#SHE IS THEIR PERFECT BALANCE SHE CAN MATCH THEIR VIOLENT FREAK BUT ALSO HELP THEM TONE IT DOWN

[h-didanart]

What otp? 🤨

What OTP indeed

@escapetheslaughter mod this you?

[lethargic-caterpillar]

A Second Date (SFW)

Male! Wereliger x Gender Neutral! Reader

The reader does have a panic attack in this one. 

---

Xander had messaged you the day after your ‘date’ at the cafe, and you talked about meeting up again on Saturday for a late lunch. That was Monday, now after talking with him for a week your excitement had only grown. 

Right now, you are waiting for him on a bench at the entrance of the park, smoothing out the wrinkles on your pants. You check your phone again, he was running a little bit late, just by 10 minutes, but it feels like eternity. 

Someone calls your name, you swivel on the bench to see Xander waving with his free hand. In his other hand was a black bag, the food he said he was bringing, or so you assume. You stand as he speed walks down the small strip of sidewalk that separates the two of you. 

“Sorry I’m a little late, there were some unforeseen complications with the food,” Xander grins and holds up the bag. 

“I wasn’t waiting for very long, if I’m being honest I was expecting to have to apologise for being late,” you admit and laugh nervously. It felt odd to be face to face with him again after a week of just texting, but also kind of nice. 

It was awkward at first, the conversation, but soon it became rather easy. He told you about how his mom used to paint in this park before she started travelling. She sells her paintings in the farmers market on Saturdays whenever she’s back in town.

You both stopped at the fountain in the centre of a circle of trees, admiring the stone carving of three fish spewing water into the large pool.

“Here?” Xander points to a bench facing the fountain.  

“Sure,” you hesitate before grabbing his hand and leading the way. The butterflies in your stomach flutter when he squeezes your hand tighter, your face feels hot. 

The bench is warm, but not unbearably so. Xander pulls out the food; an assortment of meats, cheese, and vegetables from the deli on the corner, and water bottles. He comments on the queen-worthy quality, and his cat-like grin makes an appearance. 

Not once did you feel like you didn’t have his full attention while you shared the platter. The hours pass like minutes while you walk through the park. It was just really easy to be with Xander, you weren’t the only one trying anymore.

The breeze picks up, feeling a little colder than what you were dressed for. You rub the goosebumps forming on your arms, looking at the grey clouds moving to block the late afternoon sun. Xander trails off, glancing at the sky as well.

“Did you by any chance… check the weather report?” you laugh awkwardly. He shakes his head sheepishly and scratches the back of his neck. A drop lands on your nose, with spots rapidly appearing on the sidewalk and your clothes.

Xander leads you both to a gazebo, and you stare out at the downpour. It was like a movie, a perfect date ruined by unexpected rain.

Thunder rumbles overhead.

Unexpected thunderstorm then. Xander is shivering nearly as violently as you are, the white ears atop his head lay flat. He notices you looking and they perk back up. 

“So… wait here, or do you want to come back to my place until it stops?” he sounds hopeful, keeping his tone as light as possible. 

“Yeah, if you don’t mind,” you twist the hem of your slightly damp shirt and take a deep breath. The cold air was starting to hurt your nose, you sniff to fight off a sneeze.

Xander jogs through the park, keeping a hold on your hand and checking to make sure you were keeping up. His apartment wasn't very far at all. The building was just on the other side of the park’s main entrance. 

It was in fairly good condition and the carpeted stairs creaked quietly as you both trudged up them. The apartments were also fairly quiet, you wondered if anyone was even home. Xander fumbles around with his keys, the excess of them on the key ring seeming to give him some trouble.

He finds the one he’s looking for and gently places it into the lock, the door swings open and Xander waits for you to go in first. It’s a fairly small apartment, nothing too fancy. The furniture was matching shades of tan with a black coffee table and black cushions. 

“Make yourself at home,” Xander slipped past you after kicking off his shoes and placing them on a rack. “I’ll make us some tea?”

You nod and reach down to untie your own shoes. Out of the corner of your eyes, you see Xander’s socks and laugh. They were bright orange with tiny pizzas wearing sunglasses printed all over. 

He looks back at you and notices what you’re giggling at. A proud smile lights up his face as well as a blush. “They’re my luckiest pair. I wore them to make sure that today went as planned.”

“I guess they don’t work as well as you thought?” you trail off, looking out the window at the endless rain. Xander shrugs and turns into the kitchen.

“I have a pretty human in my apartment, I’d say they are still pretty lucky,” it was your turn to blush. You sit down on the armchair in the corner and listen to the small sounds coming from the kitchen. 

The painting beside you catches your eye. It’s of the fountain from the park, you wonder if it was his mother that painted it. You open your mouth to ask as light flashes in through the apartment.

As it disappears, so do the room lights. Xander yelps in the kitchen and you hear a glass hit the tiled floor, shattering it, most likely. The dark clouds have covered the late afternoon sun so well that it was nearly pitch black in the living room. Vague outlines of the furniture kept you from tripping over the coffee table when you jumped up.

Within milliseconds of standing, you’ve got your phone's flashlight on and you’re turning the corner to observe the kitchen.

