#▸ // without her ⸢ divergent verse: solo ⸥

[sorrowfulsidekick]

[ Small reply thingie to this. (Pretend I wrote this forever ago when I wasn’t swamped thanks) ]

—

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Kit journeys out from ‘his’ room. The house already felt… off- bright. When drowsy eyes clear the view before him coaxes a small gasp.

Tinsel draped everywhere, twinkling lights reflected on matching trinkets, baubles and awestruck eyes.

Stepping further the boy stops before the Christmas tree, noting the box near it’s skirt. A curious hand reaches in to grab an ornament and when he rises back up that gaze catches a pinned stocking a short distance away. With the bulb pressed against that thundering chest he approaches, eyes widening recognizing his own name.

The perpetrator of all this merriment was obvious, despite his grouchiness. This was all something he’d never do on his own, it was all for Kit. He didn’t know whether to feel guilty that someone went through such trouble for only him or happy that someone finally had.

He could cry if he weren’t so excited.

“Chronos!” One could hear the smile in that voice as it calls out, small legs rushing to the storefront he knew his older brother would be manning at this hour. He was not decorating the tree alone tonight.

[sorrowfulsidekick]

▸  //  Pleas  cry  out  in  tandem  of  racing  steps,  the  fennec  in  motion  before  Tails  could  even  finish  answering,  gravel  shifts  beneath  turning  heels  at  the  first  sign  of  a  ‘yes’.

“  Don’t  move!  I’ll  be  fast!  ”

▸  //  Barging  into  the  hut  the  boy  stops.  Frenetic  eyes  scan  all  around,  breath  heavy  and  heart  loud  in  his  ears.  “ Case.  Red  cross.  Bench. ”  The  words  loop.  quickening  in  their  panic,  again  and  again  until…   “ There ! ”  He  leaves  as  quick  as  he  entered,  pace  ceasing  to  slow  as  he  swipes  the  first  aid  kit.

▸  //  Dust  kicks  into  the  air  as  the  case  hits  the  ground,  Kitsunami  falling  into  a  kneel  beside  the  fox  once  more.  Shaky  hands  busy  themselves,  prying  the  kit  open  and  tearing  off  those  old  worn  gloves. The  contents  of  the  box  were intimidating to  say  the  least,�� lined  with  layers  of  tools  and  packaging.  What  catches  his  eye  are  the  latex  gloves;  Perfect  for  hands  dirtied  by  machinery  and  a  godsend  to  their  current  needs. 

“  U-uhm  okay,  let’s  see  here…  ” 

▸  //  Kit  breathes  deep,  desperate  to  recall  his  past  training.  Much  of  it  vague  and  innate-  like  most  of  his  memory.  His  body  remembers,  moving  on  its  own  as  if  he’d  done  this  before  but  the  mind  forgets.  He  doesn’t  question  it-  or  pay  it  mind.  It  just  happens  as  it  always  has.

“  F-first  we  have  to  stop  the  bleeding-  ”  he  starts,  hands  busy  slipping  into  fresh  gloves.  The  tearing of aluminum follows,  compress  dressings  being  freed  from  their  seal.

“  Your  arm-  ”

▸  //   With  that  small  palm  turned  upward  Kit  gestures  for  the  other  to  raise  his  own  arms  out,  readying  the  dressings.  There  was  a  pause  before  he’d  begin,  apologetic  eyes  fighting  to  see.  Internal  vituperation  would  do  little  to  help  but  there  was  no  avoiding  it. He  did  this,  while  searching  for  wounds  to  tend  to,  he  remains  tortured  by  that  truth.  This  is  what  he  always  wanted,  wasn’t  it?  Land  a  blow  on  his  rival,  make  him  bleed. 

“   . . .This  might  hurt, I'm sorry-  "

▸  //   Blinking  tears  away,  inhaling  sharply,  the  boy  steels  himself. Then  there  is  a  pressure  on  fresh  wounds,  touch  firm  and  shockingly  steady  as  the  compress  is  put  to  use.

— ;; QUERY AFFIRMED VIA BRISK NODDING, that pained smile retains its shape in an attempt to further soothe the petrified child's rampant anxieties. Lacerations and gashes and artificially-induced ailments had never seen Sonic to his demise; prevailing eventually was an inevitability— but part of that superlative formula had been the way he never allowed anyone room to stress too deeply about him.

❝Mm! Should be right there on the workbench when you walk in, the case with the big red cross on it.❞

— ;; Contemplating managing to his feet is a short-lived endeavor as a surging pang of torrid, bloodied pain threatens his conscious yet again. Tails has to wonder in that moment how Sonic ever managed to shake these things off so easily when in opposing presences. Perhaps it had been natural; acting had never been much of a forte for the hedgehog, anyway.

Nevertheless, it needs to be one for him in the present moment. Convincing not only Kit, but himself, of his physical fortitude. Whatever it takes to keep him from succumbing to the looming threat of incapacity trailing his heels.

❝'ppreciate all your help, lil' buddy. I owe you big time!❞

— ;; Never mind that Kit had been the one to cause his bodily destruction to begin with. Honestly, the kid could spill boiling coffee on his lap and he'd still probably uplift him.

[halloween-neko96]

Black like the night, his fluffy fur.

Deep like the sea, his glassy eyes.

Under the moon, he is lurking.

Like illusion, gone in the mist.

Into forest of unknown land,

At the witch's house, live a black cat.

#Halloween_Neko

Master List

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Halloween_Neko/pseuds/Halloween_Neko

One Piece 🏴‍☠️

Dream Catcher | ASL Solo Trio AU

That day, he didn't lose one brother. That day, Luffy lost both of his brothers. And everything changed.

This is a story about a Luffy who lived through his childhood alone, about a Luffy who lost both of his brothers.

eclipse (the day the sun was eaten)

stardust (crossing path of two supernovas)

The Ocean Where The Stars Follow You | ASL Never Met AU

The one Roger trusted his son with wasn't Garp. That one small difference created a whole lot of changes.

In which, Ace was raised by Rayleigh, Sabo still tried so hard to leave the Goa Kingdom, and Luffy grew up without brothers.

ASL - Intro 1 | Early Childhood

ASL - Intro 2 | Career Choice

Butterfly Choices 🦋

A little flap of a butterfly created millions of changes.

In which, a slightly different Luffy in a slightly different world picked up a slightly different crew.

Prologue - Romance Dawn

Entry I - III

senbazuru (a thousand paper cranes) | Reincarnated Semi-SI AU

Before meeting and swearing siblinghood with Ace and Sabo, Luffy had sworn siblinghood with two others when he used to live in Foosha Village. In Luffy's old fashion, he forgot to tell them about it.

In which, Luffy has more sworn siblings besides Ace and Sabo, Uta wishes that Luffy bothers to inform her about the new siblings he has added to their sworn siblinghood, and Sally should have seen this coming when she realized that Luffy forgot to tell them about Ace and Sabo.

Intro 1 - Sally ♣︎ Starting Point

Bungou Stray Dogs 📖

For Wanting A Page | Exploring The Worlds Within The Book

Within The Book, there are multiple worlds, each with a different story to tell.

section 1 - the book

the other me (whom you met in a dream) - The very first part of this series, portraying my theory about Atsushi, The Book, and their connection.

section 2 - looking mirrror

through the looking glass (broken mirror, echoed images) - A multi-chapter fic where an ability replaces canon!Atsushi with a bunch of AU!Atsushi, causing everything to go haywire. Set after Cannibalism and at the start of Decay of Angels saga.

kaleidoscope of a certain weretiger (into the pages) - An index about all versions of AU!Atsushi in my collection.

snippets between the pages (a moment within the book) - A collection of snippets of moments that happened between the worlds within The Book.

section 3 - into the pages

the ghost of an old time (of river and bandages) - An adventure of canon!Dazai into the world of teal!Atsushi, set before the event of through the looking glass (broken mirror, echoed images).

there are no bandages on me (to mourn the death of a stranger) - The world of teal!Atsushi, the ghost of yokohama from the divergence point up to Atsushi’s 18th birthday.

Of Poet and Novelist

A list of my Bungou Stray Dogs Original Characters (all based on real-life authors/poets)

Naruto 🍥

Aka no Sakura (red is our color) | Reincarnation Team 7 AU

Six Paths (someone takes me home) | Sannin-Mentor Swap AUs

Mitsuki and Team 7 [Moonlight and Snake Vessel] | Alternative Team Konohamaru AUs

Mitsuki and Team 7: [Three and Seven] - Mitsuki and the collection of his teammates in Team 7 across multiple dimensions. (This also includes the details on each AU.)

Boku no Hero Academia 🥦💥

The Omniscient Outsider | Yuubi Naga's Guide Into BKDK-Verse

The Masked One | OC with original quirk

Boboiboy 🍊

The red means i love you | Canon Divergence Red Duo-centric AU

Cake 🍰 | Halilintar with cakes and mystery plot

Miraculous 🐞🐈‍⬛

Shatters Alters | Into Miraculous-Verse AU

Adrien woke up in a strange Paris where no one seemed to know him and everything was so different. Meeting up with unfamiliar people with familiar faces, will Adrien figure out what happened to him?

LEGO Ninjago 🥷

Garden With No Flower

Kai heard Lloyd a bit too late in the volcano and everything changed.

In which, one single moment changed all.

[katytheinspiredworkaholic]

Criminal Minds Masterlist

(Fics, asks, hc, moodboards, art, rp)

-

Long fics

-

Correspondence

+ HotchReid, Long Distance/Virtual Relationship AU, ((Complete)) + LINKS: Main ao3, Tumblr Masterpost, Snippets (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, NSFW, Part 5, Part 6), WIP ask game clip, Later Chapter Moodboard,  + CHAPTERS: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve + Additional Scenes: First Fight (Ask),

Extraordinary 

+ HotchReid, (side pairings: Morcia, Willifer, Temily), League of Extraordinary Gentleman/Vampire AU. Continuations of Vampire AU one-shot. ((Complete)) + LINKS: Main ao3, Tumblr Masterpost, tumblr ask/WIP clip, ships ask/clip, characters ask/notes, Snippets (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5)  + CHAPTERS: Prequel, One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten  + FOLLOW UP: Postscript, Postscript Fanart (MerPancake)

The Construct of Time

+ HotchReid, Historical AU/Time Travel Trope, for the HotchReid Valentine’s Day Trope Challenge 2022 + LINKS: Main ao3, Tumblr Masterpost, 10yr Celebration Preview + CHAPTERS: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Epilogue

Dog Days

+ Moried, Unrequited!Love/Dog Sitting/ Holiday fic, canon compliant + LINKS: Main ao3, Tumblr Masterpost, Snippets (Part 1,), Ask Game Clip, ) + CHAPTERS: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten

Untitled Dark Canon Divergence

+ HotchReid, Unsubs!HotchReid/Murder Husbands AU + LINKS: tumblr ask/WIP clip, moodboard ask, tumblr ask game 2, spotify playlist ask, 10yr Celebration Preview

Dual Correspondence

+ HotchReid, Sequel to Correspondence, established relationship + LINKS: 10yr Celebration Preview, Main Ao3, Tumblr Masterpost, Snippets (Part 1),  + CHAPTERS: One, 

-

One shots

-

Deleted Scenes: A Prime Example

+ Hotch Centric, Gen (no pairing), character study, CW: mentions of past child abuse/childhood trauma + LINKS: tumblr, ao3

Technicalities 

+ HotchReid, no CW, rated G except for the smooches. First Kiss prompt. More domestic stuff with Jack because I’m a sucker like that. + LINK: tumblr ask, ao3

Heedful

+HotchReid but mildly unrequited, Vampire AU, started as a Dare (thanks for that Sarah💕), CW: TW Blood, TW Sharps, guns, an unnecessary amount of world building. Reid allows Hotch to feed from him for the first time, in the middle training at the gun range. (Prequel to ‘Extraordinary’) + LINKS: tumblr, ao3 

A Year In the Making

+ HotchReid, marriage proposal, cute and sappy and just a lot of lovey-dovey fluff + LINKS: tumblr, a03

-

Prompts/Asks

-

Waffle House

+ As chaotic as it sounds. Found Family tones. (Slight pairing refs: Morcia, HotchReid, Jemily) + LINK: tumblr ask

"If I could, I would kiss away all of your scars."

+ HotchReid, CW: mildly NSFW, scar wounds, body image issues + LINK: tumblr ask

Domestic/Established HotchReid, in which Jack outs his dad without meaning to

+ HotchReid, no CW, really rated G except for some kissing. Makes me laugh + LINK: tumblr ask

The team discovers Reid’s old modeling photos

+ one-sided HotchReid, lightly NSFW in a suggestive nature + the pictures + LINK: tumblr ask

After Hours Sex

+ HotchReid, NSFW to the extreme, Sarah asked for sex so I gave it to her + LINK: tumblr ask

Recalling their first kiss (Difference of Opinion)

+ HotchReid, making out but not much else, specific prompt asking for a first kiss remembered VERY differently by both Hotch and Reid + LINK: tumblr ask

-

Headcanon/Moodboards

-

HotchReid

Dark Moodboard, Light Moodboard, Morning Fluff/Kisses HC, Reid’s Socks HC, Playful!Hotch, Nightmares/Comfort Sex (NSFW), Triathlon Training, Rolled Up Sleeves, Hotch Moving Reid HC, Incorrect ABO Verse, Hotch Spoiling Reid, Protective Hotch, Hotch Solo Session (NSFW), Reid in Hotch’s Clothes, Oral Fixation (NSFW), Passing Notes, Protective Hotch 2.0, Spencer Spoiling Hotch (Atlantic City), Soulmate AU, Diana Disapproves, Reid’s Insecurities (NSFW), Top Domestic HCs, Reid Solo Session (NSFW),

Moreid

Gen HC + Moodboard, Reid Wearing Morgan’s Clothes, 

HotchxMorganxReid

Gen HC, 

Fic ideas

1940′s Noir AU, Revival Pilot Pitch (Hotch returns), 

Gen HC/Character Studies

Reid’s Ph.D.’s, Hotch with Tattoos, 

-

RPs

-

Untitled RP1 (Falling Hard and Fast)

+ HotchReid, we tried to pace them we really did, but they are head over heels in love within the month. Lots of sex in this one, too. + I play Hotch, @spencehotchner plays Spencer + LINKS: ask game clip, 

Untitled RP2 (One Night Stand AU)

+ HotchReid, exactly as it sounds, an exuberant amount of sex + I play Spencer, @spencehotchner plays Hotch + LINKS: tumblr ask/wip clip, ask game clip (NSFW), 

-

Art

-

Spencer Reid/ MGG

Spencer Reid (Finished) (WIP), Experimental Scribble, Drunk Katy Doodle,

Aaron Hotchner/ TG

Knight Hotch for Sarah’s fic,

((Updated 04/08/2023))

[thisweekingundamwing]

This Week in Gundam Wing (August 2-8, 2020)

Hey Gundam Wing fandom!  I lost this whole post when it was nearly complete and had to do it ALL OVER AGAIN last night!  YAY!  Can you hear the screaming?  There was a lot of screaming.  :D

In any case...your fellow fans have done some awesome work this week and there are some cool events coming up!  Be sure to check them out and show your creators some love!

--Mod LAM

Fanfiction

Beneath: Leprechauns and Clovers (Ch.10/?) by @duointherain​

Characters: 5 pilots + Relena

Pairings: 1x2

Rating: Teen and Up

Tags / Warnings: Leprechaun (movie), AU, crossover

Summary:  The twins get their father back... that doesn't work out well.

Flashing Lights (Ch.1-4/?) by @vin-doodles-gundams

Characters: Heero, Duo, Trowa, Quatre, Rashid, Howard, Sally

Pairings: 1x2, 3x4

Rating: Teen and Up

Tags / Warnings: blood, violence, mental health issues, mental anguish, teen romance, slow romance, AU, canon divergent

Summary:  A captured OZ officer turns out to be more than she appears. One Gundam Pilot struggles with inner demons while another fights to find his place in the world. Romances, friendships, and alliances come and go like flashing lights in the night. Gundam Wing AU (set somewhere in the middle of the series).

