#Outback Romance

[absolutelykrillingit]

Gonna have to drive my gay little car all the way to Seattle to see the silly little band that kept me going in like 2016 bc I’ll have a shot at tickets this time

[ignorance-on-fire]

I know at least some of you are lesbians and/or my chemical romance enjoyers. My sister made me a ride it like you stole it design with an 06 subaru outback instead of a hearse and I’m curious if other people would be interested in having it as a shirt cuz most vanity shirt printing places won’t do just one shirt lol. Idk how much is ask for them but it would probably literally just be cost and shipping.

[cameracourt]

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Summer Destination Titles

[kannemeinelauthor]

New Audiobook ~ Outback Splendor, narrated by the incomparable Heidi Hecker

Nothing in Mel Lawrence’s life could have prepared her for living in the Australian Outback.  She finds creating her new life and establishing a sheep station far from the elite society she was expected to live in extremely satisfying.  She has a wife, a child, and a dream she never imagined she wanted, and they are all she needs.  Will she be able to hold on to the happiness she’s found after…

[lily-bisque]

ＷＡＹ ＯＵＴ ＴＨＥＲＥ 𖠰 ⋆☾𓃦☽⋆⁺₊✧🪵𓇢𓆸

volume two — amateur blood

✦ ── pairing: lumberjack!sukuna x citygirl!reader

✦ ── synopsis: taking a hike, alone, in a massive forest to escape your mundane life may not have been the greatest idea you'd conjured up—a realization you'd come to soon after you managed to lose your map miles inland. but when a lumberjack who knows the land like the back of his hand offers you a place to stay, you think maybe your life isn't so tragic after all. besides, for the sake of your safety, who knows what lingers in the shadows after nightfall?

✦ ── contents: lost in the forest au, forced proximity, bantering, angst, trauma/torture aspects, minor injuries, eventual romance, eventual smut, no use of y/n, more tags to be added.

✦ ── a/n: check out the playlist for the curated mood and for a forehead kiss.

✦ ── word count: 3.4k

archive ─ playlist

series masterlist - previous volume - volume three

art by outdmilk on twt

Your arms tightened around Sukuna’s collar as an attempt to calm your worries, eyes widening as you glanced around the dim woodlands, realizing that the sunlight was slowly but surely draining.

“Quit it. You’re fuckin’ chokin’ me,” Sukuna huffed out hoarsily, clasping a hand around your forearm and attempting to wring himself free from your firm hold.

But your legs tightened around his waist, digging your face into the crook of his neck and shivering. “I’ve never gone on a hike before!” You exclaimed, voice muffled as you felt doom crawling upon you from all angles, clinging to him as tightly as you could.

He scowled, resigning to your unrelenting bear hug before he honed his focus in. You hadn’t dared to glance up, leaving him to deal with this.

He could deal with this, right? He was an expert—lived in the outbacks and was a formidable fortress of a man. You weren’t crazy to let him deal with this.

But then you heard it, closer this time. Your heart sank to your stomach, the sounds of snarling closing in on all sides. 

You were frozen in fear, unable to even peek from your eyes, feeling as if this creature were about to pounce on you from behind.

You could hear Uraume whining loudly beside Sukuna’s foot, paws brushing against your booted foot.

“Uh, don’t let go,” Sukuna spoke, head turning on a swivel as he crouched, dropping your bag to his side carefully.

You nodded, nose nuzzling into his skin and practically choking him out of fear.

You could hear him crack his knuckles, knees bent before he moved forward, letting out a loud huff.

He did it again, and again.

You couldn’t see his expression, but you could imagine his frown and bared teeth as he pounced forward.

Metallic sounds resonated in the charged air before Sukuna made a growling sound, stepping forward once more.

You could hear the whine of the wolves, whimpering and afraid, stepping backwards while whistling quietly. They began yelping and yapping to each other before one barked, maybe some sort of a signal to retreat as a pack.

They huffed, before the sounds of their paws meeting wet earth sounded in the opposite direction, and thus disappeared.

You couldn’t move, your forearms trembling against Sukunas neck.

“You can let go now,” he gruffed, now tugging at your arm to try and get a breath in. 

Slowly, you let your guard down, lifting your pinched face from the crook of his neck and loosening the curl of your fingers on his collar. “Sorry,” you muttered, blinking a couple of times.

He grunted, cracking his neck with a loud pop! before picking up your bag and beginning to walk again.

After a couple of silent moments where you gathered your mental bearings, you spoke quietly, still afraid of what managed to lurk beneath the shadows. “Do you come across wild animals often?”

He wiped sweat from his browline before removing his hat to skim his fingers through his hair before placing it back on. “What?”

You bit your lip, your jitters still lingering despite never taking a glance at the animals that nearly mauled you. “Well, you seemed to know fire would scare them off.”

He was silent for a few minutes. He stepped over a fallen rotten log bustling with dawdling vermin, his footfalls suddenly louder as night began to fall and wildlife lurked in the shadows, a quiet hum of locust chirps and low howls of the wind. “What are you talking about?”

Shuffling uncomfortably, you still kept your voice to a hushed tone. “Your lighter. I-I wouldn’t have known what to do in the moment,” you sighed, a sort of dread washing over you.

Who knows what might have happened to you if Sukuna hadn’t been there? You definitely would’ve been dinner for a pack of wolves in the middle of the woods, not a scrap of you left to send back to your family.

Sukuna sighed, attempting to hone his focus on the protruding branches in the dark in case they skim you again. “Been here a long time. Can’t have myself gettin’ scared of a couple of mutts.”

You didn’t respond to that, wondering what Sukuna had managed to endure in the woods, possibly a plethora of stories behind the scars that littered his face.

“Do you live alone?” You asked, wanting to steer the conversation.

“Mhm,” he hummed, eyes squinting as the trail only managed to seem to get darker with each passing second. He hadn’t brought his flashlight with him as he’d only been going on a walk with Uraume and would’ve been back home ages ago.

You didn’t know how to feel about that. Would it have been more consolation that there was someone waiting up the hill he was currently climbing for you? 

You also didn’t know the reasoning behind how you were feeling. Were you still worried about him tossing you in a nearby creek after chasing you like prey in the woods or did you feel a sense of pity for the guy, isolated in the forestry?

Living out here must be lonely.

“We’re here,” he panted out and broke you from your reverie.

You peered up, head bumping against the rim of his hat, gaze meeting his home.

Past the pine trees was a beat up and neglected one-story house, damn near dilapidated. You assume at one point it was a solid white, but as it aged over time it became a sort of beige from lack of upkeep and humid weather. The screen to the front door was torn in a few odd places, his brown drapes were drawn shut, and there was a singular plastic chair on the porch, beer cans littered on the floor beside it.

Uraume barked, wagging their tail and hurrying over to their small doghouse, a well-kept boarded box with a small cot inside.

Behind it was an ominous shed, and the image made your blood run cold for some reason.

“Are you going to kill me in there?” You quirked, only half-joking, swallowing thickly.

“If you ask nicely.”

You frowned deeply, fidgeting with your fingers. Sukuna glanced down at your hands, cocking his head. With a sigh, he padded up the two wobbly steps to his front door. “If I wanted to kill you, why would I bother bringing you all the way up here?”

You opened your mouth to respond, mind boggling with some sort of explanation but falling short. 

“Right,” he groaned.

His hands began to loosen around your thighs, lowering you to the floor slowly and ensuring you kept off of your bad foot by holding your forearm. He slung your bag over his shoulder before digging into his pockets for his keys.

You wondered why on earth he even bothered to lock his house in the middle of literal nowhere but shook it off. To each their own.

