#flesh and bone by the killers is. well. a killer. because i have it on my trigun playlist AND my levi playlist đ
johnny dates your friend and then asks her if she's got any friends (you) for his friend (simon). but simon freaks you out. he can't hold a conversationâ or won't, you're not sure; you're lucky if you get monosyllabic grunts out of him as if he were a neanderthal. the only times you've seriously heard him talk is to bark out words at either johnny or the bartender.
he walks around with a poorly concealed weapon on his hip, almost like he is expecting trouble. he wears all black, which is completely fine, but then a skull balaclava that he refuses to take off, even to drink his liquor. you don't try to hide the grimace on your face when you watch him sip through the thick fabric. he's got skeleton gloves on his hands too, like some sort of shit cosplay to match his mask.
and he fucking stares, unashamedly so. it is unblinking, scrutinizing, intenseâ his dark eyes, pools of midnight, keen. he stares at the people walking in through the door, stares at johnny when he takes your friend to the dance floor, and when you tell him out of courtesy that you're going to go get another drink, you can feel him boring holes into the back of your head as you walk away, piercing flesh and bone.
the phantom fingers of his gaze trace icy paths along your spine, erupting your skin in goosebumps. you find him immensely creepy, and you thank the fucking stars you're only here as a favor for your friend. you don't think you want to do this again. he's either a wanted serial killer or just a goddamn freak.
a heavy arm wraps around your shoulders once you're at the bar, and with a sneer on your lips, you turn to the owner of said offending limb, only to come face to face with johnny. he leans into you, close enough to where you can feel his stubble grazing the shell of your ear. (back up, brother.)
"listen, bonnie!" you wince; it's really not that loud in here for him to be yelling like that. "ah ken, ghosâ er, simon, might no' be yer average man. he can be a little off-puttin'â" a little? if he doesn't follow you home and skin you alive, you'd be incredibly fortunateâ "but ah promise ye, while he may no' be boyfriend material, he's an incredible fuck."
excuse me? he's got to be positively pissed. "maybe you should slow down, yeah? you might already be three sheets to the wind if you're gassing up your unsettling friend's cock. no offense."
"naw! ah'm tellin' ye. long ago, we had a mission tha' ran everyone tight, 'n so we relieved tension the only way we couldâ big, strong guy like him had me limpin' for a few days after."
you're about to ask for an angel shot because there is no way in hell that your friend's boyfriend is making casual conversation about him getting absolutely railed byâ
"give 'em a try. jus' the once, i swear he don't bite," johnny pauses-- the rosy flush on his nose and cheeks vibrant, "unless ye ask nicely. yer friend said ye needed to get laid, anyways." oh, you're gonna fucking kill her, that long-tongued cretin.
"right!" you drink the remainder of your cocktail in one big gulp, liquid warmth trailing down your throat, before not-so-kindly shrugging him off. "i'm gonna go, you, uhâ we didn't have this conversation, for the sake of my friend." you gesture at the bartender. "one more, please. i'm gonna need it."
-
damn. now johnny's got you thinking about getting your back broken by simon. maybe you really are just down horrendously, or maybe it's the alcohol in your system that has decided to toss all self-preservation out the metaphorical window because now you can't stop noticing him.
he's real tallâ enough to have him slightly tipping his head to walk through a doorway. his shoulders are mountainous, his hands the size of a bear's paw. his physicality is undoubtedly impressive and well, you've always been weak to burly, commanding men.
you make eye contact with johnny from across the room, his bright blue eyes alive under the dim light of the dingy bar, and the bastard shifts his gaze from simon to you, giving a cheeky wink.
lifting your glass, you drink the last of your liquid courageâ the taste of it bittersweet. it has been a long time since you've gotten laid.
double damn.
"hey." you lean slightly toward simon, cupping your hand around your mouth. "you and i both know why we're here. take me home?" the way he looks at you has you shifting restlessly in your seat. did you perhaps make a mistake? oh, fuck. did you just throw yourself cunt-first at someone who is not interested? your face burns with embarrassment, heat licking up your cheeks. maybe the earth will split open, right here riâ
"let's go then." oh thank fucking god. you don't know what you would've done if he'd said no. shrivel up and die, probably. "uber'll be here in 4."
when it arrives, he places his leather jacket around your shoulders, cocooning you in its warmthâ the heady scent of nicotine clings to the garmentâ and leads you outside with a hand on the small of your back.
-
the world outside the car blurs into a hazy painting as the driver navigates the streets. colors blend together, once sharp outlines now dissolved. the rain gently taps on the window, a soothing sound that could easily lull you to sleep until you start when a roughened palm suddenly glides along your thighâ fingers slowly tracing intimate patterns on your skin.
simon's hand is hot, and it only burns hotter the closer it gets to your center under your least favorite skirt. he cannot be serious right now. you place your hand over his, short nails biting into him because there is no way you're about to be fingered in an uberâ
his voice is deep, a deliciously thick rumble, right by your ear. "nice kitty." you've never been one for pet names or anything else for that matter, but the pulse of arousal that shoots up your spine has a shaky exhale leaving your lips, a ghostly breath fogging up the window.
the tips of his fingers tease the seam of your knickers, a generic cotton fabric that clings to your dampening cunt like a second skinâ desire trickling onto the gusset. your whimper is drowned out by the terrible music the driver is currently playing when his small finger grazes over your slit, featherlight.
"so wet already? i've barely even touched ya, love." again with the cunt-clenching nicknames. he has no business purring them out like that. "i can smell your sweet pussy from here. you really must be achin' for it." of course the time he chooses to be vocal, it's to spew filth. "don't worry, i'll treat ya good."
somehow, you actually manage to choke out a response. "i'm sure. johnny-" you hiss through clenched teeth when he slips under your knickers, a finger brushing along your slick entrance, "said you had him walking side to side once." you buck your hips, seeking the friction you need, but it only makes him pull away a bit; how unsurprisingly cruel.
"only because he was bein' a brat. you're not a brat though, are ya? gonna be good f'me?" your tongue is heavy in your mouth, words lodged in your throatâ all you can give him is a slight nod. "i expect verbal answers. i'd hate to spank your arse raw. how would ya sit down after?"
the idea of being bent over his strong thighs, face pressed into his couch as his firm hand takes you into the needy subspace you crave is too much, or maybe not enough because you're tucking your face into the side of his neck in an instant. "please," you warble, unsure of what you're even begging for.
he curls his finger, slipping between your lips, and when he finally brushes your clitâ a fleeting, tantalizing touchâ your eyes threaten to roll into the back of your head. "needy little thing. i bet there's a damp spot right where you're sittin'. drippin' all over my fingersâ" your breath is ripped from your lungs when he abruptly pulls his hand out and away, the sodden material of your knickers snapping against your heated skin. you're about to snarl out a vicious what the fuck, but the once-blurred scenery outside sharpens into focus.
the driver parks and looks at you from the rearview mirror. "we're here." you mumble a muted thank you, stepping out with quivering legs and a drenched cunt. a crisp breeze dances across your skin, a refreshing contrast to the stifling heat from inside the car.
as soon as the car drives off, you're hoisted onto a broad shoulder. the world tilts, and you fist the back of simon's shirt for stability. "highly unnecessary. i can waâ" you let out a squeak when he slaps the back of your thigh, the sharp bite of it sending a jolt straight to your throbbing center.
"hush."
you sputter indignantly as you hold on tighter, breaths coming out in short gasps, syncing with each step. "i beg your pardon?"
you yelp when he gives you another slap, this time closer to your cunt. "then beg." you're rendered speechless.
wow. maybe you've actually bitten off more than you can chew.
the wet cement under you is a blur, the texture lost in the rush of his movements until he comes to a stop, and you hear a familiar jingle of keys. he bursts through the door, the hinges groaning in protest, and you're staggeringly planted on both feet.
"nice place." a lie. it looks unlived inâ brand spanking new. you vaguely hear the lock behind you as you take in your surroundings. a perfect, leather couch, not a crease in sight. the rug under it is pristine and bland, a cream color that matches the rest of his flat. impersonal. not an ounce of real personality anywhere. you begin shrugging off his jacket when you're suddenly pressed against the cold door, simon bent at the knees in front of you, his dark eyesâ sharp as bladesâ lock onto yours.
"gonna beg?"
the fire in your lower belly reignites at the sight of his unmasked face. ash-brown hair in a simple crew cut, thick brows with the right one bisected by a pink, gnarled scar. slightly crooked nose, broken one too many times, and thin, pale lips. a countenance to match his rugged personality.
you're pulled out of your thoughts when he licks a hot stripe over your covered slit and you mewl at the sensation. "i asked you a question."
the words rush out of your mouth before you can even think of stopping them. "yes, yes! please, god, i don't- just- please let me come! i-" his thumbs hook into the waistband of your knickers and tug them down slowly, strings of arousal sticking to the gusset, smearing on your inner thighs.
"alrigh', since ya begged so prettily." your vision goes white when he throws one leg over his shoulder, and his slick tongue slides through your folds, the tip flicking your clit lightly. he laps at your cunt like it drips milk and honeyâ nourishing and sweet. simon groans into you, the sound crawling up your vertebrae and into the base of your skull.
he begins to draw lazy circles around your pearl, every swirl of his tongue has your back bowing as if winding it, inching you closer to the precipice. your toes curl in your shoes, hands finding purchase in his coarse hair, knuckles staining white as you start the feel the familiar tightening in your lower belly.
and then he pushes one thick finger into you, down to the scarred knuckle, and crooks it. the squelching noise your dripping pussy makes when he presses on the tiny patch of rough skin inside is loud and obscene; practically echoing off the dull, ivory walls of his flat.
"gonna come f'me? make a mess all over my hand?" simon adds another finger, a slight burn nipping at the heels of the pleasure coiling under your navel.
"c'mon. give it to me, pet." his lips encircle your clit, giving it a light suckle and it'sâ
the coil snaps, a sudden release of tension. it is violent and oh, so exquisite. white noise in your head, your ears, coursing through your veins. it prickles, it stings; it's pleasure and pain. your soul sinks back into your bodyâ like a feather returning to its nestâ and you blink, momentarily unbalanced.
"ya with me?"
you breathe deepâ the taste of salt in the air, the scent of sweat-slick skin, your heart pulsing with life. "yes. i'm here." the man took you to the stars and laid you on them. jesus.
"good." the room spins, and you're weightless, nestled in his arms. it'd seem innocent if it wasn't for the stickiness in between your thighs, or the prominent bulge in his jeans occasionally pressing into your arse.
simon kicks a door open, knob bouncing off the wall with a crack, and quickly places you on the bed before tugging his shirt off. the belt and jeans come off next, andâ
"you don't wear pants." why would he let that monstrosity just hang like that?
"good observation. is water still wet?" he asks, tonelessly. you narrow your eyes at him, pushing your tongue against the back of your teeth.
"fuck me for having eyes and using them as intended, i guess," you mumble under your breath. he grabs you by the ankle and tugs the skirt off, then your shoes, "ouch, i like my feet where they are, thank you," and literally rips your shirt in half. "you'll be giving me on of yours before i leave as recompense."
he holds himself up with his arms over you, your thighs burning as they cradle his hips.
his cock is a heavy, hot weight on your stomachâ ruddy, leaking tip right under your navel. you're not small by any means, but he's going to tear you in half. there's no surviving such an onslaught. he's not just leaving you with a limp, he's going to turn your two smaller holes into one big one.
he tears into a golden wrapper with his teeth, and expertly rolls the condom on. simon lowers down to his elbows and nudges your jaw with his nose. "i'll stop the moment ya call it. tap on me if you're feelin' overwhelmed."
that's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to you, and the fact that it comes from a massive creep who stares at people like they owe him money has you a bit dumbstruck.
his stubble grazes the side of your neck as he glides his cock along your slick folds; once, thrice, until the head catches on your swollen entrance. simon pushes in slow, agonizingly slowâ you don't know if it's better or worse because you feel every devastating inch of his length as it forcibly wrenches your walls apart.
your senses are solely focused on him: his body enveloping yours completely. his breath, sweetened like malt, wafts gently across your skin. his thick waist that you can't fully wrap your legs around. everything about him is bigâ his physicality, his presence, his cock.
"take a deep breath for me, pet. feel everythin' i'm givin' you."
your lungs expand as you do, and when you exhale, your muscles slacken. rapturous pleasure begins to bleed through the delicate membrane that separates it from the bite of pain, until boundaries are blurred andâ
and he sinks into you like a rock breaking the surface tension of still water, bottoming out in one, smooth stroke. you can't help the mewl that falls from your lips nor the way your walls clamp down around him.
"fuck, there it is. so bloody tight, this greedy cunt is takin' my cock like it was made for me."
there isn't a single coherent thought in your head and you're glad for it. finally, someone to fuck you stupid.
simon gives you an experimental thrust, dragging his length along every single one of your nerves, and then anotherâ desire overflowing from where he stuffs you to the very brim. "good. ready?"
he takes your tiny nod as an answer this time and begins to fuck you in earnest. it takes everything in you to not black out from how perfect it felt.
simon puts his weight behind every thrust, a steady pull out, and a spine-jarring push in. you can feel him deep in your stomach, a delicious pinch of discomfort each time he presses against the plug of your womb.
"so fuckin' wet, your cunt's droolin' all over me." he hooks an arm under your left leg and lifts, the angle he's put you in tittering dangerously on the tightrope of rapture and ache.
it's so good, so fucking good, your slick walls fluttering as he carves himself into you, your soul, your cunt when you feel a tight snap inside.
simon pulls out in an instant, taking your breath with him as he does. you look down at his cock and notice thatâ
"the condom broke. i've got another in the drawer, gimme a sec."
there is some weird thing that lodges in place somewhere deep in your sternum when you realize that he's been nothing but considerate and attentive to you since he brought you home and hasn't fussed over anything once. it's an extremely low bar, you are aware. rewarding what should be the bare fucking minimum is sad, but you're not completely altruistic in your motives anyway. you want to feel his bare cock inside as he rearranges your insides.
"no!" he quickly turns to look at you, "no. it's okay. i'm clean and i'm also on the pill. if that's okay with you, of course."
a man his stature should not move as fast as he just did, blinking from one side of the room to the other. he quickly throws both of your legs over his shoulders, heels resting on his back when he sinks back in, this time letting out a guttural groan as he does.
you can feel the ridge of his flared head, the warmth of his cock seeping into your tender wallsâ a new level of intimacy. he fucks you with fervor now, a precise snap of his hips that has your teeth clacking with every thrust.
your climax takes you by complete surprise, crashing into you like waves on a rocky, jagged shore. burst after burst of blinding pleasure threatens to consume you whole, and when your limbs are loose and syrupyâ body limpâ only then do you realize that he came just as fast. thick white ropes of viscous spend cover your stomach and trail down to your abused cunt.
your hamstrings already hurt with delayed onset muscle soreness. you might actually need a wheelchair to go back home.
(thank god your hips held out, and no, you don't care that it's essentially sacrilegious of you to even think that.)
his breathing comes out in ragged bursts, beads of sweat dripping onto the valley of your breasts.
and he's back to the fucking staring. "simon."
"pet."
"please stop looking at me like that."
he huffs and dips his head to flick your hardened nipple with his tongue, making you hiss with over sensitivity.
"make me."
-
as dawn breaks, the world begins to stir awake. hues of pale pink stain the sky, the first blush of morning. light and shadow begin to blend in the bedroom.
your phone vibrates under the pillow, simon's arm tightening around your soft waist at the buzzing sound. his lips press a light kiss on the sensitive skin by your ear, and his large hand begins to weave its way downward, pads of his fingers gathering the evidence of last night (or early morning) and gently parts your folds, brushing light strokes on your clit.
when he places your leg around his hip and sinks into you from behind, your phone buzzes again-- alone and forgotten.
good morning!!! i expect a full, detailed report by lunch or so help you god.
sent 5:30 am
about time you got laid, you're not you when you're horny.
sent 5:49 am
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đđđ
đ đđđđ đđ.
part one â part two
đđđđđđđ. the wayne family witness how you handle jasonâs trauma.
đđđđđđđđ. jason todd x addams!male reader
đđđđđđđđ. sfw content, foul language, trauma, nightmares, mentions of torture, typical addams behavior (dark, edgy, gothic, disturbing behavior), romantic, death threats, soft addams!reader, mentions of a very dark and gruesome fictional book, dealing with trauma, fluff, lots of fluff, everythingâs just soft
đđđđđđ'đ đđđđ. can't help it, i really enjoy writing addams!reader content. honestly, it's kinda getting old but i guess this will be the last one??? or one more and then i'll end its endless cycle?? anyway, if y'all have any recommended translation apps it'll be nice to know. don't wanna trust google translate that much.
FEM ALIGNED DNI !!
âWhy are you awake so early in the morning?â
Bruceâs slightly raspy morning voice interrupts the silent reading you had indulged yourself in, barely reacting at his sudden presence despite the fact you failed to notice him from how focused you were on your book.
You glanced at him only for a split second before your eyes went back to reading again, âI prefer the quietness of your manor in the morning for a quick read. Although, I must say the bright sun is such a terrible sight. It nearly burned me as soon as my consciousness awakened.â As you replied casually, Bruce took notice of how the curtains are closed completely shut to block the sunlight from entering, as if getting even a little bit of it would burn you like a vampire. Well, you did look like a vampire because of how pale and ghostly your skin is as well as the all black, gothic medieval or victorian outfit.
Bruce still wasnât used to your unique culture, ancient speech and intimidating presence, but had learned not to be too bothered by it ever since you and Jason began visiting the Manor often. He didnât want to waste energy by constantly reacting to any unusual traits you displayed, and heâs been successful so far. Even though he still doesnât agree with your morals, he knew not to argue with you like before, since youâve been nothing but respectful to him everytime you set foot in the manor.
Raising one of his eyebrows, Bruce tilts his head. âDo you always read?â
âYes, indeed.â Came your immediate response. âBooks are what defines me, Mr. Wayne. My soul is practically attached to it.â
âIs that why you always carry a book with you?â Stephanie suddenly chimes in out of nowhere with Tim behind her, curiosity plastered across her face. You nodded, glancing up to see Damian sit down on the other sofa while playing a brutal game that occasionally makes a blood splattering sound.
