#SCOL

[bird-in-thesky]

What are everyone’s opinions on the tickets?

If you could put specific first impressions in replies/tags, that would be great. I think I’ll rb with a full opinion, so check that if you want, but please respond, and please rb :)

[just-a-mod]

Quiet

[luntica]

Whale~!

[scolcoin]

Como Crear Colección de NFT ERC-721 en menos 1 Minuto - thirdweb y la Re...

[ente-lab]

[facts4u2know]

Miscellaneous Posts

5/18/24

For the second year in a row, medical school graduates were less likely to apply for residencies in states with abortion bans or other restrictions, and this applies across medical specialties not related to pregnancies.  Obviously, given a choice, women of childbearing age might also be reluctant to live in these states.  As a result, residents in Red States are likely to receive less and poorer health care.  Of course, they could remedy this by voting out the politicians who enacted the anti-abortion laws. If they don’t, it serves them right.

Little wonder that the 5.59 inches of rain that fell on the United Arab Emirates in one day in April caused such severe flooding.  Since the UAE averages only 3.73 inches of rain yearly, that one day of rainfall was equivalent to 1.5 years of average rainfall.

About 4000 camels have been distributed across Kenya to help transition the region from cows to camels, because years of drought have decimated pastoralists’ livestock.

From 1990 to 2016, although immigrants made up only 10% of the US population, they comprised 16% of the inventors, 23% of the patents, 24% of the most cited patents, and 25% of the total market value of US patents.

[bahrtofane]

soapy oh soapy

jude looses his lucky charm and looses his mind in the process

word count - 1.5K+

watch it - HAPPY ARPIL FOOLS. the most unserious fic to date ( jk theres one more coming )

p.s. -big shout out to my friends @aloejuicebr for fueling this madness u guys are real ones and even bigger shout to plooki @yayam26 for making soapy missing poster

-----

You end up forcing jude to do skin care with you after begging him for weeks because you just know you can work your magic and make him feel the best he’s ever felt. All you need is a night in. And time. Lots of time 

After some persuasion and begging, pouty lips and puppy eyes, he gives in. 

“Fine.” is all he says while you’re in his living room, legs over his watching a movie that you've long ignored in favor of bothering him. 

But you’re already giggling. Picking out a headband you want him to wear in your head. Pink care bear one it is. The night comes on a rainy day, he has a rare day off the next morning, so you want him to start it on a good note. 

You’re getting ready for bed, in your pjs, jumping about while you get your little baggie full of goodies out. 

“Here,” you hand him the headband,” put this on” pink care bear one just like you envisioned. 

He takes it, feeling the soft material while he hums, “what’s this for?”

“Keeps things out of your hair.” you smile, dragging him to his bathroom. You take about a hundred pictures, and he poses for you for each one. Giggling while you coach him into poses. You think you'll send a few to Jobe for good measure. 

You face the sink and think of a game plan. Eyeing the counter  

It’s here you first lay eyes on soapy. 

“Jude what the hell is that? "You grimace, looking at what looks like a dry stump of white something, sitting on its own little ceramic dish. 

Jude looks away, scratching the back of his neck, mumbling something under his breath. 

You swing your little kit on the sink counter, setting a hand on your hip,”what was that?” 

He sighs dramatically, putting his face in his hands,”it’s my good luck charm. soapy,” he wails. 

You snort, patting his back, “I'm sure he’s very uh lucky,” you give it a small pat. 

“No he is,” Jude brings his head up to face you, “ I know it. I've had him since before dortmund. “ he nods proudly. 

You grimace,”you’ve had a piece of soap for years?”

He only nods harder. 

“Okay jude. Whatever you say. “ 

“I am not getting rid of him,” he points a finger in your face. One that you gently move, pulling his hand into your own. 

“I didn't say get rid of him. Let’s get your skincare started, yeah?”

He nods, following you through the steps like a lost puppy. leaning down while you help him apply the creams and foams just right 

When it’s all set and done, he wiggles into bed happy as can be. Sighing deeply, “that was actually really nice. Thank you. “ 

peck! right on your nose. 

you laugh, “told you it would be nice. “ 

your next plan is to find a way to deal with soapy…

——-

Jude loses soapy. It becomes a whole fiasco. He can’t find him in the usual small little pocket in his duffel bag in the usual ziplock baggie. 

He’s frantic at his hotel, tearing his things apart, looking and relooking at the bottom of his suitcase. His jacket pockets, his pants pockets. 

He tries to think. Did he leave him in his bathroom? No. Can't be it. He remembers putting him inside the familiar zip lock baggie while getting the rest of his things ready. Where in the world did he go. 

His soapy. His poor soapy! How is he supposed to live in these conditions. He’s never. ever missed a single game without soapy. What is he supposed to do now? Loose?? There goes his good luck down the drain. Years of good performance is about to take a nosedive. 

When he’s set to do his routine face time with you pre game, you pick up on his sour mood. But he only brushes it off, blaming it on pre game nerves 

You don’t believe him, but don’t want to press

Jude pends 20 minutes locked inside the bathroom, head in his hands while he scolds himself. It’s a bar of soap he wants to scream, pull yourself together. But he can’t. Soapy has become more than just a silly little joke. He’s become attached to soapy, a part of his routine. He’d rather die than admit it out loud to anyone 

For now he sighs, smoothing his jersey down and getting ready to get on the pitch. 

——-

The only thing that’s been in his mind is getting back home and getting to the bottom of the mystery. Unfortunately for him, soapy is nowhere to be found in the bathroom. Not in the living room. The kitchen. The hallway. He thinks of hiring a cleaning team, but what is he supposed to say ? 

Oh hey guys clean my house and also be on the lookout for a dried out stick of white that looks like a finger haha. 

No. Absolutely not. 

He takes to his own devices and begins to tear apart his house in a desperate search for his beloved soapy. He spends the whole day on his hands and knees looking under places he didn’t even know his house had to begin with, squeezing under and into spaces he’s sure gonna regret tomorrow. 

It’s already dark out when he calls it quits. Nothing but a few bruises to show for it. 

He’s really lost him huh. 

——-

His behavior is soon picked up by teammates, coaches and staff. The usual cheery youthful Jude is replaced by a damp sluggish cranky one.

He’s silent at training, chewing the inside of his cheek while going through the familiar motions of each drill. 

Eduardo comes to him after they hit the showers, squeaky clean and ready to go home. 

“You good?”

Jude gives him a bashful nod, “yeah man. just a little worn out, don't worry.”

He gets a clap on the shoulder in response, and gives a tight lipped smile back. He’s gotta figure this out or it will start to affect more than just his mood. How stupid of him to let an old slice of a soap bar affect him so much. 

A little piece of him can guess why. Soapy is one of the very few stable things in his life. And perhaps the only stable physical thing. something to count on. Something to be able to rely on. Unchanging. 

