#and when amanita asks him what happened he says the same thing

[mickedy]

weird sisters

[starshinedreamer]

Alrighty y'all, grab a chair and get comfy whilst I yap about my son, my pride and joy, the greatest thing to ever happen to me, my D&D OC: Raymond Foxwood. He is a Wood Elf Druid with the Researcher background and a Neutral-Good alignment (Images at the very end).

I haven't figured out what his voice sounds like yet. I'm thinking he may kind of have an accent? But like it's barely there. I do have an idea for a possible Japanese voice claim: Souta from the movie Suzume.

His best friend? I guess it would be my friend's D&D character. Her name is Topaz and she is a Dragonborne. Not besties, but pretty close.

Ooooooo boy, I got a whole playlist my friend and I have been cooking up for this sad little fella. Here's a couple of them that I think describes him best:

-"The Moss" by Cosmo Sheldrake

-"Rom-Com Gone Wrong" by Matt Maltese

-"When She Loved Me" by Sarah McLachlan

-"Home" by Cavetown

-"Valentine" by Laufey

-"Love Like You" by Rebecca Sugar

He's like, dealing with a heavy breakup until "Valentine" when he meets his current partner :)

4. "I do Adore" by Mindy Gledhill

5. Nope! But I actually thought about it when I was first creating his character just to see how he would act with other dynamics.

6. A scientist. More specifically, an ecologist. He loves nature and learning about all there is to know about life and the world. He also likes finding ways to help others, so maybe even a pharmacologist?

8. Writing, researching, reading, gardening, and making little insect and animal models because he is a NERD™ /lh<3

9. He generally takes good care of his physical health. Although, his flaw is "Most people scream when they see a demon. I stop and take notes on its anatomy," soooo. "For science" he says. "It's for the greater good" he says.

10. Well he's trying his best. But sometimes anxiety just surprises you and all of the sudden you're spiraling and things seem much worse than they are and pfffft whaddya meeeeaaaan I'm sorta self projecting? But he is the kind of person who feels bad about asking for help and then sort of holds it all in.

11. Inspirations were taken Link from The Legend of Zelda series (mainly BOTW) and Howl from Howl's Moving Castle for his design. Everything else was based purely on my own self indulgences for a nerdy elf character (and the songs my friend keeps sending my for him).

12. Same response as question 2 :)

13. No not really, but he is fighting against an organization that keeps threatening and trying to burn down the library he works/lives in with the librarian: Amanita (Ama, Anita, or Nita for short). Amanita is the person who raised and took care of Raymond after his family died in a fire. A fire caused by the same organization who's trying to harm them now. This is his main reason for joining a campaign; to get stronger and protect his loved ones.

14. This one flippin poison dragon we fought. Or maybe that's just me because I really didn't want to let them leave alive. I don't think Raymond necessarily hates anyone.

15. That all honestly depends on how the rest this campaign will play out. My friend has told me that they all did die a couple times, and we almost died to the STINKIN DRAGON but that's not important right now. But L O R E wise, he'd probably still do his researcher stuff until he's really old. Then he'll write books and share his stories :)

16. If they were alive, then I could see him having a great relationship with his parents since they were also big nerds like him. His relationship with Amanita is also great, and he really wants to protect her since she has done so much for him.

17. YESSSSSS! He loves sharing his knowledge with others and would do such a great job teaching kids. Ohhhh this is such a good one, yes he would feel bad if he had to leave them.

18. He/Him :>

19. Biromantic Asexual. His love language in giving is Acts of Service, and Quality Time for both giving and receiving.

20. A longbow and rocks. He has a cantrip spell called "Magic Stone" which lets me make a ranged attack by throwing small pebbles or stones. I like to call this spell the "RAYMOND, STONE 'EM" spell because its funnnnyyyy.

21. hmmmmmmmmmm Actually, I'm not sure! I guess maybe "Nothing You Can Take From Me" from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

22. Will generally go for the non-violent option (more of a lover), but if initiatives are rolling, he'll fight.

23. Extremely. He'll show up with a new tire to fix the flat one, and an extra one for any future situations.

24. Undecided

25. Not singing out loud, but he would definitely hum to himself! :)

26. Irises, forget-me-nots, and bluebells

27. Symbolism wise, a deer. 'Just because' wise, a rabbit, a fox, and a kitty cat :3

28. The Nerds™ (found at the end of this post:) ).

29. Cozy stuff, lo-fi, books, plants, leather notebooks, and an overall sort of cottage core mixed with academia aesthetic. (Mood Board made in Canva :>)

30. Accepts this as their new life(yippee!). They have now been adopted. Will try to find a way to bring up their interests in conversations.

Fuck it, OC brain rot won. Get ready for the Secret Ask List

1) Does your OC have a voice claim, if so who?

2) Who's your OCs best friend? How did they become best friends?

3) What song describes your OC?

4) What song describes your OC and their partner/love interest?

5) Do you ship your OC with a Canon character? If so who?

6) If your OC is in a fantasy setting, what profession would they be in the modern day?

7) Vice-Versa! If your OC is in the modern day, what fantasy class would they be? Would they be a different race?

8) What hobbies does your OC have? What do they do to unwind?

9) How does your OC handle their physical health? Do they take care of themselves?

10) How does your OC handle their mental health? Do they take care of themselves?

11) What was your inspiration for your OC?

12) Does your OC interact with other people's OC? If so, who's their best OC friend?

13) Does your OC have a rival? How did it start?

14) Who's a character your OC cannot stand! It's on sight when they see them!

15) Will your OC ever retire? Do you see them making it?

16) How's their relationship with their parents? Are they alive?

17) If your OC has kids, are they a good parent? Do they ever feel guilty if they have to leave them?

18) What are their pronouns? What would they like to be called?

19) What's their sexuality? What's their love language both giving and receiving?

20) If they fight, what's their weapon of choice?

21) What song best describes their relationship with their enemy?

22) Fight or Flight? Are they a lover or a fighter?

23) Is your OC reliable? Can I call them up at two in the morning if I have a flat tire?

24) Can they play any instruments? If so, what do they play?

25) Are they the kind of person who can't resist a good song? Can I catch your OC singing to themselves while they do the dishes?

26) What flower do you associate your OC with?

27) What's their spirit tamagotchi? Or an animal you associate them with?

28) What clique would they be in? (Draw them in the clothes of said group!)

29) Imagine a mood board for your OC! What's on it? (Make it if you want!)

30) My OC and your OC are friends. This isn't a question. I'm not asking. (How do they respond?)

[decompose1]

Hey so, I have a question about Amanita if you're okay with answering! I wantex to ask, how do other objects (besides Crt and Amanita's family I'm assuming) react to aer strange diet consiting of rotting organisms? Does the average stranger/passerby/acquaintance usually react with disgust? discomfort? Do people usually try to atleast be polite about their negative perceptions? More subtle? How many-

(cont) Times have people been more openly rude about it? Did Amanita get shamed or harassed over it very often? I'm just curious to know more about that! <:)

OKAY SO!! this is a sorta fun topic, because it has a lot to do with my ideas about object specbio/culture/etc, particularly with fungi, which i've thought about SO much.

so!! consumption of rot is pretty normal for fungi- essential, even! here's a like. short diagram

Fungi are specialized for consuming decaying material, and not doing so would be sort of difficult for them!

So it would be expected.... if you . really knew anything ABOUT fungi. Which is not necessarily that widespread- for a reason!

Fungi tend to be rarer in regular cities- they often live in clusters, in their own sort of dedicated towns. There are two primary reasons for this, mostly boiling down to their mycelium networks + their tendency to totally wreck buildings with fungus/mold/humidity/etc.

So they're kind of!! Not an object you see every day in a regular city, although they definitely CAN and do live there sometimes, most just. prefer not to for the listed reasons (and i'll explain further in another post but i'm already rambling a bit more than i need to here, hehehe).

... Anyways! Ama moved out to a big city, which is where ae met CRT + others. And- yeah, most people thought it was kinda weird and gross. Ae IS eating straight-up mold and rot, and a lot of other objects just aren't used to/aware of the dietary preferences/the science of fungi, so. It's. A little shocking sometimes!! I implied this a little in the comic where CRT meets Flowerbox (here).

CRT was already aware of Ama's needs/prefs because they studied mycology! So this wasn't surprising to them, just fascinating, since it had to do with their own passion for biology/mycology/etc.

Honey Fungus + Amanita's family are also fungi, and came from the same town, so they all have the same diet :o)

I thiiiink. Uranium Glass would've quietly found it really strange, and might've mentioned, like, "that's spoiled, you know", but would probably just stop questioning it if ae confirmed that was the intention. Whatever, Ama can eat whatever weird stuff ae wants, it doesn't affect him so he doesn't care that much. Flowerbox, as you see, thinks it's kinda weird and gross, but changed his mind a little when CRT talked about it. Still weird, but CRT's gesture was sweet. Skirt might've been the most understanding? Her general attitude is "oh, well, we all have our things, i'm not about to go judging! That's what makes you special!". Skirt is very nice.

Milk was probably the hardest sell on this because she's just generally kind of stubborn and opinionated. She's the most likely to have complained any, but she, as Ama's closest friend in the city (Honey being the closest from aer hometown), would've warmed up and eventually kind of. Quietly given aer dishes she "didn't eat in time". Admittedly, she probably made it for aer and didn't wanna say so. Ama knew this. Milk is just tough.

Anyways! Other than the Defined Characters, i think most public reactions were either quiet disgust or people just politely attempting to ignore the weird thing happening in public. Probably some occasional mocking/questions/etc, but honestly, Amanita likely never quite understood why this was so weird to anyone. It's just what fungi do, naturally!

sorry this is Entirely Too Long! i've got to make a more organized post about my fungus object thoughts

[musubiki]

do you mayhaps have any taffy (and maybe coffy) headcanons? i just want to give him many hugs

YEAH HERES A FEW!!!!!

- speaking of hugs, coco was the first person to hug taffy. he was very uncomfortable and had his guard up the whole time, and shes just like “will you just relax?”

- she coaches him through how youre supposed to hug someone

- once hes finally a little more comfortable with it, the first thing he notes is how warm she is. hes so used to the cold and damp that having something soft and warm is so foreign and weird hes almost scared of it

- he is notoriously horrible at handling her. everyone (mochi and lime included) respects, maybe even fears him, except her. shes like “hey seaslug i need your help with this one thing even though we’re technically enemies” and hes like “why would i help you at all”

“because i asked you nicely, and you have nothing to lose from it”

“......what is it.”

“can i borrow 5 dollars for some boba”

- and he GIVES IT TO HER.

- she is 100% not afraid of him just bc thats just how her personality is and its both intriguing and infuriating to him 

- they, hilariously, keep running into each other because they shop at the same grocery store and use the same laundromat (coco lives in a small apartment complex close to the docks)

- and EVERY TIME hes like GEARED UP and READY for a FIGHT AND SHES JUST LIKE “JUST LET ME BUY MY BEANS IN PEACE, DUDE”

- or he starts looking around frantically and shes just “relax, mochis not here.”

- surprisingly, taffy is really good with old people. the shop staff at the docks/grocery store/laundromat like him. “such a nice young man” and cocos like “no he tried to kill someone twice”

- (which is also why coco assumes hes probably not that bad of a person if these people dont mind him)

- this is part of the reason why they kind of become a little close. on a scale from mochi ➡️ taffy coco is aligned medium left, she wouldnt betray mochi in favor of taffy, but she doesnt believe that the only outcome of this whole fight is just one side wins or loses

- coco is a great judge of character, and its based on instinct, and shes also usually right. mochi tries to see the best in people (and is more trusting than she should be) (in taffys case he doesnt give her much to work with), lime judges based on reason, oscar is suspicious of everyone but will follow lime or mochis lead, but coco goes with her gut feeling

- so taffy thinks she should be more cautious. why does she act so callus with him when he could kill her at any time. she claims she thinks hes not that type, and often times just trusts him, and shes right every time. 

