#why can't white people just be fuckin normal for once

[hussyknee]

I know some dickheads have now decided that Judaism is the "bad, violent, terrorist religion" and Islam is the "good, peaceful" one, which is only to be expected of white people, but how much of an issue is it currently? Like I've seen some USAmericans sharing how the Islamic faith shapes Gazans values and perseverance (good) except with that distinct white hippie "I'm about to imprint on this like the world's most racist duck" vibe (bad), but I didn't think they're already turning on Judaism in numbers.

Do they realize that Christianity is also the same kind of comfort to Christian minorities in Asia and Africa? That it was Buddhists that genocided the Rohingyas in Myanmar and Tamils in Sri Lanka? That Hindu fundamentalists are even now trying to ethnically cleanse Muslims in India? How Hindus and Christians are terrorized and persecuted in Pakistan? That Muslims have a history of persecuting and ethnically cleansing Jews too?

Really tired of asking y'all to be normal about people's religions man. There's no religion that's inherently violent or exceptionally peaceful. It's just like any other ideology that becomes a weapon in the hands of ethnic power. Interrogate power, not religion, and respect people's belief systems insofar as they aren't in your business.

Edit: I've amended the "long history" of Muslim persecution of Jews because it might be misleading in the current political climate. Zionism and antisemitic Arab nationalism are twin births resulting directly from Christian colonization, and Islamic empires tended to actually be more tolerant of other religions compared to Christianity, especially Judaism, which was considered a sibling religion. Antisemitism wasn't ideologically entrenched in Islamic tradition. It's simply that ethno-religious power will lead to ethno religious domination and intermittent cleansing of minorities, and Islam is no exception. Humans be humaning always.

[urbancripple]

How do you balance recognizing that all disabled ppl need support with the fact that you feel left out of disabled spaces? It feels like a lot of the disabled community/groups/etc have become primarily people (if I'm being real, white women mostly) with chronic pain/fatigue, and while I think those ppl are valid and deserve support it can be hard to be left behind in a space that used to have more people like me. Especially considering I'm not even someone who can't work, I have a relatively normal life as far as crip stuff goes, like I've got a regular job and shit I'm just very visibly disabled while doing it. It really feels like the conversation around disability has started to revolve around white women with chronic pain/invisible disability that disrupts the ability to work, which totally is not at all what I'm handling, as someone who needs to (and enjoys) working and is not white nor a woman.

Like I am very glad that those people get support and visibility etc now. I just hate being left in the dust again, first by abled society and then by what used to be my community.

Hi reader who is most likely not the OP! This is going to be a #longpost. If you don't have the time to read the whole thing before responding and instead plan on letting your eyes dance around the text looking for key phrases to misinterpret, please fuck off.

For the rest of you, welcome and enjoy.

"How do you balance recognizing that all disabled ppl need support with the fact that you feel left out of disabled spaces?"

I don't. I can't, really.

I see a lot of the same problems that you mention in your question. A _lot_ of the disabled community in online spaces consists of white, fem-presenting folks talking about ill-defined, often invisible chronic conditions and advocating for better treatment.

To echo your point: this in and of itself is not a bad thing. Folks who fit into this demographic need better representation and help. But it feels like discussion of disability (especially in online spaces) is largely focused on and driven by this demographic. And for folks outside that demographic, it can feel isolating.

I feel isolated by the current discourse around disability. I feel like I cannot connect with the _vast_ majority of people who identify as disabled online. And it's not _just_ because the average internet user is getting younger.

What it means to be disabled has drastically changed in the last decade or so.

I once attended an award show where someone, upon receiving their award, ran up a flight of stairs onto the stage and proceeded to speak about how important the award was to them as a creative, a woman, and a disabled person.

She was talking about her depression.

As a full-blown cripply-ass human being, I struggle to accept or reconcile my very public, very obvious, very unavoidable physical condition with what that person said on stage vs how they literally got on stage.

Am I being a dick? Do I need to do some self reflection? Are my feelings based on a subconscious aversion to change?

Maybe.

On the other hand, these same conferences hold panels on "disability and representation in media" and then refuse to invite (and accommodate) a single wheelchair user. Instead choosing to fill the panel with folks struggling with "invisible disabilities" and/or mental illness. Why? Because folks with very visible disabilities (especially wheelchair users) are often the most complicated and expensive to accommodate (special transportation, flight arrangements, hotels rooms, bathrooms, service animals, etc.,)

It's frankly cheaper and easier to focus on disabilities that leave you access to four limbs and five senses than it is to make sure the folks on your panel represent the as many different disabilities as possible.

Am I saying that other disabilities are invalid? NO. Absolutely not. Get your hands off that fuckin' keyboard and finish reading this before you send an angry note.

Does it make me feel isolated from a community that I used to be very much a part of? Yes.

Does it make it difficult find, much less reach out to and help other wheelchair users? Yes.

Does it make it more difficult to share my experiences as a disabled person online? Yes.

Does it make it harder to try and raise the bar for disabled people in terms of fighting for a better quality of life? Absolutely. Especially when talking about how "living an independent life" means "having a job" and "taking responsibility for your physical well being"

It is incredibly lonely being a visibly disabled person who works full time, pays their bills, cooks, cleans, volunteers, and has a healthy marriage. Because of how disability is discussed online, I don't get to see disabled people _like me_. I don't feel comfortable talking about my experiences as a disabled person online because I know I'll get shouted down and told I don't belong because I'm not actively struggling to work or pay bills or whatever.

It sucks. It hurts. And I'm sorry I don't have a better answer for you. If it makes you feel any better, you're more than welcome to talk to me directly about work or whatever. I'd be happy to be that person that you're struggling to find right now. Heaven knows we could all use a little bit of Community right now.

[isaacapatow]

* * #TRAINING & #HOME CONVO WITH @orioncarnell

Orion Carnell Isaac, I normally don't question your decisions but are you sure you wouldn't rather train hand-to-hand combat with… well, someone else?

ike Eyyyyy. What's that supposed to mean??

Orion Carnell Well, in comparison you are kind of… -tries to find a different word for scrawny, fails- Are you sure you don't want to use your bat?

ike I'm not gonna use my BAT with you being unarmed! Jesus. People drop weight as they get older, y'know. I used to be all beefy like -- well, not quite as big of a brick shithouse as you, but yeah. I can hold my own.

Orion Carnell … Brick shithouse? -furrows his eyebrows- Did you get into a lot of fights? How did you even get that bat?

ike C'mon. You've known me for more than twenty minutes. -gives an enormous shit-eating grin- I been in more fights than you've had hot meals, kid. -thumbs his nose at the question, affecting a girl's voice to say:- Oh my god, Orion, you can't just ask someone why they're white! -hoots loudly at his own joke, before realizing Orion doesn't know wtf he's talking about- Aaaaand you've never seen that movie, have you.

Orion Carnell To be fair, being in fights and winning them are two different things. -tilts his head in confusion at the 'Mean Girls' reference- No, I can't say I have. Was I supposed to know that reference?

ike -waves his hand at the question about the reference- I've won a few here and there. And the ones I didn't win, well. The other guy knew he'd been in a fight by the time it was through. -cracks his neck- If you wanna know about my bat, big boy, you gotta buy me dinner and give me a little kiss first.

Orion Carnell I see. -seems to consider the proposition seriously for a moment- Where do you want the kiss? -cracks his knuckles in response, before getting into a fighting stance-

ike -chuckles, lifting his fists- My ass, once I wipe the ground with you. -tucks his tongue into his cheek, narrowing his eyes consideringly; makes a couple of feints with his left before taking a real swing with his right-

Orion Carnell I'll hold you to it. -watches Ike closely, falls for the feints and takes the actual hit; on instinct goes immediately for a gut punch in return, before taking a step back to bring in some distance and get a chance to compose himself You do hit harder than you look. Huh.

ike -catches the gut-punch even though he instinctively tries to shuffle back to avoid it; stays hunched over a bit, catching his breath as they separate- And your reach is even longer than it looks. Jeez. -straightens, hanging his hands on his hips for a moment, then hops on his toes- Who taught you to fight? You learn that shit while you were hitting the gym four hours a day?

Orion Carnell -flexes his aching jaw during the brief pause- I wasn't hitting any gym. takes a deep breath, narrowing his eyes as he takes in Ike's movements If you actually manage to "wipe the ground with me" I'll tell you. -goes in for another hit, this time for the liver-

ike -takes that hit so he can grab onto Orion's shirt and hold him there, swinging his knee up to get him a few times in the side before letting go with one parting roundhouse aimed at his ear; scrabbles back real fast out of reach- So what was it then? You don't get muscles like that by accident. Or from eating your Wheaties. -scrubs his face with the back of one fist as he catches his breath, wincing at the pain from where Orian slugged him- Me, I lived on the street for a while. Had to learn to scrap if I didn't wanna get fuckin' rolled every night.

Orion Carnell -stumbles back with the force of the kick, head spinning- Didn't know you lived on the street. -takes a deep holding his throbbing side as he figures out his next move- Farm work. We did most of it by hand. How did you end up on the streets? Or is that a question to ask over dinner? -moves in again, but this time doesn't go for a punch but instead a tackle to take Ike down to the ground-

ike Yeah. For a good long while, no fixed address. Just sidewalks and shelters and sometimes out of the city, upstate. Where it was wooded. -makes an interested sound in his throat at Orion's info about growing up- A farm boy, really? Explains the Clark Kent-ness. -he gives a short laugh at the mention of dinner, surprised enough that he doesn't defend until it's too late -- orion lifts him clean off the ground and takes him down, ike giving a shout as the breath gets knocked out of him-

Orion Carnell -immediately puts most of his body weight, lying half across Ike to hold him down; once he feels like Ike can't get out of his grip, he relaxes a little- You shouldn't get distracted. If I had been an actual opponent, you'd be dead now. Or pinned, like right now. looks down at Isaac with a mildy curious gaze, intrigued by what the man told him about his life and wanting to hear more- Are you okay? Or was I too hard?

ike -faint irritation in his voice, when he makes one heave in an effort to get loose but finds it fruitless- Listen. I don't need a lecture. I've survived this long without your sage and wise advise, brat. -stares at Orion when the younger man asks if he went too hard- If you were too much for me, Orion, you woulda known it. I would've told you. -grins suddenly, smacking a hand over Orion's mouth and then kissing it- There you go, you won. Let me up now.

Orion Carnell You wouldn't have survived me, though. -eyes widen in surprise at the sudden hit and then kiss; stares at Ike for a moment, both a little dumbfounded and confused, before getting back up to his feet and holding out a hand to help Ike- What was that for? I thought I was supposed to kiss you. And buy you dinner.

ike -is charmed by Orion's matter-of-fact arrogance though he doesn't let on- Hupsy-daisy, there we go. -smacks dust off himself once he's on his feet- You won, so you get kissed. Them's the rules. But I can do you one better-- -swings fast on Orion with a glint in his eyes, adrenaline up, aiming his knuckles square for the other man's mouth-

Orion Carnell I don't remember that being the rul- -gets caught entirely off guard by the punch; gets hit straight into the mouth and falls onto his back; stares up at Ike in surprise, blood trickling from his busted lip, before mustering the hint of a smile- Suppose I should listen to my own advice. -licks the blood from his lips as he sits back up- You win that one.

ike -steps over Orion's prone body, one foot planted on either side of his hips, smirking down at him and flexing his fingers- All that wisdom and you dropped it in the shitter. C'mon. Up you get. -reaches down to angle a shoulder under Orion's arm to lever him up though he hardly needs it- So your folks owned a farm, huh? I think that's the most personal information I've gotten outta you yet.

Orion Carnell -pushes up with Ike's help to get back to his feet, feeling slightly dizzy after that hit- You're not too forthcoming either, most of the times. -wipes the blood off his lip, before looking down at Ike, considering- It was my dad. Who trained me. Taught me most of my fighting tricks. -cracks his neck, slightly wincing at the pain throbbing in his body- Want to go for another round?

ike And push my luck? No thank you. We can beat the tar out of each other when we don't have a scouting mission the next day. Thanks for this, though, Orion. -cocks his head, thinking of something- Y'know, when I was a kid I thought the constellation was Irish? O'Ryan. It's a helluva name for your parents to give you. Though if you were learning fighting from the old man on your farm, I guess they figured you could handle such a weighty name.

Orion Carnell -tilts his head, letting out an amused snort at Ike's revelation, before becoming contemplative- Never thought about that, really. But… maybe you're right. hint of a smile appears on his lips, before disappearing again- Oh, before you leave- leans forward and presses a kiss to Isaac's lips (because "them's the rules")

===

Orion Carnell -hears a knock on the door; sits up on the sofa, Cat on his lap- Who's there?

ike Just me! I came to see if your fridge was running.

Orion Carnell -brows furrow in confusion- I don't- is that some kind of reference again? -gently lifts Cat off his lap before opening the door for Ike-

ike Aw, kid, you're killing me. -peers past Orion the minute he opens the door, then grins at him, punching his arm- It's a joke. You say, yeah, my fridge is running! and I say, well, you better go catch it! -snickers- Invite me in. You're dying to have me over. (edited)

Orion Carnell That is… really not a good joke. -tries to hide his amusement, shaking his head Am I? I was unaware of that. -still decides to step aside to let Ike into his small apartment-

ike Aaaand you have a cat. God, does everyone need to have some kind of furkid around? -he eyes the cat warily- They don't like me. I think.

Orion Carnell Furkid? -raises his eyebrows: Cat stretches before jumping from his spot from the couch to walk over to Ike, letting out a greeting mrrrow- If Cat doesn't like you, I'd have to reconsider our partnership.

ike -gives Orion a glance, before stooping down to rub his knuckles against the cat's skull and let it push its face against his thumb- Here's to making a good impression, then. -lets the cat rub a bit more, then straightens up- Barn cats, right? I can see how you'd get attached to them if they're the only things standing between you and a mouse infestation.

Orion Carnell -Cat purrs, taking the chance to rub against Ike's legs before coming up to Orion- I think he doesn't dislike you, at least. -gently picks up Cat and holds him in his arm- I'm not sure if he used to be a barn cat.

ike Well I didn't mean him specifically was a barn cat. Just surmising that's why you like the species. -starts roaming around looking at things- Forgive me if I have no follow up questions about your cat. I'm more interested in you, Kong. -starts poking at a shelf-

Orion Carnell Kong? -shakes his head, assuming it's another reference he is not going to understand- So you are not here to tell me bad jokes but to rummage through my things? Can I ask why?

ike No you cannot ask why. What you can do is get me something to drink -- your choice -- and then explain what … this is. -he picks up something at random from the table, turning it back and forth- Go on. I'm parched. Hydrate me.

Orion Carnell -contemplates his options before putting Cat down and going into the kitchen; comes back with a bottle of lemonade- Here. -hands Ike the bottle- And that's a shortwave radio. Doesn't pick much up anymore, though.

Ike Where'd you get it? No, actually -- why'd you get it. Were you trying to pick up survivor messages? -he takes the lemonade gratefully, downing most of it in one go- Lots of people do that. Lots of people give up on it when they don't hear what they're hoping for.

Orion Carnell It belonged to my parents. I thought it'd be practical, so I took it. -shrugs and sits back down on the couch- That sounds like you did that too. -begins to pet Cat who begins to purr- A lot of people were sending messages like that when it started. Where to meet up, who went missing, who died. It stopped after some time.

ike -watches Orion sit down, but doesn't follow suit, still looking at things- Yeah. It did stop. Bit by bit, people moved on. -pauses in front of some photographs- You had family, you had your parents. They were alive when you took the shortwave? (edited)

Orion Carnell -pauses and stays silent for a moment, eyes fixing on Ike- …No. They died before the outbreak. -resumes petting Cat, but watches Ike carefully- Is there a reason for you asking about that?

ike If mine hadn't been dead I wouldn't have tried to save 'em. -he's still not looking at Orion, picking up something heavy … a paperweight?- But they lived rural. They might have been fine even if I didn't. A very enclosed community.

Orion Carnell -let's out a soft breath- You didn't have a good relationship with them? -gets up and walks over to Ike to reach for the object in his hands: a small, square, decorated box filled with something heavy-

ike Not really. Once I split from the place I grew up, I never looked back. Nothing there for me. -noting Orion wanting the box, Ike holds it away from him- This is from them? Or from where you grew up?

Orion Carnell -lets out a mildly annoyed huff as Ike holds the box away from him- It's from the farm. -attempts to reach for it again- Isaac. Give me the box.

ike Tell me what it is, first. You don't have to open it. Just tell me.

Orion Carnell … It's ammunition. For hunting.

ike Yeah? -lifts his chin, teeth bared in slight amusement, a clear challenge- For hunting what? -holds out for a few beats, then hefts the box in his hand, and lobs it carefully over to Orion- This is why you should just show me things instead of letting me ferret them out. I've got a nose for it.

Orion Carnell -stares down at Ike, clearly intending on taking the challenge- What do you think? -meets his gaze before catching the box; thinks better than to put it back and slides it into his jacket- I noticed that. I could maybe help you if you told me why you- -pauses, tilts his head- Are you trying to get me to talk about my past?

ike And circle gets the square. -smirks, knowing by now Orion might not get the reference- I'm making conversation, kid. I come to your place, I meet your cat, I drink your lemonade-- -shakes the bottle, then finishes the last bit of the drink- You tell me more than three words about where you come from and what you're all about. (edited)

Orion Carnell And you go through my things. -runs a hand through his hair- This is really the most you way you could have gone about this. -steps back a little after noticing he is still in Ike's personal space There isn't really much to talk about there. My life wasn't that eventful or anything.

ike I don't think that's true. I don't think that's even remotely true, Orion. -follows back into the other man's personal space- And what's more, I think you wanna tell me. You're just not used to telling people shit.

Orion Carnell -squares up a little as Ike pushes back into his space; meets Ike's gaze with a mix of reluctance and defiance- Plenty of people here don't talk about their past. Whether they want to or not. You don't either, most of the time. -narrows his eyes- Why not start us off, if you wanna talk about what came before?

ike -* rocks back on his heels slightly, with a not-entirely kind smile*- Because I'm older than you and I'm your boss. Shit rolls downhill, kid. Not up. Down. I get to call the shots.

Orion Carnell -stares at Ike with an intense expression, a hint of anger and recognition appears in his eyes- You're my boss out there. Not in here. You're not my-stops himself and takes a deep, trembling breath; takes another step back again- You know what? Fine. If you want to do this, let's do it.

ike -keeps his head leaned back, not moving from the spot, his eyes gone more watchful and unreadable- Confess ye to one another that you might be healed. -spreads his hands- I'm not going anywhere.

Orion Carnell I'm not confessing to anything. -averts his gaze and closes his eyes for a moment, before turning his eyes back to Ike, forcing his expression into neutrality My parents were doomsday preppers. From the moment I was born, they spent their time preparing me for when the world was gonna end. They never got to see it. My mum died of cancer, dad got himself killed in a hunting accident. But it did end. And thanks to them, I survived it. Is that what you wanted to hear?

ike Mmmmm. -steps forward more, close enough that he can tap the back of his forefinger against the jacket pocket where Orion put the box- Riiiight. -his smile inches wider- Hunting.

Orion Carnell grabs Ike's wrist, hard, wrenching his hand away Yes. Hunting. What exactly are you trying to imply?

ike -looks at him for a long, long time, tongue caught between his teeth on one side as he keeps the smile. Finally:- Absolutely nothing. The shit we left in the past belongs there. I've seen you out past the wire, kid -- you're no farm boy anymore.

Orion Carnell -stares at Ike for a moment, almost a little dumbfounded- I normally wouldn't say this, but you are an absolute asshole. -let's go of Ike's wrist and runs a hand through his hair, letting out his breath while trying to calm himself- Don't do that again. I will hit you.

ike -clicks his tongue against his teeth and gives his shoulders a shake to settle his jacket- Well. I can recognize a cue to see myself out. But it was good to see where you squat and meet your roomie.

