#KEEF CAME BACK

[the-way-astray]

tumblr is trying to force me to be my archetype and my archetype alone (tried to delete the pro keefe essay i just wrote)

[alaydabug2]

Yeah so I got this when I was at dpa for 4h before unraveled was announced

Then of course the poll for which animal Keefe would befriend

I am now dubbing thee Foxfire 😆

Until unraveled comes out then I'll probably rename it to that but whatever

[aphelea]

somehow i feel like reading this book as someone who is very very far from being a keefe fan made it easier

[tariah23]

Still crying over my friend telling me that they’ve never heard of Chief Keef-

[nylwnder]

so what we have learned today is that WE WILL NOT SCRATCH SCHENN ANYMORE.

[miedei]

nonexistent rizz

the team is shocked to see that… early seasons!spencer pulls?? and he has pulled????

(aka, the team discovers that early seasons!spence has a girlfriend)

a/n: first cm fic!!! super indulgent, deffo way longer than it had to be but I don’t care, I love love love the dynamic of the s1/s2 team and I NEEDED to write it (look at '#mystery girl!au' on my blog to see more musings about them <3)

cw: alcohol consumption, reader referred to as a woman, reader is around spencer’s age in s1/s2 (23-24), completely inaccurate early 2000s technology i think, cuties being cute, not edited in any way

wc: 2k

part two

(reblogs are the only way to promote fics on tumblr! please reblog if you enjoyed it :) )

mlist

“‘O Keefe’s! My wonderful, wonderful sweethearts, we are going out!” The moment the team steps out of the elevator, Penelope is bombarding them, hands moving wildly as words seem to tumble out of her mouth. “And yes, Hotch, I am sure we have no cases lined up yet, and yes, I’m sure JJ can corroborate that the moment she gets to her office and no, you may not stay behind, tonight is compulsory. That stands for you too, Gideon!”

Hotch hasn’t even opened his mouth, shaking his head in defeat as he takes in Garcia’s determined face. Under the watchful eyes of the team, his shoulders slump, a tired hand scrubbing down his face. “Fine. We all have to finish our reports, but if we’re all done in half an hour, we can go. Gideon?” He turns his face, hoping for Gideon to find a way to bunk off, but there’s a glint of amusement in the older man’s eye. “Sounds like there’s no getting out of it.” With that, he walks off, to his office. 

Penelope whoops excitedly, “Okay! That means we’re all going! That’s the first time since Gideon came back,” but her face sets slightly when she meets Spencer’s eye. “No. No, Baby Genius, you will not do this to me,”

“Garcia, I have pl-” “No! You are coming out with us, and we’re going to have a great time, and whatever Russian indie film you were going to watch will still be there for you tomorrow. Okay? No more complaining, baby, you know I won’t listen.” With a pat on his shoulder, she flounces off. Defeated, he doesn’t move from the elevator area, shrugging helplessly when Elle, JJ and Morgan brush past him to the bullpen. 

With a sigh, he takes out his phone, pressing his newly-programmed speed dial and bringing the phone to his ear. From Derek’s vantage point in the bullpen, he can see Spencer, pacing back and forth in front of the elevator doors, and he can see the moment whoever is on the other side picks up. The younger man’s face lights up, like when he’s on the receiving end of a rare Hotch smile out in the field, but more spirited, buoyant. Only snippets of the conversation float in through the slightly-ajar glass doors, but they’re enough to give him pause, and still his fingers above his keyboard.

“...Garcia’s got this plan for us all, and…”

“Yes, I know, I do like going out with them, but that’s not what I wanted to do…”

“...I took the metro tonight, so I think I’ll just… Really? You want to?”

At that point, Spencer turns, his voice muffling, and keeping Derek from his vested interest in his conversation. But what little he heard is more than enough to pique his interest. He flicks a pencil onto Elle’s desk. “Greenaway. You know if pretty boy’s mom is in town or something?” Elle looks up from her monitor, head tilting, “Not that I know of. Besides, doesn’t she not like flying? I don’t think he’d have her come here. Why do you ask?”

Derek doesn’t reply, simply gesturing to the glass doors, where Spencer is walking inside, his mouth twitching to conceal his smile. His steps are measured, like he’s trying to feign calm. He settles at his desk, hunching his back in a way that can’t be comfortable, typing rapidly as his knee jiggles up and down. Elle turns back to Derek, eyes wide with wonder. 

“That is not how you look getting off the phone with your mother.”

The incident is quickly forgotten, however, when the BAU team are crammed into a booth in the back of the low-lit bar. Penelope has roped Hotch into helping her bring drinks back from the bar, and the rest are speaking a little too loudly, arms flinging and bumping into the empty glasses littering the table. 

