#tori: it might have worked....... too well......? | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

robotnik-mun · 10 months

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Once again, it is time for that rare moment where I talk about Deltarune instead of Sonic stuff. And today, I've decided to talk about one of the many mysteries of the setting.

Namely... what did Asgore DO?

One of the constants kept over from Undertale in Deltarune was the sad reality that Asgore is still divorced from Toriel, and their post-divorce relationship is... less than ideal, with Asgore desperately trying to get back into Toriel's good graces and Toriel being none-too-thrilled about it. And its pretty clear that whatever happened in the divorce, it's taken a pretty bad toll on Asgore. It's implied he doesn't have visitation rights, and no longer lives in the same house as Tori, instead living in his flower shop. And his present state of living is just... almost too depressing for words.

So yeah, things are not looking great for ol' Asgore. But that does beg the question- what happened THIS time? Recall that in Undertale, Toriel's hostility to Asgore was predicated on both him murdering six children as well as basically getting everyone's hopes up for who-knows-how-long rather than taking one soul and going straight to business after escaping the Underground. How justified she is is going to be the subject of endless debate, now and forever, but at the core of things in Undertale its pretty clear that this hostility comes from some VERY grim circumstances.

Given the more comparatively mundane nature of Hometown and the Light World, its pretty clear that whatever circumstances led to Toriel and Asgore divorcing couldn't be anywhere near as horrible as what happened in Undertale. There's no fantastic circumstance here- Monsters live on the surface as humans do (that we know of), and while Asgore is not exactly held in high regard by Hometown these days, he none the less leads a free, if somewhat depressing life.

So again, what happened here? Why is it that Asgore is still divorced?

As it stands, with everything else, we only got two chapters to go by, and as such we need to work with a LOT of contextual clues to try and piece together even a vague idea of how things reached this point.

And believe it or not, one the key bits of insight we have? Is none other than Rudy Holiday.

Rudy is established as having been friends with Toriel and Asgore in college, and is all but stated to have been Asgore's best man at their wedding, and even in the present is still close to the both of them even though they are no longer together. Out of all the people we talk to in Hometown, Rudy is the one with the most positive stuff to say about Asgore, and Asgore recipricates this by visiting Rudy in the hospital daily, with new flowers for each visit. And while we don't witness it for ourselves, it is revealed that Toriel ALSO visits Rudy and is implicitly close to him as well, with Rudy even suspecting that Kris' visit was done at Toriel's prompting (and sadly probably WOULD be if we weren't using them as a meat-puppet).

This might not seem like such a big deal, but I feel it reveals something very crucial about what might have happened, if only in the abstract. It tells me that whatever happened? While it was serious enough to prompt the divorce and cause Toriel to no longer love Asgore, it WASN'T bad enough that Rudy doesn't think ill of Asgore, or enough to cause Toriel to no longer wish to associate with Asgore or Rudy with her. He bears no malice to anyone in the Dreemurr family, and this is an important detail, because it would seem extremely improbable that things between the three of them would be this hunky-dory if Asgore really did do something legitimately terrible.

Which, admittedly, isn't impossible... but it does feel unlikely, under the circumstances we presently see.

Given the way Dark Worlds reflect something of Lightners, some have suggested that maybe the Card Kingdom just as easily reflects something of Kris as it does Susie. While King mirrors Susie's earlier statements, one cannot help but notice that King is an enormous, pseudo-mammalian king with a hefty build, almost like a warped mirror of Asgore. And that comparison becomes all the more concerning when you consider how, as we go on, its revealed that Kris was once a very mischievous little kid... one can imagine that, perhaps, Kris was very much like Lancer, once upon a time. And if that's the case, then maybe it’s not a coincidence that King threatened both Lancer AND Kris directly.

It's a tempting thought... and oh, the warped implications it would carry, given that in Chapter Two its revealed that King wasn't going to go through with his threat and actually CARES about Lancer, despite earlier evidence to the contrary? Now THAT would imply some ugly-ass things about Kris' thoughts and feelings about their father. Or Susie's, if you believe the Card Kingdom is primarily 'meant' for her. It does make an eerie amount of sense, does it not?

Only... not quite. It’s tempting to think Asgore might have done something to Kris in a moment of weakness, but honestly? I really, really doubt it. Because let's face it, if Asgore had hurt or done something out line with Kris? It's incredibly doubtful that Toriel would ever allow Kris to get anywhere NEAR Asgore, and Rudy likewise would probably have little to do with Asgore over something like that. Oh, sure, friends will stick with friends, but that feels like something not even Rudy could overlook. And then there's the whole 'Eggs-Husband' incident...

... God that was painful. Like, kudos to Toby Fox, I don't think I've EVER felt that kind of secondhand embarrassment from a piece of media ever. It really was just a masterpiece of utter and complete failure. Still, it's important in helping to frame where everyone stands in this divorce, because while Toriel does try to get away from Asgore as fast as possible after his disastrous attempt at punnery (and who could blame her?), she none the less is willing to hear him out when he wants to talk about Asriel's return (possibly about the divorce itself).

It's important to note that, again, context is key here. Earlier in Chapter 1 its established that Asgore keeps sending Toriel flowers, which inevitably wind up in the trash, and likewise she rebuffs his deeply ill-conceived attempt to re-connect with her at Sans' store. But from what we see so far, it may not necessarily be that Toriel hates Asgore, so much that he refuses to get a clue about where they stand and persists in these self-sabotaging attempts to curry her favor. While the problem might be rooted in whatever happened in the past, it’s pretty clear that a BIG part of that is due to Asgore's present behavior. How do we know this? Because she still hears him out when he ISN'T trying to get into her good graces.

I feel that if Asgore had done something to Kris, or done something REALLY bad? Then he wouldn't even get that much. As it stands we don't know enough to say for sure, and all we can do is look at how people act and try and come up with some idea of things, but I'm willing to bet that while Asgore made some kind of serious misstep? He didn't do something unforgivable... just something severe enough that it would justify Toriel leaving him, with his refusal to let go simply making things that much worse over time given that its clear Tori CAN be civil with him. He just makes it difficult due to his overbearing and embarassing behavior... again, we can only infer things, but I do feel like a large part of Toriel's hostility stems from Asgore's inability to back off more than anything else, even the events that caused the divorce.

I can of course, be wrong, about all of this. We have only two chapters and nothing else to go by. But there is one last piece of this puzzle that I think offers an even better insight into why things happened as they happened- the reveal that Asgore used to be the chief of Homedown's police department, and that he was made to step down under unknown circumstances, hence why Undyne, a rookie, is now Hometown's police chief. We don't know what happened yet, but whatever did happen? Kris doesn't like to read about it, keeping Us from seeing what happened. It could be because they don't want us prying into their family's business just in general, but there's also a really good chance that it may be simple guilt that keeps them from reading the rest of that article.

And from here, we can paint a pretty compelling picture of what may have happened. As we know, Dess Holiday, Rudy's oldest daughter and Asriel's childhood best friend, went missing under mysterious circumstances. Dess' mother is mayor of Hometown, and its strongly hinted that whatever happened, DEss is now trapped somewhere in the Dark World (or worse), and other hints seem to indicate that Kris might in fact be aware of this, and its hinted that this event may have occurred near the mysterious bunker in the forest that Kris is explicitly afraid of. More interestingly, schoolmates Snowy and Monster Kid seem to be aware of this fact as well, which brings some interesting implications of itself.

Either way, with these details we can imagine a very probable chain of events for how things went down- Kris and Dess did something or the other at the Bunker, which led to Dess possibly being whisked away to the Dark World. Asgore, as police chief, is tasked with finding Dess. His inability to find Dess leads to him being fired by her mother, the mayor, and this would probably lead to the personal troubles at home that would lead to him eventually being divorced from Toriel and living on his own. This seems to be the general consensus among fan-interpretations, and honestly? It seems pretty probable that this, or something like this, is how the divorce went down... and maybe why Kris is the way Kris is, in the present.

There is however an interesting little wrinkle in this formula, though out of everything I mentioned, this one is possibly the longest shot. Earlier in the game when we explore Asgore's store, we find a very terse note from his landlord telling him point blank that he has a month to pay the rent, even suggesting he start selling the flowers rather than giving them away. All that we know about this landlord is that their first initial is "C". So, where does the long shot come in? There is a possibility that "C" is none other than Mayor Holiday, Rudy's wife and Dess' mother, and previously Asgore's boss. What evidence do we have to suggest this? Mayor Holiday is described as being very good at her job while also not being great with people, and is evidently very driven and intimidating, so much so that Noelle is actively afraid of her. The way the note is written is not very formal, nor is it very sociable either... and there are more than a few Christmas related terms that start with "C". A lot of the fandom seems to have settled on "Carol".

Again, this could be a long shot, one built entirely by conjecture. But if this "C" is indeed mayor holiday? That's where the wrinkle comes in. Because if Mayor Holiday is willing to give Asgore a business and overlook past failures to pay the rent, then it may be that his leaving the force wasn't JUST because of his failing to find Dess... or rather, if Mayor Holiday had any part of it, it actually wasn't out of personal anger at him failing to find her daughter. If "C" is Mayor Holiday, then in this context it means that whatever (probably negative) feelings she has towards Asgore, they're not enough to stop her from trying to help him get back on his feet. You might argue that if she IS involved in his flower shop venture it might be more due to Rudy than her, but then if Rudy has this much sway over her, she wouldn't have fired Asgore for not being able to find Dess.

Granted, there's always the 'Dying Wish' factor, though we don't know how long Rudy's been sick...

But still- firing someone for a personal reason would be a VERY bad breach of ethics, and from what we've seen (or haven't) of the mayor so far is that whatever her personality flaws, she isn't actually corrupt or anything. Hometown is so peaceful and orderly that the police force isn't really regarded as necessary! Quite the accomplishment... and firing Asgore for personally failing her would be the kind of conflict of interest that could jeopardize those accomplishments, understandable as it might be in this instance.

So, what would this imply for Asgore and his leaving the force? I believe that while Dess vanishing was the catalyst for everything, it wasn't the direct cause of Asgore losing everything. I imagine that failing to find Dess for an undetermined amount of time weighed heavily on Asgore, given that this is his best friend's daughter, a daughter who is the best friend of Asriel at that.

My hypothesis, as such? Is that Asgore's failing to find Dess slowly ate away at him, and that this caused things at home to get tense, before his eventual desperation led him to do something he shouldn't have, thus leading to him being removed from the force, and leading to further troubles at home, culminating in him saying or doing SOMETHING that led Toriel to divorce him.

