#he needed to evolve from yellow to orange

[alex51324]

You're right; this was meant to be contexualized by another post I made, about how Chaos Is the Point, and attention and outrage are finite resources. But this post ended up having a much bigger reach, so a lot of people are seeing it who didn't see the other one.

To summarize:

Because no one can live at DefCon 5 all the time, we need to be thoughtful about distinguishing between "Trump's back on his bullshit," "This is a real actual thing that could happen if they get their shit together," and "holy shit, grab the kids and run." AKA, threat levels Piss Yellow, Spray-Tan Orange, and Blood Red.

A lot of Trump's EOs are simply publicity stunts. For instance, a few days ago there was a flurry of panic because he'd rescinded a Johnson-era Civil Rights EO, which had a similar name to the Act which codified it into law a few years later. With this EO, Trump was showing us (once again) who he is and what he values, but in terms of actual legal effect, it was nothing. Within hours of the headlines announcing this EO, there were clarifications about it all over the place.

Another batch are so blatantly illegal that, again within hours, there are well-grounded legal challenges in process, and often judicial stays on the order. The "funding pause" is one of these, as was Trump's attempt to limit birthright citizenship.

The first group are pure yellow, and the second are sort of orange-tinged, like the urine of a man who drinks only diet coke (and not enough of it). It's important for state governments, the ACLU, and other relevant stakeholders to respond quickly with those legal challenges, but as an ordinary person, you can kind of figure it's being handled, and just keep an eye out in case it explodes somehow, or the groups doing the legal challenges are asking for a show of support from the public.

The next concern level, solid orange, is a mix of orders where it isn't really clear what Trump was trying to do or if it means anything, or where the legality of the order is more open to interpretation, meaning that if it ends up in front of a Trump-friendly judge, it could make it through.

These are the ones where you want to pay attention as the situation develops, especially if the order would affect you personally. With this category, there maybe things for you to do, like writing/calling your congresspeople, attending protests, etc., or ways you can prepare for impact if you're in the affected group (or help others in the affected group prepare). As you follow the story, make sure you're using trusted sources of information, and share information when you're reasonably confident that it is accurate and useful.

And then red, of course, is where the effect could be immediate and drastic, and affected groups should prepare to take quick action. For instance, for federal employees, the "fork in the road" emails are dark orange bordering on red. It's pretty clear that Trump is attempting a purge of the civil service; it's not clear whether he's actually going to succeed, or what comes next if making ominous noises and trying to bribe people to quit doesn't work. If you are in the affected group on this one--that is, a federal employee--you should be actively planning & working with your union, others in your department, and/or legal representation to understand what's happening & what is best for you to do.

As the threat level tends toward Red, it remains important to seek accurate and useful information sources, but at the same time, events may be evolving quickly. Be conscious of how you use and pass along information in the "important if true" category: of course you don't want to be so cautious you miss the window to respond before the situation turns critical, but you also don't want to waste your and others' time with actions that are unnecessary or counterproductive.

It's a very normal and natural impulse, when things are scary, to want to sound the alarm and share the scary information as widely as possible, but overreacting can make it harder for people to pay attention to the most scary things.

Food for thought

[noakun]

i don't need to provide the meme, everyone knows at this point

[haminamibami]

This take has probably been said before, but I like to think that the Lords in Black are slightly messed up in their human form. Whenever they interacted with humans they haven't paid much attention to all the minor stuff that make humans humans so they can't quite replicate their form, but each is weird in a different way.

Wiggly is way too sharp. His shoulders and elbows and teeth are super sharp angles, so at first glance he's normal, but at a second look you realize shoulders aren't supposed to look like that. Also he has no idea how many fingers a human has so he's got like nine on his hand. Also also, his tongue looks like a tentacle. The first time he took human form he did not realize there was supposed to be just one tongue. He learned, but still his tongue is tentacle like.

Blinky's eyes are just a little too small than what is humanly possible. Because he has so many eyes in his normal form, the logic behind his form is "okay, I should probably be able to fit in here more eyes" and then he doesn't have any more eyes. Also, his hair is so artificially neon orange. Like the orange marker you'd give to a kid.

Tinky is, unsurprisingly, very goat like. He looks like the idea of what humans would look like if we evolved from goats. He has the general silhouette of a human, since he knows how they look like (or, in particular, Ted and Pete), but every detail he isn't sure about he just figured it must be the same as goats. And much like Blinky, his hair is such an aggressive shade of yellow it just can't be normal.

Pokey is just too much or too little in all the wrong places. His mouth is too small, fit only to barely talk and make that sound of his. When you look too close, you realize his skin is very hard and slightly cracked. His limbs are too long and his voice makes your head hurt. When you look at him, you realize very clearly that 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 is extremely wrong but you can't quite put you finger on what.

Nibbly is the worst. Nibbly is the definition of "uncanny valley". Unlike his siblings, Nibbly knows everything there is to know about his favorite snack. He knows them inside and out and he knows everything that matters to make a convincing human. And still, he's wrong in all the ways he wants to be wrong just because he can. At the first look, he's normal. Like, there's a vibe about him, but this is 2025 and people are weird, so you ignore it. But his smile is wrong. His smile is simply too wide to be humanly possible, his teeth are too sharp, like a predator's fangs, and his tongue is weirdly long. Still, his eyes are the weirdest thing. They are hungry. Starved, ravenous, eager. There is something about that hunger, that greedy need to feast upon everything there is, that is just beyond human.

[winterrrnight]

rafe comforting you when he realizes you aren’t comfortable in your skin and can’t accept compliments <3 cw: body insecurities, intentional use of lower case, shy!reader, self indulgent af bro :/

it took him some time, but he started to notice it; the way you dodged his compliments, the way you always switched the topic each time he praised how beautiful you look, or how pretty you are.

he didn’t quite understand it at first. why would you not be so readily accepting the compliments? after all, every word coming out of his mouth is 100% true.

it’s a wonderful fall evening, both of you at the quiet beach as you sit next to each other on the sand, the sun slumping down in the horizon and the sky streaked with beautiful tints of oranges and yellows, a cool breeze blowing past you both. his arm stays slumped around your shoulders, his way of keeping you warm in the chilly breeze.

he takes a glance at you; the evening sun rays shining off you, making you look even more ethereal than ever.

“you look so beautiful right now…” he mutters softly, not realizing when the words leave the mouth. it’s more or less like a reflex for him to compliment you, he just can’t stop himself.

you feel your cheeks heat up at his words, your gaze now fixated at your lap, your fingers pulling onto each other. rafe notices this almost immediately, and realizes that each time he compliments you, he never hears a ‘thank you’ back.

“hey…” he says softly, placing his hand on top of yours to stop you from fiddling with your fingers, “look at me,”

you slowly, but surely, turn your head to meet your eyes with his warm blue ones, and he can see the hesitance in your eyes, your mind working away the gears as a million thoughts generate in your head.

“why do you hide from me any time I compliment you?” he asks softly. he doesn’t mean to pressurize you, but he’s realized this has been going on for way too long now, and he wants to get to the bottom of this.

“rafe i…” you fumble, your lips parting and he expects you to say something else, but nothing really leaves your mouth. your eye contact with him falters and you start to look away, but rafe is quick to gently grip on your chin and make you look at him.

“uh uh uh… look at me, please,” he pleads softly. it gets hard for you to maintain strong eye contact but nevertheless you keep on looking in his eyes.

“sweetheart…” he tuts softly, “don’t tell me you aren’t… comfortable with what you look like…”

when no response leaves your lips and you just look in his eyes, the sadness only evolving in them more and more, all the dots connect in his mind.

you aren’t comfortable with what you look like, so you believe you don’t deserve the compliments he loves to shower you in, and don’t readily accept them the way he wishes you would.

he gently moves his hand to your cheek and strokes the skin softly, and you subconsciously lean into the warmth of his hand.

“you’re gonna keep looking at me when I say the next words…” he takes a deep breath. “you, my love, are the most beautiful girl I have ever laid eyes on. and no– none of the hiding you always do okay? I will say this everyday to you if needed to show you that you indeed are so gorgeous, inside and out. that you radiate a certain light no one does. there is a charm you have that keeps on pulling me to you. I just hope you can see yourself from my eyes. and you’d see how your entire face glows under the warm sunlight, how your eyes shine when the moon shines its light on you. you smile so beautifully each time I take you to your favorite restaurant, or talk about some movie or show you love, or talk to you about new music… and I just wish you can see that, because it’s so beautiful, it’s the only thing I can think of all day,”

you don’t take your eyes off of him as tears full your eyes up to the brim. you blink and the tears make their way down, streaking your cheeks. your breathing is a little shaky, and rafe wraps his arms around you and pulls you into his chest.

“it’s okay to feel this way…” he whispers, “but just know, i’m never letting a single day pass by without reminding you just how beautiful you are okay? i’ll make you sick of my compliments,” he chuckles softly.

you can’t help but chuckle a little yourself, your face pressed against his blue lacoste. you slowly pull your face back and he quickly wipes off the residual tears off your face.

“thank you rafe…” you whisper softly, not knowing how badly you had needed that.

he smiles softly, knowing he’s succeeded because you didn’t dodge the compliment, you accepted it and thanked him for it. he presses a kiss to your forehead, closing his eyes for a moment as his lips come in contact with your skin.

“you’re so welcome my love,” he whispers against your skin, pressing another kiss.

he made you feel extremely loved and wanted in a way you’ve never felt.

— —

now who’s crying with me? 😁

[knight-a3]

Heavenbound AU

Masterpost

Niffty

I didn't redesign Niffty all at once, it was more like I would adjust one thing then later decide another thing needed to be adjusted. Anyway, I wanted to lean into the bug theme, which is popular for her and I think it suits her.

Notes under the cut

Ladybug: She was designed with Ladybugs and Asian Lady Beetles in mind, which I think is fairly obvious. Her eye coloring resembles the spots of an eyed ladybug.

Hair: I was doing some studying up on 1950s hairstyles and noticed that there was often this S shaped curve to the bangs. It looks like it evolved from the victory curls and similar styles of the 40s, but softened. I think I managed to do it in a way that kept the overall silhouette similar to canon. And the little curls by her face resemble bug mandibles. And I added little antenna. I changed her hair color to a dark blue because it helped add more visual contrast in her design. That, and it helps allude to the fact that she's Asian-American. I would have gone with Chinese or Korean, but Japanese is the more popular headcanon. But that's only a minor detail. She doesn't have an accent, so I'm pretty sure she was raised in the US. (The picture in the top left on the below image might be AI, something about her face and left hand looks off. I didn't notice until after, sorry. But the hair and figure shape do look accurate to the time period.)

Dress: Circle skirts are an iconic 50s style. And polka dots was a popular pattern. Historically, the skirt would not be shorter than the knee, but we can ignore that in hell. Instead of her neck bandana, I decided on a peter pan style collar. And the bodice should be form fitting, and bullet bras were common. The red part of her skirt is an "overskirt" that doubles as a set of wings. The wings aren't truly functional. A flying Niffty would be a nightmare. But they can show her emotions. They sometimes flutter when she's excited, or droop when she's upset. Via magic logic, they can still behave like fabric too. Mostly so I don't have to think too hard about how they would get in the way.

I played with color variations of orange, pink, and yellow, and even black with red spots. This was the overall combination I liked best.

Human:

We don't really know a whole lot about canon Niffty, so I'm leaving it fairly open. She died at age 22 in the 1950s(mid to late 50s, by the looks of it). Personally, I think she murdered her husband via stabbing. Maybe he was abusive and she just snapped, or maybe something else made her go crazy, I'm not sure. Then she was killed mid-rampage via gunshots to the chest.

(edit notes will go here if needed)

[respectthepetty]

The Loyal Pin - Episode 10

Last episode, my Wild Ass Theory that Anin and Pin will inherit their mother's colors as they come into adulthood resurfaced as Anin wore a yellow dress when she left the beach, and this episode, she wears a blue and yellow skirt as she asks her brother to teach her how to drive.

Anin's brother is wearing blue, so I had high hopes for him being supportive of Anin this episode, and the piggyback ride as well as the purple flowers helped me keep the faith.

But Kuea stays pissing me off, and Anin's younger brother seems oblivious to anything beyond his own little get-everyone-hitched agenda.

So, of course, Kuea runs immediately over to the main house DURING HIS WORK HOURS to snitch on Pin. I appreciate that everyone keeps questioning his worth ethic though.

