#grace/kian

[jomiddlemarch]

And there’s no way back to where we’ve been

Joel didn’t remember.

Grace didn’t blame him. She’d forgotten plenty: the smell of her mother’s kitchen, the moves of the Philidor Countergambit, the color of her first car, the chemo induction for AML.

She hadn’t forgotten Joel but she hadn’t remembered him until he came back to Jackson, Ellie at his side. Both of them had had more wariness than relief in their eyes, except when they looked at each other. She didn’t say anything when Maria introduced her as Dr. Yang, Jackson’s head physician, though she grimaced at the title and the implication that there was a staff and a hierarchy, that she didn’t operate out of a log cabin or rely primarily on moonshine instead of Betadine to clean wounds. Her stethoscope was shit, barely a step up from the old Fisher-Price doctor’s kit model, which she hadn’t told anyone, because what could they do about it? She wondered what it would be that jogged Joel’s memory, if anything did. When they’d met before, in Before, she’d only been Grace, her hair caught back with a clip, wearing a navy-blue UVA sweatshirt and a pair of Calvin Klein jeans her mother would have died to know she’d spent nearly full-price on. A pair of ballet flats instead of scuffed work boots. They’d only spent one night together.

It wasn’t like that.

She had a slow morning in clinic, no one at death’s door or about to deliver a new resident of the commune, no one who’d gotten on the wrong side of a carving/paring/whittling knife, which meant she could sit in the swivel chair they’d found her and nurse her cup of mint tea in a way that would suggest to someone else that she liked it or found it an adequate substitute for coffee, which she emphatically did not. It meant she could think back to that night and let herself fill in the gaps, a detail here, a detail there. There hadn’t been any obvious reason for the flight to be delayed, so she hadn’t worried at first, because it was probably a late cleaning crew or a last-minute staff swap, not some huge blizzard bearing down on them that would require a cutesy name and tiresome updates from ever-more-tired meteorologists. She’d catch up on that article she was due to present in morning report or find a copy of the splashy rom-com bestseller Lauren had been going on and on about and in a hour or so, a new gate would be announced and she’d figuratively pat herself on the back for not checking (and thus losing) any luggage, even if she had to hike halfway to kingdom come to actually get to the new gate.

The flight was cancelled.

The airline’s long-suffering rep informed her that the next available flight to her destination would leave the following day at 11 am and here was a voucher for a night at the airport hotel, just across the way, ma’am, and to have a nice day.

Grace was dismissed too quickly to fume. She used all her willpower to keep from crumpling up the voucher into a ball that the hotel would refuse to honor.

“Fuck this!” muttered the man standing across from her in front of a battered duffel bag who must have been a few people behind her in the line. He was shaking his head, which she couldn’t help noticing was a pretty attractive head on an absolutely smoking brick shithouse body and yes, she was objectifying him and mixing metaphors or at least idioms but he’d never know. Hell, she probably wouldn’t even mention her reaction to her Lauren, or not until she’d had a few margaritas (not her favorite, but Lauren had bought a special margarita-blender and Grace was obligated to help her make it more than an impulse buy after a particularly lousy breakup.)

“It sucks,” she offered, surprising herself by talking to him instead of scuttling off to the hotel to try and get what was sure to be a crappy night’s sleep. He had curly dark hair that looked like he’d run his hand through it a number of times and the kind of scruffy beard like he hadn’t bothered to shave for a few days.

“If I did my job this badly, there wouldn’t be a finished kitchen reno in all of Austin,” he said, exasperation giving way to something else. Something more charming, a degree of friendliness conjured by the situation, but maybe more than that. “My name’s Joel and I’m not a serial killer.”

“Is that your standard introduction?” Grace asked.

“No, I usually stick with my name, but I thought under the circumstances, it might be reassuring,” he said.

“But wouldn’t a serial killer also say he wasn’t one?” Grace countered.

“Yeah, I guess he would. I’m still not one,” he said.

“What did you mean, under the circumstances? It’s not like they’re making us bunk together at the airport hotel. Oh my God, they’re not, are they?” Grace said. There was cutting corners and there was a complaint to the Better Business Bureau begging to be made.

“No, but it’s a shitty hotel,” he said.

“I figured,” she said.

“I have a proposition for you and feel free to turn me down,” he said. She waited. They were in a public place and for whatever reason, her entire limbic system was pretty chill around him. Still, the word “proposition” was fraught.

“Okay, I’m listening.”

“I say we cash in the vouchers and spend the money and the night in the airport’s VIP lounge. The armchairs there will be more comfortable than the hotel’s beds and we’ll get a better dinner and booze,” he said. “They’ll have Johnnie Walker Blue Label. Dom Pérignon.”

“I’ve never been in the VIP lounge. Any VIP lounge,” Grace said. She’d been prepared for him to offer to split a rental car and road trip to Austin, which would have been a hard pass, because limbic system or not, she wasn’t risking her life to get back to work a few hours sooner. Austin wasn’t home, it was where she was living during what seemed like her endless training, though her own bed and access to full-size toiletries had an undeniable allure at this point.

“I racked up frequent flyer miles when I was working for a big builder, going to conferences, before I started my own business as a GC,” he said. “I’ve missed my share of flights. My little girl’s going to be upset if I’m not back home tomorrow.”

“What’s her name?”

“Sarah. Sarah Renée. She’s two, stubborn as hell and twice as pretty,” he said, his voice warm, the affection and pride obvious. “My brother’s watching her, which means she’s eatin’ nothing but chicken nuggets and those strawberry yogurt squeeze-pops the whole time.”

“I see why you need to get back. I’m Grace. I bet the VIP lounge can do better than yogurt and super-processed chicken,” she said. “I work at a hospital, I’m used to scavenging whatever the pharma reps bring for lunch.”

“Yeah, they can,” he said, passing up the chance to assume she was a nurse, ask her if she were a doctor, or start to regale her with some medical mystery that only a stranger stranded at an airport could explain. “Whatever they call Mexican will be awful, but the rest should be above average.”

He was right. Grace didn’t remember the next several hours in minute detail, but the food had been good and varied and the portions, which were supposed to be more like appetizers, were standard American-oversized. The drinks were equally good and the company was better. They’d both been careful not to share too much about themselves, but more than if they’d been seated next to each other on the plane. Or maybe less, because then they both would have expected never to see each other again after the few hours and the night stretched ahead of them. He’d made her laugh and she’d made him smile and while she was still a straight human woman with a healthy libido, the initial attraction she’d felt had receded. She’d liked him, the single dad who was determined to run his own business so he could prioritize his daughter, who shrugged when it came to his ex and didn’t take the obvious opportunity to trash her, who made sure to get Grace multiple glasses of club soda to go with her bourbon sidecars so she wouldn’t be hungover, who knew all the words to “Jolene” and sang along for a few bars, making Grace really wish she could see him play the guitar at the bar he mentioned gigging at when his brother would babysit Sarah. When she told him how much she disliked peanuts “I’m not allergic, I just can’t stand them,” he ate them all out of the dish of mixed nuts the bartender put in front of them. After eating and drinking far more lavishly on the airline’s dime than she ever would on her own, they’d retreated to a pair of overstuffed club chairs and they’d both dozed off for a couple of hours, until the lounge got lively again with business travelers taking the first flight out, an urn filled with Blue Mountain most heavily trafficked. Joel snagged her a mug while he muscled his way through to get one of his own. She probably wouldn’t ever drink another cup of coffee in her life to match it. When she opened her eyes after the first sip, he gave her a smile she knew she’d never forget.

She hadn’t. But he had and it was okay, it was totally okay, because so much had happened and he’d lost Sarah right away when the world ended, while she’d been working nearly non-stop on futile cases on the hospital and then deciding what care meant in the end-times was going to be based on her own take on bioethics, her access to prescription opiates, preferably morphine, and nothing else. He’d had Tess, she’d had Kian. They’d lost them both. They’d each traveled so far from that one night she couldn’t possibly hold it against him that he’d nodded at her and called her “Doc” when Maria introduced them. That as they grew closer, moving from friends to something more than that, companions, lovers, a family, he never squinted at her and said, Hang on, Gracie or I can’t help feeling like this isn’t the first time…

Maybe she wasn’t the only person he’d ever hung out with in an airport VIP lounge after a cancelled flight. She wasn’t about to inquire and it wasn’t likely to come up in casual conversation.

“None for Grace. She hates ‘em,” he said, waving away Ted’s offer of boiled peanuts from the can he’d bartered a three dried-apple and plum hand pies for. Grace wasn’t sure what it meant—she might have said something more recently about not eating peanuts or Joel might remember after all, either the moment at the bar or the whole night. Maybe he thought she didn’t remember him, their hours-long conversation, waking up in the syrupy gold sunlight that came through the viewing windows of the lounge.

Maybe in another dozen years, she’d ask.

Written for @pedrostories​ 1K celebration, the bourbon sidecar is for @tessa-quayle​!

Prompts used: AU, platonic, forced proximity with allusions to time travel, roadtrip, and only one bed (if you squint, basically)

Quote: “Fuck this!”

[pupsmailbox]

MUSIC ID PACK

NAMES ⌇　abby. ace. adagio. adam. adria. adrian. adriane. aero. alex. alice. angus. ann. anthony. apollo. ari. aria. ariane. ariette. avril. axl. axton. bill. billie. billy. blaze. bohemia. bon. brad. brian. bruce. cade. cadence. cadentia. cantrelle. charlie. cher. chester. chordelle. chordette. chordiene. chrissie. christine. cleo. cliff. coda. cosmo. crescenette. crescenne. cresciene. cruz. dahlia. danny. dave. david. dax. daze. dolce. dolcette. dolciene. dolciette. don. doremi. duff. dusty. echo. eddie. electra. ember. ensemblette. enslette. enzo. eric. estelle. faye. flash. fleetwood. florance. floyd. flux. forte. frank. freddie. geddy. geezer. gene. george. ginger. glenn. glimmer. grace. gregg. halen. halo. harmonette. harmonie. harmony. harp. hayley. helena. iggy. isis. izzy. jack. jasper. jett. jimi. jimmy. joe. john. juno. kade. kai. kairo. keira. keith. kian. knox. krist. kurt. larkin. larry. layla. liam. lindsey. lio. luna. lux. lyric. lyrical. mac. malcolm. maynard. medley. meliene. melodie. melodiette. melody. micheal. mick. mitch. moxie. muse. musette. musine. nancy. neal. neil. neon. nick. nicko. nicky. noel. note. notesie. notesy. nova. octavia. onyx. orchestrae. orchestraette. orchestraine. ozzy. paul. pax. pear. pete. peter. phil. piper. pulse. quest. randy. rave. rhea. rhythm. rick. ringo. riven. robert. roger. ronnie. rosa. rose. sabbath. sable. serj. sierra. sky. skye. sona. sonata. sonette. songbird. songesse. songette. songstress. sonia. sonic. sonnet. spark. steve. steven. stevie. strobe. symphonia. symponiette. talia. taryn. tempo. thom. tim. tom. tony. treble. trix. vibe. viola. violette. violiene. vyn. xara. zack. zeppelin.

