#hopefully I'll be back like next week -fingers crossed-

[witchydigit]

Okay, so I've been on mandated rest because I think I sprained my hand during practice, my knee could always use more rest, and now when I was supposed to start backy coworker gave me her kid's cold because she didn't want to mask at work. One of these days I'll actually get to return to my schedule, I stg 😭

[deansbeer]

𝐓𝐄𝐗𝐀𝐒 SKIES & 𝐂𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐌𝐀𝐒 TIES

000. PROLOGUE ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ִ ݁ ♡ .

✸ 𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟓; the first time you and jensen met.

PAIRING. cowboy!jensen x female reader ꒱

SYNOPSIS. in a stormy december of '95, your world shifts when jensen arrives at your family's ranch. what starts with an awkward meeting becomes something unexpectedly sweet.

WARNING(S). awkward first meeting | subtle flirting | hand-holding | jealousy | mentions of small town gossip | unrequited feelings | peer pressuring parents (?) | ranch work | storm preparation | self-consciousness | social anxiety.

kari yaps. hiii there, i feel SO soso happy n giddy inside, seeing all of u as excited as i am for this new series !!!! i'll try my best to keep up w it, esp this upcoming week for xmas <3 & if it isnt finished by then, hopefully by new years it is. HOWEVER, if it isnt done once the new year rolls in, someone yell @ me, i give u full permission !!!!! im crossing my fingers, though. n e ways :) love yall smmm <3

𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓. ୨ৎ 𝐉𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐄𝐍'𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐘.

DECEMBER brought the kind of cold that made texas feel foreign. you weren't expecting company that morning, which explained your current state: sleep shorts, an old long sleeve baby tee that had seen better days, and crew socks that reached above your ankles. your hair was a mess, tangled from sleep, but you didn't care—until your dad's voice boomed through the house.

"honey, alan's boy is here to help with the storm prep!"

you froze, halfway through pouring your coffee. through the kitchen window, you caught sight of a red chevy pickup truck pulling up, and your stomach dropped. everyone knew alan ackles' son—jensen was practically dallas royalty when it came to ranch families.

"coming!" you called back, but it was too late. the screen door creaked open, and there he stood: tall, broad-shouldered, in worn jeans and boots, his green eyes catching yours immediately.

"jensen, this is my daughter," your dad said, clapping him on the shoulder. "sweetheart, this is jensen."

you wanted to die right there, especially when his lips curved into a slight smirk. "nice to meet you," he drawled, his voice deep and warm. "nice pajamas."

your face heats up in embarrassment. "i wasn't exactly expecting visitors at seven in the morning."

"storm's not gonna wait for proper attire, darlin'," your dad chuckled. "why don't you go get dressed? you're helping us today."

"what? dad, no—"

"actually," your mom chirped, appearing from nowhere like she always did when there was potential for embarrassment, "if you help today, we can hit the mall this afternoon."

you narrowed your eyes. "promise?"

"cross my heart."

yeah, you're never going to the mall.

twenty minutes later, properly dressed in jeans and boots, you found yourself trailing behind jensen and your dad toward the stables. the horses needed tending first—they were always priority during storms.

"beauty's been real fussy lately," your dad was saying. "might need extra attention."

"i can handle the horses," you offered quickly. anything to avoid more awkward interaction with jensen.

your dad nodded. "good idea. jensen and i'll check the fencing. don't forget to clean their areas too."

you watched them head off, relief flooding through you until beauty, your black mare, nudged your shoulder. "i know, girl," you muttered. "i'm a mess."

the next hour passed peacefully enough. most of the horses were being difficult—storm weather always made them antsy—but beauty kept them in line with warning neighs whenever they got too rowdy. you were halfway through brushing down the last horse when boots scuffed against the stable floor behind you.

"need any help?"

you jumped, spinning around to find jensen leaning against one of the stalls. "jesus, wear a bell or something."

he laughed, pushing off the frame and walking over. "your dad said to come check on you. more workers showed up to help with the heavy lifting."

"'m fine," you said quickly, turning back to the horse. "almost done."

"you sure? because that one looks about ready to bite."

as if on cue, the horse snapped its teeth, and you jerked back. jensen stepped forward, his chest brushing your back as he reached for the brush. "here," he murmured, his breath warm against your ear. "let me."

you stepped aside, watching as he effortlessly calmed the horse with a few gentle strokes. "show off."

"nah," he grinned. "just been doing this since i could walk. your ranch is different though. bigger than ours."

"yeah?" you leaned against the stable wall. "how so?"

and just like that, the awkwardness melted away. jensen told you about his family's ranch, about learning to ride before he could properly run, about the differences in how each ranch operated. by the time your dad called everyone in for dinner, you'd almost forgotten about your embarrassing first meeting.

your mom, ever the hostess, had prepared enough food to feed an army. neighbors started arriving, filling your house with chatter and laughter. you showered and changed, choosing a soft sweater and clean jeans, your hair finally tamed.

"movie time!" someone called after dinner, and suddenly the living room was full of kids your age, all piling onto couches to watch christmas reruns.

you tucked yourself into the corner of the couch, trying to take up as little space as possible. but then jensen sat next to you, his thigh pressing against yours despite the space on his other side. you tried to scoot away, give him room, but he just moved closer.

"cold?" he whispered, and before you could answer, his hand found yours.

your palm went instantly clammy. across the room, you caught daisy oliver's glare—everyone knew she had a thing for jensen, had been trying to catch his eye for months. you tried to pull away, but his fingers tightened.

"relax," he murmured, his thumb brushing over your knuckles. "this okay?"

you nodded, unable to form words, and spent the rest of the night hyper-aware of every small movement of his hand against yours.

the next morning, you hid in your room, avoiding the inevitable goodbye when his dad came to pick him up. you'd heard the rumors about him and daisy so holding his hand felt like crossing a line you hadn't meant to cross.

you didn't know then that jensen had never looked twice at her. didn't know that he had spend the whole ride home telling his dad about the girl in pajamas who'd caught his eye. didn't know that this was just the beginning.

𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 taglist. @deanswidow @a1ecmcdowell @beausling @titsout4jackles @frosttbitessam @aileenunfiltered @deansbite @jasvtsc @fallbhind @ostaramoon @lacydollette @ultravi0lence14 @rubyvhs ◟ ☆ ݁ ⋆ 🏇 ˚⊹ ˖ ﾟ✶ ݁. comment OR send an ask to be added / removed !!!!!

𝐂𝐎𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍 © 2024. ✶ please DO NOT copy or plagiarize my works.

[seraphinitegames]

The Wayhaven Chronicles - Update 29/July/2024

Do you ever have one of those weeks where everything is unexpected?

Well, it was definitely one of those last week, lol!

I haven’t had access to my laptop since mid-week last week, which means all my reference, variable reference, plans and things are all inaccessible, as well as normal things like emails, etc.

But I always back-up Book Four on an SD card, which means luckily I still had that! So I’ve been able to work on the different unit scenes in what is becoming a seriously stonkingly beefy Chapter Three, just with some interesting notes to myself I need to go back and fill in.

Eg. "Oh, so close," Maaka jeers at his brother with a smile.

Tane glares at him [through what coloured eyes does he have?],

So that’s been an interesting way to write, hehe! :D But it at least means I can write even with my laptop out of commission for the moment!

I will have it again on Wednesday, but I won’t be diving in to fill in those moments quite then. Instead, I will be concentrating on polishing up and adding in anything from the readers for Chapter Two so that I can get the demo up on early access on Patreon hopefully for the weekend!

I know I’ve had 2 back I’d been waiting on, even without being able to access my emails, so hopefully the others will be back by Wednesday too! *fingers crossed*

Hope you all have an awesome week! Not long until the next update, so I'll talk to you all then <3

[bronx-bomber87]

Hello lovely fandom! It’s tiiimmeeeee. I’m so ready for this premiere. This hiatus felt like the longest one yet. Probably cause they weren’t allowed to share literally anything for months and months. While I might still gripe we’re only getting 18 and 20 would’ve been better….I am psyched to be analyzing a new season ❤️

Changing these up to First impressions cause mini and I don’t get along in terms of brevity. Now imma try and be briefer since I’ll be doing a deep dive next summer. Hopefully in our next hiatus. *fingers crossed* The library still a turd for new gifs. So had to make all mine. Also I must have a new angle at my new place. So they came out not how I wanted lol But after a full day of work I was too tired to re-do them all. It's a miracle this is coming out with how tired I am haha Anyways bear with me and hopefully next weeks gifs are better ha Off we go!

7x01 The Shot.

Cool thanks recap. Not like we forgot the breakup that ruined us all…Would like to say someday that won't ruin me to watch, but that's a lie...Love that to leave the lineup for recaps now. Thanks.

It's the little things like them sitting next to each other in the swat car that make me so happy. Not gonna lie I was grinning like a damn fool just seeing them seated together. God I missed them. Straight giddy them working together in the field. It’s where they originated. It’s where they’re going to heal.

I love her directing him in the field. That snap of her fingers and he knows instantly what she needs and follows. That beautiful rhythm only they can achieve. Silent communication at it's finest folks. Mmm loving this. Lucy taking down a dude double her size and Tim coming in to help finish him off. Hot damn I love them in the field. Legit ship crack to me everyone. Look at those beautiful humans in motion above. I can't get enough.

Oooh lord T.O Tim *fans self* Mmm Can’t say haven’t missed him. I'll be real honest. Yum. Thank you Nolan for not undermining him while he sized them up. We would've had words sir. It probably shouldn't delight me watching him tear them apart, and yet here we are with me drooling over him. With zero regrets. Just nice to see him in his element after being knocked out of it last year. I shall enjoy this year for him I can already tell.

Ha! Bingo card hit. That's one square down. ‘Grey guides Lucy with her career.’ Yasss I’m a dork I know but you all knew this ha Grey pulling strings to get her to T.O. "Temp." I’m sure it’ll stick. He see’s what a good teacher and leader she is. Look at him jumping starting this for her. Nudging her in the right direction.

Lucy not being sure....Still battling with that UC identity and detective path. Some left over S6 bleh hanging around. I think Grey is setting her path and she has no idea how ‘not temporary’ this will be. At least IMO. I see her excelling at this and wanting to stay at it. Plus like Grey said it’ll strengthen her position should detective come back up. Also like to list the reasons why I think this will be good for her.

One it'll rebuild her confidence. Something we all know was shattered and then run over by s6. Second it'll give her a new purpose and clarity for her career. (Which is also a bingo square for me. Yes I'll be tallying mine all year lol) Now she has to accept being a FT one for it to apply but I think it will. Lastly it'll get rid of the pesky 'Chain of Command' issue for them later on. Because we don't want that again.

Tim enters the chat and he is a most welcome addition. The mini banter about her training. I'm here for it and I love love love it. Look at the flirty smirks on these idiots. Like breathing fresh air once again. The small smirks have me reeling. Gimme. Grey although has no time for this LOL Ushering their asses out. Just happy they can breathe the same air again and not have it be nuclear.

Then the real banter begins. I’ve missed them so much. I wanna cry. Tim instantly offering to give her tips. Is this one of his small doses? Possibly I think he would’ve offered this as an olive branch either way tbh. But I love seeing how eager he is to bond with her over this. Lucy’s so cute with her ‘ My rookie.’ Girl you’re gonna wanna stay a T.O. I already see it.

Lucy of course has her sassy answer locked and loaded for him. He answers right back. Goodness their banter is top tier. And woo another bingo card for me. Well this was not in my official bingo card. BUT I did say how if she ended up as a T.O. this season this would happen. In my 6x08 review said they would end up doing a bet over who trains a better rookie. And here we are. I'm enjoying my spoils and grinning like a happy fool. Which is nice after spending the second half of s6 being emotionally spent and destroyed.

Oh Lucy, like you could ever walk way from your man about a competitive bet of all things. This is how they’re gonna heal my friends. Going back to the beginning. To their roots. Where this rock solid bond was started. In the field. Along with some banter and fiery competition thrown in. This new dynamic has me so giddy I can’t even contain myself.

You can see how excited Tim is she’s going to be a T.O. With him. Flirting with her by offering this up. Moth to a flame with her in general. But this? Man is raring to go. Being a T.O and competition with his girl? He is beaming with excitement. Also probably knows this is a good way to further his cause of mending fences.

The goading of her oh my lord. It’s s4 all over again and I’m here for it. Except Tim is far more aware he’s in love with this woman. The straight teasing and flirting in front of the entire station. Welcome back. Oh my word I love sfm. His telling smirk is amazing. Reeling her back in slowly LOL

Nolan actually ignites more flirty flirts for them when he tells them about the ringer. Because classic John can't shut his yapper. I’ve truly missed this high grade goodness though. Lucy accusing him of hustling her haha Tim deescalates her like only he can with his strong logic. Saying it's actually harder that he has previous experience. He’s not wrong. First thing I thought about him when they said he had experience…Poor Seth called a virgin lmao

The rookies get assigned and we get jealous/protective Tim. Welcome back to our screens. You've been missed. *grabs ice water* This premiere is trying to kill me in the best way. I was here for the show. You tell that cocky little boy babe. I think someone else had one of the rookies flirts with Lucy in their bingo card. So you get that square ha The balls to do that in front of Tim. This kid has a death wish on wheels.

Ovary explosion at the way he barked at him though. Man is making me thirsty af. Also this kid is not a ringer in the least. I know what it’s like to de-program someone. It’s not easy. When I would get someone from another team (and terrible manager btw) I would spend the first 30 days just getting rid of the bad habits before I could begin to mold them. So ringer he is not....Lucy has a better shot with fresh meat tbh. Seth is far more impressionable. Hence her finishing line above.

Tim TEARS Texas a new one. Was kind of hoping he would. Nothing like a solid Tim T.O. rant. This kid needed it holy cow. Too damn cocky for a rookie even with experience. Makes it worse. Get em Tim! I’m enjoying this far too much. Haha Mmm. Sidelines his ass as he should. Maybe he can rejoin when his ego is in check.

This scene had me cackling. First off look at them both with crossed arms. I'm dying. Also Lying liars who lie LOL Both struggling a little bit with their rookies. It’s hilarious. Can’t ever admit fault of course. Very s4 vibes going on here I love it sfm.

Friggin Nolan has to be include himself...Listen John they checked the guest list for this work flirt convo. You're not on it sir. So needy this one. He actually didn't bug me much at all in this one. Probably the lack of Bailey....

Tim’s final T.O scene has me drooling holy hell. The jacket, the stern taking to, and telling them to suck less? I’m dying hahaha I loved how this was shot. Seeing the faces as Tim grills them both. Putting them in place. I love it sfm I'm so VERY excited for this season for him. If this was our look into it I am ready for more.

