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luveline · 1 year ago

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𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 | 𝐚𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐞𝐫

when internet trolls poke fun at your appearance while working on a case, hotch is there to make you feel better. fem!reader, 3k

tw cyberbullying, poor eating habits, criminal minds typical violence

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

You're not a media liaison or anything close, but with JJ off for maternity leave and Penelope in Quantico, there's a face needed for the press announcement on TV, and you offer to step in.

You aren't particularly eager to do it, but Hotch doesn't have the time or wherewithal and such a high intensity case, not while Spencer is at half-mast, migraines rendering him ineffective and stubborn. You're trying to keep the ship sailing smoothly, doing your part of the profiling while juggling media and supporting the police sergeant that's heading the tip line.

You're not expecting to become a joke. After a red-eye, three sleepless nights trying to find a missing woman in Oklahoma —the domestic violence capital— and a full day without something to eat, you're aware you don't look your best, but you aren't sure what that has to do with your missing person.

The FBI — fugly bitches International. #FindDanaLangley

Damn, are they not letting those agents sleep or what? She looks terrible !

she should be less worried about Dana Langley and more concerned with the dead woman in the mirror, ew

hope theu find her just so they stop putting this creature on TV #FindDanaLangley

"Well," you murmur, wondering if it would be inappropriate to burst into tears, "these aren't especially helpful."

Derek looks at you, his gaze measured, and you know he's not sure how to react to you or what's happening. He settles on his usual loving encouragement, because he's a very good friend.

"Don't listen to all that," he says, throwing his arm around your shoulder, "those trolls wouldn't know beautiful if it hit them in the face. But we could always try it?"

You sink into his hold, needing the reassurance even if you wish you didn't. "No hitting," you say, covering your mouth to hide a large and possibly fugly yawn. Your head is racing with regurgitated insults. "It doesn't matter, Derek. Promise. We have bigger stuff to deal with."

The door opens and Hotch and Emily step inside, Rossi just behind them. You're thinking Hotch is going to agree with your sentiment, no time for comfort when a woman's life is at stake, so you move away from Morgan to sit in front of your laptop again.

"Is something wrong?" Hotch asks.

You meet his eyes just long enough to smile at him. "Nothing. What did Amandla have to say?"

Emily retells the alibi of Dana's ex-girlfriend and is clearly suspicious but without proof, you're forced as a team to move on to the next lead. Spencer returns shortly afterward and you try to brainstorm your next step.

It's Penelope that pulls through. "You asked me to cross reference the neighbours at Dana's previous address with people crossing state lines, right, after that one guy ended up being kinda icky? Well I did that, and nothing came up, which was–"

"Garcia," Hotch interrupts.

"Right. Long story short, one of the neighbours recently had an extreme falling out with Icky Guy after a years long friendship, his name is Justin Mantova, he has extreme PTSD with documented episodes of confused aggression, and he's been seen coming in and out of a storage unit in Paseo Storage Solutions for the past four days."

"Address?" Hotch asks.

"Already sent to your phones."

"Thank you, Pen," you say.

"Just go catch the bad guy, pretty girl," she says.

Ah, so she's seen the tweets too. You frown rather than smile, reminded again of what's been said and wishing you could be anywhere else.

You get your wish and forget all about personal grievances for a while, concerned with the safe location and extraction of Dana Langley. The operation is clean, and she's hurt but has a great chance at a full recovery. It's quick, it's professional.

You're falling asleep in the SUV on the way back. Hotch at the wheel, Spencer in the backseat, you rub your eyes from the passenger side and try not to look suspiciously morose, but it's impossible. Hotch is too good at his job.

"Are you sure everything's okay?" he asks. With Spencer's window open and the wind whipping, it's hard to hear him.

"Hm?"

"Is everything okay?"

"I'm just tired." You don't look at him. It's rude of you, but if what they've said is true —you'd seen the photographs, and you looked tired, sure, but you still looked like you. "Just tired," you say again. You snap your mouth closed when your voice wobbles.

Hotch is regularly too sweet on you. Most of the team say it's a crush. Emily calls it 'character development. Whatever it is, he's nice to you. He warmed up to you near immediately when you first joined the team, and he's been as welcoming months later as he was in your first week.

Maybe he feels sorry for me, you think, submerging yourself inch by inch into self pity.

The three of you regroup with the others at the police station to pen immediate recounts of what happened before you can forget, tying up loose ends.

Finally you're able to go back to the hotel. Another half an hour and you're in the lobby.

"We'll go home in the morning. Nine AM flight, meet in the lobby at eight thirty," Hotch says. "Get some rest."

You disband. They've squeezed you in all over the place, and you're lucky enough to be next to the elevator on the second floor. Hotch is the third floor, and everyone else the sixth, so you say goodbye to your colleagues and exit the elevator, stepping onto the second floor with a parting smile.

You can't know it, but Hotch notices the way your smile falls before the doors have well and truly closed. Your shoulders slump in defeat.

You trudge into your room and don't bother turning on the lights. The door closes behind you and the mask you'd been holding up starts to crack. You put your laptop in the closet despite temptation to boot it up, knowing no good can come of looking at the tip hashtag again.

You head into the bathroom to pee, and you're confronted with your appearance as you wash your hands.

You stare at yourself.

You look tired.

Tears well as you look at yourself. You're not those things those people said. You're pretty, and when you smile everyone knows it. There's nothing so beautiful as a smile. You can't summon one, but you know it's the truth.

Or, it should be.

A single tear falls down your cheek, quickly followed by a second, and a third from the other eye. You ignore them, tracing the line of your bottom lip, the texture of your skin on your cheeks, the slight sunken effect of your under eyes.

A knock makes you flinch. "Fuck," you say, wiping your cheek with the back of a hand, twisting on the spot like looking into your room might reveal whoever it is at the door. Probably one of your team. "Hello?" you call.

"It's me. It's Hotch. I know it's after hours, but I wanted to speak with you."

Whatever reassurance he has to give might actually make this all much worse. You don't want any pity from anybody, you just want today to be over. Still, you wiggle your toes into the plush hotel carpeting, debating only for a moment about the pros and cons of pretending to be asleep.

"Hey," you say, opening the door. You wipe your eyes and hope he takes it for a tired gesture rather than a method of hiding the glassy sheen at your waterline. "Hi, Hotch, how are you feeling?"

"Fine. Tired. Thank you for asking."

"Do you want to come in?" you ask.

"Please."

Hotch follows you into your room. There's an armchair across from the bed next to a desk and an old TV sitting atop it. Your suitcase is still open on your bed, your pyjamas crumpled in the shell. You close it before Hotch can see. That's another thing to add to your list: being a slob.

"It's very clean in here," he says.

You startle. "What?"

"It's clean, considering how long we've been here. Have you ever seen Spencer's room at the end of a case?" he asks.

"No, is it bad?"

"It's like a paper hurricane."

You look down at your knees, hyper aware of his gaze on your face, tired of feeling uneasy in your skin.

"I wanted to say thank you for doing the press release yesterday. You did an amazing job. It's something to be proud of."

Of course he's talking about the press release, the one thing you need to not think about.

"Did Derek tell you?" you ask.

"Tell me what?" he asks, voice sharpening.

You look up. Hotch is a picture of concern, professionalism slightly off centre.

"Nothing."

"Something's been bothering you. Something Derek should've told me, I'm guessing."

You chew over your words. "Uh. Hotch, it's really nothing, it's a hiccup. The press release, I…" You really don't want to have to say it. The words get stuck at the back of your throat.

He leans forward. "What?"

"I looked sick. On TV. I looked really unwell, and it– it actually–" Why are you stammering? What's wrong with you? You laugh and it's not your laugh but it's better than your nonsense stuttering. "Sorry. On the press release, I didn't look my best, and it was a hot topic. That's what I thought Derek told you about. But I don't need anyone feeling sorry for me, Hotch."

"I don't feel sorry for you."

You wince, "No, of course not."

"Two seconds," he says, putting his hand forward in the air between you. "A hot topic? I don't understand." He looks genuinely apologetic.

"The tip line got clogged up with comments about my appearance," you say. You phrase it as a professional error rather than the embarrassing event it represents in your personal life.

His lips curl downward. "Saying you looked tired."

"Saying I looked unagreeable."

"As a friend," he says, tone softening, "could you tell me what they said?"

Heat blooms in your cheeks and behind your eyes, your throat aching as you scratch at a nonexistent itch in the crook of your elbow. "Um. Well, there was a lot of them, and they weren't all about me, but the ones I saw, they seemed to think I needed more sleep. That I–"

Hitch rarely interrupts, but something in your voice must impel him. "What did they say?" he asks again.

"That I looked like a creature. That they hoped Miss Langley would be found, so that they didn't have to see my face on TV again. Hotch," you say, your throat sounding as tight as it feels, "it was pretty bad, but it really doesn't matter."

"I think it matters if it's upset you," he says.

He has the warmest voice when he wants it to be, so dulcet, almost melodic. You'd think it was a practised phrase, but he speaks freely.

"It didn't," you lie.

Pointless in your line of work and automatic anyways. Hotch doesn't deny you the safety of your untruth, but he doesn't entertain it, either.

"You're beautiful when you're tired," he says.

You don't mean to, but you hold your breath. The silence that follows his remark is deafening.

"You're beautiful," he says, again, as though you could've missed it the first time. "Regrettably, you're very tired, but you don't look any less pretty. Don't think what was sent in to the tip line has any merit."

"Are you saying that as my friend or my boss?" you ask. It's meant to be a joke that lightens the mood.

"Neither," Hotch says.

You gawp, and then falter. "Why…"

Hotch is close enough to offer a hand, and you're feeling stupid enough to take it. He squeezes tenderly, looking you straight in the eye. "I'm sorry about what's being said. I had no idea. We can pull the video, and the tipline should stop now Dana's been found, but it doesn't erase what's already happened. I'm so sorry. It's not right, and it's not fair."

"It's a hard job, right?" you ask.

His hand is so so big, and not as soft as you'd pictured. It doesn't make a difference, not when he's touching you like you might shatter.

"That's not the job," he says.

"It's silly to care, though. About what other people think."

"I hope you care about what I think. The merit of an opinion comes from the person, and the relationship you have with them. Anyone who knew you would know that you're beautiful."

"Inside that counts," you say, not fully comforted, but trying to give him an out.

"You're beautiful on the outside," he says, giving your hand a small shake. "You're an amazing woman, of course. But I, for one, enjoyed seeing your face on TV."

You try not to smile too hard, directing your gaze at your joined hands lest he get a read on you.

Hotch must know how you feel about him. He'd be an awful profiler if he didn't. You fawn when you're around him even now, months down the line from your very first meeting when you were sure your heart would ricochet from your chest, the intensity of your instant crush like nothing you'd felt, not even as a schoolgirl. He'd been tall, striking, classically handsome and completely unaware of the fact. Now he's sitting across from you and he doesn't seem so tall, nor so striking. His caring side shines like a gem. It's blinding, and it really does make you feel better.

"I cried in the bathroom," you confess, rubbing your thumb against his in minute, near imperceptible circles. "I wish it didn't matter to me, how I looked. I know I was doing something important, and there wasn't time to freshen up. Maybe I should've just asked somebody else."

"You did it perfectly. You were perfect. No one else could have delivered the profile to the public that professionally, and that astutely."

Hotch stands up, and you don't know what to do. You decide to look up at him just as he takes your face into his hands.

"No crying in bathrooms, okay? It would… it breaks my heart thinking about it. You come to me."

Such a dramatic statement, yet Hoch lays it out like it's an unquestionable truth. No bravado, only a sincerity that makes your throat hurt. His frown slides back into place as his palms warm your cheeks.

"You're so busy, I could never," you say, shaking your head.

"Time and place, sure, but. I will always try to make time for you. I hope you know that by now."

You nod dazedly. Hotch's hands drag with a pressure down to your neck, your shoulders, leaving tingling skin in their wake. He looks at you and time stretches, a few seconds pulled out of order. It's his closeness, and his affectionate, empathetic smile.

You nod again.

He relaxes.

"Try and get some rest, okay? You need to take care of yourself. I know it's hard to ignore how you feel, I know today was hard, but you're one of the strongest people I've ever met. I have faith in you." He gives your shoulder a final squeeze. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," you say. It comes out much more quietly than intended.

"Rest, honey. Call me if you're upset again. I mean it."

He smooths your cheek with the back of his forefinger and you wonder if this is some weird fantasy. Hotch makes for the door, and you know for sure it's real when he says, "And no more caffeine tonight."

"No more caffeine," you agree.

He doesn't realise he's twice as bad as a coffee. Your heart races all by itself, his phantom touch on your cheek.

—

"Hi, beautiful," Derek says.

"There's the girl of the hour," Rossi says.

You roll your arm in a bow, eyes stinging from the bright lobby lights but otherwise quite happy. Hotch called you beautiful last night. Hotch called you honey. People on the Internet who have nothing better to do thought you looked gross, but Hotch thinks you're pretty. It's hard to focus on the negative with a positive that good.

"Good morning, my favourite boys," you say sweetly.

Spencer looks up from his book. "Hey."

"You didn't say hello," you say, "you excluded yourself."

Spencer frowns and goes back to his book. You offer him a mini cookie from your pocket and he perks up, better when you whisper, "You know you're my favourite, Reid."

"We all know that's a lie," Emily says, rolling her small suitcase to your left and nearly trampling your foot.

"Unfortunately so," Rossi agrees.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."

"Hotch looks chipper this morning, doesn't he?" Derek asks, nodding. You follow his nod too quickly and give yourself away, earning a scattered round of laughter from your tired team. "Got you."

"Laugh it up," you say. You're on a high that can't be killed, even with their collective teasing.

"Why are we laughing?" Hotch asks from behind you.

You jump half out of your skin.

"We were laughing at Y/N's swift observational skills, but we spoke too soon," Emily says.

Hotch takes a moment to smile at you. "Hey, you look a little more rested. Feeling better?"

A flush rises to your cheeks. "Much," you say, sounding foreign to your own ears.

Hotch gives a pleased nod and clasps your shoulder gently before manoeuvring around you. "Let me go see where JJ is."

He walks around the lobby corner and into the hotel restaurant. You have your face in your hands before he's gone, harassed by quiet whistles and giggling.

"She's so embarrassed!" Rossi cheers, like a proud dad. "How hopeless, young love."

"Someone please shut him up," you beg, rubbing your aching eyes. It's an excuse to hide your smile a moment longer.

"Are you still tired?" Spencer asks. "You look tired."

"She does not," Derek says severely.

You raise your head with a smile. Tired or not, Hotch thinks you're beautiful. He liked seeing you on TV. You lavish the memory.

"I'm genuinely exhausted," you say eventually, a smile stretching from cheek to cheek as you stand tall again.

"I want whatever kind of tired you're feeling," JJ says as she arrives, Hotch a step behind her.

You meet his eyes. You think he might not acknowledge what's been said between you —it wasn't strictly professional to have held your face in his hands like that, after all— and the beginnings of disappointment creep in, until he stands at your side, his fingertips brushing yours. It cannot be accidental.

"She wears it well, doesn't she?" he asks the group. He gives no time for an answer. "Everyone ready?"

You practically vibrate your way to the SUV. Not a bad case, as they go.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

thank you for reading, so much! I hope you enjoyed! if you did and you have the time, please consider reblogging cos it makes me happy <3

#aaron hotchner x fem!reader #aaron hotchner fluff #aaron hotchner x female reader #aaron hotchner x reader #aaron hotchner #aaron hotchner fanfic #aaron hotchner fanfiction #aaron hotchner fic #aaron hotchner x you #aaron hotchner x y/n #aaron hotchner imagine #aaron hotchner one shot #aaron hotchner drabble #criminal minds fic #criminal minds fanfic #criminal minds fanfiction #criminal minds x reader #criminal minds #aaron hotch hotchner

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la2yn0va · 1 month ago

Text

General Self-Aware HSR Headcanons/Guidelines(? Is that the word I’m looking for?)

~~~

Notes — I’m not coming back, YET. I still need to see a few things before I came back.

~~~

Reader is referred as ‘The Omni Aeon’ or ‘The Voidborne Sovereign/Arbiter” ORRR “creator/lord/Their, Your Grace”

I believe if hsr WERRE self aware, it’s highly likely that the ‘normal’ au for this au is that it’d be a cult au.

There’s already different factions that worship/follow in the paths of already existing aeons. So if reader was… well GOD, then I believe everyone would be in this unspoken cult organization.

Along with this unspoken cult, there’s unspoken guidelines. Just to list a few;

Any blasphemy of any degree is punishable by fates worse than death. (Newly added, their grace is okay with jokes)

You will be disowned by everyone, weather they be family, friends, jobs, factions, or aeons. You’re now an utter nobody and a blight that must be punished.

The Voidborne Sovereign must have statues on every conceivable planet, and be worshiped three times a day, no matter your business, condition, or whereabouts.

No violence or outburst will be allowed within 30 feet of The Voidborne’s Statue.

Unless the creator themselves give you permission, NO. ONE. Is allowed to call their grace by their real name.

Every faction have different ideas about you, but at the same time they all have the same belief of you.

The only mortals who’re able to follow your path are the emulators of aeons. (Acheron, Herta/Stephen, Feixiao) and the aeons themselves, but only with your permission.

Every planet has a building for you along with servants trained from birth. In belabog, they just give you the Qlipoth Fort. The Xianzhou managed to build a whole ship for you. And Penacony… well I honestly don’t know.

The reader has the following powers;

Omni-Manipulation

Absolute Creation and Destruction

Future-Past-Present Seeing,

Knowledge and Power Gifting/Revoking

Omniscience/Omnipotence

Complete Arsenal

In short. Everything.

Story wise, reader SHOULD NOT, gain these powers immediately. He should have a peak superhuman physicality, along with the same amount of martial arts training/experience of a 1,000 year old. Along with manipulating Either the imaginary or Quantum element at first.

The aeons would put aside all their differences if you so order them to. Nanook should be slightly rebellious and, if someone wants, he should be the main villain in a Self aware HSR x Reader story.

Reader should have a backstory. I’m talking about what happened BEFORE they made the HSR universe. I’m a fan of the reader being in a universe where there was ONE planet with a corrupt ‘god’.

I’m pretty sure I already posted a story of this back story. If you want to read it click here. RIIGHT HEEEEEERRE

Everyone in the galaxy has multiple books/fanfics about you written by some mysterious author. despite this, NO ONE is shameful enough to admit they have fanfics of you.

They’re are absolutely debates about how good you are in bed, along this other stuff.

-That’s all I got right now, sorry. SEE YAA-

#honkai star rail #hsr #yandere #self aware honkai star rail #self aware video game #self aware hsr #headcanons #yandere headcanons #cult sahsrau #sahsrau #cult au #cult self aware hsr

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absurdthirst · 3 months ago

Note

I know that a/b/o isn't everybody's cup of tea, but... maybe headcanons about (alpha) Pedro boys getting home from work and finding omega reader in heat? Pretty please?

Coming Home to Find You In Heat:

*** When reblogging or talking about Omegaverse, please remember that ‘a/b/o’ without the slash punctuation marks (/) is considered a slur for the Aboriginal people in Australia.

**Female Reader

Javier Peña: There isn't a day that Javier doesn't come home thinking about fucking you. It's programmed into his DNA. However, the second he hits the door, he smells it. The intoxicating scent of your pheromones filling the house. Second only to the scent of your cum on his cock as his favorite. His entire body is throbbing as he calls your name. Walking through the door to see you whimpering his name with the toy you have buzzing between your legs. "Oh 'mega." He groans, ripping off the suit jacket and tossing it aside. "Don't stop. I'll be inside you soon enough. Let me get undressed."

Ezra: He isn't even aware that you are in heat until he removes the sealed helmet from his head. You had stayed in the tent because you weren't feeling well, so Ezra had decided to dig by himself. Coming back earlier than normal so he can check on you, he had decontaminated and had just unsealed his helmet when that intoxicating aroma fills his nostrils. "Kevva." He groans, eyes darkening as you sweat and suffer. "Little gem, you should have let me know of your plight far before now." He hums as he starts to strip himself of his suit. "It my humblest undertaking as your alpha to see to your comfort during the trying times of the burden of your nature." He is practically panting already, thinking of the ways he will take you and make sure you are knotted properly. "Push two fingers inside that deprived pussy, gem. Gratify yourself until I can accommodate you suitably with my cock."

Mando: He immediately sets a course for a hospitable planet, one he knows will be safe for you and the kid. He knows that he will be get very little sleep over the next few days, making sure the kid is taken care of and out of trouble as well as taking care of you. The little sleeping nook isn't big enough for your nest, so he moves containers and crates to create a private area for you to build a nest with the blankets and padding he has on hand. As soon as he has landed, the safety protocols for the ship are engaged and he has every light turned off, plunging it into darkness so he can remove his armor and helmet. "Don't worry, cyarika." His unmodulated voice is warm as he reaches for you. "You will be crying in pleasure soon."

Frankie Morales: Heats after kids is difficult. He knows you are in pain and suffering so he calls his mom, begging her to take the kids. He has to give you a quick orgasm on his fingers before he takes them over to her, so desperate to feel your alpha that it makes him a little bigheaded. He's stopping by the pizza place to grab some food to make it easy for you as well. His weekend get together plans with the boys are cancelled, he has more important things to do, like you.

