#exercise rider

[ultrainfinitepit]

My vampire OCs Vivian, Mordecai, and Teutho as Super Sentai villains!

[succulent-leaf]

today on poses that refuse to leave my brain until i draw them: hamstring stretches

[annefic]

Do you think Anne is a pilates girlie? I think she'd love it but would hate group fitness classes like Soulcycle (and the hype around them)

I think Anne is a horse girlie who cannot physically make herself sit still for more than five minutes at a stretch

[flamingwordsinthesky]

So I have become a little hyperfixated on this stupid fitness book I found

If you haven't seen this before then I suggest looking it up on archive.org and just...it's a ride.

We Got:

Warm Ups with Johnny Storm!

Stretching with Reed Richards!

Basically Yoga with the Silver Surfer

wait

Well...

Then there's some work outs from Spider-Man

Namor and Ghost Rider....that's a duo.

and....Slimming exercises for Sue....The Invisible Woman....UGh. Just remember, this was made in the 1970's so a lot of out of date terminology and this stuff.

Moving on from that we have my favourite

Cause when I think calm and relaxation, I think J. Jonah Jameson.

and these are just a few of them.

[angel-amelia-d]

I don't call @subbychubbykittie-writes 'babe' because she's fire🔥🥵... Because she's definitely not 🤢

I call her that because :

Have you guys seen the movie?

#sexyamelia

[kontadodju]

Trying to make myself OC post more so under the cut is all my current stories / OC groups and short “descriptions” (not rlly I’m just talking) on them, alphabetical of course (also it’s long!! But labeled so like, if u actually read it u can skip around pretty easy I believe):

4Corners

An older dream that I wanted to return to for making a new story cuz I wanted new stories and new OCs cuz I like to play. With my toys. From my brain. But anyway 4Corners is named like that cuz there’s 4 sections/big cities of this world where they line up together like a cube (I guess the world would be a cube then…) and each section is like a different dimension almost. There is the aliens section with a pink sky and hazy atmosphere with buildings all stacked together, the human section that is more like a “typical” IRL city bit very tall in buildings as well, another alien section that the sky is white/hazy and they have more technology and a ruler, and then the mystery zone that I need to work on. The main character is like, Ben 10 sort of? Idk how to explain it but he’s a human who for some reason transforms into an alien-like form for unknown reasons. And the other character is a human that was raised in the (pink) alien section. They will cross into each others sections and also like, battle with the leader of the (white) alien section. Still very rough! It’s an old dream so it’s been a while!

A Black Catharsis

I mentioned before, this is my story that I converted from my Ash TS4 save to be an actual OC story and not a gameplay. Malachi of course is the MC and so far what I have is his backstory (still working out some timeline details tho) and then some key events from my gameplay. It’s still about Black vampires eating racists 💁🏽‍♂️. It’s also a specific revenge tale as well - one of Malachi’s main goals is to kill the vampire who caused his turn. But also like, part of it with his past is not that it’s seen but it’s brought up and I want to like, just exhibit how he changed from then to who he presently is. Cuz like, he’s getting revenge on the guy who turned her but she actually likes being a vampire - there’s specific circumstances about it for both of these things so like I swear I’m tryna make it make sense lmao.

Across the Skin

Of course. My classic. My childhood magnum opus. I still love u girl 😭. Idk what to do. I used to actually like write a lot abt this story in middle school. I still am playing around with the logistics of it - even more so a bit cuz I made New Truth in the same universe as it so it helps to have some cleared world rules there. I always consider bringing back some of the older rules and putting them back but idk how that’d look. The very basic skeleton is still the same tho: Olma and Vince are going into a remote location to study under other psychics to learn powers (or rather, Olma is, and Vince is forcing himself to go along). But the rules of powers and the psychic society I still need to make more solid, it’s an important part of why things happen how they do.

