#it's not that deep but maybe that's just between whoever was involved in making the baby

[lazylittledragon]

personal questions

[kalims]

the day we met.

and to think i promised i wouldn't fall in love.

characters. dorm leaders

cw. not proofread

note. just some random hcs.. I wonder who can recognize what post this resembles hehe.. AKA title

pls read malleus' part mwahahaha I like it

riddle rosehearts keeps you on your toes (quite literally.) if it weren't for him you're sure you would have fallen off the horse that seems awfully intent on driving you off it's back to a face full of mud. clearly he was lying when he said 'beverly' was a fairly nice horse... she's literally the living spawn of a demon! but you can say that she counts for a pretty great wing.. horsewoman? how else would you get the esteemed riddle to handle you so delicately?

leona oddly resembles a cat... (technically he is one.) but he really likes to nap, you're sure his daily schedule involves sleeping, eating, looking dead every time of the day he's awake then going back to sleep—let's not forget the favorite thing cats love to either knead with their paws or lay on! in this case it's you. at some point you had to tip toe and keep quiet everywhere so he doesn't hear, and promptly snatch you for the rest of the day.

the bounds azul would go for you is a little concerning but you're there for them all the well. as far as you knew on campus he was banned from making contracts but the cheeky little octopus had simply smirked when he casually says that the headmaster never said out of campus.. if he isn't there then how would he know? he just has to lure out whoever was the one that was stupid enough to bother you out of campus, hm... this is a job for the eels, no?

to be honest. forget about azul, kalim would do anything for your expense. it doesn't matter if you ask directly or not, just an implication is enough to trigger his impulsive decisions. seriously though, jamil is begging you to be considerate of what you say around kalim. you don't want him actually purchasing a whole country if you accidentally imply you want to rule one. again, be careful or you'll be smothered by his love, and deep gold pockets.

vil has a tendency to stare. believe it or not, even though it might seem like it would be the other way around you do catch his gaze sometimes but he always ends up trying to play it off. maybe he's sick or something? was there something on your face? (vil: yeah perfection) you find out not to point it out though, last time you did you got ignored with a huff. more so when you catch sight of a furious blush you almost mistook as too much of the makeup product. (no such person like vil wouldn't notice how red his cheeks would be if it was that case.)

besides the unintentional spoiling from kalim (who genuinely just thinks you deserve it all as a form of his love and affection.) idia is by no means poor. how else could he afford all the latest parts for his technology? let alone whale on the games he likes to play. this man spoils you intentionally. if he knows you want a character, weapon, or certain item he's getting his hands on it and giving it all to you. a collector's item? easy. it doesn't matter if the price is too high on the bar, nothing would ever compare to you anyways.

malleus is on your side, always. it doesn't matter if you're actually wrong about something, he's siding with you and defending you with his life 💀 you burned down a building knowing full well that the fire is a big possibility? everyone makes mistakes though... according to malleus draconia everybody. one of the strongest person in twisted wonderland is either the next 100% win rate lawyer or some random person making third grade defenses. there's no in between. that or he's making the dumbest excuse and actually making good points right after.

[kalki-tarot]

Your Future spouse's First Impression of you

˚₊‧꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

Pick a pile <3

1 - 2 - 3

4 - 5 - 6

Disclaimer — The images I used to select a pile were sourced from Pinterest, I hope the reading will resonate with you. I'm not responsible for any decisions you make in your life from my readings. I'm just a beginner and these readings are just for fun.

Check masterlist for more !

Pile 1

Wheel of fortune, 9 of cups, two of cups, king of wands, ace of swords, king of pentacles, the emperor, bottom of deck 3 of swords.

When this person sees you for the first time, they'll feel an instant connection with you.

This person sees you as their wish come true. They might feel that you are someone who's in a stable position in life. Your calm face and demeanour stands out the most to them.

You are a balanced person in their eyes. They might want to partner up with you.

I'm sensing masculine energy within you, regardless of gender. You seem confident and firm to them.

They see you have a lot of clarity in life. You are someone who has fresh ideas and perspectives about things in life.

They might also see you as someone financially independent, who stands on their own feet.

They can sense your dominating aura. They may also see you as a family oriented person. The provider in the family.

Regardless of what you show outside, you also have a side of you which dwells in pain and longs for understanding. They do notice that. And will be very understanding and patient with you.

Pile 2

10 of cups, 8 of wands, death, 10 of swords rx, two of swords, the hermit, 7 of swords, the lovers

They wanna start a family with you instantly the moment they see you because you provide them emotional fulfillment in some way.

They might be struggling with some betrayal or ex cheated on them or something painful like that. But they are moving on / have move on from that situation or thing in their life. They are recovering from their wounds.

They might be indecisive whether to move forward with your or not. They might second guess things with you due to their past heartbreaks.

They need some deep, introspective time for themselves to reflect within.

They are still hurt from what went wrong in their past so they have trust issues and might not even trust you in the beginning.

They will act strategically with you. They don't wanna hurt themselves again.

Don't worry the lovers came out right now as I clarified things. They would want a romantic relationship with you. They would like to offer you things. They do see you as a marriage material.

They are walking away from the things that don't serve them anymore.

Pile 3

Temperance, the magician, 9 of pentacles, king of pentacles, the hanged man, 10 of swords, 3 of swords, 2 of pentacles

They will think that you are so balanced. A perfect balance of everything. Like you can be the cutest and the sexiest both.

They would be tempted by you, of course, and they will surely start manifesting you after you meet.

The 9 and king of pentacles tells me that either they are very rich and abundant or they'll find you rich and abundant in your lives.

Maybe they noticed your branded purse or something.

They'd be stuck by your beauty like they won't be able to take their eyes off you. Whoever chose this pile is very gorgeous for sure!

They might be stuck at some past heartbreak or betrayal the time they meet you.

They might be in a painful situation that's getting on their nerves constantly. Maybe it's due to finances?

They would see you someone who manages a lot of things or has a lot of responsibilities at a time.

They notice you juggling between things but still not losing your balance.

Pile 4

They'd see you as a powerful combination of ambition and practicality. They'd think you are a successful yet peacful person. Quite occupied in your own business, not really involved in other's drama.

They would also see you someone who is very creative and spontaneous. Very passionate to create new things.

They themselves would feel inspired or intimidated by you and your bold and direct personality.

They'd think that you are someone who was wronged in the past which led to you being all broken and shattered. But you got yourself up on your feet and now you are reaping the benefits of your own hardwork and patience. You are a self made queen / king in their eyes.

They'd be shy or hesitant to approach you first but the divine will do justice to you both.

The divine timing and play is at action and you two will eventually get dating or in a relationship.

They see you as someone they can spend their whole life with.

Pile 5

You both are divinely connected to eachother, on a deeper soul level.

They'll notice your need of balance in life. It feels as if they can see right through you. They give me psychic vibes or you are one.

I can sense a feeling of being trapped and limiting thoughts and actions. Both of you were heartbroken in the past. There were some situations out of you both's hands.

But you need to face pain to undergo some realizations about yourself, your divine purpose and connection.

It feels as if they can sense your heartbreak. They feel as if you've gone through a big transformation in life.

They feel you know a lot about life, you've gone through a lot of things in life.

They see you as someone brave who's fought through life's circumstances and has become what you are now!

They see you as a wife/husband material but also someone they can start a business with.

You have that business and logical mind as well as your intuition with you.

They dont want to load you up with a lot of responsibility as you already have much though.

[cmncisspnandmore]

Dont Own Me

Dont Own Me: Simon 'Ghost" Riley X Medic!Reader

Pairing: Simon Riley X Medic! Reader

Warnings: NSFW; MDNI 18+

Summary: Trying to go out with someone doesnt go as planned. Not when Ghost has something to say about it.

Beta Reader: @cordeliawhohung

~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hey! Y/N, wait up! Do you have a moment?” A voice called after you as you walked down the hall towards the Clinic. You pause, turning around to see one of your fellow medics running after you. You watch as he jogs towards you, and comes to stop a few feet in front of you.

“What's up Michael?” You ask, shoving your hands deep into the pockets of your fatigues. Michael takes a moment to catch his breath, cheat heaving, cheeks slightly flushed.

“I.. I was wondering what you were up to tonight? I was thinking maybe we could grab a few drinks at the bar just off base?” He smiles slightly, running a hand across the back of his neck.

“Oh, yeah sure, I'd like that.”

Michaels face flushed more, “Great, Awesome, I'll meet you there at 21:00?”

You nod, a small smile on your face,”21:00 is perfect.”

You both stand there for a moment, neither one of you saying anything, an awkward silence settling over you. You clear your throat, and look over your shoulder towards the clinic.”Ah, well I should go and finish up inventory… I’ll see you later.” You shuffle backwards, and Michael nods. After another agonizingly awkward moment you turn fully, and start off towards the Clinic.

You shut the heavy metal door to the clinic, pressing your back to it, you take a deep breath. You had worked with Michael before, been friendly while in the Clinic together. He was the medic for another squad that would often be deployed with 141. You never would have guessed that he would ask you out for drinks. Most of the people around here didn't get involved with other personnel, everyone knew the risks, that not everyone would come home. That anytime you walked out that door could be your last.

Now that you were standing in the clinic, the momentary awkwardness of being put on the spot, you groaned. How could you possibly think it was a good idea to go out with him? Sure he was attractive in a generic sense. But there wasn't anything that made you want to crawl into bed with him. He was a nice guy, often taking time to help you clean up after patching up a particularly bad wound for someone. Or even helping you restock most of the supplies when you both happened to have a free moment.

Sighing you run a hand down your face, it was too late now. You stupidly said yes. No backing out of it. 

Shaking off the feeling of regret, you busy yourself with the inventory. You head over to the small walk in closet that holds the oversupply. Flicking on the overhead bulb you scan the rows of brown and white boxes. Thick black sharpie labels are scrawled across most of the boxes, save for a few that were missed. Most likely having been thrown into the closet by someone who didn't work in the clinic. Occasionally whoever was free would take in the shipments instead of one of the medics, resulting in unmarked supplies. 

It was one of the most infuriating things, in your field of work it was essential that any supplies be found as quickly as possible. Because those few minutes it can take to dig through an unmarked box for a supply that may not be in there can mean the difference between saving someone and losing them. You pull the unlabeled boxes down from the shelves and carry them over to the desk in the corner of the room. Cutting one open you make quick notes of what is inside, restock any missing supplies, and then label the box before sliding it back onto the shelf. The monotonous task takes you a few hours, the repetitive open, stock, label allowing time for your thoughts to drift. 

The last mission you and Task Force 141 went on was brutal. Ghost had been shot in the side during the combat. He sustained a fair bit of internal damage from the bullet wound. As the others had spent hours holding back the enemies, you had been tasked with keeping the hulking 6 foot 4 man alive. His normal white skeleton gloves and balaclava splattered with blood, both his and the opponents. Your hands stained red from trying to stop the seemingly endless flow of blood that poured from him. 

The 2 hours it took for them to be able to send medevac had been the longest of your life. You liked to think you could compartmentalize, keep work things work, home life home. But when one of your team mates, the people you trust your life with, are holding on by threads and one wrong move could mean going home with stitches versus a body bag. 

It wasn't something you had been prepared for, not when it happened to someone as strong as Ghost. He had divulged some of his past to you while half delusional from blood loss that night. Whispering to you about the torture he went through, being buried alive, becoming Ghost. 

You weren't sure if he had meant to tell you about it, but at that point as long as he was talking, it didn't matter what it was about. As long as Ghost was talking meant he wasn't dead, and he could still be okay after the whole thing was over. 

Eventually, a medevac arrived, they airlifted Ghost to a military hospital where he got surgery to repair the internal damage. He spent 3 weeks in the hospital before he was released and cleared to begin doing light fieldwork. But he wasn't allowed to jump from planes and take down 5 people single handedly. Which thrust Simon right into your side of things, he was stuck back from the action helping you out in the field when needed. He was a decent medic when it came to it. He could stitch and wrap as well as any one with proper training and he was incredibly resourceful when it came to finding things to improvise with.