Pero Tovar: You think that this man isn't going to smell you the second he stops his horse? Think again. The smell of your need calls to him and he is rushing through bedding down his horse and stripping down to wash in the barrel next to the door. You don't like it when he tries to fuck you when he's dirty. Not that he cares. All he cares about is that his omega needs his cock. He won't even stop to eat the food you had managed to prepare before you had taken to your bed, barring the door and growling when he sees you in the bed. "Omega." He growls, knowing that he will be taking care of you until the heat has passed.

Agent Whiskey: There is nothing that Jack likes more than a needy, whiny omega, begging for his cock. Especially with it's his own omega. A trail of clothes is left through the house as he makes his way to the bedroom. Pausing at the end of the bed to watch as you try to pleasure yourself with your fingers in the middle of your bed, surrounded by the scent of your alpha, but it's not enough. His cock is already hard and leaking, his hand wrapped around it. "Sugar, you look mighty lonely in that pretty nest of yours." He coos, grinning at you. "Why don't you let your alpha take care of you and fill that needy pussy up?"

Marcus Pike: Marcus knows before he gets home. He can hear it in your voice and he keeps track of your heat cycles. He hated having to travel so close to the time, but he had hoped he would make it back in time. On the way home from the airport, he is calling for takeout to be delivered, knowing that you will need him to knot you, then you will need to eat. You forget to eat in the haze of lust unless he makes sure you do. On the drive home, he is talking to you, soothing you over the phone and talking you through using one of your toys while you are wearing his academy shirt that smells like him.

Max Phillips: This is one cocky motherfucker. An alpha and a vampire? He knew that you were going to be in heat before he ever even left on his fucking business trip. The iron levels in your blood changed. So when he hits the door, this man is already a puffed up, primed alpha. He's on you before you even know he's in the house. Groaning over your scent and burying his face in your cunt to get you ready to take him. His inhuman abilities will have your pain pushed away in no time and your sweet omega cries filling his ears.

Dave York: FERAL. This man is absolutely feral when he learns you are in heat. The animalistic urge to wreck you is always there, right beneath the surface, but when your hormones go wild and your heat sends out those heady pheromones, he takes it to another level. Your comfort is best determined by having your legs up on his shoulders, his cock buried inside you with his knot locking him in place while you scream his name until you are hoarse.

Oberyn Martell: Oberyn is actually slightly upset at you. There are other alphas, even betas, that you could have used to help you until he arrived. Ellaria lets him know that you are in your nest, suffering needlessly. He's even more upset that you haven't taken the potion he had been working with the maester of Dorne to help ease your heats. But he can't be too upset at you when you whimper his name and beg him to put a baby in you. He will stay right there until every second of your heat has passed and you're satisfied.

Zach Wellison: Zach is an attentive alpha, he's honestly so guilt ridden that he had been working on Ms. Martinez's water heater issues when your heat started. He's rushing to you and cooing, apologizing while he strips down and climbs into the bed with you. "I'm so sorry, baby, you should have called me." He is kissing and comforting you, pulling you into his arms and immediately starting to get you ready for his cock to take the ache away.

Max Lord: Max comes home, completely distracted by the fact that his company is failing. He smells something, but he is pouring over the reports and obsessing over the meetings that hadn't gone the way he had hoped them too. Unaware of your plight until he walks into the bedroom to change out of that uncomfortable suit and he is smacked in the face with your scent and sees you whining in the bed. His instinct is to take care of you and he will, but he's a little annoyed that he must right now. It's not the best time.

Marcus Moreno: He's nervous, this is the first time he has had to care for an omega since he lost his late wife. Not like you haven't had sex, but this is the first heat. It is his job to take care of you. He calls his mom and asks her to pick Missy up, aware that while his daughter knows what is going on, he needs to focus on you. Reminding you and himself that it will be okay and he will make sure that you are comfortable. Perhaps a little unsure of himself to start, but as soon as he comes into that alpha headspace, you remember why this man leads the Heroics team and is the perfect alpha for you.

Dieter Bravo: The fact that this man is an alpha is still the biggest surprise of your entire life, especially when he's your alpha. "Honey I'm hooooooooome!" Is the almost irritating greeting you get from the doorway, shouted through the house, but today he's yelping as soon as he hits the door. "Fuck! Where's that natural lube? Are you naked yet?" You can hear him banging around downstairs and slamming doors in a near state of panic. "I'm coming! Then - you're gonna cum! I promise! Fuck, I love when you are in heat!" Despite his chaos, Dieter loves noooooothing more than forgetting there is anything outside of the little nest you fix and the need to be buried inside you.

Javi Gutierrez: Javi was never away from you to begin with. He writes in the office with the door open and the second the first grunt of pain is heard, he is shutting down the laptop and coming to you. He knows that you are going into heat and immediately starts to reassure you that he will be right there for you. Whatever you need and however many times you need it, he will take care of it. Urging you to strip out of your itchy, irritating clothes and to climb into the bed that you will share for the next few days.

Tim Rockford: You have to call this motherfucker home. It's another late night for him. Chinese take-out cartons, cigarettes and stale coffee had been how his evening had looked as he worked well past the time other officers went home, burning another quart of that midnight oil. He had been startled when the phone rang, but when he hear your desperate, pained voice begging him to come home, he's grabbing his coat and racing out the door.

Joel Miller: Going into heat on the road is not easy, or convenient. If you think that his stress levels are high normally, they go through the roof right now. You will be so vulnerable, and his attention has to be focused on taking care of you. Joel will have to ignore the needs of your body, and his, until he can find a safe place for you to hole up. Somewhere Ellie can block out the "gross sounds", because let's face it, who wants to hear their chosen parents fuck? There's also the problem with needing more calories and water during this time. It's a lot to deal with, but Joel will take care of you, he hasn't let you down yet - but he has got to get you somewhere to dick you down before you feel like you're going to die.

Marcus Acacius: The entire encampment knows you are in heat. The tents are not thick enough to keep the cloying scent of your need and arousal contained to his tent. Alphas will be sniffing around and the only thing that protects you is the clear knowledge that any alpha that lays a hand on you will be die a slow and agonizing death at the general's hands. He is pulled from a strategy meeting by one of his servants, a loyal beta, who informs him of your plight. Making him hurry back, hearing your calls for him long before he reaches the tent to join you. Once he is inside, he is in complete control and the war will just have to go on without him, or there will be a tentative peace while he cares for you.

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arafilez · 8 months ago

Text

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ▰ ▰ ✶ WØRLD EPISØDE FIN: WILL ⪨

ㅤㅤ➛ ㅤvii.ㅤ DREAMY DAY 𒉽 jung wooyoung❛ 𓇿

🥂̸̤ㅤㅤangst ex2lㅤ ✸ㅤhis eyes shook, partly in disbelief, partly in emotional turmoil as he saw you through the spy camera. why are you making him do things he will regret?ㅤㅤ───ㅤㅤ w: crying ㅤㅤ»ㅤㅤ wc: 3.3kㅤㅤ𠈔ㅤㅤ moodboard

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ❛ how long will we be a sad song ❜

Wooyoung types away furiously as soon as he gets the code from his sister and makes a small noise when he is successful. He whistles softly, setting up the camera in a separate projection and calculates the dimensions of the hologram ship. He brings up the hologram of the half-made one and being satisfied enough with it he closes it for the next day.

He returns his attention back to the security footage he has broken off the bar and sees Jongho walk in. Wooyoung pulls his chair behind him, relaxes on it and puts his feet on the table.

Munching on a pack of Doritos he informs San that he has access and is keeping watch. He gets bored of watching it soon enough, Jongho informing, the seduction and he is bluntly aware Mingi is already there with his car. He looks over towards Yunho’s table and makes a face when he sees the usual flirting between Yunho and his sister.

They should just get together already.

Mingi’s voice booms in through his earpiece that all is clear and finished and he sighs swiping the other tabs closed and reaches forward to close the main camera one.

His next moves halt when he sees you arranging some glasses. Why are you working here? His breath becomes unstable when he scans your figure, the same face, the loose bun you always have on now in a low ponytail. Had on, though.

He is definitely tripping, he needs sleep. That is not you. He quickly zooms in and his breath becomes shallow.

It’s you. It’s definitely you.

He vaguely registers his sister saying she is leaving the room and doesn’t even pay attention to Yunho’s flirty remarks as his mind fills with you. You and your- and Wooyoung’s everything.

“Yu-Yun- it’s her,” he exhales softly but Yunho catches it on quickly running over to him. He sees Wooyoung staring blankly at the screen in front of him and looks at it.

Yunho clicks his tongue in worry and tries to make Wooyoung understand by saying, “Maybe it is someone else.”

“I zoomed in Yun, also I can never not notice her,” Wooyoung voices out, his stoic voice echoing in the room making Yunho worry much more than before. This is terrible, Wooyoung is returning to the opposite of his usual bubbly self like he did a few months prior.

When you left.

And it took a lot of work from the rest of Ateez to get him back to his normal self.

“Whatever you do, do not even think of going to meet her, we are spies,” Wooyoung hears his sister speak and looks up to see her angry eyes pointing towards the screen. When did she return?

“I can go in a disg-” Wooyoung's voice is cut off by his sister glaring at him.

“No, absolutely not,” she refutes.

“Yeah but-“

“Wooyoung, no.”

“Just listen-“

“Jung Wooyoung, it took me two whole months to get you to eat something proper, go a day without crying, you think I want to see you get hurt by her all over again?” his twin sister screams at him.

“Shut up, she did not hurt me,” he screams back.

“We are not having this conversation, Woyo,” she almost snarls at him calling him by a name only she ever did and he rolls his eyes grunting out a ‘fine’.

Yunho decides the brother and sister should stay apart so he taps Wooyoung assuring him lightly and escorts his sister back to her room.

Wooyoung closes down the hologram but not before checking the exact location of the bar.

A mix of night air and gunpowder infiltrates his nose as he steps out of their base. He should not be doing this. He should definitely get some rest, not sneaking out of their base late at night, just to see you. What is he? A teenager? No.

He is quite satisfied with the light overcoat he has on, enough to make him look similar to people in the bar you are working on. He should be not getting inside.

It is such a bad idea to see you, right?

Fuck it, it is fine.

You serve the official sitting on the stool in front of you and look around at your co-workers mixing drinks. You toy with the ring on your index finger absentmindedly and pick up the random conversations going around the bar your father owns as a side business.

You hear the main doors creak open and usually you would have ignored it but you look up still toying with your ring and you see him. You see him walk through the door and sit on the opposite side of the bar, right across from you.

Your eyes glaze looking at him. Of course, you are aware of the news of Ateez infiltrating, but you surely did not expect him to find you.

Then again, he is the hacker of the team!

You take in his features, the sharp nose bridge, the protruding chin, strands of hair falling on his forehead like they used to, the bead wristband he wears and finally the overcoat he is wearing. To any other person, he will look quite low-key but, to you? To you, he looks like every memory you desperately wish to forget.

Wooyoung looks up from his glass and looks across and before he can meet your eyes you look away. His eyes follow your structure moving along the bar cleaning up the glasses in your area.

Wooyoung angrily grunts, eyes never leaving your figure before he places the glass lightly on the table, pays the bartender and leaves through the door.

That would have been the longest fifteen minutes of your life.

“Wooyoung we can’t do this anymore,” your voice comes barely above a whisper as you see a dishelmed Wooyoung enter through your doors and stop in his tracks. He looks at you quizzically and you take the cue to continue, “I can’t do this to my dad, I don’t ever want him to be in danger.”

His breath becomes uneven at your words, wanting to believe this is some kind of prank or a fever dream. When he doesn’t see your eyes crinkling in the familiar smile, reality hits him like a truck. You were doing this, you were breaking up. He nods his head slowly and his ears start to buzz. You say something along the lines of already being packed up and then you are gone.

Just like that, from his life.

As soon as he leaves everything breaks down in you. You turn your back to the table, gripping one of the bottles too tightly for your liking and put your hand over your mouth. Your breath becomes unstable and his silhouette lingers at the back of your mind.

He looks so similar yet everything has changed, so close yet you can’t reach him.

A small whimper leaves your lips and you dip your head down not wanting anyone else to notice. Why is he crashing himself like a wave in your life? Again? Why can’t he just stay away for his safety?

Why can’t he just leave?

Wooyoung’s anger gets the best of him and he screams out loud as soon as he enters the headquarters. He could give no lesser shit if the alarms go blaring due to him. He kicks a stone in his path hard and bites down on his lips hard.

The metallic taste of blood on his lips makes him snap out of his trance as he walks towards his room. Clutching his head he sits down on the bed.

How could you just pretend he did not exist so easily? IS he the only one trying? He had to find out.

The next day, Wooyoung visits your bar again and sits at the table in front of where you usually work. Your feet seem to be sticking to their places as soon as you come back from your break and find him there.

You maintain your professionalism and ask him, trying your best to hide the despair and regret in your tone, what he wants. He looks up at you and your resolve falls immediately as you stare back at him.

His brown eyes hold the same amount of depth as the last time you saw him, the time you broke him. “Pinot noir,” he speaks the same time you think it in your head and your hand moves automatically through the shelves searching for the ingredients.

Wooyoung’s eyes travel over the back of your figure, raking over the hands that are busy shaking the bottles to make his drink. You look at him and your eyes meet and then you both look away.

You cannot be doing this.

You quickly put the attachments in the drink and push the glass towards him and he takes it and your fingers brush and neither of you pull back. You let him do it against your better judgment. He is your ex, alarms blare in your head but you push them back down and look at Wooyoung, his gaze fixated on your hand.

The ring.

The promise ring Wooyoung and you bought together is still in your finger. It is a bit black from all the work it has been through but to Wooyoung it feels the shiniest when he suddenly feels everything coming back to him.

“This looks like a real diamond,” you giggle satisfied at the purchase and Wooyoung clings onto your arms laughing his loud-pitchy laughter. You lean against his shoulders, rubbing your nose against his arm. Your giggle vibrates through his body and he wraps his arms around your body.

You trip lightly from joy, laughing and drunk in love and you look up at his eyes that could easily fit all the stars in the universe. You squish your cheeks against his shoulder pads grinning and he looks down at you endearingly. “Promise me you will never leave me,” you whisper against his neck that night.

“I promise,” he whispered back eyes holding your own and lips pressing to yours. He kept his promise, you were the one who left.

Memories spin in your head and you abruptly pull back your hand and turn your back to him. You gulp down the lump in your throat and turn around to face your other customers with a smile that can fool anyone.

Anyone but Wooyoung.

Wooyoung enters today at a slightly later time than he usually does and sits on a chair across from where you are working. He needs to talk to you. He toys with the menu card and orders a light alcoholic drink and sits quietly along with the glass.

He can be caught in this manner, he definitely should not do this, his rational part pleads to him and he decides to ignore that and sit in the bar. He sees you making drinks mixing up the ingredients and smiles softly at your concentrating face.

The face he used to tease every day when you tried to cook without his help.

“No Wooyo, I can do this, I don’t need your help,” you whine as Wooyoung try to butt in your cooking for the nth time. He rolls his eyes looking at the diced onion pieces which were bigger than normal. He steals a glance at you concentrating on the sauce and slips towards the onion.

“Don’t you dare touch those onions,” you warn him and he lets out a laugh before letting the chopping board go and standing behind you. He circles his arm around your waist, gently swaying along with the music and leans in to rest his head on your shoulder and says, “I offered for help, so when this turns out bad, I am not going to be some Kdrama main lead and say it is good.”

You grunt at his statement, rolling your eyes and he tilts his head to look at you smiling softly. You look back and say, “What?” and he nods his head to a ‘no’ and you break into a giggle trying to push him away. He holds you tightly and presses light kisses on your cheeks and you whine a little from being shy. “I like your concentrated face,” he whispers and you slap him on his chest lightly and he takes the chance to kiss you on the lips and then lets you go.

“Don’t touch the onions.”

He sighs heavily and looks at the time, almost two, and you will be finishing soon. The bar is almost empty by the time you finish and he looks at you expectantly while you are rigorously cleaning the shelf and putting some new bottles in.

Wooyoung halts himself for a second when he sees an older man asking you for a drink. You comply well but something seems off to Wooyoung as he watches your slightly shaky hands and breathing getting more intense.

Ministrations others wouldn’t even catch.

He looks at you once and you know he is but you don’t look back and continue mixing the drinks. The old man in front of you is now openly checking you out and it makes disgust crawl into your body and you quickly finish the drink and pass it to him with a smile.

The man grabs your hand and it makes you halt abruptly and look at Wooyoung for the slightest second before focusing your eyes on the person in front. He has a creepy smile etching his face as he whispers, “I am living across the street if you want to have a good time,” following a wink.

You fake a laugh and try to free your hands but he grips it more tightly making you stagger and panic. You attempt once more while making useless small talk but it just makes him bolder and he tries to hold your waist.

That’s it, he is going down, you thought and you are almost on your way of twisting his hand for good when a familiar pair of hands wrap around your wrist.

“Sir I don’t think my girlfriend likes you touching her,” Wooyoung speaks sternly but enough calm in himself and you look at him in shock. You don’t need your ex saving you!

“Wooyoung,” you whisper a warning lightly but it all goes in vain as the older man makes a snarky comment about your body and Wooyoung fists himself to punch him.

You almost trip over the table but pull Wooyoung back before he can punch him and now you hold his wrist tightly trying to shush him up. The few bartenders that remain are already looking and you don’t need a bigger scene or else everyone will know. Your dad will know.

You glare at him and it shuts him up but not before tripping the man lightly on his way out. The man curses loudly at you two before leaving and you heave a sigh of relief.

Letting go of Wooyoung’s hands you walk around, passing an easy-going smile to your colleagues and other customers and Wooyoung goes back to finish his drink. The bar will be closing soon for the night and the customers and other bartenders start leaving.

As the last of the customers leave you glance at Wooyoung twirling his glass in his hands and you walk towards the door. Putting on the ‘closed’ sign and locking it you walk towards him.

The sound of your shoes echoes in the empty bar but Wooyoung doesn’t look up and you stand beside him and say, “Still waiting for me?” His deodorant hits your nose and you feel the familiarity creeping in as he looks up at you.

“I will always wait for you,” he voices out and you roll your eyes forcing out a fake laugh and looking away.

“Yeah? Well then do me a favour and don’t. I don’t need you to save me like some fucking damsel in distress,” you snap at him, your eyes raking his face for signs of annoyance.

His deadpan face makes you angrier and it gets frustrating as he keeps looking at you with the warmth in his eyes.

How are exes supposed to act around each other? Is it mentioned in any textbook? Because you would surely like to throw that at Wooyoung’s face. Why is he following you around? Why can’t he just leave?

“Wooyoung, leave,” you say evenly and he turns a deaf ear to you while you clear out the few glasses in your area. He attempts small talk all of which you reply snapping hard just to make him leave.

You can’t have him hurt, and if he is anywhere near you he will end up getting hurt and you know it.

“Can you just leave me alone Wooyoung? What? Is it that hard to leave because of your clinginess?” you scream hitting all the nerves of his insecurities very well. He needs to be safe and you will never care how much you hurt him only if he lives.

“You don’t even mean that,” Wooyoung scoffs, his eyes boring into the little habit you do when you are lying. You want to scream at him, right now, for knowing you so well. For knowing every fibre, every nerve better than anyone else.

“I have to do this Wooyoung, so leave, before I say anything more,” you say, your voice slowly starting to break. One more word from him and you will be gone.

“You're doing everything I told you not to, is that how much you miss me?” Wooyoung screams and you know you have hit his last nerve. For the first time in three days, you properly look up in his eyes and see them glazing into yours.

Anger, sadness, comfort, love and so many more emotions right behind his brown irises.

His eyes search yours and you know this is moments away from disaster. You have always been rebuked for your ease in forgiveness, for you giving in easily and the sob you have been wanting to keep inside escapes your lips.

“Yes fine, I fucking miss you,” you scream right at his face taking laboured breaths in. Wooyoung stands there, dumbfounded at your outburst and before he can say anything you continue, “I miss you, yes, I miss us. Fuck you Woo, because I miss you hugging me, I miss our blanket fights and I miss our cooking mishaps.”

Tears fall through your eyes fast, blurring up your vision and you look up at Wooyoung who is just standing and say, “I miss your light kisses, I miss waking up next to you. But there can’t be an us, because we are now in different dimensions and you will go back-“

The rest of the sentence dries in the back of your throat as you feel his lips on yours. You suffer from the initial shock of the familiar feeling and then let go and kiss him back.

They taste just how you remember them, and it makes you cry harder as his lips move along with yours. Everything about the kiss feels familiar and the warmth pools in your stomach as you feel at home.

Wooyoung, on the other hand, feels feral. He had thought you would push him away but when he feels you kissing back he gently intertwines your hands and caresses your knuckles. He has missed this, he has missed you and everything way too much.

You two part and you look at him, at his glossy eyes and teary smile and he gently dabs your tear-stained cheeks with the pads of his palm and smiles softly.

“How about we elope this time?” he giggles and you pout lightly punching his chest. Your Wooyoung is still all the same.

“We are not in a movie,” you whisper and he shrugs.

“Yeah, eloping does sound good,” he taunts ignoring you and you laugh loudly and he grins at how much he has missed this and places a soft peck on your lips making your nose and cheeks red.

It has been an exceptionally dreamy day.

