#than for it to get killed by another animal or hit by a car or poisoned or contract a disease or be injured while roaming

[healingheartdogs]

I have seen a couple of posts across social medias in the last couple of weeks about rat dogs not being a good recommendation for pest control in place of "barn cats" because dogs are significantly more work than cats are to manage and train and ngl it really annoys me that the neglect of cats is so normalized that people think they need zero management or training compared to dogs, especially when lack of management and training is literally part of the reason they are an invasive ecosystem destroying pest and commonly die horrible and fully preventable deaths outdoors. The real reason rat dogs aren't a good suggestion to people who have "barn cats" is because the vast majority of those people aren't actually using their cats for pest control at all, they are just keeping cats around and neglecting them and calling them "barn cats" as the excuse for why they keep them outdoors unmanaged and untrained (and often without proper vet care).

Cats deserve just as much medical care as dogs, cats deserve just as much management as dogs, cats deserve just as much play and enrichment provided by their owners as dogs, cats deserve to have their exercise needs met in a way that is safe for both them and other animals in their environments just like dogs, cats deserve training to make them easier to live with and contain and safer to interact with for other people and animals just like dogs, cats deserve protection from predators and diseases and parasites they can encounter outside just like dogs. Cats are not low to no effort alternatives to dogs. Throwing a cat outdoors is not a better or easier solution to a pest problem than getting a ratting dog (if that pest problem even actually exists and is being treated with the use of a cat, which I highly doubt in almost all cases), and is still harmful to the environment and dangerous for the cat even if the cat is occasionally killing mice for you (not rats, don't even get me started on cats for rat control, that is actual cruelty). If taking care of one animal is too much work neglecting another animal is not the solution. Use another pest management method that doesn't require you to take care of an animal at all if providing adequate animal care is a problem for you.

If you have mice inside your house or another building or whatever and an INDOOR cat that you use to help control small pests that are coming INDOORS and the cat also stays contained INDOORS where it can't decimate local small wildlife populations and you take care of it and make sure to get it frequent vet care for potential parasites and diseases it may pick up from those pests then this post is not about you. Scroll on instead of "okay but"-ing me, please. This is about outdoor/indoor-outdoor "barn" cats and cats being neglected under the false guise of them being kept around for "pest control". There is no justifiable reason for someone to have an outdoor cat. Calling it a "barn cat" or a "working cat" doesn't make them not invasive predators, doesn't make them not at risk for death by predation, doesn't make them resistant to parasites or diseases, doesn't make them resistant to poisons other people may set out that they get into or the small animals they kill get into and transfer to them, doesn't make them immune to being hit by cars, and doesn't make them immune to potential animal abuse by strangers. If you have ferals that aren't sociable that you're just taking care of at least keep them contained in an actual barn or sheltered catio or something -- not free to roam --and you still need to provide them vet care including neutering them otherwise you're just making more of a problem and still neglecting animals.

[w2sology]

DOING THE PRANK WHERE U PRETEND TO GET SOMETHING FROM THE BACK OF THE CAR BUT INTENTIONALLY SMACK YOUR S/O WITH HARRY PLEASE!!!!! would love if u included the comments at the end

cut it out, harry lewis.

summary: harry's been a bit sick of you hopping on tiktok trends, but this one leaves him a little more than baffled.

warnings: none

notes: this trend had me giggling so bad omg 😭😭😭 guys it's been ages (like a month but still) since i last wrote something writer's block was KILLING ME 😀 feel free to send in some prompts or reqs <3

harry had told you to get ready in the next half an hour, that you'd be going on a little date in central london. well, he didn't tell you, rather he sprung the idea up on you after you complained about being bored for the last two days.

it took a lot more than he thought it would've to convince you to leave the house, with harry going as far as telling you that he'd drive. that's how you knew he was being serious.

so as he was getting ready after you, you scrolled through the obsession of your life that was tiktok, laughing every so often and sending some to your friends who had yet to respond to the others that you sent.

stopping on one video that you couldn't stop giggling at, a thought formed in your mind. the tiktok was of a girl who wouldn't stop "accidentally" hotting her boyfriend whilst trying to get things out of the backseat of the car.

it had been ages since you last pulled a joke on harry, yet only the other day he pulled one on you with the help of the boys.

"are you ready yet or are you still laughing at your phone?" harry came back into the bedroom, pulling his navy blue nike hoodie over his shirt.

"i am ready, in fact," you got up, tiptoeing to gently grab a hold of his face, pressing your lips to his. "and the things on my phone will always be funnier than you."

"good joke," he smiled a false smile at you, squeezing your waist before grabbing the keys off of the dresser.

"i still can't believe you're driving. wait, pose with the keys, let me get a photo for your mum."

"don't get too used to this..."

harry walked out before you to put his shoes on, but seeing as you already had yours on, you asked him to unlock the car for you. to him, it seemed you were just eager to leave but really, you had to make sure that there were items in the backseat.

placing one of your tote bags in there, you evenly spread out one of the jellycats that you left in your car and another bag full of spare things. putting the camera at an angle that was able to capture both you and harry, you smiled giddily. soon enough, harry joined you in the driver's side, about to start the car.

"wait!" you called out. "i think i forgot something in the back."

"can't you get it whilst i drive? it's not me you forgot, right?"

"ha ha ha," you rolled your eyes. "no, i might rip it apart by accident."

harry shook his head, nonetheless not starting the car before he looked dead into your camera. he did wonder why you were recording, yet he never actually brought it up.

messing about in the back, deciding which item to use first, you decided on the jellycat.

it was an octopus, one that faith had got you from a trip in florida that she and ethan went to.

"here she is!" you smiled, pulling the jellycat back and purposely hitting it into harry. you did it gently, but not too gentle to the point where he didn't get irritated.

jumping as it made contact with his arm, harry frowned. "ow?" he said, looking at you, but you were too busy dusting off the jellycat.

"hm, actually no." you turned back around to put the stuffed animal back, this time reaching for the tote bag.

luckily, it didn't have anything too sharp in it, so you wouldn't actually hurt harry.

again, you pulled it back with enough force this time slightly jolt harry out of his relaxed position. "are you alright?" he asked, blinking at you.

"huh? what d'you mean?"

"you've just... full on wacked that into me?" he said, more so asked, in shock.

"did i?

"yes?!" you could've sworn you saw his eye twitch, having to restrain your laugh.

"oh," was all you mustered out, looking into the bag as if you actually needed something from it.

harry shook his head, running a hand through his hair as he waited for you to finish. "can we go now?"

"un, not yet actually," and you turned again to the backseat, this time grabbing the last bag.

pulling it back again, it hit harry in his arm, but this time he grabbed the bag from you, tossing it back in the backseat.

"harry! i needed that," you gasped, again to hide your laugh.

"no you didn't, y/n, unless you were using it to target me again" he mimicked your whiny voice.

you didn't know what had you more speechless, the mimicking or his reaction to your silly little prank.

"i wasn't targeting you..."

harry turned to you, giving you the most dead straight look ever. "cut it out, you hit me in the arm three times."

"maybe you were just too close to me."

"i— what?!"

you both stared at each other; harry with a look of shock and slight irritation and you with a serious look that you couldn't quite hold, bursting out in laughter soon after.

"oh my god!" you managed to say in between laughs. "you should see your face!"

"right, let it out. it's not that funny," harry shook his head at your state.

you leaned forward to grab your phone from where you left it, rewinding the last part where harry three the bag in the back. "oh, this is gold."

"you're a right wind up, you know that?" harry said, refusing to give you the satisfaction of know your trick worked on him.

"oh, i know," you smiled at him. "but you live me regardless."

"unfortunately."

"hey," you pushed a hand in his face, instantly groaning when you felt his tongue poke the same hand. "god, just drive."

[gravegroves]

Okay, little stream-of-consciousness-moment:

Billy, who's mind is like a steel trap, who isn't a scared little child, but a healthy, angry young adult. And the mindflayer doesn't even know what hit it. One second it's infiltrating grey matter, overtaking neural pathways and becoming one with this new vessel and the next second it's burning alive, it's crumbling and shrinking and screeching in agony as the human body does what is does best to foreign invaders: try to kill it.

I've always loved the posts on tumblr that explore how deeply weird humans would be to aliens. Our physiology, our mentality, when spoken of as animal traits they are all deeply disturbing. We're persistence predators. We're built to last. We can survive unimaginable horrors (and also die from the stupidest, most everyday things). Our main predator, is ourselves. A bite from a child can kill another human just from the bacteria alone if left untreated. Our bodies are designed to kill entities both within and without.

Humans are fucking terrifying.

So the mindflayer is so unprepared for an adult human who's been through too much shit already. Not just a tired little slip of a kid, but a healthy, entering-his-prime human and is eradicated with extreme prejudice by nothing more than a good immune system going into overdrive.

But it's too deeply imbeded, so the body again does what it can to protect itself, it encases it. Within the body, but separate. Calcified. Caged.

So here's Billy, who has a rather spotty memory of a car crash and feels like he has a head cold for a couple of days before he gets on with his life. Only weird shit keeps happening to him, now. Like that time he encounters a pack of dogs while out drinking by the quarry, except they look really fucked-up the closer they get, not like any dog Billy's ever seen before, and just as he's prepared for an attack from these things, they just walk up to him and sniff around a bit with their weird flower heads blooming and closing, but otherwise leaving him unharmed. And Billy's just this side of drunk where terrible ideas seem kinda brilliant and he tells the things to sit. And they do. Amazed, he tosses his beer bottle and tells them go fetch, and again, one does.

And then when it's time to go home Billy offhandedly tells them to get lost and they run off back into the woods, and when he wakes up in the morning it's easy to rationalise it away. Probably the beer had been rolling around in the car for too long and it went bad and fucked him up. Should just have thrown the whole sixpack out. Those were just regular dogs, for sure. Except the next day, when he's out behind the pool building trying to find a good spot to smoke, he steps onto soft soil or something and falls down into a weird ass tunnel and a bunch of those same monster dogs just appear out of nowhere and pile themselves on top of each other for him to be able to climb out. And a couple of days later when Neil smacks Billy around for being out late again, one of those dogs honest to God comes crashing through the living room window to shred Neil's leg up and leaves just as quickly at the first sign of panic from Billy.

And yeah okay, by this stage Billy's figuring out things are kinda fucky around Hawkins, and so it's just Billy having his own little side adventure in the background while the rest of the gang are running around Hawkins trying desperately to find the Mindflayer, not knowing that Billy unknowingly trapped it within himself and is just living his life, teaching these weirdly obedient alien dogs to do tricks because they keep helping him or seeking him out.

Anyway, upside down is doomed because their leader is literally trapped inside Billy and Billy is just teaching these dog-things to steal cigarettes from the gas station and volunteering for the closing shift at the pool because he can just get the dogs to bring the pool noodles back into the shed.

[wynnyfryd]

Since you asked so nicely…and I’m nothing if not a giver… Steve very seriously saying to Eddie “That’s rich coming from the guy who tried to kill me less than two hours ago” in whatever scenario your Big Brain can come up with (ily ur amazing btw)

“Can’t believe you let a twelve year old drive off with your car,” Eddie snorts as he tosses another bottle cap into the hole in the floor of the boathouse.

“Can you stop that?” Steve clips. He doesn’t understand why Eddie’s bothering to do it, anyway. It’s too fucking dark to see the caps once they hit the water, but the steady plunk plunk plunk is starting to drive him a little nuts. Eddie is starting to drive him a little nuts.

You have to stay with him, Steve.

No one else is strong enough to protect him if someone comes looking for him, Steve.

Goddamn horseshit, is what it is.

Without Eddie’s little game of toss, the boathouse is… really creepy, actually. All creaking wood and nocturnal animal noises and Eddie’s shaky, rattling breaths.

“She’s fourteen,” Steve says to fill the silence he regrets asking for.

“Huh?”

“Max. She’s fourteen, not twelve.”

Eddie scoffs, lets his head drop again, hiding behind a curtain of hair. He brings a strand up to his mouth, mumbles, “Like that makes it any better.”

Okay, you know what? Steve doesn’t need this. He just does not need this. Not from the fully grown drug-dealing goth weirdo he’s being forced to babysit.

Seriously, who is Eddie Munson to go questioning his judgement when he’s trying to do the guy a fucking favor?

“That’s rich coming from the guy who tried to kill me less than two hours ago,” he bites, rubbing at the spot on his neck where the jagged glass pressed in.

“Oh, fuck off, man,” Eddie rolls his eyes. “I didn’t try to fuckin’- I wouldn’t… w-wouldn’t-”

Oh, no. Goddammit.

