#alex den mate

[pixxiecup]

I have the best cg in the world !!!!!! He is so nice to me and he's understanding, n he always knows what I want and what's best. I am very lucky to have him and and YES ! He let's me show him gear I'd like to have n he helps me plan pacis:3 I cannot wait to start my agere journal n get to show him every page. He also LOVES my coloring pages :333 n I can show him toys I like n he's just so AHG ? he's very accepting and just loving and he makes me feel so safe

Anyway I hope everypuppy has an awesome day :) I WISH THE BEST FOR YOU ALL !!!!

[tealmaskmybeloved]

What's your headcannons for Kitakami duo and loyal three (plus Pecharunt)

This can be for your au if u want!!^^

For the Kitakami siblings!

- Kieran puts a bunch of toppings and whatnot on his sandwiches (turkey, ham, cheese, lettuce, pickles, tomato, peppers, cucumbers, basically has my sandwich preferences) while Carmine just puts tomato and mayo on it and calls it a day

- During Mochi Mayhem, the two wear more casual outfits that aren't their school uniforms (like yall are on a break WEAR SOMETHING ELSE)

- Kieran helps out a bit at Apple Hills and it's where he met his Dipplin, although it was an Applin when he met it. He was able to catch it with Carmine there for emotional support.

- Kieran's Sentret was his first Pokémon and the two met when Sentret stumbled into his room by accident. Carmine technically caught it but she gave it to Kieran.

- Carmine found her Poltchageist in an antique shop and the two became friends ever since.

For the Loyal 3 and Pecharunt!

- Okidogi had Guard Dog before it met Pecharunt, and originally was a part of a pack of unknown dog Pokémon. He met Pecharunt when the former's pack was attacked and he was seperated

- Munkidori had Frisk as his ability before meeting Pecharunt, and he used to be a scout of sorts, but others of his kind abandoned him after telling him to go find an item that didn't exist. When Munkidori got Toxic Chained, he got his revenge.

- Fezandipiti had Technician before meeting Pecharunt. He used to be female and was unable to find a mate, so he wished to be beautiful. (Came with bonus transition. Trans rights everyone)

- The Loyal 3 did have their abilities before they got Toxic Chained, but they were below average or even miniscule compared to the others of their kind.

- Okidogi and Pecharunt lived in the same region and Okidogi even lived with the old couple aside with Pecharunt.

Toxic Consequences AU Stuff

- Dokutaro looked more like a Pecha Berry before his descent into villainy. The changes first started when he gave his caretakers the Binding Mochi

- Dokutaro only really opens up in his shell around the Loyal 3 and Kieran.

- The shopkeepers at Peachy's knew a bit about Dokutaro's wish granting power, and the ancestor who started the shop wished for the store to be successful. Whether or not Dokutaro made the store successful or if it is just a coincidence is unknown.

- TC!Fezandipiti sounds like Alex Beckham's Mettaton in Undertale the Musical (only difference is the lack of robotic sound effects for Fezandipiti)

- TC!Munkidori sounds like Alex Rybitski's voice for Berdly in Deltarune the (Not) Musical

- TC!Okidogi I imagine to sound like Alex Beckham's voice for Daruk.

(Yes I listen to a lot of Man On The Internet how did you know /silly. Also I don't have a voice idea for TC!Dokutaro)

- After the Kitakami siblings make amends, Kieran's eyes are a mix of yellow and pink.

- Kieran eventually apologizes to Ogerpon for all that he did, and even makes her a new mask.

- The Festival of Masks gets new masks after the whole ordeal, now showing Ogerpon as the hero and the Loyal 3 as villains. (Ogre Oustin is changed as well, with the Loyal 3 and Dokutaro instead)

- Mossui Town isn't the first place the Loyal 3 and Dokutaro raided. On their adventure to get Ogerpon's masks, the group went after towns they saw on the way, stealing goods and attacking the people.

- The Loyal 3, Dokutaro and Kieran live in the Dreaded Den temporarily after Ogerpon went with Carmine.

- Ogerpon wears Kieran's old Ogre Mask during the Festival of Masks.

- Dipplin wished to evolve after seeing how Kieran wanted to get stronger, so Dokutaro granted that wish.

- Our favorite Chained bandits are at first confused (and hysterical) at the people of Kitakami believing they're heroes, but they go along with it for the attention and the masks.

- The Loyal 3, Dokutaro, and Kieran have an immense fear of Amarys due to her Steel-Type Pokémon. Okidogi usually has to help em out due to his Fighting Type.

- Kieran's Pokémon go back to their normal forms after being unchained.

[syntheticmortal]

I got tagged by the lovely @crownedinmarigolds! Thank you so much mate!! I'm absolutely charmed 🥰

Now my rat bastard spouse stole most of my tagging options on their post so to not double-tag I will add:

@skaerdir, @klaciate, @tzimizce and @vamp-orwave!!

If anyone who sees this wants to be an honourary tagee, then go for it XD

For those who don't know - Hi I am Alex! (He/They) and I'm a writer and an English immigrant to the USA!

3 ships: oh mate all of these are OCxOC with @c-n-i-d-a-r-i-a-n

Victor and Gloria – A Nos and his unbound Ghoulfriend. Making your touchstone one of your mission Ghouls is dangerous af but live fast love hard, lads.

Jeff and Lamb – Another of Vic's unbound Ghouls and the Thin Blood Nos that joined the Warren. Disgustingly fucking cute injected into the den of the rejected and disgruntled.

Ventan/Taakur Rig and Rozanin Rig – My and Daz's SWTOR PCs respectively. A Chiss Cipher Agent that ends up having to go hide with his Mandalorian hireling with her Clan and Roz's unrequited love becomes hella requited and suddenly Ventan/Cipher Five-now-Taakur has step kids??

I love it so much.

first ship: Oh god this takes me back to being little. Probably a Sonic one??

Shadow and Rouge if I had to take a guess??

last song: Temptation by Sean Paul! A proper bop

But honestly massive shout out to the second Nostalgia Synthwave mix by Odysseus on youtube

This thing keeps me sane, and has all the songs marked! – that opening one, Realign by Cerulean, can usually just melt my brain into peace whenever I hear it

last film: Snatch – Like VTMB it's a problematic fave that oozes style and characterisation throughout. Watched it as prep for a Setite I'm going to play in a V5 game >:D

currently reading: Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan as part of genre research. Finished The Vampyre recently too! Really I should pick AC up today, I've been working hard on my editing and outlining of my own pieces and neglecting the reading part of the craft for a few weeks >.>;

currently craving: So I'm drinking far less booze to save money whilst I'm out of work trying to get some Proper Writing done. So when I hit a good worthy milestone I'm getting a bottle of whiskey and I am ready.

fav color: Green! Sometimes purple!

relationship status: Maaarriiied to @c-n-i-d-a-r-i-a-n

last google search: I had to double check the spelling of Taakur for the ship section, so it was 'mandoa' :')

and before that I'm pretty use I searched Scryfall last night to go look at MTG cards even though I have no one to play with right now :'D (at least it's saving me money >.>)

current obsessions: Was tempted to add my own work here but I'll tag that on the very end XD

There's a lot of fandoms I don't leave – World of Darkness and Warhammer 40k predominantly as settings I always have another angle I want to see explored in!

I do however have the Magic the Gathering bug, even though I haven't really played in years and years now – but card interaction as a generation for narrative has always kind of captivated me? Like there's a couple big mean Ogre cards that make Rats more dangerous, but due to the way the systems work they also empower the Ratfolk of Kamigawa, the Nezumi, as they count as 'Rat' cards still. So big Ogre spellcasters improving Rat people as part of a contained bit of narrative kind of fascinates me as a concept.

Plus each deck presupposes a Planeswalker character who's casting those spells – and I was always intrigued by that notion and so most of my OCs are representative of decks I played (or wanted to :P) and then in turn each Planeswalker needs a Plane to come from, probably from a still existing culture on that Plane too, and so it can kind of wonderfully reverberate inspiration.

Like how every VTM Kindred OC presupposes a Sire!

BONUS ALEX SECTION

So if you want to get to know me, let me tell you about what writing I'm working on/have made recently.

Out now!

The Mutilation of Finley Reid

A short story of masculine horror, about a young man by the name of Finley who suffers in the pursuit of having his place as a man affirmed by his peers.

The world of Torranham Nights is an anachronistic reflection of England set in the coastal city state of Torranham, drawing from contemporary culture and folklore as well as the legends and reality of the cultures that came before – without being fetishistic about it like a lot of stories will.

Handle It

A short retail horror, about working the cash register of a butcher's counter, and the customer who orders increasing amounts of ground beef...

Inspired by my own work in a same spot, anyone who's done service work should get a kick out of this – plus it's free and only takes 20 minutes to read! XD

On the way!

Defector – name subject to change

A short story of grief, shame, suicidal ideation, alcoholism, and community. On the moon.

A Special Recon mech pilot, “Crash”, from Earth has defected to the Moon rebels, and now lives in Magnolia City, rotting away in her tiny apartment. Then the Provisional Government sends one of its elite commanders, a former enemy of Crash's, to pull her out.

Elhart: Arrival

The first of a short story fantasy anthology about a city of refugees at the edge of time and space, hiding from the end of the multi-planar universe. A super soldier has washed up with a near-fatal headwound and no memory, and she must learn to live in a far more peaceful world than the one her instincts suggest she came from. But who was she? And can she earn the trust of people who fear her potential to kill?

Neon Sun

A novel! Cyberpunk Vampires! If we're mutuals you can come ask about this but I'm not ready to share things too publicly for this one yet, but the outlining has gone beautifully in my opinion, and the worldbuilding is singing.

Speartip

I'm making a TTRPG!! It's a Powered by the Apocalypse engine game, about serving as the primary field agents of a faction of people who need your support and protection. Because if you're going to be a hero, who are you doing it for if not your kin?

Setting agnostic as hell, excluding some implicit need for magic in the class moves – I'm prepping to playtest this in sci-fi and fantasy settings to see how well my mechanics hold up in both swords and firearms based stories. Plus I'm going to explore a variety of perspectives of what the faction can be – from ethnic groups, to gangs, to guilds, to neighbourhoods.

I'm VERY excited about all this!!

[nvrcmplt]

While he hasn't heard or seen anything from the witch, the werewolf has gone unbothered by the lacking presence of the witch. A warm body was not something he lacked, nor urged to lack, so in moments of desperate intimacy Krasimir made sure to fulfill his every need, even without Tyler.

Yes, one could say that the werewolf loved as if there hadn't been a witch basking in his silk sheets, and yet... when the traveling words about a redheaded witch spending time around vampires began to rise, Krasimir found himself clutching firmly around the objects in his hand, pens having broken on several occasions, each time brushed aside with; not his problem, not his witch, not his mate.

And still... with every lurking whispers within the supernatural world, the greedy ruler within his body sought to emerge, rise from its deeper depths and claim what he had seen as his. The idea of some dirty, cold-blooded nocturnal stinking up Tyler's skin with their festering rot casuing the werewolf's blood to boil with raging disgust; Tyler was clean of such inferior beings, he held the stench of his cologne and his marks, his... his... his.

Another pen broke, ink splattering out across the judge's documents.

"Fucking vampires." Krasimir growled under his breath, features twitching in a rage, a possessive tone coating his every word; " ... he thinks they are as good as me?" How dared he. How dared They to think that they could ever measure up to him, even begin the thought of comparing themselves to someone of his caliber? Him? The man who had conquered the moon and the night, slaughtered hundreds and thousands for the throne he once held, him, the emperor of ---

Reaching for his phone, Krasimir grabbed firmly onto it, bringing it to his ear as the sound of ringing went on and on...

He had slaughtered vampires once.