PRONOUNS ⌇　aero/aero. ba/bass. band/band. base/base. beat/beat. black/black. blink/blink. bpm/bpm. chili/chili. crash/crash. cream/cream. cue/cue. cure/cure. door/door. dor/doremi. drop/drop. dru/drum. drum/drum. eagle/eagle. echo/echo. electric/electric. electro/electronic. fla/flash. flu/flute. flute/flute. for/forte. forte/forte. glo/glow. guitar/guitar. gun/gun. har/harp. heart/heart. hot/hot. hx/hxm. hy/hym. iron/iron. jam/jam. journey/journey. jump/jump. ke/key. kiss/kiss. la/lala. las/laser. loud/loud. ly/lyric. machine/machine. maiden/maiden. mel/melody. metal/metal. mix/mixed. mu/muse. mu/music. muse/muse. music/music. ne/neon. nirvana/nirvana. no/note. noe/note. note/note. oasis/oasis. oct/octave. pearl/pearl. pepper/pepper. perform/perform. pi/piano. pia/piano. piano/piano. pink/pink. queen/queen. ra/rave. radio/radio. rage/rage. re/reverb. red/red. reverb/reverb. rhy/rhythm. riff/riff. rock/rock. rose/rose. rush/rush. scorpion/scorpion. scream/scream. shred/shred. shx/hxr. shy/hyr. sing/sing. soe/song. soe/sonnet. sol/sola. song/song. spike/spike. stone/stone. string/string. stud/stud. sync/sync. tem/tempo. tempo/tempo. thxy/thxm. thy/thym. tra/track. tre/treble. treble/treble. trumpet/trumpet. tu/tune. tuba/tuba. tune/tune. vi/vibe. vio/violin. vocal/vocal. wa/wave. yell/yell. 🎤. 🎧. 🎵. 🎶. 🎷. 🎸. 🎹. 🎻. 🎼. 💥. 📹. 🔊. 🔋. 🔌. 🗯️. 🤘. 🥁. 🧑🏻‍🎤.

[plasterbrain]

Ahoy-hoy! What font does pizziz gam use? I must shitpost accuratcorrectly. ThHanks!

The logo font is Candy by Andrey S. It was a weekly CreativeMarket freebie in 2016 but was wiped from the internet sometime before the game even came out. The only surviving download link I can find is on this completely legit-looking site.

Embedded fonts:

Dialogue: Goodlight (with New Athena Unicode for bits like the mojibake joke)

Typed text: F25

MOTHER text: Broken 15

Headings: SP Aftershock

Settings page: Halogen (this also used to be the dialogue font I think when we showed off the Arim cooking show scene at YoumaCon 2015)

Gamejolt window etc.: Nunito

Character handwriting fonts (for autographs and phone conversation backgrounds)

Kiane: Metafors

Johnny: Hamilton by Graceful Market

Sensei: Seattle Avenue

Lamp: Splurge (Marker Tag for smaller text, Figge Hand Style also an option)

Chris: Justine Flowers

Roobit: Five Minutes

Keen: Big Mister C

Jay: Rushi Orange

I didn't write down Mr. Arim's unfortunately, I'd have to go see if it's installed on my old laptop and I already spent 30 minutes looking for links to Candy LOL

[winterlogysblog]

Fairy Scents ft. Kiane Kids Scent Headcanons

It's well established that each fairy has a scent that is associated with a flower or a herb. So far we have confirmed scents for each notable fairy we have been introduced to.

So after some quick research I found some info about these flowers and their scents

King - Gold Osmanthus

Osmanthus Wine tastes same as I remember, but where are those who share the memory XD

Origins: China

In the language of flowers, they carry the meaning of love and romance, symbolising true love and faithfulness

Smells like a mix of juicy peaches, ripe apricots with soft leather or suede.

Elaine - Lavender

Origins: Mediterranean

Represent purity, silence, devotion, serenity, grace, and calmness.

Biblical meaning of lavender symbolizes purity, devotion, and love

Delicate, sweet smell that is floral, herbal, and evergreen woodsy at the same time

Helbram - White Rose

Origins: Ancient Greece

Symbolize loyalty, purity, and innocence.

Combination of floral and fruity notes, with hints of honey and jasmine

Fun fact: A White Rose is what King used to kill Helbram (the first time) it turned red because of the blood

Gerheade - Mint

Origins: Mediterranean

Symbol of Hospitality and Wisdom

Gloxinia - Ginger

Origins: Maritime Southeast Asia

In many cultures, ginger is considered a symbol of love

Used in religious rituals to symbolize cleansing, protection and blessing.

Warm and spicy, with a hint of sweetness

Lancelot - Lemon

Origins: Unknown (said to be first grown in Northeast India, Northern Myanmar, or China)

Symbol of purity and cleansing

Headcanon Time

Since Nakaba hasn't spoken out about their scents I'll give my thoughts on the matter.

Lancelot introduced fruits into the mix of scents and Gloxinia smells like Ginger which is a root so I went ham with this.

Nasiens - Oleander or Sunflower

Oleander are toxic which is very fitting for our Mad Herbalist

Smells like Vanilla

Oleander symbolizes love, beauty, and resilience

I want one of Kiane's kids to smell like Sunflowers cause you know... Sunflower

Sunflowers also don't have a distinct smell so it's actually fitting for Nasiens since he grew up thinking he's human so there's really no natural fairy-like smell he could have detected from himself

Sunflower represents longevity, lasting happiness, adoration, and loyalty

Sixtus - Peach

Since Sixtus looks extremely like King I think it's only fitting if his scent is close to King's as well

Peaches symbolizes longevity

Belte - Jasmine

Belte gives Helbram energy and he kinda looks like him too so his scent also needs to give Helbram energy

Jasmine stands for purity, simplicity, modesty and strength.

Zana and Zillian - Blackberry and Raspberry

Since they're twins I want their scents to match

Blackberries are mild, sweet and slightly acidic scent, with earthy and woody nuances.

Some believed that blackberries contain properties of abundance and prosperity

Raspberries are fruity, sweet and slightly acidic

Raspberries are symbol of kindness in Christian art.

Tioreh - Pink Hyacinth

Phao - Lily of the Valley

Symbol of purity, joy, love, sincerity, happiness and luck,

Has a floral and green scent, with fresh and slightly sweet notes

I want one of Kiane's kids scents to come from the earth, something underground. There's an underground Orchid but it smells bad so that won't do so I specifically looked for a flower that has an earthy scent. I also want it to be PINK for Tioreh

Sweet, robust, and earthy

Pink hyacinths symbolize playful joy.

[zenkindoflove]

WIP Wednesday Eris Week Edition

It's the last WIP Wednesday before Eris Week 2024, so here is a final snippet from me of my works I have planned. You can check out summaries for the fics I'll be posting on this masterlist post. I considered a snippet from Caress Me Down since that hasn't been featured yet, but it's so short and all porn that I'll leave that unspoiled. So here is another snippet from Carry You Home. This time a scene with Eris, Beron, and his brothers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Well, look who has finally graced us with his presence,” Beron announced, eyeing Eris with suspicious scorn from his seat behind the desk. He still wore his armor as well, as pristine as ever. Eris couldn’t spot a nick on it. 

“Did Callum find you?” Beron asked, folding his hands together in front of him.

“No,” Eris replied. “I was with the healers.” He gestured to the red scar that extended from his jaw and down his neck. 

“For someone so eager to take my place, you sure are careless with your life,” Beron leaned back in his chair and tilted his head towards Rory. “Go find the useless one and tell my guard we are leaving in one hour.” 

“Leaving?” Eris questioned as Rory left the tent with an exhausted expression. “The battle just ended. The armies need to rest.” 

“Yes, which is why you will stay behind with them. I have no reason to remain here any longer than necessary,” Beron stared at him with a warning in his eyes. Eris knew he was still humiliated by Tamlin dragging him here. He inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that he would at least be able to stay out of his presence for a while. 

Kian had kept his cold, cunning stare glued to him since he walked in, as if he saw something he didn’t trust. 

“What do you want?” Eris barked at him. 

“Which healers did you see?” Kian arched his eyebrow, his arms casually thrown across the backrest.  ‘I didn’t see you in any of the healer tents earlier.” 

Eris kept his face as neutral and unmoving as possible, “I didn’t see our healers. I went to the closest tent I could find.” 

“And which tent was that?” 

“You two can do this somewhere else,” Beron interrupted, standing from his seat. Eris straightened and Kian jumped up to stand as well, as was customary when their father moved to leave a room.

Beron walked around the desk and looked Eris up and down as he stood in front of him. “There is to be a meeting tomorrow with that human queen that Rhysand sent your disfigured brother to find. It appears he has abandoned Tamlin and now serves Night.” 

Eris could hear the dripping disgust in Beron’s voice, and he hardened his expression as he tasted bile in the back of his throat, “Being cunt-struck was always his downfall.” 

That earned him the safety of a small smile from his father. “Attend this meeting and get whatever information you can about this potential alliance. I want to know everything. Especially whatever they mention about the human queens and the state of Spring.” 

A shiver rolled down Eris’ back, but he held his spine straight, “Yes, High Lord.” 

Beron nodded his head and then glided past him, exiting the tent to shout orders at his staff. Eris turned his eyes on Kian who stared after their father’s back. 

“Are you going with him?” Eris asked. 

Kian grimaced, “Yes.” 

“Mother will want to know that all her sons are alive.” 

Kian flashed his eyes his way, a brief hint of acknowledgement revealed in the amber circles. Eris turned and left the tent, needing to find his own so he could change and clean off his armor.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Fore reference, my names and birth order of the brothers.

Eris  Conan (dead) Kian Cael (dead) Rory Callum Lucien

[danger-tits-lute]

for serious baby boy names how about Kaden? it means Fighter; Battler in Gaelic, Kian which means Ancient; Grace of God; Enduring one; King; Realm or Eoin which means God is gracious; Young; God's gift.

"Hmmmm I don't know. And how do you even say the last one?"

"@dick-meister What about these?"

[tiniedemon]

— ♡

superposition

part four

— ♡

cw. | nsfw content

stan marsh was a blessing and a curse. he was a great godfather and a fantastic babysitter, and kyle’s best friend, but boy was he a whirlwind of disaster. somehow, someway, he managed to leave a natural disaster in his wake every time he entered your house.

as you stared at the state of your kitchen, you were absolutely convinced he was sent from hell itself. flour, batter, and melted chocolate covered every surface, including the floor and your children. ten-year-old kian’s hair was white, coated thoroughly in flour, and five-year-old sage’s mouth was surrounded by a ring of chocolate.

stan was crouched between them, doe eyes trained on your figure in the doorway, a bowl of half-mixed cake batter in his hands. you took a deep breath, closing your eyes and counting slowly to ten. you were drunk and irritated, a combination you were sure stan didn’t want to reckon with.

“stanley,” you began in a soft, shaking voice. “please explain to me why my children look like founding fathers.”

