#That means digging in our heels to prevent moving farther right.

[thesaltyace]

Y'all I did NOT know this about Harris, and I think it's really critical that we all listen and understand as we approach this election. Video at the end.

This creator's video describes how progressive Harris was as a prosecutor -- actively going against the grain to the point she was accused of being soft on crime. Accused of being a social worker, not a prosecutor. She calls it being smart on crime. She's pushing for systemic changes to give real pathways to reintegrate incarcerated folks back into society and prevent their past from continuing to haunt them moving forward.

"Kamala's a cop" is a catchy dismissive response usually used to shut down conversation rather than add nuance. But this kind of reform is ESSENTIAL to work towards a present and future that treats incarcerated people with value.

I fell for it in 2020 and have thought "Kamala's a cop" without further inspection since - and I'm sobered by the realization that (you guessed it!) I'm not immune to propaganda.

A better system only follows liberal democracy, because library democracy allows for exploration of better systems. If authoritarianism takes hold, it will not allow for the exploration of better systems. We will have to fight tooth and nail just to try to get back to liberal democracy, and I suspect we could not achieve it in our lifetimes.

Harris isn't perfect. But she's a hell of a lot better than many leftists have led me to believe. Don't let perfection be the enemy of good. Don't let perfection be the enemy of harm reduction.

We can either help elect Trump and usher in authoritarian fascism, or we can help defeat him and pull things back in the direction we want to go. Not liking the choices doesn't absolve you from participating and doing the most good you can with the options available.

I'll link the original video in the replies. The original video has captions if you need them.

[kiribaku-queen]

Home [8/10]

Pairing: Bakugou x reader, Kirishima x reader

Fluff, angst, werewolf!au

Word count: 3.5k

A/N: Let me know if you want to be added to the taglist! Let me know what your predictions are for the end! 

Summary: Being called the beauty of the clan isn’t as nice as it sounds. The beauty of the clan is supposed to exude confidence, power, and well, beauty. You were quite the opposite, only possessing one of those traits. Yet, the older you got, the more you fit into the role you were given. After your brother and all the boys of age come back from their training period, it was time to find a mate. But who will steal your heart? Is it Bakugou, the rising leader of the pack, or is it Kirishima, the personal guard and the strongest in the pack?

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

17 year old Kirishima was ecstatic. It was his first time exploring the clan’s boarders. Usually, teenagers aren’t allowed to help patrol so early, but since Bakugou was going to be the next alpha and Kirishima was supposed to be his personal guard, this was an exception. Bakugou didn’t show it, but everyone could tell that he was just as excited. As they were all in their wolf forms, Kirishima couldn’t help but show how excited he was by his wagging tail. Even if he wanted to stop, he couldn’t. It was annoying Bakugou because his tail kept hitting him so he had to physically hold his tail down with his paw.

Patrolling the boarders was fascinating to Kirishima. He learned where not to cross and what parts were their territory. He learned different scents to look out for and what to do if you do see something. But going over boundaries once wasn’t enough for him. No, he needed to do multiple rounds so that the trail is embedded within his memory. So, he snuck out in the middle of the night to go over the tracks again.

The grass felt good under his paws, the cool, night breeze tickled his muzzle, and the view of the whole clan light up in his eyes. Now he could get used to this every day. All he had to do was train for two years, get a ripped body for all the ladies and he would live his dream out. Kirishima was so immersed and excited that he forgot all the basics that he learned earlier that day. He didn’t even notice or smell two others that were watching and following his every move. While he was too distracted by everything around him, the two mysterious strangers who were way bigger and way stronger than him attacked him from behind. They pounded on his back, making Kirishima unable to react properly. It all happened to fast. By the time that he knew what was going on, it was already too late. They were taking him far… far away. Farther way from the town. Far enough where the lights started to dim out and can no longer be seen. Far enough where even if he screamed, no one could hear him.

He was doomed, he thought. They were either going to cut him up and kill him, even worse eat him! Or they were going to sell his body to a slave trade and his friends and family would never see him again. The two strangers tied his hands behind his back and put a muzzle around his mouth to prevent him from attacking. Not like he could do much to them anyway. He didn’t know how to fight yet. At least not for serious occasions. There was a feeling of nervousness in the pit of his stomach that just would not go away. He was getting anxious and fidgety not knowing what was going to him. The strangers weren’t even talking. Just silently dragging him to wherever they wanted.

It wasn’t longer until Kirishima could spot lights up ahead. Hope started glimmer in his eyes. Perfect, they weren’t taking him somewhere shady or taking him somewhere to kill him. At least, he hoped. They were entering another clan. This clan had a whole different vibe compared to his. His clan was always bright with lights. No matter what time of day it was, buzz and chatter was always happening. Everyone was so friendly with one another and it was almost like the clan never sleeps. This clan was like the opposite. Although there were lights lit, it was very dim. No one was out and about. The aesthetics of this clan was more sophisticated than what he was used to back home. The strangers took him inside this gigantic building, bigger than Bakugou’s house. But how could anything be bigger than Bakugou’s house? His house was the biggest in all of the clan? And to know that someone here has an even more massive house, they must mean business.

The strangers took him to this room and pushed him forward, causing him to fall straight on his face. He was going to feel that in the morning. He got up and rested on his knees. He looked up to see a girl, probably around his age, sitting on a throne-like chair with her legs crossed and a bored expression on her face.

“Kirishima Eijirou?” she questioned. Kirishima cocked his eyebrow in confusion. She knew his name? How? He had never met or seen her in his life. He couldn’t speak due to the muzzle that was still on him. Without saying another word, the girl on the chair gestured with her finger to the two strangers. They went up to him and set him on his feet, taking the muzzle away but still keeping his hands tied together.

