#HANDS THIS TO YOU

[trans-yllz]

contains ten million energies

[sharpsuite]

MUNDANE MOMENTS DRABBLE PROMPTS Topic: The very human experience of a poorly shared umbrella For: @cartelheir

i hope you and Pat can enjoy this drabble! ✨

Chishiya cannot fathom why anyone needs as many coats as Pat owns - and that's only from what she had brought with her and what she's subsequently acquired since being here. HE FEARS HOW MANY SHE ONCE OWNED. ( He's thankful for the fact there's limited storage in his place that restricts the amount she can bring in too. ) He doesn't think he's ever seen this one before either now that he stares at it a bit longer. The cut of it is a bit different even thought it seems similar to one she wore last week. HE KNOWS BETTER THAN TO SAY THAT. He'd made that mistake exactly one time and the painful crash course on fashion lecture had made work seem like an optimal escape for once.

He watches Pat close the umbrella as they reach the safety of the lobby of his apartment complex and he doesn't say anything when she complains about the sudden rain ruining some plans. Frankly HE is the one with every right to complain. She might have made an effort to share the umbrella, but the angle had been entirely wrong to help Chishiya. So while she's stayed dry except for a few droplets still clinging to the high-end fabric or the wispy ends of some stray pieces of hair, his hoodie is a substantially worse off victim of the weather.

It feels so NORMAL. Two people trying to share an umbrella and it going horribly wrong whether known or not. Something friends, and siblings, and so many others experienced daily across the world. There was likely someone else experiencing something like this less than a mile away.

Chiaki's waiting upstairs, probably lazily cuddled in the blankets on the couch with the gentle pitter-patter of rain against the glass windows. There's coffee waiting and he's SURE Pat is going to march right into the kitchen to make some if she doesn't decide to order a delivery of a specialty one FOR THE TROUBLE OF BEING CAUGHT IN THE RAIN. And he'll just give an amused sort of snort and scratch Chiaki's ear when she lifts her head to mew and greet them. He'll change and maybe have a drink or just burrow in the blankets and stare out the window at the rain for a bit; offer a solution for the rainy fiasco or a makeup day - check the weather app as she considers it and -

Chishiya almost wants to turn and bolt out into the steadily increasing rainfall outside. If there isn't fire, a storm will do.

It should be a comfort to have something normal. But sometimes... SOMETIMES CHISHIYA'S AFRAID. Sometimes he still doesn't know how to handle these moments to understand that he gets this. To have ordinary moments with someone who wants to be around him. Company around that understands him, ugly selfishness and flaws known and accepted. Sometimes he can enjoy the realization and take comfort in it because they're both flawed in their own ways. He can relax; sometimes they talk and sometimes they don't. He likes that new understanding. That he can feel SAFE. But there are still times when it makes him bristle and act defensive and feel like he doesn't want to be seen even though he DOES. Like it's still The Borderlands and being known is still a death sentence and he doesn't know how to handle it other than protecting himself PREEMPTIVELY.

Sometimes he wonders if he made the wrong choice when he came back. Except he'd been bleeding out on asphalt and he definitely would have died if he'd stayed, so OBVIOUSLY HE MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE.

Sometimes he wonders why Pat stays. He doesn't want her to go. ( Another alarming thought. ) But he doesn't understand it and he doesn't dare ask. Even with the potential threats, Pat has ENDLESS OPPORTUNITIES and she still stays here with their silly movie night tradition that he's come to love. ( Even if there's been some HORRIBLE movies he's endured that felt like some kind of inhumane torture. ) His lip trembles slightly and it's just the cold. ( Except is it the cold from the rain, or his own iciness? ) Where she insists on celebrating despite his rolled eyes and even though he doesn't care much for celebrations, he still goes out of his way to try to celebrate for her sake or festive days for her culture despite never hearing them. ( And trying to FIND authentic foods or spices or items is both tedious and expensive but he has the time and money. IT'S IMPORTANT TO HER. Even if he doesn't understand why, even if he can't relate, he understands that much. )

Maybe Chishiya's not really afraid of the normalcy. Maybe it's not even actually being known. MAYBE HE'S AFRAID OF HOW MUCH HE WANTS THIS. How much he's come to gradually become used to this life they've built and enjoy it. It's not perfect; he's still by and by the same - but these small changes have changed a lot about his life. It's terrifying...and it's nice. It's the same way he sometimes feels after he's buried himself against her side and let her comb her fingers in his hair (and vise versa). MAYBE HE'S SCARED TO LOSE THIS.

Chishiya hates losing in general as a concept. He's too proud. But losing this, everything he has now with Pat, in a way feels like it'd be more painful than being shot. If she's one day decides her happiness is elsewhere he won't grovel or beg; he cares about her enough to care about her happiness. He'll support her in whatever way he can. But the thought feels like glass shards stabbing deep into the thin skin on his palms.

