#for one gene looks high as fuck (as per usual)

[t4tdanvis]

I FOUND THE FUCKING THUMBNAIL IMAGE SAHJASBHASBJASHJASHJAS

i havent been able to get this out of my head for days HELLO

[tg-headcanons]

How do Shuu's illnesses impact/affect his day to day life? Do they affect the capacity to which he can fight? (also bonus for Shuunaki sick day hcs)

French fuck’s genes are a burnt omelette so this guy got HEALTH PROBLEMS

When he was younger he had issues with scoliosis which he had surgery to correct when he was in middle school. Because of that he has a small faded scar running down his back. It’s very neat and he’s had any scar removal treatment available to him done, but a slim line remains. He’s a bit self conscious of it and doesn’t like people seeing it

He can’t digest RC in high quantities. Eating a human is fine, a human with high RC would give him a little stomach upset, and a ghoul would leave him wretching. He doesn’t produce enough Rubrupuerase, the enzyme ghouls have that breaks down digested rc cells, so can only take in so much at a time. He needs to stagger his meals, eating a little every day as opposed to how other ghouls would eat half their body weight once every other week. His father has this same problem, and has figured out ways to prepare cuts of meat so it’s easier to digest before Shuu was born. He would show his son the ways he has his servants prepare it as a kid whenever he was worried about eating in case it made him sick. He bonded with his father over it and was inspired to look for his own ways to prepare new delicious meals and his love of crafting food still remains

His immune system and healing isn’t great. Often when ghouls get sick, their body just kamikazes infected cells and regrows. Well with Shuu, he doesn’t have that much RC so any amount of healing is a bit of a strain. Sicknesses that would barely bother others keep him bedridden, and he needs to eat more. In flu season he wears a face mask and everyone in the mansion is instructed to wash their hands religiously. Even the humans they hunt are boiled for a minute before they even start preparing them in case they carried illnesses

His hair color and kagune come from the same genetic mutation, which isn’t a health problem per say, but does effect him. Unlike regular koukaku, his is slender and made up mostly of hard outer shell. This means it’s extra sharp and less heavy, but is also less strong. That’s for the best though, as he would probably struggle to wield a heavier kagune

He’s physically not quite as strong as ghouls usually are. The average ghoul is 7x as strong as a human with their same build, but between adrenal insufficiency, limited RC, and slow healing, Shuu is only about 5x stronger. Of course he’s still going to outmatch his prey by far, but one on one with another ghoul he’s at a disadvantage

Probably the worst thing is his adrenal insufficiency. It’s good that he was born rich because he probably wouldn’t survive if he had to fight and hunt for himself. On the best days he has no problem hunting and fighting, though he isn’t as strong as other ghouls and has a low stamina, requiring him to rest after awhile lest he completely passes out. On the worse days he can get bad pain in his muscles, joints, and stomach that keep him from getting out of bed

He can go for long periods of time with little to no symptoms, or days and weeks of being confined to his room. He takes medications and supplements, he has painkillers for when it’s bad, his fancy ass shower is built so he can sit down in it and he even has a wheelchair to use when walking is too rough, it’s just something he lives with. Thankfully he has the resources he needs and supportive family, it sucks but he’ll be alright

Sick days are usually pretty quiet. If it’s too hard to move around he’ll stay in bed, but if he can stand or at least use the wheelchair he spends a lot of time in the library or the garden. He’s always loved reading, it’s something he was able to do even when he was too ill to move since he was a kid. His father and servants will visit him sever times a day, he has coffee with Matsumae or Kanae if they have the time, but mostly he’s alone

When he and Naki started dating, Naki didn’t understand at first why he took all these pills and got sick so often, and it took awhile for him to really understand that Shuu will always be a little ill and sometimes that means he can’t walk needs to sit down more. He doesn’t understand how it works, only that some days Shuu hurts too much to leave the house. That doesn’t stop him from wanting to be with him though, and has taken to curling up in bed with him on the worse days. Shuu finds it much less lonely to have someone with him who’s there out of more than a sense of duty. His boyfriend will cuddle up and let him read aloud to him instead of just himself, explain his newest obsessions and play his records that he insists sounds so much better than digital music. He feels comfortable having him there, knowing that he has no where else to be and nothing else to do like his servants, not even a duty to be here, that he’s staying with him just because he wants to and doesn’t care that he can’t walk today

Naki is surprisingly good support. He’s figured out the routine enough to bring Shuu his meds in the morning, and if they’re out somewhere together and Shuu starts feeling fatigued he’ll just picking him up like a cat so he doesn’t have to walk. At this point he’s sometimes jokingly introduced as Shuu’s service animal. And while he may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, Naki does want to know how to make things easier for his boyfriend. He washes his hands a lot more thoroughly now when the weather gets cold since he saw the servants to it, and his efforts alone are enough to make Shuu feel better

[tearlessrain]

Giant Masterlist of Cathar Facts (that I completely made up but nonetheless rigidly adhere to)

I am an unstoppable force and disney should have killed me when they had the chance (that chance was splash mountain when I was seven and as you can see I survived).

Under a break because it is way too long and covers really quite a lot, much of which I will probably never even need. But researching and writing this kind of thing is what I consider a fun afternoon so here we are.

General basic stuff

Cathar are basically felids evolved to fill a similar evolutionary niche to humans in the absence of any viable apelike species on their native planet, in the same way hyenas evolved to fill a niche normally occupied by canids. 

They are pursuit predators but not terribly efficient ones outside their home planet. In terms of both speed and strength they can outperform humans on average in the short term, but have noticeably less stamina especially when it comes to running or walking long distances. They greatly outmatch any quadrupedal felids for stamina, however. (Mandalorians are an invasive species)

They run hotter than humans, around 100-102F.

Though height varies quite a bit, cathar are taller on average than humans and build muscle easily, making them extremely formiddable opponents in hand-to-hand combat.

The average face/skull shape of cathar is largely based on assumptions that they evolved under weirdly similar conditions to humans evolving from early hominids, aka shortening of the face, larger cranium, smaller mouth, etc.

While they are obligate carnivores and do have elongated canines, their teeth are more even in size than wild felids, and while they do still have barbed tongues, the barbs are relatively small/soft and more similar to a housecat than anything of comparable size (aka they won’t literally take your skin off if they lick you).  They also have somewhat thinner skin than wild cats, though they are still more damage resistant than humans.

They do not have retractable claws because that’s not how fingers work, but they do have narrow, naturally pointed claws rather than humanlike fingernails. Many cathar choose to either dull them or file them down for convenience, but losing/damaging them, as per that one ambient dialogue on Dromund Kaas that I can never find when I need it, is extremely traumatic for them. 

They have tails because I want them to, used for both balance and communication. Cathar tails are approximately lion-like, thin with a coarse tuft at the end regardless of markings (ie. a cathar with stripes won’t have a tiger tail), with the tip the same shade or a few shades darker than the darkest part of their coats. occasionally those from colder regions will have longer fur over the whole tail, or look like they don’t have a tuft due to longer fur overall. 

Variation and a lot of bullshitting about genetics

Wookiepedia describes Cathar as “a planet of savannas and rough uplands” but I refuse to believe that all these habitable worlds are all one consistent climate/temperature across the whole globe. The weirdly ubiquitous infrastructure/cultural info I can kind of forgive since 90% of them were wiped out by Mandalorians and the rest left, and I’m charitably assuming there were a lot less than 7 billion cathar to begin with, so a lot of smaller or more isolated cultures across the planet were lost entirely. 

They have less sexual dimorphism than SWTOR implies, though females are a little smaller on average and tend to have shorter/finer manes that are closer to their base color. In terms of relative strength/mass the difference is minor and female cathar are still very capable of fucking you up (the conventional assumption in the Empire that females are weak/docile and males are too uncontrollable to enslave is not remotely true in either direction). 

Variation in fur/metabolism/ear and nose shape depends on which region/s of Cathar they come from (or their ancestors come from), but they don’t recognize different “races” the way humans do, particularly in the wake of the Battle of Cathar. 

On average, cathar originating closer to the equator have shorter, finer fur, larger and more tapered ears, a tendency toward slender, lanky builds, and coloration that leans more toward golds/reds and higher pigment density. whereas those closer to the poles are much stockier and can be extremely fluffy, sometimes with an undercoat, with paler colors and less vivid/extensive markings. None of the above is universally true and cathar didn’t necessarily always stay in the region where their ancestors come from (and thus sometimes you get people like Riska, who is all limbs but has fairly northern features and entirely too much fur)

Cathar mostly left their planet in groups, so in some parts of the galaxy you’ll run into whole colonies that originate mostly from one part of the planet and have distinct appearances/cultural idiosyncrasies from other colonies.

They mainly follow the same general rules that apply to most felids in terms of coloration/pattern.

Markings can be stripes, spots, or less commonly rosettes (definitely some version of Taqpep variants) and mostly lie along Blaschko’s Lines, though it’s more obvious on some individuals than others and it isn’t always perfectly precise. Even spotted individuals usually display some striping on the tail and around the eyes, though not always. 

“Default” coloration is black-based, with dark markings on a greyish or brownish base. 

Countershading falls pretty much along patterns you’d expect and usually lightens the chest/stomach, lower face, palms/soles, and inner thighs. Specific distribution and patterns vary quite a bit, and sometimes express in odd ways (hence whatever is going on with Khatte). Darkest points tend to be the tail tip, nose bridge, and mane.

Genetically solid cathar are incredibly uncommon; much more common are genes that affect the appearance/distribution of markings, sometimes rendering them almost invisible. Even ones who appear mostly solid (aka Khatte) usually still have some faint striping around the face and/or tail.

Khatte is basically some loose equivalent of ticked tabby, which mostly just looks like weird countershading but leaves some faint striping on his face and tail.

Jial-ro’s coloration is the result of a gene that suppresses all eumelanin production, and a sepia-like form of partial albinism. 

Riska has something similar, along with something that reduces the size/spread of spots.

Food 

They’re mainly carnivorous and have different nutritional requirements from humans (similar but not identical to those of a cat), which can be a problem in places like the military where standardized rations are the norm. In the Republic a cathar can usually put in a request for rations designed to accommodate carnivores (or supplements, failing that), though they might have some trouble on more isolated or undersupplied planets. The rare cathar in the Imperial military have to procure supplements out of pocket, though it’s technically possible to get reimbursed for it if they’re willing to wade through the bureaucracy.

Cathar are perfectly capable of eating raw meat with few to no ill effects, and have a subgenre of cuisine centered around it (and while they didn’t invent sushi, they have enthusiastically embraced the concept). They also have plenty of ways of cooking meat and readily adopt any new ones they come across. 

Their “natural” diet apart from meat mainly consists of fruit, root vegetables, and eggs, though the closer to the poles you get the less likely you are to encounter fruit in a dish. Cathar never cultivated grain and it holds no meaningful nutritional value for them, so bread, rice, and similar products simply do not appear in traditional cuisine. This does not stop some of them from eating grain products in small amounts, as they can still enjoy the taste, but it isn’t any healthier than processed sugar is to humans and they have a high rate of gluten intolerance as a species.

All cathar have a heightened and refined ability to detect savory/umami type flavors, but around 30-40% of cathar, and the vast majority of those from colder regions, have no taste receptors for sweetness at all. This has resulted in the cathar equivalent of the Cilantro Debate centering around desserts, even though they’re all perfectly aware that it’s genetic, and some who can’t taste sweetness still enjoy some desserts for the other flavors present. Those who do have sweet taste receptors are about as sensitive to it as humans, but it tends not to have the same addictive quality for them and a lot of them don’t like processed sugars in anything but small doses. They would appreciate a lightly sweet creme brulee but most of them would find soda absolutely disgusting.

Citrus is right out.

They suffer no more ill effects than humans from drinking alcohol, and due to generally having a fair amount of mass they can usually drink a lot of it.

Social minutiae

They use a fair amount of feline body language, particularly with others of their own species. While facial expressions play a part and they do smile, scowl, and generally express broad emotions, they have a reduced range of facial mobility compared to more humanoid species and no eyebrows to speak of, which leads to a lot of them having what humans perceive as resting bitchface. It also results in humans underestimating the range and depth of their emotions, and can be a problem in the medical field with human medics/doctors who haven’t been trained to work with less humanoid aliens and won’t necessarily recognize severe pain or distress.

Their ears are less articulated than a cat’s but still have some degree of mobility that serves more of a social function than a practical one. They also express a lot of emotion through their tails, to the point that it can be a detriment in some situations if they haven’t practiced consciously keeping control of it.

Bumping foreheads is a common way to express platonic/familial affection, or can be the equivalent of a chaste kiss between partners. They also squint and slow blink, though it doesn’t always translate clearly to other species.

They have a wider range of vocalization than humans; while their voices are often humanlike and they’re just as capable of articulate speech, they can also growl, purr, and make sounds outside human hearing range. Those raised among humans or near-humans tend to do this less, if at all, while cathar raised in more insular communities of their own kind can come off as very taciturn due to heavier reliance on nonverbal communication.

Sense of smell is much stronger and more refined than a human’s and plays a more significant role in how they perceive and navigate the galaxy. They can occasionally be mistaken for Force-sensitive by humans due to their knack for picking up on emotional distress or the presence of particular species/people by scent. This is more true with people they’re familiar with; they won’t pick out distinct members of the other species by default but will eventually be fairly reliable in identifying the scent of a friend or anyone else they spend a lot of time around.

The exception to the above is other cathar, who they can easily tell apart on an individual basis. They have scent glands around the jaw/neck that come into play for identification, conveying broad emotional states, in some situations can aid medical diagnoses, among other things. They also play a part in building connection and familiarity between friends, family, or romantic partners.

The ~horny section~

Cathar don’t really kiss the way humans do by default, but they can, and usually do so unless they’ve somehow had no contact with any near-human species at all. Their equivalent is gentle biting around the neck and jaw, which is another situations where the scent glands are relevant, and when aroused that whole area becomes an erogenous zone for the vast majority of cathar. 

Plenty of humans (particularly if they don’t encounter a lot of aliens day to day) will avoid kissing cathar anyway because they have sandpaper tongues and dry mouths and fangs, and it feels fucking weird if you aren’t prepared for that. 

They tend to be very bitey in general unless specifically asked not to. It only becomes a problem if the cathar in question is inexperienced with humanoids and hasn’t figured out how much bite force is acceptable for a species with thinner, more sensitive skin.

Their dicks are fairly humanoid in size and shape, though somewhat more conical at the head, but they do have a sheath rather than a foreskin. after maturity they don’t actually retract into the sheath more than about two inches when flaccid, and tend to be slightly less sensitive than the average human (same keritinization factor that affects circumcised humans). It also makes them more vulnerable to damage, but since it’s customary to wear pants on most civilized planets, that never really becomes a problem in the course of a normal day. The base of the shaft that’s usually covered has noticeably higher sensitivity. There are probably individual exceptions to most of the above.

Conventional understanding is that cathar don’t have barbs, which is true the vast majority of the time, though about 60% of them have some amount of vestigial non-keratinous bumps over their head that have no noticeable affect on anything aside from occasional increased sensitivity in that area. Rarely an individual might develop a few actual barbs at the onset of puberty, but they have no practical function and pose a risk of discomfort and injury, and can easily be removed via a fast and mostly painless medical procedure, so the number of adults who have them is close to zero.

Females do have (mild, easy to suppress if desired, and mainly not at all disruptive) heat cycles. Other cathar can generally tell by scent, but not to a distracting degree, and it’s considered rude and inappropriate to point it out with anyone but a close friend or partner. It should go without saying that males don’t have heat cycles, but I’ve gotten enough weird DMs about this to know that I need to say it. Unless said male is trans, and not on any sort of HRT, that’s not how that works. 

They kind of have breasts but unless actively nursing they’re barely noticeable if at all, especially under clothing. Cathar have much fewer hangups about going topless regardless of gender than certain human cultures do.

[imjustkindafloating]

Starry Eyed Boy, Part 6

Summary: Lightning is supposedly dancing through Arteska. Virgil gets comforted by Logan, in more ways than one.

Pairings: Pre-Romantic Analogical / Eventual Analogical, Established Royality

Word Count: 827

Warnings: Cursing, kissing,

Notes: this ones a bit shorter. pls understand i am trying lmao

Taglist: @shitpost-sides @gothybubby @rainbowbowtie @hikarisakurariver @singularthoughtofstatic @supersoftsupersleep @gabrieldoesstuff @justthatamount @judyismydog @star-crossed-shipper @high-ashell-hargrove @arodynamic-enby

Panic flashed through Virgil as he reached out for Logan. Electrical storm? The fuck was that?

"--gil. Virgil? Are you listening to me? I need you to breathe with me." Logan said clearly and put Virgil's head to his chest. Virgil could hear his heartbeat pitter-patter against his ribcage. Virgil wrapped his arms around Logan's waist and leaned into him.

"Are you able to hear me? Can you focus on me, Virgil?" Logan mumbled against the top of Virgil's head, where he set his own.

"Wus happenin'?" Virgil slurred together. His panic attack had worn him out.

"It's just a mere storm, I promise it will pass. People are usually unaffected by it but air pressure changes and it can sometimes crack the windows. You're not trapped here, I promise." Logan said as he started to sway Virgil, hoping to bring comfort. Virgil nodded seemingly unafraid now.

They stayed like that for a while. Swaying with each other, until Virgil stood on his tiptoes to hide in the crook of Logan's neck, mumbling; "M'tired."

"Then I'll leave you be--"

"Stay, please." He paused and then his eyes went wide as he stumbled backward slightly. "Not- not in that way I swear but I don't like the- the storm and I'd feel better if you stayed-- you don't have to, we have this weird thing going on and I know I might be pushing it--" Virgil said in quick succession, while Logan stood there with his hands on his hips in the middle of the darkroom.

Logan interrupted Virgil with a "Let me go retrieve my sleepwear. You can walk with me if you feel unsafe." Virgil opted to go with.

-----

Sitting in the same bed as Logan would've been awkward. It should be, at least. Logan was sitting on the end of his bed, not unlike the first time they met, while Virgil was leaned against the headboard. Logan was talking in-depth about the stars while Virgil watched on. A warm feeling settled in his stomach and he smiled. A soft glow edged around his eyes and Virgil had yet to notice that his face was glowing. More specifically, the freckles littering his face glowed dimly as he listened to Logan go on and on about the stars. Logan, though, had noticed. You see, when an Arteskian is in love or in an intimate moment, they may or may not have the gene to glow, perse. Logan already knew this and decided, in a moment of true brilliance or stupidity, to say;

"Can I kiss you?" He said, interrupting his own rant. Virgil's eyes widened as he took in the information and it only took a moment before Virgil grabbed the collar of Logan's shirt and yanked.

Their lips crashed together in an explosion of a million galaxies, Virgil even tried to pull Logan impossibly closer. Logan had his hands on Virgils hips while Virgil had his hands in Logan's hair. Virgil kept pulling on it whenever Logan moved as if he'd pull away. Each time made Logan chuckle against the other's lips. A little whine escaped Virgil's lips when Logan pulled away. Both of their eyes were lidded and unfocused. Logan blinked a few times as Virgil gently yanked on his hair and whined.

"Logan," he said, drawing out the 'o'. Logan laughed once again. At this point, Virgil was in Logan's lap. Virgil, realizing it was the end of their first kiss, decided to set his head in the crook of Logan's neck.

"What made you ask that?" Virgil mumbled into his neck.

"Your face started to glow." Logan said with a laugh, nuzzling his face into Virgil's hair.

"Oh." He moved away from Logan's neck to yawn. Logan smiled.

"Are you tired?"

"Mmm. Yes, but I don't want this to end yet."

"I'll be here as long as you want me here." Logan said, smiling as he laid himself and Virgil on the bed.

"Ehhhh - mmm, nooooo, Logan."

"Virgil, I'll be here in the morning."

Virgil glared at him as Logan looked down at him from his position on the bed.

"Do you promise..?"

"Of course. I promise."

With that, they both made themselves comfortable under the sheets, and with Logan being the big spoon and Virgil the smaller, they drifted to sleep.

-----

Logan was the first to awaken. He woke Virgil with a kiss on the forehead. When Virgils face scrunched up, Logan planted another on his cheek. Virgil, now half awake, started to giggle.

"Logan-" He said in between giggles. "Stop!" He whined though he didn't really mean it. Virgil smiled as Logan pulled away, possibly due to the fact that he said to stop.

"Good morning, Virgil."

"Mornin', Lo." Virgil said tiredly.

And with that, they got ready for the day, much to both of their reluctance. They both agreed they would rather stay in bed with each other, lazily.

They had a big day ahead of them, as per usual.

[darlinrogue]

matthew found himself getting anxious at every all elite pay-per-view. but something about this specific revolution—— this specific main event had him more worried than usual ‘exploding barbed-wire death match’… it had problems written all over it. biting nail after nail, cuticle after cuticle. “since pac’s going after the tag titles, adam’s next in line for kenny” he heard tony khan say from the headset in guerilla. matt’s heart stopped, right then and there. he had to find adam.