✸ㅤ ara's notesㅤㅤ───ㅤㅤ finally reached the point where everything got deleted last time and now i have finally published this ㅤㅤ»ㅤ series mlistㅤ ateez mlist ㅤ main mlist ㅤ naviㅤㅤ𠈔

✸ㅤ taglistㅤㅤ───ㅤㅤ @haneagerr @tunaasan @evidive @huachengsbestie01 @philijack @atiny-lizbeth @chxnnii @nakiiko @therealcuppicake @weird-bookworm ㅤㅤ»ㅤㅤ comment here or in series mlist to be added or removedㅤㅤ𠈔

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poppy-metal · 4 months ago

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no thoughts just day dreaming about college! infidelity! love triangle! artashrick ( i can't remember the ship name for all 3 idc idc ) listening slumber party by ashnikko. oh to go to some dive bar, do a shit ton of tequila shots ( as encouraged by patrick and tashi whilst they're dating ), smoking a joint patrick also pushed onto you in the alley behind said bar and choosing that song for your karaoke song after being peer pressured by patrick and tashi. ( the timelines of the song release and challengers do not match up i don't care ) everything seems wayyy too real when you accidentally glance at patrick whilst doing drunken karaoke a few too many times when the song talks about eating tashi on the mf couch and how her spit tastes like juicy fruit ( real lyrics for those not familiar with the song ) and all of a sudden art and patrick realize that despite how femme you are, you fucking LOVE pussy, especially tashi's

need her to to come up behind me and grind me against her like she's fucking me on the dance floor - patrick and art fucking vibrating in their seats - patrick is torn between joining and watching - he joins eventually when tashi throws him a look, and then you're between them - tashi at your back, patrick at your front.

giving poor art a show - three of the hottest people he knows, grinding like if there wasn't clothes between you, you'd all be inside eachother. he has to shift around and adjust his hard cock in his jeans.

thing is, it's not really cheating if patrick was aware the whole time - "you've been eating my girls pussy?" and there's not an ounce of anger in his voice, just heat. tashi is behind you anyway, and she's sliding her hands around your waist.

"someone has to." you tell him and his lips quirk.

"she eating yours?"

not yet, though she's expressed desire too. you focus on her in bed - because you fear how vulnerable you become when you're submissive. you don't want to grow attached to either of these people, not really. they're dangerous.

"she runs away whenever I try." tashi hooks her chin on your shoulder - her hands slide up your dress. "you should let me," she tells you, and patrick presses closer and you're trapped between them. patricks hard - you can feel him against your hip - and your lashes flutter. you tip your head back against tashis shoulder. "tonight." she adds.

"what about your boyfriend." you ask, breathless. you're forgetting why it's a bad idea to slip under their seductive pull.

said boyfriend noses along your throat - he's so tall, he has to bend down over you to do it. you feel warm all the way down to your toes when he does it. skimming along your skin.

"what about him?" tashi giggles. her lips nip your ear, she pulls the lobe between her teeth, tugs on it. her tongue is hot as it licks the outer shell. you shiver against her, your back arches right into patricks hard chest. "he's been wanting to watch."

"mm" he hums his assent. "you'd be hot as fuck together."

you think about it. you want too say yes. you feel the pull with them - you know it would be hot. you know you'd cum - and it would probably be transcendent. but you don't think you could remain in control. you barely have the upper hand when it's just you and tashi - and it's only because you put so much enthusiasm into making her cum on your tongue that she's too limp afterwards to try too hard to recuperate. it's that way on purpose. if it's patrick and tashi together though, two vs. one - so hot and intense and dominant.

"it'll be fun." tashi coos. "he could hold you open for me - you could finally let me at that little pussy you've been meaning to give me." god, her voice is so hot when it gets low like that. all feminine and soft - "I want to get my tongue on you."

you gasp - and you break free. hot and dizzy in the head. they let you go, part and then come back together easily. you don't have to glance back to know they're already skin to skin with eachother - kissing. and you think that's part of it. nothing is serious with them. it means nothing.

you rejoin art at the booth. he shifts nervously and you blink in suprise at the martini in front of you. you look at the boy across from you and he ducks his head. "you mentioned liking it, so i..."

"you ordered for me?" you ask, smiling.

he shrugs, glancing away. his face is flushed pink. you lean forward to sip at your drink, hiding your grin. he's looking out at the dance floor, probably out at patrick and tashi.

"they're all over eachother, huh." you stir your straw.

arts eyes float back to you. he flushes even more, if that's possible. it gets up to the tips of his ears. "you seemed to like it."

you shrug - "it was just dancing." you leave out their proposition to take you back to their place. you lean forward, enough that your tits nearly spill out of your dress and art eyes dart down, just like you wanted them too. he swallows. "do you want to dance with me, art?"

he does, you can tell. but he's a modest boy. patrick had warned you about his friend on your way to pick him up - 'he's a good boy.' he'd said. and tashi had grinned, twisting to look back at you. 'he wears a cross necklace. it's fucking adorable.'

he fumbles - "um." he tugs on his ear, awkward with it. eyes flitting between you and the dance floor. "im - I'm not very good at it."

you sit back. "that's okay." you tell him. you've decided you want something else, anyway. "you want to get a cab back?" you tilt your head. "they'll probably be out there for awhile."

art looks almost relieved. you have to bite back a giggle, considering your plans. "yeah," he says, and start to slide out of the booth. you think you really like his hair - you want to touch it. imagine gripping it later, seeing the blonde tuffs between your fingers. he pulls his wallet from his pocket and drops a few bills on the table. "do you think they'll mind....?"

"I doubt they'll notice."

you let art lead you out of the bar - you think being between patrick and tashi made you feel all out of sorts, out of control, out of your depth. art donaldson - he's cute - he's kind and sweet. corruptable, still. you'd have the control in your hands, definitely. you'd rock his world tonight - and put the other couple out of your mind.

it would work. totally.

#ask #sigh <///3333

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strangersteddierthings · 1 year ago

Text

My Default's Self-Destruct (Oh, I'm Not Used to Normal)

@nburkhardt, this ones for you, since you've been so excited and patient! Title from Jillian Rossi's Not Used to Normal.

There is a doctor in his room, explaining the extent of his injuries to him and his uncle but Eddie quit listening when the doctor had started with it's our recommendation that he not start back on the scent blocker until-. Whatever the doc had to say after that was more for Wayne's benefit than his own, anyway. Eddie turns his face away from Uncle Wayne and the doc and stares at the wall.

Eddie knows he's a freak.

He never had an option to be anything else.

He was born wrong, a thing his dad would remind him of every time he was deep in his cups and feeling angry or bitter. Which is to say, he'd heard it every day until he was fourteen and, with his mom long gone and his dad's new prison sentence, he was shipped off to Hawkins, Indiana to live with his uncle.

It gave him a choice for the first time in his life.

It was salvation.

No one here knew a damn thing about him except what he wanted them to know. He got to curate his image exactly how he wanted it.

Loud, bold, mean, scary.

Anything that kept people at a distance because he wanted them to be. That's not to say he didn't let people get close. That he didn't have friends. He does.

He founded Hellfire sophomore year and made acquaintances with fellow nerds and geeks. Some stuck around, genuinely seemed to like him and he them, so he got some real friends out of it. Jeff, Frankie, and Gareth.

The only three people in the world who knew about him because he'd chosen to tell them.

But now with this doctor not wanting him to get back on his scent blockers as soon as possible, the whole town's going to know how much of a freak he really is.

His gut twists thinking about how Erica, Lucas, Max, Dustin, Nancy, Robin, and Steve already know. They have to know. Why else are they not here? There's no way they don't by now. Scent blockers need to be taken every day to work effectively. Missing a day every now and then is fine when Eddie knows he's not going to leave home or if it's just the guys he'd be seeing.

But he's missed sixteen days because today is April 7th, and he'd spent most of the prior three days fading in and out of consciousness trying to claw his way out of a coma. Now he's fully alert and aware. He'd woken up alone, but it wasn't long after that his uncle showed up, apparently summoned by a nurse.

"-ddie. Eddie, you still awake?" Wayne's voice is gentle in a way it never usually it. It makes Eddie want to pretend to be asleep.

"Yeah."

"The doc just left."

Eddie doesn't respond verbally. but he does turn his head back to look at Wayne instead of the wall.

"There's a boy down in the lobby. Been tryin' ta visit every day but, well," Wayne trails off with a one shoulder shrug, which seems the easier way to sum up all the events that place while he was in a coma. Wayne apparently making a fuss when the hospital finally got a hold of him and he'd come into Eddie's room to find his unconscious body handcuffed to the bed. No one's been around to explain the how or why to Eddie, but supposedly ten days after Eddie should have died, three days before he awoke for the first time, the "real" murderer was found and died in a gunfight with the police. Eddie's been pardoned, by some miracle.

"Why wasn't he allowed to visit?" Eddie asks, even as he dreads the answer.

"No visitor for murder suspects except family," Wayne says.

"Okay. But I was proven innocent six days ago."

"I know. This last week's been me. I told the staff no one but me could see ya until ya were awake enough to name 'em. Didn't know if that boy who led the manhunt was gonna try and get in, or send someone else after ya."

Warmth floods through Eddie then, both affection for his uncle and a hope that, maybe, no one's been here because they haven't been allowed to be. Maybe they don't- maybe they'll give him a chance even though he's a genetic freak of nature.

"Is it Dustin Henderson?"

"Nah, ain't him. He's been by as much as his ma will allow, though. Sits down there with the first boy."

If it's not Dustin then- "Steve?"

Wayne gives a one-sided grin before saying, "Steve Harrington Sir, if you wanna full name him."

That gets a laugh from Eddie. Wayne hates to be called sir, and he spent a full year calling Jeff 'Just Jeff Sir' when Jeff had made the mistake of correcting Eddie's introduction ("And this here, is Jeffery") while trying to be polite ("Please, it's just Jeff, sir."). Seems like Steve made the same mistake.

"Oh, fuck, don't make me laugh," Eddie wheezes, more from pain than laughter and Wayne looks only a little guilty for causing him pain. "But, uh, yeah. Steve's a-okay."

"Alright. I'll go let the nurse know. Anyone else you wan' ta come see ya?"

"Wait," Eddie says quickly, swallowing thickly. He has to know. "Do- have they... said anything? About me?"

"About you? What- oh," Wayne says. "Did they not know?"

Eddie shakes his head. "No. Not- I didn't tell them, but I haven't had a scent blocker since the first day of spring break. They have to know, right? Everyone always knows."

"Do you want me to ask before gettin' them approved to visit?" Wayne asks, softly and sincere and it makes Eddie's eyes water. He closes them to prevent the tears.

"No. It's fine. Better to, uhh, get this over with. Learn if this will change anything, y'know?"

"And you wanna start with Steve Harrington Sir? He's an alpha, ain't he?"

"Don't act like you don't already know. Everyone and their mother talks about how alpha he smells. I heard about Steve and his alpha scent before I'd even met the dude."

"Well, no need to be so uppity about it," Wayne grouses.

"Sorry. Guess I'm just... not in the mood to joke about this. People don't- they change how they treat me, once they know."

"Just Jeff didn't, nor Gareth or Frankie."

"Yeah, but they were my friends first. I- they saved my life but that doesn't make us friends."

Wayne shakes his head. "You tell that to the boy sittin' in the lobby right now waitin' to see ya."

That's right. The hope that has bloomed earlier. If they did know, they were still around. Either because they are his friends and they care, or they have... questions, possibly. Still, "You'll be in here? When he comes in?"

"I won't leave unless you ask me to," Wayne assures and then he's gone. Out the door, to retrieve Steve.

Jesus Christ, this is fucked. Eddie feels so anxious and scared and he shouldn't. He's never been afraid before. Just. Fed up with how people treat him. How they scrunch their noses when they smell him. When they look at the whole of him and realize there's something wrong with him and their expression changes to either pity or disgust.

Wayne's gone just long enough for Eddie to regret his decision but then it's too late. The first person to enter his room is Steve, followed closely why Wayne.

"Eddie!" Steve says, and Eddie is confused. Steve sounds... awed? A bit breathless like he's witnessed a miracle.

"Hey Steve," Eddie manages to squeak out and that's all the permission Steve seems to need. He crosses the room quickly, dragging a second chair from the corner with him to the opposite side of the bed from where Wayne has taken up station.

"Fuck, Eddie, we didn't know if you'd- but you did. You're awake," Steve says, even as he's trying to sniff the air. Probably trying to get a read on Eddie's own scent, and therefore his own emotional state. When Steve doesn't find what he's looking for, his brows furrow into confusion, and he looks so fucking adorable with his face scrunched like that. He's glad Steve can't smell that on him, at least.

"I'm awake," Eddie says.

Steve nods, but his confused face doesn't fade. Instead he sniffs the room more loudly, thoroughly. He looks to Wayne, then back to Eddie. He does that a few times before settling on Eddie.

Eddie sighs heavily. "Go ahead. Ask."

"What? Oh, uh, nothing to ask, I guess. Just thought Wayne would have scented you by now, but I don't smell him on you."

"Yeah. Wayne's nose barely works, so no point in that."

"A fact I'm thankful for every time you'd finally drag out the days old dishes from your room," Wayne quips.

"Hey!" Eddie shoots him a wounded look as his face gets hot. Low blow, old man, he thinks.

"Oh. Do you... not get isolation sickness? Is that rude to ask?" Steve asks.

"I don't get isolation sickness anymore, not since long before you were even born," Wayne answers. He's still hovering by the door, expecting to be dismissed by Eddie probably, since Steve's not- since Steve doesn't seem to- Eddie doesn't know. Is he too nice to ask out right? Too disturbed by it to even bring it up?

"And, uh, isolation sickness could never effect me," Eddie says, biting the bullet, looking at a wrinkle on his blanket instead of at Steve.

"What?" Steve sounds startled by the answer, as if he can't understand. Maybe he doesn't.

"I can't get isolation sickness."

"That doesn't- everyone but childr-" Steve cuts himself off, and Eddie hears more sniffing before his startled by Steve grabbing his arm. He looks up quickly, and sees Wayne move closer from the corner of his eye, as Steve shoves his nose into Eddie's wrist and takes a deep breath. A sound between a whimper and a whine comes from Steve. "But you- What?"

"Steve."

"Eddie, I don't understand?"

Eddie looks to Wayne, who raises his brows as if to ask want me to tell him? He almost nods, but this is going to be the first of many conversations, and he might as well get the practice in. "Steve. You can only get isolation sickness after your secondary gender develops. I can't. 'Cause I don't have a secondary gender."

Steve blinks at him. Then blinks some more. He opens his mouth, then closes it and blinks even more. "I- how- what? It hasn't developed yet?"

Eddie groans in frustration. "No, Steve. It won't develop ever. I don't have one, I won't have one! No scent gland will ever grow, no second puberty as my body changes to be able to send and receive emotional signals, no bonding gland to establish pack or mate!"

"Wha-"

"Don't! What aren't you getting? I'm a genetic fucking freak of nature who can't ever bond with pack or a mate because I don't have a secondary gender!"

Steve jerks back at Eddie's sudden outburst, "Sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't- I wasn't trying to, uhh, offend."

Eddie scoffs and looks away. He wants to roll onto his side, put his back to Steve and block him out. Offend. Eddie's not offended. He's- fuck, he's sad and scared and angry. Because he spent a week flirting freely with Steve, who'd started to flirt back and now it's all back to just being a fantasy in Eddie's mind.

Steve's an alpha. Even if... even if he ever might have entertained the idea of being with Eddie, that's going to be gone now. Alpha's want omega's. They'll settle for a beta, sure, but that's what it is. Settling.

And Eddie's not even that.

He's nothing. No secondary gender, no place in society, he'll always smell like a goddamn child to everyone else. He knows how this goes. Until he's back on the scent blockers, which just make him smell like chemicals, they're going to treat him like a child, or like a pariah.

"Eddie-" Steve says, quiet.

Whatever it is, Eddie doesn't want to hear it. "I'm tired. I hurt. Please leave."

Eddie stares at a spot on the wall as Wayne escorts Steve from his room. He doesn't let himself cry until after counting to thirty in his head once the door's closed.

@i-less-than-three-you @afewproblems @skepsiss

#steddie #my fic #omegaverse #a/b/o dynamics #what did you think was up with eddie before the reveal?? id like to know #alpha steve harrington #beta wayne munson #????? eddie munson

263 notes · View notes

ironunderstands · 5 months ago

Text

I decided to take notes while I played through 2.3… so here they are

First Scene

-stellaron sealed when we were asleep apparently

-was Sunday the one to tailor everyone’s dreams?

-dreamscape itself exists???

-march’s memories are weird as normal, tentacle tried to reach into her brain but found SOMETHING???

-we were asleep when this all happened and we woke up and immediately asked if it was a dream so something is already up oh boy

Second Scene

-firefly and silverwolf yay

-firefly is still on the wanted list, as Firefly this time

-it was a missing part of her life she got back

-Silverwolf helps her out with not being able to move freely, giving her a way out of dreaming ig??? Helps her navigate through unbothered ?

-idk the mechanics of it if you can’t tell

-Miss Samuel as a fake name lmao

-GENIUS SOCIETY IS HERE?? WHYYY?? HUHHH

-firefly’s script isn’t over yet (third death I assume?)

-“didn’t bring you back to hear an answer like that,” did SW think she already experienced the third death? On her second death was SW the one to revive her, as it seemed like she did that on her own in 2.2?

-yeah she hasn’t done 3rd death yet, and I assume the “unforgettable reward,” is *sighs* time with the Trailblazer

-“How will I know if I don’t try?” Hmmm this confuses me

-SW says she’s already made up her mind

-ooh Kafka asks for some gifts LMAOO, fashionable as always

-to Oti mall I guess, isn’t that one of the people who expressed disappointment in Sunday?

-BLADE ADVICE? telling her to not get tempted, tempted by what?

-YAY SHE GETS NORMAL GIRL TIME THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED

-oat cakes for SW or Kafka or Blade? Aww Stellaron Hunter family bonding

-oh is she trying to defy the script?

-adding new footnotes to her destiny, hmm

Third Scene

-TOPAZ POV

-I DIED OMGNDNAKDJKWJDD

-were are on the Radiant Felddpar ship

-Family is there but “Big Boss” isn’t, I assume that’s Jade

-there’s music notes in the air? Robin?

-Topaz points out how weird this choice of location is

-ship belongs to Alfalfa Family

-npc we are talking to also thinks it should have been held in a more secretive area (Moment of Morning Dew)

-not serious enough atmosphere

-something’s up definitely

-Topaz thinks conference is just a prelude- whatever Family organizer wanted to assess the IPC’s stance beforehand

-she thinks they either have their own ambitions and want a preliminary agreement, or want to make the IPC back off, we shall see ig

-Big Boss is a her (definitely Jade), Topaz complimented, saying others must be cautious of her

-tells subordinate Thomas to just tell the rest of her employees to stay focused on the task ahead

-yeah it’s Jade, act shocked, also she’d get mad if he called her that 😭😭

-walking around time

-there is music all around the ship

-not very important but there are paper birds here too

-none of the important figures have arrived to the meeting room yet, so let’s look around

This is just from looking around:

-why are there dream pools on the ship? I thought we were already in the dream?

-the torment eagle things are here too

-and nightingale paintings

-Sparkles bombs, delightful

-why is there a room on the ship that looks like Mishas room in the dream

-it seems like the Family is already aware of the bombs and is looking for them based on the dialogue of the NPCs

-there’s a lost kid on the ship?

-so many doors are closed off

-absurdist clock fun

-the quest is titled “All About Eve” like Eve from the Bible? Is that referring to Jade?

-exhibit that hasn’t been delivered yet

-Robin has instructed them to prepare some things but it seems like the Family isn’t ready yet?

Ok I’m gonna talk to the workers now

-ok talked to the one by Sparkles bombs and Sparkle started talking

-Numby can hear her I think, I don’t think Topaz did

-yeah Topaz doesn’t know they are bombs that Sparkle hands out, apparently she was disguised as man- maybe Sampo?, uh no all the Buttons are in one place

-somehow nobody pressed a button, I don’t believe that, the NPC also says that all guests are terrified of death, but like, how did nobody press it?

-yep we are in the dream bc she wants to feed Numby and questions the food quality in a dream

-Numby does not like Oat Cake Rolls

-Topaz will give them a better meal in reality

-so why is there a dreamscape pool in the dream

-asks more about Radiant Feldspar, which is also owned by Oti Alfalfa, just like the store Firefly wanted to go to

-built an Amber Era ago, it sails across all 12 hours- so they are connected you just have to cross them I guess? Or like does it slip through dimensions

-Topaz recognizes Old Oti, however what’s weird is that despite how she points out how well decorated it is, there seems to be a lot of stuff missing + Robin thing from earlier

-only prestigious guests are invited, so how did that Pepeshi get lost?

-Ship had been sailing since it was built but was halted due to the recent reverberation

-reverberation aka whatever the fuck just happened in 2.2

-Family attendant repeats that everything has been resolved and the Charmony Festival had to be temporarily postponed

-so it’s gonna happen on the ship now, and will also resume the ships voyage, so I guess that’s why Robin ordered some things and everything is a bit out of place

-However, why are they gathering Sparkles Bombs onto the celebration + meeting ship? Why not anywhere else?

-Talent Motivation Department mention

-ppl still coming after Topaz for Jarilo I will kill them <3

-poor girl can’t get a break, JADE IS HERE

CUTSCENE SO MUCH HAPPENED

-Numby does not trust or like Jade at all

-Topaz is fucking star struck on her knees dying down bad gay gay gay

-Jade commends her for the Jarilo project, saying the Express’s favor is far more valuable than the planet itself

-Jade says Topaz can tell her anything, then holds out her Cornerstone as if Topaz would talk to it???

