#“WE'VE BEEN SEPARATED FOR SO LONG BUT NOW I SEE YOU BUT CAN'T TOUCH YOU” TROPE

[invertedspoon]

just finished the Bedtime Story quest and YES i had no idea what they were talking about and YES i did leave sobbing crying screaming and felt like i was going to throw up

LIKE WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT. WOAH. HOLY MOLY. WOWIE.

[peachesofteal]

Dead Disco / Chapter 10

Dead Disco masterlist

Ghost/Soap/female reader 3.1k words - AO3 Warnings-tags: 18+ no smut but this fic contains mature themes. Relationship issues, anxiety, self loathing, crying. Angst. Brief mention of asshole ex. Eating related issues. Mention of prescription medication, mental illness and depressive/manic episodes. Pre established throuple. Darling is her/your own tag/warning. Excessive internal monologue. You held onto the hot pan too long, and now you’ve been burnt.

"Look at me." 

"I can't." You keep your eyes clenched tight, so tight it hurts, lungs burning inside your chest. 

"Yes you can, darling. Just open your eyes." Simon's voice is soft, an entreating melody, grit and gravel smoothed out with the gentleness of his words. You get lost in it, the soft murmuring, the easy request, and when you open your eyes, he's still right in front of you, thick palm on the back of your neck, Johnny by his side. "Good girl." 

"I'm sorry." You whisper, and Johnny's brows crease, his fingers brushing along your cheek. 

"Ye dinnae have anything to be sorry for, darling. Ye never do." 

"I didn't-" you gasp for a breath, and Johnny shifts, moving so that you're in front of him, sat between his legs, back against his chest. His hand holds yours, nestling above your breastbone. 

"Breathe with me. Ye can do it." 

"I didn't- I wanted to be better. Be different. I didn't want you to see." You try to explain, try to make sense of it for them. Simon's fingers intertwine with Johnny's, his other hand still firm on the back of your neck, your body cradled between them, in the space that once never existed, a space that now feels like it's been carved out just for you. Johnny pushes closer, holding you tight, and Simon leans forward, forehead touching yours, voice barely a murmur. 

"We've always seen you, darling." 

The floor is a fairly comfortable spot to lay.

It’s comfortable enough, you suppose, as you lay on your back with your eyes fixed on a spot along the ten-foot-high ceiling. Maybe you could paint the ceiling. With clouds. Or a night sky. That might be cool. 

Voices vibrate through the flat, locked door the only thing separating you from them, Johnny’s tone pitching with increasing anxiety, Simon’s cadence soothing, and calm.

He’s calling your name. Calling you darling. Calling you anything to try to get you to come to the door.

You’re overreacting. 

You’re a fool. 

You close your eyes. A night sky might be cool. You could do a lot with the stars, or maybe even the milky way. Get some greens and greys and cobalt in there. Make it look like a long exposure photo. And the moon, you could certainly paint the moon. You’d have to find a ladder tall enough though. And you’d probably need help. You haven’t painted from a ladder in years, not since you did that one mural for- 

“Darling.” It’s Simon. Again. And again, and again, again. Darling, darling, darling. “It’s getting late. Will you open the door?" You keep your eyes closed, but for a minute, your mind fractures, splitting in two, confusing emotions and thoughts bubbling up to the surface.

Don’t think about it. Don’t. 

“No.” You croak out in a whisper. It’s quiet, but he hears it. You know he does.

“Please. I need to know you’re alright, at least.”

You held onto the hot pan too long, and now you’ve been burnt. 

It’s late. The streets are probably mostly empty. You could run down them, if you wanted. You could take a train anywhere. You could take a plane, even, go on a vacation. Go somewhere nice. Go somewhere tropical, maybe get a cute rental, spend some time in the sun or by the oc- 

The thoughts are rapid fire. They spill over, trying to patch up the expanding wound in your heart. They grow and twist, convincing you it’s a good idea, the best idea, to just slip away for a little bit. To go somewhere you don't have feel this, where you don't have to know this as well as you do. 

Don’t think about it. Pack it up. Put it away. 

Johnny’s eyes haven’t left your face. His fingers stroke from the crown of your head and hairline to your temple, your cheek. He’s staring at you like you’re something precious, like you’re a piece of gold, something marvelous he’s never seen before.

“What is it?” You ask, half asleep, drowsy in the bed. You’re still wrapped in a post orgasm haze, cocooned in the soft and sweet of their attention, affection, and Johnny only smiles, leaning forward to press his lips to your forehead. 

“Ye’re so special to us. Ah love ye. Did ye know that?” You shrug, ducking your face away, pressing it into his shoulder to avoid his eyes. 

A wave of longing crashes over you. It swells in your heart until tears prick in your eyes, and you take a deep breath to steady yourself. 

It’s so much. So much more than you ever imagined. So much more than you ever thought you could have. 

“She doesn’t.” Simon says over your shoulder. His hand sits on your waist, the touch firm. Grounding. Like a tether to their world. Their love. You turn, nose pointing up towards the ceiling, looking at him through your peripheral, your fingers intertwined with Johnny’s, holding onto them both. Seeing them both. 

“Tell me again.” 

The TV in the living room is on.

You can hear it’s faint murmur, some movie playing on low volume, the guys undoubtedly sitting stiff on the couch, waiting for you to appear.

You stare at the dark, nearly blackened trees that you’ve painted onto canvas, long, broad brushstrokes taking up too much space, bark texturized to appear burnt, nearly dead, forest scourged by a disease or fire, you’re unsure.

“It starts to chafe us.” Us. Us, he said. Us. Him and Johnny. Right?

“It doesn’t seem fair.”

You’re unsure of everything right now. Unsure about how you should feel. Unsure about what’s happening inside your head.

“-sometimes I worry… about it being the right thing…” The more you think about it, the more you start to lose your grasp. Were those his exact words? Did he mean something else?

For the first time in a long time, you think about one of your ex's. You think about a person who made you feel so small, so much like a burden, a horrible, unwanted responsibility, all the time. You'll never have what regular people have, he said. No one will ever be able to put up with this fucking circus. No one will want this. 

Was he right? 

You should have gotten out. The sentiment replays over and over in between your ears, the awful, miserable doubt and fear and sadness picking away at you until you can feel yourself starting to compartmentalize it all, trying to sort it into neat little bins, trying to keep the weight that is sinking to the bottom of your soul from drowning you, trying to build a wall around your heart.

It’s not conscious. It’s like you’re not even in the driver’s seat anymore, not feeling the full effect of your emotions, not letting it in.

It’s how you felt, when you packed your bags the last time. How you felt when you checked into the hotel, like you were on autopilot. Buried beneath a mountain of feelings but enclosed in a glass cage, segregated from it all.

You should have gotten out. 

“I said I was listening.” 

“But I don’t want ye to listen. I want ye to talk, darling. I want ye to tell us how ye’re feeling. We can’t do this if ye’re not able to communicate.” Johnny’s voice is steady, but there’s a hint of anger behind it, a small flare just starting to light. It makes you angry, that he’s getting angry, and it churns in your stomach until you’re biting out a retort. 

“I communicate just fine!” 

“Do ye?” He snaps, exasperated, your head jolting backwards with wide eyes. “Because from where I’m standin’ it feels like ye’re trying to be stubborn on purpose. Like a child.” 

“A child? You’re calling ME a child?” The air in their apartment is suddenly paper thin, and you hold your breath as Johnny watches you with that same, unchanged, irritated expression. 

“Alright. This is over. We’re taking a break from this conversation.” Simon tells you both, fingers sliding over your shoulder, the touch meant to comfort, reassure, but you jerk away. 

You eye your purse, your keys on the counter. 

“I’m just gonna go home.” 

“No.” He rebukes, and Johnny pales. 

“No, darling. Ye just got here, and we missed ye so, so much. I’m sorry, I dinnae mean-” Johnny pleads, crestfallen, and it makes you feel worse. Like you’re failing him. Like you’re failing at this. Like you’re not good enough for it, for them. “Please?” He adds, and you wilt, silence falling over the three of you again, awkward and wrong. 

“It’s alright.” Simon says. “If you want to go. I’ll take you home.” 

“I can get home on my own.” You try not look at him, finding mundane details in the floor, the sink to stare at instead of their faces, resisting eye contact until Simon steps directly back into your line of sight. 

“I’ll take you.” He steps closer, and like there is a magnet pulling you into his orbit, you respond, tilting your face backwards, letting him see everything. The tears. The anger and sadness. The confusion. He’s intentional with his movements, letting you anticipate everything, the movement of his hand, the bend of his body as his lips come down to press against your forehead. “Tomorrow, alright?” He asks and tells with the words, seeking permission, giving command. Tomorrow, you’ll talk. Tomorrow, you’ll get it sorted. Tomorrow, you and Johnny will apologize. And you’ll try again. Like you always do. 

You nod, because the promise of tomorrow, the assurance that this hasn’t all come crashing down, is the only way any of you will be able to sleep tonight. 

“Tomorrow.”

They both straighten on the couch when the door clicks open.

“Hey.” Johnny says softly, hopefully, and Simon says nothing, just watches you like you’re a wounded animal that might try to flee at any moment. On edge. Vigilant.

Your mind turns, but nothing comes out of your mouth. No response. No acknowledgement. Just empty silence that feels like a thousand pounds, all laying on top of the three of you. Suffocating you. Killing you.

You beeline for the bedroom.

Running away. You’re running away. Are you really going to run away? 

The memory of the hotel haunts you, the awful, empty pit in your stomach that could have swallowed you whole, the dark curtains and dark room enveloping you in a never-ending spiral.

All you wanted was to be found. All you wanted was to be home, with them.

All you wanted was your home, the one you built, made, suffered for, with them. The one that you carved out inside your own bones to hold space for two others, not just one. The home that you completely changed your life for, the love that you believed would see you through it all. 

The love that was always them first. The love that you barged in on, knocked walls down, forced yourself inside of. The love that they held for one another, before they ever held it for you. 

Your head feels like it's underwater. 

Did you make a mistake? Should you have sent them away that time? Should you have fought yourself harder?

The bed calls to you. It begs you to lay down in it, to burrow yourself beneath it's soft sheets, curl up on top of it's ridiculous mattress. Get lost in it. Be found in it. Let your boys curl themselves around you in it, let them kiss you softly and make you promises about how much they love you, or how they understand the way you feel.

If you close your eyes, you can almost see the future. Minutes would pass before Johnny crept inside the door, scoping it out. Doing the recon. Looking for you. His heart would soar when he saw you in the bed, his fears allayed, and he'd hold you so tight you'd think you were suffocating. 

If you were lucky, Simon would come and turn your brain off. Johnny would pass you to him and he'd bring your deepest insecurities, your worries to light, dragging them out to be exorcised and vanquished, by the only men capable of doing so. 

Is that what you want? 

Should you have gotten out? 

“There she is.” Johnny coos above you, warm palm cradling your cheek. You blink, fog encasing your mind struggling to clear, and you push yourself up onto your elbows. 

“What-“

“Happened?” Simon finishes from where he kneels next to the couch, concerned eyes trained on yours, not missing a beat. 

You blink. What did happen? Did- 

“When was the last time ye ate something, darling?” Johnny asks, not unkindly, palm at your back to relieve the pressure from your elbows, moving you into a sitting position so he can take the spot on the couch behind you, effectively wrapping you up in his arms as Simon settles on the other side. 

Shame curdles your stomach, hot embarrassment flaring in your veins. You avoid peering over Simon’s shoulder at the disarray of your kitchen, wincing when you realize he’s sitting on a pile of your dirty clothes. 

“I had breakfast.” You whisper, but Simon shakes his head. 

“When?”

