#freedom planet 2 spoilers

[semi-sketchy]

They're wild for this

[lesiasmadness]

Needed a break, so have a him

[yupiistar]

They can both also pray "scary lady" has not heard about this 🔪💦

[kl-the-robobun]

Was drawing a different, much bigger fan art of Freedom Planet 2 until then I realised I couldn't draw Merga, so I did a smaller piece in the corner to practice

[exactlycleverpirate]

Timeline from Xavier's Perspective Part 1

EDIT: This has been updated to include the endings of all myths as well as some other information.

(Includes spoilers for basically everything, including all myths.)

This is an update of my earlier post. Part 2 here.

If you are interested in more speculation than facts, check out my Half-baked Theories and Wild Theories About Rafayel. For an in-depth exploration of Rafayel’s story, see What Happened to Lemuria and Rafayel and Rafayel's Timeline Redux Part 1. For current game story see Love and Deepspace: the Story So Far Part 1.

Timeline from Xavier's perspective (Part 1/Philos):

Xavier is born on Philos. He is the Crown Prince of the royal family. Life is connected to the core of Philos, making him and most people on Philos immortal while the planet remains. Philos has a fake core that is holding together the separate tectonic plates of former Earth. Travel between these plates is difficult (no oceans?).

214 PT (Philos Time) Xavier went to school with MC in year 214, which is 214 years after the destruction of earth. MC has a fatal heart condition. Some of the professors lived on Earth before its destruction. Xavier is under constant guard and has little freedom. (Anecdote 3)

217 PT MC and Xavier become friends and fall in love. She gives him the star charm tassel that she made.

Xavier finds out MC is dying. They go on a date to see a meteor shower by a salt flat. After this, Xavier disappears for a month.

MC escapes the hospital to go to the salt flat. Xavier finds her there and has the protocore that is supposed to be able to save her, but it is too late. She dies in his arms. Xavier promises to seek her out in her future lives.

Zayne's Myth. Zayne guards the Creatio protocore in a frozen tower as a Foreseer of Astra. The royal family sends him emissaries seeking a prophecy every 100 years, but they never return. MC is a gardener with a fatal heart condition and is seeking the Creatio protocore to save her life. (Is this the same protocore that Xavier found in her first life on Philos?) Zaybe says if she can make the jasmine on the balcony of the Tower bloom, she can go free.

MC and Zayne have been stuck in a loop, where MC seeks out the Creatio to heal her dying heart, Zayne falls in love with her, she dies, his memories are erased (but preserved as fragments in an illusory jasmine garden), and she is reincarnated to do it all again. This is happening because of some sort of resonance link between MC and the Creatio, which makes it so the Creatio can power itself by draining her life.

After the jasmine on the tower blooms, Zaybe remembers what has happened to them in the past. Zayne breaks the cycle by fusing the Creatio to MC's heart, healing her. He is then locked in an eternal slumber in the Tower of Thorns behind an eternal blizzard as punishment by Astra. MC is free, and her heart appears to be healed, but she can no longer get to Zayne.

30,000 PT Assuming the seas dried up when Earth was destroyed and became Philos, Rafayel's Myth takes place around this time. MC was born from the depths of the earth. She has a special heart that makes the people of Philos immortal and is guarded in a palace, treated as a princess, and not allowed to leave.

Child MC is gifted a young Rafayel as a Lemurian slave. She sets him free. (Rafayel later tells her he allowed himself to be caught on purpose.)

MC meets Rafayel as adults while she is attempting to escape the palace. He helps her. They continually meet up and she learns he was the boy she released as a child. Rafayel, Amund, and other Lemurians are killing human nobles. Rafayel tells MC this is not out of revenge, but rather somehow part of an effort to restore Lemuria/the oceans. MC asks how she and Rafayel can be bound as he never gave her one of his scales. He says their bond was formed when the oceans still existed. MC has vague memories of living in a hut on the Island of Songs surrounded by ocean. 

Rafayel and Amund are plotting to recover “the God of the Sea’s (Rafayel’s) heart from MC by cutting it out with a dagger on the Island of Songs. However, the heart must be given willingly. Rafayel is uncertain whether the legends are true about killing MC to restore the oceans and Lemuria. Per the legend, the goal seems to be attaining Absolute Power. According to the legend, “Lemurians who seeketh Absolute Power: Combat the treacherous tides. Dive into The Deep for pearls. Find a true love. When blessed with a true love’s kiss, claim her heart by your own hand. A heart, pure, flawless-and filled with love. It is the best offering humans can give to Lemurians. -Lemurian Ruins, Slate No. 0065, Lemuria: Tome of the Sea God”. (Amund has served multiple Gods of the Sea over the centuries. Are these all reincarnations of Rafayel or are there multiple Gods of the Sea?)

6 months after Rafayel and MC celebrate her birthday, he and Amund take her to the Island of Songs, which she recognizes. She remembers her past life with Rafayel and realizes that Rafayel will fall into eternal slumber and the seas will never be restored if she does not return his heart. She offers to cut it out, but Rafayel refuses, saying he and the Lemurians will have to find their own way to change to story. He attempts to erase her memories and sever their bond to save her. Rafayel calls her his beloved bride.

MC is returned to the palace with no memories of Rafayel, but she watches the blue fish he gave her when they were young and slowly begins to remember. Hearing that the Lemurians are on the verge of being captured, and remembering that Rafayel intends to leave, she runs out of the city to find him, her memories and their bond once more intact.

Unsure how to resolve things, they set out on a camel across the desert to find Whalefall City. Amund is with them. Rafayel suggests that somehow by going to Whalefall City, he’ll be able to show her the sea. (Based on the Tender Moment, Whalefall Lament, it seems likely that Whalefall City is the name of the Lemurian city under the sea that Rafayel grew up in as a child on Earth.) The blue fish in the palace turns into a scale, presumably the one he gifted her to form their bond.

Xavier meets MC again at a Philos Academy as knights in training, sometime near the end of Philos’ life as a planet. Jeremiah goes to the Academy too. Xavier is the Crown Prince, but avoids returning to the royal family, remaining at the Academy instead.

During his Gladius Ceremony in the Starfall Forest, Xavier discovers that the forest contains the hollow heart of Philos and consumes people to power the long-dead core. This creates Wanderers. Xavier realizes protocores used to contain hearts. MC notices his attitude/demeanor changes noticeably after this trial. He rejects his role of Crown Prince after this.

The king dies, and Xavier disappears for about 200 years. 

MC and Xavier meet up again while investigating Starfall Forest. Jeremiah is part of MC’s squad. Xavier reveals what he learned about the forest to MC. He tells her that the royal family used to send human sacrifices into the forest. Then they discovered a truly immortal person who could die and come to life over and over, continually powering the planet. MC does not realize he is talking about her. She realizes the woman who gave him the star tassel is the same woman who reincarnates.

Xavier begins planning a backtracking expedition through spacetime in order to find a way to save MC and Philos. Jeremiah decides to join the team. MC decides to stay and become Queen to protect the people of Philos until Xavier can return. Xavier says that when he returns, he will be her knight. She gives him her little star badge, saying she knows that it can't replace the star tassel. He tells her only one person has ever given him a little star, but she doesn't understand what he means.

Xavier leaves MC’s service, and she fakes his death, claiming he died with honors. He is viewed as a traitor by the people of Philos. MC does not believe he will ever return.

Timejump.

See Part 2 here for Earth Timeline

A thought: Is the reason that MC is considered the only true immortal because she has or is connected to Rafayel/The God of the Sea’s heart? Lemurians appear to be naturally immortal, though not undying.

[axiian19-art]

The more I think about it the more I realize that if this guys had met under different circumstances, they would have gotten along super well.

PENACONY SPOILERS UP TO 2.2 + CHARACTER LORE / STORIES

All 4 of them have lost their entire family, 3 of them have lost their entire race / homeworld (Boothill, Aventurine, Acheron), 2 of them lost these things because they were victims of the IPC (Boothill and Aventurine), and 2 of them have either lost a sibling or are afraid of losing a sibling (Aventurine and Sunday).

More specifically:

As far as I know, Sunday and Robin's parents were killed somehow, and they were taken in by the Family. Then as Sunday said Robin ended up getting shot in the neck due to trying to help others, and I think he got some kind of trauma from that and his fear of losing Robin, his sister and only remaining family, was amplified, leading to his desire to protect "the weak" no matter the cost—because to him, keeping Robin's wings "clipped" and her alive would be less painful than her being gone, and him being alone forever.

Boothill, as I understand it, was taken in by 2 people who found him as a child, and grew up in the countryside of his planet. He later found and adopted a young girl and raised her as her own, until his entire planet was destroyed by the IPC, causing him to set out to get revenge.

Aventurine also lost his sister and his entire home planet due to the IPC + his planet's own problems, and has been forced to work for the IPC ever since. It also seems like he's trying to destroy it from the inside out or at least obtain his own freedom.

As for Acheron, her entire world, as well as her memories of it, were destroyed—she's almost certainly lost people that were important to her, like the other three.

Like honestly if they all sat down and traded backstories I feel like they'd get along super well, they're all victims of circumstance and that's why they experienced so much conflict during the story

[crypt2niite]

i think this recent chapter of one piece really made it click in alot of peoples minds that coby is a marine. a true, dedicated marine who believes wholeheartedly in the marine cause.

mild spoilers for one piece 1122.

this chapter and specifically yhis panel

really solidifies that coby is a marine. coby is wholeheartedly a marine who wholeheartedly believes being a marine is the right thing, and that makes him one of three things.

