#got a good batch of trinkets :]

[voltrixz]

Nothing like ending off a very fun outing with oomf by eating a rlly good burger

[the-bi-space-ace]

I genuinely think the first time Echo and Crosshair fought it was like the ship had been set on fire.

Their mission was shitty. It beat them into the ground and there was a lot of death in that battle and it had run them all ragged. Everyone was on edge. And Crosshair made some shitty comment that set Echo off. He was already pissed off and upset and overstimulated and Crosshair made the mistake of being a dick at the wrong time.

And Echo lashed out at him with such an intense dressing down that everyone just stared in silence as he did it. Crosshair didn’t help his case. He threw back just as many metaphorical punches and buckled down and made it worse because if someone’s going to call him out he’ll make sure it stings. It’s going to linger, hurt when it’s thought about.

By the time it was over they both sulked on opposite ends of the ship and avoided each other like the plague. As well as snapped at the rest of the batch when they tried to even ask simple questions or dare to sit nearby.

For the next three days it was like walking around two landmines. They refused to remain in the same room as each other, wouldn’t talk to each other or anyone else. It took locking them both in the cockpit and only agreeing to let them out if they talked about it before they finally broke down and had a conversation (stubborn as hell they are.)

They aren’t good at talking, especially about their feelings, so it took some more arguing before one of them got honest. It was probably Echo who, tired of fighting, finally admitted that sometimes Crosshair crosses (lol) a line and he doesn’t let it go. And it hurt (which he begrudgingly admits after some prodding.) to which Crosshair can admit that his pride gets in the way when someone confronts him and he may have dealt some low blows.

After an awkward silence they could maybe admit that fighting with each other sucked so bad but it felt kind of impossible to patch things up. This is the fight where Echo learned Cross will only patch things up when he’s ready (and he usually has to let it get pretty bad before he’ll admit any fault) and Crosshair learns that Echo can spit fire if he’s pissed and doesn’t back down from a fight.

Their fights aren’t always that bad. Although, like any people who live together 24/7, they get into spats every so often. Most of the time they’re easy to patch up. Some deflection, a distraction, a grumbled peace offering. Crosshair also learns that if he can get Echo to laugh then he’s basically forgiven for the smaller things. Crosshair will bring a small gift in apology within the week. It’s like clockwork. Echo has learned to expect it. And while he tries to pretend he won’t accept the apology gift because he’s still mad he does end up softening up when he finds stupid little trinkets in his pack.

Echo just brings Crosshair food when he wants to apologize about something. Usually tossed at him with some sort of grumbling over how ‘this looked gross thought you’d like it’ and it ends up being some sweet he knows Cross loves.

They may not get along 100% of the time but I like to think that the fighting ends up getting patched up in a way that is uniquely them.

[im-so-normal-iswear]

A míI wondered if you could make yandere espió, vector y a Silver, With a gender-neutral reader, who is a baker and who at the same time likes will please everyone with his desserts?

Thank you , and sorry if my English isn't good, you don't have to do it if you don't want to.

A/n: no problem!

Yandere!Espio/Vector/Silver x Reader who loves baking

Espio:

Espio had always been one to stay in the shadows, observing from a distance. It started innocently enough, he had been tasked with keeping an eye on the neighborhood for suspicious activity.

Someone had mentioned a new baker in town, and curiosity led him to your bakery one morning.

The moment he opened the door, the sweet scent of freshly baked bread greeted him. You smailed as you waved to him as he stepped in, your eyes crinkling at the corners, and Espio felt an odd flutter in his chest.

He brushed it off as nothing at first, just an appreciation for your craft. As he visited more frequently, sampling your muffins and cookies, the feelings only rooted deeper.

Espio admired your dedication, the way you poured your heart into every creation, but it was more than that. You treated everyone with kindness, that unrelenting warmth was intoxicating, and Espio hated how others took advantage of it. They didn’t deserve your attention. Not like he did.

You started noticing strange things happening around the bakery. A customer you'd mentioned was rude one day stopped coming altogether. When you asked around, no one could give you a clear answer about where they'd gone.

A particularly persistent admirer who hung around too long suddenly stopped showing up, too. You chalked it up to coincidence, but Espio would stand silently outside, watching, ensuring no one overstayed their welcome.

He loved how oblivious you were to his subtle interference. It gave him a sense of control, of keeping you safe without you even knowing. But as his feelings grew stronger, so did his jealousy. Every laugh you shared with a customer, every compliment you offered someone else felt like a dagger to his heart.

He started slipping notes under your door at night, written in elegant calligraphy, praising your talent and devotion. You thought they were sweet gestures from an anonymous admirer, but Espio relished the thought of how close he was to you without you realizing it.

The day you offered him a personal batch of dango he nearly broke his stoic demeanor. You had made them just for him, you said. Did you know what that meant to him? Probably not. But to Espio, it was a declaration of love. And he wasn't about to let anyone else take that away from him.

Vector:

Vector was loud, brash, and utterly smitten from the moment he stepped foot into your bakery. He wasn't even supposed to be there, Charmy had begged him to stop in because he'd heard about your chocolate tarts. he wasnt interested in tarts at all, nit at the time at least, but when he saw you everything changed.

You handed him a tart with that warm smile of yours, and it was like a thunderbolt struck his heart. He'd never tasted anything so sweet in his life, and it wasnt just the dessert. It was you. You had this way of making him feel like the center of the universe, even when you were serving a dozen other customers. It wasn't long before Vector was finding excuses to visit every single day.

"Got any new recipes today?" he'd ask, leaning on the counter with a wide grin. He didn't care what you gave him, everything you made was a masterpiece in his eyes. But what really hooked him was how you always remembered his favorites. That personal touch made him feel special, like he mattered more than anyone else.

Vector's feelings quickly spiraled into obsession. He started bringing you little gifts, flowers, trinkets, even some expensive baking supplies he thought you might like. (Rest of chaotix wasnt thrilled with the excessive money spending) At first, you found it endearing, but then he started showing up unannounced after hours, claiming he was "just in the neighborhood."

One night, as you were closing up, you turned to find him standing in the doorway with a sheepish grin. "Thought you might need some help carrying stuff," he said. You didn’t want to be rude, so you let him stay. But as the weeks went on, his visits became more frequent, his presence more suffocating.

Vector couldn't stand seeing you serve other customers with the same kindness you showed him. He started scaring off anyone who looked like they were getting too close, his booming voice and imposing stature enough to make most people think twice about hanging around. He even tried to convince you to hire him as security, saying you needed someone to "keep an eye on things."

You laughed it off, but Vector wasn't joking. He’d do anything to protect you, even if it meant keeping you all to himself.

Silver:

Silver's obsession was quieter, more insidious. He didn’t stumble into your bakery by chance, he was drawn to the warmth and happiness radiating from it. Coming from his world, your little shop from sonics was a beacon of hope.

The first time he saw you, he was too shy to come in. He watched through the window as you handed out cupcakes to a group of children, your laughter carrying through the glass. You looked so... perfect. Untouchable. But Silver couldn’t stay away. The next day, he worked up the courage to step inside, his heart pounding as you greeted him.

Silver was awkward at first, fumbling over his words as he tried to order. But you were patient, helping him choose something from the menu, and he left with a bag of pastries and a heart full of newfound affection. From that moment on, he was hooked, not just on your baking, but on you.

Unlike Espio and Vector, Silver's jealousy didn’t manifest in overt ways. Instead, he used his powers to subtly manipulate situations. If someone seemed too interested in you, their car might mysteriously break down, or they'd lose something important and have to leave. Silver didn't want to scare you, he just wanted to protect you. To keep you safe from anyone who might take you away from him.

He started spending more time at your bakery, sitting at a corner table with a book or sketchpad. He told himself it was harmless, that he just liked being near you. But as his feelings deepened, so did his obsession. He began sketching pictures of you, filling page after page with drawings of your smile, your hands as you kneaded dough, the way your eyes sparkled when you talked about a new recipe.

Silver dreamed of a future where it was just the two of you, baking together in a quiet little home far away from the rest of the world. He even started practicing his own baking skills, hoping to impress you. One day, he brought you a loaf of bread he'd made, his cheeks turning pink as he handed it to you. It wasn't perfect, but you praised his effort, and that small moment of encouragement only fueled his obsession further.

As time went on, Silver's desperation to keep you close grew. He started leaving little notes tucked into your apron pockets, each one more heartfelt than the last. You thought they were sweet, but you had no idea how deeply his obsession ran, or how far he was willing to go to make sure you were his and his alone.

[trappednyourheart]

Human-sized doll in the old ages?

(This is another Version of my original post that was inspire by Jason's doll, unlike Damian's. This one's for our Tim!)

My Original post for Damian's

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

The Drakes were in another trip to England as a new business trip concerning a new museum had taken place a Auction to very Old items lost in time, and for the Drake's it was an opportunity to find something new and all...but the only one who stands out the most was the Human-sized doll.

For a hundred years old Doll it was gorgeous, they hesitantly carried it out, after they bought it..it cost them a fortune but it was worth it.

The dress maybe been Billion's of dollars or even pounds due to its quality and design..if people sell it of course- but no stains, no rips of anything, as if it was just newly made..the only thing standing out the most was beautiful emerald gem necklace lace with unique designs of a Dragon flames. flickering a green flame

It was gorgeous, the designs of the eyes. Green emerald that you might think it glowed ( Well we never know)

The height of the doll was that of a child no older than the height of there Son, Timothy when he was 8..

Now that they think of it..there son was interested in photography lately, maybe this doll might be in good use for modeling..

Yeah they should send this as a early birthday present

(Jesus Christ you couple just realized that?)

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

According to the auction staff that had taken care of the doll for about fifty years,

It was actually the old man's family had been maintaining the doll passed over for about hundreds years ago,

This Doll was a Original, it wasn't a Replica or sorts to the real thing, This was The Real fortune, This Doll was said to be a request of a powerful and influencal Aristocrat house, said Unknown but Famous Duke held position of this Doll, As his Perfect Daughter

Talk about the creeps Janet Drake Got

-----------

Which why the Doll was said to be haunted by the Soul of the Young child that the Duke was heard obsessive wanted to be his perfect daughter,

Similar Cases said by guards hearing soft taps of heels or ruffled sounds of a gown being moved or even giggles, whispers, or even a full on conversation with a voice of a young child ,Three unlucky Guards onces have check and investigate it out, before being passed out and muttering glowing green eyes and freezing so hard that they may have been in alaska.

Well being the Drake couple they are just completely ignore the Staff caretaker and send it to there only son, Timothy

Its surprised they haven't been killed yet after they had just left that curse mummy int there Goddamn house when visiting ancient Egypt-

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

Timothy wasn't dumb, he was very minded in what his “parents” gave to him in his Early gifts, it wasn't a trinket, or another Mummified corpse that was stuck in the basement or equipment his mother wanted him to use for activities...

It was a doll, by the looks of it.

It was a girl's doll, in a glass case, it was looking at him, with a smile..you could see a teeth- was it supposed to be teeth? So white...it reminded him of that fairytale book..Snow white

With a beautiful Gown, but the most was the necklace, huh..so this was a gift, after he had found the note containing some birthday pleasantries and blessings and pity writing..from his parents.

This gift was considerately chose by his parents...he thought to his mind that this would be just another batch of a trinket being left in the basement

Boy...was he totally wrong

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

Dick wasn't a man to complained, he was decent atleast in his own perspective, yes the whole family is definitely something but he wouldn't trade this for the world, except for that is to question Tim's....Ehem stuff, the whole doll..was definitely creepy, after the ordeal, yes Jason is back, but not in good terms, and the whole fam known that Tim was hiding something from them, and how it turns out, this is why privacy exist, now he can't stop looking at that child doll...and the visible thumps of those heels.

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

Damian was questioning his choices, maybe he need to properly and carefully using his words now, after convincing and maybe caught Drake red handed, he known Drake was different but not that different for having a doll with the same height as him and look so realistic, if ever he doesn't want to bother asking or taunting Drake (for now) and may he be excuse, he needs to go to the barn to check with animals there ( he somehow still got that charm)

[friendlyneighborhoodsynthezoid]

Pirate Batch- Christmas Special

(Happy Life Day! I wrote this very quickly and I'm posting it immediately. Maybe one day I'll learn how to write and revise my work.)

Omega was poked awake in the middle of the night to see Wrecker’s face looming over her, grinning maniacally. Her mind presented her with options.

“Who are we pranking?” she whispered.

Wrecker shook his head. “No one today.”

“What are we breaking?” she tried.

“Guess again!”

“Where are we going!” at last, she got an answer.

“We’re going into town!” Wrecker whisper-shouted, scooping her up out of bed with all her covers dragged up with her. He carried her out of her room, past the sleeping figures of the Marauder’s other occupants, and out onto the deck. He produced a coat, hat, and gloves from somewhere and left her to suit up. The night was chilly, after all, and while Wrecker was reckless, he knew better than to bring Omega home to Hunter with a cold.

Before she knew it, they were walking though dark street. Wrecker was vibrating with pent-up energy, but he was being unusually tight-lipped about their purpose.

“Why are we going into town?” Omega prompted eventually, when it became clear that no explanation was forthcoming. Wrecker stopped them by a market stall populated with trinkets and shinies. Omega was very familiar with the type of stall, but Hunter had a habit of gently steering her away from such items in favor of shopping for practical supplies.

She oohed and aahed at small pieces of sea glass and polished rocks while wrecker spoke to the lady running the stall. Omega picked up pieces of colorful fabric and handed them to Wrecker, who added them to their purchases without a word.

They walked away with several items, all extremely useless and very pretty. Omega decided to try again. “Are you going to tell me what we’re doing yet?” They approached a store.

Wrecker huffed a laugh and responded, “ever heard of a thing called Life Day, kid? - Grab those little candles for me, would you?” This last part was accompanied by a wave of the hand and Omega followed the gesture to a row of tiny candles off to her left.

 She scooped them off the shelf and handed them over. “No. What’s Life Day?”

“It’s a holiday on some islands. Lots of celebrating, eating food, pretty lights, all sorts of things. It’s a good time. It’s also tomorrow.” He led them out of the store.

“Tomorrow?!” Omega echoed, “why haven’t I heard of it before now?”

“It’s a bit of a tricky subject for some of the boys,” Wrecker admitted. “Not always easy to find reason to celebrate. But I figured we could try to pull something together this year, since we got you with us an’ all.”

“So, what are we doing now?” They were veering off in yet another direction, and Omega was starting to lose track of where they were in space.

“Well, we’re picking up pretty things to decorate the ship with. And now I’m buying us Life Day presents.”

