#also like this hasn't been edited

[eliounora]

I wanna push you around

[royalarchivist]

During Wilbur's stream today, Tallulah was killed by a mob, and before he could revive her, Wilbur was also killed.

He was able to respawn and revive her BARELY in the nick of time (so she lost no lives), but I need you all to see Roier's POV of the event because the second he saw Tallulah go down (and then Wilbur go down right after, meaning there was no one there to revive Tallulah), he sprinted across the map as fast as he could to get there in time to save her.

[riacte]

Something about how Ren makes up canon characters with distinct aesthetics and how fanon characterizes him as a "dramatic flirty theatre kid". Something about Ren having two popular king characters and how it gives something else for fanon to latch onto. Something about how Ren is a "theatre kid" so he can play any role in fanon and more often than not the non-Ren mains put him as the eye candy/ love interest/ narrative tool.

[tricoufamily]

a current day nils and a 90s college student nils who's way too intense about his internship walk into a bar

[moraygrotto]

As always, please let me know if any of the Japanese is inaccurate!

This is... wow. Heheh, it's real pretty! ...I'm a little sleepy. Hm? Um, what's that weird look for? Huh? There's cream all over my mouth? ...Heheh. I do love my sweets. [cloth rustling] Ack! [cough] [burp] My— [burp] Ugh. [burp] [sigh] Heheh... I suppose I don't mind. Hm? Are you okay? Ah, did I give you a fright? Hahaha! It's... fine if I be myself and cut loose a little, right? Heheh. Here I go! [burps] It's kinda hard... I've still got a long way to go, huh? [burps] Eheheh! How was that? I'll try my darndest! [burps] I've got it! Fun, right? You and I can keep giving our best efforts together... right? [burp]

[keeps-ache]

i think i'm starting to really like writing again :D this will have consequences

[keepswingin]

Skz Minho + Paranoia by Kang Daniel, 1500 words or less

The rain wakes him, pounding against the covered window beside his bed. 

He turns his head and stares at the wooden planks that cover it for a long moment, waiting for thunder to follow. Lightning flashes through the lingering cracks between the planks that he never bothered to cover, and he sits up, shivers shooting down his spine, eyes fixated.

He waits, and waits longer, heartbeat growing loud in his ears, nearly drowning out the storm. There's a loud crash of thunder that feels as though it shakes the house, lightning, and then he sees it again, through the tiny gaps in the planks, trying to push through. 

He jumps up and runs to the kitchen, blindly searching for something, anything, stumbling over his feet, pricking his fingers, before he finds a knife and bolts back into the bedroom, brandishing it at the rotted fingers that try to claw their way through the boarded window. 

His chest feels tight, and it's hard to breathe, hard to think, but he needs to go to it, he needs to kill it, kill it before it gets inside and kills him - 

"Jagiya?" 

Han calls from his right, voice muffled by the blanket he has tucked up to his chin. When there's no answer, the sheets shuffle with his groggy movement. "Minho?" 

The knife trembles in Minho's grip. When he looks back at the window and waits for the lightning to flash again, the fingers are gone. It's just them. Nothing is trying to get in. "I'm - I'm here," Minho whispers, willing his voice not to shake. "I'm here." 

Han makes a soft noise that's meant to be a confirmation. 

"Come back to bed," he mumbles, and Minho exhales, hand lowering to his side. He slides the knife under his pillow as he climbs back into bed, and tries to pretend that he doesn't feel something else watching his back as he curls around Han once more. 

x

It's always hard to bring himself to unlock the door, his hands shaking as he reaches for the final bolt just beneath the doorknob. Han is already hidden away in the basement, something he does now without being asked, Minho locking the door behind him.

Han hadn't understood it at first, why Minho had asked such a thing of him, but then the older had explained, breathless and trembling behind a hot cup of tea. 

The air outside wasn't safe for someone like Han, someone with skin untouched by a toxic sun. It isn't safe to breathe, to look, to be near, and Minho's skin was used to the ashes, to the radiation and ruin and rejection of a planet that never recovered. His skin wouldn't bubble or bruise or seep, but Han's would, and he needed to go down into the basement to be safe whenever Minho went to open the door. 

Han always needed to be safe. 

Minho couldn't protect him from the world ending, but he could protect him from this. 

The door sticks to the molding when he tries to tug it open - the Earth was too hot now, too cold later, too inhabitable for anyone but them - he gives it a shove of his shoulder, heart stuck in his throat, and staggers outside. 

He looks around, takes it all in, and nearly chokes on the acid taste of the air. The troves of rumble and rock and remains. He tumbles backwards, slamming the door shut behind him less than a second later, breathing heavily, tears in his eyes. 

There was no outside anymore, no matter how many times he checks. There is nowhere for them to go. They need to stay here. They need to keep staying here. 

He needs to keep Han safe.

x

"Minho," Han calls, thumbing through an old book that predicts a world of gentle ocean waves and lush, endless forests. Minho hums from across the room, counting their rations, trying to make them last. He doesn't want to go back out, not ever. He's done looking. They could just stay here, and if they lowered their intake...if he ate just barely anything and gave Han what remained...they could make it. 

They could do it. 