I don't have any authority to definitively suggest what it might have been. But I DO feel confident that if Dess' disappearance had anything to do with Asgore's dismissal from the force? It wasn't as simple as the mayor being angry with him and removing him due to that anger, but because of something Asgore himself did in reaction to his own failure at finding Dess, and that this in turn led to whatever would happen to cause his divorce from Toriel. I believe this, because while Asgore has fallen on very hard times, the worst of what he's going through is due to his own poor choices that we can see, and however pitiful his current state, he isn't alienated/exiled from the people in his life. And if he had done something REALLY bad? I don't think that would be the case.

Of course, I can be wrong. Heck, I probably am. We only got two games to go by, and as such virtually everything I say is ultimately just conjecture, some a bit more supported by game text, and some less. But whatever the reality is? I'm VERY confident that Asgore didn't do anything evil... but it was still enough to cost him everything. Given the themes going on in the light world, it'd make sense that rather than anything big or dramatic, the truth just turned out to be something simple, unglamorous, and quietly sad.

Just like in real life, a lot of the time.

#Deltarune #Asgore Dreemurr #Dess Holiday #Kris Dreemurr #Mayor Holiday #Rudy Holiday #Toriel

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lesbiansandgayssupporttheminers · 2 years

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I want to write something long form about the teacher strikes and the state of education in England right now.

You’ll hear a lot of teachers in the coming days and weeks say they don’t want to strike, or they feel guilt about striking. I’ve thought about it, and I want to strike, and I don’t feel guilty, and I think I owe it to students to strike. Maybe not the ones I teach now, but the ones I might teach in five years time.

I owe it to some of the Y7s, 8s and 9s I taught last year who were deeply passionate about science. In particular, I’m think of the Y7s who loved our space topic, and may never get taught by a qualified physics teacher. I’m also thinking about the sort of country they’ll grow up in, the opportunities they’ll have and the future they deserve.

I can write some arguments within the liberal, capitalist context we live in, for improving education, and specifically why pay and working conditions need to be improved for teachers and why striking is our only option. I know that’s not what a lot of you follow me for, but they may be persuasive if you know teachers or want to talk to people about why they should support the teacher strikes.

1) There is a national shortage of teachers. This is a fact- we know a large number of teachers do not stay in the profession long term- 1/3 of teachers who trained in the last 10 years are no longer teaching. Other research suggests many of these teachers quit in the first 5 years of teaching. This year, we have struggled to recruit across secondary subjects. In subjects like maths, science, MFL, geography and more, the situation is especially dire- but this crisis is even starting to impact primary schools now. First and foremost, students are going without qualified, subject specialist teachers. In other professions, the Tories acknowledge high pay is needed to recruit suitable staff. Why not teaching- which after all requires a specialist degree and often a post graduate qualification too.

2) This doesn’t just hurt individual students, it hurts the whole country, because it leaves us with a lack of people who are capable of becoming doctors, dentists, engineers, entering other health care professions, working in the STEM fields that are meant to drive our economy. Investing in education grows the economy long term, and is better for society as a whole.

3) But it does also hurt the social mobility of individual students. Richer families can pay tutors, or go private to make up for deficiencies in teaching. But those from low income families can’t. Few parents have the time or ability to bridge the gap themselves.

4) Furthermore, if we think about really vulnerable students- who, make no mistake will be used as a weapon against teachers during the strike- they benefit from well funded schools. They benefit from having consistent adults in their lives. They often take a long time to form relationships with staff. A revolving door of supply teachers (which is the reality in many secondary schools) really hurts them.

5) Teachers struggle to negotiate pay for themselves. Many schools will baulk at the idea of a teacher negotiating on their own pay, and take deep offense, as if the idea of negotiating pay in a capitalist society when you have an unusual skill is totally unreasonable. So, teachers can only negotiate pay on a national scale. And because the government won’t sit down and negotiate, the only thing we can do is take industrial action.

6) Ultimately, schools can’t afford to pay teachers well- so any pay rise needs to be fully funded. Again, hence strike action.

We can say that the teacher shortage is about working conditions too- and it is, for sure. But it’s also true that the teacher shortage appears to be most acute where a teacher’s pay won’t stretch as far because accommodation costs and other costs are high.

I want to take a moment at this point to address the idea of “work to rule”- which doesn’t actually exist in English law, btw.

Action short of a strike in teaching would likely take the form of teachers not running clubs and trips, maybe refusing to do marking as well. These are all things that would negatively impact students, but have a totally negligible economic impact, if at all. It would, inevitably, drag on for months, because the government simply would not notice.

A teacher strike, ideally one that shuts a large number of schools, will have a noticeable impact on the economy, because some parents won’t be able to work or travel. Yes, it’s rubbish for parents, but the impact on students will genuinely be lower than weeks or months of action short of a strike. And it’s the only language the government will listen to, unfortunately.

I want to talk also about what the Tories are doing to education. I alluded to this earlier, but I think it bears exploring specifically.

The Tories are destroying education. At this stage, I think it’s gone beyond neglect, into a deliberate policy to damage state education. They can’t say that out loud, of course, but why else, at a time of massive teacher shortages, would they cut teacher training places from 2024? Why else would they implement the ECT program in such a way it’s driving early career teachers out of teaching? Why else would they starve schools of funding to such an extent?

Why would the Tories do this?

I’ve got two possible theories for you.

One, they want a poor, uneducated underclass, with limited job prospects, in order to exploit them. And educating the working classes and providing them with opportunities for social mobility runs against that.

Two, some tories take a more eugenicist outlook, they think education is simply wasted on said “underclass”. That no amount of good education would improve the prospects of certain groups, so why bother?

Perhaps it’s a little of column a, a little of column b. Certainly, there are strong objections to teachers in state schools sharing opinions that might be contradictory to the governments’.

So I strongly believe this strike is to preserve the future of education.

Obviously, if we consider the wider state of the country, there are lot of important reasons to join a wider worker’s movement. And I’m going to come back to that point about working conditions, because part of that is the shortage of funding in other public sector areas, meaning schools are asked to do more and more with less and less.

It’s increasingly clear Rishi Sunak’s Tories are both fascists and disaster capitalists, who are going to take what they can from this country before their party implodes. And you all know what I think of the political alternatives. It’s also true if we wait two years for an election, people will die- not least in A and E waiting rooms, or waiting for an ambulance.

The Tories are happy to let £42 Billion in tax go unpaid (largely by the rich and mega-corporations), and then they turn around and say there’s no money.

I genuinely think this wave of strikes could be the start of something- of meaningful political change that carries this country to the left. Maybe the some of the current union leaders will not push things far enough, but we are the union, so we must push further. And we can use this opportunity to really influence the UK political landscape, and build solidarity for a mass worker’s union.

#uk politics #education #strikes #trade unions #leftism #teachers #teacher strikes #neu

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dailyhelldorm · 2 months

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[TL] Eichi 3☆ Story - Together

Writer: Happy Elements, Inc (Happy Elements株式会社) Characters: Tori, Yuzuru, Eichi Season: Autumn

Eichi: Fumu. I don't mind. But I want to know your reason. Just why do you want to leave it for next time? Tori: Uhm, you see. If we are wishing for dreams, then they should be made by everyone in 'fine'… can the four of us do it together?

[Let's start ♪]

Location: Common Room

Tori: Ah~ah~ Even though today is 'Eichi Day', Hibiki-senpai suddenly has work to attend to. We even promised to visit the aquarium together too.

Eichi: Oh my, Tori. Having me here is not making up for your loneliness because of Wataru’s absence?

Tori: Eh? No way, there isn't such a thing, Eichi-sama! Being able to hang out with Eichi-sama, I'm already happy as it is ♪

It is just that, I was slightly looking forward to our four-people date to the aquarium, that's all...

Yuzuru: Well, this time it couldn't be helped, Bocchama. I heard that the theater group Hibiki-sama belongs to suddenly called him in, they needed an emergency substitute for their local play.

Tori: Oh well. I understand that he still needs to prioritize his work first and foremost.

Eichi: That's right. It's a shame that Wataru can't join us, but let's save the enthusiasm for the later day. Today will only have three of us enjoying our day off together.

Tori: Uhm. Just like what you said.

Ehehe~ Eichi-sama. Today I will escort you with all my might!

Eichi: Fufu. I am looking forward to it ♪

Yuzuru: Then, two young masters, where shall we visit today?

Tori: Eichi-sama, what do you want to do today?

Eichi: U~hm. Let's see...

Ah, I do. Actually, I want to come to this certain place—

Location: Shopping Mall 1F

Yuzuru: Uhm... This place is the shopping mall.

Tori: Eichi-sama. Is this the place you truly want to come?

Eichi: Yes. I was feeling like doing some shopping today.

Yuzuru: Shopping... In my opinion, you needlessly have to do the shopping by yourself, the Tenshouin Household opts to do it for you. May I know your reason?

Eichi: Well. Although all the goods here and there are brought into the salon gathering by the responsible parties, just gazing at those things... How it is, isn't that quite monotonous?

When I just graduated from Yumenosaki, I once excused myself and came to watch Hajime-kun and everyone doing a shopping mall live here...

After the live, we walked around and went shopping together, and it was a fantastic experience. So by all means, I wish to share that joy with Tori and Yuzuru.

Tori: Heh, did something like that happen? I am so happy that Eichi-sama wants me to experience the same interesting stuff that happened to you... ☆

Eichi: Fufu, if you are happy with it then I am pleased.

Yuzuru: I have understood Eichi-sama's reason for choosing this place. If that is the case then I will support you to the best of my ability.

Eichi: Yes. I am counting on you. Besides that, do you know recently that they have installed a transacting register system for consumers to scan their own purchases? If I'm not mistaken... I think they call it the self-checkout.

That sounds very intriguing. I want to try and meddle with that machine at least once... ♪

Tori: Eh, there is a thing like that!? I want to try it too!

Eichi: Then shall the two of us do it together?

Yuzuru: Uhm... From what I can see, it's quite a shame that all the stores around this place have yet to install self-checkout machines.

Location: Cafe Shop

Tori: Fufufu~ We have gone and bought a lot in our shopping! Eichi-sama has coordinated me today, so on our next 'Eichi Day', I will organize the date for him.

Eichi: I am looking forward to it, Tori.

Yuzuru: After we're done with our shopping, Eichi-sama strongly suggests that we come to this cafe and have our rest here… Do you have some intention in your mind?

Eichi: Yeah. Truthfully, I have wanted to eat 'this thing'.

Tori: Do Eichi-sama have something you want to eat? Let me see the menu too ♪ Let's see, let's see...

Eh!? Eichi-sama wants to eat this?

Eichi: Yes. This Dream Jumbo Parfait is becoming a hot topic on SNS, so I want to eat it once.