Oh my word, this final scene of theirs. If you don’t feel giddy, and a sense of promise for reconciliation from this interaction, I can't help you. LOL. I mean that in the nicest way haha I really do. The subtext running through this scene like a bullet train of hope. The moment begins with puppy dog Tim. Let’s take a second to contrast how he just was with the rookies earlier. To seeing his girl in the parking lot. That's the Lucy Chen effect.

That man is walking on air, and beaming his best ‘Lucy’ smile as he approaches her car, looking like a damn snack I wanna devour. I adore the swapping of stories. Giving each other shit but staying confident in their abilities to right their rookies ships as it were. Lucy saying ‘Tomorrow is another day.’ With Tim’s hopeful ‘Yes it is.’ Got me all in my damn feels. To me it’s a positive setup for the entire season. The low key flirty vibes here are glorious first and foremost. Second the flirting inside the promise with those two lines has me reeling.

The smiles they both convey just shows our babies are healing. Lucy is healing. She isn’t holding back with the positivity and flirting right back. There is this underlying UST too. But the most beautiful part is their talk about 'Tomorrow'. Tomorrow is another day for them to get one step closer to being who they once were. Only stronger. Tim’s 'Yes it is.' Is everything. His tone of voice, how he’s looking at her, and that determination to make something out of every day he gets with her. Driven to make tomorrow a day he inches one step closer to the promise he made in the elevator in 6x10. Oooh lord I’m excited for this season.

I said couple days ago how amped I was for this new dynamic. Them being T.O’s together and finding their way back in this fashion. It’s a fantastic and true to them way to do it. Couldn’t be more excited. The LOOKS everyone my god. The way he is pining after her. Doesn’t tear eyes away for a second as she pulls off. And our girl checks the mirror not once but TWICE.

Making eyes right back at him. This scene should excite the hell out of you. I’m scaling the walls right now haha This is as a very very promising opening episode for them. Little more proof they're going to make their way back. Won't be right away but it's coming. This is what I was longing for when we left off all those months ago.

For them to be in a better place to even start this healing. I’m so ready for this journey. I really am. Trusting the writers to do this at the right pace. So when it does happen and it will. We’re gonna be on cloud 9 x1000 Ooof lord that was good. They know how to close out an ep our ship. Watched promo for next ep. I’m vibrating with excitement.

The UST I feel from that little clip is the beauty of Eric and Melissa. This season gonna be incredible i feel it deep in my soul baha Now I’m excited we don’t have a break now that we’re here. As always thank you thank you thank you. To any and all who comments(love me to chat don’t be shy wanna theorize with you all) , like or reblog these. You have no idea how much it means to me. Also proud of myself for keeping this brief ish for me lol Below is my side notes feel free to comment on anything said in this or below till next week my lovely fandom :)

~~

Side notes non Chenford

No Bailey in a the premiere was already staring off with a win for me. Sorry Jenna but ya know lol sorta not….really…

Lieutenant Grey! So happy for him. Solid reasoning why he got it. Sucks he feels bad but I'm glad for him.

Lots of action off the bat hot damn. They said we'd have more and I loved it

Oooh loving Wes being assumed to the station. Welcome sir. Happy to have you and more Wopez moments to come.

Aaron went to north Hollywood someone had to lol Makes sense he would leave due to Blair. Also leaves the door open for him to return someday. Which makes my heart happy.

Poor Wes has to hear the recording of a man wanting to do things to his wife lol oh my lord. He’s legit having a meltdown about it hahah I sense some trouble for Wopez. Should be interesting season for them.

[mikimakiboo]

Time Travelers AU - Chess and Feelings

Just so ya'll know I have like four to five tabs constantly opened just for the translations and historical info

And also I found a better site for Old Norse lmao so Horror won't be speaking in runes anymore hopefully unless I can't find translations and there is only runes available

Also I don't know how phrases are constructed in Old Norse so I just take the English and translate word by word

But yeah I'll make it work lmaoo

First

Prev

Next

Also I actually wanted to write more but it's taking long because I'm inexplicably tired so I decided to cut the part here so ya'll don't have to wait too long :') so yeah excuse the shortness

@ancha-aus pspspsps come here pspspsps

There was a V on today's date on the calendar. V for vacation. Dust had vacations this month, and he completely forgot about that. He should have guessed it, he usually never had a day off on a Saturday unless he was on vacation the next week, and vacations meant being paid less, which also meant he'll need to buy less to save more because the bills would be the same price, which also meant that what he was going to buy now would have to be his last spent of the month.

He had found an English to Old Norse dictionary on one of his town's bookstore website and if he bought it online now he could go get it from the store the next morning.

Dust was staring at his computer screen when he heard Horror sit next to him.

- Hvat ir sá ?

He asked, pointing to the screen. Dust wondered for a second if he was talking about the computer or the dictionary, having guessed that the viking asked what it was with his tone.

- It's, uh... to understand you ? Uh.. wait.

He went back on his other tab, and typed "to understand" before translating. "vita".

Horror nodded, he didn't know how an image was going to help Dust understand anything but he guessed it might be a sort of sacred thing that Dust could look at and receive answers, maybe it was from the gods ?

- You, uh.. wanna do something ?

Dust asked. Everyone was occupied: Cross was as usual guarding the door, Nightmare was reading a new book on the tablet, and Dust had found his old kaleidoscope he gave to Killer and that he hadn't let go off yet, the only one not doing anything was Horror.

Horror looked at him, and looked at the computer, waiting for Dust to translate. He didn't know what that thing was, but Dust could make it talk his language. Dust tried different words to have the best translation possible. "Tafl, háttr, tefla", "game, activity, play". Horror nodded and pointed at "game", he could play games, he was good at table games.

- Okay uhhhh wait a sec.

Dust went back on Google to look for the kind of games vikings used to play, and apparently they played chess, their own version of chess of course, it was called hnefatafl and was played by two people, fortunately the game became popular enough to be commercialized in Dust's time, which meant he could easily find the rules as well as apps to play.

- Okay wait, I'll grab my iPad it'll be easier than on the computer.

He said as he got up and quickly left to go in his room, looking through his nightstand to find his old iPad with a cracked screen. He turned it on and installed the app on his way back to the table where Horror was waiting for him. He put the tablet down on the table, between the two of them, with the rules on his computer.

Horror looked at it curiously, recognizing one of his favorite games, but finding the board quite weird. Was it how boards looked like at that time or was it another magical device of Dust that could replicate board games ?

- Oookay, so uh.. you have to touch the screen to make the pieces move.

Dust showed him by moving his first piece. Horror looked at it for a while before slowly pressing a finger on the screen and dragging it to where he wanted his piece to go, and to his surprise, it went there. He smiled as he looked at Dust, proud to be able to make the magical device follow his orders. Dust smiled back.

- Cool, so, uh, my turn I guess.. ?

He checked the rules again, and moved his piece. Horror moved his after him, and the two could soon enjoy a nice game of ancient chess, not aware that they were being watched.

Cross was looking at them, or more precisely he was looking at Dust, his words running in his head over and over again: Dust thought he was doing a good job, he smiled at him and told him he did good ! Was he proud ? He wanted him to be proud, he wanted to make someone proud for once, he knew he wasn't the best knight, he was too emotional, too anxious, he talked either too much or not enough, he was even one of the very few knights who didn't come for a noble family, so having someone tell him he did good and smile at him brought so much warmth in his soul. Dust was nice, he welcomed them in his house, made great efforts to communicate with all of them, he was so smart, and he didn't let himself succumb to panic or despair, he didn't think twice before making them come inside his house. He was impressive. Cross... admired him.

He wanted to talk to him but he didn't know how, as he had to stay by the door in case someone broke in and even then he shouldn't be distracted from his work by chatting, so he looked at him from afar, he watched him play some game with Horror. Horror seemed nice too, he looked strong but he wasn't aggressive, Cross could tell he perfectly controlled his strength, he was rather calm. He was warry of him at first, but the viking never showed any signs of being a threat. As for Killer... he couldn't quite tell what Killer wanted. The way the roman often looked at him with his big wide empty sockets always sent chills all along his spine, how he often checked his blades in the moonlight, but he didn't seem to want to attack and looked more curious about his surroundings than anything. Nightmare of course wasn't a threat, it was clear he was a noble and took too much care of his appearance to engage in a fight, and even so Cross wasn't even sure he knew how to fight, at least not in a real fight. None of them seemed dangerous, but Cross still had to be prepared, and so he couldn't lower his guard to go and talk to Dust even though he quite wanted to. He had to stay here and watch, that was his job, and hopefully if he did it good then Dust would smile at him again...

- Damn you're good.

Dust admitted to Horror, having lost three times in a row against him, but he still put on a good fight, he was really close to winning !

Horror smiled, Dust was a strong opponent, he liked playing with him, he liked the simple fact that he choose something from his culture, that he tried so hard to integrate him, he really was a nice guy. He gave him a pat on the shoulder, with much less strength than the previous night, he didn't want to launch him across the table after all.

They looked at each other for a minute before Dust got up.

- I, uh.. I'll make food, uhh... matr.. ?

He tried hesitantly before relaxing when seeing Horror smile and nod at him, he felt quite proud of himself for catching a few words.

- Cool, so uh.. I'll go.

He quickly went to the kitchen. He hated how awkward he sounded all the time, and it seemed to be stronger around Horror, probably because he couldn't use the vocal command with him and had to look on specific sites, so he actually had to search for the correct translations and he was always afraid he would say something totally incorrect or possibly rude, but so far Horror only smiled at him and gave him time to find his words... he really wanted to do good for him, to at least try to establish some amical bond with one of them, in case they would stay in his apartment for a while...

It would be good to have a friend in this mess.

Really good.

[echantedtoon]

A Lovers' Circle (Poly Haishira x Reader) Ch19 Flashy Muse

Taglist: @shadyd3ar @jcrml

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@the-unknown-fandom

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Remember if you want to be added to the taglist lemme know

(Warnings by death mentioned.)

Tengen's legs carried him to the living room with such speed it startled everyone else inside. Only one person caught his interest however as f/c eyes turned to him surprised.

"YOU!!"

You jumped dropping the now empty paper bag as Tengen was suddenly looming over you with a focused, tense look in his eyes and his hands gently grabbed your cheeks.

"You're perfect. YOU'VE GOT TO BE MY NEXT MUSE!!"

The entire room was silent as everyone had turned to Tengen after hearing the yell he had put out. The only sounds to be heard was the TV still playing the comedy movie they had been watching and Suma and Mitsuri still chewing on the food you'd gifted them. They're cheeks both bloated out comically like a chipmunk as they did so.

...You blinked. "What?"

His smile was wide, bright, and lit up like a child who just discovered what Christmas was. "My muse!!" He clarified loudly before his hands proceeded to poke and pride your face turning it this way and that. "Those eyes! Those cheekbones! The color of your hair! It's exactly what I've been looking for! I just hadn't realized it until now!"

You closed one eye as his fingers pinched your cheek before shaking your head, hands coming up to bat his hands away from your face. "What are you talking about?"

"Paint you!" You blinked as he then grabbed your hands desperately holding them to his chest. "I want to paint you! I want you to model for my next painting!"

You blinked again quietly staring at his beaming expression before looking down at his chest where he pressed your hands against his biceps....A twinge of light embarrassed pink rushed to your face as f/c orbs looked away quickly. Don't remember that onsen scene. Do NOT think about the onsen incident-!!

"Well? Will you do it?!"

"U-Um...I-..Uh-"

Tengen hummed when a hand firmly grabbed onto his shoulder, looking around he came face to face with a wide smile and orange eyes. "I think you're coming on a little too strong, Ten." His eyes motioned to your flustered face. "Maybe wind back your enthusiasm a little bit."

"Kyo." Tengen looked at his boyfriend like he personally betrayed him. "You can't wait for perfection! Look at her!" One hand let go of your hand to motion to your face. "She's perfect! With a few weeks, I can paint her to look like a goddess-"

"A goddess that's going to make me late for my birthday party." Makio frowned at him. Arms crossed and foot tapping impatiently.

"She's right, Tengen. It'll be rude to make Makio's birthday about someone else." Rengoku agreed patting his boyfriend's back. "Besides Y/n should have a chance to decide whether or not she wants to pose for you. The choice is hers."

"Hmph!" You didn't think it'd be funny to see a six foot something man pout like a child, but Tengen pouted like a child. "Fine..But you'll think about it right?" He again smiled hopefully at you making you giggle despite yourself.

"I'll think about it but I make no promises."

"That's not a no!"

Makio groaned again before pushing her husband away from you. "Save it for after today. It's my day to shine."

There was a pause before Tengen smiled again but wider at Makio. "Of course. I didn't forget my Flamboyant wife's big day.~" Makio rolled her eyes but didn't stop him from picking up her hand and pressing kisses all the way up her arm until he kissed her forehead with a smile. "Do you want me to drive you to the mall, Baby?~"

"Nah. The bus is gonna be here any moment..." Tengen blinked as she was quick to press a kiss back to his lips. "But it's sweet of you to offer."

You giggled again as his face went a pink and he chuckled. "Well then you girls better get going. And don't worry about anything. Use my card to get whatever you want today."

"Just don't burn the house down while we're out. Mkay?"

Tengen grumbled. "I catch the stove on fire ONE time."

Despite it you giggled again at his antics, thankful for the help Kyojuro had given you. Making a mental note to thank him later you decided to bid your boyfriend good bye very quickly before your party was to depart. Following the group of girls out the door in time to catch the nine o'clock bus before it left with Tengen giving them all a good bye kids to their foreheads. His wives first followed by a giggling Mitsuri, the Kocho sisters, and then you bringing up the rest giving a wave good bye to the other men in the room before turning to say bye to Tengen- Only to suddenly freeze up as something pressed into your forehead that had everyone either gasping or freezing up as Tengen casually kissed your forehead.

Silence ensured for a little bit as everyone stood there, Tengen smiling away still.

"UZUI, YOU IDIOT!! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

Tengen turned to Sanemi's sudden angry and horrified expression with confusion.. Before it suddenly dawned on him on what he had done. "Shit- IM SO SORRY!!" He immediately looked horrified by what he did. Holding up his hands. "I just-... I-It's something I always do so I didn't realize that I'd-....I-I didn't mean to I swear. I'll get you some disinfectant wipes if you want!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" It was your turn to hold up your hands to him in an attempt to calm him down. "It's ok. It was an accident, and I'm not mad. You wouldn't have been the first guy to kiss me and it's not like you had bad intentions so-.." He blinked as you reached out to gently push his hands back down to his sides. "Don't fret about it. Ok?"

"I-" He blinked looking at his hands again before back to you. "Ok?"

"UGH!! You both can apologize later! I want to leave NOW!" 

You helped as Makio firmly grabbed you by the arm and yanked you away towards the sidewalk along with everyone else with Mitsuri squealing and directing a hopeful smile to Tengen before they left. Again silence resumed between all the men before Gyomei's White orbs turned to Tengen.

"Did you just kiss my girlfriend?"