Matt

A few hours before the show Adam had scoped out his vantage point. A seat in the back on the ground floor at Daily’s Place. High-up, but not too far away. Even better it was an empty section. After his match with Hardy, Adam changed into street clothes, crept-out from backstage, and took his seat. While the street fight with Darby and Sting played on the big screen, the ring crew set-up for the so called, “Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match.” The crew wore thick leather gloves. They maneuvered pieces of hardware, metal, and explosives to the floor. Bryce looked like the marshmallow man from Ghostbusters. It was, without a doubt, the most elaborate, inane match idea Adam had ever seen. He never delved into that Death match shit. An occasional no DQ with chairs and table settled Adam’s need for violence, but this was next level. 

And it was the exact kinda bullshit that Kenny would come up with. 

The construction of a wrestling ring had always fascinated Adam. In his teenage years he shadowed production crews to shows. From them he learned how to square a ring by measuring the diagonal, how to lay down the boards, roll out the pads, and lash down the mats. Then, tightening the ropes and tying in the turnbuckles. For the cheaper productions, duct tape repaired holes torn in the apron. All the little things he didn’t have to do anymore now that he was a ‘star.’ Part of Adam missed the days on the indies when he’d show-up a day early for set-up and leave late for tear down. Get to watch a show for free that way. Somehow, watching the AEW ring crew bind explosive barbed wire around the ropes didn’t make Adam feel very nostalgic, though. Instead something cold settled in the bottom of his stomach. 

Adam had brought a beer out with him and he brought the bottle to his lips. He watched the pyro tech guys rig-up the explosives with lines of electric wire. The ring crew were filtering out. The fight on the screen was winding down. Adam glanced over though as someone approached on his right. Wedging himself between the seats and coming down the row was Matt Jackson. He’d changed back into a gray, AEW jacket, his hair twisted into a quick and dirty bun. All he had for Adam was a half-smile that didn’t reach his eyes. He shoved his hands in his pockets and his throat bobbed, not meeting Adam’s gaze. Instead he focused on the dust laden concrete beneath his feet. Adam shifted in his seat, coming forward, elbows pressed into the arm rest. Matt chewed on his lip and then gestured at Adam’s hand. 

“You okay?” He asked, thinly. “Matt worked you over good.”

“Oh, yeah, it’s fine,” Adam said. “Just sore.”

He looked down at his hand. An athletic trainer had wrapped it in bandages and popped him a couple ibuprofen. There was nothing broken, just some bruising and swelling. Adam’d have to get an X-ray sooner rather than later, though. After the match high ran down though it hurt like a mother. Matt and Adam stared at each other for a second, before Adam tilted his head to the side. An indication and invitation for Matt to sit. Matt sunk into the chair beside Adam, hands rubbing over his knees. His fingers pattered over his thighs and he shifted, exuding nervous energy. When he settled back into the chair it was like he was sitting back into the barbed wire in the ring.

“Congratulations, on beating the carny though,” Matt offered with a small laugh. “You guys had a good match. What are you going to do with the money?”

“Oh, yeah, uh, well I was thinking,” Adam began, he put his beer on the floor by his feet and leaned back. “I need a new lawnmower and there’s enough to pay off the mortgage— I don’t need much else so like, I told them to just, just to give the rest to some cause. Someone mentioned the public schools in Jacksonville? I liked that, so that’s kinda what we went with.”

“Seriously?” Matt breathed. “That’s amazing, Adam.”

“Fuck, I don’t want that money anyway, makes me feel dirty,” Adam admitted. He sucked on his cheek. “Chris and MJF didn’t beat you up too much did they? Ya’ll pulled it out, but it was kinda brutal to watch.”

“Oh, so you watched our match?” Matt noted. They looked at each other and something warm sparked in Adam’s chest. “Takes more than a baseball bat to keep me down. Besides that’s nothing compared to— to all this.”

Matt’s voice rasped as he flicked his finger towards the completed ring. Adam followed his gaze and got what he meant. It wasn’t the barbed wire or the explosives. It was the anticipation of seeing Kenny in the middle of that ring. Kenny, bloodied and burned and hurting, with his life on the line. There was a long, long list of shit that could go wrong. And Adam and Matt shared in common a worry wort gene. It was in their nature to look at a set-up like that, then let their minds run to all the terrifying possibilities. It was the inner instinct of ‘older brother’ in them. The shit going on Matt’s mind had already crossed Adam’s a half-dozen times. 

Injury, pain, and even death, were the risks of their sport, everyone who stepped in the ring had comes to terms with their mortality.  It wasn’t often though that Adam sat down for a match and was fully level with the idea that one of his oldest friends may actually die. It was a ‘holy shit’ moment, this was how far they’d come. Well over a year ago Adam remembered the way Kenny’s voice cracked over the phone when he talked about Mox. The desperate, twisted edge in his tone, jagged as broken glass. It was obsession rolled with a fragile mental health teetering over the abyss of fear, anxiety, and depression. All Adam had done was stand back and watch as Kenny was crowded to the cliff. Then, Adam witnessed the merciless hand shove Kenny over. And now, at the bottom, body and mind broken over the rocks, Kenny challenged Mox to an Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match. The entire Elite had hit rockbottom in the past six months at least once but none of them had involved explosives. 

“Kenny’s gone off the fucking deep end, man” Adam observed, like he was commenting on the weather. He picked-up his beer from the floor and took a sip. “This is batshit. You let him do this?”

“It’s not like he asked us?!” Matt protested, his hands fluttered around him. “TK approved it and you know, it’s his show. Besides, it’s not exactly like Kenny is talking to us right now.” 

Adam shifted in his seat. He and Kenny hadn’t been on speaking terms since October. A long run of almost six months as they awkwardly avoided each other in the hallways. Of course, Adam had his handful of ignored, attempted phone calls and double texts from back when the tag-team broke-up. He’d kept abreast of the Elite’s crazy drama and then felt quietly grateful he wasn’t apart of it. Forsaken doors, Barbed Wire Death Matches; literally everything to do with Don Callis, Impact, and the Good Brothers— no thanks. Adam got why he was out of the loop, though. Kenny getting sick of his shit and kicking him out of his life was inevitable as it was deserved— But, Kenny wasn’t talking to the Bucks either? That was a red flag. Shit, Adam shouldn’t be worried about Kenny, grown ass man that he was but—Adam took another sip from his beer and returned it to its spot by his feet. Yeah, he was kinda worried about Kenny.

“Why are you even out here?” Matt asked, an edge of accusation in his voice. 

“Shit, I dunno, figured if my old tag-partner was gonna get blown-up I should at least be here to witness it?” Adam speculated, with a shrug. The buzzing crowd indicated the end of the Street Fight that Adam had been ignoring. Whispers of anticipation floated through the arena. “Maybe— I just got some shit on my mind. Trying to figure out what comes next.” 

“You’re in the rankings,” Matt blurted-out. Adam glanced at Matt and met his eyes. His face was stricken in the stark lights and his throat bobbed. Music hit, Mox’s theme, moments before Adam could even think up an answer. 

Mox wasn’t a bullet point on Adam’s list of relations. He was just a guy he occasionally saw backstage or in production meetings. They’d been in a ring once before. Adam kinda saw him as this hardened badass with a devil may care attitude. A weird, enigmatic guy with a prickly attitude and a hardened reputation. The flash of a silver flask, drawn from Mox’s inner jacket pocket, spoke to Adam though in a way few else in the arena would get. He understood the motivation behind the deep drink Mox indulged. If a guy like Jon Moxley needed alcohol to steady his nerves, then shit, it was really that bad. Kenny’s entrance then, was a nail in the coffin. He dressed subdued, in jeans and a shirt instead of elaborate gear. No bullshit spiel from Justin Roberts, just his music, and the belt. Adam worked his jaw and took some solace from his own beverage. Besides him, Matt shifted and squirmed, his thumb at his mouth gnawing on his already bitten down nail.

Before Ring of Honor shipped him off to Japan, Adam was never into Japanese wrestling. His library of matches included the DVR recordings of WWF matches, the local shit you could get on the TV, and eventually, the various indie shows across the South-East he attended. It was all catch wrestling, some technical shit, and whatever the Hardys were doing. Death matches, likewise, were a joke in the schools and shows he attended. “How many commas?” Was the refrain for what it’d take to get an average wrestler to do something as stupid as involve barbed wire in a match. Therefore, a Japanese, Exploding, Barbed Wire, Death Match, was completely out of Adam’s wheel house. He had no idea what to expect. What he got when the bell rang was totally outside of the realm of his imagination. 

It was the little shit: Kenny was dead serious, Mox made the sign of the cross, and the methodical, slow pace they set.  It was all physical strength as they jostled, tied-up with each other, all too aware of the limitations of the ring. After a year as his tag-partner, Adam was familiar with Kenny’s style. His explosive speed, how he worked the ropes, and his overwhelming energy. This was a different Kenny, almost uncomfortable in the confines of his cage. Close calls, pushing, prodding, biting each other, trying to force the other into barbed wire they treated with the respect it deserved it. Mox beat Kenny with every instrument available and Adam knew the way Kenny writhed was genuine. When Kenny sent Mox into the far ropes and a flash of fire sent billows of smoke into the arena, Matt gripped Adam’s hand like it was an instinctive reflex. He squeezed, hard, pressing his fingers around Adam’s palm. Pain shot-up Adam’s arm like a bolt of lightning. Adam hissed and reached over to pry Matt off his injured hand. 

“Jesus, Matt,” Adam hissed. 

Matt murmured apologies and yet his grip just switched to Adam’s wrist instead, which wasn’t much better because Adam’s whole arm was sore. Since apparently Matt needed to cling to something, Adam hooked his whole right arm around Matt’s shoulders. Then reached his left hand over to grip Matt’s hand. It was awkward and the armrest dug into Adam’s ribs but Matt rested his head in the crook of Adam’s shoulder, so it worked. Their fingers interlaced and Adam could only imagine how fucking goofy they looked. If the cameras happened to pick them up in the crowd they would never live it down. At least, Kenny had his footing in the match, he was in control, working over Mox, looking for that pin— Adam wasn’t sure if he was rooting for Kenny or not. Or, if he just kinda wanted this to be over because it was evidently mentally ripping Matt to shreds. 

Wanted this to be over, the belt out of Kenny’s hands, and somewhere else, where it couldn’t be between them anymore. 

Blood and smoke, broken hardware, torn skin. Kenny in the ropes, blinded by the dust, begging for water for his burned eyes. Matt’s breath, high in his throat, turning his face into Adam’s shoulder. And Adam just watched. He watched and forgot about the beer warming to room temperature by his side. A pressure built in his jaw, and yet, he couldn’t look away. No clear thoughts surfaced, nothing solid, or real. Just ideas, images, tangled together with the scene before him like the barbed wire wrapped around Mox’s arm. He didn’t allow himself to settle. Didn’t allow himself to latch onto anything, just let it all drift, staying in the moment of the violence, pain, and brutality of two men literally trying to kill each other. The sight of Kenny’s blood, red, crimson, staining his white shirt, and marring his pale skin burned Adam’s vision.

He thought back to Full Gear. The way he could tell Kenny was in his head. Always a half-step ahead. And that whole match Adam was working his ass off just to keep-up. Trying to wiggle his way into opening, taking advantage of every opportunity like a life line. He’d watched that match back a hundred times and he could every single one of his mistakes. He found a new error to fixate on each time he hit the replay button. The truth was that physically, Kenny had no significant advantage over Adam. In fact, Adam knew he had all the benefits of superior strength, better cardio, and youth. In skill, there was nothing dividing them— After that tag-team run, Adam knew he could hang with Omega. What kept Adam back, what left him behind, in the shadow of Kenny was himself. His own tangled thoughts and anxieties, burning a hole in his heart. He had stared-up the lights, like a crashed angel, and kinda accepted that final pin.

Like, he just gave-up, after bearing the burden of a year from hell. Let it all roll off his shoulders. Atlas shrugged, and the world shattered. And in the midst of broken glass, he had rebuilt. With no end goal in mind. Just, kinda up, kinda forward, one step at a time, gazed fixated on his toes so he didn’t slip in his own blood, and not ahead, and now he was looking at the ring. Accepting the smoke and blood and tears and sweat, the desperate men swinging punch-drunk as the ten minute warning sounded. It was an observation, he could note it, and let the moment past. Adam was in the rankings, number three last Tuesday, maybe higher next Tuesday. It didn’t mean anything, it didn’t have to mean anything. 

Didn’t have to do anything but just sit here and hold Matt. 

When the Good Brothers rushed out to the ring Matt sighed and laughed, but it was high-pitched, shaking his head. Adam watched Mox go through the chair in a One Winged Angel but all Matt was muttering was that he ‘couldn’t take this anymore.’ He didn’t want to see the ending, but he did hear the three count, and Adam admitted that his masochist desire had puttered out. So, he pushed Matt to his feet and they slid through the rows to escape the arena. Outside, fresh air, cool and tinged with the taste of the metallic city, brushed against Adam’s heated face.  Matt walked to the curb outside Daily’s place and collapsed. He sat there, breathing hard and fast, head between his knees, some, strangled, broken noise erupting from his throat. Adam shoved his hands in his jean pockets and sat down next to him. A lot of noises erupted from the arena behind them but the sounds muddled with the traffic, sirens, people, nothing distinct.

“Hey,” Adam whispered, reaching for Matt’s shoulder. He placed his hand in the crook of Matt’s neck and gathered him closer to his side. Matt was still hyperventilating and so Adam ordered firmly, but not unkindly, “dude, slow down. Take a deep breath. It’s okay, it’s over.”

Matt’s entire body trembled and Adam had half a mind to break six months of radio silence by calling Nick to tell him to come get his brother. Instead, Matt collapsed against Adam, burying his face in his chest as for the first time in probably an hour, he breathed. Every tensed muscle unraveled beneath Adam’s hand as all the fight left Matt. Tears tracked trails of dust down Matt’s cheeks and Adam hummed, low in his throat. It was something content, a pleased purr. He always liked feeling useful, needed, relied upon, and to have Matt physically leaning on him like this— felt good. It felt right. He’d been dropping the Bucks and Kenny, fumbling like an idiot, for a while now. Maybe now, when he felt a little stronger, a little more firm, he could hold them right. 

Maybe— 

Maybe, and the thought trailed off without conclusion. 

“I hate this, why can’t it just be over,” Matt gasped into Adam’s shirt. “Why can’t we— why can’t we just, just be friends again?! We should never have left Japan. This shit wouldn’t have happened if we hadn’t made this damn company. AEW was supposed to be fun, and all it did was just—just tear us apart.”

Against Adam’s thigh, Matt fisted his hand, nails biting into his palm. Adam placed his chin on top of Matt’s head. He didn’t respond to his question because he didn’t have an answer. No response that was adequate. Just a recap of all their broken dreams and failures. Matt knew the story. He didn’t need Adam to try to fix this. Adam couldn’t fix this but he could be here. He could do that. 

“I want things back to how they were,” Matt admitted, and his voice was softer, but hitched with a sob. 

“I don’t,” Adam said. 

Matt stiffened under Adam’s arm. And Adam had a feeling the thoughts that came to his mind weren’t the most gentle thing to say to Matt as he spiraled off a panic attack— but they were maybe the things Matt needed to hear. 

“I hated being in the EVP room,” Adam continued, and his voice shook. “I hated living in your shadows. I hated watching you guys go out with Kenny and be in his corner, while I always had my matches alone. I hated— I hated being the weak link. I hated never feeling like I belonged. Like, I never deserved to be your friend.”

“Hangman—” Matt pulled back to look at Adam, his eyes wet with tears. 

“No, no, Matt listen,” Adam insisted. He hooked his hand around the back of Matt’s neck. “This shit, would’ve happened in Japan, or NXT, or Ring of Honor, no matter where we went. Because wherever you go, there you are, and we carried our baggage here.”

“I just had no idea we made you so miserable,” Matt confessed. “That we made you—”

“Dude, I made myself miserable,” Adam laughed, interrupting him. “All up in my head and shit, and I’m done with that. I’m done with the bullshit and the drama. Maybe, I’m not the best, but I just wanna—I wanna focus on, I don’t know, having fun? Doing what I can. Forget about the stupid title.”

“So, you’re not going to challenge Kenny?” Matt asked. He reached for Adam’s face, pressed his palm to Adam’s cheek. Adam shivered under his touch, tongue darting out to wet his lips. 

“I don’t know,” Adam admitted. He ducked his head but Matt smoothed his thumb over Adam’s cheekbone and forced him to look up again. Forced him to meet Matt’s dark eyes, and Adam had no choice but to think, Holy shit, I love him. So, he whispered and confided, “I don’t know if I can.”

“I think you can,” Matt said. He inched closer so they were thigh-to-thigh, he tilted Adam’s face down to knock their foreheads together. Adam could hear the smile on his lips. “Someone has to knock some sense into Kenny. I don’t want to see my best friends fight but—”

“Matt,” Adam sighed. His hand reached across to Matt’s opposite hip. 

“What?” Matt asked. Adam nuzzled his nose into his cheek. “Adam?”

“Nothing,” Adam smiled. 

And he couldn’t help but to wonder why Matt believed in him when no one else did. What he saw that he recognized as potential. Matt’s patience as Adam strayed and wandered— that the frustration, read more as worry now than anger. And it was Adam that Matt sought out tonight. And Matt wasn’t shoving him away as he leaned in, the ghost of his breath on Matt’s bottom lip. Then, Matt’s phone rang and he was cussing, digging into his pockets. He checked the collar ID, noted it was Nick and murmured bashful excuses to Adam before answering. Adam leaned back on his hands, scratching his boot heels against the pavement. 

“Hey, man,” Matt intoned, a hand running through his hair. HIs voice was still raw and he swallowed hard, putting on a mask of cool, stoicism for his little brother. “What’s up?”

Adam heard the low rumble of Nick’s voice on the other side. Chewing out Matt for vanishing during production. TK needed them ASAP, and Matt was nodding, promising he’d show-up soon. He just needed some time to get some fresh air. 

“Is everyone okay?” Matt asked, and Adam leaned forward to hear the response.

“Yeah, everyone’s okay, Kenny, Mox, and fucking, Eddie? He ran out there right before the bomb went off, the idiot,” Nick grumbled. “But it was a fucking dud. It didn’t go off at all— the fans actually boo’ed, I can’t tell if TK is furious or relieved. I mean, Kenny made it so I don’t know what we expected—”

Adam choked on a laugh, leaning his elbows on his knees. His entire shoulders shook as cackles broke out of his chest and he covered his mouth to hide the noise. Adam barely registered Nick asking Matt who he was with before Matt hung-up the phone. Matt shook his head and then he was laughing too, breaking the tide of all the bundled, nervous fear that had held them. Adam knew in his head there was way more shit to work out between them. That they weren’t out of the woods yet and his heart was too tender, too fragile, to take another break but— it felt better. 

In some ways, it almost felt good, and ‘almost good’ is a state Adam hadn’t been in for a long time. 

“You should uh, go do your job,” Adam suggested. 

Matt pushed to his feet and Adam stood too. He felt that awkwardness, the unacknowledged weirdness of almost making out with your not-best-friend, or the fact that they’re supposed to hate each other right now. All the crap that was still between them, all the land mines of conversations not yet triggered. Maybe, they were untangling the barbed wire. Closing the distance inch-by-inch, and it was magnetic, almost inevitable— but Adam wasn’t sure if he was ready to stand beside Matt. Maybe because he was afraid of being hurt again. Maybe because he was dead terrified of the air in the EVP room when he was swallowing all his words. Maybe, because he had always walked behind, and never beside.

He asked Matt, last year, for a little more time, and apparently, he still needed a little more yet.

“Yeah, uh, talk to you later, I guess,” Matt managed. When he breathed there was a shutter, the residuals of his panic attack. Adam figured if he was with his brother, he’d be fine. Nick would take care of him. Adam worried about a lot things but he never worried about the Bucks because they always had each other. 

“Yeah,” Adam nodded. “See ya.”

Matt turned back to the arena first. Adam stood there, watching him walking away and refusing to let his thoughts roll over it. 

It is what it is. 

[softboywriting]

At First Sight | Part One| Werewolf AU | Shawn Mendes

Summary: You move to a werewolf community with your mom to start a new life. You’ve always dreamed of finding a mate and having a fairy tale romance like your parents once had, and maybe this place is where it’s finally going to happen. [fluff] [mates] [werewolf au] [half-blood au]

Word Count: 3.4k

|Masterlist In Bio|

The second you stepped in to the Lunacasa community you knew you were home. It had been so long since you felt safe anywhere and to be in a place where werewolves were the only ones allowed was something else.

When you were a child your parents home schooled you until you were about fifteen, when your dad passed away unexpectedly in a car accident. After that you went to a local high school because your mom simply couldn't work and teach you anymore. High school was a nightmare, as it was for many young teens. However your case was different. You didn't blend in so well. Werewolves were known to humans and most of them looked like humans with little to no defining features. Your problem is that you look human, ninety nine percent human, until you get to your ears.

Unfortunately you had gotten unlucky in the gene pool. Your mother, a werewolf and your father, a human, happened to result in you having small wolf like ears that stick out from the sides of your head where your normal human ears should be. It's as if you're mid transformation all the time and your ears just got stuck halfway between human and wolf.