Bruce sighs, âAnd why are you all awake so early?â
Tim looks at him weirdly, âItâs already eleven oâclock. Almost lunch time, you know.â Deadpanning, he then leans in from behind to get a glimpse of what you were reading, only to cringe slightly after his eyes read a particular sentence; The flesh muscles of his legs were torn off, almost as if it had been ripped open by a lion, exposing bones with blood uncontrollably flooding out. Itâs definitely one of those horror books who has unnecessary amount of gore. âWhat in the hell are you reading?â
âBloodthirst by Clementine.â You sipped on a black coffee before continuing, âWherein the main character becomes bloodthirsty for revenge after his lover had been abducted and mutilated by a group of serial killers. The sentence youâve read is one of his acts of revenge which includes a pack of wolves.â The corner of your mouth twitched up a bit, looking up at him with that glint in your eyes. âIt has a pleasantly satisfying plotline.â
Disturbed and quite freaked out, Tim exchanges eye contact with Bruce and pressed his lips together. âThat is... uhm, interesting.â Amusement merely crosses your face before it instantly went back to your usual emotionless expression.
They still havenât gotten used to the extremely calm demeanor you had because of how most of them grew up not having a quiet presence in the manor, even Cassandra wasnât as silent as you before. Youâre the only calm and fully collected person theyâve ever met, coming off as rather intimidating due to your piercing gaze, emotionless face, wiser-than-thou mind, and utmost patience. Especially the patience one, because most of them were either short-tempered or just born enraged. Sometimes, they get intimidated without you even speaking â once, you and Jason reluctantly joined them to a grand event and someone made an utterly horrible decision to insult Jason by comparing him to the âwell-behavedâ eldest son Dick, which resulted in you shooting them a piercing, dark, cold and harsh glare not even a second after that instantly made them freeze in spot. That look in your eyes alone made their blood run cold and face pale.
Needless to say, they regretted insulting Jason as quick as the wind blows, but that storyâs for another time.
âWhereâs Dick? Did he sleep at Barbaraâs?â Stephanie wondered, realizing the lack of annoying presence.
âNope!â An all too cheerful voice in the morning pipes up as Dick appeared with a big smile on his face. He quickly noticed you reading a book and approached, âReading a dark book again? Whereâs Jay?â
âThereâs only an obvious answer to an already obvious question, Richard.â Retorting without sparing him a glance, you flipped the page and earned a snicker from Damian. âHe will be walking down the stairs soon. Sois patient, frĂšre.â
Dick replies an âokayâ before jumping on the couch Damian was sitting on, deciding to annoy his youngest brother instead. Shaking your head with the corner of your mouth twitching up only barely, you focused on reading your book again despite the peaceful silence being broken by their chattering, although it didnât take long before you averted your gaze and stared at the ceiling, as if feeling something wrong.
Damian notices. âWhat are you doing?â
You didnât speak right away. Just staring up like something was there, which also made the others look up in attempt to figure out what you were doing.
âJason is not sleeping well,â You finally stated, not looking away from the ceiling. âHumans often radiate different energy depending on their mental state, which makes it easier to specifically identify what their current emotions or moods are. It can be felt if you concentrate enough. Jasonâs energy has been much peaceful ever since Iâve tormented Joker. It is supposed to stay as that.â
âWhat do you feel now?â Cassandra asked worriedly, her body leaned back against the wall.
âHeâs distressed.â You concluded, shutting the book close without bothering to slip a bookmark on the page, which she noticed quickly. She reads with you a lot and had never seen you close a book without bookmarking it; books are absolute treasures for you, but not as much as Jason now.
Confusion took over Timâs face as you set your book down and drink your black coffee in one go, âHow do you know?â
âThere is not one thing I donât know about Jason.â You remarked nonchalantly, like itâs how it should be. You just knew Jason well enough to understand him more than anyone else, even more than himself sometimes.
Before you could stand up from the couch, a footstep erupts from the top of the stairs and comes Jason slowly walking down, wrapped around in a blanket and thick arms hugging his body, making himself as small as possible despite his large frame. â(Y-Y/n)...?â His voice was thick and hoarse, as if he had been crying, as he stuttered and looked for you like a lost child.
You quickly got up from the couch and walked up to him when he stopped in the middle of the stairs. âCome here, darling.â Jason doesnât hesitate to drop the blanket and wrap his arms around your neck, clinging onto you for dear life. Slipping your hands on the back of his thighs, you lifted him up with ease and returned to the couch, sitting down sideways so Jason could lay on top of you, just how he liked.
âHorrible...â Jason murmured, face buried in your chest. âHorrible, all of âem. It hurts. Everything hurts.â
You frown, although your face had the softest look anyone had ever seen as you gently stroke his back, still having him caged in your arms. âTerrifying dream, was it?â You asked, earning a nod.
â âm scared...â Jason breathes shakily, âIâm still there... Still hurts. Too dark. Cold. Heâs still laughing. Hurts, it hurts.â He blabbered, words repeating over and over again, and breath increasingly becoming rapid as panic begins to slowly build up inside him. His entire body was trembling, sobs wreck through his body.
Everyone except you was at lost for words.
Jason seemed... weak and fragile. A cracked glass that can easily break with just one touch. Had Jason been suffering like this all this time? It felt as if Bruce was bludgeoned by a brick in the form of realization, opening his eyes to how the events with Joker truly affected Jason. He was obviously and clearly traumatized (who the fuck wouldnât be?), but this is the first time everyone had actually witnessed the trauma, considering Jason refused to be vulnerable in front of them.
âShh... Open your eyes, chĂ©ri. Look into mine and breathe slowly,â You gently instructed, rubbing his back in a soothing manner and muttering encouragements. Jason does as heâs told and open his eyes, staring into your calm and comforting (e/c) eyes while attempting to slow down his breathing. âDoing so excellent, mon amour. Breathe in and out, slowly. Good boy. You do not have to rush yourself.â The soft tone of your voice bringing him a sense of safety.
Once heâs calmed down, you slowly hold his hand and squeeze to provide warmth, hugging him tighter with one arm. âCan you tell me where you are and who youâre with right now?â
Jason squeezed back, little tears still running down his cheeks. âT-the Wayne Manor... Withâwith you... A-and Bruce, and Dick... Tim... Damian... C-Cass and Steph...â His gaze focusing on your encouraging eyes, his mind slowly detached from the nightmare it was drowning itself in.
âGood boy, sweetheart.â You kissed his forehead, âIs it still dark?â Jason shakes his head. âWhat about coldness? Am I succeeding in warming you up?â He nods this time. You smile, running your hand through his hair. âBe not afraid, Jason. Darkness will not consume your mind forever, although it is a part of our lives. You might remain afraid of the excessive trauma for years, but being afraid of it does not mean you will be chained eternally, and neither does it mean you are weak nor easily destructible. Youâve bravely fought a war within yourself. I know you will be able to defeat the nightmare someday.â
Jason sniffles, âDo you think Iâm healing?â
âYes, very slowly, as how healing process should be.â You stroked his cheek, âTrauma comes with nightmares. It especially shows when you are doing well so it could test your strength, whether youâll be able to overcome. But it can never defeat you; it only knows to cause pain, agony, and fear. You know love, joy, compassion, and empathy. It is what make us humans that defeats the monsters.â
He curled up against you, âJust want it to be over. I feel less like myself.â
âYou are not bounded to your trauma for all eternal, chĂ©ri. It does not define who and what you are, and it certainly does not make you any less.â You softly replied. âNever doubt yourself, my love. Healing cannot be completed within a day, it takes more than few years and I will be with you every step of the way.â
Biting his lip, Jason rests his chin on your chest. âYouâll get fucking tired dealing with me. Your patience might not be able to handle it.â
âI cannot get tired of you. Not when you hate pastels too.â Jason chuckles at your joke, the mood surely lightening. âAnd do not speak as if you donât know me, Jason. There is no such thing as might not be able to handle it in my vocabulary when it is you. I love you too much. If I cannot handle anything that involves you and matters about you, then my love for you will mean nothing but dishonorable. The two of us definitely have knowledge of how I would rather decapitate myself than offer you a half-hearted love.â
Jasonâs heart swell as the back of his eyes sting again, tears threatening to come out. He knew how difficult it is to be with someone as much trauma as he has, which made him live in fear of you getting tired and leaving one day, even though youâve assured him more than a hundred times. He knew he was difficult to be with even without the trauma, yet you willingly giftwrap your heart to offer to him while simultaneously providing him with the understanding he deserved. You accepted him along with his trauma. Nobody knows how special that feels.
Cassandra and Stephanie sat on the carpet near the couch where you two laid, so they could check up on Jason. The others had scooted closer as they watch you comfort him nearly expertly.
âCan still feel it, (Y/n).â Jason snuggles on your chest, âThe crowbar. Itâs still hitting me.â
You gently pull his hand to see his arm that was littered in autopsy scars, some little and some a bit big. Caressing them, you press a lingering kiss. âIt was just a fragrance of your memory, beloved. You are safe now, I will keep you protected for as long as I am here. No crowbars.â
Jason nods and looks up at you, puckering his lips. You immediately kiss him, then pressed a kiss on his forehead. âI know he canât touch me anymore. You already tortured him enough.â He smiled and wiped off his tears.
You pat his head and hug him closer, âEverything will be alright someday. Would you like a hot chocolate with marshmallows on top? Iâll cook you breakfast as well.â
âYeah, that would be nice.â Jason whispers.
You slowly slip out from under him, making sure heâs laying down comfortably before fetching the blanket he dropped and wrapping it around him, muttering an iâll be right back. Watching you disappear into the kitchen, Jason sighs in content and curls up on the couch, still feeling vulnerable but not worse. Stephanie smiles softly at him as Dick walks over to sit beside her, ruffling Jasonâs hair.
âYouâll be fine soon, little bird.â
Jason only nodded. The first time he didnât scoff nor bark, indicating he still canât forget the nightmare he had.
Soon, his other brothers joined Dick while Bruce sits on the couch beside Jason, looking regretful and apologetic with a frown. Witnessing the amount of trauma Jason has to endure even after many years dropped an equal amount of realization within the family, even though they knew he was traumatized. They just didnât know the extent to it, and seeing it unfold before them had made them realize they hadnât been supportive or doing enough for Jason when they shouldâve known how much trauma torture and murder would cause. He literally died and came back to life â itâs impossible to not carry a lifelong trauma that greatly affects his personality and attitude; the utmost rage and murderous desires he displayed before might have just been his coping mechanism until meeting you, who quickly became his comfort and calmness.
Nearly most of them had guilt written in their faces due to feeling as if they had been invalidating Jasonâs trauma, especially Bruce who did not deal with the entire thing well and had failed to show Jason he cared even though he did more than the son could ever know.
Once again, you beat him to it.
âHe cares about you so much, doesnât he?â Bruce quietly and rhetorically questioned.
Jason nodded happily, âA little too much sometimes. (Y/n)âs always careful and calm, but he gets reckless when itâs about me. Like that Joker thing.â He chuckles, âHe said fucker didnât even have time to laugh.â
The corner of Bruceâs mouth twitched up only to disappear, the guilty look still staying. He breathes in and out slowly, causing Jason to look at him questioningly as Bruce avoided eye contact. âJason, I... uh â Iâm sorry. Iâm sorry If you ever felt invalidated or unloved by me. I had been so focused on my morality that I failed to show you I cared for you. I really do, Jason. Just maybe not the way you were expecting me to show it.â He carefully says as to not trigger anything in his son.
Pulsing his lip, Jason shakes his head and reached out to play with Bruceâs hand. Bruce seem surprised, but let him nonetheless. âMhm,â He hums, âItâs okay. I was just angry and hurt... You didnât look for me enough, and thereâs suddenly a new Robin, so... I thought you forgot about me. I couldnât accept that you seemed to move on so easily.â
Bruceâs heart clenches. âThatâs not true, son.â
âI can see that now. I was too bitter and angry, it made me blind.â The broken boy smiles a bit in an attempt to reassure him. âItâs not your fault I turned out like this and ruin everything, you know.â He sadly says, looking down.
The older Wayne shakes his head, âYou donât ruin everything, Jason. You were coping and still coping with what you went through. (Y/n) was right when he said healing takes time.â
Letting go of his hand, Jason instead fidgeted his own fingers now with a sad pout. A little child-like. âBut you gave up on me. I know Iâm difficult. Itâs why you normally canât deal with me and we always end up arguing. And I was a failure âcause I died easily as a Robin.â His voice was slightly high-pitched and trembling. It reminded Bruce again of a child.
Immediately shaking his head, he grasped Jasonâs fidgeting hand and firmly looks at him. âYou were never a failure, Jason. Iâm sorry I made you feel that way. You did everything you could. What I canât forgive is that I let you die as Robin and not as Jason Todd. I canât forgive myself for being too late to save you. It wasnât your fault. Nothingâs your fault, son.â
He pulls him into a hug, which caused Jason to breakdown as he clings onto Bruce and cries his heart out. Embracing him tightly, Bruce kept stroking his back for comfort. The others watched silently with a sad smile, knowing both of them wanted to reconcile for a long time but was too hesitant to do so. It made them happy yet emotional at the same time, Dick and Stephanie already having tearful eyes.
âIt truly feels upsetting to ruin this wonderful moment, but Iâve got to feed Jason. May I?â Your calm voice erupted, just then everyone noticing your presence standing at the side of the couch. Bruce chuckles and pulled away, sitting down on the carpet instead so you could take his place. You nodded appreciatively before taking a seat.
Jason sits up, accepting the hot chocolate from you with both hands and sipping it. You ruffle his hair gently.
âHis age mentality regresses when the nightmareâs been too severe,â You explained what Bruce was wondering. âIt is one of his responses to trauma. I believe itâs the inner child coming out, attempting to relive again.â
âHow long?â Dick asked.
âAbout an hour.â You take the mug from Jason and set it on the table as you begin to cut a bite sized piece from the pancakes to feed your lover. âHe has the desire of being taken cared of and I intend to fulfill it. Mother and father takes care of him once in a while when it happens in our Addams home.â
âMom and dad takes me shopping. Itâs fun.â Jason remarked, grinning.
âShall we buy you some dead flowers, chĂ©ri? And a new gun, perhaps. Would you like that?â You caressed his cheek while feeding him with the other, Jason leaning his face on your palm.
âYeah, Iâd love that. Love you, (Y/n).â
âI adore you too, my love.â You kissed the tip of his nose, which caused him to erupt into a fit of giggles as you feed him again.
After Jason had fallen asleep peacefully on the couch, you pinch the bridge of your nose and sigh deeply in attempt to calm yourself down. Seeing Jason struggle with trauma is not easy, especially when heâs far too scarred mentally that it causes mental age regression. It also probably came from the fact he had never lived a peaceful life even before meeting Bruce, losing his childhood by witnessing the harsh reality at such a young age, and having to stop being a child after becoming Robin.
You had utmost patience, but when something affects Jason greatly like this, you often tend to lose calmness and be overwhelmed with rage and bloodthirst. If you could take all his pain away and those painful memories, youâve already done it. You would give up anything for Jason to not struggle with the torment of his torture and murder â you will give up everything for him.
âYou okay, (Y/n)?â Tim asked worriedly, feeling your atmosphere change.
âI wouldnât call blood boiling with rage okay.â You muttered murderously as your dark eyes glared daggers at the carpeted floor. âJoker is already encaged and chained down within the cells of Arkham Asylum, but the aftermath of his vile actions still haunts and torments the victims who have gone through survival. Trauma is inescapable, including fear of the perpetrator. Their spirits wonât rest peacefully, alive or dead, while his existence still roam the Earth.â
The way you spat with utmost disgust and anger was now understandable, as well as your nearly inexcusable actions committed before. You witness this side of Jason more often than they do. Itâs already unbearable even for them, what more for you who takes precious care of him?
Suddenly, Bruce comes to understand your morals. Why you do what you do, why you believe what you believe.
âMay I ask you to take care of him while Iâm out, Mr. Wayne?â You asked, voice thick, clearly grounding yourself to your humanity.
Bruce nods, for the first time. âYes, now go do what you want to do.â
You smiled, immediately standing up and wearing your coat before rushing off the manor.
Cassandra shakes her head with a smile as Damian looked at his father with a smirk, âHe might kill him, you know.â
Bruce just shrugged.
âWell,â Stephanie sighs, âCanât stop (Y/n) from going on a rampage against the Joker. He deserves whatâs coming for him anyway.â
Few hours later, Jason wakes up to the news of Arkham Asylum increasing its security due to an unknown attack against Joker that left him barely alive, and you casually reading a book with pleased and prideful look. It doesnât take him long to figure things out and tackle you in a hug, leaving kisses all over your face.
Jokerâs probably going to have nightmares about you, but he deserves whatâs coming for him, doesnât he?
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I havenât seen anyone talk about Alastorâs cannibalism in relation to his relationship with Vox
So with most cannibalistic serial killers the reason they are people wasnât because they liked the taste. Itâs about full control and psycho-sexual desire as consumption.
The want of control is obvious all though Alastorâs character over himself and others. From the way he clearly gets joy out of ordering Husk around and literally owning his soul to his own ever-present smile (if we assume heâs not forsed into it as has not yet been confirmed) as a means of controlling his own character at all times. But with cannibalism itâs more than that, itâs control over your victim ever after they died, the power to not only control their souls but their body
And thatâs where the psycho-sexual part of it comes in. In resent years movies like ârawâ and âbones and allâ we see what has always been a part of cannibalism: desire. Because itâs not only the power, itâs also the feeling of consumption, of becoming one with your victim. Iâm a way, thatâs not too different from sex in itâs most pure and carnal. In real killers most of the cases of cannibalism are sexual, with sex crimes accompanyingïżŒ. We can assume Alastor wasnât like that, but the element or the carnal desire that plays such a big part in cannibalism still follows his character.
All of that to say that the desire that Alastor can feel in his own twisted way towards other demons is⊠impossible with Vox. Heâs not made of flesh and bone (most probably) and we donât know if he ever was. There is nothing for Alastor to feel attracted towards, not even his body (in the most literal way). We can also play with the idea that Vox is a sort of Ship of Theseus-type cyborg replacing parts of himself with machine one by one until there is none left as we do not know of any other demons in hell who are anywhere like him. So even if Alastor could feel that sort of way towards Vox, it is no more. And on the other side, if Vox was literally re-born as machine (maybe as ironic punishment for trying to be like one on earth like cutting off his emotions, etc) than that Alastor finds most desirable in a person was never there in Vox to begin with.
