#he can’t mew forever and that’s what makes him beautiful

[takeyourprecioustime]

When Dean relaxes or lays down and he gets that lil slight double chin reblog if you agree

[sfznyxio]

-ˋˏ HEADLINES ˎˊ

SYNOPSIS. following the success of the recruitment process and their first concert, this odd combination of a band becomes busy these days. thus, they hired a manager to keep track of their schedules. and to an extent, deal with their shenanigans that may or may not feature on the news.

CHARACTERS. argenti, aventurine, jingliu, kafka, robin

CONTENT. gn!reader. celebrity au, musician au, modern au. comedy, fluff. 1.1k wc. inspired by the concert animated commercial: “before the show begins”. canon elements (jingliu - powers; aventurine - cake cats; robin - halovian features). reader’s the straight man in this chaos. cameos from yanqing (argenti, jingliu), stelle (argenti, jingliu, kafka) and caelus (aventurine, robin). brief mentions of ruan mei (aventurine) and sunday (robin). word vomit for the most part.

VERA. happy pride month, bitches. what a good way to start off the month watching the haikyuu movie, seeing volleyball boys stare at each other intensely and metaphorically stab their friends in the neck. all i can say is that the animation was insane. speaking of insane, the hsr concert was released to celebrate the game’s first anniversary. “sway to the cosmos” is my favorite out of the setlist, and i even made it as my train jam. imagine seeing it live though… i die. i had to look up what instrument jingliu plays and i strongly believe it’s an erhu based on how it looks. i kinda don’t like this; i have no idea what i wrote. it’s my worst attempt at being funny lol.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. ARGENTI

drummer argenti preaches ‘scripture of beauty’ to fans

“hey! what’s the ‘scripture’ supposed to be? actually, who is idrila? look, you can’t spout names like that and not expect a scandal to not happen.” argenti seems to be in the zone while dancing with his fans at the park, so he most likely didn’t hear what you just said. you glance at stelle and yanqing to get him to snap out of it, but they’re completely drained, on the floor from being dragged into the spotlight earlier.

“my lovely manager! since you’re here, you must be interested in being a follower?” not at the very slightest, but the name argenti throws out and about drives news outlets and his fans up on the walls. that may put the drummer at risk of being a subject of misunderstandings and fanwars, which is why you’re here in the first place. you can feel the stares of his audience burning into your skull, so you extend your hand to “express” your interest.

“wonderful. now, let us dance under the name of beauty!” throughout it all, everything blurs out. not even five minutes in, you’re exhausted out of your mind, unsure if argenti has given you useful information about his charade. in the end, you gather more questions than answers, and practically leave the drummer to handle the potential messy aftermath. he’s an enigma; anyone can tell you he’s the eighth wonder of the world, and you’ll believe it.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. AVENTURINE

guitarist aventurine adopts scientist’s ‘sweet’ creations

“rise and shine. your cats won’t stop bothering me until you wake up, by the way.” all the feline pastry lifeforms on your head, shoulder, and feet mew in agreement. caelus somehow has collaborated with the scientist who created them, making some that resemble his friends, one of which is aventurine. the guitarist adopts his lookalike for fun at first, and now his house is their haven, which makes his issue of organization worse.

“hey, pretty boy! you better wake up, or i’ll sit on your face and suffocate you!” the synesthesia beacon in your phone picks up a translation from under aventurine’s arms. there’s a cake cat that resembles you, but do you actually sound like that when you’re upset? never mind that; the most important question here is why does he have a cake cat version of you here? well, he’s already behind schedule, so out of curiosity, you try out its suggestion. 

“okay, okay. i’m up.” the cat cake version of yourself huffs at him taking forever to get ready, but seems proud of making its threat happen with your help. aventurine sees five pairs of eyes staring at him, with one in particular full of disappointment for being inconsiderate. he promises to keep track next time, but you aren’t sure he’ll truly follow through if he’s convinced to expand his cake cat kingdom.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. JINGLIU

erhu player jingliu unleashes ice blades at passersby

“for the last time, the people who watched you perform gave you strales because they appreciate your talent. this is the fourth time this week of scaring them with your sword.” you note a careful distance between the passerby and jingliu, who resumes playing her erhu like it’s none of her business. stelle has learned it the hard way so luckily she has you to deal with the erhu player. the first victim of her powers slips out from a tree to wish you luck with a thumbs up.

“ah, has that young man come yet? i would like to have a spar with him.” jingliu’s referring to yanqing, another swordsman. he loves competition, so this entire street, or the entire city even, is screwed into becoming an icy wonderland. telling her that he’s not here, she returns to performing. you notice a brilliant idea coming into fruition as soon as she stops her bow halfway, and it already doesn’t sound good.

“manager, why don’t you spar with me? let’s see who will fall first.” you immediately refuse without a second thought. jingliu would win anyway as she’s more skilled with the sword and you have no powers, so it isn’t a fair fight to begin with. you’re just relieved that she didn’t unleash her icy blades for the fifth time, and that you make it alive throughout the confrontation.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. KAFKA

violinist kafka sends many clothes stores bankrupt

“listen… i get that you look great in everything and all, but do you think this is way too much?” you gesture to the cart overflowing with concert outfits. kafka hums in contemplation as she examines her next purchase in the mirror, then nods in approval which seals the deal.

“oh, you think so too? alright then, i’ll have stelle handle all payments as usual.” stelle averts her gaze away to avoid your temper, pretending as if she didn’t enable the violinist’s unlimited shopping spree. you can sense the employees fearing for their livelihoods that are at stake, and you can feel like yours will be at the state soon if this keeps up. scolding kafka to unload everything in the cart, the wave of relief in the staff washes away when she reveals a special trick up her sleeve.

“what about your wardrobe? surely you can’t wear the same exact thing everyday, don’t you think?” kafka jabs into one of your weaknesses: the lack of variety in your closet. it’s important to appear presentable as the band manager, but your uniformity gives you not a lot of room to try out different combinations. the only hope of this store is gone, and so is the store itself as soon as the credit card is swiped.

𝄞༉‧₊˚. ROBIN

singer robin disappears once again from photoshoot

“when your brother finds out you snuck out again, he will kill me in the most painful way possible.” whenever you bring that man up, always in the worst case scenario, robin responds with a smile as reassurance that he won’t hurt you when she’s around. but it’s more like she won’t get in trouble, leaving you to shoulder the blame.

“don’t worry! caelus will take care of everything. ah, i hope i wasn’t too late.” the self-proclaimed master of stalling strikes again. knowing that man, robin’s confidence in caelus is astounding. because sooner or later, he’ll find out that she’s at a toy store with you to buy the limited edition of a clockie figurine. the singer will be happy, and you’ll end up dead in a ditch probably.

“oh no, photographers are here. can you cover for me?” robin tucks her wings beside her face so they can fit under her mask. while she browses through the aisles, you direct the photoshoot team outside, hopefully far enough from the store to remain off radar from her brother’s watch. you pray that caelus comes back in one piece as well as yourself. the cost of making a halovian’s day brighter, especially if she’s a famous singer and has a control freak of a sibling, is quite risky.

[life-rewritten]

THE GIANTS OF THAI BL 2020 AKA SHOWS STEALING MY HEART IN NOVEMBER

UPDATE AND UPCOMING ANALYSIS NOVEMBER 2020

It's the moment I've been waiting for since the excruciating silence of Thai BLS during the lockdown. It's November, the month of thanksgivings, the month of pre-Christmas jitters, nanowrimo and the month that has finally made me realise we are so close to ending this godforsaken year. Still, most of all, November means that we are getting buttloads of shows that are about to take my breath away. This year has been such an exciting year for BLS because of the increasingly amount of companies and directors willing to produce and release different types of BLS. In this list, we have awaited sequels, delicious plotlines and shocking comebacks. But most of all we have lots and lots of romance and men. Which of these have you been waiting for? Let me know. Let's squeal about it. November is going to be so great!

Ratings: From 1 to 5 (1 being least excited to watch, 5 being most,) how excited am I to delve into these shows?

Shows already airing

1.I TOLD SUNSET ABOUT YOU/ INTERPRET, MY LOVE, WITH YOUR HEART

Genre/Themes: Romance, Melodrama, Coming of Age, Angst, Drama, Childhood friendship

Country: Thailand

Verdict: So finally I rise from the memories of poorly produced bls, and pains of bad acting, and toxic writings, and traumas of stiff actors and homophobic agendas to finally say that without a doubt. Nadao has produced another masterpiece after my other favourite (Non) BL; Greater Man academy. Nadao stuns me, and for a very long time, I couldn't understand that this was how everyone was feeling, one because I wasn't fully educated or in the know about the company, I only saw tv shows in Thailand that were produced by GMMTV and to be honest I didn't think there was anything else above that standard in shows apart from Lakorns and Movies. (I know Sacrebleu) Getting to know and watch Nadao shows has been an experience, and for BL, I am hooked and ready for what else they have to offer. The only qualms that prevent me from gushing about the show are how international fans are treated. It took me a very long time to forgive ITSAY for its subbing platform (and price range), and that's why I refused to watch it with positive feelings. After episode 2 though, I'd be a fool to hold on to resentment when there is no doubt that this BL (despite not knowing if it's a sad ending. I'd hate if it is but it wouldn't change anything) is the best BL of this year. With ridiculous, incredible production, outstanding breathtaking cinematography, beautiful and talented actors and writing so good it blows me away. Episode 2 left my heart in pieces, but in a good way, I haven't recovered from the angst.

Ratings: 4.5/5 Would have been a 5/5 if the pricing made sense but also I'm terrified about a sad ending which I won't be too happy about.

2. FRIEND FOREVER/ OUR LOVE IS SICK

Genre/Themes: Romance, Music, Coming of Age, Angst, Drama, Childhood friendship, Rich vs poor,  Bullying 

Country: Thailand

Verdict: It's a pity this show is not available for international fans. Because I think people would actually love this show the way I do. It's so precious, reminds me so much of my first ever BL Lovesick (made by the same production team so makes sense) but better. What can I say about this show, really adorable cast, actually so good on the screen, great chemistry, and good storylines that keep me hooked. I am so in love with surprisingly one of my favourite couples this year Tin and Sea. I have such a great time watching this show, and I enjoy also analysing and just piecing together some of the mysteries in the show. It's been so good so far, and I can't wait for more. The first episodes are a little slow-paced, but it gets better as you keep watching it. I'd advise you to watch the director's cut because that has all of the storylines in the episode instead of the tv version which is more censored and has a lot of deleted scenes that mess with the flow of the storyline. Still, one of my favourite Thai shows right now. 

Ratings: 4/5  I think 4/5 is a fair score just because of some confusion when trying to watch it internationally and getting the right version and I do think the story feels like a whiplash between the different styles of writing of the main two couples. Go watch this though if you haven't, dm me and I'll show you how. 

NON-THAI

3. GAYA SA PELIKULA

Genre/Themes: Romance, Drama, Comedy, Angst, LGBTQ+ Education, Contract relationship, Haters to lovers

Country: Philippines 

Verdict: Normally with verdicts, I have so much to say about a show, also when I analyse I can write essays and essays of information. When it comes to this show, I'm speechless. I'm in awe; I'm crying just even trying to explain how great this show is. How great Fridays are because of this show. How upsetting and damaged I am when the end of the episode occurs, I literally mourn waiting for the next episode the next week because it's too long. This show pulls you in, and it never lets you go. I'm mindblown by the writing of this show, mindblown by the acting, by the production, music, but most of all I have become a mess because of this meta in this show. I have cried so much because of how much I care about this show, the characters are all fleshed out, are so powerfully written, and emotionally tugs at your heartstrings whilst still educating and representing LGBTQ community fantastically. I don't know what we did to deserve a show like this. Maybe its because after years of waiting for something to finally show up and just be unproblematic and be so great with no questions, no confusions, no struggle, this show is just that. And I will be forever thankful to the whole team that brought this to us

Ratings: 5/5 I would give this more than 5 if I could. That's how much this show means to me. 

4. CHERRY MAGIC 

Genre/Themes: Romance, Comedy, Supernatural, Office drama, Slice of Life

Country: Japan

Verdict: Kurosawa and Adachi. That's it. That's the reason for the 5/5 stars when it comes to watching this show. First of all, I like Japanese romantic comedy shows, and anime, and manga. So seeing cherry magic come to life as this amazing form of that makes me so happy. Typically with Japanese BL, everything feels so serious sometimes, and then sometimes it feels too crazy and over the top. But Cherry Magic just feels like a warm hug when you watch it; you can't help your self but to smile and giggle at Adachi's adventures realising that he can read minds because he's a virgin at 30 years old. To add to that, he is given Kurosowa this incredible, amazing, wonderful non-toxic man who absolutely adores him and unconditionally is there for him. I just like what? Where do I get my own Kurosawa? Like it just feels so unfair haha. But really cherry magic is full of great acting, fantastic plot and unique as well. Every character is also written well, and all have interesting dynamics. We also have another side couple who is so funny and ridiculous but also just cute and heartwarming. I have a great time watching this show and the fact that it's ending on Christmas day? Already tells you what this show is, a gift and its a great one. 

Ratings: 5/5 I want my own Kurosawa. That's it. That's all I want Universe.

Shows Upcoming

5. THARNTYPE 7 YEARS OF LOVE

Genre/Themes: Romance, Drama, Comedy,  Mature, LGBTQ+ Representation, Internalised homophobia, Sequel

Country: Thailand

Verdict: This is a complicated show to gush about. First of all TharnType, the series in 2019 was one of my favourite shows that brought me back to this BL thing. I absolutely adore all the actors, and I also loved the storyline like I said before there's something about Mame's writing that I appreciate, I think most of her strengths is found in TharnType. Because of this, this sequel is one of my most anticipated show this year. However, I feel conflicted because I hate sequels. I hate couples having to go through the weird-ass, shallow, conflicts that just end up ruining the meaning of their previous show and leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth about the couple I once loved (Looking at you Together with me the next chapter still traumatised honestly). Enough of the negatives, Tharn and Type from the trailer looks like it's going to be a wild ride, I can even see the great chemistry that made me fall for MewGulf, and I'm so excited to see the new couples and characters. I also am so excited to see TECHNO again and laugh with him every Friday. We also know that the awaited wedding between our couple is also going to be in this show. And that's going to make me bawl like a baby. Let's hope we don't have too many toxic or troublesome storylines, let's hope we don't have too many breakups and fights (because that hurts so much seeing Mew cry) and let's hope we finally have a sequel that is better than its predecessor. 

Ratings: 4.5/5  This is how I feel about it, I don't think I can rate it as 5/5 because of all the worry and anxiety at what the storyline entails—still a great show to look forward to. 

6. MANNER OF DEATH

Genre/Themes: Romance, Crime, Mature, Angst, Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Haters to Lovers

Country: Thailand

Verdict: Think about it. Why wouldn't this be number one on everyone's list of upcoming BLS? We have the return of one of the best actors in this genre MaxTul the actual godfathers of Thai BL; we have an incredible team here with a director that has won multiple awards, with a storyline that is unique to Thai BL, we're getting crime, detective, mystery BL with mature characters who are not in university? As if that's not enough, we also have a really incredible plotline about this forensic doctor who falls in love with someone who we are not sure if we should trust because he could be a murderer! Like oooh yes please, the drama, the angst, the thrill?? I'm ready for this; I am so prepared to give my whole heart and attention on this show. I want it to be so good, to defeat the shows of 2019 that came and took our hearts away, to be the best BL ever. It's so difficult not to raise my expectations when it comes to this show when I know we have a great cast, great chemistry, non-stiff acting, and just a really non-toxic author as well. I look forward to this so much. Only issue/question? Where is the trailer? Hello WETV, where is our teaser? Why don't we know the date for when this is coming out? I want it out now. But I'll try and be patient okay? 

Ratings: 5/5 I can't think of how this show won't be good. And that's really worrying. But for now, I'll keep my expectations high and wait.

7. TONHON CHONTALEE 

Genre/Themes: Romance, Coming of Age, Angst, Comedy, Childhood friendship, GMMTV

Country: Thailand

Verdict: Podd and KHAOTHUNG, (my sun, my heart, my favourite person ever) Sorry just gushing over my two faves. GMMTV has shocked me this year with the announcement of this show. First of all, Khao gets to have a show where he's the main lead. I've been waiting for this, and I'm so proud and excited for him. Not only that obviously, but TonTonChontalee looks really good with a vibe of a  comedic spin to one of my favourite shows Theory of love. I am ready to see Podd act so stupid as Ton and at the same time sob when he finally realises that Chon is the one. I'm so ready to see Khao act his socks off, and the show looks so funny, so fun and just like the chemistry between two is definitely a winner. I cannot wait for this next Friday. And it also has Mike and Toptap! What's not to love? Seriously though I'm praying this is successful, and it helps both Podd and Khao to dominate GMMTV. Let's find out next Friday.

Ratings: 5/5 For Podd and Khaothung. Just worth the rating.

8. GEN Y THE SERIES

Genre/Themes: Romance, Drama, Comedy, Angst, 2moons Fanfiction, Haters to Lovers

Country: Thailand

Verdict: First of all 2 MOONS Reunion! What?? Very shocked to see this show tbh one because it's like a direct copy of 2moons the series; the same cast, the weird alternations to the same name, the same kind of plot as well. Channel 3 has finally decided to invest in BLs,  one of the biggest companies in Thailand, so the budget is high, the actors are known and famous, the production is good. This is so exciting to see. Also, 2moons was one of my favourite past BLs the whole time it was airing, and I had a massive affinity for Kimmon and Copter, so it's great to see them play their characters again but with a better budget and now glow up and grown. Their acting seems to have improved, Kit and Ming's storyline being the main focus is also really lovely to see. I also love seeing Bas and the other actors from other Bl series (The Moment actors) and I'm excited to know more about the new cast as well. So yeh this show has a great potential to win my heart as well, and the competition is not easy at all. But with a great company behind them and an exciting premise, this can also be a winner. 

Ratings: 4/5 I'm intrigued by this show, and I look forward to seeing what it brings.

November is such an exciting month for someone like me who just loves watching tv and analysing and just seeing romance bloom. These couples, stories and actors have a great potential to be the best things of 2020 so far, each of these shows holds evidence that they're worth paying attention to and honestly I've missed seeing Thai BLs that make me so excited so much. I've missed these actors, I've loved each and every one of them, and I can't wait to see them this month on my screen. What about you, guys? What do you look forward to? Who are your favourites? What are you worried about when it comes to these comebacks. Let's discuss.

[warriorsbutnotreally]

From The Ashes AU - Sparkstar's Nine Lives Ceremony - Writing Drabble

I've been stuck on this AU a lot so I decided to share some of my writings. For those new I wrote down the plot on how it started and then wrote allegiances

this is from the nine lives ceremony I mentioned in the former for Sparkstar, who now leads a Clan she named in honor of her grandfather's memory.

The air was still that night, two shapes walking along the tree-line with their bodies low and ears pinned down, fearing confrontation. The ground on this warm night felt like ice under Sparkpelt's paws as every little scuttling mouse or curious owl's call made her worry that she and Leafpool were going to get caught.

It had been some time since they had left ThunderClan and being back did not bring any comfort to the bright ginger she-cat.

Mom would've died for this place.. She did die for this place.. Her heart twisted as a sickening wave of grief had her pause for a brief moment as she looked up at the glittering sea of stars above her head. Which one of those are you, Squirrelflight?

She kept moving, glancing up every now and then to find the three brightest stars. One for her mother, one for her late mate Larksong, and one for her son who never got to grow up, Flickerkit.

"We're getting close," Leafpool hushed mew snapped Sparkpelt out of her thoughts as she glanced at the medicine cat. A medicine cat for a Clan that didn't even have a name yet. The thought was almost amusing. "Stick close. We can still be found by a patrol."

She bit her tongue as a smart remark almost left her maw. She was going to ask if her father, Bramblestar, would really drag them back to ThunderClan from the Moonpool, but seeing as Ivypool and Fernsong literally had to fight their way out to leave, she wouldn't be surprised.

The ice that tugged her paws down, trying to stick her in place, grew heavier as she caught a glimpse at the Moonpool for the first time in her life. The way the stars danced in the clear water made it look like the pool itself sparkled with the pelts of StarClan cats.

With a small motion of her head, Leafpool invited Sparkpelt to lap at the water, the brown tabby even taking the first drink to prove it was safe. Leaning down and lapping at the water, it felt so cool and fresh that her body relaxed, causing the molly to realize that her body had been tense with fear.

.

With a small blink, she found herself surrounded by a forest of shimmering trees, a breeze pulling at her fur unlike the stiffness of the forest she had experienced on her way here.

Before she could continue to register the awe-inspiring sight around her, she was greeted by a dark ginger shape rushing over and the feeling of rough, but loving licks to her head. A deep purr rumbled in her throat as she took in the familiar warm feeling and the achingly painful scent of her mother.

"Squirrelflight," Her voice cracked as she realized just how much she had missed her. The bittersweet feeling rose from her chest and to her throat, blocking her words as she struggled to speak. "I-"

"I'm happy to see you, too," The small she-cat, nuzzling her with such warmth. It felt like lifetimes ago that she was expecting kits and Squirrelflight had been right there beside her, comforting her and assuring her that she was going to be okay, even while the older molly had been fighting with Bramblestar. "How I wish I could be there for you and your kits and-"

She glanced at Leafpool, who stood there with a saddened smile.

"You did so much for us already," The brown tabby molly said, reaching one of her white paws out and resting it on Squirrelflight's. "You've done so much for me already. You deserve the rest."

Sparkpelt watched as a wordless conversation followed, their expressions changing ever so slightly as the only noise was the faintness of their breaths. After a long moment, Leafpool stepped back, dipping her head and glancing towards the bright ginger she-cat.

