#and really I think they both need healing | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

binisainz · 8 hours ago

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does this feeling go both ways ? ⸻ lando norris x reader ⋮ part four .

part one, two, three, four, epilogue. word count. 4.9k a study on. non-linear storytelling, childhood friends to strangers to lovers, stem girlie!reader, mechanic!reader, the happy ending i promised. author's note. OH MY GOD IT'S FINISHED !! this behemoth of a fic is just… thank u all for following me on this insane journey that literally just started because i had a shower thought about lando in an amylaurie au. no other reason except that !! but god. thank god it's finished ! here's the happy ending i promised you :) the ending actually surprised me because half of it was already written to be included in chapter 3 before i sent a snippet of it over to kae ( @tsunodaradio ) that made me realize… wait, this should be for the last chapter. so muaaahh special thank u to kae especially for that ! but, yeah, thank you all for being here. all the reactions to this fic have genuinely made me feel like i got on that podium myself. i have so, so much to say about this fic, but i guess i'll save that for the epilogue :) bc surprise !!!! there is one :D mixtape. do i wanna know cover by hozier, all my ghosts by lizzy mcalpine, true blue by boygenius, this love by taylor swift, garden song by phoebe bridgers, everywhere, everything by noah kahan, love you for a long time by maggie rogers.

NOW, 2024.

woking, in the summer, is still… well, woking. still grey, still muted in that distinct way that woking always is, except now the air is thick and humid, and the sun hangs just a little too high in the sky for comfort. still, it’s better than winter, better than the biting cold, better than the way february felt like a graveyard of things you didn’t know how to bury.

time heals all wounds, eventually, they say. you don’t know if you believe in that, but time has made them scab over at least. maybe that’s enough.

the mclaren headquarters hums with activity, voices overlapping, cameras flashing, the faint buzz of machinery somewhere in the distance. business as usual. you like it here, more than you thought you would. your laptop and phone are heavy with the weight of a job offer, a future you hadn’t fully considered, not really. it sits in your inbox, waiting. you have until sunday to decide.

it should be a nice day today. it should be fine. it is fine. except it isn’t, because he’s here.

you don’t know why nobody told you. maybe because they didn’t think it mattered, because it shouldn’t matter. and it doesn’t. not really. it’s just— what the everloving fuck? you thought you’d have more time.

but no, there he is, all too familiar, in his team kit, half-zipped hoodie hanging loose around his body, curls unkempt. you can hear his voice even over the ambient chatter of the media crew, see the way he moves, how he carries himself with easy confidence.

his co-driver sees you first, looks at you with a knowing expression, like he’s in on a joke you don’t find funny. your mind moves too fast, filling in the blanks of, oh god, he told oscar fucking piastri about me. about the girl who turned down a formula one driver. kind of.

fuck. great. amazing. splendid, even. that’s just what you are, aren’t you? a story, a joke, something whispered in locker rooms and motorhomes. maybe lando didn’t even mean it in a bad way. maybe he just said it offhand, absentmindedly, because that’s what happened. but still, the thought makes your stomach churn. makes your hands itch to leave.

so you do. you mutter some half-hearted excuse to the nearest person— something about needing to check something, maybe, you don’t know, you just need to go.

it’s not cowardice. not really. it’s just— well, self-preservation. you know the way your pulse picks up when he looks at you, how your breath catches, how the world narrows down to nothing but the space between you. you can’t do that today. not now.

but of course, lando follows.

the hallway is long and white and empty, and it kind of reminds you of hospitals, of clean sheets and beeping monitors and the fluorescent lights of a summer ten years ago, when you broke your arm and he sat by your bedside, legs swinging off the chair, promising he’ll take you to the lake when you’re all better.

(he never did, though. and maybe that should’ve been your first clue.)

he says your name.

you don’t turn around. just cross your arms, stare down the glossy floor. “i think we’ve talked enough, actually, norris. go back to your fans.”

there’s a beat of silence, then: “okay, but i want to stay.”

you squeeze your eyes shut. breathe. in, out, in, out.

when you turn to face him, he’s already watching you. eyebrows drawn together. his expression is unreadable, but his presence isn’t. it’s loud, takes up too much space, even though he’s just standing there, hands shoved into his hoodie pockets.

your throat feels tight. you don’t know what you were expecting, really. an apology? an explanation? none of it matters anymore. still, the words push past your lips before you can stop them. “did you do this?”

lando’s brow furrows. “do what?”

you exhale sharply, frustration creeping into your voice. “don’t play dumb, lan, it doesn’t suit you. did you pull strings? talk to someone?”

his face shifts, confusion flickering before something almost sheepish takes its place. “i mean… kind of? i orchestrated the whole media day here because i wanted to see you, if that’s what you’re asking.”

your breath catches, your fingers tighten around your phone, your whole body locks up like you’ve been caught off guard. because it’s not fair, the way he says it so easily, so plainly, like it’s the most natural thing in the world. like of course he’d do all this just to see you.

so you swallow hard, shove it down, focus on what you really meant to ask in the first place. you shake your head, press your lips together, steady yourself. “no,” you say, voice even. “i meant the job offer.”

his expression drops, realization hitting all at once. “oh.” his head jerks back slightly, eyes scanning your face, searching. “no. i— i didn’t even know you applied.”

and for a second, just a second, you can breathe again. because his eyes widen a little, mouth parting like he’s about to say something else, and you can see it— the genuine surprise, the way his expression shifts into something close to excitement, something proud.

“you applied to mclaren?” he asks, voice almost… hopeful. like the thought of you here— with him— is something good. something worth smiling about.

and for a second, just a second, you think: maybe it is.

maybe you’re not a fraud. maybe you did this on your own, maybe you’re actually good enough, maybe all those nights spent hunched over your laptop weren’t all for naught, maybe—

but no. your mind doesn’t let you have that. not yet.

lando shifts on his feet, glances away for a moment, then back at you. he takes a breath, “can we talk?”

you hesitate. then, “okay.”

his lips part slightly, like he wasn’t expecting you to agree, like he was bracing for another rejection. but then he grins, slow and wide, something warm creeping into his features.

you roll your eyes, crossing your arms again. “after you finish on the podium on sunday.”

he exhales a quiet laugh, shaking his head, his grin growing impossibly wider. “that a promise?”

you shrug, feigning nonchalance even as your heart is racing, hoping, praying that he doesn’t comment on how red your face has gotten. “just stating facts.”

and— god, he’s smiling so hard now, like you just handed him the goddamn moon, like this— you— are something he wants to hold onto. something worth waiting for. and it’s unbearable, the way he’s looking at you, like you’re something precious, like you’re something he wants.

he lingers for another moment, watching you, and you can see it in his face— he doesn’t want to leave. he’s scared you might disappear if he does. and fuck, part of you wants to tell him to stay, wants to reach out, wants to pull him back in like muscle memory, like instinct. but you don’t. you can’t.

instead, you nod towards the end of the hall. “you should probably go.”

he nods, but doesn’t move. then, finally, “yeah. yeah.”

he takes a step back. then another. still smiling, before he finally turns, walks back into the crowd.you exhale, half-expecting the breath to feel like release, like something you’d been holding in all this time— but no. you’d been breathing just fine.

NOW, 2024.

your parents’ house still smells like it did when you were ten— laundry detergent and motor oil, the sharp tang of vinegar from the pickled onions your mum keeps in jars by the kitchen sink. the walls are the same too, yellowed from age and the heat of too many summers, though your dad swears he’ll get around to repainting them. he won’t. it’ll be fine.

home is home. it always has been.

it’s familiar. more than anything, more than woking, more than the mclaren headquarters. this is home. and for the first time in a while, you let yourself sink into it.

you don’t watch the race live. your da is still at the garage, sorting through a backlog of clients before the grand prix weekend floods the town with people who suddenly remember they need their cars fixed. your mum has just locked up the laundromat, and maggie is watching her five-year-old, daisy, try and fit her entire fist into her mouth.

you’ve been on your phone exactly twice today. the first was at noon, when you schedule-sent your job acceptance email to mclaren, because somehow tricking your brain into thinking future you was responsible made it feel less like an impending life-altering decision and more like a minor errand. the second is now, as the silverstone race rerun plays on tv, your inbox confirming the email has, in fact, been sent. future you is now present you’s problem.

hamilton finishes p1. lando takes p3. a podium.

you should be happy. and you are, kind of. proud, even. you ignore it, busy yourself with clearing up the empty bowls of crisps and the half-finished drinks on the table, the chatter of your family filling the space around you. you don’t even hear the knock at the door at first.

but then daisy is waddling over, tugging at your sleeve before you can reach the kitchen. “someone’s at the door.” she announces, with all the confidence of a five-year-old.

you glance at the clock. past eight. weird. but whatever. you set the bowls down, brush your hands against your jeans before walking over, unlocking the door without much thought—

and then you freeze.

lando stands outside, looking like he’s either just finished a race or sprinted from the gate to your front door in record time. his race suit is gone, replaced with something more comfortable, but the helmet marks on his cheeks remain, deep and red and criminally distracting.

before you can even begin to process the sight of him, daisy walks over, gripping the hem of your shirt and staring up at lando with wide eyes. “holy shit,” she says. “it’s the guy from the tv.”

a full-body cringe overtakes you as maggie barrels in, already mid— “daisy, what have we said about swearing—” only to cut herself off when she sees lando standing there. she blinks. “holy shit,” maggie echoes. “it’s the guy from the tv.”

lando, menace that he is, has the audacity to laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. you, on the other hand, are actively considering whether it’s possible to spontaneously combust from secondhand embarrassment alone.

“we’re trying to have daisy unlearn some words,” you mumble, staring at the floor.

“no, no, it’s fine,” lando says, grinning. then he hesitates, glancing between daisy and you, before gesturing vaguely. “is she…? is there a reason why you didn’t…?”

you register what he’s implying exactly two seconds too late, and the sheer embarrassment slams into you like a freight train. “oh my god, no,” you blurt out, voice an octave too high. “jesus. she’s maggie’s.”

maggie, the fucking traitor, giggles before ushering the rest of the family back inside, leaving you alone with lando at the doorway.

and just like that, you’re thirteen again, standing in your parents’ garage while lando tells you he’s going to be a formula one driver someday, and you tell him— with all the confidence of a preteen who thinks she knows everything— yeah, i know.

you don’t know what to say. and he, apparently, doesn’t either, shifting on his feet, hands tucked into his pockets. the silence stretches, almost unbearable, until he clears his throat.

“i think you owe me a conversation,” he says, and you hate the way it makes your heart stutter.

you force yourself to shrug, crossing your arms. “we didn’t schedule it.”

“i can wait.” he smiles, small but certain. “i’m good at that.”

you don’t know what to do with that, with him standing there like this, earnest and real and so painfully him. you lick your lips, then take a step back, gripping the edge of the door. “i'll be back in woking tomorrow.”

his eyes flicker down to your lips, just for a second. then he nods. “okay.” another pause. “okay. i can wait until tomorrow.”

he looks like he means it.

you don’t trust yourself to say anything else, so you nod, once, and then— because you physically cannot take this any longer— you shut the door, maybe a little too quickly, pressing your back against it as if that’ll stop your heart from racing.

it doesn’t.

when you finally look up, still pressed against the door, you’re met with five sets of expectant eyes staring right at you. your mum, your da, beverly, maggie, even daisy, all watching like they’re waiting for you to do something, say something.

“what?” you say, voice a little too defensive, a little too high.

your mum speaks first, leaning against the arm of the couch, eyes narrowed at you like she’s trying to work out how she ended up with a daughter this emotionally repressed. “are you seriously turning that boy away?”

you sputter. “i— i didn’t— turn him away, per se, i just— he said tomorrow. we’re talking tomorrow.” you wave a hand vaguely, like that explains anything. “besides, it’s not—”

“oh my god,” beverly groans. /

/ “you absolute idiot,” maggie says at the same time /

/ — to which daisy gleefully echoes with an, “idiot! idiot!”

“oh my god.” you rub your hands over your face. “you guys are so annoying.”

but then— another realization creeps in, and you glance down at yourself, at your family. your dad, wearing the mclaren quarter-zip you’d gotten from the internship. maggie in an oversized orange long sleeve, beverly with a cap, your mum with the logo on her t-shirt. even daisy’s little socks have a bright orange trim.

oh.

oh, god, no.

that’s why he was laughing.

if you were embarrassed then, you’re mortified now. “i can’t.” you say, groaning. “this is so embarrassing.”

“what’s embarrassing,” maggie says, dead serious, her daughter looking up and mirroring her expression, “is that you’re still standing here.”

daisy gasps dramatically, like this is the most romantic thing she’s ever witnessed.

