#i hope it doesn't suck^^'

[bloxpen]

Yo dawg, is it chill if I request a Survior!reader x shedletsky (forsaken) thingy? Can either be headcanons or a short story(ANGST if possible)

Reader tends to keep to themselves and sometimes lashes out. They also sometimes finds Shedletsky annoying.

sure thing! thanks for the request B) hope you like! i'm so rusty, this is the first thing i've written in forever, LOL.

forsaken!shedletsky x reader (who keeps to themself & find him kinda annoying) headcanons

note: reader is written to be gender neutral/of unspecified gender

content warnings: n/a, i think, but brief mention of reader lashing out at him that's sorted out pretty quickly

i think his immediate reaction to a somewhat introverted reader is "you know, i think they just need to meet the right person to help them get out of their shell!"

you are absolutely no exception. he takes your irritation as a challenge, almost

especially considering the circumstance, he sees it to be his responsibility to try to "help" you. because he's convinced that you have a problem (struggles to understand that you're just not inclined to be social), and worries about how it affects not just you, but the survivor team as a whole

in the downtime between rounds, at the cabin, he goes out of his way to seek you out wherever you are

trying to sit by yourself in the corner? well, shedletsky's here now!

oh, trying to sit outside by yourself? wow, what a surprise, shedletsky just so happened to be checking out behind the cabin by total coincidence! (/sarcasm)

he's kind of convinced you don't actually find him annoying, more so you're putting up a front to try to push him away

after a particularly bad round, you try to find some time for yourself to just sit and think out behind the cabin, lamely picking at the grass and pulling it out of the ground

and — like a dog, almost — he comes and seeks you out

he opens his mouth to make a stupid quip (because he always does, because he's shedletsky, and he always has to lighten the mood and can't just let things be)

but you beat him to the punch

you snip at him and tell him, straight to his face, that sometimes you think he's the most annoying man to have ever walked robloxia

okay. wow. ouch

he instantly recoils and just kind of stares at you. you can practically see the cogs turning in his head

his ego immediately clashes with his concern, and for once he's not really sure what to say, so he just kind of.. stares at you. quietly

you've snapped at him before, sure, but never like that. never so viscerally

his shock kind of startles you out if your fit of irritation. you immediately go to apologize; that you just aren't doing well, and you didn't mean to lash at him like that

but before you can say anything he walks closer, and takes a seat on the ground next to you

"so i'm a bit much sometimes?" he asks, a note of concern to his voice, looking up at the stars.

you give a small nod.

and shedletsky just nods in kind. "y'know, i guess i can try to tone it down a bit." he looks at you from the corner of his eye, a smile finding its way onto his face. "if it's you, i mean."

[luna-loveboop]

Time. Worried about Wars.

Time. Worried about Wars. Time is worried about Wars- Time has to be so freaking scared for Wars I-

Warriors is going into his first dungeon which has challenges for how he should deal with it, and Time is stressed. Ima rant about it

At this point (update Entrance) Time is obviously... well, terrified. His concern for mr. stubborn after his injury is obvious and he wants to make sure it does not happen again

And his concerns are valid- they are all now painfully aware of their lack of skills in working as a team. And they are heading into a dungeon- where that instantly results in stuff like this lol

And then Wars openly says that he has never done this before

The group is obviously uhh concerned that he hasn't done this or had any dungeon experience

'No dungeon experience?' / 'Has he even seen certain monsters before?'

Time wanted to stay in a group for safety- but they have to split up. Dungeons are cramped and messy and small, and Wars is used to fighting on a battlefield - not this sort of setting

And they still joke around about it- and Wars instantly starts analyzing.

'Tell me. Give me the intel' / 'This isn't practical'

Honestly Wars' response to this is pretty cool- it's totally in line with who he is as a captain and hero. He instantly starts thinking about it and treating it as a different type of battlefield to figure out strategy. Also I think it's pretty cute that he said 'intel' even if he's grumpy about asking the others for advice and what a wallmaster is

Wars can handle it and learn what a dungeon's like- I think it'll be fun to see him go through his first dungeon :D

But. He's still never done a dungeon before. It will be interesting to see how that develops in this arc... and let's not forget he's pissed the shadow and his emo sword off before. This isn't where he fights best and Wars is particularly vulnerable in a major way.

Time was already stressed about mr. stubborn Twilight, but hearing that the captain, that Warriors isn't prepared for this is. Extra scary. I just think he must be really concerned for him- for all of them. And now mr. reliable is in a learning position and not a leading one

Their faces fjdkfsjdksjsk

But these are his boys and he'll have to trust that they'll be ok. Therefore I think this was Time's thinking:

Time, thinking: "Dungeon. A dungeon oh this is dangerous- no one can get hurt-"

Wars: "can't say I've really been in one"

Time, absolutely sobbing internally: "YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE THE RELIABLE ONE"

.

Art by @linkeduniverse au :))

:)

Hey, don't worry too much about it I'm sure it'll be fine :) (mostly)

[itsallaboutbl]

Love In The Big City (2024)

[gray-thistleclan]

THE FIRST DEATH p1

[sanasanakun]

People try too hard to make Curly an active participant in Jimmy's abuse. Isn't the whole point that he's passive in everything Jimmy does? Abuse occurs because he actively doesn't do anything? Not to call someone out or be mean, but I saw a post saying Anya's ID being in Curly's locker at the beginning shows that he intended to prevent Anya from filing an HR report and I disagree. I get where that interpretation is coming from, but I think it's a little uncharitable. I don't like being too kind to Curly because he's like...a morally mid dude at best lol But if we're going by the HR report interpretation, I would say it's more likely he requested Anya's ID in order to file an HR report on her behalf. After all, the only way to contact Pony (that we see) is in the cockpit, he's the Captain, and Pony Express sucks bad so I wouldn't put it past them to only allow the Captain to use the communication device thing. As we see before, Curly is the only one able to use tools around the ship that you would think other employees could use (ex. Swansea should be able to use the axe if he's the repair guy. Idk why they'd need an ax but that falls under manual labor which Swansea is designated for as the mechanic/fixer dude. But it has to go through Curly). I never got the vibe that Curly moved to actively protect Jimmy. He just lets things happen without say a word; Jimmy walks all over him, and by extension, the whole crew. I get why people would think that because he gives the whole "Hey Jimmy, we can get through this together, bud" spiel right before the crash. This part interests me a lot because there's so many ways to interpret Curly's intentions there. My interpretation is that Curly is on autopilot mode. The responses seem so stilted in comparison to Jimmy's. Like it's the kind of thing Curly's said before again and again and again when Jimmy's gotten in trouble. However, as others previously pointed out, I don't think Curly ever dealt with Jimmy doing something this irredeemable. He doesn't know how to respond, so he just goes for the default "You've gotten through tough situations before. Work through it one step at a time." Like the response is lame af lol I think he was in shock; he was scared (and just so I can say it one more time: he's super lame).

Anyway, this is way longer than I intended and I've said things a billion people have already stated. But uhhh tldr the whole point of Curly's character is he's passive; he never acts. He just watches. Making him an active participant in the abuse by taking actions to cover for Jimmy (like preventing Anya from filing an HR report) defeats the purpose of his character. He's a bystander.

[kneelingshadowsalome]

Love your work ♡♡♡

I was thinking about a bull hybrid könig with a cow hybrid reader... (let's be clear not furries lol)

They both live at a farm and könig can't interact with the cute cow girls cause the farmers are worried he'll loose control and breed them all, so he can only look at them from his stable while they frolick in the fields, fisting his cock while he watches them giggle..

But then, good news! The farmers decide they want new calves, so one day könig wakes up and instead of being all alone like usual he finds his dream girl besides him, shyly telling him that she's there to be bred (bonus points if she's a virgin)

CW: my humble attempt at hybrids lol... big chested reader, (forced) breeding, voyeurism/third party watching, dubcon from both sides, fluff if you squint. 18+ MINORS DNI

The first thing König sees is her smile and bright eyes, long lashes that are cast down the second he manages to make her flustered with his stare. They’re both naked – he because he likes to sleep naked, she because… well, he doesn’t have a clue why. But his cock embarrassingly shoots up when he sees her breasts, large enough to provide milk for an entire array of babies if need be.

To his knowledge, no one has been allowed to breed his beautiful cows. He calls them his, even if he’s never seen them close, his lovely, calm women who love to bask in the sun and sometimes chase each other on the field of greenery. He likes to think they play pretend that a bull like him was chasing them, a cattle he’s trying to mount, because they giggle and run as if it was the greatest fun to be chased around in the fields.

And there’s no way they haven’t seen him watching them from his pen. It’s triple fenced to keep him from bursting out and breeding every single cow he gets under him, and they're right to be afraid because his cock is always swollen and leaking, pushing forwards and up to deliver his seed deep inside a waiting womb.

But right now, he doesn’t have to chase or fist his angry cock at the sight of the giggling women clearly in need of a good, hard dicking. Right now, he gets to examine this demure, naked girl right in front of him, clasping her hands in front of her from shyness, round breasts squishing adorably together as she does that.

The conversation that follows is intoxicating and perverse – she asks if she can touch his… that. Nodding to the dangerous sight that is his towering, twitching cock, he’s proud to present it to her fully. It’s leaking and jutting up in all its glory, and it’s only natural that she’s intrigued. He agrees on one condition: she can fondle his cock all she wants if he gets to massage her teats in return...

