#until Dale forgives him

[callmegaith]

Was it worth it?

[agentcoops]

going insane thinking about the reunions coop should've had

[birbfeeder2artisticboogaloo]

fUCK ive just remembered why i hate carl.

throwing rocks at a zombie, saying cruel things to carol, getting my beloved dale kILLE..........i do not believe that children can be evil, but carl comes pretty fucking close smh 😒

[devilslamb]

work is killing me but i Am now alone with my thoughts... so that means dale is chewing on My brain... not proofread cuz no one has time for that

kinda nsfw, emphasis on spit pls forgive mehdjsn. my kiss hc for him/drabble kinda :3

thinking about his kisses today. if they'd be soft, loving or just quick pecks, but i think neither really fit him. he's a filthy animal. he's probably all tongue and spit. maybe some teeth.

hes so handsy. one hand fondling whatever part of your body he fixates on the most. loves to have his other hand gripping your jaw so you have no choice but to stay still for him, giving you a kiss you ached for and much more. he's breathing so heavy until its muffled by his lips pressing to yours, moving without rhythm. hes so sloppy, careless, uncoordinated. doesnt care about your pace or the way you move your lips to try and match him. teeth scraping against your lip. sometimes he bites down on it, hard. enthralled by the way your flesh gives way to him so easily.

he pries open your jaw with his fingers clawing into your mandible, almost painfully so that you have no choice but to let ur mouth go slack. submitting to his unrelenting grip on you.

he doesnt even try to kiss you anymore. instead he tilts his head, letting his white wirey hair fall over the both of you, and slimes his fat tongue right against yours, leaving a thick trail of his saliva. its disgusting. he grunts and softens his grip on you for a moment before pressing your tongue back in ur mouth along with his. you almost wished you hadnt seeked him out for a bit of affection.

he absolutely takes his time. rolling and slithering his tongue into your mouth, tasting you. memorizing how the inside of you feels. its incredibly invasive, him licking into your mouth, fat tongue pressing to your inner cheek and forcing your spit to mingle together. forcing you to swallow his spit and purposefully slipping globs of it into ur mouth until ur lips are webbed together by saliva.

i imagine most ppl are a lot smaller than him, so hes literally towering over you all the while. his neck is craned and he has you cornered, caging you between the dingey basement wall and his broad shoulders. his hips rolling into yours bc you know hes hard as a rock (idc how old he is!!!!).

hes taking his sweet time. at some points his mouth is so tightly pressed to yours, it hurts. like hes trying to shove his tongue down your throat. saliva is dripping from the corners of your mouth, and just as he relents, hes quick to lick it off your face and wherever else it slipped to.

i think hes so gross and perverse. he enjoys shoving his tongue in ur mouth, reading every ridge and every tooth with his tongue like its his favorite thing in the world. his chest is heaving, nearly completely intertwined with you. hes drooling into your mouth and u cant move away to stop it.

he does this almost everytime u ask for a kiss. it shouldnt shock you as much anymore, but it does with how he does it with so much fervor and excitement. he pants like a dog when hes finished, still rutting against your thigh or your stomach, in complete rapture with how his spit clings to your swollen lips.

edited to add this visual . stole from crimsonxcloverr on here. :3

[rabbitbonesandsheabutter]

How do you think Dale would act if his singer partner leaves him for tour / working on their career (for a couple years) and then has a tour stop / concert back where he is? I feel like he would be both pissed off at them because they left him for that long but also be so happy to see them again. Dude... the sex would probably be feral.

He’d be sososo pissed off. He already feels inadequate because of his lack of success compared to you (I think he has some pretty deep regrets about not continuing with his music career, which based on the Sister Destroyer sample could’ve been pretty good), I just hope you’re in a different scene which would curb his envy a bit. When you tell him you’re leaving to go on tour, he would’ve begged and pleaded with you to take him with you. “I’ll be so good, do anything you tell me. Angel, please…”

Up until you’re set to leave he’d try desperately to prove how useful he can be: driving you to and from any rehearsals or local events you have, feeding you and bringing you drinks, and any free time you have is spent with his head between your legs. He wants to be as irreplaceable to you as you are to him.

When none of that works and you leave anyway, he’s inconsolable. Aside from maybe the process of making dolls, you’re the one thing making him happy. Serving satan by himself lost its appeal a long time ago. While you’re gone he just mopes about, back to leaving the dolls with Ruth and waiting around in the basement. I’m not sure if the devil is financing Dale’s life, but if he could afford to he’d definitely show up to any stops you had an unreasonable driving distance away before you actually got to Oregon. No one in their right mind is listening to this old man say he knows you, so he can’t get close but he forgets his anger the second he sees you on stage. He’s just desperate to see you again.

When you show up to see him, he’s fucking ecstatic. If you had other plans later, you don’t anymore. Nothing could get him to let go of you. He’s shedding some tears of relief at finally having you back, then feeling you pressed against him after so long is gonna make him horny. He is most definitely working out some of the built up emotions on you, bending you over the nearest surface with a tight grip on your hair and hip and setting a bruising pace. His fingers find their way into your mouth at some point, wanting as much of you around him as possible. The whole time he’s rambling on about never leaving him again. As he finishes he pulls you back up close to him, and maybe crying some more. He probably ends up overstimulating himself trying to drag it out. If you stay put he’s not pulling out, either. Just stood there breathing in your smell. It’s up to you to get him to move somewhere more comfortable or go clean up.

His usual clinginess is amplified by a lot. Any chance you had of leaving a room without him following is now gone. He’d forgive you quite quickly, though. Honestly, you could leave him again and again and he’d keep forgiving you when you showed up. My man has serious attachment issues and very slim chances of finding someone else to put up with his shit.

[fountainpenguin]

I'm sorry if I'm annoying you. But I can't get over you City Lights AU Dale. The man looks like he has all the issues and is hanging on by the thinnest thread. One more problem and he will just fully collapse.

😂 I'm eating your asks like sandwich.

^ He is overworking himself in a desperate attempt to make peace with the fact that he never got to hear his late father say "You did everything I ever asked without complaint; you are such a good son and you've made me so proud."

Push him near a goalpost and he'll panic and kick it across the room. We don't know how to process feelings of achievement and pride in this family. Those are Bad Emotions that will get the company steamrolled by competitors... You could lose everything... Is that how you want to be remembered?

I've been waffling on whether to share this WIP or withhold it for in-the-moment drama, but just for you... a treat.

His back ached from hunching; his feet stung from dirt. Vicky didn’t leave me down there; she always came back. “Do you know what that means?” Without waiting for an answer, Dale grabbed Timmy’s shoulder with one hand and pumped his fist with the other. “I’m still her bestie! She didn’t replace me!” “She locked you in a cellar for 7 years,” Timmy started, but Dale cut him off by slamming the bathroom door. And he laughed at nothing, clutching fingers in his hair, because… He really had to talk to her. They could clear this whole mess up! Now, let’s get one thing laid out crystal-flat. Dale knew Vicky had locked him up down in Dimmsdale’s tunnels, sure. He wasn’t stupid. But she wouldn’t have done that at all if he hadn’t threatened to tell untrustworthy adults about The Accident that kicked the lemonade business off in the first place, and it wasn’t her fault he’d been a disloyal friend. He really put her in a bad position there- That can’t be denied. Dale dragged his hands down his face (and dragged his butt down the door) until he thumped on freeze-dried tile. His toes gripped the bathmat. He wrapped his arms around his knees. I’m sorry. I’m sorry… I'll be better. I'm ready to listen now.

Prompt #96 - "You Deserve It"

My terrible headcanon is that if it took 7 years for Dale to work up the courage to open a trapdoor and crawl out, and he didn't file charges severe enough to stop Vicky from babysitting Timmy, he is not the kind of person who would stop hanging out with her SDLFKJ.

Also, here's a sketch I made for this post. I opted not to post it there, but I think it captures My Vision really well:

Toxic ex-BFFs with a very weird dynamic post-lemon pit torture, gossip buddies, and a secret 3rd thing... silly little guys.

He hates the fighting, but he craves the structure... Being nice to Vicky is the safe option... It's such big "Get real, Dale- No one will ever want to deal with you and your problems; I'm the only one who can put up with your baggage" vibes...

He can tolerate the bruises; he can make little exceptions; friends forgive each other and not forgiving her would mean throwing away the 3.5 years they had before the Real Trouble Began... Do u understand...

