#oof prep is almost over rip

[that-was-anticlimactic]

grading my students’ worksheet where they learned about who the author is, and one question was to give three fun facts and some kids got confused about who the author was and who the character was… one group had chuuya and one fact was “god is sealed inside him” PLS KSBSKWMSKD

[okskz]

RIP.

mia + stray kids

mia has to say goodbye to a good friend.

hey my lovely peeps! don’t hate me for this, sorry!!! but hope you guys enjoy reading the post. as always, feedback is always welcomed :)

[9th member of stray kids]

mia threw herself on the floor, legs and arms spread out as she closed her eyes. “no more please!” she exclaimed. with kcon la coming up, the group had began rehearsals and they had been doing so almost the whole day.

chan chuckled as he went to stand next to the girl. she opened one eye then instantly closing it. “get away bang chan.” she huffed. “actually, I’m here to tell you it’s your lucky day.” he said.

now mia opened both of her eyes, “hm?”

chan continued to chuckle. “rehearsals are over.” he stated. “you guys did great today.”

everyone cheered and clapped and mia stood up straightaway. “yes! that means we get to go home!” the girl ran to gather her belongings and rushed out the door, leaving everyone behind.

but the girl came back in, laughing along. “come on team!”

everyone was walking together and that’s when mia heard her stomach growling. “oof, I’m starving.” she said. “channie! can we get food?”

chan nodded. “of course. all of us at our place for dinner.”

“I want pizza!” jisung shouted. “no! we had pizza last night.” minho said. “how about fried chicken?”

“no.” mia shook her head. “we had that two nights ago.” minho groaned. “so? we can have it again.”

“mmm, what about sushi?” mia suggested. hyunjin snorted. “do you not remember the last time you had sushi?”

mia made a grossed out face, remembering the last time she ate sushi she ended up with food poisoning. and she definitely didn’t want to relive going in and out of the bathroom the whole night. “okay, never mind.” she said. “so what?”

“how about a home cooked meal?” chan then said after the group entered the dorms. “not a bad idea.” seungmin said. “thanks for deciding to cook for us.” he smiled.

“yeah, leader. gracias!” mia chuckled, making her way to her bedroom.

chan sighed. “I guess I’m cooking tonight.” changbin stood next to him. “and you’re helping.” he said to changbin.

the group was making themselves at home, getting comfortable and chan and changbin in the kitchen to start prepping for dinner. felix it went ahead to join them.

but they soon became startled as mia let out a loud, crying scream. the boys rushed to mia to see what was wrong and when they entered the girl had her back facing them. “mia?” chan questioned. he was the one moving closer to her.

the girl turned around, red face, and tears running down her cheeks. she was sobbing and her lips were quivering as she began to speak. “he’s not breathing.” she choked out. chan looked down to see what mia was holding in her hands. his face suddenly changing to shock. “m-my flash!” she cried. “he’s not breathing or moving!” she cried louder.

jisung rushed to mia, grabbing their pet from her hands. “what do you mean?” he was in denial, didn’t want to think their furry friend was actually dead. jisung shook flash a little to see if he would wake up and nothing. now it was jisung to began crying.

“I don’t get it.” mia cried. “this morning he was fine when we left for rehearsals. what went wrong?” everyone else was silent as both mia and jisung were the only two crying. they felt bad for their two members, knowing how much they loved flash.

“he just can’t be gone.” mia’s face was covered with tears. “I’m sorry, noona.” jeongin hugged mia which made her cry even harder.

mia couldn’t believe it, her first pet ever who she loved deeply was gone.

the girl sat quietly in her bed after everyone had left her room. she needed a moment to herself. chan and jisung took charge of taking away flash to the vet to see what was next. mia didn’t want to go at all, still heartbroken of what happened.

she kept thinking of what went wrong for her pet to pass. was it her fault? did he eat something he shouldn’t? was it just his time to go? the possibilities were endless and mia would probably never know the right answer.

mia heard a small knock on her door, she didn’t notice she was crying until she was rubbing tears away from her face. “yes?”

jisung came in. “how are you feeling?”

mia shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. it just hurts.” she said. jisung sat next to mia on her bed. “I know. very upsetting seeing his little body not moving.” he sighed.

mia nodded, the thoughts coming back in mind from when she entered her room to check up on flash like she always did to picking him and instantly noticing something wasn’t right. then feeling her stomach drop when flash didn’t move and she noticed he wasn’t breathing either.

she shook the thoughts away. there was a silence between to the two as mia then remembered something else. she slightly smiled. “remember when we got him?”

jisung chuckled a little. “yeah, I do.”

“it was so easy to convince channie on keeping him.” mia said. “well he didn’t have much of a choice since we had already gotten him-“

“dinner is ready!” chan barged in. “sorry, didn’t mean to startle you two.” he softly smiled at mia, “you doing okay?”

mia slowly nodded. “I’ll manage.” she said. “you guys go. I’ll catch up.”

after jisung and chan left her room, mia slowly got out her bed. before she stepped out room, mia looked over at where flash’s cage was. he had his own little spot in her room. she softly smiled when seeing the photo next to his cage of her and jisung with him when they decided to do a little family photoshoot for fun.

mia was definitely going to miss her little best friend.

[lonelyreputation]

Ready

A/N: Hello hi!!! I’m slowly making my way through all my requests! I have like four-ish docs left! Thank you for being patient and dealing with my wonky writing process 🥴 I appreciate you all 🥰

Request: hi, can you write about shawn being there for his wife during labor? like he’s holding her hand through the contractions and whispering how amazing she’s doing while pushing? if you don’t have time i understand. thank you 💗

Also!! I did my best to research giving birth and the stages so this is all based on articles and I may have ~tweaked some stuff I’m not really sure BUT I hope you all enjoy it nonetheless!!! 

Warnings: Giving birth, swearing

WC: 3.3K // Fluff

“You sure you don’t want me to get it for you?”  

You waved your hands in front of Aaliyah, “Even though I’m pregnant,” you took a deep breath, pushing one hand on the sofa’s cushion as oen rested on your very round stomach, “I can get myself a water.”

“Shawn said––”

“Shawn is upstairs on a phone call,” you rolled your eyes as you leaned forward to pick up your water glass from the coffee table, “Oof.” You squinted an eye shut as you felt a pain in your lower back.

