#like decking gabriel

[deckof-dragons]

And this is why the 'just one more try' mantra is so persuasive. Because sometimes that one last try is the run. Those two Hideous Masses in that final room were a massive pain in the ass. I reloaded the checkpoint so many times to practice it and then every attempt I failed, I reloaded it a few more times. And I finally got it!

Also...

Like 4th try on Gabriel. I died more than 200 times to him on my first go on this fight so this feels really fucking good! I whooped his ass so hard he didn't even have time to tell me that I was getting rusty. Learning how to hit the coin with the railcanon, especially if you can get two coins or more is the single most useful trick you can learn. Also, this was another 'just one more try' that was the run because I figured I go for Gabriel a few times while I'm still high off the 6-1 victory but then actually settle in to throw myself at it tomorrow. But nope! I got gud instead.

Meaning...

I have now P-ranked everything. It's Sisyphus Prime time tomorrow! But like, I think I said this before, but I'm really happy the P-rank requirements are achievable even for people who aren't speedrunners. Initially I'd assumed the requirements would be speedrun level times and scores but they're really not. So other than for 2 levels and the final room of 6-1, P-ranking everything was a lot of fun. Now, am I going to attempt to P-rank the Prime Sanctums? ... At first I wasn't planning on it but with how fun this was... maybe. I'll decide once I beat Sisyphus Prime.

[quietwingsinthesky]

Prompt: Archangel Polycule getting drunk together for the first time

"What is she doing with its hands?" Gabriel's lost his grasp on pronouns. And on two different glasses.

"I… have no idea." Assuming Gabriel's talking about Lucifer, who's very bad at charades. What is he doing with his hands?

"Are you going to guess?" Michael asks, betraying he's been counting down the seconds of their turn for an eldest sibling team point.

"Hurricane?"

"What? Tax collectors!"

"How is-!" Gabriel shushes them, louder than they are, and crawls into their lap for good measure, hand on their mouth. Raphael harrumphs, pleading eyes at Michael to remove their brother. He ignores them.

[bluesidez]

GymRat!Miguel Part 9.2 | full chapter without breaks on AO3

content warning: more fluff, more laughs, a little bit of insecurity from Miguel and reader, underage drinking (all of the characters are aged 18-20 so by USA standards, that's underaged. but college kids will be college kids. and so will high school graduates.), a mention of an edible like once, Hobie is here! (fr this time), Pavitr too, even more jealous Miguel, 18+ so MNDI, wet wet relations, fellatio, cunnilingus, Miguel is a munch (his fantasies are unraveling finally), cum play if you squint, partially public indecency???, I think that's it

word count: 9.3k, halfway proofread (I split it really weirdly so I apologize for that lol)

Some of the links used in this part are just to give you an idea of what's going on! Enjoy! 🩵

Prev (Part 9.1) | Next ✩°｡ ⋆⸜ 🎧✮ Masterlist

GymRat!Miguel who texts Tyler while you’re in the shower. 

Dad…Tyler:

“She really loved it. Thank you so much for helping me out with this, Dad.”

“Any time, son! I’m glad everything went well! I can have my people send over the video form of the animation if you would like.”

“Sure, I can have it on hand.”

“And I take it, you like the yacht?”

“It’s extremely nice! Captain Barrett is pretty cool.”

“Don’t tell him you said that or it’ll go to that funny mustache.”

“Ok 😭”

“I did have a question though.”

“Ask away.”

“What did Kron do to his other boat?”

“What didn’t he do to that boat? He had too many friends on that thing all with a mix of substances I could never dream of combining. Their parents had to come drag them out lest the police get involved. I’ve never helped Kron with any event or party since then. He hasn’t earned it and he embarrassed me greatly.”

“Would you be more comfortable if we held off on the drinks?”

“See son, the difference between you and Kron is that you understand the legal ramifications of doing something so idiotic as having illegal items on a property that isn’t yours as a minor. You also have integrity and respect, something that Kron has lost sight of. I trust that neither you nor your friends will do anything too drastic.”

“Yeah, there’s no crazy stuff happening this weekend.”

“I believe it.”

“Get back to your girlfriend now. Thank you for checking up on your old man. Tell her I said hello.”

“For sure. Good night.”

“Good night!”

GymRat!Miguel who opens his arms up to you as you come out of the bathroom. You hurried to lay in his arms, skin warm from your shower. 

You snuggle up under his chin, “Today was really fun.”

“Yeah?” he rubs your head slowly. 

“Mm hm. Now, we should sleep.”

A yawn racks through Miguel’s body, the day of driving settling in his bones. 

You keep your ear on his chest. The steady tempo of his heart and his breaths lulling you to sleep. 

GymRat!Miguel who is still asleep by the time you wake up. You both ended up at opposite ends of the giant bed with just your legs intertwining. 

You look over to Miguel and watch his chest rise and fall, his snores crescendoing at each breath. 

You lay your head back on the pillow, eyes tracing the shape of his face in this morning light. The water was calm, giving the boat a slight rock. Some seagulls flew by, their sounds fading in and out. 

You scoot closer to get a better look, your hand lightly following the line of his face. 

His eyes flutter open at your touch, a brown sea welcoming you. 

“G’morning,” his voice is terribly deep like this. The timbre shoots straight to your core. 

“Morning. I didn’t mean to wake you up,” you whisper. 

Miguel moves to lay his head on your chest, taking a deep breath. “It’s fine. The sight made me feel like I went to heaven.”

He pulled you closer by the waist, “Ten more minutes?”

“Rest up all you need, bear-bear.”

GymRat!Miguel who is just as excited as Gabriel when he gets to the deck that morning. The agenda was swimming with the dolphins before everyone else got here.

Miguel and Gabriel were practically buzzing in their matching wetsuits. Dana snuck in a video laughing at the twin looks on their faces. 

GymRat!Miguel who sneaks glances at your form on the way to the dolphin center. You’re leaning over the edge of the smaller boat, the wind against your face. The wetsuit was doing wonders for the curve of your figure. 

GymRat!Miguel who ends up going into a nerd session about dolphins with Gabriel. Both of them are spitting out dolphin facts at the speed of light. 

 “I just think that if you were to be any dolphin, it’s so obvious that you would be an orca.” 

“But why, though? Because I’m big? That’s a new low, even for you, Gabri.”

“No, it’s because you’re mixed, obviously. Killer whale aka orca aka dolphin. Duh, Miguelito.”

“Don’t ‘duh’ me because that doesn’t even make sense. Orcas are still classified as dolphins even though they look like whales.”

“Just like you-”

“I’m going to smack you off the side of this boat if you finish that sentence.”

“Resulting to violence just like a killer whale, what a shame.”

“You’re so annoying. Orcas are smart, they speak different languages based on their pod, and the name was actually ‘whale killers,’ not ‘killer whales.’ That would make me an orca, but I would not be one because I would never take care of my family but abandon my children.”

“A lot of male dolphins abandon their families. A lot of them hang out with the bros and come back.”

“Female dolphins can do the hard work of carrying babies from ten to eighteen months, so enlighten me, Gabri. What are the male dolphins doing with the bros?”

Gabriel squinted his eyes and put his finger up weakly, “This is a trick question.”

“No it’s not! Don’t you know the answer?” Miguel put his hands out, as if waiting for a physical object to be presented. 

“I do know the answer, which is why I don’t want to give you the satisfaction.”

“Well, now I want to know because you two nerds wouldn’t shut up about bottlenose dolphins just five minutes ago,” Dana scoffs as she takes off her shades, the morning sun too much for her. 

“That’s not the same energy you had last night when I-”

“No one wants to hear that.”

“Shut up, Miguel,” Gabriel snaps back. “They take care of other dolphin babies. And sometimes become friends with benefits with their homies.”

Dana makes a disgusted face, “And you’re defending that? Wow. So when I have your kid you’re going to leave me and go do fuck all with Pavitr?”

“No, Dana, I would never do that! We discussed this! Miguel is going to study seahorses, make me a safe mutation, and I’ll carry them for you!”

“I don’t even study genetics so I have no clue what you’re talking about.”

“So you wouldn’t carry her babies?” Gabriel gestures towards you in a panic. 

Miguel looks towards you at the front of the boat, watching the water go by. 

He thought of you as a mom, carrying his kid, holding their hand in the park, picking decor for the nursery. 

He thought of you under him, taking everything he could give you and more. You screaming his name as the bed creaks loud enough to fill the hallway. 

“I would, but that’s not the question right now.”

“Why did it take you so long to answer that?” Gabriel’s tone was high. 

“Oh my god, he was thinking of getting her pregnant,” Dana says in horror. 

“Oh, so I have to listen to your escapades, but I can’t even daydream in silence?”

GymRat!Miguel who listens intently to the staff. No harm shall come to any dolphin on his behalf.  

GymRat!Miguel who makes friends with one of the cute dolphins. Her name is Dotty because of the few spots she has on her body. 

She immediately gravitates towards Miguel. Her blowhole squeals constantly whenever Miguel talks to her. 

“Well I think Dotty is in love!” the instructor yells from across the enclosed water. 

GymRat!Miguel who laughs at Dana who keeps getting splashed on by the baby dolphins. 

GymRat!Miguel who looks so cute with his nose touching Dotty’s rostrum. They’re spinning in circles with Dotty clicking away like a cat purring. 

GymRat!Miguel who watches you interact with one of the bigger dolphins whose name is Mon. 

“Mon and Dotty are a couple, but he’s a little sad today because Dotty isn't giving him any attention,” the instructor says with a giant pout on her face. 

Even Mon’s clicks sounded sad and Miguel didn’t know how that was possible. 

Mon places his chin on your shoulder and you’re immediately in love, rubbing his body and consoling him and his broken heart. 

“It’s ok, Mon. You can hang out with me,” you say in a sweet voice. Mon’s fins squeezed you even tighter. 

A sweater, some random guys, Dana, Blake, and now a dolphin. Miguel can’t win. 

GymRat!Miguel who watches Mon click and spin happily when you feed him fish for doing a trick. 

“That was so good, Monie!” you pat his head, and he leans into your hands. 

GymRat!Miguel who thinks Dotty and Mon are a bit like you and him. They’re twirling in the water together, rubbing their bodies close. 

GymRat!Miguel who sits with you on the boat ride back, watching the dolphins race with the boat halfway to the yacht.

GymRat!Miguel whose eyebrows raise when he sees one of your friends as you guys step off the boat. 

“Hobie!” you squeal, running to hug the lanky figure. 

“My girl! How have you been, love?” he asks, a deep London accent lining his words. 

Love?

“I’m so happy you made it! How’s the apprenticeship? Any new techniques to share?”

“A lot more than techniques, if you know what I mean?” Hobie leaned on you as he snickered away. 

Miguel might pop a fuse. 

GymRat!Miguel who lingers by as you chat away with Hobie. The two of you are catching up for a while and Miguel wants to walk back to the room with you so you can help him take off this tight wetsuit. 

He’s lightly kicking at a puddle with his arms crossed when you call his name. 

“This is my boyfriend, Miguel,” you say, coming up to him and wrapping an arm around his.

“He’s a big one, innit?” Hobie says, holding his hand out. “Hobie Brown.”

Miguel shook it with a sturdy hand, “Miguel O’Hara. Nice to meet you.”

“How long have you known this firecracker for?” Hobie gestured to you with a smile.

“It’ll be a year once August hits. The best ten months of my life, honestly,” Miguel says, leaning down to kiss your temple. 

“She’s got you wrapped ‘round her finger, yeah?” Hobie smirked at the love drunk look on Miguel’s face. “Yeah, you’re a goner. That’s just how she is. One encounter and it’s hard to let go.”

Hobie went to pick up his one backpack, a master at light travel from how much he’s moving. 

“Don’t let me stop yous two from partying. See ya in an hour, love,” Hobie said walking away. 

You look up at Miguel, “The best ten months?”

“Yep. Love?”

“It’s a British thing. He’s friendly!”

“Hm.”

“And definitely demisexual.”

“Hmph.”

“You’re very territorial.”

“For good reason.”

GymRat!Miguel who makes it to the boardwalk after he’s changed to greet their friends and guide them to the yacht. 

There’s a lot of you, especially from Gabriel and Dana’s graduating class. Miguel greets everyone warmly. 

It feels good to unite his old friends and newer friends together.

GymRat!Miguel who makes a plan to be the best at every activity on the agenda today. Yeah, he wanted to have fun, but for some reason, he felt like he had something to prove.

He walks back out to the top deck to see Hobie laying out on the flat slats under the shade. His arms are crossed and his shades are hiding his full expression. 

From here, Miguel can hear Blake chatting it up with some of the girls that are hanging out near the on-deck pool. He looks over the edge and sees him grinning from ear to ear as the girls giggle. He clicks his teeth at the scene. 

“Big Migs, c’mere for a sec, will ya?” Hobie said.

“He’s a bit chatty, that one. An overachiever if I’ve ever seen it.”

On second thought, Miguel might like Hobie a lot.

“All morning, he’s been spitting nothing but rubbish. Going on and on about the boat and the city and his socials. Nothing of substance, just straight air.”

Miguel snickered, “It feels like that’s all he’s got going for himself. His daddy’s boat, his daddy’s money, and his face.”

Miguel recounts the events from last afternoon. How he lacked respect for not only him but for you and your personal space. 

“Not gonna lie, I’d smash his head in,” Hobie replied calmly.

Miguel let out a hearty laugh, “I wanted to and honestly, I could, but there are several circumstances stopping me. Such as the fact that we’re on his dad’s property.”

“But deep it, when’s the next time you’ll need to be on this thing?”

Miguel is about to respond in agreement when you round the corner from the stairs. 

“There you two are!”

You smile at the two of them, “Are you guys getting along? Has Hobie convinced you to join him on some scheme across the country?”

Miguel took a deep breath before responding. He knew what outfits you brought with you, a lot of them matched his own, but it was still like new whenever you put them on. 

He didn’t have enough time in the world to cherish your beauty. 

“They’re not schemes, baby, they’re elaborate plans,” Miguel responds.

“Man like, Migs!” Hobie hops up and drags his arm around Miguel’s shoulders. 

You shake your head with a warm smile on your face, laughing at Hobie’s antics.

“And you look stunning. Though, I’m not too sure if it’s fit for hoverboarding.”

“That’s because I’m jet skiing and shaking ass, Hobie. You guys can have fun flipping in the air.”

“Right on, then. Migs and I have important business to attend to.”

Miguel nods, “Extremely important.”

You eyed them both, “Uh huh.” They left in a controlled frenzy, Hobie pulling his wicks up with a giant band and Miguel cracking his neck.

You didn’t even want to know. 

GymRat!Miguel who is a bit peeved that Blake has to give the water hoverboard demonstration. He’s staying up there longer than necessary, grabbing girls to balance them in the middle of his board while he flips them around.

You’re standing next to Miguel during it all, waiting for Miguel’s turn so you can get a video.

“Hey!” Blake yells out in your direction. “Wanna take it for a spin?”

You shake your head and yell back, “No, I’m good!”