- like once she straight up just let him stay in her apartment. hes like “are you serious?” she says something like “what, you gonna kill me? or steal shit?” he replies “i could” but he doesnt.

- another reason for this (i think i mentioned once before) is that he saved her life once. during his first fight with mochi, and coco stupidly gets involved because she wants to help mochi, almost falls off the seaside cliffs, and only lived because taffy grabbed her. 

- later on shes also the reason why he doesnt die at the end of his final fight with mochi

- im not sure at what point he falls in love with her. but this VERY MUCH hinders his ability to fight her, and also clouds up/sways his mission to kill mochi on multiple occasions. 

- eventually when he starts to to downhill again (because of amanita’s influence) he also tries to kill coco, because shes become a distraction to him and he cant focus with her around anymore (and of course, he cant)

- i like the few occasions when coco is in trouble and mochi and taffy just team up to save her. and he tries to kill her again directly after

- sometimes coco brings him coffee from mochis shop. hes like “no thats definitely poison, do you think im stupid?” so she deadass looks him in the eye, takes a long drag out of the straw, and then shoves it in his mouth

- i will never get over how absolutely bonkers their friendship is and taffy just goes with it???

- (also coco never tells mochi she runs into/converses with/develops a friendship with taffy. mochi thinks its weird how horrible he is at fighting when shes there, but just assumed something happened between them at the sea cliffs)

- coco also becomes his social crutch when he becomes part of the guild because he is awkward man x10000

[arowrimo]

AroWriMo 2020 Writing

Here’s a masterpost of the 36 works from Aromantic Writing Month 2020 (under the cut)

Do share, like, and comment on the works you enjoy!

Poetry:

Screams by @exhausted-queer

Prompt: Self-love Language: English Words: 464 CWs: self harm, depression, death, grief, abuse, sex, sexual abuse

Let Me Be by Anon (via ask)

Theme: Loveless Prompt: Acceptance Language: English Words: 86 CWs: Ableism, Aphobia

Ballrooms and Waves by @aro-ace-and-hungry

Theme: Loveless Language: English Words: 655 CWs: Romance mention, Anxiety 

Loveless by @soph00bear

Theme: Loveless Language: English Words: 207 CWs: Aphobia mention, Arophobia mention

Am I A Monster? by @wish-ful-thinking513

Theme: Loveless Language: English Words: 157 CWs: Arophobia, Blood, Aphobia, Gore

Short stories:

Loveless by @kitkatt0430 Ao3 link

Original fiction Prompt: Acceptance Language: English Words: 753 CWs: Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Unhappy relationship, Gaslighting,  Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Amatanormativity Summary:

She’s never been in love.  It’s an odd realization to have as she’s packing her things and he’s given up on asking her to stay. Now he just obstructs her on occasion, arguing that things which are hers are really his.

Some things are worth the effort to fight for. Others are not.

He is not.

Two by @junietuesday Ao3 link

Original fiction Theme: Subverting romantic tropes Prompt: Community, Acceptance Language: English Words: 953 CWs: Sex References (character is aroallo), Homophobia, Brief Mentions of Racism + Ableism, Internalized Amatonormativity Summary:

The girl is a loner.

Of her own will and desire, of course. Not because she’s a little too open about her opinions (particularly about romance), and a little too closed-off when they ask her why she has them. Not because she’s terrified what her fellow ninth graders will do to her when they realize she has no soulmark. Not because she figures that she might as well just push them away first, before they can push her.

To Unmask A Witch by @agnezztealeaf

Original fiction Language: English Prompt: Friendship Genre: Fantasy Words: 4457 CW: Discussions around amatonormativity and heteronormativity, references to blood and violence

Summary:

It wasn’t that the cottage at the outskirts of the village was actually run-down or dilapidated, but if you squinted and looked at it through your eyelashes in dim light, you could imagine that it could be. It wasn’t that it was a ruckle, it was that the children thought it should be one.

You see, if a witch lived in a cottage, then that cottage should be falling apart, its windows murky with mould, the roof broken and roof shingles scattered on the garden path and in the flowerbeds, and the garden a mess of weeds and rotting greens. It felt insulting, the children thought, that an otherwise perfectly scary and threatening witch should live in such a charming and well-kept little house. So, when they hid in the forest near the cottage, staking it out, or walked past it on their way to a friend’s house, they squinted and imagined what should have been there, instead of what really was.

Annie of Anglesey by @writelikeanaro

Original fiction Language: English Theme: Subverting romantic tropes Prompt: Self-love Genre: Historical fiction/folk tale Words: 4,676 CWs: Past marriage, Unwanted romantic interest, Public proposal, Grief

Summary:

Annie is living quite happily alone in the mountains, when the king comes to her for aid in a competition. Hoping to get something for herself out of the situation, she agrees to help him.

Seed of A Memory by @skylights422

Original fiction Language: English Theme: Subverting Romantic Tropes, Fantasy Prompt: Friendship Genre: Fantasy, Drama Words: 1907 CWs: Brief mentions of racism and arophobia

Summary:

Fiera Casales takes a stroll with her pretend boyfriend and ponders the importance of things like love and memory. 

Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot by @wellintentionedbibliophile

Original fiction Language: English Theme: Subverting Romantic Tropes Prompt: Friendship Genre: Fiction Words: 1088 CWs: Breakup, End of the World, Neopronouns

We’re not quite a gang (more like a strange family) by @amanita-cynth Ao3 link

Original fiction Language: English Category: Short Stories Prompt: Friends and Pride Genre: Superheroes/Slice of Life Words: 5232 CWs: Background romantic relationship mentioned, discussion of aphobia and amatonormativity, bomb mention

Summary:

Some scars aren’t physical and can be all the worse for it. But maybe a woman brimming with her own hard-won self confidence and the new friends they pick up afterwards can help Allen overcome the hurtful words from his past. After all, if a dozen new friends think you’re great and a literal god chose you as a Champion it shouldn’t be so hard, right?

“Oh.” He blinked. “People usually say it’s weird that I don’t want people- women- flirting with me.”

“Boundaries are boundaries.” She waved a hand dismissively. From the depths of her hood, her eyes gleamed with light from a passing car and briefly lit up more details; the casual ease of her expression, her slightly lidded eyes, the soft curves of her warm, brown face. Shame it didn’t do much for him beyond the realisation that she really was that nonchalant about it, and also quite beautiful.

And A Monster Steals Your Children by @arosnowflake

Original fiction Language: English Prompt: none/belonging (loosely) Genre: Fantasy Words: 2170 CWs: heavy ableism (including internalized ableism), off-screen child murder, ableist language, mild amatonormativity.

Summary:

It is said that, in a tower rising above the valley, a monster lives, and that it steals children’s souls. Netel, one of those stolen children, goes to kill it.

Untitled by @wish-ful-thinking513

Original fiction Language: English Genre: Sci-fi Words: 951 CWs: Needles, injections

Summary:

This is a short story based on a prompt from @lgbtqwritingprompts. I don’t usually write sci-fi, so this was a fun change… I feel like it was obvious that science isn’t really my thing though. I tried to keep stuff vague (ie: are clones human??? The more I thought about it, the less sure I was)… well,  I tried my best!

November: The Hell Week to End All Hell Weeks by @eadrey-the-iptscray Ao3 link

Fandom: Pacific Rim (2013) Language: English Theme: Subverting romantic tropes Prompt: Community and acceptance Genre: Slice of life Words: 2,776 CWs: Bigotry mentions, light marital romance

Summary:

The Shatterdome baristas meet the regulars. Teasing, pranks, and awkward small talk ensue.

Traditional by @amanita-cynth Ao3 link

Fandom: Leverage Language: English Theme: Subverting romantic tropes Prompt: Acceptance Genre: Character study Words: 1393 CWs: References to sex (aro character is aroallo), romantic relationship in the background and referred to, marriage mentioned

Summary:

Eliot doesn’t so much fall in love as come to the realisation that he’s going to die for them.

Or: How Eliot learns some new things about himself and Parker and Hardison learn just how to stay with him.

February - Leap Year Sucks by @eadrey-the-iptscray Ao3 link

Fandom: Pacific Rim (2013) Language: English Theme: Subverting romantic tropes Prompt: Family and self-love Genre: Slice of life Words: 2,866 CWs: Lingering grief over a parent’s death, light marital romance

Summary:

The Shatterdome baristas and regulars slog through a soggy February with all kinds of struggles. At least they've got each other to commiserate with.

Skywalker by @kitkatt0430 Ao3 link

Fandom: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy Language: English Prompt: Family Words: 2,964 CWs: Major character death, indentured servitude/slavery

Summary:

Rey’s family was never coming back for her.  In learning to accept this and move on, Rey builds herself a whole new family, one choice at a time.

A Place to Start by @kitkatt0430​ Ao3 link

Fandom: Supergirl (TV 2015) Relationships: Kara Danvers/James “Jimmy” Olsen Language: English Prompt: Acceptance Words: 2,993 CWs: Break up

Summary:

“I’m doing that thing again,” Kara told the duck. It ignored her for the corn. “Always happens. I was trying so hard not to do it this time, but there it goes. Happening all over again.”

(In which Kara doesn’t need Alex to tell her that dating James is making her miserable.  But she does wish someone would tell her why every time she starts dating someone, her romantic feelings fizzle out shortly afterwards.)

The Only Trope for Me is You by @tommytonebender​ Ao3 Link

Fandom: The Venture Bros Relationships: Billy Quizboy/Pete White Language: English Theme: Subverting romantic tropes Genre: Supernatural, character study Words: 4,338 CWs: Discussions of amatonormativity, non-explicit sexual humor, most references are there to make fun of fanfic tropes, language, brief heavy themes.

Summary:

Supernatural forces ensnare our heroes, forcing them to… have a grown-up conversation? [A fake episode B-Plot]

April - Confessions and Epiphanies by @eadrey-the-iptscray Ao3 link

Fandom: Pacific Rim (2013) Language: English Theme: Subverting romantic tropes Prompt: Friendship and pride Genre: Slice of life Words: 2,261 CWs: Martial affection and love confessions

Summary:

Finally, communication!

Miss You by Dain Ao3 link

Fandom: Star Wars Original Trilogy Language: English Prompt: Friendship Words: 484

Summary:

Luke huffed. “Maybe I don’t want to leave.”

“You do,” Biggs said. “You know it’s worth it. You’ll do fine.”

Baby I’m Not Made of Stone, It Hurts  by @emjenwrites​ Ao3 link

Fandom: Peaky Blinders BBC Language: English Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Character Study Words: 22.6K (only the first 1.7K on tumblr, follow the links to AO3 for the rest) CWs: romance (character is demiromantic), implied/referenced sexual content, implied/referenced pedophilia (basically the same level of implication as canon), implied/referenced suicide, one instance of antiziganism, internalized arophobia (so much internalized arophobia), arophobia, self-hatred, canon-typical language, child abuse, parentification, codependency, prostitution, kidnapping, emetophobia, PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, headaches and migraines

Summary:

Things with the Russians and Section D had started bad and ended worse, and that was before Polly, Arthur, John, and Michael went and got fucking arrested. Or Tommy Shelby grapples with loneliness, guilt, health issues, and romantic orientation in the aftermath of s3.

Unease by Dain Ao3 link

Fandom: Star Wars Original Trilogy Language: English Words: 1,227 CWs: One-sided attraction, Unwanted romantic interest

Summary: Beritt was new, and not in Luke’s squadron, but you got to know people. There’d been barely anything to do for the last week but mingle.

Which would have been enjoyable, if not for the fact that Beritt was…interested in Luke.

