#i miss seeing with a big ol gun on his back

[mando-din-lorian]

Day 5 of drawing Mando everyday.

That new Lego Mando short was super cute, but I did notice that Din didn’t get a present :( so I decided everybody pitched in and bought him in a pulse rifle.

[chaniceroses]

Bad Boys Ride or Die (ARMANDO X READER) PART TEN

The ride back was extremely awkward, Kelly and Dorn never said a word since Armando was with us and Marcus and Mike debated about old things. You eventually made it to Kelly’s home, got out of the car and started walking towards it, when you noticed Kelly pointing her finger back while side-eyeing Armando. So you turned to look at him, to see him not paying attention.

“All of you can come in, except him.”, Kelly said walking into her place. You looked back at him and watched as he shrugged.

“Armando, just wait here and let us talk to her.”, you added, following Marcus, Mike and Dorn and shutting the door. 

You watched as Kelly was now pacing around, you could tell she was uncomfortable with the idea of Armando being in her home. So you scanned around, trying to allow your eyes to catch something so that you could change the subject. That’s when you noticed boxers and underwear near the couch. You thought she lived alone.

“You stay here by yourself?”you asked, pointing over to the underwear that was on the ground

Kelly and Dorn gave each other a slight look….you got them.

“We’re just friends..I mean, we’re seeing each other, you know…”, Kelly responded, trying to come up with an answer.

“We didn’t want our relationship to interfere with work, that’s why we’ve been keeping it a secret.”, Dorn explained, looking at Kelly and then at you.

Mike and Marcus looked at them with a shocked expression and then threw their hands up.

“Armando has to be with us everywhere we go, he’ll be the one to help us. Him and y/n”, Mike continued walking up to Kelly. You watched as Kelly argued back, and continued to be against it. This was going to be harder than you thought.

ARMANDO POV

I stood outside on the porch and watched the waves hit the sand. They had me waiting outside, just because people were in their feelings about me. I could hear Mike and y/n trying to convince them to let me in. I don’t need permission from anybody to do anything. So I went inside and shut her door.

They all were so busy, debating with each other that they didn’t even notice that I had walked in. Until Kelly shifted her eyes over to me. That’s when she walked up on me, pulling out her gun. I looked at her and then at the weapon that was now pointing at me.

“Well this isn’t necessary.”, I whispered, looking over at Mike and y/n.

“Chill Kelly.”, Marcus sighed.

“Kelly, I know you’re upset but he’s not going to do anything, right Armando?”Mike asked, looking over at me. He had his lips pursed out, telling me that I had no choice.

I examined Kelly and what she was wearing. A t-shirt that looked way too big for her, however, she did look fine in it. I shifted my eyes to everyone that was now staring at me, waiting for a response. Even y/n.

“Sure”, I sarcastically smiled, walking away. I kept my distance from the group to ensure that another gun wouldn’t be pulled out on me, when I noticed underwear laying on the floor. I looked up to see how close Kelly and Dorn were, they’re with each other. I watched as Kelly talked about not wanting me in her home and what I did to Howard…Same ol’, Same ol’. Until the perfect opportunity for me to create an argument between y/n and I popped up and I wasn’t going to allow myself to miss out on it.

Y/N POV

You watched as Dorn tried to calm Kelly's nerves down about Armando being in her home. She was against it but after what felt like forever of convincing, she finally agreed.

“I’ll let him stay but I’m watching you.”, she sighed, looking over at Armando.

“I want you too.”Armando responded, sitting down on a stool against the wall.

 You, Kelly, Marcus, Dorn and Mike were flabbergasted. You couldn’t help but to turn your head and look at him. What the hell did he mean he “wanted her” to?

“Look..guys he’s just kidding.”, you laughed, trying to ignore what was just said

“Armando…”, Marcus scoffed, walking towards him. You watched as he threw his hands up as a sign of “surrender” and looked at you. You turned your head to avoid eye-contact.

“Kelly, are you okay…we need you guys help. We’re a team.”, Mike continued, looking at Kelly and Dorn.

“Yeah, I am. I’m fine, okay.”, Kelly sighed, leaning into Dorn’s chest.

“Yes you are.”, Armando flirted, getting up and walking towards the group.

“Yo, what the fuck is your problem?”, Dorn questioned, turning around to face him

“Armando….”

“Seriously.” you scoffed. You were jealous at this point, you and Armando just kissed not even thirty minutes ago and he’s flirting with Kelly now. You were livid.

“Look, can we focus!”Mike yelled, while looking at everyone in the room.

“We need to figure out where McGrath is, so everyone go to the van.”Mike instructed, pointing towards the door.

You looked at Armando disgustingly and then walked outside, you could hear Marcus talking about how mad you were but you didn’t care. Who the fuck did Armando think he was? You went to sit on the porch, allowing the others to walk to the van and figure shit out themselves.

“Y/n you’re not coming?”, Armando asked, sarcastically. You remained silent, and stared as he allowed Mike, Marcus and Dorn to get on the van. 

“You can go…”, Kelly demanded, pointing inside.

“Ladies first, i’m a gentleman…”, Armando smirked, intensely staring at Kelly.

You watched as Kelly stepped onto the small stairs and went inside, when Armando gave her a fake air butt slap. Now you could feel your blood boiling, while you were shaking your legs. Until you allowed yourself to think….Breathe

“In and out,  In…out.”, you whispered, looking out into the ocean. That’s when you realized he was trying to make you jealous. To be upset and to drool over him. You knew a man with an ego like Armando, they love women over them so you quickly thought of something.

“Well, he’s always looking at me, especially when I’m talking to Mike or other men in general.”, You whispered. You looked down to see that you were still wearing the flannel from earlier. However your legs were covered. So you found yourself looking at the ocean, your top and then your jeans, repeatedly.  That’s when it hit you, you knew exactly how to beat Armando at his own game.

ARMANDO’S POV

I was inside the van, sitting against the chair that was up against the wall. Marcus, and Mike were talking to Dorn and Kelly, to help them search through Howard’s files to see if we could get anything that would lead us to McGrath. Y/n and McGrath. Y/n and McGrath. I couldn’t help but to repeat that in my head, how did he pull someone like y/n. Have to be a pervert because she’s young, around my age, so imagine back when…..nevermind.

I was so caught up into thinking about what McGrath and y/n relationship may have been like, that I didn’t even notice the van door being opened. It was y/n and she was wet. Why the hell was she wet? “Happy to see you…joining us.”, Mike whispered, looking at y/n and then down at her legs and then back at the computer.

When the hell did she take off her jeans and why were they dripping water.

“Yeah, I figured you guys would need my help?”, she smiled, walking over to Mike.

“What the hell were you doing y/n? Going for a swim?”Marcus laughed, looking down at her. I watched as Dorn slightly shifted his head down to her legs and then at me.

“No, I felt my body overheating a little bit so I decided to go to the water and wet myself a little bit, since that’s the only thing that knows how to get the job done.”, she smiled, keeping her focus on Marcus.

I watched as Marcus looked at me, then at y/n and laughed. He knew exactly what was going on.

“Armando, baby…you wouldn’t mind me sitting across from you. Just until we find what we’re looking for.”, she continued walking over. Baby, when the hell did she start calling me baby? I remained silent but couldn’t help but to observe her legs, the way the water glided down it slowly, while her skin was smooth and as silky as brown silk. She was turning me on and she knew it.

I looked up at Mike to see him slightly laughing, I didn’t find it funny at all. I could feel hot tension slowly crawling up my back while I tried to avoid y/n presence. This was going to be hard.

Y/N POV

You knew you had him, you made sure to walk over to the chair that was across from him a certain way and to throw enough water on you so that it would keep you soaked. You sat down and watched as he kept his head turnt from you. You began to act oblivious, just to stir up a conversation.

“So..Armando, how was your day?”, you asked, messing with your hair. You made sure it stayed wet, that way if you wanted to take it down and coil it, you could. You watched as he adjusted himself on the stool and turned to look at you.

“What do you mean?”, he answered, giving you a slight look and then turning back towards Mike and the rest of the group. You could see him tapping his foot, probably hoping that something will be brought up.

“You don’t mind, do you? I’m still sweating and it’s hot in this van.”. You flirted, unbuttoning the top part of your flannel that will be revealing a little bit of your cleavage. You could feel water running down it, and you know that it would be perfect to catch Armando’s attention.  And you were right, he was watching you like a hawk. So you scooted up in the chair that you were sitting in, leaned your head against the wall and slightly departed your legs open, not enough for him to see anything but just enough for him to imagine.

ARMANDO’S POV

I hate her. I hate her for the way she’s teasing and I hate her for the fact that she was beating me at my own games. I watched as she took a deep sigh and adjusted her hips forward. Her thighs were showing and her legs were slightly separating. I was turned on, and I could feel my bestfriend knocking to be exposed. However, this wasn’t the place. I needed to get y/n alone, to have her all to myself.

“Armando, you never answered my—”, before she could finish her sentence, Mike yelled at us to come see whatever was happening on the screens. 

I got up to walk over to y/n as soon as I saw her stand but she ignored me and ran towards the group. Clever move. Walking over, I could see an extreme and intense look on everyone’s faces. What the hell is going on?

“ BEHIND YOU REGGIE!!”, Marcus yelled, pointing at the screen. I turned to see a tall, black guy with barely hair and a mustache fighting off guys that were in a kitchen.

“What’s going on?”I asked, looking at each screen that was in front of me.

“McGrath’s people.”, y/n replied, folding her arms. I looked down to see her breasts pushed up together. Could it be a push-up bra? Or maybe it's the way she has her arms folded? I must’ve been staring too long because she noticed and started buttoning up the shirt that she was wearing. Damn.

We all watched intently as Reggie fought each person. One moment it was him and one person and then the next minute, it was five. By the time he was finished, the house was smoking and two women were running out the door, while Reggie soluted the camera and then followed. Had to be Marcus’s family.

“Wait, how did he know that camera was there?”Marcus asked, looking around.

I watched as Mike stood there for a second, as if he was in deep thought and hurriedly ran out the van. The rest of us looked at each other and then followed after him. 

“Mike what is?”, Dorn asked, shutting the van door.

He didn’t respond, he just pulled out a phone, punched something in and threw it up to his ear. We all just stood there confusingly and watched Mike as he kept trying to call the same number, over and over again.

“Damn it, she’s not answering.”, he sighed, looking up at y/n. I turned to look at her and watched as she looked at me back, she was worried.

“Who is he trying to call?”I was curious about why he was panicking.

“His wife, Christine.”, y/n answered looking at me and then back at Mike. We watched as he took a couple steps away from us, and called again. This time he was successful.

“Christine…baby, you need to leave…No, don’t worry about…who’s there? Shit.”, he stuttered looking over at us.

“Judy’s daughter, Callie is there.”, he sighed looking at Marcus.

“Take her and leave, some bad people may be heading your way, Christine…hello?”Mike continued. I watched as he tried to talk to his wife, he must’ve not been getting through to her. Maybe a bad connection? 

“The phone line was disconnected.”

  That’s when he quickly received a notification, it was a video. We couldn’t see what was going on but we could hear everything. McGrath and his men had Judy’s daughter, Callie and Christine. And he wanted us to transfer all of the smuggled money from Howard’s files to his, and give ourselves up for Callie and Christine.

“He didn’t give us a location…how can we find them??”, y/n asked, looking at Kelly and Dorn.

“I don’t know, we will need to use that phone so we can see if we can track him down that way.”, Kelly replied, reaching her hand towards Mike. I watched as Mike passed the phone to her.

“We can try to find them tonight, He’ll kill them if we don’t.”, Mike continued looking at all of us.

“I’m sorry Mike but you won’t find him. He’ll probably take them to a whole new location. Give Kelly and I time to go through the phone and the files to find something that will help us.”, Dorn explained.

“How long will that be?”

“Could be all night…”, Dorn replied.

“They’ll be dead by then!”Mike yelled, walking towards the shore. We watched as Marcus went after him, while y/n, Dorn, Kelly and I stayed back. He was hurt and I would be too if the woman I was married to was taken from me.

“Can you guys give us a second?”, y/n asked, turning towards Dorn and Kelly. They responded with a nod and then headed back inside.

“Armando, McGrath isn’t going to kill them.”, y/n said looking at me.

“And how do you know that?”

I was lost on how she could be so sure about him. Yeah she knew him but when it comes to holding people hostages, you treat them like rags. You never keep them for a long time and at some point you trash them.

“Because…if McGrath wanted to kill them, he would’ve done it. He never waits.”, she explained looking at me. I knew that she had a point, so I just shook my head in agreement.

“I believe the best thing for us to do right now, is to go to a hotel and rest just a little bit. Just so we can have some kind of energy for when the time comes to meet up with him. Because I’m sure it won’t be pretty.”, she explained, putting her hands on her hips.

“I agree, we should go tell him…well you should.”, I replied, turning my attention towards Marcus and Mike. They were hugging. Mike's shoulders were slumped, showing a sign of defeat.

“Well c’mon then.”, she smiled walking towards Marcus and Mike.

We weren’t too far away from Marcus and Mike, so by the time we started walking up to Mike. He was already heading back towards us.

“Mike…you don’t have anything to worry about. McGrath won’t kill them, he’s just using them until we come to him and bring Howard’s files. I promise you that…Armando and I won’t allow anything to happen to them.”, y/n promised, looking at Mike and then at me.

“Yeah.”, I responded. I allowed y/n to lead this time, trusting that she knew what she was talking about.

And if I’m being honest, this probably won’t be the last time she’ll lead. I love when she becomes dominant and takes control.

“ He’s after all of us but now we have two innocent people involved, so we all need to be focused and have a clear mind. I suggest we go to a hotel, we don’t have to stay there the whole time but just until Dorn and Kelly send us info about McGrath and where he may be located. This will allow us to clean up and get some type of rest before we go after him.”, she explained.

I watched as Mike had a face of disapproval until Marcus softly touched him on the shoulder and told him that it was for the best. Which it was, I am going to use this time to absolutely fuck the shit out of y/n and she doesn’t even know it.

Y/N POV

You could tell that Mike didn’t want to follow through with what you suggested, however thankfully Marcus was there to back you up. So the four of you headed back to Kelly’s house and explained the plans that you had for the rest of the night. It was late and you were tired so as soon as Kelly and Dorn offered to give you guys a bag filled with materials that you’ll need for tomorrow and to drop you off. You made sure that you and Armando were the first ones out of her home, that way Mike wouldn’t change his mind last minute.