Han flicks through a few more pages before he stops on one filled to the brim with jumbled bits of writing. "Is it safe?" Minho pauses his count. Turns towards Han and watches as he traches over someone else's writing, like it means something. The thought nearly sours his stomach. 

Han had him. Why would he need anyone else? 

"No," he says, watching as Han's shoulders hunch inward and his entire body seems to deflate. "I don't think it's ever going to be safe outside." The silence stretches long after his answer. It makes Minho uncomfortable in a way, that Han could ever sit in silence with him like this when there are so many other things they could be doing instead. 

Han's finger traces over the writing again. It's not Minho's writing. 

Minho's stomach turns and twists itself inside out. He stands when he can't take it anymore, crossing the short distance between them and taking a seat on the floor behind Han, tucking himself against the younger's back. His chin presses hard into the curve of his neck, and he wraps his arms around him, holding him close. 

He doesn't say anything else. He doesn't need to, when Han hesitantly slides his hand into his own a few moments later.

x

Minho feels pathetic today, standing at the kitchen counter and staring at the remains of an empty can. The remnants of sleep are crusted at the corners of his eyes, and exhaustion tugs at his body, weighing him down. His legs feel like lead, and his feet like cement blocks, meant to keep him below the surface, unable to catch a breath. 

There's blood on the counter. There's a knife beside it. 

He thinks it's his blood. 

He doesn't remember whose blood it really is, when a million eyes had turned and stared and asked him why. He doesn't remember taking the knife and running it across his wrist until his wrist had turned the color they had wanted it to be. He doesn't remember the smile they had given him as they had asked for more. 

Minho feels pathetic today, unable to finish the job they ask of him, unable to look Han in the eye and pretend that what they do is right when it all just feels wrong. Han was never supposed to be here, and Minho was never supposed to invite him in. Minho was never supposed to get lost - steal a glance at Han and never want to let him go, greedy in the way he grabs at his wrists, hungry in the way he presses close and doesn't turn away. 

Selfish. So selfish that he deserves being told to end his life so that another can start. 

Gentle fingers curl around his shoulder. Minho doesn't react. If they've come to take him, he won't fight. He's sick of them looking at him like this, sick of the torment, sick of all the images they paint for him on the backs of his eyelids.

"Hyung," Han whispers, gently tugging him back. "What'd you do?" 

Minho feels a shaky exhale rattle through his body, and doesn't know what to say. Does he say the truth, and let Han discover everything he's been trying to hide? Does he lift his arm and allow the blood to run freely onto the kitchen tile? Does he take the knife and slit his own throat before - 

"I thought we were eating dinner together." 

Han's cheek presses against his shirt. His careful fingers travel down and play with a loose string at the hem. The tone of his voice sounds...playful, not absolutely horrified, like Minho had thought it would've been. Something isn't right about this. He should say something, ask if the other is seeing what Minho's seeing, what Minho is, at the core of all of this, a twisted being with a disgustingly twisted mind. 

But then Minho blinks, and the world is brought back into sharpened focus. 

The counter isn't stained with blood, it's stained with what was supposed to be their dinner. Beets fresh from an old tin can, smeared against the counter, against the side of the sink, painting the side of the knife's blade. He dares to glance down at his arm, so sure it had been dripping blood, only to see more red. But it's the red of a vegetable, and not the inside of his arm. 

He hears laughter. Han's not laughing.  

Minho feels sick, and then he feels nothing at all.

x

He wants to say he doesn't remember how the fight started, but the truth is that he does, and there's glass shattering two inches from his head before he can stop it. He looks up and it's impossible to miss the glare Han shoots him, or the tears slipping down his cheeks. He's upset, and angry, and every other emotion close to it as he reaches for another picture frame. 

There's a part of Minho that tells him to stand there and not move, to stand there and let the glass puncture his body, his arms, his face, to let it stab him in however which way so that he can actually feel something that isn't the stare of a million eyes or the feeling of rotting hands pulling at his feet or Han's red cheeks and running nose. 

Han yells and tosses the frame, choking out another sob. Minho's body moves against his mind's wishes, allowing the picture frame to hit the hardwood floor behind him, glass fracturing into tiny pieces. 

Minho turns and looks back at the picture, half out of the frame and crumpled around the edges. It's one of him from what feels like another life; he was seven and had won his first sports contest, trophy clutched tightly between two tiny hands. His mother's finger is in the picture, taking up one corner of the frame. 

His father was gone by then, and it didn't take long for his mother to follow. 

"Don't you have anything to say?" Han screams, jolting Minho back to the present as he turns just in time for the other to launch himself forwards, fists pounding on his chest. Minho's back hits the wall with a thump as Han cries and hits him, over and over again. "Why aren't you saying anything?" 

Minho swallows, and avoids looking at the boarded windows, the duct-taped vents, the busted doorknobs. It's never enough, not when there's millions of eyes and only one of him. He can't keep them both safe anymore, not like this. Not when he's broken, and Han is ripping out the rest of his pieces. 

There's nothing left to say. 