July - Come Back Home, And Soon by @eadrey-the-iptscray Ao3 link

Fandom: Pacific Rim (2013) Language: English Theme: Subverting romantic tropes Prompt: Belonging and comfort Genre: Slice of life Words: 1,271 CWs: None

Summary:

Summer break means quiet days at The Shatterdome and the same old conversations with family.

The Only Demons Here are Mine by @amanita-cynth Ao3 link

Fandom: One Piece Language: English Prompt: Belonging and Comfort Genre: Character/Relationship Study Word count: 3048 Content warnings: Mental health issues including dissociation and suicidal thoughts and ideation. Medical/bodily things discussed. Spoilers for Law’s backstory and violence therein.

Summary:

But he’d said it, hadn’t he, at Dressrosa? That if it all went wrong Law wanted to die by his side. Naturally, it had been 80% about Doflamingo, but there had been a part of him screaming: he’s here and in danger because of you, because he does the right thing just because he can, because he is selfish and insanely determined about those he calls friends and you knew that and still let him get close, because he looked at you and called you a good man and the least you can do for someone like that is die alongside them.

Or: dealing with a pirate war and a sudden lack of life goals is bad enough without trying to figure out confusing new feelings.

Chapter 2 of The Coffee Shop AU by @theinvisiblegurlz

Fandom: Assassin’s Creed Movie Language: English Theme: Subverting romantic tropes Genre: Coffee shop AU CWs: Amatonormativity mention Summary:

A non-romantic coffee shop AU.

To Our Future by Dain Ao3 link

Fandom: Star Wars Original Trilogy Language: English Word count: 999 Content warnings: Grief, Anxiety

Summary:

Luke couldn’t keep the smile off his face.It was such a simple expression; the flexing of a few muscles, and not nearly enough to give full voice to his soaring, unrestrained joy, the lightness and fullness of spirit that made him ache until he thought he might burst with the strength of it.

Microfiction:

Rain by @wellintentionedbibliophile​

Original fiction Language: English Genre: Science fiction Word count: 319 CWs: none

Novel:

The Crystal Heart  by @twilight-lukos

Language: English Theme: Fantasy Genre: Speculative Fiction / Fantasy

Excerpt 1


Word Count: 931 CWs: Feeling pressure to choose a romantic partner

Summary:

Prince Haraq visits Princess Chareith, who has a reputation for being difficult to suitors. The two bond over a legend Chareith loves about the lost Crystal Island. Haraq expresses interest in her opinions but shows no romantic interest.

Excerpt 2

Words: 695 CWs: none

Summary:

After Chareith expresses her frustrations, Haraq suggest the two sneak out for a day and do some exploring. Chareith agrees, thinking to find some interesting relics in the nearby desert and marsh, maybe in relation the legend of the Crystal Island.

Excerpt 3

Words: 587 CWs: feelings of forced romantic normalcy or amatonormativity

Summary:

While on a secret outing, Chareith is abducted by a sorcerer and taken to an isolated tower with a mysterious history. The sorcerer tells Chareith that she has magical potential. Finding this to be true, she wonders what this means for her now.

Excerpt 4

Words: 846 CWs: none


Summary:

While on a secret outing, Chareith is abducted by an invisible, flying creature. Haraq sets out to find her. The stone fragment he and Chareith found has led him into a strange place, bordered by mist. A/N: this occurs before Excerpt #3; I wasn't going to post this but I've had it all nicely prepped to go since early February and I did want to share it, even if it's vaguer about the aromantic angle in-story

Non-fiction:

Aromantic Writing Month! by @anonymousaroace​

Language: English Theme: Acceptance Words: 487

Kricket’s First Zine by @autcore​ Direct link

Language: English

Summary:

Super short aro perzine about questioning and being lonely whilst aro

Game:

To Be Aspected (WIP) by @anonymaceally​ Latest update itch.io game link

Ally submission Language: English Theme: Fantasy Prompt: Mythos, fables Genre: Friend sim/Fantasy CWs: Some unwanted flirting. Discussions about gender and sexual identity. Adult language and situations like taxes. Content might be unfinished.

Summary:

The reader walks into a tavern owned by a squad of Aces called “Queen Anne’s Ace” . The reader stays for a week and enjoys has interesting conversations with the patrons there.

[moontheoretist]

I have some corrections if you allow:

The book about the Diseases of Blood can be found in Cazador's Palace as well. It's in the same room Velioth's scroll is kept.

If Amanita was playing the host: No. Cazador was the host. When you speak to one of the bodies in the ballroom they say that Cazador was present and was asking a lot of questions about the counting house, who controls what, the names of senior staff, etc. The entire party happened before the ritual, we were just too late.

When it comes to Amanita receiving human blood it may also be possible that just as Velioth wanted Cazador to be his heir, then Cazador wanted Amanita to be the same to him, considering that Szarr family was full of vampires for generations and Szarr Palace had two vampire lords with Szarr surname. The issue is she hates his guts. Also I think Amanita was not truly his niece. She was turned in 1477, while Cazador was a vampire lord for over 200 years already, which means that any siblings he may have are long dead. Unless we assume that his vampiric simbling had a baby, then yes. He may have posed as an uncle due to blood relations. Amanita herself writes "uncle" in quotations in one note.

After doing Cazador's Palace again I lowkey wish Astarion ever met Amanita, because that would be such a cool thing to know at least one vampire that isn't like Cazador, providing a counterview of what you can be (even) as a vampire. Incognita seemed to be a scholar and not the type to rejoice at torture (though there was a supicious device in the attic, which looked kinda torturous). Astarion never mentions her, which may mean that all spawns were kept in the dark about her. Why separate her from them if she is not important to Cazador somehow?

Anyway, AU where Lady Incognita and Astarion join forces.

Amanita Szarr, theory and history:

-We know that she was the niece of Cazador, summoned to him at 13 and forcibly turned into a vampire (vampire spawn? It’s never confirmed if she’s a true vampire or a spawn).

-It’s said her entire extended family was there, watching as he summoned and turned her. It’s mentioned somewhere that she lived out of the city in a country estate, raised by her servants. Her parentage is unknown, though clearly one of them was the sibling of Cazador, since Amanita is his niece by blood.

-She resisted at first, being locked away in the attic for a year before she eventually gave in to drinking human blood out of starvation, resulting in her killing and drinking a captive that was sent up there.

-This is when she rejected the Szarr name, and declared herself “Lady Incognita”, hiding her past likely out of guilt, and disgust for what they’d made her.

-She stayed in the attic by choice after this, and wrote her “little histories” as she called them.

-Amanita/Incognita was turned in 1477, the game takes place in 1492. It’s been 15 years since she was turned, though considering vampires don’t age—she’s still a 13 year old.

-She’s responsible for the books “Diseses of the Blood”, “The Tourmaline Depths”, and “Vampires before Vellioth”.

-These books are about diseases that vampires can get, ancient tunnels below the city, and a list of vampires that came before Vellioth (Cazador’s former Master).

-Bonus fun fact, there is in fact a random ring called “Tourmaline Ring” in BG3. The ring doesn’t have any function, and I was able to locate it for sale at a vendor in act 1, but it’s still an interesting coincidence.

-Her book “diseases of the blood” can be located in the House of Hope, though she’s very clearly not among the souls there, so it’s unknown how it arrived to such a place.

Potential Theories on what happened to her:

-In the ballroom of the palace, there are two doors. The door to the kitchen is open, and the ladder here leads to the attic where you can find the multiple hidden doors that contain the rooms Amanita stayed in (for at least most of her years), as well as the torture room she was turned(?) or at least kept in for awhile.

-The dining room is closed off. The only way to access this is to send a companion into the kitchen to hit a button. This button closes off the kitchen door, and opens the dining room.

-Considering there aren’t any bodies in the kitchen, and the only servants in the house are in other rooms nowhere near the ballroom, it’s clear that someone had to open/close the door.

-There are bodies in the dining room, all of which were guests summoned to the party that evening. One of them was “hired” to play music, but Cazador’s werewolves brutally murdered all the party guests.

-It was definitely not Cazador or the other spawn responsible for opening/closing doors. By the time you get to the palace, it’s ritual night—and all the other spawn are captive in the basement with Cazador, awaiting the final piece (Astarion) to complete it.

-It’s possible that Amanita is the one responsible for controlling the doors at the party, though unconfirmed if she killed anyone (it seems more likely the job of the werewolves).

-Could Amanita have been sent down to be the “host” of the party, since Cazador obviously wasn’t around to play fake-noble for the day? It’s unclear, but I do suspect she (might) have been connected.

-In the dining room you can move the fancy chest to find a hatch to another part of the basement. Noticeable here is that Astarion doesn’t have any voice lines about this as he does the other one, though it’s safe to assume he also doesn’t know this existed (and when were the Spawn ever allowed in the dining room anyway?)

-The basement here leads to a very famously broken puzzle, that no one has solved (supposedly support says it’s broken, hoping it’s fixed one day soon).

-The key to this hatch is found in the attic, so it’s safe to assume Amanita was connected to this too? However without confirmation, it’s hard to say for sure. And would you really go through a puzzle that hard just to find her corpse if she was dead? Doubtful, in my opinion.

-It doesn’t seem that she’s one of the spawn connected to the ritual. She never mentions any of it in her writings, and some of her earlier attic notes very clearly detest Cazador, so she’s not holding back her emotions/thoughts at all.

-She was also allowed, and given human blood. None of the seven original spawn were fed human blood, and none of the seven thousand spawn were fed at all. She was likely only given this treatment because she was his niece.

-I don’t believe she escaped the palace in general, even with her book in the House of Hope. I feel like Raphael would’ve said something about knowing a Szarr, or we would’ve found more than a book tossed in a pile.

-Talks of escape were usually noted in the palace, with Leon (one of the spawn) having been plotting in a journal to have his daughter escape, but she was inevitably killed before this could happen.

-Amanita never discusses leaving. She seems like she feels as though she can’t be normal ever again with what was done to her, and chooses to stay there so she doesn’t have to face the world.

-I believe (perhaps in delusion) that Amanita is still alive. Perhaps she’s hidden away in the basement. Perhaps she’s hiding in an unknown part of the castle, truly we don’t know—but I do believe she’s alive.

-Side Note: It was a theory that she could’ve been turned into a scroll, as there’s a scroll in the palace that mentions “for my sins, I’m ink on this page until you free me”, however it’s not signed. Amanita/Incognita was very clear on signing her work, and the scroll isn’t anything you can use/interact with, so this theory is largely since debunked.

-Feel free to add onto this if I’m missing anything! Amanita is one of my favorite unknown characters, and I really want to know more about her!!! :)

[pallasandthepeople]

The world was more complicated than he thought

Rajan finds it easier to accept his wife is a sensate in love with someone else than that he might be falling for Wolfgang. And he, and she, for him. A lot of love all over. 

Probably gonna post this on ao3 as soon as I have an account there again. I just needed more of a build up for Rajan and Wolfgang, so I figured I’d make it myself. 

 Rajan had been 10 when, while watching some silly cartoon he couldn’t even remember the name of, he realized a fundamental truth.

 “Dad,” he’d asked, “the bad guys think they’re the good guys, right?”

 “Yes Raj, of course they do.”

 Manendra, busy as always with other stuff, didn’t give his son’s life-shattering discovery much attention.

  “But what if we are the bad guys?”

  Rajan had long used the story as a funny anecdote. It was something he told when the wine had been taken out of the cooler after a long business meeting and everyone finally sat back in their chairs. A personal note: “The moment Rajan became a man”. But at the time it had had a huge impact on him. The world was more complicated than he had thought it was, and there was no going back anymore.

 He was reminded of that childhood memory when, on a sunny late afternoon in Paris, he stared at the eight people smiling at him peacefully. His thoughts kept tumbling through his head while Kala gently stirred him away from the group and slowly, very slowly, missing pieces started falling into place. The world was truly more complicated that he had thought it was.

 He found the last missing piece when he asked about the missing member of the group.