-hmmm

-“you can always tell me anything, remember?” Ah so they are close, and Topaz seems to trust her and vice versa, however I (and Numby) do not trust Jade so there is something sinister going on

Alright cutscene yapping over

-Jade says to drop the title, that they are equals

-Topaz calls her a senior, but I think she just means in rank

-Jade wants Topaz to be at her best- upcoming negotiations leave no room for error

-true purpose of conference: Oti testing limits of 2 stonehearts before offical negotiations can commence, works in their favor bc it will cause future negotiations to go smoother if they can reach an agreement (this is obvious benefit)

-hidden benefit: demonstrates the Family isn’t all that united bc he’s meeting w them first on his own territory + taking control of Charmony Festival too

-they aren’t entirely influenced by the Harmony so their personal desires shine through, influential figures haven’t suppressed their own

-with the Dreammaster gone, the Family has begun to fall apart slowly, seems like after 2.2 Oti took over

-Jade taught her to Listen, test and strike, Jade teases her that she changed the order on Jarilo- Topaz’s personal experience caused this (her seeing her past/trauma in Belabog)

-meeting time!

-meeting esteemed “supporting actor” hmm

-goal is to create an opportunity for IPC to enter Penacony- Aventurine made a small hole for them to enter, and they are going to tear it wide open

Some more looking around

-the bombs/buttons are gone 😨 and so is that guard

-was there a projector in that room (with the dream pool) before?

-diff family attendant at that spot before

Ok back to plot time

-oh this is the place where the divergent universe takes place (I started it a bit yesterday lol, oops), seems like that’s what the Genius Society will get a hold of at the end of this?

-Oti is a Pepeshi, and I really like his character model, he seems welcoming?

Looking around time again

-the mechanism they use for the Divergent Universe is already there- did Ratio and Screwllum meet with Oti beforehand? Is that how he figured out Dormancy?

-some more locked doors

-Whales outside the window.. (Childe flashbacks)

-let’s talk to Jade before we see Oti

-oh we can’t it just makes us walk beside her

Conversation time

-Oti is hospitable, asks them to forgive him for the wait

-Oti is such a businessman that the Strategic Investment Department makes it a requirement to read his biography

-she’s trying to flatter him but I think Jade is also warning him that she and the rest of the department know everything about him and who he is

-Topaz doesn’t seem to notice that though and praises him for single handedly building Penacony economy

-Oti noticed Jade’s tactics I think

-he gets straight to the point- future of Penacony

-Oti questions wtf Aventurine was doing and why 😭, almost getting killed and for what?

-oh he figured them out LMAOO, yup that was for an opportunity

-haha Jade says “fuck he figured us out” nicely

-she puts the pressure back on him, asking Oti how he would respond

-he first admires her composure at being called out

-“Oti won’t sit idly by when faced with a greedy wolf,” is he referring to the IPC, Aventurine or both?

-offscreen negotiation

-seems he said something that offended Topaz and Jade, Jade says she’s all ears

-Oti says he requested this meeting to dissuade the SID from trying to lay a finger on Penacony

-asks them to back off before they lose face in the future

-Topaz points out their fuck ups- Aventurine almost getting murdered and the Charmony Festival fuck up, that there are plenty of real issues plaguing the area

-Oti says they need to be more creative in the land of dreams

-“My actions will help Penacony take a significant step forward by “self-listing” and going public!” What does that mean

-Jade asks if he’s gonna bypass the IPC and go public on a universal scale (still don’t know what that means)

-rather than letting the IPC take hold, he’s gonna open the sweet dream to everyone in the universe- which is worded REALLY sinister if you ask me- is he gonna try and make everyone in it dream?

-he redirects and says that from today, anyone can become a shareholder in the Land of Dreams, and that’s the Path of Harmony he chooses

-Oti was aware of the Oaks family’s entanglement with the Order, calls them blockheads who prevented this from happening sooner

-Oti is thankful that the “reverberation” (Sunday and Order’s downfall) has allowed for the obstacle between him and his reforms to be eliminated

-publicize their finances so the universe still has faith in them + the Family remains confident in its future

-neither Jade nor Topaz seem happy about this, seems like they don’t feel as if they are on equal footing

-Jade asks Oti if he’s being waiting for Penacony to regain the spotlight, so if the IPC does anything, their actions will be scrutinized by trillions of people

-asks them to consider their next moves carefully

-Jade suggests they conclude the first half of their conference, and that they will respond on the behalf of the IPC later

-he just tells them to take their time (Oti is confident he is in control)

Scene 4- Trailblazer POV

-seems that meeting has concluded as Dan Heng asks if the Alfalfa Family had a meeting with the IPC

-Aventurine told them that to “return the favor”

-I wonder what happened in the meantime to get us here

-Welt points out that Penacony hasn’t changed much since the prison era, suggests that Penacony would rather invite the IPC to the table- on the surface to cooperate- but in reality to secure their own survival

-which is why the Astral Express are now mediators, and Dan Heng doesn’t know who to stand behind

-Welt doesn’t trust the followers of the Harmony to be as innocent as they presume they are

-if either the Family or the IPC were to take control of Penacony, the efforts of the previous nameless to free it from that illusory hedonism would go to waste

-we were in a deep sleep apparently (uh oh)

-one of the dialogue options says that TB felt like they were in a really long dream

-another asks where Himeko is

-Welt says their adventure in Penacony is reaching its conclusion

-After Ena’s dream shattered, Montour System’s branch of the Family took control of the situation, most members of the Oak Family fell unconscious? But their lives weren’t in danger

-Gopher Wood, the previous Dreamaster was confirmed to be the mastermind behind everything, however we know that Sunday killed him. But didn’t he kill him in the dream? So how did gopher wood die in reality? Or did like, the power of the Order that Sunday must have used on him cause that, or did he step outside the dream to face Gopher, then go back in?

-Sunday will face a trial: the Family won’t disclose any further details

-public perceived incident as an attack by evil forces targeting the Charmony festival, believing the Family had failed to safeguard the sweet dream which eroded their credibility significantly

-at least it has the least impact? Even if it’s far from what really went down

-SIOBHAN IS BACK

-she says they will get over it

-“you don’t know who’s awake and who’s pretending to be asleep”- another ominous line

-gives them a toast

-trailblazer asks why she’s there again, Siobhan is just confused

-asks when they will leave Penacony

-Welt says they will stay a bit longer, just not too long

-she says this farewell is missing something

-“maybe a special drink to honor those who are not here” oh yeah Gallagher is gone GONE

-To the Nameless resting in peace… and to Gallagher, oh he’s so gone

Walking around time again

-everyone but Himeko is here

Ok taking this many notes is exhausting and is lowkey killing my enjoyment 😭 so I’ll just leave the REALLY important stuff from now on

-The Family claims the Oak Family used the stellaron to help sink everyone into Ena’s dream

-others had their own delusional dreams

-DH says the hidden dangers of the Order have always been within the Harmony, an issue that has persisted in the Family from the very beginning

-more awareness makes this complicated

-March has a button now too, says she was told the buttons will explode Penacony if pressed

-himeko’s been up to something lately she will tell us at the festival

-Siobhan gives us another drink, saying it will “bring back the flavors of Penacony” which makes me believe it will help us get back here somehow

-Welt is sure it will leave a lasting impression, hmmm

-she says if we happen to find Gallagher, to let him have a sip

Scene 5: Jade POV

-Oti is tricky but there is still hope

-Jade asked Topaz to make a phone call offscreen, presumably to the express who agreed

-talking in code

-Jade asks Topaz if she thinks Penacony is worth it

-Topaz says yes

-Jade questions if this project is too bland for her

-Topaz says she would be here if it weren’t for Aventurine

-Jade pointed out she entrusted him with a cornerstone, which is as precious as life itself to finish this gamble

-however Topaz points at out that Jade’s stone couldn’t have made it in without either of their cornerstones: and that the Jade stone allows Jade to see all desires that flow through the dreams to gain a bargaining chip in the negotiations: this must be the “harvest” Jade was referring to in 2.1, seems like this is her Cornerstone’s ability

-Perhaps that’s why she held it up earlier? To allow Topaz to vent her feelings into the Jade stone?

-Topaz actually staked her Topaz’s stone for Jade’s sake, not Aventurine’s

-Jade is greatful Aven is alive, saying it’s the best outcome, Topaz immediately says they have strayed off topic

-Jade says she will go alone, instructs Topaz to meet “honored guest”- likely the Nameless

-Jade spots Robin

-turns out we were actually in the previously locked off rooms in the back of where we met Oti, he’s still there, and he’s wearing glasses? Was he before? We can’t talk to him tho

-ah this also unlocked some more doors- it’s where the ship is captained, but the captains room is locked

-Robin is preparing for Charmony Festival

-Jade lies saying she’s on her way to meet Oti really she’s just here for info before meeting him

-Robins never met him, she says Alfalfa is respectable when it comes to business, but not necessarily in other respects

-Jade asks where Robin thinks Penacony is heading, Robin is hopeful, thinks Harmony needs new direction

-“no permanent allies or everlasting enemies,”

-2nd half of negotiations- no Topaz this time

-Jade is gonna be meaner bc Topaz isn’t here you go manipulative queen

-says Oti is not the only merchant who has seen the changes in the cosmic market over the past ten Amber Eras

-Jade declares that Penacony has no way of sidestepping the IPC and going public, that they can’t stop the IPC, the IPC will tear down and rebuild as they see fit

-tells Oti that if he doesn’t want to be a laughingstock and have everyone after him, he better drop his “pie-in-the-sky-plan” perhaps he was planning on using Sparkles bombs to take out the IPC ambassadors now that the protection of not being able to die in the dream is no longer there- or at least he has control over it

-Jade reminds him IPC controls more than half the news in the universe

-says trillions of customers will receive a, “The Family’s protection for Penacony has expired. Any mishaps in the Dreamscape could result in permanent brain death,” message from the IPC if Penacony decides to go public

-threatens to make his entire currency worthless with how many contingencies the IPC has, Jade is confident she can pull it off, even from Pier Point

-she promises that the IPC won’t jeopardize the interests of the Family heads under Oti’s leadership if he gives up the plan to go public

-they (IPC) want allies in Asdana, Jade says they can assist Penacony with financing, will acquire 30% equity shares from the Family, and in exchange will also help rebuild Penacony

-Oti thinks it’s too much, and worried about the future

-Jade happily says there are no guarentees- this is based on mutual respect- but the board of directors will consider the interests of the Family heads to some extent

-she points out this would be beneficial for the Family, and for him, if they both take a step back, also points out this will attract more customers like he wanted

-as the head of the Alfalfa family, Oti accepts, seeing no reason to refuse, but as THEIR (Xipe’s) chosen one, he still needs one final answer (hmmm this is an interesting detail)

-talks about the rise of Xipe and fall of Ena, he asks why the IPC seeks to collaborate with the Family (Harmony) rather than the Order, who is far closer in ideals (Preservation)

-Jade says it’s about credit, saying that through the Preservation, the IPC can perpetually ensure credits value, meaning they have no need for the Order, as they have made their own, with Qilpoths “credit” being the heart of everything

-Oti understands this will eventually lead to the IPC taking control over everything

-“this universe doesn’t need two types of Order” (Preservation and the Order)

-Oti says he’s convinced

-code words from before come back in (shit I should have written them down, it was poison something, sweet dew, and apple something, sweet dew shows up this time per Topaz’s invite)

-unsurprisingly, it’s one of the Nameless: Himeko

-Astral Express will be shareholders? Perhaps this is so they can guarantee the future the Nameless wanted like Welt mentioned

-IPC gets 30%, gives 5% to the express to “honor the sacrifices and contributions made by the former Nameless to the Land of the Dreams,” which is A) true B) the real honor is the express now having a foot in the door to prevent Penacony from being like it was before

-Himeko is a member for the board of directors- what board? One in the IPC, or for Penacony, the Family?

-crew agreed to assist in reconstruction of Penacony, and commit to bringing the dreams of Penacony to other worlds

-However, they really wish for the Harmony to not be distorted again, that tragedy must never occur again

-negotiations end, we (as Jade) will go to meet up w Topaz again

-Jade believes the family heads will soon realize the situation, and that Oti’s agreement didn’t just represent their agreement, but the followers of the Harmony in general (this last part is only implied though)

-Topaz says she will handle the arrangements for formal negotiations

-Jade allows her to- gives Topaz a sense of control OOOH THE MANIPULATIONNNNN

-Topaz is shocked bc big responsibility, but Jade interrupts

-she says that Aventurine initiated this case and Topaz was his project partner, but since he overplayed his hand (taking on a case he couldn’t handle on his own?) Jade got pushed to the forefront

-OOH MORE MANIPULATION, Jade says she came here to help Topaz sort out the toughest issues, saying “I trust you’ll be able to wrap things up quite nicely, little Jelena,”

-Topaz’s objections immediately get pushed aside bc of Jades words, and asks Jade to give Diamond her assurance

-Jade tells her to not worry, Diamond has always trusted them, and Jade will put in a good word for her, and Topaz will get her position (P45) back in no time

-Jade claims her business is done so she’s gonna indulge in her own little hobby (I’m scared)

-which is opening a Bonajade Exchange branch on this ship, whatever that is, Jade believes the guests on this ship had or a wealth of valuable treasures tho

-it’s a pawnshop, and Jade says she will leave, saying she’ll “see you around Topaz”

-Topaz has one more question, Jade gladly lets her ask, she asks about the dose of “bitter poison”, wondering how Jade got it (I’m guessing her Cornerstone), it wasn’t her cornerstone, a “lady concerned with the future of the Harmony” told her (maybe this is Robin? But it seems like that was their first meeting? Hmm)

-Jade says she agreed to help her with something later (which makes me think this was Sparkle now haha), and that they can deal with it after they leave Penacony

-“that’s what ‘investment’ is all about”- the seeds of opportunity have already been soon and Jade simply gives them a little bit of nourishment for them to take root, afterwards all they (her and Topaz) need to do is wait patiently

-like right now, and Jade’s final “guest” boarded the ship

I’m insane about this actually yall. TOPAZ CENTRIC STORY??? WHAT IF I DIED. Also I love the way Jade was written in this, they made her as manipulative as I wanted her to be, so yeah I love her THEY COMMITED TO THE BIT I PRAYED FOR TIMES LIKE THIS

Scene 6: Firefly POV

-she boards (rather sneaks onto) the ship, so I assume she’s Jade’s final guest

-oh she’s heading to the pawnshop that grants wishes (it’s definitely Jade’s), perhaps to get those gifts she wanted earlier, or defy her destiny like she wanted to earlier?

-hey those closed off areas are unlocked W

-she spots TB, Robin is also there

-there’s a nice banquet table for people in that room, we got a shot of it earlier during Topaz, Jade and Oti’s meeting, idk what line of dialogue it was for tho

-Firefly overhears Robin saying that she will, “present a gift to the Astral Express on behalf of The Family as a token of gratitude for the Nameless’ contributions to Penacony”, asking for the staff to help her w the arrangements

-Firefly then asks how to get to the pawnshop, yup it’s Jade’s spot, she gets the directions

-Silverwolf was gonna meet w the Genius Society? Why? Also apparently she mentioned Jade’s stuff earlier, I don’t remember that though, maybe I forgot to write it down

-we can look for the TB so I’m going to

-TB is being a dumbass as ever and Firefly is amused

-she wants to talk to us but Firefly wants to meet Jade first

-we can’t go over there even if we want to

-Jade made her exchange in the dream pool room for some reason

-asks Jade to call her Samuel

-Firefly says she wants to give up living, and that she’s willing to give up everything she has

-even Jade is gagged

-Firefly is like yup! Everything!

-Jade says she should turn around bc she’s not familiar with the term, “pawn” aka she’s betting quite literally EVERYTHING

-Jade says she doesn’t have anything of equal value to offer her

-Firefly is upset, says this shop must just be a marketing gimmick

-Jade says she will help Firefly understand what she means, telling her to go and talk to the other customers, when she understands what “pawn” really means

-we see the TB being stupid again, this time w Dan Heng tagging along

-again she plans on catching up w them later

-first person she meets, Stacy, finally won a gamble w the blessing of Lady Bonajade

-there also seems to be way more guests on the ship

-second person she meets, a Pepeshi named Dell, gets his crush named Dorothy to go out with him, implied that he wished for her to say yes

-ppl seem to be gossiping about a grey haired person, either Firefly or TB

-yup it’s TB

-someone has been hiding in the Moment of Sol in Penacony under a fake identity, proposing as a professor at Paperfold academy, apparently this intellatron (Walker) found him (idk who him is) with the help of an influential figure

-ah this is unimportant this was just the wishes of the third person

-Firefly still doesn’t get it, but their wishes did seem to come true

-Jade said it was just to show the exchange was genuine, how she shows how all three of them gave up so much in exchange for their wishes, so yeah, glorified drug dealer, but it is an equal exchange, and Jade only encourages these people’s delusions, giving with the power of her Cornerstone for a hefty price

-uses their endless cycle of desires to get what Jade desires from their whirlpool of horrific decision making

-Jade knows Firefly’s identity, and she asks Firefly if she’s really willing to give up everything, Firefly isn’t surprised though

-Entropy Loss Syndrome was thrust upon all of the Iron Calvary in order to keep them fighting for Glamoth, and from falling into the wrong hands

-Firmament Front is gone so those who know the secret and could cure the disease are nowhere to be found, but Firefly still wishes to continue her existence

-Firefly asks if the IPC has a remedy

-Jade just says there might be a silver lining and leaves it at that

-Firefly realizes that she can’t provide anything of equal value bc nothing she owns has any meaning

-asks Jade if she’s gonna ask her to restrain the other Stellaron Hunters for her survival

-that’s not the case though, Jade acknowledges how remarkable close the Stellaron Hunters are, compares them to the Stonehearts, OOOHH LORE DROP

-Jade says like how the Stoneheart follow Diamond, the Stellaron Hunters are, “Traveling on the Path of Finality but struggling against your destiny, attempting to move in the opposite direction?”

-Firefly remains silent

-Jade hopes all of them will visit her pawnshop one day

-Firefly asks if she can see this as an invitation from Diamond to the Stellaron hunters behind the IPC’s back

-Jade says to consider it a person offer, not representing the IPC or SID

-Firefly says she will pass on the offer, but she has a question

-Firefly points out that SW could let the entirety of Pier Point know of this in seconds, so why would Jade ask this

-Jade says it’s because she believes her and Firefly are the same

OH MY GOD STONEHEART PICTURE

-she believes the Stonehearts band together to get what they want, and have been invited by Diamond to join them whilst on their own journeys

-Jade says all stonehearts carry a void (ambition) that can only be filled from the outside

-also omg Topaz and Aven look GOOOODD GRERRAAAA TOPAZ LOOOS SO FINE EEJFHJEJAKSKWS RAAAAA AVENNNNNNTURJEJNWKAND AAAA

-so Diamond promised them something, he divided the power of the Emanator of Preservation into ten pieces (for the ten stonehearts) and gave each of us a Cornerstone to fill that void

-“Mortal flesh is fragile, yet my heart is unyielding like the monolith. For without this resolve, the way of the Preservation would fade into oblivion.”

-Jade says this pledge goes beyond a mere oath, it’s their collateral in exchange for the Stonehearts desires, and their future

-whatever they gain from it will make the Stonehearts stronger, allowing them to achieve the great cause of the Preservation (what Diamond wants) when the war among the Aeons eventually comes (HUHH WHAT NOWW I MEAN WERE GETTING THEIR GOALS AT LEAST?!!)

-Jade tells Firefly to take her time

-Firefly says she will, and says it’s shame that the pawnshop won’t give her what she wants, as her last attempt (death?) will end with “hope”

-Walker comes to give her his memories

Scene 7: Trailblazer

-he points out how the meeting went smoother than expected

-Charmony festival opening ceremony is starting soon

-AVENTURINE AND BOOTHILL?!!?

-Boothill threatening Aven jokingly but not jokingly, Aven brushes it off

-seems like they came to an agreement off screen

-he notices us + typical flattery, Boothill gives a normal greeting

-Aventurine admits his words are nothing more than flattery and not genuine (at least due to the option I picked)

-Boothill says to set aside the under the table stuff as to not spoil the mood

-Aven gives congratulations bc he can’t be there personally (he’s a hologram) to witness the crew getting celebrated

-Aven says his job was just to give the IPC an opening, which he achieved (even if it was a mess

-Aven says he wouldn’t have been able to dig up such dirty information without the help of a “knowledgeable friend” HMMM IS THAT RATIO???

-Acheron still fucked him up though, and he admits this would have gone smoother had she not injured him

-we thank Boothill, he’s like it’s nothing I’m a galaxy ranger it’s part of our duty, he’s happy Galaxy Rangers are making a comeback and asks the TB to pass on his regards to any Hunt followers he meets

-BOOTHILL STRAIGHT UP ADMITS THAT AVENTURINE IS GONNA HELP HIM FIND OSWALDO SCHNEIDER WHO HE HAS A SCORE TO SETTLE WITH??? HE ADMITS THAT!!? HUHHH, I mean he did say he’s not one to beat around the bush but still

-Aventurine also talks about the feud between the Marketing Development Department (Oswaldo) and Strategic Investment Department (Diamond) is fairly well on wok, but he didn’t expect the Galaxy Rangers to get involved

-he thinks things are gonna get spicy

-I wonder if the IPC knows about this deal between him and Boothill, I doubt it though, and I think Aven might be hiding this from everyone

-this reminds me that he was deliberately acting like he hadn’t grown around Jade during their conversation in 2.2, which makes me think he’s planning to do something beyond just whatever he is gonna do with Boothill, or at the very least Aven wants to make things easier for himself by acting as if Penacony didnt change him

-they wish the TB well, Avens hologram disappears

RATIO.