During your sharred time in the field, you were able to see a different side to Ghost. The side reserved for pretty much no one. He was kind, and surprisingly gentle underneath all of the muscle. He was fond of tea, no sugar or cream. He hated coffee, he frequently questioned how you would drink it. Let alone how you would drink it with as much sugar and cream as you do. He liked leather working when he was on break from 141, but he would never admit it to Soap and Gaz. 

He got to know you too, you told him about growing up in small town America. Told him about how your parents didn't have fancy jobs, or flashy cars. You told him about the whole reason you wanted to join the military was to get out of the small town life. You didn't want a 9-5 job, you wanted something that always had you on your toes. Always looking for the next thing to jump into. You also told him about the last squad you had been stationed with. 

You told him the tragedy that took place on your last mission with them. The entire unit except for you and one other soldier was KIA, a humvee ran over a landmine. You hadn’t been too badly injured, the humvee you were driving with the Lieutenant of your squad had been behind the one that got struck. Despite your best efforts you weren't able to save them, that day 4 people never got to go home. Two people went home, but they were never going to be the same.

When Captain Price had approached you and asked you if you wanted to be a part of Task Force 141 you were hesitant. It wasn’t until you met the rest of the team, that they cemented your place there. Soap had been the one to welcome you with open arms, literally. He gave you a bone crushing hug while mumbling something you wouldn't understand. It followed with Ghost telling Johnny that if he was going to talk then to at least do it in English. Gaz rolled his eyes as Soap and Ghost started bantering.

Since that day you had been part of the team, officially one of their teammates, and dare even say, one of their friends. 

The clock on the wall chimes, pulling you from your thoughts. Glancing at the large clock you sigh, 20:00. One hour until you have to meet Michael at the bar. You put away the last box in the closet and turn off the lights to the clinic before making your way to your room. 

One perk of being part of the SAS, was the private rooms, you had a small room on base that you kept some of your personal effects in when you didn't have time to go to your off base London flat. You quickly change out of your fatigues and into civilian clothes, pulling on a red low cut shirt, and a pair of black skinny jeans. You pull on a pair of black heeled boots and take one last look in the mirror. 

Letting out a breath, you grab your bag and make your way to your car. Tapping the unlock button of your car, a noise catches your attention. Across the parking lot, Soap and Gaz are laughing, as they walk towards their own cars. You lift your hand in a small wave as they see you. 

“Aye Lass! Hou ar ye?” Soap calls, as he walks towards you. 

“I’m alright. Where are you two off to?” You raise your eyebrow at the pair.

“We’re going to hit a few pubs, what about you?” Gaz asks, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I’m actually meeting someone at a bar, pub, whatever you call it here.” You laugh, and a smile breaks out across Soap's face.

“Maybe we’ll run into each other at some point, Ghost said he might join us later. Said we need a babysitter,” Soap rolls his eyes.

“You two definitely need a babysitter if you’re going out together. We don’t need a repeat of last time, Price wasn’t too happy about having to come get you two out of the river.” 

Gaz gives you a weary smile remembering the last time him and Soap went out drinking. They had been 3 sheets to the wind after the 3rd bar. Then one of them; they hadn't figured out which one suggested it first, decided it was a good idea to go swimming in the river. It took Price coming down and ordering them to get out for them to listen.

“Well, I’ll see you later?” You smile, and they turn, heading to their cars. Climbing into the car, you start towards the bar. Leaving the base in your rearview mirror, the rainy streets of London pass by. By the time you pull up to the pub, it’s 21:00, right on time. Taking one last look in the mirror you push open the car door. The pub was bustling with activity, patrons talking amongst themselves, beer mugs clinking on the countertops. A few rowdy men off in the corner being eyed by the bouncer. 

Your eyes scan the crowded pub, looking for Michael. The low lighting and smoke wafting in from the patrons outside of the bar makes your quest harder. After a few moments you manage to find him, sitting alone in a booth towards the back. He’s wearing a nice button up shirt and a pair of black jeans. You squeeze through the crowd by the front door. You press forward, stopping at the bar to order yourself a beer. The bartender hands you your drink, taking a sip of the cool liquid you cross the rest of the bar to where Michael is sitting. 

“Hey,” you smile, sliding into the other side of the booth.

Michael looks up at you, his beer hanging lazily from his fingertips, “Hey, you look great.”

A small smile forms on your lips, “thank you.”

Michael looks around the bar, his eyes flickering to the people behind you. “It’s nice to see you outside of the base.” 

You shift uncomfortably in your seat, the stuffy atmosphere of the bar surrounding you. “Yeah, I don't go out much…” you laugh slightly, picking up your beer and taking another sip. You stare down at the ring of condensation on the table, unsure what to say. 

“Why is that by the way?” Michael asks, resting his elbow on the table.

You look up, “Oh, you know how it is, always busy. If we’re not actively on missions we’re training. Plus I don't really know many people outside of 141. I've only been on this side of the pond for a year, and most of that has been spent saving the world.”

Michael nods, “Ah, right, yes. What was your life like in America? Before you came over here?” 

“It was alright, not super exciting. I joined the military at 18, right out of highschool. I went on two tours before…” You trail off, the memories of your squad dying in front of your eyes threatening to make you emotional. Taking a shaky breath you try to steady your voice. 

“Did something happen on those tours?” Michael asks softly, his hand coming to rest over yours.

“My squad was taken out by a landmine, they died… right in front of my eyes.” You whisper, clearing your throat. 

“I'm so sorry,” Michael says softly, giving your hand a squeeze. You force a small smile, and pull your hand out from under his. 

“Thank you,” taking a sip of your drink as you glance around, a mohawk catching your attention. Soap, Gaz and Ghost are sitting at a booth on the other side of the bar. Soap has his arm around Gaz as they do shots of an amber colored liquid. Ghost sits in the booth, his skull balaclava on, resting his forearms on the table. His dark eyes scan the crowd as Soap and Gaz laugh. Your breath catches in your throat as his eyes land on you. His chocolate colored eyes burning into you, as he crosses his arms over his chest. 

“So, what are your parents like?” Michaels voice draws you back to him. As you turn your attention back to him, you can feel Ghost’s eyes on you taking in your every move.

“They’re nice, typical hard working middle class people from small town america, not really much to talk about. I haven't seen them since I was with 141…”

“Oh, that must suck.. I couldn't imagine not being able to see my parents. I see them often actually.” Michael finishes his beer, setting the empty glass bottle down on the table. You let out an awkward chuckle, a loud roar of laughter comes from the other side of the bar. 

Looking over you see Gaz and Soap have taken the stage for Karaoke, as the music starts to swell they start to belt out a horribly off tune version of ‘sweet caroline’. Letting out a groan you watch Gaz and Soap sway and laugh as they stumble over the words to the song. The entire crowd gets louder along with them. Ghost has changed his position, he is no longer sitting in the booth but standing by the side door. His eyes flickering between you and the two drunken task force members on stage. 

“Hey, uh, Y/n, wanna get out of here?” Michael asks, standing from the booth, his hand outstretched for you to take. For a moment you hesitate, almost accepting his hand, but his face changes. The presence at your back can only belong to one person, and one person only. 

“Ghost? Can I help you?” You glance over your shoulder to find the 6’4 masked man standing behind you. 

“Can I talk to you?” He asks, his eyes unreadable as he stares at Michael. Anger prickles along your spine as you stand out of the booth and face him.

“Sure,” you glance back at Michael. “I’ll be right back”

Ghost grabs your forearm and drags you from the crowded bar, he pulls you into the alley between them. The alley is dimly lit as a light misting rain starts to fall. Ghost stands in front of you, “what do you think you’re doing?” He asks, voice low and gravelly.

“I was out getting drinks with someone? What does it look like I was doing?” You cross your arms across your chest. Your eyes locked on Simon’s with a glare. The wind picks up, blowing your hair across your face, you  brush it back with a huff as Simon studies you.

“You shouldn’t go with him, he’s not good enough for you,” Simon grunts, eyes narrowing under his mask. You can hear the frown in his voice, even though his mouth is covered by his mask. 

“Oh? And you know what's best for me?” You scoff, raising an eyebrow at him. Who the hell did he think he was, telling you what was best for you.

“Yeah I do,” Simon takes a step forward, pushing you further into the alley. 

“You barely know me, Ghost!” You seethe, taking a step forward, almost toe to toe with the man. You were so close you could smell his cologne, the warm spicy scent is something you would recognize anywhere. After spending days pressed up together in tight spaces while taking cover from enemy fire. 

“I know you better than you think, and you don't belong with some arsehole. Some guy who tries to hook up with every new medic that comes through the base. So yes, I do know what's best for you.” Ghost’s voice is calm, as he looks down at you, his hand reaching out and he brushes a strand of your hair behind your ear. You pull back, taking a step backwards from him. 

“Just because you fucked me once, doesnt mean I’m yours!” You turn and walk a few paces down the alley, away from him. Trying to put some distance between you two, so you could think clearly. Whenever he was around he consumed your thoughts, made all logic go right out the window. A hand wraps around your upper arm and spins you around. 

Ghost towers over you, his large body pressing you back into the cool wall of the pub. He trails his fingers across your jaw and down the side of your neck, leaning in so his mouth is by your ear. The fabric of his mask brushing against your hair. “And if i fuck you again do i get to?” He whispers, sending shockwaves of pleasure down your spine. 

“Get to what?” You whisper, knowing full well what he meant, but you wanted to hear it from him. You wanted to hear him call you his.

“Call you mine? Don't play dumb, Love. I know you find Michael boring, and I saw the way your eyes tracked me.” His breath tickles your ear, and you close your eyes. A shiver running through you. 

“We should've never done it the first time. You know this Simon, you’re my superior,” you breathe, as he presses closer. Trapping you against the wall with his arms on either side of you, caging you in.

“And as your superior I'm telling you that it's okay to break the rules every once in a while.” Simon whispers, running his hands down your body to rest on your waist. 

“Don't you have two other members of 141 to bother? Like the two drunken idiots on stage in that bar?” You whisper.

“I already called Price, he's probably already in there watching them.” 

“Simon…” you trail off as you slowly lift the front of his balaclava to reveal his jaw, pushing it up just under his nose. He leans in closer, his mouth inches from yours.

“Stop thinking sergeant,” he whispers his lips brushing yours with each word.

Your eyes fall shut as he slants his mouth over yours, his hands digging into your waist as he hauls you against him. Your body is molding to him like a missing puzzle piece, Simon grunts as you wrap our arms around his neck.

“Let's go,” Simon whispers, as he pulls away slightly. He leans down slightly, and hooks his arm under your knees and throws you over his shoulder. The world is suddenly upside down as he starts walking, you slung over his shoulder like a bag. 

“Ghost!” you screech, laughing slightly as his hand comes up to smack you on the ass. You let out a startled yelp as he walks towards his car. 

“Quiet, Love. Don't want the others to hear you,” Simon chuckles.

[sightofsea]

147 for the ineffable beauties because i’m a basic ass bitch

this took a hot sec but here ya go!

147. "Tell me again."

The bench is in the middle of nowhere. They've been meeting in the middles of nowheres a lot recently: at picnic tables in littered children's parks, on the hoods of cars in empty car parks, inside of a Korean restaurant named Park's in some strip mall in Iowa. This middle of nowhere is a rhododendron garden, tucked away in some neighborhood with just a bulletin board to acknowledge its presence. 

It's after closing, yet the fountain still runs. Probably to keep the pipes from freezing, Aziraphale had suggested, when Crowley asked. And then they talked as they usually have, during these visits: stunted sentences. Business talk, you understand, about the end of the world and such. How to stop it, et cetera. Nothing more, Crowley, you have to understand. This is strictly a transactional exchange.

So they talk business. They exchange things--words mostly--and then as most conversations do, it veers. It twists and turns and does a U-ey until there's a pause. A pregnant pause at that, five days overdue and with ankles so swollen its legs might as well be tree trunks.

The water continues to run. The air smells like rain approaching.

"Tell me again," Aziraphale says finally. "Just one more time."

Crowley considers this. A part of him--a big part--wants to start begging. But he's got to have his dignity, of whatever's left of it. 

"No."

Aziraphale blinks. "No?" he asks, voice pitched high.