He'd do it again...

(Sorry not sorry I just had to write this AND I REGRET SENDING AN ASK BECAUSE I COULD HAVE WRITTEN A DRABBLE BUT NOW I CANT COPY PASTE IT AWAY AGAIN SO I AM SENDING TO YOU ANYWAY TALA)

Hazy and exhausted, with pleasant aches of dancing tired muscles and raw neck - Tyler was lost to the world of the current hour due to sleeping away his lack of iron and blood flow. It got a little addictive last night, no doubt about that, as he blearily thought on the happenings. Though he barely drank much - it wasn't one of the requirements in a vampire den clubhouse, alcohol made the blood thinner sure, but it also gave it an odd taste, so it was more due to the blood loss that his head was pounding so badly at the moment. Better than a head over, though - any day. Still it wasn't great, he felt like every fibre of the bedsheet was irritating him but it was nothing compared to the constant rumble of his phone on the sidetable and the vibration every three seconds that made his lashes crack open with a grumble. Flailing a lead-heavy arm from under the covers to pat the device out, he grabbed it with little knowledge of who it was calling. Though he knew it was a personal one, since his work phone was downstairs and on voice mail only.

Attention to the phone was a second or two forgotten though as he rolled over with a groan to pathetically rest the phone against the side of his face so he didn't have to hold it to his ear. "Hmm?" Tyler let his lashes close again, the ache of his joints too much for him to think more of a polite greeting to the other end of the device.

"Ty? Dude, you alive?"

"Mmno. Wa'sup?" Tyler felt his head clear out slowly with the panicked tone of his friend that introduced him to the vampire dens. They weren't exclusive, but the after parties were invitation only. The guy was an addict of the bite, from what he could tell. Tyler - though looking for a new thrill to fill the void with his current, he wasn't stupid enough to go without some protection charms to reject the addiction growing in his veins from vampire's venom etc. Still, to hear the relief and worry in Alex's tone held Tyler in confused limbo. "What's going on, Al?" He sat up a bit, hand now raising to his head to hold the device in place, as Alex breathed and huffed before speaking up again.

"Dude, vampires are dying out here. I woke up today to messages going haywire from the den." He started, Tyler guessed he was on his way to work. He was human, after all.

"What the fuck?" Tyler felt his skin tingle, a warning sign if he knew about it. "Shit, dude, are you okay? You safe?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm just a bite addict compared, think I'm low on the list if this was targetted. Dude, it's just terrifying. It's just odd, this den was really secretive this time, dude. Like, lips locked, persuasion sessions for newbies - locked tight." Alex and Tyler being magic blessed and trusted just enough to not be compelled into forgetting locations and the likes….

"But we didn't talk about it with anyone?" He stated with dread. "Fuck, was there someone undercover?" He hissed at that idea, because sure - whilst he wasn't a vampire and was under the radar of supernatural hunters. His face could have easily been spotted at the clubs. "Shit, I'll set up stronger wards, pop over after work and I'll set your place up too, just in case." Alex seemed a little more relaxed with that, knowing the legit magic zones Tyler was capable of, but with work now starting he had to hang up and told Ty to keep in touch and vice versa. Tyler's phone was placed in his lap as he remained in bed, staring into the emptiness of the room for a few minutes. Hands raising to his face to rub sleep aside and brush his hair back as he thought a bit harder. Was there anything off about the last few nights out? He couldn't get anything in his mind to stick out more than usual… Like Alex said, these dens were like fort knox in their security and secrecy.

"Shit man." He sighed out and rubbed his eyes for the nth time before forcing himself to get out of bed with a hiss. Shower first, food and then whatever's next.

By the time, he was making himself an overlord of a breakfast plate of some beef and liver bites with tofu and spinach omelettes. He set up lunch with a chaotic mesh of beans and lentil curry stew, he might add tofu to that later too, but for now, it was a good meal to start with as he sat at his kitchen table and dived into filling his face up. A delicious meal for sure, he was also careful in taking some iron tabs, might as well as go out of his usual to make up for the loss. His body was red in areas from vampire bites he noted in the bathroom - so a touch of healing ointment on those lessened the brightness, he was sure by the end of the day they'd be gone too. Specially on his neck, Christ.

As he was finishing up his meal for the morning and feeling a little more energized, he was in the middle of washing up his plates and frying pan when his phone rang off again. Taking a second to dry his hands and pluck it up, he found himself heating over at the name on the screen. Shit --- he was a whore for this guy. Tyler couldn't deny that about himself, still - they left on a sour note last time.

It was awkward? Did Krasimir even care at this point? Wasn't he just another hole, compatible with his demands? And what delicious commands they were - fuck, don't get sidetracked! The whole reason he drunkenly agreed to Alex's invitation to these dens in the first place. Sighing out and willing his brain to get out of the memory lane of being bent over every surface under those hands, he swiped his thumb over the screen to settle it against his ear.

"Business hours are closed today, Krasimir." Tyler was proud of himself, he couldn't crumble here. He was putting his foot down, no matter how much he wanted to be on his knees for this man. Fuck. "You need something urgent?"

[unknowndeityxx]

Bored of your playlist? Check out mine 🌃

Emulsifying: Portishead Cocteau twins Aphex twin Boards of canada Bonobo Massive Attack-Mezzanine(album) Pretty Lights

NOTchill: SOAD Teen mortgage Ty Segall Prison Affair Bad Nerves Die Spitz The Voidz - Tyranny(album) Fleshwater DITZ

Vampire vibes: Electric Wizard Type O Negative Rob Zombie Bauhaus Nesya

Indie ish: Tv on the radio Den-Mate True Widows (oldest album) The Asteroid Galaxy Tour DIIV

Alex G

Beach House

RAppers: Isaiah Rashad Smino Princess Nokia JID Aesop Rock SiR

Orion Sun

Best of the beats: Imanu SBTRKT Odesza Of the Trees Ivy lab Mersiv Smith. Tabe B Zeds dead Xopowo Chase & Status Nero (old stuff)

Thanks for looking💫

[daikenkki]

Australian Open 2024 - Men's Singles Draw:

Novak Djokovic (1) (SRB) vs Dino Prizmic (Q) (CRO)

Alexei Popyrin (AUS) vs Marc Polmans (WC) (AUS)

Yannick Hanfmann (GER) vs Gael Monfils (FRA)

Andy Murray (GBR) vs Tomas Martin Etcheverry (30) (ARG)

Adrian Mannarino (FRA) vs Stan Wawrinka (SUI)

Alexander Shevchenko vs Jaume Munar (ESP)

Christopher O'Connell (AUS) vs Cristian Garin (CHI)

Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) vs Ben Shelton (16) (USA)

Taylor Fritz (12) (USA) vs Facundo Diaz Acosta (ARG)

Roberto Carballes Baena (ESP) vs Borna Gojo (CRO)

Fabian Marozsan (HUN) vs Marin Cilic (PR) (CRO)

Dane Sweeny (Q) (AUS) vs Francisco Cerundolo (22) (ARG)

Lorenzo Musetti (25) (ITA) vs Benjamin Bonzi (FRA)

James Duckworth (WC) (AUS) vs Luca Van Assche (FRA)

Aleksandar Vukic (AUS) vs Jordan Thompson (AUS)

Matteo Berrettini (ITA) vs Stefanos Tsitsipas (7) (GRE)

Jannik Sinner (4) (ITA) vs Botic Van de Zandschulp (NED)

Jesper De Jong (Q) (NED) vs Pedro Cachin (ARG)

Daniel Elahi Galan (COL) vs Jason Kubler (WC) (AUS)

J.J. Wolf (USA) vs Sebastian Baez (26) (ARG)

Frances Tiafoe (17) (USA) vs Borna Coric (CRO)

Tomas Machac (CZE) vs Shintaro Mochizuki (LL) (JPN)

Alejandro Tabilo (CHI) vs Aleksandar Kovacevic (Q) (USA)

Daniel Altmaier (GER) vs Karen Khachanov (15)

Alex De Minaur (10) (AUS) vs Milos Raonic (PR) (CAN)

Matteo Arnaldi (ITA) vs Adam Walton (WC) (AUS)

Pavel Kotov vs Arthur Rinderknech (FRA)

Flavio Cobolli (Q) (ITA) vs Nicolas Jarry (18) (CHI)

Sebastian Korda (29) (USA) vs Vit Kopriva (Q) (CZE)

Quentin Halys (FRA) vs Lloyd Harris (Q) (RSA)

Christopher Eubanks (USA) vs Taro Daniel (JPN)

Thiago Seyboth Wild (BRA) vs Andrey Rublev (5)

Holger Rune (8) (DEN) vs Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN)

Laslo Djere (SRB) vs Arthur Cazaux (WC) (FRA)

Arthur Fils (FRA) vs Jiri Vesely (PR) (CZE)

Roman Safiullin vs Tallon Griekspoor (28) (NED)

Ugo Humbert (21) (FRA) vs David Goffin (Q) (BEL)

Zhizhen Zhang (CHN) vs Federico Coria (ARG)

Denis Shapovalov (PR) (CAN) vs Jakub Mensik (Q) (CZE)

Omar Jasika (Q) (AUS) vs Hubert Hurkacz (9) (POL)

Grigor Dimitrov (13) (BUL) vs Marton Fucsovics (HUN)

Sebastian Ofner (AUT) vs Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS)

Maximilian Marterer (GER) vs Nuno Borges (POR)

Constant Lestienne (FRA) vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (23) (ESP)

Felix Auger-Aliassime (27) (CAN) vs Dominic Thiem (AUT)

Alexandre Muller (FRA) vs Hugo Grenier (Q) (FRA)

Patrick Kypson (WC) (USA) vs Emil Ruusuvuori (FIN)

Terence Atmane (Q) (FRA) vs Daniil Medvedev (3)

Alexander Zverev (6) (GER) vs Dominik Koepfer (GER)

Soonwoo Kwon (PR) (KOR) vs Lukas Klein (Q) (SVK)

James McCabe (WC) (AUS) vs Alex Michelsen (USA)

Bernabe Zapata Miralles (ESP) vs Jiri Lehecka (32) (CZE)

Cameron Norrie (19) (GBR) vs Juan Pablo Varillas (PER)

Dusan Lajovic (SRB) vs Giulio Zeppieri (Q) (ITA)

Max Purcell (AUS) vs Mate Valkusz (Q) (HUN)

Albert Ramos-Vinolas (ESP) vs Casper Ruud (11) (NOR)

Tommy Paul (14) (USA) vs Gregoire Barrere (FRA)

Marcos Giron (USA) vs Jack Draper (GBR)

Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) vs Yosuke Watanuki (JPN)

Rinky Hijikata (AUS) vs Jan-Lennard Struff (24) (GER)

Alexander Bublik (31) (KAZ) vs Sumit Nagal (Q) (IND)

Mackenzie McDonald (USA) vs Juncheng Shang (WC) (CHN)

Daniel Evans (GBR) vs Lorenzo Sonego (ITA)

Richard Gasquet (FRA) vs Carlos Alcaraz (2) (ESP)

[dammitadolfnomorecake]

Rage Fire Institution

Movement. 12.

“What’s your name? I haven’t seen any pretty girls like you around here before. Are you new? You know, I’m pretty famous around here. You should think yourself lucky you caught my eyes. I’m an alpha… I’m so evolved… uh hu hu. You’re lucky I was walking past. You shouldn’t follow strange alphas anywhere, even the betas and omegas in this place will get you into trouble if they want to. Me and Maki would never use those lines on you”

Bitterness stayed with Maki after the tongue lashing he’d gotten from Andes. Skulking wasn’t quite the right term to use, but Maki wasn’t exactly trailing around a happy aura. Sitting in the cafeteria, Sara sat across from him, Li with her arm around her shoulders as he recounted what had been said, pulling faces to match his feelings over each thing said. Given that Sara had wondered over into uncharted territory, she’d been lucky it was Li who’d found her and pulled her away before she got into real danger. When Sara had asked Li if he knew Maki, Li had messaged him to come to the cafeteria with no other explanation.