Eddie’s eyes go all wide and wet, his lip quivering around the word ‘kill,’ and Steve can just hear his mother tutting about his lack of decorum. The boy just witnessed a murder, Steven.

“Shit, man, Eddie, I’m-”

Eddie makes this sound — this pathetic thing, stuttering and damp, like mildew in his lungs, and his cheeks burn red as a tear tips over his lashes. Shit.

Shit.

“Hey,” Steve tries, reaching out to clap a hand on Eddie’s shoulder, but Eddie rears back, voice cracking as he snaps, “Don’t touch me!”

Eyes hot. Breath wet and heaving.

Steve’s gonna get decked for this.

“I’m- just… Just come here, man,” Steve says, wrapping an arm around Eddie, pulling him in, and Eddie folds like crumpled paper, collapses into Steve’s side and sobs, shaking them both so violently that Steve scoots them back a little from the edge of the hole in the floor just to be safe. He wraps Eddie up with both arms, and Eddie slumps down into his lap, and they’re-

Jesus. They’re cuddling. Steve Harrington is cuddling with Eddie Munson. What the fuck. What the fuck?

“You’re okay,” Steve murmurs, rocking them gently and brushing damp curls out of Eddie’s eyes, because, like. Might as well, right? This is already so weird.

[dilemmaontwolegs]

For a snapshot imagine a driver accidentally hurting the reader and she has to hide it from Danny because he would lose his shit. He gets worried but a bit angry that she’s lying the cause of it. Once he finds out he wants to kill the other driver because is a severe injury

The Taste of Temptation || DR3 {4}

WC: 1.6k F1 Masterlist Story: One || Two || Three || Four || Five Snapshots One || Two || Three || Four || Five

You settled into the driver’s seat of an Aston Martin used for hot laps, keeping your arms out of the way while you were harnessed in. Lando and Oscar doing the same in the other two cars parked beside you, except they didn’t need the extra help to be buckled in. “I’m telling you now, this is a bad idea. I want that on the record. There’s a reason I’m a passenger princess.”

“You’ll be fine,” Lando promised over the headset and you fiddled with the dozens of buttons on the steering console. “Just don’t touch anything!”

“You should have told me that before.” The cameraman sat beside you laughed nervously and you narrowed your eyes at the lens. “If I die, I want you to remember this: I told you so.”

You muttered under your breath that you were not paid enough for the crap your employer put you through but it only made Oscar and Lando laugh as the microphone picked it all up. 

“Okay, we’ll start off with a warm up lap, just take it slow and get used to the car,” Oscar said as Lando led the way onto the track. “I’ll follow so you don't get lost.”

“It’s a flippin circle, Piastri, how often do you get lost?”

The car shot forward, throwing you and the cameraman back into your seats as you pressed the accelerator and out of reflex you slammed your foot on the brake to counter the effect. Oooph! The air was squeezed from your lungs as the car stopped but your body kept going forward, the harness like a wall hitting your chest. 

“I think you’ve put it in race mode. Turn it to sport mode.”

You scanned the buttons and saw what he meant, making the adjustment before tentatively touching the accelerator, gently speeding up to 70mph.

“I know we said take it slow but you can speed up a little bit,” Oscar teased as he tailgated you, Lando nowhere to be found up ahead.

“You do realise I am not actually a racer? I just date one.”

“Danny must have taught you something in the last two years.”

“Yeah,” Lando interrupted with a giggle. “But from what I heard, it isn’t anything to do with racing.”

You might have laughed if you weren’t concentrating so hard on following the track, until something caught your eye. “Uh, Oscar, are there wombats in Canada?”

“No…that’s a groundhog.”

Another brown ball of fur charged across the track and you screamed as you slammed on the brakes, not wanting to hit the poor animal. Oscar hadn’t expected you to brake so suddenly, or try to swerve aside. There was nothing you or he could do when you started to spin out, straight into the space his car was aiming for.

“Shit, shit, is she okay? Is she okay?” 

You could hear the panic in Oscar’s voice as he tried to push his way through the crowd of first responders trying to open your door. Pain radiated down your arm but other than that you seemed to be in one piece, except the world was upside down. “I told you so.”

“What the hell happened!” Lando exclaimed as he arrived at the crash site in time to see you escorted into the back of the medics van. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

“Not particularly,” you murmured around the tube you bit between your teeth. You sucked in another deep breath of pain relief as your arm was jostled and looked up to see Lando shaking his head.

“Not you,” he said as he looked at Oscar’s pale face. “Daniel’s going to kill you, mate.”

“No, he’s not,” you huffed as you got off the stretcher you had been guided to. “I’m fine so he’s never going to know.”

“You see those,” Lando stabbed a thumb over his shoulder. “Those are cameras, they record things, pictures, sounds. Yeah, he’s gonna know.”

“I know what a camera is, a heavy one just fucking hit me.” You cradled your arm to your chest and took a calming breath. “This wasn’t live so it’s going to be a few weeks before this even gets uploaded. By then I’ll be fine and we can all have a laugh about it, alright. I just need to make sure Danny doesn’t hear about it before then.”

“Kind of hard when you need to go to the medical centre.”

“Then I won’t go.”

So you didn’t.

You did however accept the box of pain relief and advice to see a doctor if the pain persisted or you showed any signs of a concussion. You weren’t worried so much about that since the helmet had protected your head, it was just your arm that took the brunt of a camera smashing into it.

Daniel was surprised to see you already in the hotel room when he arrived from his meeting. Usually you stayed at the paddock later in preparation for the upcoming races but he was happy to have a few extra hours alone with you.

Leaning across the back of the couch, he greeted you with a kiss but you pulled away as his palms trailed down your body. His touch had been soft but you had still felt the burst of pain in your arm and you were glad to be wearing a long sleeve shirt to hide the bruised skin.

He frowned at the distance you had put between your bodies and he was instantly on edge. “What’s wrong, kitten?”

“Nothing, I’m just not feeling very good.”

He grabbed his phone and opened the app that monitored your monthly cycle before closing it with a frown. “Should I call for a doctor? Do you have a fever?”

He reached for your forehead but as his hand lifted it brushed against your arm and your face pinched as a pained cry hissed through your teeth.

“What happened?” he asked with barely restrained rage, his fingers desperate to touch you but unsure if it was going to cause you more pain. Tears were already welling in your eyes as you tried to keep the ruse up, but it was becoming unbearable.

“There was an accident,” you admitted as the wet streaks ran down your cheeks. “I didn’t want you to worry…”

“You’re hurt, kitten, of course I’m going to fucking worry.” He swiped the room key back up from where he had tossed it along with his phone and keys. “Come on. We’re going to the hospital. Now.”

You knew he was fuming from the clipped tone and the white knuckle grip he had on his keys. Reaching out with your good hand, you laced your fingers with his and whimpered into his chest. “I’m sorry.”

Daniel gently wiped the tears from your cheeks before kissing your forehead with a shaky breath. “I’m not angry at you, love, but don’t you ever lie to me again, not when it comes to your health.”

You nodded meekly before he reached for the door handle where he paused. “Lando or Oscar?”

“What?”

“You were filming with McLaren today.” He looked back at you, scanning your face for the truth. “Who do I blame?”

“It was an accident. Please, Danny, can we just go? It's so sore.”

His eyes softened at the admission and he twisted the handle but you knew the conversation wasn’t finished, merely delayed.

“He broke her fucking arm!”

The wince had nothing to do with the doctor setting the cast on your arm and everything to do with Daniel’s voice out in the corridor. He had been on the phone the instant the X-ray came back and showed a clear fracture down the bone. Now you were going to have a bulky accessory on your arm for the next six weeks.

“You’re lucky it was only her arm or I’d be on my way to jail by now,” he growled as he pushed the door open and shoved his phone back in his pocket.

“It was an-” you fell silent under the glare you knew wasn’t actually directed at you. He hated to see you hurt and hated he hadn’t been able to prevent it. It left his hands trembling with rage.

“I don’t know what they were thinking,” he muttered as he fell into the chair beside your bed and lifted your good hand to his lips. “Stupid fucking little videos...promise me no more.”

“But it’s my job.”

“Then quit,” he offered, like it was the simplest option in the world. “It’s not like you need it, I take care of you already, and I like taking care of you.”

“Danny…” you sighed, unsure how to approach the situation. “What if we ever broke up?”

“Is that in your plans?”

“No, but-”

“Good, because I plan on keeping you forever, and I’m more than happy to make that official. Obviously this is just a placeholder until we get home.” He started to pull the ring he wore on his pinky finger. “What? I’m terrible at losing shit, I wasn’t going to carry around your engagement ring until I found the right time to propose to you.”

You chuckled as he waited for your hand to unfurl from the fist it was in. “And you decided this was the right time?”

“I could have lost you today, kitten, I’m not going to waste another moment.” Your hand uncurled and the warm metal slid onto your ring finger before he kissed it and leaned in to kiss you too. “You’re mine, always.”

“Always,” you promised against his lips.

“Perfect, if we elope today I’ll get conjugal visits when I kill Oscar.”

Click here for part five

[haddonfieldwhore]

hurt my feelings - matthew tkachuk

matthew tkachuk x fem!verhaeghe reader

summary: feelings get involved between you and matthew, your enemy with benefits

warnings: implied smut, cheating, language, mentions of drinking, angst, toxic relationship(?)

word count: 1.4k words

matthew pulled his shirt over his head, looking forward to getting out of the sweaty garment after the game. he tossed it to the ground as the rest of the team filed into the locker room, spirits high after a win over the habs.

“woah, dude,” carter laughed as he clapped matthew on the shoulder. “tell your girl to chill out, you look like you were attacked by a wild animal.”

“it’s not that bad,” matt laughed it off, glancing over his shoulder in the mirror at the long red lines running down his shoulder blades.

“what, does she look worse?” verhaeghe teased, and matt pushed him off.

“classy.”

“alright - sorry,” he surrendered. “oh, by the way, my sister is is town for a few days and i know you two don’t get along, so i’m giving you a heads up.”

“okay,” matthew shrugged. “remind me not to come to your place.” carter’s little sister; a whiney brat who for as long as he could remember had found every way possible to piss him off.

matthew thought back to the time last summer he had spent two weeks at a lake house with carter, a few of the guys from the team, and of course, carters sister. carter’s sister who loved pushing his buttons more than anything in the world.

“i don’t know why you two hate eachother so much - i know she can be a bit annoying sometimes, but i think you bring something out in her.”

“sorry man, i don’t know what it is either, we just don’t get along.”

“hey, it is what it is. i’m gonna hit the showers.” verhaeghe walked off to wash off the game, leaving matt sitting by himself, thinking about what carter had said. i bring something out in her? he thought to himself.

after a quick shower, he dried himself off and got dressed before grabbing his stuff and heading out to his car. he checked his phone to see a few messages from teammates, the group chat trying to make plans to hang out and celebrate the win. there was also a text from another number; someone far more interesting to the older tkachuk brother.

carter’s sister.

carter’s sister whose flight he knew had landed in florida last night, not today like verhaeghe had said.

carter’s sister who had her legs wrapped around matthew and her nails scratching down his back in her hotel room last night. matthew sighed, running a hand through his damp curls as he opened the message.

•

it had started that summer at the lake house- what could only be described as hatesex as you found yourself sneaking into matt’s room in the middle of the night. you knew it was wrong, that he had a girlfriend and that your brother would kill you both if he found out; but mixing alcohol and strong emotions leads to consequences. these consequences being matt’s hand over your mouth to keep you quiet as he fucked you on the bathroom sink, or having to pray that the door was locked as someone knocked on it.

it became a nasty habit, one you couldn’t break; or you weren’t sure you wanted to. each time you were in the same city, you ended up in his bed, and then it was back to hating each other the next morning; if you even really did anymore.

you had told yourself it wasn’t going to happen again, but when you got a last minute flight out to florida a day early, you found yourself in the passenger seat of his car on the way home from the airport - and then beneath him in the backseat.

there was a knock on the door not long after matthew had texted, and you padded over, checking through the peephole to make sure it wasn’t an unexpected guest. you opened it to let the familiar curly haired individual inside, and your back hit the wall as he pinned you between it and his muscular frame. he kicked the door shut with a thud as his lips latched onto your neck, and you slid his jacket off his shoulders and letting it fall to the floor.

“that jackets expensive,” he mumbled as you kicked it aside, his teeth nipping at your skin.

“you’ll get over it.” his lips met yours, his tongue invading your mouth as his fingertips dug harshly into the soft flesh of your hips.

