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multi-fan-dom-madness · 1 year

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For the OC ship game, may I humbly ask for thoughts and/or thots on Ilani x Rex? 💕

Or! Ilani x Hunter? Whichever you're vibing with more 👀

deeja! love the way your mind works, friend. I couldn't choose (typical bi behavior, woops), so have HCs for both! everything below the cut.

Ilani x Rex

How they met:

Through Anakin, as fate would have it. As the former Padawan of her best friend, Anakin considers Ilani like a big sister or an aunt and can’t wait to introduce her to his captain. “One of my best men,” he boasts, a proud smile on his face as Rex offers his hand for Ilani to shake. “One of the best men I’ve ever met, really.”

Ilani raises an eyebrow at that. Not in surprise, but in interest. Anyone who earns the praise of Anakin Skywalker must be worth their salt.

It’s not long after being introduced that they have a chance to fight together on the battlefield. Ilani immediately understands why Anakin praises Rex so highly; his strategy and care for his men is unparalleled among the GAR, and she respects him for it right off the bat.

She honestly kind of fumbles the first battle, though. It’s still early enough in the war that she hasn’t yet adjusted to a bellicose existence, still preferring a negotiation over a firefight, and because of this she really only defends herself and the men. In this particular battle, she remains on the defensive until it is clear she must go on the offensive, and even then, it’s only after Rex has a close call that she is spurred into action.

General HCs:

Rex doesn’t begrudge Ilani for her actions in that battle, recognizing that the Jedi Order she was raised under instilled very different values from the soldier’s training he received on Kamino, but she’s not felt quite so embarrassed or inadequate in a long time as he tells her this. It makes her feel like a Padawan, and that more than anything forces her to reevaluate.

In general, the two of them get along amicably. Partly this is because they spend most of their time together either strategizing, or in the heat of battle. Ilani initially shares some of Anakin’s wholly-positive praise of Rex. It’s only once Rex convinces her to spend time with him not thinking about the war that she realizes that she’s pedastalized him. Like the rest of the clones, he’s a whole human, with strengths, yes, but also deep flaws.

Loyal to a dangerous fault, encouraged to think for himself but threatened with doing things by the book, the Rex that Ilani comes to know off the battlefield is frustrated, disillusioned, and short. She knows it’s not aimed at her; she’s not perfect, either, but together they work on themselves.

They’re honestly platonic soulmates. They vibe well, they understand one another, and they help the other grow. Neither of them have had much romantic experience, so at some point Ilani confessed to him feeling something for him. They kissed, and immediately both decided, nope! This is weird, like kissing a family member.

They’ve been close friends for years now, though.

Ilani x Hunter

How they met:

Through Cody. The Batch gets an assignment that requires a Jedi, and Cody can think of no one better than his general’s best friend. Cody rightly assumes that Ilani’s fierce loyalty and steadfast compassion will be exactly what the boys of Clone Force 99 need.

This is, of course, the Bad Batch’s frat-era, and Hunter is as cocky as Ilani is stubborn. They butt heads nearly immediately.

The tension between them nearly bungles the mission. Thankfully, some quick thinking by Tech and some truly impressive theatrics by Crosshair save the day. Ilani and Hunter spend the flight back to base in frustrated silence, sitting at opposite ends of the ship. But by the time they drop out of hyperspace, Ilani, having meditated on it, requests that Hunter remain so they can talk. The others dutifully file out and, once the ship is otherwise empty and the hatch shut, Ilani apologizes.

Hunter is taken aback, but seems to believe her, and offers an apology of his own. “Truce?” “Truce.” In all honesty, they both realize that they disagreed so strongly because they’re highly similar: both are strong and competent leaders, both believe they know what’s best, and both want what’s best for their men. They just had very different ideas of how to fulfill all of those traits.

General HCs:

From then on, whenever CF99 needs a Jedi, they (and by “they” I mean Hunter) request Ilani. She almost always obliges. The others aren’t stupid, they know that these two idiots have feelings for one another, but Crosshair makes sure that Tech and Wrecker don’t kark things up for their big brother. Hunter needs to come to the conclusion on his own.

They’re constantly touching one another. Ilani rests her hand on Hunter’s back as she scoots past him in the Marauder; he bumps her with his elbow when he cracks a joke that she deadpans at. She casually brushes hair out of his eyes once and he nearly short-circuits.

Hunter appreciates that Ilani doesn’t feel the need to fill every silence with chatter, unlike some Jedi (Skywalker). He often finds himself sitting near her when she meditates before and after missions. Studying her features, wondering what she’s meditating on, wondering if she can sense the way his heart leaps when he imagines just leaning over and— He gets up quickly, retreating before he does something stupid.

They still argue, tempers flaring when they disagree on how best to complete a mission; these spats typically end with both of their chests heaving and funny feelings in their stomachs, like...butterflies?

NSFW HCs:

It’s actually after one such argument, about something pointless, that everything comes to a head. Hunter had gotten in her face, the pair of them nearly the same height, anger etched into every line on his face. Ilani had her teeth bared, but Hunter is closer to her than he’s ever been, and her eyes inadvertently drop to his lips for just a moment—but Hunter saw. And decided enough is enough.

They are the most intensely passionate lovers on their own, and together every moment of intimacy is incredibly sensuous. Between his enhanced senses and her own (thanks to her montrals), they both learn the other’s body, reactions, and tells quickly. At some point, all it takes for her to work him up is a series of featherlight touches and one very pointed look, and then he can’t wait to pin her to the wall and fuck her senseless.

Their sexual relationship, like their emotional one, is rather give-and-take. More often than not, Ilani ends up on top, riding Hunter for all she’s worth—but when he feels like it, he can easily grab her hips and change the pace. It infuriates her as much as it makes her lose her mind, falling apart for him with little effort.

It’s also not uncommon for their dalliances to oscillate between feverish, rushed fucking to slow and tender lovemaking, complete with eye contact and soft caresses of one another’s faces.

Ye Olde Ragu Liste: @the-hexfiles @thorsterstrudle @dystopicjumpsuit @clonemedickix @freesia-writes @littlemissmanga @wolffegirlsunite @anxiouspineapple99 @wings-and-beskar @sinfulsalutations @523rdrebel @sunshinesdaydream @moonlightwarriorqueen @sev-on-kamino @starrylothcat @deejadabbles @starqueensthings @mandos-mind-trick @idontgetanysleep @eyeluvmusic21 @wizardofrozz @mythical-illustrator @sleepycreativewriter @dreamie411 @bobaprint @imarvelatthestars @originalcollectionartistry @droids-you-are-looking-for @goblininawig @lune-de-miel-au-paradis @9902sgirl if your name has a strikethrough, I can't tag you so check your settings! (if you'd like to be added or removed, click here!)

#my ocs #star wars oc #hunter x oc #rex x oc #oc: jedi master ilani taryn #rhiwrites #rhiplies

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lionkin · 7 months

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Bit of a personal post here. It’s a bit long so read more…

That winged lion i reblogged earlier looks very familiar to a form I used to take in my ‘past life’. I’ve mentioned before that I am not a spiritual therian in that I do not believe I was a lion in a past life. My past is complicated and I haven’t ever really spoke about it but since this is a personal blog i feel like I can talk about it to a degree.

I wholly believe I was some form of archivist in what is generally known to humanity as the ‘Akashic records’. It is my past and I believe it will be my future, and I believe I am on earth in this form either for training purposes or as some kind of penance for bungling something up on the higher end. Anyways, I took many forms in my previous role, but none of them really have much significance to me other than the leonine one, which my current lion form does not really reflect, and it is probably only significant because of who I am here and now… I suppose.

I am somewhat at odds that most discussion of them revolves around reading the records. From what a recall this stuff was kept under lock and key and could not be read by anything but other archivists, of which there were few, but this is not a reflection of all worlds, so these people are probably pulling something from somewhere. Honestly, if anyone is reading the records this may have been my fault, it would explain this ‘punishment’. This would be a light sentence for such a grievous breach of security though.

I guess I can understand why people would be fascinated by the idea of the contents though, it’s just a shame there’s little discussion of the ‘place’ itself though I don’t really know what I would expect anyone to say about it. I guess you just had to be there.

I miss the ‘records’ fiercely. The urge to keep and organise and protect everything cannot be quelled and is just not possible and it is quite hard to deal with some days! However, this life is still very beneficial as I have really come to appreciate the little things as well. When you are in a role with so much… everything… all the time it can be easy for the details to be fuzzy. Sometimes you just categorise just to categorise and don’t really appreciate the gravity of what you are holding.