“Yesterday.” You try to adjust, to sit more upright, but the sudden movement has your head spinning, and your palm covers your eyes, little groan in your throat. 

“Easy.” Johnny soothes. Your water bottle is in his hand, and he unscrews the lid for you, lifting it to your lips. “Slow sips, darling. Not too much.” 

It’s easier this way, you realize. Easier to do what’s being asked of you, easier to listen than to think. After a few sips, Johnny pulls the bottle away, and wide fingers stroke your cheek. 

“This is what you were talking about. A few weeks ago.” Simon murmurs, concentrating all his focus, all his attention, on you, fingers still caressing your skin gently. Lovingly. 

“I didn’t mean for it to get so bad this time. I… usually have a better handle on myself.” You try to lie, but Simon cocks his head. 

“Do you?” His fingers hold up the scrap of paper, the one with your note to yourself scrawled across it. 

‘You HAVE to, or you’ll regret it.’ 

You bite your lip, but Simon’s thumb presses into it, rolling it out from beneath your teeth, as Johnny rubs your arm, lips soft against your temple. 

“I’m going to take you home. To ours.” Simon tells you slowly, each word deliberate “Johnny is going to clean up your apartment and pack you a few things for the rest of the week.” When you don’t answer, brain slow to catch up, Johnny murmurs in your hair. 

“You have to agree, darling.” Simon watches, silent for a moment before he answers the unspoken question, still cradling your face with one hand. 

“You can trust us.” 

“Where are ye going?” Johnny asks when you appear from the bedroom, hesitant steps keeping him far enough from your body, desperation written all over his face.

“Out.” Your answer is short, sufficient. It feels like it’s coming from another person. You still think you might be underwater.

“Out? No… we need to talk and-“

“I don’t want to talk. To either of you.”

“Darling. Stop.” Simon tries to cut you off, but you turn sharply, away from them both, backpack swinging on your back.

“Ye canae run away from this, from us.” Johnny pleads. “We need to talk about it. Communicate. Like we promised.”

“Like we promised?” You hiss, sizzle of anger breaking through the ice that’s frozen in your veins. “The promise that we made to always tell each other how we’re feeling, the one that he can’t honor?” You jerk your thumb towards Simon, who tries to take a step towards you, only for you to retreat. “Don’t corner me!” you snap, and against your attempt at control, your voice breaks, sob welling in your chest.

Don’t think about it. 

Don’t think about it. 

“It’s alright.” His hands are palms out, cautious. It’s supposed to make him look like he’s not a threat, make him seem harmless. But he’s not harmless. This gaping hole in your heart says so. “We don’t want you to leave.” He implores. “Please. I- let me explain.”

“There’s no need. Everything is pretty clear.”

“No, it’s not.” Johnny argues. “Just, let Simon at least tell-“

“Tell me what? Tell me how it’s not fair? Does it chafe you too, Johnny? You also thinking what’s the right thing? Because it’s an us thing, right? You and him. It’s an us and me. It’s the us that I suffer for.” Your voice crests, and Johnny flinches.

“I made a mistake.” Simon whispers. “Don’t let my stupidity make you question your place in this relationship. We love you, darling. I love you.” Tears burn at the back of your eyes, and you feel the horror of the truth, the confusion about your love for them, their love for you, searing together into a snarled mess.

“If I left you, the both of you, at the end of the day, you’d still have each other. You’d still be together, and I would have nothing!”

“That’s not true. We canae exist without ye.” Johnny sounds broken, hopeless, but you blow by it, dancing around Simon to pull your prescription bottles from the kitchen cabinet by the sink.

“If I died tomorrow-“

“Do not say that.” Simon cuts you off. “Don’t ever say that.” His knuckles are white at the edge of the countertop, expression stricken, and Johnny looks horrified. They both watch you like they’re afraid of what you might say next, what you might do, and nausea pools saliva on the back of your tongue.

Don’t think about it. 

You close your eyes, and search for that underwater feeling. That untouchable feeling, the boxes being packed away in your mind, and try to cling to it, try to shut up the incessant stream of doubt and loathing and everything going wrong inside your head.

They don’t need you. They have each other. 

You chafe them.

Don’t think about it.

“I need…” You trail off, trying to take a deep breath. Trying to organize your thoughts. Trying to hear yourself through the noise of everything else, through the searing pain that’s ripping through your heart.

“It’s alright, darling.” Simon murmurs, encouraging you. “Tell us what you need. Whatever it is.” Johnny’s face has shifted from despondent to hopeful, eyes wide and locked onto yours, while Simon waits, his normal steadfast and patient demeanor nowhere to be found, instead he’s more anxious, more nervous than you’ve ever seen.

You close your eyes again. Your voice shakes when you finally speak.

“I need a break.”

[anadiasmount]

kisses with jude head cannon!! 🩷

- actually in love with your fics and blog sm!!

hi anon!! tysm!! means alot to me :PPPP 🤍

before you go to sleep he will either tuck into you or you into him, and kiss your forehead in a gentle manner. no matter if you guys are mad at each other, or if y'all are fine, he will kiss your lips to wish you goodnight. "goodnight pretty, sweet dreams..."

his kisses would make me feel nervous, so imagine your relationship is fairly new, and you guys kiss but hesitation and nervousness is always there. but after he just can't hold it in and kisses you out the blue, saying it was killing him not properly giving you a kiss like you deserved. "i needed to baby, it was killing me not being able to do that..."

if you're attending his games, HE WILL BEGGGG for a kiss from you. kiss you passionately in front of his fans and teammates before he goes off and plays, and no matter the result, he'll meet you by the sideline to get his deserved kiss after. "thank you for sticking with me always, y/n..."

maybe a forbbiden kiss, where you're not supposed to be around each other for certain reasons, but you guys have separation anxiety and sneak out to be with each other. maybe you're at your parent's house, or at a gathering and you've been separated too long, jude will pull you aside and kiss you like his life depended on it. "why did we agree to come to this hm? i need to be with you always y/n..."

messy kisses!! a nasty makeout sesh in public to be risky or in your home! him on top of you or you're straddling his lap. tongues dancing, lips smacking creating a clicking noise in the room. biting his lip and jude taking control of the kiss. unable to pull away but when you do your lips and jude's are slightly swollen catching your breaths. "so pretty, all mine to kiss and love..."

if you guys are out in public to an event, club, dinner, party, or anything, you guys have a thing made up by him, where three kisses mean "i love you". maybe you can't verbally say it due to it being quiet, but once he glances into your eyes and kisses your lips, it's his way of saying the three words.

PHYSICAL TOUCH IS MY LANGUAGEEE, and i think after all we've seen it's his as well!! small intimate pecks on your cheeks, temple, hands, shoulders, neck, thighs if he's laying on you, just because he loves to do that. giving you that cheesy grin he always does. "i love you, and every inch of you..."

drunk kisses!! he's looks like the type to be so needy and clingy when drunk, so i can imagine him wanting to kiss you wherever you guys are. at your house or out in public. grabbing your cheeks and pulling you into a messy giddy kiss. or you sitting on his lap and leaning down every now and then bc he has the most perfect kissable lips!! "keep kissing me and we'll give everyone a show..."

when he feel jealous, seeing another man make you laugh or spark off a unnecessary convo with you, or he notices you get uncomfortable and glancing to look at jude, he'd rush to you immediately, asking if you're okay before softly kissing your lips and then glaring at the guy whoever is in front of you, making it clear you're clearly taken. "you ok? who's this?"

we know jude loves his insta dumps, or posting on his story, posting a picture of the two of you sharing a kiss or pulling away after kissing because loves to show you off! or after a night out there's kiss prints left behind by your lipstick and he posts a picture of them bc he loves to be a little tease. "always leaving her mark... my y/n..."

kissing in the rain is a wantttt!! jude making you do it because its the inner child in him , holding you close to him, and the kiss is full of smiles and laughter, not being able to properly kiss because it feels so random to do it. will hold your waist and never pull back because it feels right and special! "i don't care if we get wet, just wanna hold and kiss my girl..."

if either one of you is having a bad day, reassure and communication always takes place. always wanting him or you to let their feelings known and comfort each other if needed. sharing soft pecks after talking because a kiss always let's jude or you know, that you are here for them. "let's focus on the present, forget about what happened, and let's enjoy our time here ok?"

SEEING JUDE AFTER SO LONG!! even if it was a couple days or when he has england duty, or preseason like last year. making time for each other is always a must, and after seeing him for so long all he wants to do is kiss you, because without them neither of you can't function! "missed you so much my pretty girl... taste so sweet like always..."

[bibluebutterfly]

It is truthfully so impressive to watch how we've watched Stolas grow as a seemingly asshole character to a genuine person who truly does want the best for the person we love. (HEADS UP: This is LONG)

Now, and we're only going to lightly touch on this because the Pilot isn't cannon, but it still contributed to the public opinion on Stolas. In other words, he was borderline predatory in a way that made EVERYONE uncomfortable. (It makes sense though since he was innitially supposed to be the villain. Which thank goodness that was changed because we already see enough bisexual predators in media as it is. Yes, I'm headcannoning that Pilot Stolas was bi.)

Then we get official episode 1. Stolas is... not much better. Although to his credit, he's not as bad or as creepish. The unfair power dynamic is very there, and he definitely talks down to Blitz, but at least he waits until Blitz agrees before getting to the pilot level of sexual.

And then we kind of just keep this up until episode 7. Stolas is VERY sexual and VERY horny with Blitz, and you either like it or you don't. It was consensual, nobody forced anything, and even Blitz says that he doesn't fuss about banging Stolas, but that power imbalance is very much there.

Stolas is calling him by pet names like "my little imp" and is baby talking him, which really comes off like his fetish is sleeping with the lower class. Again, you either like Stolas at this point or you don't.

HOWEVER, despite all his baby talk and just generally inappropriate behavior, we are shown very early on that Stolas has a loving side, mainly in the form of his daughter. "You Will Be Okay" was the thing that got most people from hating him to actually liking him. It was the thing that separated him from just being a horny owl.

Then Ozzies. Hooo boy. This is where we finally get to see Stolas apart from Blitz's POV and as it turns out... he's kind of a pathetic dork more than anything else. We see him go very low. Like the man is alone in his big house eating cereal for breakfast in his bathrobe and watching telenovelas. It's hard to go lower than that. More importantly, it's a stark contrast from how we saw him just one episode ago.

Not just that, but when he's asked out on the date he is genuinely so excited and awkward that you just can't help but feel bad for the guy.

And then we have Hells healthiest couple have their dick moment which leads to Stolas covering his face, validating every and anything Blitz had feared, which lead to him calling out Stolas which leads to them both crying at home.

AND THEN WE GET THE THING THAT MAKES EVERYONE EITHER LOVE STOLAS OR THINK THAT HE'S RUINED.... THE CIRCUS.

Yeah, so it turns out the arranged marriage theory was true, and that Stella has been verbally abusive for who knows how long. But the real kicker is how much it explains Stolas's behavior from season 1. As it turns out, Blitz coming on so strong that night resulted in Stolas trying (badly) to copy that energy. And it turns out that when Blitz told him to stop that first night, he still ended up tying Stolas up and banging him. So... understandable. It turns out that Stolas never wanted to be malicious with his intentions, but genuinely thought that the arrangement was something that they both wanted.

But at the same time, he realizes that misunderstanding or no, a part of him did recognize that Blitz wasn't as happy as he was, and that he can't gaslight himself into thinking otherwise anymore.

Now the big thing about season 2 we all need to talk about, is how hard and fast it took Stolas off the regal and powerful pedestal that I think we all subconsciously put him on. Whatever mystery and darkness that surrounded him in season 1 went completely out the window in season 2. But personally I believe that this fits as season 1 was mostly told from Blitz's POV while season 2 takes place in Stolas's when he's there.