Against My Better Judgment

This one is a group. It’s just like, Riath letting Vikki live in their house, only God knows why. Because I still don’t 😭. Like from their personality I need to know WHY Riath would do that. I also need to do some more logistics stuff. Like how does Dr. V do these things? How did he create life and make Vikki and Richie? How does Richie work as an android of sorts? Hm. More questions like how and why does Vikki leave and hide not being a natural human? What is the scale of tech in this story? Much to think about 🤔

Agtiu Lineup

One of my mains rn I feel. I only have like, one character’s full “arc” and motivations planned best so far (Mériga). I plan this one as having separate parts / “arcs” that would be like: the intro, the parts that relate to each character (but I don’t know when, I just know Mériga’s would be like, third?), and the end. I have some of the world building - aliens that interfere in the evolution of planets to try and help them return to the Earth and then send mech-type shit (or w/e the best word is idk) to random people on the world because of like, monsterous threats (like typical mech stuff). So like I have species lore and some world lore (honestly I have common world lore across a few of my stories where like, it’s our same world but slightly better in certain aspects but like, the same in others 😑 - cuz I want my characters to like, have my real life ethnicities instead of being “coded” but the formation of both of them are inherently tied to colonialism - “US” and Africa 😒 so that parts always i try to work on too)

BINDS WORLDWIDE

Newer story cuz it’s actually me trying to rework my reptile fan iteration (if you know u know) cuz I wanna do more of what I want and i want more negros of course. I’m trying to make it as separate as I possibly can but it’s hard cuz there’s some stuff that’s like intrinsically tied to the same ideas that makes my specific stuff I wanna build upon not work if I don’t try to fit it in. So far I’ve worked around the family history by just making changes like making it a fake world instead of set in a more realistic based location, and by fully leaning into how I changed the family drama past for my own purposes. (Also they are spies.) I don’t know what to do about the mutant stuff yet… like what will they look like. How does it happen? Why are they hiding? If I keep animals then I feel like that’s very obvious and I don’t like that. It’s not even that like I’m ashamed or something cuz like if I got asked “is this the inspiration” I’d be like “oh totally” but I really wanna make it more of my own thing rather than a sort of “rip-off” yknow? Like truly I think there’s some fun ideas that don’t have to do with the source inspo that I really wanna play with!

Castle (still tryna think of a proper title)

A much newer story based off a more recent dream. I’m still trying to figure out the setting because when it was a dream the world of it kept shifting back and forth from a human world to a sea creature/mermaid world, and certain important parts were heavily based on which world but all of it relevant to the plot of it. I’m thinking right now it will be a sea world, but also sci-fi techno at the same time. Like the mermaids have a cyber city. Which like, I totally could, but I’m not fully sold on it lowkey. Besides that tho, this story is about a rebellious prince who wants nothing to do with his monarchy, and is trying to escape it. He works on machines that he should not be and hides it with the help of his one friend he has been allowed to have and a new friend who infiltrated his castle. His father is the antag of course. He’s very weird abt keeping the family line and following very strict rules, like typical “we need a pure line” type story shit yeah? Still working on it.

Comic Kid

Group! Zoey and Zack! I just like them. Chillin. Still just being my cool couple OCs 👍🏽. I wanna still build a little bit of sumn out, maybe I’ll bring back the other charas from the original as background charas idk!

Destroy Deviolck City

Story about a society of a panopticon (in the sense of, broadcasting for entertainment tho). I have not watched the Squid Game, but because everyone is talking abt it. There’s maybe a similar vibe based off my osmosis impression. Idk I’m just kinda sayin shit here. But anyway, how the panopticon society works is the very rich / powerful leaders will capture random people in out them in this prison structure where they will record them for their entertainment and also keep people in line through this. However, the prison structures use old buildings as their structure, so there’s pockets where people can go from their assigned room into secret rooms with less watch and this is where certain ppl (such as the protag team) plan to escape and destroy the prisons. So far I’m planning a span of three years of the story (cuz Saint starts as 13 but I imagine within the story she becomes 16 at some point). I’m still working on some important background characters cuz they are central to Saint and Malik’s stories particularly. And I still need to work more on the specifics of the society. And if there are creatures. Cuz this story is another based off a dream (v old tho but I’ve been working on this story since I had that dream so it’s more solid) and in the dream there’s like, an iguana man. And I think that’s cool. But maybe it wouldn’t work. Idk. It could 🤷🏽‍♀️

Every Day Infinite

Another new one! This one is about an immortal from another dimension where the timeline of the world went backwards in a magic apocalypse, and so when he comes to a world more similar to our real world (but not a 1 to 1 cuz I can’t keep using the same base worldbuilding / history for all my stories - esp cuz most of them aren’t connected. Well. I can. But I do not want to do that.). From this he can acclimate sort of…he first is transported during like. Knight times n shit. In like (the equivalent of) Europe. But in ends up in the (equivalent of) the “US”. Don’t have solid world stuff for it yet but the world he’s from has more stuff. And I have bro’s backstory from it too n I rlly like it! This ain’t even half of the base of it tho. There’s another guy, and he is on a mission to find what happened to his sister, and this causes. Some problems. (Still working on it). There’s also a mind reader and a witch. Lots of stuff with this one.