It's my turn to talk. She realized quickly, looking back at her mother.

"What you did for us - for ThunderClan and the Sisters - no one will ever forget," Sparkpelt promised. She refused to let herself forget that sacrifice made to save kits that wasn't even hers or her Clan's. "And I know it's a lot more to ask, but there's something we need - or at least need to know. You see, after you.. After you were gone, Leafpool and I left, followed by-"

"I know."

Sparkpelt blinked at the interruption.

She knows?

"I've been watching every moment," She assured, nudging her daughter's shoulder with her nose. "I know how you and Stormcloud have been working hard to make a safe and caring home for you and the other ThunderClan refugees. I know that Bramblestar is fighting tooth and claw to bring everyone back home because he's become blind with grief and rage."

She blinked more slowly this time, her green eyes shining even brighter than usual for a brief moment.

"And I know you're here for your nine lives."

Shock rippled through Sparkpelt.

"So-"

"StarClan is ready to gift you your lives. We talked for so long after you left, trying to determine if this was the right path. In the end, we are sure of it."

Behind the StarClan warrior, the queen saw the forest come to life with many shining cats, all of them holding their heads high with pride.

StarClan..

Squirrelflight stepped close, the warmth of her glittering body overwhelming Sparkpelt for a moment, like an inferno under the smaller she-cat's pelt. The younger she-cat felt that energy rush through her, burning at her paws like she was standing in flames, the crackling ringing in her ears as she could hear the distant shouts of her mother.

"With this life I grant you compassion," She murmured, eyes full of love and burning determination. "I don't regret how I ended up here. Bramblestar may have thought it was foolish for me to help cats I barely knew, but I was able to ensure the chance that three kits would be able to live and see the world."

Sparkpelt pulled Squirrelflight in for one last goodbye nuzzle before letting her mother step back.

Her lonely heart twisted more as another cat came forward, his dark pelt alight with many stars that danced in his eyes.

"Larksong.." His name fell from her maw before she could stop it and she longed to lay in a nest with him, to talk about everything and nothing all at once.

"Sparkpelt," He purred her name with such love and warmth that for a moment she felt secure and safe. He rested his chin on her head and she pressed against him, breathing in his scent for a long while. "I wish I could've stayed. I miss being with you with every breath I breathe.."

"I miss you, too," She felt herself about to weep. "I miss you so bad that it hurts. It feels so lonely without you."

He pulled away and her heart yearned for this to not be over.

"But you're not alone," He reminded her. "You've built your own family, one of many cats who can be there for you. And, even if you can't see me, I'm standing by your side forever and always."

She leaned forward again, wanting to feel his fur against his, but he lowered his head to where their foreheads were touching, their noses close.

"With this life I give you confidence. I believe in everything you do and I know you'll lead these cats well. You just need to be able to see it, too."

Their noses touched and Sparkpelt felt a shocking mix of being as light as a fallen feather and being as sturdy as stone. Like she could do anything and take on any foe. The feeling started to taper after Larksong pulled his head away.

"I'll be with you always." He meowed, stepping away to allow room for a much smaller shape to toddle over. The grief became overwhelming as little Flickerkit approached, his eyes bright and joyful at the sight of his mother.

"Mama!" He chirped, pressing his head to her leg. She leaned down to give him a lick, but was met with his nose touching hers, as if he had been expecting her to move to make it easier for him. "With this life I give you forgiveness. It's not your fault, okay? I'm not mad that I had to leave, so please don't be mad at you either."

Sorrowful sand coated Sparkpelt's tongue and the stone of loss made her throat ache.

"My beautiful kit," She whispered out. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Mama."

She managed to get a couple licks on his head before he ran over to Larksong, standing next to his father with such light in his eyes. Losing them so close to each other was still so hard for her to bare.

It took her a moment to notice that a new cat had approached - a white and speckled brown she-cat, whose eyes narrowed in such a sharp look that it felt like it stung the grieving she-cat.

"I'm Pebbleshine of SkyClan," She stated bluntly, her intense gaze fixed on Sparkpelt's eyes. "And if it were up to me, you wouldn't be the one getting these lives." Sparkpelt winced. "But I was outvoted, so instead I'm going to give you the life of acceptance."

She pressed her nose firmly against the ginger molly's, causing a small shock of pain with just how quickly she pressed her nose. A bright intensity filled her, followed by a warm flood, as if someone was letting out the first feeling.

"May you accept all cats, not just your own."

As Pebbleshine turned to walk away, it clicked suddenly to Sparkpelt on why something had been bothering her. This molly was Twigbranch's mother. They didn't look a lot alike, but they had the same general body shape.

After her approached another she-cat - a cat whose solid black fur shifted ever so slightly in a mix of emotions as she looked past Sparkpelt and to the she-cat next to her. There was another silent conversation, one of forgiveness and kindness, before the black she-cat turned to her.

"I'm Hollyleaf," The name shot many stories through Sparkpelt's head as she recalled it quickly. "I'm-"

"Lionblaze and Jayfeather's sister. I remember.. My mother and father raised you.."

She nodded before stepping forward.

"I died for my Clan, much like she did, but I made some grave mistakes along the way that I still wish I could take back, but I never gave up," She blinked slowly, her gaze becoming intense. "And I don't want you to give up, either. So with this life, I give you endurance. Use it to carry you and your Clan."

Sparkpelt wasn't ready for the burning, aching, tired feeling to erupt through her body. Her heart pounded in echoes through her ears and her legs quivered helplessly, but she found she could still stand, despite the soreness that clawed through every part of her.

As she was recovering, someone else stepped forward. A large golden cat, whose pelt somehow still had the soft cling of milk to it. Confusion settled over the fading pain as she noticed a look of love and affection in the molly's eyes.

"Who are you?" She asked quietly.

"I'm Goldenflower," Came the reply. "I'm Bramblestar's mother - your grandmother - and it's such an honor to finally meet you. I may have passed away so many moons ago, but to know my son had such a wonderful family kept me from letting myself wander too far."

"With this life I give you protection. May you fight for every life as if they were the lives of your kits."

A new feeling surged through, like fire and electricity, dragging out her claws in order to defend those around her from the shadows looming in the corners of her mind.

Blinking her eyes open, Goldenflower dipped her head and whispered a soft goodbye before stepping away.

Two more kits replaced the one queen - a dark brown tabby tom and a pale ginger she-cat. It took only one look at the tom for it to register just who these two were, even if she didn't have any actual memories of them.

"Juniperkit, Dandelionkit," She felt a faint sadness for never getting to know them, but she found it wasn't as intense as her sorrow for anyone else. It made her wish she had more time to get to know them, to give them the proper respect they deserved as her littermates. "You're so much bigger than I remember."

It wasn't the truth, but it was enough for the two kits to become giddy.

"I told you! She remembers us!" Dandelionkit boasted, holding her head high. Juniperkit stuck his tongue out before shoving his sister. She was about to shove back when Squirrelflight let out a cough, catching the kits' attention. "Oh! Yeah!"

Dandelionkit pressed her nose against Sparkpelt with such speed that it hurt much worse than when Pebbleshine had done it. She got a quick apologetic glance from her late sister before the kit spoke again;

"With this life I give you enthusiasm! You gotta enjoy every day you can!"

Kit-like energy spread through her body as she remembered playing with Alderkit in the nursery and chasing Bramblestar's tail as he tried to get things done around camp.

The buzzing feeling made her paws tingle, even after Juniperkit walked up for his turn.

"With this life I give you faith!" He declared loudly, shooting a smug look at Dandelionkit before turning back to Sparkpelt. "Even if things are looking bad, you gotta hang in there and know that there are cats there for you! So never ever give up!"

Emotions swirled through Sparkpelt's chest as bubbling feelings of fear and despair were suddenly washed out with new feelings of hope and confidence. Not the same soaring confidence that Larksong had given her, but enough to make the world just a bit brighter.

They all stepped away as a shape emerged from the crowd and Sparkpelt's eyes widened as a tom came forward. His flame-like pelt was the same stunning color as hers and she didn't even need to think about who this was. She had heard enough stories to fill the heads of many cats for moons to come.

"You're Firestar." She blurted out. He smiled and she realized just where her mother's warm and loving gaze came from.

"I am," He confirmed as he stood only a whisker or two away. "It's good to finally see my granddaughter. I would've loved to dote on you while I was alive, but I'm still so happy to get to see you."

It felt overwhelming in the moment. This was Firestar. She was a part of his legacy and suddenly the shame of how she had been acting before made her feel like an embarrassed little kit.

"With this, I proudly give you the life of love. From the kits born inside the nursery to cats who choose to wander, all your Clanmates are worthy of love."

When he pressed his nose to her, she felt as if she was floating, her heart swelling so much that it almost hurt. She could see everyone's faces as she closed her eyes as well - Stormcloud standing by her side as he watched Cherryfall, Ivypool and Ferncloud helping their kits build dens for everyone to sleep in, Daisy helping watch Finchkit and Flamekit, and even Finleap and Twigbranch returning home with prey in their jaws.

To love these cats like family.. She could feel herself able to do that, even if she hadn't always been the best cat in their lives.

"Congratulations, Sparkstar." Firestar bowed his head to her as she could hear her name being called by many cats, both those she knew and voices she had never heard.

"Sparkstar! Sparkstar! Sparkstar!"

.

Waking up, Sparkstar's ears were still ringing as she slowly stood, her legs shaking lightly as she took in what happened. She could hear movement beside her as Leafpool was soon awake, looking at her with warm amber eyes.

"How do you feel?" She asked softly, aware that what just happened was a lot. There was a moment of silence as the newly named leader took in a long, deep breath.

"I feel great," She assured, smiling at the medicine cat. "Let's get back home. To FireClan."

[wefoundloveunderthelight]

Skyline Manor by GleefullyCaptainSwan Chapter 12/13

Read on AO3: | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12

Or on FF

Stacy's Tortured Crew: @teamhook @kmomof4 @stahlop @lfh1226-linda @ilovemesomekillianjones @itsfabianadocarmo @mariakov81 @qualitycoffeethings @zaharadessert @jrob64 @jonesfandomfanatic @natascha-ronin @tiganasummertree @xarandomdreamx @therooksshiningknight @batana54 @superchocovian @onceratheart18 @ultraluckycatnd @snowbellewells @karlyfr13s @the-darkdragonfly @xsajx @deckerstarblanche

Chapter 12: Surprise

Emma felt the world around her disappear the moment Killian’s fingers threaded into her hair, his lips hot against her mouth as his tongue slid across her tongue. Emma couldn’t stop the groan that left her mouth when his hand trailed down her back, resting on her hip as he pulled her closer against him.

It was everything she had dreamt about and nothing she was prepared for. She had kissed him twice before, and he had returned her want with his own desire, but this was different. This was desperate yet deliberate and everything that terrified her.

“Swan.” He groaned. Her mouth brushed against his jaw.

“Don’t ruin it.” She nipped at his neck, her breath hot against his skin.

“We need to talk about this.” He moaned as her teeth grazed his ear.

“Do we really?” Her mouth was on his again, and he returned her attack with fever. “Can’t we just enjoy the moment for once?” She mumbled against his lips.

“What if the lad returns?” Her mouth continued its attack, as he tried to speak, her lips grazing his neck. His fingers were on either side of her neck as he pulled away. “Emma.” The look on his face was serious and she pouted as she sat back, dreading his next words. “I can’t give you what you need.”

“It seems like you have exactly what I need, or do you really not know what I need?” She mewed.

He narrowed his eyes. “From this vantage point, I think I have an idea, but I’m talking about long term. I told you I can’t…”

“You can’t have a relationship because you made a promise to your brother while drunk off your ass, a promise that you made out of some sense of guilt because a woman chose to stand on lies rather than be brave enough to stand up for the love that was given to her willingly.”

“Emma, a dalliance with me will only bring you pain and sorrow.”

“Or something worth breaking a promise for.” She said softly, her fingers ghosting across his chest, leaning forward to kiss him once more.

“Emma…” His voice was a plea, she was uncertain if it was in protest or mercy. And then his hand snaked in her hair, pulling her closer to him, his mouth hot against her jaw.

Mercy it is.

She clung to him as if her life depended on his next breath, she inhaled his scent, her body reacting to his every movement and touch. She was terrified of the way he made her feel, but even more frightened of him walking away. She could feel his hand under her shirt, hot against her flesh.

“Killian.” She breathed. “We are on a rooftop.” She said with a timid laugh, as he withdrew his hand from her shirt.

“So we are, love.”

She placed both of her hands on either side of his face. “What are we doing?”

“I believe they call it making out, Swan.”

~*~

“Do you think it’s been enough time?” Henry asked impatiently as he sat on the other side of the door to the rooftop.

“I haven’t heard any yelling, perhaps your plan has worked, lad.” Will replied.

“I’m gonna let them out.” Henry stood, turning the lock on the door, and prying it open slowly. As he peered through the opening he saw his mother and Killian sitting next to each other talking. They turned toward him, standing from their spot.

“Henry.”

“Are you mad at me?” He asked, tentatively stepping toward them.

“Of course, not lad. Your mother and I had a pleasant talk.”

“You did?”

“Yes, but Henry, you have to stop doing the things you’ve been doing, faking being sick, locking us on the rooftop.” His shoulders slumped. “Killian and I are friends.”

“Just friends?” He said with a pout.

“Look I know things have been difficult lately and confusing with what happened between me and Graham.”

“That wasn’t confusing, you didn’t belong with Graham. You just needed to realize it first.”

“Henry…” His mother started as Killian knelt in front of him, brushing his bangs from his forehead.

“Lad, I want you to know that I’m not going anywhere. I promise you that. You and I will continue to be friends, Smee would miss your visits, as would I.” Killian spoke to the boy, and he simply smiled.

“But you two belong together.” He whined and Will stepped up behind him.

“You and I will talk about your assistance in this later.” His mother warned Will.

“Come on Henry, let’s go get ready for bed.” Will said, leading Henry down the stairs. With each step, Henry tried to ignore the pain in his heart as he was taken back to his apartment in defeat.

~*~

The moment the boy was gone, Killian pulled Emma against his chest. “Are you sure this is the right way to do this?”

“You saw him, he’s so invested in what will happen between us. Can you promise him that things are going to work out?”

He frowned; he didn’t know what was going to happen between them. But when she asked him to take it one day at a time, to hell with the titles or commitments, just see where things took them, he couldn’t tell her no. Yet he couldn’t be certain that he would get any further than he had with Belle.

It would pain him to hurt the boy if things didn’t work out with his mother. So instead, they agreed to take it slow, privately. “You’re right, I just hate lying to the boy.”

“I know, and we won’t keep it from him forever, we just, we need to figure out what this is first. Just you and me, without everyone else’s interference. Besides, he’s been hurt enough.”

He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, “Then I look forward to figuring things out.” He mused.

~*~

Captain Jones sat at a table in the corner of the tavern, sipping liquid from his stein. Each time the door opened, he peered toward the lit opening at each new inhabitant that entered the tavern. He didn’t dare wish to see the woman with the golden hair, yet he was disappointed each time she wasn’t there. He sighed, slamming his mug down on the table and prepared himself to return to the Jolly.

“Leaving without saying goodbye, Jones?” He turned quickly to face the hooded figure seated at the table next to him, the back of their green clock slipping slightly as the woman leaned back tipping her stein of beer into her mouth.

He looked around the tavern before walking to her table, dropping into the seat in front of her. “Venturing out of the castle unescorted again, Princess?” He chided.

She smiled and her sea green eyes danced with a playful glare. “And I thought we made a connection.” She continued. “Yet I had to hear about your departure from my son.”

“I shall send my condolences to the Duke; I hear he is without a wife.” He said playfully.

“It was never my intention to marry the Duke.”

“Dare I say I am shocked, M’lady.”

She sighed before continuing the conversation. “What awaits you in Arendelle? A dragon? A quest? Perhaps a lover?” She asked softly, her tongue darting out to moisten her lips.

“I fear I have an ailment. I have been bewitched; dare I say cursed.”

“What malady has befallen you, Captain?”

“There is a woman, so beautiful and alluring, yet she is not mine to have, and I fear that in the absence of this woman, no other being can satisfy my needs in her stead.”

“Surely, a man such as yourself, there must be a way for you to have this woman?”

“I fear that is not possible, her station makes her unavailable to me.”

“Perhaps she is not interested in her station, perhaps all the pomp and circumstance are of no interest to her. What then?”

The Captain’s smirk grew on his face. “She would be leaving a life of privilege for one of simple means. A bed, some wooden planks, and a sunset are all that a man such as myself have to offer a woman.”

“That all sounds very lovely.” She smiled. “But that is not all you have to offer this woman, is it?”

“Adventure, unexpected surprises, perhaps the love of a man who would desire and care for her like no other in his life.”

The Princess shook her head. “You speak freely of love, yet you did not intend to say goodbye.”

He smiled. “I had hopes that I would not need to.”

The Princess shared a nod of understanding, she knew what this would mean for her. “What of my son?” She spoke softly.

“We spoke this morning; he has asked to join my crew.”

Her head snapped up, “He did what?”

“Aye, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I would welcome a man like Henry aboard my ship, someone I could trust. But I also would not allow it without his mother’s consent.” The Princess seemed lost in her thoughts, so he continued. “Perhaps if his mother were to join him, for his safety of course, it would make her decision easier.”

“And what would we tell him of my presence?”

“That I offered you both adventure, and you were bound to seek it.”

“My brother will never permit it.”

“Are you not Princess Emma of Bostonia?”

“You know that I am.” She laughed.

“Then I do not think your brother would dare keep you from doing anything that pleased you.”

She smiled, reaching across the table to take his hand. “Then we should tell Henry at once.”

“I think that shall be an easy task.” The Captain gestured to the corner of the tavern, a man sitting alone in the corner booth.

He stood and the Princess rushed to his side. “Henry, what are you doing here?”

“I am my mother’s son.” He looked between his mother and the Captain. “When does our adventure begin?” He asked with a grin.

~*~

The next few months has been a blur for Emma. She and Killian spent many stolen moments sneaking around, spending time together, avoiding being caught by her son. Even with it all being new there was something particularly exciting about stealing kisses or shared glances that no one else could see.

In the evening, Killian would join them for dinner, Henry would tell them stories about his day, talking nonstop as if he had known Killian his entire life. Emma would watch the two of them after dinner, joysticks in hand as they fought whatever nonsense was on the screen and she knew with each new memory they created she was falling in love with the man.

During the day, Killian would show up at the diner, a flower in hand as they sat and enjoyed their lunch. Sometimes they spent hours just talking about nothing and everything.

“One day I want to go on a trip to nowhere.” She said with a laugh.

“How does one go on a trip to nowhere?”

“Haven’t you ever just wanted to take your bike and head out on the farthest road and drive until you decide to stop? No destination in mind.”

“So, you’re just with me for my bike.” He teased.

“I have had dreams about that bike.”

“Have you now, Swan? Do tell!”

“Maybe when Henry goes to Neal’s this weekend, I’ll show you.” She winked. Emma felt giddy with excitement, this would be the first time they would be alone without Henry.

“I have it on good authority that Belle and William are going to the movies on Saturday.” Killian’s hand rested on her knee under the table.

“Is that so? I believe Ruby told me she has a date.”

“Then we are truly on our own.” His eyes were boring into her, his pupils dark, a slight twitch of his lip that had her heart pounding.

“What ever shall we do?” She smirked.

His hand traveled up her thigh, warmth spreading through her as she watched his Adam’s apple bob at his throat, he swallowed, his eyes trailing up her body until they met hers. “I’m sure we can come up with something.”

~*~

Killian went in search of Henry’s book; he was sure he left it at his apartment the last time they came to dinner, but Killian had been unable to find the book the night before he was to go to his fathers. After an evening of searching his room, the book had still not been found.

And so Killian found himself crawling on his living room floor, his dog bouncing around him, his tongue hot against his ear. “Ok boy, I get it, I love you too.” Craning his neck, he peered under the couch, his phone shining a light in his hand.

“There you are!” He reached under the legs, dragging the book out from under the couch.

Henry would be pleased to have his book with him during his visit with Neal. Killian hated that the boy had seemed so downhearted about his visit. Neal had once again taken a trip out of town the past three months, and Killian had spent that time distracting the boy from the disappointment his father continued to present.

As he stepped into the hall, book in hand, he saw the man exit the elevator. He gritted his teeth as he made his way back to the apartment, stopping in front of the door. “Neal.” He said curtly.

“Must be my lucky day.” He mumbled under his breath, staring at him as he waited for someone to offer him access to Emma’s apartment. “Can I help you with something, Keith?”

“It’s Killian.” He corrected. “Did you have a good trip to… where was it that you went this time?”

“I fail to see how that’s any of your business.” The man complained.

Killian narrowed his eyes. “That boy may appear to be happy living in his own fairytale world.” He paused before raising his brow. “Did you know that he creates his own stories, I suspect about the people in his life.”

“He does a lot of strange stuff.”

He took a step toward the man. “He does what he must in order to be alright with the disappointment he continues to be afforded. One must ask though, do you want to be the hero in his tale, or continue to be the villain?”

“I’m his father, do you really think he’d make me the villain?”

“That depends on your actions. Perhaps you should spend more time being interested in the strange stuff you think he does, and less time using him to advance your love life.”

“I don’t know who you think you are, but you have no right talking to me like this.”

“I earned that right when I spent my time wiping his tears, mending his cuts, listening to him talk about his hopes and concerns, and regardless of my feelings toward your parenting skills, the boy truly loves his father. So, it is my hope that you rise to his expectations instead of meeting my assumptions.”

The door opened behind him, and Henry came bounding out the door. “You found it.” He said with glee, grabbing the book from Killian’s hands.