It wasn't unheard of that werewolves and humans intermixed, but most often it was uncommon that they successfully had a child. When they did, well, usually it turned out human looking but without the ability to shape shift and maybe some weakened senses if it survived at all. You were...well to put it plainly, one in a million. The doctors think you tried to shift in the womb and things got a little messed up. Your hearing isn't too badly affected thankfully, it's not the best but it's alright. The doctors said its a result of the deformity.

Going to a public high school was torture. People didn’t want to be your friend, they picked on you relentlessly and you weren't allowed to cover your ears with a hat or any head wear, per school policy. Every week without fail, someone pulled your ears and or howled at you. Not even any of your werewolf peers would stand up for you. It was hell.

Graduation came soon enough and then you were free to be yourself in the real world. In theory anyways. Companies don't want to hire a girl with wolf ears. They don't even finish interviews with girls with wolf ears, no matter how much experience you put on your resume, they didn't care.

Thankfully you managed to get into the call center your mom worked part time at, and because it was dealing with customers over the phone only, they hired you. The job was a blessing. You were able to help your mom make the bills and put food on the table. Things were looking up for you...until more werewolves moved into your area. Male werewolves in particular.

The first night two wolves followed you home you knew you were in trouble. After that you refused to go out alone, anytime or any place, someone had to go with you.

For two years you lived like this, hiding in your house or making sure that you were never alone in fear a rogue wolf would take you. You always covered your ears when you went out. Scarves, hats, headbands and hoods, all of them worked and did wonders when you went shopping with your mom.

It wasn't until your mom heard about a community upstate that was hiring a teacher for onsite kindergarten and preschool grade wolves that you realized you had a chance to escape the hell you had been living in.

A community with Werewolves where humans wouldn't judge you and you would be accepted how you were and not tailed by wolves looking for a cute wolf to fuck and forget. It was a dream and you knew your mom had to get this job. For weeks your mom applied and interviewed for the position, often driving several hours to the community for them after work. The job was a golden opportunity. It would mean rent free living because she would be an employee within the community. Combine that with safety and security within the area and you were set for life.

Weeks went by without a word and then one day a woman called and said your mom got the job. A few days later and you are well on your way to the Lunacasa community.

_____________________

You stand in a grand hall that's beautifully decorated with hanging chandeliers and art between every window. It looks almost like a high end art gallery of some sort. To be honest, when you heard the word community you figured it would be just like a gated neighborhood or something. Needless to say your expectations have been blown out of the water.

This community is huge. Driving into the place was like driving through a small town. You passed shops and homes as you drove down the main street toward the massive building you’re in now. It is supposedly the community building but it looks more like a giant mansion and you wouldn’t be surprised to find out it was once a mansion that has been converted.

"Maybe you'll find a nice boy here." Your mom says, elbowing you encouragingly as she takes in the main hall. 

"I'd love to Mom. You've always told me how you and Dad fell for each other, it makes me want to have something like that."

"I know honey." She wraps her arm around you and lays her head on your shoulder. "I promise you'll find that special someone."

The sound of heels clicking on the wood floor snaps you out of your thoughts. A short curvy middle aged woman with long black hair is approaching followed by a very young, tall and handsome well dressed man behind her.

“Hello! Welcome! You must be Maria!” The woman says excitedly, extending her hand as she clicks closer. Your mom takes it, introduces the two of you and the woman says her name is Nancy and she is the Community Resources Director.

“This is Sha-” Nancy turns to introduce the young man who had been walking with her, only to find he has stopped a few feet back.

You look past Nancy and you can see he is staring at you. A flush rises on your cheeks. Surely he's spotted your ears. Great.

“Shawn? Are you alright?” Nancy asks, frowning.

“Yeah,” Shawn growls, clearing his throat and walking forward to meet you. “I'm fine. I've just got something...stuck, ahem!”

Nancy looks him over curiously. His behavior is obviously alarming her. “This is Shawn, he's the head alpha here. He oversees the pack, community, I'm sorry. If you ever have an issue don't be afraid to talk to him or myself.”

Your mom smiles and nods, continuing her conversation with Nancy but you don't hear a word. All you can focus on is Shawn. There's something about him that makes you want him. His presence is so inviting, warm and familiar. Never before have you felt so interested in someone. You've met other wolves of course but none that have made you feel like this.

Nancy, your mom and Shawn talk a while longer. Just some basic chit chat about Lunacasa and every few seconds Shawn looks at you, eyes on your face and other times sweeping over your body. His gaze didn't make you uncomfortable, and it holds no ill intent, like that of so many wolves that have ogled you before.

The three of them finish talking and Shawn extends his hand out to you as Nancy says she has some papers for your mom to sign for the new position.

“I can show you around while Nancy gets your mom set up for work.”

“Oh, um...” You look down and bite the inside of your cheek. You're sure it would be rude to refuse him without a legitimate reason. You didn't think you'd be alone with him so soon.

“Please?”

You place your hand on Shawn's and he curls his much larger fingers around yours. You look up and his eyes are alight in a golden amber hue. It takes your breath away. You have never seen golden eyes on a wolf before, its stunning in contrast to his dark hair and lightly tanned skin.

“I promise I don't bite.” He says playfully with a half chuckle.

“What if I like biting?” You cover your mouth, shocked at your own words. Where had that come from? That was not you. No way. 

Shawn smirks, and he leans in close. “If you like biting, you'd best let me know.”

"I-I'm so sorry. That was so rude."

He chuckles, a warm smile on his lips. He's clearly brushed it off, or he's just playing along with your outburst as to not make you feel so embarrassed. "No worries. Come on, I'll show you where you'll be staying."

"I hope it's not too far away, I didn’t wear walking shoes." You look down at your slip on flats and back up to Shawn.

Shawn rubs his thumb over the back of your hand in his and suddenly you realize he hasn't let go of it yet. "Most of the housing isn't too far from the main building. Everything is in walking distance currently, but no, your place isn’t far."

You walk with Shawn through the building until you reach a large set of double doors. "Can I ask you something?" You ask as Shawn pushes open the doors to a big garden enclosed by the building and several small homes.

"Anything."

You look around at the garden you've walked into. There are a bunch of kids running around and giggling, running along the stone paths and playing catch with a ball. "How are you the alpha in charge?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you're fairly young right? You don't look much older than me."

Shawn hums and leads you to a path that goes toward the back of a small brick house. "If you had to guess, how old do you think I am?"

"Um, well, I'm twenty one. So...maybe twenty three?"

"Close. I'm twenty five. My turn to ask a question."

"Okay?" You stop outside the front door to the house and Shawn runs his hand over your left ear, taking the tip between his fingers to rub gently.

"How did this happen?"

"My ears?"

"Mmmhmm."

You reach up and cover them with your hands. The familiar feeling of insecurity creeps up your spine and your heart sinks, this place isn't going to be different is it. "I was born like this, it’s a defect of being a half blood. Is that a problem?"

Shawn laughs, out right laughs. Not a response you expected. "Absolutely its not a problem. I think they're very cute and definitely unique. I’ve never seen ears like this. Are you a half-blood?"

"Y-yeah."

"That's incredible." He reaches for your hands and pulls them away from your head. "They’re beautiful. Don't hide your ears, they're part of you."

"It's a habit. Having ears like this isn't easy."

"We're going to change that." He puts his fingers under your chin and lifts your head to look at him. Your heartbeat skyrockets. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to find me. I'm always around."

"O-oh okay. So this is my place then?"

"Mmm." Shawn hands you a small key and you close your hand around it. "I'll let you explore on your own now. Remember, I'm always available."

_____________________

"What do you think?" Your mom asks you a few days later after you've gotten everything moved into the house. It's a small place, only slightly bigger than your apartment in the city but just right for the two of you.

You turn to look at her from the kitchen where you're unpacking a box of pans and utensils. "About what?"

"This place. What's your first impression?"

"It's nice. Everyone has been really friendly so far. The grounds look well kept up." You stack pans in the cupboard under the sink. You can't help but think about Shawn. The way he made you feel all warm and cozy with just a look was unlike anything you've felt before. You wonder if he could be your mate.

"How about Shawn?" Your mom says in that teasing, 'I know something you don't' type of voice.

You stand and look at her, wondering if she was somehow a mind reader now. Sure enough she's got a little grin on her face. "Mom, he's the alpha. He's nice I guess."

"Do you like him?"

"Of course. He is very polite."

"Polite hmm?"

"Mom!"

"Oh come on! That boy had eyes for your across the room! Anyone could see he was flirting with you. What did you talk about after I left the first day? Does he like your ears? I heard he likes them."

You flush and you can feel the heat creep down your neck. "Who said he likes them?"

"He did." Your mom walks over and leans against the counter, smirking triumphantly. "He said he thinks you're a lovely young lady and that he thinks your ears unique. We talked a little about how I got pregnant and stuff and how rare it is to have a half blood."

"You talked about me?!"

"Well, not like you specifically! We just talked about how rare it is to find someone like you."

You cover your face and groan. "Mom, I don't want everything to be about my ears here. I want to be me, to be accepted as a normal person and not defined by my stupid ears."

"I'm sorry baby." She lays her hand on your back. "I promise I won't talk to anyone about you anymore. I didn't want to be rude and Shawn was curious. I promise, no more. You're just you, okay?"

"Thanks Mom." A knock on the back door to the garden gets your attention and you look to your mom. "Did you invite someone over?"

"No?" She goes to the door and opens it to find Shawn standing there with a little box. "Shawn, hello. What brings you here?"

Shawn steps in at your mom's invitation and he looks around with a soft smile. "The place looks cozy "

"Thank you."

He extends the box in his hands to your mom. "This is a welcoming gift from Nancy and I. We made them last night."

You walk into the living room as your mom takes the top off the box. Inside is a bunch of mini muffins. "You made these?"

"Mmhmm. I wanted to do something special for the two of you to welcome you to Lunacasa. I know it's not much, and I hope they're good."

You smile at Shawn and he gives a warm smile right back. Your mom says she's going to take them to the kitchen and you step forward so she can go around you.

"How are things going?" Shawn asks softly, looking around the house once more. "You've unpacked a lot."

"It's going alright. We have a lot to work through, boxes and stuff. My bed is still against the wall in my room. It'll be another long night on the couch probably."

"Do you need help?"

"Um..." You look around. You want to say no, but you actually would love some help. It's Shawn and you definitely have a crush on him, so you kind of don't want him to help. "I-"

"Honey, I think I left some stuff in the trailer." Your mom says, grabbing her keys off the table in the dining area. "I'll be right back." She gives you a look as she slips out the door, one that you know means she didn't actually forget anything. She's just giving you space with Shawn.

Shawn chuckles and raises his eyebrows. "So? Can I help?"

"Y-yeah. Can you move a bed?"

"Definitely."

Shawn follows you into your bedroom. Your bed is propped up against the far wall with your box spring beside it. The frame is put together already since it's just a quick slide and bolt together set up. You go to one side of the box spring and Shawn goes to the other.  

"Have you lived with wolves before?" Shawn asks as you tip the box spring onto its side and slide it onto the frame. "Or is this your first time?"

"This is my first time living with other wolves. There were some in my neighborhood but they weren't exactly a great crowd."

The two of you flip the mattress onto the box spring and shift it into place. You fall onto it, losing your footing on accident and Shawn sits down beside you as the two of you laugh. "You never answered my question by the way." You say, realizing that the other day when you asked him how he became the one in charge of the community, he didn't actually answer you.

"What's that?"

"How did you come to be in charge of this place?"

"Oh, right." Shawn lays back and his head is touching yours. "My dad founded this place as a safe haven for wolves when I was a kid. He got sick a few years back when I was eighteen. He didn't seem to get any better, he said he was, but I could tell. He taught me everything I needed to know. How to be kind and compassionate, and how to be the support people needed. He taught me, this isn't just a pack, it's a community. He was gone a few weeks later."

"I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, it's been a while now." Shawn looks over at you as you look at him. "Sorry I kind of dumped that on you. I didn't mean to put that kind of weight on your shoulders"

"No, I asked."

Shawn reaches up and runs his fingers over your ear causing you to shiver. "Do you mind if touch them?"

"Not really. Just be careful."

He sits up and you go to sit up too but he stops you, a hand on your shoulder. He moves around behind you on the mattress and sits so you can put your head in his lap. It's intimate, so much so that you're not sure what to do besides stare up at the man before you. Things are happening fast and you aren't sure how to feel. You're not uncomfortable, but you don't think you should be as comfortable as you are.

"Is this okay?"

"Y-yeah. Should we be doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"My head is in your lap. You're petting my ears. We've only just met a few days ago. I shouldn't be so comfortable with you should I?"

Shawn chuckles softly. "I can definitely tell you haven't been around wolves. This is normal for wolves who have an attraction to each other. For humans it might seem a little fast, but with wolves, the sooner we can be physically affectionate the better."

"Is that why you feel so familiar, like I've known you forever?"

"Mmmhmm." He runs his hand over your left ear. 

“I wonder if this is what my mom means when she tells me about how her and my dad fell in love at first sight.”

Shawn stops touching your ears and takes a deep breath. "Can I tell you something?"

"Sure?"

"Since I saw you I’ve wanted nothing more than to hold you against my chest and fall asleep with you in my arms. Sleeping with someone, being close and vulnerable is my biggest weakness." He's flushed, as if embarrassed to admit this. "I haven't felt this way for someone before, and I just don’t want it to stop.

"What if you don't really like me?"

"What?"

"I mean, what if we get to know each other and we aren't compatible. What if this is just a honeymoon phase?"

He grins and shakes his head. "Wolves don't have that. When we connect with someone, it's not like having a crush and then you find out maybe that person isn't all you thought they were. Wolves are drawn to each other, pulled together by forces unknown. We are connected deeper than surface emotions."

"Like magic? Or fate?"

"Magic, fate, love at first sight, you can call it anything you like." He grabs your hand and brings it up to his to press his palm to yours. His hand is much bigger and it's so warm you can't help but thread your fingers between his. "The bond is unbreakable. We're part of each other's lives now that we've met."

"I think this is definitely what my parents had." You smile, looking up at him. "I've always wanted to-"

"Honey, I'm back, are you-" you look over at your mom standing in the doorway. "Here?"

You sit up, flushed hot head to toe and you scoot away from Shawn. How embarrassing. Shawn stands and offers his hand to help you up. He can tell you're not comfortable with your mom seeing the two of you together.

"I'll see you around then?"

"Yeah."

"Ma'am," he smiles, nodding at your mom as he passes to see himself out.

"Please don't say anything." You mumble, staring at the floor.

You mom is quiet for a second. "I ordered dinner."

"Okay." You turn and busy yourself with a box of clothes. "Thanks Mom."

"No problem honey."

End part one

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

I know this is a cheesy and dorky and so cliche soulmate-y au but it was what I wanted to write at the time. I’ll probably post another part soon. 

Please Reblog if you read, enjoyed, or just want to save for later!

Thank you again. You’re all amazing and supportive!! - A

*****Note: none of my works should be posted anywhere outside of my linked accounts. I do not give permission to repost with or without credit to my accounts. Please notify me of any reposted fics.*****

[lostinthewiind]

Can you PLEASE write Doc Roe and the reader trying to keep quiet in their foxhole as they try to fuck

I was planning on focusing mainly on my bigger BOB story this week but when I got this request I just had to write it…so here we go :) GET READY FOR S I N

Warnings: ***SEXY TIME***

Tag List: @warmommy @gottapenny @croatianbagudna @scissorsfordoc @wexhappyxfew @curraheev @mayhem24-7forever @one-who-hunts-eagles @bandofmarvels @i-am-a-lost-girl16 @wildwilliamguarnere @majwinters @theonetryingtolive @higgles123 @those-dusty-jump-wings @medievalfangirl @mawpheen-and-sizzuhs @junojelli

Keep Quiet 

“You have to promise to keep quiet.” Eugene’s Cajun drawl sent chills down your spine as he whispered in your ear, his voice low and raspy. “I need you to promise or else I can’t continue. Can’t risk one of the guys catching us.”

Reaching up, you grabbed fistfuls of the company medic’s jacket in your hands, the fingers on your right hand wrapping around the red-crossed band on his arm and deforming the shape. “I promise.” you breathed out, your breath coming out as a cloud of fog in front of your face. “I promise I’ll be quiet.”

“Good.” Eugene dipped his head down and pressed a quick kiss to your lips. Somehow, even a simple, little act like that was capable of making your head spin. Well, it wasn’t the action itself per se; instead, the clouding of your mind was more easily attributed to the man doing the kissing. 

To everyone else in the company, Eugene Roe was just the closed-off, quiet medic who was always there when you needed him. To you, however, he was so much more. Not only was he there for you when you needed him, but he was also there when you didn’t even know you needed him. To put it more simply, he was always there. 

Normally, he was the sweetest man you had ever met — he wouldn’t even hurt a fly. But when the sun dropped below the horizon, bringing with it the long and cold night, and the rest of the men had settled in for the night, he was someone completely different. 

He was the man who right at that very moment was about to fuck your brains out in his foxhole. 

With your back slightly propped up by the frozen dirt wall of the foxhole, Eugene reached for the button of your pants and popped it open in one smooth, fluent motion. Once the fabric was loose enough, the impatient man before you pulled the army-issued pants down just far enough so you could spread your legs for him. 

You shuddered at the feeling of the cold air on your newly exposed skin, but the goosebumps could only be half attributed to the freezing temperatures; the other half was due to the intense anticipation coursing through you. 

While one hand fiddled with the button and zipper of his own pants, Eugene sank his other hand down into your warmth, his fingers running through your folds and teasing your clit with their calloused tips. 

You felt a moan working its way up your throat, but before it could escape you threw your arm over your mouth, hoping the fabric of your jacket would muffle any sounds that you might make. 

As soon as he was free of his own cloth confines and he was sure you were wet enough for him — which usually didn’t take very long — the Cajun medic crawled on top of you again and lined himself up with your eagerly awaiting entrance. Normally, the sweet man would spend a good twenty minutes or so on some decent foreplay, but these were not normal circumstances. 

With Eugene in his foxhole it was never anything more than a quick fuck, and to be completely honest, you were fine with that; it was hot as hell.

“Remember,” Eugene slowly pushed the tip inside, his words coming out just as slow as his pace was. “You have to stay quiet.”

“Yes,” you nodded quickly as he slowly introduced more and more of himself into your tight pussy. “Not a single sound.”

“That’s my girl.” Eugene smiled softly as he placed one hand onto the ground, his fingers digging into the earth to stabilize himself while his free hand looped around your neck so he could pull you up towards him. 

Holding you close, Eugene kissed you again, his tongue forcing its way into your mouth and tangling with your own. Not only was the kiss hot and heavy, but it also acted as a way to make sure you would stay silent. Once he had you completely focused on the kiss, he began to move inside of you. 

At an agonizingly slow, rhythmic pace, Eugene pulled out of you before pushing back in again, his hips meeting yours and staying there for a few seconds before moving again. It took everything you had not to moan out his name over and over again, but even you had to admit that the whole ‘staying silent’ thing was undoubtedly hot. 

Before long the two of you were breathing harder and the air in front of your faces was a permanent cloud of haze from your breaths. “You look so beautiful like that,” Eugene muttered against your skin as he began to trail kisses down your neck to your collarbone. “Mouth open, eyes shut. My perfect little fuck doll.”

“Mmmm…” you hummed, your hand moving to tangle in his hair as he licked and kissed at the sensitive skin at the nape of your neck. 

Then, just like you hoped he wouldn’t, he bit down on that one spot that he knew drove you wild. You tried to stop yourself, but the sounds escaped before you could even comprehend them in your own brain. “Gene!” you gasped.

Everything stopped. Eugene stopped kissing you and his hips had locked in place. Slowly, he lifted his head up to meet yours again, the expression on his face dark and beyond sexy. “What did I say about noise?” he growled with one quick snap of his hips. 

Your whole body jolted from the sudden thrust. “I’m supposed to be quiet.” you whimpered out, knowing fully well that you had fucked up. “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

“You’re damn right it won’t happen again.” Eugene clamped his hand firmly over your mouth before returning to his previous actions, his mouth nipping at the same spot on your neck over and over again while he pounded into you hard; his pace much faster than it had originally been.

With his hand covering your lips, you threw your head back, arched your back, and moaned into his palm without remorse. Your scalp burned as you pressed it harder and harder into the firm dirt, but at that point, the only thing you cared about was your quickly approaching orgasm. 

Your actions were rather limited due to the fact that you still had your pants around the lower halves of your legs, but with a little maneuvering, you were able to buck your hips up to meet Eugene’s as a nonverbal encouragement that you were getting close. 

You wished you could tell him to fuck you harder and faster, but his hand was still preventing you from speaking, so you settled for looking up at him and begging with your eyes. 

“You’re close, aren’t you?” he caught on in no time, a knowing smirk sprawled across his handsome face. “Am I gonna make you cum?”

You nodded as your hands grabbed onto his jacket again to pull him closer. “…p…please…” you mumbled into his palm, your words pretty much unidentifiable but the desperation in your tone as clear as day.

“You just want to scream my name, don’t you?” he somehow managed to quicken his pace even more. “You want to let this whole company know who you belong to?”