“i wouldn’t necessarily say founding fathers,” he responded sheepishly. you could hear the nervous smile in his voice, and it was pissing you off. kyle stopped just behind you, inhaling sharply. it took a few seconds before his hands were massaging your shoulders, placing a delicate kiss on your cheek.

“sweetheart, you go upstairs. i got this,” he whispered in your ear. you finally opened your eyes, scowling at stan, and turned to kiss your husband. then you were taking the steps two at a time and slamming your bedroom door behind you.

sometimes you wished kyle had kept the short temper he had when he was younger. nowadays it only really came out around eric cartman, and his visits were far and few between. nowadays, it was only you getting angry. it was only ever you with a short temper and slim patience.

stanley marsh was all-around a fucking nightmare. of this you were convinced. it took nearly two hours before kyle was quietly entering your bedroom, rubbing your shoulders from behind. he pressed a kiss to the back of your head and rubbed his cold nose against your jaw.

“the kids are asleep. how about we take a bath, pretty thing?” he whispered into your ear, his fingertips trailing down your arm to take hold of your hand. you perked up at the thought, heart fluttering in your chest. the ghost of his fingertips was buzzing, leaving your body alight and your face flushed. even after all these years, kyle never failed to get you worked up over nothing.

“i think you should get the tap running,” you murmured, turning your head to press a slow kiss to your husband’s lips. he was the first to rise from where he sat on your bed, pressing another lingering kiss to your lips before running off to the conjoined master bathroom. you undressed yourself slowly, using makeup remover to take off all your makeup. once the tap fell silent, you graced kyle with your presence in the bathroom. the door lock clicked behind you.

he was already submerged in bubbly bath water, arm rested on the edge of the tub, the only lighting provided by flickering candles scattered around the room. you smiled softly at the man in the bathtub, the sentiment returned as his eyes raked your body.

normally, you’d be rushing to cover yourself with any cloth available, but there was something about kyle that made you feel beautiful. your hips had widened since bearing his two children, your tits were a little on the saggy side, and you never quite lost the pregnancy fat in your stomach, and yet he still looked at you as though you were the most beautiful woman on the planet.

you sunk into the warm water with kyle, capturing his lips in a sensual kiss. his hands immediately found their place on your ass, gripping tightly, pulling a low groan from your lips. you could feel him poking against your thigh, grinding your hips down against his cock and groaning into his open mouth. he moaned with you, guiding your hips against his, fingertips directing his dick towards your entrance.

once he finally entered you, you let out a high pitched whimper and continued the slow movements of your hips. his fingernails were forming crescents in your skin with how hard he was gripping you, bath water splashing over the sides of the tub, your shared moans filling the small room.

before long, the friction started building, a knot tightening in your lower stomach. you were finishing before you could fully grasp it, legs spasming and back arching violently. kyle’s hand flat against your spine kept you upright, sliding down to join his other hand in cupping the bubble of your ass.

he caught your lips, teeth tugging at your bottom lip, slowly standing from the bathtub, supporting your weight via your ass. you were sat flat against the counter within seconds, kyle pulling out just to sink to his knees. his tongue fluttered rapidly against your sensitive clit, drawing high pitched moans from your lips as your thighs tightened around his head and your hand buried itself in his damp curls.

he worked you through another two orgasms, the time between each shortening until you were a moaning, whimpering mess of jolting muscles and dripping juices.

“you’re so pretty,” kyle groaned into your pussy, planting one last kiss against your labia before rising back up to his feet. you circled an arm around the back of his neck, drawing his face down to get a taste of yourself. his tongue pressed against yours with every eager movement of your lips, his hand guiding his cock back into you.

his thrusts were rough and your moans were loud, filling the bathroom with obscene squelching noises and skin slapping skin. it took only a handful of movements before his hips stilled, his cock buried as deep as he could get it, twitching against your inner walls as he filled you to the brim.

as soon as he managed to finish bathing you, nearly an hour later, he snuggled up behind you in bed. you sighed contentedly, curling your legs in towards your chest, heart fluttering beneath your rib cage.

“you’re so amazing,” you whispered into the warm silence of your bedroom. kyle chuckled and pressed a kiss to your shoulder.

“i should say the same to you, my love. i really do have the most gorgeous wife.” you sighed again, smiling as you turned your head to glance at him over your shoulder.

even in the low lighting provided only by a nightlight in the floor, he was gorgeous. the shadows perfectly defined his sharp jaw and sharp nose, an elegant halo shining yellow against his fiery hair. you thanked every god above for sending you this beautiful man and letting him be yours forever.

“i love you, ky. i really do. but your best friend is going to be the death of me.”

masterlist

[beautiful-boy-bracket]

WELCOME TO THE BEAUTIFUL BOY BRACKET

lets start with the minor character section (both sections are in this post), where we have 32 characters handpicked from your submissions by me personally. they are as follows:

Shinjiro Nozomi from Entropic Float: This World Will Decay And Disappear

Xiao Yin from Dislyte

Cherry (Kaoru Sakurayashiki) from Sk8 The Infinity

Kashima Yuu from Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun

Argalia from Library Of Ruina

Haku from Spirited Away

Mytho from Princess Tutu

Emrys from The Hero's Journey

Magnus Chase from Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series

Kusuriuri from Mononoke, Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales

Kai Satou from Your Turn To Die

Santa from Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors

Abi from Akatsuki no Yona

Ramuda from Hypnosis Microphone

Ronald from Jackson's Diary

Ryuji Ayukawa from Blue Period

Yuuya Sakazaki from Hatoful Boyfriend

Cure Infini from HUGtto Precure

Richard from Tales of Graces

Gero Akoya from Cute High Earth Defense Club Love!

Elpizo from Mega Man Zero 2

YiGuang from My Vow To My Liege

Raikou Shimizu from Nabari No Ou

Lio Fotia from Promare

Aurelius from Royal Alchemist

Yuliy Jirov from Sirius the Jaeger

Mochizuki Yukimitsu from Skate Leading Star

Yuri Lowell from Tales Of Vesperia

Lord Golden, aka The Fool, from The Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb

Jim Hawkins from Treasure Planet

Epel Fermier from Twisted Wonderland

Valimer from Women of Xal

some of these names may be misspelled, which i will find out when googling them again to save their images; fault lies with their submitters /lh

as almost 3/4 of these characters have only gotten one submission each, the minor bracket is not seeded, and the matchups will be randomized

now for the major bracket! as this one is possible to seed, i present you with...

the round one matchups in the major bracket will be:

Howl Jenkins Pendragon from Howl's Moving Castle vs Artemis Fowl from the Artemis Fowl series

Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender vs Izaya Orihara from Durarara!!

Yoshiya "Joshua" Kiryu from The World Ends With You vs Gerry Keay from The Magnus Archives

Kurapika from Hunter X Hunter vs Lan Wangji from Mo Dao Zu Shi | The Untamed

Alucard from Castlevania vs Aaravos from The Dragon Prince

Legolas Greenleaf from Lord Of The Rings vs Vash The Stampede from Trigun Stampede

Taako from The Adventure Zone vs Albedo from Genshin Impact

Leonardo Hamato from Rise Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles vs Andromeda Shun from Saint Seya

Dorian Gray from The Picture Of Dorian Gray vs Yuri Plisetsky from Yuri!!! On Ice

Gunpowder Tim from The Mechanisms vs Affogato Cookie from Cookie Run

Klavier Gavin from Ace Attorney vs Marluxia from Kingdom Hearts

Mettaton EX from Undertale vs Chuuya Nakahara from Bungou Stray Dogs

Link from The Legend Of Zelda vs Essek Thelyss from Critical Role

Angel Devil from Chainsaw Man vs Kian Stone from Just Roll With It

Tamaki Suoh from Ouran High School Host Club vs Yuri Leclerc from Fire Emblem

Wallace from Pokemon vs Sesshomaru from InuYasha

[name-that-isnt]

It'd be a dick move if I ragged on piko fans who don't know a lot of piko songs and then proceeded not to help them out. So here's a masterlist of piko songs that I enjoy! Properly sourced original songs will be marked with a 🟢 and improperly sourced with a 🔴. This list'll be updated as I find more songs I like, let me know if any of the links go out

Original Songs

ANOMALY - kian (🇬🇧) (🔴) (dm for higher quality mp3) (original was taken down by creator because the song used an illegitimate copy of piko's voicebank)

Broken Boy Spiralin'! - 0TS (🇬🇧) (🟢)

Chelovek - GHOST (🇷🇺) (🟢)

Cryin', Cryin'! - 0TS (🇬🇧) (🟢) (also features len)

Danmatsuma - KTG (🇯🇵) (🟢)

Flux - KTG (🇯🇵) (🔴) (also features gumi)

I am Piko - CasteP (🇯🇵) (🔴)

Ima wo Ikiru Boku e - HYBRID SENSE (🇯🇵) (🟢)

Live Proof - Wachi × U1000 (🇯🇵) (🟢)

Meteor Words (re-tuned version) - HYBRID SENSE (🇯🇵) (🟢)

Mirai Graph - NextP (🇯🇵) (🟢)

Moon Walker - KTG (🇯🇵) (🟢) (also features gumi)

My Own - CircusP (🇯🇵) (🟢)

Not Poop - KTG (🇯🇵) (🟢) (also features rin)

Piko Piko☆Legend of the Night - samfree (🇯🇵) (🟢)

remember - Kannakuzu (🇯🇵) (🟢)

Scratched wings - HYBRID SENSE (🇯🇵) (🟢)

SHOOT ON TOKYO！ - SCL Project (🇯🇵) (🟢) (also features kaito, vy2, kiyoteru, gakupo, and len)

The Sins of Abandonare - OrgansDotOrg (🇬🇧) (🟢) (also features flower and dex)

Windy Tokyo - KTG (🇯🇵) (🔴) (also features gumi and gakupo)

Covers

Any of KakyuuKei's piko covers

-ERROR (piano version) - Nezuh kun (🇯🇵)

ALICE - Teru (🇯🇵)

Amaoto - Roseus 1215 (🇯🇵)

Blackjack - Jade S. (🇯🇵)

Break My Heart (Japanese version) - Teru (🇯🇵)

Cantarella ~grace edition~ - Nezuh kun (🇯🇵) (also features flower)

CH4NGE - Teru (🇯🇵)

Cinema - Vocaphilia (🇯🇵)

Creative - GHOST (🇯🇵) (also features rana)

Deep Sea City Underground - Nezuh kun (🇯🇵)

GAME OVER - Jorro Treul (🇯🇵)

Higurashi Moratorium - cillia (🇯🇵)

Hm? Ah, Yes. - 10th Anniversary Edition - - Vocaphilia (🇯🇵)

Kamisama Nejimaki - cillia (🇯🇵)

Kibouno Light - 0TS (🇯🇵)

Kimi wa Dekinai Ko - LeoTamachi (🇯🇵)

Kiss Me More (Japanese version) - Teru (🇯🇵) (also features fukase)

KOISURU☆BEAM - Roseus 1215 (🇯🇵)

Lagtrain - shoko utatane (🇯🇵)

Lemon - Roseus 1215 (🇯🇵)

Logic Agent - Jorro Treul (🇯🇵)

Loneliness of Spring - TeionLeeIRL (🇯🇵)

LOVELESS××× - Pachink0P (🇯🇵) (also features flower and fukase)

Nisemono Ningen 40-gou - chitoseP (🇯🇵)

Omae Wa Mou - Teru (🇯🇵)

Oni o Karu Mono - CircusP (🇯🇵) (also features miki)

Racing into the Night - Creuzer (��🇵)

Reversible Campaign - Nezuh kun (🇯🇵) (also features flower)

Song of the Ancients ~ Devola - arмιnι donυт [Version 1, Version 2, Version 3] (Chaos Language) (also features fukase)

Spring Storm - gray (🇯🇵)

Stay With Me - moshiho (🇯🇵) (also features flower)

Telecaster B-Boy (long ver.) - Nezuh kun (🇯🇵)

The Immoral Memory ~The Lost Memory~ - Urabe-San! (🇯🇵) (also features flower and fukase)

Toosenbo - cillia (🇯🇵)

Wings of the four seasons - Teru (🇯🇵) (also features iroha)

[limeentertainment]

— project green: together we grow ! 