" What's that look for? "

He offers a slow blink at Pat seems to finally have succeeded in closing and wrapping the umbrella without making a huge mess of water all over the lobby.

" I don't think I've ever seen anyone struggle with that compactible umbrella as much as you. " Chishiya teases as he offers a smug smirk - the kind that always tended to PISS OFF PEOPLE in the Borderlands, but he's just teasing her. " Maybe you've set a record. " He bites back a laugh as he quickly starts towards the elevators before she potentially THOWS the umbrella at him.

" Also your hair is fine the rain didn't ruin it. " He adds with a roll of his eyes. And then promptly jabs the CLOSE DOORS button on the elevator door with a cheshire cat snicker as he tries to see if the elevator doors will close first or if she'll make it inside the elevator.

[patchwork-crow-writes]

Liff

Laff

Lurf

[diivineray]

❝Once I thought the chance to make you laugh was all I ever wanted.❞ (for jc of course)

              ⋅˚₊‧ ୨ …𖥸 …୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅ ― Jiang Cheng stood in silence, feeling the luxurious fabric of his robes curling around his fingers. A rush of overwhelming emotion filled his chest, threatening to bring tears to his eyes. He longed to express the depths of his emotions, to release years of accumulated hurt, loss, && pain. Every negative emotion he had harbored had somehow transformed into a profound yearning for the one man he had always wanted to draw close, to hold in his embrace, and to express how deeply he longed for his presence.

                 As they sat together, it felt like a rare moment of peace. For once, Jiang Cheng hadn't resorted to his usual yelling. It was as if Lotus Pier had been magically transported back to the past, and the two of them were sitting alone on the dock. Their presence in the midst of their parents' conflict felt like being thrown into the middle of a storm, with no shelter in sight. Then, Wei Wuxian would put his arm around Jiang Cheng's shoulder and say something utterly pointless and stupid, but somehow, it managed to bring a genuine smile to Jiang Cheng's face, and the clouds would clear once again. 

               ❝ Why can't things be the way they were before? ❞ Despite the distance, rage, and betrayal, he longed to turn back time to reclaim what he had lost – his family, his brother. He wished he had given Wei Wuxian a better chance to make things right, to stand by him as promised. Tears he had fought back earlier now flowed freely down his cheeks as he whispered, ❝ I miss you. . . ❞ How could he express that his life had become an empty void since losing everything as if he should have perished alongside his loved ones? 

           Loneliness draped over him like a heavy cloak, its weight pressing down on his shoulders. The storm that Wei Wuxian had always been adept at dispelling had now overwhelmed him, tossing Jiang Cheng about like a helpless ship on the tempestuous sea. He found himself treading water, his outstretched hand a desperate plea for aid. The memory of Wei Wuxian's warm hand in his own, lifting him out of the water, was a familiar comfort. Perhaps, with unwavering effort, they could reconstruct their bond just as he had rebuilt Lotus Pier. Day after day, they would lay brick upon brick and work with wood and nails until their efforts resulted in something new. It might not recapture the beauty of the past, but it would stand on a far sturdier foundation. 

          As the sect leader turned his head to face his brother, he felt the weight of solitude pressing down on him. The once comforting presence of his brother had vanished, leaving behind a desolate emptiness. Sitting alone on the dock, he gazed into the void beside him, feeling as if the very fabric of his dream had been swept away like a ripple in the water. In that moment, he was abruptly jolted awake from the illusion, confronted by the harsh reality of his existence. Wei Wuxian was no longer with him, and the only place where their conversation could continue was in the confines of his dreams. 

[snoopylovessoup]

I love your username, combining the best two things in the world together forever

Thank you! And yes, Snoopy and soup are the best two things in the world.

If I could, I would give all my followers a snoopy soup mug for christmas.

[doom-dreaming]

Johntana Playlist

(link) Wherever We Are, It Feels Like Home

Surrendering; Alanis Morissette Satellite; Guster Armour Love; La Roux The Last of the Real Ones; Fall Out Boy Starlight; Muse His Brightest Star Was You; Two Steps From Hell End of the Earth; MARINA Now and Forever; Gary Numan Against the Odds; Matias Puumala If We Had Known; Gary Numan Tell Me It's A Nightmare; Kim Petras Sigma; Epic Soul Factory Guardian; Alanis Morissette Boom Clap; Charli XCX

(Arranged to be listened to in order, but I'm not your boss. If you want to hear my ramblings, look under the readmore.)

The ordering is ROUGHLY chronological, following the development of their relationship through the games, up to Cortana's sacrifice, and then the last few I included to fit into my canon-divergence AU but can still be read as canon. Some require harder squinting than others.