The group decided to not pick a hotel that was too far, that way Dorn and Kelly would be able to automatically pick you guys up. Walking in you were met by the aroma of the smell of roses, it had to be the kind of air-freshener that was used. You allowed the boys to walk up to the counter and deal with the pay of the rooms, while you sat on the lounging chairs and listened.

“Oh shit, Mike Lowry and Marcus Burnett do you guys remember me, Jojo!!!!?”, the guy at the counter excitedly yelled. You watched as Mike and Marcus threw their heads around and scanned the area, probably making sure no one heard him say their names. Armando looked back at you and  pointed at the guy. You shrugged your shoulders in response.

“Hey Jojo, I know that it’s been forever and we would love to talk but we’re busy and tired so can you get us a room”, Mike sighed, smiling at him and then pointing at the group. 

“You four are together?”

“Yeah.”, Marcus replied, leaning his body against the counter.

“You…four..together..For real?”, he repeated, shockingly. At first you were confused on why he was acting that way but then the longer you stared at Marcus, Mike and Armando…the more you realized what it looked like. Hell the only thing you were wearing was the oversized flannel t-shirt that Mike gave you earlier.

So you decided to get up and tease Armando some more, the way you did earlier. Unbuttoning the top of your buttoned shirt, you walked over to the counter and softly pushed Armando, Mike and Marcus out the way. Allowing them to form a circle around you, while you stayed in the middle.

“You’re cute…what’s your name?”, you smirked, tilting your head slowly to the side.

“My….My…My name? Uh damn..what’s my name?”, he stuttered, slapping his head.

“Jojo…can you get our rooms or not?”, Marcus interrupted.

“Hey, don’t do that  baby, he can probably come and have fun with us.”, you flirted, turning around to Armando, Marcus and Mike. You could help but to laugh on the inside. The way they were trying to read you and figure out what the hell you were doing.

“Watch and pay attention.”, you whispered looking at Armando and then walking past him. He was livid, he tried grabbing your arm to stop you but you gently rejected him.

“Jojo is your name, right?”

“Yeah…”

“Well..Jojo, are you free tonight?”, you smirked, walking around the corner to where he was.

“Because I am…and they are too. Maybe you can join us and..I don’t know…make it..five…”, you continued, now standing in front of him. You could see his heart drop as excitement poured over his face. You grabbed the tie that he was wearing and pulled him close to you. He was now sweating.

“Um…One room…you said?”, he stuttered, examining your chest that was now exposed.

“Actually..papi, make it two, I want my own room…”

“Three....I’m not sharing a room with them, they act like children.”Armando interrupted, leaning against the counter. He was watching intensely and you knew what you were doing was bothering him.

“Can you make it three then, please Jojo.”, you begged, seductively staring into his eyes.

“At this point, give us the damn rooms for free Jojo and fix yourself.”, Marcus sighed, frustratedly.

“Yeah Jojo, you should and you should also stop by my room later, when you’re free.”, you flirted, letting go and leaving from behind the counter. You walked back towards the boys to be met by Marcus and Mike staring at you with a “girl-are-you-crazy-” look, while Armando ignored you.

“Yeah, I can most definitely give it to you guys for free tonight….Of course not because…you know..but.. You know…I know you Mike, that’s why.”, he stuttered, frantically pacing around to find the keys.

You pointed towards the row of keys that were hanging on the wall and watched as he grabbed three of them and passed them out to Mike, Armando and then you.

The four of you grabbed the keys and then walked over to the elevator and watched as Jojo followed. Mike was the first to get on, then soon the rest of you followed.

“Were you being serious?”, Jojo asked, as the elevator began to shut.

“So serious..”, you smiled, waving at him. You kept your smile as the elevator doors were slowly shutting and watched as Jojo walked back to the counter.

As soon as the doors closed, you stopped smiling and walked over towards the walls of the elevator. You threw your head back against it and started buttoning up your shirt. You felt that the room was too silent so you looked up to see Marcus, Mike and Armando looking at you.

“What?”, you asked confusingly. You knew exactly why they were looking at you but you decided to act oblivious.

“Shit nothing, that was crazy.”, Marcus laughed, walking up to you to give you dap. You returned the favor and couldn’t help but to laugh about it.

“Very much so, never thought that you would do something like that..ever.”, Mike giggled, caressing his mustache.

You turned your attention towards Armando to see him leaning against the wall while trying not to look at you. He was clenching and unclenching his jaw, causing his temples to show. While the tip of his foot was tapping against the floor.

“I mean…Armando that shit was crazy, like seriously. The way Jojo freezed when she walked up to him. He was stuttering, BAD…i’ve never seen that happen before. You did that y/n.”, Marcus smiled, while clapping his hands.

“It was bullshit!!! That was bullshit, what the fuck were you doing y/n!?”, Armando yelled, now looking at you. His eyes looked as if they were black and the veins in his throat were slowly making an appearance. 

“Ah shit.”, Mike whispered, scooting closer towards Marcus. Leaving room between you and Armando.

You looked at him and turned your focus towards the numbers that were lighting up. Your hall was coming up.

“I was just helping Marcus and Mike out, Armando…so they wouldn’t have to pay anything. And it worked.”, you explained, keeping your attention on the doors.

“She’s not lying, Armando…it worked.”Marcus supported. Mike shrugged his shoulders in agreement and then threw his hands up as a peace offering once he noticed how mad Armando was.

After what felt like forever, the doors finally opened. Allowing you, Marcus, Mike and Armando to leave. Your rooms were at the end of the hallway, next to each other. You walked up to your room and put your key through the knob, after a couple twists and turns the door finally opened and you were greeted by the  crisp, freezing temperatures of the room.

You turned around to shut it, when you noticed Armando walking into his room and then slamming the door. You won and you knew you did. It felt good to shatter his pride and to beat him at his own games. He started it and you finally finished it. Shutting the door, you ran over to your nice, fluffed out bed and threw yourself on top of it and laid there. It felt like you were being hugged by one big cloud, while you were in Antartica. You were so focused on laying down that you didn’t realize the open balcony, so you got up and walked over to it and glanced at the night sky. You were in love with the view that you had. The bright lights lit up Miami, while the ocean shore danced around freely with each other. 

You stood there for a couple minutes, then decided to go and hop in the shower since it was late. About twenty minutes passed by and you were finally out of the shower. Grabbing a towel and wrapping it around your body, you walked over to the blow-dryer that was in your bathroom and started drying your hair. When you heard a knock on your door. 

“HOLD ON!!”, you yelled, setting the dryer down while looking at yourself in the mirror. Your hair had shrunk from it being wet and you didn’t want to open the door with your hair looking the way it did, so you decided to grab another towel and wrap it.

Turning off the lights and walking over to the door, you took a quick glance at the clock that was on the nightstand and looked at the time.

“It’s one in the morning, who the hell is it?!”, you asked, walking up to the door and looking through the peephole. It was Armando. He was wearing nothing but pants with his boxers slightly showing. You could see water slightly dripping down his neck from his hair. He had just gotten out of the shower.

“Fuck.”, you whispered, running back towards your bed and then slowly walking back towards the door. 

“Jojo, baby..I’m coming. Just hold on.”, you continued, softening your tone. You stood there and waited a couple seconds and then opened the door, making sure that you had your head turned towards the balcony to act shocked to see Armando.

“Jojo, I have the balcony curtains open, so that everyone can see us..”, you flirted, opening the door and then turning to see Armando leaning against the door frame with one arm up to support his weight.

“Oh…you’re not Jojo.”, you sighed, disappointedly, walking back towards your bed. You were playing with Armando and he knew that you were. You could hear the door shutting and then steps creeping up behind you. Before you knew it, Armando aggressively turned you around and pulled you closer to him.

He was towering over you. His eyes were filled with fire, passion, and lust. You didn’t know where he was, but you knew that he wasn’t in the room with you at the moment. You watched as he leaned his head down and gave you a slight peck on the lips. A peck of permission, trying to see if you would allow him to continue on with what he wanted to do to you. So you answered, grabbing his face and kissing him as passionately as you could. You wrapped your arms around his neck as he wrapped his arms around your waist. You could feel his tongue exploring the inside of your mouth, so you explored his. Allowing  the both of you to fight for dominance, to see who would lead.

He won… you could feel his hands start to rub on your ass, when he patted it. Signaling you to jump, so you did.

 ARMANDO POV

I wanted to be inside of her, to hear her moan, cry and to be all over me. I needed her. Bad. So while we made out, I gently patted her round, firm big ass that she carries and signaled for her to jump. And when she jumped, we never allowed our kiss to break contact. Keeping it close and allowing it to get as juicy as it could. I held her butt underneath my hands and carried her to her bed. Throwing her onto the clean bed that was now about to become dirty. I watched as she kept her towel wrapped around her body and scooted towards the end of the bed.

She turned her focus towards the door and looked back at me.

“What if someone walks in?”, she asked, leaning back, allowing her forearms to support her body weight.

“Then we put on a show.”, I smirked, slowly unzipping my pants, wanting to see her become impatient.

Once I finished unzipping and unbuttoning my pants, I pulled them down along with my boxers, allowing my member to be exposed. I watched as her face went from being extremely passionate to now being slightly worried.

“Damn…Armando.”, she whispered, looking up at me.

“Big shoes..”, I smirked, climbing on top of her.

“I don’t know..I don’t think I can—”

“I’ll be gentle, I promise. We can start off slow and build up to it. You’re in control.”, I reassured, now hovering over her as she laid down. She shook her head, yes, and then allowed me to start kissing her again. I was ready.

Y/N POV

You were terrified. Never having someone that big inside of you before. He had everything, the length and the width. You felt blessed knowing that it was now yours however scared because it had been a minute since you’ve last had sex. Although, you knew that you were ready. You wanted him inside of you, to hear him beg, moan and whimper. To see him damn near cry. You wanted it all, so you started kissing him and biting him on his neck.

You could feel your towel that was once covering your body now exposing it so you grabbed it, trying to wrap it over you again.

“You’re beautiful, I don’t care about your scars, stretch marks or rolls y/n. They’re normal.”, he whispered, looking you in the eyes. 

 You were hesitant, it has been a minute since you’ve been fully naked in front of a man so you weren’t sure how he would react. However, you trusted that Armando meant what he said, so you removed your towel. You could feel his hands opening up your legs while massaging the inside of your thighs. You were getting hot and could slowly feel your clit start to throb.

You closed your eyes and allowed Armando to explore your body, you were now experiencing your thoughts about Armando coming to life but you also wanted to savor the feeling. You could feel his fingers run across your womanhood, making your hips twitch forward towards him. You wanted more of it and he caught on. So he started gently and slowly rubbing your clit in a circular emotion while leaving kisses across your chest.

“Fuck Armando…”, you moaned, your eyes were now open and you were looking up at him.

“That feels good..doesn’t it.”, he smirked, shifting his body closer towards you. He was now pressing down on it and was  picking up in speed. You could feel your heart racing and ringing in your ears, you felt yourself about to cum when he suddenly stopped.

“Not yet….”, he whispered, stopping and getting on top of you. You took a deep breath and allowed yourself to exhale, it felt good and you knew there were more to come.

ARMANDO POV

I used one of my hands to allow her head to sit up on it. I wanted her head to have as much support as it needed so she wouldn’t get hurt.

“Open…your legs.”, I demanded, kissing her in between. I felt as she separated her legs and kept her feet on the bed. I made my way down to her breast, nibbling on them while leaving hickey’s across them. She was moaning and pushing her body towards me. She wanted more. I hovered back over her and stared into her eyes, I was worried myself. I want to leave her sore but I don’t want to cause her any pain either. I must’ve gotten so lost   into my thoughts because that’s when I felt one of her hands gently caressing my cheek.

“I want you inside of me.”

GREENLIGHT ARMANDO, GREENLIGHT!!!

We kept eye-contact the whole time, as I grabbed my dick and rubbed it against her clit. Up…down…up…down, I dragged it, allowing her to get as wet as she could before putting it inside her. Once I felt it was time, I softly guided my member inside the entrance of y/n pussy and started coming in and out of her slowly.

“Ugh..fuck y/n, you feel so good.”, I moaned, putting my head in the crook of her neck. I kept going, pumping in and out….in and out. Slowing down and then slightly picking up speed. Allowing her body to adjust to me being inside of her.

“Shit Armando, faster…”, she whimpered, grabbing my back. So I listened, picking up in speed, while allowing our moans and grunts to create music in the room. I was several pumps in when we heard a knock on the door. I looked up to see y/n with her eyes rolled to the back of her head, she didn’t hear it, so I kept going and started kissing her neck. Allowing my dick to get as deep as possible inside of her. That’s when I heard another knock, this time she heard it.

“Who..who is….fuck.”, she whispered, now scratching my back. Her nails were sharp and slightly dug into my skin, however I was enjoying the pain.

I started slowing down, so that I could lift my body up to pull her underneath me some more. I grabbed her legs and hinted for her to wrap her legs around me and then started kissing the side of her neck.  I was ready to go deeper.

“Baby..somebody is at the door for you.”, I teased kissing her on the side of her cheek, while picking up my pace. I wanted to hear her struggle to talk. So I started making my strokes longer and allowed my dick to drag out slow and then back in fast.

“Who…fuck, who is it?”, she moaned, squeezing her eyes shut.

“It’s me..JoJo, I brought you flowers.”, Jojo yelled from behind the door.

Perfect, I had a perfect time for her to let everyone know who she belonged to. That she was mine, I wanted to hear her say it. Loud and Proud.

“Are we together?”, I whispered into her ear, now going crazy inside of her. I could feel myself start to twitch while my heart jumped out of my chest. However, I wasn’t going to stop, not until she said it. Instead she kept whimpering and moaning, louder and louder each time I went inside her. So I turned her around and made her get on all fours. 

“You’ll say it, before we leave here…”, I laughed, pushing her back down and lining my dick towards her entrance. I pushed myself inside of her and listened as our moans conjoined together. I loved this shit, everything about it. So I pulled away and then pushed back in, while holding on to her hips. Allowing me to be in control.

Y/N POV

You were seeing stars. You could feel him inside of you and it made you feel good. Everytime you thought he would slow down from hitting it from the back, he would pick up speed.

“Say it.”, he moaned, now slamming into your body. You were stubborn. You wanted to see how long you could go with hearing him beg about you being his. So you allowed your whimpers to be your response. 