Omega looked at their new destination. A market stall selling fresh fruit. She could hardly dare to hope… “What are we getting?”

Wrecker took his time and settled on selecting six whole meilooruns. One for each of them?

Omega grinned widely as Wrecker paid for the wonderful treat and led her back toward the ship. “You really got us meilooruns? Can I eat it now?”

Wrecker patted her on the head with his free hand. “Nah, kid. Remember, they’re for Life Day. We’ll eat them tomorrow.”

When they arrived back aboard the Havoc Marauder, Wrecker stashed the meilooruns who-knows-where and came back to meet Omega on the deck. They worked tirelessly, and before long, they had created a wonderful masterpiece. Then, they went to bed.

__

The next morning, Omega woke to Hunter shouting.

“Wrecker? What did you do to the mast??”

Omega smiled to herself and ran up to the commotion.

There, in the middle of the deck, was the spoils of her and Wrecker’s work. The Marauder’s mast was resplendent in shining, glittering points of color that caught the light and shone like stars. Tiny candles, suspended in spheres of glass, hung from the rigging. Omega herself had adorned the mast with colorful swatches of fabric that fluttered faintly in the sea breeze. It was magnificent.

Or so she and Wrecker firmly believed.

Hunter was… surprised to say the least.

“Aw, come on, Cap’n!” Wrecker boomed smacking Hunter playfully on the shoulder and nearly sending him flying. “It’s pretty! Me an’ the kid decided to decorate for Life Day!”

“Ah, Life Day,” Tech and Echo emerged from belowdecks as well, the former adjusting his spectacles and looking interested. “A celebration started on the island of Kashyyyk to celebrate joy and harmony. Later adopted by many others as an event of feasting and festivities.” He broke off, upon seeing the decorated mast, “Wrecker, what did you do?”

The giant groaned dramatically. “Really, guys? It’s not like I chopped the mast or anything! We just wanted to celebrate!”

Echo decided to interject, “’We,’ which means you took Omega. Off the ship. At night. Without backup.”

“She was fine, Echo, I was watching her!” Wrecker insisted.

“He was,” Omega backed him up. “I think it’s great! And we still have to give everyone presents!”

She met Wrecker’s gaze excitedly, happy in shared conspiracy, which meant she was looking in the right direction for Crosshair to suddenly appear behind him and twine long arms around his throat.

“What. Is. Happening.” The sniper hissed in Wrecker’s ear.

Echo looked alarmed, Tech untroubled, and Wrecker and Hunter amused. The big man laughed and unstuck Crosshair from his neck with all the effort of shooing a fly. “We’re celebrating Life Day, Cross! Isn’t it pretty?”

Crosshair tore his glare from Wrecker to examine the decorated mast. His lip twitched and his eyes softened for a split second.

“Hmph.” He grunted. “Did you take any of that from me?”

“No, we bought it all,” Wrecker assured him.

“…right then.,” Crosshair pointed to a colorful piece of rock with a hole through it, suspended by a piece of twine. “Can I have that?”

“Uh… sure?” Wrecker said, exchanging a glance with Omega, who nodded supportively.

The trinket had vanished by the time she looked back.

Wrecker excused himself from the general milling about and returned with his hands held awkwardly behind his back. His jerked his head at Omega, and she came over to meet him.

“Is it time?” she asked, glancing behind him at the pile of meilooruns stacked in his massive arms.

“It’s time!” Wrecker agreed, and Omega took three of the meilooruns from him so he could carry the other three more easily. His shout drew the attention of the others, who looked at the pair in surprise before noticing the fruits they carried.

“Life Day gifts for everyone!” Wrecker boomed.

The two of them distributed the meilooruns and soon the whole crew was sitting together around the mast and eating and talking happily. Even Crosshair seemed to be enjoying himself, and Echo had a strangely misty look in his eyes as he chatted to Tech and Hunter. Omega sat with Wrecker, pleased with herself and delighted to be sharing a celebration with her family. She had her new brothers to protect her, a ship to live on and a meiloorun to eat.

Sure, they were on the run from the Empire, and sure they couldn’t catch a break from constant misadventures, and sure they had resorted to selling Echo for credits once or twice, but right now, everything was okay.

They were together, they were happy, and they were okay.

[sergeantgoggles]

Maycrowzer Headcanons (SFW)

I'll get back to writing prompts eventually. Been a little under the weather lately with an injury that isn't healing, so I made a self-indulgent list of headcanons for my favorite Bad Batch OT3.

TW: Mentions of PTSD, alcohol abuse, anger issues, body dysmorphia, and eating disorders.

Howzer is jealous of Mayday when they first find and rescue him from Tantiss. He’ll never forget the way Crosshair forgot himself and ran into Mayday’s arms amongst the bodies littering the floor of the base. The only greeting he got was an anxious sneer when Crosshair showed up on Teth.

The threesome was Mayday’s idea. He pitches it to Howzer so casually that Howzer thinks he’s joking at first, but when he sees that Mayday is serious, he figures he has nothing left to lose.

None of them expected the outcome, especially Crosshair. No way was his luck so high that he had reconciled and found love with Howzer AND was able to rescue Mayday and be with him, too.

Moving to Pabu just seemed right. Mayday wasn’t willing t fight anymore, and he was determined to keep Crosshair safe. Howzer took some convincing, but ultimately, being where they were was what he wanted.

They build their house close to the beach. It didn’t matter much to Crosshair where they ended up as long as they were together and his brothers and sister were nearby.

Howzer, having initially been trained to be a marine soldier, loves being near the open water.

Mayday, having spent much of the last couple of years in a cold, frozen planet, like having the warmth of the sun and colors of the sunset filtering through their bedroom window.

He also has a garden in the backyard that he tends to daily. His garden becomes the island’s best source of medicinal herbs and vegetables for harvesting and Mayday is very proud of it.

Also, this man is so into Dad Rock. Sometimes he can get Crosshair to loosen up and rock out with him in the living room, but other times Crosshair comes in from shopping to see Mayday and Omega with Hunter’s old bandana wrapped around her head playing a mean air guitar.

Howzer picks up a job as security detail for the island. It makes him feel like he’s still contributing to the rebellion by keeping his loved ones and Pabu safe from the Empire. He’d heard about Tech’s brainwashing and what he did to Pabu while he was under the Empire’s control, and he vows to never let anything like that happen again.

Crosshair spreads out his time doing odd jobs for the people on the island and picks up a whittling hobby. He’ll sit on the beach with his toes in the water and a knife watching the sun move across the sky and make little trinkets out of wood. He’s rather good at it, and most residents of the island have one of his masterpieces in their houses.

But not everything is perfect in paradise.

They all have nightmares. Some of them are easier to get through than others. Sometimes, they’re bad enough that someone needs to be restrained.

The first time it happens, Crosshair clocks Howzer in the face because he thinks Howzer is a Shadow Clone that’s come for him and his family. Howzer understands, but Crosshair apologizes for weeks after the incident.

Mayday develops a drinking problem, which is to say, he gets violent and angry when he’s had too much to drink and has a habit of taking it out on Crosshair and Howzer. Howzer can handle it, but if Mayday starts in on Crosshair, Howzer makes Crosshair leave to stay with one of his brothers until Mayday calms down and sobers up.

It doesn’t happen often. Many times Mayday can have several drinks and be fine and happy or maybe even horny, but when it does happen, Howzer knows they’re in for a long night.

After two years of living the island life together, they make their relationship a marriage. They don’t wear rings. Rings can get lost or ruined or given back. Instead, they get matching tattoos of three planets, one for how they each met one another: Ryloth, Barton IV, and Coruscant. (Technically, Howzer met Mayday on Tantiss, but they collectively agreed that planet has no place in their lives or on their bodies anymore). The three planets all surround one in the center, Pabu.

Mayday has his on his chest, right over his heart, because he’s a romantic sap.

Crosshair has it on his left hip.

Howzer has his on his right calf.

When they’re a little older and the lush, island lifestyle begins to catch up with them, Howzer develops an eating disorder. His physical appearance is important to him, and he’s worked incredibly hard to maintain his physique and proportions, but age can’t help but make him softer around the edges, and he hates it.

He wakes up one morning after a few months of eating only what he needs to and working out endlessly to see himself in the mirror. He’s pleased with what he sees, unable to tell that he isn’t healthy. He’s too thin and looks frail, but he’s finally happy with what he sees in the mirror.

Mayday looks at him that morning, REALLY looks, and he sees what Howzer can’t, but Howzer is smiling in a way that he hasn’t in a short while, and he’s so proud of himself. It breaks Mayday’s heart.

(An intervention occurs, and Mayday and Crosshair do their best to keep reassuring Howzer that he’s not less for enjoying the life that he worked for).

They have family dinners once a week, usually at Hunter and Tech’s place, but sometimes at Wrecker and Shep’s house. Omega and Lyana love to cook for them (with help from Shep and Wrecker, who takes interest in it when he learns just how much you can do with food).

One of Crosshair’s favorite photos is one that Tech sneakily took during one of the festivals on the island of Howzer dancing with Omega and spinning her around. He gives a copy of the photo to her when she confides in them that she’s joining Hera’s fleet in the resistance.

[phantom-of-the-501st]

Cupcakes, Fairy Lights and One Undead Army

It's Halloween for the Bad Batch

A fluffy Modern AU

@saturn-sends-hugs @inkstainedhandswithrings @the-bi-space-ace

Halloween fic is finally here! Pat on the back to me for not making this super depressing

Cold, dead eyes stared back at him. Deep and black and a stark contrast to the pasty white of the rest of the face. An unmoving grin of uncovered teeth stretched across the front of the jaw and up towards the cheeks. Echo looked death in the face. And he smiled.

"What are you looking at?"

"Just enjoying the new paint job."

"Oh shut it, Echo." Crosshair rolled his eyes. "I'll have you know that I didn't ask for this. I was forced against my will."

"Like hell you were." Echo chuckled and shot his brother a smug grin. "You know you're enjoying this."

"Says the one who hasn't been painted to look like his insides are on the outside. How did you get out of this anyway?" Crosshair pointed an accusatory toothpick in Echo's direction before putting it between skeletal teeth. The dark paint on his lower lip had already begun to smudge.

"Because I'm not the one taking Omega trick or treating." In all honesty, Echo was a little disappointed about not going, but he was more vulnerable to the cold now than he was before the accident and unless he wanted to walk around the neighbourhood wrapped up in thirty coats and fifteen layers of mittens, he would have to stay indoors. Maybe he could dress up as a marshmallow next year. Or just hope that they didn't have a repeat cold spell. "And someone has to stay home and make the cupcakes." At that, he hit away the large hand that had crept round towards the bowl in front of him. "Leave the chocolate chips alone, Wrecker."

"Awwww. But they're so good!"

"I know! Which is why they're for the cakes. If you eat them all now, then there won't be any left." Echo chuckled and turned to look at his brother, finding that he was now leaning on the counter, wrapped in his ghost-patterned jumper and thick orange socks tucked under loose trousers. He had a stolen marshmallow in his mouth. "Really?"

Wrecker just grinned and turned to look at Crosshair. "Looking good, Cross! When are you gonna put the face paint on?"

"Oh ha ha." The other let out a sarcastic laugh and rolled his eyes again, chewing on his toothpick. One day he would get splinters in his tongue and his brothers would one hundred percent all laugh at him for it.

"Where's Megs?" Echo asked, eyebrow raised inquisitively.

"Tech is helping her with her costume. Hunter's sorting out his own face."

As if summoned by his words, Omega came barrelling down the stairs and into the kitchen, Tech and Hunter trailing after, also decked out in black and white paint. Omega was draped in lightly glittered navy fabric, a dark hooded cape and a thick belt adorned with trinkets and fake bones. She'd insisted on a necromancer vibe this year, hence the skeleton army currently traipsing around the house. Tech had taken particular care in making sure her costume was in top shape this year (and every year previous). She ground to a halt just before she collided with the dining table, struck her arms wide and spun in a circle. "What do you think?"

"Looking great, Megs! The most powerful necromancer out there!" Wrecker went over and scooped her into a tight hug. Echo went and joined them.

"You look awesome, kid." He ruffled her hair and she batted his hand away, giggling. It was then that Echo noticed the eyeliner. Neat and precise. Definitely Crosshair's handiwork. 'Forced against my will' my ass Echo thought and laughed to himself. "Now go and get some treats before there are none left. You've got competition this year. I hear Padme and Anakin are taking the twins out for the first time."

Just as fast as she'd arrived, Omega disappeared into the corridor to slip her shoes on.

"Well, I guess we should start making a move." Hunter said. "You two going to be okay here?"

"Yeah, we'll be fine. You lot go and have fun."

Hunter nodded and turned to join Omega in the hallway, closely followed by Crosshair, who gave them a loose two-finger salute before departure. Tech went to go with them before turning towards Wrecker. "Thanks for letting me go this time. I know you don't like missing out on this." He nudged his glasses up his painted nose.

"No worries, Tech! There'll always be next year. Go and have fun. And make sure to bring loads of goodies back!" Tech smiled in response and left the kitchen.

Echo knew that Wrecker had wanted to go again this year, but the others always felt bad about leaving Echo home alone, despite his insistence that he'd be fine. They argued that unless all of them went (as they had done their first year with Omega), no man would be left behind. Last year Tech had stayed, and the year before that, Cross. They took it in turns and this time Wrecker chose to be the one to join him. Echo appreciated the company.

He heard the door shut, cutting off Omega's excited ramblings, and reached up with his left hand to adjust his beanie, a grey one with a pumpkin embroidered on the front that Omega had gifted him last year. He turned to his brother. "Hey, Wreck? Hunter went to put the lights up earlier and they weren't working. Think you could tinker with them a bit? See if you can get them functioning again?"

"Sure thing! The pumpkin ones or the ghosts?"

"Both. Neither of them wanted to do anything today. I think they're just old now. We've had them for a few years."

"I'll go and have a look. I'm sure I can get them up and running in no time!" Wrecker gave him a charismatic smile and made his way to the living room, but not without stealing another marshmallow from the counter first. Echo gave him a half-hearted smack on the elbow, smiling as he heard Wrecker's deep laugh bounce down the corridor.

It was definitely nice to have someone in the house with him. Growing up, there had always been people with him at this time of year. First him and Fives, and then even more when the Batch had moved in. How 99 had managed to corral so many kids around the house and take them all trick or treating without losing any of them was anyone's guess. Their adoptive father was the best. Nights like this reminded Echo of the chaos of Halloween during their younger years, especially with Omega, who had the same amount of energy as Fives had done back then.