Hey Rider

Another ex-ts4 one! This is based from my Horse Ranch save! Another where I slightly change world history to make things better cuz I thinkkk I can make it work here. Still tryna figure some details out with it but that’s my base plan for that! So far what I have it stuff that happened in my game of course and also some things I had planned to happen later. I like the gameplays I’ve made into stories cuz I get to play with the backgrounds I imagined for the characters more when I’m doing everything rather than them just being my Sims in a game I can’t fully control even with mods. Although some of the stuff being out of ur control adds extra stuff that’s fun to add so I might end up doing another TS4 to story/group conversion in the future idk!! 🤷🏽‍♂️

Match to Mine

And another one of my mains I feel. Fully original world building based off AfAm and Kriolu culture, afrofuturism, and just some ideas I have of a more stable type of world (but not in all aspects - cuz like I want there to be a bit of outside conflict so it’s not totally perfect, but I also didn’t want oppression to be a part of the conflict of the narrative. At the end of the day this story is set in a beautiful world where problems rely more on things out of anyone’s control and interpersonal relations). Even with what I said tho, there is metaphorical reference to the reasons for the formations of my cultures (similar reasoning to what I mentioned on my Agtiu section but in a different direction). For my worldbuilding, I have a world map with regions, how time works (world clock), and some styles of the world so far. I also have the social standards / values set as well. This story is very fun to build the world for because of just how much I can build with it without having to work in relation to colonialism and imperialism in the story, and I can make a story with a world that doesn’t have them in it.

Meridevisán

My OC world. Newer-ish cuz I made it cuz I wanted certain misc OCs (Séti Ténta Ávi) I had to be in the same world and interact regularly. The base of it centers around ideas I had for Séti as a standalone cuz that was the most built out one, and it works well for the other two characters so I’m glad I put them together. How it works is that Angels and Devils are formed from a random selection of aspects that humans can have (additionally tho Devils can be conceived tho, but not Angels - might change tho cuz like, I think I had a reason but I forgot so it’s like, who cares). (Mermaids are conceived tho, not formed.) Séti is formed newly and trying to figure out who he is and what is purpose it to be, Ávi has been formed and is helping him (in his strange type of way), and Ténta is also along for helping Séti out (and being helped as being newer to land!). It’s an OC group so there’s no like set story that’s just a basic setup.

New Truth

This one is more of a group than a story which I find funny just cuz of its connection to what I concussed my magnum opus as a young teen. It’s just about weird college art people. Shiloh as a psychic being OCD attacked by their powers while not knowing about/understanding them. The rest of the characters are just regular lmao. They’re tryna help them 🙏🏽. If this was more of a story, then maybe I’d have like, an Olma and Vince cameo as helping Shiloh with their powers or something big like that. Would defo be post ATS tho for sure.

SUED

OC group from my first actual OC group when I was a kid! There’s only two characters left and their story is totally different than original (it makes my sister sad cuz she really like these OCs of mine so lowkey I consider bringing them back but idk what I would do). The original story was about 8 people in like, a school that are forced to live as story characters for certain genres (it’s kinda like EAH but like, more weird). The current group is the 2 of those characters I have left being scammers lmao. Honestly my original idea is better (but it’s also a whole story n not just a group) so honest maybe I’ll return to the original premise to fix it up and make it better idk!

