Tumgik
#this is nonsense and brainrot probably
Text
Excuse the semi-personal post if I bore anyone; it seemed tangentially-related, so make of it what you will:
Yesterday, I discovered that I had somehow devised a formula or a partly unintentional “uniform” for dressing for semi-formal events, on the occasions when I don’t bother wearing a dress. It’s happened thrice so far this year, and I’ve only caught onto the pattern now: item one is some kind of formal, black top (it’s been a different one every time—that could be why I didn’t catch onto to this at the start), item two is usually pale, grey pants, for high contrast and low-effort/thought, and then, there's silver jewelry.
5 notes · View notes
scorchedcandy · 3 months
Text
Tumblr media
Unrelated: I have also been injected with praying mantis DNA
18K notes · View notes
brw · 1 year
Text
also i unironically think æon flux was incredibly inspirational in the art style and tonal shift of comic books as a whole in the 90s. the whole visual language of aeon flux and the design of the characters and the way they're all incredibly thin and exaggerated in height and bone structure, the clothing, the overall edge and grit that the show had, it all is often echoed in 90s comic art style and visuals and even movement. i mean, look at this side by side comparison of æon and psylocke–you can see the broad similarities im talking about.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
of course this isn't to say this change in art only came about because of the show, but æon flux was incredibly ahead of its time in terms of plot, design and tone in its being an adult animated cartoon that took itself and it's audience seriously while not necessarily over-relying on how explicit they could get away with things, which is definitely one of its strengths. anyway, it's just interesting because it does make sense–aeon ran from 1991 to 1993, which was also in the biggest heyday of MTV's popularity. it makes sense a writer or artist would see this show and start to get inspired by it's overall look and tone. obviously, 90s comics haven't necessarily stood the test of time by and large, but it is interesting to me to notice that æon flux was really incredibly influential and popular and helped define an era, regardless of what that era ultimately turned out to be.
70 notes · View notes
rainewintersnow · 10 months
Text
Half-thought-half-dream I had last night while caught in the zone between awake and asleep
Tumblr media
38 notes · View notes
shaperaverse-brainrot · 2 months
Text
My ass realising if I want more Lloydven fics I'm doing to have to write them: >:(
5 notes · View notes
six-demon-bag · 8 months
Text
apparently there is a sphere o tumblr that is in the mafia!bucky brainrot, that i am not in lol , but i just finished my mafia!bucky fic so ill just stay in my one person mafia!zemo corner anyway
1 note · View note
the-busy-ghost · 1 year
Text
Am re-reading Hogg's Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner and I know it's not a new or original thought but it's just striking to me again how young George (younger) and his brother Robert must have been during the tennis match and Black Bull mob scenes.
If the 'famous session' refers to the 1703 session of parliament (or even if it refers to the previous year's sitting which Queensberry also oversaw), and if old Dalcastle married in 1687 (or later), then at most George could have been 16 and his brother 15, and it's probable that both boys are younger.
I don't remember too many of the details from the first time I read this book so will have to finish it before I make any further judgement. However I don't think it detracts from Robert's culpability or nastiness in any way to take into account his probable age in the earlier portion of the narrative. I think makes for a more interesting reading when forcibly reminded that he's a young teenager. Even taking into account different social mores and expectations placed on children in both the period in which the novel is set, and the early 19th century when it was written, it seems to me that that's an element that will still have particular significance for readers in the 21st century, regardless of one's personal experience with extreme forms of Presbyterianism.
#I mean it's probably been said before I haven't read much analysis of the novel in a while- or at least not of the psychology aspect#But I do feel that the image you first get in your head is that Robert is at least in his late teens and early 20s#at the time of the tennis match nonsense- I.e. a grown up demonic genius albeit with a chip on his shoulder#I'd say he's probably about 14?#Idk if anybody else remembers being 14 but oh boy does that make sense#I mean he's still a very unpleasant teenage boy don't get me wrong but nonetheless#In our day and age even grown adults are regularly affected by all kinds of brainrot and conspiracy theory stuff#We live in the internet age but I'm not entirely sure that there aren't comparisons to be drawn#Between unpleasant child Robert - called a wonderful boy by his parents; convinced he is Elect#highly book smart but deeply aware that there is something wrong about his family#Being tempted continually by visions of the Devil and raised in an age of constant civil and religious debate and strife#Where every side is utterly convinced of the complete moral validity and right of their own particular views#And some kid today coming out with all sorts of absolute nonsense as a result of being exposed to internet brainrot#Be it fascism or misogyny or even political views that I agree with but can become dogma and conspiracy theory in the wrong hands#In particular Robert's been raised in a very dogmatic household but also told exceptions will be made for him because he's special#Also something something late 17th century print culture boom and propaganda wars vs 21st century internet etc is this anything#I'm not necessarily saying this is a story for our times all I'm saying is there are timeless qualities in it#(Obviously that's what makes it a classic it's just I tend to notice more the portrayals of ill-made marriage#or Edinburgh mob violence and was less interested in the psychology of Mummy's Little Fanatic on the first reading)#Possibly the early part of the novel accidentally gives the impression that Robert is slightly older#because of throwaway lines like George mistaking him for a student of divinity#Even if Robert had been attending the university though that doesn't track#Based on what I remember of early 16th century norms and what little I know of late 18th century stuff#It would be perfectly normal for university students in Scotland in this period to start around the age of 14#Some went even earlier- I definitely remember coming across lads who matriculated at the age of 12 or 13 or younger#Idk maybe I was the only one who had that particular image of him as a young adult in my head#Maybe I was the only one who was too stupid to work this out earlier and it affected my reading#But still if there's one thing I'm taking away from this re-read it's going to be 'Dear god that is a 13/14/15 year old boy'#That being said don't want to overdo it; as a former teenage girl I used to hate when reading the Crucible and people were all#Oh that's just OBVIOUSLY what all teenage girls are like so not trying to compartmentalise boys; but at the same time o.O
3 notes · View notes
sweet-beezus · 15 days
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Character (re)designing continues
1 note · View note
just-jordie-things · 8 months
Note
Megumi that just lives for the sound of your voice.
Like say anything midly suggestive and suddenly his pants are gone. It's honestly ear candy, hearing you say his name when you ask him a favour, to hearing you whine his name in bed, he just can't get enough. 🤷🏿‍♀️
nsfw brainrot talk under the cut! also bear with me i don't usually write stuff this dirty (on the blog anyways hehe)
YES i totally believe he gets so flustered and worked up over the sound of your voice especially if you're saying his name no matter the context.
"megumi can you pass me the salt?" blushing in front of the whole table!!
"can i borrow your notes, megumi?" butterflies!!
"hey megumi are you free tonight?" uh yes he's free for eternity if it's for you.
but jfc if you're saying his name in bed you're so fucking in for it i think it'd spur him on soooo much. everything's dialed up to a hundred.
i'm talking soft whispers of affection turn on to babbled, whiny praise. one second he's sharing the occasional whispered 'i love you, you're so perfect' murmured into your shoulder, to holding you by your chin so you couldn't break the eye contact as he praises you almost nonsensically. i think he'd particularly like telling you how good you are for him, all the while pleading with you to keep telling him who you belong to or who's making you feel this good.
(that's probably around the time you realize just how much he's affected by hearing his name in your voice)
his love for you borderlines on obsession, and he'll work very hard to make sure your pretty lips keep calling his name, no matter the setting or reason <3
602 notes · View notes
latenuitrambles · 5 months
Text
Brainrot again
Guys I'm sorry I am trying to write for normal fics HSR but my brain turns off as long as its not about Welt , Sampo or Jing Yuan.
Like the brainrot I am having for these men is like insane. I need them to do unspeakable things to me especially Jing Yuan and Welt.