"No," Crowley says, shaking his head and licking the front of his teeth. He gives the angel a small, sad smile. "Once was enough, don't you think?"

"Not for me," Aziraphale says truthfully.

Crowley leans back on the bench and crosses his legs. "Too bad, so sad," he drawls, and contemplated the sky above them. Cloudy, heavy. Rain knocking on their door.

He waits for the space next to him to go empty. That's usually how conversations like this have gone as of late. Instead, it's still occupied. In it sits one angel, fidgeting with his hands, blinking rapidly and swallowing. Crowley feels the lady of his dignity start to crumble. "Oh, don't...don't do the--"

Aziraphale takes in a deep breath and steels himself, as if caught out. "The what?"

Crowley groans and gestures. "The eyes, the lip, the--"

Aziraphale starts to wipe at his face, but it only serves to make things worse. "I can't help it, now can I?" he asks. 

"Well why would you wanna hear it again?" Crowley asks genuinely. Aziraphale stares at him in confusion. "Hm? Words all...jumbled and, and half--half something or other. All full of...of..." 

Love. Affection. Care. He tries to remember the speech he gave and comes up empty on the specifics, but the emotions wash over him again. He swallows them back. 

"Can't even get them out now," Crowley says, voice suddenly too small in his mouth. "I don't see the point, really. I said one thing, you said another, and now we're..." He tries to grasp onto some concrete definition of what they are. "...here."

He gestures to the garden. Aziraphale looks around, as if trying to find a response somewhere between the moss and the thick leaves. He fidgets a little more. It takes all of Crowley's might to not curl around him. 

He must find the words somewhere, perhaps under a rock or something, because he stops his fidgeting. "Maybe," he says, anxiously angling himself towards Crowley, "I want a do over."

Crowley's internal organs do a funny thing involving a clove hitch and perhaps a somersault. "A do--a do over?" he stutters out.

Aziraphale nods. "Yes."

"Oh," Crowley says. Then he tries, very very hard, to remember his whole speech. He comes up woefully short. "Um." Come on, think! THINK! "Uhh." Right, okay. He can be smooth about this. "A-Actions speak louder than words, I think."

Aziraphale blinks, and smiles pleasantly. "I happen to agree."

Right. Okay. Jesus--Adam, whoever. Okay, time for action. "So..." Crowley says, and lifts a hand. Towards what, he's not entirely sure. He supposes the other angel's hand--kissing didn't go very well last time, did it? So, yeah. Crowley lifts a hand, and then places over Aziraphale's, and feels like he's just climbed Kilimanjaro.

He looks at Aziraphale, unsure. Aziraphale smiles and also lifts a hand. Now that's interesting, Crowley thinks, triple hand hold. Didn't know you could do that.

He's midway through that thought when Aziraphale's hand goes for his tie and pulls him in lips first. After that, things go a bit fuzzy. There's hands, he knows that. Quite bit of gripping from both parties, and something involving a bit of tongue and teeth that causes his kneecaps to liquify. If actions speak louder than words, then Aziraphale is practically shouting. Crowley happily gets the message.

"How was that?" Aziraphale asks when they pull apart. He hand is still on Crowley's tie. "As a do-over."

Crowley's mental facilities struggle to recover. They aren't helped by the fact that Aziraphale's twirling the tie around his finger. "Wh--uh, hoooo...yup," Crowley eloquently puts it. He clears his throat. "Might, um. Might need a, um. A couple--few more--"

"A few more tries?" Aziraphale asks. 

"Yeah," Crowley breathes out.

Aziraphale takes in a shaky breath. "Well," he says, and starts pulling at the tie again. It starts to rain. Neither of them notice. "Let it never be said I've been anything but thorough."

[allthingswhumpyandangsty]

what are some of the most appealing whump tropes for you? i'm new to writing kind of subject matter, but i love making my oc's/fave characters suffer. i would love ideas from someone experienced!

my top 10 favorite whump tropes

tw: force feeding, implied/reference self-harm, nonconsensual drug use

forced surrender — for me, the trope suits defiant whumpee better than whumpee who’s already broken and terrified. it gives me whumperflies when whumpee who is feisty, defiant and prideful is forced to surrender. so while they are obedient, there may be occasional hissing and snarling from them. should they get punished for such an audacity? the choice is yours.

enemies to friends / enemies to lovers — classic one. though I personally like it better if, prior to their becoming enemies, they started out as friends. so it’s ‘friends to enemies to friends (or lovers) again’. but besides whump, if fluff isn’t your thing and you 1.) don’t want to make their relationship wholesome the second they go from enemies to friends/lovers 2.) want to make it hot and sexy, then I did talk about spicy ;) enemies to lovers trope and the dynamic between two characters here and here. so you can check them out too

medical whump — maybe this one’s not as popular, but it’s still my personal favorite. anything that involves hospital setting, or maybe it doesn’t necessary have to take place in a hospital but a medical ward anywhere where the main focus is whumpee being injured while also being taken care of by caretaker. the more graphic, the better. (it doesn’t really have to be medically accurate, just… you know, how graphic the scene is described, the more the better. give me all that blood and gore, describe to me how each character feels, etc.)

hallucinations — self explanatory. love love love it when whumpee hallucinates from blood loss, infection or high fever, etc. they can hallucinate about anything you want!

sickfic — in my opinion, ‘medical whump’ associates with injuries, while sickfic is about illness. I personally like it when whumpee has the flu and is bedridden, though they’re the worst patient, whining and trying to convince caretaker that they’re fine when they aren’t. unlike medical whump and hallucinations, which deal with angst and stress, I like to throw in some fluff while writing a sickfic. guess you could say sickfic is the fluff version of medical whump and hallucinations (at least that’s how I personally view these terms).

force feeding / hand feeding — bonus if, instead of caretaker, whumper is the one feeding whumpee; they can force feed whumpee as a way to keep whumpee alive (maybe they secretly, genetically care about whumpee, deep down? *cough cough* enemies to lovers?), and they can hand feed whumpee as a way to dominate, humiliate, dehumanize whumpee.

shock collar — whumper puts defiant whumpee in their place by using a shock collar on them.

restraint — there’re so many ways to restrain a whumpee, and they’re all so good, but one that is so criminally underrated in my opinion will always be straightjacket. put. the. blorbo. in. a. straightjacket.

“who did this to you?” — this. this right here. whumpee tries to hide their injuries from caretaker, but of course, they can’t fool them. so when caretaker demands in a low voice that whumpee rolls up their sleeve, caretaker is hardly able to contain their anger when they see bruises on whumpee’s arm (because while they’d rather whumpee not try to hide this from them, they’re not angry at whumpee but at whoever did this to whumpee) and when caretaker asks, “who did this to you?” you know someone is about to pay for what they did to whumpee.

locked up by mistake — I’m not talking about jail here. I’m talking about a psych ward, an asylum. whumpee is not actually crazy or suicidal, but either there’s been a misunderstanding (no one believes them when they say these cuts on their arm aren’t self-inflicted) or they’ve been set up by an enemy. but of course, the more they try to make people believe them, the more unwell they look. and from there, there’re so many ways, so many scenarios to explore, maybe whumpee is drugged until they’re so groggy they don’t even remember their own name, maybe they’re restrained to the bed or are forced into a straightjacket. or maybe they have to undergo a shock therapy.

[destinysbounty]

I'm literally so sad that Cole wasn't in Seabound. Like isn't he the master of Earth? Isn't the seafloor like the deepest place to be? Wouldn't he be closer to his element if he went in the deep sea? Man.

I'm not the first person to bring this up, and I probably won't be the last, but it is a bit odd how Wildbrain feels so intent on splitting the team up all the time. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind a good split-up in theory - hell, seasons 4 and 9 are some of my all-time favorites, and overall I think the concept of splitting up the team gives us the chance to explore unconventional dynamics in similarly unconventional situations. There's just one main problem with how Wildbrain handles split-ups: 1) there usually isn't a particularly strong narrative reason for it to happen.

Now if I list off every arbitrary split-up and exactly what made it arbitrary, we'd be here all day. But seriously, next time you watch Wildbrain, try and pay close attention to this sort of thing. Once you notice the way they love to split everyone up at the barest hint of provocation, you can't ignore it. It's everywhere. Obviously there are times where they do have narratively satisfying reasons to split up (s13 is an example of this done well imo), but the sheer volume of arbitrary split-ups kinda sours things a bit - for me, at least.

Which brings us to Seabound. I genuinely don't understand why Cole and Kai couldn't have come along for Seabound. They give this argument that "oh, we need someone to stay behind and hold down the fort while everyone's gone", but...first of all, when has that ever been a pressing issue for them? These assholes leave Ninjago City unattended all the time. And even if they did finally decide to make that a priority after all these years, why is Kai staying behind??? If you ask me, not only would Kai realistically want to be involved in the quest to fix his beloved sister's powers, but Kai also would have been way more effectively utilized by the plot, by actually being part of the plot. Y'know, in the submarine with everyone else. Not only because we'd get the chance to see his fear of water get some resolution, but the whole narrative about Nya's childhood trauma would pack a lot more weight to it with Kai present (for obvious reasons).

And as for Cole...y'know what, up to this point I'd never really thought of a good way to give Cole something to do in Seabound, but you present a great point. Maybe there could be some scenes between Cole and Nya, talking about how overwhelming it can feel to be completely surrounded by your element. In this version of events, maybe Cole takes on an almost mentor-like position as he tries to help Nya connect with her element as he had done at the end of season 13. And for maximum angst, perhaps at the end of the season she takes his lessons and puts them to use - but instead of simply connecting with her element like he taught her, she's becoming one with it. This isn't perfect, of course, but at least now we've found a way to make Cole and Kai feel more relevantly involved in the plot.

Don't get me wrong, as much as I'm criticizing it I absolutely adore Seabound. BUT if I were given the task of rewriting it, personally I'd have the whole gang accompany Nya down to Merlopia. And as for having a land crew to watch over Ninjago in the meantime, I'd throw in some supporting characters. The ninja go "oh hey we need someone to hold down the fort and look after Ninjago while we're away", so they round up a ragtag crew of support characters from past seasons to sub in for them. Y'know, Skylor, Dareth, Karlof, and other characters of that caliber. And then we occasionally cut back to this reserve team, whoever they are, as they get up to all the adventures Kai and Cole would've been up to in the original canon version.

(Or if we want to create a lead-in for the next season, then perhaps they get the mayor or commissioner's help in recruiting a reserve team to look after things in their absence, and then this reserve team becomes the New Ninja during Crystalized).

Again, I don't want anyone to mistake my criticism for dislike - Wildbrain holds a special place in my heart, and I do enjoy it a lot. But I also have to admit that this relentless and at many times painfully arbitrary team-splitting is starting to get a bit annoying.

...oh wow, that was a long rant. I'm not entirely sure if any of that made sense, but either way just know that I agree with you 100%. Thanks for the ask!

[sykosomatic]

Can I get a male/ftm reader x billy and/or stu fic involving a costume party? Sfw or nsfw, you choose

oh of course!!!! this is perfect <3 ftm reader (and the lovely stu) because i haven’t gotten any requests for that yet! sfw, no foreseen warnings! hope you like! <3

•••••

you’d been dragged to the party by one of your friends, echoes of ‘it’ll be so much fun!’ ringing in your ears as you slipped your binder over your head and adjusted it. over that you’d decided to do what you assumed many other attendees of the party would be doing: slipping into a ghostface costume. in poor taste? maybe, but then nobody would ever recognize you, and if you did something embarrassing, there’d be no chance that they could pin it on you because there’d be a hundred other dopes dressed just like you.

little did you know, your all-time biggest crush ever had the exact same idea, but for a slightly different reason. stu macher was the life of the party as always when you arrived with your friend, who dipped out upon seeing their biggest crush ever, mister billy loomis. you sighed; typical. this was how high school costume parties went, that was for sure. you took a seat on the couch where the crowd had gathered to listen to stu speak, surrounded by a couple other people predictably dressed just like you.

gosh, he was so funny, wasn’t he? and so cute.. you could cry. heat built up in your face and you had to hurry off, the mask not nearly enough space between you to prevent you from melting into the couch cushions. you went out to the garage to get a drink, as someone had mentioned in passing that it was the ideal place to go for such a thing.

you’d just opened the door to the garage and snuck in when you heard footsteps behind you. luckily you still had your mask on; or else whoever it was would see how much they’d startled you. beer bottle clasped in hand, you looked up to see it was none other than stu macher. you blushed deep under your mask, silent as he approached.