“Just three minutes! Don’t be scared! I won’t drop you.”

“No thanks,” you bite back, voice irritated. 

Blake smiles with a hand on his hip, ready to convince you, when Hobie pipes up, “The lady said no. Can we move on?”

Blake’s face cracked a bit as he told one of the crew members to kill the power in the waterboard. 

“What is up with him?” you mumble to yourself. 

“I think he likes you,” Pavitr remarked. “He wouldn’t stop asking Gabriel questions about you.”

“He’s really pushing it,” Miguel scoffed. Not only was he being overly flirty to every girl on board, he was adamant about getting your attention. “No wonder he gets along with Kron.”

You sported a twisted lip as you watched him strap up one of Gabriel’s friends. “I don’t know. Even if I was single, he’s a bit too…tiny. Communal.”

The laugh that left Miguel wiped the scowl right off of his face.

GymRat!Miguel who gets the hang of the hoverboard after one try. You’re recording him with a big smile on your face as he tries to spell “love” in the air. 

GymRat!Miguel who dies laughing at Gabriel’s horrible attempts at staying in the air. His body keeps shaking like a baby deer and he’s steady yelling in garbled Spanish. 

By the time his turn is over, Miguel is laid out on the boardwalk with tears down his face.

“This isn’t fucking funny, Miguel,” Gabriel cries out.

Miguel just rolls and laughs some more. 

GymRat!Miguel who watches you expertly drive a jet ski from the edge of the yacht. You’re shouting with one arm in the air as you race Dana and some of her friends. 

Miguel leans his head on his hand as he watches you zoom across the ocean. Your skin is glowing, your smile is sparkling, and your laugh is bright. 

GymRat!Miguel whose bubble of thoughts involving you, him, the water, some fruit, and a floatie is popped when Blake’s voice pierces through. 

“She’s pretty good at that.”

“Yep.” Maybe if Miguel ignored him enough, he’d go away.

“Looks like a dream, too.”

“Are you dumb or something?” Miguel turns his body, gripping the rail to not get in Blake’s face, but extending his height to cower over him.

“Woah,” Blake holds his hands up. “It was a compliment, dude, chill out. You’re not mad at me for finding her beautiful, are you?”

“That’s not what the fuck you’re doing and you know it.”

Blake makes a confused face, laughing off Miguel’s statement, “Kron said you guys were open.”

“Does it look like we’re fucking open?”

“Well, at first-”

“Keep talking and you’ll end up just like him. Knocked out. Do you want that?” Miguel edged closer to him. “Huh?”

Blake bristles, ready to defend himself when his head is knocked to the side. 

He looks next to him to see a gaggle of girls all with waterballoons and nerf guns. They yell at him to come on and pick a side. 

Blake scrambles to join them.

Miguel is about to follow when Hobie sweeps in front of him, “Cool it.”

GymRat!Miguel who almost takes an edible from Hobie but decides against it. 

“The offer is open all weekend.”

“Noted.”

GymRat!Miguel who gets roped into playing some games to start off the night, one of which is Never Have I Ever with shots. 

It started off innocently with things like peeing in a pool and cheating on a test to which everyone looked in shock at Miguel when he put a finger down. 

“I’m smart but if there’s a group effort to get the right answers, I’m not going to say no.”

Then it went left field and personal with things like threesomes, drunkenly fighting with others, and streaking. 

“Never have I ever…received head from a partner!”

A few of the guys put a finger down, groaning out and snickering as they had to take another shot. 

Miguel was trying not to dwell on how many experiences he lacked compared to the group, a lot of them younger than him. 

He rubbed his tongue across his teeth. He didn’t want to show his irritation on his face. 

Looking across the circle, he could see Gabriel’s eyes get wide, staring off beside you. 

Miguel followed his line of sight landing on you with a finger down and a shot in your hand. 

What the fuck. 

Who the fuck beat him to it? Where the fuck did it happen? When the fuck did it happen? How the fuck did he not know?

He’s ready for the game to be over. 

“Miguel is putting in work!” one guy pushes his elbow against Miguel’s side, laughing and patting his shoulders. 

Well, if people think he did it, it’s not so bad. 

“Oh my god, girl, how was it?” Dana’s friend asked you. 

Miguel tried his best not to scream bloody murder. 

“It was,” you pause, looking up to ponder. “It was something! Not particularly fun or good. My ex wasn’t the best at listening so he just poked at me. I faked everything that night.”

Miguel smirked. There were no big shoes to fill because they were never taken out of the box. Or even out of the store. 

“That sucks. I bet he thought you were in heaven.”

You laugh with the girls, joking in a way similar to the women that flooded Miguel’s for-you page. 

Miguel stepped away to get a breather. If he stayed any longer, he might do something drastic. 

GymRat!Miguel who is leaning on the boat when Gabriel comes to check up on him. 

“You ok, Miguelito?”

“Yeah, I’m alright. A little overwhelmed so I need to reset,” Miguel wrung his wrists while he let the sea breeze cool him down. 

“Is it the game? Don’t feel so bad,” Gabriel leans closer to Miguel and speaks in a stage whisper. “Some of them are a little too fast for their own good.”

Miguel snickered. Gabriel was definitely tipsy. 

“Thanks, Gabri.”

“Anytime. Don’t let them bring you down. You’re my perfect Miguelito. My pure baby!” Gabriel kissed him on the cheek.

“Ugh,” Miguel laughed and wiped at his wet cheek.

“Don’t wipe away at my love, broski.”

GymRat!Miguel who is guided by you in a dance. You’re a little tipsy and giggly, holding onto him as you dance to the music. 

Miguel just holds onto your hips and smiles with you. 

GymRat!Miguel who is locked in on your body as you grind against him. You’re arching your back and looking at him with a sparkle in your eye and Miguel feels like a wild animal.

When you lean back against him, he whispers in your ear about a private party just for the two of you. You bite your lip and turn to look at him. His eyes are tracing your lips and his hands are groping you. 

GymRat!Miguel who laughs at you as you wish everyone a good night quickly.

“I’ll see you guys in the morning!” you shout to your friends as you pull Miguel behind you to the room.

GymRat!Miguel who waits for you on the bed while you use the bathroom. 

He’s excited for an intimate night with just you. Parties were fun but it really couldn’t beat the serenity of smaller groups. It especially couldn’t beat talking all night with you. 

Everyone else was chilling out in other parts of the yacht, back in their hotel rooms, or night paddle boarding. 

You’re in the bathroom staring at the thin fabric in your hand. 

Miguel told you that there was a pool involved. 

You bought a micro bikini during a surge of confidence. It looked so cute on the model and you wanted to feel the same way. 

Now you’re standing in the bathroom freaking out, worried to death over the flimsy material. You were excited about Miguel seeing it, but you couldn’t shake your own nerves about how everything would play out. 

A knock at the door makes you jump.

You crack the door and peer up at Miguel. 

“You ok in there?” he asked, eyebrows pinched. 

“Yeah, I’m ok! I’ll be out in just a sec!”

You bite the bullet and place the bikini on. 

You didn’t account for your areolas to poke out beyond the triangles. You bit your lip as you turned to check out your backside.

At least your ass looked great. 

In a nervous motion, you pull your coverup over you and pull your hair up so that it doesn’t get too ruined by the water. It was now or never. 

GymRat!Miguel who holds your hand as he guides you to the private area. You’re squeezing his hand so tight. 

One of the stewardesses smiles as she sees you two coming. She stands next to a rope cutting off the area. 

“Good evening to you both! I hope you’ve been enjoying your stay so far,” her voice is polite and even. “Tonight, it’ll be just you two enjoying the Galaxy. If you need anything, just press the call button on the wall and I’ll be right down.”

She unlatches the rope and holds her arm out in the direction of the stairs.

You both slowly descend, careful not to slip on the trippy-looking wood. 

Taking a step into the room, Miguel stares in awe at the glowing pool. 

There’s petals fluttering about, small fairy lights surround the corners to add extra light. Looking up, you both can see the night sky with the stars adorning it. 

“This is beautiful,” you say, the lights surrounding you glittering in your eyes. 

You were staring at the stars and the lights but Miguel couldn’t help but to think that you were the most beautiful part of the room. 

He said this much to you, watching as you bent your head down hiding the smile on your face. Miguel lifted it back up and kissed you under the light of the stars. 

“Ready?” 

“Yeah, let me just go take this off.” 

You walk towards a chair with folded towels placed on it. 

“Miguel, these have our names on them!” you say with shock, running your fingers over the embroidered letters. Hearts surrounded the names and you felt fuzzy from the implication of the stewardess preparing this. 

“Yeah, I heard it was a part of the couple’s bundle,” he shouts from the pool. It wasn’t really a part of the bundle, but Miguel suggested it way before the trip. 

His back was turned to you, trying to set up a speaker by the pool. 

The moment was perfect, so you opened a champagne bottle and poured two glasses. You took a huge gulp of one and removed your slip. 

GymRat!Miguel who hears you entering the water, so he hurries to pick out a song. 

The mood needs to be right. 

He turns to you and nearly drowns at the sight. (Art is not affiliated with this fic, but I couldn't find any plus-size women in real life on Pinterest with this type of bikini! Please give this artist some love, I love their art!)

You’re coming down the stairs with two glasses in your hand and your skin on full display. The strings are digging tight into your skin and your breasts are practically spilling out from every side. 

Miguel is stunned.

“Come grab your drink, Miguel,” your voice is like butter in his ears. 

His eyes don’t leave you as he swims across the pool. The only sounds that could be heard are the water moving around him and the music playing. When he gets closer, he stands up, water dripping down his body. He’s breathing hard and is laser-focused on your frame. 

You feel an array of emotions. You feel like running, jumping, maybe hiding. His gaze is too heavy and he hasn’t spoken a word yet. 

You don’t know how long you two stare at each other before Miguel breaks the tension, “You’re going to be the death of me.”

He takes the glasses from your hand with one hand and picks you up in the other. You cling to him as he goes to the edge of the pool, places one glass down and chugs the other. 

In a flash, you’re sitting on the edge and he’s holding his body out of the water in order to kiss you. 

He pushes your mouth open, pulling at your lip with his teeth. He was desperate, wanting more. 

Your hands find your way to his hair, the tips wet from his swim. You card your fingers through his locks, opening your mouth wider as Miguel groans onto your tongue. 

He can’t stop, body moving forward the deeper the kisses get. Your legs open wider and your hands fall down Miguel’s back. You go lower than usual, pushing your hands under his swimsuit, fingertips grazing over the skin of his ass. 

Miguel parts, spit-ridden mouth red and messy. 

“You’re making this so hard for me,” he says against your lips. You’re both panting into each other’s mouths. 

Your body feels like jelly. The way that he’s looking at you fills you with desire, “Making what hard?” You’re quivering and clenching as his eyes seem to get darker. 

“Baby,” Miguel kisses the corner of your lips then your jaw. He moves to where your jaw and neck connect, licking  “Amor. I can’t.”

You move your head, encouraging him to continue, “You can if you want to.”

“No, I’m supposed to take this slow,” his mouth moved to your collarbone, sucking at the skin as you squeezed your thighs around him. “I need to take this slow.”

He gets to your breasts, pressing your nipples through the material and watching as your areolas poked out more. “Mierda.”

You try to talk as Miguel takes one breast into his mouth, “It’s ok to want more. I want, ugh, I want you to take more.” He pulls at your nipple, watching as it rises more through the fabric. His thumb traces it, causing you to twitch in his hold. 

He continues to rub over the fabric as he kisses down your stomach. The string is wrapping around your stomach like a gift just for him. 

“Tomorrow, baby,” he says into your skin. “I’ll take more tomorrow.”

He needed to stop before he broke the promise he made to himself. 

He hears you whine as he gets eerily close to your sex before jerking his body straight. 

“Why?” you sound so needy and broken. 

“Because,” he kisses your pout away. “Tomorrow, I’m going to take all I need. You just need to trust me. Please.”

You nod your head, heart pounding with his words. 

GymRat!Miguel who lets you persuade him into swapping places. All it took was a few blinks of your eyes and Miguel was swooning.

“I saw you walk away during the game today. I wanted to make sure that the next time you play, you’re able to put a finger down.”

That’s what you told him with a sweet smile on your face.

Now you’re rubbing up his thighs and Miguel is about to pass out from the view of you peering up at him. Your eyes were foggy and the slope of your neck to your chest was glistening. From this angle, Miguel could see the curve of your ass with the bikini barely covering it.

You run your hands down his chest, fingers dancing along the slopes and planes, leaving a wet trail in your wake. Miguel’s stomach tightens as you make it below his belly button, the sensation of your fingertips across his happy trail building a fury in his core.

You kiss him through his swimsuit causing him to jump.

You hold his thighs and tilt your head to lean on one, “Are you nervous, Miggy?” Your knuckles rake against his groin, lingering in spots that made his inner thighs clench the most.

“I,” Miguel is trembling like a leaf. He can barely get the words out from how much energy he's using to hold himself up. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” You lift your body from the water a little, pressing your tits closer to his clothed sex. “Baby, I need you to know. I can’t go further without your permission.”

Miguel feels like he could cum right now.

“I’m really nervous, but I want to experience this.”

You hum as you start to pull at his waistband. His eyes scrunch closed as his dick springs up. 

You’re met with a sight you had missed. The size is still as intimidating as the last time. 

You rub his thighs and give yourself a quiet pep talk. You were determined to make your boyfriend feel good. 

Miguel looks back down at you and swallows dryly, anxious at the look in your eyes and your silence, “If it’s too much, w-we can stop here-”

“No.”

The first lick of his tip has Miguel rising off of the pool edge, pre-cum escaping him.

He whines, embarrassed at his lack of control, but his dick is twitching from the sensation.

“Miguel,” your hands are back on his hips at a flimsy attempt to hold him down. “You need to be careful, baby.”

“Don’t call me baby right now.” Miguel’s voice is winded like he’s been running a marathon.

You look up at him. His mouth is twisted up and his eyebrows are furrowed. His stomach keeps shaking and his elbows don’t know if they want to bend or extend. When he looks down at you, he lets out a whimper, dick jerking against his will.

You hold your lips right above the head, the heat of it making you excited, “Baby.”

Miguel jerks again as you take his tip into your mouth, more of his pre-cum slipping out. His body is wound tight and he’s losing sense of it. Your mouth is so warm and he’s crying out from just you suckling along the head. He would be grateful with just this alone.

You push yourself lower, mouth adjusting to the widening girth. You don’t know if it’s the champagne combined with the other drinks you’ve had today, but the taste is making your mind fuzzy. 

You hum as you move your tongue along the underside of his length, his essence melting into your mouth. Miguel continues to twitch against your lips. 

You look up and he just groans when his eyes connect with yours. 

“P-pretty,” he stutters out, brain-to-mouth filter completely disintegrating. One of his arms covers his mouth as he fights to quiet down. There’s no telling what the stewardess could hear from above. 

You decided to go deeper, wanting to hear him some more. You make it halfway down before you grip his shaft and give it a few semi-dry pumps. 