EVERYONE PAUSSEEE

-he’s standing where the now activated Divergent Universe thing is AAAA

-it’s all over the screen/hj

-OK CALM DOWN BE SERIOUS

-OFF THE BAT TSUNDERE - “your performance at Herta’s space station was… adequate, I suppose,” thats high praise coming from you hehehhehe

-“Hm, no wonder the gambler likes you so much.” HUHHH??! Can’t keep AVENS NAME OUT UR DAMN MOUTH FOR MORE THAN 5 SECONDS??? We didn’t even bring him up

-“This individual is my responsibility during the trip. Hmph, nothing more than an errand from the Office of Academic Affairs,” the who of what now? Not the “hmph” and downplaying

-tells the Trailblazer to take advantage of the opportunity the Charmony Festival provides

-TB asks Ratio how he rates Aventurine, Ratio says that the IPC and Guild position them as strategic partners; but Ratio sees himself as a teacher, and like everyone in Ratio’s life, Aventurine as a student, Aven isn’t an ideal student, but not utterly obtuse. He remarks that the void inside of him (which could be referring to either the one mentioned as being filled by the Stonehearts or just Aven’s general lack of a will to live) cannot be filled by talent and knowledge. Ratio hopes he doesn’t turn into a philosophical zombie. Which I like that up, and it’s basically someone who behaves like a person but does not have a conscious experience. What I think Ratio is suggesting is that what Aventurine is missing isn’t talent or knowledge, but genuine connections with other people, goals, desires, a purpose, things that aren’t so material

-TB teases Ratio, saying they thought he would make them get their act together, Ratio says that saying such a thing means we haven’t grasped the essence of learning, OH MY GOD HE SAYS EXACLTY HOW I BELIEVE HIM TO VIEW KNOWLEDGE SOMEONE SEDATE ME

“Acquiring knowledge aims to enhance living” I KNOW THIS IS A SIMPLE LINE BUT ITS LIKE AT THE CORE OF RATIOS PHILOSOPHY, HE WANTS TO SPREAD KNOWLEDGE TO HELP OTHERS GROW AND PICK THEMSELVES UP

oh my god, that’s why Aventurine isnt his typical student, to improve Aventurine’s life, he DOESNT need knowledge or talent, so Ratio has to try other methods…

Forgive me for the person I’m about to become I fear

-we say good by to him 😭😭😭😭

-“I detest noisy gatherings, as they intrude upon my thoughts.. What a waste of time” AUTISM!! BRO IS OVERSTIMULATED LEAAVE GO ELSEWHERE WHY ARE YOU HERE UR CLEARLY HAVING A BAD TIMEEEE

Alright bye Ratio onto the next one

-TOPAZ AND NUMBY??!?

-Topaz eco ship mention??

-ooh we ask her about her Cornerstone and if she can transform herself like Aven

-her ability isn’t as “visual”? So it’s not a transformation

-LORE DROP; abilities of Ten Stonehearts are all different, some can even read thoughts and grasp desires (Jade), she warns us to be careful

-Topaz is greatful for the timing in Belabog bc it let her and Bronya be friends

-Jade convo next!

-I picked Sundays name and she went “not a bad name, just lacking in virtue,”

-she does her deal shtick, I’m gonna ask to revive Akivili

-poor girl is dumbfounded, but she accepts 😭

-she asks for the tail of an animal and I think she asks for the tail of the cat in the stellaron hunters 😭

-sorry Akivili you aren’t returning

-ARGENTI

-his lines aren’t voiced unfortunately

-he’s talking about the beauty as always, saying we are already walking that path due to our virtue

-apparently if an admirer of Beauty gets lost in the pursuit of power, they risk descending into “the Omen of Evil” a form that’s neither human nor beast

-he compares this to Sunday; whose actions argenti believes were no different from the Omen of Evil, and that he lost his way along the path of righteousness

-he wasn’t there at the final battle because Ena’s dream was too realistic and he couldn’t bid farewell to a fallen friend who had turned into a beast, so Argenti stayed within the dream for a while

-he blames himself for not passing the trial of Beauty this time, and for hesitating, wishing to become more determined that ever

-him and Sunday competing for who has more religous trauma LMAOO

Alright I’m done talking let’s wait for the opening now

-Firefly is here!

-we go over how wack the plot has been

-she asks if we will be leaving again

-I picked the idk option and Firefly says not to worry bc we are on the path of the Trailblaze

-Elio told Firefly that her journey will tell her how to live on and the rest is up for her to find out, and she will hunt for leads everywhere, including Penacony

-TB says that no wonder she was investigating the Watchmaker, but even if she didn’t get what she wanted, Firefly says she get a deal from Jade

-we warn her not to make deals w the IPC bc they are shady

-Firefly is like no dw I didn’t do anything stupid or get anyone involved

-she apologies for lying to us earlier about being from the Iris Family

-I accept it bc I’m not a cunt but I’m glad they allow you to turn her down

-OOH FIREFLY’S STRUGGLE AT EXPRESSING HER EMOTIONS YESS HOYOVERSE THIS IS WHAT I WANTED GRRRRR

-uh oh bloodhound family is here

-Firefly is sad and like “I guess we have to say our goodbyes”

-but she’s hopeful bc her “script” hasn’t ended yet- so they will meet again

-TB is worried but figures she will be fine, we decide to check on her later after we attend the festival

-we get a message from Firefly, saying she handled everything but she’s sad she won’t get to see Robin perform

-Ceremony begins and Robin shows up

-March is fangirling

-Robin is eating as always

-she’s like “yeah this has been crazy but hey we’re doing it now!”

-thanks Oti Alfalfa for his dedication

-she’s like thank god it’s over

-oh she brings up the Watchmaker

-she gives a tribute to Misha/ Mikhal Char Legwork for laying the foundations of Penacony

-thanks him for allowing the Dreamscape to exist, that Penacony’s success is rooted in the Trailblaze that the Watchmaker brought with him and only by honoring that spirit can harmony be spread

-everything is back on track, and Penacony’s family give the Nameless a token of appreciation

-They give the ship to the Astral Express?!!? That’s a fun one, I think Robin pulled some strings for that one to screw over Oti for throwing Sunday under the bus

-she toasts the Harmony, the Trailblaze, the future of Penacony and the universe, and the generous Alfalfa Family Head, Mr. Oti Alfalfa

CUTSCENE TIME

-Oti is amused by Robins cunning

-he’s SPARKLE TIME

-she put a bomb in the ship and we got 10 minutes to find it oh boy

Cutscene over

-she gave us a map at least

-HASTIEST GROUP CHAT IN EXISTENCE TO FIX THIS

-LMAOO

-this is great it’s bomb hunting time

-because the hounds are stupid and gathered everything spending 48 system hours to press all her buttons

-it’s hidden among 999 dolls and the challenge is to find where the real one is hidden

-Robin asks everyone not to panic and that they will prepare for evacuating

-however the Oak Family has relied on the power of the Order for the guarantee that you can’t die in dreams, but since the Order’s blessings are lost, this bomb might actually kill people

-everyone agrees to help

-Aventurine isn’t taking it seriously likely because he isn’t actually there, he’s like “Wanna bet who will survive this?” and Ratio’s like “k” bc he’s done w Aven’s shit and higher priorities

-Black Swan finds 131 fake bombs, area gets evacuated

-Boothill finds 217 of them with the help of the hounds and Ratio wearing his alabaster head, nobodies found it yet but nobody seems too concerned

-Argenti finds 145 bombs but again, duds

-IPC found 329, but again, nothing

-last one is in the cockpit

-Sparkle rickrolls us

-it’s a bomb

-they found the remaining dolls but nothing

-Sparkle gives the coordinates of the last, true bomb, and everyone agrees to gather there

-TB finds Firefly standing by Sparkle’s bomb

-Sweet Dream no longer has the Order’s protection and if it were to blow up there could be bad consequences

-she says the design is unique and as if it’s been locked by some mysterious Path force

-nobody knows how to deactivate it

-Firefly doesn’t think anybody there can fix it

-she says Black Swan might be able to teleport it, but Firefly found a note inside the doll

-a note that’s complete nonsense and says it contains a virus very dangerous to Memetic entities like BS plus a bunch of Bananas for some reason? It’s all very unserious

-Firefly reminds us that she has three “deaths” in the Land of Dreams

-so this is the third time

-we’re like nah ur not dying

-Firefly says she’s not in the dream like normal people, she has a Stellaron Hunters special method (Silver Wolf) that let her to be in here , and it lets Firefly perform feats others can’t

-as long as she can bear the pain of the memoria pressure, she will be able to dive into the primal Memory Zone and extend a lifeline to the Radiant Feldspar

-she’s gonna try and take it into the depths of the Dreamscape (Primordial Memory Zone) so nobody will get hurt

-Firefly tells us not to worry and that SAM will allow her to get back safely if she lucky

-determined to give this story a happy ending

-Firefly reminds us of Acheron’s words, “The so-called impossible is merely something that has yet to happen..”

-the moment that could disprove the “impossibilities” hasn’t arrived yet

-Firefly has so many choices to make before her “death” in whatever form it takes, and she believes that when the moment arrives for us to make a choice, the answer to our end will already be in our hearts

-“it is not destiny that shapes us, but we who shape destiny,”

CUTSCENE

Compare astral express and stellaron hunters like light and shadow and tied together

-OH BOY SO MUCH HAPPENS

-Sparkle detonates the bomb early but it’s actually fireworks

-she then bops us off the edge of the ship but Firefly catches and saves us

-it’s really cute tbh

-she reaffirms what we said, both that destiny is ours to choose and that the reason why life slumbers is because one day we will wake up

-there’s a little procession of scenes of everyone so far

-highlights being Ratio leaving and Boothill pulling out a gun due to Argentis yapping

-and Aven reminiscing in the place where he found himself again

-we also get a little peak at what Acheron is doing

-she put three flowers on the graves of the Nameless, officially saying by to them

Cutscene over

Scene 8; Acheron (although still from TB perspective)

-child wanted to put flowers down for the Nameless? I don’t really understand her first line in this

-oh the child is Mikhail and the flowers are for the other two Nameless, and when he’s gone someone placed one for him

-she says “your wishes will always be remembered by someone,” likely talking not just to Mikhail, but the audience

-Now Penacony has finally welcomed the dawn after the long dark night, even if the path ahead won’t be easy

-“Tiernan, you can now go home”

-the Nameless are also preparing for our next stop

-we say goodbye to the old Nameless, Gallagher and Acheron

-“in the Land of the Dreams, anything is indeed possible,” - March

-“History may not remember the names of the dead, but the stars will attest to their journeys, the first glimmer of light in the prolonged night often illuminates little, as it is fleeting and the darkness too vast. But because of this, people will remember: As long as something shines in the night sky, then when the first star falls.. countless more will follow, streaking across the horizon.” - Dan Heng, I loved his speech so I had to write it

-they give a toast to the fallen Nameless

-“A toast to history that no longer remains silent, the passionate and courage’s pursuit, and a voyage that traverses the stars,”- Dan Heng ur COOKING

-we can talk to Acheron, and she calls it a fitting end to our story

-we say bye to Gallagher, who we don’t even know if he was a “living person”, callback to the 13 thing, an “enigmatic” character for sure

-at least our journey and his love for Penacony was real

-we toast him too, and using the drink that Siobhan made for him

-“to all lies, and the singular truth,”- March

-she also asks him to not speak in riddles if they ever meet again

-we say bye to Micah, Welt apologizes for only now speaking to him, Welt asks what the people of Dreamflux Reef do now, many will continue to live there, and “those accustomed to being away will mostly have a hard time getting used to a life of darkness with their eyes closed,” Micah will also watch over the primal Memory Zone as the Order has faded

-“Penacony’s nights are long, and there are many who are still far from a good nights sleep,”

-they still manage without the Sweet Dream

-toast to the ppl in Dreamflux Reef and their tenacity

-we finally say goodbye to Mikhail, it started from the moment we met him and it ends by saying goodbye to him

-“just like a clock’s hands that turn round and round, the start and end of each day will always land on twelve o’clock- the advent of time moving forward,” - Himeko, it really is over isn’t it, honestly I wonder now is just what that dream pool and projector were for

-the entire adventure started bc of Mikhail and it’s ending because of him

-“And then, a new page will be turned.”

-“To Penacony’s past, present, future… and the child’s unwavering dream unto death,”- Himeko

—“the Trailblaze can illuminate the way, but ultimately, the future of a world belongs to those who live in it,” - Dan Heng, just like Belabog and the Luofu huh

-March has a strange feeling that she had a few stops ago that’s really strong this time, she talks about how many stories these three Nameless have experienced, and she compares them to the current Nameless and their own adventures, and that they lived the “every day” we do now

-but it’s all in the past, and TB says to her that we should live in the present, but that’s what March can’t get out of her mind

-she’s upset at that the Nameless then didn’t get their happy ending, but the TB now shouldn’t live through them, however since us (especially March) has witnessed their lives, their are special to us now, so she hopes their story gets a good ending when it comes

-but what if those Nameless and us now aren’t special, and we won’t get a good ending?

-if Mikhail might not have had no regrets, how can we know we won’t?

-“Then, what is this regret we feel in our hearts right now…?”

-Himeko assured that all of them are searching for the answer to this question, that against the backdrop of a cosmos, our lives are fleeting

-however, even if the universe doesn’t remember the never ending Trailblaze, but people, and those who travel along the silver rail themselves will

-“As long as we remember, their stories (The Trailblaze) will never end,” OH MY GOD THIS MIRRORS WHAT BS SAID IN THE ONE TRAILER WHERE WE WILL CARRY OUR WISHES TO COUNTLESS STARS AAAA

-Mikhail answered this question himself, dying with a smile on his face even after his complicated life

-its meaning will be interpreted by those who come after us

-it’s not the answer that’s important, but what we can learn from others answers

-“This is what Trailblazing is”

-March tells DH to tell a dad joke to lighten the mood

-he won’t

-it’s never a bad thing to reflect

-we got a long way ahead of us WHOOO

-so it’s time to tell PomPom what we saw

-then prepare for the next stop

-time to say final goodbye to Acheron

-she asks if we remember our first meeting

-we reminded her of an acquaintance

-because of the Self-Annihilators curse, what she thought was a familiar meeting was merely an illusion, attributing her feelings of that old friend to us the TB

-however you can ask if it wasn’t an illusion

-Acheron says it’s improbable we ever met before, and there’s nothing left to retrace but Nihility

-I can keep pushing

-she doubles down, said this me and your memory of her aren’t the same person

Red Text oh my god

-“But some things will never change,”

-she just laughs in response

-oh my god she’s talking about her past companions oh no her Kiana her Bronya noooooo NOOOOOOOOOO

-they didn’t achieve the outcome they wanted, but our sheer stupidity makes it feel like they never even left

-she talks about how things can seem so similar yet so different

-Acheron has wandered alone, encountering “acquaintances” who’s silhouettes overlap with her past

-she asks us what we think her “Deja vu” means

-im going with “the wish to return to the past”

-she says all of our possible answers are incomplete

-it’s something that’s not external, but something that’s within us, an emotion spanning across time from a certain moment in our past to reach us

-every time we reminisce, we notice both the tiny but unforgettable things we leave behind, and the other things that remain constant throughout

-that’s the summary of our lives, the proof of our shared path

-within those small moments, those tiny regrets, we glimpse our own essence, and truly “exist”

-Acheron says to “set forth on your voyage without hesitation, Nameless, on the path of the Trailblaze”

-even if our ending has been predetermined (OOH CALLBACK TO 2.1 and 2.2 AAA) there are countless things humans cannot change

-but before that, there are still many things we can do

SHES WORD FOR WORD REPEATING THINGS

-“And because of this, the “end” will thus reveal a completely different meaning”

-“this is the meaning of ‘journey’”

I AM INSANE ABOUT THIS ACTUALLY AAAAAAAAA

THE CALLBAKCS THE REFERNEFES I WAS RIGHT I WAS RIGHT FUCK ALL OF YOU I LOVR YOU ACHERONNNN

-“all those things, beautiful before, are still do now. And I believe… It will still bloom at the end of the Nihility, until we meet again beneath the sun’s rays,” OH MY GOD SHE HAS HER HORNS AND OLD OUTFIT SHES SO BEAUTIFUL

AND WE ARE GONNA MEET AGAIN AT THE END OF THE STORY AAAAAAAA

Back at the Express

-Pom Pom is crying

-Dan and March bickering

-Pom-Pom started crying over the adventure, March has never seen them so sad before

-now they are angry

-we caused so much chaos and threw the time-table off and if we keep acting like this the Express is gonna run out of fuel

-well not really they are just masking their sadness

-we take a break in the next car while Himeko comforts Pom Pom

-we chat a bit, those three Nameless must have meant a lot to them

-we don’t know shit about Pom Pom’s past lmao, but their emotions haven’t become dulled by the grind of time, and they still value every journey

-we might actually run out of fuel bc due to our existence Pom Pom has had to delay the warp jump schedule

-the express converts every “Trailblaze” into the energy it needs to run, like a perpetual motion machine

-we are using up fuel much faster than expected, and can only pull off two more warp jumps at most

-which means we must consider our next destination carefully

-the two worlds nearest to us are the oceanic planet of Lushaka and the Agate World Melustanin

-we still need to vote

-BLACK SWAN SHOWS UP

-Welts like ‘alright give us the juice’

-she overheard how the express obtains fuel

-her suggestion could be the lifeline that saves everyone

-OH ITS THE DH = DF LINES YESS

-“those mired memories of yours”

-if the express needs a special trailblazing expedition to recharge its engine, then they should go to a world that even Akivili never even reached, and the express will never have to worry about energy again

-March is like “is that possible?!!”

-a world many don’t even know exists, hidden away by outside observation, only revealed by the light from the monitor of the Garden of Recollection

-fettered by three Paths, its destiny hanging in the balance

-“The Eternal Land, Amphoreus”

NO THIS IS CRAZY THIS IS CRAZY BECAUSE THAT IS RATIOS HOMELAND SO HOW DID HE GET OUT FROM THERE, A PLACE NOT EVEN AKAVILI HAS BEEN ?!:!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAA

JADE SCENE?!!

YOOOOO

-she calls Sunday a child

-it seems like he tried to escape and got caught

-he thinks he’s gonna die

-his fate is entirely in Jade’s hands

-he wants the pretenses to be over and to just have time to talk

-she’s glad he’s still a cunt

-she came to fulfill Robin’s wishes, to offer a trade if he’s willing to accept

-she talks about his oath between him and Robin of building a haven where everyone can attain peace

-she asks if he would be willing to speak to her if there was a chance to fulfill that vow

-Jade sets him free, tells him to see the world for himself

-Sunday doesn’t want to accept it though

-however the trade is still up, and Jade is willing the wait for his answer

-she gives him a word of warning

-“Life is too short to miss out on golden opportunities”

And it’s over

Wow that was great

OK! I will definitely not be doing this again because oh my god this made the quest take like 10 hours (most of the time was just typing it tbh 😭) made it far less fun than it could have been, however it also really helped me understand what was going on a lot; and I’ll look back on this if I want to remember the plot in 2.3

Overall I think it’s a really satisfying conclusion for Penacony, and any of the things I thought were weird kinda dissipated because they are minor nitpicks at best, and we did say Penacony would have to figure itself out from here

if you somehow decided to read all of these, I admire your patience lmao, and I hope you enjoyed all of the parts in which I started absolutely losing it

I recommend you don’t do this lmao, it’s more fun to just play through and look at the wiki later imo, maybe take more overarching ones after you have already completed a scene? This was certainly a learning experience at least

#hsr #honkai star rail #dr ratio #aventurine #jade hsr #topaz hsr #boothill #argenti #firefly hsr #caelus #stelle #2.3 spoilers #this was definitely a decision I made #Hey at least it will be nice to look back on #I hope this somehow ends up being helpful LMAOO

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kiwiana-writes · 7 months ago

Text

Six(ish) Sentence Sunday

I said I wasn’t gonna share any more of the Anastasia AU considering how much I’ve shared already. Turns out I lied 😂 After publishing two fics in the last week, including the snippet y’all salivated over on Wednesday, I just straight up didn’t have any more new words in me this weekend. So have some slightly older—but I believe as yet unseen—words instead 😉

“Do you have any idea,” Alex starts, no greeting or acknowledgement that these are the first words they’ve exchanged in three years in sight as he runs a hand through his curls, “how many James Smiths there are in the DMV?”

“A great deal, I should imagine.” James’ eyes absolutely do not follow the way Alex’s fingers run through his hair before disappearing into the pocket of his chinos. He’s well aware that his name is nothing special; he’ll never know if the choice was a deliberate on, picked to ensure that he would be lost in a sea of anonymity.

“About 738, according to my friend Nora. It sure fucking felt like it when I was combing through social media profiles to find out where you worked.” He glances over at Tiff, whose gaze is flickering between the two of them; James can now more easily interpret the expression he couldn’t before. It’s something that’s half holy hell, he’s even more attractive in person and half what does the First Son want with you?

James can’t bring himself to disagree with either assertion.

