#body alt. ( wildfire. )

[laurellynnleake]

AIR QUALITY WARNING

Hey fellow Northeasterners on Turtle Island, aka the USA and Canada! Recent wildfires are spreading smoke and dangerous air conditions across New England. I only realized this because of social media, so I'm spreading the news further with maps for visuals. Things are officially UNHEALTHY so everyone needs to be careful, especially anyone with heart or lung conditions.

If you're in NY, MA, RI, CT, NJ, etc, please be careful!

Close your windows (consider sealing them if it's really bad)

Wear respirator masks (ex N95s) outside

Turn on air filters if you've got them

Use fans inside to keep cool and keep air moving

Check for air coming in around window AC units! You can probably still use your AC, but remember that their filters generally don't block smoke.

Remember, wildfire smoke doesn't just include burnt up trees but can include all kinds of hazardous materials, so the less outside air inside your house the better. If you've got any DIY Corsi-Rosenthal Boxes around for COVID-19 filtration, they excel at filtering out other dangerous particles too. Here's a diagram for making one, :

Also, try to avoid strenuous activities (ex moving furniture, climbing lots of stairs, etc) and listen to your body's needs. If you need to lay down and do nothing for a while, go for it. Stay hydrated, especially if your throat is getting scratchy! If you've got asthma, make sure your meds are close by.

Take care of yourselves and each other out there!

-----------

6/7/23 UPDATE:

Thought I'd add more context and sources for people to look up their own areas! The above map shows the current outbreak of wildfires across the West Coast and Midwest, versus the huge plumes of smoke traveling across the north, middle, and east of the continent, including Mexico. Click the source link to explore the map yourself.

IDs are in the alt text!

[the-fab-fox]

Could you possibly do a Drabble with Idia x Reader with the cute pocky game you had going on?

@ Anonymous,

Thank you for the request. Literally no one has been requesting any so I was super excited to get yours. And it's Idia which tickles me. Lol.

I hope you enjoy and sorry about the wait. A lot of stuff came up. (I have gotten a lot more requests since the initial drafting of this. Also, I'll be making a collection of these on AO3 so if you'd like me to gift the fic to you, please drop your AO3 in the notes.)

Original Post

Without further ado—

Idia x f!Reader

[ One-Shot under the cut. ]

Idia was legit not surprised with how the game the Ramshackle Prefect introduced to them all had spread like wildfire throughout the campus.

They were teenagers, after all. Meat suits with raging hormones and maybe a couple handfuls of brain cells shared between the whole of the student body. And several of those brain cells were held in vice-like grips by specific singular students, making the overall pool of available brain cells even smaller for the rest of them.

The Ignihyde Housewarden was just glad that no one with half a brain would ever consider inviting him to play.

As if I'd want to? A game designed for normies who just want an excuse to suck face? No thanks! I'm good. He rolled his eyes. Tch, it's so cringe it hurts.

At least, that's what he continued to tell himself. If he didn't really buy his own words... well, that was his business and no one else's.

The problem wasn't the game itself, he supposed… if he really stopped to think about it. But he didn't want to think about it.

Ugh. Hope some new cringe fad comes out ASAP! This really triggers my rage.

He sighed as he watched his game load bar slowly inch toward completion. Because, of freaking course, the server would be hella saturated today of all days.

Groaning, he CTRL + ALT + DEL’ed out of the game rather than wait for it to load before exiting out.

This thing’s got me not even wanting to play my games. FML! This is the WORST!

He got up and jerkily opened his deskside food cabinet. Pulling out a random noodle cup, he slammed it onto his desk. Luckily, it wasn't hard enough to crush it. Much.

It was still functional, in any case, so whatever.

Smoothing out the cup as well as he could, he opened it and added some hot water from his electric kettle. Setting the lid over it once more, he idly played with the little ingredient packet as he grabbed a spoon from the little plastic drawer set on his desk.

Why can't these idiots think about anything, but making out and shit?

In reality, Idia knew why.

He was one of the idiots, after all. Not that he was going to admit that to anyone. In fact, he tried his very best to ignore it completely.

Admitting that he wanted to make out with someone would mean he'd have to think about the very person he wanted to make out with.

That person?

The one who had set this whole mess into motion.

“Meh,” he muttered, glancing at the little digital numbers at the bottom left hand side of his desktop screen. Meh, meh, meh.

After a few more minutes, Idia couldn't wait any longer. He pulled the top off the noodle cup and tossed it aside, giving it no mind to where it drifted. Ripping open the packet, he poured the ingredients in and used the spoon to stir them. Some of the broth spilled with how aggressively he stirred, which only further fueled his ire.

Damn it. Damn it all to Tartarus.

He began to eat, ignoring the slight crunch to the noodles as well as he could. He had just finished up his impromptu meal, downing both a small energy drink as well as half a bottle of water, when a sound rose in the air that he hadn't expected.

Knocking.

Glaring at his door, he was about to yell at whoever was on the other side to just leave him alone to his misery when he realized that there were only two people who would knock on his door.

The other Ignihyde students would never. If they needed to get ahold of him for any reason, they knew well they would need to contact him via technological means. Ortho-chan would just come right in. None of his peers outside the dorm would come to see him. He had no friends after all. Not really.

Well… maybe…

No. Especially not her. Like yeah, okay. She was like really sweet, and nice, and actually seemed interested in what he had to say when he went full fanboy and otaku mode, but that was just her being nice. Nothing more.

And yet, she was one of the two people who would be on the other side of that door.

The other was Crowley, but considering the fact that he was Crowley, the man would more likely just summon him to his office rather than pay a visit to his dorm.

Which meant it could only be the Ramshackle Prefect.

As if proving him right, another knock came upon the door, followed by the annoyingly cute sound of his crush’s voice.

“Idia? I know you're in there. Can I come in?”

What kind of event did I trigger? Idia sighed heavily. He hated this.

Somewhere along the line, Idia had come to realize that when it came to the otherworlder, he had a very hard—if not impossible—time denying her anything.

He brought his hands up to his face, letting out as quiet and muffled a groan as possible before pulling his hands away once more. Taking a shaky breath, he stood and crossed the space between his desk and the door.

The third year wondered if he should just ignore her. After all, if he didn't answer, she would have to leave at some point right?

“Idia Shroud!”

“Eep!”

“I'm not leaving until you let me in, mister!”

Idia tried and failed not to smile.

He could just picture her. Standing on the other side of the door, hands on her hips, glaring cutely at the door like some romance anime heroine.

For the love of STYX, why was she so freaking cute?

And why was she so determined to see him?

It made no sense.

Except that she likes and cares about you, another voice said. His mind, and the rest of him, silenced the thought as quickly as it came.

His face became a grimace and he decided that now was the time to get this visit over with, so that he could get back to his raging pity party.

Whatever she wanted couldn't take that long, right?

Just rip the bandaid and be done with it.

Spite forced his hand in the end. He unlocked and pulled the door open, his face still a deep scathing frown. The moment his eyes met those deep, warm brown eyes—however—he felt his demeanor and posture go shy.

“Ah, h-hey…” he said by way of greeting, with the smallest smile on his face. Then he remembered he was supposed to be annoyed, and tried to force the grimace once more. He wasn't sure if he managed, but the moment he took in the rest of her, he had to keep himself from laughing.

If he had to hazard a guess, he imagined he looked a lot more like the nauseous emoji rather than a scathing one.

The reason for his sudden urge to laugh was that the Ramshackle Prefect was, no cap, standing with a wide, determined stance with her closed fists on her hips as she looked up at him.

That made him feel off-kilter for a moment. He kept forgetting how short she was compared to him. She could still no doubt kick his ass TKO style, because who couldn't, if he was honest—but she was just so… fun sized and cute.

He longed to hug and cuddle her. He wanted to hold hands with her. Wanted to whisper soft couple things into her hair as he embraced her from behind. He wanted to keep her safe, since she didn't have any magic of her own. And to support her in whatever she wanted to do because, damn, this was a young lady who was going places. He wanted to beg her not to leave if a way was ever found, because who would he talk to then? (Other than Muscle Red, of course. But even then, this was different.)

“There! That's better isn't it? We can definitely talk better this way.”

Idia felt himself start to nod and smile along with her, before shaking his head and frowning.

“What do you want?”

Her brows rose and slowly she began to frown. Then her brows knit together and her stance became even more stern than before.

“You won't talk to me like that, Idia! No, sir. We're friends, remember? Besides, I brought you a gift. Doncha wanna know what it is?”

Idia felt his conviction slip.

A gift? For him? Had he really triggered some kind of event?

He frowned.

If it had been anyone else, he would have thought it was a trap. The problem was, it wasn't anybody else.

It was the girl of his dreams.

“Why?” He heard himself ask. He frowned, but he wasn't sure if it was at the situation itself or himself. “Why would you get me a gift?”

The Prefect sighed, now crossing her arms. Idia called himself several kinds of idiot.

That stance is never a good one in anime and manga.

Now he'd likely ruined everything, and she was going to leave, and he'd be in an even worse funk than before.

“I already told you, Idia. We're friends. Sometimes friends give each other gifts. And I care about you. Gift giving is a great way to support the people you care about.” She then grinned. “Or just chock it up to the fact that I wanna. Okay? Now—” She fell silent and only continued when Idia looked up, into her unfairly gentle and pretty eyes. “Can I please come in?”

Idia said nothing. He just scoffed under his breath and moved aside, ignoring the rush of affection he felt as she quickly moved into his room. That quickly turned to dread as he suddenly realized how much of a pig sty his room truly was.

Shit, shit, shit.

She didn't seem to notice, however. In fact, she didn't even seem to look around. She just turned back to him and the moment he closed the door, she moved in closer and closer.

Was she about to go plot twist villain on him? Well, he supposed there were worse ways to go than being murdered by a ridiculously beautiful girl in a school girl uniform.

“W-What are you—”

She stopped in front of him and rummaged in her book bag before pulling out a rectangular, shiny yellow box. He frowned.

He was a little ashamed to admit it, but he already knew what it was from the sight glimpse.

A box of Pocky.

A box of banana-flavored Pocky.

His favorite.

“What are you—”

She said nothing, only smirking as she opened the box, then the unopened package inside. Pulling one out, she held it up as she held his gaze.

“I'm guessing you've heard about the game?” She asked, though it wasn't really a question. She knew he knew it well. “Wanna play it with me, Idia?”

There was something new there. A sort of hint of something. A variation.

He would never vocalize his guess, but if he wasn't mistaken, it sounded a lot like flirting.

“M-me?”

She groaned and threw up both hands, the Pocky rising with the one that held it.

“You're not as dumb as you like to think, Idia—about people, I mean.”

She held his gaze firmly. He just continued to stare dumbly at the shorter girl. Slowly, it dawned on her that he had absolutely no clue what she was talking about.

“Okaaay… so you don't get it.” She sighed. “Fine. I'll tell you. In a way that even you won't be able to find a single way to deny it.”

Idia just blinked.

“I like you, Idia. A lot. And I want to be more than friends. But you're also really skittish. I only introduced the game in the hopes that I'd be able to play it with you, and the kiss would tell you the rest.”

Idia just stared. And stared some more.

She sighed, moved in closer, and held up the Pocky.

He took it without thinking.

“If me being your girlfriend is something you are on board with, play the game with me…”

Idia didn't think he had ever put anything into his mouth as fast as he did the Pocky.

There it was, just the tip of the flavored part of the cookie stick held between his lips. It was worth it, though. The Prefect smiled so brightly, a light tinge of pink coloring her cheeks.

“So you do like me!”

He sighed. Here it came.

Time for the ridicule to commence in 3, 2, 1—

“I'm glad.”

That's what I thought you'd say, because duh—wait what?

“You're… glad? Why?” It wasn’t easy to talk with a piece of pocky being held by his lips, but through luck or maybe he had a high enough stat, he managed.

She sighed. This time, however, it sounded fond.

“If you don't know, I'm not going to tell you.” She then beamed and Idia felt himself mirroring her without his consent. “But I'll give you a hint.”

She then closed the remaining space between them, took the other end of the Pocky in her mouth, and quickly nibbled through it until she'd reached his end.

Idia was pretty sure he short circuited for a moment. He blinked rapidly until he was finally able to register what was happening.

The Ramshackle Prefect had kissed him. Was kissing him.

Their lips were still touching.

He swallowed the bit of banana Pocky in his mouth and closed his eyes tight. He'd never kissed anyone before, except his mom and his figurines and—though he would take it to his grave—a couple of his character and idol body pillows when he was feeling particularly needy.

Still, he let instinct take over and did his best to match her actions.

Pulling away, he opened his eyes to meet her gaze.

“I knew you liked me back. Thank you for finally telling me.”