Aaliyah stood up from the couch, taking the water glass from your hand, “Are you alright?”

You waved her off for the second time, “Fine, just some back pain.”

“Do you want me to get––”

“No,” you shot her a glare, and took the water glass from her hand, “I don’t need him for everything.”

Aaliyah followed you into the kitchen as you went to the sink to fill up your water.  Once your glass was filled to the top, you shut the faucet off, and turned to see Aaliyah leaning against the kitchen island with a pointed look on her face.  You let out a sigh, knowing exactly what the next words out of her mouth were going to be.

“Y/n, your due date is literally in two days you could have this baby at any moment.”

You moved one of the stools back to sit on and placed a caring hand on top of Aaliyah’s, “I appreciate the concern, but I’m fi––Ouch.” You scrunched your eyebrows as a hand automatically went to your stomach.

“What was that?”

You let out a deep breath, the pain prolonging for a moment, before you shook your head, “Just a little pai––pain.”

“Y/n…” Aaliyah’s tone was one of warning, but the smile on her face was growing, “Do I need to interrupt Shawn’s phone call?”

You continued to shake your head, grinding your teeth together, “It’s been happening sporadically throughout the day––”

“You’ve been having contractions and didn’t say anything?” Her eyes bulged out of her head.

“They are not contractions,” You sucked a deep breath in through your nose and slowly let it out, “Braxton-Hicks are co––common.”

Aaliyah’s smile was beaming ear to ear, having an inclination that she would soon be an Aunt.  You stayed sitting at the island in silence as Aaliyah looked at you with a gleam, just as bright as her smile, in her eyes.  

While you couldn’t wait to welcome your child into the world, you were absolutely petrified of everything that came with raising a child.  You were responsible for another person’s life. You had to enroll them in school, make sure they made friends, help them find a passion in life, and teach them lessons in hopes they take them and make smart decisions.

It wouldn’t be you and Shawn against the world anymore; it would be you, Shawn, and your baby.

Two days is still two days, you thought to yourself, this baby isn’t coming out yet.

You pushed yourself back from the island, and just when your feet hit the floor, your eyes widened as you felt something wet trickle down your leg.  You didn’t have to look down to know what just happened.

“Aaliyah,” your high-pitched nervous voice only made her smile more, “Interrupt Shawn’s phone call, please.”

Your sister-in-law didn’t need to be told twice before she was running up the stairs, calling out Shawn’s name before she even knocked on the door to his office.  Being alone in the kitchen with fluids trickling down your leg, signaling that your water broke, left you terrified.  This would be the last time you stood in your kitchen alone because the next time you would have your baby with you.

The harsh steps of Aaliyah and Shawn bolting down the wooden stairs didn’t break you from the trance you found yourself under because all that was floating through your mind was, holy shit, I’m going to be a mom.

“Hey,” Shawn’s gentle voice snapped you out of your paralyzed state.  He gently took hold of both of your hands and gave them a light squeeze, “Breathe.” You didn’t realize that your breaths were shaky, close to hyperventilation, but you tried to match the pace of Shawn’s even breathing.

Aaliyah walked over to you with a wet cloth and a dry one, cleaning up the spillage, as Shawn smiled ear-to-ear, “Ready?”

Ready…That one word held so many sub-questions you didn’t even know where to begin.  Were you ready to start a new chapter of your life? Ready to add to your little family? Ready to take care of a child with the love of your life?

“I––I’m scared,” your chin wobbled as you felt tears well up in your eyes.  There was not a doubt in your mind that you were ready to start a family with Shawn, but you were so scared of messing up.

“I’ll be with you––”

You cut him off with a sharp intake of breath as you gripped his hand as you felt another pain rip through your stomach.

“I think you should go to the hospital,” Aaliyah looked at you with concerned eyes as she held out the hospital bag you and Shawn had prepped a few weeks ago.

Shawn took the bag and slung it over his shoulder, “Hospital, yeah, of course.”  He ran a hand through his curls as his eyes darted around the kitchen, “Aaliyah, can you drive?”

Dangling his keys between her thumb and pointer finger, Aaliyah smiled, “Figured you wouldn’t be sane enough to drive.”

With a hand still in yours, Shawn placed his free hand gently on your lower back, slowly walking out to the car with you.  He kept mumbling how he couldn’t believe that this was happening, that he remembered it like yesterday when you told him you were pregnant, and of course, he repeated how much he loved you.

While your contractions were still spaced out, they were more painful, and you were sure you cracked a few bones in Shawn’s hand, but he was all smiles as he called your parents, and his parents, to let them know you two were on your way to the hospital.

Aaliyah dropped the two of you off at the front doors to the Emergency Room, as she went to go park the car, and much like how Shawn held your hand when you left the front doors of your house, he did the same as the two of you walked through the doors of the hospital.  

The next time you would be outside you would be taking your kid home.

Everything was becoming all too real.  You always fantasized about having a child of your own, and when you met Shawn you knew you wanted to have his kids, but back then it was just thought.  It was a romanticized thought of having something––someone––that you both created.  Even while you were pregnant, it didn’t seem real.  Nothing seemed real until this moment and you had never felt this amount of terror in any situation before.

“Y/n, hey,” Shawn’s eyes were wide with concern, “You have to calm down, everything’s gonna be okay, everything will be––”

You shook your head rapidly as a few tears leaked from the corner of your eyes, “I can’t––Shawn, I can’t do this.”

He scrunched his eyebrows together, “I am absolutely positive that you can do this,” his face softened with a smile as he cradled your cheek in his hand, the pads of his thumbs wiping away the tears on your cheek, “As much as I want to tell you how strong you are, I think you really need a doct––”

And like the time in the kitchen, you slightly hunched over with one hand clutching Shawn’s, as the other went to your stomach, as an unbearable pain shot through your whole body.  Shawn’s eyes widened larger than you had ever seen them as he tried to hurriedly rush you to the front desk.

“Hi, my wife––” Shawn was interrupted by you letting out a whimper of pain as he talked to the front desk woman, “––She’s giving birth so we need a doctor––Like, now.”

You peaked through your eyelashes in your hunched position and saw the front desk woman sweetly smile at you and tell you as Shawn recited your information for a wrist band.  All you wanted to do was glare at her.

Once the band was placed on your wrist a doctor and a few nurses came out with a gurney.  You shot your head over to Shawn, not liking the idea of being wheeled into the maternity ward, but just like every moment of uncertainty before, he squeezed your hand in reassurance.