Surrendering "Self-protection was in times of true danger / Your best defense to mistrust and be wary / Surrendering, a feat of unequaled measure / And I'm thrilled to let you in / Overjoyed to be let in, in kind." - Cortana's POV; this fits for the majority of their whole relationship, but to me it reads as the point where they've learned to fully trust each other and work together and the vulnerability that entails

Satellite "You're riding with me tonight / Passenger side, lighting the sky / Always the first star that I find." - John's POV; this song has always been for them in my mind, it's been part of the playlist since the beginning

Armour Love "You put on your armor / You put up defenses / But why do you want to? / Because I'm here to protect you." - Cortana's POV; the "somebody else" represents everyone that John feels he owes himself to - the UNSC and humanity as a whole; I read a good chunk of this as the moment he's leaving her behind on High Charity

The Last of the Real Ones "You were too good to be true / Gold plated / But what's inside you? / But what's inside you? / I know this whole damn city thinks it needs you / But not as much as I do." - Cortana's POV; the verses/bridge are more relevant than the chorus IMO; big fan of the quoted verses because it feels like the "I'm not doing this for mankind" moment where her loyalty to John is eclipsing her loyalty to the mission/humanity

Starlight "You electrify my life / Let's conspire to ignite / All the souls that would die just to feel alive. / I'll never let you go / If you promise not to fade away." - both of their POVs, sometimes alternating, sometimes simultaneous; fits the themes of Halo 3 and the gap between 3 and 4

His Brightest Star Was You Instrumental - saw it on someone else's (sorry I cannot remember who without going to find it again) Johntana playlist and went "oh I know that one :)"

End of the Earth "But I'd still follow you down / Slow motion, no sound / To the edge of the world." "If we're torn apart then I won't let go / 'Cause wherever we are it feels like home." - Cortana's POV; favorite song on the list, I feel like it really exemplifies their relationship

Now and Forever "I choose you / Now and forever / And this is my life to give." "I'll be lost / In the forever / Until I find you again." - Cortana's POV; making up her mind at the end of Halo 4 and saying goodbye

Against the Odds Instrumental - has that epic sweeping space feel with a little bit of bittersweet mixed in with the triumph

Tell Me It's A Nightmare "Be careful when you love me / I'm only out for blood / You know I'd be the end of you / But you always wanted more / (Be careful what you wish for)." - the first half of the first verse is Cortana, until "I'm a demon in the shadows" where it switches to John and finishes out in his POV; heavy themes of him blaming himself for not being able to save her

If We Had Known "So here I stand / Tortured and helpless / Lost in my heartbreak / Your journey's over / Mine's filled with memories of you." - John's POV after losing Cortana; maybe a conversation he has with himself, maybe a dream; maybe a combination of both where he says the goodbye he really wanted to

Sigma Instrumental - one of my favorite pieces of music of all time, makes me think about floating in space surrounded by stars; (also semi-represents Cortana's return from The Domain in my AU)

Guardian "You, you who has smiled when you're in pain / You who has soldiered through the profane." "You, you in the chaos feigning sane / You who has pushed beyond what's humane." - Cortana's POV; can easily be taken in a canon context; bonus meta points for the inclusion of "guardian" and "warden" (I guess??????)

Boom Clap "You are the light and I will follow / You let me lose my shadow / You are the sun, a glowing halo." - fully self-indulgent, whimsical, and fluffy :) my house :)

[nick--knack]

@caketii

Vintage wind-up toy bear (USSR, 1920s-30s)

[noodles-and-tea]

[bixels]

As gen-AI becomes more normalized (Chappell Roan encouraging it, grifters on the rise, young artists using it), I wanna express how I will never turn to it because it fundamentally bores me to my core. There is no reason for me to want to use gen-AI because I will never want to give up my autonomy in creating art. I never want to become reliant on an inhuman object for expression, least of all if that object is created and controlled by tech companies. I draw not because I want a drawing but because I love the process of drawing. So even in a future where everyone’s accepted it, I’m never gonna sway on this.

[some-pers0n]

I hate how people will look at popular indie artists who had one or two songs go viral on TikTok and start making fun of anybody who listens to them. "Oh you listen to Lemon Demon, Will Wood, Jack Stauber, Glass Animals, and Mother Mother? Tsk, don't you know that is stupid TikTok neurodivergent white transmasc preteen music? It's so mid and bad you should listen to real music–" you are a pit of misery

[wwhore]

@b0n3sdab33

now i don't know much about star trek but data being an android named data is kind of funny it'd be like if there was a human being called memories

[catlaila]

justice for kabru. they put my man in the wrong genre. bro was meant to be playing psychological games with light yagami and instead he’s playing yaoi mind tennis with a blonde himbo

[milkcryptid]

do people have no shame anymore?

[prettyboykatsuki-moved]

touch-starvation needs to be written with emphasis on the starving part. you are hungry to be touched. so hungry that even the very taste of it makes you nauseous. it has been long since anything has ever touched you, ever fed you - that your body has grown more used to that gnawing emptiness more than anything else. it's better for you to be held, to eat but it makes you sick to try. you know

[starboy-at-the-disco]

@le-velo-pour-dru

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