But now that he’s gone and lost it ? jeez. 

——-

You show up to his house on a cloudy day, his favorite snacks under your arm. He greets you with a kiss, but you see the way his eyes droop and sag. What's wrong with your golden boy? 

He leads you to the living room where you make yourself at home. Plopping down on the couch and handing him his things. 

He takes them gingerly, setting them on the kitchen counter while he takes a seat across from you 

you frown, “Jude. What's wrong? “

He looks away, playing with his hands, knee bouncing. Okay what is going on that’s gotten him so worked up

“Baby…” you try, scooting closer to him. 

He screws his eyes shut, bawling his hands into fists, “I lost soapy,” 

oh. 

Your gaze softens, “You lost him? When?”

He sighs, cracking an eye open, when he sees you aren’t making fun of him he opens both, relaxing. 

“I don't know. when we played villareal away I couldn’t find him. Then i got back and tore this place up and still no luck.” arms falling into his lap. 

You place a hand on his knee. Gentle. Soft. 

“He couldn't have gotten far. I'm sure he’s somewhere obvious. “ 

“I guess,” he mumbles, leaning into your touch. 

You smile, letting him lean against you. He's so cute when he pouts. You like babying him anyway. The rest of the day is spent with his head in your lap while you press occasional kisses to his face, letting keeping up with the kardashians play in the background. 

When it’s time for you to leave, Jude whines, pouting and asking you to stay just a little more.

“It's already late jude, I would if I could you know that. “

He huffs, “I guess. “ 

You forgot about your bags laying on the kitchen counter, might as well put them away before you go. 

Jude gets up to help, sliding against the hardwood and meeting you in the kitchen

He grabs a chair from the island in the middle, bringing it to him and a little baggie falls from it. Is that what he thinks it is ? He picks it up faster than you can turn around and almost screams. He could cry tears of joy 

It’s soapy. 

You were right. It was right in front of him all along 

He holds up the bar for you to see and you smile, “see. told you. “

He nods, “yes you did,” kissing your lips as a thank you 

You hum, patting his head when you pull apart, “glad you found soapy.” 

Maybe soapy isn’t so bad after all. 

[jerzwriter]

a little jealous - Tobias x Casey HC

It took me three years to tell the story of how my messy kids finally got together. By the time they did, they were so in love with a solid foundation of friendship beneath them. The honeymoon period was intense; however, nothing is perfect, and transitioning from friends to so much more comes with its challenges. So, I decided it was time to finally write those stories, too. The first story was Money, Money, and this is the second. I have one, possibly two, more remaining.

Book: Open Heart (Late Book 2 Timeline) Pairing: Tobias Carrick x Casey MacTavish (F!MC) Featuring: Sienna Trinh, Terrance Mendoza, minor OCs Rating: Teen Words: 3,700 Summary: Newly together, Tobias and Casey are as happy as can be. But when Tobias's past keeps interrupting their present, Casey begins to struggle. Tobias thinks a little jealousy is cute at first, but as time goes on, both of them are having difficulty dealing with the situation. He can't change his past, so how do they get past it?

Tobias x Casey Masterlist Open Heart Masterlist Full Masterlist

“Tobias? Tobias, is that you?”

Effortlessly commanding attention was Tobias’s specialty, and he seemed to do it wherever he went. Tonight, as he sauntered through a posh Boston club tonight, a place to see and be seen, it was clear that he was in his element. His hand-fitted designer suit and contrasting silk shirt - unbuttoned just enough to tease at the sculpted masterpiece that lay underneath - could have been fresh off of any runway. With his enchanting smile firmly in place and his crystal blue eyes surveying the crowd, it was no wonder so many felt their attention turning his way.

In the not-too-distant past, he would have been glowing. Reveling in the attention, he would have been assessing each admirer to select his desired target for the night. There is no way he would have missed the raven-haired beauty now pushing her way through the crowd of revelers to be by his side; by now, he would have been determining how long it would take to get her out of that emerald green and gold dress that left little to the imagination. It wouldn’t have taken him long. But times had changed, and Tobias had only one objective this evening: joining his beautiful girlfriend at the table he reserved on the other side of the room.

But what he easily overlooked was impossible for Casey to miss. Her eyes followed the tall, slender beauty rushing to reach the man Casey now claimed as her own. The woman’s long, voluminous curls fell over her bare shoulders, stopping just before her décolletage. The way her copper skin glowed under the pulsating lights was downright ethereal. Casey was more than well aware of her boyfriend’s reputation, and she knew several of the beauties that made up the story of his colorful past, but this one, she was exquisite. A Praxiteles sculpture come to life that could rival any of the goddesses the master had created. Tobias may have been oblivious to her, but Casey was painfully aware.

“Tobias!” The woman yelled, pulling him into an entirely too close embrace the moment he spun around. Snagged only yards away from the table where Casey sat.

 “Mia,” he smiled pleasantly. “How are you? It’s been a long time!”

“Far too long,” she purred, her manicured hand resting on his arm as her eyes trailed over him. “You look delicious as always! How have you been?”

“Looking good yourself,” he grinned. “I’ve been good. Better than good, actually.”

“Really?” Mia winked. “I hope your next words will be because you ran into me.” Her smile was so inviting that it was impossible to misinterpret its intention.  

“Oh,” Tobias replied, quickly jerking backward. “Uh.. actually... I’m here with someone tonight.”

Casey remained seated at the table, her face bereft of any emotion. She credited the vodka and tonic she brought to her lips for that. Now, if it would just help her stop scolding herself for the jealousy that was burning to the surface inside her.

Let it go, Casey. She told herself. His past is his past; besides, you should be used to this by now.

She rose to her feet and closed the short distance between them, looping her arm into Tobias’s the second she reached his side.

“You’re finally here,” Casey gushed, placing a delicate kiss on his cheek. “I was getting lonely waiting for you.” She was quite capable of making her intentions clear as well.

“I’m so sorry, baby,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “Our favorite patient got out of surgery just as I was leaving the hospital, and I wanted to check in on him before I left.”

“Probably for the best,” Casey agreed.

“Your patient?” The woman asked. “Are you co-workers?”

“Yes,” Casey smiled, turning to the woman who had made Tobias her prey. “We work together at Edenbrook.”

“Well, it goes beyond that,” Tobias added. “Casey, allow me to introduce you to Mia. Mia, this is my girlfriend, Casey.”

Mia. Casey didn’t recall that name among his list of paramours, and she noted that he failed to mention his relationship to her, but that was probably for the best. She extended her hand as shock and disappointment registered on Mia’s face.

“Mia, it’s lovely to meet you.”

“Oh, same,” she stammered. “Uhm, girlfriend...huh?” Her eyes met Tobias’s with a flash of anger. “I thought you didn’t do that sort of thing.”