“i’m not—” you start, but maggie is already moving, pushing you toward the door, and beverly is right there with her, yanking it back open before you can resist.

“go,” maggie hisses.

“before it’s too late,” beverly adds, way too theatrically.

you hesitate for half a second, but then you see lando— still lingering by the gate, walking slower than he normally would, like maybe, just maybe, he was hoping you’d do exactly this.

and your heart lurches.

so you do the only thing that makes sense.

you run.

⸻ 𐙚 ⸻

you don’t think about it, don’t hesitate, don’t let yourself overanalyze the sheer fucking absurdity of it all: you just move. shoes hitting against the pavement, wind tangling in your hair, breath coming in short, uneven bursts, and you see him, just barely, lingering by a car parked on the curb.

for a moment, your brain doesn’t register it beyond an obstacle, something to swerve around, something that shouldn’t matter.

but then it does.

and oh. huh.

it’s not his usual car. not the one he takes to woking, not the flashy sports car, not the kind of thing lando norris is expected to be seen in. it’s old, a little worse for wear, the once-sleek paint job now dulled by time and familiarity, fitting in all too well with the rest of the street.

and then it clicks.

“you still have this thing?” you ask, breathless, as you come to a stop beside him.

lando startles, blinking at you like he hadn’t expected you to actually chase him down, even though he’d slowed down just enough to let you. his gaze flickers from you to the car, and there’s something almost sheepish in the way he shrugs. “thought the sports car would draw too much attention.”

he’s right. it would. but that’s not the point.

the point is— this car. this exact car.

you remember the first time you saw it, back when your dad spent weeks fixing it up for a client. you were six, a little too nosy, a little too eager to be involved, peering over the open hood like you knew what the fuck you were doing. and then there was lando— smaller, scrawnier, grinning wide as he told you he was going to be a race car driver one day.

it’s been years since then, but the memory is so visceral you almost feel like you could reach out and touch it.

lando, squints at you, his gaze snagging on the oversized hoodie you’re wearing. he frowns. “seriously?”

you blink. “what?”

he gestures at the bright orange mclaren logo on your chest, then at the number 81 printed just below it. “piastri?”

you look down at yourself like you hadn’t been wearing this hoodie all fucking day. “they ran out of yours.”

lando stares at you, mouth opening and closing like he’s trying to find the words to properly convey his offense. “they ran out— i’m literally on the team.”

“right, and piastri isn’t?”

lando groans, dragging a hand down his face, but he’s smiling, the kind of soft, reluctant smile that makes your stomach twist.

and then the moment stretches, lingers, because you’re both just standing there, not quite sure what comes next.

so you get in the car.

you don’t ask where you’re going, don’t even think to, because it doesn’t matter. the whole world could be talking about lewis hamilton right now, about his win, about the way he’s just broken a streak of bad luck with a masterclass drive, and you should care— you know you should care— but right now, it’s just lando.

lando, with one hand on the wheel and the other resting on the gear stick, fingers twitching like he wants to reach out, like he wants to touch. lando, glancing at you between streetlights, expression unreadable but eyes unbearably soft.

“congrats on p3.” you say, because it feels like you should.

he exhales a quiet laugh, shaking his head. “kind of hard to care when everyone’s just talking about lewis.”

you offer a weak smile. “i care.”

his fingers twitch again.

the car slows, then stops, and it takes you a second to realize he’s parked.

“you were right,” he says, suddenly.

you blink. “about what?”

lando turns to face you fully, fingers curling around the steering wheel. “february. i put you on the spot. i shouldn’t have done that.”

“lando—”

“no, i mean it,” he cuts in, shaking his head. “you were right. i didn’t think about how it would feel for you, how it would look. i just— i was selfish. i wanted you there, and i didn’t stop to consider how much pressure that would put on you.”

the way he says it, so genuine, so sincere, makes something crack inside of you. you swallow past the lump in your throat. “it wasn’t just you,” you admit, voice quieter. “i didn’t think i deserved it. still don’t, sometimes.”

lando’s jaw tenses, his grip on the wheel tightening. “you do.”

you open your mouth, but he doesn’t let you argue. “you do,” he repeats, softer this time, like he’s willing you to believe it. “you’re fucking brilliant, kit-kat, and i don’t know why it took me so long to say it, but you are. i meant what i said back then. i see you, i do.”

it’s not like he fixes you, not like the years of doubt just suddenly disappear— but maybe, just maybe, the cracks in your armor get a little bigger, letting the truth seep in.

you don’t think.

you just move.

you lean over the center console, seatbelt digging into your ribs, and press your lips to his.

it’s dizzying. it’s years of something bottled up so tight that the second it spills, it nearly drowns you.

it’s lando, warm and solid, his lips soft, but still so insistent, like he’s trying to make up for lost time, for all the moments that could have been, should have been, all the moments that weren’t.

you’re realizing how uncomfortable the position is, seatbelt straining against your shoulder, but you don’t particularly care— you don’t care about anything except the way his hand slides down, fingers pressing into your waist, holding you there.

he exhales against your mouth, shuddering, and it makes your head spin. you scrape your nails against the base of his neck, threading your fingers into the curls at his nape, and he groans— actually groans, and oh god you’re hoping you can hear more of that later— low and breathy, like you’ve just knocked the wind out of him. it shoots straight through you, heat pooling in your stomach, and you feel drunk on it, on him, on the sheer fucking magnitude of it all.

when you pull back, breath uneven, lando is staring at you like you’ve just upended his entire world. he exhales, then grins. “is it presumptuous of me to ask you to tell your family not to wait up for you tonight?”

your brain short-circuits. so you say the only thing you can think to actually say: “i accepted the job at mclaren.”

lando blinks. then, “why do i find that so hot?”

you don’t realize how much space there still is between you until he moves again, his fingers tracing a slow path down your spine, and then—

click!

the seatbelt snaps loose, and before you can react, his hands are on you again, tugging you properly into his lap, so seamlessly smooth you almost don’t register what just happened.

“did you just unbuckle my seatbelt?” you ask incredulously.

lando hums, utterly unbothered, leaning up to close the distance between you. “mhm.”

“without looking?”

he grins, teeth scraping against your bottom lip, and it’s so unfair, how effortlessly he makes you lose your train of thought. “thank you, driver reflexes.”

you scoff, but it comes out breathless, and before you can come up with something sarcastic, something that might actually wipe that stupid smug expression off his face, he kisses you again.

he pulls back just enough for his lips to brush against yours as he speaks, breathless and wrecked and so fucking lando. “okay, i can't wait to get you out of this hoodie.”

you huff out a laugh, still trying to remember how to breathe. “okay, now that’s presumptuous of you.”

he startles, blinking, and then— “i mean, it’s my teammate’s number,” he says, a little too quickly, like that’s what he meant all along, like he wasn’t just thinking about peeling it off of you. “it’s— i’m just saying, it’s—”

you know.

you know, and you grin against his mouth before kissing him again.

THEN, 2010 … which blurs into NOW, 2025.

the toaster isn’t working.

this, in your opinion, is a grave offense.

it’s been sitting on the kitchen counter for weeks now, abandoned and replaced, but you can’t stop thinking about it. you hate when things break. it doesn’t make sense to you— how something can work perfectly fine one day and then be completely useless the next.

it’s not fair, really, that your parents replaced it already. the new one is shiny and red and stupid. you could fix the old one. you know you could.

so you’ve taken it upon yourself to fix it. of course.

the toaster is in pieces. a dozen little metal parts scattered across the floor of your bedroom, lined up in careful, meticulous order so many little pieces, all clicking and moving together like a puzzle. you love puzzles.

your tongue pokes out the side of your mouth as you grip the tiny screwdriver in one hand, twisting, tugging, wedging the tip under a stubborn screw that refuses to budge. your fingers ache from prying at things that don’t want to be pried at, but you’re close— so close to figuring out what’s wrong, to fixing it.

you love figuring out how things work.

you’re so focused you don’t even hear your sisters leaving. you don’t notice when the house empties out, don’t register the hurried voices, the sharp slam of the front door. you don’t realize you’re alone.

not until the doorbell rings.

you jump. huh. you weren’t expecting that. you wipe your hands on your shirt, nevermind the grease and dust, carrying the toaster and your toolkit down to the kitchen.

where is everyone?

the house eerily quiet now that you’re aware of it. no footsteps. no murmured voices. no maggie bossing josie around. no beverly humming some stupid song under her breath. a strange, twisting feeling settles in your stomach as you make your way to the door, stretching up on your toes to look through the peephole. and then—

lando is standing on the porch.

you blink at him.

he blinks back.

“hi,” he says.

“hi.” you frown. “what are you doing here?”

“josie called me,” he says, holding up his phone like it explains anything. “she said they’re at the hospital with beverly. asthma attack.”

your stomach twists.

beverly gets bad asthma sometimes. you know that. you’ve seen it before, seen the way her face crumples as she gasps for breath, the way maggie and josie move fast, faster than you’ve ever seen them move, scrambling for inhalers and car keys and coats.

you swallow hard. “oh.”

lando shifts on his feet. “your parents are there too. josie asked me to come over. to, uh.” he scratches at his nose. “keep you company.”

you’re not sure what to do with that. you cross your arms, eyeing him carefully. “do you have anything better to do?”

he shrugs. “not really.” then he grins. “besides, you’re great company.”

you squint at him, trying to gauge if he’s making fun of you. you’re used to people making fun of you. you’re the smartest kid in your class— actually, you’re the smartest kid in the whole school, probably— and sometimes people don’t like that. but lando doesn’t look like he’s teasing.

which is… fine. whatever.

you step aside, jerking your head toward the kitchen. “well, i was busy.”

“yeah?” he kicks off his shoes, follows you inside. “doing what?”

you gesture to the counter, where the toaster sits in pieces. lando stops, tilts his head. “uh. you know you guys have a new one, right?”

“obviously,” you say. “but this one’s not working. so i’m fixing it.”

he hums, wandering closer. “you sure you know how?”

“of course i do.” you scowl at him. “i’ve read like, ten manuals. and i looked it up. and i’ve fixed other stuff before.”

“like what?”

you open your mouth, then pause. “well. nothing yet. but i know i can.”

lando just grins, like he finds that funny. you don’t get what’s so funny about it.

but then he holds the pizza box he brought, setting it on the table. “you wanna eat first?”

you hesitate, glancing back at your toaster. it’s important, obviously. but your stomach is growling, and lando did bring food, and— well. it’s not like you can’t finish later.

so you nod, dragging the toaster pieces toward the kitchen counter while lando opens the box. he slides a slice onto a plate for you, then one for himself.

you eat while you work, half-focused on the toaster, half-focused on the conversation.

lando’s been karting for a while now, long before you even met. he talks about it sometimes, but not as much as you’d like, because you want to know everything. not about the racing, really— you don’t care that much about that— but about the karts. about the mechanics of it, about how they work, about what makes them faster than normal cars.

“aerodynamics,” he answers, when you ask.

you scoff. “yeah, obviously. but what kind?”

he blinks. “the fast kind? what do you know about aerodynamics?”

you huff, setting down your pizza, wiping your hands on a napkin before grabbing two of the toaster’s metal panels. “okay. see these?” lando nods.

“pretend they’re wings,” you say, holding them up at an angle. “if a car is going really fast, air hits the wings, right? but if they’re tilted down like this, the air pushes against them, which pushes the car down. that’s downforce. more downforce means the car stays on the track better, but too much can slow it down.”

he watches, amused. “what about drag?”

you pick up a wire, twirling it between your fingers. “drag is when air pushes against the car in the opposite direction. good aerodynamics means less drag, so the car can go faster.”

lando watches you, eyebrows raised.

you huff. “you should know this already.”

“i definitely should,” he admits, grinning. “but it’s more fun when you explain it.”

your face feels warm. you pretend you don’t hear that.

after dinner, you pick a movie. you let lando choose, because he did bring the food, after all, and he picks something you don’t totally hate. you sit side by side on the couch, chewing absently on the crust of your last pizza slice, eyes half-focused on the screen. at first, you keep your arms crossed over your chest, but after a while, they loosen, and your head tips back against the couch cushions.

the toaster sits in pieces on the counter. beverly is in the hospital. your parents and sisters aren’t home. but none of it feels as heavy as it did earlier.

your eyes slip shut. just for a second.

when your family comes home, the front door creaks open, footsteps shuffling in. your mum pauses, standing in the doorway of the living room, watching.

you and lando are curled up on the couch, the tv still playing, the glow flickering over your faces. your head rests against his shoulder, his cheek tipped slightly against your hair.

she exhales, soft. “oh, how cute.” then reaches for her camera, snaps a picture.

later, it gets printed, tucked into a photo album, slipped between birthday parties and holiday dinners and old school plays.