Across from him Sara nodded quickly, her expression downcast. For a science type she’s probably never experienced being sleazed on before, and while Li was dating Yon, Maki understood why his best friend had his arm around the small woman

“I’m sorry. Thank you very much for saving me. They call pilots thugs and I can see why”

Li beamed at Sara, who blushed slightly under his gaze

“Not all of us. Not me and not him. We’re different. I helped you find him, so why not tell us what this is about”

Reminder her of her original goal snapped Sara back to the present completely

“Right. Sorry. Yes. Tatsumi is back. Did you know? He’ll come to the lab today… Flo said you should be there, but Alex said you wouldn’t come. I made so much trouble… you’re not mad, are you?”

It wasn’t Sara’s fault she was too blind to the institution’s bad side to know she’d stepped into a den of vipers, yet she also could have simply messaged him and saved both their time

“I’m not mad at you personally. Why didn’t you message?”

“Because I was curious about the pilot course. I didn’t know you had different hours to us. You’ll… you’ll be our pilot, right?”

Li cocked his head, Sara landing Maki right in the shit with his best friend. He couldn’t hide it any longer

“I’m helping some research students in return for those suits. Sara here is one of the students. What’s Alex got against me?”

“Um… he… um… well…”

Sara blushed hard. Maki groaning. He wasn’t one to brag, but he knew what had happened

“It’s an alpha thing. Don’t worry, I won’t tell him what you told me. Yeah, I can make it. What time?”

Sara’s expression brightened, nodding as she answered

“6ish. We’re all going to bring snacks, you know, because Tatsumi is back”

“Wait. Hold up. You’re best friends with the Professor?”

Frankly Maki was amazed Li had gone so long without butting in. His best friend had plenty of time to demand answers before poor Sara was stuck explaining. Sara didn’t know him, so didn’t know he liked to always stick his nose in. Politely, she nodded again

“He advises our study group. We were all surprised that he’s back. He never tells us anything so it must have been that time of the year again for him”

“Wait… wait… wait. You’re friends with the Professor? And what do you mean time of the year?”

Sara looked to the floor, Maki kicking Li’s shin under the table for embarrassing her

“She means his mating time. Don’t go embarrassing her with talk like that. Though it would explain why he dropped contact”

Sara nodded

“He doesn’t like to talk about anything personal. Oh, but Dan might know more if I asked”

“You don’t need to ask. If that’s what it was, that’s what it was. Now it’s organised, we’ll walk you back over. I’m sorry about my friend here, you wouldn’t believe it, but he’s actually a good guy”

Li pulled a face, Sara giggling

“If I hadn’t talked to him I wouldn’t. I was nearly as scared by his green hair as I was those pilots”

Li puffed his chest out, shoving Sara away playfully

“Excuse me. Next time I’ll leave you to those alphas”

Still giggling, Sara now seemed to be flirting with Li. Maki had no idea how the female mind worked

“Please don’t. I’m sorry, I’m not used to hair so green”

Right. No more flirting on his watch. Sara was too soft and gentle for a man like Li… and Li was more than likely to be oblivious to blatant flirting. It was better for the both of them if Maki set things straight from the get go

“Li’s girlfriend Yon chose the colour for him. You should take your complaints to her”

Sara regained her composure, Li smiling when it came to Yon, his tone proud

“I can introduce you two if you’d like. She’s amazing”

Poor Sara. Maki feeling sympathetic towards her because Li was an idiot. Sara had understood his strong hint, Li, on the other hand, took it to mean it was time to brag about Yon. People were hard and Maki was done with both of them. Pushing back his seat, he adjusted his backpack as he looked down at Sara

“Yes, well, I’ll walk Sara back then. You should get to class before your grades get dropped further”

Li pulled a face at him

“That’s why no one wants to be your friend. You always say the things no one wants to hear. It was nice meeting you, Sara. You tell me if Maki ever makes you cry, I’ll hit him”

Thankfully, Sara politely took the out

“I will, thank you very much”

***

“Tatsumi, why do Maki and Kang Li call you “The Professor”?

Nursing a headache, and cramps that felt like molten fire in his stomach, Tatsumi could only politely smile at Sara’s question, instead of sighing at the unwanted attention. Skylark was still suspicious over Maki’s good behaviour, so he’d dropped by the lab to let the research students know he was back. Somehow that had turned into a small party that he wasn’t in the mood for. Maki had told Sara he was going to attend, yet hadn’t shown his face. Being a Thursday made it more likely the alpha had snuck out, rather than be social with people his own age. Being the oldest of the group meant he had to be the most mature, even when he felt physically ill and craved his own bed

“Because I’m older than both of them. It’s become a bit of a joke”

Sara nodded. The small woman reminded him of a mouse. Timid and prone to taking small bites, but ready to eat her own family members to get ahead in her research. Like Maki, she was a prime example of not judging a book by the cover

“Maki walked me back today. He didn’t seem to want to talk about you”

“That’s fine. I’m only taking one class with him”

“But why take a class with him at all? Pilots have different classes to us researchers”

“I know. When you’re older, you’ll understand. Besides, the teacher is very thoughtful and thorough with her students. It’s a good class to help broaden the mind”

Sara didn’t have an immediate comeback. In her world, he was sure that she felt the pilot classes lacking. Yet for someone who desperately missed the feeling of a mech, it was a small oasis. Once she faced the real world, she’d see how limiting things could be, until then, he could only guide her so much. Finally giving a shake of her head, Sara went on

“I don’t see how”

“That’s because we don’t have the same life experiences”

“So you’d say you’re closer to Maki and Li than you are to us?”

“In some ways, yes. I’m formally trained as a military pilot. I have front line mech knowledge”

Sara gave a huff

“Those pilots have no manners. I don’t think you’re much like them”

“Then we’ll have to agree to disagree. Dan, show me the specs on the barrier manipulation you’ve done”

Mentally, Tatsumi sent an apology to Dan, yet he really didn’t have the patience he should have. Not when it came to pilots. Not when it came to the thought of all the brothers and sisters he’d lost in the front lines.

The timing couldn’t have been more perfect as Dan handed over his data pad the door to the room opened. Both Li and Maki standing in the doorway. It was practically tattooed over Maki’s face that Li had invited himself along and the fellow alpha couldn’t tell him no. Blinking at him half a dozen times, Li pointed straight at Tatsumi

“You bastard, you totally left us hanging”

Maki elbowed Li, slipping past him and into the chaos of the party, casually throwing out

“Ignore him, he’s mad because he was worried you’d been in some kind of horrific accident. But he’s right you know, an explanation would have been nice. You know our project is due and you’re doing nothing”

Despite his mood, Tatsumi’s lips turned upwards. Bluntness was refreshing, as was seeing Maki not beating someone black and blue on a Thursday night… though, technically there was still plenty of time for that to happen

“I’m sorry, I was completely unavailable that first week. Doctor Poaw shared the suit information and I’ve read your assessments”

Instead of Maki shrugging him off, the alpha frowned at him. Tatsumi knew he’d let both of his teammates down, yet there were things that couldn’t be avoided and he’d had to prioritise getting into a sleeping pod as soon as possible

“Professor, can I have a word with you outside?”

Maki’s question wasn’t how things usually went. Normally he was the one talking and Maki was the one in the mood not to talk. Placing down Dan’s data pad, Tatsumi nodded

“Sorry, everyone. We’ll be back in a moment. Li, come in and make yourself at home. Everyone, this is Kang Li. He’s a fellow pilot in Maki’s grade”

Leaving the lab room, Tatsumi felt amused to be the one trailing after Maki. The alpha waiting until the door closed before turning to face him

“You’re still sick, aren’t you? What are you doing back if you’re sick? You should be home resting”

Tatsumi blinked. That really wasn’t what he expected. He expected Maki to be mad, not to take one look at him and diagnose him on the spot

“It’s fine”

“It’s not fine. You’re pale and you’re sweaty. If your… if you… Argh! If your time of year takes it out of you this much then you should have stayed home. No one wants to see you sick and snivelling more than usual”

Throwing his hands up as he spoke, Tatsumi’s humour over the situation turned to concern for the alpha in front of him

“Maki, are you okay?”

“Am I okay? Are you okay? We were pissed as hell, with no word from you. You left us hanging on our project and you couldn’t even be bothered to explain yourself to us, no, Sara had to do that. Fuck, don’t you have a rutting partner or some shit? Fuck it, you’re not going back in there. You need some goddamn rest. Looking at you pisses me off”

Maki wasn’t alright. To him Tatsumi was the obedient babysitter who’d never seen said babysitter as an actual human. He wasn’t supposed to be ill

“It’s fine. I’m honestly fine. Physical pain is not unexpected after all, so you don’t need to be this worked up. I really am sincerely sorry that my absence has caused this many issues”

“Whatever. Just… I can’t work you out at all. Why did you do any of this? Why bring me here? Why stick your nose in? What do you think I am? I don’t need more friends and now I’m making time for this too? What’s going on here? I don’t understand you showing up when you’re clearly sick and I don’t get why playing games isn’t beneath you. If you’re sick just go home. Why be stubborn?”

Tatsumi didn’t think Maki would care to this degree. He also didn’t think Maki making new friends in the field his heart longed for was a bad thing

“I thought you’d be a good fit”

“A good fit? Sara came to find me today and nearly got herself in trouble. Apparently Alex has some alpha thing against me. Li wouldn’t listen and rack off. Now you’re sick. I don’t want to deal with this. Whatever happened in your life happened to you, don’t put your shit on me and don’t make Li worry about you that way again”

Ah. Tatsumi already knew that despite appearances Maki was fiercely loyal to his friends. The added pressures of new friends in an environment he didn’t know, the possibility of a new friend being hurt on campus, Li’s worrying, and his lack of adequate explanation had gotten under the young alpha’s skin. Maki was also most probably feeling embarrassed by the way his concerns were brushed off. He’d treated him too much like a child when he wanted to be treated as the fully grown man he was. Tatsumi picking his words more carefully

“You’re right, I do feel ill. It’s nothing that won’t pass with more rest, yet you cannot blame me for feeling cooped up. I do miss my fellow students too, and do think of you all when I’m absent. Thank you for your worries, but a little thing like this isn’t enough to kill me off. I know easily people die. It can be frightful and confusing when you don’t know the full story. As for that time of year, it can be unpredictable. You know part of the story, but I can’t take measures as easily as some. Did you want to fill me on the project before we return inside?”

Maki groaned at him, before stepping backwards until his back hit the wall. The alpha looking even younger as he covered his face with his hands

“Not really. I’m still pissed at you. I feel like too many things are happening and they’re happening all at once”

“I can tell you’re mad. I don’t think anyone has sworn at me in this way in some time”

“I’m sorry”

“Don’t be. It reminds me of the past. How was your piloting with your new suit?”

Maki removed his hands from his face

“How the… no, you read the data. Did you talk to Skylark on our behalf?”

“A little. I gave him the heads up that you’d probably need to approach him as I’d be unavailable”

“You need to stop. I don’t want preferential treatment like this. I just want to pilot under my own merit. It’s humiliating hearing how you’ve gone around talking about me behind my back. Everyone in there already knew who I was. I’m not a child”

“I know”

“Then why do you have to act this way? Why me?”