“Do I know you?” Kirishima questioned back once the muzzle was taken off.

“No,” she replied curtly. “But I know you. Upcoming personal guard of Bakugou Katsuki, son of the current alpha of your clan.” Shit, how did she know all of that? Before anything could makes sense, she continued. “I have a proposition for you.” Oh, he knows where this is going.

“I will not kill my best friend!” Kirishima screamed determinedly. He’s seen this in movies. The villain kidnaps the one closest to the main character and forces them to kill them or else they would do something horrible like kill their family, torture them or take their loved one! How pitiful. It was a shame that he had to go like this.

“Cute. But that’s not why I called you here,” Kirishima looked even more confused. And not gonna lie, a bit disappointed. Look like he wasn’t going to be a part of a real life movie. “I’m going to marry Bakugou Katsuki and I need your help.”

“Uh sorry to burst your bubble but Katsuki is taken.”

“Hmm,” the girl faked a pout and went to dig for something. She took out a picture of you and then Kirishima was on high alert. “I’m assuming by this? (y/n), was it? Yeah she’s going to get in the way, but that’s where you come into play. And it’s as easy as pie, make her fall in love with you.”  When she showed him that picture of you, panic and anger started to rise in him. But when she told him to make you fall in love with him, then he got flustered. What kind of demand was that? Sure he had a bit of a crush on you for like a 12 years but never in a million years would he backstab his friend to get the girl… right? And even if he did, you were head over heels over Bakugou so he didn’t even have a chance. She got sense how hesitant Kiri was by the slow response which ticker her off. Rolling her eyes, she threw your picture aimlessly on the floor.

“Well if you don’t, I’ll just have to kill her myself,” she smirked when Kirishima finally reacted in pure rage. He leaned forward but was pulled back by the same people who kidnapped him and served him a few punches to the face to calm him down.

“You’re going to kill her all for some guy?!” Kirishima yelled even though he was in pain. She laughed out loud, obnoxiously and over the top.

“Aw you don’t get the big picture. See, when I marry Bakugou, I’ll be the alpha’s wife and our two clans will be united. And all I have to do is get rid of him and I will dominate both clans and have all the power!” The brown haired girl laughed and smiled at her own, devilish plan. So no matter what he chose, one of the two people he cares most about is going to get hurt. “Help me and you’ll also get the girl. It’s a win-win situation really. But if you don’t, your precious little love will be dead by sunrise.” she made it seem like it was an obvious choice. She didn’t him much time to answer because she was already beckoning for those two guys to do the deed.

“Wait!” he managed to get out. This was all too much for him. All he wanted was to do his job to protect his people by going over the clan’s boarder but now he had to chose who he wanted to protect: the girl he likes or his best friend. Bros before hoes but it seemed like your life was in more serious danger at the moment. “Fuck…FUCK! Fine, I’ll help you. Just, don’t touch (y/n) alright?” he said, defeated. She smirked, having known she won and her plan was coming along.

“I knew you’d see it my way.”

 And so from then on, Kirishima worked on trying to make you fall in love with him. He knew you loved eye candy, no matter who it was. So throughout those two years off at training, he tried his hardest to have the best body at camp. It was easy to work out with a goal in mind but hard because he had to compete with Bakugou. Everything he did, he matched that or tried to one up him. And it never got noticed because Bakugou loved a challenge. It was also common for the two to do everything little thing together cause they were so close. Shredded body? Step 1 complete. Step 2? In progress.

If Kirishima wasn’t in this dilemma, he would still admire you from afar while Bakugou has you all for himself. Of course, he wouldn’t miss the opportunity to flirt with you once in a while, but that’s as far as he could go. And if you fell for him on the way, then a plus for him. He wouldn’t intentionally try to steal you away from his best friend. Now this was a different story. Although his feelings towards you never changed, his intentions did. It didn’t feel right at first. But the more and more he purposely tried to make you fall in love with him, the more he wanted.

When you were crying when you first heard about the engagement to Uraraka, he comforted you like a friend. And only as a friend because he didn’t know how to flirt with someone who he had a major crush on. But he knew he couldn’t chicken out because if you were still in the picture by the time Uraraka and Bakugou were to be wed, then she would come after you herself. That’s the last thing that he wants. So he got more bold with his actions.

The first time, it was the promise. He pulled you in for a kiss to seal the deal, but backed off. Push and pull and they will always come running back to you. His heart jumped when you blushed at his actions. Did you really just get flustered with him? His confidence level surged. But he was going to go step by step to not scare you off. So he spent as much time as possible with you. He followed you around and did things together so that you could be comfortable around him. He would touch you here and there so that you could get comfortable with his touch. He sat on your bed and did your laundry so that he could leave his scent wherever you are. When he saw that your reactions were going to become a regular thing, he bumped it up a notch. Staring at you until you noticed and smirking when he got caught. He was told that really got the ladies. He tried it and what do you know? It worked like a charm. You stared at him right back. He got lucky that day too because he had the perfect opportunity for a kiss. He leaned in to kiss you because he knew that you would get flustered. But god, how he really wanted to kiss you. But he had to remember the push and pull method.

As days go on, he was falling for you deeper and deeper each day. Honestly, forget about the deal that he had with Uraraka. It really looked like you were forgetting Bakugou and started having feelings for him. Even if he was treated as a rebound, if it turns something pure then it would have been worth it. Hell, even if there was no deal, he would try to protect you at all costs. At the market, it was pure coincidence that they were there at the same time as Bakugou and Uraraka. Kirishima knew that Uraraka smelled them a mile away and wanted to take this opportunity to mess with them. But he avoided that to protect you.

