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#this was super fun to write !
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Based on an idea @thediktatortot and I workshopped in the tags of this post. Enjoy Tommy, Steve, Eddie and Billy being trapped in a room together!
Part 2! Part 3! Part 4! AO3 link!
                                                               *
The world was hell bent on making Steve Harrington suffer. He was sure of it, dead-set, knew it in his soul.
Why else would he have gotten trapped in the high school teacher’s lounge with Eddie Munson, Tommy Hagan, and Billy Hargrove of all people?
“--you didn’t skip gym every fuckin’ year then maybe you could have kept up, freak.” Tommy hissed at Eddie, his teeth gritted as he leaned against the door a demodog was currently trying to knock down.
“Oh yeah cause tackle fucking football really prepares you for the goddamn apocalypse!” Eddie snarled back, marring the effect a little by tripping over his feet as he brought over a chair to prop against the door.
“Shut the fuck up!” Billy growled at them both, “‘M tryin’ to fuckin’ focus!”
He had his back pressed against the door, and was probably the real reason that it hadn’t been caved in yet. Ever since he’d survived his face off with the mindflayer last summer, Billy had been different. Not just in such that he didn’t try to take a bite out of anyone who got too close to him half as often, but in that he could bench his fucking car. Steve knew, because he’d seen him do it one of the days he’d picked Max up for whatever dumb thing the kids were up to. 
“Oh sorry Lou, don’t let us get in the way of your ‘roid rage.” Tommy snitted back, unable to keep his mouth shut for love of life or limb.
“Tommy, for fucks sake shut your mouth for ten goddamn minutes and help me move this vending machine.” Steve cut Billy off before he could escalate what was quickly devolving into a miniaturized Lord of the Flies reenactment.
Tommy aimed an ugly look his way while Eddie snickered.
“King’s callin’ Hagan, be a good little pawn and attend him.” 
“Munson, get your ass over here, you’re helping too.” Steve turned his disapproving glare on Eddie too.
Tommy bowed dramatically, “Ladies first.”
“Age before beauty.” Eddie bowed back.
“Hurry. The. Fuck. UP!” Billy was losing ground by inches. 
Tommy and Eddie took their places on either side of Steve and the three of them started to push the vending machine, inch by screeching inch, across the floor and in front of the door. It filled almost the entire door frame. While it wouldn’t keep a pack of demodogs out for long, it would give them long enough to get their shit together again.
“Okay, so plan?” Steve looked between the three men he now found himself stuck with, “Anybody got a plan?”
“Munson’s the ‘Dungeon Master’, isn’t coming up with plans to beat monsters kind of your thing?” Tommy poked again, securing his place on the mental list Steve knew Eddie kept of people he would eat first in a crisis.
“What the fuck is your problem, douchebag?” Eddie turned his full attention on him, “We’re in the middle of some supernatural life or death bullshit, and your go-to is still ‘Shit on the Freak’? My fuckin’ plan is to trip you while we’re running so they slow down to eat your stupid jock ass.” 
Steve pressed his fists into his eyes, trying to force himself to breathe through the headache he could feel forming at the base of his skull. Of all the combinations of people…
“I was trying to be nice!” Tommy shouted back, and even with his eyes closed, Steve could see the way his hands were gesturing, “That stupid game you play with your weirdo friends has a lot to do with making shit up as you go along! That’s a skill!”
“....did you just admit to knowing what DND is about?” Eddie sounded more confused than angry, like all the fire just burnt right out of him.
“I-! No- I just…”
“Table that,” Billy cut in, “I’m not getting torn apart by another one of those fucking things because you two can’t focus for shit.”
“Who died and made you boss, Hargrove?” Tommy snapped reflexively.
“Your fucking Dad, Hagan. It’s why I’m fucking your mom now too.”
“ENOUGH!” Steve shouted in a voice that sounded so much like Richard Harrington he hated himself a little bit for it, “None of us like each other, we all know that, it’s whatever, old news! But I’m pretty sure none of us want to die, either. You two know better than anyone that this shit is not a game.” 
Steve pointed a finger at Billy and Eddie each in turn before turning his attention on Tommy. 
He was scared, of course he was. Tommy had always used his sharp tongue to cover up his weaknesses, and right now he had to have been feeling about two feet tall and made of tissue paper. Steve had stopped flinching about bodies years ago, but Tommy hadn’t been by his side for that change either. 
So he tried to make himself sound calm, familiar, like they were just talking like they used to when they were dumb little boys sharing secrets during the secret hours of the night where nothing had to mean more than it meant. 
“I know it’s scary as hell, but we’re not going to let you die, Tommy. No one here is dying, not tonight. We’re all on the same team here, and that means we’re going to look out for each other. Okay?”
He held Tommy’s eyes for a moment more, before letting his attention move to Billy, then Eddie in turn.
Eddie was the first to respond, because of course he was.
“Alright, fine. For one night only, coming to an amphitheater near you, the freakiest Friday you’ve ever fucking seen, Off Brand Motley Crue!” Eddie imitated the distant cheering of a crowd and to Steve’s surprise Billy fucking snorted.
He shoved Eddie’s shoulder almost affectionately, muttering “You’re a fuckin’ idiot, Munson.” 
Tommy was still staring at Steve when he looked back at him. There was so much going on in the valley between his eyebrows, Steve could practically hear him thinking.
“Spit it out, Tommy.” Steve sighed while Eddie and Billy wandered off to see if they could scavenge anything of use.
“Is this why you stopped talking to me?” He asked with no preamble.
Fifteen different responses flashed through Steve’s head, all in varying degrees of bitchiness. His patience was more like a roulette wheel than a chord close to snapping at this point. There was every chance he’d say something stupid by sheer chance.
“Kind of?” He shrugged, relieved he’d started off neutral at least, “Some of it, I guess.”
“But not the big part.” Tommy laughs humorlessly, filling in the gaps between what Steve means and what he says as effortlessly as he ever did, “Well shit. Here I was telling myself my best friend ditched me to save me from some crazy horrible death or some shit.”
He laughed again, but the sound was as cruel as it was watery.
“That’s not-- you know that’s not fucking fair Tommy!” Steve could feel his expression folding in on itself.
“Not fair? So you’re saying you didn’t completely bail on me instead of being like ‘Huh we’re kinda assholes and I don’t really like that maybe we should work on that’ like a normal fucking friend would?” Tommy snapped. 
“If you’d said you just wanted to yell at him yourself, I would have ceded the floor to you without a fight, Harrington.” Eddie weighed in from across the room.
“Shut up!” Steve and Tommy chorused together, causing Eddie to raise his hands in surrender with a mischievous smile playing on his lips.
He turned back to Billy, the blonde rolling his eyes as he tore through a drawer full of seasoning packets.
“I’m not fucking stupid, Steve.” Tommy said firmly, his expression looking far more present and alert than Steve was used to, like he’d come out of whatever place he sent himself when there were other people around, “I know you hated what we were like. You’re a nice guy, you always have been. Even though you’re also a total bitch sometimes.”
Steve almost laughed, but the noise caught in his throat instead.
“Yeah well maybe I didn’t think about it. Maybe I was too caught up in needing to change that I told myself I had to get rid of everything to do it.” Steve clenched his jaw, remembering how hard everything had been back then, how alone he’d felt in the canyon between who he was and who he wanted to be.
“I would have changed with you.” Tommy said to his shoes instead of to Steve, “You know. It’s never been about-- about popularity. It’s always been about making you happy.”
The admission caught him like a blow to the stomach. He felt his eyes tearing up and pressed his thumb and forefinger into the bridge of his nose.
“I think near-death experiences with monsters from other dimensions are pretty good catalysts for second chances.” Steve said, when he felt like he could without his voice breaking on him.
“Catalysts?” Tommy raised an eyebrow, “You spend a couple years around a group of nerds and suddenly you start using the big words?”
It’s an insult but it’s good natured, it’s barbed, but like one of those foam prop spiked bats they sell for Halloween. It’s familiar, and it’s easy, and God has Steve missed bantering with someone who knows how to tease him without actually hurting his feelings.
“Pretty face isn’t gonna get me by my whole life.” Steve replied, a smile sneaking onto his lips as a matching smile spans Tommy’s.
Tommy claps him on the shoulder, “Damn straight, once you hit forty that hair is gonna move onto your back and then you’re screwed.”
Steve laughed, feeling relieved by the resolution of something he hadn’t been aware was still bothering him.