 “So, when this Wolfgang fellow is tortured…, you experience his pain?”

 There was… something in Kala’s expression. A fear in her eyes, a desperation. A longing. It was then Rajan knew.

 Rajan had given his relationship with Kala a lot of thought over the years. It had been difficult from the beginning and, while he knew she was trying, there had always been that emotional disconnection. The possibility of there being someone else, at least emotionally, had crossed his mind more than once.

 He now had a confirmation. Yes, there was someone else, and for a moment he was consumed by jealousy. But there was more. A few hours ago finding out his wife was cheating on him might have shattered his world. His carefully structured world in Mumbai with rules he understood and followed couldn’t have taken the blow. And yet here they were, in Paris, and no old rules applied anymore. His world had been expanded, and there were few things he was sure of now.

 What he did know though was that he loved Kala, and that Kala at the very least cared for him. But he also knew Kala was in danger now, and suddenly that became the main priority. What other choice did he have?”

 “I came rushing to Paris for the same reason I married you. I love you, Kala.” It was almost a desperate cry, but he managed to keep his face straight. “And that feeling hasn’t gone away, or been changed, by learning that the woman I love is so much more than the woman I married.”

 It was it that moment, seeing her face lighting up and the love radiating from it, that he knew he had made the right choice.

 “My god Rajan, I married a good man.”

 She went quiet. “But Rajan, there’s something else, Wolfgang and I…”

 He put his hand on her lips and smiled with difficulty. It would take some time, but it’d be okay.

 “I know. We’ll talk, later.”

 There were more important things now.

 Rajan didn’t get the chance to talk to Kala about anything not related to the plan anymore after that. He too got swept away in the wild ride that these people’s life seemed to be. But something had changed. With this many of her loved ones around her she suddenly seemed to always be at his side. Not just by his side, but actively trying to include him in the conversations between sensates, and always touching him gently.

 It was a kind of prelude to the conversation they’d need to have eventually and Rajan didn’t want to read too much into it, but it felt… good. He knew for certain that she wasn’t being this affectionate out of guilt; he would have sensed that. They’d been together too long now for that. And so he just let it be and prepared to save the lover of his wife.

 Everything in the club happened so fast Rajan hardly realized he was talking to Wolfgang, that the guy in front of him was Wolfgang, till Wolfgang grabbed his wrist and said: “Come with me.” In that moment he would’ve done anything the other man said. And when he did finally get to see Wolfgang properly in the van, with the adrenaline rapidly leaving his body and the exhaustion kicking in, the only thing Rajan could think was: “Oh. I get it.” It was probably the eyes, he figured.

 Wolfgang turned to the rest and announced that Kala and the others were safe, and then he turned to Rajan in front of him and his startling blue eyes focused on him. Rajan felt slightly nauseous.

 “Are we okay?” Wolfgang asked, in hindi.

 Rajan swallowed and managed to recompose himself.

 “We’ll talk later,” he said with a nod.

 Wolfgang nodded back and smiled a little.

 They arrived at Jean-Pierre’s house early in the morning and Rajan immediately got busy playing host. Pierre was an old friend from university and he had made well for himself, the house wasn’t exactly small, but it wasn't built for this amount of people either.

 “Alright, Lito and company can go in the master bedroom as it has the biggest bed,” Rajan quickly decided. “Sun and Mun in that one, Amanita and Nomi can take that one… Capheus, you take the couch. There is one bedroom more upstairs, that one can be for Riley and Will.”

 He looked at Wolfgang, who was watching him intently.

 “There are some extra mattresses in the shed for us.”

 Everyone was tired and soon only Capheus and Wolfgang were left. They walked to the shed in silence and Rajan handed Capheus some sheets and showed Wolfgang the two mattresses.

 “Where to?” Wolfgang asked, one mattress under each arm.

 Capheus quickly made himself scarce.

 “We can put one of them in the hall and one in the study… Or kitchen even, but we can also put them both in the study… If you want we can even sleep with Capheus…,” Rajan rambled.

 Wolfgang looked at him intently.

 “Do you want to talk or do you want to sleep?”

 Rajan smiled slightly. He liked Wolfgang’s directness. The nauseousness returned.

 “I think it might be best to talk before Kala arrives.”

 Wolfgang smiled back and headed to the study, somehow single-handedly taking the heavy things with him. Rajan came after him with the sheets.

 “That’s gonna be hell to wash after we’re gone,” Wolfgang remarked as Rajan made up the beds. “So many sheets.”

 “We’ll get a cleaning lady, don’t worry.”

 “Of course.”

 When everything that could possibly be done had been done they both sat down on their respective mattresses and faced each other. The room was dimly lit by the lights of the electric devices around them. It was quiet for awhile, and then Rajan decided to just start talking.

 “Kala was the only girl at work that wasn’t after me,” he started. “I think… I think that’s what made her interesting at first.”

 Wolfgang leaned back against the desk, and listened. Listened to Rajan describing their courtship, their engagement, what the marriage had been like for him so far. It was freeing in a way that Rajan could never have imagined. He didn’t really have anyone to talk about these things at home. Telling his friends his wife didn’t love him wasn’t exactly easy, and he felt like they wouldn’t understand the complexity of their relationship anyway. Especially not now. But Wolfgang did, better than anyone possibly could. Wolfgang understood. And then, slowly, Wolfgang started making some comments. Giving his point of view on matters (or maybe Kala’s, wasn’t that how this thing worked?), telling his own little anecdotes. Opening up. Soon they weren’t talking about Kala anymore, but about different things. Trivial and yet very important things, bits and pieces of their lives.

  Rajan didn’t remember when he’d fallen asleep. He woke up the next morning facing Wolfgang, who was an arms reach away, and he was suddenly filled with a warm, happy feeling. It would be alright. This man and he, they understood each other. It would all work out.

 They had a late breakfast all together in the sun, and Wolfgang soon walked up to him to offer him a glass of wine.

 “Rajan,” Wolfgang said in a much more official tone than he had the night before. The others glanced in their direction with discretion. “Most men wouldn’t have done what you did for me.” Rajan knew Wolfgang well enough by now to know that was his way of saying thank you.

 “I did what I could,” he answered awkwardly, but Wolfgang demanded his attention with his intense eyes.

 “I’ll never forget it.”

 Rajan felt the nausea wash over him again, and he quietly cursed the nerves from the whole trip.

Will be continued! On ao3 probably, as soon as I have that figured out. You can read part II here already. Let me know what you thought!

[luffysfakebeard]

basically all my freaking out while watching the Sense8 (obviously this is 100% spoilers so it’s under the cut for easy avoiding)

- Starting with baby Wolfie 😭 he just wanted to protect his mother!!

- Shit I forgot Wolfgang had been captured

- Kala reaching out to Wolfgang and being so gentle with him!!!!! it’s what he deserves!!!

- Lito explaining the cluster and how it feels to Dani and Hernando and Hernando being the most precious artsy bean about it

- Will using all his police interrogation training on Whispers  👌🏻 👌🏻 👌🏻

- Whispers is such a fucking psycho jeeeeez talking about cutting Riley’s brain open

- Poor Amanita talking about her dreaming of Paris, but wow Nomi’s beautiful speech about marrying Neets was such a tear jerker

- Lito still worrying about his acting and then having a cabin fever meltdown omg classic Lito

- Wait Wolfgang’s mother was his sister???

- Oh god Wolfgang’s dad raped his step-daughter that’s so awful

- “You’re still my mum” baby Wolfie never fails to make me cry  😭 😭 😭

- Wolfgang is so smart and brave and strong I will always love him and I really hope his escape sequence isn’t a dream

- Oh my god there’s like 100 sensates in those beds

- Kala talking Wolfgang down from suicide ☹️ poor Wolfie must be so tired of fighting he’s been doing it his whole life

- Bug fan girling over the cluster is too sweet he is the purest soul

- Poor Sun; coming from a country where honour is so important and having to hear that her family’s scandal is “the story of the decade” must be hard

- Sun FaceTiming her detective boy!!!

- “NO MORE CARBS IN THE HOUSE I’LL EAT THEM ALL” same Lito

- Did Rajan accidentally lead BPO to the cluster ffs

- Rajan you were not ready to know everything omg his face

- Rajan loves Kala so much she needs to tell him that she loves Wolfgang too it isn’t fair

- The French club owner being gay for Riley #relatable and Will agreeing to pistols at dawn for Riley’s love 😂😂

- Oh wow that woman talking about the Paris attack, what a beautiful little speech

- Wait if they all ran then where is Whispers?? Where are they keeping him??

- Will’s “bad cop feeling is buzzing”. he’s basically Spider Man

- Omg Capheus spraying the van scene

- Dani and the gun wow I’m gay

- Dani talking to Whispers about being an abusive shit you fucking go girl

- Mr Hoy is back!! But....he’s going to kill himself isn’t he? ☹️

- Chairman has a real Darth Vader vibe going on

- Wolfgang egging the chairman on to shoot him in the head damn boy

- Hernando knowing Lito’s movies better than he does!!! Dedicated boyfriend alert

- Lito dressed as the most stereotypical Frenchman ever with a dozen baguettes omg

- “Gay?” “We wish.” “Two at the bar are cops” wow Dani just because they didn’t want to buy you a drink!! 😂

- Sun and Capheus fist bump!! Amazing!!

- Sun in a glittery crop top 👌🏻👌🏻

- Okay but if Rajan was with Wolfgang then surely he saw Wolfie air kissing Kala, AKA HIS WIFE???

- Mun came for Sun!!!

- Lila shooting everyone and kidnapping Whispers dang

- Wow, Kala LITERALLY going behind Rajan’s back to connect with Wolfgang how shitty. Wolfie deserves better than to be a side piece and Rajan doesn’t deserve to be blatantly cheated on. Decide, Kala, or see if your boys are happy to be in a polyamorous relationship like Litnando and Dani.

- “Guys, how about some BUBBLY?!” Rajan seems to be taking everything well omg

- Wolfgang’s thank you speech 😭😭😭 my baby boy deserves this family and all the love so much!!!!

- Oh my god, the old church is beautiful

- The whole Lacuna thing was INTENSE

- Riley sharing her music with the cluster and their spouses was so pure

- FELIX AND WOLFIE REUNION!!!!

- Omg Wolfie’s favourite toy the rocket launcher returns

- “I think I’m going to enjoy killing you” damn right Wolfgang

- OH FUCK I FORGOT RAJAN BROKE HIS DICK ON THEIR HONEYMOON OMFG

- God Puck is gross

- Trojan horse? Nah mate Trojan condoms

- Aw the episode titles is Love Conquers All

- The tourist scene 😂😂

- Wolfgang in soft pink 😍

- Rajan being shocked by Kala killing someone but then immediately asking to be taught how to shoot because he understands that this isn’t a black and white situation 💜 we stan one (1) good husband

- I swear to God if anything happens to Felix Imma flip my shit AND AS I WAS WRITING THIS HE FUCKING GOT SHOT AGAIN HE BETTER BE FINE

- Sun just fucking climbing that guy to take him down what a hero

- MUN GOT HURT NO

- God I hope nothing happens to Rajan

- KALA GOT SHOT NO SHE NEEDED HER HAPPY ENDING WITH WOLFGANG

- Kala directing her two men to save her life fuck I’m weeping

- Rajan thinking of the taser thank god

- Jonas killed the chairman!!!!! damn!!!!!

- Sad that Wolfgang didn’t get to shoot the chairman, but happy he got to use his rocket launcher on the helicopter Lila and Whispers were on 👌🏻

- THEY ALL GOT TO GO BACK TO THE EIFFEL TOWER

- Wolfgang smoking 👌🏻 I really shouldn’t find it as attractive as I do haha

- HOY LIVES!!!! I’M SO HAPPY!!!

- Awww Capheus bringing his family to Paris! he has so much enthusiasm for life

- Sun is cleared of all charges!!!!!!