The same amount of energy he had now, in all honesty. His twin had had to move abroad for work shortly after their honourable discharge from the military and as a result they didn't see each other nearly as often as they hoped. There were always promises from each side to visit the other, but conflicting schedules seemed to put a stop to every plan before they ever truly got off the ground. Echo made a mental note to give him a call later when the others were back. Until then, he was on important cupcake duty.

He heard music coming from the living room and realised Wrecker had stuck on his carefully curated Halloween playlist to run in the background while he worked. It had been changed and edited several times over the last few months so that it could, as Wrecker put it, have 'the perfect spooky vibes with the right balance of fun'. Echo didn't mind. It gave him something to listen to as he made a start on the cupcakes. And maybe he bust out a few dance moves in the kitchen, but who was to say?

✴〰✴〰✴〰✴〰✴〰✴〰✴〰✴〰✴

By the time Echo had the cupcakes made and cooling in the kitchen, Wrecker had managed to fix both sets of fairy lights and draped the pumpkins up the bannister on the stairs and the ghosts around the living room. He and Echo were sprawled out on the sofa, each wrapped in a thick knitted blanket, basking in the glow of the lights and the TV. They had made it part way through Beetlejuice when the door unlocked and Omega came darting into the living room, leaving behind a trail of treats that had fallen out of her bag in her haste. "Look how much we got this year!" She was practically bouncing off the walls.

"Yes, it was certainly a very successful evening. I believe we have exceeded last years haul by approximately a third." Tech added, giving his two brothers a smile. His face-paint was still so neat and precise it looked like it had been applied mere seconds ago, unlike Hunter's, which was starting to go grey where the colours had blended. It was probably a result of his habit of running a hand down his face every time he sighed (a thing which happened very often whenever Crosshair was around). Why he had even bothered to paint a skull onto his face when he already had one permanently inked on was anyones guess. He was picking up the sweets Omega had left on the floor and Echo could hear Crosshair kicking his shoes off in the hall as his characteristic snarky drone chipped in with a "Yeah, and with that much sugar she'll be running around on the ceiling."

"I think she might already be at that point." Hunter sighed and gave a soft chuckle, tucking away some of the strands of hair that had come loose from his bandana. "How about you go and take your shoes off, Megs. Then we can finish the film with these guys." He put the treats back in the bag and slumped down next to Echo, head tilted on the back of the sofa.

"Fun evening?" Echo quipped.

"I'm getting too old for this. I can't keep up with the energy anymore."

"Oh come on, Hunter. If you're old then what does that make me?"

Hunter looked at Echo and grinned. "Positively ancient."

Echo would have shoved him over sideways at that remark, but Hunter had sat down on his right side so the best he could do was aggressively jab him in the shoulder with the end of his stump. Hunter laughed.

"I'm gonna go and make hot chocolate!" Wrecker announced and hopped off the sofa. "Mind giving me a hand, Tech?"

"Of course."

Crosshair seized the opportunity, slinking past his brothers as they went through the doorway and stealing Wrecker's spot, wrapping the discarded blanket around his shoulders. "You been okay, Echo?"

"Yep! Haven't had as many trick or treaters as I thought we would, so it's relatively quiet. I'm thinking of giving Fives a call later as well. I'm sure he would want to see Omega's costume this year."

"Oh goodie." Crosshair said sarcastically. "I haven't spoken to that knucklehead in a while."

"You know you love him really."

"You say that, but he's your twin and I think that speaks for itself."

"Just like I said, you love him."

"I think you two need to be forensically analysed."

Echo just shook his head, smiling.

"We're gonna call Fives?" Omega said excitedly as she wiggled between the two and tucked herself under Echo's arm.

"Sure, kid. I'll set up the video chat when we're decorating the cupcakes. Sound good?"

"Uh huh!" Omega nodded and turned to the film in front of her.

✴〰✴〰✴〰✴〰✴〰✴〰✴〰✴〰✴

They finished the movie, wrapped up in more blankets, empty hot chocolate mugs scattered on the floor and coffee table in front of them. Omega sprung off of the sofa as soon as the credits started rolling. "Okay, cupcake time!"

"Jeez, Megs. How have you still got this much energy?" Hunter groaned, practically half asleep. He'd ended up almost lying down with his head on the arm rest.

"Because her bloodstream is almost completely sugar." Tech said. "If she actually falls asleep tonight I'll be impressed." Hunter groaned again and sunk lower into his seat.

"And so our mighty leader has fallen. Defeated by a small child."

"I'm glad you're enjoying my misery, Cross."

"It's what keeps me going." Crosshair shot him a sly grin and jabbed a toothpick in his direction. "And it's why going trick or treating with you is so entertaining."

Echo couldn't help but chip in. "I thought you were forced against your will?"

"Shut it, Echo, or I'll smother you with your beanie."

"I'd like to see you try."

"All bark and no bite, Crossy."

"What did you just call me?"

"Nothing." He said smugly. Crosshair's eyes narrowed and Echo continued. "But if you're too scared to defend your honour then..."

"Oh you are on!" Crosshair lunged at Echo, reaching to grab onto the grey fabric. Echo dodged and tumbled backwards, laughing, trying to keep his brother away with his one available arm. Hunter groaned as Echo's head collided with his stomach and then groaned again when Crosshair joined the dogpile.

"Really, you two? Can't a man get any peace around here?"

"Hey, my life is at stake here!" Echo giggled as he continue to grapple with the man above him. "I'm protecting myself!"

"And I'm trying to protect my kidneys! Move your head!" Echo just tilted his head even further back into Hunter to avoid Crosshair's grasping hands. He was pretty sure his skull was starting to dig into Hunter's ribs at this point and the latter was unlikely to be happy about it.

"Technically, your kidneys are towards the back of your body, so Echo's head poses very little risk to them."

"Okay thanks Tech but I don't really want any of my internal organs squashed right now!"

Suddenly, Echo's hat disappeared off his head. "Huh? what the-"

"Hey, Cross. Catch!" Crosshair sat up and grabbed the hat from the air as Wrecker threw it towards him.

"Oh come on!" Echo exclaimed. "That's cheating!"

Crosshair waved the hat just out of Echo's reach. "It's called teamwork, brother." Echo gave him a playful shove and watch him retreat to the other side of the room, before pushing himself off Hunter and standing up.

"Oh thank God for tha-" Hunter's sentence was interrupted as the stolen beanie smacked him in the face. "Seriously?" Crosshair laughed at him. "I honestly don't know what I'm going to do with you lot."

"Send them back to 99?" Tech asked jokingly.

"Don't tempt me." Hunter stood up and put the hat back on Echo's head, pulling it down far enough that it covered his eyes. "Come on, children. Megs wants cupcakes." The girl in question was waiting in the doorway, thoroughly amused by the events taking place. They were supposed to be the mature ones here and clearly they were demonstrating that very well.

They all migrated to the kitchen, Crosshair, Hunter, and Tech sitting down by the table, while Echo, Wrecker and Omega pulled all of the cupcake decorating supplies together (or what was left of them at least, as Wrecker stole yet another marshmallow from the bag). Echo grabbed the buttercream he had made from the fridge and placed the bowl in front of Omega before pulling his phone out of his pocket and calling his brother. No response. Echo hadn't actually checked with his twin to see if he was available tonight and there was a good chance the man was busy at some Halloween party and wouldn't respond until he was too drunk (or too hungover) to get back to him with any level of coherence. Echo placed his phone down and leant on the counter to watch the cupcake decorating.

Wrecker and Omega seemed to have set up a little system, with the latter piping neat swirls on each cake and her brother delicately placing decorations on each one. People assumed that because of his large size, Wrecker struggled with fiddly tasks. In fact, the opposite was true. He had as good as control as the rest of them, if not better, and could make some of the best damned Halloween cupcakes the world had ever seen. This year was a mix of Frankenstein's monster and little marshmallow ghosts. Echo laughed when he noticed Omega's tongue poking out of the side of her mouth in concentration.

*Thunk*

He glanced towards the other three and found that Hunter had slumped over with his arms crossed on the table and his head tucked between them. Crosshair poked him in the side of the head with a slender finger. Hunter let out a muffled groan of annoyance. A smirk appeared on Crosshair's face, which grew even bigger when he noticed tech taking a picture of their brother. At the sound of Tech's phone camera, Hunter responded again, this time with actual words (though more into the table than to the person opposite him).

"Did you just take a picture of me?"

Tech paused for a second before simply stating "Maybe".

"Tech..."

"I am simply documenting this Halloween. It's what families do."

"Why don't you take a picture of Omega then?"

"Because you being this exhausted is objectively hilarious."

"Shut up, Crosshair."

"And we can use it as blackmail."

"Crosshair." Crosshair just poked him again.

Before Hunter could complain to the table anymore, Echo's phone started ringing. Fives.

"Hey, brother!" The welcome was immediate as Fives' face appeared in frame. He was dressed head to toe in tattered grey clothes and appeared to have painted his skin and hair a mottled grey as well.

"Were you going somewhere or did a bag of flour fall on your head again?"

"Okay, first of all, that only happened once! And yes, I am in fact going somewhere thank you very much. We have a work Halloween party."

"Thought you would have gone with something more eccentric. A ghost seems pretty tame for you."

"Eh, I just didn't have the time this year." Fives dropped down onto a sofa. "I considered going as you before your morning coffee but I decided it probably wouldn't be a good idea to terrify my colleagues that much."

Echo propped his phone up on the middle of the counter and gave Fives the middle finger. Fives simply poked his tongue out in response before adding "What're you guys all up to this evening?"

"Cupcakes!" Omega yelled excitedly, popping up next to Echo in the bottom corner of the screen. She had a smudge of green across her cheek where she had likely rubbed it with a frosting-covered hand.

"Hell yeah! That sounds awesome. Wish I was there. I'd kill to have Echo's baking again."

"Wish you were here too, Fives." Omega said. "Are you going to be visiting soon?

"I'll try, kiddo. I'm a little tied up with work at the moment but I'll be over as soon as I can."

"Pinky promise?"

"Pinky promise times a thousand." Fives smiled, but Echo could tell there was a slight sadness in his eyes. He knew that moving away from his family hadn't been easy for him, or for the rest of them. However, the emotion was gone almost immediately. "How about we talk about how awesome you look, Megs? The costume rocks!" Omega stepped back and spun in a circle to let Fives see her outfit better.

"Thank you! Tech helped!"

"Haha, sounds about right." Fives said.

"We've got skeletons all over the house this year because, apparently, what this family really needs is an undead army." Echo added, chuckling, and he flipped the camera to show the three sat at the table, faces still painted like skulls. Although, what was left of Hunter's couldn't be seen as it was still buried in his arms.

"Haha looking good, fellas! It's almost an improvement!" Fives jested before his tone gained an edge of playful inquisitiveness. "Everything okay with the Sergeant?"

"He got defeated by a child on a sugar high." Crosshair said.

"Aw, come on brother! I thought you were more resilient than that!" Hunter merely responded by flipping Fives the bird without lifting his head from the table.

"Wow. So mean." Fives' face contorted into mock upset.

"Don't mind him. He's just coming to terms with the fact that he's getting old." Quipped Tech before Echo followed with a "I think we might be sending him to an early grave."

Fives couldn't resist chiming in again. "We should paint half a skeleton on his coffin! It would look so cool!"

"And tie a bandana round it!" Wrecker added enthusiastically.

"I hate all of you." Came Hunter's reply.

They stayed in the kitchen until all of the cupcakes were done, at which point they decided to migrate back to the living room. Tech had to practically peel Hunter off of the table. The Sergeant's paint was becoming so smudged he looked closer in colour to Fives and had lost most of the characteristics of the skull. Echo made a mental note to remind his brother to wash the paint off later before he woke up to find what would look like the remains of Casper the Friendly Ghost streaked across his pillow.

It didn't take long for more bickering to ensue and for Echo to smear frosting on Crosshair's face. His brother responded by wiping it away and then licking his finger clean, grimacing at the chalky taste of the paint that came off with it. A little bit of flesh poked through at the tip of his nose. "You're a menace, Echo."

Echo gave a dramatic gasp and put his hand to his chest. "How dare you make such unsubstantiated accusations. I'm the older and far more mature one here."

"Debatable."

"Thanks for the support, Tech."

"Mature? Certainly not. Old? Definitely." Tech gave a cheeky grin.

"Okay, that's alright, Tech. You don't need to say any more."

"I don't know. I think he does." Crosshair quipped.

"I really think he doesn't."

"Well, I do have a list of every time Echo has-" Echo threw his balled up cupcake case at Tech's head.

"Wait, are those the times-"

"Fives!"

"Okay, okay. If you don't want me to talk about it-"

"I really don't."

"Boring!" Crosshair exclaimed.

"Don't make me smear frosting on your face again."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Try me."

A glaring match ensued between Echo and Crosshair, which lasted far longer than it probably should have before Fives intervened. "Okay, children. Settle down. It's a holiday. Don't kill each other now."

"Shut up, Fives." Crosshair said, although there was no actual aggression in his voice. "Weren't you supposed to be going somewhere?"

"I was, but some people, not naming names, decided to start an argument. Someone has to mediate you lot."

"Oh come on, Fives. If you were here, there would be frosting smeared on every piece of furniture in this house and the next." Echo said.

"You wound me brother."

"Okay. You can piss off now."

"How rude!" Another exclamation of fake hurt from Fives. "And using this kind of language around Omega as well."

"I've heard worse!" Omega chimed in before taking another bite of her cupcake.

"Ten out of ten parenting guys, well done."

"Hey! I distinctly remember you being told off by 99 on multiple occasions for your less than stellar language." Echo retorted.

"Yes, but I also wasn't in charge of a child, so it doesn't count." Fives argued, smugly.

"Are you going or not?" Crosshair asked.

"Trying to get rid of me?"

"Yes."

"Okay, okay. Fine!" Fives held a hand up in surrender. "I'll see you guys around, okay?" A chorus of goodbyes circled round the room (or in Hunter's case, an incoherent noise and a weak wave of his hand). "I'll call you in a couple weeks, Echo."

"Sounds good. And give 99 a ring too. He's desperate to say hi again." Echo grinned. "Take care."

"Of course." Fives smiled and gave a salute before the call ended.

"Your brother is so weird." Crosshair said.

"He's your brother too."

"Don't remind me."

Echo picked up Crosshair's discarded cupcake wrapper, scrunched it up, and threw it at his head.

"Seriously? Are you going to do that to everyone?" Echo just smiled and Crosshair rolled his eyes, already sticking another toothpick in his mouth.

"Can we watch Monster House?" Omega asked, mouth full of cake.