Idia blushed. He felt his throat trying to work, but all that came out was something like squealing—but less cute and more strangled.

Apparently, the Ramshackle Prefect had no trouble finding it endearing, if the fond smile on her face was any indication. Then a conspiratorial grin slipped onto her face.

“So what do you think about the game from my world?”

Idia had liked it. He was pretty sure she knew it too. She just wanted to hear him say it.

Unfortunately, he couldn't bring himself to do that just yet. Instead, he let some of his hair fall forward to obscure his face as he brought his index fingers together, tapping them against each other a few times.

“I don't… um… not really sure.” He cleared his throat, trying to speak up, but mumbling worse instead. “Maybe we should try it again… a few times… just to get a good sample size…”

The smile that radiated off her face in that moment took Idia to a whole other realm. His room no longer felt so gloomy and depressing. It looked brighter somehow.

His attention was immediately snapped back to the short Prefect, who still stood very close. He blushed as he realized how close, before reminding himself that they'd just kissed, which had been a hell of a lot closer. That only caused him to blush more deeply as the realization sunk in.

She had kissed him.

Him!

And he had, technically, kissed back.

His face felt like it was radiating heat.

She giggled and pulled out another Pocky stick, putting the cookie tip in her mouth. She then raised her brows and grinned.

A clear invitation.

It was one of the only invitations Idia had gotten for anything (outside of gaming) that he immediately RSVP’d on.

As they kissed, Idia felt his muscles loosen and his body warm. At some point, long after the cookie was gone, petite arms wrapped around his neck as his hands awkwardly settled upon her waist. He had successfully passed the surprise event and achieved the Best Ending.

Maybe I can convince her we'll need to go through the whole box, just to be absolutely sure I like the game.

He smiled into the kiss at the thought.

[lacontroller1991]

Fluff/WhumpTOBER Day 17: Alt Ending RJ MacCready

Alt Ending to Day 17 where Sole does die and the effects it has on MacCready's mental health Masterlist Warnings: 18+, Child Neglect, Severe Depression, Language, Grieving Process, Literally rotting in bed, infections, this is much much darker than the original imo Word Count: 2.9k

The weeks following your death were brutal. MacCready had come back to Sanctuary Hills, various tears and wounds littering his body, dried blood staining his clothes. Garvey is the first to notice him, running out to meet the merc and the general, only for the general to be missing.

  “MacCready, where is the general?” MacCready said nothing as he pushed past Garvey, eyes that were once bright blue and filled with life now a dull void. It didn’t take long for Garvey, and others, to figure out what had happened. You and MacCready left together and only one came back. 

Word got around quickly. ‘The Savior of the Commonwealth, killed by a horde of ghouls’ was a title that not even Piper would dare to write. How could she? How could she do that to a person who helped anyone and everyone, including her? Regardless, it became known that (Y/N) (Y/L/N) was killed yet her partner was alive. 

Rumors spread like wildfire that MacCready had been the one to push you into the horde to ghouls to save his own skin. Afterall, it wouldn’t be uncommon for a mercenary to look out for himself and himself only, but anyone who knows Robert MacCready and his love for you would know that that rumor is a load of horseshit. Still, people had questions and only one person had the answers, except he couldn’t. MacCready couldn’t get out of bed. Not for Nick. Not for Deacon. Not for Hancock. Not even for Duncan, who is still too young to understand what had happened.

“Daddy? I’m hungry.” Duncan’s small voice quivers, stomach growling as if to emphasize his point but Mac doesn’t move. He supposes he’s hungry too, he can’t really remember the last time he ate anything, or had anything to drink. But he can’t move while his slowly deteriorating body is glued to the bed.

“Go away Duncan.” It’s the only sound that MacCready can make and Duncan doesn’t say anything in response. Instead, the small toddler climbs into Mac’s bed, your bed, trying to curl into his father, but MacCready can’t stand it. Using what little strength he has, Mac pushes Duncan off of the bed causing the toddler to crash onto the floor, tears welling in his eyes as sobs wreck through his body, annoying MacCready. “I said GO AWAY!” MacCready throws a pillow where Duncan cries, causing the little boy to run out the door in a hurry and Mac can vaguely hear the front door opening over the sound of his own thoughts. Why is he like this? Why does he hate his own kid?

It’s because of him that Lucy and (Y/N) died.

You’re worthless. You can’t save anyone, let alone take care of a child.

Duncan should be with Lucy or (Y/N), not you. You’re just a killer.

Lucy and (Y/N) sacrificed themselves so you could take care of Duncan, and look at you, can’t even get out of bed to feed your own child.

What kind of father are you, that you hate your own son.

MacCready doesn’t move as the thoughts consume him. He hates himself. He hates that he allowed you and Lucy to die for him, and he hates himself that he hates Duncan. Mac is left alone with the thoughts swimming in his head like a lake full of piranhas, slowly eating away at him as sleep lures him further into the deep.

----------

Duncan wanders down the streets, tears wetting his face as he looks around the settlement. It’s nighttime and most everybody is asleep except for three sitting by the fire, silently talking amongst themselves. As Duncan closes in, he raises a ratty sleeve two sizes too big and wipes away his tears. “Excuse me.”

The three turn their attention from each other to the toddler in front of them before casting each other a concerned glance. The one closest to Duncan extends a withered hand which Duncan takes, allowing for the person to hoist Duncan onto the seat next to him. “Whatcha doing out here squirt? Shouldn’t you be in bed?” Hancock’s raspy voice asks softly, holding the kid close to his body as Duncan sniffles.

“I’m hungry.” 

From across the fire, Nick wordlessly scoops a bowl of stew, handing it to Hancock with a spoon while Deacon watches the interaction. It’s been hard on everyone. Preston took the role of General but can’t keep up with the demands of the settlements on top of dealing with his own emotions about your death. Piper hasn’t been able to write a single column. Cait and Danse just wander around as if they’re lost. Codsworth tries to keep busy but there’s only so many hedges that need trimming. Nick tries to throw himself into case after case, but with the Institute gone, the primary cause of his work is now mute. Deacon occasionally gets away from Sanctuary, claiming he has ‘important business to do’ but in actuality it’s him trying to find you, hoping that maybe you made it out. Hancock tries to drown his sorrow with drugs and company, but there’s only so many drugs that you can take only to wake up sober with the reminder that his sunshine is gone.

“Does your dad not feed you?” Nick questions from across the fire as Duncan greedily eats the stew with no restraint. It doesn’t take him long to finish the bowl before he’s shaking his head, holding out the bowl for more. 

“No. He doesn’t even eat.” Nick stops his movement of grabbing the ladle as the words hang in the air like thick morning fog. “I can’t remember the last time I ate something.”

“What do you mean he doesn’t eat?” Deacon takes the ladle from Nick, pouring the contents into the bowl for Duncan who immediately slurps the stew down.

“He doesn’t leave the bed. I think he’s sick or something. He’s scaring me,” Duncan pouts, tears welling in his eyes again as he leans into Hancock, head falling to his lap. “Does daddy hate me?”

The three men share a glance in confusion before looking back down to the kid. “What do you mean, pal?”

“I tried to sleep with him but he pushed me off and yelled at me to go away,” his lip quivers before bawling, his wails echoing in the night as Hancock rubs a hand along his back, trying to soothe the toddler while Deacon fumes and Nick frowns. They know that MacCready is taking your death hard, harder than anyone, but ignoring your own child, telling them to go away, is something that they didn’t think he was capable of.

“It’s okay munchkin. He doesn’t hate you,” Hancock knows it’s probably a lie. He saw how MacCready got when Lucy died. He saw how aggressive and depressed he got, but this is another level. “Why don’t we get you to bed. How about you stay with Uncle John? Hmm?” 

The toddler’s sobs slowly reside, replacing themselves with hiccups as he nods, a yawn erupting from his throat. Picking Duncan up, Hancock holds the child close to him as he stands, tipping his tricorn to his companions before carrying a drowsy Duncan to bed.

“What are we going to do about that? If MacCready is as bad as Duncan is saying, we need to intervene. We can’t have Duncan being neglected. He’s just a kid for Christ sake.”

Nick nods in agreement, gears turning in his head as his yellow eyes peer toward your house where MacCready stays, a frown tugging on his lips. “We need to get the kid out of his slump. It’s not doing no one any good with him just laying there all day, especially if he’s not capable of taking care of his kid.”

Deacon nods in agreement, finishing the rest of his Gwinnett before removing the pot from the fire. “I’ll talk to him in the morning. See if I can knock some sense into him.” Nick eyes the spy with speculation. It’s not that Nick doubts Deacon’s ability, Deacon can just get… intense… sometimes. Sensing Nick’s concerns, Deacon smirks. “Relax, I’m not gonna kill him.”

----------

The moment Deacon pushes open the door to your room, a strong smell penetrates his nostrils, causing the spy to gag. “What the?” As his eyes adjust to the darkness, Deacon takes off his sunglasses to get a good look at the room. What was once tidy and clean is now a metaphorical shithole with rags and dirty clothes strewn across furniture. In the middle of it all lies MacCready, pale and passed out. “Shit.” 

Flipping on a light, Deacon uses the luminance to get a closer look at the sniper. Despite being lanky, MacCready normally has supple flesh, but the person in front of Deacon looks like a skeleton. Lifting up the blanket, Deacon gags at the smell. “When was the last time he showered?” Deacon lifts one of MacCready’s arms, involuntarily hissing at the sight of various unhealed wounds, inflamed and infected. “Fuck, kid. What the hell happened?” 

Deacon pauses for a minute, thinking of what to do. He’s been in several situations, but none really prepared him for a grieving, on the brink of death, sniper. He gets where MacCready is coming from, afterall, once Barbara’s killers were dealt with, he too went into a depressive state, but he got himself out of it and he doesn’t think that MacCready has the means to.

Lifting up the merc, Deacon briefly hears a groan of pain but ignores it, carrying him out of the room. “Don’t worry, Bobby, we’ll take care of you.”

—-------

“Monsieur Deacon! Is that Monsieur MacCready?” 

“Yeah, Curie. He needs help. These wounds are infected and it’s clear that he hasn’t cleaned them. We need to get these cleaned out and get some liquids into his system,” Deacon places the young man on the gurney as Curie flits around the room, grabbing miscellaneous items, including a few med-x and stimpaks. 

“How did it get this bad?” Curie straps MacCready to the gurney, administering the med-x as Deacon steps back, placing a hand over his bald head. 

“I don’t know. He wouldn’t let any of us get within a mile of the house without threatening to ‘blow our fucking head off’.” Curie frowns for a second before shaking her head. 

“I’ll do what I can.”

----------

MacCready slowly wakes up, the front of his head pounding as his eyes try to adjust to the light. Why is it so bright in here? His attempt at sitting up is quickly shut down by the restraints to the gurney. Gurney? What happened?

“Oh good, you’re awake.” Great. Deacon.

“I told you to leave me alone unless you just want a piece of lead in your head.”

“Yeah, your threats don’t mean anything to us right now. Not when you’re strapped down,” a second voice joins. Hancock’s voice. 

In confusion, MacCready tries to rip off the restraints but in his fragile state, he can’t. His blue eyes scan around the room, making eye contact with the collection of people standing in front of his bed. “What the fuck is going on in here?”

“We’re intervening ya dipshit.” Cait pipes up from her corner, toned arms laying across her chest. “You’ve been a little shite and we’re holding ya accountable.”

“You’ve been neglecting proper food and care for yourself. You’ve also been neglecting Duncan.” Nick’s accusatory voice is sharp and condescending, causing guilt to flood in MacCready. He knows that it’s not Duncan’s fault that you’re dead. He knows it’s not Duncan’s fault that Lucy is dead, but every time he looks at his son all he can see is them and how he failed them. A single tear slips from his eye as he looks away, shame eating at his gut. Duncan doesn’t deserve him. Duncan deserves Lucy or you, not his dad who can’t even take care of him. 

“Duncan was starving when he came to us. Do you realize how many days you’ve been in that damn room?” Deacon points a finger, his neck vein popping as Hancock tries to calm him down only to be brushed off. Mac shakes his head, swallowing the hard stares around him as he tries to shrink into himself. “20 days. It’s a damn good thing there was still food in the house. How could you not feed Duncan for 20 days?”

“Deacon, that’s eno-” Piper tries to interject but Deacon doesn’t listen to her.

“I get you’re grieving. We all are, but how the hell do you leave your kid alone and defenseless to the point where he wanders out in the middle of the fucking night to ask for some fucking food.”

“Jeez Deacon, go take a walk,” Hancock grabs Deacon by the color and drags him out of the room, shutting the door behind him, leaving Piper, Cait and Nick in the room. 