Tagging @agame-writes @anincompletelist @celeritas2997 @cha-melodius @clottedcreamfudge @cricketnationrise @dumbpeachjuice @everwitch-magiks @firenati0n @getmehighonmagic @happiness-of-the-pursuit @heysweetheart-writes @hgejfmw-hgejhsf @indestructibleheart @indomitable-love @inexplicablymine @jellibuns @junebugclaremontdiaz @leaves-of-laurelin @littlemisskittentoes @lizzie-bennetdarcy @magicandarchery @matherines @myheartalivewrites @ninzied @nocoastposts @nontoxic-writes @notspecialbabe @orchidscript @piratefalls @read-and-write- @rmd-writes @sherryvalli @ships-to-sail @smc-27 @sparklepocalypse @stereopticons @tintagel-or-cockleshells @welcometololaland @whimsymanaged and, as always, anyone who wants to play! (If you take the open tag please tag me so I can see!!)

#six sentence sunday #kiwiana-writes #wip: years of dreams just can't be wrong

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the-100-days-of-junkan · 2 months ago

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THE 100 DAYS OF JUNKAN

Hello everybody! I’m Carbonated-Jem!

I sincerely hope you’re having a good day as this post finds you.

You’re probably wondering what this is. Well this my good compatriot is the result of a very ill advised task I put upon myself at the beginning of this year. There’ll be a TL;DR at the bottom for those who don’t want my full ramblings (sorry about that btw, not very good at this), but I do appreciate anyone who’ll give a silly person like me the time of day.

You see, I am a fan of Danganronpa, and as a result I like to read a lot of gay fanfic (and if I’m feeling daring I’ll even look at fan art, shocking). This series for all its ups and downs is quite important to me and becoming who I am today. Tokomaru especially helped me through a period of a lot of stress and depression, among other things.

But as you can tell by the name this isn’t a Blog Dedicated to Tokomaru, it’s a blog dedicated to Junkan. Which might be very surprising to anyone who I haven’t divulged this info to personally.

I try to make it a habit to not delve too deep into fandoms for the sake of my mental health, I look up fanart, read some appreciation posts on tumblr, read fics, and depending on the series make art for others to enjoy. However one thing I tend to become vaguely aware of regardless of whether I want to or not is what ships are and are not controversial. So I am very aware of the fact that saying I ship Junko and Mikan is bare minimum getting some weird looks from a lot of the people reading this.

Before I give a reason why I’m doing this let me just make clear what this is in the first place.

This is the 100 Days of Junkan, a project I undertook (Kind of as a joke) at the beginning of the year. I have made 100 Pieces to post across the next 100 Days. Some are finished art, some are sketches, some are sketches I added color to later, some are multiple images grouped into one day, comics, and far more. I’ve learned a lot through this project artistically, and some of the surprises I have in store will hopefully be worth the effort. I don’t know 100% for sure what day this post will be on, however the event itself will begin October 1st, and if I did the math right will continue all the way till January 9th.

Why would I put this much time and energy into this ship, knowing that there are a lot of people who downright hate it? Simple, I just like the ship a lot, and wanted to make more art for it.

And I should further note, there are plenty of fans of this ship as well, however they may be disappointed to hear that unless you’re very much like me, you probably won’t enjoy what I’ve made with these two. In canon (much to my chagrin, because I’m not partial to the direction it took in DR3) this is a very abusive relationship. This is not really my thing, anyone who has seen the ship art I’ve done on my main page will know that I much prefer to draw soft, fluffy shipping art. I try to make art which will leave a positive vibe on people for the most part.

That said I understand why there are people who like this ship for how it is represented in canon. Shipping Junkan has taught me to stop being judgy of people for what they ship (I used to really hate Togami x Toko for example, and while it’s still not my thing I can totally understand why people are into it now). Everyone has their own reasons for shipping something, whether it’s an interesting dynamic, they just like seeing the characters kiss, as a coping mechanism, and plenty of other reasons. I have my boundaries of course, but at this point I try to be open minded towards peoples proclivities.

So if I’m not drawing a Canon Compliant Depiction of this ship, what am I actually doing here?

Well I’ve decided that I’m going to draw niche art for an already very niche ship. I like Junkan on the softer side, where regardless of where it's supposed to be in canon or an AU they just actually love eachother, I've seen and have been inspired by a decent amount of Fanfics depicting this exact thing. It's the dynamic that I find the most interesting personally, as I like the directions you can take it with the characters.

So that’s the deal, for 100 Days starting from October 1st you can expect this blog to post a constant flow of soft Junko x Mikan art. If that’s your thing, I sincerely hope you like all this! It’s been my number one goal to give some art to the people who share a similar desire for softer depictions of this Ship, along with all the people who have already made amazing pieces of writing and artwork depicting the same. If this isn’t your thing, I hope you’ll at least stick around to give it a chance, and if I can’t sell you on it like I have with some of my friends, I hope you can at least walk away from this with a shrug.

Apologizing in advance to all those who peruse the Mikan and Junko tag, because this is gonna be flooding those for awhile I imagine. I fully understand if you wanna block me for this, hope you have a lovely day after that!

Now dear viewer, please watch this long road unwind and behold such sights as: Me slowly memorizing these two to the point that I can draw them almost entirely without reference at this point, inconsistent colors schemes, inconsistent heights, so much goddamn blushing, AU’s galore, and the unspeakable things I learned how to do for this project! (And by unspeakable I mean I don’t wanna spoil the surprise!)

Oh! And as an extra bonus to all this, go check out my AO3 account. I have a singular Junkan Fic on there right now, however as a little bonus for this event (and sure, thematic for Halloween) I’m going to be posting a Vampire AU Junkan Fic periodically throughout October. Partially inspired by the fact that Day 30 depicts a scene I came up with way before the actual fic, and I really want to have it written out and available to read before that post comes out.

The other reason is that if I say i’m going to post it here, that means I am required to actually do it by the law of my brain. Which will likely outweigh my complete lack of self confidence in my ability to write anything making me too paranoid to actually let it go public~

Here’s the link!

And if you stumbled upon this post through the Junkan Tag and not my main account, here’s a link to it!

You’ll find plenty of other Danganronpa Art, including Junko and Mikan on their own. I do other stuff but I imagine that’d be the most immediately interesting, but hey you never know. So hopefully if this blog doesn’t provide anything you’d be into, my normal works will catch your attention!

I’ve also opened an Ask Box for this blog, why? I dunno. I’ll be real it just seemed like the thing to do. But feel free to ask questions and I'll try to respond best I can!

And finally here is the TL,DR for those who didn't wanna read through my mind numbing rambling.

I like Danganronpa, I like drawing Soft Junkan art for a lot of reasons. I’m posting 100 Pieces for 100 Days of this ship, and hopefully ya’ll will enjoy it. If not, that’s okay! I hope you have a great day!

Reblogs Appreciated!~ Stay hydrated Everyone!~

#Junkan #Danganronpa #Junko Enoshima #Mikan Tsumiki #Shipping #Enomiki #Junkomikan #Can't wait to write these tags 100 times #Tsumiki Mikan #Enoshima Junko

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ofthecaravel · 3 months ago

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Brandy

Chapter Eight

Summary: Years after Sam gets his sailor, big plans are hatched and tensions arise as Daniel attempts to keep a secret.

Tags: Lotsa crying (both good and bad), anxiety, insecurity, illusions to saucy shit, overall a very very good happy time though I swear

