#but I do think she cares about him in a particularly intense and protective way

[hephaestuscrew]

I'm always emotional about the fact that, when Minkowski tries to justify her choice to send Eiffel back to Earth on the Sol in the finale, she never directly expresses a reason for her decision that's specific to him. 

She tells Hera, Lovelace and Jacobi "If - if - we don't make it through this... if we don't stop this... people need to know what's coming. They need to know what's happened." She gives them a reason which is logical, practical, and impersonal. It's a 'big picture' reason, focused on humanity as a whole. Minkowski's own emotions don't really enter into this justification at all. That's the kind of decision-making she wants her crew to think she's using. If this was Minkowski's main motivation, it wouldn't matter who was sent back, so long as they could explain Cutter and Pryce's plan. I don't think Hera, Lovelace, or Jacobi believe that this was the main reason why Minkowski sent Eiffel back, and I'm not sure whether Minkowski expected to actually convince them. 

Jacobi asks "did you tell him that before or after you sent him on his merry?" But in fact, Minkowski didn't tell Eiffel at any point that he needed to tell the world about events on the Hephaestus. If her primary motivation had been about having someone to deliver a message back to Earth, she would have given Eiffel suitable instructions - she wouldn't have just trusted him to figure it out. 

Instead, the most direct reason she gives to Eiffel himself for why she's sending him back to Earth is "I need to know that at least one of us makes it back. That I got someone through this." This is a more personal reason, where Minkowski's emotions are relevant, but it's still not explicitly about Eiffel himself. It's about saving "at least one of us", as if it doesn't matter who that "somebody" is. I think this justification is closer to the core of Minkowski's motivations than what she tells the others afterwards. Her responsibilities to her crew as a Commander have always been important to her, and she doesn't want to have failed in keeping them safe. And Eiffel is the only member of her original crew who she's able to save in this way. Hilbert is dead, and transferring Hera over to the Sol to be sent back to Earth on her own would come with a whole host of problems. 

But I don't believe for a moment that the reasons she sends Eiffel back are purely practical and abstract. I don't believe for a moment there's no personal significance to her decision to save him specifically. I don't believe for a moment that it was all about her practical plan for the wellbeing of humanity, or her desire to have fulfilled her duty to at least one non-specific member of her crew. She doesn't just need to save "someone". She doesn't just need to save "at least one of us". She needs to save Eiffel. She needs to save her friend.

The closest she gets to saying aloud that her motivation is about her care for Eiffel in particular is when she says "Go home, Eiffel. Hug your daughter. [...] Goodbye, Doug." She was prepared for those to be the last words she might ever say to him. And there's at least something in these lines that implies she wants Eiffel specifically to return to Earth. I don't think it's that she saves him because he has a daughter. I think when she tells him to go home and hug his daughter, it represents more than that. It's about how she wants him to be able to move forward and live his life. It's her saying that he deserves the interpersonal connections that are valuable to him. It's about her not wanting his story to end there on the Hephaestus. 

It kind of breaks my heart that even in that situation, she can't fully say aloud that the reason she wants Eiffel to survive is because she cares about him specifically. She has to give the justifications that are about her as a Commander and not about Eiffel as her friend. She doesn't tell him that she's saving him for his own sake, because he matters to her so deeply, because his safety is so important to her. 

And I really wish I could believe that Eiffel didn't need her to say it, that he could just understand just from her actions how much she cares about him. But as the Sol flies away from the Hephaestus, he tells himself that he's there because he "never had quite as much chest hair as Lieutenant Commander Renée [Minkowski]" and because he "could never get it right". So I don't think Eiffel ever really appreciates that Minkowski sends him back not because of what he can't do, but because of who he is: her friend, one of the most important people to her, someone who has brought so much value to her life, and someone whose death she refuses to contemplate.

[ahqkas]

Remus with a partner who faints easily/out of nowhere. I forgot what it’s called but I had seen on yt shorts where a girl shows how she faints out of no where but her bf I think always has his hands ready to catch her head and lay her down safely and I thought it would be cute if Remus does it 💕

HARRY POTTER MASTERLIST!

© ahqkas — all rights reserved. even when credited, these works are prohibited to be reposted, translated or modified

THE SUN WAS SETTING OVER THE HOGWARTS GROUNDS, CASTING A WARM, GOLDEN HUE THROUGH THE TALL WINDOWS OF THE LIBRARY. the scent of blooming flowers flowed in from the open windows, mingling with the faint, musty aroma of old parchment and leather-bound books. it was a peaceful evening, the kind that made everything feel possible and right in the world.

remus lupin sat at one of the large, wooden tables, a pile of books and scrolls spread out before him. the boy was restlessly studying for his upcoming n.e.w.t.s, but his mind kept wandering back to you. you were seated across from him, your head bent over a particularly thick tome on charms, a look of intense concentration on your face.

he watched you for a moment, a soft smile playing on his lips. the way your hair fell over your forehead, the way you chewed on your bottom lip when you were deep in thought — it all captivated him. he was utterly and completely smitten.

"remus," you said suddenly, looking up and catching him off guard. "do you remember the incantation for the levitation charm? my mind's gone completely blank."

"of course," he replied, his grin widening. "it’s wingardium leviosa. want me to show you the wand movement again?"

you nodded eagerly, and he stood, moving around the table to sit beside you. as he demonstrated the swish and flick motion, he was acutely aware of how close you were. your shoulders brushed, and he could feel the warmth radiating from you.

"like this?" you asked, mimicking his movement perfectly.

"exactly," he said, giving you a nod of approval. "you've got it."

you beamed at him, and his heart swelled with the feelings he dearly held for you. "thanks, remus. you're always so helpful."

“anything for you."

as the evening wore on, the library grew quieter, the few remaining students trickling out to their common rooms. you and remus stayed, lost in your studies and the comfortable companionship you shared. the only sounds were the rustling of pages and the occasional hoot from an owl outside.

but remus was always mindful of your condition. he knew that at any moment, you could faint without warning, and he was always prepared to catch you. it was something that had become second nature to him, a silent promise of protection and care.

you were in the middle of discussing a particularly tricky defense against the dark arts spell when you felt the familiar dizziness wash over you. the world around you seemed to blur and spin, and you knew what was coming. "remus . . .” you whispered, your voice barely audible.

he was instantly alert, his arms moving to support you. "i’ve got you," he murmured reassuringly, cradling your head gently as you began to faint. the boy carefully lowered you to the table, making sure you were comfortable and safe.

as you came to, your eyes fluttered open to find remus gazing down at you, concern etched across his features. "are you okay?" he asked softly, brushing a strand of hair away from your face.

you nodded, feeling the familiar warmth of his presence. "i’m fine, thanks to you."

he smiled, relief flooding his eyes. "good. you scared me for a moment there."

"sorry about that. i didn't mean to."

"you don't need to apologize," remus replied, his tone gentle and reassuring as he took your hand into his and squeezed the flesh softly. "i’m just glad you're okay.”

[vivwritesfics]

So mick or max

Heat/rut

Reader having been waiting for it and purposely flirting with others people to trigger it

(Driver doesn't Wang to mate cause he has seen how much in pain a human can be if mated to a wolf)

Now that has been thrownxoit the window

Reader being fucked seven ways to sunday, being mates cuaee they are literally begging for it 🫠👹👹

Throw ib some breeding kink and a worried driver afterwards and it is 👌🫶

I LOVE YOU

Hope you feel better 🫶🫶🫶

ILYYYYYY and I went with Max bc I don't write mick lol - also I haven't written abo in maybe three years so I'm a little rusty but damn I've missed it.

Warnings: A/B/O dynamics, smut, oral (fem!receiving), p in v, biting, hickies, breeding kink

Max could have killed her. Not literally, he loved her too much to let his instincts take over like that. Well, his instincts would have told him to protect her.

The way she was giggling with Daniel and hanging off of his arm, Max let the growl rip from his throat. How dare she even think about touching another Alpha.

But it wasn't her fault. She couldn't understand the surge of emotions he was feeling when she was so utterly human. But she was his human.

She turned to Max, batted her pretty eyelashes at him and walked away from Daniel. Max released a breath, but he didnt have long to stay calm. Because then she was walking towards Charles.

He may have been a Beta, but he shouldn't have been scenting her like that. What the fuck was he doing, pressing his nose against her neck like that? If only Max had the guts to claim her, Charles wouldn't dare.

When she made a move towards Esteban, a Beta Max didn't particularly like, he growl and grabbed a hold of her, practically throwing her over his shoulder like a ragdoll.

"Max!" She squeaked, almost excitedly. If she was like him, she would have been able to feel his anger. But she was too human for that.

Max carried her to his drivers room, not caring about the others around him. The world knew about his mate, since he simply couldn't stay away from her.

Once in his drivers room, Max set her down. "What do you think you're doing?" He growled, sticking his nose into her neck and scenting her. She smelt like Daniel and Charles, and he hated it.

The laughing and giggles had stopped as he stared down at her with his steely blue eyes. No, she had become almost sheepish under the stare of the big bad wolf. "I, uh, I heard that jealousy can trigger a rut," she mumbled under her breath.

"Liefde," he said through a groan, nosing at the spot where the mark of his claim over her should be. "Why on earth would you want to do that?"

She pouted at him as he pulled away. "You always say you race better after a rut."

Max let out a laugh, one that reverberated through his chest. "Can you let me get through this race weekend first? And then maybe it will come about naturally."

She knew what he meant. Triggering his rut now would stop him from racing all together. There would be no way to remove him from the bed, remove him from her cunt. Trigger his rut now and he wouldn't stop until his seed filled her belly.

She'd been through one rut with Max before. It was more intense than anything She'd ever been through before. But she loved it. Max, though, he'd been panicking, worried he'd been hurting her through his muddied brain.

She let him get through the weekend. Wore his shirt, his hat, made sure she smelt like him before he raced.

Of course, he won. Maybe it was his desperation to get back to her.

The moment he crossed the finish line, she was in his arms, kissing him the moment he took off his helmet. A win always meant sex, plus his rut was definitely coming.

Max couldn't wait to be done with all the usual formalities. The interviews, the podiums, the meeting with the team. He was irritable, desperate to get to where she was waiting in his hotel room.

As soon as he was done with everything, he made this way back to the hotel. He was rushing, desperate to get back to her.

If all of his flirting with Max's pack mates didn't trigger his rut, seeing her sitting on his bed in the prettiest little negligee certainly did. Maybe it was the smell of her that had a growl leaving his lips and his eyes flashing as he stared down at her.

