#Skywriting. // Answers // | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

harmless-variety-of-garden-snake · 5 months ago

Text

So yesterday's response bordered on overwhelming in how positive it was, and I've got heart-eyes permanently affixed to my face. BuckTommy Fluffebruary Day Seventeen is Big Romantic Gestures. I've already done some pretty big romantic gestures in this series, so this is more of an attempt at one. This can be read on AO3 over here. Tagging @bucktommyfluffebruary

Buck bounces on his toes as he waits for Tommy to arrive at the coffee shop, and his face splits into a grin when he spots him weaving through a cluster of people at the edge of the patio. Tommy smiles and quickens his steps until they can meet in a kiss and quietly greet each other.

“How’d your appointment go?” Buck asks, and Tommy’s only reply is to twitch an eyebrow and sip his coffee. “You don’t have to show me pictures or anything.” “It went well,” Tommy says, his tone giving away nothing. Unfair.

“Mine went great,” Buck says, threading their fingers together on the tabletop. “And…I have something I want to ask you.”

“Too late,” Tommy points out, wiggling the fingers of his left hand to show off his engagement ring.

Buck feels a wave of fondness for his giant dork of a fiancé. “No, not that. I locked that one down—”

“Oh, have you?”

“—and—shut up—I have another question for you.”

Tommy smiles behind his coffee cup and sets it down, gesturing for him to continue.

“How would you feel about ‘Evan Kinard’?” he asks, lip between his teeth the second he’s done asking. It’s a big thing, almost as big as asking Tommy to marry him in the first place. It’s his name, it’s who he’ll be for the rest of his life, it’s the name that’ll be on every record saved about him and his life for as long as that information lasts in human history.

When Tommy doesn’t answer for a moment, Buck feels a phantom panic in his gut, but then Tommy’s laughing quietly and shaking his head.

“So I was going to ask you about becoming ‘Tommy Buckley’ in about a week, there was going to be a whole thing with flowers and a cake,” Tommy confesses.

It makes sense, actually. They have complicated relationships with their names and the families that go with them—Tommy had almost changed his name to his mom’s maiden name when he left home, Buck had basically been all in on adopting a mononym to avoid being called by his first or last names for a few years. Though that had more to do with how he'd felt about his first name.

“Bucknard?” he suggests in lieu of a single intelligent thought going through his head. “Or Kinley?”

Tommy starts laughing at him and covers Buck’s hand with his other one. “Or Buckley-Kinard.”

“Or that,” Buck agrees, smiling. “Evan and Tommaso Gianni Buckley-Kinard. You were going to use a cake?”

“I wanted to do something romantic,” Tommy says, shrugging. “Short of hooking a banner up to our airtanker, I didn’t know what else to do.”

Buck picks up Tommy’s hand and kisses his knuckles before pressing his hand to his heart. “I think that creating a new name for our new family is a pretty big romantic gesture.”

“Yeah, but skywriting isn’t that expensive when you know a guy.”

He rolls his eyes. “Of course you know a guy.”

Tommy scoots his chair closer to Buck’s until the legs are almost locked together. “Hey, we’re getting a killer deal on the flowers and venue because I know guys.”

That’s to say that Tommy had saved an event space on Lake Arrowhead from burning with a well-placed water drop and his cousin’s brother-in-law was a florist. When he’d called both places, neither owner would quote him full price for anything.

“There’s one guy worth knowing more than any of ‘em,” Tommy adds, kissing his cheek.

“Shut up,” Buck mumbles through a smile, feeling his face flush. He kisses Tommy before he can settle back in his chair. “So we’re really doing this?”

“Getting married or hyphenating our names?”

“Both, either,” he says, shrugging. “Both are pretty big deals.”

Tommy nods and tips his head back, seeming to consider a cloud in the sky for a moment. “They are. But they feel easy, right? Like it’s…”

“Inevitable,” Buck finishes when Tommy trails off, and Tommy nods. “Yeah, it does. Unless you want to do your mom’s family name and be the Carlevaros, that’s on the table.”

“Nah, that ship sailed a long time ago,” Tommy says, sighing. “Besides, I’m not letting the specter of my father chase me away from my own name. Plus, he would’ve been pissed if he found out I was grouping the name ‘Kinard’ up with my husband’s family name. So I won. Fuck him.”

“Fuck him,” Buck agrees, kissing Tommy’s knuckles again. “I think we won.”

“Yeah,” Tommy says, smiling softly at him. “We did.”

#bucktommy #my fic #bucktommy fluffebruary

44 notes · View notes

kwekstra · 6 months ago

Text

The Tale of the Matryoshka Gender Reveal

So picture this: You’re in your garden. Your wife is pregnant. Your husband is making burgers on the grill. It’s the gender reveal party. Your mother is there to watch. Your sister in law has organized everything. She brings you a balloon. You stand in front of everyone with your wife and your husband, and you pop it.

Inside, you find another, slightly smaller balloon. You pop it as well, and find an even slightlier smaller balloon in that one. This repeats ten times. Your mother is outraged. Your sister in law is confused. You pop one more balloon and finally find a cupcake inside. You know how this goes. You bite into it. It’s army-issue green inside. It’s a detonator, and a pipe bomb goes off nearby, setting your fields of dry brush on fire. It sends shrapnel and confetti into the air. The confetti is white, with black text on it. It says “come to the kitchen”.

Your sister in law is yelling at someone over the phone.

In the kitchen, there’s a bun in the oven. You check the color. It’s brown. Burnt, like the countryside. The fire alarm goes off. Its indicator light is red, which tells you nothing. As you stumble outside, you start to choke on the smoke. Your lips turn blue from lack of oxygen, but that’s just a coincidence. A message is written in chalk on your driveway. It says to look up. The sky is orange. California is burning. You see a skywriter rounding out its final letter. “Run”, it says, so you do. A fire engine careens past. Its lights flash blue, then pink. Net zero information – or maybe your kid is nonbinary. Your thoughts are interrupted by a deafening roar. A waterbomber plane flies past, dousing your fields. The water is dyed pink to keep track of the land it’s covered. Fluttering down with it, you see an ultrasound. You try to run and catch it but it’s too late; a rescue crew has arrived and they drag you into their truck. You’re carted you off to safety. Your answers burn off in the wind.

Hours later, you’re swaddled in a thermal blanket, watching the news in a crowded FEMA tent. It cuts to an aerial view of the farm where it all started. Your farm. It’s all burned away now. You’ll never know the gender of your child, but maybe that’s for the best. Maybe you were never meant to know. No matter what, though, you do know one thing: boy, girl, or other, your child will be the most expensive ecological disaster in American history.

As the flames spread across the country, you smile. Your teeth are stained with soot.

#my posts #my writing #shitposts #lgbt #genderposting

33 notes · View notes

theseeingfawn · 1 year ago

Text

Hi Everyone, I have been working on a small town Elriel fic for awhile now and finally decided to post. This is my first time writing fan fiction so please be gentle with me.

Summary:

Elain Archeron, beloved sweetheart of the quaint town of Hewn Hills, yearns for a life beyond the constraints and expectations placed upon her by her family and community. Azriel Rosehall, a captivating yet misunderstood outsider, struggles with the prejudices of the town as he endeavors to forge his own destiny. Drawn to each other by an undeniable connection, Elain and Azriel are determined to be together, even if it means bringing trouble to the charming small-town. “Everything that's worth having is some trouble. - L.M. Montgomery

Chapter 1: Matchmaker Mayhem | Read on A03

Elain

It's official, this is the worst date I have ever been on. It doesn't make sense. The man is gorgeous, almost devilishly so. I've heard nothing but praise about his charm and wit. I've even seen it myself when he didn't think I was looking. But, the man is a nervous wreck and awkward . Or is it me? Maybe we are just feeding off each other's horrible vibes creating a vortex of our own personal hell. I had been reluctant when my sister all but demanded I go on a date with her friend Lucien. For the last couple of years, all Feyre could talk about is how great Lucien is and how funny and on and on and on . It was almost nauseating. I felt like Feyre was close to hiring a skywriter to let the world know that I was destined for her best friend. Ever since she married Rhysand she has taken up the mantle of matchmaker. So, to spare myself from further harassment I relented. Sure, I knew Lucien, but we have never had a meaningful conversation. Nothing other than pleasantries. I also work hard to keep him at arm's length, despite how often we are forced to interact. I see I was right to keep my distance. He seems as reluctant to be here as I am. I almost feel sorry for him… almost .

I'm glad I had the foresight to pick Velaris as our meeting spot and not Hewn Hills, the small town in the suburbs, where we live. I adore Hewn Hills but it is full of nosy nellies and busybodies. My baby sister is the biggest busybody of them all. So, when I suggested my favorite upscale restaurant in the heart of the city, Lucien readily agreed. It would seem he isn’t a big fan of all the meddling either. Though, I assume for different reasons. Thankfully, no one we know is here to witness our nightmare of a date. It didn't make sense. Despite knowing Feyre for years, and serving on our town council together, Lucien doesn't seem to know a thing about me. Well, other than surface level stuff. I sighed internally, of course he doesn't know much about me. My sisters do not truly know me. They only see the version of me that they wish to see, not the real me. No one really did .

