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shion-yu · 3 months

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Not Your Fault (part 2)

Part 1 | Alex has fever dreams, Shu comforts him. Fill for my @badthingshappenbingo space "It's All My Fault." Original work, 1,474 words. No TWs, CW: PTSD, vomit, Alex is 13 here. And don't worry, of course Shu's gonna get whumped in part 3 :P

Shu was woken up by the sound of screaming. He ran into Alex's room not bothering to knock where he found Alex sitting up in bed crying and coughing. His breathing was fast and congested, a mix of tears and snot running down his face. Without the confident scowl on his face that he usually protected himself with, he looked exactly like the teenager he really was.

"Alex, Alex! Look at me bud," Shu urged him, hands hovering over Alex's shoulders. Alex looked at him with such a hurt, scared expression that it was clear he wasn't in the present moment. Shu took a chance, placed one hand on Alex’s shoulder and rubbed Alex's back with the other in the hope that it would help bring Alex back to reality. He knew that nightmares were a common occurrence for Alex, but usually Alex would shout once or twice in his sleep and then go quiet. This time he seemed to be in a full blown panic though, likely thanks to the fever Shu could feel through his t-shirt.

Alex looked up at Shu with a heartbreakingly devastated expression. "It's my fault," he whimpered, his eyes shining with tears.

"You haven't done anything wrong," Shu soothed him, his voice low and gentle. "It's okay. Just focus on me now."

Alex let out a small sob and gripped the hem of Shu's shirt. He was shaking, either with fear or chills or both. "I killed them. It's my fault they're dead. I-I-" He shuddered violently. Shu pressed his hand to Alex's cheek and grimaced at the high heat coming off the teen.

"No honey, it's not your fault," Shu tried to soothe Alex like he was far younger than fourteen. He wasn't exactly sure what Alex was talking about, but it likely had something to do with how everybody else in that apartment had died the day of the explosion - Alex's mom, his mom's boyfriend, and the downstairs neighbor. Alex had been the only one to survive it because he’d been in his bedroom with the doors closed, suffering only minor injuries while everybody else had died on site. Such an event would haunt anyone, let alone a thirteen year old boy who clearly did not have the best coping mechanisms. Alex tried to act like it didn’t bother him, but Shu found that impossible to believe. He made Alex go to talk therapy even though the kid almost always found some way to bail on it, thinking that maybe if Alex didn’t want to tell him about his troubles then at least maybe he could tell someone else.

Shu kept rubbing Alex's back, something he usually wouldn't be able to do without Alex slapping his hand away. "Breathe for me, can you?" Shu asked gently. "It's just you and me here. You're safe."

Alex seemed to listen for about ten seconds, growing momentarily quieter, before his breath quickened again. "Alex?" Shu questioned him. All the color had suddenly drained from Alex's face.

"I'm gonna puke," Alex said, gagging once before Shu managed to shove the waste basket under his chin just in time. Despite skipping dinner, Alex managed to vomit a substantial amount before collapsing back onto his pillows, trembling violently. Shu hummed sympathetically and took the basket away, tying the bag up and bringing it to the kitchen where he double bagged and tossed the mess. He returned with the bin containing a fresh bag, the thermometer and a wet rag. Alex was lying there with one arm over his eyes. It was difficult to discern an expression in that position, but it was clear he was upset.

"Let's get you cleaned up and I'll take your temperature," Shu said softly. Alex just groaned in response, not moving. Shu hummed and pressed the dampened cloth to Alex's sweaty neck. Alex flinched but then took the washcloth and wiped the rest of his face off. Afterwards Shu traded the washcloth for the thermometer.

"It doesn't matter," Alex muttered, but begrudgingly placed the small instrument under his tongue. The number rose until it stopped at 102.3 and beeped. Shu took it and made out the reading using the dim hallway light that flooded into the bedroom from the doorway.

"Oof. You must feel awful," Shu hummed softly.

"No, I feel great," Alex said sarcastically. This usual snarkiness actually made Shu feel a little better. The wet, "Ht'ksshh!" and whimper that followed did not.

"Do you think you can stomach some more Tylenol?" Shu asked him, handing Alex the glass of water. "Just try a few little sips first," he urged when Alex looked at the glass apprehensively. Alex followed instructions and then nodded after managing a few sips without throwing up, so Shu handed him two more Tylenol to take. "We'll bring you to the doctor in the morning," Shu said.

Alex looked annoyed. "I don't need to go to the doctor," he said. "I just need to sleep it off."

"Is that what you're used to?" Shu asked, perhaps a bit too pityingly because Alex scowled and pushed the glass back into his hand. "Alex..."

"Sorry for waking you up," Alex growled. "Go back to - to be... H'nnxgh-“ Alex managed to halfway stifle the first of the fit of three sneezes only, the rest too strong for him to hold back. He launched straight from sneezing into coughing and Shu was surprised when Alex grabbed onto Shu's forearm, although it seemed simply to prevent himself from pitching forward. Shu reached for a tissue from the box on Alex's nightstand and held it to Alex's nose.

