#HE CAN'T STOP KISSING HER

[harryforvogue]

this means you have to write about Harry and Faye at her play or smt!!!

Faye’s not upset. Seriously, she's not. And she lets Harry know too.

don't beat yourself up over it please. really! i’ll see you in the morning

i’ve got to go now okay? i love you, i’ll text you later. <333

Harry reads the message but doesn’t reply. That doesn’t make her upset! She can’t expect Harry to be at every one of her plays, and this one isn’t even the opening night! Though Harry had been real upset about missing that one early this weekend anyways, but he’s been away at some tattoo art convention…business…er, festival? Okay, she doesn’t know what it actually is, but it's a valid excuse for him to miss her shows.

Which, as she’s repeatedly insisted, is totally fine. Harry loves to come to her plays, but of course his job comes first. It’s his career! Just like this is hers.

He’s supposed to have had come back from his weekend long trip this morning. But from what she’s gathered from his very annoyed texts, the car has overheated twice, leaving him and Timothée stranded and very much at each other’s throats.

Timothée even texted Faye a few hours ago.

I’m so sorry. I’m gonna fuckin kill him I’m sorry I'm gonna send your man back to you in a fuckin box I don't know how you stand him sometimes

Faye knows they’ll be fine. She thinks part of Harry’s anger is from missing her show. But as she’s literally told him several times, it’s fine. There will be another show in three days.

When the show is about to start, Faye turns her phone off and takes deep breaths, readying herself for the stage. It’ll be okay. She’s done so many shows without him. She puts on 3-4 shows a week. Of course he won’t be there every time.

The play starts and Faye pushes all the thoughts of Harry to the back of her head. Time to work.

***

Harry didn’t end up making it. When Faye joins her fellow actors and actresses for a final bow, she glances back at the section where Harry would have sat, finding his seat empty. She shakes it off. It’s okay. Really.

When the curtain falls, everyone hugs each other and then they begin to head to their own dressing rooms. Faye’s pulling her hair extensions out carefully in front of her door when someone grabs her arm, tugging her back into the hallway.

She nearly screams, her defense tactics kicking in, but it's only Harry. His hair is messy, his chest is rising and falling quickly, and his face is flushed. “Hey. I’m here. I’m sorry. I’m so so–”

“Harry!” Faye throws her arms around him and hugs him tightly, his voice muffled against her shoulder. "Thank goodness it's you! I was about to bite you or something."

He squeezes her so hard, she stops breathing for a moment. “I saw it. I saw the play, I swear I did,” he whispers. “Every minute of it. And I loved it. And you were perfect. So beautiful, you’ve got the voice of an angel. I loved it. I’m here. I’m a little late, but I’m here.”

Several actors walk by, giving them peculiar looks especially when Harry holds her face, repeating his apologies. Faye opens her dressing room door and pushes him in, locking it behind her.

He’s still reaching for her when she turns back around, his hands finding her waist immediately. “Faye.”

“It’s okay,” she says, gliding her hands up his arms. He’s in usual normal black shirt and blue jeans, curls falling into his eyes. “I’m so happy you’re here! I can't believe you made it!"

“I wasn’t in my seat,” he whispers, pulling her closer. He leans down to kiss her softly, breaking away only an inch to keep talking. “I got there like 30 seconds after the doors closed and I had to beg them to let me in because I knew you and I showed my ticket and I told them you were going to break up with me if I didn’t show up–”

“What?! I would never–”

“And so they let me in but I couldn’t get to my seat so I had to stand by the side but…” he takes a deep breath, grabbing her face between his hands again. His eyes are bright, a bit wild. “I swear I saw it all and I love you and you’re so perfect like always and I’m so so sorry I wasn’t here earlier. You have every right to be furious with me.”

Faye’s smiling so hard, shaking her head. She puts her hands on his. “Harry! Stop! It’s okay!”

“It’s not okay.” He’s bending down to kiss her again, more desperately. “I love you. I love you so bad. Always want to be here.”

“I’m just happy you got here safe,” she says in between kisses when he lets her take a breath. “I really appreciate the effort, Harry.” She pushes his hair out of his eyes. “I hope you didn’t kill Timmy.”