So he kept going, faster and faster but this time, you could feel his hand rubbing your clit. He was finding his rhythm and once he did, he mastered it. In and out, in and out while he rubbed on you.

“Y/n… are you mine?”he asked again, pulling your body up against his chest and now, slightly choking you. 

“FUCK ARMANDO!!!”, you yelled, putting his head between the crook of your neck and allowing him to kiss your shoulders.

“You feel so good y/n..”, he whined, still massaging your clit while pumping inside of you. 

You were slowly building up inside, you could feel it. The next stroke he does would be over for you, but you didn’t stop him. 

“Shit…say it.”, he grunted, roughly grabbing your body and hugging you closer to him. You could feel him twitching inside of you. He was about to cum.

“I’m yours Armando, baby, I’m yours.”, you moaned, you could feel your body begin to shake but he didn’t stop. 

“Good girl.”, he replied, still going until he released, which was soon after.

“Fuck y/n…te sientes tan bien, te sientes tan jodidamente bien….”, he repeated, massinging your breasts while leaving soft kisses across your back. You turned around to look at him, his eyes were closed and you looked down to see his dick still twitching. 

“Come here…”, you whispered, getting up off the bed. You watched as Armando stared at you confusingly until you pointed towards the balcony.

“Seriously?”, he smiled, wiping the sweat off his forehead while getting out of the bed. You observed Armando’s body as he walked over to you. His broad shoulders stuck out to you the most, and the way his muscles would always make an appearance over the smallest thing…it turned you on. 

“Sit down.”, you demanded pulling out the chair that was near the table. He sat down and opened his legs, watching you kneel down in front of him. His eyes were dark and he was watching your every move.

You grabbed his dick and allowed your tongue to meet it for the first time. Licking up the fluids from both his and yours body while slowly stroking it, up and down. You could feel him shift his hips so that he could be more comfortable in the chair. He was slowly moaning and had his head leaned backwards. He was relaxed so you licked the tip of it some more and started gradually sucking it. Allowing it to touch the different barriers of your mouth.

You could feel him slowly growing again back inside of you so you started sucking harder and then used your hands to gently twist. His moans were gradually getting louder and louder as you picked up speed. Bobbing your head up and down to allow him to get inside of your mouth some more. You took your focus off of his member and looked up to see him clenching the arms of his chairs, while tears streamed down his face. His eyes were closed, which means that he was deep in the moment, so you stopped. Which led to him opening his eyes and begging you to finish but you ignored him.

You climbed onto Armando while he helped you put your legs through the chair. Wrapping one of your arms around his neck while grabbing his dick to aim it under you. It took you a couple tries to find the entrance but once you did, you quickly slid down onto it  which led to you and Armando moaning in unison.

“FUCK Y/N.”, he grunted, grabbing your ass to try to take control.

“Not this time.”, you smirked, slapping his hands, and putting them back on the arms of the chair. You put your hands on top of his so that you could be dominant this time. You wanted to see him beg and cry for you to stop.

So you started bouncing up and down slowly, while moving your hips forward and backwards so that the both of you can feel it. To feel the both of you inside of each other, for the both of you to become one.

You were teasing him and he knew it, so you started to ride him faster each time he whimpered. The way you held his hands down so that he couldn’t grab you felt like a power move on your end. However, for him, not so much. Though it felt good to him, he felt like he was being sexually tortured. Not being able to grab you felt like a crime to him but all he could do was moan.

“You look so good while whimpering Armando…”, you teased, picking up speed. You could feel him try to snatch his hands away but you continued to hold it down while you rode him.

“Ugh..i’m sorry..please..”, he whimpered, trying to throw his hips upward towards you.

“No baby, it’s my turn…you’ve been bad, baby…..”

“Ha,,,fuck…”, he tried to laughbut could only throw his head back.

You took that as an opportunity and started kissing his exposed neck, leaving hickey’s across it. You could hear him mumbling in Spanish which encouraged you to go faster. So you did.

“Fuck Armando!! You feel so good, cum for me.”, you yelled, now bouncing up and down uncontrollably. You watched as tears were streaming down his cheeks again, as he continued to moan.

You decided to let go of his hands and allowed him to wrap them around your waist. You were both now chest to chest while he had his head buried into you, allowing you to ride even faster and to cover his head with your hands. When you both finally released, allowing the both of you to be covered with each other juices. You stopped riding and Armando started pumping the rest of his energy out into you. His accent sounded heavier and he was speaking in his native language. You couldn’t help but to admire the way he looked while he held onto you and mumbled to himself.

There was silence between the two of you afterwards, allowing the sound of nighttime Miami to surround the both of you guys. You leaned your head down to kiss him on his forehead then tried to get up, when he pulled you back down.

“What Armando?”, you laughed, wrapping your arms around his neck.

“Nothing..I just want you to sit here with me, that’s all.”, he smiled, looking at you and then leaning in for a kiss. You responded back and softly gave him a kiss on his lips. 

“I am yours now, Armando, and I mean it. I hope you feel the same way too.”, you whispered, looking at him. You could feel yourself start to blush; you were done with games. You knew that you wanted to be with Armando, and you were hoping that he still felt the same.

“I do y/n…I do… I belong to you."

[ell-does-stuff]

MAKING A BIG OL POST OF EVERYTHING I GOTTA SAY ABOUT THE NEW SPOOKY MONTH BECAUSE HOLY SHITTTT THERES A LOT

‼️‼️SPOILERS OBVIOUSLY‼️‼️

THE THIEVES ARE BACK WOOOOOOOO!! IVE MISSED THEM SM

also eepy lila

while gathering images for this ive noticed that the "pile of dexter" as im calling it is staring at the thieves the whole time they're in the attic (specifically fat thief)

is he somehow still alive???? just possessing a pile of dead doll????????

so cool to see the big ass spider get some actual relevance!! def gonna be important next episode for sure

ROSS'S DAD!!!!!!!!

also jaune is so pretty with her hair down like omggg... love to see her being such a supportive friend to lila as well

"are you throwing away dad's stuff mom?" WAAAAAA MY POOR BABYYY IM GONNA CRYYY

HI KEVIN HI KEVIN HI KEVIN HI KEVIN HI KEVIN HI KEVIN HI KEVIN HI KEVIN HI KEVIN HI KEVIN HI KEVIN HI KEVIN HI KEVIN HI KEVIN HI KEVIN HI KEVIN HI KEVIN HI KEVIN HI KEVIN HI KEVIN

theyre so me

DEXTERRRRJRJRJRHSHSHDBBDBSB!!+!!!!!(!!

"this cat looks sick im taking it to the vet" BULLSHIT i know what you are. 👁️👁️

DEXTER'S MOM!?!?????!?!?!?!?!!!??? i had no idea she would ever show up like wow i did not expect to see her at all

poor little babies and their lack of parents

ok sorry ik im joking here but MAN this scene made me feel bad 😭😭😭

THE FUCK.

pretty sure this dude is the same guy as the "costume bob" in the last episode??? i felt bad for him last time but here he seems like kind of a pathetic and weird ass man ngl lol

RADFORRRRRRDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!(!!(;+;!;(;;(;??;(;;!!(+!!++!(++!

HES SUCH A GOD DAMN SILLY NERD MAN LIKEEEEE "he even sounds like he does in the movies!!!!!!" BROOOO I LOVE HIMMMMMMMMMM DJJDGWHDHSHFH

he is EXACTLY how i pictured he would be!! my brain is not gonna shut up about him for the next few days i just know it HAHAHAH

also my caramelpopcorn (thats their ship name right?? or was it candycorn??? i forgor lol) heart is completely full, i loved actually seeing him and kevin canonically interact, they are perfect <3

HES IN THE CANDY CLUB OUTFIRTBD RJSHNF EBDJFBSBDJC EJDUFBEBW DKXN SCUEBFNFBRJSJCJCHDB!!!!(!!!!!;+;(;!!(+!!

"im... uh... like an uncle!!" "i just wanna help the children..." BROO??? feeling kinda bad for frank rn, these are like the only kids he genuinely cares about and hes being turned away from em

ik hes a shady guy but STILL

GREGOR LOOKS SO GOOFY DOING THE DANCE JDBDHSHFHD LIKE WHY DOES HE LOOK LIKE THATTTTT

also i made this gif myself yall better like it

aaaaaaaaaand dexter's mom is dead.

like son like mother i guess 💀

love how ignacio's door has small little boards on it from when they bashed it with a hammer HAHAHHA

also, looking at the inside of ignacio's house, is that john's family on the little table there???

one of the images in the arg gives a better look at this, but i had no idea it was in IGNACIO'S HOUSE of all places. why does he have that??? and right by the gun too.... what is this silly cult man planning......

(the arg image in question if yall were wondering)

"we understand you" "we're here for you dude" "thank you guys, i just wish things weren't so..." HATZGANG FRIENDSHIP WAAAAA!!!!!

also ROY HAS BEEN THROUGH SHIT MY POOR GUYYYY i wanna hug him mannnn 🥺

IMAGE LIMIT IS KILLING ME SO IM GONNA REBLOG THIS WITH MORE SHIT TO SAY BECAUSE I AM NOT DONE MANNN‼️‼️‼️‼️

[hannahbarberra162]

Struck Twice By Lightning, Chapter 9

18+ MDNI

On Ao3

Shanks would probably hand you a dirty washcloth and think that's aftercare. I love him, but it's true.

A few hours and many orgasms later, you were depleted. You didn’t think you’d ever be able to walk normally again. Shanks, for his part, was also calm now. You were laying on your back, with your head on the pillows, legs bent. He was laying down between your legs, with his head resting on your stomach. You were carding through his beautiful red hair, gently detangling the messy strands. You were both quiet, enjoying the afterglow of a night well spent. 

Shanks used his hand to lightly grasp the outside of your right hip, jiggling it. He picked his head up a few inches to look at it. 

“Hello, old friend. Nice to see you again.” You exhaled sharply through your nose. You had a tattoo of his jolly roger there, done long ago. 

“Well, it's not like I could get rid of it.”

“That’s right, can’t get rid of the ol’ Red Haired Pirates.” Shanks jiggled your leg again, then lightly smacked the tattoo. You squeezed his head between your thighs mischievously. You were in a great mood - multiple orgasms would do that to a woman.

“You can suffocate me between your legs, I’d die happy.” Shanks put his chin on your belly, facing you. You took one hand out of his hair to reach out and touched his facial scars. He smiled and looked like he wanted to purr. 

“Can you do that thing I love?” he asked, trying to use your good mood to his advantage.

“Pff. Fine. Lay down.” Shanks pumped his arm in the air and rolled off you, onto his stomach. He put his hand under his chin and closed his eyes. You got up rooted around until you found some body oil you’d brought with you. You spread some drops on your hands to warm it up, then straddled Shank’s lower back. You used firm pressure to massage his neck and shoulders. Shanks moaned.

“This is the best part of it all,” Shanks sighed, closing his eyes.

“Yeah, maybe for you.” Shanks was good at a lot of things, but you’d never gotten a back massage from him that didn’t end in another kind of massage. You slowly worked your way down his neck to his back, with Shanks sighing every few seconds for dramatic effect.

“Shanks, the left side of your back is really messed up,” you said in a serious tone. The knots on the side with his missing arm were awful, he was likely always in pain. Shanks hummed but didn’t reply.

“No, really. You should have Benn help you. Or at least Hongo. It doesn't have to be this bad.”

“But you’re so much better at it. And they don’t sit on me naked, even when I ask nicely.” You laughed, but were still going to talk to Hongo on his behalf. You continued to work his muscle knots.

“Why were the guns still here?” You were genuinely curious. Shanks never used them, maybe someone else on the crew could have.

“Forgot them in here, you know me.” 

“That can’t be true, someone’s been maintaining them.” 

“Why did you bring body oil? You use lotion.”

“Oh hush,” you said without malice. You had moved farther down, using your thumbs to massage his lower back. He yelped and squirmed.

“Quit moving!” you smacked his arm mildly.

“But it hurts!”

“Stop being such a baby, I thought you were an Emperor.” You did lighten your pressure and use a more gentle touch.

“Yeah, your Emperor. So I can complain as much as I want. If you don’t like it, you can move to Big Mom’s.”

“Hey! I was on my island way before you were Emperor! Why should I move? You put your territory around my island! But I hear Big Mom has good desserts. Maybe I’ll put the moves on another Yonko…”

You squealed as Shanks playfully growled and rolled you over so you were under him, his thighs between yours. He leaned down to kiss and nibble your neck, making you laugh more.

“No way. I’ve already tried. She’s immune to charm and roguish good looks.” He continued kissing you, moving up towards your jaw.

“Maybe I am, too.” You wrapped your legs loosely around his waist as he dotted your jaw with wet kisses.

“Mmm. Then I need to keep trying.” He cupped your cheek and leaned down, kissing you tenderly on the mouth. 

~~~~~

Benn POV

Benn had been Shanks’s first mate for a long time. He had pledged his life to Shanks, willing to die by his side. He had no doubt that Shanks was the most powerful Yonko alive, and could get the One Piece if he so chose. Shanks was brilliant in battle, both due to raw talent as well as learning from Gol D. Roger himself. Benn was still in awe of Shanks when they fought, regardless of the opponent. He was a pirate in a class of his own - formidable, terrifying, accomplished, dynamic, and influential.

And a complete fucking idiot. 

From his spot on watch in the crow’s nest, he watched Shanks saunter out of his cabin, relaxed and at ease. Benn could practically see the hearts radiating off of him. Benn struck a match - from the touristy matchbook you had given him - to light a cigarette. He kept the empty matchbooks as souvenirs once the matches were gone - it was a silly collection he’d started long before he’d even met Shanks. He wasn’t surprised you remembered it after all these years. That was just like you - thoughtful, kind, and compassionate, all hidden under layers of annoyed attitude. 

Benn liked you. He always had, since the moment Shanks introduced you to the crew. You balanced Shanks well, and it was clear there was a strong connection between the two of you. He hoped he didn’t have to watch Shanks fuck it up all over again. And listen to his Captain drunkenly tell the sob story for the rest of their lives. 

In his own way, Shanks had never stopped loving you. Sure, he was a huge flirt and was known for finding his way into beds up and down the Grand Line. But, he’d never let another lover into his cabin. Not even Makino, and she’d been with him longer than any other. Shanks himself maintained your guns, until he lost his arm, after which he asked Benn to do it monthly. He never stopped at your island, but he made sure it wasn’t attacked by pirates or Marines. There was always at least one fleet ship nearby, ready for action if anything happened. If anyone was foolish enough to try, Shanks ruthlessly decimated the entire crew. 

Once, he even begged the Whitebeard Commander Marco to check on you when Shanks found out you were ill. How Shanks heard you were sick, Benn didn’t know. But whatever he said to Marco was enough to get The Phoenix to make a “surprise” visit to see you. Shanks kept his distance, but was always ready to help and protect you, even if you didn’t know it. 

Which was why you were sent to the cabin for such a small battle. Benn knew that Shanks wouldn’t bother fighting a mediocre crew like the one from yesterday if you weren’t around.  But with you on board, Shanks was ready to defend the ship to the ends of the earth. 

But none of that was the issue. You had been unhappy enough to leave without so much as an argument before. You never came to Benn for romantic advice - you kept your own council. But he’d seen you upset at Shanks ignoring you, or caught you crying in the crow’s nest, night after night. Shanks hadn’t noticed in time that you were serious about your hurt emotions, taking you for granted. So you left. Benn didn’t blame you.

Benn wasn’t sure Shanks could win you over again. Sure, the two of you had just as much chemistry as the first time. But he could tell you weren’t acting the same. You weren’t as emotionally involved with the crew, with him, and with Shanks. You were more guarded, keeping more of yourself private. It felt like you were waiting for the other shoe to drop, for Shanks to show his true colors again, protecting yourself from getting hurt. He knew Shanks had grown up during the years you were gone. But Benn wasn’t sure it would be enough.

He watched Shanks bringing some snacks back to the cabin, whistling a merry tune. At least with you around, they didn’t have to give him alcohol for hours until he relaxed after a battle. Peeling his Captain off the floor was definitely one of his least favorite activities as first mate.