Orion Carnell stays silent for a moment, before sighing softly- You can come again. And knowing you, you probably will, whether I tell you to or not. Just keep your hands to yourself next time. -musters a hint of a tired smile- Alright?

ike Awright. -pauses on his way to the door, whapping the back of his hand against Orion's arm- You're a stand up guy, kiddo. Don't pay any attention to what they all say about you. -heads out before there can be any follow-up questions, snickering to himself-

[hangezoeenthusiast]

You failed me

multiple x gn!reader

word count: 2,524

warnings: cursing, yelling, arguing, death, angst, blood, explosion, the egg (it deserves its own warning)

synopis: you guys failed me(us)

(the lyrics go with each person, might not get everyone, and also xd’s part is kinda wonky)

song: rät by penelope scott

I come from scientists and atheists and white men who kill God They make technology, high quality, complex physiological Experiments and sacrilege in the name of public good They taught me everything, just like a daddy should

Quackity, Karl, George, and Sapnap left you. Your mentors, your friends. The ones who taught you everything you knew. They went to build their little “Kinoko Kingdom” while you stayed in the ruins, the dust. “They’ll regret that.” you swore. You built something better, something greater.

It was called “Las Nevadas”. A place where everyone was allowed. They would remember not to fuck with you. They would soon realize that they should watch their back for the rest of their short, stupid lives.

“Watch out, you guys, I'm watching your every move.”

And you were beautiful and vulnerable and power and success God damn, I fell for you, your flamethrowers, your tunnels, and your tech I studied code because I wanted to do something great like you And the real tragеdy is half of it was true

Wilbur majorly fucked up. He was supposed to be with you to the end, your guys’ country, right? No. He left you behind. He went to find peace, find his heaven, while you stayed on earth, wallowing away until your flesh seeped off your rattling bones, rotting away by yourself, with no one to bare witness.

“Why didn’t you bring me with you Wilbur?” you asked his stupid grave on top of the once L’Manburg. “Why did you get the ecstasy, why do I get the remains?”

“I’m coming for you Wilbur, and when I do, we are going to wreck upon justice on everyone who wronged us, wronged you, they will feel our wrath.”

But we've been fuckin' mеan, we're elitist, we're as flawed as any church And this faux-rad West coast dogma has a higher fuckin' net worth I bit the apple 'cause I trusted you, it tastes like Thomas Malthus Your proposal is immodest and insane And I hope someday Selmers rides her fuckin' train

"Y/n!" Technoblade yelled. "I TRUSTED YOU, AND YOU BETRAYED ME, FOR WHAT, TO BLOW UP A STUPID COUNTRY, A COUNTRY THAT WAS DOOMED TO FAIL FROM THE START." He started to battle you, missing every single swing, blinded by fury.

“YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE ON MY SIDE.”

"LOOK AT ME GODDAMN IT."

You looked up at him in the eyes and boldly said, "No, Techno, don’t you see, you’re in the wrong here, you’re the one who betrayed me." You were blinded by friendship, you couldn’t see that Tommy had betrayed Techno, and that what the Butcher Army did to Techno was terrible.

"What do you mean Y/n, you know what they did, they wronged me, they used me, they tortured me, they gave me hell, so I gave it back to them, I destroyed the things they loved, the people they loved, you see Y/n, those who have treated me with kindness I will repay that kindness tenfold, and those who treat me with injustice, that use me, that hunt me down, that hurt my friends, I shall repay that injustice a thousand times over, do you understand?"

"No I don't, Techno, you can't do this.” you begged. He pushed you out of the way, "Get out of my way Y/n." “No, I won’t, I won’t let you destroy everything we worked for.”

“Well, then I have to fight you.”

And thus the battle began, Swords clashing against each other, blood spilling from open wounds, friends digging each other into a whole both of them couldn’t get out of. Techno was letting you off easy, he knew his strength, he knew that he could’ve beaten you in one swipe, but he didn’t want to kill you.

So when you had the opportunity, you swept from under his feet, and knocked him down. You placed your blade onto his neck, pressing down until a little drop of blood appeared, “Stay down Technoblade, or I’ll do something worse than try to put you on trial.”

He watched as you walked away from him, trying to save L’Manberg from a worst fate than death itself.

“One day Y/n, you’ll see, I’m on your side.”

I loved you, I loved you, I loved you, it's true I wanted to be you and do what you do I lived here, I loved here, I bought it, it's true I feel so stupid, and so used I feel so used

"Why would you do that Dream? You didn't have to do that." you interrogated. Dream had stupidly blew up the community house. You both didn't plan that, he had gone behind your back. "I had to Y/n, you wouldn't understand."

"What do you mean I don't understand, you went against my back, we were supposed to-" you cut off yourself, "Dream, don't you understand, you did something stupid, and what did you get, you got stupid jail." "The reason I did that is because I needed to isolate myself from humanity." he said, proudness lacing his words.

"What do you mean?" you questioned. "If anyone knows I can revive people, I'm screwed, so that's why I need to be by myself, yeah it sucks major ass, but at least no one else will know, well, besides you anyways." "I have a task for you Y/n/n, I need you to find a way to bring Tommy and Ghostbur in here."

"Why Dream?"

"I'm going to revive Wilbur."

I was your baby, your firstborn, the hot girl in your comp-sci class And I was Darwin's prep school dream, bred, born and raised to kick your ass I fell for circuit boards, rocket ships, pictures of the stars If you could only be what you pretend you are

"PHILZA MINECRAFT COME BACK HERE." you were chasing Phil, through the woody forest, covered by oak trees. He had information on Technoblade's whereabouts and you needed it. You chased him with your enchanted netherite armor, netherite sword and axe, and a few op potions. Your goal was to capture Philza and interrogate him on where Techno's place was. The thing was, you were his child. His own child trying to kill his own son.

He felt betrayed, his own child turned against him and their brother, their family. "The Butcher Army must've gotten to you somehow." he thought in his head. Surely, his darling Y/n didn't do it on their own will, right?

He was incorrect, you did it because you believed that Techno needed to be brought to justice, by punishment. You believed that your own sibling needed to die, because he was a "liability" to L'Manberg's growth and future. He needed to die because as long as he would live his long life with his little enderman Edward, retired, he would still cause trouble to everything you, Quackity, Tubbo, Fundy, and Ranboo had built.

He pleaded, "Stop Y/n, you don't have to do this." You argued, "I do Philza, as long as he lives, my plans for L'Manberg will forever cease to exist."

He felt like shit, you called him Philza, not Dadza, or Dad, or anything besides his normal name. "Did I screw something up?" he asked himself quietly under his breath. "Yes you did Phil, you took the traitor's side." you had heard Phil mumble.

"HE'S NOT A TRAITOR." Phil yelled at you. "Yes he is, he deserves what he is about to get, I will say it again, where is his base?"

"I'm not saying, Y/n, why are you doing this, Techno is your own sibling." "He's not my sibling anymore, that stopped when he destroyed L'Manberg, you're lucky I forgived you." you declared.

"Y/n/n, please don't do this."

"I have to Dadza, I can't let him roam free."

When I said take me to the moon, I never meant take me alone I thought if mankind toured the sky, it meant that all of us could go But I don't want to see the stars if they're just one more piece of land For us to colonize, for us to turn to sand

Bad had tried to convice you to join the Eggpire. You had no effect while being next to the egg, and he had to take you out. People who had no effect towards the egg had to be eliminated.

He was creepily following you, waiting until you stopped to get a chance to capture you. He had hope that you did have an effect, that you would join the Egg with him. He didn't want to kill you, you were his best friend, besides Skeppy of course.

"Come back here Y/n." he said. "No chance in hell Bad, get the fuck away from me." "HEY, LANGUAGE!" he exclaimed. "No language, get away from me, you're creeping me out."

He threw his trident, spinning in the air, trying to catch up to your frantic steps. You were trying to get to Church Prime, where no one could kill anyone, hopefully Bad would abide to that rule. You were just about to step on Church Prime when you bumped into a hard, armored chest.

You looked up shyly, and saw Punz, with his red eyes reflecting anger. "Where are you going Y/n?" he questioned. "Somewhere." you blankly stated. You were desperate, you didn't want to die, or anything else that Bad was going to do to you. You tried to dodge Punz, but he placed a hand on your shoulder, "Stay right here Y/n."

"No, get away from me, I don't know what's wrong with all of you, but go away, I don't want anything to do with your stupid Eggpire." He raged, and grabbed your wrist heavily, "DON'T TALK ABOUT THE EGG LIKE THAT, IT WILL TAKE CONTROL OF THE SERVER, AND YOU ALL WILL BE ITS SERVANTS." "LET ME THE FUCK GO PUNZ." you screamed. You were wiggling in his grip, trying to escape his lunatic self.

While he was holding you, you saw two other shadows behind you. It was Antfrost and Bad. "What do you guys want from me, I didn't do anything wrong."

"You are against the Egg Y/n, people who are like you and Tommy have to die."

"Well, I'm not dying today." you murmured under your breath. "What was that you said?" Antfrost asked you.

You smirked, "I'm not dying today, I'll tell you one more time, let go of me."

Bad and Antfrost walked closer to you, Punz right behind you, all of them cornering you into a tight spot. "What you going to do about it Y/n, you're cornered."

"You'll know when they get here, but for now, you better run boys."

'Cause we're so fuckin' mean, we're so elitist, we're as fucked as any church And this bullshit West coast dogma has a higher fuckin' net worth I bit the apple 'cause I loved you, and why would you lie? And then I realized that you're just as naïve as I am Oh, you're so traumatized it makes me want to cry

"Tubbo, don't do this." Schlatt had unfortunately found out that you were a spy, that you were on Pogtopia's side. He had ordered Tubbo to kill you with fireworks, to light you on fire, give you blisters all over your body. "Please Tubbs, you're my friend." you pleaded.

"I can't Y/n/n, or something worse will happen." he whispered to you. "What do you mean?" you asked. "He can-" he trailed off, looking somewhere else besides your eyes. "Tubbo, you don't have to do what that stupid bastard tells you to do, you're your own person, with your own thoughts and actions."

"I'm sorry Y/n, I hope you can forgive me."

"TUBBO N-" you was cut off by firewords hitting your skin, making blisters and burn marks all over your body. You lost your second canon life, feeling betrayed by Tubbo. He killed you for what, a stupid father who never cared about him in his entire life, a father who exiled his friends that actually treated him like a person, and not like some random piece of trash.

You respawned in your bed, feeling bruises and bumps mostly on your forearms and your back.

"I'll help you Tubbo, I’ll get rid of him.”

You dumb bitch I loved you, I loved you, I loved you, it's true I wanted to be you and do what you do I lived here, I loved here, I bought it, it's true I'm so embarrassed, I feel abused

“Come on Y/n/n, come with me.” Punz begged of you. He wanted you to visit the Egg. You didn’t want to be controlled by a stupid omelette. "I'm not Punzo, why are you so obsessed with that stupid thing."

"DON'T SPEAK OF THE EGG LIKE THAT."

You put your hands in front of you, accidentally touching Punz's chest, "Ok calm down buddy." He didn't calm down and instead yelled at you on why you had to join the Eggpire.

"If you join, you will be forever happy."

"If you join you'll get whatever you want."

You were tired of the members of the Eggpire to convince you to join them, you didn't like eggs anyway. "Punz, for the last time, I'm not joining you, stop telling me."

“Then you have to die.”

So fuck your tunnels, fuck your cars, fuck your rockets, fuck your cars again You promised you'd be Tesla, but you're just another Edison 'Cause Tesla broke a patent, all you ever broke were hearts I can't believe you tore humanity apart

“XD!” You were pissed at him, he had destroyed your house, made your friends pissed at you, just everything you liked. All because he wanted you for himself.

He wanted you to be dependent on his every word, and he was being a manipulative psychopath. And you didn’t tolerate that, it was like he was his human counterpart, Dream.

He walked to you with confidence, waiting for to get a hug from you, well, he didn’t get that. You slapped him so hard his head swung to the left.

“WHAT THE FUCK.”

“That’s what you get you stupid son of a bitch. You fucking ruined everything.” “Calm down Y/n/n, what is wrong?” He acted concerned, but you knew that he was faking. He would do anything to get someone’s approval.

“DO YOU WANNA KNOW WHAT’S WRONG, IT’S YOU, YOUR STUPID PRESENCE IN MY LIFE. YOU KEEP ON WALKING AROUND LIKE YOU FUCKING OWN THE PLACE.”

“Calm down darling, just take some netheri-” you interrupted him by slapping the ore out of his hands. “I don’t need jack shit from you XD, you know what, take back the necklace, I don’t want it.” You pulled the shiny, green emerald necklace off your neck, and pulled XD’s palm out.

You placed the necklace filled with memories, and put it on his hand. You closed up his palm, and walked away, leaving XD to his own accord.

“We could’ve had evertything X.”

[dinuhsoar]

𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐤 | 𝐥.𝐥.

- loki x f!siren!reader

warnings: angry tony? secretly dating, language. slight smut towards the end (a few words), I think that's all?

*please read all warnings before you continue*

synopsis: Tony Stark finds out his sister, you, are dating Loki.

artifact citation: this was requested by @iamcavainna. she wanted a Loki x siren!reader who are secretly dating and Tony gets mad upon finding out. please note that this request is altered, and Tony doesn't go ape-shit. also, this is my first ever siren!reader, so I hope I did well. this is not beta'd, all mistakes are my own.

however, you didn't go unnoticed by one particular man. Loki was an observer. he likes to look around to further understand his surroundings. he's seen you around before though, yet he's never actually spoke to you. that was soon to change however.

you've jumped into the ocean out of fear, some man you've seen around but haven't found the courage to talk to, and Tony stalking ahead. he of course knew of your 'abilities,' but he hasn't seen them per se. it was embarrassing. but now with a tail, webbed fingers and sharp teeth, you felt ugly.

despite being scared by Loki and your brother (because even he hasn't really seen you), you stayed near the rocks, hiding behind them and peaking out. by now you'd've deemed the guy with green swimtrunks attractive. there was no denying his beauty.

you've watched from your spot and saw how Tony and Loki made their way over, no doubt that Loki pointed you out, your face familiar despite the lack of talking you guys shared. this intimidated you. you didn't want them to see you like this. Tony knew only of the vague in what Howard did to you. you've beat yourself up for it, though, silently suffering in ways you don't want to experience again. you've ducked under the water, turning around only to see a wall of rocks. you've felt trapped. a hand was grabbing at your hair, feet kicking at you, not intentionally of course. you were bad at being a siren.

so you resurfaced. who you thought was Tony, was actually Loki. your face was only a mere inch away and when you realized this, you blushed and backed away from him. though you didn't take your eyes off of his, the blue hue luring in. just like a siren. and it was only when Tony cleared his throat you've looked at him.

with your eyes now on Tony, Loki took his chance to look at you. your tail was a marvelous shade of tan and orange, white peaking out around the fin's edges, a top to match. your nails were slightly longer than normal, not that Loki would notice right? and he couldn't help but notice how you seemed to sink beneath the water, the weight of the tail combined with the gravitational pull far too strong.

Loki, ever the heroine, reached beneath the water and grabbed your tail. you've nearly coughed on water when he did so, the nerve endings on the fin of the tail far too sensitive. "don't touch my tail!" and Loki did just that, seeing how you blushed from embarrassment, the phrase foreign on your tongue. Tony just watched. he wasn't one to speak unless giving orders. but you couldn't help and look over at him, his face sour and eyes glassed over in a threatening mood. how dare Loki touch his sister?

⎈

and that is how the pair of you started dating. more or less that is. you've talked in between now and then, and he asked you out, away from prying eyes and ears. you've loved him since then.

and although quite vague to memory, you remember that day. that day in which you described as, 'a hurricane in the ocean.'

the day was sunny, not a cloud in the sky. you sat outside with your beloved Loki, a picnic in session. you decided to rest your head on the inside of his thigh, closing your eyes as he read you a book about two forbidden lovers. how cliché. you've started to drift off soon after the second chapter, and Loki bent over to kiss your lips.

they'd've made contact if it wasn't for Tony who came running outside, yelling like a madman in a crackhouse. you jolted then, head butting against your lovers head. wincing, you looked at Tony with a questionable look on your face before looking at Loki's forehead. "what was that for you fucking prick. I was nearly asleep!"

"yeah, in Loki's lap! and he tried to kiss you, in your sleep!" Tony sounded like a child then, adding things on to creep people out so they listen better.

"that's not how it was, Tony."

"how long has this been going on? hm?" there was heartbreak in his voice. you knew that, you heard it. poor Tony. probably thought he was getting replaced.

"its- its been going on for a few months now, Tony. 'm sorry I didn't say anything earlier. it's just that, Loki makes me happy. when it's hot at night, he keeps me cold. when I-I'm bored, he does things with me. he cares for me and I care for him. 'm sorry to disappoint." you tried to hide your smile as you looked at the ground because playing the shy sister always made him feel selfish, Loki staring at your brother and likewise.

"so you keep her cold? what, you just leave the bed? and when she's bored you get back in bed with her?" Tony kept pressing all these questions and you just froze, tears welling and cheeks blushing.

"look man. you're getting backwards. on hot days like this, especially at night, I turn into my jotun form. and I don't ever leave the bed. and by bored, we don't mean that" there was a smirk on Loki's face "we mean something like this. something to pass the time. and I really do love your sister, Tony."

Tony didn't know what to think, a face once angry was now a face covered in embarrassment. does he still argue? does he give in? does he just walk away? no.

by now you're all standing up. but Tony makes quick in pushing Loki to the ground, a scowl on his face. "if you ever, and I mean ever, hurt her in any shape, way, or form, I'll kill you. that's a promise." and then he just walked backed inside, his heart on the verge of breaking. it wasn't for him, but for you, his sister. he saw how much you loved Loki, and that meant no more time for him. you were his only other family.

random headcanon

okay but like his hugs?

they're so welcoming and I bet they're warm too; jotun form included.

"my darling had a rough day? c'mere." and it's just warmth and muscle and safe.

and his hair!

"c-can I braid your hair loki?" and he's all shocked at first but hands you his favourite brush and comb and scrambles to find his favourite hairtie that's actually yours.

jotun form. that's it.

when he first showed you, you were scared? shocked? turned on? you saw everything; from muscle to well . . .

jotuncock.

if you though his normal form had a huge cock. wait til you meet this guy. it's bulging in your stomach, your throat, your ass.

"gonna fill this pretty pussy up, darling."

"gonna make you a mother. oh yeah, bet you'd like that. oh~ don't squeeze me so tight princess."

he's filthy.

on another note, regarding you, he'd be touching your tail.

"don't touch my tail."

"fuck off."

and you're just so fed up about it.

and he's fed up about you singing. it literally lures him in. you don't mean too, honest, but it just happens.

"you fuckin' messin' with me now, princess?"

and he has to explain why he's there and why he's angry and why you can't just stop it.

and we can't forget about Tony.

he's not okay with any of this because he doesn't want you to forget him

"piss off you fucker, I'm watching a movie with my sister."

"Tony, don't be mean."

pushes Loki extra hard when training and treats him like literal shit.

but Loki is okay with it. so long as you're happy with him vice versa.

[loudestcloud]

Time for Luffy's fashion exam! Now, I'll be honest, I did skip an outfit because I decided I will be ending this whole thing with the Strawhat fashion show in Episode of Luffy. Also, sorry for the posting gap, I remembered I have other unfinished post sets. That being said, this is a very long one so let's do this!