Maki was being honest with him, so it was only fair that Tatsumi was also honest… to a degree

“Honestly, if I told you, you wouldn’t believe it”

“Try me. Some fucking honestly would be nice”

“Skylark recruited me. He was also my teacher when I was younger. It’s not as easy as society would have you believe to simply come back to life after the military”

The young alpha’s eyes went wide

“So this whole time you’ve been best friends with him, acting as if you sympathised with me…”

“Not entirely…”

“No, that’s what you said!”

“It’s not that way. He… honestly, he sees potential in you. And he sees the hostility around you”

“So you and he cooked up a plan to keep the unwanted student under control?”

“No. And yes. It’s more complicated than that…”

“I quit. I’m the one in charge of my own life, not you. Not him. I’m not some puppet for you guys to make dance and laugh at”

Maki had the wrong idea, Tatsumi reaching for him, he wanted Maki to calm down and listen. His hand slapped away before he could touch the alpha

“You’re smart…”

“No. No. I’m done. I’ll come to the research club and I’ll finish this project with you, after that, I’m done. Just because you couldn’t hack it as a pilot doesn’t mean you can force yourself on me”

“Maki, wait…”

“It’s Sato to you, Hikaru-san”

Deciding the conversation done, Maki pushed himself off the wall before moving around Tatsumi to the door button on the wall. Tatsumi knew the man would be mad, yet he’d had no chance to explain things thoroughly. For some reason, mostly the remaining hormones in his system, he felt defeated and humiliated

“Let the others know I had to go. Take care of yourself. I’ll see you in class”

[aion-rsa]

Breeders: the Season 2 Finale Confronts a Painful Parenting Truth

https://ift.tt/3eT2M7N

Warning: contains spoilers for the Breeders season two finale.

Philip Larkin put it memorably, but there’s no need to take his word for it. We all know that characterful noses aren’t the only things carried down the generations. There are also the traits that no parent means to pass on: insecurities and neuroses absorbed in daily doses from age zero to left-home, that leach out involuntarily to our own kids when the time comes. For Martin Freeman’s character Paul in FX/Sky One comedy Breeders, it’s his anger and anxiety, inherited by son Luke (Alex Eastwood), and threatening to break their relationship. 

The Breeders season two cliffhanger sees Paul voluntarily move out of the family home because Luke refuses to live with him. Partner Ally (Daisy Haggard) doesn’t want Paul to go, daughter Ava (Eve Prenelle) doesn’t want him to go, and Paul definitely doesn’t want to go, but it’s the only answer. From a generation better armed with the vocabulary to express feelings than their parents ever were, Luke has identified that his sadness and anxiety peak in proximity to his dad’s rage. He can’t live with him and be happy, but is too young to move out, so Paul’s the one to go. 

It’s an emotionally bruising ending to a truly affecting series, not least for the bedtime phone call Paul takes from Ava telling him that she misses and loves him. (A comedy ringing with honest emotion but allergic to mawkishness, Breeders doesn’t end on the call from Ava, but undercuts the seriousness by having the excellent Alun Armstrong as Paul’s dad swear at the broken toilet flush in their cramped flat.) What’s most bruising is that the ending confronts the little-acknowledged truth about parenting that love is far from all you need. 

Paul loves Luke, and knows that Luke struggles with loneliness and anxiety, but that doesn’t stop him from becoming enraged by his son and saying things that make their relationship worse. Season two’s penultimate episode led to a dramatic climax when Luke – now 13 after a six-year time jump between seasons – punched Paul in the face. After Luke broke the rules of his punishment by chatting with his friend online, Paul verbally exploded and Luke ran away. When they reunited, instead of having the heart-to-heart that most dramas and pretty much all comedies other than this one would have written for them, they fought. 

Read more

TV

Breeders Episodes 1 and 2 Review

By Louisa Mellor

TV

New British Comedy TV Series for 2021: BBC, Channel 4, Sky, Netflix, ITV

By Louisa Mellor

The two-part season finale written by showrunner Simon Blackwell and directed by Ollie Parsons, is titled ‘No Power’. That’s both in reference to the electricity shortage that precedes Paul and Luke’s clash, but also presumably because of Paul’s powerlessness to change either his or Luke’s behaviour. He rages and Luke flinches, then lies to dodge another verbal bashing. When Luke’s lie is discovered, the cycle starts again. The two characters uneasily circle the family planet on separate orbits, unsure of how to get back on a shared path. Briefly, they come together over a shared love of two-tone music and fashion, but just as quickly drift back to opposite sides.

The sad truth of it is summed up by Paul’s mum Jackie (the brilliantly funny Joanna Bacon), who tells Paul that he and Luke are very similar. She’s absolutely right. Piece together what the series has told us about Paul as a teenager, and there’s a real overlap. An overwhelmed Luke spends his free time alone at the boating lake; Paul spent his weekends alone at the local park taking photographs of birds. Luke is on medication for anxiety; Paul was on beta-blockers during his A-levels. 

Paul wants his son to be like him in his music and fashion tastes, but refuses to accept the parts of Luke that remind him of what he sees as his own failures – his lack of friends in comparison to the outgoing, popular Ally, and his inability to control his moods. Paul also fails to see his own hypocrisy for berating Luke for planning to buy weed with a mate, when just an episode earlier, Paul and his friend were taking coke at a gig. That all of this emotional truth can play out alongside a running stream of great one-liners is testament to the strength of the writing and of the cast, led by Freeman and Haggard, who are totally bilingual when it comes to comedy and drama.

It’s a painful finale that leaves a season of comedy on bravely uncomfortable ground, but there may yet be hope for the split family in a potential third season (being planned for but not yet officially announced). After the bloody nose incident, Luke moves in with Ally’s mother Leah (Stella Gonet) and helps her new husband Alex (Hugh Quarshie) to refurbish a vintage car. “The thing about an engine is,” he tells Luke, “if you take it apart, and then put it back together again in the right way, carefully, precisely, it’s guaranteed to work.” 

A family isn’t as predictable as a car engine, but perhaps Alex’s words are intended as reassurance to viewers that after being taken apart, as long as Paul and Luke are put back together in the right way, carefully, precisely, there’s every chance they could work again.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Breeders airs on FX in the US. Season two starts on Sky One and NOW on Thursday the 27th of May in the UK.

The post Breeders: the Season 2 Finale Confronts a Painful Parenting Truth appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3yjWWUL

[anathtsurugi]

The Colder the Winter, the Warmer the Spring - New Chapter Teaser

‘I’ve Loved You Since Forever’ is an actual picture book. I just thought it was adorable and I wanted to see these two lovely idiots read it to their baby girl. I just composed a Star Wars version for the scene. Enjoy!

 As Zeb had guessed, they'd wound up with nearly a crate-full of flowers once word got around Base One that their little kit's first birthday had rolled by without them knowing. That and just what the Lasat birthday tradition entailed. The nice thing about Yavin IV was that there was no shortage of plant life to choose from, so the variety of flowers Ari received was beautiful.

 Sabine and Ezra managed to weave her a proper flower crown, which delighted the baby girl to no end. She had also received a steady stream of rough, but lovingly made gifts, little toys crafted from whatever might be scrounged up from the base or the jungle, nearly every single soldier in the cell eager for nothing more than a smile from the little one.

 From among the sweets Kanan and the others had managed to trade for, Ari also had her first taste of Christophsian sugar and Felucian swirlfudge, leaving her hyper as an overcharged MSE droid while the other rebels enjoyed the impromptu celebration of her birth.

 It was later in the evening than any of them wanted to admit by the time the party properly wound down. Zeb was left watching Alex cuddle a fussy Arkalia while everyone else insisted on cleaning up the Ghost. The kit was obviously exhausted, but plainly of a mind that she was not going to sleep yet.

 "Ah, Lia...ni Lia," his mate soothed the kit as he paced the common room with her in his arms. "I don't know what you want from me, dear heart. I've given you every song I know."

 "Hey, how about we give this a try," Zeb suggested with a snap, remembering something in the pile of presents on the table. Digging briefly, he came up with a little holoprojector.

 "That was...the one from Mon Mothma?" Alex tried to remember, coming to sit beside him.

 "Yeah," Zeb said as he set the small device up on the table, remembering the older woman's distant smile as she'd passed the little thing into his hands.

 "It's been in my family for a long time. An old holobook. I knew from a fairly young age there would be no next generation for me to pass it on to, but it has given me comfort in these dark days. I believe it is time for it to bring joy to another child, so I'm giving it to your little girl," the chancellor explained, her expression solemn, but warm.

 "This thing's old, so she said we'd have to do the readin' ourselves, but I don't mind that," he continued, smiling at his grumpy daughter as he leaned over to tickle her foot.

 "Nor do I," Alex agreed as the first image flickered to life above the projector – a view of a beautifully illustrated night sky bursting with stars, as if viewed while lying down on the grass and peering up through trees. As the words to accompany the image shimmered into being within it, he read them aloud. "I've loved you since forever."

 Once he'd read the words, the image shifted. The new holo was of a rainbow in a fresh blue sky, with a light dove and her baby winging through the air, the shine of their underplumage catching the light.

 "Before light doves flew over rainbows," Alex read as the words appeared, and Zeb saw the kit steal a glance at the holo, almost in spite of herself.

 With Alex's words, the holo began its next transformation. This time into a forest with a group of Kowakian monkey-lizards hanging in the branches. And at the center of the group was featured yet another parent and child.

 "And monkey-lizards swung on trees," Alex continued to read, pointing at the holo, drawing an indignant trill from the baby.

 When the image transformed again, it was into something much like the first – a holo of the night sky. Only this time two very bright stars stood out from all the rest.

 "There was you, and there was me," his mate read, kissing one of Kali's twitching ears. The kit batted at him before pointing back at the shifting image.

 The new holo was of a family of loth cats cuddled up together in an underground den. Arkalia cooed curiously when she saw it, though her eyes were starting to blink sleepily.

 "Before the suns rose in the skies," Alex narrated over the next change, a holo of several yellow and grey hreran bees buzzing their way over a field of flowers. The tiny princess reached out a paw to try and batt at the image, only a little confused when her fingers simply passed through it. "And honey came from hreran bees."

 The latest line led to yet another holo of the night sky. Only this time, the two stars had shifted a little closer.

 "There was you, and there was me," Alex almost seemed to sing, cuddling the baby even closer against him. Kali gave a wide yawn and a tired smile. The holo was soon swirling into its next set, an image of a convor and her chick tucked up safe in a nest.

 "I've loved you since forever, before the moons lit up the night."

 The image this latest line drew in was a holo of a herd of bantha roaming across a desert. At the edge of the holo was a tiny baby bantha following along after its mother.

 "And banthas wandered free."

 Once again, the image of the night sky swirled into being, the two stars much closer than before.

 "There was you, and there was me," Alex whispered in Kali's ear. Struggling to stay awake, she nearly missed the new image.

 This one was a holo of a loth wolf and its pup dashing across the grasslands of Lothal. When Zeb heard a quiet gasp of recognition, he glanced over to see Sabine and Ezra off in one of the connecting corridors.

 "Before loth wolves ran together," Alex continued to read, narrating another beautiful transformation into a nightscape. Only this was a night sky overlooking a gently lapping ocean as a shower of falling stars fell from overhead.

 "And stardust reached the sea."

 One more time, the holo shifted into the initial view of the night sky. Only now the two stars were right beside each other.

 "There was you, and there was me, waiting for the day our stars would cross...and you and I turned into we."

 Alex's voice trembled mildly at the last when he pressed a kiss to the top of Kali's head, but she wasn't aware of any of it. The little kit had finally fallen fast asleep.

 When his mate looked up at him, his lovely amber eyes were bright with a sheen of unshed tears.

 "I love you," he said softly, amazed. "I love you both...so dearly."

