#and the name of a cluster of stars i always wondered about

[bi-dragon-152]

[azsazz]

Ride for Me

Cassian x Reader [Starfall Week Day 1]

Summary: @starfallweek Day 1 Prompt: Rumor has it, stardust increases attraction, and character A could really use some help right now…

Warnings: None

Word Count: 804

Notes: Starfall Week 😍

_________________________________________

“Sweetheart,” Cassian chuckles against your lips, groaning when you slide your tongue easily into his mouth, grazing it languidly against his, “We’re going to be late.” 

“Don’t care,” you pant, pressing even closer to his large body. He’s so warm, solid in all of the right places. Namely, his cock stirring against your hip. “Need you so badly, Cassian. Please.” 

You want to whine when his large, calloused hand caresses your jaw, gently straightening to his full height. His hazel eyes are swimming with an emotion that is gone before you can pick up on it, but the soothing motion of his thumb against your cheek helps settle the raging need inside of you. 

“What’s gotten into you today?” he wonders. Then, as if he’s made some sort of mistake, he tacks on quickly, “Not that I’m complaining. I love when you’re all needy for me…” His voice turns rougher and he pinches your hindsight which makes you jolt against him. He grunts a little at the feeling. Maybe you don’t need to be at the House of Wind on time…

You shrug bashfully, cheeks pinkening. “I don’t know,” you admit, “There’s something about Starfall that always gets me a little…”

“Aroused?” he teases, dipping down to pepper your cheeks with kisses because you’re too adorable not to. “No need to get all shy on me, sweetheart. I can smell it on you, and it’s the best thing I’ve ever smelled.” 

His words make your grip tighten around his neck and your thighs tremble. His hands are so big where they’re settled on your hips and you just want to feel those hands all over your skin, running down your sides, cupping your breasts, slipping into your cunt—

“Fuck, sweetheart,” he groans, dropping his head onto your shoulder and nuzzling into your neck. You shiver as his breath tickles your throat. Cassian digs his nose in, right where he can scent you the most. “You might just break me yet.” 

“It wouldn’t take much,” you croon, dragging your nails right down his back, reveling in the way that his grip on you tightens and he nips at your neck. “We can be a little late,” you offer, but it sounds more like a desperate plea. You’re uncomfortably wet, the ache between your legs distracting and in need of relief.

“We can,” Cassian answers, his lips brushing the shell of your ear. You squeeze your eyes shut, moving even closer into him, pressing your breasts up against his chest. “But then everyone would know that I fucked you so hard that you couldn’t walk.” 

There’s always something about Starfall that has you feeling like this. Maybe it’s the energy in the air, the excitement of seeing the greatest Night Court tradition, spending it with your mate. The celebration leaves you feeling needy, like those colorful star clusters darting across the night sky brings a spirituous sense to the court, to your soul.

It started early this year.

“So maybe we don’t show up at all,” you try to joke, but a night alone with your mate under the stars sounds too perfect, you don’t think Cassian would ever go for it.

As if you’re right, Cassian pulls away slightly, staring deeply into your eyes. His face is serious as his gaze flickers between each of your eyes, taking you in. “Is that what you want, mate?” he asks softly, and it makes your heart ache a little. 

You’d love to spend the night alone with Cassian, but you understand how important it is for him to spend it with the rest of the Inner Circle. It’s been an important tradition to him for centuries now, long before you came into the picture. You couldn’t ruin that for him, you wouldn’t ruin that for him.

You part your lips to speak but Cassian’s already swooping you into his arms and bounding for your bedroom. “What…?” 

His voice is gruff, sure of his words as he strides for your room. “My mate needs me,” he says, and butterflies explode in your stomach. “Everyone is going to understand that,” Cassian adds softly when he feels the worry emanating through your shared bond. He plants a reassuring kiss to your forehead, shouldering his way through the doorway. “And if they don’t, they can get fucked.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do,” you beam and he laughs. You snuggle closer into his chest, loving the way that it rumbles with his laughter.

“You’ve succeeded in that, sweetheart,” Cassian whispers, finally setting you down on your feet right at the foot of the bed. Your heart jumps into your throat when he gets down on one knee, but he’s lifting your foot, helping you out of one shoe and then the other. “Now, let me help you out of this dress.”

[yoonsdoll]

his star - yjh

content : n-i!jeonghan x gn!reader ; friends to... something more idk ! ; fluff n romance ; 1.3k words warnings : reader is called 'pretty' - actually, he was your star too . an : i miss hannie already SIGH i am not taking the news well

When Jeonghan invited you on a date randomly, you didn’t know what to expect but somehow it was so fitting. It was something different, but he still took into consideration all he knew about you, creating something ideal for you both — a date at the planetarium. The evening began as you met him outside the building, the city’s soft glow casting a golden light over his pretty face. He stood there, waiting with a smile that always managed to make your heart flutter, his hands tucked casually into the pockets of his jacket.

“You ready for a little trip through the stars?” he asked playfully.

Of course you were. You were ready to go anywhere with him. You nodded soon after, excitement bubbling in your chest. There was something magical about the idea of spending the evening together beneath a sky full of stars, even if it wasn't the real one.

As you stepped inside, the planetarium was dimly lit, casting a peaceful, almost dreamlike atmosphere. Jeonghan led the way, finding the perfect seats in the centre where you’d have the best view of the projection. You sat down beside him, the armrest between you feeling like a small barrier, though the warmth of his presence was (as always) unmistakable.

The lights dimmed further, and the dome above you both began to fill with stars — thousands of tiny, sparkling lights stretching across the ceiling like a canvas of the night sky. A soft voice begins narrating, guiding you through the wonders of the universe, but it’s Jeonghan’s quiet voice beside you that captured your attention more than the show itself.

“This is pretty amazing, right?” he murmured, leaning in slightly, his voice barely above a whisper. “It’s like we’re floating in space.”

You glanced over at him, and even in the low light, you can see the soft smile on his lips, his eyes sparkling thanks to the stars above.

As the presentation continued, Jeonghan couldn’t help but make lighthearted comments, whispering them so only you could hear. He pointed out constellations, giving them silly names instead of their real ones.

“See that one over there?” he whispered, leaning in closer, his shoulder brushing against yours as he pointed at a cluster of stars. “That’s the constellation ‘Sleeping Bunny.’ It’s super rare.”

You stifled a giggle, your heart warming at his playful nature. “You’re just making things up now.”

“Hey, I’m an expert at this,” he joked, his tone light. “I could guide tours here if I wanted.”

Despite his teasing, there’s something about the way his voice dipped to a softer tone as he talks about the stars that made your heart race a little. He’s close—closer than before—and it feels like, in this quiet space filled with the cosmos, the universe has shrunk to just the two of you.

As the show transitioned to a slower, more awe-inspiring segment about distant galaxies and nebulae, the mood shifted into something more cryptic, almost surreal. The narrator talked about the vastness of space, about how small we are in the grand scheme of the universe, and Jeonghan grew quieter, as if the beauty of the moment had settled into his bones.

You both sat in comfortable silence, watching as galaxies swirled and stars exploded in brilliant colours. Jeonghan’s hand, resting casually on the armrest between you, inched just a little closer. You could feel the warmth of his fingers, almost brushing against yours, and your pulse quickened.

Then, just a moment later, his pinky softly hooked around yours, the smallest of touches but one that sent a rush of warmth through your entire body. He glanced at you out of the corner of his eye, and when your eyes met, he gave you a gentle smile—one that’s almost shy, but full of hope.

“It’s kind of crazy, isn’t it?” he said, his voice barely above a whisper now. “How vast everything is… and yet here we are, together.”

There was something deeper in his words, an unspoken connection forming in the quiet between you two. The stars above seem to shimmer a little brighter, and for a moment, it felt as if you both noticed the connection between you, just like two stars in a constellation.

Impulsively, you gently shifted your hand to meet his, your fingers lacing together naturally. The soft touch felt right — like it was meant to happen all along. Jeonghan’s thumb brushed over the back of your hand, slow and deliberate, as if savouring the moment.

“I’ve been wanting to do that,” he admitted quietly, almost playfully teasing you for being the braver one of the two.

The two of you stayed like that for the rest of the show, your hands intertwined, the warmth of the gesture grounding you both even as you watched distant galaxies millions of light-years away. Every now and then, Jeonghan gave your hand a gentle squeeze, and you couldn't help but glance at him, catching him smiling to himself.

Once the show ended, the gentle hum of the planetarium faded as you and Jeonghan stepped outside into the cool evening air. The night was quieter than before, the city’s distant sounds barely audible as the two of you lingered just outside the entrance. Above, a few stars peeked through the clouds, not nearly as breath-taking as the ones projected inside, but still worth admiring.

Jeonghan’s hand remained in yours, a soft, steady connection that had your heart fluttering. “They aren’t quite as impressive as the fake stars.” he hummed with a playful sigh, tilting his head towards the sky. But there was a lightness in his tone, as if the real stars didn’t even matter — because in that moment, his attention was on something else.

“You’re like a pretty, bright star, just on earth… so I'd say you make up for it.” he added quietly, his voice soft, as if he was letting you in on a secret.

His words caught you off guard, a rush of warmth spreading through your chest. Jeonghan stepped just a little closer, and before you could respond, his free hand gently lifted, brushing a lock of hair behind your ear. His fingers were soft against your skin, lingering for a moment longer than they needed to. The way he looked at you under the dim street lights made your breath hitch — like he was admiring something precious, something close, something real.

“I liked tonight a lot — I mean, I like being with you in general but…” he shared softly, his voice laced with something so genuine it made your heart swell. “I think I could sit under a sky full of clouds and still find it beautiful as long as you were sitting beside me.”

You couldn’t help but feel flustered, your cheeks heating up as Jeonghan’s gaze lingered on you, his thumb tracing a slow, soothing line across your knuckles. He watched your reaction, his eyes twinkling with the tiniest hint of mischief, but also something deeper, something meaningful. It’s like he knew exactly what he was doing — flustering you with the sweet sincerity of his words.

Before the moment could get too overwhelming, Jeonghan let out a soft chuckle, his usual playful charm peeking through again. “Okay, I'm getting a little cold now, let's get going, hm?”