"I-IT WAS AN ACCIDENT I SWEAR!!"

**********************************

You were dragged out by Makio until Hinatsuru was nice enough to pry her off you after noticing that you were wincing in pain from how tightly she was gripping you. She muttered a quick apology when a few looks were given her way  but you decided to drop the subject.

"Are you ok?" Suma had noticed your wince and gingerly grasped your arm where you had rubbed it to help ward off the throbbing soreness of it all. Her hands touched your arm making you since and her flinch. "AH! SORRY!! SORRY!!"

"It's ok. It's not your fault."

She took that as permission to grab your arm again and rub it as a semi apology for what her wife did. "No. It's Makio's! She's so careless!"

"WHAT?!" Immediately the orange eyes woman whipped to you both. "DON'T GO STARTING ANYTHING AND BLAMING ME!!"

"But you did hurt her! You hurt her arm!"

"She's not dead you thick headed toad!!"

"Aaah!! Stop being mean to me! I'm only telling the truth!" You blinked as Suma clung onto you a bit tighter.

"That's enough both of you!" Hinatsuru sighed reaching out to rub her temples. "We're all going out to celebrate and have a good time, so let's not fight today. Y/N's not hurt and Makio just needs to be a little more careful next time."

"She shouldn't call her names either." This time there was a bigger pause as everyone turned to you, and the intense look you were giving Makio. "Apologize to Suma."

A record scratch went off in Makio's head as she just ..blinked. "Huh?"

"You heard me. You're her wife aren't you?" You scowled. "Married couples shouldn't call each other names like that. You could end up saying something that you might regret later, and to be honest with you Suma wasn't lying. The way you grabbed my arm did hurt. Do as Hinatsuru says and be more careful if you're going to just yank someone around like that." Your brow rose at the blue side woman still clinging to you. "You should apologize too."

"HUH?!"

"You shouldn't just throw blame or whine like that and start fights for no reason. That's just bad too. Couples are supposed to help each other and work it out." You smiled at the both of them. "Now both of you apologize and we can go have fun!"

Both didn't say anything looking so... shocked before Makio mumbled something quickly again and turned to quickly walk off with Suma quickly scurrying after yelling something about not getting to apologize. Everyone just continued to stare at you awestruck before Hinatsuru turned to you. 

"How did you do that?"

"I work at a daycare center. Kids break out in fights all the time over the pettiest things. It's all about diffusing the situation calmly," you explained pointing a finger up. "Besides, you looked tired dealing with them there."

Hinatsuru didn't know what to think of say as Mitsuri gushed more and gave her a hopeful look. Luckily the awkward silence was interrupted by the sounds of a bus coming down the road distracting you all from the moment and reminded you that it was still Makio's birthday and it was all about her today. 

And apparently she decided the first thing she wanted to do was go shopping at the mall. It was deja vu on your first outing with all of them all over again. Arriving at the mall, and following Makio to the first store she wanted to go to which was a clothing store. You didn't mind just browsing while everyone else looked around and tried on clothes. Kanae found a cute jacket she really liked and sometime during the try ons Suma popped out of one changing room with what you could only describe as an ugly Christmas sweater. It was a dark blue and tackily sparkly, with a giant reindeer head on the front looking crossed eyed and below the goofy googly eyed deer face was the bad pun of 'Rein-beer'. In short, Suma had thought the ugly Christmas sweater she wore was the best find ever.

"What do you think?!," she shouted proudly presenting it to you all. 

Everyone looked on with frowns of polite smiles except for Mitsuri who also gushed. "Aw! It's cute!"

"It's very...sparkly!," Kanae offered nicely with a smile. 

"It looks like crap," Makio bluntly added making Suma immediately pout as she rolled her eyes. "Seriously? All the cute sweaters in here and you pick THAT of all things?" Suma's pout only got worse almost like she was about to cry again.

"I like it!" Suma turned to you as you poked at the sparkly blue sleeves of her sweater. "I think it's pretty cute on you as far as ugly sweaters go." You cried to cheer her up with a smile.

Instead Suma only gave a surprised noise, face going a pink. "Y-Y-You think I'm cute?!"

"I-.." You rose a brow but shrugged. "Sure! The sweater certainly looks good on you! It even matches your pretty eyes!"

"MY EYES ARE PRETTY?!"

"Sure they are! You have the prettiest blue eyes I've seen on a girl!" Minus Giyuu's sister. Both Tomioka siblings had shining blue ocean eyes but you wanted to avoid anymore fights between the wives today so fit now you'd flattery her and hopefully stop anymore fights. Just like you did when fights broke out in the daycare. "Could you help me find a sweater too?"

"Y/n, you don't have to indulge her-"

"But I like ugly Christmas sweaters." Makio blinked at your genuine words. "It's all a part of the holiday fun just as much as decorating the Christmas tree or drinking eggnog. Also what's the point of watching all you shop if I don't buy anything?"

Makio and Hinatsuru blinked before looking at each other as Suma squealed in delight and quickly clutched onto your arm still pink faced. "THEY'RE OVER HERE!!" You were already being dragged off with a bouncing giddy Mitsuri behind you both. "There's a purple one that looks good with your hair!!"

In the end both you and Mitsuri also got ugly Christmas sweaters. Hers a guady pink with a cat in a Santa hat, the words 'Santa Paws' splayed on the sleeves. You found an over sized ugly moss green one in the clearance bin that had badly swen on Christmas lights with the text 'this holiday's lit' in the center. Makio groaned seeing the three of you proudly wearing the ugly beauties out of the shop as everyone else looked highly amused, especially Shinobu. 

Luckily your idea to deescalate the situation worked out and nothing else bad happened that day. Just doing what Makio wanted to do. Which was to simply go see a movie she picked out and visit the spa a little bit. Nothing too terrible for you. In fact you were kinda enjoying yourself just laying down in the comfy seat with what was called a mug mask over your face and cucumbers over your eyes. It was nice to just rest and relax for a while. Especially with all the work, cooking, projects, and other stressful things happening in your life. 

That was until Makio's phone rang.

Said woman didn't respond at first lying face down for a massage, but after a moment she groaned. "Hina, answer that."

Said pink eyed woman sighed and stopped the manicurist to reach into Makio's purse, pull out the ringing phone, and pressed the button. "Hello?"

You supposed she must've put it on speaker because everyone could hear what Obanai was saying. "Uh...Hi."

Hinatsuru blinked. "Oh. Hi, Iguro. What's up?"

"Uuhhh-" The man sounded nervous as he paused on the other side. "Everything's fine. Um..Wh-When are you guys coming back?"

"In an hour or so.." her brow suddenly rose in suspicion and concern. "Is everything ok?"

"YEP! PERFECTLY FINE!,'' he quickly squeaked out in a hurry. "Just making y-you girls dinner!"

"Oh that's nice... Who's cooking?"

"Sa-Sanemi?"

Hinatsuru's look suddenly paled. "Oh.. What's he cooking?"

"Chicken-"

He didn't get to finish saying what he was saying because what sounded like a miniature explosion partially muffled by the phone cascaded out causing your entire groups and even the spa workers to stop and stare at the phone in Hinatsuru's hand. You yourself sat up and removed one of the cucumber slices off your right eye to blink at the phone.

"Obi, what was that?"

"Uh...N-NOTHING! EVERYTHING'S UNDER CONTROL!! I'd just like this moment to announce tha- AH!!" Another similar like explosion sound went off in the background.

"OBI?!"

Instead of Obanai's voice you all heard a far away muffled Tengen yell out, "ALL OUR FOOD KEEPS BLOWING U-!!!"

Then his voice was cut out by another mini explosion followed by an ringing as the phone lost single leaving everyone just staring at the phone silently. Until you spoke up concerned.

"What was that?" 

Hinatsuru sighed. "Sanemi cooking."

"Should we like...go check on them?"

"No. This always happens when they let Sanemi cook. They'll be fine. Probably wanted to know when we'll be back so they can clean up in time."

You again blinked as Hinatsuru hung up and turned to Kanae for an answer to your question. "Does..this stuff happen all the time?"

She smiled sweetly. "More times than you know. Why do you think we always buy his ohagi instead of making it ourselves."

"You should've seen how their microwave looked when he tried to make everyone a candlelight dinner."

You...decided not to ask for anymore details and reluctantly laid back down to wait out the rest of your appointment there before you all would be heading back to have dinner and the rest of Makio's birthday party. You didn't really know what to expect on the long bus ride back, on the cold walk back towards Tengen's home, not when Makio opened up the door, and not when you all walked in and smelled the faint scents of smoke coming from the kitchen as you all saw the boys.

And you couldn't help but utter the words that fell from your shocked mouth. "What on earth happened to you guys?!"

The five men stood there looking all sorts disheveled. Hair sticking out in places, tired eyes, bits of food stains all over their ruffled clothes, and what looked like food dried sticking to various parts of their skin. The only one who smiled still was Kyojuro however everyone looked at an extremely angry and embarrassed Sanemi.

"Someone let Sanemi try roasting the chicken!," Obanai shouted angrily at the other white haired man, looking more angry than you've ever seen him before. "We had to throw everything away because it was either burnt or exploded everywhere! It took us all day to reclean everything and now thanks to Mr. Chief we got no dam food!"

"SHUT UP, OBANAI!! AT LEAST I DIDN'T FORGET TO NOT LET THE VEGETABLES OVER BOIL!!," Sanemi shouted back with a snarl. "YOU'RE LUCKY THE STOVETOP DIDN'T BLOW UP THE ENTIRE HOUSE!!"

"SAYS THE ONE WHO DID BLOW UP THE FOOD!!"

"Where's Tengen?" 

And just like that, everyone stopped. Freezing where they stood as your eyes curiously scanned over the room. All the men were there including Gyomei who had to duck to stand in the doorway leading into the kitchen area, but the second tallest man of the group was no where to be found. Was he still in the kitchen? Immediately the fighting stopped. Even Kyojuro's smile strained a little bit as each gave each other uncomfortable looks. The girls giving each other worried looks that confused you more.

"He was tired after all the cleaning," Gyomei eventually broke the silence. "He went upstairs to take a nap. I suggest we leave him be for a while. Why don't we get something to eat in the meantime?" He changed the subject which had you raising a brow again. "What does everyone want to eat?"

"Well...I was really looking forward to chicken."

"Y/n gave me some food this morning. I can share if that'll help."

"Why don't I just cook everyone something?" You offered already taking off your coat. "I can make something real quick for everyone to enjoy."

"Oi! We ain't gonna make you cook anything!"

"You're not making me." Already your hands were going to pin your hair back, making your way towards the kitchen. "Can you show me where you keep the aprons?"

Many eyes blinked as you pushed past the boys but Kyojuro pointed out a cabinet. "Far left cabinet, bottom drawer."

"Thanks!"

You found everything you needed in the pantry and fridge for one giant hotpot. That should be fast enough for everyone within a few hours for late dinner and at least everyone wouldn't be going hungry. 

The chopping of mushrooms, leaks, and potatoes were the only sounds accompanying you and the bubbling of the giant pot of beef broth on the stove behind you, already bubbling away with eggs, beef cuts, and some bacon strips. Soon the vegetables and noodles joined them all adding to the spices and delicious scent wafting through the air. You watched carefully as it slowly cooked over the few hours you spent in the kitchen. You didn't mind cooking for everyone but one thing concerned you. 

Tengen was still missing.

You poked your head out into the living room every so often but still saw no signs of the flashy man. Which was odd. Mei said he was napping..but something about this entire situation seemed rather off to you. He was fine when you left him that morning so you supposed he should still be fine now...but you still couldn't get the image of him out of your head. You SWORE you had walked in on him crying in the kitchen that morning. 

Was he ok? Maybe he had seasonal depression? Or his art block was making him really frustrated? Giyuu mentioned this wasn't the first time he's dealt with it but you were still worried over someone you'd consider a somewhat friend. F/c eyes stared up to the ceiling and listened carefully for any noises of movement, of someone coming down the steps but no such sound came. It was then that a choice was made.

Porcelain plates clinked gently as hands moved about, pulling out food from the steaming pot and onto the tray below. A quick cup of hot chocolate was poured into a cute red mug with snowflakes painted on the sides. The liquid in the cup wobbled as the tray turned and in the cook's arms was carried out of the kitchen back into an overcrowded living room. 

"Ok, Y/n!," Sanemi called from where he sat on the floor. "You done?"

You turned to him and just nodded somberly. "Yes. You all can go in and help yourselves." You held up the tray in your hands. "I'm going to take this to Tengen."

An immediately reaction was Sanemi freezing and everyone else turning their heads to you wide eyed if they hadn't already. However you were already turned and making your way towards the stairs. 

"Uh! H-Hey! You don't have to do that! You don't even know which room's his. Why don't one of us do it?!", Sanemi was quick to call after you. Standing up even and moving quickly towards the stairs.

You stopped on the middle of the stairway to look at him. "That's nice of you but I have something to tell him so it'd be more convenient for everyone if I just took it to him. Where's his bedroom?"

"I-.." Sanemi fumbled a bit which was unlike the brash man who never hesitated before. "It's.. literally the first door you see when you get up there. But I don't think-"

"Thanks, Sanemi!"

Without letting him finish that sentence, you turned and quickly bounded up the rest of the stairs shocking the other man into silence as your form disappeared around the corner where the stairs turned and slowly crept up to the second story of the home.

Dark. 

It was pretty dark being winter where the days got shorter and being so late in the evening now. The quietness stilled everything as F/c orbs blinked before straining in the darkness for any signs of the whereabouts of the tall white haired man. And they found something. The closest door near your form was cracked open slightly allowing golden light to shine between the cracks. Strange. Didn't Gyomei say Tengen was supposed to be napping? Why was he sleeping with the lights on? Maybe he just woke up? Hesitantly you glanced back at the staircase behind you.. before turning back around and starting forward.

Your quiet footfalls approached the door as you heard the quiet sounds of..shuffling? It sounded as though someone was just walking around mindlessly without a direction. What was he doing? You thought about maybe just leaving the food by the door and leaving, but curiosity got the better of you. Plus what if he didn't see the food and accidentally stepped in it? That'd be a mess. So you opted to balancing the tray in one arm before reaching out to knock on the door. The rapid knocking silenced the weird walking noise on the other side to a halt.

"Tengen? It's me," you gently called out after a few seconds without an answer. "I brought you some food."

Again there was silence on the other side again and you were thinking about getting Kyojuro to go in and check on him when a voice finally came out. "Come in."

The voice sounded tired, and blunt but it was in Tengen's voice so you took the chance to push the creaking door open with a foot. Blinking at the sudden change in light, your eyes slowly adjusted on the room and the man inside. The room was bigger than you expected for a bedroom with a massive King sized bed on the fair wall along with two dressers and a wardrobe nearby. Then you remembered that Tengen was married and had three wives, so of course they'd all share one massive bedroom. Other than the big furniture, you noticed more paintings against the walls. A still life of a random building and a mashup of random shapes and squiggly lines. However most of the walls were full of portraits. Not your boyfriend or your friends or boyfriend. 