You loved the Eugene in front of you right now; the Eugene inside of you. He was so different from the one that made rounds all day to check on the men and who was always so worried about everyone’s safety. Right then, he didn’t seem concerned with safety in the slightest.

In one quick motion, Eugene slipped his hand from your mouth and replaced it with his lips. Once again, he was kissing you hard and wantingly, his hips slamming into yours at a torturing pace. 

Before long you were tipping over the edge and you were nearly crying out into Eugene’s mouth. Your body shook unevenly and your eyes screwed shut. Halfway through your orgasm, Eugene came as well and collapsed on top of you, his mouth falling from yours and his head burying into your chest. 

“Fuck me.” he groaned as he rode out his high. 

By the time he had finished, you were already in the recovery phase, your breathing hard as your chest rose and fell rapidly. Now that the fun was over, the medic in your arms was back to being his gentle, caring self. 

“So…” you panted hard as you ran your fingers through Eugene’s brown hair. “Same thing tomorrow night?”

[purplesurveys]

926

Significant other/crush survey

–CURRENT–

Something that you have in common: We’re working towards getting to pretty much the same industry, we’re both competitive as fuck and hate losing, we love dogs though she’s way better at disciplining them, and we love our coffee.

Are they a friend or just an acquaintance? She’s already my girlfriend. But she’s also my best friend.

Do you make an effort to talk to them or wait for them to talk to you? It works both ways, but generally I’m more talkative and I like sharing stories so I initiate conversations more often. Sometimes it can be annoying when I feel like she never starts a convo first, but I’ve come to understand that she’s not really the texting/IM-ing type.

What happens when you make eye contact? I mean, we’re always making eye contact lol but if we do it accidentally, we usually give each other a smile.

How often to you get to see this person? I used to see her 2-3 times a week when we were still in school since I drove and it was easy to see her whenever I wanted and could. Now that we’re maneuvering ~employment~ and ~being an adult~ in the middle of Covid, we haven’t figured out our arrangement yet and how often we could see each other. At the moment, it’s 1-2 times a month.

What bothers you the most about this person? She can get a little selfish and fail to consider my emotions and vulnerability if a situation personally doesn’t bother her. I’ve asked her to work on it and I’ve seen progress here and there, but when it comes down to it she simply tends to be individualistic and likes to look out for herself. Those are not bad things per se, it’s just that they sometimes end up affecting me.

Who is usually the first to flirt? She is, but that’s saying a lot as we aren’t too much of the flirting type. Maybe flirt is the wrong word...I’d say she’s the first to act cheekily. 

–MEMORIES–

How, when, and where did you meet? i’ve known her for the last 18 years but did not formally meet her until 2011. She had a friend, I had a friend, and those friends were friends so they introduced us to each other and it turned out that it was the two of us who hit it off really well and it was the quickest I’ve gained a best frend. We had attended the same school since kindergarten and we became friends when we became classmates for the first time in 7th grade.

What did you first talk about? I have no idea what our first encounter covered anymore, but I can tell you that what gave me the sign that she was going to be my best friend was when she watched Johnny English Reborn one weekend and came back to school the next Monday a complete fangirl for Gillian Anderson. As someone who was in my own fandoms that time I needed someone with the same energy and humor, and she showed up at exactly the right moment.

What is the best thing they have done for you? Saved my life. Literally. I’ve had more lows than highs and she saw them all through with me every single time, whether it was being by my side when I needed to cry in my car for a whole evening or helping me make a Powerpoint presentation due the next day when my entire group was not helping me. 

When was the last time you saw them? The other day.

Last thing you said to them? I apologized for the late reply and explained that I was having dinner.

Last thing they said to you? She just replied to that ^ saying not to worry.

What originally caught your eye? I started finding her really pretty in junior year and loved that her mind was always racing with thoughts to share and stories to tell me. I can’t exactly pinpoint the moment when I started *liking* her though; it happened all so very suddenly.

What was your first impression? When I first met her 9 years ago I could hardly believe she’d want to meet me and eat lunch with me and stuff because she was a popular girl, very well-liked and got along with everybody; I was virtually unknown throughout grade school and never had friendships that lasted. It was very weird to suddenly be talking to her since she just seemed way out of my league but when I realized she’s just as weird and nerdy and goofy as I was and not at all like the mean popular girls we had, I immediately took a liking to her.

What was their first impression of you? No clue and she’d probably have no clue either even if you asked her. She’s very forgetful.

Were you ever previously involved with them? Yeah we went out in 2014 but broke up then got back together.

What is your most memorable moment with this person? I have so many. I can probably give you one for each year that we’ve been friends/girlfriends. Off the top of my head, I’d go with the fact that my first out-of-town trip alone was with her, when we celebrated my 20th birthday in Nasugbu and Tagaytay.

–IN YOUR OPINION–

What is their best physical feature? I’d say her smile is my favorite, but I love so many features of her too like her eyes, dimples, hair, and the fact that I can squeeze her arms any time I want as she has a bit of chub :)

Personality trait? She cares so deeply about the people who mean a lot to her and would be very protective of them. Also, she’s super ambitious and isn’t one to shy away from a new or daring task.

Describe this person in three words: Hates to lose.

What are they like in comparison to your last crush? The closest thing I have to a ‘last crush’ is Andi, but tbh I didn’t develop much of a relationship with her since she migrated just a year after we became friends. I can hardly remember the conversations we had either...personality-wise, I’d say Andi’s a little aloof (at least back then) and shy; she avoided me when we first encountered each other. Gab’s amiable and will be nice to everyone immediately.

What are they like in comparison to the last person you dated? The last two relationships I’ve had were/are with Gab, and I wasn’t seeing anyone before her.

On a scale of 1 to 10 (Physical Appearance): 38

On a scale of 1 to 10 How much do you like them? 50

On a scale of 1 to 10 How much do you think they like you? Hahaha I hope it’s a 10.

–THE FACTS–

How much older/younger are they than you? She’s younger by like a month and a half. Really no difference at all.

How much taller/shorter are they than you? She’s a few centimeters taller, not a dramatic difference but enough for it to be noticeable.

Where are they from? She’s from the same city but we live on opposite ends, so it takes around 30-45 minutes to get to her place depending on how fast I’m driving ha. 

What do they look like? She’s around 5′3″, the prettiest wavy hair, big eyes, chubby cheeks, and she got a bit of West Asian genes due to her Turkish blood. 9 out of 10 times she gets asked if she’s Indian.

Describe their smile: It’s very warm and friendly. I automatically smile when I see it.

What about their friends? Her friends and I have different personalities so we don’t get to hang much, but Kris and Marts are very nice and have always been to me.

Is this person talented/skilled? Very. Not being biased but I’ve noticed that she’s ended up being skilled enough at anything she tries, whether it’s singing, playing a sport, handling a balisong, etc. She’s good at everything and it makes me kinda annoyed sometimes hahaha, because I’m so clumsy and only good at like three things.

Popular/well-known? S u p e r. She will light up any room she enters and people just naturally flock to her. She’s very sociable and knows how to handle all kinds of people and make them feel at ease. I’m the complete antithesis of her lol. 

What school do they go to? We went to the same school from kindergarten to high school, then for university she went to a school a couple of cities away from mine.

What kind of car do they drive? I can’t remember exactly even though I just saw it the other day skskkssk it’s either a Honda Civic or a Toyota Vios.

What kind of clothes do they wear? Sometimes she’ll put her rich aunt vibes out and wear nice flowy printed dresses or blouses. But she mostly dresses casually; a graphic tee or polo shirt with high-waisted denim jeans do it for her.

When is their birthday? June 5th.

–RANDOM–

How many people do you know with their first name? Lots. It’s a common name.

What is one thing they do that you don’t like? Again, her tendency to unconsciously shut down my feelings.

–THE FUTURE–

How long do you think you’ll like this person? When I like/love a person I never think about when I hope to stop that action... as long as she doesn’t do anything that breaks my trust or hurts me beyond repair, I’m happy to stick with her.

What would you do if they asked you out right now? I’d say there’s still a curfew and we can get arrested ha, but we can try the next day.

What do you want to happen next? I just want the journey to be smooth. We’re in a different chapter now and we’re no longer just college kids with safety nets and we’ve had more frequent serious conversations about our priorities, commitment, and our relationship in the long run. Most recently we agreed that the relationship mustn’t get in the way of our personal goals, especially career-wise; and that we’ll always have each other’s support in whatever we do and achieve.

[auntiebioticslab]

I didn’t get any asks for this but that’s okay because unfortunately I am WELL capable of infodumping without anyone’s permission. so here’s the unplanned variable ask meme by @outervvorlds

read mores do not work on mobile because tumblr is garbage from a toilet and my computer is currently on a UPS truck to California. I am so sorry.

Basics! Name, age, personality, etc. What do they look like? Are they a new or old oc? 

Her name is Rocket Alexandria Hawthorne! Formerly Rachel Holloway back on Earth but I’ll get to the reason for the name change.

She’s extremely vague about her age (her go-tos are “older than you” and “over a hundred” which are both technically true due to the “being on ice” thing) but she can pass for anywhere between 30 and 50 appearance-wise and the timeline of her Earth memories pretty reliably pegs her as late 30s-early 40s.

She’s a really effortlessly confident and funny person, which is the main reason she could probably talk her way out of her own execution. Also because I have a disease that makes me project my brain shit onto every oc I have she’s prone to hyperfixating due to an Unclear But Definitely Present Brain Thing so she knows a lot of things about a lot of things. Also she’d never openly admit it but she’s a sucker for romantic things and definitely cries at weddings.

This is her:

Her mom was Pakistani and her father was Black but she usually just says she’s from Baltimore.

What are their attributes, perks, and flaws?

She’s got high charm and intelligence, average strength and temperament, and good everything else.

I got her up to level 30 my last play through, do not make me list all her perks. Most of them this go-round so far are buffs to vendor prices and boosts to movement speed.

She has weakness to both plasma and physical damage!

What do they believe in?

Religiously, she’s agnostic but she kind of likes the notion of Philosophism. Morally, she believes that there’s no reason for people to pointlessly suffer just so someone at the top can hoard money, and also that the colony would be better off if Byzantium suddenly burned to the ground.

...she did not burn Byzantium to the ground, don’t worry.

How did they react to becoming Captain of the Unreliable? Are they much of a leader?

She always kind of wanted to be a cool spacefarer, but she hoped it would be under different circumstances. She told ADA that the real Hawthorne was killed by marauders, offered the poor bastard some dignity in death.

She is a pretty effective leader but that’s because she doesn’t really see herself as one? The crew aren’t subordinate to her, they’re her friends.

What was their life like before being iced?

It was boring! She was stuck in a shitty line cook job which wasn’t terrible but also felt like a waste of her education, and she was barely scraping by anyway. That’s why she applied for the Hope initiative.

Did they have any family before becoming Captain? Do they think their crew as family? 

Obviously she had parents growing up; they werent as present as they’d have liked to be because Work but she never once felt like they didn’t care for her. They didn’t live to see their daughter off when she boarded the Hope, but that was because of natural causes.

She also had four older brothers! Darren, Brice, Gene, and Andre. She was closest to Andre because the age difference between them was only a year. He’s actually the one who gave her the nickname “Rocket” in the first place; when they were kids they would pretend to be space explorers and their pretend names were Astro and Rocket.

None of her brothers were on the Hope. Darren actually was doing pretty well for himself in a low-level government job and didn’t feel the need to leave the planet, Brice didn’t want to uproot his wife and kids, Gene, well...she still has no idea what Gene was up to when she boarded the Hope because he took a job in another country and lost contact with his siblings years prior. Andre had been dead for years, unfortunately, having died in a work accident a week before Rocket was due to graduate college.

It still nags at her that while she can at least assume all her other brothers died peacefully and surrounded by loved ones, she knows EXACTLY what horrible thing happened to Andre.

As for the current crew, ohhh yeah, they are definitely her family. She cried when Felix said “I’ve got a family” to Clyde.

What’s their fighting style? Who do they bring along?

Ironically for a timeline where Roosevelt was never president, she does practice big stick diplomacy. Well, it’s usually small stick diplomacy because she prefers one handed melee, but still. If she can avoid direct conflict (through stealth or negotiation) she prefers to. The only exception was Tartarus.

There’s no real rhyme or reason to who she has in her party because from a Me As The Player standpoint I just go with whoever gives me boosts to the stats I need for the quest I’m doing. Which, in practice, usually ends up being Parvati and Felix because of that sweet sweet Persuasion buff.

Is Spacer’s Choice their only choice? What do they think of the corporations?

She is...not a fan of the amount of power they have. Spacer’s Choice in particular has a special place in hell as far as she’s concerned. If you held a gun to her head and asked her to pick a favorite...she’d probably ask you to just shoot her. Or she’d choose Auntie Cleo’s because their jingle is the least annoying.

What do they think of the factions? Are they liked or disliked by any?

Rocket has to make an actual effort to get on someone’s bad side so she’s in pretty good standing with most of the major factions. She made an effort with the Board, though 😁

For her part, she’s especially fond of the folks on the Groundbreaker.

What’s their favourite place in Halcyon? Least favourite?

She likes the scenery on Terra 2 and the people on the Groundbreaker, but as corny as it sounds her favorite place in Halcyon is the Unreliable. It’s home to her, and it’ll stay that way forever.

She doesn’t hate Edgewater per se but being there fills her with rage because of how...indicative it is of the way the rest of the colony is being run.

Do they have a favourite alien creature?

She definitely has never done extensive research on the care and feeding of leather boas because she hyperfixated on the idea of getting one as a pet before realizing that recreating the necessary habitat conditions on the Unreliable was impossible, or at least way too expensive.

No, I’m not projecting the amount of times I have done something similar for bearded dragons.

Did they save The Hope?

FUCK yeah she did.

What do they want to do afterwards? - but do they get a happy ending?

She finally gets some use out of her degree; she’s qualified to be a food scientist, like a real actual food scientist, and that’s probably what Halcyon needs more than anything.

Considering a few other things that happen in the epilogue, she doesn’t get a perfect end. But it’s enough.

What do they think of the companions? Friendships, crushes, dislikes, etc. 

She immediately thought “now I’M the big sister” after recruiting Parvati and Felix, so there’s that. Probably accidentally called each of them by the name of one of her brothers a few times. Convincing Ellie that she actually cares about her as a person is her white whale of sorts, and she empathizes a lot with Nyoka given her own history of loss. Logically she realizes that Max is a fellow capital-A Adult but also she feels like she’s holding the leash on a feral dog whenever he’s with her. She likes to tell SAM he’s doing a good job.

How do the companion quests go?

Golden ends across the board, babey. I’ve never been one to half-ass shenanigans.

What’s their love language?

Gifts and acts of service!!! She always tries to play it cool until she’s ready to admit her feelings though, so there’s a lot of pretending she just HAPPENED to find this thing she damn near tore the planet apart looking for.

Also she especially likes to flirt by cooking. Even back on Earth she got into a fair few relationships by being like “hey neighbor, I underestimated how much this recipe makes, interested in taking some leftovers off my hands? ;)” when she knew damn well how much the recipe made and doubled it so she had an excuse to see her cute neighbor.

Are they in a relationship? Do they want to be?

She has a crush on a certain rogue scientist, and unfortunately for her it is such an intense crush that she actually gets tongue-tied around him sometimes, which isn’t something she’s used to and that stresses her out a LOT.

Damn now I want to write an immediately-post-game-but-WAY-pre-epilogue fic with the crew trying to get them together so they don’t have to listen to Rocket blasting classical music and frustratedly screaming into a pillow every time she leaves his lab.

How to win them over?

She likes to look into someone’s eyes and see a fire, you know? I mean this in both a platonic and romantic sense—if someone is downtrodden but still determined, she probably at least respects them.

Also if someone she has feelings for does some kind of tender touch thing like brushing her hair behind her ear she McDies. Just completely short circuits. Cannot handle it.

How to break their heart?

If she found out someone important to her was using her or going behind her back it would destroy her. Unwilling betrayals as a result of being under duress are one thing, but deliberate, calculated manipulation? That’s her absolute worst nightmare.

How did those cows get onto their ship??

She wanted to try making homemade cheese and didn’t trust the bottled milk to actually be from a cow after what she learned about the saltuna cannery in Edgewater.

Ok technically she just agreed to deliver the cows to a facility on Terra 2 after the actual ship carrying them had engine troubles on Groundbreaker but she liberated some of the milk while in transit. Not like they’d notice.

A song that reminds you of them,

Sucker Punch by Die Mannequin!

Three random facts about them.

She got that burn scar during her time on Earth. Be careful with hot liquids, kids.

She’s tall—like, 6’5” tall. People who don’t receive proper nourishment don’t get very tall so she towers over most of Halcyon.

After the events of Don’t Bite The Sun she went back to Stellar Bay and told Raymond “I’ll teach you my recipe for breded cystipig chops with mock applesauce if you’ll teach me how to make that casserole”. Good trade for both parties.

[buckysforeverprincess]

What Do You Want From Me? Ch 10

(Lance Tucker x Reader), OFC Claire, OMC Dr. Tucker

Words: 1265

Warning: Language

A/N: I guess this chapter is the conformation many have already guessed about. Side note, my own GYN is named Dr. Tucker, so why not use that as inspiration? Enjoy!

No! No! No! No! No! Fuck no! God damn mutha fucking, hell no! This is absolutely not fucking happening!!! You punk ass bitch!! Lies! All fuckling lies!

It didn't matter how much you swore at the little stick, holding your future hostage, the results stayed the same: pregnant. How was this even your life? You were celibate for two and a half years. Birth control wasn't an issue because you weren't having sex. Jase and you have been using condoms. Did one of them break? Must've been what happened. Fucking rubber pieces of shit! They are so fucking ineffective!

What to do now? Do I tell Jase? See a doctor? Phone a friend? This is so frustrating. Maybe the phone a friend option for right now. No. Text an acquaintance.

God, he'll think I did this on purpose! Who gets pregnant right away anyway? You've been an actual couple for three weeks. Dates, hanging out, sex. It's been three weeks of bliss, and you're about to ruin it with ‘hey sweetheart...we're having a baby!’  

You sent a message to Claire asking her to meet you for lunch. She agrees and picks the place as per usual. Must be nice to be able to eat at those high-end places all the time.  

Eleven thirty rolls around and you find yourself walking into the classy restaurant asking the waitress if your friend had arrived. Of course, she's already here. The waitress smiles at you and guides you through the restaurant and to your seat across from your friend.  

“Hello, darling! I've missed you!” She says with a big smile.

“Claire. I've been…busy.” Jesus she can't help herself. It looks like she's going to burst if she can't ask. “Ask away.” You tell her, knowing she's wants all the details.

“How's Jase? He's officially your boyfriend, right? Is the sex amazing? He's got a big cock, doesn't he?” She says all at once.

“He's great. Yes. Yes. Fuck me twice, yes!” You both laugh.

“I'm so happy for you! You deserve this. Just promise me, I get to be your maid of honor.” She's taking this way too far.

“Claire, it's been three weeks. Marriage is not on the table at all! But…I do need to tell you something.”  

Claire gives you a worried look. “Everything ok?”

You lower your head to the table. “Ugh, no!” Taking a deep breath in you look up at Claire and let it out, “I'm pregnant.”  

The shriek Claire lets out has everyone in the restaurant looking in your direction. “This is so great! God, I can't believe it!”

“Shhh! Claire, please…I just found out. Jase doesn't even know yet.” You tell her quietly. The less people who know, the better.  

“When are you telling him?” She's asks. Claire’s happier about this than you are at the moment.

“After I see the doctor. Once I have more info, I'll tell him.”

Claire’s so happy, she's practically jumping in her seat. “This is so exciting! I'm going to spoil this baby so much!” Of course, she is. This kid will be better off than me.

“Aren't you excited?” Claire questions you with raised eyebrows.

“I don't know. I don't know how I feel yet. Everything is so new, and we're already having a baby. I just hope he doesn't walk away.” That was really bothering you. Would he walk away? You were scared he would. He probably would.

“Jase won't walk away. Don't worry so much. Everything will be alright. Now let's eat, I'm starving!” She looks down at the salad the waitress brought at some point in all the excitement.

“I hope so...I really hope you’re right.”

The following week found you at your new doctor’s office. After the forms were filled out and you peed in a cup, you were taken back to an exam room. The doctor came in and you were surprised to see it was a very attractive male physician standing in front of you.

“Hello. I'm Dr. Tucker. You must be Y/N.” Shock. You're in shock. It's a male doctor.  

“You're a guy!”

Dr. Tucker laughs at you. “Last time I checked.”  

“And you're going to be all up in my vagina?”

He laughs again, this time a little louder, “It's what I went to school for.”

Damn, he's good!

“And you'll be delivering my baby?”

The physician sits down on the stool. “Unless you have someone else in mind more qualified than I am, then I will deliver your baby.” He's too good. “You're so young!” His laugh and smile are so amazing. “Good genes.”  

“I want to date you.”

Dr. Tucker lets out a loud laugh. Oh shit! I can't believe I just verbalized that, and to the guy that was about to be in my vagina!