“Aye, it was under the couch.” He glanced toward Neal before stepping into the apartment. “Did you get the Blu-ray you wanted to share with Neal?”

“Oh yeah.” He said excitedly. “Mom bought me the next season of Once Upon a Time, can we watch it?”

“It’s a good tale, Neal. Even villains earn their happy endings in this one.” Killian said with a knowing wink.

Emma came from the back room, staring at the three of them at the door. “Oh, I didn’t realize you were here Neal.” She turned toward Killian, “I can’t find the book…” Looking at Henry, she laughed. “Let me guess, under the couch.”

“Aye.”

“Alright well, he has everything he needs, he was having allergy fits yesterday, but I gave him his medicine, so hopefully he won’t be too sleepy tonight.” She handed Henry’s backpack to Neal.

“I’ve done this before, Ems, I think I can handle a weekend.”

“I know but it’s been a few months.” Neal started to respond when Killian cleared his throat.

“Have a grand time at your dad’s. I’m sure you’re excited to tell him all about your field trip last week.” Killian tried to give the boy ideas of things to talk about with his dad, they had visited the Natural History Museum and Killian had chaperoned. Henry had confided in him that he was nervous about his visit with Neal as he hadn’t seen him in so long, yet he was afraid they would have nothing to talk about.

“Oh yeah, just wait til you hear what Killian said at the Museum.”

“I’m sure that’s not what he meant, Henry, you should get going, I’d imagine your dad has plans for the two of you.” Emma laughed, pushing him out the door with Neal.

“I’ll have him back Sunday night.” Neal said, glancing back at Emma, his glare landing on Killian.

“Have fun, lad.” He offered before Emma shut the door behind them.

“I hate sending him away with him.” She groaned as the door clicked shut.

“I know, love. Perhaps one of these times Neal will surprise us and actually step up his duties with the boy.”

She snorted. “You’ve met him right?”

���People can change.” He said softly, running his hand through her hair. Her eyes flashed with golden flecks in the green hue of her pupils. He knew he had changed, lately something inside of him felt different. His time spent with Emma and the boy had opened him up to things he hadn’t known were possible.

A feeling of belonging.

“Come love, I have dinner ready to start on the stove.” Emma slipped on her house shoes and followed him back to his apartment. She wrapped herself in a blanket and curled into the couch, Smee resting on her legs as she flipped through the pages of one of the books Henry had left during their Star Wars marathon weeks previously.

Killian stirred the sauce on the stove, a feeling of contentment settling over him. He had done this for Belle previously, made dinner, entertained her in his home, but this felt different. This felt comfortable, as if a piece of a puzzle he had long lost finally clicked into place.

As they laughed over dinner, her eyes shining in the candlelight, he felt the words he wanted to say on the tip of his tongue. He had felt them long before tonight but didn’t dare breathe them into existence. The memories created with Emma and Henry were more than just moments of time that filled the day. They had become his life, his reason for every decision he made.

When he got off work, he often would pick up something from the store that Emma had mentioned needing or that Henry had spoken fondly of. When he had a day off, his first thoughts were where he could spend it with them. He rarely thought of himself on his own, each memory included them.

“Emma, love, I…” There was a knock on the door, pulling him out of the moment. “Sorry, I have no idea who could be here at this hour.” He stood from the table and opened his front door.

“Brother.” Liam said with a smile. “Surprise.”

“Liam, what brings you to Boston?”

“I had business in town, thought I could stop by and check in on my little brother.”

Killian rolled his eyes. “I’m hardly little anymore.”

“Are you going to let me in or are we going to continue this argument in the hall?”

Killian bit his lip and opened the door, letting Liam into the house. When Liam noticed the lack of lights and candles lining the room he paused. “Am I interrupting my brother in his element?”

Killian laughed and Emma appeared in the archway. “Oh, hello.”

Liam’s brow rose, “Hello there.”

“Liam this is…”

“Emma, right? We met a few months back in the hall.”

Killian paused, glancing at Emma until she caught his eye. “Aye, but I haven’t introduced her properly.” He stepped toward her, his arm trailing along her back. “Emma, this is Liam, my brother.” He turned to stare at her, her smile shining brightly. “Liam, this is Emma…” He paused. “My girlfriend.”

[summahsunlight]

All For You, Part 10

Rating: T

Word Count: 1.6k+

Pairing: Poe Dameron X Pilot!Reader

Summary: Your life in the Resistance was not easy, being married to Commander Poe Dameron and a skilled pilot yourself. When you unexpectedly get pregnant, your life is forever changed. Raising a child on base is hard, but never having parents of your own as a child, you are determined to love your little girl and give her the best life. Poe is equally as devoted to you and your daughter, vowing to keep you both safe from the impending threat of the First Order.

Taglist: @thescarletknight2014, @elmoakepoke, @xxidontwikeitxx, @liadamerondjarin, @marvelofwitch, @blushingwueen, @april-14-blog, @agents-assemble, @paintballkid711, @softly-sad​, @badbitxhbuckybarnes​

Taglist is still open! Just let me know if you want to be added! I haven’t really proof-read this, I just really, really, really wanted to get some out there to you guys!  Happy reading🥰❤️

Kes Dameron might have been a large man but you knew him as one of the most gentle souls in the galaxy.  It did not surprise you that he melted instantly upon meeting his granddaughter. Emmy seemed completely at ease in her grandfather’s arms. “You forget how tiny they really are,” he said with a smile, his warm eyes filled with absolute affection for the little one he held. “I might be biased because I’m her grandpa--but she is the most beautiful baby in the entire galaxy.”

Poe chuckled, noticing that Emmy’s feet popped out of the swaddle.  He leaned over and gently tucked them back in.  “It’s okay to be biased--you’re her grandpa.” But, if Poe was honest, he agreed with his father--Emmy was the most beautiful baby. 

You glanced at your husband and father-in-law doting over that small baby, and you smiled to yourself. Growing up you had never felt even an ounce of the love those men had for your daughter--you knew right then and there that she was not only the most beautiful baby but also the most fortunate baby in the galaxy. 

Emmy began to get fussy and you realized that it was time to feed her. Taking her from her grandfather, you went to a more private place to give Emmy her lunch, leaving Poe and Kes alone for a few moments. 

“So, she hasn’t changed her mind,” Kes said once you were out of earshot.

“No,” Poe said, shaking his head. 

“Even as the Republic falls apart?”

“She insists that we should raise Emmy.”

Kes ran a hand over his face. He’d had these conversations with Shara--he never imagined his own son was going to have these same conversations. “A military base is no place for a baby, Poe.”

Poe sighed. He knew that, he’d been fighting with you since you told him you were pregnant about this. He was exhausted of having this fight. “I know, Dad, she just doesn’t want Emmy to feel abandoned--or unloved.”

His father smiled, sadly, at that. “There is no chance in hell that the little is ever going to feel unloved. According to the Princess, she was quite upset that her father was away for a few days.”

“Had her mother thinking she hated her.”

“No chance of that happening.”

“I told Y/N that--she wouldn’t listen to me.”

You returned then with the baby, slightly fussy in your arms. “Poe. I tried to put her down for a nap--it doesn’t matter if I sing that damn song to her--she just wants you.”

Poe stood up and gathered the fussy little girl into his arms. “Come on, Emmy, we talked about this,” he cooed at her as he made his way to her crib. “It’s okay when Mommy puts you down for a nap, her voice isn’t that bad.”

Kes laughed, softly, at the glare you threw his son. However, there was no denying that Poe’s warm timber when he sang was easing your daughter to sleep.  In no time Emmy was sound asleep in her crib, making soft mewing noises while she slept. 

And that’s when the commlink went off, summoning both you and Poe to command.  You anxiously looked at the baby, sleeping, How could you leave her?

“Go on,” Kes said, assuringly. “I can watch her. I raised Poe didn’t I?”

“Kes, are you sure?”

“Sweetheart! She’ll be fine! Let’s go!”

Before you could even say a word, Poe had pulled you out of your quarters. “Poe! I can’t leave her, she’s only a few days old!”

Poe chuckled as you quickly were dragged behind him. “She’s been fed, changed, and is napping. She might not even know that we left. Besides, my dad is there. He knows how to take care of a baby. She’s in good hands.”

You felt a lump forming in your throat. “It’s not that, this is the first time we’ve both been away from her! What if she thinks we left her behind? What if she thinks we’re not coming back?”

He stopped and turned to look at you, seriously. “Oh baby, she’ll learn quickly that we’ll always come back to her, that we haven’t left her behind and we certainly didn’t leave her behind all alone.”

Sniffling, you nodded your head. “I...I know... it’s just...it’s hard, Poe. My parents never came back for me and they left me all alone.”

Catching the tears that fell from your eyes with his thumbs, Poe pulled you in for a quick hug, a quick reminder that you were loved now and not alone. And, as you began to make you way towards command once again, you knew that neither was Emmy.

-------

Leia kept Poe behind after the briefing.  Poe figured it was because she wanted to assign him another mission--it wasn’t. 

“Your father is worried,” the General said. “He doesn’t think the baby should stay here.”

“Yeah, I know,” Poe sighed, heavily. “But I can’t convince her to let him take Emmy back to Yavin.”

She understood, she knew your past--Leia nodded, solemnly. “I told your father that I allow the baby to stay here as long as it’s safe--right now there is no indication that the First Order even knows where our base is. But, if things were to change, Commander, Emmy needs be brought to safety.”

He set his jaw and agreed. Poe would be the first one to tell you that Emmy needed to go if things were ever to get so out of hand that her safety was in jeopardy.  “I’ll fly her there myself, General.” 

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

Leia smiled at him, gently. Everyone on the base had fallen in love with the baby, herself included, and she didn't want to be the one responsible for anything happening to that child. “Wish I could promise I didn't need you for anymore missions.”

Poe shrugged. “Comes with the job, ma’am. I know that Emmy doesn’t understand it now, but someday she will, someday she’ll understand that I’m doing this for her.” 

She was touched by his intense love and devotion to his daughter; it only made her long for her own son.  Clamping down on her emotions, she reached out and pat Poe on the arm.  “I think she will, Commander.”

“I never knew I could love someone so much until she was born.”

“Your parents said the same thing when you were born.”

“They did?”

“Oh yes, just before you went to live with your grandfather.”

Poe cast his eyes downward, looking at his scuffed boots.  He recalled his mother saying they fought because people were suffering, his father often told him he fought so his son wouldn’t have too--Poe wondered what Shara would have to say now.  His father had apologized plenty of times that they didn’t do enough. “My parents wanted a better galaxy for me--I want the same for Emmy.”

Leia gently pat him on the back before ordering him to go spend time with his father. Poe tossed her a small smile and was gone. Sighing, she turned and looked out the window of her office. She wanted a better galaxy for that baby as well.

------

Kes stayed for three more days.  

Emmy seemed to enjoy being held by her grandfather just as much as she did by her father and you concluded it was because they both threw off so much body heat that she was nice and snuggly warm. Poe scoffed at the idea; Kes laughed. 

It was harder saying good-bye to Kes then you originally believed it was going to be. You had half-expected him to come here and demand that you send Emmy back to Yavin with him, but Kes had kept silent. It wouldn’t be until much later that you found out that it was Poe that had convinced his father not to say anything.

After Kes had said his good-byes, and made you both promise to take care of his granddaughter--he boarded a transport and headed home.

Poe was uncharacteristically quiet after his father left.

You didn’t question him about his silence until after Emmy was in bed for the evening. “Are you okay, Poe?”

“Guess I’m just sad that we aren’t on Yavin.”

“What do you mean?”

Sighing, Poe glanced at you with sad eyes.  “I just pictured us settled down on Yavin when we eventually had kids. This isn’t what I wanted for either you or Emmy.”

You went and sat on the bed with him, snuggling into his embrace once he opened his arms to you.  “How can you say that? Home isn’t always about where you rest your head but the people you’re with.  As long as we’re together, as a family, we’re home, Poe.”

Taking a deep breath, Poe closed his eyes. “Promise me, sweetheart, when the time comes, when it’s too dangerous for Emmy to be here, that you’ll take her to Yavin--that the two of you will go someplace safe.”

“Poe--.”

“Don’t argue with me. Please. Just promise me.”

“Why are you insisting that I promise you this?”

“Because, I would never forgive myself if something happened to you, to Emmy. So please, please, just promise me.”

You saw the pain that flashed across his features as his eyes opened and he looked at you, desperately. Your heart broke; he just wanted the best for you and for your daughter.  Your fingers ghosted along his strong jaw as you let out a gentle sigh. “I’ll promise you this... if you promise me to always come back to us.”

He rested his forehead against yours. You had no idea that he’d already promised Emmy last night that he would always come back--so he made that same promise to you now. “I will always come back to you, sweetheart. Always.” 

Running your fingers through his soft curls, you sighed. Even if they were hollow promises, you both felt better and slowly drifted off to sleep together.

[rainingjewel]

Sweet Nothings - An Ochre prompt

Something simple for @teirrart

As far as Pigment was concerned, it was a beautiful day. The breeze felt wonderful against his skull and the scent of the wide variety of plants that thrived on Sandy’s mountain was soothing. It was a little cloudy, but that just meant he didn’t have to worry about his bones getting burned in the bright sun here! Despite how empty the mountain was, it was a very beautiful place and it kind of reminded him of where he grew up. Just without the beach part.

 Sandy, however, was looking up at the sky, noticing the cloud patterns. Rain was going to be upon them, and what was worse, a storm was brewing in the east. He would have to take Pigment up the mountain, into his old home for shelter… or they’d have to leave. That was not going to be an easy case to make. The smile Pigment wore warmed his soul… he hated to break the news to him that his perfect calm day of learning was going to be put on hold.

 “Minty,” Sandy called out to the daydreaming skeleton. “Come now, we should get moving.”

 “Why? We have all day! You’re always telling me to slow down, why the rush?” Pigment tilted his head in confusion, innocent eyes filled with orange and yellow shapes.

 “A storm is coming later. We won’t be able to do as much field work as we originally planned.”

 “Huh? But it’s such a nice day!” Pigment declared as he protested Sandy’s assessment.

 “For now it is. Come on, you grew up on the beach. Don’t you remember how the weather would suddenly turn?”

 “I guess…” Pigment pouted.

 Sandy sighed at the disappointed look on the younger skeleton’s face. He couldn’t help it, what emotions he did have, Pigment wore on his sleeve. It was endearing, and one of the reasons he had fallen in love with him. Seeing his boyfriend upset in any form twisted his soul, but weather was one thing he could not help with.

 He gently leaned in, kissing the top of the smaller skeleton’s skull. “There’s still time before it all. And while we wait out the storm, I’ll let you use my supplies. You can start your own potion, on your own. I’ll just keep back and watch, okay?”

 Pigment’s pout turned into a gentle smile at the alchemist’s promise. He hadn’t really been able to use any of Sandy’s tools without his extensive oversight. It wasn’t unwarranted either. Pigment had attempted to mix several dangerous things together with his powders in the past. But that had been some time ago, he was better now, not just grabbing random things because they were a certain color.

 “I wouldn’t mind you being close and observing either,” Pigment snuggled into Sandy’s chest, embracing the taller skeleton with an unintentional flirt.

 Intentional or not, it always got to Sandy when Pigment would be forward like that. A light golden dusting appeared on his cheekbones as he felt the tip of his boyfriend’s nasal cavity scratch him lightly through his clothes. “Heh… I suppose I can arrange that.”

 Pigment laughed a little as Sandy fluttered kisses down his jawline, a bit of a rainbow hue brightening his cheeks. Despite them being skeletons, Sandy’s kisses tickled and he knew he was sensitive, especially along the side with his mark! He barely pulled away, giggling for a brief moment, before their teeth met together.

 Pigment, despite being kissed many times before, was always slightly overloaded with the emotions that flowed through him whenever Sandy got this close. It was surreal and addicting. He could never pick one emotion that was prominent when it happened, which was what he tried to do when he overdosed. This wasn’t like that. His cheeks burned, his head felt light and dizzy, part of his chest felt like it was inflating with… something, he didn’t know. It took him a moment or two to recover, just holding onto his boyfriend’s arms as his head continued to swirl.

 Once Pigment was back together mentally, the two would walk around the mountain, doing some field work. The apprentice was quizzed by the master on a variety of things, allowing him to take his samples and ingredients for later.

 While collecting some thistle, Pigment heard a faint sound further into the plants. He slowly moved through the thistle and tall grass, stopping when he saw some stinging nettle… his old enemy. He glared at it, his round face rather humorous to look at from the outside. Carefully, he went around it, trying to find the source of the sound…

 Laying at the edge of the nettle was a black and white cat with longer fur. The sounds were its pitiful mews of discomfort. Instinctively, Pigment went to reach for it, but he felt himself yanked back by his jumper.

 “What are you doing?”

 The quick, harsher tone of the alchemist startled the smaller skeleton, and Pigment’s hands went to his chest, pulling himself closer together.

 “It’s hurt,” Pigment said innocently, looking down at the cat.

 Sandy glanced down at the cat. It had been stung by the nettle… how did it get sick enough by the amount it had walked in, he wondered… it was at the edge of it.

 “Minty…”

 “Sandy, please! I know how painful that is! Don’t you have more of your medicine for it?”

 “I do but—”

 Pigment started digging through Sandy’s satchels, looking for the right ointment. “It’s in this one right?”

 “Pigment!”

 The smaller skeleton jolted back up, looking uneasy at the tone his boyfriend had just used. It wasn’t often he did something to warrant the tone, and he couldn’t comprehend why Sandy would use it now. He only used it when it was serious…

Sandy had been trying to push the smaller painter away from the cat since he saw it, but Pigment was having none of it. He felt for him, and the cat. It wasn’t as if Sandy wanted the creature to suffer…

 “It’s a human pet, Mint,” Sandy emphasized, leading Pigment way.

 The younger skeleton felt his fight leave for a moment, letting himself be moved away from the small, suffering creature. As he moved further away, tears started lining his eyes. He remembered very clearly what the warnings were… humans were toxic, especially to monsters in this world… anything domesticated was to be avoided too… tainted…

 “I-it’s not… it’s a cat, Sandy… it’s not a human…”

 “If the pets aren’t toxic themselves, they can still poison you if it scratches or bites. You don’t have a soul to ward it off, I can’t treat you the way I have the other monsters that have been exposed. I won’t risk you for a cat, Mint.”

 “Please…” he pleaded. “C-can’t you check it or something? I…”

 Sandy’s soul twisted in his chest as Pigment looked up at him with those pleading eyes. Watery, innocent eyes… it was hard enough to not want to help it. It was just a cat, and Sandy had grown very fond of the species thanks to a mutual friend of theirs…

 With a heavy sigh, he relented. “Fine… but you have to stand back,” and he pointed to a tree across a clearing, a good distance away.

 Pigment wasn’t thrilled with that idea. He wanted to help but he understood why. “Be careful…”

 As the smaller skeleton walked over to the designated waiting spot, the alchemist turned his attention back to where the cat had been laying. This poison was something he was used to, but it caused serious damage… it always got his nerves up…

 Carefully, Sandy walked toward the cat, his bare feet softly crunching the brush beneath them. He looked at the cat as its chest heaved, as if not getting enough air or it was hard for it to breathe. His own soul felt tight as he fell into his old role…

 “Sorry, kitty…” he whispered as his hand started to glow with a gentle yellow. The weakened feline’s soul was surrounded by the same light and brought to the foreground…

 Much to Sandy’s surprise, the taint of the humans of his world was barely upon this cat. A small amount, but not nearly enough to suggest it lived amongst them. That alone was strange… did the animals start to move into the forest? That could be dangerous… he would have to investigate…

 But that was later. Now, he had a patient… he still couldn’t risk Pigment being bit, even with this low level of taint, but at least if he was bit, it wouldn’t be serious. He had been around this type of poison for far too long and had grown resistant… but it was something that was forever with him, and it would give him nightmares if he could sleep…

 He had medicine for the taint… he had medicine for the nettle… but something else wasn’t sitting right with him about this whole thing. How did this cat end up being so badly poisoned from the stinging nettle if it was so close to the edge of the patch?

 As he attempted to treat the cat, forcing medicine into its mouth a lot easier than he thought, given how weak it was, he found his answer… talon marks… a bird had scooped this cat up and dropped it into the nettle. How many internal injuries did this poor cat have?

 Pigment fidgeted as he watched Sandy barely move. Sitting still was not his forte, he wanted to move around. He wanted to help. He was getting better at medicine. If nothing else, a second pair of hands couldn’t hurt, right?

 But he also understood Sandy’s concern. Monsters were incredibly susceptible to the toxins human souls produced in this world… and without a soul to combat it, he was uniquely compromised… but after minutes upon minutes standing there, and not being able to tell if the cat was okay, Pigment couldn’t take it any longer.

 He tried to mimic Sandy’s quiet steps, but his shoes always gave him away in the brush. Despite his best efforts, he just… couldn’t be quiet.

 “I told you to stay back.”

 “I want to help,” he quietly declared. “You’re in danger too if it’s tainted… I won’t risk you for this either!”

 Golden eyes met watery blue and green and Sandy couldn’t help himself. “Oh, Minty…” he sighed with a gentle smile.

 Pigment moved in with Sandy’s gentle coaxing and he sat down beside his beloved. The sight of the cat still struggling to breathe worried him.

 “What’s wrong with it?”

 “Between human toxins, the nettle, and being dropped from a great height… there’s a lot, Minty… I don’t know if I can help it…”

 “But… you have to! You’re a doctor!” he began to plead.

