#cataclisymic

[doomdays]

aaron’s grin lights up his features and he lets out a small chuckle,  already making a mental note,  because while he always aims to please —- waylon is certainly someone he never wants to disappoint.  ❝  i guess that only means one thing,  right?  i’ve got to start planning my next trip,  ❞   he teases,  though it is what he’s thinking about whenever he leaves.  this might not be his home,  but it’s a place he looks forward to visiting,  especially with the company he has here with him now.  things finally feel settled,  with alexandria built back into what it was before and even better now;  they can reclaim their home,  just as aaron always dreamed,  but going back there wasn’t about not believing in the commonwealth, especially with the leadership it has now.  this can be the perfect home away from home whenever he needs it.   

❝  oh,  you don't have to tell me that.  i can't survive on your letters alone forever,  ❞    he teases.  he looks forward to them every time he gets a new one,  but waylon is right --- nothing compares to actually being right here in front of him.   aaron is an affectionate person,  it comes out easily in his words,  but he'd always prefer this.   there's so much in his eyes that he simply can't put in writing.   ❝  ---  i do appreciate them,  of course,  and i'll always be grateful.  but they're just motivation to get me back here every now and then, ❞   he adds with a charming grin.

his smile grows,  cheeks warmed by their closeness.   ❝  well,  ❞   he chuckles,  almost bashfully,   ❝  it's a shame phones don't work the way they used to then, hm?  think i've got a lot to say in a letter?  oh,  i'd talk your ear off on the phone,  ❞   he teases.   

aaron hums as their noses brush,  the simple intimacy between them now so comfortable -- and a reminder of how much these trips are worth it.  ❝  you are,  ❞   he says softly.   ❝  being away from home is a lot easier when i know things are okay back there.  and they are -- finally -- thanks to the help of this place.  ❞    help he was hesitant to accept in the beginning,  for good reason,  but they're all in a better place.  the commonwealth is much better as an ally than it ever was an enemy or a home for him and his daughter.  they belong in alexandria -- but that doesn't mean they can't still enjoy what this place has to offer when it's time for it.  ❝  i made a lot of connections in my time here that are still important to me.  to all of us back there,  ❞   he insists,  bringing his hand up to rest it gently against waylon's cheek.   ❝  one really special connection, too,  ❞   he says quietly. / @cataclisymic

“you know what - i'm gonna hold you to that,” waylon replies decidedly. he has a small shelf above his bed, one of the few furnishings in his spartan living quarters; currently, it holds only a small lamp, its base shaped like a fish, and a stack of books with cracked spines and torn covers - a rock would fit perfectly between the two. waylon imagines it perfectly-halved, exposing quartz in its interior, despite an uncertainty that quartz is even attainable around here - or if quartz can even be classified as a rock. (he thinks that's most likely inaccurate, and determines to visit the somewhat meager library, and do some reading on rocks. arm himself for some fun facts to write into his letters to aaron.)

but there are more pressing matters that command his attention now - like the hammering of his heart in his chest. the closer aaron comes, the more waylon's reminded of how long it's been since he's experienced this degree of intimacy - a lifetime ago, he considers it. back when he was someone else and a gun was nothing more than a prop, and death was something inconceivable.

with a sheepish smile, waylon concedes the point - for now. he still plans to weigh aaron down with souvenirs to memorialize this trip; for now, though, it's easy to lose himself in trading grins and flirtations, waylon exhaling a soft laugh as he jokes, “well, i'm good on paper, but a helluva lot better in person.” it's an arrogance that's always been natural to waylon; it served him well once, then laid dormant for a decade - he's not sure what ignites it now, if it's simply compensation for the fluttering in his stomach, the fear that perhaps he isn't good enough for aaron. but he decides, quietly, to reign back on it, leave the pride for another day; this is about them, after all. not just him.