She looks helpless for a while, but nods eventually, taking a soft step forward. Soon, he feels a soft hand around his girth, running up and down his veined, bumpy length. There comes some hushed, adoring comments about how huge he is, and more precum leaks out, but he can’t even return the compliments, fixated on her breasts as he is. They’re heavy and plump but don’t lactate which means she has never been bred. He even tries to suck them to confirm this is the cause, making her shudder and cry from how fiercely he tries to suck and tug at both her nipples.

This crusade only ends in him spilling too soon, with sudden, thick spurts that make her yelp again from surprise. She’s holding his long pale cock in her hand, staring at the cum shooting out from the tip with wide eyes and a dropped jaw.

These cows are such simple creatures, innocent and a little dumb, soft and carefree in their naivety. But he’s more disappointed with himself, wasting perfectly good seed just from a few licks and sucks at her jugs.

“That was not supposed to happen,” he grunts when she’s still staring at his throbbing cock like it’s the most amazing thing she's ever seen.

“Oh,” she whispers. “What was supposed to happen then…?’

He looks up at his silly, simple cow, and smiles darkly.

“All of that was supposed to go inside you.”

Her big, wide eyes blink, long lashes bat slowly and consistently from horror and awe.

That’s when the master of the farm barges in, stares at the scene for a moment, and then starts to yell at them.

He left them alone for a few minutes and there’s already wasted semen on the floor??

The cow is yanked away from him, her tits swollen, red and heavy from his mouth. His cock never refuses to land, it only stands up, knowing there will be more action soon to come.

The farmer complains about how much money he paid for a big breeding bull like König, only to have his stupid cow milk all the seed on the floor. They both get yelled at, called stupid and useless, and the poor, helpless girl is told to get on her knees for the bull.

He’s presented with something even better than a pair of big, round tits – he can’t even begin to get angry at the nasty pervert of a farmer. He simply can’t because his adorable meek cow is perfect, absolutely perfect, with her throbbing hole up in the air like this. It’s swollen and glossy, making his cock jerk and bounce with urgency, and the mounting happens without him even thinking about it.

The farmer sighs when he sees his bull’s first attempts at breeding. Scoffs and waves his hand in the air as König probes and prods with his cock for far too long, trying to hit the right hole while the girl is whimpering from fear and want under his heavy weight. His already seed-covered cock finally slips in, and the poor thing under him screams and shudders.

He barely remembers anything after that.

It’s both a nightmare and the most beautiful dream he’s ever had, finally getting to mount and breed a wanton cow. The mating is hurried and compulsive, his hips do their best to get another load of seed out as fast as possible. The girl trembles and moans under him, her big breasts bounce and jiggle with every thrust, and at some point something incredible happens.

The farmer is yelling again – he’s supposed to breed the cow, not give her an orgasm! – but he doesn’t care, he just continues to rut and huff and snort and grunt, bellowing loud and hard as his seed shoots forth.

His pretty little cow is shaking, trembling by the time he’s finished with the breeding, all his strong seed safe and plugged deep inside of her. She sniffles and pants under him, whines and sobs, whispers that it feels so good – and then she’s pulled away from him, led out of the pen, forced to leave his cock.

She barely gets to glance back at him with wet, glossy eyes, asking for his help, no, pleading for it. Those big, vulnerable, defenseless depths will haunt him forever, the love and affection in her eyes so vast that a few, tiny drops of cum push out of his cock just from that hopeless look alone.

They don’t even let him cuddle and hold her after, she’s being escorted away like the cattle that she is, and even if they brought him a hundred big breasted cows to breed he would never forget those eyes and that face.

He’s all spent, weak from breeding like his life depended on it, but these people truly underestimate the strength of a bull. He draws air through his nostrils like a tempest, and starts a riot like nothing else.

He destroys the whole pen in the process, nothing left but splinters of wood and some barely intact poles. The farmer is unrecognizable by the time he’s done, and his cow has fled further away, clearly afraid of him and his sudden unleash of power.

But she doesn’t flee when he goes to her.

No: her lips are pressed tightly together, her eyes still wide with awe and wonder, but she doesn’t run away like most scared cattle would do. She’s his now, and she knows it, only awaits for advice on where to go next. She will follow him wherever he goes, like a wild beast who knows her mate will keep her safe and lead her to abundant pastures: somewhere far away where their offspring can live a good, free life.

[crownpastelyellow]

Hi I wrote something based on @chlmngo art from the most recent magma (go post it buddy 👀👀) EVERYONE GO LOOK AT IT

Skizz's Poker vod really did it to us

Pairing: Tango/Skizz

Cw: handjob, voyeurism, probable poker inaccuracies

NSFW under the cut

https://archiveofourown.org/works/63236437

A losing hand

Tango got invited to Doc's poker tournament a few weeks ago and how could he say no? His love for the game and interest in actually seeing how this place works have built up a certain excitement in him. 

He's only seen the place once, briefly and he doesn't even quite remember what it was but something peeved him. Maybe he just had a bad day. So with a shrug and plenty of anticipation, Tango accepts the invitation. 

Over the next weeks he makes sure his suit is all ready and freshly cleaned from the last time he wore it on a little vacation. 

When the day finally arrives, Tango gets himself ready, shaving off some unruly bits of his scruffy beard, making sure he feels nice and comfortable in his suit. He normally isn't one for fancy clothing but there's always an occasion where one might need one. And he can't deny that the burgundy suits him surprisingly well. 

Most days Tango doesn't care much about what he wears, it's more about the practicality, but for tonight, confidence is key. How else would a good poker face work, if he wasn't comfortable and confident? 

So he arrives at the scene and chats a bit to his friends, or for tonight, his opponents. Of course it is all lighthearted fun but beneath all that, it's still a tournament and each and every one of them is just a little competitive at the least. Some more so than others. 

After a few minutes they head inside and Tango can't help but be impressed by the place Doc created beneath the shopping district. Part gentlemen's club, part speakeasy, with a fancy poker table in the middle. 

As they talk about the rules, Ren sits down at the head of the table, taking a new deck fresh out of the packaging, shuffling it back and forth as Doc goes over the rules, suggesting they do a trial run so everyone can understand how the redstone mechanics influence the game. 

Everyone takes a seat, Tango sitting at a smaller end of the table, both diagonally from Beef and Skizz. 

The chair is comfortable and Tango feels ready and excited. 

So when Ren presses the button to start their test round, everyone gets their cards. Everyone, besides Tango of course. The universe just favors him like that. 

He grumbles something about "faulty redstone, huh?", giving Doc a look of understanding and mischief, when Skizz interrupts. "Come here, Top, got a seat free right here!" Skizz waves him over. 

Internally Tango groans and his expression must have matched that because Skizz immediately keeps going "Don't you dare make that face at me. Come on, you love sitting next to me" with the brightest grin on his face.

So Tango pushes his chair back, leaving the faulty seat behind and walking around the table to sit down right between Skizz and Wels, who joined them just a minute ago. Before he even gets there, Skizz already pulled out the free chair for him, patting the seat patiently. Tango can only shake his head, what is he, a dog? Still he can't help the smile as he sits down. "Here, happy now?" he looks up at Skizz with a smirk on his face that gets replaced by a small gasp as Skizz pushes the chair, now with Tango on it, forwards, towards the table. 

He's definitely sitting quite a bit closer to Skizz than to Wels but no one is saying anything and at this point it would feel rude to just scoot away from his friend so Tango decides to do what he often does - and just lives with it. 

Before the first round starts, Skizz laughs and puts an arm on the back of Tango's chair, brushing slightly against his tail that immediately gives way, curling around Tango's own ankle, a reflex to make sure no one ever steps on it. Skizz leans over and tauntingly offer his own seat and when Tango declines he can see a triumphant smirk spread on Skizz's face "No I got position on you", causing Tango to only shake his head. 

The first rounds go by ever so uneventfully. Tango tries to push his luck but, most of the time, it just isn't on his side, his cards varying from trash to moderately decent as he slowly goes through his diamonds. Folding round after round, while Skizz next to him keeps mumbling about his strategy, trying to analyze what cards everyone has. It's quiet enough that no one else can hear, except for Tango, who at this point is only a few inches off from already sitting on Skizz's lap. 

"You wanna share that with the rest of the class, or...?" Tango tries to tease him but before he even gets any response, Skizz starts cheering. He won the pot, and it was a good one. 

"What was that, Top?" Skizz asks so self assured, pulling Tango's chair just a little bit closer. The soft carpet of the floor muffles the sound and Ren dealing out the next round has everyone's focus drawn away from them so nobody notices. 

Nobody notices either, how Tango tenses up, when Skizz's broad hand suddenly rests on his left thigh. 

For a moment Tango thinks it's just an accidental touch but it lingers. How does Skizz always manage to feel so warm against his skin, he's supposed to be the warm one... 

Tango gives Skizz a glance, still fumbling for anything to say when Skizz leans forward and pushes his own bet towards the middle, playing like nothing is happening, while Tango is slowly suffering. 

But this is fine. Skizz is just being Skizz, trying to distract him, to make him lose focus. 

So Tango tries his best to stay focused on the game, paying attention to the other players and the cards Ren deals and uncovers. 

In any other circumstances Tango prides himself in being good at this, he's good at math, the probabilities behind it all and his own poker face comes from years of practice, no matter what Skizz says. 

But of course Skizz has a way of turning this around for himself. 