The doctor introduced themself, and the rest of the people on their team, before helping you up into the gurney, and asking you questions about your contractions and other medical inquiries that Shawn tried to answer to the best of his abilities.  You did your best to answer through your gritted teeth and sharp pains in your stomach, but Shawn’s hand had never left yours since the moment you stepped foot into this hospital, so that provided you with some comfort.

After you were brought back into a private room, Shawn helped you change into the gown that was provided, and then the doctor came back in to measure your cervix.  And your mouth was left hung open when he said you were only halfway dilated.  With your contractions lasting a few hours, you assumed you would almost be ready to have your baby by the time you got to the hospital.

“Oh, no,” the doctor laughed, “Television really doesn’t give an accurate representation.  New mom’s usually always have a longer birthing process––The early part of your first stage could be anywhere from six to twelve hours––”

“Twelve hours?” You leaned up on the hospital bed as the beeping of the heart rate monitor began to increase.

The doctor took a moment to read the screen before chuckling, “Everyone is different.”

You felt your palms begin to sweat as you looked over at Shawn, “I’m not ready,” you felt more tears start to cloud your vision, “I can’t––”

“You can,” Shawn’s voice was stern, he spoke with so much determination in his voice that, for a split second, you did believe in yourself, “This is what all these nine months have been leading up to.  I have never loved you more in my life,” his voice wavered at the end of his sentence, “So believe me when I say that you can do this.”

Shawn’s words were starting to break through to you; you were starting to feel like maybe you could get through this treacherous process of bringing a life into this world if he was by your side.

The doctor told you that you could walk through the halls if you were up for it, and that people could come and visit you, but when it was time to give birth, you were only allowed three extra people in the room.  And soon after that, your parents had walked into your room, your mom already had tears free falling down her face as she peppered kisses along the top of your head.  

They were in the room for about an hour, congratulating the both of you as soon-to-be parents, and then came in Shawn’s parents and Aaliyah.  Just like your mom, Karen was full on sobbing when she saw laid eyes upon you in a hospital gown, as Shawn soothingly rubbed his fingers on the top of your hand.

Aaliyah still had a grin spread on her face, much like earlier in the day before she interrupted Shawn’s phone call on your behalf.  And like your parents, they were the room for a little over an hour, before leaving the two of you, wanting to give you and Shawn some time alone before the extra addition to your family came along.

You mustered up the strength to walk around the halls of the hospital.  But you didn’t last long as you felt your contractions grow stronger.  You clutched onto Shawn’s arm, as he practically dragged you back to the room, and he pressed the call button for the doctor.

Within seconds, the doctor was in the room, and you were trying to hold back the screams of pain you felt bubble up in the back of your throat, the pain of your contractions happening more frequently and lasting longer.

The doctor measured your cervix again, and when he said you were at eight centimeters, you started to cry.  There was no possible way you could handle the pain of dilating two more centimeters.  You wanted to give up, turn back, but realistically that was not an option.

Shawn requested the doctor to go into the waiting room and bring back both of your mom’s, as those were the extra people, save for Shawn, that you wanted in the room as you gave birth.  A few minutes later, your mom and Karen hurriedly walked into the room with concern clearly written on their faces.

Karen got you a cup of ice chips as your mother went to your other side to hold your hand.

You squeezed your eyes tight as you felt another contraction rip through your body, you turned your head toward Shawn, as you tried to muffle your shout.  You felt hot, nauseous, and in more pain than you had felt in your entire life.  If this was only eight centimeters dilated you sure as hell didn’t want to know what it felt like to push a whole baby out of you.

Shawn’s hand was still held tightly in your grasp as he sat up from his chair and pressed a kiss to your forehead.

“Shawn, this is––”

“If you say you can’t do this one more time––”

“You’re not the one who’s about to push a fucking baby out from their vagina.”

In any normal circumstance, a harsh quip like that would’ve started a petty argument, but Shawn’s eyes only looked at you with admiration as he let out a laugh, “You sound like you’re giving birth.”

You shut your eyes, trying to relax yourself, but you were in so much pain and everything was getting on your last nerve.  As if on cue, the doctor walked back into your room, and the nurse who had been in the room watching over you gave him an update.  The only thing you heard from the nurse as a pain, that came so forcefully––it felt as if it was tearing apart your body from the inside out––was that you were almost at ten centimeters.

“Get this fucking kid out of me,” you cried through the pain.

Your mother shushed you, Karen offered you a sympathetic smile, and Shawn thought it was necessary to crack a joke.

“Hey, that’s my kid you’re talking about.”

You glared at him, “And I will never give you another fucking kid again––Argh––Shawn Mendes I hate you so much––”

“I love you too––”

“I hate you so fucking much––Ah!”

“Ten centimeters,” you heard the doctor say from the bottom of the bed.  They peaked their head around your bent knees, “Ready to push?”

As much as you wanted to meet your baby, and as much as you wanted them out of you, you shook your head no.  You continued to shake your head no as more tears slipped past your eyes and another shout of pain escaped your lips.

Shawn tried to squeeze your hand in reassurance, but with your hand gripping onto him so tight, his hand was numb.  So, instead, he placed his other hand on your shoulder and pressed a kiss to the top of your head, “I’m right here.  Holding your hand.  You have me.”

You looked up at him through your blurry vision. While you wanted to strangle him for putting you through this, his words resonated deep within your soul that you could physically feel his love for you through his words.

“I’ll never leave your side,” Shawn whispered as he wiped your tears away, “Now, are you ready to push?”

And for the first time that day, you nodded your head yes.

“On three,” you faintly heard the doctor instruct you, but all you focused on was Shawn whispering his own soft count down until your first push.

“I,” one, “love,” two, “you,” three, ”now push.”

You clamped your mouth shut, gripped Shawn’s hand until your knuckles turned three shades lighter, and pushed.  Pushing was worse than any contraction you felt and you wished you could go back to that pain.  But once your first push was done, and your muscles relaxed for a little bit, the doctor was giving you a warning that you were going to have to push again on three.

You looked up at your husband with fear in your eyes, who was already looking down at you, but before you could verbalize your fears, the number three was said and you started to involuntarily push.  