“how are you guys doing?” han seokjin asks with a grin on his face, although his face is out of frame as the camera closes in on each trainee’s reaction. “SIWOO, you have bags under your eyes! are you getting enough sleep?” he questions, concerned. “you are the leader, but you’re not the only leader. where did your co-leader go?” despite being phrased as a simple inquiry, it’s a rather pointed jab directed towards SEOJUN, sparing the trainee a quick glance in hopes that his point was made clear. 

“not everyone is suited for the role of leader, but once you have assumed that position, it’s expected that you make the most of it.” he’s addressing everyone in the room, but it doesn’t take a dedicated observer to understand that it’s also meant for the two current leaders. “leaders are meant to be a lot more active, not passive. it would do you all well to remember that.” he speaks sternly, carefully looking at each trainee. he’s quick to move on though, not wanting to waste more time.

“that being said, let’s talk about your second mission!” the firm expression that he wore eventually melts away into another smile, clapping for the trainees and encouraging them to clap for themselves too.

“your performance was, overall, a fun watch! did you all come up with the concept on your own?” he waits and listens as the trainees confirms his assumptions, nodding along. “being princes chasing after the crown and all during the chaser… wow, that’s pretty creative. and a pretty smooth transition into wannabe. it’s something to celebrate and be proud of, for sure.”

after a moment of celebration, seokjin takes out what looks like a notebook and flips through them. “but it isn’t perfect, of course. nothing is.” he starts, settling on one of the pages. “because this is a performance mostly based on rapping, i see why you, KIAN, were worried about your role. but you can’t always do what’s comfortable to you, you have to step outside of your comfort zone and adapt too. you’re a talented vocalist, there’s no doubt about that, but this performance shows that you’re still lacking when it comes to dancing. and your presence is falling behind. don’t let the others overshadow you, okay?” 

next, seokjin turns to LUCIEL. “first of all, you’ve made yourself into quite the older brother, haven’t you? you even asked siwoo to rely on you! that’s how a team should function, relying on one another.” he taps his pen onto his notes, shaking his head slightly. “but you shouldn’t forget about yourself. just like kian, the two of you need to work on your dance and presence. i’ve watched next gen, you know. i know you have that stage presence in you, you just need to find it again!” despite the strict criticisms he’s delivering, seokjin remembers to be encouraging too.

HANEUL is the one graced with seokjin’s attention afterwards. “haneul, you’re a strong performer, but your technical skills are… well, they’re just average. instead of being someone with his own individuality you blend into the background, like a supporting character for everyone else. i’m sure that isn’t your goal with this project, isn’t it?” he waits for the trainee to digest his words, before moving onto the next trainee.

“NOEL, noel, noel…” seokjin breaks out into a smile. “you’re a talented rapper! i heard that you wanted to focus on rapping, but you ended up taking on more singing lines in chaser, didn’t you?” he hums, nodding as the trainee answers with confirmation. “that’s another form of adaptation and compromise that is needed in a team. it worked in your favour too, because you get to show off your great singing skills as well as your rapping skills. the others and i were quite impressed!”

when facing the next trainee however, seokjin’s smile is replaced with a more stern expression. “i can’t say the same for you, JINYOUNG.” he lets out a sigh, as if he doesn’t want to continue on. “while you’re a talented dancer, your rapping skills aren’t anything to sweat about right now. unfortunately, dancing and presence alone isn’t enough in the long run. you’re aiming to be an idol, aren’t you? not a back-up dancer. i’m sure you know where you lack, and you know how to work on them for the future.”

“now, onto our leaders. siwoo,” seokjin faces the trainee directly. “you took your role very seriously, didn’t you? you invested quite a bit in the others and that doesn’t go unnoticed! were you in charge of the overall lyrical distribution too?” seokjin asks, waiting for siwoo’s answer. “i see. the fact you managed to handle and blend everyone’s skills and wants, delegate tasks, are qualities you need in a leader. and you proved yourself well during this mission.” seokjin gives the boy a thumbs up. “don’t forget your own skills though, and don’t shoulder everything on your own. it’s a team, after all.”

lastly, seokjin fixes his gaze onto seojun. for some reason, he can’t help but let out a sigh. “you’re a talented dancer, probably one of the best among everyone. but somehow my eyes always fall onto someone else. how do you keep the audience’s eyes on you? that’s something important to think about too.” seokjin’s eyebrows furrow as he looks back down at his notebook, before closing it. “outside of that, have you forgotten the role that was entrusted to you?” he doesn’t wait for seojun to respond, continuing on. “i didn’t see you making an effort to lead the others, much less make an attempt to work with everyone properly. you weren’t acting as their leader, even worse, you weren’t a team player either.”

once again, seokjin shakes his head. “although it doesn’t bring me any joy to say this, trust me, i still have to. jinyoung, seojun… the two of you seem to be distracted and unfocused. your performance this mission doesn’t instill much confidence, and that puts you in the danger zone.” as the trainees begin to look confused, seokjin explains what he means. “it’s simple: you’re at risk of being removed from the project.”

after dropping that bomb, seokjin tries to bring the energy back up with another smile and a clap. “there’s still room for improvement, of course! don’t think of this as a punishment, but an opportunity to work harder and become more motivated! after all, this mission is for you to establish your foundations.” he pulls up a card with the lime entertainment logo on it, reading from it. “PROJECT GREEN third mission, go! you’ve practiced and performed behind closed doors, now it’s your time to show how much you’ve grown! starting small, before soaring towards greater heights! it’s time for your third mission, trainees!”

seokjin then explains their third mission, telling the trainees that they’ll be preparing another cover, except it’ll be halloween-themed this time! the cover will be of:

B.Y.L - CANDY 

LIGHTSPEED - THE EYE

the cover will be filmed and posted onto lime entertainment’s official youtube channel, but their faces will be covered with a mask (of their choice!), for halloween’s sake and also anonymity. that isn’t all, though. seokjin brings up the AXIS HALLOWEEN PARTY afterwards, revealing that project green members are tasked with performing those two songs in front of the senior artists and other trainees, including those from the other two companies. this performance is set for october 26, during the main party. these two songs have entirely different concepts, giving project members the opportunity to show off their versatility!

with this mission, project members will be challenged to complete a live performance in order to showcase their strengths. “don’t forget, mistakes don’t define you. remember the future belongs to those who learn from the past! there’s a long road ahead, for us to move forward.” seokjin eagerly finished the instructions, adding on his usual enthusiastic fighting!

“right, we have a change in leaders for this month, as promised. this time, it’ll be…” seokjin scans through the room, looking into each trainee’s faces. then, he points towards two of them.

“congratulations, NOEL and KIAN! remember your responsibilities, and work together.” seokjin grins, then nods, satisfied with the decision. 

good luck, members, and may you grow strong!

the third mission will run until 11:59pm est at the end of thursday, october 31. the fourth mission will be revealed on november 6th, during the weekly queue. please tag all posts related to this with lime:projectgreen3.

as stated in the post, muns will have free reign to choose mostly everything about the performances, though of course the events admods are available at all times should muns need any help getting the performance together. 

there is no need to write additional solos on each performance. the writing requirements stay the same as in the last mission:

on writing requirements: at this time, muns may use up to 2 replies regarding project green for regular monthly trainee threads since muses will still be attending regular training schedules at lime entertainment. we do ask that some of your replies this month be about general training and not solely about project green both as a way to further your muse’s skills and so non-project muses have writing partners available. project members are welcome to participate in company workshops as well at this time.

NOEL and KIAN were selected as the second pair co-leaders of project green! they are meant to help resolve conflicts in the group, be decision makers and help with engagement and compliance, as well as make sure that all chores around the dorm are being taken care of. project manager seokjin is still in charge of the group, and both noel and kian will report to him throughout the month.

! attention: members, over the course of this month you may receive a submission in your inbox! this will be from your project manager asking you a question, and it is meant to get the spontaneous reaction of the trainee on camera. the questions will be related to their life in the dorms, their new training routine, and their expectations for the project, as well as other personal questions to help build up their profile. muns do NOT need to answer this with an in-character solo, if they don’t want to - a simple ooc post with some bullet points will suffice!

[skylarstark4826]

Normally the rides to school were filled with chatter from his son about his classes, or asking how work was going to be for him today. But instead, there was a distant look on his small face while he looked out the window. Attuma drove slowly through the morning traffic, occasionally glancing at his son through the rearview mirror. Even with the demand to change teachers, he knew his son was still hurt by the bullying his previous teacher put him through.

“Hey bud, you okay?” Attuma carefully asked though he knew the answer to it. All morning his child procrastinated about getting dressed to go to school. And ate his breakfast as slowly as possible in protest as well. His son did not want to attend school today and hoped that Attuma wouldn’t make him go.

A light shrug of his shoulders was his response while his gaze still focused outside his window looking at the cars and buildings they passed. Attuma felt a ping of guilt within him still glancing at his son, he held regret for not catching the rude behavior of his son’s old teacher Mr. Turner sooner. And just how his teacher’s behavior slowly made his bright outgoing son turn into his shell to protect himself. To see the excitement replaced with indifference hurt Attuma. The day Attuma pried about how school was going for him, and he got passed the false positive answers his son tried to tell him. The tears came instantly, his round face reddening from his heavy sobs about how he hated school now. Before he knew it, Attuma saw red by the time he arrived back at the school to yell at the principal about the teacher’s behavior. Asking Namora to watch over his son for an hour or two he left quickly. The front office was deathly quiet from listening to Attuma’s booming voice demanding answers. All attempts to get Attuma to calm down were brushed off as he waited for his son's teacher to show up.

Having the presence of his son’s teacher within proximity of him in a small space tested the remainder of his will. Veiled threats lingered in his gaze while he watched Mr. Turner turn pale at the very sight of him.