This parts a bit of stretch but even without the cannibalism Alastor thrives in watching people who are hopeful, souls who try and fail over and over again. Which maybe, as a machine, Vox originally wasnât. Maybe at the start of their relationship he was calculating and unemotional which pairs well with Alastorâs own mask of detachment and indifference but also makes him completely uninteresting to Alastor as a subject of desire. But on the other hand Vox isnât just machine, heâs a TV and his character reflects the mediaâs reactionary and emotional judgment. I just donât know how Alastor ever worked with Vox if heâs always had the mindset we see in the show. But if thatâs the case Alastor does feed on Voxâs desperation but never fully, never truly desiring him the consuming, power-play way that he feels most strongly (aka the want to eat him). I present you with both readings of Voxâs past emotional state as we do not as of now know what their relationship has been before
TLDR: Vox is the pinnacle of un-fuckable to Alastor, as even though he does not feel sexual desire the cannibalistic part of him can feel the psycho-sexual want to consume a body. Which he canât with Vox who is machine.
Iâd love to hear what other have to say about a machine loving a cannibal so please feel free to share your readings in the tags
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and i believe (because i can see) | post-outbreak!joel x f!reader
prologue â where we find ourselves
He told him how he thought that dog was going to rip her to shreds, and the only thing he could do was stand frozen in place because heâs not the man he used to be, no longer a ruthless killer who could have taken anyone and anything down in his pathâhe needed Tommy to understand that part. He needed Tommy to know that the only piece left of the man he once knew was the weak, aching flesh and bones sitting in front of him. He was no more capable of taking care of Ellie than he was of Sarah, but he was staring at him as though he were lying.
[ WARNINGS/TAGS ] loss of a child, angst, enemies to friends to lovers, grumpy!joel, angst, eventual smut (minors DNI!!), slow burn, canon-typical violence, cursing, joel miller desperately needs a good therapist and an even better hug, no use of y/n, no physical description of or named reader, shifting pov (see individual parts for warnings per chapter. please let me know if i miss anything. if any of these tags are triggering/upsetting/harmful to your wellbeing in any way, please do NOT interact.)
Winter came suddenly.
The summer had seemed to eternally endure, the heat from the sun leaving you drenched in sweat and with a constant sunburn across the bridge of your nose. The long days of trudging through woods and down back roads left your body hopelessly sapped of all energy and grotesquely deprived of proper hydration. A thin sheen of sweat seemed to permanently coat your body, leaving you feeling sticky and terribly uncomfortable; you had no intentions of concealing your discomfort, opting instead forâas your traveling companion charmingly describedâincessant bitching. You've always found peace in the swaying of treetops and the warmth of the sun on your cheeks, but this was extreme, even by your standards. Nevertheless, the everlasting summer faded, as it always does, into an autumn that seemed to only last for a week or two, much to your disappointment.
Fall was stunning; a magnificent sea of yellows, oranges, and reds decorated canopies of trees, eventually falling and littering the ground and making a satisfying crunch underfoot. But then, as it always does, the fleeting autumn gave way to the bitterness of winter. A piece of you thought it came faster this year, as if the Earth was beginning to realize how far back it had fallen and desperately hoped that it could speed along the passage of time to correct some kind of miscalculationâa foolish notion. Nevertheless, you soaked up the fleeting weeks of fall with gratitude before you soured over winter. The harsh weather nestled into your bones, stiffening your joints and drying your skinâyour knuckles remained almost permanently cracked and split during winter, regardless of gloves or warm evening fires. Perhaps there was a morbid beauty to the desolation of it all or a metaphor that would bring you some form of understanding for the misery you've endured.Â
For the moment, though, you were just freezing.
The small campfire you huddled in front of did little to warm your freezing body; the cold, having seeped well into your skin, stiffened your joints and tinted your fingernails with a purple-ish hue.
âNeed to find you a new jacket.â Joelâs voice breaking through the silent night momentarily startled you. You looked at your coat with a huff and recalled the events from that same morningâyour once warm, tastefully worn coat now decorated with a large tear down your left arm. Had it not been for the thick material shielding you from the maw of that Clicker, you would likely have already turned or been shot by him.
âNot before you get some new boots, old man.â You lazily motioned towards his shoes, raising an eyebrow as he began his nightly task of taping rubber to leather.
âFunny.â He clearly was not amused. âIâm serious. You're gonna freeze to death.â
âWell, if you can find one out here,â you gestured to the expansive forest surrounding you, âthen be my guest.â He rolled his eyes at you, though with less disdain than he used to; if anything, it was affectionate. âYou could share some of that whiskey if you don't want me so cold.â He passed the tarnished silver flask to you with another roll of his eyes, and you took a swig of the smokey, bitter liquid. It was far from high quality; in fact, it was hardly drinkable, but it succeeded in filling your gut with a fuzzy warmth that spread through your body after another sip.
You noticed Joel staring at Ellie with a fearful glint in his eyes as she stood atop a rather large boulder, staring at green lights illuminating the sky. He was about to say something; you could only guess it was going to be an attempt to get her back on the ground. âGive her another minute. Who knows when she'll see it again?" He paused, looking as though he still wanted to say something. You could practically feel the anxiety radiating from his body. You knew he would deny it until the bitter end, but he worried for Ellie as if she were his own child; however reluctantly their relationship started, heâs wrapped around her little fingers, even if he hadnât caught onto the fact. A part of you wished he had developed similar affections for you, but Joel seemed to have come to only tolerate you. Sure, he was not half as surly or aggressive towards you as when you first metâyou were shocked he did not kill you on the spot, considering your previous affiliationsâand he would engage in lighthearted conversation, but you sensed an underlying disdain.
The longer you traveled with him, the more it made your heart ache.
This was not part of the plan.
A high-pitched whistle broke your thoughts, followed by his gruff command: âCome on down from there. Youâre gonna break your neck.â Reluctantly and with a hefty sigh, Ellie made her way from the rock after sparing a final, unobscured glance at the sky.
The rest of the evening passed in mostly amusing conversation. You chose not to participate, though you intently listened. You saw how Joel tensed up when Ellie asked what theyâno, heâwould do after the cure; it was a question that, until less than a year ago, was wholly absurd and could never be answered. His answer was not surprising. You never expected Joel to be the kind of man with ambitions of settling down with someone, living in a big city, or pursuing anything more than a life of solitude. The sheep, however, made you giggle to yourself, and he shot you an unserious glare in response. You also saw the way Ellieâs face lit up as she talked about space and âSally Fuckinâ Rideâ and the moon and stars, and the sadness (or was that guilt?) in Joelâs eyes when the conversation inevitably shifted to the loss of Henry and Sam, and how Ellie seemed to somehow feel responsible. It wasnât long after that that she decided it was time for bed.Â
âDo you wanna take first watch or second?âÂ
Joel sighed. âIâll do both.âÂ
âNo, you wonât. Iâll take second.â You piped up. Something in Joelâs eyes told you he would not be waking you up for the second watch, a debate you would have to settle at a later date.
âGet some sleep. Dream of..." he trailed off for a moment. âSheep ranches on the moon.â
/ / /
Joel, in fact, did not wake you up for second watch. Not because Joel himself took both first and second, but because he fell asleep less than three hours into the night. He awoke from a fitful sleep with a start, distress seeping into his bones as he realized the sun had risen, he was asleep, and he did not know where Ellie or you were. He shot awake, his eyes glazed over with panic as he looked to you, still asleep on the ground, and then to Ellie, who was standing watch with the rifle that was much too big for her in her hands. An overwhelming feeling of guilt accompanied the anxiety in his gutâtry as he might, he never seemed to stop failing.Â
âStill mumbling in your sleep.â She observed. âI woke up early. You guys were passed out, so I took second watch.â
Joelâs words were rushed, betraying his normally stoic demeanor. âYou gotta wake me up if that happens.â He slowly stood up, the unavoidable ache in his lower back and knees seemingly worse that morning, perhaps from walking the last hundred or so miles, or maybe it was the rock that dug into his back during the night. âYou canât do things like this.â He said, gently nudging his companionâs still sleeping body on the ground with his foot; his poor back would not be tolerating him leaning down to wake you with a gentle grazing of his fingers or nudge of your shoulder. He chose to ignore the fact that he always felt afraid to touch youânot because he thought you were fragile, but rather because you made him feel as though he was. Your skin made his hands feel like he was electrified, on fire, or frozen in place, and sometimes it was all three. Sometimes, he wished he had left you back in Boston, and sometimes he wished he had found you twenty years ago; on more rare occasions, he wished he had met you thirty years agoâwhen he was still whole and he was still alive, Joel Miller and Sarah were still alive, and he wouldâve seen you as you were meant to be. Those thoughts never lasted for long, but they made his stomach turn nonetheless.Â
"Uh, I can. I just did.â Joel had grown very familiar with the sarcastic smile she flashed at him.
âIâm responsible for you.â
âShe is too; donât see her complaining.â His gaze flitted back down to you, barely awake and wholly confused by the situation at hand.
Joel took the rifle from Ellie, who was attempting to explain her precautions as she stood watch. âYou wake me up next time.â
âYes, sir.â She responded.
That day started the same as each one for the last eightâwas it closer to ten?âmonths had: a grueling trek across wooden terrain in what Joel hoped was the right direction, consistent sarcastic quips from Ellie, and your soothing presence at his side. It was a normal day, a normal fucking day, and he was mostly on course again, and everything was normal, normal, normal, and for the life of him, Joel could not fathom how he managed to find himself sitting in a bar drinking whiskey from a glass with his little brother. There were the horses and the dogs, and the all-consuming fear that Ellie was going to die and that you were going to die too; the knowledge that you would be after Ellie, and you would be lucky if the only thing these people did was kill you. Then he was hugging his brother for the first time in years, and everything felt fuzzy, and his stomach ached worse than his knees.
âThanks for still giving a shit about me.â As if he ever stopped thinking about him. As if he hadnât spent nearly a year in search of him. As if he were not the last thing of his old life that he had left, and he wouldnât fight for that until the bitter end. And then he was asking about Tess (sheâs good, she's fine), and it felt like a punch to the gut, and he was asking about Ellie (sheâs the daughter of some Firefly muckety-muck). (There's a payment.) He could no longer breathe, and then he asked about you, and he was at a loss for words. What could he possibly say to justify you? Sure, your previous affiliations are what initially convinced him to bring you along, but he could have easily gotten what little information you had without trekking across the country with you. He could have left you at Bill and Frankâs or in Kansas City or in a random spot in the woods early in the morning; he did not have to take you with him. There was nothing in it for him; there was nothing to gain except another mouth to feed and the knowledge that you could have killed him in his sleep at any time you pleased.Â
And then Joel was seeing red because, how dare he say that?Â
How dare Tommy expect him to be happy when he was being handed the very thing that destroyed his life? He was there. He watched his niece scream and cry and bleed out as he pleaded for help; he was there after he tried to follow her into the unknown, and he was the one to clean the wound on his temple. He was there for it all, and then he left. How dare he sit back with his comfortable life, his house, and his family after Joel had lost everything? How could he sit there and judge him after he compromised every moral he thought he held near and dear to keep him alive? Sarahâs blood had not been washed from his hands before he committed what little was left of him to keeping his little brother safe. How dare Tommy find the life that Joel lost?
 He stormed out of the bar with that same goddamn feeling in his heart, and he thought he was going to die there for a momentâhe had to have, at least for a second, because Sarah looked so real in that moment. The rest of that day passed in a blur. Joel found himself sitting in an old shed, the smell of wood and tools flooding his senses as he grew frustrated, fruitlessly trying to repair his tattered shoes.
 âThe guys said I might find you here.â Somehow, seeing his face again, Joel could not bring himself to continue to stoke his anger towards his little brother, however fixed the scowl on his face was. âFigured you could use these.â An awkward silence filled the room from his lack of response, but what was he supposed to say? How was he supposed to tell Tommy, his brother, that he almost hated him for finding a better life without him in it? âI shouldnât have said what I said... I donât even believe it. I know youâre happy for me; it's justâitâs complicated for you. Iâm sorry.â
 In that moment, Joel did what he had always done best and ignored it. âThis ride to the universityâis it a suicide mission?â
 âNo. Itâs dangerous, but itâs nothinâ you canât handle. Just prepare and do what you do.â He said it as if he were not a shadow of what he used to be. As if he did not freeze when Ellie was in danger, and he didnât fall asleep on watch, and his hands were still strong, his back didnât ache, and he wasnât holding back a torrent of tears.
 âYouâve had people go that way and come back?â
âAll of âem.â He has said too much, âWhat is this?â And god, how was he supposed to hold this any longer? Where was he supposed to sit the last eight months downâor was it nine?âif not with him, that would not leave a path of destruction behind him. Tess, and Ellie, and the Fireflies, and Bill and Frank, and Henry and Sam, and Kansas City, and you? It was swallowing him whole, ripping him open from the inside; it was so heavy and he was so weak, more sorrow than man, and he could no longer bear the weight on his own.
 âSheâs immune.â
 âWhat?âÂ
âEllie. She got infected, but she didnât get sick.â He looked like he was ready to chase the girl down and put a bullet between her eyes. âTommy. Tommy, I saw her get bit myself. That was months ago. Months. Sheâs immune.â
 âFrom the beginning.â And he did. He told Tommy everythingâabout Tess; about Marlene and the Fireflies and how Tess made him swear to take her; about Kansas City and how Ellie saved his life; and Henry and Sam and how someone else had to save Ellieâs life because he could hardly hear out of his right ear and how desolate Henryâs eyes were after he shot his little brother (he overlooked how Ellieâs scream felt like a knife in his gut). He told him how he thought that dog was going to rip her to shreds, and the only thing he could do was stand frozen in place because heâs not the man he used to be, no longer a ruthless killer who could have taken anyone and anything down in his pathâhe needed Tommy to understand that part. He needed Tommy to know that the only piece left of the man he once knew was the weak, aching flesh and bones sitting in front of him. He was no more capable of taking care of Ellie than he was of Sarah, but he was staring at him as though he were lying.
âI was so afraid.â Joel could not hear himself speaking anymore. He knew the words were leaving his lipsâhe could see Tommy react to the syllables as the sound waves traveled through the air and to his ears, but he could not hear them. The ringing in his ears had never been so loud. âYou think I can still handle things, but Iâm not who I was.â A single crack in his voice. âIâm weak.â And god, he still looked at him like he wanted to argue against the points he so clearly laid out. âLately, there are these moments when the fear comes up outta nowhere and my heart⊠feels like it's stoppedâŠ
âAnd I have dreams. Every night."Â
âWhat kinda dreams?"Â
âI donât know. I canât remember.â Another crack in his voice. Another reminder that he is incapable. âI just know that when I wake up, Iâve lost somethinâ.â Tears began to fall down his cheeks. âIâm failinâ in my sleep. Thatâs all I do. Itâs all Iâve ever done is fail them again and again and again.â Them?
âYou want me to take her.â
âIâm just gonna get her killed. I know it. I have to leave her.â
âAnd what about her?â Joelâs heart truly stopped at the mention of you. âYou still havenât said a damn word about her or why sheâs with you. Who is she?â He took in a shaky breath. He knew that Tommy would ask about you; he had sent a silent prayer that he would gloss over you. He could not bear to face the truth about you.
âWhat about her?â Denial was always his closest friend, but it seemed determined to betray him.Â
âJoel.â He wanted to seem indifferent; he wanted to lie, but the truth came spilling out of his mouth the same way hot tears streamed down his weathered cheeks. It did not ask for permissionâit took whatever it wanted from Joel. The truth wanted everything from him this time; it begged to be free from its shackles. What was he supposed to say about you? How could he justify this? How could he explain that you had completely bewitched him without him having ever known until it was too late? How could he tell Tommy everything without admitting a truth he had tried so desperately to ignore?
âCâmon. From the beginning.â
[a/n: buckle up we're gonna be breaking hearts here]
MASTERLIST // AO3
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Itâs been nagging at me for a while, so Iâm going to try to put together my thoughts on the Quetzalcoatlus sequence in Prehistoric Planet 2. In the grand scheme of things itâs tiny, insignificant, and I loved Prehistoric Planet, but Iâm not going to turn down the opportunity to talk at length about scavenging birds.
(Spoilers (?) for Prehistoric Planet 2 ahead. Go watch it!)
Iâm talking about the part where a Tyrannosaurus is driven off from an Alamosaurus carcass (presumably carrion and not killed by the tyrannosaur). The tyrannosaur is expressly stated to be concerned about losing an eye to those Whopping Big Beaks. The pterosaurs aggressively fly over it a few times and honk angrily until the tyrannosaur walks away in Shameful Defeat, leaving the carcass to the pterosaurian pterrors.
And that confused me.
Before I go on, I want to point out that this is not a Who Would Win discussion, Iâm not going to argue for or against one or another. Not going to discuss if Tyrannosaurus should really have won because of the massive weight advantage and lack of fragile bones/wings, or if the big landlubber had it coming and the numbers and aerial advantage was too much. Iâm not arguing about Quetzalcoatlus being scary or not either (itâs scary as all hell).
No, the issue I had was with the beaks.
This is the Quetzalcoatlus as it appears in the show.
Impressive beak, isnât it?
But itâs not the beak of a flesh tearer.
Letâs back up a bit. Birds that eat meat by tearing it into manageable chunks typically evolve sharp, hooked beaks to make up for the lack of teeth. Like this eagle for instance.
Majestic. They make the cutest sounds too. Look up golden eagle sounds, donât believe the red-tailed hawk propaganda.
Raptor bills look intimidating, but theyâre not there for killing. Theyâre cutlery. The talons do all the work, and then the beak tears up the meat into delicious gobbets of protein.
Even shrikes get in on the act. They donât have killer feet, so they use their ripping bills to impale prey and tear at it.
Aw, look at it, it thinks itâs accipitrids.
The Quetzalcoatlusâ bill, though, doesnât have that hook. It doesnât look like the bill of a bird that dismembers its food. The closest thing I could think of to compare it with was stork bills. Specifically the marabou.