Jing Yuan oh god his calm demeanor, the confidence he carries himself with like he knows there is no one in the room stronger (cough larger cough) than him and he doesn't need to prove it . His relaxed cocky attitude but at the same time he is very calm and critical in his thinking oh god this man would break you without even loosing his composure I need him so bad. this man exudes that type of vibe that just makes you want to not even be a brat to him. He is a no nonsense guy but he will reward you if you behave.
Also the fact that his VA is literally Ono Daisuke like hello??? you expect me to resist him when he has the voice of Sebastian from BB????
Welt Yang with his like old wise man demeanor. Also the fact that he is the 2nd Herrscher of Reason, which basically means he is stronger than normal humans and probably has immense stamina oh god the contrast of his old man fatigued look and his godly powers is so hot. He just satisfies that part of my brain that is down bad for old looking men in glasses you who look like they have a overworked office job and then they come back home and the first thing they do is use you for stress relive ( cough Nanami cough).
Also bonus but welts jpn va is the same as Aren Kuboyasu from Saiki and I dont know if you guys know this he was literally my FAV anime crush like for 2 years I am so weak for this mans voice oh god. All these men have like my fav vas of all time it makes me even weaker for their characters.
359 notes · View notes
windvexer · 4 months
Note
What counts as a spell? Is intent all you need or do you have to do something before to get it all juicy and stuff.
Hi Anon! What a fun question, because there is no answer except this CAN OF WORMS you just opened.
There is no consensus anywhere as to what constitutes a "spell."
There is even LESS consensus as to what makes a spell go.
Intent is a good starting place. It is probably where you should start for all acts of practical magic.
But I find that in it's common form, the idea of intent + willpower = magic has been diluted past the point of utility for most people.
Like if we're talking about "intent is everything" I'm reminded most closely of Chaos Magic. But Chaos Magic is not a school of "just set your intent and you've worked magic!". It's a very rigorously developed system.
In Hine's Condensed Chaos, he lists the third Core Principal of Chaos magic as technical excellence, and I quote:
One of the early misconceptions about Chaos Magic was that it gave practitioners carte blanche to do whatever they liked, and so become sloppy (or worse, soggy) in their attitudes to self-assessment, analysis, etc. Not so. The Chaos approach has always advocated rigorous self-assessment and analysis, emphasized practice at what techniques you're experimenting with until you get the results you desire. Learning to 'do' magic requires that you develop a set of skills and abilities and if you're going to get involved in all this weird stuff, why not do it to the best of your ability?
Later in the book, Hine likens "magical powers" to the concept of achievements, and goes on to say:
Something which is an achievement is the result of practice, discipline, and patience.
Shortly after:
Chaos Magic is not about discarding all rules and restraints, but the process of discovering the most effective guidelines and disciplines which enable you to effect change in the world.
(In above quotes, all emphasis my own)
But these ideas get taken - and I'll give a big nod to the LOA which is just the worst kind of brainrot for encouraging the "intent is all that matters" mindset - and the ideas get diluted so much that people are literally out here saying, "so all those people who spend years studying magic in order to get results are buffoons? All I have to do is imagine what I want and it will be delivered to me? All humans since the start of history just have to decide they want something and it will happen in a miraculous manner?"
(Not you, Anon. I'm just in a mood)
In my mind, yes - something beyond intent must occur in order to make spells go.
But what?
Anon, have you ever heard that dumb belief floating around that all herbs in a spell can be replaced by rosemary, and all stones in a spell can be replaced by clear quartz, and these two things are "universal substitutes"?
I am 95% sure that this nonsense was based on two very popular dictionaries Cunningham wrote in the 80s, the Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic, and Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs.
In the very long entry for Clear Quartz:
Quartz crystal is used as a power amplifier during magic. It is worn or placed on the altar for this purpose.
And from Rosemary:
Rosemary is generally used as a substitute for frankincense.
And I believe that someone somewhere got the idea that since clear quartz amplifies all other powers, it therefore somehow magically Ditto-copies all other powers, and like a shapeshifter somehow becomes something it is not nor ever was.
And, you know. What's the difference between subbing out frankincense and blackthorn between friends?
These beliefs have become so popular that sometimes when unscrupulous blogs rip off entire Cunningham encyclopedia entries and paste them into tumblr posts (without credit), THEY INCLUDE THE EXTRA MADE-UP BIT ABOUT ROSEMARY BEING A UNIVERSAL SUBSTITUTE.
Anon, your question is "is it just intent or do we need other stuff to make it go," but sadly,
IMO common beliefs about the stuff that makes spells go have also been diluted past the point of utility for most people.
Because if I sat here and said, "hey Anon, it's not just intent, you also have to use correspondences ^-^/" then the very first thing you are likely to run into is absolute nonsense about correspondences. IMO, effective utilization of correspondences is a skillset based in research, theory, and technique.
Or if I said, "you also have to raise energy! 👍", this may be mistaken to mean, "set intent but also visualize white light inside of a candle," because the concept of raising energy and visualizing has been (IMO) diluted past the point of utility for most people. I believe that effective utilization of energy work is a song composed of many notes and chords, several of which you must practice before you can utilize it.
And to complicate all of this, which non-diluted things in which combinations you need to make the spell go depends on what paradigm you operate off of, because while there are approximately one billion ways to do magic that works, my currently very dim worldview is that most people who are talking about magic are doing magic that doesn't work,
and in my opinion the actual basis and reasoning, like the rationality behind the magical systems is really important. Because you need that shit to understand what it is within that system that makes the spell go.
And you need to understand what makes the spell go to make the system fit into your life without breaking it, and in order to troubleshoot problems without making things crumble further.
Because when people don't understand the basis and reasoning you end up with "rosemary is a universal substitute" and "imagining white light makes the spell go."
There are a few circumstances where you can totally strip technique from theory and be successful, but there are also a hell of a lot of people out here feeling shit about their practice because their spells never seem to work.
So.
Tumblr media
I really just recommend choosing what school of magic you would like to learn about and participate in, and reading an introductory book on it.
This is because it is the job of introductory books to explain the principles and theories behind a system of magic, and most importantly, what makes the magic go, and a step-by-step primer on what you, the practitioner, are supposed to do to make that kind of magic go.
Despite above rambles I'm really not a Chaote, so I can't recommend a strong primer. As far as I'm aware, Liber Null & Psychonaut by Peter J. Carroll is a core text.
For Traditional Witchcraft, try The Crooked Path by Kelden.
For something more Wiccan, I can't recall having anything bad to say about Psychic Witch by Mat Auryn.
If either of these things are too Witchcrafty for you, try Six Ways by Aidan Wachter, which is still witchcraft, but it hits different.
For a general primer on helping your spells go, try Elements of Spellcrafting by Jason Miller.
178 notes · View notes
shigarakisslutbag · 6 months
Text
So I have shigaraki brainrot. So bad LOL. And I'm a huge fucking simp so I would like to say some things about my (our) mans. Before I do tho y'all should know that my therapist made my love for shigaraki so much worse because I very briefly talked about him while we were talking about coping mechanisms for PTSD flashbacks (long story LOL)
ANYWAYS-
I know he's just a character, but this is Tumblr and if I wanna babble about nonsense then I think this is the place.
I want to talk first about how it still rubs me the wrong way sometimes when people make fun of his skin and "crusty-ness". I think a lot of people forget he has a skin disorder (excoriation disorder). Before AFO his mom put (what looked like to me) prescribed ointment and medications for his itching.
Tumblr media
I mention this because so many people act like he just... looks like that because of bad hygiene or something?? And it's not. He has a medical condition that he can't properly take care of because he doesn't *exactly* have the resources for that.
Speaking of hygiene, I see lots of people say that he probably smells (even in headcanons for fics), and while he probably doesn't have an entire hygeine routine, I'm sure he at least bathes because his hair is??? So fluffy?? LOL. Because I've had hair his length before (in the beginning of the manga/anime), and let me tell you, unless he's just that perfect (I mean he is, but not my point), he would have to wash at least semi frequently to keep his hair from getting oily and flat. And that man has FLUFF.
LIKE??!
Tumblr media
AND??