You let out a cry as Shawn stroked the hair on top of your head, “You’re doing so well––Incredible––” another push, “––You’re the strongest woman I know––” another push, “––There’s no one else I’d want to start a family with––”

“The baby’s crowning!”

“You hear that?” Shawn wiped away a few of your tears as you heard him get choked up, “They can see the head of our baby.”

You knew you still had more work to do, but you were exhausted, all of the physical and emotional pain was catching up to you.  But when the doctor said push, you leaned forward, focusing on Shawn rubbing your back, and pushed.

Shawn’s voice was the only thing that got you through giving birth.  But when another sound––one of a cry––filled a void in the room you didn’t know was there, it gave you a new sense of purpose.  

“One more!”

“I,” one, “love,” two, “you both,” his last words were rushed together, three, “now push.”

And as you squeezed both your mom’s and Shawn’s hand so hard––that you were sure they would need to go to get x-ray’s for broken bones––you suddenly felt all of the pressure lifted from your lower half as you fell back on the bed.  You dropped your death grip on both your mom and Shawn’s hand, but Shawn didn’t let go of your hand as you saw the doctor hold up the most beautiful baby you had ever laid eyes on.

“Say hello to your baby girl.”

Your mouth was hung open in awe as the doctor placed your baby––your child with Shawn––on your chest for skin to skin contact.  After all the pain you went through, and the tears you shed, you would do it all over again just for this moment.  This first little moment with your baby girl pressed to you, her cries sounding like music to your ears, as you felt Shawn’s tears fall on your skin as he pressed a kiss to your forehead.

You looked up at him with your own tears in your eyes, “Ready?”

Looking into his tear-filled amber eyes, you saw him look down at your daughter, with an amount of love that was beyond how he ever looked at you.  And you knew that he was already planning his future with his daughter: seeing her first steps, driving her to guitar lessons even when she didn’t want to go, eating ice-cream with her all night when she would inevitably go through her first heartbreak, and then seeing the pure joy in her eyes when she would eventually get into her first choice school––Even though that was 18 years in the future––she was his daughter, and he knew that she was destined for great things.

And with a sniffle, he pressed a soft kiss to your lips and then to his daughter’s head, “Ready.”

Tag List: @fallinallincurls @alina--jpeg @adelaidestreets @5-seconds-of-mendes @particularnarry @now-that-i-saw-u @turtoix​ @shawnsmutal @vinylmendes @mendesficsxbombay @lights-on-mendes @illuminatepotter @shawnmendez

[wordsysayswords]

After picking Wash up on Sidewinder, it’s going to take everyone a while to get used to the new living arrangements. Especially Wash, who’s a bit directionless now that he’s finally free of the Project. Tucker doesn’t care for Blue Team’s new leader. But he can’t help noticing some of the man’s odd habits and wondering what caused them.

-

Part 2: Sleeping Habits

It hits Tucker that violently shaking the sleeping Freelancer out of a nightmare might be an exceptionally stupid idea at the exact same time Washington headbutts him in the nose.

Or, Wash wakes up swinging.

-

Tucker doesn’t know how he manages to fall asleep, but Caboose’s snoring wakes him at about 6 am. He blinks around the room, taking in the crayon drawings and machine blueprints—also drawn in crayon—plastering the walls.

Beside him, Caboose is spread-eagle on the bed, drooling into his pillow. Tucker rolls his shoulders, trying to relieve the stiffness earned from sitting up against the wall all night. His gaze falls to his deactivated energy sword in his lap.

Right.

It isn’t like Tucker forgot what happened during the night. His chest is still tight with the remnants of nightmares that had seen the incident end differently. Bloody.

Somewhere in the base, a floorboard creaks. Tucker jolts, sword flashing to life in his hand. His eyes fly to the door.

The handle doesn’t turn, the door doesn’t open. There isn’t even the shadow of feet passing by. The base is eerily silent—save for Caboose’s cartoonishly loud snores. After five minutes, Tucker’s starting to think he imagined it. He almost misses the distant sound of a door clicking shut.

Tucker listens. One minute. Two.

Pushing Caboose’s beefy arm off him, Tucker hops off the bed and tiptoes across the room. Ever so slowly, he reaches up and unlocks the door. He takes a deep breath.

He opens the door.

The kitchen is empty. So is the common area. The base feels cold and gray in the hazy morning light. The coffee pot is off, which is weird considering the unspoken rule that the first person up and about is in charge of prepping it. That’s usually Washington, what with his absolutely fucked sleep schedule.

But Tucker doesn’t want to think about Washington right now. What he wants is an ice pack for his nose because it might not be broken, but it hurts like a bitch. Deactivating his sword, Tucker grabs some ice and heads for the bathroom.

After nudging the door open to make sure a rabid Freelancer isn’t hiding inside, Tucker looks in the mirror to check the damage. Oof. The bleeding has stopped, but his shirt looks like a crime scene. Tucker hadn’t thought to grab tissues or gauze or even a medkit before locking himself and Caboose in the blue soldier’s room for the night. He gingerly inspects the colorful swelling he’s going to be sporting for a while.

He wonders if he gave Washington any bruises to add to his already sizable collection.

Tucker pulls back from the mirror and scoffs. He doesn’t give a shit about how Washington is feeling because it serves him the fuck right after almost murdering Tucker.

Tucker heads back to the common area. There’s a basket of laundry beside the door that the teal soldier hasn’t gotten around to folding. Tucker is fishing out a clean shirt to replace his blood-stained one when he notices the boots lined up neatly in the entryway. The two sets of boots.

There’s supposed to be three.

Wash’s room is empty.

The sun has barely crept above the distant glacier peaks on the horizon. There’s no snow this close to Sidewinder’s equator, but the landscape remains a tundra of frozen earth and hardy brown plants.

Tucker catches up with Washington two miles up the road, slowing the warthog to a crawl beside him.

“You goin’ my way, baby?” Tucker drawls, leaning out of the driver’s side with a wink.

Washington doesn’t stop walking. He glares ahead at the long dirt road stretching into the windswept wasteland, pointedly not looking at Tucker.

Okay, well, fuck. Dead silence wasn’t an option Tucker considered when mapping out this conversation in his head after he realized Wash had up and left. Then again, catcalling the guy hadn’t been on the agenda either, but Tucker’s mouth is always one step ahead. He’s a lot better at this whole banter thing when the other person can dish it out as good as they get. That was one of the nice things about Church. The asshole always had an answer, even if it was just “fuck you.”