~~~~~

Shanks presented you with some snacks he probably stole from Beckman’s cabin while you lounged on the couch.

“Yum…thanks, I’m starving.” You grabbed the plate from him and started munching on some dried fruit.

“That’s for sharing! Gimme some,” he yanked the plate back and began eating some jerky, sitting next to you, facing the same direction.

You chewed in silence together, enjoying the comfortable stillness. You ate all the fruit, and he ate all the jerky. Looking down at the plate, Shanks leaned back and said “some things never change.”

You thought for a minute. That was the problem in a nutshell - you were worried that he never changed. Sure, he was being attentive for the past two or so weeks, but that didn’t really mean anything. 

“So what does all this mean?” you said, gesturing between the two of you. You were going to have to talk about the sex sooner or later, anyway. Might as well get it over with.

“What do you want it to mean?” Shanks leaned back and crossed one foot over his knee. You didn’t answer right away and Shanks continued. 

“I know you don’t trust me. And you have good reason. I’ve spent the last ten years regretting my behavior, regretting how I treated you. I can tell you I’ve changed but that’s not worth much, hm? Sex between us can mean whatever you want, I know it doesn’t mean you love me or that you’re staying. I’m just taking it as a sign that I might have a chance.” With that, he kissed the top of your head, got up and left to put the empty plate in the kitchen. 

~~~~

Early the next morning, you were mulling Shanks’s words over in your head while lying next to him in bed. Your plan was supposed to be straight forward. You were supposed to stay on the ship, get divorced, and start your official business, cutting ties once and for all with your former husband. But now memories of Shanks saying sweet nothings to you, making love to you, and saying he’ll fight for you swirled around in your mind. You glanced over at his peaceful form, relaxed in sleep. You still had time left on the ship to figure things out.

You carefully got up and went over to his desk. You really wanted a cigarette - you’d kicked the habit but you felt you deserved one after all that haki sex. If he kept everything the same as it was when you left, there should be a pack in the way back of the first drawer on the right. Was it gross to smoke old cigarettes? Yes. Were you still going to check? Yes. You carefully opened the drawer, remembering that it sometimes squeaked. There were some loose papers that you needed to move to get to your treasure. You looked briefly at the few papers on top - old newspaper articles, a couple of his crew’s wanted posters, and stopped when you saw what was underneath the first layer.

It was a photo of the two of you on your wedding day. You ran your finger over the photo, remembering the moment vividly. You weren’t wearing wedding attire but you held your hands up in the picture, showing off your rings. Shanks was smiling broadly and you were kissing his cheek. Yasopp had taken the picture on an old snail, stolen from a bar the night before. You were young and in love and so overwhelmingly happy that you’d married the man of your dreams. You picked up the picture for a closer look and something else floated down. 

It was your vivre card, kept safe all these years. Just like you’d kept his. 

[upslapmeal]

Boom

So I had vaguely seen things about Moffat coming back, but I'd always interpreted the 'next' series as being... the NEXT series. after the upcoming one. anyway BIG ol' surprise in the opening titles lol

are these those anglican marines back from what?? s5? s6?

....is this a flashback? I think those guys had the same name

we're finding out he swapped a duty and now he's injured

oh wait it’s not a flashback lmao

this is where being bad at faces fails me

is this an american ambulance situation where they cost too much and ruin your life?

ah

they ruin your life in another significant way

‘villengard’ assuming this is pre-bananas lol

*dramatically throws open tardis doors* 'someone needs me!!!'

Fifteen’s theme is so good

Moffat??????? well that explains the anglican marines

Fifteen is excellent at answering questions. shame they're not the questions Ruby is asking

‘one wrong move and boom’ eyy title drop

when can Twelve and Fifteen bond over capitalism and being scottish

‘i’m not even screaming. yet.’ yeah

‘it’s going to be tricky’ ‘it’s going to be a MOMENT YEAH’

gotta think of health and safety at war what can I say! only the finest ventilated air before our ambulances murder you

Ruby on her first planet <3 (though only now after 6 months?? Fifteen you've been slacking clearly!)

‘he was being sMELTED??’ ‘it’s a good word smelted’ 'NOT AT THE MOMENT???’ obviously Fifteen's not having the best time but poor Ruby lmao

‘ooooh I am. havin’ a day 🙃🙃’ never has a Doctor been so me. minus the landmine.

Ruby don’t make the Doctor laugh when he’s balancing on one leg!!

oh man the Doctor really IS having a day

ok those soldiers are definitely not the same guy lol but I could have sworn they had the same name!

‘everything is possible. everywhere is a beach eventually’ RIP Mundy left out of that lil callback to earlier

Ruby grabbing the gun, shooting it and yelling is v much banging the pipes in Space Babies lol

love that her instinct is make noise and yell, think later

meanwhile Splice is chilling with her lil photo album

…did I mishear shoot me little bitch??

oh lol ‘shoot me a little bit'

nooo Ruby!!

‘I can’t think unless I’m talking and I can only talk to you’ oh that is VERY Twelve Clara

and also a lot to put on someone you’ve known for so little time that they’re only just seeing their first planet RIP

Fifteen: do you get it do you get it!! Ruby: 😴

'there are no Kastarions’ big Doctor’s Daughter vibes

Thirteen: have faith!!! <3 Fifteen: >:(

love fifteen giving his big speech with snot running down his lip. giving Nine in Dalek

‘how much of the countdown left’ ‘3 minutes maybe’ I mean you said 5 minutes 4 minutes ago

speaking of which what is the point of assessing for life and having a countdown if it just blows anyway

(to give it flashy lights and features I know)

bud I appreciate the romance going on here but now is maybe not the time

oh yeah very much not the time

…..delighted that Ruby hasn’t been smelted. yet.

(.....also 3 minutes have now passed. where is the boom the title promised!!)

the deaths are stacking up and Splice is just having the best chill time lol

oh the ambulance is the twist lady!

just for the record it took that failsafe 8 minutes to trigger

lol poor confused Ruby. honestly rude to die and miss the action

there’s the closeup from the trailer!!

who knew that serene deep breath came shortly after prolonged near death by landmine

‘he’s not gone. he’s just dead’ <3

‘you keep the faith Splice’ there we go

‘snow isn’t snow until it falls’ maybe it’s just my love for Twelve’s era but I’ve been endeared to these nonsense Moffatisms lol

ok looking at the credits those characters have different names but they're still similar! you can’t have two characters with similar names played by incredibly similar-looking people and expect us to tell them apart??

WAIT HANG ON

varada sethu????? as in new companion???????

is Mundy coming back?????? or is this a Karen Gillan situation?

Really enjoyed this one!! Easily my fave of the first three, very tense and WHAT a showcase for Ncuti!!! Absolute powerhouse. However. On rewatch I really did notice how much Ruby was written like Clara lol. Ah Moff you've got your strengths and weaknesses like us all

[siryouarebeingmocked]

Carter and Lovecraft, by Jonathan L. Howard (2015)

I really wanted to like this book.

I've read a few Lovecraft novels and stories, and I liked them. So when I saw this on my friend's bookshelf, I borrowed it, and read it.

Tried to.

The first real fly in the ointment? NYPD protag sees his partner take a 9mm retirement in front of him on a creepy case, and becomes a private detective. Mysterious lawyer shows up at his office one day and says there was a bookstore owner in Providence, Rhode Island, who has been missing and just declared dead.

The protag gets the bookshop. He's not sure why.

Protag goes to the bookshop. Owner's niece, Emily, is there. She's been running the shop alone since the owner vanished, and she co-ran it when he was alive. Also, she's biracial. Would be played by Zoe Kravitz in the movie, he thinks.

Her name is Lovecraft.

As in, she's a descendant of ol' Howard Philips.

She notes the irony; a black-ish "mulatto" descendant of an anti-black racist.

"Okay," I think, as I checked the publication date. "You've gotten that token bit out of the way. Now, can we move on?"

Apparently not.

As protag starts looking into the disappearance and other weird stuff, he decides he needs to get his eye in. So he goes to a gun range, where he needs to sign up for the NRA first

and ends the session by "re-engaging the safety" on his Glock.

Fun fact: stock Glocks don't have manual safeties, AFAIK.

In the next chapter, protag thinks about how he used the gun. He hates the NRA and the whole "gun fetish" thing, but he needs the iron, just in case.

Two strikes. Three if you count the safety thing.

Yes, I know an NYPD cop might be a bit bigoted about the issue, especially considering how his partner died. But it really feels like the writer's opinion.

In fact, let me just-

Yep. The writer is British. This sounds awfully familiar.

It was about this time that I realized something. The protagonist has no traits that aren't directly related to being a cop or detective. Absolutely none.

I don't think we know what he does in his off hours. No friends. Nothing but the job.

Heck, Miss Lovecraft has more personality than him, and she takes up a lot less screen time.

Protag decides to give Lovecraft half the business, so he can become a silent partner. People start dying in physically impossible ways - like the dude who drowned in his dry car in a parking lot - our hero looks into it.

He also ends up learning about a local family, the Waites. Rich, keep to themselves on their own land, been around since before the area was officially settled, apparently.

The local who tells him about all this says the younger ones are oddly attractive. The family has distinctive big eyes.

Anyone remotely familiar with HP Lovecraft just went "Oh, right, they're fishmen. Got it." I've seen this trope done better before, like in the comic Shadowgirls.

Hero looks into the archives, finds records of a racist Town Council rant by an early Waite, back when they were still into trading. Including slaves. Specifically, patriarch Newton Waite went to a council meeting and said black people should serve others, and shouldn't have self-determination.

The archivist intern says it's was "a different time", and that's just how people were back then.

Of course, he adds "People who talk like that now - no pass for them."

End scene.

Like this extremely mainstream, boring opinion is some kind of

In the next scene, protag chats about the fit he had near the Waite place. Learns about another mysterious death. When he chats about it with Emily, he suddenly realizes she's hot.

Then the narration tells us that he was a racist bigot in his teens, though he thought he was being sensible at the time. He now knows he was wrong, but he still feels sparks of it when he reads about some black kid doing some stereotypically black thing, which gives certain white people "a hard-on of righteousness".

And, of course, his time spent walking away from "instinctive racism" means his dating pool opened up. Like Emily Lovecraft, for example.

The most stereotypically black thing would probably be crime. Or being a single mom or deadbeat dad.

 Sadly, I know of plenty of black people - from my black majority home country - who fall into one of those categories. Or two. Three if you include "poverty", but we're Developing, so that barely even counts.

Also, this basically came out of nowhere. Not Emily being hot - I mean, look at Zoe Kravitz - but his unsolicited thoughts on racism.

All of these issues have also been issues for many concerned black people. For decades. The 'stereotypically black things' might be bad themselves, not because they make racist white people feel smug.

This is precisely where I closed the book for good. I would've put away the bookmarks, but I needed the page so I could write this rant.

Honestly, writing all this made me realize that I should've given up long before I made it halfway through the book. But I just kept hoping it would get better.

Doing the same well-worn cliches in a modern setting doesn't really make them interesting. Neither do the little 'racism is bad, mmmkay?' bits.

[lilyginnyblackv2]

Some thoughts on the BD’s OP after Episode 10: SPOILERS!

First:

We have Carol throwing her purse at Rei. While I don’t think we will actually see Carol throwing her purse at Rei, this action seems to imply that Carol and Dorothy will meet Rei at some point.

Second:

This part of the opening was always a bit odd to me. Like, Kazuki and Rei were just walking around the city with a huge wooden frame. Why? Now, I feel like this is means to represent a snapshot - a moment in time. After all, the scenes that are captured in this “snapshot” are of Miri with her daycare friends and Miss Anna.

Even if Miri ends up back in the care of Kazuki and Rei, I won’t be surprised if they would have to move because of Organization stuff, safety, etc. So it really does make these moments that Miri had with them a snapshot in hers, and their, life. The series isn’t finished yet, so I could be wrong, but that’s what this feels like. Otherwise, we just have this odd sequence of Kazuki and Rei lugging a big ol’ frame around the city for some reason, lol.

Third:

Much like how the imagery of the bullet (in the OP) and heading for Kazuki’s back (who is holding Miri) foreshadowed Kazuki and Miri being targeted by the Organization, this scene here with Rei, riding his motorcycle straight ahead, appearing in the car window of Ryo feels like it is foreshadowing events too. In Episode 10, we see Rei react to Kyutaro mentioning Ryo, and Ryo is antagonist, for sure, but not the “villain” of this series, imo. So, it would make sense that we our Papas finally confronting Rei in Episode 10. This scene indicating that Rei may be the one that goes forward with enacting that.

It gets rather lengthy and image heavy after this, so I’ll put the rest under a Read More.

Fourth:

The guy in the grey suit. He’s in the bottom middle rectangle. This guy has been brought up before. Will he be an actual character that shows up? Or is he more so just meant to represent the Organization as a whole like in this scene of the OP:

Where we have Rei’s father, the head of the Organization, front and center, with other members (lackeys, I would assume) surrounding him. If the guy in the grey suit is a member of the Organization though, this imagery of him paints an interesting picture, since his personality is coming off a bit more goofball-ish than anything. 

There is the possibility that he may be someone that tries to chase down Kazuki and Rei, after all, we also have a group of Organization lackeys chasing after them during the title screen sequence of the OP as well:

They really don’t feel intimidating though, unlike Ryo. And that doesn’t feel like it would fit the tone that the remaining episodes are seemingly going to have. On the other hand, this guy later in the OP:

Who is shooting a guy in what appears to be an actual action scene, looks to be the same guy in a grey suit. I won’t be surprised if next week’s episode (Ep. 11) ends up being more action focused. So we might see this guy finally pop up then or the week after (Episode 12). Especially since it looks like this other guy later in the OP is in a similar room/place:

They intersperse this moment with ones from Episode 2. For example, in the above image, the guy on the left in the brownish-grey jacket and blue undershirt is from a scene we haven’t seen in series, while the image on the right, of a blond haired man in white and orange holding a gun is from Episode 2 (he’s the man that brought Miri to the bathroom). 

So yeah, hmm...They could just be random action scenes to highlight the “they are hitmen” aspect of the series, but...I don’t know. If you have any further thoughts, feel free to share them! 