1.) a cruel facist wannabe who idiolizes what the marines are right now and everything they represent

2.) a complacent idiot who, in blind and naive stupidity has allowed himself to be used by facists to enforce their regime unknowingly

3.) a even more naive idiot who genuinely believes one person has the ability to tear down a hundreds of years old dictatorship and the instutional police planet that has been built apoj those foundations from the inside without piggybacking off of the work, blood, death and tears of the rioters, revolutionaries and inssurectionists who are ripping down and fighting against the marines and world goverment in a immediately impactful way

coby is a true marine and what that means is blind faith in the marines no matter what that means for you, blind faith in your version of the marines, in the pipe dream that ‘you’re helping!’ that ‘its not perfect but i can make it better! i can change it from the inside im a true hero!!! i can do this thr right way. no awful unrulyness or law breaking. because the system itself is good, its just the bad people in charge 🥺’

coby is a true marine in the way garp is a true marine because they both are so close to being good people but will never be one and never had the potential to be ones, because of them being marines to their very core. no matter what.

coby is garps apprentice and it shows. garp is willing to throw away any attatchments he has, to watch young boys he promised to care for die because they contridict his belief in the marines, just as coby is willing to discard the one person who gave him a chance to be *anything* because that person contradicts his belief in the marines

the ‘good marines’. coby, garp, smoker, fujitora, ectect are some of my absolute favorite flavour of characters in one piece, they all have some way of burying their head in the sand, either via naivete, willful ignorance or what may be. theyre all absolutely awful, so easy to love and so hard to hate but so easy to dislike, its so easy to want them to just. fix it. become a pirate or fix the marines or do something to make them compatable with luffy, with freedom but they wont be. they never will be unless they can cast aside some of the very fundamentals of their psyche becase in the end, they are using their abilities to defend and aid the goals and wishes of a dictatorship, to defend the proprieters of slavery and cruelty.

also please dont take this as me hating coby or garp or saying u cant love them! i really like coby and think garp is funny atleast, and fujitora, one of the aformentioned so called ‘good’ marines is one of my favourite characters, period! he is so facinating in how he balances believing himself to be a good person while also actively supporting atrocities i love him sooo much

[psycheetamore]

New territories at a Giedi Prime Party - Kinktober

Nr 2 / 3 of my little contribution to @lady-phasma's guidance for Kinktober/Fangtober for day 3 (ejaculation) (and a bit for day 4, bondage, 8 (submission) and day 28, exhibitionism)

Tags: MDNI, Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen Is His Own Warning, explicit smut, Feyd-Rautha is phyiscially imposing, teasing, focus on oral (m receiving - pretty much like you would expect it), also vaginal (f in v, t in v) and oral (f receiving), pandemonium/drug laced orgy, play in public, bondage/submission (but it is not like anyone can truly keep our lord submitted), multiple orgasms, attention to feet, power dynamics, domination (m and f), dubious consent yet explicit consent, spoilers, and of course: ejaculation - the author regrets nothing

Link to painting

Summary: Feyd-Rautha has been enraptured by the fearless Fremen leader (f) while fighting on Arrakis. After she decided not to kill him, he has managed to capture her as he decided to make her his. After some initial struggles on both sides (as he understands she will never truly become his if he forces her), she is starting to be more comfortable in his presence, and is rising in Giedi Prime ranks. He is set on unlocking parts of her she did not know existed, and showing her everything (... this is as suggestive as you can interpret it - see the tags) his planet has to offer. This section shows the second part of their journey (again: meant in the most suggestive way possible - tags).

Word count: 3.5k

Based on chapter 19 of Choosing to Follow Destiny, Boundless freedoms, sexual and otherwise

She was taken to sit on a platform overlooking the crowd, after which the na-Baron took off. This platform supported a 3 by 3-meter lounge bed with four posters and an upper panel. On the sides see-through curtains were tied to the pillars. Sitting allowed her a moment to observe her surroundings.

People were dancing, dancing alone, dancing with another person, dancing with multiple people. The guests were close to each other, close enough to feel each other’s aura, to bump into each other, to touch, to feel, to fondle, to kiss, to grope, to grab, to disrobe, to rub and push indiscriminately. In the previous room people moved like one, here people became one, or indulged each other’s presence to enjoy themselves by themselves. Everything was possible.

Sounds seemed to fade away, as she started to notice just how the couches were being used: as a place for exploration and play. For finding new acquaintances and improving relationships. Rhythmic movements, caressing of all different body parts, feet in the air, breasts uncovered, moans, women riding men surrounded by people pleasuring themselves, screeches of climaxes, men holding women’s hips thrusting while being touched by others, women kissing every body part getting near their mouths, screams of pleasure, men licking entire limbs covered by fluids, people tied up, walking on leashes, being spanked. All with masks, nobody recognisable, all hierarchy left at the door.

Democracy in a dictatorship.

Bodily smells of passion hit her nose, and not just from what she had been gifted by the young lord.

One human mass copulating in unison, and she was in the mid of it. It was unreal. It must be unreal. But is was not: this is Giedi Prime.

She wanted to become one with them.

Feyd-Rautha had crept up behind her, massaging her shoulders, his sultry voice asked: “do you like what you see?” She did not respond, still being mesmerised. Kissing her neck, he added: “this is a place of absolute freedom.” He pressed his fingers in her shoulders, almost painfully: “but not for you, you are mine and mine alone. I do not share” he said with a raspy voice. A husky, dark, enticing voice. His hands, his mouth, the warm tongue and words coming from it. Being claimed by all of this. The music. The state of mind. It was so much.

She stood up, still with her back towards him, and took a step towards the crowd. He scooted to the end, to have her within reach. His arms surrounding her hips he said: “don’t fight it, embrace it. Learn who you are. Show me who you are.” Continuing with a nearly silky soft voice, as he placed his chin on her shoulder from which she could feel the vibrations while he spoke: “there is nothing wrong with a little, little fun.”

She turned around, causing him to let go. After staring at him for a moment, she pushed her heeled foot on his chest: “take it off, Feyd.”

She was not even curious to see how he would respond. This came from deep in her. He would need to oblige. She would not accept anything else.

He stroked her foot, while she felt his gaze burning from her foot, alongside her leg to under her skirt, up to her chest and to her eyes. His mind was running wild, there was no way he could hide that. He could not hide his smirk.

He was not refusing her, but he was also not complying.

She pushed the heel a bit harder in his chest, causing him to growl and shift his focus to what he needed to do. The sight of him carefully removing her shoe and kissing her foot pleased her. She presented the other foot, the one with the starshaped birthmark, for the same treatment, and was treated with a bonus of him licking the bottom of her foot, sticking his tongue between her toes, allowing her toes to rest in his mouth.

Having the lord na-Baron Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, sole successor to the Harkonnen throne, being reduced like this before her eyes, it made her feel powerful. It inspired her. It aroused her. There was no rush, she would be savouring every moment of this.

This night she would aim to discover how far she could push the Harkonnen heir. To create some balance in the chaos he had cast her in.

Feyd-Rautha felt her foot retracting from his mouth, and was ordered to stand up and stand still. She climbed on the matrass behind him, to start to unclothe him. Nothing blocked the sights between them and the group fucking at their feet. His cape fell to the ground, his shirt and belt following, displaying his muscular pale physic to his subjects. Any one of them, if they had paid attention during his games, or more importantly: were paying attention to anything else than their own pleasure and others people’s flesh at this very moment, should be able to recognise him, despite his face covering. His strong arms, his sculpted shoulders and chest, his chiselled torso, the absence of any scars on his pristine nearly white exterior: only one person on this planet could claim this perfection.

He felt her hands act as her eyes, as they touched every bit of his bare skin. Electricity rushed across his back.

Soon after, his trousers fell to his feet; she conquered this challenge quicker than he had earlier that day. The only thing protecting his limited modesty was his wrapped loin cloth. His arousal had been present for some while.

There and then he decided he would not be the one to withdraw first. He would not back down. He could take whatever she had to offer. It was not like she could decide to opt out if anything he put her through. If the crowd were to see him, than they would worship him in all his glory.

He was waiting for the moment his last bit of modesty was removed, but it did not come. She leaned over him and whispered in his ear: “kneel, lord na-Baron.” Before he could object to this formal way of addressing him, she had shoved him to the ground. Defiance in the form of acknowledging his status. Defiance, as it emphasised how she had the heir to this Great House subdued in front of her.

It took a lot of his patience to accept this, until he saw she stood in front of him again and ordered him to remove the bands on her wrists and ankles.

He knew she understood what he needed, and gave it to him in free will, despite being a captive he had manipulated.

He felt her hand around his neck, forcing him to stand up again. She claimed his mouth, before he was shoved on his back. As he moved up to be fully supported, she climbed on the platform.

There she noticed ropes hanging from the ceiling and carbines within the matrass on the platform. He saw in her eyes that she only now found out what he had planned to do with her, considering the bracelets he gave her. He did not know whether to feel fear or delight.

Her hands cupped his face as she crouched over him and said with a menacing voice: “I believe I overturned your plans, my dear lord. This will not be for today. Today you are mine. I too do not share.”

She removed herself from the bed, grabbed the discarded bands and threw them on his chest. Before saying anything, she sat on top of him, with only a few layers of cloths acting as last remaining fort to be concurred between them. While she removed her cape, she said: “you know what to do with those, lord Harkonnen” as she slapped his face with her open palm.

It took everything in him not to claim her that very moment, to enact what he had planned and to spill everything he had left in her. At the same time, although it went differently than he had planned on detail level, he did get something he wanted.

She did not make it easy for him to put himself in these could-be-cuffs, as she rode on him. Every fibre in him needed to concentrate to do as she wanted. New territories for a man used to being in absolute control.

Once he had completed this task, she connected the carbines to the rings of the cufflinks. He was bound to the bed and subject to her fantasies. He was extremely curious to see what she would do, despite his feelings of discomfort.

She stood up to stand on the mattress and let the curtains down. At least she offered him some privacy. Prying eyes could still see, but it would be more difficult.

She took a moment to look at him, in all his submission to her. She allowed her foot to trail over his face, chest and loin, before stopping there. He noticed fear in himself that she would stomp, again, on him. But that did not happen.

She kneeled in front of him, placing her hands on his upper legs. He could see from the mirror above them that she looked at the bulge in front of her, covered by the last remaining coverings. It was clear she was in internal turmoil between excitement, authority and unfamiliarity. Her touches were not as fluent or determined as he was used to from other companions, which only fertilised the growth of his excitement. Her tender fingers scouted the fabric, as if to find out how to untie it. How he loved to see her struggle, although just for a short period.

She unwrapped him, as if he had concealed a present. She had seen his excitement before, but it seemed different now. Everything seemed different. Larger, grander, more imposing. No longer hidden he noticed her gulp. ‘Make me yours, become mine’ is what he thought. He couldn't wait for what was to happen and at the same time the night felt like it would be too short.

He felt her fingers glance over him, followed by his tip entering a warm and wet environment unchartered by other men in this pulsating state. Every step she took was considered, not showing any ease; the animalistic instincts still needed to kick in. Usually he would help his playmates, hold their heads, shows them the pace and depth required for his liking. They would find it menacing, but accepted it, being eager to please him. He couldn't help but test the strength of the bindings just ever so slightly. It would be good to have a back up option.

