How Can I Torture You Today?

22•She/They I write and I reblog- that’s it NO MINORS 18+

[jjba-hell]

For Anyone Visiting, looking for my writing...

Here’s the last piece I published :p

Will keep this post updated for ya’ll... (≧∀≦)

Fate and Fortune- Part 16

Fate and Fortune

Part 16! Here’s part 15 but the rest are in the fate and fortune tag ... lol so I dipped after reaching the halfway point (I think) of this

[rosolionero]

🌹 Rose Tinted Glasses 🌹 Ao3 Link

⤷ Risotto/AFAB!Reader; 4.3k words ⤷ Written for @sweetsparklerain as part of a trade hosted on @papersirens discord server! ⤷ Thanks also goes to Melk for looking over this fic for errors!

Summary:

As time pushes Risotto and you towards an inevitability ignorant to you both, you share an intimate night together after returning from a job that's taken you away from the city.

Warnings/Kinks:

⤷ AFAB Reader, breasts and genitals are described (cunt, pussy) but no pronouns mentioned. Reader is a member of La Squadra with an unmentioned stand. ⤷ Handcuffs, super light mentions of dom/sub (?), hair pulling, marking (bruises/scratches), cock piercings, intimacy, creampie, canon compliant but you'll have to squint to see what I mean by that, the impending tragedy lingering over a loving relationship that's been sealed by fate.

The nature of being a hitman means that communications come to a near standstill whenever you or Risotto have to leave town to work. Professionalism and the scarcity of free time dictates your calls be short and to the point, with coded texts sent at odd hours should your phones get into the wrong hands. There’s no room for more than that during those moments, and it’s better that way. Even hinting at what you and Risotto hold for one another while apart only draws forth feelings you both prefer to pack away inside the depths of your hearts when needing to work.

Neither of you dare doing something like that to the other, the pain from it far outweighs the dangers that can come from acknowledging it in ways that could leave a paper trail.

It’s your turn to return to him this time. Though you don’t really need to talk to Risotto right this very moment to hold a debrief, you also know you’re allowed to see him whenever you want without having to make up such flimsy excuses. Finally stopping at the door of his flat you remember what time it is, and not wanting to attract attention from curious eyes or ears this late at night you quickly flip open your cell phone to start typing.

<03/15/2001 - 02:24 AM: I’m here.>

No need for superfluous words, Risotto knows the timetable of your job because he’s the one that assigned it, trusting you to get it done as much as he trusts you with the address to his personal flat. You snap the phone shut without waiting for a reply, knowing he’s awake and has been waiting for you. It’s not long before you hear various deadbolts begin to unlock and the door silently opens just enough for you to see the glow of a piercing red eye cutting through the darkness inside. 

“It’s done, I delivered the package to the usual spot.”

The eye merely blinks in response to your message, not that you expected Risotto to say anything while you’re still in the hall and can only speak in code out in the open like this. You look back up at him, unperturbed by the intensity of his stare that lasts for a few moments more before he pulls back from the door and disappears into the dark.

Next thing you know a long arm shoots out from the door crack to wrap around your waist, swiftly pulling you inside before you’re able to fully process what’s happening. You don’t feel scared though, if anything a wave of arousal surges through your gut as the door clicks shut and Risotto crowds up into your personal space. His imposing figure only looms above you for a split second before he bends down and his soft lips are pressing on yours. Without a second thought, your hands slide under his hat to cup the back of his head, fingers playing with the silver hair hiding beneath as you return his affections and deepen the kiss.

A momentous amount of self-control goes into allowing Risotto to pull away. You don’t have enough of it to keep your hands off him though, resting them against the nape of his neck while he looks down at you with a smallest hint of a smile.  

“Welcome home.”

There are too many threads keeping the goal of cohabitation just dangling out of your reach. Wrapped in his arms like this, though, you know exactly what he means.

Risotto’s big hands give your hips a gentle squeeze as he settles impossibly closer against you, nuzzling into the crook of your neck to hide how his smile is becoming wider by the second. You can feel the shape of it ghosting along your skin until his lips begin suckling a row of kisses that make your thighs clench with every press of his tongue.

“Hey—” Is the only word you’re able to get out before he pushes the crown of his head into your face like a needy cat. You give in with a sigh, pressing kisses into his hair and across his forehead.

No matter how long the time frame is, whether you’re gone for only a day or a month, Risotto acts like this every time you return. Even after so long, the routine has yet to become stale for either of you.

As fun as it would be to fuck against the door right now, it’s late and you’re not exactly in the mood to have a slab of wood clattering against your back after the long drive here. You can tell Risotto is exhausted, too. His face always has a tinge of weariness to it, but the lines around his eyes become amplified when it's too much, when he hasn’t had a good night's sleep in days. Your absence might have had something to do with it, but keep the guilt at bay by reminding yourself who the order to leave town came from.

Gently you press Risotto back, and he goes with a soft smack of his lips, sharp eyes looking over your form. Always sends swirls of heat pooling in your gut to see them glowing with need when he does it, his face still so close to yours that you can feel the puffs of his shallow breath against your lips. That’s not the sole reason he’s scrutinizing you so intensely though, and you know the next step of this welcome routine is yours to take.

“I’m alright, just tired is all.” You answer the unspoken question with a tender smile before placing a kiss on his chin.

Risotto tilts his head in subtle deference and asks, “Should we get some rest then?”

If that’s what you want, you know he will join you with no questions asked. Maybe even finally get a good night’s sleep now that you’re back to cuddle against him while it happens. You look into his red eyes as they begin to cool down into something gentle, though no less wanting. Now acutely aware of the weight of his hands that come to rest on the swell of your ass, you smirk up at him.

Who needs sleep?

A beat of silence hangs in the room as you simply stare at one another before pouncing on Risotto with another kiss, this one more desperate and heated then the last. He emits a rumbling groan as he returns it while your hands smooth over his neck and down his chest to unbuckle the harness of his coat, excited fingers fumbling with the smooth metal while he makes quick work of your own belt and pants-fly thanks to the use of his stand.

“Show off.” You mutter against his mouth, pushing him back with force this time so you can roll off his coat. As gorgeous as he looks in it, why the fuck does it have to cling to him so much? Risotto chuckles at your struggle and steps away completely to finish pulling his arms out of the sleeves.

The journey from door to bedroom consists of you pushing and playfully wrestling each other’s clothes off between more heated kisses and groping hands. At the threshold of the room Risotto steps out of his pants in just time to dodge your next lunge for him. He laughs, genuinely laughs and you’re so enamored with his accompanying smile that you don’t notice him moving in on you until it’s too late. You’re lifted up by the waist just enough for your heels to drag and kick across the floor as he tosses you onto the mattress. The moment your back touches the bedspread Risotto wastes no time in laying himself on top of you, his hips slotting against your own.

Your fingers trace over the prominent veins in Risotto’s thick arms that are caging you in on either side of your body, up the curves of his biceps until they’re trailing along the expanse of his broad shoulders. Cup his flushed face between your palms and his red eyes, tinted with fondness, never stray from yours while you do it. Time comes to a stand still as he leans into your hands, and although the warm weight of Risotto’s body presses you down into the bed, it pales in comparison to the wave of heat swooping through you from the way his face softens at your touch.

It’s a quiet, tender moment that’s far too good not to take advantage of.

Gaining the momentum to flip someone the size of Risotto over is easy enough when he lets himself be so unguarded around you, his hat finally being thrown off in the tussle with a light ring of its bells. You’d feel bad for surprising him if not for the look of pure desire that takes over his features as you swiftly roll him over and he lightly bounces onto the bed so that you’re now on top. Big hands take their place along the curve of your hips and Risotto bites his lip as he looks up at the change in view.

“Oh, so this is how it’s gonna be?” He chuckles, giving a pinch to your side that causes you to burst into a fit of giggles.

The best way to reply that you can think of is to start grinding your crotch against the straining bulge in his boxers. It makes Risotto grunt and twitch underneath you, holding you just right so you're kept in place and he can roll his hips up into your movements. A hard flick to the rings through his nipples pulls out another satisfying groan and you can’t help but grin into the kiss you lean down to give him. What begins as a smooth slide of lips and tongue quickly becomes sloppy, hands groping and teasing until it’s too late for you to realize what tricks Risotto is up to.

Handcuffs, temporarily forgotten about yet permanently at home in your bed, quickly emerge from under the sheets and attempt to ensnare your wrists. The cold metal sends chills up your arm as it snaps into the flesh of your wrists, pulling one of them away until the other end locks itself around the bars of the bedpost.

“Cheater!” You shout, using your still free hand to playfully smack Risotto in the shoulder. Your protest is cut short by his long fingers dipping past the waistband of your underwear.

“What’s the matter,” Risotto’s voice reverberates low in your ear, right down your spine, “I thought you liked being on top?”

With an agitated grunt you tug at your bonds using all of your strength, forcing the bed post to rattle. Though it wont do anything to help, there’s still the ingrained need to make an effort to resist. Watching you struggle makes Risotto’s smirk grow wider, his fingers moving lower to spread apart the lips of your damp pussy and press firm, deliberate circles over where you need it the most. You’re able to stop yourself from squirming into the sensation but can’t hold back a groan that’s a mix of annoyance and arousal at the way Risotto’s touch makes a flush bloom across your face.

Risotto sits up a bit to latch onto one of your nipples, warm mouth playing with the tight bud before he drags his teeth across the soft skin of your breast, “Are you still going to try and res—”

There’s not much room to even the playing field, but you’re determined to make the most of it. You still have one free hand, and you use it to pull Risotto’s hair by the roots before he’s able to finish his sentence. He reacts just as you knew he would, the mix of pain and pleasure causes him to toss his head back to look up at you in bliss and a startled yet absolutely filthy moan spills past his full lips. You take the opportunity to press your mouth right on top, hold his hair tight and force your tongue inside. Twisting the longer strands around your fingers you pull some more and roll your hips just so, keep it up until Risotto begins panting into your mouth. It makes the rhythm of his hand against your clit begin to falter, both to your amusement and annoyance.

It’s a small victory when he starts to whimper for you, as pain has always been the easiest way to manipulate him into giving in to your demands. Tonight is different though, you can feel it in the way his fingers start back up against your sex. How his other hand settles on the back of your neck, a warm weight full of promise that makes goosebumps rise at the thought of what his hands are capable of, in the best of ways.

You’re at least able to press him back into the mattress as your now sopping cunt grinds down into his hand, having your nails rake a trail of red lines over his tanned skin that your mouth eagerly follows. Across the column of his neck, along pronounced collar bones, over his chest and nipples. His still clothed cock digging into your thigh is impossible to ignore now, and a hard buck of his hips reminds you of your main goal.

Getting it out from the fly of his boxers with only one hand is a struggle, but Risotto is more than willing to assist. The thick length springs free and twitches when it makes contact with the heat of your palm. He groans deep from his chest as he watches you take some of your juices to coat his cock with long, firm pumps over the Jacob’s Ladder on the underside of his shaft, toying with the Prince Albert piercing speared through the dark pink tip.