First, you see the broken pieces of a purple mug, which wasn’t surprising in the least. The second thing though, now that was surprising. You turn the light on to check on Xander and drop your phone with a shriek.

Where Xander was supposed to be stood a giant white tiger. The rational part of your brain reminded you that he was a wereliger and must have fully shifted in panic, but another part your brain wasn’t listening to reason. 

Your heart is going a million miles an hour and jerk backward. Tears well up in your eyes as you try to catch your breath. Adrenaline pushes its way through your veins and you start to shake. It’s absolutely suffocating, and you try to reason with yourself through it.

A powerful flashlight turns on and you squint, causing a tear to escape. “I’m so sorry!” Xander whimpers and steps carefully around the broken porcelain. “It’s just me…”

You nod and let him guide you back to the couch. He leaves you briefly and comes back with a cold glass of water, he also drapes a throw blanket over your shivering form.

“Would you like me to give you some space?” he whispers, wringing his tail in distress. Your hair falls in front of your face when you shake your head. Xander nods and holds your hand. The adrenaline subsides and you feel a crash coming on. 

“Sorry for freaking out… I knew it was you. I don’t know what came over me,” he shakes his head and looks at you with a grin.

“You don’t have to apologise for anything. I know I’m scary,” you laugh at his playful growl and clawing motion. The joy that filled you made the fatigue fade a bit, your chest felt lighter.

“Not even a little bit,” you flick his nose and watch in amusement when it twitches. Xander’s face lights up in the warm glow of the flashlight that was pointed up at the ceiling.

“I have an idea, wait right here!” He jumps up and you teeter a little bit with the disruption of the balance in the couch cushions. He skids around the corner in excitement and you hear him giggling as he shifts around in a room. There’s lots of drawer opening and clattering but Xander soon returns with his arms full.

He carefully puts them down on the coffee table and you see dozens of multicoloured tealights and a lighter. You look at him in confusion and see his tail shaking behind him, not quite wagging, but something like that. Xander lights them one by one, placing them throughout the living room, you stand up to help him. Slowly, so that you don’t place it somewhere that it’ll cause something to catch fire, you two finish setting them up.

The whole room was bathed in warm light, the small flickering flames brought back memories of a power outage in your childhood home. Your mother had brought out bowls of ice cream and read to you from a book about brave dragons saving princesses.

“Why do you have so many candles?” you nudge him as he stands beside you. 

“I have bubble baths on Tuesdays,” Xander says in a mock-serious tone that is ruined with his wide smile. “Now, let’s play crazy eights.” he lifts up a deck of cards that you hadn’t noticed he was carrying.

“You’re on,” you smirk and sit on the floor by the coffee table. 

Xander is beating you seven to two, but you’re laughing so hard that you don’t even care. His random compliments make your heart skip a beat, and it seems so natural for him. You ask him how he does it.

“You just make it easy, I really do believe the things I say,” Xander says as the last round comes to an end, another win for him, you scowl. It’s his damn lucky socks, no one can have hands that good naturally. “By the way.” he looks up at you, his dark eyes catching the candlelight perfectly.

The rest of the hour goes by too quickly, and the little bubble that you’d created bursts when orange light fills the apartment. You look up and squint, having to look back down almost immediately.

“Looks like the rain has stopped,” you snort and place your hand above your eyes to block out most of the light.

“Yeah, seems that way,” Xander sighs, standing up, his knees pop and you cringe. He laughs and helps you up. “Let’s go out onto the balcony.” you carry your shoes to the mat in front of the sliding door, tugging them on, and following him out.

The low standing buildings gave you both a perfect view of the sunset. You felt Xander poke your hand and you turn it so that he can intertwine his and your fingers. A smile tugs at your lips when he starts to purr quietly. You knew you had to leave soon, but a few more minutes couldn’t hurt.

---

Hooooo boi, this one took me a hot minute to complete... again. I’m trying to be more consistent with posting but I can’t make any promises right now!

Take care of yourself by getting a full eight hours of unconscious time!: A Lethargic Caterpillar~

[espercr---archived]

✶ - 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆'𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒍 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 

     gentle disclaimer that i’m going off of her age as opposed to actual years . this is to keep the focus on her & plot points in her life , rather than events in the universe(s) she inhabits - although i do have ideas about when these events occur adjacent to the mcu , so i will add in little notes about that as i go . also this is going to be incredibly long - so it’s going under a read more . things may also change with plotting / the addition of mains - so this will be a living document , & i will add things accordingly . 

𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 - hope is born in london , england to newlyweds ardella & damien baxter , a biochemist & engineer respectively . she spends her first 2 years growing up in the city , but with little faith on the way her parents decide to take advantage of the farmhouse ardella recently inherited in the states . 

when hope is the age of 3 , faith is born , & her family is living happily on the outskirts of a little farming town - brightside , tennessee . growing up in the country is paradise - she spends her time exploring the woods , caring for animals , & helping her mama in the kitchen . it’s not until later that she realizes she’s just a bit lonely - especially once faith starts to pull away from her .

at the age of 11 she meets winfield , the boy who will be her best friend for life . he is a bully , initially - but with some convincing ( & her mama’s famous triple chocolate muffins . ) he gives her a chance . . . & from then on they’re thick as thieves . before their friendship , hope was rather shy & reserved - but with his encouragement she quickly blossoms into much more of a socialite .

her life is looking up until the age of 14 . she discovers her parents have been killed in a lab ‘accident’ at their place of work , a company she knows next to nothing about . it only occurs to her later that maybe there was a reason for her parent’s secrecy . not knowing better , the sisters wrongly assume that the ‘social worker’ that comes to collect them means well - really , she is connected to the deaths of their parents , & they are taken to an illegal testing facility to be experimented upon . once it’s clear that these people mean them harm , hope does her best to fight back & protect her sister - but . . . really , at this point she doesn’t stand a chance . 