But the mom is wearing pink and blue, so unlike Anin's older brother, I have no idea how she'll take this news. Pin is wearing a darker pink now though, so I think the adult responsibilities are coming sooner than the girls are realizing.

AND WE GET BACKSTORY! Part of my Wild Ass Theory was that Pin's mom was a lesbian. She has her more vibrant pink color, but at times she wears yellow/orange. I guessed the yellow/orange came from a previous lover.

So her opening a sunflower ring was all the evidence I needed.

I don't know if Im's color is peach or pink.

But I can't focus because Patt is on the floor looking like a snack, and I think she is in blue.

Then, we see Im and Patt's love story. Patt was Im's companion and Im is still wearing whatever color she is wearing, while Patt is fully in blue.

And they were in love with each other.

Patt knows what Pin's ring means because she was once Pin. Im gave Patt the yellow flower ring in the same way Anin gave the ring to Pin.

But there was no happily ever after for Patt and Im because Im died!

I thought the backstory would help clear up the colors and the confusion, but it didn't! Patt seemed colorless in the past like Aon is now. If Im's color was pink, then it makes sense Patt carried it with her all this time. And if Im's color was peach, it makes sense that Patt uses it every now and then, yet it doesn't explain why Patt shifted her color from blue to purple. It also doesn't make sense why she was so upset about Pin's ring. It's not like Im rejected her or left her for a someone else. Im died. They loved each other. That love was real and never doubted, so why is she upset at Pin's ring now?!

The girls and their colors are evolving, but they are changing together, so what is the mom so afraid of? If we had seen society or some external factors harming Patt and Im's relationship, maybe I could understand, but the backstory just makes me think she should be more supportive of the girls' love.

But here she is now fully in her color and throwing her support behind Kuea! I do not comprehend this.

I'm shocked that Anin's older brother seems to be the only one with any sense! I was worried when he showed up colorless, but he helped to cover for his sister.

And now he can get that ally badge for supporting the color-coded couple!

Anin and I both love him dearly!

But Patt is still bothering me! She is a lesbian! She shows up in yellow and orange because she still loves Im. So why not let the color-coded girls be IN LOVE?!

Pin's color is getting redder just like her mom's, and I'm worried that her mom is going to push even harder next episode for her to get married. We have six episodes left. Even though I don't fully know what the colors mean, the reds and yellows/oranges are showing up too often now for me to ignore.

Just like Anin sneaking up on Prik, these colors and adulthood are sneaking up on the girls while they are just trying to enjoy their lives.

By the end of the episode, the color-coded girls in love seem to have sorted their issues out because Pink Person Pin is looking lovely.

Which is probably due to her getting all of Anin's attention after not seeing her for a weeks.

And Blue Beauty Anin looks refreshed the day after.

So of course this chick with her can't-get-one-consistent-color self would ruin the color-coded happiness I wanted to feel secure in!

Patt's color confuses me, but Aon's color(s) frustrate me because I don't know if she is trying to be Pin which is why she wears Pin's color(s) or if she has no real identity and will shape herself into whatever she needs to be to please Anin because she never wears a consistent color.

And I know this frustratation is going to stick with me next episode because my babygirl is crying, and I'm already salty about it.

At least Pin and Anin will be solely in their colors next episode, so I have nothing to worry about with them and their relationship, right?

*Heng walks into the scene* FUCK!

[ywpd-translations]

Ride 777: Sohoku's sprinter

Pag 2

1: Houruaaagh

2: Buooraah

3: It's not.... “he's going to attack one more time”!!

Pag 3

1: He's attacked already!!

Pag 4

2: Fifth stage!!

He used the last curve!!

3: Feelings at full throttle!!

He got his “three seconds” in the curve and then accelerated!?

This guy has been tearing apart-

Pag 5

1: Aventador!!

Orange*!!

-road racing common sense over and over again!!

(*NdT.: Issa's attack's name)

Pag 6

4: One guy has jumped ahead as they were turning the curve

Hakogaku and Sohoku are chasing him!!

The guy who's ahead with two strong guys following him.....

Pag 7

1: I've never seen his jersey before!!

Hyaaa!!

Who's that guy!? An unknown cyclist!?

But he's here at the sprint line

Can something like that really happen!?

Pag 8

1: Words things like “of course”, “I already know that”, are like shackles that bind our thoughts

2: There is discovery in “common sense”, yon!!

4: Even so, in road bikes

5: there are two or three ways to hold the handles, so you can change your posture

Pag 9

1: and use various muscles to accelerate, yon!!

2: Three people passed the 300m point, and now it's just a straight road

Pag 10

1: There's still one person running ahead!! The two people behind him can't catch up!!

2: They can see the sprint gate already!!

3: Tch, really, he forced his way through with an ambush like this

4: But

5: My “number one in Japan” plan hasn't wavered one bit!!

Pag 11

1: Lat year's autumn

Woooah cap!!

2: Gap!!

3: Guaagh.... it's always just me saying “gap”!!

Whatcha talking about, Kabu

4: About Doubashi!! I wanna leave him “gaping”!! Me!! Since I lost to him in the summer Inter High!!

You’ve lost the ability to differentiate between the words ‘gap’ and ‘gaping’, haven’t you?

5: Huh? I was able to say this properly when I talked to Aoyagi-san

… which was it again?

6: By the way, Naruko-san, you're supposed to be a good sprinter

Supposed to be!?

Don't you have some secret weapon? Like an ace up your sleeve

7: I'm a genius, so I think if you teach me I'll get it right away!!

I really don't feel like telling you... honestly

8: No, but.... I also thought of myself as a genius, but surely I wasn't that stupid

Pag 12

1: But it's a favour to a kohai, it can't be helped

I've grown too, after all

2: Listen carefully to this “secret weapon”

When you're sprinting

3: The “cog-wheels” you imagine, try imagine them more accurately!! Until the tiniest details!!

4: The....

5: … cog-wheels!?

6: Ah? What does that mean!?

7: Be more specific, please... you're not very reliable, huh

Ugh!! This guy....

I've been thinking this since before, but me and you really don't think alike, Naruko-san...

I'll kill you....

Pag 13

1: As expected from Naruko-san

2: Aoyagi-san was more reliable (even thought he was taciturn)

What does he mean “imagine”?

Hop

3: Ohhh, amazing, Kaburagi

4: Hahaha, I know, right

6: I can do this too

Ohhhh... a blind catch!!

7: How did you do that!?

Hahaha, I'm a genius, so I can do anything just by imagin....

Kaburagi is so cool!

Pag 14

1: Imagining!!

2: Just now I did a blind catch just by imagining it!!

Do it again!

What's wrong, Kaburagi?

3: Oi oi, wait, wait- is this what he meant?

4: Does that mean it'll work? If I apply this to biking!?

6: Imagine

The cog-wheels

7: accurately

8: until the tiniest details

9: Detailed

10: Times and times again

Pag 15

1: I imagined it over and over again!!

And then my “cog-wheels”evolved into “gears”!!

2: Oi, San-na!! Do you have one more special move?

4: Tch

Pag 16

1: Buah!!

Of course!!

I need one more shot to crush you!!

2: It's “Huracan*”, which is stronger than “Aventador”!!

(*NdT.: written as “raging bull” but read as “huracan”)

3: Use it now!!

5: I, too

Pag 17

1: will pull out “golden yellow” now!!

2: If we use them at the same time, it'll make us catch up!!

3: You understand it, San-na

There's no time for complaining about it

4: This guy..... the “golden yellow” that he absolutely wanted to save until the last minute before the sprint line!!

5: We have to close the gap and line up to him now

At this rate, that guy

Pag 18

1: He'll be the first to arrive!!

2: The lead is passing the 200m sign!!

3: Who's that, Gunma!?

I thought the Gunma team was supposed to be Jousui?!

Did the team debut this year!?

There's a guy that strong in Gunma

4: Waaaa

5: That number 181 is debuting now.... but

His career and profile is crazy!!

Pag 19

1: It's Kiji Kyuui!! He's the MTB Inter High two-times champion!!

Huh!?

2: So, the two chasing him won't be able to catch up, at this rate!?

Pag 20

1: Huh!?

What was that just now

For an instant, behind those two

2: I saw blooming golden yellow flowers, and a raging bull

Pag 21

1: This year's may

2: I see

3: Please

Basically

4: Doubashi, you mean you want to race me in a serious sprint battle... now that I've become an university student!!

[axilarycobra]

[Wings of Fire] Miscellaneous Headcanons (Part 1)

Hello! Some of my first posts on here are about my tribe headcanons (which I still haven't finished, I need to work on the Pantalan tribe headcanons). This is a collection of headcanons - mostly about the tribes - that were created after those posts.

I'm calling this part one because I anticipate in the future that I'll come up with more after posting these.

RainWings who are more calm have less saturated scales while those who have fierce emotions have brighter colors.

The frills and pattern scales down the sides are the brightest on a RainWing and shift color more frequently than other scales. The scales along their back, shoulders, and talons take longer to change and usually aren't as bright.

Primitive SkyWings were solitary hoarders who spent their lives collecting treasure that they hid in caves. Because of this, they have a tribal history with gold and other riches, making gemstones and gold very valuable to them.

Unlike other tribes, SkyWings do not have scales that help them camouflage because they never had predators in their kingdom, so they evolved to have brighter colors due to there being beauty and desire for those with bright reds, oranges, and yellows.

SandWings value water most.

RainWings value flowers most.

NightWings value knowledge most.

IceWings value crystals most.

MudWings value clay most.

SeaWings value pearls most.

SilkWings value flamesilk most.

HiveWings value honey most.

LeafWings value trees most.

It is a common misconception by the other tribes that SandWings value gold the most.

There is an ancient legend that thousands of years ago, a SandWing witch roamed the deserts who was enchanted by gold. He loved it so much, he wanted to be able to turn anything to gold, so he used dark magic to make it so that everything he touched turned to gold. He became known as Midas. It is unknown what happened to him or if he is even real.

RainWings have juice bars in the RainWing village which serve as local hangout areas.

Similarly, IceWings have taverns.

IceWing horns are very diverse in shape and are often used to identify a dragon.

Each kingdom has its own constitution of laws. Several of these laws exist in all kingdoms and are similarly handled, but some laws have different rules when it comes to types of punishments.

It is possible as a form of punishment for committing a crime to have your ability to challenge for the throne taken away. If this punishment is evoked, the princess is made an ex-princess, essentially unowned from the royal family, and if they tried to challenge for the throne, they would be denied the ability. This also makes it so that the princess can not inherit the throne if the current queen dies, and it will go to the next best suited dragon, even if there are none in the royal family.

IceWings have soft underscales with harder scales along their sides and back. The scales on their head, back, tail, and talons are thicker and more protective due to their use of frostbreath, serrated claws, and their spiked tails in battle. Their cold scales can make them hard to grasp and their long horns protect the back of their neck and back. The scales on their forearms and legs can become brittle and sharp to protect them while using their claws. The same goes for the scales on the thick parts of their wings to protect them when using their wing claw. Their wings are thick with strong membranes.

MudWings have armor-like, thick scales across their entire body, with their most vulnerable being their underscales which are slightly softer. They have thick, dense wings with thick membranes between their wing digits. Their claws are thick and the scales on their head protect them due to their use of firebreath in battle. Their thick tail is also protected by thick scales.

NightWings have softer, more flexible scales that aren’t very thick or protective. The scales on their neck and tail are thicker, but the ones down their arms, legs, wings, and across their face are sensitive. The scales on their head protect their eyes and nose for their night vision and sense of smell, as well as their use of fire. Their wings are smaller and light, meant to help them fly with minimal sound.

RainWings have soft and flexible scales that are not thick or protective. The scales down their arms, shoulders, head, and legs are thicker and more protective. They have protective scales on their snout due to their use of venom. The scales around their eyes are also protective to protect their vision. They have a small build to help them move quieter and sneakier while trying to stay hidden with their camouflage.

SandWings have soft, dry underscales, but the rest of their scales are thick and protective. Their sail can easily be torn however, and their forearms and legs are vulnerable. The scales and spike on the tip of their snout protect them while using their firebreath and their thick scales and sail protect their tail while using their barb. The ridged scales on their forearms and legs also protect them while using their claws. The ridged scales on the tops of their wings protect them from attack from above. SandWing wings have thick membranes and strong wings that could be used like a shield if needed.