I've been brainstorming another WIP of Dale fantasizing about terrible things he wants to do to Vicky, but I'm not sure I'll actually write that one because it's pretty dark SLKDFJ

Listen, I just want Dale to slam Vicky against a wall and it turns out Mark was shapeshifted as her handbag and OH, HE PROTEC-

It's extremely important to me that Dale is nice and sympathetic enough that Dev believes if he can just pry his dad away from business, they can play and have fun. Dale being "sweet and engaging and loving" around his wife and during the holidays has done a NUMBER on Dev's psyche.

[final-girl96]

Broken World: Chapter Twenty-Two

The Farm

When we got back to the highway Dale had all kinds of questions. He asked Andrea if she was okay and she just walked right past him. After the CDC incident he took her gun and she still didn't forgive him for that or for forcing her to leave the CDC before it blew. Glenn tried to explain to him what had happened but couldn't tell him much seeing as we didn't know anything. After discussing everything it was decided that Glenn would take Carol's car and get T-Dog to the farm the women had mentioned before riding off with Lori.

Carol didn't want to leave incase Sophia found her way back, Dale didn't want to leave the RV, Andrea decided to stay with Carol, and Daryl decided he would stay too. That left me. “I'm gonna stay,” I said. We said goodbye to Glenn and T-Dog, telling them that we would see them tomorrow morning, and watched them turn around, and drive the opposite direction.

Once they were out of sight Carol went back to standing near the guardrail and looked into the woods. Andrea had stormed back into the RV and slammed the door shut when Dale asked her if she was alright after Glenn told him what happened. The sun was starting to go down and night would be coming in a couple of hours. “I'm just gonna look around to make sure there aren't any walkers stumbling around close by.” I turned from the group avoiding Carol's cold and heartbroken gaze.

I wish there was more I could do. And that is exactly why when I was far enough away from the others I slipped back into the woods. Should I be in the woods alone while it's nearing night? Probably not. But I was trying to put myself in the shoes of a mother whose child has gone missing. I would never know what exactly it feels like but I imagined that Carol was going through several emotions. She was scared, stressed, maybe even angry at herself for not being with her daughter when it happened.

I know if I were in her situation I would be full of anxiety and I would blame myself more than I would blame anyone else. I understand why she's putting blame on Rick. He was the one that went after her and he didn't come back with her. He left on her own. And I know Carol understands why he made the decisions he did. I understand why she turned to me. I'm a detective…was a detective. I used to hunt down people; it was my job to find the clues others missed.

I find myself back where Rick said he left Sophia while he led a couple walkers away. The tracks were faint but they were still there. I followed them where they split off in the opposite direction of the highway. “Why did you go the wrong way?” I knelt down to look closer at the tracks but I couldn't see any other sign of what might have happened. I didn't see any other footprints besides Sophia's and the ones from us. there wasn't any indication that there were any walkers that scared her in this direction.

I continued following the path Daryl, Rick, and I took until I came to the walker they had killed and gutted. “Sophia!” I walked past the walker and back onto a path, keeping an eye out for anything out of place. The forest was getting darker as the sky lost its light. I should have turned back and went back to the RV but I didn't…I kept going deeper into the woods.

Eventually night had completely settled over us, my eyes slowly adjusted to the dark, the moon shining through the treetops in spots gave some light but not much. I stood in the middle of the forest, spinning in a slow circle. At some point I had gone off the path without realizing. I had no sense of direction in the dark and in a place I wasn't familiar with. I was an okay track but I wasn't as good as Daryl, nowhere near as good as him. I was far away from the highway…nobody would hear me if I called out for them. I was lost and alone.

Daryl

I watch yn go off on her own down the highway. Having her around again was awkward and brought feelings back to the surface that I would rather keep hidden. I turned away for a second to pull out a cigarette and light it when I looked back she was gone. I stay looking in that direction the whole time I smoke the cigarette and a good ten minutes after before going into the RV.

Dale was on top of the RV keeping watch, Andrea was sitting at the table reloading all the magazines for the guns, and Carol was in the back, laying down and crying softly. I let out a deep sigh and lay down on the floor between the kitchen and table. I used my pack wasẃèas a pillow and threw my arm over my eyes, closing them, and trying to get some shut eye. I laid there for twenty minutes trying and failing to go to sleep. I couldn't block out Carol's soft cries and I couldn't stop thinking about yn.

What was she doing? Did she come back yet? Was she up on the roof with Dale? What if something happened? I had this gut feeling she was in trouble. I sat up, looked at Carol for a brief second and stood up, took a full magazine from Andrea and went outside. “You see yn at all?” I asked Dale, looking up at him. He looked down at me and shook his head. “No, I've been keeping an eye out for her but I have seen her. As a matter-of-fact I don't even see her on the highway.”

I didn't want to give a shit. Why should I? She made Merle a suspect in some fucking murder he had no part in. Then had him arrested and put away for three years. She fucking left without saying goodbye. I hated the feelings she made me feel. Shouldn't be feeling shit for her. She's younger than me and deserved better than a piece of shit redneck. But my gut tightened at the thought of her out there alone in the dark. Dumb bitch probably went looking for that little girl and got herself lost. “Fuckin’ christ. I'll go find her. Last thing we need is for someone else gettin’ lost.”

[randomcerealbrand]

What’s your favorite TMNT ship besides Timatello?

Also another question, how would you react when your online friend turned out to be a Roblox YouTuber?

Favorite TMNT ship? Uhhhh...

I don't have any other ships I like as much as Timatello. I know some of my friends' OCs that are shipped with the turtles (in a not weird way dw) but they don't technically count.

I like Leosagi, but mostly 2003 Leosagi and certainly not 2012.

Aprinardo in TOTTMNT is alright, I like them being a couple because they actually aren't weird towards eachother and it's wholesome, but I only see them as platonic.

Leochi (Leo and Yuichi Usagi) is pretty good, I love the concept of Yuichi working at the Run Of The Mill Pizza, or a crossover between dimensions.

Shellshocked is sweet, but it could never happen, unfortunately.

Donnie and Atomic Lass is just funny as hell.

Apritello is something I don't really enjoy, especially in 2012, because of the way they wrote it. If written correctly, I can see this ship happening from a platonic standpoint.

Mikey and Renet - Again, platonic.

Raph and Mona Lisa - 2012 did it and it was rather undercooked and he never actually called her by her actual name, which was odd. Overall it's very sweet but I wish they had more time to develop it. Again, I'd love to make them a thing in my Rise fanon, but my current storyline is incomplete.

Raph and Alopex - Yeesh, the age gap that some of the artists said they had was.. Odd, to say the least. But their relationship definitely did grow to be pretty good until they parted ways. I'd be down to make Alopex best friends with Raph, but the romantic aspects don't vibe with me.

Donnie and Bigfoot - Get the fuck out.

Any of the turtles in general x April - Depends on the way the canon version wrote it. (Aprinardo is currently the only good one.)

April x Irma - Sillies :]

Leorai - This is dogshit.

Baronjitsu - I mean... Sure, I guess. I like the concept.

Splinter x Tang Shen - Canon in 2012, I liked it, it was sweet. As for ROTTMNT, I like how she was one of his co-stars in the Lou Jitsu movies.

April x Casey - Depends on the iteration. 2003 is great, 2012 can go fall off a cliff. 2018 would be cute :]

Raph x Casey - Sure.

Donnie x Casey - 2012; fix the amount of toxic behavior and hostility they have towards eachother, and I'll talk to you about it.

Vernon x April - Bayverse; He's okay, I guess he just misread her signals, but she doesn't like him back and I suppose he respects that.

Donnie and Mona - IDW Comics - Very cute, I like it :)

Donnie and Irma - We don't get to see much of them throughout the franchise, but I like their dynamic in 1987 (platonically) and I enjoyed their dynamic in 2012 as well.

Leo and Koya - I like it. Not much else to say.

Frida x Casey - YES. YES.

Casey Jr. x Nobody - AROACE CJ FOR THE WIN‼️‼️‼️

Splinter and Big Mama - I mean there is some tension there, but I don't think they'd ever get back together.