That said. As one might expect, it will be difficult for one person to finish the parfait due to its enormous size. So I want everyone to join in and we can eat it together.

For some reason, they say that if they finish eating this parfait, their 'wish' will come true. And it seems that there is someone out there who actually got an actual result.

Fufu. Even when I found the talk absurd, I also think this is quite a fun thing to do. Maybe we should ask for ‘fine'’s smooth advance and for our dreams to come true?... ♪

Yuzuru: This parfait seems four times bigger than a normal one... Just from viewing its picture, I already feel my stomach full...

Overeating is no good. Much less to say about Eichi-sama's body, in exchange for finishing the parfait, it might make your body go down for a while.

Eichi: Oh dear, Yuzuru's words are as harsh as always.

How about you Tori? You enjoy sweet things, right?

Tori: Uhm... About this... I...

Yuzuru: Oh my? What is with your stutter I may ask? I had expected that Bocchama would start whining just to eat the parfait... Is there something wrong?

Tori: You know, Eichi-sama. About this parfait, can we eat it the next time?

Eichi: Fumu. I don't mind. But I want to know your reason. Just why do you want to leave it for next time?

Tori: Uhm, you see. If we are wishing for dreams, then they should be made by everyone in 'fine'... can the four of us do it together?

Therefore, next time when Hibiki-senpai joins us, why won't we come again and eat it then?

Eichi: ...Ah, that's right. Just like what you said, Tori.

On our next 'Eichi Day' with Wataru too, let’s challenge the parfait when the four of us are together. ♪

[The end ☆]

#translation #eichi tenshouin #dorm translation #enstars translation #tori himemiya #yuzuru fushimi

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punsmaster69 · 6 months

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30/MAR/20XX

"frisk. look."

i open my cupped hands to show them a little frog.

"Little dude..."

"So cool."

they hold up theirs to show me a couple of worms.

"so cool."

"So cool."

"so cool."

"So cool."

"What are you two 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨??"

"yo."

flowey shrieks when i hold the frog up to him.

"lookin' at critters."

"Get that thing AWAY FROM ME!!"

"....."

he hissed as i moved it closer to him again.

"not a fan of frogs, then?"

"Not a fan of you putting-"

frisk immediately shoves the worms up to his face.

he rapidly wheels backwards.

"That's it. I'm leaving again. Go bother someone else."

me and frisk stare at each other for a moment.

we look around.

there's toriel, who's trying to teach undyne how to skip rocks on the water.

alphys and napstablook are sitting in the shade on a blanket.

mettaton is watching papyrus try to fill up a water gun while standing calf-deep in it.

we nod in agreement.

"....Papyrus."

"papyrus."

frisk shouts for him as we walk over.

"Hey! Papyrus!"

"?"

"HELLO HUMAN!!! HELLO SANS!!!"

"heya."

"c'mere."

"OKIE DOKIE! HERE, METTATON. MAYBE YOU CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO WORK IT."

passing the water gun to mtt, papyrus wades through the water over to us.

"check this out."

simultaneously, me and frisk raise our cupped hands to indicate what i was talking about. he crouches in front of me and frisk.

"YES?"

they reveal the worms.

"OOOH!"

he removes a glove to lightly pet the wriggling creatures.

"UNDYNE DOESN'T LIKE WORMS, BUT I THINK THEY'RE CUTE!!"

"She doesn't?"

"NO. WORMS ARE 'PATHETIC SNAKES', SHE SAYS."

"Sounds like I've gotta go show her how cool worms are."

"WHAT WAS YOURS, SANS?"

upon opening my hands, the frog immediately jumps onto my brother.

there's a loud splash as he shouts in surprise and tumbles backwards.

undyne can be heard cackling from behind me.

toriel shouts over with concern.

"Is he alright?"

a bony thumbs-up rises from the water. not long after rises the upper half of the skeleton.

i watch tori signal the thumbs up to alphys and napsta as well.

"Do you need a hand, darling?"

he shakes his head as he stands up. papyrus sighs as he squeezes water out of his shirt.

"SANS, WHY WOU-"

water pours from his eyesockets when he leans forward to look at me. i barely dodge getting splashed.

". . ."

turning around, he makes sure to dump the rest of the water out; then rattling his bones for good measure.

"AHEM."

spinning to face me again.

"WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT, SANS? NOW I'M SOAKED!!"

"sorry."

"SIIIIGH."

"I'D CERTAINLY HAVE SPLASHED YOU BACK IF I WEREN'T SUCH A KIND AND FORGIVING INDIVIDUAL."

"𝘐'𝘮 not above it, though."

mettaton sprays me right in the face with the water gun.

"agh-"

putting my hands up to block the stream.

"hey. that's not nice."

"Neither was assault by frog."

"yeah."

"neither is this."

i push papyrus back into the water. an immediate "SANS!!!-" is shouted before being muffled.

"You're begging for it, now."

again, mettaton sprays the water gun. this time, i dodge the stream.

"can't keep attacking forever."

"you'll run out of water eventually."

"Urgh!"

he does, in fact, run out of water.

"see? there's nothing you can do now."

"might as well give up."

"....."

mettaton's defeated face cracks into a smirk.

a cold hand grabs my shoulder.

"I DON'T THINK SO, BROTHER."

i'm suddenly lifted off of my feet and suplexed backwards into the lake.

the conversation outside the water sounds muffled.

"What on Earth is happening over here?"

toriel speaks with a hint of concern, but mostly amusement.

undyne laughs.

"Sans just got OWNED."

"Dunked on, even!"

adds flowey.

"No hugs until you're dried off, darling."

"RIGHT. ANYONE BRING A TOWEL?"

"I have a... hand-fan?"

"CLOSE ENOUGH. THANK YOU, ALPHYS!"

"...He ever gonna get out of there?"

undyne's voice gets closer.

"Dude, did you drown him?"

"WORRY NOT, WE CAN'T DROWN LIKE YOU HUMANS CAN!"

alphys interjects.

"...You ARE aware that monsters can drown too, right?"

"WELL."

"NOT SKELETON MONSTERS!!!"

i'm lifted out of the water by undyne.

everyone watches water empty from my sockets the same way it did from papyrus'.

"..'sup."

"It is much like seeing a water fountain."

"ARE YOU DONE BEING A MENACE?"

"yeah."

"That was quite the ruckus."

papyrus sighs at tori's comment.

"ALL STARTED BECAUSE OF A FROG."

"THAT'S why you fell?!"

undyne snorted.

"...relatable.."

napstablook mumbles.

"I DIDN'T EXPECT IT TO JUMP AT ME!!!"

"man."

"that really came back and rib𝘣𝘪𝘵 me in the ass."

"................"

immediately, i got dropped back into the water with a 𝙨𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙝.

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ari-but-unhinged · 4 months

Text

Art for Toritsuka/Hairo fic where I explored what was meant to be a crack ship and is now one of my favourite (??) ships in Saiki k- PLEASE HEAR ME OUT

(A long rant ensues so, if you don’t want that then that’s all good and you don’t have to click, but if you’re interested, then welcome to my rant about a rare pair i love!)

Of course, I started out by simply laughing at the “I hate men” line Toritsuka said about Hairo and thinking writing a crack taken seriously fic would be funny and it would be a nice break before I started this other fic I have planned that is going to be an even bigger endeavour with Saiki k x Danganronpa. What I didn’t see happening was for this Torihai fic to completely take over my brain space and end up with a fic just shy of 20,000 words.

This may not seem like a lot, but I usually only write fics in 1,000-2,000s so this is a lot for me, especially since I’m a slow writer/editor so it takes me a while.

Part of the reason I love these two together is because of the inherent dynamic of Hairo’s inspirational preachiness and how it doesn’t work on Toritsuka, and how it might be refreshing for Hairo to have someone who challenges him (and not in the fake way Teruhashi does, with Toritsuka being very upfront and honest about it). Toritsuka also, because he’s so upfront about his feelings, helps Hairo to express certain emotions like annoyance/sadness that he wouldn’t normally express outwardly. Something else too is that Toritsuka tends to be very physically affectionate, and I don’t know that Hairo is used to that (I haven’t seen any examples of him being physically affectionate in any other way than a bro way) so that could be refreshing as well. Also, also, Toritsuka is Hairo’s gym buddy who was reluctantly dragged along that day Saiki was trying to avoid everyone and no one can change my mind lol (this, in Hairo’s mind, forms a bond between them that can never be broken and he will never stop reminding Toritsuka of this when they hang out).

I just think their dynamic can be playful/fun because they’re both real with each other if that makes sense?

On Toritsuka’s side of things, he doesn’t have a lot of friends and the friends he does have he either doesn’t have any chemistry with or hate him (Saiki lol), so I think it’d be nice for him to have someone who is extremely caring/attentive to his friends and clearly cares deeply about them and shows it often. Because of this, Hairo shows interest in Toritsuka’s life, and for someone who probably hasn’t had many friends, that would mean a lot. Also the fact that Hairo cares so much for Toritsuka sets an example as to how to be a good friend/human would behave and could help him grow as a person (which are always the best friendships/relationships when they grow together rather than staying stagnant and dragging each other down). Being more caring of others and allow him to develop his interpersonal relationships with more than just ghosts, instead with real humans.

Also, I’ve taken to calling them the “errand boys” because it’s a great prompt to force two people who are polar opposites and would never interact to hang out/do an activity together, so I thought it fit them perfectly.

In the fic I changed a few things from canon (sexualities obviously- Tori is bi/queer and Hairo is gay. Although quick side-tangent- I’ve written Tori/Kaidou, Tori/Akechi, and now Tori/Hairo and all three of them either are Asexual or are often headcanonned as ace by the community/me and I just find it very funny that the horniest character is continuously shipped with them. I only realized I did this after I first started writing the fic.)

- Hairo explicitly has psychic powers (it’s something they can bond over and it’s something that plays off of Hairo’s emotions. Cue a lot of blushing not only because of embarrassment but also actual literal heat rushing to his face.)

- Hairo was raised by a single parent (His family is never mentioned so I just made one up)

- Personal headcanon, but I feel like Toritsuka might occasionally pretend to not see spirits in order to avoid getting approached.

- Toritsuka’s backstory has been slightly altered and has a lot more angst to an already pretty sad backstory (it’s played for laughs, but imagine how that would’ve felt for him :( he realized he lost two people he loved in a matter of minutes. Also, he’s a child when this happens so that’s even sadder. I honestly wonder if they died somewhere in the house or he was just there and his guardians didn’t know, like??? How???)

If this made you interested in reading the fic which this is all about, I’ll link it at the end, but if you were just here for the rant, that’s cool too! I’m obsessed with these two because they’re adorable and I must spread the gospel of Torihai.