"Blow," he said. “Just do it, you're choking on your own snot," he added when Alex glared at him with watery eyes. Alex took the tissue and blew what sounded like far more than what could fit in one tissue's worth. Shu held out his hand for the used one and traded Alex for another, which he also filled. "Good," Shu said. "Better?" Alex nodded slowly. He looked miserable. "Do you think you can go back to sleep?" Shu asked him hopefully.

Alex shook his head no, sniffling pathetically. “Everything hurts,” he whined.

"Okay, that's fine,” Shu said. “Do you want me to stay with you? Or we can go watch TV in my room." Alex didn't go in there much, but Shu always tried to make him feel like he could enter whenever he wanted. The first night Alex had lived with him, Alex had slept there while Shu slept on the couch since he didn't have a bed for Alex yet. It had all been very sudden, how Alex had come to live with him, and Shu still couldn't believe everything that had happened in the handful of months that had passed since then.

Alex didn't answer, but he was looking at Shu with a strange expression that Shu couldn't read. "Or the couch," Shu added awkwardly, trying to come up with other options in case maybe Alex didn't like any of the first ones. "I could make you something warm."

"You're too nice to me," Alex blurted out suddenly. His face turned red, but Shu wasn't sure if it was all due to the fever.

"Alex," Shu sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed and facing him with a serious expression. "You're my kid. I know I'm not what you'd prefer but it's what you've got, and I'm trying my best. I want you to feel safe, this is your home now. Whatever happened or didn't happen before isn't your fault. You deserve to be taken care of."

Alex went quiet again. Shu waited for him to process this, half expecting Alex to kick him out. But instead he sniffled and said, "TV in your room sounds okay." Shu smiled and tried not to make it obvious how thrilled he was. They moved to Shu's room where Shu set Alex up in his bed with lots of pillows behind him and a hot water bottle to hug. If Alex's sniffles sounded more like crying than just a runny nose now, Shu kept his mouth shut. They watched late night TV until Alex slumped lower in Shu's bed and Shu could tell he'd fallen asleep. Shu adjusted the pillows and tucked him in so he would be comfortable enough not to wake up.

Alex was a handful and often Shu felt like he was far more than Shu could handle on his own, but right now he looked so boyish and peaceful. Poor kid was going through it, and illness and nightmares only made things worse. Shu hated to see him suffering, but at the same time a tiny part of him was grateful that it had pushed Alex to trust him just a little bit, even if it was only for tonight.

Part 3

#shionwrites #sickfic #fever whump #parental relationship #bad things happen bingo #It's All My Fault #oc: alex #oc: shu #whump #illness whump #flu whump #sicknario #male cold #sick whump #minor whump #oc sickfic #emeto #nightmares

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caramelmaplesyrup · 5 days

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this is woke he/they Alex btw

(he's supposed to have freckles but I, uh, forgot them)

#(rain-candy-u is my main blog)#oc: alex #limbus company #limbus company oc #limbus oc #lcb #my art #my oc #no one say anything about the hand I can never be bothered to draw them for design sketches like this 😭 😭

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cassieuncaged · 2 months

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Night Out (A Mortal Kombat Oneshot)

Summary: Nyx and Alex go out for a night out, away from the Black Dragon.

TW: shenanigans, light violence, bleeding, suggestiveness, mention of tattoos, language (etc.)

WC: 3.4 K

A/N: Thank you to the amazing @chadillacboseman for letting me use Alex for this totally fun oneshot of Nyx actually making a friend and finally allowing someone to get to know her (sort of). It's just a fun outing mostly and little bit of trouble because this is the gruesome twosome we're dealing with here :)

Other's OC's Mentioned:

Echo (@roofgeese)

Tigue (@mintspider)

Ombra (@theelderhazelnut)

Kate (@quantum-lover)

Thanks for letting me borrow your babies!

Taglist: @roofgeese, @chadillacboseman, @theelderhazelnut, @quantum-lover, @elderglocks, @galaxycunt, @voidika, @spacestephh

Lights on the rooftop flickered, cigarette smoke hanging in a filmy haze. The night was black, starless except for the skyline of L.A. If that even counted. Nyx expelled smoke from her painted lips, thinking of the city and her crummy little apartment crammed above a Thai food restaurant. At least that meant unlimited helpings of pho and noodles to get her through sleepless nights.

The door creaked on its hinges before slamming shut with a thud. Rubber soles smacked against loose asphalt. Nyx felt her jaw tighten, suppressing a scream as she felt the pressure of company forced upon her. Nostrils flared, fat plumes of smoke exuding in silent aggression.

“What up, Elvira.” Alex yawned, nursing a swollen jaw with a frozen flank steak. She had no idea where it came from and didn’t really want an explanation. “Surprised you’re still here.”

“Doing Kano’s dirty work doesn’t leave me with a lot of time for a budding social life.” Burgundy eyes rolled, contact slipping enough to reveal a sliver of blue. Alex didn’t seem to notice. “Don’t you have another fight?”

“Got paid to throw it,” he shrugged, setting the steak on the ledge to pull a hoodie over his plain t-shirt. “Took a pretty nasty hit to the jaw. Bit the inside of my cheek.”