When he goes to kiss you again in the kitchen, he wasn’t going to take advantage of you like that. He wanted to do this properly and wanted for you to make the first move. Because if his suspicions were right and you were falling for him, you kissing him first would confirm it. He get up boundaries and restrained himself. He was going to make you fall in love with him, with or without this mission.

 Back to present day, Kirishima has to sneak out once a week to meet with Uraraka to give her updates on his progress. It was dangerous and risky but if he didn’t comply, Uraraka always manages to threaten something. Not only did he almost get caught a few times by you sneaking out in the middle of the night, but Uraraka wanted to meet at Bakugou’s place. She was too lazy to meet him anywhere else and whatever she says, goes.

“Hes so easy to toy with,” Uraraka is satisfied that her plan is almost complete. “Tell me, have you made her fall in love with you yet?” she raises an eyebrow but Kirishima stands there tall, arms crossed behind his back.

“No,” very blunt and straight to the point. Uraraka knows that Kirishima isn’t very fond of her but who cares? He was hired for a job not to be friends.

“Still? I’ve given you enough time. How much long do I have to wait?” she massaged her temple with one hand. She was running out of patience and was getting more irritable by the second. “Where do you two stand?”

“Just a… just a kiss.” He was shy to admit it to someone who wanted to kill you.

“Well, speed up the process! Our time is coming to a close and you know what will happen if this wedding fails, right?” Kirishima gulped because he knew what was ahead of him if this mission didn’t succeed. You could die. Or Bakugou. Even worse, both of you could. Hell, he could too if he didn’t play his cards right. But it started to feel wrong. He was feeling guilty about forcing you to love him when he knew you were in a difficult position. But it was too late to back out now because they were already too far in.

It was hard sleeping that night. You were confused. You thought you were doing so well without him but then he shows up in your life again, telling you how much he missed you and that he still wanted you? Dumb feelings. You don’t even know what you want anymore.

You woke up feeling groggy. Even if you went to bed early, your mind was up all night. Thinking about the past, the future. What could have been. What would have been if you two were still together. But it broke your heart every time because you knew you couldn’t be together. He was engaged. You would just get in the way of his success and his bright future. There wasn’t a better match for him. Sighing, you finally got out of bed and the first thing in sight was a red rose sitting on your windowsill. You were surprised and all thoughts of Bakugou were gone. Your mind drifted off to Kirishima and the kiss you shared. Did he do this? How sweet of him. You blushed and pulled the rose to your nose to give it a good sniff. A smile grew even wider on your lips. How did he know that roses were your favorite? This didn’t just happen once. It happened day after day after day after day. Every day you woke up in the morning, a new rose would be sitting there, waiting for you. And every morning you would gush at how cute Kirishima was for doing such a romantic gesture. Day after day, your collection of roses was just getting bigger. You didn’t confront Kirishima about it because you knew he would get shy. And you were afraid that if you did, he would stop doing. So you secretly enjoyed it while going about your day like usual.

Kirishima was getting bolder ever since you gave him that little kiss on the lips. He was pulling you in closer and being more handsy but you didn’t stop him this time. You enjoyed it and actually flirted back. He was giving you more attention that ever but at the same time, he looked distracted. Like something was eating at him. But you were sure that was just your imagination. It’s been a long time since you felt comfortable around someone that made you feel like you were on top of the world. Like you were the only person who mattered. And it felt really good to be wanted again.

Your dad needed help with chopping up fire wood so of course, manly Kirishima comes in hand. You were setting out plates for dinner while your mother was finishing up the food and Sero was setting out napkins and utensils. Standing side by side with your brother while setting up the table, Sero nudges you with his elbow.

“Hey,” he whispers. Weird, why was he whispering. It’s only us that are listening. What did he not want people to hear? Pushing your initial thoughts out of the way, you elbowed him back because damn, his elbow poking hurts because of his stupid quirk. “Hey (y/n)! Are you and Kiri… you know,” he was making weird hand motions and you slapped him on the shoulder.

“Stop that. If you’re asking if we are together, no we’re not.” You firmly state.

“Yeah? Well do you like him?”

“Eh? Uhm… Yes? No? Maybe?” you side eyed your brother and he was just nodding his head slowly, a small frown could be seen on his face. “What’s with that look?” you asked, little concerned about that face he was giving you.

“Nothing,” he simply says but you know that’s a lie.

“No, what is it? Why are you looking at me like that?” Sero sighs and thinks a bit before speaking.

“Just… make sure you are 100% of your feelings for him before you guys are official, kay?” You tilt your head to the side, confused. “I don’t know! I just don’t want you using Kirishima as a rebound, you know?” he continues.

“I am not using him as a rebound,” you tried to defend yourself but Sero thinks otherwise.

“Not intentionally. But from what I see right now, you kind of are,” he admits and goes to put food on the table. Before you could retaliate or even think about it, Kirishima and your dad burst through the door ready to be fed.

“Who’s ready for food because I’m starving!” your dad erupts, kissing your mom on the cheek and sitting down at the table. Kirishima follows suit, glancing up at you, giving you a charming smile. You smile back. You weren’t using him as a rebound, were you?

 Bakugou made it his mission to get you back. After that night, he knew he approached it the wrong way. He was too forward and too aggressive. You didn’t like that. You like romantic things. Things that are seen in TV shows and movies. He was going to do just that.