Immediately he was tenting his pants. She just looked so goddamn pretty, he couldn't get enough. Immediately he pressed his lips to her own. For two seconds, it was sweet.

But then Max had taken over completely, his tongue in her mouth, lips bruising against her own. He moved his lips to her neck and began kissing down the right side. He paid special attention to where her mating mark should have been. But Max wouldn't give her that mark, not until he had a clear mind.

He didn't notice that his hips were grinding against her own. But she was whining as he did, gripping his shoulders.

If Max had more control over his own body, he would have pulled back, would have told her to get out and to let him take care of it on his own. But, in that moment, all he wanted was his girl.

She whined out his name as her fingers reached down to try and pull off his jeans. But the way he was holding her, she was unable to get a good grip. "Need you," she cried through a whine, hands returning to her hair.

Through his muddied mind, Max managed to understand her. Maybe it was because he was feeling the exact same thing. He popped the button on his jeans expertly (his gaming had left him with incredibly skilled fingers) and pulled down the zipper.

But he didn't free himself, not yet. First, he needed to taste her.

His fingers pulled up the material of her negligee, bunching it around her hips. The noise pulled from his lips was inhuman as his lips met the skin of her thigh. God, he loved it, loved noises she made as his lips got closer and closer.

The feel of his tongue running through her folds shouldn't have come as a surprise. But she still released a gasp. "All mine," he said against, the vibrations of his words sending a shiver through his body.

As he sucked at her clit, his fingers moved to penetrate her, the squelching sounds obscene as they filled the room. Her hips rolled against him, riding his fingers Her fingers threaded through his hair, tugging and pulling. She cried out his name and he grunted.

Her movements were desperate and frantic as she chased her own release. Max had stopped moving his fingers, lips still working as he let her work herself on his fingers.

But Max didn't let her come undone. He pulled away from her, eyes flashing as he freed himself from his jeans. He pulled her close, holding her legs up to her chest. He pressed his nose against her neck and inhaled.

As his cock pushed through her folds, he pressed kisses against her neck. If he could have said anything other than 'mine' as he rutted against her, he would have told her he loved her.

He set a bruising pace as she felt his teeth against her neck. She couldn't say anything other than his name, leaving her lips like a prayer. He rolled his hips against her own again and again, the pace he set animalistic and bruising.

It didn't take long until she came undone beneath him, body shaking as her legs clamped around his middle. Incoherent babbles left her lips as Max kept going, gripping her so fucking tight.

"Gonna fill you up," he said between grunts. "Gonna breed you until you're full of my babies."

His teeth sank into the skin of her shoulder, not hard enough to break it, as he came. His hips stilled, but he didn't pull out, body half laying against her own.

When Max finally pulled out of her, he laid beside her and touched that spot on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, liefde," he whispered, fingers brushing the hickies and marks littering her skin.

The few minutes he had of clarity before he was ready to go again was spent cuddling. He was going to fill her over and over again for the next few days and, if she wasn't on birth control, there was no way she would have been coming out of this rut not pregnant.

[gwynbleidd-enthusiast]

Geralt and his mommy issues

Geralt was abandoned by his mom when he was just a child, leaving him with deep emotional scars. In the books, there are subtle yet significant references to how this abandonment shaped him, particularly his subconscious search for maternal warmth.

SoD:

"She treats you entirely like an object [...] and what you feel is a projection of her emotions, the interest she shows in you. By all the demons of the Netherworld, Geralt, you aren't a child [...] You trail after Yenna like a child, enjoying the momentary affection she shows you." - Istredd

BoE:

"Always on his side, aren't you, Nenneke? Always worrying about him. Like the mother he never had." - Yennefer

Tlotl:

"He maintained the appearance of secretiveness and pride. But at night he was completely in my power. He told me everything. He paid homage to my femininity, which considering his age was extremely generous, I must admit. And then he fell asleep. In my arms, with his mouth on my bosom. Searching for a surrogate for the maternal love he never experienced. Completely in my power." - Fringilla

This passage vividly illustrates Geralt's deep-seated need for maternal care, seeking comfort in a way that echoes the bond between a child and a mother 🥹

SoD:

"'Do you hate that woman, Geralt?' 'My mother? No, Calanthe. A choice should be respected, for it is the holy and irrefutable right of every woman.'"

Geralt’s response shows his complex feelings toward his mother, acknowledging her choice abt wanting to have a child or not, while also - what seems to me - revealing a deep, unresolved pain.

ToC:

"Listen to what?" shouted the Witcher, before his voice suddenly faltered. "I can't leave—I can't just leave her to her fate. She's completely alone... She cannot be left alone, Dandelion. You'll never understand that. No one will ever understand that, but I know. If she remains alone, the same thing will happen to her as once happened to me... You'll never understand that..." - Geralt about Ciri

Geralt’s fierce protectiveness over Ciri stems from his own experiences of abandonment. He is determined to shield her from the pain he endured.

Geralt and red heads:

Several times it's subtly hinted that Geralt has an inexplicable inclination toward redheads, that perhaps ties back to his unresolved issues with his mother.

SoS:

"Geralt felt an anxiety, forgotten and dormant, suddenly awaking somewhere deep inside him. He had a strange and inexplicable inclination towards redheads in his nature, and several times that particular colouring had made him do stupid things. Thus he ought to be on his guard, and the Witcher made a firm resolution in that regard. His task was actually made easier. It was almost a year since he'd stopped being tempted by that kind of stupid mistake."

Note what he felt when he encountered his mother before in SoD who has red hair:

"He looked again, making the most of the light. Her hair was tied back with a snakeskin band. Her hair... A suffocating pain in his throat and sternum. Hands tightly clenched into fists. Her hair was red, flame-red, and when lit by the glow of the bonfire seemed as red as vermilion."

The vivid description of his mother's flame-red hair and the intense emotional reaction it evokes in Geralt suggest that his attraction to redheads might be more than just a superficial preference. It could be a subconscious connection to the unresolved feelings of abandonment and longing for maternal warmth, linking his "inexplicable inclination" to deeper psychological roots.

What do you guys think?

[moonxytcn]

I'll protect you. I promise. | part two

Billie Eilish x fem!reader

inspired by the song "The Diner" by Billie

part one - part two

summary – you have a stalker, but Billie is there to protect you, always watching and always there

warnings – angst, fluffy if you squint your eyes, stalker, a little paranoia, and a slight feeling of being watched

English is not my first language so there may be some errors.

˗ˋˏ masterlist

–––

Weeks passed, and Billie’s obsession with you became more apparent. She insisted on knowing where you were at all times, constantly checking your location. Her calls and messages were incessant, and she visibly tensed whenever she couldn't find you. It was suffocating, but you tried to rationalize it as her way of showing how much she cared.

Billie continued to treat you with affection and love, but there was a darker undertone to her behavior. She often recounted her survival stories, how she had to take extreme measures to protect those she loved. Each time she mentioned it, a chill ran down your spine, but you tried to dismiss the unease.

One evening, after a particularly intense day of classes and studying, you and Billie were on the couch, watching a movie. She pulled you closer, her arms wrapping around you with a firmness that bordered on possessive.

“I love you so much.” She whispered, her voice heavy with emotion. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“I love you too, Billie.” You responded, but doubts lingered in your mind.

Suddenly, your phone buzzed. It was a message from an unknown number:

We need to talk. You deserve to know the truth about Billie. – Daniel

Your heart raced, and you felt Billie’s gaze on you. “Who is it?” She asked, her voice casual but tinged with concern.

“Nothing important.” You lied, putting the phone away.

Billie narrowed her eyes but didn’t press. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”

“Of course.” You said, forcing a smile. “I know.”

The messages from Daniel kept coming over the next few days. He insisted you needed to know the truth about Billie, that she was hiding more than you could imagine. Finally, you gave in and agreed to meet him at a secluded café off-campus.

When you arrived, Daniel was already there, sitting in a dark corner. He seemed nervous, glancing around constantly. When he saw you, his eyes softened slightly.

“Thanks for coming.” He said, gesturing for you to sit.

“Make this quick.” You said, anxiety clear in your voice. “What do you want?”

“Billie isn’t who you think she is.” Daniel began, his voice low and urgent. “She’s done terrible things. And she won’t stop.”

“I know about her past.” You retorted. “She told me.”

Daniel shook his head. “She told you enough to keep you close. But there’s more. She’s not just trying to redeem herself. She’s… obsessed with you.”

You felt a chill run down your spine but kept your expression steady. “Why do you care?”

“Because I was there.” Daniel replied, his gaze dark. “I saw what she’s capable of. She’s hurt me before, and she’ll do the same to you if you’re not careful.”

“You expect me to just believe you?” You asked, your voice filled with distrust.

Daniel sighed. “I brought proof.” He slid a thick envelope across the table. “Read this when you’re alone.”

Before you could respond, he got up and left the café quickly. You looked at the envelope, fear and curiosity warring within you.

Back at Billie’s apartment, you waited until she was in the shower to open the envelope. Inside, you found a series of documents, photographs, and letters detailing Billie’s past activities. There were reports of violence, manipulation, and even death.

Your heart grew heavy as you read, tears streaming down your face. The man in the café had been right. There was much more to Billie than she had told you.

When Billie emerged from the shower, she found you sitting on the couch, the empty envelope beside you. “What’s this?” She asked, her tone cautious.

“Daniel.” You said, your voice weak. “He gave me this.”

Billie looked at the documents, her face turning pale. “I can explain.” She said quickly.

“You lied to me.” You said, your voice trembling. “You said it was to survive, but this… this is much more.”

Billie knelt before you, tears in her eyes. “I did what I had to do to protect those I loved. I never wanted to hurt you. I only wanted to protect you.”

“Protection? Or control?” You asked, the pain evident in your voice.

“I love you.” Billie whispered. “I would never do anything to hurt you. Please, believe me.”

You looked at her, your mind a turmoil of emotions. Despite everything, you still loved Billie. But now you knew the truth, and it changed everything.

“I need time.” You finally said, your voice filled with sadness. “To think. To process all this.”

Billie nodded, her tears falling freely. “I understand. I’ll wait for you. Always.”

You stood up and left, leaving Billie on her knees on the floor, her heart broken. As you walked through the dark streets, the full moon shining above, you wondered if you could ever forgive Billie – and if you could ever trust her again.

But even as you struggled with your feelings, you couldn’t deny the truth. Billie loved you, in a deep and desperate way. And despite everything, a part of you still wanted to believe that somehow, you could find your way back to each other.

(...)