I’m glad to be here, I do hope I get to go home one day though. There isn’t anything on earth that is truly like it but some things do, in fleeting moments, come close

#not sure what to tag this one as #akashic records #personal posts #alterhuman #anyways… if anyone else believes anything similar it would be nice to hear about it

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childofaura · 2 years

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I know that you don’t have a high opinion on Chrom but what are your thoughts on his Resplendent?

And while we are it, any thoughts on Lucina’s Resplendent (the fairy one that has her drawn like a child)?

You know, I do feel a little bad so I have to clarify:

I may whine about Chrom too much, but he’s honestly not as bad as I make him out to be. I’m just a tad tired of the over-saturation of Chrom. But honestly he’s not the worst character. And I’ve said it before but Chrom fans come up with the funniest nicknames in FEH.

So let’s get into the Resplendents:

For what it’s worth, I like Chrom’s Muspell incorporation. I feel like it could maybe use a tad bit more armor though? And also the scale chainmail’s a bit too long. But I get it, they’re following the original layout of Chrom’s outfit. Which… honestly Chrom’s outfit is a bit of a mess, those weird boots, the one bare arm and the other in a sleeve, this boy is a walking fashion disaster, lmao. But he’s the FANS’ fashion disaster. The cape, feathers, and armored gloves are perfect.

And I’ve already talked about PenekoR, long story short love their art, dynamic posing and amazing expressions, they need to stop being afraid to draw noses, yadda yadda.

Honestly I’m mixed on Muspell being picked for Chrom. On the one hand, Askr is too predictable, but it’s the better fitting choice since the Order of Heroes parallels the Shepherds. On the other hand, Muspell really doesn’t feel like it’s a good pick for Chrom’s personality. But on my third hand, Muspell aesthetic really goes well with Chrom. So overall I can’t give a straight answer for fitting choice.

I’d say Chrom’s a comfortable 8/10. Not bad at all.

Now… ugh… Lucina:

Full disclaimer that yes, I’m aware that Himukai Yuji is a lolicon-drawing creep. We’re just gonna be reviewing the art. And also, with that being said, I don’t judge or dislike or blame anyone who like’s Yuji’s art in FEH. The FEH art is entirely separate from the personal art, so no bullying anyone who does like their art.

So incorporation is actually pretty bad. And no I’m not saying this as a bias against Yuji because let me explain: Lucina’s outfit still wholly looks like it’s made out of cloth, not petals and leaves like other Resplendents do. We could have had more of like a glowing nightflower look (something akin to the Silent Princess from Breath of the Wild), but nah the artis decided that you can split the ends of the garment and call it a day. It also took me a moment to realize those butterflies slapped on were her shoulder pauldrons, there was no effort to make them look like they fit as adornments.

The ONE thing I will grudgingly give Yuji’s art is that their coloring style is very vivid and distinct, and it looks nice. And posework seems to be ok. And that’s it, because they fucked up big time drawing Lucina and making her look like a fucking baby. And considering what the artist gets their rocks off to, it grossly makes sense now.

The sad thing is that yes, a Ljosalfheim Resplendent is perfect for Lucina. She’s a Princess who was forced into a world of despair, the opportunity for her to live a fairytale life is lost. So for her to be a dream princess that fights nightmares is super fitting. It’s just that this Resplendent was bungled in every possible way. There’s a few fixes I’ve seen with an image search that try to do fixes, but they mess up by not fixing the outfit cloth program and they also make Lucina’s chest too big when she’s canonically flat-chested (and don’t take away the little flat chest rep that I have ):< )

Without a doubt, Resplendent Lucina is a 5/10. She deserved better.

#Fire Emblem Heroes #FEH #ask game

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true-blue-sonic · 1 year

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HI HI, BLUE!!

🍯🥛💕💩 - Espio, Silver & Gold for the Ask Game

Hello! ^-^

Espio:

send 🍯 for a food headcanon

Is the one member of the Chaotix most concerned with ensuring the three of them get any sort of healthy nutrition, and thus cooking actual meals tends to fall on his shoulders. He's gotten quite adept at making filling dinners with limited resources, and can even make it be relatively tasty most of the time. But there are days where he accepts the fact they'll only be eating fast food, and secretly he does like to indulge in that on occasion.

send 🥛for a drink headcanon

Absolute favourite choice of beverage is green tea (the famous Japanese ocha). He'll drink multiple cups a day of it if he gets the chance.

send 💕 for a love headcanon

Honestly is ('was' in the world of New Beginnings :>) not at all interested in love, figuring that it will only hold him back in his training and development as a ninja and detective. He'll only ever fall in love with someone who both respects his desires to improve and who can keep up with him!

send 💩 for a ridiculous headcanon

Doesn't always know what to do with his long tail, like where to keep it if he's sitting on the couch or a chair and the like. It's definitely a main tripping hazard in the Chaotix household, and he needs to be careful it does not get jammed between the door and the doorframe!

Silver:

send 🍯 for a food headcanon

Absolutely adores trying out his hand at cooking foods in the past. He's not always good at it and once he goes off-roading when it comes to the recipe the end result can be a bit nasty, but with his own stomach of steel, he's got no issue eating it anyway! His friends, however...

send 🥛for a drink headcanon

He doesn't talk about it much because he figures it is silly with the sheer amount of choice in the past when it comes to beverages, but his favourite drink is a simple, nice cold glass of water, maybe with some ice cubes.

send 💕 for a love headcanon

Didn't even know love was a thing for most of his life; he always was too preoccupied with other matters to consider it, let alone see it between other people. He was in for quite a surprise when he got introduced to the concept in the past, but now he finds it quite endearing and an indication of all the good and happiness in the world. It helps that he's got a lot of love to share with others himself!

send 💩 for a ridiculous headcanon

Despite the fact he's got decent stamina and can pull off quite a few tricks and rapid movements while on foot, there are absolutely days where he becomes a lazy floating couch potato that uses his powers for everything. It's a good practice for said powers, though he's definitely startled the bejeebies out of some people who walked in on him bopping in the air with his limbs and head bungling as if he had to be exorcised, lmao.

Gold:

send 🍯 for a food headcanon

Has lived most of her life on a diet of nutrient pills and bland, processed algae... so when Silver comes bursting in and shows her all sorts of different dishes (plus some mangling of said algae Teal Class Style to give them some flavour), she is rather apprehensive at first. She'll occasionally try something out and there are things she likes, but she remains a notoriously picky eater!

send 🥛for a drink headcanon

Onyx City has some kind of tea equivalent, though don't expect it to be as flavourful as the teas from the past. Tea luckily is one of the things Gold does like to drink, especially once she finds out there are multiple flavours in the past to try. Silver makes sure to take her favourite back to Onyx City each time he visits the past!

send 💕 for a love headcanon

Absolutely fantasises about falling in love one day and has more crushes than anyone can keep up with, especially Silver... and that is all she dares do with her feelings. She's quite too terrified to ever go up to anyone she's crushing on and just tell them! It does not help that her crushes come quickly and go even more quickly, leaving her in an endless rotation of liking different people every single day. Silver can't keep track of it all!

send 💩 for a ridiculous headcanon

Her quills need to be brushed every single day, as they are so long they can get tangled and matted quite quickly. But sadly it is rather difficult for Gold to reach them properly because they are so large and voluminous, meaning she either has to twist herself and her quills like a pretzel to reach the more difficult parts of very awkwardly has to ask one of the other Councilmembers for help. If the weather in Onyx City is humid, the frizziness and static electricity in her quills is off the charts. Silver's shocked himself on her more than once, even if his own aren't that much better.

#silver the hedgehog #espio the chameleon #gold the tenrec #sonic headcanon #thanks for the ask! ^-^#long post

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adventures-of-the-creeping-bam · 6 months

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NEVER SPLIT THE PARTY: THE ADVENTURES OF THE CREEPING BAM, BOOK FOUR: THE HUNT - CHAPTER 32

If you’re new to the story, please go check out Book 1 first …

Boof 4 Chapter 1 is here …

IMPORTANT: Please note this story includes content that may be considered mature, such as moderate battle violence, some strong language and occasional mild sexual scenes.

If you want to support my writing, feel free to swing by my Patreon or Ko-fi.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO: DRAMRATH

When Vandryss walks into the room it’s all I can do not to stalk right up to her and behead her on the spot. I’ve just gotten so thoroughly sick of all of this shit, I truly don’t care what might happen anymore, I just want this done with, and to never have to look at her hateful smarmy face again. Their plan has gone to hell in spectacular fashion, leaving my friends in a genuinely terrible situation, and she just looks bored. It’s honestly a miracle I don’t kill her right now.