SeaWings have softer scales besides for the scales around their gills which are protective. Their scales are often slippery when even the smallest bit wet, making them hard to catch and not so easy to scratch with claws. Their forearms and legs are protected by thicker scales due to their use of their hooked claws in combat.

SkyWings have soft underscales with denser and more protective side scales, although their back scales are the most protective. The scales around their claws and snout are protected due to their use of claws and fire in combat. The thicker part of their wings is also protected and strong due to their powerful flight, but the ends of their wing digits are vulnerable and their wing membrane is thinner near the edges of their wings.

HiveWings have thick scales all over their body, protecting them all over. They have weaker scales on the insides of their upper arms, legs, and wings. Their long spines protect their neck and back while their large horns protect their head. The scales on the top of their head protect their face for HiveWings who have an ability such as venom or acid. The scales on their forearms and legs protect their use of claw-related weapons. Their slick, whip-like tails make them hard to grasp and quicker to use if they have a tail-related ability. Their wings are light and vulnerable, especially their membrane.

SilkWings have soft underscales with slightly thicker side scales, similar to that of a NightWing. The scales on their shoulders, arms, legs, and wings are more protective. Their wing scales are strong, protecting their wings, and they have thick membranes between their wing digits. Their large horns protect their antennae and their forearm scales protect them due to their silk-spinning ability.

LeafWings have overall soft scales with scattered dense scales and thick scales down their back. The scales on their head and horns are protective, as well as the scales on their shoulders. Their scales can be slippery when wet, making them hard to grip and giving them an easier time in the water. LeafWings have an aquatic advantage in Pantala, being able to fly when their wings are drenched.

The MudWing army typically does not draft soldiers. Due to the tribe’s large population, there are usually more than enough dragons enlisting in the military for there to not have to be mandatory service. In times of war, this is (in most cases) true. During the War of SandWing Succession, both Blister and Burn threatened Moorhen into an alliance and due to the brutality of the war, a draft did have to be put into place due to the advances the sisters wanted to make. If Moorhen were to have disobeyed the sisters, they would have used their other allies to attack the MudWings. 

The MudWing army is led by a general, typically one who graduated from Crane's Academy for Gifted MudWings in the palace.

MudWings wear minimal armor in battle as their scales are already armor-like. MudWing armor consists of a loose breastplate that protects the front underbelly where MudWings are commonly attacked due to it being a weak point. This armor, while in flight, also protects the underbelly. MudWing armor is loose to maximize mobility and flexibility yet heavy and impenetrable.

The MudWing weak spot is the underbelly along their neck.

The SandWing military is one of the largest ones of Pyrrhia. In times of peace, there are more than enough SandWings enlisting and the military has special programs designed for older dragonets to train them before becoming an official soldier. During the War of SandWing Succession, burn called a draft for all SandWings who didn't already have a valuable job that contributed to the war effort. Blister's SandWings were voluntarily soldiers under her while Blaze's were scared away by the other two sisters and willingly served under her. Blister required her SandWings to do something related to the war effort, but Blaze did not make it mandatory and some SandWings on her side did not have to have a military position.

The SandWing army is led by a lieutenant general who is a soldier who rises in the ranks of the army.

SandWing armor typically consists of a helmet, breastplate, arm, and leg plates. They consist of light metal held by leather belts. The metal is a thin yet unmeltable layer that protects the areas from harm. SandWings are quick and the armor stays out of the way of hindering their mobility. Due to their thick scales, SandWings don't require much protection, the armor focuses on their softer spots.

The SandWing weak spot is their forearms and forelegs.

The SkyWings have one of the largest armies of Pyrrhia, known as the air force. In times of peace, SkyWings had a mandatory service period of three years if a SkyWing had not served before their twentieth hatching day, although some SkyWings could be exempt from serving if they had another valuable position. During the war of SandWing Succession, hundreds of SkyWings were drafted into the military. Scarlet willingly allied with Burn, admiring the SandWing's brutality and thirst for blood, something they shared. Burn also promised Scarlet a large sum of treasure, something the SandWing did not care much for but Scarlet did.

The SkyWing air force is led by a pilot general. The pilot general is typically a soldier who rose up the ranks in the air force, although in recent years, they also had to flatter their queens to get the position.

SkyWing armor consists of a helmet to protect the eyes and snout as well as a chest piece that protects the more vulnerable part of their underbelly. Their armor is made of a strong, black metal

The SeaWings have a very strong military, known as the navy. In times of peace, the SeaWings did not draft soldiers, there being enough dragons enlisting. During the War of SandWing Succession however, soldiers were drafted for a minimum service of two years if they didn't already contribute to the war effort directly in some way. The military is led by a commander who takes the war position in the queen's council. Coral made an alliance with Blister because she believed that Blister was intelligent and the SandWing manipulated Coral into thinking that she would be a helpful ally to the SeaWings.

The SeaWing navy is led by a commander general. The commander general is in the war pool of the queen's council and is typically from a noble family who enlisted in the royal branch of the navy.

Historically, the RainWings had a fiercely powerful army. Ever since the tribe’s establishment, they had to be powerful in order to keep their territory in the Rainforest Kingdom which was full of resources and abundant food. Due to the immense power of the RainWings and their thorough training through government supported programs, the RainWings never had to draft soldiers as those who enlisted willingly were enough. After Queen Jacaranda, the RainWings became less ferocious and became a more peaceful tribe, eventually losing their military as a whole. After Queen Glory took over as queen, she, with the help of Tsunami, trained RainWings to once again be able to defend themselves, eventually growing back a small army. Due to there being peace at the time, no RainWings had to be drafted, but Deathbringer continues to train RainWings to be soldiers.

The RainWing army is led by a sergeant who rises in the ranks of the military. They are often relatives of the queens, princesses or princes.

The IceWings have the strictest and most organized military of all the tribes. All IceWings in the circle rankings did military training starting as dragonets. After they are moved to the adult wall, a large number of IceWings will become official soldiers in the IceWing military. IceWings do not have required service as all noble IceWings have military training. During times of war, low class IceWings may be drafted, although IceWings in the outer and more isolated villages are rarely enforced/rounded up to be sent off as troops. During the War of SandWing Succession, Glacier took Blaze in because she was the only of the SandWing sisters who gave the IceWings the land on the border of the kingdom. Glacier did grow fond of Blaze during the war, but when it ended, they were no longer in contact.

The IceWing military is led by a colonel general who is typically an IceWing nobility. This high ranking position is extremely competitive and to get it, a dragonet must graduate at the top of the dragonet ranking wall and continue to claw their way up on the adult wall.

When MudWings hatch, they don’t name themselves for a while. Before they name themselves, they refer to each other simply as “sib”, “sister”, or “brother”. They may also refer to each other as their title (i.e. “bigwings”, “communicator”, “medic”, “treasurer”, “gatherer”)

[nethhiri]

Marooned: Chapter 43

Kid x FemReader x Killer

Warnings: Sex and violence (as always)

This one is a longer one bc I worked on it all week long. Hope y'all enjoy <3

Kidding Around

Killer helped you escape Kid's death grip in the morning so you could participate in the sunrise coffee ritual that you had established with him. It was clear that Killer was an expert after so long with Kid, switching you with a pillow that Kid then squeezed to himself. You stood on the bow with Killer, one of his arms casually around your waist. With him, silences weren't awkward. You watched together as the sun peeked over the horizon with its grapefruit-pink rays. They shifted orange then pale yellow as the dawn evolved. 

"What are your goals, Killer?"

"To make Kid king of the pirates."

"After that."

"I doubt Kid will want to stop pirating. Maybe we'll return to our hometown and turn it around. I could have a restaurant." Killer prompted, "And you?"

"I don't know anymore."

His hand squeezed your hip reassuringly. He had noticed that you stopped talking about your revenge as much and that you rarely checked your specialized log pose. He didn't think you had given up on it, just put it on the back burner. 

When the sun climbed high enough in the sky to clear the horizon, you squinted. There was a black shape. "Land ho!" You looked up to the crow's nest wondering who was up there. They weren't doing their job. You caught a glimpse of big, poofy, orange hair as Quincy darted away from the ladder, wearing just a robe, probably trying to avoid being seen before everyone woke up.

"That's odd. I thought Nu was on watch." 

"I think he had a visitor," you said with a cheeky inflection. That's cute. Quincy was with the other ginger on board, the one with the mohawk and tiny glasses. 

"Damn it. I told everyone to knock it off with that shit. They need to be alert."

"I would like to go on record to state I have never hooked up with anyone there."

"You haven't been up there with Wire then. He has a way of talking people out of their pants."

"WIRE?!"

"It's his secret talent."

"Has he....done that to you?" You bit your lip, eyeing him with curiosity. 

"Decline to comment." He headed towards the galley to start breakfast. "Come on. Everyone will be eager to eat and get off the ship."

This island was essentially neutral. There were pirates and marines alike, though the marines were few. They were probably only there to restock supplies. You smirked as you went by a group of them atop Mini's back, daring them to engage you as they stared wide-eyed at your jacket. They decided that you were simply an imitation. The real Sea Snake was dead, obviously. It would be unwise to put them down in public anyway, so you let them be. 

You had left before anyone could stop you, not that they would, but you didn’t want to be burdened with being dragged around for errands. Kid was quite disappointed when he couldn’t find you. He had gone into his workshop to see if there was anything he needed more of, and had finally noticed the small renovation you had done. He had wanted to take you with him while he did business before that, with the intention of ending up conveniently together just in time for dinner, and he wanted that even more now. Kid didn’t want to ask you on a date per se. He did want to be alone with you in a context other than the bedroom, however. You had been showing him favor lately and with the new information that you were similar to him in more ways than he thought, Kid felt more comfortable with the idea of getting close to you. Of course he didn’t like you like that. He simply thought you had potential to graduate from fuck buddy to fuck close friend.  There were a few things you wanted to purchase. First, though, you had been waiting for a chance to be in a more open area. It was very difficult to train with Mini on the ship, both because she was enormous and because you would break the ship. Plus, Mini could use a bit of exercise. Being cramped on the ship for too long wasn’t good for her. Mini walked until you were both deep in the forested part of the island, in a clearing. For several hours, until you were both out of energy, you practiced new skills and techniques. You flopped on Mini as she laid down, both taking a quick rest. 

Hunger woke you from rest. The sun was much lower than it had been when you had closed your eyes. Your nap went longer than intended. You felt very refreshed afterwards though, so you didn’t mind one bit. The two of you headed back towards the ship, Mini split off from you to return, while you kept going to find a place to eat.

Kid was in a bad mood. How hard was it to find a huge raging monster and a boar? All while he was taking care of some errands, he was keeping an eye out for you, but failed to catch a glimpse. Even when he came across the other officers, none of them had seen you either. The thought had crossed his mind that maybe you dipped on them, or worse, maybe someone had taken you. That thought bothered him more than he thought it would. Actually, the longer the day went on without finding you, the more he dwelled on it. He growled to himself, frustrated that he couldn’t shake you from his mind.

You found yourself in a dimly lit, grungy bar. Every man who initially approached you turned tail as soon as they saw your face, whether it was from your stank eye or from your scars, you didn’t know. You were leaned back with your feet kicked up on the table and a beer in your hand, somewhat tucked in the corner of the bar. You liked privacy and you liked being able to see the entire room, no need to look over your shoulder. 

The door swung open, a big red ogre behind it. He looked pissed and stomped straight to the bar. You were surprised Killer wasn’t with him, or anyone for that matter. You called a waitress over and handed her a note to deliver to him. You were going to send him a beer but the bartender put one down in front of him before he even asked. The waitress handed the slip of paper to Kid and scampered away, which was probably for the best since he whipped around angrily to see who sent the note. His eyes didn’t soften, but they did brighten when he saw that it was you. 

“What crawled up my ass?” Kid crumpled the note and threw it at you. He grabbed a chair and dropped his body into it across from you. “YER the one who crawled up my ass.” He pointed in an accusatory way.  Your eyebrow twitched up. “Me?” You looked him up and down. “If I was in your ass, you wouldn’t look so mad. I promise you that.” 

“Shut up.” Kid rolled his eyes. “I’ve been lookin for ya all day. Thought ya might have got stolen.”

“Bet you would have loved if someone took me off your hands.” You have him a questioning look. “But why? Need me for something?”

Kid reached across the table and tugged your collar. “Nah, yer mine now, girlie. They would have ta take ya from my cold, dead hands.” He grinned so big it almost split his face in two. “And that’s not happenin.” 

