#And returning later and doing it again to see if the colours match to the last one you did

[im-not-a-sheep]

been wondering if I have synesthesia bc I've been watching some shorts on yt (by zoesthesia) talk about some of her experiences and she described a colorless kinda movement which relates to me but idk if I actually have it bc it's only really triggered by music not sounds (i think) so idk if it has to be sounds or if it still is considered synesthesia with music

[reidmoony-toast]

We Hug Now. ౨ৎ

"The world ended when it happened to me"

Spencer Reid x gn!reader

Spencer finally returns from prison, but he isn't the man he used to be

content: no use of y/n, angst (some) comfort cw: sad themes, metaphors of violence an: This is out way later than I thought it would be so I'm very sorry 😭 Anyways this is for the gorgeous @thegloryofliterature ilysm and I hope you enjoy lovely <3

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You paced the room anxiously, jittery hands pressed to your racing heart. The apartment hadn't changed one bit since Spencer had last been inside—you had the irrational fear that if you did, you would lose those little parts of him forever. The pile of books on his night stand stayed precarious as ever, a layer of dust covering his copy of War and Peace in its original Russian—one of his favourites.

His favourite mug sat ready on the counter, as if he would walk in at any moment and pour himself a cup. It would have too much sugar, and you’d tease him for it, before he’d lean across the cool stone and kiss you softly, sickly sweetness coating his lips.

A purple scarf hung on the coat rack by the door, faded with use. It was his favourite. Is his favourite. It was a gift from his mother almost half a decade ago, and he’d cherished it ever since. The stitching on one end had come apart, and you’d sewn it back together. The new thread wasn't the perfect colour match, but Spencer hadn’t minded one bit. He said it added character, and always reminded him of you each time he wore it. You couldn't help but notice the purple scarf adorning his outfits more after that.

You glanced at your phone again for the hundredth time, and found the same text from Penelope, sitting, opened and unresponded, on your screen.

He’s coming home. Today.

Not much else needed to be said. Those few words gave everything you needed to know—except when he would arrive. Thus, you had been wearing a patch into the rug beneath the coffee table with your excessive pacing ever since you received Pen’s text.

When would he be here? You were almost sick with worry. You peered at the text again, then abruptly threw your phone onto the plush couch. It was no use reading it once again. It wouldn't help.

These last few months had been absolute torture. Knowing Spencer was in such a horrible place, getting hurt, and there was nothing you could do about it? It had to be one of the worst feelings in the world. Like you were being stabbed repeatedly with a serrated knife, and every time it was pulled out so slowly, you could feel each and every agonising groove.

Worst of all, Spencer had left you off his visitor’s list. That little fact cut the deepest. Spencer Reid, the man you loved most in the world, the one you had bared your soul to for the past three years, actively didn't want to see you. It was like one big inside joke you had been left out of.

No matter how beyond relieved you were that he was finally out of that hell hole, the pit in your stomach that got increasingly worse each time you thought about that little fact didn't abate, even now.

What were you going to say to him? After all these months without so much as a phone call shared between the two of you. All the information you received came second-hand from his team, and you didn't even get to correspond by letter.

Why had he done it, why? You had lain awake at night contemplating that question for weeks on end.

You understood Spencer, more than you understood yourself, even, but what you couldn't understand was why Spencer felt like he couldn't show all of himself to you, even the most horrible parts. Especially those parts.

With almost divine timing, the door handle turned slowly, and your head whipped to the door. You froze in place, staring with wide eyes as the door clicks, opening cautiously. There was no need for a key, you had unlocked it hours ago, anticipating this very moment.

The door opened fully, and Spencer eased himself into the entryway. You couldn’t breathe. His form was hunched, hair falling limply into his eyes, and you could spy facial hair covering his jaw in a dark shadow.

His gaze shot up, and the door slipped from his grasp, banging loudly into its frame. You both jumped slightly at the noise, but your eyes never left each other. You sucked in a sharp breath. He looked empty. Like every joy and light that once filled him so profoundly was completely extinguished. Snuffed out.

His eyes were gaunt, dark circles of unrest swept under his lower lash. Those eyes—once doe-eyed and hopeful—were haunted. Exhausted. Utterly wrecked and full of anguish.

You both stood there, unblinking and unmoving for what felt like an eternity. The harsh silence is broken with harsher words. “Why, Spencer.”

It wasn’t a question, nor a statement. It resembled more that of a plea. For what, you didn’t know.

He said nothing.

“Why didn’t you let me see you? Why did you shut me out? Do you really think I’m that shallow?” A silent tear tracked it way down your cheek, pooling on your jaw before dropping onto the rug beneath your feet. You weren't even aware of crying in the first place. “Why.”

He just stared.

“Spencer.” Your voice cracked, and your limbs unlocked enough to take a small step forward. He just shook his head slowly, swallowing harshly as he regarded you with his broken eyes, and a lone tear traced its way down the contours of his face, perfectly mirroring your own. It caught in his five o'clock shadow and disappeared, leaving only a shining track of sorrow down his cheek.

Your lip trembled and your eyes softened at the scene before you, and you forgot any prior grievances—you forgot everything, even your name, as you focused your whole being on the broken and bruised man before you.

“Oh, my love, what did they do to you?” The words come out as an almost imperceptible whisper, cracked and crazed, like a window pane just before it shatters into a million lethal shards that bite into your hands and feet—stinging and deep.

It all happened so quickly after that. Spencer's face crumpled completely, a wracking sob crawling out through his throat. He stumbled forward at breakneck speed, straight towards you, like a compass pointing to its true north.

You didn’t remember how, but you were moving too—less fast, but no less determined, and you both ate up the distance, until there was no other option than to fall right into each other.

That was exactly what happened, and he barrelled into you so hard that all the air in your lungs was forced out against your will. Momentum sent you both crashing towards the kitchen, and Spencer cushioned your fall with one arm wrapped tightly around your middle, the other flying out to catch himself on the countertop before he crushed you with his large frame.

A shattering sound punctured through your bubble of consciousness, but you paid it no mind. Everything else in the world was inconsequential compared to the man sobbing violently into your neck, arms holding onto you for dear life.

Your own limbs came up to rest—one around his shoulders, the other threading through the dull curls at the base of his neck. You rubbed soothing circles on his back, whispering incoherent comforts into his ear. He continued to shudder, choking on his tears and tightening his grip to an almost crushing embrace.

Your heart ached for him, deep and painful. You hurt for everything he has suffered. You hurt for what he had to do to survive, for what was done to him. You hurt for the utter loneliness he must have felt with no comforts and no freedom, and all for a crime he didn't commit. You hurt for the relapse that was forced upon him, and for the reason he went to Mexico in the first place.

Spencer poured out every feeling of guilt and inadequacy, of shame and disgust. Every moment he felt scared, and every moment he felt anger so powerful, it made him afraid of his own mind.

But mostly, it was the feeling of helplessness that held him captive. You knew that feeling well, had become close acquaintances with it in the past months—though nothing to the extent of his, you were sure.

He clung to you like you were a lighthouse in a storm, and you let him. Told him to let it all out—every haunting and twisted minute of the past three months.

The longer you stood there, the more you understood why he pushed you away, even as it ripped the stitches open on that wound once again. He never let others see his pain, and to be so vulnerable and so raw, stripped of your self-identity like that, was a scary thing for him to allow others to see.

While it hurt, you knew Spencer, knew his vice. Knew that he thought he was doing the best by the both of you, not stopping to consider that maybe you wanted to be there for the bad. Wanted, because you wanted inside his soul, because you wanted—needed—to be his shining light home; for your souls were intertwined, and he would have to try a lot harder to push you away.

You stayed steady now, for if you broke, you wouldn't be the rock he needed. No, you had to stand strong. For Spencer.

Your neck was sticky with hot tears, and you sent a look at the floor to your left—by pure chance—and a flash of porcelain shine caught your eyes. Then, in stillness, you realised what it was.

Spencer’s mug. The one you laid out every morning. It rested there on the kitchen tile, broken. Smashed. In Spencer's flail to catch the both of you, he must have knocked it to the ground.

You stared. And stared.

And finally, after trying so hard to be the strong one, the calm one, the understanding and soothing one, the damn burst, and a tidal wave washed away the foundations of your resolve.

You cried. Loudly. Painfully. The sobs wracked your whole body, down to your cold feet on the freezing tile. You could feel those shards of glass now.

The pain you felt, so visceral and puncturing, was no longer a metaphor—the glass cut into your feet, legs, arms, stomach and chest, as your eviscerated body sluggishly poured hot and sticky blood onto the kitchen floor in perfect tandem with your cracking heart.

You registered Spencer whispering something over and over again into the smooth skin of your neck, now wet with tears. Your next sob was choked as you realised the words. “I’m sorry.” Over and over, again and again.

You listened to those two soul-crushing words as you stared, unblinking, at the mug on the floor. It was broken beyond repair, and it could never be fixed, not fully. No matter how intricately you glued it back into one piece, it would never be the same ever again.

The cracks would still be there, even if they weren't visible. It would never gain back its strength again, and it would easily chip, easily shatter once more.

As you held the man you love in your arms, letting him sag against you, use you as a lifeline, you realised the unfathomable truth. No matter what, nothing would ever be the same again.

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Thank you for reading, feedback is appreciated x

Tags: @reidology13 @navs-bhat <3 - Comment to be added!

Masterlist ౨ৎ

[caxde]

bright eyes | eddie munson x reader

summary Eddie runs into his ex while he's out in a date with you and his little girl, and you try to deal with his unresolved feelings (5.3k)

warnings fem!reader, girl!dad Eddie!!!!, fluff, mutual pining, yearning etc, slowburn strangers to lovers, idiots in love!!!, first ily, english is not my first language so I apologise if there’s some mistakes, not proof read! 

a/n: thank you guys for the support, this was based on a request by @althea-tavalas and @callsignraver thank you both, and sorry it took a while! part1 part2 part 3 part 4 (they can be read seperatly)

“They’re pink!” Lua screamed as she saw the flamingos, standing still on their delicate legs. 

“Yes, they are!” You added with glee, matching her energy as she found her way near the enclosure. You crouched beside her, holding her carefully by her waist, just in case she felt like running again. 

“I thought they were yellow…” Eddie said as she crouched behind you, teasing his little girl with his colour confusion. 

“That’s pink” She mumbled as her finger pointed to the animals, her head looking back at him, a shy smile on her lips. 

“No, this is pink” He continued as he grabbed his shirt, a faded ochre tinted the fabric, and you heard Lua giggle as she shook her head no. 

“Yellow?” She asked, looking at you while she grabbed her dad’s shirt. You nodded as you smiled, finding the whole scene overwhelmingly pure. 

She whined as she rolled her eyes, you stiffed a laugh. She was copying Eddie to perfection, you had seen that same eyeroll a few moments ago when you told him you had to go to the merry go round before you leave, even if the sun was going to set soon. 

He caught you doing so, and gave you a smirk, a look of recognition you both shared. 

You stayed at her level, both of you pointing out what else she could see, while Eddie slowly stood up, his eyes not leaving the both of you as giggling escaped both of your lips. 

“Bug, can you stay with princess for a second?” He asked with a soft touch on her shoulder. She nodded enthusiastically, her hand holding yours, just like he taught her to do so when he leaves her with you. 

“Where’re you going?” He smiled as soon as he saw how your head tilted to the left, Lua was picking on that too. He gave you a quick look, the same smirk as you realised what he meant invaded your face. 

“You’re going to need tickets…” He responded, not loud enough so the surprise could still work whilst he nodded to the carousel. 

You smiled up at him and he took that as you giving him the all clear, distracting Lua with more questions, guiding her to the opposite site of where he was going.

He was a bit busy, thinking about you and how thoughtful it was, you buying the tickets for the zoo. It’s summer solstice! you had cheered as you tried to make it seem like it wasn’t too much, that you were excited to go and that you needed to celebrate. He had only agreed to do so, if he drove the three of you to Indianapolis, and he could take you out to dinner later that week. He had called it a real date, the promise of such made you blush. 

Eddie was deep in his thoughts, he knew he couldn’t really afford Enzo’s -it was too fancy anyway- so he was trying to decide if the dinner was a better idea than a picnic by the lake. He was too focused, he bought two tickets instead of three. 

But as soon as he saw the strawberry blonde hair his stomach dropped, closed and turned around all of a sudden. He hadn’t seen her since she called saying she couldn’t do it, that he had to do it alone, that she was leaving. 

Now Paige's hand was wrapped around another boy he didn’t know the name of. 

Her eyes widened as soon as she made eye contact with him, a shy smile appeared on her face as she waved at him, slowly raising her hand. He returned the gesture, not sure what to do, or why his feet felt so heavy. 

He stood in place, looking back at where you were, scratching the back of his head in a nervous manner, he relaxed his breathing as soon as he saw you picking Lua up, walking a bit closer to the flamingos so she could see them better. 

He started worrying right away though, he hadn’t told Lua anything about her mother, and she was right there. 

What would he say? He figured he had more time, that he would be able to tell her about her once she’s grown up and asks for her. Hell, she doesn’t even know the meaning of the word mom, she had never heard of it. And even if she did, Eddie knew you had been acting like one ever since you met, he hadn’t even told you anything about it, because you hadn’t asked out of respect. The only thing he did tell you was that you could ask about it, and the only thing you said back was just how much you care about Lua, and how you’d never wanna make things awkward by asking too much. He had kissed you after that, and he could feel the sensation on his lips now, even when panic was invading his body, the thought of you seemed to relax him enough. 

“Eddie?” Paige’s voice snapped him back with a painful stab at the memory, one where it didn’t hurt hearing her say his name. 

“Hi.” He didn’t expect his own voice to sound that cold, but he didn’t care if it did if he was honest with himself. 

“How are you? It’s been a while.” She tried to keep the conversation friendly, but Eddie pursed his lips, and she remembered enough to know that he did that when he was uncomfortable. 

“Yeah, two years and five months.” He spitted out, reminding her how old her daughter was. 

“Is she here?” She asked back, her eyebrows slightly raising as she looked for her near Eddie. 

“Yeah. She’s with my partner, they wanted Lua to come.” He wouldn’t admit it, but seeing her lip quiver as he said those words made him smile internally, knowing that it was a small victory. 

“Could I see her?” She tried again, Eddie noted the regret in her eyes. He also saw just how much they looked like Lua’s. 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” He barked back, slowly and calmly. “You made it very clear that you didn’t want to be involved.” 

“She’s still my daughter.” Paige added with shame in her words, Eddie felt bad once he saw her eyes crystalize.

“I think I remember you saying a very different thing.” He was going in for the kill, he could taste the anger dripping out of every word, though it was anger but protection. 