(you don’t find it until years later, flipping through old pictures on a trip home, fingers pausing on the slightly worn edge of the page.

"oh, that’s a sweet one," your mum says over your shoulder, like it’s just another picture.

you slip the photo out of its plastic sleeve, take it back to your flat, left forgotten as you toss your bag onto the counter, too lost in the flurry of work and groceries.

later, someone else finds it. picks it up from where you left it on the counter.

“we were always like this, weren’t we?” a voice says, and when you look up, he’s already smiling.)

fin.

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loveemagicpeace · 16 hours ago

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Astrology Notes

Saturn in 4th house transit( not always ) but during this time, you may learn something about your family or find out that you are adopted. Although Saturn in this house is not bad, it can bring many benefits. it is the house in which Saturn otherwise feels comfortable.Very good transit for gaining independence and self-determination.

Neptune represents the grandmother, the wise old women. The first sign of a Neptune contact is a sense of loss, despair, hopelessness or confusion. Many people instinctively use this as a time to travel, a time to live on the surface of cultures, to escape from their own world and drift through someone else's. When u have transit Neptune-Moon: a visionary, drug-sensitive, spiritual time where the individual experiences the dissolving of emotional responses. Time out from the world to unconsciously reorganize one's emotional reality. Transit - Neptune-North Node: finding one's spiritual path, finding a group or "tribe" with a basis in the arts; healing; drug abuse; the metaphysical which propels one into a new life direction. Neptune-South Node: loss in the "tribe" of an old wise woman; a restructuring within the tribe of the spiritual leader, or the visionary one in the family; meeting a person from the past with whom you feel a spiritual connection.

When u choose your partner u will also feel compatible with him based on your sun. Your sun is your ego, joy, spotlight. So for ex.: gemini & gemini sun can be good in a relationship but the relationship can be very unstable. A sag sun woman & a taurus man will be difficult together. A woman will always need liveliness, playfulness, travel and passion. While a taurus man will be much more reserved, likes to stay at home and likes to be settled, he doesn't like too much change and a fast life. He likes stability and a woman who is stable. A gemini man is often associated with a merchant, a traveler. Geminis like to go through life without a plan and thinking. They get over relationships quickly and quickly find a new woman.

Virgo sun are very frugal people, they will only buy things they really need and do not like to waste money on unnecessary things. They like a practical lifestyle and like to do things that are productive during the day. They are also picky when it comes to money and won't buy something that is really expensive, they prefer to buy something that is worth it and that the price is as affordable as possible. Virgo man like order and cleanliness. They are quick to notice small details and like women who dress decently and neatly. They usually look for a woman who is a housewife or likes order and likes to clean.

The Sagittarius woman and the Virgo man are very different and rarely get along. The Virgo man doesn't like spontaneity or too fast a pace. The Sagittarius woman, on the other hand, is very unpredictable and loves adventures. Sagittarius women like to dress extra while Virgo men prefer to dress more neutrally and don't like to stand out and can sometimes be embarrassed when someone is very stand out. This is just based on sun sign. But I would also say that someone with a lot of virgo placements and someone with a lot of sagittarius placements will not find a common language or interests. They are quite different people.

It is said that the Gemini man's third marriage is the only one that is valid. However, statistics show that even among the third wives, there are almost no Scorpios. Scorpio women are such that they already accustom Gemini men to order in their first marriage. However, it is certainly true that these two must show a lot of mutual understanding if they want to live together. Gemini men should talk seriously with Scorpio women. This will also benefit their career.

Aquarius woman and Gemini man-Their relationship stems from love at first sight. They both have the same ideals, both are full of ideas that can make life more beautiful. Gemini and Aquarius love to flirt and have dinner at home. Such a marriage does not know jealousy. Gemini likes to adapt to the new ideas of their partner. And they act correctly, because Aquarius realizes what she has decided. She is sociable and with her he will meet many people who will be useful to him in his professional life.

A cancer man likes a woman who is family-oriented, fair, a homemaker. Many times they are looking for a woman who is like a mother. They are often moody and have their own habits that they stick to. They get a lot of their habits from their mother or from their family in general. They have a hard time adapting to new things. They are more inclined towards the past than the future. They have few good friends and their circle is narrow and private. They are very private about their home.

Cancer man and Aries woman are very different and often have difficulty getting along. Cancer wants a family and a peaceful life. Aries, on the other hand, can bring unrest and a lot of stress. However, they can be very compatible in the professional field.

Cancer man and Libra woman. Cancer is inward-looking, while she is outward-looking, and it is sometimes difficult for them to follow the same path. In love, they can complement each other. However, Cancer would like to marry a housewife who would replace his mother, to whom he has always been attached. Libra is excellent at her tasks, but she does not like to get her hands dirty. She likes to be a lady.

The Pisces woman has a lot of problems with men and many times they don't suit her the way she would like them to. The Taurus man and the Pisces woman are different in how they give love. With Gemini man, Pisces may feel that he is too light-hearted and not paying as much attention to her. It could also be that he won't be that loyal to her. Libra man and pisces woman are a good catch. However, he may be too focused on the attention of others or like to be adored by other women. Which a Pisces wouldn't like.

The Pisces man is naturally spiritual, gentle, in touch with his emotions. He is modest and does not care about money. However, he is very much in his own world and a dreamer. He has his own ideals and fantasies that he seeks in women. However, they are often disappointed in love. A female leo will be too fiery for him and he may feel too vulnerable or exposed around her. A marriage with a Virgo could fail because they are too different. He insists on his dream world, while she wants reality and order. She may become too critical of him over time. Libra woman and Pisces man -There is some risk in this marriage, although both long for eternal love. But sometimes they get entangled in contradictions and then they don't know how to move on. Libra should cheer up her little brain and pull it out of depressions. She is charming, but her emotions are sometimes just played. Her sensitive husband may soon notice this. Otherwise, they love peaceful coexistence.

You will usually have long-distance relationships with people you share the 9th house with. You will also travel a lot with them over long distances. These are also the people you will have the best time with on your travels.

The moon represents where you find the most comfort and how much home means to you. What you need emotionally. Venus represents the kind of love you want and the kind of relationships you tend to create. What you really want in a relationship and what you value most in the relationship itself.What will quickly attract you on the partner. Mars represents energy and what sexually attracts you to a person and at the same time what kind of energy you like in others.

Moon in Gemini -Communication is very important to you and you like stimulation in every given moment of your life.Moon in Scorpio-You value privacy and like to have a home that is deep and you need a lot of intimacy. Moon in Cancer-You like a home that is comfortable, safe, beautiful, and where you feel emotionally fulfilled.

Capricorn Venus- You show love through practical things and through building a life together with the person. You like someone who is serious and determined. Someone who will make you feel like they will never leave and will always be here with you even in difficult times. Sagittarius Venus-You like adventure, playfulness, and travel. In love, you will be very happy with a partner who will prepare a special surprise for you and who will enjoy life with you. Maybe someone who created a playlist for you. Aries Venus-Love can be something that takes you over and gives you a lot of passion but at the same time leaves space for you. A partner who will always be with you but at the same time understands your hot-bloodedness.

-Rebekah💗🌊

#astrology #zodiac signs #energy #my notes #astrological houses #astrology observations #planets

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directdogman · 3 days ago

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Finished Roger route. HOOOLYYY SHIT. First of all, you really REALLY are outdoing yourself with the comedy. I've been thinking of gnomes since the first one popped up. Second, HOLY SHIT AGAIN. THE WAY HE TALKS ABOUT HIS EX, AND HOW HE'S BEEN CONDITIONED?? the way he's literally the best abuse victim rep I've seen ever and he is oh so autistic and he is equal parts "makes bad decisions and takes things at face value"/"has deep and complex feelings and experiences and an ability to express them when he needs to". Genuinely HEALED me. Also I love the side characters. Omair? Have been thinking of him all day. Fabron? Never thought I'd like a French person but here we are. I could go on and gush about everything I love about DT but I'd be going on for hours. Just know Dialtown has changed my life and is one of my biggest special interests. Dialtown is so creative and loveable and u can see the love and effort and time and personality put into every single bit. I don't see myself ever NOT loving DT. Thank you, hound.

Thank you! I'm glad to hear you really liked Roger's route!

Roger's character was something Hollister (his VA/route cowriter) and I brainstormed for quite a long time. We really wanted to get a good balance with the character and not ruin his complexity by amplifying any one trait to the point it'd override the others. He's silly, whimsical, tragic, relatable and absurd all at once. He's an instant recipe for chaos/conversational disorder if you had him to any conversation, but also has enough depth to carry solo scenes and a narrative built around him!

As long as the script for his route is (96k or so words, not counting what was cut?) both of us were still not 100% happy with the ground we'd covered and choosing to actually finish the DLC itself was really tough. His route is already the largest in the game, but we STILL wanted to keep going, even though the route had been in production for so long and I had other projects to move onto.

I think that love for the character does show in the route, though! It's fair to say this won't be Roger's last appearance :)

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0coffeeplease0 · 2 days ago

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Forsaken Survivors + Killers x Amanda the adventurer GN reader(PLATONIC)

Note: This gonna be some sort of headcannon, and I chose to do this because I love Amanda the adventurer, especially the fan-made song and the lore, and I'm nervous on how this will turn out.

Warnings: horror, demon, death, ooc characters.

●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●

Prologue: You don't know how you got here, you can't remember anything, where was Wooly?

You don't know if you were free from that hell, maybe They had done it...but you still feel IT inside you, maybe you were free from that world...or were you?

●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●

Headcannons

This headcannon would be about your normal side, aka not letting them see about the demon.

☆Survivors☆

Noob

• He was confused on how a litteral child was here, but he also found you cool.

•He likes hearing about your adventures, he wishes he could go out and explore with you!

•Noob isn't one to share his food with anyone, but since you're his BEST friend, he will give you half of his burger or he would give you a soda.

•Noob had found out that you're short-tempered, you snap almost at everything, especially towards Chance.

•When rounds start Noob would try to stick with you to keep you safe since you were a child.

•Sometimes Noob couldn't stay by with you for much since he would end up dying early or he is in a different part of the map.

Elliot

•He would mostly be worried about why a child like you was here, he is worried for you.

•He would give you slices of pizza to cheer you up whenever your upset or angry.

•Elliot would be like a older sibling to you, he'd be protective over you.

•Now the time Elliot would be very worried would be when the rounds start, he doesn't know if the killers are capable of KILLING a child.

• Elliot wouldn't hesitate to take a hit for you if it means that you'll be safe.

•Elliot has noticed your big tantrums especially when he sees Chance tease you about something.

Guest 1337

•He would try not to get himself close to you, he dosent need any attachment.

•Guest would be surprised that you had managed to appear here, but he would most likely be surprised that you were just a kid.

•You would sometimes remind him of his daughter, he misses his family alot.

•In rounds he would be near you if your doing generators to keep watch and make sure you aren't hit.

•Guest thinks that the killers wouldn't hesitate to kill you, even if your a kid.

•Guest had noticed you throw a tantrum, bet he also saw something, he can't explain what it was, but...he's getting suspicious...

Two Time

•Something is wrong with you, and they want to know just what it is...

•Two Time has noticed that every time you were upset or angry there was a slight change in you...

•They beg to the Spawn about whatever was going on with you, it would be revealed.

Shedletsky

•He was confused on how you arrived, he didn't mostly expect a child to be here.

•He wouldn't mostly be around much so you both don't interact much.

•He's suspicious about you.

•Are you really innocent?

•Shedletsky is a bit wary, he dosent trust you very much...

Builderman

•He would be neutral about you.

•He thinks it's risky for you to be here so he would tell you where some healing stations would be if you get hurt.

Chance

•He is annoying 24/7 make you wish that you were back in the tapes than stand him.

•He would steal something from your bag, something important and he would tease you about it and get on your nerves

•He would stay around you a bit to keep you safe from one of the killers.

•annoying ahh

Dusekkar

•He knows that something is off...

•Something about you isn't right...

•Just what are you hiding?

Hamburger man ()007n7

•He would worry for you, he wonders how you got here.

•You remind him of c00lkid.

•He would be fatherly towards you.

•He'd tried to stay most of the time with you in rounds to make sure you are safe.

•Considers you as his child.

KILLERS!!!

1x1x1x1

•He dosent care how you got here.

•They see you as someone weak

•She would target you first, thinking your an easy target.