“an' i'm inclined to agree with your girl,” waylon continues. he inches ever-closer, pushing into aaron with a soft, contented sigh. he's glad to speak to him in person; to see him; to hold him. there is comfort in the nighttime when he's alone, rereading aaron's letters, but it pales in comparison to being with him - to feel their hands touch, fingers squeezing. “i like hearin' your voice.” and seeing his smile. waylon's twitches slightly, briefly, at the loss of contact, but the replacement affection is warmly received - waylon's chin dipping, leaning into aaron's fingers. his own hands, desperate to be busy, latch instead onto the wrist of aaron's prosthetic, the metal cool beneath his touch.

his features scrunch in agreement, and waylon lets loose a small laugh, giving a slight shake of his head. “all right, all right. you got a point.” he casts his glance upward, then, boldly, leans forward, brushing the tip of his nose against aaron's. “want's a good word, yeah.” though it somehow seems too small for what he feels for aaron. (it isn't love, not yet, he thinks to himself - but it isn't just want.) “i'm real glad you're here,” he continues. waylon feels a desperate need to say it again, in every way he can - to ensure aaron knows how special this is. “i know it probably ain't easy, being away from home - but i'm glad y'think i'm worth it.”

[lingeringscars]

spell out your url using characters you love from any media. then, tag as many people as there are letters in your url (or however many you'd like!) inspired by the song titles dashboard game.

L- laurel lance, arrow

I- inej ghafa, grishaverse / soc duology

N- nat scatorrcio, yellowjackets

G- gary mendez, a million little things

E- emma swan, once upon a time

R- raven reyes, the 100

I- iris west, the flash

N- nathan scott, one tree hill

G- ginny miller, ginny & georgia

E- eddie castile, vampire academy / bloodlines

R- ronan lynch, the raven cycle

I- isaac henderson, heartstopper

N- nancy drew, nancy drew her interactive games

G- gideon drake, the atlas six trilogy

S- sabrina spellman, sabrina the teenage witch

C- christian ozera, vampire academy

A- asher adams, all american

R- rachel reid, the wilds

S- scott mccall, teen wolf

tagged by: @terrifyingstories

tagging: @asuffocator @abenzstern @afterevers @arghent @burygods @bruiseeasily @cagedpotential @cratedig @cataclisymic @conamorde @darephi @deathruined @everdawn @fatalelity @feylived @forbaes @guiltye @galaxye @hopeforged @homebehind @junktrap @knucklesbruised @kirbyflown @ladyintree @literare @lindscys @lightningstruck @litearra @mckngjy @martyirize @onfear @parameddie @reputahtion @refabled @seaclaimed @softersinned @volchtsa @warpainte @waysteland

[greenedera]

Istar by night, pre-Cataclisym of course ... Dragonlance saga I tried to imagine how the city of Istar would have been, before the Cataclysm destroyed it.... so, here it is. Illuminated by Solinari and Lunitari (maybe it's Nuitari that shadow over the red moon?). My dragonlance gallery www.deviantart.com/elenazambel…

[doomdays]

at the commonwealth,   tomi found a path to the life he always wished he had but never thought he would.   he could finally do what he loved rather than continue ruining himself over something he was never comfortable with,  despite his knowledge and his skillset,    and it finally made him feel like himself,   a person he barely knew actually existed beyond the long days and the work that sucked the life out of him.    all he had been missing for a long time was his sister,   and this —-  someone to come home to at the end of the day,    someone to share his life with,   someone to smile at the way he does now,   so delicately sweet.   

as ezekiel sits next to him,   tomi brings his hand over,   resting it on ezekiel’s arm and rubbing it gently as he turns his head,   a brow raising.    ❝  i’m a patient man,  ❞   he tells him,  his body starting to relax as he sinks in closer to him now,   the pieces all falling together so easily like they always do when they reunite,   even if they’ve only been separated for a few hours.     ❝  especially for you,  ❞    he adds in a whisper as ezekiel comes closer,   his grin growing as their noses brush.