Every morning, he would tag along with the morning pack to patrol boarders because that would give him an excuse to visit you. But from afar. On the way, he would pick up a rose and lay it on your windowsill while you were still sleeping. Then he would wait in a nearby tree, where he could see your room clearly, to see your reaction when you woke up to a rose waiting for you. He knew he scored the jackpot with that move because the way your face brightened up at the sight of something so romantic told all. So he continued to do that everyday until you physically couldn’t hold any more roses in your room. He was determined to make you his again and do anything to make you gain his trust again.

Tagged: @goodpop9 @superblyspeedydragon @tspice283 @marvelobsessedteen @rosetheshapeshifter @cabbagesquadfam @bnha-iamhere @theartsydoodler @taehyungbbe

[thechangeling]

The one thing you can never do.

Whoops I've got another Kitty fanfic. Apparently I'm going through something so dont mind me.

It's funny how sometimes, after going through so much effort to get away from something, you find yourself ending up right back where you started. Kit wasn't the sort of person to believe in fate or destiny, but maybe there was something inevitable about certain factors of his life. Like he was always meant to be a shadowhunter and maybe he was always meant to end up back in LA. Or maybe that wasn't actually what was inevitable about Kit's life. Maybe his destiny had nothing to do with a specific place or location. Maybe it had everything to do with a person.

Kit wasn't exactly sure why he was having a bit of an existential crisis at such a late hour, but after being submerged back in the Blackthorn circus for a day, he needed to be alone with his thoughts. There was another apocalyptic crisis occurring in LA that the Los Angeles institute seemed to be the center of once again. So the Blackthorns and what Kit liked to call "The Blackthorn Adjacents" had sent out a distress call to New York and also to Tessa and Jem for reinforcements.

The interesting thing about Kit's particular brand of bad luck is that if this wasn't an emergency Ty wouldn't have even been there. Kit knew from hearing Tessa mention it off hand that Ty had gone to study at the scholomance but the threat of an impending war had most likely brought him back home. So Kit had basically dug his heels into the ground and refused to move.

"I'm not going." He had insisted. "They don't need me, it'll be fine." Jem and Tessa had exchanged one of those annoying married couple looks, as if they were communicating telepathically. Then Jem had delivered the money line.

"But what if Ty is in trouble?"

For someone usually so kind and sensitive it was more then a little manipulative, but Kit knew it was for the greater good. So he joined his adoptive parents and his baby sister as they passed through the portal to LA and tried not to hyperventilate. However funnily enough amongst all the chaos of so many shadowhunters being in one place as well as many influential downworlders, he had yet to find himself in a situation where he was forced to speak to Ty. Any time they were in the same room Ty would avoid his gaze and essentially pretend that Kit did not exist.

Which suited him just fine. If Ty wanted to be petty then so could Kit. There was a part of him (arguably much more logical and level headed) that was berating him for this kind of ridiculous behavior. However in situations like this, it would seem that no matter how hard he tried to be honest and express his true feelings, something always stopped him. It was almost as if some cold and dark force took over, wrapping itself around Kit's heart and preventing anyone from getting through.

It was internal struggles such as these that lead him to the roof. He could see why both Mark and Ty liked coming up here so much. There was something quite peaceful and relaxing about being so far away from the rest of the world especially considering the chaos downstairs. It was interesting to Kit how you could clearly see that every person in that institute played a distinct role in the process of stopping this threat.

Everyone except for him.

Sometimes on dark long nights he would wonder if anyone would really notice if he disappeared forever. However this time before he could slip farther into that black hole, he heard footsteps behind him, disturbing his solitude. This was a little irritating

"I'm sorry I just really need to be alone right now" Kit called out to the night without turning around.

"I know the feeling" came the reply in the form of a deep familiar voice that seemed to seep into his bones and flow through his viens, infecting every part of him. Even after three years he would know that voice anywhere.

Ty.

Kit let out a shakey exhale and closed his eyes. He was far too tired to be cold or passive aggressive. So instead of telling Ty to leave him alone, accompanied by some very colorful language, or making some spiteful remark, Kit turned around to face him. Ty was standing with his arms crossed and his signature headphones slung around his neck. His face was blank, devoid of any emotion but his fingers were fiddling with the strings on his hoodie, rolling them between his right thumb and pointed finger. His left hand was fluttering slightly at his side. Kit fought the urge to reach for him. God sometimes it was like he was a drug addict. Just constantly jonesing for his next fix of Ty.

He waited for Ty to speak, but he just stared back at Kit. Even though eye contact was difficult for him, he was looking Kit dead in the eye. And then,

" You are so difficult" Ty spoke with an even voice which was even more irritating then the remark itself. This time he couldn't bite back a retort.

"I'm the difficult one?" Kit exclaimed clenching his hands into fists in an attempt to control his temper. "You're the one who has been avoiding me this whole time genius!" Kit saw Ty flinch at the remark but he wasn't done. Not by a long shot.

"I came here against my better judgement, because I wanted to try and fix what we broke three years ago and you spend all this time acting like I dont exist! Then out of blue you finally come up to me just to tell me I'm difficult?" Kit knew he was raising his voice but he just couldn't bring himself to care. "I mean honestly Ty if you really hate me that much then just tell me straight to my face and get it over with!" Kit yelled, his voice beganing to crack.

Ty was avoiding his gaze now and had wrapped both his arms around himself squeezing tightly, his fingernails digging into his arms. Almost instantly Kit felt all of his anger begin to drain out of his body. Upsetting Ty was still the worst thing in the world.

"You left me." Ty's voice was a harsh whisper barely loud enough to register. Ty shifted his gaze back to meet Kit's. There were tears in his eyes. Kit's heart jolted at the sight. Ty took a deep breath, dropped his hands to his sides and stepped towards him. Kit found it was becoming increasingly difficult to breathe.

