Ace Of Hearts - Tumblr Posts
Possible fanfiction idea I have sketched out. I know there's the soul society, but I think King Dice will have his own story, yes?
Ace Of Hearts ♥️
Deadbeat Boulevard by Ace of Hearts is a Sanji-core song IMO. No, I will not elaborate.
Spike felt conflicting emotions as he climbed up the stairs to the bridge where he knew Faye had taken refuge from Ed's intense energy and the off-putting smells of chicken and liver that Jet was cooking up. He knew that Jet was also making a special meal for Faye herself since liver wasn't something she was supposed to be eating these days. He wondered briefly if she was feeling guilty about being such a hassle to feed and hoped that wasn't the case.
Creating another human being was a difficult process that she had very little control over. From unexpected bouts of nausea to a strict diet to being advised not to smoke or drink or clean or lift things or bounty hunt... Everything had changed suddenly and he knew she was having a difficult time accepting all these new limitations and restrictions, especially when she'd always lived life so fiercely on her own terms. To have to cater so fully to someone not even technically here yet…
Joy and terror and excitement all warred within him at the thought. He was hard pressed to hide his giddiness over this whole experience, though he'd been trying lately to tone it down if only because Faye was having such a rough time with it all.
Sometimes she was even more ecstatic than Ed, but those flashes of positive emotion were few and far between while she rode a rollercoaster of discomfort and bodily changes. The times when she seemed the most on board with having a baby were, interestingly, whenever she accosted Spike for some sweet sweet loving. Thankfully she wasn't always feeling run down and ill, rather often she was absolutely insatiable and overcome with happiness. He quite enjoyed when she was overflowing with love and delight.
But he still loved her just the same when she was quietly contemplative or raging at him for some minor transgression, or even a mess of snot and tears. He loved every aspect of Faye. She constantly kept him on his toes and that had always been something he appreciated. Boredom was the bane of his existence and Faye never let him be bored for long.
He carefully tamped down the bliss her pregnancy evoked within him and schooled his expression to one of neutrality as he reached the bridge and peered into the room.
Faye was standing near the windows, arms crossed loosely beneath her breasts and above her barely-there baby bump. Seeing that nearly undid all his work of clearing his face of emotion, but to his relief she didn't seem to be too upset. Her own face was placid and her gaze fixed on the golden glow of the setting sun reflecting on the sea outside. It only added to her own radiance but he wasn't sure if he should mention that.
Erring on the side of caution, he opted to say nothing at all as he made his way to stand by her - close enough to touch. And, well, okay so he wouldn't push things by using words but he was only a man and he couldn't keep himself from bringing his hands up to her face. He stepped further into her personal space as he did, letting his forehead press gently against hers in an intimate way he knew she adored but hadn't admitted to craving. She did it often in the aftermath of their lovemaking though, as if trying to freeze time in that tender moment when they were still locked together with her draped on top of his body.
He softly stroked her cheeks with his thumbs, using his fingers to lightly massage her neck just below her ears and wipe away the stress she held there. She closed her beautiful eyes, letting out a shaky breath, and he let his eyes flutter shut as well. It was reassuring to feel the strain melt from her posture. He didn't want to push too far with a kiss, so instead he gently rubbed his nose against the bridge of hers to further remind her of how much he loved her. How much he cherished these pockets of peace where it was just the two of them, sharing silence and companionship, needing nothing more than to simply be in each other's presence.
Let her take all the strength from him that she needed. Let her draw on his calm and make it her own. Let her breakdown if that's what was needed. Let him give her this comfort, this tacit promise of support. He would give her this and everything else he could.
*** this snippet from a future chapter of my CB fanfic was entirely inspired by the incredible artwork created by @ambarden
"All right! Reheated a couple of those burritos Jet made before he took Ed camping. You ready to eat?" Spike inquired, carrying a couple plates loaded with said burritos out to the living room.
Faye, eyes alight with pride in her man and hunger, nodded eagerly. "Yes! Wow, having seen everything else you've ever tried to cook... I'm really impressed, Spike." She admitted as he handed her a plate and then sat down with his on his lap.