Miguel just about shouts at the sensation, legs jerking enough to splash the water around you. 

Satisfied with the reaction, you release him with a pop and slide your tongue down to the base, trying to get him as wet as possible for what you’re about to attempt to do. You pucker your lips to leave wet kisses all over his shaft, sucking occasionally. 

All Miguel can do is whimper and shake. 

You hold him, sliding your hand up and down, applying pressure whenever you glide over the top, “You can hold on to me.”

Miguel shakes his head and releases his bottom lip from his teeth to speak, but his words are jumbled up in a heated mess. 

“Say it again, Miguel. I don’t understand,” you bring your mouth to the head again, this time, cupping his balls as you slide back down. 

Early spurts of cum land in your mouth as Miguel uselessly grips at the flat ground. He’s moaning out your name and if you weren’t sliding him down your throat, you would think he’s crying for you. 

“I-I don’t wanna hurt you,” Miguel takes heavy breaths in the middle of his sentence. 

Even like this he was oh so sweet. You don’t push it and continue on. 

As you reach the hilt, you force yourself to relax, thumb pressed against your fisted palm. He was heavy on your tongue and you needed to find the right pace. 

You slowly move your head up and down, lips wet with spit and slick. You build a steady tempo that has Miguel involuntarily moving his hips and moaning in a senseless manner. 

He was conflicted, core heated at the sound of your throat barely taking him, but wanting to pull you off so you don’t choke all because of him. Hot tears ran down his face as you didn’t let up. 

He chooses the latter, foggy mind coming to a decision. His shaky hands reach towards your face, your cheeks hallowed and eyes closed. His hands make it to your cheeks when you reach the hilt again and swallow around his head. 

Miguel scares himself with the moan he lets out. 

You panic as you swallow his load, mouth completely full. 

Miguel hurries to pull you off, “Shit! Baby, I’m so sorry!”

“It’s ok,” you cough as you try to catch your breath. Drips of him that you didn’t swallow falling to your chest. “I wish you would have told me you were about cum, though.”

“I didn’t know!” he’s red in the face. “God, I’m so sorry!”

“Was it good, though?” You look up at him with lips and sparkling eyes. You’re holding your tits up so that his cum wouldn’t get in the pool. 

Miguel’s dick twitches like it’s trying to wake back up again. You notice it and a grin plants itself right onto your face. 

“Do you really have to ask me that?”

“Yes, Miggy.”

“I think my embarrassing finish was enough but yes, you made me feel good. It was way more than good. Now come out of the pool before you get any more ideas.”

“It wasn’t embarrassing!” you reply as Miguel picks you up from the water and on his stomach while lays back. “‘Was kinda hot. You felt so good that you couldn’t wait.”

You slide your finger over your cleavage to pick up the leftover essence and plop right in your mouth. 

Miguel grips your thighs as he looks up at you, “No, stop that, you vixen.”

You’re going to be the death of him for sure. 

GymRat!Miguel whose legs are like jelly when you help him up from the ground. His thighs haven’t shaken this much since his first leg day almost five years ago. 

“Do you need to lie down on the beach chair for a minute?” you ask with genuine concern. 

“Yeah, I think I need a second,” Miguel says, trying his best not to put his entire weight onto you. 

GymRat!Miguel who watches you watch him from the pool. You’re at the edge, leaning over and smiling at him while you let your body float. 

“Next time, I want to get, like, really hoarse. We should work on your resistance and my tolerance. Oh! And maybe we can do that thing where I hold your-”

“Amor, please. Let’s talk about this when I’m not halfway dying,” Miguel groans, dick half hard. “How are you so good at this anyway?”

“Practice! With my ex and like one other fling. They weren’t nearly as responsive as you, though.”

Miguel squints at your figure. 

“Or fun. Or satisfying. Or tasty. Or big. Can I do it one more time, Miggy?”

Miguel stares at you for a minute or two then groans, “Come on.”

You leave the water and walk over to him with glee. 

GymRat!Miguel who grabs lightly onto your head this time, fingers twitching occasionally. His legs are parted and you’re laid out on the horizontal part of the beach chair. Miguel is constantly looking from your face to your ass, experiencing a sensation overload. You take it easy on him this time, saving some of your tricks and things you wanted to try for a later date. 

The room is filled once again with Miguel’s grunts and whimpers plus your mouth and throat molding unto him. 

GymRat!Miguel who warns you this time. You let go with a pop and let him paint your open mouth. He shudders as you look at him through it all, pumping him slowly until he can't take anymore. A lonely tear escaped him, eyes heavy and chest heaving. 

GymRat!Miguel who barely makes it back up the stairs. He gives the stewardess a polite smile but you can barely look at her for longer than a second. 

“It was really lovely,” you say leaning into Miguel’s side, voice a little gone. 

“Yeah, amazing,” Miguel snickers. You nudge him at the back of his leg causing him to stagger a bit. 

The stewardess just laughs and wishes you both a good night. 

GymRat!Miguel who sleeps like a log that night. His soul needed to rejuvenate. 

GymRat!Miguel who wakes up a new man. He feels like he can conquer the world. As of now, the world is a new set of water activities with their friends. 

He kisses you on the cheek in your sleeping state makes his way out to the deck, wanting to do some morning stretches and yoga if he could fit it in. 

He walked out to see Dana talking to Blake, an indifferent look on her face.

“I just can’t believe he would lie to me like that, you know? Like that’s fucked up. Here I was, ready to get something and he set me up.” 

“Yeah, no. That really sucks,” Dana replies with a big yawn.

“I mean, I thought we were bros. I thought-”

“Miguel! My knight in shining armor,” Dana practically screams when she spots Miguel.

Blake tenses up so that if he mimics a timid raccoon. 

“Morning,” Miguel walks up to them.

Blake breaks out into a sweat, “Hey man, I’m sorry about last night. I would have never done that stuff if I knew. I don’t know why Kron told me you guys were open.”

“I think you need some new friends and better social cues,” Miguel brushed Blake off and walked with Dana onto the boardwalk. 

“Thank god you got here. That was his fourth iteration of ‘bro code should be respected.’ I was going to start screaming if he kept talking.”

GymRat!Miguel who lets Dana guide him in a mini yoga class on the beach. It’s pretty nice with the waves crashing and the birds squawking occasionally.

GymRat!Miguel whose downward dog pose is almost disrupted by you whistling from a spot in the sand. 

You and Gabriel had snuck up on Miguel and Dana, cackling like hyenas.

“Baby, I think you can go deeper,” you shout over the waves, encouraging Miguel to stretch.

“Gross,” Gabriel shudders. 

GymRat!Miguel who wants to use you for a flying pose but you refuse. 

“I’m not walking back with sand up my back.”

“Can we try it later, though?” Miguel pouted. 

“On safe carpet, yes.”

GymRat!Miguel who settles for a forward fold with you. You stretch your body across his back as he reaches down to touch his toes. 

It’s nice until you both switch positions. 

“I think I’m dying,” you gasp out. You sound like an old man on his last breath. 

“No, you’re not. You just need more practice,” Miguel chides from above. 

“When will I ever need this pose in life?”

“Flexibility is good for you!” Miguel replies after a while. 

“Get your mind out of the gutter.”

“I didn’t do anything!”

GymRat!Miguel who tilts his head at your breakfast plate piled with pineapples. 

“You don’t want an omelet?”

“Maybe later.”

GymRat!Miguel who joined any group activity he could. 

From the inflatable water obstacle course,  

which Gabriel cheated on by the way,

To the boat tour, he got so many pictures for you for his rotating home screen,

To the banana boat rides that he almost lost his life on. It took you, Gabriel, and Dana to hold onto him. 

GymRat!Miguel who surprises you with a “rooftop” dinner on the horizon on the highest part of the yacht. You’re wearing that same green dress that made him go crazy in the dressing room. 

“This is so gorgeous, Miguel,” you sigh as you take in the small scene. 

From up here, you could see the breathtaking view of the ocean and the city. The sun was close to setting, people were out and about, and the group was partaking in last-minute activities like parasailing and water walking with bubble balls but you could only focus on the glow around Miguel. 

“Did you enjoy this weekend?”

You nod your head, shy with attention, “I really did. I had so much fun.”

“Even with boys that don’t understand the word ‘no’?”

“When I have my strong boyfriend there to defend me, what is there to be afraid of?” you smile at him. 

Miguel sits up straighter at that, chest puffing out.

You laugh at his state, “Seriously, though. This was one of the best summers ever. I’m really glad Mr. Stone arranged this and I’m even more glad that you brought me along.”

“Of course I did. You’re my girl. Mi amor, mi luz,” Miguel reached out to run your hand. “I’m not letting you go anytime soon.”

Like a flower unfurled, your heart took in his words. You leaned across the table until you could brush your lips with his, only the sun peeking through the two of you. 

You let go and lean back a little. “I’m not letting go of you either. I want you by my side,” you say, eyes panning back and forth between his.

“And that’s where I’ll stay.”

GymRat!Miguel who covers your eyes on the way back to the room.

You’re whining because you don’t have nearly as much planned for him as he always does for you. 

“Amor, you could just text me an emoji and I would be happy. You deserve good things. Don’t worry about me.”

GymRat!Miguel who wraps his arm around you as you open your eyes to the room. 

It’s lit with soft lights, decorated lightly with rose petals in the shape of a heart on the ground, and a banner full of pictures with the two of you. Pictures from outside of lab, pictures of you with oil paint on your face, pictures of him piled with notes in the study lab. 

Pictures of you both on your early dates, pictures of you looking at him in the car, pictures where he’s kissing your face off. 

You gasp at the scene, feet stuck in the entryway.

“Surprise,” Miguel says into your ear, kissing the top of it.

“I don’t think I have any tears left,” your voice is watery enough to dispute that lie.

GymRat!Miguel who kisses you deeply in the middle of the rose heart. You’re cradling his face with one hand and rubbing your thumb across his sideburn with another.

You’re so wrapped up in his arms and his presence that you miss his question.

“Can you do what?”

Miguel’s hands find their way to your ass, pulling you even closer, “Can I please eat you out?”

When you stare at him with your eyebrows raised, it only pushes him to continue.

“I’ve been thinking about it for a long time. I’ve dreamed about it, researched how to do it, studied it, daydreamed about it. I need to do it before I go crazy.”

He bent down to get on his knees, hands never letting go of your body.

“Please, baby. If you’ll allow me, I really want to make you feel good.”

At first, all you could think was that Dana was right and definitely a girl’s girl. Then, you looked down at Miguel whose head was pressed up against your torso, eyes pleading with you. 

You ran your hand through his hair, “You need to do it?”

“Uh huh,” he nodded, nuzzling into your body through your dress. 

“I don’t know if I’ll be able to fake my reactions for you.” You didn’t have the heart to lie to him like that, especially when he’s looking at you like that. 

“You won’t have to,” Miguel mumbles into your skin. “I’m confident, but if something is weird, stop me immediately.”

GymRat!Miguel who doesn’t give you time to think when you whisper out an “ok.” He’s picking you up by the legs and plopping you on the bed.

Like a switch, he’s kissing down your body, pulling at the stretchy green fabric to expose your skin. He’s crowding your space in the most desired way possible, a fire building within him.

“Miguel, the dress isn’t going to come off like that,” you say, internally laughing at Miguel tugging to no avail. 

He starts to pull so hard that you can hear threads ripping. Before you can stop him, there’s a makeshift slit up your thigh. 

You lean up on your elbows and give Miguel a look. He just stares sheepishly and lets you stand up to pull the dress off. 

“You gotta be more patient baby,” you purred, bending down to kiss his lips. 

When you lean back, you move backwards to sit on the bed. It’s just you, your black panties, and a hungry Miguel at your feet.

The further you inch up the bed, the more Miguel crawls to be closer to you. 

“Can I kiss you?” he breathes into your mouth, eyes never leaving yours.

“Please.”

Miguel melts into your skin, mouth molding to a familiar shape. His breaths are heavy and sporadic, too excited to finally know what you feel like on his tongue.

You reach to pull his shirt off, wanting to feel his chest against yours, wanting to feel the expanse of his back while he pressed up against you. Miguel follows your movements without letting up.

He sighed into your lips with pleasure as he let his hand flow down your body, grabbing a breast to massage. You hummed into his mouth, legs parting to bring him closer. Eager to please, Miguel slipped his shorts below his bulged, grinding against you.

You start to wrap your legs around his waist before Miguel interrupts you with a sturdy hand under your knee, and a promise to devour you to your neck.

GymRat!Miguel who groans when he slides your panties down your legs. The slope of your thick thighs to your ass has Miguel ready to burst. 

He gets on his knees to maneuver your legs up into your arms. You peek up at him over your knees, your wet cunt kissing the air. 

He licks his lips at the sight, taking a tentative touch at your wet lips. 

You jump at the sensation, the feeling of Miguel seeing you this vulnerable new. 

He bends down to kiss them, hands on the back of your thighs for extra support. Your core flutters as he takes a few more kisses to your sex, tongue reaching out to trace from the bottom to the top. At the first taste, Miguel is groaning into you, sending vibrations through your body. 

You sigh out in bliss as your grip loosens on your legs. Miguel flattens his body on the bed and spreads your legs wide, tongue continuing to savor the taste of you. 

At this angle, Miguel pushes his tongue in between your folds, feeling your warmth around him. He laps at your entrance slowly causing you to flutter around him and reach for his hair.

He slurps up the juices that try to escape him causing you to moan out his name. He just hums in response, breaching further inside. The more noises he makes, the wetter you get. The room is full of the sound of him lapping everything he gave you and your quiet moans.

“Miguel,” your breath hitched as he swiped over a particular spot. You look down at Miguel whose eyes are closed and hands are tight on your thighs. You feel a building heat seeing how much of a trance he’s in. 

Just when you feel a bud sprouting within you, he directs his attention towards your clit, searching until he finds it. At the first skim across it, your hips are bucking up off the bed. Miguel is quick to hold you down, placing his weight on your thighs and lapping continuously at the pearl. 

“Fuck!” you shout, hitting the mattress. You’re writhing beneath him, unable to control your body. “Don’t stop, Miguel, please.”

Miguel groans through it all, lapping up every drop. 

“Baby, I’m gonna-” a scream pushes through you as your body shakes with pleasure. Miguel takes it like a champ, slurping like you were his last meal.

As you twitch with aftershocks, Miguel barely gives you time to recover before he’s diving back into your entrance. You let out a sob, still sensitive and quivering as your legs move too close before Miguel growls and wraps his arms around your thighs to keep them open. 

He’s sinking into you, moving his tongue at a steady pace and sucking in between. Your moans were a pool of words from his name to begging to profanities crescendoing across the air.

Miguel would rarely part for air, adamant on bringing you to the hilt again. Your thighs were tensing up as Miguel kept going, fire building as you grabbed his hair and jerked your hips in time with his movements. 