"You told me that you wished you had never met me during what was probably the most difficult experience of my life, and then you just left" Ty stated pointedly. Kit felt the urge to protest, to tell him that the only reason any of that happened was because of what Ty said. However, something about his tone made Kit feel as though all of the resistance had been sucked out of his body.

He was completely at the mercy of Ty.

It wasn't the first time and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

Ty took another breath and closed his eyes. "You have to understand, I needed Livvy. I have never known how to do any of this without her" Ty gestured around himself vaguely. " I never had to. Then when I lost her, it was like everything was spun into chaos around me and I couldn't breathe." Ty's voice was becoming shakey and uneven as his fingers started fluttering again. "So I had to get her back Kit, because I couldn't live like that. You have to understand!" Ty pleaded.

Kit felt some of his anger returning, not just at Ty but at himself as well for sympathizing with him. " See that's the problem Ty" Kit began, failing to keep the venom out of his voice. " I do understand! I understand why you did what you did. I always have." Kit found himself moving towards Ty. "I mean it was a stupid plan and I should have stopped you, but I still get it. That's not why I was mad." Ty looked confused but calm.

"Then why were you angry Kit?"

Kit shivered slightly at the way Ty said his name. It was no longer harsh and dripping with malice or frustration. It was the was the way he used to say it, before. Back when they were younger, before everything went to shit. It was soft and sweet and Kit was pretty sure it was his favourite sound in the whole world. He was tempted to just ask Ty to forget about it, forget about all of it so they could put the past behind them and move on.

But he couldn't. Not when the memory was still so clear.

So Kit swallowed down his feelings and pushed on. "You said I was nothing Ty" he stated mournfully, looking down away from Ty's gaze. "You told Livvy that there was nothing if she wasn't here." There was a moment of silence, so Kit raised his head. Ty was staring at him with utter shock and confusion. And there was something else. Something Kit couldn't quite place.

But he knew that it was something he never wanted to see it again.

Ty was shaking his head slowly in disbelief. "That isn't what I meant. I was grieving Kit! I wasn't paying attention to what I was saying." Ty explained mournfully. He moved even closer to Kit so there was barely any space left between them and gently placed his hand against Kit's cheek. "Did you honestly believe that I didnt care about you? That all our time together meant nothing?"

Kit was shaking slightly, not from anger but from holding back the tears. He wished he could break Ty's gaze but it was almost if there was some sort of magnetic pull refusing to let Kit look away. He closed his eyes for a moment to compose himself, and when he opened them, he found Ty still gazing at him with an unusual softness.

Kit took a breath, shaking his head slowly. "I don't know Ty. It was just easy." Tears were threatening to spill down his cheeks. Ty was looking at him with confusion, his fingers twitching at his side. "Easy?" Ty murmered raising his other hand to lightly wipe away Kit's tears. "Why Kit? I dont understand."

Kit took a step back letting Ty's hands fall back to his sides. All of a sudden he couldn't bear to have Ty so close. "Because honestly, why would you?" Kit confessed shakily. "Why would you care about me when nobody else ever has? My whole life, I've always been treated like a tool or a weapon. Like something useful or handy to have around when the situation calls for it, or as an inconvenience that you want to get rid of, but never like an actual person." Kit was aware that he was rambling at this point but he just couldn't seem to stop himself. His entire body was shaking slightly, either from the tears he was trying to hold in or from the anger.

Honestly it was probably both.

Kit could see that Ty was clearly upset by this but he stayed silent letting Kit continue. And there it was again, that same perplexing look on Ty's face. The one he couldn't quite put a name to. But Kit just kept going.

"You don't understand what it's like to spend your entire life not being loved! No matter how alone you may have felt at times, you've always had a family who would die for you! You have spent your entire life surrounded by love Ty and you will never understand what it's like to be completely and utterly alone!" Kit was well aware that he was spiraling at this point but he needed to get it out. He needed to be able to finally tell someone.

"And I'm starting to think that no matter what I do, I'll always be alone and maybe no one's ever gonna love-"

Kit didnt get the chance to finish his sentence. He didnt get the chance to finish whatever the hell he was about to say because Ty was pulling him close and pressing his lips to Kit's in a frantic kiss.

Ty was kissing him.

Ty was kissing him.

Ty's lips were harsh and cold against Kit's. He was pressing his fingertips into Kit's skin, gripping onto him frantically. The kiss was messy and unpracticed but Ty was kissing him with everything that he had and Kit could hardly think of anything else.

Kit could hardly think at all.

Then suddenly Ty broke the kiss and let go of him. Kit found himself instant missing the feel of Ty's touch. He was staring at Kit again with that same fierce intensity with tears in his eyes and Kit found it hard to breathe at the sight. He knew that whatever Ty was about to tell him was extremely important otherwise he most likely would have looked away by now.

"Don't" Ty stated simply, his voice full of misery and heartbreak.

"What?" Kit breathed still in a daze. "Don't? Don't what Ty?" He wasn't sure what was going on or what Ty was asking for, but he was fully prepared to give it to him. He would give anything for Ty to stop looking at him like that.

Ty shook his head slightly and closed his eyes. When he opened them again they were filled with tears.

"Don't Kit." Ty spoke with a frightening intensity. "Dont you dare say that no one loves you." "You can be angry all you want, angel knows you deserve it. You can even hate me if it makes you feel better." Ty was shaking again, tears sliding down his cheeks. Kit wanted to try and comfort him but he found himself frozen in place.

"But the one thing-" Ty continued, "the one thing you can never do, is say that I don't love you."

Kit's heart stuttered in his chest. If he didn't know better he would have thought he was going into cardiac arrest. Every muscle in his body had frozen in place. He willed himself to move, to breathe, to do anything, but it seemed that all he could do was reply those words from Ty over and over in his head.