The fact we’re stood at the back of the main upstairs lounge of Hontiresk’s gods-awful gentleman’s club, with more than a few of his fellow idle-rich peers present to witness such an act, is just about the only reason I don’t. As it is I still break away from my position leaning against the impressively tall bookshelf to approach her as she joins us now, my still empty hands itching to commit magnificent violence upon her. Trouble stays where she is for now, still cradling her sword like a mother with her child, trying to ignore the disapproving looks the distinguished highborn gentlemen around us aren’t even trying to hide. She hates this place even more than I do, that much has been clear since the moment we set foot in here, but while the general atmosphere of unnecessary opulence and unrestrained arrogance just makes me ill-tempered, she’s become a good deal more meek.

“Perhaps this isn’t the best place for you to be right now, Mallys.” she sighs as she looks me over, her expression slipping from apathy to irritation now. “You might be better off joining your companions, helping them complete the task you’ve so far spectacularly bungled.”

“Shut up.” I snap at her now, stepping close so I can tower over her as I glare down with all of my enraged intensity. “Your idiotic little enterprise, as you so charmingly call it, has turned into an incredible clusterfuck. You better pray none of my friends end up getting hurt by what you’ve done here, or I really will have to end you on the spot. Regardless of where we are.”

The way she just rolls her eyes as she cranes up at me, like she doesn’t care a single jot about the fact she’s barely more than half my size, is so infuriating that I feel the fire raring up inside me again. “Calm yourself, Mallys, you’re creating a scene. You wouldn’t want your employer’s business being aired in public now, would you?”

“It already is, you stupid cunt. The Playhouse is burning down. As soon as the Authority find out what you idiots have been doing down there in the catacombs, there’s going to be absolute uproar. There won’t be any covering this up any more, it’s already out there for anyone to see. In a few hours you’ll be done in Untermer.”

“Calm yourself, Mistress Mallys.” Hontiresk produces a cigar from somewhere inside his robes and starts rolling it between the fingers of his right hand while his left starts rummaging through the various layers of rich grey silk and linen draped over him. He’s sat there in that ridiculously opulent soft leather armchair like he doesn’t have a care in the world, sniffing the expensively rolled tobacco, looking almost as bored by all of this as Vandryss. “The Oceanic has been insured for centuries, and this … unfortunate incident is clearly no fault of mine. I stand to be recompensed significantly more capital than the entire business is even worth. I can rebuild it finer than it already was and still pocket a substantial profit on top of it.” He finally finds the silver cutter he’s been searching for and snips the tapered end of the cigar with swift efficiency. “Perhaps I should invest it in some form of expansion. What do you think I should try?”

Gubal doesn’t even have to move from where he’s been stood the whole time since we first arrived after we all arrived here together from the Playhouse via swift private carriage, he simply leans over the back left corner of his master’s chair as he strikes a match. Hontiresk doesn’t even glance in his direction, simply turning his head just enough to meet the flame with the cigar he plants between his lips. Their complimentary actions unfold with such startling precision it’s clear they’ve done this a thousand times before.

“I don’t fucking know, your world is burning down around you and you don’t even seem to care.” I completely fail to keep the frustrated sarcasm out of my voice as I step away from her so I can regard him more directly. “I’d suggest you buy yourself a one-way ticket to the Isles of Gedouhan on the fastest clipper you can charter, but I suspect you wouldn’t listen to that advice.”

When he looks up at me with a slightly raised eyebrow, the way his face tightens mid-puff is the first real show of any actual acknowledgement of inconvenience he’s shown all night. Even when we were obliged to flee at Tavarrat’s insistence once he contacted her with our warning via a strangely coloured stone he produced from one of his well-concealed pockets, he remained so unreasonably calm it was all I could do not to shake him. It doesn’t feel very much like the victory I would have preferred. “I really don’t see what you –”

“Gods, this has become exhausting. I’ve always credited you with far more intelligence than you’re currently displaying, it’s like you’re being wilfully dense. She’s fucked you and you don’t even seem to see it. If you had any sense left you would have cut loose of her and her dark, dangerous friends the moment she had that Silver Order wizard kidnapped, and certainly before you called on me and mine to murder a dozen or so people to cover up the mess she’s made.”

His eyes flicker around the room to check his surrounding peers, far enough away they might not have caught my every word even though I’m not making any effort to control my volume, but close enough for my words to carry to them all the same. This admittedly tall, expansive room has been suitably muffled by the well-laden bookshelves lining all the walls and the thick carpets underfoot and richly upholstered furniture, but even so there are more than enough pairs of eyes still trained on our group.

“Have a care, Dramrath. I’d have you remember –”

“Oh stick it, Refick. You may have bought me and mine for a pretty sum for the duration of our transaction but you haven’t bought my silence. You’ve been an incredible fool letting this … woman involve you in one of the most heinous horror-shows I’ve ever had the misfortune to witness, and it’s finally snapped back to bite her in the face, and you with her. For someone I’ve always considered to be significantly more intelligent than your father you really have proven very stupid in your judgement since I’ve been gone.”

Vandryss glides past me now, still moving with unnervingly silent ease across the rich, thick carpet to the substantial wet bar set against the side wall. Tavarrat’s already there, nursing a glass of what I suspect is just water that I don’t think she’s actually touched yet. She has her staff propped casually against her shoulder as she leans against it, still watching the floor very much as she’s been doing since she preceded Vandryss into the room and took up her silent position. Now she looks up for the first time, giving her colleague a wary sidelong glance that the smaller woman largely ignores as she collects a tumbler and immediately fills it from a decanter without even bothering to consider her selection.

Something about it has the shorthairs at the back of my neck bristling, it just feels wrong. Again my hands start to itch, and I shoot Trouble a wary look, finding she’s already watching them both with narrowed eyes and a tight jaw. Hontiresk, meanwhile, is frowning down at his expertly manicured nails as he takes a hefty pull on his cigar, his mood clearly thoroughly ruined now.

“My business with Mistress Vandryss, along with those she represents, remains my business, not yours. I would again prefer to remind you that I hired you for a very specific task, one which has only the most tangential bearing on any other business I may have at this time. I will, however, state that your continued failure to complete said task has created the circumstances which have made this current inconvenience possible, and so –”

“Oh please, this whole shitshow’s been entirely inevitable ever since you first let her move those people out of that warehouse on First Point and stash them underneath your big fancy theatre. Honestly, I’m surprised she hadn’t already worked out that was going to happen ahead of time, it seems painfully obvious with hindsight.” I turn to her now, giving her a suitably sharp glare. “Or perhaps you did. You do seem the type who likely got a sadistic thrill out of setting your own business partner up to take the fall for your shady dealings.”

Knocking back the contents of her glass in one single swallow, Vandryss gives me such a bland look it almost feels like sarcasm. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean, Mallys. I’m as surprised by this unfortunately turn of events as your employer.”

Rolling my eyes as I turn back to Hontiresk, I let out a weary sigh as I take a step away, starting to sidestep towards Trouble now. I’ve a mind to just leave them both to it now, I’ve definitely had enough of her for one night. “You would do well to cut her loose, Refick. All she is now is a threat, there are no more business opportunities to be had in her company. Honestly, I’m surprised she hasn’t murdered you already.”

This makes him frown a little deeper as he gives me a cool sidelong glance. “Whatever are you prattling on about?”

Vandryss is watching me too, putting her glass down behind her on the bar without even looking as she starts to move towards us again, her face becoming a good deal more neutral now. “Careful now.” she purrs, and while she says it in a particularly matter-of-fact way, I can sense a cold threat in her words all the same.

Through the corner of my eye I see Gubal stiffen, his eyes narrowing as he looks from me to her, and back again. I see his hand shift to the hilt of his sword now as he senses the same threat I do.

“You’re no longer a viable business partner to her. Her precious enterprise has entirely collapsed here in Untermer now. I told you, before the end of the night the Authority will know exactly what’s been going on at the Playhouse, behind closed doors, and they’ll be looking at your other concerns too. Everything you’ve been trying to keep off the books, intentionally buried from their prying eyes, either through bribes or obfuscation, it’ll be dug up and used to hang you. But I suspect she’ll have had you butchered in your sleep long before that, likely having made it look like it was just some business rival or perhaps even some cleverly constructed accident or a particularly embarrassing botched suicide. Whatever this may be, she’ll make sure none of it can be traced back to her.”

Cocking her head, Vandryss regards me for a long beat, unmoving now. Hontiresk’s watching her with a very wary look on his face now, growing increasingly uncomfortable as he seems to finally consider my words. Far too late now, I can’t help thinking. I really don’t know what he could actually do now to change any of this in his favour. At this point his only hope would be that swift shipboard escape I just suggested.