Olâ pickaxe-for-a-face. This is the beak of an animal that stabs smaller prey and swallows them whole with minimum processing.
But a bill this long and pointed, turns out, is good for stabbing but not for tearing meat. Marabous are scavengers, but they wonât tear apart a carcass on their own. The â[b]ill [is] not well designed for dismembering carcasses, so [it] normally steals scraps from vultures or snatches up morsels that are droppedâ (del Hoyo, Elliott, and Sargatal, 1992).
As you can see, vultures retained the hallmark accipitrid steak knife face, and are much better at Ripping and Tearing. This one (the lappet-faced vulture) generally goes first, being big and strong enough to Rip and Tear tough hide and get to the fleshy interior.
In fact, â[d]espite its huge bill, the [marabou] stork can rarely dominate a carcass and normally stands by the much more numerous vultures and nips in from time to time to snatch morsels which are dropped by others, though Tawny Eagles (Aquila rapax) in turn often steal food from the stork. The bill is not apparently very effective for cutting up meat and dismemberment is normally carried out quite simply by pullingâ (del Hoyo, Elliott, and Sargatal, 1992). And if marabous have trouble with the average carcass, I wouldnât imagine Quetzalcoatlus would fare much better with a titanosaur, which presumably has rather thick skin too.
One big happy family. Thatâs a much smaller carcass being shared (with the obligatory squabbling) by a whole bunch of dinosaurs. Neither vultures nor marabou are trying to monopolize it.
So... I donât see why the big stork pterosaurs would chase away a perfectly good meat processor. I know everyone wants to see Big Prehistoric Animals Fighting With Lethal Intent, and everyone wants to see Tyrannosaurus Getting Knocked Down A Peg By The New Hotness, but I think it would have been a more interesting and believable scene - not to mention more in keeping with Prehistoric Planetâs attempt to be as scientifically believable as possible - if the pterosaurs acted like marabous the size of giraffes, both them and the tyrannosaur keeping a respectful distance of each other, and snapping up bits of meat left behind. And maybe the pterosaurs pulling the dinosaurâs tail for good measure, the way ravens bully eagles.
But it would make for a much less exciting scene. Who wants to watch a bunch of scavengers milling around a carcass and honking at each other as they jockey for the best morsels and settling their differences in ways that involve as little risk as possible? I mean, I do, but I donât assume the average viewer does.
And that concludes my altogether far too long opinion on a single scene from a great series. Of course, Iâm not a paleontologist and never will be, Iâm only approaching this with what I know about birds, so please feel free to let me know if thereâs any details of Quetzalcoatlus anatomy that do in fact suggest it could rip and tear!
References
del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; and Sargatal, J. eds. (1992) Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 1. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
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The Break
Characters: Kid, Killer
Reader: GN, they/them
Word Count: 7.5k
CW: Gore, graphic description of injury+pain+first aid, hurt/comfort, confessions, highly oblivious reader
Summary: You knew you were bad with feelings, but the fact that it took a severe injury for this to come to light was maybe a little concerning.
Ao3 Link
There had only been two moments in your entire career as a pirate where you didnât live up to your âSlipperyâ epithet. The first time was when Eustass Kid had bested you in combat. Rather than killing you, he offered you a place on his crew, which you had acceptedâpartially in the hopes of becoming stronger, and maybe also because you kind of found him incredibly attractive. That was three years ago.
The second time was right now. The enemyâs weapons consist of giant, metal crab claws, one of which snaps shut around your forearm with the force of an industrial machine before you can shave away. Youâre pretty sure the whole battlefield heard the snap. A few things run through your brain in quick succession:
Oneâthatâs going to hurt really, really badly in a second. You only have a short amount of time to counterattack.
Twoâthis was karma for that conversation in the mess room a few weeks ago, where you taunted the others over your having never broken a bone.
âI grew up on a dairy farm. My bones are like iron. Donât compare it to the shortbread you all have for a skeleton.â
âYou just havenât battled enough, Slip.â
âWrong! Itâs because no one can catch me. They call me âSlippery Y/nâ because Iâm too fast.â
âYeah, yeah. But not fast enough, since youâre with us now!â
âFuck off!â
Not fast enough indeed. But at least, now, youâre within striking range of the enemy. He doesnât block in time; your scimitar opens his throat like a cut purse and sends him to his knees, gurgling. Your arm is released and you collapse on the ground, but before you can get back up, the pain hits with an intensity that immediately rips an agonized scream from deep in your lungs.
Itâs like your armâs been doused in gasoline and set on fire. Burning and sharp, sharp, sharp, so overwhelming youâre nauseous. You make the mistake of looking at your arm, and the flash of white sticking through the skin nearly makes you vomit on the spot. Seeing it for what it is somehow makes the pain worse, leaving you breathlessly curling over yourself on instinct, unable to move. Somewhere next to you the body of your enemy thuds onto the ground, dead.
The battle against the opposing crew is almost over. Though itâs not much longer before the last enemy is slain and someone rushes to your side, it feels like an eternity.
âSlip, are you okay?â You hear Hipâs voice before you, high-pitched with concern. It drops once she notices your injury. âAre youâoh. Oh, fuck. Um, guys! Hey, you guys! Slip is really hurt!â
Footsteps, more voices. One by one, crewmates converge around you.
âOh, ew.â
âOh, shit, Slip!â
âSlip!â
âGet out of the way!âÂ
That last one would be Kid. You look up in time to see him push past a crewmate, face taught in what seems like anger but youâve since learned to recognize is worry. Most of his deeper emotions are like that, sitting in the shadow of enmity but easily discernible if you knew him well enough.
âAre you hurt anywhere else?â he asks, unable to assess your full state with you hunched over. The gruesomeness of your injury doesnât seem to bother him. You shake your head, and relief softens his expression. âOkay. I know it hurts, but youâre gonna live.â
âI canât get up,â you gasp, breath coming out short.
âThen Iâll carry you to the ship. Doctorâs on standby.â Kid crouches down next to you, flesh hand resting on your good shoulder. âItâs gonna hurt. Sorry in advance, Y/n.â
Heâs the only one who doesnât call you by your nickname. It makes sense, as heâs the one who caught you in the first placeâit doesnât really apply to him.
âIt already hurts,â you reply, stupidly inviting more karma. Kid must think the same thing, because he frowns at you.
âOh, just wait,â he mutters, and scoops you up as carefully as he can. The movement tears fresh hell through your arm, and you shout before you can even think to hold it in.
At least he doesnât say âI told you so.â It would only be salt in the wound, and youâre already in so much pain you can barely think. The walk back to the ship is its own trial, every step jolting your arm again, even with Kidâs best efforts to move smoothly. You tell yourself to be tough for about three seconds before it goes out the window. Frankly, you donât deal with it well at allâyouâve never had a strong pain tolerance, itâs partly why you learned to be quickâbut you manage not to scream with every step, so thatâs something.
Itâs a terrible shame that youâll only remember this as excruciatingâunder any other circumstance, you would have cherished being held by Kid like this.
You glimpse your injury again, a wave of queasiness rising in your stomach, and press your face into Kidâs shoulder so as not to look. âIâm gonna throw up,â you say weakly.
âSince when does gore bother you?â Kid says under his breath, but you hear it.
âSince it is coming from MY BODY!!â you snarl. For once, Kid pities you enough not to scold you for talking back.
Youâre shaking by the time you get to the infirmary. Most of the crew has come out of the battle unscathed, or with only minor injuries. The shipâs doctor is only concerned with you, and getting your bleeding to stop. But to close the ripâŠ
âI have to reset the bones, first,â he says.
That was obvious to anyone with eyes, but you didnât really think about it until just then. Your guts turn to stone at the thought, heavy and sinking as your heart starts to race. The lightest movement to your body is already enough to make you want to quit life on the spot; you are not prepared, capable, nor willing to see what it would feel like when the bone itself is directly touched.Â
âYou can leave it as-is,â you say, not joking in the slightest, not caring if it sounds cowardly, not even caring that half the crew is surrounding the exam table to hear it.
Kid takes one look at the fear in your eyes and turns to the rest of the crew. âGet out,â he commands. Everyone complies without question, only Killer staying behind, the unspoken exception.
Once the last person closes the door behind them, Kid focuses on you. âY/nââ
âI canât do it,â you cut him off, eyes welling up with tears. âIâI donât want to.â
âTough,â Kid snaps. âThis is what you get for getting caught.â
âKid,â Killer says, a warning to go easy on you.
Itâs not necessary. You can see right through Kidâs harsh exterior. He always gets upset when a crewmate is hurt badly. What heâs really saying is âthis is what you get for making me worry.â
âNo time for discussion,â says the doctor. âIâd like to get this done before any more blood is lost. Hold them down, would you?â
Before you can protest, Kid and Killer secure you in place: Kidâs metal hand presses down on your legs while his flesh one wraps tightly around your good arm, and Killer pins your torso to his from behind.
âWait, wait, wait!â you cry out quickly, but you canât budge against them both.Â
Kid nods at the doctor. âDo it.â
The disinfectant comes first, stealing the breath from your lungs, like acid on your exposed flesh. The doctor gives you no time to process the first action before he moves onto the secondârationally, you know itâs to minimize the amount of time youâll be in pain, but you are incapable of viewing his actions kindly at the moment. He immediately forces the bones back to where they should be in one firm, expert motion.Â
The world goes white. Nothing exists anymore except for the pain in your arm, unimaginable and all-consuming. You donât perceive anything else, blind and deaf to any stimuli that isnât sheer agony. Later on, youâll realize that you must have screamed, if the soreness when you speak is any indication, but you donât remember it.
The intensity eventually wanes enough to restore your senses, though your head is still swimming from the assault. Your sight returns first. Instead of the cold infirmary, your vision is entirely filled by Kid, his face so close youâd be staring into his eyes if they were open. His forehead is pressed to yours, and heâs saying something, but you donât process it until your hearing comes back a moment later.
â...did good, Y/n, you did good. Youâre okay. Easy, youâre okay.â
Kid⊠you think dimly, followed by, huh. Have I seen him do this with anyone but Killer?
You donât question it beyond that thought, hanging onto his every word. The closeness abates the hurt, even if just slightly, and you bask in it, taking any mercy you can get. Kid and âcomfortâ arenât things that generally go together, but to youâscared, in pain, and maybe just a little bit hopelessly in love with himâitâs everything.
Killer smooths your hair back. His solid chest against your back is grounding, helping you stay present through the haze of misery. Youâre suddenly grateful heâs there, too, his presence equally as soothing as Kidâs, the degree to which triggering a new realization: Itâs obvious in hindsight, but youâve never been great at analyzing your own feelings, and as such, it only just dawns on you that youâre down just as bad for the first mate. The revelation would have been panic-inducing if it wasnât for the pain currently demanding all of your attention.
âThey still with us?â Killer asks behind you.
Kidâs eyes open, meeting yours. Youâve never seen them this close before. The irises are an orange-gold, reminding you of smoldering embers. Your breath leaves you once more, but youâre not sure pain is the cause this time. Though it must have left you delirious, because your mouth moves before your brain can catch up.
âYou have pretty eyes,â you mumble.
Said pretty eyes widen, Kid pulling back in surprise. He glances at Killer. â...That answer your question?â
Killer hums, gently rubbing your good arm. You go limp, leaning your full weight back against him without shame, hurting too much to care right then. He doesnât seem to mind, anyway.
Thereâs a faint tinge of pink on Kidâs face, and he smirks down at you. âBetter be careful there, Y/n. You canât blame what you say on a head injury.â
âWhatever,â you huff, knowing you can get away with being rude without repercussions for now. âI donâtââ your words break into a gasp as the pain in your arm spikes so intensely that spots dot your vision.
Kidâs smirk instantly falls. You try to look at your burning arm, but he turns your head back so youâre watching him instead.
âDonât look. Heâs stitching it now. Keep your eyes on me, okay?â
Another wave of pain has you fighting back a sob, barely able to keep it down. You instinctively go to look again, but Kid keeps your head from turning with a steady hand cupping the side of your face.
âLook at me, Y/n. There you go. Just hold on a bit longer.â
You try to do as he says, focusing on his eyes rather than the current torture, but itâs impossible. âHurts so bad,â you whimper.
âI know,â Kid says softly. âWeâre right here.â
The curved needle hooking through your skin isnât the problem, nor is the nauseating sensation of the sutures sliding through the layers of flesh. Both, while admittedly sucking hard, are tolerable. The problem is that even as careful as he is, the doctor is still moving your arm with every stitch.
âAlmost done,â Killer says, âalmost done. Youâre doing great.â
Am I really? you want to ask, but youâre currently unable to form anything more coherent than groans and curses.
The final trial is the splint, more unbearable movement to your arm that has you gripping the edge of the exam table so hard your knuckles turn white. Killer takes notice, peeling your hand from the table to hold in his, instead. Despite his hand being twice the size of yours, youâre pretty sure you crush it with the strength of your grip, but he doesnât complain.
âIâll apply a proper cast once the swelling goes down,â the doctor says once heâs finally, finally fucking done. âRest in one of the patient beds and keep your arm above your heart as much as possible. Youâre to sleep here until further notice.â
Youâre helped into one of the beds, and once the doctorâs applied ice packs to your injury, Kid dismisses him. The three of you are left alone, Kid and Killer pulling up chairs next to the bed. Lying back, you stare blankly at the ceiling, catching your breath, humbled and terrified at the human bodyâs ability to feel such all-consuming anguish. Adrenaline still courses through your veins, making you jittery and hyper-aware, and youâre sweating, but at least the pain in your arm has simmered down to a dull, throbbing ache. While it still feels like the bones are screaming at you, you can endure it quietly, though it does make your eyes water.Â
With the diminishing of the pain comes just enough clarity for you to feel utterly and totally disgraceful. You donât think youâve ever heard anyone on the crew scream like you had, and plenty of them had endured their fair share of awful injuries. So why couldnât you handle it better? How could you call yourself a pirate after such a display? All of that, and still visibly on the verge of tears now that it was over? Youâd be more embarrassed about crying in front of them if you hadnât just spent the enitre past fifteen minutes acting like a complete bitch.
Kid may have said you couldnât blame your words on a head injury, but you think the pain alone is enough to make you loopy, because you find yourself laughing shortly at the thought. Itâs more of a huff and a grin, reallyâanything more would jostle your arm.
âY/n?â Kid asks, concerned.
âItâs just,â you glance at him, then back at the ceiling, smiling ruefully. âI wanted to be tough, if you can believe that. But I couldnât manage it⊠Pitiful, right?â
âWhat are you talking about?â Kid scowls. âThat pirate broke your arm and you still killed him.â
âOnly because I didnât feel it right away. It doesnât count. When push came to shove, I couldnât handle it at all. Iâm a Kid PirateâI should be tougher. And yet, IâŠâ You blink, and the tears gathered at the corners of your eyes break free, running down your temples. âI didnât have it in me.â
âY/nâŠ?â
You look between Kid and Killer. Kidâs worry is evident behind the tension in his face, and while Killerâs expression is hidden, thereâs nothing in his body language to suggest heâs upset with you. Your smile wavers, chest getting tight. The next wave of tears has nothing to do with pain.
âArenât you ashamed of me?â Your voice cracks, as if you couldnât be any more pathetic.
âDonât,â Kid says stiffly. âDonât do the self-pity thing now. It doesnât suit you.â
âBut Iââ
âLook,â Killer says, âeveryoneâs different, with different tolerances for pain. You donât need to be unfeeling to be a capable fighter.â
Easy for him to sayâKiller had the highest pain tolerance in the crew. Still, you donât miss the compliment, mentally clinging to it like it could redeem you.
âYou think Iâm a capable fighter?â you ask, voice small.
âI invited you onto my crew for a reason, okay?â Kid says. âI saw potential. I still see it. Youâve gotten stronger since we first met.â Kid looks away. â...I havenât once regretted my decision.â
âOhâŠâ Self-doubt tells you that Kidâs just saying those things to make you feel better, but experience has you discarding the thought. You know him better than that. Kid has always meant what he said, he wouldnât make such claims lightly. The words are real and sincere, threatening to make you cry harder, but you force it down. Heâs never liked dealing with tears.
Kid wonât meet your eye. From your angle on the bed, you can see a blush spread across his cheeks, darker than before. Maybe thatâs why he makes to leave, pushing his chair back and getting up, Killer following suit. Or maybe he just means to check on the crew. Regardless, a surge of objection rises in your chest, every bit as selfish and puerile as a child protesting their parents leaving them in daycare.
âYouâre going?â you ask before you can stop yourself.
They pause, Kid turning back to you. âDo you want us to stay?â
You donât look at him when you nod shallowly, ashamed. But you donât want to hurt alone. Rationally, you know youâre going to be in pain for a long while, and they canât be at your side the whole time. Still, if theyâll let you, then youâll be self-centered for just a bit longer.
Kid and Killer sit back down.
âThanks,â you say quietly. Then, even quieter, âIâm sorry.â
âDonât fucking apologize,â Kid grumbles. âI told you to knock that shit off.â
You swallow a lump in your throat. He could be so rough about it, but there was genuine care behind his refusing to let you wallow in self-pity.
Killer takes your hand. âIs this the first time youâve been injured like this?â he asks.
You nod.
âListen... Sometimes, when youâre hurt bad enough physically, it messes with your head, too,â Killer says. âYou feel vulnerable and insecure. Helpless, even. So,â he squeezes your hand lightly, âitâs okay if youâre more sensitive than you normally would be. No one's going to hold it against you. You came out of the battle alive. Thatâs what matters.â
Damn him and his tenderness, youâre trying not to cry. You pull your hand away, lower lip wobbling, and take a shaky breath, holding it down. You glance at Kid. Heâs staring hard at your broken arm. Suddenly his ire stops being transparentâjust like when you first joined the crew, youâre completely unable to discern what heâs really thinking. All you see is the discontent, so close to disapproval that it makes you uncertain.
âAre you, um,â you say nervously, âare you mad at me?â
âNo,â Kid says, but it comes out a bit stiff. âAt least, not for the reason you think. Iâm proud of you for taking out that pirate. He was twice your size and faster, but you still won.â He taps his nails against his metal hand. âY/n⊠When Hip said you were really hurt, I feared the worst. I thought youâd been fatally injured.â
âCanât get rid of me that easily,â you joke.