I sit here staring off into the distance like I'm lost in a vision, imagining the bubbly young waitress will come back to end my misery. Really, how many awkward silences must I suffer through? As if reading my mind, Lucien broke the quiet tension with a question. “So, you like to garden? What vegetables do you grow,” Lucien asked with the enthusiasm of a root canal patient.“I actually don't grow vegetables, just flowers and herbs for my shop. Vegetables are much more difficult to grow than people realize.” He nodded. Please, where is the waitress.Then it occurred to me, I could use the bathroom and get away. Maybe I could slip out the window and run. What would he do? Tell my sister I gave him the slip? I'd pay good money to see that. No one would believe him. Yes, sneaking out is the answer. I feel like I've won the lottery for coming up with this brilliant idea. “Excuse me, I am just going to freshen up,” I say with syrupy sweetness. I hope I look graceful and not like I am barreling toward the back of the restaurant like I am fleeing the scene of a crime, but I doubt it. Once behind the closed door of the single occupant bathroom I take my first deep breath of the evening. I look around but there is no window, just a floor to ceiling mirror. Son of a bitch. I sigh and gaze at my reflection searching for an answer. Maybe it was my appearance that rendered him stupid. I’ve heard all my life that I’m beautiful. Not the polite kind of beautiful that every mother dotes onto their daughters. But, the type of beauty that could be used. Before she died, my mother dressed me up like her own personal Barbie doll. Taking personal credit for my appearance and awkwardly telling anyone who would listen that I got it from my mama. I cringe just thinking about it. Even my father had dragged me along to client dinners to dangle me in front of prospective clients like a juicy carrot. My sister Nesta is always watching my back, weary of everyone's intentions. Feyre, the bane of my existence at the moment, all but pimped me out to the dullest man in Hewn Hills because she thought her friend's happiness was more important than mine. Just a pawn to be used to make her life more exciting.

That's not entirely fair.

I know I’m seen as a goodie goodie, a pushover. Maybe I am, I caved to Feyre's demands after all. My sisters love to remind me how I am too sweet for my own good. A chaste virginal angel that they must protect at all costs. My reflection taunts me. Not a hair out of place, a flawless exterior that was pleasing to the eye. But, what had that gotten me? A failed engagement. A cage of my own making. Putting everyone else first and myself second. I shake away the bitterness, burying it deep down. It could be worse. At least Lucien is polite and respectful. I could do this, I could muster some enthusiasm and carry on with this date. No matter how much I wanted to shrink into myself. He is just a man and once it was over I could tell Feyre I had given it my best effort but we weren't a love match. Though I knew I didn't give Lucien my best, in many ways I blame him for what happened with Graysen. I just wanted tonight to be over with so I could go home and binge watch tv without a bra on.

With a new sense of purpose, I step back into the bustling restaurant and head toward the table. Lucien has his back to me as he chats on the phone, “you don't understand Jurian. She's so… so… meek, boring even. I don’t know why Feyre keeps insisting we’re soul mates. I know, she is beautiful, probably the most beautiful woman I've ever seen but she is dull , a snoozefest. Just call me in five minutes with a fake emergency so I can bow out.” Stunned, I dropped my head in defeat. Well, I couldn't blame him for wanting out of the world's most awkward first date. But, to call me meek and boring is just mean. I fought the urge to cry. No need to spill tears over Lucien Vanserra. Besides, it's not like he is the sly and charming man I've heard everyone drone on about. He is the snoozefest. He has barely said a word to me all evening. He is the headliner of the snoozefestival. How dare he!!!

I slide back into my chair and slap on the biggest fake smile I can muster. “Has our waiter stopped by?” I asked, pretending that I don't want to kick him in the shin. “No, not yet. This place is getting packed. It's hard to even hear what you're saying, we can just listen to the music and Ow!” Lucien hunches over and grabs his leg. “Oh my, I'm so sorry! I went to cross my legs but didn't realize you were so close,” I feigned innocence as I bat my eyes at him. I turn my head from his scowl before I start laughing. My eyes peruse the growing crowd of people streaming through the door and there he is.

His dark hair swept back off of his face, dressed in an immaculate black suit that hugs his sculpted form. I don't let myself admit this often but I have a tiny, itty bitty crush on Rhysand's mysterious brother, Azriel . Even his name is beautiful. I have only interacted with him at family functions but the sight of him alone is enough to make me swoon. He is always busy working some sort of mysterious job. I never get a straight answer on what it is that he does because it is all very hush hush. I caught bits and pieces from eavesdropping on conversations when no one was paying attention to me. They rarely pay attention to me. I know it involves surveillance work and traveling, which only adds to his allure. I like to pretend he is a spy like James Bond or even a kingpin in the mob. A dangerous job for a dangerous man. At least I like to pretend he has a dangerous side, he certainly looks like he does. He has dark features and is always draped in black and cobalt blue clothing. He is stoic with a piercing hazel gaze that could slice right through you. He is hard to read but I feel like his eyes give him away. It's the way the corners wrinkle slightly or glow brighter when he is happy. It's how directly he stares when he is mad and fighting the urge to speak out. Despite his appearance, he is always kind and thoughtful toward me. He holds the door for me or pulls out my chair at the dinner table. One time, after I spent all of Thanksgiving day cooking, he took the serving dish from my hands so I could sit down and enjoy the meal I worked so hard on. He even made everyone wait until I sat to eat. Men are rarely that chivalrous these days. The memory sends my heart racing. Azriel is quiet, but not awkward the way Lucien is currently behaving. He is confident and reserved in a way that adds to his enigmatic persona.

I watch him as he walks through the door and turns to the stunning blonde behind him, Mor. He was on a date with her . I recall the time I overheard Feyre telling Nesta that Azriel was in love with Mor. It made sense I suppose, she is gorgeous and has a way about her that makes it seem like she was lit from within. But a part of me doesn’t believe it. Feyre is often wrong about these kinds of things. Look at me and Lucien, she thinks we are fated. But, this date feels like pulling teeth. “Elain, did you hear me?” I shook myself out of my daze, “I’m sorry, what did you say?” Lucien let out a sigh, “I asked if you like bread,'' Confused, I looked at the basket that was placed in front of me. I want to roll my eyes. Does he not remember that I own a bakery? “Who doesn't like bread, Lucien?” He scoffed, “you would be surprised, there are people out there who can't tolerate it.” I blink once, and then again. “That was a joke,” he states as if he were teaching humor to a martian. “Oh,” is all I can muster as I look at the bread, pleading with it to save me from this man. A dad joke, really?

Suddenly there is a long dark shadow cast over the table. My eyes shoot up to meet hazel ones. “I hope I'm not interrupting,” Azriel says, appearing like an answered prayer. “Azriel! It’s so good to see you,” I beamed, hoping the relief in my tone isn’t as obvious as it seems. The corner of his mouth ticks upward, “it's good to see you too Elain. I hope you have been well.” Gods he is beautiful and tall. Why is he so tall? He smells divine. I wonder if he is just visiting for a few days? Lucien clears his throat. I look at him, realizing I am still on a date. “Azriel, this is Lucien, you know, Feyre's friend.” Azriel slowly turns to Lucien and dips his head in greeting, turning back to me. “I didn't expect to see you out in the city,” he says with a curious look in his eyes. I smile shyly, “I'm… here on a date.” He looks back to Lucien slowly raking his gaze up and down, a hint of displeasure in his assessment. “I see. I'm just grabbing a bite with Mor.” He turns towards his companion who is sitting at a table across the restaurant. “I just wanted to stop by and say hello. I’ve taken a new assignment and will be in this area for the next few months. Hopefully we will see more of each other.” My smile widens, I would certainly love to see more of him. Azriel's lip quirks up ever so slightly on one side. BUZZ. BUZZ. BUZZ.