In the following days, you and Billie began to rebuild trust. Billie opened up more about her dark past, sharing details she had previously hidden. She talked about the dangerous people she got involved with, the things she had to do to survive, and how she always regretted her actions. Each revelation was a blow, but also a bridge to deeper understanding between you.

Billie remained obsessively protective, but now you saw it for what it truly was: a manifestation of her fear of losing you. You set clear boundaries, insisting she respect your space and independence. Slowly, she learned to trust you more, to understand that true love couldn't flourish without freedom.

In the days that followed, you noticed that Daniel continued to try to reach out. He sent messages and attempted to arrange meetings, but you decided not to respond. You didn't want any more secrets; you wanted to resolve things directly with Billie.

One night, Billie suggested you go for a walk together, something she had always avoided out of fear of exposing you to danger. She was determined to show you she could change, that she could be the person you deserved.

As you walked through the park, Billie held your hand tightly. The full moon illuminated your path, and there was a moment of peace you hadn’t felt in a long time.

“I know it took me a while to be completely honest.” Billie said, breaking the silence. “But I’m trying. And I’ll keep trying, every day, for you.”

“I know.” You replied, squeezing her hand. “And I’m here, with you. We’ll get through this together.”

The night was calm, but you felt a pair of eyes watching you. A shiver ran down your spine. You quickly turned around, but saw no one. Billie noticed your tension and stopped, looking around cautiously.

“It’s okay.” She whispered, trying to reassure you. But you knew she was equally alert.

The walk continued without incident, but the feeling of being watched didn’t leave. When you finally returned to the apartment, Billie locked the door with extra care.

Once inside, the atmosphere softened. Billie prepared a light meal, and you dined together, the conversation flowing more easily than before. There was a renewed intimacy, a connection that seemed stronger because of the obstacles you were overcoming.

At the end of the night, Billie pulled you onto the couch and wrapped her arms around you, her eyes shining with an intense love, now tempered with a new understanding.

“Thank you for giving me a chance.” She murmured. “I know it’s not easy.”

“I’ve made mistakes too.” You admitted. “And we’re both learning. The important thing is that we’re together in this.”

She kissed you softly, her lips conveying a silent promise of a better future. And for the first time in a long while, you felt that maybe, just maybe, you could overcome anything – as long as you were together.

But as you closed your eyes and snuggled into Billie’s arms, a small voice in the back of your mind reminded you of the shadows that still loomed. Daniel was still out there, and Billie’s past could still bring consequences. You just hoped that when the time came, your love would be strong enough to face whatever came your way.

[raayllum]

Sometimes I think about the gap between the thematic perception of a theme/character versus how they themselves perceive the same thing. There's not too many gaps routinely like this in TDP except for antagonists — Karim comes to mind most notably, in how he earnestly believes he's doing the right thing with no pretense while becoming increasingly hypocritical — nor are all these gaps negative, per se.

But I think about it in regards to Rayllum a lot.

For example, in their actual relationship, they're pretty healthy. Rayla in particular has struggled with open and honest communication, but they're getting there, and we see that Callum has given her an unconditional, rather than an ultimatum base, upon which for her and both of them to build upon. They can teach really good lessons about taking time for yourself so you don't yell at your partner, that you have to work on yourself and a relationship won't fix your problems, that approaching things together is good and that you should support one another, etc etc.

However, thematically — identity wise — they are codependent to a super intense degree, wrapped up and incredibly dependent on the other person's construction of their sense of self (Rayla struggling to be a good person when she's reeling in the S4 fallout, because what does she have to show for it? Callum trying in 4x07 to push them both into their worst roles if the worst comes for him). And this codependency as well as intense desire to protect one another can cause them to make dangerous or self destructive choices in the name of love (or both), like Rayla leaving to protect him and luring Sol Regem away, or Callum doing dark magic and jumping off the Pinnacle.

Thereby, playing with this push and pull, how they exist and perceive themselves vs how they exist in the narrative (and may be seen as other characters) is well, a lot of fun.

This is also true for the "Rayla as Callum's method of destruction and salvation" theme that's been running through every season of the show, with Rayla being the lynchpin to burn down his old life / understandings of self and trust, and usher in new ones.

Callum doesn't see his relationship with Rayla as anything negative, ultimately; she's loving and brave and she saves people, she saved him, and he saves her right back. He'd do anything not to lose her, because that's the Right Thing to do to him, even if it's not automatically 'the right thing' for the rest of the world's safety.

But we know, thanks to their pattern (1x03, 1x04, 2x07, 3x09, general S4, 4x07, general S5, 5x04, 5x08) that it's something that can and has routinely gotten him into trouble in the past, particularly in S2 and S5.

We also know that Rayla fundamentally doesn't see anything wrong with Callum, either. "It doesn't matter" that he did dark magic before (2x07) and it likely won't ultimately matter to her again. She has so much faith and trust in him and his ability to do the impossible that the idea of Aaravos possessing him again in an awful way is downright hard for her to fathom. To her / in her mind, Callum is sweet and nice (even on the rare instances he yells at her), caring and loving and compassionate. And he is all those things, but even when one another's worst traits come out, both have a tendency to forgive and accept.

Now, part of this is because they have a mutual basis, for lack of a better word, of lines the other would never cross that are all conveniently the lines the other could never forgive (Rayla putting Ez at risk on a whim, Callum killing Stella for dark magic ingredients) which just perpetuates this cycle of support, forgiveness, and unconditionality.

Because unconditional love is great — until it's not.

And I think this blend of "they are actively healthy and actively working on being healthier" mixed with the "oh God quarantine them and their codependent shit together elsewhere for the good of society" is why they 1) have the range that they do and 2) the subsequent appeal that they do.

[moonselune]

I don't know if you do these two but can we get isobel and dame aylin falling in love with tav. If not, jaheira being constantly flattered and flirted with by tav to which they end up together. Love your work as always and thanks for doing my ask about tav with a kid and back hugs 😁

Okay so I didn't know if it was poly or separate for our moon ladies so feel free to request that again when my inbox is back open. Thus I wrote the Jaheira prompt. And no worries I loved those requests and thank you for your support !

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Jaheira was a woman of strength, wisdom, and undeniable beauty. From the moment you met her, you were captivated. You could have stayed entwined in her vines for a millennia. Her fiery spirit and unwavering resolve drew you in, and you couldn't help but express your admiration through some flattery and playful flirting, and by some you meant 24/7. It started with small compliments during your travels.

"Jaheira, your skills in battle are unparalleled," you would say, watching as a faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "And you have a way of making even the darkest places feel safe."

Jaheira, ever composed, would respond with a polite nod or a slight chuckle, brushing off your compliments with a modesty that only made her more endearing to you. But you were persistent, finding every opportunity to compliment her.

One evening, as the campfire crackled and the group settled in for the night, you approached Jaheira, who was tending to a pot of stew.

"Do you need any help?" you asked, your tone light and teasing. "I might not be as skilled as you, but I'm a quick learner."

Jaheira glanced up, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "I think I can handle it," she replied, but there was a softness in her voice that suggested she appreciated the offer.

"I don't know, it looks like a pretty mean stew, a dual attack may be needed," You joked and Jaheira let out a light laugh, relenting and handing you a wooden spoon. Enboldened, you continued. "You know, Jaheira, there's something about you that just draws people in. It's not just your insane strength or your ethereal beauty. It's the way you care for everyone around you. It's captivating."

This time, Jaheira didn't brush off your words. Instead, she paused, her hands stilling over the pot as she looked at you more intently.

"You have a way with words," she said slowly. "But I have come to learn that words are easy. Actions speak louder."

Taking her cue, you moved closer, your eyes locked on hers. "Then let me show you," you said softly. "Let me prove that my admiration for you is more than just words."

The firelight cast a warm glow on Jaheira's face as she considered your words. Finally, she nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. "Very well," she said. "But know this: I do not give my heart easily."

Over the next few weeks, you made it your mission to prove your feelings through actions. You stood by her side in battles, even when Gale was right there, which often led to Jaheira shoving you over to him - he needed the protection much more than she did. You shared stories and laughter during the quieter moments, bringing out the wine you had managed to steal from Shadowheart's stash, and you always found ways to make her smile. Your respect for her was unwavering, and your affection only grew stronger with each passing day.

One evening, after a particularly intense battle with a group of gnolls, the camp settled into a rare moment of peace. You found Jaheira sitting by herself near the edge of the clearing, her gaze fixed on the horizon as the sun dipped below the trees. You approached her cautiously, not wanting to disrupt her thoughts, but unable to stay away.

You settled down beside her, the warmth of the fire casting a gentle glow around you. "Jaheira, I meant what I said before," you continued, your voice earnest. "Your strength and wisdom are unparalleled, but it's more than that. It's your kindness, your compassion. It's what draws people to you."

She looked at you, her gaze softening. "You have a way with words," she said quietly. "I've come to realize that perhaps your words do carry weight."

A rush of excitement and relief swept through you, with a playful grin, you turned slightly away from her and pumped your fist discreetly, celebrating your small victory. Jaheira chuckled softly, shaking her head at your antics, but there was a fondness in her eyes that hadn't been there before.

"You may have... crawled your way into my heart," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. You were unable to hide the joy that lit up your face.

"I knew it!" you exclaimed quietly, unable to fully contain your excitement. You quickly composed yourself, realizing how important this moment was to both of you. "I mean... thank you, Jaheira," you said more calmly, meeting her gaze with sincerity. "I don't take your trust lightly."

Her smile widened, and without another word, she leaned in and kissed you. It was a soft, tender kiss that spoke volumes more than any words could convey.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

[13eyond13]

Something I think fiction does sometimes is make sex represent the end goal for relationships so often that if two characters sleep together it causes readers to automatically see them as truly in love / that it would solve all problems for the pair to be together forever, even when that isn't necessarily what the narrative is trying to say / depict otherwise.