Finally she sighs, shifting her feet a little as she just shrugs. “Well, aren’t you the observant one? I’ll have to come up with a better use for you after this.”

That makes me frown as a genuinely icy chill rides up my spine, I don’t like the implication in what she just said at all. Meanwhile Hontiresk turns to look up at me, his eyes slowly widening as something seems to dawn on him, and he opens his mouth to speak.

In the same instant she moves, very nearly faster than I can actually catch, certainly quicker than I could realistically react to. Her sword’s left its sheath before I’ve quite registered it, and she’s completed her savage, sweeping stroke long before he actually realises what’s just happened. It certainly happens so fast that there’s almost no blood, just the finest cut slowly seeming to open up across his throat.

He manages to blink twice in genuine surprise, a small trickle of blood starting to run down from the corner of his mouth, before his head rolls off his neck with a surprising lack of ceremony. Now the blood comes, a surprisingly lively jet of it spurting up in a tall jet from the stump, painting half of his surroundings with the first scattering of fine red droplets, then the second. Gubal’s so startled that he’s caught twice in the pump of that severed pulse before he finally reacts, stumbling back against the bookshelves behind him in wide-eyed shock as his grip tightens on the hilt of his sword. Still conspicuously sheathed at his side …

My eyes shoot to Vandryss as she gives her sword an almost casual swipe off to the side in order to shake loose the very few drops of blood that actually stain the blade, but her eyes are scanning the rest of the room instead. Taking in the reactions of the uniformly startled bystanders around us. “Mistress Mallys, if you want your people to survive another night beyond this one, I would suggest you follow my lead and kill that impressive orc bodyguard before he’s regained his senses. Am I understood?”

Just as I’m about to ask what she even means by that she jumps up onto the couch directly behind her, using it as a springboard to launch into the centre of the room, where she cuts down two of the nobles while they’re still rising. This is enough to break the trance of those who are still just stood by watching or not yet risen from their seats, each of them going from stunned surprise to abject terror in a blink. Then Tavaratt suddenly materialises at the far end of the room, just inside the entrance, swinging her staff to strike the first one to make it that far. He folds instantly, but the strike itself knocks him aside with significantly more force than it has any right to, a bright, flashing crack resounding across the room as he’s blasted a good ten feet into the wall. The bookshelf he’s hurled into explodes in a great avalanche of displaced books, but even this can’t hide the splash of freshly shed blood as he’s broken on impact.

I turn back to face Gubal then, and he hasn’t moved, still looking down at the headless corpse of his master as the severed stump gives one last, far more half-hearted little spurt to indicate that that’s definitely it for one of the most powerful men in the city. It takes me another moment to muster enough focus just to squeeze out the word: “Fuck …”

Slowly Gubal’s amber eyes rise to meet mine … and as they narrow their irises immediately start to grow darker. His fingers tighten around the hilt of his sword as his other hand goes to the scabbard, taking a firm grip of its own, and that cold weight that’s settled in my stomach feels like it’s just dropping right out of me as I feel the rush of adrenaline hit my system and I react.

We both move at the same time, Gubal drawing his sword and starting to shift around the chair still inhabited by his boss’ dead body. I don’t give him a chance to work his way into clear space to attack me, rushing forward to kick the chair hard with full force, launching it with surprising ease across the carpet so it takes the orc’s legs out from under him. He stumbles and starts to drop, but manages to catch himself enough at least that he halfway sprawls over the corpse, and I have to jump back to avoid his bastard sword’s sweeping blade as he swings it outwards to warn me off.

Shoving himself off the body, he stumbles away from the chair and gives his sword another wild swipe to keep me from trying to take advantage of his further distraction, but I’m just keeping a wide berth as I draw my own, backing up as I start to circle him. I catch sight of Trouble, who’s now finally shaken off her own shock, drawing her sword and dumping the sheath as she works her way around behind him, clearly looking for a chance to attack with that oversized blade. I catch her eye and wave her down, hoping she can read well enough that I want her to just back off, I can’t risk her complicating this further right now. It’s bad enough I have to do this right now, knowing full well that Vandryss would follow through on her threat in a heartbeat if she felt sufficiently obliged.

Gubal’s eyes meet mine again as he finally settles himself enough to take up a ready guard. The rational part of my mind is trying to come up with some way to word an apology, a plea, something to make it clear that I really don’t want to do this, that it’d be easier if he just ran away and tried his best to just get past Vandryss and her pet wizard. Perhaps find a fast way out of the city, like the fast ship I suggested to Hontiresk. But I know that’s not going to work, there’s no chance he’d listen to me anyway. His blood’s all the way up, his eyes are indicator enough, and even if I could make him listen I’m not sure Vandryss would really go along with it. I’m as stuck with this as I’ve been with everything else we’ve had to do so far, she’s put me in another impossible position and this time I even saw it coming …

For a long beat nothing happens, he just watches me while I watch him right back, trying hard to ignore the chaos unfolding behind him as Vandryss and Tavarrat wipe out the remainder of the room’s occupants. That being said, right now they’re already starting to make their way outside to start mopping up the rest of the building. Given that we’re on the second floor I can only imagine there’s going to be a lot more murder laid at their feet before we’re done with this. It’s enough to make my skin crawl as I edge a little to the left, looking to open a little more space between us while I adjust my grip on my sword.

His lunge comes fast, his footwork impressively accomplished, jabbing at me with surprising agility and clear educated skill I’ve rarely seen in a full-blooded orc. If I hadn’t been taught so relentlessly by my own tutors when I was young he might have killed me on the spot with his opening move, but I simply turn it aside while sidestepping and dancing to his right. While he’s adjusting I respond with a swift and merciless flurry of deft cuts on his open side, and he jumps back again, eyes widening, startled now by the speed of my own blows.

Making a feint to the left that I’m not even remotely surprised that he spots, I spring to his right and slash down from on high, aiming to cut him down but simply pressing him back again, and there’s a moment I think I might catch him out. Instead he sidesteps the couch behind him I’d been hoping to trip him up over, once again warding me back with a wild swipe before he lashes out with his foot and kicks this piece of furniture aside too. Opening up a little more space for us to manoeuvre in, although the way he does it still smells like well-hidden desperation. I’ve got him worried now, I can tell, he’s worked out that I’m the better fighter and he’s not sure he can survive this.

Sidestepping again, I circle again the best I can, hoping to turn him around again so I can perhaps work him back into the wall instead, or maybe get some more of the disturbed seating behind him. But he catches me too soon, skipping the other way before pressing me instead, and I have to lean onto my backfoot to keep from getting forced back myself as I parry his still skilful attack. Turning the latest cut aside I respond in kind, pushing forward on light feet while I swipe back with speedy strokes that he starts to struggle to turn away as well as he works to just keep his own footing. This time when I feint he doesn’t catch it so quickly, almost responding to the trick so that when I turn and thrust at his exposed belly he stumbles aside more clumsily.

This time when he tries to keep me beyond arm’s length with another wild slash I instead step into it and counter with my own parrying strike, and as I batter his sword aside with a great ringing buzz it opens him up just right. While he desperately plants his feet, trying not to trip himself up while his arm goes halfway numb from the rattled shock, I simply step into the sudden gap in his defences and turn my sword round and down in mid swing. I time the slash to perfection, opening his throat right across in a swift diagonal cut.

There’s a moment when Gubal staggers back, fighting to keep his feet under him, that I think he might just go down right here, as he tries to pull in a breath and instead simply produces a hollow, uncomfortably wet sucking sound from his severed trachea. He shuffles back on unsteady legs, still battling to keep upright, and when he raises his sword between us to keep me at a distance his hand shakes … but he manages to stays up as he presses his empty hand to his gushing throat and squeezes, glaring at me with hot, still clear eyes. He tries to speak now, but only produces an ugly rasp.

For a single beat, I almost attack him after all, ready to bash his sword aside and just rush him, hoping to cut him down with a last, forceful two-handed slash up through his torso. But it just seems too brutal, an ugly, graceless way to end a fight I’d rather not be having in the first place … which I realise too late is a mistake as he rushes me instead.

He charges on still clumsy legs, but he’s got desperate speed in his feet now as he comes like a furious bull, winding up an underhand swipe that I barely manage to parry in time, and as I turn it aside he keeps on coming. I’m wide open when he ploughs into me, turning just enough to hit me shoulder first, and I barely manage to plant my feet in time to try and bear the brunt of the hit and maybe keep my feet. The impact is hard, he nearly takes me down as I instead throw him aside, and as I stumble aside I fumble my sword, which clatters to the floor and spins away across the carpet. Leaving me momentarily unarmed, which should be all he needs.