“That…” She tried to gather herself. “I know you’re pissed off but I… C’mon Eddie, I was a child!” 

“I was one too!” He finally snapped back, raising his voice to match hers, he saw heads turning, but he didn’t mind, he never had. “And I stayed. You left.” 

“I just… I wanna see how she’s doing, I thought about calling you but I didn’t know… I don’t know where you are, now that I know you live in the city I could-'' Eddie had to cut her off, he thought maybe someday he would want her back -for Lua’s sake- but this proved, he just couldn’t stand her and her selfishness. 

“We don’t live here, and if she decides she wants to meet her, i’ll let her. Nothing else matters to me but her.” Eddie admitted, he could feel the vein on his neck growing larger as he became more agitated. 

He looked back for a second, rubbing his chin. A moment of silence that he used to check on both of you, and he was glad he did once he saw you walking with Lua in your arms, as she cheered seeing the merry go round light up. He smiled for a second, it wasn’t a full one, but a half upside down smile, his lips still slightly pressed. 

“I know I didn’t… I am sorry Edds.” She tried to apologise, rubbing her hands together in an anxious manner he knew too well. 

“Eddie.” He corrected her. “I’m sorry, I just can’t do this right now, sorry.” He ended up apologising, excusing himself, needing a way out once he heard the particular chuckle of his little one. 

He desperately needed to hold her. 

You noticed something was wrong as soon as you saw him stomping his way back to you. 

You noticed the way his breathing was troubled, going up and down faster than needed. 

You noticed the way his lips were pressed against each other, and the way his hands shake. 

Before you were able to ask anything, you looked back at where he was coming from, it wasn’t that hard to understand. She really did have Lua’s bright eyes. 

The scrunch in between his brows asked for permission to hold her, and you let your head hang on the left as you nodded slowly, leaving a kiss on his cheek as he bent down to grab her, holding her tightly. 

“Do you need to talk about it? Later?” He didn’t say anything, he just gave you a kiss back, right where your hairline started. You knew it was a yes. 

“Should we go, bug?” He asked Lua, pointing at the fast yellow lights turning, a soft melody emerging from it as it turned. 

“Can we?” 

“Anything you want” He promised, as he held her tightly, hugging her as he walked over, leaving you behind as you watched both of them.

You saw that girl, walking by you, with a strange mix of melancholy, nostalgia and jealousy in her eyes. You could swear she stopped as she passed you by, looking at you in an analytic manner. Even if her eyes were lost deep into her own thoughts, you could feel the way she judged you, and how her fingers twitched for a moment, wishing she got to hold her as closer as you did, even if she said she couldn’t all those years ago. 

You decided to just avoid her sight, enjoying the way Lua was smiling, being held by her dad, who was enjoying more than ever having her that near. 

-

“Is she asleep?” Eddie asked, his eyes not leaving the empty road. 

“Yeah” You answered with a quick glance backwards. You noticed the way her eyes were shut highly, her long lashes and a bit of drool falling from her parted lips. “Her neck will hurt” You noted, Eddie kept his lips pressed, nodding slowly. “Do you wanna talk about it?” 

“Maybe”

“Moon?” You pleaded, your hand reaching for his, holding the pedal shift softly as his fingers melted to your touch. 

“Are you sure she’s asleep?” His voice was trembling now, impotence clear in his tone. “She’s more clever than you think” He added as he grinned to himself. 

“Edds she’s drooling, I’m quite sure.” Your thumb petted the back of his hand, he smiled at the gesture. 

“I do want to talk about it… I just… I think… you might know?” He tried to make you say it, as if admitting it outloud was just as painful as having lived it. 

“I think I do.” He just nodded, his lower lip quivered in anticipation to hear you say it, he needed to be you to break the ice, he needed you to be the one to ask it. You knew he would never impose such a hard topic onto you, just as well as you knew he needed to talk about it. “So… That’s her mother?” 

“Mmmh” He answered, his head nodding as he tried hard to contain his disdain for her. “Paige.” 

“How long have- When was the last time you-” You didn’t finish asking yet he was already answering. 

“Since she decided to leave Lua with me. Right after having her.” You could feel how hurt he had been in the past, and just how seeing her for such a short moment had reopened the wound. “You know she decided she didn’t even want to hold her? She never gave a fuck about her now she wants to see her? Why!? Because you ran into us and thought you had to ask? Why!? It makes no sense at all. She hasn’t asked in two years and five months she can wait until bug asks it herself.” Eddie’s eyes narrowed, as he tightened his fingers around the wheel, his jaw clenched. Poison dripping out of his lips. You let him breathe, your hand now on the back of his neck, caressing him softly. 

“Better?” You asked, a shy smile found its way on your tone. You saw a chuckle escaping him. 

“Kinnda.” 

“How did you meet her?” You were genuinely curious, and he could tell with just a glance at you. Your eyes shined up to him, while your free hand played absentmindedly with the hem of your dress. 

“I uh… Old customer” He winked at you, hoping you would understand. 

You confirmed it with a short chuckle. 

“Soft stuff?” 

“The softest.” 

“And how did… that happen?” You added with a nod at Lua’s direction. He laughed at the question, his eyebrows raising.

“I think you know how that happens” He answered with a grin on his lips, teasing you a bit, his shoulders more relaxed now. 

“Eddie…” You flickered his ear in a playful manner. 

“We were bored. Honestly. Maybe a bit high.” His confession started as he slowed the car, pulling into Hawkins now. “She came over for some uh… stuff. I fancied some so we smoked in my room, one thing led to another and… A couple of months later she came back, scared to hell. She said she didn’t know what to do. I held her, I told her we could figure it out. She said she didn’t love me, I said I knew. I didn't love her either for the record, not that it really matters but uh… We told Wayne. He was pissed but didn’t show it to her. He said I had to step up, and I did.” He gave a quick glance to the sleeping girl on the backseat through the rearview mirror. His eyes softened as soon as he saw her dreaming. “As soon as I held her I… I knew'' He took a deep breath in, bracing for what he wanted you to hear. You continued the soft caresses into his skin that he was so thankful for. “Nothing would hurt her, and if that meant I had to get my shit together… I did. I graduated, I got a job… a legal one.” You chuckled at that at the same time as he did. “I vowed to take care of her, and to do that I had to take care of myself, so I did.” His hand finally reached for your thigh, reciprocating the caring touch you had been giving him. “I also vowed to not fall for anyone again, not until I was sure anyway. It was all going well… Until I met you I thought I could keep that promise but I… I’m kinnda glad you proved me wrong though.`` 

The car stopped, and suddenly the silence grew louder. His words resonated stronger. And your smile grew wider. 

“I should put her down. Thank you for listening.” He concluded, giving your wrist a slow kiss, his lips sent goosebumps through your skin. 

“Moon…” You got his attention, not too sure what to say next. “I… I um… Do you wanna come?” 

“I’m tired.” He admitted, hoping you wouldn’t get offended by his answer. 

“I know, me too I just… I think you could use the company. Nothing has to happen just, I’m here if you want to, you know that. Right?” He tilted his head, his lips curving in the usual smirk he gave you. You swear you could draw it if you had to by now, it was a magical feeling. 

“I don’t- I can’t leave her alone, not today.” The sincerity in his voice grew bigger as his eyes flicked to her little one, sleeping soundly on the back of the car, unaware of everything that had happened. 

“Yeah I know I just… You deserve someone to take care of you too.” 

Something inside Eddie clicked.

Maybe it was the way your voice had sounded, soft and full of care and meaning behind every word you enunciated. Maybe it was the way your eyes looked up at him, as if he was a bright night sky, filled with stars and no clouds. Or, perhaps, it had been the way he noted how you had chosen the words so meticulously, your fingers going over the same spot on the end of your dress, as your lip quivered before finally deciding what to tell him. 

It didn’t matter, not to him anyway, what the cause had been, but he was sure now that he was ready to let himself fall hard for you. 

Deeply, madly and truly. 

But then again, maybe he already was and was just now realising.

But from your point of view, you just saw a lovesick smile with puppy dog eyes looking down at you. Half closed lids hiding his sight as his head tilted slightly, a soft rush of blood invading his cheeks. You nodded slowly, closing the distance between the both of you just so you could leave a short kiss on his cheek, the warmth of it clashing with the coldness of your unkissed lips. You opened the door on your side, mouthing a short and wordless ‘bye’ as you left. He was left looking at you, his smile turning into a big grin as he looked deeper into you. 

-

Wayne waited for Eddie to put Lua down, before he asked him what's wrong. 

He could tell something had happened by the way his nephew took off his shoes. He didn’t take them with the top of his heel and left them there for him to put away. He took them with his heel and left them out of the doorway neatly with the exterior of his foot. And Eddie only did that when he was overthinking something

So Wayne waited, a cigarette burning in between his fingers, an unburned one waiting for his boy layed next to him. He raised his brows at him as soon as Eddie closed the door pointing at it with his head, Eddie’s face relaxed in a soft thank you way Wayne knew way too well. 

He waited a bit more. For Eddie to open the window so the smoke would clear out and for him to light his cigarette. 

He gave him a hard long look and Eddie folded immediately, with a short chuckle precinidng his words, a way of telling him to fuck off for knowing him too well. 

“Long day, Wayne.” His eyes were lost into the horizon, looking at the dull wall in front of him. 

“I gathered.” He spoke nonchalantly as smoke escaped his lips. 

A short beat of silence occurred as Eddie thought about how to tell him what had happened, in the end, it was best to just say it. 

“We ran into Paige.” Eddie finally said, over enunciating every vowel, with a hint of irony masked as rudeness.   

“Shit.” Wayne’s surprised tone was genuine, just as much as his head whipping around to meet his eyes. Eddie just nodded slowly, taking a drag out of his fag, enjoying the numbing feeling the smoke left in his tongue, as if would make it easier to speak. “How did that shitshow go?”

“Horrible.” 

“Did you overreact?” Wayne raised his brow at the question, as his eyes finally met Eddie’s. 

“I don’t overreact!” He opened his eyes even more at the squeak in his voice, he waited to speak after he let out the smoke. “Maybe I do.” He admitted. 

“I’ll take that as a yes.” 

“I said maybe.” 

“What did you tell her?” 

“Nothing!” Eddie was getting flustered with the quickness in which his uncle caught up to his bullshit. Wayne had only let his arm rest on his thigh, resting his head on the palm of his hand, looking deeply into him. “I just… She wanted to see Lua, and she made it very clear how much she didn’t want anything to do with her, so I told her no.” Wayne scoffed, dropping the accumulated ash off. “What?” 

“Even if she’s a shit person, she’s still the kid’s mother.” Eddie couldn’t quite believe his words. “She’s got a right to meet her.” 

“When Lua asks about her, I’ll tell her. Not now.” He pleaded, his eyes crystalizing at the idea of Wayne not having his back for the first time in his life. 

“Okay kiddo, but you’ll have to tell her” Wayne pointed out, moving his hands as he spoke, smoke trailing after them. 

“I know. I had to tell princess too.” Wayne’s eyes widened at the information as Eddie just nodded in confirmation, taking one more drag, seeing the smoke travelling off the window, finding its way to you. 

“You did?” 

“Yeah” 

“How did she take it?” Wayne feared the answer. It being a negative one and therefore it being the answer as to why Eddie had a gloom over him. 

“She told me if I needed company? And that I deserve to be taken care of too…” He trailed off, the soft look on your face coming back into his mind. 

“She’s a good girl…” 

“I know” 

“And she knows you better than you do.” Wayne added, patting his thigh as he stomped the cigarette out on the ashfilled plate. 

“What do you mean?” 

“You do need company.” Wayne told him, standing up as he whipped his hands on his jeans. He clocked Eddie’s quick glance to the closed door, and shook his head. “I’m here, nothing will happen. And you deserve to be with someone that cares.” It sounded as if Wayne was scolding him off, as if he was telling him how big of a douche he was by not allowing himself to be vulnerable for once. “Go!” He added, opening the door for him. 

“She wakes up in a big mood when I’m not here…” He tried to fend off for himself, some sort of excuse that would justify him. 

“And I know you enough.” He pointed out, nodding to your trailer. “You’ll be here for breakfast.”

“Dick” He joked, giving him the winning point of the argument. 

- 

Unaware of it all, you stood on your toilet floor, washing your face whilst the kettle whistled on the stove. 

The same oversized shirt you always used, the fabric had become soft and with the same wrinkles falling perfectly in the same spot after so many years. You didn’t mind it, you just shushed the whistling, as if it could actually hear you whilst you mouthed along a jingle that came out of the telly, the ad brake had given you the excuse to actually stand up the couch and snapped you out of feeling sorry for yourself. 

You had been brave, he hadn’t. And that wasn’t your fault. 

Maybe he had been a little brave, you now thought, after all, he did answer everything you had asked him, even if he seemed rather anxious about it. And that was him being brave. 

You shook your head, as you saw yourself spiraling again. You splashed water in your face, trying not to go down the same overthinking abyss you seemed to frequent. So maybe it was the water that made you not hear the soft knocks on your door, and that prompted a somehow worried Eddie to let himself in, looking around with curious eyes unable to find you anywhere, spotting the noisy kettle on the stove that was now burning the lower end of it, he walked over the kitchen, turning it of in a quick movement. 

Before he even realised it, he was already preparing your tea the way he knew you liked. 

When you emerged out, you left your body rest on the wall, arms crossed over your chest as you just looked at him. 

You liked looking at him when he was unaware of it. He was beautiful, and you did tell him so constantly and he’d play it off with a funny face that made you chuckle, yet it was true. 

His eyes softened when he was busy doing something, yet his sight seemed to harden as concentration invaded his body. You started to notice these little details long ago, now they were your favourite things about him. If you had to, you could list them all, if only the world had enough paper, you thought. 

“I can brew my own cup, y’know?” You broke off his concentration and dedication with a soft chuckle, he turned around with a pinkish hue already invading his cheeks. 

“I know, yet you always seem to prefer the ones I make for you” He tried to force his lips not to curve upwards, falling miserably as he handed you the cup. 

“Since I taught you how to make one” You added before taking a short sip, careful not to burn your own tongue. 

“My coffee still tastes like shit” He remarked, making you both snort a laugh, while you shook your head, the hand that wasn’t busy holding your tea found its way to your forehead. 

“It kinda does actually.” You laughed as you spoke, one of the many details Eddie loved about you. 

Love, as it turns out, is not one particular thing, but a conglomerate of them. Eddie was now realising that, as he put that laughter on the bottom of the things he could not live without. 

“You said it was good!” Eddie raised his tone as he playfully bumped your shoulder with his, your head resting on it now. 

“I didn’t!” 

“Yes you did!”

“No, you asked, do you like it? and I said yeah…” You replicated the downward tone, replicating the irony you had used in the past. 