“Now who’s cheating? Ah fuck,” Risotto’s words dissolve into another moan as the muscles in his chest and abs twitch beneath you.

“Oh yeah, this,” You punctuate the words with light pinches and pull gently at his piercings, while shaking your metal clad wrist for emphasis, “is cheating. Says the guy who’s got one of my hands in ‘cuffs,” Despite the confinement your tone lacks any real bite, knowing that Risotto will free you if there is a problem, and right now you’re exactly where you want to be. 

Risotto pulls the crotch of your soaked-through underwear fully to the side for you and begins to line himself up with your entrance. His pierced cockhead just barely presses against your wet heat before you tilt your hips back to slide your cunt across his shaft. There’s a loud, dull thud as his fist pounds onto the bed hard enough to make it bounce from the denial of sinking into you, followed up with a grunt and arch of his back. You shiver and moan in return, the piercings along his length a delicious tease over your core.

God, this has been building up for so long that you’re torn between getting right to it, or savoring this just a little longer. Just tease him a few moments more, watch Risotto become undone first so you’re able to focus on storing the memory away to hold dear for when one of you inevitably has to leave for who knows how long again.

Ultimately the choice is made for you when without warning Risotto tightens his grip on your hips to the point you can barely move, and forcibly lines you back up with the tip of his pulsing cock with a startled gasp. For a split second you think he’s going to spear you on his cock completely in one thrust, but instead he presses inside at a slow, methodical pace that makes the stretch of his generous girth both more bearable and more agonizing in how the pleasure builds up with every inch you sink down on to him, the piercings pressing and rubbing your insides only furthering the sensations.

A blissful sigh is drawn out of you once Risotto finally bottoms out, his brows pulled up tight and hands trembling. Your cuffed hand wraps around the bar of the bedpost while the free one unconsciously settles atop his chest, over the rapid-fire beating of his heart. Right now in this stolen moment there’s nothing else in this world but you and Risotto and the heat radiating between your bodies as he moans your name like a prayer. If it weren’t for your stark differences in height you’d be kissing him even more senseless then he already looks right now.

“Missed you so fucking much.” Risotto groans, and without further preamble he plants his feet on the bed to start fucking up into your cunt in effortless, soaking wet glides.

Sharp gasps and whines are punched out of you with every hard upward roll of his hips. Having only one arm capable of maintaining balance so you can try to keep up with his pace doesn’t help things, but he quickly readjusts his grip on you and uses his strength to hold you tight so he can aid you in bouncing on his cock. A flush starts to spread high and bright across his features as you ride him, watch as he sucks in his plush bottom lip into his mouth to try and muffle the noises still rising from the back of his throat. Intent on seeing Risotto unravel, you don’t hold back, playing up your cries of pleasure, clenching your pussy around his cock with every roll of your hips that he helps along. You toss your head back and squeeze your breast with your free hand, knowing how much Risotto loves to watch you play with yourself.

That releases his voice again at full force, his nails biting into your hips and you can feel how wild his cock pulses inside you. Reaching your goal seems assured at this point, until Risotto suddenly surges forward with a grunt and grabs your free arm to shove behind you. The handcuffs fly off the bed post, pulling back your arm, and with the sharp click of metal they finally ensnare your free wrist to make both of your hands well and truly bound.

“Wait a minute, this is even more unfair!” Your protest quickly becomes a distant afterthought, unable to bring yourself to care about anything except the way his cock grinds and twitches inside of you. Of the newfound pressure on your clit as you grind it over his pelvis, “Fuck, Risotto, don’t stop. Don’t you dare stop—”

Risotto swallows down your demands with a kiss, a forceful press of lips and tongue that turns more wet and sloppy by the second before he breaks away to bury a loud moan into the crook of your neck. A wide, scorching hot palm presses down against the small of your back to guide you down impossibly further on his cock, feeling so deep it as if it’s throbbing between your lungs with every ragged pant of breath. He uses his newfound control over your body to coax your hips into a grinding rhythm that he harshly bucks up into, covering your breasts and neck in what you know will later become a litany of red and purple marks that won’t be mistaken for anything else other than what you’re doing with him right now. You push yourself into the suckling mouth and harsh drag of Risotto’s teeth, internally vibrating at the thought of showing off the mess he’s making of you later.

“C’mon love, don’t hold out on me any longer.” Risotto mutters, the lines of his lips burning the shapes of those words against your ear, with his voice cracking from the way your cunt is throbbing around him. Fingertips slide back over your hips and trail downwards, and the soft heat that’s been pooling in your guts starts to flare and spread through your limbs as Risotto’s fingers meet with your clit again, rolling the swollen bud between his now soaking wet digits.

Mindlessly your hips chase down the pleasure of their own accord, making you arch your back hard enough to almost fall completely backwards. Risotto catches you just in time without even a pause in his ministrations, one of his solid arms sneaking under your bound limbs to wrap you in his embrace and pull you back against his sweat slick chest. It’s small, intimate moments like this that remind you of just how big Risotto is as his arm slides up your back. The length of his forearm alone feels as if it takes up the length of your spine, the warm muscles flexing hard between your tensed shoulder blades.

“Risotto, ah—!” Your body clenches around Risotto’s cock like it can’t get enough of it, even though your cunt has taken him to the hilt. You can’t tell if the full body tremors are coming from you or are Risotto’s own traveling through you. Though it doesn’t really matter, you’re so close either way, but before you can let him know it the hand on your back gently guides you to rest your foreheads together. You try to shy away from it, but the grip of that hand holds steady on the back of your neck, you’re already feeling so overwhelmed that being made to look into his eyes any longer is going to make you—

“Let go for me,” Risotto pants, the hot puffs of his breath tickling your face as his voice makes your clit throb against his fingers. His red-black eyes are a hazy mixture of longing and awe that he refuses to let you turn away from, “Let go for me, my love, and I’ll catch you.” 

Orgasm rips through you like a tidal wave, an overflow of sensations that causes your eyes to roll back and body to arch into Risotto’s touch as the waves swallow you down whole.

“That’s it, let it out.” He murmurs, “I’ve got you, I’ve got you.”

Once you’ve finally come back to reality it’s just in time to appreciate the hard gasp of your name he makes when he cums, cock twitching his release inside of you. Indistinct shapes rattle and twist over the metal holding you back before it falls apart completely to give way to freedom that you don’t hesitate to take full advantage of. Risotto is so overwhelmed by the afterglow that he willingly goes along with collapsing across the bed with you, landing together on your sides while still wrapped up in one another in a tangle of limbs. The motion causes his softening cock to slide out with a groan from the both of you, and the excessive warmth seeping from between your thighs is a testament to how just pent up he's been since you left.

For a while afterwards there’s only the sounds of your combined panting and soft sighs as you share a litany of warm touches. Ghosting kisses over sweat slick skin until you notice his cock, shining with your combined juices, still partially hanging out from the fly of his boxers and resting along space where thigh meets hip. You’re mouth waters from the sight and you’re about to shimmy down there to have your fill when you notice the way Risotto’s breathing starts to even out into the slow, deeper breaths of someone drifting off to sleep.

That just won’t do.

Hooking a leg over his hip you roll Risotto over to sit back atop him, who grunts and moans in a combination of arousal and complaint. You giggle at the way his face scrunches up for a moment before he cracks one red eye open at you as you lean down to give him another kiss. A simple peck on the lips that he tries to turn into something more, but you pull away and trail more kisses over the marks on his skin you’ve previously left behind. The noises he lets out this time are anything but from annoyance, exhaling a shaky breath at the way your tongue swirls over one of the more pronounced bruises blooming nicely at the crook of his neck. You pull back with a wet pop to move up and tease the shell of his ear before speaking.

“I’ve missed you, too.”

The twitch of his cock against your lower stomach at your words is far from subtle. Before you can tease him about it, the sound of ripping fabric fills the room and the shreds of your ruined underwear are pulled off in one quick tug. You shoot upright in shocked awe as Risotto balls it up in one hand and tosses it past your head, hearing it land somewhere not as far off with a gentle flutter of air. His face lights up in a playful grin, as if daring you to do something about what he’s just done.

Another harsh rip of cloth follows up his expression and the smile falls as he looks down to find your hands splitting the fly of his boxer briefs wide open. You grin back even more smug than he was, quickly tearing the underwear right down the middle all the way to the crack of his ass. In the silence your eyes meet, but the heavy tension lasts only for a split second before you both erupt into a fit of giggles. It feels like an age since Risotto has looked so content, and his smile paired with the sound of his laugh overwhelms you with the urge to kiss him again. Without warning you pounce on him, and he eagerly lets you land with the circle of his embrace.

The night is already beginning to wane into dawn, soon there will be meetings and more work and more begging for whatever scraps of cash the Don of Passione is willing to give you for these most recent and future kills. You push those thoughts aside, being present in the moment is more important, you tell yourself, willfully pretending not to care about what the future holds. All that truly matters right now is the way Risotto kisses you back with equal fervor between bouts of his bright laughter and soothing touches across your back.

Sleep can wait for when you’re dead.

🌹 Author's Notes:

Don't worry, I'm sure everything worked out for them in the end. :))))

[jjba-hell]

I kid you not, I have 20 drafts and zero energy proofread, edit or finish any of them…

[jjba-hell]

Hear me out right…

So some of us (definitely myself included) love La Squadra and their sexy villain selves but just hear me out…

They’re all Italian.

And if reader is even somewhat a local, and they’d have to have one hell of a will of their own…

I don’t know man all I can imagine is IF reader were a La Squadra member they’d be a menace to all of them. Like cussing under their breath as they clean up evidence and their eye starting to twitch as Sorbet and Gelato walk into the base covered in blood.

“Mary Magdalene, did you fuck each other in the blood?”

They’d of course pay reader no mind as they started tracking blood into the base. Every other member in the squad would see reader getting up from the couch, rolling up their sleeves and cracking their knuckles, with only Formaggio being the one to pull them back from starting a fist fight but that didn’t really stop them from yelling some misplaced anger at the poor guy.

“No no no no I’ve had it up to my tits with these fuckers! Who the fuck is gonna clean that? Who’s gonna keep the fucking neighbors quiet and whose gonna clean the-“

They suddenly straighten, eyes wide as realization sets in. “They took my fucking car!”

And maybe even hungover mornings with Prosci, tiredly adjusting the suspenders over his shoulders, cigarette hanging off his lips. It’s become almost habit to expect the morning paper scattered open on the kitchen table as reader’s already pored over any news that could link the squad to any shocking news in print- kill off any loose ends that are sitting in witness protection.

“We’re out of the regular coffee blend so I got into Illuso’s stash.” Was the first words they spoke as they set down the two cups of espresso, one for him and one for them (they don’t dare drink anything too “watered down” in front of the blonde)

And the two enjoy the Columbian blend as reader circles bits of news in black marker and Prosci brings the tin of biscotti for them both from the pantry, thinking back to the time they’d gotten so mad at him for dropping ash into one of the pans they were cooking in, that within a blink of an eye (granted from the open pantry) the tin was in their hand and being hurled at him as he ducked into the hallway- that’s where that dent was from.

