyes, curling up a bit more on herself. "You'll give me Haze?" Her voice sounded far from hopeful. Hunger prickled at each word, the memories of that bliss cultivating a desire in every cell of her body.

“Much as ya want, Allie. Ya gotta be tha one ta make a choice in tha end.. no one can make it fo ya.”

“I hate them..” Allie hissed through tightening jaw.

“Who?”

“...my.. everyone..”

“Everyone is a bullshit pass and ya know it.. There's a name in there.. A face.. Tell me.”

“.....Why?..”

Lissmac leaned in a bit toward the cell, teal eyes catching the dim lantern to stand out from her features. “Cuz it's killin ya, Allie.”

“So?”

“I told you, so. I told you why. But you still got tha choice ta say..or ta take Haze an forget.”

Allie felt her eyes close, the names and faces flipping through her mind as pages of a book. A book she refused to read through, telling stories of bitter memories too blackened by her own resentment. But many of those pages hosted similiar pieces. The stories repeating again and again, page by page.

“Kialaa and Tylrion Moonwhisper..” She finally noted.

“Mom an dad?” Liss hid her surprise, keeping herself focused on the elf.

Allie closed her eyes tighter, gritting her teeth. Another tear traced across her nose, falling free to patter with its twin to the stones. "..why didn't they want me, Liss?"

“I dunno, Allie.. I can't say what sick shit goes on in tha minds of people..”

Allie remained soft spoken, close to a whimper. "..I'm worthless.."

“Cuz they told ya?”

“Didn't have to.. they didn't want me.. no one does.. I'm a fuckin.. burden..”

“Ain't we all, Allie? Way I hear it... a woman went ape shit cuz someone read a book and tried ta stab some of ya..”

Allie ticked her jaw, her teeth tight against each other to the point of aching. She hissed the name to follow. “Elenata.. I trusted her, you know.. I told her I loved her..”

Lissmac cut her off at that train of thought. “And maybe it was all horse shit. Maybe it was not. Maybe.. if ya looked at it from a cynical point of view.. we are all fucked up. Bad, dude. Bad. We're all users and freaks and fuckin hedonists and outcasts..” She lifted a hand to aim two fingers and thumb in the shape of a handgun to her own temple. “Dude, I'm a Gnome with no future who slings chems ta people down on their luck with the hope they get hooked enough ta come back. Folks have sold their lives ta me. Folks have offered their clothes, their wives, their fuckin KIDS.. and I dose em..”

“Why?” Allie inquired, her voice flat.

“Cuz I'm a sick, fuckin broken, fuckin twisted mistake. Like you.”

Allisae actually, oddly, cracked a small smile. "So that's it then.. we're all just fucked.."

“Yep. But.. once ya accept that shit? It hurts less.. all of this.. it just hurts so much fuckin less. Then ya don't need tha drugs as much. Colors return. And maybe some fuckin day years from now..”

The Gnome scooted a bit forward, resting a hand to the bars to allow her face to fall into the lantern light. “You'll smile.” She leaned back again to the wall. “This is a crazy world. Weird shit can happen.”

“Yeah..” Allie regarded with a forlorn tone.

“Want tha Haze?” Liss spoke up after a shortened pause.

“...no thanks, Liss... not tonight..” came the elf’s reply, her own tone defeated yet shaping to something at least. Pain, discordance, hopelessness. But she was still alive. That much was evident. And she wanted to, for whatever reason, remember that fact right now.

“Good call.” Liss rocked to her feet, rising and turning to face the bars. “Now.. You get some sleep, okay? Get off tha fuckin floor yer in ya own vomit..”

Allie slowly staggered to hands and knees before rising to her full height.

Lissmac watched her sway for a moment’s passing. A moment in which she absorbed the woman’s nuances. Her slight tremors, her ragged breathing, every twitch and twist of her fingers.

“....please don't give up, okay?” Lissmac finally spoke, free of her usual vocal inflection. A voice almost alien to the Gnome. “Please?”

Allisae blinked at the Gnome. “I'll.. try..”

“All we can do, yo.” Liss replied, back to her usual affect. “G'night, killa.”

“Night, Liss..” Allie turned, moving to the bed in her cell. She’d have nothing to do now but wait for the Doctor to take her to the hospital. Nothing to do but think. She was abandoned. She was hated. She was sick. She was worthless.

And she was alive. Still.

Alive.