Your climax comes in waves, your hands tighter in his hair and an arch in your back. When you clench over his tongue and your release hits his mouth, Miguel’s eyes start to roll and he’s rubbing his nose against your clit. You yell even louder as Miguel pushes his face incredibly deep into your pussy. He’s rutting into the bed at the sound of your voice, moaning with you. 

─ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──

The captain swore that the VIP suite was soundproof, but your voice was practically carrying across the yacht. 

“She’s getting it good! Just like I promised,” Dana smiles to herself. 

“What did you promise? I was the one that gave Miguel tips.” Gabriel moved his headphones aside. 

“Oh yeah? And what tips did you give him?” She had her eyebrow raised and a silly smirk on her face. 

There was a pause of silence between them, only your voice filling up the space occasionally. Gabriel stared at Dana with a goofy grin.

He reached over and connected his phone to his speaker, putting on his special playlist. “Want to find out?”

─ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──

GymRat!Miguel who has to be pulled off your sex with both of your hands. His eyes are glazed over and his chin is soaked. Every chance you came after the first two times, your body would move up the bed and Miguel was sure to follow. 

“Ok, ok, baby,” you heave. Your legs are spasming, a result of the position and Miguel’s willingness to have you cum over and over again.

You were tapping out, body sore and tired. 

Miguel left a final long kiss to your clit, a trail of essence following his lips. He kissed up one of your thighs with a hungry look still in his eyes.

“¿Lo hice bien, cariño?” (Did I do it well, baby/darling?)

You trembled at his touch, limbs still heavy and mind in the clouds. 

Still, this was the best you’ve felt in a while.

You open your mouth to whisper, “Lo hiciste muy bien.” (You did so good.)

GymRat!Miguel who has to calm down internally at your answer. You don’t talk to him in Spanish often, but when you do, he’s over the moon. 

GymRat!Miguel who carries you to the bathroom to clean you off.

“Baby, I can’t walk. You’ll have to carry me for the rest of your life.”

“I’m totally fine with that.”

GymRat!Miguel who shocks you when he says that you don’t need to worry about bringing him relief. 

“Amor, I came when you came. After that, it was really all about you.”

“Oh!”

GymRat!Miguel who pats his past self on the back for asking the crew for extra sheets. He had no clue how the evening would go, but something in him told him to be overprepared. 

Those old sheets were beyond ruined. 

GymRat!Miguel who rubs your legs and stomach with aloe vera lotion after the shower. Not only did he stretch you a little further than you’re used to, but his bite marks left a big impression. 

GymRat!Miguel who cuddles you to sleep. If you wore him out the other night, he definitely put you through the ringer. You were gone after three rubs to your back. 

GymRat!Miguel who wakes up early with you to send off all of your friends. You’re yawning constantly, tears sticking to the corners of your eyes.

“Someone had a time last night,” Hobie snickers as he walks past with his backpack. 

“Shut up, Hobie,” you say, already flustered. 

“What? It’s true! If I didn’t know Migs' name before, I sure do now.”

“I’m going to backflip off of this boat.”

GymRat!Miguel who grants Captain Barrett a goodbye, thanking him for letting them use his boat.

“It was a pleasure to host you, Miguel. If you and your girlfriend ever need to, my superyacht is available for any future formal events!” he elbows Miguel with a giant grin, curled mustache moving like it was paid to do so. 

“I’ll keep that in mind, Cap.”

For Miguel, the man with the plan, he would grant Mission A: Eat You Out, a huge success and the start of the summer one to remember.

divider by: @iwonbin 🩵

Part 9.1 here!

a/n: And with that, the yacht chapter is finished! I hope you guys enjoyed it and got your life. 🤭 It was both challenging and rewarding to write this GIANT chapter. I hope that you guys have fun with it like I did! I have no idea how the next chapter OR Miguel's Mission B: Virgin No More plan will go, but!!! Hopefully, it will be pleasant regardless! 🤠

ALSO! I have decided to give this drabble that's basically a fic a proper name (mostly for AO3). Do you all have any suggestions?

As always, like, comment, and reblog. Let me know how you feel! 🩵

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[vidavalor]

The Devil's Elevator & The Three Travelers

Maybe I'm the last to learn this but did you guys know there's a card trick in magic wherein decks of cards are made into metaphorical elevators and chosen red cards (representing "good") are progressively put into positions within a pile of black cards (representing "evil") as if falling to Hell... but the trick is that all of the chosen cards always return to the top of the pile?

And did you know that this trick is called The Devil's Elevator?

And that it has a sister trick called The Three Travelers that actually involves four cards getting into metaphorical elevators-- three red cards and one black one...like Gabriel, Aziraphale, Muriel, & Crowley...

...as God would say in S1:

Watch carefully... Round and round they go...

Let's start with The Devil's Elevator...

This trick just uses four red cards and four black ones. The black ones form "The Devil's Elevator" by representing Hell. The pile of black cards is the elevator with the elevator button being represented by the magician tapping the top of the pile to "press the elevator button" to complete the trick by seeming to magically moving the cards from one position to another.

One at a time, each of the red cards is then slotted between cards in the black card pile while the spectators watch. The magician then presses the "elevator button" atop the pile and the red card that had been placed between the black ones -- and metaphorically "fallen"-- suddenly appears at the top of the pile, rescued from The Devil.

The spectator's response is naturally one of bewilderment. They saw the red cards be placed in with the black cards... so, how did they then get back up the top? What in the bananafish gorilla shoelace is this card sorcery?! How does this trick work and what does all of this have to do with where Good Omens' story might be going?

If the red cards symbolize angels, then, metaphorically, in our story, the magician (Aziraphale) keeps helping push those fallen, red cards (Gabriel, Muriel, etc.), one by one, back up to the top of the pile...

...and, eventually, at the end of the trick, all of the cards-- "good"/red and "bad"/black alike-- are then spread out to reveal them to the spectators as equal, individual cards... just all members of the deck... which we see a bit already in the story and which would then be where the story is headed overall by the end of S3... but, we still have a big question...

...how does our magician do it?

How does he get all the fallen cards away from Satan and back up to the top of the pile and then reveal the full pile of all of the cards as an equal deck by the end of this? What can learning about how the literal card trick is done tell us about how Aziraphale might achieve something like this for the characters in the story?

Quite a lot, it seems...

You see, in the card trick, the magician successfully fools those watching and pulls off the trick with a certain bit of sleight-of-hand... something that is in view of the spectator but which the spectators-- distracted by the falling red cards-- do not fully notice...

...it turns out that the magician pulls off the trick by having been secretly holding one of the black cards close in his hands the entire time...

There actually are not four, aligned black cards in the pile... there only appears to be. The magician has separated one black card from the rest and woven it back in with the red cards. The magician uses this card to help protect the red cards and to show the spectators that they all belong at the top of the pile.

Pulling off the trick involves repeated showings of all of the red and black cards alike to the spectators in order to convince them that there is not secretly a black card involved in the magician's trick... but, to most eagle-eyed spectators, this is a deception. It already seems unlikely that the magician doesn't have his hands on his preferred black card because the trick's success doesn't actually make sense without that being the case.

The only way for the magician to pull off upending the social order of these "cards" and eventually blowing up The Devil's Elevator (and Heaven) alike is if one of the black cards only seemed like he was part of the demonic pack but was actually partnered with the magician.

Neither of them can do any of this on their own. They're a team. A group. A group of the two of them, one might even say lol... one that rescues, supports, and protects one another.

The magician rescues the selected black card by offering him an escape from the legions of other black cards through the magician's prized care and favor. It is this black card that then comes to the magician's emotional rescue, enabling him to feel secure enough to pull off the trick with confidence...

...and, together, they save the fallen cards by spreading the deck out and revealing for the spectators that, while individually unique, the cards are all fundamentally made of the same stuff...

...but, before we get there, there's another, sister elevator card trick to this one that is equally relevant to this story that we should look at...

...it's called 'The Three Travelers' but there are actually four cards on the move that "go into the elevator" during the course of the trick.

Three of the cards are red or "good" cards while the fourth is a black/"demonic" card...

...and have I mentioned that... making things more interesting... one of the red cards actually "gets in the elevator" with the black card?

...is this beginning to seem a bit familiar? 😉

This isn't The Marvelous Mr. Fell's magic trick here. Aziraphale isn't our magician in question on this one; this is an overall narrative magic trick. The Three Travelers card trick aligns with some of the story structure in S2 and into S3's set up in a way that might suggest it partially inspired it. So, let's look at how this kind of elevator card trick works and how it differs from The Devil's Elevator...

This one involves a full deck of cards but only four of them are actually used in the trick: three red and one black card, as we said above. The deck of cards is the elevator and on what the magician will tap to "push the button" for the elevator to make the magic of moving the cards around.

The trick has three stages, with four different cards total "getting into the elevator": First Red Card, Second Red Card and Third Red Card/The Black Card.

This maths out, as we'll look at, into this:

First, Red Card: Gabriel...

Second, Red Card: Aziraphale...

Third, Red Card and The Black Card: Muriel and Crowley...

This trick, though, does not result in all of the cards going Up...

...which is why it's the one that we're in the midst of currently watching unfold in the story rather than the endgame The Devil's Elevator that will be what Aziraphale and Crowley manage to pull off to bring the story to a conclusion.

What's the result of The Three Travelers trick in our story? It's to shake some things up and move these characters around in surprising ways that have only just begun to be fully seen by us so far...

The magician begins the trick with the deck stacked and with what seem like only three, red cards separated from it and shown to the spectators. These red cards, symbolically, are Gabriel, Aziraphale and Muriel in our story. However, the magician has really separated out a fourth card as well-- a black one, who is Crowley in our story. The spectators do not see that this card has been pulled from the deck as the magician has pulled it at the same time as they did with the Third, Red Card (Muriel) and keeps them together for a future twist that the spectators will see at the end of the trick.

Part 1 of the trick? The First Red Card-- Gabriel.

The First, Red Card (Gabriel) is shown to the spectator as being on the top of the deck... but is then placed by the magician at the very bottom of the deck.

The magician then "presses the Up button" on the deck of cards by tapping the top of it and telling the spectators that that's what he's doing. He then turns the top card of the deck over and reveals that it's actually the First, Red Card that the spectators thought that they just saw put at the bottom of the deck.

From a story perspective, we might sense this coming already. We saw Gabriel fall in S2 but we also know that Crowley and Aziraphale have discovered that Heaven can't actually strip angels of all of their powers. It would not take much for Gabriel to learn this information in S3 and Crowley is now willing to share it, as we saw him basically begin to tell Muriel this in 2.06 when he opened the file on Gabriel in front of them. Gabriel was The Supreme Archangel of Heaven and it seems likely that he is going to learn in S3 that, in terms of personal power, he still really is... all of which will be very helpful to Crowley and Aziraphale as their story results in winding up overthrowing Heaven to stop Armageddon for good.

Part 2 of the trick: The Second, Red Card-- Aziraphale.

Next, The Second, Red Card that was separated from the pack goes into the elevator... but with a really big twist.

The Second, Red Card is shown to the spectators to be-- I kid you not-- the next to take the same position of The First, Red Card.

The magician shows the spectators that The Second, Red Card (Aziraphale) is going to be placed on the top of the deck of cards-- the place formerly occupied before by The First, Red Card (Gabriel) before the start of the card trick-- and makes the spectators believe this to be the case...

...and the magician then places The Second, Red Card on top of the deck of cards, saying it's "gone into The Elevator"... because, remember... the point of the trick is actually to unexpectedly move the card from one place to another...

...and then the magician "pushes the button" on the deck of cards, symbolizing pushing the elevator button to move The Second, Red Card...

...the thing is, though, that the magician actually says he's pushing the opposite button to that of what he pressed for The First, Red Card...

In the magic trick, The First, Red Card comes from the top of the deck, is placed on the bottom, the button pressed by the magician is then the "Up" button, and The First, Red Card winds up on the top of the pile...

...all of this is actually reversed for The Second, Red Card in the trick. That card is placed on the top of the deck, the magician actually says he presses the elevator button of "Down" when he taps the deck of cards, and The Second, Red Card is revealed to be on the bottom of the pile of cards.

In Good Omens, all of this tracks for Gabriel and Aziraphale... with the exception of which button is pressed for which character. Gabriel goes down in the elevator but comes out on the top of the pile in the card trick while Aziraphale seems to be going up in the elevator but, we are seeing, looks like he's actually going to the bottom of the deck of cards. All of the cards eventually, though, are reunited with the full deck and become equal to them after The Three Travelers trick is complete... just not yet in either of the tricks or in the story itself.

While Gabriel was placed on the bottom and will surprise in S3 by still having the power he had on top and being able to use that to help everyone, Aziraphale-- The Second, Red Card-- is given an inverse of The First, Red Card/Gabriel in the trick. Aziraphale is placed on the top of the deck, as far as the speculators are concerned. He's given all the power. If the magician is to be believed (lol a big "if"!), Aziraphale is supposed to be The Supreme Archangel.

This is the deceptive part of the trick, though, because then the magician presses the elevator button-- the opposite one to what was pressed for Gabriel-- and, even though that button for Aziraphale is Up, well, something's going down in The Up. It's the opposite button to Gabriel's so it means the opposite thing because, in The Three Travelers magic trick, it's then revealed to the spectators that The Second, Red Card?...

...it's now actually moved to the bottom of the deck...

...but we're not done yet. One more part of the magic trick to go...

We can't forget about Part 3: our Third, Red Card (Muriel) and The Black Card (Crowley)...

The magician throws a big twist into this part of the trick...

While the First and Second Red Cards are largely about inverting expectations-- moving the cards into opposite positions of the top and the bottom of the deck of cards from where they were placed-- this part of the trick involves splitting the deck and changing the notion of what being at the top and the bottom of the decks actually means entirely.

By this point, the spectators are wondering what the deal is going to be for last element of the trick-- for The Third, Red Card that was presented at the start of the trick. The first, two Red Cards have largely moved up and down on the deck. One went top-bottom-top while the other went bottom-top-bottom. What new thing then can then happen with The Third, Red Card?

The magician shakes things up for the spectators by offering up this twist: what if we split the deck of cards in half?

The magician then lifts the top half of the cards off of the bottom half and separates them into two piles. The Top Half? We'll call it Pile A while The Bottom Half, we'll call Pile B. There is no deception here-- it's just literally halving the deck into two piles as close to evenly as can be eyeballed.

At this point, The First, Red Card (Gabriel) is now sitting atop Pile A while The Second, Red Card (Aziraphale) is now sitting at the bottom of Pile B. Collectively, this is still one deck of cards in total-- just visually split into two-- but what happens here with The Third, Red Card splits the power structure in an unique way for the sake of the story, which you'll see in a second.

What we now have by having Pile A and Pile B are two different portals-- new destinations to which the elevator can send the cards besides the up/down of the first two parts of the trick. Instead of putting a card on the top of a pile or the bottom of a pile and having it appear in the opposite spot, The Third, Red Card is about to travel sideways with the help of The Black Card... who also gets a new position of his own.

The magician puts what appears to the spectators to be The Third, Red Card down atop Pile B. (As a reminder: Aziraphale will be at the bottom of Pile B after getting into the elevator.)