 "Gal L'ashkerrir an," Zeb returned, feeling the emotion he saw mirrored in those human eyes well up in his own heart. He didn't know if Alex was entirely aware that they weren't as alone as all that, but he couldn't bring himself to care all that much one way or the other. In this moment, he had his family. He was surrounded by the family who had accepted him after the loss of his world, and he had the man he loved more than life itself in his arms, with their daughter cradled perfectly between them. Whatever happened, he didn't think he could be any happier than he was in this moment.

 So he drew Alex to him and kissed him soundly, breathing in the contented sigh from his lips as he held him, both of them careful of the kit between them. But despite being so lost in the moment and in each other, they were both well aware when Kanan and Hera re-entered the room.

 "You know what? Why don't Kanan and I take Lia for tonight. You two haven't had any time to yourselves since the others have been gone," she said, a knowing look in her eyes as she easily lifted the slumbering kit from Alex's arms.

 "But- Kanan's only just got back," Alex tried to argue, though he didn't fight too hard to keep ahold of Arkalia.

 "We'll have time. But you two haven't even had your wedding night yet. You should take the time to enjoy each other. Trust me, Kanan and I have enjoyed each other plenty," she assured them as she gently laid the baby against her breast.

 Zeb shared a look with his mate at this. The human smiled helplessly for a moment before shrugging.

 "Well...I suppose we haven't truly been together since I was quit of the Empire."

 "It's true," he returned, pulling the man in for another kiss.

 "Though we assume that's going to be happening in your bunk," Sabine called out rather pointedly.

 "Mm," Alex agreed when he pulled back from him, a vaguely dazzled smile now on his face. "Suppose we can't be scarring the children."

 "Eh, kids can take more than you think," Kanan teased as he came up behind Hera.

 "Kanan," the Twi'lek scolded him mildly, accompanied by noises of disgust from the younger two Spectres.

-

So whatcha think? A good start to the fluff chapter?

The full chapter is available right now on my Patreon, so if you don’t think you can wait until next friday, go check it out. But we’ll be getting back to regular TCTW in just a week. Hope this suffices in the meantime. :D

[mittensmorgul]

This Must Be The Place

timestamp for  Lifetime Piling Up, 7 years later, but works as a standalone.

(2440 words, T, all the fluffs)

Read it on AO3

It’s the sort of day that leaves Cas desperate for some reminder that life isn’t all trauma and tragedy. He’s finished his shift at the hospital, where one of his patients lived and the other didn’t. It’s the reality of his life as a trauma surgeon, and he’s long ago accepted the fact he’s not God, that he can’t save everyone. It doesn’t stop him from trying.

He’s too worn out from five hours of surgery and a heart-wrenching talk with a man’s grieving family members to bother changing his clothes. Cas ditches his pristine white lab coat and slams the door of his locker. There was something he could do to turn the day around. Something impulsive, but something he’d also been planning for a long time; saving it up for the perfect moment.

Something life-affirming.

Cas pulls on his coat, the lapel catching on the hospital identification clipped to the pocket of his scrub shirt, and walks purposefully out the emergency room door. He waves to Alex the charge nurse at the desk and to a few other people who notice him leaving, but after the day he’s had nobody tries to hold him up when he looks so determined to leave. He’s grateful for that small mercy.

It’s raining as he pulls his car out of the parking garage and drives on autopilot. He sees the shop every day on his way to work and every night as he drives back home. Tonight he lucks out. There’s an empty parking spot right in front of the door, like it was meant to be. He pulls in without a second thought and shuts the engine off. He sits there for a minute, his head resting back against the seat as he basks in the welcoming glow of the blue and yellow neon sign in the window, the light streaked and shattered through the raindrops rolling down his windshield. It’s raining even harder now, and Cas just smiles to himself. It feels right. Everything feels right for once that day.

He pats down his pockets to be sure he has everything-- phone, keys, wallet-- and then readies himself for a mad sprint across the sidewalk through sheets of rain to the shelter of the shop’s awning. The familiar neon-lit window looks so different up close than it does when he’s driving past. The glowing Winchester Tattoo logo is clearly visible from the road, but the dozens of drawings that frame the sign and almost completely obscure the view into the shop from the sidewalk are another story entirely. On closer examination, each of them is easily worth a thousand words.

Cas thinks to himself that if the weather were being more cooperative he could spend hours giving every last drawing the attention it deserves. Then again, he also knows he’d only be delaying the inevitable. He’d talked himself into this months ago, and then waited so long for this moment. He wasn’t about to talk himself out of it now. This was definitely what he wanted, so why would the thought of actually going through with it fill him with dread?

He’s a surgeon, dammit. He has no trouble helping others deal with physical pain, but this is something potentially far more terrifying than that. This would be forever.

Cas closes his eyes, heaves in a fortifying lungful of cold, humid air and then opens the door. He’s greeted with a warm, inviting roil of heat and light and sound. The tinkling of a dozen tiny bells hanging above the door provides an uncanny counterpoint to Led Zeppelin playing on the stereo, several quiet conversations and the intermittent buzzing of a tattoo gun. It’s the strangest combination of things to inspire a feeling of ease and contentment, but as he looks around the warmly lit shop and acknowledges its occupants Cas can’t help feeling an inviting sense of home .

The man behind the front counter hunches over a sketch as a customer describes the artwork he’s commissioning, pointing out a detail that the artist erases and then redraws to the customer’s satisfaction. The artist sets his pencil down and continues to study his work, standing up straight and clasping his hands behind his back as he arches into a stretch. The sleeves of his incongruous white lab coat ride up revealing strong arms covered in vibrant tattoos, heaven and hell, light and darkness, somehow both perfectly at home together as if he carried a piece of each extreme in either hand. Cas can’t help the quiet laugh at the sight, how similar the coat is to the one he’d left at the hospital, and yet how startlingly different this one appears in context draped over the shoulders of this beautiful man who looks more like a punk rocker with his faded Metallica t-shirt and ink-stained fingers than a medical professional.

Where his coat is embroidered Dr. Castiel Novak above the pocket, the artist has chosen to create his own name tag in a swirling riot of color. The name Dean is written in a bold script across a hand-drawn banner surrounded by bird wings and wildflowers. Cas wonders what his colleagues would think if he showed up at the hospital with a similar badge, and laughs a bit louder.

He finally garners a glance from Dean, who gives him a little nod and a wink to let him know he’ll be with him shortly. Cas nods back and then distracts himself by observing the shop’s other occupants. One artist, a young blonde woman, is entirely focused on her work while the man in her chair whimpers through the pain of a shoulder tattoo. Another older artist meticulously sets up her station for one of the customers waiting on the sofa off to Cas’s left. The three girls look barely old enough to be getting tattooed at all, yet they eagerly flip through the photo albums labeled with each of the artist’s names-- Claire, Jody, Donna, and of course Dean-- commenting on the pictures as they wonder in equal measure at how good they look and how much each one must’ve hurt. He’s entirely bemused by the girls when he hears Dean finishing up with his client.

“So if you’re good with that, I can fit you in next Tuesday at four,” Dean says to the man, who nods and hands over fifty bucks as a deposit.

“Sounds good to me,” the man says. “Been wanting to get that done for years.”

Dean puts the money in the cash drawer and prints out a receipt that doubles as an appointment reminder while Cas sidles up to get a closer look at the artwork. It’s two birds in flight, circling around each other, that he recognizes as arctic terns. Cas glances up at the man, who catches him looking but only smiles back at him.

“For me and my wife,” he says. “Arctic terns mate for life, but they’ve got the longest migration of any birds in the world. Their entire lives are one endless road trip together. Well, in a manner of speaking.” The man laughs.

Cas glances at Dean to see him smiling curiously at him, as if he’s waiting to see what Cas has to say on the subject-- of tattoos or arctic terns or gruff old men deciding that’s how they want to commemorate the love of their life.

“Congratulations on finally going through with the tattoo, and for having someone you cherish to share your life with. It’s a beautiful piece.”

Dean’s smile brightens for a moment at Cas’s reply, his green eyes filling with a captivating mirth.

“So,” Dean says, leaning in and making a show of reading the identification badge still clipped to Cas’s shirt, “Dr. Novak, what brings a classy, upstanding doctor like you into my humble little den of iniquity tonight? Just getting out of the rain for a minute, or are you thinking about getting a tattoo?”

The customer belts out a startling laugh, but Cas pays him no mind.

“I noticed you’re still open, and I’ve had an idea for a tattoo for a while now. Would you prefer I schedule an appointment, or are you free right now?”

Dean looks him up and down and grins. “For you? I think I can spare a couplea minutes. What are you thinking?”

The girls on the sofa giggle at the unfolding drama, whispering to each other behind their hands. Mr. Arctic Terns says what the girls are either too polite or too shy to say aloud.

“Ooh, are you sure about that? You’re a doctor, you must know it hurts, and how painful the laser is for folks who regret their ink later.”

Cas smiles mildly at the man and slides off his coat, laying it on the counter beside Dean’s sketchpad. “Yes, I’m fully aware.” He continues stripping off his scrub top, the ID badge clinking against the glass countertop as he sets it down as well, leaving him in a heather grey long-sleeved henley that clings to the defined muscles of his shoulders, back and arms. Dean raises an eyebrow but doesn’t otherwise object to the strip tease.

The other customer nods seriously as Dean folds his arms across his chest and bites his lip to keep from laughing aloud. Cas appreciates it, as well as the mischievous glint in Dean’s eyes.

“I’m just saying, medicine doesn’t seem like a profession that looks kindly on tattoos.” He turns to Dean. “No offense to your profession, but I ain’t never seen a doctor with ink.”

Cas just sighs and casts a wistful look at Dean, who shrugs and waits to see what he’ll do next. Jody’s finished setting up her station but she stands back beside Claire, whose tattoo gun has gone quiet as they both watch and wait to see what will happen next. Even the three giggling girls are practically holding their breath at this unusual series of events. Cas barely even registers their presence as he reaches down and tugs up the hem of his henley, then whips it over his head.

“I dare say you’ve seen at least one tattooed surgeon,” Cas says, never taking his eyes from Dean and only peripherally registering the little gasps from the three girls at the unveiling. Not only is Cas a physical work of art himself, his skin is all but covered in glorious illustration.

“Well then,” Arctic Tern Guy says, scratching his head and then moving toward the door with a little chuckle. “Guess you learn something new every day. I’ll see you Tuesday, Dean,” he says, and then the bells tinkle and a gust of cold wind sends a shiver across Cas’s exposed back before the door shuts again behind him.

Cas’s shoulders settle again like a bird folding his wings, which is the visual illusion he gives with the broad set of wings tattooed across his shoulder blades and down his arms past his elbows. Above the wings and up to the base of his neck is an expanse of outer space, the black punctuated by bright stars and a glowing pink and purple depiction of the Heart Nebula, the greenish streak of a comet piercing it like an arrow. Below his wings blooms a garden of vines and wildflowers populated by a dozen or more frolicking bees. Heavens and Earth.

Through the entire show, Dean and Cas just smile at each other until Dean finally cracks. “Guess you told him, sunshine.”

Cas just shrugs and-- to the three girls’ dismay-- begins dressing again. “It always disappoints me when people assume that the appearance of someone’s skin has any bearing on their competence or their professionalism.”

“You’re a regular crusader,” Dean adds, also looking a little disappointed that Cas put his shirt back on. “So did you just stop in to fight social injustice?”

Cas steps up close to the counter, reaching into the back pocket of his dark blue scrub pants and shaking his head. “No, I really am interested in another tattoo, and I believe you’re the only person I’d trust with it.”

Dean’s smile returns. “Well I hope I’m worthy of that kinda faith.”