- SUN’S DOG RETURNS!!!!! (”she wanted to introduce me to her family” cuts to just the two of them and her dog. AMAZING)

- OH MY GOD THIS IS NOMI AND AMANITA’S WEDDING

- Capheus introducing Sun as the spirit of Jean-Claude 😂

- Will meeting Riley’s dad and telling him meeting Riley was the best day of his life I can’t

- Oh dang Amanita’s free loving mum meeting Nomi’s shitty mother this can only go one way

- Not the way I expected but you can clearly see the difference in their families seeing as Nomi’s parents didn’t even know how they met

- NOMI AND AMANITA BOTH LOOK FLAWLESS IN THEIR DRESSES

- Bug walking Nomi down the aisle and both of them thanking each other for being family I’m crying 😭

- Riley’s dad playing the piano at their wedding makes me so happy

- Amanita’s speech was so powerful and Nomi’s was so wholesome and full of love I’m so happy for them

- The firework sequence!! Beautiful, exactly what they all deserve after all the struggling!!

- Rajan and Wolfgang with their arms over each other’s shoulders cheering fireworks wow 😂 so glad the show didn’t pit them against each other in the finale

- Bug meeting a woman!

- The acoustic Nothing Matters When We’re Dancing made me cry

- Wolfgang and Rajan dancing terribly together at the rave music omg

- Kala chugging her drink when Will asks her what she wants wow 😂 her not knowing storyline has literally lasted the whole show she’s clearly just having both of them at this point good for them

- Of course the Nomanita wedding serves pot brownies 😂😂

- “Nomi! I don’t know what I was thinking; it’s a beautiful name!” I am crying so much I’m so happy for Nomi to get to hear her mother finally say that

- Dammit I was hoping to avoid another orgy scene but I guess it isn’t Sense8 without one

- Riley’s starry bra is super cute I want it

- Wolfgang’s face in the bed when he’s trying to convince Rajan to have a threesome 😂😂

- Wolfgang/Rajan kiss!

- Oh no they’re doing callbacks to the couples through the show I can’t it’s too emotional and reminding me that THIS IS THE FINALE

- I can’t believe the last shot of the finale of this incredible show was the strap on 😂😂

- The cast and crew video through the credits 😭 I can’t believe this amazing show is over

[yenneferw]

For @timisaliar - “fluffy fic of hernando and daniela meeting the cluster?”

So as we are all painfully aware, I’m sure, the canon ended on a very upsetting note and I am not feeling the angst today (esp bc the request was for fluff lol) so I’m just gonna say that the whole Wolfgang situation was fixed very easily and very quickly and now they’re all just out for a grand time bc we could all use some happiness,,,,,, Also this kind of turned into also Lito telling them because I’m literally furious that we didn’t get to see that, I’ve been waiting for it since Nomi told Amanita :-/

Lito hadn’t thought of how he was going to tell Hernando and Daniela about the people in his head. It had come up a couple of times when one of them caught him talking to himself, or staring off into space and seeming disconnected from everyone around him. Each time, he dodged their questions and laughed things off, and the moment eventually left their minds. But it bugged Lito in the back of his head. He hated having this secret from the love of his life and his best friend. He hated hiding away what had become a major part of his life, of himself.

At some point, he started debating how he would tell him. He started thinking about how Nomi told Amanita, but it felt like that didn’t really apply. Amanita was so much different than the two of them. He didn’t see them needing zero explanation to believe what was going on inside his head. So he waited, and he kept waiting until they began to receive a bit more explanation about what was happening to all of them. And then it became something bigger and harder to hide.

And then Wolfgang was kidnapped, and it came time that they all needed to come together to help him. He wasn’t going to go so far without Hernando and Daniela, of course, and he didn’t think that they were very willing to leave him after he collapsed bloody in the bathroom without much explanation.

They followed him and flew across the world with him, but he knew that they would require some sort of reasoning. The hours of flight would be a perfect time, and he knew it, but he was still afraid. It didn’t help that he was terrified for Wolfgang, and he could feel the rest of the cluster’s fear piling up on top of him. He was shaky, even when Hernando took his hands and clasped them in his own.

Somewhere after half an hour of awkward, tense silence that was broken sometimes to quiz him on Are you sure you’re okay? You have to tell us what’s going on. Are you feeling alright? Are you going to tell us? What is going on?

“I…” he began after at least three whole minutes of reciting what he was going to say first, but the moment he started it felt impossible to keep going. He couldn’t say what he was afraid of exactly. He knew that Hernando and Daniela would never hurt him, but his life had become something out of a science fiction movie. “I understand that this is going to sound… unbelievable. I know it’s going to sound like I’ve gone crazy.”

“Lito, we aren’t going to think that you’re crazy,” Daniela assured him, leaning over her armrest, toward Hernando, to look at him. “Just tell us.”

“Please, mi amor.”

He nodded and sighed. “I… I have people in my head. Not the kind that— Not fake people. I have real people who I can speak with in my mind. Like telepathy.”

Daniela and Hernando were silent, and Lito told himself it was because they were processing, forming questions, but really, he thought that they were wondering what the hell was wrong with him.

“Lito, mi cariño, I think you might have hit your head when you fell,” Hernando finally told him, his voice gentle as he put a hand on top of Lito’s.

“No, I’m fine.” He looked to Daniela and saw the same amount of disbelief on her face. “You think that I’m crazy now.”

Nomi appeared in the aisle next to him. He looked up at her as she knelt next to him and put a hand over his other one. She didn’t say anything. In such close proximity, he could feel the fear rolling off of her in waves. She was probably on a plane as well, flying as quickly as she could to Wolfgang, with Amanita at her side. He didn’t need her to say anything, he realized. He just needed her. Though not everyone was there with her, he could feel all of them giving their support—as much as they could muster with what their cluster was going through. He felt like his problem was insignificant, and getting caught up in it was selfish. Nomi’s hand emboldened him, told him that his fear was okay, told him that Hernando and Daniela would accept him if he could find the right words. The world was crumbling around him, but it felt like they had a little more than duct tape to put it back together again.

“Lito?” Hernando said. He sounded so afraid himself. How could he not be? They were flying far, far away from home with the possibility that Lito had seriously hurt himself growing more prominent in their minds. If he were in his boyfriend’s position, he would be obsessively asking him if he was okay, and planning to take him straight to a hospital when they landed.

“No, it’s true. I… I haven’t told you because I didn’t understand. But I’m not human. I’m some other kind of human,” he explained to two very concerned faces. He was glad that they had ample enough space that he was certain no one around him could hear his hushed voice. Nomi’s fingers curled around his own and she gave a quick squeeze. “I have another family made of these people all around the world. I didn’t know about it until… somewhat recently. That’s where we’re going. My family is in trouble.”

“Hang on.” Nomi pulled her phone out of her pocket. “Do they have Facebook? Of course they have Facebook, who doesn’t have Facebook.”

Lito looked over at her with a frown, wondering what she was doing. It quickly dawned on him and he turned to his boyfriend quickly. “Are you on the plane’s WiFi? Check your Facebook. Both of you, actually. You should be getting a message from someone named Nomi Marks right now.”

They stared at him for a second. Tentatively, they took out their phones, both of them opening their messages. He watched them intently, feeling Nomi’s comforting presence behind him like cold water on an insufferably hot day. Neither of them reacted with much more than skepticism for a moment. But then a crease appeared between Hernando’s eyebrows and Lito knew he’d seen the message.

“What are you—” Daniela stopped as she presumably got her own message.

Riley appeared next to Nomi. “And me.”

“And from Riley Blue,” he added. Tentatively, they refreshed. When Will knelt next to Riley, he said, “And Will Gorski.”

“Amanita too,” Nomi said.

“And Amanita Caplan.”

“Okay, okay,” Daniela said, looking at him. He smiled over at the three of his cluster gratefully. When he turned back, he could see the other two staring at the empty space with confusion written all over them. “How is that possible?”

There was one last squeeze from Nomi, and when he turned to look, she had gone back to Amanita. He was feeling far braver now.

“We’re called sensates,” he began, and their attention now felt much less like they were watching for signs of him being hurt and more like they were begging for answers.

…

The situation with Wolfgang was resolved eventually, and when all was said and done, the cluster was a little beaten and bruised, but they were together. There was something about being physically together with his cluster that made Lito feel like some final puzzle piece was finally put in place. Before, the image was visible and was as good as it would have been without that final piece, but everything was so much more satisfying now. They went out for a drink to celebrate this victory, and of course, Hernando, Daniela, Felix, and Amanita came along as honorary members of this cluster.

There were language barriers to say the least, what with the differences amongst their honorary members, but for the most part, the conversations were all broken up anyway, so the four weren’t missing much.

Hernando knew English well enough, and he and Amanita got along really well. They started speaking about books and split off. Felix was very interested in the girl who had stolen his best friend’s heart. Daniela spent a lot of her time on the dance floor with Sun and Riley.

Lito felt in awe of their coming together, but he was easily broken out of it when Amanita came over with his boyfriend to say, “Hernando has been telling me about your new part. It sounds amazing!”

He had almost forgotten about that in everything that was going on. He could only put off anything to do with it for so long before things got suspicious or worrisome for those involved, but he knew that they would be back in time for anything serious. “Thank you,” he said. “Have you seen any of my other movies?”

“Nomi has shown me a few,” she told him, nodding. “I don’t usually like action movies, but you’re really good.”

He grinned widely, deciding more firmly than ever before that Amanita was a good one. He couldn’t wait for her to marry Nomi any more than either of them could, he was sure, and even if he couldn’t be there with them physically, he was going to be right there for his cluster family every step of the way.

“He loves it when people love his movies,” Hernando told her with a playful smile sent in his direction. Lito leaned over and kissed his cheek—still unused to being so affectionate in public, but very glad to be able to.

Nomi soon came over to them, and it seemed like she and Hernando could talk about politics and who-knew-what-else for hours on end. He loved both of them very much, but he didn’t know if he could sit in on their conversation forever, so he went out to the dance floor to join Daniela, who had started dancing with Capheus and Kala now. The three of them were laughing when he joined and all shared a glance when they saw who was entering the circle, so he suspected that he had been the topic of their joke.

“What is it?” he asked, curious to know what kind of story Daniela had brought up about him.

Kala giggled and ducked her head. Capheus slung an arm around her shoulder and looked anywhere but Lito, his face innocent.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Daniela told him, grinning.

Now he was dying to know. He knew it couldn’t have been anything bad, but he hated being excluded from any sort of joke. “Daniiiiiii,” he whined.

She shrugged with a smile and walked over to get another drink. He groaned as she walked away and looked to Kala and Capheus. The two of them laughed ruefully as they went off to dance elsewhere.

Will came up behind him and clapped him on the back. “Daniela was telling us something about a story Hernando let her in on… Something about you thinking you had cancer in the middle of traffic?”

Perhaps all of them being assembled there wasn’t all that it was cut out to be.

…

The next day, they met up for brunch, going to a restaurant that Daniela had found online and had said looked “very cute.” They had to push  a couple of tables together to accommodate the twelve of them. Lito was really tired even though it was eleven-thirty in the morning, so he scooted his chair closer to Hernando’s to better lean against him.

“I don’t want to go back,” Capheus was saying. “Meeting has been… amazing.”

Lito understood. They all understood, better than any of the non-sensates at the table could. It was something that was hard to put into words, but something that hummed inside them like the feeling of their connection, deep and beautiful.

Wolfgang and Kala looked at each other. Lito could feel what passed between them like a song playing from another room, distant but recognizable. They would stay together in Paris. Will and Riley looked at each other as well, neither of them sure where they would go when all was truly said and done. Would Will be able to stay away from Chicago? Would Riley want to come to America? Lito assumed that she would, but he still knew that there was uncertainty to come.