“I'm flattered…and as beautiful as you are, one; I don't think your significant other would like that, and two; your vagina and I are going to become really friendly. I normally have a five-date rule before I get to that point.”

You cover your face in embarrassment. “I'm sorry, I have a boyfriend and can't believe I said that!” You can feel the redness in your cheeks.

“It's ok, I'm not offended. Before I have my assistant join us, I just have some questions to go over.  

Dr. Tucker and you go back and forth over the paperwork and he takes occasional notes on your chart. “So according to your paperwork you last period was March twentieth. Your due date is December twenty fifth. That makes you eight weeks pregnant.”

“What?!” You question Dr. Tucker's math, “that can't be right. Figure that out again!”

He rolls his eyes at you, but does so at your instance. “March twentieth...last period...due date-”

“Ok… I'm not slow. I've only been having sex with my boyfriend for a month. You’re telling me I'm two months pregnant. Not possible!”  

Dr. Tucker takes in a deep breath and lets it out. “Look, you seem pretty intelligent, and I seriously offer no judgement, but seeing as immaculate conception has only been recorded in the Bible, I'm going to assume there was an actual body involved, and sexual intercourse happened.”  

“But how?!” It sounds like the stupidest question in the world.

“Sex happens when a mommy and a daddy get very stimulated.”

What a fucking smartass.

“Jesus Christ! I get it…but there wasn't anyone else!” You can feel tears start to form.

“I'm sorry. This must be difficult for you. Again, I won't judge you. Why don't I call my assistant and we'll do the exam and get things going, ok? If you need to talk about this later, we can.”

You nod, and he grabs his assistant. Doctor Tucker does the exam, and takes the necessary samples. By the end, you're still not feeling any better about this pregnancy, and you feel as though your life just went to hell.

“Do you have any questions for me? And yes, I'm sure about the due date, but I’ll order an ultrasound to check the dating just to be sure.

You shake your head no. There wasn't anything you could say. You just needed to process what you’d been told.

“Alright, I'll see you in a month. It's nice to meet you…and don't worry, I'll make this fun!” He waves and leaves the room.

You get off the table and start to get dressed. It's not possible. There's no way. You weren't with anyone else, only Jase. There's got to be a mis…Fuck!!

No! No! No! No! No! Fuck this!

You look down at your belly and scowl. “Oh My Fucking God! You're Lance’s baby! That fucker got me pregnant!”

[kewltie]

Hi, I'm back again!!!!!!! What you've said about the pheromones makes sense. But it also makes me curious about what omegas do to help mitigate their pheromone slipping out? Do they have collars with scent blockers sewed inside of it? Is it promiscuous or inappropriate for an omega to ask a alpha to bite them so their pheromone will be more manageable? Also, please continue to ramble!

Hiii there and welcome back!!!!!!!!

I got this ask while i was at work so im terribly sorry for the late reply!!! BUT you gave me a lot of things to consider so WOWZER HERE WE GO:

im so glad your brought up collaring bc that’s like my first thought and also bc i generally like collars a lot (if that haven’t been obvious). i have a thing about fashion being incorporated into the structured society and how what you wear and how you wear speaks more about you than anything (don’t get me started on bdsm ‘verse and how in there ppl wear their clothing a certain way to tell other about their sexual orientation/dynamic/relationship status etc) and i kinda WANT to say that omega wear collar commonly as an inhibitor but i think it’s only reserved mainly as a public mating symbol for omega like the way wedding rings are and/or protection. most omegas wear choker or some sort of neck brace protection around their neck so alpha can’t bite them and bond with them in any sort of way. collars are more serious thing omega wear when they’re fully bonded to to their mate. 

so to inhibit the pheromone use, it’s by injection (which can either be quarterly or yearly depend on the doses but the higher the dose the bigger the side effects are), inhibition patch on the body (which are monthly, you wear it once a month and it should last you all of that month, this is extremely common bc of how convenience it is and less costly), and there are inhibition pill which is similar to heat suppression pills but suppression pill are use to delay/stop heat among omega but inhibition pill make it so their pheromones aren’t blasting all over the place and dull their scent by a lot.(alphas and other can smell that they’re omega but omega can’t use their pheromones to ‘cripple/abuse’ it over alphas :X). AND THEN there’s the basic use an alpha’s bite to suppressed an omega’s pheromone which is consider by many to be too archaic and traditional in this ‘progressive’ society when the omega is so v young  :/ so it’s only when they’re older and they found a good partner and doesn’t want to rely on patches/injection/pills anymore and their partner will control their pheromones with the bites. izuku and katsuki participates in the last one as YOUNG AS THEY ARE bc they’re fucking wild that’s what lol. but nah really it’s just katsuki is stupid and kinda instinctual when he was younger (even when he was just a child, katsuki always knew izuku was his and CLAIMED HIM BEFORE ANYONE) and bit izuku’s neck and that ended started them on this path where there’s NO RETURN FOR EITHER OF THEM. 

in the olden days before technology caught up with society, it is v v v common for alpha’s to bite young omega (this is usually someone in the family, a friend’s of the family, their future betrothed, etc someone the omega know somehow) to suppressed their pheromones. bc omega are in the super minority, there are always alphas around to do it and it’s usually older alphas bc younger alphas supposedly dont have the control for it bc ‘biting’ isn’t a bond per say just a shallow impression on the skin that trigger a half bond that make the omega think THEY’RE in a bond (only when the teeth draw blood and the alpha-omega share blood b/t them that they’re consider truly bondmate)sand therefore they dont need to release pheromones to lure in potential future mate so they these bites are temporary and must be apply every few months! also, it is meant to be platonic and no sexual/romantic elements to it until the omega are mated off to their proper alpha but uh still pretty sleezy bc it older/young power dynamic so abuse potential was SUPER HIGH. eventually this method died out for more convenience/easier application like patches and injection.

is it actually not promiscuous or anyway scandalous for a young omega to asks for a bite if they chose to go that way! just mainly side eye bc of how archaic the method is since there ARE MORE EASIER WAYS TO DO THIS. and omega can have bites from one alpha or many in their lifetime if they chose to and it isnt look down mainly bc society pressure them to find their mate as much as possible bc the sooner they are mated the less likely they will leak pheromones and once an omega is bonded to an alpha that alpha built a resistance to their pheromones and therefore can control the omega better bc an omega is just any other person w/o their pheromones which is their most potent threat :P (it even the playing field b/t the two dynamic pretty much; bonding is the great ‘equalizer’ they like to say). so it it encourage that omega finds mate as soon as they are able to bc that help mitigate the pheromone use HUGELY and omega can start producing kids as quickly as possible bc it’s all about the kids!! so alpha-omega matchmaking is a booming business lol. 

but that doesn’t mean mating is taken lightly! mating is serious business bc betas and any betas coupling got their marriage but omega-alpha is all about mating and it has to do with scent compatibility. omega are disposed to be smelling good but their scent varies from alpha to alpha so if they smell good to you then you have a good match up and the most perfect scent to an alpha mean they have true compatibility. though that super rarely happens so most just settle for a good smelling alpha/omega with good breeding potential. for alpha, it is find that omega with high fertility and best smelling one (the stronger the scent the supposedly stronger the bloodline of quirk users to be) to carry that lineage so alpha would fight other alpha for the right to mate with an omega but it doesn’t mean an omega have no voice in this. actually in the past, an omega is bought/traded/and given away to ensure the best quirk users in the future but now these days it consider regressive for these modern times so omega are to consider their mating partners bc their children are their status symbol. the more powerful and accomplished your children are, the greater your omega status bc YOU AND YOU ALONE CARRIED THAT CHILD TO TERM AND LOOK WHAT YOU HAD HELPED PRODUCE. so omega look for alpha would great genes (smart, athletic, quirk power etc) and the best one will be their mate… it is VERY much like how female animals chose the male with the best genetic material to pass on to the children. so yea blood fight over omega is v v common among alpha (esp when the majority of the planet are quirk users) but omega have a voice in this and this is how they determine their future mate. 

as;djsf;asjdfa;sdf AHH THIS GOT WAY OUT OF HAND. thanks for entertaining me!

[foxofthedesert]

Fanfic Snippet

Thought I’d drop a sneak preview of a story I’ve been slowly whittling away on over a long period of time.  Been tinkering on it some here lately.  It’s a Kalex fic, AU of course as I seem to be incapable of writing within canon, that changes up the paradigm between Kara and Alex in a way I’ve yet to come across.  It’s probably been done, though, and I just haven’t stumbled upon it.  Anyway, to be discrete, let’s just say Jeremiah disappears, just for a different reason...

I’ve got 30kish words into the story, but there is currently no deadline for publishing in sight.  I don’t feel so bad putting it out here for consumption when it might not ever see the light of day.  Does that make me a terrible person?  I hope not.  Anyway, this scene is set after Kara and Alex meet, sparks fly along with clothes, and our favorite alien is trying to decompress with her best buddy.

Kara nods, eyes wide with brimming excitement that she hasn’t read the situation incorrectly.  “Exactly!  She seems serious about this, and I...I like that.  I want her to be serious about the possibility of an us because I think I already am.”

Her friend’s eyes widen in surprise.  “You are?”

Kara shrugs noncommittally to deflect from how part of her harbors zero uncertainties about Alex.  It’s the part of her that remains an orphaned alien frightened of her own shadow that craves the approval of someone she cares about.

“I think so?” Her nose scrunches up a couple times as she talks.  “I mean, every time I think about my life any number of months from now, I can see her in it.  I’ve known her for all of a day and I’m imagining her as part of my future.  How crazy is that?”

“Pretty crazy.” Winn ducks when Kara uses super speed to toss a pillow she’d snatched up from the couch at his head.  He raises his arms to deflect the fluffy missile.  “Hey, you asked!”

Kara groans as she flops down beside him, her brief annoyance snuffed out like a match in a brisk gale.  “I know.  Argh!  I’m being crazy.  Am I being crazy?  I’m totally being crazy...aren’t I?”  She starts pacing, fidgeting with her glasses, brushing her hands through her hair...you know, all the usual signs she’s starting to panic.

To his credit, Winn doesn’t allow her to flounder long.  “You’re not crazy, Kara.” When she stops pacing to peer at him with barely concealed desperation, he gives her a reassuring smile, then stands and approaches.  He takes her shoulders gently and gives them a squeeze, then coaxes her chin back up when she ducks her head to hide.  “Don’t beat yourself up.  I promise, you are the least crazy alien person I’ve ever met.”

Kara chuckles a bit. Leave it to Winn to disarm her with a well-timed joke.  He really is the best.

“So you really don’t think I’m rushing things here?” she asks when her stomach has settled from the fit she’d almost worked herself up into.

“Only you can be the judge of that,” Winn says with a seldom used sagacity.

“C’mon...” Kara whines, wanting an answer.  Needing an answer.  Perhaps not so much to tell her what to do as to validate what she’s pretty much already decided to do.  It’s too late for her to back out with Alex now.  Her new lover may have been a self-proclaimed love ‘em and leave ‘em kind in her recent past, but she isn’t.  And that isn’t her being a prude either.  She can’t help how she’s wired.

By the time Krypton’s core went critical, individuals of high station such as hers had not practiced casual sex in centuries.  The primal urge to fornicate liberally was pruned from the noble gene pool in favor of sustainable pleasure after a tawdry affair plunged the country into a bloody civil war not unlike the ancient Greek conflict Homer wrote of in The Illiad.  Modern Kryptonians born into one of the major Houses confined their carnal gratification strictly within the boundaries of their marriages or with the long-term lover they kept while of age and still single or when their matrimonial matches proved less compatible than the genetic scientists who determined such things had predicted.  This structure virtually eliminated divorce and ensured optimally adjusted offspring.

Kara’s own mother and father had such arrangements on the side, and that was totally normal.  Though her exposure to her parents’ respective lovers was minimal, she knew them and respected both for the positive influence they contributed to her family.  Her Mom and Dad were happy, and that’s all that mattered to her. 

Her aunt Astra and uncle Non, though, did not need to seek out extra-marital fulfillment.  This confused a budding teenage Kara, who inquired of her mother not three months prior to Krypton’s destruction as to why Astra’s marriage was different from her twin sister’s. 

“You must understand, little star,” her mother had said, “marriages are arranged in the Great Houses with full compatibility in mind. But the science – advanced as it is – is not always able to account for every variable because it is limited by the conscious minds of those responsible for making those decisions.  On the other hand, matches freely made are inspired by areas of our brain that have been iterated upon and improved for nearly a thousand years.  As you know, your father and I did not have a choice when we were married, but that does not mean I do not love him.  I do, Kara, and with all of my heart and my mind.  Our bodies just do not have the same level of compatibility that Aunt Astra and Uncle Non do.  You see, your Aunt and Uncle married for love, not out of duty, and thus their bond is total: mind, heart, and body.  That is why their marriage is, as you say, different.”

Kara can remember thinking how she very much wanted to be able to choose her own partner like her Aunt did.  Looking back, she is pretty sure her Mom and Dad wanted that for her, too.  If she wished, she probably would have been permitted to make her own match, especially with Kal-El’s birth on the horizon.  The burdens of leadership would not have been incumbent upon her if she so desired to cede her position of preeminence as elder to her double first cousin.  There is no way of predicting what she would have chosen now, though she likes to dream that maybe, just maybe, for once she’d have ultimately bucked her own propensity to prioritize duty over happiness. 

Of course, there is not only that disposition for forming permanent attachments she has to account for.  Attraction for Kara is two-fold, as it is for humans, in that she can be enamored of a person’s personality or appearance or both.  The difference for her lies in her mother’s birds and the bees talk.  Her brain, and to an exponentially advanced degree beyond the more primitive human organ, is programmed to extrapolate sexual compatibility with a potential partner, subconsciously factoring in all variables at speeds orders of magnitude beyond any machine on Earth – variables such as the prospective individual’s health, measurements, personality and any other critical predilections detected by the ultra-highly attuned instinctual part of her mind.  Hundreds upon hundreds of years of refinement through the birthing matrix have made this process close to flawless, and the more she interacts with a person, the more accurate it gets. 

In other words, when picking out potential partners, her brain doesn’t make mistakes. The implications on Earth are significant.  Without the family to arrange a marriage outside of those parameters, she will, ninety-nine percent of the time, be drawn to individuals who will make exemplary lovers.  All that remains for her to determine the fitness of said individual to be a viable partner for life is her own willingness to be brave.  In her current dilemma, not only has her brain has already calculated out the equation, but she’s already acted out the solution.  For hours.  Thirty-two hours, forty-three minutes, and twenty-seven exquisite seconds to be exact.  And that math says she and Alex are definite life-mate material.

The point, though, is that she simply isn’t capable of sharing intimacy with someone without forming an insoluble connection.  In fact, had they been on Krypton and had she been allowed to choose her own partner, she would be probably be using the upcoming museum date to make things official with Alex.  Not proposal official, but certainly with a promise of that in the future.  Her own biology would demand that she cement their bond, and the honor of her House would depend upon it.  Of course, if this were Krypton, Alex would accept because she would be in the same boat as Kara is.  But this isn’t Krypton.  And Alex isn’t Kryptonian.   

Nevertheless, while Krypton may be gone, Kara still considers herself a Scion of the House of El above any Earthly designation, and with her body already yearning to be reunited with her lover, she has already determined she is pretty much done for.  Maybe if only one urge was in play, she could cut ties and write off her experience with Alex as a youthful experiment or a regrettable lapse in judgment.  But her sense of duty is screaming at her just as loud as her body is to make Alex hers, and she doesn’t think she has the strength to deny both cravings.

Hearing some encouragement from Winn sure would make her feel better, though.  A little, at least.  Not that she feels bad per se so much as she’s bull-rushed into an unnervingly unusual situation of her own making.  In essence, and at the risk of being crass, she has fucked herself in love.  With a human who won’t understand what she’s going through.  It’s all enough to make her head spin as is without having to worry about Alex’s reaction to her inevitably impending and bound-to-be-awkward clingyness.

So I had this idea that Kryptonian’s in the Great Houses self-evolved to be less messy with sex than humans are.  It makes sense to me this would be the case, not only for optimal child rearing, but for avoiding the potential pitfalls of a casual approach to intimacy such as social and/or familial instability.  Some of this is due to my abhorrence of hook-up culture.  Call me old fashioned in that way, but I prefer commitment.  My take on Kryponian society is that they do, too.  Feel free to disagree.   

Anyway, this is the result.  Poor Kara was set up from the outset to fall for Alex.  Her only concern is whether or not Alex will feel the same.  *spoiler alert*  She will!

[texanredrose]

Six Degrees (Megacrossover Fic)

... I wrote this four years ago and the fact that I did occurred to me again. So. I’m just going to say that the following includes characters from: Gundam Wing, Homestuck, Venture Brothers, Outlaw Star, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, American Dragon: Jake Long, Teen Titans, Beetlejuice, Hercules, Mass Effect, Kim Possible, Dragon Age: Origins and I’m sure I’m forgetting a few but fuck it, play a game and see if you can catch all the references and nods to other media because I literally can’t remember them all. And as much of a cluster fuck as that sounds, it’s really just a slice-of-life with Heero Yuy and Rose Lalonde being best friends, Kim being a tired police officer/momma with her adoptive son Beastboy, and Relena Darlian and Kanaya Maryam bonding over perhaps the most ludicrous batch of morgue employees in the history of ever. Here’s the crossover no one asked for and you’re welcome.

At ten minutes until closing time, Rose Lalonde was quite ready to be done with the day. Two of her employees called in, leaving her to run the book side of the store while Melfina ran the café, both of them flying solo through a relatively busy Thursday. It wasn’t anything either of them couldn’t handle- Rose had started Jasper’s café and bookstore while running the whole thing by herself, back when it was half the size and tucked away in a seldom tread part of the colony, and Melfina was a bartender before opting for the less hectic scene of a café- but it still irked her that both sides of the store ran shorthanded. She had half a mind to lecture her two youngest employees about commitment. However, in their defense, it wasn’t as though she didn’t see it coming; Twilight mentioned that her brother would be returning from the expedition sometime this week and Jake cited pressing family concerns which he had warned might be a possibility the week before. One could never be quite sure when the expeditions would return, given the nature of space travel past the jump point, and Rose was hardly one to argue about familial obligation. Both assured her they would be present for their next shifts, so it wasn’t as though they quit without warning and she would be doing this all week. In the end, she was just tired from a long week and looking forward to the following day. She typically worked Fridays and Saturdays, given most of her employees attended either the local high school or the university a few blocks over. She remembered well the way teenaged partying went from her own days spent at university on Earth, but once a month she took both days off and left the store with Melfina and the kids, hoping nothing burned down in her absence and drinking a glass or three of wine to ease away the stress. If anything, she was looking forward to the wine.

“Rose,” Melfina said, her voice soft as ever but still managing to slightly startle Rose. She must’ve zoned out while watching the clock. She turned her head to note that Melfina had already donned her blue shawl, the color complimenting her eyes nicely as she smiled. “I’ve already cleaned up the machines and restocked the line.”

“Thank you, Mel. You can head home.” Rose nodded, pushing off from the counter and heading for her coat and purse hanging by the door to the back room. “Give Gene my regards.”