•They were wrong, you knew how to dodge attacks and run away, and since your small you could easily hide and that's what makes him annoyed and angry.

•They noticed that you were talking to someone in one of the rounds, but it wasn't a person, it was as if you were talking to a ghost...

•She thinks that there's something you're hiding...

John Doe

•Dosent care

•He would almost instantly notice something off with you when it was his turn in one of the rounds...

c00lkid

•A new friend to play with!

•He would target you first.

•He would not hesitate to harm you.

•He notices how his dad is around you, it makes him feel...off...

•He dosent like you.

Jason

•...

Demon Revealed

Survivors

Noob

•He is terrified...what was that thing?

•Noob would be afraid by the revelation, he would fear you.

•He dosent know how to consider you anymore...

Elliot

•terrified.

•He had saw it all happen, the way it appeared out of no where.

•He is scared, he knows that you must felt scared that he and the others would leave you.

•He would push his fears aside and comfort you.

Guest 1337

•is in shock

•He would be hostile towards you.

•He dosent know if he should trust you, he would keep an eye on you.

Two Time

•He knew it...

•He knew there was something off with you

•He would beg to the Spawn to make you dissapear next with that Thing...

Shedletsky

•He would be slightly frightened but kept his ground.

•He would be around a bit more in case you loose your temper and make that thing appear again.

Builderman

(Idk what to put here ;( )

Chance

•Surprised.

•He was intrigued.

•He wants know how it all happend.

•still an annoying ahh.

Dusekkar

(Idk ;( )

007n7

•Was it all happening again?

•He was terrified.

•But he didn't want to loose you like he lost coolkid.

•He would comfort you.

•He'd make sure your temper was low.

c00lkid

Killers

1x1x1x1

•if it was in a round, they would be slightly surprised, he would try to kill the demon, but it was almost impossible.

•Dosent change their opinion about you.

John doe

•No opinions.

•will try to kill you and kill it.

c00lkid

•Yay another one to play tag with!

•honestly dosent care.

Jason

•...

Ending note:

Sorry if this is bad and doesn't reach what you had in mind 😓

#forsaken x reader #roblox forsaken x reader #forsaken #roblox forsaken #amanda the adventurer

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t-tomuras · 2 days ago

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Pairing: Tenko Shimura x F!reader.

Contents: streamer au; tomura is tenko. sfw though suggestive language is used but nonetheless MINORS DNI.

Wordcount: 3.6k

╰┈➤ 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐲𝐃𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐲 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

Tenko hadn’t really felt like playing the game that Denki suggested and that Katsuki’s girlfriend eagerly endorsed in turn. She’d explained it was like Lethal Company but less scary, something good for you to play and he knew he was doomed the moment he saw you light up in his peripheral at the prospect.

Even if he was a giving and cooperative man, he still had little issue refusing what he thought would be pointless or not enjoyable for him.

Save for when you give him that damn, precious little smile and gain that brightness in your eye; only then could he not so easily tell you ‘no.’

“Chat has been begging me to play it,” a subtle agreement and an overstatement, really; a few scattered requests of it within the echo chamber of his Member Discord game suggestion channel could hardly constitute what you’d consider begging.

Tenko’s style of streaming wasn’t best suited for the more comedic type of games either. Your boyfriend was usually serious, calm and collected with minimal outbursts that typically came about during ranked matches.

You grin wider, sure that if you could you’d shine brighter than the sun in this moment, “so you’ll play with us? Me, Kats, You and Denks? I think Katsuki’s girlfriend could join too, it isn't like Lethal, up to six can play.”

“No need, princess just wants to watch the chaos,” Katsuki pipes up within the call, playing through Tenko’s monitor so you both could hear while you laid on the loveseat he’d brought for you with your phone in hand. The sweet voice of his longtime girlfriend in the background sounds a moment later as she giggles happily. You can hear the sound of a chair being pulled up from across his room, Katsuki’s voice lower as he addresses her. Something along the lines of ‘not sittin on her throne’ as she gives her reasons to the contrary.

Tenko swivels to face you at the sound of your shifting, the gaming chair you’d recently bought doesn't creak the way the old one used to as he leans backwards, “want to set up in our bedroom or the spare?”

His fingers reach up to rake no longer frayed nails over long since healed grooves along the column of his throat near his Adam's apple. He’s gotten better about the habit, especially with your presence in his life, as his hand dips to the cracked aglet of his hoodie string; picking at that instead of his sensitive skin.

You glance up from your phone, throwing your legs over the loveseat after kicking off your heart themed blanket, “which do you think?”

Indecisive about inconsequential things, really. You’d moved in together recently, sure, but you hadn’t fully set up your own section to stream, having opted to take a short break yourself while you settled in. You streamed with Tenko in his own office on occasion, usually playing co-op games or you’d commandeered the bedroom to stream Honkai without a facecam.

You’ve yet to finish setting up your own office within the spare room, despite Tenko having done most of the hard work thus far. Your desk constructed and gaming PC set up how it was when he’d helped move it from your old apartment but you haven’t redone any of your aesthetics. You said you wanted to take your time, enjoy living with him first before worrying about the job, no matter how ‘leisurely’ you considered the career.

Tenko thought it was fine though, you uploaded to YouTube in turn so you had idle income from ad revenue; not that even that was necessary but he likes you to feel comfortable and if having your own money did that then that’s all there was to it. He’d support you nonetheless.

Plus, he figured now was as good a time as any to seize an opportunity, to finally build you a new PC like he’d been wanting to. The timing felt perfect with the move, your break and your birthday coming up. Your current one was old, he’d noticed after unpacking everything and setting it back up earlier this month.

It makes him worry now, turning back around to check the game's specs to see if it was graphics intensive. Your computer ran decently enough, but you were barely able to play a game like Phasmophobia before all of its recent updates. He doubted the fossil could even open the program now.

“I’ll be in the office,” you chime as you tip his chair back some, draping over his shoulder and pressing your lips to his temple after pushing his headphones out of your way. Glancing at his monitor before you sigh, “I already downloaded it, the ol’ girl can run it, I promise. Plus if I’m on your old laptop I can’t change my lights to red for the ambiance.”

Tenko sighs as he reaches for you before you fully detach from him, grabbing your wrist first then reaching to cup your jaw. A gentle hold, one he does often and you go almost lax at the touch nearly every time.

“You can change them in our room too,” a slight gravel with his nonchalant tone despite his emphasis as he pulls you back for a kiss. Chaste in nature, enough to always leave you wanting more so you press forward with a smile after he pulls back. Two kisses every time, habitual even before you’d begun cohabitating.

“It’s fine, I’ll load in, they’re waiting already,” you hum with fluttering lashes, running your fingers along his forearm before you’re too far from his reach. Gently dismissing the topic because you two had already had a decently heated discussion about your equipment before.

You venture down the hallway towards your room, crossing Tenko’s sweet older dog Mon along the way. Giggling to yourself as she halts in her happy jaunt towards her longtime owner before turning around to trot alongside you.

You bend at the waist to scoop her up into your arms as she pants appreciatively, knowing full well that she’ll be within the lap of luxury, though that was true regardless of who held her. Tapping her paws against your arms and wiggling her butt the moment she spies her plush dog bed you’d bought her with a soft blanket adorned with all her toys.

Scratching behind her ears for a moment after tucking Mon in before all but flopping into your chair. Adjusting the valentines themed blankets you’ve yet to switch out and fluffing the throw Tenko got you for white day over your legs after you’ve settled in.

Donning your headphones as your tower and monitor whirr to life, you grab the small remote that operates the light strip fastened to the bottom side of the shelf over your monitor. It’s outfitted with several buttons, multiple of them color coded as you choose your lighting for the evening. An ominous red from the usual soft white light or the cool blue because you like to match the lighting to the mood.

White was the default, gentle on your eyes. Blue was for Honkai, back when you were at your old apartment anyway, green for what you and Tenko like to call ‘the two week Minecraft phase’ and red for horror.

While you patiently wait on the startup, you have enough time to lean back and take two photos, one of your desk with all your trinkets and figures artfully displayed and another of you with Mon in the background. Sending both to Tenko over discord while all of your programs take their sweet time to load.

You’re the last to join discord after it finally does, Denki cheers playfully and you can hear Katsuki’s girlfriend in the background chatting with her boyfriend’s stream for him. Katsuki and Tenko were the same in that respect, not often acknowledging their chat aside from moments during the pre-stream or specifically designated ‘chatting’ segments.

You’re also met with two surprise guests, Himiko being one of them. She giggles cutely and spams emojis and stickers into the genchat of the server the moment you announce your presence with a soft, “sorry, tardy to the party yet again.”

“It’s that fuckin relic of a processor in that ancient ass pc of yours,” Katsuki bites with little malice, the sound of Tenko sucking his teeth isn’t picked up by his mic but Himiko’s playful booing would’ve drowned it out anyway.

Touya, surprisingly enough, had joined as well, though he’s already deafened in Discord and his status shows he was in the menus of the game.

“I sent you an invite,” comes your boyfriend’s smooth voice, receiving the steam notification at the same time that you eagerly click.

Your icon appears at the bottom of the list, Denki’s, Tenko’s, Katsuki’s Touya’s and Himiko’s, each a different color reflecting their own preferences. A questionable yellow for Kaminari, a deep crimson for your boyfriend, a burnt looking orange for Katsuki, a crisp azure for Touya and a vibrant pink for Himiko.

You yourself opt for the closest thing to teal you could get, not that it mattered too much. Everyone votes to skip the tutorial despite none of you having actually played the game yet. Katsuki, Tenko and Touya each notoriously excelled at learning as they went with little issue. Himiko was just there to spend time with those she loved, you and Denki would just have to do your best.

You’re dropped into the map with little fanfare or explanation, there’s a screen overhead but it bears no instructions.

None that weren’t a perturbing use of emojis that Chargebolt-gameplays, Denki, didn’t hesitate to voice his discomfort over, anyways.

“Why is its tongue out, what is the taxman going to do to me. Why is there a water emoji after the bag of money? I mean same but like.. why?”

You laugh at his antics, choosing to stick closely to him since everyone else had alreayd disappeared from sight. With the proximity chat you can hear Katsuki in the distance as he draws closer, “it’s gonna mean me sellin’ yer fuckin ass to him if you don’t get out of my way and break this fucking crown.”

Denki shrieks, sprinting and then crouching to dive out of his way while you simply crouch for Katsuki to dash by you to the extraction point.

“Whoa Denks..” you all but ooh and aww as you meander over to him, clicking your mouse on him when the icons prompts and smiling when it lifts his character's shrunken body, “how did you do that?”

“I’m not sure but how are you doing this and can you put me down?”

His character wiggles as he looks around, small limbs flailing around pathetically and it makes you giggle more, “no I think this is the best way I can protect you.”

You don’t intend to carry him through the whole game, at least not in this way, when you venture through to another room and see Tenko. Watching him for a moment as his character’s beam struggles and fails to lift a large statue.

“Need some help?” You chirp after dropping Denki and earning a comical oof as his character thunks onto the floor. You’re already lending your aid before he even responds and the oversized item begins to pivot and rotate awkwardly after it rises higher with your help.

“My hero,” dry but not mocking, you can hear the slight smile that tugs at his lips. The lack of maneuvering is of little consequence, the object conveniently tilts from the way you held it to slip beneath the doorway to the extraction room without taking any damage.

“Keep it upright, I think it won’t fit if not,” you say, ever so innocently before Touya’s voice disturbs the innocent air.

“Well doesn’t that sound familiar,” purred alluringly to toy with you both, “mind if I interrupt?”

Tenko sucks his teeth at that, Touya stands to face his character after placing the cup he’d brought onto the lift, “you have a talent for it.”

Touya chuckles before turning away, sprinting into the darkness and the interaction brings a smile to your lips. Tenko scoffs but follows suit and you’re hot on his heels, “that was only one time, y’know. He didn’t tell anyone at least.”

“One time too many,” muttered low before you two split into opposite directions.

You search quietly for a stint, discovering rooms on your map for now and getting familiar with the controls. Playing feels leisurely enough, simple as you search through rooms and ferry valuables back to the cart you start with, you could almost forget this game was classified as horror.

Until you’re abruptly reminded.

The peace is interrupted by a high pitched scream, muffled and distant but steadily becoming more clear as it continues to draw closer to you.

It’s Kaminari, flailing about being carried by seemingly nothing but you can hear odd, very alarming panting as he’s whipped by. You see Himiko come chasing after him and Katsuki is whisper hissing about everyone needing to, “shut the fuck up or else.”