“i could be celebrating winning the game right now and instead i’m here with you,” he muttered, coming from anyone else might have been a sweet sentiment, but coming from him in this situation it wasn’t. it was a challenge for you to make the choice worth it.

“why would you be celebrating? it’s not like you scored-“ he hand wrapped around your throat as you teased him, not enough to hurt you, but enough that you knew not to press that subject right now.

“don’t,” he warned, his eyes dark as they stared into yours.

“so you get to be mean and i don’t?” you scoffed, and he rolled his eyes.

“you watched the game?” he asked, avoiding your question completely.

“i didn’t watch it for you.”

“sure you didn’t.” you wrapped your hand around his wrist, letting your nails dig into his skin slightly as you pulled his grip off your throat. he returned his hand to your waist, pulling you flush against him as he walked over to the bed.

“are you here to talk? because if you are you have the wrong room,” you spat. he was being extra mean today, and you weren’t sure you wanted to deal with it after all.

“is that what you want? to talk?” he asked, stepping back slightly and putting some needed space between. you shook your head.

“no. you’re just supposed to show up, we hook up, and then you leave.”

“i don’t even get to stay the night anymore?” he asked, pretending to be offended.

“why do you care? run home to your fancy house and see if your girlfriend will fuck you if you want someone to wake up next to.”

matthew thought about his empty bed at home, no traces left of the girlfriend he has dumped months ago because he didn’t love her. because she wasn’t you.

“whatever. remember you texted me, begging me to come here.”

“i did not beg-“

“like you didn’t beg for me to fuck you that first night last summer?”

“stop it.”

“i bet you think of me every time you sleep with someone else and you hate it because you know they’ll never be as good as me. they’ll never make you feel the way that i do.” he stepped closer to you, holding you gently this time, his lips ghosting across the skin of your jaw.

“matty…”

“tell me what you want,” he whispered, and there was a funny feeling in your chest.

“i want you.”

“why do you think i always come when you call, pick you up from the airport? you have me wrapped around your finger.”

you looked at him surprised at the tenderness in his voice; he was either being sincere, or playing a very cruel joke.

“don’t play with my feelings, matthew.”

“feelings? you have feelings for me?” he asked, and your throat felt like it was closing.

“i-“

“answer me,” he said, sternly but his tone still gentle as he rested his forehead against yours.

“yes,” you whispered, barely audible, before he closed the gap, kissing you softer than ever before. your hands slid under his t-shirt, the way you softly traced the lines on his back contrasting the way you dug your nails into the skin the night before.

“baby,” he mumbled as you kissed down the side of his neck, pushing him towards the bed until the back of his knees hit the mattress and he sat down. matthew pulled you down into his lap, holding you gently, no bruises left from his fingertips this time as you left a trail of pink hickeys across his collarbone.

“please matty,” you pleaded. he fought back a comment about how you were begging for him now, deciding not to ruin the moment as he began to slide your clothes off. “wait - what about jess-“

“we broke up months ago.” he cut you off.

“don’t lie to me, matthew. i’ll never trust you again if you do.” this was the one time you were allowing yourself to be vulnerable with him, and you really hoped he wasn’t just taking advantage of that. his blue eyes stared up at you, sparkling gently as he told you without words that he was being honest.

“i promise. i’m all yours.” he kissed you again, and your fingertips began to work on the buckle of his belt.

“good,” you smiled, hoping that you wouldn’t regret opening your heart to him.

and now that matthew had it, he would never let it go.

disclaimer: all screenshots, events, and/or interactions depicted in this are a work of fiction. i have no association with any parties mentioned

[sazandorable]

akai shuuichi

For nearly a year now I have been plagued by awareness of and lust for Akai Shuuichi from classic manga/anime series Detective Conan, of all things. It never stops. It keeps getting worse. My friends with me in the fandom are angels of patience, indulgence and gentle teasing, but for everyone out of that loop I need to explain.

Akai Shuuichi.

He's got striking green eyes and identifiably long lashes.

He is so tall, wears leather jackets, and often has one or both hands in his pockets.

He's left-handed.

He smokes.

He drives cool cars.

He has lived in the UK, in Japan, and in LA.

He used to have princess long hair he was super proud about. He chopped it all off after "a bad breakup" (more on this later).

Most of the time he looks like death badly warmed over in a prehistoric microwave oven. Bags under his eyes, sharp boney facial structure that makes his face look like a skull, an entire scene dedicated to him dropping a can of shitty coffee in dramatic slow-mo, apparently out of exhaustion. I want to bundle him in a huge duvet and spoonfeed him chicken soup.

He is so fucking smart.

He is so fucking funny in a deadpan way.

He looks so serious but does the wildest shit like it's a normal (and easy) thing to do.

He is a sniper. An absurdly good one.

Also excellent physical fighter. He's so cool, he doesn't do karate or judo like the protag's close allies or even boxing like Sherlock Holmes -- he does Jeet Kune Do like Bruce Lee.

He is good at everything.

He's FBI, one of their best.

He doesn't say shit but understands everything.

At any given point you have no idea where the fuck Akai is and what he's doing, but he'll always be where he's needed.

Hottest trait: reliable. Unfailingly reliable.

He infiltrated the big bad meanie shadow organisation at the heart of the series' overarching plot and became a very high-ranking member of it.

Now that he's been found out and burned, the common reaction to Akai Shuuichi from members of that organisation is "shit, he's our biggest threat, kill kill kill".

A guy from the organisation once realised he was being chased by the Akai Shuuichi and immediately shot himself in the head rather than deal with him.

Another shot himself after having been dealt with by Akai Shuuichi.

To be fair, it's apparently the guideline of the org to not leave loose ends and not get caught alive, but still. This doesn't happen with other characters.

He was a honey pot.

His seduction method was to let his target hit him with her car and then hit on her when she visited him in the hospital.

He ended up catching genuine feelings for her. Then she got killed, so now he has angst about that.

He refers to wanting to avenge her death and kill the guy that killed her as "I'll make my girlfriend cry tears of scarlet blood in regret for ever dumping me".

He says to himself "Hi, my precious, precious lover ❤" while sniping at the man who killed her through that guy's own sniper scope from over 700 yards away.

Hits him, too. 600+ episodes later the guy still has the scar on his cheek and touches it occasionally.

He also dated a FBI colleague, whom he first met when they bumped into each other and he pointed out she should apologise too because "the blame was 50/50".

She was super offended. And then she dated him.

Another, male, colleague once referred to Akai Shuuichi as "my wife".

The official resident Pretty Boy fanservice man is obsessed with him because he believes Akai caused the death of his own childhood friend(/boyfriend).

It was actually the pretty boy's own fault. For incomprehensible reasons, instead of ever telling him that, Akai "the blame is 50/50" Shuuichi takes on that responsibility and even tells him he still feels sorry about it, and lets this incredibly dangerous man repeatedly try to out and/or kill him and put so, so many people in danger in an attempt to get his revenge. It is all incredibly homoerotic.

He still humiliates this guy every time they meet, and sometimes when they don't.

He's so sweet about so many upsetting things like this or his own honeypot girlfriend incident, but also so ruthless about others. He'll do anything to get a foot into the shadow organisation. He'll use himself as bait. He'll use a colleague who idolises him as decoy (with his knowledge and consent). He'll use a 6yo as scout. He'll use a comatose woman, her little brother, your crush's dad, your dad, his ex, himself again.

"No, Conan-kun, don't get your loved ones entangled into this, what we do is dangerous and sometimes we get people killed. Anyway let's use this entire hospital full of injured civillians for a high-risk trick." - Akai Shuuichi

He's so sweet and also such a dick.

He also has daddy issues because his father was MI6 and seems to have died on the job in mysterious circumstances.

He's an oldest brother.

Because of his choice to start a dangerous job after what happened to his father and various other plot reasons, he is estranged from his remaining family they don't even share a last name anymore.

He and his little sister barely know each other, but she's emulating him and looking for him and trying to know him and it's so sweet. He can't let that happen for both of their safety, but also he's being a dick about it.

He faked his death.

So he's currently on his 4th name (that I know of).

He's now pretending to be a 5 years younger phD student with pink hair, glasses, and turtlenecks.

The turtlenecks are for hiding the fact that he's constantly wearing a voice-changing device. The device is a metal choker.

He's now living his best domestic quiet life at the hero's parents' manor-like house, reading their books and drinking their booze.

The hero's dad, who is a very popular author, wrote a book inspired by him. The book inspired by him got adapted into a movie and won an award.

The hero's mom, who is an incredibly talented and famous actress and a total hottie, has a crush on him. She taught him to cook.

Sometimes he drops by the neighbours' to share a meal he cooked with the old man and little girl living there and the kids often visiting. The kids told him his curry was not that great so he's working on it.

For another meal that failed to satisfy, he read cookbooks then asked an old lady to teach him the special recipe that had emotional value to her.

Man who is good at everything is not good at cooking. So he's learning that. From the women in his life. For the kids in his life.

He's so fond of the hero. They get each other and they don't usually run into anyone who does. They like each other so much. Autistic to autistic communication.

The hero is in the body of a 6-year-old. Akai is so impressed with him and thinks he's so cool and talks to him like an equal.

One time they went fishing and for a cover the hero called him "daddy".

Akai Shuuichi knows he's a weapon of destruction and can do pretty much anything. He's not a brag about it, just practical. He is basically the hero's on-call guard/attack dog now.

When the hero needs help, he calls Akai-san, and Akai says yeah, I followed the situation, I was waiting for your call, I know what you're going to ask me to do. Point me at the target and I'll take care of it.

And then he just does that.

In the latest movie, the hero needs to take care of an armoured submarine that is currently underwater and doesn't get picked up by radards. Akai goes "ok, I can handle that".

He shows up in a helicopter with an American rocket launcher and is like "ok, just show me where it is". The hero just has to light up the submarine for a couple seconds. Then Akai one-shots it. From the helicopter. While it's still underwater.

Then he goes home.

(To the hero's parents' home.)

This is Akai Shuuichi with little resources and lots of constraints, such as being an FBI agent in Japan not supposed to be there or do anything, certainly not use weapons, and by the way legally dead and cannot let the organisation know he's still alive because that would endanger several other people.

He plays the accordion.

[xxfromthestartxx]

We Meet Again (Todo Aoi x Reader)

pairings: Todo Aoi x Fem!reader

summary: You and the muscular third-year from Kyoto Jujutsu High met once again after breaking up for a year due to unknown reasons.

WARNINGS: ANIME JJK SPOILERS!! Language, Violence

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3

Being a grade 1 sorcerer isn't easy. You were always departed even when you were in your first year. You sigh as you crane your neck to the side, the ache from the battle catching up to you. You recently exorcised a whole abandoned school somewhere, and you were met with a special grade curse. If you were an amateur, you would've run and contacted your superiors, but you were not. You were used to it. You've been exorcising curses since you were a child, and now, you're in your third year, your last year in Jujutsu High. A sigh escaped your lips as the car ride came to an end. You left the car with no words and silently went to the principal's office.

You knocked twice before sliding the door open, "Principal." You were met with the said man, sewing another plush. "You're back earlier than expected." He hummed, not taking his eyes off the plush. "It was nothing I couldn't handle." You replied tiredly, eyes droopy. "Well, then." He finally met your eyes, though he had his shades on. "You can start with the report. I expect to have it by next week." He continued as he observed your state. You hummed, exhausted to even register his words. "You're dismissed." He huffed, knowing you want nothing but to sleep. "Thanks, old man." You yawned as you left the room, wanting nothing but to dive into your bed and sleep the day away.

....

"He what?!" You raised your voice as your juniors told you what happened to them with a Kyoto jujutsu high student. "That's what I was saying!" Nobara huffed, crossing his arms. "Calm down, L/N-senpai, Panda-senpai and Inumaki-senpai arrived before it got dirty." Megumi scratched his cheek, embarrassed at the sight. "Oh, he will pay for that." You gritted your teeth before taking a deep breath. All of you were in the dining area, you surprised your juniors by cooking their breakfast and setting up the table with the food you brought from your mission. "Anyways, how was your mission, L/N-Senpai?" Maki asked, taking a bite of her food. You shrugged and took a sit beside her, putting your head on your palm. "Same old stuff." You answered with a sigh.

"I mean, what am I supposed to tell you? It's the same thing over and over again. I get sent, I kill curses, and I go home." You summarized with a breeze, not in the mood to talk about your recent mission. The others glance at each other before looking at you, not knowing what to say. "Takana?" Toge lifted an eyebrow, "I'm fine, just... tired." You said, well, it wasn't exactly a lie. After discovering that Sukuna has, well, had a vessel, you've been deported to different places to absorb cursed spirits and use them as your own. Your cursed energy might handle it but your physical body has its limits. Before the appearance, your absorbed spirits were only 4 spirits- and you planned to stay that way. But with the higher-ups assigning you those missions, the amount doubled, then tripled, until it was 17, including your last exorcised curse. You're hitting your limit in the worst way possible.