That made your heart quicken. You looking into his amber eyes, hiding your soft spot for him. “You still didn’t answer the question.”

”Ah, well,” Kid didn’t have a great excuse. He wasn’t going to tell you the true reason. “Was gonna see if ya wanted to spar with me.” What a dumb fuckin lame-ass excuse. Idiot! 

You shrugged. “Sure.” Weird that something as small as simply wanting to spar upset him earlier. There was definitely more behind it. 

“Really? I mean good.” He swirled the beer around in his mug.  There was a bit of an awkward silence. 

Clearing your throat, you mentioned, “I have some things to do first. Didn’t get to em today.” You tapped your fingertips on the table. “Was gonna ask Heat to come with me cuz I need more clothes and he’s good at picking outfits, but I guess you could come.” You quickly added, “If you want. Because it’s just easier that way.” The dim lighting hid the blush on your face. 

“Ha! I’m way better at picking outfits than Heat.” Kid leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms.

”Real outfits, Kid,” you warned, “Not lingerie.” 

“Yeah yeah. Real clothes. Whatever.” He waved you off, cursing you mentally for putting images of you in lingerie into his head.

You both sat and drank your beers, Kid propping his feet up on the table as well. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw him stare at you a few times. What’s that about? Your ears perked up when some very drunk man was asking about how someone disabled could be a pirate, assuming they were talking about you with your missing eye. It was clear who they were talking about when he made a joke about an unarmed pirate captain.

It did tick you off when people talked about your imperfections, but fuck did it have you seeing red when you realized it was directed at Kid. You could tease him and make fun of him. You would NEVER bring his involuntary amputation into it, however. That was crossing a line. You don’t even think he heard it, judging from his lack of reaction and how he looked at you in confusion as you got up from the table. You didn’t feel like behaving tonight. There was an itch for violence that you needed to scratch. Maybe defending Kid was just an excuse to let some steam off. He certainly didn't need you to defend him.

”Wanna say that again?” You stood at the man’s table, palms resting flat against it.  The man grimaced when he saw your face. “What? You defending your cripple boyfriend? Seems about right an ugly cunt like you would be with him.” 

“It seems that you don’t know who either of us are.” You smiled at him and his companions. Anyone who had heard of Eustass Kid would know that he was far from incapable with one arm. “That’s cute. You must have been on the sea for what? Five minutes?”

The man’s companions laughed nervously as he kept up. “Bitch, if you’re not gonna take that prosthetic out and let me skull-fuck that butchered face, I would get lost.”

You reached up and pulled your log pose from your eye socket, rolling it around in your fingers. Faster than he could react, you grabbed his hair, slammed his face on the table, pulled it back up, and shoved your eye into his mouth as far back as you could push it. “Swallow it.” His eyes were wild and he clawed at the arm holding his hair. “I said SWALLOW IT.” 

He gagged and choked, holding his throat, before gasping for air. “WHAT THE FUCK?” His eyes were watery as he stared at you with bewilderment. 

“Actually, I’m gonna need that back.” You grabbed a steak knife from the table and grinned at him.

”No please…” The man was sweating, scared shitless.

“Apologize to him.” You pointed at Kid, who was still relaxed in his seat, enjoying the show. 

“I-I’m sorry, S-sir.”

”Eustass Kid,” you corrected.

The man’s eyes widened with realization, that he fucked up big time. He started to plead for his life almost immediately.

You thrusted the knife into his stomach and tore it open. “Unfortunately, I do still need that.” His hands tried to grab yours away but kept slipping from the blood. His screams were really fucking up the atmosphere of the bar. You pushed into the open wound with your hand, searching for your eye. “Skull-fuck, huh? You’re lucky I don’t have a dick or I’d fuck you right in this warm, wet hole of yours.” Your hand found what it was looking for and retrieved the small orb. Dunking it in his companion’s beer, you cleaned it off and stuck in right back where it belonged. 

His two companions, trembling and trying not to catch your eye, dragged him off, leaving a trail of blood behind. He might live. You thought about cutting his arm off since he had such nice things to say about Kid’s amputated limb, but what you did was much more satisfying and cruel. 

You felt a metallic arm pulling you into Kid’s lap. “Yer so fuckin hot when ya get like this,” Kid growled in your ear lowly.

You grabbed his beer, having finished your own, and chugged the rest of it. “This bar sucks. Let’s go somewhere else.” You trailed a finger down his exposed chest. “I feel like fucking some shit up.”

Kid’s signature laugh rang out through the bar. “Then let’s fuck some shit up.” He grabbed your chin. “How could I say no to a bonnie lass like yerself?” 

You made a fake retching noise. “Quit with that flattery bullshit.” Kid didn’t have to do any of that. If he wanted to fuck, you were down. “I’ll fuck you later.”

Kid frowned as you took his hand and dragged him out of his seat. He meant what he said. Of course, he wanted to fuck, too. Beside the point, you let Killer say nice things about you, but you didn’t take Kid seriously and that bothered him. 

You and Kid started a fight with anyone that looked at you sideways. Kid held someone still for you to beat up and you did the same for him, laughing maniacally as you did so. Alternating between knocking someone’s lights out, getting sloshed at different bars, and making out in dark corners, the two of you ended up walking to the very edge of the island. There wasn’t much else but beach here. You had no idea what time it was and no idea how you were still standing. Kid supported your weight as you walked through the sand in an incredibly unsteady gait. There was a piece of driftwood that was just big enough for you two to sit on. You leaned heavily against Kid and he put the excess fabric of his coat around your shoulders. 

For how drunk you were, Kid was impressed with how you deftly undid his belts and snuck your hand into his pants. It was known by now that arousal came as a package deal with your aggression. His thick shaft hardened quickly under your hand, happy to oblige whatever needs you had. Kid let his head fall back, enjoying the feeling of your small hand struggling to jerk him off. He let out an impatient huff when your hand started to slow, before stopping altogether. His amber eyes flicked to where your hand was limp around his cock and your head rested in his lap. “What the fuck?” That bitch fell asleep. Kid groaned. It was feeling so good too. He swallowed thickly. You clearly wanted to give him a handy, so there wasn’t anything wrong with helping you finish the job, right? He stuck his own hand down his pants and enveloped yours with his grip, tightening your hold on his cock. The feeling of doing something just a little bit wrong and in public to boot, sent a thrill right to his balls. He finished himself quickly with your hand, his pulsing cock emptying into it with a grunt. Kid snickered to himself with the thought of you waking up with your hand dried shut.

Kid had already pissed you off, not because your hand had been glued shut with his cum, which was admittedly funny, but because he had to put his two cents into every single thing you looked at. You wanted a second weapon to dual wield. You loved your gunblade and it was versatile though it still had limits. Every weapon you picked up, Kid chided you for picking something so low quality. You were deeply regretting inviting him along. You picked up a curved sword to inspect the blade.

”Shit metal. Shit craftsmanship.” Kid’s arms were folded and he looked just as annoyed as you did.

You finally stood toe to toe with him, pressing your finger to his sternum. “If you think everything in this town is shit, why don’t you make me something useful. Impress me, magnet boy.” 

“Magnet man.” Kid unfolded his arms. “Fine. I will. And it’ll be so good it’ll blow yer tits off.” He went to flick your nipple but you slapped his hand away.

After perusing possibly every weapon this town had to offer, you moved on to your next task: clothes shopping. Kid had actually picked out some tasteful outfits. He did manage to sneak a few, more risqué items in, though they were cute so you did entertain the idea of buying them. You also found a little outfit that Kid agreed Heat would be enamored with. You found a few more things, including some more bold choices, since you wouldn’t fit in without at least one pair of stupid ugly pants. You threw everything into a pile and returned with your normal clothes on. When you went to pay, the man behind the counter said that your boyfriend had already paid.

It shouldn’t piss you off but it did. “I told you to stop doing that shit.” You jabbed Kid’s side and grabbed the bag from his hands. 

“Doing what?” 

You couldn’t even say it without getting embarrassed. “You know.” You held the bag up. “The compliments and … nice gestures.” You huffed. “It’s weird. We’re not…anything.” Kid was just your fuck buddy, nothing more. No feelings were involved, or that’s what you told yourself. 

Kid knew that was true, though he thought he might want to be something to you. “Didn’t say we were. I can’t do something nice?”

”You’re Eustass Kid. You’re not nice.” 

“Whatever. Ungrateful hag.”  “Thank you. Much better.” You smiled at him.  Kid grumbled and complained for the rest of your shopping trip, eventually dragging you to a street vendor to eat since he was getting progressively more hangry. This time you paid, insisting on it to make yourself even with him. You both got some kind of saucy meat on a stick and found a tree to sit under. Kid wolfed his down in about a minute while you took a few more to finish yours. 

“What?” You said sharply, noticing Kid snickering at you.

”Yer a messy eater, ain’t ya?”

You froze as he used his thumb to wipe sauce from your cheek, popping it in his mouth. You huffed, mostly to avoid blushing. 

Kid seemed like he had something on his mind. “About the other night…”

”I won’t mention it. Don’t worry.” You knew he had a reputation to keep up.  “I was going to thank ya.”

”Oh. It’s not a big deal.” You sighed. “Listen I know what I just said, but it is refreshing to see that you’re not always a giant dickhead.”

He made a noise of acknowledgment. “We both loved her. Victoria. It was a child’s crush, but it was real enough to both of us at the time.” He had heard Killer explain some of it to you that night. 

”I never had anything like that.” 

“Would ya like to?” 

It was only human to crave affection, and you would be lying if you said you hadn't thought about it before. It would be easier not to have attachments holding you back. It may also make your life less depressing. There were pros and cons to each side. You never got far with the notion since there was no one you had been interested in on that level, or any level. 

Kid mistook your extended silence for offense. “In general. Ya know. Not … with me.” Unless she wants me like that. He let his voice trail off.

“That would complicate things.” You pulled your knees up and rested your head on them. 

“But it might be worth it.”

"Was it worth it to you?" 

Kid knew you were referring to their past with Victoria. "Aye." No matter how much it tore him up some days, he wouldn't trade it. As Killer said, you had to go through certain things to be who you were today, and Kid liked who he was and what he had in his life currently.

After dropping your bags at the ship, you walked with Kid towards the clearing that you and Mini found. A few minutes passed, filled only with the sound of chirping birds and leaves shifting against each other in the breeze. Your hands swung close enough to each other that you could feel the wind from Kid's hand. “I saw that ya missed me enough to connect our spaces again.” Kid teased. He couldn’t take the stretch of silence, not after the slightly down conversation from earlier, and he hadn’t yet gotten to mention that he noticed the change.

”Hypothetically, what if I were to say that I enjoy your company… occasionally.”

“I would say that of course ya do. Everyone enjoys me.” Kid had a smirk on his face, yet underneath, there was a big goofy grin threatening to break through ad your admission. 

“Mhm.”  “Hypothetically I enjoy starin at yer ass when yer workin,” Kid offered. 

”That’s not a hypothetical.”

The clearing was empty. It seemed as though no one else had found your spot. It felt odd to square up to Kid for a fight where you weren’t trying to kill each other for real. The agreed on rules were no use of devil fruit, but weapons were fair game. You could end the fight with one touch of your hand with your devil fruit, which is why you didn’t want to use it.

Standing across from Kid, you could appreciate his stature, broad shoulders, strong physique. He wasn’t cut like Killer was. There was a bit more meat to him, filling out his stomach in very pleasing way. You had to stop yourself from dwelling on it, or this was not going to be a fight at all. 

Kid came at you first. Normally you used your speed to dodge and land an attack in an opening. This time you blocked him. He did the same thing to your punch. It filled you with a sense of pride that you could match him in strength like this. The hits from his metal arm hurt worse. It wasn’t a conscious choice, but both of you had started by holding back, not completely willing to hurt the other. The competitiveness between you, however, quickly caused you to start putting your full weight behind everything. You could hear Kid growl as you narrowly avoided his fist, which instead splintered a tree trunk. You used the opportunity to land a kick in his side. He wheezed for a second before coming after you again. A big sweeping motion with his metal arm took you by surprise, knocking you to the ground. Using the momentum from rolling, you hopped back up in time to miss another attack from Kid. 