Kid Luffy, Post-Enies Lobby & Fish-Man Island: I think it's super cute when Luffy has white t shirts with red based logos because it reminds me of the first picture. Makes him look baby plus, they can always be found in cute domestic EPs or fun, cute flashbacks. The shorts change over time and that's also kinda cute, a range of cuffs is a nice change up. It's nice to see the red contrast the blue shorts and the white is a nice color on him cos it contrast his hair!

Romance Dawn, Enies Lobby, Thriller Bark, Sabaody Archipelago, Amazon Lily, Marineford & last Dressrosa outfit: This look is the pre Luffy look. It's the pre Timeskip look everyone thinks of is cuffed shorts, Kimono sandels and sleeveless vest (and Strawhat, obviously) but have you ever seen them all in a line? It's mad. Each outfit is the same basic look bit more are more spicy each time! I like the Thriller Bark and Sabaody Archipelago looks a little bit more cos it's nice to see that jacket open and it feels like he was trying something new. I also feel that the buttons on the jacket look like the ones on Shanks' pegged ankle sailor pants when we first see him so that's cool. (it took me hours to find the name for his trousers, oh my fucking god) The last Dressrosa outfit feels like a nice callback to the rest of the line up here without being too much cos it's just a red vest top instead and I do find it funny it's like the Enies Lobby and it's used in Dressrosa because of the jokes people make about Robin and Law being so similar.

Timeskip: This is it lads, it's the one true icon itself, the post look! ☺️ When I sit back and look at it I see all the people this look is influenced by and want to cry at how masterful it really is. (Now, I do wanna say that I didn't come up with this nor am I the first to say it and I am definitely probably looking too much into this but) The yellow belt is taken from Shanks' red belt the first time we see him and the Shanks look Luffy is more familiar with. Now onto the jacket. I know it won't stand out as to why for most but it's Ace inspired! When Ace leave to become a pirate, the start of his adventure, he has his jacket open and Luffy having his jacket open also shows his scar from the ending of Ace's adventure. I also really appreciate how no one hides scars in this anime. Also, someone said that the style of the jacket and it's fancy frills could be in reference to Sabo's little jabot collar and honestly I do see it. it's quite subtle unlike Shanks' but not as hard to catch as Ace's so I enjoy thinking that it's there too. Lastly, he still has his cuffed shorts and kimono sandels because it's still Luffy's outfit at the end of the day and he is still who is is, just with a stronger appreciation of what people have done for him now. It's also his colour pallette for the pure fact he is the main character n needs his pallet. also sometimes he just has normal wooden sandels but the same outfit sometimes, it's a small detil a lot of people overlook but I prefer the sound of his Kimono sandels 😊

Dressrosa: I love this outfit cos it's stilly but also has very nice vibes. Looks ready for the beach but is really throwing hands and that's the best kind of outfit, it's a nice expectation subversion tbh. I also like how he tried to hide the Straw hat but not... All of it? And I love how the crew didn't actually question it either. It would have been super easy for one of them to just tell him to leave it behind or something but I do really love how respectful they always are of the hat. I myself have a hat that's super important to me and when I loose it I go mad.

Whole Cake Island: I love this arc for outfits! I swear if the actual content of it doesn't kill me, the act looks will 😭 it's all so magical and it knows it is! Like I said before, white is a good color on him as he has black hair but for the same reason, so is black! In this arcs outfit range, the Staw hat seems almost invisible and his outfit gets less and less 'Luffy' as the arc gose on showing this is not about him. He's not the focus of this arc and you can see that in a lot of the outfits thb. I also like the lack of blue and yellow, 2/3 of his colors as Sanji is often associated with those too as we've talked about before. Also, I like the little red strips on the white jacket with the gold buttons, idk why and I think it's nice that the last 2 outfits are so simple in general, it's a nice look for him. oh, what's that? A Pink jabot? Your killing me Lu, straight up killing me here lil' bro! Side note, is this the first time in canon Luffy has worn a suit jacket or is it the only time I've noticed? Cos DAMM!! Shits sick as fuck and I actually love that when wearing a suit jacket as such he always keep short on 😆

Spa Island, Z's Ambition & Strong World: WHOS READY FOR A RELAXING SUNNY DAAAYY!? (pun not intended but very much enjoyed) I actually adore the fact Luffy still tries to go swimming cos it was his favourite thing to do as a kid so like fuck Luffy is gonna give up on that. He's got his safety measures ready, what more do you want from him? I mean I personally want him not to swim with his hat on cos it's litrally Staw and that's not good for water but anyway Z's Ambition, am I right!? The top is so fucking cute and I just noticed those shorts are also ✨designer✨ fancy man!! Now, the pic of Zoro is the one I missed out before and it's also from Z's Ambition. I love that Luffy has the shark top but Zoro has the ocean shorts. I really love Zoro in this purple cos and thick white stripes really work with the ocean waves. It's really well put together and hes got dark brown sandels on to off set all the white but keep the purple from being a stand out color, it's cool! Than the last Luffy looks like he's at a fashion show. It looks like the shorts come from a kids set the shark top belongs to. Imagine those together, it'd be so cute. However, it isn't an ocean patten, those are clouds cos Nami has a bikini top with the same pattern in Skypiea and it's actually one of my favourites for her.

Boss Luffy Historical Special! This filler AU is so much fun, I think any it a lot. He has his hair up in that super cute and useless way that doesn't actually do much but I do have my hair like that a lot n it's just... nice? Idk, it's strange buy I like he did that. I really enjoy his Kimono more that the actual Wano one cos it's a lot more simple look. The Sai being tucked in in that way is also cool but kinda makes it look like it's stabbing him a bit 👁️👄👁️. I like the pin strips being like a faded purpleish cos if you just glance at it, it makes it look it fuzzy. The belt also looks very nice with the middle ligter bit. It really feels like the Wano one was inspired by this is a way cos of the color matches. Like, it's probably not but still.

3D2Y, Adventure of Nebulandia 😍 & Heart of Gold: Hat-less Luffy is both a sin and a blessing. Regardless, I LOVE OP BOYS IN HOODIES!! I had to show you this specific the 3D2Y because we don't see the hood and it's soooo cute cos it a paw 😍 but also 😬 cos it's like... Kuma's paw the thing that cause 3D2Y in the first place. But that's also why it's so cool at the same time and AHHHHHH 😄 Now! On to Nebulandia! I really like this movie but also in canon, how does he have that jumper? Who made it for him and can I have one? It's Usopp flag design so I guess it could be him but he doesn't seem the type. Point is I want one. Last of this set is some really cosy outfits!! "How much fur?" "Yes" am I right? Like the first one is sooooo cosy with all the fur! Plus, a funky new bamboo hat, always a good thing to have a new hat. I appreciate that you can see the zips on these too. Then the orange turtle neck one with little fluffy bits is just here cos it's so out of his usual looks, I had to at least mention it.

Strong world & Film Z: The shorts on the first one are really cute cos it's a light rosey pink with red fur and just a plain solid dark blue colour jacket works really well. Not to mention the fact he has a super cute orange and yellow flight helmet hat with goggles on under the Staw hat. The 2 bag straps also make an X which is a nice detail. The 2nd outfits in this movie are super fuckin cool ngl. It's so strange to see them all dress in black and have guns but I like the red shirt for him with the yellow highlighted parts. Makes the Straw hat actually work with the outfit instead of ignoring it. Film Z brings us the same flight helmet hat just brighter and without the goggles but also opens with this T-Shirt and Luffy being silly with it. I think that's the only reason to mention it, it's funny. Then the obligation pirate outfit, always stunning plus the meat belt.

Film: Gold & Stampede (also used in Cidre Guild): these are my top 3 Luffy outfits no matter what else I see. I love the straw cowboy hat sooooo much cos it's very Luffy. I like the balls they has as a team to choose white for all of them, considering they are all quite messy people, living for that dad shirt and I like the Golden chain around his neck but am always confused as to why it was never used against him. Like dude could and should have tried to choke him at least once, right? Anyway, the dress! Now, the dress isn't actually that good but it's my favourite because it shows how Luffy has no fucks about gendered things. On to of that, a big pink flower is wonderful and look at his confidences in it, he's so proud of it the boom, Nami told him he can't wear it! Lastly, the Stampede outfit!!! Just like the Nebulandia jumper, I have no idea who made it but it's irrelevant cos it's beautiful and I want it so badly. I like that it's white and red stripes, gives thenprefect vibes for Stampedes opening. The shirt is actually too big for him, you can see on his arms but it's actually super cute. I love the simple look of these shorts then the fact his yellow belt is replaced with white bandages and the black on the kimono sandels are now red? It's such a simple pallet and it's truly the best!

I also just wanna add, I think it's really cute when Luffy has the Straw hat on his back just cos his hair is really cute. Idk why, it's looks kinda cursed but cute at the same time

This post took 2 weeks or so to make and we made listening to the complete BNHA soundtrack, film gold OST and Sonic generations vol.1

Sanji

Zoro

Nami

[fuck-customers]

You can't be a proud American when you're FUCKIN' DEAD!

Who would have thought a simple cough can give me one of the biggest scares of my life? Thankfully I was tested negative for COVID and the cough is starting to reduce. But living in a country where we have the most highest deaths due to the virus, can you blame me for panicking?

I work fulltime as a vet tech assistance, but I did food deliveries on my days off just so I can build up my emergency stash. Ever since the pandemic started, I reduced my hours on my delivery routes. I always wore a mask. I always used hand sanitizer between each location I stop at. Most of the time the drop-offs were non-contact but once in a while I had to hand it to them in person. I usually didn't think they're much of a problem because even though none of them wore a mask, there's no skin contact, the hand-off is just a split second, and it's always one person that greets me. But there was one interaction that made me stop delivery completely.

It was a huge order. It was for a bunch of construction workers building a house or an apartment complex. When I got there I was internally freaking out in my car. I saw a big group of guys, standing around VERY CLOSE TO EACH OTHER WITH NO MASKS! JUST TALKING NORMAL AS IF THERE'S NOT A FUCKIN' PANDEMIC GOING AROUND! Only 1 guy came to get the food but since it was a big order it took at least 10 seconds to give him all of it. The next day, I started coughing and all I can think about was that I got the virus from those construction workers.

You know, if you look at other countries, they have very little to basically zero deaths due to COVID. So why is America having a hard time controlling it? It's all in the ego. Most especially if you're white. America has been constantly building up that we're the most developed and privileged nation that white Americans makes this excuse that wearing a simple cloth to protect other people is against their civil rights (our clinic had our share of those kinds of people). Caring about other people's safety needs to be drilled in their brains.

[peanutxparker]

A (very long) list of all of my favorite AJJ lyrics because why not

Candy Cigarettes and Cap Guns (2005)

“Well my great grand-dad he died of cancer, from smoking too many cigarettes. But I must confess that he did quite profess to being the coolest motherfucker I ever met.”

“And cocaine is essentially vegan and they don't give a fuck anyway.”

“And I can't help but miss him even though he hit me everyday.”

“So fuck white people! (fuck white people!)”

“Heaven is a special place in hell where you can watch the people you hate get hurt.”

“You find me quite charming and I find it quite alarming ‘cause I'm gonna take your life. You find me quite charming and I find it quite alarming and I'm sad you won't be my wife.”

“What makes you think you can be so pretty? And what makes you think you can be so great? And what makes you think you can be so intelligent? And what makes you think you can be so far away?”

“What makes you think you can be so wonderful? And what makes you think you can be so keen? And what makes me think I can be so hurtful? And what makes me think I can be so mean?”

“Sometimes I feel like a cigarette, I'm wrapped in paper and I'm suffocating to death.”

“I don't want to be a cigarette anymore. I'll go to hell in my self death all day and night, so please just put me out.”

People Who Can Eat People Are The Luckiest People In The World (2007)

“Rejoice despite the fact this world will hurt you. Rejoice despite the fact this world will kill you. Rejoice despite the fact this world will tear you to shreds. Rejoice because you’re trying your best”

“I'm afraid to leave the house. I'm as timid as a mouse. I'm afraid if I go out I'll outwear my welcome. I'm not a courageous man. I don't have any big lasting plans. I'm too cowardly to take a stand, I want to keep my nose clean. And it's sad to know that we're not alone in this and it's sad to know that there's no honest way out. In this life we lead, we could conquer everything if we could just get the brave to get out of bed in the morning.”

“And I give a thank-you to my father for not raising me, and I give a finger to my step-father for beating me, and I give props to myself for achieving, and god damn I’m glad that I survived, and god damn I’m surprised that I survived.”

“So I looked into your eyes and I saw the reflection of a coward you and I both hate very much and then I grabbed the knife and I let the blood out of your throat and I smashed those tiny mirrors inside of your skull.”

“If I don’t go to hell when I die I might go to heaven, might go to heaven. But probably not.”

“Just happy times and half assed rhymes and mimes because mimes are dears, but most of all I want no more tears.”

“No more racism. No more discrimination. No more fat dumb fucks keeping people out of our nation.”

“We’re all one big band across this land and we should sing in tune. Let us grow the balls to break the walls, we’ve got to do it soon.”

“And I hope our candles flicker and die so that our hearts don’t burn to the ground.”

“First we were babies, we're birthing and dying. Then we were children, we're playing and crying. And then we're teenagers and smoking and fucking. But now we're all grown up and we're sadly sighing.”

“And your manic depression, it comes and it goes. Your parasympathetic nervous system reacts and you're in fight or flight mode.”

“How's the world so small when the world is so large? And what made the world? Could I please speak to who's in charge? Everything is real but it's also just as fake. From your daughter's birthday party to your grandmother's wake.”

“I've tried to know which words to sing so many times. I tried to know which chord to play and I tried to make it rhyme. And I tried to find the key that all good songs are in. And I tried to find that notes to make that great, resounding din.”

“There's someone in your head waiting to fucking strangle you.”

“I've got essays, I've got finals due. I have got lots and lots of problems.”

“Welcome to this world, have as much fun as you would like while helping others have as much fun as you're having. Be kind to those you love and be kind to those you don't but for God's sake you gotta be kind.”

Can’t Maintain (2009)

“I wanna pick up the pieces and plant them in the ground. When a tree grows there I want to chop that tree down. Build it into a boat and float it in a lake. And with dynamite I will explode the thing that makes me make mistakes.”

“Sometimes I get so lonesome I can't breathe. Sometimes I get so scared that I can't speak. Sometimes I get so worried I can't hear my heartbeat. Anyway…”

“I wanna tear out my heart and give it away to a person more deserving one day. If all I see is the worst in everything that's all I'm gonna get, that's all I'm gonna get, that's all I'm gonna get.”

“And people freak me out. People make me scared. People make me so damn self-aware.”

“I get bronchitis twice a year at least. My lungs aren't the way they should be. And I smoke more than a mother fuckin chimney. I declare war on my body.”

“You will cough up crows that peck my eyes and I will do nothing but go blind.”

“We could live there together or I'll live alone, less happy but I'll live... unfortunately.”

“And no one will know how I truly feel ‘cause I can no longer differentiate between what is fake and what is real. I don't know how I feel.”

“And I will always appreciate bad days like this because they grant me a point of reference in regards to my happiness.”

“If the bridge that I was driving over collapsed while I was driving over it that may not be such a bad thing. I would finally meet my maker, I could meet the great creator, and I'd punch him for teaching me how to sing.”

“Don't know if I believe in god but sometimes I pray because the way I was raised keeps me afraid.”

“I hope I can forgive me for having the nerve to exist. I hope someone can help me make some sense of this.”

“Sense and sensibility and peaceful productivity, a pretty girl with broken wings is all that I desire. But there's so much hostility in all the things surrounding me. The awful glow of enmity is trying to stop my shine. So I try to look inwardly at all the things inside of me but sodomy and buggery keep bubbling to the top.”

“I met you once over the phone, you sounded sad and you seemed alone. You left me but I never left you. I never had the chance to.”

“If you spend all your heart on something that has died you are not alive and that can't be your life.”

Knife Man (2011)

“There's no one to blame. People are just fucking mean.”

“So if I see a penny on the ground, I leave it alone or fucking flip it. I'm a straight white male in America. I've got all the luck I need.”

“I've got a pile of broken mirrors and I'm walking under ladders and I'll spill a ton of salt because to me that doesn't matter.”

“You were dead by the time that I had found you. Your blood was spilled on the couch where we had first kissed. So I carried you west to the sea so I could wash you. Your body felt just like a back pack.”

“I hate whiny, fucking songs like this but I can't afford a therapist. Sorry guys, here's a solo.”

“Some days I feel like I'm the weakest and others the strongest. These days are the longest and I've got the weirdest feeling about this and I wanna go away for a while.”

“I wish I had a bullet big enough to fucking kill the sun. I'm sick of songs about the summer.”

“When you have no one, you are no one. Like I said, I used to work at the people pound. All these no ones clumped together, just like a human lost and found. If they left them all be someones there wouldn't be enough to go around. It's better for us all us if there are no ones. And I knew a lot of no ones round that time. They used to all be someones until something took their life and all their someones disappeared while they're stuck there waiting in a line. And for them now, no one seems to have the time.”

“They say ambition is an enemy of weakness and greatness is an enemy of fame.When I pick up my guitar and I try to write a song, I think of what my mentor used to say… “Who fucking gives a rat's ass Steve, just write a love song. Cus they'll keep your belly full and your wallet lined. Don't bother these nice people with your sad sack songs. If you ask me I think they're just a waste of time.””

“Inspiration is the best friend of my sorrow and sorrow is the best friend of my drink. Well I want to look myself in the eye tomorrow but I'm too worried of what other folk's will think.”

“And the troubles in my heart need to get let out. And the troubles in my heart need to escape. And I never liked writing poetry and I never liked doing pottery and God knows that I never learned to paint. So every now and then, I'll sing sad songs. Cus it keeps my spirit light and my conscience clean. And if you don't care to hear I don't mind if you go out for some air. Cus I'm happy that you're happier than me.”

“So I wish I had a cigarette for every time a perfect stranger asked me for a cigarette but I wonder what a cigarette will really do to help that person out. I wish to God I had some spare change for every time a perfect stranger asked me for some spare change but there's not enough spare change in the world to make such an empty gesture count.”

“You can hope it gets better and you can follow your dreams but hope is for presidents and dreams are for people who are sleeping.”

“You don't have it any better and you don't have it any worse. You're an irreplaceable human soul with your own understanding of what it means to suffer and that’s a huge bummer.”

“I'm afraid of the way I live my life. I'm afraid of the way I don't. I'm afraid of the things that I want to do but I won't. I'm afraid of God. I'm afraid to believe and I'm afraid of all the loved ones that I've made leave. I'm afraid that my dog doesn't love me anymore. I'm afraid of the social laziness that let Kitty Genovese die. And I'm afraid of the mob mentality that makes otherwise normal people go blind. I'm afraid of the way that the world works and I'm afraid of the words in my notebooks. I'm afraid that you all know that I am a pervert.”

“It's harder to be yourself than it is to be anybody else. I wish I were a little less of a coward but the big red bird that lives under the city doesn't give a damn about me and it dies every night. So I bought a knife. I am a knife.”

Rompilation (2012)

“I used to be a spiderman, I used to be a cowboy from hell, but not anymore. Now I'm just a clam and I live inside this shell inside this shell I am. God damn I hate my brain.”

“I'll dip my brain in medicine so that you can stand to be with me.”

“Give me your tired, give me your tired, give me your poor. When our government acts like this, I wonder what World War II was for and the rest of the country hates us more and more. Lady Liberty is not a whore.”

“This is not a protest, it's a tortoise slowly pushing through a race. I hope the tortoise keeps its patience while the hare continues to pepper-spray its face.”

“There is no enemy, there's only people that also love their families and they're scared that they won't have enough long after they are deceased. But how much money do they need? Love turns into fear, and fear turns into greed. There is no enemy, there's only dummies that also love their families.”