Melfina nodded, heading out through the front door, keys in hand so she could lock it while Rose saw to arming the security system. Before it shut, however, she poked her head back in, a slightly apologetic smile on her lips. “Rose, you have a visitor. Do you want me to tell him-“

“No, it’s fine,” Rose replied, setting her coat back on the peg and turning towards the stairs up to the café. So much for heading home. “Let him in before you lock up.” Without a word, Melfina admitted one of Rose’s favorite- if not always punctual- customers before locking the door and heading towards her car. Rose was busy making the coffee upstairs but could hear her friend walk around downstairs, searching for a particular book, before following her up to the café. He took a seat at his favorite table, far enough from the window for the average passerby to miss while still able to admire the view of the colony as it gently sloped up. She noted it took him a little longer than usual, as though something was on his mind and he was having trouble deciding how to handle it. His choice of book invariably boiled down to three genres, depending on what was on his mind: military history- someone’s opinion challenged his enough he sought solace and stabilization in facts before attempting to evaluate the opinion properly- , law enforcement strategies- something or someone at work had challenged his authority, professionalism, or tactics-, and allegorical or satirical works criticizing political groups- some sort of red tape or administrative bullshit was preventing him from doing something he felt important. As she poured the cups, she could hear him open the book and begin turning pages, likely searching for where he left off last, and projected how the night would go based on previous encounters. The man could move silently if he so desired, and it often translated to a cup or two enjoyed in companionable silence at the end of a long work week. Given how much noise he was making, though, it meant he wanted to talk, and at length, which wasn’t that unusual. However, she could usually tell which section he’d visited before ascending the stairs, giving her some hint as to the topic for the night. Rose turned around, bringing both cups to the table where he sat and with a fond smile on her lips. He was intently staring at the page in front of him, skimming the information before moving on to the next page, searching for something. His eyes were a deep, dark blue that bordered on black when he was being especially thoughtful, and his tousled chestnut hair sometimes reminded her of childhood friend John Egbert back on Earth. Except, there was no mistaking their personalities; John was a gregarious, slightly immature bundle of positive energy while Heero Yuy was a very quiet, very reserved, and very private man. Setting his cup down in front of him- black, of course- Rose cradled her own, waiting for the creamer to finish blending before taking a cautious sip. After regarding Heero for a moment longer, Rose eyed the book he was so fixated upon and raised her eyebrows. “And here I thought we’d gotten past the point where you could surprise me.” Rose chuckled, a soft smile playing on her lips as she reached out to pull the book away. “I wouldn’t rely on that, if I were you.” “Then what’s it doing in your store?” He lifted his gaze to meet hers, frowning slightly as he reached for his coffee. Though he was certainly more anxious than usual, it didn’t show in his voice or movements, only in his choice of reading material. Rose shook her head, sliding the book to the side and closing it. “Because it’s not a bad reference for teenagers, and the amount of college students who come here demands I make certain concessions, but you’re a grown man, Heero. There’s no advice Dating for Dummies can offer you that’ll actually work.” “You and me both,” Heero replied, taking another pull of his coffee before leaning back in his chair. He passed a hand over his face and Rose noted the fading indention on his wrist from the band of a disposable glove. “You took another paramedic shift. Is there a reason you’re working overtime?” He shook his head, leaning forward slightly. “Not overtime; I volunteered today.” “You’ve been volunteering a lot.” Rose leaned forward, a smirk on her lips and one brow raised. “Is there a particular reason for that?” He regarded her a moment before grunting out an affirmative response. She was actually a little surprised he was being this straight forward about the issue. Usually, extracting answers from him was about as tedious and painful as trying to get her brother Dave to make sense during his ironic irony phase. If she hadn’t been so accustomed to patiently prodding her conversational partner for information or intrigued by the need to do so, she might’ve kicked Heero out of her store three years ago when he showed up at closing time, drenched from the colony’s rain system and impassively staring at everything around him. It was the first time she’d ever stayed late for someone who didn’t even buy a book but it started a strange tradition, and once she finally got him to open up a little, Rose had found a very intelligent, very self-aware person underneath that monotone voice and slight scowl. Their conversations ranged from the usual commentary on their work day or chosen professions to politics, religion, psychology, or whatever the hot topic of the week was in the universe. Much like herself, Heero never felt quite comfortable going to a bar- although for entirely different reasons- late at night to unwind, and both his work schedule and personality acted as barriers to anyone trying to become his friend. If Rose didn’t own Jasper’s, she probably wouldn’t know him as anything other than one of the police officers patrolling the colony. More than once, though the conversations were decidedly rare, they’d discussed their love lives, or lack of such as the case may be. Rose had made a few attempts, prior to moving to the colony, all of which ended within a few months but Heero had admitted after much poking and prodding that dating wasn’t something he’d ever really… done, per say. He didn’t see the point back when he had the time and, since he worked so often, it wasn’t very high on his priority list now. It was still there, though; Rose had drawn the conclusion long ago that, while he wasn’t quite one to go out and make friends, he appreciated the ones he had and wanted to have other, deeper relationships. He just had no clue how to go about it and it was easier for him to simply act like it didn’t bother him than do something about it. Which, of course, made the current edition of their late night talks absolutely delicious. Rose took another sip of her coffee to hide her amusement. “So, am I to try and guess her name or are you going to be so kind as to give me a hint first?” Heero shot her a glare to counter her mirth before sighing. “Name’s Relena Darlian. She’s a nurse at First Colonial.” “That’s a pretty name,” Rose commented, earning a slightly more heated glare from Heero, which she dismissed with a wave. “Oh please, Heero, I’m not trying to steal your girl. I wouldn’t dream of it.” “She’s not my girl.” Rose liked to think there was an unspoken ‘yet’ at the end of that statement. “And I seem to recall you telling me a story about trying to steal your brother’s girl once.” He pointed out, glancing back to the book before drinking more coffee. “Actually, that was a boy, and the whole incident was based on principle. He challenged me, I accepted; simple as that,” Rose replied, setting her half drained cup aside and lacing her fingers, resting her chin atop them. “Now, back to the matter at hand, I’m guessing you met through work, unless you were shot recently and forgot to mention it. Again.” Heero grunted, crossing his arms over his chest. “It was just a graze; Kim overreacted.” She returned his flat look with an unimpressed stare, which he would invariably take to mean that she neither bought that line nor did she appreciate him downplaying the incident. Rather than continue down that particular road, however, he shrugged. “I met her two weeks ago after that big crash over on Fifty-Fourth. Usually, we just brief whoever receives the patient about the name and vitals and turn over any miscellaneous information to the desk clerk. She had me tell her everything.” “Control freak or perfectionist?” He drummed the fingers of one hand against his arm before uncrossing them and leaning on the table. “Neither. She wasn’t curt or rude about it and she didn’t try to belittle me about my medical knowledge. I told her there was likely massive internal bleeding due to the nature of the collision- that he’d need surgery- and she ran with it.” “Maybe she heard about the last time someone tried to question your medical training,” Rose offered, earning a subtle shrug in response. “What impression did you get?” “That she was more concerned with making sure her patient was going to survive than proving she was the one who could save him.” Heero ran a hand through his hair, doing very little to the disheveled locks. “The nurses and doctors down at First Colonial always act like we’re in the way once we’ve passed the threshold, like they don’t need us to do anything aside from bring them the casualty.” “Yes, we’ve discussed your resentment of their superiority complexes several times.” Rose pointed out. “But what about this particular incident has you reading Dating for Dummies at eleven o’clock on a Thursday?” He frowned at her, brow furrowing. “I’ve met her more than once.” “Something I wasn’t aware of until just now, thank you, though I did suspect as much.” Heero sighed. “I think she only works the Emergency Room. She’s been there the last four shifts I’ve worked.” Rose cocked a brow. “New policy on vacation days; no more cash-ins, it’s use or lose after we hit seventy. I have ten to burn before the end of next month.” “Which translates to: you’re taking yours now because Kim needs them later.” “Her anniversary is next month. She wants to take hers then and we both know Chief will go ballistic if his two favorite lunatics are on vacation at the same time.” “I see.” Rose nodded, returning his slight smile with one of her own. Heero often made it sound like his relationship with Police Chief Anderson was one of mutual respect and agitation. Then again, Rose wasn’t sure she’d handle the duo so well if they were her employees; Kim and Heero seemed to share the mentality that nothing was too difficult for them to overcome, which often got them into situations no sane person would willingly walk into, much less charge into headfirst. It was a desirable trait for a first responder and an admirable trait to an extent. That extent ended when violent death was involved, crossing the threshold from ‘brave’ into ‘stupid’ more often than not, a fine line neither officer was willing to admit existed. “Although, given the timeline you’ve just laid out, and knowing you as I do, I suspect you haven’t had much time for sleeping.” “I sleep well enough.” Heero lifted his hand to rub at his eyes but caught himself. Not in time for Rose to not notice but she ignored it anyway. “What do your other interactions lend to your overall perception of this Relena Darlian?” “She’s driven, focused on the task in front of her, intelligent, well read...” He paused, as if weighing how to proceed, and was prompted by Rose’s slight nod. He ran a hand through his hair again, leaning forward and lowering his voice. “She’s very kind. When she talks to the patients, you can see her make this instant connection with them. She’s got a presence about her that just eases people. When she walks into the room, she commands it, but not through physical intimidation. Just force of personality. I admire that.” Rose nodded slightly, tapping a finger against her lips. “I think that’s the closest I’ll ever come to hearing the stoic Heero Yuy mooning over a girl.” Heero sat back and frowned. “You’re making fun of me.” “No, I’m reveling in the moment. There’s a difference.” Rose chuckled as he rolled his eyes. Rather than continue teasing him, she continued her questioning. “Have you actually spoken to her in a conversation that didn’t include the words ‘laceration’, ‘gunshot wound’, or ‘third degree burns’?” Heero shifted uncomfortably. “No. Not yet. That’s what I was investigating-“ Rose clicked her tongue with a shake of her head. “Investigating? Heero, you must learn a little flexibility in your vocabulary.” “Investigating is an accurate description of my actions,” he replied defensively. “It implies you’re looking at this as a case from the perspective of a police officer which, I should mention, might be too clinical for a pathologically kind nurse.” He favored her with a sour frown before looking at the tabletop. “Maybe you’re right. I don’t know how to do this.” Rose reached across the table and patted his hand. “That’s what lesbian best friends are for.”

Looking thoroughly unsurprised, Heero picked up his cup only to realize it was empty and set it down again. “You finally decided to stick to women.” “In theory, if not in practice,” she replied, shrugging one shoulder while gesturing to him. “But of the two of us, you actually have a shot at something, so let’s focus on that. Do you know anything about this woman other than her professional work ethic? Anything that might hint at the two of you being compatible?” Very briefly, genuine confusion showed on his face. “I thought the purpose of dating was to discover that information.” “Technically, the purpose of a date is to discover compatibility; the continued version known as dating is typically founded upon already discovered compatibility.” His frown said quite clearly he was not amused with her word games. Rose had to smile at how serious he was acting. Given this was Heero Yuy she was talking to, she sincerely hoped Relena was a patient and forgiving sort. “Well, let’s start with the basics. The next time you see her- and there’s no bleeding people demanding her attention or yours- introduce yourself.” “She knows who I am.” Rose cocked a brow in disbelief. To his credit, his glance away was very brief. “She knows what I do.” “She knows you work full time as a police officer, you’re a member of the SWAT team, a qualified EMT, and a volunteer firefighter?” Rose waited, ready to list off other things she’d learned about him over the past three years that might warrant some acknowledgement. He crossed his arms again and pursed his lips but relented. “Okay, so I introduce myself. Then what?” “Ask her if she’d like some coffee or if she’s hungry. You know every little hole-in-the-wall and mom ‘n’ pop shop on L1, especially in this sector. Pick a place she’d never think to look for where the food is excellent and the environment is cozy.” Heero’s face said quite clearly that he thought she was insane for suggesting he paid attention to things like a cozy environment before he buried his face in his hands and sighed in defeat. “I hope she opts for coffee.” “I’m not going to hit on her for you because I am wingman to no one due to ineptitude,” Rose pointed out, standing up and refreshing his cup. “However, you are welcomed to bring her here if you want. Melfina is still the best barista on L1 and the familiar environment might ease your nerves.” “You make pretty good coffee too.” Heero offered, accepting the full cup before Rose reclaimed her seat. He smoothly ignored the comment about him being nervous and Rose was only a little disappointed he didn’t rise to the bait. “The tea you usually drink is alright.” “I would appreciate the compliment if black coffee was actually difficult to make. Also, you hate tea, so I’m not sure how valid your opinion is on that front.” Heero shrugged. “People who like tea drink it.” Rose sighed. “You should really stop trying to derail the conversation at some point. Setting my skills with liquids aside for the moment, have you accepted the possibility you’re going to end up finding something wrong with her? Or how difficult it will be to maintain a relationship when you’re both working long shifts and odd hours?” “No.” He drummed his fingers on the tabletop thoughtfully for a moment. “Should I?” “Not necessarily.” Rose chuckled. “While they are valid concerns, I bring them up because those are the excuses you usually give me when you won’t talk to someone. She must really be special unless...” She narrowed her eyes at him. “There’s something you’re not telling me.” He shifted slightly under her gaze, his face impassive. “Did you hear about the attempted robbery over on seventh?” “Of course. The incident was resolved peacefully.” Rose narrowed her eyes further, encouraging him to make his point. “I was on patrol that day. She talked the armed robber into turning himself in when we arrived.” He took a sip from his cup. “She was unarmed. I watched the security footage myself. She walked right up to him, convinced him to return the money, dismantle his weapon, and wait patiently until we arrived. It was… not how I would’ve handle the situation, but impressive.” Rose sat back in her chair, crossing her arms and smiling. “I believe the relevant term is ‘folie a duex’ and now I get it. She’s just as certifiably insane as you are, albeit on the other end of the spectrum.” Shrugging, Rose glanced out across the colony, admiring the lights that painted the veins of the colony. It wasn’t as breathtaking as a clear night sky, but it was beautiful in its own way. “She sounds like an interesting woman. You should at least try- and I mean really try, Heero- to ask her out. After all, what’s the worst that could happen?” “She could be as annoying as you,” he replied, drinking his coffee without so much as cracking a smile. Rose, on the other hand, grinned.

She would never claim to have nerves of steel but Relena Darlain did not scare easily. Stepping off the elevator into a darkened hallway in the basement of a hospital did raise her heart rate a bit and it did invoke a sense of foreboding in her that she couldn’t immediately dispel but she wasn’t scared. 

Just alert. Ready in the event something did happen.

As the elevator doors closed behind her, Relena set off down the hallway before her, noting the one to the left looked like it lead to a maintenance door and to the right had warning placards on the door at the end and another door that probably lead to the stairwell. At least the path before her seemed to actually go somewhere, though she wasn’t entirely sure where it might lead.

She could stare at the floor plans all day- and had, for at least one of her shifts- but Relena wasn’t the kind of person who learned by just reading the information. It tended to blend together, one sentence melting into the next, and while she could come away able to repeat the material almost verbatim, she never felt like she fully understood it. She preferred having experience to really cement the information in her mind and wandering the halls of her new workplace seemed the most logical course of action to familiarize herself with the place. 

Also, being unable to answer when stopped for directions was also a bit embarrassing; she’d rather not rely on someone else to come to her rescue in such matters. As she passed under a dim security light, she tried racking her brain for what was actually kept in the basement. Maintenance access, of course, a few specialists for non-human biologies, but she was sure there was some sort of clinic or department also housed in the basement. Not that she could clearly remember anyone saying so; maybe she read it on one of the signs scattered throughout the hospital. As she continued down the hallway, Relena reached up and released her golden brown hair from the rigid bun she’d put it in that morning and sighed in relief. She truly hated buns but it was a necessity to keep her field of vision clear, not to mention away from her patients’ wounds. With only her own echoing footsteps to accompany her, Relena continued down the hall, slowing occasionally to read the plates set beside the doors to identify the rooms. Three were storage rooms, one was a holding area for medical waste, and one was written in a language she couldn’t quite place. It was familiar- one of thousands she’d studied over the years- just not to the point of recognition. She really only ever learned how to speak small phrases, rarely focusing on how to write out the words. At the end of the hallway was another cross section, with halls leading to the left and right. However, before her was a set of heavy looking double doors with a somewhat dim light inside, the first she’d come across that showed a hint of activity, but lacked a plate to identify it. With only slight apprehension and a little bit of effort, Relena pushed one of the doors open and stepped inside. A cursory glance was all she needed; this was the morgue. Only two tables appeared to be, well, occupied, light blue sheets draped over the stone still humanoid shapes, and there was another set of doors off to the right. Various tools were laid out on the countertop against the far wall, all clean, and there were a few carts in the corner carrying more tools and boxes for gloves and masks.

Curiosity satisfied, Relena turned around to exit and was confronted with a tall, stern looking man, grey and white streaks coloring his hair and goatee. As her eyes widened in surprise, he seemed to grow taller, the red gem that clasped his black and gold cape around his shoulders glowing with its own light. “Who dares enter the realm of the deceased?” He bellowed, his smooth baritone combined with the dramatic billowing of his cape and the glowing of the gem paralyzing Relens with a primal sort of fear. “Do you seek accommodations?” He stepped closer, towering over her as she shrank back. “That can easily be arranged.” “Oh, Byron, stop scaring the poor girl.” A clipped feminine voice called out in a reproachful tone, though it was somewhat muffled. “She is a nurse, not an intern.” “Oh dear.” The man- apparently Byron- suddenly stepped back, stroking his goatee thoughtfully. “I do apologize, my dear, my mistake entirely.” Relena blinked and shook herself, the fear leaving her the moment he stepped back. He was still a full head taller than her but he wasn’t towering anymore, the gem seemed to glint dully, and his cape hung listlessly off his shoulders. Had she imagined all the rest? “I hope I didn’t make too terrible an impression.” “Uh…” Relena chanced a look over her shoulder to find the source of the feminine voice- which she didn’t, just one of the doors swinging slightly, and that just furthered her questioning of her own sanity- and stammered out a quick: “N-no, I shouldn’t have- I’m new to the ER staff and was just trying to familiarize myself with the hospital, I didn’t mean to intrude-” “Oh, that’s quite alright, really,” Byron chuckled, waving his hand dismissively. “We simply aren’t used to visitors down here. Not live ones, anyway.” “We have had issues in the past with surgical interns trying to sneak in here when we weren’t looking, hoping to use our cadavers as practice.” A woman about Byron’s height entered the room through the swinging doors, a purse in one hand and a white lab coat draped over her arm. Her voice was the same as the one from earlier, a clear space between each word as though they were being pronounced very carefully. The woman’s slate grey skin and candy colored horns clicked in Relena’s head the moment after taking note of them; she was a troll. “Given it is both disrespectful to the recently passed and quite dangerous on occasion, it is a policy to give them ample reason not to try such a thing again.” “We’re actually quite talented at it, if I do say so myself,” Byron said as he untied his cape, striding over to pluck his own lab coat off a peg next to the one the woman was resting hers on. The gem remained, though, matching the red sweater he wore. “The local high school contemplated extending us invitations to their annual celebration of All Hollow’s Eve but reconsidered when someone raised the question of paying for therapy.” “I’d have to vouch for your abilities myself, given my firsthand experience,” Relena tried to make light of the situation while recovering her senses; she felt she was only moderately successful at masking her slight distress. “Is it a requirement for morticians here to be able to terrify people?” The woman smiled, revealing what Relena previously took to be two small incisors resting on her bottom lip as two very long fangs while Byron chuckled. She had momentarily forgotten that trolls were strictly carnivorous. “It certainly does not hurt.” The troll extended her unoccupied hand. “I am Doctor Kanaya Maryam and this is my accomplice, Doctor Byron Orpheus.” “I’m Relena Darlian.” She shook both offered hands while telling herself there was nothing to be scared of; they were doctors, regardless of their appearances, and they wouldn’t be working at the hospital if they we intent on killing her. At least, that’s what she hoped. She hadn’t really paid much attention to First Colonial’s screening process. “I sincerely didn’t mean to come barging in here.” “Nonsense. The pursuit of knowledge of any kind is a worthwhile endeavor.” Byron glanced at the clock. “However, I would suggest leaving soon.” As she opened her mouth, curiosity written on her face, the troll laid a hand on her shoulder. “I will accompany you.” Kanaya offered before turning her attention back to her co-worker, motioning towards the tables. “These have already been checked, Byron, but there are fifteen in the secure room waiting to be inspected. I do not expect any trouble but one can never be sure. We also received a new request from the police about half an hour ago but I was not able to review it.” Byron sighed. “As long as it’s not another exhumation, I really don’t mind. Busy work helps ease my mind a little. I’ll get started on it tonight, if events permit.” “Thank you. Hades will be here in the morning to assist with transportation arrangements.”