“I didn’t,” he shrugged. “But now, I do.”

“Hmm. This should make for an interesting social experiment,” she taunted. With a glance at Casey, she shot a curt smile. “Well, good luck to you.” And with a wink at Tobias, she was gone.

Casey made her way back to the banquette, and Tobias slid in beside her, hoping that exchange wouldn’t dampen the evening. He draped his arm around Casey’s shoulders; his fingers toyed with the thin strap of rhinestones that held up her pale blue dress in place. Now, he was determining how long it would be before the beautiful frock would litter his bedroom floor... some things never changed. But this time, he didn’t want her out of it too soon; he wanted to have fun with her, show her off to the world. Ravishing her back at his place could wait just a little bit.

“Have I told you how irresistible you look tonight,” he growled into her ear, sending shivers down Casey’s spine.

That voice.

She wondered if he knew how quickly it rendered her speechless, how it made her question the necessity of every article of clothing on her body. When he began to trace little circles on her skin, the memory of the bronze goddess was pushed out of Casey’s head for good, or at least for now.

“Oh, uhm... no,” Casey replied. With a lustful little grin on her lips, she wrapped her arms around his neck and spoke into his ear. “You haven’t, but I’d love for you to tell me more.”

~~~~~

This wasn’t the first time they bumped into one of his former lovers. Nor was it the second or even the third. Casey had lost count and was beginning to wonder if they’d need to move out of Boston to go an entire day without running into someone.

There was the effusive pharmaceutical representative who just happened to stop by his office the day Casey was meeting Tobias for lunch. Her sultry laughter echoed down the hall as Casey approached, and she’d never forget the way the smile fell from the voluptuous brunette’s ruby-red lips when Tobias stood to greet her with a kiss, quickly introducing her as his girlfriend.

“Another ex-girlfriend?” she asked, purposely keeping her voice jovial, though it didn’t match the feelings welling inside.

“I wouldn’t exactly call her a girlfriend,” Tobias chuckled.

“Another ex-fuck buddy?” She asked, this time her intonation was more terse.

“She and I just... wait,” Tobias stopped. With a smug grin, he pulled Casey close. “Don’t tell me you’re jealous, baby?”

Her eyes fell to the floor, he body betraying her as her cheeks turned bright pink. She felt foolish. She knew it was stupid and didn’t know how to answer. Tobias noticed her discomfort and was eager to pull her out of it; he gently touched her chin, tilting her face in his direction.

“Case, please tell me you’re not really jealous—because as adorable as you look all pink and perturbed, you know you’re the only person in the world I want, right?”

“Pink and perturbed?” She blurted in an attempt to deflect from the topic. “What’s that, the name of some cheezy porno?”

“No,” he laughed, kissing her gently to ward off any further embarrassment. “It’s not. So, where am I treating my gorgeous girlfriend to lunch? I told you, you pick this time.”  

Casey pushed her feelings away as they walked down the hospital hallway, arm in arm. They were together at long last and deliriously happy. The man adored her, so why was she letting this bother her? It seemed each time she felt she was getting past it, someone else would pop up: the adorable young woman with green eyes and a reddish-brown bob who squealed when she spotted Tobias in Whole Foods. The blonde with the bouncy ponytail they came across while jogging in the Seaport. The smoky-eyed bartender who served them drinks at his co-worker’s wedding.

Each time, it ended the same way: Casey became sullen, Tobias went out of his way to assure her, and she promised herself she’d let it go... until it happened again.

“It has to end sometime, right?” She said, shoving a spoonful of Haagen-Dasz Belgian double chocolate ice cream into her mouth. “At some point, I will have to have run into everyone he’s ever slept with, and this will end, right?”

Sienna looked up from the book she was reading on the other side of the couch. “I don’t know. I don’t know what his number is, but even if it's in the hundreds, the truth is you’ll eventually stop running into them if you’re planning on being with him a long time, never mind if I use the other F word.”

“The other F word?” Casey asked.

“Forever,” Sienna winked. She reached over and took her friend’s hand. “Casey, you knew his reputation... and you still fell in love with him. This isn’t like you. You’ve never judged anyone for their sexual choices, and you’ve always been so confident. Unless you suspect any of these women are potentially current lovers, and I doubt that’s the case, why is this bothering you so much?"

Casey tossed the empty container of ice cream and her spoon onto the coffee table, the spoon hitting it with a loud clang. “That’s the thing!” Casey spat. “I don't know. It is in the past, and this is unlike me... I hate that I feel this way, but I feel helpless to control it. I think I’m over it, then another would-be-fucking-model appears all but oozing with desire for another go-round, and I feel like shit all over again."

“How does Tobias react when these things happen?” Sienna asked.

“Tobias isn’t the problem. Yeah, sometimes he’s a little flirtatious, but he’d be a little flirtatious talking to a doorknob. That’s just who he is. I’m not threatened by that.”

“Do you feel threatened at all?”

“I don’t know,” Casey sighed, her shoulders falling as she exhaled. “But I hate feeling this way.”

“Have you told Tobias about this?”

“No,” she insisted. “And I don’t plan on. It’s stupid, and I don’t want to look like a jealous little twit.”

“But if you’re in a relationship, you need to be honest. He should know how this makes you feel. Promise you’ll think about it?”

Casey agreed and hugged her friend. Mumbling something about not having any more ice cream under her breath as she shuffled off to bed.

~~~~~

The following morning, Tobias picked Casey up as planned. Handing her a single long-stemmed rose when she opened the door.

“For me?” she smiled bashfully.

“Who else?” he grinned, his face lit up the way it always did when she appeared, and as their lips came together in a slow, passionate kiss, all felt right with the world.  

“So, where are you taking me?” Casey asked.

“The Mission. It’s just a hole-in-the-wall bar near Kenmore, but they have the most incredible Sunday brunch. Trust me, you’re going to love it!”

“By Kenmore? Is anyone joining us?”

“Terrance will be there,” he replied. “A few other co-workers, too. It’s the kind of place where people just show up, and you never know who will join you. But that works great for me.”

“It does?” She asked as they reached the car. “Why?”

Gently pushing her against the passenger door, Tobias brushed the hair from her face and brought their lips to hers once more. He pulled away with that glow and smile firmly in place.

“Why? Because it took us long enough to get here. Now that you’re mine, I want to show you off to the whole world. Can you blame me?”

“Nah,” Casey blushed, straightening the lapels on his jacket. “I supposed I can’t.”

They were seated at the bar, and Casey had to admit Tobias was right. Her eggs benedict were near perfection, and Tobias’s Belgian waffles weren’t too shabby either. She wished she knew Terrance and the other Kenmore friends a little bit better, because she would have happily swiped some of their food, too. The atmosphere was loud and boisterous; it reminded her of a more polished Donahue’s, and sitting there with Tobias at her side, Casey couldn't have been more content.