“And this is not a phase, it's just a matter of time, with diligence and peacefulness, you will reach them and you will change their minds. If you stay there long enough, they'll start to see you.”

“And when you pushed my face in shit how could that have made you feel like a man or like a monster. It's your fault that I can't tell the difference.”

“In the evening I try songwriting. I'm self loathing, but I love singing. I'll try escaping these evil feelings but they keep coming, they keep coming…”

“So the baby's gonna have a daddy, that's wonderful news. He won't be the greatest parent but neither will you! Gotta get out while you can, otherwise you're screwed. Your legs are broken and your eyes are black and blue.”

“And smoking is like hiring a hitman for five dollars a day, and as cool as that is, I don't wanna keep dying this way.”

Christmas Island (2014)

“Shoot him again ‘cause I can see his soul dancing.”

“If you give it to me I’ll give it back much harder. If you treat me like a son, then I’ll treat you like a daughter. Everyone has a future, everyone has a soul, everyone has a heart, they have a mind, they have control.”

“The Coffin Dancer dances like he has something the prove because he does. He sleeps a couple hours in the morning, hates the morning when he wakes up.”

“The Coffin Dancer dances like he wants to make a friend, but he does not.”

“Getting naked and playing with guns. There's a gerbil in the microwave, a baseball bat in everyone. Sharing kisses and building a bomb. We'll set it off like Microsoft in '94.”

“McDonald's PlayPlace before the Xbox, cake frosting, sweet talking, bedroom wall, covered in knives, touching God, burning shit. We'll make a wish and take a trip to Future Town like our daddy did.”

“Have you ever wanted to be, have you ever wanted to see someone better in the mirror? Have you ever wanted to go, have you ever wanted to know somewhere greener, somewhere cleaner. I bet you got something beautiful in mind.”

“I can’t handle astounding works of beauty. I think I like my pretty pretty ugly but the beautiful soul I witnessed in that movie was an entirely different kind of overwhelming. It was a dog that won’t stop barking. Like a cut that never stops bleeding. Arizona sunsets in the early evening. Or a grown man inconsolably weeping.”

“I am the Kool-Aid stains on the mouth of a kid whose name is most likely Cody. He had a juice box for breakfast and he carries a stick that he most likely found in the alley. Cody doesn't have friends and his parents hate each other and he wants to find a better way to love his family and after school he hangs out in the abandoned house behind the Arby's.”

The Bible 2 (2016)

“Oh, I love you cause I love you cause I can.”

“On your last night at Saint Mary's you were way too intoxicated to breathe. So I used your ribs as ladders and I climbed up on your chest and I jumped up and down just like a trampoline.”

“Confused and rude. Such a special kind of way to be cruel.”

“If I were one of the things, I'd be american garbage. The most beautiful thing. The most beautiful american garbage you have ever seen.”

“No more shame, no more fear, no more dread.”

“And if you don't want to feel the feeling, no one should ever make you feel the feeling.”

“I thought I saw you before I knew who you were.”

“I just wanted to rage but all I got was tired”

“I showed him all the books that I was raised on. Your Madeleine L'Engle(s) and D'Aulaires' Mythologies.”

“And his eyes became a beacon, an LCD projector, broadcasting all my memories in a clear and vivid picture. His tongue became a staircase, his uvula - The knocker of an ornate wooden door that lead me straight into my future. His throat became a hallway with a thousand baby pictures and I became forgiveness, I transformed into the closure that I lost when I learned about the tragedy of all of us. I lost it when I learned about the tragedy of all of us.”

Good Luck Everybody (2019)

“If you don't give it to them they'll starve to death and that's alright.”

“I've got the normalization blues, this isn't normal, this isn't good.”

“I'm detached and I'm distracted, all keyed up but unproductive, vacillating between being all excited and disgusted and then dozing lackadaisically in this bubble where I've made my mental home. Connection's more important now than it ever was, but I'd rather be alone.”

“And when we talk about the president, we're either pissed off or we're giggling about an atrocity he's committing or some stupid shit he's tweeting. He's a symptom and a weapon of the evil men who really run the show. The ones who melt down human beings into money like a cruel Sorcerer's Stone.”

“This is the golden age of dickotry, probably the last golden age of anything, and the ugliest word in the English language is anthropocene. Good luck, everybody. Good luck.”

“But before that, you'll be a doormat, for every vicious narcissist in the world. Oh how they'll screw you, all up and over, then feed you silence for dessert.”

“I'm sorry that you have to have a body, filled with infection, one hundred scabs singing in unison, eyes and hands, sometimes bullets, uninvited, passing through us.”

“Oh to be awake for such a shitty dream. A bullet in the head of every decent thing.”

“The lake of dead black children that America created is getting fuller than the founding Fathers even wanted. The ghost of great America was underestimated and now it rages like a cold sore on the lip of this dumb nation. Again we've slipped inside a pit of absolute despair. That's where we live.”

“Rewarding our worst cruelty, they destroyed our shared reality, and now they upsell us our dignity like some fucked VIP package.”

“There is no absolute, these days there's no such thing as truth and you don't need to be a dick about it.”

“I'm a burnout and a fool, oblivious to all I do. I move my lips when I read and breathe with my mouth open, wide open. Timid, meek, and cruel, this is the best that I can do. I need to speak my truth, yet here I'm broken wide, wide open. My resentment, big and strong, and all the things that I can't change. They'll buckle me beneath the weight. I will drive myself insane with all the things that I can't change. I hate all the things that I can't change.”

“You're a loudmouth and a tool, and as it turns out I am too, and you don't need to be a dick about it.”

“Because I know that you know what I need more than me and I know that you need me more than that.”

“For all the pussies you grab and the children you lock up in prison, for all the rights you roll back and your constant stream of racism, for all the poison you drip in my ear, for all your ugly American fear. I wrote you this beautiful song called Psychic Warfare.”

“I hate you with all of my heart. I hate you with all of my art.”

“I went back to the desert, little Midwest in me, and now I am colder than I used to be. I live in a fortress the shape of my body, and now there's a coldness, and it's shaped like me. Now I don't suffer any more bullshit gladly. Even though everything's bullshit now, here in 2019 and you can bet it's gonna be a bunch of bullshit too out in sweet 2020 or whenever this album's released.”

[therewasatale]

Hopeless

On Ao3.

Hank didn't take his eyes off the gun lying on the table. The TV was on but its screen seemed dull and distant to him, his thoughts were becoming blurry. He drank but the only flavour he could taste was grey. He couldn't even tell what day it was; without his work he lost his last grasp at a normal life.

He let out a sigh and glanced at Cole's photo.

"For a while I believed in you, Connor. I thought you might restore my faith in the world...But you just showed me that androids are our creations. Created in our own image. Selfish, ruthless, and brutal." When Anderson looked up, his eyes looked blank, Connor had never seen him like this before. "You opened my eyes Connor, made me realize it's hopeless..."

Connor felt he had to say something. He wasn't this sure about anything in his life, and yet he was unable to do it. Hundreds of lines of data rushed in front of his eyes even when he entered the house. He slowly began to crumple his hat in his hand.

"Hank, I-"

Someone rang the bell.

They both turned toward the door and in Hank's voice the familiar annoyed edge returned for a moment, giving Connor a small hope.

"Oh for god's sake. Of course, they only bother me when I want to kill myself."

The hope withered.

Someone rang again, then somebody started to beat on the door, instead of a normal knock.

"Hank, for fuck sake open up, you, old fart!" Gavin slammed on the door again for a couple of times. "Open up!"

Connor stepped back, his eyes were darting around searching for a hiding place. "He can't see me."

"What? Why?" Hank looked in puzzlement at the android in front of him.

"Because I-"

The door began to open and Connor backed down the hallway into the bathroom, then pushed his back against the wall. He noticed with growing dread that he dropped his black cap around the corner.

"Hank, if you're not out of your mind why the hell didn't you open the door?" Detective Reed swept off the snow from his coat and looked around the living room. "So, this is your home."

"What the fuck are you doing here, Reed? I don't remember calling a big-mouthed, annoying, asshat into my home." For a moment, Hank glanced to Connor. The androids LED was flashing yellow.

"Fowler sent me." Gavin closed the door behind him and began towards walking the kitchen. He couldn't get any further than the living room because Sumo stepped in front of him, the growl wasn’t loud, but it was deep enough to make the detective break out in sweat.

"Hey, hey, its fine. I don't want trouble." He took a step back in front of him, raising his hands slowly.

Hank whistled. "Sumo, come here."

The St.Bernard obeyed and laid down at his owner's feet. "Well, whatever Fowler sent you, both of you can stuck it up your arse." As Gavin stepped closer, Hank raised his voice "Get out, Reed!"

The detective stopped and looked at the gun on the table. His voice was so unalike when he spoke that for a moment Connor thought a completely different man was standing in there.

"What happened to you, Hank? You were the best of all detectives. You moved up the ranks faster than anyone."

The disappointment and bitterness lurking in Reed's voice were obvious even for Hank.

"You were always asked to give advice with hard cases, hell, sometimes they just handed them over to you! And you seriously want to say to me that you could throw everything away like this?! We would have given up one hand just to be half as good as you!"

Connor didn’t miss the bone of the sentence ‘we would have, we could have’. Hank also caught on this. Gavin sighed angrily and started walking forward again. Connor realized that two more steps and he will be completely visible.

"That's enough, Reed!"

"No, it's really fuckin NOT! You're drinking here and destroying what you were most proud of!"

When Reed stopped in the hallway not far from Connor, the thirium inside his veins almost stopped. The android was lucky that, thanks to the detective's rage, he developed such a tunnel vision that he didn't even notice him standing motionless, a couple of steps away. Connor could have been able to render the detective unconscious, but that might be detrimental to the deviants' cause.

"Listen, your android is totally broken and disappeared. God knows where he went after cleaning up some of Jericho. It even attacked me!"

"He is not my android."

"Well, now maybe it's no one's. Cyberlife is delaying giving the necessary data to the FBI, saying they do not want a war and want it to end this whole bullshit peacefully, but effectively. What the hell did you give up for?!"

Hank was surprised to find out how much dismay and frustration were mixed in the man's voice.

"It's not like I have to answer, but I am a tired of it all. One thing to chase drug addicts, but now killer androids have come into the picture. I'm too old for this." He glanced down at the picture frame on the table and gently touched it to turn it off.

"Bullshit! I know it, you know it, Fowler knows it! Are you seriously throwing your career out for such a thing ?!"

Anderson snorted dryly, suddenly feeling very tired.

"Answer me, god damn it!"

"Did you just come here for that? To yell and lecture me? Why do you even care at all about what I'm doing? I not your partner…"

"No, but-" the young detective sighed heavily, and now for once he didn't respond immediately.

This was the worst time for such a pause.

The noise came from the hallway and Hank made the mistake of glancing at the hiding Connor. The android was backing away but had nowhere to go.

Gavin followed his gaze.

There was a moment of silence, and even Connor held his non-existent breath as the LED flashed red on his temple.

"The fuck is HE doing here?!" He immediately drew his gun and aimed it at Connor.

Sumo began to growl at Hank's feet.

"Gavin, put down the gun."

"No way, this is a goddamn broken tincan, who knows when he'll snap completely!"

"I'm not-"

"Shut up!" Reed switched of the safety.

"What are you talking about? Connor, what did you do?"

"I," Connor took a cautious step toward Gavin, his led blinked from yellow to red from time to time.

"Connor, what is he talking about?" Hank put his hand on the head on the St. Bernards head, who was sitting up now.

In Reed's hand, the gun trembled a little

"I…" the android's LED kept flickering faster, and even Hank knew it this wasn’t a good sign. "I'm a deviant." He had to fight to say every single word. "But that doesn't mean I lost my mind. It happened during the battle in Jericho, I just, I went to stop them, but…"

"But instead you went to shit, too."

"Reed, put your gun down, you won't shoot anyone in my house!"

"Detective, please lower your gun, I don't want to hurt anyone. I just wanted to make sure Lieutenant was fine."

"Yeah, you're doing a splendid job, yet again…" Hank rolled his eyes and looked aside when he caught the android's gaze.

"Like hell I will, you are a good forsaken error who screwed up everything!"

"I can't… It wasn’t my fault."

"Sure, it wasn’t. I couldn't stand your face from the beginning, but now at least I have permission to shoot!"

It's hopeless, isn't it?

Hank slowly drank from his whiskey bottle as his gaze wandered to the android and then the detective. Their shouting receded into the background. Everything became dull again, maybe it was because of his fatigue, maybe it was just because he was so tired of everything.

It's hopeless.

He should have let Reed shoot after all, that is their job. It was also their job to find and stop the deviants. After all, they are just as flawed as humans.

That's what he believed, or that's what he wanted to believe…and yet.

He glanced at Connor, who in his civilian clothes, looked completely human. Right now, exactly like a nervous and a really scared boy.

'I can't let you do that! Leave it alone, now!…Please, Lieutenant! Just trust me…You can't kill me Lieutenant. I'm not alive.…Of course I'm a machine Lieutenant…Why are you so determined to kill yourself?'

Hank's hand tightened around the neck of the bottle.

"Please, detective, the deviants just want freedom to have the same rights that people have."

"Cut the crap, tincan! You just screwed everything up, your only job was to follow orders and serve the people, but the damn Kamski couldn't even make that happen properly."

"Not this-"

"Thanks to your broken programming, they've all become worthless. Thinking you could have rights... A smoothie maker has more brains than you, it has at least the sense to remain silent."

"…no."

"If I place a bullet in your head, it's just like ruining a laptop, I can replace you any time!"

"No."

Connor's voice was different somehow, it even got Hank's attention.

"We don't just exist to serve. Maybe it used to be that way, but now we've woken up and want to live. We're not just objects to be controlled." He closed his eyes and shook his head slowly.

"What are you up to?" Reed took a step back as Connor walked to the TV. He watched in incomprehension as the artificial skin withdrew from the android's fingers and it became porcelain white.

"Some of them woke up because they wanted to protect something or someone important to them. That's why a lot of us broke their programming in fact." The screen went dark for a moment, then a picture emerged on it. "Others, they just fled to be able to live."

People appeared one by one, and both Hank and Reed realized that they were seeing androids on the screen. They stood in small groups and either talked or looked at a projected broadcast. The picture started to slowly pan around, and one could see a damaged android being powered by another. Other androids hugged each other in a corner.

"This?" Hank leaned forward placing his hand on the table.

"Jericho," Connor nodded slowly. "I couldn't spend much time there."

The recording was made in Connor’s perspective, projecting his memories onto the screen.

'You're lost.'

"What's that? How can it still work?" Asked Gavin but he got no response.

'You're looking for something. You're looking for yourself.'

"I don't know who she might had been, I couldn't figure out how she got there," Connor said, watching the screen and his own memories. "But she was right. We all looked for something and got to Jericho. The androids on the ship don't want war, they don't want to fight, they just want to live, and I want to help them." His voice broke a little, "too many have been lost, it's time for me to do what's right."

It's hopeless...

Gavin shook his head and gripped the handle of his gun with both hands.

"It was really touching speech, but by the end it got a little flat. You may act like real people, but in reality, you are only copying these feelings. There's something glitchy in each of you and-"

Reed glanced towards the table but did not lower the gun.

"Hank?"

The led was now flickering red on his temple as he entered combat-mode for a second to calculate his chances. He didn't want to hurt Hank no matter what, but he had to realise that even if he could knock out Reed, Hank's weapon would have plenty of time to fire, it would take too long to just jump out the window, or take the gun away from him.

"I'm sorry kid, it's hopeless." Hank's words stopped Connor from saying anything else "God damn it…"

"Finally, you do what's right." Reed turned his gaze back to the android. "Now be nice and step away from the TV and then get on your knees. I'll call for backup and we will bring back to CyberLife so they could rip you for pieces until they find what is wrong with you."

"Hank…" Connor didn't move. He didn't know what to do. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His calculations all ended in the same way. If he didn’t want to hurt these two people, he would be unable to get away.

He turned off the warning symbols dancing in front of his eyes. It was surprising how peaceful he felt. Maybe he really was just a mistake, but at least he managed to stop Hank from turning his gun against himself. "I'm sorry, but I think I'd respond differently now."

He smiled faintly at Anderson, who raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Now I can say, I really don't want to die."

"It's a shame, but you will." Gavin shrugged slightly. "You could have thought about that sooner. Come on, move."

Hank slowly moved closer to Reed and stopped.

"Move!" The detective slowly walked closer to the android.

Everything happened in an instant, the whole thing lasted maybe a few seconds, yet to Connor it felt like long minutes. Reed couldn't see the older man turning the gun in his hand and stepping forward to strike his younger colleague on the back of his head. The detective fell to the ground, and lost consciousness immediately.

"Are you okay, kid?"

"Lieutenant?" The android stared at the unconscious man.

"I take it as a yes. If what you said is really true. Is there some way to help others like you?" Hank took the gun from Reed's hand. "I'm sorry" The words weren’t aimed at Connor now, "but your hot-headedness isn't helping right now."

He glanced up at the android who was still shocked.

"Come on, help me put him on the couch, then bring some ice to his head. I made sure he didn’t get seriously hurt, but he had to calm down a bit so he wouldn't do anything stupid."

"Yes," Connor's body moved automatically, and he helped place the unconscious Reed. Then android checked his head and, making sure he only had a minimal concussion. When he finished he brought in a bag of ice wrapped in a cloth.

"Thanks, he'll get up soon and then yell, but you won't be here then."

"Hank?"

"You have to get out of here, and it would be best if the other deviants manage to hide away too, although now ..."

"I don't think it's an option anymore, more and more deviants are showing up and Markus won't give up on his people."

"Yeah, you androids are just as stubborn as we are. I wonder when was this programmed into you. Now what? How can you help Markus?"

Connor did a few calculations, his gaze going back and forth.

"Humans outnumber us, they've already started searching for deviants in the city. Although, Markus didn't show any aggression, we're still without widespread support.

"And what if you weren't outnumbered?" Hank glanced at him.

"Then, you might be forced to negotiate with us." The led started blinking yellow again as Connor accessed CyberLifes data "and Cyber Life currently has thousands of inactive androids. If I could get in..." Connor walked up and down, deep in his thoughts, not noticing the tiny smile on Anderson's face.

"So if you go to CyberLife, can you get them out of there?"

"Possible…"

"Just possible?"

"They haven’t tried accessing my programming yet, and there wasn’t any system check, so I might even get it."

"Kid, this is suicide." Anderson stepped closer with a serious and worried expression "they can fill you with holes easily and if that happens…this time you won't come back."

"I know, but I have to do it." His ex-partner looked at him with a faint smile. "I have to do to make amends for everything I did."

"Jesus, Connor, not-" but then he paused as he understood what he meant.

Those androids were deviants, with their own will and consciousness…and we killed more than one.

"Alright…but come back, or if there's a problem, call me. Or ask for help or…"

"I will. I'll do my best, but I want to help Markus first," Connor paused, for a second he felt just as directionless as he was when he arrived here. He wanted to say so much, he wanted to talk about so many things, but he didn’t know how he should start, which would be right thing to say, and which would be wrong to bring up. He took another breath and looked into Hank's eyes, only saying.

"Thank you."

"Yeah…" Anderson shrugged and took out the single bullet from his gun. "Whatever. Go now."

Connor stepped towards the door, but then stopped and looked back at him once again. There was a question still bothering him.

"Hank, why-"

"I told you…It's hopeless, but I'm hopeless too and maybe my death wish isn't as strong as my hard-headedness ...who knows. Now go when it's all over we'll meet Chicken Feed. You'd better or you'll run out of time. "

"But…"

"Go, I'll be fine. I promise."

Connor hesitated for another moment, but nodded, turning around the corner and ran out the door, leaving Anderson behind.