The taste of blood was in your mouth. It seemed he had split your lip. You licked the red liquid decorating your mouth, steeling yourself to get more serious. Pulling out your gunblade, you shot several times in seemingly random directions. It was habit not to shoot at Kid since his devil fruit could deflect bullets. Large branches from the surrounding trees fell around him in a way that made it difficult to dodge them all and forced him to remain in one space.

You followed right behind the branches, taking a running leap at Kid’s back. Before you could press your blade to his throat, he shed his feathered coat that you were holding on to, causing you to fall in an ungraceful way. You had to quickly roll to dodge Kid’s next attack. He had taken out his own gun and sent a bullet into the ground you had just occupied. 

Kicking out forcefully in Kid’s direction, you connected with his leg, destabilizing him enough that you could launch yourself from the ground to tackle him. He was quick to prevent you from getting him into a grappling hold. Kid grabbed your wrist and slammed it on the ground, forcing you to release your grip on your gunblade. In a flash he had both your wrists caught and your legs pinned under his own. Kid held his head back, knowing that your counter would be to headbutt him. 

The afternoon angle of the sun bounced orange rays from your fiery eyes, the light glistened off the thin sheen of sweat on your Y/S/C skin, and it lit your hair up like a flame, the way it was wildly strewn behind you only enchanted the effect. Kid was entranced by the heave of your chest as you caught your breath and the playfully aggressive gaze fixed on his own face. Red caught his attention, blood spilling slowly from the cut in your lip. Suddenly, he was transfixed by the crimson bead, lowering his mouth to meet yours, sucking the iron-tinged from your lower lip. A silvery thread of saliva connected you as he pulled away. He searched your face for any sign to stop and found only molten desire. 

There was a tangle of limbs, hands weaving through hair, sloppy wet kisses, and indecent sounds. Kid's weight pressed against you and his grip keeping you in place had placed impure thoughts in your mind even before he tasted the blood on your lips. That served only to add fuel to the fire burning deep within your core. Deep down you were mad about this weakness, the intense sexual chemistry you had with Kid. In this moment, you were in thrall to it, insatiably grabbing any part of him you could reach. 

A nervous clearing of the throat alerted you both to the presence of Pomp and Reck. Kid grabbed the gun he had knocked from your grasp and you pulled his from his bandolier, both sending a warning shot in their direction. 

"FUCK OFF!" You roared in unison, sending them racing off toward town.

"Can't. Get. Any. Fuckin. Privacy." He said between shoving his tongue down your throat. 

You could feel Kid's cock grinding into your thigh as he hastily ripped your pants down to your knees. You spread your thighs apart as far as the restricting fabric allowed to give Kid's hand access. His flesh fingers wasted no time finding their home in your dripping core, one after the other were inserted impatiently. The stretch as his fingers scissored your opening wider had you groaning into his mouth. Kid eagerly devoured the intoxicating noises slipping from your lips, each one causing his tip to drool. 

"Kid, I ngh-need it. Now." You panted out. 

"Yer not ready yet." 

"I don't care." You grabbed his dick through his pants. "Give it to me before I take it myself." 

Kid slipped a third finger inside, earning another sweet set of sounds from you. "Look at ya, rotten brat. Givin orders to me." He thrusted his fingers a few more times before removing them completely. 

You whined at the empty feeling. "Please." Your thighs rubbed together for friction. 

"Ya want this fat cock?" Kid freed said beast from the confines of his pants, stroking it slowly to give you a show.

You nodded vigorously, freeing your legs from your pants.

Kid pulled your soggy panties to the side, lining himself up with your slit and pushing his dripping mushroom head between your glistening folds. You wrapped your legs over his hips and pulled him inside yourself until you were completely full. Truthfully, Kid would have loved to drag this out and tease you a little more, but your wanton craving for him was really turning him on and there was no doubt someone else from the crew would come interrupt again soon. Kid's metal hand was big enough to wrap under you, holding your body in the palm while the thumb rested over your pussy. The cold metal against your clit was electrifying and you hissed through your teeth when Kid applied pressure. 

"Ya like that?" Kid moved his hand, effectively using you as a human fleshlight. "Yer gonna love this."

A cry of pleasure was ripped from your throat as Kid continued this movement, grinding his cock into your cervix, and added a low vibration with his devil fruit directly above your clit. With barely a warning, an orgasm crashed over you, making you shriek even louder. Kid narrowly held his own release back feeling the gush and pulsation of your climax. He continued to move you up and down his shaft, increasing the vibration in his thumb. The first orgasm was barely over before the second one overcame you. 

"Oh f-uck yes." You moaned. "Use m-me!" 

Kid's pace was erratic. The way your cunt gripped him with its gushy walls was enough to milk his balls dry. "That's right," Kid growled. "Yer my personal cock sleeve. Ya can't get enough of my cum can ya?"

"F-fill me up, C-Captain." You hand pressed down on the thumb of his metal hand, feebly attempting to grind your clit against the vibrations. 

Kid snickered, helping you out by increasing the pressure. Purple energy crackled around your collar as he tightened it around your neck. Your moans were raspier now, though just as needy. "That cunny of yers is suckin me in. She wants my cum so badly, aye?" 

You nodded your head, saliva pooling at the corners of your mouth, unable to swallow. Black tinged the corners of your vision. Your mouth formed a silent cry as Kid tightened your collar further, using you to get off. You twitched and trembled, a final orgasm taking you over. The tingling warmth enveloping you in a bath of endorphins. You were fully caught in your own pleasure, so much so that you missed Kid doubling over you, releasing a cry of his own as he emptied himself into you. He used your body to pump every last drop from himself. 

You gasped as he released his power, sucking fresh air into your lungs to quell your burning muscles. Kid removed himself from you and laid you down flat, pushing your legs back to admire his seed dripping from your hole. He wiped the drips with his fingers and pushed it back inside you, pulling your panties back over your cunt and giving it a pat. 

"Keep it all in, bunny, or I'll have to fill ya up again."

"Yeah? Not much of a threat is it?" You found your pants and dusted yourself off.

As soon as you had your pants on, Kid slung you over his shoulder and cracked your ass with his hand. "No talkin back."

About halfway back to town, Kid let you walk on your own two feet. "Can ya walk or are yer legs still jelly?" He kept his hands hovered above your shoulders in case you fell over.

You grabbed his coat for support. "I'm good." You thought he had picked you up to be an asshole. Was he trying to be helpful? You didn't complain this time. Your legs had been jelly. 

Kid took note of your hand moving from his coat to hold onto his arm. He let it stay. You only removed it when Heat stared at it too long, not even aware that you had still been holding onto Kid. There was an immediately coolness where his warmth had been, and the urge to keep holding him close surfaced. Kid had been thinking the same thing. He liked feeling your weight on him, feeling you rely on him. He wanted you to rely on him more and trust him with yourself.  

Next Chapter

[cheriekos]

Hiiiii, this is a snippet of a SuperBat Hanahaki AU I wrote up - it’s a bit weird and I don’t really know if I’ll go forward with this. It’s in Poison Ivy’s POV (lmao don’t ask me how I got here) and I LOVE this but I think I would have to go with a different version of the story I want to write if I keep this. So I’m posting this here for posterity and whatnot and I’ll probably re-write aspects of this into an existing project later. This has been lightly edited and is not beta’d. Enjoy!

Ivy doesn't get a lot of visitors. She gets plenty of wayward children and adrenaline-seeking teenagers that really liked to push the limits on her patience and graciousness. However, that plea deal she made with the city kept her a short, short fucking leash. And despite how easy it is to flick her wrist, send thorns and vines and venom towards intruders and disrespectful punks - she likes having the greenhouse. She likes keeping Robinson Park evergreen and yes, her sordid, traitorous heart was kept alight when she saw the young kids of Gotham gently step over tree roots and gaze in awe at her azaleas. That all being said - she's not quite a people person. And most people aren't approaching her unless they have a masochistic streak running through them. 

"Ivy," grunts out the too familiar voice.

Ivy has a running theory that the Batman was, indeed, one of those people with said masochistic streak.

"Whatever mystery you're solving, I have no part in it," Ivy drawls, gently misting a particularly sad looking plant. She frowns. "You can check with your little Oracle - I'm sure she can scrounge up the camera footage somewhere. I've only been in my greenhouse." 

"I'm here on business."

"And I just told you - I had no part of that business," Ivy says, sharper. The plant - the Passions Vine, maypop, Passiflora incarnata - begins to bloom anew beneath her fingertips. "You can't implicate me in anything."

"I wasn't planning on it," He says, with a strange lilt to his voice. Her ears twitch.

She turns, only slightly, in order to look at him. He's as imposing as ever, more of a shroud of inky darkness than a man. The white of his lenses and the faint curve of his pale jaw the only real visible parts of him in the dim greenhouse, especially in the shadows where he liked to linger. It's a familiar sight, which gives her a faint burst of nostalgia. How disgusting. 

"Here on business, but not here to drag me off to Arkham?" She hums. "Color me intrigued. Do make it quick, though, you're interrupting my bedtime routine."

He only grunts. Ivy rolls her eyes, wondering how earth she found herself at the beck and call of this wretched creature. He finally steps under the blinking overhead light, awash in an orange glow. Without a word, he raises an upturned fist. When she arches a brow, he slowly unfurls his palm. 

Three petals. Yellow, slim, long - flecked with blood. Helianthus annuus. 

"Sunflower petals," Ivy remarks. Her eyes dart up to him. "But you already knew that."

"Yes," He says simply.

"Well, what do you need me for then?" Ivy asks, disdain coloring her tone. 

"These were collected from an individual who appeared to have an upper respiratory infection," He says. "All the symptoms of a standard viral infection were present - sneezing, coughing, congestion. After five days of a normal course of cold medicine, symptoms began to evolve that indicated a lower respiratory infection. After three days of worsening symptoms -"

"Get to the point." 

"The individual eventually coughed up these petals."

"...Excuse me?"

"The individual coughed up -"

"I heard you right the first time," Ivy puts her hand up.  "But what in the world could cause that to happen?" 

He curls his palm again, arm disappearing underneath his cape once more. "That is why I'm here."

Ivy blinks. "You thought I would know something about lower respiratory infections?"

"I assumed that, perhaps, in your tenure as an ecological terrorist, that this is a phenomenon you may have come across." He says, dryly. 

"I can't tell if you're trying to be funny or not."

He just hums. "Can you tell me anything about this?" 

Ivy stares, one part dumbfounded, and another part itching with the familiar sensation that comes with a near encyclopedic knowledge of plants and the urge to know and be right. How dreadful that the remnants of a competitive, perfectionist PhD student still lived within her bones somewhere. 

"One moment," She says, and turns on her heel.

He waits, patient, like one of the city's many faithful gargoyles. She sits on a sturdy leaf with a little thank you and calls other vines to bring her old books out to her workshop table. She flips through a folder with old articles on diseases and infections, but that path is not fruitful. She skims a textbook, a section on herbal medicine and quickly shoves it away with a dissatisfied as another set of vines brings out her laptop and lab instruments.

Her eyes shoot to him. "Come here." 

He moves, like shadow, like a piece of the night come alive. He hovers by the edge of the table, a curious tilt to his head. If she had any little bit of affection left, she would consider it adorable - he seemed like one of the many fruit bats that tried to nibble at her gardens. 

"The petals." She holds out a glass microscope dish. 

He shifts, then stops abruptly; there's an odd strain to his already grim face. If she hadn't known any better, she would've guessed he was hesitating. But the moment passes; he gently places the petals in her dish.

She adjusts the microscope, taking note of the regular aspects of the petals - protrusions she notes that are pollen tubes, the very odd cell structures - and briefly examines the blood specks. When she lingers too long on that aspect, her impromptu lab partner grunts disapprovingly.

"Do you have a problem?" Ivy asks, not taking her eyes off the microscope.

"Are they any irregularities with these petals?"

Ivy taps a green finger against the table. "Well, since you mentioned it - yes."

With a great of amount of self-convincing, she vacates her spot and gestures to the microscope. She can't tell what his eyes are doing under the mask but the air around him seems to fill with a general distrust. He looks into the microscope anyways; while he does, she motions for a come to pluck a petal off her own sunflower.

"Thank you for your service," She says to the little petal, and puts it into another dish. "The sunflower is a dicot, which means there are a number of expected cells within its makeup."

She switches the bloody petals for the standard one.

"Parenchyma cells, epidermal cells, xylem and phloem," Ivy waves her hand. "Things you would've learned in your elementary science class." 