“It’s cold as balls,” Tucker says, jumping on the first thing that comes into his head. “Where the hell are you going dressed like that?”

Washington is wearing the poorly fitting fatigue pants and shirt Caboose and Tucker had gifted him (though, Tucker was a lot more begrudging about it than Caboose). The Freelancer must have found the frayed military jacket somewhere in the abandoned base they’d taken over following the fight with the Meta. One of his hands holds it shut against the perpetually icy air. The other grips a sagging duffle bag thrown over his shoulder.

Washington picks up speed.

“You going somewhere?” Tucker prods, the engine of the warthog growling as he gives it just enough gas to keep Washington’s pace.

Tucker watches the man’s jaw clench, mouth set in a grim line.

Tucker sighs dramatically. “Listen, I don’t wanna have to be the one to tell Caboose that his pet ran away, so get your broody ass back t—”

“Take it!” Washington snarls, rounding on Tucker and causing him to slam breaks. Wash hurls the duffel bag to the frozen ground beside the warthog.

“Just fucking take it, okay?” Washington snaps louder, dragging a hand through his hair as he paces the road. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have taken anything, so just fucking take it, okay?”

Tucker cranes his neck out of the idling car to look down at the contents of the bag now spilled across the dirt. Two MREs and a flashlight.

Tucker doesn’t know what Washington sees in the confusion on the teal soldier’s face, but the man lets loose a harsh laugh. Washington rips off the jacket and flings that to the dirt as well.

“There,” he says, folding his arms firmly across his chest. “You have everything. Now, just fucking go.”

Tucker just sits there for a moment.

“What the—god damn it,” Tucker snarls right back, throwing the warthog in park and clambering out. “I don’t give a fuck about a flashlight and some bags of chicken-fucking-flavored rice!”

Wash has the nerve to look pissed.

“What do you want then?” He yells, throwing out his arms. “WHY THE HELL ARE YOU OUT HERE?!”

“That’s MY LINE, you ABSOLUTE ASSWIPE!” Tucker shouts back. “What are YOU doing out here? Are you actually running away?”

“What do you want? An apology? Like that’s going to fix this?” Wash shouts. “Fine! I’m sorry!”  

And the words come pouring out.

“I’m sorry!” Wash yells again. “I shouldn’t have fallen asleep, but I did, and I’m sorry. Is that what you want to hear? I’m sorry I’m broken, I’m sorry I killed Church, and I’m sorry I wasted your time.”

With that, Wash drops to the dirt, the fight sucked right out of him by the outburst. He sits there, head drooping and silent save for his uneven panting.  

For some reason, it hits Tucker at this exact moment that this is the longest conversation he and Washington have ever had.

“There,” Wash says finally, voice subdued. “I said it. You can go. You don’t have to worry about me anymore.” He doesn’t make any move to stand up.

Tucker actually laughs. “Seriously, dude? The nearest settlement is like 70 miles away. What are you going to do? Walk?”

“I can handle it,” Wash says dully.

“Dude,” Tucker says, pointing to Wash’s shirt. “You’re bleeding.”

Wash startles, looking down and finally noticing the slowly growing patch of blood at his side.

“Shit,” he curses, lifting the fabric to reveal a soaked square of gauze.

Tucker pulls a face. “Ugh, I thought Doc stitched you up.”

“Tore them,” Wash mumbles, pulling at the bandage to inspect the wound and face pinching at what he finds. “...Last night.”

Wash glances up at the cold, dirt road ahead and then down at the blood seeping out from around his hand pressed to his wound, frowning.

Tucker rolls his eyes and sighs. “Alright, get in.”

Wash narrows his eyes. “Where are we going?”

“To Mars,” Tucker says flatly. “Where the fuck do you think? Back to base to get your sorry ass stitched up again.”

Wash blinks. “What?”

“No, you heard me,” Tucker says, turning heel and climbing back in the car. Last night is still too fresh for him to offer the man a hand. “Get in the car.”

Still looking a little like a deer caught in headlights, Wash shakily climbs to his feet, wincing all the way. He hisses in pain bending down to pick up his things before limping around the warthog to climb in the passenger seat.

Staring straight out the windshield, Tucker grits his teeth and grips the steering wheel like it owes him money. It would be so much easier to hate Wash if he made excuses or pretended last night never happened. It’s a lot harder to hate someone when they’re standing in front of you in the cold, bleeding and apologizing for taking a coat and some meager rations. Goddammit.

“I still hate you,” Tucker blurts out, every word tasting like a lie.

Wash just nods, tired eyes still fixed on the place where the dirt road meets the horizon in the distance. He sags against the seat, pale and with sweat beading at his brow.

“Look,” Tucker says, slumping his shoulders, “I’m not stopping you from leaving. You’re a grown-ass, presumed KIA adult and can do whatever the hell you want. I just…recommend doing it with proper supplies and when you’re not bleeding everywhere.”

Wash looks over at him.

“I can leave later?” he asks quietly.

Tucker shrugs. “It’s up to you. You don’t owe us anything.”

Wash looks like he’s about to argue but seems to think better of it. He’s visibly shivering now. Tucker cranks up the heat before turning the warthog around and heading back towards base.

“Are...are you okay?” Wash asks softly.

Tucker looks over at him, taking in how he’s slumped against the seat even as his hands tightly gripped the wound. Up close, Tucker can see a ghastly bruise peeking out from under the collar of his t-shirt. Whether it’s from him or the Meta, Tucker can’t be sure.

He turns his eyes back to the road. “I’m fine,” Tucker says, even as his nose pulses in pain at the memory of the previous night.

“I should have warned you not to come near me when I’m sleeping,” Wash all but whispers.

“Is screaming like a...like an opera-singing howler monkey... normal for you?”

Wash shrugs.

“Whatever,” Tucker says. “Just try not to get blood all over the seats. I just had this thing cleaned.”

“What? How?”

“It’s a joke, Wash.” That’s weird. When did Washington become Wash?

“Oh.”

They ride in silence for a few moments before Wash speaks up again. “Tucker?”

“Hm?”

“...Thanks.”

Tucker stares straight ahead as the base comes into view. “Don’t mention it.”

[a-wanderin-whirlybird]

A Day in the Life: Mornings

A Family Mob AU fic.