Nick sighs, rubbing his temple as MacCready gulps, wishing he were dead instead of here. “Look kid. Whatever funk you’re in, you need to get out of it. Duncan needs his dad. He needs you to be able to look after him, bathe him, feed him, make sure he feels safe and loved, not neglected and hated.”

“What?”

“He thinks that you hate him,” Piper comments with a frown, taking a seat on MacCready’s gurney, rubbing her thumb over his knuckles. Despite their differences, Piper and MacCready had formed a sibling bond thanks to you. “Poor kid.”

“I-” Mac tries to think of something to say but nothing comes out. He doesn’t want to hate Duncan, but visions of you and Lucy playing with his son just replay in his head and he loathes that they died for him and Duncan. “I can’t stop blaming him.”

In a fit of rage, Cait stands with a huff and leaves, slamming the door behind her as Nick sighs. “He’s just a kid, Mac. None of this is his fault.”

“What exactly happened? How would this be Duncan’s fault?”

Mac licks his lips, eyes casting downward to avoid their scrutinizing gaze. “I was supposed to take the fall. (Y/N) and I were running from deathclaws, we ran into a building with a trap door, fell onto a platform and there were ghouls everywhere. I was transported back to the moment where Lucy died. I was powerless to stop her death,” he pauses, releasing a shaky breath as the two wait patiently for him to continue. “We only had one grenade and a handful of bullets. I was going to throw the grenade toward the exit, clear out the ferals while distracting them so (Y/N) could make it out, but she told me that Duncan needs me, not her, and that’s when she tripped me, handed me the bullets and threw the grenade toward the exit before jumping down and distracting them. There were too many,” Mac tapers off with a hollow look in his eyes as if replaying the scene in his head. “She died so I could raise Duncan. Lucy died and all I could save was Duncan. I can’t look at my own kid without seeing and hearing and smelling their death.” Tears stream down his face as Piper pulls him into her side, rubbing his arm in comfort. 

“Jeez Blamco.”

“What am I gonna do? The only two people I’ve ever loved are dead and I’m left with my son who I can’t even look at, let alone take care of.” Piper and Nick give each other a look. 

“First, you need to understand that none of that is Duncan’s fault. He is just a kid. What happened to Lucy was purely accidental and (Y/N) sacrificed herself so you can watch your only son grow up. Something that she never got the chance to. You can start by loving him how they would love him, and slowly get over the notion that this is his fault.” Nick halts for a second, taking an unneeded breath. “How about Piper stays here for a little while, watching after Duncan while you slowly regain your strength. You took on a pretty nasty infection from all those bites and coupled with not eating or drinking anything took a toll on your body. It’s going to need time to heal. While you heal you can visit Duncan in small increments, I know it’s going to be tough to look at him, but he’s your son and he’s just a kid. He doesn’t understand your complex emotions. He needs his father.”

“I know he needs me. I just can’t.”

“Yes you can, Mac. Look, I’ll be with you the whole time, if you need to get away, give me a signal and I’ll distract Duncan while you slip out. How does that sound?” Mac sniffles as he looks out of the window, spotting a small frame being tossed in the air by Danse, Deacon watching to make sure Danse isn’t too hard on the small boy who laughs with glee. A sense of longing pulls at MacCready’s heart. That should be me out there. Turning back to Piper and Nick, he reluctantly nods. 

“Okay. Let’s do that.”

-fin-

[itsbeeble]

Tangy (Sour pt 3)

Summary: After another party, the rumor has spread of you and Mingi’s... breakup. What happens when certain people want to make amends? What happens when some want more than that?

Genre: Angst, fluff

WC: 2.4k

Pairings: song mingi x afab!reader, jung wooyoung x afab!reader

Warnings: Mingi is incredibly toxic, minor slutshaming but really minor, swearing, Wooyoung stops bad shit from happening, mentions of alcohol, hurt w/ comfort this time!

Note: I’m really glad you guys are liking this series! Originally it was supposed to be one part, but I was feeling just a bit silly and now there’s gonna be one or two more after this. I hope you guys enjoy!!