Minho tries to grab his wrists, but Han jerks away from his touch, and one of his fists knocks into Minho's shoulder hard enough for it to sting. It stuns him, that the one person he's done everything to protect doesn't want his protection anymore. It echoes in his mind until it's the only thing he can hear, and he reaches a hand up to the side of his head, tugging at his hair. Han hates him. He hates him. Minho can't protect him anymore. It's all over. Everything's over. 

He should've known it would end this way. Nothing ever lasts, and he was foolish to think that this would. 

Han shouts again, and Minho blinks, tilting his head up. His heart aches. His head screams. Han cries into his hands until his tears spill onto the floor, one after another. Minho wants to reach out for him, hold him until he quiets, just like he used to when he first found him. He would cry for hours and hours, and all Minho could provide was the warm comfort of his own jagged body until Han had finally realized this was exactly where he belonged. 

He still belonged here, even if he didn't think so. 

"Han," he whispers, the letters bitter against his throat.

"That's not my name," Han says, sniffling, red-rimmed eyes locking with his. "Do you even remember?"

Minho's mouth opens, and then closes. They laugh at him from the shadows, cruel and callous, but Minho was cruel and callous, wasn't he? When he took Han in, and called him by a different name until it was all he could remember. Because his real name came from the outside, and they were no longer apart of the outside, not now, not after all of this. Minho never was, but Han used to be. 

He used to be.

"Let me out," Han says, already moving towards the door that sits on the other side of the room. 

Minho's heart jumps, beating hard against his ribcage as he stumbles over his own two feet. No. No, anything but that. He can't leave, he'll die if he leaves, his skin will burn, his breath will get caught his throat and Minho will be left all alone and he can't do this if he's alone, not anymore, not after being with someone else for so long -

"No!" Minho yells, throwing himself forwards, fingers slipping around Han's elbow just as he reaches for the knob. Han stills, still sniffling, chest heaving. Minho grips him tighter. Anything but this. Anything but losing the one thing he has left. "Please," he says, fighting against the sound of his own choked tone. "Please don't." He pauses, unsure of what to say. Would anything make him stay now that the truth has come out? "I can't lose you." 

Han huffs, the sound strangely twisted. "You already have," he mumbles, defeated, and before Minho can stop him, he's pulling out of his grip and reaching for the door. It's easy for him to unlock even though he's never touched the bolts before, something that itches at Minho's skin, because how would he know when he's down in the basement every time Minho tries to glimpse the outside? Unless...

The door is thrown open. Minho flinches, stumbling back.

Han opens the door, expecting ruin. What is revealed to him on the other side is anything but.

[melting-sugar-cubes]

♡Textless/edited verison of the color spread page for TGR, Case 23♡

{Please like or reblog rather than reposting, thank you~♡}

[raiiny-bay]

oc deep dive questionnaire - dhes edition

tagged by @sikoi (ty you for the tag!! <3)

-what common/uncommon fear do they have? tbh, there's not much that scares Dhes. when he was younger, he feared rejection, but that fear has lessened significantly as he's gotten older & become more comfortable with himself

-do they have any pet peeves? he's pretty particular about housekeeping, so his biggest pet peeves tend to be related to that. but he especially hates when Kelly leaves his shoes lying around instead of putting them away (bc Dhes *always* trips over them lol)

-what are 3 items you can find in their bedroom? CDs (lots of CDs), a tamagotchi (he brings it to work. it never stays alive long), & notes that he & Kel wrote back & forth to each other during class throughout their teen years

-what do they notice first in a person? whether or not they look directly at him/look him in the eyes

-on a scale of 1-10, how high is their pain tolerance? probably 8 or 9

-do they go into fight or flight mode when under pressure? fight - Dhestyn's a fighter through & through

-do they come from a big family/are they a family person? his family is pretty average, size-wise. his family dynamic is very eccentric, so whether or not he's a "family person" is kind of a complicated answer. he's not particularly close with anyone in his immediate family, but he does talk to them & visit them often

-what animal represents them best? a dog - generally, he's very friendly & loyal, but in the right circumstances, he does tend to bite

-what is a smell that they dislike? burning meat

-have they broken any bones? if so, how? several, mostly his fingers & wrists though. he's broken them in skateboarding accidents, during fights with other kids when he was in middle/high school, & by simply making poor decisions due to his reckless nature :-)

-how would a stranger likely describe them? i actually kind of explained this on his character page, but to sum it up people tend to see Dhes as either very charming or very unsavory

-are they a night owl or a morning bird? both! Dhes has a horrific sleep schedule. he'll regularly stay up until 1-2am & he wakes up at 5 o'clock every morning. though if he had to choose one, he prefers mornings

-what is a flavor they hate and a flavor they love? he really likes cinnamon. he's not a big fan of seafood.

-do they have any hobbies? yes! skateboarding, hacky sack, making playlists & listening to music, working out (weights/jogging), fashion (read: "fashion"), & ruining his hair, to name a few.

-boom, surprise birthday party! how do they react to surprises? Dhestyn always appreciates a nice surprise

-do they like to wear jewelry? if so, what is their favorite piece? yes, the man loves to accessorize. his favorite piece of "jewelry" is actually a necklace Kel gave to him when they were fifteen - it's a simple black cord with one of Kel's old guitar picks on it.

-do they have neat or messy handwriting? somewhere in the middle - it's legible, at least.