Those that get in more hot water with them call reader ill-tempered and hot headed but Ris wouldn’t have kept them this long if that were the case. He’s seen them handle cops and civilians with so much suave and charisma, shielding his bloody hands behind a charming smile and sinister jokes that disarms people- a real Italian socialite if only the income would match.

Ris recalls a time when he was desperate to just disappear into the shadow of the alleyway during a hit but they’d had a pretty good grip on his wrist.

“There’s no use in hiding!” They hissed. “They saw us leave with him!”

‘Him’ being a mafia mole they needed to take care of but now lay in their shadows in the alleyway and the cops footsteps inching closer. At the time he deemed it a moment of panic when they reached their hand up to pull at his neck.

“Hide the blood in my coat if you must.” They whispered into his neck. And even though it took him a beat to understand what they were doing he was quick to play along, stuffing his bloodied right side into the big winter coat they were wearing and turning his head to a steely gazed reader as they waited for the footsteps to round the corner.

For just a moment Ris could smell the deep coffee aroma on their breath, their perfume/cologne making itself more apparent as the tip of their nose just barely bumped into his when the bumbling policemen would stumble upon the faux lovers in a moment of faux intimacy.

Ris was almost astonished at how sweetly they laughed as they turned their head back to look at the cops. “Scusi, scusi seniore- is there a problem?”

“Yes actually…”

Ris didn’t always understand how reader could be so cool as they opened the door to something so disastrous, he was almost ready to call up Metallica if they were to ask the wrong question.

“Where is Mr Corlione, we saw you three leave the restaurant together.”

A tight grip in Ris’s hands seemed to bring him back, only now noticing his bloody hand was interlaced with the reader’s behind their back.

“Oh, I called him and ourselves a cab while I was in the phone booth but Mr Corlione’s warned he was making last rounds to his side of town- we were going the other way so we decided to uhhh-“

Were they… feigning embarrassment for getting caught? “See him off.” Ris chuckled more to his own stupid joke than at reader’s feigned embarrassment. Reader only sealed the deal as they laughed him with, giving him a playful elbow in the ribs.

It was enough to throw the cops off their tracks and to the leader of La Squadra, there would be very few people he would turn to for quick thinking and perfectly dusted away footprints. But Ris would also be lying if he said he didn’t smell the scent of their shampoo in his sleep.

[darkxyart]

[Metallica Requiem]

what if Risotto got the arrow?🤔 I really wanted to draw that kind of humanization XD

[jjba-hell]

Repaid

Day 3 and its time for some spaghetti western shenanigans.

Listen... I don’t like Westerns but I did have way too much fun writing this so do with it what you may.

Reader stays gender neutral in this house, no real warnings save for some guns and violence. Enjoy.

The dull ache in your right eye socket is really starting to get you. You’d figured you could sleep it off if not for the scratchy material of the tavern sheets under your skin.

Wait.

How did you get to the tavern again? Last time you checked Miles was a few days behind you and he had the money. The plan was to camp.

Camp... camp... oh right camp! You sat up to look for anyone else awake- someone should be on watch but there’s no dying campfire beside you. There was nothing beside you, not even a horse to say you’d been left behind. All that stretched around you was an infinite amount of desert sand painted pale blue by the full moon above you.

“Shit.” You hiss out between your teeth as you push yourself up on your feet. Not even so much as a sleeping mat was underneath you and god this stupid eye of yours was foggy. Must be some sand caught in your eye- wouldn’t it scratch though?

You didn’t have much time to consider pondering as a shadow- that’s the best you could describe it- pushed its shoulder through you and continued a sluggish walk ahead of you to fuck knows where.

“Where are you going?” You found yourself asking with a voice much too hoarse to be your own. Not only was it hoarse but it brought awareness to just how dry and cracked your mouth and throat were. If you’d been out here since sundown or ever before that your throat was probably bleeding. Might explain the taste.

Without feeling like you had much choice you started walking after the shadow. The longer you walked the worse every annoying itch turned into an ache- the scratchiness in your throat only seemed to get worse the more you huffed a breath to continue walking. If you were following death, honestly you’d just laugh.

After what felt like hours you were no longer alone- a few other figures much like the one you were following seemed to join you in blindly walking after the leader. You couldn’t see much of them either, not that they were close enough to look at anyway. The town’s dull yellow lights seemed to brighten every step you took but it wasn’t enough to convince your body to cooperate. The closer you got, the heavier your limbs, the harder the steps until your knees gave out under you and your face acquainted itself with the dirt.

All you could remember after that was the feeling of hands clasping themselves under your arms and your feet dragging behind you.

“That’s the only memory I have of that night. I had no idea I even spoke to you.” You admitted to the man whose saddle you were slung over. “So unless you plan on selling yourselves out for a little bounty money I don’t see why this is fucking necessary.”

When you’d woken up from that night you found yourself more coddled than you’d ever been in your life- swaddled in soft sheets and even softer pajamas, wrapped up in bandages like you were a porcelain doll.

Didn’t last long and now you owed this gang money for your stay and a doctors visit. You promised you’d pay them back but you didn’t have a fucking penny on you. Their solution? Tying your hands in front of you and slinging you over the saddle of the one with the weird eyes.

“You admitted to being from the McRoys gang- that’s loyalty bonded by blood.” The gruff voice above you commented, not doing anything to qualm the painful pounding your stomach was getting from the horse’s steps.

“My sister married a McRoy for fuck’s sake, those fucks don’t mean shit to me!”

“Swear that on ya daddy’s grave?” Came the question after some audible hooves clambering to get closer to your head.

“I’ll do ya one better- I’ll put ‘em in his grave and THEN swear they ain’t mean shit to me.”

Their boss slowed down to a stop and you’ve never wanted to slide headfirst into the sand more than you did in that moment. “This the place?”

You were hauled off of the horse and onto shakey legs. True as hell you stood at the sign for the McRoy ranch and to even a bigger surprise your goddamn horse stood at the troth drinking water with your saddle on and all.

“Why you fucking- untie me right now.” You held your bound wrists at the giant man that had lifted you off.

He only gave an amused huff of air from his nose as he cut you free so you could stomp through the hot sand on bare feet.

“And you leave me? After hauling you out of your fucking mother all those years ago, I topple off you once and you fucking high-tail it?” You angrily grab the knapsack from its back to rummage through for some clothes- wasting no time to slip over your head and over your ass to replace the pajamas.

“Are you sure you were riding alone?” The brunette with the ponytails asked.

“Yeah. I don’t even remember why I toppled, let alone where or how..” You peered at the team once more. “My boots?”

They all seemed to share a laugh as the blonde coughed it up and you humiliatingly stepped straight in them.

“Right. So now that we’re all on equal footing... what do you really want from me?”

Being an outcast in any group was difficult, LaSquadra was no different. You’d have to risk your skin more than once to finally be able to earn even a bit of trust from their boss specifically and what you’d deem your cut was quickly snatched up by Formaggio for drinks until one day Risotto handed you your cut of coin and instead of quietly handing over the money, pulled a gun at Formaggio’s head- the first right move you’d pulled in weeks.

You’d soon learn each of them held a bounty over their heads- deciding to stick together instead of trying to haul each other’s asses to the nearest sheriff. And with your handiwork all over the McRoy ranch heist (clean as you’d tried to keep it), you’d find yourself with a bounty almost comparable to Risotto’s.

It was only when your place among them was solidified that you found yourself suggesting more and more outlandish schemes for a bigger cash grab.

“But we gotta start thinking logically about this- if we burn down every sheriff’s office there’d be no evidence to incriminate us.” You had jabbed at Illuso as you two ducked under an overturned table. One moment you were offering a stand off in the town square, the next thing you knew the bar was being blown sky high by some awfully desperate lawmen.

Risotto’s bullwhip slid across the shattered glass from the neighboring table and that what all signal you needed. “And all of this because ONE wanted poster showed you having a mole on your upper lip.”

“Did you not see the size of that thing??”

Risotto kicked the overturned table to slide into the crowd- leaving you enough of a gap to between the bullets to crack the whip into a couple hands- those viper venom soaked bone shards woven into the end was doing enough damage to the holder’s hand to knock ‘em out of the game for the count.

You got enough of them down to give Ghiaccio the chance to fire a few shots and Melone to bust open the window where Pesci awaited with your way out.

Risotto slid in behind your table and handed the loaded pistol for your round of shots. Not that you missed half as much as the men your travelled with.

Your right eye never did stop being foggy- Melone suspected cataracts but you saw targets much too easy with your foggy eye to cover it up completely. Maybe you were taking “deadeye” too literally though.

After 5 out of 6 rounds now lodged firmly in some lawmen’s thighs you hopped out the window last and took off after the rest of your team.

“If we have to pay for one more bar’s repairs I swear to god I’ll turn myself in for a hanging.” Formaggio huffed as he dropped onto the dusty floor beside you- fingers outstretched for the bottle of moonshine you were only passing around- that shit was vile.

“They’ve been hot on our trail for a while now- you think the townspeople are sick of us?”

“Somehow I doubt they’re willing to take their chances with Ciocolatta’s cronies, must be something else.” Prosciutto lowered himself to your other side, offering a cigarette which you did accept. “You don’t think it’s the new governor?”

“That little blonde pipsqueak? No, there’s no way- he probably got that job from his daddy and doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing, let alone getting lawmen to run us down this consistently. Illuso, you’re the one making people squeal when we stay in town, no rumors that could have sparked this?”

“Carne’s allegedly dead but he’s not big enough for the people to let their guards down now.”

“Well we might be finding out soon.” All your heads spun to Risotto as he walked back into camp from the first watch. “There’s someone coming this way.”

“I’m guessing you think we can take them?”

“Sick of running. Anyone who’d come this far after us at least deserves an audience.”

You’d packed everything up except the fire in the camp- if it was going to be a shootout, at least you’d be ready to leave. You were about to mount your horse when Risotto stopped you. “I’m gonna let you stand up front-“ he handed you his bullwhip and two more casings of ammo. “If anything goes south, you’re our best shot.”

So you nodded and led your horse to the front, the others waiting behind you as the group- matching your own in numbers- came to a stop.

“You calling the shots?” The one with long white hair cascading under the brim of his hat asked.

“Nah- just the front line. What you come out all this way for? The moonshine’s shit unfortunately.”

“Precaution. We’re not here for any arrests, though.” Mr Black Bob came to his partner’s defense- the rest only seemed to wait.

“No arrests? You say that with a lawman right next to you?” You gave a nod to Mr Moonhair.

The click of a pistol had the hairs on the back of your head stand up. You didn’t know from which side it came from but it was like a cascade of 13 other pistols pulling back their hammers.

“Perhaps we should talk before we jump to conclusions. Name’s Bucciarati.”

“Well Bucciarati it sounded like that pistol cock came from your side first. I don’t know if I can trust a bunch of snakes that lie to my face.”

It was surprisingly not Mr Moonhair that removed his revolver from its holster. It was the one with the bandana over his head.