The Manifesting Collection

My “cartoon story”. I have mentioned somewhere??? (No one prob has seen it lmao) that this is also a dream story! From when I was 12! And in the dream it was formatted as a two season show and I like to think abt that (not happening tho, I am not an animator lmao and plus I’m still working on it). The format is like, episodic with an ongoing plot in the background that comes into the foreground at the end of the first “season”. Still need to do world and world building logistics. But I like this one. This is like, one of my few stories where I can’t make the characters adults tho cuz if the tone and their like, teen behavior that’s inherent to the story 😭. It stresses me out idk why except that I get stressed by ridiculous things that don’t matter (OCD slay!!! ✌🏽) (idk I like making adult characters more now cuz I can do more stuff and it’s more fun for me. I still like the TMC kids tho cuz it doesn’t get so heavy with their story)

The Turn Around

Last of the ts4 games turned story/group! It’s my Dial save! My favorite legacy/main save I played for like 3 years yayyyy 💕. I think it can work well as OCs for the reasons I mentioned on my “description” for Hey Rider. I love the Dials and I’m so excited to work on them as OCs. I wanna make a proper timeline and I wanna figure out how to draw them! I’ve tweaked a bitttt of my notes so far but there’s still quite a few changes I need to make, but it’s coming together so far. I am gonna like retcon stuff I can’t make work cuz of how aging works in the sims yknow, not being realistic at all, but also just cuz since I’ve had this save for so long there’s things I need to change because I forgot the original reasons certain things happen so I gotta make it up now, but it’s not like these changes are bad so it’s not a big deal except when I really really wanna remember a specific detail cuz I remembered I liked it even tho I don’t remembered what it was 😭. With changing this game into a story, I’d say the vibes I want to evoke are like a family drama type of thing. Cuz I mean that’s kinda what legacy saves are right? And I picked the title I have because I wanna reference their last name without straight saying it. It seems like something you would see on a Tv line up so I like it 👍🏽

Traced in Thickets

My true main story at the moment. I’ve been working on Traced since like 2021 😭 I wish I was faster and better at this typa thing - it’s okay tho, that’s the process plus I’m still having fun! I have like the basics of the worldbuilding down for sure - it’s a combination of my typical method of “real world but some things are improved” and “I just made a buncha shit up” because like, part of the base world building is that different Earths of different dimensions are combining! (So like, I actually have a reason for humans existing I guess lmao. I really like humanoid characters over creature like ones okay? 😭). I have written like, the base outline of the first part of the story so far, and I have backgrounds kinda done so far too, but I don’t know how I wanna move into the next part. There’s like specific scenes in my head that would happen and certain points and some sort of an end, but it’s still not fleshed out like that yet. Idk, cuz like at the end of the day this actually a bit of a road trip story if I’m being honest, and those can kinda go however yknow? A road trip story about figuring your life out. Much to think about still.

When You Got Here

This is actually like. Technically a classic sims to story group for me. TS3 even! Not TS4! How it went was that when I was like 11 or something I finally got to get the Supernatural pack (which I was obsessed with as a kid) and I wanted to do like that no adult challenge or w/e. I made four supernatural sims from species i wanted to play with and tried to do that. But I didn’t not understand how to do kids, so it kept not working how I wanted too lmao. And then I just made them OCs and I’ve had them since then. The current version has two parts - the part when I was a teen so they are teens and it’s like the actual plot of being supernatural in the human world (their world is a mirror world to the Earth but with supernaturals), and then the second part where they are adults and just like, reflecting upon how they got there (so I guess like the actual plot and then just like an epilogue and “extras”). I actually have some key stuff done for this one but I haven’t actually written it down cuz I’m so bad at that. Like it’s been years and it just lives in my head (dangerous, because of my terrible memory). So I will have to actually write it at some point. May share when I do so! 👍🏽

// and for Misc OCs:

Anredvel Istotn

Do yall. Remember the dark days. Where I did M H A works…I didn’t even like it 😭 sometimes u do weird shit when ur a teenager. But it’s okay, because 1. It made me start shading my artwork, and 2. I have this OC 😁. I don’t do much with them but hey that’s misc OCs for you. Fairy that I want to dress up in outfits 🫶🏽 and make have anxiety lmao

DeKayde Ilha

Fun fact I never shared before but DeKayde is the third rework iteration of my retired OC Sahi Theba. Very very different from then they’re actually the only one left from the original idea but it’s sooo divorced so it’s like this is basically a completely different OC but I still associate them with each other

Inageiduyc

The evil fairy demon. I don’t do anything with them but they’re funny. They kill people but not actually it’s like, they trap ppl in a time loop of sorts to kill them but then let them free when they get bored 😭💀 they just like tormenting humans!