Byron frowned, opened his mouth to say something and then closed it without saying a word. After a brief pause, he tried again. “Oh goodie.” Kanaya shook her head slightly as she steered Relena back towards the elevator. “Have a calm night, Byron.” He inclined his head before setting off to venture further into the morgue. “The same to both of you.” As they walked down the hall, Relena glanced over her shoulder. “Not that I would want to interfere with your work or anything, but why did we have to leave?” “Hospital policy.” Kanaya chuckled, looking at her through the corner of her eye. “I suppose you’ll hear a version of the story at some point, so you might as well hear it now, from the source.” With a heavy sigh, Kanaya reached out and punched the call button for the elevator, turning to regard Relena with a soft smile. “Five years ago, I was admitted to this hospital after a vehicle collision. I was pronounced dead on arrival and sent to the morgue. However, it is a peculiar facet of my caste that, sometimes, rather than submit to death, an individual will come back to the land of the living as a rainbow drinker. I am one such individual.” The elevator arrived and both women stepped inside. “Rainbow drinker… given that trolls come in varying blood colors, I take that to mean you are a troll version of a vampire?” “Yes, though we do not generally operate by the same rules as the various subsets of human vampires.” Kanaya winced. “Well, that is not exactly true. You are aware of the subset that sparkles in direct sunlight?” “Of course. They’re rarer on Earth in comparison to the colonies, given artificial light doesn’t expose them in such a way, but I’ve heard of them before.” Kanaya nodded. “Well, in that vein, rainbow drinkers glow. Quite brightly, in fact. Given Trolls are nocturnal by nature I suspect this to be a self-defense mechanism of sorts. It took nearly two years for me to learn how to voluntarily control it but it occasionally… well, if I get too flustered, it becomes a very obvious sign of anxiety.” She frowned. “Painfully obvious. Of all the changes I have endured, it is easily the most aggravating.” Relena smiled politely, stepping out of the elevator as it arrived at the ground level of the hospital. Kanaya was a step behind her, jade coloring her cheeks. “Oh, dear, I was rambling again,” Kanaya sighed. “Sorry; it is a habit I have yet to outgrow. At any rate, upon returning to life, I found myself confronted with another individual- the man who caused the collision, actually- who had returned as well. Unfortunately, he had reanimated as a mindless zombie and was trying to kill the orderly who was monitoring the morgue that night. I dispatched the zombie and was hired to work in the morgue shortly afterwards; being undead myself, I am far less likely to provoke an antagonistic response from the recently undead. After years of working both day and night shift, Byron and I have noticed that, if someone is going to return to the land of the living, this is about the time of night they do so. It ranges between just before midnight and a little after three in the morning.” She tilted her head to the side. “Though, to be perfectly frank, we have no idea why this particular time frame is most appealing.” Relena’s eyes grew wide as she glanced back at the elevator. “Is Dr. Orpheus going to be alright?” Kanaya nodded, flashing her a fanged grin. “Byron is also well versed in dealing with the reanimated. More so than I, truth be told; he’s a practiced necromancer of thirty years or so. Very few could rival the man’s knowledge of the undead and even fewer could handle the creatures the way he does.” Sighing in relief, Relena’s shoulders relaxed slightly. While she had no desire to fight the undead that evening, she wasn’t keen on leaving someone to do so alone. In hindsight, it was a tad bit silly to suggest senior members of the staff might not have the situation well in hand. If she noticed this, Kanaya said nothing, merely smiling politely before speaking again. “Are you parked in the north lot?” Relena laughed, brushing aside her embarrassment. “Actually, I don’t own a car. This is the first time I’ve ever been to a space colony, so I decided I wouldn’t risk getting distracted while behind the wheel.” She nodded towards the double doors leading to the emergency room. “As much as I enjoy helping those who come to the ER, I’d rather not be a patient myself. Besides, I could do with a little exercise.” “I see. I suppose I can see the wisdom in that.” Kanaya looked towards the main entrance to the hospital before returning her gaze to her companion. “Do you at least live close by?” “It’s only three blocks, just off Fourteenth Street.” Relena started towards the entrance, the troll easily matching her stride. Kanaya worried her lip with one fang. “That is quite a ways to walk at this time of night. Would you like a ride?” “I wouldn’t want you to go out of your way. It’s really not that far,” Relena protested, stepping out into the night and trying not to take a reflexive step back. When the colony shut off the main lights to signal the coming of night, all that was left were lights that lined the streets, perfectly spaced out, and it formed lines on the sloping sides of the colony, strange boxes on the horizon to replace the stars. It was strange, something she still hadn’t quite accepted since coming to the colony. She sighed; one thing she missed about Earth was watching the phases of the moon. “Nonsense,” Kanaya continued walking, completely unfazed by the spectacle. “It is no trouble to me at all. I will likely be awake for a few more hours as is; I might as well be somewhat productive and courteous with my time.” Relena chuckled, shaking her head slightly. “You’re the type of person who meddles in the affairs of others, aren’t you?” “When I see reason to… or if I am bored,” Kanaya conceded with a laugh, Relena joining in as they walked to the mostly empty parking lot. “Some habits do not break, I suppose. I have been something of a meddler since my youth.” Glancing toward the mostly empty street, Relena relented. “Well, seeing as I’m not up to breaking anyone’s old habits this evening, I suppose I’ll just have to accept.” “Excellent.” Kanaya smiled, pulling out her keys. 

Kim woke to someone gently shaking her shoulder, resisting the urge to ignore the shaking, curl up, and drift back to sleep. Opening her eyes, the redhead found her wife smiling down at her, hands on her hips as she shook her head. “Come on, couch potatoes, time for bed. Unless you’d rather continue not watching whatever is on the TV right now,” Shego said, laughing as Kim forced herself awake. Garfield had curl up against her at some point after she sat down, though she couldn’t remember if she was conscious for it or not. She barely remembered trudging through the door after work and her stomach was quick to remind her that yes, she had forgone heating up dinner in favor of collapsing on the living room couch. “Kimmie. Garfield.” “I’m up,” the redhead replied, sitting upright and shaking her son. “Come on, Gar. You heard the woman.” “I dun wanna,” the teen groggily replied. Kim ruffled his forest green hair to no avail and sighed. She was half tempted to side with him and just go back to sleep on the couch. “At least make it easier on me to carry you to bed, buddy.” Shego offered, rubbing his back. He cracked one of his eyes open, ear twitching as he concentrated, and then the teen morphed into a flying squirrel. A flying squirrel with green fur but Shego couldn’t complain; Garfield was by no means large for a fourteen-year-old, thin and lanky as he was, but she was in no mood to deal with the boy’s dead weight while ascending the stairs. “That’ll work.” “Good night, Gar, I love you,” Kim mumbled sleepily, scratching behind his head. He chittered something in response, most likely reciprocation, before falling silent again. Shego picked Garfield up in his squirrel form and nodded towards the kitchen. “There’s a container in the fridge. Grab something to eat and come to bed, Cupcake. We all have an early morning tomorrow.” Kim groaned, getting to her feet and stretching. She hadn’t even changed out of her uniform. Great. Kim tried responding to her wife while stifling a yawn, muddling her words only a little bit. “-oaorrow ‘y ‘ay ah.” The green skinned woman- a few shades lighter than Garfield’s own tone- rolled her eyes. “You’re lucky I speak tired Kimmie. Yes, I’m aware you don’t have work tomorrow; we promised to go down and visit the garage, remember? Drew’s been talking my ear off about it.” Kim scrunched her nose slightly while working out her stiff neck. “Do we have to go? Drew’s a weird guy. The way he talks sometimes makes me think of mad scientists and world domination.” “Yes, because Ron is the picture of mental health,” Shego replied, placing a gentle kiss on Kim’s forehead before smirking at the redhead. “We have weird friends.” “Speaking of Ron, he was talking about visiting sometime next month.” Kim quickly continued, noting the narrowing of her spouse’s eyes. “I suggested towards the beginning of the month.” “Good.” Shego nodded, wrapping an arm around Kim as they left the living room. “I don’t want the buffoon spoiling the mood for our anniversary. Or the afterglow.” Kim raised a brow at the lecherous grin on Shego’s lips but Garfield’s animated chittering put a stop to the banter before it got started. “Hey, we gave you ample time to retreat to your room. Not my fault you decided to stick around and see your moms making goo-goo eyes at each other.” Shego half-heartedly lectured, releasing her wife and turning towards the stairs. “I’m going to put the squeak toy to bed. Go grab some food. And don’t fall asleep again.” “Yes, Warden,” Kim mockingly replied, turning towards the kitchen. She paused at the entrance to watch Shego ascend the stairs, long raven locks bouncing with each step and holding their son in her hands. A serene smile came to her lips as Shego reached the top and Kim proceeded into the kitchen. The decision to adopt a child was a debate between the couple for nearly two years. Shego thought they were ready; Kim heavily disagreed. She had just graduated the Colonial Police Academy, her work schedule was hectic, she wasn’t even sure if she was going to do well on the force, and her first three partners hadn’t bolstered her confidence any. Kim believed a child would need stability and she wasn’t sure if she could offer that. Then she was partnered with Officer Heero Yuy, a strong jawed man with a will of steel whom few could work with for any extended period of time. For some reason she would never understand, though, she and Heero had clicked instantly. Perhaps it was their determination or their commitment to the job or maybe they were just alike enough- and intuitive enough- to get past the things other officers saw while being different enough to function as a balanced duo. Heero respected Kim’s skills in hand-to-hand combat and physical agility; Kim respected Heero’s familiarity with any and every weapon imaginable as well as his tactical mindset. They thought and acted quickly, leaving their former partners in the dust, but together they were nearly unstoppable. Heero also had the benefit of seniority which brought some much needed constancy to Kim’s work schedule. Even though she was older than him by a year, he was a much calmer person, less apt to allow his emotions to control him, something he had to teach Kim about during their first few months working together. She started to enjoy her job and really feel like she was accomplishing something, like she was succeeding, and that’s when Shego brought the issue up again. Much to her surprise, Heero sided with Shego once she finally got around to telling him what had her zoning out while they were driving through the streets. He asserted, as Shego did, that love and compassion were more important to a child than what their parents did for a living and Kim had to concede that their knowledge did trump her own, given both of them were adopted and she wasn’t. Her parents were thrilled to learn they’d be grandparents soon; really, she was the only one who seemed terrified of the prospect. But then they met this wide eyed twelve-year-old with a goofy grin, pointed ears, skin and hair the color of grass, who could morph into any animal he saw, and Kim was hooked. He laughed the loudest of all the kids, his movements full of energy, but when the attendant called him away from the other kids, Kim could see the hope in his eyes clear as day. She could also clearly hear the whispered, hurtful words one of the children uttered that caused a slight stutter in his step. His smile never faltered though she saw the shine disappear from his eyes. Kim suddenly found herself wondering if this little boy was really happy or if his laughter and his smile were just for show and it nearly broke her heart. Garfield became a Possible that day. She and Shego became mothers. Everything just fell into place. “Kimmie?” Shego’s voice jerked Kim out of her revere. “Are you okay?” Kim looked down at the sink; apparently she auto-piloted her way through dinner and was just staring out of the kitchen window after depositing the container in the sink. “Yeah, sorry. It’s been a long day. Heero took one of his vacation days today and Kiyone’s out too, so-” “Oh dear Lord, you were paired with Mihoshi, weren’t you?” Shego sighed, shaking her head. “You poor thing.” “It wasn’t that bad,” Kim replied with a chuckle, walking over to her wife and kissing her lips. “It just… takes a lot out of me.” Rather than press the matter, Shego led the way to the master bedroom. “And here I was hoping for some fun tonight. Don’t even start,” she said, effectively silencing the objection on Kim’s tongue “you’re tired and you need some sleep, especially since we’re dealing with Drew and his cousin tomorrow. I don’t want to hear you complaining about how I kept you up all night, so let’s just get a good night’s rest.” “All right.” Kim pouted, trying to hide her gratefulness. Working with Mihoshi was… an exercise in abundant patience and a little luck. There weren’t any major calls today though so it could’ve been much worse. Still, sleep was calling, and it was all she could do to put away her dirty uniform properly and throw on shorts and an oversized shirt before she hit the sheets and was out like a light. Shego, on the other hand, took her time changing, turning off the lights and sliding in next to her wife with an impossibly wide smirk. She kissed Kim’s temple, barely disturbing the redhead’s slumber, and settled down for the night with a smile.

Relena watched through the window, slightly entranced by the colony night, the way the squares of light seemed to revolve around the car. While it was entertaining to say the least, it also firmly proved her theory about her driving skills and she was instantly grateful she took her brother’s advice to find an apartment close to the hospital regardless of price. Not like she was paying the bill at the moment anyway. Wishing to return her mind to the present, Relena looked over at Kanaya. “Who’s Hades?” “Beg pardon?” The troll arched a brow in her direction, obviously taken off guard by the abruptness of the question. Relena had to laugh at her own impatience. “Sorry. What I meant was: you mentioned Hades would be by in the morning.” “Oh! Right.” Kanaya sighed, a little smirk on her black lips. “I’m sure you noted Byron’s enthusiasm. Hades… is not the easiest person to get along with but he is, essentially, our boss.” “Wait, do you mean the Hades? As in, Lord of the Dead Hades?” Relena’s brows rose in shock at Kanaya’s nod. “Of course; who else would be in charge of the morgues and mortuaries?” Kanaya chuckled as the car came to a rest at a stop light. At night, the colony lights operated on timers, and they tended to run long. “He comes around a few times a month to round up any wayward souls. He visits everyone, of course, but he pays our little slice of morbid real estate special attention. It was on his recommendation that I was hired at First Colonial. He arrived just after I dealt with the zombie and decided I could keep my soul, provided-” “Provided you were a good little girl and ate all your dinner.” A male voice suddenly finished right behind Relena and she whipped around in her seat to stare at the man suddenly in the backseat of the vehicle. “My ears were ringing and I decided to- Hey, dollface, haven’t seen you around before, which is good news for you if you know what I mean-” “Hades, what are you doing?” Kanaya sighed, watching the apparition in her rearview mirror with a fond, fanged grin. “What, I can’t pop in on a dear friend?” He leaned forward, the blue fire atop his head shifting with the movement but appearing completely harmless to the vehicle itself. “I’m hurt, Kan, absolutely distraught. You’d think you’d show a little more gratitude towards the doorman who barred your entry to a rather eternally dull existence in the underworld. But, hey, what do I know?” “Hades,” Kanaya warned, so intent on her impromptu passenger, she initially missed the changing of the light. When she returned her eyes to the road, she passed through the intersection and pulled over, putting the vehicle in park so she could attend to Hades without getting distracted. Sitting back heavily, the lord of the underworld sighed. “Did you really have to schedule that schmuck for tomorrow?” Kanaya rubbed her temple with one hand, the other one the wheel. Though she probably should’ve stayed silent, curiosity got the better of Relena. “Do you and Dr. Orpheus not get along, Mr. Hades?” “Whoa, drop the mister babe; I’m a god, not a door-to-door salesman,” he turned his glowing blue eyes on her. “And who are you, exactly?” “Relena,” she replied, accepting his offered hand. “Relena Darlian. I’m a nurse at First Colonial.” “Well isn’t that nice.” He gave her a grin before releasing her hand. “Look Relena, babe, think about it. Do you really think the lord of the dead would have a good working relationship with a necromancer? I mean, come on, this ain’t a hard gig- bozo gets knocked off, soul comes to Tartarus, my head count goes up by one, someone get the abacus- but when you got guys trying to bring those souls back to the realm of the living, then they get axed again- you see where I’m going with this? It’s a bit of a pain in my neck trying to keep track of who’s just regular old dead and who’s dead dead.” Hades sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. “I have enough to worry about sifting through my newcomers and making sure jerk hero so-and-so gets into Valhalla alright and jerk sinner so-and-so gets sent to the correct circle of Hell, not to mention the reincarnation chuckleheads or those who think they can reincarnate if they ask nicely enough. And yeah, I got some help, but St. Peter can be a real pain when he’s vetting the souls going to Heaven, the guy’s anal retentive to the max. You think I got time to track down souls who should already be chilling in the promise land all because some schmuck can’t accept that death is a thing that happens and move on?” Relena smiled innocently. “Well, you do have time to pop in on dear friends.” Kanaya and Relena laughed while Hades rolled his eyes. “Everyone’s a critic.” “But seriously, Hades.” Kanaya composed herself, smiling at him over her shoulder. “You know full well I have weekends off now that we have BJ and Mordin to cover. So why are you really here?”

Hades ran a hand through his flaming hair and down his neck, sighing heavily. “You asked me a question a few months back, Kan. I came to give you the answer.” “Ah,” Kanaya replied, looking forward with unfocused eyes. “I take your reluctance to mean the answer is not to my liking.” In the pause that followed, Relena put her hand on her seatbelt release. “Perhaps I should-“ “No, it’s fine,” Kanaya said, smiling sadly as she continued looking down the road. “I merely asked Hades how long rainbow drinkers… live, for lack of a better term.” Closing her eyes a moment, she sighed slightly before turning her gaze to the mirror. “What did you find?” “Every single rainbow drinker to become a permanent resident in the afterlife,” Hades replied. “And each of them pretty much said the same thing. They- you won’t expire like a loaf of bread, Kanaya. The whole immortal schtick is the real deal and it takes some pretty extraordinary measures to break it.” “Yet they walk the realm of the dead.” Kanaya sighed, reflecting quietly a moment before shrugging. “Thank you, Hades. It does little to comfort me but I appreciate your assistance nonetheless.” “Don’t mention it.” The backseat of the vehicle started filling with blue smoke. It was odorless and tasteless, as though it was only an illusion of smoke, and Relena had to resist the urge to reach out and wave her hand through it to see if it reacted. “Send my love to Mordin and Beetlejuice, would ya?” As Hades was swallowed by the smoke, Relena looked at Kanaya. “Beetlejuice?” “Do not say his name again,” Kanaya instantly replied, checking the backseat to ensure Hades had left. Relieved, Kanaya shifted the vehicle into drive and started down the road once more. “BJ, as we call him, is a poltergeist who can be summoned to any place at any time if his name is uttered three times. It ensures he is never late to work but can be a little problematic from time to time, seeing as… well, he is something of an asshole and his abilities greatly exacerbate his condition.”

Relena chuckled, raising a brow at her companion. “And Mordin?”

“Is a salarian scientist and doctor with an impressive knowledge of various species’ biological compositions as well as combat maneuvers and tactics.” Kanaya shrugged. “He says he was part of the salarian military and word around the hospital is he operated with STG, though I am not entirely sure what that means. Some sort of special unit, from what I understand.”

“So the morgue is staffed by a rainbow drinker, a necromancer, a poltergeist, and a Special Forces doctor, and is often visited by the Lord of the Dead himself, and you have to actually try scaring people off?” Relena shook her head. “Those interns must’ve been insane.” Kanaya nodded. “It seems what brilliance they have in the field of surgical medicine, they lack in common sense.” With one last turn, the duo finally reached Relena’s apartment complex. “I do apologize for the delay; Hades tends to drop by unexpectedly and I’ve found not giving him my full attention makes him a bit moody.” “It’s fine,” Relena said as she gathered up her bag. “It was great meeting you and the others; the nurses in the emergency room don’t really socialize much, for some reason.” “A lot has happened in the past few months that you probably have not heard about yet; a lot of people are trying to keep to themselves a bit more than they used to but they will warm up eventually. Just swing by the morgue sometime and I will fill you in,” Kanaya said, pausing a moment before continuing. “I apologize for subjecting you to the conversation between Hades and I. It is something I have wondered since I read my first book regaling the supposedly fictional tales of rainbow drinkers and I am still sorting fact from fiction.” “Don’t worry about it,” Relena smiled, opening the door and stepping out. There was a question at the tip of her tongue but she refrained for the time being. Perhaps once she knew Kanaya better. “Thank you again for the ride!” Kanaya inclined her head and Relena closed the door, turning towards the complex while ignoring the weariness suddenly overcoming her. The last hour or so had really taken a lot out of her and it was a long day even before all that. She almost groaned in defeat when she realized she had work the following day but she couldn't, in good conscious, complain. She’d wanted this, begged her brother for it, and now she was living the dream, so to speak. As her key slid into the lock of her apartment, Relena took one last look out at the colony draped in night. The sight was slowly starting to grow on her.

Rose armed the security system and quickly exited through the shop’s back door, closing it firmly behind her before attending to the dead bolt. Heero was standing just a few feet away, scanning the immediate area and waiting for her to finish locking up. After the third pot of coffee, Rose had decided he needed sleep more than he was willing to admit and set him to work washing the cups and machine while she put the book back and left some instructions she’d forgotten about for Twilight and Melfina in the morning. Turning back to her friend, Rose favored him with a smirk. “You realize I’m completely capable of walking to my car unescorted, yes?” Heero nodded. “It’s occurred to me once or twice.” “I suppose I should be flattered you at least considered it,” Rose laughed, heading towards the parking lot just around the corner. “Do you have work tomorrow? Of any sort?” “No, I’m off,” he replied. Silence began to settle between them, accompanied only by the muted noises of the slumbering colony and their own quiet footsteps, when he decided to break it. “Would you like to see a movie tomorrow?” Rose raised her brows in surprise but smiled. “Of course. Do you have one in mind?” Heero nodded. “Warden’s Oath. It’s based on the Grey Wardens’ crusade to end the Ferelden Blight.” She pursed her lips in thought, tapping a finger to her chin. “Wasn’t there a witch who aided the Grey Wardens in that blight? Morrigan, daughter of Flemeth?” “You’ve heard of her?” Between the two of them, he was the clear history buff, and she smiled as she mentally evened their score for surprising the other. “I read her grimoire when I was younger; her mother was one of the strongest witches in the universe during her time. Morrigan was her natural successor and the work she put into expanding her mother’s power was admirable.” Heero was one of the very, very few people who were aware of both her affinity for the dark and magical as well as her ability to use certain forms of magic. Mostly destructive forms, though she constantly assured him that she would never endanger the colony for the sake of practice. “According to the grimoire, they’re still lurking somewhere in the universe, Morrigan and her mother, constantly chasing and fighting each other for supremacy. Maybe even the entire party she travelled with during the Blight; she reflected on her journey with the Grey Wardens very thoroughly and I think she took a liking to them towards the end, even Alistar. I’m curious to see how they portray her.” Heero grunted. “I want to see how well they portray the battles. The loss of the King’s forces at Ostagar was a clear rout but many accounts of the events that follow don’t seem to agree on the later battles.” Noticing Rose’s look, he added somewhat begrudgingly. “I’ll pay attention to the characters too.” “Right. You still can’t tell me the name of any character from Final Destination.” “That’s because they were idiots with poor situational awareness.” Rose shook her head in amusement as they reached the lot, her keys already in hand. “Your empathy knows no bounds.” “And you’re a ball of sunshine,” he replied, heading towards his own vehicle, a black sedan with tinted windows and a ridiculous brush guard. She slipped behind the wheel of her coupe, depositing her purse in the passenger seat. “Call me when you’re ready. But not before noon, please.” “Don’t drink yourself into a coma,” he called over his shoulder. He slid into the driver’s seat of his sedan while Rose started her vehicle. He waited for her to pull out of the lot before following suit and she watched as his taillights became tiny red dots in her rearview. She could hardly call her life on the colony exciting or adventurous, but she did enjoy the occasional bump in the road and, knowing Heero as she did, this development promised to bring with it all manners of oddities. Watching it all unfold would be entertaining, to say the least. She just hoped her friend would survive the entire process with his sanity intact.