Strangers (Ch.8/16) by @chronicwhimsy

Characters: Duo, Wufei, OC

Pairings: 2x5

Rating: EXPLICIT

Tags / Warnings: long lost twins, post-EW

Summary: If you said the word "brother" to Duo Maxwell, he'd think of the other pilots.If you said, "no, your long-lost brother" to Duo Maxwell, he'd think of Solo and be very confused.If you said, "no, your twin brother you were separated from at birth, and he's now working with the Preventers as a lawyer" to Duo Maxwell, he would go and punch his doppelganger.Duo Maxwell isn't good at dealing with things, but unfortunately this particular thing isn't going to go away that easily.

Twenty Kisses (Ch.8/20) by @bobo-is-tha-bomb​

Characters: Heero, Reader

Pairings: Heero x Reader

Rating: Teen and Up

Tags / Warnings: romance, kissing, drabble collection, reader insert

Summary: The prompt for this one was, “unable to open their eyes for a few moments afterwards”  

For the heart I once had (Ch.3/13) by @bobo-is-tha-bomb​

Characters: 5 pilots + Une, Rashid

Pairings: Trowa x OC

Rating: MATURE

Tags / Warnings: romance, drama, angst, violence

Summary:  The discovery of a young woman in a basement leads to a dive in Trowa's past, the Barton Foundation, and a promise he made at the age of thirteen. Who is this woman and how is she related to Quatre? The criminal that kept the woman locked up is arrested, but she is far from safe. Trowa does his best to honor his promise, but will he be able to protect her when a assassin is send after her?

The Sexy Heero Files (Ch.6/?) by @bobo-is-tha-bomb​

Characters: Heero, Reader

Pairings: Heero x Reader

Rating: EXPLICIT

Tags / Warnings: lemon, PWP, reader insert, romance

Summary:  Sexy moments with your sexy boyfriend. And you simply can't resist him.

Stand Without Flinching (Ch.18/?) by @angelselene​

Characters: 5 pilots + The Avengers

Pairings:  1x2, 3x4, 5xS, TonyxSteve, WandaxVision

Rating: MATURE

Tags / Warnings:  post-canon, canon divergent, fix-it, GW/MCU crossover, PTSD, found family, slow burn, moral ambiiguity, Tony Stark is Duo’s father

Summary:  For Duo Maxwell, family are the people he has loved and lost and whose names he bears. For Tony Stark, family has always been blood and a name and Howard’s shadow looming over him.

Tornadoes and Constellations by @angelselene​

Characters:  Heero, Duo, Wufei, Une

Pairings: 1x2

Rating: MATURE

Tags / Warnings:  post-canon, Preventers, violence

Summary:  Heero read the employee handbook and regulations cover-to-cover, so had Duo, but neither of them had thought that the nonfraternization policy would apply to them when they joined the Preventers. It takes six months before they convince Une to let them undermine the policy and partner. Drama and shenanigans ensue. –companion fic to Stand Without Flinching but reads well as a stand alone.

Sand and Glass (Ch.1-3/?) by @pineappleglazedham

Characters: Winner and Catalonia families, others

Pairings:  4xD, 1xR

Rating: Teen and Up

Tags / Warnings:  fantasy AU, romance, marriage proposal, forced marriage, family drama, political intrigue

Summary:  After her father's death, Dorothy's position as heir to House Catalonia is called into question. Meanwhile, Quatre abdicates the throne to his eldest sister, leaving himself adrift and seeking purpose. Taking fate into her own hands, Dorothy journeys to Sandrock with a proposal that could shape the rest of the continent for generations to come.

LAM!verse Snippet by @lifeaftermeteor​

Characters: 5 pilots + others

Pairings: 1x2, background 5xR, background Sx11

Rating: General

Tags / Warnings: post-canon, post-EW, slice of life, asexual Duo

Summary: Duo and Heero demonstrate what they do instead of having sex

Fanart

Wufei Chang by @the-efaf-draws

Duo and Wufei by @andythelemon

Duo and Quatre by @tatakaumono

Cat Quatre by @hanryuu

Relena with Hilde and Heero by @gw-lostgeneration

Trowa Barton by @antarespromise

LOTS of stuff by @vin-doodles-gundams

Flashing Lights ficart

Quatre and Duo

Quatre and Duo hug + ficlet

Pensive Duo

Camp Counselor Duo

Duo on watch

Kisses for Quatre

Heero and Duo

Duo on the run

Quatre and Trowa

Other Fanwork

Gunpla and Cosplay

Tallgeese and Wing by @macks-mechas

Tallgeese by @matthewtakthehunch

Headcanons and Discussion

Lightning in Me, a 3x4 playlist by @lifeaftermeteor​

What on earth is going on with the rhino by @laotzusgymshoes

Edits, Scans, and Fun Stuff

Screencap Edit (Une, MIrrorball) by @pineappleglazedham

Gundam Robot testing at Yokohama shared by @dailyhangover

1x2 DJ scan by @cuteciboulette​

@incorrectgundamwingquotes​ keeps making us smile. Some favorites:

Don’t get any ideas

Sub-optimal

So boring

@vin-doodles-gundams is looking for GW RP partners

Scans from Glory of the Losers cleaned up by @disturbed02girl are available in their GOL TAG!  Go check them out

Scans from the  Gundam Wing Complete Operation Newtype Collection Art Book shared by @bobo-is-tha-bomb​

The Gundams (including Epyon)

Other Mobile Suits

Gundam Pilots

OZ Characters

The Girls

Other Characters, part I // part II // part III

Spacecraft

Earth transportation and weaponry

Calendar Events

Cocktail Friday prompts continue over at @gwcocktailfriday​

Post your response on Friday between 3-5PM EDT

This week’s prompt is over here

Summer of Hilde is a go over at @seasons-of-gundamwing​

Event dates run August 16-22

Information and full prompt list is available over here

The next fandom Discord Meet-Up will occur August 29-30

"Official” events will kick off at 9AM EDT and will run till whenever both days. Fans are encouraged to pop in and out as their schedules allow.  Be sure ot follow @lifeaftermeteor​ more info!

Get ready for the 2020 OC October event with @gwoc-october​

Every October we encourage fans to share stories, headcanons, and information about their original characters. Help pick out this year’s prompt list over here.

Note that we have a fandom events calendar over here. Be sure to check it out if you’re looking to participate in future events and let us know if you’re planning one of your own!

[azhefa-archived]

PLOTS AND VERSES I WOULD LOVE TO EXPLORE! feel free to comment or IM me if you’re interested in any. 

THE AZGEDA UPRISING

in my main verse reworking season 3, nia and the ambassadors successfully overthrow lexa leading to a new civil war. during this time roan is in conflict as he has taken back up his duties as the prince. but the queen’s actions goes against what he thinks is best for azgeda. and it also makes him feel his sacrifice had been undone by plunging them back into war. 

ROAN AND ECHO’S RELATIONSHIP BEFORE/WITHOUT PRAIMFAYA

echo and roan had a very complex dynamic which often gets kinda brushed over. but he trusted her more than anyone else in his life. there is a lot of rich history there. after three years apart there is a lot they would have to work through. especially once nia is gone and roan is crowned. they would have to adjust and work through their differences. roan opening up to her about his exile and her about the mountain. 

MAIN VERSE

in general i would love more plots and dynamics in my main canon. i know it’s heavily divergent but it’s fun to explore things differently than seen on the show. i especially love the idea of platonic dynamics where he is married to ryan  (  @softsurvivor​  ). his relationship with ryan makes him grow a great deal and it’s a part of his timeline i rarely get to explore outside of threads with lilly. i’d love to see how it would reflect in his relationships with other people. 

NATBLIDA AU

alternative season 4-5 where the nightblood solution is achieved and is distributed to as many as they can. people of course had to shelter in structures during the wave of praimfaya. but after are left to struggle with survival in eden. 

DURING AND AFTER BUNKER

i personally believe if roan had been in the bunker things would be different, but still dark of course. i’ve always wanted to explore this. whether it’s with my regular canon compliant verse, or one where he is either a solo-champion or a co-champion with octavia. i would love to explore a dynamic between roan and octavia as she does owe him her life. he is the reason she chose the words ‘wonkru.’ it would be interesting to see how it plays out with him surviving and having some sort of role of mentorship/advisory.

[thememcry]

THE POSITIVE & NEGATIVE; Mun & Muse - Meme.

fill out & repost ♥ This meme definitely favors canons more, but I hope OC’s still can make it somehow work with their own lore, and lil’ fandom of friends & mutuals. Multi-Muses pick the muse you are the most invested in atm.

My muse is:   canon / oc / au / canon-divergent ( potentially ) / fandomless

Is your character popular in the fandom?  YES / NO. 

Is your character considered hot™ in the fandom?  YES / NO / IDK.

Is your character considered strong in the fandom?  YES / NO / IDK. (apparently there are youtube comments circulating about how boring or weak aerith is. if an explanation needs be provided for how strong of a woman, character, and fighter she is in her own regard then the point of the character is missed entirely.)

Are they underrated?  YES / NO.

Were they relevant to the main story?  YES / NO.

Were they relevant to the main character?  YES / NO / THEY’RE THE PROTAG.

Are they widely known in their world?  YES / NO.  (the big baddies know of her, the little baddies know to look for her and the heroes just learned of why she’s important).

How’s their reputation?  GOOD / BAD / NEUTRAL.

How strictly do you follow canon?

      it depends entirely on the person / character i’m writing and what verse they’re in. when someone approaches me and doesn’t specify a verse i give them main verse (ff7r) and follow canon as closely as i’d like. but most of my threads diverge from canon for exploration or other purposes. i’m not concerned with how close to canon my aerith is ------obviously i’d like people to hear her voice when i have her speak, or see her performing the actions i have her commit to but i’d also like this interpretation to be my own. so when someone reads a piece of my writing they say oh yes, that’s kay’s aerith definitely.

SELL YOUR MUSE! Aka try to list everything, which makes your muse interesting in your opinion to make them spicy for your mutual.  

      i could make an entire post about all of the things i love about aerith gainsborough on its own, so i’ll try not to let this be too rambly.

      she is such a three-dimensional character and she always has been. people expect just to meet the damsel in distress, to rely on cloud and company to help her out at every twist and turn. square even did a good job selling her appearance: soft pinks, gentle features, and when she was given a voice actor the first few times they always went the route of someone who had a lighter lilt. to the first glance she is very much all of those things. except it’s not all she is.

      aerith wears masks to cover the horrendous things that happened to her as a child: experimentation, the shocking loss of her mother after escaping it, crushing loneliness, an awareness that she was different and nobody around who understood the properties of that difference to explain it to her in a way that didn’t terrify her. she heard the planet, could tell when people passed away and rejoined the lifestream, surrounded by all of these voices yet so fucking alone. and did she let it make her bitter? did she become angry or cold, jaded or cruel? no. aerith is kind and giving without being too self-sacrificing and without making her boring. she’s not as innocent as people are made to believe.

      look at her first interactions with cloud. she flirts mercilessly with him, and then you discover she did it to zack, too. she’s not afraid to express herself in any fashion and she’s unapologetic about how forward and positive she is. despite all of the shitty things that happened to her, she’s still all of these great things. she’s scrappy, she can be a brat (ask the turks!) and she blooms under the cover of oppression that she lives. sure, she’s in a beautiful house with a loving mother figure but she’s in the slums and she’s being watched constantly by some part of the company that wants to see her dissected or worse.

      and she’s divine. no, literally. of course it takes her death for the realization of that divinity to really be understood by the fan base and even by her own party, but once aerith dies she becomes an actual deity. it’s sad that you don’t get her in your party any more but it’s obvious how much she affected everyone she worked with (and even those she didn’t). they spend the rest of the game avenging her, they spend the rest of the game explaining their grief over her loss, promising her death won’t be in vain. and once that’s done? there’s an entire movie where cloud deals with his grief over everything, but mainly his self-appointed guilt over her death. as if he could have changed it? i mentioned to @seraphicwiing​ in a conversation (an au one) about sephiroth and aerith ------he didn’t kill or break her. he gifted her divinity.

      so this sweet flower girl goes from a first appearance damsel in distress to an actual conduit of the planet, watching over her friends and everyone else from the spiritual plane of it. controlling the lifestream itself to rise up and crush back meteor.

      if you don’t like her by this point, it’s a lost cause. honestly, just go play pacman or something.

Now the OPPOSITE, list everything why your muse could not be so interesting (even if you may not agree, what does the fandom perhaps think?).  

      maybe strong female leads aren’t your cup of tea? perhaps you really wanted aerith to maintain her softness and have none of the bite or edge that i argue make her interesting?

      some people want a strong woman to be something like paine in ffx-2, or lightning in ffxiii, or even lulu in ffx itself ... dark and perhaps a bit brooding, angry with someone or something. they can be gentle but they’re mostly a razor sharp edge threatening to slice anyone who tries to get close to them. aerith is arguably a hot take on the stronger female leads ... even compared to tifa. you don’t doubt that a woman who fights with her fists is a tough, bad bitch ... but aerith isn’t physically strong. she’s the image of a princess honestly and that’s just not what some people want to see or deal with.

      arguably her personality can come off a bit strong. she’s snarky and, as i said, a tease. she can be bratty from time to time and that can absolutely be read as irritating, especially to someone whose looking for negative personality traits to focus on at a first glance.

      and a lot of people just see her as a love interest to cloud. and she is, i won’t deny that. it’s been further addressed in the remake with her dream sequence that cloud absolutely has feelings for her. it dredges up the age-old argument from 1997 of: tifa or aerith. why does it have to be or? why can’t he love them both in different ways? or the same way? it’s not like aerith has a lot of time to be the love interest, anyway. we all know how disc 1 ended, by this point.

      perhaps people see her end-game divinity as a deus-ex mechanic. sure, it kind of it. but the game never hid its intentions of why aerith was there. she was always special, we just didn’t know how. she always had holy, we just didn’t know what it meant at the time. but it does seem a bit convenient that right as the meteor is going to crush midgar ------here comes the lifestream, holding it back so holy can stop it! wow, amazing! darn that aerith and her connection to the planet. how awful. maybe cloud could have just braver’d it.

What inspired you to rp your muse?  

      i love her. it’s just that simple. she’s so complex and so different from other characters i tend to gravitate toward. she has a darkness but she’s good, genuinely. i usually go for people who are deeply seeded in some kind of trauma, or are just generally a piece of shit. and aerith certainly has her trauma, but she’s risen above it. she chooses to live her life as much as she can before the ultimate doom clock ticks to 0, you know?

      i admire her beauty. not just her physical beauty (and she is), but the beauty of her as a person. i wish i could be as endlessly positive as she is, even faced against such awful odds. i wish i could be the kind of person who surrounds themselves with people who love them, despite their flaws. but i am very much the opposite of aerith.

      i consider myself endlessly lucky to be a mouthpiece of some kind of version of her. this is a character i’ve had a connection to since i was like, 7 or 9 (and i’m 30 now). the very fact that i get to log in every day and express some form of this wonderful character keeps me connected to her. she has a loud voice in my head, and i think she always had. i think that remake just re-lit the flame for her.

      i wrote her a long time ago, during myspace rp days. but we all know how myspace ended. so i choose to write her now because it feels right. and i really do enjoy having someone who shines so brightly in my head.

What keeps your inspiration going?  

      the same as everyone else, i think: music, clips of the character, art of her ... but mostly? my writing partners. i wouldn’t be anywhere without the people in this site who come to me every day with an interest in my interpretation of aerith. i never expected so many lovely humans to want to see what i can do with her. but i have people dm’ing me on discord every day with ideas or thoughts, with musings or what-if’s ... and it really just keeps this muse so alive for me.

      even though i have a backlog of drafts and inbox things to answer, i can know that they will get done ... it’s just up to me as a human to write things out.

Some more personal questions for the mun.

Give your mutuals some insight about the way you are in some matters, which could lead them to get more comfortable with you or perhaps not.

Do you think you give your character justice?  YES / NO. 

Do you frequently write headcanons?  YES / NO.

Do you sometimes write drabbles?  YES / NO.  (i’d prefer to write out a reply to a solo drabble).

Do you think a lot about your Muse during the day? YES / NO. 

Are you confident in your portrayal?   YES / NO. 

Are you confident in your writing?  YES / NO.

Are you a sensitive person?  YES / NO.

Do you accept criticism well about your portrayal?

      in the proper context. i don’t want someone coming on here and telling me i play aerith wrong because it’s not what she would do canon. that’s cool, i don’t write her strictly canon. but if i’m having doubts and i ask for the feedback, i’m open to it.