 It was times like this Sandy deeply regretted never being able to follow in his father’s footsteps, never inheriting his gift for healing…  “Minty, I don’t… I’m not…”

 Sandy felt arms wrap around his middle, squeezing him tightly. “You’re the best doctor ever, Sandy! You can do things no one else can, you see things that everyone else misses. I know you want to instantly make someone better, but your healing is better than that. I know it’s not easy but I know you can do it. And I’ll do whatever you need me to, to help!”

 The alchemist glanced back at his partner before resting his forehead against the other’s. Sandy’s success rate of critically injured patients wasn’t the greatest… that instant healing would be really handy to get them out of the woods… but it did generally lead to complications down the road. Things went overlooked or missed in the rush to close a wound, poisons got left in, infections would spread… neither method was superior but his was all he had at the moment.

 With a little help from Pigment, Sandy did what he could for the cat. He tried to ease its breathing, treating symptoms as well as the overall problems. Medicine took some time to work so it was a waiting game… but all in all… it was a good experience for Pigment. He got to really apply what he had learned so far, and perhaps learn a little more… not to mention he did what he did best… Sandy was always humbled by how quickly Pigment would cheer him on, how he always supported him.

 As he was stabilizing the cat, a faint rumble was heard above them.

 “What?” Pigment started to fret. “It was sunny a second ago!”

 This was what he was worried about. Sandy ripped off his half-cloak and very carefully used it to pick up the cat. Luckily it was too weak to really fight.

 “We need to get inside, Mint,” he spoke up, snapping the other back to reality.

 “O-okay.”

 Running up the mountain to the old, abandoned village, the sky ripped open and started letting out its torrent. Pigment cried out a little as he tried to cover his head from the freezing cold water while Sandy just tried to lean over the cat more.

 It felt like it took far longer than it should have before they finally made it to his old home. It was a modest cabin, made of logs and stone with some straw for insulation on the roof. It was fairly dry inside despite the pounding weather outside. Sandy went and gently placed the cat down on the floor, still wrapped in his cloak. As he tried to start a fire in the middle of the living area, Pigment began to whimper. He didn’t handle the cold well…

 Sandy glanced back at him, managing to get a small fire going. It wasn’t as if he kept a lot of firewood here… he didn’t stay in this house too often, preferring to camp out… too many memories. But what he had left… it would hold them for now.

 “Jeez, Mint,” Sandy went over, beginning to tease, “I think you took in enough water to fill a lake.”

 “Sandy…” he whined.

 “All right, all right,” the elder chuckled before leaning in, gently kissing his boyfriend’s cheek. “Take off those wet clothes and hang them by the fire to dry. I’ll go scrounging around for something for you to wear in the meantime.”

 A rainbow tint came across Pigment’s face. “U-um…”

 “It’s not like I haven’t seen you naked before, Mint,” Sandy smirked a little at his lover’s embarrassment. “Or are you wanting to do it in my old house?”

 “N-No, I-I…!”

 “Though, I suppose it would be a good way to warm you up.”

 A high-pitched whine escaped Pigment as his entire skull erupted in his rainbow-hued blush, hands covering his face.

 A soft chuckle and another peck to his flushed cheek, Sandy gently caressed Pigment’s skull. “I’m merely teasing, Mint,” he whispered with nothing but love coating his words. “But I am serious about getting you out of these wet clothes before you get sick. Can you do that for me? Once we’re in dry clothes we can cuddle by the fire and keep an eye on our new friend.”

 The blush didn’t fade, but Pigment nodded. He understood the why, but emotions were still… difficult for him to process and it wasn’t always sure when Sandy was serious or teasing. It made for some awkward moments, despite Sandy’s patient and nurturing nature. Pigment was glad he was so sweet and understanding with him…

 After finding a spare set of clothes for them both, Pigment swimming in the taller skeleton’s already baggy clothes, Sandy had also found a blanket for them to wrap up in. The cat was wrapped in a blanket as well, the cloak hanging to dry with the rest of their clothes.

 Despite it being early in the afternoon, Pigment managed to fall asleep against Sandy near the fire. It was a cozy little scene after all… a nap with his boyfriend sounded like the best thing in the world right now… it was too bad he couldn’t sleep…

 As he debated about laying down and just pretending for a bit, he heard a sound coming from the other blanket. Hating to abandon his cozy love bug of a boyfriend, but needing to check on his patient, Sandy reluctantly laid Pigment down on his own, wrapped in the blanket. He scooted over to open the blanket. He was greeted by a weak hiss. He should have expected that… Cats were the most dangerous when they were vulnerable.

 “Easy there…” he spoke softly, gently extending a finger for the cat to sniff.

 A low growl, but after a moment, the cat began to sniff his skeletal finger. Then, as if recognizing the scent, maybe realizing it was Sandy who had helped it, the cat put its head down. He took a chance and went to gently stroke the feline’s head. It didn’t seem to mind, or perhaps was too weak. What did surprise him was the soft purr that emanated from the ball of fluff.

 It was something to focus on as the storm raged outside, and as Pigment slept. As the hours passed and the storm settled, however… Sandy began realizing that they had no way to truly care for this cat… sure, he could medically take care of it… to a point. But there was no food and he wasn’t qualified to care for a cat… but he knew someone who could.

 Pigment awoke to find himself alone on the floor, wrapped in a blanket. He whined a little. This always happened! He couldn’t blame Sandy, things needed to be done while he slept… but just once he’d like to wake up with him…

 As he sat up to look for him, he realized that he wasn’t far this time, holding something wrapped in a blanket…

 Right! The cat! He was embarrassed that he had forgotten. He shot up, forgetting that he wasn’t in his own clothes as well, and tripping over the baggy pants he insisted he wore, despite the fact that Sandy’s spare shirts were almost down to his knees…

 “Mornin’ sunshine,” Sandy smiled at Pigment as he blushed.

 “Is the cat all right?” he tried to distract from his own embarrassment.

 “Better than I hoped… not truly tainted… and friendly, despite that…”

 “But..?” he pressed, knowing that tone.

 “I don’t think I can keep taking care of it. I’ve never really taken care of a pet before… I mean, Muffet had a pet chicken I would look at once in a while but…”

 “Muffet… had a…” Pigment had to shake his head to get himself back on track. “But you did so well, Sandy! I’m sure you can do it!”

 “I could probably fumble my way through… but that’s not fair to this little one… not when we know someone who could do much better than I could.”

 Pigment blinked, then smacked his forehead. “Ccino!”

 Sandy couldn’t help but chuckle softly. He had the cutest reactions. “So get dressed, we should probably go and take it to someone who actually knows cats.”

 “Yeah, could probably tell us if it’s a boy or girl too so we can stop calling it “it”.”

 The alchemist snickered and held his tongue so his boyfriend would focus on getting dressed. He had already gotten back into his classic clothes, not that his clothes were much different from one another.

 Pigment cut open a portal with his giant pallet knife into the fabric of reality itself. It was still as strange to Sandy as he first saw it, the concept of it all anyway… however, he was well versed by now and knew well of what the multiverse could offer… this was just one of those things you had to learn to accept.

 As they crossed into the portal and appeared on the other side, they were welcomed by a familiar, friendly voice.

 “Pigment, Sandy! Welcome back!” he said enthusiastically.

 Ccino was always glad to see his friends. They were good for business too, as Sandy spent so much gold on coffee and coffee beans for the road. He missed them when they traveled the multiverse…

 His attention was quickly grabbed by the blanket in Sandy’s arms, however. He knew that shape better than anyone. In a moment, the coffee in his hands were put down and he ran over.

 “What’s this?” he had to ask, curiously.

 “We found a cat!” Pigment exclaimed.

 Ccino’s eyes lit up for a moment, before he was sobered by Sandy’s explanation of the situation, “It’s pretty badly hurt… I can only do so much medically…”

 “I’m not a vet,” Ccino quickly fretted, catching onto Sandy’s inflection.

 “But you do know cats!” Pigment pipped up.

 “A lot more than I do,” Sandy smiled softly at their friend. “I was hoping you’d help us nurse them back?”

 The sweater-clad skeleton looked up at the other two. “So you… wanna stay and work together?”

 “Absolutely!” Pigment grinned. “And then we can keep it!”

 “Minty…”

 “Aw, please, Sandy? With minty leaves on top?”

 “We don’t have a place for a cat.”

 “Your house?” he tilted his head.

 “We travel too much.”

 “You can always bring it back here, I’ll cat-sit,” Ccino offered with a grin.

 “See?”

 Sandy glanced between the two, before letting out a defeated sigh. “I’ll think about it…”

 “Yay!!” Pigment wrapped his arms around his boyfriend’s neck, barely missing the cat.

 “Well,” Ccino chuckled, “How about we check out this little fluffball, huh?”

 “Careful, it still has some taint on it.”

“What?” Ccino blinked.

 “We’ll explain as we go through,” Pigment smiled as the three walked into the back.

[alarriefantasy]

hello lovely, hope you’re well. can you rec some forbidden love fics? not picky about anything really. just maybe not too much angst? like i don’t mind when it’s there just don’t like it when the fic revolves around it...if that makes sense. thank you!

I THOUGHT I HAD ONE AND I DO NOT AND I AM SO STUNNED YOU HAVE NO IDEA. LIKE I WAS SOOOOOOOO SURE I HAD THE LIST ALREADY! WOWOOWWO! Anyway, yes darling I will make a list for you! Hope you enjoy!

                                          Forbidden Love

We Gotta Get Away From Here by AFangirlFantasy

Words: 4k

Or a Royal AU where Prince Harold needs saving and Louis is his Knight in shining armor...sort of.

Mew for me, pretty kitten. by justgotowisharder

Words: 9k

(or Harry is a kitten without owner and Louis is a boy with a kitten. They shouldn't be together but who cares)

The Ballerina Boy by justgotowisharder

Words: 10k

(Or the one where the boys work in a circus, Harry is the pretty ballerina locked in a cage and Louis loves him more than anything in this world.)

Don't Let the Tide Come by SadaVeniren 

Words: 14k

aka King Louis of the fire tribe has a week to find his water tribe soulmate. This would be infinitely easier if the four tribes on the continent were not isolated from one another.

I Can Change What You See by devon, Larrygustavsson

Words: 23k

Louis works in a small coffee shop, his life changes when Prince Harry walks in

You're the Light by allwaswell16 

Words: 31k

Before beginning a new graduate school in the fall, Louis Tomlinson decides to spend the summer working in Chicago as an editor’s assistant for the Chicago Tribune newspaper and staying with his old college roommate. What he finds on his first day of work is a tall, gorgeous editor named Harry who has the most beautiful green eyes he’s ever seen—and who also happens to be his new boss.

I could use somebody by Samcgrath

Words: 41k

Louis comes to stay at Liam's place while he's on a business trip. Liam's boyfriend Harry is the last person Louis should be dreaming about or lusting after. But what do you do when you fall for your little brother's boyfriend? Louis tries to stay away. He does.

My Sweetest Downfall by kiwikero

Words: 42k

Louis is a retired guardian angel. After the death of his last charge, he became jaded. Humans die—what use is prolonging the inevitable?

He's more than happy to forget about humanity altogether until one day, when Louis is pulled from his desk job for a new assignment: protect One Direction's Harry Styles. It doesn't help that there's something about Harry that Louis can't resist, and it's making him question everything he's ever known. Humans are strictly off limits, and breaking that rule means risking everything, but Harry just might be worth it.

This is a story about forgiveness and discovery, featuring an angel who wants to be a little more human and a human who is so much more than he seems.

Even Angels Have Their Demons by AFangirlFantasy

Words: 53k

Or... an Angel/Demon AU where Angel Louis hates Demon Harry, but somewhere along the way that stops being so true.

The Bachelor by Snowy38

Words: 53k

Or the one where Harry dates six other guys and still falls in love with Louis Tomlinson ;)

And I'll Be Yours To Keep by sweetly_disposed

Words: 58k

Moving from a rough school to a private performing arts college is a culture shock for Louis. He's trying to settle in the best he can, establish himself as a respectable teacher when the kids he's teaching are only a few years younger than himself. One student in particular, quiet Harry Styles, catches Louis' attention from the word go.

It soon becomes apparent that Harry has talent, is one of the best ballet dancers Louis has ever seen. Louis has a responsibility to keep Harry at arm's length, but with every day that goes by, he feels his control slip a little more. It's risky for everyone involved, but somehow...Harry seems worth it.

("That's Harry Styles," Zayn said. "He's been at the school since he was eleven. Hands down the best male ballet dancer here, I swear.")

Don't Think About The Consequences by selflovelouis

Words: 70k

“Can you shut up, for once?” Styles asks, and Louis’ eyes widen in shock. He opens his mouth, and Styles can tell he’s going to start yelling again about something absurd that Styles really doesn’t want to listen to. Professor Styles keeps talking instead, not giving Louis the chance to yell. “How…. how do you go from flirting with me in the middle of class to these annoying outbursts of anger? Can’t you just, can’t you just…” Fuck it.

He leans in, and molds his lips against Louis’ open mouth. The wind gets knocked out of him when their lips finally meet, and he can finally feel Louis’ softness against his own lips. His hands reach up to cup Louis’ face, as Louis leans closer to Styles and he finally relaxes into Styles’ embrace. Styles doesn’t deepen the kiss, instead he pulls away and ghosts his lips across Louis’ while he comprehends what he just did fully. Fuck.

Hate Me To The Moon by harrystylesandstuff

Words: 83k

AU where Harry is a sexy nerd, Louis is a great actor, and they both pretend to hate each other's guts to convince themselves they're not feeling things future step-brothers shouldn't feel...

The Devil's Angel by lilacsweaters_ivorylilies

Words: 86k

"You belong to nobody else but me, asphodel."

Therapy by harrystylesandstuff

Words: 111k

Or AU where Harry’s depressed and Louis’ the therapist who will try to help him find a reason to keep going

The Note by lovemylarry

Words: 131k

Louis is new in Holmes Chapel. After his dad left without a trace he moved there with his family. When he gets detention on a Friday afternoon he isn’t aware of the fact that this day will change his life forever. Besides school, new friends and parties, Louis struggles with his sexuality. Why is his young teacher Mr. Styles affecting him that much? Louis isn’t gay, definitely not. The student is convinced about that until the day his heart finally tells him he has been wrong all the time.

As You Are by zarah5

Words: 139k

AU. Five years after The X Factor launched his career as a radio host and songwriter, Louis Tomlinson returns as a judge. Falling for a contestant is the last thing he needs. It's also against his contract.

♡ credit to the owner of the manip

♡ past themed recs here

[iminyourhandskara]

Chris Wood on FatMan Beyond with Kevin Smith and Marc Bernardin. (Full interview transcript)

A MASSIVE, MASSIVE THANK YOU TO @bwaybenoist WHO HELPED ME A LOT WITH THIS. ❤❤❤❤

to the anon who requested this, and for whoever wants to read this, enjoy!

__________________

Kevin: One of my favorite people in the world, man. If you're lucky enough, you get to work with people you like, and I met this kid on a set and most people on sets, you know, 'not necessarily all likable and stuff like that.

Marc: Careful.

Kevin: Yeah. (indistinct) This kid ain't just likable, he's fucking lovable, man. I was like, goddamn it, I fell in love with him the way I fell in love with Ben Affleck, where I'm like "You should be in everything! Fuckin, you should play Fletch." I still to this day think he'd be the perfect Fletch based on the Gregory McDonald books. When we got lucky enough to work on Masters of the Universe from Mattel on Netflix, I, you know, there was always a like "We could probably get a big cast for this" and stuff, so I played very few cards in terms of like "Well, here's who I think you could get and stuff like that" because Netflix, Mattel, these cats putting up the money, they should tell us who they want and stuff and Teddy who's our Netflix exec, he loves MOTU, so like casting of course with Netflix, the ability to draw talent is gonna be right up his alley. But one of the only names I put forward in the process..I was like “I worked with Chris Wood, and he is SO good, like he would be an excellent Prince Adam and He-Man as well of course, but like, can I put him on the list?” and they put him on the list, and you know, I thought that was gonna be it, “Kevin made a suggestion and we’ll put him in there and then it will never happen.” And he got the job, legit got the job. Mattel loved him, Netflix loved him, boom, he’s our prince Adam! So, here tonight, you got him? Here tonight, man..*Skype sound* Making a little chit-chat, that’s the sound of joy. That means we’re gonna talk to a guest, we get to open the door and welcome to Fatman Beyond, uh, He-Man himself, ladies and gentleman, Prince Adam, I give you..Chris Wood.

Chris: Oh my goodness.

Marc: Look at that intro.

Kevin: And look at that pretty ass man, look at how pretty he is.

Chris: *Plays Jellicle Cats from CATS*

Kevin: Somebody’s been listening to the show!

Chris: Reminiscing about..the Winter Garden Theater.

Kevin: This is actually..I was gonna say..

Chris: My first Broadway show I ever saw, Kevin!

K: Was CATS?

C: Was CATS!

K: I totally forgot as we were sitting here, going “Nobody’s gonna care about us talking about Broadway.” There’s one guy waiting to be on the show who was like “I’d love it if it was all--”

C: I was having the time of my life! This was like Batman, Broadway edition, I loved it.

K: Give us the full rundown of every Broadway show that you’ve ever seen, and when you say Broadway, do you mean--

C: I mean, I mean Broadway.

K: You mean like seeing it on Broadway, not just live theater.

C: No man, that’s where I got my start, that was my whole...the stage was my whole thing. You’d have to sit here for like three hours to hear all of the shows I ever saw..

K: Are you serious? So wait you-

C: It’s got a soft place in my heart still.

K: You uhm, I remember when I was working on Supergirl, at one point Melissa was just like: “He was in Sweeney Todd!” and I was like “What?” Were you in Sweeney Todd?

C: It’s true, yeah.

M: With Victor Garber?

C: Yeah.

K: Yeah, it’s surprising, he was in Sweeney Todd and has worked on a Victor Garber adjacent show.

C: Yeah.

K: I (was) saying before Ben Affleck’s my last card, I’m turning to Chris Wood to make that Victor Garber connection.

C: Yeeees! Hey guys!

M: Hey man!

K: How are you sir?

C: What’s going on?

K: So wait, what- you were a musical theater guy.Correct?

C: That (was) my thing, man. All through college and high school and growing up, that was like-- aside from making movies on my Super8-- that was my, that was my other hobby.

K: What is uh- look, for those who don’t follow very closely: Chris has acted for a long time, I met him playing Mon-El when I was directing Supergirl episodes. Of course as I said, he’s playing our He-Man. What was the vampire show that Mewes loves that you were on?

C: The Vampire Diaries, yeah, yeah.

K: The Vampire Diaries as well and stuff, uhm, and he’s a wonderful actor and gorgeous human being but-

C: You’re always- you have the kindest intros in the world, Kevin. You’re- I come on just blushing every time I talk to you. 

K: He’s wonderful (but) this is wanna lay out there: he is a fucking hell of a writer.

M: Outstanding. 

C: Oh wow! It’s still going!

K: And you know that like I’m not just saying it’s a butter him up because we could totally just talk about He-Man and that’s it but like-- I’ve read a script that he wrote that took me back to 1994, where I was like-- This is what I felt like when I saw Indie Film. It reignited a love for indie film because the film was impressionistic and wonderful and original and singular in vision and stuff..

C: And nobody will ever make it..*Laughs* All of the qualities of a terrific independent film.

K: You got- you got some pushback on the movie. “Some people like this? What?” but he wrote- didn’t you write a script that went someplace legit or whatnot? Are you allowed to talk about it?

C: I did, yeah. It’s not public yet, but we’re--

K: That’s not public? That wasn’t in the trades or anything like that?

C: Not yet, man. It’s still like..under the table wheeling and dealing.

K: Alright, we can’t say what it is, but I can tell you right now, it’s like- it’s something that you and I (Marc) would work our Whole lives to achieve and we’ve been doing- all we have is writing. And this motherfucker has everything in life and he’s about to have that as well. But well worth it, because he’s wonderful at the written word. What do you attribute that to?

C: The written word?

K: Yeah. Where’d you- How come you’re such a good writer?

C: Well, that’s very- Thank you first of all. Uhm, writing, I always kinda did it. I think I was like you, Kev, when I was a kid I just- no one was giving me pages to shoot or to have my friends put on plays in the garage, so I had to write my own words. So, I kind of always done it. I remember writing plays and I’d write up thirty pages of a script when I was 13 years old and I’d hand it out to my cousins and we’d perform it for all of our aunts and uncles and grandparents. I kind of always done it, just never been paid for it.

K: Yeah, that’s the dream, to get paid for it at the same time. I saw when my man got married, he whipped out beautiful words as well. Like you know, where you get to like say something to your-

M: Your vows.

K: There you go. That’s that word, “vows”

C: “What do we call those *snaps fingers* those promises we make.

K: I smoked those away. *Laughs* Even his vows, were like beautiful, like incredibly well fuckin written, beautiful choice of words, look-

C: My missus..

K: I mean, yes.

C: (Blew me out) the water.

K: Who went first, was it you or her who went first?

C: She went first, that’s why I couldn’ t-- I couldn’t speak through mine.

K: Yeah, both of them got real beautiful.

C: Oh man..

K: The thing is, I knew Woody was a writer because I read his script and what not. Didn’t homegirl open with “I’m not a writer” and then dropped one of the most beautiful fucking speeches that you’ve ever heard in your life? It was really great, really special for me to be there for, man. The point is this kid here writes well, the point is one day he’s gonna take my advice and write himself his own fucking lead in the movie that he should make, particularly that one that I love and make a movie, ‘cause he’s got all the ingredients. Like you know, like me I was like “I wanna make a movie” but like I had to hire actors and shit like that. Well, not hire but beg them to be in it. Thank God they were. But like he could write himself a part and be that fucking part and direct himself in the part, because he’s been on enough sets so knows how the process works.

M: So what you’re saying is he’s unfair.