Ryn Ollora

My SDV farmer I miss them cuz I don’t be playing video games like that but I still think abt them cuz they’re fun 🫶🏽 No one likes them (except Evelyn my GOAT!!) they are very strange still. I just would make them fish mostly all the time (I’m a chickenshit the mines are scary and I’m lazy I don’t wanna spend time digging around for things to make the townspeople like them 😑) (this is why I only play puzzles, smash bros, and the sims fr…)

Silica

“Christian” daughter of the devil in the apocalypse. Maybe if you was here for a bit u know I started writing her story and posting it as a poetry series but I never finished it. What I was going for with her is like rejection in relation to Christianity and such themes, and I’m still kinda at that angle but that was when I was still experiencing a terrible Catholic school experience / when it was still a fresh wound but now it resonates with me less cuz I make my religion my own more now and time has put the religious specifics of my problems quite further from me now. But I still wanna play with the ideas I had started planning with her. Maybe I’ll try to write the poetry series again one day…

Tajah Syleno

Renamed from Yca Syeilno, same character obviously I just wanted to give them a first name I didn’t make up and simplify the spelling of their last name. Still an influencer-type, still a bad bitch, still my fun dress up doll! I should draw them again some time.

Thunas Ipyirus

My knight girl who is on a quest to just live her life (running theme with my characters I fear…) - she wants adventure and excitement! I actually have written much about this character cuz I developed her further for a writing class I took in high school - I actually wrote a scene!! The catalyst of her story is that she finds an enchanted sword that lights a flame when she wields it and this pushes her to try to adventure.

// Okay that’s all of it 👍🏽

[rosemirmir]

An Attempt Was Made - A short Kyoka/Lachesis ficlet I did for the Sapphic Summer ficathon on Dreamwidth. Prompt was Witches AU, thought it would be fun to try and mash the world of Gotchard's alchemy and witches & witchcraft together!

Kyoka was at it again.

(Also on Ao3)

Kyoka was at it again. Creating, something, over at the cauldron. Lachesis wasn’t entirely sure what she was trying to conjure up. But the selection of metals in her hand did catch Lachesis’ eye. She could tell they were rather unusual picks for this type of work.

“Are you sure you want to use that combination of metals, Miss Kyoka?” Lachesis glanced over, skepticism colored her eyes.

Kyoka waved her hand with a grin. “It’ll be fine, Lache-chan! Just watch.” As the bubbling liquid in the pot continued to boil, the sounds of which echoed across the room, she dropped those metals in. Promptly, a cloud of smoke bursted right at her face. “Okay… Maybe not.”

Lachesis couldn’t help but smile. Kyoka’s attempts to create potions could be rather dubious at times, but that was part of her charm, in a way. Despite it all she was still a rather skilled mechanic. Which was a skillset one wouldn’t guess to be useful for alchemy or witchcraft at first glance, but you would be surprised.

With a wave of her hand, Lachesis summoned a cloth. “Let me get that for you.”

“I can clean my own face, you know.” Kyoka spoke with a laugh.

“I certainly know that…. But I just want to do this for you.” Lachesis’ voice and expression softened as the fabric touched Kyoka’s cheek. Gently beginning to wipe off the ash.

“Well I can’t argue with that logic.” She leaned into the touch, her smile growing wider.

[mangotastic97]

Where are my fellow fashion enjoyers at

[queen-of-oregon]

How could you not think that he is sexy af?!

[linklore]

ok the potential argument of centaurs having more weight on their forehand = more potential pain is kind of. wrong??? i know human torsos are kinda heavy but theyre not really any heavier than a horse's head and neck considering the amount of muscle in them, and most of their weight is carried on the forehand anyway. they're built for that shit already, and if a centaur is also moving properly biomechanically (aka not being heavy on the forehand) they're not really gonna have that many issues. i understand wanting to figure out anatomy logistics, and i agree, its interesting, but in this case it just doesnt make sense to give them more problems

[fearnotthedemons]

on an entirely self-indulgent basis i think that hound fifa2020 grew up next to a tb farm and helped w the horses some so on his off seasons he rides out and helps break/exercise the young ones

[shyfoxten]

Just waiting for a riding buddy to show up 🥹

[seaofthemind]

First time playing Synth Riders with wrist weights today. Only 0.5kg on each arm, but it feels definitely made a difference. My normal playlist is just under an hour of master songs, but today I did maybe half that before my left arm was collapsing.