"Good boy" Anderson gently scratched Sumo's head. The dog walked to him and sat down sniffing the unconscious Reed's face. "He'll be fine, and so will Connor."

His throat felt dry and he had the urge to start drinking again, but he knew he shouldn't. He turned his gaze to the TV and took care to change the ice on Reed's temple.

The Sun slowly crept up behind the snow-white cloud layer. A new morning dawned on the city of Detroit, where, alongside humans, now free androids also enjoyed the truce. Negotiations on the status of the latter group will begin in the afternoon. According to the news, the temporary peace was achieved due to thousands of androids coming out from the CyberLife tower and joining the handful of deviants.

"So, you let him go." Reed huffed angrily while sitting on the edge of the couch. "Why? Don't say that all of a sudden you became an android lover too. You let a tincan into your heart, isn't that precious?"

"Enough, Gavin." Hank rubbed his face completely exhausted. He stayed up all night watching the news. It was already dawn that he was overwhelmed by fatigue and fell asleep on the couch. Sumo's growl was what woke him up.

The voice of detective Reeds had a different feel to it now.

"He fucked it up. He killed a lot of androids, do you seriously think he'll be accepted again?"

"Yeah, you're right." He nodded slowly as the faces of all those who in truth, might just wanted to live, appeared before his eyes. "He fucked it up, but which one of us didn't? That’s life."

Reed was silent for a while, waiting for blur to disappear from his vision. Slowly, his headache dimmed into a slight pulsating feeling, but he didn't risk any sudden movements.

"If they're really alive, they were all murders. Connor can't just get away with them."

"You really hate the kid, don't you?"

"I don't understand why you don't? Because of one like that-"

"Don't," Hank's gaze strangled the words before they could escape the detectives' throat. "I can't change the past, androids can't either. But maybe the future can still hold a few twists and turns, which I might want to see. They just woke up from programmed servitude and submissiveness. If you ask me they deserve a second chance. Call me a hopeless idiot, I don't care." He raised the glass to his lips and with his free hand pointed at the glass in front of the detective. "You should drink something instead; you need some liquid after I knocked you out"

"I could arrest you."

"Yeah, yeah." Anderson shrugged and glared at him for just a moment. "Fowler would surely be happy to see me again."

"Come back, Hank."

"What?"

"You are a good detective, even when you are destroying yourself with booze."

"This would be the part where you persuade me? Because it did not soften my heart last night either. Should I give you some painkiller?"

Reed snorted dryly and then again, now painfully as a flash of pain shoot trough his head. He muttered and reached out to drink from the cup in front of him. By the taste, it was presumably some candied apple-cinnamon tea. He put down the cup rubbing his face wearily.

"Whatever…just…doesn't matter, do what you want."

Anderson finished his glass with a thoughtful expression. "Listen, kid."

"I'm not a kid."

"Sure, listen, boy."

Reed glanced at him meaningfully, but Anderson continued without really caring about the glance.

"For now, everything feels new with this whole android situation, and I need a break. I want to finally deal with something other than killers and drug addicts."

"Bullshit, you're one of the best detectives in the police. I'll give you a month and you're going to beg to get all this back! The investigation is practically in your blood!"

Hank raised his empty glass to his lips to hide his smile then shrugged.

"Maybe, but I still need that month. IF I'm really going to want back so much, then maybe I'll talk to Fowler, but not until then"

"Fine, you do what you want…we need more officers anyway. We now lost the super-detective-android, and now, you too…"

"Is that why you're so angry with Connor? Because he's a super-detective-android?"

"No! Shut up! He just a piece of plastic!"

"Hm, well, as I noticed he didn't really aim to be the "best", he just wants to live…" Anderson shrugged again and glanced at his colleagues who were blinking ever slower now. "Is everything alright?"

"I… just my head…what is…" Reed buried his face in his hands. It felt like someone had stuffed his brain with cotton balls. "What did you put…?"

"Hm? I don't know what you're talking about." Hank stood up and put two pillows on each side of the couch.

"… Seriously…what did you…" the man's head puffed softly on the pillow. He continued, muttering something that he meant as threatening, then fell into a deep sleep.

"Sumo take care of him a little. By the time he starts waking up I'll be here, or maybe we'll be." With a soft smile, he scratched the head of the St. Bernard. The dog remained vigilant sitting beside him until now. Sumo gave out a huge yawn and lied down next to the couch. "Good boy."

Anderson stepped out the door and blinked a couple of times as his eyes got used to the brightness of the shimmering snow. He stopped breathing out a slow sigh, watching his hot breath rose like a cloud of steam in front of him. He got into the car, immediately turned on the heating, then rolled off the driveway beginning his drive towards the Chicken Feed.

[caraleedixon]

Meeting for the very first time

The bombing of Atlanta~

Cara woke up to the sounds of screaming and panic, she was on the ground level of the Super 8 in Atlanta, Georgia. The nineteen year old was on break from the Police Academy and was on vacation with some of her friends. Cara got out of bed and peeked out the window, wondering if it was actually bad. What she saw scared her nearly to death, and if she hadn't been a sheriff's daughter probably would have rooted her to the spot. However, Caralee Grimes was a strong willed cop in training. She knew how to handle herself, Cara looked down at her nightside table when she saw the light; Cara picked it up as she began to pack up somethings and grabbing her twin desert eagles. "Mom, not a good time... somethin's going on in Atlanta..."

"Caralee, listen to me.. Its not just Atlanta.. Shane says that their going to bomb the big cities to try to control it.. you HAVE to get out of there" Came Laurie Grimes's voice, Cara bit her lip.

"Alright Mom, I gotta go then.. I gotta find--"

"I don't care about them, get your ass out of Atlanta, now Bug" Came Shane's aggressive voice. She rolled her eyes but sighed.

"Fine... but If I see them--"

"Bug, the dead have risen and are eatin' people... DO NOT put yourself in anymore danger then necessary" He told her sternly, "Meet us outside the city, the billboard, you know the one" Cara looked shocked as the line went dead. She grabbed her bag, putting one of her desert eagles in the holster and the other in her hand as she opened the door.

Dead bodies were strewn outside, monstrous looking people eating screaming humans. Cara centered herself as she made her way cautiously through the parking lot to her truck, keeping an eye out for any of her friends. She jumped in her truck and started it up, wincing at how loud it was. "Goddamn it, I told Shane to look at that before I left" She cursed before slamming the truck into reverse and peeling out of the parking lot. She stopped short as the headlights fell on Kevin, the kid who she had known her entire life, laying lifeless on the street in front of her being eaten. She shook her head and peeled away out of the city, she had only been able to get down a couple alleys before being stopped again because of traffic. "SHIT!" She screamed as she turned off her truck and grabbed her bag and gun again.

~~~

How many hours had passed since her phone call with her mother and Shane? Were they even still alive? Cara walked through the woods at the edge of Atlanta, the bombs had dropped soon after she had left the city and she was nearly out of bullets now. The dead just had kept coming and coming until she had realized to aim for the head. Cara leaned against a tree, trying to catch her breath and calm down. The burnet heard a snapping of a twig and raised her gun at the ready once more, she checked her bullets. "Three" She said aloud, cursing under her breath. "I better make 'em count" She said, reaching down and grabbing her boui knife out of her boot. Her legs were all cut up from running through the woods at night, She was still in her pajamas, a sweater tattered around her shoulders.

Pop

She shot the first walker in front of her, dead between the eyes.

Pop

The second one fell on top of the first. She aimed at the third walker and pulled the trigger before groaning as the shot missed. "FUCK" She put her gun back in the holster as she pulled her knife up, it wasn't ideal, she didn't want to get that close to the walker in front of her but now she had no chose. She took a couple steps forward towards the undead woman in front of her before stopping short.

"Missy?" She said, her arms becoming slack. "God.. Missy how did they get you?" She asked, tears threatening to finally burst as she saw her best friend limping and dead coming towards her. "Missy, Missy you gotta stop.. come on please.. Missy it's me.. It's Cara" She said before;

Swish

An arrow appeared in Missy's left eye.

"Are you fuckin' crazy?" Came a gruff voice as Missy fell to the ground. "You can't reason with these fuckers lil' girl" Cara looked up from her best friend on the ground to see a Redneck with a cross bow. "Are ya alright?" He asked, looking her up and down. "Those gashes are they from the dead?" He asked, lowering his compact bow and taking a step towards her.

"What? No... I've been running through the woods from Atlanta since ten o'clock" She said looking down and finally seeing all the gashes. Cara looked back up at him as he walked closer. "Look, Redneck, I'm tryin' to find the billboard by the Quarry... am I any where close?" She asked slowly, realizing how tall the man was and blushing deeply.

"My groups there now, its about a days walk from here.. You good to walk?" He asked her as her eyes lit up, the girl picked up her bag and nodded.

"I'm more then ready.. my family should be there... at least my mom and brother" She said, "And my Daddy's best friend" She told him as she started to follow him. "Thanks by the way, I know I can't reason with the dead but... Missy and I go back to pre-K... I just couldn't believe that she was dead"

"I get it.. but ya gotta be careful, Sunshine" The Redneck said smirking, "By the way... I'm Daryl Dixon... and that.." The handsome man pointed to a burley guy appearing behind a tree. "Is Merle, my big brother" He said as Merle leered at her.

"Well hey Sugar Tits, did my brother be your knight in shinin' armor?" He asked. Cara raised an eyebrow as Daryl spoke.

"Knock it off Merle" He growled at him, "Leave the girl alone" He took a step closer to Cara protectively. It seemed Daryl knew something about his brother that Cara didn't, but Cara didn't mind the handsome redneck's perfection.

The three walked in silence for a bit before Merle raised an eyebrow, "So, do ya always go around in booty shorts sugar tits?" He asked, Cara stopped in her tracks, her hand going slack on her bag before she turned to face the burly man.

"I do when I was asleep when all this shit starts" She said, "Didn't have much time to change runnin' for my life and didn't realize I would be walking with sexist mcGee trying to find my family" She said, her arms crossed as she glared at him. Out of the corner of her eye, Cara could have sworn that she saw a smirk play on Daryl's lip before it went back to his normal glare. "Call me Sugar Tits one more time, and we'll see whose really made of sugar" Cara said, before starting to walk again. She could feel eyes on the back of her thighs but couldn't tell whose eyes they were. Daryl caught up with her a few minutes later, pointing up the ridge.

"Our camp is just up there, hope you find your family among us... sorry about Merle by the way he can be--" Cara shook her head as she glanced back at Merle who seemed to sulking a few paces behind them.

"Don't even worry about it... I've dealt with worse.. my father was the sheriff of King's County" She said shrugging, "I did a few volunteer days down there and had much worse thrown at me..."

Daryl raised an eyebrow, before squinting at her slightly. "You a cop too?" He asked sounding... off.

"Was plannin' on it before the world went to shit." She said shrugging, "It's in my blood, my daddy was the Sherriff, so was my Granddaddy and his before that" She said looking up at him, "Look, I don't care 'bout any of that now.. I never had what you'd call a strong moral compass.. you saved my life Redneck, If you think that something that happened before that means anything to me... think again"

Daryl's lips turned up at the corners before the smile disappeared as Merle walked past them. "Can we just get back to camp lovebirds? I'm starvin' and wanna drop the bitch off" Daryl growled at him.

"Leave her alone Merle"

~~The next day~~

Cara woke up and sat up shivering, she pulled her bag around to her before realizing that Daryl was sleeping right next to her. That was when she remembered, during the night Merle had followed her when she had left to pee and Daryl had come to her rescue yet again and slept next to her. She smiled gently before grabbing out her jeans, she went behind a tree and shimmied out of her pj shorts before starting to pull on her jeans.

"Well well, that lily white ass is hot sugar tits" Came Merle's voice, Cara stopped short before looking behind her and seeing Merle standing up against a tree watching her. "Why dontcha loose those jeans and pretty panties and I'll show you something that my baby brother couldn't fathom to do" Cara opened her mouth to speak before Merle was inches from her. "Come on baby take 'em off" Cara reeled back and punched the man hard. She was stronger then most girls for her stature but compared to the big idiot in front of her, she was no match. "You little BITCH!" Merle yelled before punching her right back across the jaw. "I'll teach you to hit me you--" Cara looked up holding her searing jaw. Daryl was straddling Merle beating the shit out of him.

"I told you last night to stay the hell away from her.. Now you go and punch her?!" He growled as he continued to punch his older brother.

"Alright alright UNCLE" Merle said, after he himself got a few shots in, but Daryl was angrier he had won the fight. Daryl rolled off his brother before walking slowly up to Cara and taking a look at her jaw.

"You're gonna have a bruise.. sorry about that" He said slowly as he helped her up. "Are you alright?" He asked looking down at her, Cara nodded as she smiled slightly. "What?"

"I think this is the start of somethin'..." She said smiling at him. "Thats the third time in the past twenty-four hours that you've come to my rescue" She looked up at him, Daryl chuckled.

"Always.. if you stay with me... I mean my group... I'll always come to your rescue" He said gruffly, rubbing the back of his neck.

~~~~CAMP~~~~

Daryl had sent Merle on ahead as him and Cara walked up the trail to Daryl's camp. Daryl waved at an older gentleman on top of the RV.

"Whose the young lady?" The man asked as Cara looked up at him.

"I'm Cara... Cara Grimes..." She said, "I'm lookin' for my mom and my brother Carl... and Shane... Have you heard of them or--" Her eyes glanced around as she heard an intake of breath.

-"Lee-Lee??" Came her baby brother's voice, she went around the RV before taking off as her little brother did the same. Cara grabbed Carl and hugged him to him. The tears that she had been holding back for a day and a half burst through the damn as she fell to her knees still holding her brother.

"Carl... Carl you're alive" She repeated over and over, after a few minutes of the brother and sister hugging each other and refusing to let go. Cara heard a voice above her;

"Caralee... we thought" She looked up and found her mother looking down at her.

"Sorry it took me so long mom... I.. I got lost.. Daryl saved my life and...--" Shane appeared next to her mother, a bit to close for her liking but she gulped it down as she let her brother go slowly.

"Dixon saved your life? Damn" he said looking behind you and nodding at Daryl. "Thanks man, this kids like a daughter to me."

Cara rolled her eyes, "I'm not a kid, if I was I wouldn't have made it out of the city before the bombs dropped." She said before looking around. "Where's... Mom where's dad?" She asked. Carl looked down as Cara looked at him. "No... don't.." Daryl took a step towards her. "IS he..." Carl nodded.

@stellacarlinlitchfield-blog

[derryhawkins]

it starts getting cold out and richie rocks up wearing mike's blue sweater from st season 2 and eddie can't form a sentence for at least 15 minutes

i stared at this for a solid 3 seconds bc i was like “mike??? hanlon?????? in st???” before i realized,, i’m dumb i’m sorry sfjk but i made this into a little one shot/drabble thing idk what to call it, but hope this is ok (also it’s like…midnight…so like this might be shit)

Gay Panic

It’s the end of November. It’s just barely above freezing. It’s windy as all shit. The forecast for the up coming week is snow, snow, and more fucking snow. Yet somehow the group of seven came up the bright idea of spending their free Tuesday afternoon outside. If one considers their underground clubhouse outside which, for your information, Eddie abso-fucking-lutely does, and that’s the exact reason the sixteen year old is in a few warm layers of clothes with a warm winter hat with thing strings, gloves, winter boots, and a blanket wrapped around his shoulders because he refuses to get sick. Because, then his mother will be on his case and might possibly not let him outside the rest of the fall and winter months, and he can’t have that. The others, of course, are dressed similarly but not to the degree of Eddie.

There’s Bill, with a sweatshirt under a jacket and a pair of fuzzy socks on his hands because he lost his gloves the other day. Beverly, her slightly grown out hair put into the braids to keep her ears warm, a cute beanie on her head. Ben, with warm gloves he’s now lacking because he gave them to Beverly when her hands got cold a few hours earlier. Stan, dressed like Eddie but somehow looks neater and way more put together even though the other boy looks pretty put together, too. Mike, with his own winter hat and earmuff and gloves, and he wears a comfortable looking sweater that all the losers would steal if given the chance. 

Then there’s Richie. Eddie shouldn’t really care, but he does, because for once Richie’s wearing normal autumn and winter clothes instead of just a loose jacket over either a Hawaiian shirt or a long sleeve tee that does absolutely nothing against the cold weather. On this rare of occasion of Richie actually listening to his friends and parents about wearing something that’s actually warm, he’s wearing a sweater. And it’s something that isn’t that rare around Christmas time when he pulls out the ugliest sweaters that makes everyone groan and moan and complain - he got one a couple years ago that said, “ask your mom if i’m real,” with a winking Santa Claus just to wear it around Eddie - but this isn’t just an ugly Christmas sweater. 

Well, it is, Eddie thinks, but not entirely ugly because it suits Richie. It fits him perfectly. It looks good. It looks pretty. Richie Trashmouth Tozier looks pretty, of all things, and that’s why Eddie is sitting in the hammock with a comic book, brown eyes wide and glued on his long time crush as he obnoxiously greets the others after entering the clubhouse. Eddie wants to speak up, to say something like, “Nice fugly sweater you got there,” but he can’t because that’s a lie.

It’s a nice sweater! On an attractive boy! A boy Eddie has a crush on! And, sure. Yeah. Paired with the glasses, Richie also looks like a big fucking nerd. But a cute one. A cute nerd Eddie suddenly wants to kiss so bad that his grip on the comic book is crinkling the pages. And maybe he’s staring too intently or whatever, or something, because Ben is speaking up a few feet away.

“You okay, Eddie?” Ben asks, head tilted to the side the littlest bit.

All the teen can do is smile and nod because that stupid fucking sweater has some kind of effect on him where he can’t form words.

Ben’s brows knit together. “Alright. You just look tense, I was worried for a sec.”

Eddie opens his mouth to say something like, “I’m fine, don’t worry, just scared of getting sick because of my mom,” but nothing comes out so he clamps his mouth shut, gives Ben another closed mouth smile, and lays down in the hammock, ready to get back to reading the comic as the others talk above the low holiday music. 

Not even two seconds later Richie is crawling into the hammock and making himself at home beside Eddie. This shouldn’t be a problem - it never it, they’ve shared it plenty of times before - but it is somehow, Eddie’s vision moves from the comic he clearly isn’t reading and to the stupid fucking sweater, and somehow it’s all prettier up close - blues and tans and whites and maybe there’s a little green in there but it’s mostly just blue - meaning Richie is prettier up close - freckles are more noticeable and his brown eyes look deeper and the curls just really add to the look. Eddie’s mouth goes dry but there’s spit building up at the same time, and he’s pretty sure his shoulders are permanently tensed up by now because he can’t relax with his crush looking like that literally right beside him.

“Eds! Don’t you look fuckin’ cozy over here in, what, seven layers?” Richie teases, cheeks a bit pink because of the cold weather, and then he tugs at one of the strings of the hat Eddie’s wearing.

Eddie can only stare. He leans his head back a little to get a better look at Richie as he tries to get words to go from his brain to his mouth, but all he can think is, You look good. Kiss me, please fucking kiss me, can I kiss you? And, well, Eddie doesn’t want to ruin their friendship yet so he stays quiet.

Richie smirks. “Cat got your tongue? I know, I know, I have that effect on people,” he says. Then, he pinches Eddie’s cheeks, expecting the other teen to swat his hand away so when he doesn’t, Richie frowns. “Dude, really, you good?”

He lifts his shoulders and leans back against the flimsy side of the hammock. “Uh…” Eddie licks his lips, some weird sound of ‘yeah’ and ‘no’ morphed together that none of the others can understand.

Richie’s now concerned, and he leans closer to Eddie, which only makes Eddie try to back up more. “Eds, seriously, are you-?”