K: Yes, I don’t want to say it in front of him and embarrass the man but yeah.

C: I’m so sorry.

K: Um, take us into, for those watching at home uh, talk a little bit about Vampire Diaries. When did that, was that the first thing you did?

C: That was one of my early kind of like public roles, um, I had done some stuff before that, nothing really that caught on with a fan base. That was sort of the first thing I did where people got excited about a character I was doing, um and wanted more of them, so they wrote me more stuff, um, yeah that was, I guess, I started on that seven years ago? Eight years ago?

K: And what was the, did you leave? Did they kill you off gracefully? Did you leave because you were like “I don’t want to do this”.

C: Yeah, I was a bad guy, so with like all good villains in our favourite shows, they have to meet some sort of demise or just, you know go into a spin-off *Laughs*. It’s kind of either-or. Or they’re Skeletor and then they just exist forever as an equal force.

K: So after, how long were you done with that show before you went and did Supergirl?

C: So I did a couple of things after that, um, I did a mini-series and I was on a limited series called ‘Containment’ about a pandemic, much like what we’re living in now. A little too timely, I kind of don’t recommend it at the moment, but yeah I did that and then right after that ended, that’s when I went up to Vancouver.

K; So wait, and if I remember correctly, Containment, did Julie Plec do that? Didn’t she also…

C: Yeah, yeah, that was Julie Plec, who did Vampire Diaries. She kind of pulled me across, from that experience.

K: When you’re making it, are you like “silly fictional world this will never happen.”.

M: “I’ll never need to remember any of this.”.

C: You know what, I feel like in a way the show kind of prepared me for the quarantine because I read so much about the Spanish Flu and about outbreaks and what actually happened, so when this all started happening, I was like “guys no no no, this is real” you know like, when people who play lawyers think they’re lawyers? It was kind of one of those things, suddenly I thought I knew, I was like “send me in I’m ready guys”.

M: Was there any Containment swag that you got to keep like “oh they sent me all these masks, I got all of these masks!”

C: I wish! I think I have some uh, dog tags and that’s about it..

K: Alright so wait, did they come after you to come audition for Supergirl? How does that happen?

C: That was the first time in my career where I got offered something without reading for it. Which was kind of amazing. And I played hard to get for a second because I wasn’t sure if it was the right coloured spandex. I was always more of a Batman guy than a Superman and then eventually it clicked and apparently, there was some part of me that knew I was going to meet my future wife and the mother of my children. *laughs* So I guess it all worked out.

K: I mean, yeah, and aside from just getting to play a hero and stuff, it gave you the rest of your life.

C: The rest of my life, which is a pretty lucky thing to get from a job, usually the job doesn’t serve you that. So that was pretty fantastic.

K: And there are very few people who can walk away from the CW going “and that built the rest of my life”, you know what I’m saying?

C: *laughs* Well it does match, the network that matches my initials should promise me something like that. I think it’s somewhere in the rulebook, I don’t know where.

K: I just put that together.

M: Like the Wendy's girl walks into Wendy's and is like “I will take all of your hamburgers, I’m Wendy."

(all laugh)

K: When you, when they gave you the suit finally, which is something you know, for the run of the show was something you would look forward to and then finally they do give you the suit, looked tight. Was it as uncomfortable as it looked?

C: Oh yeah, they’re terrible. It’s the worst thing you’ll ever wear in your life. You know, it’s like a giant onesie. A onesie is known for comfort and relaxation and too many zippers. This is as few of zippers and you can have including no accessibility to use the restroom, and you really can’t move in them, it kind of squeezes your everything, if there’s a thing that can be squeezed by the spandex. So things are going like, your elbow is going up to your shoulder and you’re not really sure why. You know that you’re not controlling it. Uh, it’s an odd experience, but um, I’ll tell you what, those lunch breaks were always very, it was like a great release to unzip the spandex and just lay on the couch.*laughs*

K: Tell them what it’s like to be up on the harness thing man, when you have to do flying and shit, on the green screens.

C: The flying is fun, that’s one of the really, that’s when you feel like you’re on the trampoline in your backyard as a kid fighting the invisible villains. It’s literally the same thing, except someone is doing the jumping for you with a rope. But that’s when you get to play and feel like a kid. Those are my favourite, the big action sequences. They’re a bear to shoot because they take days to shoot two minutes, as you know. But when you’re actually doing the thing, it’s a great time.

K: How long before you think, because I know it ain’t happening now, how many years from now do you think it’ll be before you and Melissa are like “let’s watch the episodes and see if we can spot the chemistry, and see if I can see myself falling in love and blah blah blah.” Do you think you’ll ever get there?

C: You know, I think it’s probably all over every second of every frame *laughs*. You could probably just uh, start at the beginning and then the first second on-screen probably in some way, shape or form go “oh there it is, there’s the first bits of it”.

K: I believe that, Mr. Broadway.

C: Mr Broadway!!

K: Can I tell him [Marc] a quick Broadway story? I actually went to a Broadway show, where I got to sit next to Mr Chris Wood.

M: Did you now?

C: Oh man, yeah you did.

K: It’s beautiful. So we go see Beautiful, is the show, the Carole King musical.

C: It was also beautiful.

K: It was beautiful, branded and in my heart. The lead of the show that night is of particular interest to both me and Mr Wood, him a lot more. Melissa Benoist, "rhymes with moist", I learned that from Chris Wood.

M: That sounds awfully romantic.

C: He texts me late one evening..

K I used to say Ben-o-ist all the time, I don’t know why.

C: And then I shot you a text I was like “You know it’s Benoist like moist, like a chocolate, decadent chocolate cake”.

M: That was the most Christopher Walken thing I’ve ever heard: “It’s Benoist like moist”.

K: “And delicious like a chocolate cake”. We’re watching Beautiful and we’re watching Melissa open, this is the debut, the first opening night of the show, and Chris is there um, a bunch of people that love Melissa were there. Fucking Lynda Carter was there, Wonder Woman was there to watch Supergirl, how awesome is that? The curtain opens and it opens with Melissa, she’s up top like bang, singing, right at the top of the show and I’m sitting right next to Chris Wood who is crying. Crying those joyful tears of seeing his lady love’s dream come true. She always wanted, is that her first Broadway performance?

C: It was, first and last. *laughs*

K: *jokingly* She’s not going to do it again?

C: No, no, no, no, no I’m just kidding, no it was her first. Life long dream.

K: She was like, she’s like Chris, she’s a theatre kid. A couple of musical kids and stuff, drama kids.

C: You can say nerds, it’s okay.

K: Drama nerds, the idea of Broadway, that was the goal, it wasn’t like “one day I’m gonna be Supergirl”, that was the surprise and the delight where she met the love of her life and stuff, but the dream was Broadway and her dream came true and as you know, if the curtains open and Melissa was crying, of course, people forgive it because they’re like “Oh look at her dreams coming true” the fact he was bawling, I was like "oh my God, she’s got the right guy." All of the joy he felt for her joy, as she was concentrating on doing the very thing that she dreamed about doing, performing, so she can’t just stop the show and be like “can you fucking believe this?” which is how she feels inside, he’s expressing for her just by emotional, he was crying, it was one of the most beautiful things in the world.

C: I’m not ashamed of it.

K: No!

M: Nor should you be.

K: It was so fucking wonderful so supportive but he is a- point of the story, he is such a Broadway kid.

C: You could say I’m a Jellicle kid.

K: Somebody could explain that.

M: I too was sitting next to Chris Wood when he was crying, but it was in New Orleans, in a waiting room to shoot a scene for Reebot, and he's like "Listen, I gotta fly back to Vancouver and my flight is like twenty minutes from now and we haven't shot yet, and it's 4 AM and I'm a little bit daffy in the brain.

K: *Laughs* It's true.

C: Yeah, we were drinking- we were on coffee number four, at like 5 AM, and I looked at my watch and I went "Oh!! My flight's at 6:30." *Laughs*

M: "Anytime you're ready, Kev!"

C: But we got it done.

K: The boys were so sweet, they came out uhm- Chris and Jesse Rath came out and they're in Jay and Silent Bob Reboot during Chronicon, if you haven't seen it on Amazon Prime.

C: With the most extensive and detailed backstory that any limited amount of screentime has ever had in the history of film. There's a story in those eyes, if you look closely.

K: Oh my God, he's working. But he's sitting next to Mr. Marc Bernardin.

M: Yes.

K: Throughout the night, and it was- we ran up against- what time do we finally shoot you guys?

C: I don't even remember.

M: It must've been like 5:15 or something like that.

K: And then rush them to the airport so they could get on (a) plane and get back to Vancouver, correct?

C: That's right, I had to get back to work.

K: Such a special-

C: But it was such a blast, though. And thank you again for letting us come out and play. That was such a trip.

K: It just means that uh, one day your kids are gonna watch that movie and be like "They're both in this terrible movie? Who are Jay and Silent Bob? Was this before you guys met on Supergirl? Why would you be in a movie like this?"

C: *Laughs*

K: Let's talk He-Man. What-- Had you done voice work prior to He-Man?

C: So, when I was broke, living in New York, in between babysitting for three boys on the Upper West Side to make cash so I could support my acting aspirations, I bought a little USB microphone and I joined this- I can't even remember the name of the site. It was some like, some freelance voiceover site, where you join and you can record audio samples and submit auditions and that was the only voice work I had done. I would- I was making like 100 bucks here and there, doing a voiceover for a animated-- "Hey kids, don't run in the cafeteria!" Like a school PSA, or I did some military PSA teaching soldiers etiquette in the barracks and-- so strange. But that was all I had done.

K: Tell'em about how- what acting in front of a microphone is like, 'cause it is acting-

C: Oh yeah.

K: -And in some ways, it's way more acting than one can do on a camera, on a camera one can be subtle, you can't be subtle behind a microphone. You gotta communicate emotion just with the voice, tell 'em about it.

C: You know it's so funny, I actually would describe voice acting as incredibly physical work, whereas camera acting it's all- you know, it's what you're feeling, it's..they say it's through your eyes, which actually means they're seeing through your eyes, through your soul, right? If you're feeling something you'll see it. But for voice acting, we don't see anything, it's all voice, so you really have to take the feeling and elevate it, and sometimes it helps to physically express it, so people sweat in the booth and they, you know, they grit their teeth and they stomp into the ground, and really, you have to really dig in, to grab the emotion and kinda amplify it, otherwise *monotone voice* you're just kinda talking like you do on film and nothing's really happening, and no one cares. Which is sort of what American acting is a lot of the time, we kinda just try not to seem like we're interesting and care about anything. *Laughs*

K: Is that the secret to acting? Did you just let it-- Is that all acting or just CW acting? What kinda acting are we talking about?

C: I'm actually doing a master class series on early '20s acting and basically, the first lesson is to speak as monotone and enunciate as little as possible.

K: Fucking worked out, you married Supergirl for heaven's sakes.

C: Listen-

K: Mumble away, kids! That's what your future looks like if you can mumble your way through a performance.

C: Mumble core.

M: So what you're saying is, voice acting then is very much like theater acting? Where like you've gotta play to the back row, right? Like you can't see that person's eye from a hundred feet away.

C: This guy!

K: Right? This fucking guy, he made-

C: You've found a way to bring it back to CATS! Wow!

K: Thank you, fucking excellent job, now there's a writer. Marc Bernardin is a writer.

M: *singing* Midnight and the kitties are sleeping..

K: Yes, your theater training really comes in handy in that shit, I never fucking put that together!

C: Yeah! Because you learn how to take a truthful feeling and amplify it, that's what the best stage acting is, right? An emotion that an actor is feeling that can reach the back of the house and, with voice acting is that same sort of thing, but your relationship is with the microphone uhm, and it needs to go through the microphone and then into the character and then the audience gets to it. So it's a whole-- There's a learning curve, I feel like it takes a second. Hopefully we got it right.

K: Now you're way younger than us, so I don't know if like- was He-Man in your wheelhouse growing up? Or that was before you?

C: He-Man, yeah, He-Man was on uh-- we didn't have cable when I was a kid, 'cause we didn't have the money for it. So I was watching, they were rerunning it on-- I'm trying to think what network it would've been. I can't even think of the names of what they were back then, but they were running- it was the rerun after the original series had aired. 'Cause I would watch that and I would watch X-Men, those are my cartoons.

M: Where'd you grew up, in New York?

C: In Ohio. Yeah, Dublin, Ohio, home of Wendy's, yeah.

K: That's true, that's where Wendy's begins, is in Ohio!

C: Yeah and there's a callback to Wendy! So..

M: This guy!

K: There's a writer, there's a writer! *points at both Marc and Chris*

M: High five!

K: What uh-- you know, we gotta be very careful of course, when we talk about MOTU, all of us are NDA'd up the A-H. You gotta play two different characters, what was that like?

C: That was one of the fun aspects of Prince Adam slash He-Man. It's finding these very different placements for the same person, right? So it has to feel like the same character but that, their emotional states are- Prince Adam is sort of in a different place: he's covering, he's deflecting, he's more fun and goofy..And then He-Man we have to drop the truth of his core mission, you know, to save the world, so..I mean, it starts with registers, right? That was the easy part. Prince Adam is supposed to be full of youth so he's a little higher and a little more excited, and then He-Man, *lower voice* go down and be more heroic, down in the basement and use his big fighty-fight voice.

K: It's pretty awesome, like you join a tradition of storytelling in which performers get to be two people, like you know, whoever plays Batman gets to do Bruce Wayne, and then they get to do the Dark Knight, whoever plays Superman gets to do Clark Kent and then they get to do the Man of Steel, so you get to do Prince Adam and then you also get to be his heroic alter ego, man.

C: Right.

K: It's a wonderful fraternity that you join.

C: Although I hear I'm in deep trouble, because the internet has found out that I'm not bulking up--

M: You're not doing the work?

C: --for my performance.

K: Somebody on Twitter was just like "Chris Wood, he's not big enough to play He-Man!" and they meant in size!

M: "Have you seen his thighs? His thighs are not nearly there!"

K: "He skips leg day all the time" but oh my God--

C: You're right! "He can't possibly play the character!"

K: Yeah I had to point out, I was like "I better get in touch with Netflix and see if they'll send Chris some steroids and a fucking peloton so he could do the the voice in an animated series."

M: Also, Chris is not from another planet. That's also an issue. Could you not have cast an indigenous actor to play somebody from Eternia?

K: Who was it tweeted, somebody tweeted something about Griffin Newman, they were like "Oh, tell Griffin we gotta cut his fucking legs off". Maybe it was there, texted that, tweeted that. What uh, now that you've voice acted and led an animated series: is it something that you see yourself doing again? I mean, of course, hopefully we all get to do this one again, but other stuff. You got like one of them Disney voices and you can sing like a motherfucker, man.

C: Oh man, I would love to do Disney too. Let's uh, put that in the bucket list. I honestly, I get a real kick out of it, it's..like you said you can really go to a larger-than-life place, and it all, it always has to come from, you know, something sincere, that sense of play has to be grounded in something. You just kind of yell and scream, I think people can hear that..so there's a challenge to it, but it's also super rewarding because you get to, you know, play characters that fly on cats that are oversized and wear armor and..

M: Jellicle cats?

K: None of that Jellicle shit in our show, Marc! Battle cats!

M: What kind of Jellicle are you? I'm a cringer cat!

K:*jokingly* Somebody point a sword at me, quick. Yeah man, it's a..

C: It's a long life with He-Man too, 'cause this, I mean the character is so fun and obviously..I had the action figures when I was a kid and those toys..I hope to introduce my son to Masters of the Universe via the action figures, 'cause I mean they're so weird! They really went there-- have you seen that special that they do on the toys on the Netflix show?

K: Oh yeah, the toy, the wonderful-

M: The Toys That Made Us.

K: -The Toys That Made Us.

C: Yeah, yeah The Toys That Made Us.

K: Their He-Man episode is unbelievably wonderful.

C: Oh, it's great! And it just shows you- you know they were thinking "what weird crap would a little boy like, put together on a toy?" And then they end up with these wild names, and these characters who do insane things and it's part of why it's so fun. And the fact that they found a way to build a story around those bizarre toys, that was also compelling.

K: Thank God they did--

C: 30 years later, it's amazing.

K: Thank God they did, we all have fuckin jobs, all three of us.

C: *laughs* You're right.

K: Wait so before we let you go, it occurs to me that Melissa just had her episode air of Supergirl, that she directed.

C: Directorial debut!

K: That's right! Did you- Did the Wood-Benoists or Benoist-Woods- did you guys like kick back and watch it together?

C: You know, we didn't because *laughs* we don't have cable. So, no!

K: Don't let CW hear that, or perhaps do and they'll pay for cable! Why don't you have cable? Where are you quarantining?

C: We're in California, so we're home, but we're usually not home.

K: Right! Oh my gosh, that's right!

C: As a fortunate actor you move to California to never be there. I was shooting in New York and she was shooting in Vancouver when this all started and we were lucky to get home quickly but uh, but yeah I mean, we don't spend that much time in our house, so we don't have cable!

K: Tell 'em why you were in New York. Was it the- that's been announced, right?

C: Yeah, yeah for Thirtysomething, Thirtysomethingelse which is an ABC show that hopefully, knock on me, hopefully ends up going when we get out of this situation with Covid. Yeah, it's a reboot of Thirtysomething, another 80s classic.

K: Oh my God, that's-- you'll have two, you'll have fuckin MOTU and Thirtysomething. I watched Thirtysomething in real time when I was a kid, I loved that show, my mom watched it so I watched it with her and stuff, so I know all about Hope and Michael. I saw that they were redoing the show and I saw that fucking Chris was involved and I was like "What?!", and I texted him "Are you fucking for real?" and shit, and you're playing Hope and Michael's- did they announce that? I don't know

C: Yeah, yeah, I'm their son, yeah.

K: So he's tied in-

M: He's a legacy character!

K: Legacy character and like-

C: Legacy! This is what's all about.

K: That's fucking dope, man. So I mean, look I can't wait to watch that, but I have seen and heard four animatics so far of MOTU and-

C: Oh man.

K:- your performance..

C: I cannot wait.

K: It's wonderful, you did a great, great job and made me proud as the guy who was like "You know who'd be good? This guy." Put you forward--

C: This guy and they're like "who's that?" and you're like "hang on, let me tell ya!"

K: Yes, "Here let me pull up IMDb". They knew who he was, they know you, man.

M: If you did like The Music Man it wouldn't have been an issue: “You know who’d be good? Wood would be good, if he could do that, I bet you Wood could.”

C: *Laughs* Well, you got He-Man, my friends. (inaudible) city.That was a, that was a deep cut.

M: Hell yes.

K:Look at you, look at how you came to life with a little theater ref, man. Jazz hands all around.

C: Oh yeah, you can feel the jazz hands from there in the Cantina.

M: Touching us all over

K: Go back and enjoy the rest of your Thursday night, thanks for hanging out with us, say hello to the good lady Benoist and whatnot.

C: Thank you gentlemen. It was wonderful seeing you both.

M: Good to see you, sir. Be well.

C: Alright guys, be well.

K: Give it up for He-Man himself, Chris Wood, everybody.

M: *cheers*

K: Mon-El..flies away. He’s so good, such a good guy. I forgot he was such a fucking theater kid, that’s right, and we were like talking theater and shit. And I forgot his connection to Garber. One more we wrote in.

M: We have another point of entry.

K: That’s true, that’s good. Man, I’m telling you, I ain’t fucking around, his script was one of the most impressive thing I’ve ever read,

M: Yeah, that’s awesome.

K: It did make me feel jealous where I’m like “he’s that pretty and he can write like this? Like, all I had was writing, fuck!”

M: That’s a problem.

K: God, what a good guy.

[piprocrastinator]

You Touch, I Touch

MewGulf

Gulf takes a retrospective look at himself and how he sees Mew. (alternately he likes Mews touch but isn’t sure how to ask for it yet.)

Length: 3732

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24749014

or

Gulf let out a tiny huff, rubbing his arms under the blanket. Not because he was cold, no, he was… itchy?

Not that Gulf was itchy, he wasn’t. Well kind of.

More like he had an itch.

Why did he have an itch and what was the itch for? Well, those are the question Gulf really wanted to figure out. Those same questions he’d been asking himself for the past couple days, no scratch that weeks now and he’s pretty sure he has an answer but he also really doesn’t because he’s not emotionally prepared for the answer.

He huffs again letting his hands fall to his lap as he sits alone on the couch, watching everyone mill about the room laughing and talking. Which is normal. It’s normal for him to sit off to the side, everyone knows he keeps to himself until needed, when their ready or when they want to, they come to him and he’ll join in conversation then. But until that time, he'll stay here, on the couch. And that's ok.

Or at least it was, until Mew took him under his wing, metaphorically and maybe a little literally, and started to bring him into the conversation. Mew was normally in the middle of the talking. He went to where the people were, he brought laughter like a gift. When Gulf was with him, they were in the conversation.

When Gulf was alone, he was here, on the sidelines. He was ok being on the sidelines, that wasn’t the problem. That wasn’t the itch.

It was a workshop, one of the few that basically everyone involved in the project was involved in, so the room was adequately packed. Which was another reason Gulf is waiting for people to come to him, interaction was.. tiresome to say the least. He wouldn’t really classify himself as an introvert but he probably leans more to that than extravert. Plus it takes him a while to warm up to people. He has gotten good at pretending, at least when he’s got the power of Mew beside him.

Gulf leans back into the cushion - they were lumpy and not that soft but it was fine- pulling his blue blanket to his chest. His eyes following Mew as he walks across the room to talk to Mild and Kaownah.