Stolas does not see himself as something regal and powerful. Stolas, as it turns out, is a romantic as well as a MASSIVE dork. Like he's disney princess levels of dorkiness. The man even gets his own slapstick moment for crying out loud.

But aside from that, he's highly intelligent and a genuinely good person who will put others before him if he can recognize the benefit.

Also, while we're on the topic, I don't think that Stolas is as powerful as we or Blitz were led to believe. Like yes, he's got immense power to those who have none.

But at the same time, put him next to Asmodeus, and this demon who seemed so strong before is actually tiny in comparison. Especially when noted that Ozzie was still holding back in this scene.

Now we have the "Look My Way" MV. By now, any dark mystery is gone, we know who Stolas is, but what we didn't expect to see was how blatantly Stolas realized his mistakes and took responsibility. This whole season we saw him be sad over his relationship with Blitz, but we never expected him to realize just how badly he messed up.

But he did. And it was glorious. And again, we realize how much he truly cares for Blitz, this isn't just him saying "I care about him" then doing nothing. This is him realizing he cares about Blitz, and wanting to do something to make it right. Even if that means Blitz will never want to see him again.

Anyway. If you made it this far, I'm impressed. As I've said before, I'm proud of the owl boy and how far he's come as a character. Tell me if you think I missed anything.

[owleics-fr]

Simple skin & accent tutorial!

I'm only familiar with making accents in CSP so some of the things you see here might be program specific, but for the most part it should be generally applicable.

Okay with that being said, here's a very basic tutorial, under a readmore because it got long (image heavy)

Assuming you already know roughly what you want to make and what breed pose you want to make it on, go to the custom skins page on the sidebar then download PSDs. For this step I'm choosing coatl F!

It should download automatically, the file will be compressed (zipped). I normally just open the folder and move the top file (without elements_friendly) to my accents folder to access it from my art program:

Open your preferred art program and open the file! It is a PSD file so it should be compatible with most art programs. When you open it, everything should look like this:

The layers probably look complicated, and it isn't super clear where you can and can't draw- but I promise it will get easier to understand! Before I even start drawing I do two things: I resize the image (changing the image resolution) to 700px by 700px. This means the image the resize better later on when I need to downscale it to 350px by 350px. Next, I make a new folder under both the existing folders with a single, full white layer in it. And set everything in "Through Skin Parts" to 50% opacity.

Lastly, put the bottom two folders completely out of your mind, we won't be touching them at all. The only folder that matters is "Through Accent Parts". As I'm drawing the accent itself, I make the lines and shadows layer invisible because they can just be distracting, like this:

That layer beneath both lines and shadows layers? The one labelled "Accent Goes Here"? That's where you draw, and you can make more layers to draw more on later. For now you can sketch your design on that layer. Here's my sketch for my skin Strawberry Pavlova:

It's pretty rough at the moment so I want to add another layer to draw my clean line art on, in CSP this means just adding another layer and turning off clipping which automatically applies as the layers above it have clipping turned on. When that's done it should look like this:

(You can absolutely use more layers for lining if that's what you prefer!)

Next is adding colour. An important thing to note for this step is to avoid using colours that are very close to black, and to avoid using black altogether. This is against skin and accent rules as you need lines and shadows to remain visible over your design, and very dark colours make this a lot harder!

When I typically colour my skins and accents I will separate out design elements (so for example all plants on one layer, all blue cloth into another layer, all jewellery on another, etc etc.) into different layers- this is purely to make recolouring easier and isn't necessary. In this case I didn't have my colours separated out as I had no intention of recolouring this skin! This is what this skin looked like when I was finished colouring:

Now I just need to do some final finishing polish on the design! For this one it involves adding a bit of pink transparent colour behind the strawberries, adding pale transparent colour under my lace and of course- adding sparkles! One of the final things I do is recolour my own line art to a red-pink colour (in this case I had it set to multiply as well- but this isn't needed!) this takes some of the harsh edges out of the accent and make the design feel more cohesive imo!

And the design is finished! The final step before we can submit this is a big one! We have to change the lines and shadows that we've been ignoring this whole time. For this I flatten all the art work into one layer, like this:

Why do we have to change the lines and shadows? Well...

The default shadows are pretty high opacity and very grey, they cover up my accent and make the details harder to see. And the default line art is black. You can edit these layers to make them much nicer. You can edit them manually- making sure to lock transparent pixels so you don't edit the coverage of the lines and shadows. Or you can do this: (You can ignore this next part if you're finding it overwhelming) Duplicate your accent design twice (so you have three layers with it on total), set both your lines and shadows layers to normal and unclip them. Your layers will look like this:

Ignore what the accent looks like for now. Next move the copied layers so one is above the lines and one is above the shadows, keeping only one in the original position. And then clip these duplicated accent layers to the layers directly beneath them, it will look like this:

Merge the accent copy layers with its corresponding lines or shadows layer, you should still have 3 separate layers when you're done: The lines, the shadows and your original accent design. Like this:

Then clip both of the lines and shadows onto your accent design layer and set both lines and shadows layers to multiply. Like this:

If you've done it all correctly your accent should now look like this:

This is a lot better than the default lines and shadows already! It's pretty dark in spots and my lines are definitely too light in other places though. So next I usually start by setting my shadows layer to 50% opacity and then going over both lines and shadows layers manually recolouring the lighter parts to a darker colour so they are visible on top of my final design. When you downscale your art to submit it, lines and shadows that were super obvious suddenly vanish- so don't be afraid to downscale it and keep editing the lines and shadows.

Here's what the final product, downscaled to 350 pixels, looks like:

This got accepted first try by skin mods (just in time for valentines!) Important things to note: places where my design is less opaque the lines and shadows are also less visible, this is completely fine! You don't have to fix this. Lines should always be visibly darker than the shadows they're on top of, this means sometimes they will have to be black to get them to show up or you may even have to make your accent underneath lighter to get everything to conform to the rules! Lastly, lines and shadows are subjective and you may end up getting rejected a few times before they're to skin mods liking. Its one of the harder parts of skin making and you won't always get it right.

Community feedback is your best friend, don't create in a vacuum! Go join discord servers where other people are making accents too, ask for help! Now go forth and make!

[mcflymemes]

SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE PROMPTS *  assorted dialogue from the 1993 film, adjust as necessary

people who truly loved once are far more likely to love again.

now those were the days when people knew how to be in love.

you're a basket case.

time, distance... nothing could separate them because they knew. it was right. it was real.

i am having all these fantasies about some man i have never even met.

thanks for dinner. i've never seen potatoes cooked like that before.

i'll tell you what i'm doing this weekend. i'm getting laid.

how long have you been standing there?

i'd much rather just see someone i like and get a feeling about them, and ask them if they want to have a drink.

i wonder if it still works this way.

i'm starting to notice that.

what do you think happens to someone after they die?

oh babe. i miss you so much it hurts.

your destiny can be your doom.

can i bring something back for you?

when's the last time you were there?

that's your problem. you don't want to be in love, you want to be in love in a movie.

what do they call it with everything intersects?

that's not true.

that's right, it's not true. but it feels true.

she looks like my third grade teacher.

[name]... it's nice to meet you.

i certainly hope so.

in the movies, women are always scratching up the men's back and screaming and stuff when they're having sex.

how do you know this?

verbal ability is a highly overrated thing in a guy, and it's our pathetic need for it that gets us into so much trouble.

don't you just hate flying?

do you feel that any lie is a betrayal?

[name], i don't deserve you.

i wouldn't put it that way... but okay.

that's what i'm trying to tell you.

women are looking for pecs and a cute butt.

where did i hear that recently?

do you think there's someone out there you could love as much as your wife?

that's hard to imagine.

after a while i won't have to remind myself to get out of bed every morning and breathe in and out.

how long is your program?

i knew it the very first time i touched her.

it was like coming home.

i was just taking her hand to help her out of a car and i knew.

it was like... magic.

destiny is something we've invented because we can't stand the fact that everything that happens is accidental.

you wouldn't let me!

i saw it, and it scared the shit out of me!

look... [name]. i love you.

let's leave that out of this.

i don't want to be someone that you're settling for.

i don't want to be someone that anyone settles for.

marriage is hard enough without bringing such low expectations into it.

i just want somebody i can have a decent conversation with over dinner.

please, no more!

what is "tiramisu?"

when you're attracted to someone, it just means that your subconscious is attracted to their subconscious, subconsciously.

she wants to meet me at the top of the empire state building on valentine's day.

i already sold the painting.

you can't even turn on the news nowadays without hearing about how some babe thought some guy's butt was cute.

is it cute, though?

that's all i'm doing.

i'm not living with her. i'm not marrying her.

can you appreciate the difference?

this is what single people do. they try other people on and see how they fit.

nobody's perfect. there's no such thing as perfect.

what about the letter?

she looked like somebody we would've been friends with.

[the1northlanderprincess]

A Man's Longing

Okay, listen up, guys. We need to discuss about Sauron in that scene from Episode 5, and its implications going forward.

Now, Sauron is being the manipulative, charming villain we all know him to be in this scene. However, there is a moment where you see this smile on his face.

Now, as @eleyras pointed out, you see his humanity for a second. But it's so much more than that. You can see a warmth in his face; crinkles by his eyes, which are closed. He's not just reliving a nice memory, he's immersing himself. And, yet, it's not just a memory. No, Annatar is thinking of her in the present. All of these physical features are representative of his true self. Well, not the evil self, but, the man beneath all of that. He is a man in love; smitten. I mean, you can even argue it's a bashful look as if he's talking to Galadriel herself.

That said, what does this all mean for his eventual meeting with Gal later on? First we must acknowledge the possibility he doesn't like to be touched. He wants to be the one to control that facet of a relationship. Would he allow Galadriel to touch him? Maybe. But, considering the current nature of their relationship, I don't think he'd expect her to. Sure, he's delusional about a lot of things concerning her, but not that delusional. It's clear to me how much he wants to have physical contact with her. That leads me to the prospect of a kiss...

We all have heard by now of Galadriel being on the receiving end of a kiss, courtesy of Morfydd. With every separate scene we've been privy to, where they are on one another's mind, something tangible will happen between them...besides their epic fight. I've referenced this before, but we know she shows him Nenya (seemingly after the fight), and I can see him cautiously taking her hand, smoothing his thumb over her knuckles. Then he lifts it, and kisses it. Could this be THE kiss? It's a possibility.

What if it's more, though? Though I'm struggling to picture it happening after their altercation, I have a clear vision in my mind's eye of how I can see it going down: At some point, he has her in a vulnerable spot, maybe he's cornered her. He brushes her hair back, perhaps rubs his hand on her arm. He whispers a plea, and leans in to kiss her gently on her lips. She's likely shocked at first, but finds she wants to taste him, too.

Okay, now I sound like the delusional one, hahaha! But that truly feels like what it's building towards, and if not, well, I would be amazed that I obviously can't interpret creative media (not to mention absolutely PO'd)

[barenecessiteas]

Final Random Sinclair Headcanons Because I Can't Get Them Out Of My Head

Hello my darlings. We've reached the final part of my random headcanons. There's only one person left - you know him, you love him, it's adorable waxy boi Vincent! Again, these are all just random thoughts I had, I don't really write on here much, but these just kept coming to me so I figured I may as well share em. Hope you enjoy!