“strong silent type, huh?” he chuckled at you, grinning that grin. you managed to offer a shrug. he laughed again. “well, you seem pretty cool to me at least…” he said, taking a beer of his own out of the garage fridge. “hey, you wanna see something?” he asked, rifling under his dark costume to grab something out of his pants’ pocket. a walkie talkie, maybe? he put it up to his mouth with a wicked grin. “what’s your favorite scary movie?” he breathed into the device; it warped his voice into something spooky, making you shudder. “yeah, scary, huh?” he said proudly, tucking it back away. “don’t tell anybody, though, or else i’ll have to…” he crept up towards you, hands up in a flash to startle you by grabbing your shoulders and giving you a shake. “getcha!” he exclaimed, making you gasp in surprise, before giggling nervously. “oh, you’ve got a nice laugh,” he complemented off-handedly. his eyes caught the clock on the wall for a moment and he looked suddenly like he was in a rush. “shit.. hey, i’ll see you around, okay? don’t be a stranger!” he said as he whipped around, rushing off back into the house.

yeah… you totally had a giant crush on him.

[tkachukz]

How is Matthew Tkachuk as a boyfriend

-Matthew is an extremely competitive person, so since you agreed to be his girlfriend, he works hard to be the best boyfriend in the world

-That means he's always researching things to do, bringing you gifts without special occasions, and planning dates in detail

-But he also loves spending the day with you cuddling on the couch watching a movie

-For dates, he likes to take you to fancy places, where you can dress up and he can watch you in a pretty dress

-He loves playing sports, and is always planning to play them with you

-You've already joined him in golf, tennis, cycling, mountain climbing and scuba diving

-He still intends to make you play hockey eventually, but for that he still needs to teach you how to skate

-And of course the game would only be between close friends so you don't get hurt

-He can be quite overprotective, but only because he cares about you a lot

-At parties and events, he likes to have one hand behind your back

-First because he knows that big events make you nervous

-And secondly, because he want to make sure that everyone knows that you are accompanied

-If any guy approaches you, he will loudly introduce himself as your boyfriend, maybe shake his hand or pull you closer

-But it won't take you out of the conversation if you want to stay

-He likes to be present at your side, but also he likes that you feel comfortable talking to whoever you want

-Things change if the guy tries to hit on you, makes a pass at you, or makes you uncomfortable

-Matt will put himself in the middle, pulling you behind him

-He prefers to resolve things by talking, intimidation, or simply getting you away from there

-But wouldn't mind punching someone if the situation called for it.

-He wouldn't let anyone hurt you

-When you are alone, he allows himself to show his most vulnerable side

-Matt has always felt very pressured into what people expect of him, and having you by his side, someone who loves him entirely for who he is, makes him immensely happy

-And he has no problem showing it

-He never hangs up a call, leaves the house, or goes to sleep without saying 'I love you'

-Little kisses on top of the head, holding your hand whenever you leave the house, opening and closing doors, offering your arm when you're in heels or needing to deal with stairs. Before you met, you didn't know he could be such a gentleman.

-You lost count of how many times you ended up with his suit over your shoulders at the end of parties because of the cold

-And he loves to see you wearing his clothes, be it a t-shirt or a coat, but mostly, his jerseys

-with his number and last name stamped very large

-When he is traveling, you can expect a call from him every night

-Sometimes it comes with a complete analysis of the game, a gossip about a teammate or something that happened in your day

-But sometimes it's just you looking at each other for a while, mumbling longing, and often sleeping listening to each other's laughter

-You've fallen asleep on too many phone calls while Matt had the camera on, because watching you so relaxed made him feel good

-When he comes back from his trip, he always brings a gift

-Often from the city he was in, some cap or teddy bear

-Or when he felt that no gift was good enough, he resorted to flowers

-Lilies, your favorites

-He loves watching you do everyday things

-Watches you out of the corner of his eye as you're getting ready to go out, doing your makeup and humming Taylor Swift

-He secretly likes the songs but likes to pretend they're not a big deal just to watch you take a deep breath and start a ten minute monologue explaining why Taylor is the music industry

-And you secretly know he likes the song, but you love talking about Taylor

-He is not very good at cooking, but he is always committed to helping you

-You tend to leave him with simpler tasks that don't involve fire

-Like cut vegetables or decorate cookies

-One day he surprised you with a wonderful mac and cheese

-You let out a sincere smile when you saw that he had looked up the video step by step on youtube

-And it was very good.

-He loves to give little love bites

-all affectionate

-And he doesn't mind when you call him a little pest or teddy bear

-Only when you're alone

-Matthew wants  to be the best boyfriend in the world and so far, you definitely have nothing to complain about

-He is doing a great job

[boreal-sea]

If I were going to rewrite Midsommar...

I would want the audience to be horrified that this cult intentionally invited in a bunch of outsiders to murder them, and that they specifically manipulated and involved Dani in the murder of her friends.

Basically I would want everyone watching the movie to have a very bad time and not walk away thinking it was about #girlpower.

I would have Dani's family member (whoever, doesn't matter) commit suicide by falling off a bridge or something.

Christian wouldn't be thinking about breaking up with her; she might still be thinking he wants to, but it would entirely be trauma on her part.

Christian's friends shouldn't hate Dani either. We need to like these people.

Pelle should directly invite Dani on the trip, making her presence there intentional.

It should be more obvious this is a rare version of the festival that only happens every 90 years, I only know because I read the wiki afterwards.

Mark is pointless and simply shouldn't exist. We don't need the asshole friend trope, it's boring and annoying.

The fact that Christian is struggling with his thesis should be established more strongly than just a single throwaway line. He should mention it to Dani.

Christian and Josh should be, above all else, likeable.

The movie shouldn't overuse generic creepy music. It also shouldn't overuse dialogue. Let the scenes breathe. Silence is ok.

We need to get to know Simon and Connie better (the two guests brought by Ingemar).

Using the midnight sun as a way to immerse the characters in a "disordered world" is great, but the movie should really lean into the ways light changes throughout the day, even during the solstice; strong yellows and deep blues, a lot could be done.

On that note, make the movie weirder.

Cut the use of a disabled person as body horror. I don't know what you replace their seer with, but not a physically disabled person being put on screen just for shock value.

Because Dani's relative died by falling off a bridge or building, the attestupa is now much more traumatizing. Maybe Josh even tries to convince her not to go ahead of time because he knows someone will die.

The movie is already man vs man with the guests vs the cult, we do not need the guests to also be fighting each other over a thesis. Drop that plot line, or change it so that Christian deciding to study the Hårga doesn't compete with Josh's plan. This gives Christian an excuse to stay even though he just saw two people die. Again, this plays into keeping these guys likeable.

The disappearance of Simon was good; Connie being left alone could be extremely scary, if it's given time to develop and we get to see her fear grow before she also disappears.

On that note, Josh should not try to secretly photograph the book. He still totally dies, it's just in secret. The cult was already gonna kill him. They don't need a secondary reason to do it.

And on that note: the fact that the guests are disappearing should be the creepy part. First Simon - the villagers say he was driven back, but Connie swears he wouldn't have left her alone. Then Connie also disappears. Then Josh. I think we need more hints around the village that these people are still around, and haven't actually left. Subtle hints.

The wedge driven between Dani and Christian should be entirely caused by manipulation, not because the script suddenly turns Christian into a jerk.

Christian should in fact see that Pelle and cult are doing weird shit to Dani and try to convince her they're manipulating her, but fails. THAT can be the wedge, as the cultists comfort her. In fact, I'd like to see the cult do more to win Dani over. Maybe even more of Pelle talking about how Dani's relative killed themself, trying to link it back to the cult's traditions. Just trying to win her over even more than they did in the original film, and to turn her away from Christian. Maja wanting to sleep with Christian is also another way the movie could drive that wedge, even while making sure Christian is completely against it the whole time. Dani wouldn't see it that way because the cult won't let her.

The rest of the movie plays out roughly the same, we just care more about these people and it is now suspenseful to see them disappearing one by one.

Christian is still drugged and raped, just make it way more obvious he's really not doing it of his own free will. Put him on the bottom, or have them tie him up or something.

Dani still spies and thinks Christian is cheating on her.

Christian escapes from the women as usual, but in his fear he does not wander into a hen house with random, unexplained gore. Just cut that scene.

Dani is still the May Queen, and she still makes the same choice at the end of the film. Everything else can happen just the same.

We are now horrified that this cult intentionally invited in a bunch of outsiders to murder them, and that they specifically involved Dani in the murder of her friends.

[industriallyinsecure]

ooh hello is it ok to make a little request for la sqaudra reuniting with their s/o after they were gone on a 2 month trip that was back in the usa? I’m having thoughts an if think it’d be a cute reunion maybe aa ( if you could please include Sorbet & Gelato I would greatly appreciate it <3 if not that’s also ok ) thank you! i hope you’re doing ok c:

I realized you might have meant La Squadra was on the trip and came back after I had written most of them, whoops -v-

Risotto doesn’t let on how happy he is you’re back. His face is stoic and bold as ever. It’s only when you’re both cuddled up in bed that he even acknowledges you were gone. He mumbles in his deep voice that he missed you, bumping his large Roman nose against yours in a rare display of vulnerability. Normally he likes to hold hands while sleeping, but this time he’s laying his head across your chest, holding your waist with one arm and linking his fingers with yours with the other. For once in his life, he neglects his work the next day to just spend time with you, shyly peppering kisses across your nose with such gentility that it makes you giggle. He admittedly has abandonment issues, but he doesn’t let you know that he was constantly checking WhatsApp to make sure you were okay, or that he had worried himself sick thinking about almost every ‘what if’ possible. But you’re safe in his arms now, and that’s all that matters to him.

Ghiaccio acts like your absence didn’t bother him, until you mention the ski trip you took with your family. Then, he pouts for the entire drive back from the airport, his face scrunched up and tinged pink. He’ll listen to you for a while before bitching that HE could’ve taken you to a FAR better place in the Alps, and blah blah blah Italian superiority blah. The only way to shut him up is to either kiss him on the lips or force him to cuddle you. Cuddling is probably the way to go, at the very least you’ll make his entire face turn red from the close contact.

Melone is all over you as soon as you pass the airport gates. It’s a little embarrassing how he litters your face in kisses and picks you up and twirls you around in a surprising display of strength. Wants to know every detail about what you did, who you were with, what you ate, what you saw. He loves to watch your facial expressions while you recount your trip, smiling dreamily as he absorbs every detail. If you give him a gift, he’s over the moon and gushes about whatever it is to whoever will (and even those who won’t) listen to him. Missed you probably a bit too much.

Proscuitto is happy you’re back, but he doesn’t show it physically until you’re no longer in public. He’s the type of person who believes any intimacy needs to be kept behind doors. Not because he’s a prude (even though he can be some times), he just believes things like that deserve to be special and just between those involved. He asks about how your trip was, gently nipping at your ears and holding you close in his lap. Normally he doesn’t hold or touch you a lot, but two months of not being able to hold you while you slept in the same bed meant he had a lot to make up for. He sits and flutters his long eyelashes at you, waiting patiently for you so be done with your story so he can bring you into a passionate kiss that leaves you breathless. Lots of smooches and cuddling.

Pesci is freaking out!!! In a good way, that is. He was so lonely while you were gone, even Prosciutto didn’t help his mood improve. You’re immediately smothered in love and kisses by your sweet fishie boy, his face beaming with happiness. He hangs off every word you tell him, cheeks burning when you present him with a gift. You spend most of your time smothering him in love and affection and recounting your trip to him, soothing away his worries about maybe finding someone else.

Illuso acts aloof and cold until you’re in private. Then, he’s touching and holding and kissing and whining to you about everything. He bitches to you about how terrible his squad was to him, even though you know he’s probably the villain in all of his stories. When he’s finally done with his laundry list of complaints, he asks you about your trip. He does care, he just has a funny way of showing it, like making fun of the people you encountered or the restaurants you ate at.