Do you like questions, which help you explore your character?  

      always. i am 100% always accepting development questions.

If someone disagrees to a headcanon of yours, do you want to know why?  

      nope. i don’t care if you agree with my headcanons or not. i’m sure there are people who don’t like that i have a ship with a sephiroth, or a reeve, or that i’ve had her mess around with rufus or biggs. i’m sure there are people who despise the way i make her speak to people ... and that’s fine. they’re allowed to. but this is my interpretation of aerith and so far i’m loving everything that i’ve gotten to do with her. especially those things that include character building with others.

If someone disagrees with your portrayal, how would you take it?

      they’re allowed to disagree. they’re also not beholden to follow me. i won’t be upset if they unfollow me. it’s their comfort, after all. and i’d rather spend time on here enjoying myself than either having someone voice their dislike of my interpretation or get vocal about how they’re uncomfortable.

If someone really hates your character, how do you take it?  

      people have really hated aerith since 1997. they’re allowed to have their silly opinions of her. and i’m allowed not to entertain them.

Are you okay with people pointing out your grammatical errors?  

      please do. i’m human and i make mistakes. i’d love to fix them.

Do you think you are easy going as a mun?  

      yes, but i’ve had people mention that i seem a little unapproachable. please approach me. if you want to write with me let me know. if you want to chat ooc with me talk to me. i promise i’m an absolute dimwit on my side of the screen. i’m spacy but i try to be as nice and welcoming as possible. somehow i’ve conned a few friends out of this rpc already with my idiocy, so please please please come chat with me.

That’s about it, congrats for filling out!

[rbeljedi]

v: no one’s ever really gone // the rise of skywalker

info dump for my TROS pre- and post- movie verse* || CREATED APR ‘19

*This info is subject to change as more information about the movie comes out. 

        This verse continues off my canon divergent Last Jedi verse.  Info found here

Main Story: Following the events of The Last Jedi, Luke has rejoined the Resistance, though he attempts to keep his presence among the Resistance forces a secret.  He wants the galaxy to believe he is dead-- especially Kylo Ren and the First Order.   While Luke does venture on elite missions at General Organa-Solo’s instruction; he is not a military man, and reports only to Leia (he also can and will disregard her orders if he doesn’t agree; he’s a civilian after all, and a supposedly dead one at that).  

In the meantime, he spends most of his time with Rey, who he has formally taken on as an apprentice.  It is through Rey that Luke is trying to pass on his knowledge of the Force-- not of the Jedi Order.  Luke wants Rey to learn to stand on her own feet, without relying on a legacy or bloodline to feel special, and to arrive at the conclusion that she is special simply because she lives, and exists, as is true for all beings across the galaxy. 

This is Luke Skywalker’s understanding of the Force, and his personal school of thought.  When he previously taught at the Academy, he kept closer to the ways of the Old Order and through this he discovered how he and the Jedi before him had failed.  Now he teaches Rey what he has learned through his own experiences and failures; hoping to impart on her a way to find answers for herself, rather than relying on dusty old masters to provide them.

In this way, Luke has finally fulfilled his destiny to be the first of the new Jedi; not because he himself has been able to achieve that enlightenment, but because his teachings (the new teachings) will be passed on to Rey, that she can take them out to others amongst the galaxy.  Rey, as Luke Skywalker’s apprentice and with her Jedi lineage tracing through Luke, not through something as trivial as blood but by her tutelage in the ways of the Force, is what makes her a Skywalker-- and soon, a Jedi in her own right.

[sorrowfulsidekick]

To Kit: You sound like you just popped out of Ricky Martin after 9 months in thFFj%/[^4>1:÷#0;swt# Hey Kit! Ignore all of that. Have a good day, little buddy! Big bro loves you! — From Not Robotnik Tails! ☆

There’s a long stretch of dead air.

“ Who's. . . Ricky Martin ? ” More silence followed by the tapping of digital keys. “ Huh? I still don’t… ”

Whatever, he shakes his head. The start of the message was obviously Robotnik ( by its senile nature and well, blatant digital footprint ) so he’ll ignore it just as he has been ignoring the old man in person. There’s a soft snort at the absurdity of it all but something about the ending of the missive urged the boy to reread it again and again. Big bro loves you. He… wasn’t use to all this doting yet. It all felt unreal. Putting the tablet aside he simply sighs, eyes flitting about the dark room. A smile creeps on the little face. Ugh, okay, he’ll get out of bed today. There was just no resisting- he had to go shadow his ‘big bro’. Maybe he could explain the joke to him while they were at it.

[sorrowfulsidekick]

" . . .Really ? I'd like that. I-if you did, I mean. "

❝Oh, well, I mean... I-I guess I'd maybe be willing to give the holiday crap a try this year...!❞

[redarw]

I need to work on making more verses since I need more, but for now this is what I have.

MAIN VERSE (pre-52 canon)

After the death of his father in a forest fire, Roy was taken in by a Navajo man named Brave Bow, who raised him as a son and taught him archery. When Brave Bow died, Roy was taken in as Green Arrow’s partner Speedy, where he went on to become a founder of the Teen Titans. After some trouble with a heroin addiction, Roy went his own way focusing on Titans work before going solo after the team disbanded, where he took up work with the DEA, eventually joining CBI and Checkmate as an agent and spy. 

While on assignment with Checkmate, Roy hooked up with the assassin Jade Nguyen, which led to him fathering a daughter, Lian. With the help of Dick Grayson, Roy found Lian on her first birthday and took her in and briefly moved to Ireland to focus on being a father, before moving to LA where he took up work as a private detective.

After his return to Checkmate, Roy was forced to take up leadership of the Titans, where he took on the name Arsenal as he led his own group. Eventually, he left Checkmate after he found himself being manipulated by them one too many times. After mentoring a new group of Titans, he eventually reformed the original Titans as a new team.

After the death of one of his best friends and on-and-off romantic interest Donna Troy, the Titans were once again disbanded much to Roy’s dismay. Insisting that they’d do better on a team, Roy formed a new group of Outsiders which he co-led with Dick Grayson, citing that they could do more work working with strangers. Eventually, Roy left the Outsiders, finding that working from the shadows and edge wasn’t for him.

Eventually, Roy joined the Justice League, where he took on the name Red Arrow to honor the family name, before reforming the Titans once again as well. He currently lives in New York, splitting his team between the JL and Titans as well as focusing on being a father.

CHECKMATE VERSE (canon divergent)

His life as Red Arrow was going great, Roy thought nothing could ruin it, until his past came back to haunt him. Thinking he was done with Checkmate for good when he left them, he didn’t think they’d come back, and blackmail him into working for them. For the sake of protecting his loved ones, Roy has to give up being a superheroics to work for them, even if he doesn’t want to this time, and the worst part about it is that he isn’t allowed to tell anyone, which causes him to distance himself from everyone.

CONVERGENCE (pre-52, post-Rise and Fall)

After the loss of his arm and brief loss of his daughter, Roy found himself lost and without a purpose, losing himself for a while and falling the lowest he ever has. Eventually, he comes to his senses, and tries to find purpose in something, which is why starts up Lian’s Place, an orphanage and children’s home to do something positive for the community, and to try and find himself again, while also trying to start a new team of Titans to redeem the team’s name after the events of Titans: Villains for Hire.

YOUNG JUSTICE VERSE

As Green Arrow’s partner Speedy, Roy always dreamed of joining the Justice League. When the sidekicks formed their own team, Roy was reluctant to join, citing that they weren’t being properly inducted into the League. Working alone for months, he was determined to uncover a mole within the team, before finding out the mole was actually himself-- a clone made by Cadmus of the original Roy Harper. For five years, Roy worked trying to find the original Roy Harper, even marrying the assassin and fathering a daughter with her. Eventually, with her help, he finally found the original Roy, which led him to focusing his life on raising his daughter. He now operates his own company, Bowhunter Security, as Will Harper and splits his time between being a semi-retired superhero.

[adamarinayu]

🎼 donald

So because I’d been at work all day, I hadn’t actually listened to any music when you made this request. As such I decided to listen to music while I napped, and when I woke up whatever song was playing I decided would be the one I wrote this for.

And oh. Oh man. I couldn’t choose just one verse so I did the thing I typically do not do; it’s a proper “song fic,” and I’m gonna divide scenes up between lines/stanzas/sections/whatever of the song. (The chorus will only be used once) I’m so sorry if it seems like this got off track but this is what I came up with.

Wanna make something clear right now: Although I, obviously, do not agree with Vic Mignogna’s views, I don’t deny that he’s a good singer and VA. Just emphasizing that I don’t agree with him and me listening to some of his songs does not mean I do.

How can I repay you, brother mine? How can I expect you to forgive? Clinging to the past, I shed our blood, and shattered your chance to live.

She refused to give it up. Adventure was her lifeblood- even the three children she had given life to weren’t enough to keep her away.

“I’m an adventurer, Donald!” she had said when he begged her not to go with Scrooge. “Just because I’m a mother now doesn’t make that any less true.”

“At least wait until they’re older,” he had pleaded, but she still went. Within forty-eight hours, Della was gone for good and Donald became the sole provider for three little ducklings.

He blamed Scrooge. He blamed Della. He blamed himself. He stepped up, sacrificing his own dreams of sailing the seven seas and exploring the world on his boat in order to raise his nephews.

Scrooge didn’t call. Neither did Donald.

Though I knew the laws, I paid no heed. How can I return your wasted breath? What I did not know has cost you dear, for there is no cure for death.

Sometimes Donald wondered, if he had just gone on that last adventure with them- just asked Grandma, or Fethry, or even Gladstone, to watch the kids for a few days- if Della would have come home with them. Maybe Donald wouldn’t have returned, instead- but then the boys would have their mother, at least.

There was nothing he could do about it now. Only regret. Regret what could have, should have been, and do his best to raise her children in her stead.

“What was mom like?” they would ask as they grew up, and he wouldn’t know how to answer. He wasn’t even sure he knew, anymore.

She loved you. But not enough to stay. She didn’t mean to leave. But it was still her choice to go. She loved her family more than anything. Yet she still left her month-old ducklings home with her brother to go traipsing halfway across the world.

What could he possibly tell them? What could he say that wouldn’t make it sound like he blamed her? So all he said was, “She’s gone. She loved you very much.” He didn’t tell them anything more than that.

He couldn’t bring her back, after all.

And how can I make amends for all that I took from you? I led you with hopeless dreams, my brother, I was a fool.

“Together when we hatched, together when we die.”

That had been their motto- they were two, a duo, never one without the other. Partners, partners in crime, peas in a pod, a package deal.

Born together, die together. Twins, together from start to end. That was why they became adventurers with their uncle in the first place- she his pilot, he his sailor. They would always be together, even while the dreams of their future began to diverge.

He wanted to go on a solo trip- not forever. Not for good. Just one solo trip, sailing the ocean and seeing the world through his own eyes, rather than his uncle or sister’s. Similarly, Della wanted to fly solo- just once. A stint around the world, touring and seeing the world the way she alone could.

They promised that when they finally made those solo trips, when it was over they’d meet up at Ithaquack- he in his boat and she in her plane. They’d be in contact the entire time, maybe even end up in the same place at the same time, and they talked about it often- so often that Scrooge started to get annoyed by their lack of action.

They had decided, we’ll do it for sure this year.

Then she got pregnant and they never had the chance. She was gone, more than one promise broken, and he was left to pick up the pieces.

Don’t cry for the past now, brother mine. Neither you nor I are free from blame. Nothing can erase the things we did, for the path we took was the same.

He spent night after night out on the deck of his boat, staring up at the moon and begging for a miracle. He just wanted her back- was it really so much to ask?

If he could go back in time, he’d do it in a heartbeat. Donald imagined stopping her- changing the flow of time, preventing his present no matter how much he loved those three ducklings. Maybe if she knew the fate awaiting her, she’d choose not to go…

But Donald knew he was wrong. Della would never give up an adventure, not the way Donald would. She loved her family, but the call of adventure was so much stronger for her than it was for Donald. He couldn’t understand her.

She became a mother by happenstance. He became their father by necessity. She was gone. He was there.

That’s all there was to it.

Beautiful mother, soft and sweet, once you were gone we were not complete. Back through the years we reached for you, alas ‘twas not meant to be.

The children stopped asking about her when they were seven. Whether they realized he wouldn’t- couldn’t- tell them more or they just decided not to ask anymore, Donald wasn’t sure.

They were smart children- too smart. Somehow they had figured out that when Donald said gone, he really meant dead. They didn’t tell him this, though. He overheard them one night when they were nine. He had stopped by their room, just to check on them as they went to bed, and overheard Huey leading his brothers in their bedtime prayer. It was the standard prayer- watch over us while we sleep so we are safe through the night, take care of our loved ones, such things as that.

But then…

“And please let Mom know we love her and hope that she’s happy up in Heaven.”

His blood ran cold and his heart skipped a beat. His eyes immediately began to burn and he backed away from the door. How had they known? He never said anything, and a quick internet search had proven Scrooge had all but erased Della’s existence from the public eye.

How could they have pieced it together? And how had they accepted it so easily- she was their mother. Donald was still torn up about it- yet the way Huey had said it, it sounded like it was just a fact of life.

That was when it hit Donald- for the triplets, it was a fact of life.

They never knew Della, after all.

My dreams made me blind and mute. I long to return to that time. I followed without a word, my brother the fault is mine.

It wasn’t until years later, when the boys were almost teenagers, that Donald came to the realization that Scrooge blamed himself just as much as Donald did, despite denying any blame whatsoever.

“I asked her tae come,” Scrooge confessed when they were trapped, alone, in a cavern. Donald couldn’t see his face, but his voice was no more than a whisper. “She came with me because I asked her tae.”

“I know,” Donald told him simply, staring towards what he knew was a wall. “She told me.”

“I think she wanted tae go home. She didn’t say anything- just kept up with the adventure… but I think she was worried about ye with the kids.” It was so full of guilt that Donald almost felt bad for his uncle. “I pretended not tae notice. Maybe… she’d still be here if I had put adventure aside for once.”

“She loved adventure,” Donald said, almost as if on autopilot. “She didn’t say anything. You had no way of knowing for sure.”

“I should have asked.”

“What-if doesn’t change what happened, Uncle Scrooge. She made a choice, we all have to live with it.”

His chest was hurting and his eyes were burning as he said it, but they both knew he was right. Della made her choice, and while that didn’t absolve Donald or Scrooge of any guilt…

It certainly reminded Donald exactly who his sister was; a strong, independent, adventurous and loving person.

He missed her so much.

So where do we go from here? And how to forget and forgive? What’s gone is forever lost. Now all we can do is live.

Years passed in the blink of an eye, and Donald turned around one day just to realize his (Della’s) little boys were all grown up.

They were roughhousing together with Webby, each of them wearing dark, but light-weighted, clothing as they prepared for their highschool graduation.

Donald was so proud of all of them, and silently wished that Della could be here to witness this moment.

They had found out the truth years ago, and after some… drama surrounding it, they had accepted it (again) and moved forward in their lives. Huey was now off to university to study geology, aiming for a PHD even though he intended to make his home inside the higher ranks of the Junior Woodchucks leadership. Dewey was off to flight school, just like his mother twenty years before him, and intended to return to adventuring once he was finished. Louie was off to a prestigious arts academy, having received a full scholarship when the headmaster attended his school’s art show and saw the family portrait that Louie had spent nearly a month painting on a large canvas. Webby was following her grandmother’s footsteps, already well on her way to climbing through the ranks of SHUSH, and she wasn’t even eighteen yet.

“Ye know,” Scrooge started as he stood next to Donald, leaning on his cane (the years were starting to catch up to him, Donald suspected), “it’s never too late tae live your dream, lad.”

Donald didn’t look at his uncle, instead watching his kids celebrate together. Launchpad would be driving them all to the highschool soon, for the graduation ceremony, and Donald already knew he was going to cry when they walked across that stage.

“I already did,” he said, smiling. Yes, he realized, somewhere along the way his dream had changed- those children were his, there was no point in denying it. All he wanted was to see them blossom and live happy lives. Right then, he could see they were as happy as they could be.

“… But I wouldn’t mind sailing around the world, still.”

Scrooge just laughed, patting his nephew on the back.

Some things never changed.