He was big. Long, girthy, veiny yet smooth, pale, throbbing, the tip already shining of anticipation. Physically impressive, as every part of him. She heard whispers of his pets, how they would satisfy him, that he would enshrine himself in their mouths, their throats. She was looking at him and simply could not understand how that was humanly possible. But she felt euphoric, victorious, capable. She would undertake this pursuit, and she would succeed. That is what she had always done, and now would not be any different. But still, where to begin. She had rendered him helpless, making it also impossible for him to help her. This would be her own quest.

She reconsidered her initial approach, and continued more strategic, by first mapping the area, before making any further decisions. He felt how she allowed her hands to roam, see how he would respond to her touches, trailing him, moving him, increasingly with rhythm to match his groans. The mirror showed she had stopped to reposition herself. He thought she would make her life so much easier by having him help her, but this was her rite, so he kept shut. The time would come to introduce her to his preferences.

Her tongue slid up and down his shaft, the same motion repeated with her lips, followed by a combination. She was clearly receptive to his cues, so giving him room to guide her. She let her tongue glance through and around his tip, seeing how far she could go in. She pulled the coverings away to expose the protected top.

His naked tip was smooth and round, dripping, almost like ripe fleshy fruit. A bacchanal it offered to be. It begged to be licked, sucked, eaten, have its juices captured and spilled all around her mouth. It had the fatal cry of the siren, drawing its victims in to never let go. She was lured in.

She lured him in. He felt so good inside her, warm, tongue lapsing, being sucked into her to be worshipped. He belonged there.

The tip and a bit extra, not to big, not too small. Manageable, sustainable. She could allow him to stay there forever. She allowed him to stay there, forever. It felt like forever. It took forever. She created her own trance for him.

He wanted to buck, he needed to buck. It was becoming too much and too little for him at the same time. He needed to be in her. But the restraints were holding him back.

That was not an option. No restrains would hold the lord na-Baron Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen back. He did not train to have this strong monstrous body without reason. He had prepared to overcome unexpected circumstances, and this was no different.

However, he did not want to take her out of her reverie.

He needed to focus on the constraints to his wrists. He twisted and turned his arms, but the leather bands and their pins were well-made, which was good to know for future references. He could not get his hands together, to allow one hand to free the other. It was challenging to get himself freed without startling her. He tested the strength of the bolting to the platform, and found some give there. If he would find the right angle to leverage his underarm, he should be able to free himself.

It took a bit of wiggling and repositioning, but he found that angle. With a powerful thrust from his right arm and shoulder he had broken the bolt from the platform. Also good to know for future references. With one hand free it was easy freeing the other.

She had kissed more life in him than he had ever known, but he could not endure this any longer. Despite his efforts to be as subtle as possible, the entire matrass gave way while he dislocated the bolt.

She knew.

He did not waste any time removing the remaining bracelet from his wrist, as he wanted her. He wanted to be in her. How he longed to just reach out to grab her and hold her. Thrust himself in her, take her head and push her down on him. Her warmth, the heat in the back of her throat, the wetness. Feeling her gagging around him. Having two of the three her holes claimed on the same day, how he longed for that.

His intense growl did not go unnoticed, as she felt his hands resting on her shoulders. She could retreat to pre-empt what may happen, or she could see how this would play out. Whether he was in control of himself.

Both suddenly became aware how this would play out if he couldn't.

She would make a run for it, considering his legs were still bound. Trying to reach the ornithopter and take off. If that wouldn't work, she would have her weapons to use, towards him or others on her path. Any nascent trust would be nipped in the bud.

It pained him to let her be. It did not come easy. Softly touching her black hair, her cheeks, making all the right sounds to foster her playfulness. Not doing anything else; a first for him. Surrendering to a woman. A first.

The evidence that he succumbed voluntarily, it drove her wild. Even more than having his stealthy body chained to this bed.

It was time for a change.

She stood up, his hands accompanying her body as she rose on top of him. She wanted to let him know what he was doing to her. She removed her panties from under her skirt, went back to him and placed her knees on both sides of his torso. She grabbed one of his hands that had freed themselves, got two fingers to stand up and pushed them inside of her. “You will be my death, Feyd-Rautha.”

He sank back in satisfaction. So welcoming, heavenly, tempting. But this was nothing more than a precursor to a snack. He used his fingers to whisk her north, having his face align with the entrance of her pleasure. While his lips and tongue pried around the most intimate part of her body, he tasted her flavours laced with his. She had not removed his remembrance as per his demand, as she carried him along with her on this journey. While he dove into her and tried to dry her out, his paleness became covered with streaks of grey liquid. It delighted him to savour her.

[…]

She showed her colours, her inner workings. She fought over him. She killed to have him. She wanted him. She was such a good fit for him. “Good girl”, he mouthed, barely recognisable words, before he delved his tongue deeper in her than ever before.

+++

After having received her reward, she moved down to face a stained Feyd-Rautha. Smilingly she leaned over him and kissed him, trying to wipe of the worst mess until he prevented her hand from advancing. Her claim lay clear on him, and he had embraced it.

She liked it.

In spirits on these new experiences, she continued further south, to unlock his feet.

She was planning on continuing her ride with him, but with this step she had unleashed the beast. Within a second after she removed the last cufflink, he had thrown her on her back. He did not take any time to remove her clothing, as he had grabbed her dagger and used it to tear everything open. His patience had been tested enough, tested to its very limits, and could now receive their bounty. Every part of his body had a mind of their own as he pinched her, bit her, licked her, sucked her, petted her, owned her.

His tongue claimed her mouth, which she opened widely to accept him. Their eyes locked, allowing him to see in her soul. It was his turn now to command, is what her submissive facial expression told him. He moved to his knees, hovering on top of her. While staring at her eyes, he cautiously linked his finger through the ring attached to her choker. The one leather accessory she did not have him remove. Slowly but surely, he used it to hoist her head up to meet his cock again. There was more of him he wanted to introduce her to.

She acknowledged this, as she wilfully opened her mouth to him and extended her tongue as if to lay a red carpet for him, without breaking their gaze.

He nearly came from the mere sight of the receptiveness of this killer towards him.

She closed her mouth and started sucking him. Following his glance to the ceiling, he introduced her to that feature as well. It was blissful.

Carefully he started to thrust in her. Not too deep, she was not yet advanced enough to give him the entire pleasure he craved for. That time would come. Not too fast, as he wanted to savour every moment.

Her eyes closed. She was enjoying this. The feeling of being the centre of his world, the main reason of his pleasure and obsession, his entire focus. He organised this lavish party, had thousands of people here, for the sole purpose to beg for his attention, yet he had only eyes for her. As far as she was concerned, he could fill her entire mouth, spill over, push it in her throat and further, and she would love it. A token of ownership it would be.

He looked at her. Saw how she was devouring him, her lips wet with saliva. He could not deny her.

Amid dozens if not hundred people fucking each other, he was claiming her. For everybody to see. A dead body being the stark reminder of their possession of each other.

He let go of the chain and grabbed her head, while looking deep in her eyes. He went harder, faster, further than before. He would give her what she wanted.

His precious seed would be spilled in her belly as a token of his dedication towards her.

She grabbed his firm butt to entice him to go deeper. It was not pain-free, it was not comfortable, but it was her demand on him. He could not refuse to accommodate her desire.

Before long warm liquid filled her mouth, coming from a moaning powerful man who could not keep his eyes from her, directed towards the deepest parts of her body.

[chamyl]

What Aziraphale says / what Crowley hears

An analysis of that scene from Good Omens 2. Because the amount of times Aziraphale says one thing when he means another is astounding, as is how perfectly he and Crowley misunderstand each other.

Obviously, SPOILERS all over the place.

Let’s pick it up from the chat with the Metatron. He’s talking about his big projects, blah blah blah, and how he needs someone to run them and Aziraphale's the perfect angel for the job, and Aziraphale's first reply is:

 A: "I don't want to go back to Heaven. Where would I get my coffee?"

Meaning: I'm not ready to give up what I can have here on Earth, i.e. Crowley. Metatron, unlike Crowley, hears perfectly well what Aziraphale means, not what he says, because he replies offering him to bring Crowley along.

 Flashback ends, we switch back to the bookshop.

C: "He said what?"

Crowley is immediately offended at the mere suggestion. Heaven sucks and he's learned he's lesson, he's never going back.

Aziraphale doesn't notice the anger in his voice, too caught up in his dream of ruling Heaven with Crowley by his side and doing all the good he can for humanity. After having to sit by and watch awful things happen to good people for 6000 years, this is his Ultimate Dream™. He can change things AND he gets to keep Crowley.

(Of course we know Heaven's not going to give him so much freedom, but he wants this so much it makes him oblivious to the possibility he's being fooled.)

 A: "Everything like the old times! Only, even nicer."

Meaning: we can be safe, no Book of Life or other punishments hanging over our heads, and I can make Heaven, finally, what it was always supposed to be: a good place. A good place for you, Crowley, too.

 C: "Right. And you told him just where he could stick it, then?"

Crowley's too angry to tackle this gently. We watch Aziraphale's face fall.

 A: "Not at all."

 C: "Oh we're better than that, you're better than that, Angel!"

Meaning: how could you possibly believe this bullshit? After all that we've been through?

 C: "You don't need them. I certainly don't need them! Look, they asked me back to Hell I said I'm not gonna be joining their team. Neither should you."

For Crowley, Heaven and Hell are the same thing, just a different colour. He can't understand why Aziraphale wouldn't say no immediately.

 A: "But... well, obviously you said no to Hell, you're the bad guys."

Meaning: Hell was never supposed to be a good place. It was always supposed to be a group of demons making the humans' lives harder. How would you make the world better by working with hell? Of course you said no.

 A: "But Heaven... well it's the side of truth, of light, of good."

 C: "When Heaven ends life here on Earth, it'll be just as dead as if Hell ended it. Tell me you said no."

Here they move away from the actual problem, which is Aziraphale's delusional thoughts in regards to the potential for change in Heaven, to talk about the two of them instead.

He already knows Aziraphale didn't say no. He's asking him to change his mind and stay on Earth, which he will continue to do throughout the rest of this exchange.

 C: "Tell me you said no."

Again, tell me you'll change your mind. Tell me you'll stay here, with me.

 A: "If I'm in charge, I can make a difference."

 This is where it sinks in for Crowley that he's really about to lose Aziraphale. He panics and throws out his confession.