âShut the fuck up!â Kid snaps, glaring. Heâs gritting his teeth, eyes hard and angry, but then thereâs a break, a crack in his expression. Itâs just a glimpse, but for the first time, you see fear behind the fury. âDonât you ever scare me like that again. Got it? Or Iâll break your other arm.â
Despite the harsh words, emotion swells in your chest, fuzzy and light. You feel yourself tearing up again. âYes, captain.â
âYouâre a real pain in my ass, you know that?â
You smile slightly. âYes, captain.â
Kid leans back in his chair, arms crossed, scowl etched deep. You watch as Killer touches Kidâs arm briefly, reassuring. With the worst of the pain behind you comes the presence of mind to start overthinking, and you dive right in: They have each other. Itâs clear that they care about you, but it will never be in the way you want.Â
The ache in your arm seems fitting, a backdrop of physical pain behind the emotional. Liking Kid is stressful enough, but now that you were aware of your feelings for Killer, it was compounded, growing like a chemical reaction into something huge and overwhelming. As a trusted crewmate, you pretty much have front row seats to the small intimacies those two exchange. How are you supposed to go on watching and not be eaten alive by jealousy?Â
Maybe you should leave. Maybe this was your sign that the good times had run out, and it was time to strike it out solo again. You donât want to goâcrushes aside, you were fond of the crew, having come to see them as familyâbut could you handle living with Kid and Killer now? The unrequited desire was already burrowing under your skin like a grass seed, threatening to travel and lodge deep into your heart. Cutting ties now would spare you more hurt in the long run.
But first you had to heal from this injury, something better done with the security of a crew protecting you.
Then, unprompted, Killer reaches over to wipe the sweat from your forehead, and you start reconsidering even that notion. If they were going to be gentle the entire recovery period, you were really gonna lose it. The compassion was too close to intimacy, a taste of what you couldnât have.Â
"The next few months are gonna blow," you say, the true meaning of the statement masked.
"Just wait until it starts itching under the cast," Killer says lightly.
"Ugh. And I'll hardly be able to move." You grimace. "I'll need help even with basic tasks⊠You're right, Killer, it does feel helpless."
"It'll be fine," Kid says. "You have us and the crew."Â
He's still frowning, but you can read him again. Not that you need to with the frankness of his words.
"At least there's a bright side," you smile impishly, "if you're gonna be soft this whole time."
"Watch it," Kid warns, but his lip curls up just a bit. "Don't get used to it."
Too bad for him, you fully intend to abuse your power. Itâll be interesting to see how much you can get away with, and you might as well have some kind of outlet for these awful feelings in the meantime.
âNah, Iâm gonna enjoy it while I can,â you say, âbecause itâs not gonna happen another time. Iâm gonna get even stronger, so Iâll never go through that again.â You wipe away the gathered tears with the back of your hand. âIâm gonna surpass even the shave technique. Iâll be uncatchable.â
Kid and Killer exchange glancesâan impressive feat considering Killerâs mask, but thatâs just the kind of wavelength theyâre onâand then they look at you, Kid wearing one of his rare serious expressions. âI know the last half hour was rough, Y/n. But you wonât get any better as a fighter if fear is your motivator.â
That makes you pout, mostly because you know heâs right. Arguing that it had worked out for this long was pointless, because it really hadnât. You only survived the fight with Kid years ago because of his whims, and todayâs battle had ended in agony. You wouldnât be forgetting it anytime soon, but maybe that was better. Maybe a reminder that you werenât invulnerable was what you needed. So long as you didnât succumb to fear, like Kid said.
âI guess it wasnât entirely miserable,â you muse, thinking back to how Kid carried you to the ship. That was a lieâyou were hurting far too badly to enjoy the contactâbut the thought that it happened still made you kind of happy, in a messed up way. Maybe you were more touch-starved than you thought. âI got to be held. Canât remember the last time I was that close to someone.â
Kid looks surprised, and then his expression slowly morphs into something smug, an arrogant smirk plastered on his face. âIf you wanted to be close to me, Y/n, you could have just asked.â
Your cheeks instantly flare hot, caught so off-guard all you can do is stare in dumb shock before you turn your head away. What the hell was he doing? Why would he say that? Now there was an ache in your chest as well as your arm.
âIs that what this was all about?â Kid continues gleefully. âDid you let yourself get hurt so your captain would come take care of you?â
No, no, no. Donât do this to me. Regardless of what he meant by the teasing, it felt like a weight was sitting over your sternum. And really, he was such a fucking jerk, taking obvious pleasure in your flustered response. Honestly, why did you even like him?
âWeâre right here.â
Your brain plays the memory back like a traitor, impressing the reason. Why did he have to be so damned nice to you? Why couldnât he have been cold or stern or even harsh, like usual? This would have been so much easier if he just told you off for screaming, or called you a pussy or something, but no. He had to hold you and reassure you and now you didnât know what to do.
âStop it,â you say, but it comes out small and feeble. This was all too much, especially now. Killer had a pointâyou were in a delicate way mentally. The walls werenât up, you couldnât buffer any of these feelings. âTalk to me like that and Iâll leave.â
Kid pauses. âWhat do you mean, youâll leave?â
âIâll leave the crew.â
âWhat?!â Kid grabs the arms of his chair, leaning forward like he didnât hear you right the first time.
âSlip?â Killer questions.
You avoid their eyes. âI canâtâI canât do this. I canât be around you if youâre going to be like⊠like that.â
âThe hell are you talking about?â Kid demands.
âSlip, whatâs wrong?â Killer asks. âWas it something we said?â
âNo! I mean, yes!â you say, tugging at your hair with your good hand. âI mean⊠IâŠâ
âWhereâs this coming from all of a sudden?â Kid says hotly. âWhat the hell is your problem?âÂ
âIâm in love with you!â you shout. âThatâs my fucking problem, Kid!â
Oops. Well. It was out now. Might as well go all-in. You cover your face as you add, âKiller, too. I love you both. Iâm sorry.â
The shame settles like rot in your stomach, as nauseating as the physical pain was. There was no taking it back now. You expect shocked silence, or even Kid getting angry.Â
What you donât expect is Kid, as casually as if discussing the weather, responding, âOh. Yeah, I know.â
It takes a minute to process what he said, mentally flipping the words over in an attempt to parse them. Your hand slowly drops from your face, and you fix him with a look that manages to be both pointed and baffled. â...What?â
âI already knew that,â Kid clarifies.
You stare a hole through him. â...What?â
âWhat exactly are you not getting? Iâm telling you I already knew.â
âFucking excuse me?!â It finally processes, crashing over you like a boiling wave, drenching and searing all at once. âSince when?!â
âSince we met, you idiot.â
Your jaw drops. He had known all this time? For three fucking years? He knew?
âYouâre not a subtle person, Y/n,â Kid says, then grins. âYou got really, really worked up when I caught you that one time. It wasnât hard to figure out.â
âYou knew?â You look between him and Killer, at a loss. âThe entire time?â
âY/n, the whole crew knows.â
âWhat?!â You sit up so quickly it jostles your injury, sending a hellish jolt of pain through your arm that makes you hiss.
âEasy,â Killer says, gently pushing your good shoulder to prompt you to lay back.
âDonât tell me to take it easy!â you snap, but acquiesce, letting him push you back. âWhat the hell do you mean, you knew⊠The crew knows⊠Oh my godâŠâ
âThere, there,â Killer says, but you can hear the amusement in his voice.
âAnyway,â Kid says nonchalantly, âyou donât have permission to leave.â
Ordinarily, you would say 'I wasn't aware I needed it,' but you're currently too stunned to reply. All this time. And the crew knows.
What are you to make of that? Kid doesnât look upset. Killer doesnât sound upset. Theyâre fine with your crush? Did such things really not bother them, or did they⊠No. There was no way. You can't wrap your head around the implications. There was no way. Right? Because if they liked you back, wouldnât they have said something by now?Â
You have to find out. Living on this ship with that hanging over you is beyond what you can handle. And with months of recovery ahead of you, now would be as good a time as any to shoot your shot.
But you only get out "Do youâ" before your voice catches, the query dying in your throat. You can't say it, can't bring yourself to ask. Something in your head is as broken as your arm, refusing to form the words.Â
Kid and Killer are listening, waiting for you to continue, but you shake your head. âNever mind.âÂ
The answer to that question would hurt, and youâve had enough of that for a good, long while. But without it comes the uncertainty, which almost feels worse. Unable to reconcile how you feel and exhausted from the aftermath of the adrenaline, you find you just want to be close to them again. Maybe youâre too much of a coward to ask the crucial question. But you arenât above taking advantage of your current state to seek out a bit of comfort.
"Back when I was a kid," you say, "and I had to go to the doctor, my guardian would take me to get a treat afterwards. Like ice cream or something."
"Yeah?" Kid says, grinning wide. "Is there something you want from me? What could it possibly be, I wonder?"
Suddenly you're tongue-tied. You didnât expect him to cotton on so fast, but underestimating Kid was why you had lost to him in the first place three years ago.
When you don't respond, Kid rests his chin on his metal hand, having the gall to look even more smug. "You need to say it out loud, Y/n."
Fucking jerk. Fine. "UmâŠ" you start, fresh heat warming your face, "well, uh⊠Can I have, uh⊠A hugâŠ?"
Kid looks surprised at that for some reason, raising a brow. What was he expecting? Still, he rises from his seat, and you sit up in anticipation. This was enough for now. Just to be held, one more time. You could figure out the rest later.
âThatâs really all you want?â Kid says, looking at you like he canât figure you out. He leans over you, towering, your height difference exacerbated with you being seated. âA hug?â
â...Yeah?â you respond hesitantly, unsure of what he means by the question.
Kid regards you for a moment, searching your eyes. Then he smirks. âIâll do you one better.â
Before you can register the meaning of his words, Kid tilts your chin up, leans in, and presses his lips to yours in a firm and intent kiss.
Suffice to say, your brain promptly short-circuits. For a moment, not a single neuron fires. Then thereâs a storm of activity, a thousand different thoughts and feelings screaming all at once. At the same time, a soft sort of tingling spreads throughout your whole body, fluttering and warm, so pleasant that you could cry. And, for just a second, like something out of a fairy tale, you donât feel any of the pain in your arm. (You can never, ever tell this to Kidâhe will hold it over your head for the rest of your life.)
While youâre too shocked to reciprocate, once Kid pulls away, you find yourself leaning forward, chasing the contact. He notices, if his widening smirk is any indication.
âBetter than a hug, right?â he says, self-satisfied.
âUm,â you respond cleverly, still bewildered by the action. âUh⊠Kid? Do you⊠Do you like me?â
Kid pinches the bridge of his nose. âY/n, I literally just kissed you. What the fuck do you think?â
âWait, shut up. Hold on. Wait.â The fact that Kid doesnât react to your telling him to shut up is a testament to his going easy on you, and you make a mental note of it for later. âIf you liked me back, why didnât you do anything about it?â
âWhat are you talking about? Iâve been flirting with you for years!â
Your eyes bug out at him. âYou have?â
âFor someone who thinks so quickly in battle, itâs amazing how slow you are on the uptake,â Kid says, exasperated. You frown, because rude, but he keeps going. âAt first, when you didnât respond, I thought you werenât interested. But the way you acted around me and Killer proved otherwise. It was confusing as hell! Then, a few weeks ago, the crew was at a tavern, and you were approached by that bounty hunterâyou remember?â
âYeah⊠What about him?â
âHe started flirting real heavy, and it all went right over your head. It was incredible to watch. I realized then that you werenât sending me mixed signals on purpose, but that you were really just that fucking oblivious.â
You blink. âHe was flirting with me?â
âHe bought you a drink!â Kid shouts, throwing his arms out in frustration and nearly knocking over another bed with his metal one. Killer covers his mask over where his mouth would be, as if that would help him suppress a laugh.
âI thought he was trying to sucker me out of information.â
âHe was trying to sucker you out of your clothes.â
âOh⊠So thatâs why you nearly killed him.â
You stare down at your lap as you try to process all the new information. Kid liked you back. Not only that, but he had been attempting to show it pretty much since the beginning. You knew you were bad with feelings, but the fact that it took a severe injury for this to come to light was maybe a little concerning. And what about Killer? He wasnât nearly as open as Kid, so even if he had been showing similar signs, you would have never picked up on it.
âDoes, uh,â you say, looking up at them, âdoes Killer alsoâŠ?â
âYeah,â Kid says, âKiller too, though he never flirted with you over it.â
âI kind of did,â Killer speaks up, âhere and there, but I stopped when it seemed like you werenât into it.â
You think back, trying to recall any times where that might have happened. While Killer seemed outwardly stoic, he was surprisingly affable toward crewmates, so you never thought twice about any lingering touches or supportive words coming from him.
âUm⊠Wow. Iâm sorry,â you say, âI didnât mean to be confusing. I guess I just never thought it was possible that anyone would like me that way.â
âWhy would you think that?â Killer sounds genuinely confused, and you tense, the question dredging up a host of bad memories. That was one traumatic can of worms you didnât need to open, so you just shrug it off.Â
âUh, no reasonâŠâ
âYouâve never been in a relationship?â Kid asks.
âNot really,â you say, rubbing the back of your neck. All of this was new territory, the revelation that they were both interested leaving you stumped. â...What do I even do now?â
âWhatever you want.â
You stare at Kid, then glance away, cheeks growing warm in embarrassment before you even say it. â...I want you to kiss me again.â
âYou really think you deserve it after all that youâve put us through?â Kid grins, but despite what he says, he leans right back in to grant your wish.
The second kiss is softer, even tender. Your eyes close as you cup his cheek, and his hand covers yours. That fluttering sensation returns, prickling across your skin like youâve sunk into a warm bath, enveloping and soothing.
When Kid breaks free this time, you canât help but look at Killer afterwards, the longing in your expression making your thoughts evident.
âWhat, Iâm not good enough for you?â Kid accuses, but you can tell heâs teasing.
âNo,â you say brightly, safe in the knowledge that he wonât retaliate while youâre injured. Or so you thoughtâKid pinches your cheek (with his flesh hand, at least,) harder and harder until you apologize. You rub your sore cheek, pouting. âI swear Iâm not complaining or anything, but, uh⊠You donât want to, Killer?â
Killer turns his head away, quiet for a moment. â...I will⊠Once youâve recovered, and the cast comes off.â He looks your way again. âSo you have the motivation to heal quickly.â
Later on, when youâve gotten to know him more intimately, youâll look back and realize that the âmotivationâ line was complete bullshit, and that he was just covering up his shyness. But right then, you accept him at his word, though youâre a bit disappointed.
âSure. Okay.â You lay back in the bed, a smile slowly stretching your lips. âI can live with that.â
Today was a one-two punch in staggering experiences. First you went through the worst physical pain youâd felt yet, then Kid revealed that he and Killer both liked you back. You were ecstatic, of courseâbut the fact that you never had to go through breaking your arm to learn of it made you more than a little mad at yourself.
âWe can talk about all this later,â Kid says. âYou need to rest.â
âYes, sir.â
Kid looks at you sharply, and you get a funny feeling in your gut. Did⊠Did he like that? What a stuck-up asshole. God, you love him. Which is why youâre going to use that against him later.
âTry and get some sleep, if you can. The next island weâre stopping at has a pharmacy. Once we raid it and restock our medical supplies, you wonât be hurting so much, so just hang on until then. Okay?â Kid touches your cheek.
âOkay,â you reply, trying not to show how giddy the simple action makes you.
But given that he knew of your attraction all this time, he can probably tell anyway.
âI canât believe you didnât say anything!â You glare at the crewmates sitting around your bed. The doctor will only let a few people in to see you at a time, so right now, itâs just Heat, Wire, and Quincy, the latter currently signing your cast. âSome nakama you are! Why didnât you tell me?â
âIt would have interfered with the betting pool,â Wire says.Â
âBetting pool?!â
âAfter a while,â Heat adds, âit just became kind of a social experiment.â
âBetting pool?!â you reiterate.
âRelax,â Quincy says, capping the marker. âIf you get worked up, the doc will kick us out.â
âFine.â You scowl, but relent, shoulders drooping.
âSo howâd it go down?â Heat asks. âDid you tell Kid first, or did he tell you?â
âI said it first.â
âDamn,â Wire mutters, fishing a thick wad of cash out of his pocket and passing it to Heat.
Your eyes widen at the blatant exchange. âI will fucking strangle you both!â
âWith one hand?â Wire asks, and the three of them burst into laughter.
You throw your medicine bottle at his head.
After months of waiting, youâre eager to finally have the cast off, but a part of you will miss looking at everyoneâs signatures. Heat even drew the crewâs jolly roger on it.
âSome pain and stiffness afterwards is normal. Your range of motion will be limited. After months of being immobile, the muscles are weakened,â the doctor explains. âYou are to wait one week before any exercise or heavy physical activity with that arm. Understand?â
The moment the cast is removed and the doctor releases you, you go find Killer on the ship.
âHey, Killer!â You wave at him with your newly-healed arm, though you find the action is more difficult than you expected, just like the doctor said. âCast is off, big guy. Time to pay up.â
When Killer doesnât respond right away, you think maybe heâs forgotten what he said months ago. He looks around at the other crewmates on deck, then takes your hand and wordlessly leads you elsewhere.
âKiller?â you ask as you follow, but he remains silent.
Killer takes you all the way to the captainâs cabin, closing the door behind the both of you. Kid is currently there, sitting at his desk and looking over a map, head turning to you as soon as you enter.
âEverything okay?â Kid asks, then, noticing your cast is off, he smirks. âOh, I see. Went for it first thing, huh, Y/n? You must have really been looking forward to it.â
âShut up, Kid!â you say, face growing hot.
Kid rises from his seat, coming to stand behind you, and rests his flesh hand on your shoulder, squeezing in threat. âCareful, Y/n. You donât have that injury to protect you anymore.â
Despite the warning, something about the way he says it, voice low and smooth, makes your stomach knot.