He tapped the bloated side of his face, blood soaked gauze exposed when his lips were cracked open.

“That explains it then,” Nyx smirked, flicking her cigarette off down below. He sounded like his tongue was too fat for his mouth.

“That’s littering,” he lisped with a chuckle, earning an eye roll, “Red irises tonight.”

“Yeah. So?” she snapped, crossing her arms over a leather clad chest.

“Just making small talk.” He laughed again, wincing at the throbbing pain in his jaw. “Which you are great at by the way.”

“Dickhead,” Nyx groused, eyes focusing on the waning sliver of moon.

“I’d make a jab too but something tells me you’d sock me in the other cheek.”

“Just like Jesus.” She actually cracked a smile, tipping her head in his direction. Alex hand never noticed until then how long her nose was, silhouette prominent against sprawling darkness.

“Exactly.” he nodded firmly, watching as she rested her arms across the ledge. Alex did the same. “Except I can’t turn water into wine.”

“Bummer.” that dry timbre returned, pale fingers knotted in a fist, nails lacquered black.

Of course.

Nyx was as plainly predictable as she was capricious. A mall goth pushing what everyone assumed was thirty, based on interests and pop culture references. Alex had garnered that she’d watched the Price Is Right when she was home sick from school and loved Gerard Way. Both were slips on her part but he could be disarming considering the regulars who frequented the Black Dragon. She wasn’t completely inscrutable like Echo.

“What’s your poison? You don’t seem like a cabernet type.” He pronounced the word incorrectly.

“Cabernet.” She corrected, lazily. He didn’t mind the habit of hers. It bothered the shit out of Kabal and Kano. “And I don’t drink. Not anymore.”

“Alcoholic?” he giggled, trying to be quippy and fresh. Keep the mood light. It wasn’t his best idea.

“Recovering actually. Prefer the Devil’s Lettuce these days. Maybe a bit of Molly if I go to a club.” This was absolutely shocking. He felt like he was discovering virgin land. No one else had ever pushed this far and been admitted. He’d expected a sweetheart like Kate would have been able to crack this nut but apparently it was Alex who was the excavator of this social ‘dig’. “Good way to pick up chicks.”

“You go out?” he was flabbergasted, scratching at the tag at the neck of his t-shirt. “I thought the rumors about you going home to a ferret were true.”

“Who the fuck knows about that?” she turned completely, black lips agape, piercings gleaming in the moonlight. A septum and an eyebrow stud. Not to mention a fading scar decorating one eye. He’d never studied her like a bug under a microscope before.

“Kabal. Says your pillow talk leaves something to be desired.” He shrugged, half smile plastered across a tan face. Black brows quirked. If Nyx didn’t know any better, she’d say he was handsome. A dope, but handsome nonetheless.

“Fuck a guy once and he can’t stop talking about your ferret.” Those dark eyes rolled, in annoyance, small hands flying up to smooth bi-colored hair.

“That sounds like a double entendre.”

“Well, it’s not.”

“What’s it named?” he was genuinely curious, shocked by their conversation’s progression. Any other time she’d briskly tell him to ‘fuck off’.

“Her name is Ghost.” she added softly, “She’s all I have left.”

A heavy silence lingered as Nyx fished in her pockets for fingerless leather gloves. Pulling them over pallid digits. She was getting ready to leave. Alex wasn’t exactly expecting a goodbye but was wholly shocked when she cocked her head and said:

“Wanna go out and paint the town black?”

……

Muscular arms wrapped around Nyx’s middle as the Ducati zipped through traffic. She wasn’t used to a passenger but loved the chance to show off. Even though she wore the only helmet; hopefully Alex wouldn’t go careening off into the street, head splitting like a watermelon.

She liked the guy and that would be a tragedy.

So the woman carefully glided between vehicles, sliding through a few yellow lights before turning onto Sunset. Neon lights blinded them, theaters wedged between many palm trees in concrete prisons. She hated the nightlife splendor, only partaking in a few clubs to find someone to occasionally warm her bed. There was never company, a passenger wrapped around her gut, clenching tighter at every stop light.

“You want In ‘n Out?” she slid the visor back, turning so Alex could hear her. She knew he was a glutton for carbs but only got a sharp headshake in response.

“Nah,” his voice was muffled beneath his white fanged mask, dark eyes sparkling with childlike glee. “Let’s find a strip club around here. Those places have the best wings.”

“Really?” she asked, fingers tapping on the leather handles of the bike, eyes flitting back to the fiery red light. “Didn’t take you for the strip club type.”

“What can I say,” he stretched his fingers across her leather clad jacket, catching a slight spasm. “Holy shit! Are you ticklish? The Princess of Darkness is a secret softyyyy-”

His words lingered like a comic book character’s speech bubble left hanging in the air, tires screeching when the light turned green. Stark white hair covered dark eyes like a blindfold as Nyx weaved in and out of cars. A chorus of honks chided them, a track of burnt rubber tattooed onto the asphalt.