“How are your eggs benedict?” Terrance asked. “I’ve never had them here.”

Casey looked up, her eyes wide. This was her chance! “They’re wonderful! And, if you’re willing to part with a piece of your French toast, I’ll gladly trade you for some of mine.”

A smile spread on Terrance’s face as he broke off a piece of his French toast, silently putting it on Casey’s plate. He looked at Tobias, nodding with approval. “I like her! A woman who knows what she wants and makes sure it happens!"

“Hey!” Casey playfully interrupted. “I gave you something in return. I was nice about it!”

“Exactly!” Terrance replied, his eyes shutting tight as he bit into the eggs benedict. “God, they’re delicious!” He said before returning to his original point, "And that’s why I like you.”

“Yeah,” Tobias beamed, pulling Casey closer to him. “Well, I like her a whole lot more.”

“Agh!” Melissa, a chestnut-haired nurse around Tobias’s age, gagged. “You two are too sweet! Who the hell is this man, and what did he do with our Tobias?”

“Yeah,” Terrance laughed. “You have to understand, Tobias marching into being a happily monogamous man has been a huge shock for us. You must be one hell of a woman.”

“I assure you, she is,” Tobias grinned.

“She has to be!” Melissa laughed as she animatedly counted the people around them. “You’ve dated at least a half-dozen people here... that I know of... many have tried and failed to get to your position, Casey,” she smiled and raised her mimosa. “Hats off to you.”

Casey smiled politely. She knew they meant no harm, but now all she could do was look around the room and wonder who it was. Which of these women had felt his hands on their bodies and knew how intoxicating it felt when he focused all his attention on them, no matter how long it lasted? How many had slept on the mattress she now spent most nights on, waking up under his covers, blissful in his arms, before playfully stumbling to the shower for another round that they’d never forget?  

She ordered another drink and did her best to remain cordial, but her mood shifted, and while the others may have been oblivious, Tobias noticed. He asked her if she was all right when they returned to his car. Once again, she insisted everything was fine. But the ride was marred with an unusual silence that no amount of music could erase. After parking the car, they walked to his house when a pretty young woman walking a Shih Tzu smiled his way.

“Morning, Tobias,” she smiled, nodding at Casey.

“Hey, Mary! Good seeing you,” he replied. "You too, Shotzie!"

They had barely taken a few steps away when Casey asked. “So, did you fuck her, too?”

“What?”

“Nothing,” Casey replied with a frown.

Tobias took a deep breath of the warm summer air and exhaled slowly. “I know I have a reputation, Casey... but I didn’t sleep with everyone we bump into.”

“Really?” She replied, dropping her hand from his as they reached his door. “Because sometimes it sure feels that way.”

Tobias lingered by the doorway as Casey stepped inside, tossing her purse on a side table before plopping down on his couch. Her expression was a complex mix of self-reproach, frustration with him, and reluctant acceptance. Tobias’s face transformed rapidly, moving from shock to annoyance and finally to determination in mere seconds. He locked the door, and the sound of his keys clattering against the marble table echoed through the room.

“All right, this can’t continue. Casey, we need to talk.”

She sat on the edge of the couch, nervously twisting a strand of her hair. She loved him, and he was right—they did need to talk. But those were the four most dreaded words in the English language, and right now, she felt like their first conflict was all her fault. Tears welled in her eyes when Tobias knelt before her, his eyes full of concern and love.

“Casey, what’s bothering you? When you started acting a little jealous here and there, I honestly thought it was endearing. Maybe it’s stupid, but I’ve never meant that much to anyone before, and it was nice to feel like I mattered enough for jealousy to be a real thing... but now I can see it’s not cute. It’s making you feel uneasy, and it’s making me feel like you don’t trust me, and none of this is good. So, how do we get past it?”

“Tobias, I know you have a past; we both do, even if yours is a little more colorful than mine. It never bothered me, but lately, I feel like we'll need to leave the state if I want to go a day without running into one of your former lovers, and it’s harder than I expected it to be. Especially when it’s obvious that they would love another chance at you.”

“Hon,” he said, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. “You know you have nothing to worry about, right? No one is a threat to you.”

She took a deep breath, her eyes meeting his. “I know that, and I trust you, but seeing these women all the time... and they’re all so beautiful, so perfect... and sometimes all I can think of is that there is no way I can be enough for you. I wonder how long it will be before you think so, too, and it hurts. I know it’s irrational, and it’s not fair to you. You’ve done nothing to make me feel this way. It’s only me feeling like I’m... inadequate, and I’m mad at myself for even feeling this way.”

“Your feelings are never irrational, Case. They’re real and valid. You’re also the only thing that matters to me, so what can I do to help you feel more secure?”

“I don’t know, I just feel like I can’t compete with them.”

“You’re right... because there is no competition, and if there were trust, you’d win.”

She looked at him, and the sincerity and concern in his eyes warmed her heart but also filled her with guilt. Tears welled up as she lowered her head.

“I don’t know. I guess I need reassurance sometimes, but I hate asking for it. I’m usually so much more confident than this, and I don’t want to seem needy.”

“You’re not needy. You’re human,” Tobias said softly. “Plus, you’ve dealt with so much in this past year. You have no idea how much you amaze me. You're so strong, and I hate to see you doubt yourself, especially if it’s on my account.”

“No, Tobias,” she interrupted. This is a me problem—one hundred percent a me problem."

“Well, maybe, but that doesn't mean I'm not here for you. I love you, and I chose you. My past is just that – the past. You are my present, and I hope you’ll be my future, too.”

He let out a soft chuckle, and Casey looked at him with questioning eyes. “What?”

“If it makes you feel any better, sometimes I could use some reassurance, too.”

“You?” She astounded. “You’re the most confident person I know. You feel insecure? When?”

“Hey, it happens,” he smiled, sitting next to her and taking her in his arms. “I’m nearly forty, and yeah, I’ve had a lot of... flings... in my life, but love... the real deal? This is brand new to me. You know it scared the hell out of me at first, and even though it doesn’t anymore.... sometimes I have to wonder if I’m doing it right.”

“Oh, honey. You’re doing it so right. You’re so good to me, and I feel so loved.”

“And do I measure up?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper. Casey pulled back, her brows knit together.

“Measure up? To who?”

“Look, I don’t care how many people you slept with before me. You’re with me now, and I’m not worried about that. But you had something with others that I never had... you had love. And because you have this big heart, most of the people you loved are still in your life.”

“Tobias, they may be in my life, and yeah, I suppose I still love them... but not in that way any longer... not in the way that I love you.”

“I know that,” he smiled. “Rationally, I know that. But this love thing... it’s something that I’ve only shared with you, and, now and then, a little bit of self-doubt creeps in, and... when that happens, I could use reassurance, too.”