“What does it feel like?” Hernando spoke up suddenly. He had been very curious, but he had kept his questions to a minimum, surprisingly. Lito was sure that his boyfriend could see how strained he had been because of all that had gone on and didn’t want to burden him with questions, but his thoughts and ideas were never burdens. “The… being together.”

They all passed glances and everyone looked to Lito. He didn’t have the right words to explain it, so Sun stepped in. “It feels like touching the ground after flying.”

“It feels like staying in your own bed after a long trip,” Kala added.

“What does it feel like normally?” Daniela asked.

“Like home is never that far away,” Capheus said.

Lito nodded and clung to that analogy. He had always thought that it felt like being able to call your home in a sense. “That’s how I think of it.”

He had found home in a lot of ways. He had found home in Hernando and Daniela. He had found home in his cluster. He had found safety and love in them, but they had always  been different worlds that would be difficult to collide. Hernando’s hand on his and his cluster’s presence in his heart… He didn’t want to leave either.

[kalagangspain]

Sense8: Trailer Analysis

Contrary to my analytical friend @ww-n-double-d​ I will leave KALAGANG for the end. Let’s start at the beginning.

The Rembrandt painting “The Night Watch” is a portrait of different militants whose purpose was to protect the Dutch people. Rembrandt painted them separately, giving importance according to his opinion and not according to the orders given to him (which he did not like much at all). Perhaps it is a metaphor, where these militants represent Sensates at different levels with different characteristics but that, in the end, contribute something to that work of art (good and evil). In our case, this painting represents the series. The emphasis of this painting represents a play on the lighting (typical of Sense8) and the vivid colors that catch your eye on top of the dark ones (Typical of Sense8). There is LIGHT (good) and SHADOW (Evil). The light colors may be of a lesser quantity, but they stand out a lot more.

Second point: We see the Sensates united, Sun is still in jail, so it may not be the end of the season, but they seem happy. Why? There are many problems for them to face. Why are they so relaxed? Maybe they are taking in some air before confronting a big problem.

Is this one of Jonas’s memories? It looks like India, but I'm not sure.

On the other hand, we see Will very focused, as if trying to do something with his sensate nature, maybe he can reach the Whisper Cluster without seeing him directly? I would like to remind you that Will does this same exact thing while trying to connect with Nomi in the first season.

Throughout the trailer we see the challenges that Sun will have to suffer through, from her escape from prison with her beloved cellmate, until she sees her trainer and kicks some ass. And although they aren’t told much in the trailer, I think it is a trick (I will explain later). I will not discuss anything else from Sun @ ww-n-double-d has done great.

After the flashing images of the 8 sensates (which I will explain below) We see that Will has got what he was looking for, and that he is in another place. It looks like an office building.

Like this?

Just after this we see 8 images of our Sensates. While Kala, Capheus, Nomi and Lito appear surprised or distressed, Wolfgang and Sun look concentrated (and serious, as they normally do). Riley is smiling, but serious at the same time (it is a rare kind of smile. Like when you smile at someone who does not like you).

We see Lito enter the bar with the cluster (Is it the same bar as the first season? I think so). And I think everyone has tough decisions to make. And to cure the stress of tough decisions, you always have to take a shot of TEQUILA.

Another detail from the bar is that Kala is barefoot, in a nightgown.

Tequila + Wolfgang = SEX

(at least for me, hahaha) But maybe her tough decision has to do with Rajan.

My theory here is that everyone has a hard decisions to make.

Well now we are getting serious. They are going to do a lobotomy on Jonas and I think that the cluster is not going to allow this to happen. He is like a father to them. This scene clearly fits the behind-the-scene photos of Will, Riley and Kala in BPO suits, the question is why is Kala there? Is she there for real?

Somehow we return to London as we see an aerial shot of the bridge and the River Thames.

Will finds out what they are going to do to Jonas. We see Whispers at BPO with a lot of corpses in front of him. Or at least they look dead (maybe they're alive). He is monitoring them. We see a group of wealthy men in suits and Jonas is telling Will not to trust them.

We see Amanita on her motorcycle. Why is she running? Why does she do this?

We see Whispers threatening Will, and then an aerial shot of Nairobi where we see a manifestation of people. While this is happening, we hear Nomi say her big powerful sentence. FIGHT AGAINST THE SYSTEM! (+ aerial shot of the united sense8 cluster)

Riley’s phrase only confirms what we all know, she’s the glue of the group.

I LOVE THIS SHOT OF KALA.

She looks relaxed, as if she had everything.

Who am I? That is the question that Lito (sexual freedom), Kala (emotional freedom) and Wolfgang (Freedom in general) ask. I will answer that question now: I AM WE. There are no limits anymore with the Cluster.

Will’s phrase sounds like I’m going to beat you WHITE AND HAIRY ASS, WHISPER. AND IT WILL BE THANK YOU TO ALL OF US.

Okay, now let’s talk about the other scenes from the trailer: Fights, cops, chases, Riley back on the mountain from season 1, angry people in India, Wolfgang shooting, Pride, a picture of Angelica suffering while Jonas holds her, Anonymous hackers, DJ Riley .... and SENSE8 SEASON 2. On May 5th (in case anyone doesn’t know, haha).

Curiosity about Anonymous: The movie "V for Vendetta" was written by the Wachowski sisters, where they also used this mask that has a curious historical background. Make your own conclusions.

Kalagang Moments (which are scarce):

Moment in Amsterdam: A hand on Kala's back? Wolfgang, is there not a better place? Well, they're killing us.

Is Kala in the bathroom of the disco from season 1 when they connect but do not see each other? Wolfgang is near the counter and everything is very dark. My conclusion is that they are reliving something, since we later see the almost-kiss of the first season. (I remind you, that the memories are going to be very important, and that we will be able to travel through them)

Then we see a serious Wolfgang, with a surprised Felix in another very bright place. What the fuck has Felix seen? I do not think it's any good.

Conclusion: I expected more from the trailer, perhaps small details are difficult to see, but everything is clear. Will goes for BPO & Whispers, Sun escapes … SOUND THE ALARM! We’re being fooled! They are diverting our attention from the plot. I think (just like the trailer for the first season), the new trailer shows a lot but says very little. It shows the essential story line so that you understand the starting point of the situation, but it does not go deep. It does not explain, and it can not be deduced too much. It is not like the Christmas trailer, which accounted for a lot more. And I think the less we are told about something, the more important it will be, as with Kalagang, Lito coming out of the closet, Capheus and his mother, Sun against her brother, Riley helping Will, Will and his love for Riley, Nomi and her essential hacking skills, Wolfgang getting rid of the bad guys and looking for Kala, and Kala helping with her knowledge of chemistry and clarifying who she loves, or the role of Rajan who does not even come out at all in the trailer.

There are themes in the trailer that are either kept secretive, or almost do not touch on what is going to happen in season 2. I think they are deceiving us, and in a very brutal way.

I hope you liked the analysis, and I hope to hear your opinion.

And thank you @ww-n-double-d, for letting me steal some gifs.

And as always: Sorry for my English. Jenna helped me edit it to sound better! :)

[iwillneverletgoipromise]

My very first Kalagang fan fiction, right after the events of season two finale.

Only Us

It had almost passed 24 hours since Wolfgang was rescued. He was still sleeping, and Kala never stopped looking at him for a second. Nomi and Riley tried to convince her that she needed to take some rest and eat something, but she couldn’t leave that chair. She couldn’t leave him. She had felt his pain when he was tortured, she had felt how scared he was, and now that she could really understand the word ‘presence’, just as Riley told her, now that she could be in the same room with him, she had no intention to spend another minute away from him. How could she?  She almost lost him. She almost lost her reason to live.

She knew that sooner or later he would wake up, and she wanted to be there. All she wanted was to see those blue eyes staring at her,  with the same intensity she had always loved. She smiled thinking about what she would tell him; she had so many things to tell him, so many he wouldn’t even be able to reply to something ‘cause she wouldn’t stop talking. Timing was always bad for them; last year he wanted to come to Mumbai, but Felix got shot and he had to fix things with his uncle, and told her to marry Rajan. And now, just when they had decided to run away together in Paris, this happened. What did they do to you? And even now that they were kinda safe, she wasn’t able to close her eyes because the image of Wolfgang on that table, in pain, and covered with blood, was too much to handle.

She held his hand tight; not only to make him feel safe in some way, but even to reassure herself that he was really there. With her, and that it wasn’t a dream. Tears started streaming down her face again, but she wiped them off her face, when she saw Will came in. He smiled at her, showing a sandwich. “Riley made this for you.” He said, gently. Kala smiled, and took the sandwich. “Thank you,” she replied. “Thank Riley for me. I’m not so hungry right now.” Will sat on the other chair, next to her. “You know, I understand why you don’t feel like eating anything. Believe me I’d do the same if it were Riley, you know that. But you should do it for him. He definitely would want you to eat something.” Kala thought about what Will said, and took a bite. He smiled at her and stood up. “It’s so hard… everything that happened to him; he always tried to protected us, and he didn’t care about protecting himself.” This time, she let the tears go down.

Will sat again, and put a hand on Kala’s shoulder. “Hey, look at me. He’s safe now. He’s gonna be okay. He’s gonna be okay.” Kala looked at him, holding on those words so desperately. She watched Will closed the door, and she kept eating her sandwich. She didn’t even realize that she never left Wolfgang’s hand.

********************************************************************

Wolfgang opened his eyes, and he immediately felt an annoying headache, but he thought it was predictable after everything he went through. At least, it was only headache. He wasn’t in the same room, though. He was in a real bed, and the room was quite comfortable, but that wasn’t really the thing that caught his attention. Kala was sleeping on a chair, right next to him. It felt different; her presence was different, it was like she was actually there. Oh no, she can’t be there. It’s too dangerous. Whispers already knew where she lived; he hadn’t been able to protect her before, but he wouldn’t let her come too close to him so that Whispers could take her, too. He would rather die. “What are you doing here?” He could barely hear his voice, but it was loud enough to wake her.

Her reaction surprised him a lot. He thought she was about to cry, but she looked happy and she smiled at him with that sweet smile of her he couldn’t resist. “Wolfgang,” she whispered. “Oh my God, Wolfgang!” She didn’t really reply to him; he just saw her standing up from her chair, and slowly coming close to him. He couldn’t speak. All he could do was staring at every movement she made. He was confused, he didn’t understand anything, where he was, what happened, but it didn’t matter, ‘cause all that mattered was her, so real this time. She moved on top of him, slowly, ‘cause she didn’t want to hurt him, but passionately. She looked into his eyes deeply, and this time he was the one who was about to cry. This can’t be possible, it must be a dream. He could feel her breath on his face, her body against his, and everything was physically real. Are you really here?  But he didn’t have time to ask anything else, ‘cause she kissed him, ardently. He kissed her back just as passionately as she did, and held her tight.

Kala opened her mouth to breathe, and then started kissing his cheek, smoothly. And just before he was about to say something, she started talking in a rush. “Wolfgang, how do you feel? Oh baby,  I was so scared. I’m so sorry,” she said, leaning his forehead on his. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that. But you’re safe now,” she looked at him, caressing his face and smiling at him, “we’re together now, all of us, and everything will be fine. We’ll go to Paris, just as we planned, and everything will be fine, you’ll see.” She rubbed her nose against his, and he finally sighed and said: “You came for me.” It wasn’t a question, he was actually realizing that. She came to rescue him; all of them did. He noticed a tear streaming down her face, and he immediately wiped it off with his hand. She put her hand on his, and whispered: “Of course I came for you” “Have you have any idea of how dangerous it was for you? For all of you? Whispers even knows where you live now, because of me. I should have known better. No matter what I do, I end up putting the people I love in danger.” He wanted to add something more, but Kala put her finger on his lips to make him shut up.