[a-wolf-among-men]

Dark star au

I swear I put way too much thought into a skin I don’t even really like smh

Anyways there’s a shit ton of info under the cut, because I basically made an entire species. I literally thought this out waaay too fucking much and spent a lot of time on this. ;v;

Brief over view

Thresh is a part of an alien species (Droknal)   who are extremely religious and have a hierarchical  society. He is the last oracle due to shortening resources in their area. Thresh is the only oracle left in his hive. He is the person in the hive that can continue to power the stella tenebris that will someday grow big enough to bring them to rapture a tale that’s been passed down through generation after generation.

The hierarchy

The hierarchy goes oracle, queen, king, breeders, soldiers, workers, and then gatherers. Workers and gatherers are the lowest of the low. Often queens will refuse to listen to them since they are simply a number to her. If a tyrant oracle kills the current one the queen and kings will often team up with the heir to kill the current one.

Oracles are the head of society. The queen must come to them before making any decisions and must carry out their orders. The oracle is the most important person in this hierarchy they direct soldiers, work orders, when breeders can be active, and what areas gatherers can take things from and hunt in. They typically have purple exterior. Long tendrils usually take the place of hair and are usually dressed in heavy robes along with ceremonial and clan painted markings of whatever color the hive is associated with. Every millennia an heir is born to challenge the current oracle and kill them. Many oracles have been seen covered in various scars and injuries from these fights. Some missing limbs or even parts of exoskeleton. Oracles are the strongest, wisest, tend to have magical abilities and theoretically can live forever if unchallenged. They live at the top of the hive usually in a observatory like structure.

 Queens are the only Droknal who can activate the reproduction gene in breeders through pheromones released through pores on the side of her face. She is the only person whose larvae grow from a day to a week. This is why she only ovulates starting a hive, during times of war, when a new heir is needed, and a severe population drop. She carries out the oracles orders and monitors each level of the hierarchy to make sure everything is in working order. She is typically dressed extravagantly. Jewelry usually covers her head to toe all heirlooms from queens of the past. Special designs and patterns corresponding the color of her hive. She directs all aesthetic choices and expansions of the hive without needing to contact the oracle first.  Queens color range goes from sky blue to lavender. They can live forever without being challenged, however as they grow older they get weaker. They live in the center of the hive. their rooms are usually adorned in silk hanging from the ceiling and attached to the walls with large cushions and bathing areas.

There isn’t always a king in power there’s usually multiple cherry picked from the pool of breeders and they aren’t always males either. The queen rubs her face against a chosen breeder and gradually over time their pearly exterior morphs into a shade of blue and they grow exponentially stronger as well as activating a gene that makes them fertile. Their duty is to cater to the queens needs along with assist her in anything she may ask of them. They are in charge of carrying out war orders. A queen may make a king just for war or diplomatic purposes. Kings aren’t tied at the hip to the queen they are free to go out and become a mate of whoever they please. The many kings are purely for genetic diversity among the hive, so there’s little to no inbreeding. Live to around three millennia. They live with the queen or oracle.

Breeders are healers, servants, nannys, and are in charge of taking care of every single larvae. Their color ranges from pearl to cream rose. They typically are shorter and have multiple limbs, longer tails, and smoother faces. They have quieter voices and are well respected by everyone. They are usually dressed in thin almost religious robes as they help out around the top of the hierarchy. They wear very minimal jewelry often only having a single gem of their hive color adorning the middle foreheads. They are usually sent off on diplomatic missions to other hives to build bonds and arrange meetings and trade. They are also sent out during times of war to mend the wounded. They do not have claws or fangs, their mouths are more beak like than other Droknal. Practically immortal. Live wherever they’re needed.

Soldiers, workers, and gatherers are all pretty self explanatory. They are referred to by number. A113 means soldier 113, B112 means worker 112, and C111 means gatherer 111. It isn’t uncommon for them to give themselves names, but because their can be upwards of three million Droknal per hive, numbers are just easier. Soldiers colors range from fossil to charcoal with heavy war paint of their tribes color coating their exterior. Soldiers range in size and strength depending on their regiment along with what they are equipped with for battle. Generals are assigned to each sector by the main king. They live in stations on the outskirts and territory of the hive. Workers tend to be shades of yellow with stripes of the hives color. They have gripping pads on their hands and feet along with multiple limbs. They are the only Droknal to have mandibles as well. They live in the ceiling of the hive. Gatherers are shades that correspond to their surroundings. If they’re in a brown marshy area they’re going to be shades of brown if they’re in a blue mushroom forest they’re going to be shades of blue. There are two types of gatherers, hunters and herbalists. Hunters are faster and stronger often running on all fours. They have sharp claws, teeth similar to a crocodile and long tails with spikes or blades attached to them. Gatherers have four arms and are adapted for what they’re picking. If food is normally up high they’ll be taller, if it’s under ground they’ll have longer claws, etc. They only have a life span of a century. They fill the gaps in the hive often having upwards of hundred gatherers per dorm.

Heirs don’t have a rank in the hierarchy and simply are the heir to either the oracle or the queen. They have a genetic need to challenge them for their place and usually die, because of this.

Reproduction

Droknal are technically all hermaphrodites. Certain genes are either activated or cancelled morphing sex organs into what has been assigned, but all their genitals look the same. It’s purely their appearance that changes. Females have smoother more rounded exoskeletons with shorter tails, they are the second strongest among the hive just below the oracle and they also tend to be larger than and less colorful males. That doesn’t mean there isn’t transgender Droknal, but it is very very unlikely for one to be born. 

Being someones mate is like being married except you literally fused part of your genes with theirs. There is only a huge public ceremony when a oracle or queen chooses a mate. All the others usually don’t have one, but some will.

Oracles don’t usually have mates, but are normally with breeders or kings.

Queens only mate with kings.

There’s always one king mated to a queen other than that they can be mates with whoever they want.

Breeders can mate with anyone, but are most commonly mated to soldiers and oracles.

Soldiers, workers, and gatherers are free to be mates with whoever they want to, though they usually only are mated within their group.

Gender doesn’t really matter since they all have the same genitals

When a female ovulates eggs are produced inside a pouch within her. Once they are fertile they are pushed through her skin into a pouch until they hit the larval stage. Then they are moved to cells inside a special place in the hive by breeders. Once there they are fed the blood of whichever their determined role is. This activates genes and hormones they change them into that breed. Once they hit the pupa stage they’re moved to a gel filled cocoon like structure until they climb out and are assigned to an area.

Even tho I even thought of how their genitals look like I’m not going to write it down unless someone rlly wants to know

Misc details

The planet they live on doesn’t currently have a name (feel free to suggest one if you want)

Their eye color depends on the hive

Their planet is as big as our sun to give some context. Thresh’s hive lives in a mushroom marsh that is similar to zangarmarsh in the out lands. The forest is constantly humid and foggy the only real light sources being their son and the glowing spores the mushrooms release. Various wildlife adapted to that habitat live in the area.

The shortest ever Droknal documented was 5′1 foot and the tallest was 20′9 feet. The average height is 10 feet. (idk how much that is in cm sorry)

Oracles are commonly seen floating around

stella tenebris is kept in a glass like globe small enough to contain, but that isn’t it’s actual size. It’s very much large enough to swallow up planets.

Oracles never get a break

They don’t have facial hair, but some Droknal do have tendrils that look like it. However if they cut them off, they won’t grow back.

Piercings aren’t uncommon among the top four, but jewelry is completely forbidden among lower classes.

the planet has a sun and four moons

the color of the sky changes depending on where you are at

[supernatural-squadd]

After Midnight

Winchesters x Dean's Daughter!Reader // Cas x Reader

Warnings: Blood, torture, language (as usual)

A/n: Reminder that requests are open.

Forever tag list: @Freaksforthewin , @thewinhunter, @cambriacaneatnoodles, @brokennoone , @youtubehelpsmesurvive , @chrisevansthedoritobastard , @winchesters-favorite-girl , @we-know-a-little-about-a-lot @godh8salyssa @thewinhunter @dean-baby-Winchester @straightasdeanwinchester​ @animexchocolate​

"Look man. I can only please one person per day. Today isn't your day and tomorrow doesn't look too good either." Opening your mouth to smile, all the bastard in front of you saw was your bloody mouth.

He must've not appreciated your smart ass remarks, which you'd been spitting out for a good hour and a half now. Taking one look down at his bloody fist, of course with your blood, you knew it was about to connect with your somewhat swollen face. But you couldn't stop there, you were into deep already. Besides, being a smart ass was in the family.

"Damn, now that." You spit out a fair amount of blood. "-that was a good hit." His face was scrunched up again, another swing was coming. "Wait. I think we got off on the wrong foot. Just because my dad's Dean fucking Winchester you have to be all 'Hulk Smash!' and beat the hell out of me? Why don't we try some non-angry acts, huh Bruce Banner?" A loud sigh came from him as he turned away from you. "For example: there's no angry way to say bubbles. Maybe that can be our safe word."

Just as you finished, a sharp object connected with your cheek. You couldn't You just don't know when to quit, do ya kid?" The son of a bitch was bent down in front of you, giving you an intimidating look.

"Never say never. That's my motto." Maybe he wasn't too happy to hear you hadn't learned when to shut your damn mouth. I mean- it wasn't 100% that you knew that's how he felt, but you got a strong feeling when he took the knife from his hand and stuck it all as far as it would go into your thigh.

The loud scream that came from you...you had no control over it.

"Float like a butterfly on fire and sting like a demon with daddy issues." Between each word was a grunt filled with pain and blood.

"You're a Winchester-" oh you couldn't help but cut him off.

"Ten points to Griffindoor. You learn something new everyday." This time he ignored your remark, realizing him backlashing wouldn't get him anywhere.

"You're family were the last ones seen with the demon tablet. Meaning you know where it is." His words sunk in. There was no way in hell he was letting you out of here alive either way. The tablet was too important, and you'd no doubt run to your dad to tell him to protect it.

"You're a smart girl. So why don't you tell me where it is, and we can forget this."

"Sometimes I use words I don't understand so I can sound more photosynthesis." There was no way in hell you were going to tell him where it was.

This was the final straw. Obviously you weren't about to spill the beans, and he knew that. With both of his hands he tore the top left corner of your shirt, exposing a part of your chest

"You've got to at least buy me dinner first."

Your words were ignored. From the corner of your eye you could see something, a lighter. Shit. Maybe you should've kept your mouth shut, as if it were possible.

The pretty perfect lined design on your chest was completely exposed. The second the lighter clicked on you could feel the heat rising near your skin. Then it began.

For a short amount time you held in your screams as the fire burned away at your flesh, ruining the black ink on your skin and disfiguring it at the same time. The scent of burning skin rose to your nostrils.

"Remember that safe word?" Your entire face was sweating, the heat easily continued rising to your face until the lighter clicked off.

"Finally realized what's good for you?" The smile he wore showed pleasure in winning.

"You can shove it where the sun don't shine, cupcake." A wide smile was on your face.

"I wouldn't be smiling if I were you." The lighter you had grown to hate clicked on again.

"Why wouldn't I? My crazy uncle everyone warned you about is behind you." The second the bastard turned around, Sam drove an angel blade into his chest. "It's about time you guys got here." Behind your uncle came a storming and pissed off dad. Dean.

"Mind telling me how the hell you ended up in this little situation?" He was right to put it on you. After all, you'd snuck out to go to a high school party. Being 17 was hard...

"I suck at using nice words and Friday is my second favorite word that starts with an 'F'." From behind your back, a sharp knife was placed on the bindings holding your hands and sliced upwards to free you. "I would say I'm sorry but- I got the party gene from you"

Cas inspected your body, you told him he wasn't allowed to come up and "bless you with his grace" randomly. He needed permission from you. Not Sam. Or your dad. But you.

"Overall, she'll be fine. The burns on her chest will need to be treated and the knife will need to be taken out for the wound to be healed and prevent further damage. But she'll live." As always he wore a clean trench coat and his blue tie that you loved to mess with.

"Thanks doctor Cas, but I was thinking about living with the knife in my leg. We've kind of become intertwined some might say." Just as you were finishing your sentence, Dean reached down and yanked it out when you were least expecting it. Cas followed right behind him and healed it so it was closed and wouldn't bleed.

"Son of a-" your dad hated when you cussed. "bubbles." Sure your leg hurt, but you weren't about to be a weakling and rely on people to help you walk.

"Well, there officially no way to deny her as my kid." Your dad followed behind, along with the rest of the Mystery Gang.

"She's been a badass and a rebel teen who sneaks out for years now." Sam just acted un-phased by this, there were too many times he had to bail you out in the past.

"Wait- years?"

That night daddy Dean discovered how much like him you really were. Anddddd you were "grounded" for a good month. As if that stopped you from doing what you wanted.

[3one3]

Okay Sunday update tyme. 

There may or may not have been a mini war over making my coffee this morning. I'm not really sure. All I know is the one I got was made by the Babysitter and not very good. 

Then there was a baby. This nice couple that comes in often arrived with their maybe 16 mo son, who the Babysitter always holds and stuff. He lets him play with the touch-screen. Some people just really love babies. They see a baby and they get heart eyes and are like oo a baby how ~cute~ lemme go see it! I’m not one of them. I’m mostly afraid of and/or grossed out by babies. The Pacifier definitely got the baby gene. He was DELIGHTED by the baby. Instant, yuge smile. He went over to see him, and tickled his tummy and stuff, and I was like wow, he’s more interested in touching a baby than me, that hurts. Way to cut me deep. It was still really cute to see him be delighted by the baby tho. I def got THAT gene. The “guys being cute with kids directly affects ovaries” gene. 

Then the piña colada party started. They're not on the menu. I guess someone bought a big bottle of Cooco Real, the coconut cream stuff that makes piña coladas delicious at 900 calories per sip, but not really because it’s not as good as the thick stuff that comes in a can. They also don't have anything else blended on the menu but they do have a blender. Out comes this blender. The Pacifier and the Brother are practically giddy about this, and are verifying with the Babysitter what to put in it. He takes over anyway. Pacifier suggests using Malibu coconut rum and Babysitter is like no you use the regular clear rum rawr. They're actually both wrong. You should use a good quality white rum, yeah, but you should also use a really good dark rum. But that's if you have good quality coconut cream, which they didn't. It should have coconut milk too, and some lime, but I didn’t want to lecture the bartenders on how to bartend, ya know? Just cause I’ve been a piña colada enthusiast since age 6 doesn’t mean I’m an authority.  

Babysitter makes the first batch and tries to pour some in this little coupe glass which is all wrong for that. How do you put a full size straw in a coupe glass? You don't. Anyway. It also won't pour. It's too solid. Like sorbet. I was like "it's supposed to be a liquid, not a dessert". Pacifier chuckles at this and I'm like oooo score. Pacifier goes and gets a cherry for it and everything and they taste some and give it to me to taste, and they both said it's not sweet enough, and I said IT NEEDS MALIBU, and the Pacifier is like IT NEEDS MALIBU, and it becomes clear at this point that the Babysitter has never had Malibu and doesn't know its awesomeness. Side note: my favorite whatever drink is Malibu and pineapple juice. I didn't even know they had Malibu at this bar until last week because no one uses it for anything but the Pacifier and I happened to see him grab it from below the bar and pour some. I always wondered why there is none on the shelf with everything else. Anyway. Moving on. 

A second batch is made, with Malibu, and offered around to everyone to try. It's much better. Babysitter still can't pour it tho and Pacifier and I are watching him try and I look at him and shake my head and he starts cracking up and I melt inside. Making someone you want to be friends with laugh with you like a normal reason rather than awkwardly laugh for no apparent reason every time you talk to him is just the best. They decide it can go on the menu for the day. I told the Babysitter not to serve it in that stupid glass but he insisted. He said hey could use the cocktail straws. I was like wtf how can you sip an already too thick piña colada through a fucking cocktail straw??? And he just laughed. Another guy decided the solution was to just cut the regular straws in half 🤷🏼‍♀️

I still had the whole first example to drink myself, plus some of the new and improved one. I really don't drink anymore, so that was enough to count as liquid courage I guess. It brightened by whole day. I was in a good mood. I decided it was to be a day of progress on the communication front. But then naturally the place got crazy busy and the Pacifier was running around at Mach V doing his job. I seriously can’t bring myself to bother him when he’s busy.

I waited until things calmed down considerably and did my standard I'm-about-to-be-annoying-but-at-least-I'm-sweet-about-it way of saying his name (this has gotten males of all age and association to do things for me forever) as he was walking behind me, and he leaned in beside me and said "yes? ma'am" and I wanted to end myself right then and there. You can't ask a girl to hang out one weekend and then call her ma'am the next. It's bloody criminal. I decided it wasn't serious tho. He called the Babysitter sir earlier. I call my officemate ma'am all the time, non-seriously, like when she brings my trash can in from the hallway and I say thank you, ma’am. But anyway it ruined the whole plan it took me an hour to decide on. I was going to summon him and then be like "you know what I want *wink wink*" bc obvi I wanted a coffee and he would know that. Ma'am threw me off tho. And then he didn't give me a chance to ask a question anyway. He asked me if I wanted another one and I was like yesssss pleaaaaase. It was delicious and I was thankful. I wanted to tell him that he’s my favorite person on the planet on saturdays and sundays and that when I work those mornings the only reason I get out of bed is that I know I get to have that cappuccino after. He’s too quick. Or I’m too slow. Or something.

Now here's where shit gets cray. One of my clients and I have been looking at this horse for a while. We checked him out years ago when he had a different owner, and liked him but not for the price. Now his current owners put him up for private auction over the weekend and we were like, well if we can get him for X then it’s a no brainer and if we can get him for Y it would probably be worth it, but no more, and I did the homework on the other people I knew might be interested  and so I thought it was possible that we could get him for that. But we weren't fully sold on him. I usually feel strongly one way or another on whether to get a horse, particularly at a certain price point. I was like, we could do this, and it would be great, or we could not do it, and I probably won't  kick myself over it tomorrow. 

With 90 mins left on the sale clock, and an "it's up to you" order from the client, which I had been waiting for for most of the day, I decide that the best way to decide is to let the Pacifier choose 😂 I had a good reason though! The horse's name is one letter off being Cappuccino! It's a sign! I'll show him the video of the horse on my phone and ask him what I should do. It’s genius. I summon the Pacifier, who had to be wondering just how much cappuccino I can drink in one day, since that's all I ever summon him for. I immediately panic that the friend I was texting literally *about him* and practically nothing else and who hadn't answered me in over an hour would decide that was the right time to reply, and that she'd say something totally incriminating exactly as he was looking at my phone. It was too late to tell her to shh tho bc he was already incoming, and I couldn't do airplane mode bc I needed wifi to show him the Video. It went like this. 

"Are you superstitious?" (I'm thinking, what if he doesn't know what that means?)

~message from friend about how the babysitter is definitely cockblocking drops down from top of screen along with two others BECAUSE OF FUCKING COURSE and I desperately will her to stfu~

"No. " 

"Well I'm very superstitious and I need your help. There's this horse. See the video of  the nice horse?" I held the phone so he could barely see it, just in case. "I have an hour and a half to decide if I should get it for a client and I don't know what to do. I'm fine either way. I’m totally 50/50 on it. I could flip a coin. But the horse's name is Cappuccino (it would have been too hard to explain the one letter difference and I talk really fast when I'm nervous and it gets hard for people to understand and meh whatever) and you're my cappuccino guy so I need you to tell me what to do."

"Then you should go for it!" He says, laughing. It was sort of like a comfortable laugh too, not the awkward one. 

"You think so?"

"Yeah! Go for it!" At this point I'm just loving the carefree gung ho attitude here. 

I told him okay I'm gonna do it, and I warned him that I'm blaming him if the horse ends up being terrible. He was just smiley and laughing and stuff. 

And that's how i bought a $400,000 horse on the cappuccino guy's say so. Did I mention I forgot to mention to him how much the horse costs? 🙊 He might be one of those people who thinks even competition horses are peanuts. He probably has no idea. He might not have even understood what I was saying. He could have thought I was talking about betting on the horse or something. I have no idea. He was just all for it. 

I get really high when I do big deals. Like so pumped. I called the client and said to do it. And I was like shaking and grinning and stupid. Hopefully it was the horse and not just the interaction 🤦🏼‍♀️

I left a little while after that. On the way out when he was saying bye to me I reminded him that he's in big trouble if the horse is crap, and he was all smiles. 

I find out for sure tomorrow morning if our bid was definitely accepted, but I saw no others come in after so it prob was. Lawd help me if this doesn't work out well 🙈🙈🙈

Then I went running and got sunburn bc it was earlier than I wanted to go but I was too hyped to sit still, then I saw one of the guys from the restaurant on the way to where I run, and he was on a bike share bike outside mcdonalds in work clothes but not the ones he was in earlier and I was like wtf and also please don't notice me in my terrible running outfit. 

Then I got some really upsetting texts from bf about all this 😕

Then I had some food and prepped some stuff for my lunches and then I worked out bc the high hadn't gone away yet and ya gotta use it while it's there. Haven't managed to figure out how to use it to fix the bf thing tho. 

But, consider yourself updated.