[gloreify]

                                                    VERSES

                thor

follows the events of the film. some canon divergence may occur. 

#( 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 ) ... verse.

               dark world

follows the events of the film. some canon divergence may occur.

#( 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 ) ... verse.

               ragnarok 

follows the events of the film. some canon divergence may occur.

#( 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 ) ... verse.

               avengers

follows the events of the film. some canon divergence may occur.

#( 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰 ) ... verse.

               avengers au / civil war + solo movies compliant

loki is captured by avengers and put under a sort of house arrest. after a probation period, he’s integrated into the team to make use of his resources, skills, and in the hopes of keeping a close eye on the trickster.

#( 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 ) ... verse.

               loki series

general tva verse. loki won’t be shipped with any sylvie romantically. some canon divergence may occur.

#( 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 ) ... verse.

              cowboy loki au

western themed alternate universe. 

#( 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐲 ) ... verse.

             disney prince loki au

yeah...

#( 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 ) ... verse.

            ww2 au

depending on the thread and partner, loki is either in hiding on midgard during the war or he’s a non-powered mortal. after enlisting into the army, he’s trained as a medic for the british forces. some alterations to this verse might be added if writing within captain america’s 1940′s timeline. 

#( 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 ) ... verse.

            plotted verses

           the  one  where  loki  has  pissed  somebody  off,  so  he  goes  to  hide  out  on  midgard  &  runs  into  a  widow  with  a slight problem.  her  husband  has  up  and  died  without  leaving  his  estate  to  her  after  his  untimely  demise.  edith  being  a  clever  heroine  that  lands  on  her  feet  makes  a  bargain  with  the  god  of  mischief  who  bares  striking  resemblance  to  her  dearly  departed.  in  order  to  save  allerdale  hall  once  &  for  all!  the  two  enter  into  an  arrangement  that  keeps  them  both  happy.  loki  will  pose  as  baron  thomas  sharpe  in  name  as  heir  to  the  estate  &  put  his  darling  wife’s  name  on  all  the  legal  papers  should  anything  unfortunate  occur  to  him  in  future  &  edith  will  allow  her  guest  a  household  to  hide  out  comfortably  until  the  heat’s  off  his  most  recent  transgression.  after  the  legal  matter  is  stamped  &  loki’s  foes  lose  the  scent,  they  shall  part  ways  having  benefited  equally.  

           the  only  hiccup  to  the  duo’s  scheme?  well  there’s  a  few.  allerdale  hall  still  has  one  or  two  wicked  spirits  that  won’t  let  old  sins  rest  &  those  foes  that  can’t  find  the  prince  of  trickery  won’t  forgive  and  forget  so  easily.  nevermind  that  playing  a  happily  married  couple comes  with  its  own  set  of  complications. . .

#( 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐝 & 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐝 ) ... verse. 

           being  childhood  companions,  echo  &  loki  formed  a  bond  from  the  day  loki  became  echo’s  sole  sparring  partner.  the  others  shunning  both  young  trainees  until  echo  bested  the  prince.  loki  admired  her  lack  of  restraint  &  the  two  continued  to  train  together  for  years.  forming  a  bond  over  time,  they  were  still  as  different  as  the  sun  &  moon  though  both  beat  their  own  path  within  the  asgardian  society.  often  finding  solace  together  and  revealing  softer  sides  to  their  armored  skin  when  away  from  courtly  life.  it  was  because  of  this  affinity  perhaps  that  echo’s  father  &  odin  struck  a  contract  to  have  the  two  wed  &  join  their  houses  for  good.  advantages  to  the  union  would  be  reaped  as  most  political  contracts  served  to  do.  asgard  would  appear  diplomatic  in  its  strategic  alliance  &  echo’s  home  realm  would  provide  a  revenue  of  goods.  

           as  for  the  two  outcasts,  they  laughed  off  the  betrothal  &  always  promised  themselves  to  find  a  way  out  of  it  someday  ---  even  if  it  meant  running  away  together,  such  was  the  unusual  nature  of  their  friendship.   as  the  years  grew  longer,  and  their  ambitions  led  them  farther  down  the  path  of  their  secret  agreement,  echo  begins  training  to  become  a  valkryie  &  forge  her  independent  destiny  without  ties  to  the  prince.  feeling  somehow  betrayed  and  abandoned,  loki  is  set  adrift  without  his  partner  in  crime.  &  when  the  truth  of  his  origins  come  out,  the  wounds  inflicted  on  his  pride  only  cement  into  a  deep  scar.

#( 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐈❜𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 ) ... verse.

           variant  L-587612  escaped  his  holding  cell  &  swiped  a  tempad  from  an  unguarded  agent’s  desk.  in  a  hurry,  he  set  the  door  to  open  on  midgard.  location:  new  jersey,  2023.  once  loki  stepped  through  the  passage,  his  memory  went  blank.  he  was  muted  and  replaced  with  a  fictional  identity,  a  kenneth  morton  resident  of  the  idyllic  westview.  sucked  into  the  programing  controlled  by  wanda,  loki  is  put  under  the  scarlett  witch’s  massive  illusion.  cast  in  the  role  of  a  charming  businessman  married  to  geraldine  in  the  wandavision  show.

           his  magic  is  drawn  to  the  traces  of  ancient  sources  that  fill  the  town.  while  on  the  outside  he  plays  his  part  in  the  series,  internally  he  struggles  to  break  free  of  the  spell.  he  isn’t  the  only  one  reluctant   to  play  along  without  a  fight:  his  dearest  partner  in  the  scenes  appears  to  shake  free  of  the  mind  control  from  time  to  time  as  well.  will  they  struggle  through  to  the  series  finale,  or  is  a  series  restructure  in  order  for  the  captivating  television  phenomena?  tune  in  each  week  to  find  out!

#( 𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐯𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 ) ... verse.

x

[ranwing]

Kadam Fic: Learning To Fly (6/?)

Title: Learning to Fly Series: A New Direction (was Season Four Remix) Pairing(s), Characters(s): Kadam, Kurt Hummel, Adam Crawford, Burt Hummel, Rachel Berry, Santana Lopez, Carmen Tibideaux, Cassandra July, Artie Abrams, Tina Cohen-Chang, Elliot “Starchild” Gilbert, Dani, Adam’s Apples, Original Characters Rating: PG13 Genre(s): canon divergence. Parts: 6/? Summary: As another school year starts at NYADA, Kurt seemed to have it all. The respect of his teachers, a group of wonderful friends and best of all, getting to live with the man that he’d come to love. So of course the universe would throw a few curve balls in his direction. 

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five

On AO3

With the end of the semester on the horizon, the students of NYADA began to work themselves into their usual early winter tizzy. There were written tests to sit for and mid-winter critiques and evaluations to endure. Days were spent in brutal practices to make sure that their skills were up to the high standards demanded or studying the finer elements of the lessons that their professors had been trying to impart on them for the better part of a semester.

The invites for the Winter Showcase were distributed and if Kurt held any real disappointment that he did not get an invite this year, it was certainly tempered by the fact of just how busy he was. With all his classes and exams he had to prepare for, plus the rehearsal schedule for Les Miz, he was rather grateful to not have another demand placed on his already strained schedule. Even Rachel had merely shrugged at not getting an invite and put her focus on preparing for her dance critique since that was still her weakest area.

The upper classmen were fortunate in some ways, Kurt considered. Despite the heavy burden of work that they had to shoulder as the semester wound down and the elevated expectations of them, he and his classmates already knew what was expected of them and had already shown that they could rise to the occasion. For the freshmen, however, it was a harsh reminder of just what they had let themselves in for by pursuing an education at this particular conservatory. It wasn’t unusual to see one of the younger students running out of a classroom in tears because they were so completely overwhelmed by what was demanded of them.

Which was the reason that he found himself in the Starbucks near school one afternoon after his last class, plying a freshman with hot chocolate and cookies and trying to help her regain her lost composure. Meredith Calvanico was a rarity in Kurt’s estimation. A voice and theater major like himself who had not been put off by the relatively low reputation of the Apples and found in their group a respite from the intense pressure that everyone at NYADA endured. She was talented, but very level-headed and didn’t use her talents to look down on others. Kurt very much appreciated her down to earth nature.

She’d been nicknamed “Merry” by the older Apples an account of her perpetually cheerful disposition and her deep love of all things Tolkien, but she wasn’t living up to her nickname at the moment. The young woman was rather distraught at how she felt her voice critique had gone and knowing Madam Tibideaux the way he’d come to, he doubted that their professor left any doubt as to her opinion of Merry’s efforts.

“I just don’t know what I’m doing wrong,” she said morosely, clutching her cup in both hands as if to comfort herself. “I’m doing everything that she’s told me to do all semester but it doesn’t seem to be working.”

“I’m sure it can’t be that bad,” Kurt said smoothly, sipping at his coffee. He was quite aware of how melodramatic theater students tended to be and it was easy to blow even the most constructive criticism well out of proportion. He certainly was guilty of that on more than a few occasions. “I know that she can be really harsh, but she’s always looking to help us be better performers.”

Merry looked up at Kurt with tears in her dark eyes. “She told me that I was wasting my time and hers. I don’t think that there’s a whole lot of room for creative interpretation there.”

Kurt was well versed in handling Rachel when she got into moods like this and had a pretty good idea of how to help Merry cut through her own hurt to see what was really going on. “What exactly did she say?” he asked kindly, knowing that the young girl very much needed to recognize what she was really being told behind the harshly worded critique. “What were you singing?”

Merry sighed and took a moment to think back. “I did ‘Always a Bridesmaid’,” she said. “I’d done it before in high school and it was always received well. I tend to better with character roles since I’m not your traditional lead type.”

Kurt frowned slightly at that self-assessment. It was true that Merry wasn’t conventionally beautiful. She was tall and gangly with a long, solemn face and tended to dress in jeans and hooded sweatshirts that wouldn’t have looked out of place in Finn’s wardrobe. She would benefit from a bit of makeup and having her dark blond hair styled in a more flattering manner than the scraggly ponytail she tended to wear it in, but he hadn’t managed to figure out a way to suggest the possibility of a makeover without insulting her. With her height and severe features, she could be a striking presence and she had a gorgeous contralto voice that would lend itself easily to a wide range of roles, both lead and supporting.

“So I did my solo and I thought I did it really well,” Merry insisted. “But Madam Tibideaux ripped into everything. She didn’t like my choice of song or my demeanor or anything. And that if I want to content myself at being nothing more than a second-tier player, there’s no need for me to attend a place like NYADA.”

The young girl looked down in her cup, completely dejected. “Maybe I’m not cut out to be here,” she said despondently. “I was shocked that I even got admitted. I mean, it was crazy that I even applied since It’s not like I ever got leads in high school so maybe they made a mistake.”

Kurt didn’t think so, but he kept that thought to himself for a moment as he considered what Merry had told him. It seemed that Merry’s experiences mirrored his own in some ways; stuck in supporting roles and never given the opportunity to shine on their own before arriving at NYADA. But whereas he had started to discover his real worth as a performer with his trial by fire audition, Merry still apparently saw herself as being only worthy of supporting roles.

Come to think of it, Kurt couldn’t remember her ever trying to take the lead during an Apples number. At first he’d thought it was because she was new and because their rehearsals had been so infrequent the past few weeks. Now he was starting to think there was a more significant reason.

“Merry, I think I get what Madam Tibideaux is driving at,” he proposed. “I know that she can sound really brutal, but you really need to pay attention to what she’s trying to tell you. I don’t think that she wasn’t saying that you don’t deserve to be at NYADA. She was saying just the opposite.”

Merry blinked back her tears. “What do you mean?” she asked. “I thought that she was pretty clear. I totally suck.”

Kurt offered her a reassuring smile. “One thing I learned here is that you need to have a really think skin, and be able to take criticism with a clear mind otherwise you’ll never survive. Are you taking dance with Ms. July?”

Merry’s nose wrinkled in distaste. “She calls me Olive Oyl.”

Kurt couldn’t help from chuckling sympathetically. “That’s not too bad. My nickname isn’t a whole lot better,” he confided. “But what does she say about your actual dancing?”

Merry shrugged offhandedly. “She’s harsh on everyone. I get complaints about my posture and balance mostly, and the fact that I’m so tall that it’s hard to find someone to partner me. Otherwise it’s a lot of nitpicking.”

Kurt nodded approvingly. “That’s good. She’ll always be extra critical about form, but if she’s not going on about you working hard and not picking up things quickly enough then you’re really doing well,” he explained. “Who she goes after the hardest are the people who don’t give her the effort regardless of their talent levels. You can be the best dancer in the world, but if you’re just coasting along she’ll happily gut you and leave you bleeding on the floor.

“Madam Tibideaux is the same in some ways, although she’s a bit more refined in how she does it,” he advised. “When I was struggling to see why I deserved to be at NYADA, she gave me a bit of tough love and explained that she picks students on the basis of the potential for growth she sees in them. Not necessarily because they were big stars in their old schools. It didn’t matter what I was before. All that mattered was that I was fulfilling her expectations and becoming what she thought I could be.”

Merry blinked in surprise at his confession. “I can’t imagine you not being a big star before NYADA,” she said softly. “When I saw you at the showcase when we were auditioning… you were amazing.”

Kurt smiled at her gently. “I was the strange gay kid with a high-pitched voice and no real formal training,” he explained. “My old show choir leader didn’t seem to know what to do with me most of the time and apparently couldn’t imagine me as a soloist. He worked out that I sounded great when I was singing with the girls, or when he wanted a brighter tone with the boys. But every time we had a show or a competition, I was in the background. That doesn’t do much for your confidence, especially when my first attempt to get into NYADA was rejected.”

Merry was silent for a few moments as she absorbed what she was being told. “I wouldn’t have thought that,” she insisted. “You’ve always struck me as being so self-assured.”

Kurt nodded. “I’m learning to be,” he corrected. Those lessons had not come easy and he wasn’t ashamed to admit, at least to himself, that he still struggled at times.

“I’m not going to lie… it’s not easy,” he admitted. “I’ve always felt like I had to fight to get any kind of positive attention and it never amounted to anything. But I had to decide that I deserved to be in the spotlight and demand it for myself. I deserve to be here and one day, I will get the kind of roles that I’ve always dreamed of.”

Merry looked uncertain, apparently understanding what he was trying to tell her but not really accepting it. Kurt knew that he would have to turn the discussion around so that she could see what he was trying to explain from her perspective.

“Tell me… if you could be cast in any role you wanted, what would it be?” he asked, giving her a reassuring smile. “Your dream role… the kind that you have to pinch yourself if you ever got it.”

Merry’s cheeks heated, as if embarrassed with herself that she had even dared to imagine this for herself. “Evita,” she murmured, looking down at her cup to avoid his stare.

He felt a smile cross his face at her confession. “Honey, that would be such a great part of you,” Kurt insisted gently. “You would be amazing in that role.”

“Are you kidding me?” Merry demanded almost angrily, as if she thought he was mocking her. “Evita is strong and glamorous and look at me! I’m ugly and….”

“You are not ugly, Merry,” Kurt said firmly. He realized that he was dealing with some pretty serious self-esteem issues and that he needed to shift tactics if he wanted Merry to change how she as seeing things. Take the focus from what she saw as her shortcomings and move them to her strengths.

“Think about who Evita was. She came from absolutely nothing. She was nobody, but became the most powerful and admired woman in Argentina strictly by strength of will,” he reminded her.

Her eyes widened in surprise as his words began to sink in. Kurt saw the shift when what he was trying to get her to see was becoming clearer and he smiled, knowing that he got her.

“Evita never let anyone or anything stand in her way,” he said, reminding her of her favorite character’s story. “All the people who looked down on her and treated her like dirt… she made herself into what she wanted to be. She made herself an actress, then the first lady, and then an icon. All the people who mocked her? They were kissing her feet by the time she was done. Not because she was the most beautiful or the most talented, but because she was smart and driven and would not let anyone or anything stop her from getting what she wanted.

“There’s a big difference between being confident and being a prima donna,” he stated. “We have to be team players and play supporting parts at times. I mean, we both know that expecting to play every lead isn’t reasonable. But there is a big difference between taking a supporting role because we know that’s the best way we can help a production and not going after a lead because we don’t think that we’re good enough. Because if we don’t believe in ourselves, no one else is going to.”

Merry looked at him carefully, mentally weighting out his words. “You really think so?” she asked.