The magician then sends The Third, Red Card into an elevator with, secretly, The Black Card riding along with them. In the card trick, the spectators do not know about the presence of The Black Card at this stage but, on our visual tv show paralleling this, we have to know this. So, we see Crowley and Muriel get into the elevator together.

The magician then "pushes the elevator button" on the top of Pile B. We spectators just saw what card the magician wants us to believe they just placed atop Pile B-- The Third, Red Card (Muriel). If Az is in Hell at the bottom of this pile and if we leave Muriel about here, more or less, at the end of S2...

...we think we know what's happening with Muriel-- that they've swapped with Aziraphale and have taken over the bookshop...

...but we haven't seen the magic trick actually fully performed yet, have we? Because the magician put The Third, Red Card down on the top of Pile B but he hasn't actually done this part of the trick yet... so, we think we know what's happening for Muriel but the whole point of the trick is that the card has to move now that it's been put into place and gotten into the elevator, right? So, it can't actually be in S3 where the magician first put it down in S2...

I don't think as a whole that we are even thinking about the possibility that Muriel is not actually running the bookshop in S3. None of us are, right? Has this crossed anyone's mind at all? I know for sure it didn't cross my mind until I just recently found myself on a devil-themed card trick rabbit hole and writing this meta lol... But, the thing is, if The Three Travelers theory is correct here... Muriel is actually going to be on the move. Let's look at how...

So, the magician puts The Third, Red Card atop Pile B and "presses the elevator button." The spectator knows, intellectually, that this means that The Third, Red Card (Muriel) is going to travel somewhere, as that is the point of the trick, but this happens quickly and, initially, we're just shocked by the fact that, when the magician then lifts that top card off of Pile B... which we just saw him make The Third, Red/Muriel Card before he "pushed the elevator button"... it's not that card.

The Third, Red Card has seemingly vanished from the spot it was just put in by the magician... so, come 3.01, Muriel might initially, for a moment, seem to make like Aziraphale's farthing in 1941 and not be where we expect them to be...

...but the twist is that, when the magician lifts the card atop Pile B and shows it to us, we spectators are shocked to realize that the card that is actually there is one that the spectators didn't consider a factor at all and never knew was a possibility for this role:

The Black Card.

So... Crowley...

Immediately upon the reveal of The Black Card atop Pile B, the magician flips over the card that is now atop Pile A...

The Third, Red Card has now teleported sideways in the elevator and has gone from the top of Pile B to the top of Pile A... which is the top of the deck of cards.

So, to recap... Muriel and Gabriel are now the top two cards in Pile A, which makes them the top, two cards in the entire deck as a whole... with Muriel actually now somehow slightly eclipsing The Supreme Archangel in power... while Crowley is topping Pile B and Aziraphale is at the bottom of it. In this way, even if they travelled sideways, Crowley and Muriel also both actually flipped their own positions from top to bottom, in a way kind of like that of Gabriel and Aziraphale. Crowley went from being a demon of Hell to being in charge of Angelic Embassy X while Muriel went from being in the bottom two ranks of Heaven to being up at the top (traveling alongside Gabriel a bit there, as well.) Most surprisingly?

Crowley has taken Muriel's place from where they were left in S2, which means that Crowley has the bookshop.

How does any of this work and make sense for S3? I think there's actually a lot here that does, surprisingly enough...

If you were The Metatron and Gabriel had thrown a monkey wrench into your Armageddon: Round Two plans, the absolute last thing you'd do is put anyone in charge of Heaven who you think would actually be good at being in charge of Heaven. You don't want someone who is an effective leader-- you want someone who will do what you tell them to do.

You want to make sure that you maintain absolute control and power so you might not put in charge anyone like, say, Michael or Uriel, even if they'd be logical choices to fill Gabriel's shoes. Especially because both of them-- especially Michael-- worked with Gabriel closely over the years and you might not trust that they won't flip sides. You would need someone with no known relationship to or specific loyalty towards Gabriel who seems like they're eager as all get out to do whatever it is you tell them to do.

You would actually be more likely to give someone like Muriel the position of Supreme Archangel... and lolololol do we think The Metatron would have any idea what kind of trouble he'd unknowingly actually caused for himself in doing that? His biggest mistake ever might be underestimating Muriel, right?

Muriel is amazing and far from dumb. They are not going to want to end all life on Earth. Muriel would make sure there was no issue with Crowley having the shop and would be the first to go to him for help. Maybe Crowley has no idea, even, that they're the Supreme Archangel for awhile because maybe Muriel didn't know at first and just said they were being recalled to Heaven.

Maybe the jumping off point for S3 is Crowley then finds out that Aziraphale is not in charge of Heaven when Muriel goes to him for help with Armageddon and, in the process, Crowley discovers that Aziraphale-- whom he hasn't seen since Aziraphale got into the elevator, x amount of time ago-- has fallen. Crowley eventually goes to Gabriel and Beez for help, bringing them into the story and now there is a group of like-minded angels and demons working together to save Aziraphale and stop Armageddon?

This actually would help set up something I've wanted for awhile and theorized might be the case but wasn't sure how it would work after the end of S2... which is for 3.01 to maybe be a bit like 1.01 and its 2008 minisode... only, this time around, the angel-ish being who lives in and runs the embassy bookshop is Crowley and the demon with a plan saying they need to work together to stop Armageddon is Aziraphale? 😊

[books-and-omens]

Okay okay, so I really want to talk about S2 Crowley.

I’ve been thinking about who Crowley is in the book and who he is in the show, and the gap is significant. (@tbutchaziraphale has fantastic meta over here which I think is spot on.)

Book!Crowley is an optimist, yes? I mean, we’re outright told this:

“Because, underneath it all, Crowley was an optimist. If there was one rock-hard certainty that had sustained him through the bad times—he thought briefly of the fourteenth century—then it was utter surety that he would come out on top; that the universe would look after him.”

Honestly, what a thing for a fallen angel to believe! And to me, it’s powerful, yes, but it never quite answers the question: where is he getting that certainty?

Tv!Crowley, in the meantime, is emphatically not this. He’s never been an optimist, not even in S1—although in S1, it might have been easier to look at A & C and consider them essentially similar to their book selves if a little out of sync.

In S1, Crowley gives the whole “don’t test them to destruction” speech. He cares about humanity deeply, even if he won’t admit it. He will try to stop the Apocalypse.

And there is still a moment when he feels helpless. When he has no innate optimism to carry him through, no deep belief in the universe looking after him or anyone. When his instincts tell him to run, and he tries to follow them. When he despairs. Aziraphale pulls him back out of that despair; they make a stand together. As we know, it works.

But the thing is, the thing is. I find tv!Crowley’s lack of optimism so very relatable.

I find despair so very relatable, too.

We live in an age of deep anxiety. (Climate change, anyone? Just for starters! The promise and wonder of the Moon landing and the end of the Cold War are far in the past; day to day, we deal with the effects of capitalism, of reactionism, of continued exclusionism. It’s far too easy to feel helpless.)

So in S2, Crowley is very much the same character as he was in S1, except we see it even clearer.

He is not an optimist. He wants to run; he wants to escape when faced with Gabriel’s arrival; he wants to protect Aziraphale and himself, and believes that the best—perhaps only—way to do that is by them retreating as far away from the problem as they can.

In Heaven, Crowley finds out about The Second Coming. His need to escape and to keep his angel safe become overwhelming. But he doesn’t tell Aziraphale about the Second Coming, does he? And his repeated offer to run away together doesn't even make sense to Aziraphale. (Not that Aziraphale would want to run if he knew. Quite the opposite, in fact, which Crowley must know.)

Anyway, Crowley already knows that the clock is ticking. Aziraphale is about to find it out. (Do you notice how often, in the last fifteen minutes of S2, we hear nothing in the background but the ticking of a clock?)

And just—the despair, the desire to retreat and escape when you are faced with overwhelming odds, with a fundamentally broken system, are so relatable.

And yet escape has never been the answer.

I hope, of course, that this is what we’ll see in S3 if there is a S3. Crowley deciding, emphatically, that running away is not the answer. 

We didn't get there yet. We were dropped out of the story at the darkest point.

But I think being at this point is precisely what makes Crowley’s confession at the end of S2 transcendent.

Because it’s the same conflict, isn’t it, except on a personal scale. Despair in the face of overwhelming odds, followed by the decision to not give up.

Crowley, who’d been ready to confess, sees what is likely to happen. He sees the way the deck is stacked against him, sees that he is unlikely to get through. He feels the coming loss. 

And then he does it anyway. 

He confesses anyway. He says what he has set out to say, gasping and clawing for every word. He does it at the point when everything appears lost.

And no, we don’t see the effects of it, not yet. We don’t see what he has launched, the hook that sank into Aziraphale, the change it has wrought in Crowley himself.

But his bravery won’t be lost.

We live in a dark timeline. I maintain that this is precisely what makes this story so compelling.

Be brave. Do the difficult thing anyway. Do it anyway. Do it anyway.

Even in the face of overwhelming odds. Especially in the face of overwhelming odds. While not being an optimist in the slightest.

This is what hope is.

This is what we have to do.

(And to all of us who’d lost a comfort story: I’m so sorry. I, too, am still grieving for it. I know, I know.

Emphatically: all is not lost.)

[trekkie-polls]

There’s a lot of characters in star trek, and therefore a lot of moms! I often try to include most series, but this time snw, prodigy, and ent didn’t get an example. And, I left one of my own favorites off - K’ehleyr, Alexander’s mom. I’m sorry if I left your favorite off.

Also note that - like real life - sometimes Star Trek parents make bad choices, and it’s ok to have a variety of feelings about that. Some people may find some mistakes understandable and others may not.

[crimsonsharon]

-candyland-

Sam: okay, look, these are gingerbread chips that you use to move around the playing field.

Jack: why is there a deck of cards?

Dean: you take a card with a certain color and it dictates where you go.

Crowley: only play for money, kiddo.

Gabriel: great advice. That's how I won the sword from Henry VIII.

Sam: you played Candyland with the king of England?

Gabriel: well, that's not what it was called then, but that's the gist of it.

Sam: oh, well, okay, all right, Jack, draw a card.

Michael: do people actually find it interesting?

Adam: it's fun.

Michael: is it?

Adam: trust me, you'll love it.

sooner

Crowley: I'm the witch of Peppermint Stick Forest, and you have to pay taxes.

Gabriel: leave the kid alone. I, as king of Candy Castle, have abolished taxes.

Crowley: that's stupid, your economy is going nowhere. Your Ice Cream Sea is about to dry up.

Jack: what's going on, I'm lost in Gumdrop Mountain.

Michael: well, you're in luck, I'm trapped in the Crooked Old Peanut Brittle House.

Crowley: no one is trapped anywhere, go further into the field, I'm waiting for you for the sacrifice ritual.

Gabriel: what sacrifice in the world of Candyland? are you going to chop up chocolate bars?

Crowley: got to do something in this candy hell. who came up with this nonsense?

Jack: I like it.

Michael: I don't get it.

Adam: just keep playing, darling, you'll figure it out as you go along.

Dean: are they even aware that this is not how Candyland is played?

Sam: i don't think so.

Dean: playing poker?

Sam: playing poker.

[noneorother]

One sun pun : Gabriel's tomatoes

Hello there tomato-wonderer @scottishmushroom. I saw your post about tomatoes and I come bearing fruit answers! I was also wondering about the tomatoes, and it led me down a spiralling path of tarot cards and visual puns. I'm pretty sure Gabriel's entire entrance scene in season 2 is based on tarot card 19: The Sun. Allow me to explain...

Here is the Sun tarot card in the Rider-Waite deck, which was used as visual inspiration both season's 1 & 2 of GO. Notice anything familiar?

All of the elements of The Sun card are hidden in these opening shots quite cleverly. I am suggesting here that the red banner (that the sun carries on the card) is represented by the spill of red tomatoes because: it's a sun pun! You see tomato in English & French from the Spanish word "Tomate" that took over in the 1850s, but there's also an older expression for tomatoes that was used since it's import to Europe, that is still the origin of the word in Italian : Pomodoro.

In French we used to call it pomme d'or: just like in Italian today, the French (and the normans who were the reigning class in England) would have called it a Golden or Sun Apple, due to it's need for extreme sunshine to grow.

Which is a great callback to Gabriel's character in season one because of this iconic line:

But that's not all: Tomato was also called "Pomme D'amour" or love apple, due to how it looked like a human heart. So Gabriel walking into Soho triggering a spill of bright red sun-apples also has a double meaning as he steps on one : crushing a heart. Still not enough sun for you? Well, there's more! While Gabriel is marching into Soho we get a musical number called "Into Soho" on the Prime video series soundtrack. However, once Gabriel gets to the door and knocks, it quickly switches to a preview of a theme we won't hear until episode 6, when Gabriel opens the fly and remembers : it's a track on disc 2 called "Gabriel Revealed".

Yes, haha they made a secret "Gabriel is naked" joke in the soundtrack when he is revealed. The bonkers part comes when your realize what number the track is in the list....

[reverieblondie]

Neighbors

Chapter 1: Spider-Catcher

Pairing: TASM!Peter Parker x Reader

Warnings: None for this chapter ;) but be warned this series will be SMUTTY!

Summary: Moving to a new city could be challenging for anyone. Your new home is taking a lot of getting used too. Maybe you can make a friend, preferably someone who is okay with catching spiders...

A/N: Okay...I know this isn't Miguel content...but we are just going to pretend it's 2014 so I can have my moment with tasm!peter. This story was originally for Peter B. but then I watched The amazing Spider-Man and emotions took over. This will be a series I will be writing so please look for updates. Also I have a Miguel series in my drafts and a small dark fic for him. Plus I am also working on Gabriel O'Hara fic as well so hope you will keep your eyes out for those. Please comment if you want to be on my tagging list! And request are open!

Word Count: 1,787

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

Chapter 1: Spider-catcher 

“Hey on your left!” 

A man on a bike rushes past you while you are walking. Hands filled with overflowing grocery bags, you had not seen that you had wandered into the bike lane. Jumping out of the way you narrowly avoid getting mowed down by the angry cyclist. 

“Mororon!” the man yells back at you

“I'm sorry!” escapes your lips as you shout out to the man who is long zipped by “dick…” you mudder under your breath. Sure you were in the wrong lane but you didn’t see your mistake so he shouldn’t have been so angry with you. 

You sigh, taking a mental note: watch out for New York bike riders…stay out of their lane

The short walk from the store ends when you reach your new apartment building, well, new to you. The complex itself was ancient in a bit of a sketchy area but the rent was cheap for New York, so you would not rethink your dwelling too much, though sometimes it was hard to stay optimistic. 

When you first moved into the apartment it was…depressing…It had bare walls with some cracks, the smell of smoke completely taking over the place, and decked out with some ancient appliances you were grateful at least worked. The last three days had been spent moving in your furniture, getting a job, and scrubbing down every wall in your apartment to rid of any suspicious grime. Now with your apartment decorated and you living there for the past few days, you felt like you were finally adjusting to the residence. 