Formaggio honestly probably didn’t even know you were gone. It’s a bit disappointing, to tell the truth, but it’s expected. Feels bad that he didn’t know and tries to make it up to you by listening to your stories from the trip. Falls asleep halfway through. Once again, expected. Formaggio does admit that he missed snuggling and cuddling you, and that his cat wasn’t a good replacement (he’s covered in scratches). Fontina probably notices your absence more because she doesn’t get as many treats.

Gelato is one of those people who makes an embarrassing sign to hold as they wait for their person to come through the gate. Sorbet tried to get him to spare you from embarrassment, but Gelato insisted. So, you’re greeted with a huge “WELCOME BACK FROM REHAB” sign with poorly crossed out pictures of various drugs pasted over the sign, Gelato behind it with a shit eating grin. Sorbet just looks tired. Gelato wastes no time telling you how miserable he and Sorbet were without you, but Sorbet has to assure you that they were fine and didn’t deviate from their usual routine.

[tobiasdrake]

This sucks. This fucking sucks. Everything sucks. I'm going to start hitting things. And then I'm not going to stop. I'm going to hit all of the things until I've punched myself reasonable again.

Okay, that is NOT a recording. Has to be either an AI or a human speaking through a mic. It's talking directly to us.

*deep breath* I am not looking forward to finding the rest of the bodies. This sucks. Bet you that was Halara that we were seeing through the window. Looked kinda blueish.

But hey, at least Yakou died first. Kodaka did not start dropping bodies with the LGBT characters.

Sure, Yuma. Start shouting twenty feet away from the ravenous homunculi that track targets by sound.

Yo is that fucking NUMBER ONE? I'm gonna pay Halara to murder him if it--

...oh, no.

This is seriously how we're going to get infodumps on this place? Finding convenient lore examinations on the corpses of our friends? Great. Okay. That's fine. T_T

Yep. I remember that. The Unified Government was having Amaterasu do a bunch of shady research, which we figured was connected to the homunculi.

It seemed previously like Kanai Ward becoming an independent city-state ruled unilaterally by Amaterasu was the company breaking away from UG. But now that we know more about homunculi, I'm beginning to wonder.

It seemed previously that isolating the city was externally-motivated. They wanted to form their own corporate nation. But now I'm wondering if it might be internally-motivated; That they wanted to keep the homunculi contained to this one location while they figured out what to do with them.

This city might be a prison, meant to keep the homunculi under an illusion of stability as deep research and hard conversations are going on in the upper echelons of the international and corporate infrastructures. UG could be in on it. The WDO could be in on it.

It's a huge conspiracy. Three guesses how Amaterasu found out the WDO was sending a small army of Master Detectives into the city and was able to neutralize most of them.

Or that. I suppose that also makes sense. UG is being blackmailed such that if the homunculi get exposed, UG's involvement with them gets exposed too. They aren't in cahoots; They're under Mutually Assured Destruction over this.

Weird that he has this intel on him, though. Is this stuff that Desuhiko knew?

Ooh, maybe this is like the real Desuhiko and they made a homunculus Desuhiko that we've been spending all this time with, and--

No, stop. That's just wishful thinking. Let's move on.

~_~ So a homunculus pops into existence fully formed as... whoever. So maybe we have been spending time with homunculus copies of everyone.

I'm on the fence, but that's starting to seem more possible. Of course, it could be a false hope meant to string us along into a despairful revelation, so I'm not putting all of my eggs in that basket.

Okay, time to go look at what I'm sure will be Halara's body.

I dunno, man. I've seen what Halara does to fully sapient cops. I have a hard time believing a trio of shamblers would able to lay a finger on them. I'm sure this is either Halara's body or a Halara's body, but it's nonetheless a hard sell.

More importantly, do they have more lore drops for us?

Is that where Makoto came from? Did Amaterasu's facility outperform the other one so Makoto jumped ship to play for the winning team? Or was the other facility doing better? Makoto did manage to make incredible waves with an amazing super-project as soon as he got here. (Forever Rain, most likely)

Fuck's sake, is that what the World Detective Organization is for? Bring together the most talented people in the world so they can clone up some homunculi using those people as a genetic base?

That means there is a distinct possibility that our friends are one batch of UG homunculi sent into Kanai Ward from outside but the native people here are Amaterasu homunculi, with different rules between. And these bodies could be a separate batch of UG homunculi made from the same genetic base as our group.

Remember when we arrived in the city and were told we were the only survivors? Maybe there were multiple sets of the same Master Detectives unknowingly working independent of each other in the city.

Maybe that's the key to Real Yuma. He could be, like, a Yuma. But a different Yuma. That oddly repeating ramen shop could be the base of operations for another Master Detective set.

I feel confident now that this is a person on a mic using voice disguiser. Maybe even Makoto himself?

How. How do you know that. Hey voice? Hey voice guy? How do you fucking know that!?

This has to be Number One, right? He must be the person who gave the Book of Death to Yuma, knowing full well what it contains.

Or. Wait. No. I still think it's Makoto. Shinigami was being super dodgy about him; I think Makoto has a pre-existing relationship with the Book of Death.

There's that conviction he's been looking for. I don't necessarily agree with Yuma's principles but it's nice when he gets to be confident.

Yeah, I'm thinking WDO is the rival homunculus research facility to Amaterasu. Our mysterious tour guide is undoubtedly someone with a past relationship to both WDO and Shinigami. He knows what Makoto's been doing and quotes the detectives' bullshit creed.

I think Makoto used to work for WDO but he jumped ship for Amaterasu and used what he knew from the more successful company to advance Amaterasu's research by leaps and bounds. I speculated before that Makoto may be a former host to Shinigami and that's why he's taken such interest in Yuma. I still think that.

[alyjojo]

November 😶‍🌫️ 2023 Monthly - Aries

Whole of your energy: 8 Cups

There is a heavy energy of loss in this reading, and indecision has kept or is keeping you trapped for the time being. There is a heavy sadness attached to whatever has been lost, 2 Cups rev at the bottom shows a deep connection, someone or something you have loved, maybe even thought it would last forever. Who they are could be anyone, a friend, lover, parent. It also doesn’t have to be any particular relationship, it could be several. You’re in a state of mourning something, it’s been incredibly difficult for you to “face the facts”, detach emotionally, or it is currently. There are big changes coming your way with Wheel of Fortune & Justice. With 8 Cups and 6 Wands, Aries is not an energy that stays down for long, you’re not comfortable in the ick, sadness, the darkness. You will move, you will leave something behind, and move towards victory or something you can win. It’s possible that’s the plan and you’re just mourning what’s being or has been left behind, for now.

What’s going on in November:

5 Cups:

This is an energy of mourning, sadness, possibly regret with 9 Wands following. There’s an intense feeling of guilt or shame here, you follow this card, Queen of Wands. Whatever you’ve left behind, you’re upset about it, possibly wish you’d never have taken some sort of action. The Hermit shows you alone, there’s a possible break up or a disconnection with some person, and now you’re regretting any hurt or pain you caused before this happened, thinking of everything you should have done or should have been to other people. Should have taken things more seriously, or should have called more. It’s not a great energy to be in for long, it’s good for shadow work, and being in The Hermit energy can be very positive once we work through it. Many of the signs have similar energies this month. For now though, you’re stuck in the muck of emotions, consequences, having hurt someone or even having been hurt yourself. You could regret ever getting involved with someone, or ever walking away, if you did. Having both Hermit and High Priestess here can show a major spiritual awakening, and that sounds great but it involves this, facing darkness and all of our demons. It can describe the hardest time period of your life. Sending you big hugs, this shit ain’t easy 💚

9 Wands:

9 Wands is a lot of pain, you’ve been deeply wounded. But you don’t give up. You build up walls to protect yourself from more wounds, more battles, you just need enough time to get to the end - the 10 - where this is all over and you can drop the bs and move on to happier days. This seems to regard giving someone another chance, for some of you. You wish you never would have, maybe you’d be happier if you didn’t. But you didn’t. For others you could feel like maybe you were too harsh, or someone was too harsh with you with their Judgement of a situation. 6 Pentacles indicates equal exchange, so whatever it was, it wasn’t just you doing it, and that’s important. There could be a lot of silent judging between you, not much open communication. You could be considering giving someone another chance, but you hesitate, because they’ve hurt you. Would you regret it? Would it be easier to just move on to something new?

The High Priestess:

Any apologies that should have been forthcoming were not, they were kept silent, or are being kept silent right now. You’re trying to gain some perspective on the situation, but with no communication from whoever this other person is, that’s hard to do. It’s just you, mulling over everything, feeling sad and regret. 3 Wands shows you could be waiting on them, especially if they’re the ones that hurt you. Or they are.

The Wheel of Fortune:

You will talk to someone, a King of Pentacles, this could be the person you’re either leaving or they’ve left. With Justice following and 2 Cups rev making appearances through the entire reading, this could be a spouse, maybe a parent, someone close to you. You’re going to get the clarity you’ve needed, and I don’t see any major conflicts or nasty words being said. If anything, you’re keeping very quiet how you’re feeling about the situation, which is sad. You love whoever this is, however you do. For some, you did, and you’re in a place mentally where that’s always on your mind. It could be someone else that’s taking the action, and cutting ties. This King seems to be “just business”, like there’s no room for emotion even if you wanted to say something. You do, but you don’t.

Justice:

With a decision having been made, you will feel justified by having waited it out for this person to make a decision, and not you? It’s like your conscious is clear. They could’ve come back around, you would’ve let them, maybe now you regret questioning your own self, like you always knew. You could have gone several cycles with this person coming and going or hurting you and trying again, forgiving them, over and over. With them making the decision, you’re free, The Fool. 8 Cups and 6 Wands again show, whatever is beyond isn’t it for you anymore, you are free to start over and find your 9 & 10 Cups, your dream come true, total happiness, that this situation or relationship didn’t provide. Or just couldn’t, if this is a platonic connection. If this is a divorce, you could be waiting until the very end, once it’s final, to move on to something or someone else, giving this person every opportunity to change their mind. For some that’s going to take some time, others may be at the end right now, the decision is final in November, and you could regret having waited. Or the emotions will kick in now that it’s all become real. There is no rush, that’s the biggest message here, take your time deciding what you want, where you want to go, or what comes next. Even if you wanted this, if you chose this, endings are still hard. Pistachio is kinda giving you some crap from Spirit though, telling you to get out of the house more 💚

11:11 is here with Growth and Justice, that’s what’s standing out the most to me. Once this is over with, and you get brand new start, victory follows - 6 Wands. Success, recognition, promotion, positive attention. Have faith that better days are coming.

Signs you may be dealing with:

Scorpio, Sagittarius, Pisces, Taurus, Cancer & Aries

Oracles: ✨

38 Growth 🪴

This situation or time is one of rapid growth. The seeds that have been planted have germinated and taken root. Go with the flow of this growing time. You may find people and situations falling away from your life, as now they do not serve who and what you are becoming. It may be that your vibration no longer resonates with theirs. It’s okay, wish them well, be grateful for what they brought to you and you to them, and send them on their way. Room has now been made for new experiences, people, and situations to help you to your next level. If you are not feeling this shift right now, be prepared because it will soon come to pass.

We enter into November as:

Pink From Pinkton 💗

“I am more than I think I am.”

Pink shows us the process of self-awareness. Are you trying to recapture a past moment that no longer fits? You may have outgrown something, and while it can be a challenge to admit it, being fully who you are is much more glorious than trying to fit yourself into the past. If you are presently upset or struggling with a difficult situation, it may be because you are trying to make something work when it simply can’t. You may be seeking to keep something far less than what you deserve. With self-awareness and discovery comes a new obligation, using your new knowledge. New ideas, projects & opportunities can only come if you stop blocking them.

What is to be learned in November:

Pistachio 🎩

“I’ve got all I could ever need, right here.”