“I have every right to be upset about a grown man telling a damn five-year-old that he isn’t smart as he thinks he is and that he’s a liar. Yelling at him whenever he tries to help other students and even being placed outside of the classroom for being disruptive when he isn’t! “

“This is ridiculous. I don’t know what it is with you people here who act like your children can’t be told anything. But judging from your behavior, no wonder he is the way he is.“

Attuma took a step forward, narrowing his eyes, though the teacher took a step back instantly. His body moved forward before he could think about it fully, blinded by the building agitation and disgusted look Turner gave him. He didn’t even realize his fist had curled up tightly and rose slightly to move into position to strike the teacher. By Chacc’s grace, a hand gripped his shoulder tightly while another grabbed his forearm. Holding him in place, preventing a bad situation from spiraling into the worst one with Attuma behind bars with battery charges.

“No, do not give him the reaction he looks for,” Cha’toh stated eerily calmly, his gaze remained on the teacher who seemed to back up more. Almost cowering behind the principal after so boldly hurling his insults towards Attuma and his son. Namora had called Cha’toh instantly after Attuma sped off in the direction of Kian’s school. It was a good thing she did, considering the way Attuma’s arm was tensed up and shook lightly. With the help of Cha’toh, Kian’s teacher was suspended on the spot due to his outburst and behaviors. An attempt by the principal to at least cover their own ass against Turner’s possible racial aggressions that Cha’toh believed that Attuma and his nephew were a victim of. To further smooth things out, the principal mentioned a new transferred teacher who would be in the new classroom for Kian.

“Do I have to go to school today?” Kian’s small voice finally asked. There was a tint of hope of wanting Attuma to say no again. Just maybe they could spend another day at home instead.

Attuma quietly exhaled, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel before answering. “Yes kiddo, you have to go to school today. You already missed five days and I think it's time to try again. Besides, I think your new teacher sounds interesting and nice. Aren’t you a little curious about her? Besides, I heard there is a field trip coming up that I think you don’t want to miss.”

Kian started to shake his head in decline though his gaze remained on Attuma at the mention of a field trip.

“Why can't I stay home with you? Uncle Cha’toh says that he was homeschooled and then you won’t have to yell at any more teachers”, Kian mumbled with a faint frown.

Attuma slowed the car to a stop at the traffic light, getting the chance to finally look back at his son to speak softly. “Homeschool does have its advantages but I think attending school right now is good for you since we will be here for quite some time. I want you to be around more kids your age, Kian Please give your new teacher Ms. Okoye a chance for me.”

Kian immediately pulled his gaze back out to his window frowning to himself, trying his best not to pout at Attuma.

Several conversations including some statements from other children's parents revealed that jealousy of his old teacher against Attuma was projected on Kian and in result he was singled out by his teacher. Chacc was certainly looking out for with the presence of Cha’toh that evening. He agreed with Cha’toh that he was certain he would of been in jail for sure after finding out about this all.

“I wished we never came here”, Kian whispered though it was still loud enough for Attuma to hear him.

Attuma glanced at him in the rearview mirror once more but said nothing in response. But how could he? He knew that there was a chance Kian wasn’t going to be happy with moving considering he liked his old school and had friends in Tulum. Moving to Cancun was a drastic change in the environment even if his son was now closer to his uncle and aunt. But his job required him to catch and tag a few whale sharks to follow their migration routes. And afterward, help with a few projects that the Cancun Marine station were helping with at the local zoo there. The biggest focus is to treat and talk about their nurse sharks there.

This mean’t they were staying in Cancun all summer and even in the fall for right now. The conversation about moving was abit rough with his son but in the end, he had thought that his son had warmed up to the idea slightly.

The rest of the car ride was silent even as Attuma pulled up to the drop-off area in front of the school. Kian got out of the car without another word, closing the car door roughly before stalking his way to the school entrance. Attuma watched him go while lifting his brows in surprise when his son didn’t even bother to look back and wave at him in farewell.

As promised by the principal, and eager to get Attuma out of his office quickly placed Kian in the new class while assuring the new teacher held a good reputation and came from a reputable school. Attuma hadn’t gotten the chance to set up a parent meeting with her due to timing. But he did make a note to at least stop by after school to see if he could catch the new teacher.

“Chacc, give me strength.” The phrase had slipped Attuma’s lips while he waited until his son went inside before pulling away from the drop-off area. His son was a good kid, and never talked back to him or got upset with him. So, to see his son a little annoyed with him or not get his goodbye hug did sting a little that morning. He made a note to talk about it with Cha and Namora whenever he had a moment to himself at work.

◈◈◈

That evening Attuma arrived back at the school thirty minutes early to meet his son and his teacher Okoye. It took all of his will not to snort from the sudden wariness he saw on the faces of the front desk receptionist when he arrived. But without much of a second thought, they gave him his visitor pass and sent him on his way to wait for his son’s class to be released. Attuma kept outside wanting to eavesdrop for a little bit considering class wasn’t released just yet. The classroom was semi-lit due to the sheer blue and seafoam fabric that draped over the lights. The silhouette cutouts of turtles, whales and sting rays were placed there casting a shadow and still image. On a high shelf sat a small projector aimed at the ceiling, hidden among books it ticked softly while waves of light reflected from it off the blue and seafoam fabric on the ceiling. This gave the perception that if one looked up, they could imagine being in the sea catching a glimpse of aquatic life passing over them while the sun reflected its light off the water surface.

A blue plastic film covered the windows, and large cutout fish of various kinds were placed on the window. Green strips of tassels were placed on the window frame to resemble the kelp forests and schools of fish swimming through it. From what Attuma could make out in the classroom, the walls were covered in a dark blue colored wallpaper decorated with various pictures of aquatic life ranging from sea turtles, starfish, and whales. Each picture near it held some type of fun fact about the animal next to it.

Two large square fish tanks were towards the back of the classroom, filled with neon tetra in one and guppies in the other. A small bookcase filled to the brim with books, and green and white beanie bags seated near the fish tanks. Pillows shaped like seashells were neatly placed on the bean bags. A small reading area curved around the fish tanks, giving them the option to either sit there to admire the aquariums or pick a book of their own choice.

Attuma was always impressed by teachers who went out of their way to make their classes personalized and welcoming for their students. Even the classroom door was decorated similarly to the room. The door was covered with the same dark blue wallpaper, covered to the brim with sharks, fishes, and seashells in white bubble letters it read, “Welcome to Ms. Okoye’s Class. First stop to the Ocean floor.”

The soft murmurs of the children, while they spoke among themselves, muffled the bubbles coming from the aquariums. Everyone seemingly focused on their assignment only looking up towards Okoye for a question or two before refocusing on their work. Okoye walked around the classroom slowly, hands behind her back while she glanced at her watch to keep track of her time. She gave Attuma a questioning look when she did see him fully look in and gave a curt nod before moving out of the doorway.

“Five more minutes, guys and we’ll move to ask which group would like to go first to present their answers to the class” she said, strodding to her doorway to see just who had peeked into her classroom. She had gotten word at the last minute about a new student being added to her roster and only assumed that it was that child’s parent.

Okoye wore white slacks that flared around her ankles to cover her brown ankle boots, her top a jade hue, and sleeveless. Her passion twists pulled into a partial updo that went down to the middle of her back. Cowrie shells and gold cuffs went well with her gold bangles and diamond studs. Along with her two green statement rings she wore on each hand. Full lips painted with a deep matte brown that didn’t pull away from her outfit or the light makeup she wore.

“Hello, can I help you?” Okoye questioned quietly, stepping into the hallway, and flashing Attuma a polite smile.

He felt his brows twitch, confused by the sudden wave of nervousness with Okoye looking at him. His heart fluttered at the very sight of her, his lips parted to introduce himself but instead what came out made Okoye lift a brow.

“I am here for my son” he blurted out.

“Sorry, I have had a long day but I am the father of Kian and I just came a little early to make sure he’s well and to meet his teacher,” Attuma explained with an apologetic smile.

“Ah, Mr. Alhemen. Yes, I have heard alot of about you already. Your son seen a photo I have on my desk and decided to tell me about you and your profession.”

Attuma offered a smile but gave a surprised look, the fact his little one said more than a few sentences considering this morning. He was glad to hear it made his heart feel less heavy about the situation. Extending a hand to Okoye, his smile grew more feeling her slender hand fit into his. Giving a light squeeze he spoke,” I am glad that he warmed up to you fast and it is nice to put a face to your name now.”

Okoye chuckled letting her hand slip from his while she spoke,” Likewise, well if you would like to come in, you’re welcome. Some of the kids are going to present their answers about the intro assessment I gave him. There should be some chairs in the back even if they are a bit tiny.”

Attuma followed Okoye into the classroom, Kian instantly perking up and waving to him. Even loudly whispering to his partner in his class and pointing at Attuma saying, “That's my dad” was heard.

“Okay, guys it's times up. Who would like to go first and name two or three things that they found interesting about the Ocean today? Anyone?” Okoye questioned. Kian and the little girl he was paired with shot their hands up. Offering a knowing smile, seeing how the two practically bounced in their seats to answer. Okoye chose the two first and nodded while she chuckled an spoke,” The floor is all yours, guys.”

“There is something called e-..ecosystems that exist in the sea!” The girl chimed while Kian nodded confidently.

Okoye gave a light nod, “Very good and to make sure everyone understands what something like that is. Would you guys care to explain more about it?”

Kian fiddled with his book while speaking softly to answer Okoye’s question, “A group of living creatures that live and work with one another. L-..like the coral reefs!”

“Yes, thats very good Kian.” Okoye beamed.

The little girl next to Kian was bouncing in excitement when she spoke up again, “You can find many fish there including lobsters, clams and even turtles.”

Okoye nodded and gave a small clap which triggered the rest of the kids to clap. ”Yes, very good job on sharing such good facts about the sea you two.”

Attuma stayed quiet listening to each group as they presented their answers to the class, as each group went the confidence behind the answers could be felt. And before he knew it, the adorable show of students absorbing information from Okoye had ended with the sound of the bell of dismissal for the day.

“Alright, guys. Remember no running and to follow Mrs. Torres outside to the pick up area. See you tomorrow. “ She said waving to her students while they walked out.

“Papa! Mrs. Okoye’s room is so cool and I like it.” Kian said rushing to Attuma who was slowly getting to his feet or atleast he tried too. He looked ridiculous with his knees drawn up and his butt barely fitting the first-grader seats. His knees buckled but he grinned at his son, ruffing his hair lightly with a nod. “Yeah, I have to agree with you on that. Its very cozy here” he grunted out still trying to pry himself from the chair. Okoye rushed over to help, “Here, give me one of your hands while you stand.”

Attuma ignored the way his stomach flipped from holding her hand, the way her sweet floral perfume surrounded him. Soft hands firmly gripping his own, he stood up quickly and pried the small chair off his ass. The armrests of the chair had been a snug fit and he should of known he was going to get stuck. Even when he was finally released from the chair, their hands still held onto one another for another beat before finally letting go.

“You okay?”

“Yes, although I am sure it would have been quite a task to try to drive home with a chair attached to me,” Attuma mused while he heard his son snicker.