âAlright, alright, fine. Yes, Iâve been looking forward to it, okay? Iâve been thinking about it every day since,â you admit, swallowing. âBut, Killer, you donât have to if you donât want to.â
Killer is silent once more. You scan him anxiously, trying to get a read on his body language. He seems tense, so it takes you by surprise when he quietly says, âI want to.â
âOh.â
Killer steps closer, right in front of you, so youâre sandwiched between the captain and first mate. Belatedly, you realize heâll have to take off his mask, which you didnât think about before. Youâre not sure that even Heat or Wire have seen him without it, and youâre suddenly nervous that youâre violating some boundary by asking him to kiss you.
Then, Kid moves his hand from your shoulder to your face, covering your eyes from behind. You hear a faint noise like rustling hair that must be Killer removing his mask. Unable to see, you can only wait, heart pounding. It feels like forever before you feel his breath on your face, not making contact yetâheâs hesitating. And then, finally, after months of patience, he closes the gap, soft lips capturing your own.
Just like that, all your nerves melt away, fading behind the static that seems to spark through your body. You reach out for Killer blindly, hands landing in his hair before they slide down to hold his face, pulling as if you could draw him even closer. He sighs into your mouth in response, making your knees grow weak.
After far too short a time, Killer pulls away, and your grip on his face tightens in reluctance.Â
âWait, wait,â you mumble, âagain. Please, Iââ
Your protest is muffled by Killerâs mouth closing over yours again, swallowing your words and your sanity all at once. Heâs firmer this time, indelicate and needy, large hands grabbing hold of your waist. The little whine that slips out of you is involuntary, and you hear Kid chuckle behind you.
Eventually, Killer breaks away, leaving the both of you stunned and flushed with endorphins.
âYou have no idea, Y/n,â Kid whispers into your ear, raising goosebumps on the back of your neck. âHow much heâs talked about this.â
âLike you havenât been talking about them?â Killer says defensively. âThe sheer amount of grievances Iâve had to listen to the last few years⊠Where do I even begin? First, there wasââ
âOkay!â Kid cuts him off, uncharacteristically flustered. âI get it.â
You snicker, and Kid immediately wraps his metal hand around your hip, gripping just tightly enough so as not to be painful, but still securely enough so that youâre trapped in place. Itâs huge in comparison to you, the pinky sinking into your thigh while the index presses into your stomach. You gasp, going rigid, the position intimately familiarâthis was the exact way that Kid had caught you three years ago.
âYou know, Y/n,â Kid says, his tone soft with warning, âyouâve been a real piece of work these last few months. Smart-mouthed. Insolent. Talking back to me. Thinking you were so safe because of your injury.â Heâs speaking into your ear again, breath hot on your skin, and your heart starts to race. âI hope you enjoyed it while it lasted, Y/n, because Iâve been keeping track. Every comment, every cheeky little quip, I committed to memory, waiting for this moment. I think itâs time I paid it back. Wouldnât you agree, Killer?â
âDefinitely,â Killer responds without hesitation.
Heat courses through your body, collecting at the apex of your thighs. Still blinded by Kid, you canât see Killer move, but you feel his rough fingers tracing your throat a moment later.
The third time around, you are perfectly okay with not having lived up to your epithet.
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Hello, I hope you are well! Recently I read a fanfic of yours on Ao3 about Ticci Toby and I fell in love with your writing!! I loved the way you develop the characters and their feelings!! đ€§đâš
I would like to know if you write for Creepypasta X Virus, it is one of my favorites but there is almost no content online about it đ„čđđ»đđ»
Anyway, I saw your requests are open! If the idea pleases you, I would like to ask for headcanons of X Virus and Toby (or just Toby) with a reader who practices magic and has somewhat "dark" tastes (interest in poisonous animals/plants and the supernatural as a whole, in short, just a scary and adorable nerd at the same time!)
Thanks!! đ
ahh! hello-hello!! i read x-virus' story and took notes for these, i really enjoyed writing Cody, so thank you very much for the request :-]
i rlly liked this request, and this is actually the first time i've ever done headcanon-ish things, i hope you enjoy these (bc i enjoyed writing them a lot)
x-virus & ticci toby: reader with macabre interests
relationships: ticci toby x reader, x-virus x reader
word count: 1.5k
links: available on ao3
x-virus warnings: animal death (off-screen, animal body shown) animal dissection, taxidermy, canon-typical violence
ticci toby warnings: canon-typical violence
âŁïž X-Virus | Cody _____ âŁïž
You let it slip one day that you wanted to try taxidermy, an embarrassing guilty pleasure you were confident you could keep under wraps, but Codyâs just been so nice about your eccentricities and you couldnât help yourself.
âThey use bugs in the process, lots of museums have them to clean the bones because theyâre better than the best person with the best toolsââ You pace back and forth as Cody watches you from your bed, ââBecause thatâs all they do, all they do is eat rotting flesh off the bone. The bones last much longer when cleaned by any Dermesââ
You stop yourself from mentioning the insects by their scientific name, embarrassed that you let your ramblings slip away like that.
Cody leaves the next day and youâre left alone with your thoughts. Maybe thereâs another mansion full of serial killers so you can start fresh, your ears burn recalling how excited you got talking about flesh-eating bugs.
A few days later, Cody returns to the mansion with a limp raccoon and some things it stole from the local morgue.
You spend the entire night together trying to preserve this creatureâs hide, you take it apart with precise motions, expertly moving the scalpel along the skin and parting flesh and sinew. You soak the skin in salts, rubbing it into the bloody underside until you smell like copper and the salt mines.
The whole room smells like formaldehyde, too.
âž âŁïž âââž
Cody is so excited to share its books with you, all of them. You spend long evenings together curled over a battery-powered lantern and ten-pound textbooks, occasionally mentioning an interesting tidbit when you come across one. Your books are filled with flattened foliage from the surrounding woods, poisonous plants and flowers, plastic baggies filled with poison ivy leaves, and hand-drawn diagrams of each plantâs internal structures in a ballpoint pen. It flips through each page carefully, examining each specimen, complimenting each note and observation.
âYou should open a museum,â It says, running a finger over a pressed Conium maculatum. That snaps you out of your science headspace.
You should, but you canât. âBesides, who would enjoy a museum like that?â You argue.
âThink about the MĂŒtter Museum,â It quips back, âIf people frequent a museum full of pickled people-guts and spines, Iâm sure people would go to yours. People like flowers.â
In another universe where violence wasnât at the forefront of your mind, maybe youâd be the curator of a weird little museum full of oddities.
âââž âŁïž âââž
âToby comes here all the time to burn CDs, donât worry, the cameras stopped working years ago and they never bothered to fix them,â Cody pushes open a window and climbs into the air-conditioned computer lab of the local library, âJust donât knock anything over, I guess.â It jokes.
You drop through the window and feel goosebumps form on your arms, you havenât felt air conditioning in years.
Cody unlocks the door leading to the rest of the facility, you walk side-by-side, dragging your fingers over the spines of dozens of books.
âYou know the Dewey Decimal System, right?â Cody asks, thereâs a thrill with breaking in, especially for pleasure (rather than worrying about killing every occupant in a house, you both can focus on finding a specific edition of a book you were dying to read).
âBy heart.â You joke, guiding it to the 500s: Natural Sciences.
You spend five hours squished up together reading from the same book. It points to a diagram and you explain every minute detail, Cody listens eagerly to your explanations, wanting to ingrain every word that comes out of your brilliant, perfect brain, and memorize the way you describe the venom sacs of the Hydrophis schistosus.
 The way it rolls off your tongueâHydrophis schistosusâCody wants that to be the last sound it ever hears, the sound echoing forever in its brain until the heat death of the universe.
You creep down to the 200s and find a few textbooks about niche religious practices. You tell Cody about the rarity of cannibalistic religious practices, and the prevalence of cannibalism in some movies ticks you off.
âCannibalism isnât that common,â You scoff, âItâs more than socially taboo, itâs biologically taboo. Ever heard of Kuru?â
âTell me.â It begs.
âž âŁïž âââž
⊻ Ticci Toby | Tobias Erin Rogers ⊻
Every word that comes out of you flies over his head. Even though he doesn't know a thing about what youâre telling him about, heâs completely and utterly enamored. Toby never graduated high school, andâfor the most partâheâs glad he didnât have to spend any more time around high-school people.Â
He misses learning. Sometimes Toby thinks heâs stupid, Tim and Brian went to university, and they have high school diplomas with their names on them somewhere, Toby has nothing except an honor roll card from the eighth grade. Youâre so brilliant, maybe part of him thinks heâs weighing you down by stopping your ramblings to ask for clarification. Heâs so deep in thought he hasn't been paying attention to your talks about the Ghent Altarpieceâs connection to ancient practices of animal sacrifice.
âDoes it bother you when I do thatâwhen I donât know things a-and you gotta explain it to me?â
Youâre sitting on the porch together looking out over the rolling fog, he sucks in a breath, the tip of a Marlboro lighting up orange-hot.
âI like it, actually.â You say matter-of-factly
Tobyâs diaphragm sputters as smoke spills from his nose, and he coughs hard into his elbow. â...Doesnât itâBut Iâm interrupting you because Iâm too stupid to get it the first timeââ
That word gives you pause, and Toby tosses away the cigarette butt and curls into himself, shame burning hot on his face.
âI donât thinkââ
âE-Everyone does,â He cries, âI-I canât help it, I couldnât even finish high school. Tim and Brian made it to college, at least.â
You push yourself into his personal space, knocking your knee into his as you lean over to share a secret.
âI can teach you if youâd like.â
Tobyâs red-hot shame melts into a giddy flush as your warm breath lands on his ear.
➠⊻ âââž
The next victim that comes Tobyâs wayâa family of three with a prying-eyed teenager getting too close to discovering the mansionâgrants you both access to the internet for a time.
You start with Wikipedia, itâs good practice to get bare-bones information that starts the deep dive. Marine Biology is the starting topic because the random article Wikipedia spat out at you was about the bigfin squid.
Toby mumbles aloud as he scrolls through the article, the picture on the right left the hairs on his arms standing on end. Little is known about it because it dwells so deep, and scientists arenât entirely sure why its distinct long arms are there.
âNobody knows how it feeds?â
âWe know more about space than our oceans,â You say, âWe have pictures of the Big Bang.â
Toby rolls back on the wheeled chair and pushes the keyboard to you.
You open a new tab and open the search bar.
COSMIC MICROWAVE BACKGROUND.
He pulls back in, opening the third link that pops up. You sit quietly as he devours an entire article explaining the pictureâs existence, heâs vibrating in his chair. Toby continues the search without your input, googling words and finding plenty of pictures of smattered space dust orbiting tiny, dense stars.
The pictures of the black hole shake him to his core, nebulae give him chills, beautiful planets and star systems and moons andâ
Alpha Centauri grabs a hold of Tobyâs body and keeps him there. He pushes the monitor towards you and you read along with him, heâs shaking with excitement, free hand flapping excitedly as he scrolls through the academic journal.
He prints out a few pictures before the police show up, the cosmic microwave background bathing the room in greens and blues and smatterings of yellows and reds.
➠⊻ âââž
He starts stealing books from the library, as do you. You take turns showing and telling. He shows you astronomy books and you show him textbooks about the history of taxonomy; you spend hours sitting across from each other on the floor exchanging knowledge.
âIâmâIâm glad we did this. Thanks for doing all ofâof that.âÂ
You peek over an academic journal youâve read at least seven times, smiling softly as Toby puts his new collection of literature into a box and pushes it into the closet. He piles a few flannels and shirts over the box to camouflage it amongst his dirt laundry.
âWhyâre you doing that?â
Toby turns to you and turns away meekly, â...Itâs our special thing, you get it? I donât want anyone getting into our business. This is our thing. Our special thing.â
A warmth creeps up your neck as Toby holds your gaze. You close your journals.
âBabies have more bones than adults.â You whisper, your hand splayed over his shoulder blades, âAbout three hundred.â
Tobyâs breath hitches as your hands warm the spot where his cervical vertebrae end and the thoracic meet.
âH-How many areââ He covers his mouth to cover a shaky breath, ââi-in the spine?â
âThere are thirty-three vertebrae. Seven cervical,â You and trails down his back, âTwelve thoracic,â you creep further, âFive lumbar,â Lower and lower you go, âFive sacral,â Youâre getting bold now, â...And four coccygeals.â
You hold your hands there, Toby enjoys the warmth radiating from your fingers, he wants to melt into you like watered-down clay (you would call it slip since you know everything). He wants to read books with you for the rest of his life and not do anything else.
He wants you to count every rib, every tooth in his mouth, every bone in his hands and feetâcounting and counting and counting until he's dizzy.
➠⊻ âââž
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Stay Right Here
This is a variation of Alpharry prince and Omega Maid⊠I hope you enjoy <3 sorry in advance.
Check out our Patreon!
WC: 1.6 k
Warnings: slight angst, ABO dynamics, smut, knotting mention
âââââ
âNo one smells as divine as you do.â His nose buried in the crook of her neck, Y/N laid on his bed with her fingers gently combing through his hair. It was hard to be a prince. Y/N knew just as well as anyone, being on the palace property, that he had a lot of work to do and a lot of appearances to keep. Especially considering she was his chosen confidant.
âThank you, my prince.â Her breathy voice was soft, a smile lighting her face as she felt him grumble and nibble on her skin.
âHarry or Alpha in this room.â
His pout could be felt when he released her flesh from his skin. âI am not a prince here. I am but a simple Alpha, laying with his dream omega.â The words were bittersweet. So sweet because she loved that out of all th omegas, all the people in the kingdom and the faraway lands he had travelled, she was his dream. Bitter because she could not have him. That one day, he would be betrothed to an omega of nobility. They usually avoided that topic unless it was to praise her.
âI apologize, Alpha.â She sweetened her tone, ignoring the twinge of pain she knew his heart matched. âI know youâve had a hard day. It saddens me that you are put under such burdens.â Her voice was a vibration against him, making him relax further into her plushy body. Warm, soft, beautiful. Harry adored each and every inch. Every touch made him light up, melt, be in a puddle of the things he had been in need of and no one else could provide.
âNo apologies.â He mumbled, puckering his lips on her bare skin, travellling down. âHaving you nude in my chambers at the end of the day is enough of a blessing for me to overlook it. My beautiful gift.â His body was also nude, strong and unblemished besides the ink on his skin and the little scars on his knuckles from sparring, and the one on his knee from falling from a tree when he was but a pup. It had been the last time he had done so, as his father had deemed him too old for pup like behaviors- He was only 7 years at that point.
âOf course.â She replied, body arching into his touch. Y/N had felt like his since theyâd met. She had begun her work at the palace when he had been on a voyage to a faraway kingdom. It was fine work, they were treated and paid fairly, and it was calm besides the balls and the pre planned dinner parties. It had been 2 months of calm, destroyed by green eyes and a killer smirk when he arrived back home.
Harry had personally requested Y/N to be his maid. His personal one. She had looked so tired at his arrival ball, so beautiful, smelling so sweet.. he felt it to be criminal to let an omega like that be worked to the bone when she could tend to him and his needs. There werenât too many. She stoked his fire when he lit one, prepared his ritual baths, folded and set out his clothes⊠and soon enough, warmed his bed.
It was no secret. It could not be. His scent overpowered her own, but the royals did not care so long as she kept up with her duties and harry, his. It wasnât uncommon for royal men to sample the offerings, and Y/N had been more than willing. They had a lovely connection and she had been able to keep the princeâs temper in control. There was also the fact that she and harry spent so much time around one another that their rut and heat corresponded, making it perfect to keep them together out of convenience. Harry need not take on any omega for his rut that they would need to check the background of, no need to question the motives. She was a benefit to the crown, so long as she knew her place. Y/N didnât speak out of turn around other royals, aware of the position and blessing it seemed to be. They had made it abundantly clear that Harry was to marry a royal omega and she would go back to her other duties or be moved when that time came.
âYou are safe now. This room is for us to relax and enjoy one another.â Harry spoke against warm skin, moving between her breasts and rubbing his face in between them. Scenting her, coating her in the second best claim he could give. âI had a hard day, but it is time for us now, sweet girl.â His lips puckered to kiss right between her breasts, slowly making his way down to her stomach. This was their fantasy world. The lock was bolted, no one could disturb their peace but themselves, and Y/N was not one to interrupt the prince when he began to drift into their dream life.
It was foolish, perhaps, to pretend to be mates in the safety net of this room. Foolish and destined for heartbreak, but when he kissed her stomach and mumbled about giving her a child in there, the rest of the world melted away and she allowed herself to imagine it. To imagine a piece of him inside of her.
When he made his way up and locked their lips, her legs spread open for him, awaiting what she knew theyâd both needed after a long day. His lips swallowed her broken moan as he pushed into her, filling her to the brim as he smoothed her hair back from her cheek. The connection between their bodies, the pulsing of his thick cock filling her up comforted her. This was them. Naked and connected, relaxing in the most intimate way possible.
âI need it.â Pleas were soft against his lips, hands smoothing down his muscled back as she wrapped her legs around his hips. âAlpha.. please.â Her swollen lips from his hour of kissing beforehand and her silky skin from their shared bath felt like heaven against the alphaâs body. This was what he always craved. Her honeyed scent and her sweet cunt wrapped around him while she pleaded for him. Someone who adored him and he adored in ways that were unfathomable to him. She had a faith and an adoration for him that he had always dreamt of. No one could ever be better for him than this omega. This dream woman.
âIâll give you whatever it is you want. My light.â He rasped against her lips, pushing as deep as possible and simply letting them enjoy the connection. The slick around his cock, the need to spill into her, her fluttering around him and trying to keep him in this deep position. âI know youâre craving a knot. Iâll give it to you, little angel of mine.â He rubbed their noses together, pulling out slowly and letting her feel every bump and ridge while he did the same thing. He pressed his lips back against hers to absorb her whine, growling back against her mouth while he repeated his actions and pushed in slow and steady. Her hole adjusted to him, sucking him back in greedily. Like she was made for him, pulling him in with her heels on the curve of his ass.
âSo full. You fill me perfectly, Harry.â She looked at him with wet eyes, the stretch and the fullness making her tear up. No one else could ever or would ever make her feel this complete. âI donât want anything but your cock inside of me. Itâs made to fill me and Iâm made for your knot. I need it so badly I ache.â She cupped his cheek. âPlease, please. Pleasure yourself too. Iâve been dreaming of it all day long.â
Harry couldnât say no to her. Never could tell her no when she made him feel as if he was floating despite the weights on his shoulders. Made him defy gravity when everyone else was trying to keep him buried in the earth. Y/N built him up.