There was at least ten portraits on the wall Tengen had his back to. All in various sizes and ages but there was no mistaking all the similarities in appearance to the white haired man sat down on the stool. Sure there was differences like ages, hair color, etc but they all had the same colored eyes.

Plum wine red.

Just like the man sat there staring down at the canvas he was facing. After taking a moment to oogle the paintings your eyes shifted back to the man painting only to realize that he hadn't looked up once from when you walked in. No smiles. No flirty comments. Just his blank face staring at the canvas in front of him. You couldn't see was he was doing behind the canvas but with the way his shoulder was moving he must've been painting something.

"I brought you some food." You held up the tray and smiled as those eyes glanced up at you. "It's beef tomoyami and I made you some hot chocolate to go with it. I hope you don't mind me using your kitchen."

He still stared at you before going back to his canvas. "It's fine." Your head looked back up to the paintings behind him. "You can leave it on the-"

"You have such beautiful painting skills." He flinched caught off guard by your stare past him. "They look so life like. Who are they? Are they your family? They look so much like you."

Again the silence between you both dragged on as a lump formed in his throat. Before he swallowed his pride with a strained smile. "Y-Yeah! Thanks for n-noticing. T-They're my ... brothers and sisters..n' parents."

"I didn't know you had siblings." Wow. Right brothers and sisters, and who you assumed were his parents being the older couple. And you thought Sanemi had a lot of siblings. "I bet they're great people!"

"Yeah...They were."

F/c eyes turned to him so fast and wide that he felt his chest tightened up. "Oh... I'm so sorry."

He shrugged. "Don't be. It happened years ago. I'm over it by now." He lowered his head more to hide behind the canvas.

You continued to stare at him. The implications of his words raising a heavy topic that you knew better than to push. But- "I lost my family too."  Pink strokes paused in their strides as eyes continued to hide away from your prying eyes. "...My dad passed away from an accident when I was really little and then my mom got really sick a couple years ago. So..I know how it feels."

No reaction. No words. 

You took that as your cue to leave, but before you did you quickly walked in and sat the tray down upon the bed gently. "Here. Be sure to eat something. Ok?" You turned to leave but paused... turning to give him a look. "Oh...By the way, do you remember when you asked to paint me?"

Comedically two plum red eyes popped up from over the canvas wide eyed. You might've giggled at the reaction.

"...Well I was thinking about it while I was out and I think that I'd like to be painted when I'm not so busy with work and classes." You then smiled once more and turned back to the doorway. "I'll leave you alone now. Sorry for bothering you with myself."

Plum eyes only watched wife eyed as you left, closing the door behind you with a click leaving him alone once more with nothing else but the blank eyes of the portraits. You didn't see Tengen after that until it was time for you to leave half an hour later. By then everyone else was already finished eating and packing up to go home for the night everyone had already left minus you, Gyomei, and Kyojuro. Kyojuro was going to drive yourself and Mei home but Suma grabbing your shoulders had stopped you in your tracks as her eyes were wide in gluttonous delight. Guess who Mitsuri told all about your cooking for everyone? Or more specifically where she had gotten all those desserts she'd already eaten that morning. Yes. Suma had stopped you for the sole purpose of begging you to bake her-

"-some more choco corners!," she squealed out practically drooling as she gave you sparkly eyes. "And maybe those famous pancakes and daifuku and- Wait. So you know how to make peach cobbler?"

"Lay off you glutton!," Makio tried and failed to release you from her hold. "She's gotta go home!"

"But there's no shame in me asking is there!?"

"Not when it's nearly midnight you-"

Makio stopped. Orange eyes blinked slowly before her head turned to look up at you. Suma blinking at the sudden change before she quickly did the same thing slowly looking at you like deer in headlights. You blinked staring back at them for three seconds to realize that..They weren't staring AT you. They were staring BEHIND you. Slowly you looked behind you too, and everything made sense once you saw who they were staring at. 

"Tengen."

Said flashy man was standing in the doorway leading upstairs (Again how did literally NO one hear him?). He was smiling softly, tiredly, maybe with a hint of sadness underneath but he was standing there nonetheless with a giant canvas held in his left hand. For a little bit no one spoke until he did.

"Sorry I'm late. Hope that doesn't spoil the party." Gingerly he stepped into the living room other hand rubbing his neck as he winced. "Also I-...Sorry for disappearing like that. Should've been down here celebrating you when I was moping around over stupid feelings."

It took your funny brain a few more moments he wasn't looking at you either but in front of you. Staring at a woman with orange eyes.

"Oh...Tengen." Makio dropped her hold on Suma to look up at him. "No. No-" She held up her hands to him. "That's not-..Your feelings aren't stupid."

"Well they shouldn't have prevented me from being with you today. I messed up on that, but I promise I'm gonna make it up to you-" He finally turned the canvas around and held it up to her. "-starting with this!" She blinked. Looking at him then at the painting before slowly reaching out for it. "Oh. Ah. Be careful there. It's still a little wet. Had to touch up a few leaves there."

You blinked and maybe it was rude, but with Suma you both leaned over to peek from the side at what he had painted on the canvas and found..A single grassy hill with a single cherry blossom tree sat a top it. A regular sunny blue sky and fluffy white clouds made up the rest of the background. It was beautiful but not exactly what you were expecting for him.

"A-Actually-" He turned away, hand covering half his face. Eyes looking everywhere but her or Suma or Hinatsuru. "I-It's mostly for you b-b-but it's kinda a present for all three of you."

You had no idea what he was on about but Suma did as realization slapped her face. "Hey. I remember that spot! We used to go there all the time after highschool remember?! We had picnics and used to watch the stars all the time and one time we found a kitty stuck in the tree and-..And.."

"That.." Makio's hands shook as she stared at the painting. Eyes shiny with water looking up as a bottom lip trembled. "W-Was the place when-..The first time you ever told me that.." Her sentences were getting broken off as she choked on her words. 

"I love you." Plum eyes turned back on her. "Even if I don't say it as much as I'd like too-"

Tengen did not get to finish that sentence. You let out a yelp of surprise as the canvas was shoved into your arms and a few blues flew past everyone. One moment Tengen was standing there, the next moment three blues were suddenly jumping him causing him to yell out, waving his arms out a bit before loosing his battle against three emotional women and falling backwards onto the floor with a loud 'OOF!'

"H-HEY!!" He struggled to sit up with Makio koala hugging his middle and his other two wives clinging onto his sides. Suma loudly crying into his shoulder. "THIS ISN'T THE TIME TO- N-NOT IN FRONT OF EVERYONE ELSE-"

Anything else he might've said was quickly swallowed up by the three pelting his face with him comedically reaching out to get away. Kyojuro laughed loudly behind you at all the antics watching in amusement as Tengen failed to get away from the women.

"Well it seems that his cabin fever has ended for now!"

And you were happy to agree with him.

[thecoffeelorian]

Fandom Friday, 04/11: Fanart!

Hello and good morning to you all, and welcome once again to another Fandom Friday. As always, this is your host Coffeelorian or if you prefer, just plain Coffee, back with another round of artwork from around the vast fandom that is Star Wars.

Before we get moving, however, let me first pass on a few quick announcements—first, with Star Wars Celebration happening in Tokyo next week and myself with not much money, good scheduling, or a strong grasp of the Japanese language…I’m afraid that I’ll have to remain here in the states instead, but fear not! Next week, I plan to offer up the next chapter to three of my current Star Wars-related fanfics, so! If you’ve ever read ‘Anomaly’ (with Jod Na Nawood); “The Surprise Guest Series” (with Crosshair), or “Kiss Me, Captain” (with Captain Howzer), hopefully this coming Friday will be the day that I start adding updates for all three.

Second, if you’ve seen any of my Commander Fox memes, next weekend is also the same time period where I plan to release a masterlist of the ones I’ve done so far, so try and stay tuned for that post if it interests you in any way.

And third, I’ll probably have a few hand-drawn WIPs to share next Wednesday if things continue to go well for me…so, hopefully, fingers crossed that I can at least have the outlines inked by the end of this weekend. If so, you'll get to see the Gothified version of my original Trooper character, Commander Miles, as well as the Inquisitor version of Arc Trooper Fives...but if not, I'll just toss them into the mix the week after that and work my way up from there.

Anyways. Before I ramble too much or get lost on a tangent...here are my picks of the week!

THE PREQUELS

The Prequels Fanart--By @herd-o-bison:

THE CLONE WARS

The Clone Wars Fanart--By @crafftypenguin:

The Clone Wars Fanart--By @baaaaaaaam:

REPUBLIC COMMANDO

Republic Commando Fanart--By @mamuzzy-creates-stuff:

THE BAD BATCH

The Bad Batch Fanart--By @kaijusplotch:

The Bad Batch Fanart--By @jumpyl123:

ANDOR

Andor Fanart--By @meduzza13:

STAR WARS REBELS

Star Wars Rebels Fanart--By @mandomaya:

THE MANDALORIAN

The Mandalorian Fanart--By @hyacinthi-mortem:

The Mandalorian Fanart--By @endeavorssimp:

In conclusion, as part of my mission to poke around the Star Wars fandom and highlight those artists who might otherwise go unnoticed…I hope you will check out the links I have included for yourselves and like, comment on, and reblog them, as well as also giving the artists a few more followers to their Tumblr pages.

Please also like and reblog this latest installment so that these links can be spread around to as many other fans as possible, just in case not all of them can tune in at the same time.

An additional thank you goes to @djarrex for making the divider I used earlier in this post, but still want to give credit for.

If anybody likes what they see here AND would enjoy seeing more posts like this; please drop the rock star emoji (���‍🎤) into the comments or reblogs, and I’ll be sure to tag you when the next update comes.

And finally, so that I do not forget…thank you, stay safe, and I’ll see you in the next post!

No Pressure Tags: @melymigo @algo-o-nada @the-osborn-way @everybirdfellsilent @skellymom

@leos-multifandom-corner @maggie-dylan @leenathegreengirl @gun-roswell @tazmbc1

@bluedeedeedoop @its-time-to-rise-above @tlmtwelve @apocalyp-tech-a 

@aknightreaderr and anybody else who might be on the lookout for new SW fanart.

[kalied0skull]

next movie line-up for the upcoming week since I've been throwing myself around and missed one last line up

uno — Cure (1997)

this was on my list for last "week" and i borderline forgot about it, so HOPEFULLY... i can get to it this round (cross fingers) — i still know about this movie other than ... horror spooky

dos — The Hitcher (1986)

i got back into this itch of wanting to watch all of the outsiders actor filmographies, so here i am looking at c thomas howell with my big ol eyes like "YOUUUUU...." (pointing with a crooked finger)

tres — Fight Club (1999)

reccomended to me by @ mr-freakyboy-curtis and it's been someeewhat... on my list — another movie i dunno shit about but hear about constantly, so it's sticking

cuatro — Mysterious Skin (2004)

alright, shun me for being interested in a movie just because of an edit and also because it's gay. okay. look.

I'VE HEARD THE MOVIE IS WEIRD AS FUCK??? apparently it's about aliens, that's all I've established. but alas :3

cinco — Cowboys (2020)

one of those queer movies I've never been able to grab onto but it was on my Neverending Watchlist that i have on my notes app so i thought I'd throw it into my circle just because it sounds really neat

also how could i resist a story called cowboys c'mon that's so cool :(

seis — Basket Case (1982)

i dunno SHIT about this movie other than that it was on a horror movie list i was looking at and immediately striked me as interesting by title alone

i think this should be a sign i should actually read descriptions before getting into movies (and i still don't, and won't — I'm a sucker for blindwatching movies)

siete — Crossroads (1986)

part two of me staring at TO actors filmographies and wanting in on that, I've watched so many ralph movies already just because and this one was weirdly enough NOT one of the movies i watched — nor is my cousin vinny, but if i watch this one and enjoy it I'll probably skip my way over to that movie too

ocho — In And Out (1997)

part 3 of me going through actor filmographies, LISTEN MAN. i like the guys :(

anyways all i saw about this movie was that it's about gay people and i signed up immediately, don't even care if matts not the gay guy, i just want to watch queer cinema (and from the 90s?! wowahhh!!!)

[adoreispunk]

Out Of Reach (joel miller au)

an: my longest chapter yet:)) it’s about to get real good yallll;)) i’m moving so hopefully i’ll be able to update fast:P

wc: 3.5k

tags: joelmillerau, age gap, dbf!joel, joelmillerfanfic, pedropascal, mature

six

The next two weeks are just restless nights and distractions during class. It's like the feeling when you know you have a concert in a couple weeks and there's just one thing on your mind.

I wake up in my old bedroom, sunlight already creeping through the blinds. Memories of a younger me all around me.

It's the first day of my internship.

With Joel.

Before I even move, I'm already overthinking everything. How I'll act, what he'll say, if I'll be able to play it cool. There's a strange pressure sitting on my chest, like today matters more than it probably should. For way different reasons than I was expecting for my first day on internship.

I throw the blanket off and finally sit up. I woke up way earlier than I needed to to get ready.

My last night on campus, Marissa and I stayed up past 3 am, holding up every semi-professional piece of clothing we owned. We scrolled, screenshot "hot girl business casual," and critiqued each other like we were dressing for the Met Gala instead of a contracting company.

"Okay," Marissa said, squinting at me "That blouse is cute, but not hot office slut cute. You're going for confident, composed,might-steal-your-man-without-trying. Think... office siren."

"Office siren." I repeated, deadpan.

She nodded like she was reading from scripture. "A little undone. Buttoned up—but not all the way. Hair not too neat. And no boring flats. You are not an intern who fades into the break room wallpaper."

So here I am, standing in front of my mirror, channeling my inner siren or whatever.

After I shower, I settled on high-waisted black trousers, fitted enough to feel sexy without getting me fired. A cream-colored satin blouse that falls off one shoulder just slightly if I move the right way. I leave the top two buttons open—Marissa's voice echoing in my head "Let the collarbone breathe, bitch."

I pin back one side of my hair and put on just enough makeup. Natural and light with darker corners and a blush nude gloss. It takes me a while to pick out shoes but I decide on some shorter kitten heels. Modest but sexy.

When I glance at my reflection, I feel a hum under my skin. Equal parts nerves and anticipation. Like I'm stepping into something I've thought about for way too long, finally crossing that line I've only ever danced around in my head.

The day before I got a text from Joel giving me the address and time to be there. I should've been expecting his text but it still caught me off guard. I finally save him as a contact on my phone, making it more official. I thought about names or something creative to put him under but instead of driving myself crazy again, I just put "Joel".