You peered up at him as his movements flowed lazily and only now did you notice the sharp gleam and color in his eyes. He had crimson irises, his eye shape permanently contorted into a displeased form like anything he’d laid his eyes on repulsed him.

He pushed the door open, and you blinked, eyes adjusting to the eerie darkness despite the sun already going down.

Sukuna flipped the light switch on, kicking his boots off with a groan. He tossed your bag on the small coffee table littered with burnt out cigarettes and multiple, full ashtrays, before throwing himself on the couch that he easily dwarfed, his chest heaving. As you stood awkwardly in his doorway, you noticed just how exhausted he looked to be.

The front of his shirt was sweat soaked, his face was dotted in a layer of perspiration and he was still catching his breath. After what felt like over an hour, he never once asked for a break, hauling your complaining ass uphill.

You frowned at that, opening your mouth when he suddenly spoke.

“You gonna keep standing there or you gonna take a shower? You reek, woman.”

You shrunk into yourself, peering your head down to get a whiff and grimacing. He even endured the scent without one grievance the entire time?

“Uhm. Where’s your bathroom?” You spoke, mousily, itching the back of your neck.

“First door to the right.”

You whispered a small ‘thank you’ before wobbling away, stepping into the room he directed you to and shutting the door behind you, making sure to turn the lock.

You flipped the light switch on, laying your back against the door and getting the first sense of tranquility in the last couple hours.

The bathroom ventilation hummed, along with the lights that flickered a couple of times before radiating steadily.

You stared at your reflection, sweaty and covered in mud and disheveled. The skin tint you’d put on had become patchy and you had creases etched across your face, making you sigh.

There was suddenly a cool draft and a buzz, and you could assume that Sukuna finally turned the air conditioning on as his place was sweltering like outside.

It felt oddly similar to the times you’d spent at some shitty motel with your ex who never cared to take you anywhere nice, the dingy and timeworn room that was permanently marked beige from it’s year accommodating to plenty people with sketchy lifestyles, always smelling strangely like cockroaches.

You shook the thought off, gaze peering down and inspecting his sink.

There was one toothbrush, a half-used tube of toothpaste, and a nearly-gone bar of soap.

Men are so simple.

You shuddered, feeling a sudden urge to strip.

You began to peel your clothing off, just like you’d done at the stream, and tossed them into a heap on his tile floors. You played with the faucet for a couple of moments before figuring how to turn on the coldest temperature, desperately needing to cool your body.

You stepped in, allowing the freezing temperature to cascade down your form and carefully taking a look at your puncture wound.

It hadn’t seemed to grow since Sukuna brushed some branch against it, thankfully. But it still hurt to put too much pressure on it, one knee bent everywhere you hobbled to.

You glanced around the things in his shower caddy.

A bottle of shampoo. Another used bar of soap. A really old body wash.

A half-full beer bottle.

You grimaced, opting for the shampoo bottle and body wash, thankful they weren’t expired. Surprisingly, his body wash was blood orange scented, making the shower not as horrible as you scrubbed yourself, wishing a loofah would fall from the sky and into your hands.

There were a couple of raps of knuckles against the door, stilling you as shampoo swam down your face, eyes clamped shut. “You done yet?” 

“Uhhhhh,” you began to scrub quicker, a sense of urgency flooding you. “Almost!”

On another occasion, Sukuna would’ve told you to stop using all of his water and get out. But you were injured and probably trying not to slip, so he just bit his tongue. “I’ve got a spare towel, mind if I come in?”

Your heart skipped a beat, accidentally opening your eyes and allowing the fruity shampoo to burn your orbs and hiss. “I— Just give me a sec!”

You hurried your pace, accidentally hitting your ankle against the edge of the tub and digging crescents with your fingernails into your thigh before you carefully made your way out.

You dripped shower water all over his floor, scowling, before you undid the lock and held your wet forearm out. “You still out there?”

You barely allowed a glimpse into the bathroom, Sukuna glancing down at your hand and grinning to himself at how you were still so nervous around him.

He didn’t respond for a few moments, hearing the water run behind you.

“Hello?” You called out in frustration, peeking your head out and flinching when you saw the man looming over you.

He only scoffed with a grin to himself, placing the cotton towel into your hand and disappearing around the corner.

You didn’t know what to make of it, pulling your arm inside and slamming the door shut.

“Weird.”

You wrapped it around yourself, staring at yourself in the mirror and feeling a bit better about how you managed to scrub the remnants of the horrible day off.

Hold on.

You twitched, staring down at the pile of clothing on the ground and wincing.

Besides the extra pair of panties and bra you’d brought along with yourself in case you’d needed a change, a habit you had out of odd fear, you hadn’t packed an extra set of clothing.

Fuck.

You felt your cheeks warm before turning the faucet off and stepping out of the bathroom, hugging the towel around your form to cover yourself as best as you could.

Thankfully, Sukuna was a massive man, so the towel concealed most of your bare skin. 

Though, it’s not like the guy hasn’t seen you naked before.

When you padded barefoot across his wooden floors, you craned your head around and called out to him. The house wasn’t incredibly spacious so he should be able to hear you from anywhere.

But, the front door was slightly ajar, making your head tilt slightly.

You walked over to it, pulling it open and peering outside. It was incredibly dark, and the air had turned from feverish to quite chilly, making you shudder.

The sound of panting caught your attention, making you turn your head to see a large form crouched over the dogshed.

Sukuna seemed to be ruffling Uraume's hair while they panted, eating from a bowl Sukuna was holding. 

Though you could only make out the side of his face, his expression looked a hell of a lot softer as he eyed what seemed to be his best friend.

As you allowed yourself to be privy to what seemed to be a private moment, you missed how you stepped on a faulty plank of wood, effectively creaking beneath your weight and commanding the attention of anything in a hundred foot radius.

Sukuna’s head snapped towards you, eyebrows knitting once he made out that you were still in your towel. “The hell you doing? You’re gonna freeze your ass off,” he called, irritation swimming in his eyes.

You cleared your throat, pulling the top of the towel higher. “Sorry, but, do you think I could borrow a change of clothes?”

His crimson eyes gave you a once-over, enough to make your spine crawl, before he jutted his chin. “My room is across from the bathroom.”

You bit the inside of your cheek, hiding just how pleased you were. “Thanks, Sukuna.”

Tottering backwards, you felt a flutter of ease, feeling entirely unlike yourself. This strange man you’d met only a few hours ago was already opening his home, and even his closet to you.

Would alarms be sounding off in a rational woman’s head? Probably.

Have you ever been rational? No.

Before you headed to his room, you hurried back to the bathroom and gathered your dirty laundry clumsily and shoved them back into your backpack arbitrarily.

You then stepped inside, eyes going wide at the state of his bedroom. It seemed that Sukuna was a somewhat clean man, however he was not the slightest bit organized nor artistic.

There was a queen-sized bed shoved against the wall with no headboard, mussed sheets of a blue-plaid pattern, and a comforter that was half-draped across the floor. His clothing was scattered around his room, there was a clock hanging against the opposite wall that didn’t seem to work besides twice a day, and a stack of DVDs resting idly on the floor with no shelf to display them.

There was an overflowing laundry basket shoved and forgotten against the wall, far too many beer cans perched on his nightstand and a Walkman beside them.

Who still uses Walkmans?

You carefully maneuvered your way around his things before coming to a tall, oaky dresser and tearing through it.

You knew you weren’t going to find anything close to fitting you, but you tried anyway.

What you came up with was a black tee that practically reached your knees and basketball shorts that very well almost touched your ankles.

You giggled at your state, before hopping back to the living room.