“I... I never would have thought... you don’t have to worry about that, Tobias. You're the love of my life, and I want this to last forever."

“I do, too," He smiled and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. “So why don’t we talk to each other when we’re feeling a little off? We’re a team now, remember? We can work through anything as a team."

Casey nodded, feeling the weight lifting from her shoulders. “Yes, we can. And I promise to talk to you instead of letting things eat at me in the future.”

“That’s all I ask,” he replied, pulling her into a comforting embrace. “We’ve got a great thing, kid. We’ll get through this; I know we will.”

She rested her head on his shoulder, feeling nothing but warmth in his embrace. “So, what’s your opinion on this love thing?” she asked with a little grin.

“Heh,” he chuckled. “It’s wild... a bit of a rollercoaster ride, but honestly, it’s the best thrill of my life. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

“It is like a rollercoaster,” she agreed. “But you know what my favorite part of rollercoasters is? The way we hold on tight and don’t let go.”

A bright grin spread across his face, and he held Casey as close as he could. “Trust me, sweetheart,” he whispered. “I will never, ever let go.”

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Tagging others separately.

[xelasrecords]

Secrets and Sacrifices

Han Jumin x Reader

NSFW

Jumin and you make sacrifices for the RFA. You don't know how much more you can take, but Jumin does not plan to let you out of his sight.

Secret Ending AU where the secrets drag on and relationships are more complicated.

TW: depression, self-harm, controlling behaviour

Words: 2.8k

Masterlist Read on AO3

Your friends are laughing around you. The restaurant lighting has dimmed, and the lambent glow from the candle on the table illuminates their happy faces. All of you are tucked into a padded leather sofa in the corner, the live music playing behind you.

You echo their laughter. It's the appropriate response.

Seven is sharing an outrageous tale, and Yoosung is his enraptured audience, constantly nodding and asking follow-up questions. Zen chides him for believing everything Seven says but still laughs along. Beside you, Jaehee reaches over you and sets the empty plates aside in anticipation of Seven's dramatic gestures.

Jumin is impervious to the racket. He swirls his wine and watches the advertising screen outside the window, the billboard flashing bright in the evening. His grey eyes are glazed, unfocused. He's missing V, you're sure. That's all he does, aside from worrying about you. Waits for V to contact him.

Languidly, you lay your head against the cushion. This should be a pleasant dinner, but there's a damper placed on your emotion valve. You've lost the means to conjure the excitement you once felt. The knowledge of missing them is not the same as feeling it.

You look down at the corduroy skirt that has ridden up to your waist, exposing more than half of your thighs. You dig your nails into them. Five seconds and release. Little scythes are imprinted on your skin. There, a feeling. You swipe your fingers through the indents with dull fascination.

Today is one of the rare days when you are cleared to venture outside without compromising security, but showing up here feels like a farce. You're playing puppet to prove that you're fine before being corralled back to Rika’s sterile shoebox apartment.

Jumin and Seven's dutiful little puppet, that's what you are.

When you glance up, you can feel the weight of Jumin's attention on you, intense gaze shifting from your lap to your neutral face.

You don't feel guilty. He will find out anyway.

You drag your skirt down and straighten your posture, the band sitting around your hips again.

"Is everything well?" Across from you, Jumin's smooth baritone voice rises above the peals of laughter and the increasingly loud music.

The chatter halts as your friends turn to you with a concerned expression.

You crack a smile. "I'm all right. Just tired." Jaehee squeezes your hand, and you pat hers with reassurance. The friendship you foster with this little group is built on thin ice, and long cracks have been crawling across the surface. "Let's go back, I have work tomorrow. So do all of you."

Seven's shrewd eyes flash at you before he grins widely at the others. "Except for Yoosung!" He pokes Yoosung's side, which earns him a light punch on his shoulder.

"A wise decision," Jumin says. "Everyone should get some rest."

"Easy for you to say." Zen glares at him. "I don't think I can sleep a wink tonight. My skin is ruined from all my lost beauty sleep." He sighs and turns to Seven. "Is there no progress on V's secret files?"

Seven pouts and shakes his head. "I'm still trying to break through the encryption walls, but Jumin can give me Elly to boost my motivation!"

Zen instantly sneezes and curses while Jaehee hurries to pass him a napkin.

An agent with a lifetime of diversion training. You hold back a scoff.

Jumin, Seven, and you are only shrouding yourselves with more secrets because you are determined to reach the same goal: Don't let harm come to the RFA. Don't share any information unless it's crucial. Not even Jaehee. Not yet. Let them live in the almost idyllic bubble as long as they can.

For a split second, Jumin seems as if he's about to scold Seven for the deliberate mispronunciation of his cat's name, but he shakes his head and calls for the bill instead.

Jumin has changed. You wonder how much he has to pay in unravelling V's secrets. If selling his peace is worth the members' peace. But you know what answer he would give. It has never been a matter of choosing for him. He will always protect the RFA.

He will always protect you.

Along with the others, you file out of the restaurant through its gilded swinging doors. Jumin immediately arranges their transport home and reminds them to inform their arrival in the chatroom. You pretend not to see Seven exchanging a calculating look with Jumin, his mask briefly slipping. You wait for your turn, but it never comes.

You have anticipated that, though.

Jumin places his hand on your lower back, his dark hair in slight disarray from the wind. You shiver. His touch still has the power to hold you together just as it has the strength to pull you apart. "Driver Kim is already on his way. You won't have to wait for long."

You nod and stare out the parking lot. Surveillance disguised as an act of chivalry. Since Seven stopped trusting V's contingency plans and revealed your address to the members, he and Jumin have worked together to keep you safe as you help them clean up the mess V left behind.

A familiar black car pulls up before you, and Jumin holds the backseat door open. You climb in, greeting Driver Kim before giving him your address. Jumin enters after and sits so close beside you that his trousers brush against your bare leg.

You press your thigh against him a little more.

Jumin gently caresses your knee, but there's a frown on his face. "Your address is already saved in my car navigation. Did you forget that?"

You have honestly forgotten. Thoughts slip around you these days. Try as you may to capture them, it's as if you have to squint through a lattice window to make out the memory fragments and piece them together. You get away with it most of the time, the fact that you struggle to pay attention.

But Jumin always pays too close attention to you.

"I remember now." You shrug.

Jumin isn't inclined to drop the matter. "I have picked you up more than once. If there's any problem with your memories, you should get it checked out. I will arrange a doctor's appointment for you."

"You're blowing things out of proportion."

The car starts to move. Driver Kim has polished his pretence of not hearing your conversation. He taps the radio screen, and a soft murmur floats through the small space.

Jumin's hand on your knee tightens into a grip, but not firm enough to hurt. "You have been forgetting a lot of things."