The drive to the company is short—just outside town, past a string of hardware stores and lunch spots I've never paid much attention to. My dad decided to carpool with a coworker for the next two weeks while I work with Joel. I thought that was nice so I could have time alone to compose myself before and after my shift. God knows i'll need to.

I pull into the lot a few minutes early, my palms a little sweaty on the steering wheel. I lower my music just a bit, something more upbeat to attempt to hype myself up.

I sit there for a second, waiting for a moment of courage to get out of the car. I'm such a pussy

At that moment I get a text, as if someone somewhere knew I needed it. Of course that person was Marissa.

marrisa<3: Is that collarbone out?

I laugh at the message and send her a fake flirty picture biting my finger.

me: "yes ma'am"

it doesn't take her long to respond.

marissa<3: that's what i like to see. you better check in!

me: i'm working remember?

marissa<3: Ohhh now you're just "working"? That's what we're calling it?

me: talk later, I gotta go inside TO WORK.

Our interaction finally gives me the courage to step out of my dads car. I grab my bag and step out into the cool morning air. My heels click softly as I walk toward the building, and with each step I take, I feel my heartrate pickup. I take deep breaths and try to ground myself. I feel like a crazy person.

The office is quiet when I step inside—no front desk, no receptionist, just the faint buzz of fluorescent lights and the distant clatter of tools from the back warehouse. The space smells like concrete dust and fresh lumber, sharp and industrial. Masculine.

A couple of guys in dusty work boots pass through the hallway ahead of me, deep in conversation, until one of them glances my way. Then the other does too.

Their eyes skim over me—heels, fitted slacks, blouse tucked in. Nothing inappropriate. Still, I feel suddenly too polished.

One of them nods, polite but curious. The other just smirks a little to himself as they pass, like I'm the new girl in school and everyone already knows.

My stomach knots. I clutch my bag a little tighter and glance around, trying to get my bearings. No signs, no labels on the doors. Just heavy boots thudding and the low murmur of men's voices echoing off the walls.

I fish out my phone and scroll to Joel's number, thumb hovering over the call button.

"Lost already?"

I turn so fast I almost drop my phone.

Joel's coming around the corner, wiping his hands on a rag like he just stepped off a site—faded navy tee stretched over his shoulders, jeans streaked with dried mud, and a clipboard tucked under his arm. His hair's a little damp near the back of his neck, like he just ran water through it. He looks too good. I suddenly forget everything Marissa told me to do when I first saw him again.

I swallow. "A little."

He stops in front of me, close enough that I catch the scent of cedar and musk. "You're early," he says, voice low and even.

I shift on my heels, fighting the urge to smooth my blouse even though I spent most of the morning making sure this outfit was just right.

"Yeah, sorry. I wasn't sure how long traffic would take."

He nods, giving me a once-over. Not leering—just taking me in, in that unreadable way he did last time.

"Ready to go?" he asks straightforward.

"Yeah," I say, trying to sound just as steady.

"Alright. This way."

He turns, and I follow, trying not to stare at the way his shoulders move under his shirt or how the fabric of his jeans clings just right.

Except when he glances over his shoulder to check if I'm still there and catches me looking. I look down and he lets out a breath and turns back around.

Fuck.

Joel pushes open a heavy door near the end of the hallway and steps aside so I can walk in first.

"This is me," he says simply.

I step inside and try not to look too surprised.

His office is... chaos.

Stacks of manila folders tower dangerously on one corner of the desk, and a scatter of papers covers nearly every flat surface—some yellowed with notes, others fresh from a printer, still curling at the edges. There's a half-finished coffee sitting on top of a closed binder, and a battered old hard hat tossed carelessly onto the windowsill. A whiteboard in the corner is scribbled with numbers, reminders, and what looks like a rough sketch of a floor plan.

It smells like coffee, paper, and sawdust. Real. Lived-in. Totally him.

I turn to and see an empty desk with a newer chair than his with some office supplies, a key, and a macbook box. I try to ignore it until he makes it known himself. I don't want to jump to conclusions that it's my desk.

"Wow," I murmur towards his desk before I can help myself, then I catch his look. "I just meant, busy."

He lets out a quiet grunt, dropping his clipboard onto the desk and tossing the rag into a bin in the corner. "Yeah, well. My bookkeeper's on vacation, so I've been tryin' to hold it down."

I raise an eyebrow. "You're keeping up with all the numbers too?"

Joel shrugs like it's no big deal, but the tired set of his shoulders says otherwise. "Tryin' to for now. Not exactly my strong suit, but I'll manage. I get the important stuff handled, rest can wait."

I glance at the desk again, then back at him. "You sure you're not just burying the rest under those folders?"

That gets the faintest smirk out of him—barely there, but it flickers across his face like a spark. "You here to learn or roast me, kid?"

"Both," I say, surprising even myself with how easily it comes out. His smirk lingers a second longer, then fades as he moves behind his desk.

"So, uh if you haven't noticed yet, that's your desk," Joel says finally, nodding toward the setup. "Got you a new chair and stocked some basics—paper, pens... and a laptop. I wasn't sure if you had one already, but figured I'd just cover it instead of riskin' it."

My stomach twists a little when It finally settles that he got it for me. "Mr. Miller, you didn't have to do that. I mean, I have one. It's just old and kinda slow with all my editing and files on it. But I manage. "

"You need it . You're gonna need something that can handle the kind of stuff you'll be workin' on anyway." He says in a calming tone.

I brush my fingers over the box, still hesitant. I don't know how to accept gifts. "This is too expensive."

"Yeah, I wouldn't know. I don't know a damn thing about that shit." he says, scratching the back of his neck. "Asked the guy at Best Buy for the best one. Think he upsold the hell outta me."

That makes me smile. "He definitely did. I can give it back to you as soon as I'm done here. "

Joel shrugs. "Long as it works, I don't care. Just do good work with it. You can use it afterwards for your photos, your dad showed me some too, You'll make use of it."

"Thank you, this will definitely be put to good use " I genuinely don't know what to say. I don't know if I should shake his hand or hug him.

He shifts, glancing at the laptop like it might save him from having to respond. "Yeah. Don't mention it."

"Anyways, Let me go over what we're doin today" He says cutting the awkward silence.

"I've got a job site I need to stop by in about an hour. Not far from here. Figured it'd be good for you to see it firsthand what these guys are actually doin' day-to-day. Especially since we've been moving into more commercial work lately."

"Yeah, definitely," I say, straightening up a little. "I'd love to see that."

He nods once. "It's not glamorous. No AC, lots of sawdust, bunch of guys swearin'. But it's the kind of stuff you need to understand. See what they do, what problems come up, how we actually get from blueprint to finished job."

"That makes sense," I say. "I don't mind getting a little dust on me."

That earns me a small glance, but it's more of a check than anything else as if he's assessing whether I'll flinch at a muddy boot or a loud power tool.

"Did you bring other shoes?" Joel asks, glancing down at my feet, one brow lifted.

I follow his gaze and immediately cringe at the sight of my kitten heels. The ones I thought looked perfectly polished this morning.

"Shit," I mutter without thinking, then instantly look up at him, wide-eyed like a little kid cursing in front of their teacher. "Sorry Mr. Miller, I wasn't thinking about job sites when I got dressed."

He shakes his head, not unkindly. "It's fine. I get it. You made the effort to look the part. Just something to keep in mind for the next few days, yeah?"

I nod quickly, heat blooming in my cheeks.

"One more thing," he adds, almost offhand. "You can drop the 'Mr. Miller.' Just Joel is fine."

I look at him nodding again, "Okay, Joel."

His throat bobs like he's swallowing something back, some emotion I can't quite read. It makes my palms sweat, and I quickly look down, picking at the corner of a notepad on the desk just to keep my hands busy.

"I'll come get you in an hour," he says. "Feel free to set up and get comfortable. If you need anything, just shoot me a text."

"Okay. Thanks again.. for everything." I offer a small smile. "Really."

He gives a short nod before stepping out, the door closing behind him.

Once he's gone, I release a breath I didn't know I was holding and slide into the new desk chair. I took a picture of the Macbook still in its packaging to send to Marissa later. Then I pull it out of its box and begin setting it up to my information. Trying to keep my mind on that task. Something actually productive.

——

We leave the office a few minutes later, Joel leading the way toward the parking lot. The sun is blinding out here, cutting through the chilly spring air, and for a second, I'm hit with the mix of nerves and excitement again.

Joel doesn't seem to notice. He's already pulling open the door to his work truck, as he gestures for me to hop in. I get in and he even offers me a hand.

It's because you're an idiot in literal heels. He's just being nice. Don't overthink it. But of course, I do.

Before I can even process my emotions, we're pulling out of the lot and onto the road. The truck rattles under the weight of the drive, the tires crunching over gravel and cracks in the pavement. This truck was a little more dirty and worked in than his personal one.

I try not to notice the way his hands grip the wheel, how solid and steady they are. Stop looking at his hands, Olivia. Just look out the window or something.

The drive is short but bumpy, and by the time we pull up to the site, I'm already taking in the sight of a building half-constructed in front of us. It's nothing fancy—just a commercial building, probably a warehouse or office space but it's massive. Beams frame the skeleton of it, a structure far more complicated than anything I've ever seen up close.

Joel parks near the entrance, throws the truck in park, and steps out without a second thought. I grab my bag as he's already on my side again opening the door. My heels crunching over the gravel as I try to catch up to his faster pace. Trying not to bust my shit in front of Joel Miller right now.

The site is bustling with activity. I watch as men in hard hats shout to each other, hauling materials, and measuring the building. There's a layer of dust in the air, the ground uneven and cracked underfoot. The noise is overwhelming the clang of metal, the hum of power tools, the whirr of saws cutting through wood.

Joel heads toward a small group of workers gathered by a pile of materials. As we approach, they fall silent, their gazes flicking from him to me, then back again. I don't know if it's because I'm the only woman around or if it's because I'm the new face, but I feel the weight of their eyes, even though they don't say anything.

"Hey, fellas." Joel says in his usual low voice. "This is Olivia. She's here for a couple weeks to help us out. Get us more guys and grow our name. Don't get too crazy."

I nod at the group awkwardly. Trying to ignore the butterflies of him actually saying my name.

"Hi, nice to meet y'all." I say, my voice barely rising above the noise.

One of the workers, a tall guy with a scruffy beard, grins and nods back. "We'll try to keep it tame, miss."

Joel gives him a dry and serious look as we walk away and then turns to me. "You good so far?"

"Yeah, this is... a lot." I look around, trying not to let the discomfort show.

"Ignore those idiots, too many wood planks to the head." Joel's voice is even, but I catch the edge of humor. He's trying to make me comfortable again like I didn't even have to say what I meant.

"You're gonna get a feel for it. We're busy as hell right now, but we're still behind on a few things." He says getting us back on track.

He gestures toward a set of blueprints lying on a nearby table, papers fluttering in the wind. "This is where you'll get to know the project specifics. But we're still playin' catch-up with some of the numbers. Carol usually handles all that, but since she's out, I've got a backlog."

I take the blueprints in hand, glancing over the plans and markings. The numbers make sense, but they also make my head spin. There's so much detail, so much at stake. It's far more complex than I realized.

"Where do you come in?" I ask, looking up at him. "How do you manage all of this?"

He shrugs, a little tight, but not dismissive. "I coordinate with the crews, the suppliers, make sure everyone's on the same page. Keep the clients updated. Step in to do some of the dirty work a lot lately. It's a balancing act."

I nod, but it's clear there's more to it than that.

"Not the best setup, but it works," Joel answers, his eyes briefly flicking over the site.

I pause, looking at the scope of the building again. The scale of it is dizzying.

"What about the commercial work?" I ask. "You've got a lot of bigger projects now, right?"

Joel glances over, his jaw tightening just slightly. "Yeah. It's new for us. We've done small stuff for years, but now the bigger clients are comin' through. A lot more responsibility, a lot more logistics to juggle."

He pauses, the sound of metal clanging in the background briefly filling the silence between us.

"I need people. Good, reliable people who want to work for a company like this, not just any job." His voice carries over the noise, his eyes scanning the site as we walk again. "We've got the project, now we need the talent to get it finished. And we're not just looking for contractors. We need skilled workers. Plumbers, electricians, carpenters. We're getting more commercial work, and we need the right people who can handle that."

That hits me differently. This isn't just about getting a few hands for basic labor. This is about finding the best, the right team to push his business to the next level.

I take a note on my phone. "Got it. I can start looking for ads and posts targeting specific skill sets. I'll start a recruitment campaign, but I might need to dig deeper into the local trade schools, maybe even local unions." I think for a second. "I could also put out some feelers on LinkedIn to connect with potential hires."

Joel nods like he's genuinely impressed. "We'll need a strong presence online. People talk. The right reputation will keep this company competitive, so focus on getting the right people, but also making sure we've got the name out there."

He looks over at the men working nearby, then back to me. "You'll see what I mean soon enough. Right now, we're focusing on quality, not just speed, so getting the right team is key."

I look around again, trying to absorb all the details. Joel's not just a boss—he's a guy who takes pride in his work, who wants to grow the business. It's more than just the paycheck for him. He's building something.

The next hour is spent walking around, Joel talking about the different aspects of the job. I watch the workers and make mental notes of what they do, trying to see the big picture of how it all connects. Joel explains the technical side of things, but it's clear he values the physical work being done as much as the people doing it.

I'm finally starting to understand the full scope of what's expected of me.

As we head back to the truck, I feel a sense of purpose that I didn't quite have before. There's more to this job than I thought, but I'm up for the challenge. Hopefully impressing Joel on the way too.

[yaekiss]

Congratulations on the 400! If I'm not too late, may I send a #mailroom open letter to a yan!Albedo? Any gender neutral or feminine nickname would work and, if it so pleases you, a nsfw reply would be lovely.

__________________________

To my lovely Albedo,

How are you, love? Are you taking care of yourself while I'm away? As I sit here, working away in Inazuma City while I enjoy a sweet dessert, I cannot help but think of you... and your tendency to get swallowed up by your research when I'm not there to reel you back.

I was hoping that my business here would be done far faster than this. I suppose it isn't all bad, though. I can't say that I've ever been a social person, but people have been nothing but kind to me thus far. I may have even made a friend. But still, my heart belongs to you- and as such, no matter how I may enjoy my time, I can only eagerly await the moment I am able to return home.

I miss you dearly, my prince. I'll make sure to work even harder so that our time apart may be shortened by even a little bit. I can't to have you in my arms again, to feel the warmth of your embrace and know that everything is right with the world.

We both know that I could go on with the sweet words for pages and pages, so it's probably best that I stop here. Stay safe and take care of yourself, alright? I love you so, so much.

May my affections cross what feels like an eternity apart,

Your Wistful Lover

(Alongside the letter are various, shockingly well-preserved Inazuman sweets including Sakura Mochi and Dango milk, as well as a small pouch containing a handful of carefully-chosen Sakura Blooms. Lastly is an intricately designed silken blindfold, with its own little note attached that reads, "I had this custom made for you. I wanted to make one myself, but I couldn't find the time. Hopefully you like it anyway!")