You laughed, the tension easing as his words brought that playful atmosphere back. But even as you smiled, you couldn’t shake the feeling that something deeper has settled between you, something as steady and constant as the stars themselves.

It wasn’t difficult to agree, not when he smiled so sweetly at you, not when you both knew that night changed what you were previously into something more, something closer, something you both wanted. It didn’t have to be then when you’d figure exactly what that connection was, that was a conversation for the future. Maybe another evening under the stars, maybe a movie date or a picnic. It didn’t really matter, because if you weren’t confident of it before, you were now : there will be a future where you explore those feelings, because he wasn’t going to let you go now.

[pholla-jm]

Space Nerd

IMAGINE: SPACE NERD~ YUJI X READER GENRE: FLUFF cw: unestablished relationship. gn! reader. use of (y/n). not proof read. ~~~~~~~~~~

The crickets chirped late at night as you walked through the halls of the dorm. It was reaching morning hours, yet you couldn’t fall asleep. So a midnight stroll would surely be the answer to your restlessness. 

One thing that you were not expecting was to bump into Yuji. 

Even though it was unexpected, you still welcomed his presence with open arms. 

“Yuji.” You greet him with a large smile on your face. 

His eyes were wide for a second before he returned your smile, “(y/n), what are you doing up so late?” He asks. You shrug, “I couldn’t really sleep. What about you?” “Same.” 

It was quiet for a couple of seconds before Yuji came up with an idea.

Late nights with Yuji were always the best. They were spontaneous, but you always had the best time of your life. 

Of course, you agree to any notion he told you. So that’s how you found yourself in the chilly outside air, even though the both of you were wrapped in blankets, looking up at the clear night sky. 

It was truly a rare wonder. Somehow the city lights failed to pollute the sky, allowing the both of you to see the stars. 

“Oh, look, it's Andromeda.” You say pointing at the sky. Yuji follows your finger, trying to find this ‘Andromeda’. But all he could see were clusters of stars. 

“The what?” 

“Andromeda, also known as the chained maiden. It’s named for the daughter of Queen Cassiopeia and King Cepheus of Greek mythology. Andromeda has the nickname of the Chained Lady because her parents chained her up and offered her as a sacrifice to appease the sea monster Cetus… so it kinda looks like a woman that’s chained.” You ramble while staring at the constellation. 

It was silent and you realized that you might have rambled a bit too much. You look over to Yuji who was staring at you with such wonder. “I’m sorry. I can get a bit carried away when talking about stars. I really love anything to do with space.” 

Yuji chuckles a bit and shakes his head, “don’t worry about it. I liked it. It’s amazing that you know this. You’re really smart.” You shyly smile at him, thankful that it was a bit too dark for him to see the growing blush. 

“Can you do another one?” He asks and you nod your head. 

You look back into the sky, looking for a constellation to name. Unaware of the cold still nipping at your skin, even though the blanket is wrapped around you, you started to shiver. 

“Are you cold?” Yuji asks, breaking you from your concentration. “Oh, um-” “Here. Come over here.” He says opening up his blanket to show the empty space between his legs. 

You didn’t really want to pass up this opportunity of being really close to him, but you were lying if you said you weren’t nervous. 

Swallowing your nerves, you scooted over until Yuji helped you sit in between his legs. He moved around a little so he could get comfortable. His legs basically caged you in, arms wrapped around you, so that your blanket and his blanket were now over you and him. You could feel the warmth Yuji’s chest was radiating. 

Not only was your body warming up but your face was warming up at close proximity.  

“The next constellation?” Yuji asks and you nod your head. “Right.” 

You look back up at the sky, only now noticing how close Yuji’s face is. His face right next to yours as he rests his chin on your shoulder. You had to admit, it made it really hard to concentrate. 

You spotted one. One that you were quite familiar with since you knew it was Yuji’s zodiac sign. 

“There’s pisces. It’s a zodiac constellation… your zodiac sign. It is associated with a story about the goddess Aphrodite and her son Eros transforming into fish to escape the monster Typhon. It kinda looks like the letter ‘V’...” You say and Yuji laughs. 

“Yeah, when you say it like that, I see it.” 

“It’s easier to remember it that way.” 

“One more?” He asks and you could basically feel the puppy dog eyes accompanied by the pout. 

You couldn’t say no to him. 

“Fine, one more.” 

Your eyes skim across the sky until you find one of the easier ones, “ Right there- Hydra. Also known as the water serpent. It was named after the Lernaean Hydra, the monster from the myth of Heracles’ Twelve Labours. It’s one of the largest constellations. It’s almost like a line that looks like a snake.” 

Yuji tilts his head, trying to see this ‘snake’, but the stars all look the same to him. 

“I don’t see it.” 

You turn your head to face him, “well that’s cause you’re not looking in the right direction.” 

You lift your hand to his face and push his head in the other direction. With another hand, you point along the line. “You see? It’s right there under Corvus and Crater.” 

“Well now it just sounds like you’re making up words.” 

You burst out laughing, “no. No I’m not. I swear.” “Well how am I supposed to find it if I don’t know what Corvus and Crater is?” 

“I guess I have to just teach you about those too.” 

Normally, Yuji would pass on the idea of learning something like that. But when it came to you, he’d learn anything. 

“Yeah, I’d like that.” 

You only now realize that your hand is still on his face. “Oh, I’m sorry.” You say while putting your arms back down into the blankets. 

Yuji smiles at you, finding how you react to getting nervous to be endearing. His heart would beat faster every time and he could only hope that you didn’t feel it on your back. 

“It’s fine. I kinda liked it anyway.” 

He could feel your body shake a little, assuming that you were laughing a bit. 

Yuji let out a sigh of content, his arms wrapping around you a bit tighter. After a while, he could feel your body relax against his and when he looked down he saw that your eyes were closed. 

A soft smile graces his face, as he admires your peaceful complexion. He leans down a bit, his lips placing a gentle kiss on your forehead. One that he was too scared to do if you were conscious. 

“Good night, my little space nerd.”

[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

Galileo Galilei Birthday Story

Translations may not always capture the exact nuances or tone of the original text. Expect grammatical errors and inaccuracies.

Not proofread.

As I walked, carefully examining each bunch of grapes一

Galileo: "Mitsuki."

He suddenly called my name and pulled me close, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.

(........)

Galileo: "How about these grapes? The color and shape aren't bad."

Mitsuki: "Eh, ah, grapes?"

Just as he said, a cluster of fine grapes hung heavily on the branch he pointed to.

(I'm feeling kinda silly, getting all flustered on my own like this.)

Mitsuki: "I-I think they look great. They're shiny, and the stems are thick and sturdy."

As I tried to stay composed while evaluating the grapes, he narrowed his eyes gently and smiled.

Galileo: "Apologies. It seems I gave you the wrong impression."

(Huh?)

Galileo: "Let's take some time to relax and reflect on this again later tonight."

Too shy to respond verbally, I nodded, feeling my heartbeat pick up again.

Later, thanks to the kind owner who let us use the kitchen, we brought some freshly made schiacciata back to our hotel.

Mitsuki: "Alright, let's cut it."

It was finally time to cut into the schiacciata.

Galileo: "It smells wonderful, and it looks well made."

Mitsuki: "Hehe, thank you."

(I hope he'll like the taste too.)

I handed him a piece of Schiacciata, watching in hopeful anticipation as he took a bite.

Galileo: "It’s delicious."

Mitsuki: "Really? I'm so glad."

As relief washed over me, I realized just how much pressure I'd felt.

(Maybe it's because he told me this dessert held memories of his family.)

It was almost as if I'd been afraid of tarnishing something so dear to him.

Galileo: "You should try it too."

Mitsuki: "Okay, thanks."

I took a bite, and my mouth filled with the sweet and tart flavors of the grapes. The juicy grapes burst over the springy dough, followed by the crisp, nutty flavor of the roasted seeds.

Galileo: "These grapes are juicy—not like the ones I tried making before."

Galileo: "Maybe the simplicity lets the freshness of the ingredients really shine."

Nodding at his words, I took another bite of the schiacciata, and he paused, holding his fork mid-air.

Galileo: "It truly tastes nostalgic."

(Galileo.)

From the time we met until now, he hasn't said much.

Yet, looking at Galileo in front of me, I could tell he was moved by the taste of it, as he recalled those days he spent with his family.

Galileo: "Mitsuki."

He spoke my name, his amethyst gaze resting only on me.

Galileo: "Will you make it again?"

Mitsuki: "Sure. As many times as you want."

Not long ago, he told me that his father often played a string instrument called the lute.

This time, he told me about enjoying schiacciata with his family.

(But I've never really asked about the specifics, like what kind of interactions he had with his father or what his family was like.)

(I wonder if he'll talk about those memories someday.)

(I really hope so.)

Galileo: "........"

As I gazed back at him with that wish in my heart, I noticed a slight sadness in his eyes.

Mitsuki: "It's beautiful here. You can see more stars than in Paris."

After finishing the schiacciata, we made our way to a nearby flower field.

Galileo: "It's probably because the air is so clear."

Mitsuki: "I'm glad the manager told us about this place."

When he asked if there were any good spots nearby to see the stars, the hotel manager kindly drew a map leading us to this flower field.

Galileo: "Shall we sit here?"

He stopped, looked up at the starry sky, and sat down.

As I sat beside him, he unexpectedly offered me something that looked like a thin, disc-shaped object.

Mitsuki: "This is?"

Galileo: "It's a star chart."

Galileo: "With this, you can know the approximate positions of the stars throughout the year."

Looking at it, I saw countless white dots forming a star map through an oval cut-out window.

One of the overlapping discs was designed to rotate according to the date and time markers, revealing and concealing different star maps with each turn.

(In other words, it's like a star finder from my world.)

Mitsuki: "Cool! Did you make this by hand?"

Galileo: "Yeah. I thought it might be nice for you since you've shown an interest in the stars."

That's true. Ever since I met him, I've been looking up at the sky more often because I wanted to be closer to him and see the same things he does.

(I suppose my desire to learn about the stars is the same as my desire to understand him.)

Mitsuki: "I'm so happy! Also, it's pretty cool that you could make something like this for our trip!"

Galileo: "Actually, I finished it before the trip was even decided. I just hadn't had the chance to give it to you."