“Oh, fuck off.” He was the one laughing with you now, holding into you tightly, his arm wrapping around your waist. “I’m sorry I left myself in, I kinda needed to talk to you actually.”

“Shoot” You said as you nodded to the couch, knowing it was better if the both of you were sitting down, able to look at each other. 

Eddie’s steps followed you closely, strangely enough his words didn’t worry you. Not if his hand was intertwined with yours. 

“What’re you watching?” He raised his brow at the T.V, still playing nonsensical ads. 

“I don’t really know honestly” You added in an embarrassed hushed tone as you turned it off. The silence of the moment makes the bubble feel smaller. “What do you uh…”

“Right.” He took a sharp breath in, enjoying this moment even if he wasn’t sure what he actually wanted to tell you, you looked too beautiful not to take in. Even if your hair was put away in a messly manner, flyaways framing your face as you tilted it, looking deeper into him. Even if the only thing you were wearing was that faded shirt, it still let him look at your legs, and the softness your skin promised if he were to touch them. 

“Moon?” 

“Sorry, got distracted.” He muttered, shaking his head as his eyes left your legs, linking back with yours. “I uh… I realised I may have been a dick earlier, as Wayne pointed out.” 

“Wayne?” 

“Yeah he uh… He really does know when I get into my head”

“I could kinda tell.” Your eyes now avoided making contact with his, focusing solely on the way your fingers wrapped around the end of your shirt. 

Eddie had your nervous movements learnt by now. If you held his sight he knew you weren’t overthinking, just trailing off so you’d play with whatever you had at hand so you would stay focused, but if your eyes landed elsewhere, he knew that your brain was going a mile a minute. 

So his hand grabbed yours, pulling you back to him. 

A tilt in his head as he scotched himself closer to you was all it took for your heart to stop racing.

“Not your fault, my love.” He reassured now, his words trailing off in that softened tone he only had for you. “I just didn’t know how you’d take it, the whole Paige thing and I freaked out.” 

“If you freak out, I freak out.” You pointed out as your gaze finally met his. 

“I know, I’m sorry” You gave into the palm of his hand as he cupped your cheek, the other one was still interlocked with your fingers. “I’m just really scared.” He confessed, whispering now. 

“What for?” You looked at him through your eyelashes, you had never looked more angelic, pure, a clashing look with the concern on your tone. 

“That the more you know about me, the easier it will be for you to find a reason to run off. And I’ll stay here, heartbroken over you” You could feel the sincerity leaking through, the earnestness in which he spoke was truly admirable, you had never seen someone be as open as he was being. 

Brave. 

You could be brave too. 

“I’m not leaving, Moon.” You kissed the tip of his nose before letting your forehead touch his. 

Eddie could feel his lips curving upwards even if he tried for them not to. 

“How can you be so sure?” If you weren’t as close as you were, you were sure you wouldn’t have heard it, or the warmth he emanated with his vulnerability. 

Brave. 

You had to be brave for once, even if you could feel your heartbeat on the back of your throat. 

“Because… You don’t run away from the things you love.” 

Eddie froze on the spot. A sense of complete glee washed over him, and he could swear he just felt his heart miss a beat, as if it had answered before he was able to. He widened his eyes before separating your foreheads, just so he could look at you. 

You and your flushed red cheeks, you and the way the sincere smile turned into a flirtatious and nervous one, while you tried to mask it by biting your lower lip. 

“I knew you’d say it first” He cave in with that stupid grin in his face, his dimple making an appearance on his cheek. 

“Fuck off” You chuckled as you scotched in even closer, your legs finding their way over his. 

“I couldn’t run away from you either” He pointed out, the hand he had on your cheek now on the back of your neck, fingers tangling with your hair. 

“Why’s that?” You played dumb now, pushing your body into him, as you sat on top of him, your arms resting on his shoulders, your gaze deep into his. 

“Because I might love you too” He played too, following your lead as he pulled you in even closer, your noses touching again. 

“MIght?” 

“I do” 

“I thought so, idiot” 

You were both grinning, smiling and laughing all at once. 

A weight had been lifted, as you had finally been brave for once, and actually spoke your mind. 

It was even better now that he was finally kissing you, his lips gracing yours with that slowness that marked a good meaningful kiss and moment. Only made better by both of your lips curving upwards, still processing what had been said. 

It had been more than the first i love you.

It had been a promise. 

One that you both intended to keep. 

-

requests! are open

@took-me-hours-to-steal-those @edens-vices-art @micheledawn1975 @peachystenbrough @mewchiili @bylermaxmayfield @yujyujj @honeymoonmunsonn @paleidiot @ali-r3n @sunshineandwitchery @supernaturalstilinski @womencriedpower @saramelaniemoon @cultish-corner @babyloutattoo89 @witchwolflea @serenadingtigers @readergf @guineveresghost @saramelaniemoon

part 5 is up, thank for the support dudes <3

[last-flight-of-fancy]

Started thinking about Riku-Kairi parallels and symbolism wrt the ending of kh2 so please hold while i get needlessly verbose about it-

specifically it started with this gif

and ofc adhd is as adhd does and started going down the rabbit hole of connecting the dots.

The act of reaching out a hand/hand holding is a recurring thing in kh, the vast majority of which is chock full of meaning and symbolism, and this is no exception. This is the culmination of The Hero's Journey part of Sora's tale, the return home, and the heartfelt reunion between long-seperated friends. fun fact the heroine's journey follows the hero's journey for the first third or so before continuing on. kinda like how kh continued on long after things seemed to be 'resolved'. weekly plug to look up Howler's Heroine's Journey essays if you haven't yet

The angle from which I am viewing this scene right now is in regards to ofc Riku, and his own iconic pose that we see the first time in the intro to kh1 (and many, many times since)

And this is where my riku-kairi-are-inverted-parallels-to-each-other brain starts barking like a dog because oughghghghggh same pose opposite side completely different body language- AHG.

And this matches their character arcs (as well as their respective combined arcs with sora) to a T as well. Riku's pose is the first we see, way back in kh1, and his hand is as much a taunt as it is an offer. Very befitting his relationship to sora in that game, which was coloured by a forged rivalry and intense jealousy (to quote the ultimania; Complicated Feelings) of/for sora.

(it is also notable that to date this gesture has yet to be resolved. the closest they've gotten is when sora grasped Riku's hand in kh2 on finding him- albeit in Ansem's visage.

Symbolically this is Sora attempting to accept the gesture, but this time it is Riku who fails to meet him halfway, too deep in guilt and regret to feel worthy of it. his hand is turned downwards, limp and unresisting.

And again in DDD when Riku grabs sora's hand/wrist in an attempt to wake him from his nightmares, but this time sora isn't capable of reciprocating. like two ships passing in the night, always reaching but never quite meeting)

(this one isn't quite as strong in the visual symbolism specific to the Riku Pose, but i did think it bore mentioning)

to return to the first gif however, for Kairi her posture is much less stiff, leaning forward with palpable releif at Sora's return. Honestly the fact that she holds out her left hand (which as far as i know is not her dominant hand) marks this as a very deliberate choice to parallel her as opposite to riku. and much like the rest of kh2's ending, it FEELS like a culmination, a completion of their arcs.... and most certainly isnt.

Which i mean to say, it's a mid-point. And the reason I say this is because of one little thing.

The seashell charm.

There's a sort of irony here in that the charm that was meant to reunite them in this moment is also symbolically like a wedge between them. A heartfelt and meaningful gesture, don't get me wrong! i love this scene and the genuine emotions within, but i do love chewing on the way this gains a slightly different meaning in the greater context of later story beats; specifically that of kh3.

With how pointed and direct the parallel is between kairi and riku in these scenes, it did make me pause for a moment thinking about kh3. i know we've all seen a thousand and one analysis' of the paopu scene at this point, but forgive me as i must do so again under this specific lens.

'how does the paopu scene relate to the hand extended gesture at all?' i hear you ask, and on the visual surface not much. it has more to do with sora and kairi's relationship arc through the games and, of course, the lingering loose thread that was the cave drawing.

The paopu scene is a touching recreation of that cave drawing, one enacted by a pair of kids who didn't know if they would live to see another sunset. It's also probably the most symbollically dense thing in all of kh and that is saying something so I'm going to try and keep my observations limited to just what is relevant to this post- and that would be the way that the paopu scene is a direct continuation of Kairi's 'you're home' gesture in kh2.

shooting stars are also a common recurring symbol in kh, and that's the symbol that ties these two scene's together. if kh1 is two disparate stars each trying to reach the other (the cave drawing, the seashell charm, the way their hands are seperated at the end of kh1), and the end of kh2 is that of the stars finally meeting (the single seashell star charm pressed between their palms), then the paopu scene is that of the stars passing each other by and beginning their own journey's anew (two stars held by crossed arms, each now holding a small piece of the other (bitten fruit) to show that their meeting may have been brief but it was meaningful)

it is in this way that kh3 quietly and tenderly closes out sora and kairi's combined arc, as two unlikely friends who then drift apart again, shining brightly for the shared experiance, Remind mostly serves to support that finality, tying up the last couple loose ends between them, and leaving the two far more comfortable with each other than they ever were while that arc was still ongoing (which i read as them no longer being uncertain as to what their relationship is; that of friends, and not whatever so many others around them had pushed and assumed)

(seriously look at how much more comfortable they are with each other the second the pressure to be something they're not is off. the awkwardness is completely gone i love it)

All of this is ofc still in parallel to Riku, who boasts no such star imagery (instead he has the iconic Heart of KH itself), and in fact while he symbollically continues to reach out to sora, physically he has completely refrained from doing so at all- in fact most examples of the Gesture in kh are deliberately invoked by other characters in order to bring riku to mind in some way (and often more for the players benifit than sora's)

axel in CoM,

(i have given up on tumblr gif search)

YMX in DDD,

which then immidiately cuts to riku in kh1 just to make it as blatant as possible that yes the reference is intentional (i guess CoM was too subtle somehow so they had to make sure this time)

and even Riku himself to Namine at the end of kh3, representing Repliku's final wishes in a funny sort of symbolism oroboros.)

and it's not a coincidence that the completion of that connection provides definitive closure to the arcs in question; that of namine to repliku, but also a little bit to riku himself. namine still has a role to play, but that role (i think) is more or less exclusive to her relationship with sora. namine and riku's relationship arc, background as it is, is complete, and now both are connected primarily through their incomplete arcs with sora.

(which makes the way that sora and kairi's example in kh2 is a complete outlier really interesting tbh. smth smth thinking your relationship is one thing and if it was that thing then yes that would have been the end, but it wasn't that thing and thus it wasn't the end smth smth comphet metaphor smth)

which brings us back to how riku himself hasn't really reached out to sora directly since kh1, the act that set off both of their journey's. The reasons for that are many- guilt, fear, a certainty that sora will not reach back and that he doesn't deserve it anyway- but despite that the Gesture is still subtly affirmed as being Riku's over and over again, never quite letting the audience forget it... because eventually this bit of symbolism so consistently portrayed throughout the series will reach its own conclusion, starting how it began with one deuteragonist reaching out to the other, and this time the other reaching back to complete the gesture.

[brnesblogposts]

in good arms

pairing: bucky barnes x reader

this idea came to me 20 minutes ago and i had to write it down.

————————————————————-

Bucky walked in the room to see you looking quite sorry for yourself, it tugged on his heartstrings and he decided it was his mission to make you feel better.

“Hey buttercup,” He quipped and received a glare off of you.

“Don’t ever say that again.” You stared right into his soul and he raised his hands in surrender.

“Why do you look so down?” He took a seat next to you on the couch.

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s this stupid cast on my arm” Sarcasm dripping from your voice which made Bucky role his eyes.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have jumped off of a two story building” He gave you side eye.

“I was TRYING to do a cool super hero landing!” You argued back only to see him smirk.

“How’d that work out for ya?”

“Shut up” You smacked his shoulder and went back to sulking in your own misery.

“Wanna watch a movie? Take a nap? Watch a movie while taking a nap?” Bucky asked and you nodded.

“Nap sounds good” You smiled.

“C’mere” He patted his lap where you lay your head as he played with your hair.

You closed your eyes and soon enough were fast asleep. Bucky smirked and went into his pocket and got out black and gold pens and began to colour your cast. Every once in awhile he’d giggle to himself and then he’d look at you scared you’d wake up. About forty minutes later you started to stir and Bucky stroked your hair as you slowly woke up.

“Morning, doll” He smiled and you returned the gesture.

“Hey” You sat up.

“How’d you sleep?” All innocence in his voice.

“I slept pretty good act-“ You stopped mid sentence when you looked down at your broken arm..

“Bucky” You spoke quietly.

“Yes, sweetheart?” He looked at you as if nothing had happened.

“Bucky did you colour in my cast” You slowly looked up to him again to see the biggest grin on his face. He held out his metal arm

“TWINS!” He beamed, he was so proud of himself and you couldn’t help but laugh.

“You idiot oh my god I have to have this on for at least four more weeks.” You were looking at the gold detail, it really did look like his.

“We will walk around together and everyone will be in awe of how cute of a couple we are! Matching arms! Maybe we should get matching outfits to complete the look” He pulled you so you were sitting on his lap.

“Absolutely not, the arm is enough” You used your good hand to scratch the hair at the back of his head and he smiled dopily.

“I’m so glad you’re not mad, this really could’ve gone either way.” He laughed.

“You’re lucky I love you” Smiling at him before leaning in to kiss him sweetly.

“I love you my metal arm girl” To which you giggled and dug your head into the crook of his neck as he wrapped his arms around you.

—————————————————-

hope you liked it, if you did please give it a reblog! i would appreciate it! also let me know if you want me to do a little drabble where the other avengers react to seeing the reader with the cast identical to buckys arm ..

[jesswritesthat]

Suna Rintarō: Timing

Fandom: Haikyuu!! — [ Masterlist ]

Summary: ~1.4k, fluff

• Your imperfect timing gifts you with information that leaves you looking back on your relationship with Suna.

Warnings: Cursing

>>>>——————————>

"Don't take this the wrong way..."

"Ya asked our honest opinion and this is it..."

"This might not be great to hear, but Suna likely won't accept yer feelings."

By all means you'd have to agree that you had the worst timing in the world right now, you'd perish before admitting it though, and decided to wait out the conversation.

Whilst his teammates were only being truthful, it still must've hurt to be told of a future rejection. It didn't stop you from eavesdropping from your spot outside the gymnasium though, as it sounded like they had more to say.

"Oh... I see. Is there a particular reason? Ah no nevermind, sorry for asking." Poor girl.

"Uh, well the truth is..."

"If ya haven't noticed it already..."

"Suna only has eyes for (Y/n)."