I am thinking about this because of Guts and Casca... to me they sleep together initially almost as an act of friendship? A way of experimenting with each other and learning about sex, perhaps of distracting themselves from the person they're both more actually into, and of course also because they do care about each other and maybe are attracted to one another on some level, and want to see what it would be like to try to get even closer together. But I think the story also makes it pretty clear that Guts is more emotionally invested in his relationship with Griffith than with Casca, in what you might call a narratively romantic sense... and Casca is shown sort of seeing the futility of her feelings for Griffith and eventually growing apart from him that way pre-Eclipse, even though she still cares for him the most out of everyone she knows (though I don't think he ever feels nearly the same way about her). So getting with Griffith isn't end game for Casca (and she herself eventually realizes that), but I also don't read Casca as a character for whom getting with Guts is the end game character arc-wise, either. I'm not sure Miura even had a concrete end-game character arc in mind for her, to be honest. I feel as though unfortunately she was written mostly as something to be used between Griffith and Guts rather than to end up having her own fully realized narrative journey in the same way that Guts (and maybe also Griffith) will. I want to see her and Guts as friends and at peace more than I want to see them live happily ever after together as a couple, because I feel like that's actually more how they really feel for one another than anything else. Granted, there's a bit of an interesting ironic twist in the story that happens during the Eclipse, where Griffith (unintentionally?) drives Guts and Casca closer together than I think they might have been otherwise with the trauma that he causes them both (even though I think their relationship is probably something he'd be jealous of and read as more romantic than it actually might be and wish to destroy, simply due to his own insecurities and his own possessive feelings for Guts). But I also didn't really read Guts' reactions in the Eclipse scene as Guts being jealous and possessive over Casca in a sexual / romantic sense - I read it more as him feeling empathy for her pain and desire to protect her from harm / from the darker side of Griffith he maybe knew about a bit better than anybody else. I DO care about Guts and Casca's relationship a lot, and find it one of the most emotionally compelling things in the story. But I don't think shipping them together for a happily ever after is really what I'd want for them, nor something that the narrative was actually trying to work towards / suggest to be the best ending for anybody involved? I don't know if I think shipping Guts and Griffith necessarily is either, particularly because of how irredeemably awful Griffith behaved during the Eclipse... but I DO think the story intentionally hinges more around the Griffguts relationship and their emotional journeys / character developments than it does about any other pair/relationship in the series, and that both of them have intense unresolved feelings for each other that come off much more suggestive and stronger than ones of just simply wanting to be friends. And I think all of these characters are pretty explicitly aware of that themselves even in the story as well.

Haha I don't even know what I'm trying to even say here except to work out some of my own thoughts about the main 3 that I care about, I suppose!

[mrsaltieri-real]

Please do Billy as a BF (both SFW and NSFW) headcanons, thank youuu ❤️

Billy Loomis as a boyfriend (SFW AND NSFW)

Of course, of course!

I’m absolutely loving doing these headcanons dude, it’s ridiculous.

For this one I had to get some knowledge and insight from our resident Billy Loomis specialist @bisexual-horror-fan because she knows him far better as a character than I do, especially with the NSFW stuff.

But yes yes yes let’s get into it!

(He looks so cute in this gif dude. Like that’s literally me when I see titties too)

SFW

Honestly in my opinion, if Billy genuinely cares about you he’s a really good boyfriend

He’d be very particular about you as a partner, he wouldn’t just date anyone

Regardless of what happened with Sidney I feel like he’d really have to be sure that you love him before anything else

Very very protective

He won’t stand for anyone looking at you the wrong way, he’ll blow his fucking top fr

Definitely the kind of guy who’ll secretly follow you around to make sure you’re safe

Going to a friend's house to hang? He’ll be in the car right behind you tracking your every move

Honestly, the amount of love he’ll have for you would shock you to your core

He won’t be particularly physically affectionate I don’t think

But he absolutely will ensure you know he cares about you in his own way

He’ll leave sweet notes and gifts in your locker to surprise you

Uses the pet names babe, baby and sweetheart

Princess on occasion

He’s fiercely loyal

Needs validation. NEEDS. IT.

I feel like in the lead up to the ghostface attacks he would try and put you at a safe distance so you don’t get caught in the crossfire

He wouldn’t ever let you leave him. No way.

Once he’s got you, that’s it. You’re not going anywhere

He’d literally kill for you

He’s honestly a fucking sweetheart once you get to know him

He loves to love and be loved in equal measure

Perfect date night? Watching a movie with you at home. No one else around, just the two of you

His love languages are words of affirmation, quality time and gift giving

NSFW

He loves fucking you

Probably one of his favourite things to do

Although not touchy feely in the romantic sense, it’s completely different when it comes to foreplay and sex

He cannot keep his hands off of you

Loves leaving hickeys scattered across your body

Visibly too, marking what belongs to him for all to see

“Billy, my parents will see.”

“So?”

Loves loves LOVES when you wear pretty lingerie for him

Wear something specifically made for fucking and let him fuck you while you’re wearing it? He is GONE

Will stare at you for hours GIVE HIM A FUCKING SHOW

Appreciates that you went through the effort to look all pretty for him

He likes positions where he can be as close to you as possible

Missionary

And sat up with you on his lap with your legs straddling him, just gently riding his cock with his hands on your waist and yours resting on his shoulders

But it’s not boring

NOPE, far from it

It’s intense as fuck in the best possible way

He likes watching your expressions change and hearing you moan right in his ear

Likes to kiss your neck while he’s fucking you too

Doesn’t like condoms and will absolutely want to fill you up with his cum

A tit guy 100 percent

Loves being sucked off. Loves. It.

Let him cum on your tits after you blow him and he’ll fucking melt

LOVES THAT

As mentioned in the SFW section, he’s a jealous fuck

He feels like you’ve been talking to a guy too long? He’ll be sure to reclaim what’s rightfully his in whatever way he sees fit

[gigilvsdylan]

[Yellowstone Oneshot - Ryan]

Author’s Space

Hi there! I'm Giulia, and I'm Italian. This is my first time writing something in english, and the first time I write an Oneshot. This oneshot will be, obviously, entirely in English, but I want to let you know that my English isn't perfect. So…Please forgive me if there are any mistakes! Hope you enjoy it!

Grace Dutton was the youngest of all the Duttons, but unlike her siblings, she was the only one who had chosen to dedicate her life completely to the family ranch. It wasn't just a job - it was a true calling for her. You could say she was the pride of her father, John, who had always been incredibly attached to his land and his ranch, seeing in her the same deep, visceral love for that land that he himself felt. John was particularly proud of his daughter Grace, precisely because he recognized in her eyes that same spark of passion he had always had, saw how she fought tooth and nail to preserve and make the ranch prosper, just as he had done all his life. For years now, Grace had been begging her father to let her sleep with the other wranglers, since she was one of them in every way, but he, protective as always, didn't want to leave his little beloved daughter among those roughnecks, as he called them. "Dad, I can't go on like this," she told him one day, "working hard from dawn to dusk and then coming to sleep in my comfortable room while everyone else sleeps in their spartan quarters. It's not fair to all the other wranglers  who work just as hard as I do." She complained with a gentle smile, and her father, looking at her with eyes full of affection but also concern, sighed deeply. "Let's do this, honey. You can go sleep with them," he finally conceded, and Grace, happy as a child, stood on her tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek "but," he added in a serious tone, "you must tell me immediately if anyone tries to bother you. If you don't, I'll have to ask Rip to keep an eye on you, and you know how... protective he can be." She laughed heartily, knowing all too well the intimidating nature of her father's loyal right-hand man, and nodded vigorously. "Thank you, Daddy!" she exclaimed with genuine joy. After saying goodbye with another affectionate hug, she set off toward the field with determined steps, her heart light and her spirit ready to face another intense and tiring day of work at the ranch.

"Don't even think about it, Walker!" Rip said threateningly when he saw the new stable hand approach Grace and try to flirt with her. Let's say that Rip's threat wouldn't have made any difference anyway, since the girl had been infatuated with Ryan since the moment she met him, but Rip didn't care about this because first and foremost, he would always protect her, despite everything and everyone; and secondly, he didn't know about Grace's feelings for Ryan, so he would never have thought she might reject Walker. Grace approached Rip, who was about to mount his horse. "You know I can protect myself, right?" she asked him, smiling.

Grace's strong point was her smile, that sweet smile, warm and comforting. It had an extraordinary power over everyone. When Grace smiled, her soft cheeks reached up to the moon and her tender eyes lit up, making the whole room shine. Grace could put anyone in a good mood with that smile.

"I know, you're your father's daughter, but above all, you're Beth's sister, obviously you know how to protect yourself... But I'll keep doing it constantly, because I don't care if I'm rude to protect you, while you worry too much about using the right words, honey." Rip replied laughing, giving the girl a kiss on the cheek before mounting his horse. "When you get back, can we talk?" She asked, receiving a worried look from him, but he nodded. "Should I be worried though?" And she shook her head, so the cowboy could get to work.

"Alright, today Ryan, Grace, Lloyd, and Colby will go to pasture nine!" Rip ordered meanwhile. "While I, Walker, Ethan, Jake, and Jimmy will go to pasture eleven to fix the fence! To work!" Everyone nodded and got to work.

---

Ryan was galloping alongside Colby, while Lloyd was talking with Grace. He was like a second father to her. He was already working here when she was born and had watched her grow up. Many cowboy things had been taught to her by Lloyd himself! "Lloyd, I'm about to do something stupid..." Grace confessed. "Something stupid? Nothing you do can be stupid... you're the smartest person I know, it's impossible for you to do something stupid, my dear!" But Grace shook her head and smiled at the man. "You're too kind to me, Lloyd! And anyway, yes, I'm going to do something really stupid." At that, Lloyd shrugged and sighed. "Well, let's hear this stupid thing."

"I'm going to declare my feelings to the man I've always loved." Said the girl, still in a whisper so Ryan wouldn't hear her, but that didn't happen because Lloyd shouted: "If Rip finds out, there'll be trouble!"

The two guys who were a little ahead of them stopped and joined them. "Is Grace in trouble for the first time?" Said Colby, but both she and Lloyd shook their heads. "No, she's in love! Rip will surely kill the poor fellow!" He said laughing.

Men... so dramatic.

It's true, Rip is very protective of Grace, but only because he sees her as his little sister and will never allow anyone to hurt her, but that doesn't mean he would kill someone to protect her... maybe.

"You're in love? And who is it!?" Asked Colby curiously, while Ryan anxiously awaited the answer. "I'm not in love with anyone. Lloyd is making things up just to keep me out of trouble. Now we need to work or we'll really end up in trouble."

---

Once back at the ranch, Rip was waiting for his lovely Grace so they could talk. "I'm all ears," he said as soon as the girl reached him on horseback. All the other wranglers had returned to the bunkhouse, so they could talk freely. "I'm in love, Rip," she said abruptly. It was something she couldn't hold back anymore.

Let's say she's always been like this, never telling anyone what was happening to her, what she was feeling. It was her only flaw, keeping everything inside without talking to anyone about it.