C: "Oh, God[1]. Right, okay. Right. I didn't get a chance to say what I was going to say I think I better say it now. Right, okay, yes, so... We've known each other a long time."

 Aziraphale is totally confused and has no idea where this conversation is going.

 C: "We've been on this planet for a long time. I mean, you and me. I could always rely on you. You could always rely on me. We're a team. A group. A group of the two of us."

 Now Aziraphale realises what's happening. At the worst possible time, Crowley is bringing up all the things they haven't talked about openly in 6000 years.

 C: "And we've spent our existence pretending that we aren't. I mean, the last few years, not really. And I would like to spend--"

[gif source]

Crowley swallows it back because he can't bring himself to say 'I would like to spend the rest of our existence together'. It's too much, it’s too big.

 C: "I mean, if Gabriel and Beelzebub can do it, go off together, then we can."

And there it is, clear as day, the confession. Gabriel and Beelzebub weren't friends, they very clearly had a romantic relationship, and Aziraphale looks absolutely SHOCKED by how explicit Crowley is being.

 C: "Just the two of us. We don't need Heaven, we don't need Hell. They're toxic."

Aziraphale shakes his head. He can't accept that Crowley would put Heaven and Hell on the same level.

 C: "We need to get away from them, just be an us. You and me, what do you say?"

Just like before Aziraphale wasn’t registering Crowley's anger, now Crowley doesn't pick up on Aziraphale's headshake, his shocked expression. He asks him what he thinks.

 A: "Come with me... to Heaven. I'll run it, you can be my second in command. We can make a difference."

This is so painful because they both want the same thing. To be together. But Aziraphale can't ignore the fact that he's just been given the chance to do so much good for everyone, and keeps pressing his point.

 C: "You can't leave this bookshop."

[gif source]

Crowley's not talking about the bookshop. He's brought up leaving for Alpha Centaury just a little while ago, a dream he still clings to. What he means is, you can't leave a place where you're safe and independent.

This is not what Aziraphale hears. He thinks Crowley is talking, literally, about the bookshop. That's why he says...

  A: "Oh, Crowley. Nothing lasts forever."

[gif source]

Meaning: I'm willing to sacrifice the bookshop to work towards the Greater Good. Even though it pains me.

What Crowley hears: it’s our relationship that was never meant to last forever. All things end, we're breaking up. And in fact his reaction is to put his sunglasses back on, defences back up, and say:

 C: "No. I don't suppose it does."

 Aziraphale misses the walls coming back up and smiles for a split second, thinking Crowley is agreeing with him. So he's shocked when Crowley says...

 C: "Good luck."

And starts to leave.

 A: "Good luck?! Cro--Crowley! Crowley come back! To Heaven! Work with me! We can be together! Angels... doing good!"

Aziraphale breaks down completely now. His dream is crumbling, not only Crowley won't join him, but Crowley is abandoning him altogether.

 A: "I... I need you!"

He cries out, desperately. Then he gets angry.

 A: "I don't think you understand what I'm offering you."

Safety. A chance to be together, out in the open. A chance to do good, save the world from a second Apocalypse. Full status as angel restored. He can't understand why in the world Crowley wouldn't want these things? They can fix Heaven together!

 C: "I understand. I think I understand a whole lot better than you do."

Crowley knows Heaven is only going to exploit and manipulate Aziraphale. But he doesn't insist, it's not what he does. In all their fights, Crowley's always been the one to run away in the face of conflict, and he's by the door, ready to go.

 A: "Well... then there's nothing more to say."

Meaning: Are you really going to leave me?

 C: "Listen. Do you hear that?"

 A: "I don't hear anything."

 C: "That's the point. No nightingales."

Possibly because this is their own coded language, this is the one time what Crowley means and what Aziraphale hears line up. That the relationship between them is coming to an end. There are no nightingales like the ones in Berkeley square, singing for them after their post-Apocalypse date.

 But then it's Crowley's turn to break down. He wasn't fast enough running out of the bookshop, his emotions caught up with him. He’s thinking about that lunch at the Ritz and the nightingales. And after what Maggie and Nina told him, what he himself has learned about love, he makes a last desperate attempt at fixing things.

 C: "You idiot. We could have been... us."

He grabs Aziraphale, forcefully kissing him. Aziraphale is shocked, doesn't know what to do with his hands, first he flails then he puts a hand on Crowley's back, as if about to relax, but then starts flailing again as he remembers he can't do this: he has to go to Heaven. Work for the Greater Good. He can't return the kiss.

[gif source]

He's basically sobbing when Crowley lets him go. Full-blown panic now, while Crowley watches him expectantly, hoping his last-resort strategy had some effect on his angel.

 But Aziraphale stutters and reaches for something to steady himself, some barrier to put up again between the two of them. Crowley is a demon, he's an angel. Crowley grabbed him and kissed him without asking first, Aziraphale is going to forgive him. There. Big red line between them.

 A: “I… I forgive you.”

[gif source]

He seems to regret it the moment the words have left his mouth. But it's too late. Crowley knows that the kiss didn't work, that there's nothing left to do now.

 C: "Don't bother."

[gif source]

And he leaves. Almost runs.

 Aziraphale is shaking all over. He presses his fingers to his mouth pretty hard, trying to replicate the feeling to process what just happened.

[gif source]

The Metatron was of course right outside, looking in, probably saw the whole thing going down. He takes advantage of the moment where Aziraphale is at his most vulnerable to press him to go, downplays their fight ("Always wanted to go his own way") makes disparaging comments about Crowley ("Damn fool questions too"), knocks down Aziraphale's excuses by entrusting the bookshop to Muriel.

 Aziraphale is torn, but after all, what else can he do? In his mind, Crowley abandoned him when he'd finally found somewhere safe for them to be together. And Aziraphale spit out that horrible 'I forgive you'. Even if he stayed now, he'd be all alone. And in Heaven, he gets a chance to do Good with a capital G.

 The Metatron tells him about very important plans to 'wrap things up'. Aziraphale looks back at Crowley, who’s standing by the Bentley, watching him.

But the Second Coming bomb the Metatron just dropped solidifies Aziraphale’s choice. Now more than ever he has to go up and do all he can. He steps into the elevator.

Crowley, completely alone now, looks at Nina and Maggie, each in their own shop, not together.

 And then both Aziraphale and Crowley do what they always do to deal with difficulties: Crowley drives away, probably to nowhere, just letting the car go, and Aziraphale swallows everything down and tries to put back on his polite, calm, jovial mask. He'll be damned if he'll not try his hardest to be the perfect angel for this job. He’s sacrificed too much.

[gif source]

[1] I don’t know that it’s a good idea to call on her right now, C.

[dragonfly0808]

Aisha: The Thesis

I don’t know if I have to keep saying this but SPOILERS FOR THE ENTIRE FUCKING REWRITE UP TIL THE CURRENT CHAPTER (S4 CH 14)

First Things First

The very first words on Aisha’s character sheet are: Sporty, socially awkward dancer

I feel like it’s a bit difficult to explain my thought process when it comes to Aisha. I think most of us can agree she was def the most interesting and most fleshed out in the OG, from her badass intro to her backstory and storyline in s2, she was a young girl who ran from home to avoid being isolated and was loyal to the point of risking her life to save her pixie friends.

Something that was very important to me was showcasing Aisha as being socially awkward and having a hard time believing people like her due to her trauma, years of isolation and never really having friends her own age. Her main relations up til this point have been with Nabu (who she stopped seeing when she was about eight and never really knew), Anne (who she fell for but abruptly stopped seeing when she was twelve) and the pixies (who aren’t human and therefore can’t really give Aisha the experience of having very relatable friends)

Due to all this, an important focus for me in s2 was showing Aisha as feeling like an outsider, she’s not only new to an already very clearly established group who already fought a war together, but she doesn’t really know how to become part of the group and isn’t always sure whether she’s intruding or not.

I tried to show how her integration to the group is kinda slow, giving her a pre-established friendship with Helia so the two could bond over being the new kids and having her first bonds be with Flora and Brandon.

She doesn’t really feel like a part of the group until the girls’ make a mock welcome-to-the-Winx ceremony that they don’t realize is so very important to Aisha because she’s never been part of a group like this before.

^ All of that makes for someone who is incredibly loyal to her friends, everyone in the Winx is very loyal but for Aisha specifically it goes even deeper in the sense that, these aren’t just her best friends, they’re her first friends, the first people that ever made her feel accepted and safe and didn’t vanish on her.

Imposter Syndrome say What?

Imposter Syndrome is a real thing and Aisha suffers real badly because of it. This is smth I’m exploring in her arc during S4: Generation Why (Talk About How Fast We Grew). This affects her in 2 main ways-

She feels like she isn’t a real part of the squad after the confrontation with the Ancestral Witches back in s3 finale (I’ll talk a bit more about that in a moment)

She feels like she won’t be a good queen and often compares herself to Stella and Sky who’ve gotten more experience in that aspect. Aisha can feel suffocated by the thought of some day becoming the queen of Andros, even if she loves her planet, being ruler seems like smth that would take away most of her freedom, which is pretty much her biggest nightmare.

Now, I’ll take a moment here to say that I feel like I haven’t given Aisha the attention that she deserves due to s2 being when she’s introduced and s3 having so much PLOT going on that the character arcs got slightly lost for most of the squad. In S4 I want to redeem this cause my girl deserves some more focus. I will say that the Generation Why arc won’t be the beginning and end of Aisha’s evolution in s4, though it will have a pretty big impact on how she views certain things.

If I’m All I Have, That’s Enough

One of my fave moments in the entire rewrite, is Aisha’s fight against fake-Anne (the Ancestral Witches) where, as the Witches try to convince Aisha that the squad doesn’t truly care for her and only friends with her out of pity, Aisha makes it very clear that, even if that were true, she’d still fight for herself. Because she knows she’s someone who deserves to be fought for and protected.

But even if no one missed her… Aisha would not give up on herself.

She had been alone most of her life, which meant she’d had to take care of herself. And she wasn’t done doing that.

Maybe she still wasn’t all that comfortable in her own skin. Maybe she was still figuring out who she was and what she wanted. Maybe she still doubted herself and the way others viewed her sometimes.

…but that was okay.

She didn’t need to have everything figured out to know that she wanted to live. 

If not to see her friends again… then just for herself.

Because she wanted to meet the person she would become someday.

Because the twelve-year old Aisha she’d once been had deserved to be protected. Just as her future and present self deserved that too.