Okoye offered an apologetic smile,” Oh! I am truly sorry. I’ll have to ask to see if we can get at least a few adult chairs to be stored in class for visits.”

Attuma held a hand up, “If it will cause trouble for you no. I am not above sitting on a comfortable rug near nice Aquariums.” Flashing a grin, he watched his son retrieve his bag and shove his papers into it.

“But I just wanted to make sure his first day went well and I know now it did. We had a tough morning at home so I was just double checking on him.”

Okoye wasn’t directly told about the issue instead she had heard about it from another teacher in secret. In truth, Turner had many warning signs that the staff knew about but did nothing. She was glad that he was suspended from work and heard the he had quietly quit.

“He was a little shy but I think once he saw a photo of me coming back from an expedition I was apart of in New Zealand following a family pod of Orcas.”

Kian was practically vibrating at the subject, shaking Attuma’s leg with excitement,” Yes, yes dad! She’s like you! She said the orcas had recognized her and even would swim around her boats for hours while she listened to them. She said they were very interested in her feet when she got into the water with them Dad!”

Okoye couldn’t help the chuckle and warm smile that showed at Kian while she spoke, “Ah this was about six years ago but it was very memorable. And Kian has even inspired me to dig threw my files to find the audio of orcas singing. I’ll be sure to have to bring it on a free day of course.”

Attuma gave a surprised look, Okoye looked way too young to be someone who was retired so he couldn’t help himself as he pried with another question.

“Are you a biologist that specializes in Whales?”

“No, I would have been practically living on the water if I chose that. But I am a Marine Bio and I will be approaching my ten year anniversary with it. Helping host a program or two has led me down the road I am now, plus it's always fine being a Science teacher and Math teacher.”

There was only a year between how long they both started their profession and Attuma couldn’t help be impressed. No wonder his son had doted on her so fast, the familiarity of something he already liked. What worry he did have for Kian had begun to settle within him.

“It's always wonderful to meet another fellow colleague. Are you a part of any projects right now?”

“No, just school which I am glad about because this year has been really fun anyway. The previous school I transferred from did not want me to go. But I really like it here. And you?”

“Two actually. Migration of sharks and after that monitoring baby turtles that hatched. “

Okoye’s eyes lit up, “Please if you can sneak a picture for me. It's very sweet to see them go off into the sea. The baby turtles. I wish I could make the trip to see such a thing in person.”

“Speaking of trips, Kian should have a form for you about an upcoming field trip to the local Castaway Aquarium. But it is advised for the students to bring swimwear because they’ll be standing in water to feed stingrays. Also we’re still looking for a chauffeur, we have one more slot to fill in.”

“Dad, can I go?!” Kian suddenly asked, already excited about the idea.

“I think you should go to because then Ms. Okoye won’t be by herself an you too can help an talk so you’re not bored.”

“Ms. Okoye? Are you married? Cause my dad isn’t.”

Attuma felt his face warm up and he gave an apologetic look to Okoye who only seemed to find Kian’s directness humorous.

“How about we talk about this more in the car, kiddo?” Attuma suggested gently. He knew Okoye wasn’t married due to the lack of a ring on her finger.

“That didn’t mean she was single either.” He heard a voice in the back of his mind whisper. Any thoughts about even considering prying about that went away immediately. But he did make a mental note to let his son know he shouldn’t ask everyone such questions as that. That was a private conversation after all.

“Well if you do decide to come, Mr. Alhemen. Me and the class would love for you to join us. And of course, talk each other's ears off about Marine stuff.” Okoye gave a wink to Kian who in return giggled. Her attempt in trying to remove any awkwardness about the blunt question even if she didn’t answer.

Attuma‘s face didn’t lose its warmth until he was out of the classroom with his son, the two making their way back downstairs and outside to the visitor’s parking lot.

“So today was very exciting for you, yeah?”

Kian hummed and nodded in response, holding Attuma’s hand while they walked, “Yes! She has so many cool things in her classroom and knows a lot, Papa. “The bright smile that lit his round face showed the dimple on his right cheek. This was all Attuma needed as confirmation. He knew would have to make a call to Cha’toh and Namora knowing the two would be curious about their nephew’s new teacher and environment for their nephew.

He knew the question was coming, fidgeting while he kept looking at Attuma with expecting eyes as if trying to find the courage within himself to ask. Even though he already blurted it in front of Okoye, he needed to ask him again.

“Papa, will you come to my field trip with me?” Kian asked for the second time, though this time with big pleading eyes hoping Attuma would give a solid answer. He knew that would be a tight fit with the incoming meetings and prep that would need to be done to monitor sharks. But it was still early and just maybe he could push off some of his work to do at night instead of the day of the field. Kian climbed into the back seat of the truck and sat his backpack next to him, but before Attuma could help he had already placed his own seatbelt on.

“I think it would be nice to go and I don’t see why not,” Attuma smiled seeing his son already search his backpack for the permission slip Okoye gave him.

◈◈◈

Attuma followed close behind the small group of students who in return stayed close to Okoye. Loud chatter echoed in the Aquarium, following the pathway that led outside to the back of the Aquarium. A wading area that connected to a few sting rays area netted section and nurse sharks in another. This area was exclusive for school trips that day, separating school groups from the public to make sure they were given undivided attention.

The excitement practically vibrated off the students, Okoye explaining marine facts about the animals they were going to interact with today. With gentle guidance, any students that tried to slow their pace Attuma was there to help them stick with the rest of the group. His attire was light, wearing a black tank top with dark blue swim trunks. His hair was tied into a bun to keep it out of his face and out of the water.

Attuma was content with keeping an eye on towels, ice coolers, and other belongings. He kept quiet to observe and make sure the headcount of students remained the same while enjoying hearing the students chat lively about aquatic life. He helped with securing life jackets on the students and made sure their swim shoes were secured. His son was too busy making friends to pay him any mind. He didn’t realize that he had been so absorbed in his thoughts and monitoring that he hadn’t noticed Okoye was beside him.

“I feel that this morning was a bit hectic trying to get everything on the school bus and off and I hadn’t had the moment to tell you Hello and well thank you for coming,” Okoye mused gently touching his arm. Okoye wore a red shirt over her bikini top, though it was knotted in the back with her sleeves rolled up. Her black shorts and shoes were lined with accents of red to match her shirt. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, while she wore black square-frame sunglasses and smelled of sunblock. She was distracting to him her ruby lips and blind smile still making his stomach flip.

“It’s okay and no problem. And thank you for bringing me coffee this morning, we both were rushing out of the house this morning. Even with packing most of our stuff last night.” A light chuckle rumbled from Attuma’s chest only for him to flash a grin afterwards.

Okoye gave a brief fond smile while overlooking her group of students, “First field trip?”

“Not since Pre-K. But it's nice to be able to get a chance to do it again.”

“Well, I know that you said you have two projects coming up; Just let me know when you’re available we would love to have your help again.”

Attuma couldn’t help but nod, loving the way her smile brightened up her face while she looked at him. And the way his stomach seemed to do those flutters of nervousness as if he was a young teen again.

As much Attuma wanted Okoye to stay and ask more about herself he instead kept quiet. He watched while she gathered the attention of her students to give them directions about listening to the instructors and herself. She mentioned that she would be asking them questions about the baby cow nose stingrays when they do come out.

Two instructors were with their group though it was Attuma who was asked to help kids down the steps into the wading pool. He couldn’t help the snort at seeing how easily the water reached close to his thighs, while the water to the children either reached their waists or had some of them floating already. Okoye stayed close to the students whose feet didn’t fully reach the floor. Kian held Okoye’s hand while wading through the water, his nervous look quickly replaced with a grin. Attuma didn’t mind the few kids who stuck close to his legs, while holding hands with another child until they felt confident in the water themselves.

In the water was a light blue slide shaped into a U but submerged, that was adjusted to the height of the first graders. This was close to the opening gate where cownose stingrays would come out onto the slide before going back into another section of their holding area that led back to their Aquarium. The kids lined up around the slide, awaiting with curious eyes as one instructor was close to the opening of the holding area and another slipped under the water to get to the center of the U-shaped slide. Buckets of ice clams, shrimps, and various other foods that the cownose ate lined the inner part of the slide. The young instructor pulled the attention of the class, introducing herself with a smile before she started asking questions to kids to tell her about what they believed the cownose looked like. And how big the aquatic animal got and just what was its favorite food.

Each answer was met with matching excitement from the instructor, while she signaled for the other instructor to open the gate for one of the cownoses to come out. An excited stingray shot out and up onto the slide, splashing some of the students while it moved around in search of the buckets of food or hands to touch its nose. Collectively the kids that stood around the slide all tried to take a step back from being splashed or just not expecting the cownose stingray to rush around the curve so fast. With Okoye’s encouragement and assurance that they were okay along with the instructor, the kids got closer dropping the food for the stingray to take or even gently touching its nose. Soon those that were clinging to Okoye or even Attuma went close to the peak as another stingray came out in search of food just like the first one.

“Their skin feels all funny! Like sandpaper!” A kid exclaimed.

“It's similar to sharks. It's made of tiny teeth called p-placoid?” Kain stammered out while reaching to touch the cownose once more.

Attuma hummed in approval while he and Okoye seemingly spoke at the same time. Both of them stating, “Yes, Placoid scales.”

The introduction to stingrays seemed short to the children as the group was reluctant to leave the wading pool. The students tried to haggle with Okoye to see if they could at least get five more minutes to see the cownose stingrays again. Pouty faces were swayed with promises that the stingrays would be seen again in their habitat.

The next demonstration revolved around nurse sharks which instead of the kids going into the water. All were lined up on a pier that looked into the wading area, while there was an instructor in the waters. Teaching the kids about the nurse shark’s habitats, their diet and even their temperament. A volunteer was asked to see if anyone wanted to feed the nurse sharks, and to Okoye’s surprise, Attuma volunteered. The lively chatter from his own son seemed to make the rest of the class clamor with excitement that Attuma was now helping the instructor feed the nurse sharks. Even picked one up to show just how long in length the docile sharks can get.

Attuma remained polite, assuring he was there to help the instructor, trying to ease the nervousness of when the other found out about his profession. Attuma only gave detailed answers when the instructor asked for one or if one of the kids asked. Okoye watched intently, loving every moment of it. Even as nurse sharks began to lazily swim around him before piling on one another to see if Attuma had more food for them. Even as the instructor tried to get the nurse sharks' attention, the pile stayed close to Attuma’s feet.

“Told ya, sharks liked my dad!” Kian proudly stated which only made the rest of the class look in awe. The field trip ended smoothly, with Attuma and Okoye helping the children pile back into the school bus and also placing everything back into the empty seats. By the time they arrived back at the school, the evening was late and most of the children were asleep due to being in the sun and excitement from the day wearing off.

Attuma stayed with Okoye making sure each child left home with their parents and even helped her put away some of the field trip items in her car. Well as best as he could while holding Kian in one arm and still carrying items in his other arm.

“Attuma, you really shouldn’t have. You can go, so you and Kian can rest.”