Gubal’s a dead man, he knows it as much as I do, but he’s not about to just lie down and let it happen. He’s an orc through and through, I’ve not known many purebloods in my time but enough to understand they probably really are Thorin’s favoured race, and he smiles on them brightest when they’re facing death. He wants to go out like a true warrior, with his sword in his hand and blood on its blade, preferably taking someone with him. Right now his only opponent is me.

Only wavering for a moment before he rights himself, he’s already coming when I settle my feet again, now unarmed with a substantial length of strong, sharp steel rushing to meet me. My hand itches to draw one of my knives, but I hold back, knowing it won’t be enough to fight back in this moment … so I do the only thing I can think of in the slim time I have available, shifting my feet as he comes in and twisting aside at the same time I bring my hands up. Gubal doesn’t recover in time to stop me when I grapple his wrists, but there’s still enough strength in him as I give his arms a good twist that he fights me on it, even as his life’s blood keeps gushing from the ruin of his neck.

There’s a genuinely worrying moment, when our eyes meet and I see the fire still hot in his blood-red eyes and he holds fast against my own sorely pressed muscles, that I think there might still be too much strength in him for me to beat. He bares his teeth and growls in my face, but nothing like the powerful, rumbling thunder I would have expected comes out, it’s barely a rattle. And now the steel in his limbs is jut starting to ebb, slowly I feel it slipping inside of him, and I twist a little harder, putting the very last ounce of my own power into it now … and he finally gives.

As I wrench his sword from his fingers, his grip barely slipping but still enough for me to drag the sword away and pull back into a low, primed crouch with my thighs coiled tight, he staggers back a few steps, knees starting to wobble now. I can see his legs beginning to give out under him as the blood that’s been steadily soaking through his clothes finally reaches his knees, but even now there’s still a little fight left in him now. I’ve disarmed him but he’s just as determined to go down fighting, slipping a knife free from behind his back that he brandishes with a shaky hand.

Oh Thorin … at least he goes out with a blade in his hand. I draw back low and tight as I can and spring at him now, charging forward with full force with the sword thrust in a firm two-handed grip, and power it in a hard upward angle through the centre of his torso. As the blade runs him through with little real resistance I keep moving forward, letting a harsh, gritted snarl go as I force him back across the carpet and keep on going until I finally meet something genuinely solid.

When we meet the back wall I thrust harder with my last reserve of strength, driving the blade as deep as I can into the wood panelling while a battering cascade of disturbed books rains down over and around us. It’s enough of a pummelling I’m forced to stumble back, but Gubal stays where he is, stuck fast by his own sword.

For several long moments I stand there, rubbing at a sore spot on my wrist where a strike from a particularly hefty volume’s raising what I don’t doubt will be a mighty bruise, watching the last books thump down while he hangs where I’ve left him. His feet are almost flat on the floor, he’s tall enough to reach at least, but even so the sword’s the only thing keeping him up now, what’s left of his blood gushing around the blade driven clean through him just below his heart. His chest’s still heaving, even with his throat cut his lungs are still dragging some air down through his ruined windpipe, but there’s less point to the process by the second as his blood pools underneath him, turning all that paper red. There’s a woeful, savage beauty in a death like this, I realise, but it doesn’t hurt any less being the cause of it.

He still has the knife in his hand trapped in what’s fast becoming a death grip, but there’s no strength left in him now to raise the arm now, so it just dangles at his side. But he’s still in there, his eyes blinking but still just about managing to focus enough to meet mine, and they’re that striking yellowed amber colour again, as much because of his calm returning as the loss of so much blood. He opens his mouth now, but as before nothing comes out, his voice comprehensively lost now thanks to my handiwork. But I understand the sentiment he wants to convey clear enough.

“Trouble?” I barely manage to get her name out now, my own voice cracking badly as I speak, my throat very thick while my eyes are hot with the threat of tears. “Are you … can you do something for him?”

“But … I don’t understand …” She steps closer, gripping her sword two-handed as she had before, but held low now, no real intention left in her. Her eyes are wide as they shift from taking in the dying orc stuck to the wall like a pinned moth to searching my face, and she looks as desperately sad as I feel. “I thought … you’ve killed him. I thought … was that not the plan?”

“No … damn it, Trouble, he’s going to die. Can you help him? Please?”

She’s another moment finally understanding, then she raises her offhand to her mouth as she gasps. “Oh … oh gods, yes. Of course, you’re right … I’m sorry …” She springs forward and rushes to him now, turning her sword around as she goes to hold it underhand now. She stops in front of Gubal and pauses for a moment, unsure again, before taking a breath and seeming to steel herself before offering up her free hand to him. “Forgive me.”

He watches her for a beat, eyes starting to turn glassy but seeing enough to catch her meaning, and when she reaches forward and starts to take his free hand he lets her interlace her fingers with his. She raises her sword now and presses the hilt to her chest as she bows her head, taking another breath to start praying.

“My blessed Lady, I know you are not the god this man would pray to in his final moments, but I ask you to look kindly upon him all the same. Help him to the place he wishes to go, send him off with your blessing and your mercy, let him go fast and with all the righteous glory he deserves for such a brave and heroic death. Should the Stormlord’s Valkyries arrive in time to collect him please guide them sure and true to his side, and tell them how proud Thorin should be of the latest recruit in His Immortal Army. Please hear Your Servant, Your wondrous dark Majesty, and know my words are true. Amen.”

The sound that Gubal produces here is more of a weak, wet wheeze than a true last breath, but as his chest deflates one last time and remains still after his head sags down on the ruin of his neck, his fingers finally go slack and the knife falls. It bounces a few times over the sodden books surrounding him before finally clattering away across the carpet, and after that the room grows silent again.

While Trouble lets out a slow, weary sigh and extricates her fingers from the orc’s now limp hand, I turn around and plod away, starting to feel every moment of the fight I’ve just had and the rest of the night besides. The unfulfilled duel with Kesla Shoon and my subsequent desperate escape from falling to several broken bones on the burning stage, and of course narrowly avoiding a very lethal trampling from that monstrous golem … gods, I’ve definitely been right through it tonight. Finally locating my sword again, I take a moment to step close to one of the nobles Vandryss cut down and drop into a crouch beside them, taking a deep breath so I can hold it when I lean in to grab a handful of their robes in order to wipe my blade clean enough to sheathe. Desperate not to breathe in the stink of all the blood that’s been spilled around me while I’ve been trapped in another fight I would much rather not have had to start at all, let alone win.

Even so, once I’ve got my sword safe in its scabbard again I stay where I am, just putting my hand to my face instead as I start breathing again, looking up slowly to take in the wreckage. My gorge start to rise, slowly but with growing enthusiasm, and it takes all I have to tamp it back down, desperate not to vomit right now. It’s hard enough, what I see now makes me sick to my stomach.

Then I feel Trouble’s gentle hand rest on my shoulder and I lower my hands, taking a deep breath in through my mouth and lowering my head, finally swiping my hand across my eyes while I inhale deep anyway just to clear out my nostrils, smell be damned. She squeezes, working to reassure me now, but it really doesn’t help as I sigh heavier than I’ve done all night, finally looking up again as I start to push myself upright again. “Fuck … I really didn’t want to do that.”

“I know.” She steps back now to give me some room. “She didn’t give you a choice. It was kill him, or … well, it sounded like something awful, really.”

“No. I won’t let her do anything to harm you, Trouble. Not any of you. I’ll kill her first.”

“What … what they hell have they done?” When I turn to her now she’s looking around with wide, haunted eyes, cradling her now sheathed sword very much as she did when we first arrived.

“Something monstrous. Again.” I step close and rest my hand against her cheek, trying to sound soothing as I pull her into a hug. Looking back at Gubal now, still stuck fast at the back of the room, and hate myself for letting any of this happen.

Gods, I hope the others are all right. I need one thing to go right tonight after all this unpleasantness. Right now I’d be happy enough just seeing Kuth smile at me again, make a joke, make me feel better about things. I need to get out of here, I need to sleep. Maybe even to get well fucked again in the morning, but in truth after this night I’d settle just for him to hold me …

TO BE CONTINUED ...

#never split the party #The Creeping Bam #the adventures of the creeping bam #book 4 chapter 32 #original fiction #fantasy fiction #original fantasy fiction #to be continued

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doktordismemberment · 2 years

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Roundup #2

Blah Blah:

It's almost Christmas and we're on vacation. Mostly just chilling, listening to music, and hanging out. DD is gonna bake cookies. Can't argue with that.

Muzak:

High Command - Ripshit thrash from Worcester MA with more than a slight whiff of crusty metalpunk ala Broken Bones/ English Dogs.