Tumblr media
His hair has a mind of it's own.
It does get flat/oily in later seasons, but he's outside a lot and most likely doesn't have anywhere to shower like he probably did in the beginning seasons.
My brother actually has issues with dry and itchy skin as well and one of the most common things he does to relieve the itch is to shower and moisturize, but no amount of proper hygiene is going to fix shigaraki's scarring.
I will admit I havent finished the recent seasons or am up to date with the manga, but I still stand by what I said. I feel like y'all are too harsh on this man's looks (especially before the "glow up"). Again, I know he's fictional, I just wanted to write about it because I'm bored and don't have much better to do lol. He's been my favorite character since highschool and I'm 21 now:'). I think I will defend him until I die tbh lol.
265 notes · View notes
prolix-yuy · 1 year
Text
Simulated
Pairing: Dieter Bravo x F!Reader Actress
Summary: You're a professional, which is why a sex scene with Dieter Bravo will be no problem at all. Now you just have to convince yourself to believe it.  
Word Count: 4.8k
Warnings: Explicit, 18+ MINORS DNI, descriptions of male and female bodies, simulated sex, grinding, fantasizing about sex, anxiety, lil bit of size kink, probably incorrect method for filming sex scenes but I'm using what I know and making up the rest. Don't do this for real, this is fantasy and Dieter is a filthy boy.
Notes: This leapt out of my brain and was enabled by the Discord besties. Dieter brainrot is setting back in but I doubt anyone's complaining. This may be the sexiest thing I've ever written without actual sex happening, but you all can be the judge of that.
Cross-posted on AO3
Midnight Alley Masterlist
Tumblr media
Trembling on the verge of passing out is not how you wanted your first time in Dieter Bravo’s arms to be, but no amount of reprimands to your rebelling body have worked. 
It’s not him, far from it. Dieter had been nothing but gentlemanly since you came in for scene blocking. The director offered to have stand-ins while they adjusted lighting and staged the shots, but you boldly offered to come in anyways. It wasn’t your first shoot, but it was your first sex scene, and you wanted to impress the director with your no-nonsense attitude about it. 
All that confidence flew out the window when you came face to face with your scene partner, Dieter Bravo. Well aware of his aloof playboy nature, you didn’t expect his handshake to be so warm, the quirk of his smile to make your heart flutter, or for him to smell so strongly of eucalyptus. Apparently his agent mentioned you would be there for staging, and he decided to come in to test your chemistry. No issues there, your curious eyes roaming over his wrinkled cargo pants and threadbare sweater. He could be wearing nothing and you’d still melt into a puddle. Which, shockingly, wouldn’t be that far in the future.
Calm down, girl. Be professional.
To be fair, Dieter is fucking gorgeous, even under the bloodshot eyes and air of annoyance. His curls are even softer looking in person, heavy shoulders stretching his t-shirts and bulky forearms complimenting his thick thighs. Even the little pooch of a tummy makes you salivate. While your friends drool over Tom Hiddleston or Harry Styles, your heart beats fast for men who can crush you under their bulk. “Weighted blanket boys,” you like to call them, and Dieter wholly falls into that category. 
Which is why when you got the casting call for a bit part in the crime drama Midnight Alley, which Dieter had been co-starring in for three seasons, you leapt at the opportunity. Even if you didn’t get to share a scene, at least you could catch a glimpse, maybe say hello. That was surely worth the long hours. His proclivities for casual sex definitely didn’t fit into that plan. No sir. Definitely not.
It all became real when you got the pages. Your character was a one night stand, relegated to three scenes - the bar where you make eyes across a crowd, the tasteful sex scene (though only barely - tv ratings have really changed in the last twenty years), and the morning after when he leaves to go to a crime scene. The “gaze across the smoky dance floor” was easy enough; anyone with half a brain and a pulse would blush at Dieter’s intense stare, raised eyebrow, and sly grin, a signature of his questionable character. It raises goosebumps down your arms, his parted lips and the slip of his pink tongue resting just inside, the crinkle of his eyes when he knows he’s got you. If a man ever gave you that look you’d be in his bed in moments. 
Scratch that. Not just any man. Dieter’s the only one who could pull that off.
Tumblr media
The blocking should have evened out your nerves, and in the moment you believed it did. Dieter was an absolute gentleman, even warmer than you hoped, as you waited to be called on set.
“Ever done a scene like this before?”
“First time. Can you tell?”
He thumbed through his thicker script.
“Wasn’t going to make you more nervous by pointing it out. But yes.”
You blew out a puff of air, making Dieter smirk even more as you crinkled your sheets.
“How do we…?”
“You know the direction?”
“Yeah, it seems…straightforward.”
“Well, today we’re just going to do the major movements - positions, angles, you know - and while they mark focus and shine a light directly up my asshole, we can talk.”
A burst of giggles pulled a wider smile onto his face, waiting for you to calm yourself.
“What do we talk about?”
“What’s comfortable for you. What would pull you out of the scene. What you’re open to. You’re our guest after all.”
So your afternoon was spent pantomiming the sex acts written for you and…talking. Which wasn’t supposed to be sexy, or like two hours of incredibly hot foreplay, but your body apparently didn’t get the memo.
“Anything you really don’t want me to touch? Besides the obvious,” Dieter asked, coming down from his hands to his elbows by your face. The tip of his nose brushed briefly against yours. A hairlight shifted in your periphery.
“My ribs are pretty ticklish,” you admitted, nodding to the assistant director Ramona when she moved on to the next setup. Scooping his hands behind your back, Dieter pulled you on top, showing how to sit a little further up on his stomach to fake the grinding. Unfortunately, the plush flesh against your core didn’t help with the ache.
“Here’s okay?” he asked, wrapping his hands just under your breasts, the tips of his thumbs barely grazing the swell. You nodded, body getting jolted again when the director Adiel asked for Dieter to scoot up the bed a few inches.
“My, uh…” you said, then stopped as you lost confidence. Dieter took his hands off your chest and laced them on his own. He looked up at you expectantly. “My…nipples are really sensitive, so I know I’ll have pasties on and everything, but, it’s like, uncomfortable if they get touched certain ways. So I just wanted to…warn you of that. It shouldn’t be a problem, just, ah, you know, just in case.” Your throat closed up, embarrassment at even saying anything crushing your tongue against the roof of your mouth.
“Thanks for telling me, I appreciate it.” Dieter patted your thigh and his smile was a little more tender than before. 
God, he really looked good underneath you.
“My skin’s sensitive too, scratches show up really clearly on it and it pisses off the cinematographer. So that’s the only thing we’ll have to watch out for there.” The shuffle of changing positions interrupts your conversation until you’re on your stomach with him pressed against your back.
“Sorry if I pop one too, it’s kind of par for the course with these. I’m good at keeping it under control for the most part.” You giggle into the pillow as he hovers over you. 
“My biggest advice?” Dieter murmurs, mouth close to your ear. You hum into the pillow. “Let yourself have fun. It’s not gonna feel natural, but that doesn’t mean it’s gotta feel cold. You won’t offend me if you go off script. I might too, if it feels right. If we’re having fun, the audience will too.”
The weight of his body bearing down on you drives any more anxieties out of your blissed-out brain.
Tumblr media
The day of the sex scene comes quicker than you’d like, and the tender crush you’d been nursing for Dieter has become a panicked bird inside your ribcage. You’d spent the hours before preparing, mentally and physically with an indulgent morning routine, but nothing can stop your nerves when Dieter catches sight of you and gives a little wave. He’s in jeans and a black button-up, hair being artfully styled but sunglasses still on. One knee bounces in the chair but otherwise he looks cool as a cucumber. 
The sliver of golden chest you peep through the neck of his shirt sends you scurrying to your dressing room.