âIâve dreamt of you all day long. Having your scent on me isnât enough.â He grumbled, angling his hips a bit further out to give it to her deeper. The reward was instant, tightening up around him and her keening whine as fingers dug into the flesh of his back. âNeed you wrapped around my cock all day. Need you in my lap, smell you from the source as I work. Iâm going mad. I want to bite your neck and keep you attached to my knot. Perfect omega fâme.â
Y/N keened as she felt the satisfying filling of him. In and out, filling her to the brim each time. Sparks ignited behind her eyes as he pushed her to her limits, reaching spots only he ever could. She had tried to replicate it with her fingers but nothing could compare. No one got her this wet, slicking up the length so much there was a threat to slip out each time he pulled back enough to fully thrust back in. Something Harry moaned about.
âDripping cunt, so soft for me. I want to stay here.â He melted into her neck, nipping at the skin. His teeth ached, he wanted to bite so badly it made him whine- but he couldnât. Not without consequences, consequences that would be worse for her than him and he loved her far too much than to make that hell happen for her. âI want to stay right here. My heaven.â
If only he could.
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Does anyone ever think that like. One of the central ideas of Hannibal is that human beings are delicious.
Not even just in a cannibalism-taboo way, either. Literally everyone whoâs gone to one of Hannibalâs dinner parties agrees: The food is good.
(Thereâs that confusing moment in Trou Normand where it looks like Abigail is realizing what it is sheâs eating--confusing because she doesnât Figure Hannibal Out until later. But what if she isnât thinking, This tastes just like-- but instead I havenât had meat this good since--)
Itâs not just the taste, either. Human beings in Hannibal seem to make incomparable mushroom fertilizer and instrument strings. Bees love human bodies. And every artist in the entire goddamn world seemingly has this temptation towards human-corpse-as-artistic-medium. Garret Jacob Hobbs uses human hair as pillow stuffing. He holds his pipes together with paste made from human bones.
Also probably worth mentioning is That One Shot in Sorbet (no, That Other One Shot in Sorbet)--the one with the opera singerâs throat, followed by the lingering shot of Hannibalâs ear. Itâs the meat again. Meat is singing and more meat is listening. Hannibal is moved to tears--his enjoyment even of music is physical.
Itâs probably stretching a bit to try to fit Self-Actualization Via Murder into this paradigm but well. Iâm going to try anyway. Itâs not just the corpses but the making of corpses that holds this fantastic power in Hannibal Land. Weâve got Randall Tier and Francis Dolarhyde and Will Goddamn Graham all reaching (for) their truest selves via the doing of murder. Hannibal talks about it like this:
We both know the unreality of taking a life. Of people who die when we have no other choice. We know in those moments they are not flesh, but light, and air, and color.
Thereâs something magical about that. The moment when a person separates from their (useful! valuable! delicious!) body and becomes something else. The moment itself is valuable, if you are one of the Tier-Dolarhyde-Graham classification of killers in Hannibalâs universe.
I feel like Iâve seen a lot of focus on Hannibal disguising what it is heâs cooking with. How his cooking is so good despite. If this post has a thesis, I guess it is that, instead, Hannibal is a good cook because.
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Marooned: Chapter 3
Kid x FemReader x Killer
Warnings: None I think
Bull-headed
The wild, red hair that sprouted from the man's head unmistakably belonged to Eustass Kid. Orange eyes aflame with rage glared at you as the man snatched the goggles you had discarded from the ground and placed them on his head. It was all coming together in your head. Of course you didn't recognize Killer. His face was normally hidden behind a shield of blue and white. The thing you had initially identified as a stupid looking colander was what remained of Killer's mask. It, along with Kid's goggles, must have been ripped from the two men in the tumultuous sea.Â
You took a step back to put some distance between you and he. This wasn't the first time you had met these two particular pirates. The first time had been a very long time ago, when they were just starting out as pirates and you were just a cadet. For a moment you were nervous that he might recognize you, though with the right half of your face being disfigured since then, it was unlikely. In that brief meeting years ago, you had the upper hand. Sizing him up now though... If you were at your best, you still weren't sure you could take him. He was much smaller the last time you saw him. Well, as small as one Eustass Kid could be. Currently though, he was back up on his feet at his full height of 6'9" and he had a murderous aura about him, which snapped you to the present.
"Wait," you had your hands up in the universal gesture for 'I mean no harm'Â and I'm stalling for time. Â "Without me, he'll die," you said, nodding your head in the direction of the Kid Pirates' first mate. It was sort of a lie. The truth was that he would probably be fine as long as he didn't get an infection and someone sewed him up soon.Â
Kid looked at his crewmate and looked back to you. He looked like he was contemplating how true that really was.Â
You continued, "I was going to get my first-aid kit when you..." There was a dull ache in your neck. "...pretty rudely attacked me for no reason."
Kid's lip curled. "FI-. Fine." He winced as his voice cracked. Kid massaged his Adam's apple and cleared his throat. "But if he dies, then you die." You could tell he kept his voice low to avoid another crack, but his demeanor didn't change.Â
Turning, you wondered if he would use this opportunity to attack you again, but he must have believed you because you weren't being tackled or choked out. You could feel his smirk burning into your back, though, as you went to fetch your things. Wish I still had seastone bullets. What use is an emergency gun if the threat is a magnetic son of a bitch? It was your turn to glare. With narrowed eyes, you gave the middle finger in Mini's general direction. "Thanks for helping, you ass," you muttered. Some twigs snapped in response.Â
It only took a minute to grab the things you needed and within 15 minutes you were back. The Red Menace was sitting next to Killer, cross-legged, with a jar tipped back into his mouth. Y/C/E flicked to the other empty jars on the ground next to him and your temper flared. "HEY! What in the hell do you think you're doing, helping yourself to my food?" For just a second, he looked like a boy who got caught with his hands in the cookie jar.Â
A look of guilt flashed across his face before it was replaced with a scowl. "I was fucking hungry."Â
Tossing your things to the ground next to Killer, you flopped down with a huff. "Yeah well. You better get used to it." Orange eyes watched you intently as you took out some sinew and a needle made from a tiny rib bones. Expertly, you threaded your needle and decided to start on the leg wound. It was still nice and clean under the cloth from earlier. You repositioned the flesh to properly plan your stitches. It was a little jagged, but it wouldn't be difficult. Plenty of time had passed on the island, you had your fair share of injuries with only yourself to fix them. Probably good thing he's out because this is gonna hurt a little. With deft hands, you worked at closing the gash. Your eyes flicked between what you were doing and Kid. His knuckles were white and he was craning his neck to watch what you were doing. "Can you do something other than hover? Something productive?" His scowl deepened at that so you were taking it as a "no". He wasn't making you nervous. Actually he was kind of annoying you. You finished stitching Killer's leg within the next few minutes and bit the excess off. Examining the finished product, you nodded, satisfied.Â
A deep sigh left the captain across from you. Was he holding his breath? Is he really that worried? That's actually... Not what you expected. Cute even. Cute wasn't the right word. Refreshing, that even the ruthless Captain Kid seemed to care this much over his partner. For the first time, you noticed that along with the empty food jars, Kid had grabbed his first mate's broken mask too.
You shifted over to move behind Killer's head, gently lifting it to be propped up on your crossed legs and trying to sort through the blond mane to map the entirety of the laceration. God there's so much hair. "I think I might have to cut some of it away." You were talking to yourself, but you felt the giant next to you bristle.
"ABSOLUTELY FUCKING NOT."Â
"I am right next to you. You don't have to yell." If your hands weren't occupied separating Killer's hair, you might have thrown them. You looked him up and down, with a scowl to match his own. "Seriously, go make yourself useful. Find something to eat, since you ruined my dinner." Naturally, your voice had authority in it. You did used to have a crew of your own after all.Â
Kid must have picked up on it. "Oh? You know who I am and you still think you can give me an order?" His head was cocked to the side.Â
You got your needle ready again, only briefly considering stabbing him, before starting to mend Killer's head. So he wants to play this game... You planning on being nice and helping him, helping them both, by showing him what he could and could not eat. You weren't going to waste precious calories arguing. "Sorry... you're right." You sighed. "I'll finish up here and leave you to it." This island was lush, no doubt, but it took you a long time to figure out which things you could eat without shitting yourself silly the next day. It'll build character to let Eustass Kid struggle. You ignored him until you were done with the last stitches. "All set."Â
You stood up and brushed yourself off. "I'll find you later so I can check on him. I don't need you hunting me down because his wounds got infected." You gathered your things into the sled that was still waiting from your excursion this morning. "Not to give you an order or anything, but you can put his clothes back on. I cleaned them." The wet clothes that Kid had been in earlier had long since dried with a thin, salty crust.Â
"WHATEVER."
________________
Since this story is based on my OC, here she is so you can have an idea of what reader's scars look like.
AO3 link
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Just finished rereading the iliad, so thinking about Shauna and Jackie and Achilles and Patroklos, because the similarities are there.
The fight scene where Jackie (Patroklos) tells Shauna (Achilles) to get out because she canât be around her at the moment, is, to me, similar to the scene where Patroklos is telling Achilles to go out and fight the Trojans.
And then Shauna (Achilles) tells her no, she wonât go out and if Jackie doesnât feel like she can be around her that sounds like her problem, so maybe she should go out. Similar to Achilles not going out to fight the Trojans and save the Greeks, but instead agreeing to let Patroklos go out with his armor to help them.
Agreeing to go out is what causes both Jackie and Patroklos to die.
Before Jackie dies she has a dream (vision? whatever that was) where Shauna goes out to get her and bring her back inside, apologizing and giving her food. Similar to how Patroklos, before he died, killed many Trojans and believed he might be saving the Greeks after all.
Then it snows, and Jackie freezes to death outside (different to how Patroklos died, killed by Hector) and Shauna realizes what happened when she saw the snow through the window, and she runs outside to find Jackieâs corpse buried under the snow.
My friend is dead, Patroclus, my dearest friend of all. I loved him, And I killed him.
Now where the parallels get good.
Shauna, like Achilles, keeps Jackie/Patroklosâ corpse and visits it daily, talks to it, even does her makeup once. Achilles kept Patroklosâ corpse on their tent, and it wasnât until Patroklosâ spirit came to him during a dream to tell him to give him a funeral, since otherwise he couldnât enter the underworld, than Achilles started his funeral. Similar to how Shauna kept Jackieâs body until Tai said they had to get rid of her corpse and than what Shauna was doing wasnât healthy.
They cremate Jackie, just like they cremated Patroklos.
Do not lay my bones apart from yours, but let them lie together
Thatâs what Patroklos spirit tells Achilles during that dream, which reminds me of âI donât even know where you end and I beginâ.
When he rejoins the battle, Patroclus does so as Achilles' surrogate, literally impersonating him by wearing his armor, and he represents Achilles' double as well as his opposite.
-Sheila Murnaghan, introduction of the Iliad, Stanley Lombardoâs version (1997)
In the most extreme moments of his grief for his most beloved person, Achilles presents Patroclus not as his child, parent, or wife, but as himself. The ultimate form of love is to see no difference between the self and the beloved. Patroclus' journey into battle wearing the armor of Achilles transforms him into his friend, in the eyes of the Trojans. He becomes Achilles also, tragically, in his violent death before the walls of Troy, killed by Trojans through the help of Apollo, just as Achilles soon will be. Once Patroclus is dead, Achilles tries to transform himself into his dead friend, by rolling in the dust and, like a dead man, abstaining from food, sleep, or sex. He anticipates joining Patroclus again, and becoming indistinguishable from him in death, when their bones are together in one jar."
-Emily Wilson, introduction of her version of the Iliad (2023)
Meanwhile Shauna (and the other girls, but she did it first) eats Jackie, Achilles doesnât do that with Patroklos, but he does say this line
I wish my stomach would let me / Cut off your flesh in strips and eat it raw / For what you've done to me.
He says that to Hector, Patroklosâ killer, before killing him in revenge. Since Jackie didnât have a killer (and if she did, it was Shauna, even if she chose to go out), Shauna has no one to kill in revenge, no one to wish to eat for the intense grief, so she turns to Jackie.
Also Jackie was always meant to die, she was doomed by the narrative, she died because she was meant for life outside the woods, for a normal life, the life they had before, she wasnât meant for a cannibalistic cult, thatâs kind of what Jackieâs death represents, she was a symbol of societal norms and hierarchies (being this popular prom queen and Shauna talking about how back home they were probably âmissing their perfect little princessâ and how Jackie tells her than sheâs such a clichĂ© for thinking of her and their relationship like that), whatever, but also Patroklos. Heâs constantly described as gentle, kind. Which is weird to see given than he has one of the highest body counts in the book (if not the highest). Also people who are always described by those adjectives, kind, gentle, sweet people donât usually belong in a war. Smh.
while Achilles is violent, quick to anger, and jealous of his own honor, Patroclus is gentle, concerned for the bonds of friendship between members of the army, and compassionate, and he reenters the war out of pity for the many Greeks who are dying because of Achilles' absence.
-Sheila Murnaghan, introduction of the Iliad, Stanley Lombardoâs version (1997)
Our Patroclus was, gentle and kind to all / When he was alive.
Then they gathered the bones of their gentle comrade
As Hector, who killed your gentle, valiant friend.
I will never stop grieving for you, forever sweet.
You killed his comrade, Gentle and strong,
Also, Achilles is described as having man-slaying hands. Isnât Shauna the butcher of the yellowjackets?
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*opens trenchcoat to reveal several pamphlets with fic tropes on them* What kind of nicities might you be interested in Tumblr user error-is-bae? `<âą##>3
well hello there anonymous tumblr user that im fairly certain is one of two people.
listen man i know everyone and their dog has written a fic where gabriel atones for the errors of his ways by throwing himself into rebuilding lust w minos. but i cannot get the concept out of my head
every interp ive seen thus far has minos be angry, yes, but i dont think hes been angry enough. i want him to break. i want him to tear into gabriel like a rabid fucking beast. i want him to grab him by the throat and throw him to the floor hard enough shards of concrete get lodged in his lungs. i want gabriel to scramble back instinctively because he knows hes no match for a prime soul, especially not without his Light but he's not fast enough and then Minos grabs him again and he can't breathe--
and i want him to just go limp. to accept his fate. and minos just gets angrier because he wants him to fight, he wants to revel in the feeling of his bones crunching and listening to him scream but it's not satisfying if he doesnt fight back and he did not waste away in that god forsaken prison watching everything he'd worked so hard to achieve (peacefully! he never wanted a fight, he wanted to thrive, he tried to reason--) be torn down by his own withered hands only for gabriel to rob him of what little gratification he could receive as if he hadn't already taken everything from him. i want him to roar "why won't you fight me?!" as he lifts gabriel by his collar. he wants to see the spirit that gabriel had before (when they were colleagues, friends even, when they would spend their time debating philosophy and literature and enjoying being together), wants to watch it break under his fists--
(and he thinks of the way gabriel looked down at him so long ago, the divine light of the spear held to his throat shining across his armor, the way he had pleaded for some of that previous kindness to return only to feel as the head pierced his skin and dug its way through his flesh, blood curling down his neck in rivulets and pooling in his mouth as he gasped for any semblance of breath he could take--)
and for just a second he thinks of how things could have been so much different if gabriel had a heart. if he was allowed to rule his kingdom in peace, allowed to let his people prosper and grow and have a second chance. and he looks at gabriel, sad and limp and broken in his grip, but hes not broken like a warrior after a valiant fight or a killer after a spree, hes broken like a fledgling bird with clipped feathers pecking at fingers for its own survival, like a child tucked away in a damp street corner waiting for it to be safe to move again, like the people he had helped build a new life in death.
and on one hand it infuriates him because gabriel is the reason he never got to see his people thrive, never got to see his kingdom grow and live and by all means he should despise him for everything hes done
but at the same time he remembers the gabriel from before the Council, remembers their late nights together, remembers the intelligence and the wit and the charm and the kindness they had Beaten out of him, sees how hopeless and faithless he has become
and sees that he has the chance to be better.
but he has to think about it. so he drops gabriel to the ground and watches as he scuttles back and coughs for breath and looks up at him and can practically feel the confusion and disbelief radiating off of him and if he's honest hes not sure hes making the right decision either. so he turns around and stalks away before he has the chance to change his mind.
anygays. i spent way too long writing this out cus im just obsessed with the concept of them growing closer Slowly because obviously minos can never truly forgive him and gabriel cant ever be rid of that Guilt but i do think there's something there to work from. they just have to put in some effort.
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[slides into your dms] hello i'm coming to you with this because you're the only one of my dash who will have the context to consider this but...
karlach in a dead by daylight crossover where the entity snatches her on the brink of death to become a killer.
thoughts?
Oh, interesting. Dare I say evil? It's an idea I've never even considered but now I'm considerin' it
Functionally as a Barbarian I'm sure her gameplay would be reminiscent of the Oni (honestly realistically she'd probably be a skin for him if she got added to the game) with a rage meter that allows her to instadown a Survivor if she hits them during it. I don't think she'd be as fast as the Oni in a Rage though, but maybe she'd also gain immunity to Blind while she's in it. Maybe it would fill up based on how long she's in Chase for rather than blood, which would be an excellent looping foil but still workable for the survivor.
Visually she'd probably be a lot more scarred up, maybe with some new tattoos styled after the Entity as marks of new ownership. Her engine might beat black or perhaps look a little more orange and ichorous like the Blight.
There's a bit of lore that I can't remember if it's fanon or canon but it says that the Entity fucks up, tortures and/or mutilates its Killers if they defy it, so I reckon Karlach would have a few more scars. Maybe that's what the new tattoos are. Maybe one of her eyes is blackened or her broken horn is.
Of course, then there's the Backstory(tm) which i went mad with as soon as I read this ask. The Entity feeds on the loss of hope, so I had to imagine in what circumstance K would completely lose that spark she has through the game. My thoughts, of course, turned to the possibility of her having to return to Avernus after everything she's been through in-game.