Cas nods, slowly edging his way around the end of the counter until he’s practically toe to toe with Dean. “You’ve proven that to me over and over again, every day for the last seven years. I hope I’m worthy in return.” He drops down onto one knee and holds out his hand, a simple gold ring in his outstretched palm. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I don’t ever want to imagine a day without you in it. I love you, Dean. Will you marry me?”

Dean stares down at him for a second, and that terror that had held Cas back from asking sooner begins to creep up inside him. The pain of a tattoo needle’s got absolutely nothing on this. But Dean blinks and then pulls Cas to his feet, grabbing him up in a tight hug and planting an awkwardly sloppy and slightly frantic kiss on him as Dean tells him yes over and over again.

“Hot damn,” Claire’s client says and the rest of the shop erupts in a chorus of delighted awws.

Relief and joy flood through Cas, washing away his entirely baseless fear and making room for the certainty that Dean will always be his. Jody and Claire offer them fond congratulations, as do the three girls, before Jody brings one of them back to her station and she and Claire both get back to work.

“That was unexpected,” Dean says the minute everyone’s attention moves on from them, and admiring the way the ring looks on his hand before pulling Cas in for another kiss. “How long you been planning that one?”

Cas shrugs. “A long time. Years, maybe. On some level, probably since the first time I walked into your shop.”

Dean nods, too overcome to even tease him. He clears his throat and leans against the counter, pulling Cas close. “So did you really have another tattoo in mind? Or was that just an excuse to come see me at work?”

“I gave you a ring, and I was hoping you’d be willing to give me one too.”

It’s a ring he’ll never be able to remove, and one he’d never want to. When Dean’s finished inking it into his skin, he removes his gold band and teaches Cas how to give his very first tattoo. It’s the sort of day that’s marked indelibly in their skin, and all the way down to their souls.

(thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it and haven’t read Lifetime Piling Up, here’s a link to the whole series: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1559668)

[skyfirewolf]

Laurens Interlude: Hamilwolf version

I may not live to see our glory… “Alexander, there’s a letter for you from South Carolina.” But I will gladly join the fight. Alexander raised his head at the sound of Eliza’s soft voice, taking care not to disturb Philip. His son had fallen asleep pressed against Alexander’s side, his muzzle buried in his father’s fur. Looking back up at his mate, Alexander noticed a sheet of paper in her jaws and felt his pelt grow warm with a soft happiness.  “It’s from John Laurens, I’ll read it later.” He murmured, lowering his head onto his paws and closing his eyes. “No, it’s not.” And when our children tell our story... Alexander’s eyes immediately flew open and he jerked his head up. Eliza’s voice had been dark with fear, and Alexander stiffened and rose slowly to his paws, refusing to feel the dread that was already spreading through him. “Will you read it?” They’ll tell the story of… tonight. Eliza nodded. Setting the letter down in front of her, she began to read. "On Tuesday, the twenty-seventh, Lieutenant Colonel John Laurens was killed in a gunfight against British troops in South Carolina.” Alexander’s eyes widened with horror. Laurens, his best friend and brother was… dead? The wolf could only listen in stunned silence as Eliza read on, her voice quivering. “These troops had not yet received word from Yorktown that the war was over. He's buried here until his family can send for his remains. As you may know, Lieutenant Colonel Laurens was engaged in recruiting three thousand men for the first all-black military regiment.” Alexander’s mate paused briefly, her eyes glittering with sadness, Alexander stared at her, his eyes growing hot with tears as pangs of agony and grief shot through him. Eliza read on. “The surviving members of this regiment have been returned to their masters." Alexander stood frozen to the ground, his mind churning with shock. Then, the full meaning of the letter came crashing down on him like the waves of an ocean during a hurricane. Laurens wasn’t coming home... Alexander would never see his brother again. He let out a strangled whimper, tears falling unbiddenly down his face as he felt his heart break. Laurens… come back Tomorrow there’ll be more of us! “Alexander, are you alright?” 

Eliza had pressed herself against Alexander’s side, her voice thick with sympathy as she buried her muzzle in her mate’s chest fur. Trembling, Alexander stepped away from the she- wolf and turned to look at her, his eyes dull and blank, “I have so much work to do.”  ~~~~~~ I have so much work to do. Alexander’s words echoed in Eliza’s mind as she watched him pad slowly out of the den, his head hanging. Her heart twisted with pain for him. She knew that Alexander and Laurens had been close, closer than most friends. In fact, she had often suspected if there had been more than just a close bond between the two wolves. Not that she minded in any case; for she too had grown rather close to Laurens in thinking of him as a sort of older brother. Letting out a sad sigh, Eliza turned and settled down beside Philip, wrapping her tail around him to keep him warm. She’d never seen Alexander in such pain as when she’d given him the news about Laurens, and more than anything she wanted to help him, to comfort him. However, deep down, Eliza knew there was only so much she could do to help her mate. He would have to learn to say goodbye on his own. “Lieutenant Colonel John Laurens was killed in a gunfight...” Those words churned in Alexander’s mind as he left the den. It couldn’t be true. John couldn’t be dead... He still has to fulfill his dream! Still reeling with shock, Alexander quickened his pace until he was racing blindly through the forest, tears falling endlessly down his face. As he ran, Alexander felt memories fill his head, his first time meeting Laurens, the party after he married Eliza, the revolution, John’s letters… “No! Stop!” At the memory of their letters, Alexander’s heart seemed to shatter and send agony scorching through him, sending him crashing to the forest floor. Gasping for breath, the wolf lay still, his eyes closed tightly as violent shudders ripped through his body. “... Alexander?” Lifting his gaze, Alexander found himself gazing up at Hercules Mulligan and Lafayette, their faces filled with grief. Forcing away his tears, Alexander tried to speak, yet seeing the look on his friends faces, nothing but a strangled whimper came out and he began to shake again. “John…. H- He’s gone...” “Alex… S’il vous plaît... ”  Lafayette’s voice was tight as he pressed against Alexander’s side. He too, was trembling. “Alex… H- His family sent us letters…” Mulligan’s voice was trembling as he too pressed himself close to Alexander’s side. Hearing his friends’ grief, Alexander’s chest tightened until he could barely breathe. “John….!” “Shh Mon ami… Ça va, Ça va…” Lafayette’s voice was a soft whisper as he pressed himself closer against Alexander’s side. A short distance away, a starry, pale golden shape padded closer to the three revolutionaries, a warm, sad smile across his face and his green eyes glowed softly. “Goodbye, my friends.”

“I’ll see you on the other side.” 

[pixxiecup]

Me and my bf played mc again today :3 I was regressed for most of it !!! I was trying to find the spotted and striped wolves , I didn't find them today but we are gna play again day after tomorrow !!!!!! I also killed TWO ravengers with the same stone sword and BOTH OF THEM TOOK ME TO ONE HEART !!!!!! it was so cool ! He was so proud of me :3c gna do hw and make sum stimboards 4 him , will probs post smth new later since a lot of my posts this month have been scheduled :p

[ailuronymy]

Guest Warriors-ify: Law and Order: SVU

Captain Don Cragen Waspstar, formerly Waspfur An older, chubby golden brown tabby tom with brown eyes, Waspstar is a stoic leader, one of the best his clan has ever known. Though he has no kits of his own, he thought of his clan as his child, and was beloved by many, though he could be strict if called for. When he was on his last life, he retired peacefully to the elder’s den.

Detective Elliot Stabler Sootstorm A dark gray, almost black tom with piercing amber eyes, Sootstorm is known for his temper. He believes strongly in the warrior code, but can be very violent with those who broke, or those who he believes have broken it. However, he is also a doting father to his many kits with his mate Daisyflower, though he doesn’t see them often, as he is constantly volunteering for patrols and battles on behalf of his clan. He was very close with Bramblestar, though they argued viciously from time to time. However, when he accidentally murdered a cat from another clan in battle, he left the clan, taking his mate and kits with him.

Lieutenant Olivia Benson Bramblestar, formerly Brambleheart A pretty brown tabby molly with brown eyes, Bramblestar is a devoted leader to her clan. Bramblestar is very dedicated to standing up for those without power or who have been hurt by injustice, and sometimes that makes her blind to the larger situation, but since she has become leader, she has been working harder on overcoming this flaw. She can be a little overzealous at times, but every cat in the clan knows that Bramblestar’s heart is in the right place. Though she always wanted kits, she never found a mate, but when an abandoned kit was found by her on clan territory, she adopted him as her own, naming him Acornkit.

Sergeant John Munch Sleetpelt A pale gray dappled tom, Sleetpelt is considered quite the character by the other cats in his clan. He is extremely paranoid, always coming up with wild theories about everything, from the weird mushrooms growing outside camp to his favorite sunning rock being moved just a few paces away. Though most of his theories are considered crazy, he has been right, to the surprise of his clanmates, many times, and he was a more than worthy deputy of his clan before he retired. Sleetpelt is also very fond of the apprentices, as he was a great mentor in his day, and always leaves a little time to chat with them especially.

Sergeant Fin Tutuola Molefang A black tom with amber eyes, Molefang is the current deputy of his clan, under Bramblestar. Though he can be lazy, Molefang is very loyal, and a very adept hunter and fighter when it gets down to it. Molefang is not one to get involved with the drama of his clanmates, and was honestly not expecting to be chosen as deputy, though since then he has stepped into the role with gusto. Molefang was once a distant father to his son, Starlingheart, but they have reconnected since Starlingheart has become a warrior and are now closer than ever.

ADA Alex Cabot Goldenleaf A tall, golden tabby molly, Goldenleaf was the clan’s medicine cat with a strong respect for the warrior code. She was trained as a medicine cat by her uncle, and many in the clan believed she was chosen just because they were kin. However, she more than proved herself, and she earned the -leaf suffix, denoting her amazing skill at healing. She was especially close with Brambleheart and Sootstorm, as they trained at the same time and earned their full names around the same time. However, when Goldenleaf taunted the vicious leader of a group of rogues, they began to hunt her down. She was wounded terribly in a surprise attack, and though she survived, her close friends Brambleheart and Sootstorm helped her fake her own death so that the rogues would leave the clan alone, as they were only after Goldenleaf. She has since become a loner and changed her name, and though she misses serving her clan dearly, she knows she can never return.

ADA Casey Novak Burnetheart A fiery ginger molly with a temper to match her pelt, Burnetheart was Goldenleaf’s apprentice before she “went to Starclan” and she still mourns her, though she is slightly upset that her mentor has never visited her in her dreams. Burnetheart is a very opinionated molly, and this often grates on other cats in the clan, especially Brambleheart, whose morals or methods are often contrary to Burnetheart’s. Her hot head and strong morals often get her in trouble, and many in the clan distrusted her after she healed a rogue who had viciously attacked Sootstorm, though it was found to be no fault of the rogue’s. Because of this, she left the clan, though not after thoroughly defending herself and her actions. She didn’t go far, however, and she is still friendly with some in the clan, although others still distrust and dislike her.

Detective Nick Amaro Crowfang A black tom with white spotting on his chest and paws, Crowfang is a skilled hunter and fighter, as well as a doting father to his daughter, Dipperpaw. Though he and her mother split up, he makes sure to spend much of his time with her, and with Rookpaw, his newly discovered son, who he had with a kittypet before he and his mate had Dipperpaw. He is a hard worker, and is close to Bramblestar, and many in the clan whispered that he would have been chosen for deputy if it weren’t for his accident. While hunting with his kits, Crowfang chased a squirrel across a thunderpath, not realizing that a monster was coming. His leg was mangled, and he was forced to retire to the elders den early.