-what are two emotions they feel the most? love & anger

-do they have a favorite fabric? not particularly, no

-what kind of accent do they have? standard PNW accent when speaking English, though occasionally he'll have hints of a more Mexican-American accent, which he picked up from his mom's side of the family

tagging: @mobwhim, @lynzishell, @vicciouxs, @teddybearsims, & @salemssimblr (feel free to ignore ofc!)

[mememan93]

Tears of the Kingdom is a year old! How do you feel?

like about the game? the same as i did when it came out. it sucks.

[silver---linings]

(Zalgo text cw)

Silver awakened in a dark void. To his left, nothing. To his right, also nothing.

Where was he? How did he get here? This better not be Time Eater shenanigans again, he's had enough of that for one lifetime. "Eggman better not have messed with time again, I swear to Gaia."

Ś̵̹̜̰͌̆͐̆͘i̷̧͚͔͔͋́̕l̸̲̀̍̓̽̄́ḽ̸̨̝́̅͛̆̚ͅḻ̴̮̩̌̿̉̌v̴̢̰̞͒̈e̶̝͚̩̠͙̅͛̓r̶̦̦͖̱̜͛r̶̨̖̩̻͈̈͒̿̈́̈́͝ŗ̴̻͚̯̌͌͂̀̂ͅr̷͎͎̼̘̹͈͛̽͋̔̑̚r̶̲̈́.̸͖̤̔.̶̢̹̦͇̖̿͐̋̃ͅ.̵̦̝̾̽̑̊͝

That voice sent a chill down his spine. It sounded so... unnatural...

His hands glow as he takes on a fighting stance and looks around. "Who's there?!"

S̷̞̝̍i̵̡͉̐̋l̴̺̿ḻ̴̑ͅl̷̤̫̉͠v̷̤͔͑͠ḙ̷̂ŗ̴͕̿͝r̷͚͉̐͌r̷̥͒̎r̵̫̆̌r̵͙͈̔.̶̧̨͛̐.̵̨̜̄̑.̴̤̦̈͠

"Who are you?!" He levitates as his searching for the source becomes more frantic. "Show yourself, coward!"

He felt piercing eyes behind him. He whips around, and is met with giant, purple eyes, with three more, much bigger green eyes above them, leering down at him. When he made eye contact with the smaller pair of eyes, Silver was suddenly overcome with a feeling of dread. What... was this thing..?! Why was it making him feel this way?!

Even with nothing but his powers at his disposal, Silver was ready to take on whoever this was. "Who are you?! Don't make me ask again!"

There was a pause, before the glow from the eyes intensified. Silver was hit with a sudden, sharp pain through his body, causing him to drop to the ground.

K̴̩̠͉̥̱̟̹͖̹̗̓̈́͝ņ̴̧̛̘͔̗̘̝͚̭̳̟͚͐̓̌͑ͅǫ̸̡̗̞̺̩̯͒͐̏̏͛̇̇̿̿̃̾̊̊͠w̶̦̺͌͆͒͘͝ ̴̧̢͚̠̻̣͔̳̱͓̻͈̹̊̅ỳ̴̳͎̄͗ô̴͍͔͚̥͆̓͂͌͊̕̚͝ư̴̙̥̿͊̍̅̽͊̈́̇̀͗ŗ̶̧̟̮̻̞̤̫̜̣͉̳̥̩͍̞͊̔̊͋̈͐̄̈̆͌̀̀͘͠͠ ̷̛̭͈̮̂͛̂̎́͐́̇ͅp̴̨̙̗͈̜̜̜͖̤̝̻̰͋́́͜͝ļ̵̙̳͉͉͈͓͕̦̯̬͓̺̱͔̀̊͗̊͜ã̵̘̟̔c̵͈̬͔̳̭͚̩͖͉͔͈͎̞̓͋͋̈́̔̓́̆̄̽́̈̈̍́̕ͅe̷̛̲̟͙̞̲̹̠̊̈́̌̾̋̅͊̀̈́̃͗̆̂̚,̵̢̢̮͕̜̟̩͖̜̻̣̱̫̘͕͉̤̔̏̔̀̀͑̍͘͘ ̸̡̨̢͕̝̻͉͈̹͚̠̊̓͗̌̔̈̑̈́͒̋̈́̽h̶͎͙̲̹̫͎̟̟̔̑̈͗̄̿̆͂̀̀̓̀̔̉̔͝͠é̵̘̋͛̈́̒d̷̰̭͛̋̆͒͊̈͝g̴̮̖͗͐͝͠ḙ̶̛̺̻̇̊̏̋̌̈́̽ḣ̸̳̣͖́̓̽̏̾̇̏́̔̅̐͝ơ̴̯̺̟̮̯̮̭̓̔̓͗͋̽̊̓̓̄̋̚͜͝͠͝ǵ̴̣͚͍̖͚̹̹͙̺̈́̒̕̚ͅ.̵͚͖̰̖̖̝͓̻̭̤̞̗͓̟̫̱̦̈͐͊̃̀̈́͗̔̏͌́͐͒̚̚͝͝.̸̧̛̛̛̩̼͛̒̓́̎͐͌̀̿͛̑͂̕͝.̶̻̾̀̀͠

"Y-You..." Silver strained as he struggled to get on to his hands. He could manage to get only one eye open to glare at the mysterious figure. "What... are you..?! What... are you... doing... to me..?!"