"Hell yeah!" Wrecker said. "I love that film." Echo had to agree that it was a good choice, even if it was creepier than any movie made for kids should probably be. (That film had given Fives nightmares for weeks when he first saw it. Echo would have found it far more amusing if he wasn't missing out on his own sleep because of it).

"Sure." Tech said. "But you will go to bed after this one. Agreed?"

"Okay, Tech!" Omega said happily and snuggled down into Wrecker's side, draping a blanket over herself. Even if she did go to her room after the film, Echo knew the chances of her getting to sleep before her brothers was slim. It was worth a shot anyway.

"You know who should probably go to bed?" Crosshair asked. He pointed his toothpick towards the end of the sofa where Hunter was.

The Sergeant was tucked up into a ball, bandana slipping over his eyes, and his chest rising and falling with deep breaths. He was already dead to the world. Echo chuckled and turned to the TV as Wrecker found the film. Although, it didn't seem he was going to get much peace this evening, even with one brother fast asleep beside him, because just a few minutes into the film Omega decided to circle back round to a previous topic of conversation. "So that list of things Echo has-"

"Nope!"

[messinwitheddie]

Mr. Casarez "He's a good kid."

Nny "He is... Wish I could take some of the credit, but Squee has been that way since I met him. Considering who actually raised him, it's kind of inspiring how he manages to stay good.

I try not to be the final straw that breaks him-- the death blow that beats it out of him someday."

Mr. Casarez "It will take more than you."

Nny "I hope so..."

Squee "Please pick up. Please pick up. Please--"

Mrs. Diablo "Sweetie, it's Todd. Do you want me to ask him to call back later?"

Pepito "No, that's ok. I'll take the call.

Hola?... Wait one minute.

Mother, a little privacy?"

Mrs. Diablo "Oppse. My bad. I'll step out. Just shout when you're off the phone."

Pepito "I didn't mean leave. Just put on your headphones."

Mrs. Diablo "Ok, sweetie."

Squee "Peep, is that you?"

Pepito "YES. What is it?"

Squee "Sorry, could barely hear you. Um, quick question-- Do you still help your dad with his office paper work and stuff?"

Pepito "Every. Damn. Weekend."

Squee "Do you think you could look up someone's file, you know, when your back in the states and you get a free minute?"

[Last page:

Had fun with this last batch of panels even though it's clear in the pencil work how frustrated I was with myself drawing this.

More and more dialogue, but I got to change up the characters and setting a bit while moving the plot along a little. I love little glimpses into Pepito's personal life. It allows me to sprinkle in head canons and fun personal jokes.

First appearance of Woodley Sr; Don't let his floor fool you, Woodley Sr is a very protective hellhound.

[minas-linkverse]

Gentle Linkverse scenarios cause its been a rough day

Twilight and Colin sometimes find clay in the waters around Ordon Village. They make little trinkets and attempts at useful things like trinket holders. The other kids like to join sometimes, but their parents dont always let them due to how messy they get.

One of Colin's favourite things was the little goat family he and Link made and ended up coming up with a whole storyline for.

They're all displayed with pride, and Link said he'll bring paint from castle town soon. They shall be a beautiful and colourful family. 💛

_

The coat Wind has wrapped around his waist is Linebeck's old coat. It's seen far better days and it doesnt actually do much as a coat. Linebeck doesn't really get why Link insisted on taking it instead of letting him throw it out.

He's give the excuse that he wants to practise sewing, and shown off the various patches he's added as proof. Linebeck isn't so sure that's true however.

Trying to figure it out, he fumbled about asking about it in various round about ways. Comedically fell on his butt a few times and got hit by a sign. Yet no answers from Link...

Finally, while nursing the wound on his nose, Tetra walked in and said she'll tell him why Link wanted the coat, in exchange for him to take outhouse duty that week. At first he refused, saying he doesn't care about this THAT much... But as Tetra turned to leave he accepted the deal.

Linebeck struggled to believe what Tetra said as the truth, but couldn't deny it either. She said Link would miss the coat because it reminded him of Linebeck...

Silly kid, he was right here! Who needs an old rag of a coat for that.

He is now secretly working on getting a new excellent quality coat, not for himself but for Link. Why? Er, he just doesnt want to see the kid run around with that thing anymore... Yeah, that's all. Mhm. Tetra why are you smirking. Stop.

_

Groose, inspired by Pippit's delicious pastries, picked up a book on candy making from skyloft. He's made a few batches of some fairly okay-ish treats, which he showed off to Zelda and Link. He is a bit too nervous to show the others yet... Er, well not nervous! He just... He just wants to make the best batch possible!

He asked for input on what flavours he should try next, and Zelda suggested various fruits they'd found on the surface. Link meanwhile took a moment to ponder things, before offering with that usual smile of his: "Fish?"

After baffled questioning he did admit he knew it wasn't an usual flavour for sweets, but he'd always been curious of the idea...

Groose decided then and there— against Zelda's wishes— That he would commit his candy training on figuring out the perfect fish candy! Don't worry Link, I wont let you down!

Link told him it's really not that important, but Groose had already set his mind to it.

So far? No luck. It tastes awful. Zelda suggested he make them a normal flavour but in the shape of a fish. Groose is now attenpting to make fish flavoured candy in the shape of a fish.

The next few tries did not look like fish. What they looked liked shall not be spoken of, in fact.

He continues to practise, though! And although this goal seems to be doomed to fail, all the trial and error has really made his normal candy making skills improve and FAST. Perhaps when he realises how good he's gotten, he'll finally feel satisfied.

[ravendruid]

Be In My Eyes - Chapter 30

You can read the previous chapters here or on AO3. Here we are, folks. One year later, Part I of BIME comes to an end. I will return with Part II soon because these chucklefucks still have much to suffer. Content warning: Panic attack. Summary: Finals week is hell, but at least it brings Keyleth and Vax closer... but for how long?

Vax was glad that finals were almost over. The week had been horribly stressful between handing out final essays, studying for exams, and giving final presentations. Vax barely had any time left to do fun activities with his sister and friends, not just during the week, but the entire month. All his professors became even stricter than usual, often forgetting their class wasn’t the only subject the students had, passing mountains of homework and scheduling essays and other projects they had to deliver and present within a tight deadline. The only good thing about that was that the final evaluation for those subjects was divided between the final exam and the projects, so even if Vax had a bad grade on a final essay, he could still make up during the exam. On Conthsen night, Vax was anxiously counting the hours left until Keyleth’s last exam the next day, not just because he missed spending time with her—fun time, not study time—but because that was the sign that exams week would be officially over in apartment 7B and that was all Scanlan would need to open the case of beer they had saved in the fridge and turn on the music.

Vax remembered Keyleth was still in class and that she would probably get home exhausted and go straight to studying without eating, so he closed his book and flicked the light off. He would make her dinner and keep her company while she ate, and then they could study together if she wanted, even though Vax wanted nothing more than to have Keyleth curled against his side on the couch while they watched a movie and he played with her hair. Vax loved taking care of Keyleth, especially by doing small gestures like making sure she ate. It didn’t bother him to cook a different meal for her or to leave a serving from dinner in the fridge. He did it because he loved her and wanted to care for her. So Vax made a fresh batch of miso soup that Keyleth could eat anytime and prepared tofu, eggs and vegetables so that he only had to add noodles to the soup base when she got home. It would be warm and full of nutrients for her.

In hindsight, Vax should have noticed the first sign that something wasn’t right when Keyleth slammed the door and slid her back against it. But Vax was so distracted finishing Keyleth’s dinner that he thought she was just tired, and he certainly didn’t think anything else of her tight hug when she entered the kitchen. Keyleth was usually quiet on days she got home late from school, too socially exhausted to hold a full conversation, so Vax sat by her side at the table while she ate and let her fumble with his fingers on her lap.

The second sign came when Vax asked her if she wanted company to study and she said no. He still didn’t think anything of it because Keyleth sometimes asked him to study alone, which Vax understood. He could be quite distracting. So he kissed her forehead and headed back to his room, letting her know the door was unlocked if she needed anything.

Vax finally realized something was wrong when Percy and Vex returned. They were talking in hushed voices as they stepped into the room, and when Vax heard Keyleth’s name, he turned on his chair to look at his sister and his roommate.

“What’s wrong with Keyleth?” Vax asked. Vex’ahlia was still holding Trinket’s leash, even though the massive shaggy dog was nowhere to be seen.

“She’s acting weird. She barely acknowledged our presence.” Percy answered instead. “Do you know if something happened?”

“She was fine when she got home. Maybe she’s tired. Finals week has been hard on all of us.”

“Keep an eye on her, brother,” Vex said. She crossed the room to kiss the crown of his head, then gave Percy a peck on the lips and left.

Vax didn’t need to be told twice to keep an eye on Keyleth, especially when he looked at the clock and saw how late it was. He knew her classes started early the following morning and that if someone didn’t force Keyleth to close her books, she would stay up all night studying. Again, it didn’t bother him to go out of his way to make sure Keyleth got some rest. Everything he did was for her own good, even if it meant he would have to stay up until late.

Vax wasn’t surprised when he saw the mess on the kitchen table. Books were spread open, notes were scattered, a colorful rainbow of highlighters littered on top of papers, and an empty mug of coffee sat on the table. Everyone else had some level of stress before exams—even Grog and Scanlan—but no one beat Keyleth’s anxiety.

“Keeks?” Keyleth wasn’t at the table anymore.

In hindsight, things should have gone differently. Vax should have seen the signs, but he didn’t, so he was naturally concerned when he saw Keyleth sitting on the floor, her back against the wall and arms wrapped around her knees with her head hiding between them, rocking back and forth with shallow, rapid breaths giving way to sobs, and then chokes.

“Keyleth?” Vax called again, kneeling in front of her. When Keyleth didn’t answer, Vax softly placed his hands on her head and lifted it, seeing tears falling down her cheeks and the panic in her eyes. “Kiki, what’s wrong?” He asked. Keyleth didn’t react to him, as if she hadn’t noticed Vax in front of her. Instead, she tried to put her head back between her knees, but Vax held her steady. He knew what was going on: Keyleth was having a panic attack. He had helped Vex’ahlia through them after Saundor and Syldor, and he had forced himself out of a few himself, so he knew what to do.

“Deep breaths,” Vax cooed. Keyleth was still panting and choking, so Vax cradled her cheeks and asked her again, more firmly this time, to take deep breaths. The touch of skin-to-skin seemed to be enough to bring Keyleth out of it at least a bit, just enough for her to start mumbling incomprehensible words.

“What’s wrong, Kiki? I can’t understand,” Vax tried again. Keyleth was still rocking back and forth, still breathing hard, her arms still tight around her knees. She mumbled something again, and, this time, Vax made up the words “can’t” and “it.”

“You’re safe, Keyleth. Take a deep breath in through your nose,” Vax said, demonstrating. Keyleth stared at him, finally stopping her rocking. “And then out,” he exhaled.

“I–can’t,” Keyleth mumbled. She brought her hands to her chest and throat, leaving her legs free.

“You can’t breathe?” Vax asked, concerned. Keyleth had enough strength to nod, so he extended her legs in front of her and straddled them.

“Yes, you can. Breathe with me,” Vax whispered, placing her hands on top of his heart inside his shirt. Keyleth’s hands were burning, but her fingertips were freezing. “In–” Vax took a deep breath in, which Keyleth finally copied. “–and out…” They both exhaled. “Let’s go again.” Vax kept whispering and rubbing his thumbs across Keyleth’s cheeks. One of his hands slid to the loose hair behind her ears, where he started rubbing reassuringly, always making sure to breathe slowly and guide her.

“You’re doing great,” Vax whispered when Keyleth let out a soft sob. It was an improvement from the raspy chokes that made Vax fear for her life. The hand left on her cheek lowered to her neck, where he found her pulse point and remained guiding her breathing. After a while, Keyleth’s sobs lessened enough that Vax felt comfortable to try something different.

“Can you speak?” Vax asked. Keyleth mumbled a ‘yes’ with a ragged voice. “That’s good. Can you tell me five things that you see?”

“You, the floor, chairs, the table, and the trash can,” Keyleth enumerated. Vax nodded with each word, keeping his breath steady to guide her.

“Very good, Kiki. Keep breathing with me, okay? Now, tell me four things you can touch.”

Keyleth moved her frozen fingertips on Vax’s chest. “You, the floor, the wall…” Keyleth paused. She grabbed Vax’s hand on her hair and brought it to her chest, setting it right atop her heart, and said, “And your hand.” She finished with a long exhale.

“You’re doing great, Kiki,” Vax whispered lovingly. He leaned in, pressed a kiss to her forehead and then rested his brows against hers. “How about three things you can hear?”

“Your heart,” Keyleth said without hesitation. Vax smiled at that. She must have been truly focused on his heartbeat, which was good. “Your breathing and the fridge.” Keyleth’s breaths were slower now, almost back to normal, but Vax knew he had to finish the exercise before he could let her go.

“Good job. Can you tell me two things you can smell?”

“You…”

“And?”

“Just you. All of you,” Keyleth replied bashfully. Vax chuckled but accepted the answer since he was so close to her.

“Last one. What can you taste?” Vax asked, but before Keyleth could answer, he kissed her deeply, and against his expectations, Keyleth’s tongue found his. She hummed and pulled away, leaning her forehead against Vax’s again. Her body relaxed, shoulders sagging with relief, but her hand still remained on Vax’s chest, now fully warm.

“Home,” Keyleth answered. With her breathing and heartbeat back to normal, Vax allowed himself to relax and remove the hand on her neck (although he kept the hand on her chest). “Thank you.”

“Come here,” Vax pulled in closer and wrapped both arms around her, bringing her head to his shoulder. Keyleth leaned into his embrace and sighed deeply. “What happened?”

“I can’t do it. I’m so exhausted,” Keyleth admitted.

“You only have one exam left tomorrow, right?” Keyleth nodded in response. “You need to sleep. You’ve been studying non-stop for a month, Kiki. You’re more than ready. And if you’re not, it’s not the end. You can make up for it in a few weeks.”

“I can’t. I have to go home,” Vax’s heart leaped in his chest. It’s not that he forgot that all his roommates were leaving, but it hadn’t dawned on him that Keyleth would also be going home for an entire month. “I don’t think I can pass the exam tomorrow.”

“You will,” Vax whispered against her hair. The knot on his throat was so tight he couldn’t breathe from what Vax knew was a sign of anxiety for being alone, of not having Keyleth close to him. “I believe in you, Kiki. You’re going to ace it. But you need sleep, and I won’t take a no for an answer, so you’re coming with me.” Vax pulled away and raised to his feet. He helped Keyleth up and started leading her out of the kitchen, but she stopped. “Don’t look at the table, just follow me.” He said. He waited for a sign of acknowledgment, which came in the form of a silent nod, and led her by the hand toward his bedroom door.