“Fuck Timmy,” Harry murmurs, kissing her again. “I’m never traveling with him again.”

She giggles. “That bad?”

He sighs and shakes his head. “No. Nothing was his fault. I just never want to be stranded with him ever again.” He kisses her once more. “I love you. You were wonderful up there. I love when you sing. Do more of that please?”

She closes her eyes and lets herself soak up all his love as his arms go around her waist again and he’s kissing her like he hasn’t seen her in weeks, twirling her hair, playing with the hem of her dress. He must be so tired from the constant traveling. The place he’d gone to was a decent four hours away, and the whole stranded thing clearly has made it worse.

Faye opens her eyes. “Wait. You came straight here?”

Harry’s nuzzling his face in her hair. “Yeah.”

"You didn't stop at home?"

"Had no time, baby."

“So…Timmy is here?”

“Yeah. He either had the option of watching your play or staying in the car outside for hours, so naturally he bought a ticket way up in the balcony.”

“He must be looking for you then.”

“Don’t care. I’m with my girl right now.” He takes a deep breath and drops his head to her shoulder. “I love you. You’re the best person to ever exist, baby.”

“I should be saying that to you! Harry, you didn’t have to come. You’re probably so sleepy and hungry and I know you want to just get out of those clothes.”

“Doesn’t matter," he insists, his voice firm. "I want to be with you.”

“You could have come to see my play next week.”

He clicks his tongue in disagreement. “Already felt bad about missing opening night.”

She huffs. “That’s ridiculous. You don’t always have to come to those! Work comes up and all that.”

“I always take the day off.”

“But some things are clearly unavoidable.”

“Mhm.” Harry hugs her tightly again, lifting her off the floor. He turns his head and kisses her neck. “You’re so soft. I wanna take you home. Come home with me, yeah? I'll wait here. I've just gotta shower real bad.”

“I’m…I’m being serious!” His kisses are too ticklish.

When he puts her back down on the floor, his mouth is on hers again, kissing her hungrily. “I didn’t even get you any flowers. I’m the worst boyfriend ever, huh?”

“No!” She surrenders to his kisses, and he picks her up again, seemingly unable to pull more than an inch away from her. She wraps her legs around his waist and holds onto his shoulders tight when he spins her. They fall into her makeup chair.

Harry’s hands are all over her as she positions herself to straddle him. “I missed you,” she whispers, grasping his hair. He groans softly when she gives it a slight tug.

He surges forward and catches her mouth again, deepening the kiss until everything melts away and it’s just the two of them in her dressing room.

That is, until there’s a hesitant knock at her door. “Um,” Timothée calls from the hallway. “Are you guys in there? I wanna come in but…are you decent?”

“I’m gonna do it,” Harry promises with a growl to his voice. “I’m going to kill him.”

[igotsnothing]

@tricoufamily Duo Challenge

dynamic: Toxically obsessed with each other

genre: Southern gothic

sim 1: Gracie Mae Theriaux

trait: sensitive

hair color: dark brown

hair length: long

extra: vitiligo

sim 2: Henry Legare

trait: mean

hair color: dark blond

hair length: short

extra: hooded eyes

[mccleans]

i've gone to sleep angry and woken up angry every day since last saturday

[resident-gay-bitch]

*looks at you with big wet eyes* transfem sirius hcs please🥺also what do you think her fashion sense is like

*looks at you right back with even bigger wet eyes* HIIIII! Im so sorry for getting back to you so late, please forgive me, I've been very busy and didn't even notice I had this ask

⭐️ Sirius Sundays ⭐️

Here are my transfem Sirius headcannons! (I love her so much), (I hope you don't mind that I included this in my Sirius Sunday thing);

Her style:

I think it probably wouldn't stray too far from what she'd already wear pre transition; for wizards skirts and dresses aren't that far off from robes so styles of clothing wouldn't really feel too different for her.

In terms of muggle clothing style specifically she'd still wear a lot of boot cut jeans and bell bottoms, a lot of band shirts and her leather jacket, she'd probably just style them a little differently, now with things in her hair, more jewellery and makeup and stuff.