It seemed that Sukuna had gone in for a shower himself, the muffled hum from the bathroom resonating as you walked past.

You plopped down on his couch and sank into it, sighing at the feeling of relief of finally being able to unwind. Grabbing your bag, you shuffled through it to pull out your phone.

You switched it on, fingers tapping away at the screen just to see if you had any service up here, opposed to the SOS signal you had when you slogged the trail.

Thankfully you did, but where you expected to see a plethora of phone calls and text messages asking where the hell you were or if you were alive, was instead met with radio silence.

Biting your lip, you did a quick google search to ensure you had service and you really did.

You shoved down the dreadful feeling in your chest. No one was worried where you were. But could you be surprised?

You sighed, dropping your hand on the couch and shutting your eyes with a groan, blue funk showering you at the state of your life. You wondered how on Earth you’d managed to end up here—isolated at some strange man’s house for who knows how long—after going on a hike instead of sleeping in your incredibly comfortable bed with your weighted blanket.

The bathroom door opened and though you couldn’t see Sukuna around the corner, you could hear his footfalls as he made his way towards his bedroom before shutting the door.

You sat there, fingers fidgeting and picking at skin, eyeing the small excuse of a television he had that was probably three decades old before he shuffled out.

He had a towel slung across his neck, still drying his pink hair. He was wearing a white long sleeved top and red Christmas pants that made you cock your head despite it being summertime, but you kept your thoughts to yourself.

He had a small plastic box in hand, his form making its way over to you before he knelt on one knee and picked your leg up haphazardly, pulling your back from the cushion and making you yelp. “Hey, what the hell are you-?” You cut yourself off when you watched him prop open the box that seemed to be as old as you on the coffee table.

“A first aid kit,” you spoke out, pursing your lips and wanting to sink into the couch.

Sukuna huffed, ignoring how you smelled of his shampoo, pulling out an antiseptic wipe and rubbing it against the wound.

You pulled back, hissing at the burn engulfing your nerves in fire, when he clicked his tongue, shooting you a frown, and pulled your leg back.

You resigned at his expression, bracing yourself and fingers curling into his leather couch. He wiped it down with a few pats, cleaning anything you’d missed in the shower and disinfecting it, before pulling out a tube of antibiotic ointment.

“What if that’s expired?” You whined quietly in a hushed tone, but that didn’t stop him from dabbing it against your ankle and pulling a bandage from the box to place against the wound.

He then grabbed a wrap, ensuring your entire ankle was covered with the beige medical-grade elastic. HIs fingers curled beneath the wrap to check if it was snug and unmoving, but not tight enough to restrict circulation.

As he did so, your eyes danced across his face, mapping out the flow of the symmetrical tattoos lining him. You couldn’t deny he was quite the handsome man, but why on God’s green Earth would he permanently ink one of his strongest attributes?

Though, no matter how strange they looked, you couldn’t say they made him unattractive. If anything, it’d draw people to him even more.

He carefully lowered your foot back to the ground as you broke the silence. “Where’d you learn to play doctor so well? You hurt yourself often?”

He pushed air from his nose, as if the question humored him. “Nope. Was just a real sick kid.”

You nodded, pursing your lips and eyeing his admirable handiwork. “I see. Well, thanks anyway.”

He tossed everything back into the box before clicking it shut and rising to his feet. “Whatever.”

Lifting your feet over the couch, you laid down and placed your hands above your head. “You sure you don’t want to let me sleep in your bed and you take the couch?”

He was already half-way to his bedroom. “Night.” 

[067supremacy]

A mistake

A short Ellie williams, Dina and Y/N love triangle.

Description: The reader, deeply in love with Ellie, is forced to watch her be happy with Dina.

Just clearing my drafts tbh 😭

Ellie Williams Masterlist

Warnings: a tinnnny bit of angst but nothing serious!

With glassy eyes from across the town, you watch as Dina laughs at whatever joke Ellie was telling. "That should be me", you whisper to yourself as you do your best to stop the tears from falling. After five years of chasing the girl only to have your heart stomped on by their kiss at the dance, it was like a harsh reality set in. Ellie would always overlook you, especially when Dina was involved. You still struggle with the images of the movie night Jackson hosted when Ellie's smile got so bright the second Dina sat beside her.

You had a glimmer of hope once. Dina had fallen into the arms of Jesse, the couple wasn't shy in parading their blossoming romance, and the frustration had kicked in for Ellie, who had taken to nightly trips to the Tipsy Bison bar somewhere you had taken the time to help with the busy night shift. It all started with an innocent drink. Ellie had insisted that you work too much and need a break. One drink turned into too many, and before you know it, you wake up with a pounding headache in an unfamiliar bed, a loose arm hangs around your bare midriff, your legs are tangled with whoever shares the bed with you. You cringe at the stinging sensation below as the shame of a one night stand clouds over your head.

Only when you look down at the tattoo plastered on the right arm wrapped around you do you realise who and what had happened. You slept with Ellie,,, and you couldn't even remember it. Just your luck that it was also your first time with anyone, and it was under the influence of alcohol. You shift to turn in the arms of Ellie as you now face her. It only takes a few seconds before her Emerald ones meet yours. "Y/N? What, what happened? Did we," before Ellie can even finish the sentence, you realised the sound of her voice isn't pleasant. You cancelled out most of the sound afterwards, but the following few lines she says cut deep into you.

"Fuck, this was a mistake." Your heart cracked at her admission. At this point, you were already dressed. You prepare to fire back at her, but a knock at the door saves your anger. "Ellie! You up yet!?" The voice of Dina rings through the small outback home of Ellie's. Ellie's face was the picture of horror; she whispers to herself while trying to find the rest of her clothing.

Once the door swings open, the awkward atmosphere explodes as Dina looks between the two of you. "Oh, I'm sorry for interrupting. I'll come back later," Dina politely states before turning in her spot, but Ellie jumped at the intrusion with open arms. "Y/N was just leaving, right?" You harshly swallow the last piece of dignity you had left and push past Dina before hastily running back home with tears dripping down your cheek. The word "mistake" rings through your brain constantly after that.

Ellie now avoided you like the plague, any interactions you shared since that day had been forced by circumstance alone. She had no problem showing her admiration for Dina. I'm in front of your hurting eyes, but this wasn't on purpose. Ellie genuinely was happy with Dina. Watching the two of them hold hands as they walked through the Centre of town without any care in the world hurts more than the words of that day. How she was so quick to get rid of you in the presence of Dina gave you that much-needed realisation.

You wipe a single tear that threatened to fall past your cheek with frustration and stomp to your next task, which was watch duty on north gate number 2. A long twelve-hour shift was in motion, with five hours down and the sun replaced by the moon and stars. You get trapped in your mind when the wooden ladder beside you begins to groan under the weight of someone climbing to your position. "Is it okay if I sit with you, at least for a few minutes?" The voice of Dina says from beside you, which snaps you back into the world of reality.

"Oh, uh, sure." You answer awkwardly, not sure why she would want to sit with you. The two of you had never really had a conversation before, only the odd "good morning" in passing.

"It is so peaceful at night. I used to come up here all the time and just watch the stars shine." Dina says softly; you turn to look in her direction, where she looks up at the Diamonds in the sky.

"Try doing it for twelve hours. I'm bored out of my mind." You joke, which brings a chuckle out of Dina. The two of you converse for a while afterwards. The one thing you take from it all is that Dina genuinely was a nice person. You could see why Ellie had taken such a liking to the girl; she seemed so unproblematic and chilled out.

"I don't want you to hate me, Y/N. I see the way you look at Ellie, and I know it must be hard to see us together." Dina approaches the subject with caution, but after the few hours you had to yourself up here, you had done plenty of thinking.