Leo and Dale - I honestly really like it, they're just two guys in the apocalypse who really like eachother :]

April and Dale - I bet Dale realizes that he likes men and immediately starts apologizing to April. She forgives him and they become besties and they gossip with Sunita and Casey about shit 😭

I saw someone ship Sunita and Dale together once and cringed so 🤷

Sunita x April - I like it, it's cute, but I feel like it's pretty platonic. I'll think about it more as time goes on, but yeah.

Sunita x Raph - I once saw a friend of mine ship these two together and honestly, I liked it! Very good art, very good opinions on it.

Those are all the ships I can remember off the top of my head. But none of these compare to Timatello.

[film-in-my-soul]

Unspoken | 822 | dalearden / @dale-arden

Summary: He thumbs at the tattoo with a gentleness that’s not his usual style. The letters have been inked in a simple cursive script, just Hangman’s initials and nothing else. He sweeps a callused pad across the letters and Hangman knows there and then that feeling Rooster shudder under his touch will go down as one of the most pleasing moments of his life.

collapsed (i still want you.) | 1,098 | crueltether

Summary: “See somethin’ you like, Bradshaw?” he asks, and it happens again. Bradley sees the Jake he knew before and the Jake he knows now all at the same time. Bradley just sinks down and presses their chests together, exhaling against Jake’s lips as he skates his hands down Jake’s sides. “Tell me you missed me.”

even though it shows | 1,116 | dulceit

Summary: “God,” Hangman mutters against his mouth, fumbling with the zipper of Rooster’s flight suit, “god, I can’t believe you’re goddamn alive, you—” “Shut up,” Rooster groans, and Hangman takes the cue to yank him back into a kiss.

Sweat | 1,199 | lovelybattle

Summary: Bradley dropped his head to Jake’s neck and kissing it softly. Jake hummed happily, relaxing as Bradley kissed down his jaw, to his adam’s apple, until he met his collar bones. “I can’t sweat darlin’.” Bradley looked up at him, knowing intimately that just wasn’t true, “pretty sure you can.” “No,” Jake said, rolling his eyes, “if I start to sweat, I have to do all this again.” He gestured to his face, and Bradley resisted the urge to roll his own eyes. “Poor baby.” Bradley said, sticking his bottom lip out.

Shut up or I'll make you | 1,375| Fuddlewuddle / @fuddlewuddle

Summary: Hangman always knows how to wind Rooster up. This time, the frustration bubbles over and Rooster finds a way to shut the infuriating blond up.

a whisper | 1,504 | ginnydear

Summary: smut dialogue prompt - louder, let me hear you.

Please see below for more recommendations!

Red Line Overload | 1,881 | infinitejaust

Summary: Bradley meant to take an Ativan. He didn’t realize he had the pill upside down. Or: Rooster joins the Mile High Club.

cubicle walls | 1,921 | ropememory

Summary: Jake reaches across Bradley’s desk, blocking the spreadsheet Bradley was focused on with an arm that Bradley refuses to say looks good in whatever shade of blue Jake calls it, to lift the half-full mug up. With his own cup in hand, Jake points to the sharpie’d Seresin on the bottom of the mug that apparently Bradley absolutely did steal. Trying to keep the embarrassment down, Bradley resolves to ignore Jake until he leaves. “I’ll forgive you, this time,” Jake says, the air of magnanimity making Bradley’s eye twitch. “But it’s that lack of attention to detail that’ll always keep you in second place, Bradshaw.”

Soft Landing | 1,939 | dalearden / @dale-arden

Summary: This is something else entirely. It makes Bradley feel like he’s soaring even when his feet are firmly on the ground. The first time they’d gone to bed – really gone to bed – Bradley realized he’d never understood what love was until he’d languished in the sheets and Jake had let Bradley take him apart piece by piece and then rebuild him all over again. Jake has Bradley beneath him, bottomless green eyes making Bradley feel not just the center of Jake’s world but the whole world. Jake’s gaze has softened and he’s studying Bradley like he doesn’t already know him inside out.

Sharper Than a Hangman's Tooth | 2,019 | ForASecondThereWedWon / @forasecondtherewedwon

Summary: Hangman does shit with his mouth. It’s not a new habit—Bradley’s had to clench his jaw and look away a thousand times over the years—but he’d swear Hangman’s never done it so intentionally before.

Sing for me | 2,032 | AnadoraBlack / @anadorablack

Summary: Jake's been forced to attend a fucking music festival by his moronic best friend. But he might find something interesting to do there...maybe...

images of broken light | 2,139 | dalearden / @dale-arden

Summary: The tears fall freely this time before he can stop them and when Bradley brushes the wetness away for him with the callused pads of his fingers, Jake can feel something in him break. “Come back,” he whispers, a secret plea for Bradley’s ears only. “Whatever happens out there just…please come back.” Bradley’s eyes pool with sorrow, like he already knows what’s going to happen and can’t stop it even if he wanted to but he kisses Jake and breathes a promise they both know can’t be kept into him anyway.

Buzz the Tower | 2,260 | ForASecondThereWedWon / @forasecondtherewedwon

Summary: Hangman wants to buzz Bradley's tower. Bradley knows that is not what buzzing the tower means, but they're alive, so he'll let Hangman have this one.

Fever | 2,338 | xo_em / @jakeseresins

Summary: Bradley gets like this sometimes. Possessive, reverent. Almost delirious. Often out of nowhere, but occasionally there are signs it’s coming. Beach days tend to set him off.

Leave your mark on me | 2,369 | Fuddlewuddle / @fuddlewuddle

Summary: Jake loses a bet and has to grow a beard. Bradley is inordinately excited about this result. Especially when it means the marks left after being ravished by his boyfriend stay around for longer than normal

time is running out so spend it like it's gold | 2,423 | scorpiohs

Summary: Phoenix hurls one of the footballs his way, where he’s ready to run to a touchdown. A second after Rooster jumps, catches it and curls it into his body, he’s shot out of the sky by a brutal tackle. The wind is knocked out of him by the blow as he and his assailant fall onto the hot ground. The rough sand coats his back while a sweaty chest presses against his own. Rooster squints open his eyes to none other than fucking Hangman, sporting his trademark grin. “Nice catch, Bradshaw.”

Poems About Lovers | 2,524 | xo_em / @jakeseresins

Summary: He’s waiting for his favorite sounds of every day: the click and scrape of the front door opening then closing, a few heavy footsteps, the abrupt thud of a bag hitting the hardwood floor. Two boots following. Bradley.

proof of concept | 2,577 | alwaysbuddy (kamsangi)

Summary: Seven months into assignment, he returns stateside. A three-week detachment back at TOPGUN against the background of NAS North Island with some of the best people he's ever had the pleasure to fly with. It'd be good to see them all again, Rooster thinks, if only Hangman would stop being such a fucking asshole.

Last Night on Earth | 2,616 | FayeHunter / @pixiegrl

Summary: They've only got one last night on Earth. Or maybe, just a little bit more

the way we move | 2,751 | Anonymous

Summary: "Oh, fuck. Holy shit." Bradley's words catch his sharper attention now, pulling him from the dizzying state of bliss he'd been losing himself in. He opens his eyes to see Bradley's head turned to the side, eyes widened and mouth slightly agape. Jake realizes he's looking at something, eyes laser-focused in. "What? What is it?" Jake asks as tries to follow his gaze. "It's..." Bradley breaths, and Jake's breath leaves him like a punch to the gut as his gaze finally reaches its end destination. As he sees what exactly it is that Bradley's looking at that's got him looking more heated than Jake's seen him in a while.

You, Touching Me | 2,766 | deuxflora

Summary: One of the first things Jake had noticed about Rooster was that he was touchy. A pat on the shoulder, a side hug, a playful hip check as a friend passed him by. Jake had watched it all, quietly resentful that his constant needling of the other pilot meant he never received those touches. And then they got back from the mission.

My Whole Existence Is Flawed | 2,836 | Anonymous

Summary: Hangman is an alpha who loves to take it up the ass, no matter how it hurts, he still craves it and how it makes him feel, and craves being treated like an omega.