The distant Hollywood Hills looked like mountainous peaks, light pollution adding a supernatural austere. Nyx enjoyed how the city came alive at night, sprawling miles of pink and blue lights spreading out like a network of veins. They were nestled in the belly of the breathing beast, the same one that housed the parking lot she wickedly turned into. Alex held on for dear life, jostled off the seat before she slid into an empty spot.

“That was kickass,” he proclaimed, pulling his mask off and slicking wild hair back into its ponytail. “You ever watch Akira?”

“Hell yeah,” she added, voice muffled beneath the helmet before prying it off. Black and white was fully revealed in a waterfall, space buns slightly squished. “Always wanted to recreate that slide. Figured it’d make me a badass.”

“Puh-lease.” Dark chocolate eyes rolled, tan skin appearing golden beneath flashing neon lights. The man had the body of a heart throb housing the personality of a puppy. He was like a cute kid brother she was growing protective of. “You say that like you aren’t already.”

“Thanks,” black lips pursed for a moment as gloved fingers sat the helmet atop the vinyl seat. Both turned to gawk at the neon sign flashing above them. It read Sunset Girls in flamingo pink, featuring the silhouette of a woman dancing when the light flickered. “You wanna go in?”

“Fuck yeah,” Alex exclaimed, pulling a pair of Wayfarers from his pocket and sliding them on. Nyx snorted; he looked ridiculous wearing sunglasses and sporting a purpling bruise on his jaw. One arm was tossed across her slender shoulders as he steered them both towards the door.

……

The place wasn’t a dive, but it sure as hell wasn’t classy either. Blue and purple lights painted the stage in the same indigo as an aquarium paired with the odiferous scent of cheap perfume and sweat.

Nyx had secured a small table towards the back while Alex combed through a rather sizeable buffet, sunglasses pushed atop his head. Def Leppard’s Animal throbbed through the sound system while a woman with a curtain of bottle blonde hair snapped a sequin bikini off.

Black lips curled in amusement; the establishment was so painfully cliched, right down to the schlubby sleazes roaring in amusement and throwing crumpled dollars onto the lighted floor. Taking a sip of a weakly mixed Bloody Mary, red contacts found her buddy for the evening ambling over with an abundantly filled plate.

“Here!” The food was plopped on the table, one side being presented as an offering. “They even had crab rangoons. You like those?”

“Not usually at a nudie bar, but I’ll bite.” Alex only smiled politely, not completely hearing sardonic words buried beneath the hair rock. Picking up the fried packet of dough, Nyx carefully tore it open with her front teeth. The filling was actually quite delicious as she began to chew, watching Alex destroy a pile of wings, “Holy shit, this is amazing!”

“Best part about these places is the food!” He used one hand to magnify his voice as soon as the song ended.

“Dude,” a man a few tables over chimed in, “You know there’s naked chicks here, right?”

“Drizzle them in cheese and jalapeños like the nachos at the buffet and then we’ll talk.”

Nyx practically choked on her drink, watching in amusement as the stranger grinned awkwardly, earning a genuine thumbs up from Alex before Xtina’s Dirrty was queued next.

“You’re alright.” She settled leather clad arms on the table before playfully socking the man in the shoulder.

“Kano should get you to fight,” he snickered, playfully rubbing his arm, “You could smash someone’s skull with that right hook.”

“Shut up,” her eyes rolled before quick fingers snuck another rangoon from his plate.

“Come on,” he teased, “sharpen it up and you’d fit right into the line up with Tigue and Ombra.”

“Don’t forget about Kate.” She warned; the woman could fry them all to a crisp but Nyx had a soft spot for her.

“I always thought you didn’t give a shit about us at the club. Like in a ‘too cool for school’, edgy rebel sort of way.”

“I don’t like to get attached to anyone in this business,” her gaze dropped to the table, fingers aimlessly braiding straw wrappers together. “It’s depressing.”

“Yeah,” he nodded knowingly, face cast in a shade of blue as he chewed. “But so is being alone. Besides, it’s not like any of us at the Black Dragon are saints; we can take care of ourselves.”

Before she could respond, there was a commotion from the private rooms behind them. Both of them immediately turned when a woman screamed:

“Get your hands off me, scumbag.”

No one else could hear anything over the music, leaving them to Nancy Drew the situation. Nyx slinked from her seat, leading the way as Alex wiped sauce sticky fingers on his sweatpants. The ‘private rooms’ were only alcoves hidden by velvet curtains, offering little privacy. There was another squeal from the closest one, followed by a smack. Nyx eyed her compatriot, silently directing him to take the other side.

“I paid for this, I’ll do what I want.”

Taking the lead, Alex slid in first, hands proudly resting on his hips when Nyx bolted past the thick , purple curtain.

“Not if we have anything to say about it!” He announced jubilantly, confounding the showgirl from squabbling with her sleazy patron. She moved to cover herself with a decorative cushion.

“What are you, Superman?” Nyx screwed up her pale features with disgust. Alex broke character, hands thrown up in surrender.

“Whaddya want? I’m trying to be heroic!” he declared, pounding his chest with one fist. The dancer flipped dark curls over one shoulder, dropping the cushion to reveal bare breasts. Both tried to stop their eyes from dropping immediately.