"Dina, I really like Ellie. But I see how happy she is with you, and I want her to be happy. What I'm trying to say is that I don't hate you. I'm glad it's you." You smile sadly at Dina, who returns the same look. She pulls you into a loose hug that lasts a few seconds.

"You're a great person, Y/N. I promise I will make sure Ellie is always happy. I'll do anything for her." Dina assures you if she had said this a few hours before, you probably would have been a crying mess, but after coming to terms with the situation, you meant what you said. If Ellie couldn't be happy with you, then you were glad she was happy with Dina. "Do you mind if I keep you company for just a while longer?" Dina asks as the night continues to roll on.

"You're welcome up here with me anytime," you respond kindly, which makes Dina smile sweetly in your direction.

"Thank you, Y/N."

[sp1dr4evr]

little sketch i did yesterday. i rly gotta start drawing more again 😭

i found this picture on an account that reblogs cool photos, pretty sure most of them are american 'outback'. idk it rly spoke to me, im listening to a lot of MCR and their danger days album, the whole vibe is all i can think of rn, i have a vivid picture in my head of the killjoys on top of a van driving along an american highway in the middle of no where jammin out and being cool and stuff in the middle of a gun fight FUCK YEAH i love my silly little brain sometimes <3

[calderacitylovers]

Zutara SlowBurn FanFiction: Personal Favs, part II

·        DESTINY IS A FUNNY THING by Megara Pike | Published: 2020-08-21 | 198K Words | 45 Chapters

ATLA Season 3 rewrite, fills in a lot of blanks between canon scenes. From the Southern Raiders to Sozin's Comet through coronation and aftermath. Growing friendships, bonding, being there for each other, a carnival & a cave, epic spirits' appearance on the Ember island, sparring, nightmares, assassination attempts, political ruses, and covert operations. Lovely, sweet. Exciting plot.

 ·        ATLA Book 4: Ashes by elayne_cypher | Published: 2018-10-27 | 306K words | 34 Chapters

This action-packed story picks up right after Ember Island Players and continues well after the war. Zuko is facing many challenges as a new Fire Lord. Romance, tough decisions, rebels, traitors, out-of-body experiences, secret headquarters, angst, teamwork, fire jets. The story has a bunch of OCs.

 ·        Refraction by caroes3725  | Published: 2020-09-09 | 215K Words | 37 Chapters

After breaking up with Aang, Katara needs to figure out her place and role in the patriarchal world. As determined Katara stubbornly bulldozes her way through Fire Nation political scene, her feelings for Zuko grow. Diplomatic visits, Gaang reunion, bonding with Kanna, insights into the life of Caldera city, stuffy politicians, cute correspondence, tropical storm, women supporting women, assassination attempts, personal boundaries. A sweet well-written coming-of-age story with a healthy measure of slow-burn and mutual pining. Katara and Zuko are both POVs, but the story mostly follows Katara. Bonus: Mai is NOT a clingy resentful idiot, but a smart person and a good friend. Some explicit language here and there, a bit of mild smut.

 ·        I Asked You First by halfhoursonearth | Published: 2020-10-03 | 142K words | 22/? Chapters

Ongoing, incomplete. Post Southern Raiders ATLAS3 rewrite. Mostly canon-compliant with blanks filled in between familiar scenes. Zuko and Katara develop a close friendship built on trust and sharing each other’s fears and hopes. Includes mentions of implied child abuse, Lu Ten’s diaries, exploring Avatar Roku’s legacy, sharing a balcony, heart-to-hearts, a hot spring under the stars, an actual date, and artbending. It’s incomplete, but what we have is bliss. Slowburn, mutual pining. Zutara-centric, but also explores the personalities of Team Avatar and their relationships.

 ·        Katara Alone by cablesscutie | Published: 2020-05-31 | 21K words

Katara is not an “unnecessary accessory to a more powerful man”. After the war, she is willing to forge her own path as she turns to people who need her the most on her journey of self-discovery. Features character exploration, correspondence, exploring outback villages of Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom, sweet reunions, and new firebending skills.

 ·        THE PHOENIX AND THE DRAGON - THE COMPLETE SERIES by JasmineTeaLatte | Published: 2021-06-11 | 100K words | 31 Chapters

This story picks up after The Ember Island Players. Zuko and Katara get to know each other during a late-night conversation by the campfire. In this story, you will find healthy boundaries, protective Sokka, a dash of Taang, sparring, funny banter & lots of flirting.

·        HESITATE by tiffaniesblews | Published: 2020-07-11 | 22K Words | 12 Chapters

This story picks up right after Zuko's coronation and spans two years afterwards. Zuko & Katara talk, share a few beautiful moments, write to each other, and reunite for the 2nd anniversary of the war ending. Very sweet, fluffy story about two sweethearts figuring out their feelings for each other.

·        LIKE WE'RE MADE OF STARLIGHT by Naladot | Published: 2021-11-28 | 5K Words

Katara leaves her post as the ambassador to the Fire Nation to take up a new one as the ambassador to the Northern Water Tribe. Her absence makes Zuko realize that he's got an unfortunate crush, which he is determined to keep secret. Unfortunately for him, subtly has never been one of his strengths—especially when he arrives in the Northern Water Tribe and she keeps taking him on what seem to be dates.

·        FIGURE IT OUT by clearascountryair | Published: 2021-12-20 | 35K words | 13 Chapters

After choosing not to kill Yon Rha, Katara rethinks her sense of self and others' perceptions of her. Or,    In which Katara learns that there’s a really big difference between being kissed when you don’t want to be and being kissed when you do. Aged-up 3B/Ember Island AU.

-  I FOUND YOU by that_turtleduck | Published: 2020-11-01 Completed: 2024-02-24 Words: 157,541 Chapters: 28/28

After divorcing Aang, Katara uproots her family and travels to Caldera. There she finds comfort, kindness and support from an old friend. Katara tries to find her footing as an independent political figure. Great story & relationship dynamic of Momtara & Dadko in their early 30s (Ember island, diplomatic meeting, dancing, turtleduck pond, letters). Delicious slow burn with rewarding spicy resolution in the end (explicit open door). Titters on the side of Anti-Aang.

Here’s a link to Part I of my personal favorites.

Here’s a link to Wholesome Zutara Short Stories.

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 3/4/2025

my desktop has Kicked It™️🫠 so this is shorter and worse bc it comes from my ailing phone. the tuesdaypost is generally a multi-tab multi-window affair and i completely forgot about the ten-image limit on mobile

listening

i bought this cd months and months ago to fill out the 8 items for $1 sale at my favorite religious thrift shop with the worst vibes, bc i saw the name and thought “oh i like the guy”. i was in fact thinking of nick cave. i would describe this as crunchier than nick cave. also janglier. my most deeply held american trait is that i am a sucker for a song about a road trip.

-

reading

i struck out with Fried Green Tomatoes At The Whistle Stop Cafe bc it made me desperately, desperately miss my maternal grandmother and we simply don’t have time for extra emotion this week.

bad news from the zone tumbleweeds i hated this one too. this is a fourth (!) 1997 printing of the 1992 novel by Claire McNab, Under the Southern Cross. 180p, it’s the same physical quality as all the other Naiad Press softcovers. i did not look up anything about Claire bc copying and pasting shit on my phone is horrendous: however, the frontispiece notes that she lives in LA “for love” and misses Australia. the draw and strong point of this book are the vivid and immersive descriptions of various tourist points down under by someone who really loves the country. it’s an effective travelogue!