Everything leading up to the moment you step on set is distraction. Chatting with makeup, hair, props, with the fucking boom operator who looks just as confused as you are that you’re asking about good places to eat in the area. You talk with the intimacy coordinator, who gives you final notes on the scene. (“If Dieter makes you uncomfortable at all you give me The Eyes and I’ll correct him. No questions asked. I’ve worked with him for years, and I will cuss him out to his face.”) Eventually there’s no one left, and you’re standing alone clutching a water bottle to your chest when Dieter sidles up.
“Nervous?”
You almost jump out of your bathrobe. Which would suck because all you had on was a dark lace lingerie set, pair of pasties and the strange modesty patch protecting your lady bits. Sometimes seeing the behind-the-scenes really did erase the movie magic.
“Yeah, sorry. It’s a little more real now than the rehearsal,” you sigh, and Dieter’s bray of a laugh actually calms you. He puts a hand on your back and rubs firm, soothing circles that bring your heart back into an acceptable rhythm.
“You’ll do fine. And I’ve done this…eh, probably more times than it’s polite to mention. You’re in good hands.” He pulls off his sunglasses, treating you to rich brown eyes you could lose yourself in if you weren’t a professional, goddammit. 
“Close the set, please!” Ramona calls out, and the nonessential crew files out until it’s just you and Dieter and about eight other people who will be watching you writhe and moan. Taking in a deep breath and letting it out loudly, you shake your limbs and metaphorically gird your loins (since they already are pretty girded).
“Can I have actors on set please?” You stride up to the bed with as much confidence as you can muster, Dieter strolling up behind you. Now that he’s close he smells like fresh cotton and spice, a sharp shift from the earthier scents you’d been experiencing. Even a hint of mint from his breath, suddenly thankful you’d brushed and mouthwashed twice. 
“Positions for Scene 17.”
Yes, the first shot. Dieter would be hovering over you, kissing you as he pulls his shirt off. You would be in your bra and panties, slivers of your body visible in the frame but Dieter’s broad chest and unbuttoned waistband on display. Sliding the bathrobe off and placing it off camera, you arrange your limbs on the bed, hands shaking just a little now. Dieter stands at the foot, and if you weren’t about to simulate sex you’d swear he was devouring you with his heavy gaze.
Just getting into character. Breathe.
“Roll sound.”
“Speed.”
“Scene 17a, take one. Roll camera.”
“Rolling.”
“...Action.”
As the set drops to silence, you watch Dieter change from the slightly aloof but sympathetic actor to a brooding morally gray detective needing to bury his failures in a soft body. Despite your coaching, your eyes widen at the set of his jaw, how dark his eyes become when he wrenches off the offending button-up. He sinks to his knees between your thighs and hovers over you, hands pushed into the mattress on either side of your head. 
“Be good for me, yeah?” he husks, deeper and full of gravel. You nod, and he descends to crush your lips together. He urges your mouth open and works your lips together, but his tongue stays obediently behind his teeth. 
Fuck, for a second you forgot you were acting.
His hips dip, denim scraping along the inside of your thighs. He parts from your mouth with a gasp, forehead coming down to press against yours. He takes a deep breath, then…
“Cut! Reset.”
You blink slowly, Dieter already lifting back up to stand at the foot of the bed, rebuttoning his shirt. 
“Any notes?” he asks, voice so calm and clear you snap back to the reality of the situation. 
“When you’re kissing, pull her thighs up around you,” Adam says, Dieter’s head swiveling back.
“That all right by you?” he asks, smoothing the shirt on his skin. 
“Yeah, yeah, absolutely,” you answer, trying not to croak out the words. It was just the first take, it’s fine that you’re a little off-kilter. It would be easier by the second one.
It was not. Not by the third either, still swimming in the heady arousal that wafts from Dieter’s commanding presence. The director complimented how you clutched at his shoulders when he squeezed your thighs, which you tried to pass off as purposeful rather than hanging on for dear life. You were doomed, you’d bitten off more than you could chew and you were going to mess up this role and had no idea how to stop it.
Three more scenes to go.
Tumblr media
You take a lap as they reposition the cameras, flip-flops slapping against the concrete floors of the soundstage as you debate if you have enough time to rub one out before going back, just to take the edge off.
“Actors back on set!”
Dammit.
Scene 18 has you riding Dieter, his hands guiding you until he bares his teeth (your signal to move with him) and rolls you on your back to pound you into the mattress. The lingerie is gone now, the cool air of the soundstage caressing over curves of your body that most people rarely see. Dieter averts his eyes when you disrobe, and carefully arranges himself below you. You’re feeling more centered, straddling Dieter with a little less fire burning between your legs, but your troubles take a sharp turn.
“Lean forward a little more, you’re half out of the shot.”
“A little faster.”
“Put your hand on his stomach about ten seconds in.”
“Never mind, back to how we had it before.”
“No, we said no hand, remember?”
“Do you need a break?”
Your body shakes after take 6, half from the exhaustion of lifting up on your knees over and over, your toes starting to go numb, and half with anxiety over forgetting another cue, or missing another note. The smile you keep shooting the director is getting strained, and mortifying tears start to prick your eyes. Dieter is watching your face closely, and with a pointed look at Ramona she calls a brief break. 
“Hey,” he murmurs, guiding you off his lap to sit on the edge of the bed. You cross your arms over your chest, and he reaches over to give you your robe. Draping his own over his lap, he strokes that soothing pattern of circles over your back as you shake your head.
“Sorry, it felt so easy in rehearsal, I’m having like, a weird lockup right now,” you stammer out.
“It’s okay,” he says, “I know what it is.” You look up at him with more desperation in your eyes than you mean. He nods sympathetically.
“It’s the cock sock, isn’t it?” 
He delivers the line completely deadpan. The shock of the phrase, plus the serious set of his brow, makes hysterical laughter burst from your lips. You bury your face in your hands and shake as Dieter’s deep chuckles tickle into your ear.
“That’s better, just need to get a little of that tension out,” he soothes, meeting your eyes with a charming smile. If only this could be a real moment, not something looked on by several men and women drinking coffees. Dieter seems like the kind of partner who would always make you comfortable, and seen, and absolutely satisfied.
That last thought tingles the baby hairs on the back of your neck as you move back into position. Straddling Dieter once again, the ridiculous genital covering out of sight, he grips your shoulders.
“Okay, let’s get back into character here, yeah? Remember your motivation?”
You nod. Not that the scene really needed a deep backstory, but you’d decided you were blowing off steam after a rough few days at work and an ex texting you to get back together. Dieter was mysterious, exciting, so different from your past boyfriends, and when he met your eyes across the room all you wanted was for him to wash the bad taste of their memories out. 
“Got it? Good. Here’s mine,” he says, leaning up while the last few preparations finish around you. Lips to your ear, he whispers only for you. 
“Another dead end, another long day, and I want something to distract me. I’ve got my eye on my usual type, but then I see you. You stand out in the crowd, bold, confident. You hold my stare, challenge me. I thought I wanted something easy, something mindless, but looking at you, I changed my mind. I wanted something with substance, someone to give as good as she gets, and I know you’ll give me even better. My cock got hard just looking at you, you’re fucking perfect. And then when you let me buy you a drink and you criticized my whiskey choice, I wanted to bend you over the bar right there. So I’m taking you home to bury my troubles, but you can surprise me as many more times as you like. I like to be surprised. I want you to take me as much as I’m taking you.”
Dieter lies back with a hell of a self-satisfied smirk on his face.
“Action!”
Your body moves with an ease that had been eluding you, liquid rolls as you take your time riding him. His hands come up to your hips, urging you faster, and instead you grind down on him, pressing your hands into his chest and pinning him into the bed. You’re not supposed to be fighting him, but it feels so right to arch and rock harder into him. His bare legs flex against your ass, meeting your hips with his thrusts. You can imagine how good he’d feel if you weren’t faking this, how his powerful thrusts would hit your g-spot. His hand cups the back of your neck, teeth bared in warning as he rolls you onto your back. 