Mitsuki: "Huh? But we've stargazed together recently."

Mitsuki: "Why didn't you tell me then?"

Galileo: "........."

He suddenly fell silent.

Part 1 ╎ Part 2 ╎ Premium ╎ Epilogue

[mochie85]

Congratulations!!🎉🎈🍾

Could you please do fluff prompt 48 You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen” with Tom and shorter reader?

Falling Star

1K Masterlist One-shot Masterlist Complete Masterlist

Summary: It's Hollywood's biggest night and Tom is hoping to win more than just an Oscar. A/N: Part of my 1k Celebration and @the-slumberparty week 3 writing challenge: Something New. I've never written short-reader trope before. Thank you to @lokisgoodgirl for being my BETA reader and @michelleleewise for some great ideas. I don't know how I could continue to write without your ladies' endless support 😘😘😘. And thank you to @huntress-artemiss for the request. Pairing: Tom Hiddleston x Female Reader Word Count: 2.1K Warnings: Fluff Dividers by: @firefly-graphics

Tom looked into the mirror as he rinsed the suds off his hands. Shaking off the excess water, he reached for a towel and dried them. He looked straight into his eyes, trying to keep the nervousness at bay.

It’s a big night for you. You’re going to do fine. You’re probably not going to win anyway, Tom sighed. Just focus on one thing and the rest of the night will go smoothly.

He ran his hands through his hair and pinched his bow tie one last time before he made his way out into the lobby. Focus on one thing, he repeated in his head.

These award shows always leave him a nervous wreck. He never expects to win. When he does, of course, it’s great, but then it brings on a whole new emotion of excitement and anxiety.

When he doesn’t win, it tends to be worse. He has to find that right balance of remorse and humbleness so that the media doesn’t portray him in an evil lie.

Oh, he could read the tabloids now, “And the Oscar goes to…, not Tom Hiddleston.” Or “Hiddles angry that he didn’t win his Oscar. Pictures and commentary on page 3.” He laughed about it internally, a smile on his face as he fixed his cufflinks.

“Come on man. Took you long enough,” Chris exclaimed patting his back. “I think they stuck most of us in the same row.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful. It’d be nice to see some familiar faces again.” Tom recounted the last time he saw anyone from The Avengers movie. The movie that brought together and cemented the friendship of seven individuals.

“I think Scarlet wants you to sit next to her.”

“Oh no. Does she?” Tom fretted.

“What?” Chris wondered.

“She’s been trying to set me up with one of her acquaintances,” Tom rolled his eyes.

“She can be quite persistent,” Hemsworth laughed.

Tom sighed as he accompanied Chris across the massive lobby. The plush red carpet matched the dramatic drapes hung from the ceiling. At the end of the hall was a grand staircase leading upstairs to the auditorium's main entrance.

The two friends stood in line waiting to ascend the stairs as photographers and reporters lined the banisters calling out their names, hoping to get an interview. Tom tried to drown out the noise. He tried to focus on one thing before he went crazy, and his anxiety took over. Tom took a deep breath. Just focus on one thing, he chanted in his head.

He opened his eyes and focused on the first thing he saw, an intricate design of beadwork and crystal that was in front of him. Tiny gold stars were scattered on a black sateen gown. They clustered at the top hem of the dress and sporadically fell towards the bottom. The back of the gown was secured by a beaded pin of a crescent moon, gracing your bare lower back. The whole gown looked like star fall plummeting in the night sky.

“Chris,” Tom whispered. “Is this whom I think it is?” Tom stared hard at your graceful figure. Not once taking his eyes off you. Chris gazed hard at you trying to see whom Tom was talking about.

“Ayee...yup. Yes, that’s her.”

“Didn’t she win the Oscar last year for…”

“Yes. I believe she did.” Chris mused.

“Is she up for anything tonight?”

“I think she’s presenting, actually.”

You gathered your dress, preparing to walk up the imposing staircase. Looking around you making sure you were not going to trip on your own outfit, you held your left hand out to steady yourself as you took that first step.

Tom, sensing you needed help, took your outstretched hand. “May I escort you up the stairs?”

The sudden voice and unexpected contact must have shocked you. You looked up at him with a startled expression and a blush on your face. A small smile graced his lips as he noted the sparkle in your eyes.

“Thank you,” you whispered, as photographers flashed their cameras at your interaction. Tom held your hand firmly as you gathered the rest of your dress in your other hand. Focused on making each step, Tom held on to you tightly, becoming the anchor you needed in such a cumbersome gown. “They must have altered this dress three times already just for me. But they can’t seem to get the length right. Even with me in heels,” you admitted shyly.

Tom laughed, finally noticing the height difference between you two. He was so used to towering over everyone, he never really gave it much thought.  “Well, it looks lovely on you. You look beautiful tonight.” You looked up suddenly at his compliment. Heat radiating down your skin. Your eyes arrested his thoughts and hitched his breathing, making him at a loss for words.

“The…uh…the dress. The dress is quite beautiful. Oh, not to say that you’re not beautiful. You are! You’re beautiful. In the dress. Oh, God. Please tell me I haven’t botched this up completely?” He stuttered, hiding his face in his palm. You laughed and squeezed his hand.

You almost fumbled at the top step, if it weren’t for him holding on to you so securely. “Thank you,” you said once again, and he reluctantly let go of you. “Good luck tonight. I hope you win,” you said, cheering him on.

“Thank you. You, too. Me too. I-I mean I hope so,” Tom stumbled on his words. You smiled at him once again, heading inside, leaving him to stare after you.

“Smooth,” Chris said, clapping Tom on his shoulder. “Real smooth.”

“Ugh, I’m a complete knob!”

“Ah, I wouldn’t worry about it. I don’t think she noticed,” Chris said laughing.

Inside, the auditorium was stuffy and pompous. Two hours of everyone with their forged smiles and mock interests. Scarlet did manage to get Tom to sit next to her. She mentioned a friend of a friend who’s a writer for a late-night talk show in Los Angeles. Tom tried his best to be courteous but not commit to anything serious.

Minutes. Hours. They seem to drag by as the night continued up until it was time to announce Best Female Performance in a Leading Role. Tom knew you weren’t nominated for anything tonight, but that didn’t stop him from wondering where you were.

Were you sitting somewhere in the audience with other nominees? Or perhaps you were backstage mingling with some of tonight’s winners. It wouldn’t be long now till they got to the category he was nominated for, which made him nervous.

The heat in the room suddenly increased tenfold and the noise of the audience started to echo in his mind. Their clapping died down as the winner was announced and accepted her award. Focus on one thing. Focus on one thing. He closed his eyes as he took a lungful of air in. Breathing slowly.

Exhaling, Tom opened his eyes and suddenly everything else disappeared. Every sound went silent. Every light dimmed, focusing on a central spotlight on stage. And all he could see was you.

You walked out, unaccompanied, to the soundtrack of your award-winning movie. Tom watched you carefully, knowing full well that you were anxious about your dress and stumbling. With a cool look and a smile on your face, you hid your anxiety about tripping. You demonstrated exactly why you were worthy of that Oscar last year. Carefully taking a calculated step toward the podium and ignoring your long, imposing gown.

“Last year, I was very fortunate to stand up on this very stage and accept the award for Best Female Performance in a Leading Role…”

Tom tried to focus on you, instead of the nagging anxiety that was wracking his brain. Your gown had taken on a different hue under the bright spotlights. It had turned to a rich navy blue. The sequences on the stars shone brighter, glittering to gather everyone’s attention.

“This evening will be another night of firsts for me as I present the award for Best Male Performance in a Leading Role.” Tom was awestruck as he watched you on stage. Your smile was charming, and your laughter was contagious.

Tom heard you say his name twice that night. Once when you were reading the nominees. And the next, when you announced that he won. Chris and Scarlett patted him on the back and tried to wake him from his stupor.

“Mate, you better get up there,” Chris whispered, hugging him on his way. Tom was mesmerized. He couldn’t believe that he won. His nervousness threatened to eat him up whole as he stood up and made his way onstage. He remained focused on you instead, clapping for him as he made his way up more stairs.  You handed him his statue along with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

All at once, he faced the audience and didn’t know what to say. “I- uh…” Tom held on to the statue tightly and looked back at you.  You gave him a reassuring smile and he found that your calming presence helped alleviate his anxiety. “I wasn’t expecting to win tonight. Forgive me, I had no speech prepared,” Tom continued as the audience laughed.

He concluded his speech with thanks to the Academy, other nominees, and his friends and family for all their support.  

After a rousing applause, he made his way to follow you off the stage. He’d hoped to escort you like earlier and have another intimate moment with you. As you turned, your foot caught on the front of the dress causing you to fall forward.

In a heroic move, Tom sprinted to your side and caught you. His arms wrapped around your waist as you turned right-side up. He lunged forward before you fell to the floor, cradling your head.

There was a collective gasp from the audience as they watched the scene unfold. A heated blush spread throughout your body.

“Are you all right?” he asked, alarmed.

“Oh, my God. Yes! Thank you,” you stuttered, holding onto his lapels tightly.

“Of course, darling,” he said as he helped you stand back up.

“You seemed to be saving me a great deal tonight,” you gave him an apologetic look as you ran your hands over your dress. Tom offered his arm, and you gladly took it, hoping you wouldn’t trip again. “Oh, God. I’m so embarrassed. I must’ve looked like an idiot out there.”

“Nonsense, you look magnificent,” Tom replied, kissing your hand.

Tom sat in the dining area of the hotel room. Bright morning light shone through the windows as he read the newspapers and magazines sent to the room, along with the room service. It seemed that all anyone talked about was your tumble from last night and how he caught you. Rumors began to spread as everyone gave their opinions on the matter.

“Did Hiddleston win more than just an Oscar last night?” “Secret Relationship: How long have they been together?” “Was it staged?” These were not the headlines he was expecting to read this morning. A small smile crept on his face seeing all the pictures from different angles.

A soft moan stole his attention as you wrapped your arms around from behind him. “Come back to bed.” You gently kissed his neck, and he could still smell the lingering perfume in your hair.

“I ordered breakfast for us, darling,” he said with a soft whimper.