"You are... please Grace tell me it's not Walker." She laughed at his comment. She loved him for this, for his irony and spontaneity. She adored her Rip. "No, it's not Walker. It's Ryan..." The girl instinctively lowered her gaze. "Hey, look at me." She did, and he smiled at her. "I like Ryan, but I won't go easy on him if he dares to make you suffer." She stopped him immediately. "He doesn't know anything, maybe it's better this way." "Why do you say that?" "Because I don't want to cause problems between us. Because then there will be consequences for the whole ranch too, and that's not what I want... for me, for you, for my father." He looked at her and nodded. "I think it's a big mistake, but it's your life and you have to decide, honey."

---

*1 week later*

A week had passed since the conversation that Colby, Ryan, Lloyd, and Grace had almost had in that field, and it was tormenting Ryan's mind. It had been months since he and Grace had grown closer, and the fact that she wouldn't confide in him made him feel bad. Actually, worse than bad, since he wanted to be the reason she always smiled. He wanted to be the one to comfort her when she was down, he wanted to be the one to protect her.

"Hey Ryan!" Said Grace when she saw him coming out of the stable with his horse ready to be saddled. "Good morning, beauty, how are you?" He loved calling her beauty because every time she would wrinkle her nose and smile, Ryan loved her smile, actually no. Ryan loved Grace! "I'm great!" "I can see that," he said, moving closer. "Are you very busy today or can you come with me?" Asked the girl with sweet puppy eyes. "I'm always available for you, Grace." She smiled. He made her feel good, made her happy, but the two didn't know the feeling was mutual. "Then prepare your horse, I'll take you somewhere." "At your command, Miss Dutton." He said and winked at her. Grace didn't respond and blushed, he noticed but pretended not to. He loved seeing her blush, but hated seeing her hide from embarrassment.

---

"We're here!" She exclaimed, dismounting from her horse, and Ryan did the same. Grace had organized a picnic on the summit of a hill near their ranch and not too far away. "Did you do all this?" He asked while sitting down, and she nodded. "Why?" She shrugged and didn't answer. "Let's eat now because we left too late, it'll be dark in a few hours." "And we'll have time to get back-" "Who said we're going back? I brought a tent, to sleep here... if that's not a problem for you." She interrupted him, and he shook his head. "No no, that's perfectly fine with me," he said laughing.

The hours flew by and it was now late night, with myriad stars covering the velvet sky like a sparkling blanket that seemed to want to protect and warm the earth beneath them. The two were lying on the fresh grass, and while Grace contemplated the magnificent celestial spectacle above them, Ryan couldn't help but admire the ethereal beauty of her profile illuminated by the silvery moonlight. She suddenly turned, catching his intense gaze, but he, instead of looking away as one might expect, firmly maintained eye contact. Caught off guard by that intensity, Grace returned to looking at the sky, but this time with a sweet smile lighting up her face. "Why can't you maintain eye contact with me, Grace?" He whispered to her in a velvety voice, sending cascades of shivers down her spine. "That's not true," she murmured weakly, her eyes still fixed on the dancing stars above them. "Liar," he replied, his voice deeper and more confident this time, as he moved even closer to her, so close that his warm breath gently caressed her cheek like an invisible caress.

Grace turned slowly toward him, as if drawn by an invisible magnetic force, and their eyes met in the darkness of the night, illuminated only by the silvery glow of the stars. "Ryan," she whispered, her heart pounding so hard in her chest that she feared he might hear it. "Yes, beauty?" he murmured in response, as his hand moved with infinite delicacy toward her face, his fingers barely grazing her soft skin as if he were touching the most precious of treasures. "It will be complicated, you know that, right?" Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke those words. He nodded slowly, moving even closer until their noses almost touched. "I don't like easy things," he whispered with a tender smile on his lips. Their faces were now so close that their breaths mingled in the night air, his lips a breath away from hers. Grace closed her eyes, her heart racing wildly, as he eliminated that minimal distance between them with infinite gentleness, brushing her lips in a kiss so delicate and reverent that he seemed to fear he might shatter her like the most fragile crystal.

[a-crack-in-the-universe]

Terraqua Week Day 4 - Free Day

@terraquaweek

It had all happened so quickly. She and Terra had been in the middle of a particularly intense battle with a giant Heartless in Prankster's Paradise, one they hadn’t encountered before. It’d looked like they were winning, when the Heartless had made an unexpected attack that Aqua hadn’t seen in time, having been too caught up in fending off the Heartless’s previous attack. But Terra had noticed, a mere second before her. He’d tried to block it but had failed and been knocked out by the Heartless’ attack.

Once that had happened, Aqua had known that she wouldn’t be able to defeat the Heartless by herself, so she briefly cast Barrier and called for backup using the gummiphone. Sora and Kairi had come within the next ten minutes, as they’d already been close by doing a mission on a neighbouring world. Riku had arrived from Mysterious Tower in the aftermath of the battle, to check that everyone was all right and the Heartless gone.

Of course, Terra hadn’t been all right. No one had been able to wake him, and while Curaga appeared to heal his physical wounds, it also did not wake him up. And so they’d taken him to Radiant Garden, to be examined by Ansem the Wise and his apprentices. Now, they were waiting outside Ansem the Wise’s castle in Radiant Garden, for someone to come out and give them an update on Terra’s condition.

Aqua couldn’t stop pacing. It had been hours since they had brought Terra to Radiant Garden via the Gummi Ship, and Ansem the Wise and his apprentices had taken him into their surgery room to examine and hopefully operate on him.

‘Why couldn’t he just let me take it? I could’ve shielded myself, I could have…’

‘You know how Terra is,’ Ventus said quietly. Ven had arrived quickly, as soon as he’d gotten Aqua’s message about what had happened. ‘He’d die before he let either of us get hurt like that.’

She felt treacherous tears sting her eyes but didn’t try to wipe them away. She didn’t want to bring any attention to them, and besides, maybe she ignored them they would just disappear. One could hope.

‘I know, Ven,’ she whispered. ‘I just… I hate this so much. Terra looks so badly hurt… I don’t know what we’d do without him if he dies.’

I don’t know what I’d do without him. Terra had been a constant in her life since she’d first started training to be a keyblade wielder, at age of ten. She hadn’t gotten along with him at first, finding him annoying and off-putting, but gradually, as the years passed, she began to see the traits of his that no one else save maybe Master Eraqus saw—his warmth, his kindness, his protective nature, his stubbornness and care. And so gradually, over the years they’d gone from strangers to friends to best friends and rivals. And Aqua had realised that she cared for him much more than she could ever say and couldn’t bear to lose him. Her, Terra and Ven being separated for over ten years due to Xehanort had only strengthened her feelings.    

‘He’s not going to die,’ Ven said confidently. ‘Don’t think like that, Aqua. Remember what Master Yen Sid said? It’s important for us to believe. Terra’ll find his way back to us, you’ll see.’

Yes… she remembered. Master Yen Sid had said the same thing when she awakened in the Mysterious Tower with a comatose Ven, so many years ago. It had been easy to believe then, but now she’d experienced too much darkness to ever think that way again.

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

Some time later, Aqua didn’t know when, Ansem the Wise finally appeared outside the castle gates, looking tired with dark shadows under his eyes.

Aqua and Ven, Riku, Sora and Kairi immediately turned toward him. He smiled at them in greeting.

‘I am sorry to have kept you waiting for so long,’ he said. ‘Our examination took us longer than we had expected.’

‘Please…’ Aqua forced her voice to stay calm. ‘Will Terra be all right?’

Ansem looked at her gravely. ‘He will live,’ he said. ‘But his condition is uncertain…’

Her heart hammered in her chest at the words. ‘What do you mean?’

‘It seems that the attack Terra bore the brunt of, infected him with a dark virus,’ Ansem said gently to her. ‘Because of this he is comatose—his mind subconsciously did this in an attempt to protect his heart. He will live, but we don’t know when he will wake up or what his condition will be like when he does.’

‘Oh…’

‘When can we take him home?’ Ven asked him.

‘We want to keep Terra here with us for further observation for another seven days. Then he can go home, provided his condition hasn’t gotten any worse,’ Ansem the Wise said.

‘Great!’ Ven said, trying to maintain an air of positivity. ‘Right, Aqua?’

‘Yes… good.’ She forced her frozen lips to move. ‘Thank you, Master Ansem. You’ve done so much to help us.’

Ansem smiled sadly. ‘It is nothing, Master Aqua. I am happy to help, and so are my apprentices. I, too, have some affection for Terra, and it grieves me that he has been hurt like this. But please be assured that he will recover and wake up. He just needs time.’

‘Thank you,’ Aqua repeated, with tears stinging her eyes, and heard Ven echo her. ‘We’ll stay in Radiant Garden until Terra is ready to leave.’

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

Seven days later, Aqua and Ventus took Terra home to the Land of Departure.

‘Call us if he gets worse or if he wakes up,’ Ienzo instructed them when they were about to board the gummi ship. Aqua got the impression that he, like Ansem the Wise, was also worried about Terra and cared about his wellbeing.

‘Of course, Ienzo,’ Aqua said. ‘Thank you for everything you’ve all done.’

‘It was nothing,’ the man said shyly.

And so they went home. They managed somehow miraculously to carry Terra to his bedroom in the castle, despite him being so heavy, and settled him in his bed. It would’ve made it much easier if they’d had someone else to help them, but Aqua had felt too distraught to really accept any help offered by Ansem and his apprentices.

The next days passed in a painful blur. Aqua busied herself with paperwork, while Ven went on missions to various worlds, usually paired with Roxas or Xion. After all, there were still worlds to protect and the Land of Departure to maintain, and Terra being injured didn’t change that. They went at it with a surprising intensity—neither of them wanted to think too much about Terra’s absence.     

But even with their days being occupied with their respective duties, they still made some time to sit at Terra’s bedside and talk to him about everything that’d been going on. They always had dinner in his bedroom, because Ven insisted that it would help Terra wake up sooner.  

If she was being honest with herself, Aqua thought, she’d insisted that she needed to stay in the Land of Departure to work on paperwork because she didn’t want to leave Terra while he was like this. Throughout each day she sat often with Terra, holding his hand and talking to him, sharing the thoughts in her heart like they’d used to do back when they were kids. When had they stopped doing that? She didn’t know. From time to time, she had a sudden urge to kiss him, but she restrained herself. It didn’t feel right to do it when Terra wasn’t awake to say anything about it.

‘I know you can’t hear me, but… I miss you. I wish you would wake up soon.’   

She refrained from speaking the other, more personal words that were at the front of her mouth. I love you. I need you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.

Her heart clenched at the thought of Terra never waking up. She’d already had to experience that with Ventus, though the younger boy had woken up eventually when Sora had used the Power of Waking to help guide Ven’s heart back into his body. She didn’t want to have to go through that again with Terra.