The vast, forbidding Australian Outback… the grandeur of Ayers Rock… legendary Alice Springs… the Great Barrier Reef… the primal beauty of Cape Tribulation…

Two women, from different continents, with different values, collide with spectacular results… UNDER THE SOUTHERN CROSS.

American Lee Paynter has built her small travel agency into an international tour company. Brash, confident, openly lesbian, her great love is her business. Women? They’re to enjoy and let go.

Alexandra Findlay is pursuing a career in Australian tourism with quiet focus and determination, convinced that her career is the best she can hope for in her arid, closeted emotional existence.

Now Alex has been assigned to accompany Lee on the American woman’s visit Down Under, to win Lee’s company over to Australian tourism. Suddenly Alex’s quiet life explodes… And Lee is challenged by a woman unlike any she has ever known.

there were a lot of components i did not enjoy about this book, but the actual construction and hitting what felt like what the next emotional beat in a relationship Should be was there. nobody said anything outlandish and nobody’s crotches were engorged. the first lesbian romance in this project ive read in first person.

i find it extremely funny when someone is in a gorgeous location and having a fucking miserable time. just seething in competitive rage. alex at one point states that her family will never forgive her if she comes out and lee goes “oh? you’re super close with them?” and alex has to go “😠 no 😠”. their relationship is at its best when lee is like “you know you don’t have to live like this?” and kind of mentally drop-kicks alex into enjoying herself. unfortunately these moments are few and far between.

i mostly hated this book bc i hated alex, but it was sort of fun (though not really what i personally read romances for) watching in horrified fascination for 180 pages as she sort of train-wrecked her way through the book. i HATE this kind of sanctimonious unpleasant gay. someone who is extremely pushy about your boundaries (lee doesn’t want anything serious and says so from hour one) but doesn't want to do any work at all on her own boundaries or emotional growth (in only one example, pitches a fucking fit at the airport after lee has been very firm about how she loves to fuck and had a great time with alex but doesn’t want anything serious). this is cutting a little too close to home bc this is nearly all baby (and a lot of grown/post college) western mass queers. i had enough of that in real life and enough roommates like that. i also don't typically enjoy the divorced woman discovering her latent lesbianism storyline. the coming out storyline deserves its own graf.

this book does a good job of portraying alex as believably prickly for her own reasons, and not just out of contrariness or to fit a trope. she was very badly scared by watching her lover get fired and her almost fired at her post divorce job! that makes sense! i wish the arguments for and against coming out that she comes up with for herself rang less true today! however, she doesn’t come out in the book as a big emotional gesture to join lee in scary freedom, she comes out to stop her boss hitting on her and to prevent her coworker from blackmailing her. her coming out is such a significant point of tension and happens with such a fizzle! I think I would be giving the book too much credit to agree and say that sometimes coming out isn't a big deal and is kind of a fizzle, be she is constantly thinking about how her first lover was fired for being a lesbian. it can happen to you!!!

there is a very contrived, unnatural ending that requires lee to betray all her most deeply held relationship beliefs/make a lot of bad decisions and a deus ex concussion for alex. not that i expect every book to be a Victorian morality fable, but i didn’t want her to have a happy ending that felt so unearned. I didn’t want her to be rewarded for being such a pushy bitch while doing zero work on herself!

at least the sex scenes were some of the less awful ones ive read in this project

-

watching

HOUSTON MENTIONED

-

playing

look at my beautiful little bitches

-

making

i am a firm believer that anything worth knitting is worth knitting well and as heirloom quality as you can make it, bc it takes the same amount of time to knit something in garbage single ply that will fall apart in one wash as it does to knit something in yarn that’s actually good. however, sometimes you need to produce an acrylic baby blanket bc a baby’s one job (as i have previously stated in this series) is to produce fluids and crumbs, and you love their parents and want to make their lives easier without adding a wool blanket to the mix.

this baby blanket is completed, only two years late. i did not measure this or even really unscrumple it before throwing it directly in the warsh. nineteen repeats across and twelve up of the tumbling blocks baby blanket, applied icord edging on the short edges which took six! total! hours! to apply. i think this yarn is bernat softee in mint? some sort of oil byproduct. phil is on my lap i cant find the band to check. i got very tired of this one and its 200 stitches across and am glad to see it out the door and to the tender graces of the toddler recipient. next on the docket is some socks for a grown person. i hope i still remember how to make socks.

[trekkitkat]

While everyone’s discovering/rediscovering Hugh Jackman thirst, don’t overlook Paperback Hero (1999)

Hugh’s movie debut, he plays Jack, an outback truck driver who writes a romance novel but publishes it under the name of his best friend/secret crush, Ruby.

It’s such an under appreciated rom/com and he’s so cute! He sings Roy Orbison songs, he has a dog, I swear his accent is thicker in this.

[phanfictioncatalogue]

Terrible Influence Tour (4) Masterlist

part one, part two, part three

a bite, a bruise (ao3) - phansong

Summary: Warning for TIT Spoilers!

Bernie and Phyl (ao3) - skygremlin

Summary: Phil might have accidentally booked them an extra night at their Boston hotel. He also might have slept through his alarm the next morning. And he also might have sat in some chocolate and managed to ruin his pillow, requiring their already-late departure pause for a quick trip to a certain aptly named furniture store.

breakfast (florida edition) (ao3) - blossomsphan

Summary: dan orders "grains and fresh fruit".

Certificate Optional (ao3) - gaydreaming

Summary: After the third consecutive night of fans asking about the marriage conspiracy, Dan considers the quirks of their relationship and checks in with Phil. Phil, as usual is unbothered, moisturized, happy, in his lane, focused, and flourishing.

Chivalry is dead (it drowned) (ao3) - skygremlin

Summary: Sometimes when Phil makes a joke and Dan shoots it down, or when Dan warns him of his own clumsiness again and again, Phil simply lets the intrusive thoughts win and does what he wants. And maybe sometimes Dan is right, and he ends up falling down in a dirty puddle under a bridge on a long walk back to their tour bus after a show.

Based on a question from the Philadelphia pre-show about throwing your jacket over a puddle for someone.

Dave and Phil (ao3) - skygremlin

Summary: Dan's running late on a shopping trip while he's supposed to be doing the pre-show with Phil in Atlanta. As the minutes tick by in the theater with Dan nowhere to be found, Phil strikes up a conversation with Dave the security guard and has an idea for how to keep the show running after all.

Based on the actual email subject line from Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre that said "Dave & Phil Show"

Fall Right Into Me (ao3) - euphor7a

Summary: "Any plans for the full moon on the 15th, kings? It’s the Beaver Moon. Maybe we’ll turn into were-lesbians."

falling off the moon (ao3) - jonsaremembers

Summary: "Dan fell off the moon!"

"I fell off the FUCKING moon!"

It's a Confidence Thing (ao3) - skygremlin

Summary: After months of saying he wants an eyebrow piercing, Phil finally steps out of his comfort zone and commits to it.

It's a Date (ao3) - skygremlin

Summary: Watching a movie? It's a date. Sharing popcorn? It's a date. Traveling through Pennsylvania on a tour bus with their crew with no privacy whatsoever? In a town called Intercourse? Definitely a date.

Dan and Phil think it's funny to joke about everything they do being called a date. Their crew who are all stuck on a tour bus with them, not so much.

Just A Scrape (ao3) - gaydreaming

Summary: Phil falls off stage at the Terrible Influence Tour and minorly injures his leg. It should feel like nothing, but after the long string of medical emergencies that he's suffered, Dan can't help but panic.

love in mundanity, colourised (ao3) - ShiwiSins (IetjeSiobhan)

Summary: Dan takes several pictures of the raccoons. They look like a painting, bathed in the pink morning light, majestically perched on top of a rubbish bin, one of them nibbling on likely-spoiled food.