Excuses. Excuses. Excuses. They can begin to snowball. Pistachio wants you to live the life that he can’t seem to participate in. He is saying “Stop waiting for the right time to live your life!” This isn’t the dress rehearsal, it’s the real thing. You could be on the verge of something big, and if you don’t participate, you’re going to watch it pass you by. Don’t let anything prevent you from taking a chance. It is important to do what you love to do, but are you letting new experiences in? Or are you in a comfort zone that’s leading nowhere? Doing the same thing and expecting something different is not likely. The time is now to take a risk, talk to people, show up for life! Live now! Don’t wait another day.

Green may be a lucky color 💚

[iamvegorott]

Meeting A Magical Man Pt. 29

Part 1: Link Prev: Link Next: Link

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Marvin climbed up the side of the house as pure guilt gnawed at his insides. He wasn’t one to feel guilty for things, always just doing what he did without worry. But right now felt sick with guilt for getting Robbie involved and convincing Chase this was a good idea. Chase had point after point of why this shouldn’t happen, but Marvin had a plan and wanted to do it. 

Maybe this would finally get his head out of his ass. 

He squeezed himself in through an open window, feeling lucky to find himself in a bedroom. It was clean. Too clean. It reminded him of Henrik’s stress cleaning, making everything look like no one lived there. But there were posters on the walls, some knick-knacks on the shelves, and collections of notebooks, pens, highlighters, and paper on the desk. This was someone’s room and said someone was definitely a nerd. 

Marvin stepped out of the room and crept down the hall, finding a railing that let him look down at the first floor. He crouched and leaned against the wall, peeking down and praying none of them looked up. 

“Have him call his guardians to come get him.” The man who had answered the door said to Actor. 

“I’m just selling chocolate for my band trip.” Robbie was now sitting in one of the chairs. 

“Then why were you taking a video?” Actor asked Robbie. There was no script for this, Robbie wasn’t given any instructions on what to do with that so he just clamped his mouth shut and stared. 

“Kid looks like he’s going to shit himself,” Mike said with a sigh. “Maybe we should do what Mare said and just call whoever is in charge of him to take care of this.” 

Mare. 

Marvin got one name out of this. He didn’t see the other person in the room. They must have stepped out or was where Marvin couldn’t see. He hoped they showed up soon so he could get their name and appearance. That final person had to be the apprentice. 

“Fine.” Actor took Robbie’s phone back out and held it toward him. “Unlock it.” Marvin knew Robbie’s phone had that fingerprint scanner thing. Just a press of his thumb, and it opened to whoever had it. Including his texts, previous calls, contact names, and pictures. Pictures of him. Mike saw him, and if he sees those pictures…

Shit. 

“Unlock the phone.” Actor repeated in a harsher tone. Robbie sank into the seat more, seeming to be taking deep breaths, calming himself. “Either you do it yourself, or I will make you.” Robbie only shook his head. 

“Why do you look so scared?” Mike asked, tilting his head a bit. “I can’t tell if you’re scared of us or scared of whoever is in charge of you. Are they not good people?” 

“My dad is perfect!” Robbie sat back up and flashed his teeth in a snarl. 

“That’s a set of chompers, right there.” Mike clicked his tongue. 

“And a very defensive attitude toward his father. Perhaps the fear comes from not wanting to disappoint him. More scared of making him sad than of grown men cutting off your thumb to use your phone.” Actor snapped his fingers, and a pair of scissors appeared on them. “Just a quick snip is all, don’t worry, we’ll put it back.” 

“That’s too much.” Mare stepped between Actor and Robbie. 

“What’s ‘too much’ is allowing a child to take a video of this place and not letting me do what’s necessary to delete it.”

“Just break the-” Mare’s comment was stopped by knocking on the door. 

“Stay.” Actor said to everyone in the room, walking to the door, peeking through the window, and then opening it. “Hello?” 

“I am so sorry, but is my son here? He was supposed to be home for lunch, and that was an hour ago.” Marvin recognized Henrik’s voice, unable to see him through the door. “His phone tracker says he should be here.” 

“Come in. I think I have your boy.” Actor stepped aside, and Henrik entered the house. 

“Young man, what in the world are you doing?” Henrik cranked up the ‘angry father’ voice as he went to Robbie. Marvin could see Henrik looking him over with his eyes, likely making sure he wasn’t harmed. 

“Dad? I was-uh-” 

“He was selling chocolates and took a video of the inside of my home.” Actor cut Robbie off. “I confiscated his phone and would like that video deleted. I value my privacy.” 

“Of course, may I have that?” Henrik gestured to the phone, giving a smile of thanks as he got handed it. “Unlock it.” He held it in front of Robbie. There was a moment of hesitation, but Robbie nodded and pressed his thumb to the screen. “If you are doing those stupid little pranks with your friends again, you are going to be grounded until you leave for college,” Henrik said, tapping away at the screen. “Damned thing.” He muttered under his breath. “There.” 

“Is it deleted?” Actor asked. 

“Yes, all gone, here.” Henrik showed Actor the phone. “Sorry for the messy selfie, but sometimes these phones are too picky about how you use them.” 

“Thank you. That makes me feel better.” Actor said. 

“And you-” Henrik grabbed Robbie’s ear. Marvin could tell by the look of Henrik’s hand that he barely had a hold on him. “-are going to be in so much trouble when we get home.”

“Ow, ow, ow! Dad! My ear!” Robbie cried out as he walked with Henrik. 

“Help yourselves to the rest of the chocolates. Again, I am so sorry about my son.” Henrik said before he and Robbie left the house, closing the door with them. 

Marvin knew he should leave and get out while he could. Robbie was safe. They confirmed this was the house, but Marvin knew he could get more information if he stayed. He put Robbie in danger for this. He could put himself at risk to make it more than worth it. 

“So he was just a teen trying to set up a prank?” Mike asked. “This is why I only work with adults.” He added with a roll of his eyes and went to the box of chocolates. 

“Considering what we do, I’d hope so.” Mare sighed. 

“You can stop hiding in the corner, Mad.” Actor called off toward the part of the room Marvin couldn’t see from his spot. 

“Were you actually going to cut his thumb off?” Marvin heard a new voice. 

That had to be the apprentice. 

“I was trying to scare him. If he still refused, I was going to just grab his wrist and force it.” Actor sounded annoyed. “You should know by now how we work.” 

“I do know. I’ve seen enough of it to know.” The new voice finally got a face when they walked into view. 

Marvin wasn’t sure what or who he was expecting to see, but for some reason, the apprentice threw him off. He was small, smaller than JJ, and that was saying something. He had short brown hair and a face covered with freckles. There seemed to be a hint of burn marks on his arms, but the more Marvin looked at them, the more they faded, meaning they were healing as everything was happening. 

“Then you should know that by now, you should be tougher than you are, and you should not be so gullible.” Actor shot the last part at Mare. “We got lucky that the kid was just some punk and not a threat. With what just happened at the other house. We need to be cautious. We’ll likely be moving in a week or so.” 

“Move? We don’t need to move, we’re fine.” Mad sounded worried. 

“We’re comfortable here,” Mare explained. 

“Comfortable is what’s preventing you from progressing in your training.” Actor walked up to Mad. “You’re unwilling to push yourself to an uncomfortable point and get stronger. You will never gain control over your abilities if you cannot learn how to.” 

“I am getting better.” Mad protested. 

“Are you? I highly doubt that.” Actor’s tone was harsh. “Mike, get the bucket.”

“Wait, you don’t-” Mare didn’t get to finish before Actor waved his hand in the air. 

Marvin nearly jumped out of his skin as a sudden, loud bang filled the air and was followed by bang after bang. Marvin adjusted quickly after registering what was happening but when he looked down, Mad hadn’t. 

Mad had pressed his hands over his ears and slowly curled up on himself. He fell to his knees and shook as he cried out, sounding like he was in pain. 

“Cut it out!” Mare shouted over the banging, going down to his knees as well and holding Mad. “He gets it, cut it out!” He placed his hands over Mad’s ears but got launched away a moment later, and Mad’s entire body was on fire, his scream growing as the flames did the same. “Mad!” 

Thankfully Mad wasn’t on fire for long by the time Mike dumped a bucket of water on him, and Actor snapped his fingers, making the banging stop. Mike dropped the bucket and he walked away, Marvin could see the look on his face, he did not look happy at all. 

“You’re getting better?” Actor scoffed. “You’re progressing, gaining more control? You catch yourself on fire at any sudden loud noise.” He stood in the water, hands behind his back, and leaned over Mad. Mad was panting, trembling from the cold, from being soaking wet. He stared at the floor as Actor continued to speak. “The point of me becoming your mentor is to make you better and capable of using your strength properly. You’ll end up killing yourself and everyone around you if you refuse to listen. I found you in that warehouse. I brought you to a home away from those who abandoned you the second you were no longer who they thought you were. I am trying to help, and you keep acting like an entitled brat because you don’t always get your way.” Actor straightened up as Mad slowly rose to his feet. “You were nothing before me, and you will continue to be nothing if you insist on only focusing on things that do not matter.” His hands moved to the front, watching water drip from Mad’s hair to the floor and down his face. Marvin could see the anger on Mad’s face when he finally looked at Actor and how he had tensed up at being called nothing. 

A sore spot. 

“Eat shit and choke.” Mad just got the phrase out before Actor backhanded him across the mouth, and Marvin had to put his hands over his own to prevent a sound from coming out. He saw Mike doing the same and Mare clenching his hands into tight fists. 

“You need to stop testing my patience, Madrick.” Actor stated. “Mare. Go get him dried off.” He stepped out of the water as Mare went back to Mad, placing his hands on his shoulders and guiding him to turn around. “And Mare? If you are unable to do your job, I will find someone that will.” 

“Yes, sir,” Mare said softly and walked off with Mad. Actor waved his hand and the water mess was cleaned up. He turned to Mike and sighed.

“Why do you look pissed?” 

“Why do you keep being a dick to Mad?” Mike asked back, crossing his arms. 

“I’m not. I am being stern and strict. He needs order and structure if he is to ever become something more than some nerd that likes to read weird math books and a threat to the world at any minor inconvenience.” Actor picked up the bucket from the floor and sat it on one of the coffee tables. 

“You did the ‘stern and strict’ route with Damien and look at where that got you.” Mike scoffed. 

“Damien?” Marvin mouthed to himself. 

“He liked me at one point.” Actor sighed and sat on the couch.

“He liked you at that point because you were fucking him.” Mike went to the edge of the couch, putting one hand on top of the back and the other on the armrest, causing him to lean toward Actor a bit. “And if you try doing that with Mad, I don’t know who’s going to kill you first, me or Mare.”  

“Is that jealousy I’m detecting?” Actor said with a grin. 

“Maybe.” Mike climbed up on the couch and pushed Actor to his back as he crawled across him. “But the last time I checked, you were the one begging for me last night~” 

“A man can’t confess to what he wants?” Actor chuckled, hands sliding down Mike’s back and stopping at his rear. 

“This man should remember we’re a couple now and I will gladly cut his dick off with those scissors if he doesn’t keep what he wants happy.” Mike took one of Actor’s hands and placed it on his neck. 

“Note taken.” Actor pulled Mike down into a kiss. 

Marvin had to resist the urge to gag as he moved away from his looking spot. He’s tested his luck enough, he needed to get out of there and worked with what information he got. Voices started coming down from the other end of the hall he was in, meaning Mad and Mare were on their way. That room Marvin had been in must have been Mad’s with Actor’s comment about him. Marvin knew he couldn’t magic himself out of the house, that’d set off all the alarms, so he was going to need to climb out and he was going to need to climb out fast. 

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Tags: @brokentimewatch @bookwormscififan @d-structive @rainymae523 @ashtonisvibing

[from-my-gabriel-notebook]

A soft comfort

Word count: 3642

Content warning: panic attack, age regression (not sexual in any way, but due to high levels of fear)

Author's note: I know the topic of age regression can be controversial, but this fic is very close to my heart so please, be kind.

Sam and Dean were fighting again.

You shouldn't be surprised, really. You knew they cared about each other, and they showed it in multiple ways, but they were also incredibly quick to anger and blaming each other, years of untreated traumas and codependency certainty not doing them any favor beside telling them where to hit to hurt the most.