All except for Gideon, who, despite having had three glasses of whiskey, is still just as calm and observant as he is fully sober. It is this that causes him to zero in on Spencer, sitting across from him, sandwiched between Morgan and the newly-returned Garcia. 

There’s a pink flush across his high cheekbones, and he’s incredibly giggly, all things that are completely expected for him, a few drinks in. However, what the experienced profiler picks up on, are his darting eyes. Spencer can often be found staring into the middle distance, or, since Gideon taught him the importance of building rapport with victims and officers alike, trained steadily on the space between someone’s eyebrows, but this time it’s different.

His eyes flick to whoever’s talking, feigning interest, but every few seconds, it turns back down to his lap, where something is clutched in the hand he keeps under the table. If it were Hotch, Gideon would know with absolute certainty that he was watching his phone, waiting for a text from Haley.

But this is Spencer. The youngest person he knows. The youngest person he knows whose technological knowledge is somehow worse than Gideon’s own. What on earth would have Spencer acting- 

Oh. Gideon nearly gasps at Spencer’s movements. On his fifteenth peek down at his lap, Spencer stiffens, then draws his hand up from his lap to get closer to his face. It is his phone, and Spencer Reid has somehow learned to text as quickly as Morgan does. His thumbs fly over the buttons on his phone, and he can’t hold back the smile that spreads on his face.

Gideon’s eyes furrow, and he can’t hold back from nudging Hotch’s shoulder, pointing in Spencer’s direction. Hotch pulls himself away from his conversation with JJ, and Gideon can see his expression morph from mild interest, to confusion, to complete bewilderment. After a beat, his face turns to meet Gideon’s and his normally stoic demeanor is shaken, eyes wide. 

Spencer, however, doesn’t even notice his mentors’ faces, still tapping away at his phone and craning his neck to look around the bar. 

It’s a while later, when JJ has pulled the team (minus Hotch and Gideon) onto the dance floor, a few drinks past tipsy at this point. She’s laughing out loud, holding Elle’s hand and twirling her under her arm. Penelope and Derek are mock-waltzing, bursting into laughter every few steps, and Spencer… 

JJ pauses for a moment, before Elle pulls her into moving again. Her head whips around, trying to find Spencer, before giving up. He must be back at the table with Hotch and Gideon, he was never very comfortable dancing anyway. 

The four on the dance floor quickly devolve into a mess, swapping partners until they’re all dizzy and laughing. JJ and Penelope are shimmying back and forth together, when Penelope gasps a little, tapping JJ’s arm without ceasing her movements. “Jayj! Look, see that girl at the bar?” She gestures subtly at a younger woman, probably in her early twenties, wearing a purple wrap top that has JJ sighing wistfully. 

“Pen, I think I’ve seen my soulmate. Would it be weird for me to crawl over there and beg her for her shirt?” Penelope giggles, gripping JJ’s forearms so they can sway to the music dramatically. “Just a little, my sweet. How about we go ask her where it’s from, though? I think that would be a little more…” She goes uncharacteristically silent, and it has JJ twisting to see what shut her up. However, Penelope tightens her grip on her arms, keeping her from moving. 

“JJ. My love, my heart. You’ll always be honest with me, won’t you?” Now she’s worried. JJ nods quickly, deciding to just focus on Penelope. “Yeah, Garcia, of course. What’s wrong?”

“I think I’m seeing things, and you are one of the most qualified people in the world to tell me if I’m going crazy. I’m going to turn us around, and you’re going to look at the woman in that gorgeous top, and you are going to either scream, or send me off to Hotch for a psychological evaluation.” Her tone is serious, hushed, and JJ nods solemnly. 

The intricate plan is conducted, and JJ is now facing the bar, her eyes searching for the girl, when she stiffens, sucking in a breath. “Yes! I’m not crazy, you see it right? What is going on!” Penelope smacks her arm repeatedly, but JJ can’t tear her eyes away from it. It being something she couldn’t possibly have prepared herself for, not in her wildest imaginations.

The girl is sitting on a barstool, sipping at a cocktail, and chatting to… Spencer. Spencer, the BAU’s Spencer, child-prodigy-lovable-dork-awkward-mess Spencer Reid, is stood in between her legs, smiling down at Mystery Girl without a hint of fear. It’s devastatingly sweet, his eyes soft in a way she’s never seen before, as he nods along with whatever she’s saying. Penelope jolts her out of her trance with a tap to the arm, JJ whispering, “He’s so… carefree.” 

That’s the only way to describe it. He’s looking down at her, eyes locked onto hers, and he’s still. His hands aren’t tapping, his leg isn’t shaking. He’s just looking at her. 

JJ can feel Morgan and Elle huddle near her, questioning Penelope about what they’re looking at, before shutting up as they see it. She hears them take twin gasps, and huddle even closer. They stand in silence, surely a hindrance to the people dancing, but they can’t tear themselves away. 