However, I do also think she would raid Lily, Mary, and Marlenes wardrobes to find things that she likes. I think once Sirius came out, the girls would have basically adopted her as their protégé, teaching her anything and everything she wants to know about girlhood.

I think she'd like Mary's wardrobe best, I always hc Mary as a very fashionable person who likes to experiment and be bold with her outfits, and Sirius would love the sparkly dresses and bold colours stuffed into her wardrobe, and she'd have the best time trying everything on and doing a little fashion show for her friends.

I think as well she would wear a lot of skirts. She'd like the way they feel, how flowy they are and how cute they look, and they help her pass better in the beginnings of her transition, and also she knows she's got amazing legs so she doesn't mind showing them off a bit (showing them off to one specific person, more like).

I think, even though she'd try to pass more with typically "feminine colours", blue would be her best colour. Pretty shades of dark iridescence and periwinkles as well, she'd have lots of dresses, skirts, and coats in various shades of blue, and they'd always make her feel most pretty and feminine. Especially some blue eyeshadow or eyeliner. James would call her new penchant for blue a betrayal and tell her to go join Ravenclaw for being such a traitor (and then secretly tell her she's pretty and looks great at the same time).

Tall girls being even taller in high heels is a weekness of mine, and if I knew Sirius in real life, she'd abuse that weakness. I think anytime theres a party or a fancy event on, she'd put a pair of high heels on. They'd make her feel so pretty and feminine, and she'd be so tall. At first she refused to wear any shoe that wasn't flat on the foot because "girls are meant to be shorter than guys, right?" but then everyone told her that was stupid and peer pressured her into a high heels, and made sure she felt amazing in them.

In public, Sirius is very amendment on passing. She's done her research and always wears the most feminine clothing in muggle areas, wears the girls uniform to school, puts on eyeliner and lipstick, pitches her voice up, etc etc, and it's very important to her that she passess. With her friends she relaxes a little, when it's just them in a private area (esp just the marauders because they've seen the most over her over the years and she knows they don't really care), but she still pitches her voice up and wears typically feminine "colours" or "clothing". However, when with James or at home with just the Potters, she doesn't try at all; she'll often use her natrual voice, doesn't ever try to tuck or wear anything really feminine unless she just feels like doing so, she'll let her stubble come in from time to time even, until annoys her, and they never make her feel bad for it. James still calls her gorgeous every day, and Effie and Flea still call her their daughter. They make her feel extremely comfortable.

I think she'd love wearing her hair in double plaits, she'd look so cute like that and she likes how feminine it is, and it would also make her feel like the little girl inside her is coming alive, because all through the first and second years of school, all the girls in their year would have worn double plaits to class. So not only would it be cool and cute, it would be a way for her to feel like she's experiencing the girlhood she missed out on when she was younger. (Maybe James learnt how to braid so he could do it for her before bed if she's tired, and in the mornings so she could do her makeup and stuff at the same time so they wouldn't be late to work / class)

I also think she'd go through a phase where she'd grow her hair as long as possible just to see how long she can get it. Her record is just past her arse and she's very proud of it.

She'd love playing around and experimenting with hairstyles as well. She'd 100% go through bad phases of strange styles and all of her friends just have to grin and bear it, because if a very high side pony is what makes her feel best this week, than they're not going to crush her soul, they know she'll grow out of it soon enough. She does have taste afterall.

She'd get so pissed off about the lack of pockets in everything when she starts shopping for muggle womens clothes, and you know the minuet she finds a dress with pockets she'd show it off to everyone. She'd get so excited and wear the dress for like a month straight, no fucks given, only pockets.

She'd practice makeup looks on the Marauders all the time. James is her most willing model, of course, he'd let her do anything she wanted, but sometimes she'd want to practice on someone with a similar complexion to her, or with a different eye or lip shape or whatever, or sometimes if James isn't around to model. She'd wrangle Remus and Pete into getting their makeup done by her, and they argue the whole time even though they secretly enjoyed it a lot.