You hope that once you get your groceries in and have your first home-cooked meal in the place it will definitely feel like home. Being new to living on your own and new to the city everything was taking some…adjusting. Call it cliche but you had always dreamed of moving to New York ever since you were a little girl, so when you got the chance to move up here for school you were eager to jump at the opportunity. Who wouldn’t want to move to the city where dreams are supposed to come true right? 

Now that you're living it however it was not the tale of living up your dreams like you had envisioned as a child. In your dreams, you expected to live in a large lavish apartment, unlike the more than modest one you were currently in. You would have tons of friends and go out every day, your going out consists of you going to pick up take-out and as for friends, you didn’t know anyone. 

Classes didn’t start for a few days and you started work tomorrow, hopefully, some friendship opportunities will present themselves soon. Another childish thought you had in your mind was, that you would be friends with everyone at your complex, but with the way people seemed less than friendly towards you, that thought was seeming to fade more and more. Just need to stay positive, you haven't even been here a week, don’t let it get you down, was the mantra you just kept repeating in your head.   

Pushing through the front door of the complex, you make a beeline for the elevator. There is no way you are going to be carrying all your groceries up the stairs where you live on the 12th floor, no way that is happening! Getting into the elevator after making the journey from the store to your apartment; you're thankful that the cramped elevator is empty so early in the morning.

Living on the 12th floor had its perks but also had its cons, especially when you had a slow elevator. It takes a creaking and shaking eternity to get to your floor; you're sure your ice cream must be starting to melt by now. Finally hearing the ding you get off and walk across your floor. As you set your groceries down, digging for your keys in your purse, slight movement catches your eyes forcing you to look up towards your door. 

Right on your door above the knob was the biggest spider you had ever seen. Spiders and you had never been best friends, in no way did you want to kill one, you just thought that it was best they lived their lives away from you and your home. Looking at the spider it seems harmless, it’s not like it seems poisonous or life-threatening. Maybe you can just scare it? Shoo it away? It's huge but maybe it will get scared and run off your door. Just be tough, it's just a spider…a huge spider…with creepy eight legs…and fangs…staring at you….

Shuddering at the thought of the spider you can feel yourself developing arachnophobia by the second. Getting a grip on yourself, you push down the bubbling fear and motion your hand like you're waving the spider off.  Your whole body teases hoping it won't run anywhere near you or worse jump on you. It’s just a dumb spider, what could it really do to you? 

Little did you know that this spider was no punk, this spider must have seen a thing or two because instead of being normal and running off it, hissed and you swear it jumped towards you! 

The sudden movement of the spider makes you recoil with a startled scream. Now would you usually jump like this? No, but this spider was out for blood you could see it in his evil eight eyes!  

As you're moving back in panic, the door across from yours flies open with a guy around your age coming out of it looking alarmed. The sudden appearance startled you causing you to jump away from him, landing your back on the door you were just screaming at. The fluffy-haired guy looks at you with wide eyes not understanding at all what is happening. 

Opening your mouth to apologize and give an explanation you turn and see the spider close to your face, The sudden proximity makes you scream again which in turn makes the neighbor scream. 

Jumping from your door you grab onto the stranger and hide behind his back using him as a human shield from the spider, “Get it! Get it! Get it!” is all you can manage as you cling to his shirt. His hands are raised in surprise as you paw at his back, keeping your eyes on the spider. His eyes are on you with that same look of confusion on his face as to why some random person is screaming and now clinging to him. 

“What are you talking about?” He asks in a confused tone and a hint of frustration. 

Looking up at him, pointing to your door you're an incoherent mess, “H-h-huge spider!” 

“Huge spider…” He repeats before he looks at your door and sees the spider, in your eyes it’s an aggressive beast, to his eyes it's a common spider seen around the building all the time. 

Understanding the situation he sighs and you take it as a sign to let go of the person you don’t even know. Watching as he shakes his head and goes back into his apartment you feel your heart sink that you won’t be getting help for your spider problem. Approaching your door you look around trying to figure out a plan, but suddenly a hand is tapping your shoulder. Turning around, you see he has reappeared with a paper and an empty Chinese take-out box nudging you to move out of the way. 

Standing back you watch as he effortlessly places the box over the spider and then slides the paper under it. As you're watching him trap the creature you start to really take in his appearance. Looking at his outfit you see a worn-out T-shirt (crumpled in the back thanks to your grabbing) and plaid sleep pants, brunet hair that looks like it hasn’t seen a brush all morning. Now that you're looking at him closely, you can admire his athletic build with some great arms and large hands….damn…plus that face, though he looks completely exhausted he's still…kinda cute. 

Once the spider is caught he closes the box and turns to you, quickly you adjust your gaze from his hands back to his face. Though when you look up at him with a smile you are only met with a look of annoyance, alright seems peeved. Wanting to lighten up the situation and thank him you go to say thank you but he just walks past you with a grumble. 

“Dramatic…”. 

Dramatic! The word echoes in your head leaving you slack-jawed as you watch him leave down the hall to the elevator disappearing inside. How can he call you dramatic, that thing was ferocious and sure you screamed and cowered but you're not dramatic! Plus he doesn't even know you. In a huff you finally get your keys and unlock your door, turning your head towards the elevator then to the door across from yours you roll your eyes. 

Putting away your groceries you're still thinking about your grumbling neighbor, so much for you thanking him for his help. If he wants to call you dramatic you would be dramatic and not thank him. So much for the possibility of having the spider-catching neighbor as a friend. 

As you're putting away your stuff your frustration must hit a peak because you decide it's time for you to give him a piece of your mind. Nobody just insults you like nothing! Who knows maybe he would respect you for it. Going over to your door you open it and see him about to enter his apartment turning his head to look at you with an unimpressed gaze. 

Stepping out, you fold your arms before speaking, “Excuse me, but what gives you the right to think it’s okay to call me dramatic?”

Turning to face you he mirrors your stance “Oh, you heard that? I mean you were the one screaming over a spider.” 

“A huge and scary spider” 

Peter holds his hands up in mock defense, “You know you're right, I barely made it out with my life.” he says in a voice dripping in sarcasm. - great he's a smartass… 

“Whatever, thanks a lot, next time I will handle it on my own.” 

“Just make sure to keep the noise down next time.” 

Rolling your eyes you shoot him a dirty look as you start closing the door, 

“Just wait till you see the cockroaches…” he mutters

Your motion comes to a quick halt “What?!” 

“Nothing~” 

With that last remark, he shuts the door leaving you with your thoughts of all the other creepy critters this place could be littered with. He’s messing with you, right? 

Right?!

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

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Release date November 28, 2023.

[obsidianmichi]

The crazy part about Star Trek Online is that it's stuffed full of cameos and missions that repeatedly star characters from the main cast of every major Star Trek show except, I think, Enterprise, Strange New Worlds, and Lower Decks.

Like you can go on a fully voiced adventure with Michael Burnham and Seven of Nine in her Fenris Rangers era to decide whether the Excalbians will embrace good or evil and fight Seven's evil simulation created body double.

Worf, voiced by Michael Dorn, Worf is in the major Iconian missions and a central figure for Klingon players as they shoot up the ranks.

Martok, voiced by John Garman Hertzler Jr. (rescue him from the Tzenkethi and go on so many missions together as random space adventures, and he's just like he is in DS9.)

Almost the entire cast of Deep Space Nine, including René Auberjonois's final voicework as Odo before his passing, the same for Aron Eisberg as Nog, Nana Visitor as Kira Nerys, and there's an entire episode where you play as Quark and his Ferengi friends stealing from Iconians. Even Salome Jens pops up as the Female Changeling to play a villain in the Gamma Quandrant arcs. Plus, Chase Masterson got in ahead of them all to chew through the scenery as Leeta's Mirror counterpart, Admiral Leeta!

Levar Burton as Geordi LaForge!

Janeway and Mirror Janeway voiced by Kate Mulgrew. (Mirror Janeway is a Borg Queen!)

Denise Crosby as my Romulan main's new adopted mother, Empress Sela and her mother, Natasha Yar. There's also Tuvok (my love!), Tom Paris, Harry Kim, Seven of Nine, Jason Isaacs voicing Prime Gabriel Lorca (!!) in the Discovery missions, Tilly and my much beloathed nemesis Mirror Tilly, Stamets, and Michael Burnham. Most recently we've gotten Mirror Wesley Crusher and Mirror Doctor Crusher during Picard's third season, and Ezri Dax in the latest episodes.

There's also Leonard Nemoy, who voiced the major exploration sections and Fed character level ups in the initial game but that's been in at launch.

It's honestly impressive. Every time I turn around it feels like another Star Trek alum is lending their voice to the game. Star Trek Online is somehow the most blessed and the most cursed tie-in game in existence. The dream and the hellscape for Star Trek fans.

Also, the space combat is genuinely really fun.

[the-cat-and-the-birdie]

Boy Dad Miguel.

Gimmie BoyDad!Miguel.

A Miguel who gets SO excited to have a girl.

Who is over the moon at the news, in tears, decks out the nursery in all pink. A Miguel who calls your belly 'princess' and 'mija' all throughout the pregnancy, buying dresses and bows and the barrettes for the pink bundle of joy. A Miguel who almost passes out the second the nurse says 'Wait, I think it might be a boy-' while you're in delivery

I want a Miguel with a little baby boy who looks JUST like him - with the same curly hair and round brown eyes like Gabriel. And he suddenly has to relearn everything he did with Gabby.

I think that be so cute.

Miguel and a little boy with a temper like him, and Miguel has to help him curb it and calm down sometimes. One of those kids that loves insects and keeps telling Miguel interesting facts about spiders and bugs

Miguel being completely sidelined by having a boy - or even better, multiple boys, in a row. Trying multiple times for a girl and getting MORE BOYS.

And just having to readjust really quickly cause he's so use to having a 'Mija' in the house, that having a mijo - or mijos - seems entirely new to him

And his son grows up to be like him, just as cocky and sarcastic, but so much healthier. A son that wants to be JUST LIKE his dad, and Miguel wanting to be a good role model.

I'd like more BoyDad!Miguel please.

A Miguel loves his son(s) to death, and they're so much like him and he just adores it.

Give him some sons he has the range

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Round Three: Ambopteryx vs Caihong

Ambopteryx longibrachium

Artwork by Gabriel Ugueto, written by @i-draws-dinosaurs

Name meaning: Both wings with long arms

Time: 163 million years ago (Callovian stage of the Middle Jurassic)

Location: Haifanggou Formation, China

Look, evolution has done a lot of weird stuff to dinosaurs. It put penguins underwater, and did whatever the hall mamenchisaurid necks are, and game lambeosaurs a built-in face trumpet. But I would argue there is one group that represents dinosaur evolution at its most unhinged, and that is scansoropterygidae.

Scansoriopterygids were generally considered “weird little tree dinosaurs” in the 2000s, with long fingers to pick grubs out of bark or something. Then Yi qi swept along in 2015 and revealed that those long fingers were actually supporting membranous bat wings. With an extra bony rod (the “styliform element”) sticking out of the wrist to help support it, because well if you’re a dinosaur evolving bat wings why bother being normal about it after that? Although really, the dinosaurs did it first so bats actually have dinosaur wings.

Yi was sensational, but it was also extremely weird and completely unique. Even other scansoriopterygids didn’t have wing membranes, so the whole bat thing was a bit up in the air. Or not up in the air, as the case may be. But then along comes Ambopteryx, published in 2019, packing another set of skin wings, and the vindication of Yi is complete! 

Ambopteryx preserves a styliform element and wing membrane, as well as a thick coat of feathers, and honestly out of a whole selection of dinosaurs I think these might be some of the most huggable in the lot. Obviously this whole wing membrane thing didn’t end up working out for them long term, but Ambopteryx is part of an incredible lineage that challenged what we thought was possible for dinosaurs!

Caihong juji

Artwork by @i-draws-dinosaurs, written by @i-draws-dinosaurs

Name meaning: Rainbow with big crest

Time: 161 million years old (Oxfordian stage of the Late Jurassic)

Location: Tiaojishan Formation, China

It’s always a special treat to hear the announcement of a dinosaur with known colours, because it gives the most direct impression of how truly stunning these animals would have been to witness in real life. And Caihong might just be the most spectacular of them all so far, described in 2018 from an immaculate full-body fossil that preserves detailed feathers! Caihong’s feathers are longer than some other floofy dinosaurs, and would have had the appearance of a luxurious mane along its neck. Not only that, the fossil preserves feather microstructures that in life would have made this dinosaur gloriously iridescent!

Now iridescent dinosaurs aren’t new, Microraptor has been decked out in fabulous starling-esque plumage for a while now, but Caihong absolutely takes it to the next level. Its whole body was covered in iridescent black, including the enormous tail, but the real star of the show are the platelet-like melanosomes found on the head, neck, and the base of the tail. Different from the usual iridescent melanosomes, the structure of these tiny organelles reflects brilliantly iridescent colours, like those on the heads of hummingbirds and particularly the bright purple feathers on the necks of the trumpeter family. Caihong would have put on an absolutely dazzling jewel-toned display in the treetops or on the forest floor of prehistoric China!

[bluesidez]

Dad!Miguel drabble for Father's Day!!

content warning: curvy!reader, fem!reader, fluff, a little suggestive so MINORS BEWARE

word count: 697, not proofread (I can write less than 9k...contrary to popular belief)

other dad content ➺ DadBod!Miguel | Dad!Miguel Drabble | DadGymRat!Miguel Drabble | Dad'sBestFriend!Miguel

This can be in the same universe as the Dad Bod fic because I kept the kiddos' names the same, but I didn't describe Mig's body here, so you can imagine it how you would like! :D

Only Miguel would have to come into work on Father's Day of all days.

He woke up with his face snug against your chest and a whisper of the holiday greeting on your lips. It was way too hot to be grasping at each other so early, but that didn't stop him from grinning against your mouth as he held one of your thighs over his body.

A blissful morning of kisses and sweet nothings before the kids woke up was interrupted by the shrill of his work phone that he stupidly forgot to put on silent.

So here he was running back home after fixing a multitude of electric billboards across the city that read "Happy Farter's Day" instead of "Happy Father's Day." Of all of the staff in the company, Miguel wasn't sure why he was chosen to fix it. Maybe he was a father that wanted to have a nice, unbothered farting day.

It was itching close to the afternoon which meant almost a day gone without staring in your face and laughing with his babies. Almost a day gone without hearing the people closest to his heart.

Miguel nearly flew down the highway just to get back home. He wanted to be near his family.

He's never driven into a garage so fast.

"Honey? Mija? Mijo?"

Miguel's lanyard tapped against his button-up as he called out for the three of you. The house was quiet minus the ceiling fans humming in the window-lit rooms.

Had the three of you gone out without him?

Miguel walked through the house listening and looking for any clues as to where you all might be. Right when he was about to call you in a panic, he heard a giggle come from the deck.

Sliding the curtain open, he watched as his babies were running through the backyard, Raul barely keeping up with Gabriella's speed.