It’s only when Spencer shatters their worlds once more that they finally find themselves able to move. Four pairs of eyes follow him, as he leans even further towards Mystery Girl, and they all bulge at once when he raises a hand, carding his fingers through her hair. Penelope whispers, “oh my god”, Elle grips JJ’s arm in a vice grip, and Derek makes an unseemly noise, before gripping their arms, tugging them back to the booth. 

They collapse in the seats, faces pale as they look at each other, next to a very confused Gideon and Hotch. 

“What? What is it?” Hotch questions them, brow furrowed deeply. None of them speak, however. Only Elle lifts a weak hand to point. She directs their attention to the sight at the bar, and they all turn back to it, gasping once again. They’re… “kissing,” Derek breathes, shocked. Hotch and Gideon stiffen, but still crane their heads until their eyes fall on what has rendered their highly trained team speechless. And their reactions are just as silent.

Mystery Girl has stood up, her arms around Spencer’s neck, and he’s leaned down to meet her lips, hands braced on her hips. It’s honestly not that scandalous, a lazy, casual kiss that they part from with twin smiles, but the FBI agents can’t handle it. They don’t say a word, straining their ears to hear whatever she is saying as he holds her hand (Penelope lets out a squeak at that), and walks with her towards the door, not even noticing that his coworkers have returned to the booth. Her voice is low, but Hotch manages to pick up a few of the words. 

“...go home and watch that movie I was telling you about? Metropolis, I think you’ll really…” And they’re off. Spencer Reid has left a bar, holding hands with a girl (that he’s apparently spoken to multiple times? Who refers to a place as home for both of them?), acting like it’s the most normal thing in the world. 

The group sits in silence, unable to muster a comment, when Penelope’s phone buzzes. She checks it, and silently turns the screen over so they can all read it. 

BOY GENIUS: Hey Garcia. I wasn’t feeling well so I decided to go home. See you Monday :-)

“What?”

[winwin17]

Sophie "I'm afraid Keefe will stand out in the Forbidden Cities because he's so good-looking, by human standards" Foster is funny because like, girl, *you* were hidden in the Forbidden Cities for twelve years. Fitz and Alvar both visited the Forbidden Cities multiple times and came back unscathed. Keefe will be fine.

[the-way-astray]

pride pin fic! :D (also you thought this was a pro-strieefe fic? pfft no :P anti strieefe for life <3)

The world was a haze of swirling pinks, blues and greens, bright and blindind.

Until it wasn't.

Stria groaned as she slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes slightly. It took her several moment to get her bearings.

Three seconds and her memories came back.

That Keefe guy had drugged her!

Stria was furious and, she had to admit to herself, the tiniest little bit fearful.

Where was she?

Why was she here?

She glanced around, noticing that she was in some sort of guest bedroom, the furniture organized and neat.

Stria could make out the sound of waves in the distance and she frowned.

Was she near the beach?

How long had she been asleep?

She did not live near a beach.

Stria attempted to sit up, only to fail and flop back onto the bed. It seemed like the drug was still affecting her body. Great.

For a while (it was probably only fifteen minutes, but Stria was bored.), she laid there, upon the bed while she listened to the distant waves.

Then came the footsteps.

When the door opened, Stria bolted upright, succeeding this time.

Standing in the doorway were two guys- a tall, brunette one, and Keefe.

Stria glared at Keefe, who only grinned back.

The other guy rolled his eyes at Keefe and walked inside entirely.

Stria cast a wary glance at this new guy, untrusting. After all, why would she be trusting after Keefe drugged her!?

"Hey," The guy started gently. "I'm Fitz and, well, I'm pretty sure you already know Keefe."

Stria gave Keefe another furious look. "Oh, I know him."

Keefe smirked. "Mhm hm. She sure does."

Fitz sighed.

Stria huffed and crossed her arms. "Why am I here? Where am I?" She demanded.

Keefe leaned against the wall. "I believe you're in a bedroom," He commented. "With a bed, a floor, some walls, a ceiling..."

Stria scoffed. "I can see that!" Keefe was getting on her nerves again.

"Okay, okay," Fitz interrupted. "Let's calm down and talk about this civilly." He gave Keefe a firm glance.

Reluctantly, Stria settled down, leaning against the bed headboard as she waited for Keefe to give her a well-deserved explanation.

"You kids," Mr Forkle began, gazing over Keefe, Fitz, Biana, Sophie and Dex. "Need to find somebody in the Forbidden Cities-"

"We get to go to the Forbidden Cities!?" Keefe interrupred excitedly.