Lucien apologizes and grabs his phone, a puzzled look on his face. “Hold on. It's my roommate. It's odd he is calling since he knowsIi'm on a date.” He answers it quickly, while holding up a finger to shush Azriel and me. “Wait, what's wrong? Calm down.” Wow, he is really committing to the bit. “Are you sure? Okay… I am on my way,” he ends the call and looks up. “I'm sorry to have to do this but there's an emergency and I'm going to have to end our date early.” I fight back a chortle. “Oh no! What kind of an emergency, a flat tire or dead grandma?” Azriel coughs and turns away. Lucien looking stunned mutters out, “uhhh a flat tire.” I wave over the waitress who miraculously appears from nowhere, “Can we get our check?” I turn back to Lucien, “Sorry to hear about your roommates flat tire. I hate when that happens.” Before Lucien can reply, the waitress comes back with the bill. It's for two drinks and a bread basket. I start to pull out my wallet when Azriel clears his throat. Lucien looks from me to Azriel. Azriel asks with an unamused expression, “Aren't you going to pay, since it's a date?” My jaw nearly hits the floor. Lucien sputters and fumbles for his wallet. Hastily slinging a twenty dollar bill on the table. “Well it's been… a date. I will catch you around Elain.” Lucien shuffles around the crowd making a hasty exit. I keel over in a fit of quiet laughter the second Lucien bolts for the door. You know the kind of silent laughter where your shoulders shake and you can hardly breathe? That kind. I feel a warm rough hand stroke my upper arm sending a shiver down my spine. “Hey, it's okay, don't be upset,” came the soothing timbre of Azriel's voice. I look up to see his worried expression and start laughing even harder. His hand stills on my arm and grips me lightly. “Why are you laughing?” he asks, bemused by my giggling fit. I wipe away a few wayward tears as I fight back a bout of hiccups. “ it's just… it's just…” I snort. An honest to gods snort so loud that it draws the attention of at least three neighboring tables. Azriel is smiling fully now. A toothy smile that I just know he rarely gives to anyone. It over takes his whole face making him somehow even more handsome. Seeing him this way suddenly calms my laughing fit and I clear my throat. “It's just, we were having the worst date in the history of dates and he was so desperate to get away he made up an excuse to bail. But, I have to say his acting was pretty solid.” Azriel looks at me a little stunned, “you're not upset, not mad?” I smile again, “I can’t blame him, I wanted to escape through the bathroom window but they didn't have one.” His smile lingers as he stares at me. “You making him pay for the bill was just icing on the cake.” Azriel hums before saying, “it was the least I could do.” I stand and grab my small handbag off the table. “Well, Azriel, I’m happy I got the chance to see you. It’s been too long, I'm glad to hear you’ll be sticking around for a while.” He looks down towards his shoes and back up, the faintest blush on his cheeks. “Have a good evening,” I bid him farewell and walk out onto the street.

I stop to take a deep breath, cleansing myself of the bad date energy. It was terrible but at least I went out and could tell Feyre to back off. It had been several years since I had mustered the courage to date. Not since Graysen. I’m about to take a step when I felt a hand grab the back of my elbow. “Wait, I wanted to make sure you were truly okay.” I whirl around to see Azriel staring down at me. My heart flutters once again, the way it always does in his presence. His face was elegant with high cheekbones, a fine nose and a sharp jawline. In the halo of the street lamp he looked like a fallen angel. His scarred hand was still on my arm, a rose tattoo covered the back of it. “That's very thoughtful of you, but truly I’m okay. My pride is a little wounded but I'll get over it.” He studies me for a long moment before he leans in, “You're too nice Elain.” I stiffen but can't exactly argue. “He's a fool you know? Any man would be lucky to date you.” My stomach fills with butterflies. It was my turn to blush under the weight of his sincere gaze. I swallow the lump in my throat. “You should get back to your date, Azriel. I would hate to take up any more of your time.” He looks over his shoulder and back to me, as if confused. Maybe he was remembering where he was and what he was doing. “Are you sure you're okay? Do you need me to take you home? You could join us…” his thumb tenderly rubbing up and down my arm. He was probably just being kind because I'm Feyre's sister. The thought saddens me. “I'm sure Azriel, no need to worry about me. I can take care of myself.” He looks unsure or perhaps he is just reluctant to let me go. His hand is still stroking my arm. “It was lovely to see you, maybe we can catch up another time?” A smile tugs at my lips, “I'd like that.”

Azriel

I can't believe my luck. I get back into the city and happen to bump into the girl I have been obsessing over for months. Truth be told, I have a thing for Elain Archeron. How could I not? She is gorgeous and so incredibly kind. She radiates joy and has a way of making everyone around her feel special. I am normally so good with the opposite sex. Hell I have quite the reputation as a ladies man but something about her leaves me feeling like a lovesick teenager. I wish I had a reason to make her stick around and spend the evening with me but I know I probably shouldn't.

I watch Elain walk away down the crowded street. Utterly lost in the way the wind catches her long golden hair. The way her dress skims over her gentle curves. What I wouldn't do to get the chance to touch her. I exhale slowly, burying my thoughts on her deep down, as I always do. I walk back into the restaurant and sit across from Mor. Once, many years ago I thought I loved Mor. But I mistook her kindness for love. I had never been around a girl my own age until I met her. She is so gregarious and radiates confidence. So when she doted on me, I read the signals all wrong. I built up something that was never really there. It took too long to discover that Mor preferred women. Even after, I held out hope that she would change her mind. Truth be told, it allowed me to keep other women at a distance. If I hid all of my feelings in the safety of Mor's friendship I never had to address my own issues with intimacy. But, I was done hiding behind Mor and living in denial. I started to realize I could never be happy if I didn’t face reality, no matter how scary it was for me to open up to her. It was awkward and she was hesitant to even hear me out. It was worth it though, because now she was my friend and one of my closest confidants.

“So, how was sweet Elain?” she asks. Elain didn't know Mor well, but Mor knew all about Elain. Mor being a family friend of Rhys’ was well informed on the Archeron sisters. “She seems okay, though it looks like she was having a bad date. He actually ditched her.” Mor gapes, “that piece of shit! Who was it?” I sneer, “Lucien Vanserra.” Mor rolls her eyes, “seems as though Feyre finally wore her down.” l hum in agreement. I’ll never understand why Feyre thinks Lucien and Elain would make a good pair. I suspect she wants Lucien to stick around and worries he wouldn’t without some other incentive. Feyre dated Tamlin, Lucien’s former college roommate and friend. After the nasty break up Lucien had taken Feyre’s side. But, he had grown distant and their friendship never fully recovered. So, she clings to the hope that if Elain marries Lucien he will become a permanent fixture in her life. Feyre also loves to meddle in other people's lives. She likes to think she has a gift for connecting people but in reality she is terrible at it. No, truly terrible. Her own love life until Rhys had been a shitshow so it puzzles me why Feyre thought so highly of her skills in the love department. I know Elain is too good for Lucien. I don't hate the man but he doesn’t seem like the type of man she needs. Especially after his pathetic stunt this evening.

I think back to Elain, how utterly beautiful she looked. The way her skin seemed to glow, how her face lit up when she laughed. The utterly intoxicating smell of her jasmine perfume. I hate the thought of her dating Lucian. I hate the way they look together, the way she seems to shrink around him. She is a bright shining light in a world of darkness. She deserves someone who appreciates how special she truly is.

“Hello, Earth to Azriel,” Mor says, snapping her fingers in front of my face. “I'm sorry Mor, what were you saying?” She sighs. “I should have known the second you saw her that I'd lost your focus for the evening.” My eyes snap up, face utterly unreadable. “What's that supposed to mean?” Mor pats my hand and I pull it away. I hate it when people touch my hands . “Don't play dumb with me Azriel. I know you too well.” I narrow my eyes, weighing my next words carefully. “I'm not playing dumb. I'm just concerned after Lucien ditched her.” Mor gives me an unimpressed look. “For what it's worth, I think you should ask her out. You two would make the hottest couple.” She pumps her eyebrows at me suggestively. “I'm not going to ask her out… that's absurd… Why would you even suggest that?” Mor tilts her head back and laughs, “oh you have it bad.” I give her an incredulous look, “I can't date anyone, I travel too much for work, not to mention it could be dangerous. Besides, I'm not interested in falling in love.” She gives me her no nonsense face. I want to protest but there is that old saying about protesting too much and I don't want to egg her on. “Let's just drop it and enjoy our evening,” I say, refusing to take the bait. Mor sighs, “here's the deal Azzy, I will enjoy a lovely meal, which you are paying for, by the way. But, I'm not forgetting you are pining after you know who.”

“Fine,” I bite out.

“Have you decided where you are going to stay?” She asks in a tone that feels suspiciously like prying into more than just my place of residence. I shrug, “My assignment is in Windhaven.” Mor scrunches her nose in distaste. Not that I blame her, Windhaven is a shithole. “I don't have to live there full time, but I do have to stay a few days a week.” She nods, “why not stay in Hewn Hills?” There it is, her not so innocent suggestion. It's like she knows what I have planned. She knows me too well. I eye her suspiciously. “Don't give me that look, Az. Velaris is too far from Windhaven, and Hewn Hills is adorable.” It is a nice town, I wouldn't call it adorable. Though there is something there worth adoring . “They have great hiking trails, the parks are beautiful, and the downtown is just like Stars Hollow.” I sigh, “you don't have to convince me Mor, I've already booked a bed and breakfast.” She squeals, and I feel a headache forming. I rub my temple, “don't get too excited. It's the most logical choice.” She claps excitedly, “oh i just love it there, and now I have another reason to visit. You know I love Rita's and don't get me started on Petals.” I give her a perturbed look and pray to the gods that she doesn't read into anything more than she already has. There is only one reason I’m staying in Hewn Hills, Elain . Seeing her with Lucien tonight only reinforces the notion that I need to be close to her. Is it the smart thing to do? No, but I can’t seem to keep away. I’m just glad Mor’s job will keep her distracted from joining Feyre in competing for the biggest pain in the ass award.