Give it to me daddy | 2,873 | Earthangel_44 / @yikes-00

Summary: Bradley survives the mission only to find one way to thank his savior.

sweeter than honey | 3,091 | deuceofgears

Summary: “Mmm, sweetheart,” Jake whispers against his heart, feeling it beat strong and warm against his cheek. “Welcome home.”

that summer (when your shadow merged with the shadows of the leaves) | 3,497 | deuceofgears

Summary: Rooster doesn’t have to look at the actual person to know who it is. The gait and the contours of the shadow is enough to let him know it’s Hangman. Rooster doesn’t look up. He doesn’t move a muscle until Hangman is right there next to him, leaning against the same wall as him. Rooster can feel the heat of his body. If he leans a fraction of an inch to the side—their shoulders are going to touch.  Well, that’s certainly a thought for a thirty-two year old naval aviator who almost died twice this week. 

beggin' you to touch | 3,327 | tasteofoxidation

Summary: Jake has issues with wearing shirts properly, Bradley Bradshaw is a tits man. Put the two together--

pull my teeth, break my bones | 3,334 | deuceofgears

Summary: Rooster kisses him as soon as Hangman closes the door. He doesn’t bother being gentle because that’s not why Hangman picked him tonight—Hangman doesn’t pick him if he’s feeling kind.

I Want To Hear You Say It Again | 3,409 | perishablealex / @perishablealex

Summary: The first time Jake calls Bradley daddy.

squeeze a little (tease a little more) | 3,401 | dracculaura / @dracculaura

Summary: Bradley had thought that nothing could test his will more than Jake sitting in his lap shirtless, but that was nothing compared to Jake sitting in his lap wearing his shirt. And leaving it unbuttoned.

Two Hundred Pushups Are Worth It | 3,513 | Renai_chan

Summary: Hangman talks too much. Rooster wants to shut him up. And wipe that smug smile off of his face.

Valentine | 3,542 | Thee_Maxwell

Summary: “The eleventh? Is there an important meeting I’m forgetting about?” Jake shakes his head, and leans back, removing his hands from Bradley’s torso. “It’s February, Bradley.”

higher further faster, baby | 3,804 | lyonet

Summary: The thing about Bradley Bradshaw – seriously, what kind of sadist gives their kid a name like that – is that he’s good, he’s really good, but he could be better and that just pisses Jake off. What can he say, he’s a judgy kind of guy, he gets it from his mother. Put that together with the dumb moustache, the sad puppy eyes, the way Bradley reacts to every single jab Jake tosses his way, and, well – was he expecting Jake to be capable of leaving him in peace? Probably not.

Though we touched and went our separate ways | 3,804 | NeverwinterThistle

Summary: The berth is quiet, deserted. Coffin racks and curtain rails rise ceiling-high on either side; Bradley cracks open a locker on the narrow strip of wall between bunks. It’ll be a dress uniform kind of evening. He’s taking his time about getting there.

T-shirt | 3,842 | violation_of_faith_and_devotion

Summary: He inadvertently takes a breath and before he realizes what’s happened, Jake is already away, making his way towards the bar. He’d like to blame it on the alcohol, but he’d need to lie to himself.

jealousy fills up their hearts in pairs | 3,898 | Notchka88

Summary: They haven’t talked about being exclusive, haven’t actually talked much at all. Just because Bradley hasn’t wanted to fuck anyone else in the months since he sank to his knees on the carrier and started this thing doesn’t mean Jake hasn’t been considering his options. There’s very few people in this bar who wouldn’t want to go home with him; maybe Jake’s ready for a bit of variety.

Take My Breath Away | 3,899 | Earthangel_44 / @yikes-00

Summary: Bradley survives the mission and realizes he might be in love.

i'm in the mood, the rhythm is right, move to the music (we can roll all night) | 4,059 | StoriesofmyLife

Summary: “You don’t see me for over a year,” Bradley pants, moaning when teeth bite at his neck, a hot tongue soothing the sting a moment later. “And that’s how you greet me?” ”You don’t seem to be too put out about it.” Jake drawls. “Least of all from where I’m sittin’.” He adds, rocking his hips upwards for emphasis.

Miracle Number Three | 4,122 | xo_em / @jakeseresins

Summary: Hangman’s positively beaming as he’s dragged across the crowded dance floor, that trademark smile spread over his pristine features, the one that says ‘the cat got the cream’. They pass by Phoenix near the restrooms and Rooster should be concerned that she doesn’t seem at all shocked by the display, but honestly, he can’t spare another second. “Go easy on him,” she winks. Rooster doesn’t intend to.

let me put on a show | 4,290 | dalearden / @dale-arden

Summary: Stripper Bradley falls hard for Navy pilot Jake. The trouble is, he doesn't realize it until after a series of hook-ups following which Jake has already disappeared from his life, seemingly never to return.

we are tonight, we are forever | 4,515 | thewonderzebra

Summary: Jake Seresin is the master of acting aloof, but when it comes down to it, Bradley can read him like an open book, seeing through every wall Jake puts up, through to his vulnerable soul. And right now, the book that is Hangman is all but screaming ‘come and get me’.

Time and Tide Wait for Hangman | 4,541 | ForASecondThereWedWon / @forasecondtherewedwon

Summary: Up in the sky, this part never lasts long enough, the seconds before action. Fortunately, time belongs to Jake tonight. He takes deep breaths of the air that doesn’t smell quite like this anywhere else and he watches Rooster in silhouette.

giving yourself to me can never be wrong | 4,601 | greatea / @greatea

Summary: His sense of touch is already heightened, the places where Bradley's skin is touching his own tingling, more intense than usual. He feels Bradley move off him, and then … nothing for a few moments. He knows Bradley is still there because he can practically feel his eyes on him, roaming up and down his naked body.

Bi_e_ual | 4,835 | tempestbreak

Summary: Teeth clenched, Rooster leans his forearm across Hangman’s chest, looming, eyes searching eyes. “What’s your game?” If Hangman is intimidated, he gives no indication. In fact, he seems to grasp what Rooster is asking immediately; that stupid smirk curls the sides of his lips as he raises his chin in challenge. “This isn’t a game, Rooster. It’s just life.” The smirk widens. “Well, life and death.”

Trouble With Comms | 4,883 | ForASecondThereWedWon / @forasecondtherewedwon

Summary: Bradley gets himself a gig as Jake’s back-seater. Now that he’s a little more familiar with the circuit breakers, it’s easy to switch off the radio and be the only voice in Jake’s ear.

held in your gravity | 4,951 | dulceit

Summary: Jake lifts his head to grin at him lazily. “No afterglow cuddling? I’m hurt.” Rooster laughs and pushes his face away with the heel of his clean palm. “You wish, man.” Despite that, his hand slides open to cup Jake’s jaw. Jake doesn’t comment on it, and Rooster doesn’t say anything about the tender way Jake kisses him back down against the seat of the car.

my sweetheart (where are you?) | 5,173 | nymelodica

Summary: It wasn’t Rooster’s fault. Rooster didn’t know how Hangman could possibly know about his dad, but he did. And unfortunately, it caught him off guard, so he did all he could do and snapped. It backfired and everything seemed to be falling into pieces with the mission only pressing closer. He doesn't expect what comes next. He doesn't expect to see him in the darkened hallway that evening. He doesn't expect himself to willingly follow Hangman into the darkness of his room, lock sliding shut as soon as they enter. It only takes one hit to become addicted. And he doesn't know what to do about it.

Rack 'Em Up, Big Blonde | 5,550 | Earthangel_44 / @yikes-00

Summary: Bradley becomes a regular at a Hooters to spend three hours with a blonde server with an unfortunate taste in football teams. Along the way, Bradley might have developed feelings.

the ruin of me | 5,560 | iridescent

Summary: When they first meet, Jake presumes the callsign has to do with the size of Rooster’s dick. He certainly swaggers around like he thinks he has a big one, that’s for sure.

coming undone at the seams | 5,712 | astronomical_light / @astronomical-light

Summary: Jake likes what he likes. He’s not ashamed of it. He’s not about to let someone make him feel bad about it, either, least of all Bradley Bradshaw.

our paths will cross again | 5,817 | haridwar

Summary: An angel worked for the navy and Jake was only half embarrassed to admit that he was obsessed with him.