"Yes, yes, Mr Sencen-" Keefe hated it when people called him that. "-, you will get to visit the human world. Only for a specific reason. You can't be messing around there."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Keefe shrugged, exchangin a glance with Fitz that clearly read 'there-is-no-way-i-am-doing-what-this-old-guy-says'. Fitz rolled his eyes.

Mr Forkle turned to the rest of the group as Keefe laid his head in Fitz's lap, like usual.

"There's a girl- Stria Rosier. She's an elf, but she's grown up in the Forbidden Cities. Her parents have raised her away from elvin society." Mr Forkle explained.

Some of the others gasped, but Keefe simply felt mildly curious. He heard Fitz let out a hum of slight interest as well.

"I'm counting on you kids to try and find her and bring her back here- by all means necessary. If she manifests in the Forbidden Cities..." Mr Forkle paused. "It'd be a disaster."

Sophie nodded. "Okay. We can do that." She met Keefe's gaze, her brown eyes filled with worry.

Keefe's expression softened at the sight of his friend's worry.

"We can do that," Keefe confirmed, a grin creeping onto his face. "In fact, I bet-"

Stria was quiet as Keefe finished explaining everything. She was still mad at him. Very mad.

This also didn't make her hate him any less. At least the others hadn't tried to drug her!

Fitz seemed to sense Stria's emotions, for he spoke. "Keefe certainly could have handled the situation better, but-"

Stria suddenly interrupted her. Something Keefe had mentioned.

"Elf. You said I'm an elf."

Fitz sighed, looking like he had done this before.

"Uh-huh, you're an elf!" Keefe piped up. "And a pretty one, at that."

Stria was silent for several moments before snapping at him. "Don't flirt with me."

Keefe shrugged. "Just statin' the facts, Miss-Snaps-All-The-Time."

Stria glared again as Fitz spoke.

"Okay, listen. We-" He gestured to him and Keefe. "Are not humans. You-" He pointed to Stria. "-also aren't human. You're an elf, Stria."

Stria scoffed. "What? Like those ones with the pointy shoes? I don't see no pointy shoes."

Fitz groaned. "What is it with human society and their views on elves? No, we're not tiny with pointy shoes. No, we don't work for 'Santa'. No, we don't have magic."

Stria was definitely getting the feeling that Fitz had done this before.

"So..?" Stria prompted. She was confused. "What are you? You do look pretty human to me. Or, woah, are you guys like shapeshifters or something?"

Keefe laughed. "Shapeshifters? Oh, I wish."

Stria let out a frustrated huff. It wasn't her fault that she was confused!

"Nothing like that," Fitz told her more gently. "We...well, we have special abilities, some of us. Certain people have more than others. We're hidden from the human world- the Forbidden Cities."

Stria was silent as Fitz continued.

"You, Stria, are one of us. Your parents hid you away in the Forbidden Cities, but this is your true home."

Fitz and Keefe had left Stria soon after explaining some things, giving her some time to process things.

She pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming and winced from the sharp pain.

This was real.

Was this a nightmare come to life? Stria wasn't sure. It wasn't necessarily bad, the situation she was in- except for the fact that she was away from her family, had to deal with Stupid Jerk Face and still had no idea where she was.

Stria groaned as she stood up from the bed. Glancing out of the window, she could see the beach, waves lapping onto the shore gently.

It was pretty, really.

Just like she was, according to Lord of the Jerks.

Stria sighed. What was she supposed to do?

Stria realised how hungry she was after a while. She crept out of the guest bedroom, trying to find the kitchen.

"Who are you?"

She twirled around to see a tall, blond man with blue eyes standing there, looking stern.

He kind of looked like Keefe, to be entirely honest.

"She's a guest," drawled a familiar voice. "You're supposed to treat guests kindly, aren't you?"

Stria glanced to the side to see Keefe standing there, smirking.

The man shot a glare at Keefe. Were they father and son, possibly? Probably.

"Keefe, this doesn't concern you. Leave."

Stria blinked at the coldness in the man's voice.

"Nah. This totally concerns me." Keefe strolled over and slung an arm around Stria's shoulder, who immediately shoved him away.

"Owch. That hurts, Stria."

The man interrupted. "I never said you could bring a friend over," He snapped. "Let alone bring a girl."

Keefe rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Well this is important Black Swan mission stuff. So she's staying here, whether you like it or not, O' Daddy Dearest."

Black Swan? What was that?

"Keefe-"

Stria watched the two bicker for about five minutes before the man finally delivered the final blow.

"It's not like you value your friends anyways."

Stria drew in a sharp breath. That was low.

She kind of regretted calling Keefe Lord of the Jerks earlier. That title definitely went to this man.

A brief look of hurt flashed across Keefe's face before he composed himself.