"However?" He prompts. 

"However," She slides the bloody petals back in. "There is a mutation within these cell structures." 

"Elaborate."

"Don't make a fuss, I'm getting there," Ivy says, as if speaking to an impatient toddler. "Patience is a virtue, you know." 

Once more, he grunts. 

"Do you see the spiraling vessel next to the xylem? They look almost identical. The difference, however -"

"This one is filled with blood." 

"Not quite like a photosynthetic plant to absorb blood." 

"What does this indicate?"

"Right now? Nothing," Ivy turns to her laptops and begins a new file dedicated to this particular sunflower petal. "I don't have a definite answer for you on what this is or what it means - or why your little friend is coughing up petals."

He grunts - one of the ones that clearly signals his dissatisfaction. "How soon can we know what exactly this is?"

"You'll know when I know - which is whenever I feel like it."

"This could be life threatening, Ivy," He says, urgency in his tone. She could scoff; everything was so urgent with him. Now or never. Save the city, save the world and all that bullshit. "I'd advise you to not waste time."

"Yeah?" Ivy puts her chin in the palm of her hand. "I'd advise you to take that stick out your ass."

"Ivy -" He stops abruptly. He takes in a deep breath and lets it out in a world-weary kind of way that makes him seem less like a statuesque figure of nightmares - and something more like an old man. She blinks. 

"What would it take for you to...prioritize this?"

Let me out and let me raze the world in order to stare anew - and then that stupid, awful little voice that sounds suspiciously like Dr. Leland's comes in to grab her gently and say 'what can you change in front of you, right now?'

"Harley is out, but she's not allowed within Robinson Park," Ivy says. "Change the details of her pardon."

"You know I can't do that -"

"Bullshit," Ivy hisses, hands slamming against the table - and she feels it. The edges of her vision going green, how the smell of the poison in the very stems of the plants around her are present, how she could send the thorns of rose flying at his throat. How hungry her fly-eaters were for blood. It would be so easy. So easy. 

"Aw, sugarplum, just think of all the good things when the green gets too big! The smell of roses, lavender, or um...um - I dunno much about flowers. Or maybe me! I'm as comfortin' as a daisy, aren't I?" 

She breathes out. Slowly.

It would be easy. Getting freedom was not.

"That's all I ask," Ivy says, voice strained. "Just - let me see her. Somehow." 

He stands so still. It's irritating. She despises this - how desperate she feels, all the power he has, and the embarrassment of it all. There was a time when she would send him flying to the rafters, wrapped in her vines. The poisons, the toxins, the pollens - all of her knowledge and power dedicated to trying to knock down the immovable force that was the Batman. And now here she was. Bargaining with him in order to see the woman she loved. Pitiful. 

He shifts. His hand hovers in the air between them and she feels an edge of paranoia curl at the back of her mind. But then his hand settles, lightly, with his fingertips gently brushing her hand. It's...surprisingly gentle.

"I will see what I can do," He says. "

For a moment, Ivy thinks she can see his eyes. Behind the glare of those lenses, she thinks there's a human somewhere, underneath all of this. It makes something curl uncomfortably in her gut. But as soon as the moment has come, it is gone - and his hand is back beneath his cape. He's just a figure, a piece of the night, and the blight upon her existence. Familiar. 

She doesn't say thank you. She already doesn't like how much of her current existence is in due part to his relentless crusade against violence - and the repeating, endless cycle of it. She doesn't want to admit that within the many hands trying to pull her away from her endless spiral downwards, his was amongst them.

She just juts her chin out, vines curling around her shoulders. "Scram, Bats. I've got work to do."

For once, he decides to take the normal way out. She watches, intently, as he makes his way to the greenhouse door, and without so much as a look back her way, disappears into the night. When she finally turns away, back to her work bench, the blood specked petals are gone. 

[rjalker]

Public domain designs for the narrator and the Sphere from Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions, which is public domain and can be read and watched and listened to in many formats for free.

All of the art and designs on this post are public domain. This means they have no copyright, and can be used by anyone for anything. Including making art you then sell. You can repost any you like to shorter posts, just please include the image description that goes along with it.

Image descriptions are in summary, the equivalent of subtitles for blind people.

Here is a link to a masterpost for Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions.

And now for the public domain designs. I made all of these last week and kept forgetting to post.

The narrator first. There's two sets of lineart I was using and I only remembered to make one of them glow.

Batesian mimicry:

Where Flatlanders appear to be completely different creatures when seen above, with eyes that seem to stare directly at you...but it's really just incredibly detailed coloration on their internal organs, evolved to ward off predation from 3D predators that Flatlanders aren't even aware of.

[ID: A digital drawing of a square against a dark grey background, with a thick black border. Inside the square is a squiggly pink shape like an alien fish, with a single purple eye staring upward. Around it are green and orange squiggles, with white triangles around the edges, one of which is the Flatlander's real eye and mouth. End ID.]

Valentines card:

[ID: A digital drawing of a square against a light grey background. He has a black outline that glows white, with a single eye at the upper right corner. His insides are dark purple-red, with brighter red inside a zig-zagging bordern, with five pinks hearts inside the red section, with the largest in the middle. End ID.]

Basic organs:

[ID: A square with a glowing border, with a simple cartoony oval eye on one corner with a narrow pupil like a cat. His inside is light blue, with two large rounded blobs stretching back from his eye to represent a lung and stomach, in pink and purple. Around these are smaller blobby organs in orange, red, and darker red-purple. End ID.]

Same lineart as above, but with patterns for fun:

[ID: The same lineart as directly above, but rather than solid colors, his insides are striped blue and ice blue, and the organs are pale pink with darker pink polka dots. End ID.]

based on very fuzzy memories of a quilt from my Nana Jana's house...

[ID: A glowing square against the grey background, still with the simple oval eye in one corner. This time his inside is colored teal, with many almost symmetrical shapes inside forming a random pattern,each with gaps between them. These shapes are in pale red, orange, yellow, pink, and purple, with a large section in blue filled in with some of them. End ID.]

pretty pattern 1:

[ID: The glowing square, now colored monochrome blue, with a pattern of overlapping lines forming many curved diamonds filled in with blue-black, dark blue, ice blue, and almost white. End ID.]

Needs More Glow:

[ID: The glowing square, now colored in dark brown, with a large pane orange eye and large round pupil,creating a gap at the corner that is filled in with glowing white. His insides are in tan directly behind the eye, with other blogs for organs leading off to the sides in different shades of yellow, brown, and red, including a small heart shape. End ID.]

Geode dude:

[ID: The glowing square, now with his insides dark red on two corners, and the rest filled in with squiggles of ever-lightening blue. On top of this are thin white lines showing the forms of a brain, heart, and organs. The brain is connected by many small tendrils to the line that comes in from the upper corner that is both his eye and mouth. End ID.]

the same but now with squiggles:

[ID: The same white lineart as above for the organs, but filled in solid black, with the backgroud of the square in different shades of blue wavy lines like water. End ID.]

This one should have been brighter but my phone lies to me about colors and I'm too lazy to fix it now.

[ID: The glowing square, now with a simple cartoon eye at the top right corner, with a large white zig-zag crossing the body behind it. One side is pink with purple spots, the other is purple with pink spots. The spots are connected to eachother with simple wavy lines like springs. End ID.]

Fiery rose:

[ID: A square with thick black outlines on a grey backround. The inside is colored in different shades of overlapping pink and red swirls, forming a pattern like flower petals, or fire. End ID.]

sunshine swirl:

[ID: The square with thick outlines, now colored in orange, with a paler yellow orange symmetrical spiral on the inside forming a swirly sun shape in the center. End ID.]

simpler...

[ID: The square with the thick outline, now colored in orange, with a large oval eye, a large purple heart shape, and two small purple circle shapes on either side. End ID.]

simplerer...

[ID: The square with thick outlines, now colored in sea-foam green, with a simple black spiral at the upper right corner for the mouth and eye. End ID.]

Now for The Sphere:

Starlight eyes, with pattern.

[ID: Three digital drawings. The first shows an original design for the Sphere from Flatland, drawn against a light grey background. The Sphere is light pink, with a swirling floral design in purple. He has two large eyes, whose pupils are black and covered in specks of white, like stars. The second image is just the circle with the pattern, and the last image is the pattern itself filling out the whole image. It is symmetrical four ways, with four swirls and points in a cross between a flower and a star. End ID.]

Cyclops with noodly arm-legs

[ID: Two drawings of a sphere against a grey background. He is medium blue, with darker blue, thick swirling stripes, like a mackerel tabby cat. He has a single large oval eye on his face, and from his top rear extend two long limbs, which he holds at his sides in the first drawing showing him from the side, then folds under him like a cat in the second, when he is shown from the front. End ID.]

Stained glass at night:

[ID: An original design for the Sphere, seen from the front. He is covered in an intricate pattern of dark purple, magenta, orange, gold, teal, and royal blue. His eyes are shaped like narrow, upside down teardrops, with dark grey sclera, black iris, and a white, four-pointed star pupil. End ID.]

Froggisphere + lineart for recoloring

[ID: Two images. The first is the sphere drawn as a frog-like creature with a dark orange and yellow spherical body, with dark red eyes with horizontal bar pupils, with dark red thick front legs with yellow webbing, and blue back legs.The second image is the black and white lineart by itself. End ID.]

and last for now:

[ID: MS Paint art from four angles showing an original design for the Sphere. He is monochrome green, with a pale yellow-green face with a greener triangle shaped marking, then a deep green belly and hood. Above and between his eyes are yellow-green swirls, and his mouth is a simple line. His eyes are the same yellow-green as the markings around them, and inside his mouth is lime green. A purple hand filled with white sparkles is scribbled next to him, labeled, "telekinesis". End ID.]

these characters are public domain. You can make any design for them you want instead of doing free advertising for the infamously racist conservative Ladd Ehlinger, who created the 2007 film.

[malwaredykes]

To: LUCKY 38 PRESIDENTIAL SUITE TERMINAL

From: Leigh Stasik

Subject: BIG DAMN BUGS

Hi there everybody!

So, it's day 5, and Joshua Graham continues to get on my nerves. I've received a lot of clear signals that the feeling is, of course, mutual. I don't think he's very happy about what I've been doing—or, more accurately, what I haven't been doing. Because he really, really wants to put me to work, in the sense that I'm to run errands for him, and I don't wanna do that. He doesn't agree to help me find a way back home, though, until I help him resolve his business. This, indeed, is a very unsatisfactory situation, as I am essentially being held hostage by the man, and I'm not pleased about him trying to act all kind and compassionate about it. I think he thinks he's doing me a great favor by “humoring” my “condition” (hahaha!) insofar as he hasn't gotten outwardly mean or violent about it. He's a hateful little man, quite homogeneously so with the Legion past of his that he claims he has long since abandoned and healed from. I in turn feel rather hateful whenever I have to listen to him go on and on about the love burning within and without him… Love for what? Vapid goof. Disgusting. I'd mess with him more, but I don't want to upset people here. But oh, how I want to mess with him. At least I know that if he tries to harm me, he won't last very long. I sure do love to hurt those who think themselves indestructible. Am I right? Who's with me?

I went out into the valley with Waking Cloud today, to disarm some traps set up by the White Legs on one of the bridges. She's so sweet! Not going to lie, I'm still a little surprised I managed to make friends here; it's not like I was going out of my way, as I had my own tasks to tend to, and didn't want to bother anyone.

But, anyway. Around noon the sun got reeeeaally harsh, so we decided to sit in the shade for a little while, right by the river, dipping our legs in the water. There's something about the smell of fresh flowing water, right above its surface, when the sun and the heat pull vapor out of it. We talked about a bunch of things. I think I've mentioned this already, but she's a midwife; we discuss medicine a lot, which is fun. She's taught me a lot about local herbs, their properties, and how to get the best results when preparing them. I told her about my hopes for cultivating some of Zion's plants and fungi back in the Mojave. In the end, she asked if perhaps I could stay in Zion. Gosh… What a touching suggestion. But I have family at home! I've got a dog and an eyebot to put through college! But I will return one day, I'm sure. I hope so. Maybe any of y'all wish to come along?