Oxygen was stripped from your lungs, body numb, and mind racing a mile a minute. Dangerous thoughts circling your head that you hadn't even bothered to consider because why would you?

He only has eyes for you. Bullshit.

Realistically, the only things that could possibly have brought them to that conclusion must be...

———

Suna would sometimes put your wants before his own, even if it didn’t make much sense to you at the time.

“Hey (Y/n), you coming or what?” Suna called over alongside Osamu, despite you being invested in the paper pile on your desk.

“No, I’ve gotta finish these notes. See ya later guys.”

“Yeah bye!” Suna responded with a lacklustre tone.

It was until a second later, when he slumped in the desk next to you with a dramatic groan and phone in hand, did you realise the goodbye wasn’t directed at you but rather the rest of his group. None of whom had refuted his decision.

“What are you doing? Go home!”

“Too far, decided to wait for you so hurry up.”

Even if you’d just sighed and offered a sliver of idle conversation during your work, he remained by your side until you’d completed it with an odd mutter toward whatever he was watching. Only standing from his seat when you’d began packing and waited by the door for you.

“Thanks Rintarō, for staying.”

“Whatever. Wanna get some chūpet on the way home?”

———

You also knew his running route by heart, which made it easier if you ever wanted to catch him for something. Suna always slowed down to speak to you however, not once had he passed you without acknowledgement.

It just so happened one of these times was your birthday.

In honesty you hadn’t even realised you were on his usual route, you’d been wondering by with thoughts adrift, so much so that the rhythmic padding of footsteps behind you went amiss. At least until you saw a familiar figure pass and slow a few paces ahead, turning to you with a small smirk.

“Wow, I could’ve just robbed you and you wouldn’t even know.”

“You’re not that good of a pickpocket Rin.” Crossing your arms and rolling your eyes, you’d spoken proudly.

“Either way, you’re missing this.”

He’d held up a small pouch hung on his finger, your favourite colour no less, but you’re certain it wasn’t yours (regardless of your name written on it). You carefully took it from him with scepticism, even more so when opening it to find a small keychain. It wasn’t anything special by any means, simply something you’d happened to mention liking a while ago, nonetheless it brought a small to your face.

“Happy birthday (Y/n).”

You only nodded at him, sentimental smile growing a little wider when he returned the gesture prior to jogging off again.

———

It could also be that he’d usually find a way to drag you to their games, and often when his teammates asked you could give the most sarcastic responses with an unnerving amount of nonchalance.

“So Suna invited ya this time ‘cause…?” Atsumu insinuatingly inquired, like he usually did whenever he caught you after their matches.

“He needed someone to film the two of being idiots. Blackmail privilege y’know?” You casually shrugged, scanning for Rintarō briefly before returning your attention to a pointing and agitated setter.

“Alright, that’s a lie. I refuse to believe it, this is gettin’ ridiculous!”

“Hey (Y/n).” As of on cue, Suna appeared with a blank expression to which you replied with a welcoming smirk.

“Here’s your phone Rin, I caught Atsumus’ trip in 4k.” The signature device was handed over effortlessly, the two of conversing naturally and completely oblivious to the shocked faces of Inarizaki.

“Great thanks, I’ll return the favour sometime. You enjoy the match?”

“Always, it’s nice seeing y—“

“(L/n) had his phone the whole time? Damn.” Aran commented with a hint of awe, though soon overshadowed by Atsumus’ booming outrage.

“YA JUST GAVE (Y/N) YER PHONE?!”

“And?” Came your confused voice, Osamu interjecting in this time.

“Yer not grasping the relevance of this are ya?”

“Blackmail is blackmail my friends~”

“I’ll send it you.” Suna smugly confirmed, the pair of you strolling off the court completely unaware of what his team had just cemented.

You still have that video actually.

———

…Or maybe it was the fact he’d join your side on the odd occasion when class was quieter, or in the mornings before everyone properly zoned in.

Usually the two of you could be found sitting in a corner looking like a dangerous pair with enough gossip to topple the school hierarchy at your fingertips. Other times you’d be sharing a screen commenting or intently watching whatever had garnered one of yours attention enough to share with the other…

"Psst, why are we spying?"

Immediately you'd pulled the intruder to your place against the wall, eyes remaining too focussed on the door to even check who it was as you gave a thoughtless debrief.

"A girl was going to confess but the team said Suna only has eyes for someone else."

"Oh really?"

"Shh! Be respectful or leave so she doesn't get embarrassed knowing people overhea—" By the time you'd recognised the familiar voice and turned around, it was already too late. God timing is a bitch.

"My teammates said that huh?"

"Rin."

"(Y/n).” Mocking mimicry. “Did they happen to say who?"

"…No.”

“You know, you get nervous when you lie.” His tone lowered dangerously, like he was plotting something menacing.

“I do not!” It was a hushed whisper, plan coming to fruition when he’d placed his palms either side of you, caging you against the wall.

“Then tell me (Y/n)…” His voice honeyed as he leaned closer to you with hazel eyes locked on yours. “My team didn’t mention that my eyes were only for you?”

Even if his words had brought a heat to your skin, you were quick to bite back, meeting him half way so that your noses were only a brush apart.

“SUNA!” However, you’d forgotten to hush your volume. “If you—“

Instantly the gym doors burst open, teammates and the girl rushing out upon hearing the angered yell of their conversation topic namesake.

“You really do have terrible timing (Y/n), don’t you?” Suna bemusedly muttered to you, pushing off the wall and sending a blank expression to the newcomers.

“See what we mean?” Atsumu gestured to the two of you for the girls’ sake, who seemed more panicked than anything.

“How long have you two been out here?! Did you—“

“Rintarō just got here, are you helping out with the teams’ practice today?” You kindly pivoted, hoping the tangent would provide her sanctuary.

“Ah, no I came to ask a question. I’ll be seeing you, thanks again!”

That left you and Suna walking past the remaining group into the gym like nothing had happened with an unspoken agreement to resolve this later. Whilst the third years would’ve left it alone, this did not quell the curiosity of their juniors.

“Hold up what was that out there?!”

“Yer were basically - I dunno! What were ya doing?!”

The Miya twins had cornered Suna, leaving you to admit guilt to Kita and Aran about overhearing the earlier discussion.

Rintarō released a bored sigh, rolling his eyes at the pair before answering as blunt as ever.

“You guys have worse timing than (Y/n), I was interrogating them.”

The pair shared a puzzled look, as did the other first and second years on the VBC whilst you only facepalmed. Of all times to wind them up…

“Eh? What for?”

“I wanted to know, if (Y/n)s’ eyes were as focused as mine.” It was cleverly worded, no one seemed to understand the ulterior motive but when you thought about it, you didn’t withhold your answer.

“They are.”

“Well duh! (L/n) ain’t completely blind are they?!” Atsumu commented after a moment of utter confused silence, Osamu shaking his head disapprovingly when flicking between Suna and yourself.

“You two… Yer really are something together ya know that?”

<——————————<<<<

[ Masterlist ]

A/N: Wasn’t entirely sure how to end this one so I left it open…

[catcherwrites]

The first batch of my Arc 3 concept designs are finally done! It felt fitting to begin with the three who started it all: Rayla, Callum, and Ezran

Check out the more in-depth story and design choices below

Rayla

Story Choices

In the wake of S7’s Finale, Azymondias wasn’t just a 2-year-old King of the Dragons, but the only surviving Archdragon. That means he’s a very important figure across Xadia and the Human Kingdoms – and needs to be protected. Shortly after the events of S7, Rayla reclaims her title as ‘The Last Dragonguard’ and resurrects the order to act as Zym’s attendants, advisors, and protectors. She’s spent the last few years travelling between the Storm Spire, the Silvergrove, and Evrkynd, helping where she can and leading her fellow guards (who may be revealed in a later post). Rayla’s relationship with Callum has grown stronger than ever. Even though they’re holding off on marriage until Aaravos is dealt with for good, Callum gives her the Xadian equivalent of a promise ring he handcrafted (Ethari helped). With them both feeling secure with each other, they are more comfortable with being separated…but that won’t stop them from being attached at the hip whenever they’re near each other.

Design Choices

Going into these Arc 3 designs, I had a much clearer image in my head of Rayla compared to the other characters in my lineup. Using reference images of Tiadrin and Lain made creating Rayla’s Dragonguard uniform feel very bittersweet. Unfortunately, from a creative standpoint, uniforms run the chance of limiting the personality in a character’s design. I tried offsetting this by making Rayla’s undershirt and embedded gemstones in her armour more Silvergrove-y than Dragonguard-y. I also kept Rayla’s iconic belt, Arc 2 colour scheme, and added some of Ethari’s swirls where possible. Beyond the uniform, I kept going back and forth about her hairstyle. Keep the Arc 2 bun? Return to Arc 1’s style? Braided? A simple ponytail? Eventually, I settled on a half-up braid that let my sleep-deprived brain think I was getting the best of both worlds.

Callum

Story Choices

Ezran was disappointed when Callum turned down being his High Mage again, fearing that he’d lose his brother’s support in the council room. In reality, stepping down as High Mage meant that Callum could step up as Crown Prince. In the years following S7, Callum splits his time between assisting Ezran and studying magic on expeditions across Xadia. One of those expeditions leads him to Aaravos’ book in Elarion, which helps him delve deeper into the other primal sources. He’s fully mastered Sky and Ocean magic and has grown incredibly proficient at Earth magic. To Callum’s dismay, even with the help of Lujanne, Ethari, and Aaravos’ book, he still isn’t clicking with the Moon arcanum. He also hasn’t fully unlocked the Sun arcanum, but he’s getting very close and is a strong fire mage when wielding the Staff of Ziard. By Arc 3, Callum has gained the title of Archmage – and people far and wide seek him out for magical assistance, leaving him overworked and exhausted.

Design Choices

I was very excited to come up with Callum’s Arc 3 design for one reason: the parallels. His Arc 2 outfit is meant to resemble Viren, as Callum had taken his place as the High Mage of Katolis. But because he is no longer ‘High Mage,’ and instead ‘Archmage’, Callum’s Arc 3 outfit is intended to reflect Aaravos. I tried to do this with his uncovered arms, the open coat, and the vaguely celestial elements on his tunic. The geometric pattern on Callum’s coat is meant to look like a feather (symbolising his first primal source) while in the style of his Arc 2 coat. Rayla gifted Callum a matching belt buckle to hers (though with a moon opal for emergencies), which he wears alongside his uneven towers buckle from Ezran. His hair is mostly the same, except slightly longer, because I don’t see overworked-mage Callum caring about his hairstyle.

Ezran

Story Choices

S7 was a massive tipping point for Ezran: losing his brother, his true heart, and almost losing himself to the cycle of violence. While he stopped before he could go too far, Ezran was unequivocally changed by what happened. After Aaravos’ defeat, Ezran has been overseeing Evrkynd’s construction, ensuring it’s a safe home for humans and Sunfire elves who lost their home. However, it is also open to anyone, regardless of their origin. While he and Queens Janai and Amaya decided the people would rule the city of Evrkynd, Ezran continues to rule wider Katolis alongside his council. He does spend most of his time in Evrkynd for his royal duties, but Ezran is learning to take breaks – occasionally joining Callum, Rayla, and Zym on small getaways. As is tradition for anyone in the royal family, Ezran began combat training in his mid-teens with Soren as his teacher. He’s grown quite good and can hold his own in a battle (long enough for his Crownguard come to his aid, at least).

Design Choices

Ezran’s design in TDP has always been one of the simplest ones, probably symbolising his humble personality despite his status. I tried to maintain that effect in his Arc 3 outfit but with one major alteration. Going into this design, I wanted Ezran’s struggle in S7 to have had a visible impact on him by including armour in his design. His outer tunic is now gambeson, and his shoulder pads are scuffed-up leather. If he decides to wear it, the gold studs on Ezran’s shoulders are where his cloak will latch on. As should be expected from an age jump this severe, the biggest change to Ezran was his build. He’s finally overtaken his brother in height, much to the dismay of both Callum and Rayla, and is expected to be as tall as Harrow when he’s finished growing.

[holmesianlove]

Chapter 4 - Hats

“I look ridiculous!” John cried out.

“John this was the best I could think of, to cover up the green. You know I need you with me on cases.”

“You don’t, though,” he snapped. “You could take that bloody skull from the mantle and set it down on the ground and just yap away to that while you do your deductions, for all the use I am,” John scoffed.

“John Watson,” Sherlock scolded. “If you really think you are no better than a lifeless skull to me, I’d be disappointed. I think I’ve proven otherwise many times. But I can take you back home if it’s what you really desire...” Sherlock knew perfectly well that John was going nowhere but he made the offer and then left the silence to drift between them.

John said nothing, which Sherlock knew was a firm confirmation he was staying. Despite everything. Sherlock knew he was too stubborn to let a skull actually take first place. Or for Sherlock to win this green-bodied stand-off. And besides, John would be just as desperate to see a good crime scene. It had been far too long.

They stood in silence looking in the mirror. “Well in any case, not this one,” John finally said. “And if I’m wearing a stupid hat, so are you.”

“I will follow your lead,” Sherlock said kindly with a gracious bow of his head - a risky move given John’s current mood. But a necessary one.

John wandered the store, picking up options and looking at them, holding them up dramatically to observe the hats at various angles. Sherlock was sure he was milking it on purpose. Finally he settled on one. “This,” he said with the beginnings of a smirk.

Sherlock opened his mouth to argue and thought better of it. He grabbed it from John’s hands and put it on. He mumbled angrily to himself, under his breath. John managed to catch “ear hat,” and “death frisbee” amongst the grumblings but waited, brows raised, giving Sherlock space to get used to the idea.

“That one actually comes with a matching cape,” the shop assistant called out from the side of the room.

“No—“

“We’ll take it,” John said loudly ignoring Sherlock’s pained expression.

“Now me. The cover all makeup is helping but—“

“Wait, I know!” Sherlock rushed over to the counter and had a quiet word with the assistant. They perked up and then disappeared into the shelving and returned with two items.

“Ah it seems this one has an accompanying garment too,” Sherlock said excitedly, as if he didn’t already know.

John simply glared at Sherlock. “You’re really that petty? Because you have a cape to wear?”

“Not at all, John. it’s just a little strange to wear a face covering without any explanation. Unless you want to become the new wife I’ve acquired in the Middle East… I thought that one looked quite fetching on you earlier,” he teased.

John blushed and was once again thankful for the green colouring. “Don’t be ridiculous. Give it here,” he said with great annoyance reaching out for the garment and disappearing into a change room.

Minutes later he surfaced in a full beekeeper’s outfit.

“Oh that’s perfect!” Sherlock cried out excitedly, clapping his hands together. “Do you have a large shotgun?” he asked.