꩜ Letter Content: Dom! GN! Reader x Yan! Sub! Albedo, no gendered terms for reader, Albedo calls you "my constant", mentions of blindfolds and a vibrator used on Albedo, unhealthy and obsessive relationship from Albedo, lmk if I missed anything ! ꩜ Delivery Notes: Albedo sure is a busy man to track down... I had to look for him all over Mondstadt since he was gathering quite a collection of alchemy ingredients. It was quite the staggering assortment too... I never understand what he's planning. ꩜ Wanna write a love letter yourself? Check out it out here!

Placed at your hotel doorstep is an innocuous package. It's decently sized, the box a lovely shade of pale indigo and shifting it slightly under the light shows an underlying iridescence hidden in the pigment.

Undoing the sturdy rope securing the lid down, you gain access to the contents within the box. You first retrieve a wondrous blooming bouquet of cecilias, wrapped in a sheer gauzy yellow fabric and tied with a teal satin ribbon. The petals are soft under your caress and for a moment, you reminisce about the first cecilia Albedo gifted to you after showcasing his alchemy.

Next, you fish out a cloth drawstring pouch. Peering into it, there's an assortment of all your favourite Mondstadt candies, enough to last you weeks. A little tag is attached to one of the strings, it reads: “In case you miss your usual sweet treats and need a boost of energy. ♡”

Unwrapping one, you pop it into your mouth before you pull out an envelope. The paper is smooth under your fingers and an impressive sketch of Dragonspine decorates the front. Flipping the envelope over, there's a wax seal, a cursive letter “A”, with flecks of gold dotted in it.

Carefully, you open it and obtain the parchment inside. His handwriting is a sight you've missed, from days spent watching him jot down his hypothesis and findings in his laboratory. Albedo's response to you reads:

“Replying to: My beloved constant.

Thank you for writing to me, my constant, I was growing somewhat nervous with your prolonged silence and I feared something unsavoury might have happened to you. As such, I am writing back to you to assure you that I've been doing alright as well. Though, I'm sure I would do a lot better with you by my side.

Next, I must thank you for the gifts you sent me. I shared the sweets with Klee and she has been pleading nonstop with me for more. Also, the sakura blooms were of high quality and proved immensely useful in my research. If you're willing, I can share my findings with you when you return, my constant.

Now, I can't help but ask what went through your mind, gifting me such a sly gift as a blindfold. What scene did you picture in your head? Was I blindfolded and tied up on your bed while begging for you to please touch me? Or perhaps I'm laid on my laboratory table, my sight obscured with the silk, pliant and willing as you drag a vibrator across my skin in an attempt to find my erogenous zones? Did you fantasise about muffling my moans with a kiss as you toyed with me? You should reenact it with me as soon as you get back, my constant, I feel as if I'm about to burst with how much I long for your embrace.

Ahem, getting back on track, I too have been working hard. (Fret not, I have not been overworking myself. I do not wish to worry you after all.) And I've made discoveries of my own and uncovered intriguing new possibilities whilst ruminating alone in my laboratory. I heard of the Inazuman archon's dedication to eternity.

Eternity... goes against natural orders, but lately, I have been finding myself relating to her obsession with such a concept. You might think it strange, my constant. However, I can understand how fearing the loss of someone close to you can affect your decisions, despite the morality of said actions.

You are golden in my eyes, unforgettable, and the time I spend with you feels like I'm the closest to unravelling the truth and meaning of this world. Is it my greed talking when I say that I want more time to uncover all of you, to understand the very fibre of your being, to see what has irreversibly drawn me to you and what makes you stay by my side? Maybe it is, but that is a question best saved for another day, my constant.

I shall end my letter here. I sincerely hope that the rest of your stay in Inazuma goes smoothly and safely, and that your return will be swift. I cannot wait to have you by my side once more, my constant. I love you so, so much as well.

Ever and eternally yours,

- Albedo -”

You fold the parchment and place it back into the envelope. One last item rests in the box. It's a handpainted painting of you, framed in an intricate wooden frame. Albedo captures your smile in the sunlight, the background featuring one of the picnics the both of you went on recently before you left for Inazuma.

However, you notice that one of the corners is a little wrinkled. Removing the backing of the frame to fix it, you discover another layer of canvas material behind that first painting. Gingerly, you peel it back to reveal a haunting portrait of the both of you. 

In dim lighting, you're seated on his laboratory table whilst he's knelt at your feet, his head resting on your lap. You almost don't recognise yourself. You're familiar with his art style but in this, you're ethereal to an eldritch degree... almost devoid of humanity. It's unnerving, to say the least. 

Perhaps Albedo's research has veered into more forbidden territories, challenging the principals of nature, all in the name of love. You muster one more look at the portrait.

A matching star rests delicately on your neck. In the bottom corner, he titles it “New birth.”

Thanks for reading! Consider supporting me on kofi if you enjoyed this or check out my other works hehe ♡

[palelaboratory]

Death Island Jill Valentine Headcanons | Parent's colleague version

۶ৎ I am incredibly obsessed with Death Island Jill, as clearly mentioned in my pinned post. So, I'll probably be posting a thousand more posts about this version of her.

۶ৎ Disclaimer — Major, mommy issues here, I want to make this series (hopefully the next post of DI Jill) a little dark.

۶ৎ Any form of interaction is highly appreciated, thank you mwah.

ꪆৎ She never stops you when you show up unannounced at her apartment, just gives you that same look. “Does your mother know?” Her way of pretending like she hasn’t come to expect your knock every other week. Checking the hallways after letting you in, just in case someone followed you. She questions your presence like she’s got better things to do, but never asks you to leave. Jill’s usually always working, things spread across her table, a little mess and a little life, reports she never really explains, although she lets you look through them sometimes. "Wanna help?". She asks, monotoned. You always wanted to; an aching desire to impress her, to lift something off her shoulders. You’ve caught her staring when she thinks you’re not looking. She never says it, but your presence steadies her, she realizes now and then, like an obvious reminder that there'll always be something waiting for her beyond the work.

ꪆৎ She pretends to be doing your parents a favor, stopping your legs whenever they're shaking under the restaurant table, eyes focused on whoever is talking, fingers slightly digging into your thigh as a warning before softly squeezing it as a reward for stopping. She never looks at you when she does it. It’s her way of keeping you still, a quiet way of authority. Also, perhaps, a subtle way of letting your parents know she’s watching over you, slowly, unmistakably, claiming a kind of ownership of their daughter, without making a thing of it.

ꪆৎ “You need to stop showing up like this. I’m tired of your parents calling me,” she mutters as she opens the hotel door, her gaze lingers as you step inside, shopping bags in hand, already talking. You went on and on, pulling pieces from your haul with gratitude and excitement, watching her expression for cracks.

ꪆৎ She tries not to stare when you bend to adjust the bow on your new heels, but her eyes catch on to the soft glimpse of fabric riding higher than it should. You notice, but say nothing, just smile and twirl, your dress catching air, heels tapping softly along the hotel carpet as you strut your hips on the private runway.

ꪆৎ “Lovely,” is all she says, too flat to be convincing.

ꪆৎ You raise a brow then walk towards her with slow purpose. Hands on her shoulders, leaning in, close enough to test her restraint. “You sure?” you ask, voice light but knowing.

ꪆৎ “I’ve got a dinner in a few hours.” she reminds with a sigh, brushing you off with gentle finality. You step back, accepting defeat, while she curses the company dinner under her breath.

ꪆৎ You always listened to whatever she had to say. Most of the time, you had to ask first. Before every meeting, you made sure to do your own research, always wanting to impress her. Even when the topic didn’t interest you, you asked anyway, just to hear her talk. The way she paused to think, the way she shifted in her seat to face you, the way she answered your questions clearly without dumbing anything down. She never talked to you like you were a kid, she respected you as the young adult you were. And you respected her too. That’s what you told yourself as you sat there, forcing yourself not to blatantly stare, not to eye-fuck her across the table.

ꪆৎ Once, the two of you joined a short tour group for fun, only to get left behind when you stopped to fuss over a stray kitten. “You know we paid thirty dollars for this,” she scolded, arms crossed as the kitten meowed non-stop as you gently stroked its fur. Only took a few minutes to convince her as the two of you slipped away to hunt down the nearest convenience store. You grabbed a small treat bag, something manageable. She came back around the corner with a much larger one.

ꪆৎ "Jill, I don’t think it can eat that much-”

ꪆৎ “Hurry up. It’s waiting for us,” she said, already walking ahead.

[scripts4dreamers]

Leave a light on pt. 5

AN: A day late and a dollar short. I've been trying to get one of these out a week, but work got in the way. Hopefully I'll be back on schedule soon!

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight

Things were…off and they had been for a while. Amala could feel the tension like a thick cloud, smothering everything with a blanket of anticipation and yearning and fear. There was no other way to describe it. It had been three days since she and Solas had spent their afternoon together on the island, swapping between lounging in the sun, swimming lazily through the crystal clear water and pushing one another’s self-control until it snapped. She would run her fingers over his shoulders just to see his muscles tense, in response he would lean over her to grab a sketch book, trapping her briefly beneath his bare chest. She would drag him behind the waterfall so they had to huddle together in the cramped space, so he would wrap his arms around her stomach and pull her flush against his body. There was an unspoken agreement that, whatever else happened, whatever came next, that day was for them. They crossed lines because it felt easier than keeping them straight. They talked about anything, so long as it wasn’t serious. They wasted time because they knew they had more of it coming. It had been wonderful and awful all at once. A pleasure she couldn’t stop herself from chasing and the ultimate pain.

When they had walked back to the lighthouse, both wrecked and strung out from the tension of it all, it was obvious that they couldn’t continue. The real world was creeping back in like storm clouds on the horizon. As they made their way back to their respective rooms in silence, hands still joined as they climbed the stairs, something in Solas snapped. Instead of letting her go and walking away, he had backed her up against a wall, one hand on her waist and the other beside her head as he pressed his forehead to hers. He had looked into her eyes, tormented and broken, trying to find words that wouldn’t come, trying to fix something he couldn’t even articulate.

Her body had reacted before her mind could catch up. She had slid her hand up his chest and behind his neck, dragging him down and capturing his lips with her own. She had kissed him as though she would never kiss him again. She had kissed him as though she despised him, as though she couldn’t live without him. She kissed him like she wanted to burn the taste of her into his mouth and make his every breath a memory of it. She had all the time in the world, so she went slow. She was languid and teasing, pulling him closer and closer, letting him go only to pull him in again. She had poured ten years of aching, bruising loneliness into her lips and molded them against his like they were designed to do nothing else.

If he was shocked, Solas had never shown it. The instant her lips had met his he responded in kind. He pulled her body flush against his, emphasising every single delicious point of contact. He massaged his fingers into the flesh of her waist, moaning when she nudged his lips apart and pulled them even closer. He had let her take the lead for a time, their tongues dancing around one another with agonizing restraint. Amala had sighed, caught between palpable relief and dizzying pleasure, and knowing that the only cure for the ache in her core was to give in to the magnetic pull of Solas’ body. There was something deliciously masochistic about being so unhurried, about stretching out every second of contact like she hadn’t been aching for him for nearly a third of her life. Punishment and reward all tangled up together like his fingers used to tangle in her hair.

Whatever she was feeling, Solas had been feeling tenfold. He had broken the kiss, cutting off her whimper of protest when he immediately moved his lips across the sensitive skin of her jaw and down her neck, taking her skin between his teeth until she hissed at the sharp pain, and immediately soothing it with his tongue. All the while he was whispering to her in Elvhen, in words so old she couldn’t have understood them without the magic of the lighthouse, but that she knew would be burned into her mind forever.

“I carved this body from the blood of titans for you. I did not know it but it has always been for you. I have always been for you. You. You, you, you,” he had said, lips pressed against her pulsepoint, “only you. No one but you.”

And then he had kissed her until she saw stars.

His breath had been hot against her ear an immeasurable amount of time later when he’d admitted, “I will be whatever you want me to be. Whatever you need, I will become.”

He had slid his hands up under her blouse, sending shocks over pleasure through her as she’d arched herself further into his touch.

“I am wrong, and twisted and terrible, but I will be good for you,” he had promised so softly she almost missed it, “I will never betray you again. I love you, I love you, I love you.”

They had had just enough sense left not to take it any further. When they broke apart it was almost brutal. They forced themselves away from one another, and fled back to their separate chambers, rumpled and shell shocked, breathing heavily, eyes still dark with lust and skin burning with unfulfilled promises. It was safe to say neither had slept particularly well.

The next day Amala had stayed in her room. She was a wreck of desire and guilt and confusion. Memories swirled around her, all screaming for her attention. She replayed every word and touch they had ever shared until she was so pent up and frustrated that all she could do was escape into sleep. Caretaker had brought her food. Solas did not come and check on her.

The day after that she had forced herself to leave the room, and the day had been almost painfully normal. Solas had already left through the Eluvian. She ate her breakfast alone, explored the islands, wrote in her journal and read the first book she could find that seemed interesting. When she heard Solas’ feet on the stone floors her heart leapt into her throat and she was hit with a desire to throw herself into his arms that was so strong it had frightened her back into her room. If he was worried, he didn’t show it.

That day, the third day, she waited what she thought was a respectable amount of time before descending to the library for breakfast, hoping Solas would have already left for the day. He had not. Instead, she found him seated on a chair, his elbows resting on his knees and his head buried in his hands. He looked terrible. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days. His words flooded through her ears again, twisting her stomach into knots of guilt. His shoulders were hunched with defeat, his skin was sallow and Amala felt a wash of deep worry and concern flow through her, wiping away her own awkwardness and embarrassment.

“Vhenan?” she asked gently, reaching out to touch his shoulder, “Are you well?”

He looked up at her with a deep sadness, dark circles underneath his piercingly blue eyes, “No, I am not, my heart. I am afraid.”

“Why?” she asked, crouching before him, “What troubles you?”

Her language was more formal than she had intended it to be, but something about the situation felt serious and heavy with impending doom. Solas sighed, running a hand over his face seemingly in an attempt to brush off the exhaustion.

“Can you-would you-?” he started, pushing himself to his feet and offering her his hand.

She took it without hesitation, “Where are we going?”

“Somewhere I feel safe,” he replied, leading her through the circular door that she had stumbled upon completely by accident and had purposely avoided ever since, “somewhere we can talk freely, I hope.”

Her heart was pounding in her throat as they walked the corridor. She was more ashamed than she had even imagined she could be. She felt childish and stupid for hiding in her chambers for so long when her love was so clearly suffering but, as soon as the inner door clicked open and Solas stepped into the music room, all thoughts vanished and she gasped.