Or: would you still love me if I were a raccoon?

natural. (ao3) - Anonymous

Summary: tampa, florida. known for plenty of things ranging from busch gardens to outback steakhouse. unlike the amusement park, however, there’s a certain drink phil’s been eyeing since he’s seen promotional advertisements on his nightly youtube sessions.

(not) sponsored by funyuns (ao3) - Mildredo

Summary: “Go to bed,” Dan says. “We can have midnight snacks tomorrow.”

“You’re a midnight snack,” Phil mumbles, then turns his head a little and presses his teeth against Dan’s pyjama bottoms to illustrate his point.

Phil Fucked a Bear (ao3) - Scuddleduck

Summary: Based on the oft told anecdote where Phil romanced Halsin (the bear) in Baldur's Gate 3. Dan pretends to be a bear for Phil.

RPF stands for Role Play Finale (Obviously) (ao3) - skygremlin

Summary: During the pre-show in Reading, Phil reads out the results of the roleplay poll someone printed out for them - they're winning against Jesus and Judas. Because that's what RPF stands for, right?

Somewhere all bright and new (ao3) - ottertrashpalace

Summary: “It’s not going to show on the camera,” Dan says, because of course he does.

“I know,” Phil says back, quiet. “That’s not the point.”

Stand clear of the closing doors (The next stop is: 28th Street) (ao3) - skygremlin

Summary: Dan and Phil are in New York on tour and agreed to meet a friend across the city, so having taken lots of trains around the world like the grown adults they are, they get on the subway. Except when the conductor calls out the next stop at 28th Street, they realize they've made a big mistake.

#tits out for #tit (ao3) - Merrydith

Summary: Phil is questioning his confidence, but when Dan suggests they try something new after a show, Phil flips the script and makes Dan see how confident he really is..

(A VERY dirty story, i am so so sorry)

[all-pacas]

i've been tidying up my drafts and i found this; i don't think it's good enough to post to ao3 but it's good enough to inflict on tumblr!

-

Valentine’s Day is rainy and cold, and Cameron spends her morning watching a seemingly endless flood of flowers being delivered to patients, to nurses, to doctors. She’d been clear with Chase she didn’t want anything like that, that the corporatization of romance had no appeal.

If you love someone, you shouldn’t need to wait until corporate romance day to express it, she’d told him, a little too curtly. Just ranting at the endless jewelry commercials really, but he’d fallen awkwardly silent and —

Lately, love has been a difficult word between them.

They’ve been together almost a year — or a full year, depending on where you counted from. She spends half the week at his place, has her own soaps and shampoos in his shower. They drive to work together, try to coordinate their breaks. She sees it sometimes — Chase will look at her, start to say something. He’s become clingier. Tries to be cute, plies her with little presents, her favorite snacks. 

But he hasn’t said it. 

Neither has she. 

At noon Cameron gets a message from the OR desk — Chase’s surgery is running long, and he has another scheduled for the afternoon. She doesn’t see him for the rest of her shift, and even though she hadn’t wanted to celebrate Valentine’s Day —

It wasn’t really about the waste and consumerism. She just… isn’t ready. 

She swings by the OR after changing out of her scrubs, only to be informed Chase is still in surgery. It’s disappointing, but she turns to go before suddenly changing her mind: “Is the viewing room available?” 

The OR is crowded, but the atmosphere is relaxed. The patient’s torso is open and exposed, and it’s difficult to identify who is who under the scrubs and masks. Classic rock is playing softly, and some of the doctors and nurses are chatting as they work. 

“You do it in stages. It’s called section hiking. We’ve been doing one or two a year, make weekends out of it,” the anesthesiologist is explaining, peering calmly at the monitors. 

“Can I have a bit of suction?” Chase asks, a resident swooping in to help. 

“What’s wrong?” Cameron is surprised to recognize Wilson's voice under the surgical cap and mask, although she cannot see what prompted the question.

“Take a look at the bowel here,” Chase says. 

Wilson leans over the patient. “Another tumor,” he announces tiredly, but there’s no rush to arms or frantic beeping of machines. Cameron finds it somewhat bemusing: of course she knows long surgeries are a normal workday, become routine like anything else, but usually when she’s called on to assist or watch it’s because there is an emergency. 

“What about you, Chase?” one of the nurses asks. “You a hiker? Spend your summers going walkabout?”

“Yeah, sure, I grew up in the outback with the kangaroos,” Chase says mildly, bent over the patient's bowel, and the nurse laughs. 

Wilson hands Chase a tool in a flash of silver. “You got this? Need me to tag in?” 

“I’m good, I think. Bet I can get it all?”

Wilson chuckles. “Sorry, House cleaned me out this morning. You grew up in the city, didn’t you?”

Cameron feels like a spy, like she’s witnessing something illicit, not the banal chit-chat of coworkers. It sends a thrill through her, knowing Chase doesn’t know she’s listening, watching him calm and steady and in control. It stirs a strange possessiveness in her: she wants the room to know how good he is, how he’s always been cool in a crisis, how he is hers, like it’s something she deserves praise for, to be celebrated: she has him, and he loves her —

It’s not long before they’re closing the patient up, arranging transport to a recovery room; by the time the surgery is over, Cameron is long gone from the viewing room. Chase has a sort of dazed expression as he comes out of the OR in his scrubs, clutching a half-empty bottle of water. He blinks to see Cameron waiting. “Hey,” he says, wary but pleased. “You weren’t waiting for me—“

She stands to kiss him, heedless of the smell of disinfectant and his stale breath. His scrub top crinkles as she grasps his shoulders, Chase’s hands and water bottle pressed awkwardly between them — he grins when she peels back. “Hello?”

“I —“ She stops herself. Smiles at his confused expression. “I was up in the observation room,” she says, watching him search her face for further explanation. There isn’t one, not that she can express. Just seeing him, busy and focused and good, knowing him, feeling absurdly proud, absurdly —

“Wilson picked the playlist,” he says. 

“You looked really hot in that surgical gown,” she teases.

Maybe she’s ready now.

[shibapatrol]

Ignore this if you cannot handle intense ass character enjoyment

I ain't gon' lie bro, let mainstream authors open up commissions for shit like fanfics, and I'm going to go crazy in Robert Kirkman's inbox. He wouldn't be able to get rid of me, I'M A FIEND.

*Sends A SMOOVE 20,000 that I definitely got through doing some illegal ass shit cause I do not have it on hand* "yeah lemme uuuuhh get Conquest hittin' it from the back no lube, no aftercare, straight destroying my pelvis, literally, and there BETTER NOT be any gentle kisses. And yes, it's going to be another reader insert. Chop chop, comic boy."

"Alright that one was good, now gimme one where he just straight punches a clean hole through my chest. Make sure he fingers the hole at some point, that parts important."

"In this one, I want him literally punching my body into the ground until I'm a fine slush. But it needs to be described like how an American 'dark romance' author would describe the sex in a yaoi manga." "Now I need one where I'm hunting him like some rare animal in the Australian outback. And yes this one will also have intense eye licking." And now I hear you say, "Oh, but what about art?" Ryan Ottley better run before I give him these bands.

[monsterblogging]

Quotes from the Pacific Rim commentary re: Guillermo del Toro's aesthetic decisions

"You cannot do world creation without filling in with texture and detail."

...

"People think that world creation - movie, for example - is the big gestures. But it isn't. It's all this small details. Look at the markings. Look at the vehicles that open the doors. Look at the banners and the markings in the crawler that moves the robot. Everything is full of detail. We designed this."