“Yeah, yeah, you can’t say that like your skin isn’t gonna melt like your uncle Fred’s did when you hit thirty.”
“Don’t you dare bring Uncle Fred into this!”
                                                             *
To Steve surprise, the demodogs didn’t come crashing through the vending machine door. After about an hour, they stopped trying to get through entirely. 
They thought for a moment that they’d left, but when Billy started pushing the vending machine aside to check, the growling started back up and he quickly moved it back.
“They’re keeping us pinned down.” Eddie muttered around his thumb where he was nervously biting at the skin, “Out of the way.”
“Yeah.” Steve agreed, trying not to let himself think through all the reasons that could be, “Split the party, classic.”
“So you do listen when I talk to you about DND.” Eddie beamed, “Knew it. Closet nerd.”
Billy muttered something that vaguely sounded like ‘closet something’ but he was standing on Steve’s bad side and he couldn’t really be sure. 
Steve rolled his eyes, “You try having six kids and a really hyper metalhead talking your ear off about the same thing all the time. See how much you remember.”
“Jock to nerd pipeline not withstanding, you know why splitting the party is a problem, right?” Eddie continued stubbornly on.
“We’re most of their muscle.” Billy answered instead, “Take us out or pin us down, the rest of them are easier to take out.”
“Ten XP to California.” Eddie clapped.
“So you think they’re trying to keep us out of something?” Tommy asked, surprisingly mindful of his tone.
Eddie nodded, gnawing at his nail again, “We need another way out.”
“Not a lot of options.” Steve glanced around quickly, his leg starting to bounce.
“Pretty much just the front door.” Billy agreed.
“So we need a battle plan.” Tommy summarized, “Okay, right. Munson, what are you good at?”
Eddie frowned and Tommy threw his hands into the air.
“I’m not trying to start shit, I’m asking so we can figure out where the fuck to put you. Hargrove is a one man demolition team, Steve has that bat and he’s really good at taking a punch, I’m good at defence and I can lift a lot more than those things, so what’s your deal?”
Eddie thought for a second, and Steve honestly couldn’t tell if he was considering his answer or if he was pausing for dramatic effect.
“Well,” He started eventually, “I’m good with a shield, and I’m pretty strong too. Don’t look like it, but I can manhandle Stevie here pretty easily.”
Tommy shot him a look that he pointedly ignored. There was no way he was explaining any of that right now, or ever if he had the choice. 
“Steve is easy to manhandle. Barely even fights it.” Billy replied, “That’s not a good gauge of strength.”
“You could rip an airplane in half, you’re not a good gauge of strength.” Eddie gesticulated in Billy’s general direction.
“I fought him way before that.”
“He’s right though.” Tommy shrugged, “Steve never fights being manhandled.”
Eddie scoffed and Steve was pretty sure he was going to choke to death on embarrassment long before the demodogs ever got him.
“Anyway, back on track, guys. You thinking Billy as the spearhead, you and Eddie flanking and me taking up the rear?” Steve tried to guide the conversation back to safer ground before they did something stupid like bond over having all manhandled him at some point.
“Yeah.” Tommy nodded, “Exactly.”
“That’s what I would have said.” Billy shrugged.
“Jock mindmeld.” Eddie shuddered, “Normally, a sign that conformity is alive and well, but right now? Might just save a life. I hate to say it boys, but sportsball might just save the day this time.”
“I’m telling everyone you said that.” Tommy grinned.
“That tripping you plan can still be enacted.” 
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twistedtalking · 10 months
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Can I request a gender neutral s/o | reader who is not scared about talking to Riddle despite his reputation of being harsh on people and also treated him with respect? They called him civilly with his last name and always dropped by to check up on him too.
Unfortunately, for them since he is a yandere-
Finally! A request! 1st one in months.
Thank you!
TW: OOC, storage room, claustrophobia(?)
Context: someone sent u a very creepy letter, something like
"Go to the warehouse or else. I really really love you. Don't you dare disobey me." It was written with blood red ink(?) (Hopefully, it's ink) And for Grim's safety, you obey. Suddenly, the door locks. You see Riddle, and try to ask him for help, but an eery grin rests upon his face.
"Why do you look so surprised? Is this not what you wanted? I mean, you must have known this was coming. You must have wanted this! And as you are very dear to me, I let you.
So why do you look so...
.
.
A-are you shivering? Do you fear me?
This is so unlike you.
It must be Ace and Deuce's fault! You spend too much time with them. They must have influenced you!
Don't worry, dear.
I'll make sure they are
properly punished.
.
.
.
No?
What do you mean "NO"? Is this not what you wanted?
.
" I misunderstood?"
I DID NOT.
You love me! You must've loved me! Otherwise, why would you do all that? Why else if not for love?! You did this because you love me.
You wouldn't have done so much if you had not a smidgen of love in you. "They" must have tricked you! Put you under a spell! A potion perhaps.
I should've been more wary. You attract too many wasps, my rose.
WHO WAS IT?! Was it Schoenheit? Ashengrotto?? Whoever it is, it shall be
"Off With Their Head"!
.
.
Don't worry, dearest.
I'll keep you safe from all these hooligans.
Now stay put. I must punish those who dare touch my rose.
Just stay in this room. Don't take one step out of here. That's an order.
You won't disobey your queen, will you?
.
.
Or has Ace and Deuce influenced you to such an extent. I should forbid them from speaking to you. Perhaps they should be punished-
You'll stay? Good.
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jetskisonyourmoat · 5 months
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Another day and another fic!!
Thanks to @cluedoenthusiast for coming up with this idea xx
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ginervacade · 2 months
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It’s 🎵Exchange Day!!! 🎵
@jatpfebfanfest thanks for letting me be a part of something so cool!!
@locketletters I hope you like it. It was super fun to write. I’ve read lots of stuff with the sunset curve polycule but hadn’t tried to write anything until this one. It ended up being a little more Luke centered than Alex but I hope you still like it!! I’m sorry it’s so short, I’ve had a lot going on.
I give you…
Distractions:
They’d been practicing for almost four hours when Reggie finally flopped onto the couch with a dramatic sigh.
“ Luke, babe, I love you but if we haven’t gotten it yet then it’s just not gonna happen tonight. I’m so tired.”
Luke pouted and protested as if he wasn’t about to fall asleep himself. Reggie looked to Bobby and Alex behind their boyfriend for help. He got a silent matching nod from them both.
“ I wanna cuddle and watch Star Wars and eat pizza.” Reggie whined hoping to entice Luke’s attention away from his guitar and song book long enough for the others to take them away.
Apparently the promise of food and physical affection was enough to temporarily perk his ears up and Reggie reached toward him from his position on the couch with grabby hands. Luke stood, going to plant a quick kiss on Reggie’s cheek and in his moment of distraction set his guitar to the side. Bobby quickly snatched it up and Alex closed the song book.
Reggie did his part by pulling Luke down on top of him on the couch, deepening the kiss. The lead singer practically melted into it for a moment when Reggie’s nimble fingers pulled his orange beanie off to entangle themselves in his hair and pull gently. Luke hummed in contentment before pulling back.
“ I just wanna run this part one more time and then we can stop for the ni- where’s my guitar?” He cut himself off looking around to meet Bobby’s smirk. Reggie giggled from his place on the couch and Luke turned back to him looking betrayed.
“ You tricked me, that wasn’t fair.”
The bass player didn’t even have the decency to look ashamed.
“ Sorry Lu,” Alex piped up from the loft, waving the captured guitar and songbook at him with a smile, “ but we’re all tired and hungry, including you, and you’ve said one more time 14 times already.”
“ You’re the worst,” Luke pouted some more, though there was no bite to his words. As if to punctuate his sentence and prove him wrong his stomach growled loudly.
Bobby shot him a look, hands on his hips.
“ Fine,” Luke finally conceded, sighing and throwing himself unceremoniously onto the couch next to Reggie. He leaned over onto Reg’s shoulder and stared up at him until pretty green eyes rolled fondly at him and the fingers found their way back to his hair to begin gently massaging his scalp.
“ Call me unfair and then pull out the puppy dog eyes that I taught you,” Reg scoffed but didn’t stop either. Alex sat down on Luke’s other side, smiling fondly when he automatically grabbed his hand and interlaced their fingers.
Bobby chuckled, crossing the room to give the blond a quick peck.
“ Lexie, good work love,” he said, “ You too darlin’.” He added to Reggie, who perked up at the praise. “ I’m gonna go order the pizza and pop some popcorn. Somebody set up the VHS player.”