"See I can do more than char the shit outta shit," He boasted, waiting for her to take a bite and give him an honest review of his efforts.
Tucking in greedily, Faye moaned around a forkful of beans and cheese and other contents of the tortilla wrap. "You did good, babe. But... Uh... Is there any hot sauce? Jet made these pretty bland..."
Spike grinned, setting his plate on the table and hopping back up. "You betcha. Stocked up when we were at that tequila place. Half the shop was various hot sauces." He disappeared into the kitchen and rooted around in the pantry cupboard until finding a sauce that spoke to him.
Faye's voice reached him before he'd even made it back to the living room. "Babe, I'm so sorry..."
Instantly concerned, he quickened his pace only to stop in his tracks when he saw Faye, looking absolutely abashed, with two empty plates stacked on the table in front of her. Spike felt a smirk tugging at his lips. Since getting pregnant, Faye had begun to rival Ed in the sheer amount of food she could put away without significant effort. It embarrassed her but Spike couldn't help but find it adorable.
Trying not to chuckle, Spike waggled the hot sauce bottle in her direction. "Good on this then hey?"
Faye blushed even harder. "No, I'd like a dollop still," She confided in a whisper, dropping her head to her chest so her hair fell in front of her face.
Smiling, Spike stepped over to her and reached out to caress her face and draw her gaze back up. "Don't be sorry, it's good that you've got a healthy appetite. It's better to see you eating than sick, babe," He told her plainly. He handed her the hot sauce and then bent down to kiss her soundly. "Jet left more than just those two anyway - I'll throw another in the oven and it'll be warmed up in no time."
The guilty tension in Faye melted away at his words. "Oh that's wonderful - I was so worried I'd eaten everything there was for dinner."
"You could eat everything in the kitchen and I still wouldn't care," He assured her. "Your body is hard at work and needs sustenance, don't feel bad about satisfying your hunger."
Smiling back at him before he moved to go back to the kitchen, Faye reached out to grab his hand. "Hey... Umm... In that case, can you heat me up one more? I'll probably have to split it with you but... I could eat just a bit more..."
Bringing her hand in his to his lips to press a kiss to the back of hers, Spike winked at her. "For you, babe? Absolutely." Slipping away then to get started, he paused at the entrance to the hall and glanced over his shoulder at her. "Just don't drink all that hot sauce before I get back!"
Faye, with the bottle already en route to her mouth, flashed him a mischievous grin and moved to set it back on the table.
"I'll leave it alone, I promise!"
After he came back, things fell back into routine. Once he physically healed. Work out. Breakfast. Shower. Bounty. Sleep. Rinse and repeat. Sometimes days went by without the bounty but that's always been how things went.
Months went by and one drunk night he woke up in Faye's room. He hadn't known what to do - hadn't meant to do anything - perhaps hadn't even done anything... It was hard to say with the liquor memories so hazy. They'd been playing a game of some sort - weren't they always?
He snuck away while she slept on.
But before he left, he tucked her back in. Pressed a kiss to her forehead. He had long ago come to the conclusion that she was too precious to fuck up with his hangups but he couldn't leave without a tender goodbye.
It was only a few nights later when they tumbled together into his bed. Still intoxicated but not nearly enough to excuse it happening. Just enough where they could claim it hadn't meant anything. She was gone before he awoke but there was a lingering feel of her fingers carding through his hair as if she'd mussed it before departing.
They played this game for weeks.
And then one morning... In neither of their rooms... They woke up together. In a jumble of clothing and a jumble of blankets they'd both gathered from the ship. They were on the bridge and dawn was breaking on the horizon.
Her emerald eyes sparkled at him.
"Good morning.''
Never had two words held so much promise and potential.
Never had two words sounded quite so good to his ears.
"I can't believe you sleep in here, Faye. Climbing down into this storage space has gotta be a pain when you're drunk. Hell, it was awkward as shit trying to get that beta box in here. Ed damn near dropped the thing on my head." Spike complained as he disregarded the half ladder and simply hopped down from the overhead access hatch to the storage compartment Faye had claimed as her room.