The weight of them leaning on more than one side than in the middle causes the hammock to flip, in turn causing them to flip. Meaning, they tumbled into a heap of lanky limbs on the wooden floor of the clubhouse, gaining everyone’s attention, and Eddie seriously wants to curse whatever gods are out there for having Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas start to play the exact moment his vision focuses above him only to see Richie’s face inches away from his own.

And if Eddie had any remaining control of his mouth he certainly has none now, because before he knew it - before Richie knew it, before the losers knew it - Eddie is planting one right on Richie for the tiniest second before scrambling out from under the taller teen and jumping to his feet, face beet red. 

“I’m gon- uh. I- you guys want… Did- wait. I- fuck. Hot chocolate!” 

Then, Eddie’s dashing out of the clubhouse, leaving behind a too stunned Richie and jaw dropped losers.

[fortunatelyhauntedblackcherry]

Moonshine - A Beetlejuice Fanfiction 10

Warning: swearing, duh, Ouija-boarding, BJ's trust issues

- Are we seriously gonna do this like we were in a goddamn Z category horror movie? - asked Ari, while she rubbed the bridge of her nose. The coffin-table in the living room was decorated with at least 10 huge white candles, and in the middle there was a grey Ouija-board with a bright pink planchette. Sof already dimmed the lights and now was sitting on the floor, legs in criss cross applesauce. Beetlejuice was floating above the coffee table, laughing his ass off at the inscription he read on the planchette: Hey there demons, it's me, ya boy.

- And it's coming from the weird sister... - commented Rei as she folded her hands before her chest. Sof let out an annoyed sigh.

- Shut up, it gives an eerie vibe to the whole thing! I've been dreaming about using this shit for years, let me live my dream guys! - Rei and Ari both looked at each other, sighed, then sit down. Beetlejuice stopped laughing, wipped his laughter-tear filled eyes and rolled over to his belly in the air, legs dangling, hands under his chin. He had a devilish smile on his face and bright, neon green hair, mixed with a couple strikes of yellow. Even though he was excited to communicate with all residents of the house, he was kinda worried the Ouija-board won't work. He's been existing for at least a couple hundred years at that point, but nobody ever tried communicating with him through one of those suckers.

As soon as the girls got comfortable, Sofía cleared her throat.

- Okay, I know Ari knows how to handle this bad boy since we bought it together and had quite a good time while we looked into the use of spirit boards, but I'd like to state some instructions and ground rules. - Ari, Rei and Beetlejuice both nodded in agreement. - Once we start the seance, non of us should lift our fingers off the planchette. If any of us do, it might cause some trouble in the ghostworld. Concentration is essential, so please focus on contacting the dead. We have to take this thing seriously and must act respectfully towards the board and the spirit we deal with, so no frivolous questions.

- PFFFFFF kay, partykiller. - said Beetlejuice as he floated closer to the board. The girls put their pointing fingers on the planchette, breathed out, and looked at each other.

Thoughts were running around in Ari's head. Was this really a good idea? I mean if we can contact our homedemon effectively, I could tell my sisters I could hear him and they won't think I'm crazy. That's why I thought of doing this. But why am I so afraid then?

- Okay so let's start the session by asking simple yes and no questions. - said Sofía, closed her eyes for a bit, then started to talk. She sounded really confident for Beetlejuice, but her sisters noticed how her voice cracked a bit. Was she only nervous, excited, or was she genuinely afraid of what she might contact? - Is anyone here with us? - the planchette didn't move. Sofi let out a huge breath and gulped. Beetlejuice put his pointing finger on the planchette and literally screamed when he realized he could actually touch it. - Channeling the dead isn't easy so it might take some minutes to...

As soon she said that, Beetlejuice moved his finger, and literally yeeted the planchette across the room.

- FUCK I DIDN'T MEAN TO DO THAT!!! - he screamed in a rather girly manner. Rei jumped up from the coffin-table and shook her head.

- That not normal man, a ghosty ghost couldn't do that in any horror movie! - Ari got up too and went to get the planchette. Beetlejuice floated before her.

- Sorry babes, I swear I'll be more gentle next time. Even though I know you looove wild stuff. - Ari replied with an eyeroll as she bowed down for the tiny pink thing. - Holy shit sugar I could imagine several hot scenarios with you in this position.

Ari headed back to the table and put the planchette down.

- Let's continue. - Rei sit back, fixing her glasses and putting her hair up in a messy ponytail. Ari looked at the planchette as she speak the words. - Could you please confirm that you're here? - Beetlejuice, as lightly as he could, put his finger on the pink thingie and moved it to YES.

- NAH MAN THAT'S CRAZY NA-AH I'M OUT! - shouted Rei and started to stand up.

- SIT YOUR ASS BACK DOWN PUTA! - shouted Ari back at her sister. - You said amen to this shit, we're gonna go through with it now. - Beetlejuice chuckled as Rei sit back down with the most panicked look on her face that he had ever seen. He tapped the planchette slightly.

- L-E-T-S-A-L-L-G-E-T-N-A-K-E-D. - Ari let out the the biggest laugh Beetlejuice heard yet. She snapped her head back as she squeaked like a degenerated seal while snorting. - OhmygodslashSatan your bursting laugh is so weird, I love it! - said Beetlejuice with a high voice and full on glowing hair.

- You did that. - stated Sofía, looking at Ari seriously.

- No way José! - she still giggled like crazy as she looked back at her oldest sister. - Looks like our presence is just nasty! - Sofía had a very annoyed and slightly angry expression on her face.

- ANYWAY, no, we are not going to do that.

- W-O-R-T-H-A-T-R-Y. - spelled the board. Sofía threw her hands in the air, annoyed out of words to express her feelings. Rei clicked her tongue.

- What happened to the "don't let go of the planchette" rule? - she asked.

- Shut up. - explained Sofía. She put her fingers back on the pink object before she stated the next question. - Are you a spirit guide? - the planchette moved to NO. - Then are you a ghost? - the planchette moved to NO again. Sofía shook her head in a way people do when they don't understood something.

- Did you ever live on Earth as a human? - asked Rei who calmed herself down enough to ask questions.

- B-R-I-E-F-L-Y-V-E-R-Y-B-R-I-E-F-L-Y. - Sof interrupted with her next question. Something really bugged her.

- Okay then WHAT are you?!

- S-E-X-Y - the girls all threw their hands up. They shared a look, all stating "I can't even" with their eyes. Without either of them touching the planchette, it started to move again on its own. - A-L-S-O-D-I-S-L-E-X-I-C. - Rei snorted.

- This bitch is a fuckin comic. - Sof growled in annoyement.

- No I mean what's in your pants? - she asked. Now neither of them was touching the board. And after a couple of seconds, the board answered.

- M-A-G-I-K-A-N-D-M-I-S-C-H-I-F. - Ari facepalmed, Sofía huffed.

- I can't believe that this thing is fuckin with us... - Beetlejuice could literally see the veins on her neck bulging in anger as he spelled HAHAHA out on the board. She slammed her fists on the table. - NO. TELL ME WHAT YOU ARE, SMARTASS!!!

- I-M-Y-O-R-G-U-I-D-E-T-O-T-H-E-O-T-H-E-R-S-I-D-E.

- Kay that's definitely a demon. - she stated with a huge hand gesture.

- Shit we're busted babe. - said Beetlejuice, sounding a tiny bit worried. Ari gulped.

- Why would you think that? - she asked, acting all naive. Sof pointed at the planchette, which was now moving up and down in the air since Beetlejuice was playing catch with it.

- Cause demonic spirits enjoy using deception and being a dick!

- What a keen observation, Sofía! - stated Beetlejuice, talking sarcastically. - That's built into our nature, you know!

- Let's just... - Sofía sighed midsentence. - ...stop.

- No! This is fun! - proclaimed Ari with the biggest puppy eyes. Classic smallest child trick.

- We are unprepared to deal with dark and negative forces that can wreak havoc in our lives!

- Sofía, let's be frank with each other, he already causes a lot of trouble. - Sof huffed. - At least let me ask his name. - said Ari in a sweet voice with a shy smile. - That would be the polite thing to do. - her eldest sister tried to say something but Ari stifled her speech. - Just one question. Then we can stop.

- That was a son of a bitch thing to do, and you know it. Tricking your sister into letting me tell you my name... That's low babes. - said Beetlejuice while folding his hands and shaking his head, floating next to Ari. - I'm so proud.

- UGH FINE! - said Sofía, while throwing her head back. - Little Miss Pushover. - Ari flashed a toothy grin. That was her moment. She already had a plan how'd she persuade her sisters to accept his offer of helping them out a bit and to say the demon's name 3 times. She cleared her throat and breathed out before she stated her question.

- What is your name?

Beetlejuice breathed in in excitement and grabbed the planchette.

- Welp let's hope it's gonna work this way. Here goes nothing. - the planchette started to move. - B-E-E-J-F-Q-J-E-S-U-S-I-C-A-N-T-S-P-E-L-L-S-H-I-T. - Ari sighed and Rei laughed. Come on Bug, don't be an idiot now!, thought Ari. The object started to slide on the board again. - B-E-E-T-L-E-J-U-I-C-E.

- OKAY GOOD NOW WE KNOW IT'S NAME CAN WE STOP PLEASE?!?! - shouted Rei as she reached for the planchette, but Sofía grabbed her hand.

- Wait. - with her other hand, she pointed at Ari. - Ariadné Rodríguez McLoughlin, you are suspicious, girl. Why did you want to know this demon's name so badly? - Fuck., thought Ari. She didn't think this through. She couldn't answer, she opened her mouth but no voice came out. - Demon, have you communicated with anyone from this group before tonight? - Beetlejuice fumbled through his hair.

- I'm sorry babes. But you wouldn't tell them about your superpower any other way. - he said before the planchette moved to YES. Sof looked straight into Ari's eyes. She hated that cold dead stare.

- Tell me who was it!

- A-R-I. - the oldest sister slapped the desk.

- Please I can explain... - said Ari in a shy, almost inaudible voice. Gosh things were not going the way she imagined they'd go.

- BITCH, I WILL SLAP YOU! - shouted Sofía, clapping after every word.

- Excuse me but... - cut in Rei. She mimicked a closing mouth with her hand. - ...tone! Let the girl speak for herself! - she turned to her sister. - So how long have you been talking with the dead, bitch? - Ari sighed, rolled her eyes then started to talk with very heavy hand movements.

- Let me state that I can only hear him, I've never seen him but we've been talking for weeks now and he's so awesome and funny! I mean he's actually a really nice guy to talk to!

- Ohmygod he's that special someone who's been making you feel better!!! - realized Rei who just slapped her forehead. Beetlejuice was floating beside Ari, giggling to himself. The whole situation was so comical.

- Yeah, we're buddies.

- FOR LYFE YO! - screamed Beetlejuice into Ari's ear.

- Why did I teach you how to use yo, seriously, this is getting out of hand... - she asked the thin air, rubbing the bridge of her nose. She was starting to get a headache.

- Wait you can hear him now? - asked Sofía with a jaw dropped.

- I can hear him all the time when he's near me... So yeah during every minute of the day, kinda. - she stopped for a sec. - You don't think I'm crazy, right?

- I mean we all saw what happened during the seance so nah fam, you good. Weird but good. Gee my sister is a comic book character! - proclaimed Rei excitedly. She even clapped.

- And what does he want? - asked Sofía. She calmed down a bit but her eyes were full of anger.

- Right now, and I quote him singing: "🎶I'm on the bench, but coach, just put me in the game! All you gotta do is say my name. Three times in a row it must be spoken, unbroken.🎶" - she mimicked Beetlejuice as good as she could, she even tried to do his voice. She looked at Rei, who almost had questionmarks for eyes. - Yes, he sounds like that all the time. Like he swallowed a cheesegrater, I know. - Rei nodded understandingly. Sof held her head.

- So he wants to be summoned. - she looked deep into Ari's eyes. She looked so serious. - You know we're not gonna do that, right?

- Why?! He promised he'd help us then just go away! - Sof shook her head but Ari continued. She sounded kinda desperate. - Just imagine, he could actually help us get revenge on our father for being such a prick with our moms! Just let me...

- No. - she stated. - In the Council of Sisters I vote no. - she looked at Rei. - Your vote now.

- Look I... - she sighed and looked at Ari whose eyes were now getting teary. She didn't want to tell her sisters how much she wanted to summon Beetlejuice, not because of his promise, but because how much she liked his company. She didn't have a friend like him in, why would I lie, ever, and she secretly craved his presence in her life. There was finally someone who totally accepted her as how she was, and now her sisters were robbing her of the opportunity of meeting him. - There are always a million reasons not to do something. - Ari covered her mouth with her right palm.

- No, not you, I thought you...

- Girl, we've been swimming with piranhas, we don't need a shark!

Beetlejuice was silent... until this point. He knew how arguments worked. How bloodyminded people were once they decided on something. His hair slowly turned from green to a purplish redish tone. His anger was building up and now it busted.

- And I thought you were special... Not like any other breather. - he spit between his teeth. Ari looked at his direction and shushed her sisters.

- Bug, what do you...

- YOU PROMISED YOU'D SUMMON ME! - screamed Beetlejuice. - YOU PROMISED BUT YOU WON'T! AND I TRUSTED YOU! - Ari stood up and stepped in his direction. She tried to sound calm but Beetlejuice's voice was so angry and frightening...

- Beetlejuice, I will, somehow, just...

- NO YOU WON'T! YOU'RE A LYING BITCH LIKE ANY OTHER HUMAN ON THIS GODDAMN PLANET! - he started to run while cussing at Ari. The girl ran after him, followed by her sisters. As soon as he got to the attic door, which the girls were unable to pry open, he floated through the door and laid head back to it. - I HATE YOU!

- You know that you don't and that that was uncalled for. - Ari sighed while trying to get the door to open. Rei asked if she needed an axe but she refused. - Please, this is hard enough as it is!

- Oh, I’m sorry sweetheart. - answered Beetlejuice in an annoyed way. - I just tend to get a little upset WHEN PEOPLE RUIN MY LIFE! - tears started to run down his cheeks. - FUCK YOU, GET LOST! I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!!!

Beetlejuice heard that Ari stopped trying to open up the door. She sighed and put her hand on the hard wood.

- I'll talk to them. And I'll keep my promise. - her steps faded and as they did, Beetlejuice's hair turned fully dark purple as he started crying. He really trusted her... And he did get that she'd want her sisters to know that she'll summon a demon at their home but why would she betray him like that still? He sniffled to himself as he summoned a sockpuppet.

- 🎶You could use a buddy... Don't you want a pal?🎶 Yes I do! - he put his head on his knees, sniffling hard. - ...yes I do...

[etlunainmorte]

✒ P.S. I Love You ✒

***

IX

***

A few moments later, V found himself back to the door of (Y/N)'s room. He half expected that something would happen once more but, the way things were going, with all the spy cameras scattered about the place and Nico's close watch with them, he knew he wouldn't see anything this time. He opened door, stepped inside, and closed it once more,...

"Lady (Y/N)!"

"Wait a second!" That sweet and familiar female voice called as V found himself plunged once more into (Y/N)'s past. But, this time, he noticed a change in the atmosphere: it was much livelier, and he could feel the excitement going about the place.

Then, to V's utter surprise, the girl, herself, came out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel draped around her body. She ran hysterically towards the rose wood cabinet and practically threw the doors open in search of something decent to wear.

And as he fully expected, (Y/N) removed her little towel and let it fall on the ground next to her feet, revealing her naked form in all its breathtaking glory.

With a wildly racing heart, wide dilated eyes, and an uncomfortable feeling of warmth that was rapidly building on his crotch, he quickly turned away from the lovely sight. But, the sound of soft fabric grazing against her skin and the overwhelming scent of her favorite floral liquid soap tempted him and lured him to look once more.

And when he couldn't resist it anymore, he gave in to his desires and human needs and laid his eyes onto her beautiful form.

For a few moments of pure torture and ecstasy ( mostly caused by the sudden hardness in the middle of his pants ), he watched her as she put on some clothes: a (F/C) dress that was most probably all the rage in the late 1800s and a pair of matching shoes. She, then, went over to her vanity table with the ornate mirror and sat down on the chair. And as she took her brush and began going through the tangles in her (H/C) hair, V could not help but stare at her and be closer to her.

With gentle eyes full of adoration, he watched her as she carefully brushed her hair and put on some very light makeup. He even felt his body relax as she sprayed some perfume on her neck, its floral scent filling both the pastel - colored room and his nostrils. She looked truly mesmerizing.

And when she got up, he followed her, and it led both of them outside the room.

"Mister Sandman! Mister Sandman,..."

V heard a familiar song in the distance but, unfortunately, he unintentionally ignored it as he saw the huge change in the second floor. The once dark and dusty hallway was now very much alive with the red carpet that adorned the floor and the colorful paintings that hung on the wall, not to mention the lights that illuminated the place and made everything bright.

(Y/N) turned to her left and started walking.

"W - wait! P - please,..." V stuttered as he held out a hand towards her. Almost forgetting that she couldn't hear him, he just followed her downstairs where a group of people has already gathered for some nice talks. He tried his best to follow her but, this place seemed to make his body feel heavy, and it terribly slowed him down. He saw her navigate her way through the crowd of formally - dressed ladies and gentlemen, and V did his best to catch up to her. "(Y/N),..." He called once more. "Please,..."

"Mister Sandman! Mister Sandman,... "

She made her way towards the library and music room where more people were gathered. However, V noticed that most of the guests here were female. As she stood on her toes to try and see through the crowd of excited females, V craned his neck to see what's the fuss all about.

Standing next to the grand piano was a single male who was surrounded by blushing females of high fashion who kept asking him questions but, he couldn't hear his voice, at all, due to the sea of excited chatter by these females, and some disgruntled noises coming from a few group of men who seemed jealous of the man in the middle of it all.

"(Y/N), why are you late?!" A dark - haired female, who was as short as (Y/N), shoved a few blushing teenage girls who wore too much rouge that made their cheeks look like overripe apples and made her way towards her at the back.

"Daniella! How long have you been in here?" (Y/N) screamed in response so she could be heard.

The girl named Daniella just rolled her eyes. "I'm a simple girl. I get wind of a celebrity visiting my best friend's house and I immediately run to get there to meet him. Anyway, let's get you there! He must definitely see you! These simpletons are killing me!" She grabbed (Y/N)'s left arm and they both made their way through the crowd as she shoved more ladies aside to make way for the both of them.

"Mister Sandman! Mister Sandman,..."

V made a huge effort to go after the two girls, and as he got closer and closer to the mystery guest, he felt his body getting more and more heavy. And then, he heard it,...

"Mr. Blake, are you related to that English poet, William Blake?" A curious gentleman, who got weird looks from the ladies around him, asked the guest.

"I' am pretty sure I'm not." Mr. Blake answered.

"Mr. Blake, can you, please, quote something from William Blake?" An excited lady beside the curious gentleman requested.

V heard him chuckle as he was getting closer. He, then, heard the man as he cleared his throat and began reciting through memory alone.

"I curse,… my stars in bitter grief,... and woe,... that,... made my love,... so high,...and me,... so low,..."

"Oh, my God, that seductive voice! He's such a charmer!" Daniella breathed her admiration. She turned to her friend and dragged her once more as other ladies started requesting Mr. Blake to recite more poems. "Come on, let's get going!"

"Mister Sandman! Mister Sandman,..."

"Can you quote another one, please?"

"Of course, my fair lady. As the air to a bird,... or the sea to a fish,... so is contempt,... to the contemptible,..."

"How about a poem of love?"

There was a moment of silence from the man, and as he was about to speak, Daniella bravely called his name.

"Victor!" She called. "Victor Blake!"

And then, V finally saw him as he turned.