Everything goes sideways quickly from there, you can hear Denki’s muted sigh of relief before another shriek sounds though this one is abruptly cut short, followed by the sound of an explosion.

Himiko’s voice sounds next, cooing a cute, “ducky! C’mere little guy, you’re so cute.” She yelps soon after, saying she just wanted to carry it before her voice goes quiet in the same way Denki just had.

You’re sprinting about yourself, traversing rooms in a tizzy and ultimately exhausting your limited stamina as you do. You find Kaminari’s head first, whimpering sympathetically with a smile on your face, suppressing laughter as you carry it to the cart left one room over.

“You stupid fucking gnome bitch,” again, Katsuki’s voice is muffled due to the distance between you both before you can hear another explosion. That makes three out of the six of you, and you have no idea where either Touya or Tenko were in the expansive map.

You decide to tread more cautiously after following where you believed Katsuki’s voice was and placing his head in the cart alongside Denki. Doing the same after searching for Himiko before checking the difference between what you have and the quota you’re meant to reach that displays in the upper right corner.

The silence is now eerie as you wander by your lonesome, no different than before really but the atmosphere feels tense. You crouch periodically when the game's ambient noise intentionally plays a sinister score before you finally find someone, quiet themselves as they struggle with an object.

“Ten?” Called softly as you hear the oversized object creak.

“Trying again, scaredy-cat.” It’s Touya, of course, no such luck to find your boyfriend but you’re certain he’s still alive. He’s always been decently skilled, especially with games like these, “give me a hand, would’ya brat.”

You can’t help but roll your eyes, scoffing at him as you step around him to explore beyond the openable doors, “why should I?”

“Because you’re the one that wanted to play, for starters,” Touya deadpans as he tries a new angle, budging the heavy object but not really moving it, “and because I asked. You’re supposed to be the nice compliment to your asshole boyfriend.”

“He’s not— hey there’s something behind— HEAD?” A nonsensical sentence for certain but youre stunned at what you see, naturally.

“At a time like this?” Touya chuckles, placing down the oversized item, “what will your possessive boyfriend think?”

The ‘creature’, that you’ll later learn is known as the ‘headmaster’, seemingly responds to your voices but, fortunately for you and unfortunately for him, Touya’s body blocked the rush.

He explodes instantly and you duck for cover beneath a nearby table, slapping your hand over your mouth to stifle your laughter as the floating, disembodied head chomps at your hiding place before it zooms away. Touya’s own head rolls in front of you comedically, empty onyx voids boring into you and you know well he’s cursing you in the lobby.

But, despite the hilarity of the situation, you actually are beginning to feel a little nervous. The map couldn’t be that big could it? Why had you still not run into your boyfriend? Were you really the only one left? You hope not,how embarrassing would it be to experience a full team wipe on the first level?

You press tab to pull up the map, yellow and red dots appearing on the screen but you aren’t entirely sure what they mean. Inferring yellow meant items and red meant enemies if Lethal Company had taught you anything. The red dot hovers over you but there’s no enemy in sight when you drop the map and open it again.

Whining to yourself for a moment as you steel yourself at the thought of having to solo the rest of this round in the hopes of reviving everyone else.

“Babe?” You yelp at the sound, surely breaking your audio as your character flails from beneath the table after dropping your map to see someone directly before you.

“It’s alright, sorry,” voice low and calm, always near instantly soothing to you specifically, “it’s clear.”

You stand up and grab Touya’s head first, holding it up as you whisper, “he died to the floating old man.”

“It’s fine, I’m sure he didn’t mind going out to some head,” Tenko’s tone is still low and monotone but it still makes you giggle nonetheless, the delivery with his lack of inflection making it all the more funny to you.

He turns around, disappearing into the room he’d apparently come from. Reemerging with a glowing, fluorescent magenta glass orb that shifts into a deep vermilion, “I killed it but we should probably get back to the truck and clear this level.”

You’re baffled but not really, you meant it when you said Tenko was always inherently, insanely good at games in general. Following behind him as he places his well earned treasure into the cart you’d been dragging everywhere with you and pushing it back to the entrance after you’ve settled Touya’s head in after.

“Surprised Katsuki’s dead,” Tenko comments quietly as you traverse through rooms, gathering a few valuables along the way to pad your pockets with little issue.

“But not Touya?” Retorted cheekily as you follow behind your boyfriend, surroundings steadily becoming more familiar. You feel more confident in searching around as well, finding a few things the lot of your party had missed in their initial exploration.

“No, I could hear him two rooms over gradually breaking the box I told him he couldn’t lift on his own,” to Tenko, Touya definitely got his just desserts. Though, you’re sure he would’ve liked to see the result himself, “most everything is drawn by sound and agro’s on sight. I was surprised he’d made it as long as he had with his bitching.”

You snicker at that, something caught between a chuckle and a chortle with the way you try and stifle it, “one sec, map says there’s one more thing over here.”

Tenko stalls in his trek, both of you just one room away from the extraction point. He watches as you trot into the darkness, a beat or two passing before a pink glow slowly illuminates your path.

“C’mere Ten, come touch this,” your voice sounds somewhat distorted and your character's eyes glow the same hue as the heart shaped bottle you carry.

He does as instructed, meeting you halfway before grabbing onto the bottle as you stop. His character glows as well but your own speaks first, the chat bar at the bottom of your screen appearing and filling with text quickly.

“ᴄᴀɴ’ᴛ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴇᴀꜱᴀɴᴛ ᴅᴇᴄᴀʏᴅᴀᴅᴅʏ’ꜱ ᴠɪʙᴇꜱ ᴀʀᴇ,” sounds your robotic voice before your giggle cuts through.

Tenko’s chat comes next, “ᴄᴀɴ’ᴛ ꜱᴛᴏᴘ ᴛʜɪɴᴋɪɴɢ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʟʟ ᴅᴀʏ.”

It makes him smile in turn, letting go just as you do the same, causing the glass to fall between the both of you and shatter at your feet instantly. The pair of you stare down at it before you look up, “y’know, there were easier ways to tell me you hated me.”

Tenko scoffs, a sound you’re all too familiar with, “we don’t need it anyway, let’s go.”

To anyone else and likely even his own stream, they could think it pertained to the amount of items contributing towards your now exceeded quota; but, you know better, well versed in anything to do with your boyfriend by now and the real meaning has you rolling your plush bottom lip between your teeth.

You and Tenko push the cart with everyone’s heads into the extraction zone and the surplus of cash results in a well earned extra payout. It makes you grin, pressing your space bar happily to express your joy as the extraction completes and everyone revives.

Himiko and Denki sprint into the truck as she giggles and he snickers, both diving beneath the bench or lifting the other shrunken member. Katsuki continues to grumble over some ‘rng bullshit’ while Touya saunters slowly by you, head turned as if he was glaring at you as best he could.

You sigh first, pressing shift to catch up to him, “I’m sorry I got you killed Touya, really.”

“It’s fine,” his tone indifferent and blasé, “we’ll just call it even when I tell people you’re the first time ever I didn’t like the head I didn’t ask for.” Then comes that growl in your boyfriend’s voice that always has your stomach doing flips the moment you hear it, “no, the hell you won’t.”

#vixen writes #tomura x reader #tomura shigiraki x reader #tomura x you #tomura shigaraki x you #mha x reader

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tinderbox210 · 2 days ago

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While I'm not a big fan of the Talanah/Amadis storyline with the way it was handled in the game per se, but it's very interesting how well they work as foils to Aloy and Kotallo. It's hard to grasp that the TPTB included this love story with huge flashing neon signs to Aloy/Kotallo and then just... not pursue it further. The parallels with Aloy and Kotallo's story are so striking, it's hard to believe that they didn’t want the audience to notice and draw a connection to romance between them.

I mean, let's see:

Talanah and Amadis met when he saved her life and treated her wounds from a machine attack.

Aloy (indirectly) saved Kotallo's life at the Embassy - I don’t think he would have gotten the medical care he needed in time to survive if Aloy hadn't bested Grudda and made Regalla retreat. And while Aloy didn't help treat his physical wounds from the machine attack, she definitely helped him heal his emotional/mental scars of losing his arm and his fellow Marshals with the way she treated him with respect and understanding.

Talanah and Amadis had a negative perception and prejudgment of each other when they met, he was just a grouchy hermit and she was just a trophy hunter.

When Aloy and Kotallo met at Stone Crest, Kotallo's also acting all grumpy, keeps to himself and he's really not in the mood to having to work with an outlander who has no business meddling with Tenakth clan problems.

And while Aloy was more open to working with Kotallo, she also had a one-sided perception of the Tenskth and Kotallo at first (like how she thought Marshals were only warriors and not also peacekeepers), dealing with Kotallo was something like a chore at first that she has to get over with in order to get her hands on Aether.

Talanah and Amadis' antagonistic perception of each other changed when they work closely together and bond over common ground (both having experienced great loss during the Red Raids).

Aloy and Kotallo's relationship also started to change from slightly antagonistic to mutual respect and companionship once they started to work closely together, got to know each other more and realized they have more in common than thought. One of the reasons for them to open up and bond the way they did, are the similarities in their experiences that made them able to relate to each other in a unique way.

What happened at the Embassy, with Kotallo losing the people clostest to being his family and being severely wounded is essentially what happened to Aloy at the Proving as well, with her also getting wounded and losing Rost (her family). They both knew what it felt like to lose everything important to them.

And the way Kotallo was treated by the Tenakth after being maimed is very similar to Aloy’s shunning by the Nora as an outcast. They both ended up in a place where their world got turned upside down and they had to follow a new path to move forward.

Talanah fell in love with Amadis when she saw that different side of him that made him unlike anyone else in her eyes.

Aloy also got to see a different side of Kotallo the more time they spend together. Behind the stoic intimidating soldier front she discovered his softer and more vulnerable side, his curiosity and his sense of humor. And like pointed out by OP, considering that Aloy connected those dots to "love", it's not unreasonable to think she also started to feel something more for Kotallo in the same way.

Amadis ran off without keeping in contact with Talanah due to his single-minded focus on finding Nessa.

Aloy has obviously the same tendency of being very single-minded and focused on her mission and has a similar habit of just running off to do the next thing, leaving the people around her to deal with her elusiveness whether they like it or not, and having put Kotallo essentially in the same position as Talanah.

But what's different and interesting with Kotallo is that he always understood this side of Aloy. As a dutiful and committed soldier he understood from the beginning that her mission had to come first. He never scolded or pressured her for running off on her own or asked her to stay like others did, just letting her do what she had to while making sure she knew he's always there for her when she needed him and willing to aid her in whatever capacity she needed him to. This made them more compatible and put them more on the same page than Talanah and Amadis.

Despite having other obgligations, Talanah decided to follow Amadis west to help him find closure because he was so important to her.

Despite his obligations as a Marshal, Kotallo decided to follow Aloy and help her see her mission through because she also had become quite important to him, important enough to leave his Chief's side and follow her on a mission he basically knew nothing about.

Amadis still needed to figure himself and his feelings out.

Aloy also is still trying to figure herself out, who she is and wants to be beyond her mission and Elisabet's legacy that she's been trying to live up to. So basically Aloy and Amadis are the runaways while Kotallo and Talanah are the ones chasing/waiting for them to come around.

Talanah and Amadis parted ways in the end with any future romantic relationship hanging in balance.

Aloy and Kotallo also parted ways by the end of HFW with their future relationship hanging in balance (who knows what will happen in H3). There could still be romance for them on the horizon, or all these parallels with the Talanah/Amadis were really just in vain.

17/30 - Interlude: Seeing that side of him... changed things. You love him, don't you

Well now we start the second part of this compilation which will be filled with moments of both Zero Dawn and Forbidden West to make an analogy on how much Aloy and Kotallo have shared very similar experiences. (Today is a long one boys, brace yourselves) Personally, for me, that's the biggest reason why Kotallo was the first person Aloy wanted to befriend.

We know the drill, in Stone Crest Aloy had infinite patience for his attitude, she said over and over again "Good thing you are on my side then" as if she wouldn't want to fight someone like him; "Lucky for us we are both good fighters" seconds after he said his people respect strength and that he now lacks it; "You fought well back there" after defeating a hulking machine with a group of rebels; "Nicely done marshal" when he put Tekotteh in his place and acted as a leader he is, and this only from their first mission together guys. She knows more than anyone how it is to he treated this way by your own tribe and I think she knew what Kotallo wanted to hear, he didn't need an outlander to antagonize him too (even if he was provoking), I didn't include this here, but when she talked to Olin after the Blessing she said "I'm used to being shunned by the tribe. I thought you'd be different".