It's Tango's turn, he looks at the three cards that are already in the middle, red eyes scanning the bet Joe placed, the cards Wels put in the middle, that Ren just picked up. Another glance at the two cards face down in front of him and Tango only notices it a few moments after Skizz's hand starts moving, but his hand is clearly on his crotch now. 

Very much distracted, unable to even process what his own cards are, Tango quickly says "Check" before the attention lingers on him for too long, not wanting anyone to see the way he flushes. 

Skizz checks too, as if his hand, broad and warm, wasn't just groping Tango under the table, so close to their friends. During a tournament. 

During Beef's turn, Tango looks up at Skizz. "What are you doing?" he whispers, trying to stay quiet, trying to keep his voice even but it wavers. 

Across the table Joe says "Look, they're conspiring" much to the amusement of everyone else. They don't know, do they? 

"It's all good, just giving Tango here some tips since he clearly needs them right now" Skizz laughs it off and now Tango is glaring at him. 

Fine, two can play at this game. 

Tango plants his, notably smaller, hand on Skizz's thigh, and one glance beneath the table shows Tango the difference of the hand that's slowly undoing his fly, as if it were the most normal thing to do right now. 

One sharp inhale, then another, Skizz shouldn't be this good at unbuttoning the pants of his suit while still applying just the right amount of pressure, causing Tango to forget all parts of his plan, till Skizz nudges him with his elbow. "Your turn, Top." 

Already? Tango hasn't even paid attention to the cards in the middle, to who folded and who raised. He'll just check, not having the spare thoughts right now to figure out what his best move would be. "Bold move" comments Skizz, who folds, sliding the cards towards Ren. 

Tango's grip tightens on Skizz, by now only trying to hold on, to steady himself. He doesn't even care that he just lost another round, more diamonds than necessary going to Beef. 

But how is he supposed to focus on that when Skizz fumbles with his shorts, exposing his already painfully hard member. His heart is pounding in his chest, what is Skizz doing? A bit of panic rises up inside him.

This has gone past just a bit, a way for Skizz to distract Tango, something that could be easily brushed off should any of their friends notice. 

And yet, the panic makes Tango twitch as he tries to calm his breathing.

Trying to gain some distance and hopefully some sense alongside it, he tries to angle his legs away from Skizz, but he's sitting too close to actually make much of a difference. 

But the worst part of it all? Right now, Skizz just has his hand resting on the inside of Tango's thigh and it feels like it's burning a handprint into his skin. Why is he playing games and not just touching him?

Tango closes his eyes, just for a moment when he hears Wels beside him clear his throat. "Uhm, I can see Tango's... Cards like this" he admits. 

The table is a bit crowded and of course immediately an accusation of cheating is thrown into the round but with the look Wels gives Tango, it's clear that he's not just talking about the game. 

Skizz's hand finally moves up, brushing over Tango's member for a moment as he takes "Well, just don't look, how about that? Gentlemen's rules, right?" Tango can hear Skizz's grin, doesn't even need to see his handsome face for it. 

"He can just scoot up a bit more," Skizz pulls Tango's chair another bit closer with his free hand, the other wrapping around his hard shaft, "and I, for one can keep my eyes up here"

Everyone reacts with amusement, and Tango chuckles along, the sound airy as he tries to send Wels an apologetic glance, but the blonde isn't looking towards him anymore. 

But Tango doesn't get to think about the consequences of that interaction for long because Skizz's hand starts moving. Slowly, nearly painfully so, but by this point Tango has been craving anything, his tail rising up slightly, involuntarily, in response.

It somehow ends up being Tango's turn again and it this point, Skizz’s hand is wrapped in a loose fist around Tango, pumping up and down, and he can't focus anymore. On the game or on the people around him. He lets a gasp slip and immediately several eyes are on him but it doesn't interrupt whoevers turn it was so he just clears just throat "sorry... The cough" and it's technically not even a lie. 

"You're up" someone - Tango can't pay attention to who - says and Tango hasn't even looked at his cards, he just folds. Next to him, he hears Skizz giggle. 

Of course Tango is still trying to hide what's happening but he's quite sure he's not doing a very good job. He feels himself pant, his breaths heavy, lips slightly parted. In an attempt to shut his mouth, to stop any more needy noises from coming out, he bites down onto his lips with his sharp teeth. 

They might notice but at this point Tango is past caring, his hip bucking up to meet Skizz's movements halfway. 

Unable to even pay a bit of attention, Tango keeps losing round after round after round. Skizz picks up the pace after every loss, occasionally squeezing Tango every few seconds for a whole round.

Tango doesn't even need to look down to know that he's spilling precum over Skizz's hand, over himself and some probably also on the pants of his suit. But those are all problems for later. 

Again it is his turn and Tango notices that he's down to his last few diamonds. He at least has half a mind to check his cards even if it takes him a little bit too long to truly register what it says. Not that it matters if he keeps trying not to tremble, not to buck into the hand wrapped around him. 

Skizz must have realized Tango's situation because the pace of his arm crawls to a halt, just a gentle squeeze that nearly makes Tango cum on the spot. Skizz is encouraging him, encouraging the risk. At this point, Tango might do anything just so he moves his fist again. 

"All in." Tango's trying to keep his voice as steady as possible. This definitely raised some eyebrows but Tango accepted that at this point he's lost. 

But at least Skizz's warm hand rewards him for it. He doesn't even hear what Skizz does next, as he feels his orgasm crash over him. 

It takes all of Tango to not groan or, even worse, whimper, at the table as he feels hot, sticky release dribble all over Skizz's hand and down his shaft. Some definitely also landed on his clothes.

While Tango is still catching his breath he can hear Skizz chuckle beside him, pulling the whole pot close to himself. 

And seemingly just to rub it in, his other hand smears Tango's cum off on his pants. He sends Skizz a glare that doesn't quite carry the bite it's supposed to, but enough to get the message across because he hears Skizz laugh, finally having both hands on the table again. 

Tango uses the rest of that round to catch his breath and to discreetly pack himself up again. Once that's over he gets up with a shake of his head. 

"Well that's me then. Thanks for having me, Doc" he gives a small wave as he picks his suit jacket up, debating putting it on but instead opting to hold it in his hands, right over the spot where Skizz wipes his hand off. He'll need to find a way to get back at Skizz for this. 

As he turns to leave, still winded and just wanting to get out and get some fresh air he calls "Good luck everyone" before promptly taking an unfamiliar turn, clearly not the way he came in from. 

Maybe it's the hormones or his blood still pumping but he can help the too high pitched groan of "Can't find the exit" while letting out a nervous chuckle. 

In an instant, Ren is there, a hand around Tango's shoulder and a smile on his face as he leans down a slight bit while turning Tango towards a different door. "Exit is this way" and there's very clear amusement in his voice. 

Tango only manages to mutter a quiet thanks before he finally stumbles out into the shopping district again. 

[reaping-the-benefits]

There's a tiktok audio that gives off Medic!Y/N and Price vibes

Price: Realistically, do you think you and I could be lovers?

Medic!Y/N: ...There's no way

Price: I think if you worked on-

Medic!Y/N: I don't thin- Me worked?!

Price, nodding: Yeah, you gotta work on some things

M: What do I have to work on?

P: Relationships are work, everyone needs work

M: Okay.

Price: If you worked on-

M: How about the positives, wouldn't you want to list off the positives first, you're going straight to work?

P: I can list off the positives, I can list off all the positives if you want me to but we'd be here all days

M, throwing him with a pillow: You're sleeping on the couch

They've been married for five years

I had a really shitty day at work, and this made me feel better, so thank you for that. And yes, absolutely 100% this is them. They jokingly get into these silly fights to push each others buttons because it's fun.

Y/N: You don't love me.

Price: All I did was tell you that we couldn't get another cat.

Y/N: This house is a nightmare!

And then you're cuddling before bed regardless, scrolling through different pet adoption places.

(I think the only thing you're never allowed to joke about is divorce. You can joke about Price not loving you, or that you'll kill him in his sleep. But Price draws the line at divorce. He's old fashioned and marriage is sacred in his eyes.)

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

Killua and the Power of Wishes

Okay going to try and make this coherent because the amount of wish association all through Killua's character development makes me want to chew plaster.

As a fair warning, this analysis ended up being long as hell, and I didn't even include everything I could've said. This is also just one lens to analyze Killua's story arc with, and I feel there are other valid interpretations of some of these moments. This is just one of mine, so keep that in mind please.

One last warning that this analysis does discuss emotional manipulation and abuse, as is par for Killua's background.

Let's set the stage with one important piece of info: Killua's birthday.

Killua's birthday is July 7th, the same day as Tanabata. Tanabata is a folklore-rich festival where according to legend, the two lovers, weaver Orihime and cowherd Hikoboshi, represented by the two stars, Vega and Altair, are allowed to reunite once a year after separation. A popular custom of Tanabata is to make wishes by writing them down on tanzaku, then hang it on a bamboo tree so that the wish might one day come true.

Tanabata is also known as the Star Festival. Please keep this in mind, because I'm going to come back to it.

To finish setting up the lens for this analysis, I'm going to need to dig into the game-changer scene for Killua's early characterization - his confrontation with Illumi at the end of the Hunter Exam, and specifically, the exact nature of Illumi's manipulation of him.

I say "game-changer" because it really is - up until this point, it's kind of fair to not fully know what to think about Killua. Certainly, he seems excited to hang out with Gon (he approached him first, after all) and he's friendly enough, but he's also arrogant and claims to be motivated mainly by boredom. For all intents and purposes, Killua seems set up to be Gon's dangerous yet charismatic rival... but then this scene happens and it completely turns it all on its head.