***
30 minutes later they were all cuddled up on the couch, stuffing their faces with pizza and popcorn and listening to Reggie quote along with Empire Strikes Back.
Luke took a swig of his soda and absentmindedly started singing the new song under his breath.
“ Oh my God Patterson! Shut up!” Bobby said, laughing as he shoved a piece of pizza into the other boy’s mouth.
Luke chewed it annoyedly, curling further into Alex’s side. Lex took over playing with Luke’s hair as he munched on his popcorn.
“ It is a really cool song though babe,” he said and Luke automatically relaxed, his eyes slipping closed at Alex’s gentle tugging on his hair. “ We’ll keep working tomorrow, for now let’s just enjoy the night.”
He didn’t get a response because Luke was already asleep. Alex smiled, pressing a kiss into his soft brown curls.
“ Goodnight Rockstar.”
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ikemenomegas · 1 year
Text
Gave my love
Portgas D Ace x Reader || Shooting Stars
a/n: Make a Wish prompt fill for panda-anon. I am crying because my first draft spun off into the void of my own technological mishaps, so I hope the second version is satisfactory. I'm sorry it took so long (it took forever for me to do the rewrite these last few weeks have been a bit hectic) I hope that you enjoy it! I apologize if Ace seems at all ooc, it's been a long time since I last took a deep dive into his character. He reads to me as someone who would be kind of a tsundere about romantic feelings but able to be happy if he told himself it was "just friends" so he could pretend to be normal about it. The boy has so many excuses: Butterflies? he's happy to see you, feeling hot? he's made of fire, jealous of your attention? you were his friend first... (also the linked song aged remarkably well, it's fun and noisy and is where the title came from) Thank you so much to my friend who braved an omegaverse fic to edit for me. I hate editing my own stuff and she did such a good job making sure that things weren't too obtuse. cw: omegaverse, alpha!reader, Ace's canon compliant self worth issues
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The trouble with narcolepsy isn't the daytime hours. He'd learned to manage those when he was a kid. The trouble comes at night, when his body is visited with the opposite impulse.
Ace rolls over for the nth time. Now, with the same insistence it had put him to sleep, his body pulls him awake.
He follows that pull with heavy, silent steps. He stretches his arms above his head and feels his back pop. He leaves his hat by his bunk, suddenly eager for the sea breeze through his hair.
He hesitates for a moment. Though he no longer gets cold, he considers wrapping something around his shoulders. His pillows and blankets still smell faintly of you. He looks at the bed.
No one is around to accuse him of something so treacherous as longing, but he still jerks his head away and pretends as if he hadn't spent much too long considering such a thing.
When he leaves the covered floors of the ship a bird - he cannot see where it come from - flutters down and nearly clips his head. It's not a seagull. He wonders for a moment, could it be?, but he quickly casts the thought away. Probably not.
A flash of light streaks across the sky, distracting him.
The worn railing is smooth, almost soft, beneath his fingertips when he leans over it. He folds his arms and lays his head in the cradle of his elbow.
He's been dealing with insomnia for the better part of a decade, either waking in the night or not sleeping at all. He'd see Luffy, sprawled out on the floor of the hideout, snot bubbles and not a care in the world. Even though his little brother didn't often notice his midnight absences, even when Ace would show up with prey in the morning, being unnoticed had not left him feeling unwanted.
Knowing someone was waiting staved off the loneliness. Becoming Whitebeard's son had been the best decision of his life. Yet tonight, he has no desire to disturb the sentries or wake a crew member for company.
A glossy black crow lands on the rail within easy reach. It cocks its head at him, warbling low in the back of its throat. Ace narrows his eyes at it, staring until the crow shrinks back, feather ruffling. This was the bird that had almost hit the back of his head, he's sure of it.
It looks almost sheepish at it places a little bag on the rail between them.
When he doesn't pick it up right away, the bird pushes it closer with one delicate claw, bobbing its head.
He picks it up slowly, keeping an eye on the bird. It tilts its head back and forth, clicking in the back of its throat. It takes him a moment to catch it in the dim light: the reflection of your Eye in the black marble of the crow's.
A grin showing teeth makes its way across his face.
"Hey," he said.
"Hi." Sound comes out of the crow's open beak like there is a microphone in its throat, like there's a snail in its belly. It doesn't move in synchrony with the words, but in an unsettling sort of pantomime.
Your voice is made ragged by the crow, but even with one word he knows it is yours. His grin goes lopsided and he weighs the pouch in his hand.
"Fancy seeing you here, pretty bird" he says.
The crow makes a hacking sort of cough he knows to be its version of your scoff coming from its mouth, but the bird rubs its beak against the gleaming wood of the ship, as though to take the sting from the sound.
"I do occasionally have good timing," it says with your voice.
He leans his head on his arms and looks directly at the bird. His gaze cuts through the animal in front of him and to you on the other side. One side of his bangs falls across his eye.
He has some idea of what you do, but not exactly. He knows it's dangerous, for a certain value of dangerous. You go to places he hasn't seen yet.
When he asks you where you are, you tell him about places you've been, never where you recently were. You don't relent even when he pries, whining low in his throat at your typical evasiveness. The crow speaks the rusted over name of some island he's never heard of.
When he asks you how training is going, the bird does some funny little movements that require it to over-correct when it nearly falls off the rail and imitates the sounds of bo staffs colliding.
The sentry peeks down from a higher level. Ace waves them off, feeling suddenly defensive. He wants to keep this moment a secret.
The bird freezes, looking up from where it's hunched over in an all too human kind of expression that reminds him of the last time you were a guest of the Whitebeard pirates and you'd raided the kitchens with him, sneaking around with unnecessary stealth, pressing back as if to hide him from every passing shadow until he was giggling into your shoulder, you scents mingling as you sweated under the hot atmosphere of a nearby volcanic island.
He snickers as the bird shakes its feathers flat again, giving an experimental little croak and finally straightening up when the noise doesn't immediately bring the sentry back running, looking out for his crewmate. The bird bumps his hand, as if to draw attention to it, and Ace draws his fingers through the soft, smooth feathers.
When you creakily ask him about his own recent adventures, you offer tidbits from the news to get him started, and it warms him in a very strange way to think you've been keeping an eye on him.
Eventually, the late night catches up and a comfortable quiet settles around the two of you.
Ace listens to the crow's low gargly kkqrk as it moves on its perch. He smirks to himself at the sight of the shining black bird shifting against the star scattered, velvet night.
"Are you going to open it?" you, finally ask. The bird pecks emphatically at the rail by the velvety bag.
All of the bird's expressive hopping and pecking for excited emphasis is so very un-human. It amuses him to imagine you puppetting the creature, instructing it to dip and flap for his benefit, even though he knows it is more akin to the bird itself interpreting your emotions.
Even so when the bird, looks at him, he can almost see the pleading look only you can pull off. Truly and delightfully uncanny.
He sighs as if it is all a chore, bobbing the pouch up and down on the string wound around his fingers. The crow follows with the movement with its beak and then its whole body.
"Should I?" he muses. "Suppose I save it-"
The bird all but stamps its little grey scaled foot in expressing your impatience and he laughs at you, at the odd humanity of the motion, as he finally does open the bag, drawstrings tangled in his fingers.
The contents of the pouch glitters, even in the starlight.
"How nice," he says, opening the mouth of the bag wide to reveal an array of crystals inside. "A good bit of shine."
All pirates of course liked things that gleamed. As did crows. The bird tilts its head between his face and the bits of rock in his hand.
He shifts them around in the bag. There are many colors.
"You should try one," it - you - says, shifting its weight. The bird stayed almost perfectly still, head tilted as it took in his incredulous expression.
"I am not dumb enough to eat rocks."
"I know."
The bird, peers up at him, blankly expectant.
Ace looks back in the bag and eventually plucks one of the crystals out. It's orange bleeding into purple like a storm ridden twilight and edged like the inside of a geode.
He glances once more at the bird, at you, but the creature just shuffles its wings to sit more primly against its body. Ace has never been very good at backing down from a dare.
Still he bites down very very carefully.
The crystal cracks apart under his teeth and spills sweetness on his tongue - plum and passion fruit, tart and bright and dark again, like the last touch of a setting sun. The outside is hard and cool like stone, but falls away to jelly by the time his bite sinks to the center.
He cannot help the way his eyes go slightly wide.
"Where are these from?" he asks.
"I made them," your voice slips from the bird's parted beak, almost shy. "The King of Kettles taught me," you add fondly.