I have seen discussion on whether wrist weights with VR rhythm games is split on if it is a good or bad thing but so far it seems like it might be productive.

I guess I just need to make a shorter playlist again to do as I build my strength up with the weights.

[contentpaparazzi]

decided to design an akuma rider design for moritsune… definitely not the final design but just me fucking around 👍

[stevenoaks]

Dark Angel, Ghost Rider

If you’d like to help support my coffee addiction, and get my blog post as they are written, please think about donating to my Patreon page. You’ll get my blog post early there. Thank you. https://www.patreon.com/StevenOaks Madness I say. Oh, hello there. Welcome to the blog. I read! I Finished 3 books since last post. Not huge, but okay. A couple of decently long books. A cultivation novel,…

[quietstormxr]

Favorite

Summary: Xaden never knew he had a favorite.

A/N: FW spoilers, Angst/Fluff

Word Count: 2.5k

Just for fun, because it came to me. Enjoy!

He never realized how much he looked forward to your presence on the day to day. The quick small smile that you would give him in the morning. The way your laugh seemed to reverberate through the halls warming him from the inside out. So many little things and moments that he had taken for granted, hell he hadn’t even noticed them before. 

Not until the morning that you didn’t show up for breakfast. He didn’t even realize he was searching for you until Garrick elbowed him in the side.

“Why the hell do you keep looking at the doors like they’ve personally offended you?” Garrick teases earning a glare from Xaden. 

“I’m not. Just looking around.” He mumbles back turning his head away from the doors to the dining hall.

‘Lying this early in the morning is a new one, even for you.’ Sgaeyl can’t help but slither into the conversation earning nothing but an irritated huff from her bonded rider.

Later that day he just couldn’t shake the dread that had settled into him since he hadn’t seen you in any of your classes or battle brief. As your Wingleader, he knew that if something was wrong someone would’ve told him. He always received notes regarding any cadets that were sick or indisposed in his wing. Unfortunately, no note of any kind had been sent his way.

It went on like that for three long days. Mornings with no smile, classes with no laugh, and evenings of scanning the hall for your eyes. 

On the slow trudge back to the dormitories, a movement in the corner of the rotunda caught his eye. Looking over he saw a figure, bloodied from head to toe, eyes almost swollen shut. For a moment he didn’t give it much thought, until he saw the glint of gold around your neck. In that moment, his heart rate spiked as recognition ran through him. You were the only rider that wore a necklace like that, and then he realized there was no mistaking that hair.

Without registering what his feet were doing, he found himself moving towards you at a speed that surprised even himself. In a few quick strides he was standing in front of you as you went to limp a few additional steps forward.

“What happened?” He breathed, unsure of if he should touch you or not.

You shook your head back at Xaden, your already swollen eyes beginning to water with the obvious pain radiating from every inch of your body.

“Can I take you to the healers?” He rushes out, feeling helpless watching you suffering.

You give him a slight nod and before you can bring your head all the way up, Xaden hoists you up and begins to carry you. A sharp hiss finds it way out of your lips as the pressure of your wounds is aggravated by his calloused hands. He looks down at your face and you don’t miss the apology reflected in the golden flecks of his eyes.

Xaden walks swiftly and with purpose striding faster than normal to get you to the healers. Inside though, he is a tumult of emotion between rage and fear. What the hell happened to you? You weren’t a second year so this wasn’t an RSC exercise.

‘Does Cikeniss know what happened?’ He questions Sgaeyl not wanting to wait for you to give him the answer.

‘No, Cikeniss only confirms that she was somehow cut off.’ Sgaeyl relays with a hint of anger coating her reply.

‘Cut off? How could she be cut off from her bond?’ Xaden questions trying to get more information. 

‘It is apparently something new your leadership is trying out. They have yet to give the antidote. Cikeniss confirms she can’t reach her rider.’ Sgaeyl confirms as he feels the anger at the possibility radiating from his sapphire bond.