The fight had started in the drive back to the bunker from an especially challenging case, and the chance of going to their own room to calm down hadn't stopped them from keeping on their shouting match.

You were hovering, unsure if you were allowed to leave or if they would take it the wrong way. The shivers had already started, and you flinched every time one of them would wave their hands around. You kept running your hands on your arms and tights, fingernails pushing in maybe a little too much, but you needed to anchor you in the now.

And you were fine, really, you were, as long as they didn't drag you into it-

"And you? What do you think?"

Dean's voice, still loud and sharp, cut through your mind. You startled, looking frantically at Sam, but he was just as riled up as his brother, so no help would come from him.

"Wh-what?" you stuttered.

"Who do you think is right, me or Sam? Whose side you're on?"

Nope, you were not answering that. You didn't even know what they were fighting about, half hyper-vigilant and half dissociating, recognizing words and gestures just long enough to be able to tell if they were a danger to you before discarding them.

And even if you knew, picking a side never ended well.

"I'm - I don't think - I mean," you tried, but you couldn't find the right way to put it that wouldn't make it worse. Dean urged you on, not caring for your struggles, so you took a deep breath and tried again.

"I think this is an issue I shouldn't be involved in? I mean, this was mostly between the two of you, so my opinion really isn't that important?" you said, voice tilting in a question like you used to when you tried to be safe. Not that it ever worked, but you were still clinging to an old hope it would help.

No such luck, not then, and certainly not now.

Dean scoffed and turned towards Sam, animosity momentarily forgotten to have someone to complain about you with.

"Oh, they don't want to get involved.". He turned back towards you. "You never do, too concerned with being above us to step in. Do you even care about us?"

Do you even care about this family?

You froze, similar words running through your mind, and suddenly it wasn't Dean you were seeing, and another voice was screaming in your ears. So many similar situations, and how they ended, flashed through your mind, and you wanted to run, to hide, but your legs were locked in place, so you closed your eyes, hoping they'd forget about you if you stayed still enough.

Snapping, loud and sharp, right by your face, and then a hand shaking you, and something inside you snapped.

Your eyes shot open and you turned and run away from them, trusting your instinct not to crash into walls when your vision was blurred by tears.

You didn't know how long it had been (not enough to make them stop, to make it safe to take up space again) when a soft knock came from the other side of your door. It rang like thunder in your terrified quietness.

You curled up in a tighter ball in the corner, hoping that whoever it was would leave if they got no response.

Another knock sounded, then the door slowly opened, cutting a blade of light in the otherwise dark room.

"Cupcake, it's me. Can I come in?"

You wanted to be by yourself, but you also didn't. You wanted to be away from the danger, but you didn't want to be alone with the dark thoughts running in circle in your mind. People meant the risk of making them angry, but Gabriel was safe.

You were too conflicted to answer, so you let him enter the room and close the door behind him.

Darkness draped you again in its comforting embrace, and you were glad Gabriel didn't try to turn the lights on.

It was easier being ignored in the dark.

You heard him walk towards you, somehow avoiding tripping on all the mess littering your room.

He stopped in from of you - you thought, at least. Your head was still hidden against your legs, eyes pressed tightly shut.

You heard him sit down, far enough to leave you in your safe bubble but close enough to feel his presence.

A particularly loud, even if slightly muffled, sound came from outside and you flinched, hands covering your ears. You didn't want to hear them, you just wanted them to be quiet.

Something shifted in the air. You let go of your ears and realized with a jolt that no more voices came from outside anymore. You started to panic. What if they were coming to you, to scream at you for hiding? What if they left while they were still upset? You couldn't decide which option was worse.

"Hey, hey. It's okay, nothing happened. They're still arguing, I just thought you didn't need to hear them."

Gabriel's soft voice was a sharp contrast to the wheezing sound that bounced off the walls.

It took you a moment to realize that sound was your uneven breathing.

You tried to take deeper breaths, but it only seemed to make it worse.

Suddenly there was something taking your hand, trying to pry them from where you had them wrapped around your middle. You tried to resist, sure your lungs would burst if you didn't put pressure on them, but the force was firm yet kind. It didn't stop pulling until your hands were resting on something solid and warm. It was raising and falling. You could feel a strong heartbeat under your palms.

Gabriel's chest.

"Hey. I'm here, you're safe, focus on me. Breath with me."

You tried, you really did, but it was so difficult, like there wasn't enough air in the room. It took you so long to make even the smallest improvement.

He was there with you the whole time, encouraging you, never raising his voice or getting angry, not even when your breath would speed up again after almost calming down.

At one point a faint, warm glow started breaking through the dark. A shy golden light, seemingly coming from Gabriel himself. No, behind him. Around him? Then you realized: his wings.

They were beautiful, bringing you comfort just like the angel's presence always did for you.

You stared at them, mesmerized. They distracted you enough to stop worrying as much, and your breath was able to calm back to normal.

But the peace wasn't going to last.

As one storm passed, another was quick to manifest. Your fingers curled up in his shirt as your shoulders began shaking.

A loud, choken sob left your mouth. Your hands flew up to try and smother the ones you knew would follow.

He opened his arms, inviting you to go in his lap but still giving you the final choice.

You hesitated and glanced at the door. He noticed.

"Do you want me to leave?", he asked. Your eyes snapped to him again, afraid he was going to get angry at you for being rude, but he didn't look mad, only attentive.

You thought about it. You didn't want him to see you like this, when you were so weak, but being alone would be worse, and he was comforting.

You gave the tiniest shake of your head.

He smiled at you. "I'll stay then", he said.

He opened his arms again, and this time you inched closer. He offered one of his hands and intertwined your fingers when you placed yours in his, while the other went to gently wade through your hair.

The dam broke.

Your grip on his hand turned crushing as you pressed it against your chest and curled around it. Broken, ugly sobs tore from your lips, your shoulders shaking with the force of them. He never once shushed you, instead telling you sweet and encouraging words, his other hand never stopping its soothing motion.

After a time that felt so long the sobs died down, even if your breaths kept coming out in uneven, wet sounds. Your shoulders still shook, but you didn't know if it was for the sadness or for the cold.

When had it become so cold?

You had barely began to tremble that the glow from before came back. Gabriel's wings were around you, hugging you in a world of soft light and warmth.

You looked at them, then at him, and his smile was blinding even through your blurry eyes.

"Hi there. How are you feeling?" he asked.

The tiniest bit better, thanks to him, but you still couldn't find in yourself the strength to talk.

He seemed to understand the problem.

"Speaking is hard, isn't it?"

You tensed, waiting for the anger that was sure to follow, but he surprised you again by saying "It's okay. But there's a way, if you still want to comunicate. Can I...? I'll only hear what you want me to tell me, I promise. " he said, raising a hand near your temple.

It took you a moment to understand what he was asking. He wanted to permission to read your mind. You were unsure. Your mind was a mess, especially now, and you didn't want to burden him with it. And there were bad parts you wanted to keep hidden. But you trusted him, and he had always been so kind, so you nodded.

A tiny shock made you jump a little when his fingers touched you.

"Sorry. Let's see if it works. How are you feeling now?"

A little better. Thank you.

"No need to thank me, I'm happy I could help."

You looked away. I'm sorry.

He tilted his head. "What for?"

It's bad for people to see me like this.

He brought your hand to his lips, placing a kiss on the back of it.

"There's nothing to be ashamed of in being scared. "

It's if it's for something small. I'm big, I should have handled it. And you didn't have to-

"Nonsense," he stopped you, "When I said I would have been there for you, I meant it. For better or for worse, I just want to be by your side."

Overwhelmed, you threw your arms around his neck, holding tight and with fresh tears in your eyes. You couldn't understand how someone so... Him could care for someone as unimportant as you. Someone as weak and pathetic as you could never deserve his attention, and yet-

"What was that?"

You froze. You hadn't meant for him to catch that, but your thoughts, loud in a good day, where always the loudest when you were like this, especially these ones.

"Sugar, look at me."

You slowly let go of him, but you couldn't look him in the eyes, focusing instead on his wings.

He sighed but let it pass. "Where does that come from?" he asked instead.

It's nothing.

"It's not nothing if it makes you feel like that."

It's just something the adults used to say when they were angry.

He hummed. "Was that the only thing they'd say?"

You didn't want to answer that and think again of all the mean things they would more often scream rather than say to you, but you didn't want to have to keep pretending they were always nice.

"I guess it's not really important what they said, because they were wrong," he said, voice harsh enough to make you flinch. He immediately softened. "Sorry, that wasn't at you. It upsets me knowing you were treated so poorly. But really, whatever they said, you are not like that."

But they were right. I can't do anything properly, and I just... Can't. It's so hard.

"Cupcake, stop. Listen to me."

This time he took your face in his hands to make sure you did.

"You're not a failure, weak or any other bullshit anyone may have said about you. You are strong, even if you don't realize it. You are trying, and that alone takes so much strength and effort. You're doing everything you can to fight against your own mind, and that must be so draining. It's totally understandable if you don't have any energy left to do more. But know this: if you ever need something, anything, I'll always be here for you."

There was so much conviction in his words, such surety in his eyes, that you couldn't find any words to express just how much they meant to you.

Only when his thumbs brushed your cheeks you realized you had started crying again.

"I'm not so great at comforting you, am I? I made you cry again."

You shook your head, then hugged him tight.

"Thank you."

It was merely a whisper, but he heard you. He always would.

"Anytime."

Some time passed in safe silence.

"Can I ask you something?" Gabriel said, voice soft.

You leaned back, tilted your head at him and blinked yes.

"You're mind, it feels... Smaller. What's about that?"

You flinched and looked away, worried again despite yourself, and curled up more.

It's weird. You'll get mad.

"I won't. I just want to make sure you're okay. I pinky promise." he held up a hand, all but one finger closed.

You looked at him, at his hand, away, at him again. Slowly you raised your hand and linked fingers, moving to complete the gesture.

"Now that that's sealed, is it okay to share?"

It's just. When I get very upset or very scared or very sad, I - you moved your hands in front of you, made a ball and made it shrink. It's not a decision and I can't control it. It just happens.

"And they made you feel bad enough to trigger it?" he said, voice taking an edge of steel again.

You fliched and made to move away.

I knew it, you're mad.

"Not with you, never to you, and never for something like this. Only with those two mutt heads," he said, looking somewhere past you with hard eyes.

It wasn't their fault. Dean just said some bad words.

His expression turned soft again when he looked back at you.

"Look at you, still trying to be kind, even when they were mean to you." He saw you trying to move away and added " I won't stop you from moving, if that's what you want, but you're free to snuggle for as long as you want. "

He opened his arms and wings, making way for you to push away from him, if you wanted, but he didn't seemed mad, and he was soft, and he was comforting...

Without looking at him, you gripped his shirt and shook your head.

He chuckled and closed his wings again.

You stayed like that for a while, neither of you feeling the need to move.

Until your eyelids started getting heavy.

He let out a small chuckle and pushed you back a little.

"Why don't you go to sleep? You'll feel better once you wake up."

You shook your head, fingers holding tight on the lapels of his jacket.

"C'mon. I'll be right here, I won't leave you alone."

Even with that reassurance, you were reluctant to move. There was something you wanted to ask, but you were hesitant. It felt like it would be too much, especially with everything he had done already.

As usual, you didn't even had to ask.

"What about this," he started, "You go get ready to sleep while I take care of a little thing. Then we'll have a little sleepover until you fall asleep. I've heard I make a terrific plushie. What do you have to say about that?"

You looked at him, eyes wide. He didn't have to stay, why would he offer such a thing?

" I want to," he said with a shrug, like it was the most simple thing in the world.

You finally mustered up enough courage to ask what you had always wondered

But why?

Why was he always so kind to you, why he was always there without asking anything in return, why he chose to spend his time with you, why -

"Because I love you," he said, then "Totally platonically right now, because you're small, and minds that are small must not worry about this things" he specified, booping you on the nose, "but the love remains, as it always will."

Two simple sentences that had the power to freeze any thought you may had.

Of course you loved him too, even if right now your mind felt it in a different way, but even when you were big, you had never thought he could see you as you were and still feel the same, but the deep affection in his eyes left no room for doubts. You looked away under such intense emotions.