‘I swear, if you never wake up, or if it takes you ten years, I’ll never forgive you!’

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

Five days after they’d brought him home, Terra finally woke up. Ven was with him at the time—Aqua was preparing their dinner in the kitchen. When Ven had called out to her in such an urgent tone—“Aqua, Terra’s awake!” Aqua immediately dropped what she’d been doing and ran to Terra’s bedroom.

As she burst through the door, she found the sight of Terra sitting up staring at her with tired eyes, but very much awake. She felt as if her heart would burst with relief and joy.

‘Terra! You’re awake!’

Terra snorted slightly, but smiled at her. ‘Yeah… I guess I am.’ Then he rubbed the back of his head and a confused expression crossed his face. ‘What happened? The last thing I remember is fighting that giant Heartless and trying to block that attack you didn’t see.’

‘Well…’ Aqua and Ven glanced at each other. Aqua continued, ‘You were knocked unconscious and we—Sora, Riku, Kairi and I—couldn’t wake you up. We took you to Ansem’s laboratory and he said that you were infected with some kind of dark virus and that your mind put you into a coma to protect your heart. Do you feel all right now?’

Terra looked surprised but answered her readily. ‘Yeah, I think so.’

‘Great!’ Ven said. ‘I’ll call Ansem the Wise to tell him.’   

Terra and Aqua were left alone as Ven ran out of the room. Aqua smiled fondly after Ven, then turned to Terra. ‘We’re about to have dinner,’ she told him. ‘You can join us—you must be hungry after being asleep for so long.’

Terra laughed. ‘I’m not sure I’ll be up to eating dinner. I feel ready to fall asleep again. I’m not sure I can even get out of bed.’

‘That’s okay,’ Aqua said. She gripped his hand and squeezed it gently. ‘You need a lot of rest to recover.’

Later, after dinner, she lay curled next to Terra on his bed, her hand in his, and she said the words that she couldn’t bear to say while he’d been unconscious.

He looked at her, surprised. ‘You really mean that?’

She looked into his tired, hopeful eyes and nodded. ‘Yes. I don’t know what I’d do without you. When the Heartless hurt you and you wouldn’t wake up, it scared me a lot.’

‘I’m sorry,’ he said quietly. ‘When I took that blow for you, all I could think of was that I didn’t want you to get hurt. I thought if anyone had to get hurt, it should be me.’   

‘Why should it be you?’ she challenged him. ‘We’re partners, Terra, remember? We look out for each other. You can’t protect me from everything. There’ll always be a point where I’ll get hurt.’

Terra looked away. ‘I’m sorry,’ he repeated. ‘It was just—instinct.’

Aqua sighed. She really couldn’t blame him for doing what his heart told him to do. It was just that she’d been so scared for him. She didn’t want to feel like that ever again.

‘I know, Terra,’ she whispered. ‘I understand. I just was so scared. Don’t do that to me again. After everything we’ve all been through, I can’t handle another scare like that. I don’t want to lose you.’

‘You won’t lose me,’ he said to her gently. ‘I promise. I’ll be more careful from now on.’

She saw the honesty in his eyes and smiled. ‘Good,’ she said, and kissed his cheek. ‘Now go to sleep. You need it.’

She hopped off the bed and started toward the doorway. When she was almost at the door, Terra called out to her.

‘Aqua?’

‘Yeah?’

‘I love you too,’ he said drowsily.

Then he closed his eyes and slid into sleep. Aqua smiled fondly at him, then exited the bedroom.

[fangirlwriting-stories]

Afterlife Lessons

Masterlist

Art For This Chapter: @junicane-dp link

Chapter Thirteen:

It took a little bit for Sam to decide how she felt about the fight with Phantom.  They didn’t see him again that day, and neither of them felt particularly inclined to go looking.  Some time to cool off sounded like the best idea.  It gave Sam some time to think, and by the end of the day, she’d realized a couple things.

For one, Phantom was clearly not doing so hot.  People don’t insist they’re fine and can handle everything themself while bleeding out of a wound in their side unless they’ve got some stuff going on.

But his motives still aligned pretty neatly with what Sam understood about him.  He wanted to protect her and Tucker.  The intensity was a little confusing, but mostly because Sam wasn’t really confused by it.  The three of them had only technically met a little over a week ago, but she didn’t question Phantom’s very firm insistence that he needed to protect them, she just knew it made him an idiot.

Idiot or no however, it did make him a great example to give to Danny in regards to a ghost that clearly wasn’t malicious.  So the next morning found her in front of Danny’s locker, waiting for him to show up.  Before he did, however, Tucker got there first and headed over to her.

“Hey,” he said.  “So I figured something out.”

Sam turned to face him.  “Yeah?”

Tucker nodded.  “We shouldn’t talk about it here.  After school?”

Sam nodded back.  “Okay.  You sure?”

“Yeah.  Before we meet up with Phantom.”

Sam gave him a curious look but didn’t argue.

“Uh, hey, are we all having hangouts by my locker now?”

Sam turned to see Danny approaching and started grinning.  She stepped aside and let Danny open his locker, and then started taking.

“Hey Danny,” she said, trying to keep her voice more casual than mischievous or smug.  “I have an argument for you.”

Danny sighed, long and exhausted.  “First thing in the morning?”

“Phantom saved our lives yesterday.”

Danny set his bag in his locker and slammed it shut.  “No he didn’t.”

“Hey, how would you know?” Sam asked, crossing her arms.  “You weren’t there.”

She saw Danny clench his jaw, and she knew she was getting to him in at least some way.

But then Danny said, “I know because there’s no way that menace actually did something helpful,” and Sam felt her own jaw clench.

“Don’t talk about him that way.”

“Why not?” Danny said, starting down the hallway.  “He’s the worst ghost out there, isn’t he?  That’s what everyone says.”

“No, that’s what your parents say,” Sam said.  “And if you got your information from literally anyone else in addition to them, you’d know better!”

“I know enough,” Danny snapped.  “He’s a worthless excuse for a hero who can’t even save people right, and he’s gonna get someone killed one day.”

“Hey,” Tucker said, sounding just as angry as Sam did.  “You really don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yeah, and honestly Danny, I think we might know Phantom a little better than you do,” Sam said.

Danny snorted.  “Oh, do you,” he said, and then he turned and walked into homeroom before either of them could respond.

Sam huffed and crossed her arms.  She was a little surprised by how angry that conversation had made her, but only a little.  It wasn’t a conversation about all ghosts in general, it was about Phantom, and he was her friend, and she cared about him.  Maybe this “using him as a good example” idea was a double edged sword.  And she’d let it go, except now Danny had directly insulted her friend, and she couldn’t just let that slide.

So, she walked into homeroom, slid into the seat across from Danny, and said, “What exactly does he do that makes him not a hero?  You think—”

“Well, just for starters, he’s fought my parents before,” Danny said without looking up.

“No, your parents fought him.  There’s a difference.  They initiated things.”

“He’s a ghost,” Danny said, glaring up at Sam.  “If they hadn’t, he would have.”

“You understand how biased that is, right?” Sam snapped.

“Doesn’t change the fact that he fought them while they were trying to protect everyone,” Danny said.  “He made it harder for them to do their jobs.”

“Your parents couldn’t hit a ghost if one hovered in front of them and asked them to,” Sam said.

Danny blinked in surprise, then narrowed his eyes.  “Hey.”

Okay, maybe that was a bit too far.

“Hey, let’s all calm down,” Tucker said, drawing both of their attention.  “People are starting to stare at us.”

Sam glanced around and saw that it was true.  And yeah, having a knock-down drag out in homeroom maybe wasn’t the best idea.

“Fine,” she said.  She turned a glare back on Danny.  “But don’t think this conversation is over.”

Danny rolled his eyes and turned his own glare back to the table.  Neither of them spoke again for the rest of homeroom.

…

“So your only problem with Phantom is that he fights your parents sometimes?” Sam asked as soon as Danny walked up to the lunch table.  She’d use the loud noise as an excuse when Tucker got there.

Danny groaned as he sat down.  “Honestly Sam, just drop it,” he said.  “Why do you care so much, anyway?”

“Because you’re being really unfair and insulting to someone I really admire,” Sam said, crossing her arms.

“Why do you admire him?” Danny asked, looking up at the ceiling.  “Pick a better option.”

“Well the only reason you’ve given me not to so far is that he’s mean to your parents sometimes,” Sam said, narrowing her eyes.

“That is not the only reason,” Danny snapped.  “That’s not even the reason I gave you, but that’s hardly the point.  You want reasons?  How about the destruction of property following him everywhere he goes, ruining homes and livelihoods?”

“That’s not his fault!  It’s not like he goes around destroying buildings!  They get smashed up when he’s fighting ghosts!”

“And?  He should be better at this by now,” Danny said, and he shoved a chicken nugget in his mouth.

“Oh sure, and of course you’d be much better at protecting property during fast paced dangerous ghost fights,” Sam said.

In response, Danny shoved another chicken nugget in his mouth.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

“You know what, I really don’t have to sit here and take this,” Danny said.  And before Sam could ask what that meant, he picked up his lunch and walked off.

“What— Danny!  Get back here, you prick!”

Danny didn’t give her any kind of response, and Sam glowered after him.  Whatever, she had food to eat, and he wasn’t worth chasing after over that.  She’d catch up to him later and keep giving him a piece of her mind.  For now, Tucker was walking over to her, looking at Danny leaving the lunchroom as he did, which meant she’d have to explain.

“What’s up with him?” Tucker asked as he sat down.

“He can’t stand the fact that someone’s trying to defend Phantom right to his face,” Sam snapped.  “As if it’s impossible for a ghost to be a benefit to society.”

Tucker sighed and sat down.  “Do you want to give it a rest?  We knew he’s like this.”

“Yeah, but that was with ghosts we didn’t know,” Sam said, stabbing her fork into her salad.

Tucker sighed.  “Yeah, I know,” he said.  “I’m annoyed too.  Just, you’re not gonna change Danny’s mind in one day.”

“No, but I can sure try.”

“Sam.”

“I just want him to admit he’s not the worst ghost out there,” Sam said.  “Seriously.  I need to hear him say that.”

Because she did.  Both because Phantom was her friend, and she didn’t like hearing him talked about that way, and because… she wasn’t sure.  But there was something else bugging her.

Tucker seemed to read at least some of that in her face, because he nodded.  “Okay,” he said.  “Just, make sure you don’t push too hard, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Sam sighed.  “Okay.”  She thought for a minute.  “Maybe we talk about it more casually in a hangout.  Like we offer going over to one of our houses to play Doomed or something.  So we’re not just arguing back and forth.”