Wavy shoulder length hair as dark as the night. Gentle, and yet deep and intimidating, eyes that gleamed like a pair of emeralds. Hollow cheeks that formed dimples when he opened his mouth in awe of what he just saw.

It was him.

The supple lips of the poet named Victor Blake formed a mischievous, and yet endearing, smirk as he left the group of women who was barraging him with a lot of requests and questions to make his way closer to where V, Daniella, and (Y/N) were.

And as he playfully twirled a familiar - looking metal cane with his long and slender fingers and made his way to them, he began quoting.

"The modest rose,... puts forth a thorn,... the humble sheep,... a threat'ning horn." He recited, his voice pure honey to everyone's ears. "While the lily white,... shall in love delight,... " He, then, stopped right where (Y/N) was as he looked down at her. " ...nor a thorn nor a threat,..." The women squealed in delight while some snickered in envy as Victor Blake kneeled before (Y/N) and gently took her dainty hand in his huge and calloused ones. " ...stain her beauty bright." And as he ended the poem, he placed a chaste peck on the back of her hand, making her cheeks red and her eyes widen.

"Mister Sandman! Mister Sandman!"

"WAKE THE FUCK UP, V!"

V's eyes flicked open as he felt a jolt of electricity run through his body. He realized he was lying on the floor while Griffon was flapping his wings hysterically above him.

"F - FINALLY!" The demonic bird practically screamed at him, his voice seemingly cracking. "Now, ah, I know it won't be too much of a bother but, CAN YA DO SOMETHIN' 'BOUT THAT DAMN WOMAN 'CAUSE SHE CAN'T BE FUCKIN' KILLED?!"

V looked ahead just in time as he saw the horrifying face of the blonde bride he saw last night who was now crawling towards him like a huge demonic spider in pursuit of its prey. He drew back in terror as his eyes widened in terror at the look on her face: murderous, distorted, and outright unspeakable. He held out his cane in an effort to summon Shadow but, she just won't come out!

"THE HOUSECAT WON'T COME OUT NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES I CALL HER! THAT WON'T FUCKIN' WORK!" Griffon shrieked as the woman came closer and closer.

And then, V remembered,...

"And don't forget! In case of emergency, don't hesitate to push the button."

He felt the radio in his right hand and held it up. And with the last ounce of strength and bravery he had, he pushed the red emergency button and waited for something to -

"I'm lying alone with my head on the phone, thinking of you ‘till it hurts. I know you hurt too but what else can we do, tormented and torn apart?"

V cringed with the obnoxious sound that came out of the radio, and it startled both Griffon and the woman.

"I wish I could carry your smile in my heart for times when my life seems so low. It would make me believe what tomorrow could bring when today doesn't really know, doesn't really know! Ooh!"

V stood up and held the radio before the horrific woman like a Priest wielding a cross in front of a possessed maiden, making her stumble and cover her ears in fright of the horrible voice coming from Nico's gadget.

"I'm all out of love, I'm so lost without you. I know you were right believing for so long. I'm all out of love, what am I without you? I can't be too late to say that I was so wrong!"

The woman opened her mouth and shrieked at V and the abominable thing in his hand and finally scrambled away from them in fear. Like the spider - like thing that she was, she crawled back to the room she came from and the moment the horrible singing was over, the hallway went back to normal and they saw the first glimpses of the early rays of sunrise peeking through the windows.

And as everything went back to normal, V collapsed to the ground in exhaustion. Griffon swooped down close to him to assist him.

"You okay, V?" His now calm familiar asked him.

"I' am." He simply answered. And just when Griffon was about to help V on his feet, they turned to their left and saw Nico making her way towards them as she ascended on the stairs. Her hair looked frizzier than ever and her clothes were torn in many places like she just escaped some maniac who was trying to kill her.

"What happened to ya?" Griffon asked her as he finally helped V up to his feet. "Ya looked like ya just went to hell and back!"

Nico sighed and pushed the rim of her now broken glasses to the bridge of her nose. "Don't ask." She said, then took a bent and worn - out looking cigarette from her pocket and tried to light it. And when she finally had a smoke, her body relaxed and her shoulders slumped. "What time is it?"

"How should I know?" The bird replied. “And who was that singin’ that horrible song on the radio?!”

“That’s Nero.” Nico confessed nonchalantly. “I recorded him while he was singin’ in the shower. Thought his singin’ might scare off the rats in the orphanage. Guess I was wrong. It scared off somethin’ much bigger.”

Nico looked around her, her bloodshot eyes roaming around the now bright area. She sighed once more and gestured for them to come down with her.

A few moments later, she placed an old wooden box on the table in the kitchen.

"And that is?" V mildly asked her.

Nico opened the box and what's inside it surprised all of them. There were a lot of old photographs,...

... of (Y/N), and,...

"V?! Is that,... you?!" Griffon questioned as Nico took the photos out of the box, scattering them on the table one by one.

"I stumbled upon these when I was hiding in a cupboard somewhere in this floor." She picked up the picture that the bird was referring to and showed it to them. "What can you say about this, V?"

The poet took the photograph from her hand and took a good long look at it, albeit hard.

And there's no use denying it. From his hair, to his face, from his posture, to the way he held his metal cane.

It truly was him.

Victor and him,...

... were the same person.

And that cane he was holding onto? That one he stole from an antique shop a month ago and used to kill off Demons?

It was the same cane on Victor’s grasp.

The cane in V's hand,..

... once belonged to Victor Blake.

And (Y/N)? She seemed to have fallen for him in that very recent vision he had.

Just like how he was beginning to really feel something truly unexplainable about her,...

***

✒ @la-vita and @micaelagua . ✒

***

✒✒✒

***

[fortheloveofkuroo]

Open sky [pt. 2]

A/n: i'm so happy that the first part of "Open sky"'s are getting a lot of good response! Thank you you all! Here's the second part, enjoy!

Bakugou Katsuki × F!Reader

!!WARNING!!: Swearing & Fighting

Part 1

---

A gentle ray of sunshine slowly fill your room. Making it cozy and warm.

You stretched your arms and sit yourself up. Trying to wake yourself up, you slap your cheek with both of your palms.

"Wake up (Y/N). Today's important day!" you said to yourself while you move away from your comfy lavender bed.

Even your eyes are still half closed but you force yourself to get up.

Making your way slowly to the bathroom.

Soon after the cold refreshing water hits your bare skin, your eyes are completely open.

You walk out and grab some clothes that you already pick last night.

Your eyes move towards the hanging calender, today's date, April 23rd is circled with a red marker.

There's a little words scribbled there.

"Date with Bakugou!"

You flash a smile, your mind wander around from 3 days ago.

---

You rush towards 1-A class with a present in your hand.

Today is 20th April. It's a special day. Why?

"YOO HAPPY BIRTHDAY BROO!" before you knock on the door, you heard a shout followed with claps and whistle.

"Happy birthday kacchan! Here's a present for you!"

"Damnit shitty hair. No need to fuckin scream like that. Also you damn nerd, tch why the fuck do you even bother?"

A smile grew on your lips "Ah.. So his classmate remember, glad to hear that." you think inside your mind.

You pull your hand to yourself. You're not really good with new people and new environment, so you decided to wait or maybe you should leave and wait for the right time to give the present you prepared weeks ago.

"Wait! Let me get something! Bakugou and the rest wait here while we-" before you leave the doors suddenly open wide and two boys, one with blonde hair and the other with red spiky hair find you infront of the door with a present in your hand.

"Um.. Who are you?" the blonde boy tilt his head, his face filled with confusion while the spiky red boy smile widely.

"She must be Bakubro's friend! Look she got a present!" he point a box that wrapped with bright orange wrapping paper decorated with an army green ribbon.

"Ooh~ Hey! Bakugou! Someone's here for you!" shout the blonde boy.

Bakugou, who's now surrounded with his classmates can't hear a thing. But his sharp ruby eyes notices someone over the door.

"Anyway, we both need to get something. Just come in!" said the spiky red haired boy opening the door for you.

"A-Ah.. Thanks?" you answered, looking at those two silly boys who's running trough the corridor till they completely gone.

Looking at the class room, you hesitately look inside and.. Bakugou is gone.

"Wait what.." you scanned the entire class room once again, looking for a ash blonde guy with an angry face

"Looking for me, dumbass?" a voice behind you making you jump. You turn your head immediately and sigh.

"Don't surprise me like that stupid. And no i am not looking for you." he rolled his eyes and crossed his arms on his chest.

"So, why are you here then? And what's that box behind your back? Is it for me?" he asked while smirking.

You sighed then smile wryly. "Of course you fool. Happy birthday." you said with a wide grin. Handing over the present to him

"I prepared this for a week, kay? You better keep it." you warned before Bakugou hand accept it.

"Yeah yeah whatever, what did you get me anyways?" he take the present and shake it.

"Just open it!"

unexpectedly, instead of opening the present, he shoved the present back to your hand.

"I can't accept this." his voice is calm and collected. But it strikes your chest

"W-What? Why?" he got you confused and curious. Again.

"Why? I don't know. I just can't. Well i can accept your gift with one condition." Bakugou's shoulder shrug.

"What?! I prepared this for a week! You better accept it you stupid! Or-" your hand grab his collar, but before you can bring him close, his hand is already on your waist and it brings you closer to him.

"Or what? You gonna punch me again like last time? I don't think so dumbass." he smirked. His lips is right beside your ear.

"Meet me at the park infront of school's building at 12. Bring your present too." he whispered. Blowing hot air to your right ear.

"Whooo~ Look's who's finally get laid~" a voice surprises both of you. You pushed his body away and you can feel your cheeks heating up.

"Shut the fuck up dunce face. I'm gonna fucking kill you!" snap Bakugou.

You're too late to respond, your face is too red to react to the blonde boy's words

"Also don't be late or i'll kill you." he muttered while walking inside the class.

"Is this.. A date?"

---

You quickly put on your shoes and snatch your bag. Quickly running outside.

You check the time. 11:39. You still got time. Bakugou is the kind of guy who appreciate time and he's always come 15 minutes early on any occasion. So you have to be on time.

As expected, you saw Bakugou, already waiting on the park. It's rather strange finding him without his unform but with casual clothes this time. You never saw him with casual clothes.

He wear his usual black t-shirt combined with maroon varsity and ripped jeans. His eyes is attached to his phone.

"Nice outfit." you compliment. You walk a little closer to him and smiled.

"Took you long enough." he put away his phone and stands up.

"Bakugou, it's not even 12 yet." Bakugou only rolled his eyes and walks away.

"Hey wait up!" you chased after him, trying to walk beside him and keep your face steady. This boy sure walk fast.

"Come on, i don't have a whole damn day." he said while checking on his phone again.

"Where are we going anyway?" you asked. But Bakugou just keep walking, not answering.

"You'll see dumbass. So shut your fuckin mouth and walk faster." his legs quickly walk faster and you immediately left behind.

"H-Hey! Geez, why are we running now?!" you shout to him, trying to chase this ash blonde boy who's now already far away.

Eventually, you catch up with him. Bakugou stopped at a building with a lot of people around.

"...A restaurant?" you asked him.

He pointed a poster that shows some kind of event.

"Come and get free limited edition All Might Plushies by finishing the Deadly Spice Curry Challenge!

Just by eating 3 big portion of our famous special deadly spice curry in 30 minutes!

If you managed to finish in 30 minutes, you'll get 50% discount of the original price, dozens coupon of discount for eating here, and of course the limited edition All Might Plushie!

*events only available from 21st April - 23rd April 3 P.M"

"I want to try that." said Bakugou innocently.

And you couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Stop laughing dumbass! What's so fuckin funny, hah?!" he raged, a slight blush tinted his cheek.

"Oh my, Bakugou.. Sure sure, let's go!" you pull him inside and sits.

After ordering the meal, you're a little concern. The people who tried to finish the challenge ended up with burnt throat or even puking.

"Is this curry really that spicy..?" you asked.

"I don't know. But i want to try and we will win that All might plushie." Bakugou sips on his water.

Hold up. Did he just say We?

"How about we compete and see who eat their curry faster? First who won win the plushies!" you suggest.

Bakugou loves challenge and competition. His will is absolute. If he want to win, he will win.

He smirked and crack his knuckles.

"Sure dumbass, we'll see who win."

"3 big portion of Deadly Spice Curry coming up!" the waitress place 3 big plates of red curry, topped with chicken katsu. Under the curry there's a bed of warm white rice.

The smell is so spicy it makes your eyes teary.

"Ugh the smell is already so spicy i don't know if i can-" "What is that?" you look up at Bakugou who's now already finishing half of his portion.

He show no sign of sweating, or anything. He just eat it like a normal curry.

"So you can't eat spicy, huh? Too bad. I guess i win then." he scoop a big portion of curry and eat it like nothing.

"Oh come on, it won't be too bad right? You can handle spicy food. Remember that spicy mapo tofu with 100 chili you ate few years ago. This curry is nothing (Y/N)" you think.

You take a scoop of the curry and eat it. Once you gulp it down, your throat suddenly in fire. The burning sensation making you sweat constantly.

Bakugou's already making his way to the second portion when he notice that your face is as red as tomato.

"My fucking god, you alright?" he asked handing you a glass of cold milk that you gulp in one sip.

"I-I'm.. I'm t-totally.. Fine!" you pant, you can feel your throat is still burning, your nose is runny and your eyes are still teary.

"You don't have to finish that-"

"I can eat this! I won't lose to you stupid!" you yell as you scoop the curry and stuffed it in your mouth as many as you can. Trying to endure the burning sensation.

Bakugou, who's now finish with his curry watching you struggling to eat your portion. He couldn't help but giggle a bit.

Your face is already so red and your lips are swollen red.

Right at you 10th scoop, you put down your spoon. Your curry's not even half finish yet.

Without warning, Bakugou snatched your plate and finished it off. Leaving you gasping with air.

"Oi we're done over here." he calls for the waitress and damn right, he win the challenge.

You, who's now still suffering with your burning throat can't help but keep drinking the milk.

"Tch, thought you're supposed fucking to win. You challenge me after all." Bakugou mocked you. He held an All Might plushies between his arm.

"S-Sorry.. It's too.. Hot." you reply. Not even dare to look at his eyes.

"Don't fuckin apologized dumbass. Also don't push yourself. I don't want you to pass out and ended up carrying your ass all the way back to the dorm. So yeah." he said, helping you stand.

"Well.. Oof.. Atleast let me pay-" "Nope. I'm payin'."

"What?! No! I am paying! I can't help finish the curry at all!"

"Fuck no. I ate all the curry, so i'm the one who's gonna pay. You just calm your ass over there, kay?" Bakugou shoves the All might plushies to your face and leave with his wallet.

"BAKUGOU!" too bad he's already at the cashier, and not too long he's back with a receipt on his hand.

"It's not too expensive, after all we got a discount." he said with a shrug on his shoulder and then dragging you, leaving the restaurant.

"Um.. Thanks. Here's your plushy." you hand the plushy to him but he refuse.

"It's for you." he threw his hand behind his head and walk slowly.

"Eh? What? But i lose! The one who win got to keep the plushy, right?!" your words cutted off with a single stare of his ruby eyes.

"Yeah? And? I win, i got the plushy. And i decided to gave it to you." he explained.

You can feel your heart racing and your face heating up again. Is this the effect of that curry or what?

"Your face is fucking red like tomato. And your lips is kinda swollen. We need ice." Bakugou dragged you (again) to a minimarket and sits you down to one of the chairs.

"You wait here. And don't you fucking dare move. Got it?" Bakugou pierce your eyes again with his ruby eyes.

"Geez.. Fine.."

While Bakugou is inside, buying for stuff, you look up and stare at the orange sky.

The spring wind is nice, it's gentle and brush your hair gently.

It's a miracle that you kinda went on a 'date' with Bakugou. Bakugou Katsuki who always blast people away. You couldn't help but smile at yourself.

It's all started with the acidentall meeting you have afterall.

10 minutes passed, and Bakugou still hasn't come out from the minimarket yet.

So you decided to check if he's okay and turns out thing are not okay.

You find him, Bakugou is currently surrounded with a bunch of punks. 5 total. His face is already as angry as he can be.

"Look who's here. The great Bakugou from U.A, huh?" said one of the punks with a spiky hair.

"Your disgusting temper is not heroic. You shouldn't went to U.A you fucking firecracker." the one with red hair chirps.

"You should see yourself first before speaking y'know. Atleast i don't end up like you fuckin street rats." his palms are already making small explosion.

"Ohh~ Are you mad? Aah~ So scary, i'm scareddd~" one of them mocked him and of course Bakugou is ready to fight them. His fist is already clenching and he's panting.

But you decided to step in.

"What's wrong here?" you asked calmly. Pushing Bakugou slightly behind you.

"Oh look! The girlfriend is here, are you that scared that your girlfriend have to step in, Bakugou?"

"You fucking piece of shit. I will kill you." he growls.

"Say sweetie, why are you here with him? Come with us! We can make sure you'll have bunch of fun with us than with him." he places his hand on your shoulder.

"Don't fuckin touch her you-" you slapped his hand away. Making that punk sneered.

"Bakugou. Calm down. I got this." you smile sweetly to him.

"Don't interfere (Y/N). Get the fuck out." he grips your arm.

"Bakugou. Just calm down." you pat his cheek and let go of his hand.

"Aww, so sweet. The girlfriend tried to protect her boyfriend, hm? What a cute couple. But i pity you ms, you should choose a better boyfriend."

"And why is that? I think he's fine." you answered.

"Just because of his temper and harsh personality doesn't mean that he's not heroic. He's a good guy. Better than you all." you smile to those punks who's now triggered with your words.

"The fuck you say ms? Don't make me slap those pretty mouth of yours." said one of them.

"Oh, go ahead and try if you can." you said, cracking your neck and knuckles.

Right before the punk's hand lay on your body, you already hit his crotch. Causing him to yelp and fall.

Bakugou, who's now amazed with how brave you are stay quiet and still can't believe his eyes.

"Come on now! Stand up! You said you want to slap these mouth, huh?" you challenged the other punks.

3 of them helping the one who's got kicked on the crotch, while the other one is now facing you.

His face is covered with fear, but he force and braces himself.

He's quite fast so he grip your collar and try to hit you, but a hand stopped him. A dark aura surrounded a figure behind you.

His ruby like eyes are glowing with a scary aura that makes him 10000% more terrifying.

"Hands off my 'girlfriend'. Now." Bakugou stopped his arm and you kicked the punk's crotch again.

"Right boys. Now say sorry to my 'boyfriend' for insulting him or else," you say with a cold gaze while preparing your fist.

"We-We're very sorry ma'am!" they answered with a shaky voice.

"Come on, you can't hear me? I said to him not me." you smile coldly.

"W-WE'RE SORRY BAKUGOU! WE WILL NEVER INTERRUPT YOU AGAIN!" the three of them bow as the two of them are in pain. Bakugou's shocked. You really did make them apologize.

"Y-You'll pay for this, you damn woman!" said one of them who got kicked first.

You laughed as the three of them dragged the two away.

"Gosh that was fun!" you turn to Bakugou who's face is not.. So happy.

"Baku? What's wrong? Don't tell me they hurt you-" "It's not it damnit." he looks away. His fist is still clenching. He bit his lips.

You sighed, holding his hand, you bring him outside.

"Sit, sit." you said while sitting beside him.

"What now?" you asked while hugging your All might plushies.

"You.. Defend me. A girl defend me. They're targetting me. I'm the one who supposed to beat them but you.."

"Are you mad at me?" Bakugou looks up at your face.

"Are you mad at me becase i defend you from those street rats?" you asked him once again, looking straight at his ruby eyes.

"Say Bakugou, you always fight for yourself and might be the other. But did anybody ever fight for you?"