Link to original fic-

#Torihai #toritsuka reita #hairo kineshi #digital art #art #i love them so much istg #I’m so normal about them #I promise #Toritsuka x Hairo #rarepair #saiki no psi nan

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savage-rhi · 6 days

Text

Duality

Chapter 12: The Other Side

Summary: Sawyer Kiddo has walked a razor's edge as a hacktivist for several years, driven by the loss of her family in the Raccoon City incident. Haunted by past choices and fueled with desire for vigilante justice, Sawyer's work takes an unexpected turn when she ventures to Spain and crosses paths with Luis Serra—a man with blood on his hands long thought to be dead. Together they unravel a web of corruption and face an impending bioterror threat, fighting not only monsters but also the darker elements of their humanity. As they delve deeper into each other's pasts and the conspiracy at large, Sawyer begins to sense something unsettling about Luis—something that might be even more dangerous than their mutual enemies.

Read on AO3 Here

Blink.

"Why can't you be more like Carmen?"

Sawyer had heard it a dozen times growing up. Over the years, it had become her mother's catchphrase—a weapon to discipline and guilt trip easily. Every stumble, every failure was laid out for judgment, carefully measured against her cousin's successes.

It was never Carmen's fault. Sawyer had always known that. Their families had written their narratives long ago, casting each girl in roles neither had chosen, and Sawyer tried—she really tried—not to resent it. She didn't hold it against her parents, not even while they looked at her with disdain and disappointment, but tonight, it felt different. The words that once just scraped now felt like they were digging deep, rubbing salt in wounds that never had the chance to heal. She felt the weight of every time she felt short, and every time she wasn't enough.

"I'm not Carmen," Sawyer enunciated bitterly. "Unfortunately, you got stuck with me. You might as well say the quiet part out loud."

"Sawyer, that's not—" Her dad pinched the bridge of his nose, the same look he always gave her when he didn't know what to say or was too tired to keep trying. "Soy, you need to get it together."

"I was trying to get it together!"

"By getting arrested? You call that getting it together?!" Her mother's tone was hoarse, eyes red from earlier tears, but her gaze wouldn't soften.

"Now, hon—"

"Don't hon me!" Her eyes stared daggers straight into her husband's. "She's lucky your brother Pax knows people at the RPD because of his janitor job at Umbrella! Do you realize that? Your daughter will have this on her record for the rest of her life!"

"Community service isn't that bad," Sawyer shrugged. "It beats sitting in jail."

"Jail is where you're heading if you keep this up!" her mother countered, hands flinching as she gripped the kitchen top. "Don't act like this is nothing!"

"Hey, I'm accepting the consequences of my actions, okay? What else do you want from me?"

Her dad stepped forward. "Sawyer, you're 21 years old."

"Yes, and?"

"Kiddo…"

Sawyer shrunk into her seat.

She swallowed her words like a five-year-old caught scribbling all over the walls of the living room. She hated how years later, as an adult, his voice could still reduce her to nothing.

"Your mom and I don't ask for much, except you get an education and stay out of trouble. But these past couple of years? It's like you can't even manage that. You were in community college full-time, and now, barely part-time, you're always in between jobs; why aren't you taking this seriously?"

"I'm doing my—"

"Don't even start," her dad interrupted. "Carmen's been employed since you both graduated. Your uncle Pax tried to get you the same job, and you declined, and your aunt Tori? She practically handed you that receptionist position on a silver platter, and still nothing. I don't understand it, Soy. Every time you're given a handout, it's like you're too proud to take it."

Carmen again. It always came back to Carmen.

Sawyer could feel the lump rising in her throat, but she swallowed it. "My odd jobs were helping me cover—"

"You mean your smuggling jobs?" her mother interrupted.

Sawyer scoffed. "You're not letting me finish!"

"Why should we?" her mother balked. "After everything you've done, how can we trust you?"

"We never have money!" Sawyer yelled, the words ripping out of her like they'd been trapped for too long. "We never have anything! Don't you get it? That's why I dropped to part-time. I couldn't afford the tuition anymore, and we all know you can't afford it either! That's why I did what I did. That's why I didn't want to take those jobs Pax and Tori offered; it would keep me trapped here; they don't pay jack shit! I've been scraping together every penny I can to return to full-time and get a damn career! I don't want to be stuck here like you! I'm tired of being poor!"

"Committing crimes isn't going to get you ahead, Soy." Her father's tone was gentler now, but the disappointment remained.

"I know it bit me in the ass, and I know I fucked up, but—"

"But nothing!" her mother's voice rose louder than the storm in Sawyer's chest. "Are you seriously trying to justify yourself?"

"I'm not! Please, let me explain how I can-!"

Seconds later, Sawyer's voice was extinguished, drowned out by her parents. Accusations flew, with words twisted into daggers aimed straight at things that hurt the most. It didn't matter how far she clawed through the dirt; Sawyer knew she wouldn't get a final say.

"It's not just about the weird music, the bailouts, or any of that! She's always with strange men. It's been like this since high school! God knows what else she's doing for money!"

Sawyer clenched her jaw at the insinuation. It was always like this—they feared the worst and assumed even worse. She wasn't going to explain herself, not when they wouldn't hear her out or didn't want to know her, the real her.

"Look, we're both upset, but we can't shame her for doing what normal twenty-somethings do. They have desires just like we did once."

"But we weren't selling ourselves for money, Daniel!"

"Maybe you should've had Carmen for a daughter instead," Sawyer spat, shattering the tension like glass, the bitterness curling in her throat like smoke as she finished. "Or even your dead son."

Her parents turned toward her, shock on their faces like she'd hit them both in the gut. Her mother's face twisted into something ugly and wounded, a fury rising in her eyes.

"It's too late to change that."

Sawyer's breath caught in her throat.

"Hon," her father's hand jerked, but it was enough. Her mother cringed as her expression faltered, regret dimming the anger behind her eyes.

Sawyer made a fist so tight her nails bit into her palm. Finally, they said it—the truth.

She stood abruptly, the chair scraping against the floor like nails on a chalkboard. She grabbed her pack of cigarettes from the table, stuffing them angrily into her pocket. With shaking hands, she zipped her jacket and headed for the door.

"Soy, wait—"

"Never thought I'd say this, but fuck both of you." Sawyer gulped, betraying the tears already burning behind her eyes. She paused at the door, her back to them, shoulders tight with pain. "I love you, but—"

She left before the tears could spill over, immediately power-walking to get as far away as possible.

"I need to wake up. I need to wake the fuck up."

Blink.

"Thanks for taking the heat," Carmen murmured. She offered a weak smile as Sawyer handed her a beer, but her fingers hesitated around the bottle's neck, too heavy with guilt to open it. "I'm sorry—"

"You have nothing to apologize for," Sawyer said confidently, her eyes narrowing slightly as if daring Carmen to disagree. "Even if you got busted and I slipped away, they'd still blame me. I'm the bad influence, remember? The problem kid."

Carmen's shoulders drooped. "It's not fair. It's never been fair," she whispered, the frustration of years unraveling in the quiet of her voice. "Maybe I can go down to the police station and—"

"No." Sawyer shook her head as her eyes softened. "What happened, happened. No one expected an undercover cop. You need to let this go. We screwed up and paid the price in our own ways. You still want to be a teacher, right?"

"I do…"

"Well, no place is gonna let you near kids if you have a record. You're lucky. You still have a future."

"What about your future?" Carmen asked, glancing up with an almost pleading look.

Sawyer took a long, slow sip from her beer, her eyes distant. "Pardon?"

"College. What happens to you now?"

Sawyer laughed. "I'll do my community service. Then I'll find some nine-to-five gig and save up. I'm good with computers; maybe I'll get a decent tech job and work up the ranks. College, well...I'll go back eventually. Somebody's gotta give me a chance again."

"You're the smart one," Carmen sighed, almost to herself. "You shouldn't be stuck like this."

Sawyer smirked and nudged Carmen's shoulder. "Hey, I might've teased you about aunt Tori dropping you on your head, but you're every bit as smart as me. Come on, between the two of us, you have the charm."

Carmen shook her head, her lips pressed into a thin line. "Yeah, but you're the one with all the plans ."

Sawyer chuckled, watching Carmen absently pet Abner, her lab retriever, who lay half-asleep by her feet. "If I could sleep like that, I'd be in heaven."

"If you slept that deep, you'd be dead," Carmen muttered.

"You worry too much," Sawyer teased, but her voice carried a hint of weariness now, a slight tremor that Carmen caught as she swallowed hard.

"I'm scared, Sawyer. I don't want to be stuck because of our stupid mistakes like my mom and dad or your parents."

Sawyer's smile faded, but her tone remained steady. "I told you. I'm going to take care of us. I've got it covered."

Carmen stared at her, the fear in her eyes still there, unspoken. "You always say that."

"And when have I ever let us down?"

"Never," Carmen whispered with a smile.

"Exactly. I'm gonna fix this. I'm gonna fix this my way. Just watch."

Carmen sighed. "Sawyer, you need to wake up."

Blink.

Sawyer bit the inside of her lip, staring blankly at her email. The inbox flooded with messages from her family, Carmen included. Each unread subject line felt like a rock pressing down on her back. How are you? Are you okay? Why haven't you called? They all blurred together as the mouse hovered over each one and sent it to a private folder on the screen.

She paused momentarily, eyes darting to the calendar hanging beside her bookshelf.

September 22nd, 1998.

When had summer slipped away...?

Sawyer glanced back at the emails, her heart too heavy to open them—yet the longer she waited, the more it hurt to do nothing.

She'd done her time in solitude, getting her shit together like her dad always told her to. For herself, for Carmen.

She'd call them tomorrow.

She'd pick up Carmen after.

They'd both would turn a new page.

It's time to stop running and wake up...

Blink.

"We lost our insurance today," Sawyer sighed. "I think there's only five sessions left that I can afford out of pocket unless we get something from that suit with Umbrella."

Carmen's hollow stare had grown colder with each passing second. Her once bright eyes were vacant, barely acknowledging the world around her. It was day four of the hunger strike, and the untouched plate of rice on the kitchen table made Sawyer uneasy.

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to speak through the knot in her throat.

"There's a survivors' group about half an hour from here," Sawyer said tentatively. She nudged Carmen's plate, hoping for a response. "It might help, y'know? Since therapy hasn't been working, maybe being around people who understand what happened—"

Before she could finish, Carmen's hand slammed onto the table, dishes crashing to the floor. Then came the slap. It wasn't hard, but the sting of it left Sawyer reeling as she immediately grabbed Carmen's wrists, desperately trying to calm her. She watched her cousin's eyes become crazed, full of rage and something even more wrenching—despair.

Carmen snarled and writhed, attempting to throw Sawyer off.