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 - she learns that the woman who kidnapped them is dr . bianca white . she doesn’t know it at the time , but this woman used to work with her parents . what she does know pretty immediately , is that she is bad news . hope is convinced to make a deal with her : allow herself to become their willing little lab rat , or allow her sister to receive the same treatment . it’s a no brainer , hope chooses to comply . 

by the age of 15 there’s been little to no progress & her captors are becoming impatient . their experiments become more & more ruthless . faith has started to detach herself from both hope & the world in general . she’s angry with her sister , for making no attempt to escape or fight back at all - unaware of the deal she has made . it’s at this point they are seperated entirely - & experimentation on faith begins , however hope is oblivious to this . she needs to believe these people are keeping their promise . faith becomes even more resentful of hope every day .

just after her 16th birthday she’s told faith has died . the scientists have a hunch - their energy readings show a correlation with hope’s emotions , negative ones in particular . so they provide the most negative stimulus they can think up , even if it is a total lie . faith is alive & well , however she’s been manipulated into aligning herself with her captors . what her torturers hadn’t planned on , is just how volatile hope’s reaction would be . the energy behaves like a sizable bomb - freeing hope & injuring everyone within the blast radius . finally , she is able to fully access the abilities she’s been developing for the past two years . she’s on a warpath to escape the facility & free the other victims , putting an end to the experimentation for good . in the meantime , dr . white escapes with faith - cutting her losses . 

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐇 - wealthy journalist , kit armington , is tasked with reporting on the facility’s illicit activity & takes pity on hope - taking her in as a foster child . during this time hope endures questioning by the police , the press , & eventually several hearings as a witness . dr . white is presumed dead - hope believes she murdered her , & despite how much hatred she holds in her heart for that woman . . . this really tanks her mental health & self image . she feels like a disappointment to everything her mother stood for , & vows to never use her abilities again . . . she doesn’t even try , for fear of hurting anyone . 

at 18 hope has completed her education through home schooling  , testing out of high school & with kit’s financial aid - she enrolls in college . it’s there she meets christina , & . . . these two have a rocky start . as roommates they clash - christina is a bit of a shut in & a neat freak . . . hope is disorganized & has fallen in with the partying crowd - which is atypical for her , but trying to drink away the pain seems a lot better than having to feel it all the time . it’s not until a late night heart to heart that they finally see eye to eye . hope convinces christina to come out with her & live a little - christina keeps hope from overdoing it . they balance each other perfectly , & make a great team - this never changes . it’s at this point christina begins to develop an unrequited crush on her best friend .

𝐁𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐑𝐘 ( domestic abuse tw ) - the pair graduate at the age of 22 & begin their journey of opening a bakery together . they receive the condition that if they can raise half of the funds necessary , kit & christina’s family will match the sum in equal parts . the pair head to new york , christina working as an accountant & hope working two waitressing gigs . it’s at this point she starts dating a guy that’s no good for her - as christina would remind her frequently . she’s not proud of her time spent with him , but she’s also infatuated with the illusion of love - especially considering all she’s been through . it’s at this point she’s reunited with winfield , who is down on his luck trying to make it as an actor in the big city . she takes him in , after some convincing - but is understandably vague about the circumstances of her disappearance . one day she returns to the apartment with a blackened eye - & though she tells him not to , he goes after her abusive boyfriend . hope follows , walking in on the violent confrontation . seeing her best friend being beaten to a pulp triggers her powers for the first time since her escape from the facility - effectively putting a stop to the brawl , & exposing her powers to winfield . he convinces her to use them for good - & once again becomes her trusted confidant . at this point she can barely lift a feather without her emotions being supercharged - but this changes with time & practice . 

𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐍 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐁𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒 - at the age of 25 Hope’s Bakery is open for business . winfield has his own place , just across the street & she is practicing vigilante justice when the sun goes down . it’s this chunk of time i use as a default for most of her interactions . ( in comparison to the mcu , i place this before the winter soldier . ) this is her situation until the beginning of her first arc - effectively , her status quo . virtually untrained , all alone - but determined to do some good . 