“Shotgun?!” John cried out.

“Not a real one obviously. But yes, if I’m dressed like hunting gentry on the royal estate… and you can be my… beekeeper…” he said, clearly trying to piece together the ensembles and their backstory. “Then I will need a gun.”

“I’m fairly certain that isn’t going to throw them off the scent. I suspect just telling them we were on our way to a costume party will be sufficient Sherlock. We don’t need a backstory,” John reassured him.

Catching a glimpse in the mirror, he could appreciate that, while they did indeed look ridiculous, the skin coloured make up and the mesh from his hat did indeed cover the fact that he was green. And the gloves helped, since his hands had also taken the brunt of the product responsible.

“What kind of party warrants this kind of costuming?” Sherlock asked, fussing with the hat’s position on his curls.

“Oh I can think of five theme options already,” the assistant called out, with no remorse for how invested they were now in this adventure. “You’d be surprised at some of the themes people tell me when they come in. Perhaps “a weekend in the Sussex countryside?” he suggested.

Sherlock smiled. “That would be nice. And these would fit there.”

“Fine,” John said impatiently. “I suppose… if we’re really doing this…?” He lifted the netting and raised a brow at Sherlock, who took one final dismayed look in the mirror and nodded.

They grabbed their belongings and paid to hire the outfits for the day and walked back to the cab which was thankfully still waiting. John did not enjoy the looks they were getting from passers by, though he supposed it would have been much worse if he was green and walking about.

The cabbie had a good laugh as they got in. “Well, I suppose if you both look ridiculous no one will question it,” he said.

“On to the original address,” Sherlock directed, his tone blunt. John was back to silent gazing out the window which Sherlock didn’t particularly like. He much preferred his doctor feisty and communicative. He reached out and put a hand gently on John’s knee, surprising his friend.

“Sorry,” he said gently. “I really am sorry, John.”

John looked down at the hand on his knee, Mrs Hudson’s well meaning, but confusing advice swirling around in his head.

“It’s fine;” he said simple and returned to his window gazing.

——

Thanks for reading. Let me know if you want to be tagged!

@notjustamumj @lisbeth-kk @helloliriels @totallysilvergirl @221beloved @safedistancefrombeingsmart @givemesherbet-blog-blog @naefelldaurk @a-victorian-girl @phoenix27884

[hugmekenobi]

S3: The Bad Batch (1)

Chapter One: Confined

Gif by @ventresses

Hunter x femaleJedi!reader

Series Rating: 18+

Series Summary: Ever since Eriadu, Clone Force 99 had been a fractured squad. Months have passed but you're finally back with the Batch but Omega is still out there and you won't stop until you find her again.

Chapter Summary: Imprisoned on Tantiss, Omega finds herself needing to adjust to life there whilst the rest of you decide on your next mission to give you intel you desperately need.

Masterlist for S1 and S2

Genre: Friends (idiots) to Lovers (we're in the lovers stage now)

Chapter Warnings: Very mild canon-typical violence, one use of y/n, Hemlock, brief wound description, nightmares with emotional hurt/comfort, my interpretation of various people's headspaces, slight angst, me going off script/episode plot in the last part, and remember, italics represent silent Jedi communications

Word Count: 5K

Author's notes: And we're off! Happy Star Wars Day!! We are pretty much just following the plot of this episode, save for a bit at the end so it might feel like a bit of a slow start, but bear with me! Technically, this will also wind up being a 'fix-it' fic so just stick with me on that process too! Hope you enjoy! And I have already started working on the next chapter! Also, I am just going off my past taglist so anyone who wants added/removed, please let me know!

21 days since Eriadu

Water dripped from the faulty tap in the small cell as light crept through the bars on the window.

Omega stared out into the open space with a forlorn sigh as she envied the birds that sounded their freedom as they chirped their usual song. She stepped down from her bed and started pacing anxiously as she waited for Emerie to make her scheduled appearance.

Sure enough, a couple seconds later, the door opened, and Emerie stepped inside.

“Good morning, Omega. How are you feeling today?” Emerie asked.

“Like a prisoner.” Omega replied curtly. “I want to leave.”

“Prisoner?” Emerie repeated, surprised. “Omega, you are no such thing. It will take time to adjust, but you will acclimate. It is far safer in here than out there. Come. We have much to do.” With that Emerie turned to leave.

Omega reached under her bed and brought out her box before she followed Emerie out into the corridor. The grey colouring of her new clothes matched the other scientists and the non-descript design of the inside of the base.

They turned a corner to pass a squad of clone prisoners being escorted past and Omega let out a gasp as she recognised the figure at the front of the line but despite her effort to look at him, he only stared at the floor.

--

Omega entered the lab and watched in quiet upset as the clone was subjected to a blood sample being taken from the back of his hand. They all had similar expressions of pain and defeat written across their faces and she wished she knew how to stop it.

Emerie placed the test tube into one of the free slots in the tray that Omega was holding before she took the datapad out and created a record for Omega. “And now I need to take a blood sample from you.”

“From me?” Omega repeated. “Why?”

“The samples are used for various research projects. All of us serve a purpose here.” Emerie explained. “It won’t hurt.” She added as a means of reassurance before she readied the equipment to take the sample.

Omega sat up on the bench. “Can you at least tell me where my brothers are? Or my friend, (Y/N)?”

“I do not know.” Emerie replied simply.

Omega held her hand out and braced against the sting of the needle as her blood was drawn. “If you’re a clone like me, how come I never saw you on Kamino?”

“Because I was sent elsewhere until Dr. Hemlock took me under his wing. He saw potential in me, like Nala Se sees in you.”

“I never knew that I had a sister. It’s nice not being alone.” She offered Emerie a small smile, but it wasn’t quite returned.

“Head to the lab.” Emerie ordered as she took the device away and placed Omega’s sample in with the others. “Nala Se is expecting these.”

--

As the security scan was completed, Omega entered the lab and walked over to Nala Se who was busy placing more blood vials into a centrifuge.

“Thank you, Omega.” Nala Se said as she took the tray from her and started processing the data from the samples and it was through that that she saw the concerning sight that Omega was now a part of the system. “Omega, your sample was taken?”

“Mn-hmm. Emerie said it was routine.”

Nala Se deleted the record from the system before she destroyed the physical sample.

Omega watched this with curiosity. “Why are you discarding it?”

“Tell no one.” Nala Se replied before she took the other samples to the centrifuge. “It is safer this way.”

Omega knew the Kaminoian well enough to pick up on the worry in her voice. “This research, it’s not like what we did on Kamino, is it?”

“No, it is not.”

“I don’t understand. Why did they bring me here?” Omeag asked, hoping that if Emerie couldn’t give her the answers that she sought then Nala Se would have some idea.

“To ensure that I co-operate. The Empire seeks the reproduction of a genetic M-count, but the experiments on the specimens have yet to yield the desired result.”

The M-count was something she was aware of but nothing else Nala Se was saying made much sense to her. “What specimens? You mean the clones?”

“No. Not the clones.”

Any further elaboration was cut off as the lab doors opened and Omega turned to see who it was.

“How nice to see you reunited with your trusted assistant.” Hemlock commented to Nala Se. He massaged the palm of his gloved hand. “I’m sure Omega’s presence here will only strengthen your efforts. Shall we head to the vault?” He waved a hand in front of him towards the doors.

Omega went to leave but Nala Se’s hand on her shoulder stopped her from advancing.

“See to your remaining tasks.” Nala Se instructed before they left the lab.

Omega watched them from the window and wondered what was so special about this vault Hemlock had mentioned but she didn’t have the means to find that out yet. For now, she had little choice but to head to her next chore of the day.

--

She glared at the droid as he shocked one of the Lurca hounds and she irritably scooped some food up before sending it through the hatch into the bowl of the hound she was currently tending to. As the droid’s attention was focused on something else, she took the opportunity to gather more loose straw from the ground and hid it in the bottom compartment of her box.

She carried on to the last cage to see her favourite of the hounds. “Hi Batcher.” She whispered to the hound curled up at the far end of the cage but her only reply was a low growl. It was then she noticed the bowl was overflowing with uneaten food. “Hmm. Still won’t eat the food, huh? I don’t blame you.” She stole a quick glance back to the droid to see he was still paying her no attention and she took the chance to fish out her lunch from earlier. “Here, I saved you some of mine.”

Batcher got to her feet but snarled and pressed herself aggressively against the bars of the enclosure.

In the shock, Omega had dropped the nuggets inside the cage, but she watched as Batcher ate them and swiftly retreated to the back of the space. “Better? I’ll bring you more tomorrow.” She stood up and left to do what she had been wanting to do the entire day.

--

As she slowly walked down the corridor, she glanced between each of the cells, the sounds of teeth chattering and coughing made her concern grow as she saw the effects this place was having on all of the clones here.

She made her way to the cell she’d been searching for. “Crosshair.” She called quietly. “I tried to come earlier, but there were too many guards watching me.”

Crosshair sighed. “You shouldn’t be down here at all.”

“Well, how else are we gonna plan an escape?”

“There is no ‘we.’ And there is no escape.” Crosshair sat up. “I’ve already tried.”

“Every stronghold has a weak point.” Omega said. “Maybe I can convince Emerie to help. She’s one of us.”

She sounded just like them and that was the last thing he needed. “Not every clone is your ally. You trust too easily.”

“Maybe you don’t trust enough.” Omega countered but as she said that she noticed a tremor in his right hand which he tried to conceal with by holding it with his left. “Crosshair?”

“Just…” He sighed again. He didn’t need her pity or her concern. “Go, before you make things worse for both of us.”

Omega went to leave but she stopped herself. “There has to be a way out of here. I’ll find it.” She didn’t expect a reply, so she didn’t wait for one, instead she left now.

Crosshair watched her go. Even from that small interaction, he’d already seen so much of them in her and that would either make her or break her in this place and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to be around to watch.

--

Darkness had fallen and it was that time again where she scratched the next tally into the wall. She brought the Lula hay doll out and held it close to her chest- it wasn’t much but it was the reminder of home she needed. If you truly weren’t here, then Omega knew you all would be looking for her, but she was going to do whatever it took to make that easier.

--

5 months later

The dripping water, the sunlight creeping in, the birds chirping, the concealing of her doll at the bottom of her box… the routine was all so familiar now. She was already standing at the ready for when Emerie opened the door and, like clockwork, it whirred open to reveal the older clone who had the same opening remark she always did.

“Good morning, Omega.”

“Good morning.”

“Let’s begin.” Emerie led the way out.

--

Yet again, they walked the same route to the testing centre and yet again she passed Crosshair in the corridor, but she had long since learned that trying for any sort of recognition from him in this environment was pointless, so she kept her gaze down too.

She let her blood be drawn, her hand was now numb to the sensation, and she took all the samples to the lab where Nala Se once again destroyed all traces of her sample. She hadn’t been able to learn anything more about the vault or the specimens but what she had gathered was that you, Hunter, and Wrecker definitely were not here and that made the thought of escape feel far more feasible and appealing.

--

The lurca hounds were the same as they always were but as she made her way to Batcher’s spot, she saw the hound tending to a nasty cut on her front right leg. “Batcher? K-9X1! Hurry!” She yelled to the droid.

“What is the issue?” The droid asked as he approached the girl.

“Batcher’s hurt.” Omega informed him.

“LH-201 sustained injures during the nightly patrol. If her wounds do not heal, the subject will be terminated.”

“Then do something to help her!” Omega demanded.

“I am not a medical droid. It is not part of my programming.”

Omega could only watch as the droid merely walked away, and she turned to the sound of Batcher’s whimpers of pain. She wouldn’t accept termination as Batcher’s fate, if the droid wouldn’t help Batcher, then she would.

She ran over to the medical kit on the wall and took the bacta out but when she reached into the kennel to try and tend to the wound, Batcher snapped at her. “Now look. I need to clean your wound for it to get better. It’ll only hurt for a second, so put those teeth away and behave.” She said sternly but it seemed to do the trick as Batcher let her do it. “See? That’s not so bad.”

Omega worked in silence for a few seconds before she spoke to the hound again, “You know, I have a friend that would’ve been able to help us get along a lot faster.” She said warmly as she continued to apply the bacta to the wound. “But I think we’re getting there now.” She smiled as Batcher gave her hand a tentative lick once she finished with the bacta.

--

“I dressed Batcher’s wounds as best as I could. At least she didn’t bite me. That’s progress, right?” she looked at Crosshair, but he gave her nothing, so she continued talking. “If she doesn’t get better soon…” She sighed. “Maybe I can steal a med kit from the lab and see if there’s anything I can use-”

“Stop.” Crosshair interrupted her with a frustrated sigh. Clearly the others hadn’t done a very good job of making her stay on course and now he needed to be the one to remind her. “What is your primary objective?”

“Escape.” Omega answered.

“Then stop wasting time on lost causes. Forget the hound, forget me, and complete the mission.”

“Not without you.”

“If I get the chance to escape, I wouldn’t think twice about leaving you behind.”

“You’re lying! You wouldn’t do that. You’re my brother.”

She had been insisting on that for months now, no matter how many times he tried to push her away and he didn’t know how much more of that he could tolerate hearing. “I’m not them.” Crosshair snapped.

Omega couldn’t accept that. “I’m not giving up, Crosshair. I won’t let you either.” She got up to leave.

Crosshair stood up with a heavy breath and called out to her retreating figure. “Omega.”

Omega stopped and turned back to face him.

“Don’t risk anything for me. I belong in here.” He said, meaning every word.

“None of us belong in here.” She replied before walking away.

--

Her door whirred open before the usual time, and she woke up with a gasp as two troopers entered her room. She got to her feet and concealed her doll behind her. “What’s going on?” She asked Emerie.

“Surprise inspection. Standard procedure.” Emerie informed her.

“Clear.” One of the commandos said.

However, the other noticed the doll hidden behind her back and he tore it from her grip and handed it to Emerie.

“We’ve been over this before, Omega. Personal items are forbidden.” Emerie chastised her. “I’ll dispose of it.”

“Don’t!” Omega protested. “Please, Emerie.”

“It is for your own good. Come, we have work to do.”

--

It was a welcome sight to see Batcher so happy to greet her this time around. “Hey, Batcher.” Omega said fondly and she saw the wound had nearly scarred over. “Look at you. You’re almost at a hundred percent.” She gave her a soft scratch on the jaw.

“Did you not read the standing order for the day?” The droid yanked her to her feet. “LH-201 has been slated for termination.”

“What? Why? She’s healed.” Omega argued.

“The creature’s recent domesticated disposition has been deemed a liability.”

“But that’s my fault, not hers.” Omega tried to resist being pulled away, with Batcher also barking in protest, but the droid’s grip was strong.