ALL PARTS: pt 1: Sour | pt 2: Bittersweet | pt 3: Tangy | true ending | alt ending

~~~~

It’s Friday night, and the air is cooler than any of you had expected. Quite unfortunate for the should’ve-been-backyard party at Sigma Zeta Tau. You find yourself huddled in the corner of the large living room, a cup of something clutched tightly in your hand and hugged to your chest. You can’t help the discomfort you feel, alone in a crowded room with none of your friends in sight. It feels like there’s nowhere for you to run off to, feels like there’s no room to breathe even though there’s no one near you at the moment. 

The air becomes stuffy as soon as you hear a high-pitched laugh from somewhere across the room. You know it’s Wooyoung, likely already drunk. You can see them by the table lined with drinks, talking and laughing as if nothing ever happened. Maybe Wooyoung lied to you. Maybe they didn’t miss you as much as he said they did. Maybe you should leave.

The hand holding your drink tightens, and your knuckles become white. There’s no way Ryujin didn’t know they’d be here. There’s no way they didn’t know you were here.

Had you looked closer, had you been closer, you would’ve seen the exhaustion in their eyes, weighing on their bones. You would’ve seen that Wooyoung had forced the laugh when Vernon made a joke about how you arrived without them for once, thus informing them that you were somewhere in the building. You would’ve seen Mingi scanning the room to find you, failing as you’d managed to hide yourself from the blinding lights the thirteen frat boys had set up hours earlier. 

Whispers are beginning to spread like wildfire. 

They came separately?

Do you think something happened?

I heard he was only using her to win a bet.

Seriously? That’s so cruel…poor girl.

You tuck your head to your chest, ignoring the stares and comments, and take a small sip of the tangy drink in your hand. 

“You’re here?” Your eyes flick up and you find Wooyoung right in front of you, hand clutching a similar cup to your own. Dread begins to build in the pit of your stomach now that he’s right in front of you. 

“Wooyoung,” you nod curtly and he takes a deep breath in. 

“He hasn’t found you yet,” he shuffles a bit in his spot and tries to look anywhere but at you. 

“And how did you find me?” Wooyoung smiles awkwardly.

“You’ve always had a habit of hiding in dark corners.” You nod, and he becomes silent. The music is pounding in your ears, creating a dull ache and a ringing that won’t dissipate. “Can we…” His voice is barely audible, and you look at him. His eyes waver, and under the purple glow, you can see a bit of a shine in them. “Can we go somewhere and talk?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Wooyoung,” you shake your head and he squeezes his eyes shut. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t.” He says sharply. Your body jerks, and he’s quick to continue speaking. “Don’t apologize. You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for and you know that.” 

“Woo…” He smiles at you, a bitter smile that has guilt settling into the pit of your stomach. He turns to walk away from you, and your body moves to grab his wrist before he can go too far. “Tuesday.”

A hopeful glint in his eye and you run your tongue over your lips. 

“We’ll talk on Tuesday. The cafe by my dorm after our classes.” 

Don’t make me regret this.

~

“What are you playing at, Wooyoung?” Seonghwa has the younger boy cornered in the party. Wooyoung simply shrugs and sips at the tangy drink he’d been served. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Talking to Y/N, not telling us you’ve been going to her dorm?” Seonghwa’s glare is scathing, and Wooyoung bites the inside of his cheek. “You know what Mingi’s planning to do. Don’t ruin this for him.” 

A pit of rage is forming in Wooyoung’s stomach, and it’s about to boil over. Don’t ruin this for him? Mingi was the one at fault, not him. Why should he step back from trying to get his friend’s trust back? Why should he not try to fix something that shouldn’t have been broken in the first place?

“Don’t pull this bullshit with me, Seonghwa.” He spits out. “All I’m doing is fixing what Mingi fucked up. If he had just told her—”

“Don’t forget that you’re the one who thought of the bet.” Seonghwa hisses. “Did you tell her that? That it was your idea in the first place?”

“Well…no, but I’m—”

“Wooyoung, just leave it be.” The older boy runs a hand down his face. “Mingi wants to fix it on his own terms. At his own pace.”

“And I’m fixing my shit on my terms!” Wooyoung exclaims. “He isn’t the only one she needs to forgive!” 

Seonghwa blinks, and then his eyes narrow. Wooyoung swallows, nerves beginning to take over him.

“Why are you doing this, Wooyoung? Why are you trying to screw things up again?” 

Truth be told, the younger boy doesn’t know. He doesn’t know why he’s so desperate to have you back in his life, whether or not you’re with Mingi. There’s just been this…ache in his chest, like something is missing ever since he told you the truth (even if he’d been drunk at the time). He doesn’t know if he’s doing it more for Mingi’s sake or for his own.

“I’m not trying to screw things up,” Wooyoung sighs. “I just want her back in our lives. If she’s not with Mingi, fine. That’s good enough for me. If she is, that’s even better. I just…” 

When he trails off, there’s a look of sympathy in Seonghwa’s eyes. There’s no more anger, no more scrutinizing glare or judgement. 

“We miss her too, Woo.” Seonghwa puts a hand on Wooyoung’s shoulder and pulls him into a half hug. “Just…if you think this is the right thing to do, then do it. And if you can get Jongho in on this, that’d be awesome because he’s making our room absolutely reek of sweat.”

“It isn’t like you’ve been cleaning anyway.”

“I hate you.”

“I know.”

~

Tuesday morning, and you decide it’s finally time to show your face to your shared classes. You know that by now the word has spread that you and Mingi aren’t together anymore. There are rumors as to why. He cheated, you cheated, rumors of the bet, you two got sick of each other, so on and so forth. No solid truth, although you know there will be those that want to pry. 

You have three classes today. The first is the one you share with Jongho. The next you share with just Mingi. After that you have one shared with Ryujin, Yuna, and Yeji, as well Seonghwa, Hongjoong, and Yeosang.

Your first class is at 8AM. You dread it, simply put. You dread everything about the class from the time to the people to the professor. As expected, the whispers and the stares begin the moment you step foot in the lecture hall. You feel the heat rushing to your face, and then feel it draining as you try to figure out where in the room you should sit. The room is mostly empty, as there’s twenty minutes until your class starts, but you can’t help but try and figure out which place will create the least staring. 

And then you see Jongho. He sits at the back of the hall, staring around the room with a scowl prominent on his face. Whether it’s because of you, or because of the way people are looking at you, or something unrelated, you aren’t exactly sure. What you are sure of, is that you’re grateful for the wave he sends for you to go up to him. 

She’s still gonna sit with Mingi’s friends?

I wonder if Mingi was the problem.

Maybe the bet was a lie?

Maybe she’s just a slut, going after each of his friends and that’s why he broke up with her.

Jongho’s lip curls up into a sneer and the whispers stop. The eyes turn away from you, chairs swivelling to face forward once more. You place your bag down on a chair, and take a seat next to the younger boy. Neither of you say anything and neither of you look at each other for a long while. 

“I’m sorry,” he mutters to you, eyes foreward and watching your professor drone on. “If it’s any consolation to you.” 

You don’t respond, but your pencil stops moving, tapping on the lined paper in front of you while you think.

“I’m not asking you to forgive me,” he continues. “Or any of us. I just want you to know that I am sorry.” 

Your pencil begins to move again, this time on one of the sticky notes you have beside you.

It’s okay.

~

You’re terrified of your next class. Terrified to see Mingi again, to see his face and how he reacts to you being there. Will he be happy to see you? Will he hate you now, after shutting the door in his face and hiding from him at the party? Your hands are shaking, and you can’t make them stop. 

The whispers start, and you dart to the back of the lecture hall again. Mingi watches you as you try to hide yourself from everyone, and you do your best to avoid him. There’s a small look of hope on his face, a glimmer in his eye that falls as soon as you sit down and duck your head out of his view.

The fiery haired boy twirls the pen in his hand, his heart wrenching when you wouldn’t even look in his direction. He thought, or he hoped, that you’d at least look at him or smile or something after your interaction the past week. Maybe give him a little bit of mercy, show him that you at least still cared about him, but you didn’t. 

His jaw clenches and he looks away from you. 

After class.

He’ll talk to you then, whether you want to or not.

~

“Y/N!” Your gut wrenches, and you rush to put your stuff in your bag and get out of the room before Mingi can catch you. “Y/N, hey!” You’re moving faster, trying to get to the door, but he catches you by the wrist and spins you to face him. You keep your head down, avoiding his gaze even when he ducks his body and tries to get you to look at him. 

“Please let me go.” Your voice is small, a weak request that causes Mingi to inhale sharply. 

“Not until you talk to me.” He insists, his grip on your wrist tightening. A dull throb begins under his fingers and you feel tears welling up in your eyes. 

“I don’t want to talk to you, Song Mingi.”

“You’re using my full name now?” You look up, frowning. His eyebrows are furrowed together, his lips pursed together. “I thought we were past that by now.” 

A joke. A sick joke. That’s what this has to be, right? There’s no way he thinks you’ll be willing to talk to him or be friendly with him after what he did. 

“You thought wrong, then.” Your voice shakes more than you’d like it to, but you keep talking and forcing your tears back. “You should rethink everything you know about me, Song Mingi, if you think I’d still want to be friendly with you, that I’d still want to be seen talking with you after what you did.” His grip tightens, and you flinch. 

“Y/N, I know you still care about us. About me. So please, let’s just talk about it? We can talk and we can put it behind us, and we can continue where we left off!” 

Your wrist is aching, throbbing. He’s holding on so tight that it hurts, and he isn’t letting go. 

You’re scared.

“Mingi, let her go.” Your ex-lover’s hand is ripped off of you, and Wooyoung is standing between the two of you. He’s angry, angrier than you’ve ever seen him, and his hand is shaking from a much different emotion than yours had. He’s forcing himself to not hit the man before you. 

“What are you doing here, Woo?” Mingi’s teeth are grinding together, and he pulls his hand free from the smaller boy’s grasp.

“Well, see,” Wooyoung steps closer to you and blocks you from Mingi’s view. “I was just passing by, heading to our class, y’know? And I heard a little bit of an argument so, being nosy, I thought I’d see what was going on. Imagine my surprise when I see you cornering your ex against her will and forcing her to talk to you and hurting her while doing so.” 

“Woo, stay out of it. Please?” You tug on his shirt and he glances at you over his shoulder. 

“No. Even if we all didn’t have history, I would still step in because that’s not fuckin okay, Mingi.”

Mingi’s jaw ticks, and you duck your head down. 

“So you’ve forgiven him, but not me?”

“She hasn’t forgiven anyone, Mingi.” Wooyoung snaps. “After what we did to her? You really expect her to forgive us after a fucking week? You’re out of your goddamn mind.” A deep breath, his hands tightening at his sides. You can’t help the awestruck look you give him. 

Before everything happened, the two of you hadn’t been the closest of everyone in the group. Of course, you were friends and you always cared about each other and things were never tense if you were alone together, but there had always been something that made him keep his distance. You know now why that is. And you know that, even if he wasn’t your best friend, he’s one of few that would actively try to fix a problem he caused. 

“I’m here,” he tries to keep his voice steady. “Because I care about something other than getting my dick wet. I care about my friend. I care about fixing something that was entirely my fault to begin with. And if you can’t get your head out of your ass for two seconds to see that she wasn’t just someone for you to fuck whenever you want, then maybe she shouldn’t give you the second chance you’re so desperate for.”

~

“You didn’t have to say that.”

“Yes I did.” 

Wooyoung is already looking at you when you lift your eyes from your notes. There’s a smile on his face. Not overly bright and overly joyous. He isn’t forcing himself to be happy. He’s genuine, he’s happy to be near you and with you. You smile back, looking back at your notebook. You know that the others are looking at you. You know that Ryujin is watching the interaction from the row behind you, waiting for Wooyoung to make one wrong move. 

“He was hurting you, Y/N. It’s like I said, even if we didn’t know each other I’d still step in. What he did to you isn’t okay, and he’s lucky I didn’t clock him.”

“I’m pretty sure he’d kick your ass if you tried.” Behind you, you hear a snort and Wooyoung scoffs. 

“He would not. I’m stronger than I look.”

“Oh, I’m sure you are, Woo.” 

“Whose side are you even on?”

“Mine. The victim. You know, the one you guys placed a bet on.” Wooyoung goes quiet, sinking in his seat. You bite your lip, beating yourself up for bringing it up again. You’d meant it jokingly, but you know now that it’s a bit too soon for those jokes. 

“I am sorry, Y/N.”

“I know, Woo.” He looks at you again and you’re leaning back in your chair, looking ahead to the professor. “And I forgive you.”

“So soon?” 

“You’re putting effort in,” you shrug. “And even if I don’t fully trust you yet, I know that you at least care and that’s good enough for me. You and Jongho are the only one’s who actively reached out to me, showed that you at least kind of cared.”

“Not even Yunho?”

“Haven’t seen him yet. Haven’t seen any of the other guys, really.”

“San says he wants to go to lunch with you soon. He wanted to text you, but you still have our numbers blocked.” You purse your lips and hum quietly. “He’s willing to wait, though. Until you’re ready.”

“We can go today. After this class, because I know he’s free after 2:15.”

“I’ll let him know now.”

~

“He groveled?” Ryujin falls forward, chest heaving from laughter when you tell her the events of the afternoon with San and Wooyoung. “You have to be kidding!”

“I fucking wish!” You exclaim. “It was so embarrassing, Ryujin! He literally got on his knees and started kissing my shoes!”

That was the truth. As soon as the three of you had sat down at the diner downtown San had gotten onto his hands and knees and started begging you for forgiveness, kissing your shoes and genuinely crying as he did so. Wooyoung had nearly wet himself when he saw that, and you wanted to sink into the ground when people turned to stare at the three of you.