Į̵͖̜̙͈̘̹̩͚͛̎̎́͐̀̊̀̅̐̾͘̚̕ ̶̯̳̃͒̀̅̽̌̋͝͝ą̵̡̹̯͍͎͙̭̫͌̍͐̿̒͌͛m̶̧̨̝͓̬̺̝͆̓͋̀̑̈́͌̊̅́̓̑̓͝͝.̶̡̨̰̻͕͉̮͎̱̠̠̗̳͆̌͂̈́̐̏̏̌̄͘̚͜͝͝.̵̤̯͉̀̍̾͌̓̑̽̉̆̒̍̈͘.̴̢̥͈̤̳̭͍͖̮͍͈̹̻͓̟̤͈̿̑̔͐͝ The figure fully revealed itself. D̴̦̐̍a̴̺̒͌̈ṟ̷̺̖͛̐ķ̷͎͑́ ̴̺̥̚Ǧ̴̠̃̈́a̶̱͇̓̿͝í̶̟̝̄͜á̶̔̚͜.̵̼̭̄.̷͖̖̅.̶̧́

"Holy sh*t..." Sonic had talked about Dark Gaia before. He figured he was big, but he didn't think Dark Gaia was this massive! "What... are you... doing here..?! Sonic... defeated you... and... sealed you away..!"

I̵̝͕̯̅̆͊ ̴̨͈̥̐̒h̶̤̰̀ȧ̶̠̹̕v̴̯̦̾e̵̫̥͌̃͜ ̸̜͕̅̽͂ř̷͎̠͊ȩ̵̱̃̎c̸̼̍̉ͅͅl̶̠̓́a̶͇͌̎͛í̶̪̭͙m̴̨̭̆ḛ̶͖͋͝͝d̶̘̖̙̔ ̸̩͚̈́̑m̵̠̥̉ẙ̶̨͈͔ ̴̘̕͠l̷̩̒͆o̸̝̜̟̿̑͝s̸̘͙͎̒t̶̢̗̺̔̅ ̴͔̅p̷̟̀̇͜o̴̟̍̒w̴̱̥̐̚è̴̟̠͑r̸̤̦̆͛͜.̴̫̩̓̌.̸̯̱̙̅.̵̛̞̍̌ͅ Dark Gaia slowly raised one of its long, spindly fingers to point at Silver. As he did so, Silver's pain intensified, forcing him to close his only open eye. B̸̪͊u̸̢͠t̵͈͘ ̶̬̇a̴̜̅ ̷͓̏f̸̨̾r̷̯̾a̷̲̽g̵̓͜m̶̯̉e̴̞͊n̵̹͋ẗ̵̪ ̸͇̋o̵̥̒f̶̘͒ ̶͙̇m̶̙͌ý̸̻ ̸͎̀ṕ̴̫ǒ̴̗w̸͕̓e̵̳͗r̵̻̀ ̷̪̀s̴̯͑t̷̯͠i̵͉͛l̵̤̈l̶͂͜ ̷͎͋e̴̲͐x̴͈̀i̶̟͘ṣ̵̆t̶̞̅s̸̮̉ ̷̱͝w̷̳͋i̷̳͊t̵̺̽h̴̤̀i̷̯̒n̵̥͋ ̷̲̾ỵ̵͐o̷͉͑u̸̫͝.̷͖̀.̴̡͝.̴̱̌ ̷͚͛Ả̷̼n̴͗͜d̶͎́ ̴̫̀d̷̖̕u̷̔ͅe̶͚̋ ̸̮́ṭ̵̕o̷͕͠ ̵̣̈́i̵̖̊t̷̼͆.̶̩́..

Silver screams as his body starts transforming.

Y̴͈̪̮̽͐o̸͖͉͈̽̓ű̷̪́͆ ̴̪̈́̓w̶̬̰̔i̵̧̟̗͔̓́͝l̸͔̲̲̀̀͆l̸͓͎͑̕ ̸͈͑̈́̽n̵͎͕̟̤͊͠e̸̟̹͈̐ͅv̷̙̭̖̰̑̆͒̈́e̶̛̟̼͍̎͛́ŗ̴̛͙̹ ̷̙̲̮̿͛̄b̷̙̗̯̔̂ȇ̶̻̥̯͝ ̵̨̰̙̓̐f̶̗̐̐͋̈́r̵͙͇͕̀͗̈e̵̩̠̺̚é̶̞.̴̰͈̌͒̓.̸̠̤̬͋̕͜.̷̨͚̦̌̆͠͠

As he is transforming, he can feel something else trying to take control. "N- NRRRGH! NO! You're not... taking... control... OF MEEEEERRRRAAAAAAA!!!"

Fighting it was futile. The monster took over. His eyes, now colored purple like most of Dark Gaia's monsters, shot open as the beast roared, before rearing his head up and lets out a long howl.

----

"Silver!"

Silver's eyes shot open, then he jolted upright as he took in a sharp gasp, then hacked and coughed as he gripped his chest. "Agh... Gaia, my chest..."