“I don’t a hero,” her green eyes glowed in the dim light, red lips open with a huff, “I need my manager to remove this fucking creep.”

“Hey, I paid extra!” The man roared, sporting slicked back hair and a bowling shirt. “If I wanna touch your tits, I will.”

“Listen, Tony Soprano,” it was Alex’s turn to roll his eyes, cross his arms across a maroon hoodie. “Everyone knows you get to look, not touch.”

“Who the hell are you two? Her guardian angels?” His beady eyes narrowed, paunchy face drenched in sweat. The man was astoundingly repulsive.

“No,” Nyx admitted coolly, kicking the heel of one boot forward before slickly pulling a kunai from the heel, “Just a couple shadows that you’re going to forget. Along with this woman. You’re gonna go home to your sad little house and jerk off like everyone else.”

“Or what?” His eyes were on the weapon, watching with the others as she brought the heavy object to dark lips before sticking out a pink tongue. Bringing the blade to soft skin, Nyx carefully brought the sharp edge across the edge of her tongue, releasing a shallow rivulet of blood. The tip flitted to the edges of pointed incisors, giving her the visage of a vampire. She tossed the kunai upwards before catching it.

“Do you really want to find out?” Her voice was huskier, dark as a thick syrupy bourbon with a bite to it. The man shook his head before scrabbling past the curtain and out of their sight. Black lips jutted forward as she sucked on her tongue, swiftly pocketing the knife before management got involved.

“Holy shit.” Alex gawked, along with the dancer who seemed not to mind their company. “That was awesome.”

“Yeah,” dark curls bounced as she nodded, “Thought we were going to have to call the cops. But you’re a bit of a freak. I appreciate it.”

“No problem. Sorry to bother you. The two began to peel the curtain open when the woman spoke again.

“Wait!” she fell back onto the red velvet bench. “I have fifteen minutes left before we need to vacate. Either of you want a dance? The other can get a free drink at the bar. For your troubles.”

Leather clad fingers clapped a broad shoulder, as Nyx leaned in to jokingly whisper:

“Go get her, tiger. I’m going to claim my boozy reward.”

……

Lucky’s was a grungy tattoo parlor on the edge of Hollywood Boulevard, sandwiched between a dry cleaner’s and a gated pawn shop. It was filled with a couple artists who worked on the occasional celebrity, sometimes after awards shows down at the Dolby Theater.

“You sure you both want skulls?” Ernie asked dutifully, scrawny as his partner Billy was pudgy.

“Yeah!” Alex spun in a swivel chair as Nyx extended a bare wrist. “They’ll be different. I want flames and she wants snakes.”

“Maybe like an ouroboros through the skull's eyes?” she added as Ernie sketched a design.

“You want it eating its tail or some shit?” a bushy brow arched upwards before she nodded her head. “To each their fucking own.”

“Fuck yeah!” Alex jeered with joy, spinning again. All the posters displaying flash prints bled together as he rode his high from dissipating liquor and a free lap dance. “Tonight is stellar.”

“You a couple?” Billy grumbled from behind his own sketch pad, expelling a huff from his nostrils.

“Nah,” Nyx piped up, suddenly animated, “He’s my baby brother. Wanted to get a tattoo with his big sis.”

“Heh,” Ernie exclaimed, revealing his sketch with fanfare. “Don’t look anything alike.”

“Different dads,” Alex added ruefully, winking at Nyx when she threw a sheath of black and white hair over one shoulder. “Genetics are weird, man.”

“Hell, yeah.” Ernie, jested, awaiting for her approval of his design. “Would you believe Bill and I were cousins?”

“No shit?” Alex played along, finally stilling in his seat. Then the tattooer threw his head back, cackling with amusement.

“I’m fucking with you. Just like you’re fucking with me.” he giggled a little more playfully, “Not that I give a shit. One lady came in here back in February, wearing this fancy ballgown saying she just won a fucking Oscar.”

“Didn’t she have it with her?” Nyx asked flatly, less than impressed while Alex’s eyes ballooned wide.

“Can spot a fake a mile away.” Ernie seemed prideful, leaning forward to plaster the outline onto her arm, “Probably foil covered and filled with chocolate.”

“Probably,” she parroted, watching as he hopped to surprisingly lithe feet, grabbing a pair of latex gloves and fresh needles. It was going to fucking sting but if she weren’t ready to feel something again.

……

Alex picked at the gauze covering the soft skin of his forearm, shadow of a flaming skull winking beneath the sheer material. Blinking away the bright lights of the burger joint, he hissed as one finger traced the decorative wound. Nyx bit into a juicy sandwich, relishing in the tanginess of pink meat.

“Okay?” Her mouth was full, half masticated on full display.

“They not have manners wherever the hell you're from?” he chuckled, popping a fry between his lips as she clamped her jaw shut and roughly swallowed. “I’m fine. Takes more than a few needles to bother me. How’s yours?”

“Alright,” she patted the leather covered span of her wrist, where a snake threaded it’s way through a cracked skull’s open mouth. “Not my first rodeo. Have four others.”