“I know so,” he insisted. “Madam Tibideaux knows that you have it in you to be that kind of performer, which is why she’s being so hard on you. She wants you to fulfill the potential that she saw in you.”

Merry considered what he had told her, pursing her lips thoughtfully. “How do you think I can do that?”

Kurt reached out to squeeze her hand assumingly. “I think that for your next critique, you should walk in there and sing ‘Buenos Aires’ and ‘Rainbow High’. Find Evita’s strength and drive and make it your own. And start showing Madam Tibideaux that she wasn’t wrong about you.”

The young woman inhaled deeply before nodding, a slight smile starting to ease the harsh lines of her features. She really would grow into a remarkably handsome woman once she fully matured, Kurt considered. She just needed a little help to smooth the way.

“I’ll think about it,” she promised. Her brown eyes sparked with a hint of mischief as she looked at the young man who was very much her mentor in these things.

“That’s all I can ask, though I’m going to be very disappointed if you chicken out,” Kurt chuckled as he finished his coffee. His phone chimed for his attention with the tune that indicated a text message from Adam.

“Excuse me,” he requested politely as he keyed in his access code. Seeing the message brought a fond smile to his face and he quickly typed an answer before turning his attention back to Merry, who was giving him a teasing smile.

“Adam?” she guessed, giggling at the flush that colored his cheeks becomingly. At his nod, she took a last bite of cookie and got up from her seat. “I’ll take that as my cue to leave since you obviously have something else to take care of. But thanks… I really will think about what you said.”

“If you need to talk, you have my number,” he reminded Merry. “Don’t be afraid to use it.”

“I won’t,” she promised. “And I’d better head out to do some practice for my dance practical. Since apparently I’m on Ms. July’s good side and I don’t want to waste that.”

Kurt couldn’t help from laughing. “That’s a very wise thing,” he agreed, thinking back to his own critique that morning. Having Ms. July’s favor was definitely something he wanted to hang on to.

* *  *

Adam looked at the laughing men around him, smiling fondly at Ifan’s ribald joke and the way Logan blushed furiously at the teasing regarding the questionable charms, not to mention virtue, of his sweetheart back home. The jokes had taken on a rather morbid tone as the wait for the final orders was coming to an end. The odds were that Logan would never see his girl again, and none of them would see their families. But they had their duty to fulfill.

They heard the whistles and orders for men to line up on the recording of the background noises playing and Adam sighed, knowing that he needed to be strong for them. Swallowing down his own fear, h got to his feet.

“All right lads, let’s get ready,” he ordered gently. The group feel silent as the moment that they’d dreaded had finally arrived. They hurried to put aside their cups and plates and gathered up their rifles, falling into formation.

“Fix bayonets,” he commanded, his voice becoming firmer as he took on his responsibility as their officer.

Adam walked by, making a quick inspection to make sure that they were ready for what faced them. He checked Conrad’s rifle, giving him and exasperated glare at seeing that his bayonet was fastened upside down.

“Billington, at the rate you’re going, I’m afraid that the only German you’re likely to kill is one that died of typus three weeks ago,” he said archly, fixing the weapon and handing it back to the young man. Given that he had been giving the young man sardonic comments like this throughout the play, it was likely to get a laugh from the audience.

But Adam tempered the moment by giving the youngest of them a reassuring clap on the shoulder to remind him that he was among friends. It was a reminder of what they all would be facing very shortly. Ifan gave him a terse smile and Logan just nodded as Adam took his place at the head of the line. As their leader, he would be the first to face the line of fire.

“It’s been good to serve with you, sir,” Logan said softly, not bothering to look at his friend least he lose what composure he was managing to hang on to. The men needed them to be strong. “Good luck up there.”

Adam reached over to grasp his arm, taking comfort that the man he’d come to trust beyond all others would be at his side. “I’ll see you up top, lad,” he promised solemnly as they waited for the final order.

Drawing his sidearm, he tucked his baton under his arm and placed the whistle placed it to his lips and he waited for the final signal. At hearing the shouts and whistles being blown, he blew it loud and piercingly. The men behind him roared as they surged forward, weapons at the ready. They froze in place at the cue where the stage lights would go dark, holding their pose until their director clapped his hands and called a halt.

Mr. Keen looked them over before giving a nod of satisfaction. “All right, everyone. I think that’s enough for today,” he granted. He looked over the group and nodded approvingly. “That was excellent and I think that it’s really coming together now. Really… good work everyone!

“Now tomorrow I want everyone to put their books away. No more falling back on them for reference.”

Adam nodded in agreement, not worried about the increase in pressure that going off book would mean for the cast. They’d been working very cleanly the past few days and very rarely needed to refer to their scripts, but it was a signal that they were edging closer to their premiere date and the demands on the cast would only increase exponentially as they moved forward. By this stage of the process he was very comfortable with his part and the cast was really starting to come together as a cohesive unit. It was time to start fine tuning the staging and character interpretations. Mr. Keen was giving them a good amount of room for them to develop their characters and Adam had some very clear ideas that he wanted to try out for Lieutenant William Strictland.

“Hey Adam… some of the guys were talking about grabbing a pint or two once we get out of here,” Logan confided as they prepared to close rehearsal for the day.

Adam couldn’t help from smiling at his fellow Brit, enjoying the sound of the familiar accent though the actor playing his Sergent was a Liverpool native in contrast to his more London-tinged cadence. “That sounds like a great idea,” he said agreeably. “Let me just check Kurt’s schedule to see what time he’s getting out.”

He checked his calendar where he’d carefully charted out Kurt’s classes and rehearsals to maximize the amount of time that they were able to spend together. The younger man was busy right now with winter critiques on top of his rehearsals and Adam didn’t want to miss out on a moment that he was able to spend with his boyfriend. He was rather pleased when he noted that this would not be one of Kurt’s late nights, but Kurt had his winter dance critique that morning so he might need a bit of comforting.

“Sorry, but Kurt’s free this evening,” he advised with sincere regret. While he enjoyed spending time with his castmates, there was nothing to keep him from Kurt.

“Oh, come on Adam,” Ifan, the sole Welshman in the cast complained. “You skipped out on the last two times.”

“I’m sorry, but I really should head home,” Adam insisted, wanting to hold firm. He enjoyed socializing with the other men in the cast, but his time with Kurt was so limited before they left to start the tour. He didn’t want to miss a single hour of time he could spend with him.

Several of the others made groaning noises and Adam knew that it was noticed that he wasn’t spending enough time outside of work with his castmates. He knew very well that the bonding time they spend outside of the rehearsal room was important given that they would be living in one another’s back pockets for the next few months, but he couldn’t just ditch Kurt on one of the evenings that they had together.

“Why don’t you have Kurt meet us there?” Logan suggested. “We’re not going to make it a late night.”

“That’s a good idea,” Ifan agreed. “Go on… let him know to meet us at St. Andrews.”

“Don’t be a baby,” Nialls, the other English ex-pat in the cast insisted. “My wife’s going to meet us there too. It’s about time you stopped hiding him from us.”

Morgan Fanelli, the oldest member of the cast chimed in, “We promise that we’ll be on our best behavior and won’t scare him off.”

Laughing and knowing that he was beaten, Adam got out his phone and texted Kurt.

Am being kidnapped. Want to meet at St Andrews for a pint and ransom me?

As they were getting their coats on, his phone pinged and he checked for Kurt’s answer.

Sounds like fun. You’re buying.

Relieved that his lover wasn’t put out that their plans for a quiet evening was now going to be drinks and possibly dinner at the pub, treating Kurt was the very least that he could do. His boyfriend had been working so hard lately that Adam felt a bit badly at having so much more free time. While it was nice to be flexible enough to take advantage of Kurt’s rare free time, it was showing rather starkly the shift in going from being a student to a working actor in a show.

“He’ll meet us there,” Adam informed the others, who gave a bit of a cheer that their castmate would not be ditching them yet again. “And I’m sorry… I didn’t realize that I missed so many times.”

“It’s okay,” Nialls insisted, patting Adam on the shoulder. “Cynthia’s been a marvelously good sport, but if I leave her home too often, I might not have a wife to come back to when we’re done.”

“That’s why I’m staying single,” Conrad, the youngest in the cast claimed. “No worries about leaving someone at home and I can take advantage of all the hot girls on the road.”

Logan burst out laughing at the kid’s assumption about what life in the tour might entail. “Oh, like you’re going to have a lot of time or energy to get laid that often,” he claimed. “You can tell this is going to be your first time in a touring show.”

Adam couldn’t help laughing, because it was true. Most of the time, actors in touring productions had to amuse themselves and dating between cast members wasn’t at all unusual simply because they didn’t have the time to explore other options. So long as they remained friendly even when the relationship ended, it was a lot more convenient than trying to hook up in whatever town or city they were visiting. But a straight boy like Conrad in a cast of only male players would find his options very limited.

Conrad was Kurt’s age, but he couldn’t help from feeling that Kurt was miles ahead of him as far as maturity went. He was nice enough, Adam supposed though there was no telling how Conrad would handle the realities of life on the road. Having someone to miss and come home to made the hardships worthwhile, in his estimation. He wanted to have someone to look forward to when this job was done.

They arrived at the pub, which had become their regular hang out joint since rehearsals started. Adam ordered a pint for himself and kept an eye on the door for Kurt. The conversation was easy going as they chatted about how rehearsals were progressing and their preparations for the tour. Adam was already acquainted with Niall’s wife as she had joined them on several occasions before.

He was looking forward to Kurt meeting the rest of the cast and having a chance to showing off his boyfriend a bit. The others would probably give Kurt a bit of light teasing, but he wasn’t at all worried about Kurt not being able to hold his own with the group. Kurt had always been able to give as good as he got and the men that he worked with were a good-natured lot. They wouldn’t take things too far.

Kurt arrived about a half hour after they did, looking tired but still beautiful to Adam. He swept Kurt up into his arms and gave him a warm hug. “How did it go, love?” he asked.

“Brutal,” Kurt admitted. “I need a drink desperately. What are you having?”

“Cider. It’s quite good.”

“That sounds perfect. Can you get me a glass?”

“Right away, love.”

Once Kurt had a pint in his hand and had a chance to refresh himself a bit, Adam introduced him to the other members of his cast and felt a touch of pride at the admiring glances Kurt was getting from a few of the others. Adam knew that he wasn’t the only gay or bi man in their group and he couldn’t help from preening inwardly when he saw the nods of approval and admiration that he had managed to catch someone so spectacular.

Niall’s wife quickly took possession of Kurt’s arm and drew him aside. “It’s nice to finally meet you,” she said sincerely. “I’m glad that I’m not the only plus one anymore.”

“It’s nice to meet you too. Adam’s told me a lot about the cast and I was surprised that one of them was actually married,” he chuckled, taking the barstool next to her. She was a pretty woman a few years his senior, and her auburn hair cut in a very smart pixie style that made her blue eyes look absolutely huge in her delicate heart-shaped face.

“And technically I suppose you can consider us newlyweds,” she chuckled, sipping at her ale.  “We’ll actually be celebrating our first anniversary while they’re in Chicago.”

Kurt couldn’t help from wincing a bit. “Ouch,” he said sympathetically.

Cynthia just shrugged. “I knew what I was letting myself in for when we got together,” she admitted. “You don’t get involved with an actor if you prize stability.”

Kurt couldn’t argue with that assessment. He was very well aware of what his profession entailed.

Cynthia looked over to where her husband was laughing with his castmates and smiled fondly. “Neither of us expected him to have to travel so soon after our wedding, but that’s how things played out,” she said with soft resignation.

Kurt’s eyes softened in understanding. “We’re in the same boat,” he confided. “We just moved in together a few months ago.”

“Then I’m very glad to meet you,” Cynthia said sincerely. “I’m going to need someone to help keep my sanity while they’re away. And someone who understands what I’m going through.”

“Me too,” Kurt admitted. He put on a cheerful face in front of his friends but having someone who really would understand being separated from the one he loved. As much as he knew that he could depend on them, this wasn’t something that they really could understand. Finn freed Rachel before she came to New York, so they technically weren’t a couple when they broke up for good, and Santana had already broken up with Brittany when she left for college. Neither of them knew what it was like to try to maintain a relationship over distance the way he’d had.

He was fortunate, he realized. He had so many friends now, more than he could ever remember having. Old friends and new would give him the support that he needed. But catching a loving glance from bright blue eyes as Adam turned his gaze to him while laughing at a joke made by one of his castmates just reminded Kurt that the one that he wanted most would be leaving him before too long.

But not permanently, he told himself with a smile as he sipped his cider. Not forever.

He could have forever to look forward to when Adam got home.

* * *

Adam sighed as he looked about the flat. The usual clutter that was the natural result two grown men trying to live in a space that was genuinely too small for them and all of their possessions was markedly reduced over the past few weeks as he and Kurt began the process of packing up the studio. A process that had started slowly was now picking up speed with only a few short weeks before Adam was to leave for the start of his show and Kurt moving into the NYADA dorms.

Even with Christmas fast approaching, they’d done almost no decorating. Last year Adam had squeeze in a tree that was far too large for his tiny flat, and had strung up lights and decorations on every surface that he could manage. This year, the decorations were minimal, and nearly an afterthought. The tree they’d purchased was barely a meter tall, bedecked simply with a few cherished ornaments and strings of popcorn and cranberries. It was a trifle depressing.

Adam had packed away much of his clothing into their storage unit since he wouldn’t need most of it until he returned to New York. If he needed anything, he could always buy it on the road. The bookcase was empty now save for Kurt’s text books and the bust of Shakespeare that Kurt had claimed for himself.

I’ll need something to decorate my room with.

Over the past few days, Kurt had been laying claim to several select things for his dorm room to make it a bit homier. To fill it with reminders of the time they’d shared in this little flat and the time they would be enjoying in the future. He wanted the oversized fleece blanket that they liked to snuggle in while watching television together. The battered throw pillows that had been the victims of several playful pillow fights between them. The poster from the Globe Theater that had decorated Adam’s childhood bedroom.

Kurt was sporting on of his beanies at the moment, a red cap with a white band around its hem. He looked absolutely adorable as he sorted through the box of Adam’s hats, picking out a few that he wanted to keep with him.

“I want this one too,” he claimed, pulling out a cap in navy blue wool. He fingered the fabric gently, a soft smile on his face.

“You were wearing this one the day I met you,” he said with fond remembrance. “I thought that you were so handsome and I couldn’t quite figure how why this gorgeous man was trying chat me up.”

Adam smiled and sat down on the couch next to him, gently grasping the hand that clutched that silly cap. “I actually wasn’t wearing this the first time I saw you,” he corrected with a teasing glint in his eyes. “I wasn’t wearing a hat because I was dressed in my best suit and sitting in the audience at Winter Showcase, watching the most beautiful man I’d ever seen a singing his heart out. And I spent weeks afterward trying to figure out how to meet you.”

Kurt smiled, nestling so closely that they could have been wearing the same shirt. “It all worked out in the end, didn’t it?” he asked. “I got NYADA and I got you.”

“I’m the fortunate one,” Adam insisted, his hand reaching up to cup the back of Kurt’s head and draw their mouths together for a lingering kiss. “I’m so glad that I worked up the courage to talk to you.”

Kurt grinned, settling happily in Adam’s arms. “I like to think we would have found each other somehow. I would have been rushing to class one day and not looking where I was going…”

“And I would have my nose in a book, oblivious to the world,” Adam added, rubbing his cheek against Kurt’s hair.

“We would have bumped into each other and I would have been stammering and embarrassed as hell,” Kurt insisted, savoring the feel of the muscular arms holding him close.

“I would have been absolutely entranced, wondering how I could not have known such a gorgeous man was attending the same school I was,” Adam swore. “And I would have asked you out right then and there and not taken no for an answer.”

Kurt craned his head about to look at Adam. “Why didn’t you just ask me out?” he asked curiously. “Why go through the whole song and dance with the Apples?”

Adam’s cheeks began to flush with color, his mouth drawing up into a rueful smile. “Well, the group did need someone with your talents, but would you believe that I was nervous about approaching you?” he admitted. “You were the toast of the Showcase and probably had people throwing themselves at you all the time.”

“Not so much,” Kurt corrected gently.

“Well, you should have,” Adam claimed. “You were beautiful and talented and I was…”

“Totally amazing and you got me to follow you,” Kurt insisted. “You made me listen to that insane performance that made me laugh more than I’d laughed in months. You have no idea how much I needed that.”