“You’re so sexy,” he growls in your ear, hooking your legs around his waist and smacking his hips into yours. The impact is softer than it looks, aided by your moans and writhing beneath him. He goes for a handful more thrusts before “Cut!” is shouted again.
“There we go! I like the improv, can we do just one more for coverage?” Ramona says, giving you an approving smile when you immediately get into position. 
“I could go all night,” Dieter shoots back, earning an eye roll from half the crew and a dry mouth from you when he flicks his gaze back and winks. 
The second take flows even better, your bodies finally speaking to each other. Dieter palms your ass, you slow your hips. He urges you to go faster, you grind down on him. He grits his teeth as you push his chest, nails just about to bite into the supple flesh. His eyes capture yours over and over, and the hunger inside them is some damn good acting. 
The cues, the flip, and you’re on your back again, but this time Dieter drops his head to cover your breast with his hot mouth. You arch, a strangled gasp as you wait for his tongue, his teeth, but he works his jaw against the flesh and nothing more.
Fuck, you want something more.
When he pops his mouth off he resumes the script, thrusting frantically into you but with more force this time, even an edge of desperation. You meet his energy, throwing your head back and letting him yank you against him over and over. The slap, the friction, this gorgeous man before you all makes slick weep from your untouched cunt, clit aching for the act you’re simulating.
“Cut! Excellent, really good work guys, you’re hitting your groove here. Let’s move on to 19.”
Dieter stays above you for a few seconds more, your chests heaving. The lust bleeds away to a soft smile as he pats your side.
“Good work, you take direction really well.”
You bite your tongue to stop yourself from saying, “Just from you.”
Tumblr media
You take one more walk around the soundstage to try and calm your rebellious body, but the moment you see Dieter again, kneeling in the bed with the blankets bunched in front of his hips, it’s all dashed away. Even his respectful touches as he guides you to your stomach, checking in if you’re comfortable, all burn across your skin. You just need to get through this scene.
“Action!”
This is indeed the finale. Dieter would finish above you, pounding into you from behind. You were supposed to lie there and take it, let him cuss and choke into the back of your shoulder before his breathing slows and you cut to the next morning. You could do that. You totally could. Most men you’ve been with hump you into the bed like this and it does very little for you. This would be fine.
The moment Dieter starts rutting against your ass you know you’re done for. You’re too worked up, and the position lightly teases your nipples. A wrinkle of blanket rubs against your mound just enough to relieve your clit, and while you know you should stop you can’t help but grind into the bed just enough to light up your nerves. Dieter hovers above you, thick forearms planted by your shoulders as he hisses and grunts his way to a fake climax. You press back against him, giving your own satisfied smile as he drops his forehead between your shoulders and rolls his hips again. 
“Not bad, can we go one more time?”
Shit. You’d hoped that would be enough, arousal rising dangerously between your thighs. Rearranging the sheets to deny you pleasure, you catch Dieter slumping to one side and watching you. It’s intense, being in his stare, but also warming and protective. When you lie back on your stomach and give him a nod that you’re ready, he leans down and whispers in your ear.
“If you want it, you can have it. I won’t tell anyone. You take it when it comes.”
You barely get a moment of shock before the cameras are rolling and the scene begins again. Did Dieter just…insinuate that he’d cover for you if you came? The thought makes wetness gush between your thighs, now lacking the friction you were relishing in earlier. The need aching in your cunt makes you roll your hips back against Dieter, a strained “fuck” spitting through his teeth. He grabs your hips and guides you against his narrow ones, not quite hitting where you want but the snap and slap of him against you still works you up more than it should. You cry out, bury your face in the pillow, fist the blankets as he chases his release. The practiced groan signals the end, this time his cheek pressing against your back and a kiss dotting your spine. 
Thank God. You were finally in the clear.
“I think we need one more, guys. I want a little more…intimacy this time. You both okay with that?”
Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck.
“I don’t…” you started to protest until Dieter’s hand finds its way to the back of your neck.
“I think you can do it. I know you can. One more time?” he asks, but in his eyes is a promise that makes you nod, even against your better judgment.
This time I’ll make you cum.
Dieter changes tactics when the cameras roll. He starts off fast, yanking you back against him. Sitting up on his heels he arches you off the bed with his expansive hands. His thighs cage you in, squeezing tight. Something thick and soft slides against your ass, and you realize Dieter is hard behind you, cock still wrapped up but the weight of it against you obvious. You want him between your legs, fat head sliding over your clit, but you let him adjust you to exactly where he wants. 
With Dieter’s guidance you rock and writhe against him, drips of praise reaching your ears. With a deeply groaned, “Fuck, baby,” he folds over you, stomach pressing into your back. His fingers lace with your own, hugging you to his chest as he pumps his hips in long strokes. His cock nudges your lower back, little gasps keening out. He noses your cheek and guides you to turn your face to the camera. 
“This okay?” he mouths into your ear and you let out a, “Yes, please,” loud enough to mean anything for the camera. You slide a hand into his hair, gripping the thick curls to a stuttered sigh of pleasure. The pressure and motion finally gives you the stimulation you need, and it’s barely any time before your orgasm barrels to the forefront. You tighten your grip on Dieter’s large hand and school your face just enough to not look like you’re cumming through the hottest scene you will ever act in.
“That’s it, take it, take it baby, you’re doing so well, fucking god, look at you,” Dieter groans into your ear. He presses you deeper into the mattress, muting the uncontrollable bucking of your hips for the camera. Teeth scrape along your jaw in tender nips as he stutters to his fake finish, a guttural groan and relaxing of his body signaling the end of the scene. But Dieter lifts up on one elbow and pinches your chin between two fingers, turning your face to his. He looks at you like a mystery to be solved, like a gift, and then kisses you, slow and indulgent.
“Cut! Excellent, loved the ad libbing Dee, but you gotta stop saying fuck, we’ll have to cut that out,” the director says. Dieter laughs against your back, and the warmth of his skin makes you want to melt into the bed and never leave. 
“You doing okay?” he asks, lifting up off you and tugging both your bathrobes over to give you some modesty. He fists his own over his swollen erection, a little pink high in his cheeks and sweat along his hairline.
“Yeah, perfect, absolutely,” you say lightly, legs wobbling when you try to stand up. His eyes drag over you, a prideful smile playing on his lips as you try to cover up your dazed affect. “One more scene?” you say brightly.
“Yeah,” he says, distracted. “One more scene.”
Tumblr media
The final shot of your day is the following morning, soft yellow light traded for the cool blue of daylight streaming in. You’re facing away from the camera, Dieter waking and looking over at your naked shoulder. He sits up and strokes along the curve of your waist, making you sigh in your sleep. He watches you with a mix of regret and resolution, kisses your shoulder, and gets out of bed.
The scene is done in one take. You wish it took all day.
Tumblr media
The end of the shoot is quiet, taking off makeup and getting back into your public clothes. You strain to hear someone coming to your dressing room, a certain wild-haired brown-eyed man giving you a sendoff. A kind word, a piece of advice, you’d take anything. But he doesn’t come, and you leave the soundstage with your check and thanks and promises of references. 
The drive back to your apartment is quiet, music even feeling too loud for the moment. Weaving through LA traffic, the moments of your day slip through your mind like silk ribbons.
You suppose this is what meeting your heroes is like. A moment in the sunlight of their presence, then back to the real world of auditions and day jobs and hoping your parents never see this particular part of your portfolio. The dishes need washing, calls need to be made, and you have to go on with your life. It was an excellent experience, albeit a slightly inappropriate one. But if that’s the worst you got up to with Dieter then it was fairly tame.
The fleeting thought of what you’d actually hoped you’d get up to with Dieter comes and leaves without incident. 
By the time you get home you’re planning what casting call you’d go to tomorrow, making your grocery list, and considering if you can get away without doing laundry tonight. Which is why you walk past the bouquet of flowers in the atrium without checking who it’s for. Waiting for the elevator, however, curiosity gets the better of you and you peek at the card.