He nibbles on more of the crystal, candy he now knows. Rock candy, he thinks as he grins to himself. He's not sure when the last time someone brought him candy of all things. Sugar is expensive no matter its source, and sometimes hard to find among the islands. Even syrups made from fruit would take a long time to make.
"Make sure to brush your teeth!" The crow interrupts his thoughts with a trumpeting, too loud, cackling sort of caw.
He stuffs a corner of the crystal into the crow's beak, interrupting the sound with a choking, fluttering, sputtering.
One thing about birds is that regardless of interpretation, they are sometimes not very good at managing their volume.
The crow hunches over, sending Ace as dirty a look as it can manage. You consider having it play dead, just to get back at him, but the shuffling attention of the sentries has you, the crow, freezing in his shadow.
You are reminded, somewhat guiltily, that your welcome on Whitebeard's territory does not give you unrestricted access, even for stolen moments like this.
But again, Ace waves off the inquisitive sentries, and they go, because he is the commander of the second division.
Ace can tell that they're curious, but this is for him, for now. In the morning if they or anyone asks, he will tell and laugh and tease. And it will be real.
This is real too. He feels protective of this moment, even if it is only a crow with your Eye as a glossy, curved reflection. It's his little secret.
It's not in his nature to keep secrets. Not for long. But for a while, he wants to keep this one. Not out of shame, not like the other, but because this one is warm like a glowing coal.
It is his, to follow the direction of a falling star and have a bird deliver him a gift and a conversation. You can't tell him where you are or where you're going, but you have frequent, funny little names that are familiar enough that you can tell him stories and he knows of whom you speak. The King of Kettles, Catfish, the Forlorn Maiden - all of them people he has never and likely will never meet.
Do you have a secret name for him, do you tell people about him? Something meant to safeguard him from the world?
Will there ever be a time when he isn't the secret? When that secret doesn't drag a darkness along behind it to cover those who know?
Another flash of light goes across the sky - blink and you'll miss it.
He sees it, you don't, going in the same direction as before. It flies away into the night.
Slowly, through the odd technicolor vision of the crow, you see a closed off, thoughtful expression take the place of the easy smile from before.
"What are you thinking of?"
The crow's hissed approximation of a whisper should be unsettling but it isn't.
Ace leans his arm on the railing and looks over at you, at the crow. The corner of his mouth lifts up, but he can't put enough of his heart into it to cover the melancholy.
He finds himself wishing for your scent. Sending a bird is one thing, but if he had not seen the Eye, he wouldn't have even been able to tell you it was you there, and not some well trained pet.
"I wish you were here," he sighs, reaching out to run a finger over the bird's smooth head feathers.
The bird ruffles its wings and says nothing. There is a long moment of nothing, long enough that Ace thinks of going back to bed. Sleep is finally reaching for him, he can feel the chill of it on his skin.
It's through the quiet of the dark that it finds him, a dull sound, almost at the edge of hearing.
He reaches out with his awareness, scanning the sea for any creature stupid enough to attack one of Whitebeard's fleet. A Sea King would be a bit of bedtime fun. Or it might be the distant sound of canons, although intuition tells him that isn't it.
The sound gets closer. It is not canons or the writhing movements of a deep water monster. It is more like someone shaking out sheets, but as regular as a sleeper's heart - the flap of wings.
He sees a shape, black on black, in the distance. It vanishes between one blink and the other, melting into the night. Another shimmer of light falls overhead while the wingbeats suddenly disappear.
Ace remembers owls and the way they hunt, swooping silently down upon their prey. He looks up to see if the watch is at all disturbed, and then to his left. The crow is gone.
The wingbeats return, now soft and so close. Right below him. He looks over the rail and a familiar face rises up to meet him.
This crow upon which you sit is longer than him if he were to lay down, feet and fingers pointed as far as they would go. It drifts upon the shallow eddy stirred up by the ship, drifting alongside.
"Hello," you say. You're smiling. Teasing snatches of scent get caught in the sea breeze.
From behind, the crow that had been your mouthpiece swoops down upon your shoulder.
"Willful thing," you say to it.
It croaks, head bobbing cheekily.
"Hi," he says. His heart feels like it's soaring, light alongside you, every whoosh of blood a wingbeat.
"I heard you," you say, nudging the crow's chest with your finger.
"You do occasionally have good timing," he says, grinning wide.
The enormous bird flaps a few times, slowly, up to the level of the rail.
He catches you when you slide over the side of the ship and step onto the deck. He never feels the flames when they come from him, but your palm sliding over his makes him feel like he's burning.
"I think I'm going to be in trouble with your Father," you say, shrugging a shoulder, "for the bird."
It croaks again, and then caws, as if to prove a point. The both of you wince.
"I'll tell him you came for me," Ace replies. He doesn't bother to keep quiet now, but that's alright. The bag of sweets you brought him dangles around his wrist like a charm.
You're a little breathless when you look at him. He can see stars reflected in your eyes.
"Whenever you want me."
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jaeyleo · 8 months
Text
LOCKS OR KEYS: PART 8
YOU CHOSE: OPEN THE DOORS- CONTINUE WITH CHASE.
Your decisions allow buried memories to resurface. This is overwhelming for your character, and his mind suffers from the weight of it all.
cws: flashbacks, dehumanization, non human whumper, whumper is also caretaker, electric shock, force feeding, eye trauma, mentions of a seizure, sick whumpee, mentions of hypnosis. lmk if i should add more!
. . .
Screaming, screaming, screaming.
Chase's head feels like it could explode. Too many sounds, too many colors, too many voices and commands and knives and soft touches and- and-
Pseudo hushes him, raking fingers through the puppet's hair. "Pink, dolly, take a deep breath."
But Pink isn't there. Chase falls into the hands of his monster, and finds himself in a new place. Somewhere deep inside his head.
. . .
Cellar.
"Please, p- please!! I can't do it, please!"
"Shhh. It's just a pop quiz, Pink. You'll do just fine."
Chase's arms are chained behind him, with ankles cuffed to both legs of the chair. Hot tears pour down his cheeks, soaking into clothes that are already soaked with blood. He shivers, freezing in the cellar air, terrified of what he sees in front of him.
Just a few feet away, Pseudo holds a stun gun. He sits in a foldable chair, relaxed and comfortable in his position of power here. He owns Pink, and that's a wonderful feeling.
"Tell me your name," he says.
"Pink!" Chase doesn't hesitate in saying it. He may as well be saying please. "It's Pink, Pink, I'm P- Pink!"
"Good," Pseudo praises. "Now tell me your age."
"T- twenty seven..!"
"Mhm. And how about-" Pseudo covers his eyes with his free hand, "the color of my eyes?"
"Brown!"
"Very good!"
Pseudo returns to his original position, with both hands placed leisurely on the stun gun.
"Now, last question, dolly. If you get it right, I'll put this away, hm?"
Chase nods, eager and afraid in the same shaking breath.
"What time is it?"
The puppet freezes. There are no clocks and no windows to tell the time in here. He wasn't told when they got down here, and he wouldn't know how much has passed. It all feels like an eternity of pain and blood.
He trembles, searching his mind for answers. What time was breakfast? How long did it take to clean the kitchen? When was lunch? How long did washing the sheets take? It isn't dinner time yet, is it??
"N- nn-" Chase begins to panic. His breath halts in his chest and he has to shake the terror off himself, like a puppy emerging from falling into a swimming pool.
"Can I have a h- hint??"
Pseudo sighhhhhss, lulling his head to the left, the right, the left, up straight again..
"Mmm.... it was about 4:30 when we came down here."
"A- and how long have we been down here??"
Pseudo chuckles at him, his stupid doll. "That's not a hint, dolly, that's just the answer."
A breath escapes the puppet's mouth. "R- right," he says, defeated. "Okay..."
Think, think, think.
He rocks back and forth, clawing at his mind to provide the answer. How long has it been? How long does it feel like? What time is it? What time is it? What time is it?????
"Um, u- um..."
"Come now, Pink. We don't have all evening."
A soft sob bubbles out from his neck. There's no way he's getting this right.
"Is- i- is it... i- is it um.... s- six- no, no, seven, is it seven?"
"Let's see.."
Pseudo pulls his phone out from his pocket, and flips it open.
He stares at the clock, and Chase stares at his monster. Pseudo lets the tension hang in the air, drinking in the sounds of his puppet's pounding heart.
"Is it seven??? I- hh??"