Because Killua may have mentioned his family was controlling before, but he seriously downplayed the severity of it - likely because he has no point of reference for how awful his situation actually is other than it makes him feel bad and trapped. Illumi's appearance immediately shifts our understanding of Killua from runaway murder kid with annoying murder family to straight-up victim of emotional abuse, and dissolves his cockiness instantly to terror.

What does all this have to do with wishes? Glad you asked. Let's look at some of Illumi's dialogue.

[ID: A screenshot from HxH episode 20 of the 2011 anime. Killua looks up, sweating and conflicted, as Illumi tells him "You don't want anything or wish for anything." End ID.]

This is the crux of Illumi's (and the family's) control. Killua's desires do not align with the family trade. They must be excised from him.

When Killua insists that he does have something that he really wants, Illumi says "Tell me what it is you want", in a mockery of a certain other sibling who would have helped fulfill this wish - Illumi asks only so he can completely dismantle it. And Killua isn't even really surprised at Illumi's words, just heartbroken. You can tell this isn't the first time this sort of thing has happened.

Killua states his wish quite fervently; he really means it. But his words are not rebellious, nor cathartic. Instead, he answers Illumi quietly, as if fearful or ashamed, almost reminiscent of a sinner's confession.

[ID: Two screenshots from HxH episode 20 of the 2011 anime. In the first Killua looks down with a troubled expression, saying "I want to become friends with Gon...". In the second, his face is hidden as he stands with hands clenched at his sides with a spotlight on him. He says "I'm sick of killing people..." End ID.]

It's such an innocent, simple want.

And Illumi proceeds to make him feel like even something so simple is harmful and selfish of him... not to the family, but to Gon.

In a matter of a few minutes, Illumi breaks down Killua's wish by:

Acknowledging this desire, but twisting it into something that will inevitably fade over time, thereby causing Killua to doubt his own conviction and feelings -> "Gon is a novelty, a radiant presence who has piqued your curiosity. No more than that."

Acknowledging that Gon is someone important to Killua, and undermining this by telling him that by his very nature, he will eventually bring harm to Gon, which makes him feel as though Killua cannot trust himself to be a good friend -> "If you try to be friends with him, you will one day want to kill him... because you are, by nature, a murderer." (As a... delightful... bonus, this is also apparently how Silva and Illumi justify their treatment of Killua to him - "This is the essence of your existence and we taught you accordingly." Like they adapted to Killua's nature, instead of them molding Killua into who they wanted him to be.)

Delivering an ultimatum - to fight Illumi and win, or else Gon will die - that Killua is doomed to fail due to his upbringing and the needle in his head. Since Killua doesn't know about the needle, he assumes this is his own personal failure, something Illumi feeds into -> "You're just not qualified to make friends."

And it's the last point that breaks him. The first two shoot down Killua's present wish, but the last proceeds to shatter any hope he might've had of wishing for anything similar in the future - he has told him that his desires are weak, temporary, inherently dangerous to those around him, and worst of all, aren't enough on their own for him to deserve friendship and love from others. And the clincher: Killua feels like all of this is his own fault, that there is something inherently dangerous and wrong with him!

So, it doesn't even matter to Killua anymore if he fails the Hunter Exam. To him, he just failed the only test that mattered.

10/10 manipulation, Illumi. Fuck you, seriously.

Killua's character arc is mainly his quest and struggle to refute Illumi's arguments and to shake off the manipulation and the ways in which his family have molded and controlled him. And by far, the most difficult part of his conditioning to shake off is this idea that he is undeserving of anything more than what he is already given.

It's almost like the family has drilled it into him that wishes are dangerous. How interesting.

Thankfully, however, there are two parties to Killua's wish here - Gon, too, is a part of it, and it is not simply his reciprocated desire to be Killua's friend that saves him, but also his recognition of Killua's situation for what it is (notably, when no one else correctly identified the true issue).

"You know it wasn't his choice. You manipulated him, kidnapping his spirit!"

The ensuing Zoldyck family arc emphasizes that Gon is 100% correct: the main hold Killua's family has on him isn't physical - it's all emotional.

Killua breaks one of his shackles when Milluki threatens to have his new friends killed, but he only breaks the rest when Zeno tells him he's free to go. So, if Killua could break loose at any point, was this still a rescue like Gon said?

Well, yes - just because he absolutely could've broken out physically at any time, that does not mean he could just leave. That's the nature of situations such as this - it's not as simple as "just leaving". Support is necessary, as is actually having something tangible outside the situation to go to - otherwise there is little point to leaving at all. Gon (and Kurapika and Leorio) showing up to free Killua showed him that his wish was reciprocated and allowed him to break one cuff - this is the start of his journey, but he still has a long ways to go. Notably, he again hesitates and closes off when Silva asks what he wants.

[ID: Three panels from HxH chapter 42. In the first, Silva asks Killua "...would you like to see [Gon]?" Killua's expression is complicated in the next panel - he's closed off and uncertain. Silva continues "Be honest, Kil... what do you want?" End ID.]

Killua will backtalk and casually break his shackles and death glare his family... but he's too fearful to voice his wants aloud.

And once again, asked by his father what he wants, he is subtly set up to fail. His wish is granted, but made conditional - "Do not betray your friends", something Killua is regrettably set up to do by virtue of the needle in his head that he, again, doesn't know about. Silva fully expects him to fail and come back home, disillusioned, believing it's his own fault due to his "nature", and trusting in Silva still as a "reasonable" figure in his life.

This condition placed on his friendship is what drives much of Killua's fear and insecurity with regards to Gon for much of the series - the idea that Killua has to earn his right to friendship, and that if he doesn't, he will lose it, one way or another.

It really makes me wish that Killua had actually gotten to hear Gon's views on friendship from the beginning of the Zoldyck Family arc, because it entirely refutes this entire philosophy. He even outright refuses to go through the Testing Gates at first, purely because he thinks the sentiment of needing to prove yourself just to be friends is completely outrageous - he only relents because there is no other way.

[ID: Two screenshots from episodes 21 and 22 of the 2011 HxH anime adaptation. Gon looks up at Illumi and firmly states "[Killua] doesn't need to earn the right to be my friend!" In the second, Gon's face is seen in profile and close up as he asks "Why would you test your friends?" End ID.]

I doubt it would've truly prevented Killua's insecurity from manifesting even if he had heard this, to be honest - his issues with usefulness are very deep-rooted in his upbringing - but still, it would've been nice for him to hear, I think.

However, that's not to say that this exact sentiment doesn't come through in their interactions.

Gon, as Killua's friend, cares about what Killua actually wants and wants to make sure Killua knows that - and that's part of what makes the Whale Island conversation between them really important.

[ID: Two images, both of the same scene from HxH chapter 64, and episode 37 of the 2011 anime. In the manga panel, Gon has turned his head to look at Killua directly, who looks shocked and taken aback, to say "I like hanging out with you." In the anime screenshot, Gon has turned his whole body to face Killua, and says "I think it's fun to be with you." End ID.]

I see a lot of people chalk this up to just Gon being Gon, but it reads to me as much more deliberate than even his usual honesty. He's turned so he's looking directly at Killua, which is a sure way to make his words come across clearly. The lead up to this is Killua, again, not knowing or being able to vocalize what he wants. He doesn't have a goal to work towards like Gon, he only knows what he doesn't want - he's a mix of envious and admiring towards Gon, who knows what he wants and simply goes for it.

But this conversation makes it clear that they have a shared wish - they both want to be friends, and they'd both like to stay together. It's not about earning, to Gon, it's only about if they both want the same thing - mutual, not conditional. There's a nice almost call-and-response type dialogue here, where Gon asserts that he likes spending time with Killua (very directly lol), then shares that Killua is the first friend his age he's had. This prompts Killua to say that Gon is his first friend ever, and that he does have fun with him. And just like that, Gon replies "Then let's stay together!" and pointedly includes Killua's desire to find a goal in their, now shared, upcoming journey.

Overhead, a shooting star appears in the sky. A mutual wish is granted.

[ID: A panel from HxH chapter 64. The night sky is full of stars. In the centre is a shooting star. End ID.]

Hm. Stars. Remember how I told you to keep that in mind, all the way back at the beginning? Their association with Tanabata, making a wish on a shooting star, etc. etc.?

Well, buckle up because this star is going to make you experience so much sadness now.

[ID: Panels from HxH chapter 286. The first is a conversation between Killua and Meleoron where Killua asserts he intends to "go down in flames with [Gon]". When Meleoron looks concerned, Killua brushes off the declaration as a joke. In the second image, Killua is turned away, his outline pale, as Meleoron thinks "Why... did you looks so sad... back there?" The last image is a cloudy night sky filled with stars. At the centre of the panel is a shooting star. End ID.]

Yeah, it makes its reappearance directly after Killua has "jokingly" resolved to die with Gon if it comes down to it, after "since it means nothing to you".

I am assured, in Japanese, the word choice here is 心中 (shinjuu), the word for double suicide, where the intent is to die at the same time in the same manner in order to be reunited in the afterlife. The implication here is that Killua, having increasingly grown insecure in his place by Gon's side but unable to voice this, knowing that Gon is hurtling down the path of no return, thinks back to their conversation under the stars where they both mutually wished to stay together and, because he believes that it is no longer possible for him to help Gon, has resolved to stay by his side in death, and after it.