You're cursed technique is easy to understand, it is very similar to Yuuta's and Geto's. You absorb cursed spirits and gain their abilities. But this is where it gets different, the spirit lends you its cursed energy or cursed technique which in return, takes yours for the time being. In short, you swap cursed techniques for the time being. It might affect your physical appearance and mental state. The curse energy impacts your mental health more than your physical, but with the amount of cursed spirits housing your body, it has taken a toll on both physical and mental. You could also imbue the spirit in weapons, making it accessible to you and your peers.

"Look, we're really worried. You've been sent away many times in a short time. Why?" Maki, your closest friend asked, facing you and placing his hand on your shoulder before making you face her. She stared deeply into your eyes, making you anxious. "It's nothing. There's just been a lot of cursed spirits in some area lately." You brush her off, sliding her hands off you. She sighed and nodded, "Whatever you say."

...

The higher-ups must hate you or something - you were supposed to be with your juniors, meeting the Kyoto Jujutsu High Students, but here you were, slaughtering cursed spirits that had threatened the place. You let out a groan as your axe sliced through the curse's head, its body immediately limping. "Fucking old men trying to kill me." You spat some blood, wiping your lips with your palm, sneering. You took a deep breath before standing up straight. You take your phone from your pocket and make a quick call saying that you're done with your mission.

You won't admit it out loud, but you were exhausted - maybe it was because you woke up early in the morning to hunt these curses, or maybe your body was reaching its capacity, not being able to keep up with the cursed energy your soul and other souls were emitting. You rubbed your eyes, the bags under them were dark and big from the special missions from these past few weeks. "Fuck. I need some break." You murmured, throat quite strained from using Aila's speech cursed technique. Alia, one of the cursed spirits housing your body, was a past jujutsu sorcerer who died and got cursed.

Just when you were about to say another word, a ping from your phone got your attention. You huffed as you took it from your pocket- checking what the notification was about. "Are u done with your mission?" You scoffed at the text, seeing that it was from your teacher, Gojo. You rolled your eyes before texting him back a like emoji, not really in the mood for his teasings or shenanigans. You chucked your phone back into your pocket and glanced at the sky. "I really need a vacation."

...

You didn't have time to clean yourself up from the blood of your slaughters- Gojo had requested your presence for meeting the sister schools' students, which is why you were walking with your axe on your shoulder, dried blood on your face, and a scowl resting your lips. If your other classmates weren't suspended, you would've been able to avoid him. You squint your eyes as you see multiple figures down the path, but the oh-so-familiar figure makes you irk. That tall muscular build that you love hate. That you hate so much.

You walked towards them, brows furrowed, lips in a scowl, eyes dark. You heightened your cursed energy, making your presence known to all jujutsu sorcerers. "Ah, there she is." Gojo chimed, smiling at you. You scanned the place, noticing familiar faces, not until your eyes landed on a pink-haired boy. He stared back at you, eyes wide at your appearance, it was like having Sukuna outside of his body. "Didn't expect to see you here." A deep voice said, making both students turn their heads. "We meet again."

"Todo." You forced a smile before rolling your eyes. "L/n." He analyzed your look, noticing the dark circles around your eyes and the dried blood that covered you. "Don't expect me to take it easy on you. I heard what you did to my juniors." You let your gigantic axe down with a thud, the end of the blade hitting the ground while still holding it. "Snitch." He chuckled, leaning forward to you a bit.

"Pick on someone who can go head to toe with you. Like me." You smirked back. Todo held his ground, not backing away from the intense eye contact until a deep voice cleared their throat. "I see you made it in time." Principal Yaga nodded at you. You could only huff, wiping some of the dried blood from your fingers into your already messed-up uniform.

"We'll have our rematch. One way or another." Todo put his hands in his pockets, a wide smirk on his face. "Yeah, whatever." You shrugged, swinging your axe back to your shoulder with ease before going back to your juniors. You took one last glance at Todo before rolling your eyes. 'This is gonna be a mess.' You think to yourself, not only you were here to fight with your sisters' school but to also protect the vessel of Sukuna from them.

...

You and your juniors were now in a room, away from the Kyoto students- discussing what to do. It was a blur to you, you kept spacing out and staring far away. Maybe you were really lacking sleep, or maybe it was the encounter you had with Todo that really got you thinking. "So, L/n-senpai..." Nobara drawled out, pulling you away from your trance. "Hm?" you hummed in response, turning to look at her, only to be greeted by all of them looking at you.

"Do you plan on going toe to toe with Todo?" Maki asked, eyes furrowed. You totally forgot about the event- "It's better if I fight him." You answered unsurely because of the lack of rest and the insane state of your mental and physical health. "But I'm in no shape to hold him off with this state of mine." You continued, taking a deep breath. Yuuji saw your interaction earlier, in fact, everyone did. He doesn't know you but the knocking of Sukuna in his brain is telling him something is wrong with you.

"It's best if I take the cursed spirits rather than fight with other sorcerers." You finally said, making Toge furrow his brows. "Takana?" The second years knew you would never settle for this kind of low, so it was weird for them to see you taking the easy way out. "L/n-san, are you sure about this?" Panda asked, tone full of concern and worry. You couldn't help but smile, the way they care about you is something so heartwarming to you. "Not to worry- I will be there if anyone needs help. I can't have my juniors dying on me."

...

You were right, they do plan on killing Yuuji. Just after the group split up, you felt individual cursed energy in different places but at a close range. It was too weak to be a cursed spirit- so you did the rational thing to do. "Cursed Technique-" You didn't even finish when you felt your body move. Your eyes widened, and an arrow almost shot through you- it was in time when someone behind you moved you easily.

"I told you I'd kill you if you interfered, didn't I?" Your eyes find Todo, shielding you from Noritoshi who had sent you the arrow. "No, you didn't," Noritoshi replied, before sending another arrow after you- this time, you pushed Todo away, blocking the arrow with your gigantic axe. "You said you'd kill us if we ordered you around." Noritoshi corrected, eyes closed.

You let out a tsk, eyes finding Yuuji where you were before. "Same thing! Piss off!" Todo yelled, his muscles bulging. With that, his other peers retreated, but not before Noritoshi reminded Todo. "Make sure you kill him." You grit at his comment, gripping your axe tighter. "That depends on Itadori," Todo replied with a wide smirk, eyes trained on you. You watch as the others retreat, leaving you, Todo, and Yuuji alone.

"You make one wrong move and I assure you-" you point your axe at Todo, your eyes menacing as it is. "You won't have time to activate your technique." You threatened, your axe being imbued with a foul amount of cursed energy. "L/n-san!" Yuuji exclaimed, pulling you out of your intense eye contact with Todo. "I got it." He smiled, putting a hand on your shoulder.

Todo eyed your shoulder, his own shoulder tensing. You looked at Todo, trying to understand his goal- only to be met with those soft eyes. Those eyes that assured you from the past- those eyes that held the same respect and admiration the first time you showed him your strength. Yuuji saw the hesitation in your eyes, but when you took a look at Todo, he noticed the way your shoulder relaxed.

"Yuuji." You drawled out, putting your axe down. "I expect you to beat Todo for me, got it?" Your axe vanished into thin air, which made Todo smile, a genuine smile. "You underestimate me too much, Y/n." He chuckled, shaking his head. Your heart raced at his tone, it was so full of... lightness. Not like the conversation you always had after your first year. It made you bring back memories.

"I trust you, Aoi. I know you." If only you could utter these words to him, but no, you didn't want to bring the conflict to this, instead, you settled on glaring at him. "This fight isn't over, you hear me?" Todo chuckled at your words, "Far from over." He replied, looking directly into your eyes. You could only nod before you fled the scene, taking one last glance before completely dissappearing in their sight.

[luffyvace]

what BSD characters are like driving!! 🤗 (😀)

includes PM, ADA & DOA

(these are short + no gifs bc it’s a LOT of characters)

Killing/threatening warning, yk, PM stuff..

PM

Mori Ougai: (I don’t condone his behavior—they ruined what he could’ve been)

actually a decently normal driver?

occasionally pushes the red/yellow light, especially if he’s late for smth important

will you Elise to be like “please my little girl is in the car 🥺😕” if he’s gets pulled over

Only trust him to drive you around if your one of his executives…otherwise if he asks you to get in his car- DONT.

Nakahara Chuuya:

ultimate road rager

really it’s not him it’s all these grannies drivin around!! 🙄

gets a million tickets a month but has the money to pay them off

i mean, he would. If he didn’t just kill/threaten the police officers..

don’t let him see Dazai either 😭😭

will probably be like “HEY DAZAI, ITS A DREAM COME TRUE” and (try to) ram his car into him—using his ability too, as a bonus

Kōyō Ozaki:

swears/mutter under her breath about how “people are idiots” more than she actually curses people out

i feel like she only would if someone were to damage he beautiful car (she has it custom with lots of pink floral patterns, not in a childish way!- it’s very pretty 😊)

she can afford to fix it ofc but it still upsets her

that person definitely doesn’t go home that night…..

she’s very beautiful so she could probably con her way out of getting tickets “I won’t do it again officer~” immediately rolls her eyes and calls them names that will not be stated here as soon as she drives off 😆

Ryunosuke Akutagawa:

I believe he’s a decent driver as well

Only drives recklessly if he’s angry/Dazai forced him to take Atsushi with him 😃😭

definitely drives safe when his sister’s in he car 🥹💗

usually turns the music all the way down

Gin Akutagawa:

would prefer to walk or have Ryuu drive her <3

but she does know how, knows the basics but sometimes forgets what random buttons do

gets pretty shy when she’s pulled over (she was either speeding because she was late for work or just happened to be caught going during a red light) so the officers let her go with out a ticket, just a (non literal) slap on the wrist “don’t let it happen again kid”

doesn’t play any music at all

Ichiyo Higuchi:

uhh she’s either driving wildly because she’s trying to help out Akutagawa or decently but parks on curbs/hits others car often 😃😅

forgets to turn on the radio since half the time she’s in the car she’s rushing

yeah I don’t have much to say since she drives pretty okay 👍

Ryūrō Hirotsu:

prefers to walk 100%

doesn’t even know why he has a car

actually yes he does it’s because it’s an old school model he’s had forever and is proud of

so he also doesn’t drive bc he doesn’t wanna scuff it up

would be a good driver if he did tho

will be the driver for other people’s cars tho

Michirō Tachihara:

very impatient

especially since most the time he’s trying to get to work

im ngl he’s probably made his car fly to work one day since he can control metal

maybe Chuuya has done that too…..definitely.

honks the horn like crazy 😭

tries to tone it down if one of his superiors are with him tho, like Kōyō, Hirotsu or Mori

Sakunosuke Oda: (Odasaku)

only drives crazy during emergencies

Good luck to whoever is in the car with him at that moment, your getting flung all over the place- seatbelt or not 😂😂

Otherwise you can 100% trust him to drive you around :)

very responsible, turns on his turning signal, stops at even yellow lights and never gets tickets 😊💗

Ango Sakaguchi:

another reliable and responsible one!

except he’s not as bad when it comes to emergencies 😭👍

he drives fast inbetween lights when it comes that kind of thing, like if it’s 3 green lights he’s stepping on the gas, but if there’s a red he’ll speed to that very light 😭

or he’ll just keep going since he’s a officer 🤷‍♀️ I forgot abt that..OOPS

ADA

Yukichi Fukuzawa:

really good driver

stops for animals, people, red lights, yellow lights

only downside is he sometimes doesn’t notice the green light

he’s one of those where you have to be like “uhhh the light is green”

Akiko Yosano:

uhhhhhh don’t drive with her

Professional road rager

has a quicker temper with men than women but she’s still speeding past you angrily either way….

only difference is she might hope out to curse out the men if she has the time

gets like 4 tickets a month..😭

Atsushi Nakajima:

he’s getting there! 😃

would drive better if Dazai didn’t keep rushing and distracting him 🤦‍♀️

tries to drive extra safe when Kyouka’s in the car /p (I don’t ship them she’s 14)

has to drive Dazai a lot of the time, and is pretty much the go to pick up guy for Ranpo too

or anyone who needs a ride really, he’s too helpful for his own good because he knows they’re gonna drive them crazy- but helps them out anyway 😅

Doppo Kunikida:

vv good driver 🫡

ultimate best driver passed his driving test with flying colors

Dazai be driving him crazy when he’s in the car with him but it’s okay he can drive with his feet/knees 😭🤷‍♀️

plays soft music from underrated bands

Jun’ichiriō Tanizaki:

uhh Naomi bothers him way too much while he’s in the car

wouldn’t accidentally run so many red lights if it weren’t for her

doesn’t even notice it’s red until she points it out and he’s already passed the stop line

They agree to both pay for the ticket

Kenji Miyazawa:

doesn’t drive

lives walking and would rather to say hi to the citizens everyday

likes to take it slow so he gets up early to walk to work

hes used to it since he’s a farmer 😊

Kyōka Izumi:

knows the basics

will start speeding without warning if you tell her an emergency has happened

hold your horses yall 🗿

mostly let’s Atsushi drive/prefers for him to so she can stare out the window

prefers no music

Osamu Dazai:

don’t even get me started

he only drives regularly when something serious happens

Don’t be fooled he’s certainly going over the speed limit

but he’s not being loud and obnoxious for once

will sing along to songs annoyingly loud and encourages whoever’s in the car to join (only Kenji does, but nobody mind him <3)

accidentally runs a few red lights but at least he’s never ran over anyone (it’s came close….)