The itch was back. (Or rather he seems to be more aware of the itch in the presence of Mew.) He could feel it, right there under his skin. Crawling and pulling and just all over being a distraction to his otherwise sleep-filled time. He couldn’t understand it. Or rather he refused to understand it so that he didn’t have to accept its meaning. It’s part of his oblivious persona. And quite frankly, if he could purposely be oblivious to the itch he would and sometimes did.

Now though, was not one of those times.

It had been happening more and more recently too. Which made it extra difficult to ignore.

He would be fine. Everything would be fine at least until it wasn’t. He’s not really sure what will happen in the future to the ever-present and slowly growing tug of his soul. He’s normally a go with the flow sort of person and this blatant defiance of going against the flow was really messing with his groove to quote a certain emperor from that Disney movie.

It’s not fair that the more he ignores the itch the more he feels it. He feels the ache in his chest, the cold over his skin, the somber wind in his ears. He can practically hear the melodramatic music playing as the background movie in his own personal telenovela. At least that meant he was one of the leads in the show right? Only the leads get the really good music. (it’s not true but he’s going to keep pretending that it is because you know the most oblivious people are the happy ones right?... He was obliviously optimistic. )

He pulls the blanket closer, as tight as he could make it on his own, rubbing his arm absently. His head lulls on the back of the couch but his eyes stayed focused on Mew.

Fucking Mew.

Mew talking. Laughing. Engaging in interaction with everyone in the room like the social butterfly filled with charisma that he was.

And Gulf, he was on the couch, alone. Stupid itch. Stupid Mew. He wanted to sleep.

He pulls his feet up onto the couch tucking the under him so he can lean against the arm of the couch. He knew part -ok a very large and significant part, so much so that it might even be part of the main problem- of the reason for his unrest at the moment stemmed from Mew being ... there and not … here. He tries not to pout but he knows he’s not doing a very good job at it as he feels his lower lip puff out. He’s definitely pouting, and anyone within viewing distance could probably see it too.

He realized a little while ago that if they were in the same room together there was this… beacon, a sign inside of him that said comfort is near. Go to it. You belong there. In the beginning, it was a soft call, like the whispering breeze but then the more times they spent together, the more time Gulf spends in the rays of joy and sunshine that is Mews smile, wrapped in the sturdy roots that are his arms pulled against the solid chest that only knew warmth radiating from his core, the beacon became a siren. Both the loud annoying kind that warns you for tsunamis or twisters but also the kind in the waters of the ocean, getting louder and louder the closer you got until you've wrecked into the rocky cliffs, only to be drug down into the endless pits of darkness that are his eyes by the treacherous needs of the human soul. His mortal soul at the ever beckoning call, a call he likes to ignore but can’t.

Gulf exhales but its more like a sigh with meaning.

Mew had become his habit.

He knew from the first moment he saw Mew in that crowded room at auditions that there was something about Mew, something that called for him. And he fell for it. He fell for the call. He fell for everything about Mew in seconds. His soft caring eyes, his cheerful laughter that made you want to join in, his smile that melted even the iciest of hearts.

Mew wasn’t perfect, not by any means but he was human. A beautiful, kind, and caring human. Who gave the best hugs. Grand 'A' hugs. No one who’s gotten a hug from Mew would deny that fact.

There he said it.

He said it and is maybe trying to decide if he wants to take it back but it’s only to himself so he’ll let it slide. He gave the best hugs because everything about Mew felt like home regardless of if you knew him for two seconds, two weeks, or almost two years.

His theory is that Mews hugs were the best because of his strong arms, wrapping around you like a warm blanket, his steady breathing coupled with his heartbeat (much like the beating drum from the Pocahontas song). Then there was pat pat pat to his tummy like music that relaxed him more than any repetitive movement should. But it did. No matter the situation one simple touch from Mew and he immediately felt the calming effects and the closer they were the better he felt. As long as Mew was close he felt protected and safe. Mew would guide him. Care for him. Love him.

Oh gosh, Mew had the biggest heart and Gulf wanted to dive in and stay forever. To ask Mew to be there for him and with him, forever.

Maybe that was too much to put on one person, to expect so much of them with nothing to give in return but he did. He except and wanted it. He was selfish that way.

He blames Mew and his vendetta against personal space. Gulf has developed a habit. A habit of Mew never being too far away from him, always within reach and most of the time touching in some aspect. On the days when they were apart, he felt it. Deep in his core, he felt it. It was silly and he kind of hated it because that’s not fair to Mew who already gives so much to him. For him to ask for more, to ask for calls when they couldn’t see each other, to ask for a time when Mew wasn’t busy under guise of playing mobile games together, to ask for food dates because he missed Mew.

It’s weird to have a habit form because of some else. Gulf never imagined there a time when he would prefer closer over further away. He has never been the touchy type. Nothing past the normal stuff of friendship. The usual pats of the back or sitting close when talking or even the occasional arm over the shoulder. Friend stuff. He preferred not to do it himself but sometimes he let others close the distance. With his ex’s, he was touchy enough, and it was always a little weird. He just preferred distance because he was never good at initiating touch. Most of the time he didn’t know how to. And it had always been fine. No one questioned him or thought it was weird or tried to change it. It was fine.

But Mew.

Mew is ... the best hugger.

Mew loved touching and being close and even though in the beginning he asked before doing anything, he was still significantly more touching than Gulf was used to.

But he never disliked it. He'd never even thought to. The touches, Mew, had always been more than welcome in Gulf’s mind.

After the almost year and a half that he’d known Mew, he could name every flaw the other had, and not one of them was enough for him to feel anything less for Mew than he did in those first few moments of meeting.

Happiness and safety.

Maybe that’s why the habit he’s formed has created an itch. An itch saying that he wants Mew close, he wants his warmth, safety, and home within hugging distance no matter the time or the place.

How does he even begin to tell Mew this? The truth is, he doesn’t.

He just ignores the itch until Mew decides he wants to perform the lifesaving hug to Gulf because that’s just the generous kind of guy he is.

He waits until Mew wants him because he doesn’t know how to ask for what he wants.

Because he’s never had to.

Because he never needed to.

So he sits on the couch, trying his best to sleep or pretend to sleep or pretend that he’s not silently watching Mew. Silently willing Mew to come over to him, to take care of him instead of talking to everyone else in the room.

Gulf furrows his brows at the group, he feels a new feeling crawling under his skin, this one he can recognize easily- jealousy. Much like many other feelings in his life, he’ll ignore it. Ignore the way it creeps into his mind as he watches Mew laugh with one of the new actors. The new guy -whose name Gulf hasn’t quite figured out yet but he’s sure but the end of this workshop he’ll know it- nudges Mew as he talks before they laugh more. He’s pretty sure whatever it is they’re talking about isn’t that funny. Jealous isn’t something he’s fond off and he knows that he shouldn’t be jealous in the first place and if asked he’ll pretend he never was or is. Because that’s just who he is.

But now he knows he’s frowning and pouting and he knows he’s got the 'Type' eyebrow furrow. He’s not doing a very good job at pretending.

“You guys sulking again?” Mild leans against the other side of the armrest looking down at Gulf - who is just a little bit startled by his sudden appearance but tries to hide it by pulling his blanket closer to his face.

The soft smile on Mild’s lips felt like a mom's smile at their kid. Honestly, sometimes Mild could feel like a mom, teasing him and Mew but he always looked out for them. Well, Mostly Mew. But then Gulf knew the two had been friends for a while, even before Tharntype.

“No,” Gulf says smiling because he knows it’ll make Mild feel better even if it might be somewhat fake.

Mild fingers run through Gulf's hair, gently scratching at his nape before pulling away. “If you’re sure.”

“Yeah. I’m just napping until it’s time to start.” Gulf shot another smile up at Mild and he seemed to take the hint because he chuckles and walks away. Gulf reaches up and rubs his hand through his hair a few times, over the place that Mild did.

He has nothing against Mild it’s just not the hand he wants on him, it feels not right but he’ll never tell Mild no. Mild is touchy, not like Mew but moderately so and he has a good soul so Gulf won’t stop him. But right now, it’s not right, it’s like a weird aftertaste. Uncanny. He brushes over his nape before curling back into the couch, squeezing his eyes shut momentarily.

He blinks them open as he looks across the room. Mew was still laughing with them, Mild seems to have joined it. He could easily go over there too, maybe even lean against Mew and he knows that will prompt Mew into action. If he played his cards right he could sit in Mews lap and Mew would play with his tummy. It was a plausible strategy and a tempting thought.

He closed his eyes again.

The itch seems to make it’s come back now that he’s lacking in distractions. Is this Mew withdrawal? The lack of Mew interaction for a few days because of scheduling and now when they can see each other Mew is busy without everyone else but him.

Stupid Mew.

Stupid habit.

Stupid itch.

He thinks about calling Mew over and demanding interaction but that thought is fleeting because he is neither that stern in his ways nor is he that courageous to ask for what he wants when it comes to touching.

He won’t admit that he needs the touch because that’s not the kind of person he is.

He won’t admit that he misses Mew may be more than Mew misses him sometimes.

He won’t admit that when they can’t talk he feels sad, that he purposely bought some of the cologne Mew uses so he can feel closer to Mew. That sometimes he sprays it on his blanket so he can pretend that Mew is there when they haven’t seen or talked to each other in a while.

He won’t admit that he likes having Mew close is more for him than Mew.  

Mew does it because he can, Mew touches because that’s his personality. While Gulf stays by Mew because he feels safe, warm, protected, and... loved. Gulf needs Mew close.

The itch is getting to him. How long has it been since he’s hugged Mew. Years? No, they saw each other a few days ago, but it was for a live event and they didn’t get much time outside of the event to interreact. There was hugging but everything was strictly monitored so the hugs were… lackluster. And days ago.

Maybe he didn’t give himself enough credit though, because he’s been more active in the touching department.

Gulf sees flashes of different events and interviews they’ve done recently. He remembers vaguely asking to be in Mews lap while they laid on the bed. And even later that same interview when he silently willed Mew to pull him into his lap by mental strength alone. The Mc seemed pleased by their interactions so no one thought anything was weird. Because he was discreet, like a ninja. There was also that one MC that had been flirting with Mew, and Mew wasn’t touching him, Gulf remembers nudging Mews arm to get him to place his hand on his knee.

Gulf feels a little proud of himself at the progress he’s made. That’s two active times that he wanted to touch and he requested it and was given it. Maybe the habit hasn’t just created the itch for more but also given Gulf power needed to request it.

Will he one day be as touchy as Mew?

He scoffs softly, Impossible. He shakes his head against the couch, very aware that no one else can hear his thoughts but he needs the physical reminder to himself that Mew is Mew and he is Gulf and he will never be touchy like Mew but that’s ok because Mew compensates for him. And he’d done well in those instances. Progress.

He felt the couch dip next to him, the were no words so he assumed it was one of the staff. They probably assumed he was asleep. He peaks over his shoulder, and frowns, it wasn’t one of the staff. It was Mew and Mew was on his phone.

Mew was on his phone, not hugging Gulf even after all the time they spent apart. Rude. Gulf felt his bottom lip puff out -as if he hadn’t been pouting for the better part of the last half an hour. How dare Mew to respect his ‘sleep’ and not bother him like any respectable human being would. Mew was supposed to curl up with him and hug him.

Gulf let out a tiny huff but Mew stayed focused on his phone. He let out another one, a bit louder. When still no response came he gathered his inner strength that was built on the soul thought of Mew touching him and pushed himself off the arm of the couch so he could lean against Mew, head settling on his shoulder. He sighs at the touch. Better.

Gulf pat himself on the back. That’s three times now he’s initiated the touch. What an improvement. He’s going to be a pro at this soon if he keeps up this progress. He might even be able to rid himself of that itch because he’ll be able to get hugs when he wants them one day.

“I thought you would be asleep.” Mew's voice was soft and rumbled through Gulf's ears.

“I am.”

Mew chuckles before wrapping his arms around Gulf and pulling him down into his lap, leaning against his chest. Gulf looked up at Mew, ignoring the sputter in his heart as Mew smiled down at him. It was smiles like that where he wanted nothing more than to drag Mew to the nearest bed and take a nap with him. He was pretty sure there might be more to his thoughts than that but for now, he’s settled on napping in Mews warmth.

"Since when do you sleep talk?"

"Since always." Gulf smiles up at him.

"Guess I'll have to hang around more when your asleep and find out." Mew flicks his earlobe softly as he scrunches his nose. Gulf finds it adorable. He often finds it annoying that Mew can be so sexy and hot but also just as equally cute and endearing. It's human nature but it's still annoying. And he wants more of the duality all the time.

"You should.  Maybe every night will give you enough data for your research."

Mew flicks his nose before chiding softly. "Am I writing my dissertation on your sleep patterns now?"

"Of course, what else could you possibly want to write about?" Gulf smiles shyly up at Mew scrunching up his nose much like Mew did earlier, he could feel the blush on his cheeks. "Plus it's a win-win situation. you get to research and sleep all in one."

"And I get to be with you."

"Yeah," Gulf breathes out locking eyes with Mew, "With me."

Mew’s smile was soft and endearing and just the right amount of lip curvature to make his lips still be pouty. It was the kind of smile you want to see when you wake up, the sun shining in, next to someone you love as you lean in for a kiss. The kind of kiss that makes you want to smile the same way.

It’s gross and all too much and Gulf finds himself wanting to lean up into Mew.

He wants that kiss. He wants that kiss so badly in this moment. The morning kiss with that smile. He gulps. Mew’s eyes darken, something sparkles inside them as Gulf feels fingers tug softly at his ear lobe.

It would take nothing for him to fix the distance between them. He thinks for a moment that he might actually do it. Might actually lean up to capture those awaiting lips that he knows are sweet like cotton candy. Those same lips he’s kissed many times for a camera and a few times off-camera for practice but never just because they could. Never because they wanted to without any other reason. Never like this.

Gulf can feel his body humming in anticipation. The beacon in his head blaring at him, surrounding him with the sirens call, telling him to succumb to his human wants. To be strong and ask for things he wants.

He almost does too but the moment is shattered by Mame and the director calling for the cast to gather to start the workshop.

Mew pats his shoulder helping Gulf sit up so they could join the rest of the group on the other side of the room. Mew stays close, a hand on his back or around him but doesn’t look at him. Eyes swiftly looking anywhere but Gulf eyes for most of the workshop. Eyes only meet when they need to.

But Gulf doesn’t comment on it. He just glances at Mew every chance he gets and wonders if he’ll be able to sum up the courage to get that moment back during a time when they might actually be able to fulfill it.

[justsomeartsthings]

Print Me A House And Home

Summary: Sans breaks the lab’s printers while Alphys is away. With a little applied quantum theory, this somehow leads to his boss becoming his flatmate. Pre-Sanster, Sans POV, Fluff (with a sprinkle of Angst).

.

“ya gotta be kiddin’ me.” 

You rap your knuckles on the side of the printer. There’s a click and a foreboding thump from inside. You take a cautious step back, hands raised. 

“uh. hey, doc, is al in today?”

No response. You glance into the empty office behind you.

“boss?”

No dice.

“…i’m stealing your snacks. speak now or forever hold your chisps.”

Nada.

“your loss, dude.”

You snag the bag of popato chisps off of his desk and pop them open. The noise is like a firecracker set off inside your skull.

…Still ix-nay on the eleton-skay.

You toss a few chisps past your teeth and knock on the printer again. No one home. Not even a suspicious ticking noise. Lame.

You’re halfway through the chisps bag, tapping an absent rhythm on the printer, when there’s footsteps and the rustling of papers in the hallway. A few seconds later, Dr. W. D. Gaster strides through the doorway, head bowed. It’s a rare candid moment; he’s too engrossed in the notebook in his hands to notice you.

You watch him for a bit, debating whether to spook him.

“‘sup.”

To his credit, he doesn’t physically startle. He does snap his notebook shut, abruptly alert. “Sans. What are you…?”

“had to use your printer.” You extend the open pop bag. “chisp?”

He doesn’t even check to see if they’re his. He takes one. “The vending machine is two floors down.”

“eh. too far.”

“You could use the elevator.”

“why bother. it’s just gonna let me down.”

“Mm. And I suppose you’ve vetoed the stairs because they are ‘up to something’.”

“hey. don’t knock my jokes. they’re hy-stair-ical.” You crumple the empty chisp bag and toss it at Gaster, who catches it and drops it in the bin. “is alphys clocking in anytime soon?”

“She’s at a seminar in New Home. She won’t be back for another four hours.” He places the notebook on his desk. “Is there something wrong with your own printer?”

“yup. i tried to print a report of some results for an experiment this morning. somethin’ went wrong, think i jammed it. figured i’d use yours.”

His eyelights snap to the printer. “And it’s jammed mine as well?”

You chuckle. Break into the man’s office under printing problem pretenses, and watch him squirm. Give him a printer to fix, he’ll hyperfixate on it so hard he almost seems sane.

“looks like it. same thing happened to al’s printer, too.”

“That would explain why I couldn’t print my notes a few hours ago.” He approaches the machine, huffing. “It’s only Tuesday, and you’ve already managed to break all three of our printers.”

“i call it a magic touch.”

“I find it highly unlikely you would ever employ percussive maintenance. Especially of the bullet pattern variety.”

“heh heh. point taken.” You shrug. “wrong on the first count, though. i gave ‘em a few love taps.”

“Mm. Bandages are on my desk.”

“cute. i can take a printer, old man, and i could take you.”

“That would put you at two counts of theft and one of kidnapping. Tread carefully.” He removes the back panel of the printer and peers inside. “That’s peculiar. This experiment report— was it for the causality trials?”

“just the test run.”

“And your printer has the same kind of jam?”

“same jelly, same jar.”

“It appears to be routine.”

“bread n’butter.”

“It looks fried.”

“that’s probably a doughboy, then.”

“It can’t be a coincidence.”

“i didn’t say coincidence, i said doughboy.”

He snaps out of his thoughts at that. “What? What’s ‘doughboy?’”

“uh, s’like pre-bread? don’t call me ‘boy’.”

“I didn’t—” He shakes his head, baffled. “What in Asgore’s name are you going on about?”

“the printer. you sure you know what you’re doin’?”

He shoots you a glare just before shoving his hands all up in the printer’s mechanical guts. “I’m a highly skilled engineer who just so happened to design and construct the self-sustaining generator which the entire Underground, including this lab, runs on. I can handle a jammed printer.”

“ok, jeez, doc. no point tryin’ to print receipts, the printer’s already doughboy-ed.”

Gaster doesn’t reply, but after a few moments of tinkering, he does squint in a concerning manner. “Hm.”

“hm?”

“Hm.”

“i’m no printer engineer, but ‘hm’ doesn’t sound like a technical term.”

“It is when I say it.” And, well, he’s got you there. “It appears Alphys has been printing Mew Mew Kissy Cutie posters on her work printer.”

“uh,” you say. “what? how do you know?”

In response, Gaster pulls out an impossibly large poster from the back of the printer. It’s slightly crumpled, due to its dimensions being bigger than the printer could ever realistically print, and even laminated, which you’re pretty sure Gaster’s printer can’t do.

“Something tells me we will find your test results in Alphys’ printer, and my notes from this morning in yours.”

“woah. you’re kiddin’. scoot over,” you say, sidling up to him to peer inside the printer’s exposed mechanics. “you think alphys’ printer and my printer are superposed in yours?”

“Potentially.”

“that’s… uh,” you say. “impractical.”

“To say the least.”

“alphys is gonna have a field day with this when she gets back.”

“I’m sure the eventual clutter of dismantled printers will speak for itself.”

“heh. i gotta say, i’m kinda disappointed. i expected superposition to sound a lot more chaotic.”

He makes an assenting noise. You look over at him, and then nearly do a double-take. You didn’t notice before, but he’s as tense as a compressed spring, very intently inspecting the Mew Mew Kissy Cutie poster. Or, more likely, very deliberately not looking at you. 

Upon second glance, you are a lot closer to him than you reasonably need to be.

“heh. whoops. my bad,” you say, stepping to the side. “didn’t mean to crowd you.”

“…Not at all,” he says quietly, then clears his throat. He puts the back panel over the printer again and straightens up. “We should, er, go check the other printers. Just in case.”

“sure,” you say.

“Good,” he says.

“great,” you say.

And you go.

It’s kind of funny, this sort of dance the two of you have fallen into. Stepping on eggshells, tiptoeing around each other at work. Ignoring that you’ve got a crush on him. That he’s got a gigantic crush on you. It’s ridiculous, and hilarious, mainly because he’s centuries old and you’re, well, not.

For whatever reason, whether he’s worried about being deemed a cradle robber or a douchebag boss, or something else entirely, he hasn’t made a move on you yet. But hey, that’s fine by you. You’ve got all the time in the world.

Though you do hope it won’t actually take him that long.

“It will be faster if we split up,” he says, once you reach the intersecting hallway between your office and Alphys’. He starts to take off by himself, leaving you behind.

You reach out and grab his wrist.

“hang on a sec. if you’re right about superposition—”

“It’s very likely that I am.”

“then you realize checking the printers separately could affect the outcome. ‘that which is observed is changed’, n’all that?”

“Well, yes. But it may be an inevitability anyway,” he says. “And even so, the replication of this event is statistically extremely unlikely. This may be our only chance to see whether our theory of personal observation holds true.”

“but it’ll kill the control variable, won’t it? we already saw your printer—”

“Oh, it could, most certainly— but not if our current theories of quantum entanglement hold true.”

“quantum—? for a whole printer? boss, we’re years away from proving that particle entanglement exists on the subatomic scale, never mind above it.”

“Not once we check the printers, we won’t be,” he points out. “There’s a chance the only way to trigger binding entanglement at such a large scale is through unrelated proofs.”

Unrelated—?

And, oh. 

You’re physically incapable of gaping, but the sentiment must show in your eyelights, because he grins down at you, the smug bastard.