“I—Percy,” Keyleth tried to stop him, but Vax shook his head as he opened the door.

“It’s okay,” Vax mouthed, bringing her inside with him. Keyleth looked at him confused and at Percy’s empty bed. “He’s in the shower,” Vax explained, seeing her look. He closed the bedroom door behind him and opened his wardrobe to grab a wrinkled T-shirt.

“Put this on,” Vax handed Keyleth the shirt. She nodded and started stripping out of her clothes, which made Vax take a step back. He stammered an apology and turned, not before he saw the soft white fabric of her bra.

“It’s okay,” Keyleth said, half amused, half tired. Vax heard the rustling of clothes and then her soft, “You can turn now,” and when he looked, she had also removed her pants and was standing in just his t-shirt that fell just at the top of her hips. Vax’s face heated, but he tried to play it cool and gestured at his bed. Keyleth didn’t wait to be told twice. She pulled back his blankets and laid with her back to the wall.

“Good girl,” Vax smirked. Keyleth blushed slightly at that. “I’ll be right back.”

Vax returned a few minutes later, after finding Percy and letting him and Vex know what happened with Keyleth. She was still awake, lying on her side with her knees pulled high to her stomach, but she didn’t speak, nor did she move when Vax started undressing with no reservations.

“It’s not like you haven’t seen me shirtless before,” Vax said, dropping his shirt in the hamper. He unbuttoned and unzipped his pants but looked at Keyleth before he took them off. “Don’t get any funny ideas,” He dropped his pants to his ankles and took them off, then added, “You need to sleep.”

“Can you stay like that?” Keyleth asked bashfully. Vax cocked his head inquisitively, and she explained, “Skin-to-skin contact helps me calm. Can we do that?”

“If you’re comfortable with that,” Vax replied, lying next to Keyleth, wearing only his boxers. Keyleth covered him and then sat up on the bed. Vax tried to keep his gaze away while she undressed, but he could still see her from the corner of his eyes.

“Will you hold me?” Keyleth asked in a whisper once she was lying back on the bed. Vax swallowed hard and nodded, opening his arms. “Come here.” Keyleth laid her head on his shoulder and nuzzled her nose against him. The rest of her body was pressed against Vax’s, their legs entangled. Vax kissed the tip of her head as he wrapped an arm around her waist, doing his best to avoid thinking about the fact that they were touching from head to toe.

“Does this help?” He asked. Keyleth nodded. “Okay. Get some sleep. I’m right here.”

Keyleth was fast asleep within three heartbeats, but Vax remained awake for a while longer, watching the soft movement of her shoulders rise and fall against his chest, taking in her warmth and the softness of her skin against his body. His heart was both happy and sad. Sad because Keyleth was suffering so much from finals, but happy that she trusted him enough to let him in. In her panic-filled mind, Keyleth saw him and held onto him like a lifeline. She trusted Vax to bring her back because she knew he wouldn’t rest until she was safe.

—

Keyleth woke up confused, not knowing if what she remembered from the previous night had been a dream or real. The first thing that allowed her to discern reality was the headache that always appeared after a panic attack; the second thing was the fact that she had an arm wrapped around her waist with a hand splayed on her stomach and a warm breath on her nape. The final proof Keyleth needed was the fact that she was half-naked in someone’s bed—a man, from the pressure she felt on her behind. A small moment of panic made her turn around in bed, but then she sighed in relief when she saw raven-colored hair half-covering the tanned face of Vax’ildan, who, she realized, was also half-naked. The panic eased when Keyleth remembered everything that had happened. Even though she still had some gaps in her memory, at least she knew she had asked Vax to stay like that and remembered taking off the t-shirt he had given her. 

It didn’t matter that her underwear didn’t match (or that Vax saw her bare like that). Vax had seen her at her worst last night and hadn’t been scared like everyone else. Keyleth still remembered the times her panic attacks drove people away. She still heard what people called her and told her that day when she had to get dragged to the hospital by the school’s director. From that moment on, Keyleth refused to let anyone else see that vulnerable side of her, including her father (especially her father). Korrin had more things to worry about than her stupid crisis.

But Vax found her curled on the floor and helped her. The way he guided her through the panic attack with breathing and exercises made her want to cry from gratitude. No one had ever bothered to learn those to help her before, and if they knew those exercises, no one spared a second glance her way when she started choking on her breathing. The fact that Vax did that for her and forced her to rest when he knew she would drive herself to an early grave because of exams meant more than Keyleth could describe. 

Everything was easier with Vax. Coming home after late classes and finding dinner ready; having company for late-night study sessions, but at the same time someone who would remind her—and force her—to take breaks and take care of her needs; having someone to relax with, to laugh and talk and cry over her problems. Someone who would hug her and take her in no matter what or how bad her moods were. Vax was patient with her, always willing to listen, to wait, to care for her. He never once asked for more than Keyleth was willing to give and never took without asking first. Every kiss they shared was either initiated by her or after Keyleth gave her consent; every hug was respectful, and even the previous night, when Keyleth undressed without saying anything, Vax had looked away out of respect. Keyleth was the luckiest woman in the world for having Vax as her friend, and she would be even luckier if she had him as her boyfriend.

Keyleth turned in bed, facing Vax, who was still sound asleep. Even with the curtains closed, she could tell dawn would break soon, which meant she didn’t have much time left in the comfortable warmth of Vax’s bed. Vax’s bed. The idea of sharing a bed with Vax didn’t scare her, nor did the sight of his body pressed hard against hers underneath the blankets. Truth be told, thinking of Vax as more than a friend made Keyleth feel butterflies in her stomach, but more than that, Keyleth felt like she needed that, the easiness of not having to remind herself that she couldn’t kiss Vax willy-nilly, that she needed a reason to hold his hand (which wasn’t actually true). Keyleth wanted all of him, especially after knowing he wasn’t scared of her panic attacks, and this time, she was sure Vax felt the same way.

Even though Keyleth had only shared a bed (and a couch) with Vax a handful of times, she loved waking up before him and seeing him sleep. Vax had told her he often had nightmares, but every time they slept together, Vax was always relaxed. Keyleth never thought much of it, but considering that sleeping at Vax’s side eased her own nightmares, maybe her being there also did the same for him. Yet another sign that dating Vax could be a good thing.

“You’re thinking too loud,” Vax grumbled as a way of greeting. Keyleth turned her head to see a smile that made her melt in place. Vax’s eyes were still half-closed and crusted with sleep, his voice was hoarse, and his hair completely disheveled on his pillow (someone forgot to braid his hair the previous night). 

“Good morning,” Keyleth greeted, turning to kiss the tip of his nose. Vax opened his eyes, giving her a look and a smile that made her toes curl. He slid his hand up to the middle of her back, underneath the band of her bra, and pulled her closer to him, kissing the tip of her nose, then one cheek, the other, and, when he was about to pull away, Keyleth brought his face in to kiss him slowly on the lips.

“Not that I’m complaining, but what was that for?” Vax asked, rubbing his nose against hers. Keyleth shrugged, “I just felt like it.”

“Did you sleep well?” Vax asked her, scratching his nails up and down her spine. Keyleth squirmed with the feeling, getting closer to him, and nodded. “Me too,” He said. 

“I don’t want to get up, but I have to study before the exam today.”

“No studying, Kiki. You’ve done all you could. Studying today will not help any more than the rest of the month.”

“I need to review every—”

“No,” Vax stopped Keyleth by turning her on her back and straddling her hips. “Absolutely not. I’m going to make sure you do nothing but relax until your exam later, even if I have to stay up here all day.”

Keyleth’s entire body flushed red. She could feel him pressing against her like this, even more when he supported his weight on his hands at each side of her head and bent over to bring his face close to hers. They were painfully close and in a very suggestive position.

“What’s it going to be, Kiki? Are you going to do as I say, or do I have to make sure you—” Vax leaned further down, supporting himself on his elbows now. “—don’t go anywhere?”

“I–I don’t know,” Keyleth mumbled softly. Two could play the game. “I really need to study.” Just as she intended, Vax fully lowered himself on top of her, completely locking her in place. Keyleth couldn’t even move her hands as they were pinned to her sides by his arms.

“Keyleth…” Keyleth’s body turned gooseflesh with Vax’s sultry voice and look. Her cheeks were burning and her chest was as red as a tomato.

“C–can I at least go to classes?”

Vax glared at her for a moment, then sat up straight and said, “Only if you promise you will not study anymore.”

As much as it hurt her, Keyleth knew Vax was right. A few more hours of studying wouldn’t make a difference, so she might as well try to relax. “I promise.”

Vax nodded, seemingly satisfied with it, and started to get up, but, as he did, he turned his head over his shoulder to look at Keyleth and said, “If you’re a good girl and keep your promise, I’ll reward you after dinner.”

Maybe it was because they slept so close and bare, or maybe it was the wink that Vax gave her, but Keyleth felt her entire body burn like it was about to combust into fire, and before Vax gave her a second glance, she was hiding underneath the covers, trying to keep herself from squealing.

Vax was very keen on making sure Keyleth kept her promise, either by walking her to class or meeting her at lunchtime. Keyleth knew he didn’t do it because he didn’t trust her but because Vax wanted to make sure she wasn’t overexerting herself (and also because he wanted to spend time with her). They sat at an isolated table in the cafeteria, watching the snow falling outside as they ate in silence. Keyleth almost grabbed her books out of her backpack by instinct once she was done eating her sandwich, but she stopped herself and grabbed her laptop instead.

“When are you going home?” Vax asked, looking at Keyleth above the screen of her computer.

“My flight leaves tomorrow afternoon,” Keyleth still had to pack when she got home. She somehow had to find time to do it during the party Scanlan wanted to throw before they broke for the holidays.

“I’ll take you to the airport,” Vax said nonchalantly.

Keyleth stopped typing to stare in shock at Vax. “You don’t have to. I can take a taxi.”

“I want to spend as much time as I can with you before I have to lose you for an entire month.”

Valid argument. Keyleth blushed. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

“It’s still going to be torture,” Vax sighed. He leaned back on his chair, staring her in the eyes. Keyleth kept her gaze locked on his. Ever since their date to the botanical garden, Vax had been more open about his feelings, not thinking twice or measuring his words of affection towards her. The only thing he avoided saying was the three words Keyleth was starved to hear, but, to his defense, she had been pretty clear about not being ready, and Vax was nothing if not respectful.

“I’ll call you every day. You’re going to be so tired of me, you’ll end up blocking my number,” Keyleth joked. She looked at the clock and groaned. She finished typing the edits and delivered her last essay due later. 

“I’m never going to be tired of you, Kiki,” Vax said, getting up and standing behind her chair. Keyleth put her laptop back in her backpack and got to her feet, being immediately swept by an arm around her waist and a kiss on her cheek. “The day I grow tired of you is the day I die.”

Keyleth melted into his chest. Her heart was racing with an aching need to say what was on her mind, of what she almost blurted, but it wasn’t the right time, and it certainly wasn’t the right place. “I have something to tell you later,” She mustered. Vax looked at her in concern and tensed. Keyleth knew he was running every bad scenario in his mind because she certainly would be if he had told her that. “It’s nothing bad, relax,” She reassured him. Vax’s shoulders slumped and he finally let go of her waist.

“You’re going to be the death of me, Kiki.” Vax pulled away. They started heading out, not before Keyleth joked, “For my sake, I sure hope not.”

—

The party was blasting in the living room, but Keyleth took a moment of distraction from her friends to sneak back into her bedroom. Her suitcase was open on her bed, clothes strewn on every empty spot on the blanket. Most of her late autumn and early winter clothes were already packed and ready, but Keyleth still had a few things to sort through. Winter in Emon was harsher than she expected, and some of her clothes weren’t warm enough for the winter, but she had to decide if they would be good enough for Spring. She had been rummaging through her clean laundry basket for clothes to pack when she found something that didn’t belong and knew it wasn’t hers from the color alone: Vax’s black hoodie, the one with the silver wings on the back and the three daggers on the sleeve. Keyleth would recognize the sweatshirt anywhere just by the smell of the twins�� laundry detergent.

Even though black was not her color—or any color at all, in Keyleth’s opinion—and that common sense dictated that she shouldn’t steal her roommate’s clothes, the urge to put on Vax’s hoodie was stronger than any argument Keyleth could come up with, so, instead of setting the hoodie aside to give it back to its rightful owner, Keyleth pulled it over her head. 

The sweatshirt was soft and comfortable, and the familiar smell made Keyleth feel like she was burrowing into Vax’s embrace, which brought back memories from the nights they shared together. Blush crept up her cheek when Keyleth imagined it was Vax’s arms that were holding her and not her own, and that it was his chest she was nuzzling, and not the neckline of the hoodie. Keyleth felt so cozy and safe that she knew she could easily fall asleep wearing the sweatshirt, no matter where she was.

Keyleth was so entranced in the feeling that she didn’t hear the door to her bedroom open and close and the sound of footsteps approaching.

“Kiki?” Vax called her. Keyleth jumped in place, realizing she hadn’t heard Vax walk in. The music and voices in the living room were still loud enough to let her know everyone else was still partying.

“Vax!”

“Are you wearing my hoodie?” Vax asked with a smirk. Keyleth’s eyes widened and she took a step back, nervously playing with the strings of the hoodie.

“I–Maybe?”

“It looks good on you,” Vax cocked his head. 

“I’m sorry. It was in my laundry and I–” Keyleth looked down, trying to hide her embarrassment. “It smelled like you and it’s so cozy.”

Vax closed the distance between them, asking, “Do you want it?”

Yes. Keyleth wanted to say. When she looked up at him, she saw the same look in his eyes he always had when he wanted nothing more but to kiss her. “No,” Keyleth replied instead. She knew Vax didn’t have many clothes and she felt bad for taking his only—and favorite—hoodie. She could not take something so important from him when he had already given her so much of himself.

“Are you sure? I can buy another one.” Vax insisted, grabbing at the fabric of the pocket on her stomach. 

No, you can’t. Keyleth thought. The twins’ finances were getting worse and worse by the day. Vax had told her that he and Vex would have to work the entire winter break to save up some money for the next semester. Vax could not afford another hoodie, and to be honest, Keyleth wasn’t sure if he could find one. The one she was wearing already looked like one of its kind. “I’m sure,” She said, smiling lovingly at him. 