Vincent Sinclair

If you didn't happen to see this on my last post, I believe Vincent is the younger twin and Bo is the older one. Only apart by seconds for obvious reason, but Bo was technically born first

Even after the separation surgery, baby Vincent had a hard time sleeping unless Bo was with him. Having his literal other half suddenly not be attached anymore took a lot of adjustment for him

He also exclusively sleeps on his right side, or at least with the right side of his face against the pillow. Kinda like a subconscious need to feel something against the skin there since Bo wasn't attached to him anymore

Vincent is actually able to talk, he's just selectively mute. This comes from the abuse he witnessed on Bo by their parents

I kinda touched on this last time, but restraining Bo to the chair every time he "misbehaved" or threw a tantrum really just taught the kids that it wasn't acceptable to express their emotions. So even tho Vincent never actually experienced the same punishment, it scared him to watch that happen to his brother

That's why, in the introduction to the film, you see little Vincent seemingly just ignore Bo while he's strapped into the chair, just quietly eating his cereal and swinging his feet

This is NOT because he didn't care about his brother. He was just scared of getting the same treatment that Bo did. He had the idea that if he behaved in front of his parents, he'd be able to sneak off to comfort Bo later

We all see in the film how he's immediately concerned for Bo when he notices the arrow in his chest. He hates seeing either of his brothers hurt, and he just started feeling more comfortable openly expressing that after their parents were gone

So yes, he can talk, but usually it's not unless he absolutely has to. His voice is often harsh and raspy because of this, but it's still there

I don't see Vincent as the meek, timid, and abused twin like a lot of people do. Bo isn't just his brother, he's Vincent's TWIN brother. He's literally been dealing with Bo since they were in the womb

Vincent is just calmer by nature and it's much harder to actually get him angry. He's learned that Bo says a bunch of shit he doesn't mean when he's angry and it's usually best to just let him cool off on his own. Vincent doesn't take it personally

This doesn't mean they don't fight. It happened more when they were kids, but as fully grown adult men Vincent rarely ever gets so pissed off he actually fights with Bo

I think most people agree on this next part but I'm gonna say it anyway - Vincent started growing his hair out so that he'd have something to hide his face with if he ever needed to take off the mask

Even with that in mind, he's not afraid to throw hands if Bo really manages to piss him off 💀

Like they have gotten into legit brawls and fist fights as children if they got on each other's nerves

He does genuinely like the look of it long now, but it started mostly as a security blanket type thing

Speaking of his hair, his is naturally darker than Bo's, he doesn't dye it or anything. We see in pictures that they were blonde as young kids and their hair got darker as they grew older. Bo's hair just stopped darkening at the dark brown we see him with. Vincent's hair just kept on getting darker

He actually does take pretty good care of his hair. He's not super concerned about it, but he doesn't want it to be a rat's nest either. He makes sure to keep it brushed, washes it regularly, and he's generally good at keeping wax out of it

Vincent wasn't really bullied as much for his mask as most people think he was. The Sinclairs were basically local celebrities, so everyone in town knew who they were. Their birth and separation surgery were announced in the paper too, so everyone kinda knew it was from that

What really bothered him was the pity from other people. Kids could be assholes about it every now and then, sure, but hearing adults whisper about it was what he'd really hate

He got into wax kinda by accident. It was a day while Trudy was working on a new mask for him, he was sitting around watching her. She gave him some extra wax she had lying around to play with

Saying stuff like "poor boy" or "shame he didn't turn out as good looking as his brother" when they thought he wasn't listening. That's what really got to him

Vincent also isn't really shy, he's just introverted. He found that hearing people talk about him and feeling sorry for him behind his back exhausted him, so he really just prefers the company of his family

Trudy and Victor often told the boys old mythology stories at bedtime, so Vincent decided he wanted to make what he thought the monsters and creatures in the stories looked like

Since it was his first time using wax, it was far from perfect, but he'd spent so long watching his mom work on her art that he had an idea of some of the technique

He actually used a spoon to shape the wax for most of it lol

Even for such a young kid, he definitely showed promise. That's when Trudy really started to take him under her wing. She was delighted to be able to bond with one of her boys like that

Vincent always felt a little guilty for having a closer relationship with Trudy because of how she and Victor would treat Bo (and how they'd pay much less attention to Lester). He still loved his parents, but it definitely added a huge guilt complex

That's why he's so concerned about always being there for Bo and Lester to help take care of them. He just tends to let Bo take the initiative in taking care of him and Lester because he knows it makes Bo feel better

Just like Bo, he was taught to play the piano growing up. He's pretty good at it, but he never had the same interest in it that Bo did. He enjoyed listening to music more than playing it

Vincent has a very broad taste in music, he listens to a lot of different genres. Classical music is pretty much exclusively for when he's sculpting or making any form of art in general

It's a habit he picked up from his mother. He finds it less distracting so it helps him concentrate more

Like Bo, he was also very good at sports growing up. Really all of the boys were (Bo was just the most involved in it so he got better than his brothers eventually). He's actually surprisingly active

He tries to take frequent breaks when working with wax, even if it's just for a tiny bit. If he doesn't, his muscles get very sore, making it hard for him to work later on

However, when I say he tries I really mean that he only remembers to take breaks with smaller projects. Bo and Lester (or even Jonesy) usually have to remind him to step away for a bit

Speaking of Jonesy, she is in fact Vincent's dog. Yeah, she's the family dog too, but Vincent is the one who found her and raised her

He was going for a walk in the woods and found Jonesy abandoned as a puppy. Even though she was young she was still much smaller than she should have been. Her mother and litter mates were nowhere to be found

So Vincent gently picks her up and carries her home in the pocket of his hoodie. He stays up all night feeding her and watching over her to make sure she recovers physically

Bo was surprisingly chill with Vincent keeping the puppy. As long as Vincent was responsible for taking care of her, he didn't mind having a dog around

Lester lost his shit when he found out Vincent took in a puppy (in a good way, of course)

Vincent basically treats her like his baby (we stan a girl dad) and takes VERY good care of her. She has a great diet, has constant play sessions, and is overall very well cared for

It bothers him when Lester sneaks her some roadkill meat because he's always scared about Jonesy potentially getting sick

Jonesy also sleeps in Vincent's bed with him and has seen his face more than his actual brothers have. She loves to give him kisses on the scarred side of his face and it makes him melt

When Bo first came up with the idea of killing people to use as a base for Vincent's wax sculptures, he was hesitant. Sure, he knew killing people was wrong, but he was more worried about the danger it could place his brothers in

But once he actually used the first victim as a live "model" of sorts, he was convinced that this was the perfect way to finish his mother's dream. It didn't take him a lot of convincing

His collection of knives are all gifts from Bo and Lester. They'd often either buy them or find them on victims before cleaning them up to give them to vincent

The dual dragon blades are his favorites because it was a combined present from Bo and Lester for Christmas

He has much more morbid curiosity in killing because of his father's work. He found anatomy very interesting (and not to mention useful when it came to sculpting people), so he often takes pictures or videos to use as references when painting or sketching

Alright, we've now reached the end of my insanity. I hope you all enjoyed my silly little writing spree. I may or may not write more Headcanons in the future, idk. We'll see if inspiration ends up striking me lol. But for now, we've finished the Sinclairs. Thanks for reading, my lovelies, and I hope you all have a wonderful day 😘💕

[lemotmo]

ABC hire Ali, please!!! I want this!!!!

Q. You said awhile back that if they went full fanfic and gave us a storyline you'd want it to be amnesia. So how would you do that this season and have it end with Buddie becoming canon?

A. Way to put me on the spot, anon, haha. But since we're playing make believing here, if it were up to me I would do it like this :

I would open the show with a 3 month time jump, just long enough for Eddie to have been in therapy, and Buck to be newly single (this also means Chris hasn't been gone ages, because none of us want that). I would have a scene of Eddie talking to Frank during his session about his issues surrounding his relationships. Frank asks him if it's possible that Eddie believes the role of partner and coparent has already been filled, and because of that when someone else comes along and tries to take over that role Eddie spirals and begins to sabotage the relationship. The scene goes quiet while we watch Eddie's face go through a million different emotions and we see him look directly at Frank and simply say 'Buck'. Then the scene cuts to the other character block for that episode, so probably something Bobby and Athena related. The next scene would be Buck and Chimney or Ravi goofing off while cleaning the ladder truck, or some other chore. We see Eddie in the loft smiling fondly at whatever antics Buck is in the middle of. Hen walks over to him, and he looks embarrassed about being caught, she just smiles knowingly at him and tells him something along the lines of having no say in who we fall in love with but how lucky the people who get to be in love with their best friend are. Eddie faulters for a moment and admits how scared he is of messing things up between them. Hen tells him it's Buck and it's not possible for him to ever mess up enough to actually lose him. Then we see shift A leaving for the night and Eddie asking Buck if he wants to come over for dinner.

Our next Eddie and Buck scene is the two of them in his kitchen cleaning up from the dinner Buck insisted on cooking, despite the fact that Eddie told him take out sounded just fine to him. We see them standing at the sink, one washing, one drying and Eddie just kind of starts talking and doesn't think he's saying anything Buck can follow but Buck is able to follow and suddenly stops and looks directly at Eddie, eyes flickering down to his lips for a moment, and asks if he can kiss him. Eddie whispers 'yes' and Buck's soapy hands find their way to Eddie's face, they giggle at one another momentarily, until Buck dips his head down and captures Eddie's mouth in a soft gentle kiss. They part just enough to let their foreheads touch, and Buck asks him if he's sure and Eddie says he thinks he's been sure for years now, we see Buck's beaming face and tears filling his eyes as he says, 'really'? Eddie says 'really' and Buck says 'me too, god Eddie me too' and their next kiss is more heated with Buck backing Eddie into the kitchen counter. That's as far as things go that night. They agree they need to talk and Buck asks Eddie on a date after their shift tomorrow.

Cut to passengers boarding the plane we've been getting in the BTS pics before we see a beaming Buck arriving at the firehouse the next morning, coffee for Eddie in hand. He bounds up the stairs where Eddie is smiling fondly at him and we see their hands touch and linger just a bit when Buck hands over the coffee. Buck asks him they're still on for their date and Eddie tells him he can't wait actually. Just then the bell rings and off they go to the airplane emergency. Because Gerard is an ass he separates Eddie and Buck at the scene so Buck goes one way and Eddie is sent off in the opposite direction. We see Buck going through his assigned section and then hear screaming coming through the radio that a firefighter is down and we see a frantic Buck rush off because he knows without being told that it's Eddie. We see Hen and Chimney working on him in the back of the ambulance while a helpless Buck looks on, holding his hand and whispering over and over again that everything's going to be okay. We get to the hospital where Eddie is wheeled away from them leaving them all standing there trying to comfort Buck. Later that evening Buck is in the room waiting for Eddie to wake up. When he finally does and the doctor is asking him questions they realize that Eddie has temporary amnesia and can't remember anything from the last year.

Meaning Eddie forgot about Chris leaving, the Kim fiasco,Buck coming out, and of course their first kiss. So we get several episodes of Eddie not remembering things, Buck spiraling because he finally had Eddie and of course the universe took him away because Buck doesn't get to be happy. We get the 3 month time jump stuff filled in as Eddie's memories slowly return. That's also how we get the bachelor party scenes. And that allows us to see Buck and Eddie interact with Buck knowing where they were headed, and remembering the kiss and everything about that night, and Eddie still believing they're just friends.

Give me all the angst, anon. Lol, this would never happen but yeah this is how I would do it if they ever gave us fanfic.

Thank you so much for this Nonny! I read this with bated breath!

All right, this is it! This would be such a great scenario. It's one big giant trope, but who cares?

Now I want this in season 8 and I'm afraid nothing else will measure up. 😁

IMPORTANT! Please don't repost this ask and/or a link that leads straight to my Tumblr account on Twitter or any other social media. Thank you!

Heads up! For anyone who is giving me the shifty eyes for reposting Ali's updates instead of reblogging. Read this.