"You're back!" Miguel could hear you to the left of him. His breath hitched taking in your figure.

A blue flowy dress frames your curves, thin straps hug your shoulders, and the cut of the neckline accentuates the place where he held his head this morning.

You walk up to him and reach up for a kiss that he happily reciprocates, "Welcome home, baby."

You call the kids to come up and eat. Their little feet scatter to reach Miguel.

He bends down to take them into his arms, a hearty laugh leaving him as he picks them both up in the air. He plants their faces with raspberry kisses, Gabriella squealing while Raul asks for him to do it again and again.

You smile at them, watching as Miguel spun around with the kids holding on tight. The grumpiness that filled Miguel up this morning after that dreaded call poured out of him and was replaced with warmth and happiness.

This is the moment that Miguel was yearning to experience all morning. A day for him and his family.

"C'mon. Go get changed so we can head over to Gabriel's. He said something about a grill and a splash pad?" you slid your hand over his lower back, fingers sliding through the belt loops of his pants.

As you took a tug at one loop, Miguel leaned over and gave your lips a peck, "Gabriel only knows how to work one of those things."

"I guess we have to take a gamble with today's lunch then," you chuckle, taking Raul from Miguel as he sat Gabriella down. "Dinner will be perfect for sure."

"Yeah?" Miguel raised an eyebrow you. Your eyes were full of mirth and something else Miguel couldn't quite place yet. "I can't wait, then."

When Miguel was up in the bedroom, he began to see why that playful glint painted your face.

A small gift back was placed on the bed with a new silk tie and the tag for what he could assume was a pair of panties.

"A matching set for you and I. I wonder what can be done with this tie?

When the mood is right, we'll find out tonight.

A fun way to end your lovely Father's Day."

Dinner would definitely exceed lunch.

As always, like, reblog, and COMMENT! I love to see what you guys have to say! <3

a/n: I hope everyone who deserves it has a Happy Father's Day! I'm talking older siblings who raised their siblings, kids who grew up too fast, single mothers, single fathers, good fathers, and fictional men who will stop the world for their kids! You're doing great. Tomato to deadbeat fathers. You deserve nothing.

taglist: @questionable-behaviour @babygotl01292003 @slushycoookie @calig0sto @ghost-lantern

@tatatida @haveclayeveryday @corpsenightmarebride @samjinxx @earth2fae

@maiyart @Feegrh32 @darkstalight82 @ladysimp @vmpz8sauceee

@Leonsbimbogf @unwrittenletter @maxlinpetersen @madeofstar-dust @leoeloo

@just-simpins-blog @poisamm @thequeenreaders @aly29a2001 @mimi-sanisanidiot

@tojishugetiddies @pigeonmama @av3da @darkstalight82 @prettygirleli

@koikohib @jayskookies

[aishangotome]

Elbert Greetia: Chapter 19

Chapter 18 His POV

♡———♡

(......My head is still spinning......)

Right after finding the coffin with Elbert's name on it, we snuck onto the Bernard Trading Company's cargo ship, blending in with the cargo.

(Is Elbert okay? What was that coffin all about......?)

As if to fuel my anxiety, the sound of waves crashing against the ship echoes on the deck.

William: Kate, from here on out, it's going to get a little dangerous.

William: I suggest you focus on what's right in front of you.

Kate: ......I'm sorry.

Without even turning to look at William walking ahead, I'm reprimanded and hastily pull my thoughts together.

William: ......That coffin had the Bernard Trading Company's crest on it.

William: It's not something they're handling on behalf of someone else.

(The company's crest......? So that means......)

Kate: Are you saying that the person targeting Lord Elbert is someone from the company?

William finally turned to look at me and smiled slyly, as if to confirm my suspicions.

William: If that's the case, then the mission to take down the head of the company might lead to saving Elbert.

William: Don't you think that quick mission completion and information gathering are essential to saving him?

Kate: ....!

(Indeed—William is right.)

William's words push me forward, and my mind clears.

William: Can you focus?

Kate: Y-yes, thank you.

William: That's good.

Sailor: !? Who are you!? How did you get in here......!?

Just then, a sailor who seemed to be patrolling the deck swung a lantern at us.

William: Oh, perfect timing.

Without flinching, William took an elegant step forward—

William: "Tell me where Gabriel Bernard is."

Sailor: He's in the third cargo hold! Wh-what!?

(It's William's ability.)

The power to make people move as he commands—I remember when he controlled me, and a shiver runs down my spine.

He gave a perfect smile to the sailor who had readily confessed.

William: Thank you for the valuable information. Now then––"Stay there in silence until dawn."

Sailor: Huh!? ––!

The sailor froze, his feet seemingly sewn to the deck, clutching at his voiceless throat in a panic.

Alfons: Heh heh …… How pitiful. You should have called your comrades sooner.

Roger: Too bad. There's no one within earshot from here.

Ellis: Is that so? Then it doesn't matter if you can make a sound or not.

William: Well then, shall we go?

Kate: Y-yes!

They pass by the sailor and hurry towards the third cargo hold.

(...Lord Elbert)

I don't know if he's ahead.

But one thing's for sure, he's being targeted by the Trading Company.

(As William said, if I meet Gabriel Bernard, I'm sure I'll find a clue.)

(Please be safe––)

In the distance, the sound of waves crashing can be heard.

-

Elbert's POV

––I woke up sprawled on the ground like an insect.

???: Ahh... have you awakened?

Elbert: Ugh... huh...?

Not knowing whose voice it was, I looked around in the dim light.

I tried to move my body, but it felt like I had been hit with something, and there was a dull pain in my head.

Then, in my throat too––

???: It seems it's difficult to poison a sleeping person after all.

???: This time, we must make sure they ingest a lethal dose.

Elbert: Wh...where...?

The voice I squeezed out of my burning throat was hoarse.

My consciousness was gradually clearing up, but my body wouldn't move as I wanted it to.

???: Ah! But you may have to be thankful that you didn't die!

???: Your voice is beautiful too... Now that I know it.

The man who appeared from the other side of the faint light was a middle-aged man with gray hair.

His well-tailored clothes were decorated with jewelry... and he was holding something like a medicine bottle in his hand.

Elbert: Where...is this...?

Man with Gray Hair: It's a warehouse on a cargo ship. If you listen closely, you can hear the waves, right?

Elbert: ...Ugh...

I tried to continue speaking, but it was impossible.

Perhaps because of the poison I was forced to drink while I was asleep, a strong nausea burned my throat.

The scorching heat circulated inside my body, and my limbs grew cold in inverse proportion.

--Cold, it feels like death.

Man with Gray Hair: Ah... these blue eyes, I must absolutely preserve them.

The man crouched down beside me and gently lifted my chin as if touching a piece of jewelry.

Man with Gray Hair: Should I just preserve your entire head in formalin?

Elbert: ... What... are you...

Man with Gray Hair: Ah, I apologize for the late introduction. I am Gabriel Bernard.

Gabriel: At the auction, I was captivated by your beauty.

Gabriel: I couldn't help but desire to make you mine. The moment I saw you.

Gabriel: I wanted to add you to my collection.

Elbert: ... Collection...?

Gabriel: Just like you, I collect beautiful things.

The man's eyes were filled with a crazed obsession––

It looked so familiar.

(Ah...)

(... It's like looking in a mirror.)

Elbert: ... Indeed.

Gabriel: Hmm?

Elbert: Indeed, you... you're the same as me.

Elbert: Hiding behind selfish reasoning... forcing your desires on others... and hurting them.

The man in front of me, the man who raped my mother, the doctor who tried to do the same to me--

The sight of myself handcuffing Kate flashed before my eyes.

Nausea welled up again, not from the poison invading my body, but from disgust.

Elbert: You... the man who violated my mother... the doctor who assaulted me... me...

Elbert: We're all the same... ugly creatures.

Elbert: Deserving of retribution... of punishment...

(What I did to those I threw into that room, and what he's doing to me now, are no different.)

(Whatever the reason behind what drove me, him, to madness...)

(Our actions are greedy, selfish, ugly--)

(--and far from forgivable.)

Gabriel: Your mother? A doctor? I don't quite understand what you're talking about, but you're not ugly at all!

Gabriel: You're beautiful--so die and become mine.

Gabriel: Of course, this act isn't a punishment for you either. This is love, my dear, the power of love.

A medicine bottle is pressed against my mouth, a burning pain shooting through my lips.

Elbert: ...Ngh...

Gabriel: Whoa!?

With my weakened body, I tried to turn away, twisting my body.

The medicine bottle slips from the man's hand, shattering on the floor.

Gabriel: Oh no, what a waste.

Gabriel: I'll have to get a spare. Where did I put it...?

Gabriel releases Elbert's jaw and starts rummaging through the shelves, coughing.

Elbert: ...Why--

--why did I resist just now?

I deserve to be punished.

I should have wanted to sink to the bottom of the deep, deep sea.

Kate: Elbert...

Elbert: ...!

Her voice echoes clearly in my ears--

And suddenly, I'm overwhelmed by the fear of creeping death and a burning impulse.

Elbert: ...I really--

Elbert: --...I'm the worst...

If all I wanted was to be forgiven, I could have given up this life long ago.

Yet, I clung to meaningless atonement.

I hesitated so much to have her.

I hurt her and was struck by the grief of being cut to the core.

Kate: No matter what sins you carry... I love you.

Kate: Don't throw away all your happiness to atone for your sins.

Kate: I want you to smile. I want to make you happy, Lord Elbert...

Elbert: ...Happy...

Elbert: ...I...

Elbert: ...I... I want to be happy.

--I always have.

No matter how sinful my life is, no matter who forgives me... even if I can never forgive myself.

(I just couldn't... give up on being happy.)

(I can't give up.)

(I--)

(--because I'm greedy.)

Elbert: ...Kate.

Elbert: Kate, Kate... Kate.

Elbert: I want... to be happy... with you.

Even now, when I have you locked in that room, I crave your smile, your words, your gaze, everything about you.

I want to see you, I miss you--I want you.

(If you, whom I have hurt, still...)

(If you still wish to be by my side...)

Elbert: I...

No matter how many times the roaring waves beckon me to the distant horizon...

Elbert: ...I want to return to the shore where you are.

I dragged my powerless body and crawl towards the door.

An excited male voice rains down from above.

Gabriel: Oh... even crawling like a caterpillar, you're so beautiful...! You're a miracle!

Elbert: ...--

Gabriel: Oh, but don't scratch the floor like that. I don't want damaged goods in my collection.

(If I could see you, there are so many things I need to apologize for.)

For not listening to you.

For forcing my desires on you and treating you like an object.

For using you as a tool for atonement.

(And then--)

My arm is grabbed, and my vision inverts.

Mad eyes capture me.

Gabriel: Now, with this poison, you will be complete.

Gabriel: As the most beautiful corpse in the world.

-

Ellis: Third cargo hold... this is it.

A cold door appears in the dim, narrow corridor of the ship.

(The head of the trading company is inside.)

(Surely, there's a clue to Elbert's whereabouts--)

Ellis: I'll keep watch outside.

William: Yeah, thanks.

Alfons: ...It's locked.

Roger: Stand back a bit.

Roger kicks down the heavy door--

Kate: --!

Her breath catches at the sight before her.

Elbert, pale as a doll and lifeless, is being held by a gray-haired man.

Kate: Lord Elbert!!

Elbert: ......?

His golden hair trembles slightly.

Elbert's sea-blue eyes open faintly, and their gazes meet.

(...Elbert...)

Elbert: ---...

His lips clearly mouthed my name for a moment.

Man with Gray Hair: What do you want? I'm in the middle of something important, so please don't disturb me.

William: You're Gabriel Bernard, aren't you?

Gabriel: Indeed. But any business discussions will have to wait.

Gabriel ignores William and presses something like a medicine bottle to Elbert's lips.

I don't know what's inside, but my instincts sound the alarm.

(Don't let him drink that--!)

I reflexively grab a nearby cloth bag and throw it at the man.

Gabriel: Ugh!?

The moderately heavy bag hits the man's arm, and the mouth of the bottle is pulled away from Elbert just in time.

Gabriel: What are you doing!? If you hurt him, what are you going to do about it!?

The moment Gabriel yells at us like he's going to bite--

William: --"Don't move."

Gabriel: !?

By the "King of Self-Righteousness'" command, he instantly becomes an absolutely obedient slave.

William: "Put Elbert down on the floor. As slowly as possible."

Gabriel: Wh-What...? M-My body... it's moving on its own--!!

Following William's order, Gabriel gently lays Elbert's body on the cold floor.

(Elbert--!)

William: Kate, thank you for your support.

William: Everyone, leave this heinous criminal to me, and take Elbert--

Kate: ...!

Her legs move as if on their own, and she rushes to Elbert's side without a second thought.

Kate: Lord Elbert... are you alright...? Lord Elbert!

Elbert: ...Ugh...

(His skin is ice-cold... what happened...?)

As I try to lift his limp body, Roger, who has rushed over, lends a hand.

Roger: El... El, can you hear me?

Alfons: Paralysis while conscious... it's a neurotoxin.

William: It seems you've taken quite a liking to my dear friend.

Gabriel: H-Huh--

William: What poison did you give him? --"Answer me."

Gabriel: M-Monkshood...

Roger: ...Monkshood?

Roger's expression darkens instantly upon hearing this.

Kate: Is that--

Alfons: --A deadly poison.

Alfons mutters in a voice devoid of intonation, something I've never heard before.

Alfons: A tiny amount can be fatal... and there's no antidote for monkshood poisoning.

Kate: What should we do, Roger...?

Roger: ...If he can still breathe on his own, there's still hope.

Roger: Force him to drink water and make him vomit as much as possible. After that--

Roger: We can only pray that he hasn't been exposed to a lethal dose.

Kate: ...

Elbert: Ha... Ha...

Elbert seems unable to speak anymore, only taking shallow breaths.

But those deep, ocean-like eyes, barely open, stare at me intently.

Kate: ...

I rouse my heart, which is about to be dyed in despair.

(I won't give up.)

(Elbert wouldn't give up either.)

I hold back my tears and smile.

Kate: It's okay, Lord Elbert. I'm here.

Elbert: ......

Kate: So let's do our best together.

Elbert only breathes heavily, but when I squeeze his cold hand, I feel him squeeze back slightly.

Alfons: ...There's a back-alley doctor's clinic near this port.

Alfons: We never know when we might be attacked here, and we're limited on water.

Roger: We'll move him there.

Kate: Yes...!

We follow Roger, who is carrying Elbert, and leave the warehouse.

After Kate and the others hurriedly leave, the air in the cargo hold slowly cools.

William: --Now, it's time for judgment.

William's declaration shakes the silence, and Gabriel falls into a panic as if a drop of deadly poison has been dropped on his tongue.

Gabriel: Wh-What...? J-Judgment!?

Gabriel: Wh-What sin have I... what are you people anyway!?

William: Who are we? Let's see...

William: We're not good enough people to introduce ourselves to a dying sinner.

William: Let's just leave it at that.

.

.

.