Dimmu Borgir - Unpopular opinion: I don't hate Dimmu Borgir. Granted, they're not my favorite band in the world, but in the right mood they scratch a very particular insane/ dramatic/ theatrical/ orchestral itch.

The Offering - These guys are about as close as I've ever heard to anyone sounding like a cross between Candiria, the late great Nevermore, and a kinda/ sorta spiritual successor to Strapping Young Lad and I'm extremely into it.

The Dillinger Escape Plan - I was never all that into the Dillinger Escape Plan when I was a kid, but then I wound up listening to a song off one of their later albums the other day and after like 20 years I think they finally "clicked."

Equal parts technical, catchy, and destructive. Like Mr. Bungle, Human Remains, and Mahavishnu Orchestra teaming up to play grind.

Discordance Axis - I haven't owned a physical copy of Jouhou in almost 20 years so I was stoked to pick up the reissue.

Meshuggah - For some reason I didn't care for the "Violent Sleep of Reason" when it came out and I hadn't really listened to it at all over the past 7 years (Christ, has it really been that long?), but then I picked up the CD a couple weeks ago and I can't for the life of me figure out what my problem with it was. Sounds exactly like you'd expect from them.

Core - 1995 Brazil sounding not unlike 00's Poland with the futuristic disso-tech grind ala Third Degree/ Nyia/ Anitgama. One of my favorite albums of all time.

I6 - Been a huge 16 fan for what feels like forever and while this newest one isn't my favorite thing they've ever done it's still really fucking good. Brutal stoner sludge with hardcore-ish overtones..

Impure Wilhelmina - A Couple former members of Vancouver, Vuvyr, and Knut doing the gloomy/ gothy post metal thing. Sounds kinda like Katatonia with heavier guitars and sharper teeth.

I've gotta admit I'm not super familiar with their older stuff but the past two albums on Season of Mist have been absolutely breathtaking.

Video Games:

Tunic - Man, I'm really digging this game so far. Total Legend of Zelda vibes... Shit, I hate say this, but Tunic might even pack a more potent Legend of Zelda punch than Link's Awakening (which I honestly found slightly disappointing).

Xenoblade Chronicles - Its weird, I don't love this game but I really do like it. Plot is decent, world looks fucking beautiful, I care about the characters and their development, and I'm enjoying it enough that I'm 99% sure I'll probably play the rest of the series. I just kinda feel like the combat is a little fucking wonky.

Virtua Fighter 5

Reading:

A Wizard Of Earthsea - I hate how much I have to twist my own arm to force myself to read, but I am really enjoying this book. Almost done. Will probably read the rest of the series 'cos I think Ged is a cool character and I care what happens to him.

Tube:

Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla

Godzilla vs. Destoroyah

Neil Breen: Twisted Pair

Stunt Rock

Roller boogie

#Roundup

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unknidthots · 2 years

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I think the crossover of fake disorder cringe and mike patton fans would be disappointingly high if I bothered to look

#i'm a little scared to investigate #but like imagine some teenager on tiktok pretending to have a mike patton alter #or honestly anyone from bungle

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homunculus-argument · 2 years

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I think it would do good to modern teenagers to be re-introduced to the idea of unrequited love. Like yes, you're wildly in love with this person who doesn't like you, or if you already bungled it, might actually be actively repulsed by you since you unintentionally creeped them out. And it's painful and tragic and it hurts. That happens sometimes. So what can you do? Honestly nothing, other than to mope about it and suffer through it like it's a long, hard bout of illness that takes months or even years to recover from.

And I think kids should be taught that this isn't just fine and normal, but that you totally can - and actually should - romanticise it. Because since there's nothing else you can do about that sort of thing, you might as well have fun having it. You do get to be the the Tragic Suffering Protagonist about it. It's a beautiful, keen and unique sort of pain that is your own personal tragedy and 100% a you problem.

The idea that the only acceptable outcome of falling in love with someone is a relationship with the object of that desire is genuinely dangerous. The idea that the only way to a happily ever after is to "win them over", get out of the friend zone, finally do some feat that'll impress them or prove your worth and finally get the girl. That's not how it works, that's not how any of this works.

Moping isn't inherently bad for you. Okay of course it's possible to spend too much time wallowing in self-pity, but it's good for you to indulge in it as needed. The difference between poison and medicine is dosage, and everyone is allowed to have a little bit of small personal tragedy sometimes, as a treat. You have to do it sometimes just to get it out of your system, be sad about something for long enough to simply get bored of that, and go do something else.

And not to get "A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down" stuck in your head, but sometimes that's the key to it. If the only way to go through something is to suffer through it, might as well make it sweet. Sometimes you just gotta be like "I love her and her happiness means more to me than my own, and she does not want me, so therefore I must do this Noble Sacrifice and suffer in silence and simply let her be happy without me" for like six months or a year until you're done being like that and over with it.

I don't know who the fuck thought it was a good idea to instead teach kids that the only acceptable thing to do is to keep bothering the person you like until they give in in and let you out of the ~friend zone~ and you win. That's just not healthy or helpful for anyone involved.

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retvenkos · 3 years

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dating keith kogane

requested DON’T PANIC, BUT TODAY WE’RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE TO DATE KEITH KOGANE...

— firstly, i think it’s important to note that keith is terrible when it comes to romance, simply because he has zero idea what he should be doing.

opposite and equal energy to lance - keith has no idea how to flirt and at this point, he’s too proud to ask.

— one time, he tried to steal a pick up line he heard lance use, but he somehow bungled it really badly and it came us just....... wrong.

‣ (lance will not let him live it down, and will bring it up in every viable conversation for clout reasons.)

mostly, he just looks at you from across the room and exchanges a “healthy” amount of intense eye contact.

— i hope you’re good with keith sending ~vibes~ across the dark expanse of space because that was his primary form of communication during his intense crush phase.

‣ (one time, hunk saw this exchange and was like,,,,,, ‘yo, keith, you good?’ and keith was so embarrassed he avoided you and hunk for the next three days.)

— but, that doesn’t mean that keith doesn’t try - especially once you two are together.

he likes to leave you small gifts and flowers... just when you aren’t there to look him in the eye, of course.

— you’ll just walk into your room and find things waiting for you, and you know it’s from keith.

— you can slyly mention it, later, in front of everyone. the way he blushes and everyone’s teasing is gold. kiss him on the cheek, and it makes it all the worse.

— he’s also very sappy during late night conversations. most of the time, keith will come to you when he can’t sleep (which is a lot, actually, and he makes it a habit of waking you up to keep him company. he knows, too, when he’s caught you on a night when you’re dead tired and trying to pretend like you aren’t, and truthfully, it means the world to him that you still entertain him nonetheless) and you’ll talk until you both fall asleep come morning.

— and whenever you are apart, you still keep up the tradition by occasionally opening a (secure!) communication line to talk for hours.

— and the things he says when he’s halfway to dreaming.... it’s enough to make anyone swoon.

keith just has no filter when he’s tired. he thinks the world of you, and he can’t contain his opinions.

and especially when he’s away and you guys are chatting through the void of space... the way he talks about how he misses you... everyone should be taking notes.

‣ (and like,,,,, where did he get is eloquence from??? keith cannot string two (2) coherent sentences together when he’s awake, but when he’s dozing he’s writing full on poetry.)

‣ (also, tired keith has a texas accent.... you know his dormant accent slips out when he’s half-asleep. you know he’s embarrassed of it and pretends he doesn’t have it, later...)

— but lol, 98% of the time, keith is speed over style. his text messages to you are not about waxing poetic, and he is drier than a desert.

he communicates almost entirely with just the quick response “k”.

‣ (it would honestly be a little impressive how far he’s able to make one letter stretch, if it weren’t so infuriating.)

keith is the “c u l8r” and “wyd” texter,,,,,,,,, someone please teach him how to communicate,,,,,,,,,

‣ (however, i am a firm believer that keith would 100% mimic your style of texting after a few weeks. it’s a little love language, actually <3 )

— on occasion, however, you get keith to write you handwritten letters. his handwriting is absolutely terrible (if you can read it, honestly, you’re a legend, but please teach everyone else because shiro is the only one who can read his mission reports and field journal.... he’s tired of having to translate..... and the blade of marmora hates having keith give recitations of his mission reports because, again, keith can by dry as hell most of the time....) but the content???? absolutely golden.

they are simply the most raw and authentic thing you will ever receive from him.

he writes the same way he speaks - with little interjections like “uhh,” and ellipses for a pause - and whenever he writes a letter it’s like a little bearing of his soul that sounds so much like him,,,, there’s nothing that compares.

his letters are definitely something to keep in a lock box, and if you do have something sentimental like that.... well, when keith stumbles upon it or sees you filing his letters away, he’ll know he’s found something special.