Your name. It’s your name on the perfectly imperfect bouquet of garden roses and eucalyptus. You’re opening the card as your cell phone vibrates in your pocket. Fishing it out, you greet the Midnight Alley casting agent on the other end.
“Are you open to a semi-recurring role?” 
“W-what?”
“Yeah, the director and AD were really impressed with your chemistry with Bravo. They’ve been trying to write him a love interest in the show, but he’s turned down all the potential actresses and guest stars. No chemistry, bad chemistry, whatever, but the point is he asked for them to consider you.”
Your hands shake, the clean white card pinched between your fingers.
I think we can do better together than that. Dinner?
-DB
“What do you think?”
Your heart flutters as you set it free.
“When can I start?”
Tumblr media
END
834 notes · View notes
watcheraurora · 20 days
Text
Deepfrost Pass
More than a little inspired by @/mellozheist's want to give credit but not bother with my shipping nonsense so no tag unfinished Let It Go Tango animatic that I was watching... but as always I've got Rancher brainrot on my brain... have fun! 3.2k words
"Absolutely not," Grian snapped. "No. Not happening. You can't."
"Try and stop me," Jimmy challenged. "You're not a Watcher here."
"I am a Watcher here, but my powers are limited. Not gone. And I say no."
"Well I say yes. And you won't stop me." Jimmy shoved Grian out of the way of the door. "It's your fault anyway."
Grian's wings went rigid. "Excuse me?" he demanded, voice cold.
"It's your fault!" Jimmy retorted. "If you hadn't made that stupid server—"
"If I hadn't made that stupid server, you two wouldn't ever have met the way you did!" Grian spat back. "You wouldn't ever have known him like this if it weren't for me. If anything, you should be thanking me."
"I am grateful to you for that. But only that. The rest? Yeah, I do blame you for."
"If you go there, you'll die."
Jimmy shoved his arms into his coat. "That's a risk I'm willing to take."
"Tim—" Grian's hand lashed out and caught Jimmy's wrist. "Even I can't—and I'm a Watcher—It's just—there are nearly ten wardens in there. They've taken him over. He left for a reason. Can't you just—"
Jimmy shook Grian's hand off. "No. I can't 'just.' I know you think that whatever he found up there corrupted him or possessed him. I think you're wrong. That server was awful to him in a way he wasn't prepared for. I can take being the butt of jokes. I'm used to it. He never handled betrayal well and put on such a brave face that no one noticed. He snapped. And I'm don't care. I'm going to see him. I'm not here for very long before I'm going to get kicked."
"Tim, don't be stupid—"
"That's me. Stupid, stupid Tim," Jimmy spat. His wings snapped open and he hurled himself into the sky.
Grian was a fantastic flyer. He was small and nimble and could maneuver incredibly well. But he couldn't hold a candle to the raw power and strength of Jimmy's massive wings. That was what came from their height difference and builds. Jimmy was built for strength and speed. Most real canaries weren't, but he wasn't an actual bird, for crying out loud.
His armor barely even weighed him down as he surged higher into the sky. Grian would never be able to catch up. In small areas with lots of obstacles, Grian would win a race any day. But wide open sky going in a straight line? He'd have to work extra hard to keep up with Jimmy's casual flight.
He flapped his wings and soared higher. The world dropped even farther below. He knew this would be a long flight—hours, probably—but he would make it most of the way on the wing. Then the last leg of the journey on foot. He was prepared. He knew what he was doing.
He hoped.
All sorts of landscapes passed by beneath him. For hours. Gradually lifting up from plains into hills into foothills. Until he was in a taiga. Nearing the tundra tree line. Mountains surged up from the ground ahead of him, and he'd have to gain more altitude to access the pass between two of them that he needed. His wings beat the air harder, lifting him up until the air was almost too thin to cushion his wings and keep him aloft.
Jimmy flew until frost started to crystallize on his feathers. He knew he wouldn't be able to get any closer via flight, so he tilted into a sharp dive and braked hard, landing with a crunch of his leather boots in the deep snow. He pulled his coat tighter around him and drew his wings in close. They were so long that they dragged through the snow behind him. And they took the bite of this cold mountain range the most. But he couldn't let himself care about that.
He pulled a Blaze Rod out of his inventory and held it in one hand, a torch in the other. The Blaze Rod lit the torch and both helped keep him warm as he trudged up the mountain. He knew he couldn't be far now. The sun was going down. Mobs were going to start spawning soon.
He ate as he hiked. A golden carrot styled to look like a churro every so often. Scar had insisted he take them, so he had.
The sun went down. A full moon began to emerge over the mountain peaks. Jimmy caught sight of it when he was between peaks. There was no path to where he was going. Just the ever-worsening cold to lead him on. But he felt the direction in his heart.
So when he rounded the mountain and saw the fortress, he wasn't sure how to feel.
The thing was massive. Dark stone and teal accents. Grey-black towers clawed at the midnight-blue sky, as though trying to feed the stars to the gaping, frowning mouth partway up the enormous central tower. A warden's mouth.
The doorway was open, the portcullis raised.
Who needed security like that in a place like this? When the dangerous stuff was inside?
Jimmy stared.
The Deepfrost Citadel.
Blood. Pain. Screaming. Tango's yellow fire hair simmering down, blazing back up with the ice-blues and teals of soul fire. His friends' betrayals still lingering in his heart. The rage never fully going away, just pretending it was gone...
Jimmy still had some of Tango's memories. He remembered waking up in the middle of the night in Tumble Town, not too long after he first settled there after Double Life had ended, to Tango's screams in his nightmares. He remembered waking up months ago to a message from Grian, panicking that Tango had retreated into the mountains and no one had seen nor heard from him since.
Tango had even avoided him when he'd crossed over into Jimmy's world. Jimmy had rebuilt their ranch and everything. Tango promised it was his home. And then he spent all his time down in Gobland, too absorbed in work to... to ever... to ever come home.
A tear slid down Jimmy's face, trying to freeze but so hot that it made his skin tingle from the contact.
He trudged closer to the citadel.
Fine. If Tango was going to go back to his cave and his castle since returning home to Hermitcraft, then Jimmy was going to go to him.
He made it into the maw of the open doorway and shook off. Snow fell off his hair, wings, and the shoulders of his coat. His sheriff clothes were designed for the broiling heat of the mesa. They were thick and protective, but lightweight to release body heat.
Not a good idea for this taiga. He was freezing.
He climbed a long, dark staircase into a semi-constructed great hall.
"Tango?" he called. His voice echoed to the towers above him.
He heard the humming of a warden, coming from somewhere deep below. Just that sound alone made his blood run cold.
"Tango!" he called louder.
Something moved in the shadows cast by the soul fires. He whirled, expecting a warden or a ravager.
Nothing.
He held the Blaze Rod closer to his chest and extinguished the torch, tucking it back in his inventory. The lack of its warmth made his wings shiver. "Tango. Is that you?" he asked quieter. "Tango, please."
The movement was a shadow itself. Humanoid in shape, but nothing more than silhouette. It pointed, dodged to another shadow, and pointed again. Jimmy followed. "Tango, is that you?" Jimmy asked more urgently.
The shadow shook its head. Pointed again. Flitted to another shadow. Pointed. Jimmy followed its path.
A hole in the wall that led to a hole in the ground. The shadow briefly appeared, pointed down, and vanished.
Jimmy looked down apprehensibly. He didn't see any water... but there was a water elevator right next to this drop. Obviously a way up and down to somewhere.
Trusting in Tango, trusting in whatever they'd been on that first Ranch, hearts and souls in each other's hands, he closed his eyes and stepped off the drop, pulling his wings in tight so they wouldn't smash into anything or break and holding the Blaze Rod to his chest.
He landed on powdered snow, covered in a carpet square. It absorbed the damage of his fall. He ducked low to clear his wings and stepped out.