Remember, no hate in comments, reblogs or inboxes. Let's keep it civil and respectful. Thank you.

If you are interested in more of Ali’s posts, you can find all of her posts so far under the tag: anonymous blog I love.

[muserryy]

HIS NECKLACE

masterlist

It's silent. Your heart is feeling heavy with despair as you cling onto Harry, fighting back your tears and sadness. But he knows what is wrong and he tries to comfort you but he himself feels helpless seeing you like this, watching you struggle with your emotions. You've not been talking much for the past hours and just clinging to him in every way possible. It's so silent that Harry can hear your breathings, and the thoughts you never voiced.

Sometimes, you tend to get upset over things and situations which you know are bound to happen. You spend your time knowing it's going to hurt and there's nothing you can do about it. It's like an inescapable cycle.

You know he will eventually leave, he has to. You know he can't be with you every moment, but just knowing this doesn't lessen your pain. You find it difficult to struggle even with the thought of being separated from him and being alone again. He knows this is all happening inside you.

There are times when you feel homesick and struggle to cope with living away from home for your studies. It's vacation time, and your flatmate has gone back to her home. As for you, your financial situation just didn't allow you to go home this time. You felt hardcore isolated and homesick, you called your family but that just resulted in missing them even more. You called Harry and upon hearing that you are on break, he decided to visit you cause it had been a long while since you last met. Now, he has spent the past week with you, putting off his commitments but he cannot anymore, he has to go now. Your time together is coming to an end.

Oh! he will be gone and you'll be homesick once again.

"We've been quiet for some time now…" he breaks the silence, running his fingers through your hair.

You are snuggling each other firmly on your small bed, your body is pressed against his as you're on his lap, feeling his heartbeat against yours. Your nose buried in his neck, breathing in his scent. You nod and pull away, sitting up to face him.

Your eyes are gathering the moisture, "yeah,..." you rub your eyes. Harry notices that you're at the verge of breaking down.

"c'mon, don't be sad now." he whispers softly, moving to rub your arm to comfort you. "We had some good times, didn't we? And we will keep that up for sure, I promise, but right now I have to leave."

He caresses your cheek as you sigh, nodding. "I understand."

Within this week of yours. You did have some good times. The lazy mornings; waking up and still laying in bed together, enjoying the quietness and peace. Fun afternoons, the little activities you two had done; painting, baking and watching funny videos on YouTube. The evening walks to flower shops and stationary stores. And the loving nights; the kisses and whispers, intimate and mischief moments, even staying up all night and doing late night talks.

He sits straight as something clicks his mind. He looks around for his sling bag, which is far next to him on the bed. He leans on his side, moving and dragging the small bag to him while you stay sitting on his lap.

He unzips the bag and searches for… something. He pulls out a small transparent plastic pouch. You quietly watch him, your palms resting on the side of his waist. He takes out a necklace.

"Here…" He puts that thin chain around your neck. You look down at it. It's his banana necklace but now it also has the letter 'H' dangling on it. you take it in between your fingertips. "Remember, when you told me that you wanted to wear my initials? so I took one of my necklaces and got a pendant on it." He says and you listen to him silently, looking down at it.

Your eyes brim with admiration. "No way!"

He caresses your chin with his thumb, and directs your attention to him. "I know how hard it gets for you and this…" he touches the chain, gesturing to it. "is just a reminder for you that I'll always be with you, close to your heart."

He reassures you, all the time. He understands how overwhelming it gets for you at times. It can be challenging for you to connect. He always tells you to call or text him, knowing you don't reach out for help and support even when you desperately need it. And although you're really reliant on him for comfort and emotional support, you still tend not to bother him. Which is why he encourages you, every chance he gets, to reach out and express your thoughts and feelings, no matter the distance or circumstance.

This all just makes you realise that you have someone who cares for you and takes your emotional needs seriously.

His phone dings. He picks it from his side and checks.

"I'm leaving in 10 minutes." He says in a soft tone and leans away from the wall but you keep sitting on his lap, realizing it's time for him to leave.

He gazes at you for a moment as you do the same. You never wanted anyone to stay as much as you want him to right now. Others are tiresome but Harry. He cups your cheek and leans in, pressing his lips to yours. The skin touch melts you and you kiss him back, touching the side of his face. He presses quick kisses on your lips and sides.

He pats your cheek gently and you move away from him to the side, giving him space as he collects his hair by putting on his little hair clip on the top of his head. Getting up from the bed, he grabs his phone and puts on his sling bag. As he does this, he notices you just sitting there and watching him. He offers you a little smile, trying to reassure you that everything will be fine.

You trail behind him as he walks to the door with his bag, asking, "You have packed me some brownies, right?" referring to the ones you two baked together yesterday.

"Yes, I did." you chuckle. You have divided the brownies equally for both of you. Your eyes land on his sunglasses that are on the table of your small living space. You fetch it for him and walk to him where he's standing at the door.

"Oopsie, I almost forgot them." he laughs, noticing as you hand it to him. You smile at him, unquietly. "Alright, y/n, let's not be sad."

"It wasn't a good idea. you shouldn't have come here." You speak. Harry laughs, aware of how confused your emotions are right now and how contradictory they sound.

"No ma'am, it was actually the best idea. Otherwise, you would be on the phone with me, complaining how much you miss me." he says teasingly.

"I know, but…" you stutter in a small voice, unsure of what to feel or how to express your emotions to him.

It's something like… when you miss someone so much and finally you get to see them, it can be an euphoric moment but then reality sets in that they have to leave again. It seems better to have not seen them because seeing them and then having to say goodbye can hurt even more, knowing all the time you have spent together comes to an end, even if it may be for a certain period of time.

Bittersweetness… is what you feel right now.

"c'mere," he gets close and pulls you in a tight hug. You immediately wrap your arms around his torso. "I love you." he reminds you while rubbing your back soothingly.

"I love you too, harry." you whisper, holding him tightly as you keep hugging him, breathing in his scent for the last time now. His hands rubs your back, his cheek squishes against the top of your head. He moves his other hand in your hair, running his fingers through it. You retreat from the hug as you both hear the horns outside the door.

You both lean in for a longer kiss. Your fingers curl around his hair, holding him as close as you can. Pulling apart for a moment, your noses lightly brush against each other, breaths mingling.

"I will call you once I reach back there. Take care." he says, kissing your forehead. He takes his bags, opening the front door and stepping out.

The car is here. The driver steps out of it, helping Harry with his bag as he looks back at you and waves at you, smiling. You wave back at him, smiling even as your sad heart aches. It's difficult to always say goodbyes, but this is a part of your long distance relationship.

He gets in and you watch the car drive off. You stand there until the car is completely out of your sight.

Sighing, you go inside and lock the door behind. You move to the couch and lay down there, staring idly at anything in front of you. Your fingers find his initials you're wearing. You bring it up in front of your vision and your cheeks tingle pink upon that realization.

You fist the small banana pendant and the initial in your hand and bring it close to your chest as you curl up on the sofa, closing your eyes.

The necklace feels like a warm hug from harry.

thank you for reading :)

[bassettmemes]

THE GOLDEN YEARS (ALBUM) SENTENCE STARTERS ↳ lines from joshua bassett's debut album, the golden years ↳ ↳ the golden years (single) sentence starters can be found here

BITING MY TONGUE.

"silence speaks louder than I ever could"

"i can't breathe, i'm suffocating on my words"

"maybe the story that's been left unsaid is gasoline just waiting for the perfect match"

"i'm biting my tongue, avoiding the words i cant take back"

"i just wanna love and not look back"

"forget the promises we cant keep"

"i'm begging you to set me free"

"can you blame me for that?"

"you're running your mouth, it's wearing me down"

"i'm screaming out, but you won't hear a sound"

"cause tearing you down, oh, nobody wins"

"im trying to be better than i've ever been"

"hope you got all that you wanted"

"i don't want revenge"

"i won't hurt you how you hurt me; i want this to end"

DANCING WITH TEARS IN MY EYES.

"i lied when i said i'm fine"

"im at the disco dancing with tears in my eyes"

"dancin' with a cigarette, drunk on a Sunday morning

"standin' on the edge is somethin' we'll regret"

"makin' a mess of the bed we made"

"playin' with fire we already tamed"

"romeo and juliet, we shoulda known better"

"i caught your eyes under the lights and now I'm spinnin'"

"i cry every time our song comes on"

"it breaks my heart, dance in the dark, so you don't see me fall apart"

"everybody's askin' if i'm happy for ya"

"nothin' to regret, we went our separate ways"

"it's eatin' me alive to see you doin' better"

"maybe more wine will help me forget ya"

"seein' you tonight, i'm right back where we met"

DON'T LET ME DOWN.

"don't you remember early september? fooling around, didn't know any better."

"our ship was sinking, we held on as long as we could"

"i cried on your shoulder, now i don't know you"

"i keep replaying it over and over"

"wanna go backward, don't know if I can this time"

"we made a mess, but we were just kids then"

"gave it our best, we fell off the deep end"

"i can't forget the way that you held me, dear"

"so, you say you want me again; don't you remember the hell wе were in?"

"i haven't been thе same since you left"

"half of my heart is still there in your hands"

"if you pick me back off the ground, don't let me down"

"how do I know that you actually need me?"

"you say it's different, i wanna believe you"

"holding our hope in, maybe this time is for real"

"might be naive, but maybe we need this"

"nobody looks like you do"

"don't you tell me that you want me just to walk away now"

"don't you tell me that you love me if you don't know how"

"don't you turn your back on me and we can figure it out"

CHERRY BLOSSOM.

"cherry blossoms on your sundress, summer skin on the emerald grass, you pick a flower and pray it lasts, seasons falling away too fast."

"yeah, we talk too much, we fell headfirst under the sun"

"we're growing up but we're still young enough to crush"

"oh my cherry blossom, say you're staying through the autumn"

"you pack a picnic, i'll pick you up"

"is it too early to call this love?"

"some kids kissing in the sun"

"i'll never ever get enough"

CIRCLES.

"merry-go-round, we've been here before"

"your carousel hell got me chained to the floor"

"i've been falling for your sweet seduction"

"can't believe you're fooling me again"

"i've been running for my life"

"i end up at the starting line"

"i've been wasting all my youth on you"

"lovesick spinning 'round and 'round"

"like a broken record wearin' out"

"all this time i wasted chasin' you"

"yeah, girl, you got me going in circles"

"sweet as a peach, you're soft to the touch"

"you're making me bleed but calling it love"

"you pull me close, but keep me at a distance"

"where do i go from here?"

WILDFIRE.

"burnin' pancakes while we're dancin' in the kitchen, singin' to our favorite song, now I'm standin' in the ash and broken dishes"

"wonderin' where it all went wrong, now there's nothing left of you and me"

"it was heartbreak to the third degree"

"we had a gold and it was good until it wasn't"

"now the sirens, they sound, all of the walls are falling down"

"here's nowhere to run, darling, we'll never make it out"

"we're too close to the sun, we let it burn then called it love"

"there's smoke filling our lungs"

"would you look what we've become?"

"you asked for a light, now we started a wildfire"

"we were reckless, we were young and we were stupid"

"got too high to see the warnings signs"

"playin' innocent, we knew what we were doin', and two wrongs don't ever make a right"

"don't look away, darling, there's nothing left to save"

"just kiss me goodbye"

"we're not gonna make it out alive"

"It's far too late to save us, this flame here is to dangerous"

"don't say it's all okay, love, it's too much"

"just face it, love, we're dying"

"no point in even trying, it's too much"

"now we started a wildfire, love"

LITTLE RITA.