Plus we all know he was the first person that asked to join her and she accepted, all the others were either imposed to (by others or themselves) or brought along as circumstances.

I personally think that was what founded their friendship, what makes them understand one another more easily. And I will give an even more personal opinion of mine that is: I don't think Aloy would've payed much attention to him if she hadn't resonated with him, this isn't the only reason of course, but to me that was the starting point that made her pay more and more attention to him and consequentially lead to everything else I already talked about in the chapters prior. I think this because she has come across a lot of people with good heart and good looks, like Drakka was flirting with her and her answer was "uh huh", to me if Kotallo approached her like that in their first meeting her answer would've been the same. But well, I am ace and I project on Aloy so well now you know why I have this line of thought.

Plus well, I used the first video from Talanah talking about Amadis because she fell in love with him because they had something big in common, they both lost everything in the red raids (she lost her father and brother if I'm not mistaken) and Aloy's immediate association after that is to assume she loved him (well kinda obvious though I could already tell since the beginning lol but since Aloy doesn't have a lot of experience with people I'll give her a break) BUT she hasn't experienced love herself, so... WELL guess we're gonna find out.

---

<- Previous post "16/30 - The way she trusts him"

-> Next up "18/30 - The ally with most quests"

#horizon forbidden west #aloy x kotallo #kotaloy #i'm still so confused about why make all these obvious parallels and then not make Kotallo the love interest #like what the hell was this all about?#maybe in the next game

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cupidragon · 17 hours ago

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Well, we all know that the signets manifest in order to fulfill a rider's necessity.

Mira is a ward extender because she needed to protect her family (mostly violet)

Brennan is a mender because he needed to be capable of healing his little sister with a disability at all times.

Both of their signets developed in order to protect Violet, who they thought was defenseless and weak (because of her disability and cause she was supposed to be a scribe) and I think that's beautiful it really reflects how the relationship between siblings works.

#fourth wing #iron flame #onyx storm #tairneanach #violet sorrengail #xaden riorson #ridoc gamlyn #liam mairi #ridoc fourth wing #rebecca yarros #mira sorrengail #brennan sorrengail

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pushing500 · 2 days ago

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As if we would go anywhere without our loyal android. Alistair is coming, and... I think he's probably happy about it in his own way. Perhaps seeing the majesty of the first Archonexus structure will be the catalyst for his awakening? Who knows?

That does leave us with one last choice to make. I think this one is the one I'm most unsure about the result of. I had a pretty good idea where the other three were going, but this one could be the wild card. Let's find out!

For the very last time, here are our options...

Why should we bring Tokori?

- He has an expertise in first aid, which will likely be an essential skill in setting up a new colony

- If his medical skill doesn't work, he can also raise the dead (nine more times, at least. Then he's out of fingers to sacrifice.)

- He's got a detoxifier lung and a detoxifier kidney, which could both be useful for dealing with pollution in our new colony

- We only just met him, so it will be a good opportunity to get to know him more

- He's a delight to draw and still has both his natural eyes so I can have fun drawing them

Why should we leave Tokori behind?

- We only just met him, so we wouldn't miss him as much as some of the others

- Mechi and Kwahu are both accomplished doctors, so we don't really need a third one

- It would feel really bad to leave Lansa all on his own at Sparks

- He would be sad if we didn't get plumbing and a bathtub set up ASAP

- Addiction to coffee in more than one person may be difficult to keep in check while we set up a new colony

- Seeing the same face drawn over and over again will surely become tedious eventually, right?

Why should we bring Lansa?

- He's still getting used to being alive and needs someone responsible to keep an eye on him

- He's got untapped psycaster potential that we still need to explore

- He is the only Jones boy NOT addicted to coffee so we don't have to facilitate that in a new colony

- He's a delight to draw

Why should we leave Lansa behind?

- He's grumpy and rude and dislikes most of the other colonists already

- He hasn't been alive in this colony for very long so we won't miss him as much as some of the others

- It would feel really bad to leave Tokori all on his own at Sparks

- His bionic eyes are less fun to draw than they could be

- Seeing the same face drawn over and over again will surely become tedious eventually, right?

Why should we bring Melissa?

- Having a colonist with unnatural healing abilities akin to reusable healer mech serums is op as hell and also very cool

- Even if she didn’t have creepjoiner healing powers, she has fun cancer powers

- Every new colony benefits from a creepy blind grandma

- Mechi and Kwahu owe her for saving them from duplication sickness

- She’s a delight to draw

Why should we leave Melissa behind?

- Everyone hates her more than usual because she’s super ugly

- She’s blind

- Apparently the creepjoiner unnatural healing has the potential for nasty side effects

- We haven’t had any creepjoiner negative side effects from her yet, but she’s been at an outpost which might have paused the countdown for it to show up

- She’s polyamorous, which means she’ll constantly be sad that she’s not in a relationship

Why should we bring XiaoLiang?

- He’s always been there for Mechi and co., it seems appropriate for him to follow them and continue to help out

- He’s very cool

- He’s got an expertise in sharpshooting which is bound to be useful

- We might run into his grandpa Paul again and it’d be nice if they met

- He's 100% got a crush on the Jones boys and that'd be funny to watch

- He’s a delight to draw

Why should we leave XiaoLiang behind?

- Perhaps it’s time for XiaoLiang to go back to being a wandering Man in Black

- He’s an undergrounder, which means he’ll get upset if we make him go out to hunt or otherwise put his shooting expertise to good use

- He’s polyamorous, which means he’ll constantly be sad that he’s not in a relationship

- He's 100% got a crush on the Jones boys and they would be extremely annoyed having to deal with it

- His grandpa Paul might show up to Sparks again, and it’d be nice if they met

Why should we bring Flapjack?

- He’s a little bit good at every skill which is very useful for starting a new colony

- He is kind, which means he’ll get along with everyone no matter how disfigured they are by flesh whips or cut-out eyes

- My brother says he has a "cool beard" and you "can't beat that"

- Looks a bit like Jesus

- He’s a delight to draw

Why should we leave Flapjack behind?

- Not a particularly interesting colonist so far

- He’s just sort of got NPC energy

- Looks a bit like Jesus

- Good at lots of skills but not great at any

Why should we bring Jut?

- He’s a good boy and I love him

- Incredible melee ability which is useful for defending a new colony

- Can explode people with his mind

- We already know his creepjoiner downside (it's the "disturbing" trait) so we don't need to worry about anything more serious popping up in the future

- Sanguophage powers might be useful

- Speaks French

- He’s a delight to draw

Why should we leave Jut behind?

- He’d need to steal other people's hemogen from time to time

- He’s "disturbing" and makes the others uncomfortable sometimes

- He’s blind

- He’s French

Godspeed everyone. Put your best vote forward.

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itsnotamatterofif · 3 days ago

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Omg I’m so sorry about how long this took @capitolastraart thank you so much!! Your kind words did in fact heal me so I think you may in fact be magic.

Have some Wembley freight softness where they build a blanket fort, hope this is okay for you!

✨Want a StEx Drabble? Send me an ask!✨

“Porter, have you lost the big arm cushion again?”

Slick folds her arms angrily as Porter rummages through the pile of pillows he’s stacked up against the empty bay, before a yell from Lumber of him tripping over a large cushion again fills the shed.

“Found it,” Porter replies with a grin as Lumber chucks the requested cushion across the space for Porter to jam into the gap on the floor, and Slick resists the urge to bury her head in her hands.

The building of the blanket fort should not be this much of an ordeal, since they’ve been doing it for years, the three of them. Ideally, the extra pair of hands from Hydra should be making this easier, not harder, but Porter and Lumber seem to find ways to cause problems every time they try. She requested they build it for them, after all; Lumber stumbled into the freight yard shaken after finding himself on the receiving end again of Golden Eagle’s frustrations for the day, and Porter had mysteriously spent all day in the repair shed whilst refusing to explain why, so Slick had declared today was a fort day. The only way the boys (and Hydra) were allowed in was if they helped her build it, so for the past twenty minutes, Porter has been building some nests with the various lumpy pillows they’ve collected over the years and Lumber has just returned from begging the coaches for their spare blankets with varying degrees of success.

“So, what do we do now?” Hydra asks as he wraps the last of the fairy lights around the bungee cord connecting the two opposing bays, “the blankets need to go… somewhere, I guess.”

“The blankets go on us, Hydra,” Slick informs flatly, watching the realisation dawn on their face, “have you ever made a blanket fort before?”

“Nope,” Hydra replies happily, popping the ‘p’ and busying himself with laying the fairy flights neatly over the makeshift curtains as both Lumber and Porter glance over in disgust.

“Seriously?” Lumber asks, dumping a pile of purple and silver blankets onto the now soft floor, “like, ever? We’re not even your first yard.”

“First yard where I’m sharing in the main shed though,” Hydra explains nonchalantly, and as they peel the familiar green fleece off their bunk, they hunker down in one of the corners of the fort, “and, uh, first yard that lets me hang out. The last yard I was in was boring, no one was ever around in the evenings - dunno’ where everyone went, I guess they were just early sleepers.”

There’s not really much she can say about that. Strangely, he doesn’t seem too phased about the whole thing, and as Porter shoots Slick a quirk of an eyebrow, she realises there’s nothing any of them can say about that.

“Right, well,” Lumber says quickly as he nearly crashes down in one of the corners, Porter closing the makeshift door behind him, “are you lot getting cosy or what? ‘Cause I ain’t waiting all night.”

With a quick movement he snatches a checkered blanket from the pile he had dumped on the floor, leaning back against the pile of pillows he had brought from his own bed. Almost immediately Porter sits down next to him gingerly, hissing under his breath slightly as he stretches his right leg out beneath him, and the moment that he’s sat Lumber is leaning against him, one arm tucked around his waist in seconds.

“C’mon you two,” Porter says with a faint groan as he shifts, and Hydra is there in a flash, tucking into Porter’s right side with a grin as they go to rearrange the green fleece around the two of them.

It’s weird. Slick doesn’t normally get this strange, fuzzy feeling in her chest at this makeshift bunch of trucks she calls her siblings, doesn’t normally feel like she’s going to smile as she watches them squabble and push against each other to get comfy. Usually when they build the fort it’s protective, sacred, quiet as they lick their wounds from another fight or the third repair this week, so it’s weirdly heartwarming watching Hydra and Lumber try and tactically decide where best to position themselves as for Porter to be comfortable but not in pain.

After a few minutes of arguing, they end up dominoed, Porter leaning against Hydra’s chest whilst Lumber curls himself against Porter’s other side, legs all tangled together as Porter’s eyes slowly reopen following the vague hisses of pain from the movement.

Wherever he was earlier has left him fucked up. Slick will have to interrogate the repair trucks later to find out who did this to him.

“You just standin’ there?” Hydra asks inquisitively, and Slick shakes her head slightly as she remembers they’re waiting for her, “this was your idea, c’mere.”

In invitation they hold their free arm open, and Lumber shoots her a wide smile. There’s another weird thing, to see Hydra so happy. Normally they’re talking endlessly about the joys of their stupid gas and how he’s planning to put Slick and Porter out of business, but seeing them whisper quietly about making sure Porter’s leg is comfortable and telling Lumber where to stuff pillows underneath Porter’s knee, she wonders if Lumber was right by thinking he just doesn’t realise.

Well, if they want her over there, they’re going to have to suffer for it.

With a slight jump, Slick throws herself happily across the laps of her siblings, tossing her legs over Hydra’s legs and setting a pillow on Lumber’s lap for her to rest her head on. Around her the other trucks complain and grumble, shifting to accommodate, but that doesn’t stop Porter throwing out a blue and pink striped blanket to cover her against the chill of the shed.

Unsurprisingly, this always happens; they always spend ages building the damn fort, and then spend the whole time huddled in one corner like trainlets. All these blankets and pillows hastily ignored in favour of the familiar, fairy lights strung up only to be disregarded in favour of sleep and hushed conversation. On the other hand, she always feels more relaxed with the other trucks around her, always feels a bit safer as the blanket walls are close but comforting rather than the claustrophobia of her bunk when the paranoia sets in.

“What is wrong with your leg, Porter?” She asks as she shifts, careful not to put too much weight on Porter, and catches him shrugging as she blinks against the fatigue settling into her tank, “you’ve been touchy about it all day.”

“Just bent somethin’,” Porter replies tiredly, not opening his eyes from where he’s tucked his head into Hydra’s shoulder, and even Hydra frowns at how much of a lie that is, “it’ll be fine, give me a break.”

Against her will, one of Slick’s hands balls angrily. “If someone messed you up-“

“No one messed me up, Slick,” Porter grumbles, “drop it.”