"Whatever. Come on Stria, Fitz called me to make sure to bring you to Everglen. We're leaving."

also ew it's weird to write even tiny bit of keefe angst. fitz angst hits harder tbh

here i am . . . three months later . . . with an update . . . sorry pride pin anon. i'm here now i swear. part one, for those that were never there in the first place and also those that forgot. all you really need to know is that keefe annoys the shit out of me, manages to convince me to take him home, and then drugs me. i just realized this fic was anti strieefe. sorry pro strieefe individuals

correct! i do not live near a beach

i feel bad for fitz in this fic. poor guy. imagine having to deal with keefe's mess

why anybody would trust keefe to go on a mission like this is beyond me

i see those keefitz crumbs wahoo

hello everybody this fic was written and sent before i adopted the official last name sixteen. so that's why i'm rosier in this fic. interesting choice, anon. are you going to keep that or change it

ooh, what's my ability? why is it a disaster if i manifest in the forbidden cities? anon's got me hooked, lowkey. sorry for taking so long, anon. i hope you're still there

I HATE GETTING LOOKS-BASED COMPLIMENTS GOD I HATE HIM SO SO SO SO BAD EW I HATE HIM

at least be good at flirting if you're gonna do it . . . i can be the occasional enjoyer of play-flirting . . . i hate him so bad . . .

to be fair my immediate reaction to fitz telling me about elves would not be santa or the north pole. i'm a fantasy nerd . . . but i digress

i'm not really the sort to ask a lot of questions. it would be like "you're an elf" "okay cool" *i wait for them to explain and if they don't i keep quiet*

I WOULD NOT BE THINKING ABOUT HIM CALLING ME PRETTY IT WOULD LEAVE MY MIND IMMEDIATELY

DON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME KEEFE I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL MURDER YOU

and yes i agree anon . . . fitz angst is so much better than keefe angst. he gets too much of it as it is

in conclusion, you've set up a pretty cool premise here. why can't i manifest in the forbidden cities? so many questions . . .

[boag]

There are people who have been considered rap legends for decades in their 50s and beyond that can’t do it like this . He was 19 years old in this video

The way he would just freestyle like this for hours and hours on end everyday and that’s how most of his songs were made and he recorded literally thousands of songs before the age of 21 . We rlly lost one of the most talented people who ever lived so fucking young it’s so sad….. he was INCREDIBLE

[thepumkinmoth]

Imagine if keefe came back from the forbidden cities with a bit of a British accent and sounded like he was a Vacker

[artnerdsrule]

I haven't seen enough on this topic, but why is almost no one talking about Sophie and keefe switching roles?

I think it started during neverseen, but only a tiny bit and very slowly, and once keefe came back it wasn't very progressed. But by legacy you can definitely see it if you are looking. And by stellarlune the role switch is pretty much complete. And it makes me so sad every time I think of it.

Sophie slowly ( very slowly) gaining confidence, while keefe, almost at the same rate, is losing his own confidence. Sophie is learning to be bright and sarcastic. Keefe is becoming dull and honest. Sophie is accepting the role as leader. Keefe is learning to take a step back and let people who care for him help him.

In stellarlune Ro tells Sophie that her and keefe balance each other out. And I couldn't agree more, and I feel like that is an important factor in their relationship. If one starts evolving, the other will evolve in a way that will help and be helped by, the other. It just who they are together.

So when keefe started acting more like Sophie, Sophie naturally started to act more like keefe used to, so that the balance was still there.

Sophie now has enough confidence to share with keefe. Keefe now has the honesty to tone down Sophie's sarcasm. Sophie now has enough light to brighten even Keefe's life. Sophie is finally ready to lead Keefe, and Keefe is ready to follow and really listen to her.

I just find all of this very interesting to think about. And cry about lol.

[elwenyere]

Whumptober 01

No. 1: RACE AGAINST THE CLOCK

Search Party | Panic Attack | "If only we could hold on.” (Icysami x Renegaderr, Strangers.)

Fandom: Andor, Melshian, 796w

Rating: T

Tags: Aftermath of Torture, Prisoner Rescue

.....

“We have twenty minutes before the extraction window closes,” Kay says, “at which point our odds of capture, torture, and execution rise to 93%.”

It’s the fifth time he’s recalibrated the odds of failure - always upward - since they made it to the detention block. Cassian can hear blasters spewing muted bolts over the comms: confirmation that their cover has worn itself out. He hopes at least some of the shots echoing off the walls are Kay’s.

“Just get me a cell block number,” Cassian says. “And don’t get shot.”

“You don’t get shot,” Kay retorts. “Your record of field injury is abysmal. And the prisoner is in D2-41A.”

Cassian makes his way to the cell and attaches the code cylinder to the keypad. After a few moments of muffled whirring, the door slides open to reveal the room's prisoner, and it isn’t until Cassian sees him that he realizes part of him hadn’t believed it could be true. It is true. It’s Melshi: slumped over the cell’s exam table, his neck craned like the cockpit tunnel of a downed walker - like he hadn’t been in control of how his head fell. 