Same.

He chuckled at your reply, cradling your face between his hands to make you look at him and leaving a soft kiss on your forehead. From there warmth spread all over your body, reminding you just how tired you were.

He booped your nose again. "Off you go to get ready so we can go to sleep, okay?"

You nodded and moved from his lap to let him stand up. He stretched, joints popping with too much gusto, and you watched, captivated, as his wings mirrored his movements. Then he rolled his shoulders back and they were gone.

He offered a hand with wiggling fingers, and you took it gratefully. You expected to feel a little rigid, as it would normally be after spending so much time curled up in a ball on the floor, but you were actually feeling very nice. You looked at him, and he winked.

"What's the point of being close with an Archangel if you can't have some benefits?"

You smiled tentatively, still trying to wrap your mind around the fact that he considered you that important.

"Get ready. I'll be right back," he said, then vanished.

The room felt colder and darker without him, and you felt the need to curl up against a wall to shield yourself come up again, but you squared your shoulders and fought against it.

You changed into the cleanest pjs you could find and went into the bathroom to brush your teeth and wash your face.

When you got back into your room, changed and cleaned and refreshed, you felt a little bit better.

As promised, Gabriel was already lying on top of the covers of your bed. He had changed too, swapping his forever attire for a more comfortable and softer looking one. He was surfing through the channels of a TV that wasn't there before, looking for something appropriate to watch, the volume just low enough to be heard without being overwhelming.

He put down the remote when he saw you and patted the free space beside him.

You crawled under the covers until only your head was peeking out a proper distance away. A part of you noticed that your room used to have barely enough space to move around, it surely wasn't large enough for a TV and a bed big enough for two people to comfortably lay with room to spare.

He noticed your confused looking around.

"I renewed your room a little," he said, "I hope you don't mind."

You felt how soft the mattress under you was and shook your head.

It's okay. It's soft and comfy.

"Of course it is. Only the best for you."

Thank you.

"Don't mention it. Now, there is something you want to watch or are you ready to go to sleep?"

You thought of your favorite comfort movie of when you were small but like, actually small, and things were well, not the nicest but nicer, but you couldn't remember the name, so you just thought what you could remember of it at him.

"Wonderful choice. Now close your eyes and let it pull you into sleep."

You nodded and closed your eyes, a hand inching towards him until you could hold a fist of his shirt. It really was soft. Just a little reminder that he was there, that you weren't alone.

With your eyes closed you didn't see him fondly roll his eyes and reach out to you.

You jumped, eyes snapping open as you felt a gentle pull.

You looked up to Gabriel, and he smiled.

"Sorry for not warning you, but, as I told you, you can come closer and cuddle to your heart's content. I mentioned to you that I'm a great plushie, didn't I? It would be suspicious if I didn't let it test it for yourself."

You had been too shy to ask, but if he was offering, it must have been okay. So you snuggled closer, your hands trading his shirt for one of his hands and curling around it until you were a tiny ball by his side, and he didn't seem to mind having a blocked hand.

Exhausted from feeling all the big emotions of the day and lulled by the familiarity of the movie, it didn't take long before you started to feel heavy.

Just before you fell asleep you felt something soft and warm cover you, and you felt so safe and loved that a single tear escaped your eyes before finally entering the dream world.

[imagines-by-a-typical-fangirl]

Part 04 of 07

Pairing: Billy Hargrove X Reader | platonic!Eddie X Reader

Word count: 1.9 K

<- Previous part (03)

Next part -> (05)

{Stranger Things Masterlist}

{Dacre Montgomery Masterlist}

Summary: You didn't get over Billy's death, isolating yourself from everyone. But when a new monster starts making victims, the party has no other choice but to involve you... And ask you to give shelter to a metalhead.

A/N: Special thanks to my wonderful friend @multific for all her help through this story. I love you, girl!!

×

Hopes and Anchors

Nancy having guns doesn't surprise you. But that's only because you also have two yourself. And so, the small party starts to walk, flashlights on hand, careful and paying attention to the surroundings. Your ears and eyes are open, on high alert to anything out of the ordinary.

Robin leads, keeping the group's pace fast but cautious. Nancy and Steve are just behind her, but with time their pace grows slower, as they start to talk. And, to give them some privacy, you do the same. That's how you pair up with Eddie, and then, both of you stay even further behind the group but make sure they're always in your sight.

“What's up between those two?” Eddie asks after a while.

“They used to date. Then they broke up, now Nancy is with Jonathan but...” Shrugging your shoulders, you step over a particularly large vine. “I don't know, they're not doing very well, it seems. But I... I don't keep up anymore.”

“Can I say something? Something you probably won't like?” Furrowing your eyebrows, you look at him, nodding. “I think, whoever Billy was, he would want you to move on.” That makes you stop, a breath caught in your throat. “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything.”

“No, I...” Shaking your head, you clear your throat. “It's okay. I just don't talk about him since...”

“I don't think that's very healthy.”

“It hurts too much.”

“Wanna tell me about him?” He speaks fast, and you start to walk again. You know what he's doing. Eddie is trying to help, and it warms your heart a little. He's a good person. Which is obvious, or else Dustin wouldn't admire him so much. “I mean, everyone seems to know the guy, but I got to the party a bit too late.” He offers you a small smile.

And you find yourself smiling as well. “I met Billy on his first day at school. I literally ran onto him, so fast we both fell. He was so mad, and I was laughing so hard, I don't even remember why. Something clicked, I think. Because when we got up, we just looked at each other.” The memory brings a bright smile to your lips. “The next day the jerk offered me a ride home. One week after that, the first date. Ever since we were a thing. Girls used to hate me because I stole all of her chances to hook Billy Hargrove, Hawkins' bad boy. And despite not being in an official relationship, we were together.”

“Sounds like you were really into each other.” He says, almost slipping. You giggle and he gives you a fake angry stare.

“We were... But he... He never really said it. And I don't blame him, but...”

“But...”

You stop again, and this time, you don't cry. The pain is deep, still fresh, but maybe you're out of tears. “He said it when he was dying.” It comes out so low you're not sure Eddie heard you. “He died in my arms, sacrificed himself on his last sane moment after the Mind Flayer possessed him. He... He said he loved me... But I didn't have time to say it back.” Saying it after eight months hits you hard, and you fall on your knees, a hand on your stomach as you catch your breath.

“Hey.” Eddie kneels next to you, touching your arm. “He knew. Do you hear me? He knew it, he didn't have to hear it. He knew.”

Covering your face, you take deep breaths, trying to control yourself, get a grip of yourself. “W-what if he didn't? What if he didn't?”

“Did you make him feel loved? Did you ever try to make him feel loved?”

You did. Every single day, your mission was to show Billy he was loved, despite the awful things Neil told him. “Yes.”

“He knew. I promise you, he knew.”

Slowly, you calm yourself, forcing into silence all your racing thoughts and feelings. Taking your hands off your face, you suck in deep breaths, eyes on the forest ground. You're about to get up when something gets your attention. It reflects the dim light of this place, and it has you reaching out in the mud to see what it is, this thing that doesn't seem like it belongs on this dark forest floor.

Your movements are slow and lethargic, as you clean it from tiny dead leaves and mud. But then, you recognize it. A soundless yell escapes your lips as you hold it against your chest, your sight getting blurred as you feel yourself falling.

“(Y/N)!” Eddie's voice reaches out to you, but it sounds distant, miles away. “(Y/N), don't do this to me. (Y/N), what happened?” Arms come to surround you, and then you're being lifted. “Stay with me, okay? Stay with me, (Y/N).” He's starting to get desperate, but you're still lost in your stupor, hand clenched into a fist, holding tightly on to his earing. “Okay, you're okay.” He clears his throat. “She's got a smile that it seems to me, reminds me of childhood memories.” Eddie starts to sing, and you can hear his voice near your ear. “C'mon, stay with me. Where everything was as fresh as the blue bright sky.”

The music goes on for a while, until you slowly climb back to yourself, your eyes opening, and the weight of your discovery crashing over you. “What happened?”

“I don't know. She just fainted.” Eddie replies, and you feel yourself being put down.

“(Y/N)? (Y/N), can you hear me?” Steve asks, and when you look at him, you wrap your arms around his neck.

That's when the crying starts. Messy, painful, desperate. “I found his necklace. I found his necklace. Billy's necklace, I found it, Steve. I found it.” You repeat over and over again.

“Alright. Shh. Let me see it. Hey.” He pulls away, looking down at you. “Let me see it.”

With shaking hands, you show it to him. Steve takes it carefully from your hand. “No way,” Nancy mutters, and you look at her appalled face.

“What does it mean?” You ask them, all of them. “What does it mean? He was wearing it. I remember. He was wearing it.”

“We need to find a way out of here,” Steve says, a hand on your cheek. “When we're safe back in Hawkins, we'll talk about this. Alright? I promise. But right now, we have to move.”

It's not fair. It's just not fair that you can't discuss this now, right freaking now... But you know he's right. And you don't have the brains to think now.

So you just move, with Eddie helping you through the way, as the others also have eyes on you. When you get to Nancy's house, you sit on the couch, still perplexed, still crying like a baby. You hear them talking about something. About the gun not being here, about the Upside Down being stuck somewhere in the past... But you can't follow. Your brain just can't process it now.

You're back in that dark place, unable to move, or think.

At some point, you notice you're lying against Eddie, your head on his shoulder as you deal with some sobbing. Clearing your throat and doing your best to wipe off the many tears rolling down your face, you move away from him. “Sorry... I didn't even notice.”

He looks at you, worry and sadness in his eyes. “It's alright. I don't mind, really. And you really need a shoulder to cry on.” Turning to stare at him, Eddie gives you the saddest smile you've ever seen. “Come, it's alright.”

His kindness makes you cry all over again, and you let yourself snuggle on him, eyes closed. Then, he starts to hum "Sweet Child O' Mine."

•••

Climbing through a gate on the ceiling and then falling was a very unusual experience. You hurt your arm by falling on a bad way, and then, there was the thing with Vecna taking Nancy. You almost lost your mind at the thought of losing Nancy too.

But Vecna only needed to pass on a message. The revelations had your mind spinning around, and you had to leave them to shower and rest. There was a fight when they forced you to get some sleep, with the promise of having a good plan for when you wake up.

You did feel like a baby, even more, when the babysitter himself came to tuck you in the bed. But you understand their worry. And you're thankful.

But what warms your heart, even more, is that, after half an hour of staring at the ceiling, when Eddie comes to check on you at Steve's request, he stays. Eddie sits next to you, singing your song in a low voice. Then, at some point, you grab his hand, just when you're about to close your eyes, and just hold it, as a way to ground you to reality. A scary, painful reality that stole your love from you, but the reality where your friends - your chosen family - live. So you need to stay grounded. And Eddie is pretty much being your anchor now.

You wake up suddenly, a breath caught up in your throat. “Rise and shine,” Eddie says, looking down at you.

“How long have I slept?” You mutter, looking at your joined hands. “Sorry about that.”

“No problem.” He says as you let go of his hand. “You needed it.”

“I did.” There's no reason to deny it. “Do they have a plan?”

“Probably. There was some yelling and arguing.”

“Then they have a plan.” Sitting up, you yawl. “You can shower if you want... There are still some clean clothes you can use, right?” Eddie nods. “I'll speak to them.”

“Can I wash my hair?”

The question and his slightly embarrassed face make you giggle. “If you don't mind your hair smelling like flowers.”

Eddie chuckles, rolling his eyes. “Girls and their flowers.”

As Eddie goes to the bathroom, you make your way to the living room to find what the battle plans are.

And you're not even a little bit surprised to know you'll be going to a gun store named "Warzone", just outside Hawkins. And you're far less surprised by how you intend on going there without risking anyone's car. For the first time, the party will have to do some stealing, but everyone here already committed a crime or two, and as long as it's for the greater good, you don't mind it at all.

And with that, you all prepare for the next day. Car theft, Warzone, Upside Down... And then, killing Vecna once and for all.

They all left without the promised talk about Billy's necklace, which you're wearing now around your neck now. But it's alright... You have plans of your own, that you mean to merge with their own.

×

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