The monster shuts the phone with a click, and places it back inside his pocket.
"Six fifty- three."
He raises the gun, pointing at Chase's shoulder.
"N- no, no!! No!! I was so close, please!! Please Pseudo!! Plea--!"
Chase's words are cut short. He wails, tensing and then falling limp as the pain takes over his entire body.
. . .
Kitchen.
"Open up."
Chase's mouth stays glued shut. Each hand curls a fist into his sweatpants, a desperate attempt at keeping them down. Any minute now, he swears, he's going to take that stupid spoon and shove it down Pseudo's throat.
In his reply, Chase only shakes his head.
"Oh, come now, don't be difficult. You haven't eaten since yesterday."
When he speaks, Chase keeps his teeth clamped together. "I'll eat if I can feed myself."
"Nooo, you'll eat if I tell you to. Now open up.."
He presents the spoon to Chase's mouth, gently tapping the food against his bottom lip. The puppet finally accepts, opens his jaw, and spits it in the monster's face.
For a moment, they only look at eachother. Chase knows what he did is bad. He knows he'll be punished, but he doesn't care. He's going to be hurt anyway, right?
Still, this hurt could've been avoided.
Pseudo's hand comes around to slap the toy hard across the face. It's enough to almost send him reeling out of the chair, gripping onto the table and stomping the floor as not to go flying to the ground. Before he can bring his own hands to cup the sting across his cheek, Pseudo grabs the collar of his shirt, and yanks him to the floor.
Chase yelps, losing his breath as Pseudo climbs on top to straddle him. He hunches over the doll like an animal, a feral spark running around inside his pupils. Chase feels so small beneath him, like a worm under a bird's claw, ready to be swallowed whole.
The spoon comes to meet Chase's lower eyelid, still hot from the food that was so rudely spat back out. Pseudo presses the spoon down, ever so slightly, and Chase feels his eye shift in its socket.
"Do you need to learn your table manners again, pet?"
The puppet's hands clamp around his monster's wrist. "Get off!!"
Pseudo does not relent. He presses the spoon down further, causing the puppet to start seeing double, triple, a black spot where his eye contacts the top of the socket.
"You should answer me, you know. I could do some terrible things to you."
He presses further, and Chase digs his nails into Pseudo's skin. He feels as though his eye could pop right out of his head.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry!"
"That isn't an answer."
More pressure. More pain. Chase feels air in places he shouldn't.
"Ah! No!!! Nono I don't, I don't, I'm sorry!"
"You don't what, Pink? Show me you understand."
"I--!" Pink digs his nails deeper into his monster's wrist. "I don't-- I don't need to learn table manners, I'm sorry! Nh- please!"
"Good," Pseudo croons, and slowly, slowly, releases the pressure on his puppet's eye. He lets a few moments pass before reaching a hand to caress Pink's face, thumb stroking gentle across the cheekbone that was hit. The doll shrinks away, closing his eyes.
"I want you to prove it, now, Pink. Otherwise..." the spoon draws a line, following the curve of Chase's eye socket. He speaks soft, higher pitched, like talking to a child. A puppy, a worm under his claw. "Do you understand?"
"Y- yes, Pseudo.."
"Good.."
Pseudo moves off, and Chase climbs back in his chair. He holds his eye and stinging cheek in his hand before Pseudo swats it away, reminding him table manners include no hands above the waist.
Pseudo sets himself down, too, and presents the food to Chase's mouth once more.
"Open up."
Chase opens his mouth. Food is placed inside, but he doesn't chew.
"....Eat."
The puppet obeys, avoiding his monster's eyes throughout the rest of the meal.
. . .
Home.
The house is happy.
Chase cradles his daughter on the couch, running soft hands through waving blond hair. A cartoon drones on in the background, capturing the little girl's attention completely.
She giggles at the characters, and Chase's heart swells with love.
"They're silly," she comments, turning her head to her father. A wide smile takes her face over, with one missing tooth to top it off.
"Yeah, they are silly, aren't they?"
He smiles down at her, and plants a kiss on her forehead. A small hand reaches up to tap the end of his nose.
Chase smiles wider. He is so full of love he can barely stand it.
. . .
Somewhere in Denmark.
Somewhere far away. Somewhere, where old love and safety and sanity aren't a guarantee. Somewhere deep inside his head, Chase is pulled up, up into reality.
He feels like he's trapped underwater, and Pseudo is the one to drag him out. Up, up, up, through swamps and moss and dirt, through water that's thick as clotted blood. His eyes droop, his bones fall limp, Chase cannot breathe with the pressure in his chest. The water tastes of soap, and a sourness that makes his teeth chatter.
He wants to sink again, into memories good and bad. Wants to be anywhere but here. Anywhere, somewhere, somewhere deep inside his head.
Chase groans, a migraine holding him hostage. The lights are too bright, even behind closed eyelids. His blanket is so warm. Is he comfortable? Too tired to tell.
He opens his lazy eyes, seeing his small attic room surround him. He feels sick. Horrible. Tears wet his eyes but he doesn't remember why.
Beside him, Pseudo watches him rest. The puppet startles when he sees his monster, and he tries desperately to sit up. He can only claw the sheets.
Pseudo tilts his head as the puppet shoves himself into the wall. The blanket provides a shield of false protection, and he holds on as if life depends on it.
"You had some scary nightmares, huh?"
Chase only stares.
"Mh. Well, you slept for a while. You even had a seizure."
The puppet's brows furrow. "Really?" he croaks.
"Mhm. Does your head hurt?"
Chase nods. Pseudo reaches out his hand, slow and steady. Even so, the puppet shrinks away, closing his eyes as if expecting to be slapped or clawed or scratched.
But the monster is gentle, brushing away pink hair to feel the doll's forehead. The coolness of his hand is comforting. Chase can't help but relax a little in his touch.
"You still have a fever..." Pseudo runs his hand over the puppet's hair, petting softly. "... Are you hungry?"
"No.."
"Liar."
"I don't wanna eat."
"It'll make you feel better."
"Will it?"
Pseudo gives a soft smile. He helps the doll sit up, gently hushing him as he whimpers and whines about his head swimming, his muscles hurting, ow, Pseudo, please-
"Shhhhh. It's okay, Pink.."
On the end table, a bowl of warm soup waits to be eaten. The monster takes a spoonful, blows, and presents it to Chase's hesitant mouth.
"Come now... eat. You'll feel better."
The puppet frowns, and accepts. Bite after bite, it feels warm and heavy in his stomach, warm and heavy and delicious. Pseudo was right. He does feel better.
They wash it down with cool water, and Chase breathes a sigh of relief at the taste. He may still feel sick and afraid, but he's not thirsty, not hungry, and not cold, and that's more than enough right now.
Pseudo pushes the empty dishes aside, and returns his hands to playing with Pink's hair. The puppet sinks into the feeling, sleepiness pulling down his weight. He feels comfortable. Sick, but comfortable.
"You've been anxious lately," Pseudo says gently. "You're trying to get back into a headspace that's not good for you."
Chase opens his eyes.
"I hate to see you suffer like that, Pink. It breaks my heart."
"I don't wanna be your toy.."
Pseudo sighs, stroking the doll's cheek with his thumb. Sweet thing.
"I need to run to the store again. I forgot my sugar."
"I- I can't, I don't wanna-"
"No, shhh. You're staying in bed."
Chase relaxes again, falling victim to the gentle touches of his monster.
"Can I trust you to rest?"
The puppet nods. He's too sick to get up anyway. Everything hurts, especially his head.
"Good doll.. I'll be back soon."
He plants one gentle kiss on Chase's forehead, and leaves him to rest alone.
. . .
As the minutes pass, the puppet finds himself unable to sleep. His head hurts, his body aches, oh, God, he feels horrible. He almost wishes Pseudo hypnotized him before he left.
While he lays there, Chase begins to wonder. He heard the door close, but no keys, and no starting car. It's no secret that Pseudo can travel long distances without transport, as part of his magic allows him to do so. Could he have left the car keys?
"No, no, don't think like that," Chase says allowed. He runs his hands over his face, and tries to get comfortable again. But the thought plagues him.
Did he leave the car keys?
Even if he won't escape, he could still check, right? Then at least he knows, and he can get some sleep. Yes, yes, he'll just check and see..
Chase drags himself up, groaning as a dizziness swirls the entire room around. A chill takes over him as well, and he reaches for the smaller blanket on the bed to wrap around his shoulders. God, he feels like shit.