The droid groaned. “It is protocol.”

Omega finally managed to weasel her way out of his grasp and steal his datapad but the droid reacted swiftly and started to pull it away from her. She allowed herself to be tugged airborne and she braced her feet against the droid’s torso and leaned back, the momentum giving her the victory. She got away from the droid with the datapad in her hands and she quickly activated one of the large crates on the ceiling above and it fell on top of K-9X1. She grabbed his electro-staff and shocked him with it but not before he had the chance to call security so now, she had to act swiftly.

Omega used the datapad to open the exit hatch in Batcher’s kennel and deactivated her collar. “Batcher, come!” She ran over to the bars and reached in to take the collar off the hound. “Now you need to run away and not come back, okay?” It pained her to let her one close companion go but it needed to happen. She patted her snout. “And try not to bite anyone.”

Batcher hesitated and whined at her.

“I can’t go with you yet.” Omega explained. “I have to get Crosshair first. Batcher, go!” Omega watched her run down the tunnel with both relief and sadness, but she’d get out soon too, she knew she would.

“Breaking the rules, I see.”

Omega jumped and turned around to see Hemlock standing before her and Emerie standing behind him.

“And releasing a weak lurca hound into the wild? I didn’t know you were so cruel, Omega.”

“Me? You were gonna terminate her.” Omega said angrily.

“And you believe your actions changed that outcome?” When Omega faltered in her reply, he kept speaking, “Now some rotations ago, one of our shuttles crashed just beyond this mountain. But that is not what killed them. No, it was the creatures that roam the jungle. Even our strongest lurca hounds struggle against what’s beyond these walls. And your domestication of LH-201 only made her vulnerable.”

“You don’t know she won’t survive.” Omega disputed. “She deserves a chance.”

“Oh, the flawed logic of an idealistic child.” Hemlock’s tone fuelled with quiet mockery. “Emotion and sentiment have no place within these walls. You would do well to remember that.”

She wasn’t afraid of his threats anymore. “Or what?”

Seeing the way he turned to look at Omega again, Emerie hastily intervened. “Doctor, perhaps I should return Omega to her room.”

Hemlock held a hand up to stop her from going any further and kept his gaze on Omega. “You have more to say?”

“I know you brought me here to make Nala Se cooperate. You need her. She won’t work for you if you hurt me.” Omega said confidently.

Hemlock only laughed. “Of course I’m not gonna hurt you, Omega.” He inhaled deeply. “Your friend in the detention block, however, may not be as fortunate.”

“Don’t hurt Crosshair! He didn’t do anything.”

“I did have plans for CT-9904, despite his resistance to re-education, but I am willing to make a few sacrifices if your misbehaviour continues.” He bent from the waist and leaned down towards her. “Actions always have consequences. Sometimes not in the ways we imagine.”

Now that threat was one that she knew he would follow through on and she didn’t want to be responsible for Crosshair suffering even more than he was already.

“Take her back to her room and restrict her access.” Hemlock ordered Emerie as he exited.

Omega left with her a few seconds later.

--

Night had fallen and Omega sat huddled on the edge of her bed, but she heard the door open. “Go away.” She said with a sigh, not even bothering to look at Emerie this time.

“Omega…”

“Please… just go.” She requested, hoping the misery in her voice would be enough to convince Emerie to leave and she was grateful to hear her footsteps retreat and she angled herself towards the door to see that her hay Lula had been returned to her. She picked it up, but the sound of a lurca howling brought her back to the window.

She attempted in vain to peer through to bars to the outside for any sign of Batcher, but she couldn’t see anything. She then looked at the growing collection of tallies that represented the months that she’d been here. It may take more time, but now more than ever she knew she needed to get out and she needed to take Crosshair with her.

--

Hunter’s eyes snapped open, and his heart was pounding in his chest, but his surroundings told him it had been another dream. The ship was still steadily travelling through hyperspace towards Oba Diah, and the three of you had been using the long journey to catch up on some much-needed rest before the mission would begin.

Reaching out to Roland Durand of all people had felt like a long shot but when he said he could help if you only found the Pyke that had disgraced him and the Durand name, it had been an easy decision to accept but it had done nothing to quell the worry and fear that coursed through his veins. He sat up and began the usual routine of deep breathing.

Ever since you’d fully opened yourself up to him and the Force again, he didn’t need to wake you anymore when this happened, you would feel everything he felt and wake up a couple seconds after he did, and this time was no different. “Which one this time?” You whispered; your tone filled with tender understanding.

“I’m sorry.” Hunter rasped as he steadied his breathing. He hated that this was having a knock-on effect on you two, especially since your own sleep had only now started to get better. You were another person he was still finding a way to let down.

You shushed him softly as you sat up next to him. You have nothing to be sorry for. “Which one?” You prompted again. You knew his sleep had been haunted by more than just the reminders of what had happened in the recent months, it was these new nightmares that were plaguing him more and more.

Hunter released a heavy breath. “Same one as the nights before. I can see her, she’s right in front of me but no matter what I do, I can’t reach her and- and then she’s taken away.”

You pressed your lips to his shoulder, and you rubbed soothing circles on his back. “This mission for Durand is another step in the right direction. You’re doing all you can. We will find her, Hunter.”

Hunter shook his head and swung his legs out to the side of the bunk. “We took too long to find you, and you weren’t even really hiding.” Hunter countered without glancing back at you.

He didn’t need to look at you for you to feel his distress. You reached a hand out to his shoulder to try and get him to face you again. “Hunter-”

He gently but firmly pushed your hand away. “I’m going to go over what we’ve got again. Go back to sleep, I’ll be back soon.”

You sighed and watched him go to the cockpit. You’d seen the shift in him as had Wrecker. The relief of your reunion had long since passed and he, like the two of you, was getting more desperate to find Omega but it was affecting him far more than he was willing to talk about. His once calm and collected demeanour had vanished and he was taking on missions with little care for the risk or conditions they came with and this mission for Durand was no exception. Whilst you and Wrecker were happy to agree, there had been little discussion over the matter or the conditions of the deal. The two of you had done what you could, but you knew the only true thing that would bring him comfort would be finding Omega again.

Although a strong part of you wanted to follow him, you knew that right now, he needed the space, and you would give him that, but you couldn’t stand by and watch him drive himself into the ground for much longer.

--

You woke up again to find the space next to you ice cold and you knew that Hunter had not returned at all, and he wasn’t planning too. You tossed the blanket aside and silently walked towards the cockpit where you could hear the faint tapping of fingers against the keys of a datapad.

You leaned against the entryway to the cockpit and studied him for a moment as he kept his focus on Tech’s datapad. He looked utterly exhausted. His head drooped every few seconds, his shoulders were hunched, and weariness was written all across his face. It pained you to see him like this.

Aware that his brother was sleeping a few metres away, his words to you were quiet, “I said I’d be back soon.” He continued to tap through the intel that he’d been anxiously scanning for any detail he could’ve missed.

“You said that hours ago.” You matched his volume and straightened up. “You need to talk to me. Shutting down like this isn’t good for you.”

“I’m not shutting down. I’m doing what needs to be done to get Omega back.” He couldn’t stop. He’d let her down for long enough. The answer was there, and he kept missing it and he couldn’t stand it.

You fully came into the cockpit and kneeled in front of him. “You may be a leader, Hunter, but you’re not alone. This isn’t just the fear that we’re not going to get her back because you know we’re not going to stop until we do. There’s something else you’re afraid of.” You searched his face for a sign of what more it could be, but he wasn’t giving anything away. You kept your voice low but kind, “What is it?”

Hunter ignored you and kept his eyes fixed on the words on the screen in his possession, but he wasn’t reading them anymore.

“Hunter, put it down.” You attempted to take the datapad but his hold was too tight.

“I can’t stop. I can’t. She-” He cut himself off and swallowed thickly. “I can’t stop.” He repeated again, his voice barely above a whisper.

“You’re no good to anyone if you’re too exhausted to think straight.” You said with concern. “Talk to me, please.”

Hunter silently shook his head. The responsibility of all of this was on him, you shouldn’t be worrying about him now.

You knew how hard this was and he rarely allowed himself those moments of vulnerability, but he’d been there for you countless times, it was now your turn to be the one he could lean on. “You’ve helped me through so much, Hunter.” You placed one hand on his tattooed cheek and stroked your thumb along his cheekbone and whether he meant it or not, you felt him relax into your touch. “Let me help you now.” You whispered as your other hand fanned across the datapad and started to push it out of his grasp. “Put it down.”

“I-”

“Put it down.” You repeated again, applying more pressure now as you felt his resistance fade and relief coursed through you as he let you take it from him.

Hunter finally let the datapad slip from his grasp and he let the tiredness take over and his body sagged against the chair.

“What else is it that’s bothering you?” You came back from putting the datapad away and crouched again and laid your hands on his knees.

Hunter hesitated for a moment but for this first time since he woke up, he caught your eyes and he saw nothing but love and concern behind them and he swallowed thickly. “All she wanted was to not end up an experiment and that’s exactly what I’ve let happen.”

“Hunter…”

The words just tumbled from him now. “I let down Crosshair, I let down T- I let down Tech. I was too late to save them, but I still had you, I still had Wrecker and I still had Omega. Then you and Omega were ripped away from us and that was another thing I couldn’t stop. I relied too much on Wrecker when we were looking for you, I wasn’t who he needed me to be, and I can feel that happening again. I can’t be too late again. I can’t let another person down… I can’t let Omega down.” He turned away from you once more.

Your heart broke for him. “You have done no such thing.” You brought your hand back to his face to keep his eyes on you. “Listen to me, you didn’t let them down and you weren’t too late for them. At that time, Crosshair had made his choice, and you wouldn’t have been able to change his mind. Tech, he-” You felt the emotions rise up in your throat, choking the next words you were going to say. After pausing for a second, you cleared your throat and started again, “Tech made his choice. That wasn’t you being too late for them. As for Wrecker, he won’t and doesn’t think that. You’re his brother first, Hunter, he would never think that.” You paused for a moment to let that sink in before you added, “And you weren’t too late for me either. I’m right here with you and I’m not going anywhere.”

Hunter’s jaw tightened as he listened to the words you said but he couldn’t quite bring himself to fully believe them.

Still seeing the reluctance behind his eyes, you took his hand and placed it over your heart. “Feel that? I’m not worried, I’m not doubting you. We’re getting her back, you have not failed her, Hunter and she’ll know we’re looking for her. She’ll know that.”

Hunter closed his eyes and let the comfort of your steady heartbeat flood his senses.

After some time had passed, you decided it was time for him to get some proper rest before you arrived on Oba Dia. “Come on.” You took his hands, and a gentle tug encouraged him enough to get to his feet.

Hunter was so tired he could barely register his movements; all he knew was somehow you were getting his feet moving and leading him back to your bunk.

“Lie down.” You instructed gently as you reached the bed.

Hunter did as you said, and he felt you slide in next to him, he willed his weary body to turn and hold you like he usually did.

You shook your head and nudged him, so his back was facing you. You wrapped your arm around him and put your hand in his and placed it over his chest. “Just close your eyes and breathe with me.”

“This mission’s gonna help us somehow, right?” Hunter murmured with a tired voice.

You planted a soft kiss to the hinge of his jaw. Yes, it will. Drug syndicates were not high on your list on the people you were looking to stay on an even keel for. The Pykes weren’t going to stop you from doing whatever it took to get to her.

Next Chapter>

Tagging: @noeasyisnoisy, @fuckoffthanos, @tpwkcalli, @graciexmarvel, @arctrooper69, @starwarsnerd111, @nightmonkeysstuff, @brujaporfavor, @flyingkangaroo, @sunkissedclones, @ladytano420, @keep-calm-and-drink-caf, @yyourmotherr, @xxeiraxx, @dragonrider9905, @skellymom, @lokigirlszendaya

[marlsswrites]

Summer camp AU, part 10!!

July 10th <3

Marathon - @jegulus-microfic - words: 1020

First part Previous part

It was a beautiful, hot, summers day. What Regulus would normally love to do on a day like this, would be to lounge around in the shade, his fair complexion turns the colour of a tomato in the sun way too fast for his liking, grab a good book, and finish it before going to sleep.

But like he said, that's his ideal day if he wasn't at a summer camp in the middle of August. That is why right now, he's watching kids wait around and chatter excitedly about the water fight that James had been planning all morning. They had water balloons, water guns, actual buckets of water, quite literally everything.

James did receive a lecture on the water guns from Regulus after he shot the younger boy with one of them, he said it was 'by accident' but it most certainly wasn't judging from the shit eating grin on the other boys face as he bit his lip to tone down his smile. Admittedly, that made Regulus fucking crumble on the spot the way he sucked his lip through his teeth.

"Are you ready?" James bounced at his side, tugging at his arm to pull him up from the table. Regulus obliged in a second, letting James drag him up from his seat, only receiving an eyebrow raise from Regulus in return.

"Ready for what exactly? To watch teenagers throw water at each other?" He sarcastically remarked, waving his silver ringed hands at the group of kids.

"Nope." He patted Regulus on the shoulder and popped the 'P' at the end of his statement. "Hayley merely suggested that we join in, so we are." Beaming, the other boy watched as Regulus' face turned from bored to fuming within a few seconds of each other. "Oh no-"

"James fucking Potter, you actual idiot. I will not be-"

James cut him off, pouting and offering his best puppy eyes look as he tugged on a black silky ringlet falling in front of Regulus' eyes. "Please?"

Mesmerised, Regulus stood there and gazed into every aspect of James' face. He could feel James' slightly cool fingertips on his cheek, he could see his ring adorned thumb right in front of his eyes, he swore he could even hear his own heart beating in his reddening ears. God, he's angelic, Regulus was sure if you looked close enough you could see the man glowing. His face was the definition of ethereal, skin turned golden brown in the hazy morning sunlight, eyes hooded and wide as a curious child's.

At that moment in time, he felt a freezing, stinging, splash at the back of his head. He whipped around, forcing James' sinful hand away from his face, now turning to see a boy with mousy brown messy hair, stood tall and grinning at him.

"Don't be a wimp, come on Regulus!" His sly smirk widened. Regulus turned back to face James, who had stuffed his fist over his mouth which was failing to hide his matched smirk to the younger boy.

"Oh god there's two of them." Regulus looked at James, pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. Now he just purposely locked eyes with James before yelling. "Whoever targets James gets extra marshmallows tonight!"

That was all it took for the kids to scramble up, loading their water guns in the clear blue lake and picked up their buckets of water balloons, then firing them at a running James, who clumsily flipped Regulus off over his shoulder before attempting to run away again.

Satisfied with himself, Regulus sat right back down on the bench, pulling his knees up to his chest and propping his head up on them.