Another cascade of metal slipping from leather as they all pointed at one another, save for you and Bucciarati. “Got some trigger-happy subordinates there, Bucci. Who do you work for?”

“The governor.” All charm had left his voice and now you were left to the stiff formalities of a man serving.

“Ah. So you ARE lawmen.”

“We have no idea what sinister grip you have over the townspeople but it will not continue like this. We’re here for an ultimatum. Disappear from your business and all bounties will drop- no lawman will arrest you and the warrant for your hangings will be dropped.”

“Mhm and if we’re caught doing our usual business?”

“Then all charges are doubled.”

You couldn’t help but give an earnest laugh as you broke the stare off between you and Bucciarati. You leisurely turned around and mounted your horse. Risotto gave you a knowing look as you did, stealing yourself to look into Bucciarati’s ocean blue eyes.

“Do yourselves a favor- go visit Reaverbrooke. Ask some questions... shit if anyone is still there... and get a feel for the service we provide. Make sure you report all of that to the little blonde boy’s boot you’re lickin’ and maybe then we can talk on ultimatums.”

The barrels lowered as you spoke, watching Bucciarati keep up his attempt at a death stare.

“But since you’re lucky, you’re dealing with the bleeding heart of this gang- we’ll lay low until you come back to us. Same time next week?”

Bucciarati wasn’t given much time to answer as you led your squad out of the camp. Once enough distance was put between you, Risotto came up beside you.

“You’re leading us to their base? What are you mad?”

“Someone’s gotta put that pipsqueak back into his place. Who better than us?”

[cloudyyangel]

I just don’t think Natsuo should think of himself as unkind simply because he doesn’t want to forgive his abuser

[jjba-hell]

Revoked

Still late for day 2 but I am enjoying the hell out of these prompts. (Today’s prompt was sci-fi)

Trigger warnings for the death of the ice cream gays but lemme know if I missed anything else.

Summary: a weird mismatched team of busted up aliens and half-blood humans just dealing with some shit.

For the lovely: @lasquadraweek2021

“You should really just transfer to a new body Pros. Humans aren’t supposed to live this long, babe.”

You grumble probably more to yourself than to the man whose forearm you were tinkering in. Well... maybe tinkering wasn’t the word either. He needed another repair and honestly you can’t help but feel like Risotto only offered you the air-mattress in the ship because so many of these psychos have bio-tech they can’t afford to upkeep.

“Sure, I can’t afford a rewire but I can surely afford getting my brain transplanted in a new body.”

“Human bodies are so easy to grow though.” You peer up at him over your magnify glasses with a wriggle of eyebrows. “Fully grown in a quarter rotation? Come on I still have to wait another half rotation to buy a swimsuit let alone grow a body.”

Prosciutto flexed the hand you were working on to spite you but all you did was strap the wrist down and switch off the impulse circuit before getting up and walking toward the exit of the ship where the others were sprawled out in the soft baby blue grass of the planet you were hiding out at.

Melone’s gaze shot from laptop up as you kicked your untied boots from your feet and slid into the grass, barely hearing him as he asked “Any luck with Pros’s arm?”

“I can’t keep mending the same two wires that keep popping off. Its best we find a place that can handle Babyface’s software and get a new one.”

“Still not budging for just replacing the whole thing?” Formaggio asked from somewhere across the clearing.

Like he was one to talk- Akils like him grew back heads and limbs, there wasn’t exactly a need to know anything about biotech.

“Nope. Are all humans this stubborn?”

“I think its the half Megnu in him.” Illuso was the one to chirp in this time.

“That’s still not confirmed.” You sat back on your feet to try and spot your teammates.

“Well he won’t let me analyze.” Melone sighed- continuing to worry away at the clear glass screen that held all his designs.

Melone truly was a bit of a madman to you- he designed the entirety of his body on that simple glass tablet and yet couldn’t finish his face in time before the feds were on him for unethical medical practice- ironic considering he was only putting himself through the strain of fitting his brain into a piece of machinery. What his official titles were in his old field were beyond you.

“Pesci’s not all Scud and he’s not half as stubborn.” You commented and with a soft hum the team fell back into silence.

“Where’s Ris?”

“He’s in bed- that last jump took a toll on him.” Illuso finally rose up from the grass himself heading a bit further away from the clearing, probably wandering after Ghiacchio who was asked to take a lap after he froze off Formaggio’s finger.

You clambered up a few steps to find your captain with the old-fashioned two-way radio in his hand as he lay passed out on couch of the shared living room.

Risotto would rather be caught dead than caught like this so, with intent, you stepped up to take the radio out of his hand. He seemed to gently wake at your fingers prying the piece or equipment from his hand.

“Shit.” He grumbled. “How long-?”

“Ghiacchio’s not even back from his lap- don’t worry. Just head off before they catch you.”

And with a slight groan he rolled up and disappeared down the hallways to his bunk which sounded with an ungraceful “clunk” as he fell into the bed.

Your name got hollered with the slightest tone of desperation from Prosciutto and with that you were back doing your part in the team behind the scene.

“You’re a purebred?” Prosciutto had eventually asked after a few minutes of boredom at watching you weld wires back to the motherboard.

You couldn’t help but laugh. “What am I? A dog?”

He seemed to swallow his words.

“Where do you think I’m from?” You tried to smooth it over.

“Caestea- at least your appearance would have you look like that.”

Another laugh. “I’m from Earth, Pros.”

His eyes widened. “Impossible.”

“Oh yeah. My parents weren’t exactly refugees but they are most certainly not human. Fuck knows what my genetic makeup looks like but thankfully I certainly age like a Caestean. You are all human, huh?”

“Yeah.” He sighed. “Not that there are many of us left.”

In a sense you felt bad for him. You’d seen photos of Earth long before it started to mimic its brother planet Mars but you rarely thought of how wickedly the planet must have lost its life before intergalactic intervention. Humans were strangely scared and selfish creatures but no one deserved to die because there was no clean water to drink.

You shook off the macabre though before closing up Pros’s arm and putting away the tools. “That should do for now but we really do need to think of a replacement in the near future.”

“Thanks.”

It was a half-assed thank you but it surely caught your attention. Pros was a little too prideful to give just anyone a thanks but nonetheless you returned the sentiment. “No problem.”

Outside the boys were fighting again- or rather Ghiacchio was arguing as Formaggio was pushing his buttons while Pesci grilled a rather obscenely colorful fish over the fire-in-tin.

“Oh just the person we needed to see.”

Getting clasped with two arms over the neck was bad enough but from Sorbet and Gelato, now that was trouble waiting to start.

“Oh gods, what do I have to offer this time.”

“Don’t be so serious!” Sorbet cooed darkly.

“We were just hoping you could help us out with the next target.” His boyfriend added.

If you could just roll your eyes back far enough.

“Wandering off from our captain’s orders doesn’t sound like something I’d want to get myself involved in.”

“Not even for a bionic manufacturer?”

“Or a healing bay, for the ship? Surely you could install those things no problem.”

Honestly it was hard not to fall for the stereotype that all Makzi’s do is play dirty and haggle like merchants but here you were, stuck between them and being tempted into breaking formation with them.

“And what would I have to lose?”

“Nothing much-“

“Maybe some face with Risotto.”

You couldn’t help but scoff. “You want me to convince him?”

“Exactly- he might actually consider something if it came out of your pretty mouth.”

“Or rather, if he could come in it.”

You took one step back and bowed out of the hold between the two of them. “Fucking sleezes. Your shit’s gonna get you killed, mark my words.”

“So its a no?”

“Its a fuck no, Sorbet. Vile comments aside, that shit is expensive, even dent-jobs sell for millions... that kind of money is too big a job for us to handle right now and stealing one even more. Get your heads out of your asses before you come up to me with more dumb shit, next time.”

And with that you slipped back beside Illuso as Pesci was grilling up the third fish for the night. Looking back at what you had said was not untrue. That night you were restless in your bunker above Formaggio- Illuso peering behind the sliding divider across the little hallway that ran between the bed bunks.

“Something on your conscience?”

“No.”

“You sure?” You nearly leapt out of skin as Formaggio’s forehead popped up just below your chin outside your divider. “You’ve turned and kicked like 10 times, babe.”

“Please don’t babe me.” You frown at him but you answered the gnawing feeling by asking. “Where are Sorbet and Gelato?”

“Probably in their bed.” Illuso answered as if there wasn’t a more logical answer.

“Wanna put money on it?” Your eyebrow raised.

“And catch them in the act? Daaamn you’re dirtier than I thought.”

“Come on then, 10 drinks at the next stop they’re not in their bunk.”

“Shit, I can’t miss on that opportunity.” Formaggio’s divider slid open all the way to allow him to plop with bare feet to the double bunks at the end of the hallway.” You and Illuso watched in trepidation as he knelt down and knocked. There was no answer save for Risotto’s stern frown behind the top divider making an appearance. “What do you want?”

“Are Sorbet and Gelato in there?” You piped up first.

The angry frown turned into concern as he slid out of his bunk to replace where Formaggio was. He slid the door open to reveal one big empty bed.

What you’d have given to be wrong. But instead the panic bit you all and soon you were messily slipping on boots and running around the ship to find the missing lovers.

Pesci checked the engine compartments he might have accidentally left open, Pros checked the storage while Risotto was seeing if he could track them on the radar. It was only when you were hoisted onto the roof by Formaggio that the dread set into your bones.

“Tell Ris to switch on the overhead console lights.”

You called back down below you. Part of you wished you didn’t... since all it did was put them on display.

It was a vile thing that made Risotto’s eyes grow darker than they already were and once dawn broke, you and Melone quietly put the bodies into the best makeshift body bags you could manage. The lake a few paces away was where you last saw those body bags.

After you left that pit stop you sat in silence in the communal meeting area, your legs flung over one of the armrests in your seat- staring blankly at the coffee table you’d nipped from a market not too long ago.

“So... what’s the plan?”

You asked at anyone who would listen.

“Do we go on as usual? Find their families?”

“Revenge?”

Your head turned to Prosciutto as he was enjoying one last drag of his cigarette.

“You’re brave.” You huffed a bit of laughter at the thought. The big boss and his cronies- the only real reason none of you strayed from Risotto’s orders was way up on a station so far up the intergalactic alliance ladder that you’d have a better shot at killing the king of Gnomia B908 and getting away with it.

“Why not?” Illuso was the one to back it. “Surely we could track the sick fucks that did it.”

“You’re thinking too simply.” Risotto grumbled over his fist. “They didn’t get themselves killed by accident. This was deliberate- a display not to challenge the higher ups.”

“Any idea what they were planning?” You sat up, propping your elbows onto your knees.

Risotto kindly pulled up their hidden plans- your name encircled in red a few times. They seemed to have had their eye on a biotech printer and medbay that was once used by the Boss himself.

“What’s the relevance of an old medbay?” Pros posed the question to you- Melone was up front with Formaggio.

“Medbays need to keep track of any irregularities in DNA to avoid any incompatibility issues. Its one of the few things that can’t be wiped because its burned into the drive. They were trying to expose the Boss’s identity.”