“How very thoughtful of you,” you teased. Tom grabbed your arm and pulled you around to sit on his lap. He noted that you were wearing nothing but his dress shirt from last night. The sleeves were rolled up and the tails sat just at your knees. You were swimming in his shirt, a look that he was starting to like more and more. Your tousled morning hair reminded him of the carnal way you both took each other last night.

“…Unnhh…” you moaned as he hoisted you against the wall. “Take this infernal dress off me. Please.” “With pleasure,” he snarled.

You sat with your legs over the handrest of the chair as you picked up the papers and read them. A scowl formed on your face the more you read. “I’m sorry, Tom. All this over me falling. I didn’t mean to take away from your big night.”

“That’s quite all right darling. As far as I’m concerned they can keep reporting it all they want.”

You looked at him through your lashes. His tall frame and long arms surround you, cherishing you.

“Why?” you asked coyly.

“Because in every picture, I get to see that mesmerizing look on your face.”

“What look?” you provoked.

“The same look I had on my face when I caught you.”

“And what was that?” you giggled.

“Like you were the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.”

@emarich7 @coldnique @vickie5446 @psychospore @mukagentropy @silverfire475 @fictive-sl0th @springdandelixn @wheredafandomat @goldencherriess @peaches1958 @salempoe @thomase1 @kkdvkyya @a-witch-with-words @mischief2sarawr @sarawr-reads @vbecker10 @peachymallows @irishhappiness @cakesandtom @simplyholl @here4thefanfics @tallseaweed @gigglingtigger @holdmytesseract @immersed-in-mischief @joyful-enchantress @lovelysizzlingbluebird @lokisninerealms @kikster606 @glitterylokislut @loz-3 @slytherclaw1227 @chantsdemarins @the-lady-amphitrite @eleniblue @km-ffluv @lokidokieokie @loopsisloops @muddyorbsblr

[kedsandtubesocks]

baseball spring training started & I miss Gojo so here we are lol, this is dedicated to @stellamancer @seiwas & @vigilante-izuku for always supporting my baseball Gojo brainrot, love you babes

01: change-up.

baseball player!gojo x reader

-

The weather is gorgeous.

“A wonderful day for baseball,” the lady checking your bag into the stadium even grinned when she told you that.

You don’t know baseball. Didn’t even know spring training was a thing. Yet with the amount of fans in the smaller stadium, and the cluster of photographers and news reporters lining the media area, you could’ve sworn this is a regular game.

And it’s all because of one man, the same man you met at a coffee shop.

Satoru Gojo - born on December 7 1989.

Thankfully you didn’t have to stare at the wiki page for long because every sports outlet online happily was ready to tell you more about him.

He’s considered a once in a lifetime player. He hit a home run once where the ball busted out of the Tokyo Dome. He broke a pitching record his first season in Japan’s Major leagues. He has one of the highest batting averages a pitcher can have.

As a pitcher you learn he is known for his notorious changeup.

It’s a type of pitch that relies on deception, tricks a player into believing a fast pitch approaches only for the ball to change speed and throw off the batter. You can’t wrap your mind around a ball even being able to do that.

But you couldn’t help but think how it fits Gojo. This seemingly way too tall and annoyingly charming guy turns out to be an absolute mega star of an athlete doesn’t feel real.

Because now here you are at a baseball spring training game not even knowing a single clue about the sport.

Currently waiting for the game to start, you scroll through the ESPN page and accidentally press a video attached to his section. It starts up a recent interview of him at a talk show. The sigh of him in a sleek gorgeous deep navy suit that brings out his eyes has you memorized. Then hearing him talk, hearing him laugh through your phone breaks the spell.

You quickly scramble out of the article, click away all open tabs, even clear your history and wonder if you should maybe just leave.

He did beg you to come see him, but how would he even know if you came…

That’s when the team line ups are called.

In the 00 jersey, batting second and not pitching this game, the announcement of Satoru Gojo’s name makes the crowd erupt in a frenzy shocking you.

A kid behind you, with absolute adoration in his voice, excitedly tells his dad how amazing Gojo is and how this year their team had to make it to the championship because of him.

Your eyes zone in on the man constantly trying to pay for your coffee shop order.

He even paid the poor barista to make a messy baseball sugar cookie with a sad face on it as an apology for you.

Now he struts onto the field drawing all the attention to him, yours included. It’s unfair how handsome Gojo looks in the uniform that highlights his tall frame and broad shoulders. He also wears sleek sunglasses that block his eyes.

Once on the line with the rest of his teammates, Gojo wearing the most charming smile takes off his hat and nods his head ever so slightly to the reception given to him. His face turns to skim the crowd in front of him, smiling and waving at everyone.

That is until he spots you.

You feel caught red handed and your heart hammers inside your chest so rapidly.

Suddenly Gojo slides his sunglasses down and blatantly stares at you. You regret sitting so close in the arena because now his twinkling sky blue eyes refuse to let his gaze leave yours.

Then, with the most amused grin, he winks at you and slides his glasses back on.

You’re horrified, almost squawk, and think about walking to sit on the opposing team’s side. But it’s because of all the nasty butterflies trying to infest your stomach.

Whatever was on your face, whatever reaction you made, suddenly has Gojo laughing.

It’s a bright thing he tries covering up by coughing, but you saw it. Even his teammate standing beside him notices.

Even with gorgeous weather, the wonderful energy of the crowd so eager for the game to start… watching Gojo, finally taking in this new reality in, feels like something dangerous is starting to brew in your chest.

[deoreoo]

Can I have something fluff with Rocket pretty please?

-💥

CITTALI

Rocket x Reader fluff!

Mhmhmhm i went crazy on this one can you tell?

Under the vast canopy of night you and Rocket found yourselves on a gentle hill away from the city’s bustling place, The grass beneath was soft and the sky above was a tapestry of shimmering stars. Rocket was always eager for exploration laid back with a sigh of contentment eyes fixed on the celestial display

"Look at that constellation," You pointed out, tracing the outline of Orion with a finger Rocket’s eyes sparkled with interest as he tried to connect the dots.

"I’ve read about that one" Rocket said, his voice filled with excitement "It’s amazing how ancient stories link to these stars"

Rocket propped himself up on one elbow, his face illuminated by the soft glow of starlight.

“Do you think there’s more out there, beyond what we can see?”

You smiled, imagining the endless possibilities

“Absolutely. The universe is so vast, and we’ve only just begun to explore it each star and planet has its own story, waiting to be discovered.”

Rocket's eyes widened with wonder the bright lights from the sky illuminating on his eyes “It’s incredible to think that somewhere out there, someone might be looking up at the same stars and wondering about us”

The thought lingered in the air as we both gazed up in contemplative silence a gentle breeze rustled the grass around us, adding to the serenity of the moment

Rocket suddenly sat up, a playful grin spreading across his face.

“Hey, let’s make a wish on a shooting star! Maybe it’ll come true.”

We watched eagerly as a streak of light crossed the sky. Rocket closed his eyes and whispered his wish while you made your own silent hopes. As the shooting star faded we both felt a warm sense of connection to the cosmos.

As the last traces of the shooting star vanished, Rocket settled back down beside you, his gaze returning to the stars. “So, what’s your favorite constellation?”

thinking for a moment before answering.

“I’ve always been fascinated by the Big Dipper. It’s not just a constellation but part of a larger group called Ursa Major. It’s been used for navigation for centuries.”

Rocket’s eyes lit up with curiosity. “That’s so cool! I’ve heard about how it’s used to find the North Star. What about other constellations?”

“Well,” you start off thinking-

“there’s Cassiopeia, which looks like a ‘W’ in the sky. It’s named after a queen in Greek mythology who was known for her beauty.”

Rocket tilted his head, considering this. “Mythology is so interesting. I’ve read that the stars in Cassiopeia are actually different distances from us, but they just look like they’re in a line because of our perspective.”

“Exactly,” you say with a grin your eyes seemingly twinkling with excitement as you continue speaking

“The stars in any constellation aren’t necessarily related to each other They’re just grouped together from our viewpoint.”

Rocket pointed to a cluster of stars. “What about that one? It looks like a triangle or maybe a dorito..."

“That’s the Summer Triangle, It’s made up of three bright stars from three different constellations- Vega in Lyra, Deneb in Cygnus, and Altair in Aquila. Together, they make a distinctive shape that’s easy to spot.”

Rocket traced the triangle with his finger, visibly impressed.

“I love how each constellation has its own story and significance. It’s like the night sky is a huge, cosmic tapestry, and every star is a thread in it.”

Then he turned to you with a huge goofy grin

"But you seem to be a nerd when it comes to the stars"

"I'll take it as a compliment thank you!" You snort as you playfully smack his arm making him retaliate and slap you back earning fits of laughter under the starry sky

As we both continued to converse about the constellations, Rocket's gaze became wistful. He looked up at the stars with a thoughtful expression, lost in his own imagination.

“You know” Rocket began slowly “sometimes I wish I could be a star in another timeline. Imagine being part of that endless dance of light shining brightly for centuries, and seeing the universe change over time.”

You glance at Rocket intrigued and amused by his thought. “That sounds interesting i wonder what would it be like?”

Rocket’s eyes sparkled as he spoke. “I’d love to be a star, witnessing the birth of new celestial bodies, watching planets form and maybe even seeing distant civilizations look up and wonder about me. It would be like being part of something so grand and timeless”

You smiled, touched by Rocket’s poetic vision. “It’s amazing to think about how every star has its own journey. Even though we’re just observers, we’re connected to that grand narrative in our own way.”

Rocket nodded, his gaze fixed on the distant stars. “Yeah.... It makes me feel like even if I’m not a star, I’m still part of the same vast universe It’s comforting to think that our dreams and wishes are intertwined with the cosmos.”

As the chill of the night settled around us, Rocket shifted closer, wrapping hiself with his arms we sat side by side, the gentle rustle of the grass the only sound besides our quiet breathing.

Rocket’s voice softened to a contented murmur. “Even if we’re not stars, moments like these make me feel like we’re part of something just as magical.”

Iooking over and saw Rocket’s eyes reflecting the starry sky.

“Absolutely. It’s moments like these that make the universe feel a little smaller and a lot more beautiful.”

We both sighed in unison, feeling a deep sense of peace the stars above seemed to twinkle a bit more brightly as if sharing in our quiet joy as the night wore on we drifted into a comfortable silence wrapped in the softness of the moment and the shared warmth of friendship.