Before she came out to Effie and Flea - maybe especially if she was still living at 12GWP at the time she figured it out - and she started experimenting with her gender to figure it out, she wanted to try womens underwear and stuff, but she didn't want to be seen / caught buying it when she was still perceived as a bloke, so she made a bunch herself. She cut her breifs into knickers shape and made makeshift braletts out of old shirts and pyjamas (she had to learn how to sew for this too), and one day Effie or Flea came along to do her washing and found all the janky looking underwear and just went to her like "right, good effort darling but I'm taking you shopping for some real undergarments that actually fits you properly an doesn't look like it went through a blender".

Hc's about her transition;

I feel like she only figured out she was trans later in life, probably after she ran away to the Potters and started to really work on becoming her best self, or possibly just figured it out right before she ran away, and that was the kind of final reason to do it because she knew she had a better chance of acceptance with them <3

I am a tall Sirius truther till the day I die, so obviously she'd be a very very tall woman and this would make Marlene very jealous, and she'd constantly tease Marlene for being so short.

You already know that James is the first person she told, and if this is all happening in the 70s/80s, he probably would have been a little confused by the concept at first and didn't understand it at all. He would have never heard of transexuality and people swapping genders, but he would have still accepted her immediately. He would have asked so many questions, not only to make sure he was doing all the right things to make sure Sirius felt comfortable, proud, and happy throughout her transition, but also because he was extremely curious. He would have done a lot of research for her. (If Sirius wants something, Sirius gets it, so if she wants to be called she and a woman now, James is going to give 110% effort).

All of her friends have had a crush on her at one point, no matter their sexuality (eg pre transition + post), and she's pretty indifferent to people having feelings or attraction towards her, doesn't really care about it at all, but she does like to brag about it with her friends. And she loves to hold it over their heads lol.

I think if she came out whilst still in Hogwarts, she would have just gaslit everyone into thinking she was never a bloke. She'd get all her friends in on it, along with McGonagall of course, and anytime someone asked why she was wearing the girls uniform everyone would just be like "she's a girl wtf are you going on about? no, she was never a bloke, do you need me to take you to the sick wing?"

I think as well, after she came out, she would have gotten a lot closer with the girls. She'd love the way that girls all talk to each other, she'd love the constant drama and gossip, and she'd love how in touch and normal they are about their own emotions. Of course, Sirius has always felt she can talk to James about everything, and she does, but she likes how she can have deeper conversations more casually with the girls and in a group setting and stuff. She'd love how they always immediately validate her feelings and give her proper good advice and can relate to her problems in their own ways. But James would get extremely jealous of this and always try to intervene on girls night - it would never work, but Sirius promised to give him the best gossip when she gets home.

Back to Sirius being drop dead gorgeous, I think after she came out all the blokes on like the quidditch team and in their year would start fancying her, hoping to get a shag or whatever, and would constantly talk to James about it (they'd especially be asking if James and Sirius are actually together now that she's a girl because they're that close, James never gives them a real answer, just tells them Sirius isn't interested), and of course James would tell her all of this. They'd think it's so funny, but it's also strange because suddenly all of Sirius casual mates and quidditch team want a shag with her and it's weird. Again she's indifferent to it, has no interested in any of their advances, but it is odd when all the blokes who used to call her "a good lad" and would crudely talk about girls in the locker room around her, are now interested in her.

I think she'd love taking photos throughout her transition to track her progress. So then on days she feels like shit she can look back through them and see how much she's grown and feel as beautiful as she is again.

Thank you for the ask, I really love receiving them! I had a lot of fun compiling this list actually, I haven't written out all my transfem Sirius hc's before. I really love her so much and she deserves some more recognition tbh. She's the best. :P

[catacosmo]

If you told me Clive was a virgin until that night on the beach with Jill, I'd believe it. Dude's too depressed to fuck

[volivolition]

reading Kim's Disco Inferno and i absolutely needed to read this fic earlier than im reading it right now. this is so fucking interesting.