#elriel #azriel x elain #elain x azriel #elriel fic #elriel fanfic

60 notes · View notes

stcrmborne · 1 year ago

Note

“I’m tired and I think I want to go home.” (From the sentence starters, maybe from either Linast or Oscar?)

At first she said nothing, staring down at the elemental with a face creased in apprehension. There was something about Linast that spurred an instinctive need to make sure he remained safe – or at least unharmed, and that urge alone was enough to make Rhaya uneasy. “Yeah– Okay, might be a bit tricky, but… sure,” she offered, not unkindly as she stepped up beside him to scan the horizon. “Can you, uh… point us in the right direction for that, by chance?” she ventured, aiming a sidelong glance his way before she turned to look over her shoulder. Some members of her crew were positioned behind them a distance away, busying themself with cleanup.

#justashadetalkative #// Sorry this is a bit short! Let me know if it's not enough #🗲 ‒‒ skywrite (answered);

2 notes · View notes

dayplays · 2 years ago

Text

@fstbmp said:

Do they win a prize?

Blaze's Type Bingo- Accepting!

They do.

#Skywriting. // Answers //#Power of the Flame. // Muse; Blaze //#fstbmp #// she is the prize-#// me flipping the exact icon just for this

2 notes · View notes

thewalrusespublicist · 7 months ago

Note

do you think John had BPD?

Hi anon!

I wasn't sure about answering this one because of the ethical difficulties but I think it's okay if I make it extremely clear that I am not a professional, I do not have training in this area, I do not know the individual personally and anything I say after this point can only be taken as speculation and opinion, not as a certainty. A lot of conditions have significant overlap with each other (C-PTSD and NPD immediately come to mind in John's case) which is why John would have needed to be assessed in a clinical setting. We also don't have any way to see if he had any abnormalities in his brain structure, particularly in the the amygdala, the hippocampus and the orbitofrontal cortex that are associated with BPD.

All that out of the way, for long complicated reasons I am familiar with BPD and in my view, yes John Lennon had BPD; to the point I think of him as almost a poster child for the condition. The reasons I think this are exhaustive, but I will break them down using the symptom criteria for BPD as set out in the DSM-5 as well as looking at an overview for the risk factors involved in developing BPD.

Risk factors:

Risk factors for BPD are both environmental and genetic. For genetic it is hard to know as we don't have full details on John's parents but Julia's own instability suggests that there may have been some genetic factor at play.

Environmental - environmental risks factors for BPD include:

Being victim to emotional, sexual and verbal abuse - we know John suffered from at least one of these. On the emotional front you had his biological parents force him to choose between them, his aunt Mimi being incredibly controlling and giving him the silent treatment as a regular punishment as well as getting rid of his dog as a manipulation tactic. I have no doubt as well that Aunt Mimi could give him a verbal tongue lashing when the mood suited her.

In terms of sexual abuse, it's not something I've brought up before as it's too dark and I don't have enough to back it up but there's something very murky when it comes to John and sexual boundaries with relatives. The repeated allusion to abnormal sexual relationships between family members in Skywriting bothers me. It could be John just being a wind up but it's always lain at the back of my mind as something potentially not right there. His poor sexual boundaries with his mother as expressed in his audio diaries is a hard one as she didn't play a traditional role in his life and it's actually quite normal for developing boys to sometimes get those urges as their hormones are going nutso. The only reason I raise it here though is that John shared a bed with his mum and her boyfriend until the age of five. Considering Julia was not the most responsible, I wonder if John witnessed some things in that situation he shouldn't have. Its deeply speculative but it's just a point that my brain can't drop.

Being exposed to long-term fear or distress as a child - John was distressed and confused about his unusual living situation and apparent abandonment by his mother. The death of his uncle was also a massive strain.

Being neglected by 1 or both parents - whilst the situation was complicated, Julia did leave John alone for long stretches of time whilst she worked in a bar and Alf was mostly absent apart from the Blackpool incident where John was forced to choose between his mother and father. I know aunt Mimi stepped in and did not physically neglect him (emotionally...) but these formative years are crucial.

Growing up with another family member who had a serious mental health condition, such as bipolar disorder or a drink or drug misuse problem - John doesen't seem to have had this save potentially what was going on with Julia.

Again from my own complicated history with the disorder, I know one of the risk factors is the individual growing up in and environment where affection and attention is inconsistent and feelings are not recognised . To my mind John experienced the physical inconsistency of his mother and the emotional inconsistency of Mimi.

So going through the list, John had nearly all the environmental risk factors for BPD and potentially some genetic factors.

Now let's look at the symptom criteria.

DSM criteria:

1. Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment - reported repeatedly by classmates and friends. I can't find it right now but one school friend talked about John was extremely anxious about people leaving and would ask exactly when his friend would be back to spend time with him. If the account of the diaries are to be believed he was preoccupied that Sean and Yoko were going to leave him. One can see his entire break-up behaviour as one big desperate attempt to avoid being abandoned by his friends by leaving them first.

2. A pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterized by alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation - treatment of Stu, Paul, Yoko and Sean is just textbook. His relationship with Paul is particularly illuminating: one minute he's god, the next a fallen idol. Elliot Mintz talks about John's view of Paul changing 'minute to minute'. Yoko too was his life, his world, the air he breathed but then he would scream at her and test her. He had no measured conceptualisation of close relationships, they had to be absolutely everything, otherwise they were fake/phony.

3. Identity disturbance: markedly and persistently unstable self-image or sense of self - See dependence on others for identity, and continuously moving to new personas or fads as a source of stability. The Mirror, Mirror Dakota demo is essentially a song describing this sensation.

4. Impulsivity in at least two potentially self-damaging areas (e.g., spending, sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating) -all the ones listed John partook in.

5. Recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures or threats, or self-mutilating behavior- don't know about this one. Not reported but doesen't mean it didn't happen.

6. Affective instability due to a marked reactivity of mood (e.g., intense episodic dysphoria, irritability, or anxiety usually lasting a few hours and rarely more than a few days). - John's mood swings are infamous.

7. Chronic feelings of emptiness - doesen't speak to it overtly I believe (could be wrong) but his constant attempts to find a new thing to 'save' him as well as his chronic swings of depression I think suggest this may well have been true.

8. Inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger (e.g., frequent displays of temper, constant anger, recurrent physical fights) - again, infamous for his wild temper.

9. Transient, stress-related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms - we joke about John's paranoia for a reason. For dissociation he potentially talks about it in Hunter Davies:

''If I am on my own for three days, doing nothing, I almost completely leave myself. I’m at the back of my head. I can see my hands and realize they’re moving, but it’s like a robot who’s doing it. I have to see the others to see myself. Then I realize there is someone like me so it’s reassuring.''

He also talks about seeing the world almost as if its a hallucination or a surreal fantasy which could be dissociation or the hallucinations that can happen with BPD.

You need five of these symptoms to meet the criteria for BPD. On my count John has at least seven and likely eight of the symptoms. BPD would explain his difficulties in his relationships, mood swings, constant seeking for the next big 'thing' and 'wild behaviour'. John also had narcissistic tendencies which would also make sense as Cluster-B personalities tend to have comorbidities or traits from other cluster B disorders.

I want to again stress that whilst there are clinicians that agree with me, I am not in any way qualified to make any diagnostic judgements, this is purely fan speculation. Nor does matching symptom criteria necessarily mean that John had the disorder or that his behaviour can't be explained by other mental illness'. For example, if you put John's behaviour up against a checklist for narcissistic personality disorder, he would match eight of the nine criteria. I personally believe that BPD fits John better than NPD as John was capable of (diminished) empathy and still capable of loving people past their use-by date, despite his desire to banish those feelings. But still the possibility of alternative explanations is there and I'm in no position to dismiss it.

That being said, I still believe the evidence is there and I wish it had been feasible for John to get a diagnosis to better understand himself and his responses. In that way he could have understood that he wasn't wrong or evil, he was just traumatised and his brain and behaviour had developed in a way to cope with the trauma. John was an immensely talented, funny, charming, generous, kind person who was adored by those close to him. At the same time due to what I believe to be his condition, he struggled to maintain these relationships and was liable to lash out despite his best efforts to improve. John didn't want to be angry, he tried to seek help, he just looked for it in the wrong places. Who knows, in another time and in another place with better access to care, life may have looked a lot different and a lot happier for John Lennon. And that to me, regardless of exact diagnosis, is one of the biggest tragedies in this whole situation.