“All caught up?”

“we’ll know entanglement can occur if our personal observations affect the outcomes of a superimposed subject— and if it doesn’t, we’ll have potentially disproven three separate quantum theories at once, since each cannot exist without the other. it’s… extremely assumptive and unreliable science—”

“Unless it works.”

“uh, no, i’m pretty sure it’s still unorthodox and totally fallible,” you say. “but hey. personal confirmation’s gotta count for somethin’, right?”

He laughs, bright and clear. “Yes, yes, I suppose. In a sense.”

“well, then, in a sense, it’s genius.”

More than genius, really. And Gaster knows it is, going by the look on his face. For a moment, time slows, and you take in his eyelights, fuzzy and dilated. How his entire silhouette brims with restrained excitement. Riding on the high that comes just before a dramatic breakthrough.

And yeah, maybe there’s more important things at hand, but god, he’s beautiful when he gets like this.

“heh. how ‘bout we save the ego inflation until after we get results,” you say. The cusp of quantum discovery isn’t the time or place for mutual, unspoken workplace crushes.

“Right. Then we’ll meet back here as soon as possible,” Gaster says, and turns to go—

Only to be yanked back by your hand, clasped tightly in his.

Oh.

You stare at your joined hands, soul fluttering. His fingers are intertwined with yours, slender phalanges and thick knuckles complementing each other like a welded whole.

At some point, you must’ve let go of his wrist and taken his hand instead. You hadn’t even noticed.

“uh. eheh. whoops.” You let go and try to pull away. But Gaster’s hand doesn’t budge. “doc?”

He’s as still as a statue, his eyelights focused somewhere over your shoulder. A flighty feeling grows in your bones the longer you have his hand in yours. 

And then he says, quietly: “Have you been sleeping here, Sans?”

Your soul wrenches itself in another direction.

“what?”

Gaster gestures behind you with his other hand, but you don’t turn to look. In a rush, it comes to you, what he must be looking at. 

You’d had a long night, then a rough morning with Pap. This afternoon, you weren’t as careful as you usually are. You remember leaving your office door open, and, like the idiot you are, you remember leaving out your sleeping bag, your cheap diner food wrappers, your half-sharpied sneakers. And then you got so caught up in causality, your experiment, and printing those results— 

You forgot to hide your mess.

Fuck.

“You’ve been sleeping here overnight.”

“it’s not, uh,” you begin weakly, but it really is what it looks like. And judging by the way Gaster hasn’t torn his eyelights from your mess, he knows it. 

There’s no point making a fool out of yourself by lying. 

But that doesn’t mean you don’t hate the way your voice goes quiet without your consent. 

“…it’s not as bad as it looks.”

“What about your brother— Papyrus? Is he—?”

“no. god, no. trust me, you’d know if pap was loose in this place,” you chuckle a little desperately. “he stays with a couple of friends in new home while i work. temporarily, y’know. just while we’re between houses.”

“Between houses,” Gaster echoes, finally looking down at you again. It’s fine. You’re fine. “I locked down the lab last weekend— were you on the streets for that time?”

“nah, we, uh. heh.” You clear your throat. Look to the wall. Shove your free hand in your pocket. 

Anything to distract from the fact that you can’t keep your voice steady.

You’ve never talked about it to anyone before. Out loud. You didn’t expect it to be this difficult. And it doesn’t help that Gaster doesn’t give you an out. He just stares at you, expectant. You have no idea how to read the expression he’s wearing. 

So you gather yourself and let your mouth run like a loose motor.

“we house-hopped for a while, ‘til we could make it to snowdin. there’s a place out there i’ve been savin’ up for. real spacious, real cheap. y’know. somethin’ decent we can handle the mortgage for with my salary. and the guy who owns it wanted to meet up anyway. so th’ timing worked out.”

“Sans—”

“it’s fine, doc. really. trust me. been doin’ this since i could remember,” And it is fine. The more you talk, the less he’ll hear. You’ll be fine, as long as you don’t let him speak. “listen, i’ll pack it all up when i clock out, i’ve got friends we can bunk with—”

“Absolutely not.”

“—i can make it work, but, uh, y’know, i’m sorry i—”

“Sans.” He squeezes your hand, tight. Your soul scales your throat and smothers your protests. “You’re staying in my apartment until the house is yours.”

You blink up at him, uncomprehending.

“Asgore rents the place out to me, as per our contract. I can assure you, you would not be imposing.”

Slowly, the words start to trickle in. Imposing. In his apartment.

He wants you to stay. With him. In his apartment.

“oh,” you say. Like an idiot.

“It’s fully stocked, and more than big enough to house you, your brother, and I.”

The mention of Papyrus is enough to get your thoughts moving again.

“wh— uh. hang on. slow down, doc. i can’t do that.” He doesn’t reply. You shake your head, even as some part of you starts to settle into the idea. A house, regular meals. Gaster sleeping in the neighboring room. “no, no, c’mon. i’m serious.”

“As am I.”

He is. And you hate that. You hate that he’s serious. 

You hate that you want him to be serious.

Now you can’t stop yourself from considering it. Your thoughts run ahead of you, wondering what you’d be able to do if you weren’t constantly worrying about food on the table or the roof overhead. What a relief it would be to have a stable home life, not in a few years, not in a few months, but now.

No more bed hopping, or borrowing clothes. No more stretches of time spent starving in dank alleyways.

No need to worry about transportation to the lab or to wherever Pap ends up staying during the work day.

And not just that, but someone to secure it for you. Someone you know for a fact won’t toss you out at the drop of a pin, who won’t hold it over your head, or pander ulterior motives. 

Someone who doesn’t think you’re a disgusting excuse for a monster.

It sounds too good to be true.

And to top it all off, here Gaster is, looking at you like he knows he’s offering you dinners and bedtimes and breakfasts and domestic things and stability and a normal life that you could never get on your own merit.

And the only objection you can think of is:

“doesn’t that break some sort of— i dunno, fraternization rule, or something?”

Gaster blinks down at you. You’re slightly relieved to see his expression change into something more familiar.

“We are a collective twenty steps away from an immense scientific discovery that could redefine the way we conceptualize reality itself,” he says, “and you’re worried about fraternization.”

Which, okay, that’s a little unfair.

“doc, we’re twenty steps away from an immense scientific discovery, and you wanna argue about where i sleep at night.”

He takes a breath to argue, then cants his head. “You have a point.”

“don’t i.”

“This can wait.”

“can’t it.”

“I suppose we should… get on with it.”

“uh-huh.” You swallow around the lump in your throat. “as soon as you let go of my hand.”

“Oh. Right. Yes.” He releases your hand a little sheepishly. Centuries, you have to remind yourself. “Apologies.”

“don’t sweat it.”

As soon as he starts moving, you turn heel and make a beeline for your office. 

You shut the door behind you and slide down the back of it until your knees hit your chest. Then you tuck your head between your legs and you breathe.

You’re fine. It’s fine. You just— you need a minute. Just a minute. In a few seconds, you’ll open your eyesockets, and you’ll be fine.

Alone. Safe.

Fine.

You open your eyes.

Your mess awaits you, splayed at your ankles. It spirals far into the room like an extension of yourself. You stare at it with the appropriate amount of disgust.

Strewn wrappers, unwashed laundry. Empty bottles and cans you planned to sell for a couple G apiece. You never left any of it out during the daytime before. Not where the stark laboratory overhead lights strip it of nighttime’s leniency. Right now, it’s all there, laid bare for the world to see.

It’s just things. Fabric and plastic and glass and other meaningless things. 

It is what it is, but it’s not. It’s more than that.

And you know, if it would’ve been Alphys, it would’ve been easier. Because you’re not ashamed of your situation. Really. It sucks, but it happens. You get that. She would get that. It’s just. You just didn’t want anyone to know. You didn’t want Gaster to know. 

You didn’t want Gaster to look at your things and see more than just quirks or weird habits. But he did. Almost too quickly. He saw right through you. 

You wouldn’t have pegged him for a monster who has fallen on hard times. Not like you have.

But it happens. You get that.

So…

So maybe you have less to worry about than you thought.

You swipe at your eyesockets and take to your feet. Either way, you shouldn’t dwell on it, not now. Not when you have work to do. 

...Not when you have three quantum theories to potentially disprove, what in Asgore’s name are you doing?

Your printer is just as you left it on your desk. You loop around the back of it, kicking a stray ketchup bottle out of your way, and take off the panel without a hitch.

No Mew Mew Kissy Cutie poster in sight. Small mercies. You plunge your hand into the printer’s depths.

“yahtzee,” you mutter under your breath, once you’re elbow-deep. 

Anticipation sneaks past your defenses, as you pull out the piece of paper touching your fingertips. Your shambles of a home life aside, this is a big moment. You should be enjoying it.

You shake out the page, flatten it against your desk, and quickly scour its contents.

...It’s Gaster’s notes. In his handwriting, scanned and copied and printed.

Unwittingly, you start to re-crumple the paper between your fingers. The mess in your office melts away, suddenly distant and small in comparison to the realization cresting your thoughts— the mantra ringing through your head over and over like the chiming of the Judgement Hall’s bells— 

He did it.

He was right.

Superposition, entanglement, personal observation— everything. He was right.

You don’t get the chance to bolt out of your office— he meets you at your door. You swing it open, blustered by the draft, and hold up Gaster’s notes. He starts laughing before you even see your experiment report in his hands.

“holy shit,” you breathe.

“Indeed.”

“holy shit.”

“I am treating both you and your brother to dinner tonight,” Gaster pants, slapping the report into your hands. “Until then, we can discuss a more suitable salary for your expenses. Come evening, we’ll pick up Papyrus…”

He keeps talking, but you can’t process a word of what he’s saying. It doesn’t occur to you that you probably just got a raise, or that you won’t be dumpster diving tonight, or even that you’ve somehow completely accepted the fact that you’ll be roommates with your boss for the foreseeable future.

None of it matters, because Gaster is grinning, eyesockets wide, breath stolen from wonder, his hands planted firmly on your shoulders. He looks barely in control of himself.

You can’t believe you thought he was beautiful before. You’ve never seen him look at you like this.

You don’t want him to stop.

Eventually, however, he realizes you aren’t listening to a word he’s saying. So he stops talking, rolls his eyelights, and abruptly turns around to lead the way back to his office.

You blink after his receding outline, still blinded by the afterimage of his expression. Something brushes your side, and you look down.

One of his conjured hands is clutching yours. The asymmetry of the grip is just as perfectly aligned as it was with his real hand. 

You give the mimic a squeeze. It squeezes back.

With one last look at the chaos of your office, you shut your door behind you and drift along in Gaster’s wake, smiling.

.

AO3

[popatochisssp]

Obviously no pressure, but if you wanted to share your ideas on house pets, there would be great interest from at least one person. But headcanons are closed and I totally respect that (this very ask aside sorry). No pressure to do anything!!! just wanted to let you know that it seems like fun info.

Sans (Undertale): Strongly inspired by a fantastic fanfiction I can’t recommend enough, he has a cat affectionately named Catsup (Norwegian Forest Cat). Of course he does. Pretty typical story here, he more or less went to a shelter, locked onto the biggest, fattest cat there, and filled out the paperwork to damn her to a life of having a pun for a name. He...may have only gone to the shelter because he was hardcore struggling with depression and his brother read somewhere that pets can help a little, but that's...that’s neither here nor there. Catsup turned out to be a perfect fit for Sans in spite of his initial attitude of, 'I'm only doing this to make Papyrus happy'-- she's probably just about as chill and lazy as the skeleton himself, content to flop over just about anywhere, anytime and hang out. Her laidback nature was a blessing for Sans, a first-time cat-owner who didn't really know what he was doing or what she needed right away. A more high-maintenance cat probably wouldn't have been as forgiving and there'd have been a lot more stress on everybody before he got it figured out. Now, he considers Catsup his best little pal and doesn't even need to be reminded to change out her bowls and her litter. He's surprisingly responsible, when he actually really cares about something.

Catsup’s Quirks: Likes it when you gently slap her belly, always gravitates towards the room with the most people in it, often appears in unusual places that it seems like she shouldn't have been able to get to

Papyrus (Undertale): He...begrudgingly missed working with the Canine Unit once the Royal Guard was officially disbanded... It took him awhile to be able to openly admit he was interested in getting a dog, and when he did, he had standards-- it had to be a smart dog, one that could learn tricks and follow rules, unlike a certain annoying creature that’s plagued his life and home and special attacks in the past!!! So he did a lot of breed research, found a local, ethical breeder for the kind he was looking for, and went to pick out a pup. Spike (Border Collie), so named for his incredible coolness, is a perfect fit for his energetic skeleton friend and loves to run, exercise, and learn new tricks all the time!

Spike’s Quirks: Learned to wipe his feet before coming inside just by watching Papyrus do it, hams up his tricks and sometimes does them without prompting, never leaves the park without an impractically large stick to bring home

Sky (Underswap Sans): You will literally never get him to admit the real reason he got a dog companion because he knows in his heart of hearts that it’s such a silly reason... He saw a video online of a dog delicately eating a watermelon and while most people would’ve had a kneejerk reaction of, “I NEED TEN,” but not gotten any, he had the same reaction and just...talked himself down to one. And so came Poff (Samoyed), a big ol’ floofer who’s a lot like her master when it comes to levels of energy and affection. She’s happy to follow him around on patrols, training sessions, and even through obstacle course...so of course, she tends to get very dirty very quickly. Luckily, Sky’s diligence in grooming her keeps her coat as white and fluffy as her namesake!

Poff’s Quirks:  Loves baths, tap dances at the mention of treats, doesn't chew her toys and just hoards them instead

Paps (Underswap Papyrus): He wasn’t really in the market for a dog, himself. He was just along for the ride when his bro was picking up Poff, when he happened to hear the most hilarious sing-screaming sound he’d ever heard in his life. He followed it all the way to the little fellow who would soon be known as Smoochie (French Bulldog), and he sure seemed upset about...something? He never really figured out why, he was laughing too hard from hearing a sound like that come out of something so small and weird-looking. He didn't try to adopt Smoochie that day, much as he loved his sound, but he found himself going back to the shelter a couple times just to check on and play with him. After two or three months with no one else adopting the little prima-donna, he figured he might as well commit and take him home. He's a fun little dude and Paps hasn't regretted it for a second, but he's forever in denial about just how much of a Dog Dad he's become since. It's totally normal to carry your dog around in the hood of your sweatshirt, isn't it???

Smoochie’s Quirks: Screams a lot, will eat food out of peoples’ hands if they’re not paying attention, jumps higher than it seems like he should be able to

Jasper (Underfell Sans): Like most things in his life, he didn’t put a whole lot of planning or forethought into getting a dog. He was out one night, decently drunk, and a friend of a friend of a friend of a coworker was talking about this dumb dog he had that was supposed to be a guard dog but couldn't do it worth a damn because he was too friendly. The guy was yammering about how to get rid of it and something about that struck a chord with Jasper. It was pretty soon after monsters surfaced and maybe that's why it felt...important to him? He was probably just drunk and emotional and soft that he even stepped in or said anything, but it is what it is. He’s a skilled enough conman that it didn't take him long to talk the guy around in circles until he was willing to pay Jasper for the privilege of taking this animal off his hands and in short order, he was almost bowled over by the big dog that planted its paws on his shoulders at their first meeting. Jasper immediately renamed him from something cliché and 'intimidating' to Tubbs (Rottweiler) for how heavy the goofy bastard was and then brought him right home. His brother wasn't particularly pleased and swore he would not be caring for this beast, but he never had to; Jasper kinda missed having something trusting and affectionate to take care of, and Tubbs has been daddy's little fatty ever since.

Tubbs’ Quirks: Shreds even the heaviest duty toys, lays on people as if he were a lap dog, drools rivers if somebody's eating food around him

Pyre (Underfell Papyrus): Who am I to defy literal years of fanon...? His first meeting with Doomfanger (Persian) was about as clichéd as it gets-- a scrawny, dingy, scraggly and matted cat scurrying out of an alley in the rain. She went right up to him and, well... it was love at first mew. He scooped her right up, bestowed a fittingly intimidating name upon her, and took her home with him, in spite of the fact that she looked more like a mutant rat than a cat at the time. After shaving the mats off, bathing the dirt away, and getting her some regular food, though, Doomy actually ends up being an exceedingly beautiful feline! He credits his attentive care and grooming for her pristine, silvery fluff and will brag about it at a moment's notice, but he's just ever so slightly in denial about her sweet and gentle nature. Doomfanger is a vicious killing machine, a true apex predator that nothing stands a chance against! That's...that’s obviously why he carries her around so much... And why he plucks her away from any other animal that comes near her like some sort of mother hen-- he's minimizing the bloodshed! If he let her loose, there would be no survivors!

Doomfanger’s Quirks: Meows in peeps, avid shadow-chaser, extremely receptive to handling

Mal (Swapfell Sans): Hey, anyone remember FGTC? This one cameo’d in that fic, she may seem familiar~ So...he wanted a pet. At first, he thought a cat would be good, fierce independent hunters that they’re reputed to be...but after spending time with a lot of cats and not really clicking with any, he was forced to concede that he was just more of a dog person. In hindsight, of course that’s what he was looking for: a loyal companion to (literally, ha!) dog his steps and follow his orders. Before he can actually, intentionally start looking for one, though, the universe works its magic and he finds one digging around in the garbage out behind the house. The emergency vet he brings the scarred and skeletal stray to tells him that, judging by her injuries, she was probably bait in some dog-fighting ring somewhere and got thrown away when she wasn’t useful anymore. Well. Fuck that, Princess (Pitbull) deserves better than that, and she’ll have it! He takes on the duty of nursing her back to health and earning her trust and it isn’t long before she shows her true colors as the loviest sweetheart of a dog that ever was. She’s utterly useless as an attack/guard dog, but her barks are loud and intimidating, and she obeys commands at the drop of a hat, so Mal doesn’t hold that against her. She goes with him just about anywhere she’s allowed and he shows her off with the same enthusiasm you’d expect for a pedigreed Best in Show dog.

Princess’ Quirks: Wags with her entire butt, will kiss the moment someone’s face is in range, barks at doorbells both real and on TV

Rus (Swapfell Papyrus): He didn’t mean to get a cat, not really... He was just following along with his brother when Mal was kicking around the idea of getting one, and Mal may not have clicked with anybody there, but he sure did. Actually... Kitkat (Manx) may have picked him and he’s just along for the ride. Kitkat was kinda young at the time, a little smaller than all the rest and also...no tail??? But what a personality, loud and playful and super sweet and...when it was time to leave the shelter, he just...he couldn’t bring himself to do it without her, he was in love! It’s mutual, at least-- she latched right onto him pretty much instantly and is pretty much never not with him whenever he’s at home, following him around from room-to-room.

Kitkat’s Quirks: Bone-rattlingly loud purrs, loves to play fetch, prone to 3AM zest for life and zooming all around the house accordingly

Slate (Horrortale Sans): I actually wrote about this one! But the gist of it is...he likes cats. Eventually got confident enough to go get one and zeroed right in on the weirdest-looking, least adoptable cat in the shelter he volunteers at. Slinky (Cornish Rex) was deaf, kinda ugly, and a whole lotta weird, but hell, she’ll fit right in at home, yeah? And so she does! She wrecks a lotta shit and is loud as hell, but stuff is only stuff and Slate’s never had an issue with noise. Actually...she really helps him out with his sleep and focus issues, it’s hard to drop off or dissociate when you have a cat in your lap, yelling at you at batting your face because it’s Play Time or Dinner Time, wake the fuck up!!! She’s a bastardous gremlin, but he loves her to bits.

Slinky’s Quirks: Clumsy and bad at judging distances, loves ankle-looping, insists on sniffing all people-food but never actually tries to eat it

Papy (Horrortale Papyrus): Following the trauma of the underground and the ensuing massive outpouring of empathy from humanity at large, monsters were made aware of many therapeutic resources that they could take advantage of, one of which was therapy animals. Papy naturally thought this was a wonderful idea...for other monsters, who were of course far more psychologically-damaged and not quite so good at enduring as himself. But...his brother does volunteer at an animal shelter, and he goes to visit him on occasion so he's made friends with a lot of animal people. This is how he hears about a therapy dog in need of a new forever-home due to complicated circumstances with her former owner, and well... it would be rude not to offer the Lady (Borzoi) a place to stay! He’s surprised by her appearance at first, having expected something more like a golden retriever or some kind of shepherd??? But he's very quickly charmed by her and actually feels more than a little bit of kinship with her no stranger to being long and oddly proportioned, himself-- and they're both doing their best to make it look graceful instead of weird. Since Lady proves to be a sweet and gentle-mannered dog, Papy just sort of...never bothers trying to find other accommodations for her. She’s welcomed wholeheartedly into their home, which she repays with plenty of unconditional love and effortless emotional support!

Lady’s Quirks: Spins in circles when excited, very polite when begging for table scraps, never barks but howls often

[artnerd1123]

A Familiar World

Picture Perfect ——————————————

A short chapter, in which Aiden and Roo find a very pretty field. 

The masterpost for AFW can be found here. The chapter post for AFW can be found here.