Fifth:

Bullets destroying the family and children’s items (a cake, a stuffed teddy bear, etc.). Symbolism for their hitmen job destroying (or, at the very least, getting in the way of) their ability to have “normal happiness” and a family. 

Sixth:

Sad realization that we never got to see Miri blow bubbles:

Or brush her teeth together with Rei:

In any of the actual episodes. :(

Seventh:

The last sequence of images we get are:

Rei putting on his motorcycle jacket.

Kazuki looking nervous/upset in a room that looks like it could be similar to the ones above with the potential Organization guys.

And Misaki, Miri’s mother, crying. This could be symbolic of her tragic situation (cancer) or of the fact that her character is a rather tragic one in many ways, generally speaking. But the image comes right before a shot we know is in the series, which is Miri holding Rei’s hand, which comes from Episode 9.

So that leads me to believe that these three images of Rei, Kazuki, and Misaki have yet to happen and will likely show up at some point in episodes 11 - 13.

[butchfoolish]

I would love to know what foolish and Vegetta’s first meeting in the mafia au was like

Well, the first time Vegetta met Foolish was when he and Bagi went to scope out these new talents. Sit towards the back and see if Tina and Foolish are really worth doing BBH a favor. And then Bagi and Vegetta are immediately smitten with these two. Sitting next to each other and exchanging looks like “meus deus” “dios mío” Big ol bisexual solidarity moment.

Foolish isn’t allowed to wear a packer, but Vegetta is attracted to his masculinity regardless, staring over at Foolish when he approaches Bagi. He wants those strong, beautifully sculpted hands on his shoulders, he needs that lean body looming over his own. He’s only distracted from Foolish by Tina reapplying lip gloss in his lap. And realizes Bagi is staring at Tina, which Tina picks up on and immediately blushes because while Vegetta is definitely attractive, Bagi is the most breathtaking woman she’s ever seen. And she doesn’t have a wedding ring. Tina is so flustered that she almost fucks up her lap dance and misses Foolish getting up to switch places with her.

And now Foolish is almost sitting in Vegetta’s lap. Talking to him. Asking if he likes what he sees as he grinds just above Vegetta’s embarrassingly hard dick. Vegetta hasn’t felt this way in a while, not since… Vegetta pushes down the involuntary thought of his brother’s gun pressed against his lover’s head. He takes a sip from his drink to calm his nerves and just pays attention to the man’s skills as a dancer, the way he quickly picks up on Vegetta’s distraction and pulls his attention back with a hand on Vegetta’s chest. He decides this man is more than worth the price.

After a brief negotiation with the other party, Foolish and Tina are hired.

Foolish: And that, kids, is how I met your father!

Leo: wtf dad

[traitorca]

My Iron Lung - The Walking Dead

Daryl Dixon x Grimes!Reader - 3

Masterlist

Men fucking suck.

Saved your ass? You had it handled perfectly. Of course you struggled- a little bit, but you were close to shooting it yourself. However, you kept your thoughts personal as you lifted yourself to your feet, backing away from the two men before lightly raising your gun.

“If you can’t even shoot somethin’ dead, I can’t imagine you shootin’ one of us, aye, sugar tits?” The older one drawled, his southern accent rivaling the English ones you were used to. “Put the gun down, or maybe I’ll just have lil’ Darlina make you.” He gestured to the man beside him. With the threat, you cautiously lowered your arm to your side, finger still placed on the trigger.

‘Darlina’, the man in question, was quiet, eyes narrowing at the sudden volun-told request. He had an air about him, a man who didn’t miss much, or say much about it.

“You’d finally get some hands-on action with a female, Daryl…” The other man nudged him knowingly, his voice pulled into a mocked snarl. It was clear you weren’t seen as an equal in this conversation.

He did nothing but scoff in response, his rough, calloused hands taking hold of the arrow lodged in the walker's head. He grunted, flinging it slightly as blood flew, splattering the already discolored leaves.

“…Well aren’t you both just.. so….” You struggled for the words to say, finding that no possible word the dictionary might provide would prove suitable for the men in front of you. “….lovely.” You settled, brow raising as you took a mental note of their person, scanning for weapons. “A word of advice, don’t do anything stupid. I’ve got people nearby, a whole bunch of them.”

“Ah, yeah… we know already. Been watchin’ ya, campin’ out even. How funny is that, it’s like a big ol’ sleepover!”

“Merle.” The younger one spoke out, forbidding him to say too much. His voice mirrored the state of his hands, deep, warm…and rough. It suited him.

Daryl and Merle, what a pair of brothers. Almost made you think about yours.

“So,” The older one, Merle, clicked his tongue, hands stroking the end of his gun, the action almost overbearingly possessive. That visual was unsettling. “I dare say you owe us a lil’ welcome gift for savin’ yer’ ass…” His eyes ran over your form. “Darlin’.”

“Again, I didn’t need saving. I had it covered.” You scoffed, hand grasping your gun that laid dormant in your hands, obviously as a warning. “And don’t call me ‘darlin’, I don’t owe you shit.” You knew better than to turn your back to strangers, much less in a world full of men. Pricks like this, pricks like MERLE, were not to be trusted.

As for the brother, that was yet to be decided.

You took the time of silence to look over them again. The younger brother, Daryl, had a cross bow, the same one that had saved you from that freak minutes prior. Across his shoulders, a rabbit and a few other animals were linked together with string, his catches of the day.

You would be lying if you said you didn’t need a hunter on your side. With the people you had back at camp, no one checked the boxes like he did.

He was tall, rough looking- and his arms- GOD his arms. He could use a hair cut, sure, but he was pretty enough to look at.

“…But, about that gift-“ you started, but shrinked back slightly when Merle smirked in your direction. “No. I’m not fucking you if that’s what you think you’re getting into.”

“Ah, shame.”

“I was going to offer a place back at camp. You’d have to start pulling your weight- but my people could use your experience.” You looked to Daryl, truthfully because this offer was because of him. “And you’d have a comfortable place to stay in return. Strength in numbers. Clean clothes.” You gently put your gun back in its holster. “Of course, if you’re not interested, pretend we never met. If you come to my camp- mess with my people, I promise you,” You paused, eyes tracing over to Merle. “I’ll make you see how capable I am with a gun.”

This time, Merle seemed to understand your message. He didn’t laugh, instead, he passed a glance to his brother and cleared his throat.

“Darlina, as the bitch of our little duo, you got any complaints?”

The younger brother didn’t seem amused, nor elated about the offer. He just grunted, a small “whatever”, leaving his lips before looking at the ground.

You smiled at that. The thought of not only bringing food back to camp, but also capable- strong hunters? This could really boost people’s spirits. Of course, Shane might give you hell for it, but besides the.. obvious sexual harassment from the Merle, you didn’t have any outweighing reasons to not trust them, (Besides the age old rule: don’t trust anyone).

Your journey back to the quarry seemed longer than it should’ve been, spent in awkward silence as the heat of the setting sun stilled around you. You could only hear the footsteps of the two brothers who followed you, one of them proceeding to prod you with questions you didn’t waste time by answering. Your silence seemed to amuse him enough, thankfully, as you began to see the break in the trees.

As soon as you stepped into the clearing, you were bombarded with your name, a pair of footsteps running towards you.

“Oh, thank god!” Lori’s body collided with yours, arms wrapping around your neck. “Where the hell did you go?! How far did you get?! You scared the shit out of me, do you understand?!” She was panicked, voice raising an octave as she chastised you like a child.

She wasn’t alone, as a new voice interrupted hers. Shane. “That settles it, you’re no longer going out by yoursel-“

“Oh, don’t you worry, she was plenty safe.” Merle walked out from the treeline behind you, quickly followed by his brother, Daryl, who had a harsh grip on his crossbow. “Afterall, we were with the little lady, ain’t that right?”

“Who the fuck are you?” Shane pressed, shoving you and your sister-in-law behind him. “You need to back up-“

“Watch it.” Daryl warned, lip pulled into a snarl, almost like a dog who had his tail between his legs. “We didn’t do anythin’. She offered ta’ bring us back to yer’ camp.” He raised the net of animals he had caught before, strung along lifelessly as they hung.

“She what?” Lori repeated, to no one in particular. “You what?!” She turned to you this time, eyes wide in anger. “You lead two strange men here, knowing we have children- MY child here?!”

“Lori, calm down-“ you started, hands raising in your defense. “They’re hunters. They saved me from a freak. I got lost. I thought-“

“No.” Shane answered the question you never got to ask. “They’re not welcome here. We are perfectly capable-“

“Oh that’s BULLSHIT Shane, and you know it.” This time you were the one to get in his face, eyes narrowing as your finger poked at his chest. “You’re not making decisions for everyone. You’re not in charge. We agreed this was a team effort. You act like you’re some fuckin’ dictator.”

“Excuse me? At least I’m the one trying to keep this camp safe-“

“Says the one who couldn’t even do that for my brother.”

The words flew out before you could even register them, and to your dismay, you regretted it quickly. Lori’s face fell, jaw slacking as her eyes watered. She left quickly, hand covering her mouth like she was going to be sick.

Shane, on the other hand, looked at you like he didn’t recognize you. Or, more so that he didn’t want to.

“I bet you feel fuckin great, don’t you?”

“…Shane-“

“Who gives a shit anymore, let em’ stay then. They aren’t staying in camp. They can camp outside, near Ed and Carol.” He pointed the way, eyes still concentrated on you. “Hope it was worth it.”

He left you with that, probably to chase after Lori, something you knew you should’ve done to begin with.

“Well I’ll be damned..” Merle snorted. “Got ourselves a spitfire, don’t we? I knew I liked you.”

The compliment didn’t feel deserved, nor appreciated.

“I’ll take you to a nice spot to set up.” You spoke lowley, eyes narrowing as Shane disappeared into Lori’s tent.

Hopefully Carl would never hear about what you said, you don’t think you could live with that.

taglist:🏷️: @poubxlle @kovieky @fallenkitten @dixonsboy19

[angelmichelangelo]

Could I ask for some.... Raph whump? Any version of Raph? I have a mighty need to see my boy hurt and cared for and I feel like you're the only one who'd do it justice

good ol' reliable 2007 coming in hot for ya anon! enjoy :D (and don't forget you can read all of these prompts on my ao3 too!)

x

His skull bounces heavy off the concrete, rattling his brain like loose change in the inside of his pocket, his vision whites out for a minute before the adrenaline is cruising through his body at lightning speed, forcing him to move. There’s the unmistakable sound of a bullet slicing through the air, missing him by a very slim inch, and fear has its big ugly hands wrapped around his throat as he struggles to suck down one measly mouthful of air. The mugger stumbles backwards from the force of the gun. Grinning wildly with red soaked teeth, Raphael forces himself up. His whole body protests greatly. Stay down, one side of his brain begs. Fight back, the other goads him. Fight back until there is no fight left. So Raph does exactly that. Spurred on with fear and anger, he charges forwards, barreling his much heavier frame into the man’s lilith, smaller stature, sending them both spilling onto the alleyway ground. No doubt the sound of the gun would send a barrage of cops spilling in the darkened alleyway at any moment, so he really was working on borrowed time here. His fist manages to connect hard with jawbone, crunching under gloved knuckles, the man groans in agony, reeling back as if to protect himself from what had already come. Raph rears his elbow back and drives his hand down again. And again. And again. He stops moaning. Stops trying to get away. Limp beneath his heaving, breathless body, blood smeared messily across paleing, bruised skin. There’s the sound of sirens wailing into the night. He pulls himself away on unsteady feet, his vision once again swirling as his brain sloshes about in his head. He just about makes it onto his bike, peeling away as the cops spill onto the scene armed and ready and so confused. Raph doesn’t think he’s going to make it home. Nausea sweeps heavily over him, his bike sways from lane to lane, dangerously close on a few calls. A car horn blares angrily at him, causing his whole body to jerk back awake – he hadn’t even realized he was slipping into unconsciousness. He finds his manhole cover just as bile starts to crawl its way up the back of throat; thick and hot, it makes way for the vomit that follows. He yanks his bike helmet off in time to spew his guts up over the sidewalk. His teeth feel rubbery and his whole entire body is wracked with a shiver. He slowly makes his way home, head buzzing with each laborious step. Donnie finds him halfway slumped over the kitchen table. He tugs his headset off to hang loose around his neck, his face pinched together with sincerity as he rushes toward him. “Are you trying to get yourself killed, Raphael?” Is what he says when he sits him down, voice clipped and concerned. Raph sinks into the wooden chair as Don grabs the first aid kit from the cupboard above the stove. He hums blearily, letting his eyes slide shut before there’s his brother's eyes pinching them back open, making him flinch violently. “You’re an idiot.” A quick swish of light from the tiny flashlight Donnie now wielded. He swishes it to the other eye. “You’re an idiot with a concussion. A bad one.” He keeps his eyes open long enough to watch his brother tear the headset off his body and set it down heavily onto the table, accompanied with a long, drawn out sigh. “Yes.” Raph finally answers him. “Maybe I am.” Donnie blinks, looking confused for a moment before the realization settles over him from his previous, more rhetorical question. He deadpans his brother, unsure of what other expression to don for the time being. “Well,” he says shortly. “You’re doing a damned good job of trying.” His breath wobbles in his throat when he inhales. “Here. You need a bandaid for that.” For what, Raph isn’t sure. Not until there’s something wet and icy stinging like crazy above his brow bone and Donnie is pressing a Hello Kitty bandaid over his broken, weeping skin. 

There’s a still quiet that settles between them both like a smog in the middle of two, unmovable mountains. Donnie packs away his cotton buds and bandaids when Raph’s chest stutters like the old Cowabunga Carl van backfiring on a bad day. “I–” he says, causing Donnie’s warm eyes to flicker upwards towards him. Hopeful. Expectant. “Sometimes I don’t know,” he tells him, voice loopy from the concussion, his admission seems to just slide from him without notice. “What I’m doing. I don’t know.” Donnie blinks, then frowns. He closes the box and cradles it carefully to his chest, like some sort of security blanket. Raph wants to say more. Wishes he could. But his brain swims about in his skull like a buoy untethered, and nothing seems to ever make sense, even when the ocean of his thoughts were calm. He still could never quite find the words. Donnie stands and sighs. Still expectant. “Me neither, Raph,” he tells him, voice quiet. Raph just blinks at him, drawing his gaze away from his softening expression to stare at the old, chipped tiles on the kitchen floor. It’s then that his gut decides to chuck up the last of his scraps dinner all over it, making Donnie leap back with surprise. “Woah-hey!” He says at once, dancing about the puddle with a grim look about him. Raph spits and then burps and heaves a second time, but there’s nothing more to come out of him, leaving his gut to roll and squeeze around muscle and nothing else. “Fuck,” Raph hisses, palming his aching head with a trembling hand. He doesn’t catch Donnie’s worrisome expression but does feel his hands on his shoulders, guiding him upwards towards the couch. “Okay. I’m gonna suggest you lay down for a bit,” he tells him sternly, pushing him down into the soft give of the couch cushions. Raph gladly goes, his head still spinning and his stomach still flipping about inside of him. “I’ll stay up anyway, keep an eye on you.” Raph tries to move his hand away but the pulsing hurt increases tenfold, and he hisses in pain, pressing his head into the cushion to help ease it. “Don’t fight me on this, Raph,” Donnie warns him. It’s a tone that Raph knows is not to be taken lightly, so he doesn’t. He just closes his eyes and rests his poor, swimming head back.