#i hope John's loved ones are aware of this possibility #i think it would help give them closure and understanding #BPD #hope my BPD pals are having a good night #it's tough out there #john #Submarine Postbox #anon #ask #ask me anything

30 notes · View notes

stabbyfoxandrew · 8 months ago

Note

My heart is screaming Demon Neil, but my brain keeps me loyal to Angel Neil. The wings, Aerie! The wings are out! Is he flying now? Who was the other angel he met? Kayleigh? (That's Kevin's mother name, right? The brain fog from being sick is killing me, I can't remember shit.) Although, it seems like Demon Neil hasn't been getting the love it deserves, so if you end up not getting any asks for it, I will take you up on it instead. Oohh the reaction demon Neil had about his father. Huuu, powerful. I'm giddy every time I read either of these works. I've also been rly enjoying Mer AU. Are they ever going to swim together? I'm ending my yapping, I hope you've been doing well <3 (And if it wasn't clear my request is Angel Neil, but I'll take Demon Neil if it doesn't get any asks. Or if Angel gets a lot of them, like 4+. Gotta balance the love each gets.)

WIP Wednesday (10/30) | Guardian Angel Neil AU (Part 250)

Andrew's barely finished his question when Neil gets a devious look on his face. Without warning, the angel scoots impossibly forward and crosses his arms in front of him. He kicks off against the side of the building and then he's falling. Andrew grabs for him but it’s too late. His stomach falls with Neil and Andrew scrambles back from the edge of the roof, his heart in his throat.

"NEIL?" Andrew shouts, on hands and knees. There's the sound of enormous wings flapping. Once, twice. Three times. And Neil is there, ten feet away with only his wings holding him up. Andrew's mouth falls open and he moves to sit normally, in awe of the image before him. Neil maintains his hover for a moment, then grins and shoots up into the sky.

A burst of air comes off his wings and flutters Andrew's hair, caresses his face. He watches, looking up, up, up, as Neil soars. He becomes impossibly small the higher he gets, until it seem he's about to disappear. But he doesn't. Andrew watches him make figure-8s up in the sky, leaving contrails in his wake. It's almost like skywriting.

Andrew almost shouts for him to draw something, but doesn't. Instead he just watches in amazement until Neil closes his wings and free-falls towards the parking lot before catching himself and lifting back up until he's able to step onto the roof again. As his feet hit the ground, Andrew's heart leaps. Neil is all smiles and ruddy cheeks and wings.

"That answer your question?" He asks, clearly winded.

Andrew nods, still mesmerized. Somewhere in the back of his mind he wants to bitch at Neil for scaring him like that, but before he can a ring of light appears over Neil's head. It's twice as bright as his wings and Andrew can't look away from it.

He stares up at the angel, completely mesmerized. A wave of happiness and calm rolls over him, unlike anything he's ever felt in his life. It's like being high, but a thousand times better. He feels a smile spread across his face and it's not prescription. It's a real smile.

Neil smiles back and the light gets ever brighter.

"You're so shiny," Andrew whispers, feeling tears prick the corners of his eyes. He blinks to let them fall and new ones take their place. He hardly notices. "So shiny and beautiful."

"Andrew?" The light says, sounding concerned. It shouldn't sound upset. Nothing's wrong. "Andrew, are you alright?"

"...Angel?" Andrew cocks his head to the side. But what's the angel's name? It was right on the tip of his tongue. He thinks.

Wait. What's his name? Does he have one? He thinks so. It's Andrew. That's what the angel called him. It must be right. The angel must be right.

"Andrew? Andrew, hey, snap out of it." The angel says, a panicked edge to his voice. Andrew barely hears him. There's a gasp and a curse and a 'stop!' then all the light disappears with a poof of feathers. At last, the spell breaks and Andrew blinks himself awake just as Neil drops to his knees in front of him. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"

Andrew is suddenly disoriented. He feels like he's been yanked out of a dream. A horribly perfect nightmare. Something like adrenaline has his pulse kicking into overdrive and his chest aching like he just ran ten miles.

"Andrew, answer me. You have to answer me. Are you alright?"

Andrew manages a nod.

"With words, Andrew. Words." Neil says. And Andrew blinks hard, then rubs his eyes to find them embarrassingly wet. He roughly wipes his face with his sleeve and clears his throat until he feels confident his voice won't break.

"Yes. I'm fine."

"Fuck, you're not. Can you see?"

"I..." Andrew can't see. Not really. There's a vague outline that's probably Neil, but everything's too bright. Like he'd stared at the sun too long.

"Happy birthday, Andrew," Neil says in a panic. "Fuck. I have to go now. I hope you get that cake you wanted."

"No, don't," Andrew blinks hard and reaches for him. "Neil. Stay, I— Wait, pl—" The Neil-shape vanishes before he can start to beg and Andrew drops his head into his hands, eyes still burning.

#he IS flyin!! :D #also yeah it was kayleigh!#and yeah demon neil is sort of at the bottom of the bucket it seems but that's okay i get that people already have their faves!#and tbh i don't have demon neil plotted so it's really fine haha #<33333 ahhhh yes!! mer andreil are gonna swim together eventually!! :D won't be for a long time but yes!#ty for your questions and your love <3 #andreil #aftg #WIP Wednesday #Guardian Angel Neil AU #🕊️#answered #bribery-of-monkeys

32 notes · View notes

shipper4everships · 5 months ago

Text

BuckTommy Fluffebruary: Day 17

~Big romantic gestures~

The anniversary of their relationship was approaching, and Buck hoped they could both take the day off to spend it together. But at the last moment, Tommy regretfully told him that he had to cover for one of the guys and would have to go in for a shift.

Buck took the news in stride, trying not to show his disappointment - unexpected situations were common in their line of work, and he had to accept that.

To cheer him up, Tommy promised they would have a wonderful evening once he returned from his shift. And when that day finally arrived, Buck couldn't wait for his boyfriend to come back.

His thoughts were interrupted by a call from Maddie, who suddenly told him to get ready and head outside because she was coming to pick him up.

- Did something happen? Are you okay? - Buck couldn’t hide his concern, but Maddie assured him there was nothing to worry about - he just needed to leave right now.

Buck met his sister in the parking lot and bombarded her with questions, but Maddie remained unwavering. She repeated that nothing bad had happened, but they needed to go immediately.

Buck was completely bewildered, but he trusted his sister, so he simply watched the road… until they left the city and pulled up next to a large field.

- What’s going on? - Buck grew even more nervous. - Are you planning to kidnap me or what?!

Maddie just laughed at that.

- Wait here, - was all she said before stepping aside to make a phone call. The conversation was brief, but Buck couldn’t make out anything because of his sister’s laughter.

- What are you hiding from me, Maddie? I don’t like this, I- - Look up, - she said with a smile, pointing toward the sky as if that would answer all his questions.

Buck followed her gaze and couldn’t help but notice how clear and blue the sky was that day. He waited - nothing happened - so he started turning back to Maddie to ask what she was trying to pull, when suddenly, he heard the roar of an engine… and saw a small dot rapidly approaching from afar.

- No way… - Buck whispered in shock, unable to believe his eyes. A small plane was flying toward them, and he was one hundred percent sure who the pilot was. - But why would he…? - Buck began, but Maddie cut him off. - Just watch and stay tuned. - Her smile widened as she looked toward the plane alongside Buck.

As the aircraft got close enough to be clearly visible in the sky, a trail of bright red smoke began to emerge from its rear. - Oh my God, he’s really doing it! Get your phone out! Hurry up! - Maddie shouted.

Buck pulled out his phone and hit the record button. And only after a few seconds did he finally realize what was happening - Tommy was drawing shapes in the sky, turning the red smoke into words.

As the first word, "Happy," became fully visible against the crystal-clear blue sky, Buck felt his eyes grow misty. Tommy hadn’t been called in for a shift. He had left early that morning to prepare for this - to surprise him.

Buck watched the sky in shock and excitement, his free hand covering his mouth as emotions overwhelmed him. He couldn’t believe this was happening right in front of him.

He had once asked Tommy about skywriting, and Tommy had told him how difficult it was to do properly - that only the most skilled pilots could pull it off. And now, that very message was blazing in red before his eyes.

"Happy Anniversary, my love, Evan." The message read, with a small heart at the bottom completing the picture. Tommy made one final loop over their heads before flying off to land.

Buck stared at the message in the sky until the smoke finally began to fade. He turned to Maddie and saw the pure joy on her face. She didn’t say anything - but she didn’t need to. Buck knew how happy she was for him. For them.

Maddie glanced over his shoulder before looking back at him. - I think that’s for you.

Buck turned around and saw Tommy hurrying toward him in his slightly crumpled flight suit. Buck couldn’t hold back - he ran straight into him at full speed, crashing into his boyfriend and kissing him, over and over again.