Tucker nodded.  “Okay,” he said.  “Let’s do that.”

So next time Sam saw Danny in class she asked if he was up for Doomed after school.  Danny gave her a suspicious look, but ultimately agreed, and offered his own house as the place to go, since he had the console they were most familiar with all playing together.  Sam agreed, and Tucker was down with it too, meaning after school found them all there on bean bags in front of Danny’s console.  The feeling was casual and lighthearted enough that Sam almost didn’t want to ruin it.

But the something else that was bugging her wouldn’t leave her alone, so eventually, in a pause after she beat a level, she turned to face Danny.

“Okay, genuine question,” she said, hoping to at least try to keep the lighthearted tone.  “You really don’t think Phantom is a hero?”

Danny groaned, and put his hands over his face.  “God, again, really?” he asked.

“I’m asking!  It’s not a stance most people have,” Sam said, crossing her arms.  “You know, with all the ways he fights ghosts and protects everyone in Amity Park?”

“Stephanie Bacon,” Danny said, counting off on a finger.  “A five year old who got caught in the crossfire of a ghost fight with Technus.  Donna Smith, a middle aged woman who got crushed against a building and broke her leg during a battle with Ember.  Anthony Walker, an old man Phantom grabbed too roughly to pull to safety, breaking his wrist.  Riley Adams, a teenager who got a bad concussion after Phantom failed to catch them in time and they hit the ground—”

“Uh, hold up.  What is that?” Sam asked.

“Everyone who’s ever gotten hurt during one of Phantom’s ghost fights,” Danny said, looking down at his controller and fiddling with the buttons instead of meeting her eye.

“Dude,” Tucker said.  “Do you have that memorized?”

Danny nodded.

“You—” Sam took a very unsuccessful calming breath and ran her hands through her hair.  “Danny, do you understand how completely unfair to him that is?”

“Oh, yeah?” Danny said, glaring up at her with so much fury that it actually caught her off guard for a minute.  “If he’s going to claim to be this big hero, he needs to be held accountable for his fuckups.”

Sam shook herself, and went back to glaring at him.  “That’s not how you hold someone accountable,” Sam snapped.  “That’s how you hold onto an unfair grudge.  Ghost fights are fast and dangerous.  You can’t expect him to make perfect decisions all the time.”

“If he wants to say he’s actually helping people, he needs to learn how to do better than that,” Danny said.  “People could get hurt in ways that don’t heal.”

“That wouldn’t be his fault either,” Sam snapped.

“You’re going way too far to defend him, Sam,” Danny said, glaring back down at his controller, which he was squeezing so tight Sam was a little concerned it might break.  “When would you stop?  What if someone gets killed on his watch?  Is that something that you should just let go?”

I already did, Sam didn’t say.

Instead she said, “Do you honestly think Phantom wouldn’t try absolutely everything to stop that from happening?”

“Maybe he would, maybe he wouldn’t,” Danny said.  “That’s not the point.  If it’s not enough, that makes him just as much of a monster as every other ghost.”

And honestly, Sam had about had enough of this.  Maybe Danny had gotten most of his knowledge from his parents, and Sam had tried to give him a little grace with that.  But she’d been consistently pointing out flaws in that kind of thinking, examples of ghosts being different than his parents thought, and he hadn’t changed his mind at all.  And if he was going to be this prejudiced towards one of her actual friends, Sam was done putting up with it.

So, she walked over to Danny’s bedroom door, locked it for safekeeping, turned and met Danny’s confused face now gazing back at her, and transformed.

Danny’s mouth fell open.

“I’m a ghost, Danny,” Sam snapped.  “Am I a monster?”

Danny looked faint, even as he stood up from his bean bag.  “Y-you— you just—”

“Sam!” Tucker called, running over in front of Danny and sticking his arms out as a barrier between him and Sam.  “What are you doing, you idiot?”

Sam saw Danny look at Tucker, probably processing that Tucker “knew” or something.

“Wh- I don’t understand,” Danny said, taking a couple of steps back.  “Why would you show me that?”

Sam noted with slight confusion that Danny wasn’t asking any questions about “what” or “how” and had instead jumped straight to “why.”  But she could wonder about that later.

“Because you’re being a total prick and I’m tired of dealing with it,” Sam snapped.  “And because, somehow, I trust that you’ll keep it a secret.”

She felt a little crazy even saying it, but she did.  There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that Danny wouldn’t tell anyone.  Even now.

Apparently there were a couple of doubts in Danny’s mind, though, because he shook his head and took another step back.  “How— how do you know?” he asked weakly.  “What if I just go and turn you right over to my parents so they can rip you apart molecule by molecule?”

Sam snorted.  She turned intangible, flew right through Tucker, dropped the intangibility and leaned right into Danny’s face.  “Go on then,” she said.  She pointed behind her towards Danny’s bedroom door.  “Do it.”

Danny stared back at her with wide eyes, and Sam met his gaze with a firm determined one.

Finally, Danny pulled his gaze down, away from hers just slightly.

Sam leaned back, satisfied.  “That’s what I thought.”  She turned to Tucker.  “Come on, Tuck,” she said.  “You want to fly home?”

Tucker looked hesitantly at her for a second, then back at Danny, and then nodded, and transformed just like her.  He looked at Danny for a moment, and Sam looked back over to see something strange and broken on Danny’s face.

But she was done cutting him slack.

“Come find us when you stop being a dick,” she said.  Then she flew through Danny’s wall and started home, Tucker right behind her.

Sam took off as fast as she could as soon as she was outside Danny’s window, letting the anger and adrenaline fuel her into getting as far away from Danny, as fast as she could.

“Sam!” Tucker called, flying faster to try and catch up with her.  “Sam, wait!”

Sam stopped with a huff and turned around, only for Tucker to soar right past her.

“Woah!” he said, spinning around and doubling back.  “I uh, thought I’d have to chase you a bit longer.”

“Can you believe him?” Sam snapped, gesturing angrily back towards Danny.

“Uh, yeah,” Tucker said, looking… not angry?  Why wasn’t he angry?  “Sam, I… I don’t know if he was being a hundred percent honest there.”

Sam blinked.  “Honest?” she asked.  She’d attributed a lot of things to Danny’s behavior.  Prejudice, ignorance, stubbornness.  She hadn’t really put ‘dishonesty’ on the list.  “What do you mean?”

Tucker looked back over his shoulder, seeming hesitant.  “Sam, that thing I was going to tell you?  It’s about Vlad Plasmius.”

Sam blinked.  “What?  What are you talking about?”

“That thing I discovered is about Vlad Plasmius.  Phantom said he was a half ghost too, right?  Well, I think I figured it out.  His human half is Vlad Masters.”

Sam blinked again.  “Vlad Masters like Danny’s piece of shit godfather who won’t stop hitting on his mom?”

Tucker nodded.  “Yeah.”

“Okay?  So?”

“So, don’t you remember what he said?  When we were asking panicked questions about what he wanted and who he was?  He said we’d get a much better explanation from Danny.”

Sam nodded, vaguely recalling something like that.  “Yeah, okay.”

Tucker looked at her like that meant something.  “Sam, why would Danny know anything about that?”

“He knows about ghosts?” Sam said.  “Or, he thinks he does.”

“Okay, sure, but knowing about ghosts is one thing.  Knowing about half ghosts seems to be another thing entirely.”

“What’s your point?” Sam asked.

“And you know,” Tucker said, ignoring her question.  “Didn’t Phantom seem awfully sure what Danny’s reaction to us telling him anything about ghosts was going to be?  And then Danny reacted exactly like Phantom thought he would?”

“Maybe Phantom was just a good guesser,” Sam said, though she didn’t really believe it.

Tucker shook his head.  “Sam, Vlad seemed so sure Danny knew things about half ghosts.  And that he’d be talking to us about them.  But Danny hasn’t said anything to us about them, ever.”

“Okay,” Sam said, trying to ignore the queasy feeling in her stomach.  “So that’s… what does that mean?”

Tucker gave her a look, like he didn’t want to believe it either.  “Sam, come on,” he said.  “We know what it means.  I know I’m not the only one who’s noticed everything.”

Sam opened her mouth, but nothing came out, because Tucker was right.  Everything familiar about Phantom, and Danny’s sudden hatred of ghosts that seemed to come out of nowhere.  The weird something else that had been bugging her the whole time Danny had been shitting on Phantom.  The way he’d asked “why” instead of having any questions about “what the fuck are you.”

Sam squeezed her eyes shut.  “Oh, goddammit.”

[umbra-papilio]

The proxies relationships with each other

Tim and Brian's relationship is... strained, to put it gently. I don't think "hate" is the correct word here, but they both harber intense resentment about what they put each other through. But they also feel immense guilt, especially Tim. They begrudgingly work together after the Operator won the ongoing war with them and they fully became his proxies, but neither of them enjoy what they do. They had to helplessly watch as Toby willingly threw himself at the Operator's feet, and as poor Kate was put through hell just because she saw something she shouldn't have. If given the chance, they would betray the Operator in a heartbeat, but unfortunately that chance may never come. The one time they truly get along is when they make their yearly visit to Jay's grave.

Toby is the youngest of the group. He's the only one who is genuinely loyal to the Operator and will follow his orders without hesitation. He will commit any atrocity, kill any number of people, and even harm those he cares about (not that there are any) if it is asked of him. Tim and Brian fucking hate him for this. Of course, even if he wasn't the Operator's biggest simp, the others still wouldn't particularly like him. Sure, Tim can be short with people and Brian is a manipulative little shit, but they're not mean spirited by nature unlike Toby. They do everything they possibly can to not work with Toby, and the same can be said the other way around. He just prefers working alone anyways. He tolerates Kate to a certain extent, but he is baffled at how horrified she is of their master. In his eyes, he's their savior and she should be grateful. Another reason why Tim and Brian, the founders of the Kate Defense Squad hate him so much.

Kate was so severely traumatized by the whole ordeal that she became selectively mute. She has some difficulties taking care of herself due to how bad her anxiety became, but has enough clarity not to attach herself to anyone she deems as safe for fear of hurting them. She tries to be as cooperative with her fellow proxies as possible even if she's not particularly emotionally attached to them. She's extremely protective of them and desperately wants to shield them from any more harm. She's well aware of Toby's loyalty to the Operator, but unlike Tim and Brian who wrote him off as a lost cause, she still hopes that it's only a phase and he'll snap out of it eventually. Watching Tim and Brian fight causes her to have a panic attack, so they try to get along when she's around.