...holy shit, kid.

[ID: Two screenshots from the 4th ending of the 2011 anime. In the first, Gon and Killua stand back to back as meteors fall around them. In the second, they stand facing away from the audience towards a body of water under a night sky filled with stars - Gon throws a stone, which flashes in the air like a shooting star. End ID.]

And of course, here's the shooting star again in the 2011 anime's Nagareboshi Kirari ending, as well as it being the subject of the song itself and rather explicitly referencing that wish to go on a journey together, to stay together, because... Madhouse hates us. I guess. :'(

What started off as a simple wish for a friend deepened into a wish to always stay by Gon's side. This is largely good at first! Killua is able to explore and experience genuine friendship, to get a taste for freedom, and use the power of his fervent wish to protect his dear friend in order to rid himself of Illumi's needle. However, the more Killua wants, the more he traps these wishes in monologues within his own head and does not voice them aloud. Part of it is that he already feels he's been given much more than he deserves - seeing himself as a creature of darkness and Gon as light - but a greater part of the issue here is not that Killua is afraid to wish for things, but that he is afraid wishing without "compensation" will inevitably lead to horrible repercussions - namely, losing who he loves.

In order to feel worthy of staying with Gon, of earning his friendship, Killua works hard to help Gon achieve his goals, taking on the role of wish grantor, growing to do practically anything needed to support him for seemingly nothing in return - but that's not 100% true. Killua wants at least some appreciation, whether he admits it or not - it's a security thing, and it also clearly makes him happy, even if he's not great at accepting it. He insists in Chimera Ant arc that friends don't need to thank friends, but this declaration always read as very sudden to me or like a rationalization, and it's relevant to remember that this is at the peak of Gon isolating himself and self-destructing before his eyes, and Killua's own insecurity regarding his importance to him.

Killua might not mind doing things without thanks, but that doesn't mean he doesn't like to hear that Gon appreciates him. He clearly does appreciate verbal confirmation of their bond! We know this.

[ID: Two screenshots from the 2011 anime. The first is from episode 61. Killua smiles down at the ground with his hands in his pockets, the colours having gone soft and bright. The second is from episode 70 during the dodgeball match. Gon smiles determinedly in the foreground as Killua looks shocked next to him. End ID.]

Keeping all this in mind, Killua's story, or at least this part of it, couldn't have concluded in a better way than his rescue of Alluka, the wish grantor.

Now, I could probably write an entire other analysis on Alluka and Nanika alone, but for the sake of not making this any longer than I already have, I'm going to go through only a few points. Alluka is incomprehensible to her family because they make no attempt to understand her, with the exception of Killua. The only thing they do seem to understand, when explained to them, is the demands made after Nanika grants a wish - this, of course, fits neatly into their own predetermined views on "earning" and "punishment". However, beyond this, they make no attempt to understand her, and since her power is deemed dangerous and uncontrollable, she is locked away.

They are worried, first and foremost, that Alluka will bring harm to the family, and there's two ways in which this could be true:

As a function of failing to fulfill her requests, of course

Because she, just by existing, threatens the family's status quo

I stated at the beginning that Killua's desires do not align with those of the family business, and he's always apparently been more open to understanding others - he asks Alluka and Nanika questions to understand them, and treats them with respect, while his family are more so focused on subjugating anything that might be a threat. This is what Illumi tried to drill into Killua after all; never fight a superior opponent - everything is about assessments of relative strength, which leaves no room for open-mindedness or getting to know people.

Faced with a daughter who is clearly incomprehensibly powerful, and a son, the would-be inheritor of the family trade, who is showing a disturbing amount of willingness to befriend instead of retreat from her, the family made the decision to excise Alluka not just from where she could "harm" the family power-wise, but also likely to secure their control over Killua, who they then set about practically programming to not have any more wishes for himself, or at least to not be able to vocalize them without fear of loss or retribution.

The family's nickname for Killua is "Kil" or "Killu", which is deeply fascinating to me as a reader - nicknames are expressions of endearment, typically, and I actually don't doubt that here. Killua's family does love him, but their love comes with conditions. He must be molded into the perfect son, and every part of him that doesn't fit must be excised.

So: Killua's memories of Alluka are suppressed with the needle, and she is further cut from his life by dropping the "a" from his name (the Zoldyck children are named like a game of shiratori - Illumi -> Milluki -> Killua -> Alluka -> Kalluto). The nickname is also like a command or order "to kill", which is of course what they want him to do.

Saving Gon through saving Alluka and Nanika forces Killua to have to face down the last and hardest of Illumi's manipulations to shake, and that's the notion that a wish, that kindness and friendship and love, cannot be unconditional without severe repercussions - where the people he cares about get hurt because of him, something he cannot envision being forgiven for.

It's a little sad to me that after spending most of the series struggling against his family's teachings that they didn't lead to Killua betraying Gon at all, as he'd feared... but to him betraying Nanika, by sending her away.

Here is this little girl with a bloodstained past, incredibly powerful and dangerous and capable of amazing feats, treated as some evil thing by those who fear her. But she is kind at heart. Her true strength lies in healing, not killing. And she only takes commands from Killua.

Illumi thinks this is because Killua is the only one with control over her. Killua believes this is because she wants praise. They're both partially correct, but this is not the full reason Nanika does what Killua asks of her.

[ID: Two screenshots from episode 146 of the 2011 anime. In the first, Nanika smiles and says "I love Killua." In the second, Killua looks at her, stricken. End ID.]

Nanika loves him. Everyone has been trying to figure out all these complicated rules and conditions on her wish granting and why Killua is the one exception, but the answer is exceedingly simple. She loves him, and wants to do nice things for him so he can have his wishes granted. It's the only way she knows to get the love that she wants in turn.

Just like her brother, Nanika makes herself useful to earn love and appreciation from someone who accepted her when no one else did.

Even though he knows Nanika just wants to help, he still sees her presence as a danger to the person he sees as pure and innocent who must be protected. He sends her away because her "nature" is to be a threat to Alluka's safety, even if she doesn't intend to be. Killua's fear of Illumi and repercussions causes him to make a horrible mistake.

And Alluka tears into him for it.

[ID: A set of panels from HxH chapter 336. A furious Alluka glares and asks Killua if he made Nanika cry. When Killua stutters, she demands he apologize to her. End ID.]

You tell him, girl.

Oh hey, this looks a little familiar, huh?

"Apologize to Killua!" says Gon to Illumi after Illumi sends Killua away.

Nanika should not be the one punished for the actions of those trying to control her. She certainly shouldn't be forced to leave those she loves, or have to earn love from them.

And neither should Killua.

[ID: Three panels from HxH chapter 336. Alluka yells, tears in her eyes, "If you're going to protect me... you have to protect Nanika too!!" Killua looks shocked, then his eyes widen. End ID.]

It's interesting to me that this is the line that snaps Killua out of his fear enough for him to properly speak with Nanika and apologize. One party cannot receive all the protection, nor can the other only give and give limitlessly.

Killua makes it clear to Nanika when speaking with her that he will protect her, and that she doesn't need to earn affection from people by granting their wishes. He promises they will both be there for each other - Killua will praise her whenever she wants, and not just when she does something for him, but he also doesn't refuse Nanika's desire to grant his wishes. It's mutual, not conditional.

And on the heels of this "betrayal", Killua asks for what he never thought he could receive - forgiveness. And even though Nanika is clearly still very upset...

[ID: Two screenshots from episode 146. In the first, Nanika and Killua face each other, both of them teary. Nanika says "Kay." In the second, he has pulled her into a hug. Nanika is teary, her fingers gripping Killua's back tightly. End ID.]

...she doesn't even have to think about it.

I do think Killua still has a ways to go, but he is in a position right now to learn from his relationship with his sisters about balance - that love is not just selfless devotion, but also allowing those who love you to help you and make you happy too. I think that's what unconditional love is, in a way - supporting and working together with the people you love to make each other's wishes come true.

[lennjamin-o7]

To Be Truly Free

Chapter 23

The Sleeping Empire had held all the power for centuries. What else did you expect when the Emperor was an undying Vampire? King Philza and his sons, Prince Wilbur and Prince Theseus, have never faced a real threat to their power. Twenty years ago, the Blood God spoke through his Holy Conduit, the King of Scywar. A prophecy that one child born in the month of the Summer Solstice had the potential to crush the hearts of the Vampiric Lords once and for all. As such, a decree that every child born in June must serve the Blood God's church. Technoblade thinks this whole thing is dumb, but no one really cares what he thinks. As one of the children born in June, known as the Blessed Ones, Technoblade dreams of a different life. One not enslaved to The Church. He dreams to know what it means to be truly free. Or- Another Dark SBI Vampire AU. This time, Technoblade is the Human.

[celtrist]

Would love for them to bring up languages at some point.

Angel: "shit they're speaking French. Smiles! Translate!"

Alastor: "I'm not sure which is more insulting; assuming I can fluently speak and understand French because I'm Creole, or that you think French and French-Creole are the same thing."

[gay-otlc]

Had the misfortune to read the term "they/theMRA" with my own two eyes

[charcubed]

Challengers Throuple – "I Don't Wanna Talk, I Just Wanna Dance"

Twitter | YouTube

[fidgetspringer-art]

Third and final part in this little series! Smut pretty much immediately, so if that's not your thing, you can skip this one.