So if no one was there to save her… then she’d save herself… for herself.

I really wanted to send a message that, while a lot of media will give someone with low self esteem some other motivation to fight for themselves, I really wanted to have Aisha fight for herself, to see that, if no one would fight for herself, she herself would still do it.

It’s a bit hard to phrase but I do think it’s been one of the most beautiful moments in the whole rewrite and while yes, Aisha still doubts herself and her place in the group, she doesn’t doubt that she wants to keep going and that she will fight for who she was, who she is and who she will someday become.

This kinda manifests in her finally standing her ground against her mom and making her see that all the shit she put her through in her childhood was wrong and only affected her in a negative way. It also manifests in her immediately feeling like she was exaggerating (pesky intrusive thoughts) and having to be pulled out of spiraling by Nabu.

I’m really excited to finally give her a bit more attention in s4, beyond just the current arc.

You Can’t Spell Lonesome Without Me

I feel like I’m bouncing all over the place with this thesis but just bare with me please.

Aisha’s main trait as a character is loneliness. She’s been isolated most of her life and, thanks to intrusive thoughts and imposter syndrome, her brain will make her feel alone and like she isn’t a real part of the group, which of course leads her to sometimes be lonely even when she’s with the other girls.

Because you don’t heal from that shit in just one year.

I really wanted this for Aisha cause it’s smth I myself struggle with due to some… really bitchy behavior from certain ‘friends’ in middle school, to this day it will take me 6 months to truly believe someone likes me and isn’t annoyed at spending time with me. I’m in college and middle school still haunts me, so I think it’s only realistic for Aisha to not instantly heal from what was probably an even worse situation.

Her loneliness is one of your brain constantly sabotaging you even when you’re happy with the friend group you currently have.

Thoughts Behind her Main Relationships

Flora: They are best friends, and their friendship is one of softness and comfort. They’ve both dealt with extreme loneliness and have both felt like not-quite-part-of-the-group at some point or another even if it’s for different reasons.

They have a perfect introvert/extrovert balance and are the best at bringing the other out of their respective comfort zones without making it feel forced or pushy.

Their friendship is midnight tea and sitting on balconies looking at the stars and dancing on the beach and cuddling after nightmares and doing each other’s hair and helping each other forget the pain and remember why they love life.

I feel like their friendship can be hard to explain because their friendship is one of quiet moments, of comfort and softness and the little things. It’s the flowers in Aisha’s sweaters and the seashells on Flora’s necklaces. It’s the comfortable silence and the random dance parties.

Nabu: Something I really wanted to do with this relationship was have Nabu kinda help Aisha heal her inner child. When he reveals his identity, they’re playing on a see-saw, they talk while sitting on swings, they run around the beach kicking water up at each other.

Nabu lets her act like a kid, something Aisha never really got to do thanks to her mom. He lets her feel like she can be childish and embarrassing cause she knows he won’t make her feel bad for it. They feel safe around the other, enough to act however they want to.

Another big thing in their relationship was trust and open communication, their situation is slightly awkward due to having an arranged marriage in their future, Aisha questions both their feelings, if they truly fell for each other or if they were just taking the convenient way out. Nabu is very clear that that isn’t the case and that’s what allows their relationship to flourish.

Going to Nabu is really one of the first times Aisha allows herself to go after something she truly wants, contributing to her coming into her own person.

Brandon: So, I would say Brandon might be Aisha’s first deep connection in the squad along with Flora. Brandon kinda sees right through Aisha and her self-doubt and he’s the one that really helps her start coming out of her shell.

The two are massive extroverts and love any and all outdoors activities, and they bond massively over this, constantly going for hikes, skateboarding or trying out new things.

And yes… Aisha does have a bit of a crush on Brandon at first, due to him kinda being the first guy she connects with in her teenage years, and him being… well… Brandon. While she never makes advances or even thinks about it (cause she would never do that to Stella) this does make her feel like an actual teenager, since she never really got the experience of having a silly little teenage crush.

The two are very close and, since both are very touchy people, it does contribute to the crush. Once the crush phase passes, Aisha sees him as a platonic soulmate, the two have a lot in common but wouldn’t ever really work as a couple cause they have too much in common. They are very supportive of one another and just really get one another.

Who is Aisha in this Rewrite?

Aisha is a young woman learning to be comfortable in her skin and to live and fight for herself.

She’s an incredibly loyal friend who struggles with imposter syndrome and intrusive thoughts. She’s working through that and trying to stop feeling like an outsider.

Aisha is someone who spent most of her life in isolation and wishing to run away, to be free. She’s someone who’s learning and embracing a new meaning of freedom and who is trying to come into her own in a way she can be proud of and that won’t restrict her freedom or make her go back to the lonely girl she once was.

Aisha is someone who, even at her darkest times, will fight for herself.

————

Masterlist

Aisha Moodboard

Aisha’s Instagram

Flora and Aisha Moodboard

Aisha and Nabu Moodboard

Aisha and Brandon Moodboard

[utilitycaster]

1/2 I was thinking about the Creator Hammer its intended function, which feels way closer to Predathos than Ascension based on my understanding. Like TRQ erased the old god's name and face when she ascended, but there was still a role for her to fill. But Predathos (and the thing in Tengar if it's not just Predathos) more or less created a vacuum of divine domain until TRQ'S ascension. Even the old god didn't seem to absorb those domains? And we don't know what would happen without any gods left

2/2 And I feel like that distinction is kinda crucial - it's wild to see some people treat the hammer as 'just' killing the gods (which. already has huge implications) but actually getting rid of the domain entirely feels like a step even further, and if the gods didn't already have a right to freak out at the idea of being killed, I think this really cements a reason for them to be concerned, idk!!

----

Hey anon! So actually I've been wondering about some aspects of deity lore/cosmology and I hope we get more answers because, to be honest, I'm not sure what happens here.

It's implied that the nothingness that destroys Tengar is Predathos. We also know that Predathos does not seem to take memory and name when it destroys something; Aily and the other entities of light are still able to say Edun's name after he goes away, just as Ethedok and Vordo's names can still be said. This is in contrast to the Raven Queen, who in ascending did erase the prior god's symbol and name (and aspects from memory, though to varying degrees - Asmodeus does recall in EXU Calamity that he was a brother, but acknowledges the name is gone). I think her rites of ascension likely added that aspect, especially since we know her mortal name was forgotten and made impossible to read. Finally, we know new domains can be created as Vecna ascended without eliminating another god, and simply added himself.

So with that information I think the distinction the gods are making between Aeor and the Raven Queen isn't necessarily one of preservation of domains but rather intention. The Raven Queen was not trying to kill a god out of spite or fear or hate, but out of a sense of obligation towards the station. Which does translate to the preservation of domains in this case but I think the point is that Aeor seems to be killing for the sake of killing and not for some higher goal.

Perhaps this isn't correct to bring in Worlds Beyond Number, particularly since Brennan is working, with I'm sure plenty of leeway and freedom, within Matt's worldbuilding here, but I do feel like the way he talks about the witches and their domains [note: haven't listened to the latest episode no spoilers please] is worth mentioning. The witches are proposing killing one of their number (Erika's PC, Ame), and when Ame brings up her domain, they note that if she dies, her domain doesn't disappear; it simply isn't tended to.

I go back and forth on how much the domains of the gods of Exandria matter because we know there is overlap - Nature is a very big thing that encompasses aspects of Death, Storms, Sun, and Moon. Corellon and Moradin and Erathis all share parts of the creative process and it's implied Pelor does too. Agriculture is part of civilization.

If all the gods were killed? Perhaps it would destroy the world, but if some were I think they would simply lose that overlap. I don't know if there is a tipping point - and I do believe there is one (and it's indicated some Exandrians who might know, such as Keyleth, believe this too) but it's also possible that the domain still exists, but the magic and potential within it is gone. If both Melora and The Raven Queen are killed, for example, perhaps there is no longer an afterlife for anyone, but death will still exist.

When Asha says that Aeor will destroy everything I don't think it's a domain thing - I think it's just her noting that Aeor is already consuming a huge number of the planet's currently limited resources. The apples are going to Aeor and not to the starving beggars nor the animals. I think it's just a statement, in terms that a hungry nature goddess would use, that this is an exploitative empire taking advantage of their position of power amid war and natural disaster and that it will eventually exhaust the natural resources Exandria has to offer and die out itself: "This thing, this will be rock and nothing else. Three generations, four, they're going to end it for everything." Taliesin out of character in Cooldown then says Asha/Melora is speaking on behalf of life on Exandria, generally. I don't think it's that nature or storms or death or dawn will cease to exist overall, per se; I just think that they believe that if the only power left on Exandria is Aeor, all life will starve and die out not long after.

[kimbureh]

TBB S2E12 The Outpost, Crosshair & Agency In Suicide

I haven't seen anybody talk about this specific aspect yet, but in truth I avoid reading TBB meta because I haven't finished watching season 2 and don't want to read spoilers.

"The Outpost" is an episode about being trapped in your position, even if you're ready to move on from your role. I've seen it pointed out by others, and indeed it was my first thought also: Mayday talks like Rex. Behaves like Rex. Is capable to adapt to adversary circumstances like Rex. But unlike Rex, Mayday is not given the chance to reform his life. He dies on Barton-4 without fulfilling his true potential. (But Rex has been gifted this chance, while he is acutely aware most clones haven't, and chooses to rectify that as much as he can.) The Outpost of Barton-4 is the epitome of being abandoned and trapped by circumstances. This will be important again in a minute.

Regs symbolize everything Crosshair feels ashamed for. I have talked about this before, but I don't want to pull a Tech and assume that's obvious. So. Crosshair is as grating towards regs as he is (especially in TCW) because of his projected self-hatred. He's a clone too, but at least he is enhanced. "Superior", as he says to Hunter. Showing kindness to Mayday, a reg, is the first step for Crosshair to come to terms with his Clone identity. I interpret Crosshair's arc as one of developing self-acceptance, and treating a reg with kindness is the first step to treating himself with kindness. And it speaks to Crosshair's developing sense of self-acceptance when he pleads (!) with Nolan to please help Mayday (the name here is telling!).

In another meta post of mine I outlined the two possible paths of Crosshair's arc: he either manages to develop self-acceptance and leaves the Empire, or he stays and self-destructs.