"Carmen, stop! Please! It's okay! Carmen, stop! Stop! Stop it! Stop!"

Then suddenly, she went still. Tears spilled down her cheeks, a broken sob tearing from her throat as she whined.

"I know, I know, hey, hey...it's okay," Sawyer whispered, pulling back as Carmen collapsed into herself.

Sawyer wanted to reach out and embrace her, but the space between them felt too vast like a chasm neither could cross. All she could do was watch Carmen's face crumple, more tears staining her cheeks.

At the very least, she offered a hand.

"Hey, c'mon...it's okay,"

"I'm sorry...I wish I were dead," Carmen muttered, shaking her head. Then, barely audible, she whispered, "I wish you were dead. I wish it would've been you. I miss my mom. I miss uncle Dan. I miss Abner."

Sawyer was too shocked to notice Carmen getting up, muttering something about going for a walk. She didn't even hear the door click when Carmen finally fled.

I wish you were dead.

I wish you were

I wish you

I wish

I wish you would wake up.

Blink

The cabinet door creaked open, and there they were—bottles lined up neatly, their promises of escape whispering to her. Sawyer reached for one without thinking, the familiar burn of alcohol beckoning her to have a taste.

Her fingers shook as she twisted off the cap.

There was no need for a glass. The bottle of whiskey was dinner, just like it would be breakfast and lunch.

As she swallowed gulp after gulp, only one thing went through her mind:

I don't want to wake up...

Blink.

The scent of freshly ground beans wrapped around her nose, but it did little to chase away her nerves. The warm cup in her hands was a poor substitute for something to lean on to keep her grounded.

Sawyer never thought attending those stupid meetings would lead to anything other than awkward silence and a waste of two hours on a Saturday, yet here she was. For once, she had followed the counselor's advice: "Make a friend."

Maybe it was the alcohol still buzzing in her veins, or maybe, just maybe, she was feeling something close to ease as she sat across from Samuel, the widow. He'd found her antics amusing, especially when the local pastor paid his visits to preach about "finding god" after losing loved ones to the undead.

They'd met only a week ago, but she spilled her thoughts to him like they were old friends. He was so easy to talk to, and it scared her how genuine he was.

Samuel pulled Sawyer from her wandering thoughts. The familiar crease between his eyes told her something more was on his mind.

"I'm sorry about what you've lost, Kiddo," his voice heavy as his slumping shoulders.

Sawyer blinked a few times, swallowing the lump in her throat. She exhaled sharply, feigning nonchalance. "It's whatever, you know? We've all lost something. Maybe the preach had a point...we're gonna carry this crap for the rest of our lives, aren't we?"

Samuel leaned back, his mouth twitching as he tried to suppress a smirk. "That bloke was full of 'horseshit,' as you so eloquently pointed out. Mid-coughing fit , no less."

"I was such a jackass that day, wasn't I?" Sawyer snorted, not able to help it. A grin tugged at her lips.

"I'd go with 'asshole,' but you got Sonny and Joyce to laugh. They haven't smiled in weeks. That's a win in my book."

They both chuckled, but Samuel's face grew serious as their laughter subsided, his eyes searching hers while humming thoughtfully.

"Penny for your thoughts, professor ?" she teased.

"Oh please, I'm not that handsome," Samuel smirked, but his gaze softened. "I was thinking…maybe we should do this more often. Y'know, make it a weekend ritual. After the meetings, we come here and shoot the shit. Be friends, at least."

"Friends, huh?" Sawyer tilted her head and smiled amusingly. The counselor never said anything about scaring the friend off. "We could be more than just friends if you keep buying coffee for me."

The silence that followed hung heavy, and then Samuel's hearty laugh broke through the tension, catching Sawyer off guard.

"Yeah, I'll stick with caffeine as my main squeeze."

Sawyer rolled her eyes playfully and giggled.

"C'mon, what does she have that I don't?" she asked, gesturing toward the cup in his hand.

Samuel grinned, his crow's feet capturing his mischief. "For one, she makes my heart race, and I know where she's been—unlike some people."

"Asshole!" Sawyer tossed a napkin at him, but she couldn't help the laughter rippling up from her chest. "I'm flirty, but I'm not a harlot!"

"Sure, act like one." Samuel snorted.

"You would've gotten along great with my parents," Sawyer muttered with a snort, leaning back into the booth and shrugged. "I'm all bark and no bite in that department, but my offer still stands for you."

Samuel's smile softened, but his gaze didn't waver. "Maybe when you're not dying."

This wasn't right. He never said that to her, no. She could've sworn he said, "Maybe when you're not a functioning alcoholic anymore." That's how it was supposed to go.

"Ouch," Sawyer grimaced, blinking as she tried to play out the scene. "You're never gonna get a girlfriend with that attitude."

"Well, I landed a wife once, and you're never gonna get a boyfriend with your personality either."

She forced another laugh, but her chest felt heavier now. She couldn't smell the coffee anymore. The cafe and all the people inside felt like they were somewhere else, in a fog she couldn't conceptualize.

"All the more reason why we should be friends, right?"

Samuel leaned forward, his voice low and serious. "You need to wake up, Kiddo."

"What?"

Blink.

She sat in a courtroom. The warmth of that moment with Sam—felt like it belonged to another life. The lights above hummed faintly, and all Sawyer could hear was the pounding of her pulse against her chest like a drum in a warzone.

Her gaze fixed on the man on the witness stand, her late uncle Pax's boss at Umbrella. His voice was mechanical as he recited the same excuses: "corporate responsibility," "miscalculations." Each empty word shredded what little remained of her patience.

They had stolen everything from her, from Carmen.

Sawyer's shaking hands clenched tightly at her coat pockets, fingers wrapped around the cold metal of the gun hidden within.

She could feel it anchoring her rage as the courtroom withered.

She wanted to scream and tear down the facade of a mourning niece and daughter, to make him and everyone who was under the thumb of that godforsaken company pay.

"Wake up!"

Sawyer's head snapped up. The voices were everywhere now, loud and insistent, drowning out everything but a sharp ringing in her ears that doused the judges' screams.

"Wake up!"

Blink.

Through the haze, she could make out Luis. Blood smeared his mouth, and his eyes—wild and glowing, something more than human—met hers. Fear clawed its way up to her throat as she gagged on bile. Her body refused to move away, too weak to respond. She reached out with shaky fingers, brushing his hand before darkness pulled over her eyes.

A warmth bloomed inside her. It was foreign but strangely soothing like something deep within her clung to a final spark. When she came to, the world was coming apart around her. Luis was cradling her body in his arms, the terror in his eyes contrasting with how gentle he was being.

"I know...I know it hurts," Two Legs whispered. He lowered her onto something hard, something cold. His hands reached for her head, supporting it as he peered over her face.

Stay awake…

"Hey...!" A broken smile stretched across his lips when her eyes fluttered open. "Hey, you..."

She had never seen anyone look so happy and relieved to see her alive.

"Carmen…" Her cousin's name slipped out before she could stop it, no louder than a breath. It was all she had left.

Two Legs leaned closer, brow furrowed in confusion. "What?"

He called out to her somewhere far away, a distant echo bouncing off invisible walls she couldn't see.

"No…no, no, no!"

Sawyer felt Luis's hands shaking in his weak grip on her. He muttered something she couldn't make out. His breaths were uneven and quick as if he was running out of time, trying to avoid death's scythe from reaping its next victim.

A hand found hers, warm and sticky with blood.

Suddenly, pain—sharp, searing pain in her right arm. Something pierced her skin, jolting Sawyer back into awareness for a moment. She gasped. A red string went from Luis's arm to hers.

Everything went dark again.

Realities' coldness faded, and a heat she hadn't known in years washed over her. Voices came with it, distant and muddled as if they were speaking underwater—familiar but lost.

Sawyer didn't understand any of it, but the noise calmed her. It was like hearing a lullaby one had forgotten, the memory just out of reach, but there if one had the strength to peel the layers away. She wanted to touch those endless voices, but it wasn't needed in this place—not when she could feel every vibration like a thousand hands reaching out to greet her.

She was floating.

A new sound appeared—faint at first.

"The truth may be stretched thin, but it never breaks, and it always surfaces above lies, as oil floats on water."

"...For I've heard that what they call fortune is a flighty woman who drinks too much, and, what's more, she's blind, so she can't see what she's doing, and she doesn't know who she's knocking over or who she's raising up."

"I have never died all my life."

She knew that voice, knew it in her bones.

Samuel…?

Between the lines of the text, another voice—a more profound, softer one—spoke in the spaces between. Sawyer couldn't understand words, but the tone held her, soothed her. It felt like a pull, gentle but unstoppable, tugging her away. She fought for a moment to stay—to hear the rest and hold on.

And then, just a vibration—faint, wordless, like sound without shape.

Blink.

"It's time to wake up, Kiddo."

Sawyer's senses returned as if rising from a bottomless abyss. A blanket pressed gently against her skin, and she curled her fingers into the softness beneath her, grounding herself. Her eyes, unfocused at first, settled on her hand resting across the mattress.

Her skin looked paler than she remembered, and the glint of an IV needle buried in her vein caught Sawyer's attention. She traced the red tube upward, following it to the unmarked blood bag beside a saline solution hanging from an IV pole. She swallowed reflexively, blinking to clear her vision further.

The attic she lay in felt impossibly distant from where she'd last been. It wasn't the cramped, dusty kind—this space was open and refurbished, with sunlight pouring in from a window so bright it hurt to look. Only the tops of distant trees were visible beyond the glare.

She shifted, wincing as the needle tugged against her hand, and glanced at the ceiling. A large net hung just above the bed, hooked from one side of the room to the other and overflowing with blankets and pillows. The material nudged to one side like a forgotten cocoon—like someone had been sleeping in it.

Wooden beams crisscrossed above her, worn smooth by time but looking recently polished, string lights draped across them. Shelves lined the far wall, cluttered with mismatched knickknacks—framed photos and old books. The air had a faint, comforting scent of citrus and lavender, like someone had tried to make the space inviting despite its makeshift feel.

Her lips twitched into a weak smile.

Heaven…? The thought slipped into her mind, playful but fleeting.

If heaven had IV bags and hammocks, maybe…

Her gaze drifted to a book beside the nightstand. She reached for it, then paused, feeling a strange disconnection between herself and the body she was only beginning to reclaim.

"Oye, bella durmiente!" a familiar voice called out, playful and full of mischief. "You look like crap!" (1)

"I feel like it," Sawyer groaned softly, turning her head toward Two Legs as he finished climbing a flight of stairs. "Why do you have to speak in tongues?"

Two Legs grinned, leaning against the doorframe, his eyes relieved.