Donnie fetches him a cup of water and two tiny little pills, probably scraped from the last of their reserves because he’s always needing them for stupid things like this.

Guilt flickers hot and fiery in his chest. It does however, snub out when Don fixes him a hardened stare when he looms over him. “You know. You could avoid all of this.” Lecturing him, once more, for the things Raph could not, would not control. “I mean. What good does this all do? Going off into the night, fighting–” Raph forces himself to sit up, even when every nerve ending all the way from the base of his skull to the bottom of his shell sings out in sharp, fierce protest. “S’better than doing nothin’, Don,” he snarls at him, like an angry dog. “At least I’m doin’ somethin’. Pickin’ up where… where that idiot left off.” His words ring out like an echo around the empty, still quiet of the room. Donnie says nothing for a while. Still standing there, his arms once crossed over his plastron now limply fall to his sides as an exhausted sounding exhale breezes past his lips. “We all miss him, Raphael,” he speaks, voice so soft and gentle, it almost comes as a whisper. Raph barks a sharp laugh and rests his head back. Each movement, each word pains him, but he spits it all out anyway, like vomit on the kitchen floor. “I don’t miss him,” he says, voice poised with venom and anger. “I’m glad he left. I hope he doesn’t ever come back.” Donnie shifts from foot to foot, bottom lip twitching, like he might try to say something to salvage the moment. Whatever he does next, Raph doesn’t watch, instead letting his eyes slide shut as the pills start to work their magic where they slug about his system. It’s a while until Donnie says anything again, his voice small and unsure, he tells him, “Just make sure you’re back in your room before sunrise.” A beat. “You know Mike worries when he sees you like this.” He shuffles off, no doubt to go clear up his mess, his next words almost go unnoticed on the account of how quickly he’s falling asleep, “We all do, Raph.”

[mephalis]

Lungs pushing up daisies - Alt ending

so this is an alternative ending, of what if everything that could go bad, went bad? this is for one comment that asked about it, so here you go! and also fueled by the fact that Argenti did not come home so, yeah :D im debating if i should post another work into the series with just this but i deemed it too short...let me know though if i should? as i am not sure and i thought here would work better LOL! special thanks to Grrrrain who helped me get the flow as well as inspired by some of their own sad hanahaki fic elements! a big inspiration!! click more to enjoy the ending! it follows up from the same fic but the last segment is...different! :D

[3:58]boothill:

What the heck was the name of that drink you got me?? Can’t fudgin’ find it anywhere here, got a mad itchin and i need to scratch it. you son of a nice lady, just had to get me a delicious one. Can’t believe I even forgot to go back and get that last forkin’ drop back at the hotel, what a waste.

Voice text converted into text

[3:59]boothill:

Also what kind of wine do ya like? I reckon it might be one of these red ones, but the guy is offerin’ me white champagne and what not…real fancy soundin stuff, they might be right up your alley.

Voice text converted into text

[4:24]boothill:

Too late rosey, i got you this red fudgin’ bottle instead of all the others! Darn son of a gun was trying to make me buy the lot of em, he kept on talkin’ and talkin’. Luckily i got somethin’ that always shut em up real quick. 

Voice text converted into text [4:25]boothill:

For the record, i did forkin’ pay for it. Got kicked out tho just because they get spooked by a gun so easily. Fudgin’ wussies.

Voice text converted into text [7:32]boothill:

You out in the wild or something? First time I got connection and you don’t! Oh yeah right, hope you got some wine glass or what not, don’t ya have to drink them out of these fudgin’ cups? Forgot ‘bout those.

Voice text converted into text [2:05]boothill:

Think ’m bout to see another knight of beauty, found myself at this lil ol’ station and people here are talking and ravin’ about this knight. Doesn’t sound too shabby, they’re sayin a bunch of stuff about bugs and what not…[intangible]-huh? Wait a forkin’ second…–red hair? [intangible] wait, oh shoot, ha! it is you! I can see your ship from here! Fudge, I had to park my forkin’ motor all the way on the opposite side–would you look at that! Wait, if you’re here then why haven't ya answered any of my texts? 

Voice text converted into text [2:12]missed a call from boothill.

----

Boothill tsk’d as the phone call ended with a message about some darn fucking voice message mail box, wherein he would have thought the knight might have been busy or far away from cell service to receive his call, Boothill wouldn’t have bat an eye. 

But Argenti’s ship stood right in front of Boothill, and he heard plenty of the folks on the station talking up a storm of how thankful they are for the current residing knight of beauty inside the ship.

“Ey! Rosey!” Boothill banged on the ship’s door, not too rough as he knew how Argenti cared about the exterior of his ship. Despite being a battle knight, Argenti went through many efforts to maintain the ship’s sleek look. 

There was no answer. 

Boothill was patient, he knew to wait for the right shot, to jump on his hunt. But his patience was a fickle friend, present only when he wanted it to be.

(not after he had heard of the knight getting possibly injured, not when Argenti, the man who’d speak up a storm, brimming with words, was this quiet. It had set his nerves on edge.) 

Boothill, maybe overreacting, kicked at the door in frustration. A futile gesture against the unease festering in his gut.  

But the door opened far too easily with a beep, enough for Boothill to realize it hadn’t been locked at all.

Realization struck him with grim certainty; if Argenti had been truly absent from his ship, he wouldn’t have left it wide open, right?

He frowned, and stepped in. 

There was a silent lull inside, Save for the soft hum of machinery and the distant thrum of the engine in the distant background. Only the sounds of his steps, heavy boots clanging on the metal floor echoed. Boothill had the half mind to close the door behind him properly, before frantically walking around with a search for a pretty red rose.

“Argenti? Ya here?” he called out, quicking his pace. Boothill could already hear the scolding of his Pa for his hasty intrustion in his head.

The sight of the lounge brought back the memory of his stay, and how he woke up from such deep slumber to find himself nearly drooling on Argenti’s pillows. 

But Argenti wasn’t there, so Boothill did not give it another thought as he turned. 

He blinked at where Argenti’s personal garden of roses sat, surprised to find a new addition added to the side, and stood beside it, the small figure of a wooden carved horse that he had made. It sat right next to the pot, somehow like it belonged there, like it was associated with the daisies next to it. 

The daisies, shockful arrays of white and yellow, sparkling somehow just like the roses. Not in the same way, but they had some sort of glow to them that Boothill found himself drawn to.

His hand hovered over them, and at once, he could recall how they felt once long before. 

It evoked a memory, soft and easy to tear off, the bundle of rough blanket of wool had many of the petals stuck to it as he once carried a baby–his baby–out of the bed of daisies one sweltereing summer day.

Boothill remembered Argenti once asking him about daisies.

The knight was already a strange fellow, doing whatever he got in his mind when it was aligned with beauty and all that jazz, but it was even a little strange to Boothill. Oddly specific, Where did the fascination of the daisies come from?

Boothill turned once more, not sparing the daisies a second glance. 

There was only one flower he was interested in. 

"Rosey?" Boothill called out again, stepping into the dimly lit shadows of Argenti's bunk. The room was cloaked in darkness, illuminated only by the soft, shifting  hues of the ship. 

However, light sparked on at his mere presence, automated.

Revealing Argenti's blanketed figure, slumped over the bed in an unnatural curve. 

His red hair sprawled from out of the cover like a wave of crimson river, his form held profound stillness that overturned the concern in Boothill’s heart into chilling dread. 

(was he even breathing?)  

"Argenti!" Boothill rushed forward, and at once he was hit immediately with the sharp smell of metal tang in the air that could not be hidden by the flora that always acquainted Argenti's.

blood.

He yanked the blanket off of Argenti, and reached to turn his body to face him all together in one motion. His mind raced with the urgency to assess the damage, aid whatever he could to slow down the bleeding of what might be wounds of the battle he was just in, and to call for help from the outside if they were grave enough to make the ever so preserved knight fall. But when he saw Argenti’s face, all action came to a screeching halt.

It was not an open wound, as Boothill had feared.

Boothill wished it was, as he stared at yellow daisies poking out of Argenti’s bloodied mouth. 

“..Argenti?” his breath hitched as he called out again with a tremor in his voice, pulling the knight into his arms and watched in horror as Argenti’s head drooped, falling down heavily like a ragdoll.

“Hey,” Boothill said with crackling static, desperation creeping in, haunting realization, “wake up, this ain’t funny.” 

Boothill reached to hold his face properly, cupping his pale cheek and ignoring the petal that cascaded its way down. He saw the pot of daisies by the roses, this was just a joke, a cruel joke from Argenti. 

A cruel joke from the world.

The pallor of a skin, like a forgotten rose, Argenti’s complexion was ashen. Dried blood stained his lips and trailed down his chin, the front of his shirt, and daisies spilled over his mouth with the tremble of Boothill’s arms holding him, scattering between them and forgotten. 

Boothill grit his teeth hard enough he could hear the metal, but everything was muted, numb to him as he curled over Argenti’s cold body. Boothill's fingers twitched in a pathetic attempt to hold Argenti gently, afraid to inflict more pain. The abscense of warmth was palpable, even without his senses. 

“Please,” Boothill begged, to Argenti, to anyone. Pressing his ear against Argenti’s chest, despite clearly knowing and his breath caught on his throat with a cry he wasn’t able to shed. 

It’s wrong.

“I love you.”

Argenti had confessed more than once, apparent with what he felt but Boothill ran away from it, from confronting it again, from ever mentioning it. He knew Argenti never moved on, it was obvious with the way the knight looked at him, held on to him, spoke to him, smiled at him that made that undeniable.

Boothill let it all unfold, endured the weight of Argenti’s affection with his own hidden beneath lies and pretend, thinking that this much was fine, as long as Argenti would be fine.

The corpse in arms beg to differ. 

He should have ran away, he should have cut all contact, but like a fucking selfish weak idiot he was he stayed enough for Argenti to die.

If anyone should have died by this cursed thing, it should have been him. 

“I warned you,” Boothill spat, hugging him closer, burying his face into the crook of his shoulder. He couldn’t even pretend when now he felt the cold of his corpse with the skin of his cheek pressed against Argenti’s neck. “Why, why did you keep…” 

Loving me?

Boothill clenched his jaw, burnt with despair, “Ya shouldn’t have it! I still, i still–it ain’t possible so how!?”

His questions and anguished cries were met with silence. 

Boothill had it first, he had been the one to first fall. He still loved Argenti despite it all, but he rejected him. All because he thought it was for the best.

He was the reason Argenti was now dead. 

The devastating cost of his silence, of his lie, now laid bare in front of him. 

The dull green eyes of Argenti’s corpse were devoid of his sparkle. The daisies covered with blood, the motionless sick stillness, a grotesque evidence that his life withered away long gone.

“I’m sorry,” Boothill choked on regret and sorrow, “im sorry, i’m sorry–”

He could only cradle Argenti’s corpse close to him, whispering his love into the void. 

“I love you, i still love you.” 

But his words fell on deaf ears, swallowed by the silence of loss.

[burgerrat]

The Modifyers: Numb Nostalgia

((So long story short since a few nights ago I have been plagued by ideas of my own to do something with this scrapped nickelodeon series. I want to give it a story it never had a chance to tell; although if something does end up being made of it canonically some day, you can interpret this as a more mature, horror-oriented AU or something based off of the pilot episode, it's cancellation leading the story & characters to fall into obscurity + the concept of the comic series I Hate Fairyland and Fionna and Cake, which inspired me))

-

Something happened that day.

Well- besides losing your precious communication ring into the villain's lair...

Thankfully Lacey Shadows happened to be the henchwoman of a complete fool who swooned over her.

Of course, Baron Vain disregarded all of Rat's claims about his precious Lacey being in reality a Modifyer plotting against them. His life was forgiven for retrieving his favourite hecnhwoman's ring, likely something that must've meant the world to her! That's probably why it ringed so obnoxiously... probably so each time it happened to fall off of her it would set off an alarm of sorts... to alert her it was missing!

But Rat's claims? They were simply outrageous. Of course he was only jealous he preferred Lacey over him.

And so the wannabe-villainous boss would return the ring to his beloved henchwoman and rant about how annoying his other henchman was. Lacey still remembered the dread that washed over her seeing Baron Vain arising from the secret entrance to his lair, walking towards her, ring in hand. She was already sweating bullets having realized she lost the damn thing again somewhere in the Baron's lair... seeing him holding it felt like someone was pointing a gun at her.

All it would have taken was quite literally the press of a button. It would have taken one movement to answer to Katz's call. She was inches away from having her cover blown.

And yet... As 'fate' would have it, she had her ring returned to her oh-so-kindly by the 'big bad' the entire organization she worked for fought against. The perks of the henchwoman's charm pushing all the right buttons, right?

It was fun in a way... that's what getting yourself into an adventure is all about, no? Getting in trouble, returning stolen mystical artifacts (as much as she wished to use it for herself), being inches away from imminent danger... it was exciting.

But of course, that was then.

This is now.

"Hey, kid? You feeling okay?" An elderly crocodile asked, noticing that the woman in front of him seemed like she waa zoning out instead of scanning the groceries that were piling up in front of her. She snapped out of her daydreaming and looked at her customer.

"Oh- Yes! yes, absolutely! I'm sorry, I must've not slept well last night... hah.." she nervously excused, beginning to scan each item and placing them within a paper bag.