Ranpo Edogawa:

doesn’t drive

only hitches rides from others and by others I mean Atsushi

I mean he can he’s just too lazy to and also likes to stare out the window

Wants to be the one in control of the radio despite not being the driver “I’m the worlds greatest detective! And I deduce you should let me choose the station!”

Naomi Tanizaki:

only gets rides from Juni

i feel like she doesn’t have a license yet

she walks to school and rides home with Tanizaki after work

always bugging him while he’s driving

she’s learning to drive from him even tho she doesn’t want to do she could keep hitching rides with him

probably thinking about failing the test on purpose but she realizes she wouldn’t be able to drive him to the hospital/agency if something were to happen..

Kirako Haruno: (office clerk lady)

if something happened to Tanizaki she would be the one to drive Naomi around

just make sure she never tries to drive while drunk…

otherwise a decent driver….probably occasionally pushes yellow lights

only gets a ticket once every 6-7 months or so

DOA

Kamui:

safest driver in the lands

yk cuz criminals be the safest drivers so they don’t get pulled over

LOL /j but even if he did the officer would immediately recognize him, apologize and back off

so yeah! Not to say he’s recklessly but he can definitely get away with running red lights :P

Bram Stoker:

um…..I actually don’t know why I put him here

LOL

would obviously hitch rides untilll…ifykyk 😊

but even then driving a car would be way too complex for him to even WANT to learn to do….

Fyodor Dostoevsky:

Okay now the actually criminally safe driver is him (PUN INTENDED LOL)

could probably use his intellect to get out of getting a ticket anyway

knows all the laws and has the memorized somehow and will probably outsmart the officer

doesn’t drive unless needed tho

Nikolai Gogol:

what does HE need to drive for?! 😭

bro just use your cape!

anyway he’d probably only do so if his goal required it or fun to run people over and set them free 🫡🕊️

another one who doesn’t drive

Sigma: (male alpha giga chad 🙂)

⚠️S5 DEATH/ENDING SPOILER⚠️

HELP ME I SEARCHED UP FYODOR’S NAME IN ANOTHER TAB AND I FORGOT HOW TO SPELL IT INSTANYLY SO WHEN I CLOSED MY KEYBOARD FYODOR D AUTOCORRECTED INTO FYODOR DIED 😭

Can I get a moment of silence for sitting here and taking the time out of my day to write all them COMPLICATED AHH NAMES⁉️🗣️

[cairavende]

Worm Arc 14 thoughts through 14.7 (there is too much for one post, I mean I could probably get four to five posts from 14.11 alone):

The team figures out Siberian's whole "is a projection" thing pretty quickly. Good for them.

I really want to know who ripped out page 325 for the "how horrible of a thing have I done that I don't want shared" check. I strongly lean Trickster but I'm not sure. I want more details on the Travelers and TiaV dammit!

Amy is having a bad day. Probably really a continuation of a bad few days. She probably didn't really need those fingers right?

Skitter criticizing Amy in her head for not being "creative" enough with her power is so on brand. Of course my daughter has already detailed out the complex ways she would use a power she doesn't even have. I love her.

I really wish the Undersiders/Travelers combo would stop splitting the fucking party. If they had just sent everyone after Siberian I bet the could have gotten the dude.

I do have have Skitter has gotten to a point where one of her "start of combat" actions is to just make a fuck ton of bug decoys. Almost without thought at this point.

Have I mentioned how much I love the "writing words in the air with bugs to communicate with people"? Cause I do. It makes sense. It would work. It lets her communicate long range. But it's also very silly to imagine. Very Silver Age in the best way.

Then it gets even better! Skitter makes a full blown animation to tell Amy that Siberian is trying to drop a building on her. Absolutely fucking perfection.

Tattletale maybe misjudged ever so slightly in what she revealed to Siberian. The combo of Siberian just flickering out of existence and everyone being like "oh fuck" was very good.

Amy trying to do her bullshit again and Tattletale having none of it, just destroying every argument before Amy even makes them until Amy agrees to come and help. More than makes up for any mistakes Tattletale made with Siberian.

The relay bugs are super neat.

Fucking high speed mutant dog/car chase. Absolutely fucking AMAZING. I loved every part of it. Ending with Sundancer just dropping a 50 foot wide sun on the road.

Tattletale trolling the shit out of Piggot and the heroes gives me life.

Also, Piggot's phone conversation with Tattletale was basically a villain monologue. For Piggot. Just all the shit about why she was doing it, why it was for the best, the coy little "sorry your teammates are gonna die, it's just an unfortunate side effect". All of it. This bitch is evil.

My daughter fucking tying up Crawler with spiderwebs. HOLY SHIT KID. God damn.

Very Mulan "Get off the roof, get off the roof, get off the roof" energy as they all run the fuck away from the bombing zone.

BUG HORSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BUG HORSE BUG HORSE BUG HORSE BUG HORSE BUG HORSE!!!!

AMY MADE MY DAUGHTER A FLYING BUG HORSE I'M DYING!

TAYLOR CAN BE THE (BUG)HORSE GIRL SHE WAS ALWAYS MEANT TO BE!

It rescues her and she has to teach it how to fly and they form a bond and she saves it and it saves her and and and she gives it a NAME! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

She's only had Atlas for a day and a half but if anything happens to him I will burn the world to the ground. Then I'll find another world and burn it to the ground too.

Firebombs don't really do shit but destroy a chunk of the city, probably kill some civilians, and make the heroes lives pretty fucking hard as they have to rely on the randomness of Clockblocker's power.

Also weren't there supposed to be a bunch of Nazis also getting hit by the bombs? One of the only somewhat maybe kinda almost decent parts of the plan Piggot and they aren't even here!

Piggot's plan is terrible and evil is what I'm saying.

The only reason nearly every hero doesn't end up permanently trapped or whatever inside Cache's bag of holding is cause Skitter was there to keep him from being crushed by a car. Well, Skitter and her bug horse (BUG HORSE!)

Skitter got to shoot Mannequin in the back. Very satisfying even if it didn't do long term damage.

Sucks to be Cache. He's . . . probably fine? I mean at least he got everyone out as he was melting.

Really sucks to be Glory Girl. She is . . . uhhh . . . hmmm . . . not dead. I can at least say that.

I mean Skitter got her to Amy. And Amy did stop her from dying. So like . . . she's probably going to be fine. Yep. Juuuuuust fine.

(Look if Amy wasn't a bitch about giving Atlas a digestive system I might be willing to forgive a lot. My daughters (bug)horse comes first. But Amy didn't so I won't. At least Grue was able to help. He gets a lot of brownie points for that.)

Anyway, Victoria needed to take some time to heal the rest of the way so she left completely under her own free will. And it will never come up again.

Bombin' 2: Electric HOLY FUCK PIGGOT YOU REALLY ARE CRAZY Bombgaloo

Kill a few more civilians and maybe Crawler and Mannequin. Destroy more of the city (including the library!) in a way that will probably never be salvageable (I mean at least some of it is stopped in time for god knows how long). Jack, Bonesaw, and Siberian escape. And because of what was done Bonesaw is going to activate her bio-weapon.

Great job Piggot. Gold star. You fucking did it. You saved the city. You motherfucking idiot.

[thecowboykatsuki-anon]

Bakugou’s first love who’s temper and passion matches, no, exceeds his, because you had to fight twice as hard to earn things he was given, had to fight twice as hard to get a seat at a table he was born to. His first love, who’s outcast by hero society for carrying too much anger, for being too rough, too much. 

For being Quirkless.

He never said it was love, but it was. He could feel it, knew you could too. Or at least, he hopes you could. 

So after you disappear, there’s not a single day that goes by where he doesn’t think of you, well into adulthood. Little things like the flowers in the florist shop window that are the exact color of your old car, the way the city glows after a rainstorm.

He thinks it would be easier to forget you, to not have to carry the weight around with him all the time, and he hates himself for thinking it at all. Hates that he feels burdened by your memory instead of thankful he could tell someone exactly where every mole and birthmark sat on your skin, the different colors in your eyes.

It’s that perfect memory that confirms his worst suspicion when history begins to repeat himself, a new group of villains unhappy with society rising from the ashes of the last.

You’re clearly different, but he knows you. Knows the way you move, the tilt to your voice when you’re hiding that you’re wounded.

It’s the first time that his heart is at war with his sense of duty, but he keeps quiet about his suspicion regardless, needing to confirm everything for himself before he spoke up.

It’s a thin line he’s walking, but he assures himself he won’t cross it, no matter what.

And yet, when he finally catches you, unmasked and pinned beneath him, bloody teeth bared, he finds himself lifting enough for you to escape. He wants desperately to give chase, to catch you again, but he knows it’s not so he can bring you in.

It’s that realization that wakes him up, makes him take extended leave so he can track you down. Except he doesn’t have to.

You show up at his apartment one night, covered in shadows near the open window as he comes in, absently listening to Kiri worry about him over the phone. It takes everything in him not to hang up on his friend immediately when he sees you, freezing in place.

He should be angry, should be insulted that you, a wanted villain, had the audacity to show up in his home and silently watch him, but he’s not.

Part of him believes he’s finally lost it, chasing ghosts, so he calls out your name quietly, more of a breath than real words, but he can see the way your body reacts to it immediately, and all he can feel is relief crash around him.

There’s a heavy silence for a while, and then he takes a step forward. You stiffen, and in a blink, you’re gone, the only sign you were real to begin with a note telling him to stay away.

But he doesn’t. And neither do you. He knows you follow him, can feel watchful eyes on him, even if he can’t see you right away.

And then you show up in his apartment once more, clearly ready for a fight in the middle of his kitchen. There’s a glint of a knife in your hand, and he’s careful to move slowly as he sets down his groceries, hands splayed to show you he’s unarmed, as if he couldn’t kill you with one flick of his wrist. He calls out your name again, softly, like he’s talking to a wounded animal, and you can’t help the way your heart begs you to respond, even after so many years.

You shift, hesitate, and he straightens, takes a chance, and takes a step towards you. Your hand twitches, but you don’t raise it, don’t charge him. So he takes another. And then another. And then he’s within striking range, and your eyes are hard, angry in warning, but wide, like you’re lost. 

So he steps closer. And you step back, knife falling from your hand and clattering to the floor. He presses forward until your back hits his kitchen island, and he’s leaning over you, knuckles white with the way they grip the marble. 

You look panicked, fear brewing in your gaze when he raises a hand, eyes squeezing shut so you don’t see the blow coming. 

Instead, he brushes your hair away from your face, and your eyes fly open in surprise, the large pro drinking you in, his eyes flicking over your form. 

“I thought you were dead,” 

His voice is softer than anything you’ve ever heard, rolling over you and bringing back memories long since repressed. He cups your cheek, thumb sliding over your skin as if to make sure you’re real, and you hate how good it feels, how much you’ve missed him, and then his gaze dips lower and he freezes. 

Now that’s he’s able to be close to you, breathe you in, he sees what he’s missed before, hidden under stealth suits and large hoodies. From beneath your top curl ragged scars, curving and licking up along your throat and across your shoulders, more abundant than unmarred skin.

Your breath hitches as his fingers leave your face to trace over the scars on your collarbone, his face filled with anguish. His searching takes him lower, to the collar of your shirt where he pulls away, shaky hands falling to the hem as he begins to lift it slowly. 