[space-sweetheart]

anytime I play a qunari Rook, I think Solas genuinely feels a mixture of nostalgia, wanting to cry and throw up whenever they meet in the fade prison, and unfortunately enjoying their talks a little too much <- reasons for this being because I think my qunari Rook would remind Solas of my Inquisitor Adaar (you know the lovely mage qunari that he unconsciously grew close too, respected, and lowkey had a crush on)

[manic-sapphic]

clips from yt user Dragon_Nya's final part of s5 she-ra

crack videos hwuhwuh

tbh i dunno what that last sound i attempted to phonetically type was supposed to be. i opted for going abstract w it since i dunno how to attempt writing out a laugh where i accidentally snort like a dummy cause i literally can't breathe from laughing (which i do occasionally and which this mf'er on youtube has made me do on more than one occasion tbh - fuck)

so these are all my fav edits from Dragon_Nya's last part of s5 edits on yt; but unfortunately, it got removed tf out of by yt itself over and over till i think they may have issued him some kinda cease & desist warning lmao.

but like a true rebellion princess, he just went on to share a link in the description of a separate blank vid where one could download it, and even encouraged ppl in the comments to repost tf out of it just to spite yt lmao. so, above are my fav picks from it, and below is a link for his whole 5 part series of season 5 spop crack on yt.

•i love the serious side of this show, even when it straight up snaps my spine in half and then seems to just look at me and kinda shrug about it rofl - but i also love the humor, comic relief, and downright silly fuckin chaotic energy that's sometimes produced in many scenes~

•this youtuber riffs on that real well imo, i enjoy it, i hope you do too :)

ps prime will make america great again once he's done w etheria. fasho.

pps if horde prime did conquer earth, what do you think he'd keep from our species to add to his disturbing collection of tyranny trophies? fr, if you have an opinion on that, i'm curious what people might think lol

:) 💕

[genderqueerpond]

amyeleven fivenyssa crossover

[rainbow-crane]

so my sister is getting me to watch Cobra Kai while I'm visiting home, right

and look. She warned me about the love square. The old man rivalry. All that good stuff. What she did not warn me of, or rather, was not equipped to warn me of(she's never played DR), was the fact that Mondo Owada is a main fucking character

[hauntingblue]

ENIES LOBBY TIME!!!

Sanji's face here.... he Knows he is going to fuck him up

THAT IS SANJI??? 😨

Holding them in my hands again....

Sanji struck a nerve there akdjaoajkq

Increible trio btw.... look at the evidence

............ me next please 🙏🏻

That is love right there I can see it

What if we all killed ourselves (except usopp is telling her the opposite ajahkdhsakjd)

I need sanji to go insane like this more often.... after the timeskip it doesn't happen as much and I love to see him suffering

This is so funny.... there is no denying to her face card

"It's not like she actually wants to die" well yes she does, but no because you know she doesn't really. It is in a quantum state right now

Luffy is such a menace akdhaksjkaak

TELL EM!!!! THAT'S MY GIRL!!!!

Look at franky worrying about robin.... do not fret luffy is coming and he will NOT lose!!!!!

This is zoro remarking how usopps fear of being left behind makes no sense.... this is so good.....

This is so endearing but it also breaks my heart....

Who is that sultry binch... (I don't recall this attack AT ALL and i'm sure we never see it again)

They botched his bbl.... 😔😔😔

Luffy's face here... he was convinced she wanted to go with them but was compelled to do otherwise but no.... he thought wrong and he can't fight to her.... I've just been staring at this page for minutes like damn.

Nevermind.... this is something your mother would say "you want to die??? Just wash the dishes and you can do whatever you want later"

"If you wanna die, or whatever...." this is so good like he knows what he is doing.... he Knows.... look at her face. After knowing how luffy and ace were as kids this just makes more sense (oda didn't think about this i'm sure but damn does it fit) also the slight manipulation.... look at all of us we're already here and look how we all miss you already... you know that post about luffy being selfish but his selfishness is jusg kindness to others... yesh

Thinking about robin's cinderella lifestyle.... why did her mother leave her with that aunt and why didn't some archeologist take her in?? Because she doesn't complain about anything just like she doesn't respond when that mother accused her of hitting her child without reason... that's so fucked

Alright this is funny (and also true)... I'm sorry fellow women....

*Justin Bieber voice* I like your laugh... dereishi shishishi

SHE'S GONNA ASK HER MOM TO TAKE HER TO THE SEA WITH HER??? LIKE SHE DOES AFTER WITH LUFFY??? MY GOD!!! I just bursted into tears like I got punched in the nose I can't keep going ajdhakajk

I lied i can keep going... but head in my hands over this....