“Just in case you didn’t notice, I’m here, and I couldn’t feel better. Everyone is fine, and I truly believe you should start thinking that you’re actually worth saving. Because you are. I already told you my life wouldn’t be worth living without you. I know how dangerous it was, I know that I’ve been taking a real risk by choosing you over the life I’ve always known, but if there’s something I learned from all of this is that you fight for the things that matter, and there’s nothing that matters to me more than you do. And if this means I’m going to face 1000 Whispers, so be it, because I have no intention to spend another minute away from you” He didn’t even let her add something. He just kissed her again, and again. Suddenly Kala stopped for a moment, ‘cause she felt he was crying. It was the first time she saw him crying, and she perfectly knew it was really meaningful for him, ‘cause it was always hard for him to show his emotions. “I’m fine,” he reassured her. “It’s just… I love you. I love you so much, Kala.” Her heart skipped a beat. It was the first time he said her name. It sounded good from him. She looked into his blue eyes, and whispered on his lips: “I love you, too. So much.”

He smiled at her, tenderly, and kissed her again. “Oh wait, I’ve got to tell you something.” Kala looked so excited. “You’re gonna like this. I punched Whispers on his face, because he didn’t want to tell us where you were. And then, I made the building explode so we could escape. They didn’t want to let me do that at first, because you know, they’re always skeptical, but I proved them wrong.” That little piece of information was enough for Wolfgang. He was turned on, and it was clear to her, too. “Please, tell me someone filmed that, so I can see it.” She laughed, letting him move on top of her. He was fine, there was no doubt about that. “I want all the details about it. Yours, and theirs. ‘Cause that’s really hot.” Kala smiled, and nodded. “Okay, I’ll tell you everything.” He kissed the tip of her nose, and she felt so amazed by the way he could be so sweet and sexy at the same time. “Damn, I really need to call Felix. He must be so worried about him” He looked around to see if there was a phone, but Kala surprised him. “I called Felix.”

He stared at her, in shock. “You did what?” “Yes, Nomi and Amanita called him, and I talked to him. I thought he would be worried, so we found the way to contact him. He knows you’re safe. It was a bit difficult to explain it, as you can imagine, but he understood. Somehow, he sounded less confused when I told him who I was. Did you say anything about me to him?” He shook his head. “Because when I said I was Indian, he sounded more relieved, and trusted me.” He smiled. “Well, I told him once I wanted to go to India. He must have thought there was a particular reason, and when he heard you he got why.” She nodded, understanding. “Thank you for calling him.” He gave her a peck. “I know how much he means to you. Anyway, I told him you would come with him to Paris for awhile, but I promised him we’d go to Berlin soon because I can’t wait to meet him” “Mmm, he must love you already.” He stood up on his knees, and made her sit on his lap. Kala giggled, and felt a sudden heat, remembering when it was the last time they had been like that.

“You’re hungry,” she said, hearing his stomach grumble. “What do you say if we join the others in the kitchen, eat something, take a shower and then run away?” He smiled. “One condition.” She looked at him, inquisitive. “You take a shower with me.” She smiled at him, leaning her forehead against his. “I thought you never asked.” They both giggled, and they kissed each other again, falling on the bed.

[juleswritesthis]

Here are some additional thoughts all jumbled. Beware of spoilers up ahead!!!

Sun continues to be the greatest person ever. I’m so moved by her big heart, her courage and strength. I love when Lito and Sun are in scenes together because they have such opposite personalities. The actors do a great job of playing off of one another too. One minute I’m laughing at Lito’s over-dramatic breakdowns and Sun is still literally rolling her eyes. I’m reminded of Season’s one “...she’s not crying, the same way I’m NOT YELLING” scene. Next minute I’m crying over how sweetly they console one another.

One of the most interesting thing in the show is understanding why one sensate visits another specific sensate in their time of need. So was Lito visiting Sun in that hotel room to comfort him or her? What about when Kala showed up to help Will and then Will ended helping her as well? 

In addition, the way specific stories are overlapped is really cool. For example Lito and Capheaus’ interviews. All 8 sensates join in that conversation but it’s wonderful to see that despite their differences, the questions posed to Lito and Capheaus are questions we all ask ourselves. Another is the riots in India and Nairobi with Kala and Capheaus. 

One of the most intense and frightening scenes is when Sun is being choked to death in the prison. Seriously, the longest minute ever. I was literally crying because they made it seem like the end. 

Another thing I love is the relationships outside the cluster. Sure Will and Riley are beautiful and Kala and Wolfgang are intense. But I love the way Amanita is always there for Nomi, or how Hernando understands Lito. I like the new relationships such as Capheaus and Zakia and the burgeoning one between Sun and Mun (sun and moon!!!! :) ). There are some great friendships as well. Dani with Lito and Hernando for example. Will and Diego who helps Riley. Bug and Nomi and Amanita. And finally Wolfgang and Felix. I adore this friendship because Wolfgang is so stoic and he doesn’t say much. But don’t mess with the people he loves. The way he immediately stands up and defends Felix is lovely. 

There is so much more, but I can’t think right now. I’ll definitely rewatch and then maybe my thoughts will be more organized. I hope Season 3 doesn’t take forever because I’m so anxious to see what happens. 

[pallasandthepeople]

The world was more complicated than he thought, Part II

Rajan finds it easier to accept his wife is a sensate in love with someone else than that he might be falling for Wolfgang. And he, and she, for him. A lot of love all over. 

This covers the second part of the season finale, you can find part one here. The story focuses mainly on the buildup for Wolfgang and Rajan, but Kala is obviously in there prominently too.    Rajan was surprised at his own lack of jealousy when Kala at last joined them. He thought he might have felt some if Kala had handled it differently in any way, but as soon as she stepped out of the car she walked up to him with her bright smile and kissed him, as if the past months of awkwardness around everything touch related hadn’t happened at all. As if she wasn’t about to meet her “significant other” (he mentally padded himself on the back for applying that term to the situation) for the first time in real life. As if she wanted to reassure him that no matter what happened now, she cared for him. Maybe more than caring.

 And so he watched as Kala jumped into Wolfgang’s arms and kiss him and it was okay. He felt a tiny bit of bitterness, but that was also because he got it. He’d probably jump at the chance to kiss someone like Wolfgang too if he were gay.

 Capheus and Will silently appeared at his side.

 “Are you okay?” Will asked.

 He nodded, and he suddenly felt proud. No one had expected this of him, and here he was proving everyone wrong.

 “Yes,” he said, and on an impulse he added: “In fact, I’m so okay with it that I think I’ll join you tonight, Capheus. Give them some privacy.”

 Capheus grinned and padded Rajan’s arm. “Kind of in a committed relationship here man, but you’re welcome to sleep on the other couch.”

 The late breakfast turned into a celebratory lunch, and when it started raining in the afternoon they all moved inside to the large kitchen table. Amanita and Daniela disappeared for a while and came back with more food and a lot of wine. Rajan sat contently at one side of Kala, Wolfgang on the other, and while none of them was talking about it there was some silent understanding that whatever was happening, it was… good. They all knew Kala cared about them both, the guys cared for Kala, and they’d see where all this was going when all was over.

 “Guys, I think there’s some very good champagne in the pantry, shall I get it?”

 Wolfgang beamed up at him. “Definitely!”

 When Rajan walked into the room again, two bottles of champagne in his hands, he was suddenly overcome by a feeling of love for every single one of those laughing people in the room. And when he announced the champagne and every smile turned to face him he suddenly realized that he, Rajan, the same Rajan from a few days ago, was also part of this group.

 He fooled around with Lito and Daniela, and when he finally sat down again next to Kala and Wolfgang they both smiled and touched him affectionately. Kala with her hand on his knee, Wolfgang with an arm around his shoulders, and Rajan felt happy.

 “Wait,” said Wolfgang before they all started drinking, “I want to say something.”

 Everyone stopped and looked up at him.

 “I have lived much of my life with one friend, with my one brother. And I never knew what it was like to… have people in my life that would fight for someone like me.” He smiled, almost shy, and shot a glance at Kala and Rajan. “Thank you.”

 Rajan had only met Wolfgang the day before, and he could never have predicted the intense emotional reaction to that little (huge, for Wolfgang) speech. He briefly gave in to the urge to touch Wolfgang reassuringly and sat down again. Emotions swirled around inside of him. On the one hand the anger at Wolfgang being alone for so long (how could people not see how amazing the guy was?), anger at Wolfgang finding it necessary to thank people for fighting for him (how could anyone not?). And also pride, pride for having fought for this amazing guy himself too, and thankfulness for him being okay now, safe. Something was happening, but he was still staring into the void, overwhelmed by emotions, when he realized the room had suddenly gone quiet. He exchanged a glance with the only other three people in the room still moving.

 “I think they went with that Bodhi person?” Amanita said, unsure. “Hello? Guys?”

 “I guess this proves it, if you still had any doubts,” Hernando smiled at Rajan.

 From the moment the sensates were back from the Lacuna things were set into motion, and before he knew it he was sitting in a convertible driving through the alps. Rajan was still in the selfless mode he was secretly very proud of, and he almost insisted on Kala and Wolfgang taking the back seat together.

 He had left them to sleep together the night before too. “Are you sure you are okay with this?” Kala had asked, worried, and Wolfgang had smiled at him (he really did have to ask someone about his stomach ache, could it be the European food?). They were joined by Felix somewhere along the way and Rajan grinned proudly when Kala introduced him as her husband. There was something very satisfying about surprising people.

 “It’s complicated,” Wolfgang said with his amazing lopsided grin.

 Rajan figured his children would one day ask him about all the adventures Kala and he (and Wolfgang?) had had in it Italy, but it all went so quick and was so surreal that he could hardly remember. Kala and Wolfgang would be the ones telling the stories anyways. Probably. They still had to talk about that.

 Rajan had been strengthened in his belief that he wanted this (whatever this was) to work out when Kala almost died. He knew he would never forgive himself if he let her go. Their entire world may have been turned upside down, but their future together, the future he had been envisioning since the first time he met her, was still there. He now knew Wolfgang was set to become a part of their lives together. There was no other option. Kala loved him and no matter how much she seemed to have started appreciating him recently Wolfgang would always be in her head, and that was something he could not possibly beat.

 He found himself not wanting to either. Wolfgang and he had grown inseparable during Kala’s recovery, bonding over their shared love for her. The other sensates were very impacted by her near-death too, of course, but when the fight was over and it was sure she’d be okay they all slowly started leaving. Lito and Capheus left as soon as they could to take up their responsibilities again. Riley, Will and Diego were next, on a trip through Europe (“I mean I’ve already been to most of these countries, now I’d like to be a proper tourist,” Will explained). Rajan hid some money in their luggage for on the way. Nomi and Amanita flew back to their lives in the United States with Bug, and Sun seemed to temporarily have forgotten she was a sensate, focussing all her love and attention on Mun. The latter quickly took her home to fix her pending charges. Rajan tried to offer them money too, but Sun assured him that they had enough of that. Even Felix had gone back, clearly feeling out of place in their yet undefined relationship.

 And so only Wolfgang and Rajan remained at Kala’s bed and it was good like that. He again felt that Wolfgang was the only one that truly understood what he was going through, because he himself was going through the exact same thing. He would never have suspected that sharing Kala was easy, but it turned out to even be a good thing. He was not just sharing his wife’s affections, he was sharing his worries over her too; the idea of making this work, the three of them, seemed more attractive by the day.

 Kala herself was doing perfectly fine though. She had to keep to her bed, but from there she ordered them around to get her everything she wanted, and she was cheerful as ever. Maybe even more. In the afternoon she would send them away to give her some peace, and Wolfgang and he would wander through Naples. One of the first afternoons they had ended up at the other side of the city and Rajan, looking for a place to rest, suggested they’d sit down in a cafe to drink coffee.

 “I’m not really a coffee person,” Wolfgang confessed.

 “Me neither,” Rajan laughed, “but Italy is famous for its coffee. It’s kind of your duty as a tourist to try it.”