Eventually he makes his way out of his room, leaning against walls and railings as not to go tumbling to the ground. Walking is a chore, and his feet ache with every step. Pins and needles climb up his legs like leeches, and he finds himself in pain with every. Single. Step.
Down the stairs, into the living room.
The car keys hang on the wall by door.
Chase freezes. He can only stare.
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snowdrrops · 4 months
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Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 崩坏:星穹铁道 | Honkai: Star Rail (Video Game) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Blade/Dan Heng (Honkai: Star Rail) Characters: Blade (Honkai: Star Rail), Dan Heng (Honkai: Star Rail), March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail), Stelle (Honkai: Star Rail), Welt Yang (Honkai), mentioned Himeko (Honkai: Star Rail) - Character Additional Tags: Blade is Called Ren (Honkai: Star Rail), Secret Relationship, Cats Summary:
march and stelle discover the nature of dan heng's relationship with ren in unconventional ways
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medusanova · 1 year
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Silrah wild West AU!!!
Farah scrambled onto the hayloft with Saul at her heels. He heard the thundering gallops of their pursuers nearby and readied his gun. She crouched behind him, her heavy breaths distracting him as they fanned the back of his neck.
He turned to look at her, ready to snap at her to give him some space, but caught her eyes before he could. They were blown wide, glinting with mischief at the thought of the evidence in her pocket, he was sure — it was enough to finally bring to the Sheriff and the Mayor.
Provided they got out of this hayloft alive.
As the hoofbeats faded, Farah pressed closer and Saul couldn’t help but breathe in the scent of her, a heady mixture of leather and jasmine and her.
She cocked her head, listening. “They think we headed back toward town,” she murmured, looking over his shoulder as the horse hooves faded. Saul still didn’t look away.
“Good.” Saul set his gun down, turning his full attention to Farah. She finally looked at him, tongue darting out to wet her lips.
His control snapped, Saul toppled Farah to her back, looming over her, kissing her deeply.
Groaning softly, he pinned her wrists with one hand, moving his lips to her neck.
“You’ve been watching me,” she gasped, rolling her hips against his.
He pulled away from her, panting. She was flushed, strands of hay and hair blending together into a beautiful mess. “Always,” he growled.
“And I won’t be stopping any time soon.”
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enclosedgod · 1 year
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the choice is a difficult one to make. even now as she makes her approach, veronica can feel hesitation weigh heavy on her body. each step across the barrack halls is as lightning strikes, and her breath hitches unevenly upon every exhale. her thoughts on embla remain divided, even now that it's been months since she saw the goddess last. her anger cannot be denied, but so can the strange softness that twists her heart awful.
and so, in spite of this pain— because of this pain— the emblian heir trudges on. she walks and walks until she stands an arm's length from embla, and stops in front of her with all the grave finality of a funeral bell. veronica faces her with a lifted chin. in part, to assert confidence; in truth, to fight back the tears that traitorously prick at the corners of her eyes.
"embla." veronica's voice starts off evenly, but it soon breaks into pieces— jagged shards of hurt, anger, and bitterness that are sharp enough to pierce.
"we… need to talk. don't try to fight. you can't, now that you're in askr. besides, i…" she squeezes her eyes shut, as though to ward off a migraine, "i know why you're like this… so don't make this any more difficult than it needs to be by running away. let's talk. now."
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"You assume I would want to give myself unnecessary attention? Impudent child-" Embla stopped dead in her tracks, her blood... this woman was of her blood. She could feel it. A small smile came to her face, it was easy to assume the shorter woman would have answers to all of her questions. The god just needed to find out how to ask them without giving herself away.
Something about her was... strange, though. There was a disconnect between them that shouldn't be there. Just as quickly as that uneasy smile appeared, it returned to a scowl. "What is there to talk about? I have nothing to say to anyone. If you're going to prod me about things you think you know about me, you are wrong. I won't run, but you better make this worth my time." Her terrifying eyes narrowed, she took a step backwards, attempting to gain more distance between them. Being so close to someone made her uncomfortable.
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Note
9 and 13 from the whumper ask game for the very intimidating lusik?
Thank you for the ask!! Here you go bestie :D
From this ask game <2
9. What is your favorite weapon to use?
Lusik thinks a bit and smiles. “My father gifted me a stun gun for my birthday a couple of weeks ago. It’s a very useful little tool. And, I’ve learned that if you stick it into a cut before turning it on, it can really make a person scream.”
“I’m surprised that Hsu hasn’t broken yet. But I’m going to break them, I swear to god.”
13. Does this make you feel powerful?
“Yeah, it does.” She twirls her hair around. “But I’m not doing this for the power. I’ve got a job to do, a goal to achieve, and by the stars, no one is going to stop me. Not even that stubborn little bastard with the blue hair.”
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onionninjasstuff · 3 months
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this is part one! | next
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greenglowinspooks · 6 months
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(DCxDP) The obligations of a rogue versus those of a parent
Tw: vivisection mention (not in detail), bad Fenton parents
Will be crossposted to AO3 eventually
(Pt. 2 here) (Pt. 3 here)
(Masterlist/subscription post)
It was a dark, cold, miserable night, and Scarecrow, Jonathan Crane, wanted nothing more than to be home, covered in blankets with the heater set to max as he worked on his most recent strain of fear toxin.
Instead he was at the docks, standing in as backup for the Penguin as he made a deal with some sleaze-bag smugglers. Something about some sort of body armor for his hired help. Crane hadn’t really paid much attention to the Penguin’s words, only caring enough to show up because of the reward.
But honestly, he couldn’t care less about the money at this point.
He was cold, and miserable, and his leg hurt something fierce (he’d had chronic pains ever since being mauled by Killer Croc some time ago), and he was so, so close to a breakthrough with his new toxin, and he really couldn’t stand the Penguin anyways. The only thing keeping him there was his reputation as a rogue.
Just as Crane was deciding that the whole ordeal wasn’t worth it, he heard the sound of a chase a few blocks down. With a deep, heavy sigh, he moved from the wall he had been leaning against, looming in the alleyway as he waited for the potential threat to reveal itself.
A few moments later, a boy came careening into the alleyway, sliding to a stop when he noticed the Scarecrow, his eyes growing impossibly wide. Beneath the mask, Jonathan grinned.
The boy swore, loudly, glancing between Scarecrow and the exit of the alleyway. As the echoing sound of footsteps grew closer, he chose to face the way he came, turning his back to Scarecrow.
What an idiotic way to get killed. Either the boy was a complete and utter fool, or there was something out there worse (to him, at least) than the Scarecrow.
Jonathan Crane tilted his head slowly, considering. He could just cut his losses and leave, Penguin be damned, or he could stay and see what had the boy so spooked.
Eventually, unfortunately enough, his curiosity won out. He shifted, bringing a hand to his side where he kept several canisters of fear toxin.
Crane had to bite back a groan when the boy’s pursuers entered the alleyway.
It was those damned idiots in white suits.
They had been tailing him for weeks now. They were easy enough to fight, but they were annoyingly persistent, and always seemed to have a way to find him. (Not to mention, the Riddler had strong opinions on their outfits, and if he had to hear the white-suit-in-Gotham rant one more time he was going to throttle him.)
Led by the men in white was a woman in a teal hazmat suit. Jonathan had seen her around, too, though less frequently than the others. He had honestly assumed that she was just a new C-tier rogue and avoided her like the plague.
Her eyes went wide as saucers when she saw Jonathan standing a few feet from the boy. No one moved a muscle.
“Danny,” the woman spoke softly. The boy, Danny, flinched, glancing between her and Scarecrow, “come on, we can talk about this. Your father and I only want to help you.”
He was running from his mother?
Scarecrow paused after that revelation, choosing to fully take in the boy’s appearance.
He was lean, almost gaunt, and wearing clothes several sizes too big for him, probably stolen. His entire body shook, from fear and cold both, and he clutched his stomach with one hand. At first, Scarecrow assumed that it was due to being out of breath, but as he looked closer he could see blood staining the dark fabric of the boy’s shirt.
He was injured, underweight, and running from his parents.
Something that felt a lot like rage swelled in Jonathan’s heart.
“Danny, you don’t get it! We’re so close now. We can fix you, and then we can go home, and everything can go back to normal,” she said, smiling in a way that was clearly supposed to be reassuring. She took a few steps forward, the men behind her clearly readying their weapons.
The boy backed away from his mother, inadvertently coming closer to Scarecrow.