“Oh my god, that’s hilarious.” Ryujin leans herself back onto her hands, still on the floor of your dorm room. “I’m assuming you forgave him?”

“What else was I supposed to do when he did…that?”

“Fair point.” 

“What about the others?” You shrug and purse your lips.

“I…I don’t know, to be honest. I haven’t heard from them. Haven’t spoken to them. I know that Woo is avoiding Mingi, so that’s gonna cause some tension.”

“Is that what you want?”

“For them to take sides?”

“For Woo to choose you over his best friend.”

“Not necessarily. It’s weird, honestly. He…he never would have done this a week ago.” Ryujin runs her tongue over her lips and hums. “What?”

“Nothing. Just…Maybe he cares about you more than he was letting on.” You scoff and shake your head. 

“You think Wooyoung has a crush on me or something?” 

“I mean…”

“Ryujin, that’s crazy.”

“Think about it though!” She jumps to her feet, pacing around the tiny room you share. You frown and lean back in the chair by your desk. “This would be the perfect opportunity for him to actually get close to you! To show you that he’s the one you should be with! But, like, not in a creepy way. In a genuine way.”

~

“You have a WHAT on Y/N?” San’s jaw practically drops to the floor when he hears what his roommate says. Wooyoung has his head in his hands, legs drawn up onto the bed. 

“Can you shut up? What if the others hear you?” Wooyoung groans. 

“I’m sorry, I’m just…in fucking shock I guess.” San pinches his nose and sighs. “When did you figure this out?”

“A few months ago…”

“Oh fucking christ, Woo.”

“I know.”

“You know this is just gonna make things messy, right?” 

“I know.”

“And if Mingi finds out—”

“Jesus— San, I know.” The two seniors sit in silence, contemplating what they’ve been saying to each other. 

“So are you gonna tell her or…”

“Oh my god shut the fuck up.”

~

TAGS: @cookiechristie @ryanthesimp4yeo @mixling-blog @woosmaid @avantalem @choichaeyiul @nora-bora-bora @marvelahsobx @vidiviu01 @babiestarrcandy @kpopnightingale

I tried tagging some people but it wasn’t working so if I missed you I’m so sorry!

[autumnslance]

Eorzea & Garlemald - Stormblood to Endwalker

Replaying the patches of Stormblood on an alt, and I got of course to "The Call" which is remembered for the Alliance meeting where we first get contact from the Exarch and Thancred is taken--right after outlining his plan to disrupt the Garlean Empire with the truth of Zenos's possession by an Ascian, in order to sow distrust and even conflict among the various noble factions, raising tensions and perhaps even another succession war.

The leaders agree just as the Call occurs and Thancred falls. But fellow Scion Riol takes up the task of infiltration and coordination with the shinobi and spies of the Alliance in the Empire, following Thancred's plan.

The point is to get rid of the Ascian (Elidibus, though the characters have no confirmation of that fact yet, as the players do), hamper his ability to continue to interfere in Doma and Ala Mhigo. The Eastern and Eorzean Alliances just want the Empire to leave them alone, and they're willing to risk setting the Garleans at each other to do it.

And a war is just what occurs by the time Zenos returns to his body and murders his father. With no interest himself initially, the Empire is fought over by Lord Nerva and other nobles and military leaders, until their resources are exhausted, scattered, and easily taken over by Zenos and Fandaniel's schemes and the Towers.

It may have occurred on its own anyway, given the circumstances of Varis's death. Initially the assassination is pinned on Gaius, with Zenos's whereabouts and interests unknown. Though perhaps, too, the rumors the Alliances had sought to spread had also already taken root as to the Prince's nature, so no one wanted to look too hard, let alone find and prop up the man.

By the time Shadowbringers is over, the Empire is in ruins, torn apart first by war between the Legions, and then by Zenos himself, tempering and tearing down everything to go along with Fandaniel's plan.

And then in Endwalker, the Alliances send the Ilsabard Contingent to give aid to any survivors that might be found amid the ashes. No mention is made of their own kindling of those initial fires, that Zenos and another Ascian fanned into a wildfire.

Eorzea and Othard were trying to simply survive, to counter a more powerful, intractable enemy in ways other than head-on confrontation. They had no way of knowing what would happen, of course, but I can't help but wonder--especially given the Sultana and Elder Seedseer's relief work to affected provinces, mentioned at one point--at the level of guilt some may have felt for providing that spark, when it so missed the mark of the intended enemy and in the end laid waste to the common people the Ascians were manipulating as well.

[hyuge]

Behind Bars Fic Preview

Surprise! I pinch wrote a little soft Brudou smut for the Behind Bars add-on for the On Call zine. Pre-orders are open for 3 more days so be sure to snag yourself a copy while you can. All proceeds go to wildfire relief efforts.

@bnhaoncall

Alt text under the cut!

[Text graphic with a fanfiction preview for the Bruce/Kudou from the manga My Hero Academia by Kohei Horikoshi. Excerpt reads:

"Maybe." He kisses Kudou's throat once more. "I'm really okay," he says, reassuringly. "My arm doesn't even hurt that much." Bruce stretches his arm out to help prove his point, but Kudou catches the slight wince he hides on his face.

Kudou tsks, then reaches beneath the water's surface. He wraps his fingers carefully around the length of Bruce's dick. It throbs in his grasp. At this angle, the head rubs against Kudou's balls, and he bites down on his bottom lip. He gives it a light stroke upwards, and bruce bucks his hips. Water splashes out of the tub and Kudou shoots him a scathing glare. Bruce shrugs apologetically, though Kudou knows he doesn't mean it. His injured right arm hugs Kudou's body loosely and he uses his left hand to wrap around Kudou's dick. Together, they jerk each other off, hands pumping rapidly beneath the water. Kudou lets out a soft moan that echoes on the bathroom walls.]

[thefirsthogokage]

[Image ID: Tumblr tags from last reblog that says: will add ID from alt text when not feel faint /END ID]

I should have tried to take care of that when I posted, but it was late and didn't think of it.

Here we go:

[Image ID: contents from tweet thread by Samantha Mash (Twitter handle @samanthamashart) from June 7th, 2023 that read:

As someone who lived through the 2020 Oregon wildfires (and other bad smoke condition years), in which in PDX we had air quality as bad as 516 on the air quality index here are some things I did to help myself when we couldn't get a air conditioner and didn't have central air—>

Keep your doors and windows shut! Soak rags and towels and ring them out to make them damp and stuff them into any door gaps or drafty windows. You need to try to keep any smoke you can out and this will help filter that out as well as keeping ash from getting in

Wear a mask if you go outside! A KN95 or N95 mask is best, but literally a cloth mask will do in this case because the goal is keeping out the ash and other particles. Do not go maskless, it will destroy your throat and harm your lungs

*Poster's note: I do not believe a cloth mask is good enough protection. Be sure to wear KN95s or N95s as those are designed for this kind of thing. Resuming thread:

This may sound weird, but try to cover up from the ash and smoke. Wear long sleeves, wear pants, wear hats, you don't want this on you and I'd advice showering or bathing when you come home. If you have glasses wear them! This stuff does get in your eyes and it hurts

Fill your tub with water! This was key to when I didn't have an air filter, it was advised by some in our city at one point and they said it helps with the air it also can pull some of that bad stuff out of your indoor air. Use cool water. It did make our home feel better

*Poster's note: several people had said to not drink from open containers or water and to clean your pets bowls out regularly. Resuming thread:

Drink a lot of water! It helps process toxins our of your body through your kidneys and keeps you hydrated. You will need all the help you can get to keep from getting a sore throat (which will happen no matter what), and this is very important to do

Do not vacuum! It tosses up more ash and dust you do not want to breath right now. Wait until after the smokes clears to clean. If you must clean something use a damp rag or paper towel to keep the ash from flying around

These seem simple but:

-don't exercise

-try not to smoke

-don't exert yourself

-keep lights off if you're hot and indoors and have no AC like I did

By the time smoke hit here there wasn't even enough supplies to make a makeshift air purifier. This stuff happens fast. Stay safe

We lived with our bad air for around a week in PDX last time and it was awful. These all may be obvious, but I do hope something here helps someone! It is so jarring to have your skies turn orange and for the air to hurt to breath. Lay low, do as little as possible, it will pass

The wildest thing after the smoke cleared here was how much soot was in our apartment, even with every window closed/locked, even with rags in the gaps in doors. Be ready to clean that out after the smoke clears, cause even airtight seeming spaces can let these fine particles in

Again I hope this all helps, and if anyone who is smarter than me wants to add or notices an issue (I'd hate to spread misinformation) with anything I said feel free to post! I am not a particle expert, just a girl who lived through some of the worst air quality possible

END Samantha's Thread.

Tweet comment on her thread from The Mad Dog of Big Wet Smoochies (Twitter ID @ CraneCulture)

I taped a HEPA filter to a box fan and that worked really really well. I just brought it with me to whatever room I was in and on the really rough days in that 2020 smoke out it was so nice

/END Image ID.]

Hope that ID helps!

If you're in an area that is suffering from wildfire polluted air, I just saw this on Twitter:

Bonus:

Here's a site I found that can tell you how to make these:

[italianexotiicbeauty]

[ please, do not reblog. thank you. ]

[hiddenportal]

cosmic glitch

UNDO <  this user is in a Cosmic Glitch

Insert FreQuency-Jump, Hit the Black Hole switch

Galaxy Override delete alt shift , Space Wolves breathless Undead kiss

Hypergiant Starry web asterisk, Riding device bare and Moonlit

Shards of Pegasus, Melting, now wingless

Mercurial waves bleed, silver bones twitch

A plethora of wounds shimmer adrift , Ghosts vomit the Nightfall Eclipse

Lightning carves Magic and spits ...up....Crystalline Birds of Rain and Blue Fire. 

My soul sliced in the Glitter-bomb of tangled wires, Running Code soon to expire

Can you hear me out there? is anyone alive?

Out of body dreams, Astral desires, Impaled by the milk of Celestial Spires

Eyes Unstitched, Hearts Inbetween wildfire

If I fall asleep now ...somebody wake me in The End

so I can Feel when the Auric Ocean folds and bends

and this Time Loop of chaos can break and mend

Undo > This User is in a Cosmic Glitch again

Ride my Parallel Universe and please Press Send

~victoria pettella~

gif @thestarsareourancestors​

[thefateoftheswallow]

Environmentalists are not cute and fluffy tree huggers, at least not all of the time. Environmentalists know when they should drop the pacifist attitude and fight for their cause.

We can and should be combative. Because that's what our governments are forcing us to do.

Bolsonaro declares war against indigenous people and environmentalists constantly, by ridiculing and deslegitimizing their cause. Grileiros are setting fire to forests and to equipment used for surveillance, and it's not rare to see news about farmers shooting indigenous people.

These people who climate-change-deniers criticize and make fun of so much, actually have a lot more guts than they do. Recently, a employer from the institute ICMBio lost his life fighting the wildfires. Wellington Silva had 80% of his body burnt. Whereas any alt-rights would piss in their pants if they were up close a wildfire.

So, yes, green witches from tumblr. C U R S E. Curse the hell out of the authorities and farmers who are destroying your local environment. Curse them and punch them in the face if you see one. But of course, also perform healing spells for the land, donate to environment NGOs and apply for volunteer work.

Never forget the combative side of the movement, though. If no one's fighting this war, we have to do it.

[shemakesmusic-uk]

This segment features artists who have submitted their tracks/videos to She Makes Music. If you would like to be featured here then please send an e-mail to shemakesmusic@hotmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

ROJAZ

ROJAZ is a Spanish flavoured artist currently based in London. She sees herself as a mix of artists like BANKS, Sabrina Claudio, and Rendez-Vous at Two. Soothing and sensual vocals paired with conversational lyrics, her new single ‘Gravitating’ is out now. "’Gravitating’ is about the push and pull dynamic of two people who don’t want to say goodbye, despite knowing they should”, she says. Strong synths and raw vocals create an impactful track, whilst layers of harmonies carefully guide you through the narrative. Listen below.

VERAH

VERAH is a 20 year old singer-songwriter from New York. Having sung and studied Jazz since she was 14, her music is heavily influenced by the smooth vocals of Nina Simone and the rhythmic genius of Herbie Hancock. Some of her current influences include Amy Winehouse, H.E.R. and Snoh Aalegra. Lastest single ‘Too Late (It's Not Easy)’ features the smooth R&B vocals of VERAH as she sings about love gone wrong over a deep, groovin' beat. Her sixth single to date, the song explores the duality of knowing you deserve better but hurting at the same time. Listen below.

Blakkheart

Blakkheart is a music producer, engineer and vocalist based in Cork. Everything you see and hear from the artist is done in its entirety by her (right down to the artwork) from her plant emporium home studio. After touring as a session musician and vocalist she began to hone her production skills. Luxuriously dreamy, electronic glitter disco, inspired by Prince and Kylie Minogue - ‘Not To Your Taste’ was composed on a Roland Juno DI hardware synthesizer in Blakkheart’s plant emporium/home studio. “Gave my life to you/ Pipe dreams can be cruel/ Was it hard to watch/ As I lost and lost”  - a lament to the life you envisioned inside your head; and the unwelcome realization that this may never materialize,” says Blakkheart. Listen below.

BLAKKHEART · Not To Your Taste

MBG