With the cosmos as our backdrop and the promise of more adventures to come feeling myself close my eyes feeling truly content and connected under the infinite sky

[chronicallycouchbound]

Unhoused Joy: Meeting Diane

I was talking with my partner about the seven sisters star cluster and then about subarus and how great lesbians are and how having a butch lesbian in your life is wonderful. And I was reminded specifically of a butch lesbian named Diane who was the cook and staff at the youth shelter I lived at.

When I met her, she pulled me aside after my first breakfast there and said if anyone messed with me because I’m trans to just let her know and she would make sure I would be safe. We had many long conversations and she saved extra mac n cheese (my favorite) for me.

She always was great about my dietary restrictions and sometimes even made special meals just for me, even though she never had to. When she moved across the country with her partner, she hugged me goodbye and we cried together.

Her brief presence in my life as a safe queer adult, after I had just gotten kicked out and had zero contact with my family, was absolutely life saving for me.

I told my partner all about her. He said “I wonder how many other queer and trans youth she got to build connections with in her years working there” and I know it was many, her cooking alone was legendary in our community. Everyone I knew spoke kindly of her.

There was so many people who cared for me through hard moments in my life, and Diane was one of them. I hope she is doing well in life.

[circus4apsycho8]

Oh also did I request a oneshot of the reader taking care if the ninja during child's play cause my more is horrible

𝚊/𝚗: 𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎! 𝚒 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚜𝚞𝚋𝚖𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚚𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝟷 (𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚕, 𝚖𝚊𝚢𝚋𝚎 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝟸) 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚜 𝚊𝚐𝚘, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝚒 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚗𝚘𝚠 ��𝚘𝚝 𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚑 𝚒𝚝 𝚕𝚘𝚕. 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛!

𝚒 𝚖𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚊 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝟸 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚒𝚍𝚔 𝚢𝚎𝚝!

child's play. | ninja & reader

There has to be a story here somewhere. 

You push your way through the sea of bodies clustered on the sidewalk, eyes trying to locate a nearby street sign. Soon enough, you do, taking a moment to ensure that the street name you’re on matches the one on your phone’s map. 

“The museum has to be close,” you mumble, heading down the correct sidewalk. As you do, your eyes occasionally dart to your phone to verify that you’re continuing in the correct direction.

As you round the corner of the block, you notice a few pedestrians milling around, some waiting for the phone booth to open. You pass it, not noticing the hopeful stares of four pairs of eyes looking at you. 

Your mind shifts to the details you had heard concerning the break-in that had occurred within the museum early this morning: the police had caught four children red-handed with a stolen sarcophagus nearby. And although they’re in the process of investigating the museum’s security feed, something about the whole situation seems off. And it’s your job to figure out why and let the world know about it. 

You’re about to cross the street when you hear someone yelling your name from behind you. 

Frowning, you turn, shutting your phone off as you look around. 

“Down here!” 

You shift your stare down, finding four children stationed in front of you. Something about them seems...uncannily familiar, but that couldn’t be because you don’t know any children personally. 

“Hi there,” you greet hesitantly. “What do you need?” 

“You’ve gotta help us!” cries the redheaded boy, eyes wide as he jumps forward and gestures wildly. “We were trying to stop Lord Garmadon from resuscitating the Grundle with the Mega Weapon, but then we got caught up in its spell and it made us kids again and now we’re stuck as kids running from the Grundle but we can’t even go anywhere because we’re kids now!” 

For a moment, you’re speechless as you try to process what he’s saying. You try to be polite, but all that comes out is: “What?” 

The brown-haired boy shoves the redhead roughly. “You can’t just say it like that! She doesn’t even recognize us yet!” 

“My apologies,” adds the white-haired child. “My friend is a bit rattled from the events of the morning. Do you recognize us?” 

“...No?” you wonder, frowning. “Should I?” 

“We’re the ninja!” the black-haired boy cries. “Remember? We work with you a lot during the public conferences!” 

“We just got turned into kids because we were trying to stop Garmadon!” explains the brunet. “Remember? I’m Kai, that’s Jay, Cole, and this is Zane.” 

You’ve got to be kidding me. 

“You work as our journalist! Well, kind of!” adds the redhead – Jay? “You’re about to investigate the museum, because wherever there’s trouble, you follow! And we just happen to be there like eighty percent of the time!” 

“You always help us out with the public press conferences,” Cole notes. “You give us advice on how to reply and join in on our discussions.” 

“Are you kidding me?” you respond. “Wait, wait, so let me make sure I’m understanding you correctly. You’re actually the ninja, and during your fight against Garmadon, you got turned back into children?” 

Kai nods. “Exactly. And now, there’s a revived Grundle preparing to hunt us all down when the sun sets. And we’re basically powerless against it!” 

“Oh my stars,” you mumble, rubbing your forehead. Well...this is certainly not how you expected the day to go. But you know they have to be the ninja now, considering what they told you. “Okay...okay. Fine. What do you need me to do?” 

“We managed to get in contact with a teammate,” Jay notes. “We have to meet him at Buddy’s Pizza in three hours!” 

“Three hours?!” Cole exclaims. “Why so long?!” 

“Because! Lloyd has to get into contact with Sensei Wu and Nya, then find a way to get down here without an adult! Which, as we now know, is much harder than we initially thought!” 

Whew. A few hours with mini ninja. This should be interesting. 

“Okay, so...what do you guys need me to do?” you question. 

“We need a ride, for starters,” Kai answers. “We can’t get around anywhere without an adult.” 

“Well, my car’s parked in a garage a few blocks away,” you note. “We could just use that.” 

“That’s perfect!” Jay chirps. 

“Any chance we can stop for breakfast, by the way?” Cole asks, earning an elbow to the stomach by Jay. “Oof! What was that for?! We’ve been out all night!” 

“You can’t just ask her to do that! That’s rude!” Jay admonishes with a frown. 

“Actually, I'm kind of hungry too,” you note. “Fine. Let’s go. You said we have about three hours, right? So, we have some time to kill.” 

“See! She gets it!” Cole taunts victoriously. 

“Just...just make sure you all stay close. The streets are crowded today, and I don’t want to go losing any of you,” you direct, deciding to follow behind them so you can keep an eye on the four. 

“Yeah, yeah. We’re not actually kids, you know! We still remember adult stuff!” Kai announces. 

You sigh, listening to their banter as the five of you start the trek back to your car. As you watch them, you give them instructions on where and when to switch direction when needed. 

Thankfully, you’re able to make it to the intersection leading to the parking garage without much trouble. 

“There it is!” Kai yells, taking a step towards the street. “Come on, let’s go!” 

Your heart lurches as you spot an oncoming car from the right, hand immediately latching onto Kai’s shoulder before he can walk. The car speeds past, making them gasp. 

“Don’t go until I say it’s okay!” you scold as you let go of his shoulder. “You guys aren’t big enough to see around the cars parked on the street! They block most of your view!” 

Kai chuckles nervously, rubbing the back of his neck as he stares at the car that had passed. “Sorry. Force of habit, I guess.” 

“You should still look both ways on the street, regardless of your age,” you state, watching as the pedestrian light turns to the ‘walk’ signal. You double-check that the road is clear before ushering the group across. 

Now at the entrance of the parking garage, you watch as the ninja fall into a single-file line. 

“We’re headed to the elevator,” you instruct, pointing towards the mentioned object just a few feet ahead. 

“Elevator! Oh my gosh, can I push the button?!” Jay questions, eyes bright again as he proposes the idea. 

“No way, I wanna push it!” Kai butts in, frowning. 

“Not if I push it first!” Cole challenges. 

“Why does it matter?” Zane wonders. 

With that, you find yourself groaning as you listen to the ninja as they start bickering over who gets to push the freaking button. You wonder how to get them to stop when an idea occurs to you. 

“Guys, you’re pushing my buttons!” you grumble before taking a breath. “Okay. How about this? Jay can push the first button, since he was the first to suggest it. Kai can push the floor button, then Cole can push the button that closes the door. Finally, when we get up to the level, Zane can push the button that keeps the door open. Sound good?” 

Thankfully, this manages to satisfy the group as they agree and quiet down. Jay taps the up button, watching as it lights up. 

“Haha! That never gets old!” he laughs, the four watching as the sign showing the elevator’s current level decreases. When it gets to the ground floor, a ding sounds. 

The door opens, revealing a couple inside. You step in front of the boys, blocking them from butting their way inside first. 

“Please, go ahead,” you say, smiling. The strangers thank you as they exit, the ninja filing in moments after. “Kai, press 3A.” 

“Ha! My turn!” Kai shouts, aggressively pushing his designated button. 

“Use your inside voice!” you remind exasperatedly, sighing as Cole closes the door with his button. 

Thankfully, the group quiets down for a moment as the elevator ascends. Though, you notice that they’re sending each other knowing looks. Are they planning something? 

Just as the elevator is about to stop at the target floor, the four jump in unison. You gasp as they land, causing the elevator to shake. 

“We went so high!” Jay exclaims. 

“It would have been better if we had waited slightly longer,” Zane notes, calmly tapping his assigned button. 

You sigh, watching as they exit with excited chatter about the elevator jump. 

“Okay, this way. Stay to the right, and next to me,” you instruct, leading the group to your car. 

“Echo!” Jay yells. “Aw, man, it doesn’t really echo in here. Lame parking garage.” 

You roll your eyes, pulling your keys out and unlocking the car. You open the back door, realizing you have another problem. 

“Wait,” you say, making them all stop. “Let me see...who’s the tallest?” 

“I am,” Zane states. 

“Okay. You’ll sit in the passenger seat, then, because I only have three seat belts in the back.” 

“Aw, come on!” Kai whines. 

“Kai, shut up,” Cole retorts. “Just be grateful that we have a ride that we won’t have to pay for!” 

“Sorry,” Kai mumbles sheepishly. You chuckle, watching as Zane makes his way to the other side. You help the smaller ninja clamber into the vehicle, making sure they’re all buckled up before you shut the door. 

“Okay,” you mutter, opening the driver’s door and entering. You set all of your belongings down on the console before shoving your keys into the ignition. “Everyone’s all buckled up, right?” 

They respond with a chorus of affirmations. 