He eased his grip on his chest as he put his free hand on his head. "Thank Gaia it was just a nightmare..."

"Silver..?"

"Hm?" He lowered his hand as he turned to her. "Amy?"

She gently lifts his hand with hers to hold it before caressing it with her other hand. "Are you okay?"

"I'm... fine. I just had a nightmare. That's all."

"Are you willing to talk about it?"

He looked away and shook his head. "I rather not right now."

"If you ever feel like talking about it, just know I'll be here to lend an ear, okay?"

He turned his head slightly to look at her. "... Okay. Thank you."

"Want me to get you anything? You're looking a bit pale."

"Just some water, and maybe pain relief."

Amy nods. "Alright. Now, before I do that, I have something I want to ask." Her grip on his hand tightened. "WHAT GAVE YOU THE BRIGHT IDEA TO GO OUTSIDE AND FALL ASLEEP ON THE GRASS, MISTER?! IF I HAD NOT FOUND YOU, YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN SICK! KIDNAPPED BY EGGMAN! OR WORSE!"

Her sudden booming, authoritive voice was a stark contrast to the gentle voice she used moments before. When she finished scold-yelling at him, he could hear ringing in his ears. He understands that she was worried about him, but this was too much, for him, and his ears.

And "falling asleep on the grass"? Clearly, she slept through his screams of agony, somehow. "Geez Amy! Tone it down, will you?! I have a reason for that!"

[outdraws]

a thing i firmly stand by ( in my interpretation ). joel isn't redeemable. in his own eyes there's nothing to redeem and everything was justified.

[amsterdamlouie]

pov: when your mom has covid but she doesn't stay in her room

[acearohippo]

Oh yeah, Tang Xuan absolutely called Li Ling after he sent this message

You can't tell me that Tang Xuan left the convo at that.

I held my shipping self back with my previous posts but no longer. Take this fic, I might post this on ao3 later this week because it's... actually pretty long.

AO3 Link:

Ship: Li Ling/Tang Xuan

Rating: T, for language

Word Count: 2.6k

Summary: They're just chatting on the phone being cute and whatever.

[[I'm glad you're safe tho... you scared the hell outta me]]

Tang Xuan sighs, a bit dreamily. His boyfriend can be so cute, it’s unfair. He’s by himself, in one of the lounging rooms found in New Mylo Marshall’s station. It’s been repurposed as a temporary room for him to rest in, not that Tang Xuan has been able to use it as such. Giving himself only three days to resolve the truth behind the collapsing Miracle, Javid’s role in it, and the frequent Miramon waves plaguing New Mylo has left him no time to relax for more than a few minutes at a time.

He starts typing out a reply but pauses. He has nowhere to go for the half an hour and it has been a while since he got to hear his boyfriend’s voice. Not that Tang Xuan needs an excuse to call Li Ling, his thumb already hitting the “Call” button and happily getting cosy on the couch as he waits for his boyfriend to pick up. The call doesn’t even ring once before he hears the tell tale click of the person on the other side picking up the call. Tang Xuan’s heart swells and he can’t stop the grin forming on his face.

“Babydoll, you better be calling me to tell me exactly where you are so I can come get you.” Li Ling’s low monotone drawls out. Tang Xuan tenses up, recognising the signs of an emotional shutdown. His happy mood fades as he assesses the situation. The fact that Li Ling answered his call, means they still have time before any social withdrawals. He doesn’t sound any different from usual, only a bit more flat in his speech. Hearing his voice does reconceptualise his text. Tang Xuan takes a moment to calm his racing heart and thinks quickly.

First, he needs to make sure Li Ling doesn’t try to come get him. Because he will, he seriously will leave wherever he is, find him (somehow), and- if he can’t take Tang Xuan with him- he’ll latch himself to Tang Xuan and not leave. Tang Xuan loves working with his boyfriend, but this case requires a lot more finesse and critical thinking than Li Ling’s impatience is willing to handle. Not to mention the time limit and what’s at stake will annoy Li Ling and cause him to make rash decisions that may negatively impact everything. Li Ling jumps to conclusions too often, and while Tang Xuan will admit he does too, Li Ling doesn’t stop to question those conclusions, not unless someone directly challenges it and he’s given time to reflect on it. Three days is not enough time for Li Ling to process something of this magnitude, Tang Xuan is still trying to wrap his head around Javid's cruel decision and how it doesn't quite fit the man who protected him in the desert, even if he was a bit of a douche about it.

“They sent me to New Mylo.” Answer his questions honestly. When Li Ling gets like this, it’s better to answer succinctly. Tang Xuan is grateful they’re voice calling, as he can easily pitch his voice to sound calm and casual. He lets a bit of the past day’s frustration leak into his voice when he continues. “You would not believe the crap that’s happening here, babe.” Tang Xuan waits for Li Ling’s response. He isn’t trying to change the topic, that never works with Li Ling for long anyway, but he is trying to gauge how far along Li Ling’s fatigue is, to better help his boyfriend out.