It was the Inquisition. Painted on every wall, curling up towards the ceiling, scattered around on tables and boxes. It was as though someone had compressed their year of adventures into one room. The murals were painted by Solas himself, she recognised his handiwork, but the rest must have been scavenged by his agents in the years after. She knew for a fact he had taken almost nothing with him when he left. The only thing she didn’t recognize was the grand piano in the centre. Amala wandered around, placing everything she saw in her own memory of events, watching their journey play out through his eyes. Solas let her. He had dropped her hand when they entered and he simply pulled up two seats and waited for her curiosity to be slaked. Even while distracted, she could feel his eyes on her, soft with love and wanting, deep and sad and endlessly patient. When Amala was sure that she had seen everything, when she could no longer justify making him wait any longer she made her way back to the centre of the room and sat quietly. She had nothing to say to such a revelation.

“I wanted to apologize for the other night,” he eventually said, “it was ill considered. A momentary lapse in my self control.”

“One we shared,” she pointed out, “I kissed you, Solas, not the other way around.”

He gave her a rueful, exhausted smile, “I gave you little choice in the moment.”

“I had a choice. I chose to kiss you. I wanted to kiss you. I’m only sorry that I seem to have caused you pain.”

He closed his eyes, but she felt some of his worry leech away. She felt her words, her affirmation that she had wanted him, that he had not manipulated her, affect Solas more deeply than she had realised it would. Again, she felt that twist in her stomach, that deep guilt that had been settling into her bones. He let out a shaky breath.

“You have not caused me pain, Vhenan. You have merely forced me to accept a truth I have been long avoiding.”

She leaned forward and put her hand in his, trying to radiate security and comfort, “Tell me what troubles you and we will find a solution.”

Solas immediately covered her hand with both of his own, bringing it to his lips and pressing a kiss to, first her fingertips, then her knuckles and then the back of her hand.

“I already know what the solution will be, but it requires me to ask something terrible of you.”

She pressed her lips together, every worst case scenario jumping to mind at once, “Tell me anyway.”

Solas took a breath to steady himself, “You were unhappy.” She gave him a questioning look and he continued to explain, “You had questions about Mythal. Being here made you uncomfortable but you did not feel that you could come to me with your concerns.” She opened her mouth to argue but he gave her a pleading look and squeezed her hand, pushing on “It’s alright, it makes perfect sense. Why would you, after all I’ve done?” He looked pained for a moment, squeezing her hands tight, as though he was steeling himself for something unpleasant, “I’m so sorry, my love. I know how this is going to sound, but I cannot stay here.”

It was as though a bucket of ice water had been poured over the top of her head. She went cold and her mind blanked. This was her worst nightmare. This is what she had feared would happen, what she lay awake at night and tried to convince herself she was being irrational about.

“What?” she questioned, “Where would you go?”

“I have to go back to the prison of regret,” he said simply.

“What?” she asked again, her voice rising, “Solas, you can’t be serious.”

“I am,” he said, “I-I had hoped to find another solution, but it has become clear that there is no other way. I cannot go on knowing that I am only here because I tricked a better person into taking my place, I have to earn it.” He met her eyes and the look she saw there made her pause. He looked…different. Different than how he’d looked every other time he’d done this. There was no noble resignation, no careful distance, just deep fear and something almost hopeful. Her objections died on her lips and she waited, letting him continue, “but I meant what I said, Vhenan,” he continued, “I intend to do things differently this time. None of this will mean anything if I lose your trust, so I want us to discuss it.”

“Discuss it.” she repeated.

“Discuss it,” he confirmed.

“You want to discuss you going back to a prison built from and locked by regret that you were already trapped in once, for the better part of a year, and only escaped because you tricked someone else into taking your place.”

For a second Solas looked like he might smile, “I do.”

Amala extracted her hand from his, placing her head in her palms to ground herself for a moment as the panic threatened to overwhelm her.

“What is there to discuss?” she asked, her voice flat even to her own ears, “It seems like you’ve already made up your mind.”

“I believe it is the right thing to do,” Solas agreed, “but if you need me to stay, I will stay. If you truly do not believe that I have the strength to overcome my regrets and earn my way back to you, then I will stay. I will stay here and be yours and I will never bring up the prison again, but you have to tell me. You must look me in the eyes and tell me that you do not think me capable of this.”

“I keep losing you,” she said softly, mostly to herself with her head still buried in her hands, “No matter what I do, no matter what choices I make I get you, and then I lose you again.”

Solas made a noise in the back of his throat and then he was crouched before her, his one hand holding her arm and the other lifting her chin so that she met his eye as he continued, “You are not losing me, Vhenan. Not this time.” His voice was barely louder than a whisper as he cradled her face and wiped away the stray wetness that had been forming in the corners of her eye with his thumb, “I am a selfish man. I want eternity. I want so many days and nights of happiness with you that they drown these past ten years of solitude. Being deserving of that life is now my only goal.”

“I want that too,” she said softly, “But you need to be here for us to have that.”

“Then tell me you do not think I can overcome the prison,” he prompted, “tell me that and I will stay.”

She met his eye, her lips pressed into a thin line as she searched his face for signs of deceit. His sincerity, as always, was undoing. It wormed its way under her skin and took root there. The future that he painted was perfect, so exactly what she had dreamed of in her weakest moments that he might have plucked it directly from her mind. It was more than that though. She had spent the last decade learning what Solas would do to see his dreams come to fruition. If she had faith in nothing else, she had faith in him.

“And if I lie to you?” she eventually asked.

Solas shrugged, “Then you lie to me. I will stay regardless.” She sighed, letting her head drop onto his shoulder and allowing herself to just treasure the closeness that came when he instinctively wrapped his arms around her. “Or,” he continued, “you could come with me.”

Her head shot up, “You would allow that?”

It had never crossed her mind. Not even for a moment had Amala considered that Solas was offering anything other than his leaving or staying. His obsession with protecting her from his mistakes, from shielding her from anything and everything was so well established that this sudden change felt like a trap.

He nodded, letting his eyes fall shut as he rested his forehead against hers and breathed deep, “I despise the idea,” he admitted, “You in that place, suffering because of me, being forced to atone for sins that are not yours…it is worse than my worst nightmare.” He pulled away, just enough to hold her gaze, “but even I have to concede that I cannot fix the hurt I caused by abandoning you in your time of need by simply abandoning you again. If we are to be equal partners, I have to let you walk this path beside me. If doing so is what you wish.”

I love this man, she thought to herself with a clarity and finality that even she was shocked by. I love him. He was kneeling in front of her, holding her close and allowing her to make her own decisions. He had discussed this with her, he was willing to listen, to stay if it was what she wanted.

His words, whispered in a haze of love and desire replayed in her mind again. She could feel Mythal’s stone gaze burning a hole in them as she took a moment to process.

“What will happen if I come?” she asked eventually, feeling calmer.

Solas shrugged, “I have no idea. It is possible that, since the prison was built to hold gods, it will only recognize me, and thus only my regrets will be present.” he explained, opening his mouth to continue but then hesitating.

“But you don’t think that’s likely,” she finished.

He shook his head, looking sheepish, “You are an elf living in the fade, touched by the magic of Fen’Harel. Being the host of my foci…it changed you. You have your own magical resonance now, you do not age-”

Her brows shot up, “So that’s why I’m not more wrinkled. I thought it was just good genetics.”

He chuckled fondly, “Be serious, my love.”

“Sorry,” she replied, “I just-” she shook her head, “so, you believe that the prison will register me as a god and that, consequently, I will have to work through my own regrets or risk being stuck there for all eternity?”

“Basically, yes.”

“Fuck,” she said softly.

“You do not have to do this,” he reminded her gently, rubbing soft circles on her back, “you can stay here, or even return to Thedas. I promise I will find a way to send for you as soon as I am able.

Before he had even finished speaking, Amala was shaking her head, “And be stuck waiting? No, if you need to do this, then I am coming with you.”

Solas sighed, but she could see a slight flicker of relief in his eyes, the tiniest confirmation that he was terrified, that having her by his side would make this ordeal easier for him to endure.

“You will?” He asked, sounding young for a moment.

She nodded, “I will.”

“And there is nothing I can say that will convince you to stay?”

She shook her head, feeling the faintest smile playing at the corner of her lips. Solas pulled her into an embrace, burying his face in her neck and just holding her. He was faintly shaking and Amala wondered, with some trepidation, what kind of a place was terrible enough to make the god of lies tremble. She pushed the thought aside. For now, the tension was broken.

“Ma nuvenin,” he said, releasing her, “I expected nothing less.”

“When do we go?” she asked, dreading the answer.

“Whenever we feel ready,” he replied.

They should go immediately. There was no reason to prolong the agony, right?

She took his hand, her voice small, “Can-would it be alright if we stayed here for one more night?”

His face softened with deep affection and he kissed her hand again, “Of course, Vhenan. Whatever you need.”

She let out a sigh of relief, “Good, because I think I need a moment before I can walk properly. My legs are still a little bit numb from the shock.”

With a mischievous smile, Solas scooped her up into his arms. She screeched, instinctively clinging to his neck as her shock turned to amusement and floods of laughter echoed through the stone passageways. Solas laughed along with her and she could feel it rumbling in his chest as he carried her all the way to her chambers. He lowered her into her bed slowly, stroking her hair as he stood. There was a long moment where they just looked at one another, Amala lying in bed, her eyes still faintly red from holding back tears and Solas, standing above her, dark circles under his eyes and his shoulders stooped with exhaustion. This must have been eating him alive, she realised. All those days slipping through the Eluvian, trying to find some other way to atone, some other task he could complete to prove that he was able to change, all for nothing.

“I will-” he looked around, “I should go and prepare. There are some old texts on-”

She reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling hard enough that he stumbled forward and fell over her. She scooched up, creating space in the luxurious king size bed and wriggled under the duvet, patting the bed next to her.

“There’s nothing to prepare,” she said simply, “you should rest.”

Solas was still half on top of her, propping himself up on his elbows and looking down at her like she was his own personal brand of magic.

“I have my own chambers, Amala,” he said gently.

“And I’m inviting you to stay in mine,” she replied, “unless of course you do not want to share a bed with the woman who loves you, that’s fine too.”

He shook his head, chuckling as he folded himself into bed beside her, “You’re impossible.”

Even after so many years apart their bodies fit together like puzzle pieces. She immediately moved to let him wrap his arm around her, resting her head in the space where his shoulder met his chest, her prosthetic hand placed right above his heart. He sighed like the weight of the world had just been lifted from his shoulders and squeezed her tight, the way he always had. There was desire of course, there was always desire with Solas but, more than that, it was painfully comforting, painfully familiar. Painful because it was a reminder that they had once been one another's' home, that even after everything they still were. They had been away for so long, but they were home now, and tomorrow they would risk it all again.

“I can hear you thinking,” Solas said softly.

“I am always thinking,” she replied.

“Pray, tell me what is on your mind.”

“You,” she said honestly, “the gods, spirits, how a thing could go from an intangible, endless being of pure potential to something made of flesh and blood.”

Solas was quiet for a while, his free hand moving to take hers.

“It was painful,” he eventually said, “physically, it was agonizing. There are no words for what it feels like emotionally to go from being everything to being something and then finding out that the something you are, the thing you never asked to be, is wrong or not enough, or too much.”

She squeezed his hand, focussing on the steady beat of his heart, “I understand that feeling.” she said without meaning to.

His heart stuttered in his chest, “What do you mean?”

“I mean, not exactly, obviously,” Amala replied, a little embarrassed, “I was never a spirit, but I was always the wrong thing.” she explained, “My parents wanted a mage. The Shadow Dragons wanted someone who could stay in Tevinter. My Keeper wanted the perfect spy. Cassandra wanted an easy solution to a global catastrophe. The Inquisition wanted a human. The Dalish wanted a messiah. Varric wanted someone who could save his best friend.” her eyes pricked with tears, feeling the shame of a thousand little disappointments all rushing through her again, “They all got me instead, and I was fine, I did my best. I got the job done. They all loved me in the end, but I was never quite what they wanted. Never quite what they’d hoped. Never quite the right fit.”

Solas was silent for a long while, “Amala-”

“I’m sorry,” she interrupted, “I didn’t mean to make that all about me. Of course what you and the other original elves went through was different.”

“You are exquisite,” he said after a pause, “you are perfect.”

“We don’t have to talk about it.” she insisted.

“I quite enjoy reminding you what a gift you are,” he said, “but, you don’t have to apologize. It is comforting to know that someone understands. I have not tried to explain what it felt like before, but ‘never quite what they had hoped’ is a good way to put it.”

“I can’t imagine what those first days and months must have been like,” she continued, softly, “it’s hard enough to be a child, but to be a child in a fully grown body with all the memories of the things you used to be and know…” she shook her head, burying it in his neck, “it makes me sad for you.”

Solas slid his hand up from her waist to her shoulder and squeezed, “Thank you.”

“And you were at war!” She remembered, “The titans! To have to figure out what you are while fighting for your life just sounds intolerable.”

“Many of us went mad,” he admitted, his voice soft and distant, “their minds could not handle being constrained by existence. Valina…” he cleared his throat, “Valina lost herself to it.”

Amala looked up at him, “That must have been terrible for you.”

“It was.”

“A boy who was courting me was killed by Orlesian hunters,” she said, “he was out collecting flowers for me and they just-” she mimed shooting an arrow, “dead. I couldn’t even say his name for ages after we burned him.”

Solas looked down at her with genuine sympathy in his eyes, “I’m so sorry, Vhenan. I had no idea.”

She shrugged with one shoulder, feeling the ache of that loss like a stiff muscle.

“It was a long time ago,” she explained, “I suppose thinking about having to face a prison made of my own regrets brought it all back to the surface.”

He hummed, “It does that.”

They lay together in comfortable silence for what felt like a long time, each lost in their own thoughts before Amala asked, “What’s it like there?”

Solas placed her hand on his cheek as though her touch could soften the memories.

“Grey,” he eventually answered, “crumbling and sprawling. It was designed to adapt to its prisoners. It gets inside your head and twists things.”

“Like the nightmare realm?” she asked.

“They have some similarities,” he agreed, “the prison is like your own personal nightmare realm.”

“Gee, that sounds fun,” she replied sarcastically, “I can’t wait for all the new nightmares I’m about to start having.”

Solas chuckled, “They are not enjoyable. I do not recommend it.”

“At least we’ll be having them together,” she said.

“True,” he agreed with a small, private smile.

She reached up and brushed the dark circles under Solas’ eyes, wondering to herself how many regrets a person could accumulate when they never died. How heavy it must be to carry that weight with you for so long. How it would feel to escape that crushing weight, only to have to turn back and face them again.

“I did not explain myself well before,” Solas eventually said, as though he could feel her thoughts turning sad, “kissing you-being with you like that again-I do not regret it.”

She looked up, “Are you certain?”