“Good,” you note. “Okay. Let’s go eat.” 

… 

After designating Zane as the car DJ and letting each of the ninja take turns picking music, you finally arrive at the agreed breakfast place. After you park, the sound of unbuckling takes over the interior before you exit with everyone else. 

“I love this place!” Cole admits as you hold the door open for all of them. 

“So do I,” you agree, following them inside after they enter. 

“Good morning. Just five today?” the host question. 

“Uh, yeah,” you reply. 

“Alright,” he acknowledges, turning around to pull out the needed number of menus. You notice that he only picks out one regular menu, the other four being paper menus accompanied with packs of crayons. “Follow me, please.” 

After being seated, the host distributes the menus before letting you all decide what to order. 

“I remember these!” Jay says, pointing towards the black and white picture of a dinosaur next to the kid’s menu. “Man, why do they assume that just because you’re an adult means you don’t want to color?” 

“Because coloring is lame,” Kai answers, glaring at his picture of Lightning McQueen. 

“I kind of liked it,” Cole admits, opening his crayon pack. You notice that he was given a picture of a cartoony cat. “I bet I can do it even better now.” 

“You are supposed to color the image?” Zane wonders, studying the cute, furry monster on his page. “Perhaps I will give it a try. I have never experienced this.” 

“How about this?” Jay suggests. “Whoever has the best picture wins!” 

“Wins what?” Kai inquires. 

“The glory of being the best artist on the team,” Cole answers. 

You watch in quiet amusement as they all start coloring, quietly discussing amongst themselves. You can't help but giggle upon remembering that these are the destined protectors of Ninjago – fearsome wielders of the Elements of Creation, all participating in a coloring contest at some random breakfast place. What a strange day. 

After the waitress comes by to collect your orders, you elect to watch the four. 

Kai seems to be scribbling in his color loosely, often going outside of the lines but not really caring. At one point, he even snaps his blue crayon in half - much to Jay’s dismay. He decides to put a pair of angry eyebrows on Lightning McQueen before declaring his masterpiece complete. 

Jay appears to be taking their impromptu contest more seriously, taking his time coloring in the dinosaur but also adding some silly features – like a mustache and top hat. He draws a yellow sun with a smiley face in the corner of the paper. 

Cole elects to go a more realistic route – he colors the cat slowly, taking the time to add smaller details that make the picture appear less cartoonish. He even takes the extra step to add a background, too – it appears to be an alleyway, with another cat perched atop a trash bin. You think you even see him trying to blend the colors together. 

Zane seems a bit unsure of how to start, but after a brief chat with Cole, he decides on a simple design for his monster. He makes its body a gradient of green to blue before adding some yellow for the polka dots scattered about the torso. His markings are neat, calculated, and precise. 

You smile softly, sipping on your drink as you observe the group. This could certainly make for an interesting story. 

Eventually, the food arrives, and the drawings are forgotten. The five of you thank the waitress before tucking into your respective meals. 

“Oh, I’ve been meaning to ask,” you start between bites. “You guys said that Garmadon revived a Grundle?” 

“Yeah, he did!” Jay confirms. “It’s gonna hunt us down once the sun sets.” 

“You sound a little less freaked out than I expected,” Kai interjects. 

Jay shrugs. “At least I get to go out after a day of reliving some of my favorite childhood moments. Pushing the elevator button, jumping in it, then coming here to color and eat chicken tenders with honey mustard? It’s not a bad last day, you know.” 

Kai rolls his eyes, finishing up the last few bites of his grilled cheese. “Guys, seriously. What are we going to do about this thing? Our Spinjitzu’s worthless!” 

“We’d better hope that Lloyd has an idea,” Cole adds. “I mean...who would know how to stop an animal that’s supposed to be extinct?!” 

“There is little research about them that I can access at the moment, which only adds to the problem,” Zane chimes in, frowning. “Hopefully Lloyd will be able to contact Sensei and Nya in time.” 

“I hope so,” you mumble. “But we do know for sure that it’s nocturnal, right?” 

“Yes, it is. My assumption is that it will seek shelter until dusk before continuing to track our scents,” Zane explains. 

“Awesome!” you chirp sarcastically. “So, you’re basically just hoping that your friend has an idea?” 

“Pretty much. We’ve gotten pretty good at getting ourselves out of messes like this,” Jay notes. 

“Yeah, I know things look pretty bleak right now, but come on! Of all people, you should have at least a little faith in us!” Cole adds. 

Okay. Fair point – they are good at digging themselves out of situations like this. “Alright, alright. Fine. What should we do next?” 

“I know exactly where to go,” Jay states, grinning wickedly. “I’ll explain on the way!” 

With that, the group finishes up eating before you pay. Before you leave, however, you sneakily collect the ninja’s drawings with a soft smile as an article idea occurs to you. 

… 

Jay’s secret place had turned out to be a random playground. 

“Seriously, Jay?!” Cole wonders. “I thought you said that this place would be secure enough for us to talk!” 

“Is it!” Jay counters. “I mean, who would suspect us to form our game plan on a playground?” 

“You don’t even want to talk about the plan, you just want to go down the slide!” Kai accuses. 

“Haha! And you don’t?!” 

Before you can even say anything, the four are already unbuckling and sailing out of the car. 

“Seriously?” you mumble, sighing. Well, since you have to wait anyway...maybe you can at least get some work done. 

You grab your laptop bag, walking over to one of the picnic tables nearby. You sit down facing the ninja before pulling your computer out. 

Their yells and laughter accompany the chirping of birds, only adding to the inspiration for your new article: 

Tapping into our inner child: what we can learn from the saviors of Ninjago...

[entamesubs]

Yu-Gi-Oh! Go Rush!! Episode 90 Sub Release

Torrent

Support us on ko-fi

Please make sure to read the FAQ if you have any questions.

There are translation notes below, so spoilers ahead.

-------------------------------

ドッチ・ジャーニー・ショウ！ Which Way the Book Turns!

This is a pun-laden name from Dudi again. It can be romanized literally as "Which Journey Shall/Shows!", but it is also a play on 書 (sho), which can sometimes be used to refer to a book - like the one Dudi is reading in the card art.

I just tried my best here; I'm sure there's a punnier name that makes me go "oh my god why didn't I think of that" once YGOrg puts their article out.

お前の中でこれがしの自我を保つのは難しそうだ "Your body is unable to sustain my ego."

Clarifying here that Kuaidul means this in the sense that if he merges with Yuudias, something disastrous will occur... to Yuudias. He is willingly undoing the fusion, or reversing it, so that it doesn't harm him.

He is "letting go" of Yuudias of his own volition.

種の寿命が尽きようとしている "Our species is approaching the limit of our lifespans."

More accurately, Kuaidul is trying to say "our species is going to exhaust our lifespan", as in "use up" or "run out", but I couldn't think of a way to word this that had the same finality as limit.

It is very much with a finality that Kuaidul says this. Interpret as you wish.

-------------------------------

Some other easter eggs

In order for Shewbahha's card to activate, Yuudias had to send Leviaknight (Phaser's card) to the grave - kinda like giving Shewbahha something to eat!

Nyandestar's Cat Claw Girl is the last obstacle that everyone must overcome, which is fitting considering she was the first ever card created by Kuaidul

Similarly, the last people to give Yuudias the ATK boost he needs are some of the first people he ever met upon arriving on Earth... Yuamu and Yuuhi!

Dudi Nishaw, though he's part of the Dudi Ducasse, is in fact a Velgearian... due to how he's supposed to be one of the three "factions" fighting in the Velgear Star Cluster. You can sort of think of the term "Velgearian" as both a species identifier and a nationality. Dudi is a "Velgearian" species-wise, but he is Dudi Ducasse in terms of nationality. Hope that makes sense!

The "Andromeda-Milky Way collision" is a real thing that is projected to happen... in the next 4.5 billion years. According to Wikipedia, it's actually not going to cause much damage to either galaxy or the stars within it at all, due to how far apart each individual star is. In fact, by the time this happens, all life on Earth would've been wiped out about 3 billion years ago anyway due to the Sun's growing instability

In Mahayana Buddhism, which Japanese Buddhism is derived from, a "bodhisattva" is someone with "a spontaneous wish and compassionate mind to attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all" - does it sound familiar? It's Yuudias offering his body to Kuaidul even despite all of the wrongs he has committed.

I guess we now know why the ED is titled "Song of Departure"

-------------------------------

Announcements

Go Rush will be taking a break on New Years weekend and will not air an episode then! The next episode will be on January 7th.

As well, the entameSubs team will be on vacation for the next two weeks. I will be in Japan! That means episode 91 will be massively delayed until I get back.

There will be a dedicated announcement post of the vacation in a day or two, just so people are aware.

-------------------------------

And that's a wrap!

I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am for Go Rush season 3, now that we know that's a thing that's happening! It has always been something I wanted because I adore this show to bits... but I was so convinced we would be moving onto the next series already.

But here we are! The voice actor of Yuudias, Arthur, said that this third year was only possible "with [the fan's] support" - so it's wonderful and heartwarming to know Go Rush is very well received.

Merry Christmas, if you celebrate! Happy Holidays otherwise!

This is one of my favorite episodes of all of Yu-Gi-Oh! as a whole. I have not cried at a finale or even any episode like this since ZEXAL aired Nasch vs Yuuma ten years ago.

I leave you with a quote from one of my favorite games that applies word-for-word to this episode. Just replace "Ardbert" with "Yuudias".

Yuudias chose love, and Kuaidul was undone.

Happy New Year.

[paigeswiftsea]

here are two days of rofd prompts because I forgot to do them yesterday, sky will be in a different post

@dark-rider-pr

Day 4: Stars

no content warnings or happenings, just rambles

Wc: 902

The stars used to mean something to Blaire. In the days before everything fell apart, they were guides, each point of light telling stories, whispering legends of ancient heroes and distant worlds. She had loved every part of it—memorizing constellations, learning about astrological signs, and sneaking off to Mario's observatory whenever she could. As a Leo, she had always embraced the idea of being a leader, fierce and brave. And with her wild, untamed hair, she had felt like she belonged to the stars themselves.