-

Nearly fifteen minutes later, James throws his hands up in the air, collapsing on the grass in front of a smirking Regulus and throwing his head back on the floor. He closed his eyes and flapped his hands out to the side. "I surrender, or whatever! Leave me alone." He groaned and brought his hands up to rub over his face.

"Did you have fun?" Regulus smiled down at the boy in front of him, trying his best not to fall off the bench when he noticed the way his white shirt was practically see through and clung to him like skin. Regulus could see everything, and by gods he was not complaining, the shirt sunk into the pivots on his skin and rounded at his abs and the sharp yet smooth v-line descending into his shorts.

Fuck, okay, deep breaths.

It's nothing he hasn't seen before, he's sharing a room with James, but in his defence he does react something like this every time. Normally he just opts to peeking out over the top of his book that his focus was long gone on.

"Are-" He panted. "You-" He took another breath. "Proud of yourself?" James finished, with a kick of his soaked through shoe at Regulus' leg.

"Very." Regulus declared, indeed very proudly, before snorting and deciding to slide off the bench and sit next to James.

"God, I feel like I just ran a marathon." James huffed out a long breath and picked up his very dishevelled head to look at Regulus with an almost impressed look.

Regulus ran a hand through his hair, laughing slightly. "Think you nearly did." He paused for a thought. "How far did you actually go?"

"Other side of camp." James mumbled.

Regulus bit back a now even louder laugh, judging from the fact that this is one of the largest camps in the UK, and that it took him about twenty minutes to walk to Sirius' cabin on the other side of the campus.

"I saw your friend Barty, he didn't help out though he just tried to trip me up... and succeeded." James said thoughtfully, whacking Regulus on the thigh when he started laughing.

"I'm very proud of him." Regulus tilted his head at James, who sat up, folded his arms and glared at Regulus for a record breaking five seconds before cracking a wide smile. The younger boy soon followed to match it with a fond eye roll.

Next part

[ollyissleepy]

𝟎𝟗. 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫

summary: Rafayel takes you out to the beach, having you try out different art forms a/n: not sure how I feel about this chapter, something about it just doesn't feel right :( cw: swearing, reblogs, comments and likes are greatly appreciated

← prev. | m.list | next →

As Thomas drives you to the beach, you enjoy your ride and engage in small talk. You look out the window, curious to see the ocean, as you don't get to visit it often. You have attempted to find out anything about Rafayel's plan from Thomas, but he claims not to know anything about it. The sly smile on his face tells you otherwise.

Thomas pulls up to the parking lot, the sand and the ocean stretching behind the windscreen. Thomas gives you the general direction you should go to, and while you're exiting the car, he wishes you good luck. You watch as he drives off, leaving you to find Rafayel by yourself.

You sighed, adjusting the grip around the handle of your bag, turning to where Thomas claimed Rafayel would be. You begin to make your way through the sand, enjoying the sound of the waves made when coming in contact with the beach. You spot a man in the distance who appears to set up some contraptions. You're too far to see who it might be, but you make your way towards the man regardless, hoping to at least ask him if he saw Rafayel if it turns out to not be him.

As you come closer to the man, you notice that his hair colour matches Rafayel's. The contraptions he was setting up turned out to be two easels and a small folded table between them. The man turns around, probably sensing somebody watching him. Once you're able to see his face, you notice that it truly is Rafayel who's waiting for you.

Once you come close enough, you greet Rafayel with a smile. You watch him finishing setting up the space for the two of you with curiosity. He notices you eyeing the empty canvases, so he speaks up:

"Sometimes when I get stuck with painting, I like to try out different forms of art," Rafayel smiles, trying to encourage you to try.

"That actually might not be a bad idea," you admit, smiling back at him. "I'm just not really good at it." You look away and back at the empty canvas, worried that by the end of it Rafayel might think you wasted good materials for mediocre work.

"That's the whole point," Rafayel assures you. "Trying things you never did before and might fail at is what helps with taking off the pressure from your main form of art, making it easier to pick it up again."

"Wow, that's reallly smart," you chuckle, standing in front of one of the easels. "Fuck it, let's try."

The two of you stand in front of easels, brushes in hand. Rafayel reminds you not to stress over it and to just go with the flow. At first you're unsure what to paint, but before anxiety washes over you, you notice that Rafayel is painting the ocean. You figure if he didn't want you to paint something similar to him, he wouldn't bring you to a pretty beach with the ocean view.

Having no clue about mixing colours and the right techniques, you go with the flow, doing whatever feels right in your gut. You enjoy yourself, putting random blobs of blue onto the canvas. You and Rafayel make some comments here, but apart from that, there's a comforting silence between the two of you. You ask for a small break about halfway through the process; your hand is tired from all of the moving around. Rafayel offers you a snack, which you accept, hoping it would help replenish your energy.

While Rafayel turns around, searching for a snack in his bag, you snap a quick picture of the easel, hoping to post it on your social media later that day. Rafayel hands you the snack, which you accept with pleasure.

"I'm having a lot of fun, Rafayel." You say, not looking at the man as you focus on opening the snack. "Thank you." You look up and smile.

"I'm glad you're enjoying this," Rafayel returns your smile.

After enjoying the snacks Rafayel had prepared for the two of you, you return back to your stations. This time you're not worried about picking up the brush to start painting, the pressure you once felt long gone. Both you and Rafayel continue with your paintings until the sun sets, painting the once blue sky various shades of purple and pink.

@sashisuslover @withering-dream @lalaluch @nicoleispurple

taglist is open!

[yurinaa-world]

This is for the 800 milestone 🎉🎉🎉🎉 Argenti and Dan Heng Letters are Q, X, Y

Thank you!!! Congratulations! ❤️

✦Characters: Dan Heng & Argenti

✦Alphabet: Q, X, Y

800 Follower Milestone Event; Under The Stars

𝒟𝒶𝓃 𝐻𝑒𝓃𝑔

✦Quirk - Some random ability they have that’s beneficial in a relationship.

Photographic memory: he remembers everything you need to do or where you need to be. He'll remind you if you forgot to fix your weapon since it got damaged. Clothes you needed to return but forgot, and it’s already the last day, he’ll remind you to return before you go out. That one accessory he saw, waiting for it to go on sale, but now you’ve completely forgotten it, he’ll remind you since he doesn’t want you to groan later about how you completely missed the sale and now you’ll have to wait or buy it at full price!

✦XOXO - Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?

He’s shy about it but loves being affectionate with you. Like after a long day of putting several things into the archive without a break, he’s exhausted, you can keep talking your head off to him while you hold each other close. It's actually relaxing.

✦Yearning - How will they cope when they’re missing their partner?

Got you two matching rings so he can look at it and think of you. His ring has the colour of your eyes, and your ring is his eye colour. He just can’t wait to see you again.

𝒜𝓇𝑔𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒾

✦Quirk - Some random ability they have that’s beneficial in a relationship.

He is an amazing stylist; he knows how to get you looking fabulous in any type of occasion, in any type of clothes. You feel like a model whenever you go out on a date together. Just look at yourself while feeling so happy with how he dressed you and he’s always happy when you're happy. You can pick his outfit as well, he trusts your fashion choices.

✦XOXO - Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?

He is a complete romantic, like if you're gonna kiss you gotta have a beautiful setting as well AND! You can’t forget the roses dedicated to you, which are only one fraction of his love for you.

✦Yearning - How will they cope when they’re missing their partner?

Has a picture of you in a necklace that he always puts under his shirt just in case it gets damaged. It would undoubtedly be a nightmare if that necklace breaks, and he loses your beautiful picture. Luckily, that never happened, well lucky for any who hasn’t been put in the position of his wrath.

[silurisanguine]

When their gear matched.

Am i the only one who comes up with little stories for serendipitous moments in game?( beyond writing fanfic of course!)

Example here: My Crow Rook Teleri De Riva got this suit as their first Crow outfit and almost straight after Lucanis got his version. Now this isn't the outfit i keep my Rook in, but this was better than anything else i had at the time so i decided to make a little headcanon that fit around their romance and how they ended up in matching gear. -'

When Teleri returns to Antiva, she is told by Viago that tradition dictates she must wear her dress uniform to show she is committed to her House again.

She doesn't hate the dress uniform, but finds it less comfortable than what she normally wears, even though it looks good on her. Because it makes her stand straight, the leather chest-plate allowing less freedom of movement.

Lucanis notices her discomfort and wanting to empathise, pulls out his in the Dellamorte colours. He hasn't worn it for years but it still fits, so the next time he is asked to join her on a mission, he turns up wearing it as a sign of solidarity.

Teleri is taken aback by the gesture, not knowing what to think. The great Demon of Vyrantium has the most amazing gear, she’s caught a glimpse of his wardrobe he brought with him, stored in Taash’s room, and yet here he is in his dress formals like her. She would hug him if it wouldn’t embarrass them both, so she just nods and makes a joke about it looking better on him than her to which he replies in all sincerity, "not from where he’s looking."

The flirty banter has been like this since they first met. There is obvious chemistry between them, even when the star truck nature of meeting him wore off and she began to see his personality being one of a kind hearted, yet traumatised man. To wear this uniform with her is such a silent message that he is there for her, no matter what.

When Viago sees them both wearing their dress uniforms, he rolls his eyes, knowing how much of a romantic Lucanis can be, but Teia elbows him hard, seeing that Lucanis has such puppy eyes for her friend.

Later when she finally gets back into her usual gear, she makes sure to let Lucanis know that she appreciates the gesture but can they both never wear that uniform again - which makes him laugh, something he seems to only do for her.

[anakinvoidwalker]

"...why can't I get anymore nice days"

{This is for the summer @morrotober event :D}

(I'M SORRY IM LATE I WASN'T IN THE COUNTRY)

pretty short lil fic, just a goofy lil idea

Summary: Morro getting ice cream with Wu and then being a theatre kid

Morro fiddled with the bandage wrapped around his left hand and arm, following barely a pace behind his Sensei as the two of them walked away from Mystake’s tea shop. Sensei Wu was the only one who had any evidence that they had been there at all as he held a brown paper bag in his left hand, the hand furthest away from Morro. He seemed to be holding the bag a bit tighter than necessary, Morro could see his knuckles going white along with the tension in his Sensei’s jaw.

The wind around Wu shifted as he sighed to himself before turning to look at Morro, whose head was down as continued to fiddle with the bandage, the wrapping threatening to come undone.

“You seem tense, Morro,” Sensei Wu observed as he strode forward, looking over his shoulder at his student. “Would you like to stop at Jamanakai for some ice cream as we walk home?”

Morro looked up at his Sensei with confusion, accompanied by his curiosity that would most likely get him killed later.

“I…” Hesitation was clear as Morro pondered what he was going to say and how his Sensei would react. “I do not know what ‘ice cream’ is, Sensei. Could you… please explain what it is?”

That caused Sensei Wu to pause, Morro almost walking into the back of him.

“Ice cream is a cold sweet that is usually white in colour-”  Wu had begun to walk again as he spoke, Morro no longer in toe, but instead walking along beside his Sensei- “flavoured with vanilla essence, the most common flavour. Ice cream is typically made from sweetened cream which is…”

Sensei Wu continued to explain what ice cream was to his youngest, and only, pupil as the two of them walked side-by-side to Jamanakai Village.

Upon reaching the mountains, with the thin sheets of snow adorning most roofs and less walked paths, Wu led Morro to the centre of the village. A little fountain stood in the middle of the village square, a small cart with a striped umbrella atop it.

As soon as Morro spotted the cart, he ran straight over to it, barely over to look over the bench, Wu chuckling lightly as he followed his son over to the ice cream cart.

The vendor wore a light blue shirt with a pastel pink apron over top, the colours perfectly matching the strips of the umbrella, with a little white dixie cup sitting firmly in his hair. The vendor cast a glance between the two who stood in front of his cart, before smiling happily at them. “What can I do for you two today?”

“Just two vanilla ice cream cones please.” Sensei Wu handed the vendor some money before the man put it in his bag and began making the ice creams.

Morro looked up at his Sensei before hugging him, muttering a quiet “thank you, Dad” before turning his head sideways to watch the vendor prepare the ice cream. 

As he watched, Wu patted him gently on the shoulder while smiling, knowing that Morro was not looking at him, not that it mattered, he loved his son.

Once the ice creams were reading, the man handed them both over to Sensei Wu, who smiled in return. “I hope you have a good day, young man.”

“Thank you, and I hope you and your son enjoy your ice creams,” the vendor replied with a little wave as Wu turned around and began walking away, Morro in hot pursuit.

The moment Morro caught up with his sensei, he was handed an ice cream, which he proceeded to bite immediately upon receiving.

After a few seconds, while Wu was studying his pupil’s reaction to the ice cream, Morro’s face contorted from one of sheer joy to one of pain as he pushed his free hand to his forehead. “Owwww… Sensei! You didn’t say it was going to hurt to eat the ‘I scream’,” he whined, rubbing his head as Wu laughed to himself, even though he tried to hide it from Morro. “Don’t laugh at me! You didn’t warn me!”

Sensei Wu continued to eat his ice cream as he laughed light-heartedly at his student before his face showed slight pain while he squinted his eyes shut, placing his own hand against his forehead.

It took Morro a moment to figure out what was going on, but once he did, both he and Wu broke out laughing. The two of them together wandered over to a bench at the edge of the village square, sitting down together, laughing and eating ice cream. The pain from the bee sting in Morro’s hand, long forgotten, the tea leaves discarded next to them, not to be worried about for a long while.

As the two finished off their ice creams, Wu moved to stand but paused when he felt a slight tug on the side of his gi. “Yes, Morro?” He turned to look at his son, who looked uncharacteristically… upset almost. “What is wrong?”

“I was wondering.. if…” Morro trailed off a little, he didn’t want to anger or disappoint his father. “If it would be possible to have ice cream again someday?”

Wu knelt in front of his pupil, who he looked in the eyes, before smiling softly at him. “Of course Morro, there will be lots of time for ice cream”

Morro’s face lit up immediately, a small grin adorning his face. “And other nice days like this?”

 “There will always be more nice days, all you have to do is want them.”

The two of them then began to walk, hand in hand, down the path back to the monastery as the wind around them picked up and dark clouds rolled in.

Slowly, the wind grew to a strong gale, the wooden pilings of the shaking, causing the houses atop the docks to wobble a little. Sensei Wu stood with the civilians, assisting them to get onto the ferry that would be escorting them to safety. As he was doing that, Nya, one of his new students, fought off the ghosts nearby while his other students were focusing on trying to stop the Cursed Realm herself closer to the centre of Stiix. As the dock got less and less crowded, Wu noticed one of the ghosts standing atop the roof of the ferry.