In his interactions with Mayday, Crosshair clearly veers into the direction of self-acceptance via Mayday as proxy. But the circumstances don't allow for the second step: leaving the Empire. Think of that tiny backroom in which we meet Mayday and his skeleton crew for the first time. Barton-4 is not a place you leave alive. This place is a frosty tomb, the rows of trooper helmets and the raider left behind in the tunnel are grim witness to that truth. And Crosshair knows this, knows he is trapped in a very real sense on this planet, at the mercy of a cruel superior who sees him as a piece of "used equipment". And so Crosshair picks the other option left to him: self-destruction. He knows he cannot get away with shooting a superior, not when he's weak, without his helmet, trapped on an icy planet with dozens of TK troopers to hold him accountable.

Crosshair's decision is not naive, not entirely hopeless either, it's coming from a place of self-empowerment despite the dreadful desperation. There are a few excruciating moments before Crosshair draws his blaster, moments in which he does the calculations in his mind and realizes there is no way for him to survive this. But he has the freedom to make one last decision: and that is bringing down Nolan with him.

This is Crosshair's tipping point. Through the interactions with Mayday he allowed himself to care for someone again, only for the Empire to immediately take that from him. They took his agency, but in what Crosshair must believe to be his last action, he regains some of his agency and avenges Mayday. In the face of death, Crosshair defends his decision to choose self-acceptance.

A more tragic story could end here; but Crosshair has more homework to do, and it still hasn't been revealed if he really doesn't have his inhibitor chip anymore, or whether he was implanted something else in its stead, and where those searing head pains are really coming from if not from the effects of the (a?) chip. I have a few theories, but we'll see (or maybe we won't).

(pls no season 2 spoilers, I haven't fully watched it yet)

[lesiasmadness]

Masked👏man👏to👏bishōnen👏pipeline!!!👏👏👏

[multicolour-ink]

I have a couple things to comment on Azolla and Myo:

1) I love the idea of Baby Sonic being placed in a basket on the water to be found by Longclaw, not only does it parallel the beginning of Moses' story, but it could be another, albeit unconscious, reason for Sonic's fear of water, as it floated him away from his birth parents

2) What if Sonic's birth parents raised him on West Side Island? Because of the lizard bandits in pursuit of power, it led to the people of the island believing those who were different brought nothing but trouble, thus leading to the ostracization of one young fox born with two tails…

Azolla & Myo - Sonic's parents (movie verse)

Thank you very much for your kind comments 😊

Yes, exactly! The idea of Sonic having a fear of water because of some childhood trauma that he was too young to remember long term, is a concept I see used a lot, but it's just too good not to! It adds that more depth to the character.

Just to add something else to my own backstory for Sonic: the very earliest nightmares he had as a hoglet was seeing a hazy figure get further away from him, and then fall into the water. To this day he really hates to bring it up.

2. Now, for your question about Tails.

First, I really love your idea of the rumours of Sonic's power reaching Tails' village! I can only imagine the twisted stories that would have been created when Sonic was being pursued. As Longclaw had to keep Sonic hidden (and we see her tree house is pretty isolated) I imagine the two rarely saw anyone in person, if they could help it. If Longclaw desperately needed to go to civilisation for supplies, I imagine she would have left Sonic hidden, or put a disguise on them both so they wouldn't attract attention.

Naturally, these tales of a being with incredible power spread, and very quickly reached Tails' village. Considering that this village would be isolated (as described in the games - I think), the villagers came up with their own questions: What was this powerful being? Was it still around? Was it evil? Had it cursed the island, fated to strike any unsuspecting village of its wrath?

Then one day (coincidently the same day Longclaw sent Sonic to Earth), a little fox was born in the village. A fox with two tails.

Now, before I continue, I would like to point out that I have seen theories in the fandom that Tails was also abandoned by his parents for having two tails, on top of being bullied by the locals of his village. Whilst I can understand the bullying part, I refuse to believe that Tails' parents would ever treat him that way. Partly because it's too upsetting to think about that. And partly because all I can think about when it comes to Tails' relationship with his parents is the moments they have together in the Archie Comics.

Now just to stress, I have not read the Archie Comics in full, but I am aware of some key moments from them.

In the Archie Comics (SPOILERS AHEAD) Tails is born to Rosemary and Amadeus Prower. Due to circumstances, the then very young Freedom Fighters had to escort Rosemary to hospital, where she gave birth to Miles "Tails" Prower.

Sonic clearly points out to everyone in the room that the newborn has two tails, but Rosemary doesn't care about that in the slightest 😊 She's just happy that her son is safe 💕

Then not long after, Rosemary and Amadeus are separated from their son and end up on another planet (or dimension I'm not sure which) with no way to get back. This meant that Tails grew up not remembering his parents at all, until one day he was told the full story, and given a message from his parents.

They are trapped, but there is only love towards their son 💗

And then the family reunites in as wholesome a way as possible 🤗

Again, nothing is mentioned about Tails' tails! The parents don't care at all that he's abnormal. They never have. He's their son and they love him as he is 💗💗💗

Now, back to the movie verse. Obviously this is a completely different canon. We don't know if movie Tails' parents were similar, or they may have been different. But it's difficult to make judgements because the Archie comics is the most in depth depiction of the main character's parents we have so far.

So with that said, I imagine that Tails' parents in the movie verse would love him dearly as well. In fact, they would fight for him!

Here's my idea so far: If their village believed Tails was a curse, the leader would be the first to convince the couple that their kid was likely a result of a hex from this "destructive being", and the best thing to do would be to give him up so the village could be left alone.

Naturally, the parents are not happy about this. Rosemary (going by Archie names just for convenience) would tell the village leader to stick his curse up his 🍑 and nearly claw his face off.

They stay in their village, but the same bandits who killed Sonic's parents attack one night and destroy it, and Tails' parents are killed in the carnage.

Luckily, Tails survives, because Rosemary hid him in a part of their home that was well concealed from the bandits. He's found by a survivor, wailing with all he has.

He is reluctantly taken to the village orphanage, because as much as the village still blame him for what has happened, no one wants it on their conscious if they disposed of a baby, and besides: if this baby survived, surely that's a sign?

They are still cautious of the fox. And Tails grows up, never understanding why they all look at him different 🦊

[starryevermore]

to be loved by him ✧ tech

angst city™ library | send in a request (consult request faqs first)

request: Tech meeting a cute racing mechanic and 100% being smitten and stumbly and bumbly but when he races he's cool and calm and confident. They 100% make out in the pit stop after he wins - @captainsbestgal​

pairing: tech x fem!mechanic!reader

summary: when tech comes to safa toma, you find yourself smitten. lucky for you, he feels the same. 

word count: 2,085

warnings?: mild spoilers for season 2 episode 4 of the bad batch, fluff, making out, little bit of teasing, pet name (cyar’ika), not proofread

Working as a mechanic at Safa Toma Speedway was not the sort of work you always dreamed of you. Working as a mechanic? Sure. That had always been the plan. Machines made more sense than people, after all. There were only so many responses, so many actions, a machine could make. People, though? People…Well, they didn’t like you. They thought you were “too much”. They thought you talked too loudly. They thought you laughed too much. They thought you overbearing, annoying, exasperating, irritating. But machines? Machines didn’t think those things. Except for droids, of course, who were maddeningly opinionated. But that was why you didn’t often work with droids. Until now, of course. But these were extenuating circumstances. 

When the Republic became the Empire, everything changed. Your home planet was no longer safe—or, at least, it wouldn’t be. You may not have liked people, but you knew enough to know to recognize patterns. And the way things were looking, you could already feel the cold, iron grip of tyranny squeezing your home. You took the first ship out of there, which, unfortunately, put you on Safa Toma. 

Safa Toma wasn’t…a great place to be. It housed criminals, smugglers, gamblers, and the like. It wasn’t exactly the safe haven you were hoping for. You supposed it was your fault for not paying more attention when you bought your ticket. But, you were here now, and you made do. 

You ended up being employed at the Safa Toma Speedway. It wasn’t the best work, but it paid well. All you had to do was make sure the droid racer, TAY-0, was working fine and that his speeder ran well. And, of course, aid him in modifying the speeder, since the speeder wasn’t designed for racing. You were grateful for the work, so you kept your head down about the seedier aspects of Riot Racing. Don’t kick a gift horse in the mouth, as they say. 

And, oh, were you glad that you decided to stick around. 

Cid, who often bet on TAY-0, had come to the track, alongside two…bodyguards? And a child. (Part of you wondered if the child was also a bodyguard. Though she didn’t look much older than ten or eleven, she looked like she packed a punch.) You more interested in the handsome, goggles-wearing bodyguard, though. If you weren’t busy working, you would have made a proposition or two. Though, you mused, you might just still have the opportunity. 

The race had gone well, until it didn’t. The other racers destroyed the speeder. It crashed. In the wreckage was the broken bits of TAY-0. An unfortunate turn of events for Cid, who bet her freedom on TAY-0 winning. But then the child—Omega— but in, and raised the stakes. If TAY-0 won the next race, Cid was free. 

Your hand was brushing against Tech’s—one of Cid’s maybe-bodyguards (you still weren't sure on the arrangement)—as you reached for a tool to repair TAY-0. 

“Ope, sorry,” you said, pulling your hand away. 

Tech passed you the tool you had been reaching for. “No need to apologize.”

You offered him a smile before turning back to your task of reconstructing TAY-0’s arm. Kriff, you felt like an idiot around him. Tech, you mean. Not TAY-0. (TAY-0 could kick rocks.) You usually had so much to say that people would tell you to shut up. But when you were around Tech, your mouth suddenly became dry. Your palms became clammy. You struggled to even figure out how to form a sentence. What the hell was he doing to you? 

“So, uh,” he coughed, “how’d you end up working here?”

You stared at him. Was he trying to do small talk? Curious. He didn’t strike you as a small talk sort of person.

“If it’s too personal, you don’t have to say,” he rushed out. There was a pink tint to his face. “I thought it might be nice to talk. Fill the air, you know. We’re going to be here all night. Based on my calculations, we’ll be lucky to have everything repaired and in working order before the race begins tomorrow. And—”

You cracked a smile. His words died in his throat. It was endearing, how nervous he got around you. At least you weren’t alone in that camp. “The Empire,” you said. His brows shot up. You were quick to add, “Nothing happened. Nothing specific, I mean. But they took over my home planet, and I got a bad feeling about it. Decided to trust my instincts and booked the first ship outta there. Ended up here, which wasn’t much better.” You took a moment to look him over. “I think it was a good decision, though. I probably wouldn’t have met you if I ended up somewhere else.”