“Nonsense we’re almost done and I want to make sure you get into your car safely too. “ Okoye parted her lips but smiled once she finally closed the trunk of the car as the last item was loaded.

“Thank you for everything. I think a class vote was done without either one of us noticing and they want you to come to the rest of our field trips now for the year, “she teased.

Attuma chuckled and gave a light shrug only to rub his son’s back who shifted in his sleep.

“If I have the time to attend, I would love too. Drive safe, Ms. Okoye. “

Attuma turned to head in the direction of his own car but slowed his step to glance about Okoye who had open her own driver’s side door.

“Ms. Okoye?”

“Yes?” Her response came so quickly. She felt herself become flustered to appear so eager to stretch the conversation she had with him.

“If you’re not busy, would you be interested in coffee or dinner outside of work?”

“Yes. I would love that.”

Attuma held onto his son to come near her car, trying to fumble for his phone to get Okoye’s number. But instead Okoye gave her phone to him.

“Here, it would be easier for me to just call you and text.”

He felt his face grow warm and nodded, while he quickly tapped in his phone number before handing her phone back.

◈◈◈

Kian padded down the hallway trying to hold his bundle of toys, and pillows and along dragging his favorite blanket in tow. His pile of items on the dark blue couch grew bigger as he kept going back to his room to retrieve more things. Cartoons were playing on the large flat screen tv, propped on the wall near the kitchen. Attuma leaned in front of the large panel like a mirror, trimming his beard carefully but still glancing at his son who looked like a blur running back and forth by the doorway. Attuma was glad to have made the choice in selecting a home that was one story. With a curious kid that loved to sprint to everything, he just wished there was more carpet. Keeping a towel around his bare shoulders, he pulled his wet hair into a bun before looking at his beard and eyebrows again. The scent of his evergreen soap complimented his woodsy cologne he sprayed on his chest and arms after his shower.

“Don’t you think you have enough things for tonight, kiddo?”

“No way! Auntie Ora is coming and I want to show her all my new toys while we watch movies and stay up all night!” Kian squeaked out from excitement as another loud crash of toys landing on the floor was heard.

The young boy skidded to a stop in the doorway to look up Attuma with a big dimpled grin that could mirror his own. His dark blue long sleeve shirt and pants were covered in various sharks. Damp wavy locks pulled back into a neat singular braid that went past his shoulders. His feet were covered in his shark slippers that matched his pajamas for that night. A set that his son had chosen for himself after his bath time.

“She even said she was ordering pizza for us, papa!” Kian exclaimed.

“Remember our deal for tonight. No-” Attuma started to say until he was interrupted.

“No soda or candy close to bedtime and listen to Auntie Ora, I remember Papa.” Kian blurted out while he seemed to bounce on the tips of his slippers and heels. Kian’s dark brown eyes sparkled with humor and excitement. Attuma swearing his son was more excited about his date then he or Okoye was.

“Did you see my note to help you tell you about the things Ms. Okoye likes?”

“Mm, you mean the little note that was shoved into my slack pockets when I went to look for a shirt to wear. Of course,” Attuma quipped.

“You have to keep that with you, Papa just for Ms. Okoye it will prevent you from telling those dad jokes you like to tell me”, Kian crossed his little arms while nodding his head.

“What? My dad's jokes are great and I am a little hurt that you think she won’t like them.”

“Papa, no. Promise you won’t tell her any of those tonight, Ms. Okoye is cool!”

Attuma chuckled which only made Kian puff out his cheeks in protest and belly ache in response. “Dad, please. You have to promise me you won’t!” Attuma merely flashed a mischievous grin only to make Kian immediately tug at his pants leg and shake. The boy wrapped himself around his leg, holding on tightly while Attuma tried to walk back into his own bedroom.

“Dad!”

“Alright, alright I promise. Let me finish getting dressed before your Aunt gets here okay?”

This made Kian give a suspicious look but he did pull away once Attuma threatened to tickle him. Attuma went to his closet going through his selection of button down shirts he could wear that evening. He held onto his solid black button down until his son insisted he wear the midnight blue one with his black blazer. That choice lasted for a good five minutes before Kian remembered that Okoye’s favorite colors were red and yellow. And if he didn’t have any shirts that color, maybe bringing flowers of those favorite colors could work.

The sound of the doorbell and knock to his front door made Kian run out of the bedroom, yelling that he would answer it. Attuma ran after him hastily buttoning his shirt, gently scolding his son about answering the front door. With Kian barely reaching the top lock Attuma was able to stop his son from opening the front door. Though this didn’t stop the young one from peeping behind him when the door was finally opened.

“Auntie Ora!”

“I'm surprised you’re not waiting by the door considering you’ve been fretting by this day all week.” Namora jested, instantly kneeling to grab her nephew who squeezed past Attuma to jump into her arms. Namora wore a blue and orange ombre sun dress that covered her tanned sandals, her own zipped up jacket thrown over shoulder in case she got cold while babysitting. Her hair was pulled into a bun, fashioned with small orange flower shaped clips that matched her dress.

“Mm, well considering someone wanted to do their best whale splashes in the bathtub and I still needed to get ready afterwards. But I still have some time before I need to leave,” Attuma remarked, moving to open the door wider for her, he reached to tickle his son who squealed and wiggled in Namora’s arms while she came inside. He took the moment to finish getting ready once Kian started to show his Aunt all of his toys. The two instantly engage in conversation about what type of pizza should be ordered.

With his blazer over his arm, Attuma fished out his keys and shot Okoye a text that he was on the way to pick her up. With the movie Nemo already starting on the tv, Kian remained cuddling against his Aunt but still waved goodbye to Attuma.

“Don’t be nervous.”

“I won’t be.”

“That's not what my nephew told me when you met her for the first time. “

Attuma didn’t acknowledge that statement but instead pointed at both of them.

“Don’t stay up too late, “he said, giving a wink to his son who all but waved and giggled at the tickles Namora gave him.

Attuma was definitely nervous the further he drove from his home. Just from the small fidgeting in the car, and the way he felt as if he couldn’t breathe when he met Okoye at her front door. The crimson form-fitting dress held a low cut in the front of her breasts. A semi-high split on the sides showed off her legs some. The way her braids were loose though her charms were different from her normal ones. Pearl cuffs that went with her teardrop earrings and necklace.

It’s been years since Attuma had this much fun with someone let alone on a date. Once he had gotten over his nerves, dinner had gone smoothly at the high-end beach restaurant. A sweet wine that made both of them lean into one another while they walked the beach with shoes in hand. Trading stories about their jobs when they were younger, silly stories that made their laughter just a little louder. Gentle squeezes to hands and gazes that sent warmth to their bellies. Their date was perfect that night. ◈◈◈

Giggles came from them both while they tried to keep their voices down while in his car. Attuma pushed the seat back as far as it could go while Okoye moved to try to straddle his waist. The sudden honk of his car horn startled them both before they both laughed. Neither wanted to part just yet with the way their hands roamed over one another. Okoye’s ruby lips leaving kiss prints on Attuma’s neck and cheeks before their lips met again. He knew he should have stopped to take off his glasses but the way her full lips parted for him he pushed the thought away.

Her warmth wrapped around him while her tongue brushed against his, her hips occasionally grinding into him. His seat faintly creaked from both of them squirming trying to touch one another. Attuma felt his breath leave him when her hands slowly went into his hair, his heart rapidly beating as he whispered,“Okoye, I could stay if you-”. Startled screams suddenly came from both when Attuma’s seat suddenly went fully back along with the sound of metal snapping underneath their combined weight.

With Okoye being so close the two lightly headbutted one another causing both of them wince in pain.

“Damn it-”

“Are you okay?”

Yes. But are YOU okay?” Okoye repeated back to Attuma, rubbing her forehead while she looked at him.

“Yeah, nothing like having your life flash before your eyes when you feel yourself falling back into a chair or well in the car,” he chuckled lightly. Okoye tried her best to sit up while still straddling Attuma which her shuffling only caused her to honk the horn again.

“You’re going to wake up your neighbors,” Attuma teased with a faint chuckle, gently massaging her hips.

“Mm, if that doesn’t, I'm sure the screams would do it. While we stumbled out of your car looking like two foolish teens that we’ve been caught” she laughed carefully pulling Attuma’s fogged-up glasses off his face.

Like clockwork, her neighbor's porch light came on which made Attuma and Okoye scramble out of the car with muffled laughter.

[tessa-quayle]

This brilliant fluffy fic is a coffee shop TLOU alternative universe on steroids.

Like completely alternative where er’body lives. No outbreak. Joel is a smartmouth GC and father of two (Sarah and Ellie). Runs the shop with Tess. And the OFC remains slightly insufferable. 🤣

(no significant warnings. it’s a meet cute+annoyed. brief reference to Ellie’s mom dying in childbirth).

what I like to call making muffins of us

Grace couldn’t say that the man who appeared to be robbing the coffee-shop was easy on the eyes, because everything about him looked hard, his dark eyes, the angle of his jaw, his broad shoulders, and that ass in those worn jeans, but she had to admit he was hot as fuck.

Keep reading

[tessa-quayle]

a Last of Us x Lasso masterlist

this is @jomiddlemarch​'s list.  i’m the annoying friend who will create a masterlist of a fanfic series you’ve written for The Last of Us (TV) and Ted Lasso.  sorry not sorry.  however, i will genuinely apologize for the amateur-hour board i assembled.

@jomiddlemarch has written for multiple fandoms - she has 800+ works on AO3. she writes great fics as quickly as i make myself coffee every morning.  like how and what the fuck.  (yes I'm also the roy kent of every friend group).  she’s fucking brilliant and I felt compelled to catalog.

this loose fit crossover series reads a bit better on her AO3.  

summary: angsty slow-burn romance between Joel Miller and Grace Yang (OFC), Jackson’s town physician.  Ted Lasso AU crossover with Ted and Beard.  Ellie, Maria, Tommy are here.  In this house we love Tess.  Other original characters include Lauren (Grace’s friend) and Kian (Grace’s partner while she was at the Seattle QZ).  Set between seasons 1 and 2.  Ted bakes, Beard philosophizes.  Joel and Grace mostly banter and occasionally get down and dirty.  Ellie is Ellie.

main pairing: Joel Miller x Grace (OFC)

ratings: mostly teen or mature (3 fics are slightly explicit)

warnings/notes: grief, mourning, trauma, sexual tension, post-apocalyptic domestic life, medical stuff, mentions of food, references to music and books, oral sex and rough sex (slightly explicit), fluff, coffee shop AU (i know, but trust me it works), airport AU, one fic alludes to miscarriage, profanity 

loose (head)canon for the OFC: Grace is stubborn, weary, does no harm but takes no shit.  Firefly-adjacent during her time in the Seattle QZ.  She’d finished her medical training at the time of the outbreak, so she’d be in her 40s in Wyoming.  (I initially chose Constance Wu as a visual stand-in cause she has a great resting bitch face, IRL she hails from Virginia, and I thought that Southern connection would be nice for Texan Joel Miller but out of chaos changed my mind and opted for Canadian actress Grace Park as a face-claim - same name a coincidence - since she’s older, about the same age as Pedro, and who among us didn’t love her in Battlestar Galactica?  So say we all)

word counts: range from 1.5K-3K

links to the vignettes/chapters below the cut - some of the AO3 stories are accessible if you’re a registered user.  these do not need to be read in order. 