“If you wanna’ go after anyone, I heard Golden talking absolute shit about Lumber earlier,” Hydra diverts as Porter settles again, and now it’s time for Lumber to bristle, “he was in a proper rage as I was heading back from the station - I don’t think he saw me, was properly raving about how he thinks Lumber’s a-“

“You don’t need to remind me,” Lumber groans dramatically, “one of my brakes didn’t close in time and I went into the back of him as we were going through Warwick, talk about fuckin’ stupid.”

“He’s already on my shit list,” Slick assures, and Hydra frowns slightly at the seriousness, “I’m sure he’ll be able to live with loose wheels for a week, he’s had worse.”

Around her echoes a few satisfied snickers, tired and distant as she allows her eyes to close again, but then Hydra clears his throat nervously, and one eye flicks open again.

“When you say ‘shit list’,” Hydra begins questioningly, “you bein’ serious?”

“How about, you let Slick know if an engine has been messin’ you about, and see for yourself?” Lumber suggests, and Slick doesn’t have to look up to see his shit eating grin.

“Surely someone’s been ailing ya’,” Slick offers, and Hydra frowns again in thought.

“Okay, well, I’ll let you know,” They say cheerfully as Porter begins to snore faintly. Unsurprisingly, she’s pretty sure that’s a lie too; everyone knows about how much the diesels poke fun at their antics, how much Blue Lightning has been complaining of his weight recently, although whether Hydra realises is another thing entirely.

The only person allowed to bully Hydra is her, after all.

But nothing out there has to exist right now. No engines waiting with balled fists and angered words, no coaches rolling their eyes and calling them dumb. They don’t need to be the smartest, the fastest, the kindest, they just need to be strong.

As the sun sets out of view, unseen as Slick can’t help but be lulled to sleep, she remembers they don’t even need to be that all the time. They just need to be a team.

#stex #starlight express london 2024 #slick the oil tanker #hydra the hydrogen tanker #porter the coal truck #lumber the wood truck #pebs writes

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savingsallow · 14 hours ago

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Val Throughout the Years

A walk down the memory lane featuring my MC—Valentine Black— and her growth as an individual during her Squib days to the pink haired rebel we know today!

Valentine Esther Black, commonly known as Val, is the daughter of Sirius Black I and Daphne Black (née Yaxley). And yes, this makes her the niece of the headmaster, Phineas Nigellus Black, who later took her under his care shortly after her parents' untimely end.

Personality-wise, Val is an ENFP, which means that she's creative, charming, adaptable, and has excellent people skills. However, the downside of her positive traits eventually showed itself the more she spent time with her new family. At a young age, Val learned how to be sneaky, deceptive, manipulative, and a masterful people-pleaser; the young girl felt the need to resort to these following traits in hopes to gain approval, validation, and most importantly, to survive.

With that being said, let me walk you through the years as Val grows into the confident and self-assured young woman she is today!

↓

The Masterful People-Pleaser

Did I mention that she was a masterful people-pleaser?

Well, this Val in particular, was at her peak "I need to gain their approval or I'm useless" stage. This part of her life is what she calls now the "most exhausting and pitiful days" of her life. From the way she dresses to how she acts. The constant need to overly accommodate others even if it means to fully ignore her own needs, thinking that this is the only way for her to be worthy and loved.

The mask that she felt the need to wear every day and the role she was exceptionally playing, became almost pointless once she was almost disowned for not receiving the Hogwarts acceptance letter at the age of eleven. But thanks to her brilliance and her guardians' *coughs* hidden motives, Val was sent to a Muggle boarding school instead, which would add further damage to her already ✨sparkling traumatized character✨

↓

The Broken Yet Hopeful

Now here's Val during her time at the muggle boarding school called the Wycombe Abbey which is located at the top of a mountain. And yes, it's more eerie than peaceful there.

Despite feeling like a failure, this kid is still hopeful that she can prove to her 'family' that she's worth it and that adopting her isn't a mistake. This is the part of Val's life where she becomes overly competitive and too self-critical. However, even if she was overly competitive at that time, her methods were still leaning on the good side. After all, Val can get really creative and resourceful when she sets her mind on what she wants.

↓

The Fading Ray of Light

During her time at the muggle boarding school, Val also met her first best friend, Astrid Netherton, who was the first person to ever let her be herself without being judged, and vice versa. Val learned a lot from Astrid and they became each other's refuge and protectors as they navigated together the complexities of adolescence, societal expectations, peer pressure, and more!

Their friendship was very loving and healing, but time wasn't kind to them both. One day, Val found out that Astrid had entered a new realm, by her own will, most likely where her late parents reside now as well.

Her best friend's sudden passing left Val in a depressive void for years. What was once left that helped Val hold herself together has also lost their way. So the next few years of Val's life were what she calls now "the darkest days of my life".

↓

The One Who Lost Their Way

This is the part in her life where she lost herself and basically, everything that gives life meaning to her. Val was living in a colorless and "everything's pointless" autopilot here.

She would be crying every night when everyone was asleep. Val was so lonely that the only friend she considered was the Moon. At this time, she would also spend her holidays at school since her 'family' doesn't want her to be at their house.

Little did she know that she was a disaster away from being freed to that place. One day in 1890, Val accidentally set her dorm on fire after having a physical fight with her dorm mates after they disrespected the memory of Astrid. At that time, Val didn't know that she was the cause of the fire since she already accepted that she would never be able to wield magic even if she wanted to.

Val was sent back to London after she recovered from the incident, not that she was expelled, but because her Aunt Ursula requested that she return there immediately.

↓

The Almost Forgotten Reflection

During her long carriage ride back to London, Val felt like she wasted all of her chances to prove herself. She has no idea how she would face her uncle and aunt. To add on, she doesn't know how she would explain to them that her original features have returned.

[Additional note: Val was born with pink hair and pink eyes, hence why her name is Valentine. However, shortly after witnessing her parents' passing, her unprocessed grief and trauma as a child manifested into physical form, changing her appearance to green eyes and black hair.]

Long story short, when Val arrived in London, instead of being welcomed by the usual cold scrutiny, she was surprised that her long-awaited letter was being handed to her.

↓

The Eccentric Rebel

As Professor Fig mentored Val to be better prepared for her new school, she knew that in order to succeed in this endeavour, a few changes are necessary. She got rid of everything that's been holding her back all these years, especially the need for validation.

This is where she decided to be less of what's expected of her and more of who she really is. Naturally, she's more than aware that it's not an overnight thing, but a step forward is a step forward no matter how small it might be.

However, there was an overnight thing that occurred 😆 because during the night before her carriage ride to Hogwarts, Val being Val impulsively cut her short as a physical reminder that she does not need to fit a certain mould to feel worthy of love. In this new chapter of her life, she started to apply her "I rather be liked by a few for being the real me, than be loved by everyone for being someone else" mindset.

Fast forward to her days at Hogwarts, Val successfully stayed true to her beliefs and values while constantly breaking the stereotypes that her peers initially placed on her. Not only that she's nothing like her uncle or how one would expect a Black would behave, but she's the complete opposite of everything that her lineage stands for.

Val is the kind of person who looks cold outside, but once you talk to her, all that icy exterior is instantly thawed by her warm and sometimes playfully sarcastic personality. She's sweet and kind but never mistook it as her weakness for she knows when to draw the line and be direct but respectful about it. After all, Val's learning to balance her strengths and weaknesses during this time so it's definitely not a good idea to mess with her XD

Still, Val has a golden heart and is always willing to help others whenever she can. It's something she's working through as she slowly teaches herself that taking care of herself first would be more beneficial for everyone: better health = better help she can give.

All in all, my favourite part about this Val is her realization that—perfection is caging while being yourself is freeing. Of course, it isn't always easy, but it's fulfilling and worthwhile.

—

Not a massive lore drop, but thank you so much 🫵🏻❤️‍🔥 for reading my slightly elaborated lore yap about most of Val's teenage year experiences

There's definitely more of this in the future so watch out! 😌🔥

[additional notes:]

🌸 non-native english speaker here, so teeny tiny grammatical errors might be present.

🌸 i hope you enjoyed reading!✨

🌸 i'm sending loads of love and luck your way!🫴🏻❤️‍🔥🍀

#just me yapping about val #consider this as a beginner's guide of sorts✨#expect some angst #10 more days before her birthday!! 🙌🏻#i swear i love val but first ✨ character growth✨#valentine black #hogwarts legacy mc #hogwarts legacy #slytherin #hogwarts legacy screenshots #hogwarts legacy photo mode #hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry #hphl mc #hl mc #hphl oc #hl oc #oc lore

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chronicparagon · 2 months ago

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👀 !! :>

@nohymn

send 👀 if our muses have never interacted before (or have!) and I will write up 3-5 headcanons for their relationship!

The first meeting was a little tense. Sunday boards the Astral Express as a passenger while Harmony is part of the crew as one of the Nameless. Harmony is pretty shy and at first, she is wary with how he carries himself. Of course, she would be polite with him despite being a little put off by how he seems holier than thou while he must adjust to the dramatic changes in his life. This is the beginning of learning that Sunday is not all that he seems and deep down, he is human who is starting on a new journey to find himself.

2. The coldness between them doesn't last long. While on the Astral Express, there is time to cross paths and start to get to know each other. They find that they both love music and adore sweets. This becomes the first bit of common ground that the two bond on.

3. Though she doesn't remember much about her past, Harmony knows she can play guitar and sing. She has to adjust to playing with the loss of sensation in her fingers due to her cybernetics, but she got the hang of it again with some encouragement from others. Sunday and his immaculate talents on the piano is a big influence in her taking up the guitar again.

This leads to spending time listening to each other play, even playing together through those quiet hours during their travels.

4. Both love desserts and Sunday leads to Harmony learning about the vast variety of pastries that she never knew existed before. One of Harmony's talents is also baking and she would be interested in learning how to bake egg based sweets like puddings and custards. She does well in this skill and would invite Sunday to tase test these creations. Creme brulee and Chocolate pudding tarts topped with fresh berries are some of her favorite creations.

5. Harmony loves how Sunday's hair looks. Harmony is also quite prideful of her own hair which is based on her culture. Hair is seen as "medicine," which refers to spiritual power or the power of the connection of identity and culture, which has its own healing power.

This is a big stretch, but if there's enough trust, they may get into sharing tricks on how they tend to their hair. It could escalate to brushing and styling each other's hair. Among Harmony's people, working on each other's hair by brushing, braiding, etc are done as showing trust and care. It is also an act of healing by bonding with others and reconnecting with heritage. It gives the opportunity to share stories while boosting each other's confidence.

#nohymn #answered #thank you!!#The Unconquerable (HSR!AU)#please let me know if you want anything changed #I was a bit hesitant with the 5th headcanon but I also think this could work #but only if you're okay with it #I used medicine as a holistic term which includes physical mental emotional and spiritual #and rituals like with hair can be medicine for it allows connection to others and also culture #in some Indigenous cultures like in the US this refers to the four directions like the aspects of health #these are body (physical) mind (mental) heart (emotional) and spirit/soul (spiritual)#I always argue that culture means everything in health #practicing that with others and sharing that can be healing #and really I think they both need healing

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superbat-lmao · 3 months ago

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A Jayroy fic where Jade drops off baby Lian and they just.. retire.

There’s a really difficult conversation they have about dating and raising a kid and vigilante work and they decide screw it. It’s not safe to raise a kid around.

And by retire, I mean they disappear. Go to ground.

(Talia knows what it is to want the best for your child even if they have different opinions on what best is. She gets them off the grid and funded in some sort of suburban hellscape that takes the both of them a while to adjust to. They say they have a deep space mission and just, don’t come back.)

Roy works in a rehab clinic and Jason gets a degree in Literature. He becomes a professor at a small college, taking on graduate students and falling into academia.

They go to therapy, the make friends with other parents, they become normal people. And they have an insane security system for their house, and AI that scrapes cameras of their faces, and a modified basement that Roy compares to the Batcave exactly once that has a gym and space to work on equipment and a method of escape should it be necessary to uproot their lives again.

Because they want to be civilians, but that doesn’t mean that if their past lives come knocking, they’ll be caught unaware and too out of the game to defend themselves. In fact, because they don’t go on patrol, they’re at peak performance at all times and rarely injured more than a sprained wrist or paper cut. Gone are the days of concussions, GSWs, and stab wounds.

The superhero community doesn’t know what to do, what to think. Because all of their resources are expended elsewhere. And because space is a big place, and trying to find two humans in its vastness is an exercise in futility.

So Lian grows up normally. She’s a girl whose parents love her. And her problems are ordinary, like homework and sleepovers and playing soccer.