"she's crying on the phone, she's not quite sure where to go"

"i know this life isn't easy, but you'd know that I will be right here"

"and you know those are your needs, dear, and someone who can dry your tears"

"'cause home is where the heart is and my heart is always near"

"i promise in no time that you'll bе fine, and everything will bе alright"

"love is all that matters anyway"

"i know it's scary, i know it's sad"

"kiss your mom and hug your dad, 'cause no one knows how long they really have"

WOULD YA TELL ME?

"i've been waitin', wondering where you are"

"i've been prayin', say you're not too far gone"

"cause I don't know where my love went when you left, dear"

"i don't know where my heart was when you were here"

"what if you're still in love with someone else?"

"what if you're still hung up on someone else?"

"what if you're still the one for someone else?"

"what if you're still in love with someone else? would you tell me?"

"sunlight don't shine now that you're not around"

"daydrunk, moonshine, can't drown the sorrow out"

"i don't know where my mind was when you were here"

"i don't wanna know who's taking you home"

MIRROR.

"where did it all go wrong?"

"innocence stolen way too young"

"there's blood on my hands"

"i don't understand, where did it all go wrong?"

"out on my own at seventeen, no one to tell me who to be

"i'm going insane, i'm wasting away, i found a new low at twenty-three"

"i don't recognize the face in the mirror"

"there's nowhere to hide from the face in the mirror"

"the light in my eyes, i can't seem to find, and i don't recognize the face in the mirror"

"the face in the mirror isn't mine"

"i don't know when I last called my mom, ican't let her know what i've become"

"it's better to lie, don't tell her you're high"

"i wish i could talk to my mom"

"won't somebody help me?"

LOOK HOW FAR YOU'VE COME.

"i know you can't see the light right now"

"they buried you alive with no way out"

"you're screamin' underwater but nobody hears a sound"

"you taught yourself to swim so you don't drown"

"just in case nobody told you this today, look how far you've come"

"you've been running far too long"

"what goes up comes back down, just a circle back around"

"i know you're not nearly done when you can't seem to get back up"

"i wish I could hold my younger self. i'd say, "cry a litle longer if it helps"."

"you can't choose the place you're born, your hair, your name, your baby clothes, but getting here, you did that on your own"

"and in case that you forget, the last time you were here, you swore that it would never end"

"darling, catch your breath, the world's gonna need you love, so do the best you can"

"i promise someday that it'll make sense"

[raayllum]

Few things:

1) First off what a great fucking scene, for both Amaya and Rayla. It was lovely to get a deeper dive into Amaya's interiority, especially with the loss of her sister and her own trauma (something we haven't touched directly on since 1x05 way back when). And, of course, the fact that Amaya makes the connection to Rayla that she's traumatized / made her decisions likewise out of grief directly, and that it's an effective way to survive, but not to live.

2) "Stoic, strong, and lonely." "That does sound like me sometimes." Hearing Rayla admit that she's suffering, that she's lonely (which we've known & have always known) even with Stella, and only after two entire years on her own... She had to go through so much to get even close to this. You can see the weight it takes, that she can only admit so much, but that she's listening and taking it in because Amaya is also being open and vulnerable, and is an older woman Rayla can respect and learn from. For Rayla, "love" and "trust" were often two different things (all four of her parents loved her, but didn't always trust her; and Rayla never wants to burden people with her problems, either, although we luckily start to see that shift) but Amaya points out that that is "not enough," not that Rayla isn't. Talk about a breakthrough (even if again, I think there's still a long way to go on the sacrifice front).

3) Romantic and family love being interwoven and seen as mirrors, rather than entirely separate things. It would've been so easy to turn this into a "romance only" scenario, but TDP has always been a celebration of different forms of love, so I love that it's all anchored together here - familial, platonic, romantic, etc. Strong healthy bonds all have the same foundations and cornerstones, even if they manifest differently, after all.

4) Is congruent with the "humans teach the elves/dragons that it is better to be united than divided / better to break the cycle than perpetuate" arc the show tends to have across the board. Obviously it doesn't mean that humans ever can't be isolationist (they can and are - hi Viren!) but that it's not nearly to the degree that elves are

5) On that matter, the Amaya-Rayla-Viren "fiercely independent due to trauma, willing to put the world and greater good ultimately above their loved ones" parallels continue, thank you (re: Amaya choosing to safe guard at the Breach rather than just go after her nephews to save them, her prior opinions about elves being similar to Viren's, etc etc).

6) In regards to the montage, it makes me tear up now whenever I watch it, and I love the balance of clips chosen. Both the fun adventurous times, but also highlighting the moments that Callum and Rayla were there for each other in some of their lowest/darkest times - leading Rayla to finally fully recognize that Callum will quite literally always be there for her (as he's said) if she'll give him the chance to be.

[lemonlamblaura]

My Husband is the God of Pestilence - chapter 12

There's a few dark themes in this chapter, including violence and attempted kidnapping, so be careful. Carcharias is setting up his plan.

A few days passed after Kallamar and Lilybell shared their first kiss. They remained mostly secluded together, exploring each other and wanting privacy from prying eyes. A few followers accused Kallamar of neglecting his responsibilities, but Trenaty and the other supervisors were quick to remind them that even gods required personal care and affection.

The two were tangled up in each other on Lilybell's bed, nearly falling off because it was so small, but they made it work, mostly by laying on top of each other. Kallamar rarely stayed at full size when they were alone now, not seeing the point and wanting to be closer to her. It was easier to kiss her when they were the same height anyway.

Kallamar stroked her bare back, feeling the wool between his fingers as they kissed deeply. Nudity was no longer a trouble between them, as they found themselves more than likely naked when alone. He loved the way his fingers got tangled in her thick hair, the way she squeaked when he touched her in just the right place. She loved his soft, stretchy skin and pudgy body, how she could grab handfuls of him and not have him be hurt.

Her long tail thrashed excitedly under the covers as their lips separated and he leaned down to gently bite her neck. Even with her wool in the way, he was always careful not to bite too hard and stain the delicate white with red. She took the opportunity to nibble his ear, moaning softly, and a bolt of arousal shot through him. Even after so much time together they could still find new ways to stimulate each other.

There was a sudden knock on the door. "Lord Kallamar, are you in there?"

The two were quiet, Kallamar holding a finger up to his mouth in a shushing gesture, and Lilybell giggled quietly.

"Of course they're in there," said a second voice. "They've been fucking for days."

"Quiet! Do you want to be punished?"

"I don't think he can turn himself off long enough to punish me."

The voices receded, and the couple relaxed.

"I should punish him," Kallamar grumbled, the heat inside him quickly simmering.

"He's right though," Lilybell laughed. "I don't think you can."

He cocked an eyebrow at her. "Oh, you think so, do you?" He grinned, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

Lilybell smiled and snuggled into him, her head laying on his shoulder. He smiled, but when his eyes drifted to the ruby sitting on her night table, it turned into a frown. He was always so close to forgetting about Narinder's existence, when something red caught his eye and the hurt came flooding back. Needless to say, he was not fond of the colour red lately.

"Darling, let me get you a better crystal."

Lilybell lifted her head to look at him. "Why?"

"It's not very good quality, and you deserve better."

"No, please, I love it! It was the first present you ever gave me. I could never throw it away. Besides, I know why you want to get rid of it. It's because of that guy, isn't it?"

His silence was answer enough.

"Don't give up on the colour red, Kallamar. There's lots of nice things that are red, like roses, strawberries... uh... blood," she giggled at the last suggestion. How could blood ever be considered nice?

Kallamar laughed, stroking her hair. "My sweet, silly girl..." that brought on another kissing session. When they finished, he mumbled, "I can't stand the thought of being inside with these fools all day. Let's go out today, darling."

She perked up immediately. "Where will we go?"

"East, I think. We've not been that way yet."

She grinned in delight and jumped out of bed, throwing open her wardrobe and rifling through her dresses. "Can I tell Trenaty about where we're going? I don't want her to be worried about where we are."

"Yes, yes," he smiled, pulling on his robes.

A little while later, Lilybell found Trenaty watching over the gem cutters. They had progressed immensely in their work, and gems were piling up. Kallamar planned on selling them in order to bring in more money for the temple.

"You look nice," Trenaty said warmly, as Lilybell did a spin around to show off her newest dress. "He certainly spoils you."

"Thank you! He does, huh? I feel like a real princess," Lilybell laughed. Then she leaned in close, saying in a low voice, "Kallamar said I could let you know that we'll be going out for a while, out east. Can you keep an eye on things here?"

"Of course. Have fun."

Trenaty watched the girl leave. She had no problem admitting to anyone who asked that she had grown extremely fond of Lilybell. In a way, she almost saw her as a granddaughter. But what she would never admit was that she was resentful of Kallamar for attaching himself to her. It would make the future much more difficult.

When Lilybell was out of sight, she made her way to a janitors closet, made certain no one was around, and went inside, propping some equipment against the door to keep anyone out. She took out a piece of chalk and drew a pentagram and magical symbols inside it, before putting her hands together and praying. As she prayed the pentagram began to glow, and the floor vanished inside it, a face appearing in its place.

"Speak."

"My lord," Trenaty began, "Kallamar has left the temple once again. He is heading eastward. The temple is still guarded by the incompetent trainees."

"Excellent. Is he alone?"

Trenaty hesitated. She didn't want to tell him about Lilybell.

"I asked you a question, my disciple."

She knew she had no choice. "No, my lord. He is with his lover."

The being in the pentagram was quiet for a moment.

"My lord," Trenaty continued, "I fear that if you act now, my position will be compromised. They have told only myself of where they are going."

"... return to me. You shall be greatly rewarded."

Trenaty stepped into the pentagram and disappeared, leaving the chalk drawing on the floor.

*

"What's that, Kallamar? It looks like a forest!"

Lilybell was pointing to a large patch of green in the distance. Large strips of seaweed were seen dancing in the currents, and fish were seen swimming nearby, visible even from far away.

"That is a kelp forest," he explained. "Large groups of seaweed clumped together. They are just as lively as coral reefs, perhaps even more so."

"Let's go see!" Lilybell pulled his hand with a big grin. Kallamar smiled and pulled her close, as they teleported nearer the forest. Soon they were at the edge of it. The huge towering seaweed blotted out the sunlight similar to trees, and fish and sea creatures swam away at their sudden appearance. "Wow, they're so tall!"

"Some weeds can grow taller than the temple," Kallamar said as they stepped inside. He was glad he was not at full size, as navigating the tightly packed weeds would have been almost impossible. "When I was young, my family were kelp farmers. We harvested seaweed to sell, or kept it for ourselves to eat."

"You never talk about your family," Lilybell said, narrowly missing stepping on a clam that was going by. "Do you miss them?"

Kallamar gripped her hand tightly. "I don't know. So much has changed since my ascension. Maybe they have forgotten all about me. I'm certain they would not recognize me now."

"I don't believe that. Your family doesn't forget about you, no matter what!"

He didn't seem convinced. "Maybe. But ten years is a long time for people to change."

They continued walking, until something clicked in Lilybell's mind, and she stopped them. "Wait, you haven't seen your family for ten years?"

He nodded.

She gave him a curious look. "How old were you when you met Shamura?"

"Fifteen years old."

"So you're only twenty-five?!"

He blinked. "Is that so surprising?"

"Yeah! I thought you were, like... at least a hundred!"

"Does this change how you feel about me?" Kallamar asked worriedly. After Narinder and Shamura's betrayal, the last thing he needed was to feel like Lilybell no longer wanted to be with him.

To his great relief, she quickly replied, "no, of course not! It just surprised me, is all.

He sighed. "If there's one thing I admire in you, darling, it's your honesty."

"I couldn't lie even if I wanted to," she shrugged, "everyone can tell when I'm lying. Or, rather, Mom always could."