“And they were planning on risking us all in the process?”

You pointed at a little arrow shooting off your name once more. “They figured I could remove and replace the hard drive before anyone noticed.”

Your throat felt dry as you realized what that meant. Whoever this person was... if they could follow something as irrelevant as a used medbay to keep their tracks clean... chances are you were all, at best, being watched.

The thought must have been shared as Risotto didn’t breathe a word as he moved to the front of the ship and changed course to an unaffiliated vector you know damn well you’d probably be searched and cleansed for.

To no one’s surprise the pristine white towers blinded and no sooner than two seconds of coming into orbit of one of the bigger planets you were requested to land.

You stood beside you captain as the ship docked and you waited with your hands behind your head to greet the haz-mat team. “You must be pretty serious about this if you’re willing to get sit in their prison.”

He gazed down at you and with a deadpan tone simply said: “You’ve escaped, I’m certain you could do it again.”

[jjba-hell]

Respite

Day 1 of LaSquadraweek2021 and the prompt was Fantasy AU.

No trigger warnings: maybe a mentioning of nudity and the awkward moments that come from that. Maybe some suggestive actions but not going into it.

Content-wise: you’re looking at Fantasy AU, you and Risotto know one another, both being Dark Elven-ish creatures. It’s essentially an OOC Risotto x reader

I just wanted to have some fun with it. Enjoy. @lasquadraweek2021

“Quite the team you have assembled, Mr Nero.”

Risotto, knelt down at a hot spring half naked, paused his actions- hand remaining in the warm water as he gazed ahead at the mossy stone before him. It was an enclosed area- a little private spot he’d only considered his own until you came invading it.

“Didn’t think I’d hear from you again- not after what had happened in Graizia.”

He pushed off of his knee, standing up straight and surveying where exactly you were. It was him that taught you how to cloak yourself in shadows to disappear from sight- to you, this was a case of student needing to outwit teacher. You were silent enough to fool most people but Risotto knew what to look for.

The moss under your feet was slippery as you crawled up one of the stones he was gazing at not long ago. He gave a low laugh as he searched his surroundings regardless.

“Should I take your silence as anger.”

You sat down on your haunches as you reached a high enough point on the rocks to confuse him. “Oh please, Graizia was tame in comparison to Crallutha.”

Risotto’s ears wanted to lead his gaze to where you were but you weren’t planning on playing this game too long. So you removed your coat- and the spell- from your shoulders.

“Ahh of course- how much was the witch’s bill for taking care of that nasty burn?”

You threw your balled up overcoat at him, reappearing just in time for your gazes to meet. “Too much for your little adventures to afford.”

He took hold of the neck of your coat to unfurl it. “Touchy.” He commented as he laid your coat on top of his and then shamelessly ridding himself of his trousers before slipping into the hot water with a heavy sigh. His head dipped under so he could wet the long silver strands and wipe them out of his face with a groan.

You and Risotto have known each other for a very long time- you both have vague memories of the fall of the kingdom you hail from and for a long time you returned to the same abandoned cabin after working odd jobs to get by until you both turned about 100- just out of juvenile for your species.

You went your separate ways after one of your plots worked too well and you became a diplomat for the kingdom you’d been refugees in. Didn’t quite seem like he ever forgave you after you altered away the tell-tale tear streaks of your species under your eyes for the sake of human relations. Not that it was permanent anyway.

He still sported them proudly of course- his ink black eyes and the black streaks over his face melding together quite well- in your mind it made him handsome (perhaps that was the remnants of your memories of the Old Kingdom) but to most he was a terrifying sight. Not that his excessive height helped either.

“Now either you’re here for revenge or you have information to sell.”

“Revenge against you?” You mused, laughing at the thought. “Just because I nipped that slit in your eyebrow a few months ago doesn’t mean I want to see you dead.”

“Just maimed.”

“Exactly.”

Your feet had carried you back down from the rocks and at the lip of the spring where the warm water was lapping gently at your toes. Eyes followed naturally toward the sky to bask in the bright beauty of the moon until you were abruptly pulled onto your ass in the water by a firm hand around your ankle.

“Nero!” You screeched as you propped yourself up- gesturing at all the leather he had now fully soaked. “Do you know how long this is going to take to dry?”

“You’ll dry as you ride.” He said so nonchalantly you could feel those streaks under your eyes reappear. You never were good at controlling your magic when you were angry.

“There you are.” He hummed contently. “I so tire of that ghastly mask you put on for the humans.” To emphasize your point his arms came to rest on a half submerged mossy stone.

“And what would you do with me this way? Soaking wet and bare of magic?”

“Well... much comes to mind.”

That was it. You stripped out of your soaked clothes, leaping after the bastard who had already sunk underneath the water’s surface and was making quick work of gliding through the water into the caverns you knew the mermaids once used to get around this arduous stretch of land.

He was quick- always had been. You supposed all of that muscle had to be built somewhere but you weren’t that far behind him- the inky black lines that lined his body and darkened at the tips of his fingers and feet were all you could focus on as the two of you kicked off the walls in rush to who knows where.

The slight burn in your lungs only fueled you to catch up to him even more and you had only thought his abrupt loss of speed was the end of his game until you saw fiery tones dance above the water.

Breaking the surface, you both gasped for air- one strong breath in followed by little gasps to even out your breathing.

“Determined, aren’t we?” He chuckled.

Not so reluctantly you latched onto his nearest arm and dunked his head under before using him to push off and find a ledge to sit on.

A part of you wanted to continue the banter but the exhaustion was starting to set into your bones- both from chasing him on land and in water.

Perhaps he was dissatisfied but your silence only beckoned him closer to lean his folded arms on the ledge you were seated on- his brow knit together in concern. “They weigh heavy on you. All those strings tied around your hands.”

You looked over at him, gaze locking with the reds of his eyes that held a type of softness you suppose only you could read. “Maybe.”

Around you the little cavern had only two torches alight- a trick you wondered if he had any hand in. You didn’t want to speak much on the subject- you were too far gone in your own games wit the humans to realize you could simply disappear from it. Your skin cooled slightly as you stared at the flames wrapped around the torches- cooled enough for the warmth of Risotto’s hand to make you flinch when he touched your thigh.

“The cold will settle into your bones.”

Whether he meant figuratively or literally you’d probably never know but you took him up on both.

He moved back enough for you to slide back into the water- feeling pleasantly enveloped by the feeling. Underneath you, you could feel your feet barely graze on some stones that Risotto stood on easily.

“Surely, my touch doesn’t repel you as much as much as you’d have me believe.”

It had been so painfully long since you let him this close, your arms finding their way around his offering shoulders. You let yourself tangle around him- the added heat off his skin lulling you to prop your chin onto his shoulder.

Risotto reciprocated with his big arms wrapping around your back, soothing the knots out with a flat palm rubbing up and down your spine.

Complicated was the cliché word that came to mind when you thought of Risotto. You’d helped him along many steps to slip away from any trouble his bounties and adventures brought him, you were also the source of all the information he could need about new political decrees or wars that might affect his plans but much like before you were separated- you were far too close to simply forget one another as your paths diverged.

“I’ve missed you.” You sigh into his neck, raking your nails over his back to see if you could still get a reaction out of him.

He groaned out your name as his whole body seemed to tense under your ministrations. It sounded foreign on his tongue but welcome nonetheless.

It didn’t take too long for him have your back pressed against stone and his teeth worrying into your neck hungrily.

“Stay with me.” He groaned, pressing you tighter to him. “Please. They’ll welcome you with open arms.”

Hearing him plead truly had your resolve weak but you couldn’t. You needed to have your heart on the pulse of information if you were to protect him- but would he need to be protected if you two weren’t separated?

He didn’t even need to argue you into contemplating it, the soft thrum of his body luring you to turn your head onto his shoulder and just say yes. But that’s not what you said.

“I can’t.”

The words stuck like sap onto your tongue.

“Three days then.”

“Three days what?”

“Three days you stay with us, surely you could manage that. After that, you’re free to do as you wish.”

He wasn’t lying- it would be easy enough to simply lie about a sudden illness or delay in travel plans. Perhaps you should see it as designated time off- wrapping yourself up in the warm embrace of an old lover.

“Fine.” You whisper against the lobe of his ear before kissing the side of his face.

Risotto on the other hand separated with you a little so he could hold your chin between his thumb and forefinger to give you a kiss so tender you could melt.

“It’s almost dawn.” He muttered against your lips after you separated, resting your forehead against his.

“How can you tell?”

He gestured to a small stained glass oval inlaid between the jagged edged of the cave’s wall. You must have missed it while it was still dark. “Best to head back then.”

You wish you were a person without regrets- that you didn’t ponder how things could have been different but you were and few mistakes felt as dire as when you resurfaced back at the spring near Risotto’s camp.

Hoping for a dignified entrance was out of the question as you resurfaced behind Risotto’s large form to be greeted with quiet talk and snickers from a team of men you’d only been acquainted with from afar.

Often cases modesty was a virtue but not when dealing with outcasts like them. So before Risotto could order them to turn around, you were moving towards the place where your coat lay on top of Risotto’s- gods they must have had a field day with that innuendo.

“I see we’ve never seen a naked body before.” You commented tiredly at the stares you could feel heating your neck.

“More like we haven’t seen two Khallini’s this close in proximity of one another. You’re a dying breed, you know.”

You disregard the comment somewhat as you pick up your coat- the one dry thing you still have to your name and sling it over your shoulders against the cold.

“Might also be the insinuation.” The long-haired brunette was the one to throw that comment- enough to lock gazes with him across the clearing.

“Is that jealousy, I hear?” You ask with a tilt of your head and the sneer you got in return was enough to satisfy you and earn a chuckle from the rest of the team.

Risotto was behind you not long after- throwing his shirt over his head. “We’ll meet up at the tavern in Cranad.”

Which of course was your queue to find your horse to reintroduce yourself to the bunch at the tavern.

But as you stood at your saddle to slip on an emergency pair of clothes you couldn’t help but think.

What did you get yourself into?

[jjba-hell]

Respite

Day 1 of LaSquadraweek2021 and the prompt was Fantasy AU.

No trigger warnings: maybe a mentioning of nudity and the awkward moments that come from that. Maybe some suggestive actions but not going into it.

Content-wise: you’re looking at Fantasy AU, you and Risotto know one another, both being Dark Elven-ish creatures. It’s essentially an OOC Risotto x reader

I just wanted to have some fun with it. Enjoy. @lasquadraweek2021

“Quite the team you have assembled, Mr Nero.”

Risotto, knelt down at a hot spring half naked, paused his actions- hand remaining in the warm water as he gazed ahead at the mossy stone before him. It was an enclosed area- a little private spot he’d only considered his own until you came invading it.

“Didn’t think I’d hear from you again- not after what had happened in Graizia.”

He pushed off of his knee, standing up straight and surveying where exactly you were. It was him that taught you how to cloak yourself in shadows to disappear from sight- to you, this was a case of student needing to outwit teacher. You were silent enough to fool most people but Risotto knew what to look for.