And when she’s in middle school, the same age as Roy and Jason were when they started superhero training, they tell her about their past lives. About the danger it will bring if they’re found. Because they promised never to lie to her, and to never let her get wrapped up in the vigilante scene.

They’re well adjusted people raising a normal daughter.

And they explain to Lian that they came from very large and complicated families. Families that did dangerous work, work that put anyone who knew about it at risk. And that Lian was a baby, and that all of that risk of their jobs, was not worth her life. That they loved her more than their families, their jobs, their previous lives. But that it meant they could be discovered, and that those old lives would be dragged back up again and she could get hurt.

Lian thinks of it like witness protection.

So Lian memorizes code names and pictures of people that may try and approach her. She learns the differences between friendlies and uglies. Between ex-family, and rogues. And she doesn’t ask questions, doesn’t look into things when her parents ask her not to. Because she trusts them to protect her. She trusts them like a well adjusted young girl who could very well ask her parents for more information, but doesn’t care about the answers because she trusts they’re not important. That it doesn’t change how much they love her or what their lives are.

There are a couple of versions of this:

1. Jason, Roy and Lian live out their lives happily and away from their families. They are never again vigilantes or found out by them.

A) Alfred dies and that is the only thing that almost breaks Jason, that he didn’t get to see the man again before he died.

2. The Bats track them down, ask them what they hell they were thinking, that they thought they were dead. To come home, be part of the family again. They’re told no - and the three of them disappear again to somewhere they’ll never be found.

3. Alfred finds them, says nothing to anyone and once a year, on Lian’s birthday, goes to visit. None of the Bats ever figure it out.

4. Alfred knows where they’re going from the beginning, he keeps them updated on their families and helps hide them from everyone. He never once tells a soul that Jason and Roy are alive. He is allowed to visit Lian sometimes and they are all happier for it.

A) When Alfred gets old enough, he tells Bruce he will be retiring. He asks that he is not followed, that no one from the super hero community is allowed to keep tabs on him. He tells him he’s sorry, but that it has to be this way. Alfred goes and lives the end of his life with Jason, they speak about literature every day, about Alfred’s parents about anything he wants to. Jason buries Alfred in England and Bruce Wayne gets an unmarked alert to its location.

5. The Bats find them, and never approach them. Each Bat basically figures out that Jason is alive, doesn’t say anything to the rest of the family, and keeps tabs on him and Roy. Once they realize that Lian exists, none of them ever breach that level of trust, even as they all grow into old age and move on with their lives.

6. Bruce finds them.

A) He waits for Jason in a cafe, watches him realize who he is and turn to look at the Roy Harper, who nods once and walks away. Jason approaches him and sits down. He asks how he found them. Bruce doesn’t say anything, just looks at his son, alive, seemingly happy. Tells him it was an accident, he had genuinely still thought they were in space, maybe dead, until someone plagiarized Jason’s work, submitted it through a Wayne Enterprises competition of some sort, and it flagged the system. It had been entirely work related, pure coincidence. No capes.

B) And Jason laughs and it’s lighter than Bruce has heard it in years. Jason asks how much Bruce knows about him now, how much intel he gathered before approaching him. Bruce says he knows about their marriage, their daughter, their jobs and habits. Jason nods and he’s smiling. Bruce doesn’t know what to do. He had checked the area, and there were no reports of anything approaching vigilantism, no anonymous casework, no decrease in crime, nothing to suggest the presence of the Red Hood and Arsenal. He hasn’t spoken to Jason outside of business in years, isn’t sure he knows how to anymore. And he looks happy, he’s alive, he’s a civilian.

C) He wants to ask him everything, ask him to come home, wants to know the man his son became. He asks Jason why. Why they disappeared. And Jason is still smiling and it’s honest and Bruce can’t stand to look at him and can’t help it either. So Jason tells him that they will never let their daughter into vigilantism. That they quit, and needed it to be absolute. That he and Roy couldn’t do this halfway, that if they loved their daughter they had to do only what was best for her, and that meant burning their old lives entirely, becoming civilians.

D) Their lives had been too complicated, too many people, too much history. So many ways for things to go badly, to leave Lian without parents or get her killed as leverage against them. And for as much as he and Roy had cared about the people in their lives, couldn’t stop caring about them, they knew that they would just drag Lian into all of the emotional problems that come with being a vigilante. That it wasn’t healthy, for any of them. That trying to do so would kill them. So they disappeared. And Bruce thinks of the pain he and his family had gone through over Jason, wondering how he was doing, if he was dead, hearing nothing and trying not to let it eat at them. But right now, his son is in front of him smiling, something he can’t seem to stop doing. Something Bruce never thought he’d see again.

E) And he has a son in law, a granddaughter. His son has a family, one he built himself. He looks healthy, he’s not closed off, he’s more open than Bruce thinks he’s ever seen him. It’s jarring, like Bruce is wrong footed. He doesn’t know what to say. Wants to tell him about everything that’s happened, to his brothers to their family, to Gotham and old contacts. Wants him back in the loop. Wants to ask about their lives, and college, and his wedding and his daughter. Bruce wants to know all of it. And he wants to know how he did it, how he hid himself so well in plain view.

F) And the detective in him will always prioritize the how over everything else. He wouldn’t be Bruce if he didn’t. So Bruce asks how. And Jason laughs, says he’s not going to tell him.

G) You know I can’t tell you that, old man.

H) He can’t let it go, Bruce can never let anything go, that’s his burden to bear. He tries to push old buttons, doesn’t notice he’s doing it. But Jason won’t stop smiling, won’t switch from civilian to vigilante. There is no trace of anger, of the Red Hood. He doesn’t look surprised and Bruce’s arguments, about flaws in his code, software, he’s just smiling. Won’t rise to the bait. And for once, Bruce has a feeling he’s only felt around Clark. A feeling of being outmatched. Jason knows all of his buttons, isn’t pushing a damn one. Isn’t letting Bruce push his either. It’s not even a stalemate. Bruce has no openings.

I) He starts telling him about his brothers, about missions and life developments. He tries to tell Jason everything. And Jason listens, hears everything he has to say. And Bruce asks him about himself, his life, his husband, his daughter. And he hears about NA and AA meetings, about therapy and raising an infant, and being a professor and his students about their friends and neighbors, about Lian’s friends at school. All of it. Except the how. And at some point, it’s been a couple of hours, but not very long at all, Jason gets a text. He doesn’t look at his phone. And Bruce knows that whatever spell had been cast over the cafe, whatever bubble of another universe he had crossed into, he was about to watch it close. Implode on itself with only him inside. Because Jason was about to leave. All of it, the cafe, the conversation, the smiling and the laughter, it was the one distraction that Bruce was liable to. And Jason has him right where he wanted him. It was something that wouldn’t work twice, and they both knew it.

J) And Jason says, I can’t stop you from telling anyone. I can’t stop any of you from looking for us, but this was the third life of mine that you ended. Of the two of us, I would go to greater lengths to protect my daughter. I am asking you not to make me do something you’ll regret. I am asking you not to look for us, not to tell anyone, not to put it in a report. I did not want to hurt you, any of you. And you have made that unavoidable. I know you, Bruce, and I have spent time healing from everything I’ve been through. I cannot allow you to pull me back into it, to pull the three of us back into your world. I know that this conversation won’t stop you, now that you know. So I’m sorry, I didn’t want to have to say this. I know who you are, who all of you are. It was never a question before, that I would keep your secrets. If you look for us, I will go public. It’s not just your life I’ll be placing at risk, it will be the entire league. I will burn every bridge, every alias. I have redundancies in place, you send a super my way you better be sure to send them all. You better be sure you’ve caught all my backups, all of Roy’s backups, everything. We have avoided you for years without triggering any of your, or the league’s, systems. I can’t predict another accident, but if you know what is best for you and everything you’ve built, you will prevent even that from happening. Do not force my hand.

K) Bruce stands, trying to memorize his son’s face. And then Jason is gone. Disappearing down a street and out of sight. And Roy is waiting for him, their house had been cleared of all traces, Talia has new lives set up for them and Lian is asleep in the backseat.

L) Their lives are busy for the next few weeks, traveling and covering their tracks and looking for new methods of being traced. And they change their names, change their lives, are prepared for the upheaval of being new people again. This time, it sticks. They watch Lian graduate school, college, get married, have children of her own. And the media is inescapable - they learn very little about their old families lives, but not nothing. There are funerals and weddings and probably so much more in private, things they will never know, never be part of again. And then they’re just old and together. Their grandkids visit, Lian visits, life is good and long and they are happy.

• Or, it sticks until one day, a spell is cast in Gotham and he’s standing on a rooftop, no mask, identity on full display, surrounded by other vigilantes in mixed states of gear and civilian status. Some being or other from another universe required all hands on deck in this universe and had used a spell to summon them all here.

• Jason spotted Roy appearing near him on the rooftop, both of them stunned. No one had noticed them yet, but their moment of indecisiveness and a moment of pure awareness on the Batfam’s part, meant there would be an inescapable confrontation. Batman seemed to notice them first and looked to Jason, who shook his head. It appeared Batman was trying to talk to the person who had summoned them all here, to argue they should be sent back or ask if it was possible.

• Jason moved himself and Roy towards Batman, doing their best to avoid looking at any of the other vigilantes at all, including but especially family. They walked into a tense conversation.

• You must send them back, they are civilians.

• Batman, you of all people understand the threat we are up against, if the spell believes they are necessary to combat X then they were brought here.

• I understand perfectly well, I am telling you to send them back. Having them here is a security risk, not during the fight, but after. This is not your universe, things are different in ways you can’t know of, this is one of those circumstances.

• Jason and Roy approach, Roy tapping his shoulder in a way that means he’ll follow his lead.

• He announces, You are in violation of the Hempstead agreement. You have one hour to return us to our previous location before we are a security risk.

• They can hear intakes of breath around them, some of the arrow clan and bat clan have approached, uncertain of what exactly is happening, but not comforted by the fact that Batman seems to understand the situation without telling any of them. The argument continues, Jason standing just behind Roy, separating him from the group slowly forming around them, people pushing their way to the center to see their son or brother again. Their friends.

• A decision is reached, It will take me 10 minutes to establish a connection strong enough to send them both through. Do not interrupt me while I prepare, follow me.

• And Jason and Roy are walking away, backs turned to their families. To their friends. There are shouts behind them, their names, other things they choose not to hear. It is all held at bay by Batman.

• They are speaking with the universe hopper, giving him a location to send them while clearly stating that he is not to give out that location to any of the vigilantes here, that violation of these terms will risk the hero community at large. The closer it gets to the ten minute mark, the more the riot behind them frays between silent understanding and desperation. Neither of them turns around, they can’t allow themselves to look. It is excruciating.

• Roy looks Jason in the eye and neither of them are fully able to stand it, but the fact that they’re not alone has to be enough. Jason can see the itch start, the overwhelming feeling that can’t be tolerated, the one that motivates people to seek out something that will just stop. He reaches out his hand, taps it against Roy’s and is met with one of the worst smiles he’s ever seen. It threatens to bring Jason to his knees, but Roy threads their hands together. The portal opens before them and without turning around, they step through.

• There is a shared panic attack, a moment of grief and regret where both of them realize just how greatly they hurt all of the people they used to care about. They break apart together and rebuild each other enough to pick up Lian from school and begin the process of torching their home. Whatever fight they had been summoned for had not happened yet, so they had a larger lead time than they had when Bruce had stumbled across them. But now, the entire hero community, many more points of being able to be convinced, was now aware they were both alive and on Earth.

#jason todd #batman #bruce wayne #redhood #roy harper #jayroy #royjay #arsenal #alfred pennyworth #retirement!au #i really think that the best way jason and roy could heal is to stop being vigilantes #that’s probably true for most of the heroes and vigilantes honestly if looking at a personal scale and not global #jason specifically is stuck in some toxic web of family and vigilantes where he can’t separate them #and he never got the time other kid heros did where they figured out who they were as they grew up jason got it dumped on him #and the distinct brand of hero judgement that comes from people trying to uphold morality being leveled at you when trying to stay sober #isn’t healthy for roy so honestly both of them need new support systems and time to learn how to cope away from life threatening traumas #i don’t know how to work in jade so either she’s exempt and can see lian or she makes talia promise she’ll be safe #i think talia would absolutely go to bat for jason against bruce in this and if bruce finds out he’s alive and they’re okay she’s in for #a worse screaming match then when he figured out she put his kid in the pit i can’t imagine his rage over her stepping in twice #but jason would absolutely appreciate it and roy would be nervous as hell meeting The Talia al Ghul

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