𝑎𝑟𝑐 𝟣 . 𝐌𝐘 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐃𝐄𝐃 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 - mercenaries start turning up to kill hope . not her vigilate alter ego , stellar jay , hope b . baxter . at first she thinks her identity has been compromised , but that’s not it . following the clues , she learns it’s dr . white - back from the dead . she’s become aware of her vigilante routine , & wants to cash in on her lab project . the mercenaries were a test , to see what she could do - & gauge whether it’s worth trying to recruit her . hope , of course , isn’t happy about this . especially when dr . white decides to use christina as leverage . this would be a great time for any close friends / potential romantic partners to discover her secret - since this is where she’s at her sloppiest . there’s a lot of stuff left loose here for mains / additions to canon - but eventually , hope has a final showdown with bianca white & discovers that her sister is alive & well & pretty evil . she’s asked to choose her own freedom for chris’s life , however with winfield’s help she is already safe . dr . white shifts bargaining chips - threatening faith’s life , who is now thoroughly betrayed . the sisters do the impossible , working together to take down bianca - who is remorselessly dispatched by faith . . . who disappears as quickly as she reappeared in hope’s life . 

needless to say chris , hope , & win all go to therapy after all of this . 

𝑎𝑟𝑐 𝟤 . 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐅 𝐖𝐄 𝐀𝐋𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐘 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐖𝐄'𝐕𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐃𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 ? - now 26 , hope spends this arc trying to find faith & convince her to come with her  & stop killing people ,  please . her sister has taken to freelance mercenary work - so hope isn’t too pleased . it becomes very clear that faith always felt outcasted & unwanted in their family , especially from ardella - who only seemed to praise hope . this resentment isn’t easily cracked , but hope does her best . it doesn’t quite work , but seeds are inevitably planted in faith’s mind - maybe her sister isn’t the pretentious perfect princess she built up in her mind . hope is a guilty hero after all , constantly in battle with her desire to do good & reluctance to use the full extent of her powers . she’s convinced her mother would be disappointed by her violent approach . so faith enlightens hope . . . their mother wasn’t who they thought she was . 

she caused the explosion that killed her , their father , & a whole department of scientists . she sacrificed herself & others to prevent a dangerous substance from being utilized by the wrong group of people . their parents worked for the same facility that kidnapped their children - dr . bianca white was their boss , & had been blackmailing them for years . ardella finally had enough , & decided to end it . 

hope had always held her mother up on a pedestal , idealizing her , & holding herself to impossible standards . . . now she’s the bigger person , with no body count & the knowledge that her pacifist mother was capable of so much destruction . 

𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐄 - adding this little bit in here , because the only thing that could make hope’s mental health tank even further at this point is christina & her cat pumpkin turning to ash at her feet . she does all she can to cope , helping her community , reuniting what’s left of families , & providing food through the bakery for people in need . but when things quiet down ? she flees the city to spend some alone time in her hometown . this would be a great time for any potential friends / romantic partners to check up on her . . . or even stay for good . not much to do for 5 years , after all . she gardens , picks up a stray dog & names her honey , bakes a lot , just sort of . . . lets the scars heal over . by the end hope is 31 .

𝑎𝑟𝑐 𝟥 . 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐁𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 - now that the world’s back on track . . . hope quickly learns that faith is back in action , now a fully formed villain . hope is taking it upon herself to take her down , but it’s not going to be easy . this arc is a bit of a question mark , but it will inevitably end with faith finally admitting that she wants her sister back after all these years . 

& that’s the full timeline for now . that’s what hope is dealing with while she’s chatting with your muses . . . so be kind to her , she’s going through a lot . help her out , teach her how to fight - hold her when she cries ! & most importantly - come plot with me so your muse can be factored into these arcs ! 

[catie-does-things]

Happy 10th anniversary of that time Zuko ran in front of a bolt of lightning for Katara, here’s a very important list I wrote during my hiatus earlier this year and sent to @iamfitzwilliamdarcy:

reasons for scream

“That’s something we have in common.”

“Maybe you could be free of it.”

That little nod when he lets her touch his scar, which he’s never let anyone do before

She lays her hand on him so gently. She touches him to heal, not to hurt.

But also “I’ll save you from the pirates” lol who are we kidding here

“You rise with the moon. I rise with the sun.” ALL THE BALANCE SYMBOLISM I MEAN COME ON

They were so evenly matched that whether it was night or day is all that made the difference in who won

She freezes him but leaves air inside the ice so he can breathe. He uses the air to taunt her while he explodes his way out of the ice. Your otp could never.

The sad eyes when she looks back as she leaves the cave. Kill me.

“I thought you had changed!”

That water whip when she refuses him as a prisoner like damn that is some righteous fury, his betrayal cut her so deep, so personally

“I’ll make sure your destiny ends, permanently” and he’s just like “...welp, that happened”

That scene where they argue under the full moon as the waves crash violently against the cliffs and she shouts at him “I was the first person to trust you, back in Ba Sing Se!” and the wind whips the long grass and they stand there with so much emotion between them while a shooting star passes overhead. I feel faint.

That’s definitely how you handle two characters whose relationship isn’t important and won’t affect anything after the war tbh

He waited outside her tent all night though? To try to make it up to her? This boy.