The pinkness in Tech’s face burned red. “Oh—I—uh—“

“What about you? How’d you end up working for Cid?” 

Tech eyed you, hesitancy overtaking his demeanor. Had you overstepped a boundary? Had you said something that triggered bad memories? Oh, dear. That was the last thing you wanted to do.

Tech stared at you, unblinking. He didn’t blink very much at all, though. His wide eyes constantly took in his surroundings, calculating and categorizing all that he saw. It should have been unnerving, but it wasn’t. It was…comforting. You liked knowing he saw you. “I would rather talk about you,” he said finally. “How did you end up a mechanic?”

You pondered for a moment, tried to formulate a response. You didn’t want to make yourself sound like a fool. “Just what felt natural, you know? I was always good with my hands, always had a mind for puzzles. That’s all being a mechanic is, really. Figuring out the puzzle of the machine, determining what pieces you needed to fit together to make a cohesive picture.”

Tech nodded along as you spoke. “Is it not what you wanted to do?”

You frowned. “What do you mean?”

No one had ever asked you that before. When you told your parents of your chosen career, they shrugged with a quiet sort of indifference. Something about how mechanics are always needed, so you’d always have a job. That it made decent money, so you could have a good life. It was nothing of prestige, so it wasn’t something they got excited about. But it also wasn’t something outlandish, so they didn’t protest, either. Now that you thought about, perhaps your feelings were more similar to your parents’ than you once believed. 

“You said being a mechanic felt natural, but there’s no emotions behind your words. Rather, you only speak with a reluctant acceptance. It is reasonable to assume that you don’t care much for being a mechanic. That it is not what you’re passionate about.” Tech tilted his head. “What are you passionate about?”

You considered his words. There was one thing, a long-forgotten dream that you stuffed away to the far crevices of your mind. It felt strange to be pulling it back out now. “I suppose I always wanted to be a pilot. That wasn’t really an option on my home planet, though. People stuck to the ground. But I remember one time, my family and I visited a cousin on a different planet, and I was mesmerized by the stars, the feeling of traveling through space. When I came here, when I was on the ship that brought me here, I felt like that little girl again. Mesmerized by the stars.”

Tech’s hand came to rest on top of your own. You froze at the contact. When was the last time someone touched you? “When this is over, you should come with us,” Tech said. “I serve as our pilot now, but it’s not really something I care for. If you would like to, I mean.”

“Really?”

“I could teach you the basics, if you’d like, and then you could take over—”

“TECH’S GOT A GIRLFRIEND!” Wrecker shouted, his voice echoing off the walls. He made kissy noises in your direction. 

You jumped away like you’d been shocked. Tech whipped around to glare at his brother. 

Omega tugged on Wrecker’s arm, forcing him to return to their task. “Shh, let’s let them be.”

Tech looked back at you. “We can talk about it more later, okay?”

You nodded. “Okay.”

Now, you worried you would never get the change. TAY-0, who you and Tech worked so hard in restoring, was destroyed just before the race started. All hope seemed lost, but then Tech volunteered himself as the racer. Kriff, it made you sick to think of him on the track. He could handle himself, probably, but there were so many risks. People played dirty out there. If he wasn’t careful, his first race might just be his last. 

You muttered a prayer to the Maker as the race began. You didn’t want to lose him. Not when you just met him. You watched as his speeder took off, falling behind everyone else. 

“Do you know what you’re doing?” you asked, anxiety biting at your nerves. 

“Of course I do,” Tech reported. The nervousness he had around you before had melted away. “I’m being strategic. I have a lot of incentive to win, don’t I?”

Your face grew warm. “Yes, yes you do.”

Wrecker bumped his shoulder against yours. When you looked up at him, he wiggled his eyebrows at you. “Lotta incentive, huh?”

“Hush!”

You chewed on the corner of your nail as you watched the race. With every movement, you worried that Tech wasn’t going to be able to pull through. Then he took the tunnel to the left, and it felt like you died then and there. Didn’t he know that he wasn’t supposed to take that one? Didn’t he know that was dangerous?

“Tech, I swear, if you die out there, I’m gonna kill you,” you muttered. 

He laughed. “Worry not, cyar’ika. I have not intention of dying today.”

And you were glad he didn’t. As he crossed the finished line, winning the race, all of your worries and anxieties exploded into pure joy. All around you, the crowd shouted his name. Tech! Tech! Tech! He got out of his speeder, looking out at the crowd in amazement. Then his focus turned you. 

You ran toward him, throwing your arms around his shoulders, burying your face in the crook of his neck. 

“Oh! This is nice,” he said, his arms wrapping around you. 

“If I’m going to go with you, you’re not allowed to scare me like that again!” you said. 

Tech’s mouth twitched slightly, a small smirk forming on his face. “You know, I think I deserve a good, proper reprimand, don’t you?” When your breath caught in your throat, he continued, “Perhaps we should take this to the pit?”

That was how you ended up seated on a table, legs wrapped around Tech’s waist, fingers pulling at his hair, kissing him so hard you were sure your lips were going to be bruised. His fingers dug into your hips, pulling you close against his chest, like he was trying to mold you into him. His tongue darted out, tracing along your bottom lip. Your lips parted, letting him in, his tongue exploring your mouth like he was trying to commit every part of you to memory.

“We should,” you mumbled against his lips, “go rescue Cid.”

“Wrecker and Omega got it handled,” Tech said, pulling away for a moment to catch his breath. He nuzzled his nose against yours. “Let me enjoy you.”

“Hey, is this is how your flight lessons are going to go?” you asked, your breath fanning over his face. 

Tech let out a chuckle. “Only if you’re a good student.”

“Mm, I promise to be on my best behavior then.”

Tech leaned back in, his lips molding against yours. You moaned slightly, tugging him closer. But, you weren’t given the opportunity to enjoy him like you wanted to because—

“TECH? Where are you? We need to get Cid—OH MY GOD!” Wrecker shouted. “We already got one kid to deal with, don’t be adding another to this!”

You pulled away, laughing so hard you snorted. Tech glared at his brother, but reluctantly unwound himself from you. He held out his hands and helped you down from the table. One hand held onto yours, keeping you close.

“We will continue this later.”

“I look forward to it.”

And, oh, you did. 

[xxwitchylanexx]

Blue Azaleas Cloud x Reader

Rebirth Retold Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Masterlist

Spoilers for Chloe's ranch request

*~*

The area in between Midgar and Kalm was basically a waste land. Sandy and gravelly like a desert except without the suffocating heat that went along with it. You hated this expanse of the Planet. If it wasn’t for Shinra’s reactors slurping up the lifestream like an ice tea on a sweltering Costa Del Sol day in the peak of summer, this area would still be bursting with life and local fauna like the Woodlands were. The only thing that seemed to refuse to die was the Wildflower Plateau and thankfully not many new about it.

Fortunately, the trek to the flower field passed by quicker than it usually was, although it could just have felt like it. Your normal trips out here was devoid of company and thus was consumed with silence besides the few praises you’d give your feathered friend. This trip was filled with chatter, something you were entirely unfamiliar with. Trivial matters mostly but the vibe was infectious. The girls cheery topics and musical laughter was only enhanced with Barret’s booming jabs at Cloud who seemed to be dedicated to the stick up his ass. You stayed to yourself mostly. You weren’t to interested in creating a strong friendship when you knew you’d be leaving them at the saucer.

Besides Chloe always talking your ear off as you mucked out stalls, and the occasional client, you mainly worked alone. You thrive in the absence of small talk and useless drama that people tend to offer up freely, and the freedom to do things the way you want when you want was always much more appealing than making a connection.

That's not to mean that you weren't capable. On the contrary the skill to read, interpret, and charm people was a horrendous gift you were passed down to you from your upbringing along with the necessary skills to keep yourself safe from any threat.

However, your biggest issue with this group dynamic is they automatically assumed you needed to be protected and with every encounter you were herded into the center and forced into the safety of the makeshift barrier of your travel companions. Being an ex-soldier with more experience than anybody, Cloud took the front to do the heavy hitting and to take the brunt of the damage. Tifa and Red at your sides to take out any that attacked the flanks, and Barret and Aerith to bring up the rear and support from behind. You suppose you should be flattered in a sense. At least they cared about your safety. You could understand a little from their perspective. You never carried your actual weapon on your person, usually it’s strapped to the saddle of your chocobo for easy access, and the dagger you did have on your person was concealed under your pack so no passerby would see it. It’d be logical to assume you weren’t experienced in battle, and Odin, how you wished that were true.

The problem was that every time you tried to approach the topic Cloud would shut it down before you could finish saying a sentence. It made the blood boil in your veins, and pushed your temper to the limit. The sheer audacity that he thought he could just silence you and walk away made you want to throttle him. You aren’t sure what you could���ve possibly done to provoke him in the short amount of time you’ve been acquainted, but the man seemed to loathe your existence.

You had already put together that he wasn't a very talkative person to begin with but you could tell he was keeping his distance from you intentionally. Hell, it was a miracle he even accepted to help collect flowers for Chloe in the first place, and even then, if it wasn’t for Aerith’s insistence and your very real threat- was it a threat if you wanted to use it as an excuse not to join them?- of doing it on your own, he never would've caved. You thought you were hard headed, but this man seemed as flexible as the legendary fat chocobo.

The Wildflower Plateau was no different. Pops of color burst all over the meadow the moment you exited the tunnels leading up the hill. Brilliant sunshine yellows, pale princess pinks, deep crimson reds, and every color of the rainbow popped up from every crevice of the enriched soil as possible. Truly a spectacle in this dying land. The minute everyone stepped foot on the soft grass they scattered to their own favorite part of the field leaving you and your least favorite standing at the entrance. He made eye contact for a full second before turning his back to you. Figures. You rolled your eyes as his frame sulked over to Aerith. Faint echoes of their conversation was carried to your ears over the gentle spring breeze. Since they were discussing Chloe’s flowers you figured you’d give him a pass this time.

It was no secret that you didn’t really care for flowers. Midgar didn’t exactly have a lot of them growing up, and even after you escaped the clutches of the slums you still never gave them to much thought. More often than not the floral scents made you sneeze and an abundance of pollen would always make your eyes itch. So you just made yourself comfortable at the opening of the dirt path leading in.