....

"We going to what I call gothic tech, or goth tech. Which is to go right away into a world that is rusting, that is in decay, where you have the concrete is cheap, the paint is chipping off, the armors in the robots is dented, it's sort of pitted and they feel like knights, like these ancient knights, and we start accumulating, for example, atmosphere."

...

"I wanted the movie to be very romantic, but not romantic in the Harlequin novel sense or the romance novel sense of the word. I wanted it to be romantic in its epicness. You know, I wanted it to feel like an opera. I wanted it to feel dramatic. So instead of doing this in a well-lit street in New York I wanted this first fight to happen in an almost like, the middle of a romantic painting, like Caspar David Friedrich is a romantic painter I adore. And I wanted very much for it to happen in the rain in the middle of a tempest in an ocean where the waves are crashing into them. And the water throughout the movie becomes an incredibly complex expressive element."

...

"We're going to go from the biggest, the widest, to the little bug of a pilot crawling out of the helmet. Isolate Raleigh. You know, we isolate Raleigh. I'm telling the story: Look at the markings on his suit, the burn marks on his skin, those are going to become scars that he's going to carry for the rest of the movie. And I'm telling you this is when we started losing. This was the price for arrogance, this was the price for youth, and we're staining the white with red. I'm trying to build a character not just by the work of the actor, but by the storytelling with audiovisual elements."

...

"And look at this, Raleigh's all introduced in this one color, he'd golden, gold colors, and he's all coated in warm greens and earth tones and the light that is bathing him is always golden, and it's about that color coming together with Mako's dominant color, and Pentecost in this case, which is connected with Mako, which are blue."

...

"So this, we come to the scene where they meet for the first time. And I have color-coded this scene entirely in those two colors, in the blue and the ambers. You know, the bright ambers and the blue, the sort of cyan blue. And this is Mako meeting Raleigh, so the entire thing needs to be color-coded like that. And Mako's blue, because I'm making her origin to the kaiju, the kaiju blue, the blood of the kaiju - but also you will see in a few minutes a memory. A memory that is all color-coded in blue and splashes of red in her past as a child. And that blue has stained her hair. Even her hair has this strands of blue because she cannot get rid of that memory. She carries it in her."

...

"We color-coded, for example, the Chinese robot, we color-coded it red and gold and is patterned after medieval armor, and it needs to feel Chinese in essence, it needs to respond to martial arts movements; its musical theme is very strong."

...

"And here again we have now a robot, a Jaeger, that is designed, a mech that is designed to resemble a T-series Russian tank, color-coded like that, with like a cooling tower from a nuclear reactor on top."

...

"And we introduce Striker Eureka, the Australian Jaeger, which is designed a little bit like an all-terrain vehicle and color-coded with the outback camouflage colors and is the most masculine of the robots, of the Jaegers, of the mech, and is very much testosterone-driven."

...

"We talked about the color red; well, here it becomes very important. We have these characters fighting that is very very color-coded to be warm; we have a lot of reddish art direction here. We color-coded this arena in black and red. The stakes, the wood, the machines, the color of the light hitting the machines, the symbols on the wall, everything is permeated with red. Because again, I wanted red to symbolize sort of the heart. And Mako's going to find her heart and Raleigh's going to find his heart, or life, by connecting with Mako. We saw him bleeding - the last time we saw red with any importance other than the Chinese robot was when he was bleeding in the beach."

...

"And again, red coming in and linking these three characters; these three characters are the heart of the movie, you know. And blood for nobility and mortality is what makes us human. And Pentecost and Raleigh and Mako are the heart of the film."

...

"And now we start bringing, literally, bringing the crazy colors into the film. I wanted to color code this movie, bring it as close as possible to a living anime, or a living incarnation of a magazine that was very important for me growing up, which is Heavy Metal with Angus McKie, Richard Corben, Chris Foss, all these guys working with super primary colors, and I wanted to bring that saturation of colors to this, and for that I needed Hannibal Chau to meet Newt in Hong Kong."

...

"In shooting the film, we then came to the final moment and again, these three characters, Mako, Raleigh, and Pentecost, which have existed in a blue-amber world start to come to a red space, you know? This is the first time we used this red space properly in this film. Other than the Chinese robot, we were very careful with not coding anything in red. But now, at the end of the adventure, everybody's coming away. And at the end of the life, at the end of their life, that is Mako, Raleigh, everybody's gonna find this light is red. And now I can talk to you about the way I sort of organized the three fights for Raleigh. I wanted one fight with the kaiju to be the fight where he loses someone. He loses his brother in the beginning. That's where he bleeds red, you know? Then the second fight in Hong Kong is where he gains a partner. He loses a partner in the first fight, he gains a partner on the second fight. And in this final fight, he saves that partner. So, it's a full circle. I show him in the construction area in the beginning sitting in a sort of throne of concrete, if you remember, when he meets Pentecost; he made an incomplete circle. And here he completes that circle."

[kannemeinelauthor]

Outback Senora

Senora Mary Carmen Valenzuela Pearson has settled into the Outback Station she inherited from her father’s brother Jude.  Her partners are Fabiola and Harold Polaski, the offspring of Jude’s partner.  Twin Station, run by these three partners, begins to return from the terrible fires that wiped out their southern paddocks.  The thousands of sheep Carmen brought with her from Sydney helped to make…

[ravendruid]

Hi there! I’m new here and would like to ask for your September prompts, Critical Role, Vaxleth, number 28 please

Hi!! Welcome in! Thank you so much for sending a prompt, I really appreciate it. I'm sorry it took me a few days to write it, I hope you like it ^_^

A Slice of Life

(Read on AO3)

Vax’ildan is not used to being the first one to wake up but since the heat of the Zephrahn summer has been unbearable on him, Vax has been waking up shortly after dawn for the past two days thanks to the already sweltering heat that makes it impossible for him to be under the covers with Keyleth, who, by herself, is already a naturally hot person. Vax doesn’t usually have to wait too long for Keyleth to turn in bed, face him, and kiss him good morning with her sleep-crusted eyes and hoarse voice, but for some reason, his usually morning butterfly of a girlfriend is enjoying the softness of the sheets this morning, so Vax takes the chance to stretch out like a cat and pads quietly out of the bedroom.

Their house is not big. It’s a one-bedroom cottage near the center of Zephrah, not too far from the building that acts as what some might call a town hall. It was an easy choice once Keyleth saw the vine and moss covered walls, the small but cute garden outback shaded by a large oak tree with a wooden swing hanging from a thick branch, and the pebbled path surrounded by bee and butterfly-friendly flowers. It didn’t matter much to Vax where they would stay in regards to proximity of work or what the house would look like as long as Keyleth was happy, but he has to admit that the charm of the run-down cottage has grown on him, especially with the work and hours Vax and Keyleth have put into repairing it.

The proportion of the rooms is not too far off with the house itself. The kitchen has limited counter space that has taught Vax to cherish storage spaces, with a small stove and oven, a sink and an ice box big enough for both of them; the living and dining room is one single area where they keep a high table with two stools behind the back of the soft, green couch. There was no room for Keyleth’s favorite armchair, though, so they opted to let it remain at her father’s house, but Keyleth affirmed she would not leave her favorite plush rug behind, so that is now decorating the floor between the couch and the fireplace. They also purchased a handmade bookshelf from a local woodcarver, who, when told who this order was for, carved their initials on the wood at the top. It now stands against a wall, holding the majority of Keyleth’s books—everything from Alchemy and Herbs, to romance and fairytale books—and all the trinkets Vax has collected over their years of adventuring. Their bedroom is probably one of the largest rooms in the house, with a big glass window that faces the backyard and the mountains. Keyleth had fun decorating it in a way that would include both their tastes and personalities, which Vax loved, and adding more ivy and plants everywhere she could. Sometimes Vax feels like he’s still sleeping under the canopy of a forest and not in a house.