He’s the only one who understands her specific need for closure and catharsis over a traumatic memory that made her feel powerless because they’re the same

He seemed to be all anger and fury but in his heart was hope and goodness, she seemed to be all hope and goodness but in her heart was anger and fury, neither could find balance without the other, WHICH WAS A MAJOR THEME OF THE WHOLE FREAKING SHOW LIKE COME ON

(“Perhaps in return I can restore something you’ve lost” lol ~*foreshadowing*~)

That look of awe when he sees her bloodbend like respect

“You look her in the eye and tell me you don’t remember what you did” like woah that is some projection of guilt right there he needs her forgiveness so badly

and she’s finally able to give it thanks to him

“I am ready to forgive you” like what a life-changing moment honestly

And then she throws herself into his arms and they embrace as the sun is setting but like in a super casual way that in fact doesn’t even mean they’re friends or like each other at all I’m sure.

When he’s scared to face his uncle and she reassures him he’ll be forgiven there too though? Lowkey scream.

Also when he like shoves Suki out of the way to run to her and save her from the falling rocks lol.

And then she plucks him out of the air when he’s falling with such determination like “no one kills him but me” lol

He! Asks! For! Her! Help! The proud prince humbles himself instead of trying to do it alone! They were perfectly matched opponents, now they will be the perfect team! Dramatic reversals and character development and narrative payoff, oh my!

Literally any shot with the two of them framed against the red sky during the comet is super gorgeous just saying

He...he ran??? In front of a bolt of lightning??? For her????

This boy! Outran lightning! To save her!

LIGHTNING!

The dramatic slow mo as he realizes who the lightning is aimed at and the horror dawns on him and you know like in that moment nothing mattered, nothing existed except her

And then the Big No and he runs

He takes like a billion volts straight to the chest for her (in an extremely nonchalant way that I’m sure means nothing)

The way she cries out his name when she sees him go down though?

Also that single hand reaching for her helplessly while she fights Azula, like he’s lying there on the ground literally dying he’s still only thinking about trying to protect her

Seriously, that desperate, trembling hand reaching out for her! Which means absolutely nothing at all, of course.

~*AND THEN SHE HEALS HIM*~

She heals his heart like what kind of extra romantic symbolism is this shit that in no way indicates they mean anything to each other

He’s gonna have that scar on his chest for the rest of his life as proof of how far he’s willing to go for her but I’m sure neither of them will ever think about that

He thanks her in that husky whisper because he almost died y’all

“I think I should be the one thanking you.” PAYOFF! EMOTIONAL AND NARRATIVE PAYOFF! It’s so beautiful.

They stand together, triumphant. I cry.

And then yeah I’m sure they just go on with their separate lives and don’t actually even get along as friends and certainly never think about each other at all because they didn’t fundamentally shape each other’s coming into their own or change each other in irrevocable ways, that is totally believable and very good writing.

[theolddarkmachine]

12 Days of ODM: Day 9

Dedicated to: @whereisthefood123

Prompt: Levy gives Gajeel his first headband.

AO3

                                               I hope you like it.

Truth be told, Gajeel had loved the thin slip of crimson fabric Levy had given him that morning right before she slipped out to head to the guild for the day. He loved the silky feel of it against the roughened, callused palms, and he loved the raised stitching that created a zig zagging pattern across the band. Gajeel especially loved that it was damn near identical to the yellow headband Levy was partial to, the fabric a permanent fixture holding back her bangs and allowing the delicate planes of her face to catch the light.

The problem was, though he loved the piece of silk, he didn’t know what he was supposed to do with it.

WTF, you won the award for most obscure prompt lol I’m not gonna lie, when I got your message of “Can I ask for a prompt of ‘headband’” I was like I HAVE NO IDEA HOW I’M GONNA MAKE THIS WORTHY OF WTF. But after a minor panic, I freaking love this prompt. I also love that it gave me the opportunity to use a bunch of my pretty downloaded fonts :3 I hope you like it! Merry Christmas!

************************

                                              I hope you like it.

Truth be told, Gajeel had loved the thin slip of crimson fabric Levy had given him that morning right before she slipped out to head to the guild for the day. He loved the silky feel of it against the roughened, callused palms, and he loved the raised stitching that created a zig zagging pattern across the band. Gajeel especially loved that it was damn near identical to the yellow headband Levy was partial to, the fabric a permanent fixture holding back her bangs and allowing the delicate planes of her face to catch the light.

The problem was, though he loved the piece of silk, he didn’t know what he was supposed to do with it.

The dragon slayer was a simple man. All he needed for his hair was shampoo, conditioner when he felt like treating himself, and the open air that would dry it. Tying it back with a headband had never been anything he’d ever considered, especially given he wasn’t even sure how to get it on over the wild mess to begin with.

Which, was how he’d ended up in their bathroom for the better part of an hour trying to work the  over the unruly black locks, and only managing to get it around his forehead, the hair beneath it pushed upward into a shape that resembled something more like a deflated mushroom. An angry growl ripped from behind his teeth as he tugged the headband off and threw it at the mirror where it smacked right in the middle of his reflection before falling behind the faucet.

“God damn headband,” he moaned as he turned on his heel, walking out of the bathroom and slamming the door shut behind him to further punctuate just how angry he was with the fabric for not cooperating with him. The clap of the door was deafening in the otherwise quiet home, the movement so violent that it shook the walls an shook the bookcase just to the right of the door, effectively knocking two books from their shelves. They fell with all the grace of a baby bird, soft thuds accompanying the inevitable crash as they hit the carpeted ground.