"Not when they're important," you say. "I won't compromise our mission, so lay off me. I can forget things. I'm human." You huff out a tired sigh. "Don't you have more things to worry about?"

His voice is constricted. "Do not presume other matters are more important than you."

"V?"

He draws his hand into his lap. "Both of you are of equal importance."

You stare out the window, yellow street lamps and glass towers sweeping past you. You're going back to a place that makes you want to scratch your skin loose. Your freedom is restricted to the apartment and wherever an RFA member accompanies you.

"I've watched the romantic drama you recommended," Jumin says after a few moments. "You're right, I did like it. It's curious how the man is always there to catch the woman when she falls. The distance and his human speed should've made it impossible."

At another time, you would have smiled at his endearing fascination and proclivity to pick apart a mystery until he understood it inside out. Now you glance at him without emotion. "Dramas operate by their own logic."

Jumin tries for a smile. "Nevertheless, it was sufficient entertainment to unwind after work. I must thank you for that."

"I'm glad it helped."

He shifts his body towards you. "How would you feel if I attempted to catch you when you fell?"

You purse your lips. "I won't fall around you."

"But if you do?"

You try to ponder over it, but it's like trying to break through rough currents that threaten to swallow you. The effort is exhausting. "You might not be fast enough," you say. "You're not armed with magical drama abilities."

"Then being there with you at all times would solve it." There's a hint of finality in Jumin's tone.

Of course.

You rest your head against the window, the glass cold against your temple. "That sounds impractical."

"It is better than watching the people I love lose themselves because they're too stubborn to ask for help."

Your lips tug up in the tiniest smirk. "Interesting. Han Jumin feels more than me. I never thought this day would come."

You glimpse at him, but he doesn't seem offended. How disappointing. You're right at the centre where his emotions are concentrated. You thought that would have included his anger.

"I would say it's concerning," Jumin says. "I know how that emptiness feels. If what you're experiencing is worse than that—"

"You'll force me to get treatment?"

His hands curl into a fist in his lap. "I'm not fond of coercion, but if you pose a danger to yourself, then I will do what I must."

You can't keep the irritation out of your voice. "Of course. Thank you for caring."

"I always care." Jumin's fingers hover near your cheek, and you think he's going to touch you, and you wait for him to—but he drops it to his side.

"And look how it ruins you."

Jumin dips his chin sharply. The shadow in the car obscures his expression, but you can make out the lines of exhaustion in the corner of his eyes. There is only so much he can put up with before it eats at him, always bracing for tragedy to befall everyone around him.

You're not supposed to be on the list of the people he wants to protect.

"Loving you doesn't ruin me. It's the best emotion I have ever felt." He runs his hand up your arm and pauses at the slope of your shoulder. "So let me care for you. Don't go. Don't go as far as V has."

You can't wrap your head around the driving force behind Jumin's obsession for your survival. You don't even care as much. It probably has something to do with how you can see right through him. He's attached to the validation you can offer him. You make him feel like a person. You're the only one who sees him as he is, now he can't let you go.

"V is your closest friend. He'll come back to you eventually."

"He won't," Jumin states flatly. "Rika is all he sees, and his range of vision has pathetically narrowed. You needn't bother with consolations. I know where my place is on his priority list."

Pressure burgeons within you like a fist thrusting into your ribcage and twisting your lungs. You hold on to the sensation, thankful to still be able to feel certain pains for Jumin. You wind your hand around his tie and press your lips somberly against his. He tastes of matured grapes and sweet memories long gone.

You have loved him until it ruined you too.

Jumin hooks his arm around your waist and pushes you against the car door, his other hand moving around the back of your head to soften the blow. His fingers trace down your ear and jaw before tilting your chin up and deepening the kiss.

His hand slides up the back of your thigh and toys with the lining of your panties. You hitch your leg up, allowing him to slide between you as he presses himself harder against you, his breathing harsh against your parted lips.

You can feel his need for you between your legs and you wish to satiate him, but it's as though your limbs and nerves are molten lead. You can burn him up with a single touch and you do it without feeling anything.

You want him, but the desire is cerebral.

Jumin pauses and pulls away when he notices your lack of fervour. He opens his mouth to apologise, but you grab his arms, feeling the lean muscles beneath the suit, and shake your head.

Not your fault.

He searches your face, then nods. This has happened before.

You don't know how you reached this point. You keep losing things that you can't afford to lose and you're tired of it. Your freedom, your fundamental need for Jumin. You don't know how to protect your senses from atrophying.

He smooths down your crumpled hair and blouse, murmuring, "I had expressed my wish not to be consoled, yet you still went against me."

"This is the only time I don't have to obey you."

Jumin stills. "I am not trying to restrict you."

"So if I ask you to stop monitoring my schedule and chaperoning me, either by yourself or someone you personally approve of, would you?"

He brushes your swollen lips with his thumb. "Can you promise me you won't get yourself killed if I decrease the security?"

"I promise." You straighten his tie to align it with the buttons and trail your fingers up his chest.

Jumin seems to consider it before shaking his head and chuckling. "You're a good liar."

You grip the lapels of his suit. "It's not up to me if the hacker decides to attack me."

"But you won't put up a fight either."

You let your hands fall and avert your gaze to the blur of passing cars behind him.

Jumin sighs. "It's only until we dissolve Mint Eye and you are safe from the threats that brought you here. Perhaps you would be happier and less inclined to throw self-preservation to the wind."

You clench your jaw and dig your nails into your thighs. Your life is getting smaller and smaller each day. There will always be another condition from him as your condition gets worse. Jumin will not stop. As long as the fight against Mint Eye goes on, you will always be under his extreme surveillance.

Jumin means well, you know it. You wouldn't have survived this long if he and Seven didn't force you to.

You carve your nails in with all your strength, clawing until they break your skin, but there's no blood. It's always harder when you mean to do it.

You don't want to be fixed all the time. Sometimes you want to shatter into pieces. Sometimes you feel safer when you're small.

"I can't breathe, Jumin," you say, desperation seeping into your voice.

He flicks his eyes down and wraps his hand around your wrists in an instant. "Stop doing that. Stop hurting yourself."

"This?" You laugh. "It's nothing more than you and Seven have been doing to me. I've always been willing to help you two with your plans, however immoral they are. I'd do them myself even without you. But I never gave you permission to track me like a prisoner."

His gaze turns hard. "You wouldn't let me if I asked."

"I'm the unhappiest I've ever been and you don't even care." You try to pull your hands away, but he won't budge. "You don't want me to be happy."

 "I deeply apologise. I never mean to cause you pain." His face contorts with guilt. "Please hold on a little longer. It will be over soon. V will provide us with an explanation, and things will return to how they were."

"You're naïve if you think it's that easy. This is not your drama with a fairytale happy ending."