“You can borrow it then. Just make sure you bring it back when you return,” Vax offered. He tucked a piece of stray hair behind her ear and leaned in to kiss her cheek. “I promise it’s okay if you change your mind.”

“I won’t,” Keyleth answered quickly. Vax merely smirked and winked at her knowingly. 

“You said you had something to tell me?”

Keyleth bit her lip. She had wanted to tell him her feelings, but now that time had finally come, she was shaking with fear that it would be too late. “I–I’ve been thinking,” Keyleth said shakily. “About what you told me that day… that you l–”

Vax smiled at her hesitation and finished her thought, “That I love you, yes.”

“Yeah,” Keyleth’s face felt too warm, her chest was too tight and she felt like she couldn’t breathe. 

“Keyleth, breathe,” Vax reminded her. Keyleth’s eyes were wide open in his direction. He brought her hand to his chest, under his shirt like he had done the previous night, and started taking long, slow breaths for her to follow. Keyleth did, and when her heart rate decreased enough that she could breathe normally again, Vax reassured her, “No matter what you have to tell me, I’m not going anywhere Kiki. I’m right here. I promise I’m not leaving.”

“I know,” Keyleth replied, still shakily. Some tears appeared in the corners of her eyes, but Vax wiped them with his thumbs. “I love you, Vax. I have never felt so safe with anyone before. I’ve never felt so sure of my feelings. I love you more than I ever thought I could love anyone. Last night, you showed me you weren’t scared of me and my existential crisis like everyone else is. You didn’t run away like everyone… you stayed and helped me. I don’t want to go through all that alone ever again.”

“You won’t have to, Kiki. I’ll always be with you,” Vax said, hugging her tightly. “I love you so much, Keyleth. I just want to make you happy, even if that means we’ll remain as friends.”

Keyleth pulled away to look Vax in the eyes and said, “I don’t want to be just your friend anymore.” This time, it was Keyleth’s turn to wipe the tears forming in the corner of Vax’s eyes. “Unless you changed your mind about—”

“Shut up,” He interrupted her with a kiss. Keyleth chuckled against his lips, then returned the kiss. 

“Can we keep it between us until I tell my dad?” Keyleth asked when she pulled away.

“I can try, but I’m pretty sure my sister will smell it a mile away.” Keyleth snorted and turned back to her suitcase, resuming her packing. Vax waited, hemming and hawing at something and biting his lip until he finally blurted out, “Do you want to sleep with me tonight? Just sleep, I promise.”

Percy had left for the airport soon after Keyleth got home, having waited only long enough to say goodbye to her. She had cried a bit on his shoulder for already missing her best friend, but she understood his need to go home to his younger sister as soon as he could, but not before Percy promised Keyleth to bring her something from Whitestone. Sleeping with Vax would not be a problem without Percy to worry about, and, to be honest, Keyleth knew if she slept on her bed, she would probably stay awake all night, tossing and turning with anxiety. Really there were more pros about the invitation than cons. 

“Just sleep?” Keyleth asked. Vax nodded, biting his lip nervously. “I think that’s a good idea. I sleep better when I’m with you and I need to rest for the flight tomorrow.”

“Yes, of course. That’s the only reason why I asked…” Vax teased, wrapping his arms around her waist from the back. 

“Mhm. You’re so concerned about me, aren’t you?” Keyleth teased back, looking over her shoulder. Vax smirked at her, gave her a soft peck on the lips, and said, “Of course. It has nothing to do with the fact that I just want to sleep with my girlfriend.”

Keyleth turned around in Vax’s arms and wrapped hers around his neck. Her smile was so big her cheeks hurt. “Call me that again, please.”

“Girlfriend,” Vax whispered against her lips and kissed her. Keyleth hummed, still smiling as they kissed, and when they broke apart, she pushed Vax away with a chuckle and said, “Alright. You need to leave because I have to finish packing.”

“But–” Vax pouted, trying to grab her again.

“No buts,” Keyleth put her hand on Vax’s shoulders, turned him away and guided him to her bedroom door. “You are a very yummy distraction, but the faster I pack, the faster I’ll go back to the party.” Vax stood outside Keyleth’s bedroom door, staring agape at her. Keyleth blew him a kiss before she closed the door and returned to her packing with the biggest smile and feeling of lightness she had ever felt in her life.

Vax was her boyfriend.

—

Vax was an idiot. A fool in love. And against all odds, the one he loved loved him back. For most of his life, Vax had heard all about how useless he was, how he would never amount to anything, how no one would ever love him, so much so that he believed it with his own heart. Vax never thought he would be in this situation when he started having feelings for Keyleth, he never thought he was deserving of anyone’s love, much less hers, but here he was, lying in bed with a halo of wildfire hair spread on his pillow, Keyleth’s cheek pressing warmly against his chest, and her long and nimble fingers spread out on his bare stomach. Vax was a selfish man because even though he had to wake Keyleth up soon, he wanted to steal these last moments of quiet and safety with her. The early hours of the rest of the morning would be reserved for silent breakfasts and last-minute packing and double-checking of luggage, then they would both catch a taxi to the airport, where Vax would finally let Keyleth go. 

No. Vax would steal these last precious moments with his girlfriend. But because all good things must come to an end, the alarm clock destroyed those final moments. Keyleth sat up on the bed, still half-asleep, but already half-anxious. The blankets pooled on her lap revealed the soft blue workout bra she had picked for the night and the flight (Vax hadn’t complained when Keyleth started taking her clothes off and dove under his blankets, and he certainly didn’t complain when he followed her in just his underwear. She was right, after all. Skin-to-skin contact was more relaxing than just cuddling), and when Keyleth pulled them away, Vax mustered all his self-control to not follow the lines of her back down to where her hips raised from the bed as Keyleth crawled over his legs.

“Shit, shit, shit,” Keyleth swore as she started putting on the clothes she left prepared on Percy’s bed. Vax remained in bed, lying on his side, watching her flutter around the room with a smile. “I still have to pack all my toiletries and brush my hair. I forgot to put it in a braid last night–” Vax didn’t say anything. Keyleth was mostly talking to herself rather than with him, and he let her be. It helped her to go through her to-do list out loud.

“Ugh. My hair is a mess,” Keyleth cried, combing her fingers through her locks, getting them tangled in the knots. She turned to Vax, who was still smiling fondly, and cocked her head to one side. “What are you smiling about?”

“You,” Vax said, sitting up. He stretched his arms high above his head and saw the way Keyleth’s eyes dropped from his face to his torso. “You’re adorable. You still have plenty of time. Grab your hairbrush and come here.” Vax said, leaning back against his headboard and patting the blanket between his legs. Keyleth rolled her eyes but did as he said, so Vax started combing and braiding her hair for her. When he finished tying the braid with an elastic, he pulled it softly and kissed Keyleth’s neck. 

“Stop it,” she scolded him playfully but turned away to face him and kiss him passionately. “Thank you.”

“Anytime, my love.” 

“I’m going to finish packing now,” Keyleth said, giving him a sad look before she got up and headed out of the bedroom. Vax stretched again (it didn’t feel as satisfying without Keyleth ogling him) and started getting dressed. He knew Keyleth wouldn’t make herself anything to eat before her flight, so he headed into the kitchen where he brewed a pot of coffee (which surely all his other roommates would be happy for since most of them were leaving, too), and prepared Keyleth and himself a quick breakfast. By the time Keyleth arrived in the kitchen with her fully packed suitcase and backpack, Vax was leaning against the counter, stirring a bowl of apple, cinnamon oatmeal with honey and walnuts.

“I made you breakfast,” He announced. Keyleth grimaced, but Vax said he wouldn’t take a no for an answer before she opened her mouth to reject the meal. They ate in silence, sitting next to each other at the table. Vax’s free hand rested on Keyleth’s knee the entire time, rubbing circles with his thumb with the intent to help her relax. Keyleth was wearing his hoodie (which Vax was trying to ignore because it made him want to hold her hostage and not let her go back home), but it was missing something. 

“Kiki, can you take that off?” He asked her. Keyleth gave him a look as if to say there’s no way I’m taking this sweater off ever in my life, but Vax insisted, wiggling his fingers, “Please? I’ll bring it right back.” She finally complied, so Vax ran to his bedroom, where he sprayed it with his cologne, and ran back to the kitchen, handing it back to Keyleth.

“Here, I think you’ll like it better,” He said as Keyleth put the sweatshirt back on. He was right because Keyleth buried deeper into it with a pleased smile. 

“Thank you,” Keyleth said, getting up. She fumbled slightly with the strings, hesitating for a moment, then finally found the courage to pull Vax by the opening of his jacket and kiss him. “This will make it slightly more bearable.”

“I figured it would,” Vax said, brushing her cheek. “We have to go. Are you ready?” Keyleth nodded. Vax placed the dirty dishes in the sink to wash later and helped Keyleth with her suitcase and backpack. 

Unfortunately, there wasn’t much traffic on the way to the airport, so the ride was short. Vax kept Keyleth’s hand in his the entire ride, only letting go of it when they arrived so she could pay for the taxi and when she checked into her flight. They still had a few minutes before she had to go through security, which Vax decided to spend glued to his girlfriend. 

“I’ll call you every day,” Keyleth promised. Vax nodded. He tried to keep his sadness down, but it was hard. This was the first time he and Keyleth would be apart for so long, and it was especially hard because they hadn’t had the chance to be boyfriend and girlfriend for long. 

“I’ll call you if you don’t call me. And I’m going to text you all the time so you don’t forget me.” Vax teased her.

“Oh, please. You’re unforgettable,” Keyleth teased back and kissed him, but then her smile faded. “Unless you’re the one who’s going to forget me…”

“Do you really think so?” Keyleth shook her head, but she still bit her lip nervously. “Of course not. I’m going to be here when you come back. In fact, I might stay and sleep at the airport to make sure I’m here on time for when you return.” 

Keyleth laughed. They both knew there was some truth behind the joke. Vax really would do something like that. “I’ll be back before you know it,” She said, hugging him tightly. Vax squeezed her as hard as his heart was breaking. His eyes were warming with tears, his throat was closing, he couldn’t swallow anymore, and his vision started darkening. Vax wasn’t ready to let go of Keyleth yet, not when he had just finally gotten her. The week they were apart as friends had already been horrible for both, and Vax knew this time would only be worse. 

“I already miss you,” He confessed. “You’ve been my girlfriend for twelve hours and I already have to say goodbye to you… it’s not fair.”

“I’m sorry,” Keyleth swallowed hard. Vax saw she was suffering just as much as he was. “I’ve had this trip booked since the beginning of the semester, otherwise I would stay with you.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I’m just grumpy.”

“I’m sorry it took me so long to get my head out of my ass,” Keyleth’s eyes were starting to fill with tears, but Vax wiped them before they could fall. 

“I would have waited all my life. I will wait all my life for you, Keyleth, and if I die without you by my side, then I will wait in the afterlife for as long as it takes until we’re finally together.”

“Vax–”

“I love you, my sunshine.”

“I love you too, my grumpy raven,” Keyleth whispered against Vax’s lips before she kissed him longingly. “I have to go now,” She said, adjusting the straps on her shoulder.”

“Text me when you land?”

“Of course. I’ll miss you.”

“I’m right here with you,” Vax pulled the drawstrings of her hoodie. “I’ll always be with you, love.” Keyleth nodded. Neither could stop their tears from falling anymore, no matter how much they wiped at their eyes. 

“I’ll always be with you, too, Vax. I’m yours, forever and ever, and always.”

“And I’m yours, Keyleth. Forever and ever, and always.”

In hindsight, Vax should have known it would be the last time he kissed his girlfriend for a while, and Keyleth should have taken the five extra minutes to savor the taste of Vax’s tongue on hers. In retrospect, things could have been so much different than they were, had either of them known what would be waiting on the other side. But something deep inside Vax, a dark pitch that he had been trying to escape for years and that he finally thought he had gotten rid of with the help of Keyleth, crept closer and closer until, eventually, it swallowed Vax’ildan whole.

That is the problem with last kisses. Opposite of first kisses, last kisses aren’t usually memorable because one doesn’t always know it happened until it’s too late, and when one is finally faced with the truth, one can’t stop wishing they had just five more minutes of it. 

Just five more minutes with her. Just five more minutes with him.

Wishing they had just five more minutes together.

[lookatmysillies]

Guardian lore for my babies!

Kele (Tallis’s guardian):

-She has a waspish body with large, grotesque eyes and a skinny, long frame

-Her voice is low and garbled; grating on the ears

-She adopted Tallis on an impulse, but then didn’t really know what to do with him. She gave him trinkets and instruments to play around with, but generally expected him to be independent and wasn’t around much. It’s not that she hates Tallis or anything, she just… didn’t realize it would be such a commitment, so she ducked out of it.

-Unlike many of the contestants’ guardians, she really wasn’t involved in show business before Tallis, but the draw of fame when others commented on Tallis’s talents hooked her to the idea. Tallis became an instrument of her own glory, and she got to be hands-off in the whole process.

-Overall not a well-liked figure amongst other aliens, making Tallis even more of an underdog than he already would be coming from such a mundane background and little to no official training before Anakt Garden

Sonii (Cas’s guardian):

-Large, shiny, and scaly, with a python-like head an a solid body.

-Intimidating but not generally volatile personality-wise

-She’s a breeder, one of the best there is. She is known for producing physically appealing and vocally talented humans. She receives a lot of profit from their successes and sales, as people will pay top dollar for her product.

-Always wearing a lot of jewelry

-She treats all of her humans well as long as they do the same for her by fulfilling their duties.

-Originally purchased Cas out of sympathy, seeing the beauty underneath his beaten figure. She sent him to Anakt Garden to receive his training, then used him as a stud for years due to his good looks and favorable qualities. Once she got a few good “litters” out of him, she let ALNST have him with some melancholy feelings, as she’d grown quite attached.

-Well-respected among alien society.

Iquia (Himei’s guardian):

-Imagine a roly poly bug, but all white with two extra antennae and a constant sort of slime sticking to its skin. That’s Iquia.

-As far as aliens go, her curiosity for humans leans more on the side of wanting to care for and admire them than experiment on them. One of the good ones, you could say.

-She’s made fun of in some circles for her compassion for humans, and respected in others.

-She adopted Himei and Hayate to care for them, cultivate their talents, and watch them grow. Once Himei was sent to Anakt Garden, Iquia missed her terribly, leading her to get another female pet human to take her place.

-Didn’t want to send Himei to Anakt Garden but was sort of pressured into it. Hayate was almost sent, but got to stay by the skin of his teeth.

-She coddles her “replacement” pet, Halo, and takes her with her everywhere like a purse dog.