-

Gabriel is almost startled when he’s reeled into a tight hug. Martin warm against his wind-chilled body. Still cold from the walk over here. Martin chases that chill away easily. He takes a breath. “Told ya he’d come back to us.”

“I almost can’t believe it.” Gabriel sags against him. Careful not to put too much of his weight on Martin’s sore body, but chasing the urge to leave as little space between them as possible, letting it ground him. He might be overstepping here. Just a little. But Martin doesn’t complain, just holds on to him tighter. “You never doubted him, did you?”

Martin hums. A pleasant rumble against Gabriel’s chest. “I did, a couple’a times.” He’s surprised to hear it. He hadn’t let it show. “I’ve always known him to be impatient. Wasn’t like him to be taking so long.”

Gabriel nods. The tip of his nose brushing against Martin’s neck. He’s right. That’s part of what had been eating at him as well. Noah laying still like that for so long. Noah is never still. Always moving, always talking, always doing something with his hands. Ever the restless soul.

“You’re a good man, Martin. I don’t think I could have done this without you.” The depth of the gratitude Gabriel feels is impossible to put into words, but he has to try.

Martin pats him on the back and straightens up, just enough for their eyes to meet. “You could. You’d do anything for that fool.”

“Same as you.”

Martin smiles and Gabriel is once again overwhelmed with the urge to kiss him. He’s never met anyone quite like Martin Hart. Never met anyone who seems to radiate kindness the way he does. Standing next to him is like standing next to a wood stove on a cold evening. Just being near him soothes Gabriel like no one else ever has.

The cowboy’s smile tilts up a little more on one side, like he’s caught the way Gabriel is staring at his mouth. He’s not exactly being subtle, to be fair. Head too full of restless giddiness to care. Martin flattens his palm against Gabriel’s chest, over his heart. “You gonna kiss me, or what, big guy?”

Gabriel doesn’t have to be asked twice.

The rough rasp of Martin’s beard against his own makes something hot and desperate take light in Gabriel’s blood. Winding his fingers into the hair at the back of his neck elicits exactly the response he’d been hoping for. Martin gasps into his mouth, visibly biting back a groan when Gabriel takes charge.

He’s curious to learn what makes this man tick. He wants to know exactly how he likes it. Does he prefer rough and assertive, the way Noah does? Or does he enjoy something softer? Gabriel spares a thought to the fact that Martin might not like Gabriel taking the reins like this, but one look at his blown eyes and slack mouth is enough to have him brush that thought aside.

He uses his grasp to tilt Martin’s head back, baring the column of his throat. He doesn’t fight it. Just goes along so sweetly. Letting Gabriel decide for them both how this is going to happen.

For a second the intense urge to leave a mark against the side of Martin’s throat takes hold of him, it would look so nice there, peeking out over the collar of his shirt. Deep and dark on lightly sunburned skin. He imagines Martin reaching up to touch it while he’s out working. Idly rubbing sweat of his neck and feeling the sting. Remembering.

He shakes himself free of the thought. They don’t know each other well enough for that. Marks are off the table, for now, but there are still plenty of other options left open to him, with the way this evening is going.

This Gabriel is good at. This is something he can do. Something that makes him feel settled into his own skin. In control once more, both of himself and the man in front of him. He feels at home with someone under his hands, giving themselves over and trusting him enough to let him do as he pleases.

The knowledge that Martin usually takes on this same role with Noah makes Gabriel a little dizzy. He looks so natural like this, pliant and easy. Gabriel has a hard time imagining him being the one in control. Yet he knows that’s how it usually goes with them.

“You alright with this?” He has to make sure. Suddenly scared to overstep. He gently shifts his thigh to slot it between Martin’s. Not pressing but almost. An invitation.

Martin’s hips buck up to meet him. He sucks in a breath and fists his hands into Gabriel’s shirt, like he needs an anchor. “Shit- yeah. Go on.”

Gabriel gets to work tugging Martin’s shirt free from his pants. He keeps half an eye on him, watching his expression carefully. There’s a lot going on there. Tiny shifts that betray the chaos of thoughts filling his head right now. There’s a slight tension to him that makes Gabriel want to tread carefully. It’s not anxiety, not quite. But Gabriel gets the feeling it’s been a while since Martin has been with someone besides Noah. It’s like he doesn’t quite know what to do with himself, or where to put his hands.

When Gabriel gets his hands up underneath his shirt to touch him without a barrier, Martin sighs. It comes out a little shaky. The muscles on his stomach jump under Gabriel’s touch. He’s so warm, and soft. The sharp angles of his bones are gentled by a layer of fat. He feels good like this. Gabriel wants to spend all night just touching him, trying to find all the ways to make his muscles twitch and tense against his fingers.

However, the way that Martin is shifting his weight from foot to foot tells him it’s time to take this somewhere else. “Sit down.”

If this had been Noah, Gabriel would have pushed him back, made him stumble and fall onto the bed, spread out and looking up at him with those mismatched eyes full of heat. But something tells him to go easy on Martin. And with the way he winces ever so slightly when Gabriel guides him down to sit on the mattress, he’s glad he did. He’s tempted to check in. To see if they need to cut this short, but he holds back. Martin is a grown man. He knows his own body better than Gabriel does. If he’s not asking to stop, Gabriel won’t nag.

He sinks down onto the bed next to him, pushing him down to lay flat, legs still hanging over the edge. Gabriel leans over him, bending down to kiss him again. Martin’s restless hands find their way to his hips, then slowly, tentatively, he sneaks his fingers up and underneath Gabriel’s shirt, rucking it up his sides. It’s like he’s worried he’ll get told off. And maybe if this was Noah, he would have. But Gabriel doesn’t want that right now. They both need something easy, uncomplicated. If Martin wants to touch, he can touch to his heart’s content. It feels too good to put a stop to anyway. His calloused hands are pleasantly rough on Gabriel’s skin. Hardened from years of working outside.

Testing the waters, Gabriel slots his knee between Martin’s legs and pushes up, giving him a little bit of pressure to watch his reaction. When Martin responds by tugging him closer, asking for more. Gabriel grinds his thigh down against him, a little harder than he’d intended, forgetting for a moment that this isn’t Noah he’s dealing with.

Before he can correct his mistake though, Martin’s head falls back, throat bared. He bites his lip to keep himself quiet, and Gabriel darts down to coax it free with his own, and the next time he gives Martin some much needed friction, he’s too busy being kissed senseless to stop the noise he makes. He moans into Gabriel’s mouth instead, and the sound goes straight to Gabriel’s cock where it’s still trapped and aching against the fabric of his jeans.

“Want to get these off?” Gabriel reaches down to tug at his belt buckle. It’s more so a way to give him an out than anything else. They can stop this right here, without taking things any further, but they’ll be crossing another line if the clothes come off.

Martin bites his lip again, leaning back on his elbows, eyes fixed on Gabriel’s hand so close to where he wants it.

There’s something in his expression now though, something that wasn’t there before. It’s that anxiety that Gabriel had been watching for. Finally coming to the surface. He doesn’t get the chance to check in before Martin is talking.

“I uh. I might not get hard, all the way. I can’t always-” He trails off, clearly embarrassed.

Oh. Gabriel hadn’t even really noticed, but now that he’s mentioned it, there hadn’t been that much of a hardness against Gabriel’s thigh. Even though Martin had clearly been having a good time. “You still doing alright?”

He nods quickly. “I am just- sorry to disappoint.”

“Can I suck you off?”

Martin startles at the sudden change of subject. Solidly caught off guard. He blinks, cheeks steadily growing redder and redder. His pupils are so blown they remind Gabriel of Noah’s bad eye. Swallowed up by blackness.

“Can I?” He pointedly tugs at Martin’s belt buckle again. Feeling an edge of desperation in himself.

It’s a relief when Martin just nods at him, numbly, mouth a little slack. He looks like he’s going to go off like a shot the moment Gabriel puts his mouth on him. And that’s not a bad thought at all.

Gabriel slides off the bed and onto the floor. Wedging his wide body between Martin’s knees, forcing them further apart. Martin is still watching him through eyes half shut, leaning back, letting Gabriel do whatever he wants to him. He palms him through his jeans first, and Martin’s eyes flutter shut for a moment, visibly straining to keep his hips from bucking up into the touch.

He’s panting by the time Gabriel brackets his hips with his arms and bends to lick at the fabric of his fly. He feels Martin’s cock twitch under his tongue. So not entirely uninterested in the proceedings then.

Martin’s belt comes undone easily, buckle falling away and giving Gabriel access to the button and zipper. They work together to get the jeans down around Martin’s hips, revealing lightly tented white boxers, with a telling wet patch at the front, slowly growing larger.

When Gabriel shamelessly puts his tongue to that spot, Martin’s breath leaves him like he’s been punched in the stomach. There’s a hand in Gabriel’s hair suddenly, both pulling him away and pushing him down. Undecided and overwhelmed.

“M’not gonna last long.” Martin croaks out, apologetic.

Gabriel ignores him. Putting his mind back to tasting him, making Martin lose his tight control over himself, slowly but surely, until he’s flat on his back, heaving for breath like Gabriel is doing way more to him than he is.

True to his word, when Gabriel works the waistband of his boxers down below his balls, Martin isn’t close to fully hard. Though getting his mouth involved does seem to have helped a fair bit. If not for his cock, then definitely for the rest of him. “You’re shaking.” Martin’s thighs are trembling where he’s leaning over him. His breath shudders and catches every time Gabriel touches him.