He was in a storage room. The walls were lined with rows and rows and columns and columns of chests. It was a remarkably compact storage room, all things considered. He'd seen the incredibly complex, sprawling system behind the doors of Scar's shop fronts in his theme park. That was huge. This was just chests. All shoved against one another. A Nether portal droned off to his left. And beside it, an archway that led out into a huge open cavern. Jimmy stood on the edge of the storage room's packed mud brick floor and looked out, his wings extending slightly behind him.
The cavern wasn't just some empty hole. It was filled with an unfathomably complicated web of redstone, all woven around structures. Jimmy couldn't make heads or tails of any of it.
This kind of area is where Grian's flying skills would be more beneficial than his. Jimmy could fly around in here, but he'd smack into every wall and track of redstone he came across. He couldn't maneuver anywhere near as well. This was an obstacle course dream for Grian.
Jimmy unfurled his wings and launched into the cavern, trying to keep his ridiculously long wingspan as close to himself as he could while still staying airborne while he flew around, searching the structures and the web of redstone.
"Tango?" he called. His voice echoed around the structure. He wondered if, for a moment, he actually saw that shadow running through the darkness alongside him. Or if he was losing it.
He heard giggling. Tango's distinct giggle. He pulled up short and banked in a circle, looking around.
"Hmhm! Dungeon's making me hear my birdie," Tango said in his high-pitched, silly voice. Sounding... slightly manic.
A firework rocket shot off. Jimmy heard the snapping of Elytra membranes. He looked around—
And caught sight of Tango flying back toward the storage room, a shulker box in hand. Jimmy twisted sharply and shot after him, catching his wings on tracks of powered and activator rails. He grunted in pain at the impacts.
When he finally made it back to the storage room, Tango was kneeling in front of a ground-level chest, rifling through it. He had a black hood on, attached to the long black coat he'd worn on Jimmy's world. The one that had spawned on him in Jimmy's nightmare when he snapped and his yellow fire hair had turned blue. The nightmare where the wardens broke through the ground at Tango's command and attacked the other Hermits who tried to contain them—and him—before he retreated up Deepfrost Pass and churned out his fortress.
He was singsonging under his breath as he moved materials from the chest into the shulker box. "Just keep workin'. Do the buildy-buildy. We'll show them. We'll show 'em all when I watch Ravagers munch their faces off. Especially Bdubs."
He shuffled over, popping another shulker box onto the ground and filling it with contents of another chest.
Jimmy just watched for a few moments.
"Gotta finish. Have to. Can't wait to feed the Hermits to the wardens."
Jimmy crept closer. He set a hand on Tango's shoulder. "Tango," he said gently.
"Wah-ga-gah!" Tango exclaimed, whirling around with his coat flaring around him. His hood fell off, revealing soul-fire hair. And, for just a moment, black eyes. But the black disappeared, and they were back to blue with deep blue sclera. He started laughing. "Very funny, Decked Out!" he called toward the cavern of structures and redstone. "Making me hallucinate Jimmy isn't going to speed things up, you know!"
"Tango, I—I'm not a hallucination," Jimmy said, tightening his grip on Tango's shoulder. The coat was so thick, he couldn't feel Tango's muscle giving underneath.
Tango leaned closer conspiratorially and winked. "That's what a hallucination would say," he said playfully. He turned back to his materials and kept shoveling them over into the shulker box.
"No, I'm not. Tango—" Jimmy grabbed Tango's shoulders and spun him around. "Look at me. I'm really here. I flew most of the way here and hiked the rest. I had to come see you. I had to—you—I miss you. I've barely seen you since our home worlds collided. You never came home to Tumble Town. The only reason I came through the Rift was to spend more time with you, and I've barely seen you since I've been here. You just left. What did I do, Tango? What have I done to warrant you avoiding me?"
Tango tried to turn back around, but Jimmy held him firm.
Tango blinked. Something like clarity sharpened in his eyes. "You're really here," he said.
"Yes. I'm here. I'm not some illusion or hallucination."
"I thought... the dungeon..." Tango looked out to the cavern, then back to Jimmy. Somewhere deep below, a warden hummed and sniffed. Jimmy's wings shivered. Tango's eyes snapped back to his. "I have to finish Decked Out. The dungeon needs to be whole."
Jimmy knelt so he and Tango were nearly at eye-level, still holding the shoulders of the coat. A glassy look made Tango's eyes unfocus.
"The others... they tried to stop me from leaving. But they've already held me back for so long. Bdubs betrayed me. We were teammates. He stabbed me in the back. He was no match for my wardens. Grian thought he was some almighty eldritch creature. But six wings are just more targets to get blastificated. Even Etho—the original!—was powerless to stop me when I finally let go of everything I'd used to hold myself back."
"Tango. Can you find it in yourself to forgive your friends?" Jimmy ran a hand through Tango's soul fire hair. It burned his skin in a way he wasn't used to. Soul fire was hotter than normal fire, but back when they were SoulBound, Tango's fire hadn't even been able to burn Jimmy's skin.
Tango bared his sharp teeth. His hair blazed brighter, higher, and hotter. Jimmy leaned away.
"Tango," Jimmy said soothingly. Repeating his name over and over to remind him who he was. To remind him he was a person. He cupped the side of Tango's face. "Look at me. Look at my eyes." He waited until Tango did. "Can you?"
Tango grumbled under his breath. Bitter and sarcastic.
"Hey. Remember when we first met? In Third Life? And I died to your lava game?"
"Dare to Flare," Tango said automatically.
"That's right. Do you remember when we met again in Double Life? After the creeper?"
Tango's voice pitched up. "You were angry."
"I wasn't," Jimmy said. "Not at you. Just that I'd lost the resources I'd gathered. It had nothing to do with you. And you were always so kind to me. I'm used to everyone putting me on the short end of the joke. You never did. You were a little sarcastic with me, sure. But you always put yourself at the short end of the joke. But you were kind to me. You're one of the only people who ever treated me with unconditional respect as a person, all the time. It's why I..." Jimmy cleared his throat. His wings twitched and ruffled. "It's why I fell for you, so fast."
Tango blinked, slow, like a cat. His head tilted into the contact of Jimmy's hand.
"You saw, while we lived on the Ranch, how everyone else treats me. I'm used to it. I encourage it. If they have to be mean to someone, they should be mean to me. I can take it. But you... you were never anything but loyal. Not just to me. To your team. And you got nothing in return but betrayal. You and me—we really feel our emotions. We pretend we don't, but we do. Our emotions are big and deep. The good, and the bad. Maybe it's why we got put together." Jimmy bent closer and rested his forehead to Tango's. "We have to learn to let the bad slide off, once we've felt it. You have to forgive the other Hermits. You have to let go of the rage."
Tango took a deep breath. "I... I can't."
"Please? Just try. For me?"
Tango reached up and wrapped cold hands around the back of Jimmy's neck, lacing his fingers together. "Birdie..."
"I'm only asking you to try. Breathe with me, and thing about letting it go."
"I'll try."
They shared deep breaths. Trying to tune out the wardens deep below. "Thank your emotions for keeping you safe, and release them," Jimmy whispered.
They knelt on the floor of the storage room for what felt like a long time. Just breathing and quietly encouraging Tango to forgive and let go. Jimmy kept quietly whispering affirmations he used to tell himself when he was learning not to mind the jokes.
A warden screamed somewhere below.
Tension surged out of Tango's shoulders and he slumped forward.
Jimmy caught him, cradling him to his chest. "I got you. It's okay. It's okay. You're fine." He rocked them both, his wings encircling them in a gold shield of protection. "What was that? Why did that warden...? Was Grian right? Were the wardens' influence bleeding into you?"
Tango shook his head against Jimmy's heart. "No. Other way around. My pain was bleeding into them. Wardens are mourners. They were mourning for me. But you're right. I can let it go."
Jimmy smiled. "That's it. Exactly."
There was a long pause. "I do still have to finish this game though. I've been working on it for so long—I can't just stop now."
"No, I know. But let it be just that. A game. Not a vessel for revenge or a channel for betrayal. Just a game."