"If I don't harbour hope in everyone's stead, what chance do we have in surviving?" Jumin says, and lets out a ragged breath. "We will get through this catastrophe. You can depend on me if you can't find the strength to go on. Just—stay with me. Do not leave."

You think you should cry. You can feel an emotion bubbling, blistering but never quite reaching its boiling point. It's frustrating. Breaking down under pressure is one of the most human things to do, yet the most you can muster is observational agitation.

Love changes things. He loves you and you're paying the price for it. 

You look at him with deadened eyes. "You have never made leaving possible, Jumin."

"Good," Jumin says, his voice terse. He doesn't let go of your wrists.

You sink into your seat, deep into the corner where the lights do not reach. There is a kind of loneliness that has grown into a corporeal shadow inside the cavity of you.

You yearn to make its existence known to someone.

You have no one to tell.

-

Footnotes:

I couldn't flesh these out due to fic length, but I want to get them out there anyway: 1) Reader isn't in therapy because Jumin and Seven aren't well-versed in mental health and Jumin thinks he's enough to fix her for now. She just doesn't care. 2) Jaehee is excluded from the secret subgroup because reader takes over her role in task execution and more.

I... didn't mean to write a dark Jumin or include canon plot elements. I feel like my fics lately are a "how dark can I make this" challenge. The initial idea was just Jumin being there for a lonely reader and it'd be wholesome and comforting, but it got worse through each draft. It had been satisfying to write.

I'd hoped my first fic with the big cast would be one where everyone's personalities are prominent, but apparently, I had to write it from a depressed reader's POV so everything is warped and muted instead. Maybe next time.

There's a paragraph that I reworked from my now inactive IG writing account c: I guess it's not plagiarism if you're copying yourself?

I like it when my MCs are a lil manipulative xoxo

The header concept is Jumin's obsessive surveillance, shown through the clear box tracking his eyes while the rest is blurred, and the toxic intimacy of how Jumin is the one who yearns more but they're separated by a thin yet impenetrable barrier. I was so happy that this clip fits my vision, with an Asian man at that! It's hard to find good free stock footage of Asians. And tap the GIF for better quality.

Youtube | Goodreads | Letterboxd | Pinterest

[shybasementkid]

scollace scollace scollace scollace scollace scollace scollace scollace scollace scollace scollace scollace scollace scollace scollace scollace scollace scollace scollace scollace scollace scollace scollace scollace scollace scollace scollace scollace scollace scollace scollace scollace scollace scollace scollace scollace scol

[luntica]

4pm my time.

Hope to see friends there!!

-💙🦊 soma

[motherofplatypus]

So I saw this post by @iandoubt and i just have to write a fic out of this.

It's slightly NSFW, because I also use this fic for practice, so please excuse the cheap writing I made ٩(ᐛ)و

***

For Joel, the worst thing about being a red life isn't that he's on his last life and must go on a killing spree to get everyone to join the Legion of the Losers.

Nope. It's that he had to dye his hair, again.

The process of dyeing it is quite fast, but the effort to collect the ingredients are a pain. And yes, it's not necessary to change the color of your hair every time you lost a life, but it's a must if he wanted to instill fear upon those who sees him.

Also for style.

Mainly for style.

Anyway, after spending like a quarter of the session collecting poppies and turning them into red dye and carefully painted over the green streak on his hair, Joel finally finished. It took him like ten minutes max and an extra few minutes to let it dry. Being on the upper deck of the Relation Ship really helped the drying process.

He looked at himself and felt weird not seeing that green streak there.

While cleaning up, he looked at the hatch towards the lower deck, listening to the faint grunts from where the bedroom was. Etho is down there, dyeing his hair himself, and Joel quoted Etho: "I think I can do it myself, it's just like painting, right?"

It's not actually necessary for Etho to dye his hair, but they're partner, and if they wanted to be a functional partner in their last life, that Canadian man better get on with his style.

While waiting for him to finish, Joel decided to add extra details on the upper deck and the sails. He avoided going to the bedroom or lower deck to check on Etho, he wanted to be surprised by Etho's work (derogatory).

After some texturing and choosing better color gradient, something that took more time than collecting those poppies, Joel decided Etho might be needing his help.

He went to their bedroom, and the first thing that came to mind was "Did Etho just killed someone here?".

The bedroom was red. All red. The white sheet of their beds looked like someone just got murdered there, and Etho was sitting on it, entire body tainted with red dye except his white hair, looking defeated.

"I know you said it'll be just like painting, but I didn't expect you to paint everything except your hair!" Joel's mouth was gaping, trying to find a word to express his bewilderment. "How did you even do this? There's more dye on the ceiling than there are on your hair!"

Even with half of his face covered with mask, Joel could see just how embarrassingly red Etho's face was.

Joel took the dye away from Etho and pulled a chair from the corner. He gave Etho a sign to sit there. Without complaint, Etho obeyed, trying to hide his face away. Joel left the room for a moment and came back with a towel in hand.

He tossed the towel to Etho and moved next to him, preparing to dye his hair. "Clean yourself up, or do I need to do it myself as well?"

"You know, if you wanted to do it that badly, you just have to say it." From the way the side of his cheek raised slightly, Joel could tell Etho is making that snarky smirk.

His eye twitched and he grabbed Etho's hair like he's snatching wig. Etho screamed.

Joel decided he will just dye Etho's bangs. Maybe a bit more, as long as the white still the dominant feature of his hair. He had tried to imagine Etho with red hair and he hates it (not like he thinks about his partner that much, he's not that obsessed).

Five minutes later, Joel almost finished with dyeing one side of the bangs. It was relatively quick. However, it's a different story for Etho, who had to listen to his partner nagging nonstop in that five minutes.

"God, you're so pathetic. I mean, look at this!" Joel turned Etho's face and lifted some strands of hair to wipe a red stain. "If I left you alone any longer you'd be Hellboy by now."

"Joel, my ears are about to fall off if you keep nagging."

"Nagging is for losers. I'm not nagging, I'm scolding!" Joel moved to the other side and paint the white hair red. "You with your bloody dye and hair. If you can't scare the other with this, I'm ending our series."

Now, it's Etho's eye that twitched with annoyance, and he wanted to retaliate.

Etho grabbed the hair that's just dyed, feeling the dye still fresh and wet on his skin, and aimed it at Joel's face. Instinctively, Joel tried to dodge, but it was too late. The finger with the wet dye, originally aimed at his cheek, brushed upon his lips instead, giving Joel a rosy red lips.

Etho exploded into laughter. "Nice to see you there, pretty lady." Etho spoke between his laughter.

Heat crept up on his face that Joel thought he'd combust. Etho was laughing harder when Joel's face went red as a tomato, he nearly fell off the chair.