“Sorry. M’so close.”

“Need a moment?”

Martin wheezes out a chuckle. “If you keep this up I think my heart’ll give out.” He takes a breath. “Don’t stop though. Just-” He flaps his hand vaguely, before it falls limp to the mattress.

Gabriel understands well enough. He places a kiss to the crease of Martin’s hip. Watching him fill his lungs with air, breaths evening out bit by bit. His hand comes down to circle Gabriel’s wrist where he’s pinning his hips to the bed. A tingling point of connection that feels miles more intimate than putting his mouth on his cock.

Which is something Gabriel can’t wait to do. If Martin will let him, that is.

He gets impatient after a while. His own need itching beneath his skin. He’s got no way to relieve the pressure like this, not without taking his hands off of Martin, and right now that feels like the worst sin imaginable.

It’s not before Martin starts to shift, just a little, getting fidgety. It’s enough for Gabriel to notice. The way his fingers start idly toying with the sheets, or the subtle biting of his lower lip that he seems to catch himself doing, stopping for a moment, and then starting up again, like he can’t help himself.

Gabriel licks a stripe up along the inner angle of his hip and it makes the muscles there jump so hard Martin lets out a choked off sound above him.

“Ready?” He mumbles, just to make sure, and Martin nods, eyes pitch black.

He’s a pleasant mouthful, when Gabriel finally gets his mouth on him. With him half soft like this he doesn’t have to worry about Martin accidentally choking him, which is a good thing, because the moment he closes his lips around him, Martin’s hips fly off the mattress before Gabriel gets a chance to hold him down.

Gabriel finally gets to hear the moan he’s been chasing all night then, when he forces Martin back down against the bed, plenty strong enough to keep him still. Unable to move when he ducks his head until his nose is buried in coarse hair.

Martin’s hands are both on the back of his head now, grasping desperately, but this time there’s not even the suggestion of wanting to push him off. If anything, Martin is fighting against the urge to keep Gabriel there, to hold him in place.

Gabriel is not at all opposed to the idea. He shifts his hands where they’re closed around Martin’s hips and urges him up, encouraging him to move now that he’s got better control of himself again. Martin picks up on what he’s asking for remarkably quickly for someone so far gone Gabriel isn’t sure he could string together a full sentence right now.

He starts off gentle. Soft and careful the way he is about all things. But when Gabriel moans around him and urges him on, he allows himself to let go a bit more, until he’s properly fucking into Gabriel’s mouth, just the way he likes.

Gabriel has never sucked someone off who wasn’t rock hard for most of it. But he can’t say he’s minding the experience. It’s strangely pleasant, to not have to watch his gag reflex, or to worry about having a sore throat in the morning.

He can taste more so than feel it when Martin is getting close. This time he’s not letting him catch his breath. He sucks harder, bobs his head a little to match Martin’s thrusts, and when Martin’s fingers dig into his scalp and then pulls, hard, he doesn’t allow him to pull him off of him, not until he’s spilling over his tongue with a hoarse cry that might actually have been loud enough to wake the neighbors.

Gabriel gently works him through it, until Martin makes it clear it’s getting too much. He peppers kisses against his hip while Martin comes back down with deep, shuddering breaths.

Only when Martin seems settled, does Gabriel take his hand off him to desperately pull his own cock out of his jeans. His knees ache from kneeling for so long, but he can’t wait. One stroke is all it takes to have him right on the knife’s edge.

He buries his face into the crease of Martin’s inner thigh and lets himself get lost in the scent of him, with his taste still lingering in his mouth.

“Shit, here.” Martin murmurs, he’s sitting up, and at first Gabriel want’s to complain, but then there’s the hard edge of the toe of his boot inching it’s way up his inseam, until the sole is right there. Gabriel grabs his sturdy ankle and brings it the rest of the way up. The worn down pattern of his sole is harsh and unforgiving against the tender flesh of his cock, but it’s perfect. Just the right side of too much to have him shooting off so abruptly he doesn’t have the time or presence of mind to make sure he doesn’t get any on the leather.

Martin doesn’t seem to mind. He’s staring down at him in awe. Like he’s just witnessed something incredible. Gabriel can only knock his foreheadhead against a bony knee and try to calm his breathing. He hasn’t come this hard in months. He’s not sure where that came from. The novelty of a new partner, maybe.

“You alright?” Martin is petting through his sweaty hair, a little more composed now than he had been. He still looks fucked out beyond belief. It’s a good look on him. Shirt open, chest hair on display. His hair is a mess too, just from the sheets. Gabriel has only ever seen him properly put together. Even after the rough week they’ve had. Martin has made sure to look presentable, tidy.

Gabriel huffs, leaning in a bit to pillow his cheek on Martin’s leg. He’s going to sleep so fucking well tonight, he can already tell. “I’m good. You?”

Martin smiles, soft and indulgent. “Sore. Might have overdone it a tad.” he doesn’t look even remotely upset by this fact. “Well worth, though.”

It’s high praise, Gabriel thinks, from a man like Martin, who’s so sparse with his words. He looks down, takes in the state of himself, and at the same time, Martin’s boot, where it’s still resting between his legs, covered in cum. “Shit. I’m sorry.”

Martin tips the toe of his boot up, inspecting the damage. He shrugs. “Not the first time it’s happened.” Ah. Noah’s unrepentant boot kink. Gabriel should have known it would extend to cowboy boots as well as combat boots. Figures they would have already gone down this route. The mental image of Noah on his knees with Martin’s boot-clad foot between his legs is an appealing one. He almost wishes he could see it for himself.

“Up, big guy. Your knees gotta be sore by now.” Martin stands to help haul him to his feet. He tucks Gabriel back into his boxers without a word, like it’s the most natural thing in the world, and Gabriel short circuits for a brief moment at the feeling of those calloused hands on his dick.

They take turns in the shower. Martin first on Gabriel’s insistence. He figures the sooner they get him laying down and relaxing, the better he’ll feel in the morning. Gabriel also makes sure he takes one of the painkillers he seems so reluctant to use, before he finally lets himself get into the shower.

When he comes back out, Martin is already asleep. He looks over his shoulder blearily when Gabriel tucks himself up against his back and pulls the covers up over them.

Both of them get the best night’s sleep they’ve had in days.

“You’re not the police.” Is the first thing out of Noah’s mouth when they walk in the next morning. Gabriel and Martin exchange bemused glances. Neither of them expecting this to be the greeting they’d get.

“The police been here?” Martin asks, draping his jacket over the back of a chair. It’s not surprising if they have been. Now that Noah is awake they’ll want to get a statement from his as soon as possible. Gabriel just wishes they would have come while he and Martin had been here. He can’t imagine Noah made doing their job easy for them.

Noah squints, blinking. “Oh. Yeah, they were here just now.”

The nurse walking past the still open door pokes her head in. It’s one of Noah’s regular ones, Ann or something like that, Gabriel isn’t sure. She gives them a wave hello. “The police were here two hours ago. He’s been a little stuck on it since they left.”

“Thanks.” Gabriel gives her a smile. She vanishes down the hall, off to tend to someone else no doubt. He slumps down into the chair beside Martin’s. “What did you tell them?”

Noah’s eyes narrow even further. “Told ‘em to fuck off.”

Martin scrubs a hand down his face. Gabriel would have done the same if he hadn’t been expecting Noah to say exactly that. “You didn’t tell them what happened?”

“Nope.” And he doesn’t look even the slightest bit remorseful. “They already knew I got my ass kicked, wasn’t about to cry about it.”

“How about giving them a description of the guys that did this to you? Or would that be snitching or some shit by your logic?” Gabriel hates the way he’s letting his frustration show.

True to form, Noah’s hackles go up. “I don’t fucking remember, alright!” He spits. “I have no idea what happened to me. I don’t know where I was, or who I was with. I don’t even remember where I parked the fucking bike that day!”

It’s only because Gabriel has known him for long enough that he recognizes the hurt and fear hiding under the jagged edges of Noah’s anger. He’s wielding it not like a weapon but like a shield. Protecting the soft vulnerable parts of him that are so fucking scared.

Martin must have seen it too. He gives Gabriel a sideways look that makes him feel strangely chastised, before he pats Noah’s leg over the blankets. “Easy, Dove. He’s just trying to help.”

Noah looks like he wants to snap at him, but he doesn’t. Just wrinkles his nose and stares out the window by his bed.

“My head’s still all messed up.” He admits after a while. “I don’t like it.”

“It’ll pass.” Martin says, calm as ever. Not a shred of doubt in his voice. “You just gotta heal up still.”

While Noah has his moments of confusion and forgetfulness throughout the day, it’s not quite as bad as it had been the first day. The nausea is the worst part. The nurses come by with meals that they encourage Martin and Gabriel to make sure Noah eats. And he tries, he really does, It’s just that they don’t seem all too willing to stay down.

As the hours pass, Noah’s energy drains slowly. Throwing up really takes it out of him, and so does each of his ‘episodes.’ He’s uncharacteristically quiet. Just replying with the occasional hum or nod when someone tries to include him in the conversation. Gabriel hates seeing him like this. So flat and far too silent. He should be hissing and spitting and trying to get out of there as soon as possible. He doesn’t even ask about Tansy after that one time he mentions her in passing.

It’s all wrong.