“Melshi.” Cassian crouches in front of him. He takes Melshi’s face between his hands and tilts it up carefully. “Melshi, can you hear me?”

Melshi’s eyes open. They’re clouded over, sunk deep in their sockets. When Cassian says his name again, Melshi’s pupils bob in his irises - an inky sediment unsettled in a pond. 

The agent who’s had him under interrogation is named Gorst, Luthen had said. The same man who’d had Salman, who’d had Bix. 

“I dreamt you came back,” Bix had said, when Cassian found her. “You climbed over a wall.” 

The skin had stretched sallow across her cheeks then, as Melshi’s does now, and her hands had been full of nerves like his, her fingers crawling up the ridges of her knuckles where they wrapped around her knees. Cassian had barely known her. He’d looked at her and recognized nothing but his own hunched fear, his husk of a body huddled in the red glare of a hot floor. 

“Fifteen minutes before the extraction window closes,” Kay says, and Cassian feels his palms flex against Melshi’s jaw: he has to focus. He has to move. He has to move Melshi somehow - has to make the man whose slack face he’s cradling into Melshi again.

“Melshi, it’s me. We have to go. We have to get out of here.”

Melshi blinks. His gaze drifts over Cassian’s face, rolls over his features, and then it hits a snag - a familiar pinch around his eyes.

“Keef,” he says. “Keef didn’t make it - he drowned. Said he couldn’t swim.”

Cassian frowns.

“Melshi, we both made it, remember? We made it to the shore, and we ran.”

Melshi’s lips part: Cassian can feel him fight for the next breath, his cheeks hollowing under Cassian’s hands.

“I was alone,” he says. “I stowed away. Got off at the next planet, and I pawned for it. Everyone was gone. I was alone. I lifted a sensor package from the quadjumper and I pawned for the blaster.”

Cassian holds himself still, makes himself absorb the recoil as understanding snaps into place.

“The Pre-Mor deputy we held on Ferrix,” Luthen had told Cassian at their briefing, “the one who submitted the reports. The ISB picked up a man carrying the blaster you took off him: an ex-con. They’re questioning him right now. If this is some loose end you’ve left dangling, Andor, I need you to cut it short.”

“Understood,” Cassian had said. And then he’d strode down the hall fast enough to jostle the tug against his sternum: the place where Melshi’s spine had curled against his chest in a Niamos hotel room, where they’d clung to each other like the waves were still dragging them away.

“Didn’t know him.” Melshi’s shoulders give a shudder, his hand spasming against the table. “Never saw him. Never knew his name.”

“Ten minutes,” Kay warns over the comms, “before the odds go up to 97%.” 

Cassian turns Melshi’s face back toward him, letting his thumb sweep over the corner of Melshi’s lips.

“It’s Cassian,” he says. “My name is Cassian. And I’m right here. You’re okay: you did great. You kept everyone safe. I’m going to take you away now, okay? They won’t question you anymore.”

Melshi blinks again. Slowly, he lifts his left hand to grasp at Cassian’s wrist.

“You know me?” Cassian asks. He feels Melshi’s head give a wobble that might be a nod.

“You got me out,” he says.

I got you caught, Cassian thinks, but he shapes his lips into a smile. 

“I will,” he says. “I came to find you. And I’m here to take you home.”

[milo-igidk]

VINE BOOM PFFFFF LMAO I FORGOT ABT THAT JESUS CHRIST 😭😭😭😭😭😭

"fitz and keefe's friendship was ruined for sokeefe"

yeah thats definitely what happened mhm

thats definitely it there were absolutely no other factors that may have contributed to their fall out

[lostwarllock]

Incoherent screeching off in the distance—

below the cut is my rambling list of comparisons between sokeefe and merthur in an attempt to explain my otherworldly love for both ships to myself

Tag list:

@thatrandomlemononyourcounter1

@aspenaspenaspenaspenaspen

@cosmxc-ars3hol3

Sokeefe and merthur

Foster and Merlin:

—very powerful, have stronger abilities than those like them

—born into a destiny/role (that places an unbelievably heavy burden on their shoulders and impacts every choice they make) that correlates with their abilities

—do not/did not know their biological father

—have at least two father figures

—almost die on a daily basis

—sometimes choose to be selfish, when it comes to the one they care about, even though it may oppose their beliefs of their role

—struggle with authority figures

—tendency to suddenly run out of the room without explaining anything to anyone

—confide in their soulmate in an attempt to convince their soulmate to confide in them

—have a mentor that doesn’t really help, just presents impossible decisions that put their lives at risk but fulfill their role