Vax looks at the ice box when he steps into the kitchen area and he’s already shaking his head because he knows he will find it practically empty. Keyleth has had to travel to Vasselheim quite a lot this week, so they haven’t had the opportunity to get many homemade meals, and because of that, their groceries are lacking. However, Vax still finds enough to whip up something: a small carton of eggs Korrin brought over yesterday, a little bit of milk left from Vax’s breakfasts, and even a few slices of bacon. It’s not much, but it’ll do. As long as they have coffee, Vax knows he will be safe.

So Vax puts on the black apron Keyleth made for him, the one where she embroidered Kiss the Rogue on the chest area in red with a fanged mouth—she will never let him forget how his first instinct was to charm the Briarwoods to get out of trouble the first time he encountered them—last Winter’s Crest, and he starts preparing breakfast, which doesn’t take too long. 

Vax was fully expecting the smell of fresh brewed coffee and crispy bacon would be enough to rouse Keyleth, but it seems like his druid might be having a bad case of lazy morning because when he cracks the bedroom door open to check on her, she is still sleeping, snoring lightly while sprawled out on the bed with the sheets bundled at her feet and her red, messy braid falling on his pillow. Vax can’t help but chuckle at the sight as he crosses the bedroom to open the window. It doesn’t do much to stave off the heat (if anything it brings even more heat), but at least the singing of the birds is louder and the room feels more in-tune with nature.

“Kiki,” Vax calls softly, brushing a strand of hair from the little of Keyleth’s face he can see. The woman doesn’t stir, so far out she is to the world. Vax can’t blame her with all the work Keyleth has had, with the nights she’s been staying up, looking up information, reading reports and other documents, until Vax says ‘enough is enough’ and drags her to bed. Keyleth needs this rest, which is the biggest reason that Vax decides to try only one more time. If she doesn’t wake up, then it’s because she clearly isn’t ready to.

“Keyleth,” Vax shakes her shoulder lightly this time. Finally there is a sign of recognition as Keyleth stirs and hums. “Morning, beautiful,” Vax brushes Keyleth’s hair, speaking softly when she starts moving her long, sprawled out limbs. He watches as the druid curls into herself and, for a moment, Vax regrets waking her up, but then Keyleth slowly opens one eye, followed by the other, and he gets to see those bright, green eyes he loves so much, and every thought leaves his head.

“Uhm,” Keyleth hums, turning on her back and stretching out like a starfish as long as she can, which makes Vax laugh. He’s never seen her like this, so sleepy and relaxed. It’s adorable. “No,” Keyleth grumbles, bringing her bottom lip up in a pout when she sees Vax. 

“No?” 

“Come back to bed,” Keyleth orders. Vax laughs again and shakes his head, saying, “It’s too hot, and I made breakfast.”

The last word seems to be incentive enough to make Keyleth open her eyes wider and focus on him, and Vax can practically see the cog wheels of her brain dust off the rust and start working. 

“Coffee?” She asks.

“Coming right up,” Vax kisses her forehead before he steps out into the kitchen, where he grabs both mugs of coffee and brings them back to the bedroom. “Would you also like breakfast in bed, your highness?” He jokes. Keyleth doesn’t reply until after she grabs the coffee mug from him, takes a large gulp and sighs from the quick boost of caffeine. 

“Yes, please.”

“Sorry it’s not much,” Vax apologizes when he brings a plate with eggs, toast and bacon. “We’re running out of food.”

“It’s everything,” Keyleth smiles like a little kid on Winter’s Crest. “It tastes good too.”

“I’m glad,” Vax kisses her cheek. “Did you sleep well?”

“Like a stone.”

“I could tell. You were snoring really loud. I think everyone in town heard you.” Vax jokes, waggling his eyebrows at her. Keyleth gives him an offended look which Vax can’t take seriously due to the piece of toast hanging out of her mouth. 

“Liar. I did not snore,” Keyleth admonishes him. Vax snorts into his coffee and gives her a wink over the rim of his mug. “Did you sleep well?” Keyleth asks.

“Too hot. Seriously, why is it so hot here?” Vax complains and to emphasize, he takes off his sweat-damp tunic.

“Not a lot of wind to cool things down,” Keyleth explains. “I know it doesn’t make a lot of sense, considering we are the Air Ashari, but the protective barrier that keeps all the bad weather out also keeps out most of the winds that are characteristic of the Summit Peaks, which means it can get pretty toasty in Zephrah.”

“Can you do something about it?” Vax asks. Keyleth can do a lot of pretty awesome things these days—one of her most recent tricks is being able to turn into a dragon, which almost sent Vax to an early grave from admiration the first time he witnessed it—so maybe she can do something about the heat.

“Technically, I can, yes, but I would need the agreement from the rest of the elder council.”

The stupid elder council, Vax thinks. The group of older, wiser people that ensure the wishes of all citizens are met, or at least heard. They would never allow Keyleth to change the protective barrier to allow more wind through to lower the town’s temperature because, in Vax’s opinion, they are all a group of stuck-up, ancient old bags who hate change and keep rejecting every single proposal Keyleth has brought to the table when it concerns the development of Zephrah (including the creation of an elite group of soldiers whose job would be to protect the town, and technically the Tempest, from external threats). 

“I’ll see what I can do,” Keyleth promises when she notices Vax’s downcast gaze. 

“You know… things would be easier if you’d just allow me to have a little talk with them,” Vax mumbles. It’s only here, in the safety of their home, that Keyleth feels free and secure enough to voice her thoughts and, on several occasions, she has voiced how much she hates the council and their blocks to her plans, and it’s not that Vax prefers violence, but he has offered his assassin services to her on multiple occasions… or at least just enough to scare them off. 

“This is my battle, Vax,” Keyleth replies sternly, as she always does. “But thank you. I appreciate the offer.” She leans in to kiss his cheek.

Vax picks up Keyleth’s empty plate and mug and sets them on his nightstand with his empty dishes. “You know my services are free for you, right?” Vax says, slowly crawling towards Keyleth. 

“Oh? They are?” She smirks. Keyleth hooks a finger under Vax’s chin and pulls him until he’s kneeling between her legs. “What kind of services are we talking about, then?”

“Oh, you know… All sorts of… services,” Vax teases feather-light touches over Keyleth’s shoulders, dragging down the thin straps of her nightgown. “Oops,” He smiles as the fabric falls down Keyleth’s torso and pools at her waist, exposing her breasts.

“I hope these ‘services’ are also exclusive for me,” Keyleth cocks an eyebrow, amused. 

“Of course, love,” Vax murmurs, locking his mouth with the column of Keyleth’s neck. She twists her head to the side to allow him an easier access, which Vax gladly takes.

“I assume… you don’t have to… rush to work… this morning?” He asks, trailing kisses up her jaw between words.

“I took the day off. I felt like I had to compensate you for all the late hours,” Keyleth manages to say with a raspy breath. Vax smiles victoriously as he reaches her mouth. 

“Well. We should make the most of this free time, then.”

Every day, Vax finds a different reason for why he loves Keyleth so much, and every day the woman finds a different way to show him just how much she loves him. Today she does it not only in the form of a somewhat lazy morning, spent with their naked bodies intertwined in bed, but also in the form of a nice, summer breeze coming in through the open window, cool enough to make the newly-added heat of their bodies more bearable for Vax.