Over on the left side of the field Tifa and Barret both bonded over the tiny blue and white flowers. Forget-me-nots, you think. You couldn’t hear the entire conversation from your spot but you could still hear Barret heavy baritone blubber about how ‘his princess would love these flowers’, and you hated to admit it but the statement piqued your interest. It was hard to see this butch hulking muscle of a man as a father. Those glasses may have fooled Tifa but thanks to the ray of sun that glinted off the tinted plastic you could just make out the way his eyes misted as he sobbed about ‘missing his little girl’. How endearing. Tifa tried her best to comfort him. She ran her hand along the back of his shoulder and expressed how much she missed her too, and the sooner they saved the Planet the sooner they can go home to her. You feel like you were missing a huge chunk of context.

Next you sought out Red. The fiery crimson of his sleek fur stood out among the deep greens of the grass under a rather large tree that blessed the beast with some shade. One large paw was slung over his snout, the soft leathery pad rubbing soothingly against his damp nose. You weren’t surprised he found a spot away from the flowers given that sense of smell was ultra sensitive. You could only imagine how overwhelming a bunch of mixed scents could be.

An euphonious laugh chimed from the other side of the field pulling your attention to the joyful Cetra as she playfully pushed at one of Cloud’s broad shoulders. You found it hard to believe he could’ve said anything that funny so you assumed she was laughing at him. Once she regained her breath she proceeded to point to each flower and explain the meaning of each to Cloud. The deep red gerbera that looked like splattered blood symbolized love and passion, or the lightly faded yellow calendulas that meant joy and grace, sometimes even being used to honor the dead. You marveled at the look of pure peace on Aerith’s face and wondered how she could find so much happiness locked inside a tiny life form. And once you curiously peeked at Cloud you had to stifle a laugh. The expression on his face still screamed his was utterly emotionless, but the way he carried the basket of red, white, and yellow flowers tucked into his elbow so he wouldn’t lose any was a bit comical. However the way his face softened so minutely as he carefully plucked a flower from its steam had you cocking your head to the side. That’s interesting.

A splotch of light baby blue registered in the corner of your eye forced your concentration to the very backside of the meadow. The soft grass parted around your knees as you weaved across the space being careful not to step on any of the growing sprouts. Unlike any other flower, these ones sparked a hint of fascination in the embers of your heart much like the last fleeting wisps of the saucer’s fireworks. The tips of you fingers grazed along the outer velvet of the delicate petals as you got as close as the large evergreen bushes aloud you to be. The soft blue color reminded you of a bright clear sky or the inner flecks of Piko’s eyes. The center was more was a deeper blue, almost navy, uniform specks of the same color climbing along the inner tube of the flower. Six lavender stamens curved outwards towards your face as if it was inviting you to lean in and enjoy its’ fragrance.

The scent reminded you of the gingerbread cookies Chloe would make with way too much clove added, or the underlying notes of Billy’s famous apple cider during the holidays. A wave of nostalgia threatened to choke the air from your lungs as you remembered you’d be leaving soon again, but you quickly buried the feeling down as the big silky emerald leaves started to sway and rustle.

Your hand flew to the dagger concealed along you lower back. As the rustling grew more frantic you readied to attack but as the fiend sprung from the bushes you were hastily pulled behind Cloud’s powerfully built frame. How did he even make it over here that fast? You briefly thought before you shook your head to orient yourself and open your mouth to rip him a new one for being so rough. Before you had a chance he spoke first.

“Stay behind me.” He said as his ocean orbs met your wide ones before he returned to the pack fiends that surrounded where you were once standing. His timbre left no room to argue. Instead you just gaped at the back of his head trying to put together what was happening. His slashes aimed horizontally in circular swings instead of his normal charge downwards strikes leaving no room for the weed like creatures to come between you and him, and despite the frustration you’ve felt about this up until now a small smile pulled at the corner of your lips. It seemed part of his inner character was slowly peaking through that cold and firm exterior. You hadn’t pegged him for the heroic type. And maybe, just maybe, this meant that he didn’t hate you as much as you thought.

So instead pulling your blade free and breaking this facade you let your hand fall from the hilt and admired the way he moved, getting lost in the way the few hairs at his nape swayed back and forth with his movements and the how the small sliver of skin between his hairline and the collar of his waffled inky tank erupted in a trail of goosebumps. You watched how his shoulder blades rolled, and the thick cords of muscle flexed with every slash of the heavy weapon. Your nose crinkled as his scent enveloped you in a cocoon of steel and leather with a hint of an earthy undertone and clean linen mixed with his natural musk that secreted through the light sheen of sweat that clung to his porcelain skin.

It was over before you knew it. So quickly you wondered if you had checked out completely only coming too when he straightened his posture proudly and sheathed the blade along his back. As he turned to check on you you swore you saw the corners of his mouth ticked up in a cocky, wickedly handsome, smirk before his usual demeanor returned like nothing had changed. “Are you alright?”

You couldn’t conjure any words in the moment, too foggy brained from the last two minutes, and for the first time since the brutal training you were forced to endure, you didn’t know what to say, and it terrified you. You settled for a gentle nod before you looked towards your feet away from the prying mako trying to see into your soul. “Let’s get these back to Chloe.” He called out to Aerith, and alerted everyone else to head out.

Your feet swiftly carried you away from him as the adrenaline in your blood alerting every muscles within you to flee, completely opposite of your usual fight instinct. Your heart raced as your brain glued his stupid gorgeous smirk to the back of your eyelids as a volatile cocktail of emotions simmered within you. Confusion. Fear. Vulnerable. Euphoric.

*~*

“Wow look at all of these! Thank you!” Chloe excitedly exclaimed the purple bow swaying in her soft brown tresses as she bowed to show her appreciation. You smiled from where you sat at the corner of her worn down desk.

“It was our pleasure!” Aerith reassured her.

As Chloe straightened back up her gaze searched for your own. Doubt and insecurity swam in her grayish blue eyes as she bit at her bottom lip before confiding in you. “I’m kind of worried though. What if mine aren’t as pretty as moms?”

You stood abruptly, taking a spot next to Aerith so you could reach over the desk to cradle Chloe’s palms in your own. You made sure to look directly into her eyes hoping that your words would reach the depth of her soul. “They will be, but even if they don’t turn out exactly like your mom’s, she’d be proud that you were giving it a try.” She squeezed your hands before you cocked your head towards Aerith. “Besides, your in luck. She’s a florist.”

Chloe leaned to the side to look at your friend, her eyes lighting up with hope. “Really?”

“I’d be more than happy to help you put one together.” Chloe grabbed Aerith by the wrist and wasted no time in dragging her into the room behind her desk, that she likes to call her office, leaving you and Cloud to wait idly in the barn for Aerith’s return. The tension seemed thick around you the only sounds breaking the silence between you was the occasional ‘kweh’ of the stabled chocobos.

You rested your weight on the desk again with your hands on either side to support your weight. You stared out at the pasture you’d soon be leaving. You swallowed the thick lump that formed in your throat as you really took it all in. The late afternoon sun cast warm rays over the scenery, several chocobos grazed and the thick course greens that grew inside the encloser. Billy was wrapping the long hose used to fill the water troughs around the fixture to keep it easily accessible. Bill rocked in his chair on the small beat up deck that was connection to the old house everyone resided in. The sound of the fence creaking in the wind brought some comfort to soft peaks of sadness and you exhaled the lingering feeling out through your nose. “So, um… Thank you.” You snuck a peak at Cloud from your peripheral. He hadn’t say anything to the minutes you’ve waited, and you didn’t expected him to now, however, you did see how he raised one of his brows in a silent question. You angled yourself towards him fully before answering. “I know you’re in a hurry, so, thank you for helping Chloe.”

“Sure.” He’d held your gaze for an extra moment before looking out at the pasture himself.

Deciding there wasn’t much of a point for the both of you to wait around you stretched upwards to loosen the tension in your shoulders before taking a few steps towards the wide open barn door. “Well, I’m going to make sure I have everything I need.” You didn’t bother to check for a reaction. You made it halfway to the wide sliding door when he called out your name. The sound of it had you pausing mid gait, not because the of the way he said it, but because you don’t think he’s ever spoken it. Reluctantly you faced him and watched as he crossed the distance in three large strides before he stopped, almost bashfully, an arm’s reach away. 

You watched transfixed as he reach into a small satchel at his hip before holding out one of the blue flowers you were enamored with earlier. The delicate flower sat comfortably palm of his hand, albeit a little smushed from riding shotgun in a satchel. A couple of the glossy green leaves framed the beautiful blue petals, as the stem was pinched between leather of two fingers. He offered it up to you with the stretch of his hand. You inhaled sharply, your chest squeezing tightly at the gesture, before you cautiously snuck a peak at him. He had turned his head to the side and his eyes darted between objects before feigning interest in a nearby stall to avoid eye contact with you. His brows pulled taut and the edges of his lips were still arch downwards in his usual frown, but you swore you could the faintest tint of pink spreading along the shell of his ear. “For me?” You asked, your voice more a whisper than you intended.

“You were looking at it….before.” 

You gingerly wrapped your palm around the stem, the edge of your hand tingled where it skimmed the tops of his fingers. “Thanks.” You cradled the flower closely to your chest. “I’m gonna….” You finished your sentence by jabbing your thumb toward the pasture. Before you could really leave the barn, the door to Chloe’s office swung open and the two women filtered back into the room. You gave a small gave and a tight lipped smile to Chloe as a farewell before leaving to embark on this new journey. You still had reservations about the whole traveling in a group thing, but maybe the company won’t be as terrible as you expected. You leaned down to smell the nostalgic fragrance of the flower as you gazed up at the falling sun filtering in through the whispering leaves that owned your heart.

*~*

“Did you just give her an azalea?” Aerith asked him quietly as she finally walked up to his leaning frame against the harsh wooden bar door.

“You’re seeing things.” He huffed straightening immediately before stalking towards the exit of the ranch. They’ve lost too much time taking on tasks for the people of the Woodlands and needed to get going before they lost Sephiroth’s trail.

“Right.” She spoke the syllables slowly, easily keeping up with his long rushed strides. “And I guess that means you didn’t hear what I said that flower symbolized either.” She teased. 

“Must not have heard you.” He said flatly continuing his brusk pace despite her huffs and puffs behind him.

“That’s to bad.” The smile on her face a look of pure smugness as she pouted at him like he was a small child. 

He didn’t reward her with a response as he neared the rest of their unique gang. In fact he didn’t stop his path until he was well outside the gates. “Let’s move out.”

Faithfulness. Watchfulness. ‘I’ll be there’.