——————————————

Honestly, this started as an excuse to write some comfort fluff. But! We all need more wholesome content in our lives! So here’s paint dad and his paint cat son goofing around. Enjoy ^^

                                                    ————

White canvas. Green grass. Speckles of yellow sunlight. A dash of cream across a blue expanse. Brushstroke after careful brushstroke, a landscape was taking form. The larger blocks of color were already filled. However, one doesn’t say “the devil is in the details” for nothing. A slow, steady hand and a critical eye were vital to this particular quest. That was one thing the artist had mastered over the years. Capturing the world’s beauty brought him such joy. Thus, Aiden Pingere found himself out in a field, eyes flicking to the forested horizon. Painting might be a bit harder to stop for nowadays, but he wasn’t about to give it up. Not when the light caressed the greenery so sweetly. The questor hummed contentedly to himself as he added more paint to his brush. Ah… he could stay here all day. And they had so far! The field was a perfect place to let Roo romp around. Aiden had asked his familiar to play behind him, but otherwise just… let him run amok. The excited mews behind him made his heart as warm as the sight of a gorgeous horizon. Another round of meows sounded off as he turned back to his canvas. Such a happy sound… Humming thoughtfully, he glanced between his rendition and the field. The grass looked a little too dark. Like it was dusk instead of midday. He needed to lighten it up. “Touch of jade, maybe…?” He mumbled, squinting. “Or pear… ‘s got the yellow I need…” He turned his attention to his palette. There were plenty of colors smeared across it. A smile inducing collage. Jade and pear weren’t there yet, but he could fix that. He set his brush down to wipe off a spot. With the bottom of his shirt, of course. When he was painting, his shirt just turned into a napkin. His own wearable artwork!  Aiden was busy rubbing away paint when something tugged on his pant leg. “Hm-?” He peeked around his palette curiously. A feline familiar stood by his foot. Ah, Roo! He’d been wondering when he’d wander back this way. Aiden waved down at the lil guy. “Hey bud... What’s up?” “Nothin much!” Roo chirped happily. “Jes wanted to see what yeh were paintin’!” His ears were perked up eagerly, gaze full of intrigue. “Yeh been workin on it fer awhile now!” “That I have,” Aiden agreed, chuckling. “You wanna give me some feedback?” “Aww yeah!!! Lemme see!!!” Roo beamed. The familiar threw his paws up instantly. Aiden smirked. What a little ham. Amazing. He scooped him off the ground, ruffling his fur affectionately. Roo squeaked in protest, giggling. Aiden let him get comfortable before turning to the painting. “Sooo… Whaddaya think?” Aiden inquired. Roo’s first reply was a tiny gasp. “Oh!!! Ohhh…” His wide eyes flickered all over the canvas. It was so cool! So pretty! His paws patted Aiden’s arm softly. The sensation drew a fond smile from him. “It’s already so good! ‘S like I could jes jump right in!!!” Roo mewed excitedly. “I love it!!!” The response just made Aiden’s smile wider. “Glad to hear it, roodle doodle. Though I’d advise against the jump. Uuunless you want to try being green,” he said simply. Roo stuck out his tongue, shaking his head. “Nope! I don’t wanna be green! You’re already doin that job for me!” He gestured to the stains on Aiden’s clothes and fingers. “I’m good bein indigo!” Aiden raised a brow at that. An idea crossed his mind. Humming innocently, he moved Roo to one arm. “Alright. Fair. Buuuut…” He smirked, using his free hand to wiggle his fingers mischievously. “What if I want you to join me?” Roo let out another gasp, looking comically offended. “What? How??? Yeh wouldn’t smoosh me on your paintin’!” “Who said I need that paint to make you green?” Aiden teased, winking. As Roo gave another mock gasp, the questor snapped his fingers. His forgotten palette- now wreathed in blue mist- rose up at his side. “I’d say my palette here has plenty to share, eh?” “Nooooo!!!” Roo cried, flopping over Aiden’s arm. “I’ll get lost in the grass!!! An Yeh won’t eveh be able teh find me!!!” “Bold of you to assume that greenies can’t see each other! We’ll be lost together forever!” Aiden sighed dramatically. … a beat of silence passed as the two posed. After a minute, they locked eyes. Roo was the first to start giggling, but Aiden followed soon after. Their laughter rolled across the field in joyous waves.

That night at camp, Aiden held his canvas up to the firelight. A serene smile graced his face. The painting was done now. Long dry, and lovingly signed. The landscape’s beauty captured. But it was the little spot of indigo that really made it a masterpiece. A little laughing cat, bounding freely through the grass. The same cat who slumbered contentedly near the fire. Curled up safe, in a happy dreamland.

Ah, yes. It was a beautiful day. One more neither of them would trade for the world.

[cinemamablog]

Lana Del Rey Goes to the Movies

I use roughly 1/16th of my iPhone’s storage space to hold my collection of Lana Del Rey’s music, including her (misspelled) self-titled album Lana Del Ray AKA Lizzy Grant and over a hundred of her leaked, unreleased tracks. (If you have an MP3 of “Yosemite” or “Life is Beautiful”... Hit me up, please.) My husband teases me because I have a LanaBoards account so I can read - and occasionally participate in - the pre-release gossip months, sometimes years, before the next Lana album drops.

Just like I make no secret of my Lana Del Rey obsession, Ms. Lizzy Grant pulls no punches when it comes to her idolatry of the silver screen and Hollywood lore. With songs aptly titled “Hollywood,” “Hollywood’s Dead,” and “Super Movie,” she wears her movie loving heart on her sleeve. Lana makes references to movies, iconic (usually dead) actors, and David Lynch throughout her discography. She has also contributed to countless recent movies, providing sultry vocals while matching the vibe of the films, like on the soundtracks for The Great Gatsby, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and Big Eyes. In fact, Mary Ramos, Quentin Tarantino’s music supervisor, revealed last summer that Lana submitted music for Tarantino’s latest film, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood. She also reportedly recorded a song for the James Bond franchise at one point. A casual fan of motion pictures, Lana is not. To which I say: girl, same.

Lana frequently references to Marilyn Monroe in her music, always in a very blatant (some might say distasteful) manner. “If I call you on the telephone, I might overdose, ‘cause I’m strong but I’m lonely, like Marilyn Monroe,” she mews in an otherwise sweet love song named after the actress. She also references suicide and Monroe in her single “Body Electric”: “Elvis is my daddy, Marilyn’s my mother,” she sings in the first verse. By the second verse, she sings “Diamonds are my bestest friend [Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, anyone?]. Heaven is my baby, suicide’s her father, opulence is the end.” On a less morbid note, she also pays homage to Monroe in the intro of her National Anthem music video. In the black and white clip, Lana sings “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” a la Marilyn Monroe, except instead of JFK on the receiving end, she serenades rapper A$AP Rocky. 

The reason for Lana’s attraction to Marilyn’s mythos seems obvious to me. They both created their persona by studying the stars that came before them: Marilyn by emulating Jean Harlow, Lana by paying her respects to Marilyn, Sharon Tate, and other young movie stars known for the tragedies that marked their lives. The cycle continues into the 21st century.

Lana has a few other movies and film people that reappear throughout her song catalogue: David Lynch, Scarface, and Easy Rider. I find this appropriate, as all three present the viewer with stylized visions of how the American Dream can go wrong. Lynch explores the nightmarish underbelly of the suburban lifestyle, Scarface follows Al Pacino’s immigrant character up a violent ladder of success, and Easy Rider glorifies living on one’s own terms, a freedom for which the main characters pay dearly.

Lana covered the titular song of David Lynch’s film Blue Velvet on her first studio EP, Paradise. At first, I thought that maybe she just likes the song, but then, on her second studio album, Ultraviolence, she gave an undeniable nod to Lynch that marked her for a fan. In the song “Sad Girl,” she sings: “He’s got the fire and he walks with it,” a blatant reference to the phrase “fire walk with me” from Lynch’s project Twin Peaks. Both Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks focus on the sexual, drug-fueled violence lurking just under the surface of an otherwise idyllic community, much like Lana’s storytelling through song.

“Scarface, sacrifice, sold my soul to make it nice. It was worth it, paid the price, life is death when blow is life,” Lana sings on an unreleased track called, you guessed it, “Scarface.” The lyrics of the song follow the same themes as the movie, describing a life characterized by mob violence and stoned patriotism. Lana also references the De Palma remake in another unreleased song, “Never Let Me Go”: “Like they say in Scarface, kid, you can push your drugs and I can make it big.” I’m pretty sure they don’t say that in Scarface, but still, the sentiment remains the same: the road to the American Dream (and doom) can be paved with drugs, money, and luck.

“Is the sun in your eyes, easy rider?” Lana asks in the unreleased “Angels Forever, Forever Angels.” She sings in the bridge, “Paradise is a hell-colored flame sky. Is it nice to feel free and wild?” throwing out a subtle, decades-old reference to the theme song of Dennis Hopper’s 1969 counterculture hit Easy Rider, “Born to be Wild.” On her third studio album, Honeymoon, Lana recycles the reference on the track “Freak”: “Sun reflecting in your eyes, like an easy rider.” Like Blue Velvet and Scarface, Easy Rider shows the American Dream onscreen as a drug-induced fantasy that can’t end well, but the ride is worth it.

Occasionally, Lana sings about the real dark side of Hollywood, where the bad decisions and late nights aren’t a fun game or even a choice anymore, but rather the price of artistic success, demanded of her by men with sinister intentions. In Lana Del Ray AKA Lizzy Grant’s “Put Me in a Movie,” Lana teases a powerful man in the movie industry: “Come on, I know you like little girls... Put me in a movie.” Some of Lana’s other lyrics came under fire in the media shortly after the accusations against Harvey Weinstein publicly surfaced. Lana sings the lyrics in question during the bridge for the already-controversial song “Cola”: “Harvey’s in the sky with diamonds and he’s making me crazy.” She’s since claimed in interviews that she won’t sing “Cola” anymore due to the backlash, but I think the song has made its point: Lana’s always known that men like Harvey have the money and power (“diamonds”) to drive desperate people crazy.

In her penultimate album, Lust for Life, Lana doesn’t let up on the Hollywood imagery. In the album’s teaser trailer, Lana lives inside of the Hollywood sign, stirring a witchy potion and pondering the fate of the world from above the LA lights. She climbs that same Hollywood sign with the Weeknd in the music video for the titular song, “Lust for Life.” While the album begins on this upbeat note, by the third song, “13 Beaches,” we return to a familiar sense of isolation and sadness. An audio clip from the cult classic movie Carnival of Souls plays over string instrumentation: “I don’t belong in the world. That’s what it is. Something separates me from other people. Everywhere I turn, there’s something blocking my escape.” (This monologue is only available in the deleted scenes of the recent Criterion Blu-ray release and in unrestored YouTube videos. Lana knows her independent horror movies.) This cinematic depression haunts the rest of the album, with lyrics like “Cherry”’s “My celluloid scenes are torn at the seams, and I fall to pieces” and the disturbing Charles Manson references in my all-time favorite LDR song, “Heroin”: “Manson’s in the air and all my friends have come ‘cause they still feel him here… Something ‘bout the sun has made these kids get scary. Oh, writing in blood on the walls and shit…” Even when Lana tries to shift her audience’s focus to her lust for life, she can’t help but revert to her old melancholic ways. But as she sings in the final bridge of “Heroin”: “I hope that I come back one day to tell you that I really changed.”

“You move to California, but it’s just a state of mind,” Lana sings on her latest album, Norman Fucking Rockwell, and the rest of the album echoes that sentiment. Her disenchantment with the City of Angels has been a running thread through her discography and yet she returns to it over and over, in songs like “Bartender” and “California.” On Honeymoon, she sang “I will never sing again. With just one wave, it goes away.” On Lust for Life, she sang “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t sick of it.” Now on NFR, she sings “I guess that I’m burnt out after all.” But after three albums of threatening to leave it all behind, I don’t think Lana Del Rey will ever really be done with Hollywood. In the words of the last song on NFR: Hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like Lana to have… but she has it. 

[brightlycoloredteacups]

Welcome Home

Pairing: General Armitage Hux x Female Reader

Series: Shade of Green

Summary: Armtiage Hux has married the love of his teenage life and brings her home to his star ship. 

Warnings: None of this Chapter

Tagging: No tags

Part one

Even if General Hux wouldn’t admit it to himself, he was a damnably proud man. He had a hard time keeping the smile off his face as he walks out of his shuttle with Titan hanging off his arm. He’s well aware that everyone is curious as to who his new bride was, that they wanted to know what she looked like. He was proud to say she looked stunning in white. It made her tanned skin stand out. Along with jewelry that always seems to catch the light, and her normally wild  black hair slicked into a complicated style, she cut quit the figure.  As they swept across the hangar to meet with Phasma, everyone stopped to stare, to whisper. It was an exhilarating feeling, being at the center of attention. 

He stops in front of Phasma, who’s flanked by two other nameless troopers. “Titan, this is captain Phasma. Phasma, this is Titan Vane. An old school friend.” He wanted so much to call her his wife, but he was sure she wouldn’t appreciate that, despite it being her title. “Pleasure to meet you Captain,” Titan curtsies. Phasma hesitate before responding. “Pleasure.”

“Phasma, please take Ms. Vane-”

“Mrs. Hux,” Titan corrects him gently. This time, the smile can’t be contained. It breaks out over his face and he looks something akin to a peacock. “Mrs. Hux, to my...our quarters.” He turns to her and places a chaste kiss to her fingers. “I’ll be along as quickly as I can. I have some business to attend to.”

“Of course,” His heart goes wild in his chest as Titan smiles at him before she’s led off to his rooms. As he makes his way through the ship, he continues to smile, until he realizes he must meet with Kylo Ren. What an absolute joy that was going to be. 

*

Titan has no trouble keeping up with the quick walking Captain Phasma. She tries to remember the way from the hangar, but loses track rather quickly. Every hall looks the exact same, there are no significant makers she can see to help her around. 

I’m going to die on this ship, she thinks. She tells herself not to be so dramatic, but a First Order ship is much different from the lush green homeworld she just left. It will be a slow and painful death, she is sure of it. 

After what seems like forever, the Captain stops in front of a door. “Your rooms ma’am.”

“Thank you.” Titan says. “I’m sure your husband will be along shortly.” Titan nods, stepping into the room as soon as the door opens. “If there’s anything you need, you have my direct comm link.” 

“Yes, of course, thank you. I’ll be quite all right.” Titan assures her. Phasma nods. Without further conversation, she turns on her heel and walks away, leaving poor Titan all alone.

“Husband,” Titan whispers to herself, scrunching up her nose. The word leaves a bad taste in her mouth. Husband. Armitage Hux was her husband. A pasty, sickly looking general with more ambition than he had any right to have and no spine to back it up. She didn’t hate Armitage, he had been her friend, but that had been long ago and he was not the sort of man she thought she would marry. “What’s done is done old girl.” She tells herself. “Nothing for it now.” She had done what she needed to do for her planet, she didn’t regret it, she didn’t have the time to.

She set about exploring her new quarters. Saying it was sparse was an understatement. There was simply a desk with a neat stack of datapads and a chair. The small kitchen area had nothing more than a tea kettle on the stovetop. A door directly to the right of the entrance was the bedroom. Nothing but a bed and an end table for a light. She saw a large ball of orange directly in the middle. 

“Well hello.” Titan says. The ball unfurls and she sees a cat look up at her. It mews softly as she sits on the bed to pet it. “I never thought Armitage Hux would be one for pets.” The cat purrs as she scratches at it’s ears. “You are quite the darling aren’t you?” Perhaps Titan would be able to survive after all. If only for her new friend. 

*

Meetings with Kylo Ren were never easy on Hux. The man was little more than a petulant pest. A stain on the First Order he so desperately wanted to remove. Too bad he was the favorite pet of Snoke. 

Hux shoves thoughts of Kylo from his mind. He has a massive amount of work to get through. Not one to fall behind he walks as quickly as he can to his quarters. He can feel  a headache forming right behind his eyes as he thinks of all the logistics he must go through tonight. Opening the door, he's greeted with giggles. 

He looks around and is met with the ethereal sight of his wife, twirling in a circle, letting her dress flow about her. The glint of light off her jewelry only adds to such a sublime image. His heart melts at her smile. It's only when he sees a blur of orange he realizes she's playing with his cat. "I see you and Millicent have become fast friends." Titan stops twirling and looks at him sheepishly. "Yes well, she's a very lovely cat." She bends down to scratch at her ears. 

"You look positively irate." Titan notes when she comes back up. Hux clears his throat. "Dealing with Kylo Ren tends to put one in a bad mood." 

"Ah," she says, not sure where to take the conversation next. "Here, sit down and I'll make you some of that awful tea you like." She sails past him to the kitchenette and begins to rummage through his cupboards. He sits at his desk, marveling at it all. 

A few days ago he was a single man trying to lead the First Order into greatness. Now he was married to the love of his young life, and she was making him tea. Tea! Of all the twists and turns his life could've taken he never would've predicted such a thing. 

He watches her in between the sentences he reads. Not really paying attention to his work. He notes that as she moves around the kitchen, she quiet despite heels on hard flooring. And efficient. Good breeding had brought her up to be the perfect wife. He’s disconcerted by this. He remembers he hadn’t fallen in love with Titan because she was perfect, but because she was wild. She had taken every chance she could get to piss of her instructors, to cut classes and be free. Had that all been squashed out of her as an adult? Would she now pander to him just to make him happy?

Don’t be ridiculous Armitage, he thinks, no matter how old Titan gets, she will always do the unexpected. This is your first night as a married couple, she simply wants to ease the transition, that’s all. Satisfied with his self made answer, he goes back to his work more focused than previously. A few minutes later, Titan set a cup of tea down next to him. “I didn’t put any sugar in it,” She tells him. “Thank you,” He looks up at her and smile. For the last time that day, he’s struck by her unutterable beauty. “Thank you very much.”

“You’re welcome Tagie,” She says. “I’ll see you in the morning shall I?” He nods, “Of course.” She sails away from him to the bedroom, Millicent follows her. He’s left alone at his desk, wondering what on earth this marriage had in store for him.

[midorikawa-lettuce]

i have an incredibly detailed plot line in my head for a blueberry salad canon compliant slow burn w/ trans girl!masaya that follows all three of them separately just a while after the events of a la mode and it goes something like this

tw for internalized transphobia mention

Ichigo’s part: my life is perfect, i have a job, i’m doing well in school for once, the earth is at peace, i have great friends, i have a boyfriend i love to absolute pieces and i can’t wait for him to come back home from England and we talk every single night and i’m still in the honeymoon phase and i think i will be forever

but i have

a problem

and that problem is that Lettuce Midorikawa is suddenly the most beautiful girl i have ever seen in my life and i feel really flustered around her all of a sudden and i’m having some very confusing dreams??

i really still love masaya so much but i’m so confused

i’m also very repressed and have never considered once the possibility of being attracted to girls and it has taken me months to realize that i have a crush

can you love two people at the same time??

are having these confusing dreams cheating???????

Masaya’s part: getting to study abroad and get away from my parents for a while is so much more freeing than i thought it would be especially after finding out my whole life was a lie made as a front for an alien invasion; i’ve spent so much of my life Being Perfect so as not to be a burden/to be worthy of my adoptive parents but now after the Deep Blue bullshit I am just so happy to finally figure out who /I/ am and I’m so incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful supportive girlfriend who is literally the reason for my chance at living life as ME

except there are some confusing things happening all of a sudden that i don’t know how to deal with

living on my own has given me the chance to start to realize i think i’ve been repressing some things

one of my study abroad flatmates got me to wear a skirt for a stupid dare and it?? felt actually really good??

i think i bought another skirt

as soon as I am back in Japan it is back to Repression Hours!!!!  No One Can Know I Have Feelings

if Ichigo finds out will she hate me??? oh shit.  I don’t know who to talk to. I’m friends with the other girls but I don’t know who to talk to. If I talk to someone before I talk to Ichigo is that cheating on her??

Lettuce keeps ending up hanging out with us on dates and it kind of calms me down because it gives me a little bit of a buffer to figure out how or if i’m going to ever talk to Ichigo and maybe she won’t notice i’m acting weird if Lettuce is here too

hanging out with both of them is. really nice. actually.

Lettuce is so sweet maybe i could talk to her about it???

hang on wait

do i have feelings for lettuce

or do i just want to look like lettuce

oh god no do i actually love ichigo or do i just want to be her

do i love both of them??? can you love both of them??? i don’t know i have too many other worried feelings about how much I want to be a girl and to love them both as a girl and oh no something is so wrong with me

HUMAN FEELINGS ARE TERRIBLE SOMEONE TAKE THEM BACK PLEASE

Lettuce’s part: hi i’m just figuring out that i’m pretty sure I’ve been in love with both Ichigo and Masaya for a while now but they’re dating and they’re happy and there’s no way I can possibly come in between them or ruin their relationship and it’s not like I could date BOTH of them hahahahhaa i’ll just be the supportive friend and cheer on their relationship from afar!

except i think Ryo found out at least part of it

because he’s making some really not subtle hints at me

and he keeps putting me and Ichigo on shifts together

and when Masaya comes back for visits we all end up hanging out together and i think i just fall in more love and i don’t know why Ichigo keeps inviting me along on what I think are supposed to be dates?? Is their relationship okay??

and Masaya just sent me a panicked 2am text about how to tell Ichigo something important and he doesn’t know who else to talk to but he won’t tell me what it is

Pai is not helping me he just keeps telling me he doesn’t understand relationships much less human relationships except that his only rule is Don’t Talk To Kish About It

That is not a difficult rule to follow

MAYBE I SHOULD FIND A WAY TO DISAPPEAR FROM THEIR LIVES SO I DON’T RUIN THEIR PERFECT LOVE

and yea the other mews start to catch on and after some of their own soul-searching and figuring things out they just all start to get annoyed with the obliviousness but Ryo has to scold them because it’s not anyone’s place but the three of theirs to talk about things like this (he should know he has a huge gay repressed crush on Akasaka)

anyway eventually Ichigo and Masaya both sit down and have an awkward, interrupting and then apologizing for interrupting conversation about everything and at some point Lettuce gets involved again and they slowly start to navigate their new and confusing relationship and it gets fluffy after that because i’m a sap

anyway yeah. blueberry salad rights!