"My apologies for being excited to see you..." He paused, squinting while looking her over more closely. "Ehh, mostly dead?"

"I see your tact hasn't changed," she quipped, trying to sit up further.

"Five days isn't long enough to form a new habit, I'm afraid."

"That's how long it's been?" Sawyer blinked while a dull ache sank in her chest.

"Yeah..." Two Legs trailed off, his grin faltering as his gaze drifted to the floor. "I didn't think that you'd..." He quickly cleared his throat, hiding behind humor again as he raised a coffee cup between them. "I uh—bought you a little pick-me-up."

"Liar," Sawyer teased, though her voice staggered. "You got that for yourself. I can see it on your face—you weren't expecting me to wake up. Probably came to check if I had a pulse."

Two Legs chuckled, shrugging as though he could brush off the truth. "Caught me red-handed!"

He walked over to the bed, the teasing glint returning to his eyes. "Although between the two of us, you need it more than I do."

Sawyer smiled. "You cut your hair down and shaved the beard off."

"How nice of you to notice." Two Legs grinned. His expression was gentle, as if her noticing something so small reminded him that things were okay again.

"How come?"

Two Legs shrugged, his smile dimming slightly. "Eh, I got tired of rolling out of bed looking like Jesus and felt nostalgic for 2004."

Sawyer snorted, wincing at the ache it caused, but the laugh still escaped. "Relevant year?"

"You have no idea," he sighed, shaking his head before handing her the cup. His fingers lingered on the edge of it for just a second longer than necessary. "Go on."

Sawyer accepted it reluctantly, taking a small gulp. She winced, the taste strange in her mouth, lips tightening into a thin line.

"Too sweet?"

"No." Her voice was quiet, almost strained. "I can taste my blood in between my teeth. Not the best combo with coffee."

She grimaced, shutting her eyes as a wave of nausea passed through, a slow exhale escaping her. Her gaze fell to the top of the cup while a faint smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"All it's missing is bubbles."

Two Legs raised a brow, his grin widening. "Bubbles?"

"Yeah," Sawyer said softly as if she were seeing something far away. "When I was younger, I wouldn't drink anything unless it had bubbles in it ."

Two Legs let out a small chuckle, his gaze lingering on her face. "Why?"

"I was a weird kid?" Sawyer tried to laugh with him, but the sound came out rough and uneven, her throat scratchy. The glow in her eyes faded just as quickly as it came. "Maybe it was a sensory thing. I thought they were neat to look at."

Two Legs hesitated, unsure what to say, then made a small gesture.

"Lemme see that."

Sawyer blinked, confused, but handed over the cup. She watched as he fished a straw out of his pocket and stuck it into the coffee. Her eyes narrowed, ready to protest, but then he met her gaze, something playful and tender rising there, and he blew bubbles into the drink.

Sawyer burst out in giggles despite herself. The sound filled the room. Two Legs, grinning, exaggeratedly puffed his cheeks and did it again.

The heaviness in her heart lifted for a moment, feeling as though she could breathe again.

He handed the cup back with a dramatic flourish. "Your bubbles, madam."

Sawyer's grin widened, her cheeks flushed from the laughter. It was well worth the pain that came after the fact. "You're so cliché, you know that?"

Two Legs winked, the mischievous spark in his eyes still there. "I aim to please—and you're welcome."

Sawyer winced as she tried to sit up further. Her eyes, still heavy from exhaustion, swept around the room again. "Where are we?"

"My humble abode," Two Legs smirked. He glanced between Sawyer and a worn rocking chair nearby, finally pulling it up beside the bed so he could sit. "We're in the Costa Brava region. About eight hours from Madrid, give or take."

"All this time, I thought you lived in a van," Sawyer scoffed, though it came out weaker than intended.

"Haha, good one!" he replied, trying to keep things light.

She sighed, rubbing her temples, then finished the coffee and set the empty cup aside.

"Anyway," she muttered, swinging her legs off the bed's edge and pushing herself to her feet, wincing as her legs wobbled beneath her. "Give me an hour, and I'll be gone."

"Wait, what?" Two Legs shot up from the chair, his eyes widening with concern as he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, trying to coax her back to bed. "The last thing you should be doing is running around. You're in no shape to leave. You need to take it easy."

"I can't," Sawyer whispered, almost pleading. Every part of her body screamed at her to lie back down, but she refused to listen. "I have 24 hours left to get on a plane or…you said I was out for five days, right?"

"That's right," Two Legs nodded, his brow furrowing as he hovered beside her, unsure what to do. His hands twitched as if ready to catch her if she fell.

Sawyer's face paled. "Oh, shit..."

Two Legs swallowed hard, noticing the fear creeping into her expression, and stepped closer to try to calm her down. "I'm sure you can find another arrangement to get out of Spain."

Sawyer's shoulders slumped, and her eyes were distant as she murmured. "It's not that simple."

Two Legs frowned. "How so?"

"It's like I told you back at the hotel," Sawyer sighed. She couldn't help but recall that last night before everything went wrong—the night before she was shot. "Everything's fake. All my travel papers, documentation…and Kari, that fucking—"

Sawyer paused, her vision swimming as she fought back a sudden wave of dizziness.

"Easy. Take another breath," Two Legs murmured, his concern hidden behind a gentle command. "VITA can still help you out, right? Even without all the paperwork they did for you?"

Sawyer's lips pressed together, frustration bouncing as she tried to focus.

"I don't know," she admitted quietly, her mind drifting back to that failed attempt to access the archives, a gnawing suspicion that Kari had sabotaged her. She swallowed hard, suddenly aware of how close Luis was, his breath warm, his face just inches from hers. She looked away, her pulse quickening for reasons she didn't want to investigate, before she winced and sank back onto the bed, her legs finally giving in.

"I've never been in a situation like this."

"I guess this means you're stranded," Two Legs replied, his relief tangible when she sat down, though his eyes were clouded.

"Yeah," Sawyer let out a weak laugh, but there was no humor in it. She caught onto the tension in his features, the worry that mirrored her own. "You seem upset?

Two Legs rubbed the back of his neck, furrowing his brow before leaning back in the creaky rocking chair. "Not at you. Just the situation, what happened back there, in Toledo."

Sawyer's face softened as she studied him. His shoulders held tension even though he attempted to appear relaxed, and his eyes wandered like he hadn't rested well in days. She wanted to ask about Kari and the complicated mess between him and her but now wasn't the time.

He looked like he was barely holding it together.

"How did you get away?" she asked instead, her voice a bit quieter, as if acknowledging the gravity of what he'd been through.

"I ran like hell," Two Legs chuckled, the kind of laugh that only came from someone trying to chase away something that still scared him.

"Obviously, or we wouldn't be here," Sawyer grunted, trying to lighten the mood, but the reality crashed down on her as she glanced at her bandaged shoulder, packed with gauze. "Did you take me to a hospital?"

"Nope," Two Legs admitted, almost proudly, though his voice was softer now. "I, uh, pulled a MacGyver, as one might say. I broke into a medical supply facility and patched you up. The bullet skimmed an artery—it didn't go all the way through, but you lost a lot of blood. Guess my minor in anatomy came in handy, huh?"

"And then some," Sawyer gingerly touched her shoulder, wincing as she felt the stitches beneath the wrappings. Her brow furrowed, confusion clouding her thoughts. "Wait, how the hell did you get me here in one piece? I was eight hours away when I got shot…"

"Here comes the crazy part." Two Legs hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck, his playful tone faltering. "After I stitched you up, I…well, I hooked an IV from me to you. Then I found a motorcycle and had you sit up front and lean against me to keep the blood flowing. Rode the whole way like that."

Sawyer's eyes widened in disbelief. "How the fuck did I not drain you dry?"

"Adrenaline?" Two Legs laughed sheepishly like he was trying to hide how close he'd come to collapsing. "I made some stops along the way, gave myself a break…then kept going."

Sawyer stared at him for a long moment. Her eyes flicked up to the IV pole and the blood bag. "And that up there…that's yours too?"

Two Legs nodded, his lips quirking into a faint smile. "Made it myself."

"Oh, you're crazy…" Sawyer murmured, shaking her head as she let out a shaky breath. "How did you even know our blood was compatible?"

There was a slight pause before he answered, his eyes darting away.

"There were some tests in the facility. I took three, just to be sure."

Sawyer had a sinking feeling he was lying. A brief flash of memory surfaced—Luis's face, pale and tautened, his eyes dark and feral. Blood smeared across his lips. She shuddered, forcing herself to dismiss it as a hallucination from her blood loss, but the unease lingered.

She frowned and glanced at the empty cup before her, biting her lip.

I almost died…

"Well," she said with a forced casualness, "give me a day to recoup, and I'll be out of your hair."

"Wait, you said you can't get home."

"I'll find a way; I always do." Sawyer insisted, her tone a little too firm. She gave a sharp nod, more to herself than to him. "We've helped each other enough."

"That may be true," Two Legs began, pausing as if carefully choosing his next words, "but we're both still in the hot seat, and I don't feel comfortable letting you go out there while you're still injured. You'll have no protection here."

"You don't think I can—" Sawyer started, her irritation rising.

"Hear me out," he cut her off, his voice softening. "I know you're strong. Hell, you took a bullet helping a man you hardly know. I'm not underestimating you. But you don't know your way around Spain like I do, and there's a good chance Alvarez is looking for us. We're better off together than separated."

Sawyer hesitated. He was right, and she knew it, but admitting that felt like admitting weakness, and that scared her more than the pain in her arm.

"But I…"

"I want you to stay," Two Legs plead. The sincerity in his eyes made Sawyer's heart skip. "It's the least I can do for…for getting you caught up in my mess. At least until you're back on your feet, how about that?"

Sawyer's gaze dropped to the floor. The truth was, she didn't have the strength to argue anymore. The consistent pain radiating down her arm reminded her she wasn't at one hundred percent. Still, she hated feeling vulnerable and needing help.

"Alright…" she muttered. "I'll stick around, I guess."

"Great then!" Two Legs' smile was big and warm, too warm for the grey still swirling in her head. "We'll figure this out. Trust me!"

Sawyer was silent for a long moment, staring at her hands. She felt a knot in her stomach. "Should we talk about how we will deal with Kari and what happened between you two back there?"

Two Legs' face fell slightly.

"Let's table that for now," he said calmly. "I may look like I have it together, but these past few days have been hard for me too. I know you have a hundred questions, and I'll answer them, but…If it's all the same to you, I need time to get my head straight."

Sawyer furrowed her brows, feeling sympathy despite the questions clawing at the back of her mind. She nodded slowly.