MBG is an alt-rock artist and multi-instrumentalist based in Brampton, ON. Behind the scenes she writes, records and produces her own music but brings it out in its purest form on stage with her band of talented friends. She goes against the grain with her own loud, edgy and unique sound. She has this to say about her new single ‘This Time’: "In the chorus, my friends tell me it's not my fault, to stop blaming myself. I've recently gone through a relationship that was unfortunately cut short and has left me with the idea of what could've been and for someone with anxiety, always pondering on the what if is a very hard itch to scratch. In the heat of the moment, you look back and think "wow, I've done something wrong that ended this thing," but later come to understand that it's totally valid that they don't want to be with you, for whatever the reason is. Whether you're falling in love or losing someone in your life, there can be this sense that you're spiraling out of control. Every now and then, you kind of just have to let it hit you like a ton of bricks. So if you want to mosh to this song with your roommate, or have a good cry alone in your bedroom, that's okay." Listen below.

MBG · This Time

GLOCHELR

GLOCHELR is an R&B singer-songwriter from London, and her latest single ‘Closure’ wass perfect for Valentine’s Day. “The song focuses on the search for ‘closure’ and explores all the pain and uncertainty that comes with giving your all to someone who may not even want it,” she explains. “In all, sometimes the feelings go, but the trauma stays indefinitely and it’s up to you to deal with that.” Listen below.

Lemon Lord

Lemon Lord is a pop music artist based in Los Angeles. She released her first album Be Blonde in November last year. Her mantra, "To Infinity and Be Blonde," is a reminder to us all that we can do anything we dream of and we can be any version of ourselves that we choose along the way. This mantra is echoed in her song ‘Queen’ in the lyrics of the chorus, which say, "You just gotta live life like a Queen/ Ooh you can do it/ Baby it's done/ If you put your mind to it." Listen below.

Serena Sophia

Serena Sophia has been in the music, theatre, acting industry for a number of years. She studied music at the University of Glasgow and then went on to study a Masters in Musical Theatre at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She has always written lyrics and music, but it was throughout 2019 and 2020 she finally found her sound and discovered who she was an artist and was finally ready for her first release. 'Diary of Thoughts' is a song about heartbreak, loss, love and also strength. The lyrics were derived from sections of diary entries from 2018 which was an especially difficult year for Serena due to a toxic relationship and break up. “The song is so personal to me as it describes the emptiness, pain and heartbreak I felt throughout that time but also the moment I decided to finally take care of myself and control of my life and my own happiness,” she explains.

Serena Sophia · Serena Sophia - Diary Of Thoughts

imojen

imojen (she/they) is a 22 year old non-binary, feminist, singer-songwriter. Raised in Switzerland and now based in Brighton, UK, imojen has been musical for the most of their life. Inspired to write her first song after hearing Florence + the Machine’s ‘Shake It Out’, imojen’s lyrics seek to expose the awkward and spectacular details of a queer femme existence. Relationships, sex, the body and identity are all key themes in their music. Through rich vocal harmonies, strong melodies and captivating language, imojen weaves a truly unique sound and experience. ‘Angus’ is an open letter. An unapologetic, feminist ballad, that accuses men of passing down their misogyny to their sons. Inspired by artists such as Lucius and k.d. lang, imojen’s vocals and tangled harmonies are positioned as the focus of the piece as she depicts woodlands, country clubs, wildfires and graveyards in a haunting protest. Tracing a map of her emotional journey, imojen reveals cynicism, rage, malice and contempt, but shows no signs of weakness. Indulgent and imaginative, ‘Angus’ creates a space for fantastical vengeance, empowerment and escape. Listen below.

Amy Ellen

Amy Ellen is part of the emerging Irish indie-folk scene. Hailing from Dublin, her music is inspired indie-folk artists such as Laura Marling and Fleetwood Mac.  Her new single 'This Life' is a coming of age pop-rock tune which conveys a sense of maturity and realisation that nothing good will last forever. In Amy's words: "The song is inspired by true-life events, it touches on losing and gaining people in your life and outlines that some moments become memories we cherish and reflect on. I feel that it's a subject that everyone can relate to, sometimes we fail to see the impact others have on us until they are no longer present and vice versa". Instrumentally, the song features punchy 90’s rock elements, a contrast from Amy’s latest acoustic driven songs. Listen below.

[g0atmama]

For the asks: 7 for as many as you can think of and 10+12 together, please!

as many as you can think of turned into basically all the finished ones.. so this is a pretty long post. whoopsie

but hhhhhhhhhhhhh thank 💗💗💗

7 - Give us 3 random facts abt your s/i!

In no particular order of fandom…

Michelle (JJBA)

Dio taught her to read and write, something she refined greatly over the century without him

Her favorite place she’d lived during that time was Siberia. It was a lot easier to hide what she was.

She understands and adapts to modern developments much easier than Dio does… She and Telence bond over playing games together.

Vielcos (GW2)

As dark and gloomy as it was when she awakened, no one expected her to be as bubbly as she is.

Her favorite mount is her griffon, Lethallan.

She became a weaponsmith to create weapons for her beloved. Occam was her mentor, they’re very good friends.

Adelyn (Pokemon)

Ghost and Fairy pokemon love her, and she loves them

Ser Reaver was gifted to her as an egg from her sister

She has traveled the world and can fluently speak Kalosian

(Bonus!) Her voice claim is Annapantsu

Wildfire (Pokemon, alt)

She will throw rocks at you if she doesn’t like you

She has a soft spot for Eevee and its evolutions

She hates wearing clothes that cover her entire body

Ria/Arxi (KH)

Her name was supposed to be just until I thought of something else. I have another character named Ria.

When cheating at games, it’s only wrong if you get caught.

Arxi’s powers are inspired by Cole from DAI, and Nico Di Angelo from PJO

Jacira (TF2)

Her best friend is Marie. They get along surprisingly well.

If she’s angry at you, she will ignore you

Sleep schedule? What’s that?

Leilah (TF2, alt)

She has a very faint accent

She reacts very badly to being left in a room with Pyro or fire.

Some have suggested I make her a 10th class, but I like her more as a civilian than another merc.

Still unnamed NATM insert

She already loved history and mythology before becoming a night guard, but she really started studying more once she found out everything comes to life

She pronounces Latin correctly. Hard C’s- Kai-sar instead of See-zer, for example.

Sometimes when she’s thinking about school, she can see the words people are saying and the actions they’re doing floating in text around them like a book. It’s unsettling to others because she sits there silently staring just off to the side of them

Main Yakuza Insert

Her mere existence changes the plot of the story so I really play into that and make her a main supporting character. You can’t stop me

She’s not really part of the Tojo Clan, but everyone treats her like she is since Yayoi adopted her

Have you ever been threatened by someone smiling and speaking as if they’re talking to a child about going to get ice cream? She does that

Gift-From-Skies (TES)

She was named by the Khajiit to found her after her parents died. She goes by Sky most of the time.

Sometimes she gets so emotional she thinks she’s feeling Nerevar’s emotions at the same time.

After the eruption of Red Mountain, she keeps as low a profile as she can.

Agape (Monster Prom)

Her voice claim is Malukah

She’s more of a loner but will use her voice to get what she wants

She’s head of the drama club

??? Hawke (Dragon Age)

She gets overwhelmed incredibly easily, she almost started crying in the Deep Roads.

She and Anders often silently hold each other.

She is incredibly protective of Carver. She can’t lose the last member of her family.

10 + 12 How many s/i’s do you have? Do you use the same s/i for multiple f/os or make completely different ones? + Would you ever want to cosplay as your s/i?

Not counting my unfinished ones, I have 12. I use Michelle, Vielcos, and Arxi for multiple f/os, but only those three… All others have different s/i’s, as visible with Wildfire and Adelyn or Jacira and Leilah.

As for cosplay… If I wasn’t so afraid of being seen… Absolutely, with some of them. Sky, Wildfire... Maybe Vie.

[sammysdewysensitiveeyes]

@thecorteztwins Based on our conversation about Fabian actually helping, then demanding credit.  Taking place in your alt-Marauders.  Feel free to ignore this completely if it contradicts something you were planning to write.

“I’m saying, it’s an outrage!” Fabian Cortez paced back and forth along the beach, hands waving in air dramatically.  Both the track dug deep into the sand, and the expressions on the faces of his unlucky audience indicated he’d been ranting in this fashion for some time.

“Yes, yes, you’ve been very clear about that,” said Sebastian Shaw dryly.  “Why don’t you go make yourself a fancy medal if it’s so important to you?  Or buy one in some curio shop?”  The slowly-healing burns on the Black King’s face and bandages around his chest and shoulder indicated that his weariness was not entirely caused by Fabian’s performance – but Fabian was contributing quite a bit.

“It’s not about me!” Fabian exclaimed, in what was quite possibly the most blatant and obvious lie in all of recorded history.  “It’s about respect!  I – mean, we taxed our powers to the limits, pushing ourselves to the very brink of death!  It’s a miracle that we all survived – and the Council cannot even afford me – I mean, us the slightest hint of recognition for our service?”

“I got recognition!” Shinobi beamed. “Jumbo Carnation designed this just for me.”  He twirled around, showing off the black fabric.  It could, with some imagination, be called a suit, in the same way that artfully arranged dental floss might possibly be called a string bikini.  The huge gaps in what was basically loosely connected strips of cloth showed off a whole landscape of skin.  Shinobi may as well have been wearing a net.

“I didn’t realize Jumbo Carnation held such hostility towards you, son.  I expect your revenge will be, if not subtle, at least swift and cruel.” Sebastian was praying that certain strips would not shift too far to the right or left.  

“Maddie thinks I look amazing,” Shinobi folded his arms in a ridiculously attractive pout.

“Yes, he does,” Maddie chimed in, staring Sebastian down, hands on her hips.  “I think he should wear it all the time.”

“Do you really want to do this, Madelyne?”

“You’re all missing the point!” Fabian broke in.  The group’s attention had wavered from him for almost a minute, and that was unacceptable.  “I’m not talking about gifts and praise from our fellow mutants, which we of course deserve. I’m talking about official recognition from the Council that supposedly runs this island! Some acknowledgement of our incredible courage and accomplishment!  A medal is the very least they could do!”

“Crikey, will someone please shut him up?  That voice is like hammers on my skull,” Pyro groaned, propped up on a beach chair with one hand holding a wet cloth over his eyes.  Between focusing his flame into a blue-white stream to melt through the creature’s outer carapace, and then extinguishing the massive fires raging across Krakoa in the battles wake, he was nursing an intense migraine.  

“Perhaps you should go lay down in a dark room if you feel so poorly, Mr. Allerdyce,” said Sebastian, with absolutely no compassion or concern.

“Fuck off, Shaw.  I ain’t missin’ the celebration for anything.  Mind yer business.”  Fumbling blind, Pyro picked up the beer nestled in the sand next to him, and took a long pull.  

“You really should rest, though,” Haven put in, her tone the exact opposite of Sebastian’s.  “You did amazing things today.  I know it took a lot out of you.”

“Awww, thanks luv.  Couldna done it without your help.”  Her gentle hands on his shoulders, her cool voice in his ear – it had created a pocket of calm in his chest that spread out to shrink the wildfires down to nothing.

“No, I didn’t really do anything at all,” Haven demurred.

“Yes, exactly!” Fabian chimed in. “She didn’t do anything!  None of them did.  That’s what I’ve been saying!  I’m the one who charged all of your powers beyond your natural limits!”

“Thank you, Fabian,” said Haven, and only an experienced ear would hear the exasperation hiding under her usual gentleness.  “You were extremely…” she paused for a moment, then decided the next word would not technically be a lie.  “…brave. I know you were instrumental in our victory.”  Cortez had, after all, dashed into the fray to charge up the mutants in direct conflict with the creature.  And then just as quickly dashed back out again.

“Yeah, he did a great job not fighting at all,” Pyro grumbled.  Haven laid a hand on his arm.  There was no implied order or chastisement, but Pyro sighed deeply all the same.  

“Thank you for your help, Fabian,” he forced out through gritted teeth.  

“Thank you, my dear lady,” Fabian beamed, completely ignoring Pyro.  He took and kissed Haven’s hand, suddenly a model of charm and chivalry.  “Risking my life, fighting to my last breath, it’s all worth it for the appreciation of someone as beautiful and wise as yourself. If only you were not, sadly, a human, you would be an ideal candidate for the harem that the Council will no doubt assign me to further the mutant race.  Once they come to their senses and realize the true significance of my accomplishments today.”

“Our accomplishments,” Madelyne corrected, rubbing her temples.  After protecting the entire island from the telepathic backlash of the creature’s death throes (which would have killed most people in range and left the survivors irreparably insane), she was dealing with quite the headache herself.  She remembered how Haven had held her hand in the moment, providing an anchor against the tidal wave of psychic energy that had threatened to sweep Madelyne away.

“And enough of this nonsense about a harem,” Sebastian scoffed.  “The Council has not resorted to assigning partners and forced unions.  And even if they did, you would be the last one chosen to pass on your genes.  Some of us have real power.  Some of us have already proven our ability to create powerful offspring, even if their character leaves much to be desired.”

“So you acknowledge that I’m powerful, Father?”  Shinobi asked, more sharp than hopeful.  “I did strike the killing blow.  I believe you were unconscious at the beach at that time.”

“I acknowledge your basic competence,” Sebastian conceded reluctantly.  “You did what the situation required.”  

“By which you mean phasing an entire ocean liner through the monster’s body,” Shinobi pressed.  “I doubt Pryde could have pulled that off.”  Kitty Pryde had, of course, once phased a massive bullet through the entire Earth, but Shinobi considered that irrelevant to the conversation at hand.

“It was very impressive!”  Haven assured him.  “I only wish we could have communicated with the creature and found a peaceful resolution….but you did what needed to be done.”  It had taken the combined efforts of Storm, Iceman, Meggan and every other mutant with weather or water-control abilities, plus telekinetics putting up a force shield to keep the island from being swamped by tsunami as the creature thrashed and died.  Even Aqueduct, a human visiting his former team-mate Sunstreak on Krakoa, had stepped up to help, despite his past as a terrorist and criminal.  The one silver lining of the day’s horrors had been how so many people had come together, selflessly working to protect the island. Even Fabian Cortez.