But tonight, sitting high in the branches of an ancient tree, the stars didn’t feel like friends. They were cold, distant. She watched the sky with a lingering sadness, naming constellations in a low murmur, trying to feel that old spark. There was Cassiopeia, the proud queen; Orion, the hunter; and Ursa Major, the great bear. They twinkled down at her, just as they always had. Yet the comfort she once found in their light felt dulled now, washed over by the reality of a world broken and abandoned.

The forest around her was silent, save for the faint rustling of leaves as a soft breeze swept through. She tightened the strap around her waist that held her to the tree. From up here, the stars were clearer, sharper against the midnight sky. She could almost convince herself she was back in the observatory, peering through Mario’s telescope, letting herself fall into the wonder of it all.

But now, the stars felt like a reminder of everything that was lost. Her friends, her family, the future she once thought she’d have. She sighed, her breath a faint cloud in the chill air, and closed her eyes, letting the stillness wash over her. And yet, somewhere deep down, a small flicker of hope lingered—the stars were still here, unmoved by the chaos below. Maybe, just maybe, they could still be her guides through this darkened world.

But, the stars were a constant. Every night, without fail, Blaire could look up and know exactly where she was by their arrangement in the sky. No matter how far she’d traveled or how lost she felt, they were there, steadfast and unchanging. It was a quiet sort of comfort, one she held onto tightly when everything else seemed so fragile and fleeting.

She’d spent countless nights navigating by their light, the patterns becoming second nature. Even in this ravaged world, where familiarity was a rare gift, the constellations were like old friends, waiting to guide her back to safety. The North Star gleamed above, pointing her toward firmer ground, while Orion’s belt stretched out as a reminder of courage and strength.

Settling back into the curve of the tree branch, Blaire took a deep breath, letting her gaze trace each cluster. She whispered their names, her fingers moving over invisible lines between the stars, connecting them into constellations she knew by heart. It was a habit she couldn’t shake, a ritual that made her feel as though the world she’d lost was still somewhere up there, hovering just out of reach.

In these stars, there was still beauty, order, and a strange, unyielding sense of peace. As long as she could see them, she’d find her way through the darkest nights, the wild forests, and even the ruins that once held her home. They were her anchor, her map, her reminder that even when everything else faded, the stars would be there to light her path.

Blaire had always been fascinated by the stars—not just as points of light but as something deeper, something that felt personal. She knew each astrological sign, its strengths, its flaws, and what it all supposedly meant. Leo, her own sign, seemed fitting: the bold lion, fierce and unafraid. Leos were said to be natural leaders, proud and stubborn, qualities she’d always thought described her perfectly. Her friends used to joke that her hair was proof enough; wild and untamed, it was like a lion’s mane.

But now, her Leo traits took on a new, lonely meaning. Leadership and pride felt hollow when there was no one around to lead, no one left to remind her of who she used to be. The bravery and strength Leo was known for—she wasn’t sure if she embodied those things anymore or if she was simply surviving because she had no other choice. It was strange to realize that the traits she once embraced now felt more like burdens. Her pride made it harder to accept help, her stubbornness often kept her in danger, and her loyalty, she knew, had driven her to make reckless choices.

Still, she found herself turning to the stars for reassurance. Each constellation, every sign, felt like a quiet reminder that she was still someone with a story, a path—no matter how far she’d wandered from it. Sometimes, she’d find herself thinking of other signs and what they might mean in this world: Aries, the warrior, with its endless courage; Virgo, the healer, a symbol of wisdom and patience; Cancer, the nurturer, a reminder of the warmth and care she now found only in memories.

The stars were like an unbroken thread back to herself, the girl she once was, the woman she was becoming. And every night, under Leo’s watchful gaze, she tried to believe that the traits she carried, even the flawed ones, would be enough to guide her through another day.

[izar-tarazed]

✨

Send ✨for Izar to assign your muse a constellation and read their fate from the stars It isn’t unusual for Izar to spend quite some time on a request to read someone’s fate from the stars. After all, it’s not something to be done on the fly; single stars and constellations as a whole hold a vast array of meanings, their nuances determined by context, and since she wants her readings to be accurate, she’ll go out of her way to back them up with research and double-check her calculations.

Even more so if the request is an unusual one, as in this case, coming from a fire monk. Truth to be told, she has often wondered how relations were between fire monks and astrologers in that distant past where both groups would dwell on the Mountaintops; what they might have learned from each other.

‟You know,” she tells Laurentius when she finally returns with the results of her reading and research, her eyes alight with excitement, ‟I like to imagine that in the old days, fire monks would find their way to the Stargazers’ Ruins and ask about their fates, and the astrologers present there would be glad to provide answers. Of course, that’s all long gone and it’s almost impossible to find any kind of source from those times. I tried, though, because as obscured as it may be, that past is still part of the picture, and when I was trying to read your fate without taking it into account, something always felt off…”

She pulls a map from the pile of paper she has brought, sliding it over to him.

‟Turns out, the fire monks did have their own way of looking at the night sky, and a couple of constellations nobody else would consider; they’d connect stars overlooked, or grouped into entirely different constellations by others. It seems they’d focus on those with a hint of orange or red glow to them: stars they believed to bear an echo of the very flame they were guarding. I only found mentions of a handful of constellations, but in time, I might be able to figure out others… But still, once I considered this, it all came together. So, your constellation is the Fire Blossom: barely visible, I’m afraid, from Liurnia and its neighboring regions, but easy to spot from the Mountaintops. A small cluster of reddish stars—each named, I believe, after a particular Fire Giant, but we no longer now what tales might have been told about them—forming the pistil of the blossom, with other stars marking its petals.

It’s an interesting constellation, this one. There’s gentleness and promise to every blossom, but fire blossoms are also fierce and desperate; tiny flames struggling against a hostile environment. It’s about persisting in adverse conditions, or at least in a place one might not feel belonging to. It’s about maintaining a delicate balance—the smoldering must neither be too intense nor too weak, or the whole flower would burn to ash before long. A fire blossom can be plucked if one is careful, and put to use in crafting (if one’s ingenious)... or it can burn our fingers if we’re too careless and have those delicate petals crumble away under our touch.

The Fire Blossom constellation is about how maintaining this balance is possible, but nonetheless challenging. You probably know better than I would how this translates to your life; there are many ways in which it might manifest. I’d wager that trying to be gentle and helpful in a world that might rather require you to lash out like a flickering flame to defend yourself might be one of those challenges. Enduring somewhere out of place might be another one. Pursuing something—somewhere—that is both deeply tied to what and who you are, and yet seemingly out of reach, could be another meaning…

As for fate: I believe some may see the Fire Blossom as imbued with the prospect of failure, because what is fire if not destined to burn out eventually? What is a blossom if not something fated to wither? I’m not sure I’d agree with that, though. As I said, I rather understand this constellation to be about the struggle for balance. As long as that balance is maintained, there is no ruin; neither flame nor ash predominate. As long as there’s balance, there is life and warmth and potential, even with the cold ash always in sight. And there’s more power in gentle smoldering than consuming it all at once. It’s worth struggling for that kind of balance, and bringing together in oneself what might seem irreconcilable. Just keep in mind that it’s not meant to be easy.”

[leffee]

Sunil x Russell ..kinda

On a warm summer evening, the sky unfurled like a vast canvas, dotted with countless stars that twinkled against the deepening blue. Sunil and Russell made their way to a secluded hill on the outskirts of town, a place they often visited to escape the noise of their daily lives. Tonight, however, there was an electric undercurrent to the air, one that Sunil couldn’t ignore.

As they settled down on a soft patch of grass, Russell’s eyes immediately turned upward, alight with fascination. He had always been captivated by the cosmos, his passion evident in the way he spoke about constellations and planets. Sunil admired this about him; it was one of the many things that drew him to Russell.

“Look over there!” Russell exclaimed, pointing at a cluster of stars. “That’s Orion. You can see the belt right there.” His enthusiasm was contagious, and Sunil found himself smiling despite the fluttering in his stomach.

“Yeah, I see it,” Sunil replied, his gaze shifting from the stars to Russell’s animated face. The way the starlight illuminated Russell’s features made Sunil’s heart race. He wanted to tell Russell how he felt, but the words tangled in his throat. Instead, he leaned back, letting the cool grass cradle him as he tried to focus on the constellations.

“Do you ever wonder what it would be like to travel among the stars?” Russell mused, his eyes sparkling with wonder. “To see new worlds, meet new civilizations?”

Sunil nodded, trying to ignore the way his heart ached with longing. “Yeah, it would be amazing. But I think I’d miss Earth. It’s home.”

“True, but think of all the things we could learn!” Russell said, his voice rising with excitement. “Imagine discovering a new star system. We could name it anything we wanted!”

Sunil chuckled, picturing the two of them as intergalactic explorers. “We’d probably name it after our favorite snacks.”

Russell laughed, the sound bright and joyful, but soon turned his attention back to the sky. Sunil watched him, his heart full. He admired the way Russell’s passion shone, like the very stars they were gazing at. It made Sunil wish even more that he could express how he felt.

As they lay in comfortable silence, Sunil stole glances at Russell, memorizing the way the starlight danced in his eyes. “You know,” Sunil finally said, hesitating before continuing, “you really light up when you talk about this stuff.”

Russell turned his head, surprise flickering across his face. “Really? I guess I just love it so much. It’s like… each star has a story.”

“Do you have a favorite story?” Sunil asked, hoping to keep the conversation going and to somehow reveal his own feelings through shared interests.

“Definitely. The story of Cassiopeia is fascinating,” Russell began, his voice filled with enthusiasm. He recounted the myth of the vain queen who was punished for her arrogance, drawing Sunil deeper into the narrative. As Russell spoke, Sunil felt a sense of warmth envelop him—a blend of admiration and affection that he could no longer ignore.

As the story wound down, a moment of silence enveloped them, punctuated only by the rustling leaves and distant sounds of the night. Sunil’s heart pounded. Maybe this was the moment. He took a breath, summoning all his courage. “Russell, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you…”

Before he could finish, a shooting star streaked across the sky, bright and fleeting. Russell gasped, his eyes lighting up with excitement. “Did you see that? It was incredible!”

Sunil smiled, feeling the moment slip away. “Yeah, I saw it. It was beautiful.”

“Let’s make a wish!” Russell said, closing his eyes for a moment, his expression serious. Sunil followed suit, but instead of a wish, he simply thought about how much he cared for Russell.