The moss under your feet was slippery as you crawled up one of the stones he was gazing at not long ago. He gave a low laugh as he searched his surroundings regardless.

“Should I take your silence as anger.”

You sat down on your haunches as you reached a high enough point on the rocks to confuse him. “Oh please, Graizia was tame in comparison to Crallutha.”

Risotto’s ears wanted to lead his gaze to where you were but you weren’t planning on playing this game too long. So you removed your coat- and the spell- from your shoulders.

“Ahh of course- how much was the witch’s bill for taking care of that nasty burn?”

You threw your balled up overcoat at him, reappearing just in time for your gazes to meet. “Too much for your little adventures to afford.”

He took hold of the neck of your coat to unfurl it. “Touchy.” He commented as he laid your coat on top of his and then shamelessly ridding himself of his trousers before slipping into the hot water with a heavy sigh. His head dipped under so he could wet the long silver strands and wipe them out of his face with a groan.

You and Risotto have known each other for a very long time- you both have vague memories of the fall of the kingdom you hail from and for a long time you returned to the same abandoned cabin after working odd jobs to get by until you both turned about 100- just out of juvenile for your species.

You went your separate ways after one of your plots worked too well and you became a diplomat for the kingdom you’d been refugees in. Didn’t quite seem like he ever forgave you after you altered away the tell-tale tear streaks of your species under your eyes for the sake of human relations. Not that it was permanent anyway.

He still sported them proudly of course- his ink black eyes and the black streaks over his face melding together quite well- in your mind it made him handsome (perhaps that was the remnants of your memories of the Old Kingdom) but to most he was a terrifying sight. Not that his excessive height helped either.

“Now either you’re here for revenge or you have information to sell.”

“Revenge against you?” You mused, laughing at the thought. “Just because I nipped that slit in your eyebrow a few months ago doesn’t mean I want to see you dead.”

“Just maimed.”

“Exactly.”

Your feet had carried you back down from the rocks and at the lip of the spring where the warm water was lapping gently at your toes. Eyes followed naturally toward the sky to bask in the bright beauty of the moon until you were abruptly pulled onto your ass in the water by a firm hand around your ankle.

“Nero!” You screeched as you propped yourself up- gesturing at all the leather he had now fully soaked. “Do you know how long this is going to take to dry?”

“You’ll dry as you ride.” He said so nonchalantly you could feel those streaks under your eyes reappear. You never were good at controlling your magic when you were angry.

“There you are.” He hummed contently. “I so tire of that ghastly mask you put on for the humans.” To emphasize your point his arms came to rest on a half submerged mossy stone.

“And what would you do with me this way? Soaking wet and bare of magic?”

“Well... much comes to mind.”

That was it. You stripped out of your soaked clothes, leaping after the bastard who had already sunk underneath the water’s surface and was making quick work of gliding through the water into the caverns you knew the mermaids once used to get around this arduous stretch of land.

He was quick- always had been. You supposed all of that muscle had to be built somewhere but you weren’t that far behind him- the inky black lines that lined his body and darkened at the tips of his fingers and feet were all you could focus on as the two of you kicked off the walls in rush to who knows where.

The slight burn in your lungs only fueled you to catch up to him even more and you had only thought his abrupt loss of speed was the end of his game until you saw fiery tones dance above the water.

Breaking the surface, you both gasped for air- one strong breath in followed by little gasps to even out your breathing.

“Determined, aren’t we?” He chuckled.

Not so reluctantly you latched onto his nearest arm and dunked his head under before using him to push off and find a ledge to sit on.

A part of you wanted to continue the banter but the exhaustion was starting to set into your bones- both from chasing him on land and in water.

Perhaps he was dissatisfied but your silence only beckoned him closer to lean his folded arms on the ledge you were seated on- his brow knit together in concern. “They weigh heavy on you. All those strings tied around your hands.”

You looked over at him, gaze locking with the reds of his eyes that held a type of softness you suppose only you could read. “Maybe.”

Around you the little cavern had only two torches alight- a trick you wondered if he had any hand in. You didn’t want to speak much on the subject- you were too far gone in your own games wit the humans to realize you could simply disappear from it. Your skin cooled slightly as you stared at the flames wrapped around the torches- cooled enough for the warmth of Risotto’s hand to make you flinch when he touched your thigh.

“The cold will settle into your bones.”

Whether he meant figuratively or literally you’d probably never know but you took him up on both.

He moved back enough for you to slide back into the water- feeling pleasantly enveloped by the feeling. Underneath you, you could feel your feet barely graze on some stones that Risotto stood on easily.

“Surely, my touch doesn’t repel you as much as much as you’d have me believe.”

It had been so painfully long since you let him this close, your arms finding their way around his offering shoulders. You let yourself tangle around him- the added heat off his skin lulling you to prop your chin onto his shoulder.

Risotto reciprocated with his big arms wrapping around your back, soothing the knots out with a flat palm rubbing up and down your spine.

Complicated was the cliché word that came to mind when you thought of Risotto. You’d helped him along many steps to slip away from any trouble his bounties and adventures brought him, you were also the source of all the information he could need about new political decrees or wars that might affect his plans but much like before you were separated- you were far too close to simply forget one another as your paths diverged.

“I’ve missed you.” You sigh into his neck, raking your nails over his back to see if you could still get a reaction out of him.

He groaned out your name as his whole body seemed to tense under your ministrations. It sounded foreign on his tongue but welcome nonetheless.

It didn’t take too long for him have your back pressed against stone and his teeth worrying into your neck hungrily.

“Stay with me.” He groaned, pressing you tighter to him. “Please. They’ll welcome you with open arms.”

Hearing him plead truly had your resolve weak but you couldn’t. You needed to have your heart on the pulse of information if you were to protect him- but would he need to be protected if you two weren’t separated?

He didn’t even need to argue you into contemplating it, the soft thrum of his body luring you to turn your head onto his shoulder and just say yes. But that’s not what you said.

“I can’t.”

The words stuck like sap onto your tongue.

“Three days then.”

“Three days what?”

“Three days you stay with us, surely you could manage that. After that, you’re free to do as you wish.”

He wasn’t lying- it would be easy enough to simply lie about a sudden illness or delay in travel plans. Perhaps you should see it as designated time off- wrapping yourself up in the warm embrace of an old lover.

“Fine.” You whisper against the lobe of his ear before kissing the side of his face.

Risotto on the other hand separated with you a little so he could hold your chin between his thumb and forefinger to give you a kiss so tender you could melt.

“It’s almost dawn.” He muttered against your lips after you separated, resting your forehead against his.

“How can you tell?”

He gestured to a small stained glass oval inlaid between the jagged edged of the cave’s wall. You must have missed it while it was still dark. “Best to head back then.”

You wish you were a person without regrets- that you didn’t ponder how things could have been different but you were and few mistakes felt as dire as when you resurfaced back at the spring near Risotto’s camp.

Hoping for a dignified entrance was out of the question as you resurfaced behind Risotto’s large form to be greeted with quiet talk and snickers from a team of men you’d only been acquainted with from afar.

Often cases modesty was a virtue but not when dealing with outcasts like them. So before Risotto could order them to turn around, you were moving towards the place where your coat lay on top of Risotto’s- gods they must have had a field day with that innuendo.

“I see we’ve never seen a naked body before.” You commented tiredly at the stares you could feel heating your neck.

“More like we haven’t seen two Khallini’s this close in proximity of one another. You’re a dying breed, you know.”

You disregard the comment somewhat as you pick up your coat- the one dry thing you still have to your name and sling it over your shoulders against the cold.

“Might also be the insinuation.” The long-haired brunette was the one to throw that comment- enough to lock gazes with him across the clearing.

“Is that jealousy, I hear?” You ask with a tilt of your head and the sneer you got in return was enough to satisfy you and earn a chuckle from the rest of the team.

Risotto was behind you not long after- throwing his shirt over his head. “We’ll meet up at the tavern in Cranad.”

Which of course was your queue to find your horse to reintroduce yourself to the bunch at the tavern.

But as you stood at your saddle to slip on an emergency pair of clothes you couldn’t help but think.

What did you get yourself into?

[wri0thesley]

nat !!!!! i panicked so much D: i cant seem to click onto your profile when you’re on my timeline, cuz it says like “eh” “that isn’t anyone” and stuff like that I THOUGHT U BLOCKED ME :( but i searched u up and ur still here. phew😕😕

yeah it's a problem tumblr has been having with a lot of ppl recently!!! <3 i've been having to go to urls straight away instead of use the dashboard :( if i had blocked you i wouldnt be showing on your timeline!! fgbnjkng mainly it makes me fearful tumblr have decided to Purge Me Again

[jjba-hell]

I’ve been having the same problem but I can’t access ANYONE’S blog from answered asks- it takes me straight to the asker’s blog instead... I think Tungle.com back at it with silly little changes no one asked for

[girlwill]

"i could fix him" good for you. im gonna join him in his insanity

[jjba-hell]

Finally! All the insane, “broken” characters I like aren’t for feeding a savior complex or wanting to “fix” them- I want to go on a rampage with them!

[0kultra]

help us save ducky's emotional support animal

hi everyone!! this is squirt. he is three years old and he's a very beloved emotional support animal. since he came into our lives, he has been a huge help with my fiancee's depression and PTSD. he's the sweetest cat i've ever met.

he is also very sick. over this past weekend, we noticed that his breathing was very labored and that he was lethargic; he wasn't eating or playing with our other cat. when the breathing difficulty persisted, we decided to take him to the vet.

after getting him x-rayed, we were told that squirt has a "diffuse mixed pulmonary pattern...characterized by multiple coalescing rounded soft-tissue opaque nodules with a concurrent bronchial and unstructured interstitial pattern". basically, there's something in his lungs that's making it hard for him to breathe.

the vet believes he has either fungal pneumonia, toxoplasmosa, mycoplasma, or immune mediated pulmonary disease. they would like to hospitalize him and run the proper tests to get him diagnosed (and eventually treated). unfortunately, we cannot afford the cost of the tests. we were able to get him some medication that is going to keep him comfortable, but these meds will not make him better.

here is the current cost estimate for his care we were given by our vet (5/17/2021):

we were told by the vet that he has a chance at a long life if we can pull the money together to get him treated. he has brought so much comfort into my fiancee's life and made them so happy. if we cannot pay to take care of his medical needs, we will need to put him down.

we have started a gofundme to cover the cost of his diagnostic tests and initial treatments. our current fundraising goal is $5,500. these funds are going towards Squirt's diagnosis--we are likely going to have to update this page with an increased amount depending on what the diagnosis actually is. (for instance, if it's fungal pneumonia, we've been told that therapy to treat it can be expensive as well.) additional information we were given from our vet is posted on the gofundme page. additionally, my fiancee is available to take digital art commissions if you would prefer to help us that way. here is their art blog. money made from commissions will also go to squirt's medication and care. commission info can be found on this carrd. please help us save our cat. he's a very good boy. if he has a chance at living, we would like to save him and give him a long, happy life.