—a best friend that kissed them

—in love with a blonde (lots of banter all around, but has many serious moments and conversations)

—would literally do ANYTHING for their blonde

—black cat energy

—no matter how much planning and precautions they take, or using their abilities, someone close to them manages to get hurt or die

—adopted by someone very protective, but who eventually understands that some dangers are necessary for their destiny

—at some point temporarily lost their powers

—basically immortal since they live indefinitely

—go into dangerous situations because “they have to” and it’s up to them to solve everything

—know how to keep a secret for over a decade

—the sibling of someone they are close to is evil

—fell in horse poop

—ridden a magical flying creature

—eyes that are recognizable

—in serious need of a good night’s sleep

—came from relatively poor places and moved to basically a castle

—had to leave their previous home due to their abilities

—has caused a few explosions

—known by a special name that corresponds to their powers and destiny

—left a mother back home

—generally a tired/serious/lighthearted personality but also have the incredible ability to be the sassiest being on earth and not care what an authority figure would think

—have a group of friends who try so hard to die with them/for them

—so so loving and loyal that it hurts them

—gold in their eyes

—dress pretty plain

—were treated as different/an outcast in their original home

—has committed all the felonies

—their best friend is treated poorly because of their status

—very good at escaping/sneaking around, but NOT at lying

—are the reason that a very rare magical creature could be born

—constantly worked to the bone

—have like a brown haired person but it ended up not working out

—traumatic things have happened by bodies of water

—get endlessly bullied/teased by their blonde soulmate

—never ending worry for the safety of their soulmate

—have the uncanny ability to reassure their blonde that they aren’t a horrible person through the power of their pep talks

—take any chance to disapprove of the blonde’s parent

—forehead touch their blonde soulmate after a earth-shattering moment that has been built up to for the whole series

—drink poison/something that could kill them with their blonde in the general vicinity

—started out pretty happy and young, to a point years later where they make more depressing, dangerous choices due to their rapidly decreasing amount of hope in the world

—is incredibly devastated that their blonde has to go through an inevitable, painful experience as part of their destiny, and does everything to stop it, but fails

—they wait for them to wake up

Keefe and Arthur:

—blonde (and beautiful blue eyes)

—has worn a crown on their head and sat in a throne because of their parent

—parent raises them to play a certain role, though continually states they are not ready for it, and they must learn to make the hard decisions in order to be truly prepared

—incredibly self-sacrificing and has to play the hero because somehow they think everything is their fault and it’s their responsibility to fix it, even if it was the fault of their parent

—under the false impression that they are needed to protect their soulmate who is actually doing all the protecting

—their parent went through some sort of treatment in order to have them

—their parent has murdered a few times at least

—grew up with very little love and affection from their tyrannical/oppressive parent, but it was to “make them strong” and prepare them for their role

—their father, specifically, has a cold, stony exterior but claims he loves them in a convoluted way no one could understand

—confide in their soulmate and show their true worries and fears that they would never tell anyone else

—their natural beauty makes everyone fall in love with them

—trained in order to defeat their enemies

—their father married someone akin to a troll

—had a sibling figure who turned out evil

—very emotionally aware/deep but only reveal it at certain times, so they cover it up with a confident, teasing appearance

—also almost die on a daily basis, usually in the company of their soulmate

—believes their soulmate is incredibly brave, maybe even the bravest person they’ve ever met

—will go against their parent because they know what it right

—think their soulmate is mysterious and hiding something

—show their affection for their soulmate through touch and meaningful looks

—their soulmate is very protective of them but they don’t think it’s necessary

—thought their parent was dead, but woohoo, they came back to haunt you (one literally, the other figuratively)

—they find so much joy in making the life of their soulmate miserable

—grew up with luxurious circumstances, very rich

—pretty unaware of the details of their destiny, but couldn’t care less

—tendency to make rash, reckless decisions but sometimes their soulmate talks them out of it

—loves the idea of running away

—is sunshine incarnate with an undertone of depression

—still cares about parent even though they are a horrible person (shows their undying loyalty and innocence)

—their uncanny empathy lets them know when their soulmate hasn’t smiled in the past three days, but they couldn’t notice that someone close to them was working for the enemy for a LONG time

—been drugged by/because of parent

—always knows when something is wrong with the soulmate and tries to comfort them, even when they don’t know the whole story

—always the first to defend their soulmate from accusations or talk them out of a situation

—have a blonde mother who they never truly knew

—can sometimes be so stupid, but other times they’re the smartest person in the room

—tease their soulmate about liking other people, even when that person is definitely not anyone to worry about

—no issue challenging their father

—whenever they try to sneak away or do something on their own, their soulmate is already there

—would actually die for their soulmate infinite times over, even if it’s not explicitly stated, and always attempt to take the blow for them