“God damn books,” Gajeel snarled as he leant down to pick them up, his annoyance spiking as it searched for anything else to focus on besides his failure to use Levy’s gift.

It really shouldn’t be this hard, he thought moodily as he scooped up the leather bound tomes that had fallen.

Band. Hair. Make Levy happy.

The steps were obvious, which only made it that much more annoying that he couldn’t seem to get the damn thing onto his head. He groaned again as he turned towards the bookshelf where the line of carefully placed books had fallen over without the help of their companions to keep them up. Much like with everything else she did, Levy had lovingly organized the texts on the shelves, using a system that only seemed to make perfect sense to her.

Gajeel had suspected what the dull throb growing behind his sternum had been, but it hadn’t been until he’d watched her as she stood in front of the wooden bookcase, a book in each hand and a small thoughtful smile on her pink lips as she pushed each onto specific slots on the shelves, that he confirmed it.

Love.

They’d only known each other for a year at that point, dating for just four, when he’d offered his place when she’d finally decided she couldn’t handle living with their guild mates anymore.

         It will be convenient. Plus, we get along just fine, don’t we, Shrimp?

Since then, and since his revelation, Gajeel had kept the four letter word held close to his heart and trapped behind his teeth. It wasn’t that he doubted Levy’s feelings for him. His own reasons rested solely in the hands of his own abandonment issues. Everyone he’d ever loved left.

If he kept that to himself, then she couldn’t disappear as well.

Sighing loudly, Gajeel shook the stray thoughts from his mind as he looked over the shelf, trying desperately to pull the location for both books from the grain of the wood. It was as he searched the shelf for answers, something tucked behind the books caught his eye.

Sitting pressed into the furthest corner of the shelf, was a small square box made of cherry oak wood that he had never seen before. A zing of curiosity shot down to his fingertips, sending a tickle through the pads as he set the fallen books onto the next ledge up before reaching over the top of the books to grab it. The wood had been sanded to an almost velvet softness with vines and flowers carved into delicate patterns over the lid.

It had been beautifully crafted, the care in its making obvious with how fine the details were of the blossoms that folded lovingly as if they were truly alive. His fingers ghosted over the design, smoothing over the lines before they dragged a line down to the golden clasp that held the lid shut.

A small voice in his head admonished him for being nosey. Levy had clearly hidden the box for a reason. If he was a stronger man, he’d put it back where he’d found it, replace the books, and pretend he hadn’t ever seen the hidden box behind all of Levy’s favorite books.

He wasn’t a stronger man though, his hand moving to push the box open before he’d even realized he’d decided to open it. The lid lifted easily as the hinges gave a soft squeak from age, revealing a card on yellowing paper with cursive words painted over it in plum ink that simply said:

Carefully, Gajeel pulled the card from the box, his touch light as he pinched it between his thumb and forefingers. Setting down the box on top of the toppled books, he used his freed hand to open the folded paper, eyes scanning over the note on the inside.

His heart lurched in his chest, a seed of sorrow nestling deep in his gut as he read the words. Levy had mentioned once in passing that her parents had both died when she was young, leaving her to be raised by the guild, but she never got much further than that, and he never pushed her for details. Gajeel understood the kind of scar tissue that got left behind by the loss of family. He recognized the faraway look and the hollow tone she adopted the one time they’d been brought up, his own darkness reflecting back at him in the golden honey of her eyes.

Tearing his eyes from the slightly smudged ink of the card, he looked back at the box to see a photo resting at the bottom beside a single piece of folded yellow fabric. Gently placing the card on the shelf, Gajeel turned his attentions back to the picture, pulling it from the wood.

The photo showed a tall, blue haired man standing with his arm around a blonde woman who had a child balanced on her hip. She couldn’t have been more than five years old in the photo, sky blue hair sticking out in every which way with a single band of yellow holding her bangs out of her face as she smiled up at the parents that beamed brightly at the camera.

Levy’s family. Their happiness radiated from the photograph, captured forever within the card stock. Though she shared the same coloring as her father, she favored her mother. The woman’s smile was identical to the one he’d memorized, full of light and pulled just barely higher on the right side. He felt his heart squeeze as his gaze traced over the photo, matching the goldenrod in Levy’s hair to that of the fabric in the box.

He didn’t need to pull the silk from its wooden confines to know that it would be the same headband from the picture. Similar to the one that always rested in Levy’s sky colored locks, it must have been one of the last things she ever got from her parents before they died. A final, tangible piece of her parents’ love, tucked away with her books in the one place she could always keep it safe.

The sudden understanding of it all stole the breath from his lungs as he carefully tucked the photo and card back into the box.

I hope you like it.

Without his knowing, Levy had given him her love, wholly and completely sewn into the crimson fabric of the headband.

After setting the box back behind the books, he replaced the fallen texts on the shelf, effectively hiding her past away again before he turned back to the bathroom, a new resolve coursing through him as he grabbed the fabric from where it sat on the sink.

***

Levy was lost deep within the curling script of the foreign language, oblivious to the rest of the guild around her as she tried to work out the translation of a particularly tricky sentence, when a solid body dropped down into the bench next to her. Fire erupted deep in her stomach as a strong arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her into a broad chest as a nose nuzzled into the hair behind her hair. She felt the featherlight touch of lips against her skin, just below the silk of her headband. The contact pulled a low purr from her throat as she pushed into the touch.