Words: 9.2k

A/N: SURPRISE SHAWTYS you know I couldn't leave this one alone for too long. Here's a little follow up. Enjoy!

~~~

“This is honestly going better than I expected.”

Jake gave a muffled little laugh from behind the wide, felt brim of his hat, which he was holding to cover his face as he sat on the very edge of the couch. Josh, on the other hand, made no acknowledgement of the teasing, simply continuing to keep his face buried in his hands while his chest sputtered with dramatic little sobs. Jake reached blindly to the side and his hand found clumsy purchase on Josh’s back, giving him a sympathetic pat as Clarice the chicken pecked gently at Josh’s curls.

Daniel stood awkwardly in front of them, wringing his hands nervously as he had been doing from nearly the moment he’d woken up that morning. He hadn’t even said very much to them, but if he was being honest, he’d definitely expected far more drama from the both of them combined after he’d told them his thoughts. Daniel had gotten used to the high energy hysterics that they seemed to draw from each other, which had seemed so unusual at first considering that the cool, swashbuckling Jake that he had gotten to know was jovial yet never ridiculous. But Josh so easily riled him up and Daniel found their mania a comfort when he spent time at the Kiszka residence, which was nearly every day despite it being a 15 minute walk from his inn.

He’d made that walk earlier in much less time, channeling his anxiety into speed and then shuddering babbles as he’d burst through the door and instructed them to sit down and listen. What he’d said was very simple and straightforward and went something along the lines of Hello, so, basically, you’re aware I’ve spent the last 5ish years dating/falling in love with/wrangling your brother, Sam, I guess I don’t need to say his name because we all know him, obviously, anyways, but I was sort of thinking that since he lives with me at the inn now that the next step would be for me to, uh, well, ask him to…marry me. Officially. But I wanted to ask you guys first if I, uh, have your blessing. Considering you’re his family and I’d actually really like it if you ended up being mine too. Yes. Okay. That was what I wanted to say.

They had, of course, immediately burst into synchronous spells of tears, which Daniel took as a positive answer while they fumbled to hide their rosy, contorted faces.

“Christ,” Jake finally said, his voice thick with emotion but clearly desperate to answer with levity. “Daniel, you don’t even need to ask. But it means so much that you did.”

“So much,” Josh repeated, barely coherent through his tears. He straightened from a dramatic slouch to a dramatic backwards lean, turning his face to the ceiling and attempting to fan his tears away with his hands.

“You’re already family,” Jake insisted, reaching out to Daniel and taking his hand to pull him closer. “And- wow, your hand is sweaty, ew -you’ve been family since I first met you on that shabby old ship off the coast of God knows where. I loved you then, I love you now, and I think Sam is going to actually lose his mind when you ask.”

“If you two are reacting like this at the mere prospect, I feel like I should be expecting him to have a full blown meltdown,” Daniel laughed, flushing at the concept as Jake gripped his hand passionately and kept borderline uncomfortable eye contact with Daniel.

Something that Daniel loved so dearly about Jake was his fierce sincerity, and he felt it hard in that moment as they grinned at each other. Without Jake’s friendship, Daniel never would have gained a certain kind of confidence that had made him reliable on the ship and assured within himself. When Daniel had first met Jake and the rest of their crew, he had been a seasick, homesick shrinking violet that had to be coerced into talking. And Jake, who was being slowly driven nuts without the perpetual chatter of his brothers, was more than happy to be the one to poke and prod Daniel until his guard was down. It was after Jake had worn Daniel down and nurtured his shy laughter into raucous babbling that Jake had known he had to bring him home to Sam…but that’s a fact that Jake would save for the wedding. That reminiscence was at the forefront of Jake’s mind as they held to each other.

“Sam is going to fucking explode,” Josh blurted tearfully, his weeping finally giving way to laughter that punched out of his chest and infected Jake and Daniel too. Jake released his grip on Daniel and slumped backwards against Josh, who received him with an “oof” and set off a chain reaction of bantering back and forth between the two. Daniel listened fondly, wringing his hands with increasing fervor as he remembered that his speech wasn’t quite finished. Jake noticed Daniel’s notorious nervous tic and calmed again, sitting up straight and arching an eyebrow.

“What?” Jake asked. “What now?”

“I, well, I kinda wasn’t done,” Daniel explained meekly. “There was something else I wanted to ask about.”

“Do you need a ring guy? ‘Cause I know a guy,” Josh piped up brightly, quickly mirroring Jake’s posture and grinning.

“He does not know a guy, he knows a guy who knows a guy,” Jake clarified, rolling his eyes and pinching Josh’s side. “Or at least that’s what he says.”

“Why would he lie?” Josh scoffed, smacking Jake’s hand away and shoving at his cheek. “You like him.”

“Yeah, well, you like like him, huh?”

“Shut up!”

“Guys!” Daniel interjected, clapping his hands. “Hi!”

“Hi, sorry, yes,” Jake cleared his throat, waving his hands as if to clear away a spiderweb. “You were asking something.”

“I was, yes, okay, so,” Daniel started, wiping his sweaty palms on his shorts and gearing himself up. “So. I was thinking. That. Maybe. Jake, would you be interested in being my best-”

“Yes!” Jake yelled, flying to his feet and hurling his full body weight at Daniel, who caught him with a wheezing laugh. Josh stayed on the couch with an anticipatory look, holding his hands out like he was waiting to receive a first class package.

“AND?” Josh blurted, clearly anxious about the assignment Daniel was going to entrust him with.

“Josh, would you want to marry us?” Daniel asked gently, dividing his attention between patting Jake on the back and scanning Josh’s face. Josh’s eyes, already red and heavy from tears, began to glitter again and his lip quivered. There was a flicker of confusion as well, and Daniel jumped to tend to it.

“It’s just, I can’t think of anyone else that I’d want to do that,” Daniel further explained. “For us, I mean. I can’t say I’ve ever pictured myself getting married at a church and I know you guys have never been religious, so…I choose you.”

“I’m not a priest, honey,” Josh whispered, voice thick with awed emotion. “It wouldn’t, you know, count.”

“Well, I think any rites you’d do would hold a lot more weight than any performed by someone actually ordained,” Daniel smiled, hot in the face like he always was whenever he explained his thought process. It suddenly sounded very silly now that he’d said it out loud and he began to think of a backup plan, but then Josh was leaping to his feet and tackling Daniel in a hug of his own and he realized that probably wouldn’t be necessary.

“Of course,” Josh accepted, struggling to wrap his arms properly around both Daniel and Jake, who was still firmly cemented to Daniel’s chest. “Of course. God, it’d be an honor. I promise not to fuck it up.”

“Same here,” Jake agreed, giving Daniel another squeeze. “I’m gonna write the best speech you’ve ever heard.”

“I don’t doubt that for a minute,” Daniel laughed, a warm light burning in his chest and making his face ache with a smile. “Just try and keep it under 10 minutes.”

Jake paused.

“I am not going to make that promise.”

They all gave a laugh in their varying harmonies and stayed in their embrace, Daniel allowing the love from his friends to pass through him. With this rare silence, Daniel closed his eyes and basked in his gratitude. Just outside he could hear a squall of seagulls flying overhead, somewhere beyond it the pluck of a fiddle from the instrument repair shop that Jake had impulsively bought a guitar from a few years prior and hadn’t put down since. In the house, the windows were open and let a cool breeze wash over him and these men he felt beyond grateful to call his closest friends and soon his brothers.

Getting lost in the moment, Daniel indulged in his fantasy of this perfect wedding day he was working towards and the parts they would play: Jake, wine drunk and flushed, flailing about theatrically as he delivered a speech that was equal parts lecture about the sanctity of true love and embarrassing stories about the grooms. Josh undoubtedly fighting a warble in his voice through his entire faux sermon, one that he painstakingly crafted for months on end and will certainly complain about not being any good despite it being beyond beautiful.

And Sam. God, Daniel couldn’t even begin to imagine how he’d look, what he’d say. The prospect of it had the creeping ache of tears pressing on Daniel’s throat and at the back of his eyes. All he could manage was fleeting imaginings of Sam’s hand in his as they stepped into their first dance, or the sensation of Sam smiling into a kiss at the altar while their eardrums are blown to bits by the ferocity of the cheers from the audience. It’d all be perfect. A swan song from all the hardship they’d faced before they’d even been together officially and the gentlest, softest beginning of the rest of their lives. Calm. Peaceful. Quiet, even.

“‘Sup, fuckers!”

With a startling bang, the door was thrown open and Sam’s peppy voice filled the previously serene room. In the years they’d been together, Daniel had watched Sam come alive in a way he couldn’t feasibly describe. It could be felt in the way he dragged a certain electricity with him from room to room, something practically visible with every movement. Daniel could see it when he bounced in the house then, a sort of colorful blur at the borders of Sam that kept Daniel transfixed to him wherever he went. His face was already warm with a smile that reached his eyes and appled his cheeks, and Daniel for a moment forgot just what kind of strange position he was about to be caught in as he let the sight of Sam settle over him like sunlight. However, he was cold a second later when Sam finally looked at the strange amalgamation his brothers and Daniel had become and his bright expression was soured in an instant.

“What the hell are you doing?” Sam asked in an incredulous tone, his eyebrow raising sassily when Jake and Josh peeled themselves off of Daniel a little too fast to not be suspicious.

“We…” Daniel began, making brief panicked eye contact with Jake as he struggled to come up with a story. “Josh��had a bit of bad news and we were all hugging to make him feel a little better.”

“I’d say it worked,” Jake added on, nodding confidently and gripping Josh’s shoulder. “He’s pulling through.”

“I’m pulling through,” Josh finished with a bit of an amused waver to his voice that Jake dispelled with a dig of his nails into Josh’s skin. “From my bad news, I mean. Everything is fine, really, don’t worry about me.”

“It was just some moral support,” Daniel continued, trying to give Sam a calm smile that ultimately he knew he wouldn’t buy.

“What’s wrong?” Sam questioned with his brows still furrowed critically.

Daniel and the twins all exchanged a split second nervous look, with Josh begging for help with a slight squint of his eyes and Daniel and Jake returning it with apologetic silence.

“It’s just…Clarice,” Josh began unsteadily, feigning a pained look with uncanny quickness. “She’s not been doing so hot and I’m worried.”

From across the room, Clarice was hopping merrily from the top of the couch to the cushions over and over, clearly swept up in the excitement of playing and clearly in good health. Sam regarded her for a long moment and looked back to Josh with unrestrained scrutiny, squinting his eyes at Josh’s act of agony.

“You’ve been crying,” Sam noted coolly. “What about?”

“Clarice! I just said Clarice,” Josh wailed, smacking his hand against his forehead and looking at Clarice like it was the last time he ever could. “My Clarice…”

“What fucking ever,” Sam grumbled, rolling his eyes and landing his gaze on Daniel. “Do we have everything we need for dinner tonight?”

“I think so,” Daniel answered happily, hoping he was masking his body’s involuntary sigh of relief at Sam dropping the topic so quickly. “Was there anything special?”

“I think we just needed, like, yogurt or honey for the dessert.”

“I have honey!” Josh offered.

“Don’t get him fucking started on the fucking honey,” Jake lamented as Josh dropped his pitiful performance and scurried off to the kitchen to dig in a cabinet. “I can’t hear one more story about how ‘the cute honey guy’ looked at you while you weren’t looking but were actually looking or whatever.”

“He, like, super definitely did, though.”

“It might not even need honey, I was just saying that it might need honey,” Sam interjected.

As they all watched Josh pull jar after jar of honey out of a low cabinet like a clown pulling silks from his sleeve, Sam finally migrated over to where Daniel stood. When Jake sighed and went to Josh’s side to bicker about where they placed the recipe for the fancy Friday dinner they’d planned, Sam reached out and clung to Daniel’s arm with his cheek burrowed into his bicep. This was something Sam had done from the very start and it still made Daniel’s stomach flip.

“Hi,” Daniel whispered to the top of Sam’s head.

“Hi,” Sam whispered back, looking up at Daniel through his lashes. “Everything all good at the inn tonight?”

“Yes, indeed,” Daniel affirmed, kissing Sam’s forehead. “Apparently those rowdy sailors from Greenland left this afternoon, so they won’t be any more trouble.”

“Aw, all of them? Even the one with the two different colored eyes?”

“All of them, as far as I know.”

“Man. He was kind of cool.”

“You’re just trying to make me jealous.”

“Is it working?”

Daniel let out a laugh through his nose and kissed Sam’s forehead again before he dug his fingers into his side to make him yelp and wiggle away.

“Not at all,” Daniel replied with a chuckle.

“I’m gonna kill you,” Sam answered, covering his side with his hand and smacking blindly at Daniel with the other. A smile split his face again and Daniel drank it in.

“And I’m gonna marry you,” is what he replied in his head, but out loud, Daniel only scoffed. He went after Sam for another jab and gave chase when Sam squealed and ran in the opposite direction, eventually losing the thought as he fell into the hectic atmosphere of the Kiszka household on a Friday evening.

Lucky for Daniel, he never had to take Josh up on his “ring guy” offer. He already had one.

Truth be told, Daniel had had a ring on hand for an embarrassingly long amount of time. Since that agonizing year where he’d been at sea and oceans apart from Sam, in fact. A few days after getting Jake and Josh’s blessing, Daniel bowed to the compulsion to check the hiding spot the ring had been nestled in since the day he came back and hastily moved into the inn. It was a little risky considering Sam was in the shower and not far away like Daniel usually preferred him to be when he checked in on the ring, but Daniel just had to look at it. The anticipation of the actual proposal was killing him and he could only be soothed by the ritual of pulling the little velvet box free from the handkerchief it was wrapped in, which was in turn hidden in the inside pocket of a coat hung in the very back of his closet. Listening closely to the rush of water hitting the tile behind the bathroom door, Daniel popped open the lid and smiled at the ring. It wasn’t anything flashy, but it was damn near perfect in Daniel’s eyes: a simple rounded diamond surrounded by a halo of little pearls, all set on a silver band. Looking at it, he remembered wandering into a jewelers when they’d docked in Italy with the ring in tow, pulling it out and stumbling through a request in broken Italian to resize it. The jeweler had spoken a few words of English and they managed to get through the transaction without much issue, and Daniel remembered how he’d told Daniel that whoever was going to be on the receiving end of the ring was a very lucky person. The irony was not lost on Daniel when the jeweler informed him that the ring was, if Daniel’s feeble understanding of Italian wasn’t mistaken, made in “the siren style”. Daniel could’ve told him about how the lucky person was a siren themselves, but he just wished him well and pocketed the ring again.

“Done!” Sam announced from the bathroom, sending a shock of panic through Daniel as he fumbled stuffing the ring back into its box and springing into action to shove it back in the closet.

“I’ve missed you!” Daniel responded weakly, his hands shaking slightly as he struggled to wrap the handkerchief around the box. His body was half hidden in the closet when Sam strolled out of the bathroom, towel around his waist and a comb being dragged through his wet hair. He’d cut it recently so that it reached just past his shoulders, and he often wore it in a ponytail to combat the stiff summer heat that had settled over the town in the past month. When Daniel had successfully jammed the coat and its secret treasure back where it belonged, he turned around and was happy to see Sam’s hair loose and already beginning to curl slightly from the humidity.

“Lose something?” Sam asked innocently, looking around Daniel into the darkness of the closet.

“Nope, just putting a shirt away,” Daniel lied, closing the closet behind him with a smidge too much enthusiasm. “How was your shower?”

“Rejuvenating,” Sam sang with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “Energizing, even.”

“Yeah?” Daniel countered, casually leaning back against the door and crossing his tattooed arms over his chest.

“Yeah,” Sam flirted, looking Daniel up and down where he relaxed in his comfortable outfit of shorts and a thin tank top. “Would you be interested in taking advantage of this burst of energy before I go clock in?”

In the past few years, after Josh had mercifully yet begrudgingly hired some non-familial help around the Caravel, Sam had been splitting his time between the bar and working the front desk of the inn. Seeing as it was only a few steps from their front door, Sam and Daniel were in a continuing game of how close they could cut it before Sam had to run to the desk as the clock hit the hour on the head. Despite their ever growing catalog of games and running jokes they shared, this one was an undoubted favorite.

“I’d be extremely interested,” Daniel purred, straightening and closing the distance between them. “I think I can get you there at 5:58 on the dot this time. Plenty of time to get to the desk and lovingly tend to our guests.”

“You’re on,” Sam responded, already breathless as he wrapped his arms around Daniel’s neck. “Loser buys dinner.”

“I always buy dinner no matter what.”

“Loser.”

Daniel laughed and kissed Sam, one arm circling Sam’s waist to keep him close and the other reaching down to loosen the towel. After all was said and done, Sam would cheerfully wobble down to the lobby and Daniel would slip out to talk with Josh about a restock of Kiszka Liquor in the gift shop that had gone up in the past year.

But not really. Daniel had bigger plans than that.

A week or two passed. Sam stood in the doorway in the early evening, watching Daniel lace up his boots with an odd look in his eye. Sam’s whole world pretty much revolved around Daniel, so he was quick to pick up on the little things. And he had never been more convinced that something was wrong.

There wasn’t anything glaringly obvious, but Sam had spent his days attuning himself to Daniel and he’d been picking up more and more frequencies that didn’t quite make sense to him. His gaze lingering on Sam a beat longer than usual, the new and unusual way he twisted his ring finger while lost in thought, the thousand yard stare at couples passing them by on the street. He hugged Sam a little tighter, like he was bracing them for something. It was driving Sam absolutely crazy, and the worst part was that Daniel had to know that.

“Remind me where you’re going?” Sam asked nervously.

“Putting up lights for Josh,” Daniel answered patiently, eyes trained on the movement of his hands as he finished up a double knot. “I won’t be long at all, it’s just, well. You know he can’t reach.”

“Yeah,” Sam answered with an absent little laugh. His thumb gravitated to his mouth and he began to anxiously gnaw on the thick skin next to his nail while watching Daniel get to his feet and stretch. For a moment, Sam’s anxiety fluttered away as he became consumed with the sight of Daniel’s back muscles flexing and his long ponytail swaying. Daniel looked over his shoulder at Sam in the doorway and smiled softly. A few short curls strayed from his bangs and stuck to his temples, and Sam fought the urge to push them away just to feel the flush of Daniel’s soft freckled skin under his fingertips. There was some kind of…distance that Daniel seemed to have been implementing lately, and he didn’t want to disrespect that. But he did want to understand it.

“Hey,” Sam started, briefly removing his thumb from his teeth. “Are you okay?”

“What?” Daniel replied, looking confused but not confused enough for Sam to register it as genuine. “Yeah, I’m great. Are you okay?”

“I don’t know. Are we okay?”

Daniel blinked in real disbelief and Sam’s fears were assuaged slightly in the way that Daniel was at his side in an instant.

“Baby,” Daniel cooed, cupping Sam’s cheek in his hand. “We’re amazing. I mean, I think we are. Why?”

“You’re being weird,” Sam accused, his words mumbled as he looked at the floor. “You’ve been weird for, like, a full week now.”

Shit.

“I’m not weird!” Daniel sputtered.

“You’re very weird.”

“Well, I can’t help being weird. You’ve known I was weird from the start,” Daniel laughed.

His flippance sent a flash of irritation through Sam. Sam tore his gaze from the tips of Daniel’s boots and glared as best he could right into Daniel’s eyes.

“Stop it, stop deflecting,” Sam demanded, smacking Daniel’s hand away. “What’s wrong? And don’t say there’s nothing wrong because there is. I know you well enough. You can’t lie to me anymore. You promised.”

“I wouldn’t want to lie to you,” Daniel answered, his tone faltering slightly as his eyes skipped anxiously around Sam’s face and into the corridor behind him.

Come on, Sam couldn’t even give him two hours? Did they have to do this now?

“Daniel,” Sam said firmly, holding Daniel’s face between his hands and staring him down. “Talk to me. What’s wrong?”

“Sam, I am not lying to you when I say nothing is wrong,” Daniel replied earnestly. “I’m fine, we are fine, I swear. Okay?”

Sam didn’t reply. He had never ever known Daniel to be cruel, but he knew something was off and Daniel blatantly lying about it made it sting all the more. As Sam tracked Daniel’s expression, every twitch of his lip and guilty squint of his eyes, he spiraled deeper and deeper into all of the worst possibilities.

He’s met someone, Sam’s paranoia whispered to him, smooth and assured. He’s going stir crazy. He’s finally sick and tired of you and your high maintenance.

In the blink of an eye, Sam’s fire dimmed and he dropped his hands from Daniel, taking a step back and opening up the hallway to Daniel. Whatever was going on with him, Sam wasn’t going to stop him.

“Just go,” Sam muttered, nodding towards the front door with a placid look. “You know how impatient Josh gets.”

Daniel, terrified by Sam’s sudden and completely uncharacteristic shift in demeanor, felt sick to his stomach. He wanted nothing more than to stay with Sam until Sam was entirely reassured that everything was fine, but there was so much Daniel couldn’t say. There was a plan in place for the rest of the evening and he needed to set it into motion, which didn’t allow any time for any of that. Every beat of Daniel’s heart felt like a palm pressed to a barbed wire fence. It was all going to turn around in such a short amount of time, but up until that point, Daniel was wracked with guilt. There was nothing on Earth that disarmed him more than the sight of Sam’s sad puppy dog eyes boring right through to his soul, and he actually had to look away for a moment to regain his composure.

“I’ll see you so soon, Sammy,” Daniel said weakly. And then you’ll understand just how secure we are.

“Sure,” Sam replied blankly, crossing his arms and clenching his jaw to keep the tears at bay until after Daniel had gone.

“And I don’t need you at the desk for another half hour.”

“I know.”

“I know you know, I just…”

“Go,” Sam whispered, crumpling in on himself a little more as he stared at the floor.

Daniel hesitated, fighting every instinct to pull Sam into his arms and confess everything right then and there.

Tonight is all for you, he’d say into Sam’s hair. If you just wait a little longer you’ll see that I don’t want to go anywhere if you’re not going to be there too.

“Kiss for luck?” Daniel blurted.

He fully expected Sam to spit in his face at that point, but Sam immediately took hold of his collar and pulled him down into a deep kiss that had them both exhaling heavily through their noses at the shock of it. And when Sam finally released Daniel and steered him by the shoulder into the hall, there was a thought at the back of Sam’s mind that put a lump in his throat.

I hope that wasn’t the last time.

Sam spent the half hour before his shift at the front desk perched on Daniel’s side of the bed, white knuckling the edge and staring a hole through the carpet. One hand he kept free to press the silver heart of his most beloved locket into his palm over and over again, keeping time to his own erratic heartbeat.

Deep down he couldn’t believe that Daniel would hide anything from him. Hell, Daniel kept Sam up to date on anything from room renovations at the inn to the state of his matching sock pairs and which ones seemed to have “run away”. But if it wasn’t bad news, why would Daniel hide it?

Sam laid down and pressed his cheek into Daniel’s pillow, inhaling his intoxicatingly calming scent of fresh smelling shampoo, spiced cologne and his simple natural warmth that clung to all his clothes. In the time that Daniel had been away, Sam had associated that smell with adrenaline and butterflies, but now it just made him sleepy. It was the first thing he breathed in in the morning while curled into Daniel’s chest and the last thing he inhaled when he was evening out his breathing to drift off in Daniel’s tight embrace. There was a stab of icy panic when Sam tried to picture falling asleep without it and he rolled onto his back to stave the chill off, staring up at the ceiling and fiddling with his necklace some more to regulate.

Eventually, Sam found the strength to rise up from his pity party and make his way down to the lobby, his feet dragging and his head low. All he could think about was Daniel not being close to him, which made him think about the year he’d spent thousands of miles and several time zones away from him, the isolation, the abandonment…

However, when Sam turned the corner from the stairs towards the front desk, he was startled from his storm cloud at the sight of…Jake. Behind the desk. Flipping through a magazine, looking bored, barely acknowledging Sam’s presence until Sam was right in front of him and rapped his knuckles against the wood. Jake glanced up at him and smiled briefly before looking back at the article he was reading, his finger tracing the outline of a microphone stand while Sam scowled.

“The fuck?” Sam asked pointedly.

“Language, por favor,” Jake scolded in an uninterested sort of sing-song, only raising his eyebrows in response instead of giving Sam any kind of eye contact.

“You’re in my seat,” Sam accused as he came around behind the desk. “And at the wrong job, actually. Scooch.”

“Oh, right, about that,” Jake began, turning in the chair to properly face Sam. “I’m covering your shift tonight.”

Sam blinked in surprise, furrowing his brow in confusion while Jake maintained a very neutral expression as they stared each other down.

“What?”

“Yeah. Daniel said he needs you down at the bar so I’m gonna shack up here for the night. You should probably get down there.”

Save for a couple years of piracy, Sam and Jake had always been pretty prolific at reading each other. However, they could also tell when the other one was trying to get a glimpse into their head, and Sam tried to play it as cool as possible as he studied Jake’s body language. Jake must have anticipated this because he simply sat there like a statue, staring up at Sam like this was an everyday occurrence and Sam was the odd man out for making a face at him.

“Needs me at the bar? He literally just told me that he was going to hang up lights with Josh,” Sam stammered. “‘Cause the other ones burnt out.”

“Yeah, I know they burned out, I work there, dumbass,” Jake snorted, side eyeing Sam as he turned back around to face the empty lobby. “Josh isn’t even at Caravel tonight. He’s got a hot date with that beekeeper, actually, and I mean thank fuck, I thought he’d ne-”

“Why would Daniel tell me he was putting up lights if he’s no-”

“Sam, oh my god, just get the hell out of here and go answer your own questions!” Jake sighed, throwing his hands up dramatically to gesture to the doors. From the strain of his eyes, Sam could see how desperate Jake was to get Sam out.

Sam, riled up from conflicting accounts and the cold ache of being left out of something, let out a frustrated howl and stalked off towards the front. But before he could burst out into the humid night, Jake called his name and he spun around.

“Sam,” Jake repeated. “Don’t be mad at Daniel, ‘kay? He doesn’t need it.”

“What do you know what he needs, huh?” Sam snapped. Even though Jake had introduced them and known Daniel for long before Sam ever knew he existed, Sam felt a fierce protectiveness over him. With the state he was already in, jealousy came easily.

Jake just gave an absent little shrug and smiled, getting swept back up in his magazine and leaving Sam to fume for a second longer before barging through the doors and out into the night to track Daniel down.

Behind him, Jake watched Sam go with a growing smile. That version of Sam he’d just sent off, frustrated and snippy and primed for a fistfight, was one that Jake had been well acquainted with from the time that Sam could walk. It wasn’t his favorite way for Sam to be, if he was being honest, and that was something he was pretty confident in after he and Josh had had to step up to the parenting role and Sam had stayed in that combative sullen state for years on end. But it was a storm he weathered happily for the chance to get to laugh with his baby brother, who really was all things good and honest at his core. That was the thing with Sam; there was so much nuance you had to understand to really get close to him. And Jake knew that the man Sam was no doubt about to give a piece of his mind to was well aware of that, and he was going to ask Sam to spend forever with him anyways.

It was Sam’s night, or it was about to be. But Jake couldn’t help but feel pretty lucky too.

Daniel had been transfixed staring at the door since he’d arrived at the bar, but he still nearly jumped out of his skin when Sam’s trademark 3 point knock touched down on the wood. Sam didn’t wait for any kind of response, he simply pushed the door open in a way that Daniel could read as irritation in a second. Despite this, Daniel felt oddly assured by it. If he knew Sam so well that he could read his emotion in the way he opened a door, he was more than qualified to ask him to marry him.

On the walk over, Sam’s mental state had taken an even more rapid decline. As his walking began to border on jogging, Sam’s unwinding anxieties took him on a tour of every possible negative reasoning for this mysterious meetup.

Pick your poison, Sammy, his brain taunted him as it showed him nauseating imagery of Daniel pressed up against a faceless figure with a lovesick expression, Daniel sneering behind Sam’s back at all of eccentricities, Daniel boarding a ship for adventure and far off shores…

Sam had settled for the latter scenario by the time he was outside the Caravel. That had to be it. He saw the way Daniel looked out over the harbor, his eyes smoothing over cresting waves and his broad chest making room for great breaths of salt slick air. Sam knew that deep down Daniel missed his seafaring life no matter how much he assured Sam that he now preferred dry land and the lull of a consistent schedule. But when he thought back on it, Sam couldn’t recall the last time Daniel had assured him of this. Maybe he had changed his mind.

Sam geared himself up for a fight as he walked into the swell of air conditioning, taking in a deep breath as he prepared for the words to spill out and sink into Daniel’s guilty conscience as…as they...

Sam froze as the door swung shut behind him, cutting off the light from the streetlamps so that Sam could be fully encompassed by the light inside.

As it turns out, Daniel hadn’t lied entirely. The night prior, the last of the string lights hung up by Jake in his teen years had flickered their final goodbye and left them all scrambling to pull lamps from storage and furnish the floor with enough light for their patrons to drink by. Since then, a winding river of string lights had been strung in their place, lining the ceiling with warm blurs of orange, red, blue and pink that drenched the entire room. Sam assessed their march around the perimeter of the walls before his gaze landed on Daniel, who was leaning on his hip against the bar and his long, long legs crossed casually. To Sam’s further surprise, Daniel wasn’t wearing the comfortable hooded sweatshirt and jeans he’d tossed on before leaving the house. He was now sporting a wine colored button down with the first few buttons undone and dark dress pants, making him look oddly professional and utterly handsome. Sam flushed and struggled to conjure the words that just moments ago were threatening to burst out.

“Hi, Brandy,” Daniel hummed with a shy smile. “Glad you could make it.”

Sam hesitated, unsure of what to do with his face as he took in the change in his surroundings, his drop dead gorgeous boyfriend, and the fact that he was now even more lost than he thought he could be. Daniel watched him with an amused grin, his rampant anxiety starting to settle down now that he was in the thick of it. No going back now.

“You wanna come here?” Daniel offered, holding a hand out to Sam. “You look cute.”

Daniel couldn’t help but notice that where Sam stood floundering was a few paces to the side of where Daniel had been standing the first time he had ever seen Sam. He recalled it often, usually without meaning to and always when he sat in a designated corner booth on busy nights as their unofficial security detail. It sounded so impossible, but Daniel was always baffled all over again at the memory of watching Sam fly through the back doors, realizing that he was the annoying little terror that Jake had been talking about for months, and then feeling himself fall in love without even hearing his voice.

Sam shook himself from his haze a little and, going off of instinct, he took Daniel’s hand and let him pull Sam next to him. Sam still couldn’t think of anything to say and let Daniel tuck a stray curl of hair behind his ear and gently smooth his knuckle along Sam’s cheekbone as he stood there speechless.

“Seriously, you look so cute,” Daniel cooed. “Did you get cuter since I last saw you?”

Unexpectedly, Sam felt a rush inside him and tears sprang to his eyes. As his bottom lip gave an involuntary quiver, Daniel’s face fell and he leaned in to anticipate Sam’s needs.

“Baby?”

“Please don’t leave,” Sam gasped, a little sob escaping him as he started to cry. It shocked Sam as much as it shocked Daniel, but he couldn’t stave off the wave of borrowed grief and insecurity as he crumpled forwards into Daniel’s chest and cried. Sam had always been an angry crier, but it had been so many years since he’d had good reason to. He’d forgotten what it felt like to feel so stupid, so small.

“Sammy, honey,” Daniel soothed, cradling Sam’s head as his heart raced with a renewed flush of anxiety. “Don’t cry, this is-”

“Don’t tell me not to cry when you’ve spent all this time lying to me!” Sam wailed. “Don’t you dare.”

“Sam-”

“How bad can it be if you can’t talk to me? If you have to use my own brother as some kind of pawn to get me here?”

“Sa-”

“I won’t do it again,” Sam declared through a shuddering sob, clutching the back of Daniel’s shirt and buried his face into the familiar crook of his neck. “I won’t sit around and wait for you to get eaten by a whale or get your throat slit by pirates or what the fuck ever, I won’t, Danny, I won’t.”

“Sam.”

Finally, Sam’s mouth shut and he quieted, not yet lifting his face from the jungle hot humidity he was crying against Daniel’s skin. Daniel smoothed a hand up and down his back, keeping their racing hearts pressed together.

“Sam,” Daniel repeated in a low whisper, speaking right into Sam’s ear. “Nobody is leaving anybody. Okay? This is not what this is, not in the slightest. There you go, deep breaths. You’re alright, baby, just breathe for a second.”

Sam obliged, drawing in as even a breath as he could muster and melting into Daniel’s near hypnotic suggestion as his voice continued to lull Sam into a state of calm again.

“Better?” Daniel asked gently after a minute.

Sam nodded and sniffed, looking up at Daniel and breaking his heart all over again with the remnants of his meltdown blushing his nose and cheeks. This was a face that could break Daniel completely, he realized. Maybe it already had. A face he’d tried to jump overboard for, even though he’d known in some capacity that it was only a mask for a hungry monster.

“What is it, then?” Sam asked cautiously.

“It’s…” Daniel trailed off, trying to remember how he had planned on doing this. It’d all he’d been thinking about, but now that everything had fallen into place, he really couldn’t call to mind what he was supposed to do. What he was supposed to say. It all felt too simple now.

I love you. I want you. I’m staying. Here’s a ring. It’s not enough. But it’s something.

“Why don’t you go put on our song,” Daniel suggested. “And then we’ll talk, hm? You want a drink?”

Sam finally smiled and rolled his eyes, sniffing again and straightening out his clothes as he stepped away from Daniel and attempted to resituate himself. Daniel watched him with a sly grin of his own, fighting to remember every moment with crystal clarity when Sam looked from him over to the jukebox. He watched as Sam’s face registered and then split into an even wider smile, this time laced with a high laugh.

“You dork,” Sam laughed, striding over to the jukebox. It was so predictable what Sam would say next that Daniel mouthed it along with him as he quietly followed behind Sam.

“That’s my tray”, Sam echoed, borrowing his own words from the first time he’d ever spoken to Daniel. It’d become a running joke over the years as Daniel kept his long accused kleptomania alive in the practice of constantly trying to steal Sam’s tray, something that was only funny to the two of them and decidedly idiotic to Sam’s brothers. Sam wasn’t surprised to see it perched atop the jukebox as he settled in front of it, flicking his eyes up to it for a moment before looking back down through the glass crown of the jukebox to find the desired disc.

“You gonna get me a drink or are you just gonna be my creepy shadow?” Sam teased as he selected the song, a familiar violin beginning to whistle over a bright guitar when the jukebox lit up. He could feel Daniel at his back, and if he didn’t know any better, he could feel Daniel’s smile. Sam’s eyes skirted over the tray again as he began to turn around to further question Daniel, but before he got the chance, he caught a flash of something glimmering bright from where it sat atop the worn metal saucer.

Leaning in closer, Sam could see it for what it was. His heart seemed to freeze up in his chest and he drew in a sharp breath, his body seizing so as not to prevent any distraction from the simple little ring that seemed to stare him down as much as he was staring at it.

“There’s an old sailor’s tale,” came Daniel’s voice right over Sam’s shoulder, his arms coming to encircle Sam’s waist as Sam dared to pick up the ring to further gawk at it. “About a lonely pirate and a mermaid’s ring. Can I tell it to you?”

“Daniel,” Sam replied breathlessly. “Daniel, I-”

“Once upon a time,” Daniel interrupted. “There was a very, very lonely pirate who sailed the seven seas. He was lonely because he’d had to leave his lover behind very, very unexpectedly, and he missed him very, very much. The pirate wasn’t the superstitious type, but he was a man in love, and love makes you do crazy things. So the pirate started praying for a sign that when he made his way back to his lover - and he knew that he would - that he would be waiting for the pirate with open arms.”

Sam felt those tears from before rising up again with a renewed purpose, but he didn’t dare interrupt Daniel. He leaned back against his chest and ran his finger along the smooth circlet of pearls, all of them twice as small as the beads on a rosary but just as holy.

“One day the pirate gets the idea that he’ll bring back treasures for his lover as proof of his love, just in case his begging didn’t work. The next time his ship lands on a sandy beach, he spends his day combing the sand for sea glass and shells and anything else the ocean might’ve given up for him to find. As it turns out, the ocean was feeling extremely generous that day, because while the pirate was on his hands and knees looking for his treasure, he found something he never expected to find. A ring. And the pirate knew right away that this ring was his sign that somewhere across all those oceans, his lover was thinking of him too.”

Sam, unable to bear another second without looking into Daniel’s perfect face, turned around and found that Daniel was as close to tears as he was. He looked almost pained in the way he regarded Sam.

“I think the lover would think the pirate was foolish for ever thinking anything otherwise,” Sam rasped, his voice thick with emotion. Daniel laughed a little and rested his forehead against Sam’s for a brief moment.

“Yeah, well, maybe the pirate knew the lover well enough in only a few days that he was pretty sure he was capable of murder considering the state the pirate left him in,” Daniel explained, delivering a kiss to Sam’s forehead when he leaned back to look at him again.

“Finish your story,” Sam whispered eagerly.

“Well,” Daniel continued, clearing his throat before going on. “The pirate had a lot of time to think about the ring. He figured it had probably been thrown into the ocean under the pretense of heartbreak. Maybe love that had fizzled out, or maybe something worse. He got paranoid about it carrying the memory of all of that, but over time, the pirate realized that the ocean had brought it to him because it was ready for a new love. It had been washed clean. The pirate thought maybe he had been too when picking it up and dedicating it with the purpose he had decided for it.”

“What purpose?” Sam blurted. Daniel laughed again and smoothed a hand over Sam’s hair lovingly.

“Can I finish my dramatic monologue or do you want me to spoil it?”

“Spoil it,” Sam grinned, now visibly vibrating with energy as the last of his insecurity wore off and was replaced by pure adrenaline. “Say it. Do it.”

“The pirate decided on two things,” Daniel clarified as he thought back on it. “He decided that if all else failed when he returned to his love, he would get down on one knee and give him the ring and ask him just one more time if he would please be his. But it never came to that. The pirate returned and their love was just as strong. However…”

Daniel gently took the ring from Sam and, carefully, lowered himself down to one knee, never taking his eyes off of Sam.

“He eventually decided he wanted to give him the ring anyways,” Daniel smiled, holding the ring up to Sam. “He decided that he really did want to ask his lover if he would be his forever, even if he was pretty confident that he was already going to be.”

“What are you saying?” Sam breathed, his forefinger and thumb splayed at the hollow of his throat as he tried to assuage his dizziness and anchor himself to the comfort of his locket.

“Sam, I fucking love you,” Daniel sighed. “I’ve loved you before I even knew you. I think I’ll probably love you after I know you, too. Will you marry me?”

Sam couldn’t respond. He simply dropped to his knees and hugged Daniel hard, knocking a laugh and a little cry out of the larger man as he clung to him and began to weep all over again. This time it was from utter relief and unbelievable, blinding, terrifying love.

“Yes,” Sam agreed, nodding his head excitedly and wiping his face with his palm. “Yes, of course, I’ll marry you, oh my god. I can’t believe you. Yes.”

Daniel collapsed into Sam and reciprocated the hug fully, able to relax for the first time in a long time at the confirmation that his years of daydreaming weren’t wasted. Daniel borderline crushed Sam against him as they embraced and laughed, murmuring about how they loved each other and how silly they felt to cry.

“Can I put it on you now?” Daniel eventually asked.

Sam nodded and peeled himself from Daniel’s chest so that Daniel could slip the ring onto Sam’s left hand. Once it was on, Sam held it up and tilted it this way and that so it caught the light just right, electric and pearlescent and beyond beautiful. A bright, clear diamond offset by the pearls; it was everything Sam could’ve wanted. Maybe this was also an apology gift in part from the ocean, Sam wondered.

“Now who would toss this into the ocean?” Sam questioned as he watched the ring dance in the orange glow of the lights.

“Must’ve been a rough break up,” Daniel hummed.

“Yeah, like, maybe one of them left to go be a murderer and the other one had to stay behind to hustle drunks for tips.”

“I can’t imagine anybody would ever be that evil.”

“Yeah, imagine that,” Sam smirked, casting a sidelong glance at Daniel.

“I just said I can’t,” Daniel joked, leaning forward and kissing Sam’s cheek. “Are you feeling a little more assured that I’m not leaving?”

“Maybe a little,” Sam murmured, turning inwards to catch Daniel’s wandering lips in a proper kiss.

After a long couple of minutes of clawing at each other and Sam nearly tipping over from how far Daniel leaned into him to chase his tongue, they broke apart. Sam held Daniel’s face in his hands, the cool metal of the band on his finger tickling Daniel’s fiery skin and making him grin.

“You wanna know something wild?” Daniel asked, voice hoarse from crying and kissing.

“Always.”

“When I went to go get the band adjusted in Italy, the jeweler told me the silver used for the ring was from Spain,” Daniel revealed, hooking the chain of Sam’s necklace and pulling it out as he spoke. “That’s where I got this. What do you think of that?”

“I think it’s fate,” Sam marveled, curling his hand inwards so they could compare the two pieces of jewelry. “I think it was meant to be.”

“Yeah, that’s what I think, too,” Daniel whispered.

“You big sap.”

Daniel turned and kissed Sam’s cheek again and Sam giggled, falling against him and into the touch. Daniel withdrew his lips and stretched before standing up again, holding a hand out to pull Sam to his feet. On the jukebox, the song had long since skipped to something new, but Daniel reached out and selected their song again.

“You wanna know something else?” Daniel asked when the music changed.

“Hm?”

“Remember the night we met?”

“Duh.”

“Hey, watch it with the sass, mister. I’ll pry that ring right off.”

“I’d like to see you try.”

“Anyways,” Daniel laughed, taking both of Sam’s hands and swinging them slightly. “The night we met. Before you ran away from me, did you know I was going to ask you to dance with me?”

“Really, now?” Sam smiled, blushing with a flutter of butterflies when Daniel nodded toothly and pulled him against him again. A hand went to Sam’s waist, another held the hand with the ring proudly on display.

“Yeah, really,” Daniel confirmed, swaying them to the jovial melody of the song. “I knew you’d say no, but I was gonna ask anyway.”

“You should ask,” Sam flirted.

“We’re already dancing this time.”

“And I was already going to marry you, but you asked me anyhow,” Sam pointed out with a cocky twinkle in his eye, letting Daniel give him a twirl before they settled into an amateur sort of side step with Sam’s arms around Daniel’s neck and Daniel’s arms around his waist.

“So you’d thought about it before?” Daniel prodded shyly, curls hanging down as he smiled dopily at his fiance. “Getting married?”

“Of course,” Sam murmured, feeling the heat creep into his face. “We have been dating for, like, a million years. Glad you decided to stop dragging your feet.”

“Gee, you’re welcome,” Daniel scoffed. Sam laughed and rested his head under Daniel’s chin, allowing them to dance in silence until the last few notes of the song bubbled over and then petered out.

“You wanna go inform the troops?” Daniel asked.

Setting the whole thing up had been a group collaboration between himself and the twins, with Josh giving him the space for the night and Jake being a distraction to allow Daniel the time to set up the lights/change/get his mind together. He knew that they were both on the edges of their seats at their respective posts, Jake sat at the inn and Josh on the couch, probably with Clarice and any number of her chicks fluttering around him. He also knew (because they had told him, loudly and repeatedly) that they needed to know how it went as fast as possible, because they were just as antsy if not more than him.

Sam thought about it quietly before making an indifferent noise and cuddling up closer to Daniel.

“They can wait,” Sam announced, his voice muffled. “I want you all to myself for a little longer.”

“If you follow through on the whole marriage thing, you’ll have me to yourself forever, Brandy,” Daniel reminded him.

“Love the sound of that,” Sam giggled. “How about after forever, too? I think you said something about that.”

“Yes, after that, too. I don’t even know if there’s anything after forever.”

“Wanna find out?”

Daniel pretended to think about it long and hard, like he hadn’t spent every day for the past 5 years saying yes to it over and over and over.

“Yeah,” Daniel agreed. “If we find out together.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