—their soulmate stayed with them all the while they were going through their inevitable, painful destiny that forever changed them

—got stabbed/slashed in the gut

—been betrayed by someone they thought they could trust (over and over)

—very open-minded (relative to those around them) and most would disagree with their beliefs that you should be with the one you love and not someone based on stupid rules set by tradition and authority

—has been carried by their soulmate because they were hurt

—comment on how their soulmate is worried all the time

—the last thing they see as they succumb to their destiny is their soulmate holding them in a sense as they say “stay with me”

[epic-kotlc-crossover]

The Horse and the Infant

This is the first chapter for the EPIC/KOTLC crossover!! (I know we did the thunder saga already but we had a lot of motivation for that and were really excited to post :D) Hope you guys enjoy!!

taglist: @justalunaticfangirl @myfairkatiecat @bookwormgirl123 @thesfromhms @ham-cheese-toastie

This was it, Fitz told himself. He glanced around the wooden horse at his fleet.

One last battle before he could go home, and one last battle before he could see Sophie and Marella again. Marella would be ten by now—it seemed almost crazy to think about.

"Alright, everyone!" He transmitted to the crowd of 600 men, thinking that talking would reveal their position. "Tonight, the Trojans will regret ever messing with us."

Fitz gestured to Keefe. "Your families are wondering where you've been. Do as I say and you'll see them again."

"Yessir!" The chorus of soldiers whispered as one, and Fitz grinned broadly, the dim lighting making it seem almost mad.

As he was sending out his instructions, Fitz let himself feel happy for one more moment—the war was almost over.

As the crowd dispersed, Fitz sent out a chant: "What do you live for? What do you fight for? What do you wish for?"

Sophie....

That was why he was doing all of this—for Sophie and Marella.

I'll fight for them. Fitz thought firmly.

"Attack!" He roared, and charged into the city, following his men.

Fitz was in the thick of the battle, screams and shouts mixing with the clash of his sword against his opponent's. All at once, his vision dimmed and he collapsed.

An clap of thunder boomed, and when Fitz opened his eyes, he wasn't in Troy anymore. Fitz glanced around, panic clogging his throat.

He seemed to be in the ruins of a city, and upon closer inspection, and a jolt of horror, he realized it was his kingdom. Ithaca.

What had happened? In the ten years he'd been gone, could everything have gone into shambles?

He couldn't—he had to find his men. Fitz needed to help them. They had to win this battle, but how could they do that when Fitz couldn't be with them?

How could he save Ithaca?

As he turned around one last time, a figure appeared. With a huge crackling lightning bolt, the person standing before him could only be Zeus. And, Fitz noticed with confusion, a baby swaddled in his right arm. Maybe he was finally doing child support?

"What was that?" His voice came out shaky, because he just realized that the wound in his side was gone-and so was the pain.

"A vision." Zeus' voice boomed, loud and deep, across the space. "Of what is to come. You can only change it right now."

Fitz didn't even pause before replying, "Tell me how?" His crew needed him, and he wouldn't be any use to them dead.

He wouldn't be any use to Ithaca dead.

Plus, he had to see Sophie.

A rumble of laughter erupted from Zeus. "I don't think you're ready." The god told Fitz.

Fitz bristled, offended but stayed silent as Zeus continued. "You'll need to kill someone's son, someone unlike anyone you've faced before."

Fitz straightened, ready to accept. "I can do this, I promise you."

Once again there was laughter-one that started to annoy Fitz deeply—and Zeus stepped forward and placed the baby in his arms.

Fitz looked down in horror. He couldn't mean—

"This is the son of Prince Hector. If you don't kill him now, he will grow up to kill you." Zeus paused. "If you don't kill him now, you'll have no home to protect."

Fitz shook his head wildly, and stumbled back, trying to think of what to do.

He could take him home with him—Sophie wouldn't mind, he was sure of it.

Fitz could sent the infant far, far away, where he could never find out about his father.

"You'll have blood on your hands either way, Fitz." The god told him, almost like he was reading Fitz's mind. "All you have to do is choose."

[chellodello]

Presenting: Things That Didn’t Make It Out Of The Draft Folder in 2024

A bunch of sketches and drafts that I wanted to finish but wasn’t able to by the end of the year. 1, 2 and 3 are from my Fancy Space Party piece from last year. 4 came from the dash talking about giving Dib a ponytail. 5 is from a fic I'm working on where Keef is getting married (to a baddie confusingly out of his league) and makes Zim his best man. 6 is a few more sketches of my beloved Irken OC; Kio, who works in invader support services. 7 is a followup to that Alien Bath piece I did in July. and 8 is from the 'Dipper has a crush on an older Dib who visits the shack on paranormal business' text post that I want to go back to.

Thank you all for another wonderful year in the IZ fandom!