“I’m glad we were able to make you smile,” Adam said happily. “You deserve to smile all the time.”

Kurt shifted so that he was straddling Adam, able to face him directly and wrapped his arms about the older man. “You have no idea how much the past year has meant for me,” he insisted, looking into Adam’s eyes. “Being with you taught me so much. I’m always so careful and deliberate and you taught me the reward in taking chances. I’m so glad that I took a chance on you… on us.”

Adam felt the lump in his throat swell a bit at the emotion and love in Kurt’s eyes. He gently pulled the cap off Kurt’s head so he could run his fingers through the younger man’s hair. “You’ve surprised me in so many ways… and made my life so full,” he claimed without reservation. “I never knew what I was missing before I saw you that night, and I don’t know how I’ll manage without you.”

Kurt leaned in to kiss him gently, taking his time to savor the taste and feel of the man beneath him. “We’ll figure it out because the reward will be getting to be together when you get back,” he said softly. “There’s no plan B for me.”

Adam smiled, his hand gently squeezing the back of Kurts neck. “For me either, love,” he promised.

Kurt spent several long seconds staring at Adam, as if committing his features to memory so that he could hold onto them and find comfort in the months that they would be apart. The soft, sad smile on his face caused Adam’s heart to tighten in his chest, but Kurt soothed his concerns with another languid kiss.

Adam would have been content to sit there forever, holding Kurt in his arms when he heard the quiet murmur of Kurt singing very softly. Nearly humming the tune to himself, Kurt had a nearly dreamy expression on his face as he gazed at Adam.

“What are you singing there, love?” Adam asked, running his hand through Kurt’s hair.

Kurt smile, leaning in to nuzzle Adam’s throat. “Just something that came into my head,” he explained. “It just… it fit.”

Adam looked at him lovingly, not at all surprised that Kurt found a song to suit what he could not voice himself. “Sing it to me,” he requested gently. He never tired of hearing Kurt’s glorious voice.

Kurt nodded, leaning in close so that Adam could hear him, looking as vulnerable and emotionally bare as he’s ever been in his life. Adam knew that Kurt sometimes needed the cushion of a song that would allow him to express what he could never find the words to say himself.

“Have you ever fed a lover with just your hands?” Kurt breathed, singing so softly that Adam had to be as close as he could manage to hear him. “Closed your eyes and trusted, just trusted? Have you ever thrown a fistful of glitter in the air?”

He looked directly at Adam, his eyes wide and soulful and striking Adam to his core. “Have you ever looked fear in the face and said, ‘I just don’t care’?”

Adam smiled softly and rubbed his cheek against Kurt’s, savoring how the younger man’s body fit so neatly against his own. They were so well matched to one another, like two pieces of a puzzle that just clicked. Sliding neatly like a perfectly tuned lock when the right key was inserted.

“It’s only half past the point of no return,” Kurt sang gently, taking Adam’s hand and pulling it up to his mouth so that he could press a kiss to his knuckles. “The tip of the iceberg, the sun before the burn. The thunder before the lightning and the breath before the phrase… have you ever felt this way?”

Adam knew that Kurt had every reason to be fearful over what the future held for them. He’d been hurt so many times by those who’d professed to love him that it would be entirely understandable for Kurt to be mistrusting. How many times had he allowed himself to be vulnerable only to have that trust misplaced?

“Have you ever hated yourself for staring at the phone?” Kurt asked, gazing up at Adam with all of his hopes and fears in his eyes. “Your whole life waiting on the ring to prove you’re not alone.”

Once again, Adam found himself tempted to hop onto a plane and find wherever Blaine had settled and pummel him for having caused Kurt so much pain. To be so selfish and self-absorbed that he would deliberately seek to hurt the man he promised to care for and let him think that he wasn’t deserving of being loved. That if he wanted anything for himself that he shouldn’t expect to be cared for and supported.

Kurt stroked Adam’s cheek, turning his face so that he could feel Kurt’s breath on him. “Have you ever been touched so gently you had to cry?” he all but whispered. “Have you ever invited a stranger to come inside?

“It’s only half past the point of oblivion. The hourglass on the table, the walk before the run,” Kurt sang, and Adam understood of just how hard it had been for Kurt to take those first steps when they got together. To accept that another man was genuinely interested in him and was attracted to him. To truly accept that Adam was in love with him. To finally feel secure enough to admit that he could love and have that love returned. His beautiful, brave darling…

Kurt’s lips brushed against Adam’s. “The breath before the kiss, and the fear before the flames. Have you ever felt this way?”

Adam had never felt this way before. He’d felt love, been in love but never this consuming need that caused his breath to catch in his throat. He’d never known that he could feel this way about someone, but with Kurt it was so easy.

Kurt’s eyes were shimmering with unshed tears as he gazed at Adam, a soft, sad smile on his face. “Have you ever wished for an endless night?” he questioned, subtly tightening his grip on Adam, least the older man slip away from him. Neither of them wanted this moment to end. “Lassoed the moon and the stars and pulled that rope tight?”

Adam’s hands reached up to cradle Kurt’s face, drawing him close so that their foreheads touched. His fingers caressed Kurt’s cheek, trailing down the smooth line of his throat.

“Have you ever held your breath? And asked yourself if it ever gets better than tonight?”

Adam looked at Kurt, holding the younger man as if he were something precious and sacred. “It will be better, sweetheart,” he promised. “I…”

His voice trailed off, not able to find the words to express what Kurt deserved to hear. But Kurt just smiled.

“I know,” he insisted softly, kissing Adam deeply. “I know.”

So much of the future was uncertain, Adam knew. But the one thing that he was sure of was that whatever was waiting for him to face, he wanted it to be with Kurt at his side. Call him a foolish romantic, but he would do everything in his power to ensure that would happen.

“Let me take you to bed,” Adam requested softly. “Let me make love to you.” He needed to show Kurt just how important he was now that they had so little time.

Kurt smiled and carefully slid from Adam’s lap, holding out his hand so the older man could guide him to their bed. With reverent hands, Adam slowly undressed Kurt, each layer of clothing slipping to the floor until Kurt stood entirely bare before him. Slipping off his own clothing, Adam eased Kurt back onto their bed, kissing him deeply. With gentle fingers he carefully eased into Kurt’s body, savoring the gasps and shudders of the man beneath him.

When he finally slipped into Kurt’s body, Kurt’s arms and legs tightened about him to hold him close. They made love slowly, with slow rolls of his hips and gentle touches. Kurt breathed into Adam’s mouth, his breath hitching when Adam pressed deep within him. When they came, it was with a groan and a sigh of contentment.

Neither of them looked at the clock by the bedside, not wanting to see the precious seconds slipping by. They just held one another, trying to make this moment last as long as possible. Maybe if they ignored the clock long enough, time might simply stop.

* * *

“Come on!” Mei called out, leading the way. Dressed in a bright red wool coat and a Santa hat on her head, she was easy to see and made the logical choice as the Apple’s point person, least they get separated by the throngs of tourists crowding Rockefeller Center.

The annual trip to see the Christmas Tree on the last night of finals was an Apple tradition dating back to when Adam had first founded the group and no Apple, old or new, would think about missing it. It was one of the rare opportunities that poor theater students had to enjoy something in the city that didn’t cost anything. They might not have the luxury of being able to enjoy many of the theater and holiday festivals that the city had to offer, but this was something that they could take advantage of.

Now that they were done with finals and their winter critiques, it was the last gathering of the Apples before the dispersed for the long winter break. And for everyone but Kurt, it was their last opportunity for them to see Adam before he left for his tour, giving the gettogether a somewhat bittersweet feel. They wanted to celebrate their friendships that they had built and being able to celebrate the successes of those who were moving on in their adult lives.

The evening started with dinner at an inexpensive Vietnamese restaurant near the school, where bowls of steaming pho prepared them to face the chilly night. Then they started their procession to appraise the holiday department store windows and holiday lights, passionately debating the merit of their favorites as if life depended upon it in between singing rounds of Christmas songs to an appreciative albeit fleeting audience. By the time they finally arrived at Rockefeller Center, their feet were sore and they were feeling the effects of the cold but none of them were in a rush for the evening to end.

Kurt grinned and tugged on Adam’s hand, dragging him along in his wake as he nimbly dodged a family of tourists who were too busy looking up to get out of their way. “Having fun?” he asked, his eyes sparkling impishly as he pulled Adam along. He was impeccably turned out in his stylish pea coat, but added a touch of whimsy by wearing a pair of reindeer antlers on his head.

“Of course, darling,” Adam laughed, letting Kurt drag him about and making sure that his Santa hat didn’t fall off. He was more than happy to tag along while the youngsters enjoyed the holiday festivities. They’d all been working so hard at school and now could finally let loose just a bit.

They found a precious open space where they had a clear view of the immense Norwegian Fir bedecked with thousands of colored lights and crowned with a crystal star. Kurt felt himself grinning and letting Adam pull him into a tight hug from behind, sharing body warmth. About them, delicate snowflakes began to fall, dusting their hair. It was an almost picture-perfect evening.

Jill looked over to the two of them and couldn’t help from grinning. “Do you think you guys can keep your hands off one another? Just for a little bit?” she asked teasingly.

Kurt laughed, kissing Adam quickly. “We have a little surprise for you,” he advised his boyfriend with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Oh dear… am I in trouble?” Adam asked as Kurt nudged him towards a bench where he dusted off the snow so Adam could sit.

“Not at all,” Corrine assured him, looking absolutely winsome in her patchwork coat and her red curls peeking out from beneath her knit cap. She took Kurt’s arm and pulled him over to where the others were standing so that Adam could see the tree behind them.

Jules cleared his throat to and gave their founder a fond smile. “Adam, the Apples wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for you. You gave us a space where we could experiment and grow both as singers and in our chosen fields. We became stronger and more confident because of the friendships that we made here.”

Mei nodded in agreement. “You’re about to set out on the most amazing adventure,” she stated. “But we wanted to make sure that we sent you off properly. And that you know that you will always a part of the Apples, no matter where your career takes you.”

Mitchel grinned widely. “We love you, man,” he insisted, following by a chorus of affirmations from the rest of the group.

The men fell into formation behind the woman of the group, humming to provide the opening for the girls to begin to sing.

“I don’t want a lot for Christmas,” they crooned gently, their voices smooth and flowing. “There is just one thing I need. I don’t care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree. I just want you for my own. More than you will ever know. Make my wish come true. All I want for Christmas is you!”

Kurt took a place at the front, alongside Mei ane Corrine, taking over the lead. “I don’t want a lot for Christmas,” he sang brightly, using his higher register to provide a bright counterpoint to the other men. “There is just one thing I need. And I don’t care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree.”

Mei and Corrine danced about him, their voices rising to harmonize with him. “I don’t need to hang my stocking, there upon the fireplace,” the trio sang. “Santa Claus won’t make me happy with a toy on Christmas day.”

The group then joined in, following the simple choreography that had obviously been worked out in advance and left Adam to watch, smiling like a fool. “I just want you for my own. More than you could ever know,” they caroled, the singers with lower ranges supporting the ones with higher voices. “Make my wish come true! All I want for Christmas is you!”

Adam couldn’t help from noticing that the group was gaining an audience, with tourists and sightseers gathering around to watch the free show. He clapped his hands happily, watching as his Apples spun about in the lightly falling snow.

He couldn’t help from wondering how long they’d been working on this because it clearly was too well organized and thought out, what with the deliberate choreography and the way their voices harmonized. It was entertaining and glorious and Adam laughed with delight at watching his friends perform for him.

Kurt pivoted to take the lead again, his eyes shining with love as all of the girls joined in to support him while the boys provided the lower counterpoints. “Oh, all the lights are shining, so brightly everywhere,” Kurt sang, leading off the girls who provided the bright harmonies. “And the sound of children’s laughter fills the air. And everyone is singing, I hear those sleigh bells ringing.

“Santa, won’t you bring me the one I really need?” Kurt asked, giving Mei and then Corrine a spin. “Won’t you bring my baby to me?”

The entire group then fell into full voice, focusing on Adam. “Oh, I don’t want a lot for Christmas, that’s all I’m asking for,” they sang, coming to dance around the bench where Adam was sitting. Mitchel’s curls were flying wildly and Jules looked absolute absurd raising both hands in metal devil’s horns while wearing what had to be one of the ugliest Christmas jumpers Adam had ever seen. Mei was swinging her skirts around her legs while Jill, Corrine and Tommy spun about like children in the show. The younger singers seemed to be doing something that looked like a cross between a Bunny Hop and the Macarana and it was insane and wonderful. At the center was Kurt, leading the group and providing an eye of calm for their chaotic storm.

“Oh, I don’t want a lot of Christmas. This is all I’m asking for,” Kurt sang, allowing the rest of the group to provide the harmonies and counterpoints. “I just want to see my baby standing right outside my door.”

The Apples gathered about Kurt, their voices falling into line. They reined in the joyous chaos and brought the focus to the man that they were singing to. “Oh, I just want you for my own, more than you will ever know! Make my wish come true…. Baby, all I want for Christmas is….

“You!” they proclaimed loudly, dancing about Adam’s bench. Kurt jumped into Adam’s lap and kissed him soundly while the group finished with a flourish of jazz hands.

The crowd that had gathered to watch the performance cheered loudly and applauded and the Apples accepted their regards with bashful aplomb. When Kurt rose from Adam’s lap and pulled him to his feet, the crowd cheered louder, clapping and whistling. A few of the Apples bowed while the others ducked away, giggling.

“Come on, you lot,” Adam commanded happily, taking on the role of the Apple’s leader for one last time. “Let’s give them something to remember us by. Something suitably Appleish.”

The group cheers and quickly huddled to pick their song, the choice bringing laughs as they fell into position and stuck exaggerated poses that earned amused chuckles from their audience who waited to see what they would do next. Adam stepped to the front with a rakish grin and placed his hands on his hips.

“Are you hanging up a stocking on your wall?” he asked the appreciative crowd. “It’s that time that every Santa has a ball!”

“Does he ride a red nosed reindeer?” Jules joined in, giving Kurt a playful and rather meaningful nudge. “Does he turn up on his sleigh? Do all the fairies keep him sober for a day?”

“So here it is, Merry Christmas!” the whole group sang. “Everybody’s having fun! Look to the future now. It’s only just begun!”

Corrine gave a twirl to the front and sang out, “Are you waiting for the family to arrive? Are you sure you got the room to spare inside?”

Kurt stepped forward, smiling impishly and looking like the elf who’d get sent to detention. “Does your granny always tell ya that the old songs are the best? Then she’s up and rock n’ rollin’ with the rest?”

Mei all but jumped into Kurt’s arms as the entire group began to dance about, leaping on and off benches to the delight of the crowd watching them. “So here it is, Merry Christmas! Everybody’s having fun! Look to the future now. It’s only just begun!”

Adam pulled Kurt away from the girls and wrapped his arm about the younger man’s shoulder to hold him close. “Are you hanging up a stocking on your wall?” they sang together, trying hard not to laugh in delight. “Are you hoping that the snow will start to fall?”

Mitchel, Jules and Tommy leaned in to join them. “Do you ride on down the hillside in a buggy you have made?” they caroled together. “When you land upon your head then you’ve been Slade.”

The entire group fell in around them, their faces bright with cheer as the audience clapped with them. “So here it is, Merry Christmas!” they all but yelled, delighted when some of the audience began to join in. “Everybody’s having fun! Look to the future now. It’s only just begun!”

Kurt turned in Adam’s arms, looking into his eyes as the rest of their group caroused about them. “Look to the future now… it’s only just begun,” he sang softly, the meaning clear in his eyes. His cheeks were rosy from the cold and if Adam weren’t already stupid in love with him already, he would have fallen for him right there.

He nodded, blinking away the tears that suddenly tried to make an appearance. “It’s only just begun,” he promised, touching his forehead to Kurt’s and barely hearing the cheers and applause around them.

They were so lost in one another that they didn’t notice that their audience was drifting away to enjoy the other sights of Rockefeller Center. Mei finally gave them both a pat on the shoulder to get their attention.

“Come on,” she urged, giving them a playful smile. “I’m freezing and would love some hot chocolate.”