-Well-meaning, but sometimes misses the mark

Nabos (Kyo’s guardian):

-Medium-sized body with a flower-shaped head.

-He has a sort of accent that’s different from many other aliens that all of his pet humans pick up on. That accent tends to be quite popular among fans. (Kyo has the accent and Cas ribs him for it.)

-He raises several pet humans at once, usually 5-7. Once they’re old enough to be sent to Anakt, he sends them if they’re talented enough—usually an average of 2 of them make the cut. If they don’t meet his standards, he sells them off and gets a new batch.

-In fact, he purchases many of his pet humans from Sonii! They’re good business partners.

-Of all the guardians listed, he has the most fame and fortune, but he always hungers for more.

-Despite sending so many contestants to ALNST, he has never won a competition. Strangely, his humans tend to make it either to the semis or the finals and lose at the very end. Other aliens in the show business call it Nabos’s Curse.

-He has no negative or positive feelings towards Kyo—he’s just one of many failures.

[mistfallengw2]

🖊🖊🖊 for Tocchix!

@mystery-salad

Want me to gush about my OCs? 🖊

*vibrates* okay so that's 3 right? 👀 I'm picking: little brat, drinks and TB!

1- Tocchix was a total brat as a kid. He couldn't stay still for long and he'd take full advantage of his fledgling shadow magic, climbing onto/getting into things he was not supposed to just to see if he could do it. It got particularly bad after his mother's sudden passing, with the added motivation of wanting to be part of the Order of Whispers one day pushing him beyond reasonable risks. After going too far one time and actually risking it big, his dad had a serious talk with him about it all, and Tocchix realized just how much he worried every time. Feeling terrible about it, he started behaving perfectly around him (later also Alyt and Myrn) and eventually stopped for the most part after moving to Lion's Arch, but in the meantime, everyone else was fair game if he was sure he wouldn't get caught, which was most of the time.

Case in point, he was never caught climbing onto one of the historical labs under Rata Sum to recover a trinket for his and Bunnie's secret project, but he still might be the reason a few of the older Metamystic's professors have stopped letting progeny roam around the area during school trips without intense supervision. He still claims full innocence about the Moa accident, though, he just found himself along for the ride.

-

2- He's an absolute lightweight and he knows it! Just a sip is enough to make him babble and giggle for no reason, and he's completely drunk after an ale or two, let alone something stronger, yet somehow he is usually spared from serious hangovers.

Many of his friends tried to take advantage of that quirk to make him take his mind off of things during his darkest years, but he quickly caught up to that and knew it did him little good overall (the temporary levity was not worth worse nightmares), so he very rarely indulged them. The one exception was Zrii and only in a few special occasions, as she never tried to get him to talk about his feelings and instead was just fun to be around, especially while drunk.

One can then understand why Adamas quietly freaked out for a bit when, around mid-IBS, Tocchix explicitly invited by him to go drink something together, to the point he was sure that something serious had happened. He was not entirely wrong, as Tocchix wanted to ask for advice about Huki, and he needed to be under the influence to talk about such things without crumbling about his past.

-

3- Tocchix is the proud "dad" of one of the first domesticated skyscales (first batch of hatchling after the first experiment with the Commander), TB!

What does that name stand for? No one is sure, actually. Tocchix never wanted to have a pet, let alone a freaking dragon, and while he agreed to help out with the baby skyscales due to circumstances (namely being roped into it while stuck in Sun's Refuge due to not wanting to be alone at the time), he was very adamant about it, so out of principle he never named the baby skyscale that had very clearly imprinted on him. Much to his annoyance, everyone else just called him "Tocchix's baby" and eventually shortened it to "TB", which then he used as the basis for a variety of nicknames (Tiny Bean, Teeny Bud/Buddy, Terror Bumps, Tremor Burps, Tender Bully, Tenacious Blanket, Trouble Boy, Temper Butt, etc), all with a funny story behind them, all in an effort not to call him "his baby".

Anyway, TB never left his side and Tocchix ended up growing attached to the little menace, so he kept him in the end (as everyone and their skyscales expected). Despite being a broad-horn bull and not exactly lithe, TB can be extremely sneaky and quiet, enough to accompany him on certain Order's missions, and he sort of acts like a therapy pet during downtime. He's also surprisingly good with kids and very gentle when he wants to, which does come in handy a lot nowadays.

[aria-bun]

Altair

In which Sarima makes a trade

Read on ao3!

Sarima unzipped the duffel bag, setting it on the coffee table as Dariel plopped down on the couch, uniglass in hand.

She started with the contents of her purse, pulling out a handful of creds, a small pendant, and a crystal-studded timeband.

He cocked an eyebrow. “You think it’s real?”

“Probably not. Looks real enough to fetch enough creds, though.” She discarded the purse. Dive bars weren’t the best place to pickpocket in terms of value, but it had the easiest people to swindle.

Mid-level night clubs, however…

She dug through her duffel back, pushing aside her clothes from earlier.

Jeweled necklaces, another purse that had been left unattended, rings, and she even managed to snag some sods uniglass. It was a better model than hers was, too…

She might just keep that one. Wipe it clean and transfer the data from her uniglass onto it.

Dariel whistled. “Damn.”

Sarima shrugged. “I’m good at my job.” She got up, grabbing her smaller bag from behind the couch, which still had leftover trinkets in it from the last run. “Still need to make a pawn shop run with this batch.” her gaze narrowed slightly. “Don’t let your cousin or his friends touch any of this stuff. Leaving it in the-”

“-bag will heighten the chance of damage. I know, I’m not an idiot.” He finished.

“That part’s debatable.”

“Rude.”

“But true.” she gave a half salute before pushing the door open. “And don’t touch my luka cakes!”

The door closed behind her before she could hear his retort.

Pawn shops were easy if there were enough around, and on the World Ship, they were never in short supply. The lower you went, the fewer questions asked.

And she’d need the anonymity for this one.

——————————————————————

“Ah, Windstep.” The Centurion grinned from behind the counter. “Got something new for me?”

The Centurion was an intimidating seven-foot Chellerian man with his fair share of battle scars. Sarima assumed he was ex-military of some sort— maybe even Aurora Legion like her— but she didn’t ask. You never ask.

“I think you’ll like this one.” She smirked, setting the bag on the counter and unzipping it before gingerly pulling out the ancient revolver.

It was in stellar condition for its age, surprisingly not rusted to shit and still gleaming silver. Some collector had it on display and clearly didn’t know its value, shown by the lack of any security.

“Maker, that’s a beauty.” he reached for it, but she pulled it back first.

“Pay first, touch after. How much?”

He tilted his head, crossing both sets of his arms. “Thousand creds.”

“Add five hundred and you have a deal.”

“Two-fifty.”

“Three hundred.”

“Deal.” He stuck out one of his hands, and she shook it before he ducked under the counter, pulling out a cred stick.

Sarima usually refrained from digital transfers, to prevent tracking, but she didn’t have the physical space to store over a thousand creds, so she’d make an exception this time.

She tapped her cred stick against his, initiating the transfer. A moment later, the words TRANSFER COMPLETE, RECEIVED: 1,300 CREDS.

She tucked the cred stick back into her bag and set the revolver on the counter in front of him. “Pleasure doing business with you, Centurion.”

“Isn’t it always?” The Centurion smirked, picking the gun up gingerly and inspecting it. “Have a good one, Windstep.”

“Not too good, I hope.” she picked up her bag from the counter and exited the pawn shop.

The dim light of the lower levels in the World Ship made her tattoo glow in competition with the dingy neon signs and whatever chem tech modifications bottom-dwellers got. Sarima never understood the appeal of the modifications. Whatever physical boost it gave them was immediately counteracted by the obviousness of the source and how to eliminate it.

Plus, they were ugly as shit on most, and what they wanted to come off as intimidating instead made it look like they were trying too hard.

She weaved her way through the crowds with the same ease as she did with the night club crowd. She was just swindling a different class of people.

A class of people who were a lot more willing to shoot her if she got caught.

Shoulder bump? A few credits from their pocket to hers.

Quick trip of the ankle? Knife slipped from their waistband into her bag.

And they were none the wiser.

Mainly because Sarima wasn’t a dumbass and picked the people who would notice the least.

The people who wanted to fit down here, but stuck out more than a gremp in a tuesday brawl.

She made it out the same way she got in.

Quiet, fast, and without a second glance.

——————————————————————

Sarima pushed the door to Dariel’s flat open. “I’m baaaaaaaack.”

“All in one piece I’m assuming?” he called from further inside.

“Obviously. The don’t call me Windstep for shits, Dariel.” She closed the door behind her with her foot, dropping her bag next to the door. Finally looking over, she noticed that Dariel’s cousin and his friends were all in the living room, all staring at a hologram of some Chellerian on Dariel’s .

“khenlu zur ba dainag alaikn?” she raised her eyebrow at him. Who’s the tall one with a stick up his ass?

“Zir lo Casseldon Bianchi?” he vaguely gestured at the tall Syldrathi. Him or Casseldon Bianchi?

His head was brushing against the ceiling. He was the only one that wasn’t sitting, instead standing next to the edge of the couch by one of the smaller girls. She had short black hair with a white streak running through the bangs.

“Di.” Sarima smirked. Both.

Dariel’s cousin snorted, poorly hiding it with a cough. A faint smirk played on the redhead’s lips, but everyone else shared the same look of confusion.

“What can you tell us about Bianchi?” The blond arched an eyebrow at Dariel, who shook his head.”

“Fairy stories aside, ain’t none of you doing a deal with him.” he started, switching back to Terran. “He practically runs this place. He lives inside a reconditioned luxury liner—one of those old-time cruise ships that Tesellon Inc. used to run through the Thiidan Nebula. Nobody gets into that joint without an invitation, and most people who get invited never come out again. He runs the security force on the whole World Ship. Keeps holding cells underneat his ‘estate,’ where people go to disappear. If your buisness is bringing you into Bianchi’s orbit, then I recommend you alter course.”

“So that’s why he looks so familiar.” Sarima hummed, leaning against the wall. Bianchi was the face plastered all over the World Ship; she just got accustomed to calling him ‘that blue jackass’.

“He’s that dangerous?” Redhead raised her eyebrows.

“He’s worse than the Lysergia plague and the Selmis pox put together.”

Blondie shared a look with Fauxhawk and Dariel’s cousin before swiveling Dariel’s chair to look at him.

“Okay, Big Time. Tell us everything you know.”

[aptericia]

Happy birthday!!🎉🥳

To celebrate I want to give you a little (ok, it may have gotten a little longer than I anticipated) one-shot of some Temenos and Throné friendship and fluff (and maybe some angst). I hope you like it and happy birthday again!! Plus I hope you’re having a wonderful birthday full of everything you love!💖

(as a foreword this takes place a few years after the game’s story and includes some vague spoilers for Temenos’s and Throné’s stories)

“Say Temenos,” Throné asks, approaching the inquisitor with a light smile tugging her lips.

Looking up from his delicate work of cutting, sewing, and coloring his next batch of puppets, Temenos smiles fondly at the sight of his old friend. “Throné! What an excellent surprise this is!”

Temenos quickly stows away the puppets and his supplies. “Why do I have the honor of seeing you today?”

Throné’s hand reaches up to idly rub at her freed neck. It’s somewhat reassuring to Temenos, knowing that habit of hers never went away. 

“I know it’s a bit odd, but I have a gift for you.”

“A gift? While I am quite flattered it hardly seems fair to you who has traveled so far to give me a gift with no occasion.”

Throné chuckles, pulling a small item out from her pocket. “I was nearby anyway and I've been holding on to this for too long now.” Suddenly she hesitates, pulling her hand away from Temenos. 

“Is something the matter?” Temenos watches her eyes soften, an almost guilty look clouding her eyes. Brightening his tone so Throné knows he is only joking he asks, “I’m not receiving a stolen good, am I?” 

Throné’s eyes dart to the floor. “Listen, I took this a long time ago. It’s just time for you to have it.”

“My dear Throné, you do realize I will not have you thrown into jail for some light thieving, yes?”

Laughing a little, Throné’s shoulders drop. “Just take it, alright?”

And with that Throné presses the mysterious item into Temenos’s palm, waiting patiently for Temenos to examine it. 

Whatever it is has been wrapped in thinning brown paper, small holes tearing through to reveal what it protected. Curiously peeling back the paper, Temenos only grows more confused.

“Pardon me for sounding ungrateful but, what is this?”

Throné lets out a long sigh. “I suppose you wouldn’t recognize it, seeing as I stole it long before I even met you.” Glancing at Throné, Temenos waits for her to explain what this trinket is. “It belonged to Crick.”

“Oh.”

Swallowing, Temenos studies the trinket more carefully now, a tightness wringing his chest. It is something silver plated, or at least it used to be, as most of the silver has rubbed off to a hard, brown metal. The metal itself has been shaped to resemble a ram’s horn curling in on itself with a rubbed away flower still blooming in the center of the design.

Throné’s heels click on the floor of the cathedral. “I thought maybe he would have mentioned it or you might have known what it meant to him.”

“Regretfully, I do not.” Temenos cannot stop staring at the charm, passing his thumb over the raised edges and flattening spirals. It is clearly a well-loved item. “You said you got this before we met?”

“Yeah, of course I didn’t know him at the time either. I just thought he looked like he may have something to steal, being a Knight-in-training and all, but I only found that.”

“And you kept it?” Temenos finds tears slipping down his cheeks, but his heart has not felt so warm in such a long time.

Resting her hand on Temenos’s arm, Throné smiles, “I thought it looked nice. I thought maybe it would bring me good luck, and I would say it certainly did.”

“Thank you, Throné,” Temenos sniffles, wiping the last tears away. “Truly, thank you.”

Slipping away, Throné relaxes into her regular aloof posture. “I’m just glad you’re not throwing me into jail.”

“Of course not! Though my door is always open to hearing your confessions,” Temenos teases, clenching Crick’s old talisman so hard his hard trembles.

“Not in a thousand years, Temenos.”

After more pleasantries, Throné gives her final goodbyes to Temenos, forcing him to promise that he would be the one to travel to her next time. The sun is setting as Temenos watches Throné leave, and a light breeze blows through the trees. Their orange leaves rustle and gently fall to the ground as Temenos makes his way back inside the church, clutching Crick’s talisman close to his heart with a smile on his face.

OMIGOSH??? FOR ME???? THANK YOU SO MUCH WAAAAAAHH!!! 😭😭😭

This is such a sweet scene and you wrote my favorite little guys so well!!! I have indeed been having a good birthday, in no small part to you and all my friends who have been super nice!! I will treasure this forever <3<3<3<3

(Do you post fics on Ao3 or anything? I would love to read more of your work!!)