[callsign-rogueone]

Hi ! I can't remember which ones have been asked and answered for Gare and angel but could you do 14-18 which ever ones haven't been done? Same for Liam and spark as well please!

hihi! here’s liam and spark’s!

14. Has their relationship ever been long-distance?

They weren’t officially in a relationship back then but they were definitely crushing / deeply attached so I’m still gonna say yes — during her first year at Basgiath. It was incredibly difficult for her, and being away from Liam (her support system and her favorite person ever), made it even harder.

15. Is one of them way more invested in the relationship than the other?

The word “way” is throwing me off here, and this sounds bad, but I’d say spark is slightly more invested in the relationship? Or at least it feels that way to her. All of spark’s feelings are intense, including the positive -- high highs and low lows. She has a desperate need to protect Liam from all the shit she went through in her own first year at Basgiath, even if he doesn’t return her feelings (he does, but neither of them have said that part out loud yet, and she also has trouble accepting the fact that someone as good as Liam could love her back, especially the way she is now -- trauma!)

16. How happy are they about their relationship?

Once they get out of the mutual pining phase and figure out that they’re in love / admit that to each other, they’ll be very happy.

17. How good are they at communicating their needs and preferences to the other?

Not great. Spark is kinda like Angel in the way that she doesn’t care for her own needs, but a bit different. Angel often neglects herself by focusing on others too much, but Spark doesn’t think she deserves to be taken care of, even by herself. There are also certain self-care things that she particularly struggles with these days (you’ll see a bit of what and why in the next chapter). Liam will have to gently coax her into it, which should be pretty easy — she’d do anything he asked, honestly.

Liam also doesn’t want to burden her with anything, since he’s a pretty self-sufficient, independent guy, and because she’s clearly occupied dealing with her own shit. But she knows him too well; as soon as she notices her happy boy start to dim a bit, she knows something is wrong and she’s on the case, ready to help make him feel better and/or to fuck up whoever hurt him.

18. How good are they at respecting each other’s boundaries?

Very good. You’ll see in their next chapter, and the ones following, that Liam knows something is up, that she’s changed in her year away, but he isn’t going to demand answers or push her to tell him about it. He’s gonna continue to be gentle with her, prove that he’s safe and that he cares for her and won’t judge her etc., and let her tell him when she’s ready to.

Spark tries very hard not to be overbearing -- I mentioned she has that deep need to protect Liam, but she knows he can protect himself physically, and she doesn’t want to come across as not trusting him / overbearing / etc. She’s more quiet with her protection of him -- drying his clothes before he crosses the parapet, asking Xaden to put him in her squad, and more that you’ll see later.

it was so hard to answer these without giving absolutely everything away hsjsbj but I tried. I love them so much and I hope you’ll start to love them too as you see more of them together 💗

[doofnoof]

Okay so I have a theory.

I think Vanessa, Mike, and Garrett are Aftons. Their mom divorced William and took the kids but due to a traumatic event William blackmailed Vanessa into lying and saying she wanted to stay with William instead of her mom. I also think Vanessa may have accidentally killed Garrett, and William covered it up for her and used it to keep her loyal and obedient.

I don't think she knew Mike was her brother until that last scene where she's bandaging him and he asks her to save Abby with him, but she was definitely starting to figure it out by the time she throws his meds away. Her reaction to Abby being in danger is an intense one, because of the trauma she went through as a child for certain, but what if she knows Abby is her little sister? What if she reacted that way because she already lost her little brother, remembers him dying, and now she has the chance to protect her little sister from a similar fate?

I think she knows that William is capable of messing with their memories, and that's why she tells Mike that the dreaming thing doesn't work/isn't helpful, because she's seen first hand how he can change things to be different than what they really were. For instance, there was a yellow frisbee in the park mentioned again and again, as well as a scene where too much ketchup is put on a hamburger. I think Mike actually saw Vanessa killing Garrett and William changed his memories so he only saw Garrett being taken, not the actual incriminating act of William disposing of his body, nor of Vanessa actually accidentally killing Garrett.

I think they were all together having a fun day out as a family, with Mrs. Afton pregnant with Abby, and while playing Vanessa (or maybe even Mike) accidentally killed Garrett, and William came to see what happened when they didn't come eat when they were called. William saw what happened, realized this would look really bad, and possibly threaten his already shakey marriage with his wife, and decided to dispose of the body, maybe even teaching the kids how to do so along the way. Perhaps he even took Vanessa with him and left Michael to watch him drive away. Once he was done, he messed with their memories so that what really happened would be completely buried. Mike only remembers the airplane, Garrett in the car, the blood Ketchup, the yellow rabbit Frisbee, and his family not all of them sitting at the picnic table. This didn't bring the family closer together like William had hoped, his wife didn't lean on him for support while grieving and looking for their lost child, and eventually the Aftons divorced. William took Vanessa, because she asked to stay with him (because he told her to ask to stay with him, unless she wanted her mom to find out about Garrett) while Mike and Abby went with Mrs. Afton, who became Mrs. Schmidt. I wonder if he changed their names around while scrambling their memories one last time after the divorce, maybe Garrett was Evan at one point, and Mike (as he prefers to be called) was Michael, and Abby was going to be named Elizabeth.

Vanessa is given Garrett's plane as a trophy from William, and they continue luring children away from parties in the Pizzeria, while Mike does his best to take care of his mom and Abby. Years pass. The movie takes place.

I also think Garrett is haunting Abby. If she wasn't born yet when the Aftons went on that picnic, it would make sense that Garrett would attach himself to something or someone after a particularly traumatic death, right? Abby is seen talking to ghosts in the movie long before she visits Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria, and one of her "imaginary friends" calls Mike a rude name after he sits on him. (It's gonna be so fun when Mike realized he said "at least I'm real" to his dead baby brother.) Afterwards, when Mike asks about what she remembers of Garrett disappearing, it seems like someone is telling her what to say for a second there. I think Garrett told her not to tell him anything, because he knew Mike would obsess over it and it would ruin their relationship. This was the moment Mike would have to choose Pizza or Spaghetti, because he can't have both, and the Pizza (Garrett) is already gone.

[chilapis]

hi i’m in love with genshin lapis can u tell me her lore can u tell me everything can i know i wanna know im so curious im sitting here w my notes eagerly awaiting ur response ✍️ i love u btw

hi, hello ! i love you too . also i read your tags & i think they absolutely can be friends. two of them (they’re going to beat people to death together)

do be warned that there is heavy projection because yeah ajax is like. with me-with me (real) (mentally ill) but also if i’m making a s/i to ship with him as well … tragically she will be suffering from the same deeply rooted character flaws as myself.

genshin lapis is . quite literally just a retired, immortal warlord who just wants a simple, domestic now.

beautiful woman who used to consider international peace a mere (unhelpful) suggestion is now trying to help people finalise their divorces and drafting contracts for business. she isn’t particularly affiliated with any region mostly because she isn’t, open about who she really is? so she’ll spend centuries in a nation, and then move to another every 60-70 years or so til she completes the rotation and then start all over; new name, new identity, new past, but the same face and the same profession. she loves liyue with all her heart but tends to stay there the least because one in every three people there are more than at-least 150 years old and she has gotten that “wait, don’t i fucking know you” look from a little too many people for her liking. she also avoids old people like the plague for this same reason because she doesn’t want to see the gears click in someone’s 90 year old grandma’s head.

except the thing is that she doesn’t need to be open because she makes it so painfully obvious. you know how most non-mortal or long-waiting characters in genshin will just shut up and entertain their mortal company’s false assumptions and beliefs? not her ! her pride is far too big for that. if you’re wrong she’ll tell you that you’re wrong and she knows because she was there (the realisation of what she said will hit her in exactly 10 minutes once her tangent is over. everyone who knows her falls into either one of two categories: either they think she is insane, or they think she is immortal. Both are correct.

i feel like despite being in the legal field she does not particularly. care about justice or law; in the sense that she doesn’t quite, believe in it existing anymore? she helps people out, don’t get me wrong; she’ll even do it pro-bono, free of charge, but her acts of kindness feel more like tossing a slab of meat to a caged animal than actually doing something nice, if that makes sense. there’s this, looming feeling of detachment from everyone and everything that she cannot shake off & she knows it’s because immortality has deeply affected her ability to relate to others or form connections but she’s helpless in the sense that she she doesn’t even know what a life beyond this would be like, and she’s not sure if she wants to. societies are moral-run now; there’s more rules, there are new concepts.

& then she meets ajax & ends up forming not only just an emotional attachment but one that is so intense and overwhelming that she doesn’t . know what the hell to do about it. she is freaking out because this is probably the first time she’s ever felt this way & he’s there & he’s talking to her & she doesn’t know what it is but she’s staring at him with such wide eyes. also gets super protective of him, even after finding out that he is literally the 11th harbinger. the relationship is what would get her back to her old spirits of um . killing and battling and conquering. except in the past she did it for the sake of it. she did it for the act itself. but now it’s for him — now she does it because she knows he wants power and honestly, she does too! she may have repressed it for a bit but she also wants to be on top of the food chain! just like how she used to before! & now they can do it together!

except there’s . one teeny tiny issue. she isn’t fond of the fatui; she didn’t mind before and even took on a few cases for some of them but after knowing ajax & loving ajax she will start kicking and screaming and unsheathing her sword the moment the tsaritsa is mentioned. she actually doesn’t even mind the harbingers all too much (except pulcinella) (she has beaten him up and will do so again DO NOT let this woman near a retirement house she is not afraid to fight senile white men) but the tsaritsa just . makes her blood boil for some reason. I think a part of her (her ego) might even lead her to wanting to play god herself but um. we’ll see about that

she LOVES a good spar though. chilapis love language (we fall deeper in love every time one of us backs the other into a corner). I feel like the first time she saw foul legacy, childe was expecting her to be afraid or nervous, and he thought she was because she kept looking away but no she was just un. Deeply flustered and appreciative of his form. after she finds out what a toll it takes on him though she refuses to ever let him use it when they're playfighting. ALSO SHE LOVES HIS FAMILY? she never had one herself so domestic comfort is such a new concept for her and it makes her so giddy. i feel like after meeting ajax she just tags along with him on his missions. her job? her affiliations? her home? who cares, she finally found what’s truly hers. she won't ever bring it up herself but if he told her to permanently move to shneznaya i think she would. in a heartbest. i feel like she’d be the first to bring up marriage though. childe may want to simply date at first, see how things pan out, but she’d be like dating …..? What is this “dating” you speak of ….. She is actually fully aware of modern concepts 60% of the time but she likes to play dumb. especially when he’s around.