— all that being said, though, keith is still the most romantically illiterate person you’ve ever met, lol.

he doesn’t know how to be casually affectionate! how to express all those feelings inside his chest!

he doesn’t know how to hold someone’s hand or hug them after a really long day! he doesn’t know how to initiate the comfort and vulnerability of being known, and knowing another in turn!

— he knows how to steal a kiss in the heat of a high stakes moment, but beyond that???? boy is just a series of question marks.

‣ (it’s a learning curve, for sure, so i hope you’re willing to guide him through it.)

— that being said, once keith gets accustomed to casual displays of affection, he’s a big hand holder. especially with the amount of running and hiding the paladins do,,,, he just doesn’t want to lose you.

— but you just know allura finds his initial inability to understand romance equal parts hilarious and tragic.

watching him absolutely fumble in complimenting you..... seeing his helpless attempts at trying to hold your hand...... she is trying to hold her composure, but her eyes are tearing up from the repressed laughter....

— so, controversial but true, keith goes to allura for advice.

keith claims that when it first started, allura was giving him unsolicited advice, because he originally went to go tell her off for making fun of him with lance, and she just gave him tips he didn’t want.

— but we all know the truth.

— and here’s the thing, allura is actually..... a really good person to vent to?

don’t get me wrong, lol, she still laughs heartily as keith retells his misadventures, trying to pinpoint where exactly he went wrong. but, what lives in the dating advice room stays in the dating advice room, and she doesn’t speak a word of it elsewhere.

— she also, of course, offers a lot of solid dating advice, though keith has to do a lot of parsing and editing when it comes to her idea of romantic dates... some of that altean stuff just doesn’t really translate well.

but she won’t even tease!!!! she has so much blackmail on keith and simply does not use it!!!! lance could never.

‣ (speaking of lance, he sulks in the corner when he finds out about all of this. he’s offended keith didn’t go to him for advice. wHaT hApPeNeD tO bRoS??? he’s very jealous - especially when allura refuses to spill the beans and tell all the embarrassing stories keith divulges.)

— but lololol,,, putting keith’s shyness and initial inability to grasp the concept of romance aside,,,,,, keith has many positive qualities to make for an interesting courtship, chief among them being his competitive streak.

if you think this man doesn’t live off of competition, idk what to tell you.

a solid half of your conversations could be verses for “anything you can do, i can do better.” and like,,,,, if shiro isn’t there to check your impulse control, there’s rarely a strong reason to not test it out....

— definitely, you’ve both ended up badly injured trying to prove to the other of your superiority, and the first half of your recovery is quietly fretting over the other while the final half is just trying to persuade the other that you were clearly the winner.

‣ (pro tip! argue with him when he’s tired to exploit his sappy side. he’ll admit he likes it better when you win, anyway, and 6 times out of 10, you can get him to admit to defeat... just so he can see you happy <3 )

— also, uhhhh,,,, if you’re just a little destructive on the daily..... well, keith isn’t going to lie and say he doesn’t find it attractive when you go unhinged or get that dangerous spark in your eye.... it clearly is.

— another “fun” activity the two of you do together is training!!!! again, keith is competitive as hell, so don’t expecting him to go soft on you, but sparring together? doing training courses? you guys learn to work in tandem sO. WELL. and keith enjoys working out with you.

but also,,,,, don’t expect keith to teach you to swordfight or anything because he’s the absolute worst. he has an aptitude for this sort of thing and doesn’t understand why you can’t just pick it up??? he has zero idea how to give you tips, and even though he’s trying, he’s still kinda failing.

— it’s also frustrating, though, because he’ll get so jealous if you go to hunk for help instead,,,,, it’s definitely been an instigator of a fight before, and you both had to write apology letters to hunk for putting him the middle of it.

however, all that being said, if you ever need a tutor for math, history, or another school curriculum, keith is actually a really good teacher. maybe it’s because he had to learn how to study, too, or because there’s not so much adrenaline pumping through his veins, but his temper is in check and he’s very helpful.

— and like,,,, okay, keith can be very short tempered sometimes, and unless you guys are childhood friends that are basically attached at the hip (and even then, it’s not a given), he can snap at you a lot without thinking about it.

— however, keith always apologises profusely - especially when you’ve done nothing and simply caught him at the wrong moment - and he continues to feel bad and try and make it up to you for days afterward.

it’s one of his best qualities, ngl - the ability to own up to his failings and try his absolute hardest to straighten them out.

though you should definitely tell him, sometimes, that he needn’t crucify himself for small mistakes. whenever keith does one (1) thing wrong, he immediately assumes he has to compensate 100x over, otherwise you’ll leave him and hate him forever,,,,,,,,

— just take a moment to remind him that you love him with his flaws. that he doesn’t need to be perfect.... you aren’t either, and you don’t expect it of him.

— kind of off subject, but when you get the chance to cuddle with keith (which is probably a little more than you’re expecting, once he gets comfortable with affection - he actually adores being held), please play with his hair. it is so incredibly soft,,,, and the idea that you just like to run your hands through his hair is equally as soft,,,, overall, it’s a 10/10 experience.

— he also likes it when you play with his hands - tracing the lines and pressing kisses to his fingertips,,,, all good moments.

but omg,,,, keith probably never puts lotion on his hands. he claims he just forgets but??? does it not hurt to have them so dry and cracked??? you definitely lotion his hands for him, and it’s a very sweet act of love.

— ooh! also! if you’re an artist or writer in any capacity,,,, i’m sorry but keith is looking over your shoulder. he’s just naturally curious! he just wants to know! it might be annoying the first couple times he does it, just because you’re not used to the presence, and if you really don’t like it, he will stop and rather sit next to you (though he’ll be obnixous and ask what you’re working on every 15 minutes), but if you let him linger, after a while, it becomes really comfortable,,,,, he’ll just rest his head on your shoulder and watch you work.... he doesn’t say anything other than the occasional compliment, but it’s just a way he destresses.

— also, keith really loves reunion hugs. he goes on a lot of missions for the blade of marmora! he does a lot of life-threatening work! when you rush towards him (or he rushes towards you) and you catch each other in a back-breaking hug,,,,,,, and then you press your foreheads together and just breathe in the other’s presence for a moment,,,,,,,,, his crops are watered. his skin is clear. he is thriving.

— oh, and that reminds me, asdfgjhgfdsdfgh,,, keith is 100% that guy who “doesn’t make pop culture references” because “he’s too cool for them,” or “they don’t make sense,” or “they change too quickly for him to ever keep up.” but now??? now he lives with pidge. and lance. and coran. there is quite literally no escaping the memes and the weird phrases, and he absorbs them just like the rest of you.

which means....... during conversations, you just know he mutters them underneath his breath, or he’ll mumble them into your shoulder, or he’ll tease you with them when you’re alone,,,,,,, only you get the pop culture side of him, and it’s equal parts sweet and hilarious (because keith,,,, you know you can just make a vine reference with the others, right? but no, no, no - he has a reputation to maintain sksksks).

— also, whenever keith does the most mundane activities with you, he is near always struck with the overwhelming reality of how much he loves you.

you’ll like,,, be cleaning your bayards together and it just hits him like bam,,,,,,,,

or you’re helping him clean his room (important, actually, because he’s pretty messy for a guy who self-proclaimedly “has no stuff”), and tossing socks his way and he’s just like ?????? love overwhelming ???????

‣ (it’s honestly the best, teasing him in those particular moments, because he’s so awe struck by you that he has no witty comeback to toss your way. it takes you right back to when you were first crushing on each other and he was an absolute mess.)

— and honestly,,,, to show keith how much you love him,,,, simply telling him is one of the best ways.

keith feeds off of praise, and he has the knack of knowing if someone is being truthful or not, and to hear you say such beautiful things about him with such sincerity in your voice.... it never gets old.

— especially if you mention loving his galra side too. he can get so insecure over that, and to know if doesn’t scare you,,,,, keith is getting real emotional, right about now. digging his head into your shoulder, and holding you close.

anything along the lines of “i feel safe with you” is such a confidence booster for keith. he would do anything to hear those words come out of your mouth.

— and finally,,,, let me just leave you with his parting gift,,,, keith fidgets a lot when he’s annoyed or nervous. he can be pretty obvious about it (especially when he’s annoyed, lol) and so you’ve gotten in the habit of putting your hand on his knee if he’s bouncing his leg, or putting your hand over his, and he’s learned to fidget with your hand, instead. sometimes, he’ll just go straight for your hand, and kiss it gently when you give him a look.

taglist: @starkeysslut, @teaand-dreams @konepmi // add yourself to the taglist here!