Morro watched as his pitiful Sensei tried to get all the people to safety, surely he knew it was in vain. A grin spread across his face as he watched Sensei Wu turn and notice him, visible pain, panic and grief overtaking his face as he looked up at his former student, whose grin only grew.

“Those nice days do not always come, do they Sensei? And now, I’ll make sure you don’t get them anymore either!”

[ateezmiyeon]

miyeon | hair history

…PIRATE KING

miyeon debuted with her natural long black hair that she had become known for during her trainee days. she had finally cut her hair into side bangs, something that fans (and hyunjin) had been begging her to do since her appearance on mixnine. many fans stated that her long locks looked healthy and she was constantly asked how she kept her hair so long over the years.

…TREASURE

she kept her long locks for this era, growing out her bangs so they blended in with the rest of her hair. she dyed her hair a blue tint to blend with the rest of the boys' brightly coloured hair during this era but it faded back to her natural black by the end of promotions. she stated in an interview that this was her least favoruite hair era due to the blue dye constantly staining all of her towels when she'd wash her hair.

...HALA HALA / SAY MY NAME

though miyeon was on hiatus during the promotions of this era, she still participated in the music video and promotional images for the album. she initially went lighter with her hair during hala hala, cutting her bangs fully once again. she went a more dirty strawberry blonde than platinum blonde colour that faded to a more mousy colour. she shared updates with fans on her health during this period, and she often had her hair in loose waves opposed to the sleek straight look fans had become accustomed to in previous eras.

…THE EXPEDITION TOUR

upon her return from hiatus, miyeon shocked fans when she dyed her hair a bright pink. her hair faded to a softer pink during promotions, which many fans said made her look like a fairy, especially when she would curl her hair.

many fans were convinced that her bangs from before were a wig as they seemed to vanish during this period, but miyeon assured them that her hair had just grown out very quickly between comebacks.

by the end of the tour, her hair had fully faded to a light blonde, her natural curls making a show for the first time. fans were shocked to see the curly baby hairs and waves in her hair as she had consistently had pin-straight hair during her training period.

…WAVE / UTOPIA / ILLUSION

miyeon returned to a lighter tone of her hair to match the brighter concept for this promotion. she dyed her hair a lighter blonde than during hala hala, fully cutting her bangs once again to create swooping side bangs. she cut her hair shorter during this era due to the damage from the bleach of dying her hair pink before. fans were excited to see her hair looking much healthier as it had began to look dead at the ends with all of the bleach.

…WONDERLAND

this comeback was one of the fans’ favorite miyeon hair styles. her hair had been dyed in an early 2000s colour block style of blonde and ginger. her bangs being cut into face framing pieces and layers being cut into her hair. she often styled her hair either pin straight or in loose waves depending on the stage performance. fans were disappointed when it was announced that she would be returning to her natural black hair for the next promotion.

…ANSWER / HORIZON

as rumored during the break between comebacks, miyeon returned to her natural jet black hair. she once again cut her hair much shorter than she had done before and her wispy bangs made a fan favorite return. fans loved the wolf cut of her hair, feeling miyeon finally looked more mature in her style, as many fans stated the combination of her long hair and baby face made her look much younger than she actually was.

....THE FELLOWSHIP: MAP THE TREASURE

miyeon joined the oreo line of the group during this tour, dying the front half of her hair a light blonde. she was disappointed when the later dates for the tour were cancelled due to covid as she wanted to perform with the hair more than what she was able to. it didn't take long for fans to notice that miyeon's bangs had quickly vanished between promotions, the singer confirming that the last era's bangs had been faked.

...INCEPTION / THANXX

miyeon and fans got their wishes during this promotion as miyeon kept her oreo hair but regularly changed up the colours of the blonde sections. she revealed in a v live that the colours was a hair chalk that washed out easily, meaning she was able to change the colour quickly depending on the stage or outfit she was wearing.

…FIREWORKS (I AM THE ONE)

miyeon went a rose gold colour for this era, complimenting san and jongho's red and pink hair. many fans were excited when they first saw this look, thinking that she had gone ginger in the concept photos for the comeback. when they held their first stage performance, fans fell even more in love with the colour of her hair when they realised it was less ginger and more of a pinkish colour.

...KINGDOM: LEGENDARY WAR

fans got what they were wishing for during the finale episode of kingdom as miyeon debuted a ginger hair look. this was the period of time where fans noticed miyeon finally started to look more in line with the dark concept the group had created for themselves. she had become an honorary member of the group's demon line after this performance. many edits were made from this performance, her fan cam growing to become one of the most viewed of a female idol.

...DEJA VU

the ginger hair continued the 'demon miyeon' era started in kingdom, fading from the vibrant copper to a lighter shade during promotions. her hair was allowed to relax from the constant straightening she'd been doing to it since before debut, her natural waves making an appearance once again.

...THE REAL (HEUNG VER.)

miyeon socked fans as she debuted the shortest hair she'd ever had, cutting her hair into a long bob only just reaching her collarbones and returning to her roots of a sweeping side bang. the oreo look made a comeback, this time dying the underneath of her blonde. she had enjoyed the narcissa malfoy hair trend that had been going round tiktok and begged their manager to get the hair cut. miyeon revealed in a v live that she was forced to cut off most of her hair after the damage of years of bleaching and dyeing it.

...THE FELLOWSHIP: BEGINNING OF THE END

her blonde undercut was dyed a greyish blue colour, her bangs cut more wispy and reminiscing her bangs she had cut during her hiatus. fans were slightly disappointed with this hair style, feeling her new hair was less exciting than the colours that other members had debuted whilst on our.

...GUERILLA / CYBERPUNK

many fans compared miyeon’s look to that of blackpink’s rose during this period, both emulating the bright blonde curls and cute visuals. she kept her hair at the same length as before, fully dying it bleach blonde and letting her natural curls show. she revealed in an instagram live that her hair began to break and fall out during this period due to the multiple bleaches her hair had gone through. her small curly bangs that fans were adoring over were actually caused by the breakage from the bleach.

...PARADIGM

her hair finally had a moment to relax during these promotions, letting her natural colour grow through and dyeing the rest of her bleached hair a dark brown colour. her hair was styled in a retro blowout style, emulating the fashions of the 70s and 80s. the members of the group stated this had been their favourite miyeon look overall as it was the one that made her visuals pop the most.

...EXES (SOLO DEBUT) / HALAZIA / THE FELLOWSHIP : BREAK THE WALL

miyeon revealed in an interview for her solo debut that so much of her hair had been completely fried from years of dyeing her hair again that she had cut most of it off again. she continued to let her natural curls grow though and styled it to match the messy vibes of her solo. fans felt that miveon had found her true self as an artist during this time period with both her song and d her visuals.

she had to wear long hair extensions during the promotions for halazia to match the visual they were creating for the comeback. her hair was styled in much more uniformed curls than before and curtain bangs were attached to her hair. fans didn't believe the idol when she told them it wasn't a wig but extensions as they had never seen her hair be blended so well together with extensions in.

she continued to wear the extensions for the tour performances, letting her hair relax into loose waves instead of the perfect curls from before. as the tour went on, her hair began to grow which allowed her to style her hair in high ponytails and intricate braids without the burnt off hairs at the front having to be pinned down or hair-sprayed to her head.

…BOUNCY (K-HOT CHILLI PEPPERS)

miyeon continued what fans call her ‘healthy hair era’ with not dyeing her hair once again and keeping it it’s natural colour. she allowed her bangs to be cut once again into curtain bangs but told fans that she demanded no one straighten her hair during this period. her curls became a staple of the era, creating an innocence to the sexier and more concept the song had created.

…CRAZY FORM

miyeon experimented with a lot of different styles with her hair during this comeback, still not allowing any stylist to come near her hair with any dye or straighteners. it became a joke between the members of miyeon’s insistence of keep her curly hair, the other members often being seen in the back of videos chasing the girl with straighteners.

…COACHELLA

miyeon finally gave in to the stylists’ and other member’s wishes and allowed her hair to be dyed to match the other members. she debuted a firey red colour that looked more rose coloured onstage, her hair was also straightened for this performance to make it move more fluidly. fans were shocked at the sudden transformation of her hair and she received mixed reactions due to some fans worrying for the health of her hair once again.

...WORK

her red hair from coachella faded to a mousy brown during this promotion and her curtain bangs had grown out to frame her face more. her curls became much tighter ringlets as she began using a styling product she had discovered in canada whilst on tour. her hair had grown back to its healthy length of pre debut and fans were amazed at how shiny it still looked after all the dye.

…ESPRESSO (SOLO COMEBACK)

miyeon was both excited but upset at the visual she had wanted to create for her first solo comeback as she loved the old hollywood style of but had to once again bleach her entire head of hair. her curls were dropped to much looser ones and were styled to mimic the styles of marylin monroe.

...ICE ON MY TEETH

miyeon went back to a fan favourite during their latest promotion, dying the underneath of her hair black and leaving the top half bleached. she called it her reverse narcissa malfoy hair and loved it more than the previous time. fans were upset to see her hair be cut shorter but loved the wolf cut style of hair she had cut her hair into once again.

[reygunsandreynbows]

CBA to fight ao3 rnrn SOOOO

2am traumafic of doorkey (this is absolutely me projecting pain onto them but trying to make it soft)

tags: teen (implied violence), hurt/comfort, roughly 1.5k words, they're cute lil fuckers, predistortion Michael where they both work for gertrude, domestic af but make it traumatised

have funsies ill post this to ao3 later if I still like it by then

Gerry sprawled out across the couch. Their home was warm and soft, and having finally reached the big grand age of 27, Gerry could appreciate it. Comfort was nice.

Steam wandered lazily from his mug of tea, a bright mash of colours that Michael had bought. It felt fitting to have a part of his love with him at least. A podcast chattered on in the background, mostly there to fill the emptiness of the house and he'd long since tuned it out.

His book lay unread at his feet.

A knock on the door interrupted him pocket of heaven. It was gentle, timid even.

Curiosity sparked within him, Michael usually let himself in and he didn't remember ordering anything. With a spin and gentle laugh he propelled himself off the couch, embraced by the fluffy rugs that practically like their small apartment.

Customer service grin primed, Gerry spun the lock on the door, swinging it open.

A figure stood in the doorway.

Michael stood in the doorway. Crying.

He swayed slightly, eyes gaunt and tired, hair dishevelled and greasy.

Their eyes met as Gerry took in the sight. They stood there. Neither dared to move.

Barely audible above the whining of the wind and the complaints of his fingers at the cold, "Can I?" reached Gerry's ears. His heart sank as he stepped back to let Michael in. It was so cold outside.

Michael stumbled forwards. His weight shifted past the doorway as he collapsed into Gerry. His feet were like bricks, numb and heavy and far, far away. Like glass he maneuvered Michael, closing the door to stave off the chill that invaded his home.

The next moments blurred together, Gerry shuffling back to the bedroom with Michael draped across him, murmuring incoherently. His murmurs turned to whimpers as Gerry touched him, louder when Gerry wouldn't.

Michael sat on the bed, passive with his eyes glazed over and empty. He shook from the cold, fingers and eyes icy where they ought to have been the warm embrace of the summer sky.

Tender, Gerry unwrapped his lover's scarf. Worry pulsed through him, filling his veins with abject terror but he couldn't afford to freeze up. Anger burnt inside him, sparks waiting to be lit by the shock of injuries or pain. He'd kill Gertrude. He'd burn the institure, its statements and researchers, warm Michael with it's flames. Anything to keep him safe. To never see this again.

Michael looked like a child. Dwarfed in his own cardigan, surrounded by his scarf and coat which Gerry had slowly coaxed off him. He clung to the cardigan, fingers poking through the stitches, eyes trying feebly to follow the bright colours.

His skin was sallow and eyes soulless, like he'd seen what couldnt be returned from.

Gerry sat across from him on the bed, taking Michael's anxious hands into his own, kissing each knuckle. He hoped his breath would slowly warm Michael's hands, stave off the pain of thawing too fast. He'd do anything to save Michael from pain.

Slowly the fidgeting calmed, reducing into the occasional twitch or shiver as Michael melted into Gerry's touch. Gerry could feel the tension as it slowly leeched out of Michael's body, as his exhaustion crept up on him.

Gerry gently got up, planning to shuffle round to sit beside Michael. As he stood he felt the air change; Michael shot up, eyes tracking his hands in a frenzy like a startled animal.

Barely above a whisper, Gerry began to narrate his actions, moving slow and in sight. He settled down beside Michael, quietly celebrating as his lover settled into him, slumping against Gerry's shoulder.

Michael's breathing slowed into an even rhythm, matching Gerry's as Gerry merely rambled. A constant murmur of nothings and stupid facts and neighborhood gossip. Just so Michael would never feel alone.

After a few minutes Michael began tapping at Gerry's thigh. Timid, like he was scared he'd be berated, yet slowly more insistent Gerry looked at his lover's face, expecting petulance. Instead he was met with distress as Michael signalled to something beside Gerry.

Slowly clocking on, Gerry grabbed the juice box that sat on the windowsill. He must've left it there when he'd gotten home. Ordinarily he'd chastise his own forgetfulness but in the moment it felt like a blessing from God Himself.

Grabbing the carton, he swirled it slightly. It was half full at least. With one hand he cradled Michael's cheek, noting the slight flinch. With the other he held the box to Michael's lips for him to drink.

The noise Michael made was horrifying. Somewhere between a whimper and a scream, muffled by the fleshy confines of its mouth. Michael's lips were still agape as the juice began to trickle back out the corners of his lips. With slight panic Gery swiped a random cup from the table, holding it beneath Michael's mouth as he searched for tissues.

As his mouth finally emptied, Michael merely whimpered at his lover. His throat must've closed up from the coldness of the drink. Gerry placed at hand on Michael's neck, moving slow as not to startle him.

Across his neck was a thin rash. It seemed to match up to his necklace, like it'd been shoved into his neck until skin broke, until he choked. His blood boiled. It was like he could see the handprints on Michael's neck, see the perpetrator with hands dripping in red. He would kill whoever had hurt his Michael, chop their hands off lest they attempt to touch him again.

Michael simply looked at Gerry, tragedy painting his soft blue irises. With a smile and softer words of encouragement Gerry propped up Michaels head, offering him the juice once again.

It was torturously slow, watching Michael try to stomach the juice but he eventually managed.

His needs apparently met Michael began to sink back into the warmth of his lover. His eyes began to flutter shut, begging to escape the pain of his body. Gently Gerry picked him up, moving him to lie down across their bed. With all the care of a mother for her child, Gerry tried to tuck Michael in, layering the blankets and ensuring they covered him.

Gery curled up beside Michael, interlocking their fingers as they curled up into one another.

Tomorrow he'd seek vengeance. Tonight he'd care for his loverz