Adam took Kurt’s hand in his and felt the younger man’s chilled fingers. “I think that sounds like a wonderful idea, sweetheart, he said to Mei. “Why don’t you round up the others? Kurt and I are…”

“We’re just going to enjoy the tree for a bit more,” Kurt inserted, giving Adam a meaningful smile.

“Take all the time you need,” Tommy urged them, putting his arms about Corrine and Jill and drawing them away to give them a bit of space. The various Apples stepped back to watch the skaters on the ice rink and let their former leader and friend have their privacy.

Adam smiled and pulled Kurt under his arms and savored his presence. Together they walked the perimeter of the plaza, talking quietly and laughing at the small jokes that they made to each other. They arrived at the base of the Christmas tree, looking up at the bright lights and savoring another special moment that they would be mentally cataloging away to get them through the coming weeks.

Kurt looked up at Adam, enjoying the way the colored lights seemed to set Adam’s blond curls aglow. “We shouldn’t abandon the others for too long,” he said with playful reluctance. “And I could use something warm to drink.”

Adam bent to give him a quick kiss. “Let’s get back,” he suggested. In truth, all he wanted to do was run of with Kurt and find some private place to be together. But their friends didn’t deserve to have him sneaking off on them. And they deserved to have a little bit of time with him before he left. “We can go to that market that we saw earlier.”

“That sounds like a great idea, Kurt said agreeably. He let Adam lead him to where the other Apples were holding court and gathered up the group.

“Come on, you reprobates,” Adam commanded cheerfully, keeping Kurt under his arm comfortably. “Let’s go get something to warm us up.”

The group cheered happily and fell into step behind them, chattering cheerfully as they followed Kurt and Adam down the street. Their evening might be drawing to a close but no one was in any great rush to head home. In the coming days, most of them would be leaving for home to spend time with their families before having to face the spring semester. For now, they could laugh and play and cherish the time spent with friends. Tomorrow would take care of itself.

* * *

“I don’t know, Rachel. Let me talk to Adam about it,” Kurt all but pleaded, rubbing his eyes tiredly. Even over the phone, Rachel’s persistence was getting on his nerves. “We were planning on a quiet night together.”

“I know you were, but we really want to see him before he leaves,” Rachel insisted. “It doesn’t have to be for the whole night… we’ve already got a table reserved at Callbacks and everyone is bailing on us.”

Kurt sighed, wishing that he had the resolve to stand his ground, but he was tired from packing and feeling emotionally drained as the final countdown to Adam’s departure had official begun. Most of Kurt’s possession had already been moved into his dorm room and their apartment was looking very bare and sterile. He was doing his best to keep a cheerful demeanor around Adam and he just wasn’t up to handling Rachel’s demands at the moment.

He knew that she wasn’t going out of her way to be difficult. Most of their classmates, including Artie and Tina, had already left New York to take advantage of the school winter breaks to visit with their families. Kurt had been looking forward to having some peace before Adam left. He felt badly for being annoyed that Rachel and Santana had elected to stay in the city and had been keeping his distance the past few days so he could devote his focus on Adam and what time they had left to spend together.

“Elliot has a gig with his cabaret so he won’t be joining s, and Dani wants to go see him perform. She won’t be coming by until later,” Rachel explained patiently. “We already paid for the tickets so there’s no problem there. Come on… it’ll be a nice night out.”

“It’s an open bar,” Santana added, chiming into the call. “And dinner.”

“Please, Kurt,” Rachel beseeched.

Kurt looked over to Adam, who was folding laundry on the couch and gave his boyfriend a curious glance.

“Rachel reserved a table at Callbacks for tomorrow night,” he explained softly. “They’d like us to join the for a little while.”

Adam frowned a bit in obvious disappointment, having looked forward to a quiet night with just the two of them seeing the new year in. “I suppose it can’t hurt,” he said with a trace of reluctance. “A few hours won’t be so bad, I guess.”

Kurt smiled thankfully, grateful that his boyfriend was so willing to be flexible and allowing him to avoid offending his friends. “I’ll make it up to you,” he promised, picking up his phone again.

“All right… we’ll come for a little bit,” he said, not hiding that this was an imposition on them. “But just for a little while. We’ll have a drink or two, but then we’re leaving.”

“That’s wonderful!” Rachel cheered, forcing Kurt to pull the phone from his ear least he be deafened. “We’re going to get there around eight. See you tomorrow!”

Kurt hung up with a sigh. “I’m sorry,” he said sincerely to Adam. He hadn’t missed the disappointment in his boyfriend’s expression with the sudden change in their plans. “We don’t need to go for too long. Just an hour or two and then we can come home and spend our night the way we want to.”

Adam forced a smile onto his face, not wanting Kurt to feel badly just because he was in a bit of a snit. “It’s fine, sweetheart,” he assured his lover. “In fact, it’ll probably do us a bit of good to get out and not be rattling about an empty flat.”

Kurt nodded, looking about the room that was nearly bare, stripped of all the elements that had made it first Adam’s home and then his as well. Now it was just a set of rooms that they were sleeping in. A basic hotel would offer more warmth than their apartment did at the moment.

There was no question that the two of them had been isolating themselves somewhat. Partly because so many of their friends had left for the holidays, but it was also by their own preference. With just a few days left to spend together, they were determined to squeeze out every second that they could. Shutting out their friends was an understandable but unintended result.

Kurt nodded, letting Adam pull him into a warm hug. He wanted to focus on the feeling of the strong arms wrapped around him and not how little time they really had left.

“It’ll be fun, darling,” Adam insisted, a bit more joy in his voice now that their plans were confirmed. “I’m rather looking forward ot it now.”

Kurt smiled, turning his head so that he could kiss the nearest body part of Adam’s, which turned out to be his forearm. “Me too.”

Admittedly, as reluctant as he’d been Kurt felt much better about things as he dressed for their night out. It was probably a good thing to be socializing and getting out, Kurt considered, and not just sitting at home feeling maudlin. He’d found something stylish enough for the evening that he hadn’t packed away yet and got himself showered and shaved so that he was fit to be seen in public.

Adam’s wardrobe was very limited since nearly everything he had was either in storage or packed in suitcases for his travels, but he had a suit that he had packed for press appearances and any formal events that might come up while he was on his tour. Kurt had always liked how Ada looked in the charcoal grey pinstripe that was saved from being too severe for the occasion by the absence of a tie and the red shirt he wore with it.

“You look so handsome,” Kurt mused, reaching out to fix Adam’s pocket square.

“And you are gorgeous,” Adam assured Kurt with a smile. He took the younger man’s hand in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “It’s funny, but would you believe that I’m actually glad that we’re doing this?”

Kurt cocked an eyebrow curiously. “You are?”

Adam smiled ruefully and nodded. “I know we just wanted to spent tonight together, but I think that going out is going to be good for us.”

“I’m starting to think so too,” Kurt agreed. He realized that he very much needed the distraction that going out might provide, otherwise he would probably be in tears long before midnight. He needed a little bit of time to think about something else and to actually enjoy the time they had left. Adam didn’t deserve to have him being a weepy mess all the time.

Callbacks was already very crowded by the time they arrived, filled to capacity with happy couples and groups looking forward to a wonderful evening. Adam brought their coats to the check room while Kurt scanned the packed club for Rachel and Santana. With so many people laughing and drinking, spotting the two girls was going to be a challenge. Getting out his phone, he sent Rachel a quick text to let her know they’d arrived and to find out where their table was. She quickly responded that she would come get them.

Adam returned and placed his hand gently on Kurt’s arm. “Any sign of them?” he asked.

Kurt shook his head. “No, but Rachel should be here in a second.” He held up his phone meaningfully.

Adam grinned broadly. “You are so clever,” he praised, giving his lover a gentle peck on the cheek. “If it had been up to me, we’d have been wandering about like two idiots until we’d wasted the whole night.”

“Which is why we leave finding my crazy friends to me,” Kurt teased.

Rachel made her way to them, carefully pushing her way through the crowd before rushing up to throw her arms about Kurt. Despite his previous irritation with her demands, Kurt pulled her into a hug and was admittedly glad to see her.

“I’m so glad we convinced you two to come out of hiding!” she exclaimed as she took both of them in tow. The young woman looked absolutely stunning in her ruby red dress, her hair pinned up into a neat chignon.

Kurt felt himself smiling and for the first time in a few days, it didn’t feel at all forced. “I’ll admit it,” he acquiesced graciously. “We both needed to get out for a little bit.”

Adam nodded in agreement, waving to Santana when the other girl came into view. “Yes, we did,” he agreed, looking more relaxed than Kurt had seen him in the past few days. It was clear that Adam needed this outing as much as Kurt did.

The girls had managed to get a table where they would have a good view of the stage and just far enough from where the buffet was set up so that they wouldn’t be disturbed by other celebrating attendees. Kurt was pleased to see that rather than the usual single piano, there was a jazz quartette playing that night.

Rachel saw that the musicians had sparked Kurt’s interest and nodded enthusiastically. “I know… it’s going to be nice to have some proper accompaniment,” she claimed. She gave him an arch stare. “You are planning to sing, aren’t you?”

Before Kurt could answer, Santana gave them a knowing smirk. “Well… look who finally came up for air,” she teased.

Adam smiled at her fondly. “Hello, gorgeous,” he greeted, admiring the way the silver beaded dress showcased her figure and complexion. “And I do apologize for keeping Kurt from you.”

Santana snorted indignantly. “Oh sure,” she mocked playfully. “I mean, what would Hummel rather be doing? Hanging out and listening to our latest dramas, or getting banged like a screen door in a hurricane?”

Kurt felt his cheeks burning since he couldn’t actually deny that he and Adam had been having a lot more sex lately. “We’re not just having sex,” he grumbled, tempted to shove a napkin into Santana’s mouth.

The young woman barked out a laugh. “Oh please… like you’re not riding Adam like a Kentucky Derby longshot every chance you get.”

Adam couldn’t help from laughing, his cheeks bright red because just a few hours ago, Kurt had been doing just that. “How about I get us something to drink? Red wine for you, sweetheart?”

“Yes, and cyanide for La Chupacabra here,” Kurt answered, giving Santana a sour look. He did not drag himself out of their bed for this kind of abuse. Adam just chucked and gave Kurt a quick kiss before heading for the bar.

“Santana, be nice,” Rachel admonished with a sly twinkle in her dark eyes.

Kurt looked at her in surprise, pleased that she recognized just how difficult this whole thing was for him to deal with. “Thank you, Rachel,” he said sincerely.

“After all, we know that Kurt doesn’t bottom all the time,” Rachel added with a giggle.

Kurt turned a surprised and irritated glare to her, ready to give her a sharp retort when Adam returned. The older man handed him his glass of wine and took the chair next to him.

“Everything all right, sweetheart?” he asked, seeing that Kurt’s hackles were up.

“Just Rachel and Santana being Rachel and Santana,” Kurt answered, giving the girls an annoyed stare. The two of them just laughed, enjoying their moment of teasing their old friend.

“Berry, did you ever think that we’d get to tease Hummel here about his exceedingly active sex life?” Santana asked, sipping at her cocktail. “Whatever happened to our sweet little baby gay?”

“Do I really need to go into the details?” Kurt asked ironically, arching a perfectly groomed eyebrow. “We’re not kids anymore.”

“We know,” Rachel said soothingly, patting her friend’s hand. “We just wanted to keep things as normal as possible. I mean, it’s not like we don’t joke about on another’s personal lives all the time.”

Kurt’s gaze softened and he took a sip of his wine. He couldn’t deny that he had certainly given both of them just as much ribbing about their love lives as they’d given him. He knew that he was being a bit oversensitive and forced himself to relax, recognizing that they weren’t being malicious.

And to be honest, he really needed that bit of normalcy right now. It was a good thing that they weren’t treating him with kid gloves or expecting him to start crying at the drop of a hat. Getting out tonight probably was going to do both Adam and he a great deal of good. More good than sitting home in a nearly empty apartment and dwelling what the next few days would hold.

“It’s okay,” he granted, giving both of them a reassuring smile. “And I do appreciate you two dragging us out tonight.”

Rachel smiled and reached out to take her friend’s hand. “I’m glad. We really do want to spend some time with both of you.”

“Yeah, Hummel,” Santana added. “No fair of you keeping Rob Roy here from us.”

“Rob Roy was Scottish,” Kurt corrected.

“I do have some Scot in me, love,” Adam inserted. “On my dad’s side.”

Kurt’s eyes brightened. “Does that mean I’ll get to see you in a kilt again someday? Because your legs…”

Santana rolled her eyes dramatically. “Oh God… they’re getting all moony on us again. Let’s get something to eat before I totally lose my appetite.”

The buffet was better than expected, with a nice assortment of hot and cold offerings and the four of them relaxed into the evening, laughing and talking about anything other than Adam’s imminent departure. Kurt felt it easier to focus on the festive atmosphere and the pleasure of having several of those that he was closest to close at hand. He let himself relax and enjoy the wine, music and company, the moment that he was dreading not seeming so ominous at the moment. And he no longer felt the urge to rush out quite so fast.

It was always a pleasure to listen to the various people who braved facing the audience to perform. It was always easy to pick out the trained performers, but Kurt enjoyed seeing average people giving it their best as well. It was worth the pitchy parts and cracked notes to see the absolute joy on someone’s face as they sang a favorite to the cheers of their friends and loved ones.

When a young man who gave an imperfect but passionate performance to his girlfriend finished his song, Rachel grabbed Kurt’s hand and pulled him to his feet. “Come on!” she urged playfully. “We haven’t sung together in ages.”

Kurt just smiled tolerantly and followed her up to the musicians.

Adam watched the pair with amusement as the musicians began to play the opening notes of one of Rachel’s favorite duets. Listening to the two of them sing together was always a pleasure and he never thought that they sounded so well together as they did now. They had chosen to sing “Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off” in a way that was playful and joyous and very fitting with the celebration and he was content to sit back and watch them having their fun with the light hearted performance. It was nice to see them just singing for the sheer enjoyment of it and Kurt looked relaxed and happy.

Santana leaned over to him, her slender hand touching his. “How is he holding up?” she asked quietly so that she wouldn’t disturb the other party goers.

Adam considered the question carefully before answering. “There are good days and not so good days,” he said, not wanting to give her a blithe answer. She would see right through that. “We’re managing as best we can.”

She nodded, turning he gaze to her friend who looked pretty happy at the moment. But then, Kurt was always happiest when singing. Or with Adam, she realized.

“I just wanted to let you know that I’ll be there for him,” she promised. “I’ll make sure he takes care of himself and doesn’t just do school and get all boring.”

Adam smiled appreciatively, squeezing her hand. For someone with such an acid tongue, Santana really did care about the few that she allowed behind her walls. “Thank you,” he said sincerely. “I know that you and Rachel will watch out for him. That does put my mind at ease a great deal.”

“Well, just make sure that you don’t do something stupid the way the Grease Stain did,” she warned only partly playfully. “Because if Hummel doesn’t gut you, I will.”

He looked at her, seeing the spark in her eye that warned that she was serious. It wasn’t a threat; it was a promise of what she would do if he even thought of betraying Kurt. And it gratified Adam that Kurt had people around him that were so protective of him.

“That won’t ever happen,” he promised sincerely. “I haven’t even looked at another man since I met Kurt. He’s it for me.”

“Just so long as we understand one another,” she granted with a smile that was all sharp teeth.

Adam chuckled at how Santana had to cloak her love for her friends with a predator’s threats. She was definitely someone that he didn’t want to cross, because she would destroy him and not lose a second’s sleep.

Kurt and Rachel finished to appreciative applause and returned to their table all smiles and laughs. Adam got up to hold out Rachel’s chair like a gentleman so she could sit.

“That was wonderful, you two,” he complimented, kissing Kurt on the cheek. “Did you have fun, darling?”

Kurt nodded, his eyes shining with the pleasure that he always found with performing. “I did,” he admitted.

Adam motioned to Kurt to sit down. “I’ll be back in just a minute,” he assured the younger man. “Wait here for me.” Kissing Kurt again, he hurried over to the band before someone else could jump in ahead of him and spoil what he had in mind.

Once he conferred with the band and they’d agreed on the arrangement, Adam took his place at the microphone. “Good evening all,” he said carefully. “I thank you in advance for your indulgence, because this is a very important night for me and someone very special. Sometimes you can never find the right words to say what you really feel, so I hope that he understands just what he means to me.”