“No shit.” Another long fry was swirled in a pool of ketchup. “What else you got?”

“Ghostface, a candy heart that says ‘Bite Me’, a bat on a tombstone. And a daisy.” her gaze dropped to her half eaten burger.

“Not to get all Sesame Street on you, but one of these things is not like the other.” Alex leaned forward, balancing his jaw in an upturned palm. “I mean, you don’t have to share, but I’ll never tell your secrets.”

“Cross your heart and hope to die?”

“Stick a needle in my eye.” A warm smile split across his face, the beginning of five o’clock shadow decorating his chin.

“It’s for my mom. It was her favorite.” Red eyes dropped to the red formica table, moisture gathering in the corners.

“That’s a nice memorial.” Silence settled between them, the comfortable kind that found old friends enjoying each other’s company. Alex continued to eat his fries as mellow rock music played through a crackling radio. It was either John Mellencamp or Bryan Adams, but what was the difference?

The sound of meat sizzled from the kitchen as patrons continued to filter in despite the clock that ticked well past midnight. Other night owls passed by the plexiglass windows, cigarettes hanging from their lips. That was normally what Nyx did after completing a job, wandering the streets and paying it cool, giving herself a few alibis.

But there were no jobs tonight. Just company.

“Virginia.” she blurted suddenly. “That’s wherever the hell I’m from.”

“Oh,” dark eyes widened to saucers again, realizing that a dangerous wolf had allowed him to pet her snout, teeth no longer bared. “Thanks for trusting me with that.”

“I don’t trust a lot of people.” she nodded, black lipstick starting to fade and reveal pale pink while matte powder bled away to reveal a stray smattering of freckles. The mask was slipping. “But you’re proving to be trustworthy.”

“Don’t hear that a lot.” his eyes grew to the size of saucers, chocolatey and inviting as ever. Nyx felt her contact slip again. “Thanks.”

She grinned, this time authentic. Her cheeks warmed at the moment of intimacy, something she hadn’t experienced since leaving home. Noah used to make her blush all the damn time, reminding her what a good sister she was. Compliments always turned her tomato red, like she didn’t really deserve it.

“Your eyes are pretty by the way. Blue like the ocean.” he mirrored her grin, even wider than before.

“Thanks,” she relayed once more. Maybe they were friends. Maybe friendship wasn’t that bad.

#fanfiction #mortal kombat fanfiction #nyx and alex #platonic otp #gruesome twosome #oc: nyx #oc: alex #friends ocs #thanks for letting me borrow him tara!#your the best 💕#mk alex #mk nyx

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humbuns · 1 year

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alone somehow.

#original characters #ocs #original art #series: to the moon and back #it's funny that i always come to them when i need to vent #when i know deep down i will never publish their story cause it's too personal to me #however it's important to me that everyone knows this is question with layers #oc: alex #oc: chase #art tag

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xykcta · 14 days

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my gf calls them "drugsquad"

#original character #artists on tumblr #oc #oc: miron #oc: alex #oc: quincy #internship SET

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thedeafprophet · 5 months

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Finally, a good clothing option

Thank u advent.

#had to quickly draw this inebtween studying lol #fallen london #oc: alex #my art

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shadow3142 · 3 months

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Made some full on mock-panels this time

#homestuck #homestuck panel edit #dirk strider #oc x canon #Drawings under desert skies #OC: Alex #alexdirk #post #Not technically panel edits bc I made all the assets myself :]#including compisition lol #im very proud of myself these came out nicely

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leavemetoplaythesims · 9 months

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i was gonna do a completely different edit with them but i got distracted by how pretty they are.

before:

#one of the prettiest sims i've ever made i would say #every time i see them i'm in awe #messy hair my beloved #ts4 #ts4 edit #my edit #my screenshots #oc: alex

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thelonestrider · 1 month

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I missed their faces -w- vest mod

#cyberpunk 2077 #oc: alex #oc: dahlia

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shion-yu · 3 months

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Not Your Fault (part 3)

Part 1 | Part 2 | Shu comes down with Alex's cold from last week, but it seems like it’s hitting him way harder. Final part, thank you for reading! Fill for my @badthingshappenbingo space "Secret Caretaking." Original work, 2,361 words. No TWs, CW mild emeto, Alex is 13 here.

The thing about Shu was that if someone near him was sick, he always went down eventually. This had been true forever and Shu was bound to catch every cold and flu that made the rounds at the office he worked in. Usually he could push through it to the chagrin of his coworkers who had the joy of listening to him cough and sneeze for the next several days, but when he woke up this morning Shu knew right away that there was no way he was leaving the house today. Thank God it was a Saturday.

It had been a few days since Alex had come down with a bad head cold. He'd been truly sick for about two days, but as soon as he started feeling better he went back to his old self, attempting to sneak off to Ryo's as soon as he could. Shu liked Ryo a lot and was extremely glad that Alex had a friend, but he had tried to convince Alex to stay in bed for another day. "You still have a bit of a fever bud," Shu had sighed. "What if you get Ryo and his parents sick too?" Alex's face had soured, but apparently pointing out that he could hurt his friend Ryo worked because he had stayed home until the fever was gone. He waited for the twenty-four hour fever free mark and then escaped immediately. Shu was just glad he was feeling better.