Find out how my emotional stability survives this arc in ennies lobby part 2. coming soon

[coldshrugs]

see you in the morning

pairing: io laithe / estinien varlineau word count: 2k note: endwalker spoilers. io is not handling things well :') you'll never guess who goes to comfort her :o)

Old Sharlayan holds its breath.

Most nights, the chilly island city continues its quiet bustling straight through to morning. Scholars drift from early-evening lectures to late-night research clubs or public laboratories, babbling excitedly about the latest research, innovation, or gossip. Those with less rigid schedules wander to the nearest patch of grass or unused table at the Last Stand with a pile of books in tow. Structured or lax, their perpetual search for knowledge is the very heartbeat of the city. But tonight, the pulse has all but stopped.

The lack of bubbling chatter and foot traffic casts an eerie pall over the city. It reaches all the way down to Scholars’ Harbour, where Io sits alone, on one of the long stone piers reaching out into the sea.

Thousands of people huddle in their homes with friends and loved ones as they wait for daylight, and for the Ragnarok’s first–and only–flight.

The weight of their expectation is suffocating.

Waves murmur against the stone below, the only sound save the few foreign sailors on the next pier over, bound to their work regardless of the state of the world. Neither is loud enough to distract her racing mind.

Io pulls her knees to her chest, cursing the inability to become as small as she feels. Every soul on this star, whether they know it or not, is now her responsibility, an obligation that echoes back to a time beyond time. And she chose it. Before she even knew it was her burden to carry, she chose it. She chooses it, because who else would? Who else could bear it? Is it not enough that her loved ones must sacrifice so much due to proximity and circumstance? It has to be her, for she would not wish this on anyone else.

If only she could curl into herself completely. Tightly enough to blink out of existence, like a dark singularity.

She’d take everything else with her.

There’s no resolution in that line of thinking.

Somewhere out there, in the expanse, is the replication of a little girl with a very human soul–perhaps not fractured, as the souls of those on the Source and its shards, but something that was never allowed to be whole. They aren't so different, not really. Only part of a part of something remembered or imagined, allowed to live but not entitled to life. Not by those who came before them. For this, Io understands Meteion: why wouldn’t annihilation be the answer to dead world after dead world? It must seem like kindness to a being who has never experienced adversity.

Tears, injury, death, things Meteion experienced secondhand: Io has suffered through–and dealt–her fair share of them all. What pain has Meteion seen that Io has not lived?

Her hands ball into fists, nails digging into her palms. She feels manic, unable to rein in the oscillation between anger, guilt, and fear. There is the urge to scream, or cry, or drop into the frigid water below and swim and swim and swim.

But a figure moves at the edge of her vision, walking briskly in her direction.

Now another feeling begs to be acknowledged. Relief? Endearment? A mixture of both at being found, and by him, perhaps.

Still, against her threadbare senses, this feels like an ambush.

Estinien says nothing as he approaches. His steps slow as if trying not to scare a wounded animal. He offers an awkward smile. Io tries to mirror it, hoping he sees a shred of warmth in the tight purse of her lips.

He is handsome in this light, in his half-laced boots and untucked shirt billowing in the chilly coastal wind. The world is ending, and she can’t help noticing his beauty. It’s ludicrous.

“Who sent you?”

His short huff resembles a laugh. “I need a motive to check on you?” When she doesn’t answer, he sighs. “Y’shtola saw you down here from the Annex. She and Thancred thought to come, but I asked them to stay. Everyone’s turning in for the night. I thought you might appreciate the less intrusive option.”

“By all means, intrude. Once the solitude is broken, it hardly matters by whom.”

His brow knits as he studies the carved stones that make up the pier. He turns, shifting his weight. She can feel him wondering if this was unwise.

“I’m sorry, that was unkind. I’m just… overwhelmed–” Io takes a deep breath, embarrassed by the confession before she makes it– “and afraid. Please don’t go.”

Estinien sways in her periphery, stepping closer before squatting beside her. He looks out into the quiet marina, carefully avoiding her half-slumped form. False privacy, but she’ll take the small mercy.

“You needed to get away. I can understand that.”