Ty loved him?

Ty loved him.

Kit was pretty sure he was about to pass out.

Ty must have recognized his shock, as he carefully took Kit's hand in his. Ty stared down and their intertwined hands for a moment and Kit did what he had become quite an experience at. He stared at Ty.

" I'm sorry you didnt realize it before" Ty finally spoke, his thumb tracing patterns against Kit's hand. "I thought you knew. I thought I had made it obvious to you, but I know that most people dont pick up on the ways I express my feelings." Kit opened his mouth to protest but Ty cut him off.

"No it's True, and I'm honestly not angry with you for being confused. I should have just told you, but I was confused for awhile." Ty tentatively raised Kit's hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss to the back of it. Kit felt a shiver run over every inch of his skin.

"I'm sorry I didnt say it back before that day on the beach. When everything went wrong. I didnt know what you meant at first, why exactly you were saying it and why then. I love you can mean lots of different things as I've learned over the years." Ty was looking at him again and continuing to run his fingers along Kit's skin, making shapes of some sort.

Runes. Kit realized. He was tracing runes.

"I understand that" Kit replied. His voice was hoarse from not talking for awhile. He cleared his throat. "I mean obviously not completely, but I get where you're coming from." Ty tilted his head slightly in confusion at the figure of speech. "Where?" he asked.

Kit smiled brightly. Somehow Ty had the innate ability to make everything either adorable, or downright beautiful. "I love you so much" he said in lieu of an answer. Ty's eyes lit up at Kit's confession. "I know" Ty replied, finally releasing his hand. Kit silently mourned the loss of contact.

Ty started backing up towards the hatch, a thoughtful smile taking over his features. He then stopped and stared at Kit for awhile, biting his lip. He then broke into another beautiful smile.

"I love you too Cristopher. Now are you coming?"

And with that, Ty turned around and dropped back down the hatch leading back into the institute. Kit chuckled softly to himself.

Of course he was.

[molliartsie]

Me and the incredible @angstymarshmallow​ collaborated featuring our OCs! 

Sari (left) is from Krysy’s Pathfinder game and Larrell (right) is from my fantasy story I’m working on! Enjoy her fic, I know I did~

In the bright afternoon heat outside the city, two lone figures stand apart; eyeing each other from head-to-toe, waiting for the other to make the first move. Their feet circle, dragging along the grassland beneath their bare feet as they create a few paces of moderate distance between themselves, in preparation for their dance.

The lithe elf spins his wooden brunt of a weapon first. He twirls it gracefully inside his firm grip; the sudden shift of momentum causing his pale hair to fly fluidly behind him.

The smaller of the two, a fetchling that barely reaches his chest; does the same. She mimics his movements with a sense of childlike enthusiasm that makes her companion chuckle. Unfortunately, hers are not as graceful and the wooden weapon trembles slightly as she tests its weight. She balances it by her hip for a moment, grinning broadly up at him.

The elf listens keenly to the sound of her feet. He inclines his head a fraction at the sudden sound. The whoosh it makes has alerted him of her close proximity and how prepared she is for their practice.

His eyes aren’t trained on her. They are never trained on her.

Instead, their paleness in comparison to her otherwise unnervingly bright eyes, unsettles most and yet she knows him better than the average person. Even the majority of the elven folks well within city walls did not know the crowned prince the way she did.

She knows his true sight has nothing to do with his eyes. She would be a fool to think the small infringement sets him at a disadvantage, when it is quite the opposite. His sensory perception is one of his greatest skills in combat and makes him more than a worthy adversary in. They help in shaping the world around him, understanding it as well as the air he breathes. They more than make up for something she once thought he lacked when they met.

His true sight gives him the advantage.

Instead of meeting her impish stare, they stare at something off center, to the left of her. Something unnoticeable, and unbeknownst to her when she whips her head behind for a moment, taking a tentative step back.

The elf makes far better use of their distance. He crouches a little lower, braces himself as though ready for her to pounce at any moment’s notice. He tilts his head again, offering a look of amusement. “Are we going to stare at each other all day, Sari?” He teases. His voice, a teasing and lilting melody strikes Sari as particularly charming today. Chagrined with humor and unabashed by her sudden hesitance, he takes a small step towards her.

“Give me a second, Larrell.” She drawls his name out; knowing not many people have been so fortunate to speak it without his proper title.

Scowling thinly, she grips the wooden weapon inside her hand tighter. “What kind of a daft fool would I be just running into a fight blindly?” She winces slightly, when she realizes how inconsiderate her words may seem. It has been several weeks of knowing each other; she still forgets to her manners when addressing him.

His face twists into a familiar smile, teeth gleaming as they catch sunlight. He takes her comment in stride. “It is no problem.” He assures her, as though understanding her thought process. “Perhaps I should start then,” the rest of his sentence is lost to the wind that suddenly picks up between them.

He moves first, stepping swiftly with the weight of his weapon ardently arched in her direction.

Sari blinks.

Thunk.

Tiny sparks erupt between clashing wood. It nearly catches fire on contact.

The sheer force of the blow causes the fetchling to stumble back. Nearly off balance, she digs her heels into the ground beneath her feet, hoping it will be enough to prevent herself from becoming flatfooted. “Hey,” she breathes. Catching herself upright again, she twists on the balls of her feet. She nearly finds her mark until Larrell jumps nimbly out of harm’s way.

She angles her foot, one in front of the other scowling at how quickly he’s able to move. Even with all their sparring lately, she doesn’t think she’ll ever be able to match his speed.

He’s so fast.