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[joylinda-hawks]

Brat. You've been getting awfully confident lately, haven't you? WOH, episode 34, part 2. While WKX is talking to GX, ZCL runs up and turns to his two masters, but before he tells them anything, he notices GX and says that the bride and groom should not see each other before the wedding ceremony. GX tells him not to stick his nose into his business. ZCL states that GX is a mean girl and asks CWN why he doesn't call her. CWN is surprised and looks at GX saying no because he wouldn't be able to do it. GX smiles. ZCL adds that you understand, since they will live under one roof, CWN has to compromise. ZCL dale says CWN shouldn't be afraid, after marriage they will come to Siji Manor and ZCL will say good things about him. GX starts to say something, but ZZS interrupts her and turns to ZCL, saying that he has become terribly confident lately. ZZS asks for forgiveness, adding that this is his first time in Ghost Valley and he would like to visit it very much. WKX wants to accompany him. GX tells ZZS see you later and grabs WKX's sleeve, stopping him. GX asks if she will really have to go to Siji Manor because she wants to stay at WKX. WKX explains that no young married woman should live with her parents. GX looks at CWN and declares that she will not marry then, and tells the surprised CWN to return to Kun as she will remain with the master. CWN tells GX not to talk nonsense and ZZS overhears the entire conversation from a distance. WKX explains to GX that CWN has sacrificed everything for her, so she shouldn't act like a spoiled girl. WKX says it will close the valley after the wedding. GX asks if it's really that broken and if WKX will really close the valley. WKX explains that he promised YBY that he would cut off the valley to keep the 3,000 ghosts on Qingya Mountain until they died. He cannot and does not want to break his word. WKX claims that heaven treated him harshly, but sent him priceless gifts. It's time for WKX to come to terms with its wishes. This conversation between GX and WKX shows us how deep the bond between them is. They are like father and daughter who don't want to leave him. WKX is sensible and tries to convince GX to stay with CWN. After all this, ZCL became more open and talkative, giving lectures as GX's brother. ZZS still shows his smiling face, although he knows that his death will break the hearts of many people. Therefore, under the pretext of visiting Ghost Valley, he wants to be alone for a while. I feel bad that he isn't telling the truth to WKX and the rest. However, I don't want to destroy this beautiful moment. We, as viewers, can still admire the excellent acting of ZZH and GJ in this scene, they do not have to resort to too many acting tricks to show what their characters feel.

[01131974]

Hey yo, I really like your hc and they look like mine like two drops of water! And I have a juicy question... What was their first time like?

gonna mash these two asks together cuz they're similar in nature!

it's hard to say how it would start. i think it would take a while for lee to warm up to dale as a constant presence in her life, let alone feel sexual feelings towards him. though maybe it wouldn't take that long. maybe those feelings were in lee all along, just sitting dormant in her until she's actually fully alone with dale, then all that repressed sexual frustration bubbles up in her.

the shame would eat her alive first, before anything else. how could she ever forgive herself if she let him do something like that do her? after all he's done? the guilt would swarm within her until it becomes curdled into want, the humiliation of it all contorting itself into a sick taboo desire.

it starts off slow. she starts reciprocating the little bits of affections he gives her, leaning in to his hugs and letting him play with her hair without putting up the usual fuss. then she's actively seeking him out, going down into the basement to ask if he needs anything and ending up hanging out with him on his bed, watching him play guitar and tell stories about his brief time on stage.

as soon as dale finds out dirty things fluster her, oh, that's all he ever talks about after that. he loves slipping in something obscene in the middle of a casual conversation, turning every little thing lee could say into a foul innuendo. if she keeps up her stoic nature, he just goes further and further; eventually he's groping himself and moaning like a pornstar if the other stuff doesn't get lee to crack. seeing her face turn white to crimson is everything to dale. it's hell for lee, though. it doesn't make her feelings towards him any better. especially when his dirtiness go from jokes to actively flirting with her.

dale had already resigned himself to a lonely fate. he would've never expected lee to actually respond to his dirty talk... his sweet little angel, being fond of someone like him? he'd be floored! what would he do with himself if lee said something filthy back to him? responding to one of his quips with something equally as sinful... ooh, how could he ever control himself around her when she acts like that! when she leans into his touch and looks up at him with those dirtsy flirtsy ol' angel bitch eyes, with her perfect little mouth muttering something lewd.

he doesn't deserve her. he could never ever do anything to her without her say-so, but lee is so awkward and passive that she can't muster the courage to actually initiate anything, so for a while it's this playful back and forth. the sexual tension between them during this time was so thick you could cut it with a knife. eventually something actually comes of their little game...

either way, it'd be slow, and wordless, they already understand eachother so well they don't need to speak outloud about what they're doing. little touches here, and there, gently peeling the other's clothing off. i like to think that it would take them a while to actually have sex. the most they do for now is french kiss in dales bed and grinding against each other to completion. sooner than later one of them is gonna break the kiss and ask the other if they're ready... i have to wonder which one it would be!

[ally-holmes]

"I thought you were dead"

Day 19 of the 30-day short story challenge

Today's prompt: "I thought you were dead". Thorin apologies to Bilbo in what seems to be his deathbed, but it's not.

Fandom: The Hobbit. | Pairing: Thorin x Bilbo (pre-slash)

Words: 710

Also available on AO3.

Here it goes:

Quietness was far from the correct term to describe it. Calmness, perhaps, was better. Whichever it was, one thing was crystal clear: the roar from the battle had died down. Neither orcs nor mountain trolls survived the Battle of Five Armies because once their leader, Azog, had been killed, they'd lost all sense of cooperation, and in the havoc, they'd attacked each other, searching for a fast retreat. Wards, however, fled, abandoning their battle companions without a second thought. Thus, the three surviving armies tended to their wounded in improvised tents.

The elves had been reluctant to offer more help, especially since Thranduil had lost more people than he expected. They did, nonetheless. Dale ruins hosted Lake-Town survivors due to the sturdiness of their buildings. Not all of them were inhabitable just yet, and most of the ceilings had gone down since the first time Smaug attacked the city, but some were in decent condition, so the elves set spaces to care for the Men.

Inside the Lonely Mountain, Smaug's desolation and long stay were still fresh hence the resolution of putting up tents to tend the dwarven wounded until Erebor had been assessed.

Precisely, in the dwarven king's tent Bilbo had seen Thorin in agony for his battle wounds. Gandalf had shown himself pessimistic about his prognosis, and for Bilbo that was not ideal. Thorin apologized, feeling at the edge between life and death. He opened his heart forgoing his pride and begged for the halfling's forgiveness. Thorin knew Bilbo was a remarkable creature, yet the moment the hobbit forgave him without hesitation, he understood he'd been gifted with the most tender and affectionate of beings.

Thorin said his last words and Bilbo left the tent looking for a place where he could cry his heart out in peace. Gandalf will leave before winter becomes inclement for a journey, and Bilbo wished to be present at the funerals prior to their departure.

Enjoying his second pipe found him Balin. Luckily for Bilbo, he had stopped sobbing silently against his hands some time ago so there was no incriminating thing in his person. Balin knew, however. He was Balin son of Fundin.

"The lads are up and about."

Warmth spread in Bilbo's chest. "Fili had quite the fall," he stated with worry.

"We may not like it, laddie, but elven medicine is something else. Kili is lucid and ready to jump off of the bed," the idea brought a smile to the old dwarf's face. "Fili is still half-conscious. His pain has been dulled which has given him the wrong idea. Would you be so kind as to give them a little scold, Bilbo?"

Bilbo opened his mouth to protest finding it impossible to refuse such a petition. The boys were badly injured after a horrifyingly vile battle, their uncle had been killed, and their mother was miles away in the Blue Mountains. They had no one. He knew how terrifying that was as he himself had suffered it.

However, the most bizarre of things happened when Bilbo entered the king's tent where Thorin and his nephews had been brought after the battle. Fili and Kili's childish complaints paled in comparison to Thorin Oakenshield's.

Thorin Oakenshield, who was casting daggers at the unbothered elf tending a hissing in pain Fili.

Thorin Oakenshield, who made a face at the thing Oin was trying to make him drink.

Thorin Oakenshield, who–

"I thought you were dead." Bilbo's faint whisper set the tent in utter silence.

"Master Bag– Bilbo," Thorin corrected himself with something resembling tenderness. "I may have spoken in what we all expected to be my deathbed, but I want to assure you that I spoke the truth, my friend. I– I also… If you decide not to forgive my behavior now that I seem to be recovering, please rest assured that I respect your judgment and–"

"Oh, shut your mouth, you silly confounded stubborn dwarf!! I thought you were dead!!"

Confused glances were shared among the dwarves. The elf, however, bit their lips unwilling to smile at the halfling's antics.