Joel clenched the dye in his hand and was more than tempted to just pour the whole thing onto Etho's head. But he thought, where's the fun in a quick revenge?

And so, Joel decided to make his revenge as slow and as painful as he could.

Joel moved in front of Etho, and without a single word, he sat on his laps.

The sudden weight on his laps instantly made Etho stopped laughing. His eyes were set and locked on the man in front of him. The man on his laps. But the weight wasn't the thing that got his attention.

Their waists were practically touching. Separated by the fabric of their pants, their tools are pressing one another.

The silent didn't go unnoticed by Joel. Seeing that he had won the first step of his petty revenge, he decided to step it up. "Nice to see you too, handsome man. This pretty lady needs to sit down for a while, you don't mind, right?" He smirked, both to tease him and to declare victory.

If Etho's brain was audible, Joel would hear a lot of sirens and stuff crash and burn. And when Joel moved himself to get a better position, there would be an explosion sound.

Joel returned to dyeing the hair red, as slowly as he could. Each stroke of the brush took at least a minute, and each stroke of it sent Etho's mind further into the blank mindscape.

Once in a while after turning the white strands red, Joel would purposefully moved himself. Feeling the soft brush of their pants that got Etho to moan silently while trying to not looking too flustered, it was a sight to be seen.

He would like to do this all day. Teasing his partner into oblivion, filling that head with nothing but the friction of their pants and the soft sound of his breath mixing with the pleasure moan that Etho himself made.

He would love to do this all day, but the circumstances won't allow them. Sooner or later, they will have to return to the game, be it willingly or have someone hunt them down.

With one last stroke and one last movement that pulled the longest moan Etho made, Joel got himself up from his partner.

"Alright, we're done. Let's get going." Joel turned himself away faster than he should've. Despite being the one deciding to move away and getting his revenge, he found himself already missing the pressure between his legs.

"Joel." There was a long silence before Etho called his name. Joel turned around to see Etho already standing behind him. Even though Etho was only slightly taller than him, Joel couldn't help but feel a bigger pressure being this close with him.

"What?" Joel finally spoke, his voice was squeaky beyond his control.

It was clear as day of the desire within Etho's eyes, as well as the lies he's gonna say. It was disappointing to know he would not be able to hear it, but something tells him he would not hear it now.

Etho pulled out a flint and steel, and those eyes smiled softly at him. "The ship burns, everything burns?"

Joel took the flint and steel with a smile that matched his partner. 'The ship burns, everything burns."

[celestialsuzy]

Some sketches

Her name is Scollite, Scol for short. I'll make a reference sheet and an information sheet about her soon.

[eorzean-tale]

FFxivWrite2024 - Prompt #11: Surrogate

“There you are Otsuya-tan. I’ve been looking all over for you!” Seigen heard his own voice vibrate through his horns and realised that it had come out far sharper than he intended. Even in his summer yukata he felt hot and sweaty in the Hannish sun, and the sight of his little sister playing in the fountain with some peasant-looking children filled him with a sense of indignation and envy. Why couldn’t she just grow up? Be more dignified, like him. 

At twelve summers he thought he knew quite a bit about such matters, and he was pretty sure that Doman-born nobles weren’t supposed to ruin their clothing by drenching them in filthy fountain water. Even if it did look really refreshing. And he was feeling the places where his scales met skin prickle and itch with sweat. 

Her small face scrunched up, making her scales scrape with disapproval as she waded towards him. “Nareema! It is Nareema now,” she told him, matching his indignation with some of her own. Though tiny and delicate-looking, his little sister could glare with the best of them. 

He had expected her to protest his chosen honorific, not her entire name! He reached up to his left horn to stabilise it the way he had seen elders do when their hearing started to fail them. “Come again?” 

“It’s my Hannish name. Nareema. All the students at the lessons have taken one. Well, except Zach, but he’s stubborn and his name is easy to say,” Otsuya told him, but he was shaking his head in denial before she even finished.

“You’re Otsuya! My little sister. From the clan of…” 

“It’s Nareema now! Everyone else is taking a Hannish name! You would know if you ever bothered to go to the lessons.” 

She interrupted him! She, a girl of eight summers. So tiny he could bodily lift her and carry her with one arm. Well, probably two, but who was counting? She interrupted him, her elder and the heir of their clan!

“I don’t need to go to lessons and learn this crude tongue, we’re going home soon,” he countered, hating how his voice cracked. It felt like a betrayal. Even more so when she reached for him, a cool, wet hand slipping into his.

“This is home now,” she told him gently. Damn. When had she grown up suddenly? Become so dignified? Seigen sniffled, shaking his head again. It wasn’t as vigorous this time. 

“It is,” she insisted. “We’re not going back. Everyone knows there’s still war there. Invaders. Otou-sama wouldn’t have made us leave if he could fight them,” little Otsuya pointed out, referring to their father and the head of their clan. Seigen hated that she, young as she was, had accepted what the rest of the household just couldn’t come to terms with. 

Not just accepted, she thrived here. Everything from the people to the customs to the food to the clothes to the weather. Where the entire clan struggled to keep their connection to their homeland and their sense of identity, she had shrugged it off like a serpent shedding an old skin. They had been here for less than a year, and she already felt ‘local’ to him. Like she belonged here. Was it just age that helped her adapt when the others struggled? Or something in her nature?

“Besides, maybe they’ll finally stop calling me a crocodile,” Nareema added softly, looking down. The wisdom he had perceived in her dropped away instantly, and she was just his little sister again. He frowned so fiercely that his brow scales felt tight. Someone had been bullying his little sister? How dare they.

“Alright, I’ll come with you to the lessons,” he promised, telling himself he was only doing it so he could get a word, or fist, in with whoever had been calling her that. Her green skin was not something to be mocked by some stranger!

She squealed in surprised delight, then tugged on his hand suddenly enough for him to tip, ending up in the refreshing chill of the fountain to the laughter of neighbourhood children. Brother and sister spent the rest of the afternoon playing in that water, and even when their parents scolded them for it later Seigen couldn’t get the grin off his face. He was twelve - nearly a man judging by his own wisdom. But maybe, sometimes, it was alright to still goof off. For his sister’s sake, of course.

[pokemonshelterstories]

I've seen scolipedes do well for small children to ride on when their poison points were corked but yeah there's definitely a weight limit for scols. Very calm pokemon, though. Poison types often are, considering how few predators they have.

are we reading the same pokedex?

anyone who puts a small child on a scolipede should not be allowed around small children anymore. they are aggressive predators that engage in territorial disputes with each other and with centiskorch, which can and will kill and eat scolipede. i'm extremely concerned you consider this a calm pokemon safe for children to interact with.

[starrletnight]

Okay, your scol [sky children of light] x pressure stuff has to be one of my favourite things I've seen in the pressure fandom :)

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