When Gabriel and Martin are getting ready to head off for the night. Noah’s nurse comes by again to let them know that he’ll be discharged tomorrow, around noon. And suddenly the question of “What do we do now?” Is looming over them.

It’s not like Noah can get back on the road yet. His arm is broken, along with his collar bone. The former in a cast, and staying that way for another few weeks. His concussion is still hard on him too, and he has trouble sitting up for too long at a time, so spending six hours in Martin’s truck wouldn’t be ideal.

Martin seems to have come to the came conclusion by the time they’re making their way back to the hotel. “He should go back with you.” He says, apropos nothing. It’s early evening still, sun an hour or so away from truly setting. It’s chilly out, like it has been all week, but it’s not too bad tonight, no wind to push through the layers of their clothes.

“Probably the best option, yeah.”

“Once he’s feeling better I can come pick him up, if he’d like. Change of scenery.”

Gabriel nods. Noah is going to want that. He’s going to be climbing the walls of Gabriel’s apartment. He wasn’t made to sit still in small spaces for long. Gabriel should feel guilty for the fact that he’s sort of glad to have a reason to make Noah stay put for a while. There will be no rushing off this time. No sneaking out in the early hours of the morning. Waking Gabriel up with the rumble of his engine as he leaves without a ‘thank you’ or a ‘goodbye.’

“Yeah, sounds like a plan.”

They end up with Noah in Gabriel’s car and Tansy in Martin’s.

There’s no easy way for Gabriel to bring her back with them, and he doesn’t have anywhere to keep her safe for the next few weeks either. So they decide to let Martin take her. It’s not like Noah will be needing her anyway.

Gabriel takes Noah’s backpack and his saddle bags off the frame. He chucks them in the back of his car. Noah is already in the front seat, buckled in to the best of their ability without agitating his fractures. Gabriel steps away a little, Martin instinctively going with him.

Gabriel holds his hand out. “Thank you, for everything.”

Martin smiles and takes it, shakes it firmly. “You too, Gabriel. It’s been good getting to know you.”

The temptation to kiss him again, one last time, is hard to ignore, but Gabriel shuts it down. It’s over now. It was only ever going to be a one time thing, the two of them. Just some mutual stress relief. A way to find some comfort during a difficult time. That’s all it was. He’s grateful all the same.

“You’re not at all what I expected, Martin Hart.”

Martin gives him a kind smile. “Hope I didn’t disappoint.”

Gabriel wishes he could voice just how much he did not, but he doesn’t know how to even begin to put that into words. He doesn’t have to try, though. Martin pulls a piece of paper out of his breast pocket and holds it out to him. It’s folded in half, torn off of a larger sheet judging by the frayed edges.

“My address.” He looks a little embarrassed. “If you’re ever over my way-”

Gabriel grins at him. “I’ll stop by. Come see those chickens of yours.”

“Any time. Door’s always open.”

When Gabriel gets into his car, he sits and watches Martin walk over to his truck through his side mirror. He waits until Martin has turned out of the parking lot and disappeared down the street before he twists the key in the ignition and forces his mind back on task.

Noah is watching him, quiet and contemplative in a way that Noah never is. It doesn’t last long though. “So. What do you think?” There are teeth audible in his voice. Cheeky fucker.

Gabriel rolls his eyes. “About what?” He knows full well what. But he’s not about to give Noah this one. Head injury or not.

“The cowboy, idiot.”

“He’s alright.” Gabriel can’t bring himself to say anything but the truth. “He’s a good man. Better than either of us, that’s for sure.”

Noah snorts. “Did you fuck?”

Gabriel almost swerves off the road. He turns to scowl at him, finding only sharp eyes and an even sharper smile. “Shut up, Noah.” He shifts under that pointed gaze. “We didn’t fuck.”

“You gonna sit there and lie to me now? I’m concussed, not stupid.”

“You can be both.” Noah just flips him off with his good hand. Or should he say, his better hand. “And fine. We didn’t fuck, but we didn’t not fuck, either.” He glances over. “That an issue?”

“Damn it! I was so sure you’d just fuck. Did you treat him all gentle like or what?”

Gabriel would slap his shoulder if he wasn’t more bruises than not. “Not everyone is as much of a masochist as you are, Luce.” Not that he’s ever been one to complain about that. “It was nice. Easy.”

Noah’s smile turns a little softer. “I’m glad.” He yawns, wincing when he goes to stretch as he does so. Being rudely reminded that he’s broken in more places than one. “M’gonna have a nap.” He murmurs, voice suddenly heavy with sleep. The next time Gabriel looks over, not even a minute later, he’s out like a light.

[wonderful-magician]

Who pushed him over and why? Wrong answers only lmao

Wowo magician can draw more than just people standing in the void?? Damn..

[remuswriting]

AN INVISIBLE LINE; OIKAWA TOORU

“What do you mean by that?” Tooru asks, and Y/N finally looks at him. There’s amusement in his eyes, as if he’s been in on it the entire time. “You lied to me!”

Or, Tooru goes to Y/N after a failed interview.

WORD COUNT: 818 words

TAGS: Alternate Universe; Journalist! Oikawa; Journalist! Reader; Coworkers; Pre-Relationship; Male! Reader

NOTES: Welcome to where I start writing articles where they're journalists because I work at a newspaper. If I keep writing them, then I'll probably write a series, but this won't be included. (Also, I went through Oikawa's struggle with my second article at the paper.)

Tooru has never been nonchalant a day in his life. His personality is big and everywhere. It’s off putting, and people find him annoying after talking to him several times. It’s why he doesn’t talk often with new people. It’s better when his personality slowly makes an appearance than abruptly, because just a couple of conversations can destroy the persona he’s created for himself.

However, here he sits in front of Y/N, wondering why he immediately went to him instead of to his own desk. It’s the kind of behavior he’s used to having with Hajime, but Y/N isn’t Hajime. For one, Y/N is taller, and then second is that Y/N actually has his entire life together. Hajime fell asleep mid-phone call last week while making dinner.

“The interview went terribly,” Tooru whines, and Y/N nods as he stares at his computer. “I asked about the renovation and they told me the entire history of the town instead.”

“Yeah, Kusaka-senpai is famous for that,” Y/N says, and Tooru sits up in his seat.

“What do you mean by that?” Tooru asks, and Y/N finally looks at him. There’s amusement in his eyes, as if he’s been in on it the entire time. “You lied to me!”

Y/N sighs. “Well, I didn’t lie. I just said he gives thorough answers.”

“But not to the questions you ask!”

“I still didn’t lie,” Y/N says, and Tooru can’t help but feel betrayed. He’s still new to this newspaper, and he trusted Y/N for guidance. (Not that Y/N ever promised to give him guidance. Tooru decided that on his own.) “There’s a reason Ukai-sensei hates whenever he’s involved in an article.”

“No one told me that.”

Y/N snorts as he shakes his head. “I’m pretty sure he did. I remember hearing him say to only interview Hisakawa-san.”

Tooru slouches back in his chair as he remembers the conversation. He just thought Ukai had something personal against Kusaka, not that he was a terrible person to interview. Ukai has always been weird, and only Y/N ever seems to understand him. Tooru heard Y/N did his internship while in university here five years ago, making him the third longest person to work there.

“How am I supposed to know what he means?” Tooru whines slightly, and Y/N gives him an unimpressed look.

“Common sense.”

Tooru clutches his chest, grabbing the fabric harder than necessary. “L/N-san! You wound me!”

Y/N rolls his eyes before looking at his laptop again. “Go patch yourself up at your desk.”

He’s not annoyed—Tooru is good at identifying that—but he seems busy. Yachi told him that Y/N isn’t always the best with words, even though he’s an award-winning journalist. Written words are easier than spoken, though. Tooru knows that far too well. People like his writing—they like the idea of him they see in the newspaper, but talking to him is another thing entirely.

“Will you supply the bandages?” Tooru asks, and the corner of Y/N’s lips twitch upwards. Tooru’s heart pounds against his ribs, and he wants to see Y/N really smile. He’s seen it before, but never from anything Tooru has said. It’s always from Tsukishima’s side comments or Yachi’s jokes.

Tooru hasn’t had the chance to spend enough time with Y/N in the last two months to share a moment, but maybe this is the beginning. He really hopes so.

“You should go write that article,” Y/N says as he pulls his drawer out, getting a sticky note. “Ukai-sensei will want it by 4, and it’s currently 2.” He looks at Tooru. “So, get to it.”

The mention of Ukai has Tooru getting up. It’s abrupt and there’s some fear in it. Y/N finally smiles, but he immediately tries to bite it down. All Tooru can think of is how handsome Y/N is when he smiles.

Tooru salutes. “Yes, sir.”

Y/N doesn’t bite back his smile this time as he shakes his head and rolls his eyes. “Go away.”

There’s no heaviness in Tooru’s chest as he walks across the room to sit at his desk. He can see Y/N clearly from here, but it’s different from a distance. It’s not as personal as when he sits at his desk. When he looks over, he catches Y/N already looking. Instead of immediately shying away, Y/N stares for a moment longer before looking back at his laptop.

Tooru’s heart pounds away in his chest again. Hajime would say this is probably the start of another one of Tooru’s pathetic crushes. That can’t happen, though, because Tooru likes this place. He likes how nice everyone has been, and that Ukai doesn’t scream at him until he’s red in the face. It’s a nice place. He can’t let anything ruin that.

However, Y/N tucks some hair behind his ear before taking a drink of his water, and Tooru wonders if having a crush will actually ruin anything.