Knowing how his own body worked, Shu had been trying to get plenty of sleep and chugging Emergen-C for the past several days. He was actually hopeful that it had worked and he’d somehow been spared despite living in the same household as a germ-ridden teenager all week.

Now though, Shu knew whatever Alex had come down with had hit him, and it was hitting him hard. Shu groaned and turned over to look at the time on his phone. It was ten AM on a Saturday morning; he never slept in this late. Crap, where was Alex?

Shu forced himself to sit on the edge of the bed. It felt like his bones were creaking in pain and his headache was splitting. He stood up, was hit with a rush of dizziness, and sat right back down. He felt his legs quivering like he'd just attempted to do some monumental task. Had Alex felt this poorly? When he'd wrangled the teen to the doctor he'd just been diagnosed with a viral upper respiratory infection, nothing too serious, but Shu felt like death. If it wasn't for Alex he would have given up attempting to rise from bed at all, but he told himself this was part of being a parent. He'd signed up for this, and parents didn't get sick days off.

Shu wobbled into the kitchen, leaning heavily on the walls as he went. To his relief he found Alex right away in the living room, sitting on the couch watching Saturday morning cartoons. He glanced briefly at Shu then did a double take, his eyes widening. "Holy shit, you look terrible," he said.

Shu snorted with laughter which turned into a chesty cough. He had to sit down. He flopped heavily next to Alex, black spots dancing in his vision. "Thanks a lot, kid. Did you eat breakfast?" He asked, wincing at the pain in his throat.

"Yeah," Alex said. "I think you should probably not be worrying about me right now though."

"It's only a cold, you know that," Shu said dismissively. "I'm just a wimp." He managed to give Alex what he hoped was an encouraging smile but was interrupted by a loud sneeze which he barely managed to direct away from his distant relative turned foster child. "Huh'AEESHUHh!" He groaned, the powerful sneeze ripping painfully through his aching sinuses.

"Uh huh. Bless you," Alex said, scooting a few inches farther away from him in disgust.

"Thangks," Shu said, snorting up the snot that had begun to drip from his nose. God his head hurt like hell. "You good here if I go back to bed?" He genuinely couldn't fathom doing anything else right now. Was he just getting old that this was hitting him so much harder than it had Alex? Was this what having a cold at thirty-five felt like?

"Yeah. Pretty sure I'm safer away from you and your biohazard zone," Alex said dryly.

Shu didn't point out that Alex was almost certainly the one who'd given him this awful cold. He just nodded and shuffled back to bed, making a pit stop at the bathroom to urinate and grab the thermometer. It had barely gotten a break between uses, he thought as he placed it under his tongue. He looked at his haggard expression in the mirror and grimaced. Should he call his mom to watch Alex, he thought? He didn't think he could keep up with the rambunctious teen like this. He decided against it for now though, not wanting her to think he couldn't handle single parenting just like she had. Alex was fourteen, he didn’t need a babysitter, but he did need to be watched closely to make sure he didn’t do anything problematic.

The thermometer beeped and Shu looked at the flashing 101.8 on the tiny screen. Not good, he thought to himself. He downed two Tylenol and then brought the rest of the bottle with him to the bedroom. He collapsed back into bed and fell asleep before he had time to think about anything else. He spent the rest of the day coughing and sneezing and using an entire box of tissues. His sneezes were most certainly audible in every room in the house. Every cold Shu had seemed to go straight to his chest and this felt like no exception. He could practically feel the junk settling lower and lower in his lungs despite the absurd amount he was already coughing up.

Around lunch time, Shu wobbled to the kitchen to grab more water. Alex was at the table doing school work, which was a nice sight. “Hey bud, you doing okay in here?” Shu asked, wincing at how hoarse his voice had become in comparison to this morning in a mere few hours.

“I’m definitely okay,” Alex said cautiously. “You look almost dead though.”

“I’m really okay,” Shu reassured him, which was absolutely not backed up by the way he suddenly grabbed the edge of the counter to avoid losing his balance. Alex stood up quickly, face alarmed. Shu waved his hand in his direction, trying to make it seem like he hadn’t nearly fainted. “It’s great you’re doing school work,” he said in an attempt to distract Alex. Predictably, this caused Alex to scowl and go back to what he was doing. However Shu could feel Alex’s concerned expression on his back as he slowly inched back to his bedroom.

He tried to rest, but the cough was really painful and Shu could feel his fever going up despite the Tylenol. He kept thinking about Alex. Could he really trust the kid to take care of himself all day? What if he skipped eating? Not that he usually did that, mealtime was the one thing Shu could actually rely on Alex to show up for but still. Alex was his sole responsibility and Shu wanted him to have more than just enough. He wanted him to feel comfortable and happy. He wanted to take care of Alex so all those bad memories he had became more distant. It seemed like such a monumental task at times though, and right now Shu was in completely new territory. How did he keep an eye on Alex when he could barely lift his head off the pillow?