my happiness depends on you - AO3 -  Grace and Joel search for supplies

that might as well be the first sign of the apocalypse - AO3 Tumblr - intro to Ted and Beard in the Jackson universe

your voice is soft like summer rain - AO3 - postcoital angst

y’all know it tastes like garbage? - AO3 - Tumblr - @jomiddlemarch​ hits it out of the park with Ted’s voice in this fic - all the fucking kudos for this one 

good French cooking cannot be produced by a zombie cook - AO3 - Tumblr - Ellie cooks for Joel and Grace, chaos ensues 

but I could never love again - AO3 - Joel and Grace in a bathtub

I walk the line - AO3 - Tumblr - Joel and Grace in the wilderness 

you turned my whole world upside down - AO3 - Tumblr - Joel, Grace, and Ellie banter over beverages

what I like to call making muffins of us - AO3 - Tumblr - the coffee shop AU in which Tess conspires with Grace

turn and face the strange changes - AO3 - Tumblr - Beard speaks, and a fun and respectful nod to a brilliant fic by @laiqualaurelote​

kindness and lies are worth a thousand truths - AO3 - Tumblr - Grace fixes Joel’s dislocated shoulder.  They miss Ted and Beard’s trivia night. 

where might I be, if I were not here? - AO3 - Tumblr - Joel takes care of Grace, hurt/comfort with a side of oh-wait-the-one-bed trope

because you saw me when I was invisible - AO3 - Tumblr - no outbreak hospital AU, Joel and Grace fake-date 

it is love, not reason, that is stronger than death - AO3 - Tumblr - tfw fucking is a coping mechanism for grief (smut)

but ah, united, what reverse we have! - AO3 - Tumblr - fluff and grumpiness - Joel, Grace, Beard, and Ted play charades

and there’s no way back to where we’ve been - AO3 - Tumblr - airport AU - pre and post outbreak.  Did Joel and Grace run into one another during another lifetime? 

only true things even when she wasn’t quite sure what was true - AO3 - Tumblr - oral sex (get it, Grace) (smut)

on the cold earth under the cold sky - AO3 - Tumblr - illness and sadness.  Joel is a kind partner.  Quick mention of Sarah’s mom.

time, doing this to me, may alter too - AO3- Tumblr - when two middle aged folks engage in shower sex - tw: low back pain (smut) 

there are shadows because there are hills - AO3 - Tumblr - bittersweet angst, probably the most authentic and cathartic read you’ll have on this hellsite about these heavy topics (miscarriage, life shit).  Ellie asks Grace questions.  Grace doesn’t tell Joel.

but simply an irrevocable condition - AO3 - Tumblr - domestic lowkeyness with the whole gang: Joel, Grace, Ellie, Tommy, Maria, Ted, Beard

they do become more real - AO3 - Joel as a dad.  Comforting Ellie, referencing Sarah's mom.

[crqstalite]

some of my most recent poor little meow meows!

my own antonia moreno finally doodled (or known as lady spider-2087, a variation of miguel o'hara's spiderman). she/her. small. buff. consistently the angriest person in the room and likely the only one who goes toe to toe with miguel and comes away unscathed.

my hunter for @evertidings's when twilight strikes -- amali king. she/they, kian romancer (code word for: ready to cause problems alongside rylan for him <3) overly trusting and definitely will probably get her ass handed to her one of these days if she didn't have the gang with her.

my lead for @infamous-if, talis rose or, also known by her adoring fans as aphrodite. she/her, i really need to decide her romance soon before we get the second chapter. too many good options! i think this picture is right after she says good bye to maya and sebastian though. very preppy and sweet, likely trying to get back into seven's good graces and is failing miserably.

and my exile for @exilethegame, ione kalesko -- plaithus' white wolf and current pain in the ass. they/them and a person of few words, currently stuck between whether they're romancing vethna or sabir. though sabir knew a more fun and sarcastic version of them.

[ my actual IF blog is @coruscqte ]

[frogblast-the-ventcore]

How does this description of the Men of Iron work?

Odin standing supreme among them and commanding all forces. It would assign forces to vector to a given contact area and lead Research and Development.

Sleipnir controlling all Heavy Walker and Titan units. Leading massive Siege Engines marching across the land on 4 legs and Bipedal Giants capable of moving with speed and grace nothing of their size should possess.

Geri controlling all Void Ships and Logistics Centers. Its fleet would ply the stars for resources to fuel the War Machine.

Freki controlling all Tanks and infantry. Leading a swarm of eight-legged Arachnid-Tanks and cold white-faced soldiers with spindly limbs across the land.

Finally, Huginn and Muninn to act as Testbed and Champion units meant to gather combat data and report it back to Odin to better adapt tactically and strategically. Odin had a list of special Combatants in the sector that Huginn and Muninn would engage and counter. The Majority of the list was normal. Asterion Moloc. Akenothep the Phaeron of Penance. Kaelista Hesperia of the Kabal of the Bloodied Fang. Autarch Morodin of Craftworld Kian-Ash.

Lorgar Aurelian.

Specialist Units include:

Striker: A high-tracked vehicle with the turret replaced by a bot's upper body, with weapons mounted on both arms and shoulders.

Archer: Gigantic armored motorcycle, with a railgun running down its length.

Demolisher: A very wide and flat tank that is open down the center with an embedded sonic cannon running down its length.

Avenger: Blocky tank that stabs struts into the ground and folds its treads / hover devices outward when it deploys to fire at greater velocities.

Surveyor: Large armored Sentinel with a rotating upper body mounting a large laser weapon.

Kataphractos: Six-legged spiderbot with an armed humanoid upper body.

Centurion: Resembles an Imperial Knight with blocky shapes.

Venator: Bipedal humanoid mech, with no head and no left arm, and a right arm made up entirely of an enormous gun that is nearly as long as it is tall. The rest of the upper torso is built to counterweight and dampen the recoil of this weapon.

Nemesis-class Megabot: A spider-bot with a wedge-shaped body and top-down symmetry, meaning that its top and bottom are identical and it can function perfectly fine by simply reversing its joints if flipped over. Retracts weapons and wraps its limbs around itself with right going around the underside and left going over to form a tunneling shape.

Executor-class Megatank: A gigantic quad-treaded tank that is relatively flat for its size, mounting multiple sets of multi-barrel battleship-like turrets over its treads and back. One open section on its back retracts to reveal a vertical missile-launching system.

Citadel-class Flying Fortress: A gigantic flying brick-shaped machine that, with gun turrets and missile launchers mounted on every side. Can fire nanolathing beams at the husks of downed units to bring them back into functionality.

The Men of Iron use what I call a 'killers & carriers' layout for their fleet. A bit over half their ships are offensive and the others are carriers of some variety, generally with higher capacities than yours for equivalent hull-sizes, in exchange for low firepower and toughness for ships that are higher than Imperial Extremis-Grade. Most ships have no Warp drives because of the on-site construction doctrine, allowing them to squeeze out a bit more direct combat performance. Because the resource link can't be stretched across the distances that space battles work on, the Men of Iron rely on their assault boats to reclaim matter to bring back to be fed into further construction, hence the emphasis on carriers to a degree exceeding that of almost any other faction. Against intact ships the assault boats will deliver a payload of boarders, then spend some time chopping up the hull and filling their internal space with stuff to bring back. In general MoI ships don't look that different from Imperial, save for the lack of ornamentation and more blunt prows / slightly boxier shapes. They use plasma / particle / lance rather than solid shot, since the latter throws away too much for little gain. The Summit is very wide, while the Meridian is a super-dedicated carrier, with almost the entire thing taken up by launch bays. If you stripped out the launch bays, you'd have little left besides a nose, a reactor at the back, and the engines and spine. Ships that can construct will be able to construct faster if they enter link range, but otherwise get no benefits.

Units Huginn and Muninn function as a Testbed for a new Titan unit known simply as the Aerial Titan. A Titan with advanced Reactionless flight systems allowing it to fly in both Air and Space. Think the Gundam Phenex and Unicorn from Gundam UC. This Titan usually has a shitton of plasma and Laser weapons but also a Power Sword. But is more than capable of equipping psychic superweapon like Webway Breachers similar to the Dark Glass and Black Hole launchers like the Ones on the Speranza.

I would question the use of Norse deity names for the control units, considering the Men of Iron were made milennia into the future, but, again, whatever.

As for the units you described, they work, but also we know that they got really really weird with it too.

As to the Men of Iron ship looking like Imperial ships, I don't think they would. They were built at the pinnacle of humanity's first interstellar empire, which was a lot more Federation like than the current Imperium. So I think their ships would look more conventionally sci-fi but robotic, if that makes any sense.

[astrasalis]

starter: closed @ghcstlyhearts muses: finch + kian location: ravenwyck forest tw: mentions of blood + abuse

He didn't know for how long he's known it but Elijah Finch did not own the body he contained. Maybe he realized it the night he lost his hearing in his left ear, maybe it was the first day his father ever hit him, or maybe it was later that same day when his mother blamed him for getting in the way. In truth, Finch never belonged to himself, he always lived on borrowed time. Some days it was more noticeable than others, depending on the whims of the trees, or the whispers in the wind, all wide and willful.

Some days, like today, start with his tarot cards falling to the ground: the magician, the fool, and finally the page of cups.

Some days, like today, plans with friends fall through, leaving Finch with an open afternoon.

Some days, like today, Finch goes to Ravenwyck forest to practice defensive magic.

Some days, like today, the trees twist and bend and curl around Finch, leaves in his eyes, wind in his ears. Help him, Finch. Whispered at first, then shouted across miles and miles of trees. "Help who?" Help him! HELP HIM! They raise their branches, graceful as dancers mid-flight, before parting a path down the forest line. He remembered the fortune from this morning, you will leap into the unknown and come away with a happy surprise. He paused for only a moment, looking down to his hands, these fingers he could never really call his own before raising his head. He runs down the open path, the wind kissing his temples all the while, pushing each step faster and farther than before. Despite the truth, despite the fear of it, Finch was loved by the thing that saved him. So he was confused, if not terrified when he came into a clearing to find a great big bear.

Its head was tilted back in an open growl--roar?, teeth sharp and stained as it continued to struggle. Somehow, the bear had gotten its leg tangled up in some kind of net, and the more it struggled the tighter the rope got, so much so that it burned a line across the bears thigh, beads of blood dripped from the net. He felt a little sick to his stomach at the sight of it. He knew what it was like to struggle against the inevitable, the desperation to claw your way out, breath still in your lungs. Finch was afraid, but he reminded himself, this body was not his own, so he should not be afraid of what it should have to endure.

Some days, like today, Finch was brave and took a step towards the great big bear. "I'm here to help, will you let me help?" His voice was soft, his hands--calloused from years of abuse and hard work--came up to show he meant no harm.