Snapping out of his conversation with Sgaeyl, he looks down at you and feels his arms tighten involuntarily. You were cut off from your dragon and something could’ve happened. The thought that no one knew where you were and now that your dragon didn’t even have access to you solidifying the fear he’s been feeling. 

In the next few strides, he’s entering the healer’s quadrant. As he walks into the facility, there are people rushing about, but no one has seemed to taken notice of the two of you. He walks further into the room and still no one notices. 

Patience wearing thin, he snaps. “Is someone going to look after her or do I need to bandage her myself?”

Immediately two healers lead the way to a room as you look up to your commanding Wingleader. Gently lowering you onto the bed, his breath catches when even in pain you give him one of your warm smiles. The anxiety over the last few days seeming to lessen slightly, thought looking at your broken and bruised body it lingers.

The healers gather over your frame that is gently laid on the white sheets of the bed. The stark relief between the mix of the blood and grime that is sliding from your skin and leathers to the sheets has Xaden tensing more and more each second. How much had your body been broken and bruised for three whole days? What the reason that it even happened in the first place?

He tries to turn over what could have possibly happened before his thoughts are interrupted by a small hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he is greeted with the serious face of a healer. 

“She will need to be sedated in order for us to work on her fully. You are welcome to stay, but if so, you’ll have to wait in the hall.” The healer relays. 

Xaden can’t imagine possibly leaving you after seeing you so broken and bruised. And that is why he finds himself pacing the hallway of the healer’s quadrant with a dagger absentmindedly flipping over and over in his hand, thoughts still consumed with the possibilities of why this happed. 

He doesn’t know how long it’s been, but the pacing is doing little to calm the raging storm in his thoughts.

‘Can Cikeniss reach her?’ He questions Sgaeyl wanting to at least know that you’re still holding on.

‘No.’ Sgaeyl confirms with no sugar coating her tone.

Just hearing Sgaeyl confirm you are still cut off causes his chest to tighten further. It seems the gods finally are willing to have a little mercy on him as in the next pass of his pacing one of the healers finally comes out of the room. 

“We’ve treated everything we can. Nolon has been in to make sure to help with any major issues and she’s cleared to go back to her room. She’s going to have lingering bruising and soreness, but overall, she should be cleared for getting back to class.” The healer confirms.

As Xaden stands there listening, the last thing he can possibly imagine is letting you go back to classes with how he just saw you. 

“May I go in and be with her now?” Xaden asks hopefully, dreading being told no and to get back to class. 

“Of course. She may still be a little drowsy, but she should be waking up soon.” The healer tells him, gesturing towards the room your in. 

‘Cikeniss confirms their bond has been restored.’ Sgaeyl startles him as he begins to step towards your door. 

‘Did Cikeniss confirm anything else?’ He asks needing to know what exactly happened to you for his own sanity.

‘She did, but you will have to ask if you want that information.’ Xaden can’t help but feel disappointment and agitation that Sgaeyl won’t tell him what you went through.

‘It’s not as easy as just telling you. The reasons for her laying in that bed is not idol gossip that should be spread.’ Sgaeyl responds tersely, almost as if she is upset on your behalf for everything you endured.

Xaden can’t help the furrow overtaking his brow as he enters the room. As he lays eyes on your form, he can’t help but take stock of all the bruises that are littered across your arms, torso, and legs. The small shake of his head is impossible to stop as he realizes there may not be one patch of skin that doesn’t have a lingering purple tint. 

As soon as he reaches the side of the bed, he can see how your breathing is beginning to change indicating that you are waking up. He doesn’t realize he’s holding his breath until he finally watches your eyelids begin to flutter. As soon as he sees your eyes open fully, the breath fully releases from his lungs as he brings his hand to hold yours. The constriction that settled around his entire chest completely breaks when you give him a small smile, disarming him completely in a way he never realized before.

“If anyone saw, they might think you have a favorite dear Wingleader.” His hand tightens on your own at hearing you speak after four days of not seeing you, thought he can’t stop the glare he gives you at your comment. 

“Well, they can fuck right off.” He responds back immediately in a tone harder than he meant to give you.  “Besides, they wouldn’t be wrong, I do play favorites.”