Lounging on the thin mattress pad she’d managed to wrangle into the cramped space, she glared at him but shrugged as if to indicate her lack of care about the entire matter. "Well it's not like you guys gave me a tour and showed me a proper room to use," She complained with a wave of her hand. A frown formed on her forehead as she glanced at the television monitor and beta player at the foot of her bed. "You helped Ed put that in here? I just thought she'd done it herself one night out of the goodness of her heart."
“If she’d thought of it herself yeah she probably would have, she’s that type of kind for sure.” Spike glanced around the room but found nothing compelling enough to change the subject with. "Well, it was your shit anyway. I figured you should have it." He shrugged uncomfortably, feeling awkward for his spur of the moment impulse so many weeks ago. "Not like Jet would have tossed it after all the work we went through for the thing but... Well... Anyway Ed says you watch it all the time so, for the best, yeah?"
Faye blinked rapidly, looking away for a moment before swallowing and meeting his eyes again. "Thanks, Spike. I…uh, it does mean a lot. Especially now that I remember. I… I just wish it wasn’t so short, I guess. Or that my past self had thought to include a photo album. But,” She sighed and waved both hands in the air as if to dismiss her own emotions and regrets, “it’s not like there’s any answers there anyway. I have pictures in my head now of my family and memories of things we did together and that’s all most people have anyway. Besides, what’s done and gone is done and gone. The future is what’s important, right?”
She sat up on her bed then, giving him a wicked grin. It took all his self control to stay standing in the small space that constituted a floor, hands firmly lodged in his pockets to keep from winding them into her hair and bringing her face to his for a kiss. She’d been incredibly fickle since his latest brush with death. If a person didn’t know her better, it would seem as if she was toying with him… goading him on, teasing him along… but Spike knew her better than probably anyone else. She was still nervous, hesitant, afraid. She didn’t want to give him her heart only to have him crumple it up and toss it aside. She needed to know he could put up with her antics, that he would chase her if she bolted - something he hadn’t done when she’d confiscated his jacket months before. She wanted to be a hassle just to see if he would give up.
Really she ought to know him better by now. He was a very dedicated man when he had his heart set on something - or someone. But because he loved her, he was willing to jump through whatever hoops she needed him to. He’d be respectful and gentle and let her set the pace of their relationship.
She was difficult but he appreciated difficult things. Gave life more zest and flavor.
Lately he’d even felt confident enough to flirt with her again. Casual, easygoing, nothing that required a follow up… unless she wanted to take it further. Just, whatever comfortable reminder he could give her that he saw her as an attractive and worthwhile pursuit of his time. That he was still drawn to her physically even as she put him through an emotional wringer.
“The future is all we’ve got to look forward to,” Spike replied, giving her a warm smile. “Well, that and the present…” With a flourish, he took his hands out of his pockets to reveal… closed fists.
Faye frowned prettily again. “What’s this?”
He let his smile turn positively goofy, knowing that she preferred that side of him to the coolly nonchalant version he often wore as a public persona. “Presents, Faye.”
Seeing her expression brighten made something bloom in his chest.
"But it isn't my birthday…"
"No, but apparently it is Valentine's Day, which… I'll admit I don't exactly understand, but I figured something with your name ought to be a celebration of you."
Reaching out tentatively she tapped his right fist first and he turned his hand over and opened it up to reveal a casino chip.
"Thought you might enjoy a night out with a chance to win big," He explained with a wink.
Lifting an eyebrow in amusement, she tapped his left hand next.
Still smiling at her, he opened that hand to show her a thin strap of black fabric - a cloth headband folded neatly and adorned with a simple yellow and purple orchid cast in resin. He'd seen it and envisioned it standing out against the violet hue of her hair and had to make that into a reality. As a bonus, the orchid charm could be removed from the headband and used as a pendant on a necklace, or fashioned into a pin, or any number of jewelry functions.
"Dunno what flowers you might actually like but… this is a rare one. Something from your home back on Earth. Elegant and lovely. An orchid means... Thoughtfulness, beauty, charm, and love. Which, my dear, are all characteristics of you. And I figured it's pale enough to be bold against your hair so it'll be as vibrant as you are."