"First things first!" Two Legs exclaimed, his voice bright with an almost contagious excitement. He disappeared downstairs momentarily, returning with a crinkling grocery bag filled to the brim, which he promptly set on the bed beside Sawyer.

"I bought you some snacks. I wasn't sure what you liked, so I got a little of everything. The pantry's stocked, fridge too—and oh! Clothes, I got you some clothes!"

Sawyer blinked, her groggy mind struggling to catch up. "Clothes?"

"Yeah!" His grin widened, a proud glint in his eyes. "Shirts, pants, underwear, socks...based on what you had on."

It took a second for her to register what he meant, and when she did, a flood of realization hit her. She wasn't wearing her original clothes—hell, she wasn't even wearing a bra.

Her heart gave a startled lurch as she glanced down, then quickly back up at him.

"You looked at my body?"

Two Legs' face flushed deep red, his hands shooting up defensively.

"I—I had to clean you up! You were unconscious. I wasn't going to leave you lying there in...well, you know." He shifted on his feet, clearly flustered, dropping his hands. "But I swear, I didn't peek at anything. I...I respect ladies."

She stared at him, her mouth slightly open, torn between shock and something resembling gratitude. He was an awkward mess, but the sincerity in his words disarmed her.

"Oddly comforting..." she muttered.

Two Legs slapped his forehead suddenly, struck by another thought.

"Oh man, I forgot body wash, conditioner, all that…If you don't mind smelling like me, you can use my stuff for now. There are more blankets downstairs, a deck, umm...kitchen area's a bit of a mess 'cause I haven't had time to—"

"Luis," Sawyer interrupted gently. Her throat narrowed as she looked at him, at this man who had taken care of her when she was most vulnerable. "Thank you."

Two Legs expression eased, nervousness melting into something more caring—something that whispered he was just glad she was awake. He smiled faintly, feeling the heat rise in his cheeks as his mind raced ahead of him.

"Can I ask you something?"

Sawyer shrugged. "Sure, it's not like I'm going anywhere."

"Who's Carmen?"

"What?"

"You said her name a lot when you were bleeding." His gaze searched hers. "Is she another one of your friends, like Sam?"

Sawyer's face darkened as a flood of emotions surged forward. She took a shaky breath, ignoring his eyes, pretending she hadn't heard him right.

"I need some time alone...if that's alright," she whispered.

Two Legs' eyes widened for a fraction of a second, realizing he had crossed an unspoken line.

"Yeah, yeah, sure...um," He nodded, stepping back, his usual confidence faltering. "I'll be downstairs. Just holler if you need anything. I'll check on you later, yeah?"

"Okay..."

Sawyer's mind was already shutting him out as she turned away and lay back down.

Two Legs stood in the doorway, watching her frame disappear into the sheets. For the first time since meeting her, she looked small and lost. He didn't know what to say, so he slipped out of the room, the door closing with a soft click.

Once downstairs, he pressed his back against the wall, releasing a deep breath he didn't even realize he was holding. His arms shuddered, pulsing almost violently, his fingernails shifting from blunt to sickle and back again, between human and parasite.

"Mierda joder," he muttered under his breath. (2)

Two Legs stared at his hands for a long moment with resignation as he focused on his breaths, controlling himself.

"You can do this," he whispered to himself, jaw tightening. "You've got a plan. It'll work."

He had already made arrangements and figured out his "meals" for the next week to keep himself from spiraling, especially now that she was awake. Then he let out a dark, humorless chuckle, rubbing his temple.

"If you were human...if you were Luis, you'd be thrilled right now. Over the damn moon. There's a woman in my bed, hell yes!"

His cheeky grin faded into a frown. "But no...there's a woman in my bed, and I can only think about how not to kill and eat her."

His conflict churned, making it even more complicated when he thought about what had happened earlier. When Sawyer stood up from the bed, her body so close to his, it sent a jolt through him, standing the hairs on his neck. How the faint scent of her lingered in the air, her skin warm...he was painfully aware of the distance between them, or lack thereof, and how easy it would have been to pull her closer.

Two Legs sighed. His body reacted before his mind could catch up, and the hunger bit at him, primal and instinctive.

"I can do this..."

He curled his hands into fists to steady himself and keep from doing something he couldn't take back.

Notes:

1. Oye, bella durmiente! = Hey, sleeping beauty! 2. Mierda joder = Shit, fuck

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mixelation · 3 months

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tori: [cannot use the force] also tori: [explaining furiously why the Sith/Jedi conception of the force is incorrect]

that's it. that's the mood. imagine tori arguing with a younger jedi like "well do you have PROOF it works the way you're saying? like, actual, validated evidence? feelings aren't evidence btw" and then they just don't have an answer because she's demanding a philosophical framework they simply haven't been trained in and they're too inexperienced to recognize this is what's happening. check and mate

there might be actual scientific evidence out there, but could YOU just explain why we know certain accepted theories to a random belligerent college student with stuff just off the top of your head?

#toriverse #okay question. if you come from another dimension. will midi-chlorians colonize you and does the force exist within you #or are you some sort of null freak #in plasticity tori HAS chakra it's just not like. interesting.#so probably the force interacts with her like any other non-jedi human #the force is strong with this bitch

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isa-ghost · 4 months

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honestly its hard to come up with head cannon requests that already haven't been done but I've been thinking

so just to clarify, c!Phil wont be a separate person from hc/p!phil in the au now that its confirmed that they are both the same person lore-wise?

also in more detail, what are o and q Phil's goals/motivations for what they want to do next at this point in their lives and how will meeting each other affect those goals? like ik at this point Crowley is searching for his parents, but q!Phil has just been emotionally devastated by chay and llulah leaving his life and is presumably trying to find purpose in his life again? ig tldr; I'd love to hear what you think is going on in their brains goal/plan-wise when they meet each other and how it influences the plot?

Yes! I updated the original post so now it's JUST hc!Phil (who is also smpe, c, and q) and o!Phil) :] 2 Phils will be way easier to handle and write a formal fic for if or when I get a good plot idea. I have the foundation but not the Events, yknow?

The plot is kinda sorta the answer to your question.

You're absolutely right, Crowley is still determined to track down his parents, oSneeg, or SOME kind of closure about everything, all while narrowly scraping by bc he's currently the world's most cringefail excuse of an adult (mf grew up so spoonfed he doesn't even know how to do basic chores like laundry or cooking or dishes).

And qPhil (any abbreviation works for specifying him btw, or just say Phil bc we can clarify ccPhil easily) is indeed at a loss rn for what to do with himself. The isolation in Hardcore hurts after spending over a year with consistent company, but his 2 purposes in life are [ 1 ] his historian & architect work in HC and [ 2 ] (apparently) being a caretaker. But he has no motivation to go back to the former atm, and has no one to do the latter for,,,,, until he meets Crowley. ;) See where this is going?

Crowley needs someone to help him learn how to be a capable adult. And maybe some extra hands with tracking down his family and/or friend.

Phil needs a long-term distraction and company because his normal occupations are too daunting and the thought of being alone makes him physically sick.

Crowley is company in need of a mentor, a caretaker of sorts.

Phil is a goldmine of life experience and wisdom.

They're exactly what the other needs right now. But their jadedness and trauma are gonna CLASH at first.

Where are their heads at right now, you ask?

Crowley is not a people person (outside of oSneeg, "he's special ok >:(" ) and is gonna HATE swallowing his pride to ask for help. Also this old man is fucking annoying. And keeps calling him a tory. What the fuck is a tory. God, he's a nuisance.

Phil has, for the umpteenth time in his long long life, lost those closest to him with no "what comes next" in mind and not enough preparation for the goodbye that hit him. He's back to keeping people at arm's length to protect himself and his heart, he's back to hating the world and immortality, and back to being an aimless hermit loner. Which normally doesn't bother him but this time the people he spent time with wanted him for him, weren't using him as a weapon for their agenda or displacing their anger on him. They loved him and enjoyed his presence and he felt such and he hasn't in a long long LONG time, if ever. He had good kids who loved and admired him properly. He had everything he's, in recent history, lacked. And it was ripped away from him one way or another. He's bitter.

And the LAST thing he needs is this punk ass tory ass bratty ass incapable ass child of an avian trying his already worn-out patience and stressing his Constant Survival Mode ass out. Except he's not the last thing. He's THE thing.

And as soon as that clicks, that's it. Fine, fuck it. Might as well help this shithead find his way in the world. What else is he doing? No one else is gonna help this asshole when he treats people like THAT. Pog through the pain and take on the task. What's do I have to lose right now? 🙃 My wings? My sanity? Wouldn't be the first time!

And honestly? Getting on Crowley's nerves is kind of a nice outlet for things ngl. These two need to be a little bitchy, as a treat. It'll fix them. And maybe bond them.

#Birds of a Feather AU #qsmp #qsmp philza #philza #q!philza #osmp #osmp philza #o!philza

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atom-writings · 1 year

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Hear me out, yknow when you have a crush you kinda think or do silly things and get all bashful and flushed out with emotions?! Or do things like write their name over and over, or write poems?! Well, what kind of things would Russia, along with Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia show it?

(Hetalia Russia + Baltics X Reader) How They Act with a Crush!

(Gender Neutral) Headcanons ~ A/N oh boy!!! The baltics!!! i didnt think id get any requests for these guys!!!

Trigger Warning: None, just fluff!

To the outside observer, Ivan acts no differently around you than anyone else. But to anyone close to him, it’s clear he’s absolutely head over heels.

With others, he has absolutely no problem manhandling and grabbing them, but when it comes to you… anytime he’s more than a foot close to you, he’s fidgeting and stuttering. God forbid you touch him, then he’s hurrying out of the room as quickly as possible.

Seeing as he’s easily the most unhealthy out of the four of these guys, he’s the worst at dealing with his feelings. He doesn’t even realize his romantic feelings for you for… well… way longer than is reasonable. And once he does, he tries pushing you away. Easier forgetting you exist than getting hurt, right? Especially since whenever he sees you, he feels like he’s on goddamn fire!

But that can’t last. He absolutely finds himself writing your name over and over again (sometimes on official papers…) In fact, he finds it quite maddening how he can’t stop thinking about you, and about how no one else could treat you like he could…

In fact, he thinks that enough to straight up tell you that. He has more of a filter with you, but that’s not saying much. He is definitely showing up to your hangouts and immediately telling you you’re perfect.

Any semblance of confidence and stoicism left in Toris before is completely demolished once he realizes his feelings for you. The former warrior is left blushing and stuttering once he sees you!

Anything that you need, he’s there to wait on you hand and foot, no questions asked. If he sees you having trouble with anything, no matter how small, he’ll ask you to scoot over so he can do it with you.

And then when you thank him, he can’t do anything but blush and mutter a quick “You’re welcome.”