As they opened their eyes, Russell looked over at Sunil, the glow of the stars reflecting in his gaze. “What did you wish for?”

Sunil hesitated, then decided to embrace honesty. “I wished for more nights like this—together, just us.”

Russell smiled softly, and for a heartbeat, Sunil thought he saw something flicker in Russell’s eyes—understanding, perhaps, or a shared longing. But before he could dive deeper, Russell shifted his gaze back to the stars.

“I love nights like this,” he said quietly. “There’s something about the universe that makes me feel… connected.”

Sunil felt a mix of hope and uncertainty. Maybe tonight wasn’t the right time, but it was a start. As they lay back on the grass, the weight of unsaid words lingered between them, but the warmth of companionship wrapped around them like a comforting blanket. Under the vast expanse of the cosmos, Sunil held onto the hope that one day, he’d find the courage to share his heart with Russell. Until then, he was grateful for the stars—and for the moments they shared together.

:O Russunil fans are eating tonight! Straight up consuming 🔥🔥🔥

“Imagine discovering a new star system. We could name it anything we wanted!”

“We’d probably name it after our favorite snacks.”

Guy has the right idea, yes.

Vinnie wasn't mentioned but he was there, I know it

[writernopal]

🐍Eiph'ck, Silent Son of Clan Hartim🐍

Like the War Dancers of generations past, Eiph'ck's sacred duty is to call down the blessings of the Goddess Kava and deliver them to the fierce warriors of The House of War. But as an agent of the god Ishva, he also bears the burden of banishment on his shoulders. Such a god hungers for the spoils of war too. So he sends the souls of his enemies to the fiery Pits of the Wretched, where they rot for all of eternity as punishment for raising a violent hand to him or his people.

It is for this dually honor-bound service that he and Clan Hartim are rewarded with a fabled longevity said to rival that of Elves. But can a life so long truly be enjoyed under the weight of two entangled gods? For some such purpose is glory, but for others...

The nights here were alien. For one, the sky seemed to stretch on and on. He could finally understand what the authors of the books he’d read meant when they said it was endless. And although he’d seen it before, he’d never seen it like this. It was dotted with more than just a few clusters of stars, much more. More than he was sure he’d ever seen in his life. More than he had names for. And it was quiet. 

The incessant calling of birds and insects, the wayward howl of some predator—neither thing existed here. Only the occasional sound of sand blowing over sand, the light chirping of crickets, and the fire that burned between him and his friend. He wondered if fires were always so noisy. And the air, it was crisp and light. Perhaps a little too cold for his liking and a touch dry, but pleasant.

“It’s different, isn’t it?” Quye’ck asked.

“Yeah.”

“Don’t know if I like it.” 

“Why not?”

“Only ever gets this quiet when you’re somewhere you shouldn’t be.” Quye’ck responded scanning the horizon with the learned motion of a soldier. “It’s how my Pa lost part of his arm to a jungle cat. Said it was real quiet right before it happened.” 

“I remember that. He was the shaman’s worst patient.”

He chuckled nostalgically, then sighed. “It’ll be hard to sleep.”

“You should try to. With the hunt starting tomorrow and all that.” Eiph’ck said, leaning back on one elbow.

“Yeah. You excited?”

“Mmm.” He fiddled with the knife he’d been given earlier that afternoon. 

“Somethin’ the matter?”

“I’ve been thinking about what comes after.”

“After?”

“Mmm.”

“Oh. That.” Quye’ck responded, betraying his own less than enthused opinion on the subject. “We could run away. Be bachelors forever. No offense to your sisters.”

“Come on, don’t be stupid.”

“What? You don’t think we could?” He asked in that goading tone he always took when he was about to do something idiotic. “That’s what this ikismal business is all about, isn’t it? To prove that we’re real men!”

“You know that’s not it. We could make it anywhere. The problem is,” He gestured around him at nothing in particular, “all of this.”

“This?”

“These wilds stretch on for miles in every direction. And who knows how far that sky goes. And that thing, ‘the ocean’ is out there somewhere. I know it is. Looked at a map once.” 

“I believe you.” The way he replied was gentle. It was surprising, in a pleasant sort of way.

“My Pa has lived for nearly one hundred years.” Eiph’ck drove the small dagger into the soft desert sand. “He can count on one hand the number of times he’s seen The Empire outside of battlefields and medical tents. Said that war is the only reason to go anywhere. ‘Everything is here. That’s why we call it The Heartlands.’ He always says.”

“You’re not him, you know. You’re different. And you won’t be first pick for clan leader when he croaks. You can leave… If that’s what you want.”

“Hmm.” He pushed the dagger further into the sand, then chanced a look at his friend. The dancing flames warped his expression. “And what about you?”

“They’re gonna swear me in when I get back.” Quye’ck shrugged, “Hantaphian Reserves stay in Hantaph.”

“Oh. Right.”

A deafening silence lingered in the air after that. Eiph’ck lay on his back to look at the stars, deciding it was better not to talk. Easier. He gathered Quye’ck had done the same, judging by the sound of the shifting sand just a few feet away. They lay there as their fire burned down to coals, not speaking or moving, nor acknowledging the cold that followed once it fully died. 

“Do you remember that pact we made?” Quye’ck asked softly.

“Pact?”

“Yeah. From when we were yolklin’s.”

“Be more specific.”

“You know…that one.”

“Oh. That.” Eiph’ck remarked with a sleepy chuckle, “Before we knew that was a crime.”

“Yeah.”

Something about the way he had spoken the word made Eiph’ck feel strange. He turned his head, easily finding Quye’ck’s outline. He was looking back at him, but in the darkness, could not make out his expression.

“Goodnight, Eiph’ck.” 

Those words, they were warm. And loud. Like a fire… They made his throat hot. They made him grateful for the darkness. 

“Goodnight, Quye’ck.”

He was the first to leave the next morning.

Character art by: https://twitter.com/Azraels_Art

Graphics made with license free images from Unsplash and formatted in Canva.

[innocent-cat]

looking through the overwatch tag, and i saw one of your hc posts. you're really good! i was wondering, would you be willing to do a scenario of reader & Sigma listening to the song 'Milky Way' by GGK (from Carole and Tuesday) together? i feel like that's a perfect song for him. your choice on the details. thank you :)

AWW THANK YOU<3 it means a lot to know I'm doing well. ilysm./p

I'm literally down for writing anything as long as it isn't gross and or illegal. Still no sleep :') also, i really hope you were expecting romantic because thats what im doing ٩(^ᗜ^ )و ´-

Sigma x Reader

Head canons

Warnings - None

"Constellations within the milky way.", Sigma x Reader

.·:*¨༺༻¨*:·..·:*¨༺༻¨*:·..·:*¨༺༻

(Obviously had to add the song they were talking about. Super cute!! I am also very secretly hoping this is the right one)

(A/N, I was so tired that I started doing head canons instead of a scenario im so sorry anon(Thats what you call anonymous users right??))

Now, Sigma being a very romantic kind of man, he LOVES messing around with gravity to dance and twirl you around. In fact, the two of you had a stargazing dome that you would slow dance, talk, and just, have a heart to heart after being away from each other every once in a while.

Tonight was a very exceptionally cleared night sky. The scene sent you starstruck, gazing into the dark milky sky stirred and sprinkled with glowing clusters decoratively.

You felt bad for anyone who couldn't see the view tonight. It was absolutely stunning. You dragged yourself into Sigma's research room, knocking and waiting for a response.

"Come in, my love."

Oh how he could melt you with just a name. What more in life could you need? With practically a personal bodyguard, a stargazing dome, and a beautiful home, there wasn't much that could top it. Even if there was, you would never swap it.

You enter the surprisingly neat room, and approach the man you were hoping to converse with directly.

"Have you seen how gorgeous the stars are tonight? We should watch them soon, before an opportunity like this is missed." Sigma's attention leaves what ever he's writing or tinkering with, and diverts his full attention to you as you speak. "You'd like to dance tonight? I'd love to join you. How about we go right now?"

You smiled, looking at eye level to the sitting scientist.

He pushes himself up and stands, offering you a hand to guide you into the stargazing dome.

The two of you floated towards the domed room. He thinks it's endearing to change the center of gravity for you and it totally is.

Restoring the gravity between the two of you, you walk around the room. Your fingers rim the walls of books beckoning for you to read, calling your interest.

Your shoes clicking against the stone tiled floors, guiding yourself to the stained oak railing of the steps up and down from the wall of books.

The room was your own personal haven, and it was gorgeous. Stained oak accenting the rest of the room. Pillars spiked up and down as supporting beams.

You can feel Sigma's eyes burning into your head curiously. You didn't blame him. You'd want to know what's happening right away too.

"So. Thisss is a new song I found within an old music shop. Reminded me of you, and I thought you'd love it."

You flash the record inside of it's sleeve to Sigma, absorbing the soft gaze he graced you with.

Lifting the needle of the record player, you slip the record titled 'Milky way' on the sleeve of it's unique disc under the needle and onto the disc platter.

You softly set the record to replay, as you always did. Usually, when you and Sigma danced, it was never a song with words, so you hoped that you would still receive the same night as you had gotten multiple nights before.

Comfort in patterns, and tonight, you just really wanted to gaze to the stars in the arms of Sigma. Who could really blame you? Such a sweet, romantic man. Anyone would be swooned by him if they looked past the harsh shelling he had.

Oh how you loved that man.(play music!!!!)

Setting the needle correctly, you tread towards Sigma as it begins playing. He offers his hand to you, and you softly and slowly take it.

Keeping you afloat with him, he treated you as if the finest, most delicate porcelain doll he had ever grazed his eyes on.

He spins you like angel who had blessed him with eternal bliss and harmony, spinning you from and towards him.

The two of you come in closer, and slow dance. Heart to heat.

Stepping side by side within anti-gravity, your head rested on his chest, allowing him to hold you like he was ready to protect you with his life if that was what it truly took to have you happy and have your love close with him.

Readjusting yourself to look up, Sigma does the same. He continues side stepping to the song with you, gazing the constellations and stunning supernova. He rubs patterns into your back, whispering to you how much you mattered to him.

You wouldn't trade this moment for the world.