Before she can adjust her position, the prince sets off on his feet again this time, grinning so broadly that Sari feels momentarily unsettled. At this rate, she’s barely able to discern a pattern let alone a weakness to match the ferocity of his attacks.

“I wasn’t ready!” Sari protests loudly, almost squeaking when she hears the clatter of her weapon meeting his again. She’s fast enough this time to clumsily block, however the blow is more forceful; almost enough for the fetchling to lose her footing. Her feet titter forward, and Larrell takes several steps back; giving her ample time to recover.

Teeth gleam as the sound of the prince’s laughter fills the air. It is a pleasant sound, one that makes Sari think of a viola rather than a man.  

“You should always be prepared.” He tsks quietly, twirling the wooden object expertly through the air.

She snorts. “Show off.”

His smile widens a fraction before his feet set off again, moving with the rhythm of the wind suddenly picking up between them.

His swift action to close the distance between them doesn’t alarm her.

This time, Sari feels prepared.

She digs her heels into the ground and raises an arm protectively above her head. Her eyes watch for his familiar form, blurring the faster he peeks up speed. Larrell zig-zags in front of her, and she tries to make mental notes for anything that sticks out after assessing his abilities for some time. He closes the distance with ease and the way he moves has always seemed effortless to her as he soars into the air.

She manages to jump out of his reach, seconds before his weapon tries to sweep at her feet. Grunting, she launches herself into the air, high enough to summersault out of the way.

Larrell makes an effort to clap when he hears her landing softly several feet away. “That was good,” he says pleasantly. “I believe we’ll make a soldier of you yet.” He teases.

She laughs. “Probably not, soldiers fight wars Larrell,” she lunges the weapon forward at him; narrowly missing her mark. “And I’m no soldier, I’ve never wanted to be.”

“Even when coin’s involved?” He can’t help but ask, hoping to appeal to her slight obsession to gold. He’s been thinking more and more of ways to make her stay. Coin has always been her motivation when it comes to even the most pressing circumstances, but lately the more he offers – the less it seems to matter.

He hears her quick dismissive snort.

“Even when it means becoming better at this?” For emphasis, he lunges again, and she winces when his blow connects.

“I’m much better at stealing things,” she cuts in, ducking his second nimble thrust at her. “Charming my way out of things too,” she winks with a flourish, “but the best of my talents are much better suited beneath sheets.”

Larrell chuckles, shaking his head ruefully at her. Even in the middle of battle, she manages to turn his thoughts to something else. He knows her teasing is harmless and shrugs it off by the time he hears her feet pick up speed. He dodges her attempt and strikes again, and the blow causes her to swear in a language he doesn’t recognize.

Sari hobbles a little farther away.

“Finished already?” Angling his head, Larrell smirks.

Feeling a sudden rush of hot anger at his teasing, Sari leaps forward with a battle cry. Without complete regard for her safety, she sweeps her weapon high in the air and aims for his shoulder; hoping the sudden sporadic change in tactic will give her an advantage.

It doesn’t.

He sidesteps just enough for her to miss her mark.

Her abrupt attack isn’t an unexpected tendency; however, the prince knows patience has never been of his friend’s strong suits.

His muscles flex as they reach for her in time to break her fall.

They go down together, rolling and knocking their weapons askew. Shoulders and foreheads bump together before they both come to a resounding halt.

Larrell winces.

Sari grumbles at the sudden flare of pain shooting up her spine. Gritting her teeth, she waits for it to recede long enough to manage some semblance of a smile as she glances flippantly at him. “I’ve got you right where I want you.”

His grin is infectious.

“I do believe this time it’s a tie –” her smile falters and she can no longer bask in happy triumph, when she feels the tip of his weapon pressing without resistance into the curve of her back.

“Never underestimate your opponent Sari,” Larrell says coolly, chiding her thinking surrender was more likely. She shifts her weight enough to glare at him as he pokes her. “You leave yourself open every time you do.”

“I know.” She mumbles sulkily.

Laughing at the note of dejection inside her voice, he bumps his forehead into hers. “It will be your downfall, if you don’t heed my words of course.” He pauses. “Conquer that and with a little more training, maybe one day you’ll be able to best me.”

“Easy for you say.” She curses. “You’re good at this. You’ve probably always been good at this.” The fetchling averts her stare, “I wouldn’t be surprised if you were born holding a lance in your hand or something.”

Grumbling in irritation, she gets to her feet.

“Elf customs do require a certain degree of combat experience and training.” He offers in reprieve. “Not to mention decorum.” He accepts her outstretched hand gratefully before she helps him to his feet.

“It makes sense when you’ve been kicking my ass at nearly every turn.” Shaking her head, she grabs her weapon from off the ground as he hides a smile. “Have I really not learnt anything?” She jabs the wooden sword frustratingly at the ground.

“You have.” Larrell smiles earnestly, nudging her with the brunt of his weapon. “You just haven’t learnt enough.” For emphasis, he lightly taps his weapon against the side of her hip. “Still not fast enough.” Another tap by her shoulder. “Still not enough initiative in combat either.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Sari rolls her eyes, dusting off her clothes as the prince does the same. “I guess that means that’s it for today.” Absently, she glances at the sky overhead, surprised at the amount of time has gone since they started.

Its nearly night.

“Back to the palace your highness?”

Larrell stiffens at title. He knows she means well, but he dislikes hearing it from the lips of a friend. A friend knows him better than the title wears and when it’s just the two of them, he isn’t Prince Larrell of Eshaedor.

He’s simply Larrell.  

Forcing a smile, he shrugs. “I am in no real hurry to return home.” He turns his eyes towards the sky. “Besides, I have a feeling tonight will be a beautiful night.”