"I apologize. I–"

Bilbo moved his hands stopping Thorin's unnecessary words. With that, Bilbo Baggins took charge of the king's tent and the line of Durin survived for many years.

The end.

[theothershin]

tyler holt for the character list! if that's alright!

I don't see why you'd come to me for this, since you're clearly more versed in Holt language than me, but of course it's more than alright! Admittedly, I've been re-blogging this sort of thing and waiting for someone to ask me, and at last here it is! So yeah, I'm a bit thrilled.

Anyway:

My favourite thing about them You know, I've always loved this guy, but I never stopped to think about why I really like him. I guess if I had to say, it would be his relationships with his brothers, especially Dale. I've always been a sucker for familial relationships enduring through hard times, but Tyler's relationship with each member of his family is unique. And everything is made even more tragic because these relationships do not persevere throughout the hardship they all go through. No matter what, Dale dies, his body eternally lost in the destroyed motel as it goes up in flames. No matter what, Jay is scarred as a teen, only until Zoe pays him a visit, if she chooses to forgive him. But even after that, he's still alone for the rest of his life. Sharon and Tyler are together at first, but Sharon decides it's best to leave. She's either left alone, or is stuck in a life with a man who loves her, but whom she doesn't love. Tyler is now alone in jail or in a hard life where he must now work for himself, or he's dead. His relationships are all shattered. Tyler's story doesn't end well, and even though it doesn't exactly end with a big, terrible bang, it's really not a good ending. And to make things worse, he's alone. So that's a really interesting part of his character

Least favourite thing about them Tyler doesn't panic all too often, but when he does, he loses his temper easily. He gets mad and exaggerates what he really means, and gets really mean. It's annoying sometimes and sometimes tiring, but everyone has flaws and everyone has to endure their own and others' flaws.

Favourite line "This will all be over when we win. Remember that, and do your part." This can be used in so many situations, namely war. Not that war has anything to do with ADF.

brOTP Vince and Tyler. They're both so similar within their own lives, and their roles within the whole Desert Dream Motel Mistake-Massacre. They may not be bros as in friends or bros at all, but they are parallels of each other.

OTP I don't think I really have an OTP, but I don't really mind the Vince/Tyler ship.

nOTP I don't know. There's not really many ships in this small fandom. But I guess I would never ship something like Joyce/Tyler. That's a recipe for disaster.

Random headcanon I headcanon that Tyler is a very neat and organised guy.

Unpopular opinion Jay is kinda mid compared to Tyler. I have nothing against Jay, he's just not as interesting.

A song I associate with them Endless Confusion by Faisal Latif.

Favourite picture of them I saw a post of a picture of the part when Tyler was picking up the phone to call someone(we never learn who that is, but I suspect it's Shanon. After all, she shows up when she learns that everything has gone wrong, and she shows up later on in chapter 3. Plus, who else is Tyler gonna call? We don't know any friends who show up or anything remotely similar). And there was a text underneath which said, "Give me some time to think and I'll probably come up with something that sounds coherent." Or something like that. That was my favourite picture of Tyler, but honestly I don't know how to get my hands on that one, so I'll just bestow you with this picture:

I'm not sure if I've told you anything new really, but I hope you enjoy it anyways!

[daminette123]

Prompt; Miraculous | Avengers | DC

Marinette is Secretly Dating Roy Queen, When she's sixteen (Six Years of being Ladybug) she notices her class has been getting targeted by Hawkmoth due to the Queen Wasp incident where her temporary heroes were exposed her class is now being a specific target to Akuma's, she calls up Roy and convinces him to arrange a class Field Trip through the Major States.

Roy knows that Oliver has been worried about the PR that came after he regained Queen Industries and suggests that they team up with Stark Industries and Wayne Enterprises to do an essay contest where they pick a class that submitted an essay and give them a bunch of Wicked tours and cool events despite the Wicked tours and cool events not being in Marinette Idea he wanted his Ladybug to have the best time of her life during her 'vacation'.

So that night at dinner Roy suggested.

"Hey, Ollie?" He asked from the opposite end of the table," I know you've been worried about the PR since you regained Queen Industries and I was wondering what is we do like... a contest of some sort. Like an Essay one where classes can submit essay anonymously with their contact details on it so that we can decide who's the best essay is and like team up with SI and Wayne Enterprises to sponsor the winning class for a bunch of tours through the city."

Oliver nodded looking thoughtful;" That could work. Roy, I think you're onto something there..."

Dinah was beside Ollie looking really proud of Roy.

Marinette was reluctant at fist but Roy said that they could submit the essay anonymously and Queen Industries staff would select the best one that way Marinette was till working hard to make sure that she got selected and she didn't feel like she was taking someone else's opportunity (And The Author gets less comments about cheating from the Fandom) and she writes up the essay.

During the Whole Trip Oliver has been hounding Roy about getting a Girlfriend because one day he'll be taking over Queen Industries. Roy gets increasingly annoyed about it and Snaps at everyone that he already has a girlfriend and his love life is none of their business. meanwhile Marinette has been repeatedly lied about by Lila who lies about dating Jason Todd and knowing a bunch of celebrities and being in a Love Triangle with 'Theodore' (Tim) Wayne and Dale (Dick) Grayson-Wayne.

The rest of The Trip Roy and Marinette struggle to hide their relationship but manage to succeed until the Wayne Gala when Roy asks Marinette to be his date. Oliver didn't think Roy was coming because the rules of the Gala were if you had a boy/girlfriend you had to bring them as your Plus one. So when Roy walks down the Red Carpet with Marinette on His Oliver is So Shocked that he spits his Drink all Over Ambassador Ross.

Marinette and Her Class Meet a Bunch of Celebrities all of which quickly disprove Lila's lies and Lila and Alya get a bunch of Law Suits. During the Whole Fiasco her eyes had glowed Green and she'd tried to Brainwash everyone into believing her which resulted in Ambassador Ross taking her to The Raft and she was never heard of again. The Class tries to use that as an excuse to make Marinette forgive them but Marinette calmly points out that Chloe, Alix and Adrien had listened to her side of the story despite being under the same effects of Lila's metahuman abilities and when they found out the truth the spell broke.

"Y'know," marinette started not looking up from her phone as she snuggled closer to Roy," It's a real Shame no one tried to warn you of the truth. This all could've been prevented from happening if there was just someone willing to help pointed out the obvious lies. A pity really."

Then she turns her phone so Roy can see the post she's looking at nd he burst out laughing.

It was later discovered that Lila's Abilities only make people believe he lies, it doesn't discourage them from asking for other sides of the story or influence their reaction so that was all on The Class.

Alya gets a talking to about ALWAYS fact checking no matter what personal connections you have to the source by Lois Lane.

Marinette's Parent die and she has to take a DNA test to see if she's got any relatives who'd take her in as it's a necessary procedure even if you know these people are your relatives That's when she finds out she's the Long Lost Daughter of Tony and Pepper. She moves in with them and at 21 she defeats Hawkmoth. It Took 11 Years but she did it and now she has the Moth and Peacock Miraculous safely tucked away. After she repaired the Peacock Miraculous Emile Agreste woke up and rejoined her son and husband.

At 22 she Marries Roy, becoming Marinette Dupain-Cheng-Stark-Queen and at 23 she takes over Stark Industries with Peter Parker at the same time 25-year-old Roy takes of Queen Industries. After she takes over SI with Peter the other permanent Miraculous Holders move in and She, Peter (Spiderman), Mj (Spy; Peter's Fiancé), Ned (Tech Guy), Roy, Chloe and Adrien join The Avengers. She adds a Fashion Branch to SI and The New Avengers attend MIT online together from the tower.

I KNOW THIs IS LIKE A ONE-SHOTZ SORT OF THING BUT, CAN SOMEONE PLS DO THIS AS AN ACTUAL FIC AND COMMENT WHO IT IS AND WHAT THE FIC IS CALLED!? PLEAAASSSSSEEEEEEEE!!!

[logarhythm-bees]

To Unearth and Back Again; ⛅Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty Four | Table of Contents | Chapter Twenty Six

See ronithesnail's absolutely wonderful art for this story!