Soooo… We pressed onwards and then I saw them. A small pack of cazadores, nothing unusual for me, though their wings had a yellow tint to it, much paler than the bright orange I'm used to. Cloud was shocked by my nonchalant reaction, how I just pulled out my rifle and got ready to dispatch the creatures if needed, and I didn't understand until one got a little closer. That thing was huge! At least twice the size of the cazadores you'd see in the Mojave! And its chitin was a lot thicker, so it didn't go down with one or two shots. That was crazy. We did manage to hunt down a few, and the two that remained fled. Upon closer inspection, everything about these cazadores was bigger and more messed up. The stinger, the poison glands… Geeze. I wonder if the increased size comes from better air quality. Higher oxygen levels in the atmosphere did cause bugs to evolve larger in prehistoric times. I kinda want to try and make turbo out of these, but I don't think that's wise. I don't have the proper equipment with me to test the precise contents of this venom, and I can't exactly do a taste test. Oh well.

Ronnie-honey, aside from the surprise gift I can't wait to show you, I have a few mechanical tchotchkes for you to take a look at when I get back. You might be able to make sense of them, because I sure can't. I pulled one of them out of this airplane wreck I stumbled across. Well, you'll see.

Raul, Cloud gave me this recipe for agave candy that she makes for her kids. It takes time to prepare, but it's genius. I am so making it for you. And that's final. No ifs or buts. I mean, I'm gonna make it for everyone, but especially you.

Anyway. I need to get a good night's sleep this time. So, write to you later! Love you all! Take care!

Leigh

[wrenteen75]

CHAOS DREAMING!

SYNOPSIS: aurora henson cannot stand economics. . . the summer before her junior year only highlights this when she crosses paths with a seemingly rebellious group of boys from welton academy, mixed about at a fine arts camp they’ve been shipped off to. little does she know, they’re fighting to rewrite their lives, too—which inspires her to live a little on the edge before she goes back to her all-girls boarding school next fall 𝟅𝟈

authors note! you can find part ten here! three more chapters left of chaos dreaming :( i’ve been so blessed to write this & see aurora evolve w the poets, makes my heart so happy

PART ELEVEN — MOONLIGHT IN VERMONT

ENTER AURORA HENSON. . .

The afternoon sun poured beautifully through the cracks in her curtains, casting bright beams of yellow and orange across the room. Aurora tucked two loose curls behind her ears and tilted her head to gaze over at Julien, who had been silently reading a magazine. Every few pages, she would break the otherwise overwhelming silence to spark a conversation about pop culture.

To be honest, both of them were very bored. Aside from the poetry club they had joined at the beginning of camp, there wasn’t much left for them to do. August was approaching quickly, and while Aurora dreaded the thought of packing her bags to go home, she did find herself missing upstate Vermont a little.

She groaned, throwing herself backward onto her bed. Julien laughed at Aurora’s reaction, her feet swinging in the air. She lay on her stomach as she read. “Dramatic much?”

“Oh, come on,” Aurora responded as she rolled her eyes. “You’ve been reading the same page in that magazine for ten minutes.”

“Have not!” Julien bickered, closing the magazine and tossing it onto the floor next to her bed. She adjusted against the covers.

Aurora’s eyes rolled once more. “We need to come up with something exciting. What if we stage a coup? Doesn’t that sound fun?”

“Do you want us to get arrested? I doubt your parents would bail us out of jail. I know mine definitely wouldn’t,” replied Julien.

“Maybe not,” Aurora shrugged. “Charlie would.”

Julien smirked. “Yeah? How is he, anyway?”

“He’s good. At least, I think so.” Aurora's cheeks flushed at the thought of Charlie. It was strange how her feelings had evolved—what she had fought against so fiercely at first now flourished after weeks of self-defiance.

She missed him.

Unknowingly, her entire life changed when Neil introduced her to his friends. Now, she was head-over-heels for a boy she’d have to let go of once summer ended. How, in any sense of the word, could that be fair?

Why should she have to give him up?

She lay there in her bed, Julien throwing pillows at her. She covered her face with one—pink with tassels around the edges—and screamed into the fabric. Julien looked onward from her side of the room, giggling softly at her friend’s reaction. Before she could tease Aurora for her dramatism, the door to their bunk opened. A gust of wind followed behind the two boys that entered. It was slightly chilly, another reminder that August wouldn’t be so warm with its welcome. The two of them were conversing back and forth, Julien focusing on their figures as they entered the room.

”Hi, Neil,” she muttered, her eyes squinted. “And…”

”Knox,” the other boy spoke up. “Knox Overstreet.”

“Interesting name,” she added.

“What’s Aurora doing?” Neil pointed with his right hand, a pamphlet crinkled in his left. His grip on it was unknowingly very tight, and his palm was sweating from both nervousness and the lingering humidity. 

Aurora quickly pulled the ruffled pillow from her face and sat up against her headboard, eyeing Neil and Knox as they stood there.

“Oh, hello,” she quietly expressed.

Julien snickered. Knox did, too.

She threw the pillow at Julien in an act of embarrassment. Once she regained her composure, she turned to face the boys that now stood in her and Julien’s bunk. “What brings you two by?”

“Neil’s in a play,” Knox answered, a smirk on his face. 

Neil beamed next to him. He couldn't contain his glee, the pleasure radiating from his slim figure. Aurora’s eyes widened with cheer. Of course, she was shocked, too.

“Is that true?” Her gaze pandered from Knox’s frame to Neil’s. “Oh my god, that’s amazing news!”

Neil nodded, his hair bouncing excitedly with each movement he made. This was a big deal, and everyone in the room was aware of it. "Isn’t it?! I’m the lead, Aurora,” he announced at once, launching himself onto her bed. The springs squeaked under their combined weight, causing Julien to cover her ears as she watched from her side of the room.

Neil’s voice wavered happily. “I’m the lead, and my father isn’t here to stop me.”

Aurora could’ve cried from the overwhelming joy she felt in the moment. Her eyes crinkled at the corners as she smiled brightly, and she pulled Neil in closer, wrapping her arms around him tightly. She savored the soft laughter that bubbled out of him like music. It was a sound she could listen to for hours. “Is that what the pamphlet is for?” she asked playfully, her voice muffled as she buried her face into his shoulder.

Neil nodded. Once the two pulled apart, he handed her the pamphlet. The printing was iffy and the pages were rough, the cover torn from where Neil had been holding onto it. “Mhm, and it’s got all the information in it. Do you know where the makeshift auditorium is?”

Aurora shook her head. “No, not a clue.” She hadn’t wandered that far, yet. Despite being here just as long as everyone else, she felt extremely out of the loop.

Julien’s eyebrow furrowed. “The one that’s haunted?”

Knox snapped his fingers. “Yes! Finally, someone gets it.”

Aurora grimaced. “It's haunted?”

Neil rolled his eyes. “It’s not haunted. You people will believe anything, won't you?”

Julien and Knox frowned. 

Aurora stifled a laugh as she went to speak again. “Is everyone going?”

It was a stupid question to ask, but Neil answered anyway. “Yup, I had Mr. Keating tuck away tickets. I was wondering if you and Julien would go, too?” Neil asked softly, his legs tucked underneath of him as he talked to Aurora. “It’s okay if not, but I’d love to have you both there. Besides, Charlie’s looking forward to seeing you.”

She felt a smile tug at the corners of her mouth.

Aurora didn’t hesitate with her answer. 

She’d go. If not for Neil, for Charlie. 

“Of course, we’ll be there, dummy,” she teased, nudging him with her elbow as he sat at the end of her bed. “What, you think I’d miss out on your breakout role? Count us in.”

“Actually,” Julien added. “Your timing is perfect, too. You’ve cured our boredom.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say cured,” answered Aurora. “Two-ish more weeks to go.”

It was staggering how quickly their summer went by. Aurora, though she’d been checking the calendar on her bedside table every morning, hadn’t realized just how much time she had left here in rural Vermont.

It left a small pit in her stomach; she wasn’t very good with goodbyes.

Neil pulled himself out of Aurora’s bed, his feet making contact with the hardwood flooring as he adjusted his posture. “Don’t remind me,” he exhaled.

“Damn, August is that close already?” Knox frowned.

“Don’t you know how to read a calendar?” Aurora joked.

Neil giggled. “The play is next weekend, by the way,” he added as he found his footing next to Knox. “The time should be there in the pamphlet, but let me know if it’s not. I think the boys are meeting Mr. Keating by the pavilion and then heading to the auditorium as a group, so you’re free to join them!”

“Ah, the legendary Mr. Keating,” Aurora grinned. 

“He’s heard lots about you,” added Knox. 

Aurora’s cheeks warmed. “Good or bad?” She stuttered.

“Good,” he replied. “It’s coming from Neil and Charlie, what bad can they say about you?”

Aurora shrugged. “You never know,” she said.

She’d had her fair share of trouble in the past, but it gave her hope to know that her friends looked up to her, that Charlie looked up to her. 

She couldn’t wait to meet Mr. Keating, either. She’d heard good things about him, as well. To the group, he was almost a father figure—which brought comfort to Aurora, because that’s exactly what Neil needed: someone other than her and Todd that could support his passions and be there for him. 

“Well,” Neil exhaled as he rocked back and forth on the heels of his shoes. “Meeks has us booked for a group game night later, so we should be heading back to our bunk. I’ll see you, Aurora,” he waved, pushing Knox toward the door. 

Before they made their way outside, Knox gripped onto the door frame and abruptly turned around. “Hopefully it doesn’t rain next weekend,” he teased. 

Aurora gasped at his cryptic words. She wanted to reply with something witty, but Neil tugged at his arm and dragged him away before she could respond.

With that, the two were gone just as fast as they were there.

“Charlie was right,” she turned around in her bed to face Julien, baffled at Knox and his grand exit. “Knox was onto him, and he’s gone and made it everyone’s problem.”

“Is Knox single?” Julien bluntly let out.

All Aurora could do was roll her eyes, falling backward onto her mattress.

[xwingsandohs]

did anyone say good omens fanfic x cupid!reader ?!?!?

good evening tumblr. i have many thoughts for the ineffable fandom. can’t get out of my head a cupid!reader that crowley hangs out with now that azi is gone?!?? broken heart crowley?!?! crowley x reader smut ?!? gender neutral reader?!?!? gender bending crowley?!?!? sex shop running cupid ?!?!?!??! 🫣🤔🤭🪽

I wrote a drabble. Please send thoughts. May write a fic 🫣 XOXO, xwingsandohs.

Angels and demons have always been assigned their roles on earth to protect peace and create chaos, but it’s in the 15th century (or so) that the Almighty notices that humans have evolved themselves beyond simple procreation. And so God creates the Cupids, not necessarily a legion of angels and definitely not demonic, but a collection of holy beings powered by Earthly love to bring happiness and prosperity to humanity in new ways.

Where Aziraphale was defined by white hair and golden clothes, Crowley recognised by fiery red locks and sleek suits; this particular Cupid is defined by a rainbow of colours, patterns and flowers for every occasion.

It’s been three months since Aziraphale left for Heaven’s gates, or escalators to be more accurate, and your attempts to foster and create love in London has suffered thanks to a certain lonely demon moping around. Crowley can’t admit he just needs the company.

“Coffee?” You ask, Crowley hums positively. “What would you like?”

“Something strong.” He’s sitting on a lovely green couch in the back room of your shop, sprawled in all his comfort. It’s decorated with a variety of silly cushions, one particular eye-catching one being bright blue with orange tassels.

The room is littered with beige boxes of spare stock and new deliveries, but you still keep it looking bright with a mis-matched collection of hanging prints and printed wallpaper. You keep it on theme with what you stock.

“I know that, silly.” You shake your head and smile as always, you both do this routine most mornings. The coffee bean grinder grunts loudly and you pick out two big mugs from the cupboard. “What shall I try draw in your coffee with the milk? You know I’ve been practising.”

You have been practising. Despite coffee not being the main draw of your high street shop, you have a vision of giving out free drinks to customers if you can master the art of the latte. You’re getting better, actually.

“A leaf.” Your friend responds, standing up and heading towards you.

“You say that every time!”

Crowley picks up the yellow striped mug you’d taken out for his drink.

“I like the leaf.”

He’s nonchalant. He puts the mug back and looks around for the one he wants.

“But it’s easy and I’d like a challenge. Something silly.”

You grin up at him with a little humour, and he looks back to you with a raised brow.

He can’t find the mug.

You look up and find the mug immediately. It’s completely plain and black, with a slightly lighter shade of grey on the inside. He bought it and gave it to you especially for his drinks. You always fight back.

“Fine.” Crowley says with exasperation. “How about….” He looks around for inspiration in your decor, finding little that he wishes to ask for. “A tree?”