He glanced up at Crane again, his blue eyes shining in fear, but not of him.
Sickening. Sickening.
In one fluid motion, Jonathan grabbed the boy by the wrist, pulling him behind him, and threw a large canister of fear gas into the group who had been chasing him.
The liquid in the container turned to gas as soon as it broke open, billowing out and filling half of the alleyway with a thick yellow smog.
The boy gasped, pulling his shirt over his face in a pathetic attempt to filter out the toxin. It would have to do, though, Scarecrow thought, rushing forward to force the boy’s aggressors to breathe in the gas.
The fight that the men put up was pitiful. The few individuals who didn’t breathe in the toxin immediately were clearly unused to fighting hand-to-hand, and dropped like flies in Scarecrow’s wake.
Just as the men began to spasm and shout in their terror, as if on cue, the familiar wail of police sirens reached the Scarecrow’s ears.
He heaved a heavy, irritated sigh, fingers twitching for a cigarette. He was trying to quit as of late, but he felt that after today, he might deserve one.
Though now was not the time to be thinking of cigarettes.
Jonathan approached the boy, mindful of any signs he might run off.
The boy didn’t seem to notice his approach in the slightest, just staring at the woman in the jumpsuit as she writhed on the ground.
Right. That would most likely be traumatic for a child to see, wouldn’t it?
Scarecrow moved in front of the boy, blocking his line of sight. The boy looked up at him now, his face completely blank.
“The police are on their way,” Scarecrow spoke, his voice low. The boy didn’t acknowledge him in any way.
“You don’t want to be here when they arrive, do you?”
After several moments pause, the boy shook his head slowly. He looked numb.
Dissociation, most likely.
“You’ll come with me, then.”
It was a statement, not a question, but he waited for the boy’s response regardless. As soon as he nodded in agreement, Jonathan lifted him up, carrying him out of the cold, miserable alleyway.
Scarecrow paused briefly to warn the Penguin of the incoming officers through the comm he had been given, and then he was off, weaving through the streets and alleyways towards his getaway car.
The drive back to his safe house was quiet. The boy didn’t look over at him once, instead opting to stare out ahead of him.
Luckily, they were able to make it back without detection. Jonathan ushered the boy into his small apartment, sitting him down on the dingy couch that had come with the lease.
“Wait here, alright?” Jonathan said, the boy nodding once in response.
With that, he retreated into the small kitchen, looking for some sort of warm beverage.
It was nearly three in the morning now, so coffee was out of the question. He was completely out of the hot chocolate he had bought for whenever Eddie or Harley came over for a visit, so that was out too.
He supposed the only option was his chamomile tea. Did teenagers like tea? He supposed it didn’t really matter, the kid was on the run from his parents in the house of a Gotham rogue. Surely he had bigger things to worry about.
Jonathan made the drinks quickly, leaving the kitchen with two mugs in hand. He gave one to the boy, who looked up at him in surprise, before settling into his own seat.
It was an incredibly comfortable old leather armchair that he had gotten some years ago and stubbornly held onto ever since. He usually had one of the rogues he was at least somewhat friendly with pick it up when he entered Arkham.
Whenever Eddie and Harley were over, they would call it his old man chair, and he would tell them to leave.
The two of them sat quietly for a while, drinking their tea slowly. It was clear that the boy was leaving whatever headspace he had slipped into, becoming more alert (and uncomfortable) by the second.
“So,” Crane began, pausing before speaking more quietly when he saw the boy flinch, “you knew them.”
It was not a question.
The boy nodded, curling in on himself. He held the mug close to his chest, no doubt soothed by the warmth.
“They’ve been following me around for some time now,” Crane continued, “and you’re going to tell me why.”
The boy looked up at him, a pained expression written all over his face.
“You won’t believe me,” he murmured, curling up even further.
His clothes were soaked. Jonathan should have put down a towel before letting him sit down.
“Sure I will,” he said, ignoring the blood and water seeping into his furniture.
The landlord would not be happy.
“It’s gonna sound crazy.”
“I’ve been to Arkham.”
The boy paused, before mumbling something quietly.
“Again? I couldn’t hear you.”
“I said,” the boy huffed, quickly changing his tone when he remembered who he was talking to, “they…think you’re a ghost.”
“A ghost,” Crane repeated flatly.
“I told you it was gonna sound crazy!” The boy protested, before wrapping his arms around himself.
“Well,” Jonathan hummed, “it’s not the strangest thing I’ve heard in Gotham. Explain it to me.”
The boy paused, glancing up at his face, no doubt looking for some sign of mockery. He found none.
Then, he opened his mouth, and explained everything he could.
Ghosts, the portal to another world, the GiW, his parents. It was all incredibly far-fetched, but also far too consistent to be made up on the spot, and Crane could tell that the boy genuinely believed what he was saying.
“…but, if you don’t believe me, fine. I know it probably sounds stupid and fake,” he mumbled, looking away.
“I’ll believe you for now,” Crane said. The boy whipped his head up, staring at him in shock.
“If I do trust that what you’re saying is true, though, then why do I show up on their equipment as a ghost? I’m not dead, and never have been.”
“Um,” the boy hummed, looking somewhat nervous. Understandable, really.
“Well, have you by any chance been involved in any lab accidents recently..?”
Jonathan Crane froze, his face dropping. The boy noticed his change in demeanor, flinching slightly.
“Penguin,” he hissed out, his voice slightly inhuman. “Cobblepot, that motherfucker.”
“Wait—calm down! The angrier you get, the easier you’ll show up on the radar!”
Crane glared down at the boy, seething with rage. He once again flinched, looking away from him. With an extraordinary amount of effort, Jonathan slumped back down in his chair, breathing deeply in an effort to calm himself.
When he cracked his eyes back open, the boy was openly staring at him, curiosity written all over his face.
As soon as he noticed Crane looking back at him, he glanced away, straightening in his seat.
“Well, you’ve given me a lot to think about. In the morning, we’re going to discuss this in a lot more detail,” he said, standing up with slow movements. The boy stood as well, hands clasped together.
“For now, though, you’re going to let me take a look at that wound of yours, and then you’re going to take a shower and go to bed.”
The rest of the night went rather quickly.
The boy was rather hesitant to show him his wound, instead assuring him that it had been properly sewn up and that he was fine. Crane was having none of it, though, and gave him a once-over just in case.
It was, very clearly, the kind of cut used during an autopsy. Danny didn’t offer any information, so Crane had to assume that he was either back from the dead, or he had been vivisected. Either was possible in Gotham.
At the very least, Danny hadn’t lied about the stitches, and the wound was already beginning to heal.
With that, Danny showered quickly (he leapt out with a shriek the moment the hot water ran out), and went to bed in borrowed clothes without much complaint.
Thus, Jonathan was left with cold water for his shower, and slept on the still-damp couch so that the boy could have a bed to sleep in. Somehow, he found that he didn’t mind as much as he thought he would.
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cashmoneyyysstuff · 4 months
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I never really made a request before so that's my first time wish u like it
So I was thinking about some fluff drunk y/n acting all stupid and flirty to bakugo who doesn't like drinking around her because he knows that they both won't have someone to send them home if they got drunk
[Secretly caring]
*Whispering* he also gets a bit touchy if she let's him
*friends to lovers thing*
Wish my explanation was good enough and can't wait for the next chapter of FBRC <3
OUUU this is such a cute idea ! i’m so happy, this is my first request as well so we both have a milestone LMAOOO ! i tried to honour your request as best i could ! <3 (OU and AAAAA im glad you like FBRC ! i hope you’ll keep reading !)
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bakugou katsuki considers himself a mature, mostly rational person.
despite what others, media outlets and even his own damn friends might say, katsuki thinks he’s really not that bad.
sure, he’s flipped off a camera man, cursed out another one…and another one—but who doesn’t have a bad day once in a while ?
he’s changed since he was a kid, he doesn’t get set off as easy anymore most days. he’s learned to be more patient, a little more levelheaded. that’s at least something his shitty friends will tell you.
he’s changed from when he was a kid, he’s grown now. he’s a man.
but right now katsuki feels like smashing your head in with a brick.
"kah-su-kiiiiiiiii... m'sleeppyy" you whine, leaning against his shoulder.
katsuki doesn't regret a lot, but he sure as hell regrets accepting to go out for drinks with you. again. you had said something about 'celebrating getting a day off after a while'.