He made it to dinnertime without incident. Shu hazily warmed up soup for himself. Alex was nowhere to be found. There was a note on the table: ‘At Ryo’s for dinner.’ At least Alex had bothered to let him know where he was and it was somewhere safe. Shu shivered and managed about three bites of the soup before his stomach rejected all of it and more. He dashed to the bathroom with energy he hadn’t known he had and spent the next half hour vomiting into the toilet. He was glad that Alex wasn’t home to hear it. Afterwards his temperature was 102.6. Ouch. Alex’s own fever had peeked at 102.3 that first night he was sick. Shu hoped his own illness was following that same trajectory and it wouldn’t get any higher.

He forced down a single saltine cracker and two more Tylenol in the hope that it would stay in his stomach, then went back to bed. His stomach and head ached, his chest felt heavy, and Shu was beginning to grow concerned. He hadn’t been this sick in a while and he hadn’t had a kid to worry about that time. He needed to hurry up and get better. He needed to sleep.

He woke up an unknown amount of time later to the feeling of a cool hand on his cheek. It felt nice... Shu forced his eyes open and squinted at the form above him. Alex? Shu was confused. Why was Alex in here?

"You were moaning in your sleep," Alex explained, noticing Shu's eyes were open now. He looked embarrassed to be caught. He also looked worried. "You feel really hot."

"Just a fever. I took some Tylenol," Shu said hoarsely, although he had no idea how long ago that was now. “What time is it?”

“Two AM,” Alex said.

“Oh,” Shu said, confused. “Did I wake you up?”

"It’s alright," Alex said, and scurried out before Shu could ask any more questions. Shu didn't expect him to come back and he didn't for several minutes. By this time Shu had almost fallen back to sleep and was barely conscious when he saw Alex slink back into the room with a wet washcloth. He closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep to save Alex from getting more embarrassed. He felt the cool, damp cloth be placed on his forehead and then heard Alex leave again. Shu fell asleep with his lips turned in a smile.

The next time he became half conscious it was only because he was so goddamn cold. He was shaking uncontrollably with aches and chills. He curled into a ball and tried to wait out the pain, but he felt awfully alone right now. He missed his mom. She was always so good to him when was sick, brewing tea and rubbing his arms and legs and giving him the hot water bottle to ease his chills... Just like... Right now?

Shu opened his eyes. Somehow the hot water bottle had appeared in his arms, as well as an extra blanket on top of him. He listened carefully, but there was no quiet chatter of Chinese radio in the background that always accompanied his mom wherever she went. He did hear the sound of water running in the bathroom though, and then Alex's voice saying something like, "He'll be fine, Ry, right?" Shu wanted to reassure Alex he was definitely going to be fine, but he felt too weak and sleepy and soon lost consciousness again.

The quiet chatter of Chinese radio when he came back to his senses was a sure sign his mom was there now. "Ma?" Shu croaked, forcing his eyes open.

He could smell his mom's distinct perfume as she came to his bedside and rubbed his chest. "Háizi. Boy call me, say that you sick."

Shu slowly processed what that meant. Alex had called his mom, Fulu. "Where is he?" Shu asked.

"Friend house," his mom said. "He upset, think you dying."

"Ugh," Shu said, concerned at the thought of upsetting Alex. "Ma, didn't you tell him I'm fine? I always get high fevers..."

"He no listen. Just like his bàba," Fulu said. She handed Shu her phone, silently instructing him to do exactly what Shu already wanted to - to call Alex. He didn't think it was worth correcting his mom right at this second - that he wasn't Alex's dad. Alex was his kid, and so it almost fit. He wanted it to.

Shu's hands shook as he found Alex in Fulu's contacts and called him, pressing the phone to his ear. Alex picked up right away. "Is he okay?" Was how Alex answered.

Shu coughed in surprise. Alex sounded genuinely worried. It would have been touching if Shu didn't feel so guilty about it. "Alex? I'm fine bud. I just have a fever, that's all. Same as you did, just a little worse. I promise."

There was silence on the line for several seconds. Shu was worried he'd hung up. But finally Alex said, "You weren't getting any better, even though I did the same stuff you did."

Shu felt a rush of affection. Alex really had been trying to take care of him, even though it was supposed to be the other way around. "It'll be a few days, and then I'll be right as rain," Shu reassured him as confidently as possible. "Do you want to stay at Ryo's this weekend?"

"Can I?" Alex asked hesitantly.

"Of course, if it's okay with his parents. Whatever makes you feel more comfortable. I just need you to understand that you don't need to worry about me. Thanks for calling my mom. I'm glad you got help when you were scared."

"I wasn't scared," Alex shot back, but Shu knew he was lying. "Can you call me again when you feel better?”

"I feel better hearing your voice," Shu said with a smile.

"Ew."

"Sorry," Shu laughed, which quickly became several wet coughs. "I'll text you every time I'm up, alright?"

"Alright," Alex agreed. "Um... I hope you feel better soon."

Maybe it was because he felt so rotten, or because he was relieved that Alex was okay, but Shu felt tears spring to his eyes. He swallowed and tried not to let his voice waver as he said, "Thanks buddy. I will. See you soon."

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