Kallamar have her a worried look, thinking that bringing up her mother would make her sad. But she appeared to be unaffected. Perhaps the mishap was just a memory now, and not a painful reminder of years of mistrust.

"My mother was the same," he began, looking off into the kelp ahead, recalling memories for the first time in what felt like eons. "I was the youngest of my siblings, and did many things in order to be noticed. I told many lies, but Mother always found me out because I was never careful. But I didn't mind being punished because even bad attention was good attention. My parents always focused on my oldest siblings, and left me on my own. I was very lonely back then."

Just then, Lilybell spotted something shiny out of the corner of her eye, just past a few stalks of kelp. Kallamar would still be close enough to hear if she checked it out, so she pushed past the seaweed, all the while trying to keep up with his story.

"The blue crown found me one day not long after my fifteenth birthday. When I put it on, it took control of me, to test me. That is what Shamura said, anyway. I went to Silk Cradle and met them, and they trained me."

To Lilybell's surprise, the shiny object turned out to be a huge, glistening pearl, sitting in a large clam. She was mesmerized by it, the light from the surface cascading down to create a rainbow effect on the shiny surface. What a wonderful gift it would make for Kallamar, to thank him for all he'd done for her! She reached out to pick it up, but was confused to find her hands went through it. It wasn't real?

Suddenly, two dark hands came from behind her, covering her mouth. Her first instinct was to scream, but the hands kept her silent. Then she felt something sharp and cold against her neck.

"Quiet, or you die," a male voice hissed in her ear.

She didn't know what to do. What could she do? Two more hands grabbed her wrists and roughly brought them together, tying them with rope, while the hands keeping her silent were removed and another rope was tied around her mouth.

"Move," said the voice, a sharp poke at her back making her jump forward.

The pearl and clam fizzled away to nothing, revealing the magic trick. Three men in dark green cloaks forced her through the kelp. She quickly looked back helplessly, just barely seeing Kallamar in the seaweed. What was he doing, just standing there talking?! Didn't he know she was being kidnapped?!

Tears formed in her eyes and she couldn't help but sob. This couldn't be the last time she'd see him. It just couldn't!

"... and then I met you," Kallamar concluded, still lost in thought. "I think that was the happiest day of my life, looking back. I was such a fool back then, the way I spoke to you. I hope you can forgive me, dear."

He waited for her to speak but heard nothing. Actually, he was quite surprised she hadn't interrupted him as she usually did. He quickly looked around, finding himself alone.

"Lilybell?" He called. Nothing. Ah. "I see, I have played this game before, hiding in the kelp and jumping out at someone. I'm ready to be scared!"

Still nothing.

Now he was beginning to worry. "Lilybell, please come out, this isn't funny." His eyes began darting through the kelp, trying to spot her white wool. "Lilybell! Answer me! Lilybell, I demand you to come out at once!"

Panic finally setting in, he returned to full size, parting the seaweed, trying to find her. "LILYBELL!" He screamed, rushing into the forest, unbeknownst to him, in the completely wrong direction of the small group. How could he have been so stupid to have taken his eyes off her? Especially away from the temple! Now she was gone, and it was all his fault! Who knows who was out there! Why didn't he just suck it up and stay home?

He had to stop, collapsing to the ocean floor, hyperventilating, his heart racing. Terrible thoughts raced through his mind. He couldn't concentrate. He felt like he was going to die!

Behind you.

He whipped around in terror. "Who said that?!"

No one was there. The only thing greeting him was the destroyed kelp, floating away in the current.

Hurry.

Then he realized the voice was not coming from around him, but rather inside him. It had a eerie echo to it that he did not recognize.

Wait, it was coming from above him...!

Help her.

Of course! He was going in the wrong direction! He took off again, a little more confidently now, but his heart was still in his throat. He ignored everything else around him. If there was a chance he could get to her, he didn't dare hesitate, even if he was terrified. The kelp was clearing. He was at the edge of the forest! A group of footprints met him in the sand, one set of which were clearly hooves. In the distance, he saw four people quickly moving through the clearing, heading towards a sunken ship. Though the others were green to blend in with the seaweed, one was white. Lilybell!

Relief filled him, but not for long, as he realized none of the cloaks belonged to his temple, and even from far away he could see that Lilybell's wrists were tied.

And relief was replaced with white hot rage as he sank through the sand, speeding through the ether in the direction of the group.

"Hurry up!" One of the men exclaimed, yanking Lilybell forward, fear evident in his voice. "He'll be on us soon!"

The pushing caused Lilybell to stumble, and she fell on her knees into the sand. The man at her left grabbed her arm, forcefully pulling her to her feet, and she cried out in pain. He was squeezing her arm so hard it felt like he might rip it off.

"Shut up!" He growled. They were almost to the ship, they couldn't stop now. "I hope Carcharias kills you!"

Suddenly the ground opened up in front of them, sand pouring into the shadow as Kallamar emerged. The men screamed in terror, the one who pulled her up throwing her back down into the sand and running. Kallamar held out his hand, and a green energy shot out from it to hit all three of them. They instantly collapsed, holding their stomachs and rolling on the ground in agony.

Kallamar gently took away the ropes and Lilybell ran to him for comfort. "I'm sorry!" She sobbed, clinging to his robes and rubbing her face in them. "I only went away for a second and then they got me, and, and-!"

"Shh, my love. I am not angry," he soothed, stroking her hair as she cried. "Did they harm you?"

She sniffled, "my arm hurts, but I'm okay... I thought I'd never see you again."

He glared at the men, still on the ground. One attempted to stand up but fell back down. "Let's go home," he said. "These wretches must pay for their crime."

They were in the temple lobby in a matter of seconds. The men didn't seem to notice, still in the throws of vertigo. The followers around them clamored in surprise, and some ran and hid at the sight of the strangers.

"Fetch Saleos and his guards immediately," he ordered to the nearest follower. Saleos and the others came quickly, their swords drawn. "Take these prisoners to the dungeon, and hold them there until I come."

The men were taken away. Lilybell wiped away her tears and turned to a female follower. "Where's Trenaty? I have to talk to her."

"I haven't seen her for a few hours, miss," the woman said. "Has anyone seen lady Trenaty?" She asked the others, but no one had seen her either.

"Lord Kallamar," a supervisor said, "we found a magic pentagram in one of the janitors closets. The door was barred, so someone didn't want to be found."

"Show me," demanded Kallamar.

The pentagram was still on the floor, though slightly smudged from forcing the door open. One symbol in the pentagram was alarmingly recognizable to Kallamar: Carcharias' symbol. This was a messaging circle, directly to him.

And Trenaty was missing...

"Find Trenaty," he told the followers. "Search the entire temple top to bottom. She must answer for this."

The followers scattered to search the temple. Lilybell wrapped a hand around his finger. "Kallamar," she said quietly, "one of the guys who tried to take me said something about some guy called Carcharias. Who is that?"

He looked down at her, scowling at her dirty dress and the messy wool on her arm. "He is the God of the ocean. This circle is a communication device to speak to him." He took her other hand and knelt down, speaking more softly. "Lilybell, I'm afraid that maybe Trenaty is the spy and she may be working for him."

Fresh tears formed in her eyes. "It's just a coincidence! Trenaty can't be the spy, she just can't be! She wouldn't do that to us!"

"Darling," he whispered, "I don't enjoy the idea either, but I think it's too much to be a coincidence. This pentagram, you are almost abducted, and now Trenaty is missing?"

"No," Lilybell cried, tears flowing down her face. "Not Trenaty. I can't believe it. She wouldn't do this."

Kallamar had to admit that he had come to appreciate Trenaty as well. He hoped this was not the case. He really did. He walked her to her room.

"Please stay here while I interrogate the prisoners. I will come to you soon."

She went inside, with one last pleading look up at him. It broke his heart to see her cry like this. He hoped the men would prove Trenaty's innocence.

The dungeon was located under the stage in the main hall where sermons took place, hidden by a trapdoor. Long winding stairs led down to the large chamber where a few pillories and cages were set up, the place illuminated by a few glowing crystals as there was no sunlight. The prisoners were locked up in the pillories, looking just as miserable as before. Their cloaks had been removed, leaving only pants, revealing a crab, swordfish and narwhal.

Kallamar approached the swordfish from the front as Saleos held a whip at his back, ready to strike. He held out his hand again, and the green glow came out of the fish and went back into Kallamar. He looked around, confused as to how he was immediately healthy again.

"Tell me who you work for," Kallamar growled.

The swordfish spat in his direction, and Saleos struck him with the whip, the loud crack echoing throughout the room. He screamed in pain, a red welt appearing on his back.

Kallamar let the pain sink in for a moment before asking again, "who do you work for?"

"I... I don't talk to... heretics," the swordfish said. Saleos whipped him again, another welt adding to his flesh.

"You will die here," Kallamar bargained.

"I don't care!" He yelled. Another lash. "You're nothing! My lord will kill you!" Another lash.

Knowing he was getting nowhere, he moved on to the crab. Perhaps seeing their fellows being punished would convince them to talk. The crab stared up at him, whimpering, clearly petrified. "Who do you work for?"

"C-Carcharias," he said, teeth chattering.

"Traitor!" Screamed the swordfish, fighting against the pillory, ignoring the blood running down his back.

"What is he planning?"

"I don't know," the crab cried pitifully. Kallamar believed him, but he was not satisfied.

"Tell me what you do know."

"Don't say anything!" The narwhal begged.

"He told us to take the girl," said the crab. "We weren't told why. He didn't tell us why."

Kallamar narrowed his eyes at him. What kind of sense was that? What did Carcharias have to gain from kidnapping Lilybell?

"He's going to kill you," the swordfish taunted. He had a crazed expression on his face. The pain must have been getting to him. "You and your little whore."

Saleos whipped him again. This time blood splattered out from the wounds, making a mess around him. "Don't talk about our lady that way!"

"That's what she is! The great master said all who follow Kallamar are fools and whores!" He screamed. Since living was no longer an option he spoke freely. "Down with the heretic Kallamar! Long live Carcharias!"

"Lash him," Kallamar snarled, and he was struck, but the manic screaming didn't stop.

"Long live Carcharias!"

"Again."

"Long live Carcharias!"

"Again!"

Blood was pooling at the swordfish's feet. "May the heretic rot in hell!"

"Give me that!" Kallamar roared, grabbing the whip from Saleos and going behind the swordfish. The whip was comically small in his hands, but he didn't care. He reared back and slashed the fish over and over again, watching the blood fly. He poured all his frustration into every hit, Shamura's cold words, Narinder's cocky smirk, Lilybell's tears, the thought of losing her. His hand worked independently of him, hitting the swordfish again and again until they were quiet, and even after that.

"My lord!" Saleos cried, holding up his hands, "he's dead! Please stop!"

But Kallamar didn't stop. The body before him was a mess of gore, but he didn't care. Finally, when his arm grew tired, he threw the whip away before slamming a fist down on the swordfish and the pillory, crushing both. He panted wildly, mind blank, coming back to reality slowly. He lifted up his hand numbly, realizing it was covered in blood and bits of wood.

He turned to look at the other prisoners. The crab had wet himself in fear, and being closest to the swordfish he was covered in blood and stray flesh. The narwhal was frozen in terror.

He picked up the whip again, but he had no questions in mind. Only bloodlust.

[old-poptart]

*coughs cutely* miss me-?