Let me die, let me drown, lay my bones in the ground I will still come around when the time for sleep is through Over hill, over dale, through the valley and vale Do not weep, do not wail, I am coming home to you

-Thus Always To Tyrants, The Oh Hellos

They’d fallen asleep like that, a pile of hugs and forgiveness, and when Thomas had come back from gathering sticks in the woods he couldn’t help the coo that came out of the back of his throat. Roman had heard from him later that he’d watched them for a while, something so happy and satisfied finally swirling in his stomach, and he’d lay there with them until they were all happily dozing.

The sun had fallen and risen again by the time they came to, gentle gold-gilded rays reflecting through the morning dew. Roman was the first to awake, stretching and blinking the bleariness out of his eyes. He squinted around the clearing for a moment, wondering where he was, before his brain caught up to his waking and sent him flooded with the memories of what had happened yesterday.

He must have jolted with the realization, because Virgil groaned from where he was tucked into his shoulder, shifting and smushing his face back into Roman. Roman nudged him gently, trying to rouse him from his sleep. “Wake up, Virgil,” he whispered.

Virgil made a point of shoving his face even closer to Roman’s shoulder. “It’s too early for this,” he mumbled.

“Wake up, Virgil, look around,” Roman tried again. “We’re on an adventure, remember?”

“‘Course I remember,” came the reply, rough against the fabric of Roman’s cloak. “Still too early for this.”

“Considering the position of the sun, I’d say it’s about seven-thirty as of now,” Logan said through a yawn. “A reasonable time to wake up, I would say.”

“Lame.” Virgil responded. “You’re a nerd, and seven-thirty is still too early.” 

Roman laughed against Virgil’s crown.

“Ordinarily I’d agree with you,Temper-pedic, but as much of an introspective adventure as this has been, I’d rather get out of this land sooner than later.” He ruffled Virgil’s hair, and Virgil groaned, though he leaned into the touch.

“Fine.” He said, blinking sleep-weary eyes. “But I’m not going to be the one to tell Patton it’s time to wake up, one of you is dealing with his puppy-eyes.”

“Ah.” Logan said. “I suppose that is fair.” 

“I’ll do it.” Roman interjected. “You’re a sap, and he’s going to turn his puppy-dog eyes on you, and you’re not going to be able to tell him no, and he’s going to go back to sleep.”

As he said it, he mussed Patton’s hair, trying to roust him. Patton didn’t wake, in fact, let out a small snore, and Roman sighed in endearment. 

“C’mon, Patton.” Roman gave it another attempt, shaking Patton’s shoulder, still carefullym but with a little more force. “Wake-up time.”

Patton still floated in sleep for a few more moments, but his eyes blinked slowly open, snuggling into Logan much like Virgil had with Roman. It made something extremely warm and soft swirl in Roman’s chest, like a cozy blanket from the dryer and cocoa being handed to you. Logan carefully patted Patton on the head. 

“Time to get up, Patton.” Roman said. Patton stuck his tongue out and turned away, making all three of his awake companions laugh.

“C’mon.” A shake to Patton’s shoulder again, Roman still gentle but firm in his efforts.

“Aww,” Patton said, turning back to Roman as Roman closed his eyes. “Please? Five more minutes?” He was doing his puppy-dog eyes, Roman could tell, the sweet tone seeping into his voice so Roman knew even without seeing the fluttering eyelashes and the big pupils.

“Sorry Pat, we’re all up, so let’s get all of us. Now it the time to seize the day, as they say in Newsies.”

“Meanie, avoiding my best negotiation tactic like this,” Patton said, but begrudgingly rubbing his eyes and moving to stand.

“I did what I must,” Roman hummed, opening his eyes. “Been going over your vocabulary words with Logan?”

“Linguistics are important, Roman,” Logan said, blushing inexplicably. Roman raised an eyebrow at him smugly.

“He’s trying to avoid telling you he likes to read the dictionary out loud for fun,” Patton smiled, nudging Logan in the shoulder and offering him a hand to help him up.  

Logan blushed more, muttering about how he “liked the dictionary, Patton.” Roman couldn’t help barking out a laugh, wiping a tear out of his eyes at the casual, unleaded conversation.

Oh, how he’d missed this.

The feelings overflowed him, love and pride in equal measure, and he found he couldn’t stop laughing, almost toppling over and stabilizing himself on Virgil’s shoulder.

The laughter first spread to Patton, who started giggling, taking his hand out of Logan’s to fidget at his own face, hands against his chin to disguise his smile. “What’s so funny?”

Roman didn’t reply, still laughing, and Logan huffed a confused laugh of his own, hand coming up to cover his own mouth. Seeing him, it caught to Virgil, who snorted and laughed along with them. 

“Why are we laughing?” He giggled himself, leaning in equal measures on Roman as Roman was on him. “Nothing happened.”

Roman inhaled deeply, trying to get a handle on himself as he patted Virgil’s shoulder, “I just-” Roman said, still speaking through laughter. “I’m really happy. I love you guys so much.”

It came so easy despite all the struggles they’d been through, and for just a second the giddiness was replaced with cold nervousness as he heard what he’d said.

Patton was quickly in front of him, beaming with tears in his eyes, and he threw his arms around Roman, quickly replacing the feeling with even more warmth, so much that Roman didn’t even know if he could hold it in anymore.

“I love you too,” Patton said, tucking his face into Roman’s shoulder. Roman didn’t mention the wetness on his cloak, only holding Patton tighter.

Virgil tucked an arm around of each ot them questioningly, and they both nodded, prompting Virgil to lean closer and hug them both. Casting a glance at Logan, Roman tilted his head towards the group, and Logan smiled softly as he joined them.

Roman leaned into the embrace, enjoying his second group hug in as many minutes. Something knocked against his foot, startling him, but then Thomas laughed from where he’d been sleeping, awake now that all of his sides were as well. He quickly jumped into the hug, rubbing his face between Roman and Patton’s own and sighing in satisfaction. He leaned his head against Virgil’s, then Logan’s, and leaned back to look at them all.

“I’m really proud of you all,” Thomas said.

“Me too,” Roman agreed.

The other three hummed in agreement, and Thomas leaned into the hug again, soft smile resting on a tangle of shoulders.

They stayed there for a while, just holding each other and swaying side to side. The peaceful moment was broken, however, by Roman’s stomach grumbling, having not eaten much the day before and deciding it was about the best time to complain. 

The sound startled Virgil back, which startled Logan and Patton, which tripped Thomas, tripping Roman himself, the group all fumbling for balance and helping each other up after their little game of dominos. 

“I think we should eat, and then get on our adventure.” Roman suggested. The group nodded, making various noises of agreement, and tore into the trail mix Patton had given them yesterday- Patton and Virgil shared, since Virgil had given most of his to Muffet in their dramatic fight.

Roman stood when they were all done, dusting his hands off and scouting out the path out of the woods- it was a short path, scattered trees leading up the side of a mountain into a scoping range of white and gray stone peaks.

“This way!” Roman called, waving his hand towards them, and they all followed, Virgil taking up the lead alongside Roman and Patton hurrying behind, frantically shoving the fabric scraps from the trail mix into his pocket. Logan and Thomas were in the middle, Thomas asking questions about the landscape and Logan answering excitedly. Roman smiled, charting their path up the mountain out of the trees. The wind was cool in his hair, chilly breeze against his grin, almost guiding him to look up, admiring the beautiful world and the family around him.

As he was looking up and around, something caught his eye–a tall, stone spire reminiscent of Rapunzel’s tower, just visible as a gray stripe on the top of the mountain, just inside his field of view. 

“I see it!” Roman cheered, pointing, and Patton made a cheer behind him, meeting them where they were a little farther up the hill as he finished rearranging his pockets. Virgil whooped too, and Logan let out a sigh of relief, Thomas patting him on the back.

Just as he pointed it out, however, a small green envelope materialized in the air and dropped into his hand. He fumbled to catch it, tearing it open with a grimace at green and paper, things that had not given him fun vibes in the previous two days. 

“Congratulations! You’re almost at the end of your journey. You’ve done a lot of fighting that’s become more Life Lessons About Insecurities, so this one’s just for fun. Fight away!

See U soon,

Remus.”

Roman read it aloud, and as he finished, a small plush fell on his face, glowing with the same bright energy as every plush before the prior day. It bounced of of him and into the air, glowing as it expanded into a giant dragon- the same one Roman had confided to at the start of his journey, Roman realized- and landed on one of the nearby mountain peaks, roaring.