“New Mylo? Isn’t that the place that’s about to get wiped out by the new miracle shit? The celestial anomaly thing the higher ups won’t shut up about?” Li Ling goes quiet for a bit, though he isn’t idle. Tang Xuan can hear him tapping away at his screen. “You’re like, a few hours away by plane… I could get to you in less than 5 minutes if I use my ring… Are these photos up to date?” Li Ling mutters to himself and Tang Xuan sighs. Looks like he’s still focused on getting to him. Tang Xuan wonders if Li Ling even realises he’s smack dab in the middle of the small town that’s in danger of being wiped out, thus being in danger himself. Not that Tang Xuan is nervous, but it’s good that Li Ling didn’t make that connection just now. The more he talks, the flatter his voice becomes and realising the danger Tang Xuan is in could be the last straw that sends him into a non-responsive, hyper-sensitive mess.

So, Tang Xuan goes for a different tactic, switching positions on the couch to get more comfortable. “I could send you pictures if you want.” He’s still going to try to keep Li Ling there, but sometimes agreeing with his spontaneous needs can help him calm down faster. “But, I don’t think Raven will be happy if you suddenly show up on my mission.”

Li Ling scoffs. “Like I give a crap what she’ll think. What was she thinking sending you on your own there?”

“I mean, I did resolve the Crow issue practically on my own.” Tang Xuan still thinks it was weird how Tevor leftmost of the sleuthing to him. He brought the cat man with him specifically so he could sniff out the crow leader, yet Tang Xuan ended up gathering most of the clues and coming to the final conclusion of both the present mystery and the past mystery that caused the cruise events to happen. Waste of a favour and money, that was. “It only took me a few days, too! I think Raven and the others starting to see my worth, putting me on all these high, erm, ranked missions.” Tang Xuan almost slipped up and said high stakes. He bites his lip to prevent himself from rambling on. Fortunately, Li Ling doesn’t notice his almost slip up, mumbling affirmative sounds to show that he’s only partially paying attention to Tang Xuan.

Tang Xuan pouts, tapping a finger against his cheek as he thinks of a way to break Li Ling’s concentration. “Oh! If you come here, we can do a road trip back to Gyrate.” Tang Xuan grins as the other line goes completely silent. He can practically hear Li Ling processing what he just said.

“What? No, absolute not! That’s our anniversary date plans, we aren’t moving those up.” Li Ling, finally, sounds a bit more lively. Tang Xuan digs in deeper.

“Weellll, if you come here, Raven’ll wonder why you’re here, and saying it’s because I’m here isn’t going to fly with her.”

“Screw her.” Li Ling sounds like a petulant child, grumbling under his breath.

”So we’re going to need to come up with a valid excuse. You got any besides an impromptu desert tour, babe?” The grumbling on the other end continues.

“But we are doing a road trip for our anniversary… what does New Mylo even have?” Tang Xuan wishes Li Ling was next to him, because he just knows he’s making that cute confused face, eyes rolling up and brows furrowing in thought.

“There’s lots of stuff we can do down here… maybe.” Tang Xuan sounds chipper, a genuine grin spreading across his face as he realises he’s got Li Ling. The man might hate rules, but he hates changing plans even more. “They have these sand glider vehicles I’m sure we can get a hold of.”

“And then we can, what, ride around the barren landscape?”

“Aaannnd, we can fight miramon.” Tang Xuan suggests, picking at his braid. He’s going to need a trim soon. “Hey it’s just a suggestion. You could also just wait a couple more weeks and then you’ll have me all to yourself.” Throwing his braid back over the backside of the couch, he rests his head on the cushion and prays that Li Ling will take the bait.

“Hn. You’re changing the subject. I want to see you now.” Oof, yes he is but he needs to convince Li Ling he isn’t.

“I really want to see you too.” Tang Xuan coughs, not expecting to say it so emotionally. But it’s true that he does. Him and Li Ling are almost never separate for more than a week at a time, and they especially don’t go hours between talking to each other. It’s something that leaves Tang Xuan feeling warm and soft inside, even after years of knowing Li Ling, and almost a year of dating him, how strongly they are still attracted to each other. It doesn’t feel overbearing, not like his childhood did- constantly being a unit with his younger brother. Everything they did was done together and any attempts at individualising himself never lasted long. Tang Yun could, and would, easily join whatever activity or hobby Tang Xuan would sign up for. It didn’t help that they were equally good at everything, despite having differing personalities.

Tang Xuan loves his brother, but he hated being overlooked for who he was. He never wanted to be a part of a pair again.

Until Li Ling came along and, gradually, all he wanted was to be matched with him. It felt different. They did many things together, but he was still Tang Xuan and Li Ling was still Li Ling. Sure, sometimes he was “Li Ling’s boyfriend” but Li Ling was also “Tang Xuan’s boyfriend” and it is exhilarating to him every time. Perhaps this is what those cheeky aunties meant when they would tell his younger self to “wait until he’s older” whenever he would declare he’d remain single his whole life. Being an item with Li Ling just carried differently than being “the Twins”. He is still himself even when he yearns to be plastered to Li Ling.

Damn, he loves this bastard.

“I want to see you so bad, Ling-Ling.” Tang Xuan continues, feeling a little embarrassed to hear it echo in the small room back to him. “And that’s what's getting me through this mission. We’re only a few weeks away from out 1st year anniversary, the places I want to go with you, the things I want to see with you, and do with you and do to you! I have been looking forward to it since you decided to stage a prison break for your former mentor.”