"Oh no, don't worry about it, I get it... same ol' routine each day'll drain ya." The old reptile replied as he dug through his wallet and made sure what he had was the right amount.

"Yeah..." she sighed, looking down at her one belonging resting below her checkout: a blue backpack, which happened to be looking right back at her- literally.

Despite her employee's outfit, those pink locks tied in a messy ponytail- now having taken a much less vibrant color (and a good chunk of them happened to be turning purple at the tips), her face seeming to be much less lively than it once was , those bright blue eyes and pink hair were unmistakeable.

...

Once closing time neared, the woman was lazily finished restocking whatever needed restocking, and once she finished her part, she collected her belongings and left her coworkers to close up the place. She sighed as she walked down the darkened streets of the town until she reached what appeared to be a phone booth... upon entering it, the contraption begun to shake until it launched in the air- revealing to be a rocket pod... which led to a familiar airship.

The woman slammed the doors to the pod open, letting the blue backpack fall to the ground; she listlessly stepped on colorful little squares on the floor, which brightened upon contact and once the pattern was completed the lights of the place turned on.

"Ow..." said Mole as he returned to his original form and got back onto his feet.

"Sorry." She replied in a tired tone as she undid her ponytail and allowed her long hair free.

The two barely exchanged many words as Agent Xero wormed her way out of her employee's attire as she made her way to her bedroom, and into a baggy t-shirt once she was there. She flopped onto the bed on her stomach with a groan, her long hair hiding where her head was almost entirely.

Some rustling from another part of the airship could be heard from her room; soon, Mole would appear- now having taken the form of a tray, carrying a simple bowl of cereal.

"Hey- I've taken the liberty to be a freelance chef..." said he in a sarcastic tone as he tugged at her shirt to gain her attention, "Least you could do is eat..."

Another groan emerged from the woman as she begun to rise from her cozy tomb like a zombie, lazily stretching out a hand- her messy hair covering her face entirely, with only her nose sticking out, accentuated that metaphor.

"Come oooon..." now it was Mole who groaned, rolling his eyes. His annoyance seemed to entertain Xero as she let out a hearty chuckle before using both hands to pull back her long curls. She gingerly picked the bowl off her friend and he immediately turned back into his original form.

"I'm practicing for my future job at a haunted house, whaddya think?" She jokingly inquired.

"Terrific." Mole played along, attempting to crawl his way up the bed; his companion eventually lending him a hand- or better said, a leg- to help push him onto the mattress.

"Seriously though... when'll we go back to being- ya know, Modifyers? Katz isn't exactly pleased that you've been goin' around without a disguise at all..." the little blue shapeshifter fumbled with the covers of the bed.

"Pfft- why bothew?" Replied Xero with a shrug (and a mouthful of cereal), "we hawen't sween Bawon Wain in fowevah! Ow hees miwions!" She exclaimed, gulping down her food.

"Besides, I'm off the clock for now.." she added, eyes half-lidded.

"Uh... Xero," Mole's tone was uncertain- as if he was about to deliver world-shattering news, "you've been 'off the clock' for sixteen years..." he gulped.

[cyaniiiide]

[Genshin] Thoughts on "Akasha Pulses, the Kalpa Flame Rises"

I stayed up til 2 am to finish this quest and I loved it! ❤

Staying up til 2 am on version release dates is just a tradition at this point... I will not be spoilered. This is a difficult endeavor, seeing as how spoilers even come out before the version's story is officially released, but I try. ;o;

(At least I'm no longer on east coast time!! Staying up til 4 am was fun in college, it is not fun now. T___T)

// 3.2 ARCHON QUEST SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED //

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One of the first things that happens in this quest is Alhaitham saying he's not like the other girls. In fact, he's in the top 1% of girls. This man has such a superiority complex (though if I'm being honest, it's not completely unfounded...)

Initially, I didn't really like his character because of this (among other things), but it's grown on me after seeing his interactions with Kaveh. He's just so... needlessly antagonistic. xD

Throughout the archon quest, Alhaitham has played the role of the cold, logical brain of the team. He's almost like a robot in that sense, so seeing him take what a robot would deem "unnecessary actions" to torment poor Kaveh is hilarious. (It seems like Kaveh might do his fair share of the tormenting as well though LMAO)

Alhaitham: happiness is an emotion alien to the sages smh

Alhaitham: y'know who else won't experience happiness today

Alhaitham: my roommate bc I took both keys while leaving the house today heheheh

I can't wait to see more of their interactions in the future.

(Also, Kaveh's hair?? Hello???

I wonder if the "IXIX" pins mean anything... nine-nine?)

Another character that grew on me a bit this archon quest is Dehya!! Miss Anime-Hair-Vents-Girl. She got to shine the most the previous chapter, but she has her moments here too. Protecting the traveler as their bodyguard, wanting a "smile" as payment... big sister vibes.

She's a big ol' tsundere in some regards though. She doesn't have any big ambitions, and she admits herself to only wanting to enjoy the days with good food and drink, and only working when she has to.

And yet, despite this... she's trekked halfway across Sumeru and back with the gang, even though she could just leave?? at any point she wanted to. Dehya's very individualistic, and doesn't compromise on her own ideals or interests. But in the end, she'll always have your back, both physically and emotionally.

I already had a high opinion of Tighnari before this archon quest so not much changed here. He's sensible and rational without being cold. It was nice seeing how protective he was towards Haypasia as his patient.

He's the perfect person to watch over the sages who went to the Avidya Forest at the end, too. Even if they deserve it, I can't see Tighnari being needlessly cruel to any of them. He'll definitely keep them under a watchful eye, though...

And of course, I can't talk about Tighnari without talking about Cyno! I'm not a Cynonari shipper myself, but there was sooo much food this chapter -- from Cyno asking who was behind Tighnari's injury, to Tighnari trusting Dehya and the Traveler as soon as they brought up Cyno's name, to Tighnari's affirmation that he and Cyno have been working together behind the scenes from the very beginning.

I wasn't really a fan of certain parts of Cyno's story quest, but for better or worse, the writers are sticking to their guns in portraying Cyno's personal brand of justice. Everything played out really nicely in his scenes. My personal favorite is when he ordered Azar to "plead guilty in front of the archon herself."

Another thing I wanted to mention was how well done the Scaramouche scene at Pardis Dhyai was. I legitimately got spooked when I saw him pop up. He too says he's not like the other girls and then a bunch of other stuff about rejecting his past.

The traveler notes that "he's become milder but somehow even more deranged" lollllll

One thing I didn't expect from him was to actually be concerned about Haypasia and to treat her as his "first follower." I guess all gods need followers though, so it wasn't real concern so much as it was just his own superiority complex.

Also, I did not expect him to crash head first into a concrete floor at the end of the archon quest LMAO

One of the first things I saw today though was (3.3 leaks) his signature dish, where he orders the traveler to wash the dishes. 😭 Honestly, I have to admire his sheer tenacity... he becomes god, gets his ass beat, suffers what I assume has to be terminal brain damage, and STILL has apparently done zero self-reflection LOL. Whatever happens in the 3.3 interlude quest, he's evidently still the vertically-challenged gremlin we know (and maybe love I haven't decided yet)

Nilou was an unexpected appearance in this quest. I really enjoyed all the different perspectives this quest had to offer, including the segment where we played as Nilou. It's a good way of showcasing things that the traveler wouldn't personally be there to experience.

Speaking of Nilou... I absolutely love her. She's a little clumsy and forgetful, but her story quest really showed that she's willing and able to fight for what she loves. She's not a revolutionary (this is the exception, as the opportunity basically landed in her lap!), but in her own way, she's been fighting for change all this time.

Nilou's story quest also touched me for a different reason, too... Recently, a server for a game I really like and was a member of the community for shut down. I wish we could have come together to extend its lifespan the way Nilou and the people at the bazaar did for their dance troupe, even though it would have been impossible in our case.

That's a rabbit hole I'll go down some other time, though!

(The OST when Nilou was dancing was also fantastic. And when the Performance Prohibition Act text was overlaid with the fake order to arrest Kusanali? Chills. ❤❤)

...Speaking of that fake order, I couldn't let this go by without mentioning Isak, that kid who literally dressed as Kusanali to lead the guards away. 😭 Of all the things I expected in this chapter, this was not one of them.

I also chose to hide in the field instead of behind the house when it came to the first decision b/c I thought he might be able to camouflage himself among the vegetables and I WAS RIGHT LMAO (unless hiding behind the house led to the same result. then idk lol)

Last but not least, I need to talk with everyone about Nahida. She's my pfp (at the time of writing this, anyway) and just. Look at her. LOOK AT HER. I loved her ever since her design was first leaked (yes I'm gatekeeping don't @ me /s) and I'm so glad her story has played out so beautifully.

One thing I really liked is that Nahida was never infantilized this chapter -- even though literally all of us were willing to go to war for her and to coddle the radish after her teaser, Nahida really held her own. The first scene we get of her in this quest is of her doing self-reflection. She wallows in doubt for a bit, then comes to the realization of what her true emotions are. Not what she "should" be feeling or thinking as an archon, but what she is feeling.

(I'm also a bit confused here, after re-reading her wiki entry -- could Nahida have escaped the Sanctuary beforehand? The archon quest implies she couldn't, as it gives an explanation as to how the Sanctuary could contain a god. Nahida's own voicelines also talk about being in a birdcage. Yet, the wiki says that she (was essentially gaslit, first of all) took a step back on her own and let the sages run things.)

Anyways, the self-reflection was a scene that I hadn't realized I needed -- Nahida getting past her own mental block, and taking strides forward to act as Sumeru's archon. Not trying to gather information or help out behind the scenes -- nope, the radish is out for blood this time.

Fun fact: I tried to challenge Scaramouche's domain with just the Nahida and Lumine in my party! (I also did the same earlier, playing through most of the archon quest with Cyno/Lumine/Nilou/Nahida. I would've used Tighnari in place of Nahida if I had him...)

Not-so-fun fact: I failed miserably and got Nahida killed in the very first fight (I forgot how hard electro skirmishers can hit...) and had to bring Zhongli along too for his shield.

Nahida really shined during the fight with Scaramouche -- forcing him to go through 168 samsara cycles; poetic justice at its finest. It's also quite fitting that Nahida drew upon the people's wisdom using the Akasha to help the traveler. Honestly, I'm not too sure how that worked (would regular people even know how to beat a giant mecha god robot...?) but Nahida's always been an archon for the people, and it's nice to see that theme being carried through. It's even in her kit! The most powerful part of her kit (Tri-Karma Purification) doesn't activate unless a reaction with dendro is triggered.

My heart definitely sunk though when I first saw Scaramouche try to take Nahida's Gnosis (the way he picked her up too???? 😭). Another thing this quest did well was hide information from the player. Initially, I thought the whole strategy session at the beginning of the quest was kind of odd, given that it we just skipped through the actual meeting. Everything was revealed in due time though. ❤

(And this way, Paimon got to be useful too! Instead of repeating information that we just heard, she got to be the "person who wasn't listening during the meeting" to catch the players up to speed, haha.)

The third-to-last segment with Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was also incredibly beautiful. Nahida's self-realization that she is the Dendro Archon, and essentially has been all along was affirmed.

The second-to-last segment was less beautiful. After all our hard work! Dottore shows up to snatch the two Gnoses. I don't feel like Nahida got a good deal with Raiden's Gnosis, to be honest... I guess it had less value to her as a Gnosis from a foreign land, though.

As for her own Gnosis... I really want to know what information she got in exchange for it!!! D:

I guess Nahida did the best she could though. She was at a huge disadvantage in the situation.

And the last, but certainly not least segment of our heroes celebrating? *chef kiss*

An epilogue like this was exactly what we needed to tie up the archon quest. It would have been too weird just asking some questions to Nahida at the end of everything, and not seeing everyone again and see how things were going.

The huge upheaval at the Akademiya, the fates of the sages, Dunyarzard!!!, were all discussed. The Sumeru Archon quest had also addressed the huge inequality between the citizens of the desert and the rainforest, and I'm so happy to see Cyno spearheading the efforts to revitalize Aaru Village. Even Setaria showed up!

One thing I will definitely take away from Sumeru is the persistent theme of how everyone coming together can solve seemingly insurmountable problems. It's a rather obvious thing to take away (the power of teamwork, yay!) but it was really hammered in throughout the archon quest. Every part of Alhaitham's plan relied on its individual members, and the use of the Akasha to save Sumeru not only once, but twice was a result of using the knowledge gathered from its citizens' combined experiences. Sumeru is the land of wisdom, and a part of wisdom is cooperation and knowing when and how to rely on others.

There's plenty of room to expand Sumeru's story from here, and I'm excited to see where the story takes us next.

(And of course, the lore bombs at the end... I can't wait to find out the answers to those questions!!)

P.S. As of right now this is unedited and might remain unedited bc it's 12:30 am, I wrote this all in one shot, and I wanna chill now lmao

I should have probably also added pictures to break up the wall of text so that I actually might want to reread this at some point like which was the main point of writing this 😭

[chevelleneech]

Still on the finale, because of course I am

And as such, I must say

…what the hell was going on!?

Bobby was in a coma for barely half the episode, after being dead for 14 minutes. Sergeant Athena I’m-not-a-corrupt-cop Grant accosted a man her husband nearly killed, at gun point, threatening to kill him because she decided he set her house on fire. Chim and Maddie became foster parents in the blink of a fucking eye. Buck had no real point this episode other than to be present in scenes that the audience aren’t meant to view as meaningful, despite the repetitive nature in which he is always present for his male bestie with whom he was assumed to be dating. Tommy was just there, as always. They spent too much time with Amir and the Cartel, when quite frankly, that should have been the cliffhanger at the very least. And lastly, Eddie had the most near sensible storyline this episode, with Chris not talking to him then wanting to leave, and him not wanting him to go, yet even that was sullied by it being given a lack of importance.