[pitayas-ball-pit]

What the Yandere Sim kids do for the Holidays

(Hey! This post will be extremely long so I’ll put a read more so this doesn’t clog up any page. Also most usual content warnings apply)

Also damn I can’t keep a deadline for shit this was supposed to come out technically last year 😭

Kiba and Akane:

🎹 Kiba hand makes Akane some of her gifts like patches for her bags or jewelry

🎹 Kiba also buys Akane plenty of new clothes, bags, makeup and other accessories

🎹 Akane gets Kiba more makeup, clothes and things for her keytar

🎹 She also gets her some more hair accessories, a mixing board and a pottery class for the both of them

While regressed

🎹 Akane gets her and Kiba matching pajama sets to wear for the holiday

🎹 Kiba makes Akane small, handmade gifts or draws her some pictures depending on her headspace

🎹 Akane gets her a ton of new toys and art supplies for her baby, she also gets her new things to try with her like an easy bake oven

🎹 Akane also buys her a ton of new sippies, bottles, onesies, pull ups and pacis for her

🎹 Akane, to introduce Kiba to baking had her help with making a batch of cookies for themselves

🎹 If Kiba is older she’ll be much more involved in the process than if she were smaller

🎹 Kiba picks out the Christmas movies they watch when winding down for the night

🎹 Kiba makes Akane cards and fills them with candy or tiny trinkets she bought while big for her to feel good

🎹 Overall Akane spoils tiny Kiba to bits, making sure she gets to try new things and get new things for herself

Dora and Aoi:

🥁 Dora gets Aoi new eyepatches for her to switch through every now and again

🥁 Dora also gets her a new punching bag and wrappings for her hands and feet

🥁Aoi got Dora new drum heads and sticks to replace the ones she’s worn out

🥁 She also got her new makeup palettes, eyeliner and hair accessories for her many different performances

While regressed

🥁 Aoi gets Dora a comfy pajama set that matches the pants she got for herself

🥁 Aoi gets Dora new video games for her various systems to assure her tyke isn’t bored

🥁 Dora wraps the eyepatches and hand wrappings her bigger self bought for Aoi with trinkets and candies she likes

🥁Aoi gets Dora new sippy cups, pacis and onesies to replace the ones she’s worn out and just to get her new ones

🥁 While she does spoil Dora, it’s not to the extent of Megami or Akane with their tinies

🥁 Dora goes to Amai to make special treats for Aoi, that she gives as an early present

🥁 While looking for gifts, Aoi spotted a blanket that reminded her of Dora. She bought it and it’s been Dora’s favorite since she got it

🥁The blanket Dora received has various instruments and is extremely soft

🥁 Overall Aoi spoils her tiny girl for the holiday

Gita and Kuroko:

💚 Gita gets Kuroko a nice, new chain for her glasses and a necklace to match

💚 Gita also bought her multiple new planners and accessories for her desk in the student council room

💚 Gita also got her a few high quality computer stickers of them for her laptop

💚 Kuroko gets Gita heavy duty stickers for her bass so they won’t deform or rip easily as she performs

💚 Kuroko also gets her new strings, picks, straps and accessories for her bass

💚 She also buys her jewelry. Rings and heavy duty chains to hold those rings as she performs. Hair accessories as well

While regressed

💚 Gita helps Kuroko with decorating her room and home, even if she’s just putting stuff everywhere

💚 Kuroko is a lot more lenient on the sweet limit, which Gita is estatic about

💚 Kuroko limits the time Gita spends outside simply to prevent her getting sick

💚 Kuroko gets her new toys and robotic sets to keep her occupied indoors

💚 She also gets her a remote controlled construction truck that’s fully functional for outside play

💚 Gita helps Kuroko with anything she can, regardless of if it’s wanted. Kuroko doesn’t encourage this while accepting her help

💚 Gita hides one of her plushies for Kuroko to find while helping, like an elf on the shelf which is why she’s so eager

💚 Kurokoalso gets her new pacis, play outfits and some onesies for her to try

💚 Kuroko buys one set of sipoy cups for Gita to try when she’s feeling smaller, but that’s more if a precaution

💚 Overall Kuroko and Gita spoil each other while big and small during the holidays

Osoro and Amai:

💛 Osoro gets Amai expensive baking equipment since some of her stuff was worn

💛 Osoro also gets her new aprons for personal use and school to assure that she always has clean and new ones

💛 Amai gets Osoro her own cooking and kitchen supplies since she doesn’t have her own and is passionate about cooking

💛 Amai also gets her music lessons, specifically guitar lessons due to her passion to learn music

While regressed

💛 Amai puts Osoro on the counter and has her help with making Christmas treats for themselves and the school

💛 Amai keeps Osoro close due to how overwhelming all the festivities can be for her

💛 Osoro mainly watches the festivities happen around her and isn’t a big participant

💛 Osoro surprisingly is a little more vocal with people which Amai enjoys

💛 Amai gets Osoro 2 new pacis and bottles as smaller gifts

💛 For bigger gifts she gets her a weighted plushie and new toys, the plushie was her favorite gift

💛 Osoro attempted to make Amai gifts to show her appreciation but it didn’t end well

💛 Amai and Osoro post festivities love to watch holiday movies or general movies, their new favorite being Fantastic Mr. Fox

💛 Amai also gets her new pull ups and diapers for her to try when she regresses

💛 Overall the holidays are a space where Osoro can comfortably regress and Amai can be more active in it

Kokona and Saki:

💜 Saki gets Kokona new clothes and accessories due to her not being able to get new ones often

💜 Saki also gets her a new school uniform to replace the one that no longer fit her

💜 Despite not being able to afford much Kokona still gets Saki thoughtful gifts. She gets Saki new cooking equipment for school use and herself

💜 Kokona also splurges and gets Saki an expensive necklace reminiscent of everything she loves

While regressed

💜 Kokona helps Saki with decorating just like Gita but she’s a lot less organized about it

💜 Saki appreciates the help, leaving the decor the way she placed it

💜 Saki and Kokona make a small batch of cookies together, Kokona mainly influences the flavor and mix ins

💜 Kokona watches Saki finish off the cookie dough and bake it for later

💜 Saki makes a special hot chocolate for the both of them that Kokona loves

💜 Saki has to do a lot of comforting during this time, with the death of Kokona’s mother and not really having her father the holidays are hard for her

💜 Saki gets Kokona new pacis since she’s practically destroyed the nibs and replacement nibs

💜 She also gets her a weighted plushie similar to her favorite toy

💜 Kokona likes to play with the small amount of makeup Saki has, giving her makeovers constantly

💜 When she’s feeling bigger playing outside in the snow is common, Saki watches from indoors monitoring her

💜 While monitoring, Saku assures that Kokona remains safe and calls her in once she notices she’s cold

💜 Overall the holidays can be very fun and enjoyable for the pair but can also be filled with some sad moments

Raibaru and Osana:

🧡 Raibaru gets Osana toys and accessories for her cat as well as subtle accessories that match her cat’s

🧡 Raibaru also gets Osana starter plants and supplies since she expressed interest in gardening

🧡Osana gets Raibaru cook books and sets of supplies since she’s been learning to cook independently

🧡 Osana also gets Raibaru and herself a tour of the Kenrokuen Garden, one of Raibaru’s favorite places

While regressed

🧡 Raibaru makes blanket and pillow forts for the pair to hang out and relax in

🧡 Osana mainly covers decorating herself while keeping a watchful eye on Raibaru

🧡 Raibaru mainly keeps to herself watches holiday movies, Osana joins her once she has the decor the way she likes it

🧡 Osana is much more hands on with caregiving and Raibaru since she tends to be much smaller than usual

🧡 Osana and Raibaru go on walks together through the city, public parks and gardens during the day, which Raibaru loves

🧡 Outside of their walks they also spend a lot of time together in general, parallel play is much more common this time

🧡 When Raibaru’s feeling younger Osana occasionally bottle feeds her and she loves those simple moments

🧡 Raibaru bakes for the both of them when she’s feeling much bigger

🧡 Osana gets her new fox plushies and matching fox onesies for one another. One of the fox plushies are weighted and another can be unfolded into a large, soft blanket

🧡 She also gets her a couple new sippy cups, pacifiers and pull ups

🧡 Raibaru assures that she appreciates everything Osana gets her

🧡 Overall they use the holidays to show how much they truly value one another regardless of what they do

Myuji and Ueikiya:

🎸 Ueikiya gets Myuji a couple new games for her system

🎸 Ueikiya also gets Myuji new strings, picks and straps for her guitar

🎸 Myuji gets Ueikiya art anatomy books, sketchbooks and different mediums of pencils since she expressed interest in learning to draw

🎸 Myuji also gets her a small digital camera for her to use on her family vacations and general outings

While regressed

🎸 Myuji basically becomes Ueikiya’s shadow, following her everywhere and she loves it

🎸Ueikiya shows Myuji different decorations to get her input in how they’re placed and how they look

🎸 Myuji maintains a smaller, consistent headspace around Ueikiya, being a bit less verbal than normal

🎸 Ueikiya puts less of a limit on the sweets she can have and they even bake together, even if Myuji isn’t much help

🎸 Myuji is still excitable, more than usual in fact so Ueikiya watches her more than usual; assuring that she doesn’t get herself hurt using the decor or sick outside

🎸 Myuji still enjoys simple board games a ton and Ueikiya lets her win most of the time

🎸 Ueikiya still keeps up with her gardening, growing all year round plants that she shows Myuji

🎸 Myuji loves looking outside at the wintery weather so Ueikiya takes her outside to play

🎸 Myuji still “performs” for Ueikiya but with a more festive twist

🎸 Ueikiya gets Miyuji more blocks and figures since her smaller headspace is becoming a bit more common

🎸 She also gets her a new pacifier and sippy cup since she has quite the collection but she uses all of them

🎸 Ueikiya tends to put on holiday specials for Myuji if she’s doing something she can’t necessarily participate in

🎸 Overall Myuji regresses younger and Ueikiya embraces this and kinda cherishes this

Oka and Kizana:

🕸️ Kizana gets Oka multiple books on mythology and the occult, making sure that they aren’t some she has already and they are specific to her interests in them

🕸️ Kizana also gets her signed up for martial arts classes since she’s mentioned being interested in them before

🕸️ Oka gets Kizana multiple books that were adapted into plays, like Hamlet and The Tale of Genji

🕸️ Oka also gets Kizana new stage makeup palettes as well as general cosmetics

While regressed

🕸️ Oka mainly draws and cuts snowflakes of different shapes and sizes and tapes them up on her walls after coloring them in a spooky way

🕸️ Oka also makes some paper gingerbread men and hides them around for Kizana to find

🕸️ Kizana encourages this since it gives her the opportunity to decorate the house and she finds it amusing

🕸️ Kizana also has her private chefs make treats for Oka, specific to her tastes and interests despite the holiday

🕸️ She also has them make a small batch of Christmas treats for herself

🕸️ Oka doesn’t really mind Christmas specials but prefers Halloween ones

🕸️ Oka gets spoiled by Kizana with new toys and plushies, those being the brunt of her gifts

🕸️ Kizana makes holiday themed scripts and runs them by Oka before discussing them with her club

🕸️ Kizana gets her new sets of blocks and a couple Lego sets

🕸️ She also get her new pacis and diapers as well as chewlery

🕸️ Overall Kizana spoils Oka to the moon and back while keeping her interests in mind

Ayano and Megami:

🖤 Megami gets Ayano expensive perfumes and jewelry tailored to her tastes while the scents are reminiscent of her favorites

🖤 Megami also gets her all of the full manga sets for all of her favorite series

🖤 Ayano gets Megami high quality beakers and other science equipment specifically tailored to her

🖤 Ayano also gets her law books from multiple countries for her to analyze

While regressed

🖤 Ayano regresses voluntarily which is

🖤 Ayano practically begs to be held by Megami and help her decorate

🖤 Megami reads classic Christmas stories to Ayano post decorating

🖤 Megami also has Daniel Tiger’s winter themed episodes in the background to add a cozy ambiance to the sitting room

🖤 Ayano still doesn’t ask for much and is still content to watch the festivities happening around her, surprisingly

🖤 Megami keeps a watchful eye on her despite her not doing much but it gives her peace of mind especially since she’s non-verbal

🖤 Megami encourages Ayano to participate in the creative activities her family sets up but doesn’t force her to do so

🖤 Megami gets Ayano Geronimo Stilton books since she seemed really interested when she’d read them to her

🖤 She also gets her new stuffed animals, pacis, bottles, sippy cups, toys and diapers

🖤 The type of toys Megami gets her range from simple ring shaped toys to large but still simple shape matching ones

🖤 Megami does tend to spoil Ayano a ton

🖤 Overall Megami takes this time to spoil Ayano with no protest or shock coming across her tiny’s face

[the-tech-turn]

Howdy! it's @stars-n-spice for the Bad Batch ask game!

9, 17, 26, and 33!

Wishing you good luck with the finale tomorrow! 🩵🫡

Hi ya! No one has ever greeted me using Howdy, so I feel honored.

Alright let's get started!

9.If you could change one thing about the show, what would it be?

It would be to focus on emotional moments.

(I start rambling here so you can skip to the next answer)

For example, Tech's death. They never really show how much it affected them. Even if the rest of the batch has had their time to grieve, I feel like Crosshair and Omega would've needed time. Crosshair recently found out about his death, and the show never focuses on how it affected him. Omega is a child who hasn't lost many people. She needed help with adapting to Echo leaving, and I think she would need help to adapt to Tech's death properly.

17. What are some headcanons you have about Tech?

I love this question.

Alright, my boy definitely doesn't get sleep. I think he only got a better schedule when Echo started Mom-ing him about it.

He drinks tea. I can explain why I think this he just gives of those vibes.

He got bullied for his nerdiness as a cadet.

He would make trinkets for his brothers and Omega. AND PHEE.

He would make snarky remarks, and Crosshair would chuckle at them.

26. What’s something you wished happened in the show? What would you have liked to have seen? 

I would've loved to see Echo's reaction to Five's death. I also would've liked to see Echos recovery after the citadel. And how the Batches(including Omega) life as cadets was like.

33. Which Batcher would you like to gnaw on like a bone?

..what??

Had to ask my friend what this meant. According to them, it means to bite someone affectionately.

All of them, really. But I think Wrecker. He's a very affectionate guy, and I'm also very affectionate, so definitely him. I think the other would be very confused.

Thx for the questions!! I love interacting with you guys!❤️❤️

Sorry for all the rambling my inner Tech was demanding to be released lol.