Can i request hanako and teru (separately) with a s/o who overthinks A LOT and always gets nervous that people don’t like them- s/o reads into what people say BIG TIME so they can ‘prepare’ for when people leave them

So like the boys start to get distant (for school and other stuff) and s/o sees that as a sign that the boys dont want to hang out with them. Because of this s/o goes into a bit of a panic thinking that they might break up with them soon so instead of talking to them, s/o takes matters into their own hands. So when s/o tries to get their attention but the boys still shun then due to them being busy, s/o freaks out mentally and tries to hold back tears not to cry in front of them- you know what to do- ah-

(I totally don’t do this with everyone i know and I’m totally not spilling my guts out rn- nooooo-)

(Probably another reason this is so terrible written-)

ANGST TO FLUFF PLEASE!!!

a/n: yes i did ml 😘 AHHH IM VERY MUCH LIKE THIS AS WELL, REASSURANCE DAWG this idea is so muah chef's kiss, ANYWAYSSSSS ONTO THE HEAD CANONZ!!!

warnings: fear of abandonment, ignoring, wah wah sad stuff but yippee happily ever after :D!!!!

Hanako 🌺 and Teru 🤺 with an s/o who has a fear of abandonment (gender neutral):

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hanako 🌺:

"for we are like glue, stuck together forever."

hanako briefly knew about how you would get about the people around you

lil ol' you cant help but think of every possible outcome or aspect of the people you meet, if you didn't then you'd prolly go crazy and you'd be unprepared for any misfortunate upcoming events

as of recently, your beloved ghostly love has been quite busy with his supernatural schedule. meetings, rumors, keeping the school in order and in shape! it's tough being number 7!

he doesn't like that he has to spend less time with his partner but he is doing his best!! hakujoudai always helps y'all keep in touch, so does writing letters!! what a cute couple~

though you appreciate the sweet gestures from your boyfriend, you have been feeling like he is running out of love for you

you two normally cuddle and kiss like over five times a day, nowadays you barely get to peck each other's cheeks

sure you may be overthinking this but you never know the outcome!! you gotta be prepared!!

as time went on it kept getting worse, you two barely hung out anymore. he was the main subject of the day, now he was just another thought you kept in mind just in case

he's been meaning to talk to you about his absence but due to his ghostly duties (haha i said duty) he couldn't. believe me he is very upset that he can't speak with you at the moment and he's trying his best!! but alas, your thoughts took over

you came to visit him during a meeting, thankfully it was nearing the end of it and he was wrapping up the conversation. the small salty drops were beading up in your sullen eyes as your eyebrows were upturned, accompanied with your quivering lips that were too scared of saying of anything wrong

he noticed that you came to visit, a smile on his face but it slowly transitioned into a sadder expression when he saw your emotional face. once the meeting was officially over, he came over to you and quickly hugged you, murmuring these words as he kissed your sweet face, the face he missed so deeply. "im so sorry we've been apart for so long my love, im here now. tell me everything"

Teru 🤺:

"leaving you is like having my heart torn to pieces"

while you may not know it, teru reads your emotions very well and knows when you've been overthinking your relationship with him

he's tried his best to be a good boyfriend and spend the most of your time together, if he ever has any time with you

teru is a busy man. he has student council work, exorcist stuff, being the school prince, a lot is on his shoulders! he tends to get carried away with work a ton

he has been quite dry recently as well, his texts have been so lifeless.. you've wondered if a certain ghost decided to snag his phone and slide up on his contacts

you've also noticed that he has been getting more attention from his fans at school, it reminded you how much attention he had before the two of you started dating. you've also specifically seen more confessions towards him, it all seemed strange since the news about you two stuck to everyone like a piece of tape that would not get off of paper

with all of this, you felt less than. to you, it was clear that he didn't love you anymore, he just kept you around because he pitys you. you felt like decoration when you stood next to him, even when you two were alone

one day you finally decided to talk to him about this, you knew he was staying late for work as per usual. with balled up sweaty fists and a nervous mind, you walked inside that student council room

"hm? oh s/o!! come in!!" that charming smile of his always made your heart flutter. you sat down with him as you too a look at how busy he was, analyzing the paperwork on his desk

"yeah it's a lot- these are up for debate on the-" "teru, can we talk..?" your voice shook his head, he listened to what you had to say. he was still holding the pencil he had in hand and it made you sad, how he was right there next to you and yet he didn't fully pay attention to you, his lover.

you started to unravel about how you've been feeling recently, how these thoughts tricked you into thinking about how you boyfriend didn't have room for you anymore. he payed close attention to your tone, letting you finish and noticing how you tried your hardest to not let everything loose

he cupped your face, his thumb wiping away those sad tears of yours. it pained him to see you like this, he would do anything for you. and if that means to cut back on his duties, then that he will do. "dear, im sorry about all these things that have caused you pain.. i will help you go through this, and that it won't happen again.." his soft lips touched yours, making you feel loved again.

I HAD A BLAST WRITING THIS- HOPE YOU ENJOY!!

-ooga :D

[coffeelovesdramasalatte]

LITA Ep. 4 Rewatch Thoughts Pt. 4

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 5 | Part 6

Rain really said boy BYE

Did y'all notice that Phayu smacks his lips and looks at Rain's lips like 30 times during this one minute of conversation?

Ok wait he's going for it!

KISS ALERT HE'S REALLY GOING FOR IT!!!

Rain was SO READY too - he closed his eyes as soon as Phayu's lips touched his. infinity/10 sweetest first kiss. It looks very aesthetically pleasing with the blurred out, neutral background.

Instant replay from another angle, just to drive in how comfy Rain looks to be there

I ADORE this "just been kissed" look on Rain - I like that both actors repeatedly showed us just how into each other Rain and Phayu are

I think we're on the 10th lip touch? Are you obsessed or something Phayu?

Phayu says thank you to Rain here. At first, I thought he was thanking him for the kiss, or for coming to see him. Now, I think it's probably for everything - thank you for meeting me, thank you for making me like you, thank you for not running away, thank you for meeting my expectations, and thank you for liking me back. And then we barely get time to recover from the sweetness of that kiss before Phayu is giving us this adorable face (which is my second favorite of Phayu's faces)

Including this shot bc I love Sky

It's Rain's turn!! Ahh it's so cute that he was so nervous at first but then he remembers that Phayu is supporting him (plus kiss!) and his confidence is restored! Also the background + Rain's tie is giving us some more yellow + navy blue. Cute!

vs.

This teacher panel is so funny - person on the left looks so done, middle dude looks like he's paying attention with the intention to rip the presentation apart when Rain's done, and person on the right looks like he's having the time of his life

Rain does so well! Even the teachers said so!! I knew he could do it :) Except Phayu isn't going to find out for a while bc this dummy forgot to charge his phone. Don't you know Rain's waiting for you?

Listen, I know this shot is for dramatic purposes and that Rain looks truly beautiful in the rain, but you can't tell me that he and P' Saifah haven't exchanged numbers yet. Rain totally could've waited in the house or even in his car, which he definitely drove there in. My dumb son

It's ok, Phayu is here though!! And Rain gets to tell him the good news!! Phayu seems more concerned about how wet Rain is though, and for good reason. He's probably watched a few BLs so he knows that the male leads often have the constitution of sickly Victorian children when it comes to the rain. He's rightly concerned for Rain's health.

Also we get the switch from Pum to Rain (the way Rain refers to himself) during this convo! I did not notice this on my own and will try to find and link the person's post who did. To my understanding, this is a more personal way of referring to oneself and it's yet another way Phayu and Rain are closer now! They're about to get real close tho ;)

Rain's death-grip on Phayu counter is probably up to 10 now too. I don't think I've said this before but Noeul has really nice hands. They're good for holding a certain someone's face and neck:

This screenshot doesn't do it justice but... this LOOK that Phayu gives Rain right before he drags him inside. Bff is ready to DEVOUR his man (we've all waited long enough lmao)

I was going to tell you all a story here and make you wait a bit longer, but I'll post it separately. As for these two, they literally did not wait any more. From here on out this is entirely self-indulgent. Enjoy!

I absolutely ADORE how they framed this scene with the curtains and the rain and the soft blue lighting that looks like moonlight. I also really like Phayu's hand placement in this entire bathtub sequence. Additionally, Rain gets a good amount of active participation in during these kisses (BossNoeul said dead fish kisses whomst?? we don't know her). It's another indicator of how happy and comfortable Rain is to be there

Another thing I've already mentioned is that I completely am in love with the way BossNoeul portrayed the way that PhayuRain look at each other. I have never been as convinced that the on-screen couple is in love as I am with these two. Also I am counting this as a headpat even though it's more of a cheekbone stroke :)

Again, they look so comfy and I love how softly their eyes slip closed when they kiss. Also reiterating that I love Phayu's hand placement here - it's like he's cradling Rain in his palms

New nickname alert!

How am I supposed to cope with this? Also I'm serious, where did Noeul learn to look like that? AND PHAYU'S HANDS send help

Wait I accidentally paused after Rain told Phayu to let him go so he could take a bath and this is so funny - Phayu's like babe did you really think I'm gonna let you go now??

Ok yeah sure Phayu, you're here bc you want a bath and not because Rain's lips are magnets to your eyes. Sure.

When I first watched Phayu pull Rain close to whisper in his ear, I'm fairly sure I gasped harder than Rain

Something happened to my brain chemistry here too

Rain looks so soft right here omg (I know the whole script is literally written into our brain grooves at this point but if you don't remember, this is when Phayu is apologizing for making Rain wait in the rain bc his battery ran out)

Onwards to the final parts for the sugar, spice, and everything nice <3

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 5 | Part 6

[erstwhilesparrow]

"You must still have loads of time," Martyn blurts out, some night after the kill. Their beds are just far enough apart that he couldn't possibly reach out and touch the fish-pale meat of Scott's arm where it lies beneath the moonlight.

"The early boogey kill helped," Scott supplies, drowsily. "You're not that low, are you?"

"Nah."

"And you know you can always ask, if you do get there."

"Right."

He probably could reach Scott. He would just have to get out of bed. That would be awkward: tumbling over him, grappling with the rough coral growths sprouting like a crown of bones from his skin. Would Scott's skin be soft, if he touched it? Martyn wasn't paying attention, underwater.

"Why do you ask then?" Scott says around a yawn. He sleeps on his back most of the time, Martyn's noticed. Belly exposed. Except more and more lately Martyn's been blinking awake in the dark of night to see Scott turned on his side, limp. It's a little alarming to realize Scott can look even more unguarded than when he's awake.

"It's noisier than I was expecting," Martyn says. It's a bit of a lame excuse, but Scott's going to nod off any second now and forget all this anyway. Who's watching? "The ocean, I mean. Hard to tell who might be sneaking up on you."

"Everyone's yellow, yeah? No one can come for us."

"But if it changes in your sleep--" Martyn says. It's just that he can't stop thinking about it, okay? "They'd know where your bed is."

Their beds may be be separated by more than one arm's-length, but if they both died, they'd wake back into this dream so close as to be entangled.

"It's not going to change tonight," Scott mumbles. "We've got time."

Ha.

"I'd know where you would be," Martyn says. "I could... I could be here when you respawned."

"Aw, that's sweet of you."

"No, I mean, I could-- anyone could be here. Anyone could--"

The thing is, he didn't really get to feel it, underwater? Blood like long banners gone ethereal, fading into the tang and glide of the ocean. But Martyn's felt Scott's shirt heavy with water before, the bones of his shoulder under Martyn's palm. He's been in claustrophobic spaces with too-low ceilings and no light but a torch. He knows how blood makes his grip slippery and how the tone of Scott's voice changes when he knows he's in danger, when that danger goes from creeping to violent. He knows the give of fresh-woken, unarmoured meat.

He puts these things together like puzzle pieces. His fingers twitch for building blocks.

"Anyone could what?" Scott asks. "Martyn, we're fine. We can set our spawns somewhere else in the morning, if you're still worried."

But I would still know, Martyn does not say. Scott's eyes are pale and shiny, open, as he stares back at Martyn through the gloom.