“And of course, that impressive feat would have been impossible without me, charging you up, pouring my own life energy into you.  I could have died.”

“If only,” Maddie muttered.

“I believe I’ve already thanked you for your contribution,” Shinobi drawled.  (He had not).  “But I’ll send you a card if it’s so important.”

“I think that would be the very least you could,” Fabian sniffed.  “Although I’d expect better from someone with such wealth and connections.”  

“You know, I think Cortez has a point,” Pyro began.  “There is someone that we need to thank for helping us today.  Someone who’s been overlooked – “

“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying,” Fabian interrupted, nodding sagely.  

“Not you, ya plonk.  Haven.”  Pyro pointed in completely the wrong direction.

“I’m over here, St. John,” said Haven softly.  “And there’s no need for-“  Whatever she said next was drowned out by Fabian’s strangled cry of outrage.

“I couldn’t have put out those fires without your support.  I wasn’t in the right frame of mind, but you helped me get there,” Pyro said.

“And you kept me grounded while I was dealing with the psychic wave.  Thank you for that,” Madelyne added.

“You’re the one who organized the evacuation of that ocean liner,” Shinobi offered.  “I mean, I would have still used it, but it might have broken that pesky little ‘kill no man,’ law.  Thanks for the support, Haven.”  He raised his glass in her direction.

“Normally, I would not indulge in this kind of sentimental nonsense,” Sebastian said.  “But you did pull me and Miss Renko from the water after the creature knocked us out.  Drowning would have been rather inconvenient.  I’m a man who acknowledges my debts, and I thank you.”  Claudine had gotten the worst of it, and was still unconscious in the infirmary, but Elixir assured them that she would make a full recovery.

“My goodness.  You’re all so kind, there’s really no need for this,” Haven exclaimed, her hands on her cheeks as a dark blush spread over them.

“Yes, there is.  You spent the entire battle in the line of fire, helping wherever you could.  Even with no powers, you were there by our sides.  That deserves acknowledgement,” Madelyne insisted.  She could understand the feeling.  Standing powerless beside comrades (and against enemies) that could knock down buildings, feeling like a useless fool, but charging in all the same. Doing whatever you could, because that was everyone’s duty, wasn’t it?  To do what you can.  She’d been so innocent back then, and the memory tugged at her with a sweet sadness.

“Thank you,” Haven whispered, as the group all raised glasses (or bottles) to toast her.  “You’re the ones who saved the day, I just….helped where I could.  I was proud to support you, and I’m sure Mr. Cortez feels the same way…”  She stretched out her hand, ready to share the moment with him.

But Fabian had already stalked off angrily down the beach.      

Notes: Sorry for leaving Claudine out, I’m unsure of how to write her and couldn’t fit her into the scene.  I don’t know if Sunstreak is actually a mutant, but I wanted an excuse for an Aqueduct cameo.  I have no idea what they were fighting – some kind of Lovecraftian cosmic horror, minus the racism.  Maybe it was just a giant fire-breathing crab.  

[zcldrizes-a]

“ 𝐢 𝐚𝐦 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒍, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲. ” 𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍 𝐃𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄.

This post will contain canon divergence and all forms of subverses that spin off the basic forms of canon. The basic rule if you're not keen to read it all is I follow the book timeline until it ends, and then loosely follow the major plotpoints of the show, with the exception of the final season's few episodes. I will not write that canon.

Lastly, when I am referring to any canon regarding Jon and Daenerys ( who are my default in most of these verses ), that is referring to the canon ship exclusivity I have established with @killthebxy​ . It goes without saying those contributions are his, too.

𝒊𝒇 𝒊 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌; 𝒊 𝒂𝒎 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒕. ┊┊ spans the time across all books, and seasons 1 - 5.

The main point of my canon verse assumes everything that occurs within the timeframe across the first five seasons of the series, and across the books. The frame of Daenerys being raised in exile by her brother, before being traded to the Dothraki in exchange for an army, and managing to ‘birth’ three young dragons upon her husband’s death and her consequential miscarriage. She then makes her way from Qarth to Astapor and Yunkai, acquiring and freeing the army of the Unsullied, forming an alliance with the Stormcrows, and freeing the slaves of the cities. She suffers some unrest from the people under her power, and some degree of disobedience from her dragons, resulting in two of them being locked beneath the Great Pyramid after her largest slaughters a child. Note, there is a lot of content within this timeframe to take in, and solely for the avoidance of rehashing everything in the earlier books and the earlier seasons ( I assume anyone who doesn’t know this character would read my bio ) - everything until the books end is canon.

The important things post books ending begin here. I will accept the events of season 6, in timeline. That is, that after being found by the Dothraki, Daenerys is taken to Vaes Dothraki to be tried before the council of Khals, and potentially fated to live a life with the widows. I will also be accepting the death that she gives those Khals by fire, and the new support of the entire Khalasar at her back, though she makes several controversial cultural changes according to her views. She secures Slaver's Bay, renames it the Bay of Dragons, and accepts an alliance with the Greyjoys. Upon leaving Meereen, she leaves the Stormcrows to secure the city, so that a form of democracy might be implemented.  

This verse will then span upwards to her journey North to engage with the battle against the white walkers, though heavy plotting can change her reasons for that. By default, it is Jon ( or someone from the North ) that persuades her of the real fight to the North. The major changes within this arc come from a personality basis; she’s not nearly as entitled in these exchanges, nor as bloodthirsty ( though I will be keeping the death of the Tarlys in my personal canon ). This verse will also include her arrival in the North, by which time she faces massive isolation amongst wary people, and even from her own advisors, despite her willingness to assist. This canon will end at the Battle of Winterfell.

From here, there are two potential paths for my canon. Either Winterfell falls, and the battle continues South, or Winterfell does not, and the war for the Throne begins.

𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆.  ┊┊ set after the battle of winterfell.

Winterfell falls at the hands of the Night King's army. Instead of killing the Night King, Arya managed to kill an Other - this resulted in a large portion of the wights dying, and enough time for the Northern people to begin to scatter. Note, exactly who died within this canon is up to discussion with the appropriate thread partner. The casualties that take place in their attempted retreat are enormous, thus leading to more wights, and very few managing to escape. In this canon, Daenerys is harmed after her fall from Drogon ( and depending on the thread partner, may or may not be pregnant ). Forced to retreat South, and find what little resources they can, the remainder of the Northern forces must reach an agreement with Cersei. Within this verse, the battle for the Long Night continues on to an extended battle at King’s Landing, with the dragons fighting over the Dragonpit, until the Night King is separated from Viserion once again. Following this time, we welcome a dream of spring easily, presumably with Daenerys taking the Iron Throne at the end, given that the people of King’s Landing have seen her saving them from the darkness, and that timeline will take place in a separate part of the overarching verse.

𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅. ┊┊ set during season 8 timeline, post bow.

This verse takes place fully divergent of the mess of season 8. After rest and recovery of her armies, Daenerys begins the fight for the Iron Throne by travelling South once more. Firstly basing herself at Dragonstone, and then travelling closer to King’s Landing. Any events of 8.04 ( Rhaegal’s death, Missandei’s death, the Greyjoy ambush ) will not be considered canon in this verse unless we explicitly discuss otherwise, though I am open to Missandei's capture, or Rhaegal being controlled via Dragonbinder. Nevertheless, Daenerys attacks King's Landing by bringing down the Iron Fleet and the Scorpions, firstly. Any damage that occurs to the city occurs as a result of wildfire, not dragonfire - and the only target Drogon will attack is the Red Keep itself. Once surrender occurs, resources are distributed to the citizens of the city to ensure they don’t suffer while the transition of power happens. Cersei’s fate is up for negotiation in this verse, and Daenerys takes the Throne.

𝒂 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈. ┊┊ set in the future.

This verse, finally, takes place after Daenerys is in power. In default, she will take Jon as her husband - though he will not rule as King, but instead by personal choice, takes the title of Consort. Her rule is a peaceful one, granting Northern independence - and truth be told, if any others ask for independence, so long as they prove themselves happy and functioning, she will grant it. Every year, she travels to Meereen several times to check on how progress is going there, and instills forms of welfare and many orphanages within King’s Landing, as well as basic forms of education and skills trades for all. Tyrion remains her Hand.

—— 𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍 𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐄𝐒. these are spin off verses attached to canon, with short descriptions attached, that are also available for plotting.

alt. childhood verse : In any canon where Daenerys is raised by someone other than Viserys, to signal her background within this verse is different.

alt. northern verse : Where Daenerys is taken North and across the Narrow Sea, placing her at Castle Black, and forming a close relationship with the young Lord Commander, Jon Snow, and events of canon diverge from there.

alt. nissa nissa verse : In this verse, Daenerys does, in fact, temper Lightbringer for Jon as Nissa Nissa once did for Azor Ahai, and dies as a result.

alt. madness verse : After setting off the wildfire by accident, the majority of King's Landing is destroyed, leaving Daenerys devastated. This causes her to go 'mad' with grief, and leaves her wanting to take her own life. 

alt. revival verse : Assuming the events where Cersei frames Daenerys by setting off the wildfire, in this verse, Daenerys has been killed by someone suspecting she deliberately lit the city, or she has taken her own life. Drogon takes her body towards Volantis, where the Red Priestess revives her.

[matarifes]

Best of the 2010s

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/00I0wjqs9mIOBp9npilhwt?si=iKEGj6i0SFKmdJR8lwjoWQ

Noi!se - The scars we hide, 2014 (Oi!, Street Punk)

Vektor - Terminal Redux, 2016 (Technical Thrash Metal)

Yob - Clearing the Path to Ascend, 2014 (Doom Metal, Sludge Metal)

Converge -  All We Love We Leave Behind, 2012 (Metalcore, Post-Hardcore)

Voïvod - The Wake, 2018 (Technical Thrash Metal, Progressive Metal)

Battle Ruins -  Glorious Dead, 2018 (Oi!, Heavy Metal, Hardcore Punk)

Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats - Blood Lust, 2011 (Heavy Psych,Traditional Doom Metal)

Wormrot - Voices, 2016 (Grindcore)

Sólstafir - Svartir Sandar, 2011 (Atmospheric Sludge Metal, Post-Metal)

Martyrdöd - List, 2016 (Crust Punk, D-Beat)

Pallbearer - Foundations of Burden, 2014 (Doom Metal)

Cloud Nothings - Here and Nowhere Else, 2014 (Indie Rock, Post-Hardcore)

High on Fire - De vermis mysteriis, 2012 (Stoner Metal, Sludge Metal)

Perturbator - Dangerous Days, 2014 (Synthwave, Horror Synth, Darksynth)

Rolo Tomassi - Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It, 2018 (Post-Hardcore, Mathcore)

Thou - Heathen, 2014 (Sludge Metal, Doom Metal)

Power Trip - Nightmare Logic, 2017 (Thrash Metal, Crossover Thrash)

Gillian Welch - The Harrow & the Harvest, 2011 (Contemporary Folk, Americana)

Nails - Unsilent Death, 2010 (Grindcore, Powerviolence)

Amenra - Mass VI, 2017 (Atmospheric Sludge Metal)

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Skeleton Tree, 2016 (Singer/Songwriter, Art Rock)