He watches as your eyes flash going slightly wider than before, showing the way the words register in your mind. The smile that breaks onto his face at your reaction is one he knows he hasn’t had in a while, a happy, yet teasing lilt to his lips. 

“What exactly is that supposed to imply?” You ask him as he hears your breath seem to catch in your throat. Slowly Xaden brings himself to stand flush next to the bed you’re still laying in. 

“I think you know exactly what I’m implying.” Ever the confident man, Xaden can’t help but tease you a little at your question. He watches as the annoyed look is now firmly planted on your face due to his ever-elusive responses.

“Please enlighten me, dear Wingleader Riorson. Besides, how am I going to compete with your bonded first year who has made her obvious attractions for you widely known.” Now it’s Xaden’s turn for shock to plaster across his face, its almost as if he’d forgotten how you could give as good as he could.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He says hoping that he can escape the daunting topic that is Violet Sorrengail.

The knowing look that you give him does the exact opposite than reassure him. Xaden knew he couldn’t deny Violet’s penchant for looking at him as if he was the hottest man alive. Hell, he knew he even had stoked her attraction on several occasions, making a saddle, sparring with her constantly, and crafting daggers for her. The worst mistake of all was kissing her and thinking of it he can’t help but shake his head with regret.

For the first time, he’s unsure how to proceed. Four days ago, he didn’t even realize he had feelings for you and now he’s trying to convince you. The bravado he had just moments ago seemed to have completely vanished, just like shadows in the noon day sun.  

“Her infatuation is just that. Infatuation.” Xaden says firmly, although he’s unsure if he can even convince himself of that.

The raise of your brow shows him that you know that he’s trying to convince the both of you. 

“Regardless.” Xaden can’t help saying with finality. “That may be her feelings, and I’m sorry if I hurt her, but I don’t return the sentiment.”

Xaden can feel his heart picking up speed in his chest as he waits for you to say something in return. 

Anything.

The moments seem to tick by; a never-ending echo of the clock in the background the only thing that dares to break the silence. Xaden watches as your eyes seem to bore through him as if seeing through every mask he’s ever worn, every secret he’s ever told.

Without saying anything he watches as you rise on your elbows and move to swing your feet to the side of the bed. Your continued silence doing nothing to help the gnawing at his gut that you’re lost to him before he ever even had a chance with you.

Xaden immediately is at your side grasping your waist after you let out a hiss at trying to stand up from the bed.

“Thank you.” You whisper through clenched teeth. Xaden knows that he shouldn’t be waiting on your response, but it feels to him as if everything is still suspended in mid-air waiting for your confirmation or denial. 

As Xaden feels himself beginning to brood, trying to keep the despair that you don’t care for him, he completely misses the way that you begin to turn yourself in his arms.

It isn’t until both of your arms snake around his waist and you bury your head in the crook of his neck that he realizes he may be spiraling for no reason.

‘Do calm down your emotions, your thoughts are more erratic than when we are in battle.’ Sgaeyl claps at him breaking his spiraling thoughts completely.

“If you’re going to play favorites, I’m going to need you to make your claim clear.” Xaden looks down at you as you bring your face up to look him in the eyes.

Xaden brings his hand up to your jaw, cupping your cheek and tilting your head so he can see the gleam in your beautiful eyes.

“Oh Love, don’t you worry about that. I intend to make sure that everyone in the quadrant knows you’re my favorite.” Xaden teases while bringing his nose to rest on yours, all the while memorizing every fleck in your eyes. 

The answering smirk on your lips is all the confirmation he needs before he brushes his lips against yours, tentatively at first. The way you immediately respond and arch into his touch makes his eyes flash and a groan leave his lips. Xaden can’t believe the way your kiss is searing into his skin, the feeling of you drowning him like no one ever had before.

He immediately deepens the kiss grabbing you firmly at the nape of your neck drawing your face even closer. Your answering moan causing his blood to heat and desire to begin coiling around his entire frame. Breaking the kiss, he leans his forehead against yours trying to calm his breathing. 

“Well then.” You say to him, your breathing still a little rapid. “I guess it’s time for you to show everyone who your real favorite is.”

Xaden gives you a knowing smile before grasping your hand and wrapping his arm around your waist, leading you back to the riders quadrant. There is no doubt in his mind that you are just like chocolate cake – one of his favorite things he’ll never tire of.

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