Eddie and his parents should have been going back and the entire episode about this, because it’s that important. Isolating Chris to his bedroom, was ridiculous. I understand Gavin may not be entirely capable, perhaps, of committing to emotional scenes the way this would have required, but that just means Tim and co should have written it in a way that allowed us to see Chris’s grief as a child who has the same disabilities and potential neurodivergence as Gavin, seeing as he’s playing very close to himself anyway. But I think the episode would have benefited from the audience hearing from Chris as we’ve done in the past with lighter emotional topics.

Outside of that, this was the most pointless and anti-climactic season finale of any show I think I’ve ever watched. Yes, Gerard is back and that’s a big deal for what it will mean for the characters next season, but… was it a surprise? No, because they had him at the ceremony for no reason. I guess anyone who isn’t chronically online would have been shocked, but everyone on here is as overly invested as I am so like, it’s whatever, but damn.

I wish something was unexpected. Although, I guess technically it was the BT date, because no one thought they’d have Buck sit down after all that emotional stress to have a date night type meal, but that was the writers way of making Tommy the man Buck goes home to, even though they refuse to commit to them in a serious way. They ended them with a joke that was funny but contextually inappropriate, and that was that, as is every BT interaction has been the entire season.

Anyway, I really hope season 8 will regain the magic the first few seasons held. Seasons 2-4 especially, and imo, plenty of episodes in 5 and 6. Because I truly do not understand what happened. I know ol girl took over in 5 and 6, but Tim coming back made the show worse. So was it the network execs who actually saved the earlier seasons? For real, who was around to keep things flowing as well as they once were? We need them back. I mean, I completely understand and was in full support of the strikes, and I know Tim chose to change Buck’s storyline at the last minute, but him changing one character should not have dragged down every one else’s too.

Chimney getting sick was the best episode of the season by far, and honestly felt as thought out as the cruise arc. So I’m assuming Tim had it at least partially drafted, and Kenny Choi delivered as he always does. But honestly, they even had Angela coming across as stiff with some of her dialogue, and Mother is truly one of the greatest to ever do it. Someone just seriously missed the mark this year, and after all the hoopla about it being a top rated series and deserving its renewal compared another series… it didn’t prove itself, I’m sorry to say.

If we get 18 episodes back, I really hope Tim and co figure things out and try to realign with what fans enjoy about the series and with what he wants to say. Because at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter about ships, it’s about the story. It’s about making us fear for these characters lives, even though we know they don’t plan to kill anyone off. It’s about giving them calls to respond to, that puts them in harms way the entire time only for them to either prevail or fail. It’s about the guest stars who play the citizens in need, who break our hearts and make us smile just as much as the 118 does.

This show had something so special, because it’s found family genuinely felt like family. Their hurt was our hurt, and their love was our love. Until s7. Now, they seem like damn near every other procedural drama on tv where the cast chemistry is there (for almost everybody), and the acting is solid for what’s being given, but the spark isn’t entirely there. I want the spark back.

[nicholas-wolfwood]

He’d been watching the man from the moment he entered the bar. The leader of some gang, most likely. Tall. Strong. Not too bad-looking. He was known for his womanizing ways, ruthless manner, and was respected by his men.

And he’d shot Vash.

Whether he’d been after the old bounty, some personal grievance, or just trying to make a name for himself, they didn’t know, but the gang leader had opened fire on the Humanoid Typhoon once he’d recognized him in the street. Not an unusual occurrence, Vash would shriek as if he were frightened while effortlessly dodging the shots his way until the attackers ran out of bullets or the Sheriff showed up to see what the ruckus was about. This time, however, there had been civilians in the crossfire, and the man used them to his advantage. Knowing Vash would dive in the way, he’d fired on an older couple too slow to flee, and Vash- that idiot- had flung himself in the line of fire. He was in the hospital now, and while Wolfwood knew that idiot would be fine (he’s had worse injuries than that before), there was still some business he had to attend to.

Rising to his feet, the priest made his way up to the bar, on the other end as his target, signaling to the bartender for another whiskey. He heard muttering coming from the far end. Good. He’d gotten his attention. Halfway through his drink, the shooter approached him.

“Hey. I recognize you. Weren’t you in the square durin’ that fiasco this morning?” He wasn’t wrong, Wolfwood had been further back in the crowd, not trusting himself to intervene. He knew he’d likely kill the man, and get yelled at by Vash for it later. But Vash wasn’t here right now.

“I was, yeah. Surprised you can tell.” He leaned back on his bar stool, giving the gang leader a once-over. He was taller than him, that’s for sure. Probably consider himself stronger, too. Heh, wasn’t he in for a surprise... “Quite the mess, heard you were goin’ toe-to-toe with the Humanoid Typhoon himself. Takes some skill to do that.”

“That’s right!” The gang leader’s chest swelled with pride as he took the seat next to him, his buddies remaining on the far end of the bar once it was clear their boss wasn’t about to start a fight. “Recognized the outfit. Not to mention that big ol’ cross of yours.” He nodded to where the Punisher was leaning propped up against the wall. “It’s kinda hard to miss. Anyways, looks like the legendary outlaw was no match for the likes of me! It’s just a shame the Sheriff showed up or I’d of finished him right there!” He didn’t notice the ‘priest’s’ hand tighten on his glass.

“Well if that’s the case, why not a round to celebrate yer near-victory.”

Wolfwood spent the next twenty minutes or so fluffing the man’s ego, easily goading him into round after round of drinking until the man could barely sit up straight. He’d caught the hint of interest in the boss’ eyes, fueled further by the drinks. After the sixth round, Nicholas had gotten up, announcing he was headed out back to ‘stretch his legs’. As he passed the bar, he could hear the gang leader following behind him, telling his buddies he’d be a few minutes.

Once the drunken fool got out back, however, a swift blow to the throat had him on his knees, gasping for air before he could even comprehend what hit him. Another hit to the small of his back had him reeling, looking up from the dirt to stare down the barrel of a gun.

Wolfwood’s aim remained steady as the gang leader choked and wheezed, likely attempting to call his men or plead for his life. Piece of shit. He hadn’t cared about the lives of those he put in danger with his little stunt, he likely wouldn’t care when he goes to the next town and kills more people. The world was better off without men like him; besides, he’d forfeited the right to live the moment he’d turned his gun on the man he’d been ordered to protect. He pulled the hammer back, ready to fire.

‘Thou shalt not kill, remember?! What kinda churchman are you, anyways?!’

“Dammit, Spikey, get outta my head!” Nick growled under his breath, shaking his head as if it’d dislodge any second thoughts. He was a top member of the Eye of Michael, dammit! A Gung Ho Gun! He’s killed men for lesser crimes than this, and he’s done so without a second thought, so why was he hesitating now!?

It was his job to protect Vash from pieces of shit like this. Not only that, he wanted to protect Vash from pieces of shit like this! Dammit, ever since that blond-haired bimbo crashed into his life, nothing made sense anymore!

He was one of Knives’ pawns. He was Vash’s friend. He’d been raised to kill, knew it was the best way to keep fuckers like this from attacking his charge again, simple as that! But he remembered Vash’s face that day with Rai-Dei...

“.........” He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t get that idiot’s annoying voice out of his head, those disapproving eyes that pierced right through his soul, judging him for all his crimes in the past... But beyond that, he didn’t want to see that look of pain and anger directed at him again. Not until the day finally comes where he has to betray Vash to his brother, at least...

That said, he couldn’t just let someone like this go on his merry way, could he? After all, the only rule was ‘thou shalt not kill’~!

......

“Early this morning, a man identified as Gregory Mason, the leader of the Mason Moonriders gang, was discovered in an alley behind a bar with all four limbs broken. He claims he was too drunk to remember what happened, and is currently undergoing care at the local hospital. The perpetrator has not been found, but police suspect rival gang activity.” Vash frowned, looking up from the morning newspaper delivered to his hospital bed. He gave the priest by the window a look. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about this, would you, Wolfwood?”

“Nope.” The priest innocently sipped at his coffee. “Not a clue.”

[powderblueblood]

🎵+ Eddie pls

send me 🎵+ character name and i’ll write a lil blurb inspired by a song from their playlist (you can also request songs and i will do my level best. god is a dj and i'm god)

▶ THIS YEAR - THE MOUNTAIN GOATS

six cylinders under the hood crashing and kicking, aha! listen to the engine whine or eddie takes the van out alone for the first time and feels free

an: some younger!eddie angst for your nerves!!! i love writing about the Munson Men so i hope u enjoy this anon word count: 1k

Keys land with a coolness in Eddie's outstretched palm, sweaty and warm, blood pumping under the skin like a crimson whirlpool.

"I'm not about to argue with you any more, son," Wayne mumbles, shoulders slouched in surrender, "You wanna cruise around in that deathtrap, that's on you."

Eddie's mouth opens to bark out yet another instance of but it's not gonna be a deathtrap when I'm done with it! and recount all his promises of becoming a bonafide grease monkey, taking all the necessary measures to make the van good as new.

The van. His van.

He drops the argument, since Wayne's suit is always a good one to follow, and closes his fist around the keys. He's won this round. A ball of fire begins to ignite in his chest and if he's not totally hallucinating, Wayne, grumpy old Wayne, is fighting back a smile.

"I'll stay the speed limit, I swear."

The fuck he will.

"The fuck you will."

Eddie's guffaw echoes in the empty doorway as he trips over himself, running outside the trailer to embrace his new four-wheeled glory. Well, not new-- far from new, of course. She's a girl with a lotta miles on her, showing up and out in the paintwork he's going to make sure he manicures. She's no Impala but she is a Chevy, a beautiful broad-assed 1971 Chevy.

She's got the same birthday as Killer by Alice Cooper and Eddie is head over heels in love with her.

Eddie is also an incredibly reckless driver, so something this hardy is necessary. Evel Knievel over here would turn a Beemer into a pretzel soon as look at it, as evidenced by the Beemer he almost rams into while he's gunning it into Hawkins.

"Fucking watch it, freak!"

Eddie flings his head out the window as Alice keens from the stereo (that big, bumping, beautiful stereo) and wags his tongue in the direction of an irate Steve 'The Hair' Harrington, who'd just got that new set of wheels for his birthday. Eddie knew that--everyone knew that--because he wouldn't stop peacocking it around the parking lot at school.

Well, compared to Eddie's ol' beauty, that fucking thing was puny.

"Eat my dust, pretty boy!"

He cruises down the main drag of Hawkins, marveling at his view from the driver's side. His elevated seat. His hands clutching the wheel. He even tosses a gentlemanly salute to a young mom and infant daughter that crane their necks to stare at him rolling on by.

Ladies.

See this, this is what it's all about. He's finally got the war machine he deserves. His ticket to the open road, his getaway car out of dodge, his method for hauling assloads of equipment around (once Ronnie gets that drum head fixed). Even his--dare he even think it--chick magnet.

Chicks love dudes with cars. Chicks like dudes with vans even better, because there's room in the back. Privacy. Shit like that is hard to come by when you spend most nights sharing a trailer with your aging uncle whose night shifts keep getting cut.

Not-- not that Eddie is exactly drowning in missed opportunities, but should the opportunity ever present itself, he'll be ready.

He's sourcing a shag carpet.

Eddie makes a couple more turns around town, even cruises by the school for good measure-- you never know which cheerleaders are hanging around after hours.

The most important thing is he feels completely unshackled in the confines of this van. Totally impenetrable. This is a space that he doesn't feel guilty taking, a space he doesn't feel odd or inferior in. Motherfucker, this is his all his.

He slows down his speeding on purpose when returning to Forest Hills, as if Wayne doesn't already know he's assaulting those gas pedals.

He slows down as he approaches the Munson trailer. He slows, and slows, and slows, and whines to a halt where Al Munson slaps both hands on the front of the van.

"Hey, kiddo."

Al Munson, his father, has been locked up in Blackburn Correctional in Lexington, Kentucky for the past eight months. Eddie's forgotten what for, or he didn't care to listen in the first place. Al Munson was not supposed to be out for a long, long time.

Al Munson always manages to find a loophole.

He reaches through that loophole, and he takes and takes and takes.

Eddie holds his breath.

"What, your old man doesn't get a big hello? Maybe a congrats on flyin' the coop, jailbird?" Al laughs and it's warm like the whiskey he sometimes lets Eddie drink with him. Al laughs and the fucking nightingales sing, the world shakes, everything becomes technicolor except the cloud hanging over Eddie's head.

Because, as Eddie so observantly notices, Al didn't come here with a car. He probably walked his ass all the way to Forest Hills, or hitched with some poor sucker he buttered up with stories and cigarettes and charm.

Wayne lingers in the doorway of the trailer. He can't meet Eddie's eyes.

He knew this was the one thing I had going for me. He knew this was the one thing I had left. The only thing that's mine.

Except the papers for the van don't say that. The papers say Al Munson.

He was supposed to be gone for so much longer that Eddie had hoped he'd forget about the van. About Hawkins. Maybe even about him, once and for all, and Eddie could inherit the only truly good thing his shitheel father ever had going.

Al, while remarkably charming, is not a man with a lot of patience. He slaps the side of the van-- not hard, but smart. "Out of the chariot, Ed," he commands. "Let's go, boy. I gotta jet someplace."

It occurs to Eddie that he has an opportunity on his hands right here. A massive fuck-you type opportunity. He could just peel out. Throw the finger to Al, and to Wayne for betraying him and not warning him about this in due time. Speed off. Take off for Indy and figure it out from there. He's got a full-ish tank of gas.

The one thing he's missing is his father's charm. He won't get far without it. It's the kind of thing you can't say no to.

No one says no to Al Munson.

Eddie, Eddie with his hair growing long around his ears and his seized shoulders and his cloud hanging heavy with rain over his head, is not about to start now.

"Just warming her up for ya, pops."