~~~

Taglist: @holdingup-fallingsky @streamsofstardust @spark-my-nature @jake-whatthefisgoingon-kiszka @lightsofthe-living-gvf @nessie-stardust @musicislove3389 @joshkiszkashusband @currentlyfangirling10

#BARELY proofread im so sorry #MWAHAHAHAHAAHA #gvf #greta van fleet #danny wagner #sam kiszka #myart #karoufiction #greta van fleet fanfiction #talk to me tell me what you think

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nerdieforpedro · 8 months ago

Text

She made me Feel

Din Djarin x plus size female reader

My blog is 18+ MDNI

Word Count: about 2.8k (double the length of the original - because Din thinks a lot)

Summary: The Mandalorian constantly weighs different scenarios concerning the safety of his child and himself. Din Djarin's mind is now riddled with possible ways to interact with you. Can he figure it out?

Warnings: Din is a pile of nervous beskar, Din is also clueless, Peli is a menace to Din, awkward conversations, Din being so soft, mention of blood and injuries, first aid, HANDS, basically fluff (the fluff is back a little?)

Notes: The follow up to He Told Me His Name. Din might be a tad anxious. It's a companion piece to my other fic. I might do one where it shows where they are now. I thought Din's perspective would be good to see. The dividers are by the talented @saradika-graphics

Main Masterlist / Din Djarin - The Mandalorian Masterlist/ Our Journey Across the Star Ocean Series

I wasn’t aware Peli had anyone human working with her, only those damn droids. I first saw her repairing one of them, her hands working skillfully with the wires. I wondered why she was here. Her hands could be doing much more delicate work. She finished with the droid and sent it on it’s way. I asked Peli about her and apparently she normally works with droids and I did state that I only wanted Peli and her approved droids on my ship when I first started getting repairs here.

I couldn’t say then that I didn’t mind if she joined Peli in her work on the Razor Crest. I already can’t deal with Peli’s teasing today as she asks about my interest in her assistant. Grogu has already tested my patience with his tantrums about frogs. I told the annoying woman that my curiosity extended to her because she seems much more sane than you and your army of half-functioning droids. Peli did not take that well. She hit me with one of her wrenches. That will bruise.

When the ship needs maintenance, I keep an eye out for her now and she is always repairing some droid or another. She manages her tools as well, cleaning them, polishing them. Despite the grease and grime, her hands look soft and graceful like the rest of her. I wonder if I should offer to assist her with one of the droid’s repairs?

Dank ferrnik, Peli noticed me watching her arrange her tools. She’s begun with the comments again… I endured only because Peli agreed to have her work on the Razor Crest now. I don’t give two wookies what Peli says, I have never slobbered like a blerg over anyone. I just…respect that she’s an expert. Similar to me with weapons of my clan.

This time I managed to say hello. Maker it’s nerve wracking. She may be equally as nervous. She only said hello back and looked at her tools. This is a complete mess. I hunt bounties for a living, talking to a woman is not impossible. Just difficult, small talk is painful. Peli has a smug look on her face. If she wasn’t so well acquainted with my ship and cheap I’d…well I’d threaten to go else where. She is here. I would rather not.

Now we exchange greetings with some pleasantries. About business and droids…the only damn thing those buckets have ever been good for. I was able to say a few sentences to her. She replied with her own. I am unexpectedly happy about this. I want to talk to her longer but not a clue what to talk about.

Maker, why am I even trying so hard? My only focus should be on my Creed and my foundling. My eyes are always drawn to her, watching her. I thought at first it was similar to one of my bounties. Watching and waiting. I know patience and timing with my jobs as they’re for credits and when I can find it, beskar for our covert but I do not want to wait for her to come over to the Razor Crest. I want to go to her but I realize that a figure clad in armor and weapons head to toe is rather…intimidating. I think I’ll carry Grogu when I go over, that should make me seem less fearsome.

Despite napping, my foundling has proven most useful. We spoke at length about him. For almost an hour, I believe. I find myself less nervous and I believe she is as well. Peli spoke to me outside of the Razor Crest away from my dear mechanic. She’s proposing that I bring her with me. One of the few good ideas Peli has had since I started having this woman repair my ship.

I waited until my next trip to ask her. I needed to find the right words. I thought I had them but the eluded me after I greeted her and asked how she was. She greeted me with the same smile that she’s given me that last few times I have been here. Maker I hope she’s open to the idea. Seeing her smile daily would be…should…should I be courting her? I feel this strongly about her. I may have missed a few steps in this process. No matter.

“Can I ask you something?” Din is still nervous, but he is slightly less so in the familiar space of the Razor Crest. It’s cold metal echoes his own beskar. The only source of warmth, the woman who he has an important question for. A want, he told himself but was quickly becoming a need. She nods, setting her tools down and wiping her hands on the worn apron she often wears to protect her clothes. He had her full attention. As much as he was worried to have it, he relished in it for a moment before cleaning his throat.

“Sure Mando. What is it?” Thankfully she couldn’t see his face grimace at the nickname. That was for people he wanted to keep at arm’s length, not those he wanted close. It wasn’t something he’d put much thought into as he’d been a Mandalorian since they’d taken him in and been taught their ways. He was certain that only his brothers and sisters in the coven would know his name. His son Grogu had opened his heart to truly caring for another person again. Din had wondered if he was longing for the same type of relationship with her as he saw in his coven between riduurs. Maybe down the line. I don’t even know if I want that now. I just know I’d like her to be with us on our journey wherever we go.

“Would you like to come with Grogu and I? It would be better if we had a capable mechanic with us.” Din stood quietly and waited for her answer. He held his breath and exhaled when she said she would think on it.

“Are you leaving again soon?” She asked him, the delicate hands he watched so often kept folding a corner of her work apron back and forth. He understands the feeling, it’s the same as when he inventories and cleans his weapons and especially his beskar. It’s soothing, he would have found this to be pleasant if it wasn’t his question that had made her need it. A similarity between them, other than a shared soft spot for a certain green child and a large pre-empire craft that they chatted about. “I want to give you an answer but I also want to think about it properly.”

Din nodded and let her be. “I don’t leave again for a few days. Take the time you need.” She didn’t outright say no so there was a chance. As it turned out, she later said yes the day after next. One step forward, she was joining him and Grogu on the Razor Crest. He remained quiet most of the time with her, just happy that she was here with them traveling.

The small incidental brushes began when they would work in tandem to make repairs to the Crest. The shoulder bumps, her hip bumping his thigh when she would turn slightly to reach for a tool or to maneuver to manipulate wires. He noticed she would move away from him and he was worried that he was crowding her but she mentioned something much worse, “Sorry Mando, I take up a bit of space. I think-“

“No mesh’la you don’t. We just need to figure out a better method to complete the repairs. Please, you are…” I paused. What did I want to tell her? How can I say it? Maker I don’t even know… “You are fine as is. You take up as much space as you like.” Dank Ferrnik….what does that even mean? She turned away from me and I felt like an idiot. This would be the time I don’t bump my helmet on something while fixing this ship.

“Thanks Mando. No one’s ever quite put it like that.” He heard you laugh and his fears were quelled. Thank the Maker you were so understanding. But he worried about what you may have said about yourself. That was when he decided. I don’t think I should hope that we touch anymore. I think I can make it more purposeful. So she’ll know that I find her beautiful and that’s part of courting right? Maybe I should have asked different questions of The Armorer and Paz when I was back on Navarro. No only The Armorer, Paz pisses me off too much and I will not owe him any more than I already do.

At the market, I made sure to touch between her shoulder blades on her back to guide her as Grogu’s pram floated next to us. She didn’t flinch, and I didn’t want to touch lower back because that would be inappropriate. I do wonder…sometimes. But only wonder.

I began picking up bounties and would need her and Grogu to stay on the Crest to be safe. That doesn’t seem fair, she said she wanted to see the galaxy. I can teach her some self-defense and how to shoot a blaster so I’ll feel slightly better about leaving them alone. Her hands are small in mine, still so gentile, except with a wrench. She was nervous but got the hang of it fairly quickly. We keep practicing until her aim improves. I encourage her every time we make a stop to shoot and she does. I’m trying to make my voice sound softer I suppose, I’m not really sure except outside of Grogu how that sounds. She responds to it and smiles more often, we’ve grown closer and I’m thankful that she’s making progress but it’s slowed some so I can continue to mentor her.

Maker I have ulterior motives when I do. I can’t think of another good reason to touch her.

I couldn’t help it. She was holding Grogu and trying to explain the different bolts to him. I bet he was trying to play with her tools while she was sorting them. I placed my hand on her shoulder. It felt like it should be there. She looked up at me and I nodded. I hope she took that to mean that I’m fine with her holding my son. I walked away because I didn't know what to say. She didn’t say anything either.

I’m lying to myself. I’ve long accepted her holding my son. The Crest wouldn’t be the same without her here. Waiting for me, playing with Grogu, walking through the market, sitting in a comfortable silence in the cockpit. I even look forward to checking my weapon inventory when she’s checking her tools and at the same time. I didn’t think occupying the same space as someone would be so rewarding, well in a different way than my son. Should I tell her any of this?

No. It’s too much and I’m not even sure what this is.

Now wherever we go, I ensure I’m guiding her by her arm, back, or hand. I know I wouldn’t really lose her, she’s clever and would find Grogu and I quickly. The fear is there, I don’t want her to leave, she might want to one day. This life isn’t made for the masses. She’s voiced no complaints. What would I even say if I had to convince her to stay?

The hunt didn’t take long and this bail jumper is annoying. The only reason I haven’t said I’m putting him on carbonite is that he finally shut up.

We’re back to the Crest and there’s blood. Too much blood. I put him on carbonite as I spot her and Grogu. He’s a few feet from her, appears to be unarmed. I don’t detect any other life forms on the Crest. The child's scream feels like it will pierce my helmet, I can’t blame him. I too want to scream at the sight. She’s face down and her back is entirely wet with crimson. I ripped her shirt and bra to visualize the wound. It’s large, nearly the entire width of her back, part of her shirt has stuck to the wound. I’ll need to rip more to see, but then her back will be fully exposed and she’s vulnerable as is.

“I apologize for this. I’ll need to cut off the rest of the back of your shirt to clean and apply the spray and…” This is so much different when it’s someone you care for. “It may be easier for me to do if I remove my gloves. They’ve become too slick with your blood. Is that alright?” It feels silly but I need to ask, I need to know it’s okay. I need to let her choose, I already ripped her shirt without asking.

“It’s fine Mando. Do what you need to do. Grogu’s okay right? I didn’t get any blood on him, I think.” She’s worried about my son at this point?! Maker I…I need to focus for her sake. It’s been months since I took off my gloves near another person. I dabbed her back with gauze to remove the residue from what looks to be some local fauna that are quite violent. Their secretions inhibit clotting to weaken their targets and so they can gorge themselves on their blood. Next, I applied pressure to try and get the bleeding to stop enough so the bacta spray will work and won’t wash away in her blood. It appears after a few minutes the bacta spray is holding and the bleeding is slowing further so I apply pressure dressings and make them tight. It may make her a bit sore but the bleeding should stop with this.

I need to keep watch over her. I placed her in her bunk and wrapped her up tightly. I need her to rest and recover. I want her to wake up and we have more moments, more time. I don’t want her to leave but after this…I can’t blame her.

She woke up! “You’re awake? Has the pain subsided? I should check-” She shushed me before she sat up. Pulling the blanket back around her should keep her cool. Before I fell asleep beside her, I charted our course back to turn this bail jumper in. I apologized to her. She recalled her training and how she kept Grogu safe. Part of me is proud but she still was hurt badly, I could have lost her. “Mesh'la you were not safe. You were hurt badly. Do…I would not blame you if you wanted to leave.” Words I won’t want to say but do anyway. I want to beg her to stay but it wouldn’t be right. She’s not a warrior like I am. She wanted to see more than the Peli’s garage. I can’t give her that without danger.

She holds my bare hand and tells me, “I refuse to go. I will not. You’ll have to toss me off. I’ve seen so many things and places and I want to see that much more. You’re stuck with me Mando.” This isn’t the threat she may think it is. “I’m not going to but. I just don’t want to go.” First my son and now… a partner. Someone who wants to be by my side.

“I am called Din. Please do so while it’s just the three of us.” My thumb stroked her palm and she chuckled. I wonder if I can make her laugh more maybe daily. “You will remain and hopefully I will hear more of your laugh.” Your smile only grows with his answer. “Please rest for now. Our journey isn’t over.”

I told this to her three months ago. Sometimes in the cockpit when the three of us are sitting, I remove my glove and reach across where her warm hand awaits mine as I speak her name. I’m happy to hear my name from her lips when we’re alone. A glove is what I can give her now. When she smiles softly at me I want to give her more, so much more of myself but I’m not sure how. Learning more of her and loving her as the shape of our relationship changes.

I wonder where else she may allow my hand to go. How else she may say my name as we travel and see the galaxy. Will I change the way I say hers? I wonder if I can tell her that she's both my mesh'la and my cyar’ka. Is it still too soon? Maybe as we continue to explore the intimacy we now share, then I can tell her.

Our journey together continues. This is The Way.

Part One. Part Three

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