[vergissmeinnnicht-deactivated20]

Jolyne walked so E-girls could run

[writing-and-nutmeg]

[jjba-hell]

Fate and Fortune

Double posting- let’s go! Part 18

Here’s part 17 for a refresher but the rest of the story is in the fate and fortune tag. Head kinda empty when I wrote this, no proofreading...

Moots :3 @fyre23 and @risottoneroo

The usual tw- its still JoJo over here

Sleep alluded Vera in the early morning so instead of sulking about in her room she returned to the hospital to be with Kakyoin. The nurses objected fiercely as she simply strolled and phased through hallways to get to the redhead.

She gently knocked on the door and spoke- so as not to startle him since he was a bit more vulnerable that usual. “Noriaki. It’s me. Can I come in?”

When she didn’t get an answer she pushed through regardless.

“Vera.” The relief in her voice made her heart do a backflip. He sat up in his bed, bandages around his eyes but seeming to look in her general direction. “You’re alright.”

Vera didn’t say much as she approached his bed and took his outstretched hand. “I’m so sorry, I should have been able to help you but I-“

“No, Vera no. You had already been injured- I wouldn’t have asked the impossible from you.”

She moved in closer, gently slipping her arms in around his. “I was so scared I had lost you.” His hand tightened the grip on the shirt in her back at her words- “I thought the same.”

Fortune materialized beside her, bringing their hands to her side of Kakyoin’s head to start healing his eyes. “I guess I was so frantic I couldn’t just reverse you wounds. No going back now...”

Kakyoin’s grip on her wrist tightened. “Vera... I’ve wanted to ask you this for a long time.”

“Ask later, just let me heal you.”

“Please... wait, before you continue.”

Reluctantly, she took both of his hands in hers- Fortune stopping- and squeezed his hands. “I’m listening.”

“As crazy as it sounds... when I went under during the attack- my mind was racing like crazy and I couldn’t escape this question anymore. You seemed so tired yesterday- even as we said our goodbyes. Am I wrong to think moving time forward is strenuous on your life?”

“What? No! Where would this come from?”

“You’ve been greying this whole trip, Vera. Beautiful as you are with or without the grey... I can’t help but think you’re glossing over the fact that you’re giving months, even years of your own life for us.”

Has it really been this way? The cost was no surprise to her but... if she truly was truly simply transferring time to heal other’s wounds... “It’s my choice. I’ve always known the consequences of what I do.”

Kakyoin gave a soft smile, his hands squeezing hers tighter now. “Is it strange to think I could hear the uncertainty in your voice just now?”

“I can’t just let you suffer through the pain.” Her hand came up to cup his cheek- wishing frantically that he could see the tears she was holding back.

“Vera... I’d like to spend a bit longer than 50 days with you and Jotaro, you know. We can’t do that if you give your years away like this.”

Before Vera could move her hand away from his cheek he brought his hand to it, leaning into her touch as if he would miss it. “You’re not letting me heal you, are you?”

He turned his head so as to kiss the palm of her hand. “Nope.” He took said hand enterlaced it with his- pulling her in closer until she was back in his arms, resting his chin on her head. “I’ll be fine.”

Vera stuck around for the prognosis with the others in the room as well- she’d gotten a firm admonishment from Avdol for leaving her hospital room... not knowing what she had done in the hotel room. After explaining his refusal of her help and well wishes on the next leg of the trip, they paid the medical bills and were soon packed and off to Kom Ombo.

“So you say all your ability to move time back-“

“It’s extremely strenuous. I’ve tried reverting something as simple as my hair being dry but even that makes me feel like I had just ran a mile.”

Avdol’s held his chin in throught as Vera sat on the railing near the nose of the felucca. “All of this has changed in the span of three days?”

Vera tilted her head to the side. “Three? We arrived in Aswan yesterday.”

“No, Vera. After we had arrived in Aswan I was admitted into the hospital for observation and you were still unconscious due to the blood loss. When you woken up and they were busy with your second blood transfusion- your blood pressure had dropped dramatically for some reason and I had just been been discharged.”

Admittedly the memory was fuzzy- after being admitted into the hospital... it didn’t seem so unlikely that she had slept after going under but it was still kind of shocking.

“Which brings me to ask- why do the hospital not have record of you after 3 am?”

Vera took a drag of her cigarette, sliding off the the rail to sit where the wind wouldn’t catch her and ashing in the tray she had brought for herself. “Because I was in the morgue freezer?”

Avdol’s eyes widened. “Why?”

“I was having a pretty bad fever.”

He gaped at her in shock.

“More specifically a stand fever?”

Avdol didn’t often react in the way he did in that moment- his hands flying up to his temples as he tried to ease a headache quickly approaching. “Another stand fever?”

“I know, it’s bizarre- but Fortune is a bit different, if her change in abilities isn’t obvious and I had the strangest nightmares. I wouldn’t confuse it with another fever.”

Avdol’s shock and frustration soon turned into concern. “I’m supposing you were looking for some kind of relief. When did it end?”

“Uhh well...” she recalled her bumbling self getting dressed and calling the cab outside the hospital with the night shift nurses well asleep and her ice bath in the hotel room. “After that I went back to the hospital to be with Kakyoin.”

After a moment Avdol sat down beside her, holding his hand out for the cigarette which she gladly handed over. “Of course only you would get up to this nonsense and manage surviving a stand fever like that.”

He took one drag and took a steady exhale as the wind howled around them. “I worry about you, Vera.”

“Well I mean easier said that done but, don’t. I can handle myself.”

Avdol gave a huff of laughter, taking one more drag before handing it back to her. “There’s no shame in asking for help, though.”

At their stop, Vera had take it upon herself to stick to Polnareff for the day- stopping him from ripping up a merchant’s papyrus. “Thank you for the demonstration but he’s French-“

Before Polnareff could protest her argument he was too busy getting distracted by Iggy stealing the gum straight out of his hands. “Fuck, when Jotaro said it’s like babysitting- he meant it, huh?”

She jogged after Polnareff, struggling to keep up with the giant of a man. “He really gave the slip.”

“Of course he did, he’s only half a foot tall.” Vera followed after cautiously in the ruins- feeling some or other ominous presence look over them.

“You feel it too, right?” Polnareff slowed down a bit for their pace to sync a bit better. Vera nodded, not sure what it was but waiting nonetheless. When a man in her right fell in line with them and walked a few paces in sync, Polnareff pulled her closer by her wrist to bring her out of the way between the two men. At the stand still Polnareff confronted the guy directly, their gazes never meeting.

“Divine Anubis, huh? Y’know my dad used to be a devout worshipper himself. They actually spoke of a sword forged by Anubis himself that had been lost to turmoil and time- made of Anubis’s shadow.”

True to Vera’s suspicion- held to Chaka’s hip was a sword and maybe her hint at Polnareff would be well received but she simply knew it wasn’t.

Polnareff ordered her to stay where she was- closer to the crowd and watch as they shelled but like hell she was going to allow it.

At the first hit on Polnareff’s chest she hopped up and followed the crumbs to where the sheath of the sword laid almost forgotten in the sand. She followed the ruckus back- bringing Fortune to heal Polnareff’s chest before standing between the two.

“Now I may only have done light fencing in high school but honestly- I’m pretty sure that’s not how you wield a katana.”

At the insult Chaka moved as she’d expected- sword forward to plunge into her but with just a it of luck from Fortune the sword slid straight into its sheath and up and over Chaka’s head.

“Admittedly, it’s pretty but...very cursed.” Vera clicked the sword back into its sheath fully started carrying it back to Polnareff. “I tried to give you a hint- did it not catch?”

Polnareff seemed affronted at her question. “When did you throw me a hint? The legend of a sword formed by Anubis? Ring any bells? I told you it was made out of Anubis’s shadow?”

“That was the hint?”

“What? You think I just like talking about ancient rumors for fun?”

Iggy’s barking brought their attention back to the others calling the from the foot of the hill for the next stretch of travel.

“You did fencing?” Polnareff asked, looking as confused as ever.

In Endufu Vera sat on the desk of the hotel they’d be staying in, swinging her legs out in front of her as they considered the sword. “So if it’s an artifact- how did it get in the hands of a commoner?” Mr Joestar hummed as he observed the jewel encrusted sword.

“I’m guessing it has some effect on non-stand users. Is it just me but seeing an expensive sword like that I would have peddled it for money to the historica. If it’s a stand it probably has a sway of making someone become its user.”

Avdol picked up the sword- turning it around to see if it had any effect on him.

“I think the best course of action would be to hand it to the Speedwagon Foundation to lock up. Vera, think you could make the call and get it to the right place?”

As promised, she had handed the sword to the boys as she made the call for an emergency pick up. It was scheduled for about an hour so she took the time to slip into the shop- hand Polnareff the sword and tug Jotaro out for a smoke break. Or at least so she had planned.

After pulling him aside from public eye- she was about to bring her lips to his but when Jotaro’s eyes stopped at the scars running down her arms. He held her forearms gingerly in his considerable bigger open palms.

“Stop it.” Her hand shot up to hold his face to look at her but his eyes followed. “It wasn’t you.”

Those aquamarine eyes seemed to hold an unbelievable sadness as his gaze moved to meet hers. Tiredly he seemed to do all he could do- bring her in against her chest for a moment of peace for the both of them... until the glass shattered behind them and she knew it was probably Polnareff.

One heavy sigh and some nasty close calls later, the sword was sinking to the bottom of the Nile.

“So- thus far we’ve had an orangutan with a stand, a dog with a stand, a baby with a stand and now a sword... yeah if Dio had two stand would you really be surprised?”

[jjba-hell]

Fate and Fortune

Part 17.

You can find part 16 here for a refresher but the rest of the story is under the fate and fortune tag.

Moots :3 @fyre23 @risottoneroo

Getting a bit darker for this one with some familial trauma, hospitals, morgues and needles and such. Very Vera centered- the boys will be back real soon though- like I might double post to keep the story moving soon.

Arriving at the hospital she only agreed to the blood transfusion- her blood pressure getting a few concerned eye widenings from the nurses. But if there was one place she hated being in, it was a hospital. Especially in the state she was in.

The transfusion had just finished and the nurse was coming in with a gown and a drip.

“No.” She practically sprung up, pressing into the little hole in her right arm with the cotton ball taped to it. “I’m not staying the night.”

“Ma’am, do I need to fetch your guardian?”

“Is that a threat?” Vera almost hissed at the disinterested little nurse. Lucky for her Avdol came into the room with just a bandage around his neck. She figured she had healed him quick enough to avoid anything serious.

“I know you hate it-“ Avdol started with palms facing her as he approached her.

“No Avdol, I’m not staying.”

“Your blood pressure was too low- we’re gonna need to keep you for observation.” The nurse turned to Avdol as she spoke the next part. “Can we offer a sedative to help ease her hysteria?”

Vera’s jaw dropped. “A sedative-? Why you!” She lunged straight into Avdol’s arm- not that it was her intention.

“Vera! As soon as you get the green light, I’ll take you away myself but we can’t risk it at this point! We’ve come too far.”

He sternly put her back down beside the hospital bed- her gaze avoiding his own intense golden one. She never could argue with him.

“Fine, but you can forget the gown.”

He smiled, folding his arms in front of his chest. “I’ll have Jotaro bring you an overnight bag in about half an hour, would that be more agreeable?”

“I’d appreciate that, thank you.” She sat back down on the bed to let the nurse jab the needle into her arm and leave her be for the night.

Jotaro had only swung by briefly with her overnight bag in hand.

He watched as she fed her connected arm through her tank top before taking the bag from the hook and feeding it through the same shirt.

“You move pretty well for someone who was nearly limb locked in the car.” He grumbled from his seat across the room.

“Might have been the blood- I feel fine now.”

He only hummed in agreement as she crawled into the crinkling hospital bed patting the bed beside her.

“I can’t. They wouldn’t even let me in to drop your stuff off, let alone stay past visiting hours.

Her head dropped against the pillow in frustration- groaning. “Fuck.”

Vera hopped back up onto her feet and pulled the drip with her as she walked over to Jotaro with his elbows on his knees.

He rose up as she got closer, bending down to give her a kiss on her forehead- a gesture that would have shocked her if she didn’t know it was his way of leveling with her- Vera seemed to mellow out under such tender physical gestures, even if it wasn’t necessarily his first choice.

“I’ll be back by morning.” Was all he could say as he gave her hand one final squeeze before leaving the room.

“Good night.”

With a reluctant sigh she crawled back into bed.

In a sense the fever that hit her a few hours later brought relief to her- somewhat. The intensity of a stand fever could never compare to a regular fever. So when she shot out of the hospital bed at 3am as if she was on fire, it came as no surprise to her mind as her body searched for relief- any kind of relief.

Vera ripped the needle from her arm and on shaky legs pushed the hospital door open to a very dark and very empty hallway. Her own feet betrayed her and with an ugly thud she acquainted herself with the floor- which gave her just a temporary cooling relief for the heat but she needed more.

Maybe it was hallucinations of her own muddled mind but the sight of her mother at the end of the hallway... it sparked a strange sense of excitement.

“Mom?” Her voice came out raspy and distorted to her own ears. Her dad’s face peaked just a bit behind her mother’s raven hair- the two looking at her fondly, as if she was a silly child in the play park, as if they were trying to get her to come back home.

“Dad?” She stumbled up to her feet, using the wall to get closer to what she knew was probably a mirage.

“Come on, angel. You don’t have all the time in the world.” Her dad spoke softly but just as she had gotten close enough to fall into their arms they walked off down a different hallway.

“Don’t strain yourself too much, Vera.” Her mother called back but how could she listen when all she wanted was to hold them one more time. The chance was right in front of her, right now! When would she ever get the chance again so while clutching the walls for support she ran after them.

Three more hallways, down two flights of stairs and one more hallways- she pushed past the swinging doors to what she could only in that moment puzzle together was the very reason she dreaded being in the hospital- the morgue.

“This one’s empty, angel. It might be a bit intense but it should help you think more clearly.”

Was it a stand attack? She wasn’t sure anymore. But when her hand gripped the metal door lock and opened, the cold flowing from the freezer hitting her body seemed too welcoming to ignore. She slid the tray out only about half way to climb on and slide herself back in.

The relief she felt was almost instant the second her skin met the metal table and then enveloped as she slid in.

Her breath seemed to come easier, so she turned on her stomach- keeping her hand on the edge of the door so she could still leave when she woke up from the fever dream.

And a fever dream it was. Soon as her head lolled down against her own arm and her eyes slid shut she was thrown into the little sun room she and her parents would have breakfast in. Sitting on the slightly uncomfortable little chair as she stared down at her bowl of granola and dried fruits. Beside her, her parents had their favorite breakfasts laid out in front of them. Her mom- avocado toast. And her dad- eggs Benedict.

When her mom spoke she spoke with a voice not just her own- “Vera.”

At the sound of her name she gave a deep breathe in, still not moving her eyes as the my fixated on the almond among her granola. “Do you blame yourself?” Her mother asked again.

Vera’s gaze lazily lifted up to meet her mother’s gaze. “What?”

“Well it’s quite common in this situation for a survivor to feel a kind of... guilt, angel.” Her father spoke in the same voice- multiples with only his recognizable to her.

“What situation?” Was she supposed to feel guilty for climbing into the morgue freezer?

Her father smiled warmly at her, as if the answer was so simple. “The accident.”

As if to prove a point, a warm liquid dropped onto her lap and in panic she looked over at her mom- who was slumped over the now empty table- her throat bleeding out once more and her dad not too different.

Vera shot up from her seat and tried to scurry away, falling over her own chair in panic. Why couldn’t she close her eyes? “Why are you haunting me?” She whimpered- her hands shaking as she tried to bite back her tears. “I’m sorry- I’m sorry I let them disturb your peace! I’m sorry I wasn’t there to take care of you! I’m sorry I didn’t bury you properly!”

The tears blurred her vision just enough for her to blink them away and when she opened them again- the tiled sun room was gone and the three of them was knelt down in the middle of the desert- a scale between them. After a moment she realized she was on one side of the scale with her parents on the other- gaping holes in their chests.

“We had found peace the first time we were buried, my angel.” She looked between her parents, both of their throats scarred but healed at least- Vera’s heart sat stubbornly in her throat.

The answer to the first question they had asked her finally came to mind and with a few breaths, trying to steady herself she answered. “It was my fault. I was supposed to take care of you! It’s my fault you’re dead in the first place!” She clawed into her knees, tears falling onto her striped pajama shorts. “I was weak and useless and I’ve been getting stronger for what? When all of this is over- regardless of outcome- I won’t ever be able to see you again. I’d give anything just for you hold me again.”

Vera felt like a child throwing a tantrum. Her parents were long gone and here she was, screaming at the figments of her own imagination- as if they could change the despair in her heart.

The sand beneath her legs seemed to shift and change once more and the comforting touch of her mother- so accurate she’d swear it was real- came to rest on her shoulder, soon joined by her father’s.

She had wished for an embrace so bad and they had complied. Her mom stroked her hair as her dad held them all close- the warmth being so welcoming.

“You have to stop blaming yourself, angel. You have to let go.”

Vera hid her face in the crook of her mother’s neck. “I miss you so much, how can you ask something like that of me?”

“You have to stop binding yourself to this pain, Vera. You need to stop looking back.” Her father squeezed them in tight a bit more.

That moment, she could have stayed in forever, travel in the underworld surrounded by their love. But the ground gave out all around them- wherever they were and not before long she had slipped from their grasp and said goodbye for the very last time.

With a jerk on impact in her dream she twitched herself awake in the freezer. Her fever was still raging but there was no way she was going to endure it in a morgue.

Four in the morning she had called a cab and asked to stop at the convenience store outside the hotel. The world spun as she got out of the car and picked up four bags of ice which she paid with whatever cash she could find in her pocket.

In the cab she slipped a few ice cubes into the back of her shirt on quietly suckled on one in her mouth as the cabby drove- the confused look he gave as he watched her bring a cold hand to the back of her neck.

After paying for the cab and booking in at the front desk she pried the plastic bags of ice open and poured it into the bathtub. Thankfully it was a fancy hotel and she didn’t have to worry about a dirty tub. The cold water hadn’t even started to float the ice before Vera laid her back down on the ice and let the water creep up behind her.

The ice felt like it was melting fat too quickly against the rampant fever overtaking her body. She let the water run until her head was floating in the surface along the ice- closing the taps with a sigh.

At least this round felt easier. The pain and heat were intense but she had just enough control to try and focus on keeping herself alive. It seemed bizarre still, though- having a second stand fever? Someone with two stands was absolutely improbable... so was it Fortune? Were they- changing?

Vera lifted her head just enough to look at the time on the wall clock across the hotel room.

4:55.

Cool, five minutes. She promised herself she’d submerge herself for just five minutes- she’d managed this time before.

The cold enveloping her skin truly was soothing- she couldn’t help but wonder if her body enjoyed this ease of aches and pains when Avdol would dip her into the water like this- the first time round.

Her mind wandered around the sight of her parents’ gaping chests. Of course- her father had been a believer of the ancient faith. Her mother converted not long after they had met- even if her catholic roots still affected her view of the world- she was pretty sure there weren’t angels in Egyptian faith. At least they were together. Hearts weighed by Anubis and sent off to their afterlife... at least they were together.

What would weigh heavy on her heart? Would it be Enya’s blood on her hands? Would it be the loneliness she had become so well acquainted with in the cold rainy dorm room at the boarding school? Would it be the guilt and grief of missing her parents?

Let go.

It seemed so simple. To just let it all go.

“I have been letting go.”

The voice in her head sounded so much like her own. But the ones echoing behind it most certainly wasn’t you. “You’ve been running, Vera. Forgetting, not forgiving.”

The voice made her realize- she hadn’t been keeping count of how long it had been since her head was submerged. But when she tried to break the surface of the water- her forehead met with a layer of ice. It can’t be. She opened her eyes to look at the frosted surface of the water above her but the bathtub had suddenly become so much deeper. In the darkness seeming to stretch to the bottom of the ocean behind her, the rune symbols on Fortune’s dials glowed an ominous red.

“Why do you run?”

“Because the past can’t.”

They didn’t answer. But a sinking feeling around her right leg started to drag her down. Instinctually- she kicked and flailed her limbs to stay closer to the surface- unavailable as it was.

“Only you can remove the chains, Vera.”

The red runes became swallowed by darkness as her arms grew tired and Fortune watched her get dragged down.

It felt like she was sinking forever as she eventually gave up. Was it really that easy? What would happen if she reached the bottom? Would the water in her lungs become real and some reaper would come pick her up? Would they take the ball and chain with her?

The chains seemed so loose- maybe just a quick slip away from freedom.

But why bother? What was out there that she’d miss? The warm chai Avdol brewed on Sunday mornings? Would she be able to leave the boarding school after her graduation anyway?

Hugs. She’d miss the hugs. Even from Mr Joestar. Smoke break shenanigans with Polnareff. The looming safety of Jotaro’s presence behind her. Kakyoin’s gentle hand holds. It had only been what? A month since she’d even started to experience these things. How would it feel... once it was all over and the ball and chain was gone? Was it enough to find out?

If she could sigh, she would have. But instead she curled up a bit, unhooked the loose chain around her right ankle and let herself float.

Her hands broke the surface of the water first- the ice gone as quickly as it was there. Her breath came easy- as if she didn’t feel like she was drowning. Crisp and refreshing, very reminiscent to that same time she had woken from the first fever. When the cold shot right through to her bones, she knew the fever was over.

Her eyes slid open to meet Fortune standing beside the bathtub- a bit different from what they usually looked like with the new displayed dial in the center of their collarbone.

“I see why you don’t talk.” Vera laughed to herself, sinking a bit back into the water to lay her head on the edge of the bath.

Coincidentally her eyes met with the clock on the wall she had looked at before going under...

4:55.

“I guess that’s what the new dial is for.”