“A real fight, huh?” Roman asked, tucking the paper in his pocket. He glanced over his shoulder at his friends as he placed a hand on his sword, beaming his best knight-smile.

“Well, I can’t turn down an opportunity quite like this, can I?” Roman smirked, feeling confidence growing inside of his bones. He drew the sword out, pointing it at the dragon with a challenge in his eyes.

“Let’s do this, dragon!” he yelled, and then he jumped, smiling bright.

[tathrin]

🎤—Describe the opening scene

Hmm, I have several stories in progress right now, so let's see which one to pick for this...I think And His Hands Ran With Gold And Shadow, because I think that's the one I have going right now that would need the most changes from the way the opening scene is written to how it would best be filmed.

We would start the scene sort of the way The Two Towers does, with a long pan-in across Middle-earth, perhaps starting on the Anduin and then scanning across the dark trees of Mirkwood, over Dale, slowly closing in on the Lonely Mountain.

There would be faint voice-overs from some of the familiar lines we all know and remember, sometimes mingling together half-heard and sometimes crisp and clear, slowly getting louder as we get closer to the Mountain and to the moment of divergence, until at last we reach new lines, a changed scene that we do not see, but we can hear, and infer, and shudder at...

Galadriel: I amar prestar aen...

Elrond: I was there, Gandalf. I was there the day the strength of Man failed...

Frodo: I will do it. I will take the Ring.

Boromir: It is a gift...a gift to the foes of Mordor.

Galadriel: But they were all of them deceived...

Aragorn: Boromir. Give the Ring to Frodo.

Boromir: Gondor has no king. Gondor needs no king.

Gandalf: All we have to do is decide what to do with the time that is given to us...

Elrond: Evil was allowed to endure.

Boromir: Why do you recoil? I am no thief.

Frodo: You are not yourself.

Boromir: What chance do you think you have? They will find you. They will take the Ring. And you will beg for death before the end!

Elrond: The line of kings is broken. There is no strength left in the world of Men.

Boromir: I see your mind! You will take the Ring to Sauron! You will betray us!

Galadriel: And into this Ring he poured his cruelty, his malice, and his will to dominate all life.

Boromir: It is not yours, save by unhappy chance. It could have been mine. It should be mine! Give it to me!

Frodo: No! Let go! Let me go! Noooo!

(sounds of a scuffle; a scream in Frodo's voice; panting breaths; frantic footsteps on crackling underbrush; silence)

Aragorn: Frodo? Frodo!

Samwise: Mister Frodo, no! Look, Strider, he's still breathing! Oh, hurry, he's still breathing...

Aragorn: But Boromir, where is Boromir?

Samwise: Strider, please! (sounds of someone dropping to the ground; rustling cloth; a moan.) Frodo: The Ring...Aragorn, he has taken the Ring. Forgive me, I could not stop him. Boromir has taken the Ring...

Denethor: And so my son returns to the White City at last!

Boromir: Father, I bring you a mighty gift.

Denethor: Can this be? The One Ring—Sauron's Master Ring?

Boromir: Yes, father. Isildur's Ring, returned to Gondor at last.

Denethor: And Gondor will make good use of such a gift, my son...

Galadriel: One Ring to rule them all...

And on Galadriel's last words, the camera swoops down through the enormous double-doors of the Lonely Mountain and inside to the great hall, tall and shadowed and lit by crystal lamps that are not quite numerous enough to drive away the gloom that hangs in the corners of the tall ceiling and around the wide pillars that hold up the weight of the mountain.

On the throne in the center of the hall sits Gimli, dressed so regally that we can barely recognize him, with heavy beads of gold and gems braided in his beard but, crucially, no crown upon his bare head. A few other dwarves mill around, some by the throne and others lining the walls; it is clear that court is being held, but that it is an ordinary day of no especial significance. Perhaps a few proposals or orders are issued as we pan in for some establishing flavor; their specific content does not matter, because the focus of the scene will be on the slight scuffle by the door as the dwarven guards step aside to admit a handful of ragged, filthy, half-starved looking Men from Dale who drag in four struggling, bloody, wounded elves draped in heavy chains. The Men shove the elves to their knees before the throne, a line of dwarven guards in front of them with others gathered close behind; there will be trouble, and no escape, from either the prisoners or their captors.

Gimli looks bored—a cover for his misery—barely interested, until...he sits up a little in his chair, a look of horror growing behind his beard as the camera draws in closer to him. Then we switch to see the elves he is staring at, three of them with dark hair and one of the two in the middle a pale golden-blonde. Cut back to Gimli, who is gripping the arm of his throne with one white-knuckled hand, on which rests a heavy golden Ring adorned with a thick gem that catches the light and glimmers brighter even than the crystal lamps.

Gimli whispers so quietly that the audience can believe that none of the dwarves are standing near enough to hear him: Not like this. He closes his eyes, swallowing hard as though to fight back tears.

All the elves kneel, some struggling slightly and some staying stoically still, and their heads are bowed, but as Gimli stares and as the camera of his eyeline pans in closer, focusing in on the blonde one, his head comes up and the audience can see Legolas's face, streaked with blood. There is no recognition in his cold eyes as he stares back at the dwarf on the throne.

"A fine tribute," Gimli says, his voice ringing out strong but hollow in the echoing hall. "Tell the Men of Dale that they have earned their people four months of triple rations in addition to the gold-price on the heads of these elves."

The bedraggled Men lift their heads, grinning with joy and relief. Dwarven guards step forwards to take charge of the prisoners and the Dale Men back away, murmuring gratitude to the Lord of the Mountain for his generosity. Some of the dwarves stare at the elves through narrowed eyes; others eye the Dalemen with either pity or distaste. Some confer quietly among themselves, so used to these sort of things that they aren't even worth watching any longer. A few (one of whom we will later meet as Mólin; it is important that he be seen to be part of this scene, although he should not have too much focus put on him yet, to telegraph ahead of time that he is a Notable Character) watch Gimli closely, curiosity or suspicion glittering sharply in their eyes.

"Have the elves taken to the cages," Gimli announces, in his bold and hollow ruler's voice. Then his regal tones break a little, and he says, "Except — except for the golden-haired one."

Legolas's head snaps up, but there is still no recognition in his expression; just a sort of sad, smoldering anger and resignation. The other elves glance at him, then away again, the same grim looks on their bloody faces. One of them snarls at a dwarf who holds her arm, but can do no more than that with the heavy chains around her wrists and ankles and solid dwarven hands holding her tight.

"Take that one to my chambers," Gimli commands, his head thrown back and his voice ringing out boldly across the stone. He curls his lips into a cruel smile that does not reach his eyes. "I will see to his breaking personally."

The elves are dragged away, some struggling and some stoic, by their dwarven captors; Legolas is separated from the others. He holds his head high, his face blank, and does not look back, although two of them turn with miserable frowns to stare at him as they are pulled through different doors.

The Ring on Gimli's hand glitters in a close-up. His fingers are curled into a tight fist.

"Oh," Gimli says, making his voice light, "and heat water for a bath as well; the elf is all-over filthy with blood, and I will not have him defiling my rooms any more than can be helped."

Several dwarves chuckle with varying degrees of sincerity (Mólin is not one of them). Gimli holds his smile long enough for all the elves to be pulled away through the doors that lead deeper into the Mountain.

Then his smile fades to a bleak look of horror and he sinks down heavily into his throne.

We close-up on the Ring again, and see blood dripping from his hand from where he has gripped it so hard that the band has bitten through his skin and broken it.

Then we end with a long-shot of Gimli on the throne in the shadows, the other dwarves at a bit of a distance now and out of focus and looking to their own conversations, leaving him looking very very alone.

End Scene.

Technically I suppose it still opens the same, after the opening...but because we're doing a canon-divergent AU, I think it works best to establish what the divergence actually is, in broad-strokes at least, before the story itself starts. And since TTT has already established this style of opening with voice-over exposition/reminders, it seems the best way to go about it here too I think.

Granted, we could ostensibly actually cut in to show some of those scenes here too, the way they do with Gandalf battling the balrog...but I think it's stronger if we don't actually show anything in this case. Also because we don't want to then segue into Gimli having a dream or flashback, so the cut would be somewhat awkward — but also I just think it's got more weight, in this case, without actually being able to see what happened.

Just make everyone listen to some familiar lines, and then gradually realize that that part isn't the same, oh no...