--
The stench of Avernus had almost become comfortable. Familiar. There had been hope, once, that she would return home to Baldur's Gate. To life. But that hope had died somewhere down here and was rotting with the rest of the corpses she had left behind.
Karlach could barely remember who she was before, nor how many eternities had passed in the grip of this endless Blood War. Her skin was no longer her own, marred and marked by claims of ownership and scars alike. Flames licked at her arms, her legs, her breasts, burning fingers never leaving her be. Her chest, hollowed and replaced with infernal machinery, churned and rumbled in time with the ceaseless war drums. The only company she had were her comrades doomed to die, and the devils who owned her every breath and memory.
Her axe plunged into the skull of another lesser demon, feeling the easy crunch as it tore through bone; the weight of the blade as it was dragged down by the corpse before it lifted free with a spurt of blackened blood. She would have been ashamed, once, of the pleasure this brought her. The power. The only control she had down here -- to choose her targets well and kill them swiftly by any means she chose. After everything she'd sacrificed, that control was the only reward she could cling to.
She blinked, and the demon became a person. A young man, broken in the grass, light missing from his glassy eyes as they stared at her, widened and frozen in the terror of his own death. She remembered, then, the tears in her companions' eyes as they sent her back to Avernus after so long trying to find a cure for her failing heart engine.
She remembered the despair coursing through her as she realised she had no other option.
She remembered fighting her way through the hordes again, losing the vigour she had always fought with before. No more rage. No more hope. Just despair and bitterness at the cards she had been dealt.
Perhaps she grew a little sloppy. A little careless. Let in a strike that should have been easy to parry. Allowed the demon's blade to tear through her flesh. Allowed the pain; the only thing left to remind her she had ever been free.
She remembered the panic as blood clogged her throat and choked her breaths. What had she done? Was this really how it would end, alone here in the darkness to be forgotten like every other Gods-damned creature in the ash?
She expected the fires to take her. She remembered the thick, dark fog that blackened the air around her instead, carrying her somewhere unknown.
Her new war. Her new home.
--
oops i posted this on AO3 as well because crossposting is good posting
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Hey so I wanted to publish some of my writtings around! I hope whoever reads it likes it. This is just for fun and I write a lot of stuff from different fan bases like " Hetalia", " Dramatical Murderer" and so on. This one is a fanfic from the show " Hannibal " so I hope you enjoy! Also forgive me for spelling and punctuation mistakes i'm still trying to get better at that ))
" art is my passion...art is my life, my work, my very being.
I turn pigs into art and this animal is now my art. She was disrespectful~ and as I ripped her flesh open and broke her bones to make her into something higher then she once was I can't help but feel still dissatisfied.
When will I get to make my final art work? When will I find myself a beautiful swan hidden among these pigs? When will I get to make this swan my final statement?
My dissatisfaction turns into disguest as I started to become rough with the pig. Making the art work more messy then anything. Yet still it was art and as I cut away her heart and held it gently in my hand I smile. At least this pig will be of good use after all. In art work she is nothing to me because she isn't my swan that I wish for but in food she will be something very useful indeed.
This is my design~ "
" Will..... Will.....WILL "
Will snaps out of his trance fast. His eyes widening a little as he takes in a deep breathe looking up at the stairs to the gruesome crime scene. A woman lays there stomach open as flowers lay in it. Roses, tulips, marigolds, and forget-me-nots. They looked as if they were growing out of the woman. The golden blood that dripped down from the woman falls onto the stairs as bones from her body litter the stairwell making it seem like the bones were trying to lead you to the main attraction. " what Jack? " Will sighs and turns away from the scene in front of him. Usually he wouldn't be effected by any of this but as of lately he felt like it was getting at him.
" what did you see? You were under for a long time that means you saw a enough" Jack, who was Wills boss stood beside the man looking up at the scene on the stairs. Jack was the head of the " Royal FBI Unit" it was a Unit ran by the king to make sure craziness didn't go around in the kingdom to much but there was other reasons for this Unit as well " what's our killer like? What type of crazy? "
" A person of art " Will finally said and turns back to the scene making sure he made room for other agents to start a proper investigation " their smart, educated, and someone that sees society differently"
" so their an educated sociopath that likes art? That narrows it down greatly Will" Jack rolled his eyes and frowns " that won't get us no where!
" their different! " Will shouted " this person knows what they want so badly...they want to find their swan! Their.... their needle in the haystack! They see society as pigs and among those pigs is a beautiful swan and they want it....they want to find it and make it there final artwork...they want their swan...
" and they clearly have not found it then " Jack mumbled as he grabs out his phone " which means there will be another killing soon until they find a swan... what do they think their swan will be like? What do they look for in a swan?
" I don't know " that's what confused Will...what did this person want in a swan? This person was educated and clearly loved art. " maybe someone that is on their level? Maybe someone that can be an equal to them"
" an equal? So they can kill their equal? That doesn't make sense Will " Jack puts his phone away " doesn't matter will talk about this more later. I expect to see you at the kings party tonight. Don't disappoint me Will" Jack turns away shouting orders to get the body taken care of and out of the stairs by dusk
Will felt a surge of annoyance go through him but he held his tongue. He knew talking back to Jack was like poking a already angry lion. Will just nods and walked away from the scene. He hated parties more then anything in the world. Parties ment he had to socialize and that was something Will never wanted to do. He rather be home with his dogs while he ate dinner and watched a fishing show. Though life was never that kind to Will because once he got home he went to get ready for this party.
The party was said to be held by the king every few years. The Kings name was Verger and he was known to be somewhat not fully in the head. Though Will never said anything about it because he knew the kings eyes and ears were everywhere. One word about him and he could be killed and Will rather liked living.
As Will stood near the mirror he looked at himself. He found the only suit he had in his closet which you could tell was a little old but it did the job. He pushed back his hair a little making sure his brown curly hair looked decent " just make it through 4 hours and then I can go home " Will mumbled and felt a rub at his leg. He looked down and smiled softly looking at his beloved dog Winston " sorry boy " he pat Winston gently " I'll be back soon just hang in there " he pulled away and grabbed his phone. He walked out of his home walking off to the castle which was deep in the city. God will already hated this but he walked down the cobble stone road and moved aside when drunks walked about or when a horse was rushing down the road.
The trip was long but when Will got to the castle gates he showed his invitation to the guards
" this is old " one of the guards said
" it's the wrong date as well" another said " you can't come in"
Will frowns and looks at the invitation confused " what do you mean? I got an invitation from the king to be here. I'm part of the " Royal FBI Unit" I have a right to be here " Will would have not fought if he wasn't surrounded by other people dressed far to fancy then he was. He felt like a sore thumb sticking out in a crowd of beautiful well dressed people. Will grumbled as he looked at the invitation and saw that he had brought the wrong one. Of course he did! He was a fool after all! He should have doubled checked! " you have my word that I was invited! If I go home now I'll be back here late and you won't be accepting guest at that time anymore! Please " he said softly and didn't want to hear Jack yelling at him like some stupid fool!
" we can't let you in unless you have the right invitation. You'll have to step out the line now sir. Or will have to force you" the guard said and moved his hand down to his sword. Will felt his heart drop a little at the movement of the guards hand. He was about to say something when he heard galloping. Will turns around just in time for a beautiful black carriage to pull up. Though the carriage when it stopped with a sudden jerk made mud splash onto Wills pants. Wills eyes widen in horror as he stood there looking at his now dirty pants. I mean the suit and pants was already so old but fucking hell that doesn't mean he wanted it to be completely ruined! " damn it! " Will backs up and crumbled the invitation in his hands. His had about enough of this night that was for sure. Will looked up at the carriage seeing the beautiful black and white horses and small statues of angels on the very top of the carriage. Whoever was in there must be some snob and will didn't feel like dealing with them. He turns away but before he could fully leave he heard the door open to the carriage and a voice with a heavy accent speak
" excuse me, I'm terriblely sorry for what happened"
Will stopped dead in his tracks and turns around looking over and seeing a well dressed man. A dark red suit with a small back flower in the suit pocket. The man's blond hair almost looking gray was neatly pushed back and his eyes were so beautiful Will had to do a double take .... i mean he hated looking at eyes so he quickly looked away " ....it's fine... I was just leaving anyway "
" no no no that won't do. You're here for the party yes? And I dirty you suit... let me help you. It would be my way of showing how sorry I am " The man smiled softly " come get inside the carriage and once we're inside the castle you can go to my personal room and look for a suit in there "
Will couldn't believe what he was hearing " suit? ... no no that won't be needed and I don't think we're the same sizes... I'll just head h-"
" I Insist " the man smiled a little more " my ex husband left all his suits in my room and you seem about his sizes so no problem there" the man looked at his pocket watch " we best be going soon or will both be late. The king does hate when people are late to his party " and with that the man sat back down inside his carriage and Will had no other choice but to go into the carriage. What confused him was why weren't the guards stopping him like before? Something was off but Will said nothing as he steps into the carriage. Inside was lavished. The seats were soft to the touch and Will felt a little bad having to be the one to sit on such beautiful things. When the door closed he gulped and smelled the soft scent of perfume. It was lovely to the nose. Now being completely alone with this strange man made Will a little nervous but he didn't show " thank you "
" no need to thank me " the man hums and crossed his legs as he looks right at Will. Will darted his eyes away.
" not a fan of eye contact are you? "
" I don't mean to be rude sir... eyes are distracting to me that's all. It's better not to look into them " that was true but also he always saw something in people's eyes that unsettled him.
" I see eye contact as something beautiful " the man taps his fingers against his knee " you know someone better "
The carriage came to a stop and the door opens " I'll see you soon. My room is to the east wing. " he looks at a servant " lead the man to my room " he turns to Will and takes his hand placing a kiss to the fingers tips " a pleasure to meet you " he whispers " I forgot to give you my name. How rude of me I'm sorry" he moves his lips away from Wills finger tips. Wills whole body shivering at the touch. Dear God this man would be the death of him " i'm Hannibal Lector" the man who is now known as Hannibal said
Will felt his mouth go dry but he moves his hand away from the gloved hands and gave a nervous smile " Will Graham " and with that he gets out the carriage fast leaving Hannibal behind as he followed the servant. Will could feel the eyes of Hannibal on him as he walked away and it gave him goosebumps. Though why did Hannibals name ring a bell in his mind? As if his heard or even seen the name before.
..........
Hannibal's room was beautiful and spacious. Who even was this man after all? To have his own room in the castle. He had to be someone important. Will stood in front of the mirror looking at his new suit. It fit like a glove completely on him. It was a dark blue suit and soft to the touch. It was made of silk " gosh.... someone like me shouldn't have something like this on...whoever was this man's husband must be missing out to leave all this behind " will grumbled and looked around the room. Not much of personal things in it expect a few books and maps. Other then that there was nothing else that caught Wills eyes.
.............
The party was in full swing as Will entered through the doors. He frowns at all the high and mighty people around him. All dressed nicely and even though Will was dressed up nicely he still felt like a sore thumb. Though Will knew better then to state that. Will looked around some more spotting the king sitting at his throne with servents and slaves attending to him. The music that was playing was gentle and soft as people slowed waltzed around him. Will made his way to the wine area and only stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He felt his skin crawl at the touch and he turns around to see Jack " oh its you " Will sighs and steps back a little
" you're late " Jack held his glass of wine in his hand " you're lucky the king didn't see " he added and turns away " I'm glad you're here though...that's a nice suit too Will, where did you get that?
" a... friend of mine " Will said softly and takes a glass of wine off of the table as he stood beside Jack watching everyone. It was a comfortable silence but after a good 20 mins it broke by the loud sounds of trumpets. That could only mean one damn thing.... the king was about to speak. Will mentally prepared himself as he looked over to King Verger.
King Verger had on a dark purple suit as he stood up tall smiling brightly. " welcome all! To our beautiful party! I welcome all and i say thank you all for coming to spend time with me and my fellow family members! This is grand Ole time we all are having and I just wish to say a few things before we enjoy our night! I wish to first thank my family for being here, I want to thank my beautiful subjects for being here too and now I want to thank my soldiers and fellow army men! As we all know war has stricken our kingdom for years now! Because of our dear red brothers who wish to live without us! But we won't allow them. Our red brothers and sisters need a helping hand they need to be taking care of and used to obey all orders. That's what God put them on earth for after all. They can't win against us~ no one can with our golden blood we are blessed by the gods and blessed to have powers " Verger smiled widely as he raised his glass. People all around will lifted their glass smiling back " we are the higher ones after all. But I can't forget to thank one man who makes the reds shake in fear and that is our dear Warlord.... Hannibal Lector"
Will went cold and he almost dropped his glass. He held it tightly fast to make sure it didn't fall. Hannibal Lector? .... that's why the man's name sounded so familiar...that man was the man to lead the Royal army against the reds..... that man was feared.... and Will knew it because he once lived outside the kingdoms walls. He was a red too... a red was someone that had red blood. They were seen as lower beings and the golds were seen as higher then them because they had golden blood. With golden blood came powers and almost all of the golden population had powers. This world...this kingdom and all kingdoms around were ruled by the color of your blood. Society itself was ruled by the color of your blood. That's why will was always carful because he was a red living as a gold to try to make a better life for himself. If he was found out he could be killed... this was dangerous too now that he has spoken to the warlord himself. The warlord that had millions of red bloods lives on his hands. This war was brutal and the golds were winning...
" no need to thank me your majesty" Will was snapped out of his shock and his eyes fall onto Hannibal " I'm only doing what is good for our kingdom and as you said. Our beautiful red brothers and sisters... the war soon will be over and we will all live in peace once again. I have a very old fashion mind set. I think the reds should stay under us like it's been for centuries...I also think we should take care of them " Hannibal lifted his drink up " soon the war will come to an end and after the battles are all faught we will all drink again to a peaceful world " he smiled and slowly lowered the cup as he drinks from it
Everyone else cheered and did the same drinking from the cup except Will. His hand was shaking just a little as he looked down at his glass. He was in the lions den... worse then before because why did he feel like Hannibals eyes were on him and watching him...as if he was the man's next feast
(( here is the description of the story
Will Graham works for the " Royal FBI Unit" and has always had a special mind that thinks further then a normal mind. Wills life has always been 1 dimensional but that all changes when he meets warlord Hannibal Lector. Now Will needs to be carful and in a world run by the color of your blood things start to take a change for the worse.
what will happen? and is Will going to be able to handle the man called Hannibal Lector.
I will also say that this story has modern stuff in it but it also takes place in a Victorian England type setting but I wanted to add in some of our modern day technology. ))
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licking eyeballs for erotic gratification
i dont wear them often but i have contacts and this is horrifying. i demand a fic of him licking your eyeballs only for your contact to fall out
Everyone stand back! I'm going to try writing crack and that can only end poorly (because I do not have a whimsical bone in my body).
Tags: Andrealphus x MC, Badly written crack, eye licking, mentions of spitting in mouths, MC swears
"That sounds absolutely disgusting," you deadpanned when he asked you if he could lick your eyeball. "Do you know how many germs are in a mouth? Do you know how much germs want to get into my body through all my orifices? Why would I make it easy for them? Plus, I don't want a close up view of what you ate for lunch."
"I literally spat in your mouth the other day. You swallowed it."
"Yeah, but that's hot. Especially when you called me a filthy whore."
He sighed. "You really are related to him."
No need to play the pronoun game on that one, because him could only ever refer to one person in that context.
"Yo, leave my grandpa and/or past life out of this. Our kinks are between us," you wagged your finger quickly between him and you, "and there is no faster mood killer than thinking about your (very distantly related) grandparents judging you from beyond the grave." Except Solomon would probably be proud of you for being able to still get it. He was a bigger horndog than even you were.
"I won't force you, so if you don't want to-"
"Oh no. I'll do it. It just sounds disgusting." You emphasized the final word in a way that made it sound more like disgoosting.
You took his hand and pulled it against your cheek so he could feel where you were. You let his thumb brush against your bottom eyelid so he could get a feel for the structure of your face. He used his pointer and middle finger to pull at your eyelids and force them to stay open. Then, he leaned in.
When he was close like this, you could actually smell how much he reeked. Well, it wasn't him so much as it was the dead things littering his clothing. The wing on his back needed to be replaced soon because the muscles and flesh were clearly starting to go bad. Plus, there was just... so much blood that tickled your senses and made you grimace.
But you let him get closer anyway and watched as his tongue lulled out of his mouth like some kind of fat, slimy, pink worm. You instinctually wanted to blink, but only one eye closed while the other was forced to keep watching as the tip of his tongue finally made contact.
You had no idea what a tongue against your eyeball was supposed to feel like, but it reminded you of a sponge scraping against a plastic dish. Honestly, it felt like something was rubbing against your cornea and was really uncomfortable.
"Okay. That's enough," you finally said when you couldn't take it anymore.
He huffed and hummed before drawing back. When he was far enough away, you realized something concerning.
"Oh shit! You're blurry." You looked around the room, taking in the half-crisp, half-fuzzy edges of the furniture. "Scratch that. Everything is blurry."
Andrealphus chewed something in his mouth for a moment, swishing it back and forth before sticking his fingers in his mouth and pulling out a small, clear, circular piece of plastic. He squished the thing between his fingers as he faced forward blankly.
"I have no idea what this is."
"That, my sweet Andrealphus, is called a contact lens and explains why I can't see shit right now." You took the contact from him, staring down at it still glistening with saliva. "I am not putting this back in." In fact, you would probably get a new pair altogether.
"Here." You grabbed his hand, put the contact into his palm, and closed his fingers around it. "You can keep it."
"And what am I supposed to do with it?"
"I dunno, but I don't want it."
"Truly you are the spirit of generosity," he said with no expression on his face or in his voice whatsoever.
"Was that sarcasm?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Even though he was still speaking bluntly, it was clear that he was pouting in his own special way.
"Oh, don't be like that." You grabbed the hand you hadn't put the contact in and put it against your face so he could feel your smile. "I love it when you're having fun. Won't you smile for me? Please? You're so handsome when you smile."
"You're incorrigible." But he chuckled and gave a small smile anyway. Very small. Nearly microscopic.
"There it is." You leaned into him and planted a kiss against the side of his mouth. "Your kink is weird though."
"So is yours."
"Yeeeeah. I know."
But he indulged you anyway, just like you would him... as long as you remembered to take the contacts out first.
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