Li Ling has been quietly listening the whole time, and sighs softly between the break in Tang Xuan’s monologue. “Hou hou… You’re too damn cute.”

“Says the man who said he was worried about me after pretending he’s only been fighting miramon.” Tang Xuan teases.

“I was fighting miramon.” Li Ling says, and now he sounds like his usual self, even if his voice is still low.

“Why were you fighting miramon? You aren’t on miramon duty for the next month?” Raven might’ve been impressed by the corruption Li Ling and him revealed among the Tangton Correctional Centre, but they had to do press conferences and PR events for a week due to Li Ling’s outburst in front of the station going viral. Raven can be a petty boss.

“I’m still not on miramon duty.”

Tang Xuan waits for him to continue. Silence answers him instead and all Tang Xuan can do is sigh. “Please don’t get yourself in trouble before I get back. We’ve been planning this anniversary for months.”

“Don’t even, I should be saying that to you! You were supposed to be on vacation this whole month, what happened to that?” Li Ling spikes the accusation back.

“It’s not my fault! I swear I put in those vacation days, but when I checked I didn’t see them…” Tang Xuan still questions himself. He knows he pressed the submit button and he’s sure he received a message a day later that his time was approved, but when he pulled it up after splitting ways with Li Ling and Yun Chuan, he was shocked to see his schedule was filled again and none of the days he requested were blocked off. Even scarier, the message he received was gone. He had to go back and forth with HR for two days to clear up his schedule, again, and request the vacation but, by then, Raven had already tasked him with investigating the Crows on the cruise ship.

Tang Xuan hears tapping again. “Ling-Ling, what are you doing?”

“Making a note to talk to HR.”

“Why?”

“Because, when you come back, hou hou, I’m going to take you, fling you over my shoulder, and we’re just leaving. The note will be a warning not to interfere with us.”

“… Please don’t threaten anyone to give us a vacation.”

“I’m not. I’m promising them that they’ll regret screwing up your vacation with me.” He stops typing, sounding satisfied. Tang Xuan is now worried for a different reason, but a tapping on the door and Malik’s stern face peaking between the cracks, alerts him that he needs to return to the mission. Tang Xuan can only pray to the Sun that Li Ling will control himself and stay out of trouble.

“I have to go now, are we good?” Tang Xuan waves a hand at Malik to let him know he’s wrapping up his conversation. Malik nods in understanding and leaves him alone again.

“Yeah, we’re more than good, babydoll. Hmm, hey do me a favour before you go.” Li Ling sounds mischievous for some odd reason. Tang Xuan hums to show he’s listening. “Don’t tell anyone you have your phone back yet for the next two, three-ish, maybe six hours.”

“What? Six hours?? Why? If you were worried, the rest of our friends are so I don’t want to keep them in the dark.”

“Be-caauuusee,” Li Ling practically purrs, gleefully. “To make me feel better about you being MIA, Leora is taking me to a spice market nearby to try out Tangton candies,” Tang Xuan bites his lip to keep from gasping in pitied-shock. Tangton candies are lies in a wrapper. They aren’t sweet like candy, they’re just glazed balls of pure fire and agony. “And, after, Lewis is gonna treat me at my favourite grill joint.” Once again, Tang Xuan winces in sympathy. The food from that restaurant is delicious, but Li Ling always wants to sit right in front of hibachi grill and watch live as his favourite appetiser, skewered spiced-chili peppers, are grilled. Tang Xuan let him sit them there once and the smoke that came from those peppers hospitalised him as it clogged his nostrils and burned his eyes. As far as Tang Xuan knows, no one asides from him knows about the danger of letting Li Ling choose the seats. Tang Xuan sends a silent prayer out to Lewis, and hopes that his flaming hair will somehow render him immune to the effects of the spicey smoke. “And then after that, the boys and I are finally going to have an ultimate dodgeball competition!” Tang Xuan doesn’t even try to stop the grunt of disappointment from escaping, his hand audibly smacking against his forehead. Why do his friends become stupid the moment he leaves? They should know better not to encourage any sort of competitive sport with Li Ling, especially when there are balls concerned. Whatever damage they sustain, it’s on their heads.

Tang Xuan should warn his friends, but…

“It looks like I’m being sent out to look for more clues, so it might just be several hours before I post anything, anyway.” Tang Xuan has yet to see Leora lose her cool demeanour and it’s always fun to tease Lewis. “Send me pictures of Leora and Lewis enjoying the experience.”

“Deal, talk to you later, babydoll.” Tang Xuan returns his goodbye and ends the call. Refreshed, he gets off the couch and stretches. He has three days to wrap up this whole fiasco and he’s more motivated than ever to get it done.

[victorygrasped]

thinking ab maybe making some gif sets,,,,, been trying to refamiliarize myself with photoshop,,,,,,,,,, looks respectfully, if anyone has a cinematic / scene / moment they'd like gif'd lmk :]

[izzy-b-hands]

I keep forgetting I can't seem to get the current version of xkit to work on my new laptop and going to do stuff that it let me do fjldksafjdlsaj