The day began at 4am that morning, with Michael blinking into the dim light of a waking Los Santos. He didn't even need to move from bed to know that someone was already up. Michael sighed.

Gavin glared out the window, his eyes trained on the newly rented apartment across the street. Green light smeared on the glass, pouring from Gavin's eyes and the thin membrane on his back fluttered irritably. 

"Yo Gav what the fuck, Go to sleep." A high pitched unearthly shriek ripped through the penthouse as a ghostly version of Michael floated in front of Gavin. He turned around to see Michael walking over with a sleepy sour look.

It was too early for any kind of grooming. Michael had left his spines out, poking through his specially made pjs they were usually hidden under his heavy leather jacket. Gavin could even see the third eye, its lashes twitching as Michael worked to keep it closed at this early hour.

"Christ Micool not this early!" Gavin hissed, his eyes torn away from the window. Michael rolled his eyes, all three, and scoffed.

"Yeah but you haven't slept again." Michael hissed and Gavin pouted. 

"They didn't either! I don't trust it." Gavin turned back to the window, eyes trained back on the faint light peeking through the curtains across the street.

"You heard Matt, they're students. Of fucking course they dont sleep." Michael said grabbing Gavin by the shoulders. Gavin squawked as Michael lifted him up and began to walk away.

"But I gotta keep watch Micool."

"Well I'm up now you can get some sleep and I'll watch." Gavin grumbled as Michael slipped him down on his own bed and fell asleep instantly. His membrane wrapped around him, covering the Brit in a cocoon of glittering gold. 

Michael quietly left the room and moved out to the living room to wait out the rest of the night.

By 6 Ryan, Geoff and Fiona were up and with Michael. Geoff had floated in around 430 with a yawn and a light whine. Geoff was rarely able to make full words before 5 am so no one who saw him before then expected any.

Ryan and Fiona came in next one after the other at 5am. Ryan teleported in right to the fridge to grab a diet coke. Meanwhile Fiona shuffled in leaving a small trail of sea water behind her as she went straight for the coffee maker.  Together the four crew members all silently sat together as the rose rose.

By 501 Geoff was talking.

"Gavin was up?" He asked.

"Yeah, dumbass was staring down the new neighbors again. They need to get some fucking sleep." Michael confirmed. There was a swish and a heavy bat riddled with glowing green nails thumped on the coffee table.

"Fiona and I could put them to sleep." Ryan offered as Fiona chugged another cup of coffee and twirled the bat.

"Not yet you two. It's too fucking early for that." Geoff  groaned running a pale tattooed hand down his face. 

"It's never too early for a bit of a scare." Ryan joked with a small smile. His purple eye glowed and moved separately of his other more human eye. It almost looked hungry as it turned towards the window. Michael growled as he shoved Ryan who laughed as he crashed lightly into Fiona.

"More like a murder!" Michael shouted. Fiona gurgled angrily as she reached over Ryan and shoved Michael. Geoff closed his eyes and sighed, not that anyone could tell with how much he squinted.

"Alright you three stop that. You'll wake the whole city." Geoff scolded them.

"Or just us." Jack said, padding in with Matt and Lindsay at his heels. Mat grumbled, his little wings fluttering as he rose into the air and shot off to the coffee maker. Fiona yelped, clutching her coffee and shielding it from Matt's dash. Lindsay yawned and shook yellow dust from her hair as it sprang to life and cackled with heat turning a soft orange.

"Sorry guys." Ryan apologized sheepishly, sipping from a cube of diet coke, as Lindsay flopped down across the four others on the couch. There was a resounding oof from the others as Jack shook their head black, green mossy scales shining in the sunrise.

"Jeremy, Alfredo and Gav still asleep?" Jack asked shuffling over to the open loveseat as Matt hovered with a cup of coffee nearby.

"Jeremy and Alfredo still, Gav just fell asleep." Geoff explained as Jack groaned.

"Again? Do we need to sleep on him again?" Jack asked as Fiona snorted.

"He'd love that." Fiona said wiggling her eyebrows and Lindsay snorted. 

"We could make sure someone is in the position to make him feel loved." Lindsay joked. "I'm sure Michael wouldn't mind."

Michael went to reply but Geoff interrupted. 

"Alright assholes leave it. I doubt blowing the guy would help much. It's the students across the street. They aren't sleeping." Geoff explained Jack nodded.

"Right. Bastard cant sleep if someone is awake nearby." Matt said, moving back to the kitchen and grabbing a bag of chips.

"Its 6 am and you're grabbing doritos?" Fiona asked.

"Fuck off at least I'm eating." Matt said around a mouthful of doritos. 

"Its finals week right? They should sleep regularly soon I doubt we have to worry." Ryan pointed out, his purple eye swirling around. Fiona winced as it sped over her.

"Ryan for fucks sake I feel like you're eye is going to eat something." Fiona said shoving a pillow in Ryan's face. "Get an eye patch."

"Stop staring at it Fiona!" Ryan said, covering his eyes with his hands and flinging his cube of Diet coke across the room.

"Oh for fucks sake. Kids lay off it's too early." Jack scolded and Michael had enough and shoved Lindsay onto the floor. "Let's get some food."

By 8am breakfast was made and the smell lured Jeremy from his room and into the kitchen. 

"Well look whose here. Morning sleeping beauty." Michael teased as he stepped in front of the shorter man. Jeremy stopped in front of Michael who held up a cup of coffee. Silently the half awake man opened his mouth, revealing rows of black sharp teeth. Michael silently poured the semi warm liquid down Jeremy's throat until the cup was empty. 

As you do.

"Hey get over here and eat before it gets too cold." Ryan insisted beckoning Jeremy over. Jeremy sat down, his black skeletal hands hovering over the table but not touching. Ryan smirked the eye patch he was wearing was bright green with a little daisy on it that shone in the sunlight. "Open up and players line up to take a shot."

Jeremy opened his mouth and, as most mornings the others all lined up and started throwing food at Jeremy. It had become a tradition, rather than either waiting for Jeremy to wake up or letting him rot the food the moment he touched it, the others started tossing his breakfast at him to catch. It worked, and made for a great game every morning.

After several shots of bacon from Jack and one very messy egg from Lindsay, Geoff lined up some potatoes and sent the spuds flying towards Jeremy. Only for the spuds to splat on Jeremy's face. 