“Hey Gajeel,” she hummed, eyes still fixed on the words before her though her attention rested solely on the warmth of her boyfriend’s body.

“Hi, Lev,” he replied, the coolness of his breath raising goosebumps over her skin as it stirred the hair around her ear. “How’s it going?”

If Levy was being honest, it wasn’t going well. She couldn’t remember the last time a translation job had made her work so hard to find the answers. The challenge had been welcomed, but admittedly, her mind had been left behind with Gajeel and the headband she’d given him that morning. Though they’d been together for half a year now, she’d never felt as nervous with him as she had that morning handing him the simple gift for his birthday. He had no way of knowing just how much the circle of fabric meant to her, or how it was the easiest way she could think of to finally tell him the depth of her feelings for him, but she knew. That very knowledge had kept her mind a mile away, stuck in their house and hidden behind a shelf of books.

“It could be going better,” she admitted, sighing loudly as she slumped into his side. “It’s kicking my ass, actually.”

Gajeel’s quiet laughter vibrated through her as he kissed her again, this time pressing his lips to the top of the headband in her hair. He breathed in as he hummed before pulling away.

“So why don’t you take a break?” His voice was so deep and inviting, her own personal kryptonite that she couldn’t deny, no matter how badly she wished to prove she could figure out the text.

Well, it was just a break anyway.

Finally looking away from the book, Levy turned to face Gajeel, a small squeak of surprise escaping her as she took in his appearance. Stretched over his black hair, was the headband she’d given to him that morning. The crimson silk stood out against the onyx, its color almost the same garnet shade of his eyes as he smiled down at her.

“You’re wearing it.” Reaching up with a tentative hand, her fingers brushing over the fabric and the soft waves of Gajeel’s hair. Her dragon turned his nose into her wrist, his lips brushing over her pulse that ricocheted in her veins at the contact.

“Of course I am,” he said matter-of-factly, as if his wearing it had been as obvious as the sky being blue.

“I wasn’t sure you’d like it,” she said lowly as she dropped her hand into her lap. They both ignored the way her words wobbled slightly as she spoke, their endings watery. Gajeel’s arm tightened around her waist as he spoke.

“I love it.” His eyes danced with light as they searched her hazel ones, his lips quirking upwards as he chose his next words.

“I love you, Levy.”

Her heart paused in her chest before it began to race as the words began to spiral around her, wrapping her in their warm embrace as she rolled them around her mind.

I love you. I love you. I love you.

Gajeel’s lips were pliant beneath hers as Levy surged forward, pressing their lips together, her arms anchoring her to him as they wrapped around his neck. Electricity buzzed down to her toes as he returned the pressure in the otherwise chaste kiss. Pulling away slightly, she rested her forehead against his, the fabric of the silk band soft against her skin.

“I love you too,” she whispered, barely getting the words out before Gajeel chased them away with another kiss, filled with nothing but an unsaid promise that was sweet on her tongue. Smiling into it, he pushed into it before pulling away, his eyes smoldering as he looked at her.

“Want to get out of here, Shrimp?”

All Levy could manage was a quick nod, her words lost to the continual hum of three other words.

I love you.

***

[literaphobe]

where did ginaxrosa shipping start? and why? (not that i am against it but i just... never considered!?! it)

gina x rosa shipping started because Gina is the driving force behind 80% of Rosa's laughs and 98% of Rosa's smiles.

And when Rosa smiles because of Gina-related reasons, there's a softer touch to those smiles, and they're I-can't-help-but-smile smiles.

Gina can get Rosa to laugh her head off. Big, genuine laughs that make Rosa's head tilt up. Like when Gina tossed a stapler at Charles (2x22 cold open)

Gina and Rosa are different people but have things in common that draw them to each other. Like how they're both people you don't want to cross. Gina and Rosa are scary and you don't want to mess with them. Gina uses her words and spirit, Rosa gives you one look and you know she could beat you up and you'll thank her.

This scariness that Rosa and Gina have are what makes them so evenly matched. They won't back down from a fight, ever, but weirdly you see them letting each other get away with stuff that they'd castrate someone else for.

For example, remember when Rosa almost murdered Hitchcock and Scully because they stole her moose tracks ice cream????

Guess what happened in thanksgiving episode 1x10. It's not blatantly obvious, but Gina's holding (and assumably, drinking) coffee from a cup clearly labeled 'ROSA'. And Rosa does nothing.

Gina and Rosa are also shown to have a special, deeper kind of bond that we see through several (albeit occasionally subtle) instances.