"I can do that," Tango said. "Or. Well. I can try, anyway."
"That's all you need to do. Just try. Because there's merit in trying. And eventually, trying can pay off. Next thing you'll know, you'll be doing."
"Yeah... yeah. I can do that."
Jimmy kissed the top of Tango's head. The soul fire hair didn't burn him. "That's all I ask." He pulled back a little. "Come up with me? Outside? Come see the sky, please? The sun went down, but the stars are beautiful this far from everyone else. It's so dark and high altitude up here. They're beautiful."
"Okay."
Jimmy smiled. "Okay?"
"Yeah, yeah. Okay!"
"Come with me!" Jimmy pulled Tango toward the water elevator.
60 notes · View notes
liauditore · 9 months
Text
Tumblr media
hehe. small.
just some casual brainrot art for the au i have in my head that i should probably draw the intro comic to sometime👍putting these under 'liaumercAU' til i find a better name 😭😭
look below the cut for my nonsense 👍
OK SO.. this was originally gonna be called the 'ethubs mercenary au' cus it was mainly ethubs-centric (and still kinda is) BUT i have scope creep issues and slowly it's become more and more broad and now the entire player list of the life series has some sort of role to play in it along with several hermits. yes i have a problem don't. Talk to me.
anyway,,, these guys are a pack of orphan street rats menacing the streets of Rivendell, living off of pick-pocketing and other mischief. Absolute public nuisances.
No exact ages cus I don't like em but Martyn's the oldest and has a bit of a leader complex about it. You'll most likely find him challenging other boys to prize fights in the middle of the street.
He and Jimmy have formed a bit of a partnership that they call the 'property police' in which they (attempt to) run a mafia-like extortion scheme with the local shopkeeps by charging them protection fees. They're only successful with the few that choose to show them pity or just think their antics are cute.
Grian's just a bit younger than Martyn and likes to lie comparatively low but secretly thinks of himself as the lead in that "these idiots would be dead without me" kinda way. Despite his age he's got connections everywhere and wants to leave the empire one day to set up his own little settlement somewhere out in the wilderness (he calls this "project EVO").
Just cus he's more logic-oriented and prefers to send any of the other three to do the dirty work doesn't mean he's afraid to thrown down when pissed though, which a lot of people have learnt the hard way. He's frail but his punches HURT.
Pearl's the youngest and the most likely to just grab your wallet and run away with it while cackling. She's got way too much energy for anyone to deal with so it's probably a good thing she has Martyn to roughhouse with. She's got the worldview of one of those small dogs that thinks they can take on pit bulls and huskies five times their size and won't hesitate to jump into a fight if she sees one of her friends involved (she has bitten so many people).
Scott just shows up from time to time to hang out with them and is weirdly secretive about who he is or where he came from. His clean shoes and ability to read hints that he's probably more well-off than the four. Grian's somewhat wary of him but nobody else is willing to put up with Pearl's mud-wrestling when Martyn's not around so he's allowed to stick around.
That's all for now before i spoil the whole thing but despite their hardships they have each other 👍until bad things happen and they don't but that's for the future 😊😊
214 notes · View notes
Note
❛ you’re welcome to stay, if you want. ❜ + the mick from my brainrot 🫶🏽
idk how to feel about this one
Tumblr media
boy next door (ms47) ─── maybe forgetting your keys isn't too bad after all
Tumblr media
you groan loudly, finally releasing the door knob of your front door and giving it a kick for good measure.
“well that’s one way to open it.” 
your head shoots up, eyes landing on your neighbor who offers you a warm smile. but the smile falls as soon as he sees the distress on your face, the clear look of annoyance laced into your features. he holds his hands up in surrender, angie’s leash hanging in the crease between his thumb and index finger. he mumbles a quick sorry, but you only shake your head and take steps backwards until your back hits the wall.
“no sorry, didn’t need to look at you so mean.” 
he takes cautious towards you, the dog following her owner’s lead. she sits at your feet, panting and seemingly smiling up at you. your lip all but twitches upward before you scratch her head. 
“i’m mick.” he introduces himself, to which you do the same. “locked yourself out?” 
“yeah. think my key is probably still on the damn hook by the door too.” you sigh softly, “called the building but they don’t have anyone available to come and unlock my door.” 
mick looks at his watch, then back up at you. “well, my door is right there. come in and wait, you can play with angie to pass the time.”
“i shouldn’t.”
“i insist.”
his smile is warm enough to entice you, put you at ease, and convince that he wouldn’t try to kill you. you let out a breath, nodding and following him the few feet down the hall and to his front door. angie leads the way through the front door, running straight to the couch and waiting patiently for either you or her owner to join her. mick calls out something in german, and it pulls angie off the couch and onto the rug instead.
“she’s well trained,” you comment.
mick hums, nodding as he hangs the leash up and leads you further into his home. “thanks. she’s a good girl when she wants to be. want some tea?”
he brews tea his mom sent him a couple weeks ago, promising he’d get back to you on the name when he remembers. you start in the kitchen, sitting across the other as mick listens to you talk about your day. he’s quiet, attentive, blue eyes never leaving you as you drone on and on. he interjects here and there, but he lets you talk for the most part. he’d never admit it out loud, but he likes your voice. liked it so much he let you drone on and on, even when he offered the couch. 
you try to ask him about himself, though the trophies on shelves and pictures hung up tell stories of their own. you nearly choked when you realize who your neighbor turns out to be, but you try not to let it show. mick doesn’t talk much about racing though. he talks about hiking and his favorite trails. he tells you about his trip to australia with his friend jack, and how he’s determined to travel to even more places in the coming year. you like his voice, how it’s soft and gentle. you’d never tell him that though. 
the next time you look at your watch, an hour and a half has flown past you and you still had yet to hear from the building management or the locksmith. you yawn softly, eyes already feeling heavy. 
“its getting late,” you mumble, “i can go wait in the hallway if you’re ready to turn in…”
“nonsense. you’re welcome to stay, if you want.” 
“you don’t mind?” 
“not at all.” 
mick hops off the couch, disappearing down the hall of his apartment. it’s laid out almost exactly like yours, just flipped. and his view is far better, with the skyline twinkling through the window. you had a view of the pool, which appealed to your nosy tendencies. 
he comes back not too long later, pillow and blankets in his arms. you try to help him fix up the couch, but he shoos you away before you can even lay a finger on the blanket. 
“i left some clothes out for you in the bathroom if you wanna change. a toothbrush too.” 
you smile, uttering a thank you and moving down the hall. folded neatly by the sink is a mercedes tshirt, grey sweatpants, and one purple toothbrush. you take a look around, stifling a laugh at how messily organized his bathroom is. towels are crookedly hung up on the rack, shaving products on the sink instead of on the shelf, and other hygienic products on the other side. all grouped together, but not where they’re meant to be. the one thing that catches you the most of guard is his toothpaste, squeezed and rolled up from the bottom.
after changing and brushing your teeth, you return to the living room to find mick standing by while idly using his phone. he looks up at the sound of your feet pitter-pattering into the room. 
“i wasn’t sure if you slept with the tv on or not, but i left the remote on the table. and i got you a glass of water in case too.” he smiles proudly, pointing to the remote and glass on the coffee table. you mumble a thanks, walking over and around the couch. he watches you move about, plopping onto the couch. he clears his throat. “im gonna go to bed, but if you need anything just knock on my good.”
you nod, “thanks again mick.”
“of course.”
it’s quiet, not a single movement as you both bask in the other’s presence. you feel your cheeks begin to heat up when you notice him staring, averting your gaze quickly. he’s the same way, blushing pink as he turns away and scratches the nape of his neck. 
“well… good night.”
“good night mick.”
he scurries off, the bedroom door shutting quietly. you lay down, inhaling the scent of mick on his pillow. and you smile to yourself, burying your face in it as you pull the covers up to your chin, falling asleep and dreaming about the boy next door.
455 notes · View notes