Your hands circle his wrist in warning, and he spares you a glance, his pretty eyes filled with silent pleas, and you give in to him, as powerless to him as you were when you were stupid kids believing you were in love. Your fingers fall away from his skin slowly to let him continue, heart hammering as you let the man you came to kill undress you. 

He hesitates, inhaling deeply, steeling himself for what he might see before he tugs the cotton upwards once more. 

His stomach twists in knots as you’re revealed to him, arching scars covering most of your torso, some clearly old, but far too many new, deep, and he can only imagine what you went through to earn such markings across your skin. 

He can hardly find those moles and beauty marks he used to be able to map perfectly, now replaced with thick and jagged lines. He looks tortured, struggling not to let it show, but you see it anyways.

You can’t help the noise that bubbles from your throat when you lift your arms for him, a fresh wound beneath your left breast pulling painfully tight with the movement, and he clenches his jaw at the sound of your whimper, brows drawn low over his eyes. 

When his palm lays flat against your stomach, measuring the expanse of your scars to his hand, the former reaching out far further, you squeeze your eyes shut and tilt your head back. 

You never wanted him to see you like this, and in that very moment, you wished you were dead like he’d assumed, rather than a broken shell of who he used to love. 

He’s silent as his hands wander, their warmth seeping into your skin and settling on your hips, fingers splayed wide. He lets out a shaky huff and you finally peel open your eyes as he drops to his knees, his breath warm over your skin, moments before his mouth presses over your flaws.

He doesn’t miss the way you inhale sharply, hazy eyes focused down at him kneeling at your feet, mouth ghosting across your body. 

He traces a path upwards, his hands keeping you grounded as you arch against him, goosebumps rising in the wake of his ministrations. He deviates from his path only once, to press a feather soft kiss against your newest wound, and you hiss, fingers flying to tangle in his hair. 

It shouldn’t hurt so much, but his mouth feels like a brand, his nose brushing along the underside of your breast, lighting a fire within you that you had assumed died long ago. He murmurs out something you don’t quite catch against your skin before he returns the drag of his mouth between your breasts, up until he’s pressing kisses against your jaw, his forehead bumping against your cheek as he shakes his head. 

He exhales shakily again, and you tilt your head ever so slightly, needing to see him, needing to see the disgust, the pity in his eyes. You need him to give you a reason to push him away, a reason to hate him so neither of you start something you can’t finish. 

But all you see is a quiet fury buried in those crimson eyes, smothered by a emotion you’ve only ever seen in those very eyes the last time you’d seen him. You’re not ready to admit what it is yet, denial flooding you even as your mind supplies the word. 

Love. 

It’s like all the air rushes from your lungs, and you’re sure in that very moment, if it wasn't for his firm grip, that you’d simply crumple under the weight of your realization. 

He draws you back to him, nose bumping yours when one of his hands cups the back of your head, fingers burying themselves in your hair. He opens his mouth and immediately closes it again, breathing in sharply through his nose before he speaks again, eyes shutting. 

“I’m sorry I wasn't there to protect you.” 

And just like that, you can’t resist his pull anymore, closing the distance as the first tear rolls down your cheek. 

[birdofdawning]

Helena leans over to change the radio station. "Honestly, I would have hoped that the glib pleastries of Masters of Ceremonies would have improved since my time, but I am afraid this is not the case. I'm sure I heard half those inane blatherings at the Pavillion in the '90s and they were old hat then."

Myka checks her wing mirror. "I think you're being too hard on Rockin' Eddie and Rockin' KDBW, " she says. "He's trying his best to keep Muskogee 'boogeying' thru breakfast'. He's been very clear about this. And anyway, it's not as easy as it seems, being a radio announcer. Especially when you're on air alone, without someone else in the studio to talk to."

"Why, it seems perfectly simple to me," sniffs Helena, "You just open your mouth and say the first silly thing that comes to mind."

"No, there’s actually a lot of preparation and practice involved."

Helena gives Myka a shrewd glance. "You seem to know a lot about the subject. Is this another one of your abandoned careers?"

"I don't have 'abandoned careers'," says Myka, frowning, "Stop saying that. But yeah, I hosted a late night show on college radio for a couple of years."

At this Helena sits up straight. "No! Really? Well!" She eyes her companion anew. "You are a dark horse Miss Bering. And so you too, I imagine, would utter those strange animal cries and then exalt your listeners to 'get down to the rhythm while they get up to the java'?"

"No, of course not," says Myka, "It was a late night show. People were going to bed."

Helena, who has been bored and irritable since they left the airport four hours ago — not that she would have admitted this, even to herself — finds that she is now quite cheered up. "And did you also play 'the greatest hits of the '70s, '80s, and beyond'?" She gasps. "Did you play 'Killing in the Name Of'?"

Myka shakes her head. "What is it with you and that song? And no, as I said it was a late night show, so it was relaxing music. And my show was mostly classical and old jazz. Some baroque and early stuff. Some choral." She changes lanes to let another car pass. "College radio is more, uh, eclectic than stations like KDBW Muskogee. People play all kinds of stuff."

"And did you have a sobriquet? Like Rockin' Eddie?"

Myka pauses. "Uh, yeah."

Helena waits.

Myka clears her throat. "I was, um... Velvet."

"Velvet."

"Yeah. The show was 'Vespers with Velvet'"

Helena considers this. "Surely it should have been 'Compline with Velvet'? If it was a late night show?"

"I know!" Myka grips the stearing wheel tighter. "I told them that! But they said they liked the alliteration. And so I had to introduce 'Vespers with Velvet' every Sunday night knowing it was wrong!" She shakes her head at the old frustration.

"But why 'Velvet' to begin with?" asks Helena. "Please don't misunderstand me, I think you have a lovely speaking voice. But I wouldn’t call it velvety."

"Oh, I didn’t speak like this," says Myka. And then her voice drops half an octave. "I spoke like this."

Every hair on the back of Helena's neck stands up. A wave of anticipation passes down from her scalp, running through her body to settle heavily in her centre.

She leans back in her chair and ever-so casually crosses her legs.

"Well now," she says, "I think I'm going to need to hear more from Miss Velvet."

[the-whispers-of-death]

man oh man wolf Kali and dragon reader fighting over bear Stone is juicy.

i have some thoughts.

reader is actively trying to show up Kali, bringing outrageously big game to Stone like he sees Kali bringing Stone tasty fish and he huffs, smoke pouring from his nostrills and the next thing they know reader brings Stone a whole orca he hunted, brings him the fattest seals too, the blubber is good for stocking up for winter. in theory reader has everything to charm and woo Stone. he's big (well over 7 feet), he's strong (easily lifting up a truck when they don't have a car jack), he's rich (huge hoard as well as old money in banks across the world), he's knowledgeable (knows so much stuff, was around when the first telescopes and star maps were made, was around even before that) but reader knows that Kali has an advantage of knowing Stone for a long time and another thing is that reader is old... like old old and Kali and Stone are far closer in age so why would Stone want some old man when he can have a young, lively mate who has been by his side for all this time. now of course reader won't just give up, dragons are known to be both proud and possessive so reader won't allow that kind of hit to his pride nor will he just give up what he thinks should be his. but a dark part of his brain is always whispering for him to be prepared to loose his dream mate to someone (in readers opinion) more suited afterall reader is old and past his prime (in dragon years) he couldn't even give Stone a proper family (i have a hc that certain hybrids are very gung ho about family and cubs) so despite being all that and a bag of chips reader can't help but be insecure (there's also the fact of it being a mythical hybrid trying to court a regular animal hybrid and considering the fact that reader would probably outlive them both so... yeah)

it ends with all three in a pollycule because i don't like angst lol (if you don't mind that is)

I mean, technically there's already a polycule because dragon hybrid!Reader is also courting lion hybrid!Sarabi. We might as well add wolf hybrid!Kali into it too, yeah?

Wolf hybrid!Kali who has more than one reason to try and one-up dragon hybrid!Reader's courting of Stone because you're courting both the mate he's been courting with for twelve years and his trusted lieutenant. Part of him feels like why should you get both lion hybrid!Sarabi and bear hybrid!Stone?

He knows realistically he cannot compete with a dragon hybrid, a fact that's further proven by you bringing an orca to Stone. But that doesn't stop him from trying.

Kali helps Stone take care of his den, helping him bring back the food you bought Stone so that he's well-stocked up for the winter. He provides Stone with the flowers he knows Stone loves, he shares his kills with Stone. He reminds Stone of all of their good times, he cuddles Stone every night he can with you around.

But Stone still wants you, actually, he wants you both. So he tells you two and you're quick to start courting Kali.

Kali suddenly has more rabbits and deer showing up at his own den, all of them from you. You help him deal with other wolf packs, using your dragon hybrid nature to run off everyone who tries to encroach on his pack's territory.

Kali's confused but eventually, he accepts it. He's not used to...submitting, to being taken care of, but at least Stone and Sarabi are happy. And he doesn't mind having help with keeping his pack safe.

[klbwriting]

Who Am I Really?

Chapter 10

Fandom: Aquaman

Pairing: Ormxfemale!Reader

Warnings: none

Summary: the council comes to see Orm

Orm frowned at the restraints YN had put him in, she seemed to be enjoying seeing him tied down. She kept giggling and smirking as she finished with the final snow chain. She normally used these on her tires in winter to make sure her car got around but now she was finding she could use them for all kinds of things.

“Are you enjoying this?” Orm asked. “Me being tied up?” She blushed and nodded.

“I am enjoying it a lot,” she said. She stood back. Orm was in a chair, hands zip-tied together, chains wrapped around him and padlocked to keep him there. His feet were connected to the floor using leash ties and old dog collars. Orm could have been out of this in seconds, but the Atlanteans didn’t need to know that. He pretended to struggle, and YN put a hand on his shoulder. “Stop, wait for the others to arrive, I don’t want you breaking them while they’re here.” He froze and stayed still. “I’m going to wait outside, any longer in here and I’m going to enjoy this too much.”

“Is this going to happen again later?” he asked. She nodded.

“When I get you back in bed, I’m going to have so much fun,” she said before closing the door behind her. Orm shifted uncomfortably excited by the idea.

YN stood by the lake, waiting for the arrival of the council. Mera was with her already, watching the water. She didn’t know what to say to the woman. She knew who she was, that she and Orm were once engaged but she had married his brother. That Orm had not been the best person to her, sending people out to kill her because he felt betrayed. What do you say to someone with that kind of history with the man you loved?

“What do you possibly see in him?” Mera asked, finally breaking the silence. YN looked at her. “I don’t know what he’s been like since being here but, he was such a terrible partner when we were together, I can’t imagine him being anything else.”

“I’m not sure what he was like with you but here, he’s been wonderful. A little too arrogant sometimes, but he helps around the shelter, loves the animals, is kind, for my birthday he took me to this little seaside restaurant, and we sat on the beach and just watched the waves. He told me stories and said that they were boring compared to the life he was living. He finds everything so fascinating here…” she could go on and on. Mera was staring.

“That hit to the head must have knocked something loose in him, maybe forgetting the hatred helped remove it altogether,” she said. “I’m glad. When we were kids, he was a sweet boy, always wanting to make everyone around his happy. Wasn’t until Atlanna was banished that he turned bitter.” They stood in silence then, watching the water until it started to ripple. YN turned and called to Clark, who arrived there within seconds.

“They’re not going to challenge me to prove my strength, right?” Clark asked. YN shrugged. Mera said hello to him and then faced the water as Arthur emerged first, followed by the council. They looked around, unimpressed by the shelter and house by the lake.

“Where are we?” one of the ladies asked. YN stepped forward.

“Greetings, you are near the coast of Rhode Island, my lake here feeds directly into the ocean via a short river,” she explained. “I’m YN and I own this house and the animal shelter where your wild animal, Orm Marius, is being held on the surface.” They looked her up and down, unimpressed by her also.

“She doesn’t look like she could control him,” another council member said. Arthur shot them a look and they stopped talking. YN just kept smiling. She was used to dealing with annoying people who thought they knew better than her. Most of the time it was about why they couldn’t keep a pet and were abandoning it, but wasn’t that what these Atlanteans wanted to do with Orm? She just motioned to Clark.

“This is Superman, I am sure you have heard of him, even in Atlantis,” she said. They looked at him and she could tell they were awed. Wasn’t hard, Clark was tall, muscular, good looking, classic trustworthy man type. Mera rolled her eyes a little with YN.

“Hello, I have been called upon by YN and your king to help keep this prisoner in place. I have thoroughly checked the cell and restraints he is being held in, he will not escape,” he said. The council took his word for it and approached the shelter. YN showed them into the ‘problem dogs’ area and there was Orm, pretending to struggle against the restraints. He looked livid.