“I couldn’t breathe in there. Everyone is watching me. They look at me like I’m dying, or like I’m killing them myself.”

“For every person placing blame at your feet, ten others believe in this asinine plan. As I do.”

“You think we can do it? Truly?” she asks, looking up into the great expanse. The stars blink against the endless blue, and for once, the sight makes her feel cold instead of curious. “What if I–”

“You have to, Io.” His tone invites no debate, but there is a melancholy that matches her own. “You will figure it out no matter the cost, because you must.”

Io nods. Her eyes sting. She closes them to keep the tears at bay as long as possible. He is right, of course. Somewhere deep in her soul, the flame of her faith–in herself, in her friends, and in those who paved this way for her–burns as brightly as ever. She has to save them.

“But you will not be alone. We are with you, of course. We’ll give our all to see it through, if that’s what it takes.”

“Gambling your lives for a promise I made, for my mistakes… I can’t bear to think about losing them.” She risks a glance in Estinien’s direction, but his eyes never leave the gently rolling sea. “Or losing you.”

The barest of smiles, one of the little ones he tries to hide with a bowed head. He rubs the back of his neck, sending a cascade of loose hair over his shoulder.

Her chest clenches.

The well of affection she holds for him is muddy these days; for years, they’ve operated with platonic, amiable ease, flitting in and out of each other’s lives but always reuniting as the closest of friends. But since her time in the First, they have been nearly inseparable.

Estinien is her family, but unlike what she feels for Thancred, Urianger, or G’raha, he is not her brother. He evokes a distinct tenderness, gives life to a long-dormant, selfish hope within her heart, and he does it without trying.

“If we don’t try, all is lost.” He falls against the stone with a quiet groan and nudges her with an elbow. “This pessimism doesn’t become you. I have seen you stand against tremendous odds time and time again. I’ve heard tales of more things than I’ve seen. You may not always get it right, I may not always agree, but you do the impossible. What makes this any different?”

Io reflects on the past year (gods, has it been that long?). The burning skies, the horrible transformations, and the aether-depleted souls who will never see another lifetime on this beautiful star, all because she fell for a madman’s power play. She condemned them to this fate. 

She reaches further into her memory, to the unsure adventurer stepping foot into the Waking Sands, and her induction into the inner circle of these secretive upstarts she’s grown to call family. She’s been nothing more than a curse upon them. Thancred’s aether, Y’shtola’s sight, Urianger’s conscience, Minfilia’s life. What might they have avoided without her?

Haurchefant would be alive if she had stayed out of his life.

Since the day she left Dalmasca, death and destruction have been her shadow. As ruinous and loyal as Dalamud, a black dog she pretends she can abandon if only it would forget her scent.

She watches Estinien again, silver in the moonlight. His hands are clasped, hanging between long legs that dangle close to the water below. Like the water, he looks relaxed on the surface. Like the water, there is an undercurrent only the experienced can see.

His thumb worries a circle into the palm of his other hand. His shoulders are tense, hidden by his slightly curved posture. If anyone could understand why this is different, it’s him. For all his courage, he has seen the black dog too.

“It’s different,” Io swallows, “because it’s everything.”

Estinien looks back. His stare is hard. “And so are you.”

Once more, he leaves no room for debate. He speaks as if stating the obvious, citing a fact she should already know.

Io blinks, so awestruck by his candor, she has to look away. Her tumultuous thoughts now spin in his direction, unable to focus on more than this sudden vulnerability. What does it mean that sharing these doubts with him is the most comfortable she’s felt in days? What does it mean that she aches to reach for his hand?

His eyes dart over her face, never lingering on one feature too long. There is something overly controlled about it. Lately, she has employed the same tactic when trying not to stare at his lips…

If she leaned over and kissed him, would he push her away? Could they still be friends?

A selfish hope indeed. But a small thing in her mind whispers, “maybe after…”

If there is an “after” to be had.

She releases her bundled limbs and stands, stretching to relieve the long-ignored ache in her back.

“Come on,” she beckons. “We should at least try to rest before we travel to the edge of space and time.”