He'd discovered the flower had some other meanings as well, but in the interest of not overwhelming her he'd decided to leave that portion of the explanation for another day. Virility, fertility, and sexuality were heady concepts and not what she was prepared to consider just yet.
But seeing her eyes light up, glimmering wetly with unshed tears, and the tremulous smile that stretched across her face even as a blush dawned rosily on her cheeks... That all assured him that he'd chosen just the right gifts to present her with today.
"Oh, Spike…" Faye stood from the bed, taking the items from his hands. With efficient ease she tugged her usual headband from her hair and had situated the new one in no time. As he'd suspected, it looked amazing within her silky tresses. But she gave him hardly any time to savor the effect.
Grinning at him mischievously, she tucked the casino chip into her top, meeting his eyes the whole time. Then, hesitantly, she put her hands on his chest. It was a maneuver he knew she enjoyed because it gave her proof of his life as his heartbeat reached her palms and fingertips. She paused for a moment, letting the emotions between them build and steady, and then leaned in to press a chaste kiss to the corner of his mouth.
She's the stain of ashes fallen on the bed spread, smeared. She's the stain of lipstick pressed to his cheeks, his lips, his chin - smeared. Stains and smears, a messy personality and a messy life. But he relishes all of it. Once upon a time he knew a woman so refined - who wore aprons in the kitchen and leather on the streets - whose hair fell in loose tumbles exactly as she styled it, who seemed perfection poured into a womanly mould. What a crock. It hadn't been an illusion, not exactly, but a mask so well fitted that he hadn't seen the truth when it stared him in the face. Perhaps the grittiest, truest part of Julia had been her admittance to women being liars - yet he'd thought her words a jest, a flirt. She'd been so immaculate, so above reproach. The purest thing in a world of blood and pain.
Fuck all that.
Give him a woman with flaws, with faults. Give him a woman unafraid to speak her mind, to stand her ground, to chase after her hopes and dreams. Give him a woman raw and rough, with jagged edges, with full range of the entire spectrum of emotion, with a vigor and a vitality that none could match.
Give him a woman who sings offkey, who swears and smokes and snores. Give him a woman who gambles with her money, her life, and her heart. Give him a woman who can kick his ass, who fires right back when fired upon. Foul-mouthed, flighty, fortune-seeking Faye. Good god, what a woman!
***
The analysis pieces by @plutomango have left all sorts of interesting ideas and concepts floating around in my subconscious! If you haven't already, do yourself a favor and check out those works because they are thoughtful and thought provoking!
"If you squirt me one more time, I swear I will break a plate right over your poofy haired head," Faye threatened as she blinked away water from her eyelashes. Spike was damn lucky he'd had his hands in the sink that just held dishes and water - she would have already knocked him out if there had been suds or sanitizer splashing onto her face.
Spike, grinning boyishly, resumed grabbing plates from the sink he was stationed at and set them on their ends in a drying rack on his other side.
"C'mon, Faye-Faye, live a little!"
She gave a long suffering sigh. "We tried that with the dine and dash. It didn't work out well for us now did it?" She gestured crankily at the stack of plates looming on her other side as she painstakingly hand washed the fragile ceramic.
Spike shrugged. "Not my fault you were in the bathroom when we spotted that bounty waltzing in." He gave her a sidelong look. "Of course, I do hold you entirely responsible for getting *me* caught by the hostess. You didn't have to shove that dessert cart right into my path, y'know."
Faye smiled at the memory of thwarting Spike's attempt to chase the bounty. Normally he was adept at dodging unexpected obstacles but the timing of Faye's exit from the washroom, her realization of what was happening, and her dramatic lunge to the nearby dessert cart a hapless waiter was showing another table all played out perfectly in getting the loaded cart right in Spike's path at a point where he simply couldn't jump or avoid it.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure it was hilarious to see," Spike muttered. "Sure added onto our bill though didn't it?"
Faye scoffed. "Oh whatever, you and Jet are jerks for trying to leave *me* to cover the check when you both know damn well I'm broke!"
"How would we know you lost all your woolongs at the race track? Anyway that's a terrible way to invest your cash." Spike told her with the air of someone who knows better.
She gave him a level look. "You spent your last earnings on a lasso. You can't even use the damn thing right!"
Frowning, Spike picked up a plate and used it to slosh water towards her threateningly. "It's a whip, not a lasso, and I'm gonna figure it out!"
Faye rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I think you just felt outclassed by that cowboy last month. Anyway you should have gotten a lasso, that's essentially just a rope and at least a rope can be useful without training!"
"That guy was obnoxious! I wasn't outclassed or outgunned or out-anything!" He sputtered.
"Oh really? A man who can rock a pair of chaps... With a fortune... And more stew than you can shake Ein at..."
"Yeah of course you'd be impressed by his wealth," Spike replied.
"If it wasn't for his attitude and ridiculous self esteem, I think it could've been love," Faye commented airily.
"Now who's being obnoxious and ridiculous," Spike grumbled.
Without warning, Faye dropped the plate she'd been working on into her sink of suds, plunged her hands into Spike's sink and swept a wave of water over the edge that soaked him from the waist down.
"Dammit woman!" Spike yelled as he used the plate in his hands to slop a large spray of water right back at her. Faye yelped as her outfit became just as sodden as Spike's, which stunned him into a moment of stillness as he registered how thin the pale pink fabric had been.
Faye took advantage of his distraction to leap at him bodily and they tumbled to the floor of the restaurant kitchen, a mess of knees and elbows and attempts at regaining their own feet while keeping the other stuck on the floor. In rather quick order it devolved from there to something else entirely as Spike kissed Faye or perhaps she kissed him. It soon didn't matter who had initiated the contact, but suddenly more important than breaking apart and winning the fight was the prospect of being the better kisser and making the other senseless.
Hands began to grope for purchase in hair or scrunched into fabric. Their breathing turned into panting whenever one managed to pull away enough to try and draw a fresh breath before the other engaged them in more kissing. Spike had lipstick nearly down to his chin and he'd managed to hike up Faye's skirt until it was dangerously close to revealing her entire ass to the crowd of workers who'd come running to investigate the commotion and were yelling back and forth - or possibly at Spike and Faye - though neither bounty hunter took any notice.
"You, uh, had a little frosting on your face," Faye murmured as she - laying sprawled atop Spike's prone form - stared down into his eyes with an unresolved passion gleaming in her own gaze.
"Jet better get that bounty so he can pay out way outta here soon or else we're gonna get arrested for indecent exposure," Spike replied as he tried to regain his breath. He squeezed her thigh for emphasis and Faye sucked in a sharp breath, bringing her mouth back down to his once again.
"Lunkhead," Faye mumbled against his lips. "You're not banging me on the dirty floor of a kitchen,"
She could feel the smile of his own lips before he managed to make a response. "Funny, that's not what you were saying the other night on the ship..."
"Faye! A little help here!" Spike yelled, voice strained.
"Ah ah ah! You didn't say the magic word!"
Jet hastily shut off the receiver as Spike began swearing profusely over the comm in response. He rubbed the back of his head when Ed looked away from her backgammon game with Ein to regard Jet inquisitively with an eyebrow raised.
"Ehh they've got this. We don't need to hear them fighting." The ex-cop explained with a shrug.
"Fighting or flirting, they sure are vulgar either way!"
What are Walter and Utena's cards like i know that they are hearts and clubs but are they numbers or a queen or a jack etc...
Utena is Ace of Hearts
Walter is Jack of Clubs
what is the card symbols for Christine and Teacup and another question (sorry for the bother) but how does Christine look like in the waiter uniform (like Cuphead and Mugman)
(Don't be sorry buddy I absolutely enjoy answering asks!)
Christine's and Teacup's card symbols are both hearts. Christine's being Ace of Hearts specifically and Teacup's being 5 of Hearts.
Also Christine does not have a waiter uniform. She does not work as a waiter in the Casino. She's an assassin. As an assassin, its her duty to not stand out and blend in with the crowd, thus seeming like a regular guest in the Casino. No one would be too suspicious.