"never should've accepted goin' out with yer ass." he laments grumpily. despite the fact he says this every single time he goes out to drink with you, he never seems to learn his lesson. he never seems to want to learn his lesson.
truth is, katsuki has grown a lot since his UA days but one thing he hasn't outgrown is his giant rampant crush on you. it's embarrassing how tightly you've got him wrapped around your finger, how easily you can get him to do whatever you want as long as you just asked him to.
he complains and grumbles about it but he'll never, ever, say no to you.
which is how he always, always, ends up in this predicament.
katsuki snaps out of his thoughts when he hears you sniffle.
"y-ya don't like.." you sniffle again " ya don't like hangin' out wif me ?"
fuck.
immediatly it's like a switch had been flipped. he moves his arm so he can wrap it around you and have you lean against his chest. you always got emotional when you were a little too drunk, that usually meant it was time to go.
"no—no, s'not that. i—" he sucks in a breath, cheeks heating up despite the fact he knows there's barely any chance you'll remember this. usually he'd remind you of your embarrassing drunk moments as revenge for making him take you home and taking care of your ass because you were too drunk to, but he'll refrain from mentioning this part.
"i do like hangin' out with you, dummy. quit talkin' stupid." he shushes you softly, unconsciously rubbing your arm comfortingly.
"b-but you said, you regretted goin' out wit me" you pout. fuck, you're cute. katsuki has to fight off the urge to lean down and kiss it away.
"i say a lot of stuff i don't always mean, sweets. you know that." he replies " 'f i didn't wanna hang out with ya, i wouldn't."
you hum pensively, leaning against his shoulder as you think. you smell like something sweet, he can't quite track down what it is, but it's making him dizzy. you've always had the ability to make him lose focus. you're so close and you smell so good and katsuki feels like he's drunk.
"mmyeah...guess that's true" you hiccup. you raise your hand up to trace his jaw line with your finger and he refuses to look at you but he can hear the cheeky little smile in your voice "you like hanging out with me, right ? that's why you always say yes when i ask !
he scoffs "i only say yes 'cuz i know you'd just end up goin' out anyway, you'd get yourself in trouble." he's stiff as a fucking board, he feels like if he moves a little too much he'll say something he shouldn't.
"no i wouldn't" you argue, then you reach your whole hand up to squeeze his cheeks "but even if i did, i know you'd come to save me, mr. dynamight" you giggle
he's so sick of you. katsuki's been in plenty of situations where he was this close to death, but he's certain you're gonna be the death of him.
"time for bed" he grumbles. he lifts you by your shoulders slightly until you can properly stand on your feet "m'getting you home, yer too drunk to be up right now" he asserts, chuckling when you pout at him when he flicks your forehead
"you're not the boss o' me ! 'm completely—oops" you trip forward but katsuki catches you with ease, he's always there to.
you look up at him innocently and he looks down at you with one eyebrow raised "you were sayin' ?" he sassed.
you roll your eyes at him and push off him slightly to stand more comfortably, you stick your tongue out at him. " i said—i'm fine..but if you wanna take me home that badly, i guess i'll allow it" you shrug. katsuki squints then shakes his head, smiling to himself. you catch him and giggle, he can't cover up his chuckle fast enough. you must look stupid to the other people in the bar just sitting there giggling at each other, he realizes. then he remembers he could honestly not give enough of a shit about what these other drunk losers thought, the only drunk loser he cared about was right here in his arms.
right where you belonged.
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you're out like a light by the time katsuki's brought you back to your apartment, but he doesn't mind, he'd expected it anyway. he carries you like a sack of potatoes to your floor. he's glad he'd managed to grab your keys before you fell asleep, having to wrestle the keys from you and risk you getting cranky at him doesn't sound all that nice right now.
he helps you take off your shoes and he's extremely grateful you're just lucid enough to change by yourself. he helps you clean up and brush your teeth, then carries you to bed even though he knows damn well you could walk just fine. not before getting you to down a glass of water.
you're annoying when you're drunk and sleepy, you're whiny and everything is too much work for you. katsuki grumbles right along with you, calling you a pain in the ass, then promptly taking it back when he sees you tearing up again. he grumbles and complains but he knows he wouldn't let anyone else do it for him. not only because he's sure whoever it is wouldn't even be able to do this half as well as he does, but also because despite his better judgement, despite the fact you piss him off to no bounds, you're his to take care of. and he'd be damned if he let anyone else take care of what's his.
so you whine, and he complains, but he truly wouldn't have it any other way.
you insist on wanting him to stay with you and he knows he probably shouldn't. he likes you too much to just casually stay here with you, he knows he won't be able to sleep and he's just going to keep staring at your lashes fluttering as you dream. but you pout at him and plead him so sweetly, he really can't say no to you.
he likes you too much.
he steals one of your hoodies and a pair of sweatpants (he technically isn't stealing—since they're both his to begin with) and climbs into bed with you. you immediatly latch onto him, nuzzling into his shoulder before thanking him.
"for what ?" he mutters sleepily, slowly wrapping his arms around you.
"for.." you interrupt yourself with a yawn, he chuckles "for always takin' care of me..you're the best."
if you were more sober, he'd simply answer with a cocky "tell me something i don't know." but you're not and katsuki's already too far gone, so he squeezes your waist in appreciation then responds " i'm always gonna take care of you."
he's suprised by how soft and sappy he sounds but you suprise him even more when you lean up slightly to press a feather light kiss to the underside of his jaw and whisper a sweet little "love you."
he lays there for a good long while without response, you don't mind because you chose that exact moment to fall asleep. he lays there and he's sure he won't be able to fall asleep now. fuck you for knocking out and leaving him like this, he thinks. he's trying not to give himself false hope, maybe you meant it platonically. he keeps trying and he keeps thinking all night but he's still impossibly giddy.
he was contemplating not telling you anything about last night, but he can't help himself. he's nervous—god, he's so fucking nervous when you wake up while he's getting comfy in your kitchen like it was his, making breakfast. you look groggy and sleepy and hungover, but to him, you still look adorable.
when you're awake enough, munching away at the breakfast he's made, he tells you about last night and his heart slams against his chest when he mentions what you had told him.
though, when he sees how you choke on a piece of your toast, and how flustered you look, like a deer in headlights, his heart beats hard against his ribcage for a completely different reason.
the next time you go out for drinks, it's to celebrate the start of your relationship.
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AAA first request done ! hope you liked this anon <3 if you guys have any request pleassseee lemme know !
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wispscribbles · 5 months
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❄️ Remember to bring blankets for your recon mission ❄️
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egophiliac · 8 months
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so on the subject of the "Crowley is secretly Revaan/Laverne/Levin/please Twst give us his name" theory, I think my feelings are best summed up as "I don't really buy it, but it's funny". like, in all seriousness, I'm not opposed to it; I have enjoyed the writing in Twst so far and I'm willing to trust that whatever happens will, you know, make sense and not be terrible. but I'm just not really convinced by the current evidence! maybe that'll change once we learn more, we'll see!
with that said, may I propose a few alternate theories about the possible Crowley/Revaan connection:
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#art#twisted wonderland#twisted wonderland spoilers#twisted wonderland episode 7 spoilers#twisted wonderland book 7 spoilers#on this installment of things nobody asked but i'm going to talk about anyway#disclaimer that this is mostly a joke please don't get mad at me#(legit no shade to anyone) (speculation is one of the fun things about an ongoing fandom and you never know what'll turn out to be true!)#more seriously i do think there may be some connection that just isn't clear yet#but the more little breadcrumbs we get about what revaan was like the more i think crowley just doesn't act like him#i adore crowley don't get me wrong#(yes he's a dipshit. this is a feature not a bug.)#but like.#not to harp on the scene about lilia's nrc invitation (i am absolutely going to harp on it)#i do not believe that crowley would go through the trash to fish out the pieces and put them back together and save them#just because it was lilia's. just because lilia might want it again someday.#crowley can ✨yasashii✨ all he wants but we know what he's like#and i REALLY do not believe that lilia wouldn't recognize him. i didn't believe it before and i extra don't believe it now.#then again i do tend to be incredibly off about speculation so! who knows! i will trust the writing for now!#i do 100% believe that meleanor would fall in love with the world's biggest dumbass and then double down super hard. that part tracks.#that said i have decided that ambrose being revaan is actually the funnier option just because it would make crowley SO mad#it wouldn't make sense for him to be mad about it and that would just make him madder
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yeehawpim · 4 months
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Did a collab with @julnites! I did layout/writing and he did the art.
Check out the finished version there!
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