“Oh, I know!” You almost cut him off, exclaiming. He doesn’t know why you bother asking, again, this is your routine. His eyes roll and you can sense it without even seeing. “I’ve just remembered something I saw online the other day and I’d like to try it out.”

“Sure.” He rubs across his face with his hands then spins on the spot to head back to a seat on the couch. The milk steamer screeches and he considers it his cue.

“Could you do me a quick favour before I unlock the doors?” He stops, seconds away from reclaiming comfort on the velvet. He’s not your assistant, but you tend to always ask for these little things.

“I know you’re not my assistant, but there’s a pile of online orders printed out that I need to put together. Could you grab that pile from upstairs for me? It’s next to the-“

“The computer.” He finishes. Routinely.

You finish the coffee.

By the time he’s brought down the pile of paper and placed it where you like it behind the till incase of a quiet moment, you’re skipping over to unlock the door and flip the sign to ‘Open!’ Before it hits 9:01.

Then you rush back to grab the two mugs.

Crowley looks around at the shelves and pegs that hold the stock and shakes his head at everything he sees, humans and their rubbish. He does however appreciate the collection of green plants that have found a place amongst the shelves since he’d been spending lots of time here. They perhaps even look happier than his own, or maybe the colourful shelves really bring out their green.

“I wonder what lovely people will walk through our doors today?” You say with a smile, taking your first sip of coffee and smearing the pattern. Your hand holds out the other cup to Crowley.

He shrugs, takes the coffee from your hand and looks down at the pattern. “It’s a…”

“-A seahorse!” He wouldn’t have guessed it really, but when you point it out he notices. It’s definitely an animal of some sort.

“I like it.” He doesn’t really care for it, but you seem to like the labour, he understands that care. “Although it’s a little…”

He’s not going to say the word.

You’re still grinning, you know the word.

“A little…?” You ask.

“You know, it’s…” He doesn’t say.

“Phallic?” You say it. He doesn’t look away from the coffee.

“Phallic.” He confirms with an unsurprising demeanour .

“I know!” You giggle, he shakes his head.

“You really do take this all very seriously, don’t you?” Crowley chuffs as he leans back against the counter and takes his first sip.

“You could say it’s all about passion in this business.”

Well…. What else would a Cupid sell? The bell above the door rings.

“Good morning.” You call to the first two customers that come through the door. They respond politely back. “Welcome to Sugar ‘n’ Spice, let us know if we can help with anything.”

“Actually, we were looking for some bondage gear?” The lady says as her partner shrinks slightly behind her.

“Of course! Let me introduce you to our selection and then I’ll leave you to shop on your own.”

[whatgaviiformes]

Fic: Grannies (part 2)

Part 1 here Also just added to AO3 Summary: Gordon's committed to the bit. The bit just happens to be an obnoxious amount of granny squares In this part: Gordon ~*~*~*~*~ Okay, so truth time - Gordon really loves pranks. 

There’s nothing quite like a good laugh to cut the tension, and it’s taken many years of perfecting his skills to properly read the room and his family. He still gets it wrong sometimes because people are like that, but one thing he’s proud of is that his jokes aren’t mean-spirited. That’s a line he refuses to cross. A prank is only enjoyable as long as it’s not at the expense of the other person’s overall happiness or safety. 

The granny squares?  Those are easily his best prank idea in a long time. It’s the laugh that keeps on giving, and as far as the long game goes, if he’s right about Virgil actually doing something with the squares, it’ll be a good challenge for his older brother to embrace his inner chaos demon. He’s gotta have one in there.

There wasn’t some grand scheme or anything either; Gordon just started picking up yarn for himself at random and the whole leaving around the villa thing evolved organically. 

He’s made hundreds of granny squares, but he still remembers that first one: four rounds - blue, then lavender, yellow, and pink. Sometimes he grabs at random, sometimes he chooses based on whichever color draws his eye next. His theory of color is to follow where his gaze - or his heart - wants to go, and he remembers from that first square the way he felt when he started compared to how he felt after. 

Since it was Virgil that worked him so hard in his PT that morning, it felt only right to leave it for him to find. And the sketchpad was right there.

The game spiraled from there. Sometimes it would be single granny squares hidden in different places, sometimes it was multiple put in an obvious place - like the time he put at least 20 of them and mixed them into Virgil’s clean laundry basket. 

So here’s the fun part. 

He can walk now.

Okay, fine. Hobble. But, eh, semantics. 

The point is: more of the villa and surrounding areas just became independently available to him. 

He’s had a vision ever since operation grannies became an actual thing, and finally able to execute it, Gordon’s gathered a basket of twine, scissors, and a collection of granny squares, happily humming on his way to Virgil’s studio while the rest of clan Tracy is out on a rescue. A water rescue, nonetheless. 

Stupid Chaos Cruiser. Stupid Hood. 

As he rounds the corner, the chocolate tones of cello music drift past the open door of the study, left ajar in Virgil’s haste to attend John’s situation update in the lounge. Excellent! He didn’t even need to try to guess the passcode. Inside, the easel was bare, the paints still meticulously organized, but the desk chair was pushed back with papers scattered across the fine wood. A glance over at the sketches piqued his curiosity; he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t tempted but his mission was elsewhere. 

The large monstera plant in the corner towered over one of Gordon’s favorite chairs in all the villa. It was one of his favorite places to think; inspired perhaps just with proximity to Virgil’s creative genius. Most of his thesis had been written from that very recliner.

Ergonomic with lumbar support. 

Virgil swore he’d gotten it for his own aesthetics, but Gordon has his theories.

Gordon places the basket of knick knacks on the chair, so it’s in decent reach; he’d never be able to bend down far enough to grab what he needed if they were on the floor. First he picks up the twine, eye-balling the length he needs to wrap it around one of the stems of the plant and tie it, and he cuts what he thinks he’ll need. 

The first granny square he picks up is a solid orange. There's not a lot of those; he tends to prefer the fun of multiple colors, but the bright neon colorways were also too good on their own. 

Gordon strings the twine through the corner of the granny, lifting it to the section of monstera he’s chosen to decorate. Like a Christmas tree, but with yarn instead of ornaments. And an aroid instead of an evergreen. He ties the knot itself tightly, leaving the string loose enough around the stem for Virgil to safely cut the twine and so it won't hurt the plant. The sailor's knots are instinct, and Virgil won't be able to just undo them. There's no sense trying too either. It's just twine. 

The next granny has the same orange as the last one, but it also has neon green with black every other row. His vision was for bright colors against the natural green of the plant, and so there are no Earth tones in what he collected for this prank. 

This one he hangs a bit lower, and after he steps back to admire the way the light filters through the fenestrations onto the fibers. It’s not glow in the dark yarn, but it does look like it could be radioactive in the darkness. Perfect. 

“What are you doing in here?” 

Gordon spins towards the voice and sees purple, but the rest of his body can move quicker than his leg can, so he trips over his own feet. His grandmother, closer than she sounded when she spoke, catches him in her arms. 

“Woah! Careful there, sunshine,” she urges, helping him right himself and rebalance. “You don't want to end up back in the infirmary, do you?” 

Her top is soft like velvet and her flowery perfume only reminds him of the comforting hugs after his manys scrapes growing up. Her concern is genuine, though the smile pulling at her lips is one of amusement as the realization of just what Gordon’s doing in Virgil’s study becomes apparent. Gordon flushes under her gaze. 

“Thanks, Grandma.” His shirt is fine, but he straightens it anyway. 

“You boys,” she says fondly. She finds one of the squares in the basket with purple in the center and gestures for a piece of twine. 

“Grandma!”

“What, dear?” 

“What would Virgil say?” He hands cuts her off a piece, beaming. 

“This will make Virgil smile,” she says in answer before reaching up to another section of monstera to tie the square. “I hope he leaves it up for awhile.”

“I’ve always admired you both for this. You make such beautiful things. And watching you with yarn reminds me so much of your mother. Lucy used to always carry around little project bags, you know. She’d make little socks and hats for you and your brothers.” She chuckles, “We’d be out for a meal and Lucy would be making stuff under the table.” 

Gordon nods. “I think it’s another way Virgil feels connected to her when the music’s too much. I’m actually surprised he agreed to share it with me,” he muses.

“I’m not.” There had been no hesitation, and Gordon stops what he’s doing to ask why she’s so certain. But she notices his expression before he can speak. “Don’t give me that look. Virgil adores you, dear.” 

Gordon smiles, because that’s just not phrasing that exists in the brother code. Regardless of how true it is, for all his annoying downfalls and all. Hell, he adores Virgil too, and he admits it by keeping the coffee pot filled, and learning to love jazz piano, and sometimes by making way too many granny squares to count. 

Trust Grandma to tell it like it is.

She stands back to admire their handiwork. “Sure, our Virgil is much like your mother in a lot of ways,” she says, “but you’re a lot like her too. More than you would remember.”

“Really?”

“Oh yeah. Your mother could never keep things organized. She was a bit of organized chaos herself.” Grandma swings a gentle arm around Gordon’s back and leans in to whisper. “She loved neon colors. I bet crafting with you feels a lot like crafting with her.” 

Gordon’s finishes tying up his current square, not sure what to really say to that. If there’s anything to say. 

“Do you have more of these?” Grandma asks.

“Of course.” That’s a look he knows well: a mischievous glint that inspired him in his youth, rather than the scolding he’d get from others. He raises an eyebrow. “Why?” 

“We have more plants in the lounge. Come on, dear. I can tell you’re getting tired on your feet.” 

“Yes’m!” 

Later, if John heard their cackles over comms, he wisely chose not to comment.

[respectthepetty]

Atom is an Orange Oddity!

I watched the Thai remake of My Love Mix-Up for the colors, and I was sure that like the Japanese version, once Atom figured out who he was and what he wanted, his color would emerge. And the finale proved it!

The episode began with Blue Boy Kongthap in their combined green color and Atom in . . . red? orange? In-between! Because Atom still isn't quite sure of himself.

So while Blue Boy Kongthap has so much faith in himself and their relationship that he writes down a wish for them on his blue fish,

Atom still doesn't believe in himself and writes his wish down on a (combined couple's) green fish that gets put through the ringer!

Atom wants to tell their moms about their relationship, and we see this is genuine as they wear their couple's green, but Atom doesn't have faith in himself and believes Kongthap's mom will hate him and his own mother will be disappointed in him.

He freaks out and spills a drink on himself which causes him to wear Kongthap's sweater, but Atom freaks out again and decides not to tell Kongthap's mom thinking he is not good enough to be Kongthap's boyfriend.

It's clear Atom loves Kongthap as he wears the pink sweater with those two orange carrots and Kongthap's name written right over his heart, but Atom still doubts himself, so he rides off on his yellow bike feeling worthless.

But even though he messed up the sweater by machine washing it, Atom did it in a dark blue sweater that had yellow and orange lines on it.

And I got the great experience of seeing that the letters on Kongthap's sweater are blue . . . and orange.

So due to his mom's tough love, Atom gets the push he needs to keep evolving and confess to Kongthap's mom that he accidentally ruined the pink sweater, but that he also loves Kongthap.

And this is where I was reminded that Fourth is one of the best actors at GMMTV because I even teared up when he finally exhaled. This boy SOLD me this moment. I believed in it.

But back to the color evolution! So now that Kongthap's mom approves of Atom, he is finally wearing his color, but he is still figuratively and literally wrapped in the security blanket of his relationship.

And just when I thought he wasn't going to take the final step in his Pokemon color evolution, Kongthap stepped back (in his blue and orange accented hoodie that says GO over the heart in orange!) and gave space for Atom to confess to his mom that he is dating a boy, and I am, once again, reminded in the same damn episode that Fourth is an amazing actor!

Because I felt feelings even though I have been far removed from this story. BIG FEELINGS!

Because even though this story started off with Atom not being secure in his color or himself, his evolution began when he started liking a Blue Boy and he slowly became a Yellow Yal.

And yellow + blue = green, so they were green for so long because that is what was comforting with where they were in their love story.

But Atom and their love have continued to evolve and now that Atom is an Orange Oddity, their couple color also changed.

Because a Blue Boy and an Orange Oddity create a Brown Bond.

But the green cannot be forgotten.

Which is an excellent choice!

So here I sit at the end of this series, and I know with all my heart that the color folks earned their paycheck every single damn episode.

And I love them for it.