“Orm Marius, so nice to see you,” a councilwoman said. Orm eyed her suspiciously. “We hope you are well, that this will suitably hold you until we come to a decision about your punishment.” Now he was confused. Arthur stepped forward.

“I forgot to tell you; I may have done a little confessing to the council. I explained what actually happened with Manta, about breaking you out of the deserter prison, and how you actually helped us and resisted the pull of Black Trident. How you kind of aren’t such a dick anymore. The council is reconsidering what to do with you,” Arthur said.

“O really? Show is this all for a laugh then? Locking me up here?” he asked. Arthur chuckled and shook his head.

“O no, this is real, punishment is still being discussed, but I thought perhaps the council would question you here about what your plans and ideas are for your future, while you are restraint and under the eye of Superman here,” the king said. Orm looked around at the council members. Could this really be it? He might get a lesser punishment? Be able to not hide anymore? Could he see Atlantis again?

“Thank you your majesty, I will speak with them,” Orm said, bowing his head to Arthur. Arthur chuckled and turned with YN and Mera to leave.

“I’ll never get used to that,” he said as they stood in the grass outside the shelter. Mera and Arthur started to discuss next steps if Orm’s punishment was reduced before they noticed that YN had walked away, sitting on the shore. They walked over and sat next to her. She was in tears.

“What is wrong?” Mera asked. YN wiped her eyes.

“It’s selfish and silly,” she said.

“What?”

“What if wants to leave?” YN asked. Arthur looked at Mera and then back at YN. Neither of them considered really that YN wasn’t Atlantean, she was human and wouldn’t be able to come back to Atlantis with Orm. He would have to choose, life on the surface, or under the water. “I know that I can’t make that choice for him, I won’t force him to stay here but if he leaves, a big piece of my heart will be broken.”

“I think he’d go back to Atlantis, at least for a little while, but he would come back,” Arthur said. “He loves you and if there is anything he knows about its loving someone who is far away. It doesn’t go away.” She nodded and they waited in silence for the council to emerge.

“We have decided,” the councilwoman said. Arthur nodded for her to continue. “Orm Marius will be put on house arrest in Atlantis for one year, starting tomorrow. He will attend therapy meetings to speak of his crimes to a professional chosen by the king weekly to work within the new mental health system that has been implanted…”

“One of my better ideas,” Arthur said with a smile.

“…upon completion he will be released to come to travel to the surface whenever he wants, while doing mandatory community service for the surface world. We will send the king to retrieve Orm in the morning,” she finished. Arthur nodded his head in agreement and the council went back to the water. YN stood there, frozen. One year. Would he want her still? Would he still remember his feelings after a year away from her?

“It will not seem so long,” Mera said, putting her hands on YN’s shoulders. “He will not forget you.” YN nodded, but wasn’t so sure.

Once they were sure that the council was gone Orm was released from his fake cell and said his thank you’s and goodbyes to Arthur and Mera before joining YN in the house. “A year?” she asked. He sighed.

“It was agree to that or go back to the deserter prison for five years to take the punishment of escaping,” he said. “I couldn’t do five more years there; I couldn’t do five years away from you. One year is going to seem like torture.”

“You’ll come back, right?” she asked. Orm looked at her, pulling her close and kissing her softly.

“I will always come back to you,” he said.

In the morning Arthur took his away in shackles and YN hoped that wasn’t the last time she saw him.

[igotanidea]

Jealousy : Gar Logan x reader x Conner Kent

When Dick’s lie about Jericho was exposed.

When everything crumbled down.

When Titans fell apart. (again)

When everyone left the tower.

Gar was left completely alone with unconscious Conner, trying his best to keep his head up, just like Dick said.

It worked for two days.

After that, Gar had no motivation left in him and was just trailing around the rooms, hoping someone, anyone would come back. His wish was soon granted as at first Connor wake up. Of course, it was never intention Beast Boy intention to see Superboy in all his naked glory but still, it was uplifting to have another soul to talk to. And a day later, one of the younger titans Y/N came back to tower. In her own words, it was her home and she would never feel good anywhere else. She was shyly standing by the kitchen counter while explaining this and both boys watched her with enamored expression. She did not know but despite the fact that they already made friends none of them would let the other win her over. Y/N was strong herself, given her air powers, but both Gar and Conner felt sudden urge to protect her and be by her side through all the good and bad.

They were about to have a chance.

The same organization that produced Conner busted through the tower’s window trying to get the boy back. With glass shattered everywhere, armed men surrounding the titans and guns pointed towards their heads they really had no place to run. Luthor’s organization were more than happy to realize than instead of getting one enhanced human, they get to capture three. At first, however they really had to capture them. In order to do so, they shoot some sedative towards Gar just right after he turned into a tiger.

“NO!” Y/N yelled covering him in her best attempt to swing the bullet around with a heavy blirt and failing miserably, getting shot in effect. A dose aimed at the muscular animal was a bit too much for a human and it made her loose conscience almost immediately.

“Y/N!” despite being poisoned with Cryptonite Connor made it to the girl in time to prevent her from hitting the floor. Now, all three teenagers were weakened, unable to fight and too much of an easy target.

“What are we going to do with them? I mean, we wanted Superboy and now….” One of the masked man turned towards the dark haired woman who was clearly the leader of the operation.

“You’ll see soon enough.” She smiled devilishy as her gaze lingered over the unconscious girl, hurt and bleeding Gar and coughing Conner.

***

After a series of heavy experiments on boys, Y/N was finally let out of her room cage. For the past two days Luthor’s scientists were messing with their heads, trying to reprogram their abilities to Lex’s whims only to be used in a battle against each other.  Y/N was forced to watch Gar turn into a wild, predatory animal without his own control and hurt and kill people. Just because of some music. All the tears she cried while watching the scene could never fully reflect the pain inside. Gar was her friend and it killed her to sit with him in silence when his consciousness came back and he realized what he had done.

“Gar….” She whispered after the incident at the coffee shop gently grabbing his hands. He did not answer, just kept looking on the floor. “It’s gonna be ok, it’s gonna be ok….” She kept repeating even if she herself did not believe it.

“Y/N. I’m so sorry, you have to go through this…..”

“What? Me? Gar, are you insane? You are the most harmed one here. I…. I’m nothing” she shook her head.

“You are not nothing Y/N. I care about you, all right. More than…..” he started

“None of this is your fault, remember that. We are just being used. All three of us.” The tears were flowing freely down her face and Gar could not resist gently wiping them away. Seeing her cry was just breaking his heart.

“Y/N…. I need to tell you something. Not the perfect timing, but I…..”

“Ok, you two, that’s enough” the same dark haired women as always jumped into the car. “We are only getting started with all the fun. You, Gar, need some rest after such well done job, and as for you miss Y/N, we got one more show for you.”

“You can’t ….”

“Oh, Mr. Logan” the woman pouted “you should know better by now. We can. And we most definitely will.”

If only he wasn’t so tired and so blue he would fight for her, but it was simply too much.

***

“More show” meant that Y/N was now standing in front of a glass wall, watching brainwashed Conner complying with the commands of the woman in a robot-like manner. He wasn’t himself anymore. Those beast of a people turned him into a puppet, becoming a product to be shown to and bought by similar cutthroat moneybags, who would offer the biggest amount of money for him. When the connection between the potential bidders were cut, the only thing Conner was to do was…..”

“No…” Y/N whispered “No, Conner, please don’t….” she put a hand on the cold glass, trying to stop him from killing one of the unfomfortable workers, knowing well enough it won’t work. To her surprise, Conner with his superhearing turned towards her. Just like Gar’s his eyes conveyed so much pain, fear and anger. He looked straight at the girl and his eyes glistened upon seeing her so fragile, broken and mistreated. He was about to run straight towards her, hold her tight to his chest and get the hell out of here, but before he could act on that, the woman pressed a button on some strange electronic device and he was back to the robot mode. No hesitation and no mercy in his action as he put a gun to the other’s man head and shot him, leaving another scar on girl’s psyche.

***

Bloody battle was supposed to be the last straw in breaking the teenagers. It did not go according to the plan. Before the show and money raise could even start, the Titans showed up at the fun fair saving the day. Rachel saved Gar, helping him getting back in control of his shapeshifting skills, Kori, Donna and Dawn with a little help from Dick and Rachel dealt with Conner and as it was done, Dick retrieved Y/N from the kidnapper’s claws.  Gar and Y/N were almost shaking while Superboy was just standing in the middle of the ground assessing the damage. And everything would be fine if it wasn’t for the fact that Donna sacrificed herself and died, crushed by the power pole. Y/N could not stand it anymore as she fell to the ground sobbing and screaming, not caring how much of a freak she was making out of herself. Gar immediately crouched next to her, holding her tightly, reassuringly, just like she did so many times during his captivity. Caressing her back, he helped her up not letting go even for a second. Beast boy was doing everything in his power to make her feel taken care of, help her thought that feeling of emptiness, unfairness and guilt. The truth was, he felt exactly the same and the way Y/N was clinging to him brought him a bit of so much needed comfort. Having her so close only made his love for the girl and the urge to keep her safe stronger.

“It’s gonna be ok, Y/N. You have me.” He whispered holding her closer and not noticing Conner’s sideway glances. Or maybe choosing not to see them.  

***

The team was back together. Almost because Wonder girl was gone leaving everyone with a hole in their chests. Ironically, this brought Gar and Y/N closer than ever since apart from Dick, Donna was always their role model. After few days, more often than less those two could easily be found talking and laughing in the kitchen or playing video games together. They really did grow closer and truly Gar was gathering courage to confess how much he fell for her.

“Y/N” she was standing in front of the huge window looking at the street, her e/c orbs scanning every little detail of the evens happening outside. When she heard Gar’s voice she turned around and the most beautiful smile lightened her face and made his knees buckle.

“Hi Gar. What’s up?”

“I… I need to tell you something, but…. If that’s bad moment….”

“No. Not at all. I actually got some free time. Dick is cutting  me some slack with the training since … you know, last events. I wanted to train, but he was insisting that I rest. Quite suspicious, so I think…..”

“I lo….” beast boy was about to blurt out when out of nowhere Conner rushed into the room. Damn the enhanced speed and hearing.

“Y/N!” Superboy yelled. “Can we talk?”

“Like now?” she frowned “Gar was just about to say something, so…”

“YES! Sorry, I mean, yes, I need to talk to you now. It’s urgent.”

“I bet it is” Gar muttered crossing his arms knowing well enough what and why Conner was doing. “But I was here first. So a minute of wait would not damage you.”

“Oh, I think it will. And it is not the matter of priority.”

“You sure about that” Gar tilted his head “you don’t seem convinced.”

“what are you suggesting?” Conner took a step closer to the other boy.

“Nothing.” Gar shrugged “Are you suggesting something?”

“Um…. Guys?” Y/N tried to interrupt them before those started throwing fists.

“She’s not a possession!”

“Look who’s talking. You are simply scared she would choose me over you!”

“Liar!”

“Coward!”

“Gyus!” the girl yelled and this time get their full attention “what is wrong with you two. You are friends, remember. And if this is about me, which I can guess is, you better get me out of your heads. You are both acting like kids. I’m out. Don’t follow me!” she turned on her heels and walked out of the room almost ramming Rachel, who’s eyes widened and who took one glance at the boys and quickly followed Y/N.

“What happened?” she asked her friend who was circling the room in frustration.

“Boys are idiots, that’s what happened!”

“Um… that’s obvious. You will have to be more specific about the situation.”

“Those two dumbasses fell in love with me. BOTH OF THEM!”

“Oh.”

“Really, Rach? Oh? What do I do now?”  

to be continued? (let me know if you want part 2 of this)

[entomolog-t]

The Shadow We Cast

Chapter 3 is here!! Happy I could sneak in another chapter while updating Bite Me weekly! Fun fact: All plants and animals Sal refers to are real things, he just doesn't know what they're called. Bonus points to anyone who figures them out!

Sal and Mark being two normal guys, having normal conversation during a normal meal. Everything is fine and nothing is weird (as long as Mark keeps drinking).

Word Count: 2761

Previous Chapter: Chapter 2

Next Chapter: Chapter 4

CW: Adult language, minor injury (blood, wound), substances (beer)

----

I took another drink. 

A good, long drink. 

I knew I was just prolonging the inevitable, but hey, alcohol has a way of clouding judgement, and for once impairment was exactly what I needed. How many beers would it take before hawk meat sounded like a good idea? However many that number was, I clearly still had a long way to go.