- Sorry I had to leave you this morning, - Tommy murmured softly when they finally pulled apart, looking at Evan with a guilty expression.

- You’re forgiven… - Buck started, a sly grin appearing on his face. - But you owe me dinner and the most detailed explanation of how you pulled this off! That was so freaking cool! - he sighed dreamily.

- Happy anniversary, Tommy, - Buck added, pressing their foreheads together lovingly.

@bucktommyfluffebruary 💗

#bucktommy #bucktommyfluffebruary #bucktommy fluffebruary

20 notes · View notes

kinardsevan · 1 year ago

Text

30 day fluff challenge: day 6

"prom-posal"

“You sure this is gonna work,” Tommy asks as he eyes Bobby skeptically.

His former boss smiles with just a little bit of a twinkle in his eyes. “No,” he laughs. “But we’re trained to handle fire if it doesn’t.”

Tommy just shakes his head, glancing back at the project in front of them. “Well here goes nothing.”

. . .

It’s not supposed to be a big thing when Tommy first starts planning. He’d talked to Maddie about it all before-hand, wanted to ensure that someone in Evan’s family was aware of his intentions. He really didn’t want to apply the pressure on Maddie or himself of ‘asking permission’. It was antiquated, and he knew that Evan didn’t really want that. He wanted Maddie’s approval, absolutely, but he wasn’t interested in Tommy calling his parents or even Bobby and Athena. “it makes me feel like people are claiming ownership of me, and the only person I want to own me is you”. He may have stated that naked in bed, but the intention behind the words still rang true.

But then, even after he’d talked to Maddie, he still didn’t know what to do. He wanted it to be simple, but he wanted it to move Evan. There was something about the look he got on his face whenever something happened he didn’t expect—like the first time they’d kissed—that Tommy got drunk on. So that required finesse.

He thought about doing something in the helicopter first, but that lasted about five seconds. He remembered Evan’s story about the guy who had almost killed his fiancée during the proposal. Plus, skywriting wouldn’t be as fun if he couldn’t be able to do both. Then he’d contemplated something simple at home, but doing that didn’t feel like it would work either. He thought about calling Eddie for ideas, but sometimes he felt like they asked too much of him in their relationship. Not in a bad way, but in a way where maybe Eddie didn’t get any breathing room because he got lucky enough to have to hear everything in their relationship from both sides.

So then he’d called Chimney. And that had been a failed endeavor, given that his proposal to Tatiana hadn’t gone anywhere, and that his proposal to Maddie had really ended in her proposing to him after she found the ring.

After that he felt a bit rudderless. The internet wasn’t providing him any solid ideas, he’d tapped out his friends—even everyone at work who was married—and he’d been pretty set on doing it by their anniversary, which was limiting him on time.

So he called Bobby. It was entirely on a whim, but Bobby helped him come up with a few ideas, and by the time he’d made the dinner reservation for the night of, they had a set plan.

. . .

“It’s sweet that you consider the disaster date our anniversary, but honestly we kinda stole my sister’s thunder,” Evan tells him as Tommy slides his card into the cheque envelope at Miceli’s.

Tommy nods. “And if your sister and Chimney had a clue that we classify as our real anniversary, they might actually kill us,” Tommy says with a smirk on his face. He passes the envelope off to their waiter and then picks up his glass and takes another sip from it.

“So you wanna go see a movie,” Evan teases. “I hear they have 18 screens.”

Tummy chuckles.

“Nineteen now, last I heard,” he retorts. The waiter returns and passes him the envelope. He retrieves his card from it and signs off on the receipt before tucking it back in his wallet. “But no. We have other plans.”

Evan furrows his brow at him, confused. Before he can question further though, his phone buzzes in his pocket. When he pulls it out, Bobby’s name is on the screen.

“Take it,” Tommy tells him, finishing off the last of his beer.

Evan nods and answers the call.

“Hey Bobby what’s up?”

“Hey kid,” he replies. “Look have this thing I’m working on for Athena in the back yard. It’s a pop-up gazebo type, and it’s gotta be done by tomorrow. Michael was supposed to help, but his flight got delayed-..”

“And you need help,”Evan finishes for him. Tommy gives him a curious glance.

“Yeah,” Bobby drawls. “If you could, I’d owe you.”

“It’s fine,” Tommy whispers. “Say yes.”

Evan furrows his brow deeper at Tommy. He covers the speaker of the phone and pulls it away from his head a little bit.

“What about your plans?”

Tommy shakes his head. “We have two days off, Evan. Plenty of time.”

Evan sighs, but then nods, bringing the phone back to his ear.

“We’ll be right over,” he tells Bobby. He ends the call a moment later, and Tommy has stood, is holding their leftovers in a bag in one hand, offering Evan his other.

The drive over to Bobby’s is quiet, but comfortably so. Evan is a little miffed that their plans have changed, but secretly, he enjoys getting to spend time with Tommy and other people in his life. They get plenty of time with Maddie, Chimney, and even Eddie and Hen, but he doesn’t feel like they spend nearly as much time together with Bobby.

They arrive some twenty minutes later, and it’s all Tommy can do to keep Evan from dragging him into the house. He’s not sure where everyone else is parked, but Evan doesn’t seem suspicious, regardless. Still, Evan tugs him along, up to the door, and then into the house when Bobby opens up for them.

“It’s in the back yard,” Bobby says, leading them through the living room and kitchen towards the back.

“You need us to help bring anything out,” Evan asks. Bobby just shakes his head, gestures towards the door.

“Come on out.”

He heads out into the back yard, Evan pulling Tommy along closely behind. As they reach the door though, Tommy stops him, just short of door.

“Wait a minute,” he murmurs, tugging Evan back towards him.

Evan narrows his eyes at him, but then smiles and steps forward, looking an arm around Tommy’s neck.

“I love you,” Tommy tells him before kissing the corner of his mouth. “Happy anniversary.”

Evan smiles back at him, unable to stop the grin that pulls across his face. “Happy anniversary babe.”

When Evan turns to the door, Tommy inhales a deep breath. All or nothing, he thinks, lifting a free hand to keep the door open as Evan passes through it, and then they’re both standing on the back patio.

“What’s…” Evan voice trails off as his eyes fall first on his sister, and then Chimney and Jee-Yun. His eyes trail over the backyard, seeing their friends and family, and then back to Tommy, his mouth open with questions still stuck inside his mouth.

“I love you,” Tommy states again, an adoring smile pulling on his face. “I’ve been in love with you since the day you climbed up in my helicopter and asked if you could sit next to me. There was a time when I’d written off the concepts of a family in any form, getting to find the kind of love we’ve managed to cultivate. I mean it every time I say that loving you is easy. You have given me so much in such a short time that sometimes I have to remind myself this isn’t a dream.”

He lifts his free hand to Evan’s cheek, wipes at the tears freely flowing down his face, and then rests a finger against his lips, keeping him from speaking.

“I’m not finished,” he states with a small chuckle. “I heard this song the other day with this line ‘a love that makes a man have second thoughts’. You make me have all the second thoughts because I never want to leave when I’m with you. So, I was wondering if you could answer a quick, particular question for me.”

He gestures across the backyard with their linked hands, and Evan looks away from him towards where he’s pointed to. A chainlink fence has been set up with a line of wood mounted on it. Each end of it has either Eddie and Chimney nearby, holding a set of pliers with rubber gloves. As Tommy nods towards them, they each connect their end of the wiring to a battery briefly as Bobby stands off to the side, prepared with an extinguisher. As the circuit completes, the wire lights up, quickly burning the message into the wood. As soon as the fire ignites, Eddie and Chimney both release the circuit and Bobby is blasting it with the extinguisher. Once the CO2 has dispersed, the message is still there, burned into the wood, and clear in the evening twilight.

Evan lets out a laugh, mostly out of surprise, as he glances back at Tommy, adoration in his eyes.

“You came up with all this?” He asks.

Tommy shrugs, a sheepish smile on his own face. “I had some help. A certain fire captain.”

Evan is still smiling at him, uncaring of the tear that races its way down his cheek as Tommy reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small box. As he flips it open, a black tungsten ring with a rose gold inlay is revealed. Evan gulps at the sight of it, and the way it reminds him of fire. He looks back up at Tommy as his hands come up to his boyfriend- fiancé’s neck, leaning flush against him.

“Yes, Tommy. A million times, yes,” he laughs before capturing his lips in a hungry kiss.

Their friends are clapping and cheering, but Evan barely hears any of it past the sound of his and Tommy’s breathing as the other man’s hand loops around his waist, holding him tight. When they finally part, it’s only because Evan needs oxygen. His gaze falls to the ring again, and Tommy watches him as he stares at it.

“Would you like to put it on,” he asks nervously. “I won’t judge you if you don’t.”