Conan - Existential Void Guardian, 2018 (Sludge Metal, Doom Metal) The Good The Bad and the Zugly - Misanthropical House, 2018 (Hardcore Punk) Lord Vicar - The Black Powder, 2019 (Doom Metal) Sturgill Simpson - Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, 2014 (Outlaw Country) Inquisition - Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm, 2010 (Black Metal) Bongripper - Terminal, 2018 (Sludge Metal, Doom Metal) Dinosaur Jr. - I Bet On Sky, 2012 (Indie Rock, Alternative Rock) Integrity - Howling, for the Nightmare Shall Consume, 2017 (Metalcore, Crossover Thrash) Looking for an Answer - Dios carne, 2017 (Grindcore, Deathgrind) Monarch! - Never Forever, 2017 (Drone Metal, Sludge Metal, Doom Metal) Deströyer 666 - Wildfire, 2016 (Thrash Metal, Black Metal) OM - Advaitic Songs, 2012 (Psychedelic Rock, Drone, Doom) Dance with the Dead - Out of Body, 2013 (Synthwave, Darksynth) The War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream, 2014 (Heartland Rock, Indie Rock) SLEEP - The Sciencies, 2018 (Doom Metal, Stoner Metal) Midnight - Satanic Royalty, 2011 (Speed Metal, Black Metal) Wolfbrigade - Run with the Hunted, 2017 (Crust Punk, D-Beat) Absu - Abzu, 2011 (Black Metal, Thrash Metal) Baroness - Purple, 2015 (Stoner Metal, Psychedelic Rock) Subrosa - More Constant Than the Gods, 2013 (Doom Metal) Full of Hell - Weeping Choir, 2019 (Grindcore, Deathgrind) Satan - Cruel Magic, 2018 (Heavy Metal, Speed Metal) Black Breath - Sentenced to Life, 2012  (Death 'n' Roll, Crust Punk) King Woman - Created in the Image of Suffering, 2017  (Doom Metal, Atmospheric Sludge Metal, Post-Metal) Plebeian Grandstand - False Highs, True Lows, 2016 (Black Metal, Mathcore) Cosmic Psychos - Glorius Barsteds, 2011 (Garage Punk, Noise Rock) Dying Fetus - Reign Supreme, 2012 (Brutal Death Metal) Elder - Lore, 2015 (Stoner Rock) Misery Index - Heirs to Thievery, 2010 (Deathgrind) Spectral Voice - Eroded Corridors of Unbeing, 2017 (Death Doom Metal) Blood Ceremony - The Eldritch Dark, 2013 (Heavy Psych) Cobalt - Slow Forever, 2016 (Black Metal, Atmospheric Sludge Metal) The Hookers -  It's Midnight... The Witching Hour, 2014 (Heavy Metal, Horror Punk) Napalm Death - Utilitarian, 2012 (Grindcore, Deathgrind) KEN Mode - Loved, 2018  (Post-Hardcore, Noise Rock, Sludge Metal) Mammoth Grinder - Cosmic Crypt, 2018 (Death Metal, D-Beat, Crust Punk) Trap Them - Darker Handcraft , 2011 (Crust Punk, Hardcore Punk) Krallice - Years Past Matter, 2012 (Black Metal) Incendiary - Thousand Mile Stare, 2017 (Metalcore, New York Hardcore) Neurosis - Fires within Fires, 2016 (Atmospheric Sludge Metal, Post-Metal) Electric Wizard - Black Masses, 2010 (Doom Metal, Stoner Metal) Infernal Coil - Within a World Forgotten, 2018 (Deathgrind, War Metal, Death Metal) Blut Aus Nord - 777 - Cosmosophy, 2012  (Atmospheric Black Metal, Avant-Garde Metal, Post-Metal) Eagle Twin - The Thundering Heard (Songs of Hoof and Horn), 2018 (Doom Metal, Stoner Metal) The Dillinger Escape Plan - One of Us Is the Killer, 2013 (Mathcore) Slowdive - Slowdive, 2017 (Dream Pop, Shoegaze) Cattle Decapitation - Monolith of Inhumanity, 2012 (Deathgrind) The Last - Danger, 2013 (Power Pop, Punk) Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city, 2012 (Hip Hop) Inter Arma - Sulphur English, 2019 (Sludge Metal) Oneohtrix Point Never - Replica, 2011 (Plunderphonics, Ambient) Kvelertak - Kvelertak, 2010 (Hardcore Punk, Black 'n' Roll) Windhand - Soma, 2013 (Doom Metal) Unsane - Wreck, 2012 (Noise Rock, Post-Hardcore) Godflesh - Post Self, 2017 (Industrial Metal, Post-Metal) Kadavar - Kadavar, 2012 (Stoner Rock, Heavy Psych) Oranssi Pazuzu - Värähtelijä, 2016 (Psychedelic Rock, Black Metal) Kurt Vile - Wakin on a Pretty Daze, 2013 (Folk Rock, Singer/Songwriter) Ulcerate - Shrines of Paralysis, 2016 (Technical Death Metal) The Drones - I See Seaweed, 2013 (Punk Blues, Art Rock, Noise Rock, Garage Rock) Tomb Mold - Planetary Clairvoyance, 2019 (Death Metal) The Ruins of Beverast - Exuvia, 2017 (Death Doom Metal) Street Dogs - Street Dogs, 2010 (Punk Rock) Hell - Hell III, 2012 (Sludge Metal, Doom Metal, Drone Metal) Fucked Up - David Comes to Life, 2011 (Hardcore Punk, Indie Rock) Primitive Man - Caustic, 2017 (Sludge Metal, Doom Metal) Sick of it All - Based on a True Story, 2010 (New York Hardcore, Hardcore Punk) Triptykon - Melana Chasmata, 2014 (Doom Metal) Night Birds - Born to Die in Suburbia, 2013 (Punk Rock, Hardcore Punk) Deathspell Omega - Paracletus, 2010 (Black Metal) Tombs - Path of Totality, 2011 (Sludge Metal, Black Metal) King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Nonagon Infinity, 2016 (Psychedelic Rock, Garage Rock) Wormed - Exodromos, 2013 (Brutal Death Metal, Technical Death Metal) Terror - Keepers of the Faith, 2010 (Hardcore Punk) MGLA - Exercises in Futility, 2015 (Black Metal) Horn of the Rhino - Weight of Coronation, 2010 (Sludge Metal, Doom Metal)  The Men - Open Your Heart, 2012 (Indie Rock, Noise Rock) Bölzer - Hero, 2016 (Black Metal, Death Metal) OFF! - First Four EPs, 2010 (Hardcore Punk) Gorguts - Colored Sands, 2013 (Technical Death Metal) Chelsea Wolfe - Abyss, 2015 (Darkwave, Gothic Rock) Jason Isbell - Southeastern,  2013 (Americana) Gaza - No Absolutes in Human Suffering, 2012 (Mathcore, Sludge Metal Grindcore) Cult Leader - A Patient Man, 2018 (Sludge Metal, Mathcore, Slowcore) Royal Thunder - CVI, 2012 (Hard Rock, Stoner Rock, Blues Rock, Psychedelic Rock) Baptists - Bushcraft, 2013 (Crust Punk, Hardcore Punk) Witchcraft - Legend, 2012 (Hard Rock, Heavy Metal) Eyehategod - Eyehategod, 2014 (Sludge Metal, Doom Metal) Yellow Eyes - Rare Field Ceiling, 2019 (Black Metal) Shellac - Dude Incredible, 2014 (Math Rock, Noise Rock, Post-Hardcore) Agalloch - Marrow of the Spirit, 2010 (Atmospheric Black Metal, Post-Rock, Dark Folk, Folk Metal, Post-Metal) Fuzz - Fuzz, 2013 (Heavy Psych, Garage Rock) Gojira - L'enfant sauvage, 2012 (Progressive Metal, Death Metal) Deafheaven - Sunbather, 2013 (Blackgaze, Post-Metal) Earth - Primitive and Deadly, 2014 (Psychedelic Rock, Stoner Rock, Heavy Psych, Drone, Post-Rock) Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini, 2010 (Progressive Metal, Black Metal) Blood Incantation - Starspawn, 2016 (Death Metal) Cloud Rat - Pollinator, 2019 (Grindcore) Esoteric - A Pyrrhic Existence, 2019 (Funeral Doom Metal) Ufomammut - Eve, 2010 (Doom Metal, Sludge Metal, Heavy Psych) Boris - Dear, 2017 (Sludge Metal, Drone Metal, Post Metal) Between the Buried and Me - Automata I, 2018 (Progressive Metal) Usnea - Portals into Futility, 2017 (Sludge Metal, Death Doom Metal) Altarage - The Approaching Roar, 2019 (Death Metal, Black Metal) Pinkish Black - Concept Unification, 2019 (Psychedelic Rock Gothic Rock, Darkwave) Adrift - Black Heart Bleeds Black, 2012 (Sludge Metal, Atmospheric Sludge Metal) Hot Snakes - Jericho Sirens, 2018 (Garage Punk, Post-Hardcore) Portal - Vexovoid, 2013 (Death Metal) Iron Reagan - Worse Than Dead. 2013 (Crossover Thrash, Hardcore Punk) Sumac - What One Becomes. 2015 (Sludge Metal) Mylingar - Döda Själar, 2019 (Black Metal, Death Metal) Descendents - Hypercaffium Spazzinate, 2016 (Punk, Hardcore Punk) Evoken - Atra Mors, 2012 (Funeral Doom Metal) Weyes Blood - TItanic Rising , 2019 (Baroque Pop, Art Pop) Behemoth - The Satanist, 2014 (Death Metal, Black Metal) Spirit Adrift - Divided by Darkness, 2019 (Doom Metal, Heavy Metal) Expulsion - Nightmare Future, 2017 (Deathgrind, Crust Punk) Funeral Mist - Hekatomb, 2018 (Black Metal) Bob Wayne - Outlaw Carnie, 2011 (Alt-Country) Overkill - Ironbound, 2010 (Thrash Metal) Mizmor - Yodh, 2016 (Doom Metal, Sludge Metal, Black Metal) Chris Stapleton - Traveller, 2015 (Americana, Country) Indian - From All Purity, 2014 (Sludge Metal, Drone Metal, Doom Metal) In Solitude - Sister, 2013 (Heavy Metal, Gothic Rock, Post-Punk) Leviathan - Scar Sighted, 2015 (Black Metal) Graveyard - Hisingen Blues, 2011 (Hard Rock, Blues Rock, Heavy Psych) The Body - I Shall Die Here, 2014 (Drone Metal) Cought - Still the Pray, 2016 (Doom Metal, Sludge Metal) Cock Sparrer - Forever, 2017 (Oi!) Cult of Luna - A Dawn to Fear, 2019 (Atmospheric Sludge Metal, Post-Metal) Black Tusk - Pillars of Ash, 2014 (Sludge Metal, Stoner Metal, Hardcore Punk) Abstracter - Cinereous Incarnate, 2018 (Black Metal, Sludge Metal, Death Doom Metal) Th' Legendary Shack Shakers - The Southern Surreal, 2015 (Cowpunk, Psychobilly) Alcest - Écailles de lune, 2010 (Blackgaze, Post-Metal, Shoegaze) Runt - Positions of Power, 2017 (Hardcore Punk, No Wave, Noise Rock) Panopticon - Autumn Eternal, 2015 (Atmospheric Black Metal) The Goddamn Gallows - Seven Devils, 2011 (Psychobilly, Gothic Country) Altar of Plagues - Teethed Glory and Injury, 2013 (Atmospheric Black Metal, Post-Metal) Peter Pan Speedrock - We Want Blood, 2010 (Punk Rock, Hard Rock) Lord Mantis - Death Mask, 2014 (Sludge Metal, Doom Metal) Scott H. Biram - Bad Ingredients, 2011 (Alt-Country, Cowpunk, Electric Blues) Deceased... - Ghostly White, 2018 (Thrash Metal, Death Metal) Impalers - Cellar Dweller, 2017 (Hardcore Punk, D-Beat) Noisem - Blossoming Decay, 2015 (Thrash Metal, Death Metal, Deathgrind) Horrendous - Anareta, 2015 (Death Metal, Progressive Metal) Amebix - Sonic Mass, 2011 (Post-Punk, Crust Punk) Killing Joke - Pylon, 2015 (Post-Punk, Industrial Rock/Metal) Carpenter Brut - Trilogy, 2015 (Synthwave, Darksynth, Electro House) The Templars - Deus Vult, 2017 (Oi!, Punk Rock) Big Business - Battlefields Forever, 2013 (Stoner Metal, Sludge Metal) Waste Management - Tried and True, 2018 (Hardcore Punk) The Last Crusade - S/T, 2018 (Oi!) Ausmuteants - Band of the Future, 2016 (Synth Punk, Garage Punk) Niechęć - Niechęć, 2016 (Jazz Fusion/Rock, Avant-Garde Jazz) Carcass - Surgical Steel, 2013 (Melodic Death Metal) Helms Alee - Sleepwalking Sailors, 2014 (Atmospheric Sludge Metal, Post-Rock, Stoner Rock) Bell Witch - Four Phantoms, 2015 (Funeral Doom Metal) Teitanblood - Death, 2014 (Death Metal, War Metal) Hank Williams III - Rebel Within, 2010 (Cowpunk, Alt-Country, Country) Monster Magnet - Last Patrol, 2013 (Stoner Rock, Hard Rock, Heavy Psych)

[flamingwhump]

Alt Whumptober 16 Bound

Continuation of this

TW: Waterboarding/Drowning, Begging, Captivity, Burns

Sounds dripped into Sun’s subconscious like drops of water in a pool, rippling ever onwards.  

Muffled rippling waves of sounds crashed against Sun’s mind. Pinpricks of light and color burst through a dark curtain of sleep and unconscious with every sound. Each one louder and more vivid than the last.   _____ “Nnnnn... nononono....” Koanya whined, their head flopping uselessly to the side. More and more tears squeezed their way past Koanya’s clenched tight eyes.  

“Please... no more-” a sob cut off Koanya’s plea, not that it would have done anything anyway.  

Ko had no idea how long they had been strapped to the metal table in the middle of the room. A burning haze fogged their mind, sweat drenched their face and hair and chest. Sweat dripped into open wounds and burns, stings making their body jerk.   Laughter rang around the room, seeming to come from everywhere, swirling all around them at once. 

That laugh Koanya shuddered. That laugh only ever meant fear and pain, Ko knew that now.  

“Oh well..” a cheery sigh echoed around the room, “You’ve been fun.” The Voice seemed further from Ko the more it spoke, “But if you can’t take anymore... Time to move on to your friend.” that laugh cackled, it felt like a syringe in their skin.  

The sound drifted further away from Ko as it mocked them and they panicked, jerking against their restraints violently.  

“W-wait! W-wait, I can- I can do it. I can. I can take it please!” Koanya begged, lifting their head as much as they could, eyes searching for anything to beg to and finding nothing. In all their time here they had never seen a person, just heard that terrible voice.   ____ As the sounds continued, they began to take shape. Sun was able to make out forms and shapes of words and sentences, but it was still like listening to someone through a wall. Sun was stuck somewhere in between dreaming and consciousness.  

A spindly thin hand gripped Sun’s shoulder and began to pull them fully onto their back. Sun’s panic response jerked them through several rings of consciousness, and right into being fully awake.  

The hand released them slowly, every finger detaching joint by joint, too long and completely inhuman.  

In, and out, breathe, breathe Sun manually calmed themselves down, Don’t let it know you’re awake

That went out the window as soon as the voices spoke again.  

“Mmhmm, much better” The voice drifted away from Sun and they scrambled for a plan. They didn’t know who had them, if any of their team were with them, they didn’t even know how long they had been knocked out.  

A high-pitched keen rang out in the small space, followed by a low sizzling sound. Little sobs that could only be from the little healer, Sun knew. 

Sun was up on their feet in an instant, rushing forward to get to Koanya and they hit an invisible barrier, audibly jolting and stumbling backward.  

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.. Now what are we going to do with you.” The Voice echoed around the room and Sun spun around trying to pinpoint it.  

They frustrated quickly, growling and clenching their fists.  

“The fuck do you want with us? I don’t even know who you are.” Sun ground out from between gritted teeth, looking around the ceiling.   “The only thing I want,” the words seemed to blow through them. Sun winced involuntarily as wind rushed suddenly against their face, their hands coming up protectively.   “Is to watch you break as I watch them scream” Sun whirled around as the voice spoke suddenly from the other side of the barrier, slightly warbled but still clear enough to hear.   Sun beat their fists against the invisible force holding them apart from their   _________

Koanya’s body slowly untensed as the voice got further away from them, their mind slow and murky. Not supposed to go away Koanya frowned in thought. 

“C-c..” they drew a ragged breath. The Voice had been taking turns between filling their lungs with water and their skin with fire. Ko fought against the haze in their mind, struggling to beg the Voice to come back for another round.  

Sun Koanya felt a rush of pride and relief as they heard their leader’s defiant voice arguing against their elusive captor’s. Ko hadn’t been sure if they could have gone on much longer all alone protecting them both.

Sun will protect me Ko’s eyes fluttered closed, with a smile on their face. Koanya’s hands finally unclenched and their fingers relaxing against the table. 

Koanya couldn’t hear exactly what they were saying like they were far away. 

Ko’s eyes shot open when they heard to watch you break as I watch them scream

They opened their mouth to hyperventilate and instead of gasping in panicked breaths of air, they breathed in water.   Sun roared, the skin on their hands beginning to separate and get bloody. Rage pulsed in every vein of their body, their eyes rolled back a little in their head as flames engulfed their arms.  

Sun slammed their fists into the force field uselessly. Every punch to the invisible force just skittered flames across a flat plane in front of them like glass. They could see Koanya’s body convulsing and liquid going everywhere as it erupted from their spluttering little body. Sun slumped against the barrier, both palms pressed up against the clear force field.   “Stop!” they half screamed-half sobbed, fire exploding from their palms. They fell forward as the barrier disappeared. The flame, which had been exploding against an immovable object, was now suddenly free. Enraged wildfire lashed out at the table Koanya was on. Bright red licks of burnt skin wrapped around Koanya’s side, the edges of their arm and thigh discoloring almost immediately at the direct contact with the angry fire. Koanya screamed and screamed, their sobbing and begging audible now that the water was gone. Koanya’s hands were free and suddenly the only danger in the room was Sun.  

Sun gasped, and rushed to Ko’s side. Sun went to check the burns, but they stopped short.  

Don’t hurt them. Don’t scare them. You’ll be lucky if they ever let you touch them again Sun pulled back, recoiling as the familiar words played through their head. Sun held their hands up above the little healer’s skin, wanting to help but afraid to touch.

Sun shook their head, apologies spilling over so quickly that their voice broke. Ko slowly put their hand in Sun’s.  

“H-help me up?” they asked, voice rasping from the water still leaking out of their lungs. Sun nodded fervently, coughing and blinking back tears. Relief flooded through them, Ko still trusts me, something like warmth filled out their veins pleasantly settling just for a moment.  

Sun lifted them gently, their other hand going to Ko’s back. Sun supported them as Koanya’s feet swung out over the edge of the table as they got their breathing under control.  

Sun couldn’t hold themselves back any longer and wrapped Koanya in a bone crushing hug as soon as it looked like they weren’t going to fall right back over.  

“I’m so sorry” Sun murmured into Ko’s sweaty locks. Their arms released after a few moments, petting down Ko’s hair and back. “You protected me” Sun got down to Koanya’s eye level, even on a table Sun was much taller. “Thank you” Sun pressed a hand to Koanya’s cheek. “You did good, Ko. My little warrior” 

Sun ruffled Koanya’s hair, eyes brimming with fresh tears.  

Ko leaned into the touch, it had been at least two days alone and Ko was exhausted. Sun lifted Ko off the table and arranged them on the floor, Ko in Sun’s lap. Ko’s head on Sun’s chest, they drifted off, and finally if only for a moment, felt safe.