he takes a moment, breathing him in, finding peace in the moment before he goes on. ❝  i know how much it means to all of them, seeing you around. you've brought life back to this place, ezekiel, so i can learn to share, ❞ he teases. even though he was only a doctor there for a few months, it was enough to weigh on him, to remind him of his own lifelessness from his career before, especially with the system they had run before ezekiel showed up. knowing how personable he is with everyone still there, it only makes him more infatuated and endeared by the man before him now. ❝  how was it today? tell me everything. ❞

there's a soreness spreading along his spine, but it's the good kind of ache, the product of a long day spent wandering the halls of the hospital, checking in with patients and doctors alike: cracking jokes, smiles flashing, the comforting sound of laughter spreading through corridors that are too often laden with the cold sensation of death. there's more important matters for the newly-christened governor of the commonwealth, of course; the ongoing rebuilding efforts the most pressing, rezoning the districts to accommodate all and not only the wealthy - but outreach is just as important to ezekiel as well. what good is a leader if he does not walk among his people?

ezekiel exhales a soft groan as he sits next to tomi - ignoring the ample room of the couch in favor of pressing into him, a hand immediately resting on tomi's knee, thumb drawing in lazy circles, and he swears this touch alone is enough to ease ezekiel's minor aches - that doesn't mean he's opposed to more, though.

"i hope you'll forgive me for being late." it's marginal, really; they'd agreed to try to be home by dark, and there's still a sliver of golden light on the horizon. ezekiel glances briefly towards it before training his gaze back on tomi, leaning forward to brush their noses together. "you missed me, i hope." @doomdays

[doomdays]

tomi’s brows furrow,  a teasingly offended expression across his features.   ❝  of course i did,  my friend.  why do you think i got into this business in the first place?   it’s my favorite perk of the job,  making sure you have something special to share with your special someone.  ❞    the same way he’s done with ezekiel — how he always has something sweet to bring him at the end of the day,  made specially for him.   ❝  i know you don’t get to make it there as often as one might like,  so i’m happy to help.  and to provide extra treats,  of course,  ❞   he chuckles.   ❝  aaron and gracie — they’re good people.  they deserve it.  ❞   and so does waylon;  tomi is happy to see how happy he is;  it’s a reminder of how this place has turned around for all of them. 

he hums,  clasping his hands in front of him as he glances around the shop himself.   ❝  i suppose it’s pretty comfortable to make myself at home here again.  i’m trying to make it worth it, though.  ❞   maybe he doesn’t need to — most of those closest to him understand his choice,  even yumiko,  despite how long it took her to come around,  too.  there’s still a lingering guilt over who he can’t help because of this,  and there’s still part of him that feels he’s being selfish,   but he knows what’s best for him and everyone else in the long run — and that’s protecting himself mentally,  too.   ❝  feels proper -- i'm back where i'm supposed to be, i believe. i just hope everyone else agrees and i haven't lost my touch just yet, ❞ he teases. / @cataclisymic

waylon hadn't allowed himself these indulgences before. if asked, he couldn't provide a reason why; his salary as a soldier would have allowed for it - and if he'd ever taken the bonuses pamela attempted to ascribe to him because of his so-called status, there really wouldn't have been any concern at all about a few desserts every now and again. maybe it'd been some self-inflicted punishment - believing himself only worthy of a specific lifestyle, domineered by work, no room for luxury, desperate to prove himself as just another soldier - a career built solely on his own merit.

he still firmly believes in that - that he's just another soldier - but so much else has changed. there are scars along the streets outside (bullet holes scoring brick buildings, blood long-dried cake into asphalt, the crater where the rich had congregated), but it seems, mostly, they've recovered: tomi is smiling, and waylon's weighed down with supplies for his journey. there's time to kill before his departure to alexandria, so he idles here, grinning back at tomi as he accepts the desserts, testing its weight appreciatively. “you didn't have to, man.” but there's no lack of gratitude in his tone. “but - thank you. i bet gracie'll love that.” alongside the small cache of items he has carefully wrapped in his pack (some hand-crafted figurines and a small knife, the latter he'll clear with aaron before actually gifting to his daughter). waylon resists the urge to open the basket and go ahead and bite into one, tilting his chin upward at tomi instead, brow arched. “suppose everything's all right 'round here, then? i mean - you're settlin' back in nice, and all that.”

[survivedsarchived]

@cataclisymic

hi. considering remaking to see if that helps me feel like writing again but that's also .......... so much work.