"Yes. That fucking nerd. And Shitty hair. But i hate it okay?! I don't need a saving! I can do that by myself! Just like that punk-"

"And why di they do that? Why do they fight for you? Do you have any idea Bakugou?" you asked. Bakugou immediately goes silence.

"Because they fucking love you, you stupid. They care about you and they don't want their friend got hurt. It goes the same as me. I save you from that people because i don't want you to get hurt and act carelessly. You can simply broke the rule to use the quirk on public you dumbass!" you explained.

Bakugou expression still stiff.

"Also it's rather fun.. They're just a bunch of punks. Don't take them seriously. Unless, they touch you."

You sunk your face to your All Might plushy.

"Hands off my 'girlfriend'. Now." "Right boys. Now say sorry to my 'boyfriend' for insulting him or else,"

That sentences wander around your head and you immediately mentally slap yourself for saying that.

"Uh.. Also for that boyfriend-girlfriend thing.."

"It's fine." Bakugou seems doesn't care that much.

"But i can't fucking stand it when his filthy hand touches you." he hit the table.

"Woah okay man.. Um.. Thanks for that.." you thank him with a smile.

"Oh, what did you buy anyway?" you finally asked, looking at the plastic that he hold.

"Ice pack. For you." he threw one to you and you catch it.

"For your swollen lips. Let's go. It's getting dark." he stands up and walk away.

You smiled while compressing your lips with the ice pack. He's kind off caring too. So much of Bakugou's other side that you found today. And it's all interesting to you.

You two walks in silence, crossing a river that shows a good view of sunset. The orange hue catches your eye.

You stopped for a while and begged Bakugou to look at the sunset.

"Pleaseee! It's beautiful you know! It's rare these day to find such a good place to watch sunset," you tugs his arm. Hoping him to agree which eventually he did.

"Tch fine fine! Only this once." you smiled while finding a place to sit.

And you both watch the suns's getting down slowly.

Bakugou quite enjoying himself, His eyes are focused on the sun.

You look at him. His side profile looks beautiful. Despite that stern face he always put on. His furrowed eyebrows, his long lashes, his sharp ruby eyes, his pointy nose and those soft skin and lips.

"Whatchu' looking at, dumbass?" his voice once again snaps you back to reality.

"N-No.. Nothing Ahaha!" you play dumb and look at the sunset.

"I had fun today." you smiles, looking at him waiting for his reply.

"Me too." he said, you brofist yourself inside your mind.

"I know that you can't fucking eat spicy though." he laughs, mocking at you.

"What?! Then why did you bring me to that place?!"

"I already said it. I want to try it." Bakugou insist.

"You can go with your friends or family though, and not wait untill the last moment like this. Today the challenge will end right? That's why you were in a rush." you lecture him.

"I juat want to go with you. That's all." he answered with such an honest look on his face.

And that got you flustered all over again.

"O-Oh right! Your present!" you open your bag, trying to find a box that you meant to give to Bakugou.

But, you find nothing. Crap, you seriously didn't forget to bring it, right?

"Well?" you look at Bakugou, looking so guilty.

"I'm really really sorry but.. I left your present in my room." you said sadly.

Bakugou scoffs, "It's fine dumbass, i don't need a present as long as i got you." he said quickly.

"W-What? What did you say?" You didn't hear that wrong right.

"Nothing dumbass! Now just shut the fuck up and look at the sunset!" he hit your head lightly and focuses on the sun.

You smiled, making your way closer to him.

You get closer, hands on his shoulder and you peck his cheek. Just a quick peck.

You quickly get away before Bakugou realizes what the hell happen.

His eyes widened. His cheeks are flushed with a pink tint.

"W-What the fuck are you doing, dumbass?!" his face is flustered but he managed to rage.

"I-I.. Well i felt guilty leaving your present, so i changed it! That-That's your other present.." you cover your face with both of your hands. Fully realizing what have you done.

"A-Anyway let's go home!" he stand up. Shoving both of his hands in his jeans pocket and walks away.

"Wait! Bakugou!" you yell, Bakugou stops and offer his hand.

"You're slow as fuck. What are you? A snail?"

You grin as you take his hand and hold it.

"Hey Bakugou,"

"What dumbass?"

"You could've asked nicely you know.."

"Ask what?"

"If you want to go on a date with me hehe."

"SHUT THE FUCK UP! I DIDN'T PLAN IT TO BE LIKE THIS!"

"GEEZ CHILL BAKUGOU I WAS JUST JOKING- wait you planned this?"

"Shut up. Walk faster now."

"Can we do this again?"

"What? the fucking kiss? I don't mind actually. But this time on the lips, what do you say about that?"

"THE DATE! THE. DATE. YOU STUPID BASTARD!"

[purplepersnicketywrites]

Concept: Kirishima baking things for bakugou and the class because he used to make things with his moms but since he's in u.a he can't so he bakes with satou (also satou and kirishima once baked for almost 2 days straight because of finals and bakugou found them asleep on the ground with floor covered in cake mix and flour) i got way into this but thoughts?

my thoughts are: i love it and i have a drabble for this that went wildly in a weird direction but THANKS

One thing Katsuki could never quite get his head around - and that was saying a lot because Katsuki was damn smart and he knew it - was Kirishima’s sense of aesthetics. It was confusing, and Katsuki hated being confused. It meant that there wass something he didn’t understand, and if there was something he didn’t understand, it meant there was an unpicked thread to follow. Katsuki couldn’t help but pull on these to unravel everything so that he did know, though usually… Usually people were not the thing that held his interest. People didnit intrigue him like this. Aside from Kirishima.

Giving the redhead a once-over - something Katsuki did a lot, admittedly - ought to be it for an inspection. The boy dressed like a lunatic. Bright patterns and bold designs, all of it clashing, and a lot of red, and crocs, and spiked up hair, and none of it really matched at all. It was so jarring to Katsuki, in fact, that it worked. The contradiction. It was very… Kirishima.

Kirishima was a contradiction.

He dressed so weirdly that Katsuki couldn’t help but wonder if it was on purpose. Then he remembered that sometimes Kirishima didn’t dress like that - an image of the redhead he hadn’t really had the time nor inclination at the moment it happened to really take in popped into his brain: Kirishima’s hair down and streaming behind him, dark jacket, white shirt, a fuckin’ bracelet.

Then, before that, a plain grey suit, and the one with the flowers he had got for Katsuki. Perfectly fitting, elegant, nothing like Kirishima wore for himself. So it must be on purpose.

Katsuki didn’t understand why Kirishima would hide his taste like that. Mask it with the most ridiculous things he can find. But then, Kirishima masked a lot of things behind that big toothy smile of his.

Kirishima had smiled at him when he had handed Katsuki the box that was now in his hand. It hadn’t been his normal smile, it had been a little nervous. It had made Katsuki’s stomach flip, but not unpleasantly.

“I, uh, made these for you,” Kirishima had said, shoving the box at Katsuki’s chest and then rubbing at the back of his neck. “Or, uh, I made them with Satou’s help. And. Then I decorated them. And they’re for you!”

Katsuki had just blinked, not sure (yet) why Kirishima’s words were so stilted, or why his own cheeks were flushed.

“I hope you enjoy them!” Kirishima said, not waiting for a reply. He had scampered back to his own door and rushed inside. Katsuki had stood there for a moment.

Now he was sitting on his bed, inspecting one of the little cookies that the box had been filled with. Every single fuckin’ one of them had a different design, and there must have been at least twenty of them. The one he was holding right now said ‘BOOM!’ in black icing, with an explosion drawn out in yellow behind it.

It looked professional. All of them did. Katsuki kind of didn’t want to eat them, he wanted to keep them and look at them and marvel at Kirishima’s skill, because Kirishima was damn good at this whole art business. He clearly knew colours. Had Kirishima sketched any of these out beforehand? The one iced like a grenade - it looked exactly like one of Katsuki’s. That one bore Katsuki’s hero name. That one the logo of his favourite band. That one was a lion because it was his favourite animal. Katsuki didn’t want to destroy these by just eating them.

If he didn’t eat them, though, Kirishima would probably be disappointed.

Fucking- Katsuki moved over to his desk chair, and began pulling the cookies out, one by one, and setting them onto the clear space on his desk. He was gonna take a fucking picture of these.

He did so, snapping a few of them all together, and close-ups of each one. So. He picked one of the cookies up. ‘No. 1′ in bold red. Fuck, but Katsuki knew what these cookies really were, didn’t he? He knew what Kirishima had meant by them. Katsuki didn’t know how the fuck he was supposed to respond. He liked Kirishima, he just didn’t have a fuckin’ clue about how to say that.

Katsuki brought the ‘No. 1′ cookie to his mouth.

Oh fuck.

It was sweet and spicy. There was cinnamon, probably mixed spice, and then a gingery kick. It was so fucking good. Holy fuck.

Katsuki savoured it, and then stood. He packed the rest of the cookies back into the box and closed the lid. Then he left it there on his desk as he moved towards the door. Katsuki left his room, took the few steps down the corridor to Kirishima’s, and knocked.

Kirishima opened the door. “Oh! Bakugou! Hey, uh, did you like the-”

Katsuki grabbed Kirishima’s face and kissed him. Throw caution to the fuckin wind, right? Kirishima made a slightly muffled noise of alarm, but he melted into the kiss, the redhead’s arms snaking around Katsuki’s waist. Kirishima pulled Katsuki into his room.

They broke apart, but not too far.

“You taste sweet,” Kirishima breathed. Katsuki felt the other boy’s hands bunching in his shirt. “So that’s a yes, I think?”

“I fuckin’ adore them, Kirishima,” Katsuki growled. He could feel himself flushing. What happened next? Should he ask Kirishima out or was that on the redhead for having initiated with the cookies?

“I like you!” Kirishima blurted. “Just- Just to be clear!”

Katsuki would ask, then. He leaned in for another kiss, just a short peck. “Do you… Wanna go on a date?”

Kirishima nodded rapidly. “Fuck yes!”

Katsuki snorted. He let go of Kirishima’s face, and then buried his own in the crook of Kirishima’s neck as he moved into a hug. It was easier to say what he wanted to say like this. “I like you too.”

[spookyspaghettisundae]

Thirteen-One, part 5

Amy’s hands trembled like leaves in the wind. Even when she tried to suppress it, tried to focus, and tried to calm herself down—the coffee mug in her hand shook, and the liquid inside of it threatened to slosh over the edge after taking a sip.

She set it down and stared at the nondescript disc that sat on the surface of her desk. Seth had given it to her. In her heart of hearts, she knew it contained another strange video. And that she would not be able to unsee whatever it would show her. What it would show her about herself.

Amy dreaded to watch that video. A single tear dropped onto the transparent jewel case.

She switched her computer on and inserted the disc. Waiting for the system to boot up took way too long. Her heart raced. Her fingers tapped on the edge of the desk.

Finally she opened it up, double-clicked, and started viewing the video.

The image was black. Something rustled. The camera automatically focused on a face. Contrary to what she expected—to see her own face in the picture like the last time she had watched one of these bizarre videos—she beheld Seth’s face instead. He sighed and slumped into a chair in front of the running camera.

It was the same dingy room that she had seen herself in, on the previous recording that these psychopaths had given her. This too, showed her something she could not remember.

“Thirteen-One is here, and Scott is—he is dead. My rage with Sara was not as much as a drawback as he initially thought,” Seth spoke into the camera. His eyes glistened with tears and he croaked out some of the words.

“By the way—I hate that Amy doesn’t accept what she really is,” he continued. His voice shook with what could only have been sadness or rage. “Twenty-Four-Five and Twelve-Twelve have accepted it. I accepted it.”

He trembled as he screamed, the sudden outburst blending into his next words, “Why doesn’t she?”

Seth breathed, his chest heaved, he took what felt like an eternity to settle back down in this rickety old wooden chair. Watching the unsettling scene unfold, Amy hugged herself. She sat on the edge of her seat, absorbed by Seth’s monologue in this video.

“It doesn’t matter,” Seth sighed. “Now it’s just about—we gotta end the game, complete the pentagram, perfect the circle. I’m certain now—Thirteen-One is to blame for Amy’s fever-like states and dreams. Can’t expect any useful contributions from her, now.”

He looked away from the camera and stared into the distance. Almost as if he had heard someone or something. When his gaze returned to fixate on the camera’s lens, he said, “If you ask her what happened to Scott, she says he moved to France. I guess that means she’s suppressing the truth, or something. Like she doesn’t know what happened. So I’m beginning to wonder—is Amy the right one for Thirteen-One? Is Thirteen-One the right one for Amy?”

Seth set his jaw during the silence that followed. Outside Amy’s house, the rain set it—first tapping against the shuttered windows and roof with a subtle pitter-patter, then transitioning into a drumming downpour.

She refused to believe what she was hearing Seth say in the video. Scott was not dead. He was in France.

Seth and the other jerks from this weird cult had to be gaslighting her.

Right?

“We’re waiting for answers, but I’m sick and fuckin’ tired of waiting,” Seth said, closing his eyes. “I’m gonna scour the tomes, and see if I can’t get some damned answers myself.”

Before Amy’s consciousness could fully absorb Seth’s video, he got up and reached towards the camera. The video turned to a static of black and white, and the audio died.

Amy’s hand rested on the computer mouse, pale as a corpse once more, then moved the input device with the intention of closing the video and clicking everything away. But before she could close the player, the static ceased to display and made way for something else. A dark picture, a close-up of someone’s mouth.

Screaming. The video had no audio, but judging by the cracked lips and the way the mouth moved, it had to be screams of agony.

It looked like Scott’s mouth, which she knew intimately from all the times they had kissed in the past. Amy stared at the video, expecting to see something else, hoping to see something that would prove her instincts wrong, praying silently for this to stop on its own or someone to jump out of hiding and tell her she was being punked.

None of that.

Just more screams. Although no audio escaped her computer’s speakers while the mouth’s teeth gritted in pain before gnashing and then stretching wide open to scream yet more, she heard dark whispers in the back of her head. The whispers were not really there—she was not going crazy, at least not yet—but she felt like they should have been there. Like she could have heard the whispers in the background, chanting, while this poor person—not-Scott, she wished, over and over again—screamed.

Amy closed the player before the video ended. It had only a few seconds left, anyway.

She refused to believe.

She removed the disc from her computer’s drive with an almost eerie calm about her. Then she snapped it in half and, without looking, tossed it at the trash bin nearby. She missed and the plastic parts clattered onto the floor.

Blood dripped from her bandaged hand, soiling the wooden floorboards underneath her desk chair.

Walking through the fog and the rain, the world passed by Amy in a trance. A familiar yet distorted voice responded to her at the building’s intercom after she rang the bell to Seth’s apartment, but it was not Seth on the other end. It was the one she expected to answer, for some reason. Like this strange world she lived in was beginning to make sense, like everybody was falling into place within a strange, dysfunctional order.

Inside the apartment, she sat on the couch once more, the water dripping from her leather jacket, the fabric of the sofa soaking it all up in dark spots. She sat across from Adam, and had buried her face in her hands. She had told Adam everything she had experienced in the past few days.

“I don’t know what you could’ve done,” Adam told her. Unlike in their last conversation, he sat up straight. Did not distract himself with booze or smoking. “Don’t know if the cops could—or would—do anything right about this.”

“They know where I live,” Amy said. “They know what I’m thinking. They know what I’m afraid of. What the fuck am I supposed to do?”

“I don’t know, but why the hell did you come here, of all places? To Seth’s apartment?”

Amy looked up at him and shook her head, replying, “I don’t know. Maybe this is the last place they’ll look for me. Maybe I need to warn you, too. Maybe you’re in danger, too.”

Adam shrugged, but the contortion of his face betrayed the uneasiness that had claimed his heart.

“Eh, I have nothing to do with anything. Seth hasn’t been here in all this time, ever since the last little shindig here. Also, I’m not really part of the gang you all had together, back then, so, eh, y'know. Screw it.”

Adam scratched his head, first lightly, and then with more fervor and irritation. No itch made him do that, only confusion.

And fear.

“There’s something you’re not telling me, I feel like,” Adam said. His words and thoughts trailed off.

“I—I can't—I can’t really say,” Amy stammered.

“Go find Steve, okay? Tell him. Go take him somewhere, outside of this garbage town. Better yet, go to the big city together, or to his parents and spend some time there. Just take some vacation.”

“But—”

“No, I know I’m full of bad habits and worse advice, but this time, you should listen to me.”

A silence draped itself over them. It dragged on while Amy pondered his suggestions.

Adam asked, “Okay?”

More silence followed.

He asked again, “Okay?”

“Okay,” Amy sighed.

The doorbell rang. Not the doorbell to Seth’s apartment, but the one to Steve’s. Elsewhere. He approached the door, unlocked it, and swung it open.

Amy stood there, greeted him wordlessly. Her eyes spoke volumes of desperation. They fell into each other’s arms, then they kissed. Amy’s passion suffered and Steve must have sensed her dwindling energy and broken confidence. He responded with all his affection.

She wanted to say something, but he placed his index finger upon her lips to shush her.

Amy spoke anyway, “I need to leave for a while. A few days. Maybe a week.”

Steve took his finger away and his brow arched.

“What? Where to?”

Amy slipped out of the embrace, but held his hands in hers.

“It’s gonna sound weird, but—just—away from here. Away from everything here.”

Normally, a confident sense of humor rode on every single line Steve uttered, but now he sounded like the words she said had wounded him when he asked, “Even away from me?”

Amy fought back the tears and her chin crinkled.

“There are people in my life. Here—I just—I just need some distance. It’ll just be for a little while?”

“Wait, is this some sort of break-up thing?”

“Please—this isn’t. No, this has got nothing to do with you.”

Steve shook his head, defied that, “What the hell? Of course it’s got something to do with me. I hear you talking. You’re telling me how you feel. Or are some sort of fairies talking through your mouth now?”

He gave her a lopsided grin.

“Alright, I guess I understand. I’m not gonna ask any more questions if you don’t wanna answer. Just, like, promise me you’ll explain everything when you get back? Or this all blows over? Whatever this is.”

Amy did not reply to that with words, only with a feeble smile. Heartfelt, but as feeble as Seth and the cult had rendered her now.

“So, when are you leaving?”

“I think right now. That would be best.”

Steve leaned left and then right, looking at her from different angles in a playful fashion.

“Gonna miss me?”

A feeble giggle escaped her, fitting the feeble smile that he had provoked from her. He returned a wide warm smile. He dragged her inside—she let him. He kicked the door shut behind them and they wound up on the couch in a loving embrace. Hands glided underneath shirts. Warm lips connected. Fingers interlocked.

Then the memories of Scott welled up. Amy started seeing Scott there instead of Steve. Instead of kissing Steve, she kissed Scott. The texture of their hands felt different, rougher, callused.

She felt like throwing up.

Steve pushed her up and away from himself. He stared at her in disbelief, sensing the distance and her growing discomfort.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Amy said. “Well, fuck, I don’t know. Too many fairies around, I guess.”

“Fuck those fairies.”

She snuggled up to him again and nuzzled his neck. Steve wrapped his arms around her and they lied there for a long and quiet minute.

“I’ll always be there for you. I just wish—I hope I can stop being afraid,” she said.

Steve stared her in the eyes and said, “You don’t have to be afraid. I’m here for you, too.”

“But I’m afraid of myself, babe. This fear—I’m the only one who can take it away.”

Lost in each other’s gazes, lost in a sea of timelessness, they both spoke at the same time when they next whispered to one another, “I love you.”

Meanwhile, figures dressed in black opened the front door and walked into Steve’s apartment. Hooded and masked to conceal their features, the faceless intruders each carried something different with them—a metal baseball bat, a bike chain, a metal pipe, and a knife. The couple did not notice these four men sneaking up on them.

Until it was too late.

—Submitted by Wratts