Nodding to the musicians, the pianist began to play softly. Adam inhaled deeply, steadying his nerves and closing his eyes to center himself. He hoped that Kurt would grasp what he was trying to express. He wasn’t as gifted a singer as Kurt was, but Kurt deserved his best effort.

“I sit and wait,” he sang softly. “Does an angel contemplate my fate? And do they know? The places we go when we’re grey and old? ‘Cos I have been told that salvation lets their wings unfold.

“So when I’m lying in my bed, thoughts running through my head…. And I feel that love is dead…. I’m loving angels instead.”

Adam knew that he couldn’t avoid hurting Kurt. This separation was going to be difficult and painful for the both of them, and he knew that there would be moments when both of them might ask if it was worth it. He wanted Kurt to see that he was determined to see this through.

“And through it all, he offers me protection,” Adam proclaimed, wanting the world to see how much Kurt had brought into his life. “A lot of love and affection, whether I’m right or wrong.”

Kurt had stood at his side when Adam had been questioning his future, giving him love and support and keeping him focused on building their future. He knew that he wasn’t the strongest person in the world and the unwavering support from Kurt over the past months had done more than anything else to keep his spirit from failing.

He looked to Kurt, hoping that the younger man understood how much he meant to Adam. “And down the waterfall… wherever it may take me, I know that life won’t break me,” Adam affirmed confidently. He knew that he could shoulder any hardship so long as Kurt was at his side. “When I come to call, he won’t forsake me. I’m loving angels instead.”

There were times when Kurt did sometimes seem too good to be true, with his generous heart and brilliant spirit. And Adam wondered what he’d done in this or any past life to deserve having such a remarkable creature gracing his life.

“When I’m feeling weak, and my pain walks down a one way street,” Adam sang, thinking back to the past months. The worries that he had about his future had been so difficult to move past and he couldn’t help from wondering if he would have just given up if Kurt had not been there to encourage him. “I look above, and I know I’ll always be blessed with love.

“And as the feeling grows… he breathes flesh to my bones. And when love is dead, I’m loving angels instead.”

Kurt made him want to be a better man. A stronger person, and to build the kind of life that Kurt deserved. He would work hard to be successful and be the kind of partner that Kurt needed him to be. He wanted to build a life with Kurt, to have the privilege of watching him mature and grow. To see him complain about the fine lines that would appear about his eyes and the grey that would touch his temples. He wanted it all.

Adam smiled at his lover and saw the tears that Kurt was fighting back. Kurt felt so much and so deeply and expressed it with every fiber of his being. His beautiful boy would learn that he had nothing to fear when it came to Adam, because Adam had everything to fight for. A life with the man he loved. There was nothing that he’d allow to stand in the way of that.

“And through it all, he offers me protection,” Adam proclaimed, wanting the entire world to know what Kurt meant to him. “A lot of love and affection, whether I’m right or wrong.

“And down the waterfall, wherever it may take me,” Adam insisted. “I know that life won’t break me. When I come to call, he won’t forsake me. I’m loving angels instead.”

The audience applauded and there were whistles and cheers of appreciation but the only regard that Adam wanted was from Kurt. His lover had risen from his seat and wasn’t trying to hide his emotions. Tears were shining in Kurt’s eyes and his mouth was drawn into a wide grin.

“You are insane,” Kurt complained, pulling Adam into his arms. “Absolutely mad.”

“Mad about you, sweetheart,” Adam insisted, looking down into that beautiful face. “And I meant every word I just sang there.”

“If you two get any sweeter, I am going to vomit. Right here,” Santana warned, resting her chin in her hand. “And I certainly haven’t had enough to drink for that yet.”

Kurt looked to his friends, seeing the amused look on Rachel’s face and Santana’s tarter expression. He looked back to Adam. “Want to get out of here?” he asked.

Adam nodded. “Let’s celebrate tonight the way we wanted to.”

Kurt turned to Rachel and Santana and made their apologies. “I think that we’re going to head out now,” he explained. “We need to have some time to ourselves tonight.”

Rachel gave a dramatic sigh, shrugging her shoulders. “I suppose that’s okay,” she granted with feigned reluctance. “It’s not like the two of you are going to do anything but stare into each other’s eyes all night.”

Kurt smiled thankfully and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’ll give you a call next year,” he teased.

“Oh, go on, you two,” Santana sniped as she studied her manicure, looking totally bored but Kurt knew it was an act.

Adam bent to give Santana a quick kiss and didn’t miss the way her eyes softened. “Goodnight, gorgeous,” he said gently.

She nodded, and Adam thought that he detected a flash of sadness in her gaze. “Good luck on your tour,” she wished and Adam kissed her cheek again.

“I’ll call you from the road,” he promised, gathering Kurt under his arm. He wanted to get home as quickly as possible.

They hurried out to get their coats and find a cab. There was a bottle of champagne waiting in the refrigerator to toast in the new year and some precious hours to spend together. Neither of them wanted to waste a single one of them.

* * *

Kurt and Adam arrived at the rehearsal building early in the morning to meet the bus that would be carrying the company to Boston for the first stage of their tour. Kurt huddled in his coat as he watched Adam stow his suitcases in the luggage hold, holding on to Adam’s backpack for him.

Around him, other members of the cast were making their own goodbyes to friends and family who’d come to see them off. He saw Nialls and Cynthia making their own farewells, both of them shedding tears and holding one another closely. Kurt blinked back his own tears, finding no comfort in that they weren’t the only couple facing separation.

Once Adam’s bags were taken care of, he returned to Kurt and accepted his backpack back. “Thanks, love,” he said gently, slinging the pack over his shoulder.

“I packed some snacks for you,” Kurt said. “And a few bottles of water.”

“Thank you, darling. I’m sure we’re going to stop for food at some point on the road,” Adam reminded him.

“I know… but I don’t you to be hungry,” Kurt insisted. He just needed to do something.

“What time does your flight get in?” Adam asked.

“If there are no delays, I should be landing at around two,” Kurt confirmed. “I’m renting a car and will meet Dad and Carole in Lima.”

Adam nodded, glad that Kurt was taking some time to go home before the semester began. Having some time to spend with his family would provide a good distraction and keep him from dwelling too much on them being apart.

“You’ll call me when you land?” Adam requested, taking Kurt’s gloved hands in his.

Kurt nodded. “And you’ll call me when you get to Boston?”

“I will,” Adam assured him.

The other actors began to board the bus and Adam inhaled deeply, knowing that the moment they’d been looking forward to and dreading had arrived.

“You’d better get going, or they might leave without you,” Kurt said, his voice growing hoarse.

Adam nodded, pulling Kurt into his arms. Their kiss tasted of salt.

“I’m not saying goodbye,” Adam insisted ardently. “Because this isn’t goodbye. I’m going to see you soon.”

Kurt nodded, blinking back tears. “You are going to be so amazing,” he affirmed confidently. “And I am so proud of you.”

Adam smiled sadly, pulling Kurt in for one last lingering embrace. “You take care of yourself,” he urged.

“I will,” Kurt promised. Biting his lip to keep from openly crying, he nudged Adam toward the bus door.

Kurt watched as Adam climbed into the bus and through the windows, saw him take his seat. Adam turned to look at him again, holding up his hand against the window and mouthed something to Kurt.

I love you.

Kurt sniffled and nodded, letting Adam know that he understood. He stayed until the bus pulled away and headed down the street, carrying Adam towards his future. Feeling like he was missing a limb or some vital organ, Kurt forced himself to turn and face his own.

* * *

Songs used::

Kurt's song: "Glitter In The Air" - P!nk

Songs with the Apples: "All I Want For Christmas Is You" - Mariah Carey                                       "Merry Xmas Everybody" - Slade

Adam's song "Angels" - Robbie Williams

**A/N**

I've tried very hard not to re-use songs that had been performed on Glee, but there are a number of songs that I felt were poorly used and had little connection with the story lines or were performed by the wrong singers (*coughRachelBlainecough*). "Glitter In The Air" is one such song. I've always found it to be one of the most beautiful songs about throwing caution to the wind for love and it became a throwaway solo for Rachel. I feel absolutely no guilt about re purposing it in a more appropriate manner and with a singer who would do it justice.

[rocketbcss]

GIOVANNI’S RP PLOTTING CHEAT-SHEET!

Want new-and-exciting plots for your character? Long to reach out to more of your followers, but don’t know where to start? Fear not! Fill out this form and give your RP partners both present and future all the of juicy jumping off points they need to help you get your characters acquainted.

Be sure to tag the players whose characters YOU want more cues to interact with, andrepost, don’t reblog! Feel free to add or remove sections as you see fit. Template here.

Mun name: Chrissy OOC Contact: Ask/IMs for the most part. I tend to keep my discord private.

Who the heck is my muse anyway?

Giovanni was the primary antagonist for the first generation of games in the Pokemon series and has been such an iconic character that he’s made appearances in the anime and manga. Up top of that he’s been referenced multiple times throughout the game series culminating in his return in USUM. He’s the head of the Pokemon world’s version of the yakuza/mafia known as Team Rocket with the ultimate goal of stealing Pokemon for profit so that he can eventually dominate the world.

Points of interest:

My portrayal of Giovanni actually borrows from multiple sources though mostly I lean heavily towards the games and the anime. Game wise you can consider this blog canon divergent since I completely ignore the Tohjo Falls retcon that happened in HGSS. Giovanni might have heard the radio signal from his executives, but he chose not to answer it and therefore never battled the young trainer from New Bark Town.

Giovanni’s identity as the leader of Team Rocket is a well kept secret that very few people know. Though he has a very public identity as both the Viridian City Gym Leader ( which retains a reputation for being the fiercest and strongest gym in Kanto ) and as a wealthy businessman who’s made generous donations across Kanto

Giovanni is still the Viridian City Gym Leader and in fact rebuilt the gym after Ash’s disastrous battle with Jessie and James. Beneath the Viridian City Gym are the main headquarters for Team Rocket and is generally where Giovanni can be found if he’s not travelling.

Giovanni is Ash’s biological father. Over a decade ago, Giovanni met and fell in love with a young girl from Pallet Town. This has been the single most defining relationship he’s ever had as no other woman has ever compared to Delia Ketchum. But when Giovanni learned of his mother’s death and he chose his career over his family and Delia in return, chose to protect her son over Giovanni and left.

I have two main verses: Rocket verse and Exile verse. My Rocket verse is a general verse for all scenarios that involve Giovanni as head of Team Rocket whether it’s pre-series or post-series in a scenario where he never disbanded Team Rocket. Exile verse is more game oriented and follows the period of time in which Giovanni disbanded Team Rocket and went solo. Although this verse can also apply to scenarios in which Giovanni might have disbanded Team Rocket for different reasons unrelated to the events that happened in the games.  

What they’ve been up to recently:

ROCKET VERSE: Giovanni is currently in the midst of launching Team Rocket’s expansion into the Kalos region after the fall of Team Flare. Though it’s been slow going as he’s facing opposition from outside sources along with remnant Team Flare factions.

EXILE VERSE: Giovanni is currently in Alola mostly to keep an eye on his sons, but also to learn more about the pokemon unique to the region. Mostly though he’s disgruntled and unimpressed with the people and the customs of the region.

CONQUEROR VERSE: having made the discovery of other worlds Giovanni has made plans to conquer the entire multiverse. He is king of his world and intends on being king of several first by taking what resources and research he can while he expands his empire.

Where to find them:

MAIN VERSE / MOST VERSES: Viridian City either at Team Rocket Headquarters or in his personal estate. 

EXILE VERSE:  Generally in his summer home outside of  Hau'oli City, though this verse tends to vary a lot as Giovanni will travel quite a bit.

CONQUERER VERSE: in what is considered TRR headquarters located in an unknown realm that shifts from reality to reality as Giovanni moves to invade another world.

Current plans:

KALOS EXPANSION: with Lysandre dead and Team Flare effectively gone, Giovanni has plans to further Team Rocket’s reach by adding the Kalos region under his control.

RECONCILE WITH SILVER: in the Exile verse, with Team Rocket disbanded Giovanni has come to the slow realisation that his son is the most important part of his life that he’s been ignoring for so long. Unfortunately that relationship has been falling apart for years and he’ll readily accept Silver’s decision if he chooses to cut ties with his father. But until that happens, he’ll do what he can rebuild what he can with his on.

Desired interactions:

More Rocket interactions: I don’t do enough of these. I know there are quite a few Team Rocket blogs floating around, but strangely I’ve yet to get off my ass and plot things out with them.

Early Life/Rise to power: I’ve always wanted to explore this part of Giovanni’s life, basically his teen years to when he becomes head of Team Rocket.

Mafia verse: I have a mafia verse sitting here that I very rarely touch and I want to use it since I’m trash for mafia stuff. I mean look at the character I’m roleplaying, is this really a surprise anymore?

A different choice: lately it’s been really rattling around in my head how different Giovanni would be if he didn’t choose Team Rocket. What kind of man would he be without the corrupting and enabling influence of his organisation? What career would he choose? Would he still just be a criminal anyway? All that stuff that I want to explore.

Recruiting: nothing tickles me more when Giovanni manages to convince someone to join Team Rocket.

Hunting: Giovanni personally hunting down a traitor = fun times

Marriage of convenience: Giovanni marrying someone for advantage. No romance. Nothing. Him and his partner are in this fully knowing that the marriage is a sham. Bonus points of Giovanni ends up divorcing later.

Down with the law: Giovanni evading the law is A+++, especially if it’s with Looker or Anabel.

Offered interactions:

Need a boss? Giovanni is your man as he offers a stable job with great benefits and you’re unlikely to have a boring day.

He’s totally not a dad: if your character needs a dad, then Giovanni is here to fill that role.

Mentor: something Giovanni will very rarely admit and hardly realises himself is that he actually enjoys teaching, but it’d take extenuating circumstances for him to admit that much

Antagonist: well duh, he’s a villain. He’s here to ruin your day if you need it.

Current open post/s:

Not really one for making open posts.

Anything else?:

I happen to have a few pet peeves when roleplaying that I’d appreciate my partners to take into consideration:

Nothing makes me drop a thread faster than characters who have no business knowing that Giovanni is the head of Team Rocket since this is a secret that he’s taken great pains in hiding. There’s canon evidence for this in the games and in nearly every version of anime. So unless your character is a super great at information gatherer as in that’s their career and they have the resources or they’re a high ranking member of Team Rocket, your character should not instantly recognise him as the Rocket Leader.

While it’s a fun little jab OOC now and then, if you seriously start an interaction with me where your character is basically “lol you got defeated by an eleven year old” I’m dropping the thread. In a world where EVERY trainer who isn’t the protag in EVERY game was basically defeated by an eleven year old trainer, this is god damn irritating. And also in character wise? Giovanni wouldn’t put up with that kind of mockery anyway.

Don’t force headcanons on me. Don’t. If you have headcanons that involve Giovanni in some way, discuss them with me and find a middle ground. I really dislike when people make assumptions about my character.

Keep all of the above in mind and we’re all gravy baby!

Tagged by: no one, dug it up from my old blog 

Tagging: @magmaichor, @aquaichor, @caniseirios, @wrathcrowned, @tcpdog, @soulsilvcr, @leaf-fuguri, @agentcatman, @hisrighthand, @rocketsecretary & everyone else!

[ao3feed--reylo]

What the World Could Be

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2r6vlo9

by t0bemadeofglass

"In the back of her mind, Rey knew she shouldn’t get close to anyone else aboard the Finalizer. She should have realized that of all the things she could have done--all the trouble she could’ve gotten into on the Finalizer, making friends? Being nice, and inviting? That was by far the stupidest, most reckless, ridiculous thing of all. It invited with it too many problems. Some Jedi she’d make, acting before considering every last option."

A one-shot based on the same 'verse as Noli Me Tangere [Touch Me Not] by the incredible PoetHrotsvitha.

Words: , Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M

Characters: Kylo Ren, Rey (Star Wars)

Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Dom/sub, Extremely Dubious Consent, Possessive Kylo Ren, Jealous Kylo Ren, Jealousy Kink, Anal Fingering, Anal Plug, Double Penetration, Dominant Kylo Ren, Multiple Orgasms, Begging, 404 Ben Solo Not Found, Woman on Top, Doggy Style, Dirty Talk, Possessive Behavior, BDSM, Mouthy Bottom

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2r6vlo9