Evan looks back up at him like he’s insane.

“Yes I want to wear it,” he replies. “Let the whole damn world know you’re stuck with me now.”

Tommy laughs at him but puts enough space between them that he can step back and remove the ring from the box. Both his own hands and Evan’s are shaking as he slides it onto his finger. It slots easily into place—Tommy had made sure he had proper measurements—and Tommy curls his hand around Evan’s fingers once it’s on, lifts his hand to his lips and kisses them.

Evan’s eyes go wide again as Tommy lowers his hand and he raises an eyebrow.

“What?”

“We could do a summer wedding,” Evan states with a gasp. “Or early fall. Yeah, do it as the leaves change, out at Griffith. Coordinate colors to the leaves changing.”

“Hey, can we wait twelve hours before we have to contend with wedding and Clipboard Buck,” Chimney comments from across the yard. Evan throws a glare at him, which only earns him laughter in return from his friends.

Tommy nuzzles his jaw before kissing it.

“We can do whatever you want baby,” he tells him. “And I for one, can’t wait to see you in all your glory.”

#30 days of fluff challenge #bucktommy #day six: prom-posal except its just a proposal #fluffy teeth rotting stuff #i'm trying to kill you with cuteness #i have no idea if this would work in real life (the wood burning)#just go with me on it okay #tevan #kinley #firebeast #firepilot #firefly #30 day fluff challenge

49 notes · View notes

buttered-water · 13 days ago

Text

Wings of Fire: Devoured Moonlight - AWAKEN!!

<4/8 Morning>

As you land in front of the mountain, you overhear two skywings gossiping to each other,

“Hey, did you hear the rumours?”

“The one about vipers in the bathroom?”

N-No! Not that one! I meant the story about one of the 1st years.” Not only did they stop coming to school. They also apparently do nothing but sit and stare at the walls all day. And get this… If their mother tries to talk to them, they only mutter ‘It's coming…’ repeatedly”

“Creepy…”

You stop listening to them and head inside. You sit in your spot in class early, hoping to make a good impression

“All right, class, good morning!” Tsunami beams as she sets various things on the desk.

“Good morning, Tsunami!” the jade winglet says

As Tsunami opens up a scroll, “Alrigh,t everybody, open up your textbooks to page 2—Wait, no, it's page 3, and we’ll take a look at the first novel by… Skywrite II.” Tsunami says as her enthusiasm drops slightly as she reads the name, “Ugh… why him?” Tsunami says as she puts the scroll down, “You know what? I'm gonna talk about Queen Coral instead. While she is most well known as the Queen of Seawings, she’s also produced great literature and historical works.” Tsunami exclaimed proudly, “I wonder why it's not in the textbook… oh well, I’ll just bring in Fatespeaker’s book next time.” She questions in a slightly quieter tone. “...Hey, Umber! Were you listening? What kind of writing does Queen Coral make?” she asks in a more assertive tone.

Umber—who had been staring out the window, quietly humming to himself— Startled as he heard his name called, “huh. Wait, who me?” He asks, tripping over his own words.

“That's right! So you were listening to me after all! So, what’s the answer?”

“Uh, well, it's-um it's…” Umber mumbles, blushing slightly in embarrassment as half of the class looks at him.

As you stretch, you stealthily lean your head behind Umber and whisper “History and literature” in his ear.

“HISTORY AND LITERATURE!” Umber immediately blurts out as he hears your voice.

“... That's correct! Glad to see you were paying attention!” Tsunami grinned. As she continues to talk about the type of writing Coral makes, Umber turns to and whispers to you, “Hey, um… thanks for that. You really saved my tail”, still slightly blushing. Before you know it, class is over.

You arrive at the dormitory lounge, where you see Kinkajou sitting down talking to an unfamiliar, elderly Seawing, with blue-green scales and a scar near their tail. Kinkajou notices you enter and waves at you, “Heyyyy, welcome back!”

The Seawing looks at you and puts his hand on his chin, “So, this is our new guest… Good evening. My name is Webs. I'm one of the founders of Jade Academy and also one of the caretakers for the Dragonets of Destiny…” He explains before quietly chuckling, “‘Webs’ seems like a strange name for a Seawing, doesn't it. It seems more fitting to some of the Plantala’s tribes. That's why I don't like introducing myself; I always get bombarded with questions about it” Webs explains. “I apologise for the confusion regarding your room accommodations. However, it might take a while longer before you receive a proper room assignment.”

“That's fine, I'm not desperately looking to move," you say

“That's good, I hope you have a successful school year. You must be tired from all the excitement. You should go to bed early. As they say ‘The early bird catches the bookworm!” He says while looking at you to gauge your reaction, “... Please forgive the bad pun.” He chuckles

“Sigh, you’ll get used to his lame jokes,” Kinkajou says exasperated

You say goodnight and head off to bed.

…

In a certain room in the dormitory, Peril, Webs, and Kinkajou gather around a large machine with a screen showing Moonwatcher’s room, with her sound asleep in the corner. Webs turns to Peril, who was managing the device, “So, how’s she doing?”

“She went to bed an hour ago. She’s asleep now.” Peril says, staring at the screen, adjusting some dials on the machine to focus the camera, “Mr. Chairman, do you think she’s…?” She asks to Webs.

“All we can do is wait and see for now…” Webs says as he turns to the screen, “...The Dark Hour is approaching.”

11:57

11:58

11:59

12:00

Suddenly, the room plunges into darkness, replaced by an eerie, cold green glow emanating from outside. The three dragons remain transfixed on Moonwatcher, through the still working machine, “Hmm… Interesting… She’s still sleeping.” Webs says in thought, “An ordinary person transmogrifies into a coffin, and is oblivious to all that occurs.”

“Then, that must mean…” Kinkajou says to herself, putting the puzzle together

“As you can see, she’s retained her draconic form. She’s asleep, but she is definitely experiencing the Dark Hour. All we need to do now is to figure out if she has the potential.” Webs says.

“She most likely does… If she didn't, she would’ve been preyed on by now.” Peril chimes in.

“Scary…” Kinkajou shivers slightly.

“We’ll need to continue to monitor her for a few more days in order to be 100% certain.” Webs says to the two of them.

“Yes, sir,” Peril exclaims

“I don't know about this…I feel kind of bad spying on her like this…” Kinkajou interjects softly, looking away from the screen and towards the others, too soft for the others to hear.

…

As you’re drifting sound asleep, you hear the growing sounds of a chorus getting louder. It sounds like it's coming directly from your mind and simultaneously all around you. Eventually, the sounds of a piano also join in, as you feel gravity pressing down on you, as if you’re rising. You open your eyes and don’t see the tiny room you fell asleep in; instead, you wake up to a large, spacious blue room, gears turning along the walls, causing the room to go up indefinitely. You lift your head and see what appears to be a scavenger sitting on a luxurious couch—an odd-looking one, though; They appear to be very old, judging by the wrinkles on their body, big, bulging, bloodshot eyes, very wide grin and pointed ears. Their body is covered in black attire and white gloves. You flinch as you see the mysterious figure face towards you and chuckles, “Why hello there, scaled one. Welcome to the Velvet Room.” They say in a more normal voice than you expected, “My name is Igor, I am delighted to make your acquaintance.” They introduce themselves before gesturing to the room around you, “This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter… Only those who have signed the contract can enter this place.” They explain as they point to the round table between you two, where you see the paper you signed at the dorm lying before them. “Henceforth, you shall be welcome here in the Velvet Room. You are destined to hone your unique ability as a wild card, and you will require our help to do so. I only ask one thing in return…” He says as he taps on your contract, “That you abide by the contract, and take full responsibility for all choices you make.”

“O-Ok, I understand, " you say, waiting for him to stop talking so you can ask questions.

“Hold on to this…” Igor says as a key floats in front of you, silver in colour and with an insignia of a black and white mask at the top.

>You obtained the Velvet Key

“There is still one more resident of this room, who unfortunately could not be present for your arrival. But I'll make sure you two are properly introduced. Another time, perhaps. I'll have to let you go for now. I have a young, blue-haired man to attend to. We shall meet again very soon,” Igor says as you feel your consciousness slipping. Before you know it, you wake up, and the weird dream is already leaving your mind.

You should head to school.

“Ahem… Welcome everyone. My name is Starflight, and I'm going to be teaching you all about classical literature.” The blindfolded Nightwing says, “Now, many dragons would say that we don't need writing that old in the modern day. But they could not be more wrong…” Starflight rambles as you do your best to stay awake.