Whenever Gina's being Gina- see 1x16 and 2x07, Rosa's being made to babysit and stop her from freaking people out/stealing/talking to people at parties. This could mean one or even both of two things:

1) Only Rosa can handle Gina because everyone else is too weak to go against her- ergo they are evenly matched

2) People know that Rosa's the person Gina will most likely listen to- alluding to their deeper connection and understanding of each other

Another show of Gina and Rosa's deeper connection is how they're often on the same side. They like to judge, make fun of, and bully people together. They also seem to enjoy standing/sitting next to each other, (sometimes way too close more than they need to be eg. charges and specs 1x22) both of them crossing their arms (mirroring each other, which is like a couple thing/i'm-attracted-to-you thing)

They've also teamed up to solve Holt's island riddle together and protested against turkey murder together. They also locked amy in the boot of a car- and walked off together laughing

They also really care about each other, for example when Rosa was being all guilty knowing she was prob going to have to shoot Charles down in 1x13 and hiding Gina NOTICED that Rosa was hiding away and even asked her why with a pretty confused/concerned looking face. Also, when Rosa got sick Gina prepared a pretty elaborate care package for her so she would get well (and please Gina who you tryna play here acting like Terry paid u/if he really did pay u pls putting the care package together prob took more money than the $20 you claimed Terry gave you)

AND THEN Rosa proceeded to smile so widely all touched by what Gina did for her!!!

And Gina put Rosa in her WILL if that doesn't say "you're important to me" idk what is. And the fact that those two jaguars making love is prob a representation of them is something else altogether

Rosa cares about Gina too, duh. But Rosa's care comes more in the form of protectiveness, like when she placed her arm behind Gina ensuring she got out of the room safely before Rosa when the turkey got loose and tried to attack them. Rosa also put in a lot of security measures in place when Gina got robbed (although amy was involved too and Holt told them Gina was scared, but lbr Rosa's protect-gina instincts got turned on full blast when she found out Gina was scared did you hear the conviction in her voice when she said "we are (going to keep you safe)"????)

Speaking of the turkey, Gina and Rosa get each other. When they protested against the turkey murder and Rosa saw Gina about to flip everyone off she joined right in. They know each other pretty well too. Gina knows Rosa's likes (old movies, someone called 'the vulture', etc.) and dislikes, and she can very accurately interpret what a Rosa action means. (Like when Rosa said 'bye' to Marcus)

Also, Gina and Rosa seem to show interest in each other.

Like when Gina accidentally texted "sup Rosa" to Amy and that was in 2009 when she first joined the nine nine as civilian administrator so obviously Gina was trying to hit on Rosa and has prob been flirting with Rosa for eight years.

Part of their interest in each other includes attraction of course. In the episode where they let Gina interrogate a perp, Rosa looks overly interested in watching Gina forcefully question the perp and even when captain Holt wants to stop Gina Rosa doesn't want it to stop. Also when Rosa unveils her sword in 3x23 as torture equipment Gina looks very turned on no offense

Also Gina is very obviously jealous of Adrian. She only started acting hostile towards him after Rosa started dating him, and please be reminded that this is the same Gina that didn't even put her phone down when Adrian held a knife to Jake, her childhood bestie and oldest friend's throat.

But Adrian dates Rosa and suddenly it's "screw you adrian you're not allowed to stay at Charles's house" and "oh yeah ur right Adrian listen to the universe you should totally not marry Rosa!!" And the day before/on the day he was supposed to marry Rosa Gina doesn't even let Adrian have candy wow Rude

After Rosa's bachelorette party, Gina elopes with some cashier (prob a lady) and it's likely that she was trying to escape from reality bc running away with someone you just met (although Gina was drunk) is not something you do if you're super happy your friend is engaged, no matter how drunk you are, and no matter how Gina you are

Finally: Babylon

Dude if "has secret bathroom they don't tell anyone about that they work super hard on to make nice" doesn't scream "domESTIC" to you then idk what to say mate

(Also Rosa bringing Gina to Babylon for the first time bc Gina got sick is another example of how Rosa cares about Gina!!!)

Besides the implications of sharing a secret private place, Gina has a very violent reaction when Rosa wants to tell Boyle about Babylon (and Rosa asking Gina about it beforehand is like- wife asking wife for permission to bring friend over to house), and wants to keep it a private thing between the both of them

"Babylon's our secret place! It's the best thing in my life." -if this doesn't touch u even a little idk what will

I get why some people might not ship gina x rosa just by watching the show. Some of this stuff is put across in pretty subtle ways, and the things they say/know about each other aren't always treated as a big deal by the show/are throwaway lines. Some things you see between Gina and Rosa like the coffee thing and the putting hand on back thing is something you can only catch by pausing the episode at the right time. Also many Rosa laughs/smiles in response to something Gina does or says is usually in the background, and you may not catch it if you aren't paying attention to the squad's reactions to each other

Are we grasping for straws when we ship gina x rosa? No we r not they r perfect but also the show needs to give us more gina x rosa because this is a ship that has so much potential

Chelsea Peretti and Stephanie Beatriz seem to be putting in effort to make gina x rosa work with their acting so not shipping it = ur not appreciating Stephanie taking the effort to smile so tenderly at stuff Chelsea says as Gina

AND Jake/Amy are a pretty stable couple now, so it's definitely in your interest to start devoting your heart to gina x rosa too!! Why let one ship slay you when you can let two ships slay you

TL;DR- Gina and Rosa would make the perfect power couple that rules over the Nine-Nine which can nicely balance out cinnamon roll couple Jake and Amy! Sign up to be a gina x rosa shipper today!! All we want in exchange is your soul!!