"Fuck! It's in my eyes! Geoff the fuck?!" Jeremy shouted as the potatoes began to turn black and disintegrate. Geoff roared with laughter, his laughter pitching up into a high whistling wheeze and a little puff of smoke escaped from his mouth. Jeremy sneered as he scooped up Ryan's eggs, earning and indignant "Hey!" From Rayn, and hurled them at Geoff.

There was a satisfying splat as the eggs collided with Geoff's face. And from there breakfast devolved.

Alfredo entered the kitchen all his arms stretching and eight eyes blinking at the sunlight then blinking away bacon grease as a plate of bacon slapped him in the face. Alfredo sighed, swiping the bacon from his face and stuffing it into his mouth.

Welp. When in rome.

By 10am the food fight has ended, the kitchen cleaned up and the Crew has begun to move on to business. Those who could fly did, taking to the air of the penthouse to leave room closer to the floor for others. 

Fiona was down in the private gym with Alfredo, the Drowned and Cave Spider sparred and talked crowd control for the up coming heist.

Ryan and Jeremy were in the armory with michael running inventory and cleaning weapons. The Enderman, Wither and Guardian chatting calmly about possible explosives and points of entry.

Lindsay, Geoff and Jack were in the command center, running through Plans and blueprints. The Blaze, Ghast and Creeper chose targets and contingency plans. 

Gavin finally woke up by noon. The Phantom stretched his Membrane and yawned, joining the planning team by 1230. The day would continue from there, plans would be laid and prep work would be finished.but the morning would gave already slipped by in a nice haze of well earned laziness.

[sarasfm]

Sarauniya “ Sara ” Davies, 24, pansexual, cisfemale, ISFP Enneagram 9w1; Pisces sun, Sagittarius moon, Pisces rising 1st year Advanced Encryption Major; did not go to a spy prep hs

Imma keep it real with you, chief, I have absolutely no idea what’s going on. I mean, obviously, I know what espionage is ; I’ve read books and articles, and I’ve seen Spy Kids and all the Charlies Angels and James Bond movies, but I genuinely think I need a minute to wrap my head around everything. Make that two weeks, because what’s this I hear about two murders ?  I literally just got sent here to be safe, I — I’m sorry, I’m freaking out. Give me five seconds, and we can start again, because I promise I can totally pretend this is all normal. @gallagherintro​

full name: sarauniya “ sara ” davies

dormitory room: 105

birthday: 20 march 1995

soundtrack: “ go gina ” by sza

favorite dish: efo riro

aesthetic:  when i see them walking around in the halls, i usually see a flash of light reflecting from her earrings, eyeglasses perched on top of her head, and a caviar iphone always in her hands

Bio Points

her mom’s a nigerian baddie billionaire & her dad’s a soft academic brit

she grew up between london and abuja where their family’s business is based. it’s a trading enterprise, the largest industrial conglomerate in sub-saharan africa

she’s the eldest of three siblings, was raised to be prim & proper and groomed to run their family’s business. her family’s not pushy though and they’re really cool. very healthy dynamic so she doesn’t mind ; she loves her fam and would do it w a smile !

Coding is her Passion though. total dork. stayed up all the time just sleuthing and being an internet geek since she was a youngin’

loves education and is the type who would willingly stay in school to learn. has a degree in economics from harvard and was almost done with her mba when her littlest sister got abducted !  was it about business ? money ? who knows ! the sister’s fine now but her family sure is Scared especially since sara’s alone in the big bad united states

her mom made some calls and went “ gimbiya, look, u aint safe n we sorry. we’ll work something out to make sure u get ur mba degree somehow but shit is wild so we gotta get u somewhere near that’s safe asap. u like studying & ur a geek with computers right ? cool beans, go back to school & welcome to gallagher, babe ”

she enters gallagher in the middle of the spring semester very overwhelmed & inwardly ignoring how unhappy she is about having to be here bc she is not & does not want to be a spy. she just tryna distract herself by looking at this entire thing as a weird vacation where she can do stuff she wasn’t able to before because it’s literally detached from the world. she is mostly probably in way over her head, but let’s see ! 

Other Information

Nicknames: Sara (to everyone), gimbiya (to family, means princess in Hausa)

Languages: English (native), Hausa (native), Arabic (C1), French (B2)

Strengths: is money a strength ? also coding. and being the sweetest. and a general smartypants but that’s in a university setting & gallagher probably doesnt give a fuck

Relationship History: only has one (1) experience. ( well,,, 2 if a three-second drunken kiss w kass counts ) his name’s royce and they’ve known each other since their bougie secondary school back in britain. started dating at sixteen and went to harvard together. they’re long term as fuck. he’s like her best friend and their families adore the couple & each other. got engaged last september and sara broke it off before leaving for gallagher, oof. she deadass milked the opportunity but lbr she wasnt rlly Feeling It so she’s kinda glad for the ‘valid reason’ to appear bc it rlly wasn’t Love for sara so boy bye

Physical appearance: 1.76m, 55kg, long black hair, slim and toned build

Classes: GEN 105, GEN 206, AE 101, AT 101, PE 101

Personality

the sweetest. v charming & sensitive to others & curious about things. enthusiastic too ! loves adventures & is very passionate. queen of empathy. 

she’s not stuck up even tho she loaded. she doesnt rlly talk abt her family having 12B or the fact that she’s an ivy league girl, bc she’s just generally very uwu 

easily stressed and flustered and overwhelmed ! man, gallagher’s gonna shook this goddamn academic dork to her core for the love of god someone pls get the aed ready

rlly fun !!! can be a lil unpredictable bc it b lyk dat for rich girls. loves her independence which she hasn’t maximized bc of her ex fiancé & responsibilities but it’s chill so chill totally chill, no ounce of further longing exists in the crevices of this girl’s heart

she is so not good with confrontation and is so allergic to conflict ok. she will sweep discomfort under a rug and lie on it ‘til it’s flat which makes her a queen of repression & conforming

is she easily overwhelmed & stressed ? yes, but she’ll try not to show it so much. it’s all mostly an internal monologue so don’t underestimate her pls. she’s v smart and competent. can be so competitive ( albeit mostly inwardly ) and a boss ass business bitch like her business momma bc that’s what she’s been training for altho she is still generally a soft bab so ... yeah, if u would be so kind as to Estimate her, that’d be grand

she needs to always be on top of her game. maybe not the best in the class, but definitely pushes herself to be her best, so a lot of late nights studying & won’t settle for bad grades ever. gonna be rough in gallagher bc she is not spy material ok, she’s just a pretty rich geek behind a computer

just imagine her as the nice girl in ur ap classes who’s a lil awkward & just so happens to be super hot & stinking rich