Io’s tension deflates as they walk to the annex, pressed under the weight of her exhaustion. They go in comfortable silence, half an arm’s length apart. There is something between them she longs to touch, but doesn’t dare. She has the moonlight in his hair, his half-smile, and his steadfast faith in her. That is enough.

That is more than enough.

The Baldesion Annex is dark, like the rest of the city. The lobby is empty. Not an Annex attendant, not a Scion. Estinien does not share her surprise. How persuasive must he have been to ensure no one disturbed her return? Io watches him move across the room with deliberate steps. He holds open the door that leads to the nap rooms and gestures with his head for her to go ahead of him. The little smile is back.

She returns it, and this time it’s genuine.

They pass Estinien’s door. Io’s room is around the corner and down the next corridor, and he makes the full journey.

They pause at her door.

“Thank you for keeping my head on straight.”

“Someone must. You would not hesitate to do the same for me.” He shrugs. And then his hand is on her upper arm, giving a reassuring squeeze. He pulls her into his space.

Her arms thread under his, hands pressing into his back. She rests her cheek on his shoulder, breathes him in. The sharp edge of her anxiety sloughs away, lost in the steady pressure of his arms around her.

They have never hugged like this. They have never been this close.

Io closes her eyes, squeezes him more tightly, and smiles when she can feel his erratic heartbeat through the firm press of their chests. In this moment, with his hands resting at her neck and waist, with his chin against her neck, skin to skin, she cannot imagine his denial. Perhaps it isn't a stretch to assume he feels this too.

The corridor lights grow dim around them. Io pays them no mind, content to stand in the dark until morning, held by the man she yearns for, the man she never thought she would.

But she yawns, and he steps away, hands on her shoulders. Another squeeze. Another scan of her face before his grey eyes focus on hers, like he's making a final decision.

“Tomorrow,” Estinien says. The single word is a promise. Whatever happens, whatever they find, he will make sure Io gets it done.

“Tomorrow.” She nods, slipping into the room as the memory of his touch crystallizes in her mind. Her limbs are heavy as she climbs into the too-small bed, but the weight has lifted.

She can breathe.

[elephantlovemedleys]

rewatched moulin rogue the other night after so many years and my tab is currently open to christian/satine fics

[sibillascribbles08]

............

Leave me alone. The two of them are stuck in my head rn and the fact that no matter what scenario I put them in they can never get this close no matter how much they love each other. Agony.

[bigvalleylittlecreek]

He Proposed y'all 🥺

We had this romantic weekend planned where we were going to drive to the next state over and stay in a cabin with a hot tub and everything. Wrench got thrown into the plans. We ended up having this really rough talk about life and expectations, and what our future will hold (he has stage three Parkinson's and apparently the outlook isn't great according to his doctors) and He had this long speech about me "not waiting for him" because he feels like I'm just sitting here on a shelf, waiting for him to come back to me again and again, and how if anybody else comes along in my life that makes me happier, to please please move on without him -- and I thought he was breaking up with me. I sobbed and felt my heart shatter... He held me and told me he's not leaving, he's not going anywhere, but he wants me to be happy, because he's not sure what kind of future he can provide me... but he still wants a future with me. Then he brought out the ring and told me he doesn't want me to keep waiting on him... to ask the big question. and then he gave me the ring.

The box was covered in pearls and a big golden E (for my name) on the top -- which got my all teary-eyed. The ring itself isn't my style (it's more of a wedding band than an engagement ring) and it's a size too small, but I was still so fucking blown away. The inside has our favorite song engraved there, and it's white and gold (his favorite colors).

The weekend got ended short because of some personal matters, and now I'm sitting at home while he's four hours away getting ready for the next place his work is sending him, and I'm such a mix of emotions.

I'm excited, and have nobody I could tell aside from my mum & brother (who gave "meh" responses to things??) and there were a lot of heavy things He and I spoke about... so I want to be excited and cry happy tears, but at the same time, I know the road ahead is going to be fucking rough on us both...

I just wanted to celebrate the news with somebody... even if this post gets thrown into the void and nobody reads it. I'm happy, and I wanted to tell somebody...

[wirtsauce4020]

@gokutober day 24 - Kisses!

I've drawn Chi-Chi exactly twice before this, so I'm sorry if she doesn't look like herself

Also this silly one: