#also bird wheel should be coming back soon!!

[dailybirdscuzbird]

i’m kinda biased but i think pigeons are really cool

like what do you mean rats of the sky??? is that not a good thing??

[wintersera]

heatstroke || omega!winter x alpha!reader

notes: i’m back after a long ass time HIII saw these pics and i had to cook something up really quick… like lord, PLEASE LORD TAKE THE WHEEL

cw: omegaverse, g!p reader, alpha reader, omega minjeong, breeding kink, biting. one mention of weed

wc: 2.9k

it’s the third day in a row where minjeong invited you over to her house in the countryside. blades of grass rustling in the late afternoon breeze while the sun still beamed brightly in the cloudless sky.

you sat outside the house, sitting on the cool wooden porch as you stared out into the distance, contemplating the last minute choice of staying over at your friends house.

this week's forecast showed a constant 35 degrees celsius and above— 95 fahrenheit and above if you’re american, across the board. the humidity didn’t help either. it felt suffocating to even move around given that the humidity felt like it had raised the temperature up way more than it should have.

you would hate it less if there were ac, but since you were staying over in her small traditional house, you had no other choice than to deal with the excruciating sun rays beaming down on your exposed skin.

sat in a simple thin tank top and short shorts, you lift up the fabric of your top, flapping it around to generate some sort of cool breeze.

as sweat dripped down your face, minjeong appeared behind you, also dripping with salty sweat down from her forehead all the way to her chin “here” she tossed you a cold beer without much care. she knew you’d catch it anyway.

“didn’t you say your fridge broke down?” the cold metal pressed against your nape felt blissful in these times. you rubbed the can all over your body before it unfortunately warmed up from both your body temperature and because of how you were sitting out in the blistering sun.

“i ran over to the vending machine down the street” minjeong sat fairly far away from you on the porch. not because she didn’t like being near you, but because somehow you were quite literally a walking heater “there was a whole line of people” the girl chuckled, popping open the can she got for herself “almost all the drinks ran out, it was crazy y/n. you should’ve seen the old lady scolding this guy for buying, like, ten drinks”

the burn of the alcohol slid down your throat. it almost sort of tasted sweet in a way, but still, it was beer, and beer was annoyingly bitter on your taste buds “i’d honestly do the same if i was there” though it was downright disgusting, the slight coldness made you chug the entire can in one go “why are you wearing that big ass long sleeved shirt, minjeong?”

“i told you~” the shorter girl whined “the electricians won’t be coming soon, so it fucked up the neighbourhood and no one has working outlets anymore”

“you don’t have any spare clothes laying around then? might as well take it off”

“yeah, no i don’t…and no, y/n. i’m not taking it off” she retorted back with an attitude “oh crap, i almost forgot to give you this” minjeong laid down to reach her bag, conveniently having stored a few ice packs in there, and took out two pre packaged ice cream cones. one strawberry, and one plain vanilla.

“yours is definitely vanilla, right?” knowing her tastes, your hand instinctively reached out for the strawberry flavoured ice cream cone. due to the heat, the cream had leaked a little bit out from the wrapper, but i guess that was to be expected anyway.

minjeong nodded, her back still against the now warm wood of the porch, unwrapping the ice cream and taking a few kitten licks.

the both of you sat in a comfortable silence for a while, watching the birds fly around whilst the cicadas buzzed loudly in the background.

“ah—“ minjeong’s little squeak caught your attention briefly, then you were back to watching the birds fly around in the sky. a few pigeons and crows flying by, nothing too out of the ordinary.

“nooo~ i’m all sticky now” you take a glance once more, then your attention returned back to the blue sky, spacing out all over again, but before you could even utter anything snarky about minjeong dropping her ice cream on herself, your head whipped around to do a double take. melted ice cream stained her last clean shirt she had, with no other choice she had to deal with the sticky fabric or just take the whole thing off.

for a second, your eyes caught a spot dribbling down her fingers and onto her wrists. her plump lips parted open for her tongue to dart out. cheeks reddened at the sight of her licking the melted… white cream…

“you know you could—“

“i’m not taking it off. it’s too embarrassing” she definitely could, after all it wouldn’t bother you all too much. you’ve seen people naked. it wasn’t that big of a deal.

“eh… too lazy to move” whilst sprawled out on the floor, her hand pulled up her shirt a little more “ahh~ that feels so much better” toned midriff exposed to the golden sun rays, the reflective light bouncing off her smooth and silky skin.

“whatever floats your boat, i guess” actually, maybe this was bothering you a little more than you had anticipated.

besides the outrageous heat, there was another issue you had that was on your mind.

although you were long term friends with minjeong, probably since you met her in highschool, you had always told her, and the people around you, that you were a full fledged beta. nothing more, nothing less.

god knows how she would react if she had found out you were a pure blooded alpha.

speaking of… you began to feel a little strange “mmm… something smells nice” images of minjeong flashed in your mind. her exposed milky thighs, that oversized shirt she pulled up to show her huggable waist and tummy, melted ice cream on the corner of her lips, and how she was so vulnerable sprawled out across the floor.

shit. oh shit… she looked way too good. so good that you could easily pick her up and do whatever you want with that petite and fragile body of hers.

before you knew it, your cock started to strain against your shorts. uncomfortable, you shifted as you sat in a less revealing manner, taking the ice cream to your lips to calm the heat rushing to your face.

now is not the time for an unexpected rut. fuck. “i’m gonna head to the bathroom real quick” it took a lot of mental strength to avoid gazing at minjeong… a lot of mental strength considering you were covering up your horrendously hard dick as you rushed past her.

“where… where is it—“ usually you had a couple rut suppressants laying around in your pockets, if not, then your bags. and if it wasn't in either, you’d run to the local pharmacy to buy a fresh set of both suppressants and scent blockers. but unlucky you had to be in the middle of the fuckass countryside with a pharmacy that sells neither.

minjeong’s scent was getting stronger, heavier. a pinch of spiced apples wafted into the bathroom unexpectedly. intoxicating. it wasn’t like she was in heat, that’s if your scent didn’t occupy her nostrils by now.

to distract your mind from plunging further into the pit of no return, or rather fantasising about plunging into minjeong’s soft thighs to bury your face right into her pussy, a cold splash of water to your face would do the trick. hopefully.

the faucet was pretty much shut tight, and living in the city for pretty much your whole entire life, you would rather stay hot and bothered— both ways, than to go out and douse yourself with cold water from the hose.

defeated, you walk with your imaginary tail between your legs, eyes averted from minjeong as you sit somewhere else in her house. preferably the furthest room away from where she was laying down.

minjeong, however, followed behind you “do you smell something weird? it smells like cedarwood and a little bit of tobacco” you froze in place for a second. maybe you should straight up tell her the truth. better off than losing your composure and submitting to your instincts in front of her.

she sat close to you despite the suffocating heat. being this close in proximity… her scent was stronger than ever. your cock throbbed in your shorts as she inspected you with curious eyes, her concentrated face wrangling in more indecent thoughts as the seconds flew by “must be someone smoking a blunt out there…” you gulped nervously.

what an obvious lie you told. she rolled her eyes at you, lightly hitting you across the shoulder with a small, amused laugh “we’re in south fucking korea, y/n. i doubt someone is openly smoking weed out in the streets” which was true god damn it.

heart drumming loudly in your chest, your eyes zeroing in on minjeong’s body, every shred of composure seemed to crumble once she checked your temperature with her shockingly cold hands “don’t…” you huff, grabbing her wrists gently “i’m okay”

“you don’t seem okay. you’re showing signs of heatstroke” to be honest, that might be the case as well, but you doubt it was heatstroke given the fact that you were obviously flustered and hot by her sudden approach “crap, and almost everything in this house is broken— y/n, come here”

“mmm…” without any access to cold water, and the cold drinks already gone alongside the ice cream, you had no choice but to suffer in silence. that is until minjeong pulled on the ends of your top. again, that rich spiced apple scent…

“take it off, it’ll be cooler for you” seeing her tiny hands on your top, sliding it off gently with her glossy eyes carefully wandering all over you shattered your last wall of composure.

you rolled minjeong over the futon mattress, her puppy dog eyes staring holes into your face “y-your scent. it’s just way too strong, minjeong” without further ado, you dived into minjeong’s neck, breathing in her delicious scent as you nudged your covered bulge against her clothed pussy.

“i knew it” a soft moan escaped from her lips, the friction between the two of you becoming hotter and hotter with each grind of your hips “you’re way too obvious”

“shut up…” the sliding door was still open to the outside, it would be risky to carry on what you were doing, especially knowing how your scent was particularly stronger in comparison to other alphas. but really, who cares? “is this even okay with you?” albeit concerned, your teeth still grazed her neck gently, kissing and sucking her skin in a way to not so permanently mark her up.

“why else do you think— mmm… that i’ve been inviting you around so often. just… hurry up. you’re triggering my heat” her words alone made you ecstatic. to be fair, you were pent up lately. you continued to rut into her, holding up her thighs as your bulge was threatening to burst through your shorts. in due time, slick began to drip from her hole, dampening both your shorts and her panties.

“can i let loose?” you were already sliding off her panties, following the removal of yours straight after. minjeong’s legs spread wide open for you, her pretty pink folds slathered with her slick, and her puffy clit that looked so sensitive to touch. she stared right into your eyes and gave you a nod of approval.

you manage to push yourself all the way inside of her tight pussy, molding her walls to accommodate the size of your girthy cock. minjeong wrapped her arms around your neck, her nails digging deep and breaking the skin on your back, only making you push as deep as you can in return. her wetness made your entry much easier than you had thought. she just looked way too tiny to take your entire length. this girl was just full of surprises.

sooner or later you would give into your biological urges, and so would minjeong. you could feel it now actually. the primal desire to breed her until she would bear your pups, the need to mark her, to make her yours. you could feel your rationality being thrown out the window, replaced by pure animalistic lust “je..jesus christ, so fucking thick…”

minjeong tried to gather what was left of her scattered thoughts into coherent sentences, but the way your cock filled her up rendered her speechless. you hadn’t moved at all, and yet she was digging her claws into your back as if you were slamming your hips into her.

“i haven’t even moved yet” you chuckled, moving your hips slowly to test the waters. her warmth coated your entire length, feeling as you were melting by simply being inside of her.

testing the waters was not enough for you, you craved for more. a rougher and faster pace would suffice, but you didn’t know if minjeong could handle you that well. after all, the two of you never fucked before.

no, it really wasn’t enough. you had to fuck her hard whether or not she was prepared “gonna… go rough” hands on each side of her waist, using her body, you pushed and pulled her onto your cock. you met with each thrust, burying your tip further and further inside with as much vigour as humanly possible.

buried between the crook of her neck, your lips feverishly pecked at her skin once again, savouring the salty taste of her sweat on the tip of your tongue all while inhaling her addictively sweet and rich scent. all for you to keep for yourself.

on the other hand, minjeong was fairly inexperienced. her thighs began to slowly close, but with your strong grip, you kept them wide open for you to easily slide in and out of her pussy “mi…njeong” you call out to her as you push down on her tummy, locking eyes with the teary eyed girl “g-get on top of me”

you leaned back onto the futon mattress, straightening minjeong’s back as she straddles your lap. the position you were in made it possible to go as deep as minjeong wanted to go, but that didn’t mean she was in control.

“s’too… too big” strings of slick dripped down her thigh, pooling onto your pelvis. you paid no mind to the mess, rather, you encouraged it even further by toying with her overly sensitive clit “f-fu..ck— oh my god, y/n”

every moan urged you to play with her more. not one, but two fingers rubbed circles against her clit, collecting her slick time to time before going back in to do the same motions. it was a win-win situation. each circular motion caused her to clamp down hard on your cock.

but still, it wasn’t enough for either of you.

changing position for possibly the last time, minjeong laid flat on her stomach, as you pound her pussy from behind. with each thrust, the sounds of your hips smacking into her ass sounded throughout the room, and possibly bleeded out onto the empty streets of the village, disrupting the neighbourhood with your moaning and groaning, and minjeong’s cries of pleasure too.

poor minjeong couldn’t speak properly. words she wanted to moan, came out as garbled nonsense, cries and whines too as your relentless rhythm fucked her until she couldn’t even think properly anymore.

at this point, the room was steaming. the scent of you and her mingling with the sweat formed from the intensive heat outside, and the heat generated between the both of you. to say the least, the room reeked of sex.

messy and rough sex.

seconds into kissing her nape, you could feel the tightening of minjeong’s cunt restrict the movement of your thrust, making it a lot more difficult to catch your high, yet somehow the grip brought you closer towards the limit.

now, you could see minjeong clawing into her mattress, scratching the fabric that held all the foam together. her breath became jagged, grunting and groaning harshly till her voice became hoarse with how much she was calling out your name.

“god… i’m gonna— fuck, y/n i’m cumming, i’m gonna cum” claws ripping the linen fabric of the mattress, minjeong lets out a high pitched whimper, her body convulsing as you thrust relentlessly into her.

quickly, your sharp canines sank into her nape by instinct as she came, lessening the pain for marking and replacing it with searing hot pleasure.

still, with you still raring to go, you kept on going until you couldn’t last much longer either. your grip of minjeong’s ass as you pounded harshly into her overstimulated pussy was the final straw. your knot swelled eventually, locking the two of you in place as thick strings of semen poured into her, filling her up to the brim.

laid on top of minjeong, your breath slows, and so does hers “s-sorry… i didn’t mean to claim you” you say, yet your actions speak otherwise, inhaling in her scent to calm yourself down from the intensive orgasm “it’s kind of your fault though. teasing me with that ice cream and that shirt”

“to be honest, i just wanted to see how far you’d stick with that whole beta persona” minjeong huffed into the pillow, stroking your arm as your knot began to lessen, semen now oozing out from her hole “so worth it actually…”

“yeah, but now you’re gonna bear my pups now…” you huff into her neck.

“so worth it” now that your knot began to shrink in size, minjeong turned around, gazing longingly into your eyes with a look you’ve never seen from her before “that just means that you’re gonna be stuck with me forever now, right?” she smirked, placing a sweet kiss on your lips.

“mmm, yeah i like that thought”

[bubbles-for-all-of-us]

Casual intimacy

a/n Cracks knuckles… let’s go… 🙃 I loved writing this so I hope you will enjoyed reading it. Cause this one cracked something deep within me. 🫧🤭

request: Hiii! I absolutely love your work I think you're so talented. If you have time can I request an angsty Ruhn x Reader, maybe he gets jealous or something because she has such a bubbly personality and guys flock to her?

warning: a bit suggestive here and there, alcohol, drugs, smoking.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Ruhn was tired. Playing pretend always drained him. For the most part, he bit back at his father, but even there were limits. And when his father wasn’t at the center of his headaches, the fact that he was a crowned prince was. Ruhn flicked the cigarette out of the open car window as he waited for the light to turn green. “Be on the bed when I get back," he typed out quickly. A slight smile tugged at his lips.

Ruhn imagined that crimson haze creeping onto your cheeks. You had been an angel when you two first met. More like a caged bird. And while the world saw him as a devil who made a good girl go bad, in reality, he had freed you from the chains that had bound you to the dark cell for eternity. And if everyone was having a fright at the sight of a cigarette or a shot glass in your hand, they could all go fuck themselves.

A ding had Ruhn glancing at the screen in his car. "Unfortunately, I won’t be able to oblige," the message read, and Ruhn frowned. He blinked a couple of times. It was usually “you’re an idiot” or a nice picture that sent him pressing his foot just a bit more on the gas. What was the reason for this? Did you get your period? But that wasn’t very likely. Ruhn could sense when the red flow was coming. And you weren’t talking about cramps. He was about to fire out a quick “because?” when another ding sounded. And a picture appeared on the dash. A growl ripped through him. Here you stood. An innocent smile, still in the dress Ruhn had watched you put on this morning. By your side stood Flynn, who looked like a lost dog, glancing at the half-made sandwich on the counter. No, this wasn’t happening. Not tonight.

Ruhn quickly dialed your phone, gripping the steering wheel tightly. You didn’t even get a chance to breathe on the other side as he huffed, “What the fuck?” The music was almost deafening. So was the sea of voices. That scraped like a nail against his mind. “Hey, hotshot, this wasn’t my idea," you chirped, and as much as Ruhn was frustrated, the sound of your voice alone made his shoulders ease. “Tell them to fuck off," he hissed. He should have moved out long ago. Gotten you two an apartment and called it a day. “I can’t do that; I don’t live here." You chuckled softly, giggling at something Flynn said. Ruhn frowned. “You are my girlfriend; you are entitled to do what you want there," he pointed out. You had refused the title. Refused any benefits dating someone like him brought. The doors it opened. It was one of many reasons Ruhn loved you. Because for the very first time, he felt more than his title. More than just a pawn in someone’s game.

"Ruhn, I am not ordering two grown men around," you said, and while Ruhn didn’t agree, he didn’t get to voice his opinion because his words got overshadowed by someone calling for you. “Oh yeah, you can find that upstairs," you said, Ruhn could hear the smile on your face. "Babe," he called out, not loving the idea that someone had managed to steal your attention from him. “Oh, no, it’s okay. Call if you need anything." From the way your voice sounded, he could also tell that you had the phone away from your ear, so he used other methods. Trusted kind.

Y/n. He spoke within your linked hearts. Feeling the fluster in your heart at his call. But his hope got crushed as soon as it bloomed. Give me a moment, Ruhn. Ruhn not even a hotshot, not a babe. Ruhn gritted his jaw. “No, liquor is on the right shelf," you said, as he listened to you try to get through the crowd of people. “Get your legs off the counter, you freak," you hissed, followed by the sound of a chair being dragged back. "Yeah, sorry, the house is full," you muttered slightly under your breath, and suddenly he was back to hating that party. Because you had woken before the sun had even been up. Studies and work keep you busy. Even if Ruhn had told you many times that you didn’t have to work,

“I am sending them to Urd and then fucking back," he grunted, making you let out a chuckle. The sound of it still made his stomach warm. “Light up, they brought shit to smoke," you sighed, and while he enjoyed a good smoke, especially if you joined him, and even more so if you both rode the aftermath together, he just didn’t want that today. “I don’t...", Ruhn had started when a loud bag came from somewhere in the house, and the place erupted in gassing shouts and angry grunting. “Fuck, got to go," you breathed. "Drive, save, baby," you muttered. “Y/N, don’t go near...”, but the line went dead. "Fuck," the princeling hissed. Oh, he was going to hang both Dec and Flynn by their balls, and he was going to enjoy every second of it.

You were nowhere to be seen when he stepped into the madness of the house. Ruhn felt you, so that had to be good enough for now. You were in the house. The question, however, was where exactly that was. "Man, this is sick." Some guy clasped a hand over Ruhn’s shoulder, making the crowned prince bat the touch away stiffly. “Yeah, dude, you’re dope!" the other shouted, his eyes red as fire. There was too much substance in his body. Ruhn frowned, trying not to show the disgust on his face. “Get your shoes off my fucking carpet," he hissed in dismissal, walking past them. His frustration only grew the more he looked around for you. If not for the music, he would reach out through the bond once again. But his head was pounding, and he knew there was no way for him to concentrate enough.

Then Ruhn’s eyes fell on a small group forming near the kitchen. It wasn’t usual. If people did drugs or mixed drinks, they usually went in groups of two. Not a whole fucking sea of them. An itch inside him flared up, and he didn’t even realize it when he started walking towards it.

“So how did you do it?”, a lazy voice asked as Ruhn approached. “I just painted, silly," and that was all it took for his body to ignite. No one even matched the power your light voice had on his body. “Yeah, but that’s one big canvas," another voice slurred. Ruhn licked his lips as he stepped through the arc, and the sight was far from what he had hoped for. There you stood, a white angel in a sea of hacks. Pouncing on you for a nibble.

“I didn’t sleep, I mean," Ruhn watched as a blush on your cheeks. “Colors just guided me. It sounds insane, I know, and no, I was not high," you said sheepishly, making everyone in the room chuckle. But Ruhn saw it. The way they looked at you. They didn’t care about this. Didn’t care about your passion. Didn’t care about the spark in your eyes as you spoke of the things you loved. You were a spectacle. A pretty thing to look at. But it’s when one of them reached out to tuck the hair that had slipped out of your silk bow that Ruhn stepped forward, yanking one of the guys by the back of the shirt as he shouldered past them.

He only managed to catch a glimpse of you inhaling before his hand wrapped around your neck as he pulled you closer to him. Crashing his lips against your red-painted ones. You melted against him. He cared little for anything else as he bent slightly to grab at your thighs, lifting you and guiding you onto the counter as he spread your legs, stepping in between them. Before his fingers found your hips, he pulled you against him. "Ruhn." Your voice was breathy and weak as you wrapped your legs tighter around his middle. “Want to moan that louder?”, he teased, his lips hovering over your neck as he pinched your bum, making you squeal. “I leave you for a day and come to find you in a sea of men," Ruhn hissed with a shake of his head. You knew that it wasn’t anger. It was more lust and that sparkle of possessiveness.

“Jealous much?”, you purred, smirking as you ran your fingers over his jaw. “Don’t play with me, woman," he muttered, his hand once again wrapping around your throat as he inched closer. "Oh," you coo, “I forgot that you’re just a baby." You sighed, cupping his cheeks, but that was short-lived. One moment you were still on the counter, the other in the air and over your boyfriend’s shoulder.

“Ruhn Danaan, put me down." You wiggled in his hands. Tried to hit his chest but for nothing. If anything, that only earned you a slap on your bum and another gasp as your cheeks flared to life with red. “You...", you hissed out, but Ruhn only settled his hand on your ass, keeping the dress over your exposed bottom. Not too keen on others getting a glimpse at what lay underneath. “Don’t finish that unless you want me to spank you again," he mussed, smug as a cat as he moved through the crowd of people.

Whistling met you right by the stairs. One that Ruhn recognized, considering that he stopped. “You two are in deep shit," the crowned prince hissed, throwing a glance at his two best friends. But all they did was laugh. “Fuck it out of him, Yn, please," Dec mussed, grinding his hips in the air. “Suck one-off for the team," Flynn saluted as you three burst into laughter. It appeared that only Ruhn didn’t find that appealing. And something told you that if you weren’t over his shoulder now, friend or not, they might just taste the back of Ruhn’s hand. But he only cursed under his breath. “I will leave you two dickless," he threatened, reaching for the railing as the two man-children moaned and growled downstairs.

Ruhn was breathing heavily when he finally closed the door of his bedroom. It wasn’t from your weight. It just all started to cave in on him as he lowered you to the ground. You nibbled against his neck, pulling away to reach for the hem of your dress, but Ruhn caught your wrist, guiding you closer to him. "No," he muttered. A slight shake of his head told you that he was dead serious, too. “Did you just say no to...", You had started in a teasing tone, but there was something in his eyes that made you stop. "Ruhn," you called out way softer now, brushing your fingers up and down his arms. “Come here, darling," you said, wrapping your arms around him. He wasn’t fully open and vulnerable often. And when he was. That meant that whatever you two were doing, you were the ones who would have to carry the heavy load. Just for a bit. until he finds his footing again.

“If this is about the males, I didn’t even for a second…," you muttered against his chest, but Ruhn only grunted, “I know you weren’t interested. It’s just…” he took a deep breath, “a long day." You knew how much more those three words implied. How much more complex it was. But you also knew that the last thing he needed was you trying to drag it all out of him. “Why don’t you lay down?”, you asked softly, brushing your fingers over his lower back.

“I’m okay here," he said quietly. The hold on your body didn’t ease. “Come on, we’ll lay naked; I’ll roll you a blunt," you poked at his chest, shooting him a loving smile as you wiggled your eyebrows. Ruhn let out a slight chuckle as he reached for the buttons on his shirt. You helped him drag the material off his body, kneeling to undo his shoes. Ruhn caught your chin, pulling your head up so you would look at him through your lashes. "Fuck, it never gets old," he grunted, brushing his finger over your slightly smudged red lip. You only grinned up at him, leaning in to kiss his thigh as you pushed his pants off him all the way.

Ruhn watched you in a daze before you pushed at his chest, sending him sprawled out on the mattress. He drank every movement you made. You reaching for a bag of mirth-root, licking the edge of the paper as you finish the roll. Lighting it up and taking the first hit before handing it to Ruhn. He watched the cloud of smoke flaring around you as you reached for your dress, pulling it over your head. He could very easily die here right now. And go to Urd as a happy man if the last sight he saw was you in nothing but a black thong.

It was this exact casual intimacy that had him running at first. He was frightened to feel secure with someone like that. To have someone trust him like that. Ruhn reached out, his hands gripping your thighs as he pulled you over onto him. A blunt burning between his teeth. You straddled his naked body with ease. The movement was second nature by now. “What do you need?”, you asked softly, brushing some of the hair away from his face. Ruhn found himself opening his mouth but shutting it closed once more. He didn’t know. He was only aware that he needed you but was not sure how. Bent over the counter? Seated on his face? Snuggled up against him? With you holding him instead? “That’s okay, we will figure it out." You leaned in and pressed a kiss on his chest, leaving feather-like brushes over his exposed skin. “You’ll tell me when you’ll know," you breathed, pulling back up to look into his purple eyes. He didn’t answer, wrapping an arm around your back as he pulled you closer to him. Skin to skin. There was nothing between you two. You rested your face on the crook of his neck, feeling him take another drag of the cigarette in silence. His silence. One that you threaded for him. Painted it. And for the first time in what felt like forever, Ruhn realized that there was no other sound around him, just a steady beat of your heart.

[dragonblobz]

The Desert Pt 7

Hours pass. At first, with me holding the harness around me, wishing I could hug him. Then, with me leaning the seat back. But I’ve slept enough. I just CAN’T anymore.

I drain the last drops from my Fiji. Stare at the big empty bottle. Crap. I’ll have to get more soon.

My ghost robot, possibly alien car has fallen into silence. Comfortable for HIM maybe. My butt cheeks feel smooshed and I’d KILL for a stretch. And a burger actually……

The scenery around us gradually begins to change. Dessert, and then not. And then I spy the mother of all resources. A sign promising a gas station in 5 miles.

“Hey. Psssst.”

“Yes?”

He answers so quickly. I forget my boredom and smile again.

“I gotta pee, Brobot.”

“You’ve gotta…… what??”

I start to hiss giggle.

“I gotte pee. Loose the damn. Pop a mighty wizz. Knock the pissa.”

Just silence. And that purring engine. I groan and laugh.

“I have to put the water I drank earlier INTO something now.”

“Oh dear Primus….” He sounds so disgusted. Luckily for him, I have zero grasp on modesty. At least he gets it. I think???

“There’s a rest stop ahead. I can pee there. And also get more water and food.”

“Water and food? Ah yes, nourishment. But I’m not sure you should be around others of your kind. No one can know of mine.”

I scowl. It makes my tender face hurt.

“I VOLUNTEERED to be here, Christine. You think I’m gonna go in there and be like…”

I wave my hands around my face and squawk.

“OHMYGOD SAVE ME I’VE BEEN KIDNAPPED BY A VERY COOL ROBOT GHOST CAR THAT I’D PREFER NOT TO BE PARTED FROM BLAH BLAH BLAH. ALSO HE MIGHT BE AN ALIEN.”

“Oh shut up. We’ll stop.” He sounds SO grumpy. I try my best to hug the harness around me.

“Thanks. Thank you!”

We’re going so fast. It’s only about a minute before I see a big brightly lit building ahead. One of those big industrial gas stations. The ones with the walk in booze cooler.

“There!”

I can FEEL him huff around me just as much as hear it. And I giggle and rub my hands on his steering wheel. It’s the only form of affection I can think of to share.

We slow and pull in. I wonder what the people inside must think. Two cars worth well over 2 million dollars apiece just tooting in. It’s not like we’re anywhere near Vegas anymore.

“You’ve got five kilicks before I come in there after you….” An impatient growl around me as the driver’s side door glides open.

“I dunno about kin licks, bruh. But give me 10 minutes.” I’m just laughing as I unbuckle myself from the harness and grab my pack. Thinking about how much everyone inside would shit themselves at a giant robot peeling off the roof like “I’m looking for the annoying one. You seen it?”

I trudge to the building, aware of how much cooler the air feels now. How less dry it feels. And there’s trees all around. It’s CRAZY how far you get going as fast as we were.

There’s not many people inside, but man are they staring at me. At my friends outside. I feel an odd sort of nervousness. I might have needs, but I’d MEANT it when I’d said I’d never say a word. I’d better hurry.

I begin in the large restroom. It’s quiet and empty. Just the muted muffled sound of modern country music wafting thru the whole place.

After doing my business I go to the sink and discover WHY I’d been stared at when I look in the mirror.

Geez. My entire FACE is bruised. Still remnants of dried blood around my nostrils. And my hair looks like two birds have been fucking in it.

I wash my hands and then do the same for my face. Faucet all short and automated and just plain awkward to work with. Using the paper hand wipes instead of the blower to dry. Gently pressing at my face.

No. Nothing broken. But it’s still tender and looks hideous. I use the pick from my pack to tug at my snarled hair as best as I can.

When I exit the restroom, I zoom around the isles. Grabbing up as much as I can. Three more big Fijis. Jerky. And a mouthwatering cheeseburger spinning around in a heated display. Shitty and flappy and no condiments or veggies, and I can’t WAIT to shove the entire thing into my mouth.

On my way to the register, I spy something that makes me stop and grin. Arms all full.

I snatch it up and paw thru the rest of objects like it, looking for another color.

I’m in the car isle. And I’m giddily splurging on my new friends.

I plop the biggest insane armfull of crap in front of the cashier. And he’s looking at me like I might have just escaped from some truly unsavory prison or something, but he starts ringing up all my stuff.

“You okay?” He’s bug eyed. And so I think up a lie and I think it up quick.

“You’ve seen Hangover, right?”

I brandish my pointer finger at the two ridiculous Lamborghinis outside the big sparkling windows.

“I’m rich. I’m dumb. And my friend wants his…..” my eyes flail around my pile of crap.

“… his Tijuana Mama okay??”

I’m well aware of my complete inability to properly socialize. But I’m still COMPLETELY unprepared for this man going from nosey shock to bland disinterest so quickly.

“Alright then.” It’s like he doesn’t even care now???

Lamborghinis are wasted on the rich, I decide. It’s like a free ticket to looking INSANE. I have been ROBBED by my birthright.

I’m grinning at the man as he finishes. He looks so bored now.

“Keep the change.” I say as I collect my debit card from him, every bit aware that there’s no change with this method of payment. And I’m chuckling like a demon imp as I stuff all my crap into my pack. Still chuckling as I exit the building.

“You were dawdling.” Sunstreaker’s voice is an impatient growl as I approach him. He’s kept his drivers side door open this whole time.

“I have a Lamborghini. I do what I want.” I’m giggling as I plop inside of him again and start untangling the harness to fasten around me.

He huffs, his door gliding closed. I hiss with laughter. But…. He doesn’t argue. I fully expect him to….. but he doesn’t. My laughter dies into chortles and then into happy silence.

We leave the gas station. Engine just that nice rumbling purr.

“Hey. Once we get outta sight of this place, pull over.”

“Why…..” He sounds so suspicious. I grin.

“Because I got you presents.”

“Presents?”

He sounds even MORE suspicious.

“Oh yes.” I start giggling again.

He doesn’t respond, and I half expect him to have no response. To just keep going.

But…. We pull over just a few miles down the road.

“I’ve stopped. And you will tell me why.” His voice rumbles in grump around me as I unbuckle myself from the harness.

“Just open up!” I’m so excited. Grabbing my bulging pack as he complies, drivers door gliding open.

“Sideswipe!” I’m SO excited. Hearing a beep. The red Lambo flicks it’s headlights at me behind us.

“You’re bouncing, little buddy. You okay?”

“Oh yes! Just…. Open up! I got something for you!”

I wait impatiently for that drivers door to glide open, then plop my butt in the seat like I own the place.

His charming chuckle bubbles all around me.

“For me?”

“Uh huh!” I dig out the obnoxious pair of bright red fuzzy dice from my pack. And drape it over his rear view mirror.

“One more thing….” I pull the next object out. A little Hawaiian hula lady bobble head. Rip the paper from her base and plop her sticky feet on his dash, giggling madly.

“Do sumthin to wiggle her!”

I jerk as his engine screams under my butt. He’s not moving, but the jolt makes her little head shake. I screech gleefully and clap my hands. Lean forward and kiss the center of his steering wheel impulsively.

“Are you accessorizing me, little buddy?” I can feel and hear him chuckling around me. And I’m laughing too.

“I couldn’t help it. It’s just too cute!”

“You’d better have gotten Sunny something.” More chuckles, these decidedly more wicked sounding. And when I look out the open door, I only see a yellow Lamborghini. But the GRUMP is tangible in the air. I snort and giggle.

“You know I did!”

I exit the red Lambo, and the other car is silent. No purring engine. I’m blushing and I don’t know why.

“Did you think I’d forget about you?”

No response, but that drivers door remains open. I settle inside and start hissing with laughter as I start buckling myself in and the door closes. Engine roaring to life.

We begin moving on the highway. It’s like I can feel him deliberately ignoring me. And I’m just grinning. I just CAN’T be upset. He’s so obviously jealous.

I don’t bother to placate or speak. I just pull the bright yellow fuzzy dice out of my pack and drap them over his rear view mirror. Just smiling so largely.

“Well? Where’s my other thing?” He sounds so butthurt. And I’m just laughing for a few moments before I blush again and fall silent.

“Well… I didn’t get you a bobble head….”

I can FEEL the judgement around me. And I’m blushing too hard to do anything but clasp the last gift out of my pack.

“I don’t need anything from you.”

It does sting. I can admit it. And I’m very quiet while I rip open the scented cardboard tree. Just loop it around his rear view mirror with the fuzzy dice. And then just cling to my harness and wait for him to say more mean things.

But he doesn’t say anything. Just that purring engine beneath me. Long enough for me to nervously explain myself.

“Rose Thorn. It’s…. It’s my favorite scent from this brand. It’s really nice…”

“You’re favorite scent?” He sounds thoughtful. I blush even harder. Feeling so self conscious.

“Yes. I…. I like it a lot….”

“Then I like it as well.” Nothing else. Just the sound of that engine purring around me. All stark and sincere. And I start to smile again, still blushing.

I don’t say anything else. Just blush and turn my head to stare out the window.

We’re in trees now. Forest scrub. I have NO idea where we’re going. And I don’t really care. I’m happy right where I am.

“Hey….”

“Yes?” His voice has that same softness from before.

“You don’t have a radio?”

“A radio? I can. Do you want one?”

I hear the sounds of mechanical warping. Turn my head to watch his naked console morph into……

“Oh my god…” I start giggling. Just looking at the fancy digital stereo system that’s just…. There now.

“You’re wanting music, yes?” and music curls around me inside this car. Muted and low. And I’m snort giggling like a heathen.

“You don’t like it? I like it….” He sounds SO grumpy.

“Is….. is this….. Journey????” I'm just wheezing.

“Well. What do YOU want to hear?” Oh he’s mad. I ignore him. Giggling for a few more moments, and then humming to the song before I answer.

“Naw. I like Journey.” I chortle again and then start to sing quietly. And he doesn’t say anything else. Not for the whole song. Like he’s just listening to my idiot quiet singing.

I’m just smiling and singing and so happy. Who’d have ever thought I’d be singing Wheel In The Sky in a fucking ghost car robot alien???

The song ends. I become silence. The next song begins. I giggle.

“Led Zeppelin??”

“I haven’t heard you tell me what you want to hear.” So so grumpy. I’m just grinning. Pulling that crappy gas station cheese burger out to gobble it down. Finishing it with a huge swig of fresh cold Fiji water.

A honking noise makes me jerk my head as I’m wiping my face and hands with a wrinkled napkin. Sideswipe behind us. Flashing his lights and laying into his horn.

“We’ve got company.” Sunstreaker doesn’t sound worried. He sounds…. Resigned.

I notice another vehicle now. In that mirror outside the window. Another red one. A big cherry red van?

I feel the entire Lamborghini huff around me.

“It’s Ironhide. Act natural.” He sounds so annoyed. And I can’t help but laugh.

“Oh yeah. Sure. Natural. Is he…..” the slight prickles of nervousness. Ironhide. ANOTHER one of them, I can only assume.

“You’re safe.” It’s a final sound. Not necessarily reassurance. But it makes me feel like I don’t have to worry. But I’m still worrying.

“I’m sorry. I don’t want to make trouble.” I feel terrible now. That van is right next to us. Like it’s accompanying us. Or WATCHING us.

“You’re no trouble…” It’s another new tone from him. Protective.

“Okay.” It’s a little nervous croak. And curious. I feel like something big and new is about to happen. I’m just gawping at this big red van cruising next to us.

I hear Sideswipe now. It’s like Sunstreaker is letting him talk again.

“Aw don’t mind Ironhide. He’s a pussy cat.” And that confident chuckle. And it DOES make me feel just a little bit less guilty.

“You just sit tight, little buddy. You’re gonna talk to Prime. Everything is gonna be okay.”

I see the trees around us. Spot a hulk of metal nestled in the side of a mountain ahead of us. It’s enormous. And the road we’re on is care worn gravel. It feels like a SECRET.

“O… Okay….” I feel so oddly nervous. Just cling to this harness around my body.

And it’s Sunstreaker’s voice now. Firm and confident and gentle. And it makes me feel safe.

“I’ll be there the entire time. I won’t leave you.”

Safe. It feels…. Safe….

[trekkiehood]

Counter Weight (MotA Fanfic)

AO3 Link

Rating: T

Words: 1.6k

Summary:

“Let’s get you moving, okay?”

Gale nodded, releasing his grip on the hatch. He swayed slightly but Bucky countered, taking on some of his weight. That’s when he noticed the blood seeping through his sleeve near his left shoulder.

“Dang it Buck, you’re hit.”

---

A rough flight for Gale has Bucky stressed.

Notes:

And we're back! This is actually the first MotA fic I've written I just couldn't come up with a title so have been waiting to post it lol. (Should out to Raindrop_CO for the title.)

When it comes to relationships, I'm really not comfortable writing relationships and will always lean towards gen and platonic soulmates but I do still write them the way they are in canon SO. I don't add anything to their relationship but I'm also not going to subtract lol

Anyway, please enjoy!

“Do you see Cleven’s Fort?” Bucky hates the way the words come out of his mouth. The desperation. Not that his crew isn’t used to it. He should be past the level of embarrassment. Everyone knows the Buckies came in a pair. To see one without the other felt wrong.

One landing without the other felt wrong too.

He doesn’t want to get out of the plane. Afraid that as soon as his feet hit the ground, Buck’s fate will be sealed.

Gale had been behind them at some point. He isn’t exactly sure when they lost him. He should have been paying better attention. But his own engine was shot through and running on three had taken his and Brady’s complete attention. So he wasn’t sure when the Fort in the sky he cared most about fell behind.

They had been in bad shape. He’d known that. Losing fuel and barely keeping speed.

But he would have noticed if it went down, right?

Someone would have drawn his attention to it. His crew knew better than to not to.

The silence of his men gave him no reassurance.

He cursed, yanking his head gear off and running and trembling hand through his hair. What’s the point of being in the air if he can’t keep tabs on his best friend?

Getting home himself was secondary to making sure Buck made it back okay.

Maybe that was why his crew hadn’t told him when they saw the plane drop off.

They needed to get out. The fact that it had taken this long had prompted sirens to pull up near them, likely expecting wounded bodies, not wounded spirits. But Bucky couldn't bring himself to move. The crushing weight of reality pressing down on him like having four feathered engines in a wind storm.

“Wait!” His tailgunner’s voice stopped his descent into madness. A boyish laugh accompanied the next words. “It’s Buck! She’s limping and barely holding together, but she’s here.”

The wave of relief nearly brought tears, but instead he slammed his hand down onto the steering controls and let out a desperate breath. He felt light headed and was thankful he was on the ground already or he’d think his oxygen hose had a hole.

A pounding on the belly of his bird grounded him enough to issue the order, “Alright boys, let’s get to interrogation.”

Buck’s plane was screeching to a stop just as John’s feet hit the tarmac. He pushed past the medics, assuring them that he was okay.

Emergency vehicles were rushing towards Gale’s plane. The personnel around him, realizing that his crew was unscathed, began to follow. “Gimme a ride.” He ordered one of them in a jeep. He didn’t give them time to properly answer, throwing his bag and himself into the seat.

It had been a wheels down landing and nothing was currently on fire. But there seemed to be more holes than metal.

Chaos had broken loose at the foot of the plane. Stretchers were moving and he could hear the cries of the wounded as they neared.

The sickening knot that had only just begun to release, now tightened. Just because the plane landed didn’t mean anyone in the crew remained unscathed. Not even the pilot.

Bucky opened the door before the jeep had come to a complete stop, heading straight to the hatch nearest to the cockpit.

Gale was nowhere to be seen amongst the many faces and Bucky found himself fearing the worst. Then he saw a figure slip down through the opening. The relief was immediate but dissipated almost as quickly when he saw Gale stumble, using the hatch to keep himself upright.

Bucky was at his side in a second. “What took you so long? Don’t tell me you stopped for beers on the way back.” They weren’t the words he’d meant to say, but he couldn’t seem to help the joke that rolled off his tongue. Habit. Coping mechanism. Whatever.

The only answer was the sound of slow, deep breaths. A breathing exercise taught to all airmen to help combat air sickness and pre-flight anxiety.

“Buck?”

The man in question closed his eyes, leaning his forehead into his braced arm.

“Come on, Buck, talk to me.” He tried again, grasping his friend’s shoulders and offering a light shake. The chill could be felt through even the minimal contact. The cockpit must have suffered damage. He shook away the expletives that wanted to break free at that realization.

Gale’s eyes slowly blinked open and John could see the barely masked pain behind them. A steady stream of blood was streaking down the right side of his face, beginning somewhere in his hairline.

“John?” The weak voice finally answered, eyes, unfocused, but looking in the general vicinity of Bucky’s face.

“Yeah, it’s me. You made it. You’re okay.” He didn’t know if he was trying to convince himself or his friend. “Let’s get you moving, okay?”

Gale nodded, releasing his grip on the hatch. He swayed slightly but Bucky countered, taking on some of his weight. That’s when he noticed the blood seeping through his sleeve near his left shoulder.

“Dang it Buck, you’re hit.” The panic had returned full force now, multiplied as Buck stumbled again.

“Really?” bleary eyes turned to him. “I don’t feel it.”

That was far from comforting.

“Medic!” Bucky called out, ignoring the sympathetic pain at Gale’s flinch. “How the heck did you even fly like this, Buck?”

“Was fine until we landed.” He muttered. That sounded about right. Gale had a tendency to push away all of the unwanted emotions and pain, remaining completely stoic until whatever objective he had was complete. John just hadn’t realized how far that tolerance could be pushed when needed.

“Where’s your co-pilot?” He asked, not even remembering who was flying second today. It must have been some replacement trainee, but even a newbie should know to help an injured Major out of the cockpit.

“Dead.” And Gale’s voice sounded just as lifeless. “Something blew through the cockpit. Think it was shrapnel but-” His words were cut off as his eyes suddenly rolled back in his head. He became a deadweight, Bucky unable to keep him upright and instead dropping with him.

“Medic! We need a medic now!” He called out, propping Gale up and tearing at the already shredded jacket. “Just hang in there, Buck. Just hang on.”

~MotA~

Bucky had fought on going to interrogation, but in the end he had lost. He told them everything he knew through gritted teeth. Yes they’d hit their mark. No he didn’t see parachutes. They’d been hit somewhere around 1100 hours. They’d lost three forts, thirty men, and over a dozen currently being treated in the infirmary. Six of the ten in Buck’s Fort were currently there. Three bodies brought home. One from Cleven’s fort.

As soon as he was dismissed he was at the infirmary. He didn’t care what they said or if the Major was being kept in a separate area. He wasn’t going to be told no.

The doctor raised his eyebrows when he saw Bucky walk in, but made no move to stop him.

Bucky was awake. His eyes were open. He was talking. He was breathing. He was okay.

Well, okay enough.

The emotional whiplash from the day had John’s knees giving out and he sunk onto the bed next to his friend.

“Mild hypothermia, mild concussion, minor stitching, and a minor shrapnel wound. Overall, Major Cleven was very lucky.”

“He was unconscious.” Bucky frowned.

“A combination of everything mixed with shock. He’ll be okay now so long as he takes it easy for a few days.” The doctor eyed the wounded man, but Gale only smirked tiredly at him.

The doctor shook his head as he exited. “Don’t stay too long. The Major needs his rest.”

Bucky barely waited for the doctor to get out the door. “You’re not allowed to do that.”

“Do what?” And if Buck didn’t still sound like he was only half there. Bucky almost felt bad for berating him. Almost.

“Act like you’re fine until you scare me to death and collapse like you’re a dead man.”

“Sorry.” And he did look sorry. He also looked sad. And tired. And hurt.

Bucky sighed. “I thought you were dead.”

“I’m sorry.” He answered again.

“Well you should be.”

Gale grinned at him. “Next time I’m being shot at, I’ll kindly inform the German’s that my best friend has forbidden me from getting injured.”

“That’s if I ever let you fly again.”

“Like you’ve got a say.” And as much as Bucky was enjoying the banter, as much as a little more anxiety unfurled with every word, he could see that Buck was failing fast.

“Get some sleep. We can argue about who the Colonel’s favorite is when I wake you up in two hours.”

“Y’ur no fun.” Buck slurred, his eyes already closed.

Bucky watched him. Watched his chest rise and fall. Watched to make sure no blood decided to seep through the thick white bandages. Watched to see if the stitches on his forehead would somehow pull in his sleep.

He’d have to watch him better in the air. This was unacceptable. For him not to realize that Buck’s fort had been hit so badly. To not realize how many of his crew was down.

How had Gale even made it back?

Concussed, injured, and with a dead copilot and injured navigator.

It was a miracle.

Buck was his miracle.

One he’d always be thankful for.

Notes:

Please let me know what you think! I'm working on a couple different Stalag fics because that is where my heart lies lol. Originally this was going to be a 5+1 but I realized I do not have enough forethought for that rn so I'll just be writing them as one shots lol. Comments are greatly appreciated! If you have any requests I am open to them but can't promise when I would get to writing them (grad school, work, and working in theatre is KILLING me rn lol). Please talk to me on Tumblr :)

[hayffiebird]

Hayffie Post-Mockingjay Multi-chapter, Rated M

Four years have passed since the end of the war when Effie returns in to Haymitch’s life once again. An old friendship is renewed. Will it lead to something more?

Meanwhile Panem has entered a new era. The rebellion’s over, the borders are open but in the shadows, anger and mistrust are smoldering. Something that will affect Haymitch and Effie’s life in a way they never saw coming.

Author's note: Happy Hayffieweek! I won't technically participate but at least you get a ToS chapter. :) A big thank you and a big hug to you sweethearts reading and responding to this story.

You're the best and I'm so grateful! If you were here I'd follow in the prep team's footsteps and invite you over for tea and a batch of Peeta's yummiest cookies. ;)

Chapter 49, In vino veritas

*ring ring*

Hello, this is Effie Trinket’s answer phone. I can’t pick up at the moment but do leave a message and I will call you back. Until then: have a very very nice day! *peep**ring ring*

Hello, this is Effie Trinket’s answer phone. I can’t pick up at the moment but do leave a message and I will call you back. Until then: have a very very nice day! *peep* *ring ring*

Hello, this is Effie Trinket’s answer phone. I can’t pick up at the moment but …

*click*

Hello? … um, helloo?

Hi Octavia …

Oh, there you are! I was getting really worried about you! Been calling for almost five minutes.

Sorry. It’s … I was in the bathroom.

Of course you were. Silly young me! I’m getting ready here too. You all set? Such a thrilling day! Aren’t you so excited? Oh, the twins will LOVE the Summer Breeze! We can’t bring them on any of the roller coasters of course. Flavius always puke anyway. But there are still plenty of “baby-friendly” rides to go around. The Love Tunnel. Lucretius’s Magic Carpet. The teacups. Hey, maybe it’ll even help with your little problem? And we couldn’t have asked for better weather, right? Everything’s perfect! Octavia, listen …

But before anything else, I need your advice on something. I’m sitting by my vanity – as we speak – and I cannot for the life of me decide which earrings to wear! On the one hand, I’ve got these spectacular neotropical scarlet macaws. You know, the famous red, blue and yellow parrot? Gorgeous. Obviously! But then I also own a pair of silver sea turtles with amethysts and well … you see my conundrum. What do you think? Which one of these will make me the prettiest girl at the fair?

I … I wouldn’t know …

Oh, don’t sell yourself short! Next to me and Flavius and Venia, you’re by far the number one expert on beauty! Come on, Effie, this is important to me! I can’t show up looking ghastly.

Course not … you …

I’m leaning toward the birds, naturally. You know, because colors are so colorful and fun. But then again, if I save the turtles for the Aquarium, won’t it be a cliché? Maybe I should go with the amethysts after all. But if I do, what if people think … Octavia, look … I … I know how excited you are about today but … I don’t think I can make it.

Wait, what?

I don’t feel very well and the twins … they aren’t even dressed to go out yet.

Are you ill? *gasps* It’s not contagious, is it? Because I cannot under any circumstances be sick this week.

No, no. Don’t worry. It’s just a migraine.

Have you had enough to drink today? Maybe you’re dehydrated? Don’t worry. Flavius and Venia and I will take the twins for a walk and you can treat yourself with a nice, long nap. It’ll invigorate you in no time.

Thank you, but I feel I must take this day for myself. Raincheck? Doesn’t mean you three can’t have fun.

But it wouldn’t be the same without you! Or the children! *tsks* Effiie! We had it all planned out!

I’m sorry.

Flavius will be so disappointed! He wanted to spin the chocolate wheel. *gives a heavy sigh* I guess, we’ll just have to try and find something else to do, somehow. But it won’t be as fun. Take care of yourself, sweetie.

You too. Give my love to the others.

Mm. As soon as I’ve figured out how to break it to them. What a day. No cotton candy. No stuffies for the twins. Nothing. *sighs again* Bye, Effie dear. Get well soon.

Bye.

*toot toot*

xXx

“… and they lived happily ever after.”

Effie whispered the words, lying on her side next to them on the bed.

Sandy hair fell over Ian’s forehead when he rolled in toward her, seeking his mother’s closeness and warmth. Effie dropped a butterfly kiss to his skin.

The girl gave a soft whine. Crinkled her face up from whatever dream she was having. Her chest rose and fell in puffy little breaths as she opened and closed her fists.

“It’s OK, precious”, Effie whispered. Ever so gently she caressed a light fingertip between Amy’s closed eyes and down her nose.

A trick that Sae once taught her. It never failed to help settle the girl down. That and papa Haymitch’s strong, safe embrace. “It’s OK to sleep. I’m here. Mama’s here. Everything will be alright.”

Her own eyelids felt dipped in lead. What she wouldn’t do to just crawl under these covers and sleep the day away. Today and the rest of the week, for that matter.

She knew she shouldn’t have lied to Octavia. About the migraine. But what else could she say?

Certainly not the truth. “I’m sorry Octavia but Haymitch is slowly destroying his brain with alcohol as we speak and if you drag me into an amusement park for three hours I’ll end up on the news, having a nervous breakdown right in front of all those poor chocolate-sticky children. My own included.”

No. It was better this way. Better for all involved.

She nuzzled Ian’s skin. Caressed Amy’s hand between her thumb and forefinger.

“What are they doing now, you think?” she whispered to her children’s sleeping faces. “Uncle Flavius and aunt Octavia and aunt Venia. Enjoying a ride on the Ferris Wheel perhaps?”

She saw it as clearly as she did Amy and Ian.

The three of them, snuggled together in a passenger car. Heading for the place of birds. Giggles. Chatter. Bowls of buttered popcorn, warm to the touch. And down below: a spectacular view of the city. The river. The distant Capitol mountains.

Because of course they never cancelled. She didn’t believe it for a second. They’d been looking forward to this all week long. Especially Flavius. And the tickets were already bought and paid for.

Maybe Haymitch is right, she thought unhappily. Maybe they will grow tired and move on.

The possibility stung, but who could blame them? She hadn’t exactly been fun company lately.

R-i-i-ng!

The bell only just managed to break through her haze.

Not the phone. The front door. Far, far away – in a different life it seemed. Effie closed her eyes. Curled into the twins. Like a baby still in the womb. Nose in Ian’s soft, angel hair. Hand around Amy’s.

Her mother all but cleared her throat, telling her to go get the door, but Effie shrugged her off.

Just this once, she wasn’t going to care. Whoever it was, whatever they wanted – it could wait. Ill-mannered? So be it.

R-i-i-ng!

Her brows came together, eyes still promptly shut.

It’s not the prep team, she thought, despite herself. Way too discreet.

Their rings were always forceful. Insistent. Headache or no.

Couldn’t be Haymitch either. Doorbells equaled decorations in his book. He walked straight in.

That day when he showed up at her doorstep, out of the blue, hours before they made love in a bed for the first time, he’d pressed the bell. But that was a rare thing.

A sort of honeymoon treatment he definitely gave up on after she’d slept with him long enough to have his babies.

Maybe it’s Mrs Pluckrose.

Effie swallowed a sigh.

Yes, her delightful neighbor. Going on and on about how someone didn’t bother to mow their lawn this week and “we uphold a certain standard around here, Ms Trinket, in case you forgot”.

R-i-i-ng!

Oh, go away. Eyes squeezed shut, Effie pressed her lips together, willing her to leave. Just let me sleep.

Maybe the person – whoever it was – heard her thoughts, for a fourth ring never followed.

Effie caressed her daughter’s hair, breathing a sigh of relief. Silence resumed. She had almost gathered her thoughts when,

Tap-tap!

Startled, her eyes flew to the window.

She’d pulled the curtains shut earlier but behind them – a shadow was moving. Face shrouded in darkness, silhouetted by the brilliant sun.

Heart pounding, Effie sat up in bed.

“Who is it?”

And on the other side of the glass, a woman replied,

“Don’t be alarmed, ma’am. I’ve just got a delivery for you.”

Effie inched the curtain aside. Then some more.

Face tilted, the lady smiled as they came eye to eye.

“Thought someone was home”, she said. “What with the stroller out front.”

Effie blinked at the beaming lady, standing there in her flower bed.

Stout. Burly. Dressed in a lavender uniform and carrying what looked like some kind of gift basket wrapped up in cellophane and tied with ribbons.

She looked about Venia’s age. Dark skin. Silver mascara. Purple hair gathered in a ponytail.

A name was stitched on the side of her chest. Effie squinted at the letters. “Briar Rose”.

Briar Rose! Same as Snow’s youngest daughter.

“Oh, don’t hold it against me”, the lady said lightly when she saw her look. “We don’t all get to choose our own names. Besides”, she added, “the story it derives from goes back way beyond the Snow’s dynasty.”

Effie hesitated, then reached for the hooks on the window. Opened it ever so carefully.

“I just put my babies down”, she said, under her breath.

The woman called Briar Rose, nodded.

“I’ll make it brief then.”

“I didn’t order anything though.”

“Well, it says right here, ‘Effie Trinket’, and there’s only one Effie Trinket in the city, right?” The woman sounded almost amused.

“Yes?”

“Then I’ve come to the right place.”

Briar Rose settled the gift basket against the windowsill.

Effie’s eyes were instantly drawn to the sealed envelope attached to it.

A match of hope struck inside her.

“From District 12?”

“I’m afraid not.” The cellophane rustled quietly under the woman’s hands. Purple nails that matched her hair, Effie noticed. “Sorry I startled you before”, Briar Rose went on. “I know this is most irregular, but they said you were feeling a little under the weather. That I had to make sure you got it.”

“They?”

The woman smiled.

“You must have some generous friends indeed. Sign here, please.”

Alone again, Effie settled on the bed. Basket on her lap.

Aphrodite’s Beauty Spa. The famous logo was printed along the ribbon. The envelope had one word written on it. Effie. In beautiful calligraphy letters.

She swallowed and swallowed.

Not a gift basket.

A wellness basket.

Eyes burning, stinging, like standing too close by a smoky fire, she carefully turned it from side to side. Peered at the items through the cellophane.

Packets of dried herbs and flower petals. Bottles of essential lavender oil. Scented candles. Coconut oil. Body cream infused with vanilla. Aromatic soaps shaped like water lilies, so small they fit on your palm.

Bath bubbles and bath salt. Lip smackers. Face masks, bath sponges in three different colors and, shoulder to shoulder with a set of fluffy baby-soft hand towels: a neat package of wrapped up boiled lemon sweets.

With trembling hands, Effie opened the envelope. Got out the card, printed with a field of gorgeous sunflowers.

Her eyes travelled from left to right and as she read, her face crinkled up, shoulders beginning to shake with silent sobs.

She tried to be quiet. Didn’t want to wake the children. But despite her great efforts, she couldn’t quite keep the small, strangled sounds from escaping her throat.

More and more tears just rolled down her cheeks, dropped from her chin and into the wellness basket.

All that built-up heartache for months and months, if not years just … poured through her eyes.

Dear Effie

We’re so sorry you’re feeling unwell. Staying in bed when you don’t want to, is just the worst (especially when you can’t also have sex with a hottie). You know Flavius would offer but he’s just not that into redheads. At least not this season. And sometimes rest, real rest, is all you need to really bounce back again. And you will, darling.

Now try and sleep as much as you can and, when you’re ready, go pour yourself a nice, warm bath. Add some oil, some petals, light a candle and just relax and unwind in the bubbly water.

Once you’re back on your feet, you have our numbers. We’ll bring dinner and iced tea and then we can play a game of Scrabble together. Won’t that be fun? If we can keep the twins from eating up the pieces, that is.

Take care of yourself, dear!

Love

Octavia, Flavius and Venia

PS: Don’t worry about the tickets. Flavius knows someone who works at the Breeze. We got a full refund. The fair will always be there and who knows? Maybe next time, Haymitch might want to join!

xXx

*ring ring*

… Mm?

Eff? Did I wake ya?

Mm.

Oh, shit. Fuck. Didn’t realize how late it was. ’m sorry. Go back to sleep. I’ll call y’up some other time.

You’re here now. What do you want?

Just tell ya … well, how sorry I um ... for bein’ sucha a dick afore.

You really were. Even by your standard.

Yeah … *slurs* those three odd birdies really bring out the worst in me. Go figguh.

*sighs* Haymitch, if all you’re going to do is joke around, might as well hang up now. I’m not in the mood.

No, no. I won’t. Come on, Effs. Don’t be so snippy. You know me. You know how I really feel about things. *hick* Didn’t even mean what I said ‘bout the prep.

Good.

Well … ma’be some of it, but like … not the stuff that were like really mean. Honest, swee… I mean Eff. They’re your friends. I wants you to have friends. If they wanna come over and sing n read n … do theatre, that’s fine.

…

It’s just … I should be doin’ those things!

I know.

I shoulda been there for Am’s first word! What’s next? Ian’s gon’ start callin’ Flavius “papa”? I’m glad someone’s there helpin’ ya out. I am, but damn it … it should be me! Right? Why can’t I be a part of their life too? I’m their father!

You know why, Haymitch.

But I ‘aven’t been drinkin’ all that much lately. Honest! And there are ways around it.

It’s not that simple.

Why couldn’t it be? I know I ain’t perfect, sweetheart. I know I’m not good at it like you are but … don’t ‘ey need me too? Just a lil’ bit? I mean, come on! You said I could see ‘em if I was sober.

And you’re not!

I would be. If you were here. And it’s not like they know wha’s goin’ on, anyway. They’re babies, Eff. Even if I had a cold one right in front of ‘em it wouldn’t affect or hurt ‘em. I won’t fuck ‘em up. I won’t!

That’s what you need to believe in order to sleep at night.

Why’d ya have to be so mean, I already said I’m sorry!! *sobs* I cleaned the house up. Tha’s where I was before. Ask Peeta if you don’t believe me. Whole fuckin’ place: spick and span now. I don’t even live with Sae no more. All week long I just wash everything. Threw out a mountain o’ crap. G-got all their toys ready, so you and … you … Effs, I can’t live like this! It feels like a part of me’s been cut off! I need to see my kids. Bring the prep team along if you must, I’ll wait on them hand and foot, just … please come home! You can’t keep punishing me like this, Eff. It’s too cruel. *sobs* They’re my children too.

I’m not being cruel. I’m just trying to keep this family afloat. Haymitch, I know you’re hurting … but this isn’t about you. Or me. It’s about them. What’s best for them. *draws a deep breath* Look … what we can do or at least try is buy a videophone and install it in the nursery. That way you can both see and talk to each other.

*sniffs* For real? You promise? Yeah … yeah, that’d be great!

But, Haymitch! You need to show me that you’re serious about it, OK? You have to be a grownup here. A real parent. If we do this and you disappoint them …

I won’t! Never!

No showing up drunk. Or hungover. And if we say Tuesday at 2PM that means Tuesday 2PM. No excuses!

No excuses. I swear.

We’ll try that for a while and if you can make it work – then we can talk some more about the prospect of you visiting. But you have to earn it, Haymitch. You must do the work. You.

Yeah, totally! Absolutely! *wipes his nose* Can I tell ‘em g’night? I won’t wake ‘em or anything. Just g’night?

Not when you’re like this. Tomorrow maybe. We’ll talk then. You and I for sure. Now, put that bottle down, Haymitch and go to sleep. Or if not sleep then at least try and rest. Lay down on the bed or the couch and close your eyes. Things will feel different in daylight.

Can you at least tell ‘em I love ‘em? I mean, like … really make sure they know?

I will. Of course. I already do. Every day.

Author's note: And Haymitch's destructive cycle has gone full circle again, only to start over AGAIN. The Trinket Abernathy family truly is completely codependent. What do you think will happen next? Tell me in the comments!

Also, anyone else feeling curious about this Briar Rose character? She was supposed to just be the delivery woman in this one scene but I have a strong feeling this isn't the last we'll ever see of her.

[getcardedtarot]

July 2023 Monthly PAC

Welcome back lovelies! This time I've prepared a monthly PAC reading for July. Settle in, relax, and let your intuition guide you as you choose which message you need to hear for the month ahead.

For my monthly readings, I like to go more in depth. In addition to tarot cards, I also pull Lenormand and Oracle cards. The Oracle cards I'm using for this reading are Woodland Wardens, a beautifully cozy deck.

As a disclaimer, my readings are for entertainment only. Your choices are your own.

Pile 1: Tarot: 5 of Cups, 7 of Cups, 6 of Swords, The Magician, 8 of Pentacles, King of Pentacles. Oracle: Deer and Oak, Hawk and Thistle. Lenormand: Bouquet, Sun

I'm feeling a lot of grief and sorrow from you. You're feeling as if you have no options, or the options you do have are all bad. Fortunately I do have good news about July. You need to remember who you are and what you have at your disposal. You're a powerful manifester and the feelings you've been having are an illusion. Look up from your sorrow and see what's still around you. Pick yourself up and dust yourself off. This is a time to take stock of the good things in your life. Take a walk, get lost in nature.

I'm feeling also that you have some sort of craft. There's something you do that you've been working on or should be working on. This is the path to success for you this month. Work diligently at it, protect yourself but also have a keen eye for opportunities to use this gift. The life you desire is at your fingertips but you're letting yourself get caught up in your feelings. Remember who you are and what you're capable of.

As the month goes on you will make the journey through grief, and come out the other side. Take time to heal and nurture yourself. This will give you the energy and motivation you need to manifest the life you desire.

Pile 2: Tarot: The Hierophant, The World, Ace of Swords, The Fool, 7 of Pentacles, Wheel of Fortune. Oracle: Opossum and Peony, Frog and Lotus. Lenormand: Heart and Birds

Wow! This is going to be a big month for you! Big things are happening. I'm seeing that you've been sort of laying low, keeping your head down. I'm also seeing that you have something up your sleeve. Some project you've been working on perhaps. I'm seeing that you're very inspired and ready to start with this project, to really get things moving in a big way. You're about to come out of your shell! I'm seeing you take a leap of faith. You're nervous and excited about what this will bring. But the world is at your feet and luck is with you. Your hard work is about to pay off!

You're about to transform into a higher version of yourself. It's time to move on this project you have. Shed the skin of your old self and embrace this change, it will be fruitful. Get yourself ready and take the leap of faith!

Pile 3: Tarot: 8 of Swords, Ace of Pentacles, 7 of Pentacles, 6 of Cups, 4 of Pentacles, The Star. Oracle: Marten and Foxglove, Lizard and Pitcher Plant. Lenormand: Key and Snake.

You feel trapped in your past. You're keeping it so close even though it's keeping you stagnant and preventing you from moving on. You want so badly to be free, to move on, you just feel stuck and you're not sure how to get out. There is hope for you. Do something fun and maybe silly for yourself, don't worry about what anyone thinks about it. This should be something special for you. Something you enjoyed as a child maybe.

A new opportunity is going to present itself soon! A job or new financial venture, perhaps. Be spontaneous and go with it! This venture will be the key to beginning to move on.

[lucabyte]

hi im the anon who asked for ocs

thank you so much i love them so much

Im so happyy and gwaaghhh love your art and ocs so much and the worldbuilding seems so cool!!!!

erm i have not yet read all the linked things (hehehe soon SOOON) and literally would love to know even more about ALL OF THEM so uhhh *spins the wheel* tabitha

Hiiiiii!!! Cradles this ask in my hands like a baby bird. Thabmk you..... I have been staring at this ask periodically for days because I wanted to do some little explainer charts and do it justice for how kind you've been :')

Anyway!!! Tabitha is the funniest character to ask about first because he's like a fucked up little lodestone for MYMK's various factions.

Tabitha is.... A sleepy little (38 year old) guy. He has never done anything notable in his whole life ever.

... So he's the son of the richest man in the country. Not that he tries to think about that particularly often. His partner also doesn't think much about it since... Well, it doesn't really come up? Neither like their family so neither talk about nor visit them. And Chrome first got endeared to Tabitha after dragging his malnourished ass off the office floor a few dozen times when he'd passed out at work. He's clearly not bougie (and Chrome was relatively middle class anyway).

Eeeeeveryone else in Cliffside though (who's politically aware) is just, so suspicious of his sleepyhead ditzy guy demeanor. There's no way he's really that clueless and dim-witted.

Which... Is true. He's not dim-witted, just spacey and has internalised that all of his knowledge is worth absolutely nothing an undiagnosed autistic man who is finally in a low-stress environment.

So he's generally spending most of his days reading wikipedia, sitting in the sun on an unfinished porch, or doing the bare-minimum work he needs to pretend to still be employed. (He's still a music producer, just one that is very VERY derivative of his peers...)

(pictured: Tabitha bangin out the tunes)

But yeah! He's genuinely a chill dude. But once the plot gets rolling he does become an... Obvious hostage for the more dubious of our main characters. He's more fine with the hostage thing than the requirement he go deal with his family again.

But obviously things go a little awry when trying to use someone as a bargaining chip like this, even if they don't want to defect...

Which is where Tabitha's absoute UNINTENDED TRAIL OF DESOLATION rears its head. Turns out he uh, actually did have social connections before he up and vanished from all their lives? Turns out that um... You exist to other people?

Tabitha, high strung and basically constantly in meltdown mode in his late-teens early-20s did a lot of peacekeeping for his father. Peacekeeping between him, and the people that were Tabitha's childhood peers. It doesn't help that he was a good 5-8 years older than a lot of them, being somewhat of a cool older kid/teen/adult to look up to. And then! When he finally broke he just up and left, never really looking back.

It's hardly his fault, he was under a lot of pressure and was hardly properly socialised for this... But these are the sharks he'll be thrown to should he end up anywhere near his old haunts. Which he is. And will end up being. If he is perhaps brought there by our well meaning protagonists. Oops.

I like Tabitha a lot and he's a particularly deep side-character of mine. Functioning as an obstacle, ally, win condition... And very dangerous 'I'll kill everyone in the room and then myself' for Chrome should something happen to him. So be careful! He's fragile! And don't forget he has thoughts of his own, too...

I have a longer diatribe (Link!) detailing his whole backstory and meta-backstory (he's built out of psychoanalysed anime tropes!) so I wanted to talk about his actual um. Plot role and relationships outside of Chrome a bit! (BECAUSE HIS RELATIONSHIP TO CHROME IS VERY SWEET AND IS MY HOMEGROWN OTP BUT ALSO. THEY ARE CODEPENDENT. BADLY.)

He's fun because he is basically One Of The Villains who fucked off before too much villain shit went down. Which makes him silly as a supporting character. Gotta make sure he doesn't eat too much of the screen-time though.... (He gets enough in Purrgatorio...)

But yeah. Diversity win! This vaguely asexual autistic guy has managed to find a loving partner and a life that doesn't make his head feel like its filled with bees! It's filled with mostly cotton instead now but! He is okay.

Aaaand IMAGE BLAST

... Oh good lord Chrome and Tabitha will be turning 10 years old for real next year also. 11th of November 2015. What a time. Can you believe that I originally made him to be in his like, 20s? Fucked up. He should probably be older than 38 tbf but at this point the timeline is locked in. But god. 10 years. Happy upcoming birthday boys.

[butterflysociety]

 𓂅 ⸙ pick a pile ; shifting edition ❀

Cards ; Fairy Oracle illustrated by Arthur Rackham and written by Jaymi Elford, Dungeons & Dragons Tarot Deck

Ꮺ pile 1 ; Oracle Cards ; 8(Revolution), 12(Rehearsal), 29(Personal Celebration) Tarot Cards ; 8 of Swords upright, 3 of Wands reversed, Strength reversed, 4 of Pentacles reversed, 9 of Swords upright, 7 of Cups reversed

Through the haze, the answer lies within.

If you picked this pile, I'd like to start off by asking, are you scared of shifting? It feels as though there's a lot of doubt and fear mixed in together in one. Are you afraid of change? There seems to be a lot of desperation to shift, yet it also seems as though you are clinging onto the past, perhaps you're too attached to this void reality (some of you might deny being attached by saying “I’m too focused on dr!” when you’re sticking heavily on bad things in vr).

I think you are searching for answers to shift desperately, forgetting that everything lies within yourself. Currently, it seems as though your mind is incredibly foggy and you are feeling quite lost, you've forgotten to listen to yourself. Are you looking for shortcuts or long term solutions? I think spirit wants you to remember that practice makes perfect, you'll get there someday, and to rejoice in the achievements you've made so far with shifting.

Take some time in solitude, put away the shifting advice blogs and videos, stay off social media and just sit with yourself. Meditate, take some time to listen to your intuition. Take a break if needed, regulate your emotions, they are currently clouding your judgement regarding this journey.

trinkets ; 888, 44, fire energy, dragons, the word 'clarity', the third eye, "wheel of fortune", "fate", the skies, red ribbons, catharsis of something (not literal), descent, mystical drs, “someday I’ll find my home”, nostalgia, bitterness, whimsical daydreams

─── ･ ｡ﾟ❁ : .☽ .* :۰🌷 . ───

Ꮺ pile 2 ; Oracle Cards ; 28(Shared Wishes), 33(Community Celebration), 4(Offerings) Tarot Cards ; 10 of Wands reversed, King of Pentacles reversed, The Fool upright, 3 of Pentacles reversed, Knight of Swords reversed, 8 of Cups upright, Ace of Cups reversed, 10 of Swords upright

Through the darkness, that is when the light emerges.

It seems as though this journey, or your life in general has been quite tough on you. As though you've gone through hell and back, but you've made it here! You're recovering, on the steps to finally thriving. If you're asking for reassurance, here it is! Keep doing what you're doing, you're making progress even if you don't see it yet. I feel as though you've been on this journey for a long time (6 months to a few years). It's alright to feel your emotions and take breaks okay?

It feels as though the ones who chose this pile are mostly respawners. It seems like the people who chose this pile started off as very skeptical, logical type of people. Perhaps you doubted the act of shifting, but here you are! You should take some time in solitude to think over this decision, but also don't forget to hang out with loved ones. I feel as though something that's holding you back is your attachment to this reality. There's a feeling as though you owe the people here something, but really, you do not. You very much have the right to leave this reality behind.

Spirit wants you to know that you should look to your community for advice, for they can help you attain what you desire. Are you respawning with a group? It is soon time to celebrate with your community how far you've come. There is an unexpected offer about to come. Take it, for it will most definitely aid you in this journey and your life in general. It is very important that you take this opportunity. trinkets: lavender, fantasy heaven(?), swords, birds, dove, 2222, 333, the sun, books, soul family, “My tribe, my found family”, heart shaped letters, autumn leaves, academiacore, fairy godmother, action drs

─── ･ ｡ﾟ❁ : .☽ .* :۰🌷 . ───

Ꮺ pile 3 ; Oracle Cards ; 34(Punishment), 17(Rest), 9(Enticement) Tarot Cards ; The Magician upright, 2 of Wands reversed, Queen of Cups upright, Death upright, King of Wands upright, 6 of Pentacles reversed, The Devil reversed

Far we stray, from the path of what's truly us.

Somewhere on this journey, you've strayed far from your original purpose. I feel as though you've lost sight of what you were shifting for, and have forgotten why you shifted. Feels like there's a fear of change, a fear to leave behind what's already so familiar and ingrained in your everyday life. Spirit is encouraging you to embrace this change and to take time to rest and contemplate to truly rediscover who you are meant to be, and why you are on this journey.

I think you are spiralling into confusion and are questioning yourself as to whether you really want what you are scripting, if you really want this lifestyle, if you really want this change. I think you're confused regarding your desires, whether you want them or if you are worthy of them. With the worth, you wondered you deserve to receive them in the first place (I’m getting the feeling that you might have different dr self(ves) in various drs that made you doubt for scripting in scenarios), due to coming from a rough patch in this reality. There’s anxiety involved, which caused you to fearing the future ahead from this vr psyche that sort of bleeds through your dr self(ves). The example I could think of is that you scripted in similar scenario as your vr rough patch, but you handled it better with extra spice and support to subconsciously reconcile yourself with this emotional wound.

There’s nothing wrong with you pile 3, it’s okay to be not okay especially grieving over things you have lost in this vr, there’s a reason why you get to discover that you can go to infinite realities: to live a better life by your own choice. You may feel like collapsing from vr’s situations, but just so you know that you’re still breathing for the sake of yourself. Pick yourself up when you’re finished with comfort and progress this journey in renewed passion. Everything will go into your favor when you realise that you’re capable no matter what, place your faith in persisting until you’ll get to dr.

trinkets: 999, 000, velvet curtains, dollhouses, goth lolita aesthetic, finality, endings, boundary(ies), the word “extravagant”, strawberry cake, dandelions, “Everything is gonna be okay”

[triforce-of-mischief]

The Devil's Earthly Nightmares

Based on this post

Words: 720

Summary: Wake, who has a not-so-friendly rivalry with seagulls, tries to warn the others about the evil birds.

AO3

AU belongs to @ezdotjpg/@bonus-links, go check them out!

Reblogs > Likes!

Slate whirls around, retaining his place at the front of the group as he walks backwards and signs at the same time. ‘We’re getting close to Lurelin Village.’

A collective sigh of relief comes from the others. They’ve been hiking through Faron Woods for hours now, in all of its muggy, humid glory.

“How can you tell?” Loft asks as he rubs a mostly-dry cloth over his beetle to keep its wings from rusting.

‘I know my Hyrule like the back of my hand. Also,’ he points at the sky, where they can make out a few wheeling birds above the tropical trees. ‘There’s seagulls. They live by the sea so if you see some, you’re probably near the ocean.’

“Seagulls live wherever the hell they want,” Wake grumbles. “They could live in your house if they wanted to. You’re just lucky they don’t.” The group goes silent for a moment, and he realizes that he’s getting some weird looks. “Look, it’s true. Those beasts will be territorial wherever they please. Right now it just happens to be the ocean, so Slate’s right. I’d rather not get anywhere near seagulls but I’m willing to put up with them if I get to see the ocean again.”

‘Riiiight,’ Slate signs, drawing out the movements. ‘In any case, we should be leaving the jungle any minute now and then we’ll have a clear shot to Lurelin.’

Wake sighs, knowing that there will soon be no cover between them and the seagulls.

****

Mask is engaged in a full-on stare down with a small flock of seagulls. The birds are perched along the edge of the roof of Kiana’s house, beady eyes laser-focused on the hylians below. Most of the heroes pretend to ignore the seagulls, huddled around the cooking pot and hunched protectively over their plates of paella. Mask, however, continues to dance with danger. Spirit raises his hands and Mask looks away from the seagulls for a moment to see the other’s words.

‘All they want is your food,’ Spirit signs, then thoughtfully looks down at the shrimp on his plate. ‘Maybe they’ll leave us alone with we just give them some.’

“Absolutely not,” Wake says before they can act on that terrifyingly bad idea. “They’ll take a few fingers and your firstborn child if you let them. They’re not picky.”

One seagull lets out a keening cry that would almost sound pitiful to the untrained ear. The younger heroes look at Wake, horror plain on their faces. They look up at the seagulls, then back to Wake again.

“Don’t fall for their tricks is what I’m saying. And keep an eye on your food. They’ll steal it from clean under you once they realize you won’t give it up willingly,” the pirate warns.

They return to their dinner, extra cautious of airborne thieves.

****

Wake peeks through the blinds, shamelessly spying on the others from the safety of his inn room. Mage, Mini, and Mirror are gathered around one of the benches and watching the ocean sunset with a few… friends.

A seagull perches on Mage’s shoulder, nibbling on his dangly earrings. The man doesn’t seem bothered, instead reaching up to scratch its head with what could almost be described as a wistful expression. Mini sits cross-legged on the sandy grass, stroking a seagull that lounges catlike on his lap. Wake is pretty sure that the kid’s eyes are even larger than normal, hinting at gleeful awe. A third seagull stands a few arm-lengths away from Mirror and takes a step away every time he tries to scoot closer, hand outstretched in an attempt to placate the bird.

“Did you know that seagulls mate for life?” Mage says quietly, gently guiding his seagull away from his glasses. “Once they meet that special someone, they keep that connection forever.”

“Seagulls are incapable of love,” Wake hisses, louder than he meant to.

Mage raises an eyebrow.

Well. Wake started another rant, he might as well finish. “The only thing they are committed to is chaos. Do not trust them with your heart,” he says.

Mage nods sagely.

The seagull that Mirror has been pursuing suddenly looks up, directly at Wake. The pirate quickly ducks under the window, safely out of sight.

Wake can’t keep them all safe from the seagulls, but at least he knows better.

[collidescopeeyes]

Time is a Roulette Wheel: Swain WIP Pt2

SFW

Not me spending like an hour in the weeds of the fandom wiki trying to reconstruct a timeline for Noxus. Apparently after Swain killed the previous Grand General and established the Trifarix council he pulled back most of the warhosts but maintained a bunch of coastal territories in Ionia and Shurima, which is roughly when I'm setting this, but also at some point in the future he decides on Ionian Invasion Pt: Back In The Saddle Again re: the awaken cinematic, which apparently isn't even necessarily canon?? Anyway I'm extrapolating a bunch of information about Noxus' current political climate from those two things

----

They give you a nice room in what you take to be a guest wing, and Garret departs again. There are guards outside your door, which you aren't sure if you're to take as a threat or a luxury. You aren't really in the mood for their oppressive hospitality, though, so as soon as the doors close you rewind yourself to the streets outside.

Your latest raven sights you almost immediately. There's lots of them outside the palace–you assume because that's where Swain is. You make it to the block outside the tower before you stop and turn to look at it, exasperated. “Come on then,” you wave it over. It flits down to the fence next to you, cocking it's head at you. “If you're going to be following me around anyway, I'd rather know where you are,” you say, offering it your arm.

It blinks, one eye at a time. “I'll tell you a secret? Something no-one else in Runeterra knows…” you coax. It caws softly. “Alright, you drive a hard bargain. Two.”

The raven steps onto your arm and caws. You grin. “Okay, let's see…hm. When I was six, I stole all of my friends glitter pens and blamed it on a boy who was mean to me. Then I felt bad, so I threatened him into writing an apology note and planted it and the pens back in her bag the next day.”

The raven caws harshly at you. You shrug. “I never said they were ground-breaking secrets.” Nevertheless, the bird settles on your shoulder when you lift your arm up to it, and you set out again.

You walk without any particular purpose, just exploring the City. You were somehow expecting it to be more depressing, but despite the grim and brutality architecture the people are lively and vibrant. It reminds you of Bilgewater, but with less outright crime, honestly. The market hawkers holler offers across the street, beside you a woman argues sharply with a weaver about the cost of a bolt of silk. A vastayan man on a street corner does an elaborate fire-breathing display, and his hat is piled with coin. Nobody apologizes when they knock into you in the busy streets, but not once does anyone try and lift your purse. You eventually find your way to the markets, where you permit yourself to buy a few books and a glass figurine that catches your eye. You usually prefer to travel light, but here's hoping that you'll be staying here for at least a while. You get skewers from a food stall that smells irresistible, and you feed chunks to the raven as you walk back. You suppose that they must be like normal ravens to some extent, because it accepts the food easily enough.

The raven departs with a soft caw as you make your way back to the tower, the sun setting in the distance. You rewind yourself back to your room and read until your dinner is brought.

—

If you were counting your entire stint in the Void as a single incident, meeting the Trifarix is the second most stressful thing that's ever happened to you. It's like a job interview, except you're pretty sure they're going to try and kill you if you don't get the job.

You're led into a cavernous throne room, with the Trifarix seated at a simple stone table at the foot of the empty throne. Swain sits in the center, Darius on his right, and to his left the Faceless in their many layered robe. You sit across from them, feeling distinctly like you should be wearing something nicer. Your guard escorts fall back, and Swain prompts you to recount your offer.

What follows next is the most exhaustive hour of negotiation you've ever been party to. The Faceless asks where you got your powers. You explain that you can't explain, and then go through all of the unpleasantness of proving it by hacking glass up on their table. Darius wants to know what exactly you have to offer Noxus, the limits of your powers, whether you can be sent to the front lines. You tell him you're immortal, and then when he laughs in your face, you say he can behead you and prove it if he's fine waiting a few hours for you to come back. He kind of pauses, then, and either the seriousness in your offer or the shard of mirror glass still sitting on the table seems to convince him, because he's a tad less rude after that.

Swain seems more concerned with the terms of your agreement than your worth to the empire–what your duties will be, for how long, how each party will assure the other that they're fufilling their end of the contract. He doesn't know off the top of his head how to get you home, but he suggests several promising avenues a team of mages and researchers could pursue. The Faceless suggests you work for them until they find a way to send you home, you point out that that motivates them to purposely delay or fail their research to keep you here. You suggest that you work for them for a year regardless of their findings; at the end they either send you home, or you fuck off elsewhere. Swain suggests a ten year term with updates. You point out that if you find out that they're trying to fuck you over, you’ll unmake this entire goddamn city around them. Swain points out, almost idly, that that would disproportionately affect the citizenry, and you don't really have a rebuttal for that, so you relent and amend that fine, you'll just kill all of them, but that's a much less dramatic threat. Darius laughs. The other two do not.

You settle on a three year term.

---

“Garret, be honest with me, are you reporting my every move back to the Trifarix?” You ask wearily, on your way out of the meeting.

Garret blinks. “Not specifically. Of course I'll be honest if asked, but to be frank, ma’am, they have better ways to keep tabs on you.”

You grimace, glancing up at the birds on the rooftops around you. “That's fair. Why were you assigned to me, then?”

“If the need arised, to kill you,” he says evenly.

You raise a brow at him. He doesn't look any more dangerous than your average Noxian, but there must be some reason he was the one assigned to take you out. He looked Ionian–maybe some form of magic that would take you off guard. “Unlucky.”

“So I hear,” he says dryly. He stops in front of your new residence, a two story in a nice looking part of the city, or as nice as Noxus' imperious architecture gets. “This will be your new residence. Someone should have already been by to drop off your citizenship documents. Welcome to Noxus, ma’am.”

“You won't be escorting me anymore, I take it?” You extrapolate. He shakes his head. “Can I ask you a personal question, then?”

He blinks. “Not standing out here in the street, no. You may invite me in for tea, however.” He fishes a set of keys out of his pocket and hands it to you.

You crack a smile, open the door, and then turn to stand inside it. “Could I invite you in for tea, Colonel I don't know your first name Garrett?” You say with your best approximation of an Ionian bow.

“You may, Madam Iso I don't know your last name,” he responds in kind. There's the edge of a smile on his lips, which is as expressive as you've ever seen him.

“I don't actually know if I have tea,” you say as you close the door behind you. “I didn't bring any.”

“I don't drink tea,” he says plainly. He goes to sit at your new couch, politely folding his hands in his lap. “You may ask your question.”

You sit across from him, bemused. “Are all Noxians this abrupt?”

He inclines his head at you, akin to a bird. “We value our time. Was that your question?”

You laugh. “No. I wanted to ask, and you can feel free to tell me to fuck off if it's too personal, but…you're Ionian, right? Why are you here, in Noxus?”

He pauses for a moment. “That is very personal, yes. May I ask why you want to know?”

You pause a moment, mulling over your words. ���Because…look, you know what I did in Shuriman. I work for Noxus now, and honestly there isn't a hell of a lot I wouldn't do to get home, but…all the same, I want to know what I'm getting into. What I've done to those people.”

He sighs. “It was…different, for me. My village was poor, and we had little to resist with when Noxus came almost a decade ago, under Darkwill’s rule. It was brutal, and I lost people I cared for in a hopeless attempt at resistance. The army raided our temple for relics, and we were told to bend the knee or die. I bent.” He spreads his hands to indicate to his practical Noxian garb. “I thought our lives would be as senseless and cruel as the army was. For a time it was. Then Grand General Swain deposed Darkwill, and things changed. The world opened to us. My sister pursued an education in history, my son an apprenticeship in smithing. We were recognized for the worth of our craft rather than the blood in our veins. I miss my wife, yes, and my son his mother, but we are fed and content.”

You look down. “Does that make it worth it?”

His lips thin slightly. “The spring does not justify the winter. They are merely things that happen, and we weather them.” You sit in silence for a moment, before he offers “Grand General Swain is just, as far as I have seen. He has inherited his predecessors' wars, but there is a purpose there where Darkwill only had tyranny and madness. He is not war-like by nature, I believe, but securing Noxus' future relies on stabilizing the borders of our acquired territories.”

“So that makes the brutal expansionism justified?” You ask dryly.

He shrugs. “Justification is the tool of a dishonest conscience. I know who I am and what is valuable to me, and I know what I must do to have it. So do you. That is why you are Noxian now. The citizens of Bitharix will have a choice to make, whether they value their lives or their ideals, and then they will either be dead or they will be the same as any other Noxian. I can tell you that the Trifarix cares for the wellbeing of Noxus. I cannot tell you if Noxus' wellbeing is more valuable than that of Shurima’s, but here is where I live, here is where I thrive, and so here is where I will serve. Whether the same can be said of you is your own decision to make.” With that, he rises to his feet and offers you a bow. “I will be going now.”

You nod. “Thank you, for your assistance, and for your advice.”

He nods. “Whatever path you choose to walk, I hope that you walk it with surety.” And then he turns and leaves.

You sit in silence in your new Noxian house for a few minutes. Then you abruptly decide this situation calls for ice cream and hop to your feet.

—

“Birdie, do you know if this place has ice cream?” You ask the raven that flies down to the fence next to you. It caws harshly, and you get the sense it's offended. “Oh, come on. I'll tell you a real secret this time if you bring me somewhere nice,” you offer enticingly. It caws again, this time somewhat uncertain. “C'mon, it's riiight on the tip of my tongue, can't you just taste it?” you taunt.

The raven stares at you so intensely you think it might actually be able to, and then hops onto your shoulder and caws in the direction of the markets. You beam and set off.

—

“God, I really needed this,” you tell the bird appreciatively as you devour your chocolate chip cone. “I know you're a demonic entity whose reporting my every move to Swain, since I'm under contract now, here's a secret for free: that man stresses me the fuck out.” The bird caws in what you take to be agreement. “I know, right? It's the resting bitch face, I think. It makes me feel like I've forgotten my homework or something.” You shudder.

As you finish your cone, the bird caws at you impatiently. “Alright, you did good, I guess you earned it,” you relent with a sigh. It hops onto your knee and peers up at you intently. The words rise to your tongue unbidden. “The thing that took me had a name, but I haven't been able to remember what it is since I killed it. I try, and it's just…white noise, like blood in my ears. I don't even know why I knew it's name, it's not like it ever told me,” you say forlornly. Then you blink. “Wait. I shouldn't have been able to say that. How did you–”

The raven crows triumphantly, and then pain beyond anything your curse has ever given you rips through you.

—

You wake up on a plush couch. You sit up groggily, only to realize you have no idea where you are.

“You weren't lying about your immortality, it seems,” Swain observes mildly. He's at a large desk, writing something. You're in his office, it seems.

You rub your throat. “What happened?”

“Raum suppressed your curse long enough to draw out a secret, and you paid the price for speaking where you shouldn't.” Swain says. He signs the page at the bottom, puts his quill in his inkwell, and then steeples his hands and looks at you. His expression is neutral, but there's an intent glint in his eye you aren't sure what to make of. “You were found with about a dozen shards of glass protruding from your throat. You have been dead for…” he glances at his desk clock. “Approximately one hour and twelve minutes.”

You blink. “That was quick. Usually takes longer here.” You look down at the couch you're on, which is covered in what is most likely your blood. You rewind it clean with a grimace. “Why bring me here?”

“For one, to verify your claims of purported immortality. For another, we need to discuss your duties. I had intended to give you some time to settle in, but given the circumstances it seems best to be expeditious. Do you need anything, before we continue?”

You frown. Your mouth tastes like blood. “Water would be good.”

He produces a pitcher and some glasses from a side table hidden from your view by one of his enormous stacks of paper, and gestures for you to sit across as he pours. “What do you know of Raum?”

You settle yourself across from him and drink. It tastes faintly of lemon. “Demon who eats secrets. I know generally what you can do with his powers, but I don't have the specifics of how you control them.”

He nods. “I see. Suffice to say, Raum becomes more difficult to control if I overuse his power, or if he's…overfed, shall we say.” He gives you a pointed look. You wince. “I purposefully let him loose to see if you could contain him unassisted. Not only did you accomplish that, but your intervention significantly weakened his bids for control. As such, part of your duties for your time with Noxus will be assisting me with Raum’s ongoing containment, starting now.”

You blink. “Now?”

“Now,” he repeats, unimpressed. “May I remind you that you fed him a secret capable of leveling a kingdom so that you could find the best ice cream parlor in Noxus, and now I am paying the price.” His voice is so dry it rivals the Shuriman dunes.

You wince slightly. “Yeah, that's fair. Give me your hand.”

He blinks. You hold your hand out towards him and wiggle your fingers expectantly. His lips thin slightly, but he complies. The leather of his gloves is warm, and you can feel the shape of his past beneath it, but… “Something's not right,” you mutter, opening your eyes. “Other hand.”

“Pardon?” He says.

You furrow your brows. “Give me your other hand.”

“This wasn't necessary last time,” he points out warily.

“Last time, I was being actively fried with demonic energy, which gave me a physical connection to Raum’s timeline,” you point out. “Now, I'm pretty sure there was a term in my contract that says you're not allowed to eldritch blast me just because you really want to, so I suppose you're just going to have to give me your hand.”

He lifts his hand from where it lies hidden under his coat, and if it were a word you thought could be physically applied to Swain, you'd say he seemed hesitant. Alas, it's not, so you go with wary instead. It casts a soft red glow across your skin, and when he finally places his palm in yours, it has the oddest sensation of electricity–a current that's just strong enough to hum under your skin, but not to hurt. Other than that, it feels like a normal hand, though admittedly one with long curling claws and feathers at the elbow.

“Satisfied?” He asks dryly.

“Yes,” you agree easily. You shut your eyes and begin to work–it’s strangely difficult, like every inch you wind Raum back he tries to regain. “This will take some time. He's not happy about it.”

“Hm.” He hums in response. “Tell me something. Why Bitharix?”

You blink at him. “It was in an important strategic location to connect trade from the coastal cities, and a sustained seige would cost too many resources, leave your forces too exposed for too long. Plus, I figured altering the geography of an entire city would be the fastest way of getting my point across.”

“Why not Port Alkaline?” He counters. “It was closer to Tereshni. It's an important coastal stronghold with strong walls.”

You furrow your brows. “I figured you were planning to blow their wall up and then just build it back. It's not nearly as thick, and you had more stone shipped in than you'd need for the those big ominous arches you like to build.”

“And do you know why we build the arches?” He pushes.

You frown. “It’s an ever present reminder of Noxus' presence, and their resources, as well as a defensible structure? Why are you…” you pause, narrowing your eyes at him. “Are you quizzing me?”

“Hm,” he hums noncommittally. “You mentioned you could restore the walls, and the Bitharix ravine.”

You nod. “Sooner would be better. Longer something is the way it is, the more it wants to stick. Won't take me long, though, I can go back to anywhere I've been before without much effort. Same goes for Alkaline, if you do end up blowing their wall.” You pause, listening. “...can you hear that whispering?” You ask.

“Constantly,” he agrees. “Best to ignore it.”

You frown. “Can you tell him to shut the fuck up?”

“I truly wish so, but no,” he sighs.

You open your eyes and squint down at his feathered hand. “Hm. Maybe if I…” and here, you slow the rhythm of Raum’s existence to a crawl, until there's quiet in your mind. Swain looks at you in what might be surprise, but doesn't comment. You sit in blessed silence for the few more minutes it takes to claw Raum back to what feels like a reasonable equilibrium. “Hm. Is that better?”

He removes his hand from yours, flexes it experimentally, then nods. “Yes. You're dismissed. I’ll send for you when I have need,” he returns to his work.

You stand, apparently dismissed.

“Oh, and Iso?” He calls as you turn to leave. “If you have any more pressing questions about local cuisine, please refrain from making bargains with my birds.”

You consider him. “...in that case, do you know where I can find a good seafood mornay? I've got a craving for fish.”

He gives you an unimpressed look. You're fully expecting to be ignored, but apparently he decides answering you is the fastest way to get you out of his office. “Sailmaker’s Bounty, on the east side. Now begone.”

“Thanks, boss!” You chirp with a grin before you close the door.

[joprompts]

the great gatsby (2023 musical) starters. part two. *starters from the musical. slightly edited for rp purposes. adjust as necessary.

better hold tight or i might fly away.

do you know what i did when my baby was born? when i found out that she was a she? i prayed that my beautiful child would be the fool that i could never be.

if that's the plan, you can count me out.

only four hours left and there's too much to do. i don't know what to wear, what to say, how to stand when i'm standing inside the foyer!

can justice be done? what a joke!

soon, we'll share in what i've done.

when the party's over, can you find another party somewhere?

we live for today.

one way road, is that what this is? have i traveled down it from a very early age?

it's tea, it's only tea! no need for such commotion!

today is never over if the party never stops.

god sees everything, but is slow on his commands.

i wonder what [she'd/he'd/they'd] do, if i walked through.

what if i turn into her?

she should know that i mean business, but i also mean causal, with teeny tiny sandwiches!

i'm sure you're the second-best she's ever had!

with only a nickel to my name, i've but it all to get in the game.

even for you, that was a scandal for the ages.

it took no time to love her, just to be worthy of her.

this could turn for me and i can guarantee when all this is done i'll be forever in your debt.

i wouldn't trust myself.

i kissed her and knew i'd ever stray, but then the world got in the way.

can you see through the mist? look out this way. can you see the green light, just across the bay? sometimes, it's blinking, sometimes it's warning, blinking it's message to me until morning. it's a lighthouse.

none of this was made to last.

i will be a rich man's wife with a rich man's baby and be set for life.

will she see i've made my world in the image of her dreams? the closer that i get, the farther that she seems!

i've become the man her world demanded me to be.

they want me to come in while the killer roams free.

better listen to that man. people say he takes the world seriously.

can you believe we now have a child?

she never loved you and she never will.

i built the perfect place to stay locked away.

we pay off the cops.

there must be some justice! someone has to pay!

how's the view from up there?

i spoke those words to gain security. it was maybe a mistake and the only choice to make.

i think you two are birds of a feather. i must find ways to fling you together. lock you both up in a closet for tea, charter a boat, push you right out to sea!

i've always known what i was fighting for.

to have and to hold. til death do us part.

only we know what we're going through. if i save you, will you save me too?

i'm gonna walk into the ocean!

we had to give up all the parties and drinking.

the party's roaring on.

marriage is more than vows and devotion. it is a ferris wheel of emotion. lifting you up, right after you fall. marriage is not what you picture at all.

i'm not going anywhere.

but now, today i see an open door at last that could lead me to a future i gave up in the past.

she eats and sleep and it is utterly wild!

i'm paralyzed with happiness.

i built a home beyond my childhood dreams.

breathe, i can't breath! can't hold it together! i try to inhale and my head starts to swim.

when i saw him walking down the aisle, he actually looked cute.

i've come so far for her.

if we don't go now, we might never know what this could be! who we really are!

i'm smart enough to know i'd lose everything if i ever strayed.

and boy, was i a sucker.

we'll be living back in time, just as it was before. only now she will have everything and more.

i've always liked swinging at little white balls.

it's time for tea!

can we stop for a moment and just look around. look at us all and the joy we have found.

i can't run away.

at the end of the night, i'm going home with him.

can you see through the mist, across the bay?

i let him put a ring on me.

but don't you think that every newlywed believes their marriage will endure and that somehow will escape their fate? is that every wedding's curse?

everyone can stop tip-toeing.

money can't buy happiness, no sir, but it brings you closer.

am i chasing a dream?

[greetingfromthedead]

C19: A Gut Feeling

For more information on the series (tags, CW, etc) click the banner!

Series Rating: 18+ / Explicit

Chapter: 19/84

Words: 2k

No particular warnings for this chapter.

← Previous Chapter | Next Chapter →

You notice the sound of engines first, and as soon as they reach your ears, you jump up from Vash's lap. For a brief moment, he is confused, but then picks up the noise too and looks off to see three pairs of headlights. They aren't coming directly in your direction, but they will pass by you. They seem to be in a hurry as they fly across the dunes, even in this darkness, wheels skipping from hill to hill.

"Something's wrong," you say as you grab the blankets and throw them over the sleeping birds to help them blend in better with the sand. You are lucky that your gas burner has been off for a while and you've been sitting in the darkness.

"They are heading for the town we came from. Looks like they could be from the next town over." Vash has also stumbled up to look at the cars.

"Come on, Red, don't be dense. Come here, get down!" you say as you squat by some bigger rocks. "You think something has happened in the next town? Bandits? Maybe a disease?"

Vash comes to sit down next to you. "I don't know. Could be. Their course might also be from a different place; it's hard to say where they're coming from."

"They do seem to be in a hurry, driving like this." You follow the lights moving away from you now, having passed by you far enough that you don't get too nervous about them seeing you. Your shoulders relax once the lights disappear completely, and you too sit down on the ground. "I'll keep watch. I have a bad feeling."

Vash reaches out his arm, barely able to touch yours. "I can also keep watch; I don't mind. It's going to be alright."

"No, you actually need the sleep, and we should get going early. Call it a hunch." You take his outreached hand and give it a squeeze. "I'll wake you if something happens."

His brows are in a frown as he gets up, and you don't move. He drags both mattresses to you and motions for you to sit on the one he puts near a rock. The other one he puts next to it before picking up both blankets again from the toma. You sit down where he motioned for you to go, and Vash drapes one of the blankets around you. You remember arguing with him about you not needing a blanket, and he finally got you to agree to get one because he pointed out they make for good cover. You realize he was pushing your buttons, but still, you are glad to have the blanket, both for camouflage and because it feels comforting. You lean your back against the stone, and Vash sits down next to you.

"Promise you'll wake me if something happens or if you need a break... from the voices." You simply nod in response, and he places a soft kiss on your forehead before laying down and using your leg as a pillow.

"Goodnight," you say quietly and stroke over his cheek. You fix the blanket on him, making sure he is covered, and rest your hand on his side.

It doesn't take long for him to fall asleep; his breathing is slow and deep. Occasionally, light snoring escapes him, but you keep watch for more lights, your eyes trained on the horizon. While the sounds echoing in your skull are loud and Vash's breathing is slightly distracting, you still try to listen for anything strange. Your body is tense while you worry about what could be going on.

Nothing else happened during the night; the toma and Vash slept till dawn, but you were still frozen, trying to pay attention to everything and anything while ignoring the voices in the back of your head. As Vash wakes, he turns onto his back and looks up at you.

"Morning, Sweet Pea." a light and sleepy smile dancing on his lips, and you feel your muscles relaxing. "I take nothing of note happened?"

"Morning, Red. I hope you slept well; nothing more came up; no more headlights; I didn't hear or see anything to report."

"I'm glad. Also, I prefer sleeping like this; it's a lot warmer with a personal heater." He laughs, and you smile, remembering how he cuddled your leg while he slept. "So don't expect to get any peace from me anymore. I'll be glued to you every night."

You stroke his cheek as his sleepiness gives way to a mischievous grin. He pushes himself up to sit and looks at you with his soft eyes. His fingers push a strand of hair back from your face, gently tucking it behind your ear.

"I do feel guilty having you keep watch while I snooze the night away."

"Don't. It simply makes sense for it to be this way. I'm happy to keep you safe while you get to rest. I'm fine; I don't need it. I'd choose for things to be this way any day."

"I know, but still. You spend the whole night watching alone and with the voices... I wish I could do more."

"I'm good. Don't start worrying so early in the morning; you'll get old. The suns aren't even up, and already you are bringing the mood down." You joke with him, a hand squeezing his.

"What a wordsmith you are." He teases you back, and he gets up to drag his bag closer, sitting back down next to you. You drape the blanket that has been over your shoulders over him too, getting close enough for you both to fit at least partially under it. You watch him dig through his bag and take a nutribar out. He offers it to you, but pulls back as soon as you shake your head. He eats it in two bites, washes it down with some water, and stretches his arms over his head before placing one arm around your shoulder.

"Oh, don't look at me like that," he laughs as he notices your fake annoyance at his antics.

"You are getting handsy, young man," you pretend to scold him.

"Who are you calling a young man all of a sudden? Just a moment ago, you said I was getting old." He laughs, pulling you closer.

"Well, it's all subjective. From what I've gathered, and while I cannot confirm it, it's my educated guess that I am older than you."

"You spent a century asleep..." You know he avoided the word dead on purpose.

"If you discredit time spent asleep, then I've probably already made up for that difference, sleepyhead, and if not yet, then soon." You take advantage of his choice of words. It feels good to tease him; the tone is so light and happy while the suns slowly creep up over the horizon.

"Mmmmhhh," he lets out a disgruntled sound and presses his lips to the side of your head. He pulls you into him roughly for the kiss and then lets loose again. "You always have a comeback, don't you?"

"It seems to be my thing, yes." You think about the times you've scared townsfolk by coming back to life after they're sure you've dropped dead from your wounds.

He places his free hand under our chin, and turns your head towards him to kiss your lips softly. As he opens his eyes again, you see a glint in them that you don't quite recognize, but before you can ask, he is already on his feet and holding out his hand.

"You said you wanted to get going as early as possible. We can hit the road immediately," he says as he helps you up.

Together, you pack up your stuff, making sure nothing is left behind. Some food and water later, the toma are geared up and ready to go. Today you decided to move faster. The feeling of something being wrong creeps into your bones, and Vash seems to pick up on it too. You push the toma into a slight run, hoping to cut your travel time by at least half a day and only have to spend another night out here before you get to the bottom of things. Not knowing what is going on makes you nervous. You want to be prepared, at least mentally, and have a plan, but it's hard if all you have to go off of is a gut feeling.

You make a few stops throughout the day, both to stretch yourselves and to give the toma a break. Vash keeps up with his own bodily needs, eating and drinking, while you take care of the toma, who both show a lot of affection towards you. Vash's tomas occasionally nips at yours with jealousy. As the two of you talk, you try to keep the tone playful, even though a stone in your gut is getting heavier the closer to the town you get.

"We should try and find a camping spot soon; it's getting dark." Vash says at dusk, but his thought is cut short as he forces his tomas to stop. You follow his lead and stop too. His eyes are wide, looking around and then focusing in on the spot where you were heading.

"What's wrong?" you ask with concern, as you don't hear or see anything that could bring out such a reaction.

"I hear her... She's in pain, dying." Vash's voice is barely a whisper; the pain in his face is as clear as day.

"Who? What are you talking about?" You don't understand, as you don't hear anything but the sounds of the birds and him.

"A Plant, a sister of mine," he seems to be in anguish. "We have to hurry; her voice is fading fast."

Vash commands his tomas into a run, and you follow him. You aren't sure how far the toma will make it like this after a long day, but for Vash to react the way he did, this must be very serious. Vash leans low on the bird, giving it a few pats, and you can only assume he is asking for forgiveness.

To your surprise, you managed to keep this pace for almost the whole night. The toma needed a few breaks, during which Vash was nervously pacing around, and you felt so lost, not sure what to say or how to reassure him. Before morning, the flickering lights of the city come into view. As you are behind Vash, following his lead, you don't see the expression of pain on his face; the screams of his kin are getting louder and louder. The lights of the town keep turning on and off, and you assume the problem is with their power Plant. When you finally reach the settlement, your fears are confirmed. You see some people heading out of town with cars, and toma, an old man at the gate is giving orders to people to go and hurry to different towns and villages to go and find help.

"It's your Plant that's in trouble, right?" Vash gets off his tomas and hurries to the man; he is out of breath, like he had run the whole way here himself.

"Yes, young man, we are desperate to find a Plant engineer in time. If not, I fear we won't make it." The old man seems solemn.

"Show me to it. Please. Maybe I can help." Vash pleads, and you get off your bird, taking both toma by their headgear.

"Of course, please follow me!" The man goes as fast as he can back into the city and leads you to a fortified building. A number of people are there, some on their knees, praying; the others carry guns and seem to be on the lookout. They all seem to be surprised at the old man's voice: "Move aside! Let me through!"

The people move, and one of the guards opens the big door to let the man and Vash in. You stay a few steps back and find a post to tie your toma to. For a moment, you contemplate staying and keeping watch over your stuff, but you doubt anyone is going to touch any of it, and the curiosity in you pushes you towards the open door.

You see the big cylinder connected to all kinds of tubing, and it shines a flickering red light onto Vash, who is standing a few steps away from it, looking up at the bulbous Plant.

For more information and chapters, check out the MASTERLIST.

← Previous Chapter | Next Chapter →

[alyjojo]

Love Reading 🦞 - October 2024 - Capricorn

Singles:

Who is Coming In: 6 Wands & Ace of Wands

Regarding: King of Wands

Long-Term Potential: 5 Pentacles rev

I’m not sure how much you’ve been dealing with this person already, some of you know them and some don’t but will soon. King of Wands is fine as hell, and everyone in the room knows it, this person gets a lot of attention. You feel like you’re winning when you’re with them, they’re like arm candy 🍭 or something to you, you definitely like the way you look together. Or that’s switched. Whoever is attracted to the other one is *extremely* attracted 😍 I’m kinda surprised The Devil didn’t come out. Maybe it’s too short lived. If you’re meeting this person spontaneously, they’re winning something the night you meet them. Could be a contest or something, or they’re getting some kind of public recognition, even if it’s everyone in the place being like “HEY BOB” because everyone knows Bob, he’s a local legend at this place - whatever it is for them specifically. Could definitely be Leo or a major fire placement. They’re “famous” with whatever their lane is, like the best bowler ���� in town & everyone in their league knows it. Their lane…bowling, ha 🤭 Could be a single dad with that awful joke. I just heard “divorced dad rock” and almost spit out my drink laughing, they’re extroverted, charming, and have a great sense of humor.

With all of that reason why/how they draw you in, it’s likely only going to be a one night stand if anything at all. There could be flirting and attraction, it’s possible something intimate happens for like one person - but not for most. For most it’s like a one night flirt session where you idk bowl together with others, have a fantastic time, think you’re really hitting it off…and then nothing. No follow up. No real interest? Maybe Bob is just extroverted and it comes off flirty? Long term, you’re going to get over this shitty feeling you’re left with of this person just jumping ship or not pursuing you. At some point you’ll see them with someone else, and be very disappointed - 3 Swords. The attraction is high but the outcome is 👎 no bueno.

Messages:

- I’m exhausted with this.

- I just don’t know what to say.

Oracles:

26 Accomplishment

Remember past accomplishments as a way to overcome present self-doubt.

Signs you may be dealing with:

Heavy Leo, Libra, Virgo, Cancer & Taurus

Couples:

The relationship: Wheel of Fortune rev

The problem: 2 Pentacles rev

What to do about it: 9 Wands rev

You’ve gone through a very difficult cycle with your person, possibly one of conflict, arguments, competition and drama with 5 Wands. If other people are involved, that would be the problem, could involve co-workers for some of you, or competition at work leaking into your relationship, or your person feeling like they have to compete with your job even. That seems to be the 3 Swords here, it’s you, them, and work…or others at work. Something could happen that your person thinks is flirting but you know that Roger talks about everyone’s thiccness and he’s just a dirty bird, what can you do? Ya gonna go off on him? No. Some of you are measuring your penises over who does more work, whose work is more important, what/who has been contributed more to something and why you both should fight about it. Much is subjective.

2 Pentacles rev can show this 5 Wands conflict starting over one thing and spiraling into a million different things, you can’t even keep up. Or this happens while you’re AT work, if it’s a one time dramatic event, and you can’t fight with them and also get your work done, they could be pissed you’re not responding or giving them your attention/top priority in the moment. Whether you even CAN or not idk. The whole issue could be that you hold back from them and act like they don’t exist while you’re at work…and 8 Pentacles is 50/50 for me. It shows work obviously, could just be that, but lots of cards do. It shows *detailed* work specifically, the kind that takes up all of your attention, your person could need a reminder on what it is you’re doing all day. Or switch. Like, you’re spiraling hot glass over a freakin’ forge, can you CALL THEM BACK? 😆

The issue could be that you’re too busy when they try to talk to you about something that actually needs *right now* attention that you can’t give and don’t know it’s right now attention they need. They always call, and that day you’re busy dammit, but you miss getting tickets for something idk. Cue the drama 🎭 Now they’re upset. If there’s anything on again & off again, that’s driving you/them insane too. What to do about it - 9 Wands rev feels like a need to lower your guard, and be vulnerable about the things that are bothering you in this connection, the bottom shows immaturity, or immature communication/behavior - I’m seeing pouting, arguments, conflicts, etc. There’s no endings, and love is here, it’s like if anything, they’re fighting because they miss you and want to be more of a priority - which you may not be able to do the minute they decide they want that - but just say that, no drama necessary. That’s the idea anyway. Both sides ❤️ Your irritation could need some space & calm down before responding though - and that’s fair. You’re busy.

Side stories: If there are flirty or drama people at work, you’ll be abandoning those connections…or whatever role you play in it. Some person always asks you out to lunch and your person feels a way…maybe they start packing you lunch? The solution seems to be vulnerability to battle insecurity - admitting it, it bothers them, can they make you lunches? It can be cute, a labor of love - if you’re not trying to die on the hill of OMG THEY GO TO LUNCH EVERY FKN DAY AND KNOW I LIKE TURKEY DROP IT - which is likely to make things worse because now you don’t even care how they feel, talking shit on their $20 heart-shaped sandwich cutter you complain they never use and now they can, like damn Cap 😂

If you two actually work together *and* you aren’t giving them attention, but you give anyone else some kind of attention, they’re literally dying inside, like Tinkerbell 🧚‍♀️

Messages:

- I crave your body.

- You’re still the one.

Oracles:

70 Insight

See beyond appearances, masks, cliches and cultural stereotypes to gain insight.

54 Visualize

When we develop our abilities to visualize, we can manifest maximum influence on our experience of reality.

Signs you may be dealing with:

Libra, Leo, Sagittarius & Pisces

[mizurush]

A small little modern au domestic and parenting vaxleth ficlet ?

Super nervous posting this but my best friend said I should and I wanted to cheer someone up so here's a little (very far off) snippet of a modern au ive been working at. its a university au so this is like in the future. im new at this so 

also thanks to my best friend for proof reading it I couldn't decide between robin or Crowe as a name and I think they fixed all the misnames.

Description: Vax and Kiki have twin babies and they’re adorable and love their parents and have discovered a quicker mode of transportation to get to them and its domestic and happy for like a page. 

it doesn't have a title bc if it did im in a joke mood and it would be “they see me rollin”

edit: I really just posted my lecture notes instead of the fic sorry yall its fixed 

“Im home.” Keyleth cheered into the house as she shut door and toed off her shoes. There was  a muffled “Mama’s home!” from the living room before there was an odd sound, almost like an office chair rolling over their wooden floors. Soon theres her little twins, each in a a round table like contraption with their little bodies in the middle, their little legs and some wheels pushing them forward,  rounding the corner were bouncing their way towards her cheering for their mama, repeating one of the few vet very valuable words they knew.

Keyleth could not help the laugh that came out of her. The sight of her children so excited to see her, and trying to figure out their legs to get to her quickly was a source of happiness and love she never imagined she’d have. It was too sweet, and too funny.  Vax trailed behind them with a laugh.

“Hi my baby birds!” She chirped crouching down to their level and ignoring the contraptions banging into her as she moved to pepper kisses over both of the twins. The babies shrieked with happiness at her kisses and finally seeing their mother after such a long day at work. “What are these things?!” She asked with extra excitement to keep their excitement. They continued to giggle and shriek, Raven reaching out towards Keyleth to be held, Robin slapped at the table in front of her. Keyleth picked up Raven out of his toy as she stood.

“Vex thought it was imperative that they have these exersaucers, and that we have one for each of them. Got a surprise delivery today and put them together before Vex came up here herself begging to see them.” Vax laughed. “She’s been begging for a video all day, but I thought mommy deserved to see first.” He would have moved to greet her proper, but his way was currently blocked by his barely one year olds and their vehicles. Instead he reached to grab her bag and hang it on the coat hanger beside her.

“They’re so cute. And funny. But when they’re out running us I’m blaming her.” Keyleth cooed and balanced Raven on her hip as he cuddled into her. She attempted to wave Robin into the house.“Come on. Come inside.” Keyleth encouraged the twin still in the toy to go back into the living room and she happily bounced along.

“Oh certainly. Minxie is slightly terrified. They are much faster than when they crawl and they take up more space.” Vax laughed.

“Oh no my poor Minnie.” Keyleth pouted looking for the feline around the room but it seemed like she had excused herself.  Robin started to fuss and reached out towards Keyleth who moved to take a seat on the couch. Robin, had learned quick and scooted her saucer closer to Keyleth allowing her to reach up and bring Robin into her lap as well. Vax dragged the second toy along behind him, ditching it in front of the couch.

“They’re even more adorable.” Vax chuckled meandering his way onto the couch beside Keyleth. “They’re gonna have legs like Grog.” He shook his head. There was a soft “mama” from one of the twins as they played with her hair.

“Yes my loves.” She replied giving either of them a kiss to the head and a tighter hug.

“They were both good today, very excited about their new toy. Im sure they’ll sleep well tonight.” Vax finally leaned in to give his wife a quick kiss to the lips. “I should probably go put dinner on. Do you have a preference?” Vax spoke softly as he stood.

“No preference. I’ll come help. Just give me a second.” Keyleth responded cocking her head towards to the toddlers clinging to her and Vax gave her a toothy smile.

“Take your time.” He replied heading to the kitchen. Raven watched as Vax exited the room and started fussing on Keyleth’s lap reaching out to they abandoned rollers. Keyleth carefully balanced both twins on her lap and reached over to grab the toy that was on the saucer and tried to hand it to Raven.

“Mr. Dino?” She offered but Raven only grunted and kept reaching out to the saucer, now trying to scoot on Keyleth’s lap. Keyleth giggled getting the idea and dragged it closer with her foot before placing him inside. Robin made a noise of interest as her twin bounced and started to scoot away before reaching out to the other toy. Keyleth placed the other twin in the other saucer and Robin scooted over to her brother before they both started scooting away.

“Where are you going?” Keyleth whispered, standing a little confused watching her toddlers scoot away down the hallway. She heard them start shrieking  and chanting “Dada!” Before she heard Vax laugh. Ah yes, the kitchen.

and thats it bye 

[blueskyscribeupdates]

Secure Own Oxygen Mask

Part 23

The bird had a silver collar around her neck.  You had never seen anything like it, but Ravage had.

"It's to enforce or prevent some behavior," he explained as you trickled some energon into the unconscious bot's beak.

"Query: what behavior?"

A raspy voice spoke up. "Collar's purpose: no talking. Only singing."

You and Ravage both turn to stare at the servant-bot, who had both recovered consciousness and helped himself to a cube of energon.

"Not yours," you said sternly, taking the energon.  You didn't trust this bot—though he was hardly a physical threat, only coming up to your knee. "Name?"

"Mine? Or bird's?"  Without waiting for an answer, the bot pointed at the elegant gold and black bird-bot. "Serenade."  Then at himself. "Backup #12."

That gave you pause.  You looked closer at the minibot.  No wheels, no wings.  "Query: Backup #12 is E Class?"

"Yes."  Backup transformed, clattering to the ground as a thin, square object that was very familiar to you indeed. "Data card."

"He's a Disposable then," Ravage said.

"Was," you reminded him before turning to the minibot, who was transforming back to his bipedal mode. "Backup: did not try to flee burning house. Why?"

"Wanted to save Serenade.  Fed her.  Cleaned cage. Bad tempered!" he chuckled.  "Still. Didn't want her to melt."

"Backup: can remove collar?"

"Ehhh . . ." Backup scratched his chin.  "Dunno. Master put it on."

"Backup: no longer has master."

The tiny bot studied the Decepticon symbol on your chest. "You shot him?"

"No." Would he try to run back to his owner? You didn't want to kill the little bot in cold blood, not after talking to him. "Left."  

"Soundwave is right." Ravage's tail lashed.  "At the first hint of danger your so-called master abandoned you, leaving you to die without a second thought."

"Ah."  Backup's shrug carried a note of apathy, as though life had taught him to expect no less. That struck your spark somehow, hurt it.  "So. What now?"

You handed him back the cube of energon, which he immediately began to gulp down.  "Backup and Serenade: will stay here."  An unarmed, flimsily-built Disposable would have no chance on the streets, where fighting persisted despite the Decepticon victory. And Serenade needed that collar removed. "Backup: should find new colors.  New alt mode also possible, if desired."

"New alt." He took a moment to process that.  "Illegal for me."

"The old laws don't matter anymore. We shredded them," Ravage said.  "Don't worry. Soundwave and I will protect you. It was brave of you to try to help Serenade, by the way. Not everyone would stick their neck out for a mechanimal."

"Not really an animal." He shrugged.  "Backup #12: appreciates your help too."

You caught Ravage's eye; ever savvy, he caught the unspoken request for privacy.  "Well, I'm going to rustle up some more energon.  Be back soon."

Despite his detached demeanor, Backup looked up at you with caution.  Perhaps he still wondered if you were a threat.  Perhaps most things in his life had been, one way or another. You got down on your knee so you could speak face-to-face, putting as much kindness into your monotone voice as you could.

"Backup #12: not a name.  A product number, for things.  However:  you are a person. And you are free now.  Free to choose. Name. Alt mode. Fate."

As you continued to speak, you caught movement in your periphery: the bird's optic cracking open. Once more, you met her eye.  What self-deception had convinced mecha that this was the gaze of a beast?  There was too much bitterness in those eyes.

And behind it, a growing hope.