 Wolfgang smirked and they sat down on the wobbly chairs of a terrace. The waitress came and Wolfgang burst out laughing when Rajan ordered two “Italian coffees”. Rajan shook his head, embarrassed, and they sat in comfortable silence until the coffees arrived.

 Rajan’s coffee tasted horrible. It was way stronger than he was used to, and he didn’t even like his watered down version from back home that much. He glanced at Wolfgang, who had a disgusted expression on his face too. Rajan suddenly became worried. This had been a stupid idea, he had made Wolfgang drink something neither of them liked just for the joke of it, and Wolfgang clearly wasn’t enjoying it (why did he want to please Wolfgang so much?). On top of that the coffee had made his stomach hurt again.

 “It tastes very bad,” he said apologetically.

 Wolfgang swallowed his coffee with difficulty while he studied Rajan’s face with curiosity.

 “It’s probably the place,” Wolfgang said eventually. “They just have very bad coffee here.”

 The next day at 5pm, while walking through a less touristic area, Wolfgang suddenly stopped and nodded with his head towards a small cafe.

 “Let’s have a coffee there,” he said.

 “But… you don’t like coffee. We don’t like coffee.”

 Wolfgang shrugged. “It’s our duty as tourists to try Italian coffee. Yesterday was just because of the place.”

 They tried it and it tasted just as bad.

 “It’s the place.” Wolfgang nodded decidedly. “Bad luck.”

 In the seven days that Kala had left recovering they tried a different coffee place every day, even on the days that Rajan stayed home working. By the end of the week they could more or less distinguish between them, and while still not exactly liking it Rajan now managed to finish a cup without disgusted facial expressions.

 They still hadn’t had the talk, and both Wolfgang and Rajan had behaved quite chaste around Kala, but the day before Kala was released Rajan touched on the topic during their daily coffee.

 “Wolfgang,” he said carefully. Wolfgang raised his eyebrow at the tone. “When Kala is released… You know I have a lot of stuff pending back in India. I have to go back.”

 He waited for Wolfgang to say something, but the latter remained silent.

 “I was thinking maybe Kala and you can stay in Europe. You can go to our apartment in Paris, enjoy yourselves there while I figure things out back home. It’s dangerous for me in India right now, but my duty lays with my company and my family, I have to go back and finish what I started. You guys don’t, better for you to stay safe.”

 All of a sudden Wolfgang grabbed Rajan’s hand and pierced him with his blue eyes.

 “Rajan,” he said, “I’m not planning on letting anything happen to you.”

 “Well,” Rajan started awkwardly, “that isn’t exactly for you to decide you know, it’s not like you can stop…”

 “Hey, no,” he was interrupted, “don’t say that, I will. We will.”

 “Not all things can be solved by fighting, Wolfi- Wolfgang. I know you guys are all superhumans, but this asks for different ways of dealing with things.”

“Kala wants to go back to India, and I’m coming with you guys.” Wolfgang suddenly let go of his hand. “If… If you let me.”

 Rajan suddenly felt choked up by emotion, and he wasn’t entirely sure what it was that he was feeling. “I… We have to talk to Kala, this…  Wolfgang, you can’t just… It’s dangerous... I…” Wolfgang was looking at him with that look again, and suddenly all his resolve vanished in the air. “I’ll book the tickets tonight.”

 Wolfgang smiled his wolfish grin. “Kala says she’s happy too.”

 They took a plane that very weekend. Rajan freaked out a bit about the seating arrangements (he didn’t want to have to chose between Kala or Wolfgang to sit next to, and sitting in the middle could imply to them he wanted to keep Wolfgang from Kala), so in the end he decided on the most expensive seats: private first class seats for each of them.

 Kala walked in on him just when he was trying to decipher the numbers of his credit card and smiled fondly at his stressed appearance.

 “Rajan…”

 “Are you feeling alright Kala?”

 “I am. I just wanted to talk to you.”

 Rajan signaled for her to wait. “Let me just finish this or they’ll cancel my payment.”

 He quickly finished up an turned his chair towards his wife.

 “I know we still need to have the real talk, with Wolfie, and truly discuss what it is we want,” Kala began, carefully choosing her words. “I just wanted to tell you some things before we do. I… I cannot believe how well you have taken all this, Rajan. I never expected that… You…” She took a big breath. “No, that’s not what I wanted to say. What I wanted to say, my dear husband, is that I didn’t love you when we married. I respected you, I admired you and I liked you a lot, but I didn’t love you. And you knew this.” Kala looked at Rajan as if daring him to deny that. “But these past weeks… I guess it’s been coming for a while now, and I was too blinded by how much I loved Wolfie to really see it, but I do love you. I love you Rajan, I love the man I thought you were and I love the man you turned out to be. And…,” she shushed Rajan when he tried to get up, “and I know this complicates things a lot. I love Wolfgang. I love him so much…. But I love you too. And I want to be with you. And we’re going to India now, and Wolfgang is coming with us, and I don’t know how to do it with Manendra and mom and oh Ganesha, dad, and…” Rajan figured now would be a good time to interfere, and he gently took her hand in his. She took a deep breath. “But I love you. It’s not out of guilt, not out of gratefulness, not because anyone forces me to… I just really want you to be part of my life.” She smiled helplessly and waited for Rajan to say something back. He couldn’t. Instead he took her in his arms, kissed her, and didn’t let go of her anymore till the next morning when Wolfgang, who had mysteriously disappeared that night, woke them up.

 “I guess we’ll talk about it soon,” Wolfgang smiled.

 They didn’t. World-shattering discoveries in the weeks he had been away had made Rajan forget he very much had a life back home, and a life that he’d left in a very difficult position. His father reminded him quite forcefully, and between trying to get his company back on track, getting the corruption investigation and the problems that came with it off his back, and all this while also making sure no one got suspicious about his absence, he hardly saw Kala and Wolfgang for at least two weeks. They’d usually wait up for him with a cup of tea (and occasionally, with a devilish grin from Wolfgang, coffee) to quickly talk over their days, but no one had the energy for more.

 What did happen was the three of them sleeping together in bed every night, Kala in the middle. It was an unspoken arrangement that Rajan was intensely happy about. It was special, every single morning again, to wake up with Wolfgang’s hand buried in Rajan’s hair and Kala snuggled up to him. He didn’t think he could give that up if he wanted to.

 Rajan was so caught up in his work bubble that he hadn’t even seen his own parents properly, so he was only mildly surprised to receive a call from his father-in-law three weeks after coming back from Italy.

 “Hey Sanyam, look, I’m sorry we haven’t come by, I was in Delhi this weekend and…”

 “Rajan, no no no, don’t worry about that. Rajan, there is a… a man on your terrace.”

 “What?”

 “I was coming by to bring Kala some soup but there is a man sitting on the terrace and I can’t see Kala anywhere… What if something has happened to her? Rajan...”

 Rajan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

 “Blonde? European?”

 “Yes…”

 “Don’t worry about him, he’s… living with us.”

 It was quiet on the other end of the line. Rajan imagined Sanyam peeking at Wolfgang from the living room. Wolfgang was probably fully aware of his presence, but he apparently hadn’t given any sign of recognizing him. Rajan felt kind of sad that this would be the first time Wolfgang met Sanyam, with neither Kala or him around.

 “Why?” Sanyam asked eventually.

 Now it was Rajan’s turn to keep quiet for a while.

 “He’s a good friend of mine. He… His name is Wolfgang. He means a lot to Kala and me. And and... And he’s also taken over bodyguard duties.”

 “I see.”

 “He truly is a great guy, we will introduce you to him at our next family dinner.”

 “Uhu.”

 “Speaks hindi too... Are you doing well Sanyam?”

 “Yes, yes. Are you?”

 “I’m very busy with work.”

 “So I heard. Well, I’ll leave the soup in the kitchen and be on my way.”

 “Alright Sanyam, have a good day!”

 Talking to his father in law remained a very awkward thing.

 That night Rajan came home at 11pm. He was exhausted and in a bad mood (it looked like he’d have to go to Delhi again), and he was torn between the desire to have the comfort of Kala and Wolfgang’s presence on the one hand and not talking to anyone on the other. Maybe he could just push them to the bed in silence and cuddle up to them, he considered. He still couldn’t believe how lucky he had been with his sleeping arrangements lately.

 Kala and Wolfgang were sitting close to each other on the couch, quietly talking, when he walked in. Kala turned to him with a nervous face.

 “Rajan! How as your day?”

 Rajan figured he’d have to let his silence plan go.

 “Good… good. Did you see my message about your father?”

 He put down his bag and sat down next to Wolfgang, who was studying his face. Rajan smiled at him, tired, and rested his head on the couch.

 “I did, I did… I was at my parents’ place when he was here. Rajan…” She looked very nervous, torn between excitement and worry. Like she found whatever she wanted to say funny but wasn’t sure he’d like it too. “They asked if you were gay, if Wolfgang was your lover staying with us…” She laughed nervously. “Are you, Rajan?”

 Rajan looked at Wolfgang, who stared back with a neutral expression.

 “That came out wrong. I mean, we’ve been putting this off for so long, I think we should talk. I don’t know what I want. What do you want?”

 Rajan sighted. His thoughts were floating through his mind in an indecipherable mess. He rested his head against Wolfgang’s shoulder.  

 “I don’t think this is the best moment to talk,” Wolfgang told Kala. “Let’s just go to bed.”

 Three months after their return to India Rajan sat in the courtroom and watched Ajay Kapoor being sentenced to ten years of prison. An indescribable weight fell off his shoulders when the judge finally made up his mind. Kala kissed him, Wolfgang gave him a hug and whispered that the rest had also been there.

 They set out to the airport together and caught the first flight to Paris. From that moment on everything was one happy blur. They joked around and finally talked properly (not “the talk”, but good talks nevertheless) in the plane, and once in Paris they stumbled laughing through the streets, shamelessly playing the tourists they were.

 The wedding was one happy, cheerful reunion. After months of only hearing about the other cluster members second hand (“Riley says they rented a car in Macedonia with your money”, “Capheus says hi”, “Lito says that Hernando is wondering whether you saw that article on the pharmaceutical industry”), with the occasional whatsapp message when talking like that got too annoying, it was very nice to see everyone in person again. Rajan got a bit emotional during the ceremony and Wolfgang took it upon him to cheer him up again, dragging him to the dance floor. They danced, the three of them surrounded by all of them, with love and abandon. At one point, while shouting and jumping up and down with Wolfgang, Rajan saw Kala have a serious looking conversation with Will from the corner of his eye. Half an hour later he discovered Wolfgang and Kala whispering and plotting in a corner. He figured he’d ask about it later.

 Later turned into much later. They danced, sang, and generally enjoyed each other’s company till early in the morning hours. The party, for the sensates, only ended when Amanita and Nomi left to their hotel. All the other sensates suddenly also stopped and set out to leave with them. Kala grabbed Rajan’s hand and didn’t let go till they were at their apartment again, each with a glass of champagne in their hand.

 “Where’s Wolfgang?” Rajan asked. He felt incredibly happy and content, but something was missing without Wolfgang there.

 “Ssht,” Kala smiled, and she kissed him with passion.

  And then she led him to the bedroom, and Wolfgang was there and Rajan wanted to drink him in with that smile and those eyes of him, and then Kala nodded and everything fell into place. Of course. They’d been heading to this for months now. Rajan wanted to kick himself for not coming up with it sooner. He closed his eyes to quickly gather some courage, and then he let himself be led to the bed.

 Rajan’s world had been shattered a few times over the course of his life, but this was certainly the best one of them. They had been struggling months with choices and love, and there they were loving each other, all of them, sharing love in its purest form. He hadn’t known such things were possible. But he was glad they were.

Will be posted on AO3 soon. Part 3 is planned for everything that happens after the finale! (they still need to have that talk haha)