The sun beats down as you meet up with Kinkajou. The joyful sounds of a bustling town fill the air – the clatter of vendors, the excited banter of dragons, and various music. "Welcome to the town of Eyeshine!" she says, her voice bright, the scent of sweet treats and roasted meat filling your nostrils. "You probably haven't been here before; a lot of Jade Academy students come here after class." The feel of cobblestones you walk under is firm and cool, contrasting with the blaring heat of the sun as you wander. "There is a karaoke club and a music shop to the left; not to mention there's a really great cafe, too! There is also a nightclub... but it's for dragons much older than us." The vibrant colours of shop fronts assault your eyes as you two navigate the throng of students, the feel of Kinkajou's wing brushing yours occasionally, before finally heading back to the cool, quiet cave dorm.

11:57

11:58

11:59

12:00

In a certain room in the dormitory, Peril, Webs, and Kinkajou gather around a large machine with a screen showing Moonwatcher’s room, with her sound asleep in the corner.

“...How is she?” Webs asks Peril, who was adjusting one of the dials.

“Nothing has changed since last night”, Peril answers, her gaze now focused on the screen.

“Hmmm… Interesting…” Webs grumbles as he puts a hand on his chin. “Even those who do have potential tend to be unstable at first, memory loss, disorientation, and many more symptoms are all very common… But this subject is rather unique, wouldn't you say? She hasn’t exhibited any common symptoms; We’ll have to study her for a few more days in order to determine if it's due to her unconscious state or not.” Webs says to the two others, intrigued.

“I don't know about this… we’re treating her like an animal,” Kinkajou interjects, periodically glancing at the screen.

Webs walks over to her and kneels slightly to her height “I understand your concern, but you know it's imperative that we recruit any new members.” “And besides…” He says as he stands up, “Glory said that you would be more comfortable working with someone your age. And you’ll share a gender too.”

“Yeah… I guess. But it's just—” Kinkajou says as they are interrupted by a loud ringing from the control panel. As Peril presses a button, they all hear an exhausted grunt.

“Command room. This is Peril. Is that you, Qibli?” Peril quickly says

“You’re not gonna believe this…! This thing is massive! I don't have much time to talk… It's chasing me… Get ready, I'm almost there.” Qibli exclaims, exhausted and grunting.

“He’s bringing it here?!” Kinkajou shrieks

Webs quickly turns off the screen and turns towards the others “Suspend the observation, everyone get ready for battle!” He orders.

“Yes, sir!” Peril and Kinkajou say as they all dash downstairs. Just in time to see Qibli dart inside, slamming the door shut and barricading it with his body. “Agh…! Ow…” he grunts as he slumps next to the door and grabs his left bracchiala*.

“Qibli!” Peril says, running up to him

“I'm fine. Get ready to be surprised… It will be here any second,” he says as he gets up and continues pressing against the door.

“Is it a shadow?” Peril asks as she grabs a brown, scaled whip from behind the counter

“Yes… Though not an ordinary one,” he says

Suddenly, the door rattles violently, a bone-jarring thud echoing through the room as something immense crashes against it. Causing Qibli to press harder against the door.

“Kinkajou, go upstairs and wake Moonwatcher up! Then, escape through the peak.” Peril frantically shouts to Kinkajou as she presses against the door.

“Wait, what about you two?!” Kinkajou shouts.

“We’ll stop it here!” Peril shouts as she faces Qibli, “You led it towards us, Qibli, you’ll have to join me in the fight.”

“Like I'd give up the chance to fight something as strong as this!” Qibli says, grinning, tightening his glove, “Go Kinkajou! We’ll handle this,” he shouts.

“I-i'm going!” Kinkajou shouts as she runs as fast as she can.

…

You jolt awake by a loud sound below you. (Is something the matter? Should I go check?) You think as you head towards the door, before jumping back slightly as you hear a loud banging at your door. “WAKE UP, MOONWATCHER!” Kinkajou shouts before slamming your door open, “No time to explain. We need to get out of here, NOW!” She nervously shouts.

“O-Okay!” You stutter, millions of questions running through your mind. But like she said, there's no time for them.

“Hurry! Upstairs! We’ll leave through the roof!” she shouts as you both run out of the room, “Wait!” She abruptly says. “...Take this. Just in case.” and hand you a long, thin implement… it appears to be a glave. “Follow me!” she says as you both run upstairs.

As you head up the stairs, you hear Peril’s voice in both your ears, “Kinkajou, do you hear me!?”

“Y-yes! I hear you!” Kinkajou says, startled

“Be careful! There’s more than one enemy! The one we’re fighting isn't the one Qibli saw!” She shouts.

“What?!” Kinkajou shouts as the building suddenly, violently shakes, causing you both to briefly lose balance. “Let's go!” she says to you as you both dash for the rooftop.

You both head up to the rooftop built into the peak, as Kinkajou shuts the door and locks it.

“I think we’re safe for now…” She says through her heavy breathing.

You both freeze. A deep, guttural growl, like grinding stones, vibrates through the air. A massive, amorphous mass, slick with a sickening black ooze, heaves itself onto the roof. Hundreds of hands, each dripping the viscous fluid, each clutching a blood-soaked sword, writhe and claw. One hand holds aloft a smooth, cold blue mask, the stark number I etched upon its surface. The metallic tang of blood fills the air, a chilling contrast to the musty smell of decay clinging to the creature.

“You have got to be kidding me…! It climbed the mountain…?!” Kinkajou exhaustedly shouts.

…

At the command room, Peril, Qibli and Webs watch the rooftop cameras.

“They’re on the roof!” Qibli shouts in concern.

“That gigantic Shadow… just what the hell are we dealing with?!” Peril asks wide-eyed.

“...Let’s go, Peril!” Qibli says as they both turn to run to the roof.

“Wait!” Webs commands as he holds his hand up.

…

“What…the fuck…is that…!” You barely managed to say through your exhaustion,

“That's the thing that's attacking this place… we call them Shadows!” Kinkajou says, visibly shaking, “I have to fight… I…I can summon mine… No problem…” she mutters to herself before pulling a gun out of the holster on her shoulder, and points it at her temple with both hands. She immediately begins trembling, her breathing getting heavier as she closes her eyes, not noticing one of the hands from the Shadow spring out and smack her, causing her to drop the gun and fly backwards, hitting the ground with a heavy thud.

You notice the gun slide on the ground towards you, the sounds of metal contrasting with the silence.

Suddenly, your eyes glow white as you see the rainbow nightwing you met when you first entered the dorm, smiling at you, “Go on…Pick it up… you know you want to…” he cheerfully says. You pick up the gun and point it at the side of the head, feeling the cold metal against your scales; after all, he was right, you’ve wanted to do this ever since that day. After all…

Why bother living in this world?

This empty, soulless world…

As you put a claw on the trigger, your other hand on your chest, feeling the beat of your heart gradually slow. It's as if the words come deep from your consciousness.

“Per…so…na…”

As you pull the trigger, you don't feel a bullet like you expected; you feel energy burning inside of you as you notice blue sparks come from the other side of your head.

Suddenly, a massive flame erupts behind you, and as the fire begins to die down, you see a human-like figure with a ram skull for a head, with long golden hair, wearing a black leather suit with flame-shaped accents and shiny golden armoured boots with a golden wheel at their heels. A heart-shaped insignia on its groin. It carries a bloodstained knife in one hand and a chalice in the other, as a young, dead lamb with golden wool is draped over her arm.

“Oh, child of destiny…” The figure says in an otherworldly feminine voice.

“I am Medea, the mistress of magic.”

“I am thou…thou art I”

An overwhelming, excruciating pain drapes over your body, as if your body and brain are slowly being dissolved in acid. You feel like all the bones in your body are repeatedly snapping into tiny pieces.

“Guaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh, " you scream from the pain as Medea flails about as she bursts open, revealing a slender figure with an iron-like head and jaw, wearing a long blue coat with a cape of coffins surrounding them. A long sword was sheathed on its side.

As it opens its jaw, a loud, reverberating roar erupts from the figure. The figure dashes forward, unsheathes its sword and slices through the shadow, grabbing one of its hands and tearing it off before biting down on it, causing black liquid to drip from its jaw. As it snarls, in an instant, it dissapears with Medea in it's place before she too disappears

As your eyes turn normal, you hear Kinkajou shriek as three small black masses crawl towards her. They must have broken off from the main shadow.

You have to save her.

You dash inbetween her and the shadows, glaive at the ready. You quickly slice through the shadows masks, causing them to evaporate. As you turn towards kinkajou you see the last shadow mere inches away from her. As if by reflex, you point the gun toward your head, put your other hand on your chest.

“Medea, agi!” you shout as you pull the trigger, Medea appears in front of you and slings a fireball towards the shadow, causing it to shriek as it disintegrates.

The monsters are gone. Kinkajou is safe. You suddenly feel an intense wave of exhaustion overwhelm you, as if you had just run a marathon for 10 days straight.

You close your eyes…

And collapse on the floor.

#wings of fire #wof #persona 3 #wof au #persona series #moonwatcher wof #wof moonwatcher #peril wof #qibli wof #webs wof #kinkajou wof #devoured moonlight

3 notes · View notes