“You say that about every night.” She retorts tartly, although there is no hiding the smile that creases her cheeks as she speaks and makes no attempts of leaving without him.

Wordlessly they agree to settle in the grass beneath their feet, and with only a few inches between them, Sari fills him on the missing details of what she’s been up to since the last time she has been within Eshaedor’s walls.

Larrell listens quietly; often laughing when she describes things in length and nodding enthusiastically as they delve further into each other’s past. With her, the prince gives a little more of himself than he has with most – knowing she understands and appreciates their friendship when so little have ever had the pleasure of it.

Sometime later they fall into companionable silence.

Sari realizes he’s right. As she stares into the midnight sky, she can’t help but think how right he was. It is particularly beautiful tonight.

She thinks another hour has passed before the prince reluctantly makes a declaration to take his leave.

Larrell feels a shift in the air from the woman beside him. Her grey skin looks a little pale and her eyes are downcast at the sound of him announcing his leave. He hears the sadness in her tone as she agrees with him, helping him to his feet before averting her eyes to stare into the distance.

“You should stay at the palace tonight,” he murmurs without given it the proper deliberation one would need when inviting an outsider into his home. “Mother may not approve of course but –” he frowns lightly, tucking his hands behind his back as they walk.

After pulling his cloak to obscure most of his face, he finds himself hesitant at saying more.

“I doubt the Queen would like that.” Sari tries to keep her voice cool, although there is a hint of bitterness that makes it harder for her to smile.  

He casts a sideways glance in her general direction. “She may not, but it is a good thing I am the one inviting you and not Mother.”

She chuckles lightly. “I appreciate the thought, but I know what she thinks of me.” She shrugs, “you’re corrupting our ways with your influence,” she does her best to mimic the Queen’s voice, earning her a rare fit of laughter from the elf beside her.

“That does sound fairly like her.” He says, half-amused.

“And it is also very true.”

“That’s not-,” Larrell tries and fails to convince her or himself otherwise. It isn’t grey; more than anything the relationship Sari has in his kingdom is black and white, much like elvish tradition. “That isn’t necessarily the truth.” He hedges.

Sari shakes her head. “Face it, I’m a fetchling – they don’t trust my kind. Trouble follows me everywhere I go. Half the people here take one look at me and think I’m dangerous. Sometimes even less than that – they think I’m nothing.” It used to bother her, but now she has readily accepted the reality of her circumstances. “I don’t know which is worse anymore,” she tries to laugh but it ends up falling flat.

“But I do know I’ve got no real place here. No real place anywhere,” she gestures to the empty air for emphasis.

“That is quite sad.” He frowns, wanting to place a comforting hand on her shoulder until she shrugs off his touch.

“Is it?” She challenges, “coming from a broken home – all I know is how to sing and how laugh. Even through pain,” she shrugs. “How to steal and survive –” she stops, knowing her words draw nothing but concern from her friend. “I’ve had to learn how to live with the cards I’ve been dealt.” She finished finally.

“It hasn’t exactly been easy for me either.” He admits dejectedly. “You’d be surprised how little freedom one actually has at court. How every action is scrutinized. But I suppose that’s where we differ,” he raises his voice a little higher, “as much as I enjoy being on my own, submitting to my own whims when I am not swamped with duties – I still have a duty to my mother. To my people.” He says proudly, tapping the side of his feet with his wooden weapon. “I can never change nor have I any intention of changing. It is apart of who I am Sari.”

“Right, I’m sorry.” She mumbles sheepishly, feeling surprised by his own admission and the intensity behind his words as though her own thoughts seemed to strike a chord. “I didn’t mean to offend –”

“It is fine,” he interjects with a thin smile. “It is easy for an outsider to allow their misconceptions guide them. I know you mean nothing by it…when you compare our circumstances.” He pauses, smoothly switching the subject back to her. “My point is that everyone has their own problems.” He, drags his hands uncharacteristically through his hair. “I merely tend to worry about yours.”

Sari finds it easy to believe him. She cannot doubt the sincerity hidden behind his words, knowing the recent growing weeks has caused her to feel the same. She worries about him too, as absurd as it sounds; watching his brows knitting with concern – she believes him.

“You don’t need to worry.” She protests lightly, swallowing a sudden lump in her throat. Overcome with abrupt emotion, she clears her throat. “I’ll keep doing what I need to survive. It’s what I’ve always been good at.” She nods to herself as though to motivate her own words.

“And besides, I don’t want to make things any worse for you than they already are.” Bumping shoulders playfully with him, she shoots the prince a smile. “You’ve already got a lot of things on your plate with the foreign dignitaries visiting at the palace.”

Larrell’s mouth opens slightly in surprise, “how do you –”

“I hear things.” At his look of surprise, she laughs. “I’m pretty good at getting around, remember?” She reminds him. “And besides, unlike you I don’t have to care about who enters and leaves.”

“Lucky you.” He grumbles.

“But I do care that you’re in the center of it.”

“I have to be,” Larrell insists, “it is a prince’s duty of Eshaedor to be – ”

“Yeah, yeah.” She cuts in, “just –” she takes a deep breath, biting her lower lip. “Just be careful okay? I’m nervous enough just thinking about it.”

His lips quirk into a smile. “Ah, Sari I didn’t think you cared.” He teases, and she playfully shoves him. “You don’t need to worry,” he replies softly. “But thank you for caring about me.”

“Of course, isn’t that what friends do?”

“Friends do look out for one another, don’t they Sari?”

Sari nods, feeling the warmth of his stare all the way to her toes. “Yes, they do Larrell. No matter how far away I am, I’ll always look out for you.”

-