He can come off as quite clingy because of this. He can’t help but insist on accompanying you to anything, from family gatherings to late-night grocery runs. And when he does join you, he doesn’t say much unless you do. He’s perfectly content to just push your cart behind you, wistfully gazing at you, completely in love.

Toris is kind of like a puppy when he’s in love. Always over the moon to see you, even for a minute, and completely at your beck and call. But… it’s almost to an unhealthy degree. He’s completely willing to push himself beyond what he can do just for you. So… just don’t take advantage of his affection.

Unfortunately, you won’t get a lot of super-cute reactions out of Eduard. He’s pretty confident in your ability to woo you, so he’s not very outwardly yearning.

But that doesn’t mean he isn’t thinking about you. You’ll receive a lot of late-night texts, usually along the lines of “This reminded me of you!” and it’s just a picture of a cat.

In fact, you’re always in the back of his mind. Whenever he’s going to the store, he’s wondering what kind of snacks you usually get. Whenever he’s working, he’s checking in on what you’re doing. It seems like he’s already preparing a life shared with you, before you two are even dating!

The most flustered you’ll get him is when you compliment his work. As soon as you say something nice about his newest software, he’s blushing and trying to brush off your compliment. Sure, he can be plenty appreciative towards you, but not the other way around!

He’s a rather traditional man when it comes to romance, so before asking you out, he might send you a bouquet or chocolate. He wants you to know he cares, without coming off as too invested and overbearing.

Surprisingly, Raivis becomes much more confident around you when he realizes his feelings. Now that he knows exactly what he wants, he’ll constantly be telling you everything he thinks.

Expect heaps of compliments, most of the time over the smallest things. Like, things no one else would notice. Like your hair being more shiny than usual, your shoes being cleaner than most, and just how organized your pantry is. No one usually would care, but to him, nothing is more important than letting you know how special you are.

It seems like his eyes are always on you. Even when you’re searching through a crowd, he can’t see the world outside of your existence. He’s walked into a few poles because of this.

He also can’t resist being much more handsy than any normal friend should be. Always grabbing your hand to lead you places, leaning on your shoulder to rest, and then coyly denying that anything took place.

The only time he’ll get all flustered is just when he finally confesses his feelings. With flirting, there’s no pressure, but with that? That’s really just… confirming the reality of your relationship. Which is really exciting! And scary… so he can’t help tripping over himself.

#heta tag #hetalia imagines #hetalia x reader #ivan tag <3 #aph russia x reader #hws russia x reader #aph lithuania x reader #hws lithuania x reader #toris tag #aph estonia x reader #hws estonia x reader #eduard tag #aph latvia x reader #hws latvia x reader #raivis tag

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itsohh · 1 year

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A/N: Female reader, I might reuse your ask for later, I can probably do all of them ngl. I was orginally going to skip day 6 since I've been so busy with work but ngl I do think Maxim would totally be into gags and got a bit inspired. I'm a day late but its the 6th somewhere in the world.

Day 6: Gags

Word count: 1732

Warnings: smut

AO3 Kinktober Masterlist

The night sky above you was illuminated by the full moon, a giant white light that shone through the trees down to your camp. Dinner had ended up rather well and only three of you were left. Alexsandr had already retired for the night and Tori was getting ready for bed.

Maxim and you were the only two sharing a tent. A blessing ready, no one wanted to be stuck with Alexsandr. The pure amount of space he took up made it a pain, even in the rather large tent.

"Guess we better head to bed then huh?" Your eyes landed on Maxim. He had been rather quiet throughout the night, he never talked too much but this was Shuhrat's level of quiet.

"Da."

He was rather quick to move and soon you waved to Tori before you headed towards your tent. It was decently spread apart from the rest of theirs, the large clearing allowed for a decent distance between everyone.

The familiar sound of the tent's zip occurred after you slipped into it. Before you could do anything you felt his hand. Warm and rough, there wasn't any hesitation in his movements. The moment you were on the air mattress, his hands were on your chest. His chest pressed against your back and he started to pull away your clothing. "Tell me you want this." Maxim's gruff voice spoke in your ear and he gave it a little nip with his teeth.

"Mmm, I do. Have you been waiting for me?"

"All night."

"Nothing gets you worked up like the wilderness huh?" You chuckled.

"Let me undress you."

You raised your arms and he pulled your shirt up off your body and flicked your bra undone with one hand. The cool air nipped at your bare chest and you couldn't help but shiver against him. His warm hands were a welcomed addition as they graced your skin which caused a small moan to ripple from your lips.

"Hush little bunny." His hand snaked around your front and grasped your throat. Maxim didn't squeeze it but used it as a solid handle. His lips were so close to your ear that you could almost feel them brush against it.

"You don't want to keep up the rest of our team, do you? This is work exercise."

His cock strained against his pants but you could still feel the hardness press against you. The hand on your throat pushed you against him while his other hand started to remove your pants. The belt was pulled apart with rough jerks and he snapped it out. It was dumped on the floor and his large rough hands slipped into your pants with ease. Maxim cupped your cunt in your underwear. Slowly his index finger slipped between your folds. Already wet, it slipped in with ease. It didn’t take much for him to work you up.

A second finger slipped in and the pair started to scissor you apart, stretching you. Another moan escaped your mouth and his hand snapped from your throat to over your mouth, muffling it.

“I told you to be quiet.” His voice was low in your ear and all movement ceased inside of you. In protest, you groaned against him and bucked your hips against his hands. You wanted him to move more, you needed him to move.

A tsk came from his lips and you whined when his fingers left you all together. Mazim pulled away from you and for a second you were worried he was done for you for the night. When you turned around, you were met with the sight of him rummaging through one of his bags. He pulled out something and his eyes locked onto yours. “If you can not be quiet, I will make you.” The rolled-up straps in his hands were originally used in your camping but now he snapped it and his eyes searched yours for your reaction.

“Open your mouth.”

You didn’t hesitate, not for a second, your jaw lowered and he placed the strap into your mouth. It was a little different but you couldn’t complain. Maxim adjusted it until it was secure around your head and gave it a light tug to test. His eyes spoke a million words and he paused, there was a slight hesitation in his eyes. You nodded in assurance and lightly tapped his thigh once, an assurance to keep going. That hesitation in his eyes disappeared and he roughly pushed your body forward. The palm of his hand was in the centre of your back and forced your face down into the mattress.

A light slap on your ass had you moan into the impromptu gag. His hand palmed over the same spot and gently rubbed it before it made a loss of contact. His hands found the side of your pants and yanked them over your bent-over ass. Now bare, Maxim had access to your dripping cunt. Perfect access for his face to dive in from behind. He was right to gag you, he knew you so well. Your moans could barely be contained as he messily assaulted your cunt. His stumbled rubbed against your thighs in a burn that was so delicious, his mouth moving with open-mouth licks.

Your hands found purchase on your pants that were bunched around your knees, they offered you a little support while you mewed into the strap. Saliva started to form around it but you were far too deep in the pleasure that Maxim brought to notice or care.

With your ass up in the air on your face still down, thoughts seem to slip away from your mind. There was only thin in there and that was the pure pleasure that relaxed throughout your body. He palmed your ass with his entire hands, massaging it as he worked. Moans and whimpers muffled against your gag until he suddenly pulled back with a light pant. Behind you, Maxim moved but you couldn’t exactly see what he was doing.

What you did feel was his heavy cock that slapped against your ass cheeks. It ran across the slick that had coated your inner legs, mixed with his own saliva. A groan slipped from him as he pushed in. It was a slow motion but one that was met with zero resistance. You always did fit him so well. His hand on your lower back anchored himself. It was the perfect spot for him to press in and snap his hips in and out of you.

Gods he was thick. It stretched you in a way that had you feeling so full, so overwhelmed in a way that had you reduced to complete babbles. Or you would have been if you could actually talk.

"You have no idea how much I love to watch you work." He muttered while he fucked himself into you, a slow but tough rhythm. Each snap of his hips had the pair of you rock forward while the top of his member pressed against your cervix in a way that hurt so deliciously.

"Been wanting you ever since we arrived." He wrapped his arms around your waist and slammed into you but didn't retreat for a moment. Instead, he pulled you back onto his lap and lay down on the mattress. "Face me."

You obeyed his command and spun around to face him. "Now bounce for me, bunny."

His hands engrained themselves in your thighs to help lift and steady you on him. Your hands moved forward and gripped his shoulders. The rhythm you started was rather slow, rolling your hip against him, his cock slipped in deeper before it moved out slightly.

A pleased hum settled in Maxim's throat before you started to speed up. "That's a good girl." His hand wiped away part of your saliva that drooled down the side of your chin. "Nice and quiet for me."

Your head pathetically nodded while he continued to thrust up into you, your body now barely moving up and down. His eyes continued to watch you, even when yours tiredly closed, just enjoying the feel of him fucking up into you. His hand stayed on the side of your face until he thrust in partially hard. Your eyes shot open and you could see the determination on his face, so close to the edge, he buried himself into you and grabbed your hips flush against his.

Maxim’s warm seed filled you up and pooled around the base of his cock, the overflow that couldn’t stay inside of you. He pulled you by the back of your neck down into his chest where you rest your head. The strap in your mouth was promptly removed and tossed to the side. His thumb rubbed the side of your mouth and looked for any redness while he wiped away your drool.

“Are you okay?” His voice was softer, the kind and tender side of him.

“Yeah.” You nuzzled your face into his chest and closed your eyes around him. “Sleepy.” You mumbled and his chest vibrated a little and he laughed and gently petted your head.

It wasn’t often that you woke up before Maxim. Still snuggled up to his side, you slowly had to detach yourself from him. It seemed that Maxim had cleaned you up while you slept as there wasn’t any tried cum in between your legs. You rummaged around for a pair of pants and you grabbed the first shirt you found. You managed to slip into them and crawl out of the tent without waking your partner, which was a bonus. A light smell of food filled the air and you made your way back over to the campsite which you all shared. Tori and Alexsandr had already woken up and were cooking on some gas burners.

“Morning sleeping beauty.” Tori grinned a shit-eating grin.

“Have fun last night Hare?” Alexsandr’s voice practically clicked as he spoke your callsign.

“Hare? Haven't you heard? It’s Bunny now.” She nudged him and Alexsanndr boomed out a laugh while your face paled.

“Ugh, sorry you guys heard.” You mumbled out but Tori just patted next to her with a grin.

“Ah, we’ve all heard it before besides you guys weren’t that loud. Shuhrat seemed to sleep through it.” Her eyes glanced over to the direction of his tent. “Surprised you can walk.”

#kapkan x reader #maxim basuda #r6s #rainbow six siege #r6s x reader #kinktober2023

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