His hand traveled from her shoulder to her waist again and he let the tips of his fingers trace patterns on the bare skin where her shirt had risen up. It was more suggestive than sexual, a callback to a hundred moments before.

“I am certain.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” she replied, “you do have such a terrible habit of kissing me and then running away.”

“Only because I want you too desperately, and I still never make it very far,” he pointed out with a chuckle.

She hummed, happily, “That is also true.”

He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a yawn, his eyes fluttering closed as his body fought the pull of rest. Amala reached up and closed his eyes gently with her fingers.

“Sleep now, Fen’Harel,” she said softly, “I’ll keep us safe until morning.”

He gave her a fond smile, letting out a deep breath and pulling her even tighter against his chest as he let his eyes drift shut.

“Thank you,” he said in the moments before sleep claimed him, “for agreeing to come with me. I was so afraid.”

“I know.”

“I’m not afraid anymore.”

[roostersgirlfriendlovesf1]

i'll be home for christmas

bradley bradshaw x reader

prompt: bradley has been on a mission the past couple of weeks and as christmas approaches y/n becomes more lonely. she decorates their apartment as she awaits his return...

warnings: none, just cute ;)

an: hi guys!! this is my first post hope you love it! i will be taking requests for rooster or hangman and if you're intrested in f1 lando norris and charles leclerc! i def need ideas so please comment!

A cold breeze makes its way into the apartment as y/n attempts to hang the last string of lights on the tree. The sound of waves crashing on the shore almost drowned out the sound of Nat King Cole’s A Classic Christmas playlist. Y/n peaked out of the window, the sun was quickly setting. Bradley was set to arrive home any day now. Christmas was a holiday that they had not yet spent together over the past two years; Bradley was either on a mission or stuck having a late night on base.  She stepped down from the chair she was balancing on and poured herself a glass of wine. She had been slowly decorating more and more each night, hoping that she would be staying up late enough to greet Bradley when he came home. She never knew what his mood would be when he got home, but always tried to keep a smile. She had put on green, plaid pajama pants and a tighter black long sleeve. She heard the sound of giggles outside the balcony door. Y/n peeked out, seeing a family of three spending their Christmas Eve together. She grabbed a plate of cookies off of the counter, not wanting them to all go to waste as she could not eat them all. She slipped on a pair of uggs and walked downstairs. She waved politely. The family lived a couple apartments down. “Cookies?” 

The mom bent down. “Go get a cookie.” She tickled her daughter before the little girl shyly approached y/n. She grabbed a sugar cookie with red, green, and white sprinkles.

“Good choice!” y/n smiled before looking back up at the two adults. 

“Brad coming home soon?” The man asked.

“He said he would be home between December 20th and December 26th…” She sighed, “So hopefully in the next couple of days.”

“If you want to come over tomorrow we wouldn’t mind.” The woman smiled.

“It's alright.” y/n shook her head. “I just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas!” She bid them goodnight and let herself back into the lonely apartment. She shut the balcony door before taking a step back to appreciate the Christmas scene she had set for herself. A moment of appreciation quickly turned into a moment of loneliness. The room was dark except for the accent of faded-white Christmas lights and candles. She wanted her boyfriend with her. His perfect golden skin, infectious laugh, and comforting smell. She sat down at the piano he had and their first memories together flooded her mind. She had moved in with him a week after she convinced him to buy the piano. He knew he was in love as soon as she pointed out the piano. It had faded wood and the paint on the black keys had just about dissipated.

“This one is perfect.” She ran her fingers along the keys.

His heart dropped as he studied the piano. “This looks like the one my dad would play when we went out for food at this one diner…”

“Then you need it!” She smiled at him. “It's gotta be a sign.” All he could do was stare at it. She placed a hand on his shoulder, kissing his cheek. “I’m gonna go see how much I can negotiate the price.”

He watched her as she debated with the store owner. She waved Bradley over with an angsty look. “He agreed to lower it by 20%, think that's fine?” She crossed her arms.

“Yes.” He was determined to have the piano. “I’m going to be broke after this.”

“Christmas is coming up.” She declared. “So I’m obligated to put some money in for this.”

“No-”

“Yes.” She nodded. As she put their money together Bradley noticed her eyes latch onto a silver necklace with a red heart. He watched as she read the price, sighed, and then continued to count the money owed for the piano.

She was now slumped over it, attempting to find a tune. She set her wine glass on a side table and glared at the keys. They hadn’t been touched in weeks. The sound of laughter and singing hadn’t echoed off the walls in what felt like decades. She wished the piano could comfort her the way Bradley did. Tears filled her eyes, but had not yet fallen as she realized the Christmas songs playing on her speaker had stopped. She put on a new playlist before shuffling into she and Bradley’s bedroom searching for a sweater. She opened the closet door, grabbing a gray sweatshirt. She and Bradley’s separate sides of the closet had now just blended into one wardrobe. She pulled it over her head, prepared for another long night of finding a show to binge. Y/n grabbed a blanket and went to clean the Christmas plate she ate dinner on. Being alone made her envy the times she had to clean double the dishes. The sound of the sink running overpowered the sound of the front door unlatching. She set the plate down in the sink, sighing before blowing out a candle. Thump. A duffel bag landed on the floor and her attention was diverted. The tired eyes of a familiar pilot greeted her as she rushed herself into his arms. Her arms were wrapped around him tightly, one hand running through the hair on the back of his head. His arms caged around her waist as he kissed the side of her face, mustache tickling her. “Merry Christmas, baby.” He whispered in a tired, raspy voice. 

“Merry Christmas,” she breathed, pulling away to look at him with glassy eyes. “I’ve missed you.”

“I love what you’ve done with the place.” He let out a breathy laugh, obviously exhausted. “I couldn’t get you anything really nice, but I picked something up on the way home…” He placed his forehead against hers. 

She kissed him. “You didn’t need to get me anything.” He nodded, but retreated to his duffel bag, grabbing a green box from inside it. 

He placed it in her hands before bringing them down to hold her waist. “Nothing was really open this late, but-”

“Shhhhh….” She hushed him. She opened the box to find a sticker and a silver necklace.

“The sticker has the exact plane I fly on it, so that you can stick it on your phone case and look at it when you miss me. It was dumb, but it was at the 24/7 gas station.” She stayed silent, taking the necklace out. “Now that…” He cupped his hand around hers, taking the necklace into his own hand. “I’ve had for a while.” He hooked it around her neck. It was a simple necklace, but had a tiny red heart that fell right between her collarbone.

“Bradley…” Her voice caught. “Thank you.” She kissed him again. 

“God I’ve missed you.” He embraced her again.

[pinkytoothlesso11]

Annnd this marks the official end of Stricklake month 2024! Thanks again to @rexnanorum and @seekerofblades for helping me out with the graphics for each week, you really brought the month to life! And of course, huge thanks to everyone who participated! I'm still blown away by the amount of content, so it's likely I'll see hopefully most of you again for next year, fingers crossed!

As always please let me know of any errors to the post, and of late additions! The month may be over, but a couple days late submissions are still more than welcome!

🎉Week one🎉

Myth/Technology

15. Curse — @albentelisa

16. History Repeats Itself— Another badly timed Stricklake compilation: Downed Dragon — @toodrasticallydumb

Special mention:

17. Stricklander’s secret — @deerdrawingbook

Link to first roundup post is HERE.

🎉Week two🎉

Shipwrecked/Resort

15. Mystery of the Island — @albentelisa

16. Shipwreck/Resort — @littleladybaker

17. History Repeats Itself—Another badly timed Stricklake compilation: These Strangers like Me — @toodrasticallydumb

Link to second roundup post is HERE.

🎉Week three🎉

Sunlight/Moonlight

14. Moonlight — @littleladybaker

15. Sun/Moon — @ollie-alooffloof

Link to third roundup post is HERE.

🎉Week four🎉

Blood/Healing

13. Blood — @miniature-giant-space-degu

14. Mutual healing and martyrdom — @ollie-alooffloof

Special mention:

15. I Won't Say I'm in Love — @yavannah

16. Pie back time — @rexnanorum

Link to week four roundup post is HERE.

[pynkhues]

Greetings from Canada!! Hope you are enjoying the election glow (I know we still are!! Even though it’s a closer call than your glorious landslide:))

Now that we are a little bit restored in our faith in human kindness and intelligence — any news on dogless bone chapter 3??? This weekend? Please please pretty please??

No pressure of course—perfection takes time and you’ve already been so generous with your time and energy!!

Greetings!! And yes! Congrats on your own election too! One of our political pundits said on the news the next day that Canada and Australia had rewritten MAGA these elections as 'Make America Go Away', which did make me laugh, I can't lie (sorry to my American followers!). Hopefully though it is indicative of a groundswell pushing back against these sorts of fascist politics, and that it might be the start of a wave back towards democracy and at least centrist if not leftist politics broadly (especially given the American midterms aren't that far away really).

And hopefully! I'm about to log off tumblr and try and knuckle down and get it done today. I'll be out most of tomorrow with Mother's Day, and really would like to get it done so I can focus on something else next week, haha. It does feel really close, so fingers crossed! 😊

[justice4billy]

That's what you get for waking up in Vegas

Chapter four

It had been several blissful days since Hannah crossed paths with Billy. The pair had managed to get a court date set up for the end of the week much to their delight.

Hannah had been crashing at Heather's apartment until she got back on her feet, she liked living with her friend but needed her own space. Hopefully with this divorce she could have half the money and get a decent place for herself.

She sighed to herself, feeling like a pig for still laying in bed at ten am. She wasn't due back at work till next week and with Heather at work all day she felt bored. She looked at the ring on her finger, the one from the person she had truly wanted to marry. Heather thought it was odd she kept Jason's ring but deep down she hoped he would call and tell her it had been a mistake. So far nothing.

"You really are pathetic" she grumbled to herself as she twirled the ring on her finger.

Her phone rang jolting her out of her little pity party. She got up scrambling towards her dresser and picking up the receiver.

"Hello" she stated politely

"Hello Miss Jones this is Malcolm" her lawyer stated.

"Oh, hi what's wrong?" She asked panic filling her veins. What if Billy had changed his mind? She didn't know how to deal with that.

"The judge wants to bring your date forward" he stated. "For tomorrow" he finished.

Hannah furrowed her brows. "Tomorrow? I thought it wasn't till Friday" she stated hating how she had four awful days to wait.

"Something happened with one of his cases" he stated giving no room to explain. "The judge would like you and Mr Hargrove to report to the courthouse at ten am" he stated.

Hannha paused realising she never even knew Billy's last name. "I can be there" she stated.

"Great, I'll consult with Mr Hargroves representative to see if he is available" he stated before bidding her a goodbye.

Hannah hung up the phone hoping Billy would pull through.

.............  .......................  ................

Hannah was awake bright and early the next day. She could hardly sleep the night before, and woke up early to ensure she looked presentable for today.

She chose to go with a simple white blouse and a mid length skirt that showcased her curves, whilst pairing the outfit with some black heels. She needed the judge to take her serious.

Her nerves had worked themselves up as they pulled up to the courthouse in Heather's beat up beetle. Her legs shaking as she got out of the vehicle and stepped onto the sidewalk.

"There they are" Heather nudged her.

Hannah turned her head, her eyes narrowing as she took in Billy's attire. A red shirt which was unbuttoned slightly, denim jeans and boots completed his luck. Was he serious?

"I'm going to murder him" Hannah swore as the pair approached them.

Tommy whistled. "Ladies, looking good" he stated sending a wink to Heather who rolled her eyes.

"Are you serious?" Hannah hissed sending a glare to Billy.

Billy raised a brow. "About what?" He asked.

"Your attire" Hannah stated. "Do you really think the judge will take us seriously?" She asked. She knew how important first impressions were.

Billy rolled his eyes. "Jesus christ, always going on the attack" he grumbled.

Hannah folded her arms. "Poor baby" she cooed sarcastic.

Billy narrowed his eyes. "Can't wait to be free of you" he spat

"Feelings mutual" Hannah spat back.

"Guys, come on" Tommy urged nodding to the tower clock. 9.55. It was now or never they thought.

The pair entered the courtroom. Hannah spotted Malcolm and came to stand by his side, her eyes focused on the judge.

"All rise for Judge Mathers" the police stared as the they all stood.

"You may be seated" the judge stares as he approached the bench.

"Case number 235 states both plantiffs are seeking a quick divorce, am I correct?" He addressed both representatives.

Malcolm stood. "That is correct sir" he stated.

Billy's lawyers stood. "Yes sir that is correct" he replied.

"May I ask each plaintiff the reason why?" The judge asked his head turning to Hannah.

Hannah stood up shakily. "We got married unintentionally" she stated.

The judge eyed her. "Um hum" he hummed. "What about you Mr Hargrove? Do you agree?" He asked.

Billy stood. "Yes sir, the marriage was undertaken by mistake" he stated making Hannah cringe at his use of language.

The judge raised his brows. "A mistake?" He asked.

Billy nodded. "We were drinking" he stated scratching the back of his head.

"Drinking?" The judge hummed signalling for Billy to sit down. "So you don't understand the importance of marriage?" He asked the pair before shaking his head and leaning forward.

"I'll be real with you two" the judge stared. "I've been married for neatly fourty years, and sometimes my wife can drive me crazy" he stated. "But you know I wouldn't change being married for the world, when I took those vows I took them seriously and I've been there in sickness and in health" he stated before pausing. "And personally i think you two should learn a lesson in the importance of marriage" he stated with a smile.

Hannah widened her eyes. Oh shit.

"I understand there is also money that needs to be divided" the judge addressed Malcom.

"Yes sir and my client intends to share and split this equally with Mr Hargrove during the divorce process" he stated.

The judge smirked. "Oh there won't be a divorce today" he stated.

"What?" Hannah whispered to herself.

"In fact, I think you two lovebirds should learn the importance of marriage" he started. "I'm setting out the conditions that you both live together for six months, whilst also seeing a therapist chosen by the court" he started. "If you guys can make it work then you can choose to split the money and even get a divorce, but if someone breaks the sanctity of the marriage vows then the other person takes all the money" he stated. "The money will be locked up in bonds for six months and then we will meet back here again" he finished.

"Fucking bullshit" Billy swore under his breath.

Hannah couldn't believe her ears. All she could hear was the roar of her heart.

"I feel sick" she muttered to Malcolm.

"Now, I assume you have a place to stay" he directed at Hannah.

Hannah swallowed. "I'm living with my friend" she answered.

"What about you Mr Hargrove?" He addressed Billy.

"I have a one bed apartment" Billy answered glumly.

"Great, miss Jones can live with you until further notice" he mused. "Case dismissed" the judge banged his gravel and got up to exit the room.

"He can't do this surely" Hannah begged turning towards Malcolm.

"He can" Malcolm stated. "The judges rule is final I'm afraid" he stared.

Hannah looked over, noting Billy staring at the table his fists clenched. How the hell would she survive?