Detective Amanda Rollins Honeynose A pretty golden brown tabby molly, Honeynose is a former kittypet who was brought to the clan by her mother when she and her twin sister, Tansycloud were apprentice age. Honeynose quickly surpassed that part of her life, working hard and adjusting to warrior life quickly, but Tansycloud did not, and sorely missed her old life as a house pet. Soon after the sisters were rewarded with their warrior names, both Tansycloud and her mother returned to Twoleg-place, leaving Honeynose in the clan all alone. Honeynose, though a skilled hunter, has issues with authority, since she had a terrible mentor, an indulgent mother, and an absent father for most of her life. She fell quickly for Crowfang, and though he didn’t entirely return her feelings, they had a small affair. Following that, Honeynose had another affair with a loner, and she soon found out she was pregnant. Though she had some complications bearing the litter, she adores her one surviving child, Morningkit, to Starclan and back, and though she had doubts, turned out to be a great mother.

ADA Rafael Barba Aspenleaf A somewhat short gray tabby tom with unusual green eyes, Aspenleaf is the current medicine cat of the clan. He is very sarcastic and sometimes abrasive, and would have been worthy of the -storm suffix if not for his skill at medicine, which some say surpass even Goldenleaf’s before him. He joined the clan after abandoning his former one, which he felt was holding him back from succeeding as a medicine cat. He does not like to be reminded of this, but he is still close with his mother, and his grandmother before she joined Starclan. Though many consider Aspenleaf’s barbed nature to be off putting, he is still very close with Bramblestar, and, as much as he would loathe to admit it, Fenneltail.

Detective Sonny Carisi Fenneltail A tall, thin golden brown tabby tom with blue eyes and white spotting, Fenneltail is an enthusiastic young tom whose friendly and inquisitive nature can sometimes be a bit much for other members of his clan. He is very connected to Starclan, and is interested in the medicine cat position, although he says he prefers being a warrior. His interest at first annoyed Aspenleaf, but soon the gray tabby grew accustomed to Fenneltail’s chatty presence in the medicine den. Fenneltail is very close with his family, which includes his 3 sisters, who are all his littermates, and his parents. He is also close with Honeynose, and they often hunt or play with Morningkit together, though they are not mates and have no interest in that kind of relationship with each other.

Sergeant Mike Dodds Cormorantclaw A black tom with a dash of white on his chest, this dashing tom was the clan’s deputy before Molefang. He comes from a long line of senior warriors and clan deputies, so he had a lot to live up to, which was added onto by the fact that his father, who was also his mentor, had very high expectations for him. However, he exceeded these expectations, especially on the battlefield, soon earning the suffix -claw. He was Bramblestar’s first picked deputy, as she felt she needed a cat more used to leadership at her side. Though he had a rocky start, Cormorantclaw soon grew to be a respected deputy, one skilled both in battle and in diplomacy, as he was good at soothing tempers and defusing situations. The clan believed he would make a fine leader, after Bramblestar of course, as he was young and healthy when he was appointed. However, while on patrol with Bramblestar, they were ambushed by rogues and it soon became a standoff, resulting in Cormornatclaw’s death.

[alexandria-morrowgrove]

Life

“Life is...shitty.” Alexandria sat in the grass, staring at nothing in particular. “Life finds a million ways t’ make me loath it. But nevah you lot. Nevah.” As she spoke she reached out to pet what appeared to be nothing. Her golden gaze glowing ever so slightly to truly see what lay in the woods.

Before her sat the great feline she often took the shape of. A mountain lion. It stalked prey as often as she went on the hunt for those that had harmed life in Stormwind. “My old friends. Y’ came with me t’ seek refuge. Someday I’ll be able t’ spread th’ word. How wondahful and carin’ y’ all are. Maybe I’ll write a book. Maybe.” She kept idly stroking the felines neck, leaning into the spirit though to the naked eye she was leaning into nothing.

“Wot must I do t’ find peace? T’ find love? Wot does it take old friend?” She asked slowly, peering downward at the feline. It glanced back. “Peace dear child is never attainable for the predator. For one must always cause chaos in ending a life. One must always feed. However, a predator may find balance in the great circle of life. You must find your balance child. So long as you do not focus on yourself to mend from within you will never find what you seek.” The feline rolled to its side. Now the pair laid out on the grass together.

“Why can’t people be more like nature?” Alex chuckled a bit. The spirit peered at her. “The people are like us. They just have better weapons and hatreds. They feel emotions more intensely at times then I would. They can and do seem to act on it more readily here too. It makes me miss Gilneas and the mountains. So many cubs run amuck here. Too many cubs. The war has taken the adults from your new home Alexandria.” The spirit shook its head a bit.

“The city is not safe. So long as your hunt remains true to protecting the wilds you will sustain my boon. For your hunt is the right one. I would not have it any other way. Do not lose your path though little one. Your rage and sadness blind you to what is around you. You will find what you seek in life. Give the cubs home to grow up and someday the right one will emerge. When they finally mature.” The spirit chimed cheerfully.

“If they evah mature. Some of th’ people far oldah then me act far youngah. Is it so wrong t’ want a mate in life? T’ want someone t’ go home t’? I just want...sanity. A normal thing t’ go home t’. It’s no’...it’s no’ gonna happen while ‘m here will it?” Alex asked, staring at the feline.

The felines tail flicked. “It is a desire we all yearn for. Continue to fight for it while you seek your balance. Find the mate to share your den with and someday all will work well. That is my belief. You’ve been good to mature. Someday it will return the favor. Like the trees it can take time. A lot of time. For you are still a cub yourself in this world. By the time you die you’ll barely have lived beyond being a cub. I will mourn you then. As I mourn all of my cubs.” The spirit admitted freely, nodding its head to her.

She frowned a bit. “I hate feelin’ alone. I hate th’ dark when it creeps up...th’ nightmares. Life haunts me. Old friend. Th’ spirits are my only comfort left. I dare no’ force who I command t’ deal with this.” The spirit tilted its head. “Why do you not let your underlings hear this?”

“Wot would they think of me? Weak? Useless? They’d see a flawed witch with no where t’ go. Nothin’ left in life. They’d see a useless husk of wot could’ve been and how I am now.” The spirit let the upper lip curl back to a snarl. “Alexandria. You and I both know you are no husk of a human. The lives you’ve saved and the work you’ve done make you invaluable to many. You have purpose, you have a path. Though it is curvy and unclear you will find the end of the road. If you let your thoughts cloud you like this forever the path will always remain windy. Find help amongst your peers. For speaking to the dead will do you no good right now.”

With that the feline faded, Alexandria dropped to the ground. She’d look around and stared wildly at her surroundings. She didn’t know what to do with herself. She sat up, curling her legs up as tightly pressed to her chest as she could. The glow gone from her golden gaze. “I can’t...I can’t. They’d think so little of me or they knew how I felt.”

She’d sniffle, staring at a pond next to her. She saw herself, she saw how broken she looked. “I can’t. I can’t do this t’ them. ‘M sorry old friend. Tha’ isn’t Th’ path I can take right now. Let it be curvy...I’ll face th’ dark alone again if I must. Wot I want can’t be obtained. No’ here. Love ain’t real in Stormwind. It’s just a joke t’ go alongside all th’ torture and crime. I’ll just get used or left again. It ain’t real. Itll never be real.” By then she felt the tears welling up in her eyes, threatening to overflow on to her cheeks.

“It’ll nevah be real so long as I live. For who could possibly love me? There’s nothin’. No one. They’ll all end up shootin’ me instead. Call tha’ love too.” The witch fell to silence, sobbing as she looked away from the pond. She wouldn’t dare face staring at the broken reflection of herself. She couldn’t. It’s not the life she wanted. It’s the life that was given. She saw no positive future in this path. No peaceful end. No balance.

(Thanks for reading! Hope it is enjoyable to read. <3 )

[anamericannightmareinpa]

Let’s Dance {Michael Clifford}

There were not many people that Michael trusted with his hair; Lou Teasdale and himself were the only two for a long time until he met the woman he was marrying in less than twenty-four hours. She had come into his life like a goddamn hurricane and turned it upside down from everything he knew in the best way possible. One of the first things she had addressed was the dryness of his hair and how brittle it got when he stripped the off-the-wall colors in order to change it. Now he was never without coconut oil in his bag on the road and their medicine cabinet at home was an amalgamation of different brands of the miracle substance.

Naturally, this meant that Michael was spending his last night of being an unmarried man with his hair shiny and slick from the oil and wrapped up in a towel (like she had taught him) to keep the heat in. He wanted to have his hair looking smart for his bride the next day.

“I should take a picture of you and put it on Instagram,” Calum chuckled from the loveseat across from him. “I’m sure the fans would just eat this up!”

Michael shrugged. “They’ve seen me looking a hell of a lot weirder, mate.”

Calum could only laugh at his friend as they both began scrolling through their respective Twitter feeds, the silence that followed comforting. It reminded Michael of when they were younger and hanging out after school in his bedroom, ignoring their homework in favor of searching dumb YouTube videos in each other’s presence.

“Is it weird knowing you’re getting married tomorrow?” Calum asked, breaking the silence some time later as his best friend’s fiancé popped up in his feed saying how she needed her beauty rest for the next day.

“Kinda,” Michael admitted as he set his phone to the side. “I mean, I don’t think it’s weird to know that I’m marrying her because she’s the only person I’ve ever thought about marrying for real. She’s it and I know it. It’s weird to think that I’m getting married in general though. Like, I’m still just some punk ass kid from Sydney who dropped out of school to be in a band. I always thought that adults were the ones who got married and I guess I don’t feel like an adult. I feel like we’re just two kids who know we’re it for each other. Does that make sense?”

The bassist nodded with a smile on his lips. He was happy that one of his oldest friends was about to move forward in his life with the woman who helped bring out his best. Michael deserved to be happy.

~*~*~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~

‘The coconut oil last night was a good decision,’ Michael thought as he checked himself in the mirror one last time. His hair looked healthy and bright. He was clean-shaven and his suit looked really good if he did say so himself.

He was ready to be married.

He chuckled to himself as the realization hit him and he turned his back on the mirror to exit the small powder room attached to the office where his groomsmen were gathered. Michael surveyed them like a general, giving each of them a onceover just to be sure they were completely dressed and ready.

“Stop biting your lip,” Ashton chastised him. “If she walks down that aisle only to find you with a bloody lip she’ll kill you before you get the chance to say ‘I do.’”

Michael hadn’t even realized that he’d been biting his lip, but he composed himself quickly knowing that the drummer was right.

Luke rested a hand on his shoulder. “We gotta get out there. You ready, mate?”

Taking a deep breath, Michael nodded. He waited until all of his groomsmen had filed out the door before following behind them, breaking off to head to the front of the church while they headed back towards the bridal room.

When he walked out to take his place to the left of the officiant, his eyes scanned the crowd.  It was amazing to see all the people from his life and her life that wanted to be here to see them make it their life. He immediately caught sight of his parents across from hers in the front two rows. He smiled when he spotted John Feldmann and his family next to the Madden brothers and their families (Michael never thought Nicole Richie or Cameron Diaz would be at his wedding but some things in life are really weird). Alex and Lisa Gaskarth were behind them—Alex having a protective hand on the tiny bump under Lisa’s dress—with the other members of All Time Low close by.

“It’s wonderful to look out and see all those who love you, isn’t it?” the officiant asked, catching the groom’s attention. Michael could only nod because he thought if he opened his mouth all that would come out would be a tiny squeak. He was nervous that something would go wrong like that ridiculous miniseries she had made him watch when they first got together, but deep down he knew that he was just anxious because this was a really fucking important day and he would die of embarrassment if he messed it up somehow.

After what felt like an eternity to Michael, the woman across the way from him began to play a light processional on the organ and the doors at the back of the church opened.

Ashton and her youngest sister entered first, the height difference not as comical as it was the night before at the rehearsal since this time she had on her heels. Both of them smiled as cameras flashed on either side of them. Ashton being used to it, was calm as could be—happy actually, to be photographed doing something important instead of buying a cup of coffee. Her sister was beaming, happy to have a tiny slice of the attention on her oldest sister’s big day.