#voltron #vld #keith kogane #keith kogane x reader #keith kogane headcanons #keith kogane x you #voltron headcanons #voltron imagine #keith kogane imagine #headcanons #fluff

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writefightandflightclub · 3 years

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Hi, I was wondering if you'd maybe consider writing something with Nathan and the reader where the reader is experiencing some kind of pain be it a bad migraine or cramps or a sprained ankle from hiking but pushing themselves to keep working because they're afraid that Nate will be upset by their "weakness" but he's actually more pissed that they're not looking after themselves?

A/n: hi Anon! A very quick blurb for you! I have done an injured reader thing before where she hurts her ankle on a hike, I think (which is better and longer, honestly), so I went for a little migraine blurb this time. It’s not my best but hopefully you’ll think it’s sweet! GN reader.

Warnings: migraines and symptoms; boss + worker, pre-relationship.

You can’t see the corners of the screen any more.

In fact, it’s all going wiggly.

Things get worse when Nathan comes into the room and starts blabbering about timelines and dependencies and running scripts and you close your eyes, wincing and seething in a breath between your teeth as you massage your temples.

“Wow. I irritated you in record time?”

Whatever. You don’t even have the wherewithal to snap back.

There is a throbbing in your head, but you push on regardless, hoping the ibuprofens you just popped will kick-in for long enough that you can complete this block of code. Your hands are moving over the keys, aided more by muscle memory than you are by your vision at this point.

You have to keep going. You feel like you have no choice.

The last thing you need is for Nathan to be pissed off with you for your failure to deliver on time. You’ve heard first hand how he can be on his conference calls. He plays the Silicon Valley “bro” boss role pretty well but there’s a sharp undertone to it, and an acute intolerance to anyone disrupting his finely laid plans by failing to perform.

And so, you continue on, practically typing with your eyes closed now as a wave of nausea swells in the pit of you.

“Woah. Hey,” Nathan breathes. “What the fuck?”

Shit. You’re bungling the code, probably, and he must have noticed, nothing getting past his eagle eyes.

Your eyes still fluttered closed, you feel Nathan’s warm hands settle abruptly over yours, and he moves your fingers away from the keys.

The next thing you expect to hear is him tippy-tapping away on the keyboard, correcting whatever mistakes you’ve just made, but it surprises you when, instead, you feel your desk chair being swivelled around to face him.

You peel your eyes open and find that Nathan’s own deep, dark eyes are fixed on you - not on the screen at all.

You try to look back at him but the corners of your vision flicker like a mirage, grey spots appearing. “Owwww,” you curse when you can no longer help it.

“What’s wrong, are you sick? Do you need a doctor?” Nathan asks, his voice tinged with more than a fleck of panic, and his broad hand swooping up to gingerly feel for the temperature of your forehead and the back of your neck.

“Just a little headache,” you dismiss, shrinking your pain. Trying your best to fix a level gaze on him and finding his stern stare in return as he crouches in front of your chair, holding on to the arms to keep it steady and prevent you from swivelling away.

“Fuck’s sake,” he bites out, looking angry.

You knew it. You knew you’d piss him off.

You feel a little pathetic as you feel tears pooling in your eyes in response.

“I’m sorry, Nate, I-“

“-How long have you had a fucking migraine?” Nathan interjects, and you blink innocently at him, the true source of his frustration quickly becoming apparent with his next words. “Why are you working like this? You should be in bed right now.”

Oh, that’s true.

If you don’t stave it off soon you’ll be useless to him for the next day or so as your symptoms intensify. Then he’ll be really pissed, if your productivity takes such a knock.

“But… the deadline,” you say, even as your face contorts with a fresh wave of nausea and pain all rolled up into one. “I need to take care of it.”

After all, Nathan had made it very clear over and over, at great length, on every damn video call and at every board meeting, that this piece of work was the number one priority before end of quarter.

That’s today.

To your surprise though, Nathan takes your hand in his and raises you to standing. “Fuck the deadline. It’s my fucking company. That can move if I say so. Right now the only thing being taken care of is you. Got it?”

You are speechless for a moment as you realise you had been unfair to him. As you realise you’re not getting the reaction you had braced for.

“Close your eyes, I’ll guide you,” Nathan promises, his voice as soft as you’ve ever heard it, wrapping his arm around you and tugging you close to his body so that he can guide you through the winding corridors. But, you notice, he’s not following the path to your room. You open your mouth to protest, but Nathan cuts you off. “My room is better.”

Then, he dims all of the lights in the room and gets you settled under his covers. “I’ll be back,” he promises, his tone soothing, voice hushed, and he is true to his word. After a couple of minutes of lying in the dark, your head to a pillow which smells overwhelmingly like him and that beard oil he uses, he arrives with a glass of water for you to drink, patiently encouraging you to take sips. He slips a warm cloth to the back of your neck to ease your tight muscles, and soothes it over your skin.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Nathan asks with a soft brush of his thumb over your cheek.

“I didn’t want to piss you off,” you admit shyly.

Nathan tuts, and you wonder if you’ve succeeded in pissing him off anyway.

“You piss me off when you don’t take care of yourself, understand?” Nathan scolds gruffly, and you muster a small nod.

In stark contrast to his gruff tone, Nathan strokes you softly, over your cheek and hair and arm and back, until you are drifting off, sleep the best thing for you right now. It is hugely comforting, and thankfully your symptoms appear to have stopped worsening now that you’re no longer aggravating them by staring at the screen.

You feel yourself drifting off, and, if you’re not mistaken -not yet in the land of sweet dreams-you could swear Nathan stoops to plant the softest kiss to your temple before dipping out and fully turning out the lights. “Get some rest. I’m going to finish up your work and I’ll check on you again when you wake up, alright? You’re my number one priority. I don’t want you to forget that.”

Despite the pain you’re in, a small smile flickers at the corners of your lips as you drift off, and you’re already feeling a little bit better already.

***

It is hours later when you wake up, and you plod to the lab. You’re feeling much better, though not entirely, and so you top-up on water and some painkillers Nathan has left next to your bed with a hand-scrawled note (“take two if it’s after 10pm when you wake-up”). You also spot a pair of sunglasses set out for you, which you gratefully slip on before padding out of the room.

You go looking for him, of course, the whole house still dimly lit and quiet.

Naturally, you find Nathan in the lab, sat in front of the monitor and bathed in a soft blue glow, his head propped up on his elbow and barely staying awake now himself.

He animates as you enter, and the question instantly rolls off his tongue. “How are you feeling?”

“Better. Thank you. How did the deadline go?”

“It’s done.”

“Then why aren’t you in bed?”

He swivels his chair towards you. “Last I checked there was some hot coder catching Zzzs in there, and the couch cricks my neck.”

More like he’s a workaholic. He could have taken your bed, after all.

You smile softly at him.

This time, it is your turn to hold your hand out to Nathan. “Come to bed, Nathan,” you insist gently.

“What if you need-“

You gasp slightly in realisation. Is that why he’s stayed awake? In case you needed anything? You think your heart swells three sizes. He’s really far sweeter than he lets on, isn’t he? Could he have meant it? Could you really be his number one priority?

“-I don’t need anything. The only thing that needs taking care of right now is you, Nate,” you echo.

You expect him to protest but he doesn’t. Instead, he delivers a lopsided, almost bashful smile, almost entirely obscured by his raven beard - a fact he’s likely thankful for. Instead, he tracks through the dim complex with you until you’re bundling him under his covers and tucking him in now, setting his glasses gently on the nightstand, and planting a soft kiss to his temple.

He hums, a deep, resonant note, and his breathing becomes heavier, the rhythm more soporific.

You are about to stand and move away; however, Nathan’s hand reaches out, clasping your own and tugging you gently back towards the bed.

“Stay here,” he pleads sleepily. You hesitate and he senses it, until next, a smirk tips the corners of his lips. “Don’t piss me off, sweetheart. Snuggles are my number one priority right now, and I need them on my desk by midnight.”

You smile softly in return, your heart thudding with happiness and nerves as you settle down on top of the covers, slotting your body around his sturdy form and throwing you arm across his midsection. He even shuffles his ass back towards you, shimmying closer and seeking out your warmth.

Oh boy. If this is what happens when you both finally stop working, you’ll have to see about rearranging your priorities.

Luckily, you have a feeling your boss will be very much on board with that too.

You get the sense he had already rearranged his long before you got the memo.

#blurb request #nathan bateman x reader #nathan bateman

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