.

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Chapter 19 Premium Story

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[kurishiri]

19 . . . main story

— this translation may not be 100% accurate or may contain creative liberties for characterization or narrative flow purposes. if you enjoy, please consider reblogging, but don’t repost or claim these as your own!

— cw: objectification, near-death experience, obsessive behavior.

(...I still, feel out of it...)

Right after discovering the casket upon which Lord Elbert’s name was engraved,

we tried to hide among the cargo as we slipped into the Bernard Company’s freight ship.

(Is Lord Elbert alright? Just what in the world was with that coffin...?)

As if trying to amplify my worries, the sound of the waves hitting the ship with a strong force resonated in the deck.

William: Kate, from here on, some danger will follow.

W: As such, I would suggest focusing on what is before your eyes.

Kate: ...Sorry about that.

William didn’t turn around once as he spoke to me, and in a panic I pulled my attention back to what was in front of me.

William: ...It would seem that the casket has the Bernard Company’s crest engraved upon it.

W: Hence, it is not something that was requested by someone outside.

(The Bernard Company’s crest...? Which means...)

Kate: That would mean someone from the Company is the one targeting Lord Elbert, right?

It was then William finally turned to face me, a bewitching smile playing on his lips, as though affirming what I had just said.

William: If such is the case, then our mission to eliminate the top of the Company may be intertwined with that to save Elbert.

W: And in order to save him, would you not agree that it’s imperative to swiftly complete this mission and glean information?

Kate: ...!

(He’s right — it’s just as William says.)

William’s words gave the support I needed, and my mind became more clear.

William: Do you feel you will be able to focus now?

Kate: Ah... yes, thank you very much.

William: There’s no need to thank me.

Boat worker: !? Who the hell are you guys! How’d you even get here...!?

At that moment, a worker on the boat, who appeared to have been patrolling the premises of the ship’s deck, waved his lantern as he turned toward us.

William: Ahh, what wonderful timing.

With no sign of agitation, William took a step forward, his movements nothing short of elegant, and——

William: “Disclose Gabriel Bernard’s current location.”

Boat worker: The third cargo hold! Wh, huh...!?

(That’s——William’s ability.)

The power to instill an absolute order that the other must follow through on. When I remembered the time I was under its influence, a shiver ran down my spine.

When the worker swiftly disclosed the location, William gave him a perfect smile.

William: Thank you for the very helpful information. Now then——”Stay silent here until dawn breaks.”

Boat worker: Gh!? ...!

The worker’s legs stiffened as if he was sewed to the deck, and he held his own throat in a panic, unable to make a sound.

Alfons: Hehe... Quite a pitiful soul, honestly. Were that he could call his friends sooner, but alas.

Roger: Not that he could even if he wanted, since I couldn’t hear any other voice around.

Ellis: Oh, really? Then, it probably doesn’t matter if he has to stay silent or not.

William: Well, let us go then.

Kate: Right!

Walking past the worker, we hurried to the third cargo hold.

(...Lord Elbert—)

I had no way of knowing whether Lord Elbert was truly here or not.

But, the one thing I knew for sure was that he was being targeted by the Company.

(And just as William had said, if we can meet Gabriel Bernard, we’ll surely find some clues to his whereabouts.)

(Please, just be safe——)

—— Elbert’s POV ——

From afar, I could hear the sound of the waves crashing.

——When I awoke, I found myself on the ground, like a bug.

???: Ahh... I see you are awake now.

I didn’t recognize that voice as I turned toward it in the dim darkness.

When I tried to move, though, I felt a sharp pain in my head, as if I had been hit with something.

Not only that, my throat hurt too——

???: As I thought, having a human drink poison while they are sleeping is quite difficult.

???: Next time, I will need to use a lethal dose.

Elbert: ...Poi...son...?

My throat felt like it was burning, and my voice, which I had to squeeze out, came out hoarse.

Though my conscience was clear, my body wouldn’t listen.

???: Ahh! But perhaps it is a good thing that you haven’t knocked on death’s door yet!

???: For even your voice is beautiful...... to know that, I truly do feel grateful.

From within the faint light came a man with gray hair, in the prime of his life.

His attire looked to be of high quality, decorated with jewels... and in his hands, he held what looked to be a medicinal vial.

Elbert: Where... is, this…

Gray-haired man: We’re currently in the cargo ship’s storage room. See, if you listen closely, can you hear the sound of the waves?

Elbert: ...ugh...

I tried to form more words, to no avail.

A strong sense of nausea burned my throat, perhaps because of the poison I was made to drink while unconscious.

As though being scorched alive, a heat spread its way within my body, in turn making my hands and legs grow cold.

——So much so, it felt like death itself.

Gray-haired man: Ahh... if nothing else, I must preserve these blue eyes of yours.

The man crouched down beside me, and he lifted my chin close enough to him that I could touch the jeweled decorations he wore.

Gray-haired man: Actually, perhaps I should simply mummify everything from the neck up?

Elbert: ...What, are you...

Gray-haired man: Ah, I apologize for the belated introduction. My name is Gabriel Bernard.

Gabriel: I was quite taken with you from where I sat back at the auction — you were so beautiful.

G: That’s why, I wanted to make you mine. Ever since I had first laid my eyes on you.

G: I’m hoping to add you to my collection, you see.

Elbert: ...col...lec...tion...?

Gabriel: Are you not the same? You, too, collect beautiful things, do you not?

The man’s eyes looked as though he had been possessed by a demon, filled with craze,

and that closely resembled something I myself was familiar with.

(Ahh...)

(...I feel like, I’m looking into a mirror.)

Elbert: ......Perhaps, you’re right.

Gabriel: Hmm?

Elbert: Maybe, you and I are... truly the same.

E: Using selfish excuses as a shield... pushing our greed onto others, and... hurting them, too.

The images of the man in front of me, the man who assaulted Mother, and the doctor who had tried to assault me,

intertwined with the image of myself, binding Kate with shackles.

This time, nausea bubbled up from inside me for a reason other than the poison coursing through my body, but rather a feeling of disgust.

Elbert: You... the man who had assaulted Mother... and the doctor who had attacked me...... and me, myself.

E: We are all, one and the same... repulsive human beings.

E: As much as we deserve to be rewarded... we deserve to be punished.

(Right now, he is trying to do to me what I had done to all the things scattered about in that room. It is all, one and the same.)

(And, no matter what reason he — and I — give for letting madness drive us,)

(Our actions are naught but avaricious, selfish, and repulsive——)

(None of us, deserve to be forgiven.)

Gabriel: Mother? Doctor? Your words are nonsense to my ears, but surely, you are anything but ‘repulsive’!

G: In fact, you are beautiful — and that’s why, I need you to die, so you can become mine.

G: Of course, this is not a punishment. Rather, this is love — the workings of love itself.

The vial was pushed against my mouth, and I could feel a pain scorching my lips.

Elbert: ...gh...

Gabriel: Wha—!?

Though my body was weak, I tried to shift myself to turn my face away.

At that moment, the vial fell from the man’s hands, the shattered glass scattered on the floor.

Gabriel: Ahh, truly, what a waste.

G: I believe I do have a spare somewhere around here. Where was it again...

Gabriel let go of my chin, muttering something as he started rummaging through the shelves.

Elbert: .........Why—

—did I resist just now?

I had always thought it was only natural for me to be punished like this.

And, I had thought about whether I should sink into the depths of this deep, deep sea, sooner rather than later. That’s what I should have thought, but——

—— Flashback ——

Kate: Lord Elbert.

—— End flashback ——

Elbert: .........

Her voice rang clearly in my ears——

And suddenly, driven by the fear of death that crept up from within me, I was hit by a seemingly burning impulse.

Elbert: ....I—

E: —I, really am the worst... aren’t I...

If I had only wanted to be ‘forgiven,’ I would have let go of this life a long time ago.

But... the reason I had continued this meaningless cycle of atonement,

the reason I had been so hesitant on having her,

and the reason why I had hurt her so much, and felt so sad to the point it felt like a blade was cutting through my body. It was all because...

—— Flashback ——

Kate: And, no matter what sin you are bearing, I... I like you.

K: So, please, don’t throw away all your happiness to atone for this sin...

K: ...I, want you to smile. And, I want to make you happy, Lord Elbert...

—— End flashback ——

Elbert: ......ha...ppy——

E: gh... I...

E: ...I, really... want to become happy...

——It had always been like this.

No matter how deep my sins ran in this life, no matter if nobody ever forgave me... and no matter if I can never forgive myself, in this lifetime...

(No matter what... I had never completely given up... on becoming happy.)

(No, I couldn’t give up.)

(I——)

(——am simply greedy like that, after all.)

Elbert: .........Kate...

E: Kate, Kate... Kate...

E: I want to become happy... together with you.

Even now, when I had locked her away in my room,

I wanted everything: her smile, her words, her gaze, everything. I wanted it so, so badly — I could hardly bear it.

I want to see you again, love you — I want you, yourself.

(I had hurt you so much, but,)

(if you still wish to stay by my side, after all that...)

Elbert: I...

No matter how many times the howling, raging seas invited me to the far, distant horizons—

Elbert: ...I, want to return to the shore, where you are.

I pushed my weakened body to the limit, crawling toward the door.

I could hear the man’s excited voice fall on me from above my head.

Gabriel: Ahh... even when you are crawling like a caterpillar, you are still captivatingly beautiful...! You are truly like a living miracle!

Elbert: ...gh——

Gabriel: Oh, but, do take care not to wound yourself on the nails on the floor. For I need not scratched items in my collection.

(If I can see you again, the first thing I will do is apologize, for so many things.)

For hearing, but not listening to you.

For pushing my greed onto you, and treating you like an object.

And... for making you a tool of atonement.

(And then——)

I felt him grab my arm, and my vision flipped.

Craze-filled eyes held me captive where I was.

Gabriel: Now, once you drink this poison, you shall be complete.

G: As the world’s most beautiful corpse, that is.

—— Kate’s POV ——

Ellis: The third cargo hold... we’re here.

Within the narrow corridors of the dim interior, a cold door loomed over us.

(So, the Company’s top is in here.)

(If we go in, surely we’ll find a clue as to where Lord Elbert is too——)

Ellis: I’ll keep watch from the outside then.

William: Alright, I leave that to you.

Alfons: ...It would appear the door is locked.

Roger: Step back a bit for me.

Roger then kicked the heavy door down.

Kate: ——!!

At the sight before me, my breath got caught in my throat.

There, I saw Lord Elbert, who looked like a lifeless doll with that pale face, held down by a man with gray hair.

Kate: Lord Elbert!!

Elbert: .........hh......?

I could see his golden locks lightly sway.

Lord Elbert opened his eyes slightly, and his blue eyes that resembled the sea, met mine.

(......Lord Elbert...)

Elbert: ——......

For a moment, I could clearly tell that his lips had called my name.

Gray-haired man: Who might you guys be? I was just in the process of making something important, so could you kindly stay out of my way?

William: I take it you are Gabriel Bernard, yes?

Gabriel: Indeed, I am. If you are here for business negotiations, though, you will need to wait.

Gabriel didn’t even spare William a glance, as he tried to push what looked like a medicine vial against Lord Elbert’s lips.

I didn’t know what was inside. But, alarm bells were ringing within me.

(No, you can’t drink that——!)

Grabbing a cloth bag nearby on a reflex, I threw it at the man.

Gabriel: Ugh!?

The heavy bag hit the man’s arm, separating the vial from Lord Elbert’s mouth in the nick of time.

Gabriel: What do you think you’re doing!? What would you do if he had gotten wounded!!

Gabriel shouted at me, as if he was flaring up, when—

William: ——”Do not move.”

Gabriel: Gh!?

As per the commands of the ‘Self-Righteous King,’ he had become an absolute servant in an instant.

William: “Lower Elbert on the ground. As slowly as you can.”

Gabriel: W, what is... this... my body... it’s moving on its own—!!

Obeying William’s orders, Gabriel did as he was told, lowering Lord Elbert’s body to the cold floor.

(Lord Elbert——!)

William: I am grateful for your support, Kate.

W: Everyone, I leave Elbert in your hands. I will take care of this heinous criminal.

Kate: ...hh ...!

It was as though something was pulling at my legs, and I ran to Lord Elbert’s side, caring not how I looked then.

Kate: Lord Elbert... Are you okay... Lord Elbert!

Elbert: ......ugh......

(His skin is freezing cold, like ice... but why...)

I tried to hold his weak body up, and Roger came to help.

Roger: Elbie... hey, Elbie, can you hear me?

Alfons: Though conscious, it appears he is paralyzed... perhaps it’s a neurotoxin.

William: Well, now, it would seem that you have spoiled my dear friend quite a bit, haven’t you.

Gabriel: Eeee—

William: So, what poison did you make him drink?——”Answer me.”

Gabriel: ...ite... It’s, aconite...

Roger: ......Did you just say aconite?

Hearing that alone made Roger’s expression cloud over in an instant.

Kate: Is that—

Alfons: —A lethal poison, it is.

Alfons was uncharacteristically monotonous as he murmured this.

Alfons: It is a poison that can kill you with a miniscule amount... and not only that, no antidote exists for aconite.

Kate: Wh—please, Roger, there has to be something we can do......!

Roger: ...It seems he is still able to breathe on his own will. In which case, there is some hope.

R: We will have to make him drink enough water so that he throws up, even if just a little. After that——

R: All we can do is pray that death doesn’t come to get him.

Kate: ......hh...

Elbert: Haa...gh, haa......

Lord Elbert could no longer speak — he could only take in shallow breaths.

But, his slightly open eyes were as deep as the sea, and they seemed to burn as they stared intently at me.

Kate: ...!

My heart, which was on the verge of being dyed in despair, felt encouraged once more.

(I, can’t ever give up.)

(Because, Lord Elbert surely hasn’t given up either.)

Though tears felt like they’d overflow at any moment, but I held it in as I gave him a smile.

Kate: ...It’ll be alright, Lord Elbert. I’ll be here with you.

Elbert: ......hh...

Kate: That’s why, let’s do our best, together.

Lord Elbert’s breathing was slightly pained but,

when I held onto his hand, which had gone completely cold, I felt that he nodded.

Alfons: ...Adjacent to the harbor, there is a clinic of an unlicensed doctor.

A: We shouldn’t outstay our welcome here, lest we risk getting attacked, and I imagine there is only so much water as well.

Roger: Let’s head there then.

Kate: Right...!

I followed after Roger, who held Lord Elbert, as we left the storage.

After Kate and the others had left, one after the other——the air in the cargo hold seemed to slowly grow more cold.

William: ——Now then, it’s time to face your judgment.

William’s sentence seemed to shake the silence,

and as though a drop of poison had dropped on his tongue, Gabriel fell into a state of panic.

Gabriel: W, what is this... j-judgment, you say!?

G: J-just what sin, have I..... gh, no, wait, just what are you guys anyway!?

William: What are we, you ask? Let’s see now...

W: We are sinners who will only be met with death — far from any ‘good person.’

W: ...Let us just leave it at that.

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