Next came Luke and her other sister, just a few years younger than her. Unlike Ashton and her youngest sister, those two were still as awkward as the night before. While Luke was used to the flashing of the cameras and having a lot of eyes on him, he wasn’t used to it with a lanky girl in heels clinging to his arm for dear life. Her poor sister looked like a deer caught in the headlights as she cautiously walked forward with Luke.

As best man, Calum entered next with the maid of honor, her best friend, on his arm.  They walked together with ease, used to all of the cameras flashing every time they went out. Dating a rockstar made her best friend adjust to the attention quickly and it showed as they glided arm-in-arm down the aisle with confidence. Each of them gave a reassuring smile to Michael as they reached the front and parted ways to go to their respective positions.

The organ music changed to the wedding march then, and everyone rose from their seats to get a good look at the bride as she made her grand entrance. Having chosen to walk alone, she moved in a perfect line down the center of the aisle as everyone around her scrambled to get a picture. She kept her gaze forward and a small smile on her perfectly painted lips.

Michael was in awe as he watched her grow closer, more tiny details catching his attention. He took in the sparkle of the beading on her dress as it caught the bright church lights and the way it matched the sparkle of her earrings perfectly. On her left wrist he spied the bracelet he got her for their first Christmas together, the delicate silver loops intertwined just north of the engagement ring she had been wearing proudly for almost a year.

It wasn’t until she was directly in front of him that he noticed the aged medallion around her neck, St. Christopher’s likeness surrounded by a prayer for protection. The family heirloom that her mother kept in a display case in the den of their home was an interesting sight for Michael. He had never seen it outside the case in all the time they were together.

He flicked his eyes from the medallion up to her eyes as he reached his hand out to help her up the stairs separating them from the officiant.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispered as they climbed the stairs together.

~*~*~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~

As great as it was to actually marry her, Michael was excited for the reception. He knew parties between their two families were fun but now they were adding in the rest of the band and numerous other musicians who were going to take full advantage of the bar. There was no better recipe for a party in his opinion.

After getting their pictures taken for what felt like an eternity, they were able to make their way to the reception with the rest of the wedding party. They didn’t wait long before the groomsmen and bridesmaids entered the expansive ballroom, followed by the newlyweds who had decided to enter the reception to the “Imperial March” from Star Wars.

Toasts were made by her best friend, father, and each of Michael’s band members which segued into the quick serving of dinner to the guests. Everyone ate and chatted merrily as the DJ played classic rock ballads from REO Speedwagon and Led Zeppelin. Laughter flowed as freely as the drinks from the bar when the bride and groom cut the cake, the pair smiling just long enough for the photographer to snap a sweet picture before smashing slices into each other’s mouths.

Their first dance as husband and wife was slow, close, and intimate- they swayed together effortlessly. The soft chords of the song they danced to blurred Michael’s gaze into tunnel vision which led directly to her smiling face and wide, excited eyes. Even when their first dance ended and every other importance dance ensued, he couldn’t focus completely on anything except her and the pure joy on her face.

The joy escalated as the night wore on. Laughter loud and sweet as church bells poured from her mouth when he went under her dress for the garter and when she threw the bouquet, her dimples popped out from her flushed cheeks as every guest lined up to take their turn to dance with the bride (after taking a quick tequila shot, of course), and happy tears gleamed at the corners of her eyes as she swayed with Michael to the last song of the night, whispering to him how she couldn’t wait to have their first breakfast together as The Clifford’s.

“In honor of it, I won’t even eat scrambled eggs,” she giggled, knowing he hated eggs.

Michael beamed. “I love you, Mrs. Clifford.”

[skyfirewolf]

Drunk Hamilwolf Hamilsquad

I WAS going to have a Hamilton Wolf AU, but decided not to. Anyways.... enjoy this piece of crap Alexander: *Sticks his head through the entrance to Herc’s den* Herc? Laf? John and I are here now. *silence* Alexander: Hello? Anyone here? ….. Guess not. *Starts to back out of Herc’s den and accidentally steps on a piece of paper* Alexander: Hm? What’s this? “Alex, Lafayette and I are heading to the bar, meet us there. - Hercules P.s. Sorry we left earlier then agreed, Laf and I just couldn’t resist getting in an extra drink or two.” Oh, boy. *Backs out of the den* John: Are they there? Alexander: Nope. They’re already at the bar. *Shows John the note* John: “Laf and I just couldn’t resist getting in an extra drink or two” Oh boy…. Alexander: Exactly. Remember what happened the last time those two “got in an extra drink or two”? That was not pleasant. John: Not in the least. For any of us. Alexander: *Starts jogging in the direction of the bar* Which is why we should get over there and make sure they aren’t too severely drunk. John: *runs after Hamilton* **Time skip to when Alex and John arrive at the bar** John: *Pulls a few feet ahead of Alexander and stops, staring inside the bar* Oh shiii… Alexander: What? What is i- *Stops beside John and stares* Oh man… *Hercules and Lafayette are a drunken mess, crazily chasing each other around the bar while leaping on tables, knocking over chairs, barrels of alcohol, and other wolves* Alex: *Runs into the bar with John behind him* LAFAYETTE, HERCULES, WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOIN’?! *Hercules and Lafayette stop in their tracks and stare at Alexander and John* Hercules: Yooo Alex and John Lafayette: Wanna get a *hic* drink with us? Alexander: Uh, no. You two are drunk. Hercules: Noooo we’re not *hic* Alexander: Yes, yes you are very drunk. How many drinks did you have? Lafayette: Like….10… I *hic* think I had around 12… Alexander: WHAT?! Okay, You guys are going home. Hercules: Noo! Let’s have another round tonight! John: Yes Herc. You are going home. And you aren’t having another round. *He turns to Hamilton* I don’t think they can get to their dens on their own in this condition. Alexander: Well, that should be obvious. I mean, lookit ‘em. *Herc and Laf are play fighting on the ground and chewing on each others ears* *Alexander and John exchange exasperated looks* John: *sighs* Look, I’ll stay here and make sure these two don’t have too much more to drink and you go get something to drag them home with. Alexander: Right. I’ll be right back. *Turns around and starts to walk out of the bar* And, John? John: Yes? Alexander: Don’t get drunk. John: Yes, sir. *Alexander hurries to his and his family’s den and goes into the main area to grab a pair of rope leashes. With a second thought, he grabs a third rope” Alexander: Considerin’ what has happened before with those three, I’d better get more than two of these leashes. *He runs back to the bar with the three leashes in his mouth* Alexander: John I got the- *John is now chugging down a glass of beer while Herc and Laf cheer him on. All three of them are surrounded by new empty glasses of alcohol* Alexander: JOHN LAURENS WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?! John: *Jumps and whirls around to face Hamilton but he trips over his own paws and lands in a heap of pale gold fur* Hiii Aleeex, how you doin’? Alexander: Uh- good. What about you? John: *Rolls onto his back, his tongue hanging out of his mouth* I’m *hic* feelin’ GREAT! Alexander: I can tell… *he turns to the bartender* How many more drinks did these three mutts have while I was gone? Bartender: Mulligan had like, 4. Marquis de Lafayette 7, and Laurens had like…. 6? Alexander: Oh, oka- WAIT WHAT? LAFAYETTE, YOU HAD 19 DRINKS?! Lafayette: I dunno… *hic* Did I? It only felt like… 5… Herc: *Lying on his back and pawing at the air with his tail thumping John in the face* AAAHH, EVERYTHING IS SO SPARKLY AND PRETTY! Alexander: *Takes a deep breath* ... That’s it. You three are way too intoxicated to be safe alone in your dens. You’re coming home with me. John: Whyyyyy?! I like it here it’s funnn! Alexander: *walks over to John and ties a rope leash around his neck then proceeds to do the same to Laf and Herc, who are lying on the ground* One, because my den is closest. Two, because Eliza made a room specifically for when I or others are feeling the effects of alcohol. And three, because you guys will get yourselves hurt wandering around your dens like this. Now let’s go! *He starts walking toward the entrance, dragging John behind him* Hercules: What? *hic* No, I don’t wanna go! Lafayette: It’s fun here! *Both of them try to stay put and resist but the bartender and another costumer start pushing them towards the entrance behind Hamilton* Bartender: How about you listen to your friend here? He’s only trying to keep you sane and safe. *The bartender and other customer finally push Herc and Laf out of the bar and give Hamilton the ends of their leashes* Alexander: Thanks for helpin’ me out. I’m sorry about the mess they made in there. Bartender: Ah, no big deal. I’ve had worse. Alexander: *Looks at his friends with mingled amusement and exasperation and sighs* I swear, there are times I feel like your father. You three should know better than to get yourselves wasted like that. Herc: Blerg…. *hic* Alexander: *chuckle* Lets go. You ain’t pups to be acting like this, you’re grown wolves. *They keep walking (‘walking’ consisting of Alexander nudging one of his friends back to their paws or dragging them) and are somewhat close to Alexander’s den when he hears the distinct sound of one of the revolutionaries losing his lunch* Alexander: *closes his eyes with a groan* Ugh… Not again. Alright. Who was it this time? John: Laf Alexander: Mhm. Thought so. *He goes up to Lafayette* Are you okay? Lafayette: *hic* Ye- *retches again* Alexander: Laf, if you’re going to be sick, please do so in the bushes. *Lafayette stares blankly at Hamilton until he nudges him in the direction of some nearby bushes* Alexander: *turns to John and Hercules* That goes for you two as well. I don’t want anyone messing up my den. Hercules: Heeyyy Burr! Alexander: I’m not- Burr: *behind Hamilton* Er- Alexander? Alexander: *Jumps and turns around* Aaron Burr, Sir! You startled me. Burr: Sorry. Just what are you doing out at this hour? And… is that Mulligan and Laurens? Alexander: We’re heading to my place. And yes, that’s Hercules and John- *Hears Lafayette moaning a short distance away* … And Lafayette. Burr: *Glances in Lafayette’s direction then back at Hamilton* Are they uh… Drunk? Alexander: Yes. Burr: *looks awkwardly at Alexander* Are, er… you? Are you drunk too? Alexander: *Lets out a snort of laughter* No. And even if I were, I doubt I’d be acting like these two fellas. *Hamilton and Burr glance at Herc and John, who are pouncing on the shadows of the moonlit trees as if trying to catch them* Burr: Are you sure about that Alexander? I remember you too were a bit too happy after you and Eliza became mates Alexander; Well hey, at least I had a reason to be! Burr: That's true enough. *he turns to look in the direction of Alexander’s den then back at Hamilton* Do you… need help getting your friends home? Alexander: Nah. I’ve got this. Thank you though, for the offer. Burr: …. Alright. Well, good night, sir. *walks away* Alexander: ‘Night Burr! *catches and grabs Herc and John’s leashes in his mouth* LAF! IF YOU’RE FEELING BETTER GET BACK HERE! Lafayette: *his voice comes from a distance away* Ugh. Where are you mon ami? I can’t see you… John: I think he’s lost. Alexander: *turns to look at Laurens* You sane now? John: What? Sane? Yeah, I am. Alexander: I told you not to get drunk and WHAT DO YOU DO? John: I got... drunk. Sorry Alex. Alexander: Hm. it’s okay. *turns to Hercules* He’s still drunk. Great. John: I’ll get Lafayette. *walks off* Alexander: *turns around and manages to chase Herc down and grab his leash again* Good. One down, one to go- HEY JOHN! YA GOT GILBERT YET? John: YEAH! LETS GO! Alexander: *starts chuckling* Ah, the joys of bringing home my drunk brothers.