Fun Facts

has a six-month old rescue pup named sooty ! who kinda looks like a sheparnese

has a tendency to ramble if she’s comfy w u enough or mayhaps if it’s too much man 

is v diligent w keeping a journal & does it everyday 

likes to dance ! not super good but she likes it. hits da clubs for dat shit 

is a lil instagram famous bc she’s a gorgeous rich harvard girl & all that jazz. queen of selfies & of looking hot but doesn’t actually get to play around rip ffff 

doesn’t drink much bc she is an extreme lightweight and 2 is her tap out limit

if she’s had more than 2 drinks, she is Very Honest but still very ramble-y 

she is physically active but mostly just runs and does yoga. knows very basic self-defense. is not sporty, definitely not a fighter, may god have mercy on her soul

isnt a virgin but is not sexually experienced lmao lbr she kinda Itching to get out there 

don’t ask me what her accent is because i have no clue it’s all over the place

Established Connections — just bc i think y’all would like to know

kassandra sutton — internet friends ! loves kass to bits. have known each other since sara was 14. when kass was 18, sara took her on a grad trip to montreal and became a lil lowkey into her. doesn’t help that kass drunk kissed her & doesn’t remember lmfao. poor sara told her then-bf & they had a lil fight but they made up bc sara didn’t talk to kass for months. eventually they became friends again & now sara’s in gallagher w no idea that kass is a mf sutton & honestly, my girl is just very shook w everything 

Possible Connections

crushes — she does not know how to flirt. she is ,,,, p pathetic tbh but a real heckin cutie. will be super nice to ur bab ok  

flirtationships — sara and i r gonna continue to keep it real w u chieves, her ex fiancé royce was vanilla and bland as fuck. can u believe she has not been single in a decade ? ? someone give her love & attention & fluster this soft innocent child. get her Experienced but also dont hurt her

enemies/angst !!! —  or maybe do ! maybe hurt her. maybe obliterate her. maybe smash her poor heart to pieces, because tbh i would love that.  so someone pls for the love all things holy and divine, someone hurt her !!!!

fwb — probably just one (1) bc she’s still a romantic ? and she’s probably gonna want something exclusive even if it’s no strings attached and will surely want to ,.,. get to know them a little bit more first ,,, at least ideally , idk , maybe impulse & thirst gets the better of her one of these days who knows lets find out !

friends !!! — sara will love u ok. she may be a lil easily flustered but she’s doesn’t rlly give up on ppl quickly. as i’ve said, queen of empathy. probs feels v sorry for majority of the gallagher & georgetown kids bc, .,.,., this environment just screams highkey Trauma to her and she’s valid bc she’s right

mentors !!! — she hates feeling dumb ok she Always has to be on top of her game, so u can bet ur ass after her first meetings in her classes she goes to ppl going “ hey could u help me out w working out ? boxing ? firing a gun ? literally everything & anything ? ”   

anything & everything — meaning just come @ me & let’s talk about it uwu 

( did i just create georgina’s antithesis ? fuck yes, and i am sooo excited to have a child that’s not always plotting & scheming & being mean like y’all have no idea ;_; nywy, that was long bc shutting up and brevity are things i do not possess. whats up it’s ur og flower garden girl rose here aka bugleweed aka fiancée of many and lover of all, and i am open to anything and everything ! just drop an IM or hit dat like & ill slide in ur dmz w love, plots & sanitized hands x )

[luckcycler]

ever thought about sdr2 talentswap au?? who you think would have which talent? i'm pretty curious of your opinion tbh! ps. i love everything about your blog, thank you for blessing us w/ your art úwù 💕💖💓💞💘💞💖💘💞💞💖💕💘

Thank you!! that is very kind to say

As for your question! Oof, that is a loaded one. I came up with the v3 ppl in three weeks so now I have to think this on the spot because I haven’t thought about it before.I do appreciate it though! 

I’ll try my best! Hopefully, these work to some extent. 

Hajime - Mechanic: He is grumpy because everything is always broken and of course he is the one that needs to fix it.

Nagito - Nurse: I just love the idea of him just being like “Oopsalmost amputated my entire arm off, ahaha, it happens.” No one has an appointment with Nagito that doesn’t end with a near-death experience and a new profound appreciation for life.

Chiaki - Swordswoman: Nice…

Twogami - Team Manager: They will be who you want them to be when youneed it. After all, support is very important.

TeruTeru - Musician: Getting  some Elvis vibes here.

Mahiru - Traditional Dancer: Works pretty well since some of her views are quite old fashioned.

Peko - Gymnast: Strict, precise. She knows how her body needs to move. Mistakes are not tolerated.

Hiyoko - Photographer: Vintage photographer.

Ibuki - Breeder: She only works with the weirdest goddamnanimals. She has a platypus with her. (Listen, Ibuki will have a venomous pet if Ibuki wants it,she can’t be contained.)

Mikan - ???: Wanted to have a talent so she could get closerto Junko who basically used her to get her way in the end.

Nekomaru - Prince: I just really love this idea. A king of his people.

Gundham - Cook: He cooks things that look like they are straightfrom Hieronymus Bosch’s paintings on the plate. They taste fantastic though.

Sonia - Gamer: Plays horror games but looks prep as hell. (Bit of a Kizuna AI feel) Upset over how many bad jeff the killer rip-off games there are.

Fuyuhiko - Imposter: Sort of an anonymous man, wears a mask of some sort. Sometimes can be seen in gymnastics competitions for some reason… Probably evades taxes like a champ. Alternatively, he just looks like a very tiny Togami and I don’t know which one I like more.

Kazuichi - Lucky Student: He isvery accustomed to getting what he wants thanks to his talent. Extremely whiny.

Akane - Yakuza: Powerful, tattooed, scarred, rowdy girl, sign me up.

I have made Hiyoko and Mahiru before here! LINK

It was a talent swap ask in a very similar manner to how Gonta ended up being the leader. (In other words, I didn’t really think about it much at that point.)

I don’t know if I will ever touch the other swaps though. It’s a lot of work so I might just perish, haha…