I was buzzed for sure- I felt the flush in my cheeks and a slight tingle in my lips. Yet the wild new reality in front of me kept my mind oddly clear and feeling painfully sober. With a sigh, I began to remove the meat from the barbecue. Despite Sal being situated out of sight on the patio set behind me, I could practically feel him perk up with interest. The thought of the tiny man sent my mind whirling once again. I could barely wrap my head around the absurdity of the past 24 hours, let alone what I was supposed to do from here… Coming face to face with a man no bigger than my hand who apparently lives somewhere on my property, has a pet spider, and is capable of killing a hawk? The mental summary of events was wild enough to have me glancing over my shoulder every few minutes to make sure Sal was really still there… and yet, amidst all the madness, there was a strange sense of normalcy. We were just two dudes having a barbecue and sipping beers as if we were just friendly neighbours- as long as I pretended it was chicken.

"Done?" Sal's voice was filled with an almost childlike excitement as I killed the propane. Enough stalling, I thought, just get it over with. I eyed the meat with disdain as I began to stack it on a plate. 

"All set." I confirmed, desperately trying to hide the dread in my voice.

Despite my overall anticipatory disgust, a smile tugged at the corners of my lips as I turned to see Sal’s tiny figure with his back pressed up against a beer can. I couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy at the thought of leaning against the cool metal in this overbearing heat.

As I sat down, Sal sprung up, all too eager to get his hands on his prized catch. His excitement seemed to quell my inhibitions far more than the alcohol had managed. Before any better judgement could manifest, I took a bite.

And it was… frankly, not bad. 

The meat had a unique flavour, strong and slightly gamey, a bizzare combination of chicken and beef. Paired with the sweetness and distinct spice of the sauce it was actually pretty-

A slurry of the most cringe inducing noises rose up from just beneath me -the sound like a grotesque amalgamation of a wild dog and a toddler chewing on something wet. How someone so small could make such a repulsive commotion while eating was beyond me. I dreaded looking down, but like driving past a car crash, there was a morbid curiosity that tugged at my gaze like a magnet. 

Shirtless and sauce-covered, Sal had dragged an outrageously large chunk of meat onto his lap and was tearing into as if he was killing the poor creature a second time- ripping out handfuls of meat and devouring them, scarfing it down as if he hadn’t eaten in days. 

I paused, a question nagging at the edges of my brain.

Did he eat regularly?

It's not like he could casually stroll to a grocery store when he was hungry. A wave of guilt hit me- pressuring me to keep my judgments on his borderline feral table etiquette to myself.  

As if he could sense my gaze fixed on him, Sal looked up towards me, a ridiculously wide grin plastered across his face. Without even bothering to swallow, he shoots, me a compliment, 

“This is good.”

I tear off a chunk of a paper towel and push it towards him. 

“Thanks man, I’m glad you like it.” I say, feeling as though his enthusiasm is starting to rub off, “Thanks for bringing the hawk.” Sal tilts his head, and I gesture towards the food. He smiles and nods, trying to commit the foreign word to memory. 

As he went back to his meal, I couldn’t help but stare. The guy was unbelievably small. His size in and of itself was mind-boggling, but what was even more absurd was someone his stature being able to take down a hawk- I mean, sure he was built to shit, but what good would some muscle do against what had essentially been some kind of dragon to him?

How the Hell had he managed to kill a hawk?

Trying my best not to be too obvious, I leaned forward, eyeing him more closely. He had a very distinct look to him. His dirty blond hair was a strange middle ground between a mohawk and a mullet, the sides cut short to reveal pointed ears that looked like they belonged in some fantasy game and not on a real being. He had a strong jaw, contrasted by a friendly smile. But what stood out most were the scars. 

Every inch of his being, while admittedly was not a lot, bore a tapestry of scars in various shapes and sizes. Gashes ran across his chest, and what appeared to be some sort of bite mark hung around his shoulder. His limbs were a patchwork of scrapes and cuts, almost giving him the appearance of stripped skin if it wasn’t for their haphazard arrangement. 

Under closer scrutiny a number of the jagged scrapes were far too fresh to be considered scars at all, though clearly in time they'd join in the tapestry. I nearly scoffed at the sight, Minor scrapes and bruises from battling it out with a bird of prey? What was this guy? Some sort of gnome warrior? Some tax funded super weapon? A super powered action figure brought to life by a child’s wish- I might have had too much to drink. 

“How did you manage to, you know,”I gestured vaguely at the meat, “kill it?”

Mouth absolutely stuffed to its fullest, he looked up at me and grinned, a smug pride lighting up his face. Thankfully, he swallowed before speaking. 

“Jumped at it.” He said it matter of factly, and resumed eating as if it should have been considered an adequate answer. When he looked up and was met with whatever baffled face I must have been pulling he chuckled. Wiping his hands off on the piece of napkin, he stood. In one motion, he produced a blade so quickly it was almost as if he conjured it from thin air, having drawn from some concealed barely perceptible pocket on his pants. 

“Hoks,” The word sounds foreign in his mouth, “aim for where you're at, sometimes they aim where you’ll go. Real precise. Can’t go backwards though. You close that distance at the right time and they just can’t account for it. Just gotta get past those claws'' As he spoke he tossed around the blade with a concerning amount of nonchalance. Even more concerning, the way he spoke was as if he expected me to go out hunting hawk with this newfound information. Jump at it? I mean, sure, the logic was there, however the execution was beyond wild. It felt like telling someone the way to avoid getting hit by a train was to just jump out of the way. Sure, it wasn’t wrong, but the whole concept really embodied the notion of “easier said than done.”

“And then what?” I ask, feeling like he was glossing over quite a few steps with his method of just jump at it, “You just …?” I gestured for him to continue, and if the grin that plastered his face was any indicator he was more than willing to go on. 

“It’s quite the revolutionary concept...” He continues, twirling his blade casually, as if fiddling with a pencil, “Pretty complex stuff.” His voice lowers, and I find myself being pulled in- both figuratively enthralled and literally drawing myself nearer to hear him speak. He locks eyes with me, his face taking on a more hardened look. 

He tosses his blade up- catching it by its hilt and pointing directly at me.

“You stab it.”

There's a moment of silence before he erupts into laughter. 

Hearty guffaws fill the air as he doubles over, clearly pleased with his own joke and the dumbfounded expression that was left smeared on my face. 

I roll my eyes, and try to cover my mouth in an attempt to hide the reluctant smirk that creeps across my lips, but the gesture does nothing to stop the chuckle that wells up behind my hand. I shake my head,

“And you're okay..? Like, it um- didn’t get you anywhere or something?”

With a smirk, Sal shrugs, 

“For the most part.”

Before I can ask him to elaborate he pulls down the band of his pants just enough to show a bloodied cloth hastily taped to the side of his hip extending towards his glute. Peeling back the improvised bandage, Sal reveals a nasty gash which looked like it would be a few inches long had he been of human size. 

“A little slice from the beak,” He explained, “Lucky it just grazed me.”

I can feel my brow furrow as I lean in closer. It wasn’t a horrifying injury, but by no means would a gash like that be considered mild, or as he said “just grazed.” I winced. 

“Oh, fuck- dude that looks, um, not great. Do you need anything..?”

He snorted. 

“What? You plan on doing the stitches yourself, big man?” he laughs, waving me away as he goes to reapply the bandage. 

He pauses. 

“On second thought- You wanna grab me some… um…” He stops, looking a bit confused, “Grocery weed..?” 

Whatever I had been expecting him to ask, nothing had prepared me for “grocery weed.” 

What the fuck is grocery weed? 

“You… you want weed?” 

No. Nope. Recant all previous thoughts of sanity- A tiny man and/or potential gnome warrior killing a hawk and then trying to bum a doobie was just not real. Nope. I had really lost it. 

The questionably real little man points to the yard, 

“Big leaves, round edges? Has those little sprouting bits good for making bread?”

I stared at him dumbly. 

“Bread?” I repeated. Sal pursed his lips. He strolled over to my hand and patted the back of it, looking up at me expectantly. 

“I’ll show you.” I turned my hand palm up and he clambered in, directing me down the porch and towards the driveway. All the while my mind fumbled with the very real sensation of his shifting weight in my palm. 

“There!” He hopped up, leaning over the edge of my hand andI curled my fingers inwards reflexively. He gestured towards a weed jutting up from the gravel. I titled my head, a bit surprised. I knew the plant, in the sense that I had definitely seen it around, though I highly doubted it was called grocery weed. It vaguely resembles a cluster of spinach leaves, with a few almost cattail-like stalks extending upwards from the centre. I thought it was a little strange that despite having seen this weed fairly often, I had no clue what it was actually called. 

Trying to be mindful of my not so safety conscious passenger, I knelt down slowly, careful not to jostle him. He directs me, telling me he just needs a few leaves and he’ll be fine. I feel my brow knit in confusion but I acquiesce nonetheless before bringing him and the “not-weed-weed” back to the porch.  

Sal hops off onto the table, leaves in hand and I reach for another drink. Taking a sip, I watch as  he fiddles with the bandages, re-exposing the gash. To my surprise, he takes a bite of the leaf. I tilt my head.

“So what are you do-” He spits a chewed green mass into his palm, “-ing…”

My question trails off. I watch in horror as he takes the mush and slaps it overtop of the open wound.

“DUDE!” I turn my head away to hide a gag. 

What the fuck did I just witness?

He raises an eyebrow, his expression a mix between confusion and judgement as he reapplies the bandage overtop of the borderline spit up.

“What?” 

I scoff, for a moment blanking on what I should say. Sanitary concerns? Oral bacteria? Sepsis? A slew of health concerns fill my mind, but just two words make it passed my lips, 

“That's nasty.”

He waves me off. Dismissing my disgust with a wave of his hand. 

“That,” he says, nodding to the bandage, “works like a charm.”

While I highly doubted that a chewed up weed smeared onto an open wound was more effective than an antiseptic, I couldn’t deny he very clearly had far more experience in dealing with open wounds than myself- the patchwork decorating his skin acted as a pretty solid letter of reference for his abilities. 

“Are you actually going to need stitches?” I ask, wondering if he’d at least let me offer him some disinfectant. 

Sal shrugged.

“Maybe? Depends how well the grocery weed works. Worst case it’s not like stitches are that hard.” 

What was he? Some sort of field medic? “Not that hard” to administer self suturing?? Not to mention what did he even use at his size??

“...how?” Maybe it was the beer, maybe it was the strangeness of it all, but the question just seemed to fall out before I’d even realised I’d spoken. 

Though the question had been vague at best, Sal seemed to understand my confusion. 

“Oh, I used Betty’s silk. It’s pretty thin, but the stuff is wicked strong.” He continues talking but my mind seems to freeze. Betty? Who’s Betty… and why did she have silk- Oh. 

I shudder at the memory of the spider just… crawling all over him. Spider silk?? He uses SPIDER SILK?? How do you even get- I put a stop to that line of thought as quickly as it had started.

Nope. No. Don’t think about it. Just drink. 

As I try to drown my own thoughts by taking another drink I hear Sal continuing on, saying something about sharpening a wasp’s “egg stinger” to use as a needle and very quickly decide it’s high time for a change in topics. 

With all the charismatic finesse of a 5 year old, I point to a particularly gruesome looking scar that ran straight up his back. 

“Oh man, that looks brutal. How’d that happen?”

He stops mid sentence, looking over his shoulder as he tries to follow where I was pointing. His brows furrow, before he shrugs.

“Not too sure. I’ve had that one since I was real young. I think… I fell off something and got caught by a thorn? Maybe?” He chews his lip, reconsidering. “Or it might have been a long mouse?” Did he mean some kind of weasel? I pale at the thought of an even smaller version of him facing off against one of those viscous little things. He waves his hand, dismissing the topic, “In any case, it's too long ago for me to remember.”

I tilt my head. Surely he couldn’t have been that young not to remember getting attacked by a, relatively speaking, monstrous creature. I mean, he didn’t look like he could be much older than his mid twenties at most- I mean… maybe tiny gnome warrior field medics might age differently? What if he’s like… 50? 100?? As soon as the thought is in my head the words seem to just slip out, the alcohol doing its magic in lubricating the conversation. 

“So like… how old are you?”

He shrugs as he makes his way back toward the food. 

“Dunno.” 

“You don’t know how old you are?” I say, baffled at the revelation. He sits down and resumes eating. 

“I mean, the days all blend together. Time passes whether I count it or not. What’s the point in counting if I’m not counting towards something?”

I’m not sure if it's the alcohol or if he had some sage gnomic wisdom to bestow but his words seem to strike a chord within me. I nod, but say nothing. Instead I finish the rest of my beer, mulling over his words. 

What was I counting for?